Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Another Day, Another 'Hulk' Movie Rumor
- Professor X and Magneto Face Off in a New 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' Preview (VIDEO)
- Disney Limits Sale of 'Frozen' Merchandise in Theme Parks Due to Overwhelming Demand
- 'Locke' Review: What, Exactly, Is the Tom Hardy Movie About?
- 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' Review: Six Reasons It Isn't So Amazing
- Matt Smith Joins 'Terminator' Reboot in a Mysterious 'Major Role'
- 'Star Wars' Day: May the Fourth (Be With You) Has an Obvious Origin
- 'Sixteen Candles' Cast: Where Are They Now? (PHOTOS)
- Hot Docs 2014: 'The Notorious Mr. Bout' Review
- Confusing 'Gravity' Lawsuit Claims Author Is Owed Royalties on Movie <em>Not</em> Based on Her Book
| Another Day, Another 'Hulk' Movie Rumor Posted:  Take this with a big pinch of salt -- another solo "Hulk" movie may be in the works at Marvel Studios, according to Lou Ferrigno.Ferrigno, who played the Hulk on television, claimed in a radio interview (via Slashfilm) that a third "Hulk" movie would be next on deck. "Now because he saved the day [in the first "Avengers" movie], they're making another solo Hulk movie after the second 'Avengers' comes out," he said. Well, we won't take Ferrigno's word for it, just yet, but it's entire possible that Marvel will get another "Hulk" going after "The Avengers: Age of Ultron" and "Ant-Man." Mark Ruffalo is reprising the role in the "Avengers" sequel. But there's been talk of another "Hulk" movie for the last few years, and Marvel has moved forward with other properties in the meantime. Hulk smash again? Time will tell. Photo by Diane Bondareff/Invision for Starkey Hearing Foundation/AP Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Professor X and Magneto Face Off in a New 'X-Men: Days of Future Past' Preview (VIDEO) Posted:  They were once friends, but now are the bitterest of enemies. In this new clip from "X-Men: Days of Future Past," it's clear that the relationship between Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lehnsherr (Michael Fassbender) is completely broken. For good. As Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) watches on, the two men begin to argue. Charles has given up his powers so he can walk, and Erik retorts that he's suffered a loss, too. But Professor X accuses Magneto of taking all the things he cared most about. "You abandoned me! You took her away and you abandoned me," he shouts, referring to Raven (Jennifer Lawrence). But perhaps the pot is calling the kettle black. "X-Men: Days of Future Past" opens in theaters May 23. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Disney Limits Sale of 'Frozen' Merchandise in Theme Parks Due to Overwhelming Demand Posted:  After we reported on the fisticuffs and bald-faced lying that was corrupting the normally magical realm of the Disney Store in New York City, largely due to shortages of "Frozen" merchandise, it seems that Disney has taken steps to ensure that such madness is kept out of its theme parks and cruise ships. Because, really, we're on the brink here people. According to WDW Magic, Disney has imposed a restriction on the amount of any given "Frozen" related item purchased at any of the domestic parks (there are four in Florida and two in California), Disney Cruise Line ships, and Disney Vacation Club locations. That means you can only by 5 (!) of any single "Frozen" item, before being told "no." You want five singing Olaf plushes? Sure! How about 6? Not on my watch, buster. While it's kind of unheard of for a company to actually limit the amount of purchases you can make, this is some kind of bizarre, Cabbage Patch Kids-like phenomenon, and it's nice that Disney is at least trying to make sure that everyone gets their very own Elsa and Anna dolls, especially when visiting the parks. (Since these are potentially once-in-a-lifetime visits that should be stuffed to the brim with magic.) We say: bravo! We also say: we should have put our stuff from the junket up on eBay! So when you go down to Florida this summer to ride the brand new Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, be sure to stock up on your "Frozen" merchandise... as much as you can. Article photo courtesy of Disney This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Locke' Review: What, Exactly, Is the Tom Hardy Movie About? Posted: After an extensive festival run that began last September with its Venice premiere, Steven Knight's "Locke" finally makes it to cinemas this weekend. Intense, moving, and at times astonishing, this film is a delightful piece that's incredibly engaging. The film's biggest special effect is its only on-camera actor, Tom Hardy, giving another