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Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 29, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
I’m honestly surprised that Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller finally got around to making Sin City: A Dame to Kill For. It took so long for them to make it I was certain the momentum had died. But it’s finally coming out on August 22, and from looking around LA, the marketing is building up too. Shown off last weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, this red band trailer has got it all: cars, swords, guns, naked women, and one-liners. Oh, and all that sexy black-and-white violence they couldn’t show in a regular trailer. Read more…
Tags: Sin City
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 29, 2014 in Cinema 
Sigh. Even when I heard that The Hobbit would be stretched out and expanded to two, then three films, I held out hope that it would capture my heart the way The Lord of the Rings films did. (After all, I actually liked the original book better than The Lord of the Rings books!) But the first two films have shown just how detrimental many modern filmmaking trends are. The story meanders, the visuals are compromised with excessive CG, and everything feels like a videogame — all setpieces and not enough to justify them. Oh well, let’s return to Middle-earth on the big screen one more time with this trailer for the final film, which has been retitled from The Hobbit: There and Back Again to the much more epic The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies. Hey Hollywood? Not everything in fantasy needs to set up massive battles to compete with The Lord of the Rings! And I doubt The Hobbit will somehow out-do the Battle of Helm’s Deep! Read more…
Tags: Peter Jackson, The Hobbit
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 28, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Things are still looking rosy over in Mavel-land! At their panel at Comic-Con, they teased the next few film they have lined up, namely Avengers: Age of Ultron and Ant-Man. They showed footage for both as well, but Ant-Man’s footage was concept footage as opposed to Ultron’s mostly-finished clips. Also released was some cool concept art for both films, one a piecemeal poster featuring the Avengers fighting a crowd of Ultron bots, the other featuring… ants! Check them out below. Lastly, James Gunn came out and announced that he’ll be directing Guardians of the Galaxy 2, scheduled for July 28th, 2017. The whole cast will be returning, too. Nice! Read more…
Tags: ant-man, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel, San Diego Comic-Con 2014
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 28, 2014 in Cinema 
Legendary Pictures confirmed at Comic-con that yes: Godzilla is back with Gareth Edwards directing. And for the sequel, he’ll be bringing some friends as well. The studio explicitly mentioned King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan on their Twitter account, although they didn’t specify if they’d all feature in the next film or be spread out over later sequels. They also teased several other monster from Toho may arrive in other “franchise installments” as well. Legendary also revealed (in partnership with Universal) a new King Kong film, Skull Island, which is set for November 4th 2016, and will focus on the titular island. Hey guys, now that you have that link, can we get a Godzilla vs. King Kong movie? Oh, and Pacific Rim is under your umbrella too, so toss some more kaiju and a Jaeger in there too. Thank me later. Read more…
Tags: Gareth Edwards, Godzilla, King Kong, San Diego Comic-Con 2014, Toho
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 27, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
After all this time, it looks like Marvel may have finally found their Doctor Strange. But I don’t think anyone was expecting an actor like Joaquin Phoenix to be the name that would eventually rise to the top. In fact, he wasn’t mentioned at all during the entire rumor phase. Someone of Phoenix’s caliber would be a welcome addition to the Marvel stable, and I imagine they’re hoping his skill and star-power would help open up the magical universe of Marvel. While he hasn’t accepted the offer, he is in talks, and there have been several sightings of Phoenix picking up Doctor Strange comic books. I think it could be a surprising but great fit! Read more…
Tags: Doctor Strange, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 25, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Are you ready for a grungy, stubbly Batman? With SDCC in full swing, it’s time to promote everything! A new photograph was tweeted out by set photographer Clay Enos of Ben Affleck in the new Batman outfit, looking as gruff and grim as ever — complete with pronounced, dimpled chin! The costume’s cowl and cape is also on display at SDCC, so check below the break for some images of that too! Overall it seems like people seem to like that costume, but the jury is still out on the person wearing it. We’ll see, eh? Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice is coming May 6th, 2016… that’s a long ways away! Read more…
