To hear this episode and many more, download our apps on the Amazon Market for Android and the Podcast Box app on IOS devices. This helps support the weekly show and everything we do. We greatly appreciate the support.
Liam Neeson has a “very particular set of skills” and he’s going to keep using them.
According to Deadline, the action star will return for Taken 3 and reprise his role as retired CIA agent Bryan Mills, who uses his “skills” after his daughter is kidnapped. Neeson, who was reluctant to return for last year’s sequel before getting paid $15 million, is reportedly close to signing a $20 million deal.
No director has been attached but a script by Luc Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, who together wrote the first two films, is already in the works. Maggie Grace and Famke Janssen, who played Neeson’s daughter and ex-wife, respectively, in the first two films, which grossed a combined $600 million worldwide at the box office.
2008’s Taken was an incredible film, showcasing just how badass an 50-year-old Neeson can be. The sequel, while unnecessary, was entertaining but didn’t live up to the standards of the first film. Not sure where they’re going to go with the third film but hopefully it falls more in line with the original.
One of the all-time great sci-fi authors, Richard Matheson, has died at the age of 87. His daughter, Ali Marie Matheson, announced the icon’s passing via a protected Facebook post.
Matheson’s many pieces of works have been adapted for the big screen, most notably I Am Legend, which has been adapted three times, including 2007’s Will Smith version. Matheson also wrote novels/shorts that led to 2011’s Real Steel, 2009’s The Box, 1999’s Stir of Echoes, 1998’s What Dreams May Come and 1971’s Duel, which was Steven Spielberg’s first feature-length film. Matheson also wrote some of the best episodes of the Twilight Zone, which ran from 1959-1964.
For all the great stories Matheson has written – most of which have been adapted for either the big or small screen – it’s kind of funny that most people probably don’t even know who he is. What he is (was) is a great author who’s influenced so many people and will continue to do so even after his death.
As a fan of the book and the film – which was initially proposed a possible trilogy before it ran into production issues – I’m really excited for this news. I think there are endless possibilities of where to take the story, even if it doesn’t involve Pitt’s character.
This week on the InSession Film Podcast, we review World War Z, discuss out Top 3 Animated Movie Characters since we also saw Monsters University (See our Podcast – Extra Film segment this week for that review), and we finish our Before Series with our review of Before Midnight.
So this year we have the battle of taking over the White House because..well why not? Olympus Has Fallen didn’t really take me over sort of speak but it was a little fun. Based off the trailer, White House Down looks slightly better but we’ll wait and see. We want to know your thoughts too. Do you think White House Down will be better than Olympus Has Fallen?
After grossing $125 million last weekend to become June’s biggest opening, Man of Steel dropped to third with $41 million. It has made over $210 million in just 10 days, which is already more than 2006’s Superman Returns made.
In fourth was This is the End, which racked up another $13 million to bring its 12-day total to $57.7 million. The comedy/thriller cost just $32 million to make.
Now You See Me rounded out the top five with $7.8 million to push is surprising total to $100 million.
New films opening this weekend include Roland Emmerich’s White House Down and the Sandra Bullock-Melissa McCarthy buddy-cop film, The Heat.
It’s official: William Fichtner will be playing Shredder in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
In an interview with The Huffington Post Canada, Fichtner confirmed he will be going up against the Turtles as their arch-nemisis in the Michael Bay-produced reboot.
I play Shredder. It is cool. It’s one of those things that came along where I thought, “Really? Let me think about this for a minute.” [Laughs] Then I was like, “Yeah, OK, this sounds like a journey. I’m very glad that it worked out, I’m really glad that I’m doing it.”
This isn’t surprising news considering we predicted this over a month ago when Fichtner joined the cast. And it’s great news since Fichtner is one of the best character actors working today. Even if the film is complete garbage, you can expect a pretty amazing Shredder.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hits theaters on June 6, 2014. But before then, you can check out Fichtner in The Lone Ranger (July 3) and Elysium (August 9).
