With Bridesmaids scene-stealer Rebel Wilson as the bride whose wedding gets her lifelong friends together for a bachelorette party and next day nuptials, one would think it was her chance to shine. She plays a big enough part, but as the Bachelorette trailer shows off, the film is firmly Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher and Lizzy Caplan’s.

The trio gets together for the first time since high school and each has differing views of what this Bachelorette night should hold. Wilson wants something mellow, but Fisher, Dunst and Caplan are having none of that. Equipped with drugs, a hired stripper and an almost insatiable desire to consume alcohol, the three wind up ending Wilson’s last night as a single woman prematurely.

That doesn’t mean our comic threesome is finished.

It could be difficult to appreciate the three lead actresses for their work in the film. That is largely due to the utter lack of affinity the audience can have with their characters. They are not the nicest people in the world by a long shot. But, in the hands of these talented women, we cannot look away as the night gets quickly out of hand.

Bachelorette is like Bridesmaids and The Hangover had a child. The film not only shows that women can have crass fun, but still maintain their affinity for each other that is at the heart of what drives most films with large female casts.

This is a movie to celebrate the talents of the three leads. But, it is Dunst who rises above them all. Her characterization is one for the ages. She manages to be an all-out evil person, but tosses around her bitchery solely for the good of her bride and her fellow bridesmaids. After her stirring turn in Melancholia last year (that should have resulted in an Oscar nomination for her), Movie Fanatic is excited to see where this next chapter of a talented actress’ career heads.

Meanwhile, Fisher delivers on so many fronts. She has crafted a character that is simultaneously endearing, electric and very much driven by an ego of what she thinks she should be. And let’s not forget our bride, Wilson. Although her role is minor, it’s easy to see why she has been garnering so much buzz and we cannot wait to see more of her in the upcoming Pitch Perfect.

Writer-director Leslye Headland has produced this film based on her stage play. Our Bachelorette review can easily see the film’s origins in theater as the characters are so flushed out. That is exactly why such unlikeable people can be individuals that an audience will go along for a ride with hoping that they will, to paraphrase the famous song… “Make it to the church on time.”

Guys, do not make fun of Alice's clothes. If you do, she will--and I quote--"kill you." See what I mean in the new TV spot for Resident Evil: Retribution:

 

Resident Evil: Retribution TV Promo

Milla Jovovich once again stars as Alice in the fifth installment of the sci-fi action franchise based on the video game series. Michelle Rodriguez returns for the first time since the very first first film in 2002.

Sienna Guillory, Kevin Durand, Li Bingbing, and Johann Urb also star.

Resident Evil: Retribution is directed by Paul W.S. Anderson and premieres September 13. Until then, check out yesterday's Resident Evil: Retribution stunts featurette.

The plot for The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2 is sort of like an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in that it's entirely based on a misunderstanding. Just explain to the nice Volturi that Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy) was born, not bitten, and we'll be all squared away, yeah?

We teased it on Wednesday, and you saw it if you watched the MTV Video Music Awards last night, but now the Breaking Dawn Part 2 VMA trailer has hit the net. Check it out below:

 

Breaking Dawn Part 2 VMA Trailer

Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and and Taylor Lautner once again star as Bella, Edward, and Jacob in the final Twilight film. Dakota Fanning, Nikki Reed, Ashley Greene, Kellan Lutz, Peter Facinelli, and Michael Sheen also star.

Breaking Dawn Part 2 is directed by Bill Condon and hits theaters November 16. Take a look at these Breaking Dawn Part 2 character posters for more.

It's been a while since we brought you any meaty The Hunger Games: Catching Fire casting news. Today, Lionsgate announced that Jeffrey Wright will join the Catching Fire cast as Beetee.

Beetee is a tribute from District 3 whose electronics expertise earn him the nickname Volt. The role was originally rumored to be going to actor Tony Shalhoub.

Wright has appeared in numerous films, including his portrayal of Colin Powell in W., and Felix Leiter in the James Bond films Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.

He'll join Jennifer Lawrence, Jena Malone, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Lynn Cohen, and Sam Claflin in the Hunger Games sequel. The film is set to be released November 22, 2013.

