Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Andrew Garfield Dances in Drag to Send a Powerful Message (VIDEO)
- Fall TV 2014 Cheat Sheet: Here's What You Need to Know Now
- Can Ryan Reynolds Pull Off a Matthew McConaughey-esque Reboot?
- Steve Carell Is Crazy Intense in This New 'Foxcatcher' Clip
- 5 Must-See Food Docs From 'Fed Up' Producer Laurie David (VIDEO)
- The Greatest Baseball Team Drafted From the Movies
- 'Godzilla' Review: A Survival Guide For The Epic Monster Movie
- The Full 'Interstellar' Trailer Will Blow Your Mind, Make You Cry (VIDEO)
- All the Times Jennifer Lawrence Was the Best Late Night Guest Ever (VIDEO)
- It's Official: 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Is Filming, and Here's the Tweet to Prove It
- 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Star Chris Pratt on Bringing Star-Lord to Life (PHOTOS)
- Jon Hamm Facts: 23 Things You (Probably) Don't Know About the Actor
- 'Spring Breakers' Sequel Producers Fire Back at James Franco; Let the Feuding Begin
| Andrew Garfield Dances in Drag to Send a Powerful Message (VIDEO) Posted:  We've come to the point in pop culture where even music videos get teasers, but now that we've seen the full six-minute video of Arcade Fire's "We Exist," we get why they were building buzz.The emotionally stirring video is "the story of a young person's struggle with gender identity," as per the band, and shows Andrew Garfield struggling to get ready for a night out in a small country town. In a scene reminiscent of the more upbeat song "Wig in a Box" from "Hedwig and the Angry Inch," Garfield shaves his head, puts on make-up and a bra, and tries on different clothes before settling on jeans shorts and a midriff-baring shirt before walking through fields to reach a honky tonk bar. A man approaches and they dance briefly before the guy's friends interrupt and the scene turns ugly. The video takes a turn for the surreal as Garfield's character begins to dance freely in a now-empty bar; a group of male dancers join the scene and eventually open a glorious doorway to... Coachella. We know Coachella is a bit of a sensory overload, but didn't anyone notice an anonymous person in a white dress and blonde wig joining the band onstage? No? Well, as we saw two weeks ago in a teaser for the band's song "We Exist," that was Andrew Garfield. The actor, in a white dress, blonde wig, and the same mask-like eye make-up that Win Butler is sporting, appears in the crowd, heads toward the stage, and dances alongside the band to ecstatic cheers from the (real-live Coachella) audience. It's a superb video with a touching performance from Garfield, who first turned heads with his role in 2007's "Boy A." Now he's a web-slinging superstar, but he obviously hasn't forgotten his dramatic roots. [via MTV] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Fall TV 2014 Cheat Sheet: Here's What You Need to Know Now Posted:  This week, the major networks presented their fall TV lineups to advertisers and press, revealing their upcoming nightly schedules and new show trailers. This was the first taste of the fresh programming we should expect to see in the fall, thus allowing us to start figuring out what we might want to dip our toes (eyes?) in when it premieres. Yes.Here's a quick guide to help give you a head start on planning your viewing habits: There Will Be Superheroes NBC will be bringing us "Constantine" (based on DC's "Hellblazer" comic), Fox has Batman origin story "Gotham," and The CW spins off their hit "Arrow" with "The Flash." You'll See Many Familiar Faces... A lot of former TV stars are making their way back to the small screen. Katherine Heigl ("Grey's Anatomy") is CIA on "State of Affairs," "Private Practice" star Kate Walsh will be a "Bad Judge," Rainn Wilson of "The Office" is a prickly detective in "Backstrom," and Debra Messing is a mom with a gun in "The Mysteries of Laura." ...And More Diversity ABC has three comedies with non-white leads: Cristela stars Mexican-American comedian Cristela Alonzo, "Black-ish" is led by Anthony Anderson and Laurence Fishburne, and "Fresh Off the Boat" centers around an Asian-American family. The Thursday night block will be all about Shonda Rhimes (creator of "Scandal" and "Grey's Anatomy") with a new law series called "How to Get Away With Murder" starring Viola Davis ("The Help"). And Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer will be in Fox's "Red Band Society." Rom-Coms Aren't Just Movies Anymore Even though CBS didn't pick up "How I Met Your Dad", there are a few other relationship-focused options for you to check out this fall. "A to Z," which chronicles the entirety of a couple's relationship, will air on NBC, as will "Marry Me," a road-to-marriage comedy. ABC's "Manhattan Love Story" lets us hear a couples' inner monologues as they date. Ooh! Fox Is Having a Miniseries Moment There are two 10-episode series coming to Fox: A creepy small-town mystery called "Wayward Pines" and "Gracepoint," a post-tragedy police investigation. Like 'NCIS'? Then You're in Luck "NCIS: New Orleans" will air Tuesdays -- right after the original, on CBS. Getting excited for new TV season? Get even more stoked by watching trailers for the new shows here, right