Director: Marc Foster Writers: Matthew Michael Carnahan (screenplay), Drew Goddard (screenplay) Stars: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz
Synopsis: United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop the Zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments, and threatening to destroy humanity itself.
[/info]
DIRECTION
This is one of Marc Foster’s best work that brings together good storytelling, action, intensity and good performances. His pace is pretty quick as we find ourselves within the havoc after the first scene. However, it’s the way Foster edits his scenes and pieces it together that works really well. The camera movements deliver many angles of the wreckage while bringing lots of intense moments within them. He uses slow motion to capture memorable moments that are needed to explore the story and piece it together. His zombies are fast and not very bloody which can take away from the movie if that’s what you’re looking for. Foster uses camera tricks to relieve us from the blood and gore but give you the right sense needed to know what’s going on. He uses Marco Beltrami’s score perfectly to make the actions scenes fun and the intense scenes thrilling. He gets great performances out of his actors and uses Brad Pitt magnificently. Foster’s biggest win though is the way he pieces together a really great script. The family dynamics, Pitt going back to find clues and all the action sequences used to tell the story are put together well that’s very engaging. The only knock on Foster is the CGI of the zombies and how they maneuver. The fast-paced zombies drive up the energy of the film, but leaves room for the CGI to seem like…well CGI. Outside of the bad CGI looking zombies, the aesthetic comes across well and is very appropriate for the film. The use of news footage and sound bytes creates a serious feel which helps the story come along really well and creates the World War Z environment you can have fun with.
Grade:A-
[divider]
SCRIPT
The writers came up with really great script that’s a little different for a zombie movie. Fans of the book will have to lay down their expectations and preferences as this is very different than the novel this movie is based off of. The story follows Pitt’s character, who is a former U.N. investigator, and his family is called upon when all chaos is unleashed. The government is wants to use Pitt to get some intelligence to find out how to calm the storm. In the middle of that, you get to know Pitt’s character well, how he thinks and what motivates him. The dialogue is interesting and realistic in a situation that is serious in tone. The use of Pitt’s character is interesting as he’s leading a team trying to find a solution to a crazy problem. As things unfold, foreshadowing becomes important and it’s used appropriately to bring you into the mind of Pitt and what he’s seeing. There’s an airplane sequence about 3/4 through the film that could of been left out and is the only part of the film that is over the top in this environment and brought the film down a little bit. The best part of this script is the third act of the film and how the resolution is pieced together. It’s different and a fresh perspective on a genre that probably needed it. Well done, well done.
Grade:A
[divider]
PERFORMANCES
Brad Pitt is pretty good here and reminds me of his performance in Spy Game but is in a much different situation. He’s likable and brings a family dynamic that was enjoyable to watch on screen. He brings charisma and intelligence to a character that needs it and it’s easy to follow his logic all the way through. While not as prominent, Mireille Enos, who plays Pitt’s wife, is fabulous and plays off her role extremely well. There’s a lot of supporting cast and several characters come a go as the story moves along and they’re all great. Several of the characters were really fun and engaging which could of lasted longer but in the context of the story it’s what was needed. Overall, great stuff here.
Grade:A-
[divider]
SCORE
Marco Beltrami’s score is excellent for the genre and the environment he’s given to work with. It adds to the intense aesthetic and thrilling moments that this film calls for. It especially great in the third act of the film where the thrills escalate the most and the film peaks in intensity. We even get a fun song by Muse at the end of the film that’s great too.
So, this last week has been one of the most interesting weeks we’ve had since we started InSession Film. The reactions to Man of Steel have been some of the strongest and mixed for a film I’ve seen in quite some time. I felt like no matter what side of the fence you sat on, people had some strong opinions about it. I also think that’s what makes film so interesting and why we love doing InSession Film.
