|
Posted by Ben Huber on Mar 8, 2014 in Cinema 
Here’s some cute posters by the Muppets crew to promote their upcoming film Muppets Most Wanted. I’m hoping this new Muppets film is as good as the last one with Amy Adams and Jason Segel — but I’m not sold on Ricky Gervais. The concept of an “evil Kermit” could be funny though! These posters feature Kermit, Miss Piggy, and “evil Kermit” Constantine in a variety of spy movie parodies, such as Skyfall, Face/Off, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. It’s not long until it comes out — March 21st is when it’ll open in theaters. They also made an especially timely ad spotlighting John Travolta’s “Adele Dazeem” mispronunciation at the Academy Awards. Whoops! Read more…
Tags: The Muppets
Posted by Bob Muir on Mar 6, 2014 in Cinema 
That Super Bowl spot for Transformers: Age of Extinction might have whetted some appetites, but it didn’t give a good sense of the film besides “Optimus Prime wielding a sword while riding a Dinobot.” Actually, that’s still probably a good summary of what the film will be, but regardless: the first trailer is here, with Shia “I Am Not Famous Anymore” Labeouf nowhere in sight. Mark Whalberg is headlining this film, which takes place four years after the last movie. Honestly, with Michael Bay still at the helm, it looks fairly similar to the previous films. Maybe this one will be more than just explosions? It would be nice if they used some restraint in animating the Transformers’ immeasurable moving parts, because they reach visual overload far too often. Read more…
Tags: Michael Bay, Transformers: Age of Extinction
Posted by Bob Muir on Mar 5, 2014 in Cinema, Star Trek 
The Wolf of Wall Street may not have won anything at the Oscars this year, but that doesn’t mean we can’t honor the movie in other ways. Grant Gourley has edited scenes from Star Trek: The Next Generation to create “The Worf of Starfleet,” and it looks surprisingly entertaining. The editing is the star here, bumping up the slow, deliberate tempo of TNG for an energetic trailer. And unlike usual, Worf comes across as smooth and almost witty, instead of his normal, kinda dorky self that haltingly discusses honor. I’d watch this movie! Read more…
Tags: Star Trek: The Next Generation, wolf of wall street
Posted by Ben Huber on Mar 2, 2014 in Cinema 
The Latino Review puts out lots of “scoops” all the time, and mostly they’re reliable — but they’ve still got a bit of a reputation for sharing “crazy” news. That said, this one sounds believable to me… if only because I know movie studios aren’t able to make original films anymore and rely on remaking or creating sequels to existing properties. That brings up to this story: Latino Review is reporting that the Wachowskis have been working on story treatments for a new Matrix trilogy. The rumor says it’s possible it could be about the birth of the Matrix, which could be ripe for exploration but wouldn’t have a particularly happy ending. I’m not sure if I want more Matrix, and I was under the assumption that the Wachowskis were going to be pushing for Jupiter Rising to be a trilogy… but who knows what could end up happening. Read more…
Tags: The Matrix, the Wachowskis
Posted by Ben Huber on Mar 1, 2014 in Cinema 
Gareth Edwards, the director of the upcoming Godzilla film, took a little time to walk fans through the most recent trailer, explaining all the little details contained within it. In case you missed any hidden shots, he explains their reasoning behind shots and also some of their experiences during filming. I liked that he mentioned how they created the classic Godzilla roar at the end. Perhaps it’s worth watching just to get a slower look at some shots where Godzilla creeps in. Also included below the jump, the recent Godzilla Snickers commercial. Why? I don’t know, seeing Godzilla water skiing was pretty funny to me. Read more…
Tags: Godzilla
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 28, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
It was bound to happen sooner or later — the Minecraft movie rights have been picked up by Warner Bros. They’ve only attached one name at the moment: Roy Lee, the producer of The LEGO Movie. I would imagine that The LEGO Movie’s success had much to do with this announcement as well. They have a lot of crossover appeal, and can definitely hit the same demographic. I’d love if the same team behind The LEGO Movie did Minecraft, but I’m not sure they’d take it up. The news also mentions that the film will be live-action… which is an odd choice, but we’ll see how it turns out! I have high hopes for this. Read more…
Tags: Minecraft
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 27, 2014 in Cinema 