of his rock-solid performances that helps once again solidify his reputation as one of the finest thespians of his generation. So, what's the story? A foreman of a construction company gets into his BMW X3, and starts driving as quickly as he can from Birmingham in northern England down to London. Along the way he answers and makes a few phone calls. That's it? We're stuck in a truck with a guy on his cellphone for 90 minutes? Yup. That sounds boring as hell. Nope. Not only is it exciting, but thanks to Hardy's impeccable skills, "Locke" proves to be one of the most exhilarating films of the year. From balancing the major work that needs to be done in his absence to coming to terms with his family situation, there's almost no time where you're not on edge, feeling Ivan Locke's pain. With such a claustrophobic setting, it's almost impossible not be drawn into the immediacy and intimacy of Locke's situation. He's messed up, to be sure, but in trying to make things right and make the best out of impossible situations, we can immediately empathize with the waves of emotion that crash over the driver in series. Am I going to get carsick from this? Decked out with a series of high resolution digital cameras, the photography is stellar and free from the stupidity of shaky-cam. The camera placement makes the vehicular setting of "Locke" feel like a paradoxical mix of the familiar and the unique. With close-up shots of Hardy's performance, we can almost feel his tears, responding time after time as tensions rise and ebb. Hardy's fine, gravelly voice and northern lilt has a soothing quality, and the performances by his co-actors (those who call in) provide the only real clue to the events occurring outside the walls of Locke's ride. Is this nothing more than an experiment then? Well, it's true, you can think of this as experimental cinema, but it's of the highest order. It feels a lot like an exceptional stage play, with a single person on his stage providing a mix of soliloquy and offstage discussion. Yet there's nothing obnoxious or trite about the film's execution -- the hook, the notion of the one guy driving at night to reach his destination, is neither superfluous nor silly. Well, that sounds pretty unique. "Locke" certainly feels fresh and original, but also very much an accessible narrative film. In some ways, the film echoes another masterful film that played festivals last September, Alfonso Cuarón's "Gravity," especially the scene where Bullock's character corresponds with the Greenlandic Inuit and his barking dogs. As we become more and more connected in virtual ways, we are able to construct entire worlds in our imaginations at the other end of a phone call, responding to the subtlest of verbal cues or inflections, dreading the tear-filled responses, and aggravated by what seems to be incompetence or laxity from those we call upon to help in our absence. So, should I go see it in theatres or wait to see it at home? This is one of those rare films that actually would work fine on a small screen, provided you were watching without distraction and in a darkened environment. Part of the magic of it lies in becoming absorbed into the film's setting, and a theatrical experience is likely to be your best bet for that to occur. Plus, given the wonderful micro-expressions that exceptional performers like Hardy rely upon to provide depth of character -- the tiniest of movements of the muscles around the eyes or the tightening of muscles around the lips -- a bigger screen may well drive you even further into the conflicted mindset of the film's protagonist. "Locke" is a terrific little film; despite its closed-in setting, it never feels overtheatrical or contrived. This is the perfect blend of setting and performance, and combined with exceptional editing and a subtle score by Dickon Hinchliffe, there's a lot to love about this film. "Locke" is now playing in theatres.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' Review: Six Reasons It Isn't So Amazing Posted: The movie isn't without its charms, but considering we're currently on our fifth Spider-Man movie in 12 years and Webb's second, what's most shocking is how many of the same old traps it falls into. Here's a rundown of some of the things that unfortunately keep "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" from being, well, more amazing. It's painfully cheesy. Not every superhero movie needs to be Christopher Nolan-level dark. But "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" goes so far over-the-top, it's almost a non-stop cheesefest. Even if you're willing to give Paul Giamatti a pass for his goofy Russian accent in a briefer-than-advertised role as the Rhino (which you should), there's enough in here to make your eyes sore from all the eye-rolling. Case in point: during the climactic final battle, Jamie Foxx's Electro tosses Spider-Man against giant power coils to the tune of "The Itsy Bitsy Spider," while our hero quips "I hate this song." 