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Wrath of the Titans: Going Greek with International Trailer

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Sam Worthington is back as Perseus in the international trailer for Wrath of the Titans. The film picks up a decade after the warrior’s historic defeat of Kraken in Clash of the Titans. Perseus is trying to live a quiet life when the fight for power between the gods and the Titans spills into his world, pulling him firmly into the fight.

The film lands in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D on March 30 and stars Bill Nighy, Rosamund Pike, Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson. 


Tyler Perry: What's His Best Film?

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To say that Tyler Perry is prolific is the understatement of this young century. The writer-director-star of the upcoming Good Deeds is one of the most successful entertainment individuals of the last decade. Whether through his iconic character Madea or his touching and heartfelt family dramadies, Perry has his pulse on what works on film. Don’t even get us started with his stage work and television triumphs!

Tyler Perry Picture
In honor of the arrival of Good Deeds (check out our exclusive video interview with Perry), we wanted to take the pulse of our readership to determine…

What’s Tyler Perry’s best film?

Malin Akerman and Justin Theroux Talk Wanderlust Wickedness

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In Wanderlust, Malin Akerman and Justin Theroux star as a couple of commune residents at a place called Elysium. The pair are joined by Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd in the new comedy from director David Wain (Role Models). The hilarious new film shows what happens when Aniston and Rudd’s married couple decide to break from their rigid New York City lifestyle and escape to the country. They wind up at Elysium and, yes, hilarity does ensue… big-time!

The Cast of Wanderlust
Theroux and Akerman sat down recently to discuss the finer points of their new comedy. The Wain set was notable for how the cast bonded, hardly a surprise given the long hours they spent each day getting each shot perfect. “Yes, they were long days. But it’s long days with some of the best comedic players around. It’s like being in an all-star game,” Theroux said. “You don’t want to go home at the end of the day. You kind of get excited when it goes to the next person’s close-up. It’s like, ‘What’s Kathryn Hahn going to do? This is going to be really funny.’”

“There wasn’t a dull moment,” Akerman added.

The actors said that in the case of filming Wanderlust, art started to imitate life. “We literally became the commune we were making fun of,” Theroux said. “It helped with chemistry overall because we were all excited to be hanging out together. There’s such familiarity and friendship and I think it helped the cause for this film.”

Akerman noticed a selfless sentiment permeated the set. “We became a ‘we.’ There was no ‘I’ in anything,” she said.

For his part, Theroux had to grow a long beard, an uncomfortable sacrifice he made for his art. Throughout the tough shoot, it appears the actor truly gained an affinity for his character Seth. “He’s so wise,” he said and laughed. “One of the things I liked that he said was, ‘I live where I am.’ That’s actually a pretty good line. But he’s not good at following his own advice.”

Some of the film’s most hilarious moments come from Theroux as his character had the penchant to say the most ridiculous of statements. “I think that’s how he got some of the commune members under his spell was to have these things that seem to make a lot of sense,” he said. “But then they actually don’t really make any sense.”

Malin welcomed the opportunity to work with director Wain again, after her blissful experience on the TV show Children’s Hospital. “He is so collaborative, not narcissistic or egotistical. He really just wants it to be the best it can be,” Akerman said. “We would always do the scripted lines because they’re hilarious. And then they went, ‘Go and do your thing. Do some improv. See where you come from and who you think Eva is and what she would say in this situation.’ He was really liberal with letting us bring what we thought was good for the characters.”

Theroux concurred with finding joy in Wain’s process. “He has no ego. If it’s funny, they’ll stick with it. There’s a whole other movie that could be cut out of the alternate, ridiculous lines,” he said.

“There’s probably another movie of us all just laughing for like three or four hours, just wasting so much time,” Akerman added and laughed.

If there was a contest to see who broke character first as actors could not help but laugh, it sounds like it would be a tight race. “I’m definitely up on that list, for sure,” Akerman said.

“That’s some stiff competition,” Theroux added. “Paul (Rudd) was the one who actually could keep it together. That’s probably why he’s such a pro. He could keep it together better than anyone.”

When it comes to how long each would last in a real-life commune, their answers mirror those of Aniston and Rudd’s from our Wanderlust interview. “About an afternoon,” Theroux said. “As soon as I saw the naked guy in the driveway, I’d say, ‘I could drive another two hours.’”

Akerman admitted she’d stay a bit longer. “A day,” she said and laughed. “It would be over for me as soon as I went to the bathroom… with no doors. I’d be done.”

The Raid Redemption Trailer: Action Movie Sets New Standard

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The U.S. trailer for one of the most buzzed about action films in quite a while has debuted. The film is from Indonesia and is called The Raid. In the States, we will know the movie as The Raid: Redemption and it’s a fitting title change given what the main character goes through to achieve his own personal justice.

Screen Gems also released the film’s synopsis to further whet action movie fans’ appetite for a film that we guarantee will blow your mind.

The Raid: Redemption synopsis:

Deep in the heart of Jakarta’s slums lies an impenetrable safe house for the world’s most dangerous killers and gangsters. Until now, the rundown apartment block has been considered untouchable to even the bravest of police. Cloaked under the cover of pre-dawn darkness and silence, an elite swat team is tasked with raiding the safe house in order to take down the notorious drug lord that runs it. But when a chance encounter with a spotter blows their cover and news of their assault reaches the drug lord, the building’s lights are cut and all the exits blocked. Stranded on the 6th floor with no way out, the unit must fight their way through the city’s worst to survive their mission. Director Gareth Evans (Merantau) and rising martial-arts star Iko Uwais reunite in this adrenaline-fueled action film.