This week on the InSession Film Podcast, Nate and I went into a lengthy discussion on Man of Steel and while I liked it, I didn’t love it which led to a fun conversation where Nate was probably 3 seconds away from throwing me through a wall. If you listen to the podcast, you’ll hear Nate talking about how he thinks it’s the best superhero film ever made. And for a lot of people that is the case. If you want lots of action and you’re a fan of Superman, you’re going to love this film. The visuals are great and who wouldn’t want to fly around like superman?
But on the other hand, a lot of people didn’t like it as much, and for some not at all, which left this film with lots of opinions. I think the strong reactions come from the amazing marketing that this film had, which elevated the expectations for everyone. And when you’re disappointed, especially for a film like this, you tend to get some strong reactions. And I didn’t hate the movie, I actually liked it, but I did have some major issues that Nate and I discussed about. And I saw a second time and liked it better on the re-watch. Perhaps it’s because I’ve never been a big Superman fan but I couldn’t quite get on board with all the “lovers” of this film. The lack of character development and the dark tone wasn’t fun for me. As we discussed, the main themes were great and I loved those which elevated the film and to miss those means you’re missing out on what Man of Steel really has to offer.
This is why I love film though. Some movies will create interesting and fun conversation, ideas and thoughts which is what I love about it. Even if I disagree with you, that doesn’t mean I don’t like you or that I don’t respect you. Heck, Nate and I argue and disagree all the time. Anyway, all that being said, check out Episode 17 as we had a good debate on Man of Steel.
Nate and I also discussed This is the End, which Nate and I both loved a lot and could possibly be the best comedy of the year. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg do an amazing job all around with the comedy, the performances, the music, and even the CGI in this film.
We also discussed our Top 3 Movie Reboots going of the Man of Steel reboot theme. It was one of the easier Top 3 Lists we’ve done but it was fun going back to see how well these reboots have done.
Listen to Episode 17 here:
Also, check out our bonus content where Nate and I go into discuss some more Man of Steel (Spoilers Here):
Let me know you’re thoughts in the comments below!
It’s been reported that the lovely Anna Kendrick will play Cinderella in Rob Marshall’s adaptation of the broadway play, Into the Woods. The fairytale trend is almost as popular as comic book movies now-a-days, so this isn’t a huge surprise and Kendrick absolutely has Cinderella written all over her, especially for this play.
The play is a comic musical that premiered on Broadway in 1987 and takes pieces from different fairytales including Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel. The story centers around a baker with his wife who are trying to start a family despite a witch that placed a curse on them. The play has been amazingly successful.
Rob Marshall will be directing, which I think is a pretty great choice. In case you don’t know, he directed Chicago, Memoirs of a Geisha , Nine, and Pirates of the Caribbean 4. The film already stars Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, Chris Pine and Jake Gyllenhaal so Kendrick will fit in just well, especially as the character of Cinderella in this universe.
Kendrick has really been on the rise over the last several years as she starred in last year’s big hit, Pitch Perfect, as well as her roles in Up in the Air and The Twilght Saga. She also had a good role in the incredibly, and I mean incredibly, underrated buddy cop film, End of Watch and you can see her in the new movie coming out in July, Drinking Buddies.
I think this role will be perfect for Kendrick and the surrounding cast will only make it better.
What are your thought? Let us know in the comment section below!
Last year, Chris Columbus’ 1492 Pictures made a deal with Rise Entertainment to develop their films, including a film adaptation of Anne Rice’s novel, Christ the Lord. Yesterday, FilmDistrict put out a press release that announces that they will distribute the adaptation sometime in March 2015. The story focuses on the childhood of Jesus, around 7 or 8 years old, as he begins to understand his destiny along with his miraculous powers. The script is being written by Betsy and Cyrus Nowrasteh, whom the latter is also directing, who also wrote The Stoning of Soraya M., an acclaimed film about the stoning of an Iranian woman who was (inaccurately) accused of infidelity.