'Nuff said? It doesn't make the most of its strengths. Webb's sequel works best when it relies on the charms of its main cast to carry the film; Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone are both charismatic enough to get laughs no matter how hokey or expository the dialogue gets. And even more impressively, they somehow manage to avoid the usual chemistry problems of other movie couples dating both on- and off-screen. When the movie takes time out of a massive car chase for our hero to make irreverent small talk with a pedestrian he just saved, that's when "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" is firing on all cylinders. Which makes it even more of a shame when the movie subsequently cuts back to a scene of cliché Russian bad guys hijacking a talking safe filled with plutonium lifted straight from every mediocre '90s action movie ever made. It didn't spend enough time on the villains. Just to be clear, we're not talking screentime -- at 142 minutes, the movie's already more than long enough as is -- but if the plan really is to build a Marvel-esque universe with spinoffs for iconic Spidey villains like Venom and the Sinister Six, it would've been nice if they were more than just a mash-up of supervillain clichés and tired overused tropes. It doesn't help that Foxx's Electro sounds just like Jim Carrey's Riddler (and looks very similar to Dr. Manhattan from "Watchmen" ... or the Blue Man Group), or that the main defining characteristic for Dane DeHaan's Green Goblin is a superhuman ability to throw temper tantrums. If they can't manage to be particularly compelling in 10-minute chunks here, what's going to happen when they get their own movie? It's cartoonish in all the wrong ways. Whereas most modern superhero movies aim to ground their stories in the real world, Webb's sequel heads squarely in the opposite direction. Car chases involve what seems like the entire NYPD, and there's a truly weird scene featuring an Electro meltdown in Times Square, where the score features some kind of bizarre rap/schizophrenic break. And while it's hard to call out a movie about a teenager with the abilities of a spider for being unrealistic, we find it hard to believe even a crowd of New Yorkers would heckle a clearly deranged individual who's just proven he has the ability to shoot lightning bolts out of his hands. Or at the very least they'd be more clever than yelling "Boo, blue guy!" The tone is all over the place. The bigger issue is that this is a movie that never quite knows which direction it wants to go, careening from sweet rom-com to goofy action to genuine drama. One minute, Garfield and Sally Field share an emotional scene about who really raised young Peter, the next, they have a three-minute argument about who gets to do the laundry. When the movie calls for drama, the cast is certainly capable of delivering, but the shifts can be jarring. And the opening flashback to Peter's parents feels like it's out of another movie, from the queasy shaky camera to the clunky espionage dramatics. It's got one too many endings. Despite the unevenness, "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" still manages to build to a satisfying, logical climax -- only then, the movie just keeps going. Part of that could be the four credited writers, or the need to set things in motion for all the planned sequels down the line, but Webb's film could've gone out on a much more powerful note if it'd just stuck to its natural ending (even if it's one most comic fans could've seen coming since the 1970s). But really, that's the most disappointing thing about this latest "Spider-Man": those moments when it all works just make the scenes where it doesn't that much more glaring. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" is now playing in theatres. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Matt Smith Joins 'Terminator' Reboot in a Mysterious 'Major Role' Posted:  Last month, cameras began rolling on Paramount and Skydance's pricey "Terminator" reboot (supposedly entitled "Terminator: Genesis," although this has yet to be confirmed), with a cast in place consisting of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke (no relation), Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons, and Byung Hun Lee. But today the studio announced a major new cast member in the form of "Doctor Who" star Matt Smith, who will play a mysterious and unspecified role in the movie. While American audiences are most likely unfamiliar with Smith's work, he's garnered a major cult following thanks to his role on "Doctor Who" during the 2011-2013 seasons (and, admittedly, he is pretty dreamy). His next big film role comes in the form of the Cannes-ready Ryan Gosling directorial effort "Lost River," where he stars alongside Christina Hendricks, Saoirse Ronan and Gosling's lady Eva Mendes, out later this fall. Concrete plot details of the new "Terminator" movie remain damnably obscured, although Schwarzenegger will reprise his role as the murderous (or is it friendly?) cyborg, Emilia Clarke will step into the role of Sarah Connor (played by Linda Hamilton in the first two movies), Jason Clarke will play savior-of-humanity John Connor (played by Edward Furlong and Nick Stahl in the other movies) and Jai Courtney will play Luddite freedom fighter Kyle Reese. Smith's role is being closely guarded although is being described as "significant." So we'll see. The official Paramount story doesn't mention future films, but by all indications Smith will play a role throughout the planned trilogy of movies. So if Americans don't know who he is now, they are about to become very aware. "Terminator: Genesis" (or whatever it ends up being called) will be directed by "Thor: The Dark World" and "Game of Thrones" helmer Alan Taylor and is scheduled to hit theaters on July 1, 2015 aka Judgment Day. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Star Wars' Day: May the Fourth (Be With You) Has an Obvious Origin Posted: Sure, it would have come on a weekend, when many in the media aren't working, but how awesome would it have been to unveil the next generation of sci-fi heroes on May the 4th, the unofficial holiday for "Star Wars" geeks? The occasion has its origin in "May the Force be with you," a line spoken to Luke Skywalker by Han Solo in "Star Wars: A New Hope," just before the Rebel Alliance takes up arms against Darth Vader and the Death Star. One of the first uses of the phrase "May the 4th be with you" came in 1979 . At that time, the U.K.'s Conservative Party took out a full-page ad in the London Evening News to celebrate Margaret Thatcher's election as prime minister, saying, "May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations," according to StarWars.com. It has since grown into a grassroots tradition that allows people to reconnect with a film franchise that has touched generations of fans. Disney, which now owns the "Star Wars" brand after buying Lucasfilm in 2012, is celebrating by offering free limited edition pins to the first 100 guests who visit its branded stores on May 4. It will also offer hands-on lightsaber training, an interactive experience in which people can help Luke destroy the Death Star, and even host a Medal of Bravery Ceremony like at the end of "A New Hope." Those who wish to celebrate with their kids at home can add lightsabers to photos using Photoshop and, if you don't have it, you can use a free alternative called Pixlr. As for the next instalment in the "Star Wars" universe, it will star numerous actors from the original franchise including Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. New actors joining the franchise include John Boyega ("Attack the Block"), Daisy Ridley, Domnhal Gleeson ("About Time"), Oscar Isaac ("Inside Llewyn Davis"), Andy Serkis ("The Lord of the Rings" trilogy) and Adam Driver ("Girls"), who may play the villain. "Star Wars: Episode VII" will be released in December 2015. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Sixteen Candles' Cast: Where Are They Now? (PHOTOS) Posted:  "Sixteen Candles," which debuted in theaters May 4, 1984, was the start of so many great things: It made Molly Ringwald and Anthony Michael Hall stars, it helped launch The Brat Pack and it might have been the first place you ever saw future stars John Cusack, Joan Cusack, and Jami Gertz. It also introduced a new talent for tapping teen angst: John Hughes, who would go on to write, direct, and produce so many of the films that shaped the '80s, including "The Breakfast Club," "Weird Science," and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." The New York Times ran a piece 10 years ago about how so many women are still waiting for a dreamboat like Jake to drive up in a hot sports car and whisk them away, as Michael Shoeffling does in the film's perfectly romantic ending. That's how deeply "Sixteen Candles" imprinted on at least the female half of the audience. Sadly, Schoeffling has been MIA from Hollywood for years. What has the rest of the cast been up to in the past three decades? Article photo courtesy of Everett Collection This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Hot Docs 2014: 'The Notorious Mr. Bout' Review Posted: A