Category Archives: Movies

Behind the scenes: ‘Tron: Legacy’

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Counting down the days until Tron: Legacy hits theatres on December 17?  That’s less than a month away people!  Well I’ve got a treat for you.  Embedded above is a video that will take you on the set of the upcoming sci-fi flick. In the 15 minute behind the scenes look you can expect to witness the following:

  • Behind the scenes footage from the End of Line club
  • Daft Punk in costume walking onto set
  • Michael Sheen getting ready to film his scenes in the End of Line club
  • Joseph Kosinski directing the actors
  • Jeff Bridges wearing the special helmet to record his scenes as Clu
  • Tons of footage of the practical sets and the actors getting ready to film
  • Garrett Hedlund and Olivia Wilde performing a scene and getting ready for some stunts
  • Jeff Bridges house in the Tron universe and what it was like behind the scenes
  • Cast goofing around behind the scenes
  • Filming on location in Vancouver
  • Behind the scenes footage from Flynn’s Arcade

Guess I should have mentioned this earlier, but beware of spoilers.  So go ahead, mash play, and let the soothing sounds of Daft Punk provide a rocking backdrop to some fantastic BTS action.

[Via Collider]

‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ will resurface in reboot film, Joss Whedon not attached

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And the fanboys and girls shrieked!  That’s right–Buffy the Vampire Slayer is being primed for a comeback, but this time around Buffy (TV) creator and beloved showrunner turned Avengers director Joss Whedon is not attached to the project.  Today Warner Bros. and Atlas Entertainment announced that a Buffy reboot film is in the works.  Atlas’ Charles Roven and Steve Alexander and Vertigo Entertainment’s Doug Davison and Roy Lee are signed on to executive produce the upcoming vampire flick.  Whit Anderson, actress turned screenwriter, will pen the script.  If you didn’t know, Buffy actually started out in the movies.  Buffy the Vampire Slayer, created by Fran and Kaz Kuzui, hit theatres in 1992.  Joss Whedon worked his magic to spin the feature into a long-running TV series on The WB (1997-2003).  Warner Bros. managed to option the rights to Buffy from the Kuzuis to Atlas and Vertigo.  Let’s take a look at some choice quotes surrounding this surprising announcement.

Says Roven of Atlas: “Generally,  I wouldn’t have said,‘Let’s revive this,’ but Whit’s take is pretty compelling and a lot of fun, and it’s interesting to see all of this reimagined. This is a completely new reboot. Tone is extremely important, and you want the audience to realize what is at stake and the peril is real, but at the same time what’s going on should be fun and inviting and keep everyone engaged. It needs to be relevant to today too, and that is what Whit has found a way to do.” … “There is an active fan base eagerly awaiting this character’s return. … While this is not your high-school Buffy, she’ll be just as witty, tough and sexy as we all remember her to be.”

And Whedon made sure his two cents were heard ’round the world shortly after the announcement: “Obviously I have strong, mixed emotions about something like this. My first reaction upon hearing who was writing it was, “Whit Stillman AND Wes Anderson? This is gonna be the most sardonically adorable movie EVER.” Apparently I was misinformed. Then I thought, “I’ll make a mint! This is worth more than all my Toy Story residuals combined!” Apparently I am seldom informed of anything. And possibly a little slow. But seriously, are vampires even popular any more?”

You’re going to want hop after the break to read the rest of Whedon’s remarks.  In so many words, he is not happy about a Buffy comeback at this moment in time (he’d prefer it come “after [his] death”), but he understands that the situation is out of his hands.  Buffy fans, what say you?  Can a Whedon-less Buffy survive today?

[Via LATimes; EOnline; Deadline] Continue reading ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ will resurface in reboot film, Joss Whedon not attached →

Trailer: Cowboys & Aliens (this will blow your pants off)

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Jon Favreau, Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Damon Lindelof.  What do all these names have in common?  Each of them serve a pivotal role in the making of Cowboys & Indians, an upcoming sci-fi western.  Yes, a SCI-FI WESTERN.  It is COWBOYS VERSUS ALIENS.  And the human regime is led by the dashing Daniel Craig, the sexy Olivia Wilde, and in a villainous role the veteran Harrison Ford.  The flick is based on a 2006 graphic novel created by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg.  Until now this movie has been shrouded in secrecy; only bits and pieces were shown at this year’s Comic Con.  But hot damn does this trailer impress.  Lone cowboy Jake Lonergan (Craig), equipped with some foreign weapon attached to his arm, is ready to take on a full scale alien invasion set in the wild west.  Um, where do I line up?  Right–the movie releases July 29, 2011.  Check out some awesome stills in the gallery below.