Rice’s 2005 book was received pretty well received given the material which sometimes can cause controversy. Rice is a pretty big literary name as she also wrote Vampire Chronicles, from which the movie Interview With A Vampire came from, and also Queen of the Damned.
It’ll be interesting to me to see how they film this and the direction it takes as the source material usually brings out some sort of emotion, whether positive or negative. The other interesting thing about this project is that it’s about Jesus as a young boy. Most films that center around Jesus are in his adult years as a man in his ministry or him dying on the cross. So this could be a fun and different look at a boy that, no matter how you look at it, changed a lot in the world. If the movie is done right, it’ll be a fun period piece that could sidestep all the potential controversy that would surround it. I’m pretty curious to see how it will come together.
Christ the Lord will most likely shoot sometime later this year and it’s release date is March 2015.
Director: Richard Linklater Writers: Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy Stars: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy
Synopsis: We meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna.
[/info]
DIRECTION
Richard Linklater decided to change things up a bit in Before Midnight as this film is set nine years after the conversation we see in Before Sunset, but it involves more than just our two friends. We get several scenes where Jessie and Celine are interacting with other couples and even a elongated scene at a dinner table with a group of people. However, the story here is much more stressed and not as light or fun. Linklater decided to capture the essence of relationships in a different light as they aren’t always fun and stress free, but rather complex and sometimes full of tension. The realism you get here is the same, and in some ways maybe more, but relationships get stressed at times and Linklater displays it so prominently and realistically while keeping the essence we’ve always had between Jessie and Celine. The cinematography is also a little bit different and more beautiful as the camera moves around in southern Greece. Later in the film, there’s an interesting nude scene that takes place which is uncomfortably long and while on screen it feels like forever, the realism between couples engaging with one another is what’s most important here. Linklater’s Before Midnight isn’t as fun as the first two but I think it brings a realistic approach to being married with children and how sometimes stored up emotions impact those relationships. It’s a different approach than the first two movies which is about pursuit and intimacy between a couple in love where this movie, while displaying the characters we love in the way only Linklater can do, shows how that love isn’t always perfect.
Grade:A
[divider]
SCRIPT
The story is nine years after Jessie and Celine meet up the second time and this time are in Greece on vacation with their now twin daughters. However, the first scene is Jessie at the airport saying goodbye to his son from his first marriage which is amazing well written and is what we’d expect in this franchise. One of the bigger differences in this film, is that we find Jessie and Celine in conversation with other people. We first see them in gender separated groups having conversation with other men or other women and you see them interact in a way we haven’t seen before. They are no longer in pursuit of love but living in the daily highs and lows that come with it and their dialogue represents that. This is especially magnified when we see them a dinner table with three other couples discussing love, sex and marriage and how they see those things. It’s also amazing because we get perspectives from three generations of couples but the conversation comes off as something we’d expect to see from our two main lovers, but now we have other people in the midst. What’s sort of surprising about all of that too, is that it’s funny. We have some pretty good humor that stands out as perhaps the best of all three films. The third act of the film however is much different as we finally get to see Jessie and Celine alone. This time it’s much different. The pursuit of love as faded but the want is still there and this leads to some interesting conversation. The tone overall is different though and not to be in a bad way, but to show realism in it’s finest as we all know love takes work and isn’t happy all the time. It’s what happens in the middle of that where it gets interesting and what I love about this script. No spoilers here, but it takes us back to absolute foundation that we’ve always had between these two which is amazing. The ending is very open ended as we’ve seen with this couple but I wouldn’t expect anything less.
Grade:A
[divider]
PERFORMANCES
Would you expect anything less from Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy here? What they do in this series is amazing. You get emotionally connected to a couple that literally doesn’t do anything but walk around and have amazing conversations. How do they do that? By flirting and engaging each other in realistic ways that we’ve seen ourselves enact on in our lives. Hawke and Delpy are again on their “A-game” but in different ways now given the script. We also get performances from some supporting actors and actresses as well for the firs time in the franchise. Walter Lassally especially stands out as the older gentlemen who is also a writer and gives Hawke’s family the chance to stay with them over the summer. His role at the dinner table especially gives some amazing insight into the characters and sets the mood for the table scene really well. The other supporting cast is just as good and fun to watch.
