The first glimpse of Evangeline Lilly in the sequel to the upcoming sequel to The Hobbit looks pretty cool.
Today Entertainment Weekly released the first photo of Lilly (below), who will be playing a brand-new character to the world in The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.
Lilly, best known for her role as Kate on Lost, will be playing Tauriel, who is an Elven warrior and head of the Elven Guard. She was created by director Peter Jackson and Co. just for the story.
While Lilly’s character looks really cool (a female Legolas), it’s not enough to get me excited for a sequel to a film I really disliked. And the fact that she’s a new character doesn’t help as well and just proves that Jackson and Co. needed to add certain things just to make this into three films.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug will hit theaters on December 13.
Guillermo del Toro is getting me more and more excited for Pacific Rim. Everything I’ve seen so far is amazing to me and what he explains here is even more badass. In a new featurette, del Toro explains how he shot the pilots in the Jaegers and how he will bring realism to the cockpit of these giant robots. Warning, this is awesome!
So this is one of the more exciting pieces of news to me personally. Hans Zimmer has been known to score a lot of great films over the last 20 years but he seems to be getting better and better. If you don’t know, his score for Man of Steel looks to be amazing and I’m very excited for it.
That being said, it’s been confirmed that Zimmer will be doing the score for Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar.
In an interview, Zimmer said, “I wrote something..and I’m writing that. So, yes, we have started.”
This isn’t very surprising considering that Zimmer has scored everything Nolan has done over the last decade, including some great scores for The Dark Knight trilogy. So yes, consider me on board for this.
Benicio Del Toro has joined the impressive cast of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy.
According to Deadline, the Oscar-winning actor will play a lead role in the James Gunn-directed film. His specific role isn’t known at the moment, but it will be part of future Marvel films.
Del Toro is a fantastic actor, having been nominated for two Oscars, and is a great addition to a cast that also features Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker, Lee Pace, John C. Reilly and Glenn Close. And since most of the lead roles have already been filled, speculation is that Del Toro could be playing Thanos (which would be incredible).
Guardians of the Galaxy, which is so far shaping up quite nicely, hits theaters on August 1, 2014.
With two new offerings this weekend, most people still lined up to see Fast & Furious 6.
For the second straight weekend, the latest in the Fast and the Furious franchise finished in first at the box office with another $34.5 million. The film, which stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson, opened with $120 million over the Memorial Day weekend.
Now You See Me magically appeared in second with $28.1 million. With a fantastic cast featuring Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Morgan Freeman, an intriguing story that always keeps you guessing and some great visuals, Now You See Me is one of the better films we’ve seen this year.
Epic and Star Trek Into Darkness tied for fourth with $16.4 million each and The Hangover Part III was fifth with $15.9 million.
With only the Vince Vaughn-Owen Wilson comedy The Internship and the Ethan Hawke thriller The Purge opening this upcoming weekend, there’s actually a good chance Fast & Furious 6 could make it three straight weeks at the top. But then Man of Steel comes out and will blow all other films away.
This week on Episode 15 of our InSession Film Podcast, even though After Earth bombed, we still decided to pay tribute to Will Smith with our Top 3 Will Smith movies.
Nate
1) I am Legend
2) Men in Black
3) Independence Day
JD
1) Independence Day
2) I am Legend
3) Bad Boys 2
On Episode 15, we have a double feature and review the new releases, Now You See Me and After Earth. We also discuss our Top 3 Will Smith movies and finish of the show with some news and movies we saw last week.
Want to get your first glimpse of The Winter Soldier from the upcoming sequel to Captain America? Check out the set photos below then.
Marvel’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier is currently being shot in Cleveland, Ohio (where directors Anthony and Joe Russo are from), and The Plain Dealer got a couple of shots of the villain, The Winter Soldier. For those of you who don’t know, The Winter Solider is actually Bucky, Steve Rogers/Captain America’s best friend who “dies” in the first film. He actually survives and has been turned into a brainwashed assassin – something that should make for an interesting dynamic in the film.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier returns Chris Evans as the title character, Sebastian Stan as The Winter Soldier along with a few others and adds Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Redford, Frank Grillo and Anthony Mackie.
