August 19th, 2010
Poster for Black Swan
The covers are clearly off Darren Aronofsky‘s latest, Black Swan, with the trailer hitting yesterday and now the official (and quite artful) poster exposed for all to see.
The covers are clearly off Darren Aronofsky‘s latest, Black Swan, with the trailer hitting yesterday and now the official (and quite artful) poster exposed for all to see.
Six years ago previously, a NASA probe returning to earth with samples of an alien life form, crashed over Central America. Soon after, new life forms began to appear, and half of Mexico was quarantined as an INFECTED ZONE. Today, the American and Mexican military still struggle to contain “the creatures”… The story begins when a US journalist agrees to escort a shaken American tourist through the infected zone in Mexico to the safety of the US border.
Set in an office building, five strangers enter an elevator that suddenly stops between floors. As they try to find a way out, even as the building’s security works to free them, strange and inexplicable things begin to happen. As the events increase in violence, the five prisoners realize one of them is the Devil.
Well where did this come from? It’s not the greatest quality, but damn if it’s not a comprehensive first look at the upcoming Thor film. This is the footage that screened recently at Comic-Con.
When the Avengers assembled at Comic-Con recently, it became pretty evident that in order to play a superhero (or villain), one had to have super-human good looks. That isn’t exactly surprising, right, because who wants the day to be saved by a troll? And it’s not exactly a new trend — Christian Bale as Batman, Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, and the list goes on. But considering the fervor for comic-book based films as of late and the interweaving of them as evidenced by the Avengers agenda, the power behind a square jaw and bedroom eyes becomes all the more clear, and seemingly necessary. Here’s a look at 12 recent castings that seem to prove the point.
Popscorn is quickly going to be saturated with comic-related news as the annual Comic-Con gets underway. The latest tidbits come from Marvel (via Yahoo!)– two artful posters by Ryan Meinerding for the forthcoming Captain America and Thor films. While these are truly fantastic, they somewhat serve as a reminder that the films will surely lack this level of craft and energy. Such is the risk of turning a comic into a movie, though, right?
From those crazy, funny folks at The Oatmeal.
I’m still a bit skeptical about the upcoming Thor film, but I do enjoy the visuals so far. Here are a few photos that have been released over the past few weeks. While I get that the Norse god is part of the larger Avengers story, which Marvel is slowly building, I wonder how these loftier comic tales (such as Green Lantern) will be translated to screen and received by audiences. These characters take the story off world, which is something we haven’t seen in Iron Man, Hulk and Batman — films that arguably have paved the way for these new ones. Is Thor going to be further down the geek spectrum and therefore alienate part of the audience that has continued to support comic movies? I’m thinking yes.
From those crazy, funny folks at The Oatmeal.
I’m still a bit skeptical about the upcoming Thor film, but I do enjoy the visuals so far. Here are a few photos that have been released over the past few weeks. While I get that the Norse god is part of the larger Avengers story, which Marvel is slowly building, I wonder how these loftier comic tales (such as Green Lantern) will be translated to screen and received by audiences. These characters take the story off world, which is something we haven’t seen in Iron Man, Hulk and Batman — films that arguably have paved the way for these new ones. Is Thor going to be further down the geek spectrum and therefore alienate part of the audience that has continued to support comic movies? I’m thinking yes.
While some actors seem to rely on being shirtless (yes, I’m talking to you Ryan Reynolds, and you True Blood’s Ryan Kwanten) others utilize it a little more sparingly. Popscorn favorite Jake Gyllenhaal definitely falls into the latter category thus far, but Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time could be a game changer. While the film’s actual quality remains to be judged – and it will be judged – stills from the filming give hope for some shirtless gems to be found in the desert. Until then, here are a couple of movies that will take you back in time to see Jake all over again.
Tarsem Singh is one of my favorite directors, and a guy that seems woefully under-appreciated in Hollywood. His last film, The Fall, is just breathtaking. Despite that film’s harried trip to the big screen and small viewership, it apparently got him enough juice to head his first project that one would consider “big budget,” Immortals (aka War of the Gods).
There’s not a lot to show here, but it’s nice to finally get a look at Ryan Reynolds on the set of Green Lantern. Much better snap than that which surfaced of Peter Sarsgaard (as bad guy Hector Hammond) earlier this week. Thank ya, MTV.
I guess I can no longer call myself a die-hard Alien fan, since when news broke that Ridley Scott would helm a prequel to the series surrounding the “Space Jockey,” I drew a total blank. Perhaps I saw the first film just too long ago, or simply forgot about the early events of the film. After all, everything that follows the first 15 minutes is the real interesting part.
Buried, starring Ryan Reynolds, looks to be one of the more anticipated films of the fall. Lionsgate gobbled it up shortly after the film’s premiere at Sundance, and seemingly for good reason. The trailer, which we’ve included here as well (since we were remiss in featuring it earlier), is quiet and creepy in the most uncomfortable of ways. Today, thanks to our friends at FirstShowing.net, we have the first teaser poster for the film, and damn is it well-done.
