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Rush Trailer: Welcome to the Racing Grudgematch of the Decade

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Check out the first trailer for the upcoming racing biopic Rush:

Chris Hemsworth (who will appear in the Marvel Phase 2 film Thor: The Dark World) stars as legendary Formula 1 racer James Hunt. The film chronicles the 1976 season and Hunt's nuanced rivalry with fellow driver Niki Lauda, played by Daniel Bruhl.

Olivia Wilde, Natalie Dormer, Alexandra Maria, and Christian McKay also star. Ron Howard directs the film, which was penned by veteran biopic writer Peter Morgan.

Rush will hit theaters September 20.


42 Review: Jackie Robinson Legend Lives On

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As a biopic 42 manages to leap the most challenging of hurdles for any film that seeks to quantify greatness in two hours or less. With the life of none other than Jackie Robinson at the heart of your chronicle, that effort could not be more difficult.

42 Chadwick Boseman

Director Brian Helgeland (L.A. Confidential, Mystic River) has masterfully hit the notes that we need to hear to make the symphony that is Robinson’s life soundtrack as compelling, inspiring and powerful as it deserves.

It shows even in the 42 trailer that Helgeland scored brilliantly by casting Chadwick Boseman as Robinson and Harrison Ford as Branch Rickey, the man who signed him to the Brooklyn Dodgers and not only broke the color barrier in baseball, but contributed to a civil rights revolution that paved the way for none other than the man currently sitting in the White House.

Boseman carries the weight two-fold. The pressure to effectively capture the life of a cultural icon must have been immense for the actor. Also, Boseman needed to convey the stress and the momentousness that was Robinson playing professional baseball with white players, while his brothers and sisters had to use separate bathrooms and entrances across the country.

The actor did that in droves in 42 and it provided an answer to the question permeating my head for some time: Why has it taken so long to put together a proper biographical film on one of the great Americans of our time? Fate sometimes makes you wait for the perfect individual to play that soul who is larger than life. Boseman is the right man at the right time with the right script to give the Robinson legacy its cinematic due.

Then, there’s the performance of Ford. Rickey is a man who is larger than life and Ford is no stranger to playing those characters… hello, Han Solo and Indiana Jones! But, the Dodgers GM is grounded in a reality that seems to be driven equally by civil rights and capitalism. The superstar actor wears a fat suit to capture Rickey’s girth, but it is his vocal tone and physical movement that valiantly fill the big screen.

Chadwick Boseman Harrison Ford 42

Through witnessing 42, the audience can suppose that there would have never been a Robinson without Rickey, but more importantly -- there would never have been a Rickey… without Robinson.

Helgeland also wrote the screenplay for 42 and one can largely credit him with what to spotlight in his film, what to hint at, and what to not necessarily ignore, but choose to leave out of this particular movie biography.

I knew much about Robinson and his life and needed to see what the man went through physically and emotionally on and off the field as he was making history in a biopic.

There was the getting spiked by opponents’ cleats, the fastballs to the head, the racist chants from the visiting (and home crowds)… and even a blatant verbal racist assault by an opposing manager while Robinson stood at the plate trying to hit.

Oh, and lest not we forget the physical threats in every city the Dodgers visited.

Yet, Robinson handled it with grace, poise and the keen knowledge that this moment was bigger than him. And that is illustrated in every single moment of 42. That fact goes back to what filmmakers chose to show its audience from a life extraordinary. The movie chronicles the time just before and during that first historic season -- no more, no less.

And if there is a period that captured what is "Jackie Robinson"… well then… with 42, it’s all right there in full blazing color.

Scary Movie 5 Review: Oh Mama!

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The Scary Movie franchise began from the minds of the Wayans brothers and after the third film, has truly become something from the comically crazy imagination of producer/director Jerry Zucker. For fans of his Airplane and Naked Gun movies, it is great to see him wielding his laugh-inducing wand with a genre of film so ripe for parody -- horror.

Lindsay Lohan Scary Movie 5

Zucker, with his penchant for keeping his parody current, manages to film a farce that centers on Mama. The fact that the film arrived merely months ago shows the filmmaker’s awareness for the audience and their short attention span. There’s even a rip at Evil Dead, uncanny since the film hadn’t even come out when we saw the first Scary Movie 5 trailer.

Yet, the movie also rips into Black Swan, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, and I guess Snoop Dogg’s movie career?

