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Thursday, May 29, 2014

Latest Movie News From Moviefone

Latest Movie News From Moviefone


Villains! Mashing Up Disney and 'Star Wars' Bad Guys (PHOTOS)

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disney star wars

We all have a soft spot for villains; they're charismatic, they look badass, and more often than not, they steal the show. Disney -- those guardians of "family friendly" entertainment -- have always done a suspiciously entertaining job at bringing larger-than-life bad guys to the big screen. And now that they guide the future of the "Star Wars" universe, and its Sith lords, bounty hunters, and alien scum, they're packing a double helping of trouble!

Moviefone has teamed up with your favorite comic book artist Dennis Culver to imagine a monstrous mash-up of Dr. Frankenstein proportions that mutates the baddest baddies in the galaxy with childhood nightmares! Jafar may have already been a creep, but now he's armed with Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber!

Check out the gallery below to see what happens when Disney fairy tales and "Star Wars" combine to give you the ultimate legion of villains!



Want more from Dennis Culver?
Order your very own copy of "All in the Game" -- a poster print featuring 52 characters from the critically-acclaimed television show "The Wire." Pick up issues 1-15 of the digital super-villain series "Edison Rex" at MonkeyBrain Comics. (Available for only $.99 an issue) -- or order the first two volumes from IDW!

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'Orange Is the New Black' Star Laverne Cox Makes History (Again)

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"Orange is the New Black" star Laverne Cox graces the cover of this week's issue of Time magazine, discussing her role in the burgeoning transgender rights movement and her own struggles with her identity.

Cox, who plays inmate Sophia Burset on the Netflix prison-set series, has become an activist and icon in the transgender community after shooting to fame through "Orange." But as the actress reveals, she wasn't always so sure of who she was, and grew up constantly afraid that by being herself, she would be rejected by her family and her peers.

The actress said that she was repeatedly bullied from a young age for wanting to dance and perform, and always thought of herself as feminine, despite being born a boy. She recalled an instance when a group of boys jumped her as she exited a school bus, and hit her repeatedly with drum sticks. In third grade, her teacher called her mother and warned her that Cox would someday "end up in New Orleans wearing a dress."


"Up until that point I just thought that I was a girl and that there was no difference between girls and boys," Cox told Time. "I think in my imagination I thought that I would hit puberty and I would start turning into a girl. ... Going to a therapist and the fear of God being placed in me about ending up in New Orleans wearing a dress, that was a profoundly shaming moment for me. I associated it with being some sort of degenerate, with not being successful."

That shame led Cox to attempt suicide when she was only in sixth grade, though the pills she swallowed only gave her a stomachache. Cox admits that she still struggles today with feelings of isolation and confusion, though the growing trans community -- and the support it has slowly started to gather nationwide -- helps.

"If someone needs to express their gender in a way that is different, that is okay, and they should not be denied healthcare. They should not be bullied. They don't deserve to be victims of violence," Cox said. " ... That's what people need to understand, that it's okay and that if you are uncomfortable with it, then you need to look at yourself."

The entire, inspiring interview is worth a read. Check it out over at Time.

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Here's a New 'Godzilla' Trailer, Starring Beyoncé (VIDEO)

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beyonce godzillaWe all know Queen Bey rules the world. But in this wonderful bit of editing, she's destroying it.

"I tried to warn people about what's already happening in the world. Right now, things are so serious," explains Madonna. We then see footage ripped from the trailer for the 2014 megahit "Godzilla" reboot mixed with crying popping stars, Sasha Fierce references, and a final, decimating appearance by Beyonce herself. Well, sort of.

A piece of advice: watch the trailer to its dramatic conclusion. And remember to keep your criticism to yourself.


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'Kate Plus Eight' Returns to TLC for Two-Part Special (VIDEO)

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Kate Gosselin Signs Copies Of
It's time for a check in with one of the most talked-about reality TV families of the last ten years.

The Gosselin sextuplets are almost 10, and TLC is set to air a two-part celebration of that milestone. And it appears that mama Kate Gosselin hasn't changed her notoriously harsh parenting style since her series "Kate Plus Eight" was canceled in August 2011. A trailer for the program shows Gosselin discussing how she rules her household with an iron fist.

"I got those girls cell phones and iPads so that I could take them away," Gosselin says of her twin teenage daughters.

Gosselin and her husband, Jon, shot to fame when they landed the TLC series "Jon & Kate Plus 8" in 2007, which detailed their hectic lives as parents of twins and sextuplets. Though the series was charming and their family depicted as ideal, Jon and Kate later split in an acrimonious divorce, with Kate deciding to continue on with the show. The name was shortened and the cameras stuck around for two more seasons, though viewers eventually tired of the concept.

Part one of "Kate Plus Eight: Sextuplets Turn 10" airs on June 19th at 10 p.m. on TLC. Part two airs on June 26th. No telling if Jon will make a cameo. (We're guessing no.)

Get your sneak peek here:
[via: Entertainment Weekly / TLC]



Image courtesy of Getty

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Marilyn Manson to Appear on 'Sons of Anarchy'

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6th Annual Revolver Golden Gods Award Show - Arrivals
"Sons of Anarchy" is adding an unconventional guest star for its final season: Marilyn Manson.

The shock rocker -- who previously cameoed on HBO comedy "Eastbound & Down" -- is set to play a white supremacist named Ron Tully on the FX motorcycle drama. Tully is described as a "prison shot-caller whom Jax [Charlie Hunnam] uses to expand his power base," and will appear as a recurring character.

Manson said in a statement that he was excited to join the show, noting that his father is a big fan of the series.

"'Sons' has been such a big part of my life, as well as my father's," Manson said. "So I was determined to make him proud by being involved in what will probably be remembered as the most amazing piece of television cinema. After all, the very heart of 'SOA' is about that relationship. So, now all I need is a motorcycle."

The seventh and final season of "Sons of Anarchy" premieres on September 20th on FX.

