by Kevin P. Sullivan 33 mins ago

As much as “Star Wars” has been a story of good triumphing over evil, it’s always been the bad guys that are recognized as the iconic characters. Think about it. Darth Vader was popular enough to inspire his own trilogy, and the prequels peaked with Darth Maul.

That’s why there was so much pressure on the creative team behind Disney XD’s excellent “Star Wars Rebels” series to deliver a memorable Sith villain. On this week’s episode, we all got our formal introduction to The Inquisitor, a highly skilled and educated Sith (or non-Sith according the video below), who packs a rotating double-bladed lightsaber.

And while a unique lightsaber was obviously an important aspect of a new villain, it wasn’t the only thing executive producer Simon Kinberg and the rest of the creative team considered.

“I think in some ways the biggest challenge generally about ‘Star Wars’ is that the stuff in the films and in ‘Clone Wars’ is so great, you do want to honor it and just copy it,” Kinberg told me over the phone. “I grew up a fan of these films. The first reflex instinct is to do what has been done so well. Part of the challenge is, ‘How do you make it new?’”

In the case of The Inquisitor, the creative team at Lucasfilm crafted a personality for him that hadn’t been seen before when it comes to the Sith.

“One of the things that we thought was really important is to make him almost cold ...

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by Kevin P. Sullivan 16 mins ago

You know how there’s always talk about sequels that “are about to happen” or that have a “script that’s almost there,” but that never actually happen?

It’s not that stars are lying to us. That’s just how Hollywood works. Movies can take a really long time to come together, and sometimes all that keeps a project alive is continuing to talk about it.

The 16 movies below are in varying stages of development — some will be made, and some won’t — but we’ve been hearing a whole lot without much to show for it.

1. “Zoolander 2″

Derek Zoolander may strike a pose again, but Justin Theroux isn’t likely to direct. He told Vulture that the decision rested on “The Leftovers,” which did get picked up, so he probably won’t be running things behind the camera. He did, however, write the script, which is supposed done and ready for a read-through, according to Will Ferrell.

2. “MacGruber 2″

Will Forte told Collider in August of this year that director and co-writer Jorma Taccone had just sent him a finished outline for the sequel – and actor Ryan Phillipe confided to us that the villain was amazing. So stay tuned?

3. “Bad Santa 2″

Billy Bob Thorton told an audience at Loyola Marymount University this month that at the moment he was “just waiting for a script” to the sequel to the 2003, to which “Entourage” creator Doug Ellin is attached to ...

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by Kevin P. Sullivan 52 mins ago

The first round of reviews for Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” have hit the web. The majority agrees that it’s a film of huge ambitions, but the crowd is split on how well the story’s complex thematic aspirations land.

Thankfully, most (if not all) of the reviews keep things nicely spoiler-free, so if you’re interested to hear what people are saying, click through to read the full write-ups of the review blurbed below.

The reviews below are entirely spoiler-free.

“Feeling very much like Christopher Nolan’s personal response to his favorite film, ’2001: A Space Odyssey,’ this grandly conceived and executed epic tries to give equal weight to intimate human emotions and speculation about the cosmos, with mixed results, but is never less than engrossing, and sometimes more than that.” — Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter

“An enormous undertaking that, like all the director’s best work, manages to feel handcrafted and intensely personal, ‘Interstellar’ reaffirms Nolan as the premier big-canvas storyteller of his generation, more than earning its place alongside ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ ’2001,’ ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ and ‘Gravity’ in the canon of Hollywood’s visionary sci-fi head trips.” — Scott Foundas, Variety

“There are so many frustrating flaws in this enormously cerebral, wonderfully hopeful and massively ambitious movie. If good intentions were enough to make a movie a masterpiece, ‘Interstellar’ would be the greatest work of Nolan’s career. That said, even with its many flaws, Interstellar is an often gorgeous, expertly put-together movie that demands to ...