now: This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Can Ryan Reynolds Pull Off a Matthew McConaughey-esque Reboot? Posted:  Watch out, Ryan Gosling. Ryan Reynolds might be sneaking up on your sensitive Canadian indie cred at Cannes this year.First of all, check out these photos of the former Green Lantern sporting Serious Business glasses, a retro denim vest, and well-worn, brown work boots. It's like he got a makeover by way of artisanal moonshine brewers in the parts of Brooklyn no one can afford any more. Which is not a bad look for him, by the way! But that's not all. Ryan Reynolds is hitting la Croisette to promote his new film, "The Captive," which was co-written and directed by Canadian Oscar nominee Atom Egoyan. In "The Captive," Reynolds plays the tormented father of an abducted girl; he and his wife, played by Mireille Enos, are still clinging to hope despite the odds. A lead pops up that makes it seem their hope wasn't unfounded. A thriller set in Niagara Falls, Ontario, "The Captive" has gotten mixed reviews -- but, honestly, what movie doesn't get booed at Cannes? It certainly can't be worse than Egoyan's "Devil's Knot," a drama based on the true crime book about the West Memphis Three that seems fairly unnecessary given the scope of the 2002 book by Mara Leveritt and what we (sort of) know now about the case. Egoyan told "The Hollywood Reporter," "One of the things I'm most proud of with this film is it will completely redefine Ryan's career. It's a stunning performance. It's a nuanced, dramatic portrayal of a man who has been tortured for eight years and remains hopeful. It's a very compelling psychological portrait. I've been wanting to work with him for a long time. He was the first person I sent the script to." And given his track record, Egoyan does have an eye for actors; his work with the excellent Sarah Polley speaks for itself. Reynolds was pretty blunt during the press conference for "The Captive" in describing an encounter with a particularly uninspiring director. "I was with a director years ago who said, 'Don't blink.' I said, 'What do you mean? Can I give myself a break and blink every hour to lubricate my eyeballs?' He said, 'It betrays vulnerability.' And I thought, 'That, right there, is grade-A sh*t direction.' If a scene calls for anger, Atom lets you sit with it, and maybe go the opposite direction." Reynolds doesn't seem oblivious to these missteps. He wasn't quite so blunt about what went wrong with "The Green Lantern," but he made it clear in a podcast with "Empire" that he has "very little interest" in playing the superhero in any future movies. He described "how difficult it is to make that concept palatable, and how confused it all can be when you don't really know exactly where you're going with it or you don't really know how to access that world properly -- that world comic book fans have been accessing for decades and falling in love with." He also mentions in that podcast that he was about to start shooting a movie with Marjane Satrapi, the extraordinary writer/director of "Persepolis" and "Chicken With Plums. "The Voices" premiered at Sundance to positive reviews; in the movie, he plays a guy who kills at the behest of his cat, Mr. Whiskers. Reynolds also voices Mr. Whiskers and his dog, Bosco, among other animals. Needless to say, we need to see this immediately. Reynolds also had no problem captivating viewers in the 2010 thriller "Buried," where he plays a guy buried alive in a friggin' coffin. That's some serious acting. "The Captive" was snagged for US release by A24, the super-cool distributor behind "Spring Breakers," "Under the Skin," "Locke," "The Rover," and "Obvious Child." They've got good taste! We've all been keeping an eagle eye out for who could be the next hunky actor who's savvy enough to rise from the ashes of his hunky career, a la Matthew McConaughey. Will Reynolds be the first to leave his metaphorical bongos behind? Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP/Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Steve Carell Is Crazy Intense in This New 'Foxcatcher' Clip Posted:  Although Steve Carell is more known for her doofy characters like Brick Tamland in "Anchorman," he's given some serious (and seriously underseen) performances in movies like "The Way Way Back," "Hope Springs," and "Dan in Real Life." Now it looks like he's getting seriously scary in the upcoming drama "Foxcatcher," which is premiering at Cannes.Carell stars as John du Pont, an heir to the du Pont family fortune who was convicted of murdering Dave Schultz, a wrestler du Pont was ostensibly training for the '96 Olympics. Mark Ruffalo plays Dave Schultz, and Channing Tatum co-stars as his brother Mark. It's a strange story about obsession and mental illness, and although the movie's release date got pushed back a year, we're more enthusiastic than ever to see this intense drama. It seems like people are always surprised when Carell is cast in something that's not a comedy, but this trailer gives us a good idea why director Bennett Miller picked the "Office" star. Miller told "The Hollywood Reporter" that he cast Carell because of that very expectation. "I didn't want to hire an actor who you might presuppose was capable of murder because one thing that was repeated among many, many people who were there was that nobody believed du Pont was capable of doing what he did," he said. Miller also directed "Moneyball" with Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in a role that snagged Hill his first Oscar nomination, so Miller's gut instincts seem pretty sound. Our first look at Carell as du Pont was way back in August of 2013, and seeing him in action is even more impressive. "Foxcatcher" opens on November 14. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 5 Must-See Food Docs From 'Fed Up' Producer Laurie David (VIDEO) Posted:  Food documentaries are among the most talked about and critically acclaimed of the genre -- especially when they blow the lid off of something we've always thought true or taken for granted. Now, another thought-provoking doc of that ilk joins the mix. "Fed Up," from director Stephanie Soechtig ("Tapped"), producer Laurie David ("An Inconvenient Truth"), and journalist Katie Couric, takes a hard look at America's growing obesity problem, revealing information that the food industry really doesn't want you to know.In the spirit of documentaries like "Fed Up," which is in theaters now, we asked producer Laurie David to share her list of must-see food docs. "Food rules, and I will watch any doc that impacts my own personal knowledge of what I'm eating and feeding my kids," she tells us. And with that, here are her top five food documentaries. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Greatest Baseball Team Drafted From the Movies Posted:  Baseball is America's pastime. Before there were cars or movies or a President named Roosevelt, ballplayers were swiping bags and hitting bombs. Throughout its 100 plus years, few things have changed about the sport, even down to fights over wounded pride. It didn't take long for Hollywood to glom on to the drama, and the baseball genre was brought to new heights with the 1942 classic "Pride of the Yankees." This Friday, Disney brings us the latest baseball-themed movie, "Million Dollar Arm," starring Jon Hamm as a sports agent determined to turn Indian cricket players into baseball stars. In honor of the greatest fictional baseball figures, from movies like "Bull Durham" and "Major League," we've assembled our own Dream Team. Think we slighted a couple baseball characters? Let us know in the comments below! Article photo courtesy of Everett This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Godzilla' Review: A Survival Guide For The Epic Monster Movie Posted:  While competing monster movie franchises have come and gone, Godzilla has endured at the top of kaiju food chain, fending off everyone from King Kong and Mothra to Roland Emmerich's disastrous 1998 "reimagining." Now, some 60 years after the undisputed King of the Monsters' first appearance, Hollywood is getting a second shot at rebooting the legendary monster. Thanks to director Gareth Edwards taking a page out the tried-and-true Spielberg playbook and an impressive cast, this latest "Godzilla" manages to do the big guy justice, resulting in a crowd-pleasing summer blockbuster that's hitting with both critics and fans. But a few questions still remain. So I put together the following handy survival guide to help you know what to expect from the king of all reboots. Beware of spoilers. It's pretty rare for a summer blockbuster, let alone one as massively-hyped as "Godzilla," to have any surprises left after the modern trend of movie trailers that show pretty much everything but the end credits. But Edwards' movie manages to have a couple genuinely shocking moments, some fun, some decidedly less so. Here's pretty much all you need to know about the plot: instead of following Emmerich's lead and having Godzilla rampage while woefully overmatched military forces attempt to stop him, Edwards has "the ultimate apex predator" pick on someone his own size. In this case, it's ancient MUTO (short for Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism, naturally) that feed off nuclear missiles and power plants. Don't expect a non-stop monster Royal Rumble. Actually, there is one thing we should probably warn you about: Edwards clearly subscribes to the "Jaws" model of less is more when it comes to showing off his title monster. It makes sense, considering Edwards landed the job on the strength of his microbudget debut "Monsters" which, in spite of the title, showed very few shots of said monsters. The director may have a whole lot more zeros to play with, but the same goes here; his "Godzilla" is far more notable for what Edwards doesn't show than what he does. You do get to see the iconic Godzilla in all his scaly, radiation-breathing glory, but for the most part, the director teases us with brief glimpses and awestruck bystander reaction shots until it comes time for the King of the Monsters to defend his title. Even then, Edwards holds most of the monster-on-monster action until the final act. It's a gutsy choice, for sure, and could frustrate fans going in expecting "Pacific Rim"-style throw downs. See it on the biggest screen possible. That said, "Godzilla" certainly isn't wanting for spectacle. And while you could argue about