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Tag: cinema

  • Robin Williams Will Portray President Dwight D. Eisenhower in The Butler

    Robin Williams get on a lot of people’s nerves, and I can understand why. His frantic style of comedy isn’t everyone cup of tea, and, to be perfectly honest, I’m not a big fan of it, either. However, when it comes to tackling dramatic roles in a believable fashion, Williams ranks among the best of them. In my humble opinion, anyway. His turns in “The Final Cut”, “One Hour Photo”, and the incredibly dark comedy “World’s Greatest Dad” are nothing short of exceptional. For someone like me, his next project doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

    For next excursion into serious cinema, Williams will portray President Dwight D. Eisenhower in “Precious” director Lee Daniels’ “The Butler”. The film currently sports an insanely impressive cast, including Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, John Cusack, Alan Rickman, Jane Fonda, Cuba Gooding Jr, David Oyelowo, Lenny Kravitz, Terrence Howard, Alex Pettyfer, and Minka Kelly. That’s a hell of a lot of star power right there, folks. Also, it’s good to see Cuba Gooding Jr. doing something that isn’t going straight to home video.

    “The Butler”, which follows the allegedly true adventures of Eugene Allen during his 34 years at the White House, is based on Wil Haygood’s report “A Butler Well Served by This Election”. Haygood will also serve as associate producer and researcher on the project. And if IMDb Pro is to be believed, Zac Efron, Nicole Kidman, and Mariah Carey are also rumored to be attached to the production, as well.

    Look for “The Butler” to arrive in theaters sometime next year.

  • Halle Berry Injured on the Set of Director Brad Anderson’s The Hive

    Halle Berry is certainly no stranger to the world of action cinema. The former Bond girl has participated in a number of high-octane, big-budget motion pictures over the past few years, including “X-Men”, “Catwoman”, and “Swordfish”, just to name a few. In other words, the actress is well-versed in the dangers generally associated with this sort of production. Although numerous precautions are taken to insure the safety of everyone involved, accidents are going to happen, regardless of how much you prepare for such things.

    While partaking in a fight scene on the set of “Session 9” director Brad Anderson’s upcoming suspense/thriller “The Hive”, Berry suffered a minor injury, according to the folks over at TMZ. The “Executive Decision” co-star was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center around 10pm on Tuesday night to address the issue, though nothing serious is currently being reported. Furthermore, Berry’s representative has stated the actress will continue to work on Anderson’s picture, which is good news for the cast and crew, I’m sure. No harm, no foul.

    The Associated Press has reportedly made several attempts to contact the film’s producers, namely Troika Pictures and WWE Studios, for comment, though no one from either camp has made a statement regarding the matter as of this posting. In fact, Berry’s spokesperson refused to give the location of the hospital she was admitted to, though, being TMZ, they managed to work around this particular roadblock. Sneaky, sneaky.

    “The Hive”, which also stars Abigail Breslin, Tara Platt, and Evie Thompson, features Berry as a emergency operator who must confront a sadistic killer from her past in order to save a young girl’s life. If this particular endeavor is as engaging as Anderson’s previous efforts, audiences can expect something worthwhile. Berry’s last flick, director John Stockwell’s “Dark Tide”, was released in 2011. Look for “The Hive” to drop next year.

  • Toy Story 4 and Finding Nemo 2 are Rumored to Be in the Works at Pixar

    Toy Story 4 and Finding Nemo 2 are Rumored to Be in the Works at Pixar

    Toy Story 4 and a sequel to Finding Nemo are apparently being tossed around the offices at Pixar, according to various reports. Although it’s been several years since Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich’s fish-oriented endeavor enjoyed its theatrical bow, Pixar is rumored to be considering a return to the oceanic depths for a follow-up in the very near future.

    “Finding Nemo”, which hits theaters this September in 3D, stars actor Albert Brooks as a dad who goes on a quest to find his missing son. Although the film isn’t my favorite Pixar endeavor — that honor currently goes to “Wall-E”, though it could change at the drop of a hat — I think there’s definitely interest from the masses for a sequel. I guess its fate will depend upon how well the 3D version of the original film does during its theatrical jaunt later this year.

    As far as “Toy Story 4” is concerned, it’s really a no-brainer. The franchise has enjoyed a fair amount of success over the years, with the most recent entry snagging a lifetime gross of $415,004,880, which is certainly nothing to sneeze at. Back in 2011, Tom Hanks hinted that the studio was working on another installment of the wildly popular series, which makes these recent rumors sound a bit more believable.

