Quantcast
Channel: Movie Fanatic
Viewing all 7494 articles
Browse latest View live

Mockingjay Part 1 Photos: Katniss Ready for War!

0
0

Hot on the heels of that riveting Mockingjay Part 1 trailer, we’ve got a slew of photos from the highly anticipated first part of the conclusion to The Hunger Games.

Mockingjay Part 1 doesn’t debut until November 21 and until then, the photos below should help fill in the blanks as to what to expect from the first part of this two-part conclusion that is the Mockingjay book by Suzanne Collins.

Francis Lawrence is back to direct after his incredible work that can be seen when you watch Catching Fire online.

Also in the photos below is Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, and we love our first look at Natalie Dormer’s Cressida. And on that note, might we say how bad ass she looks in the shot of her and Gale (Liam Hemsworth) armed to the “T.”

Mockingjay Part 1 also stars Jeffrey Wright, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Donald Sutherland, Stanley Tucci, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Julianne Moore and, of course, the divine Elizabeth Banks!

Watch The Hunger Games online to see how it all got started.

Katniss Joins the Fight
Katniss is ready to fight with the other warriors of District 13.

Magic Mike XXL: Matthew McConaughey Will Not Return

0
0

Although Channing Tatum has said that everyone will be back for the sequel to Magic Mike, it appears that one person will not -- Matthew McConaughey’s Dallas. I know, ladies, sad news.

Matthew McConaughey Stars in Magic Mike

Magic Mike XXL is currently shooting and as we’ve heard it, it’s more of a road trip movie than the first one and given that framework, we’re not sure how McConaughey’s strip club owner would have fit in anyway.

Steven Soderbergh has stepped aside to be the film’s editor and cinematographer with director Gregory Jacobs taking over the helming duties. Jacobs reflected the difference between Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL in a recent interview with Indiewire.

“What am I allowed to say? It’s a road trip movie and put it this way, it’s different enough that once you see it you’ll understand why we made a sequel,” Jacobs said. “No one will be accusing us of making the same movie twice.”

Speaking of that first film, watch Magic Mike online and relive or see for the first time what all the fuss is about! 

And since he won't be in Magic Mike XXL​, why not click through and check out our favorite McConaughey movies and see if your fave is on our list! 

Dazed and Confused
The movie that would give him the phrase he would use his whole life... alright, alright, alright! McConaughey likes those redheads!

Men, Women & Children Trailer: Internet Invasion or Safety?

0
0

Jason Reitman (Juno, Up in the Air) is back with a pointed dramatic comedy about how much the internet has changed how we live. It’s a fascinating look from the point of view of its title: Men, Women & Children.

The latest Men, Women & Children trailer has landed and it shows off its impressive cast that includes Jennifer Garner, The Fault in Our Stars star Ansel Elgort, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Adam Sandler, Kaitlyn Dever and Rosemarie DeWitt.

As you can tell from the first Men, Women & Children teaser trailer, Reitman’s film looks at how the internet has changed the lives of teens today, how we parent and even the institution of marriage itself.

Look for it in theaters October 17. Men, Women & Children Adam Sandler Rosemarie DeWitt

Men, Women & Children Poster
The official, and artful, poster of Men, Women & Children.

The Maze Runner: Dylan O’Brien on Going from Teen Wolf to Dystopian Thriller

0
0

Dylan O’Brien knows a thing or two about what teens like with his turn on Teen Wolf catapulting him to stardom and now with The Maze Runner hitting theaters -- look for his audience to greatly expand. Sure, the film is based on the successful YA novel by James Dashner, but this dystopian thriller is as adult as thrillers get.

Dylan O'Brien The Maze Runner Still Photo

“I think what’s different about our story is we are a group of guys and girl who help each other get out of the maze together. We could just as easily kill and eat each other but it’s a story about working together and uniting,” O’Brien said recently on the Fox lot.

“We have our strengths and weaknesses so just work together and it will work out.”

When they set out to make The Maze Runner film, the cast and crew keenly knew that a fan base would be paying attention to every detail. “You want to bring everything you can to the character in the book. I felt like I needed to come from a really honest perspective,” the actor admitted.

O’Brien plays Thomas, a “greenie” who arrives in the Glades completely unaware of how he got there and more importantly, what and where there is! As teased in The Maze Runner trailer, Thomas is among a group of young men who have spent years trying to figure out this maze that surrounds them -- and it’s the only way out.

“I always looked at Thomas as very honest and heroic and a truthful character, especially one who has been re-birthed,” O’Brien stated. “He’s a fresh greenie having had his memory wiped and almost redeveloping as a person.”