the necessity of 3D, Edwards' movie is downright jaw-dropping in IMAX. Because while the director may be stingy when it comes to the Godzilla money shots, he certainly delivers the goods in the destruction department. City blocks are levelled, entire airports go up in flames, and there's a key scene on the Golden Gate Bridge that would make even Roland Emmerich jealous. But thanks to his more slow-burn approach, Edwards does a great job of combating the CGI fatigue that tends to plague movies from traditional "disaster porn" directors like Emmerich or Michael Bay. By giving us time to hold our breath, the ensuing chaos ends up having a greater effect, all without sacrificing any of the explosions. Be prepared to just go with it. Unfortunately, despite a stellar cast, the movie's requisite humans don't offer nearly as many thrills as their CGI counterparts. The script, while serviceable, suffers from a plot that's little more than a series of lucky coincidences, as Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Lieutenant Brody somehow manages to hitch a ride on every key military operation from Honolulu to San Francisco. Meanwhile, good luck not chuckling when Godzilla shares not one, but two meaningful glances with his human pals. Still, the film manages to build up enough goodwill elsewhere to make its nonsensical moments worth overlooking. Really, it's the same age-old problem every kaiju movie wrestles with: it's pretty tough to make us want to watch the people on the ground when there are giant monsters duking it out down the street. Get ready to cheer. Unlike other movie monsters, there's always been something oddly endearing about Godzilla, which is how he's managed to show up in more sequels than James Bond. And while Edwards' version has come a long way from a guy in a rubber suit, the scaly saviour manages to retain the iconic look, roar and, most importantly, the charm of the Japanese original. After six decades of being a pop culture icon, Godzilla doesn't really need an over-expository origin story or some complicated reboot. So when he gets a Navy escort to San Francisco to save the day, it doesn't need much explanation. And even though he destroys almost as much of the city as he saves, we cheer anyway. Besides, it's not like he causes any more collateral damage than Henry Cavill's Superman did. (He's got more personality too, for that matter.) Because if nothing else, that's the biggest thing Edwards and this latest reboot gets right: it's a lot more fun to watch Godzilla fight for humanity than against it. "Godzilla" is now playing in theatres. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The Full 'Interstellar' Trailer Will Blow Your Mind, Make You Cry (VIDEO) Posted:  Any new Christopher Nolan movie is worth celebrating. If the director of "Memento," "The Prestige," and the Dark Knight trilogy wanted to make a film about a painted fence slowly drying, I'd probably be the first in line, wearing a thematically appropriate T-shirt. And Nolan seems to be the best, the most unencumbered, when he's working on original material, like the genuinely mind-blowing "Inception," a movie so trippy and odd that you practically floated out of the theater.Well, King Nolan is back, with "Interstellar," a tale of deep space exploration, the time space continuum, and the velvety softness of Matthew McConaughey's voice. While the teaser was intriguing, it didn't offer much in the way of actual plot details (or even of conveying a mood or tone); this new trailer does, and then some. It's a brilliant little jewel in its own right, equal parts mind-blowing adventure and heartbreaking family drama, and, scored to a gorgeous piece of music from Dario Marianelli's "V for Vendetta" score (thanks The Film Stage), just might make you cry. The trailer starts out with McConaughey following a surveillance drone through some cornfields. He then seems to be interrogated, or at least sternly talked to, by David Oyelowo, who seems to be putting a particular bit of importance not on the fact that McConaughey is a pilot and engineer, but that he's also a farmer. The movie is set in a world that has dried up; there are some staggering shots of Dust Bowl-style dust clouds rolling across the landscape. "We must face the reality that nothing on our solar system can help us," says Michael Caine, in full-on Nolan mentor role (yet again). The proposition: to go beyond the solar system, in order to rekindle humanity. When McConaughey asks Caine how he intends on saving the world, Caine says, "We're not meant to save the world. We're meant to leave it." McConaughey telling his kids goodbye is genuinely heart tugging and the visuals are a nifty combination of shock and awe: space travelers being submerged in goo, an amazing spaceship design unlike anything you've ever seen, and images of deep, deep, incredibly deep space. The final image appears to be the spaceship spinning into a black hole, which... Wow. When "Interstellar," which also co-stars Jessica Chastain (glimpsed briefly in the trailer), Anne Hathaway (ditto), Matt Damon, Bill Irwin, Ellen Burstyn, Casey Affleck, Topher Grace, John Lithgow, and Wes Bentley, opens on November 7th, it might be like "2001" with heart. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| All the Times Jennifer Lawrence Was the Best Late Night Guest Ever (VIDEO) Posted:  Everyone's imaginary best friend Jennifer Lawrence sure isn't afraid to let it all hang out on national TV. And perhaps one of the best examples of that adorable quality are her hilarious and often very candid interviews, particularly those which air after the hour of 11 p.m. It's pretty much a given that when J.Law hits a late night talk show she's going to recall a super funny personal story or do something absolutely ridiculous. Here's a handy round-up of all the times Jennifer Lawrence charmed the heck out of the hosts, offered up one of her signature T.M.I. moments, and made the world fall in love with her again and again. Backlash, what backlash? Last night on the "Tonight Show" the "X-Men: Days of Future Past" star once again revealed one of her many embarrassing moments for all of America to hear. Apparently, she and Jimmy Fallon (after a few jello shots) once hatched a plan to get Jennifer Lopez to dance with them. Unfortunately, Jimmy left her by her lonesome, making her look very silly in front of the pop superstar. Here's the hysterical tale of when J.Law met J.Lo: Jennifer also played a riveting game of "Box of Lies." Watch as she and Jimmy tell the truth or lie about the contents inside of mystery boxes. Can she just be a "Tonight Show" sidekick already? Lawrence has also had memorable "Late Show" appearances, too. Who could forget the classic moment she talked to David Letterman about her fulcer? Yeah, this one time she totally told everyone about her bathroom trouble like it was no big deal. She also spoke with Conan about her failed modeling career with Abercrombie & Fitch. Another model supposedly screamed "get her away from me!" after J.Law got too intense in a fake game of football. Of course that happened. Speaking of sports, here she is, back in 2012, throwing a bucket of KFC into a basketball net on "Late Night." And remember how she admitted she stalked her crush John Stamos like a "pervert" at a party? And in true J.Law form, here she remembers bragging about wetting the bed at the mature age of 13. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| It's Official: 'Star Wars: Episode VII' Is Filming, and Here's the Tweet to Prove It Posted:  Well, after months of speculation, theorizing, and shadowy pre-production work, the still-subtitle-free "Star Wars: Episode VII" has officially begun shooting, at least according to a single, cryptic tweet from director J.J. Abrams's Bad Robot production company (via The Wrap).The photo, which went up early on Friday morning, is of the "Star Wars: Episode VII" clapboard. The hash tag? #Dayone. This seems to signify that the movie has begun principle photography (there were earlier reports that the production had shot some stuff already, but it was likely secondary material without any major cast or crew members). "Star Wars: Episode VII" is primarily being shot at England's fabled Pinewood Studios, with a cast that includes newcomers John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley and Max Von Sydow, joining original cast members Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill and Harrison Ford (I don't care how many times I write that, it still gives me goosebumps).Now the real pressure is on to actually, you know, get this thing done and into theaters in time for its December 18th, 2015 release date. Abrams might just have to use the Force to pull it off. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Guardians of the Galaxy' Star Chris Pratt on Bringing Star-Lord to Life (PHOTOS) Posted:  As a film journalist, most of the time when we talk to actors or technicians, it is months or sometimes years after that person has finished working on the movie. But with set visits, it's during production. Not only have you, as a journalist, not seen the movie (which, it should be noted, is an essential part of the process), but the actor or whoever doesn't have a clue what that movie is going to be, either. It's like showing up at the office of a novelist and asking them to talk about the finished book. Pretty weird.But what made our visit to the set of "Guardians of the Galaxy," Disney and Marvel's upcoming, space-set superhero romp, even more bizarre, is that almost all of the actors looked otherworldly in some way (more on those actors when we're actually allowed to talk about them). The sets, located at England's famous Shepperton Studios (under the just-as-bad-ass codename "Full Tilt"), were spaceships. They took up whole warehouses of space (what seemed like football stadiums-worth of square footage) and were filled with intricate, technologically sophisticated detail. When we were finally able to talk to Chris Pratt, who plays human being Peter Quill aka Star Lord in the film, the head of the band of merry outlaws known as the Guardians of the Galaxy that also includes sexy assassin Gamora (Zoe Saldana), hulking brute Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista), sentient tree Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) and trigger-happy raccoon Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper), it wasn't on one of these