Tags: Batman v. Superman, San Diego Comic-Con 2014
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 25, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
Legendary Pictures’ booth at SDCC is all about Guillermo del Toro. On one side is a section devoted to his upcoming haunted house film, Crimson Peak, and on the other, they’ve got a big Pacific Rim section. Featuring what, you might ask? An Oculus Rift experience! You can put on the headset and see through the eyes of a Jaeger pilot right alongside Charlie Hunnam as Raleigh. It’s non-interactive, so you’re just along for the ride, but you can look in every direction and watch the action happen as if you were really there. This uses the new DK2 Rifts, which are being sent out to developers as we speak, so we should see more Rift content in the near future! Read more…
Tags: oculus rift, Pacific Rim, San Diego Comic-Con 2014
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 22, 2014 in Cinema, Star Wars 
The contest to be in Star Wars Episode VII — a fundraiser for the Force for Change charity — is still continuing, with people from around the world sending in a ton of entries. J.J. Abrams is reminding fans to get their entries in, but what’s more important immediately are the teases Abrams has had in his clips: trickles of information to whet your appetite for Star Wars. The latest is an X-Wing from the movie, and it’s looking good. There’s now one big engine on each wing that looks like it splits with the wings, while the design is sleeker. And unlike the prequels, this ship looks worn down and used, like it actually exists in the world. Good news, right? Read more…
Tags: J.J. Abrams, Star Wars, x-wing
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 20, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
After all this time, Space Invaders is finally getting adapted. Yup, Warner Bros. and producers Akiva Goldsman, Joby Harold, and Tory Tunnell will produce a Space Invaders film, presumably having only the barest resemblance to the original game. It’s not like there’s a rich lore to dig into anyway! Then again, good movies have been made out of stranger things… take Pirates of the Caribbean for example! That was pretty good (the first movie, at least). I don’t know: I think I’ve become too cynical to be interested or excited for this. I think I’ll just ignore it and if it ends up good, then I can bother with it. That’s way more sensible, right? Read more…
Tags: Space Invaders
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 18, 2014 in Cinema, Star Wars 
Episode VII’s cast continues to grow, even as they are filming! Christina Chong, whom you may have caught in 24: Live Another Day most recently, will be joining the cast of the next Star Wars film. Latino Review broke the news. Hopefully we’ll get official confirmation soon. Score another for a diverse cast! Since the initial casting announcement, almost every new character announced for Star Wars has been female. It’s great to see an increase in women in space, and I hope we’ll also see this continue with other films in the future. I wonder what kind of part she’ll be playing? Read more…
Tags: Episode VII
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 18, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Stare upon blurry set photos no longer! The first official image of Ultron is out, thanks to Entertainment Weekly. The villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron looks pretty close to his comic book incarnations, so I’m sure die-hard fans will be pleased. Most importantly he has the distinctive mouth shape that really makes him stand out. Oh, and Cap and Iron Man are on the cover too, but who cares about them anyway? There are some other photos at EW too, mostly showing off costumes we’ve already seen, but we also get confirmation that Don Cheadle is in the film. I’m satisfied with how Ultron looks, now it’s time to hope that the movie itself is good. Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 13, 2014 in Cinema 
Snowpiercer, from South Korean director Bong Joon-ho, has been getting a lot of acclaim recently. Critics and viewers alike have been calling it a fantastic sci-fi post-apocalyptic thriller, and well, I haven’t seen it yet. But I think tonight may be the night I see it, as Snowpiercer is now out on VOD, iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. If a theater near you isn’t showing it, now it’s plenty easy to catch it at home. In case you haven’t caught the ads, it follows Chris Evans as he leads a group of underclass survivors as they fight back against the oppressive ruling class that dominates the train they live on. Yes, in the freezing post-apocalypse, everyone lives on a train that cannot stop. That’s awesome. Read more…
Tags: Snowpiercer