The film is quite loyal to the book, but there was one aspect that O’Brien wishes could have made it into the final version. “The Beetle Blades (creepy critters programmed to spy) is something in the book I always thought was cool. We even shot that but it didn’t make the final cut for some reason,” O’Brien said.

One thing that the book does not really have and neither does the film is any kind of romance. Considering the peril that everyone is going through, it seems like it would be out of left field that a romance would be sparked when the lone female arrives later in the story. O’Brien is thankful that that aspect was not added.

The Maze Runner Kaya Scodelario Dylan O'Brien

“It’s so realistic, and we just think it’s so appropriate for the circumstances. It’s so cinematic to just kind of add a relationship to something where let’s stop and think for a second,” O’Brien said. “These kids would not just be like smooching and flirting in this situation.”

Although he sees lots of action on Teen Wolf, it is nothing compared to what O’Brien went through on The Maze Runner. “I love sprinting, though, like for a short amount of time. But I think if anything I’m way more of a sprinter.  And so, this was perfect but also exhausting,” he said.

What else was an interesting experience was hanging from the vines that adorn the tall maze walls. “I was just hung up on a wire. They would just bring me food and never lower me because it would take a long time,” O’Brien said.

“It was real ivy on the walls and the Grievers (killers in the maze) are jumping on me and it jumps on the wall and they would shake the wall and all this debris rained down. It kept getting in my eyes!”

What The Maze Runner has done, above all else, is shown the world that O’Brien can be so much more than the comic foil, as he is in Teen Wolf, and also in his screen debut in The Internship.

“It’s just nice to get a chance to do something else.  And I was really nervous about it at first.  I did feel right as Thomas, and I felt comfortable in that role,” O’Brien said.

“My first favorite things about the project were the guys that were attached already. I just wanted to basically do them justice and do the movie justice. It’s always good to get to do something different. It’s great to go back to Stiles (on Teen Wolf) and see that I’ve taken things and just keep switching it up.”

A Maze-Like Figure
A maze-like figure is a beauty of a poster idea for The Maze Runner.

Star Wars Episode VII Video: Millennium Falcon Reveals Batmobile?

0
0

The back and forth games between J.J. Abrams and Zack Snyder continue and we think that Abrams has taken the prize for “the best ever.”

Let’s back up a bit. 

When illegal photos of the Batmobile for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice leaked, Snyder had a field day saying that the vehicle was stole by his friends over at Star Wars: Episode VII and even posted the following photo on his social media pages.

Stormtrooper Stealing Batmobile Photo

Abrams has followed suit, and honestly upped the ante and also in the process, given us a great close-up view of his Millennium Falcon!

Check out his video and what’s that on the undercarriage of Han Solo’s “bucket of bolts?” Yup… it’s the Batmobile.

You know we’re huge Star Wars fans in that our takeaway from the above video isn’t necessarily the good natured joking that is going back and forth between the two productions.

It’s that we have a close-up view of the Millennium Falcon and are truly excited for how Abrams is using practical sets instead of computer graphics.

I mean, his Falcon is amazing! Look at that thing!

Star Wars: Episode VII lands December 18, 2015 and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice arrives in March of 2016.

Here’s 9 things we want from Star Wars: Episode VII!

Han Solo Must Have a Huge Part
We've heard that Harrison Ford's Han Solo has an enormous part in the seventh Star Wars movie. Ford would not have signed on to J.J. Abrams' film if that was not the case.

The Guest Review: Dan Stevens Rocks Our World

0
0

When You’re Next arrived in 2011, we marveled at the talents of director Adam Wingard and writer Simon Barrett with their wildly original home invasion thriller. They’re back with The Guest and this thriller, starring Dan Stevens, is more of a life invasion movie that is beyond electric and compelling and a million other adjectives we could list!

The Guest Dan Stevens

Stevens (soon to also be seen in A Walk Among the Tombstones) stars as David, a war veteran returning from the Middle East who lands at the rural doorstep of the Peterson’s looking to pay respects to the family of his good friend who died beside him in battle.

They immediately take him in as he is the only connection they have to their lost son and brother. Given that he’s recently returned from the front lines, he has no immediate plans and no where to go, so staying with the Petersons for a few days is simply perfect.

As you can see from the The Guest trailer, David slowly but surely embeds himself into their lives. He befriends their teenage son Luke (Brendan Meyer) and teaches him a thing or two about standing up for himself as well as following his dreams, however different they may be. The Guest also joins the Peterson’s 20-year-old daughter Anna (Maika Monroe) at a party and shows he’s someone who can be an understanding support system where there is none… and maybe even more.

