Category Archives: Movies

2014 Golden Globe nods are in!

Movies, News, Television, , , , , , , , ,

On Thursday the Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced the latest crop of Golden Globe nominees. The award show that celebrates the best in film and TV handed out the most nominations to movies 12 Years A Slave and American Hustle (they received 7 nods each) and series Breaking Bad and HBO movie Behind the Candelabra earned 7 nods in total.

12 Years A Slave, Captain Phillips, Gravity, Philomena, and Rush are in the running for Best Motion Picture Drama. American Hustle, Her, Inside Llewyn Davis, Nebraska, and The Wolf Of Wall Street are competing for Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy. The movies vying for Best Animated Feature Film are The Croods, Despicable Me 2, and Frozen.

In TV, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, The Good Wife, House of Cards, and Masters of Sex have all been nominated for Best Drama Series. The Big Bang Theory, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Girls, Modern Family, and Parks and Recreation are hoping to be named Best Comedy Series.

Personally, I’m excited about all the actors and actresses nominated in the TV categories. Dramatic actors like Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Michael Sheen (Masters of Sex), Kevin Spacey (House of Cards), and even The Blacklist‘s James Spader are all up for Best Actor. And in the Best Actress category you’ve got Orphan Black‘s Tatiana Maslany pitted against Kerry Washington (Scandal), Robin Wright (House of Cards), and Taylor Schilling (Orange is the New Black). Good stuff! And the good times keep on rolling in the comedy side. Jason Bateman and Andy Samberg have been nominated for their roles in Arrested Development and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, respectively, and Zooey Deschanel (New Girl), Amy Poehler (Parks and Rec), and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep) are recognized for their great work as well. In the supporting sections Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Corey Stoll (House of Cards), and Monica Potter (Parenthood) got nods, too. All in all, the HFPA did good selecting this year’s TV nominees.

That said, there will always the ones that got snubbed: The Walking Dead, Bates Motel, The Americans, Homeland, Game of Thrones, Mad Men, The Newsroom, Hannibal, Hello Ladies. And with all the wonderfully talented actors starring in those series, the list goes on and on.

The 71st Annual Golden Globe Awards airs live Sunday, January 12 at 8PM ET on NBC hosted by Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. Jump after the break to view the full list of nominees. Continue reading 2014 Golden Globe nods are in! →

Movie trailer round-up: ‘Edge of Tomorrow’, ‘Jupiter Ascending’, ‘Godzilla’, ‘Interstellar’ & ‘Bad Words’

Movies, Video, , , , , , , , ,

Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt star in the sci-fi time travel pic Edge of Tomorrow directed by Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity).

The epic action of Edge of Tomorrow unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again… and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

Yeah, this one is a can’t miss. Edge of Tomorrow, formally known as All You Need Is Kill–the name of the Japanese novel it is based on–hits theatres June 6, 2014.

Jump after the break to view more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘Edge of Tomorrow’, ‘Jupiter Ascending’, ‘Godzilla’, ‘Interstellar’ & ‘Bad Words’ →

More ‘Hobbit 2’ production vlogs!

Movies, Video, , , , ,

Peter Jackson’s Hobbit sequel The Desolation of Smaug finally arrived in theatres on Friday and the behind-the-scenes production video blogs are still rolling in. Hanging above you’ll find vlog #13 featuring footage from scene pickups, a look into the dragon Smaug’s design, last-minute sound mixing, an introduction to Stephen Fry’s character, and you’ll get to witness Martin Freeman’s mad ping pong skills. After the break resides vlog #12 which came out last month and that one provides an inside look at post-production, more pickups, and it introduces fans to Jackson’s long-time collaborator Christian Rivers who took over as second-unit director when Andy Serkis was away shooting the next Planet of the Apes movie.