Perhaps in Iron Man 2, that is. Good ole Onion News Network is on their toes and picked up a rather unassuming rumor from Ain’t It Cool News that Gwyneth Paltrow gets socked in her upcoming film. AICN took the original article down for fear that it glorified violence (really!?). But ONN picked up the topic and ran with it. Good for them.
With the summer movie season fast approaching, Tim and I racked our brains about which upcoming releases might blow up our skirt and which probably just blow. Here are 10 films that fall into each category, which are slated for release between May and August.
Well, not specifically the Green Lantern, himself, but rather superhero Abin Sur a popular figure in the Green Lantern mythology. As most are familiar, the feature film is underway and stars Ryan Reynolds as the lead. Not much about the film has surfaced to date, but some wily character in Madisonville, LA, where filming is underway, snapped the photo and emailed it to ComicBookMovie.com. We’d obviously like to see Reynolds in the signature tights (fan-made art may not be that far off), but I suppose a shiny spaceship will have to do for now.
For DC-area moviegoers, Turner Classic Movies has a little treat for you on April 8 (Thursday). TCM is taking its love of great movies to five cities nationwide with the Road to Hollywood tour, a slate of special free screenings building up to the launch of the first-ever TCM Classic Film Festival. The screening at the Avalon of the 1943 classic, The More The Merrier, is the fourth stop on the tour.
The Resident Evil series (along with Fast & Furious) is complete cinematic junk-food for me, but I’ve missed all news surrounding the fourth installment. It seems Resident Evil: Afterlife has wrapped already, and Myspace — who uses Myspace anymore? — debuted a batch of photos from the new film, which brings back Milla Jovovich as Alice and Ali Larter (from “Heroes”) as her smokey sidekick Claire Redfield.
This isn’t exactly big movie news, but it’s certainly related. Not that we need a valid reason to report on Sam Worthington, mind you. The Aussie actor dons the cover of Details this month, and the feature is a must read for any fan. Worthington seems on the cusp of being one of the most dominant action stars in Hollywood, after already headlining Terminator Salvation, Avatar and, next, Clash of the Titans. Christian Bale better watch his back.
A cute and observant video compilation of the actor’s seeming affinity for rain as a dramatic device. Who doesn’t love a wet Cusack?
With sufficient photoshop’ing in place, we now have the official one-sheet for the upcoming A-Team film, from director Joe Carnahan (Smokin’ Aces). The shots of the team vary little from early stills, but it’s fun to see progress on the production all the same.
A fun chart of sci-fi film and television properties applied to the familiar periodic table. I don’t quite understand the meaning of each and every tile, but the chart sure is fun to look at. Kris Staub over at TopatoCo sells it as a print, which would make a nice addition to any fan’s wall. Maybe mine, too.
Even more reason to love Sandra Bullock. In the included video clip, she accepts her Razzie for Worst Actress of 2009 for All About Steve. She also won for Worst Screen Couple (with Bradley Cooper). And remarkably, as we all know, she’s up for an Oscar this evening for her lead role in the The Blind Side. Can you imagine if she were to win tonight and take home awards for best and worst actress of 2009? That would be stunning.
Looks like the marketing machine is kicking into high-gear for the upcoming A Nightmare on Elm Street remake with the release today of a new one sheet, and the impending (Thu) debut of another trailer.
The more I see of Tim Burton’s upcoming Alice in Wonderland, the more I’m convinced it’s going to be a wonderfully dark adventure. Lets just hope the 3D effects aren’t as blunt and boring as in most films.
via slashfilm.com This is so damn true. Posted via web from Popscorn
via slashfilm.com Thanks to our friends at /Film. And thanks to the studio for continuing to market what’s most important about this upcoming film. (bigger version right here…uh huh)
The best film of 2009 seems to be sliding too well under the radar. And we’re not sure why. Time to draw some attention to Tom Ford’s stunning directorial debut.
“In order to be, like, legit Pandora people, you gonna have to, like, opposite bleach your skin, and dye it blue. But since I can’t afford that, I guess I’m just going to paint it blue for now. That doesn’t make me a wannabe!”
Calling 2009 a stellar year for films would be like saying you saw New Moon for the acting talents of Taylor Lautner. There were some winners, but it took some digging to come up with a Top 10 list of great films for the year.
The Washington Area Film Critics Association, of which Tim and I are members, released their picks for 2009. Take a look at the list and let us know what you think.
Courtesy of Hero Complex and Fox Movie Channel’s “Making of Scene” from this past Sunday night (i.e., yesterday).
Just ordered this on blu-ray today, in fact. That’s a whole mess of bloopers.
Out this Friday is Gentlemen Broncos, another quirky little film from Jared and Jerusha Hess, the married minds that brought us Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre. Mr. Hess was in D.C. recently and took the time to chat with Popscorn about their new, eccentric project.