Surely David has ingrained himself in the Peterson’s lives, but before too long Anna suspects something and that is where The Guest begins to go off the rails and we mean that in the most affectionate of ways.

Wingard and Barrett have crafted a character that seems custom fit for the talents of Stevens. The former Downton Abbey star may have left fans mourning his loss when he departed the show, but given the performance he gives in The Guest, Stevens was meant for much, much bigger things. He is searing, sexy, sensational and downright scary.

The Guest Brendan Meyer Maika Monroe

We also adore how Wingard has shot his film and especially his vision for the score. The Guest feels timeless, yet it could be a late 80s stylistic thriller given the synthesizer-heavy soundtrack. Wingard’s use of light and colors is nothing short of brilliant. It adds a feel to the movie that has us slightly uneasy.

There are the landscape shots of Middle America that gives it that everyday feel. Yet, there are numerous moments throughout the film that are jolting both visually and emotionally.

The impending sense of doom permeates, but the audience never knows where it is going to come from or even in what form. See, until the final moments of the film -- we’re not even sure what specifically is going on with David. And that is a masterwork of filmmaking frankly.

In an era where so many screenwriters and directors telegraph their characters’ motivations from miles away, Wingard and Barrett not only keep their cinematic secrets close to the chest -- they’re frankly buried so deep that we don’t see what hit us until long after the shock and awe has passed.

And that, our The Guest review, may be the biggest gift of all from this cinematic tandem who have given a star making vehicle to an actor who is clearly born to be a star. 

Dan Stevens Readies for an Ambush
Dan Stevens is ready to fight back when the authorities come looking for him in The Guest.

21 Outstanding Actor Turned Director Debuts: I Really Want to Direct!

0
0

They say in Hollywood that everyone who is an actor or actress, really wants to direct. It's an old saying, that has almost become cliche. 

Many actors and actresses do try to helm their own movies, and more often than not, it does not work out all that well. 

Others, do it as brilliantly as some of our most esteemed directors and several have even won Oscar gold for Best Director in the process, like Kevin Costner with Dances with Wolves -- his debut!

Rob Reiner would go on to make one of our favorite movies (check it out and watch The Princess Bride online). But, it was his directorial debut that truly wowed us and let the world know he would be a cinematic force of nature. 

And watch Braveheart online and there's another Oscar winner who was an actor turned director. But, did you know that Mel Gibson's directorial debut was quite the splash and made everyone take notice that not only could this Aussie act, but he could helm a picture as well?

It took Zach Braff 10 years to make another movie (Wish I Was Here) after his landmark directorial debut. The power that can be seen when you watch Garden State online easily tells us why following that classic was one titanic task.

So click through and discover the impressive directorial debuts for these 21 actors and actresses. 

Rob Reiner With This Is Spinal Tap
Rob Reiner would go on to make some of our favorite movies, including Stand By Me and The Princess Bride. But, it was his debut with the rockumentary, This Is Spinal Tap, that will always be one of our absolute faves. And yes, it goes to 11!

Insidious Chapter 3 Teaser Poster: The Man Who Lives in the Vents

0
0

James Wan may have stepped aside from the director’s chair, but the Insidious franchise is in good hands with co-creator Leigh Whannell taking over the helming duties for Insidious Chapter 3.

Insidious Chapter 3 started filming in LA recently and features a new cast of characters that are subject to the horrors that were first explored in Insidious and continued in Insidious Chapter 2.

The film stars Dermot Mulroney, Stefanie Scott, Lin Shayne, Angus Sampson and Leigh Whannell and follows a teenage girl and her family that comes before the haunting of the Lambert family in the first two Insidious movies.

Watch Insidious online to see how the horror story got started. Click through our gallery below for Insidious Chapter 3 posters and photos, and keep checking back as this gallery is sure to grow as the film’s May 29, 2015 release date comes closer.

Insidious Chapter 3 Teaser Poster
The teaser poster for Insidious Chapter 3. Read the verse on it, and prepare to be scared.

Hector and the Search For Happiness Exclusive: Simon Pegg Takes Flight

0
0

When it comes to reaction to Simon Pegg’s Hector and the Search for Happiness, the star is beyond thrilled at how much the film has touched people’s souls. “People tell me all the time that ‘I’ve seen the film and I can’t stop thinking about it and my life,’” Pegg told us in our exclusive interview.

Hector and the Search for Happiness Simon Pegg Poster

As teased in the Hector and the Search for Happiness trailer, Pegg plays a psychiatrist who discovers he feels like a fraud. See, he has no idea what truly makes people happy and in all honestly, he doesn't even know what happiness is. So, he takes a break from his life and heads out on a worldwide journey to find what is various cultures' definition of that emotional state of mind.