Good Deeds Exclusive: Thandie Newton Video Interview

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Thandie Newton welcomes any opportunity to work with renaissance man Tyler Perry. After making his For Colored Girls, the actress leapt at the opportunity to return to Perry’s Atlanta home base to star in his latest, Good Deeds. Newton is sitting down with Movie Fanatic for an exclusive video interview and extols the virtue of not only the filmmaker, but the immense power that is his films.

Newton has already led a storied career that has seen her star opposite some of the industry’s biggest heavy hitters. She appeared with Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 2, John Cusack in 2012, Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happyness and was part of the Oscar-winning ensemble in Crash. She also portrayed Condoleezza Rice in Oliver Stone’s W.

She electrifies the screen in Good Deeds as a cleaning woman who works in the building where Perry’s computer executive character works. Will the two fall in love? You’ll have to check out the film and see!

The Dictator: Sacha Baron Cohen's Latest Portraits, Oscar Trouble

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Sacha Baron Cohen is The Dictator. The fictional feared leader of a small Middle Eastern country has posed for two new portraits, each more ridiculous than the other. The photos also arrive as news breaks that Cohen’s Oscar tickets have been put on hold because of the Academy’s fears he’ll use the red carpet to promote his new comedy.

Sacha Baron Cohen Stars as The Dictator
Cohen was invited to the Oscars because of his scene-stealing role in Hugo (check out our interview with him). He may have mentioned in passing that he thought about walking the Academy Awards red carpet dressed as his Dictator character. The Oscars have strict rules as to not allowing the promotion of any films during the broadcast, or on the Kodak Theatre red carpet. Cohen has to swear that he will not show up in costume in order for him to attend. He has yet to do so…

Can you imagine him on the Oscar red carpet dressed like this?

The Dictator Star Sacha Baron Cohen

Hunger Games: An Army of Character Stills

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Excitement for The Hunger Games continues to build as the film’s March 23 release date is exactly a month away. With the release of 12 new character specific stills, Movie Fanatic is ready for quite a few gasps for air as we get more official looks at everyone from President Snow, Effie, Peeta, Cinna, Haymitch, Gale and of course Katniss! Enjoy these photos and remember, our contest to win The Hunger Games premiere tickets ends today. Enter now!

Jennifer Lawrence is Katniss

Josh Hutcherson is Peeta

Liam Hemsworth is Gale

Woody Harrelson is Haymitch

Donald Sutherland is President Snow

Lenny Kravitz is Cinna

Alexander Ludwig is Cato

Amandla Stenberg is Rue

Elizabeth Banks is Effie

Isabelle Fuhrman is Clove

Stanley Tucci is Caesar

Wes Bentley is Seneca

Oscar Watch: Inside the Screenplay Categories

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At the Oscars, awarding the best in screenplays is broken into two categories: Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay. It’s an important distinction, but also provides us with two distinctly different opportunities to look at the best written words on screen in 2011.

Shailene Woodley and George Clooney in The Descendants
Movie Fanatic’s daily look at the Academy Awards, Oscar Watch, first turns our attention on the Best Original Screenplay category as it is the toughest to call. Riding the wave of 10 nominations, The Artist could easily be thought of as a front-runner. But, this discounts the presence of a legend in Woody Allen who achieved his biggest hit of his career with Midnight in Paris. That film is one of Allen’s most eloquent scripts he’s composed in decades and we think this one is a no-brainer: Allen will win.

As for Best Adapted Screenplay, this is a challenge for Oscar voters. Bringing Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to life in English had to be one difficult and potentially thankless challenge. On the other hand, tackling a popular play like The Ides of March (called Farragut North) is no easy task. Hugo is a wildly successful book as well and its chances for Oscar gold are quite good. Then, there’s the effort of taking legendary spy writer John le Carre’s Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and effectively -- and efficiently -- bringing it to the big screen, which had to be an enormous undertaking. Aaron Sorkin’s handprints are all over Moneyball, and we all know how much the Academy adores him.

But, our winner for Best Adapted Screenplay has to go to The Descendants and the script spearheaded by the film’s director Alexander Payne. Based on the book by the same name, capturing the emotional nuances of that novel, while still maintaining its humor and humanity, is why that script will be awarded the top prize come February 26.


Tower Heist Blu-Ray Insight: Ben Stiller's Controlling Comedy

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In celebration of Tower Heist, Ben Stiller’s latest film arriving on a terrific Blu-Ray this week, it occurred to us that the power to the man’s impeccable comedy -- more often than not -- is his ability to be the straight man as chaos unfolds around him. Whether opposite Eddie Murphy’s comic craziness in Tower Heist -- the Brett Ratner-directed action-comedy -- or the Night at the Museum movies, Tropic Thunder, and even going back to There’s Something About Mary, no one carries a comedy chaos as Stiller does.

Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller in Tower Heist
Stiller has a way about him that lives and breathes the everyman. Oftentimes in comedy, throwing that archetype into bedlam produces some of Hollywood’s greatest comic moments. Here are five films showing off how Stiller has done it through a few examples of his brilliance.

Tower Heist: Taking what Nick Nolte did in 48 Hours and cranking it up a notch, Stiller is the straight man to Murphy’s wisecracking ex-con. When the former asks the latter to help him on the ultimate revenge heist, the pair create impeccable comic chemistry. The film is one of the don’t-misses of 2011 and now that it’s on Blu-Ray and DVD it is a perfect opportunity to witness Stiller at his sizzling best.