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by Kevin P. Sullivan 5 mins ago

You can tell a lot about a person based on their favorite horror movie, and since this is the season filled with scary movie screenings, here’s a rundown on what some of these films say about their fans.

“Halloween”

You appreciate the classics and like things simple and well-made.

“Scream”

You could be friends with the “Halloween” fan, but you like meta things and consider yourself a film buff.

“The Blair Witch Project”

You’re patient and understand the worth of a good, slow burn.

“Paranormal Activity”

Sure, you like to be scared, but you’re also looking to have a good time and laugh a little. Also, you don’t mind watching the same movie that comes out every year.

“Saw”

The grosser something is the better.

“The Exorcist”

You’re a classicist and appreciate solid filmmaking.

“Rosemary’s Baby”

You appreciate darker senses of humor.

“I Know What You Did Last Summer”

You had a really tough time letting go of 1997.

“Poltergeist”

You’re braver than me.

“Annabelle”

You should try watching older movies once in a while. This came out yesterday.

“Hocus Pocus”

You don’t actually like scary movies, do you?

by Kevin P. Sullivan 36 mins ago

Spoiler Warning

Are you not afraid of spoilers? Have you seen it all, heard every possible twist? Then put your knowledge to the test.

Below, we’ve listed 20 movies. Match the movie to its twist to prove that you are the master of all spoilers.

by Kevin P. Sullivan 19 mins ago

With reporting by Josh Horowitz

In the last decade or so, action has become less its own genre, and more of a feature of other movies. Superhero movies have action. Action comedies have action. But actions movies as we knew them in the ’80s and ’90s are harder to find.

This weekend, “John Wick,” starring Keanu Reeves, gives the double tap to that notion.

Directors David Leitch and Chad Stahelski build off of their stunt experience working on films like “The Matrix” series and “The Hunger Games” for their directorial debut, and the results should remind everyone of what the action movie genre can be.

“John Wick” began with the script by Derek Kolstad, which landed in the hands of Reeves. The actor, who had worked with Leitch and Stahelski on “The Matrix” trilogy thought they were right for it.

“I knew that they wanted to direct, so I sent them ‘John Wick,’ thinking that they could bring something special to it,” Reeves told MTV News. “They wanted to do wide shots. They wanted to have less cuts. You’re looking at it, and you’re like ‘Did I just see that?’ Yes, you did.”

And Reeves isn’t exaggerating. The action of “John Wick” feels as natural as killing comes for the main character, a legendary assassin pulled out of retirement for revenge. This is fast, fluid action that impresses on technical and visceral levels.

If you’re a fan of action movies and have been wondering why they’re so rare, do yourself a favor ...

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by Kevin P. Sullivan 10 mins ago

The first trailer for “Avengers: Age of Ultron” used the time-tested trope of creepy kids singing to add menace to “I’ve Got No Strings.”

And while this is a great use of the creepy kid singing, it’s popped up a bunch of times in movies. Here are just a few other notable instances.

1. “Nightmare on Elm Street”

This is what probably springs to mind first. Bonus points for originality with the song.

2. “The Poltergeist”

Though not technically sung in the movie, the music adds the essential air of childhood fear.

3. “The Dark Knight Rises”

Who knew patriotism could be so chilling?

4. “Insidious: Chapter 3″

This trailer literally debuted while I was writing this list. The trope lives on!

5. “The Ring”

When the movie centers around a creepy kid, she has to sing. That’s just horror movie physics.

6. “The Innocents”

This, for my money, is the best/creepiest example. Seek out this movie!

7.”Children of the Corn”

This mashes up the tropes of creepy children singing and creepy children drawing.

8. “The Birds”

Leave it to Hitchcock to master creepy singing children.

9. “Joshua”

Written by Dave Matthews. Not joking.

10. “Pet Sematery”

Something about Stephen King mixes so well with the angelic voices of creepy children.

11. “Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted”

Here the animated series has a little fun with the cliche.

Bonus: Creepy Kid Drawing Supercut