"Chalk"

A message from our hero, the Scientist:

Thousands are dead. Although the breakthrough of 1 and 2 has me motivated, it’s hard to be inspired.
Inspiration can come from just about anywhere. The way the wind howls through dead trees can spark a melody in a composer’s mind, the same way that the shape of that tree can inspire an architect’s design. In these dark times, we could all use some inspiration.
Go to the chalkboard in my laboratory and see if anything inspires you… it’s where my best work seems to be born.
Back to work.
9EXPERIMENT.COM

New 9 Footage!

Meet the Characters of 9

These are the complete character descriptions from the 9 movie book:

"'Steampunk' is a celebration of mechanisms and an idolization or faith in machines as a future, which emphasizes analog over digital. But in 9, since the world has fallen to pieces it's become all analog. 'Stitchpunk'-- a term which I first heard coined from a fan of the short film-- fittingly describes the 9 characters' aesthetic, in what they physically area and in that they have been designed not as toys but to survive in a barren landscape." ~Director Shane Acker

1 -Voiced by Christopher Plummer, 1 is the Scientist’s first creation. As the elder, he is the self-declared leader of the group. He is clever and sly, but also domineering, quick-tempered, and threatened by the new arrival of 9, whose higher intellect leads him to question authority.

2 -Voiced by Martin Landau, 2 is a kind but now frail inventor and explorer who embodies the Scientist’s strong creative spirit. An inquisitive personality, 2 is fearless. Affectionately described as a “salty old dog”.

3 & 4 -Communicating visually, not verbally, 3 and 4 are twins who voraciously catalogue everything they can see and find, recording and building a massive database for the group of the world that surrounds them and the history that led up to their creation.

Animation Director Joe Ksander says, "Since 3 and 4 have no dialogue at all, it was up to the animators to come up with those performances entirely; for those two characters we were inspired by meerkats and silent film actors.

5 -Voiced by John C. Reilly, 5 is a caring, nuturing engineer - the loyal, big-hearted “common man” who always tries to play the peacemaker. He is also an apprentice of 2, with whom he shares a special bond.

6 -Voiced by Crispin Glover. Although reclusive and eccentric, his bursts of artistic inspiration through drawings made from his pen nib hands may be keys to help his fellow stitchpunk beings navigate their darkest hours.

Director Shane Acker affecionatly says Producer Tim Burton was part of the inspiration for 6, and his physical apperance may infact remind audiences of a character from one of Burton's most famous films.

7 - Voiced by Jennifer Connelly, 7 is a brave and self-sufficient warrior,she is the group’s sole female. A fiercely independent adventuress she has been out patrolling the wasteland. To survive, she has adapted, finding the bones of a deceased bird and crafting her signature skull helmet.

8 -Armed with a giant kitchen cleaver and half a scissor blade, the none-too-bright muscle and enforcer of the group, 8, is created to help the others physically survive the dangerous post-apocalyptic world.

9 -To voice the lead role of the newly born - and aborning hero — 9, Acker couldn’t help but have in mind an actor who was so central to the film set he had worked on years earlier in New Zealand - “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” star Elijah Wood. The director remarks, "For an actor who can play someone naive yet unafraid to follow his instincts, and in so doing emerge as a leader, I knew I wanted Elijah."

"They are all disturbing in their own way-- taking basic houshold utensils and turning them into scary monsters." ~Producer Tim Burton on the Machines of 9.

Fabrication Machine- The Fabrication Machine is the origional and all powerful machine-- a completely autonomous, "thinking" builder whose elaborate, highly sophistocated design, massive size and nimble mechanical arms can construct other machines and beasts using any and all available raw materials. Each arm, and it's body, are able to move in thousands of ways to gather these materials and build it's predatory army.

Seamstress- The Seamstress is one of the most advanced, subversive and terrifying beasts in 9. Director Shane Acker was inspired by the mythological Medusa in his creation of this serpentine hunter. Fashioned with a doll's head, grasping prehensile arms, an intricate thread-spool mechanism and hypnotic eyes, the Seamstress lures her prey out of hiding and stuns them into submission before sewing them up within itself.

Catbeast- The Catbeast is the most primative beast encountered in 9. Taking its name from its cat skull head, this hunter is equipped with retractable razor claws and night vision, and posseses raw brute strength, and surprising ability.

Wingedbeast- A massive and deadly beast that attacks from above, the Winged Beast in in effect a post-apocalyptic dragon whose head is made out of scissors, saws and dental tools.

Star Elijah Wood says, "In 9, when the winged beast appears it's the first time that they've encountered a beast that isn't on the ground. What makes the sequence so scary is that 1 and his fellow stitchpunk beings really truly feel like they've got some sense of sanctuary in the cathedral-- that they can't be harmed-- and suddenly that safety net is torn wide open. It's the first beast that they literally can't hide from. It strips them of all their safety." He adds, "It's an incredible action sequence. The Winged Beast also reminded me of the Nasgul from The Lord of the Rings."

