Blog - Page 620 of 635 -

That’s right, boys and girls, break out your shields, dress up in your best red, white & blue and prepare to fight against bullies because Captain America is back in action!

In this sequel to 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger and ninth installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe overall, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is trying to settle into contemporary life in Washington D.C. when a S.H.I.E.L.D. compatriot is attacked, forcing him to explore a hidden mystery that could endanger the world. After investigating with Natasha “Black Widow” Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Cap decides to enlist the help of The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and face off against the titular adversary – The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan).

Now, let me preface by saying this – I haven’t read the Ed Brubaker Winter Soldier storyline this is based on, as I’m not the biggest comic book reader. Before you throw your stones, I’ll defend myself by stating that I am a big fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Hell, I’ll even forgive a lot of the issues with Iron Man 2 on a good day. But, in terms of the Captain America character, I was a huge fan of his portrayal in his introductory film and how he was integrated into the larger universe with The Avengers, so I’ve naturally been quite giddy about this sequel. Watch the trailer below:

From the looks of it, this might just surpass its predecessor. There seems to be more of an emphasis on Cap’s skills not only on a physical level, but also on an espionage level. The first film emphasized more on developing Steve Rogers as a character and playing with the WWII era it was set in rather than directly on action or infiltration. Yet, as seen in the trailer, it looks as if Rogers has come into his own as a full on badass by not only jumping out of planes like he did in the 1940s, but also dealing with the inner workings of S.H.I.E.L.D. It’s clear that the man has gone from being a mere soldier to being an agent all his own, which will surely be challenged by the introduction of the eponymous villain of the film. Plus, the dude has the balls to decline a date offer from Scarlett Johansson in favor of his duty. THAT takes dedication to your job.

Speaking of Johansson, the rest of the cast also seems to be fully invested. The scenes with Robert Redford, Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie seem to emphasize the climate of the situation at hand, but not in an over the top “You Need To Save The World, Cap” kind of fashion like in the first film. Sure, there’s plenty of explosions and spectacle in there, but it looks as if all the characters are trying to deal with it in a very covert way. Even with the glimpses we get of The Winter Soldier himself feel like a far cry from the maniacal actions of The Red Skull in The First Avenger. The way he carries himself and catches Cap’s shield feels far more calculated and therefore all the more intimidating.

On a more visual note, huge kudos should go to directing brothers Anthony and Joe Russo (primarily known for their work on television comedies like Community, Arrested Development and Happy Endings) for managing to capture the look director Joe Johnston set up with the initial film while still making it feel sleek and modern. Who knew that the guys behind You, Me and Dupree could pull this off?

But what about those of you out there? Do you think Captain America: The Winter Soldier can be another fun entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or will it be a pot hole on the road to Avengers: Age of Ultron? Post your thoughts below!

Via Marvel UK’s YouTube Channel

Hello loyal OOU.netties! If you haven’t known already, Spike Lee, director of the likes of The Inside Man and Malcolm X, is doing a remake of a little Korean revenge film called Oldboy, originally directed by Chan-Wook Park. The original film premiered in 2003, and the press was taken by storm. The general consensus essentially says that the film is brilliantly shocking and beautifully twisted, always keeping you guessing where this narrative is going. Fast forward 10 years later, and it seems like Oldboy is back in black! This time, it seems like Mr. Lee is taking a more grounded and gritty approach to this tale of vengeance, while adding some dark humor via Samuel L. Jackson (no pun intended).

The lovely folks at IGN were able to visit the set during their filming in New Orleans. They said that the scenes they were filming didn’t show them much, but they were able to sit down with the director, cast, and writer, and probe them for what it is they are trying to accomplish with this remake. This is what Spike had to say about it:

“I call it a reinterpretation. Now, you can have Oscar Hammerstein’s ‘My Favorite Things,’ but when John Coltrane played that, that sh*t sounds different. You know, it’s different. It’s a great film, but this is going to be a reinterpretation. It’s not Julie Andrews singing ‘My Favorite Things.’ It’s John Coltrane who’s playing it! That’s the way I look at it.”