Captain America: The Winter Soldier hits theaters on April 4, 2014.
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy just keeps adding to its cast.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Karen Gillan of Doctor Who fame will be joining the cast of the James Gunn-directed film. Her specific role is unknown but she will play the main female villain.
That’s right: Whoopi Goldberg is joining the cast of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
According to Comic Book Movie, Goldberg will be playing Bernadette Thompson, an editor at Channel 6 News and boss to April O’Neil (who will be played by Megan Fox), in the Michael Bay-produced and Jonathan Liebesman-directed film.
Goldberg – who has won an Oscar, Tony, Emmy and Grammy Award – will definitely bring a presence to TMNT (especially with that wild hair as seen in the set photo below). How big her role will be is still unknown, but I think she will add a great deal to the film.
Goldberg joins a cast that also includes Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner (who will most likely be playing Shredder), Danny Woodburn (who is playing Splinter) and a slew of unknowns as the Turtles.
This week, in honor of Memorial Day, JD and Nate review Steven Spielberg’s amazing epic war movie, Saving Private Ryan. This film stars Tom Hanks, Tom Sizemore, Edward Burns, Matt Damon and many more.
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.
A writer on The Green Lantern is penning the script for the follow-up to Blade Runner. Let’s all get excited at once.
According to The Wrap, Michael Green has been tapped to write the sequel to the 1982 classic Blade Runner. Green’s only feature film writing experience was on 2011’s abysmal The Green Lantern.
The follow-up will take place a few years after the conclusion of the influential first film and will see Ridley Scott return as director and possibly Harrison Ford return to reprise his role as Rick Deckard.
Not sure how I feel about 1) a writer of The Green Lantern tackling Blade Runner and 2) a follow-up to Blade Runner. Blade Runner is an iconic film, so why screw that up just like Scott did with another one of his iconic films (Alien and its supposed prequel Prometheus)? I don’t understand this.
Man of Steel, Man of Steel, Man of Steel. Yes, it’s almost time for what we consider to be one of the most-anticipated films of not only the summer but the year as the June film schedule is upon us.
But while Man of Steel may dominate the month, there’s also a new Pixar film, a new zombie film, the reunion of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson and Joss Whedon’s follow-up to The Avengers to name a few. So here it is: A list of some of the top films that are being released this month.
JUNE 7
The Internship
Director: Shawn Levy Stars: Vince Vaughn, Owen Wilson, John Goodman, Rose Byrne Synopsis: Two salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital age find their way into a coveted internship at Google, where they must compete with a group of young, tech-savvy geniuses for a shot at employment. Our Take: Comedies are usually hit or miss, but the last time Vaughn and Wilson were together it was for 2005’s Wedding Crashers and that was definitely hit. If the duo can produce that same kind of magic (which based on the trailers appears they might have), The Internship could provide the most laughs of the year.
The Purge
Director: James DeMonaco Stars: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, Max Burkholder Synopsis: A family is held hostage for harboring the target of a murderous syndicate during the Purge, a 12-hour period in which any and all crime is legalized. Our Take: First and foremost: The premise for The Purge is intriguing and something that hasn’t really been done in film before. It does appear, however, that that cool premise slowly shifts into a home invasion film ala The Strangers (the invaders wear creepy face masks). But even with that said, this is definitely one we’ll be checking out.
Much Ado About Nothing
Director: Joss Whedon Stars: Amy Acker, Jillian Morgese, Alexis Denisof, Fran Kranz Synopsis: A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words. Our Take: So this is how Whedon follows up The Avengers: By pulling a complete 180 and doing Shakespeare. And like his previous film, this looks really good. We love the dialogue, which keeps Shakespeare’s words intact, and the black and white. Expect to hear a lot about Much Ado About Nothing come awards season.
June 14
Man of Steel
Director: Zack Snyder Stars: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Russell Crowe Synopsis: A young journalist is forced to confront his secret extraterrestrial heritage when Earth is invaded by members of his race. Our Take: Man of Steel is the film of the summer – and possibly the year. The marketing (particularly the trailer above, which is the single greatest trailer ever put together) has been superb and upped our excitement level from low to incredibly high. Snyder and Christopher Nolan appear to have made something special.