    Sadly, all of this sequel talk indicates that Pixar isn’t interested in developing any new properties at the moment. Although recent efforts such as “Wall-E”, “Up”, and “Brave” have made a fair amount of scratch at the box office, they haven’t come close to securing the sort of revenue as “Toy Story” and “Finding Nemo”. Since crafting films of this nature takes a long time, it might be a while before Pixar delivers anything original. That’s kind of a bummer.

    “Monster University”, the highly-anticipated sequel to Pixar’s 2001 hit “Monsters, Inc.”, opens in theaters on June 20th, 2013. Check out the teaser below.

  • Iron Man 3 Footage Debuts at San Diego Comic Con

    Iron Man 3 footage debuted at this year’s San Diego Comic Con, a fact which has caused those who weren’t in attendance plenty of aggravation and irritation, I’m sure. Even as someone who is slowly growing tired of the superhero movie trend, I’m curious to see the footage in action. Since director Jon Favreau is stepping down to allow “Lethal Weapon” scribe Shane Black a chance to tackle the project, it will be interesting to see if the film can stay true to the first two entries in the series. Since a lot of people I know didn’t care for “Iron Man 2” — I didn’t think it was that bad, to be perfectly honest — I suppose the franchise has nowhere to go but up.

    According to MSNBC, the footage confirms that Ben Kingsley will, in fact, portray Iron Man’s arch enemy, the nefarious Mandarin. In addition to a “dance sequence” featuring Tony Stark in a brand new suit of body armor, the clip showed our hero’s mansion getting blown to smithereens by an “airborne firing squad”. Apparently every piece of equipment Stark owned gets obliterated as a result, forcing him rebuild from the ground up. Sounds interesting.

    Black stated that the film is currently half shot, and as long as they “don’t f–k up the rest, it’s going to be great.” I’m hoping they don’t mess anything up, either, especially since the character is still riding high on the buzz created by “The Avengers”.

    Curious to see some “Iron Man 3”-related images? The images lie below.

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  • Bill Cosby Turns 75, So Let’s Take a Moment to Discuss Leonard Part 6

    Bill Cosby turned 75 today (July 12th), and that’s pretty awesome. “The Cosby Show” got a lot of play on my little black-and-white TV when I was a kid, so I have a soft spot for the guy’s work. However, while most people are celebrating the gifted comedian/actor’s more laudable endeavors, I think it’s a good time to discuss “Mr. Bean” director Paul Weiland’s 1987 box office disaster “Leonard Part 6”, a film which stars Bill Cosby as a secret agent sent to stop a madman from taking over the world. Sounds like a winner, right? Wrong!

    Of course, I love “Leonard Part 6”, though I’m well aware of the fact that it’s a terrible motion pictures. Even Bill Cosby would agree with me on this one; when the film was released, he encouraged everyone in America not to see the film. In fact, so ashamed was Cosby by this theatrical misfire that he purchased the television rights to ensure that it would never appear on the small screen. That’s a lot of hate right there, my friend.

    During its quick jaunt through North American cineplexes, the film earned around $4 million, which, given the film’s $24 million budget, isn’t necessarily a good thing. To add salt to the wound, the film won three Golden Raspberry Awards: Worst Actor (Cosby), Worst Picture, and Worst Screenplay. Now you know why the guy loathes the film so much.

    However, despite his undying hatred for the movie and his attempt to keep people from experiencing the agony for themselves, Columbia Pictures released “Leonard Part 6” on DVD back in 2005. Crackle is currently offering the film as a digital download for $7.99, though, to be perfectly honest, you can purchase a used copy from the Amazon Z-Shops for $1.98 before tax. Even then, I’d weigh that decision very carefully.

    If you’re curious to see/learn more about the film, take a peek at all of the “Leonard Part 6”-related videos embedded below. And remember to wish Bill Cosby a happy birthday while you’re at it. You don’t get to be 75 without dropping a few cinematic bombs along the way.

    Last, but not least, is Roger Ebert’s review of the film.

  • David Letterman: Did He Really Spoil the Ending to The Dark Knight Rises?

    David Letterman may have dropped a bombshell about director Christopher Nolan’s highly-anticipated motion picture “The Dark Knight Rises”, which opens in North American theaters on July 20th. If you don’t want to know anything about the movie, then I would advise you to skip out on this article right now. Seriously. Right now. Because there’s going to be some discussion about Letterman’s comment, which may or may not ruin the flick’s finale.

    I’m warning you one more time. Back off now.