Also, Josh Brolin who plays the main titular character also briefly mentioned what Chan-Wook Park had to say on the matter of this remake:

“Spike and I have been friends for a few years now and this came up. It sounded like a good idea but I felt I needed to get the blessing of Chan-wook Park before I did it. So I called him and said, ‘What do you think of us doing this?’ Then he said, ‘Absolutely. F***ing love remakes.’ He said just don’t do it the same and that was kind of a paranoia that I think we all had.”

I am a HUGE fan of the original because of a plethora of reasons. One of them being its distinctive style. The cinematography and its mise-en-scène (ugh, excuse the pretentiousness) have a very Asian flare to it. The sense of symmetry in the way Chan-Wook Park works with the camera and the blocking of his actors is very hypnotic. There will be scenes that will make your jaw drop, and then shatter it with a hammer.

My favorite aspect of the film of course, is its story. The premise is simple. A guy gets kidnapped and contained for 15 years, and then gets released by his captor with a lot of money. His captor then wants him to figure out who he is, and why he contained him. As the story unfolds, it becomes very complicated and pretty fucked up. There will be moments of revelation that will shock you. The story, amidst its twisted violence that almost feels Shakespearean in the way Mr. Park executes it, really has this poetic center. It has this certain contemplation about revenge, and proposes the dilemma of how far can someone take revenge to the point where it isn’t worth it, and ends up destroying your life. It isn’t saying that revenge is bad, but rather that it is meaningless, because in the deadly game of vengeance, in the end nobody wins.

Original film aside, I am pretty excited about this remake, solely from the words being said by Lee and Brolin. It seems like they aren’t trying to cash in and ride on the coattails of Park’s masterpiece, but rather they felt genuinely compelled to tell their own version of this story. Lee’s analogy about the different jazz musicians, combined with them actually having the blessing from Chan-Wook Park calms my nerves quite a bit. Before you groan, saying that this will be a masterpiece being ruined by being Americanized, let me make two quick points:

1. Spike Lee is a bit of a controversial director to say the least. He is known to have a radical pro African American agenda, and almost seems schizophrenic in his choice of projects. He goes from directing 4 Little Girls, a serious documentary about the racial terrorist bombing of an African American church, to Bamboozled, a blatant criticism and borderline hate letter to how African Americans are represented in the media, to The Inside Man, which was a really bad-ass heist film, that in my opinion, put an original spin on the genre. So this guy isn’t necessarily what you would call the poster child of Hollywood. However, if you give him the right material, he has the potential to create something pretty good.

2. There has been American remakes of foreign films that are actually good. David Fincher’s Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, was made within the same spirit of the original, and did it justice. It is arguable that the film is basically the exact same movie, but you can tell that Mr. Fincher put in his own stylistic twists to make it feel just different enough. A better example would be Martin Scorsese’s The Departed. That film was a remake of the Chinese film Infernal Affairs, and BOTH films are phenomenal. The Departed went on to win Oscars for best motion picture, and best adapted screenplay.

So who knows? This film has the potential to be something pretty good. I am cautiously excited! What about you guys? Whatever it is, comment below, let One of Us know!

Via IGN

He’ll be back.

In an exclusive report from Deadline Hollywood, it has been confirmed by maverick director James Cameron himself that Miles Quaritch, the main antagonist of Avatar played by Stephen Lang, will return in not one but all three planned sequels to the super-smash hit. Cameron expressed his enthusiasm for the character’s return by saying:

“Steven was so memorable in the first film, we’re privileged to have him back. I’m not going to say exactly how we’re bringing him back, but it’s a science fiction story, after all. His character will evolve into really unexpected places across the arc of our new three-film saga. I really look forward to working with such a gifted actor, who’s also become a good friend.”