Jackson teases one more vlog on the way that will take place inside Wellington Town Hall where the movie’s grand score was recorded. Before you head out to see The Desolation of Smaug take a walk down memory lane and revisit the illuminating behind-the-scenes Hobbit vlogs dropped over the course of the last couple years. Continue reading More ‘Hobbit 2’ production vlogs! →

‘Spider-Man’ spinoff features in the works

Movies, News, , , , ,

On the heels of launching the marketing campaign for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Sony announced two Spidey spinoff features that will focus on villains from that Marvel franchise: Venom and The Sinister Six. Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Ed Solomon have been tasked with writing the screenplay for the Venom movie, which Kurtzman will direct. Drew Goddard will write “with an eye to direct” The Sinister Six flick. The studio is referring to Kurtzman, Orci, Pinkner, Solomon, and Goddard as a “franchise brain trust to expand the universe for the brand and to develop a continuous tone and thread throughout the films.” The Amazing Spider-Man 3, being written by Kurtzman, Orci, and Pinkner, with original and upcoming sequel director Marc Webb hoping to return to the helm, is slated to hit theatres June 10, 2016.

Producers of the spawned spinoffs Avi Arad and Matt Tolmach commented on the announcement: “This collaboration was born out of the great experience we and Marc had working with Alex, Bob, and Jeff on The Amazing Spider-Man 2. With more than fifty years’ wealth of stories in the comic books to draw upon for inspiration, the Spider-Man universe is truly boundless; in addition, the Spider-Man comics have the greatest rogues gallery of any series, and to have the chance to explore that on film is truly thrilling. Until now, we have approached each film as a separate, self-contained entity, but with this move, we have the opportunity to grow the franchise by looking to the future as we develop a continuous arc for the story. That is what Alex, Bob, Jeff, Ed, and Drew will do in this unprecedented collaboration, and we’re excited about the directions they are taking the character and the world.”

More superhero/villain movies? Yes, please.

Now slinging: ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ trailer

Movies, Video, ,

Sony Pictures has outed the first official trailer for Marc Webb’s Spidey sequel and boy does it impress. The visuals and slinging sequences are better than ever and the new lineup of villains including Jamie Foxx’s Electro, Paul Giamatti’s Rhino, and Dane DeHaan’s Harry Osborn. Of course Andrew Garfield is back as Peter Parker and so is his girlfriend Gwen Stacy played by Emma Stone.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 releases May 2, 2014.

Zack Snyder adds Wonder Woman to his Superman sequel

Movies, News, ,

Wonder Woman is finally making her way to the silver screen in Zack Snyder’s upcoming Man of Steel sequel featuring Henry Cavill’s Superman and an “older and wiser” Batman played by Ben Affleck. Sexy Israeli-born actress Gal Gadot, who has starred in three of the Fast and Furious installments, is set to play the Amazonian Princess.

Snyder commented on the exciting casting news: “Wonder Woman is arguably one of the most powerful female characters of all time and a fan favorite in the DC Universe. Not only is Gal an amazing actress, but she also has that magical quality that makes her perfect for the role. We look forward to audiences discovering Gal in the first feature film incarnation of this beloved character.”

The still untitled Superman/Batman/Wonder Woman flick is slated to soar into theatres July 17, 2015.

[Via Deadline]

Watch the wonderful ‘Muppets Most Wanted’ trailer here!

Movies, Video, , ,

The Muppets return in a sequel to 2011’s The Muppets. In Muppets Most Wanted the fuzzy gang travel to Europe and Kermit gets mistaken for the “World’s Number One Criminal” Constantine the frog. Humans Tina Fey, Ty Burrell, Ricky Gervais, and a wide net of celebrity cameos round out the impressive cast. James Bobin returns as director as does his Flight of the Conchords cohort Bret McKenzie whose music is featured once again. Watch the wildly entertaining trailer above and flails your arms like Kermit–The Muppets come back to the big screen March 21, 2014.

Movie trailer round-up: Disney’s ‘Maleficent’ & Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Noah’

Movies, Video, , , , ,

Angelina Jolie is Maleficent, the iconic villain from the 1959 Disney animated classic Sleeping Beauty. And boy can she play the part; the proof is in the pudding so watch the teaser trailer embedded above. Here’s the synopsis:

From Disney comes “Maleficent”—the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the 1959 classic “Sleeping Beauty.” A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. Maleficent rises to be the land’s fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal—an act that begins to turn her pure heart to stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading king’s successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom—and perhaps to Maleficent’s true happiness as well.

Special effects artist Robert Stromberg (Avatar, Alice in Wonderland) directs Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora, Brenton Thwaites as Prince Phillip, Sharlto Copley as King Stefan, and Juno Temple as Thistlewit. Maleficent releases May 30, 2014.