[via: HitFix]



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Carrie Fisher Would Love to See a Grey 'Granny Leia' Hairdo

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carrie fisher princess leia bunsWhile it was a foregone conclusion that Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill would reprise their iconic "Star Wars" roles in "Episode VII," Fisher admitted that it's been strange getting the old gang back together because everyone's, well, so old.

During an appearance at the U.K.'s Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts, the actress said that when the original cast reconvened at "Episode VII"'s recent table read, she realized that they "all look a little melted," herself included. And that makes sense, Fisher said, since the film takes place 30 years after the events of 1983's "Return of the Jedi," though she had an idea for how to keep her character's spirit intact.

Referencing the iconic, somewhat comical hairstyle that Princess Leia sported in 1977's "A New Hope" (the giant, coiled buns that covered both her ears), Fisher said she made a request of filmmakers.

"That hairdo can never really be repeated without gales of laughter. I've begged them to put the hair back on in grey and just catch me cooking with the hair, like Granny Leia," Fisher said.

No word on whether or not director and co-writer J.J. Abrams took her advice -- "I would get in trouble no matter how I answer that question," the actress said of revealing any "Episode VII" plot details -- though Fisher did say that there was another aspect of her character she was happy to revise.

"We are doing it over again so I can get Princess Leia right this time," she said. "I think less British. I looked a little pretentious faking the accent. It was sort of a viral accent - it came and went."

For more hilarious anecdotes from Fisher -- including her experience choking Jabba the Hut, why she wanted to play Han Solo, and whether or not she still has that metallic bikini -- check out her remarks in The Guardian.

"Star Wars: Episode VII" hits theaters December 18, 2015.

[via: The Guardian, h/t Vanity Fair]

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'A Walk Among the Tombstones' Trailer: Liam Neeson Goes Dark. Very Dark. (VIDEO)

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a walk among the tombstones trailerThe trailer for "A Walk Among the Tombstones" is further proof that Liam Neeson isn't afraid to tap into his dark side.

Opening September 19, "A Walk Among the Tombstones," based on the 1992 Lawrence Block novel of the same name, sets unlicensed private investigator Matt Scudder (Neeson in this movie, Jeff Bridges in 1986's "8 Million Ways to Die") on a mission to find the men who murdered the wife of a not-so-nice guy. As often happens in these kinds of books/movies, all is not what it seems.

Here's the full summary from Universal:

Based on Lawrence Block's bestselling series of mystery novels, A Walk among the Tombstones stars Liam Neeson as Matt Scudder, an ex-NYPD cop who now works as an unlicensed private investigator operating just outside the law. When Scudder reluctantly agrees to help a heroin trafficker (Dan Stevens) hunt down the men who kidnapped and then brutally murdered his wife, the PI learns that this is not the first time these men have committed this sort of twisted crime...nor will it be the last. Blurring the lines between right and wrong, Scudder races to track the deviants through the backstreets of New York City before they kill again. Written and directed by Scott Frank (The Lookout), A Walk among the Tombstones is produced by Jersey Films' Danny DeVito, Double Feature Films' Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher, Exclusive Media's Tobin Armbrust and Cross Creek Pictures' Brian Oliver. Universal will distribute the film in North America.

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Those 'Jurassic World' Plot Rumors Are True, Confirms Director Colin Trevorrow

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colin Trevorrow jurassic worldWARNING: This post contains SPOILERS about the plot of "Jurassic World."

While movie spoilers have become the norm in Hollywood, that doesn't mean that filmmakers involved in yet-to-be-released projects are completely used to -- or happy with -- them. That's the case for "Jurassic World" director Colin Trevorrow, who begrudgingly confirmed that some recently leaked plot details about the film are indeed true, and also discussed why he wanted to keep an air of mystery about the long-gestating project.

In an interview with Slash Film, Trevorrow addressed a set of rumors that leaked through JoBlo last week that basically gave away the entire premise of the film. It turns out that JoBlo's source was right on the money.

(Stop reading now if you don't want to know the SPOILERS.)

"'Jurassic World' takes place in a fully functional park on Isla Nublar," Trevorrow confirmed to Slash Film about the sequel's return to the site of the original "Jurassic Park." "It sees more than 20,000 visitors every day. You arrive by ferry from Costa Rica. It has elements of a biological preserve, a safari, a zoo, and a theme park. There is a luxury resort with hotels, restaurants, nightlife, and a golf course. And there are dinosaurs. Real ones. You can get closer to them than you ever imagined possible. It's the realization of John Hammond's dream, and I think you'll want to go there."

Trevorrow said he and his writing partner, Derek Connolly, were inspired by two main themes: the notion that money almost always sways decision-making, despite any horrific consequences that may arise; and that technology has become so ingrained into our society that it's almost an afterthought.

"Those two ideas felt like they could work together," the director said. "What if, despite previous disasters, they built a new biological preserve where you could see dinosaurs walk the earth...and what if people were already kind of over it? We imagined a teenager texting his girlfriend with his back to a T-Rex behind protective glass. For us, that image captured the way much of the audience feels about the movies themselves. 'We've seen CG dinosaurs. What else you got?' Next year, you'll see our answer."

In addition to those details, Trevorrow also discussed Chris Pratt's character (a scientist who's "doing behavioral research on the raptors"), and teased a "new dinosaur created by the park's geneticists" that "exists to fulfill a corporate mandate-they want something bigger, louder, with more teeth." The director also acknowledged that while some fans may be disappointed to see studio Universal go back to the once-dry "Jurassic" well, he has a clear vision he wants to see through -- and wants to treat moviegoers to something they'll love.

"We've all been disappointed by new installments of the stories we love. But with all this talk of filmmakers 'ruining our childhood,' we forget that right now is someone else's childhood. This is their time. And I have to build something that can take them to the same place those earlier films took us," Trevorrow said. "It may not happen in the same way everyone expects it to, but it's the way I believe it needs to happen. ... Will this one be different from the other movies? You bet it will. And I'm not going to pass the buck if it doesn't work. This one's on me."