[Stills via IGN]

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Trailer: Green Lantern

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Today Warner Bros. released the first full length trailer for Green Lantern, a Martin Campbell directed sci-fi extravaganza based on the DC Comic of the same name.  Ryan Reynolds is Hal Jordan aka Green Lantern, a test pilot who is granted a green ring that gives him awesome superpowers.  In addition to this fast action trailer, which includes just the right amount of aliens and superhero spankage, the studio released this synopsis:

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan. Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax…he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.

Green Lantern releases wide June 17, 2011.  Download the trailer in HD, courtesy of Apple.  And oh yeah, today Reynolds was named People’s Sexiest Man Alive.  Do what you will with that bit of information.

Eli Roth wants to make more horror movies

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Director/producer/actor Eli Roth wants to return to his torture porn roots (Hostel, Hostel Part II).  Though Roth had previously told Deadline.com’s Nikke Finke that he was ready to move from such gruesome tales, today he flipped-flopped and exclusively reported to Deadline that “old habits die hard.”

Clown is an upcoming horror flick Roth will likely serve as a producer on.  Partners Jon Watts and Christopher D. Ford are set to direct and pen the script, respectively.  Watts and Ford created a “mock trailer” for the movie which found its way onto YouTube and captured over 100,000 hits in a month and more importantly Roth’s attention.  The concept is simple yet killer.  When his son’s sixth birthday is looking gloom since the clown-for-hire doesn’t show up, a father puts on a clown suit that transforms him into a homicidal killer.  The mock trailer is embedded above and it’s super creepy and I’m pretty stoked about it.  Roth talked Cross Creek Pictures and Vertebra Films into financing a feature transfer.

Says Roth on Clown: “It’s new territory to make this a version of The Fly, where this guy can feel himself changing, blacking out only to find blood all over his clown suit. You’re sympathetic toward a monster until the monster actually takes over.”  He continued to tell Deadline, “With horror, you have to live in the danger zone. People are hungry for the next Freddy Krueger, Michael Meyers or Jason Voorhees, and while that has to be earned, we think this cursed clown suit can do it. I am giving us permission to go as hard at this as possible. I know I said I was moving away from horror, but old habits die hard. You think you’re over certain kinds of music and then you hear a Dead Kennedys song and say, ‘Why did I stop listening, I love the Dead Kennedys.'”

Roth also has Aftershock, a thriller based on the aftermath of the February 27, 2010 Chilean earthquake, and a sci-fi flick Endangered Species waiting in the wings for theatrical releases.  No word on when Clown will hit theatres, but I look forward to the real trailer to arrive.

[Via Deadline]

Paranormal Activity 3 gets a Halloween 2011 release date

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Hot off the heels of a stellar sequel, Paranormal Activity creator Oren Peli spilled the release date of the next movie in the series.  Paramount confirms October 21, 2011 is the day.  The original had a production budget set at $15,000 and generated nearly $197 million.  The sequel’s budget was upped to $3 million following the original’s success, and so far it has generated a worldwide gross of around $157 million–and it’s still in theatres. Greenlighting a three-quel is a no-brainer.  And with the Saw franchise (supposedly) out of the way, nothing’s stopping PA from raking in the cash next Halloween.  That is, of course, if Hollywood doesn’t find a worthy horror flick to pit against it.

[Via ComingSoon; TheNumbers, here & here]

Classic Disney movies get radically remixed

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Pogo, an Australian electronic music producer, was commissioned by Disney to remix a bunch of their classic movies.  He is best known for his work recording small sounds from a single film or scene and sequencing them to form a new piece of music.  His latest creation “Wishery” combines vocal syllables, musical chords, and sound effects recorded from the 1937 animated film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  The video quickly became a viral sensation and started exposing people the rest of Pogo’s fantastic work.  For about a year Pogo was contractually obligated to keep his remixed video offline, but now that the Disney gag order has been lifted, you will find over a dozen of them at his YouTube channel.  Some of my favorites include sounds from Up, Toy Story, Harry Potter, and Alice; these are embedded after the break.  Pogo’s got a Pirates Of The Caribbean remix waiting in the wings; he calls it his best mix yet.

[Via PogoMix; YouTube] Continue reading Classic Disney movies get radically remixed →

Trailer #3: ‘Tron: Legacy’

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This just isn’t healthy anymore.  One more full length Tron trailer and my brain might explode.  No joke.  Well, what are you waiting for?  Sit back, relax, and enjoy 2 minutes and 32 seconds of pure bliss.  This latest trailer features more never-before-seen footage, including a lengthier look at the villainous Clu, the CGI’d younger version of Jeff Bridges.