After the break, one epic trailer. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: Disney’s ‘Maleficent’ & Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Noah’ →

Peter Jackson calls on Ed Sheeran to create “Hobbit” closing track

Movies, Music, Video, , , ,

Peter Jackson handpicked English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran to compose and produce “I See Fire,” the softly bold track that will close out the second Hobbit film when the credits roll. Jackson posted this video on his Facebook page and here’s an excerpt from his accompanying message to fans:

We have a tradition in our Tolkien films of having a song over the closing credits. It’s very important that the song feels right for the world of the movie – and also carries the emotional resonance of the end of that particular film. The Desolation of Smaug is no different. The ending of this film requires a voice and sensibility that will allow a viewer to process what they have just experienced. It’s always tricky to think of the right person to create and perform these songs. Someone who shares our passion for Tolkien, and somebody who is prepared to respect the film. This year we are thrilled to have Ed Sheeran write and perform our closing song, “I See Fire”.

It was a great experience, and what you will see in this video are moments captured by our behind the scenes team during the creation of the song. But the images are only supporting Ed’s wonderful song. This is his direct emotional response to seeing The Desolation of Smaug, written and performed on the same day he saw the movie.

And his “direct emotional response” turned out to be a thing of beauty. The song balances strength and grace and it’s easy to imagine it play as the second chapter of Jackson’s three-part journey comes to an close.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug hits theatres December 13. Download “I See Fire” at iTunes today.

‘Star Wars: Episode VII’ gets its 2015 release date

Movies, News, , ,

The next installment in the Star Wars saga will release into theatres on December 18, 2015.

“We’re very excited to share the official 2015 release date for Star Wars: Episode VII, where it will not only anchor the popular holiday filmgoing season but also ensure our extraordinary filmmaking team has the time needed to deliver a sensational picture,” said Alan Horn, chairman of The Walt Disney Studios.

Despite a change in the writing department, Episode VII is on track for its now solidified 2015 release. Two weeks ago Michael Arndt stepped away from the film and director J.J. Abrams and consultant Lawrence Kasdan took over the screenplay duties. Recently Abrams opened up about the switch-up.

“It became clear that given the time frame and given the process and the way the thing was going that working with Larry in this way was going to get us where we need to be and when we needed to be,” he told Deadline. “Working with Larry Kasdan, especially on aStar Wars movie is kind of unbeatable.” He added, “Working with Michael was a wonderful experience and I couldn’t be a bigger fan of his or adore him more. He’s a wonderful guy and was incredibly helpful in the process.”

Mark your calendars, people. We get to revisit that galaxy far, far away in two years time.

[Via Star Wars]

The ‘Entourage’ movie is underway

Movies, News, Television, ,

And with that tweet, creator Doug Ellin confirms that the long anticipated Entourage movie based on the hit HBO series is happening. According to Deadline, stars Adrian Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jerry Ferrara and Kevin Connolly and producers Mark Wahlberg and Steve Levinson all have deals in place so that Warner Bros. can finally give the greenlit project life. And now we wait for one awesome trailer.

Movie trailer round-up: ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past,’ ‘The Hobbit 2,’ ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ ‘Robocop,’ ‘The LEGO Movie’ & ‘Anchorman 2’

Movies, Video, , , , , , , ,

Bryan Singer returns to the X-Men franchise to direct X-Men: Days of Future Past, a time travel story that pits together nearly all of the X-Men heroes and villains from the movies made thus far.

The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST. The beloved characters from the original “X-Men” film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from the past, “X-Men: First Class,” in order to change a major historical event and fight in an epic battle that could save our future.

The trailer is pretty damn incredible; it sits above and you’ll likely feel inclined to watch it more than once.

Days of Future Past, with Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Halle Berry, Anna Paquin, Ellen Page, Peter Dinklage, Patrick Stewart, and Ian McKellen, opens May 23.

Jump after the break to view more trailers. Continue reading Movie trailer round-up: ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past,’ ‘The Hobbit 2,’ ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ ‘Robocop,’ ‘The LEGO Movie’ & ‘Anchorman 2’ →