The entire interview -- including Trevorrow's thoughts on the negative nature of spoilers -- is worth a read. Check it out at Slash Film.

[h/t Grantland]

Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP

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Brad Pitt Takes Out Order of Protection Against Assailant Vitalii Sediuk

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brad pitt assailant maleficentThe man who allegedly punched Brad Pitt on the "Maleficent" red carpet Wednesday night may think of himself as a prankster, but his latest stunt is no laughing matter: Vitalii Sediuk is still in police custody Thursday, where he's facing a battery charge, and has had an emergency order of protection taken out against him by Pitt.

The 25-year-old Ukranian man -- who's been referred to as a journalist, though we don't see anything journalistic about continually harassing celebrities with invasive red carpet stunts -- was booked on a misdemeanor battery charge after allegedly breaking through a barrier at the El Capitan theater and striking Pitt. After Sediuk failed to make the $20,000 bail, he was detained by Los Angeles police, who told TheWrap that he remains in police custody.

A department spokesman also told TheWrap that Pitt's protective order will expire in 30 days, after which the actor has the option of filing a permanent restraining order against Sediuk.

As detailed in an earlier Moviefone story, this isn't Sediuk's first time making headlines for his rude and crude behavior, though we imagine that the international attention such antics have brought him has only fueled his desire to keep them up. We're hoping that red carpet security can be tightened in the future to prevent this idiot from pulling similar stunts again, and shut him out of the twisted limelight he seemingly so desperately craves.

[via: TheWrap]

Photo by Matt Sayles/Invision/AP

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'Avatar' Cirque du Soleil Is Happening

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james cameron
James Cameron has been to the bottom of the sea for "Titanic," but he's not stopping there. He's taking his otherworldly movie "Avatar" to the stage and partnering with worldwide sensation Cirque de Soleil.

Cameron and Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, have announced a partnership to develop an arena-touring show inspired by the world of Cameron's "Avatar." This "live experience" is expected to debut late 2015 for what will become a global touring schedule.

The live production will feature the creative signature drive of Cirque du Soleil in association with Cameron's and Jon Landau's Lightstorm Entertainment. The show is expected to debut before the first of three upcoming "Avatar" sequels, for which Cameron is currently in pre-production. Twentieth Century Fox, which financed and distributed "Avatar," will bring the new films to theatres around the world and is also a partner of the live show.

"Our relationship with Jim Cameron began with my visit at his 'Avatar' cutting room," explained Daniel Lamarre. "I am thrilled that almost 5 years later, Cirque du Soleil will be able to explore the very inspirational 'Avatar' realm for the live stage. This will mark our second creative project with Jim and I believe it will be as stimulating for both our creative forces."

"Over the years, I have discovered the extraordinary talents and imaginations of both the artists and the creative forces behind Cirque du Soleil," said James Cameron. "I know we share the common goal of bringing audiences to another level of entertainment experiences. I look forward to doing just that on this project."

"'Avatar' remains a phenomenon that continues to inspire people around the globe, and combining it with the live event ingenuity of Cirque de Soleil is a perfect synthesis of imagination and talent," said Jim Gianopulos, Chairman and CEO, 20th Century Fox.

Creative forces from Cirque du Soleil and Lightstorm Entertainment will meet and put in place a dedicated creative team, which will be announced at a later date.

The announcement was made in Montreal during the international business C2MTL- Commerce + Creativity Conference.

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'Reading Rainbow' Reaches Kickstarter Goal, LeVar Burton Sheds Tears of Joy

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Breakthrough Brit Week - Roundtable With Mark Wolfe And LeVar Burton
Less than 24 hours after former host LeVar Burton launched a Kickstarter campaign to reboot classic children's program "Reading Rainbow" for today's classrooms, the project has reached its $1 million goal -- and is showing no signs of slowing down.

The campaign, which Burton started in an effort to curb illiteracy by bringing "Rainbow" to the web and creating customized versions of the programs for schools, currently sits just shy of $2 million, thanks to donations from more than 43,000 backers. And with 33 days left for additional fundraising, the campaign has far exceeded Burton's wildest dreams.

In an emotional video posted in response to the campaign reaching its goal, a tearful Burton and friends cheered joyfully as they watched the project's totals surpass the $1 million mark. Thanking pledgers for their donations at every level, Burton said that "Rainbow"'s return would truly make a difference in the lives of kids everywhere.

"I am overwhelmed," the host said. "Thank you so much. This is going to enable us to really, really, really do a lot of good. ... We are literally changing the world one children's book at a time."

For more information about what Burton and co. hope to achieve with "Reading Rainbow" -- or to donate to the cause -- check out the campaign's page on Kickstarter.

[h/t The A.V. Club]

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'Community' Could Be Brought Back to Life Thanks to Hulu Plus

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The Paley Center For Media's PaleyFest 2014 Honoring
The rallying cry/intense fever dream of "six seasons and a movie" is inching closer to being a reality: Vulture reports that Sony Pictures Television is in talks with Hulu about reviving the beloved, critically adored, but only marginally viewed comedy "Community" for a sixth season. Somewhere, series creator Dan Harmon is doing a little jig.

"Community," for those of you who were able to drown out the white noise of television critics falling over themselves for things, concerns a community college whose students have a tendency to slip into wacky, meta-textual adventures and, seeing as how long the show as airing, never graduating from college. (I can sympathize with that last part. It took me a while.) The show was created by comedic genius/loose canon Dan Harmon, who was briefly fired from the series for a season, only to be brought back this past year as the show runner/head writer. This was a wise move considering how intrinsically Dan Harmon-y the show was (and maybe still is).

According to the Vulture piece, "Community" reruns have been doing incredibly well on the streaming site, consistently charting as one of the top ten shows on the site. Plus, this kind of move isn't unheard of for not-really-a-TV-channel premium services. Remember when Netflix revived the similarly cultish "Arrested Development?" Not only did it grab a whole bunch of new subscribers, but it entered the public consciousness, for one of the first times, as a solid, threatening competitor to network television and cable.