Slow down there, and make sure you read that whole headline, because when I was told this news, I thought Disney was going to bring Darth Vader back to life in Star Wars Episode VII. But thankfully, that’s not the case. Apparently Adam Driver, who appears on HBO’s Girls, is currently the top choice to play a Vader-like antagonist in the next Star Wars film. It’s not clear yet if this means his character will ape Vader’s “human being kept alive with technology” angle, or if it means his rank and powers, or if it is referring to his iconic nature and importance to the story — or maybe a bit of all of these. If he’s meant to be this important, perhaps he’ll appear in other Star Wars films too. But for now, we’ll have to wait to see if he is even confirmed in the role, due to his schedule on Girls. I don’t watch Girls (and I have to imagine many Star Wars fans don’t either), so I can’t comment on his acting. I’m having a little time imagining him in Star Wars due to his hair style, beard, and clothes, so this might be the sort of thing where I wait for a trailer to see him in action. Read more…
Tags: Darth Vader, Disney, Star Wars
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 26, 2014 in Cinema 
The first Godzilla trailer was impressive enough, but this second one really sold me on the film. This one’s less about the dramatic reveal of just how freaking big this monster is and more about the various human characters. I’m not sure exactly how many of the previous Godzilla films are being considered “canon,” especially the previous American 1998 film that everyone hates, but from a reference to nuclear tests in 1954, apparently at least some of the original 1954 film happened in this new film’s history. But whatever, there’s a ridiculously big lizard and he’s going to mess things up. And judging from the references to nature being greater than man, it seems like the new film might capture some of the original film’s underlying message. Read more…
Tags: Godzilla, Warner Brothers
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 25, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
Audiences were very receptive to The Social Network and Moneyball, so it makes sense to make more films that dramatize how companies operate. In that spirit, Seth Rogen and frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg will be writing and directing Console Wars, a dramatization of how Sega challenged Nintendo’s industry dominance with the help of Tom Kalinske. (Scott Rudin will produce.) With console wars still raging today, this will be a good way for today’s kids to get some perspective on what a real console war was like. But for everyone else, they’re in for a treat, because the story of Sega’s rise to power with the Genesis is actually interesting. I’ll admit that I don’t think Rogen is that funny, but he seems like a great guy who is talented, and he seems to work well with Goldberg, so it’ll be worth looking forward to whatever is done with this. Read more…
Tags: Nintendo, Sega
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 24, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Avoid this post if you don’t want any spoilers about Captain America: The Winter Soldier! It’s possible that recent TV spots are ruining a bit plot point for the film… or perhaps it’s just some old-fashioned misdirection. Here it comes: in the TV spot, it’s briefly shown that a bomb is detonated under Nick Fury’s car, and he’s blown sky-high. Then is the line “Nick Fury’s last words were not to trust anyone.” They’re definitely implying that he’s offed, but I can’t see Marvel being willing to kill off Nick Fury. Given what we all know about comic books — he’s probably not dead. If you want to look at it from a logical perspective: Samuel L. Jackson is still signed on for several more Marvel films, so no, he’s not going anywhere. Read more…
Tags: captain america, Marvel, the winter soldier
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 23, 2014 in Cinema 
Given the runaway success of the LEGO Movie, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised: there’s going to be a sequel. Jared Stern and Michelle Morgan have already been signed on to script it. And, of course, Warner Bros. has scheduled it already for 2017, on May 26th. This is a much bigger billing than the first film’s February opening, so it seems they’ll be getting even more support the second time around. As of yet, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the directors of the first film, have not been confirmed to return. I wouldn’t want to see anyone else in the director’s chair, though. They’ve done great work so far! Read more…
Tags: Lego, The LEGO Movie
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 23, 2014 in Cinema 
