Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Every Alfred Hitchcock Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best
- Which 'Gotham' Villain Are You?
- Every Batman Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best
- Eddie Redmayne Eyed for 'Harry Potter' Spinoff 'Fantastic Beasts'
- HBO Renews Comedies 'Veep' and 'Silicon Valley'
- The 7 Most Overrated Cult Movies Ever
- Olivia Munn to Play Psylocke in 'X-Men: Apocalypse'
- Sarah Paulson Checks in for 'AHS: Hotel'
- 7 'Game of Thrones' Quotes That Can Be Perfectly Applied to Real Life
- Ian McKellen Cast as Cogsworth in 'Beauty and the Beast' Remake
- 7 Things That Need to Happen in 'Fast and Furious 8'
- Ryan Reynolds Uninjured Following Hit-and-Run Near 'Deadpool' Set
- Iron Man & Hulk Square Off in This 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Clip
- Kate McKinnon Does Her Best Hillary Clinton in This SNL Campaign Announcement Spoof
- 16 Celebs Who Neville Longbottomed So Hard
- What's New on Netflix, TV, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: April 13 - April 19
- MTV Movie Awards 2015: The 8 Most Memorable Moments
- Watch the 'Nurse Jackie' Season 7 Premiere for Free
- Things Get Even More Twisted In the New 'Terminator Genisys' Trailer (VIDEO)
- 6 Most Outrageously Inappropriate Moments From the 2015 MTV Movie Awards
- Shrink Down for the New 'Ant-Man' Trailer
- Is 'The Longest Ride' the End of Nicholas Sparks's Box Office Ride?
- Recap of 'Revenge' Season 4 Episode 19: "Exposure"
| Every Alfred Hitchcock Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best Posted: Seventy-five years ago, Alfred Hitchcock changed the face of American film -- and made it a lot creepier. Having already directed two dozen features in England, the filmmaker moved to Hollywood and made his first feature there, the glossy psychological thriller "Rebecca," released 75 years ago this month (April 12, 1940). The movie, about an unnamed young woman (Joan Fontaine) who marries a brooding aristocrat (Laurence Olivier) and moves into a spooky mansion still haunted by her husband's late wife (the Rebecca of the title), won the Oscar for Best Picture and launched Hitchcock's four-decade reign as Hollywood's leading director of movies that sent chills down your spine. Today, of course, Hitchcock movies are recognized as their own genre, films whose suspense and horrors have not only kept generations of moviegoers on the edge of their seats but also became the templates that taught all thriller and chiller directors who followed how to do the same. His is a formidable body of work, one that covered more than half a century from the silent era to the '70s and includes scores of classic films that still hold up well today. Which is the best Alfred Hitchcock movie? That's a question that film buffs, scholars, and casual fans alike have enjoyed arguing about for decades. Here's Moviefone's contribution to the argument, a list ranking all 52 Hitchcock English-language narrative features, from worst to best.  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Which 'Gotham' Villain Are You? Posted: This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Every Batman Movie, Ranked From Worst to Best Posted:  The caped crusader has been bringing justice to the screen for decades, but not all of the Dark Knight's adventures would "Rise" or be Batman stories we would want to last "Forever."This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Eddie Redmayne Eyed for 'Harry Potter' Spinoff 'Fantastic Beasts' Posted:  There have been plenty of rumors swirling around just who will play the mysterious lead in "Harry Potter" spinoff "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them," and now, it looks like there's a frontrunner for the part. Variety reports that Eddie Redmayne is at the top of director David Yates's wishlist for the role of Newt Scamander, the magizoologist and author of the titular textbook used by Hogwarts students in the "Potter" books and flicks. According to the trade, several other actors are also in the mix -- including "Mad Max: Fury Road" star Nicholas Hoult -- but the newly-minted Oscar winner is currently the number one choice. No offer to Redmayne has been made yet. "Fantastic Beasts" takes place 70 years before the events of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," and follows the adventures of Scamander in America. Variety reports that studio Warner Bros. is also looking to cast two American girls and two American boys in four