As the site points out, there's still a long way to go before this actually happens, but for fans of the Greendale Human Beings, this could be a very exciting first step towards making "six seasons and a movie" an actual thing.



Image courtesy of Getty

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'The Wonder Years' Stars Meet Up for Selfies: Check Out Other TV Casts Who Reunited on Social Media

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Social media is a powerful thing. Especially when it becomes a tool for actors from classic TV shows to have mini-reunions and post them for all the world to see.

The cast of "The Wonder Years" got together to shoot extras for their show's upcoming DVD release and -- lucky for us -- decided to snap some glorious group shots while they were at it.

Fred Savage (known on "The Wonder Years" as Kevin Arnold), now a sought after TV director for shows like "Modern Family" and "2 Broke Girls", posted this fun pic of him and his former co-stars:


Josh Saviano, who played Kevin's best friend Paul, got a selfie with Danica McKellar A.K.A. Winnie Cooper:


But they're not the only cast who have reconvened for twittersphere.

Here's the "Full House" gang back together again for the show's 25th reunion. John Stamos documented the meeting on Facebook:


Danny Masterson ("That '70s Show") took to Instagram to share a snap of his old cast last year:


Scott Porter once caught some members of the "Friday Night Lights" players hanging for #sundayfunday:


Courteney Cox tweeted this "Friends" moment when she guest-starred on Matthew Perry's 'Go On':


And here are some "Boy Meets World" cast members posing at the ATX Television Festival in Austin:




Photos courtesy of Twitter, Instagram, Facebook

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Robert De Niro Opens Up About His Gay Dad

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robert de niro gay dadIt's hard to get Robert De Niro to talk about stuff.

The notoriously terse actor and director has a history of being tight-lipped and evasive (trust us, we would know). But, in anticipation of the June 9th premiere of his new HBO documentary, "Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro Sr.," De Niro has started talking about his father -- and his father's surprising sexuality.

In an interview with OUT Magazine (via The Independent), "He probably was (conflicted about his sexuality)," the actor told OUT. "Being from that generation, especially from a small town upstate (in New York)." Not that De Niro really noticed that his dad was that different. "I was not aware, much, of it. I wish we had spoken about it much more. My mother didn't want to talk about things in general, and you're not interested when you're a certain age."

Still, De Niro feels like it's important to talk about, especially for his own kids. "Again, for my kids, I want them to stop and take a moment and realize that you sometimes have to do things now instead of later, because later may be 20 years from now -- and that's too late."

De Niro's father died more than 20 years ago, and the actor felt like this documentary was a way to keep that legacy alive -- both as a painter and a father. "It was the only way to keep his being, his existence alive. To me, he was always a great artist."

Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP


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Taylor Kitsch on 'The Grand Seduction' and Falling in Love With Newfoundland

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the grand seduction

In "The Grand Seduction," Taylor Kitsch's character Dr. Paul Lewis is a big-city doctor ultimately charmed by the quaint lifestyle that a tiny Newfoundland fishing community offers. And as it turns out, Kitsch felt much the same way about shooting director Don McKellar's relatively small Canadian production; on the heels of two high-profile Hollywood action movies in "Battleship" and "John Carter," "The Grand Seduction" allowed him to leave 15-hour days and green screen behind for a few weeks by the water and (of course) daily fly fishing.

The fact that he'd be starring alongside Brendan Gleeson in the English-language remake of Jean-Francois Pouliot's 2003 Quebecois hit "Seducing Dr. Lewis" didn't hurt either, according to the B.C. native. So there were no elaborate tricks required to get Kitsch to sign on, unlike the little white lies the town uses to keep Lewis around, like faking a love of cricket (his favourite sport) and jazz fusion.

While Kitsch is back to a busy schedule again these days (with his HBO special "The Normal Heart" recently premiering) and "The Grand Seduction" coming out in theatres, Moviefone Canada sat down with the actor to talk about what (or who) drew him to the project, what he loved about filming in Newfoundland, and how his approach on this film was similar to his one for "Friday Night Lights."

Moviefone Canada: We spoke with Don McKellar back when this movie premiered during the Toronto Film Festival, and he said that while this was a relatively big production for him, you'd told him how "quaint" it seemed to you. Was this a big change-of-pace from what you're used to?
Taylor Kitsch: In a great way. Just in the practical sense, it wasn't an incredibly stressful movie. The schedule was unreal. I'm used to f--king long [days]. Even on "Normal," it was like 15-plus hours a day, and this one, I was spoiled. Living in nature, right on this bluff, on the ocean, four-day weekends, and I'm not having to kill myself or my body, it was great. It was a great experience. It helped me just in mindset alone, because it made you simplify everything. There's one restaurant there, one gas station, we were fly fishing every day. It forced you to get into nature, which was something I was raised up with and had forgotten about. So it was great.

I'm guessing that had to help you get into character more too, being similarly seduced by that landscape and that lifestyle.
Absolutely! Even that town, it's like you almost didn't want to leave. Just because it has that tone to it, and the people are like the nicest people on the planet. You know, we can become jaded in everyday life, in the city or especially in this business. We were at a gas station and were trying to get a rod and reel, and it didn't have a fishing store. And one of these locals overheard us, he goes into his camper, picks out his own rod and reel and just gives it to us. You wouldn't really get that anywhere else. That just exemplifies who these guys are.

I know that the project had a few ups and downs in terms of getting made before Don McKellar came on. Were you attached to it from the beginning?
No, I wasn't. I know Brendan [Gleeson] went through a lot more than I did. And he was a huge, or the reason why I signed on. He was a big part of that, he factored in hugely, but I hadn't gone through a lot of that. I lucked out.