new documentary about Bout -- "The Notorious Mr. Bout" -- has made its way to Hot Docs, and it's well worth a look. It may not be as flashy as Hollywood, but it does fill in the blanks on this unimaginable and surprisingly human story. Viktor Bout doesn't love it, but his nickname is "The Merchant of Death." According to authorities around the world, he has earned every letter of this macabre moniker, but Bout thinks of himself as a hardworking businessman. Both appear to be true. His rise to infamy really gets started as the Iron Curtain falls in the late '80s. Russia and the Baltics were in a time of massive flux. As these countries transitioned into whatever form of democracy exists there today, the black market thrived. Newly married and hungry to make some money, Bout becomes a food importer for people starving for variety. The first scenes in this doc provide amazing video footage of Bout's early years entertaining customers and loading cargo planes, as cameras seem to be constantly rolling. His penchant for making home movies serves this doc very well. By the mid-'90s, Bout is working out of Western Europe and the United Arab Emirates with an endless schedule of supply planes bound for Russia in his control. He becomes a millionaire at just 25 years old. With each new scene in "The Notorious Mr. Bout," his empire grows with a network of planes, cash, suppliers, buyers and contacts. His operation had so many moving parts that it would become hard to keep tabs on, and that was the precise reason he was offered big money to move weapons. For all his business savvy and his unsavoury dealings with everyone from Bulgarian weapons manufacturers to Congolese rebels, Bout comes off as anything but malicious. When he isn't calmly giving out orders to his shipping partners, Bout loves life! Dancing at parties, drinking, eating, and general goofing around seems to be his most comfortable disposition. It's this soft-bellied, easy-going schlub of a man that will tug at your humanity, even if he is responsible for countless innocent deaths. Award-winning filmmakers Tony Gerber ("Full Battle Rattle") and Maxim Pozdorovkin ("Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer") are on the case with this one, and they've put together a portrait that certainly doesn't tell the whole story, but does offer some new perspective on The Merchant of Death. The home movies donated by Bout's wife are certainly the key to this doc's success. He's 47 now and serving time in the U.S. for a litany of convictions. Is he a cold-blooded capitalist who deserved to be extradited to the States, or is Bout simply a realistic businessman who's been made the poster boy of much larger problem? See the doc, and decide for yourself. SCREENING: TIFF Bell Lightbox 1, Sun., May 4, 7:00 p.m. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Confusing 'Gravity' Lawsuit Claims Author Is Owed Royalties on Movie <em>Not</em> Based on Her Book Posted:  An author of a sci-fi novel called "Gravity" is suing filmmakers behind the Oscar-winning movie of the same name, claiming that she's owed royalties from the blockbuster's profits.The Associated Press reports that Tess Gerritsen filed suit against Warner Bros. this week, "alleging the studio violated an agreement she had with one of its subsidiaries to turn her novel 'Gravity' into a movie. Gerritsen, whose books include a series that is basis for the TNT show 'Rizzoli & Isles,' sold the film rights to the 'Gravity' novel for $1 million in 1999." According to the AP, Gerritsen's book shares some similarities with director Alfonso Cuaron's film, which starred Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, though the two are hardly carbon copies. Like the movie, Gerritsen's "Gravity" focused on a female medical doctor who gets stranded in space, but the novel also contains a medical outbreak that kill's the protagonist's fellow astronauts, and features the woman's husband, who fights for her return to Earth. Neither scenario was part of the 2013 film. "The lawsuit is not alleging any copyright infringement -- a claim that would prompt a judge to compare the story lines -- but rather alleges Warner Bros. has breached Gerritsen's contract for the film rights and profits," the AP writes. Warner Bros. has yet to comment on the suit. However, a spokesperson for the studio pointed to Gerritsen's own remarks about the movie, which she made at an appearance at an Indiana public library last October, as proving that she has no basis for a case. "Yea, 'Gravity' is a great film, but it's not based on my book," Gerritsen told the audience, according to a local newspaper. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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