elaborate sets but inside a cavernously empty soundstage next door, where we imagined they probably ran laps in between takes or reenacted scenes from "Big" (you know, after he gets the giant loft apartment... Ah forget it...) Pratt had his Guardians gear underneath a white wraparound that looked like a cross between the smock that they give you at the hair salon and a Jedi knight's robe, and, for a man who was transitioning from relative obscurity (yes, "Parks and Recreation" is beloved but not exactly a ratings powerhouse) to the lead in a giant summer superhero movie, seemed, at least in that moment, at ease and perfectly calm. His cosmic flow was perfectly in balance. In fact, Pratt seemed to shrug off most of our questions even if, when answering, electric currents of nervousness popped up now and again. When talking about being enveloped in the world, he said that the props and costumes are a huge help. "All that stuff makes my job much easier because it's doing a lot of the work for me," Pratt explained. "The props, the costume, mask and guns, everything that distracts the viewers attention from me, just in case I fuck it up please just look at the cool guns." Keep in mind though, when we visited the props department for the movie, which looked like some kind of 33rd century, inter-dimensional armory, the technician said that they had sent Pratt his laser guns ahead of time, so that he could practice (we imagine that included scaring the cat). This was one of the moments where his charming goofiness came to the forefront, considering that he had something very different on his mind than how his ray gun looked and felt. "They sent me the gun and I think they wanted to see how it matched up against my hand but at the time, all I was worried about was I'm going to send them pictures of me holding this gun and they're going to think I'm too fat and fire me," he revealed. (Spoiler alert: that didn't happen.) Pratt continued: "That's all I remember thinking, I was still very much in the process of losing weight so I was like sucking it in holding the gun, my wife was like, 'You look uncomfortable in this photo.' I said, 'I am! God.' So I sent in the photo and immediately after they were like, 'By the way we need to come get your sizes again.' I was like, 'I know.'" At one point, in between cracking jokes about how hard balancing the job of playing a badass and being super funny ("By badass you mean Andy Dwyer, right? They're both super badass so it's really easy..."), Pratt turned around to shush a small cluster of extras who looked like second-tier plumbers on the Death Star. It must have been a little humiliating getting told to quiet down, especially by an American actor and superstar-in-training whose big movie wouldn't open for almost another year. This is an aspect that he shares with the character of Star Lord, who might not be familiar to audiences as widely as, say, Iron Man or Captain America, and Pratt said that he helped come up with that famous line in the trailer when he has to explain who he is. "I remember reading it and my thought was, Why is he just saying I am Star-Lord? And then I talked to James and I was like, 'Maybe there should be this moment where it's like, Who? Who is that?' And I feel like that was something we collaborated on." Still, Pratt insists that by the end of the movie, he'll earn his stripes, er, cool cosmic nickname. "What's great is the stakes of what happens in the movie legitimizes this nickname." When the question was brought up as to whether or not the character's relative anonymity amongst the public at large was helpful in that he was able to make the character more fully his own, Pratt was unsure. "I don't necessarily know if it affects me one way or another. I think it probably is helpful that people don't know who he is because it would be my intention to make him my own anyways. But I think that's something that Robert Downey Jr. did with Iron Man." Then things got wacky, but still, Pratt continued: "He came in and he is Tony Stark -- and he kind of is now because he can probably afford like weapon systems [laughs]. The guy could probably build his own suit now with all the money he's making. But to be honest, I don't know Robert Downey Jr., but I'm just assuming! I don't even know him, so maybe that's not how he is at all. Maybe he has a British accent and is a totally different person than Tony Stark. But to me it seems like, Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark." Downey Jr. seems to be his role model for what he wants to do with the character. "That is something that I would like to try to do, just keep it real and keep it close to who I am, and maybe the fact that nobody knows these characters, that'll be helpful," he explained, with a combination of confidence and sheepishness. "And it probably will be helpful, because you think of it like those 'Star Wars' movies that came out, the prequels. There's a lot of expectations there, and to shoulder a project with preconceived notions, expectations and all these things, it really makes it difficult. It makes it difficult if you spend the whole movie trying to satisfy what people think they know about a character. The first 'Star Wars' didn't have