So how'd you come onto it then?
My manager sent me the script, and she was like, "I don't know what it is about this script, but it's just so endearing. Even if you don't want to do it, I want you to read it, just so you don't think every script is s--t." Because I'm pretty particular. So I read it, and once I put it down, I was like, man, I think I could have fun with playing this guy, and Brendan's attached, which was big. And then, it shoots in Canada, it's a quick shoot, it's not going to take five years out of my life; all these things factored in and it just felt right.

So then I talked to Don on the phone, and I'm like, "Hey, this is kind of my process, I don't want to go there and be locked into something. Especially if it's a comedy, I feel we should be able to have a bit of improv," and he was completely on board. He's so easygoing. So, it just fit.

Do you think it helped that Don's also an actor himself?
I think so. I can put it in layman's terms pretty quick, from an actor's POV, if I don't like something or if I do, or if my gut's not telling me this feels right at all. I can just go up and be like, "Hey, you've had this feeling as well on set." [Laughs] And he would be like, "OK, let's do something about it. Let's flip the scene on its head, let's figure it out." It was good that way.

How much improv would you say that you guys ended up doing?
I would actually be known for doing some f--king stupid takes that I knew wouldn't get in, just to maybe lighten the whole setup or whatever. It was always like a line would be thrown in. I don't know percentage-wise, but every scene, I'd try and do something different, surprise the actors or whatever. Mark [Critch] is really great with that, and Brendan's so hard to break. He's just so good.

Your chemistry with Brendan Gleeson was great, which is obviously pretty key to the movie.
Yeah, it's what's driving it, really. I don't know, it's just some guys, I couldn't wait to f--king see him. I just respect him as an actor, obviously, but more as a person, more importantly, and we just had this great big bear hug. He's got this energy, it just raises you.

Coming off two big action movies, do you look at a role like this or "The Normal Heart" to actively try to do something different? Is there a conscious plan in place on your part?
I wish. It's more like these opportunities come in front of me that I'd be stupid not to take. In "Normal Heart" and "Lone Survivor" and "Savages," I mean, even "John Carter" and "Battleship." I'll never say no to a multi-Oscar-winning director who's an incredible guy as well, and Andrew Stanton and Pete Berg, who is, in my opinion, one of the best storytellers out there right now and is a dear friend of mine, who gave me my start. And then Oliver Stone, that's a dream come true, to be 30 years old and carry a f--king Oliver Stone movie? That's no joke. What's amazing is, I'm in a spot right now where I have choices like that. And that's, as an actor, everything. It's what you're trying to get yourself, that opportunity. All I ask for is to be in the mix.

So what did you do more research for, playing a doctor or playing a cricket fan?
Doctor. [Laughs] I had to convince you that I was madly in love with cricket, not play it. But with a doctor, it was hands-on stuff, and me, if you lack conviction, you lack a lot of other things in my opinion. I had to at least know the little things of the process. So we had a guy there off-camera being like, "You would do this." What you're checking for, and what kind of candor you'd have with the patients and whatnot. So that was important to me. I didn't want to look like an idiot doing that.

Did you watch the original "Seducing Dr. Lewis" before you made this?
Nope! Don left it up to me, and it was the same process I went through [on "Friday Night Lights"]. This is truly a remake, I guess, or an English version, even though we make it our own on so many levels. I'm never one to emulate anybody, so I just didn't even want to plant that seed. I didn't want to be in my head about the movie while making this movie, and that was the same with "Friday Night Lights." Completely different characters, but you knew they were going to be compared, because it's a "TV version." I've seen it now, "FNL," and read the book, but it was more of just like with anything, you want to make it your own.

Does it make the job easier knowing that the character clearly resonated with an audience once before?
Yeah, I mean, as a storyteller, that's your job. To evoke, if it's laughter, whatever it is, to educate people on a subject matter, to make 'em bust up, and I love that challenge. And you have to just be so f--king grounded to get there and get that out of people. So I love that. It's a high, definitely, when you talk to people and they either related to it, or someone they know related to it so much, or they saw their best friend in that character. Especially with "Normal" this week, it's been heavy, really heavy. But that's the ultimate validation.

"Lone Survivor" had to be like that for you too, I'm guessing.
Oh man. That's f--king unreal. I was in Venice the other day, and I'm at this high-brow coffee shop, but there's these two guys that were sitting there and I'm like, they're looking at me a bit weird. Like, they know who I am, but it's a different look. And then finally -- they didn't have your stereotypical "Marine look," SEALs can have beards, long hair, it doesn't matter -- they both came up to me and were part of the SEAL community and were like, "Hey man, we want to say in person that you've knocked it out and you did it right, and we appreciate that." And one of them went through with Murph [who Kitsch portrayed], so it was pretty awesome. It doesn't get much better.

"The Grand Seduction" will open in theatres on May 30.



'The Grand Seduction:' Taylor Kitsch's First Canadian Film

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Weekend Movies & TV: 'Maleficent,' 'A Million Ways...,' & More (VIDEO)

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This weekend, Angelina Jolie gets a wicked makeover in Disney's "Maleficent," Seth MacFarlane dials up the raunchy for the western comedy "A Million Ways to Die in the West," the 1980s-set drama "Halt and Catch Fire" premieres on AMC this Sunday, and "Longmire" Season 2 makes its Netflix debut, just in time for its Season 3 premiere June 2 on A&E .

Weekend Watchlist: 'Maleficent,' 'A Million Ways...,' 'Longmire, '& More


Also in theaters this weekend:
  • "Night Moves" stars Jesse Eisenberg and Dakota Fanning as radical environmentalists wishing to execute their most extravagant protest: the destruction of a hydroelectric dam.
  • "Filth" stars James McAvoy as a corrupt cop who manipulates and hallucinates his way through a bid to secure a promotion and win back his wife and daughter.
  • In "We Are the Best!", three girls in 1980s Stockholm decide to form a punk band -- despite not having any instruments and being told by everyone that punk is dead.
  • "Korengal" is a companion piece to the Afghan war documentary "Restrepo," and picks up where the latter left off; the same US platoon in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan.
  • In "The Grand Seduction," a small town resident (Brendon Gleeson) tries to seduce a doctor (Taylor Kitsch) to stay permanently and revive their village.