Ashley Tisdale and Simon Rex (returning from his work on Scary Movie 3 and 4) are a married couple somehow related to Charlie Sheen. See, the opening sequence of this Scary Movie incarnation features Sheen and Lindsay Lohan doing the nasty in every imaginable and a few unimaginable ways -- teased in this Scary Movie 5 clip. Everything is being filmed for Sheen’s “personal movie collection” and thus we have the Paranormal Activity spoof beginnings.

The plot does not really matter here as the audience is woven in and out of a half-dozen movies and their subsequent plotlines. The jokes are what makes, or breaks, a Scary Movie… movie.

You will laugh out loud a few times throughout Scary Movie 5, but not as much as one would want heading into what should be a bounce-off-the-walls comedy.

Ashley Tisdale Scary Movie 5

Comic standout moments arrive particularly from Molly Shannon. She is some sort of Black Swan-esque ballerina who is threatened by Tisdale’s up-and-comer. And frankly, some of the scenes we heard were cut from the film -- one including Chris Elliott -- sound funnier than what made it into the actual movie. One can see why, in the name of story, things were left out… but that’s the thing.

Our Scary Movie 5 review has to state that the franchise is not really about solely poking fun at horror hits (and other dramas). When Anna Faris was starring in the movies, there was a somewhat concrete story that stuck with the film until the end. It may have not been the most cohesive tale ever shown, but lately Scary Movie has drifted into a series of skits that seem to more belong on Mad TV.

The Hangover Part III Poster: It Ends

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We've seen a lot of The Hangover Part III character posters this week, but now the Wolfpack (or three of them) join together for another new poster. Check it out:

The Hangover Part 3 Poster

Bradley Cooper (The Place Beyond the Pines), Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, and Justin Bartha return to Vegas in the final installment of the comedy series. On their way to taking Alan to rehab, the Wolfpack is stopped by a criminal and forced to help him find Chow.

John Goodman, Ken Jeong, Heather Graham, Jeffrey Tambor, Sasha Barrese, Jamie Chung, John Goodman, Mike Epps, and Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids) also star.

The film hits theaters May 24. Read some The Hangover quotes to relive the first film.

Disconnect Review: Facebook Fears

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Disconnect, from first time feature director Henry Alex Rubin, is a Crash-like melding of a series of stories. With it’s ills of the internet theme, one could see it as a Crash for the cyber age… a Cyber Crash.

In the hands of any other filmmaker, Disconnect would probably wallow in the shadow of that winner of Best Picture. But, with Rubin’s background as a documentarian, the chronicle here is expertly detailed and paced perfectly.

Disconnect Jason Bateman

The ensemble picture has a great cast including Jason Bateman, Paula Patton, Alexander Skarsgard, Hope Davis and Max Thieriot (The House at the End of the Street).

As teased in the Disconnect trailer, Bateman and Davis are parents to a teen boy, who is painfully shy. When a girl takes an interest in him on Facebook, he suddenly comes alive. Only in a Catfish-type of storyline, she is a couple of male classmates who have only one intention: Bullying him once he falls for this fictional girl.

Patton and Skarsgard are a couple who are struggling in their marriage. When their finances are wiped out in a case of internet fraud, they Disconnect and try to find justice and in the process… may save their union.

Meanwhile, Thieriot is a live teen sex chat star who seems to be doing fine, until a TV reporter (Andrea Riseborough) charms him and tells his story on the evening news.

All of the vignettes will intertwine, some well and others somewhat forced. But, Disconnect’s heart is in the right place. And Rubin never gives the audience his message with a heavy hand, although there was one penultimate scene where worlds collide that brought a collective gasp from the screening audience that I haven’t heard in some time.

The issue we have with Disconnect is it, unfortunately, feels a little gimmicky. Where Crash, some would argue, trivialized race relations in the City of Angles, Disconnect simplifies the ills of the internet. Crash’s payoff was heavy handed, but it worked for many. In this film -- in hindsight -- the audience could feel a bit ripped off.

What Disconnect does do quite well is present a cohesive message. From its title, through what the viewer experiences through its storyline, the lessons are crystal clear. One should enjoy the warm-blooded people around us and use the internet as a tool… not as a crutch for societal connections.

Alexander Skarsgard Paula Patton Disconnect

The ensemble is perfectly cast. It is a joy to see Jason Bateman in a role that is purely dramatic, yet can still use his sarcastic wit for a few break-the-tension laughs. Davis is her usual dynamic self, but the real surprise here comes from the Patton and Skarsgard portion of the film.