This is the End
Director: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen Stars: James Franco, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Paul Rudd Synopsis: While attending a party at James Franco’s house, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel and many other celebrities are faced with the apocalypse. Our Take: An apocalyptic tale involving celebrities playing themselves sounds awesome on paper. Whether This is the End will actually live up to that premise and be good is another story. But based on the trailers (particularly the red-band one), the laughs will definitely be there.
The Bling Ring
Director: Sofia Coppola Stars: Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Taissa Farmiga, Israel Broussard Synopsis: Inspired by actual events, a group of fame-obsessed teenagers use the internet to track celebrities’ whereabouts in order to rob their homes. Our Take: Coppola and Watson are reason enough to watch The Bling Ring. But add in a unique and bizarre story that actually happened and you have the makings of a great film.
June 21
Monsters University
Director: Dan Scanlon Stars: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Nathan Fillion 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. Our Take:Monsters University has had some of the most unique trailers that we’ve really enjoyed and it’s been a while since we last saw Mike and Sully so this should be a fun animated summer film.
World War Z
Director: Marc Forster Stars: Brad Pitt, James Badge Dale, David Morse, Mireille Enos 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. Our Take: While very different from the book of the same name, Pitt could make this film exciting. However, the CGI looks bad and it doesn’t look very appealing overall.
June 28
The Heat
Director: Paul Feig Stars: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Tony Hale, Marlon Wayans Synopsis: Uptight FBI special agent Sarah Ashburn is paired with testy Boston cop Shannon Mullins in order to take down a ruthless drug lord. The hitch: neither woman has ever had a partner – or a friend for that matter. Our Take: While the idea of a female buddy cop movie is exciting, this film is very much on the fence. If Bullock and McCarthy have great chemistry, look for this film to be pretty funny but it’s easy to be skeptical at the same time.
White House Down
Director: Roland Emmerich Stars: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Richard Jenkins, Maggie Gyllenhaal Synopsis: While on a tour of the White House with his young daughter, a Capitol policeman springs into action to save his child and protect the president from a heavily armed group of paramilitary invaders. Our Take: This film looks much, much better than Olympus Has Fallen. The cast looks great and the script should have a lot more humor with the same, cheesy action that will put this one above in the Olympus Has Fallen/White House Down comparison you’ll get this summer.
Redemption
Director: Steven Knight Stars: Jason Statham, Lee Asquith-Coe, Vicky McClure, Ian Pirie Synopsis: Homeless and on the run from a military court martial, a damaged ex-special forces soldier navigating London’s criminal underworld seizes an opportunity to assume another man’s identity – transforming into an avenging angel in the process. Our Take: First of all, Statham with hair looks kind of weird. Secondly, we get him back at kicking butt again. But this looks a little different than his usual films and it looks like he may have even had to do some acting here. It could be a surprise for a Statham film.
Sounds like The Expendables 3 is about to add some more badass people.
Nicolas Cage, Jackie Chan, Wesley Snipes and Milla Jovovich are all in “advanced negotiations” to join the cast of in the latest film in the series, Lionsgate CEO John Feltheimer told analysts today.
Most of these names have been tossed out there before but this is the first time I’ve heard of Jovovich, who has killed probably a million zombies in the Resident Evil series so it makes sense to bring her on. And one of these new additions is obviously going to be playing the villain and any one of them would be awesome in that role opposite Sylvester Stallone and Jason Statham’s crew. I would especially love to see Cage in that role as he is already a crazy and volatile actor.
I really enjoyed the first two Expendables films and am interested to see if they can balance the seriousness of the first film and the humor of the second film in this newest one. Either way, they’re fun films and I’ll be there opening weekend.
Paul Thomas Anderson has found his leading lady – and it’s surprisingly not an Oscar-nominated actress.
According to Deadline, relative newcomer Katherine Waterston has been cast as the female lead in PTA’s Inherent Vice. Waterston, daughter of Law & Order‘s Sam Waterston, will play Shasta, a hippie ex-girlfriend of Joaquin Phoenix’s detective Doc.
