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Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 17, 2013 in Cinema 
Blade Runner isn’t just a fantastic sci-fi film (particularly if you watch Ridley Scott’s final cut), it’s a neo-noir detective story. YouTube user Chet Diamond decided to cut a new trailer to emphasize its noir style, putting it in black-and-white and focusing on certain dialogue. It’s actually cut more modern than an actual noir film’s trailer would be, but it’s still an interesting take on the film that makes me want to watch it all over again. Now if only someone would give The Big Lebowski a noir trailer, seeing as it’s basically a noir film in disguise. Read more…
Tags: Blade Runner, Ridley Scott
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 12, 2013 in Cinema 
New York Comic-Con is going on right now — and I’m not there! It’s probably for the best. Thankfully, a lot of the content at NYCC shows up online as well, so if you’re like me and couldn’t make it, you can still check out things at home. One thing I saw that seemed particularly cool was the NYCC poster for Oldboy. I’m still not sure how the movie itself will turn out, but the marketing for it has been pretty interesting. It’s arriving November 27th so I guess it won’t be long until we find out how Spike Lee has interpreted Park Chan-wook’s classic! Check out the full poster below. Read more…
Tags: Oldboy, Spike Lee
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 11, 2013 in Cinema, Hobbies and Collections 
With the Amazing Spider-Man 2 on the way along with Transformers: Age of Extinction, Hasbro is gearing up their toy lines to coincide with the movies. Often times, the result is that the public’s first looks at characters is in toy form. So with Hasbro’s party recently, a lot of pics came out showing figures of the Green Goblin, Carnage, and Black Cat. We know Carnage isn’t in the next film, and we’ve only heard rumors of the Green Goblin, but these could be what these villains will look like eventually. So tread lightly, because spoilers abound! Also, there’s a powered-up Optimus Prime figure. No word on if he’ll actually have a crazy sword-thing in the movie. Read more…
Tags: Action Figures, The Amazing Spider-Man, Transformers: Age of Extinction
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 10, 2013 in Cinema 
Against better judgment, Ridley Scott wants to make a sequel to Blade Runner. The man has made some fantastic films, but his work of late hasn’t been quite as good (see: Prometheus). What’s even worse? Harrison Ford has considered returning to the role of Rick Deckard. During promotion for Ender’s Game, IGN asked Harrison Ford about the potential sequel. Ford revealed that not only was he interested in playing the human/replicant/whatever-you-think, but he has talked with Ridley Scott about it. Read more…
Tags: Blade Runner, Harrison Ford, Ridley Scott, Science Fiction
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 9, 2013 in Cinema 
I’m still hopeful for Pacific Rim 2 to be officially green-lit, considering how much fun the original film was. But in the meantime, Pacific Rim is coming out on DVD and Blu-ray on October 15. Among the bonus features is this gag reel, showing actors flubbing lines, cracking jokes, and just generally clowning around. It looks like it was a lot of fun to be on Guillermo del Toro’s set, and it’s also interesting to see which parts of scenes were green-screened in. Plus, Ron Perlman is awesome as usual. Watch for yourself below if you can’t wait until next week! Read more…
Tags: guillermo del toro, Pacific Rim, Robots
Posted by Ben Huber on Oct 5, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Oops! Samuel L. Jackson let some news about Avengers: Age of Ultron slip a little early. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, he casually mentioned that he’s excited to be working with James Spader (Ultron) and Elizabeth Olsen. The only thing is, Elizabeth Olsen hadn’t been announced for Avengers yet. So I guess now we know who Scarlet Witch is! She should be a good choice for the role. In related news, Latino Review is reporting that according to their sources, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is signing on for Quicksilver. If that’s true, then we might just have everyone cast for the next Avengers! Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 3, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
I’m still having a bit of a hard time believing that Ant-Man is actually becoming a movie (set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe). I admittedly haven’t ever read any Ant-Man comics, but I know the concept of the character and some story beats through the years, and it seems like a weird choice to follow up The Avengers: Age of Ultron from a mass-market perspective. But god dammit, I’m happy that something comparatively smaller and weirder can be made into a big movie in this day and age! And because Edgar Wright is directing it, it has my attention. Wright even tweeted this picture to show that, yes, his long-in-production movie is finally filming, making this the first picture from the set. Read more…
Tags: ant-man, Marvel
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 2, 2013 in Cinema 
Benedict Cumberbatch is hot right now, and with good reason: he’s a fantastic actor, he’s got a great voice, he’s appearing in great productions like Sherlock, and his name is so charmingly British. I’ve been waiting to hear how he would sound as Smaug in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the second Hobbit film due out on December 13. Sure, the Hobbit films seem really padded out and the CGI isn’t as endearing as the camera tricks Peter Jackson used in The Lord of the Rings. But Benedict Cumberbatch is a sly dragon, and that’s all I need. I hope the actual shots of Smaug are limited, but knowing how much additional content needed to be put in to make The Hobbit into three three-hour films, I have a feeling he’ll practically be dancing in front of the camera. Read more…