After a lengthy string of production news since the first film’s release, it was recently reported that production of these sequels will start in late 2014, with a possibility that they will be filmed back-to-back for yearly releases. They are currently scheduled to be released sequentially in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

*SPOILERS FOR AVATAR BEYOND THIS POINT (if you somehow inexplicably managed not to see it yet)*

Being the sucker that I am for seeing independently-minded creators have fun with their little worlds, this sounds plenty exciting. While I can’t deny that the villain Lang played was nothing deep or spectacular, he served his purpose for Avatar well enough as the war-mongering asshole everyone hates that disrupts the peaceful nature of the benevolent creatures we’re rooting for. His death at the end of the film was satisfying, sure, but to me I feel he’s too good of a love-to-hate villain to use for only one installment in Cameron’s growing universe. Besides, the prospect of Quaritch being resurrected from a relatively brutal demise is something to look forward to seeing played out in the sequels, as the possibilities are endless in how entertaining it could be. Cyborg, clone, whatever — I just want to have an already effective villain continue to be in what will surely be a grand space opera saga.

What do you guys think? Do you think bringing Quaritch back is a good or bad idea? Any ideas of what would make a better antagonist? Post your thoughts in the comments below!

Via Deadline Hollywood

And the media tornado surrounding director Zack Snyder’s upcoming Batman Vs. Superman movie keeps a-twirllin’. As with any movie with this much hype and anticipation the rumors and speculations run wild, one such rumor that has garnered much attention is that Wonder Woman might appear in the film. If you read my recent article on Wonder Woman than you know that Warner Bros. is very interested on getting the mighty Amazon on either the big or small screen in the near future and since Wonder Woman is part of DC Comic’s “trinity” (the other to being Batman and Superman) it makes sense that they may try and sneak her into this movie.

This Monday, Warner Bros.’ president of creative development and worldwide production Greg Silverman spoke to Variety about the Wonder Woman rumors. While he would neither confirm nor deny Wonder Woman’s involvement in the film, Silverman wanted to assure people that “We are taking it all very seriously and are trying to do a plan that’s respectful to those characters and maximizes the stories as best they can”. This seems to suggest that if Diana is to appear in the movie it will be only a cameo because adding Wonder Woman in any large capacity would unnecessarily complicate the film. One would think that if Wonder Woman played any significant role in the film the creative minds at Warner Bros. would have been quick to add her name to the title. They could still use the cameo as a launching place for either a movie or TV series provided they cast an actress who would then go on to star in that project.

Silverman also spoke briefly in support of Ben Affleck’s casting as Batman in the film, stating that Affleck wasn’t cast on a whim as they considered a long list of both stars and fresh face unknowns before deciding Affleck was indeed was the right choice for the job.

As always, we encourage discussion in the comments, let us know if you think Wonder Woman should make an appearance in Batman Vs Superman and would you rather she get her own movie or TV show?

Via Variety

Having been a “mostly” happy Netflix customer for several years I still have to say I want to see the company continue doing some new and exciting things. I still have yet to catch up to some of their original series like House of Cards for example, but I did watch the entirety of Orange is the New Black and actually enjoyed the hell out of it. That is why I’m kind of excited to see some news come out that the company is looking into some different directions in the future.

I wouldn’t say their work in the original TV series department is perfect just yet, because I think there’s still some work to be done- Hemlock Grove was kind of atrocious- but news is that Netflix is looking at getting into movie production. Granted initially it looks as though they are looking mostly at backing documentaries, but are keeping an open mind for other genres. Netflix’s involvement would bring titles to our screens much quicker than the current set up and would bypass having to wait for the title to be available for home video purchase before having it available for customers to stream or add to their ‘My List’ for more convenient viewing.