There’s Something About Mary: One of the first films to showcase Stiller and his penchant for producing humor while the zanies do their thing around him. Think about any scene that he has in this film with Matt Dillon and you’ll see what we’re talking about.

Night at the Museum movies: Both Night at the Museum movies also illustrate our point. You can’t get any crazier than museum artifacts coming to life while the night watchman (Stiller) has to preside over this silliness.

Tropic Thunder: As an actor who takes himself way too seriously, Stiller manages to sit back and let the comedy come to him while others, such as Tom Cruise and Robert Downey Jr., go off the rails for some hilariously humorous moments that are unforgettable.

Meet the Parents: With a potential father-in-law like Robert De Niro, who resorts to spy agency efforts to discredit his daughter’s boyfriend, Stiller manages to do his best to stay above the fray -- even if that means trying to rescue De Niro’s beloved cat in an effort that results in a wedding gazebo going up in flames. Meanwhile, Stiller never fully loses his cool. That is, until those final moments of the film where he looks into the “hidden” camera and says, “What do you think about that?!” We love it. That’s what we think, Ben.

Act of Valor Movie Review: Victory for Film Fans

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Using real life anybodies in film has had a so-so record in Hollywood history, so how does Act of Valor fare? For one, any previous efforts did not feature currently serving Navy SEALs providing an insight into action that sets this movie apart. Rarely have I seen fighting sequences executed with such realism. Mike “Mouse” McCoy and Scott Waugh made a film with men and women who lived it and as such, bringing the sights and sounds of fighting for your life, your family and your country's freedom to life is shown as never before.

Act of Valor: The Real SEALs
Act of Valor even used live rounds because of things their real life Navy SEAL stars reported movies had gotten wrong in the past -- seems there’s something in the sound of a bullet being fired. After witnessing McCoy and Waugh’s war story, those little changes bring an authenticity to the film’s battle scenes.

When the movie commences, one of the Navy SEALs turned movie star is providing a voice over narrative as our scene is set. It’s a patriotic, heroic and valorous beginning. We meet the elite fighting force while the filmmakers jet us off to a Southeast Asian landscape where a terrorist bombing has taken place and a CIA operative (Roslyn Sanchez, one of the few trained actors in the film) has been kidnapped, tortured and interrogated profusely.

The men of Act of Valor gather at a San Diego camp fire near their home base and salute life with their families. They know they are shipping off in the morning, but the film shows that for these guys, life is about the five minutes in front of you. Treasure the moments with family and loved ones because before too long, the future is quickly called into question.

Our guys jet off to where intelligence has stated the kidnapped operative is being held. They jump from tens of thousands of feet up, landing in a foreign land where they are not welcomed, but most importantly… not expected.

At this point in the film one realizes two things: Never before has action sequences been so meticulously shot, choreographed and executed, but also how non-actors -- even when being “themselves” – can seem stiff and at times painful to watch. As insane as the fighting scenes are, the camaraderie building sequences between guys being guys a little less enjoyable.

All in all, Act of Valor is a must see in the theaters experience. It’s a solid story that introduces not only action thrills around every corner, but suspenseful sequences that will have you biting your nails. Then, when the tension of suspense lets loose into bullets flying and hand-to-hand combat commencing, Act of Valor rises above anything seen in the genre in some time.

Gone Movie Review: Amanda Seyfried's Scary Thriller

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Amanda Seyfried has been running for her life in the most intense of Gone trailers. After experiencing the young actresses’ film, it’s easy to see why her character could not sit still and relax without continually looking over her shoulder. Seyfried stars as Jill. She claims to have been the only woman to have survived a serial killer. Only thing is police can't find any proof that her story is real. Throughout the film, flashbacks are doled out with the right amount of tease to illustrate that Jill is not lying. Or is she?

Gone Stars Amanda Seyfried
Safely taking her meds and working at a local diner, Jill is putting her life back together. One morning she comes home from work and discovers her sister Gone from the house. Through Seyfried’s powerful eyes, we see that something is extremely not right. In fact, the scene is awfully familiar to the one her character describes having experienced. Upon involving the police, she realizes how alone she is in the search for her sister.

It’s a race against the clock thriller. Jill knows how long the kidnapper keeps a subject alive before taking their life, and as such, the “time’s up moment” is constantly hanging over the film like a black cloud. 

Gone is Seyfried’s movie. The actress has truly come into her own. The promise seen in Mean Girls and Mamma Mia has come to full fruition. Heck, we even thought the actress was the best thing about In Time! And in Gone, she doles out just enough of an emotional roller coaster ride that it keeps the audience’s guessing as to how this story will play out.

Movie Fanatic also salutes the production as they made Portland, Oregon and its vast natural resources a character in the film. When producers could have easily filmed it in Vancouver and saved some coin, for authenticity and the continued success of the U.S. film market, Gone goodness also lies in its locale. It pays off within the story. As Seyfried is racing through the dense forest, convinced she is moments away from finding her sister, by that point in the story -- we know that our journey has been in the American Pacific Northwest, a site with a storied history of people vanishing… and sometimes turning up.

At times, the film can come across as a stretch. Most thrillers can suffer under the weight of their premise. With Seyfried in control of her emotional power and demons as Jill, getting Gone with the actress is a solid two hours spent.