Tags: Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit
Posted by Bob Muir on Oct 1, 2013 in Cinema, Star Trek 
J.J. Abrams often gets mocked for how much lens flare he put into Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. But while comments about the lens flares in his reboot movie didn’t make him stop using them in the recent sequel, he says that he was actually being more conscious of how they affected the film. In fact, he claims that he actually reduced the lens flare! Read more…
Tags: J.J. Abrams, Star Trek Into Darkness
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 30, 2013 in Cinema 
Elysium opened to moderate interest and reviews, but it didn’t seem to really capture audiences the way District 9 did. Still Neill Blomkamp is unhindered, and is moving forward with another sci-fi story, and he’s back to filming in Johannesburg. Blomkamp says his next movie, Chappie, will be a “comedy” and a “heartfelt story” about a robot police officer (voiced by Sharlto Copley — who else?) who is kidnapped by two gangsters (Ninja and Yolandi Visser of Die Antwoord) in South Africa. And just recently announced, Hugh Jackman (a CEO) will also get involved as well. I can appreciate that Blomkamp is trying something different for his next film, and also hope that this odd premise pays off. Read more…
Tags: Chappie, neill blomkamp
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 29, 2013 in Cinema 
Gravity will finally arrive on October 4th, and I want you all to go see it. Alfonso Cuaron’s latest has been getting rave reviews everywhere but it seems Warner Bros. is worried that people might not be into it, as they’re releasing clip after clip for the movie. Well, I hope we all prove them wrong and the turnout is solid, if not great. I really appreciate the dedication to realism, like the lack of sound in space, which is demonstrated in this clip here. Sandra Bullock’s character, Dr. Ryan Stone is on her first space mission and is attempting a repair when things go very wrong. Get ready, it’s going to be intense! Read more…
Tags: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 27, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Remember back when we first heard the title for Avengers: Age of Ultron? Yeah, that was great wasn’t it. But like most fans online you probably weren’t age Comic-con, and you probably weren’t in Hall H, so chances are you didn’t see the video reveal. This kind of stuff usually doesn’t show up online except in blurry handycam format, so seeing this clearly in HD is nice. It was made available through the Iron Man 3 Jarvis app, oddly enough. So here it is, in crystal clear form. It also gives a little look at the prep work for the panel, with Joss Whedon saying “it’s like Christmas.” Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 19, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
The latest issue of SFX magazine has an interview with Alan Taylor, director of several Game of Thrones episodes as well as Thor: The Dark World. He says that when certain scenes just weren’t working in the film, he called in the director of The Avengers, Joss Whedon. Whedon had previously helped fix some of Captain America: The First Avenger, so since he’s in charge of The Avengers: Age of Ultron, the next big team-up in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it makes sense that he’d be the one to turn to. Read more…
Tags: Marvel, The Avengers, Thor: The Dark World
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 13, 2013 in Cinema 
Is there still money in the Harry Potter well? Warner Bros. sure thinks so, and they’ve announced that they’re adapting J.K. Rowling’s 2001 book called Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for film. The big change? They’re getting Rowling herself to write the script this time around. There doesn’t seem to be a hard timeline yet, but I’m seeing a lot of excited Potter fans today peek their heads out over this news. Hopefully they’ll still be around in a few years when this arrives. And will casual fans want to see a film without Harry and the gang? Despite those concerns, I am still glad they’ve brought Rowling on to script it. Good choice! Read more…
Tags: harry potter, J.K. Rowling
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 8, 2013 in Cinema 
It looks like with all his talk about film and movie creation, Keanu Reeves got the itch to direct his own film. Man of Tai Chi is his directorial debut, and is semi-based upon the life story of his stuntman pal, Tiger Chen, who stars. Granted, this looks like a very loose adaption, but I am interested in seeing Reeves try his hand at directing. Many actors have successfully made the jump before. Reeves still has a lead role in the film, but I imagine part of that is simply to use his star-power to help sell it. You won’t have to wait long to see it, too: it arrives on video-on-demand on September 27th and in select theaters November 1st. Trailer below! Read more…
Tags: Keanu Reeves
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 7, 2013 in Cinema 
Which one of you asked for this? Where was the demand for a Robocop remake? I’ll suss you out if it’s the last thing I do. José Padilha is directing this new take on the classic film with a ton of solid actors in tow: Koel Kinnaman, Gary Oldman, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton, and Abbie Cornish. But despite a great lineup, I’m still not sure about the presentation of the film. It feels less like Robocop and more like a generic sci-fi action pic. Perhaps it’s just the way the trailer is cut. At least the important elements from the original are there! Watch the trailer below. Read more…