Another interesting note- one that I didn’t even know at the time was a rumor- Netflix was at one time in talks to possibly allow the streaming of NFL games on the service, but that rumor has since been snuffed out. I spend a whole lot of time on Netflix, which tends to cut down on my sports viewing, so in the future if that ever became a possibility I would actually be pretty excited about it. I’m not a huge football nut to begin with, but more often than not the games I want to watch are not offered in my area on cable, so it is quite possible that if the teams I want to watch were readily available through a system like Netflix my fandom might indeed increase considerably. Alas, the time is not yet night and we’ll have to settle for seeing “A Netflix Production” in the opening credits of our movies in the near future.

What kind of programming would you like to see from Netflix? How might this initiative impact our viewing habits and the television market? Let us know what you think in the comments!

Via: Deadline

Last week, we teased a brand new feature called Write A Movie With Us.

But what is this enigmatic feature? The name implies a great many things and today, it will all become clear. Write A Movie With Us is all about you – the community. An entirely collaborative effort wherein we will write our very own horror film. Check out this introductory video below…

To recap: Each week, A brand new talking point will be offered and these will range from discussion of the genre, to specifics on our script including plot, characters and themes. These conversations will be entirely natural and throughout each week there will be ongoing discussions on such things as narrative structure, character development and history that’ll further our understanding of the genre and storytelling to allow us the most cohesive script possible. It also means that if you have no experience in writing, then that doesn’t matter at all. All you need is an idea and a desire to work with fellow writers.

So the big question what will our script be? Well that is entirely up to you. Each week you can get involved by throwing in ideas, helping develop other ideas as a writer, pitching dialogue, anything you feel is relevant. As a collective, we will put our creative energy into each week and I will throw back what is sticking and begin to put the script together.

Excitedly, we will also be working with Tim Buel & Cody Rhyse, film directors and creators of the 15 Seconds of Horror right here on OneOfUs. They will sample plot elements, characters and anything else relevant to our script and create Instagram visual representations of those select elements. This will be a fantastic way to get an idea of how things would work on screen and where the script could go.

There is one rule; we write something entirely original (as suppose to Michael VS Freddy). Apart from that it can go anyway. You are expected, as a writer, to be respectful to other writers during discussions and prepared to work as a collective. Oh and one other thing, have as much fun as possible!

So fellow writers, here is your first discussion point I want you to think about until the launch of the project on HALLOWEEN. What is your favourite horror movie, book, story, experience? The one thing you find incredibly scary. More importantly, why does it scare you? What works about it and what what doesn’t work? Start those creative juices flowing and come back on Halloween to share them.

You can also get some inspiration by watching some classic horror films such as Halloween and Carrie. Even better, you can click the link below and get fantastic commentaries from Brian Salisbury, Chris Cox and even special guest; Rage Select’s very own Jason Murphy.

Hello my lovelies. I am here to tell you that I have just seen the trailer for Disney’s Frozen. And (uhh… hold on, there’s a joke here. I know there is. I’ll find it while I’m typing) the trailer reminds me of a specific temperature. I don’t know what that temperature is, but I bet you do eh? Oh yes, that’s right. HOT! In that it looks pretty sexy. I’ll get to why in a bit. Meanwhile, let me direct your attention to figure 1. a (Yeah I just wrote an essay for college, I have to speak all academic and junk for this one):

Is it that time again already? Do we have to talk about yet another watered down Disney animated film they just slapped together to throw out there? THIS IS NOT TOY STORY OR THE INCREDIBLES SO WHY SHOULD I CARE?!

Now now, cool your horses cowboy. Let’s actually focus in on the trailer, and if you do, there may be some worthy things to take in to consideration, that ACTUALLY hints that this might be pretty cool. (Ha! You thought I was gonna say that earlier. En Garde!)

The first thing to take note is that the trailer seems to summarize its first act in the first 30 seconds, and what we see is a woman who has a problem. Everything she touches gets Frozen. This seems like it’s going to be the driving force of the film, because the story here is a woman who feels so cold and alone, and desires to feel the warmth of others. However, because she is seen as a sorceress, she has been shunned from the kingdom that once hailed her as a ruler. Yeah sure, the concept of a ruler desperately wanting to feel ‘real’ companionship and love isn’t necessarily reinventing the wheel, but the way it was presented in the trailer looked like they were taking it pretty seriously.