For the upcoming Blu-Ray release of the entire Indiana Jones saga, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas restored prints that had suffered from the perils of age. The filmmakers were so blown away at the conversation that they are releasing the first of the saga that introduced us to Harrison Ford’s hero on IMAX theaters for one week only, September 7 through September 13. Our Raiders of the Lost Ark review can state emphatically: Run, don't walk to see Indy on the big screen!

Is it worth catching Raiders of the Lost Ark on IMAX? Movie Fanatic could not be more encouraging of audiences to turn out in droves to catch Indiana Jones as he goes after the most elusive of archeological finds… the Ark of the Covenant.

As the first frames rolled, it became immediately clear that Raiders of the Lost Ark did not look or sound like a 30-year-old movie. It’s easy to see why Lucas and Spielberg were so impressed that they felt confident stretching their hero’s tale across IMAX screens. With a viewing space that massive, visual “errors” could be even easier to witness.

Another element that permeates the seeing of Raiders of the Lost Ark on the big screen is the overwhelming sense that this is a film that has aged well. We’re talking about the story and not necessarily the quality of the production.

Spielberg has masterfully crafted a timeless tale and we all know how has enthralled generations since its debut, but with its IMAX screening fresh on our mind, it is clear this is one of those Hollywood films that will still be thrilling us for decades to come… even centuries. Even the Raiders of the Lost Ark quotes stand the test of time!

Although Ford proved his Hollywood heroics with his turn as Han Solo, it was his characterization of Jones that in our opinion, is his most indelible. He plays Indy as a man who is grounded in reality, as shown by his scenes teaching archeology, but also is capable of great acts of bravery in the face of sheer terror and hopelessness of survival.

It’s also hard to believe that there are so many iconic moments in one movie as seen in Raiders of the Lost Ark on IMAX. The golden statue swap at the beginning of the movie and the subsequent boulder rolling towards him as he runs away are simply the first two. Who could forget the fight with the hulky Nazi as the war plane spins around perilously?

Those are just a few examples, but Spielberg and Lucas have put together one of the great films of not only our time, but of all time.

Billy Crystal and Bette Midler star as out-of-touch grandparents in the new family comedy Parental Guidance. Check out the trailer:

 

Parental Guidance Trailer

Parental Guidance stars Marisa Tomei as Alice, who leaves her three children in the care of her parents, played by Crystal and Midler. Worlds clash when these old-school grandparents are confronted with 21st-century parenting techniques.

Tom Everett Scott (Cloud Atlas), Madison Lintz, and Bailee Madison also star.

Parental Guidance will premiere on Christmas Day. Crystal's 2001 animated film Monsters, Inc. is getting a 3D re-release a week earlier, on December 19, in advance of the prequel Monsters University, which comes out next year.

Live from the Toronto International Film Festival, Movie Fanatic brings you our weekend movie preview for the first true weekend of fall in the film world. It’s a quiet one, but two unique films land featuring Bradley Cooper with his best performance to date in The Words and Kirsten Dunst giving a career-topping turn in Bachelorette. Oh, and a film icon returns to the big screen too!

The Words: Cooper is a struggling author who stumbles on a decades-old manuscript in an old leather briefcase. After reading the mind-blowing work, he passes the work off as his own. It becomes a blockbuster. Right after he picks up an esteemed literary award, an old man (Jeremy Irons) shows up and reminds him where exactly The Words came from: They are his! As we state in our The Words review, Cooper is fantastic and the story is quite strong, but it suffers from a distraction that is a Dennis Quaid storyline that frankly does not fit.

 

The Words Movie Trailer

Bachelorette: Rebel Wilson is getting married and invites her best friends Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher and Lizzy Caplan to the wedding in New York. The trio show up and have very different ideas of how wild the bachelorette party should get. Comic mayhem ensues and as we report in our Bachelorette review, the three leads are simply stellar and Wilson shows why she has such buzz surrounding the scene stealer from Bridesmaids.

 

Bachelorette Red Band Trailer

Raiders of the Lost Ark: As a special treat for fans before the entire Indiana Jones series lands on Blu-ray, the first film that introduced us to Harrison Ford's hero lands on IMAX. Steven Spielberg was so impressed with the film's restoration for the Blu-Ray release, that he is releasing Raiders of the Lost Ark on IMAX screens for one week only, beginning today September 7. Movie Fanatic caught the larger-than-life presentation of the film on a trip to Skywalker Ranch recently and can say: This is a must-see on the most massive of movie screens. Check out our Raiders of the Lost Ark IMAX review for more.