Patton is a lost soul and her onscreen husband is too wandering through life aimlessly, but in a much more flatlined way. Skarsgard loses himself in the role and it's unlike anything we’ve seen him in before. And he has a partner onscreen in Patton who shows depth of range that too has not been seen prior.

For the cast’s performances, the timeliness of the story and its moral, our Disconnect review can report there is enough here to connect to. But not quite enough to forge a full connection.

The Wolverine International Poster: Samurai!

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Wolverine, the man with hands made of swords, uses a Samurai sword in the new international poster for The Wolverine. Curious.

The Wolverine International Poster

Hugh Jackman (Les Miserables) returns to the role of Logan in the sixth installment of the X-Men series. The solo film follows the character to Japan, where he must take on a figure from his past.

Famke Janssen will reprise her role as Jean Grey. Hiroyuki Sanada, Tao Okamoto, Will Yun Lee, and Svetlana Khodchenkova also star.

The Wolverine premieres July 26. Check out some The Wolverine stills for more.

Now You See Me Stills: Introducing the Four Horsemen

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A batch of new stills has dropped for the magic-themed thriller Now You See Me. Take a look:

Now You See Me Four Hoursemen Still
  • Now You See Me Still
  • Morgan Freeman Now You See Me Still
  • Now You See Me Mark Ruffalo Still
  • Now You See Me Mark Ruffalo Morgan Freeman
  • Jesse Eisenberg Now You See Me STill
  • Now You See Me Jesse Eisenberg Woody Harrelson
  • Now You See Me Four Hoursemen
  • Jesse Eisenberg Now You See Me
  • Now You See Me Dave Franco
  • Now You See Me Cast
  • Morgan Freeman Now You See Me
  • Now You See Me Jesse Eisenberg

Jesse Eisenberg, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson, and Dave Franco (21 Jump Street) star as magic super-group The Four Horsemen. When the Horsemen stage a bank robbery from halfway around the world, the FBI begins an investigation into their magic.

Morgan Freeman (Olympus Has Fallen), Mark Ruffalo, Melanie Laurent, Common, and Michael Caine also star.

Louis Leterrier directs the film, which premieres May 31. Watch the Now You See Me trailer for more.

Star Trek Into Darkness Poster: Enterprise Down!

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Star Trek fans be warned, the image on the newest poster for Star Trek: Into Darkness may be a little hard to look at. The iconic ship at the heart of the famous franchise, the Enterprise, is in a free fall and it does not look good for our heroes. Judging by the Star Trek: Into Darkness trailer, we can only surmise that this is due to something that dastardly fellow played by Benedict Cumberbatch caused.

Star Trek Into Darkness One Sheet

The sequel to J.J. Abrams' smash hit Star Trek lands in theaters May 17 and it was certainly among those mentioned in our latest Movie Fanatic Round Table that discussed which summer flick will be the biggest blockbuster.

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg and Karl Urban are all returning to the roles they originated in Abrams' first go-around at the Trek world.

So, Trekkies... is the poster heartbreaking or compelling? Let us know in the comments section below.


Weekend Movie Preview: April 12, 2013

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Just in time for the start of the professional baseball season, the highlight of this edition of the weekend movie preview has to be the Jackie Robinson biopic, 42. Also landing in theaters this second weekend in April is Jason Bateman starring in Disconnect, Scary Movie 5 continues to make fun of our favorite horror movies and the Oscar-worthy The Place Beyond the Pines finally is released wide.

42: It may have taken decades to finally get a biopic of the great Jackie Robinson, but with 42, it is worth the wait. As we stated in our 42 review, Chadwick Boseman could not have been a better choice to play the man who broke the color barrier in baseball and catapulted the civil rights movement into action.

Harrison Ford is equally as solid as the general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, the man who gave Robinson the shot to change the world. You do not have to enjoy baseball to appreciate this film. Simply being someone who treasures stories about the triumph of the human spirit... and this movie will rock your world.

Scary Movie 5: The films that get the spoof in the latest Scary Movie include Mama and Evil Dead. But, as we report in our Scary Movie 5 review, filmmakers also spoof Black Swan and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. Wait... what? The franchise works best when it sticks to what made it famous: Lampooning horror flicks!