The animation style really reminded me of Tangled. When I first saw that film, the animation style although felt a little generic, there was a subtle distinctiveness about it that I could not put my finger on. So when it was revealed that it was from the creators of Tangled, I was not surprised. This trailer feels like it was saying ‘Tangled was more of the testing grounds of our style, and now we are letting it all hang out.’ The animation this time around still feels familiar, but you can tell they put some serious effort in expanding their craft.

When we get in to the meat of the trailer, that essentially goes in to the core of the story, which is the quest for the protagonist’s sister. This is where we get the shenanigans and animated farce we come to expect. When they presented the character of Olaf, the little goofy snowman, it felt a little reminiscent of what we saw in Shrek‘s Donkey played by Eddie Murphy. Although, he seems a lot more calm and actually funnier. The humor over all seems pretty kid safe, and that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a bad thing. Now, there is one thing they say in the trailer that seriously made me flip my shit. This is the point where I drop all formal analysis and just go on a rant. In the trailer there is a claim they make. That claim is, and I quote:

“Experience the greatest Disney animated event… Since The Lion King”

THE HELL YOU SAY?! Okay so, The Lion King is something that my generation of people hold really close to heart. The film is a fucking classic, and every song in that movie I still get stuck in my head 19 years after it had come out. There has been a Broadway production, that I have seen, that has captured EXACTLY the magic of what my inner child wanted all of life to be, before I became a cynical ‘adult’ (adult being in air quotes). The Lion King is of COLOSSAL IMPORTANCE to a lot of children that were raised in the 90’s, so much so that it has become a cultural phenomenon. So if the creators of Frozen, have even the slightest inkling as to what The Lion King is, they have some serious fucking BAWLZ to say such blasphemous words! I don’t think they can even… COMPREHEND!… the GRAVITY of saying some crazy shit like that! They have the AUDACITY to compare themselves to a substantial phenomenon in the history of ALL animated films, that most people still don’t understand why it happened. Merriam Webster himself would like at the sentence “Experience the greatest Disney animated event since The Lion King,” and he would spiral down the abyss of insanity, because he could not even ffffathom the possibility that those words could exist in the same sentence given their definitions. So if you’re going to make such a bold claim… you better live up to it.

So OOUies, what do you think of the trailer? Do you think it kicks some serious ice? Comment below, let One of Us know!

Via YouTube

After a 25 year absence from the big screen, The Ghost With the Most himself looks to be getting the sequel he’s been waiting for.

It appears that the long gestating sequel to 1988’s Beetlejuice is getting far more traction than it has in the last quarter of a century. This mainly stems from the confirmation that the original film’s director, Tim Burton, is in talks with Warner Bros to direct the sequel. Burton, coming right off the heels of filming the biographical drama Big Eyes, hasn’t picked his next project yet, but it’s been confirmed that the sequel is on his plate.

If Burton decides to direct, he will be working from a script written by author/screenwriter Seth Grahame-Smith (who wrote the Burton-produced adaptation of his book Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter and Burton’s 2012 adaptation of Dark Shadows), who is producing the film with David Katzenberg as part of KatzSmith Productions. The Geffen Company (who produced the original film) will also be producing this new entry and rumors have persisted that Michael Keaton will reprise his role as the titular poltergeist.

