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Does movie violence lead to real violence? This question continues to be debated. And Hollywood has rolled out its usual quota of violent films this season.

In the January 7th edition of the New York Times, Peter S. Goodman writes about a new study that seems to prove that “violent films PREVENT violent crime by attracting would-be assailants and keeping them cloistered in darkened, alcohol-free environments.” In other words, the theory goes, potential criminals go to the movies instead of committing crimes.
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There is a lot of controversy about whether Apocalypto, the new Mel Gibson film about the ancient Mayans, is historically correct. Despite Gibson’s desire to create a work that reflects the truth about the Mayan world, one expert says that the film is not authentic.

Professor Michael Aakhus says, “If you like action films, you should enjoy it, but if you are going to learn history, stick to your books.” Aakhus thinks that Gibson exaggerated the violent aspect of Maya culture. He says, “Human sacrifice did occur, but not to the extent that is shown in the film.” He adds that, “Ritualized killing is not unknown to us. Our own practice of capital punishment, when looked back on in 500 years, I am sure will appear brutal and senseless.”
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Science is changing the world of animation. Filmmakers are reviving old techniques, like rotoscoping, and making it new. And a group of university mathematicians has created an algorithm that makes animated hair look more realistic.

“A Scanner Darkly” uses rotoscoping, a technique revived by MIT graduate Bob Sabiston, in which live actors are filmed and then animated, frame by frame. Rotoscoping was first used by cartoonists in the 1930s. For “A Scanner Darkly,” it took about 500 hours of computer time to create a minute of film.
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Two computer scientists say they have developed a system for predicting the box office success of movies before they hit the theatres that could revolutionize the industry, but Hollywood has responded with a yawn, despite the fact that ticket sales are down for the second year in a row.
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