Also on TV this weekend:
  • "Crossbones," starring John Malkovich as Blackbeard, premieres on NBC. (10 pm ET Friday).
  • Starring Ricky Gervais, "Derek" Season 2 episodes premiere (Netflix, 12:01 a.m. Friday).
  • "2014 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction" with Nirvana, The E Street Band, Hall & Oates, Peter Gabriel, KISS, and more. (HBO, 9 p.m. ET Saturday).
  • Two-hour special "Mini Monsters" peeks inside the lives of tiny creatures (Disc., 9 p.m. ET Sat).
  • The 10th season of "Food Network Star" premieres (Food, 9 p.m. ET Sunday).

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A Brief History of Celebrities Being Attacked on the Red Carpet (VIDEO)

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brad pitt celebrities attackedBrad Pitt, you're not alone.

Plenty of A-list celebs have been attacked in very public places, mostly on the red carpet, on stage, or, you know, on the way to court.

Here, we offer a brief history -- going back about 10 years -- of some of the most notable attacks on Hollywood's biggest names.

Brad Pitt Is Attacked at the 'Maleficent' Premiere (2014)
Last night (May 28, 2014), Vitalii Sediuk, a Ukrainian journalist who has made a "career" out of humiliating celebrities on the red carpet, broke through a barrier and allegedly attacked Pitt before being hauled away by police. But don't worry. From what we can tell, Pitt's beautiful face came away unscathed.
The madness of Sediuk can be traced back to the 2012 premiere of "Men in Black 3," where he tried to kiss star Will Smith on the red carpet. Smith was not having it, and slapped Sediuk. The next year, Sediuk forced his way onto the Grammy's stage and interrupted Adele, who was receiving an award from very confused presenters Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull. Then things died down for a while, until earlier this year, when Sediuk crotch-hugged Bradley Cooper at the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Leonardo DiCaprio at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. The streak of inappropriate behavior continued at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this month, when Sediuk ran onto the red carpet and attempted to look up the dress of "How to Train Your Dragon 2" star America Ferrera. All this leaves us with one question: Who is financing this guy? That's a lot of travel.
Lindsay Lohan Is Glitter Bombed on the Way to Court (2013)
Back in March 2013, a very put together Lindsay Lohan was on her way to court facing charges related to a car accident in June 2012, and some magical pixie decided it was prime time to douse her with gold glitter. There's even a video.

Kim Kardashian Is Flour Bombed at Her Fragrance Launch (2012)
Before Kimye, it was just Kim. And she attended events all by her lonesome, which, in the case of her 2012 fragrance launch, is unfortunate. You see, the reality star could have used a human shield at the event, given that an animal rights activist flour bombed her while reportedly yelling "fur hag." The assailant was hauled off by police while Kim headed to a private room to clean up.

Ryan Seacrest Gets Ashes Poured on Him by Sacha Baron Cohen at the Academy Awards (2012)
A month before Kim's flouring, Ryan Seacrest got the same treatment from an unlikely source: Sacha Baron Cohen. The actor - who was in character as "The Dictator" Admiral Aladeen -- was being interviewed by Seacrest on the red carpet at the Academy Awards, carrying an urn full of (what he claimed to be) deceased dictator Kim Jong-il's ashes. And then he "spills" the ashes on Seacrest, who does his best to take in stride.

Tom Cruise Is Squirted With Water at the 'War of the Worlds' London Premiere (2005)
Now, let's travel back in time to June 2005, when Tom Cruise was proudly touting a small, Spielberg art-house film called "War of the Worlds." While traversing the press line, he's interviewed by a young upstart with a microphone rigged to squirt water, which it does. What happens next is an exchange or words, jail time for the camera man and interview, and an apology from British network Channel 4.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are plenty of past pranks we didn't list, and we're sure there are plenty more to come, thanks to the internet.

[via: The Mirror, CNN, HuffPo, The Telegraph]

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10 Great TV Dance Moments (VIDEO)

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There's no shortage of dancing on the small screen, but its not always where you think.

Sure, we get treated to plenty of impressive moves on "So You Think You Can Dance", which premiered its 11th season last night, and summer series "America's Got Talent" always brings a slew of dancing contestants.

But it's always a welcome treat when our favorite characters or stars cut loose and kick up their heels, even if they're not very good. (Ahem, Elaine Benes.)

Sunday night's "Mad Men" served up a surprising moment when (spoiler!) Bert Cooper signed off by cutting a rug in a dreamy musical sequence. And that's not the only time "Mad Men" has given fans a swinin' interlude. The show joins a roster of programs that have brought memorable dance sequences we still can't help but re-watch over and over.

Here, we round up 10 great TV moments that are all about the dancin':

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Eva Green's 'Sin City 2' Poster Proves Too Hot for MPAA (PHOTO)

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Eva Green Sin City Poster
Eva Green is too sexy for words. She also, apparently, is too sexy for movie theater lobbies.

According to a story on Page Six, a poster for the Dimension Films' upcoming "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For," where she plays the titular dame (obviously), was disapproved by the MPAA. According to the Motion Picture Association of America, a shadowy group of schoolteachers and other "regular folks" tasked with making arbitrary moral decisions, the poster was banned "for nudity - curve of under breast and dark nipple/areola circle visible through sheer gown." They also added: "Ewwww, girls!"

While we don't want this post to veer into the unnecessarily political (that's what our independently broadcast late night AM talk show is for), it is somewhat notable that the MPAA had a problem with Green's breast but not with the gun in her hand. Considering how frequently this country is crippled by horrific gun violence, including this most recent shooting in Southern California, maybe they should be more worried about glamorizing weapons of death and less worried about keeping Green's gorgeous body from unsuspecting moviegoers.