The Dictator Responds to Oscar Banning

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Sacha Baron Cohen, aka The Dictator, is in full character this morning as he responds to the “banning” of the actor from attending this year’s Oscars. It seems that Cohen was planning to walk the red carpet as Admiral General Aladeen from the upcoming Paramount Pictures film The Dictator. Cohen was scheduled to attend the Academy Awards in support of his work with Martin Scorsese in Hugo. Time will tell if we will see him on the red carpet on Sunday. Stay tuned… and until then, enjoy The Dictator’s response to the Academy of Motion Pictures and Zionists.

Good Deeds Movie Review: Tyler Perry Finds his Truth

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Tyler Perry came up with the idea for Good Deeds when he thought back on his tough upbringing. He wondered how equally hard it would have been to grow up with privilege, but yet  having to follow a path that was pre-ordained. Sure, the journey would have been easier monetarily, but still equally as difficult as Perry’s when pursuing a dream that was not the one laid out for you. In Perry's latest film, his character Wesley Deeds runs his father’s computer business in San Francisco and has done everything expected of him. But, it is not where his dreams lie.

Tyler Perry in Good Deeds
Deeds is a highly paid executive, adored by his controlling mother (Phylicia Rashad), responsible for his wayward brother and engaged to the perfect Gabrielle Union. Then, he meets Thandie Newton’s cleaning lady and it hits him: What he perceived to be a charmed life is not one at all when at the end of the day, he is unhappy.

Good Deeds is possibly Perry’s most personal film to date. He wrote, produced, directed and stars in the film that is an ensemble piece yes, but whose resonance lies squarely on his shoulders. His acting has never been better as the character transformation of Deeds is slow but sure as his icy and predictable exterior is slowly melted away by the pure honestly of Newton’s character.

Perry’s cast delivers. Newton runs the gamut emotionally as she paints a picture of a woman struggling to raise her daughter solo after her husband died in the Middle East. She is a walking disaster until she meets Deeds, and their friendship to romance journey not only frees her from her quicksand-like life, but also the computer exec that has always done for others without thinking of himself.

Union shines as Perry’s fiance who herself may be living a lie. What’s not to love about a man who has it all? Rebecca Romijn and Eddie Cibrian also provide great supporting roles as a couple who serve as the model of a perfectly married pair. Their shining light of happiness is also what helps Deeds realize what he has with Union might not be all that. And Rashad, as Perry’s mother, is astounding (as usual) as the often cold, but ever classy matriarch of the Deeds clan.

Perry, as a director, has delivered a film with an even hand. The road to its completion is filled with unpredictability and realism. Sometimes on film, it’s hard to commiserate with a character who has it all but is unhappy. In the hands of Perry, as director and actor, he walks that minefield efficiently and effectively.

The themes of a Perry film have always embodied family, responsibility and the caring for one another… even in his outlandish farces. Those not only are present in Good Deeds, but shape and mold the film into what we believe is his best work to date.

21 Jump Street Featurette: Go Behind the Scenes

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21 Jump Street makes the… well… jump to the big screen March 16. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as former high school enemies who bond in the police academy. Upon graduation, they are sent on to the city’s tough streets… on bikes! What they thought was a dream job actually becomes one when they are selected to be part of a revitalized undercover unit set to infiltrate a high school in order to bring down a drug ring. Yes, the boys are going back to school!

The film stars Ice Cube, Brie Larson, Rob Riggle, Ellie Kemper and yes… Johnny Depp makes an appearance!


Oscar Exclusive: Carol Leifer on Writing for Billy Crystal

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Carol Leifer has made it in Hollywood a long time ago as a go-to writer on the hit show Seinfeld. She also just earned a Writers Guild nomination for writing for Modern Family. But, no success of hers equals what she has been doing for the Motion Picture Academy. She is about to launch into her seventh Oscars as a writer for the host, and this is her third time working with Billy Crystal. Leifer phoned Movie Fanatic for an exclusive chat on the eve of Hollywood’s big night to share in her glow and dish about one of the great gigs in Tinsel Town.

Carol Leifer Photo
“It’s like the greatest show on earth,” Leifer said. “It’s the only game in town. Every year there’s another 100 or 200 award shows, but there’s only one Oscars.”

As a writer for the Oscars show, she admits losing Eddie Murphy as host set them back, but with a legend in Crystal set to take the Kodak Theatre stage February 26, it won’t matter at all. “He’s the consummate pro. I was so happy to hear he was chosen because also as a standup comic. I feel that the best hosts are people like Billy who’s a live performer, who knows what it’s like to walk out on a stage and have that feel like a second nature to them,” Leifer said. “He can handle anything that’s thrown to him. I think that’s really why people love Billy so much doing this job because they know that anything spontaneous that happens -- and there will be -- he’ll have the funniest, best comebacks.”

Leifer then lets us in on a little insight into the greatest gift of all for the writer. “What I think most people don’t know about from watching the show that I have the privilege to see working with him is that he works incredibly hard on the Oscars, maybe the hardest of any host I’ve ever seen,” she said. “Normally he starts, when he knows he’s got the gig, in September. But with what happened with Eddie Murphy, it didn’t gear up until later. He works enormously hard. But I think the beauty of Billy Crystal as a host is when he goes out there you don’t see any of the stress and the strain of it.”

Given the spontaneity of the show itself, Leifer and Crystal must be ready to spin jokes beyond the 100 or more they crafted before a billion people tune in each Oscar Sunday. When Jack Palance accepted his Oscar and then prompted to do push-ups, it was Crystal who was able to roll with the bit throughout the night. Writers such as Leifer are at the ready to pepper their script with what appear to be improv moments. The writer believes that Crystal is the best.