It is an exquisite piece of work and we caught up with Pegg from the Toronto International Film Festival and he shared some exclusive insight into the making of a modern classic and the joy he has expanding his range beyond comedies and diving into franchises such as Star Trek and Mission Impossible.

Movie Fanatic: When we last spoke for The World’s End, you were about to head off and make Hector and the Search for Happiness and you could not be more excited. Now that it’s about to be revealed to audiences, how are you feeling?

Simon Pegg: It’s amazing and it’s been such a journey making this film. We had a parallel adventure to Hector himself and I kind of expected a journey myself and to make a few realizations about the world and my life and happiness. We were constantly talking about this stuff on set. We were on location and we’d always go out and have dinner together and discussed what makes us happy. It wasn’t just that regular experience of making a film. It was something else.

Movie Fanatic: There are so many aspects that had to be appealing in agreeing to do this movie. You show some serious emotional range in this role, was that the biggest of all the draws?

Hector and the Search for Happiness Simon Pegg Toni Collette

Simon Pegg: I felt coming from pure comedy as I have done, it was a neat segway. It wasn’t like suddenly going into a complete drama. There was a comedy element to it. I wouldn’t say it’s a comedy, but it has tonal shifts that allow you to experience every color in the emotional spectrum in one film. It felt like a good way to flex my acting chops a bit and make a bit of a move towards doing more serious stuff, which I do really enjoy doing. My background and a large body of what I’ve done has been comedy, it’s something I would like to do more of is more serious stuff.

Movie Fanatic: There are so many emotions and themes messages that permeate throughout. Is there one that stands above the others? And maybe it even changed from when you read the script to when you wrapped the movie.

Simon Pegg: The one that struck a chord with me is the one about happiness is not avoiding unhappiness. That one is the key to the message of the film. He goes through a lot of ideas of what happiness might be and they range from greeting card standard fare to genuinely sound philosophical ideas -- of which that is one. What the film basically says is that you can’t just avoid being unhappy. That’s not how to be happy. You have to have it all. That’s where he is at the beginning of the film. He’s sort of anesthetized sense of way of life. He seemingly has everything. He’s the least sympathetic guy searching for happiness I’ve seen, which I think is hilarious. He’s a white middle class guy who is well off who has a beautiful girlfriend and let’s give him a problem and let’s see if anyone gives a (expletive) [laughs]. That’s quite an audacious way to start a film! What it says is happiness is not achievable my materialistic things. And depression, or lack of happiness, does not discriminate. In a way it says that if you’re struggling to find your next meal, you know what happiness is, because you know what it isn’t.

Movie Fanatic: You mentioned wanting to stretch with Hector and the Search for Happiness. But, you have done Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and you have the Star Trek franchise. Was that always the plan, or has it come along much more organically to have this varied career?

Simon Pegg: It has happened organically. But, I have embraced it wholeheartedly. I’m not the actor who says, “I’ll do one for them and one for me.” I value both types of film. There’s a place for pure entertainment. It’s important to have pure entertainment and anyone who rejects that as frivolous is snobby. There’s room for everything. I don’t think I’d just like to do one type of film. When I go into Mission Impossible 5, as I am now, I don’t think I’ll do this before I do one of my edgy movies. I think, “This is great, I get to do Mission Impossible!” 

Simon Pegg is Hector
And Hector is not happy, so he journeys out into the world in Hector and the Search for Happiness.

Popeye First Look: New Vision for Classic Character

0
0

The man who gave us Hotel Transylvania is finally sharing a first look at the passion project that has been his dream for decades. Genndy Tartakovsky is bringing Popeye to the big screen in 2015 and little is known about the film, except that Popeye, his love Olive Oil and his foil Brutus will be in it!

The first look at Popeye came in 1929 in the comic strip Thimble Theater and by 1933 he was the break out star.

No word on casting or anything other than this first look, but given how many Popeye fans there are out there, we had to share the first clips we’ve got!

The last time we saw the guy on the big screen, it was in Popeye, one of our favorite Robin Williams movies!

Stay tuned for more!  

This Is Where I Leave You Review: Celebrating Love, Loss & Laughter

0
0

Jonathan Tropper’s novel This Is Where I Leave You has made the leap to the big screen and for starters, it’s a fantastic departure for director Shawn Levy. The man behind Real Steel and the Night at the Museum movies has terrific source material and an esteemed cast that has him creating something truly special beyond anything he has done prior.