Waterston, who has had small parts in Michael Clayton and Robot & Frank, is an interesting choice considering all the A-list talent that has already been assembled including Phoenix, Josh Brolin, Reese Witherspoon, Benicio Del Toro, Sean Penn, Jena Malone and Martin Short. She’s going to have to bring her A-game so she’s not upstaged by any of the “supporting” actors.
Director: Louis Leterrier Writers: Ed Solomon (screenplay), Boaz Yakin (screenplay), Edward Ricourt (screenplay) Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, David Franco
Synopsis: An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money.
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DIRECTION
I haven’t really enjoyed a ton of Louis Leterrier’s work outside of The Incredible Hulk but he gets it right with Now You See Me. He has a really strong script which really helps him out a lot but he puts the pieces of the puzzle together really well. The swooping camera movements showcases really well where all the magic is happening (literally and figuratively). You really get swept up into the environment and the aesthetic of magic where it has a National Treasure vibe to it but it’s masked in modern, David Copperfield-esk entertainment. The action shots are a lot of fun and executed well for the most part which I enjoyed. Some of the scenes came off a little bit cheesy, especially with Woody Harrelson’s character, but when you’re in the environment of magic, you can expect that a little bit. The visuals along with that are great and again add to the Las Vegas-showcase aesthetic, especially within the magic performance scenes. Leterrier’s biggest win however, is keeping you on the fence of who you are rooting for. Every character at some point makes you want to root for them and at times you start to question them a little bit which is done amazing well and Leterrier let’s you make up decisions where you could pick from several scenarios before they really reveal what’s going on. In order to do that, things have to be well shot and the performances have to be spot on, which they are, so much kudos to Leterrier and his team.
Grade:B+
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SCRIPT
The script for this movie is amazing and is the best foundation any movie could ask for. The screenplay was written by Ed Solomon and Boaz Yakin which I thought was interesting as I haven’t been a huge fan of most of their works. However, Yakin is famously known for directing Remember the Titans, which happens to be one of the best sports movies of all time. With their combined efforts, along with a few others as well, they came up with something really good here. The story centers around Jessie Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, and David Franco’s characters (The Four Horseman) being called into something more than they could of imagined, a secret society if you will. That elements puts them into a position of doing some amazing things which sets the story into motion at high speeds. The characters start to come together really well for the most part which is a lot of fun to see and it keeps you guessing just as the FBI is as it’s unfolding right in front of you. There are a few storylines that were introduced but never really explored or finished which didn’t make much sense but it at least gave you a sense of who you are watching. The characters are funny, charming and well written which added a lot to the movie for me personally. The ending is the best part though as it unfolds in a clever, fun way that I honestly didn’t see coming. It’s a little bit ambiguous and not 100% clear on everything but I’m okay with that because the core soul of the film is deception and misdirection. That being said, when you put all the pieces together, it’s actually a very simple story that brings you in closer to make you believe you’re seeing more than what you actually are. (See what I did there?)
Grade:A-
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PERFORMANCES
The performances for this film are amazing, which is what is needed for the specific script that this film has. Harrelson is on in A-game big time as this funny, witty mentalist who loves playing with people’s minds, sometimes just at the expense of making people laugh or making a situation awkward. Eisenberg has some of that gravitas you saw in The Social Network which was fun to see again, although his character could of been played with a little bit more. Fisher and Franco also do a great job in this film, while they are in the background for the most part, they are important to the team and do have their moments in the sun. Michael Caine also has a background role but when he’s in the film, he’s Michael Caine and you can’t help but love him. This movie though is really about Mark Ruffalo and Morgan Freeman’s characters though. They are mostly different storylines that intersect at certain moments, but when they do intersect, it’s critical to the story and the performances bring all of that importance to life. You start to see what their motivations are and the layers start to peel back slowly as the events unfold, which leaves room for some…vulnerability let’s say. Overall what I’m trying to say is, the performances are great.