“I think that’s a good sign of the host that he has staff kind of be ready for anything, because there are things out there in the zeitgeist of people’s feelings about actors and movies,” Leifer said. “I think it’s always great to be at the ready with stuff like that, because you just never know. I think that’s the advantage of having a comedian back in the saddle, especially Billy -- he’s done it more than anyone except Bob Hope. He knows this ride. He knows what it takes to do a bang-up job. That’s why I love that he’s back again.”

Billy Crystal Hosting Oscars
Although Murphy would have been a solid host, Leifer is beyond thrilled that Crystal is the man once again. She believes that the audience will respond in droves. “I think it’s what I’ve felt from people who I see in Starbucks or out who know I’m writing for the Oscars is a familiarity and a comfort with Billy Crystal, which I think people want for the Oscars,” she said. “I think sometimes when they throw new people in there, people are a little uncomfortable watching it because they like the familiar face -- the person they know is going to make them laugh.”

For the writer who has spent decades in the business to astounding success, being a part of the Oscar night merriment is by far her career highlight.

“Every year that I’m hired it’s such a privilege. It’s such an honor that I never take for granted. Being such a fan of movies and growing up and watching the Oscars, to have been hired to write for them starting back in 2000, I was knocked off my feet the first time I got the gig. What I love about it is that I love movies as much as anybody, even more. So when I need to do my preparation for it and be familiar with the actors I’m not or performances that I haven’t seen and watch these movies, I’m a kid in a candy store,” Leifer said.

Working backstage the night of, and even though she has done this seven times, Leifer admits that she still stops and pauses when an newly minted Oscar winner walks by. “I’m still star-struck. I’m still as amazed as anybody talking to a Sandra Bullock,” she said. “I’m still in the moment and also there’s a part of me that’s like, ‘Holy crap.’”


Star Trek 2: First Set Photos!

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The first photos from the set of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek 2 have arrived! Until now, the filming of the sequel to the highly successful Star Trek reboot has been under a shroud of secrecy. The photos were posted on MTV, and the first features Zachary Quinto’s Spock in action.

Zachary Quinto in Star Trek 2
The second set photo has Zoe Saldana as Uhura wielding her weapon against villain Benedict Cumberbatch (also seen in the above photo). Of course, these pics don’t tell us a thing about the film itself. But, we’ll take any nuggets of anything from Star Trek 2! The film arrives May 17, 2013.

Zoe Saldana in Star Trek 2

Oscar Watch: Predicting Academy Award Winners

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The Oscars are here and Movie Fanatic has seen all the films and Oscar Watch is ready to premiere our annual predictions! From the major awards to the smaller, lesser known categories, we have gone over the nominees with a fine tooth comb and predicted what we believe will happen when the cameras start rolling on host Billy Crystal and the 84th Annual Academy Awards on February 26.

Jean Dujardin in The Artist
Best Picture
The Artist
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
The Descendants
The Help
Midnight in Paris
War Horse
Hugo
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Winner: The Artist
Why: It’s the favorite for a reason. The film is a love letter to Hollywood and the Academy adores that. There is no other film, other than Hugo, than can come close in that arena. Therefore, give it to The Artist.

Best Actor
George Clooney, The Descendants
Brad Pitt, Moneyball
Gary Oldman, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Demian Bichir, A Better Life

Winner: Jean Dujardin
Why: He won the award at the Cannes Film Festival and that momentum has not stopped, albeit for all that George Clooney will win buzz. The French actor carries the film without saying a word, and that is saying something about the power of his acting chops.

Best Actress
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week with Marilyn
Viola Davis, The Help
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Rooney Mara, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Winner: Viola Davis
Why: Although people would love to see Streep get her first award in 29 years, this is Davis and The Help’s year for acting. She gives a riveting performance in a powerful film. Where Streep’s performance was the only good thing about The Iron Lady.

Best Supporting Actor
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Kenneth Branagh, My Week with Marilyn
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Max von Sydow, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

Winner: Christopher Plummer
Why: The legend has never won one, and the fact that he turned in the best performance of his career doesn’t hurt things either.

Best Supporting Actress
Octavia Spencer, The Help
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Berenice Bejo, The Artist

Winner: Octavia Spencer
Why: Spencer stole every scene she was in through The Help, even from our predicted winner Davis. This category is already pre-ordained.

Octavia Spencer in The Help
Best Director
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Michel Hazanvicius, The Artist
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Winner: Michel Hazanvicius, The Artist
Why: Many times the Best Director and Best Picture share the same film. At this year’s Oscar, that will certainly be the case. It’s hard to imagine The Artist being such a fantastic film without the even handed direction of Hazanvicius.

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Ides of March
The Descendants
Hugo
Moneyball
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Winner: The Descendants
Why: Taking a beloved book and bringing it to the screen can be a thankless task. But Alexander Payne and his writing team did a stellar job of crafting their script for The Descendants. It captured everything the book had within its pages and if possible, even more.

Best Original Screenplay
Midnight in Paris
The Artist
Bridesmaids
Margin Call
A Separation

Winner: Midnight in Paris
Why: Woody Allen wrote his best script in decades and achieved his highest box office earner in his storied career. Look for the filmmaker to take this title, the question is whether he will be there as he often skips the Academy Awards.

Best Foreign Film
A Separation
Bullhead
Footnote
In Darkness
Monsieur Lazhar

Winner: A Separation
Why: The Iranian film has been sweeping this category all year and Oscar night will be no different. Also, given the simmering political situation between Iran and the west, look for the Academy to extend an olive branch in the form of a golden trophy.