Disconnect: Jason Bateman leads an ensemble cast that includes Alexander Skarsgard and Paula Patton, in a cautionary tale about the underbelly world of the internet. As we stated in our Disconnect review, the film feels like a Crash for the cyber age. Is that a good thing? Check out our review for more!

The Place Beyond the Pines: We could not say enough about the powerful The Place Beyond the Pines and after a few weeks of limited release, the film is landing in theaters nationwide. Run, don't walk, to see the film that stars Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes and Bradley Cooper in a story that is thrilling, emotional and all astounding. Visit our The Place Beyond the Pines review for more.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Still Features Liam Hemsworth

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Liam Hemsworth is Gale Hawthorne in this new still from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire:

Catching Fire Liam Hemsworth

Jennifer Lawrence (Silver Linings Playbook) returns as Katniss in the sequel to last year's The Hunger Games. This time, she embarks on the victor's tour with Peeta (Josh Hutcherson), while the country prepares for the next games.

Woody Harrelson (Now You See Me), Elizabeth Banks, Lenny Kravitz, Sam Claflin, Stanley Tucci, Donald Sutherland, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, and Alan Ritchson also star.

Francis Lawrence directs the film, which will premiere November 22. Watch some Catching Fire footage during the MTV Movie Awards this Sunday!

Divergent Casting Scoop: Ashley Judd As...

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Ashley Judd has joined the cast of Divergent.

The actress, who only just confirmed she will NOT be running for Kentucky Senate, will star in the wildly anticipated movie as Natalie Prior, the mother of Shailene Woodley's main character.

Ashley Judd Photograph

Production on Divergent - which opens on March 21, 2014 - got underway this week.

It's based on a bestselling novel and tells the tale of a female teenager who rebels against a society that divides people based on their traits.

Aaron Eckhart is reportedly on board as Judd’s onscreen husband Andrew, while Ansel Elgort is confirmed to play son Caleb.

Star Trek Into Darkness: Uhura Poster Revealed!

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Uhura swings into action in the first character poster for the Star Trek sequel that was released today -- hot on the heels of yesterday's debut of the Enterprise Star Trek: Into Darkness poster. For those of you who felt a little lump in your throat from the image of the iconic Star Trek ship taking a fiery nosedive, you should take comfort in the awesomeness that is Zoe Saldana doing her thing.

Star Trek Into Darkness Uhura Poster

On one hand, it seems like galaxies away thatthe sequel to J.J. Abrams' Star Trek lands in theaters May 17. But, if you think about it... it's been a long time coming since those first Star Trek: Into Darkness set photos popped up and now we're only weeks away from seeing the film in all its lens-flare glory.

Judging by the latest Star Trek: Into Darkness TV spot, it will all be worth the wait.

 

MTV Movie Award Winners: The Avengers Takes Best Movie

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The MTV Movie Awards are over, and that means that the 2012 Award season has finally come to an end!

The comic book juggernaut The Avengers was voted Best Movie.  Check out all the winners below:

Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans in The Avengers

 

Best Male Performance - Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

Best WTF Moment - Jamie Foxx and Samuel L. Jackson, Django Unchained

Best Fight - Marvel's The Avengers

Trailblazer Award - Emma Watson

Best Kiss - Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook

Comedic Genius - Will Ferrell

Best Breakthrough Performance - Rebel Wilson, Pitch Perfect

Best Shirtless Performance - Taylor Lautner, Breaking Dawn, Part 2

Best Villain - Tom Hiddleston, The Avengers

MTV Generation Award - Jamie Foxx

Best Musical MomentPitch Perfect

Best Movie - Marvel's The Avengers

 

This is the End TV Spot: What the Hell?

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The first TV spot has dropped for This is the End. Take a look:

Seth Rogen co-directed and co-wrote the film with his frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg. The film follows Rogen, James Franco (Oz: The Great and Powerful), Jonah Hill, Jay Baruschel, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson, all playing themselves, as the apocalypse hits Los Angeles.

Emma Watson (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Michael Cera, Jason Segel, David Krumholtz, Paul Rudd, Aziz Ansari, Mindy Kaling, Martin Starr, Kevin Hart, Rihanna, and Christopher Mintz-Plasse also star.

This is the End premieres June 12. Watch the This is the End red band trailer for a closer look (with swearing! yay!).

Divergent Casting News: Tony Goldwyn Joins On

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All the major pieces have fallen into place for Divergent, with the latest bit of Divergent casting news that dropped today.