    Still with me? Okay. Well, Anne Hathaway made an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman to promote the aforementioned superhero endeavor. During their discussion, Letterman reveals that he’s seen the movie, and that, at the end of the film, “Batman is dead”. The proclamation is immediately followed by a hushed silence, as if everyone is waiting for the punchline. Except there’s no punchline. Hathaway, looking mildly horrified, breaks this awkward pause with “Daaaaave”, which loosens up the audience a bit.

    However, the question remains: Was Letterman telling the truth? Did he let it slip that Batman does, in fact, shuffle off his mortal coil by the end of “The Dark Knight Rises”? Or was Dave just being Dave? I always had a feeling Nolan would take the series in this direction, particularly after the announcement that he was delivering a trilogy. Knowing this information isn’t going to ruin my enjoyment of the flick in the least, as I’ve always felt such an event would be a fitting end to the Nolan’s run. Still, I can understand why it has ruffled so many feathers.

    If you’re curious to see Letterman’s revelation for yourself, take a peek at the video embedded below. It’s awkward and uncomfortable, but it’s interesting nonetheless. After that, check out some very angry Twitter responses to clip.

  • Total Recall Poster: International Version Fails to Impress

    The international poster for director Len Wiseman’s “Total Recall” remake ranks up there with some of the worst posters ever conceived. Nothing about the piece makes you excited for the movie. Unless, of course, poorly Photoshopped images crammed into one space is enough to separate you from your hard-earned money. My interest in the film continues to drop every time new promotional material is released, and this international poster isn’t helping matters any. I guess I shouldn’t judge a movie by its poster, but damn, that thing is ugly.

    Unfamiliar with “Total Recall”? Then you probably need this synopsis:

    For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid, even though he’s got a beautiful wife who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life – real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man as he finds himself on the run from the police.

    “Total Recall” stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bokeem Woodbine, John Cho, and Bill Nighy. Oh, and a three-breasted alien. Can’t forget about her. Look for the film to arrive in North American theaters on August 3rd.

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  • Hunger Games Finale Will Be Split Into Two Separate Films

    “The Hunger Games” finale “Mockingjay” will be apparently be split into two features, continuing in the Hollywood tradition of milking popular novel adaptations for as much money as humanly possible. Sure, it may provide ravenous fans with more “Hunger Games”-related content found in the book itself, but, more than likely, it’s just Lionsgate’s way of milking as much profit from the franchise as humanly possible. Hey, it worked for “Harry Potter” and “Twilight”, so why wouldn’t in work for “The Hunger Games”? You can’t blame them for trying.

    According to MTV, the first installment of “Mockingjay” will arrive into cineplexes on November 14th, 2014. The second part will find its way into darkened theaters almost a year later; the film isn’t scheduled to arrive until November 20th, 2015. In other words, you’re going to have to wait quite a while to see the epic cinematic finale to this wildly popular series. Watery-eyed fanatics, take heart: Hollywood.com is reporting that “Catching Fire”, the sequel to “The Hunger Games”, will hit theaters on November 22nd, 2013. At least that one is a little closer.

    Speaking of “Catching Fire”, it’s recently been reported that “Mission: Impossible III” villain Philip Seymour Hoffman will tackle the role of Plutarch Heavensbee in the forthcoming sequel. If you haven’t read the books, then chances are you’re unfamiliar with Hoffman’s character. That said, the less you know about the role he plays in the story, the better. For fear of spoiling anything for those who’ve yet to experience the tale for themselves, I’ll refrain from expounding further.

    In other “Hunger Games” casting news, “Sucker Punch” alumni Jena Malone has been offered the role of Johanna Mason, though, at this moment in time, she has not been officially hired for the part. Malone is a fine actress — her turn in “The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys” are proof of her worth — and I think she’ll make a fine addition to the cast.

    Unfamiliar with “The Hunger Games”? Take a look at the trailer for the flick below. For those of you who are waiting for the DVD/Blu-ray to find its way onto retail shelves, your wait is almost over; the flick will arrive on home video on August 18th, 2012.

  • Dark Knight Featurette Gives You a Peek Behind the Cowl

    “The Dark Knight Rises” featurette is Warner Bros. last-ditch attempt to get you pumped about the final installment of director Christopher Nolan’s epic Batman trilogy. It’s 13 minutes of in-depth, behind-the-scenes bliss, designed to appeal directly to the overwhelmingly enthusiastic fanboy/girl living beneath your skin. Of course, if behind-the-scenes featurettes aren’t your thing, chances are this isn’t going to sway those who have yet to be seduced by the bat.