This is a weird article to be writing. Deadline is reporting that Willie and Charlie Ebersol have signed on for a sequel to the film Space Jam, to write and produce, respectively. Warner Bros. is on board too, and they’ve reportedly roped LeBron James into the project as well. What kind of bizarro land have I landed in?! Hold your horses though: LeBron claims that things aren’t happening yet, but that could be the typical PR speak to cover an announcement that got out too early. This is a really strange thing to see happen, but I guess with the recent ironic love by modern kids and nostalgia from grown-ups, Warner thinks they have a potential hit there. I don’t know if it’ll work. Read more…
Tags: Looney Tunes, space jam
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 22, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
It still blows my mind that Marvel is doing Ant-Man, Guardians of the Galaxy, and freakin’ Doctor Strange, all before DC and Warner Bros. can get a standalone Wonder Woman film out the door. It’s truly a testament to the organizational skills of Marvel… along with their excellent casting department. So, you heard me mention Doctor Strange, right? It seems Marvel is now on the hunt for several directors to tackle the film, and they’ve got four that they’re listing right now: Mark Andrews (co-director of Brave), Nikolaj Arcel (director of A Royal Affair), Dean Israelite (director of Welcome to Yesterday), and Jonathan Levine (director of 50/50). Kung Fu Panda writers Jon Aibel and Glenn Berger are rumored to be scripting it, too. Not a terrible list! Read more…
Tags: Doctor Strange, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 22, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
You’ve seen the trailer, now check out several videos that look at each member of the team from Guardians of the Galaxy. If you’ve been itching to hear Bradley Cooper as Rocket Racoon, you’ve come to the right place. There’s little bits of new footage sprinkled in each video, including a bit of fighting between Gamora and Nebula (Karen Gillan). Also included below is the first poster for the movie, and it’s about as silly as can be, with a tagline like “You’re welcome.” Everyone posing like they’re on a retro sci-fi book cover along with the huge list of other Marvel films — you know, just in case you forgot. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 21, 2014 in Cinema 
You know, when you have something good, sometimes it’s okay to just keep doing it. The first poster for the upcoming Godzilla film featured the paratroopers and their red smoke trails as they dove down towards the iconic beast… and so did the trailer. And so does the second poster! It’s just such a cool bit of imagery that I’m totally fine with them using it everywhere. Now you’ve just got to make the actual scene in the film live up to everyone’s expectations, don’t you? This new poster is one I’d totally be willing to hang up in my place. Check out the full image below. Read more…
Tags: Film Poster, Godzilla
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 20, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Marvel premiered the first full trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and after seeing it, I’d say it’s out of this world. Puns aside, we get a nice overview of the team, learning a bit about what makes them special. There’s Starlord’s awesome looking ship, the Milano. There’s a guard listening to a Walkman. There’s Zoe Saldana. There’s a talking raccoon with a machine gun fighting alongside a tree-person. What more could you want? Admittedly, John C. Reilly falls a bit flat here with some of his “snark,” but that might just be the trailer editing’s fault. It’s looking like this first “true” entry into Marvel’s cosmic corner of its universe should be some fun, old-school fantastical sci-fi. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel, Science Fiction
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 17, 2014 in Cinema 
A while back, Nike tried to capitalize on the dreams of fans everywhere by releasing Back to the Future-inspired shoes that resembled the ones in the film. The only problem: they didn’t self-lace. Now, Nike designer Tinker Hatfield says that self-lacing shoes will be coming next year, to line up with the original film’s timeline. I wonder if they can actually live up to the hype? I imagine you’d have to have some sort of battery in them too, which limits the design in some ways. I admire the fact that they keep trying though — maybe they’ll finally make it happen. Read more…
Tags: Back to the Future
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 16, 2014 in Cinema 