leading roles. "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them," written by "Potter" author J.K. Rowling in her screenwriting debut, is set for release on November 18, 2016. [via: Variety] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| HBO Renews Comedies 'Veep' and 'Silicon Valley' Posted:  "Veep" and "Silicon Valley" made their season premieres on Sunday night, and HBO promptly handed both comedies renewals on Monday. "Veep" will now be back for a fifth season, and "Silicon Valley" will get a third season. HBO programming president Michael Lombardo praised both shows in a press release. "VEEP and SILICON VALLEY are terrific series, and I'm immensely proud that they will return to HBO next year," Lombardo said in a statement. "Along with 'Game of Thrones' and 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver,' both of which have already been renewed for 2016, they give HBO a stellar Sunday night like no other." "Veep" stars Emmy winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus, along with Tony Hale, Anna Chlumsky, Reid Scott, Matt Walsh, Timothy Simons, Sufe Bradshaw, Kevin Dunn, Gary Cole, and Sam Richardson. "Silicon Valley" stars Thomas Middleditch, T.J. Miller, Josh Brener, Martin Starr, Kumail Nanjiani, Zach Woods, Amanda Crew, Matt Ross, Suzanne Cryer, and Jimmy O. Yang. Both series air on HBO on Sunday nights, beginning at 10:00 p.m. "Veep" is currently in its fourth season, while "Silicon Valley" is in its second. [via: HBO] Photo credit: Patrick Harbron/HBO This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| The 7 Most Overrated Cult Movies Ever Posted:  Just because a movie is weird, dark or complex doesn't mean it's good. Let's take a look at seven of the most overrated cult movies of all-time. (We aren't saying they're bad movies; they're just often given way more credit than they deserve.) This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Olivia Munn to Play Psylocke in 'X-Men: Apocalypse' Posted:  Even more mutants are joining the fold for "X-Men: Apocalypse," with director Bryan Singer revealing that another actress has been added to the cast. In a post on Instagram, Singer said that Olivia Munn would be playing Betsy Braddock, a.k.a. Psylocke, in the flick. No other details about her character, including how prominently she would factor into the film's plot, were provided. Munn is just the latest in a long string of actors to join the "Apocalypse" ensemble, with Lana Condor (Jubilee), Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), Oscar Isaac (Apocalypse), and Kodi Smit-McPhee (Nightcrawler) all making their franchise debut. "X-Men" veterans Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Nicholas Hoult are all reprising their roles. "X-Men: Apocalypse" is due in theaters on May 27, 2016. [via: Bryan Singer] Photo credit: AFP/Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Sarah Paulson Checks in for 'AHS: Hotel' Posted: Longtime "American Horror Story" staple Sarah Paulson is returning for another round, set to play a big-time villain on "AHS: Hotel." Creator Ryan Murphy revealed Paulson's involvement on Twitter, writing that the actress would be playing "the baddest bad girl of them all" on the horror anthology series's fifth season. Paulson has been with "AHS" since the beginning, starring in the "Murder House," "Asylum," "Coven," and "Freak Show" seasons. Other "Hotel" cast members include Lady Gaga, Kathy Bates, Chloe Sevigny, Matt Bomer, Wes Bentley, and Cheyenne Jackson. "American Horror Story: Hotel" will be back for 13 episodes on FX sometime in October. [via: Ryan Murphy] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 7 'Game of Thrones' Quotes That Can Be Perfectly Applied to Real Life Posted:  "Game of Thrones" is back indeed, but don't you wish you could use those amazingly delivered lines in the modern day? Here's how you can apply "Game of Thrones" quotes to real life.This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Ian McKellen Cast as Cogsworth in 'Beauty and the Beast' Remake Posted:  The cast of the live-action version of "Beauty and the Beast" is shaping up nicely, with Ian McKellan reportedly joining the ensemble. Variety reports that the veteran actor will be playing Cogsworth, a butler-turned-clock in the Beast's enchanted castle. He joins the previously-announced Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, and Emma Thompson. Gugu Mbatha-Raw has also recently joined the cast, according to Variety. She'll play feather