 

Raiders of the Lost Ark IMAX Trailer

Silver Linings Playbook stars Bradley Cooper as a down-and-out man recently released from prison who returns to live with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) and try to win back his wife. There, he meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), a women with just as many problems as he has, and they form an unexpected bond.

The first poster for Silver Linings Playbook has hit the net. Take a look:

Cooper, who gained international fame as a comedic actor for his role in The Hangover, appeared earlier this year in Hit and Run, and can be seen beginning today in The Words. Lawrence, of course, is best known for her role as Katniss in The Hunger Games.

Silver Linings Playbook premiers tomorrow at the Toronto International Film Festival, before hitting theaters November 21.

Oh no! Clint Eastwood sat on invisible President Obama!

I'm sorry, I had to. Check out the rest of the new stills from Trouble with the Curve, released today by Warner Bros. (click thumbnails to enlarge):

Eastwood stars as an aging baseball scout who brings his daughter, played by Amy Adams, along for his last assignment. Justin Timberlake, Matthew Lillard, and John Goodman (ParaNorman) also star.

Adams will appear later this year in Paul Thomas Anderson's The Master. She will also play Lois Lane in the upcoming Superman film Man of Steel.

Trouble with the Curve will be Eastwood's first starring role in almost 20 years in a film he did not direct. It hits theaters September 21.

The ladies of Bachelorette are as manically funny in person as they are onscreen.

Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher and Lizzy Kaplan spend much of our exclusive video interview cracking each other up as they answer hard-hitting questions such as: How wild should a bachelorette party get?

The wife of Sacha Baron Cohen may know a thing or two about being wild and wildly funny. "It's up to the bride," Fisher admitted. Wonder what her party was like?

 

Kirsten Dunst, Lizzy Caplan and Isla Fisher Exclusive Interview

Kaplan, Fisher and Dunst portray bridesmaids who unleash a bachelorette party that literally lasts until the bride (Rebel Wilson) walks down the aisle.

How fun are these ladies? As Movie Fanatic enters the room they are singing Carly Rae Jensen's Call Me Maybe with extreme aplomb. Finally they calm down (a bit!) and all that is left is the hysterical laughter of Fisher. This is clearly a fun bunch, who made a fun film -- as stated in our Bachelorette review.

Ginger and Rosa (which sounds a bit like a fancy cocktail) is a new film from British filmmaker Sally Potter. Elle Fanning (Super 8) and Alice Englert star as two inseparable adolescents in 1960s London who are thrust into the realities of the world over the backdrop of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the sexual revolution.

The trailer for Ginger and Rosa has debuted. Check it out:

 

Ginger and Rosa Trailer

Annette Bening (American Beauty), Christina Hendricks (Drive), and Alessandro Nivola also star. Ginger and Rosa will premiere October 19.

Ben Affleck has brought his latest directorial effort, Argo, to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). The movie is one of our 10 TIFF films to watch and Movie Fanatic sat in on the press conference to hear what the man, who also stars in the film, had to say.

The film -- as seen especially in this Argo TV spot -- is about a secret CIA mission to rescue a handful of U.S. Embassy workers who managed to escape the takeover of the Embassy in Iran in 1979. Affleck's latest is as timely as ever. On this day it was announced that Canada, our host country, had closed its embassy in the Iranian capital.

“The long standing tensions between Iran and Canada, which is reflected in the film, are still relevant,” Affleck said. “It is both in the sense that it's about the unintended consequences of revolution and in the sense that we're dealing with exactly the same issues we were dealing with then. I was quite struck by it."

Affleck also hopes that his film will help our government and our allies take a look at a relationship with Iran that is as strained as it was when his film takes place.

"The West -- we, the Canadians, the British -- are having to examine what our roles have been historically, what the result has been for our involvement and what the benefits are of getting into the 'getting into business with people' business. I think Argo's definitely relevant on a sort of global, political level."