Model Brooklyn Decker shines in the upcoming Adam Sandler comedy ‘Just Go With It’

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Super gorgeous model Brooklyn Decker–who showed off her bodacious curves on the cover of this year’s Sports Illustration swimsuit edition–stars alongside Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston in the upcoming Happy Madison production Just Go With It. The movie actually looks pretty funny, but that’s not why I’ll be going to the theatre to see it.  Time code 0:33 is precisely why.  It opens February 11, 2011.

Trailer: ‘Winnie the Pooh’

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That’s right, people.  Winnie the Pooh and company are making their way back to the silver screen for the first time in over 35 years.  Disney brought back original animator Burny Mattinson (who will serve as senior story artist) to capture the classic essence that made everything so perfect about the original incarnation of Pooh and all the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood.  The film is co-directed by Stephen Anderson (Meet the Robinsons) and Don Hall (The Princess and the Frog).  Craig Ferguson, Tom Kenny, and Bud Luckey lend their voices to the 2D animated film.  Zooey Deschanel is set to sing the new version of the “Winnie the Pooh” theme song.  You want a synopsis?  You got it:

Walt Disney Animation Studios returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with “Winnie the Pooh,” the first big-screen Pooh adventure from Disney animation in more than 35 years. With the charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical “bear of very little brain” and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Kanga, Roo—and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail.

Inspired by five stories from A.A. Milne’s books in Disney’s classic, hand-drawn art style, the film reunites audiences with the [honey]-loving, philosophical bear and friends Eeyore, Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet and Owl in a wild quest to save [their friend] Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some hunny.

If the first trailer sitting above does not make you immediately tingle all over and feel so warm and fuzzy inside, there’s something clearly wrong with you.  Because Disney made the right decision of holding onto the original 2D animation (instead of opting for today’s 3D in-your-face pseudo-standard), this movie will undoubtedly hit all the right notes and shoot a wave of nostalgia goodness across our minds.  I highly anticipate the return of Pooh-bear; do you?

Winnie the Pooh hits theatres July 15, 2011.  Check out some beautifully crafted stills in the gallery below.

[Via CNET; JoBlo; @brianrudlof]

The Muppets are coming back to the big screen in a big way

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Here’s your very first glimpse into the first Muppets movie made for the big screen in eleven long years.  Take it all in…

Now let’s talk deets.  James Bobin (of Flight of the Conchords fame) is set to direct and Jason Segel (I Love You, Man, How I Met Your Mother) will executive produce, write (with Nicholas Stoller), and star in the film.  Segel happens to be a big fan of Jim Henson and his furry creations.  “We’ve worked really hard to stay true to the original spirit of the Muppets,” said Segel.  “We’ve missed the same thing everyone else has been missing.”  Here’s a leaked synopsis:

The Greatest Muppet Movie of All Time is about Gary, Mary, and Walter (a man, his girlfriend, and the man’s life-long nondescript, brown puppet best friend) getting the old Muppet gang — now retired entertainers known for the same Muppet show we know them from — together to save the TV studio that the original show was shot in. A villain, Tex Richman (nice name, on par with Doc Hopper), bent on drilling for oil underneath the studio, is due to take over the studio in weeks and the only way to stop him? Putting on a show that draws ten million viewers.

Segel will star as the human lead Gary, Amy Adams is Mary, and Walter–who happens to be a brand new Muppet addition–will be voiced by Paul Rudd.  (FYI, Walter is the iPhone-wielding Muppet in the image above.)  Tex the antagonist will be voiced by Chris Cooper.  Rashida Jones is locked in, too.  Beyond that almost all the other information surrounding this movie is pure speculation.  But let’s add to that conversation!  Other potential guest voices include: Kristen Schaal, Jack Black, Donald Glover, Jane Lynch, Danny Trejo, Zach Galifianakis, and Lady Gaga.  And guess who’s rumored to play Gaga’s entourage?  John Krasinski (The Office), Ed Helms (The Hangover), and Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family).  Yeah.  This might just turn out to be the greatest Muppet movie of all time after all.

Production started in September, and Disney plans to release it wide Christmas 2011.

[Via EW; CinemaBlend; TheFilmStage]

Trailer #2: Suckerpunch

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Ch-check out this brand new trailer for Zack Snyder’s action-fantasy flick Suckerpunch.  It contains never-before-seen footage and somehow manages to induce an even higher level of excitement than the original trailer!  The super sexy all female ensemble cast is spotlighted (it includes Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Vanessa Hudgens, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, and Carla Gugino), as are the over-the-top, in your face CGI landscape and ferocious creatures.  A new synopsis was released:

Sucker Punch is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, but her incredible adventures blur the lines between what’s real and what is imaginary…with potentially tragic consequences.

With Watchmen and 300 under his belt, I have faith Snyder will deliver another extraordinary epic that balances special effects with compelling storytelling.  I know where I’ll be March 25, 2011.