duster Plumette (also referred to as Babette and Fifi in other versions of the story), a former maid in the castle. "Beauty and the Beast" is directed by Bill Condon, from a script by Evan Spiliotopoulos and rewritten by Stephen Chbosky ("The Perks of Being a Wallflower"). The flick is expected to begin production sometime this year, with a planned release date of March 17, 2017. [via: Variety] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 7 Things That Need to Happen in 'Fast and Furious 8' Posted:  "Furious 7" arrived in theaters and lived up to its name, breaking box office records in its path and leaving audiences wondering, "How can they possibly top this?" Here's a list of 7 things we think need to happen in "Fast and Furious 8." This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Ryan Reynolds Uninjured Following Hit-and-Run Near 'Deadpool' Set Posted:  Ryan Reynolds was hit by a car last Friday in a hotel parking lot, but was uninjured in the hit-and-run incident. CTV News reports that the actor, who is in Vancouver shooting "X-Men" spinoff "Deadpool," was leaving the parking lot Friday evening when he was struck by an unidentified car, which then fled the scene. Local law enforcement officials believe the driver may have been a member of the paparazzi, and "have an idea" of the man's identity. Reynolds's publicist, Leslie Sloane, confirmed details of the accident to local media. "While walking, Ryan was struck by a paparazzi driving a car through an underground parking garage," Slone told CTV. "The man fled the scene. Ryan is okay." Reynolds declined to speak to the media about the incident, and was back at work on "Deadpool" on Saturday, tweeting out photos from the set. He also joked on Twitter that he would only answer questions if a Canadian broadcast network resurrected one of his favorite series. Local authorities are still investigating the incident. "Because Reynolds was not injured, police said they would have to speak to him to determine whether to proceed with any charges," CTV reports. [via: CTV News] Photo credit: Getty Images This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Iron Man & Hulk Square Off in This 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' Clip Posted:  In addition to all the trophies handed out on Sunday night, the MTV Movie Awards also featured some pretty cool clips from upcoming films, including this crazy scene from "Avengers: Age of Ultron." The sequence features Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) trying to talk down the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) from what appears to be a pretty nasty hex set upon him by the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). But that doesn't work, and the big green guy grows more distressed by the moment, knocking over everything in sight, and trying to take his pal down, too. Stark, inside a super-sized Iron Man suit, throws down with the agitated Bruce Banner, but it seems he's no match for the enraged Hulk. The clip ends on a cliffhanger as the twosome connect for a punch that reverberates a bit too long for comfort. Check out the insane clip below. "Avengers: Age of Ultron" is due in theaters on May 1. [via: MTV] Photo credit: MTV This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Kate McKinnon Does Her Best Hillary Clinton in This SNL Campaign Announcement Spoof Posted:  Kate McKinnon has proven herself the master of impressions, if her take on Justin Bieber is any indication. The "Saturday Night Live" star added another perfect performance to her roster this weekend with her impression of Hillary Clinton in this spoof on the politician's announcement of her presidential campaign. McKinnon embodied her version of Hillary as a wild-eyed, overly-confident woman with the inability to appear "natural" on camera, trying and failing to smile without looking terrifying. "Citizens! You will elect me! I will be your leader!" McKinnon bellows into her phone menacingly. There's a jab about Clinton knowing all about how to delete things, an appearance by Darrell Hammond as Bill, and a reference to the family's unwavering political power as "a fun, approachable dynasty." McKinnon's reaction as Bill casually mentions all his past indiscretions is especially priceless. Check out the hilarious bit below. Photo credit: YouTube This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 16 Celebs Who Neville Longbottomed So Hard Posted:  From the bottom to the top. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| What's New on Netflix, TV, Digital, and DVD/Blu-ray This Week: April 13 - April 19 Posted:
"Big Eyes" Amy Adams won a Golden Globe for her performance as Margaret Keane, the true 1950s artist of big-eyed waif portraits, with Christoph Waltz playing her husband, Walter, who took all the credit. Tim Burton's drama was released as a digital download on April 3 but it's on DVD, Blu-ray and On Demand as of April 14. The DVD and Blu-ray releases include "The Making of Big Eyes," and the Blu-ray also includes Q&A Highlights. "Maps to the Stars" Director David Cronenberg's satire of the Hollywood film industry was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the U.K. and France last year and Germany in March, but it's finally getting a U.S. release on April 14. Julianne Moore leads the dark comedy's all-star cast, alongside Mia Wasikowska, Olivia Williams, John Cusack, and Robert Pattinson. "Antarctica: A Year on Ice" A journey to the end of the world is probably best done in person or at least in IMAX or on the big screen, but "A Year on Ice" will still dazzle you at home. This stunning feature-length documentary takes you deep inside the experience of living in Antarctica for a full year. It didn't win more than a dozen film festival awards for nothing. TV Worth Watching "TURN: Washington's Spies" (Monday on AMC at 9 p.m. EST) This AMC series used to just be "TURN," but apparently that didn't sell the story enough, so they added "Washington's Spies." Jamie Bell leads the cast as Abe Woodhull, and two back-to-back episodes will launch Season 2 on April 13. If you're not caught up, don't worry -- AMC is repeating the first 10 episodes on Monday, from the pilot at 10:30 a.m. leading up to the two new episodes. "Justified" (Tuesday on FX at 10 p.m. EST) It's time to tip your hat goodbye to Raylan Givens and company. The FX series comes to a close on April 14 with the Season 6 finale, called "The Promise." Stay tuned to see what happens when Raylan, Boyd, and Ava fight one last, bloody battle to find out who leaves Harlan alive. "Veep" (Sunday on HBO at 10:30 p.m. EST) "Game of Thrones" rightly gets the most attention Sunday nights, but you should definitely stay up for "Veep." Julia Louis-Dreyfus's pitch-perfect comedy continues Season 4 on April 19, with Episode 2's "East Wing" following a visit from the Israeli prime minister. There's no way that can go well, so cover your eyes and watch through your fingers to see how much it might go wrong. New on Netflix "Hot Fuzz" You mothers! If you haven't seen this amazing British action comedy from Simon Pegg and Nick Frost ("Shaun of the Dead") do yourself a favor and catch it on Neflix starting April 16. "The Babadook" This chilling horror movie follows a mother and her son, who has nightmares about a monster coming to kill them. It has a 98 percent "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which means it very well might scare the bejesus out of you. Find out on Netflix, DVD, and iTunes on April 14. "Noah" Russell Crowe stars as Noah in Darren Aronofsky's epic action-adventure based on the Biblical flood. This may not be how Christians recall reading it in the Bible, but that's the magic of Hollywood. Also stars Emma Watson, Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, and Anthony Hopkins, so you could watch it just for them. New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only "Paddington" (iTunes) Charming, cuddly live-action family film brings the beloved children's character to life. Warm and fuzzies galore! Check it out on iTunes starting April 17. "They Came Together" (Amazon Prime) This Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd comedy, directed by David Wain, didn't get the best reviews but ... it's Paul and Amy! The rest of the cast is great too -- Michael Ian Black, Ellie Kemper, Christopher Meloni, Cobie Smulders, Max Greenfield, Bill Hader, etc. So what if it's a series of rom-com clichés? Paul and Amy! "The Messengers" (Hulu) The CW's new supernatural drama premieres April 17 and you can check out the first episode the next day on Hulu. In the series premiere, "Awakening," a mysterious object falls to Earth, sending out a shockwave that causes five strangers to die, only to miraculously come back to life moments later. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| MTV Movie Awards 2015: The 8 Most Memorable Moments Posted: The 2015 MTV Movie Awards were a mixed bag, made up of moments both funny and unfunny, awkward and adorable. We gave high marks to host Amy Schumer, while some other supposed comedic bits left us scratching our heads. Here, we've collected some of the best and worst happenings from the night. Whether they were a high or a low point in the proceedings, they're all memorable in their own way, and will have us talking for some time. (Or at least until next year's show.) 1. Amy Schumer brings the funny (and the sex). The hostess kicked off the night with a pre-recorded clip parodying a bunch of the nominated films, including "Boyhood," "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1," "Whiplash," and "The Fault in Our Stars." But despite declaring in her opening monologue, "Half of you don't know who I am, and the other half think I'm Meghan Trainor," Schumer definitely made a name for herself Sunday night, thanks to a barrage of outrageous, bawdy, and just flat-out-funny jokes. She poked fun at host network MTV (winners wouldn't have to worry about being played off during their acceptance speeches, because "MTV is the only network that refuses to play music"), misunderstood the movie "Selma" to actually be a biopic about Salma Hayek, and talked about sex -- a lot. One extended scene involved Schumer running into a gaggle of female friends at the movie theater, going to see sexy flicks like "Fifty Shades of Grey" and "Magic Mike XXL" armed with an array of objects to make the experience more pleasurable, including shower heads, baseball bats, and an assortment of gourds. 2. The Avengers assemble. The "Avengers: Age of Ultron" cast came by to support Generation Award winner Robert Downey Jr., and preview a clip from the upcoming "Avengers" sequel. The crowd went nuts at the sight of Mark Ruffalo, Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, and Chris Evans walking out onstage, and ate up the cast's goofy antics during Downey's acceptance speech (which included the actor talking about his struggles with sobriety and his onetime floundering career, and urging fans to follow their dreams and "define your [own] generation"). But the "Ultron" clip was the real star, previewing a nasty showdown between the Hulk and Iron Man after Bruce Banner is possessed by the Scarlet Witch, and getting fans excited for the full "Ultron" experience, which is only weeks away. 3. Shailene Woodley wins the night. The "Fault in Our Stars" starlet took home an armful of awards, including Best Female Performance, Best Kiss (shared with Ansel Elgort, who was MIA Sunday night), the Trailblazer Award, and the night's top prize, Movie of the Year. She was gracious and goofy during each acceptance speech she delivered, including the awkward moment she told fans to "blaze on" while accepting her Trailblazer trophy. "I don't know if I can say that," Woodley added hastily, grinning. 4. Kevin Hart's kids steal the show. While we'd argue that an innuendo-filled awards show may not be the best place to bring your children, Kevin Hart's kids provided some of the best reaction shots of the night. Hart's young son and daughter sat stone-faced and bored-looking throughout the proceedings, but when their dad went up to collect his Comedic Genius Award, the pint-sized duo came to life. They looked on proudly as Hart dedicated his Golden Popcorn to his "two beautiful kids that are my best friends." The cuteness was capped by an elaborate secret handshake that Hart performed with his son, an adorable moment that was for some reason abruptly cut off by MTV's cameras, while an indifferent Bella Thorne waited for her cue. 5. Channing Tatum gives the people what they want. Channing Tatum and his "Magic Mike XXL" costars Joe Manganiello, Matt Bomer, and Adam Rodriguez walked out to Ginuine's "Pony" as they prepared to present the Best Scared-as-S**t Performance trophy, and the audience went wild. Naturally, winner Jennifer Lopez wasn't going to let the group get off that easy, and encouraged them to bust a move, a request that Tatum and co. obliged, to the delight of the crowd. Later, Tatum came up to accept his own trophy (for Best Comedic Performance), and offered up a few solo dance moves. There's no doubt the actor left fans wanting more - and eager for the release of "XXL" this summer. 