November 23, 2024

About the author  ⁄ Kevin P. Sullivan

You Won’t Believe How Much Angelina Jolie Has Changed Since 1978

by 05/29/14

Angelina Jolie has that very special combination of having spent most of her life in the public eye and having cycled through many trendy looks during that time.

Since the premiere of her latest film, “Maleficent,” was just last week, we thought we’d take a look into the archive to track Jolie’s style over the years.

The result is an interesting arc that gets a little dark in the ’90s (see her with Mulder, Scully and Brendan Fraser) and solidifies in the early aughts.

1978

1980

1986

1988

1990

1994

1997

1998

1999

2000

2002

2003

2004

2005

And then she stopped aging, I guess?

2007

2009

2012

2014

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Despite ‘Ant-Man,’ Marvel Studios’ Glory Days Aren’t Over

by 05/28/14

Despite every less than savory piece of news we’ve heard about Marvel Studios, the end is not here.

Actually, it isn’t even nigh.

It’s been easy over the course of the last week to worry about the state of affairs at the Disney-owned superhero house, what with Edgar Wright reportedly walking away from “Ant-Man” over an unapproved rewrite and Drew Goddard leaving the Netflix “Daredevil” series behind for Sony’s “Sinister Six.” But what might seem like omens of a downturn in luck are actually just par for the course.

For better or worse, Marvel Studios is good at what it does. While that doesn’t include making films with particularly distinctive cinematic voices shining through — as we’ve seen with the Wright situation — they have managed to create a complex network of interconnected and consistently entertaining superhero movies.

And that doesn’t happen by accident. Marvel Studios is a successful-superhero-movie-making machine that works in a very particular way. When a gear isn’t working with the rest of the mechanism, it’s replaced in a strictly-business manner.

Though Wright’s departure sounds like it was a particularly nasty side effect of how Marvel Studios runs its Cinematic Universe, it doesn’t signal the end of that universe. It’s just a symptom of its uncompromising shrewdness. As “Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn put it in his Facebook post addressing the breakup, “Not everyone belongs in a relationship together.”

Marvel Studios films have never been known for their thrilling variety. “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” ...

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Is ‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ The Surprise Of The Summer?

by 05/27/14

Nowadays, it’s news when a big-budget, explosion-filled star vehicle is actually good, and the latest surprise gem appears to be “Edge of Tomorrow,” starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.

The sci-fi action flick screened early for critics last weekend and wowed many of them with its fun time-hopping premise, exciting action and believable performances. Now, thanks to four clips from the film, you can get an idea for yourself of what might be in store for us with “Edge of Tomorrow.”

“Edge of Tomorrow” follows the trials, tribulations and retrials of William Cage (Cruise), an untrained soldier thrown into battle against an attacking alien foe. An accidental battlefield transfusion with one of the E.T. enemies imbues Cage with the power to restart a day once he dies.

The conceit allows Cage to relive a decisive battle over and over again, improving his combat skills each time with the help of Rita (Blunt), who previously lived with the same temporal hiccup.

Meredith Woerner from io9 could barely contain her enthusiasm in her review. “‘Edge of Tomorrow’ is just a god—n delight,” she wrote. “I felt alive and pumped when I left the theater, and so did the other batch of critics who followed me. I want to see it again, right now. You will have fun.”

Mike Ryan over at Screen Crush called it the best movie of the summer so far. “It’s been a long time since Tom Cruise has been this funny and, frankly, confident,” he wrote. “Plus, ...

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‘Star Wars’ Spin-Off Gets Geek-Approved Director

by 05/22/14

After some early skepticism, the new adventures of the Disney-owned “Star Wars” universe have made some moves that are being met with approval from even the most diehard of fans.

There was J.J. Abrams’ brilliant cast announcement, his sly introduction to a practical effects alien, and now one of the planned spin-off movies has an excellent director.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “Godzilla” helmer Gareth Edwards has been hired to direct one of the planned “Star Wars” origin films.

It isn’t known at this point what the subject of Edwards’ “Star Wars” will be, but spin-offs centered on Boba Fett, Yoda and Han Solo are frequently mentioned as possibilities for Disney’s three planned non-numbered entries.

Gareth earned praise for his incredibly well-made reboot of the “Godzilla” franchise. That film was only his second feature, but he has already proven himself capable of handling the biggest of direction challenges.

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Miles Teller Gets Slapped Around In This ‘Whiplash’ Clip

by 05/21/14

Every Sundance Film Festival, there are a handful of movies — if we’re lucky — that debut, take over the fest with buzz and have a life outside of Park City, Utah. This year, “Whiplash” is one of those movies.

The drama starring Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons won the Audience Prize at Sundance and became one of the most talked-about of the festival.

The movie follows a drummer named Andrew Neyman (Teller) as he enters a beyond-intense music program led by the very hands-on Terence Fletcher (Simmons). Both actors score serious prize for their performances, and in the clip above, it’s obvious why.

Sony Pictures Classics scooped up the distribution rights but has yet to set a release date. Regardless, I’m looking forward to checking this out whenever it hits theaters.

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‘Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes’ Mo-Cap Video Shows The Humans Underneath

by 05/21/14

The current branch of the “Planet of the Apes” universe has really taken off thanks to the motion capture technology that let Andy Serkis breathe life into Caesar. With “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” just a few weeks away now, we’re about to see that tech used for a larger primate population.