    If, for some bizarre reason, you’re unfamiliar with this upcoming summer blockbuster, have a peek at this synopsis. It should, in theory, clear some things up:

    Following the death of District Attorney Harvey Dent, Batman assumes responsibility for Dent’s crimes to protect Dent’s reputation and is subsequently hunted by the Gotham City Police Department. Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, Batman returns to Gotham, where he encounters the mysterious Selina Kyle and the villainous Bane, and must confront the latter’s plans to destroy the city.

    “The Dark Knight Rises”, which stars Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Anne Hathaway, Marion Cotillard, Gary Oldman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Caine, and Juno Temple, opens in North American theaters on July 20th. When you’re ready for the aforementioned behind-the-scenes featurette, take a close look at the clip embedded below.

  • Benicio Del Toro Praises Oliver Stone’s Directorial Abilities

    Benicio Del Toro has worked with a lot of directors over the years. In addition to co-starring in “X-Men” mastermind Bryan Singer’s 1995 crime thriller “The Usual Suspects”, Del Toro has appeared in motion pictures from such notable talent as Abel Ferrara (“The Funeral”), Terry Gilliam (“Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”), Alejandro González Iñárritu (“21 Grams”), and Robert Rodriguez (“Sin City”). In short, he’s no stranger to working with cinematic giants, which may explain why he was at ease on the set of Oliver Stone’s “Savage”.

    “The main reason for me doing this was Oliver Stone, as a filmmaker,” Del Toro explained. “Yeah, he allowed improvisation. He wants you to think and he wants you to make sure that you commit to it, so he might present some questions that make you think about your choices. Sometimes you have to be on your toes.”

    In the latest offering from the man responsible for crafting “Natural Born Killers”, “Platoon”, and “Wall Street”, Del Toro stars as Lado, a drug dealer who kidnaps the girlfriend (Blake Lively) of two low-rent pot growers (Aaron Johnson and Taylor Kitsch). Although such subjects are always darker when you’re dealing with Oliver Stone, Del Toro is certainly no stranger to playing the heavy. In fact, he’s pretty much built his career on it.

    “I don’t think so. I’ve played drug dealers, all my life. I’ve made a career of killing people and playing all kinds of killers. As a Latino, you think about the portrait of the Latino, but it’s not one-handed, necessarily,” he said. “There are not a lot of issues that get explored, on the other side. There is some sort of balance. It’s not blaming one person. When you blame just one group, it’s a problem. But here, in the way that I look at it, it’s a bigger issue. The violence and drugs is portrayed in exaggeration. This is fiction. That is how I looked at it. It’s more complex. And, sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. Just open a newspaper.”

    In addition to playing a drug lord in Oliver Stone’s “Savages”, Del Toro will appear in director Adam Hashemi’s “Agent: Century 21”, a film about a real estate agent who gets caught up in a Mexican drug lord’s kidnapping plot. Considering the only other star currently on-deck is Cameron Diaz, I think it’s pretty safe to say which role Del Toro has signed on for.

  • Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield Break Record with Spider-Man

    Emma Stone is, quite frankly, the only reason I want to see director Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man”. The idea of sitting through yet another Peter Parker/Spider-Man origin story doesn’t sound overly appealing, though the allure of Emma Stone might be enough to separate me from the wad of money in my wallet. Call me shallow if you wish, but Stone’s limitless appeal is enough to put this guy’s butt into a well-worn theater seat.

    Speaking of “The Amazing Spider-Man”, the film broke records on Tuesday, amassing nearly $35 million in ticket sales. As a result, Webb’s web-slinging cinematic adventure has the highest Tuesday gross in history, a title previously held by Michael Bay’s “Transformers”. This, of course, is pretty good news for the suits at Sony Pictures, who reportedly rushed the feature into production in order to retain the rights to the franchise. It would seem the gamble is paying off.

    As for Stone, she arrived at the North American premiere dressed a bit more casually than we’re used to seeing her. In fact, everyone in the embedded photo — including her real-life boyfriend and star Andrew Garfield — dressed down for the occasion. Honestly, it’s not the most flattering of images for all involved, but at least Stone doesn’t look quite as lost as her co-stars.

    Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” is currently in theaters.

    Image courtesy of Hollywood Life

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  • Andrew Garfield Stares at Spiders, Drools Over Ryan Gosling

    Andew Garfield is a brave man. Not only does he have an entire franchise resting on his shoulders with the upcoming release of Marc Webb’s “The Amazing Spider-Man” — which requires a certain amount of strength in its own right — he also closely studied arachnids in preparation for the role. This is precisely why I wouldn’t tackle this sort of film. If there’s even a remote chance that I will be forced to come into some sort of contact with spiders, you can automatically count me out. Because, you know, I’m scared to death of them.