Tony Goldwyn has joined the cast of Divergent! He will play Andrew Prior, father of the main character Tris Prior.

Tony Goldwyn Pic

Shailene Woodley (The Amazing Spider-Man 2) stars as Tris in this adaptation of the popular Young Adult novel. The film takes place in a futuristic society that is divided into classes based on five virtues.

Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Kate Winslet, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Ben Lamb and Christian Madsen also star.

Divergent is scheduled to hit theaters March 21, 2014.


Monster's University Voice Cast Revealed to Include Nathan Fillion, John Krasinski

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Animated movies of this ilk tend to have gigantic voice casts, and they also tend to keep the full extent of them under wraps long after the actors are cast, do their work, and get a paycheck in the mail.

That is exactly what happened with Monsters University. The film hits theaters in just a couple of months, and some new voice actors have been revealed today, including Nathan Fillion, John Krasinski, and Bonnie Hunt!

John Krasinski Picture

The trio joins Billy Crystal, John Goodman (The Hangover Part III), Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Dave Foley, Sean Hayes, Joel Murray, Peter Sohn, Aubrey Plaza, Tyler Labine, Bobby Moynihan, Julie Sweeney, Alfred Molina, Beth Behrs, and John Ratzenberger in the film.

The animated sequel premieres June 21. Watch the funny Monsters University March Madness promo for another look.

Oblivion: Morgan Freeman Says in His Future "We Would All Live in Trees"

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When it came to why he joined the cast of Oblivion, Freeman answered with the two operative words that will likely drive droves to see the sci-fi thriller when it lands April 19. “Tom Cruise,” Freeman said.

Oblivion Morgan Freeman

The Oscar-winning actor is visiting with Movie Fanatic on the Universal Studios backlot. We’re on what appears to be the ground floor of a Vienna opera house, which is utterly terrific considering the completely opposite world of sci-fi being discussed for Oblivion.

As teased in the Oblivion trailer, the film is such a mind-bender (our review premieres opening day), Freeman was eager to dive in to the latest Cruise vehicle.

“It’s a Tom Cruise movie -- if I was going to be a truck driver hauling supplies (for this film), I would have taken the job. I’m one of his huge fans. I have been one for I don’t know how many years -- way, way, way back,” Freeman said.

“At this point, I’m not going to be offered a minor role. If you compare the script to the movie, they don’t compare, but I was excited by the script. The movie is so much more than what you read on the page. But it’s a big draw. It’s a big science fiction film with Tom Cruise. It’s hard to go wrong.”

We wondered if two people, who first met at the 1990 Academy Awards, wanted to work together for so long, what took so long?

Morgan Freeman Stars in Oblivion

“When we say we want to work together and we’re looking for something to do, that’s not an active thing. If that was the case I would have been in Mission Impossible. But when the right project comes along, it’s sort of a domino effect. Everything falls into place,” Freeman said.

“This was the perfect genre for me to be involved in with Tom, so I no longer resent having not done anything with him before,” he said, laughing.

Freeman, like most audiences, initially discovered Cruise when he slid across his parents’ floor, belting out Bob Seger.

“The first time I saw him was in Risky Business. When his (character’s) parents walked out of the house and he slid into frame in his Jockeys and did that whole (dance) thing, I thought, 'This kid is awesome!'" Freeman said.

“I don’t know if there is anything he has done since that I haven’t appreciated. I shouldn’t say 'since,' because I’ve seen stuff he’s done way before. He did this fairy tale movie, Legend. He’s just born to do this.”

Besides starring with his old buddy Cruise, Oblivion also allowed Freeman to appear in a sci-fi film unlike any viewers have seen in some time. “One of the themes that stand out in this film is the love story,” Freeman said. “It’s not like one we’ve seen before.”

Oblivion Morgan Freeman Tom Cruise

There’s also some incredible sci-fi wizardry from director Joseph Kosinski and his story of Cruise’s Jack and his only people left on Earth partner Victoria (Andrea Riseborough). They are there after the planet was invaded by aliens. And although humans won the war, the planet was left a wasteland as the race had to evacuate to an orbiting space station. Jack and Victoria are on a tour of duty supervising the extraction of Earth’s remaining resources.

But… are they alone? Freeman’s mystery man meets Cruise and the whole drama catches fire. “It’s very intelligent and extremely creative,” Freeman said. 