IMFDB.org Posted via email from Popscorn
via movie-moron.com Fun list. And glad Reign of Fire is included; that film is so underrated. Posted via web from Popscorn
This should be pretty damn cool. Even if you’re not a football fan, you should tune in to the game this Sunday for an extended look (3.5 minutes, in fact) at James Cameron’s AVATAR. We’re obviously a fan of the film here at Popscorn and can’t wait for it’s release later this year. LOS ANGELES, [...]
I think this is going to be entertaining, but I can’t imagine that good. Certainly a nice holiday film. Posted via email from Popscorn
I still think Quinton “Rampage” Jackson is the real wild-card here considering the popularity of the Baracus character (originally played by Mr. T), but Liam Neeson and Bradley Cooper are looking pretty good. And this is definitely a better shot than that earlier spy one. Posted via email from Popscorn
via moviesblog.mtv.com Daybreakers is certainly making an effort to stand out. The trailer smells of a pretty interesting recipe, and this poster is definitely in line with that flavor. I can’t wait for this one. Posted via web from Popscorn
via comingsoon.net That would be (from left to right) Quinton “Rampage” Jackson as Sgt. “B.A.” Baracus, Liam Neeson as John “Hannibal” Smith, Sharlto Copley as Capt. “Howling Mad” Murdock, and Bradley Cooper as Lt. Templeton “Faceman” Peck on set in Vancouver. Pretty cool. Rampage is no where near as good an actor as he is [...]
via gizmodo.com This is a pretty fun round-up. And what’s scary is that I’ve seen the majority of the movies featured. Posted via web from Popscorn
Special thanks to Slash.com for gathering these up. See and download the full gallery on posterous Posted via email from Popscorn
via firstshowing.net A quick look at rising star Sam Worthington in the upcoming Clash of the Titans. I’m really looking forward to seeing Ralph Fiennes play Hades and Liam Neeson Zeus. Posted via web from Popscorn
God, I really wish I could go loose on this one. He’s like Napoleon and he wants to create this insane, infamous mad-man reputation. He wants to be like Hitler on his sets, and he is. So he’s a nightmare to work for but when you get him away from set, and he’s not in [...]
While I do have a small blue car and a license plate that reads "3APPLZ," I have mixed feelings about a Smurf's film. And in 3D at that. This appears to be a first, early marketing comp. Nice move on the Scarface reference. Oh the toys and cross-promotions this movie will bring. Posted via email [...]
Twitter Effect’s Power Overstated when it Comes to Making and Breaking Movies Written by Sarah Perez / August 28, 2009 7:49 AM When summer movies like Sacha Baron Cohen’s “Bruno” and “Funny People,” the latest from comedic hit-maker Judd Apatow, tanked, for once people weren’t blaming the quality of the films themselves. They were blaming [...]
Thanks MarketSaw and Cinematical! Posted via web from Popscorn
via twitchfilm.net Good ole Ryan Reynolds. This time he’s been buried alive — a plot that smacks a bit of Kill Bill and one episode of Alias. I wonder how much of the film he’ll actually be in the coffin. That would get dicey for claustrophobic folks. “Paul is a U.S. contractor working in Iraq. [...]
via collider.com Well this is pretty cool. Alicja Bachleda was the first big-movie actress I interviewed a few years ago for her movie Trade, starring alongside Kevin Kline. The film, in a way, was her foray into feature films, and domestic ones at that. While Colin Farrell is a bit hit-or-miss, I’ll definitely line up [...]
via slashfilm.com Thanks to Peter over at SlashFilm. Avatar is clearly going to be a landmark film. Posted via web from Popscorn
via moviesblog.mtv.com You have to wonder when they’re going to finally kill off (pun intended!) the Saw series. I will say that the films keep turning out pretty fantastic posters. I stopped back at Saw III, but maybe a Halloween marathon is in order this coming season. Posted via web from Popscorn
This is obviously not an official trailer, but it’s definitely a worthwhile watch for anyone chomping at the bit for a real look at Iron Man 2 (like me). *Cannot* wait for this. Posted via web from Popscorn
via collider.com I haven’t followed the developments around Mike Judge’s new film, “Extract,” but if Jason Bateman’s in, sign me up. Collider has posters for each of the four leads, which sadly includes Ben Affleck, who seems to be channeling the Almighty. Posted via web from Popscorn
via towleroad.com Hhhmm…so Gerard Butler is bi? He recently said, “‘I talk about my sexuality, but it’s always glossed over. People seem to shy away from the issue. Whenever it is discussed, its distended and exaggerated. Gerard Butler is gay. No I’m not. I don’t know myself what I am so it can be [...]
via towleroad.com Rourke looks haggard as ever, but there’s just something I love about the guy. Stallone, not so much. Posted via web from Popscorn