    Garfield, on the other hand, learned quite a bit from his eight-legged friends during their time together. “I had the most direct link to animal study in the world, that I could have ever used,” the actor explained to MTV News. “It helps you play in a different way and use your imagination in a different way. I just watched spiders whenever I saw them and tried to emulate that patience, that stillness. When you apply that to a teenage boy who is jerky, twitchy and anxious, as soon as that DNA gets messed with, you can find a patience and a stillness. They’ll dance differently and use their space differently. It was a fun thing to play with.”

    In case you’re unfamiliar with the property and are curious to know how this relates to Garfield’s upcoming motion picture experience, allow me to explain. Andrew stars as nerdy Peter Parker, a high school student who likens his superhuman abilities to that of arachnids. After piecing together a costume and developing gadgets that allow him to shoot a web-like substance from his wrists, Parker sets out to unravel the mystery surrounding his parents’ disappearance. It’s a bit more complex than that, but this should be enough to get you started.

    According to Digital Spy, Garfield also has an affinity for an altogether different kind of creature: “Drive” actor Ryan Gosling. In a recent interview, the man who would be Peter Parker said, “He’s just a dreamboat. It’s undebatable. He’s just stunning. Not only physically, but in terms of talent – a general sex appeal that he has.”

    All of this carrying-on has everything to do with the release of “The Amazing Spider-Man”, which hits theaters across North America tomorrow (July 3). If you’ve somehow missed the trailer, you can find the clip embedded below. Also, if you need a quick Emma Stone fix, check out this article about the actress. She’s cute, and there are pictures. Nuff said.

  • Magic Mike, Ted Claim Top Spots at the Box Office

    “Magic Mike”, director Steven Soderbergh’s saucy male stripper comedy/drama, took off everything it could in order to dominate the box office over the weekend. Unfortunately for Mike, “Family Guy” mastermind Seth MacFarlane’s raunchy R-rated comedy “Ted”, starring Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis, claimed the top spot with an amazing $54.1 million, which is the best opening ever for an original R-rated comedy. What’s more, the film has already recouped its production budget in just three days, an impressive feat by anyone’s standards. If someone told me that’s how the weekend was going to play out, I would laughed arrogantly whilst shaking my head. Of course, my prediction was completely wrong.

    However, don’t let those numbers fool you, as “Magic Mike” didn’t do too bad, either. The risque flick managed to bring home an impressive $39.2 million, which is pretty good for a film that’s aimed at a very specific demographic. As I said last week, you should never underestimate the spending power of women who enjoy gawking at well-groomed, well-maintained men equipped with rippling muscles. Honestly, I’m kind of surprised it didn’t make more.

    Tyler Perry’s “Made’s Witness Protection”, yet another entry in the writer/director’s neverending stream of Madea-related cinema, opened in fourth place with $26.3 million in sales. Last week’s other major release, the tear-jerking drama “People Like Us”, simply couldn’t compete with all of that big-screen comedy. The film, which stars Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks, opened in 10th place with $4.3 million. With all this heat, I guess people just wanted to laugh.

    Disney-Pixar’s “Brave,” despite receiving lukewarm reviews from critics, continues to enjoy pulling money directly from the American family’s entertainment budget; the film snagged the third place position with $34 million. It’s animated competition, Dreamworks’ “Madagascar 3”, latched onto fifth place by selling $11.8 million worth of tickets.

    Rounding out of the rest of the top ten are “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter” ($6 million), “Prometheus” ($4.9 million), Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” ($4.8 million), and “Snow White and the Huntsman” ($4.4 million).

    This week should prove interesting, as the highly-anticipated superhero flick “The Amazing Spider-Man”, “Katy Perry: Part of Me”, and the Oliver Stone thriller “Savages” all make a concentrated grab for the mad money in your pocket.

  • Total Recall Trailer Brings the Explosions, Three-Breasted Aliens

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    The Total Recall trailer currently making the rounds finally gives fans what they want: three-breasted aliens. Sure, we don’t actually get to see this highly-anticipated trio of mammaries in the clip embedded below, but at least you know they’re going to be in the film. What’s sad is that, when the remake was first announced, a lot of people were concerned that the infamous alien found in director Paul Verhoeven’s 1990 sci-fi actioner wouldn’t make an appearance in Len Wiseman’s reimagining. As it turns out, she’s in there. If those three boobies were the only things holding you back from taking a trip to the theater, your time sitting on the fence is over.