A new video over at Entertainment Weekly provides a look at what went into bringing the apes to the screen for “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” by playing finished footage alongside the original captured image from the set. It’s a perfect demo of how an actor’s performance carries over to the finished ape effect.

“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” opens in theaters on July 11.

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What Color Is Ben Affleck’s Batman Costume? Here Are Some Terrible Options

by 05/15/14

Artwork by Christina Buquid

The first look at Ben Affleck’s Batman costume for the upcoming “Man of Steel” sequel was met with a mostly positive reaction by fans, but there was one thing missing.

Some color.

A couple of Photoshop-savvy fans imagined what the full color version of the new Batsuit might look like, but without an official non-monochrome look, we’re left scratching our heads trying to guess if it’s all black, gray or has some blue.

Because in reality, the Batfleck Batsuit could be any color, and to prove they point, we dreamt up the worst possible color options for the Caped Crusader.

1 - d7TIrUq

How is he supposed to stalk in sequins?

2 - dTpzbQk

This is technically camouflage.

3 - y60pcoW

There’s no shame in a corporate sponsorship to help pay the bills.

4 - bUSi0Kh

This kind of misses the point of the whole Superman rivalry.

5 - fRgnK0U

This is from Batman’s more “experimental” phase.

The untitled “Man of Steel” sequel opens in theaters on May 6, 2016.

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‘Godzilla’ Director Knows What He Wants From A Sequel

by 05/15/14

With reporting by Josh Horowitz

For a movie about a giant lizard, you might be surprised to hear that one of the greatest strengths of “Godzilla” is its restraint.

It’s all in the way director Gareth Edwards decided to handle the classic monster. To make Godzilla seem even more powerful, the audience only hears about him for the first 40 minutes, and then he’s kept just off screen until the grand finale.

The result is one of the most rewarding summer movie experiences in a long time, and it was all by design.

“It was always the intention to incrementally build…” Edwards told MTV News. “Nowadays, you can do absolutely everything in a computer. A lot of films do. Even though, individually, you look at that shot in the trailer and you go ‘Aww, that’s amazing.’ You take this shot, ‘Aww, that’s amazing.’ If you put a thousand of them together, you kind of get a fatigue where you stop caring about what you’re seeing. I was more worried about committing that crime than the crime of ‘It’s 40 minutes. Where is he?’ ”

Edwards has taken up the same method of restraint in regards to any sequel talk as well. He said that he has an idea of where a potential follow-up might go, but he’s waiting for people to see and enjoy “Godzilla” before going down that road.

Perhaps… Mothra?

“Godzilla” opens in theaters on May 16.

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Justin Bieber’s Indiana Jones Problem

by 05/13/14

For the men of the world, Indiana Jones is a double-edged sword. The archeologist-slash-badass is the model of manhood we all aspire to, but he’s also an impossible ideal. This is the reason the world has so many unfortunate fedoras.

That’s what Justin Bieber learned today.

Earlier, the pop star shared a photo to his Instagram with the caption “Is that young Indiana. #skintightpants #igottachill.”

Having examined the picture closely, I can confirm that this isn’t, in fact, a picture of young Indiana Jones (it’s not even Sean Patrick Flanery), but just a snapshot of Bieber on a tiny pony.

Assuming the singer hasn’t recently taken up humility as a hobby, I’m going to take the comparison as an earnest one. In that case, we have a few things to talk about because one should never invoke the name of Indiana Jones without the goods to back it up.

(I know that the hashtag #skintightpants could suggest that the comparison was made tongue in cheek, but I don’t joke about Indiana Jones.)

So what’s wrong here? Let’s start at the top.

justin-bieber-indy

The Hat
Bieber’s hat is a porkpie. Indiana Jones bravado requires a true fedora, but one that’s suited to the wearer’s head. Big fedoras make everyone look bad.

The Footwear
Indiana Jones wears one kind of shoe, and it’s not whatever Bieber has on. Alden is an American institution, appropriate for a true American hero.

The Pants
Ah, yes. The “#skintightpants” need to go. An explorer needs something that ...

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‘Harry Potter’ Spin-Off Sets ‘Fantastic’ Release Date

by 05/13/14

Even though the main “Harry Potter” saga ended almost two years ago, the series has been surprisingly active in the last 24 hours. Earlier today, we brought you news that the original trio is reuniting for a new Universal Studios ride, and now we know when the J.K. Rowling-penned spin-off trilogy will debut.

The first installment of the “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” trilogy will open in theaters on November 18, 2016.

Now before you begin to panic because of how far away that date is let’s remember how awesome these new films sound.

The new film is being written by Rowling herself and follows the early life of Newt Scamander, the magical creature specialist responsible for one of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts textbooks.

The films will be set 70 years before the events of Rowling’s book series, placing the movie roughly in the 1920s, and since Scamander’s story starts in New York City, this is a time and place we have yet to see from the author’s fictional universe.

Once Rowling delivers the script — that is, if she hasn’t already — the next step will be to find a director. No names have been rumored yet, but expect that to change in the coming months.

Now, stop screaming. I’m excited too.

“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” opens in theaters on November 18, 2016.

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