In college, Affleck’s area of expertise was Middle Eastern Studies. “It’s really my zone of interest,” Affleck added.

That could have been part of the reason the studio behind Argo believed in a relatively new director, even though he delivered success for them with The Town, helming what is truly an epic tale. "Warner Bros. took a chance on me to make a movie that was a little bit unconventional and that had elements that could trip you up," he said.

"I got to make a movie that I'm really proud of and that has themes in it that I'm really interested in. I've worked on movies where I didn't feel that way and I know the difference."

Affleck portrays CIA specialist Tony Mendez who orchestrated the rescue. The CIA recently declassified details of the mission and even history buffs are amazed at the larger-than-life true story.

Mendez hatched the idea of getting a couple of real Hollywood heavies to go to Iran posing as a film crew scouting locations for a science fiction film. The filmmaker had his reasons for premiering the film at TIFF considering the Canadian government’s integral role in the rescue effort portrayed in his film. “They said, 'We'll risk ourselves, our diplomatic standing, our lives to harbor these six Americans that we owe nothing to' -- just because it's the moral right thing to do. They did it. As a result of that, those lives were saved," Affleck said.

Affleck cautions that although the film is a true story, Argo is not necessarily moment for moment what occurred back in 1979.

“There’s a clearer line between documentaries, where you expect a stricter adherence to facts and truth and history, and our movie where we say ‘based on a true story.’ But because we say ‘based on’ -- and this is for lawyers -- rather than ‘this is a true story’, it’s understood that we’re allowed to take some dramatic license,” Affleck said and laughed.

“In terms of making a movie and sort of being truthful about it, I think there’s a spirit of truth, and there’s sort of really what happens. We got really lucky, because most of what happened in this movie is extremely compelling, and the characters were very interesting, so it made it fun and a pleasure. And I could actually rely on that."

The Jerk is not only one of Steve Martin’s greatest films. It is also one of the best films for movie quotes… ever! Here are some of the best of the best The Jerk quotes.

Navin R. Johnson: Well I'm gonna to go then! And I don't need any of this. I don't need this stuff, and I don't need you. I don't need anything. Except this. [picks up an ashtray] and the remote control, the paddle game, and this magazine, and the chair. | permalink

Navin R. Johnson: [outside now] And I don't need one other thing, except my dog.
 [His dog, Shithead, growls at him]
Navin R. Johnson: I don't need my dog. | permalink

Navin R. Johnson: These cans are defective! | permalink

Navin R. Johnson: I was born a poor black child. | permalink

Navin R. Johnson: The new phonebook’s here! | permalink

Navin R. Johnson: Good luck. The Lord loves a working man, don’t trust whitey, see a doctor and get rid of it. Bye Grandma! | permalink

Patty Bernstein: [provocatively] You know what I wanna do?
Navin Johnson: What's that?
Patty Bernstein: Guess *your* weight. [starts squeezing on him everywhere]
Navin Johnson: Hey, you're really trying to be accurate! | permalink

Navin Johnson: Good Lord - I've heard about this - cat juggling! Stop! Stop! Stop it! Stop it! Stop it! Good. Father, could there be a God that would let this happen? | permalink

Navin Johnson: First I get my name in the phone book and now I'm on your ass. You know, I'll bet more people see that than the phone book. | permalink

Navin Johnson: [speaking to Marie in bed while she sleeps] I know we've only known each other four weeks and three days, but to me it seems like nine weeks and five days. The first day seemed like a week and the second day seemed like five days. And the third day seemed like a week again and the fourth day seemed like eight days. And the fifth day you went to see your mother and that seemed just like a day, and then you came back and later on the sixth day, in the evening, when we saw each other, that started seeming like two days, so in the evening it seemed like two days spilling over into the next day and that started seeming like four days, so at the end of the sixth day on into the seventh day, it seemed like a total of five days. And the sixth day seemed like a week and a half. I have it written down, but I can show it to you tomorrow if you want to see it. | permalink

Fall films usually mean the “best” of what Hollywood has to offer. An enormous majority of the Best Picture winners of the last several decades have arrived in the final quarter of the year. 2012 is no different. Yet, there is still plenty of summer-type blockbuster fare out there awaiting an eager audience.