    If you’ve missed the official synopsis, take a look at this summary:

    For a factory worker named Douglas Quaid, even though he’s got a beautiful wife who he loves, the mind-trip sounds like the perfect vacation from his frustrating life – real memories of life as a super-spy might be just what he needs. But when the procedure goes horribly wrong, Quaid becomes a hunted man as he finds himself on the run from the police.

    “Total Recall” stars Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, Bokeem Woodbine, John Cho, and Bill Nighy. The film is currently scheduled to arrive in North American theaters on August 3rd. When you’re ready for explosions, Kate Beckinsale kicking butt, and a brief glimpse of your beloved three-breasted alien, take a look at the trailer embedded below. And remember: The film is probably best enjoyed if you have three hands.

  • Magic Mike: Fandango Pre-Sales Pulling in the Dollar Bills

    “Magic Mike”, in case you haven’t heard, stars cinematic heartthrobs Matthew McConaughey and Channing Tatum, the latter of whom appears in various stages of undress throughout the entire movie. That’s what female movie-goers are hoping for, anyway. If ticket pre-sales on Fandango are any indication, “Ocean’s Eleven” director Steven Soderbergh’s upcoming male stripper flick could be one of the sleeper hits of the summer. After all, one should never underestimate the spending power of the undersexed American female. Or male. I don’t discriminate.

    According to Fandango, ticket sales for “Magic Mike” account for 36 percent of all transactions, besting the latest family-oriented Disney-Pixar flick “Brave”. As the Editor-in-Chief for the popular ticket slinging website explained, “‘Brave’ is for the girls, ‘Magic Mike’ is for the ladies.”

    Female-oriented fare, particularly when sex or scantily-clad men are involved, is often a license to print money in Hollywood. The first “Sex and the City” film, for example, went on to make a tidy $418 million worldwide. The sequel, well, not so much, but the franchise had pretty much burned itself out by the time the follow-up rolled into theaters.

    Although studio estimates put the film’s ticket sales at around the $25 million mark, the flick is gaining steam at a fairly rapid pace. Social media awareness is on the rise, as well; the film’s Facebook page is currently enjoying over 300,000 likes, while visibility on Twitter continues to grow. The only thing working against the film at this point are the number of other features opening this weekend. Seth MacFarlane’s “Ted” and “Tyler Perry’s Witness Protection” will be vying for those entertainment dollars, as well.

    If you’re curious to know what folks on the micro-blogging site are saying about the upcoming male stripper flick, take a peek at the Twitter reactions below. Wash your hands afterwards.

  • Slyvester Stallone Wins The Expendables Lawsuit

    Sylvester Stallone isn’t messing around when it comes to his new cash cow “The Expendables”. With the sequel scheduled to make some serious cash at the box office late this summer, Stallone and company are looking to line their pockets with the sort of money only numerous explosions, high body counts, and heavy machine guns fire can generate. When screenwriter Marcus Webb concluded that Stallone and co-writer David Callaham’s script was a little too close to his thriller “The Cordoba Caper”, Stallone’s (legal) army embarked on a mission to clear his name. Unfortunately, the only bombshells dropped were in a court of law.

    According to Webb, his would-be blockbuster revolves around the exploits some highly-trained mercenaries who spend a large portion of the picture kicking a wide variety of cinematic behind. The screenwriter claims that “The Expendables” even ripped off the opening sequence and the villain, allegations which Stallone has vehemently denied.

    Unfortunately for Webb, the lawsuit was drop-kicked out of court on summary judgment on Monday. Stallone’s lawyers filed the motion to dismiss based on the fact that Callaham had already delivered a number of drafts for “The Expendables” before Webb had even penned his own potential masterpiece. Furthermore, the budding screenwriter has no way of proving that Stallone or Callaham had seen Webb’s script, which had apparently been shopped around to various studios over the past ten years.

    As a result, Judge Jed Rakoff deemed the the lawsuit baseless. Millennium Films, Nu Image Films and Lions Gate were also counted as co-defendants in the case.

    This, of course, is good news for Stallone and company, who won’t have to part with any of that sweet, sweet action money. The sequel to “The Expendables”, which stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Mickey Rourke, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Bruce Willis, Randy Couture, Liam Hemsworth, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Scott Adkins, and Chuck Norris, opens in theaters on August 17th.