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 11, 2014 in Cinema 
Ridley Scott’s biblical epic about Moses has finally gotten a trailer, and sadly it confirms a lot of my fears about Exodus: Gods and Kings. While Scott’s direction is always at least above average (and I’m sure there will be some excited shots in this film), I can’t help but feel that the world is over whitewashed portrayals of history. I mean, there are so many good actors of other races, it seems so bizarre to see Christian Bale in the middle of a crowd of Egyptians. I don’t doubt that Bale will display a good performance, and the spectacle alone might make this worth seeing, but hopefully people will ask why a more fitting actor couldn’t have had the part of Moses. Still, it’s a cool-looking trailer with some neat music. Check it out! Read more…
Tags: Exodus: Gods and Kings, Ridley Scott
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 10, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
Sega is putting fans of Alien in a very awkward position right now. They’re publishing Alien: Isolation, a game that promises to emulate the first movie’s horror and tension instead of taking its cues from Aliens. Now, you can pre-order anywhere and get upgraded to the Nostromo Edition, which includes a bonus mission, “Crew Expendable.” The mission will feature Sigourney Weever and other original cast from the film and let you play as Ellen Ripley, Dallas, or Parker as they try to lure the xenomorph to the airlock after Brett’s death. If you preorder from Gamestop, you also get “Last Survivor,” which has Ripley trying to escape on the Narcissus during the film’s climax. Those missions sound great, but that’s not the problem. Read more…
Tags: Alien, Alien: Isolation, Sega
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 9, 2014 in Cinema 
Technically, Scarlett Johansson looks deadly without a gun, but in this clip from Luc Besson’s Lucy, she’s using a gun to escape captivity. What follows is some very efficient shooting, probably because she’s using more than 10% of her brain. (You know, that old pseudo-scientific concept that’s been disproven over and over again, but whatever.) It looks like what I imagine the auto-lock slow-motion feature in some videogame shooters looks like, where time slows and you pick several targets to shoot instantly with no need for aiming. Will she be this cool the rest of the movie? I liked Leon: The Professional, but I disliked The Fifth Element, so I’m not sure about how much I should get excited for Lucy. Read more…
Tags: Science Fiction, Superheroes
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 9, 2014 in Cinema 
Though author J.K. Rowling has no plans to write any more Harry Potter novels, that doesn’t preclude spin-offs and short stories. Her latest addition to the Potter world is a continuation of her stories about the 2014 Quidditch World Cup Finals, posted on Pottermore. This latest story actually focuses on Harry Potter himself — now with “threads of silver” in his hair — reuniting with his friends, albeit written from the point of view of sensationalist reporter Rita Skeeter. If you’re a member of Pottermore, you can read the story (and many others) on that site, but for the rest of us, The Today Show has you covered. Read more…
Tags: harry potter
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 7, 2014 in Cinema 
Guillermo Del Toro has been wanting to make an At The Mountains of Madness film for quite a while now. Back in 2011, he said it wouldn’t happen, but now he’s signing a much more optimistic song. Thanks to Universal and Legendary Pictures working together for Pacific Rim 2, Del Toro says he could make Mountains at Legendary — but with a PG-13 rating, rather than the R he had strove for originally. “I think that now, with the way I’ve seen PG-13 become more and more flexible, I think I could do it PG-13 now, so I’m going to explore it with [Legendary], to be as horrifying as I can, but to not be quite as graphic.” Well, as long as it’s horrifying! That’s the most important thing in a Lovecraft story. Read more…
Tags: guillermo del toro, H. P. Lovecraft
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 5, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
If you’ve ever wanted to take a trip to outer space locations like Knowhere or Xandar, the Galaxy Getaways website is here to help. This new promotional website for the Guardians of the Galaxy acts as a travel website for all of the various locations in the film, tongue planted firmly in cheek. Their travel agency boasts 937 1/2 television channels on all flights and warns if you encounter an Orolini, “let us know how it goes. We get this question a lot.” There’s also a short intro video that I’ve included below, if you don’ want to visit the site. Otherwise, click through, and check it out. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy
Posted by Ben Huber on Jul 4, 2014 in Cinema 