To get you excited for what we like to call summer blockbuster season part two, we present out Top 10 Fun Fall Movies. On Friday, Movie Fanatic presents our Top 10 Fall Movies that will surely battle for Oscar glory including The Hobbit, Argo, The Master and more.

10. Dredd 3D
You may be surprised just how good Dredd 3D is, as we will explain further in our Dredd 3D review going live September 13. Karl Urban is a lifelong fan of the graphic novels and comics and brings an authority to the role that was sorely missing in Sylvester Stallone’s 1995 film. Filmmakers also use 3D in the most brilliant of ways that is sure to send this film into the stratosphere of visual sensory brilliance. Release date: September 21.

9. This Is 40
Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann reprise their roles from Knocked Up in this semi-sequel to that film. Director Judd Apatow even has his two children (with wife Mann) reprise their roles as the couples’ children. Judging by the This Is 40 trailer, the same heartfelt humor from the first film is ever-present in the sequel that opens December 21.

8. Seven Psychopaths
An all-star cast (Christopher Walken, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell) is featured in a crime thriller that focuses on a group of dog kidnappers who claim to “find” the lost dog to get the reward, shown off in the Seven Psychopaths trailer. But, what happens when the hapless criminals kidnap a gangster’s beloved Shih Tzu? Harrelson, as the criminal lord, goes completely berserk! Seven Psychopaths lands October 12.

7. Killing Them Softly
Brad Pitt as a hired killer? Sign us up! When three idiots decide to rob a mob-protected poker game, the “family” sends in Pitt’s killer to extol revenge. The flick features a stellar cast led by Pitt, but also with James Gandolfini, Richard Jenkins, Scoot McNairy and Sam Shepard. Look for Killing Them Softly on October 19.

6. Flight
Robert Zemeckis returns to his live action roots (Back to the Future, Forrest Gump) after reinventing the motion capture world (Polar Express, A Christmas Carol). Denzel Washington stars as an airline pilot who becomes a hero when he saves a flight from crashing. During the investigation, Washington’s halo gets a little tainted when something shocking arises. Flight is released on November 7.

5. Jack Reacher
As we saw in a highlight reel at CinemaCon in Las Vegas this past spring, Tom Cruise kills it in Jack Reacher as a homicide detective who discovers more than he bargains for as he investigates a military sniper who is accused of shooting five innocent people.

The film is based on the wildly successful books by Lee Child and as it is part of a series, look for Cruise to have found his next franchise. Jack Reacher premieres December 21.

4. Frankenweenie
Tim Burton returns to his stop motion animated roots for a full-length version of one of the first short films he ever made. Burton was a hired gun for Disney when he made the original Frankenweenie on his own time. It became a watched-on-home-video sensation and now with a big budget and the entire Disney studio behind him, Frankenweenie jumps to the big screen in the story of a boy who refuses to let his canine best friend go quietly into death.

He uses a little Frankenstein science and brings him back to life. If the Frankenweenie TV spot gets you, make sure you mark its release date of October 5 on your calendar.

3. Looper
One of the best films Movie Fanatic saw at TIFF is Looper. Director Rian Johnson has done an incredible job of taking the simplest of concepts and turning it into a full-blown, mind-boggling movie experience. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a Looper, someone who lives in the past who awaits mobsters in the future sending back people who give them problems in order to kill them as soon as they land.

But, what happens one day when Gordon-Levitt’s future self (Bruce Willis) is the man behind the mask? The Looper cast also includes a stellar Emily Blunt. Looper is set to rock audiences September 28.

2. Django Unchained
With Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino hopes to do for Westerns what he did for World War II movies with Inglourious Basterds. As told to us in our Jamie Foxx interview at Comic-Con, Tarantino has in fact, outdone himself on many levels. The story follows a slave turned bounty hunter and his mentor (Christoph Waltz) as they try to rescue his wife from a slave owner in Mississippi. Merry Christmas, indeed: Django Unchained arrives December 25.

1. Skyfall
What else can be said other than after waiting four years for Daniel Craig to return as James Bond, there can be no more of an anticipated film this fall than Skyfall. Oscar winner Sam Mendes turns a lifelong passion for all things Bond into a dream realized as he takes the helm as director.