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  • Nora Ephron, Filmmaker and Journalist, Dead at 71

    Nora Ephron, who is probably best known to movie-goers as the writer/director responsible for such motion pictures as “Sleepless in Seattle”, “Michael”, and “You’ve Got Mail”, passed away on Tuesday from pneumonia brought on by acute myeloid leukemia. She was 71.

    Ephron, who was once an intern for President John F. Kennedy, was married to journalist Carl Bernstein during the infamous Watergate scandal. As a result, Ephron claimed she was one of the few people who knew the real identify of Deep Throat. Following the couple’s divorce, the filmmaker would often give speeches to large groups of people, during which she would reveal the source’s identify as Mark Felt.

    At her husband and Bob Woodward’s request, Ephron was tapped to rewrite the script for “All the President’s Men”, a film centered around Woodward and Bernstein’s journey through Watergate. The journalists were apparently unhappy with the script, and while Ephron’s final version wasn’t used for the film, it did help her land more work in the industry.

    Although Ephron wrote the script for the 1983 drama “Silkwood”, which starred Meryl Streep, Cher, and Kurt Russell, she really left her mark on audiences with the Carl Reiner flick “When Harry Met Sally…”, a romantic comedy starring Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan. Her follow-up to this endeavor, “This is My Life”, also served as a her directorial debut. Unfortunately, the film was a box office flop. Despite this setback, Ephron would drop “Sleepless in Seattle” one year later, cementing herself as a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

    In addition to writing and directing movies, Ephron was also an accomplished journalist and essayist, with a number of her articles appearing in such publications as New York magazine, Esquire, and The New York Times Magazine. What’s more, Ephron’s journalistic contributions during the 60’s were considered pioneering; her inspired work was part of the “”New Journalism” movement, which involved authors inserting their own voice and opinions into their stories. During the latter part of her life, Ephron would enjoy further success as a blogger for the Huffington Post.

    Ephron is survived by her son, Jacbo, and her husband, “Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family” author Nicholas Pileggi. A number of folks have taken to Twitter this morning to express their sadness regarding Ephron’s passing. You can sample their thoughts and feelings in the space below.

  • Uggie Retires: Canine from The Artist Gets His Own Star

    Uggie retires: The adorable dog from “The Artist”, a film which everybody and their nearsighted grandmother fell in love with last year, has decided that he’s done with filmmaking. After appearing in a handful of motion pictures, including “Wassup Rockers”, “Water for Elephants”, and, yes, “The Artist”, Uggie is ready to call it quits. In true Hollywood fashion, the dog has received a star on the Walk of Fame outside of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, making him the first canine in history to have his paws next to his on-screen human counterparts.

    For those who decided to skip “The Artist”, Uggie portrayed star Jean Dujardin’s lovable sidekick in the film, a performance which won the pooch the Palm Dog award at the Cannes Film Festival. In fact, Uggie even appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to help promote the feature, a video from which you can find nestled below.

    The dog’s turn in “The Artist” prompted some folks to push for a “Best Supporting Actor” nod from the Academy Awards, though, not surprisingly, such an honor can only go to humans.

    “Everybody thinks I am great trainer. I don’t think so. I think he is just a great dog,” his owner, Omar von Muller, explained at the event. Although Uggie’s days as an actor may be over, Omar revealed that he will still be available for charity work.

    Uggie’s retirement is well-earned. After being rejected by a number of owners, the canine found himself at a pound. Since his temperament was considered problematic, hope that someone would rescue him was starting to fade. Enter Omar von Muller, who took the pooch home as a foster dog. That is, of course, until Uggie won the man over his intelligence and fearlessness.

    “He was a crazy, very energetic puppy, and who knows what would have happened to him if he [had] gone to the dog pound. But he was very smart and very willing to work,” von Muller said of his talented four-legged companion. “One of the most important thing[s] is that he was not afraid of things. That is what makes or breaks a dog in the movies, whether they are afraid of lights, and noises and being on sets. He gets rewards, like sausages, to encourage him to perform, but that is only a part of it. He works hard.”

    Here’s hoping the little guy gets to enjoy his retirement. I just hope Benji isn’t reading this right now, because, you know, that would be kind of awkward.

  • Prepare Your Boomsticks for This Animated Evil Dead Tribute

    There are a lot of people out there who love the “Evil Dead” movies, so much so that they’re willing to stand in line for several hours at numerous horror conventions just to get a peek at their hero, Bruce Campbell. I happen to be one of those folks who grew up watching the “Evil Dead” movies as a kid, thanks in part to the folks who programmed the USA Network back in the early 90’s. God bless your degenerate souls. Without their assistance, I may not have stumbled across these films until several years later. There’s no telling how my life would have turned out had I not discovered “Evil Dead 2” on VHS while in middle school.