Zack Snyder and the crew at Warner Bros. have sent out the first promotional image of Henry Cavill as Superman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice — and guess what? He looks like Superman. In fact, I don’t think they changed anything about it at all, which is perhaps a first (usually there’s a change at least for action figure purposes). Snyder also spoke about Superman’s perspective, saying he’s enjoying “the fun of trying to figure out what to put in front of him that’s difficult.” He also said the reason they used “v” instead of “vs” is because they wanted “to keep it from being a straight ‘versus’ movie, even in the most subtle way.” Good luck, dude! Read more…
Tags: Batman v. Superman, Superman, Zack Snyder
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 3, 2014 in Anime, Cinema 
Just because Hayao Miyazaki has retired from directing doesn’t mean Studio Ghibli won’t be making new films. While we’re still waiting for GKIDS to release The Tale of Princess Kaguya in the US, Ghibli’s next film is coming out on July 19, 2014 in Japan. Called When Marnie Was There, it’s based on the novel of the same name by Joan G. Robinson. It tells the story of Anna, a young girl with no friends, who meets another girl named Marnie in a house across the marsh. One day, Marnie vanishes, and a new family moves into the house. Anna soon learns there’s more to Marnie than what she thought she knew. I’m interested in seeing this, but I suppose we won’t be seeing this movie until Princess Kaguya comes out this fall. Still, it looks wonderfully atmospheric! Read more…
Tags: Studio Ghibli
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 2, 2014 in Cinema 
I thought the whole point of the latest reboot of the Planet of the Apes franchise was to show the entire rise of a planet ruled by apes. But all of the good stuff in Rise of the Planet of the Apes was right at the end (or in the credits!), and Dawn of the Planet of the Apes is skipping over a lot of the first movie’s tumultuous aftermath. So I can understand the appeal of Fox and Vice releasing three prequels to Dawn, collectively titled Before the Dawn. The three short films depict the outbreak of Simian Flu one, five, and ten years after Rise. But why aren’t any of these events being put into the film series? This is like talking up how good Halo‘s story is when all the plot and details are in books, not the games. Read more…
Tags: Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Planet of the Apes
Posted by Bob Muir on Jul 1, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
It’s not just Star Wars Episode VII that motion-capture performer Andy Serkis is appearing in. Just as his company The Imaginarium is helping out that film, it’s also working on The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Serkis is specifically working with Mark Ruffalo, who needs mocap to actually become the Hulk. Supposedly, newer techniques will offer Ruffalo “ownership” of the character, though I was certainly satisfied with his performance in The Avengers. But Serkis isn’t just a consultant: he’ll also be appearing in the film in some capacity. Though he does not specify whether he is performing a mocap character or acting with his own appearance, Serkis doesn’t draw a distinction. It’s still interesting to speculate who he could be! Read more…
Tags: Andy Serkis, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 28, 2014 in Cinema 
If you’re excited about Guardians of the Galaxy and want an early taste, or perhaps are just on the fence about spending money for a movie ticket, there’s some good news on the horizon: you’ll be able to see 17 minutes from the film for free, in IMAX! Marvel has picked a pile of IMAX theaters in which you can claim free tickets to see the footage, so you better hurry onto the website to grab them before they run out! No word on if the 17 minutes is from the beginning, a compilation, or something else. Sadly, there aren’t any near me, so I’ll be unspoiled for the opening evening, but for you impatient types, click here! Also, you’ll get a poster for attending, which I’ve posted below. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, IMAX
Posted by Ben Huber on Jun 28, 2014 in Cinema 
True believers, your time has come! If you held out hope for a Pacific Rim sequel, you can now rest easy, as Guillermo del Toro has confirmed that the project has been greenlit by Legendary Pictures and… Universal! Yup, Warner Bros. passed on a sequel and let Universal take over, which is an interesting change. While the sequel won’t come out till April 7th, 2017, you won’t have to wait long to get some more Pacific Rim goodness: an animated series will happen in the interim, and a second comic book series will begin as well. I’m actually very curious who will be behind the animated series and how it’ll be handled, but right now we don’t have any details in that regard. Check out del Toro’s full announcement video below. Read more…
Tags: guillermo del toro, Pacific Rim
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