When asked what kind of future for the planet he could foresee, Freeman’s vision is one of simplistic euphoria. “We would all live in trees. We would all hunt for our food. We would walk wherever we went,” Freeman said. “The planet would be rejuvenated. We wouldn’t be killing off all the animals just to feed us. I would like to change it like that.”

Star Trek Into Darkness: Final Trailer Teases Khan?

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J.J. Abrams has unleashed what he promises is the final trailer for Star Trek: Into Darkness. We've come a long way since that first Star Trek: Into Darkness trailer premiered several months ago.

The sequel to 2009's Star Trek lands May 17 and although the latest teaser doesn't exactly say so, we are now completely convinced that Benedict Cumberbatch's character is Khan. With revenge driving this plot, there's very little else he could be!

What do you think? Let us know in the comments section below. Sure, he's called "John Harrison" in the latest Star Trek: IntoDarkness character poster... but we think that is just the tip of the iceberg!

Robert Downey, Jr. To Retire from Iron Man?

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You may be tempted to file this under "innocent comments blown way out of proportion," but it does seem like Robert Downey, Jr. has given some serious thought to the future of his career.

In an interview with GQ, Downey, Jr. was asked about an injury he got on the set of the upcoming Iron Man 3, which sent him on a string of contemplation about his age, his background, and his aspirations.

Iron Man 3 Star Robert Downey Jr.

 

"It got me thinking..." said Downey, Jr. "How many genre movies can I do? How many follow-ups to a successful follow-up are actually fun?"

Downey seems to be growing tired of being a superhero. Sounds like a superhero movie plot in itself.

In a moment of mild self-importance, the actor explained, "I come from a family of very innovative writers and directors and actors and artists...So there's this kind of legacy of souls from what I consider to be a very particular time in entertainment, and I'm sensing a return to that."

So what will happen with the future of the Iron Man and Avengers franchises if Downey, Jr., whose contract is up after this next movie, decides to switch to art films?

Would the character be recast? Would the leader of The Avengers be written out? Or would Disney just throw so much money at Bobby D. that he can't say no.

Django Unchained DVD Review: Must Own Masterpiece

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Django Unchained has landed on DVD and Blu-Ray with its two Oscars firmly in hand. Quentin Tarantino scored for his Best Original Screenplay while star Christoph Waltz won his second straight Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his second straight film with Tarantino (Inglourious Basterds).

Django Unchained Blu-Ray

As shown in the Django Unchained trailer, Jamie Foxx portrays the title character, a slave making his way through the south two years before the beginning of the Civil War. Although chained, he keeps one eye open for the love of his life, his wife Broomhilda (Kerry Washington) -- as they were violently separated. She is now a house slave for the most evil of fellows, Leonardo DiCaprio's Calvin Candie.

While being transferred to another plantation, Django meets Waltz's Dr. King Shultz. He is a dentist by training, but has found the life of a bounty hunter much more lucrative. See, he needs Django to help identify a man he is pursuing, so he "buys" Django with the intention to find his bounty, and set the slave free. But, time proves that Django is quite good at bounty hunting and the pair become a team. King is also moved by Django's love story, so he agrees to help find and free his new partner's wife.

As we stated in our Django Unchained review, the film is astounding. Yes, it's violent... this is Tarantino after all. But, it is also quite poetic, romantic and also spotlights a dark period of American history that should never be forgotten. Sure, the "N" word is used quite often, but it was back then. We, as a society, should have the historical hindsight to discern that... although some may have trouble with its repeated use... particularly by DiCaprio and Samuel L. Jackson's character.

Jamie Foxx Christoph Waltz Django Unchained

As for the Blu-Ray and DVD release, the extras are missing something quite important. We would have treasured a commentary track by Tarantino, but there is none to be found. What is available is quite impressive and most importantly, salutes the origins of the film. Tarantino's Django Unchained is inspired by the film Django and it is felt in how the film is shot, and even its soundtrack.

The bonus feature Reimagining the Spaghetti Western: The Horses & Stunts of Django Unchained takes viewers inside the making of the masterpiece and illustrates Tarantino's firm grasp on his story and also showcases a behind-the-scenes look at the visionary's talents. The look of the film is also explored in the stellar documentary Remembering J. Michael Riva: The Production Design of Django Unchained as are the impeccable costumes in The Costume Designs of Sharen Davis.

There's a plug for the recent release of 20 Years In The Making: The Tarantino XX Blu-Ray Collection and a Django Unchained Soundtrack Spot that is a terrific bonus if you appreciate the power of the score.

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