This Is Where I Leave You Adam Driver Tina Fey Jason Bateman Corey Stoll

The focus of the story is mostly on Jason Bateman’s Judd Altman, a man who believes he has it all. That is until he comes home and as seen in the This Is Where I Leave You trailer, finds his wife in bed with his boss.

He mopes around for a while, and then gets a call from his sister Wendy that his father has passed away. So he heads home to help his grieving mother (Jane Fonda) cope and it is there that he is joined by Wendy and brothers Phillip (Adam Driver) and Paul (Corey Stroll).

Fonda’s Hillary has said that it was the Altman’s patriarch’s last wish that the family sit Shiva (Jewish tradition that the family sit for a week to mourn the recently deceased with friends and family dropping by to pay respects.). Yes, the Altman’s are not Jewish. See, that is a perfect example of the drama meets comedy in Levy's film. 

There are lots of laughs to be had, especially with this cast and with the script by the man who wrote the novel. He has mined the best of his book’s lighter moments and handed them to a gifted comedic cast who hits them out of the park. The more dramatic elements of the This Is Where I Leave You novel are slightly condensed and that is where the film suffers ever so slightly.

What works so well in this film is something that lesser films can't get right. Often times, an ensemble suffers from the weight of its collective talents. A director can become obsessed with giving each star enough time and storyline to make everyone happy, while performing a disservice to their film as a whole. That is so not the case with This Is Where I Leave You. It is a fluid journey with each character given enough plot to truly chew on and deliver on the promise of their talents.

Tina Fey Jason Bateman This Is Where I Leave You

The supporting cast is stellar too. Connie Britton shines as the therapist/love interest of the much younger Driver and Kathryn Hahn continues her stellar run as Paul’s wife Alice. And in an underutilized role, Timothy Olyphant is the neighbor across the street whose past with Fey’s Wendy is quite the source of guilt on her part.

Overall though, this is the Bateman and Fey show and they shine. The former continues his hot streak that shows no signs (thankfully) of slowing. And Fey is given a terrific first post-30 Rock role that should be a nice launching pad for a long(er) career in film.

Yet, the highlight of the film is Driver. What he teased in Girls in terms of his gifts is illustrated in droves. He explores the entire emotional spectrum as the somewhat damaged, extremely immature soul with a huge heart.

And then there’s Fonda. Our This Is Where I Leave You review can report that the film’s matriarch needs more roles like this one where she can show the cornucopia that is her legendary power. It’s hard to imagine this film without her, and frankly, every single soul that inhabits this slice of life dramedy. We just wish it had a little more of the bite that was in the novel.

Jason Bateman and Tina Fey
Jason Bateman and Tina Fey play brother and sister who have their differences, but come together when their father dies in This Is Where I Leave You.

A Walk Among the Tombstones Review: Liam Neeson Redefines Justice

0
0

Liam Neeson has been riding a wave of middle-career action hero success since Taken became a global phenomenon. He’s back in an actioner of sorts with A Walk Among the Tombstones. The thing with this film is that Neeson’s private detective character has his fair share of action scenes, but he does so much more with his mind than with his muscle.

A Walk Among the Tombstones Stars Liam Neeson

Neeson plays Matt Scudder, the character made famous in the book series by author Lawrence Block. We meet Scudder years prior to when our film takes place and he is an alcoholic NYPD detective. One day, after he's had a few drinks, he pursues a couple of robbers -- killing two of them, injuring a third and accidentally taking the life of a little girl who was caught in the crossfire.

As the film quickly moves into the present tense, Scudder is clean and sober and is working as a private detective, often times for those who cannot go to the cops. One of those comes calling in the form of Dan Stevens’ (currently seen in The Guest) drug dealer Kenny Kristo. His wife was kidnapped. Kristo paid, and the bastards still brutally murdered her.

Kristo wants Scudder to find them, and let him extol his own brand of justice. The only thing is as Scudder digs deeper, his detective senses take over and he realizes that there may be a serial killer (or worse) at work here.

Writer-director Scott Frank has done a masterful job of painting cinematic strokes of grey and darker colors that are present in Block’s books. The streets of New York don’t often appear as gritty as they do in his film, seen even in the A Walk Among the Tombstones trailer. Frank has crafted a film that is almost noir in its detective who must find the bad guys before they commit more crime milieu. But this hero is quite different, as played by Neeson.

Liam Neeson Dan Stevens A Walk Among the Tombstones

Neeson turns in as subtle of a performance as he has in years. The role of Scudder is custom fit for the Irish actor. He plays all the nuances of a man who is desperately seeking vindication, and yet simultaneously feels that he does not deserve it -- due to the sins of his past. There are more books in this series, and we hope that A Walk Among the Tombstones is a hit so we can see Neeson back as Scudder again soon.