"Sin City: A Dame to Kill For," which also stars Mickey Rourke, Rosario Dawson, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Josh Brolin, Ray Liotta, and Bruce Willis, opens on August 22nd.
Eva Green Sin City Poster

Article photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company

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TV #TBT: Drew Barrymore Brings Her Super Cuteness to 'Carson'

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The world has known Drew Barrymore for pretty much her whole life. We were introduced to the cherubic child with the blonde curls and the adorable scream in "E.T." back in 1982, and now it's hard to remember a time when she didn't appear on the big screen.

Now she's a mom of two, wife, A-lister, and frequent Adam Sandler co-star -- currently in theaters in "Blended." Her career has spanned over 30 years and she hasn't even hit 40.

So, let's go back to the early '80s and check out this little charmer on "The Tonight Show." She talks to Johnny Carson with greatest of ease, and even surprises him by taking out her fake teeth. Just watch:


And in the spirit of her friendship and working relationship with Adam Sandler, look out for his younger self in this clip from "The Cosby Show" below. Adam recurred as Theo's friend Smitty on the series from 1987-1988 before his stint on "SNL":



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It's a Hard Knock Life in the New 'Annie' Trailer (VIDEO)

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annie trailerThis Christmas will see a giant musical showdown in the form of Sony's "Annie" facing off against Disney's "Into the Woods," two lavish Broadway adaptations with major star power and a contemporary slant. (We imagine it will be like something from "West Side Story," except even less threatening.) While we haven't seen anything from "Into the Woods," save for a photo of Meryl Streep looking really witchy, "Annie" has already unleashed two trailers, the latest of which (below, courtesy of Yahoo), shows much more of the starry cast and the movie's updated storyline.

While the original "Annie" was set during the Great Depression, this version is completely modernized. Jamie Foxx plays the Daddy Warbucks stand-in, a mayoral candidate who looks to soften his image by aligning himself with the cuddly, titular orphan (Quvenzhane Wallis from "Beasts of the Southern Wild"). Cameron Diaz plays the new Miss Hannigan (and gets one of the bigger laughs of the trailer), who runs the orphanage where Annie lives, and Rose Byrne plays Foxx's personal assistant. (Bobby Cannavale plays Foxx's political advisor.)

You get more of a sense of the overall spirit of this new "Annie," which seems to keep much of the tone of the original 1977 Broadway musical (and subsequent 1982 film) while updating it for modern audiences. Keep in mind that one of the biggest question marks of the movie nobody has heard yet: the new Jay-Z songs written specifically for the movie (he's also a producer). Hopefully it'll be better than his work for Ridley Scott's "American Gangster."

Well, no matter how this "Annie" turns out, it can't be worse than "Annie 2: Miss Hannigan's Revenge," a stage play that opened in the late eighties and died a horrible, horrible death.

"Annie" opens on December 19th and will directly enter the musical thunderdome: two musicals enter, only one leaves.

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These Vintage-Style 'Planes: Fire & Rescue' Posters Are Simply Gorgeous (EXCLUSIVE)

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planes fire and rescue vintage postersLast summer's "Planes," animated by DisneyToon Studios and spun off from Disney/Pixar's lucrative "Cars" franchise, was a lovely little diversion -- a soaring, charming 3D travelogue that saw a crop-dusting plane named Dusty Crophopper (Dane Cook) seek out his destiny by competing in a worldwide air race. This year we get "Planes: Fire & Rescue," which sees Dusty switching positions -- after he finds out that his engine is damaged and he may never be able to race again, be decides he'll pursue a more selfless task and become a fire and rescue plane. It's a pretty nifty premise and a movie that we're even more excited for after taking a look at these six vintage-style posters.

The posters evoke the travel posters of the '30s and '40s, where national parks were dreamily illustrated for the average American. "Planes: Fire & Rescue" art director Toby Wilson designed these concepts for the Pison Peak National Park, inspired in part by the Works Progress Administration. The WPA and its Federal Arts Project, for those who don't know, were a post-depression government initiative that focused on providing artwork for parks and public buildings while giving struggling artists some much-needed work. These "Planes: Fire & Rescue" prints were directly inspired by WPA-era work. And the results are gorgeous.

Who wouldn't want to "Blow a Gasket," every half hour, at the park, which is obviously inspired by Yosemite and Yellowstone (and monuments like Old Faithful); we also love the automotive-inspired look of Piston Peak (!) Last summer, at D23, we got a look at an early action sequence from the movie, set to the AC/DC song "Thunderstruck," and were pretty taken by the energy and excitements that the sequence was able to conjure, especially in such a short amount of time (and in an unfinished state).

"Planes: Fire & Rescue," which also stars Julie Bowen, Dale Dye, Regina King, and Ed Harris, will be in July 18th.

We kind of wish we could visit some of the places these posters advertise before then.

planes fire and rescue vintage postersplanes fire and rescue vintage postersplanes fire and rescue vintage postersplanes fire and rescue vintage postersplanes fire and rescue vintage postersplanes fire and rescue vintage posters

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Comedy Movie Mistakes: 27 Blunders From Your Favorite Funny Films (PHOTOS)

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Comedy Movie Mistakes
Let's face it, we watch comedies to laugh. Plot, editing, and camerawork could fall by the wayside and we'd still like it as long as it's funny. And even movies considered comedy classics aren't without their faults!

Iconic movies like "Groundhog Day" and "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective" prove that it's really, really hard to avoid a mistake -- even a simple continuity error.

Check out the gallery of comedy movie blunders below. As usual, all photos come courtesy of MovieMistakes.com.



Article photo courtesy of Everett

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'Maleficent' Review: 10 Things You Should Know About the New 'Sleeping Beauty' Story

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maleficent reviewSomething wicked this way comes... And that something wicked is Angelina Jolie, essaying the title role in "Maleficent."