Grade:A+
[divider]
SCORE
Graham Reynolds gets to compose here and the score is absolutely what it should be, background accompaniment. The score doesn’t stand out very much and it doesn’t need to in a film that’s full of dialogue which needs to be the focal point here. However, it does add some nice, summer touches at times that makes the film feel friendly. It’s nothing memorable but Reynolds does the job he needed to do.
Director: Dan Scanlon Writers: Robert L. Baird, Dan Scanlon, Daniel Gerson Stars: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren
Synopsis: A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University – when they weren’t necessarily the best of friends.
[/info]
DIRECTION Monsters University continues Pixar’s recent trend of making good films but not great ones (i.e. Cars 2 and Brave). The prequel to 2001’s great Monsters Inc. lacks the originality, heart and sweet nature of that film. Whether that is director Dan Scanlon’s fault is up for debate but Monsters University is really his first foray into directing major feature films. He does an excellent job capturing shots with the camera and staging sequences, the voice acting is top-notch and the visuals are some of Pixar’s best* but the story just is not up to snuff and the pacing is a little off and the film falters because of that.
* – Speaking of visuals, the ones seen in the short The Blue Umbrella that plays before the actual film are spectacular. It is Pixar’s first real attempt at photorealism and the results are eye-popping.
Grade:B
[divider]
SCRIPT
As mentioned in the above segment, the story for Monsters University is the weakest part. Prequels can be tough considering the outcomes are already known but the basic idea here of Mike and Sully meeting for the first time and how their tight-knit relationship forms is intriguing. The only problem is the story does not so much focus on that aspect but rather on how they – particularly Mike – help this group of nobodies (the Oozma Kappa fraternity) turn into somebodies. It’s here where the film borrows ideas from lots of other college comedies, including Revenge of the Nerds and Animal Houses, and uses a lot of the typical character stereotypes found in those films. It is all fun, the college aesthetic and it is mostly humorous but it is all stuff we have seen before. With that said, while it is not original, it also is not very predictable, and the opening involving a young Mike and the final 15-20 minutes are very good. But it is not enough.
Grade:B-
[divider]
PERFORMANCES Monsters University continues Pixar’s tradition of having great voice talent. Just like in the first film, Billy Crystal and John Goodman voice Mike and Sully, respectively, and do another fantastic job. Crystal clearly loves playing Mike, bringing a youthful spirit to the character, while Goodman has fun playing Sully as more of a screwball jock this time around. Steve Buscemi is really the only other returning voice actor – once again voicing Randy – besides some cameos here and there. But that is OK because the new characters/voice actors shine, particularly Oozma Kappa fraternity members Art (Charlie Day), Squishy (Peter Sohn), Terri (Sean Hayes) and Terry (Dave Foley) and Don (Joel Murray). They all have great chemistry together and are really the heart and soul of the film along with Mike and Sully. Rounding out the major new characters/voice actors is the terrifying Dean Hardscrabble, who is voiced perfectly by Helen Mirren.
Grade:A
[divider]
SCORE
Randy Newman returns once again to do the score for Monsters University and does a very admirable job. The score contains a lot of different elements, including the charm of the first film and the college feel with a marching-band theme throughout. There are two standout tracks, including one that is not even part of the score but rather a catchy, upbeat techno mix from Axwell called “Roar” that plays during a fraternity-sorority mixer. The other standout track plays over the closing credits and will have you humming it as you leave the theater.