We don’t want to give anything away in terms of Neeson’s quest to find our guilty party. But the performer who inhabits the role of evil doer is nothing short of one of the most twistedly sinister and terrifying foes we’ve seen in some time. And that is utterly fitting given the grey area that Scudder resides in. As an audience, it is a pure joy to see an evil brought down by someone who is not necessarily bad, but is not so good either.

Lastly, our A Walk Among the Tombstones review has to highlight the performance by Stevens. Fans of his turn in Downton Abbey will hardly recognize the UK actor as Kristo. He is not a character with whom the audience will have an affinity for. Yet through Steven’s immense talents, we truly want him to find justice. 

Watch Taken online and see Neeson in action, right now!

Liam Neeson is Playing with Fire
Neeon's detective has never seen a case like this, and it's one that could kill him.

The Maze Runner Review: Run Dylan, Run!

0
0

Fans of The Maze Runner books will be the first to tell you that to lump that series in with all the other dystopian young adult novels would be a huge mistake. The same could be said for the film version of The Maze Runner. It is not even in the same league as other films, such as Divergent or The Hunger Games. To us, it’s like comparing apples and orangutans.

The Maze Runner Cast

James Dashner’s novel may have centered on young men (and one woman) who find themselves trapped in a grassy home called the Glades. It is surrounded by an enormous maze that is the key to getting out. No one who lives there remembers how they got there and no one has ever successfully made it out. The thing about Dashner’s work is that anyone could be trapped in this situation, young or more mature. This is a story about survival and the unstoppable human will to achieve it.

Dylan O’Brien (The Internship, TV’s Teen Wolf) is Thomas and our story is told completely through his eyes. Heck, the film even begins from his perspective in a freight elevator that is hurtling towards the surface. The doors open and Will Poulter’s Gally says, (as seen in The Maze Runner trailer), “Rise and shine greenie, day one.” And we’re off.

You won’t get too much of the plot details from us other than what we’ve already reported above. This film has too many moving parts to reveal much more and for that we applaud it. Dashner has crafted a landscape that is fascinating to say the least. And the thing about his cast of characters is that there is some part of each of them that anyone in the audience can relate to. Director Wes Ball knows that and utilizes that aspect to further make this story applicable in the sense that the viewer will routinely ask, “How would I respond?”

The Maze Runner Dylan O'Brien Will Poulter

It is a strong ensemble of young people who inhabit the roles of the “Gladers.” The film works or doesn’t work based on the performance of O’Brien. And let’s just say he is a revelation. The way he criss crosses between innocent naïf and soul who is firmly in command of the situation he finds himself in is uncanny. We truly believe that this “greenie” that has only been in the Glades for three days, would rise above the challenge and find an inner strength that will inspire all those around him.

The Maze Runner does suffer from pacing issues. Just went we get sucked into a dramatic and thrilling sequence, it seems to fail to flow well during the in between beats. The talented young cast can only do so much with it and some may find it a tad boring as exposition takes over for action.

Our The Maze Runner review hopes that audiences turn out in droves for this, because there is much more to Dashner’s world and that is teased in the film’s final moments. It is the rare young adult novel turned big screen adventure, for us lately, that leaves us with that feeling of wanting more. And we want more.

Dylan O'Brien Is Thomas
Dylan O'Brien is Thomas and when he arrives as a new Maze Runner, everything changes.

Deadpool: Ryan Reynolds X-Men Spin-Off Is Happening!

0
0

Deadpool appeared to be dead in the water, but news arrives that the X-Men spin-off is on its way to the big screen! Ryan Reynolds starred as the hero in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and now he’ll get a chance to come back to the character as Fox has announced a released date for it -- February 12, 2016.

Ryan Reynolds Is Deadpool

Tim Miller is set to direct from a script by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (you can see their work when you watch Zombieland online).

This is thrilling news for fans who have wondered where a Deadpool movie had gone. The X-Men spin-off had started filming and then shut down unexpectedly many years ago.

Now, we’ll get to see Reynolds in a superhero movie that suits him, i.e. not The Green Lantern

Big Eyes Trailer: Amy Adams Paints a Tim Burton Picture

0
0

The trailer for the highly anticipated next film from the brilliant Tim Burton is here!

Big Eyes stars Amy Adams as Margaret Keane, the painter whose work is most identified by its subjects having… Big Eyes!

Christoph Waltz stars as her husband, Walter, who is widely known as a popular painter of the 50s and 60s. See, the thing is, he kind of took credit for her work and lived the good life while she toiled in obscurity.