Tags: Robocop
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 6, 2013 in Cinema 
Alfonso Cuarón’s latest film, Gravity, is arriving October 4th. That means you can probably just skip this trailer and wait until the movie comes out in a month. If your excitement for the Children of Men director’s next film hasn’t reached a fever-pitch (like me) then perhaps you should watch it. Just get a handle on things, you know? I love the attention to real detail here. There’s no sound in space. Finally! The only sounds you hear are what Sandra Bullock and George Clooney would actually hear in their helmets. James Cameron called this the “best space film ever,” which is clearly hyperbole, but still makes me even more excited. One month, people. Read more…
Tags: Alfonso Cuarón, Gravity
Posted by Bob Muir on Sep 4, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Were you one of the many people upset by the changed ending in the movie version of Watchmen? Personally, I thought that the new one worked rather well and tied Dr. Manhattan into it to boot. But I did miss the squid, and I forgot just how graphic the original ending was in comparison. It turns out there was a reason it was changed besides studio executives thinking that a giant squid might be a little out there. When David Hayter was asked about writing the script, he explained that the studio was very sensitive to 9/11-esque imagery that may offend viewers in such a big budget film. It makes sense, and the Hiroshima shadows were a good way to underscore how many people died without showing their bloody corpses. Read more…
Tags: Watchmen, Zack Snyder
Posted by Ben Huber on Sep 1, 2013 in Cinema 
Pacific Rim, Guillermo del Toro’s crazy giant robot film, was doubted by many analysts as being able to be a profitable endeavor. A new IP, combined with “robot fatigue” from Transformers, and fear that it wouldn’t connect with audiences were cited as some of the reasons it wouldn’t be a box office success. And while it’s performance in the US wasn’t spectacular by any means, it’s overseas pull was much larger and has put it over the $400 million mark, making it del Toro’s highest-grossing film ever. Legendary hasn’t made any statements about profitability yet, but I imagine it is much closer now than before. The home video release should do wonders, and I predict it’ll thrive there. Now, Legendary, let’s get Pacific Rim 2 going, ok? Read more…
Tags: guillermo del toro, Pacific Rim
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 31, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
The long wait is over, Marvel fans! You now have your voice for Rocket Raccoon: Bradley Cooper. This was the last major part to cast for Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel’s upcoming sci-fi superhero film. Given that he is such a beloved character, director James Gunn said they wanted to get their “dream guy” for the part. It seems Bradley Cooper is that guy! I wonder how fans will react? Guardians of the Galaxy will arrive about one year from now, on August 1st, 2014. Read more…
Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 30, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Were you expecting this casting? Joss Whedon can certainly make some creative picks for actors! James Spader has been cast as Ultron, in Avengers: Age of Ultron. His name, obviously, is not very synonymous with comic books, but he’s got a long and excellent history in film and TV. Is it a bit of a wild choice? Yes. But given that Ultron will probably be CGI, Spader’s voice acting is probably the main draw here. We still don’t know much about the story or how they’ll be introducing him (we’re assuming they’ll change his origin story from the comics), but I’m very excited to see Spader’s take on the rouge AI. Read more…
Tags: Avengers: Age of Ultron
Posted by Bob Muir on Aug 28, 2013 in Cinema, Comic Books 
Iron Man 3 ended with lots of explosions and fire, without getting into too many spoilers. But according to artist Federico D’Alessandro’s animatics, a certain character could have had a small part in the climactic battle. Click through to find out and watch. Read more…
Tags: Iron Man, Iron Man 3, Marvel
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 26, 2013 in Animation, Cinema 
I love seeing the tricks and effort that go into “movie magic.” Concept art, early animatics, CG tricks, anything that shows how they create the amazing stuff you see on screen. That’s why I was super interested to see on The Awesomer a link to an early animatic for The Avengers, focusing on Iron Man’s introduction. It’s way more exciting and interesting than the one we got, but I can understand why it was ditched: why do we need to be introduced to a villain right away that we’ll never see again? Still, if you’re like me and love seeing this behind-the-scenes work, check it out below. Read more…
Tags: Iron Man, The Avengers
Posted by Ben Huber on Aug 24, 2013 in Cinema 
We’re just rolling in the cinema-related news here, aren’t we? Paul W. S. Anderson, one of the most… interesting… filmmakers out there, with his wonderful collection of Resident Evil movies featuring Milla Jovovich in every single one, is back. This time he’s making a movie about Pompeii, which feels more than a little Titanic-inspired — but hey! It has Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) in it! And Jack Bauer (Kiefer Sutherland)! And Babydoll (Emily Browning)! Depending on how much interaction Jack Bauer and Snow have, it could be entertaining just watching them mumble and swear at each other. Other than that, call me cynical, but this looks like another poor film from Paul. Maybe it’ll be so bad that it’s good? I hope so. Read more…
Tags: Paul W. S. Anderson
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