that problem because it's all brand-new. You just take it for what it is." And then, without missing a beat, Pratt delivered the deadpan button to this whole speech, "So what I'm saying is that we will be better than Star Wars." And you definitely got a "Star Wars"-y vibe from the sets, which were, as previously reported, unbelievably massive and sci-fi-y, and from Pratt's character. He said that Marvel head Kevin Feige looked at the footage and described Star-Lord as " Han Solo-meets-Marty McFly," even though Pratt insisted that he wasn't trying to be either character, necessarily. (When trying to describe what "Guardians of the Galaxy" will be to people who are unfamiliar, we usually fall back on: "it's like if there was a 'Star Wars' movie and every character was Han Solo." Which works pretty well.) Of course, everyone wanted to know about the physical transformation Pratt went through to get his somewhat bulkier form down to lean, mean, alien-blasting shape. He said that sometimes he would get out of the make-up chair and not even notice the guy staring back at him from the mirror: he was Star-Lord. "I mean it's a third of what I do, I think, as an actor is just what I look like, you know? I'm a prop and I talk and I listen and I feel things and I have a certain rhythm to my spirit, all of which, all of those things I can manipulate, but the way I look is also something you can manipulate," Pratt said, matter-of-factly. "That's why there are people that are just like completely dull and have nothing going on the inside, but when you look at 'em, and they look compelling. There's great symmetry or something, and you're kind of captivated by them, even though on the inside there's nothing going on!" Everyone sitting around the table, in this empty, dusty soundstage laughed because this is probably 95% of Hollywood Pratt is talking about. "Know what I mean?" Yes, Chris, we do. While Pratt described his character as having a truly dramatic story arc, having been abducted from Earth as a young boy and now living life as an intergalactic outlaw ("He is on a quest to escape, essentially"), he said that there is still tons of comedy in the movie, thanks mainly to writer/director James Gunn's gag-heavy script and his own inclinations. "I think comedy is very, very important, especially in this film. I mean, if we pull this off right, it's going to be hard for other movies to come out that are like this. They're going to seem pretty unfunny compared to our movie, I think," Pratt explained, digging up some more of that Star-Lord bravado. "James is really, really funny. This is ultimately his movie and his voice, and you'll definitely see that humor through the course of this movie." He then described the movie thusly: "It's important and key to making this movie work, because it's not just a straight action-adventure type of movie. I think all the best big adventure movies have comedy, like all the 'Indiana Jones' movies and 'Romancing the Stone.' Any type of movie where you have an adventure, potential budding sexual chemistry and humor all together, it really works." And based on everything we saw, heard, and experienced through intergalactic telepathic communication on the set of "Guardians of the Galaxy," we couldn't agree more: it really works. This is going to be an out-of-control, wildly entertaining movie, and after it opens, Pratt is going to be a huge star (he's already scheduled to appear in next summer's sure-to-be-blockbuster "Jurassic World"). Basically, he's out of this world. Be sure to come back to Moviefone.com for more from our visit to the Planet X set of "Guardians of the Galaxy," and visit the "Guardians of the Galaxy" Facebook page on Monday at 10 a.m. for a live "Guardians" Q&A, followed immediately by the brand-new trailer. Trust us, it's a doozy. "Guardians of the Galaxy" hits theaters August 1. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Jon Hamm Facts: 23 Things You (Probably) Don't Know About the Actor Posted:  Jon Hamm is one of the most likeable and humble stars today, but success didn't come easy for the Midwestern actor, who proved that patience really does pay. Moving to Los Angeles in the mid-90s, it was more than a decade before Hamm landed "Mad Men" and became a breakthrough sensation. But ever since starring as the now iconic Don Draper, the actor has found work aplenty, appearing in hits like "The Town" and sitcom "30 Rock." This summer, Hamm is back on the silver screen in Disney's "Million Dollar Arm," where he stars as a sports agent trying to turn Indian cricket players into baseball stars. From competing on a cheesy dating show to his surprising first movie director, here are 23 things you probably don't know about Jon Hamm. 1. Hamm was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Deborah and Daniel Hamm. His mother was a secretary, while his father ran a family trucking company. 2. His parents divorced when he was only two years old, and he continued to live with his mother during the week and his father on weekends. 3. Hamm's father was a larger-than-life character, who'd often bring Jon along to bars and clubs after he was through with work. Sadly, Hamm's mother succumbed to colon cancer when he was 10, and he went to live with his grandmother. 