Javier Bardem is our Bond baddie and Judi Dench does her last turn as M with a mysterious Ralph Fiennes lurking in the background. The super agent and his Skyfall Bond girls swing back into action November 9.

Honorable mentions: The Man with the Iron Fists, Rise of the Guardians, Alex Cross, Taken 2, Here Comes the Boom, Wreck-It Ralph and Resident Evil: Retribution.

You should be warned that the entire premise of this movie is that by looking at an image of the demon Bagul, you unleash his spirit and he haunts and kills you. That said, check out this image of Bagul in the Sinister poster!

Haunted yet? No? Okay, sweet. I can tell you a little bit about the movie then.

Ethan Hawke stars as Ellison, a father who moves his family into a new house where the last family that lived there was murdered. When he discovers a box of home movies in the attic, he accidentally unleashes the evil force that took the lives of the previous inhabitants.

Vincent D'Onofrio, who will appear alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone next year in The Tomb, also stars, along with Juliety Rylance and Fred Thompson.

Sinister will premiere October 5. Watch the Sinister trailer for more.

The fifth Pirates of the Caribbean movie is gearing up to film this November. According to Caribbean Business, the movie, which normally shoots in Hawaii, will be moving its production to Puerto Rico.

Johnny Depp will return to the lead role as Jack Sparrow, though no other casting news has been announced, and no director has been chosen. Last year's Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides starred Depp, along with Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, and Sam Claflin (who recently joined the Catching Fire cast).

The new film, which is currently untitled, would be the largest production in the history of Puerto Rico, a country that is trying to boost its film industry. Keep an eye on Movie Fanatic for more news about Pirates of the Caribbean 5 as it is released.

UPDATE:

Disney has claimed that while Pirates of the Caribbean 5 is in development, the story in Caribbean Business is inaccurate.

Bringing a television show to the big screen is no easy task. There are certainly many more failures than successes throughout recent Hollywood history. But, there are those that worked and became huge box office hits as well. We’ve convened the Movie Fanatic Round Table to give our readers a look into what’s the best of the best when it comes to bringing a TV staple to the big screen.

Movie Fanatic has gathered some of the best and brightest writing about Hollywood and asked them this week’s question: Which TV to film adaptation is the best?

Eric Eisenberg, CinemaBlend.com:
I will throw out a compliment to 21 Jump Street, which I just re-watched again this week and found just as funny as the first time I saw it, but if we’re talking “ever” I think I’d have to go with South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut. The stuff that Trey Parker and Matt Stone included in that film actually made me start thinking that they were really holding back on the television show and I loved every minute of it. The songs are great, it’s unrelentingly funny, and I can watch it again and again without ever getting tired of it.

Roth Cornet, AMCTheatres.com:
Actually several come to mind. The Fugitive, particularly as it came up in a conversation about Edward Norton's character in The Bourne Legacy the other day. The Untouchables and Star Trek are quite different from one another, but also equally of note. But there is one film that comes into my mind at least once a week and it never ceases to keep on giving in terms of the humor and the joy it brings. The Blues Brothers is for me, hands down, the greatest television to film adaptation of all time. It can not be topped.

Gerrad Hall, TheSevenSees.com:
Ever? There are more that have been bad than good, that's for sure. The Mission: Impossible movies have certainly elevated that show, Star Trek was amazing, The Lizzie McGuire Movie blew my mind, The Brady Bunch movies are fun, and 21 Jump Street was a riot. But if I have to pick best, well, it's only because I grew up on the animated series and still own every single figurine...Masters of the Universe starring Dolph Lundgren, Frank Langella and Courteney Cox. Enough said.

Ryan Downey, MTV.com:
I loved 21 Jump Street -- Ha ha! I'm going to go the opposite route: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, best movie to TV adaptation! It is vastly improved. A mediocre at best movie turned into one of the best television shows of all time! (I loved Angel, too. Best spinoff since Knotts Landing or Melrose Place.)

Joel D. Amos, Movie Fanatic:
Although their numbers are small, this is a tough question to narrow down to the “best.” Mission Impossible, 21 Jump Street, The Simpsons, The Muppets and even The Adams Family come close, but the honor for me goes to The Fugitive. Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones’ tete-a-tete is still one of the best cat and mouse games played on screen in the last couple of decades. Heck, the film even won an Oscar for Jones!