Documentary Feature
Hell and Back Again
If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Pina
Undefeated

Winner: Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
Why: In a stellar year for documentaries, this one is hard to pick. Undefeated is about as powerful as a doc can be in its telling of the story of the Memphis high school football team’s true life triumphs. But, in this year of the “Memphis Three” finding justice, look for the Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory to take the victory as Hollywood big wigs circle the story to bring it to life in a narrative motion picture.

Film Editing
The Artist
The Descendants
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball

Winner: The Artist
Why: The Best Picture of the year was also the best edited. Bringing a silent movie to life is difficult enough, and with the stellar job the editors of The Artist achieved, it is part of the reason why the film is so well received.

Documentary Short
The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement
God is the Bigger Elvis
Incident in New Baghdad
Saving Face
The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom

Winner: The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom
Why: A powerful piece of work that is, in our opinion, going to upset the favorite, Saving Face.

Best Animated Film
Rango
A Cat in Paris
Chico and Rita
Kung Fu Panda 2
Puss in Boots

Winner: Rango
Why: Not only is it the Best Animated Film, Rango is one of the best films of 2011.

Rango In The Desert
Best Cinematography
The Artist
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Winner: Hugo
Why: The Academy may be tempted to award The Tree of Life for its sweeping epic feel, but it’s hard to argue with the cinematography achieved by Martin Scorsese’s team with Hugo. A train station has never appeared so beautiful.

Best Art Direction
The Artist
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
War Horse

Winner: Hugo
Why: For the same reasons it will win cinematography. It is simply gorgeous.

Costume Design
Anonymous
The Artist
Hugo
Jane Eyre
W.E.

Winner: The Artist
Why: Normally this category goes to a period piece drama, and those are well represented this year. But, The Artist created the class and suaveness of the 1920s Hollywood and for that… it will win.

Makeup
Albert Nobbs
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
The Iron Lady

Winner: The Iron Lady
Why: This three film category is a tough one to call. Each has its merits beyond compare. In the end, look for the makeup aided physical transformation of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady to score an Oscar.

Best Score
The Adventures of Tintin
The Artist
Hugo
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
War Horse

Winner: The Artist
Why: With as many nominations as The Artist has, it is awards such as this category that will push its victory total ever higher. The film relied solely on its score as there is no dialogue. No easy task for its composer and because of that fact, they will hoist the Oscar February 26 at the Kodak Theatre.

Best Song
Man or Muppet, The Muppets
Real in Rio, Rio

Winner: Man or Muppet, The Muppets
Why: Hard to beat a legend that is Sergio Mendes, but former Flight of the Conchords member Bret McKenzie (check out our exclusive interview) will win on this night. His Man or Muppet not only is a stellar song, but also serves as the pivot point for the entire film.

Fozzie, Kermit and Miss Piggy in The Muppets
Short Film (Animated)
Dimanche/Sunday
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
La Luna
A Morning Stroll
Wild Life

Winner: The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore
Why: As a former Pixar worker, filmmaker William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg have created a gem and you know the Academy adores Pixar.

Short Film
Pentecost
Raju
The Shore
Time Freak
Tuba Atlantic

Winner: Raju
Why: International adoption is more prevalent than ever, and as the subject matter of Raju, it could not be more timely.

Sound Editing
Drive
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Transformers Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Winner: Hugo
Why: Powerful and sweeping sounds, both real and fantastical inhabit Scorsese’s Hugo. Therefore, count this one for the story of the orphan living in a Paris train station.

Sound Mixing
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Hugo
Moneyball
Transformers Dark of the Moon
War Horse

Winner: Hugo
Why: Same reasons as above.

Visual Effects
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Hugo
Real Steel
Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Transformers Dark of the Moon

Winner: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Why: The Academy has not given Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 much love, even though Warner Bros. pushed hard for the film to be considered for Best Picture. This will be the Academy’s way of awarding a stellar series.

Movie Fanatic Round Table: Talking Oscars

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Movie Fanatic has convened its experts again for a Round Table discussion of all things Oscar. Joining us this time is Jami Philbrick at IAmRogue.com, Jennings Roth Cornet of Hit Fix’s In Contention, Don Kaye from MSN Movies and your Movie Fanatic Managing Editor Joel Amos. This week we’ve posed five questions to some of the great minds writing about Hollywood to give you further insight into the 84th Annual Academy Awards.

Movie Fanatic Round Table Pic
1. Who will win Best Picture and why?
Jami: It’s pretty much a no brainer at this point that The Artist will inevitably win Best Picture and become the first silent movie to win the honored trophy in almost a hundred years. While there has been some talk of an upset from The Help, Hugo, or even The Descendants, I find that to be very unlikely. There has been an overwhelming desire from the Hollywood community for this film to conquer the Oscars since it was released last fall. I think that the film’s gimmick as a silent, black and white movie about silent, black and white movies has probably overshadowed the fact the film has more fluff than it does substance. The Artist should speak to the self-aggrandizing Academy members and take home Oscar’s top prize.

Don: Well, it seems like it's been a foregone conclusion for a while now that The Artist will win, because it's charming, it's innocuous, it's perceived as clever and, to some of the Academy's older members I guess, it's a reminder of the sort of good old days of Hollywood. It's got a clear, unambiguous story -- even if it's one of the most cliched, done-to-death stories in the book -- and there's none of that pesky social, political or psychological baggage attached to it. It's the safe choice.