This is such a conundrum for me. On the one hand, I’ve always been a big fan of the original Beetlejuice. It’s such a bizarre horror comedy with it’s practical effects, performances and use of Harry Belafonte that, in theory, really shouldn’t work. Yet, it all meshes together into this unique effort that has this infectious sense of macabre fun. That all being said, the Tim Burton who made that movie isn’t the same Tim Burton we have today. The man who made classics like Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, Ed Wood and Edward Scissorhands has been replaced by this bored husk of his former self that’s been responsible for lifeless efforts like Alice in Wonderland, the remake of Planet of the Apes and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

My confidence is even more shaken by the decision to have Seth Grahame-Smith write the script, who was responsible for one of Burton’s worst efforts of the last decade or so Dark Shadows. Honestly, the only thing that can interest me is if they bring back Michael Keaton in the title role. His work in the original is some of the best he’s ever done and the man is due for a comeback at this point. Plus, unlike some of the other members of the cast, he can reprise the role of a ghoul without worry of how he’s aged because of the heavy make up the role requires. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for Alec Baldwin or Geena Davis.

So, is Tim Burton the right man for the job or will Beetlejuice 2 end up jumping the shark rather than Jumping the Line under his direction? Post your comments below!

Via The Wrap

Instagram isn’t something I can’t profess to using, though I understand the instant appeal of it. When it introduced the option of recording fifteen seconds of video, similar to Twitter’s Vine, again, I didn’t pay much attention to it.

Tim Buel is a guy who did pay attention and what’s more, saw the creative potential in it and his experimentation in creating a series of horror shorts using Instagram has shown that it isn’t wise as a film maker or any kind of creative to dismiss these new offerings so lightly.

Since the release of his video right here on OneOfUs, Tim’s creative endeavour has reached www.blastr.com who were just as impressed with the video as I was. On the project, they said;

It’s a neat idea, much in the way people have been experimenting with Vine’s 6-second limit, and we’re definitely interested in more. The question becomes — what should Buel and company tackle next?

I’m just as curious as to what Tim and company will do next, and I’m sure you’ll be able to find out right here on OneOfUs.

Source: Blastr

The world of TV can be a bit rocky, especially when newer of shows have to compete with already-well established series. Community has been fighting what most perceived as a losing battle for years and even more so last year when season four went underway after the dramatic firing of Dan Harmon as showrunner. Harmon was never shy when sounding off with his displeasure of the show as it went on without his vision and NBC finally came to their senses and brought him back on board to bring the show back to its former glory for its fifth season.

The return of Community is set for January 2nd, 2014 with back-to-back episodes before it eventually takes a regular spot in the schedule at 8pm starting January 9th. Its spot on the schedule is just before Parks and Recreation. The news also comes in the midst of the bizarre series of events surrounding Donald Glover’s exit from the show, including a slew of depressing notes he publicly posted on Instagram. While Community‘s return is exciting, NBC also announced the cancellation of Ironside after its fourth episode set to air on Oct. 23rd and Welcome to the Family is being dropped before a fourth episode ever makes it to the air. I wish I could say rather I find these cancellations deserved or disappointing but I have not been able to tune in to either show- something that must be common given the news.

I came on a little late to the Community bandwagon having only caught up with the series after the first two seasons aired and being able to watch the third season as it aired. I don’t find the fourth season to be as terrible as Dan Harmon clearly does, but his absence is more than just a little obvious as the season went on. I look forward to seeing the show back on the air with Harmon’s quirky humor back in full force and hope that NBC continues to let the show go on- assuming of course that Harmon’s return captures the same magic as the best episodes of the first three seasons.

What did you think of Community‘s fourth season? Do you think Harmon can return the show to the same quality of the first few seasons? What were your thoughts on the two cancelled shows Ironside and Welcome to the Family?

Via: Variety

Trailer Reaction: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

‘Oldboy’ Looks Like a New Man

‘Avatar’ sequel’s villain will be very familiar

Not Even The Lasso Of Truth Can Compel Warner Bros. To Spill On If Wonder Woman Will Appear In Upcoming ‘Batman Vs. Superman’

Netflix Getting Deeper Into The Movie Biz And Possibly Sports?

Write A Movie With Us Preview

Disney’s ‘Frozen’ Trailer looks pretty…. Dare I say it?

Beetlejuice 2 Is Coming, Tim Burton Likely to Direct

Instagram Horror makes makes big impact

‘Community’ Return Date Set While NBC Drops Two More Shows