The film also is seen as chronicling her lawsuit against him, and how it played a part in the re-birth of the feminist movement and how Keane became a symbol of rising above your husband to claim your own voice. 

Burton’s latest is set to be released on Christmas Day. Check out one of our favorite Burton movies and watch Batman online.

Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz Fight Over Art
Amy Adams and Christoph Waltz play a real life couple in Big Eyes.

Star Wars Episode VIII: Rian Johnson on “Most Fun I’ve Ever Had”

0
0

Rian Johnson could not have been a better choice to talk to Terry Gilliam on The Talkhouse podcast to discuss Gilliam’s latest The Zero Theorem. But, before too long, Gilliam turned the tables and asked Johnson about that little movie he’s been writing for his next directorial effort, Star Wars: Episode VIII.

Rian Johnson Directs Looper

"I’m just starting into it but so far, honestly, it’s the most fun I’ve ever had writing. It’s just joyous. But also for me personally, I grew up not just watching those movies but playing with those toys, so as a little kid, the first movies I was making in my head were set in this world,” Johnson said.

“A big part of it is that direct connection, almost like an automatic jacking back into childhood in a weird way. But I don’t know. Ask me again in a few years and we’ll be able to talk about that."

Gilliam asked Johnson then, "Do you feel a different kind of responsibility because it is Star Wars? Do you feel free?"

Johnson reported that he is still figuring it out. "I’m kind of dancing on top of the avalanche a little bit. I’ll have more perspective on it in a while,” Johnson admitted.

“It’s a balance of remembering what really inspires you about it, but I think you can probably go to the wrong place by feeling too responsible to it. You have to keep your head loose enough to tell a story you care about.”

We trust Johnson so much, as his Looper is one of our favorite movies. So, we don't expect him to create any annoying characters, unlike these Star Wars folks.

Ani Skywalker
Maybe it was how it was written. Perhaps, it was how it was played by Jake Lloyd... and maybe it was both. But young Anakin Skywalker, known as Ani, was just plain awful. .. and annoying!

15 Big Stars and the Movies They Did Not Get: Awful Auditions!

0
0

Ask any actor or actress, you can have all the talent in the world and if you don’t nail the audition, none of that matters.

We found 15 huge Hollywood stars who have immense gifts in the acting department that auditioned for roles that iconically went to someone else.

What’s fascinating is every single one of these, the director and the casting director clearly made the right choice. Watch Django Unchained online, and can you see Will Smith instead of Jamie Foxx? No! Just no!

And what about when you watch The Breakfast Club online, can you see Nicolas Cage in it -- in an capacity?!

Those are just two of the 15 big stars we found who auditioned for parts in some of our favorite movies, who didn’t nail the audition, and the role legendarily went to someone else.

Click through and see which 15 didn’t have a good audition day!

Jennifer Lawrence For Twilight
Jennifer Lawrence really wanted to be Bella in Twilight. Her audition went fine, but the chemistry with Robert Pattinson was not nearly as good as KStew's was.

Weekend Movie Preview: September 19, 2014

0
0

There is no shortage of variety with this installment of the Weekend Movie Preview. Liam Neeson is back in action in A Walk Among the Tombstones, Tina Fey and Jason Bateman headline the comedy This Is Where I Leave You and The Maze Runner finally races onto the big screen.

Oh, and lest we forget -- our favorite movie of the weekend is The Guest starring Downton Abbey veteran Dan Stevens.

The Maze Runner: The blockbuster YA book finally makes it to the big screen as one of the most anticipated movies of the fall. Dylan O'Brien gives a star-making turn as Thomas, a young man who awakes in the Glades, a grassy area surrounded by a giant maze. Oh, and he's completely unaware of how he got there and has no memories of his past.  

A Maze-Like Figure
A maze-like figure is a beauty of a poster idea for The Maze Runner.

As we stated in our The Maze Runner review, the film is a pretty good pressure cooker and leaves us wanting more in hopes that audiences turn out in droves so we'll get a second chapter. 

A Walk Among the Tombstones: Neeson is a hard-nosed former detective who gets hired by a drug dealer (Dan Stevens) to find the men who kidnapped and murdered his wife. It is also based on a novel series and is one dark and tense thriller where there are few "good" characters and a whole lot of souls living in the grey areas of life.

Liam Neeson is Playing with Fire
Neeon's detective has never seen a case like this, and it's one that could kill him.

Check out our A Walk Among the Tombstones review for more on this next great Neeson classic.

This Is Where I Leave You: Fey and Bateman may be the leads, but the all-star cast includes an icon in Jane Fonda and a stellar up-and-comer in Adam Driver. The film chronicles what happens when a family gets together for the patriarch's funeral and long buried issues come to the forefront. 