Do you want a limited edition 9 book all of your own? Check back for information about an exclusive upcoming 9 contest only at HBCfanclub that's coming soon!

The Scientist Continues with his Creations:

From the 9 Scientist's Facebook page:

Sleep is a luxury I never appreciated until it slipped through my fingers. The skies of day and night blur together like hazy orange and purple paints. In the early hours of the morning (or is it the fleeting minutes of night?), I have created 2.

He is different from 1. He, like 1, leapt from my hand the moment I removed him from the Transfer Device. But whereas 1 didn’t look back, 2 showed a level of concern for me almost immediately.

He carefully made his way across the floor, touching everything in the room as if to better physically acquaint himself with this new world.

And then he did something none of my creations have ever done. He smiled.

Right now he’s in the farthest corner of the room, on the ground, just building a simple pile of scraps. I am glad he is keeping himself busy, as my work is not nearly done. It will be hard to let him go.

I need to sleep.

Elijah Wood on the Cover of "h" Magazine

9 Star Elijah Wood will be on the cover of h magazine's fall issue, which is on sale September 1st. Of course 9 is discussed in the article, this is what Elijah said about his character while on the 9 panel with Tim Burton and Jennifer Connelly:

He is the innocent coming into a world in which he faced with a quest. In 9, there is so much he has to figure out. He throws a wrench into a society that is already established. It’s a fear-based hierarchy. He comes into the world innocent, wanting to understand who he is. What are these machines? How do we get to the bottom of things? He asks the questions everyone is afraid to.

HBC and Tim at Disneyland

Tim and Helena spent a day at the happiest place on earth, see more pictures at http://www.radaronline.com/

Museum of Modern Art Offers Tours of Tim Burton's Exhibition

MoMA will conduct tours of Tim Burton's exhibition on select nights after the museum closes. They will include a one-hour VIP group tour of the exhibition and a reserved preferred seat at that night’s Tim Burton film screening. Tim Burton Tour Nights are limited to 25 people per tour. Tickets are $75 per person ($65 for MoMA members), and must be reserved in advance by contacting MoMA Group Services at (212) 708-9685 or groupservices@moma.org. Tickets will go on sale this fall.
Complete information at http://www.artdaily.org/

Alice in Wonderland Canvas Tote

I found on http://www.thefrisky.com/ Fishs Eddy is selling an Alice in Wonderland canvas tote in honor of Tim Burton's adaption:

















"You can never have enough canvas totes. They’re great for trips to the beach and walks around town, and they’re sturdy enough to hold loads of books. In honor of the upcoming Tim Burton remake of “Alice in Wonderland,” why not make your next canvas tote this Alice-inspired one? You can’t beat the price, and the graphic is pretty cute, too. Stop schlepping things around in old shopping bags. Invest in a little canvas! You’ll save a heck of a lot of paper and plastic at the grocery store – and who doesn’t want to save the environment? [$12.95, Fishs Eddy]"

The Scientist is hard at work....

The 9 Scientist has been working hard to preserve life on this planet, and at last "1" is awake! Here is his Facebook entry:

So drained. I fear that my old body was not built for this.

But it was worth it… he’s awake. His small eyes squinted under the light of my workbench.
His first acts were those of defiance, writhing free of my grasp.

He’s a stubborn one.

That stubbornness will prove invaluable in this world. It’s a trait I have lacked over the years, something I wish I could go back and learn. But there are some qualities you must just be born with.

His face carries a pride and sense of knowledge that surprises me. I may have designed him, but I never expected such an expressive sense of power behind those eyes. 1 is a leader, that much is certain. Only time will tell if he is a good one. I will release him tonight.

And now, on to his brethren. As tired as I am, I can’t stop designing, creating… I must continue.

- The Scientist

Pee-Wee Herman is Back

Paul Rubens is dusting off his red bowtie and his white shoes and is getting ready to bring Pee-Wee back to the stage.
“I’ve put part of him away for a long time, but part of him has always been here with me, I think it will be like riding a bike — which is not a bad analogy for Pee-wee, by the way. I have some fear that he won’t be funny after all this time. I don’t want to ruin it.”

The main stage show will be at The Music Box at Fonda in Hollywood, with tickets going on sale today. "The Pee-Wee Herman Show" will run November 19th-29th. The original Pee-Wee show began at the Groundlings Theatre in 1981, and in 1985 Tim Burton directed his movie Pee-Wee's Big Adventure. It is said to include new songs as well as characters from Pee-wee’s Playhouse.

Read more about Paul Rubens and Pee-Wee here.