Joel: The Artist will win, and it is the front-runner for a reason. Few films capture the fancy of its viewers as that flick has done since its release. When the buzz first began for the film at Cannes, American audiences prepared for a film that did not live up to the hype. Instead, what they got was a picture that not only met expectations, but exceeded them.

Roth: I think it will be The Artist because it has had the greatest momentum in the precursor circuit. I think it's a film that people find charming and unique and, as such, want to champion.

2. What do you think is the Best Picture of the year?
Jami: For me, the Best Picture of the year isn’t even in the competition… Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive. The film was nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards and will hopefully take home a few of those this weekend, but it was completely excluded from the Academy Awards. In fact, one of the Oscar nominations' biggest surprises was the fact that veteran actor and comedian Albert Brooks was not nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his stunning turn as a villain in Drive. Instead of nominating Drive for Best Picture, which could surely have snuck into the eighth or ninth spots, the Academy nominated War Horse, which, let's just admit it, is not a very good movie. Drive was recently released on Blu-ray and DVD and I watched the film from beginning to end every night for a week. I think that is the mark of a great, truly great film, if you can watch it over and over again, never getting sick of it, and continually finding new things about the film each time you watch it. Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan both give star-making performances and veteran actors Bryan Cranston, Brooks, and Ron Perlman remind us why they have been around for so long. Without a doubt: Drive is the true Best Picture of 2011!

Don: I have several favorites. On my Top 10, I put The Descendants at number one. But The Tree of Life, Martha Marcy May Marlene, A Separation and especially Melancholia could all easily be in the top spot.

Joel: I agree with Jami. The Best Picture of 2011 was Drive. For all the reasons he mentioned and more. Its subtle power is still haunting me months after viewing it. It is a crime that it was not nominated, but I will take comfort in its victories at the Independent Spirit Awards.

Roth: For me the Best Film of the year was Kenneth Lonergan's Margaret. It was a film plagued with legal battles that complicated the editorial process, but the end result was still evocative, textured and rich with meaning. The performances are simply stunning. And the story is one that continues to yield new insights over time. It engages the viewer in a dialog in the same way that two of my other favorite films this year do: Steve McQueen's Shame and Terrence Malick's Tree of Life.

Poster for the 84th Oscars
3. Will Jean Dujardin upset George Clooney?

Jami: In a word: No! However, Oscar loves a surprise and in a year that seems as locked up as this one already is, I wonder what the surprise might be? I don’t think it will be as shocking as when Marcia Gay Harden came out of nowhere to beat front-runner Kate Hudson for Best Supporting Actress, or the year that Alan Arkin upset Eddie Murphy for Dream Girls. But I do expect there to be a surprise or two and that could fall in Dujardin’s favor. That being said, I completely expect Clooney to win the award even though he already possesses a golden trophy. Plus, it’s a way to acknowledge The Descendants, which was an early front-runner and has now taken a backseat to The Artist, The Help, and Hugo. Alexander Payne will likely win Best Adapted Screenplay for the second time and I think awarding Clooney will be the film’s only other chance at being recognized this year.

Don: Is Clooney a lock? I thought he was great in The Descendants but I've had the feeling all along that Dujardin could pull it out, especially if The Artist racks up a lot of wins. I don't believe that Dujardin should win it, but I do have the feeling it's possible.

Joel: Dujardin will win Best Actor and although it has been a back and forth between Clooney and him as favorite, I believe the Frenchman will be standing on the Kodak Theatre stage grasping his first Oscar.

Roth: It's really not an upset at this point. Dujardin won both SAG and BAFTA, and he is now the front-runner to win at the Oscars. But, there are always a few surprises.

4. Does Meryl Streep deserve her first Oscar in 29 years over Viola Davis’ performance in The Help?
Jami: Remember when I said that Oscar loves a surprise, this could be the category for that. And honestly, at this point, I think it would be a surprise no matter which actress wins. It’s not a smart bet to ever bet against Meryl Streep, especially when she is pretty much nominated for every film she makes, but this year is definitely different. While she was the front-runner early on, that tide has changed with Davis winning most of the awards this season. However, Streep won the Golden Globe, which is usually the precursor to the Oscars, but keep in mind that is voted on by the foreign press and she was playing Margaret Thatcher, the equivalent of playing John F. Kennedy in this country. I really don’t think the Academy wants to get in the habit of awarding actors for giving sensational performances in otherwise horrible movies. They wisely didn’t nominate Leonardo DiCaprio for J. Edgar, which was panned by most critics as a bad movie with a great performance. I think Streep’s turn as Margaret Thatcher was brilliant, but the film is terrible. It is Viola’s year no matter how you cut it. You could argue that Davis is actually a supporting player in The Help and not the lead actress but that is a mute point now… she’s going to win. But don’t shed a tear for Meryl, she’ll be nominated again next year I’m sure.

Don: I don't like to think of these things in terms of how much time has passed since the last time a particular actor has won an award -- or if they've ever won at all. By that thinking, Gary Oldman, having never even been nominated before, is long overdue -- and his performance this year in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy would merit it anyway even if he won last year. I don't care if Meryl Streep won the Oscar for the last 12 years in a row -- her performance in The Iron Lady is a very good imitation of Margaret Thatcher but there's no real emotional, empathetic core to it (or the film itself). It's just a well-done, detailed impersonation. Viola Davis brings a lot more to the table in The Help, and even though I didn't care for the film, her performance is undeniably powerful. If I had my way, however, neither would win: Kirsten Dunst would be walking up to the podium to get her Best Actress Oscar for Melancholia on Sunday night.