6. All the no-shows (and off-screen awards). Unlike the Oscars or the Grammys, the MTV Movie Awards aren't exactly known for being a long, drawn-out affair. So what was up with all the off-screen awards? And all the no-shows, for that matter? We understand that Meryl Streep probably wasn't going to accept her Best Villain trophy in person, but what about MTV's own "Teen Wolf" star, Dylan O'Brien? He took home three trophies Sunday, but couldn't make it? And Shailene Woodley surely felt awfully silly when she waltzed up to collect Best Kiss without her costar Ansel Elgort. It seems pretty clear that most winners knew ahead of time that they were taking home their prizes (see below); someone at MTV should make sure that more of them are there for next year's ceremony. 7. Zac Efron and Dave Franco reprise their Robert De Niro impressions. In an obviously planned and pre-rehearsed bit, Best On-Screen Duo winners Zac Efron and Dave Franco took the stage to accept their Golden Popcorn trophies dressed in their Robert De Niro costumes from "Neighbors." Unfortunately, the one-note joke played especially poorly when it was drawn-out for several minutes, coming across as trying too hard and just plain unfunny. The nail on the awkward coffin was Efron grabbing and twisting Franco's (clearly padded) crotch. The boys would have been better served by a normal acceptance speech - or maybe just Efron showing off his award-winning abs (Best Shirtless Performance, "Neighbors") for more than a few seconds. 8. "The Fault in Our Stars" makes us cry all over again. The teenage cancer drama took home the night's top prize, and author John Green accepted the Golden Popcorn with a heartfelt speech. Green thanked the cast - including leads Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort - for their performances, noting, "These people are such a gift to my life." But the author saved his biggest appreciation for Esther Earl, the late teenager and activist who was the real-life inspiration behind "Stars." Green thanked Earl for reminding the world that a disability or disease does not define a person, and that "a short life can be a good life." If there were any dry eyes in the house, we missed it, since we were busy trying not to cry ourselves.  Photo credit: AP This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Watch the 'Nurse Jackie' Season 7 Premiere for Free Posted:  Picking up with her arrest at the end of the last season of "Nurse Jackie," Jackie suffers through a stay in a holding cell followed by detox. Don't miss new episodes of "Nurse Jackie" Sundays at 9PM ET/PT -- only on SHOWTIME(R). This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Things Get Even More Twisted In the New 'Terminator Genisys' Trailer (VIDEO) Posted:  The "Terminator" franchise has been famous for its constantly evolving timeline, which is perfect because, at least initially, it was a series about the repercussions of time travel, the nature of destiny and fate and how a simple action could have catastrophic consequences decades down the line. But with the newest entry in the franchise, "Terminator Genisys," things just seem to be getting unnecessarily confusing. A lot of this new trailer has been covered in the previous clips: it's the familiar "Terminator" story of Kyle Reese (now played by Jai Courtney), traveling back in time to protect and impregnate Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke), who goes on to father John Connor (Jason Clarke), the leader of the anti-robot human resistance in the distance, blue-y future. Of course, things are different this time around: when Reese gets back to the past, he's met with his mother who isn't a meek waitress at a diner but instead a hard-ass warrior. It seems that a kindly Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger, yet again) went back even further in time and trained young Sarah. But that's not all! The shape-shifting T-1000 (Lee Byung-hun) is back and causing trouble, as is John himself - who is now some kind of robot/human hybrid! Say what? While this trailer is certainly designed to entice new fans of the series as well as die hard fanatics, it is certainly a lot to process and it's unclear what the thought process was behind turning John Connor into the Big Bad. (Also: where are Matt Smith and Courtney B. Vance? Aren't they supposed to be in this too?) We'll find out soon enough, with the timelines hopefully straightening themselves out, as "Terminator Genisys" opens on July 1st. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 6 Most Outrageously Inappropriate Moments From the 2015 MTV Movie Awards Posted:  Host Amy Schumer was not afraid to get dirty at Sunday night's MTV Movie Awards. Find out which over-the-top moments made ET's list.This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Shrink Down for the New 'Ant-Man' Trailer Posted:  As far as Marvel movies go, there hasn't been a question mark as big as the one attached to their forthcoming action comedy "Ant-Man" since, well, ever. Even "Guardians of the Galaxy," with its roster of unknown characters and tonally daring mixture of comedy and drama, had the space adventure angle to hook people and a cast of likeable and well-known actors. "Ant-Man," on the other hand, is full of unquantifiable elements and comes complete with a troubled production history that has potentially soured would-be enthusiasts. But if this new trailer is any indication, hope is not lost. "Ant-Man" could be really, really entertaining. The trailer certainly gives us more story than anything previously released: Hank Pym (Michael Douglas), the original Ant-Man, recruits thief Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) to stop an evil industrialist named Darren Cross (Corey Stoll). In order to get him into fighting shape, he learns from Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), Pym's daughter. (Her mother is Hope Van Dyne, who fought under the superhero alias Wasp.) Much of the trailer is given over to the training of Scott and various zippy action sequences where Scott shrinks down to the size of an ant and then returns to normal (and back again). It's a pretty great conceit, at least visually, and ends with a wonderful gag with Ant-Man and Cross, now in his own suit and calling himself Yellowjacket, fighting atop a children's train set. Rudd looks like a perfectly charismatic action star and it's always good to see Douglas doing something outside of his comfort zone, and while the premise isn't being sold 100% and its behind-the-scenes headaches still hurt, it's hard not to be optimistic about something that looks this fun. "Ant-Man" opens on July 17th. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Is 'The Longest Ride' the End of Nicholas Sparks's Box Office Ride? Posted:  You'd have thought that opening "The Longest Ride" opposite the still-strong "Furious 7" would have been a smart counterprogramming move. With all that testosterone on display in the latest installment of the car-chase franchise, surely some female moviegoers would feel underserved and turn to the new Nicholas Sparks movie, that they'd flock to the kind of cathartic tearjerker that is the "Notebook" author's bread and butter.As it turned out, not so much. "Longest Ride" opened in third place with an estimated $13.5 million, below even the modest expectations for the film (about $14 to $16 million). That's better than the even weaker opening of last October's Sparks entry "The Best of Me" (which premiered with just $10.0 million and topped out at $26.8 million) but well below the $22.5 million debut of 2012's Sparks saga "The Lucky One." Does the relative weakness of these recent spark-free Sparks movies mean that the Sparks vogue, which has spanned 10 movies over 16 years, is over? Maybe not, but there are some lessons in "Longest Ride"'s failure that future Sparks adaptations would be wise to study. 1. Don't open opposite a "Fast & Furious" movie. If there's any action franchise that's going to compete with a Sparks movie for female viewers, it's this one. With the gals as badass as the guys in these movies, they have strong appeal to women. Studio polling last week, when "Furious 7" opened, showed an almost even gender split among ticketbuyers. And even though the film fell nearly 60 percent from last weekend's debut, that's still an estimated $60.6 million this weekend, more than four times what "Ride" sold out of the gate. 2. Don't open opposite a strong family film. That would include a movie like "Home," which, even in its third week, still pulled an estimated $19.0 million, good for second place. "Ride" may have been targeting women over 25, but many of those are moms who were taking their kids to see the cute cartoon aliens. 3. In fact, counterprogramming isn't a sure thing anymore. We saw that last month, in reverse, when a number of macho action movies ("Chappie," "Run All Night," "The Gunman") tried to open against a much stronger slate of female-driven movies ("Cinderella," "The Divergent Series: Insurgent," and the lingering "Fifty Shades of Grey.") None of them grossed above $31 million total in North America. Even indie sequel "The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" grossed higher than any of the action sausage fests. These days, when a current movie or a current kind of movie is going strong at the box office, it seems to suck all the oxygen out of the multiplex and leave little room for anything different. 