Grade:A
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SCORE
Brian Tyler gets the nod to score here and given his more modern, electronic tones he does well, he was a very fitting choice. As I mentioned in my video review, it’s not my favorite score but I think I like it more than what I originally thought. The main themes are good and are a fun listen to outside the movie but it doesn’t add a ton of suspense which I thought the movie was trying to go for in some elements. I think he does an alright job but it’s not his best work.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan Writers: Garry Whitta, M. Night Shyamalan, Will Smith (story) Stars: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Zoe Kravitz, Sophie Okonedo
Synopsis: A crash landing leaves Kitai Raige and his father Cypher stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after events forced humanity’s escape. With Cypher injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help.
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DIRECTION
M. Night Shyamalan has gotten so much hate since he was hailed as a promising up-and-comer after The Sixth Sense, Unbreakable and Signs. And with good reason as the quality of his films dropped dramatically after his initial success. After Earth probably won’t change your opinion of him but it is a step in the right direction. And while there are no twists and turns this time around, After Earth is certainly an M. Night film as it shines and suffers in the same areas as most of his previous films. M. Night has always had an eye for shots and that’s no different here. The visuals are amazing with beautiful vistas of mountains and woods and the camerawork is equally as impressive. Whether it’s a wide, sweeping shot or a tight corridor shot, the camera is always right where it needs to be. The only aspect keeping the overall look of After Earth from being superb is the hit-or-miss special effects; it’s either really good or very Syfy Channel-ish. And while M. Night’s films have always looked good, they also always have the tendency to have average acting and a story that doesn’t quite reach it’s full potential. Both of those problems are prevalent here and keep After Earth from being more than just an above-average sci-fi film.
Grade:B
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SCRIPT
When it comes to M. Night films and their scripts, a twist is usually expected. Not this time. There are no surprises in After Earth, which is about as straightforward as you can get. The basic premise is a ship crashes on Earth, which has now become a dangerous, inhabitable planet, and the father-son combo of Cypher and Kitai Raige are the only survivors. The father is hurt and can’t move, so it’s the job of the son to traverse the planet and find a distress beacon to call for help and keep them both alive. That’s it; nothing more, nothing less. It’s a solid premise; however, it doesn’t quite reach its full potential. Cypher and Kitai have a strained relationship as Kitai hasn’t seen his father in a long time. For a film that is primarily about the father-son relationship, they don’t quite explore it deep enough for it to have any sort of emotional impact – which is needed for a film that doesn’t have much action.
Grade:B-
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PERFORMANCES After Earth is a two-man show with the father-son (in real life and in the film) combo of Will and Jaden Smith. And really this is mostly Jaden Smith’s show. Jaden Smith, whose biggest role before this was as The Karate Kid, does an adequate job but isn’t quite at that stage of his acting career to really carry a film – unlike his father who has proven he can with I Am Legend. Speaking of his father, Will Smith doesn’t give the greatest performance here; he’s very stiff and wooden with his expressions and line delivery. But I think that may have more to do with his character – a tough, been-through-a-lot general type – than his acting. The other main actors – Sophie Okonedo, who plays Will Smith’s wife, Zoe Kravitz, who plays his daughter – do solid work, but are more in the background and Kravitz only appears in flashback sequences.
Grade:B-
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SCORE After Earth is an M. Night film so that makes it pretty easy to guess who composed the score: James Newton Howard. And like he did with some of M. Night’s previous films – particularly The Sixth Sense and Signs – is produce music that fits the setting and the tone of the film really well. The score for After Earth is very somber and almost has an other-worldly feel to it. And using an assortment of instruments (with a special nod to the flutes and piano) throughout adds a lot of variety and makes the score standout even more.
Just going to cut to the chase here: Hugh Jackman’s new film Prisoners looks really, really good.
Today we got the first trailer for Jackman’s upcoming thriller Prisoners. Jackman plays a father whose daughter is kidnapped, while Jake Gyllenhaal plays the detective on the lookout and Paul Dano the suspect.
This trailer is intense and gripping and definitely puts a more realistic spin on the kidnapped-daughter idea (unlike Liam Neeson going across the globe to kill 50 people in Taken). This is definitely one I’ll be checking out, especially with this cast: Jackman, Gyllenhaal, Dano, Mario Bello, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis and Melissa Leo. Wow.