The LEGO Movie blew away a lot of people, by just how freakin’ good it was! Sure, it’s a big advertisement for LEGOs, but it’s also heartfelt and really funny. It definitely fits into the “see it multiple times” category of film. I’m going to look forward to anything Chris Miller and Phil Lord direct in the future, because they’ve hit it out of the park on everything they’ve done so far. Warner Bros. has released a blooper reel that has been animated to match the dialogue, much like Pixar has been doing. It’s super cute and Will Arnett and Chris Pratt seem to play off each other really well. Check it out! Read more…
Tags: Lego, The LEGO Movie
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 16, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Marvel has been toying with the idea of film focusing on Black Widow for a while now, but we’ve never really gotten a solid answer from Marvel one way or the other. Kevin Feige recently spoke to the possibility, and while he didn’t confirm anything, he did imply it was still on the table. “The notion of exploring that even further in her own film would be great, and we have some development work with that.” Just do it already! She’s a fan-favorite character, and Scarlett Johansson is a great actress — plus, we need more female superheroes in leading roles. It’d be a shame to leave her as a perpetual sidekick in all the other Marvel films. Read more…
Tags: Black Widow, Marvel, The Avengers
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 8, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Here’s a hero people weren’t exactly predicting: the Vision. And, the actor portraying him is already in the Marvel universe — Paul Bettany has been previously playing Jarvis, Tony Stark’s AI companion. As comic fans know, the Vision was created by Ultron, so that fits nicely with the plot, but I wonder if perhaps the Vision’s origin will be modified, given the actor? Maybe he’ll be a physical form for Jarvis, instead? Whedon and his pals are clearly playing with the various origin stories for everyone involved, so we’ll see how it all turns out in the end! Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 7, 2014 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Fresh off of her work in The Hobbit, Evangeline Lilly is doing well — and it looks like things might be getting better. THR is currently reporting that Lilly is in talks to star opposite of Paul Rudd in Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man. Her role would not be a one-off appearance, so many fans are speculating that she’d be playing the Wasp (which would also make her a likely candidate to show up in the third Avengers film). I’m all for more female roles to balance out the Avengers! It also helps that Lilly was one of the best parts of the second Hobbit film. Let’s hope this rumor works out. Read more…
Tags: ant-man, edgar wright, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 4, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
Apparently thinking that the Fast and Furious franchise isn’t doing enough, Dreamworks made a movie based on EA’s Need for Speed racing franchise. But watch the latest trailer, and see if you think this is a movie that needs to be made. It looks like it offers nothing new, just the usual racing stunt action. Lead actor Aaron Paul looks poorly utilized, displaying little of the intensity that helped make Breaking Bad such a sensation. I suppose there’s a chance this might be a fun flick, but for now, I wouldn’t blame you if you saved your money come March 14. Read more…
Tags: Need for Speed
Posted by Bob Muir on Feb 4, 2014 in Cinema, Videogames 
Here’s something that might have slipped through most people’s radars. Zachary Quinto, best known lately for playing Spock in the rebooted Star Trek universe, has signed on to play Agent 47 in a sequel and reboot to Hitman. The movie was an adaptation of the videogame series of the same name that has the bald, barcoded Agent 47 killing targets. The first movie grossed $100 million worldwide, but didn’t do that well critically, so the Fox is hoping that this new movie, titled Agent 47, does better. Paul Walker was supposed to take over the role from Timothy Olyphant, but he died last November, delaying the film’s shoot schedule. Quinto has proved he can act, but I’m not sure if I can see him playing this character yet. This might be one of those movies that needs the trailer to sell the casting. Read more…
Tags: Hitman
Posted by Ben Huber on Feb 3, 2014 in Cinema 
Still on the fence about the upcoming remake of Robocop? I know I still am. That said, these new clips from the film definitely left me feeling a bit more confident in the whole affair — but then again, I wasn’t confident at all to start. These clips shine a bit more light on the characters and style of the movie. Michael Keaton definitely seems to be having fun here, I’ll say that much! The film will arrive later this week: February 7th. I do wonder how it’ll do in the box office… are there enough people hungry for a new Robocop? Check out all the various clips below. Read more…
Tags: Robocop
|
|