    Director Daniel Kanemoto, inspired by the work of artist Olly Moss, decided to pay tribute to the franchise by putting together the animated clip you see below. In short, it’s a crash course through the zany world of Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead”, complete with iconic moments and nifty one-liners. If you haven’t seen the films, then the numerous references will probably be lost on you. Still, anyone with a passing interest in cool animation should find something to love about the clip. As fan of the series, I happen to think it’s insanely badass.

    For more information about Ex Mortis Films, be sure to stop by the company’s official website. A lot of their professional work is top notch, but nothing really compares to the clip below.

    Thanks to Bruce Campbell (@GroovyBruce) for the heads up.

  • James Cameron to Film Three Avatar Sequels Back-to-Back

    Although I did enjoy “Avatar” — the theatrical version, not the overlong extended cut — the idea of sitting through three sequels seems a little daunting. For me, everything I needed to know about Pandora and its inhabitants is contained within the first feature. Anything else beyond the end credits is simply superfluous. Unless Zoe Saldana sheds the blue skin and decides to spend the entire film in her birthday suit, I think I can live without these proposed sequels.

    However, those of you who are much more high-brow and intellectual than I will probably explode upon hearing the news that director James Cameron intends to make three sequels to one of the most successful motion pictures in the history of cinema. What’s even more interesting is that he intends to shoot the trio back-to-back. Assuming that each follow-up is three hours in length, that means prospective audiences will have at least nine hours of Pandora-related mayhem to sift through in the coming years. At this point, you’re either excited or falling asleep.

    While talking up her new USA Network program “Political Animals”, Sigourney Weaver revealed that Cameron intends to shoot the three sequels at the same time. After wrapping the aforementioned television show and finishing up her part in a new Christopher Durang play, Weaver heads back into Pandora. What will these movies be about? How long will it take to film three movies back-to-back? How will they connect with the first feature? Your guess is as good as mine or, for that matter, Sigourney Weaver’s. According to her, she’s just going to show up.

    Although details are sketchy right now, I’m willing to bet you won’t see an “Avatar” sequel in theaters until 2014. Feel free to correct me if you think I’m wrong. Below you can find an assortment of Twitter reactions to the news. Apparently a lot of folks on the micro-blogging site aren’t too thrilled with the news. I’m assuming fans of the film don’t use Twitter. Have a look.

  • Brave Movie: Disney-Pixar’s Latest Rises to the Top

    Brave Movie: Disney-Pixar’s Latest Rises to the Top

    “Brave”, the latest movie from cinematic behemoth Disney-Pixar, found its way to the top of the box office this weekend, scoring an estimated $66 million in ticket sales. Following close behind was “Madagascar 3”, the second sequel to director Eric Darnell Tom McGrath hit animated film. Debuting further down the road was Timur Bekmambetov’s action/horror hybrid “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter”, which opened in the third spot with $16.5. Not bad for a film that casts the former president as an ax-wielding vampire slayer.

    Disney-Pixar’s “Brave”, which was directed by Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and “Sam & Max” creator Steve Purcell, follows the adventures of a young princess (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) who embarks on an epic quest to end a curse that has plagued her kingdom. Presently, the film is enjoying a “fresh” rating over at Rotten Tomatoes with a combined rating of 75%. Audience approval rating, meanwhile, is 85%.

    Hanging out further down the cinematic totem pole is Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus”, which has slipped down to fourth place with $10 million in ticket sales. “Rock of Ages” and “That’s My Boy” continue to leave audiences uninterested, generating admittedly pathetic sums of $8 million and $7.9 million, respectively. This has to come as a particularly hard blow for the likes of Tom Cruise and Adam Sandler, two Hollywood powerhouses that aren’t accustomed to having their films flounder in such a manner.

    Rounding out the top ten were “Snow White and the Huntsman” (sixth place, $8 million), Joss Whedon’s “The Avengers” (seventh place, $7 million), “Men in Black III” (ninth place, $5.6 million), and the Steve Carell dramedy “Seeking a Friend for the End of the World” (tenth place, $3.8 million).

    Next weekend should prove interesting, as a number of high-profile summer comedies are tossed into the mix. In addition to the Mark Wahlberg flick “Ted”, which was co-written and directed by Seth MacFarlane, audience will have an opportunity to take in “Madea’s Witness Protection”, and “Magic Mike”, as well as the drama “People Like Us”.