If your animation history is spotty (or if you don't have a very young child in your life), Maleficent was the iconic sorceress from Walt Disney's very amazing 1959 animated feature "Sleeping Beauty" (in the original, she was sinisterly voiced by Eleanor Audley). Following the success of Disney's "Alice in Wonderland" (and other fairy tale blockbusters from other studios), it was time to give "Sleeping Beauty" the "Wicked" treatment, with a story from the witch's point of view.

Of course, Sleeping Beauty is there, too. Elle Fanning plays Princess Aurora, in a performance that gets a little lost (if you don't know the story of Sleeping Beauty, we pity you) and there are supporting performances from Juno Temple, Imelda Staunton, Leslie Manville, Sam Riley, and Sharlto Copley. Quite frankly, when you're standing in Angelina's shadow, why bother?

But here's the bigger question: Should you plunk down your hard-earned cash to see Disney's latest big-budget adaptation of a beloved fairy tale? Read on to find out.

CAUTION: MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

1. Angelina Is the Queen
The only reason anyone is really excited about "Maleficent" is the fact that they're going to get to watch one of the biggest movie stars in the world vamp it up as one of the most iconic villainesses in cinema history. And vamp she does. When the movie gives her something to do, Jolie is absolutely amazing -- you can tell that she loves the role and the wardrobe (including the ingenious prosthetic make-up effects designed by the wizardly Rick Baker); she is Maleficent. This is most apparent in the coronation scene, where Maleficent delivers the curse that will, upon her 16th birthday, send princess Aurora into a death-like sleep. She is over-the-top but never hammy, it's a carefully modulated performance that might be overlooked because of how big everything else in the movie is. But it shouldn't be. She is dynamite.

2. The Pacing Is Weirdly Off
The sensation that "Maleficent" is a very large sinking ship can be felt early in the movie, particularly in the first 20 minutes or so, which are devoted almost exclusively to Maleficent as a young girl and teenager. It feels like it goes on forever, but it's also pretty short, especially considering the movie is 95 minutes total. There's no form or flow to anything that happens in the movie, so that an eternity is seemingly spent in the magical land of the Moors, while the climactic siege of the castle takes what feels like a few moments. It's shapeless, rudderless, and very confusing.

3. It's Nothing Like Disney's Original 'Sleeping Beauty'
If you're a fan of the original 1959 "Sleeping Beauty," a massive technical and narrative accomplishment that pretty much bankrupted the studio in the pivotal post-war years and condemned animated princess stories to the studio's dungeons for another 30 years, you won't notice much in "Maleficent." Sure, she has her horns and there is a wall of thorns but there is very little that the two movies share, which is a shame because "Sleeping Beauty" is totally brilliant and easily one of the most visually striking animated films ever. But virtually nothing is retained from that version -- Maleficent's erstwhile feathered companion has been transformed into some weird human guy (Sam Riley), and her ghoulish minions are gone, replaced by a menagerie of forest creatures. The fairy protectors of Aurora aren't charming and concerned; they've been reduced to bumbling, borderline incompetent comic relief.

4. Sleeping Beauty Only Sleeps for a Few Minutes
In the movie's bizarre second act, Maleficent begins to have frequent, totally pleasant interaction with Aurora -- even though she's cursed her with a death-like sleep on her 16th birthday. On multilpe occasions, Maleficent enchants Aurora and brings her to the magical Moors, then sends her back. And, sadly, this back-and-forth seems to constitute much more time than the actual enchanted sewing spindle bit that we all know and love.

5. Maleficent Doesn't Turn Into a Dragon
But even more miscalculated than the fact that Sleeping Beauty only naps is the fact that Maleficent doesn't turn into a dragon. At all. That was one of the more memorable character traits that she had in the original film. This act, instead, is given to her crow-man companion. Come on!

6. Sharlto Isn't That Scary
When you're facing off against the Mistress of Evil (as she calls herself in the cartoon), you have to be pretty fearsome. Sharlto Copley, who was last seen menacing Matt Damon in "Elysium," is not up to the task. There's not that much to his character, a peasant who uses Maleficent to achieve his goals of ruling the kingdom. Instead of being a really nasty, evil dude, he just seems kooky and obsessed. There was potential there -- one scene has him speaking Maleficent's wings, which he keeps in a display case like a winning hockey jersey -- but, like much of the movie, it's squandered.

7. A More Seasoned Director Would Have Done a Better Job
Robert Stromberg, a production designer who has massive hits in the form of "Avatar," "Oz the Great and Powerful," and Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland," is making his directorial debut on "Maleficent," and clearly this wasn't the best choice. Not only his lack of directing experience evident (the camera barely moves and the frames are cluttered and clunky), but he fails to grasp a proper way of illuminating some of the movie's thematic, emotional, or metaphoric concerns. Let's remember that Stromberg was obsessed with the way that Pandora looked, not with the audience caring about what happened to the Na'vi. Considering that such heavyweight filmmakers as Brad Bird and Tim Burton were at various points attached to the project (and that Stromberg was replaced during reshoots with "Saving Mr. Banks" director John Lee Hancock), it's clear that he wasn't Disney's first choice.

8. There Aren't Any Superheroes in It
Hey, that's a plus for some people.

9. The Score Is Lackluster
One of the more memorable aspects of the original 1959 animated film was the music, which was based around the original ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The songs grew organically from that score, and the entire thing felt sweeping and opulent. The score for "Maleficent," however, by James Newton Howard is forgotten the moment you step out of the theater.

10. 'Cinderella' Looks Really Fun
Just because "Maleficent" didn't work doesn't mean that we won't get another, even more tantallizing fairy tale adaptation in 2015's "Cinderella." Directed by Kenneth Branagh, with a script by Aline Brosh McKenna, the footage that was screened recently at CinemaCon was supposedly incredible, with Cate Blanchett's Wicked Stepmother (and little mice in waist-coasts!) stealing the show. The live-action fairy tale movie might be down, but it's not out.

"Maleficent" opens everywhere May 30. Find movie times and buy tickets.

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