Joel: This is Davis’ year. Yes, Streep is an Academy stalwart, but she gave a good performance in a fair, not good film. Davis, on the other hand, sizzled in her performance in a powerful film. Plus, since Octavia Spencer is set to win for Best Supporting Actress for The Help, look for the film’s actresses to stand next to one another, smiling profusely with Oscars in hand.

Roth: Viola Davis is a journey-woman. She will win on merit, but it is also nice to see a real working actor (meaning someone who has dug in to deliver tremendous performances in large and small roles over an extended period of time in theater, television and film) reach the heights that Davis has this year. It's a wonderful thing to see.

5. How would you rate the year in film?
Jami: I think it was a great year for movies, even if that was not necessarily reflected in this year's Academy Award nominations. Think about it! We’ve had sensational sequels (Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol), impressive comic book adapted projects (X-Men: First Class), fascinating documentaries (Page One: Inside the New York Times), amazing animation (Rango), groundbreaking 3D (Hugo), high-octane action (Drive), home-run hitting sports films (Moneyball), terrific dramas (The Descendants), hilarious comedies (Bridesmaids), great adaptations (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), movies that celebrate the art of cinema itself (The Artist), and the return of some true Hollywood legends (The Muppets). What more can you ask for? Here’s hoping that 2012 is just as good of a year at the movies as the previous one was!

Don: I'd say it was average. There were a lot of excellent films this year for sure, but they were balanced by an equal amount of disappointments. Some of the biggest disappointments for me were a number of the big Oscar season releases that a number of critics raved about -- which I just found mystifying. Hugo, for example, was a huge disappointment. The Artist and My Week With Marilyn were just so-so. Tintin was a big dud and War Horse wasn't all that much either. Yet we did have great stuff like the ones I mentioned earlier, along with Shame, Contagion, Rise of the Planet of the Apes and the truly brilliant A Separation. I guess you could say that the high-quality films this year were especially high-quality.

Joel: I’d agree with Don. 2011 was an average year for film. The fact that we have nine nominees for Best Picture is a surprise, given that late in the year many of us in Hollywood were wondering whether they could even nominate five. There were many highlights in 2011, but I’m looking forward to 2012 between its blockbusters (The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises) and the Oscar bait films (Lincoln) that will, in hindsight, make 2011 look weak.

Roth: 2011 has yielded some of my favorite films of the past several years. Most of them have gone unrepresented in the Academy Awards. But there are a few that are in the mix. I think it has been a refreshing, diverse and exciting year, even with all of the arguing and controversy over this film or that. I think 2012 will be especially good for event films that deliver, whereas 2011 was a bit more about the art film. We shall see.

Weekend Movie Preview: February 24, 2012

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A great weekend for going to the movies should be had by all. As the Oscars are ready to be handed out on Sunday, Hollywood isn’t skipping the movie-going goodness. We’ve got an action movie unlike any you’ve ever seen, Tyler Perry at his best, Amanda Seyfried is getting Gone and Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd find the funny in Wanderlust.

Act of Valor: Real Navy SEALs show today’s action stars how it’s done in Act of Valor. The film showcases some of the most incredible battle action sequences ever filmed and it’s easy to see the filmmakers had help from their “stars” in keeping it real. An international terrorist is wreaking havoc and the SEAL team at the center of the film has to swing into action, crossing the globe to bring him down. Check out our Act of Valor review for more insight into this highly original flick.


Good Deeds: Tyler Perry puts together another astounding ensemble in Good Deeds. Not only does he serve as the film’s writer, director, producer and star, but he cast greatness in the form of Gabrielle Union, Thandie Newton, Eddie Cibrian and Rebecca Romijn. The film is his best work to date as we state in our Good Deeds review.


Gone: Amanda Seyfried is the only woman to survive a kidnapping of a serial killer that no one believes exists. When she comes home one night from work and her sister is missing, she knows that the killer has struck again. Since there was no proof of her own abduction, Seyfried’s Jill must find her sister before time runs out. The thriller works for the most part, as Movie Fanatic reports in our Gone review.


Wanderlust: Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston pull out all the funny stops in this comedy that finds a New York City couple looking to rid themselves of the stressors of life in the 21st century. When they embark on a road trip, they find a room at a commune when they need to stop for the night. Malin Akerman and Justin Theroux co-star in the comedy that Movie Fanatic will be reviewing later today.



Puss in Boots Purrs onto DVD and Blu-Ray

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One of 2011’s best animated features (and an Oscar nominee) has premiered on Blu-Ray and DVD: Puss in Boots. The lovable furry kitty from the Shrek movies gets his own flick starring Antonio Banderas, Salma Hayek and Zach Galifianakis.

Puss in Boots Blu-Ray Cover
What’s not to love about the Puss in Boots home video? Absolutely nothing! In fact, there is even a bonus movie included in the package that is sure to thrill. The Three Diablos is a new adventure starring Puss along with three of the cutest animated kittens you will ever see on screen.

The Puss in Boots DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Pack that Movie Fanatic received for review had us spending hours basking in the fantastic creativity by DreamWorks Animation.

Leading the extras excellence is a feature called The Animators’ Corner that takes viewers inside the making of the film. Filmmaker interviews feature many noted animators that all came together to create a modern animated masterpiece. The kids will adore the bonus feature called A DreamWorks Fairytale that allows them to craft their own custom Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty or Jack and the Beanstalk story.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, further features showcase the talent behind the film including in-depth interviews with Banderas, Hayek and Galifianakis.

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