Jason Bateman and Tina Fey
Jason Bateman and Tina Fey play brother and sister who have their differences, but come together when their father dies in This Is Where I Leave You.

Our This Is Where I Leave You review points out that although the cast brings their A-game, the film falters a bit from a novel that had to be downsized for the big screen. The laughs from the book make it in, but the drama does not.

The Guest: Stevens makes an announcement as a supreme talent in this dark drama that chronicles what happens when a soldier returns from war and lands on the doorstop of a family looking to pay respects to his deceased friend, who is their son and brother. 

Dan Stevens Readies for an Ambush
Dan Stevens is ready to fight back when the authorities come looking for him in The Guest.

As reported in our The Guest review, this is a mostly stylized flick where everything from the score to the action feels amped up and the entire result is completely and utterly riveting. 

Gone Girl TV Spot: Ben Affleck Is In a Nightmare

0
0

The latest Gone Girl TV trailer has landed and it features Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike as what appear to be on the outside, the most happy of couples. Only, something is not quite right and that becomes apparent to the world when Pike’s character goes missing.

Gone Girl is from David Fincher (watch Se7en online to get a feel of his movie mastery) and also stars Neil Patrick Harris (creepy!) and Tyler Perry. Ben Affleck Stars Gone Girl

Based on the book by Gillian Flynn (who wrote the screenplay), the film lands October 3 and finds Affleck joining in his community to search for his wife. When the clues start piling up that seem to point fingers at Affleck being guilty, things start to go off the rails.

Ben Affleck Searches
Ben Affleck joins the search for his Gone Girl.

Ghostbusters I and II Blu-Ray Review: Get Slimed in High Definition

0
0

The Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary Edition has landed on Blu-ray and also contains the Ghostbusters 2 25th Anniversary Edition -- which is making its Blu-ray debut. For fans of the classic films, this is truly a treat.

Ghostbusters I and II Blu-Ray

We received the Blu-Ray Digibook that features both films in a snazzy and astounding restored and remastered version of the film from the theatrical 4K upgrade.

Besides having those iconic and frequently repeated Ghostbusters quotes, the first film -- released in 1984 -- was a revolutionary tale that combined elements of sci-fi, action and comedy. It stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd (who is busy trying to get Ghostbusters 3 made), Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson and was directed by Ivan Reitman. The film was an astounding success and sat atop the box office charts for months.

The three supernaturally-centric scientists had been booted from their university and famously started their own Ghostbusting business to hilarious and sometimes scary results. We adore Ghostbusters 2, but there is no question that Ghostbusters is more of a classic. The way it introduced those main characters, as well as supporting players such as Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Rick Moranis was nothing short of iconic.

Among the bonus features that are utterly priceless is Who You Gonna Call: A Ghostbusters Retrospective – Roundtable Discussion with Reitman and Aykroyd. That featurette gives unparalleled insight into the film(s) that changed everything. And given that it was Aykroyd that came up with the idea and Reitman that honed it into the classic we all know in love -- this roundtable chat is nothing short of a must-see.

The Ghostbusters Blu-Ray also contains a series of posters that have never been in one collection, as well as the iconic Ghostbusters music video by Ray Parker, Jr.

Ghostbusters Dan Aykroyd Bill Murray Harold Ramis

Previously released content is still there, and we are partial to the Slimer Mode – Picture in Picture and Trivia Track, the 10 deleted scenes, the Ecto-1: Resurrecting the Classic Car featurette and in that vein, the Ghostbusters Garage: Ecto-1 Gallery Storyboard Comparisons that show how the famous car came to drive the streets of New York.

And we would be remiss not to mention the previously released commentary track that not only features Reitman, producer Joe Medjuck, but the late Harold Ramis. We miss him even more hearing him talk about his beloved Ghostbusters.

The Ghostbusters 2 Blu-Ray contains a fabulous new featurette, Time Is But A Window: Ghostbusters II and Beyond, which is truly the second part of the Roundtable Discussion with Reitman and Aykroyd. The sequel’s first time on Blu-Ray also includes never-before-seen deleted scenes and the On Our Own music video from Bobby Brown.

Watch Ghostbusters online and watch Ghostbusters 2 online to witness the magic all over again and click through our slideshow below for 30 fun facts from Ghostbusters that you probably didn’t know to celebrate the film’s three-decade anniversary. 

Dan Aykroyd Salutes His Grandpa
Aykroyd, who wrote the original script, penned it as a salute to his grandfather, who was a paranormal buff who even built a radio to try to contact ghosts.
Viewing all 7494 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images