4. Hamm's first acting role was as Winnie the Pooh in first grade, which piqued the future "Mad Men" star's interest in acting. However, it would be many years before Hamm would take acting seriously. 5. Both an actor and football star in high school, Hamm turned down athletic scholarships to study English at University of Texas. 6. His high school prom date was actress Sarah Clarke, who is best known for playing agent Nina Myers in "24" and Bella Swan's mom in the "Twilight" series. 7. After his father passed when he was 20, Hamm left Texas and returned home to attend the University of Missouri. During this time, he responded to a casting call and successfully auditioned for a part in a theater production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream." 8. After graduating in 1993, he taught eighth-grade theater at his old high school. Ellie Kemper, who played Erin Hannon on "The Office," was one of his students. 9. Kemper and Hamm would later co-star together in the comedy hit "Bridesmaids" (2011). 10. He is good friends with Paul Rudd and even visited his fellow actor in Hollywood back in 1992, several years before Hamm would make the move out to Hollywood himself. 11. In 1995, he moved out to Los Angeles with a car and $150 in his pocket. He took up residence with four other aspiring actors and worked as a waiter while auditioning for roles. 12. Hamm admits he had a difficult time finding work mainly because he looked to old for his age. In an interview with Details magazine, Hamm said, "If you didn't look 18 years old, you weren't working. And I didn't look 18 years old when I was 18. I always looked 10 years older than I was." 13. After getting dropped by his talent agency, he even took a job as a set designer for a softcore pornography production. 14. His first movie role was a bit part in Clint Eastwood's "Space Cowboys" (2000). The future star only had one line. 15. When he was 25 years old, Hamm was even a contestant on a dating show! Here he is in an episode of "The Big Date" (1996). He was rejected... 16. Hamm has been on countless Sexiest Men Alive lists since hitting it big as the smooth-talking adman Don Draper on "Mad Men" (2007). 17. While he's never been married, Hamm has been with his longtime girlfriend Jennifer Westfeldt since 1997. 18. Westfeldt is a successful actress in her own right, having starred in the indie hit "Kissing Jessica Stein" (2001) -- which she also co-wrote. 19. Don Draper, Hamm's character on "Mad Men" is always smoking, however, Hamm personally gave up the habit when he was 24. To combat the problem, he smokes herbal cigarettes that contain no tobacco or nicotine. 20. Don Draper's signature drink is an Old-Fashioned and, naturally, fans will send the drink over to Hamm when he's out. Interestingly, Hamm also isn't a fan of bourbon (the booze found in an Old-Fashioned) and opts for a Midori sour instead. 21. The actor's new film "Million Dollar Arm" may focus on baseball, but Hamm is a devoted fan of NHL team the St. Louis Blues. He's even appeared in two television spots for the team, like this one. 22. He also narrated the official highlight reel for the 2011 World Series, which his hometown St. Louis Cardinals won. 23. His voice work doesn't stop there, though. In 2010, Mercedes-Benz hired Hamm to be the voice for their new S400 Hybrid campaign and can be heard in this commercial. Something about his voice just exudes "elegance." [Sources: IMDb, Wikipedia, Digital Spy] Article photo courtesy of Getty This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Spring Breakers' Sequel Producers Fire Back at James Franco; Let the Feuding Begin Posted:  While audiences who loved "Spring Breakers" are no doubt thrilled with news that the film is getting a sequel, original star James Franco is none too pleased.Franco and "Spring Breakers 2" producers have been engaged in a public war of words since the sequel was first announced, with both sides slinging pretty harsh zingers at the other. Franco's beef lies with producers' choice to move forward with a follow-up without the involvement of director Harmony Korine, who Franco said was the creative visionary behind the 2012 first film. He released the following rant on Instagram: But producer Chris Hanley hit back at the actor, telling Variety that Franco doesn't really have a leg to stand on when it comes to integrity of film sequels. "Let's see if I can remember all of the sequels James has done," Hanley told the trade. "'The Great and Mighty Oz,' 'Spider-Man,' 'Planet of the Apes.' ... And he's pushing hard to help set up the 'Pineapple Express' sequel. I guess he thinks only 'too big to fail studio films' are the artistically valid ventures." Hanley and his business partner, Roberta Hanley, also told Variety that their production company, Muse, has the rights to the project and can legally do what they see fit. They added that "Spring Breakers: The Second Coming" was "a new incarnation" of the film. The Hanleys are currently promoting the sequel at Cannes. It doesn't have a release date yet. [via Instagram, Variety, h/t First Showing] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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