For a film set in 1979, Argo may be more timely than you'd think. With recent tragic attacks on the U.S. embassy in Libya, as well as protests at the embassy in Egypt, and continued discussion about Iran, Argo recalls the 1979 Iran hostage crisis that began at the U.S. embassy there.

Take a look at the new TV spot.

 

Argo TV Trailer

Ben Affleck directed and stars as Tony Mendez, a CIA officer who helps six U.S. hostages escape Iran by staging a fake movie production and pretending they're the crew. John Goodman (ParaNorman), Bryan Cranston, Alan Arkin, Chris Messina (Celeste and Jesse Forever), and Kyle Chandler also star.

Argo will hit theaters October 12. Take a look at the full Argo trailer for more.

Here in Toronto at TIFF, the buzz is high on several films, especially The Master. We are sitting with one of the stars of that film, Amy Adams, in the Canadian city to talk about filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) and his impeccable vision. But, we can’t let a sit-down with Adams occur without asking about her role as Lois Lane in one of 2013’s most anticipated movies, Man of Steel. Here’s a hint… she thinks star Henry Cavill is “yummy!”

Adams talks about the acting clinic put on by her co-stars, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Joaquin Phoenix, seen here in these The Master stills. Both are likely to be nominated for Oscars, and we would be remiss not to mention that Adams is likely to get one too for her portrayal of the “cult” leader’s (Hoffman) wife. Also, the film has a bit of discussion around it and whether it is based on the birth of Scientology. Adams answers that rumor head-on.

The Master is the story of an emotionally lost World War II veteran (Phoenix) who finds himself a stowaway on that magnanimous group leader’s boat. As their group of passionate followers increases, Phoenix’s character becomes more and more of an aide and ally to Hoffman… to the chagrin of Adams’ doting wife.

Movie Fanatic: What do you make of the L. Ron Hubbard-Scientology connections that people are seeing in the movie?

Amy Adams: I guess that’s for people to discover on their own. I didn’t think about it a lot, nor was it something that I explored at great length when going into it. I always say, “See the film and then if that’s something you’re interested in, sort of finding the parallels, then you’ll find the parallels.” But I just see it as more of a character study. 

Movie Fanatic: You’ve worked with both Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman before, what is it about those two that you return for more?

Amy Adams: I think they’re just very open, honest people and so it’s hard for them to sit in a room and be looked at. It’s hard for anybody. I’m fiercely loyal and protective and I will kick anyone’s rear end who wants to say anything negative. I’ve worked with Joaquin twice now. I feel like I’ve started to see his humanity through his process and so I’m very loyal to him. I’ve worked with Philip several times.

Movie Fanatic: What was your reaction that the great Paul Thomas Anderson wanted you to read his latest film’s script?

Amy Adams: First off, when I just saw that Paul Thomas Anderson is going to be sending you a script, I was like, “What just happened in my life?” That’s where it started. Then I read the script and I was definitely interested in playing the character. It just grew from there. Just his name and then everything else kept coming.

Movie Fanatic: Do you ever feel that sense of wonder while you’re on set making a movie, just stepping back and watching Paul Thomas Anderson working?

Amy Adams: It’s surreal at times. I have to keep myself relatively grounded when I’m working or else I’ll freak out. When we were filming the scene where I get up and leave at the end of the film, I didn’t even know that Freddie (Phoenix) said what he said after I left. It’s very funny. I would have kicked his butt. It was not on the page. But I would go out and then watch it on the monitor and I was humbled, again, but very humbled to be working with these two actors, with what they were offering.

Movie Fanatic: Anderson’s films, especially The Master, are quite serious. What surprised you most about the man?

Amy Adams: How funny he was, how much we laughed on set [laughs]. I thought it was going to be a very serious experience. And although we definitely delved into serious subject matter in the scenes, the experience of working with him was a lot more fun than I expected.

Movie Fanatic: One of the oddest scenes in the entire movie is when Hoffman is addressing a room full of people and Phoenix is seeing all of the women naked…

Amy Adams: That was one of the weirdest and most surreal nights of my life because I was right at this level (points to her head).