4. Make a better movie. Nicholas Sparks movies typically get terrible reviews, and "Ride" is no different. That hasn't stopped most of them from becoming hits, but if you're going after older audiences, as "Ride" seems to be (given the prominence of Alan Alda's oldtimer in the film's plot), then reviews matter. Yes, the film got terrific word-of-mouth (measured by its A grade at CinemaScore), but word-of-mouth doesn't help much if not many people who might recommend the movie are drawn to see it in the first place. 5. Casting matters. Alan Alda is a beloved Emmy-winning and Oscar-nominated actor, but he's not a box office draw. Britt Robertson is a fine young actress, but she has no movie track record, and her best-known TV role is probably on CBS's cult summer drama "Under the Dome." Scott Eastwood has a famous last name (and some resemblance to papa Clint) but a sparse résumé so far. It used to be that a cast with as little box office appeal as that of "Longest Ride" wouldn't hurt a Sparks movie, since the novelist was the real star and the movie's biggest draw. But as lessons 1 through 4 make clear, Sparks's name alone isn't enough to sell tickets any more. He needs whatever help he can get. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Recap of 'Revenge' Season 4 Episode 19: "Exposure" Posted:  She's baaa-ack! Emily Thorne recently reclaimed her identity as Amanda Clarke, but her new lease on life isn't exactly going as planned. Despite coming clean as David Clarke's daughter, there are still tons of skeletons in Em's closet (along with a bunch of Stella McCartney dresses), and Victoria Grayson is aiming to expose them. This week on a slightly clip show-esque episode of "Revenge," Victoria set her sights on taking Emily down once and for all -- and she has a new minion! Emily Swipes Left On Her Haters Emily Thorne might be a full blown vigilante, but Amanda Clarke isn't exactly a saint. Despite changing her name, Emily still has to live with the fact that she's been ruining lives with her red sharpie for the past four years. This girl has a mile-long list of haters, and it looks like Tom Kingsly (a corrupt prosecutor from the early days of "Revenge") is rounding them up. Naturally, when Emily has a problem, yo she'll solve it, so she slips into a white power suit and puts Tom in his place with the help of her pops. See? Problem = solved. Louise Flirts With the Enemy Much like everyone else in The Hamptons, Louise Ellis is out for revenge! This Southern belle wants to punish Nolan for keeping secrets (like Em's real identity, for example), and she plans to use the contents of his hard drive to ruin him. With Victoria's help (plus that of some poor, nerdy college student), Louise hacks into Nolan's computer and learns the extent of his lies. The question? Will she idly watch Victoria take down her husband, or stand by her man? Oh, and speaking of Nolan, Emily is furious that her BFF allowed his computer to get hacked, so she leaps into action and offers to give a live exclusive TV interview to stop her secrets from being exposed -- with one condition: Victoria's side of the story can't be told. Emily muses on all kinds of clip-show appropriate details about her life (so many flashbacks!), but the biggest takeaway is her defamation of Victoria's character -- not to mention the fact that she vaguely accuses Queen V of being a murderer! Ben Isn't Here For Amanda Clarke As we all know, Jack Porter is the most tragic man on earth, but he officially has a reason to turn that frown upside down! Officer Ben Hunter is furious that Emily lied to him, and now they might be broken up. Only time will tell whether Jack can stop fondling sea glass and weeping long enough to swoop in and steal Emily's heart. In other news, Margaux LeMarchal finally tells Victoria that Emily didn't actually push her in front of a taxi, but she's still on board with ruining Em's life, so ya know. The usual! And now, a few burning questions.... 1. Seriously, how is Nolan's computer so easy to hack into? Isn't he a tech genius? 2. Will Ben and Emily get back together, or is this finally Jack's chance? 3. Will Victoria go through with her plan to release Nolan's files, or will Em's TV interview stop her in her stiletto tracks? This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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