Anna Kendrick and Olivia Wilde team up for their new film Drinking Buddies. This looks like an interesting story that is directed by Joe Swanberg. I’m going to let the cool guys over at AICN describe it because it’s the best I’ve heard yet:
Luke and Kate are co-workers at a Chicago brewery, where they spend their days drinking and flirting. They’re perfect for each other, except that they’re both in relationships. Luke is in the midst of marriage talks with his girlfriend of six years, Kate is playing it cool with her music producer boyfriend Chris. But you know what makes the line between “friends” and “more than friends” really blurry? Beer.
Check out the trailer and let us know your thoughts.
This weekend, look for World War Z and Monsters University to lead the way at the box office. World War Z will most likely win the battle this weekend but Pixar movies tend to do well so it could be a close race. We’ll have reviews on both World War Z and Monsters University so be on the lookout for that as well as our Extra Film segment on E.T., which we also saw in theaters this last week.
Independence Day 2 has been slated for July 3, 2015. While we don’t know if Will Smith will return, we do know that Roland Emmerich will be back to direct. Given how much I loved the first Independence Day and how Will Smith’s latest films have been down, this could bring him back to the top.
Assassin’s Creed has been pushed from May 2015 to July 19, 2015. Obviously, Fox is avoiding competition with Star Wars: Episode VII and The Avengers 2. While I think the Assassin’s Creed movie will be (or could be at least) awesome, there’s no way it would ever compete with Star Wars: Episode VII and The Avengers 2.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes and X-Men: Days of Future Past have now switched release dates. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes will now come to theaters July 18, 2014 and X-Men: Days of Future Past will now be released on May 23, 2014. I like this idea since X-Men will most likely get a bigger audience and this will probably get things going for the summer season next year.
The next two summers sounds like it could be a lot of fun with these movies and more coming to us. Roland Emmerich has talked about how Independence Day 2 could lead into a third film as well. It’s interesting that this is all happening 20 years after the original film but I’m on board for it. And with how studios are now-a-days, should the first Independence Day have been made a few years ago, there’s no doubt they would have slated a second and third film anyway. Trilogy’s and franchises are where it’s at.
And as I mentioned, Assassin’s Creed moving to July is a really smart idea. I like the video game and the movie adaptation could be really great. Look for next summer to be one of the better summers we’ve seen in awhile.
Robert Downey Jr. is not done as Iron Man quite yet.
Marvel announced today that Downey Jr. has reached a two-picture deal with the studio to reprise his role as Tony Stark/Iron Man in The Avengers 2 and 3 – but not for Iron Man 4.
This is good news for The Avengers going forward as Downey Jr.’s Iron Man is a big part – and it would have been a shame if they would have had to leave him out or recast him (which is almost impossible). As far as the Iron Man series goes, based on how the third entry ended I had a feeling that was the last we would see of any Downey Jr.-Iron Man solo films. With that said, however, Iron Man 4 featuring Downey Jr. is not out of the realm of possibility yet; but if it is, expect a reboot sometime in the near future.
Downey Jr. has been a moneymaker for Marvel, so it is no surprise they want to keep him around. Iron Man 3 recently crossed the $400 million mark at the box office while last year’s The Avengers is the third-highest grossing film of all-time behind Avatar and Titanic.
The 50 Shades of Grey film adaptation now has a director and it’s Nowhere Boy director, Sam Taylor-Johnson. Taylor Johnson (wife of Kick-Ass actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson) hasn’t done anything since 2009, when Nowhere Boy was released garnering fantastic critic success. Taylor-Johnson is a respectable director and should she get good actors, I think she’d be a great fits. She got BAFTA, London Critics Circle, and British Independent Film nominations for her debut film, and even before that, she was a heavy hitter in the photography world for her sexuality-driven pictures. All that said and given the material, she’ll be able to do some good stuff here.
What will be interesting to me is how they Taylor-Johnson will piece this movie together without it being viewed as a soft-core porn movie. The material is obviously sexually-charged and heavy in romance and will most likely be something we have never (or rarely) see in film.
What you think? Is is this a good choice for 50 Shades of Grey?