Movie Fanatic: Why was it surreal?

Amy Adams: Typically when we see women naked in our society, aside from in life, they’re acting like they know they’re naked. But here the idea is that we’re all acting like we have clothes on. And so to see women of all ages and body types jumping around and dancing and very unselfconsciously presenting themselves, that was so surreal because you just don’t see that. So that was part of it. It was just “We’re naked,” but everyone’s acting like they have clothes on. It was very bizarre.

Movie Fanatic: Finally, can’t let you go until we get your impression on working on the Superman reboot, Man of Steel!

Amy Adams: It was great! Henry (Cavill)... I hope you love him as Superman.

Movie Fanatic: What makes him a good Superman?

Amy Adams: He works so hard and he is just yummy and is really committed to the role and really did a good job. I haven’t seen the final cut. I’ve only seen a couple of the teasers so I’m with you. I only know it because I was there, but there’s so much that I wasn’t involved in that I can’t wait to see.

Movie Fanatic: How did you play your Lois Lane differently than what we’ve seen in the past?

Amy Adams: I see her as a pistol and she definitely gets herself in a lot of trouble still, but I would say that in our version she’s not as competitive with Clark.

Dredd 3D arrives with a director and a star in Karl Urban who have both adored the comics that the film is based on since they were children. Our Dredd 3D review has to begin and end with a tribute to Urban's commitment to bringing the film to a whole nother level than could ever have been expected.

Judge Dredd was first seen in the British science fiction anthology 2000 AD. He lives in a world where wars have wiped out what we know of the modern United States. All that is left is one big concrete jungle that begins in Manhattan and ends in Washington, D.C. Crime is at a mind-blowing high where, according to Dredd in the new film, the authorities can only respond to six percent of the police calls.

Therefore, as seen in the Dredd red band trailer, Dredd is part of a legion of justice officers called Judges. They literally are judge, jury and executioner.

In director Pete Travis and screenwriter Alex Garland’s beautifully shot 3D film, we meet Dredd as he is pursuing a trio of suspects racing to escape him. They are high on a new drug called Slow-Mo that is much like LSD. Travis gives the audience a first-hand feel of what it is like to be on the drug, as 3D has never been used as effectively to put an audience in the head of a character.

The power of the Judges is shown as Urban determines that these three are harming “innocents” and must be put down. With one shot of his cannon of a gun, their car flips over and justice is served.

The Dredd 3D story works exceptionally well as it is set up by Garland. Dredd is assigned a rookie for evaluation, Anderson (Olivia Thirlby). Anderson is no ordinary recruit. She has psychic powers and although hesitant to work with someone so inexperienced, Dredd soon learns that her supernatural gift gives them a leg up on the evildoers out there.

The film hits the crux of its plot when the duo is called to an apartment building that houses 75,000 of the poorest of the poor. Inside, ruling with an iron fist, is the Slow-Mo dealing madam named MaMa who is as brutal as they come. Lena Headey is as menacing as any villain seen this year. Our hero and his sidekick are responding to a triple homicide in the building, completely unaware that the two will remain trapped in the building fighting for their lives while simultaneously trying to exact justice and protect innocent lives.

Judging by the scope established in the film’s opening moments, one would expect a film of great vastness. Instead, it reminds us of Assault on Precinct 13 and its story of trapped law officers withstanding an onslaught of bullets and weaponry. This is exactly why Dredd 3D works so brilliantly. Its action is contained within a massive structure, but still very much within four walls that give the viewer a sense of panic that our hero and his sidekick don’t stand a chance.

Urban is stellar and a vision of excellence. He could have delivered a one-note performance that would have fit his character. But instead, he utilizes every ounce of his acting talent to present a nuanced series of emotions… all through his body language. You see, unlike the Sylvester Stallone version, he never removes his helmet. This is an homage to the source material. Fans were up in arms when Sly was frequently seen without his head gear, and Urban and the filmmakers sought to keep their film firmly grounded in the original series.

Thus, Urban must act without the most powerful of a thespian’s tools: His eyes. The man, soon to be seen in Star Trek 2, shows what a talented performer he is and Movie Fanatic cannot wait to see where the Dredd franchise goes if it should be so lucky as to find an audience.