Category Archives: Movies

MAN OF STEEL moves to June 14, 2013

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Our new Superman, Henry Cavill, won’t be soaring into a theater near you in December of 2012 as originally reported. Warner Bros. announced yesterday that the new release date for the awesomely titled Man of Steel is June 14, 2013.

On one hand, I’m crestfallen. The thought of new Batman and Superman movies in the same year was massively exciting, but I think this makes more sense. Now it won’t have to compete with WB’s other big December 2012 release, The Hobbit, and director Zack Snyder and his cast and crew will have a lot more time to take their time and get it right.

My guess is that we’ll see a teaser before The Dark Knight Rises next summer, a full trailer before The Hobbit, and probably a Super Bowl spot, too.

It’s time for Superman to fly in a film that celebrates everything I’ve ever loved about the character. And I really think this is going to be it.

Big article wrapping up all the casting news coming soon!

Gallery: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

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Watched the trailer and want to see more? Check out this gallery of awesome photos from Entertainment Weekly …

The copper activators on the mechanical web-shooters are awesome.

Trailer: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

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I know. I know. I haven’t written about the trailer for The Dark Knight Rises yet, but that article needs a lot more love and care than this one does.

Spider-Man 3 did such a number on my soul that I didn’t how how I could ever be excited about another Spider-Man movie. But so far the reboot seems to be getting everything right, and I’m particularly excited about lead actors Andrew Garfield (as Peter Parker) and Emma Stone (as his ill-fated first true love, Gwen Stacy).

The first trailer arrived today, and I think it looks, well, amazing. While I don’t feel the need to sit through another telling of the origin story, this feels like it’s going for something a lot deeper — especially with the inclusion of Peter’s mysterious parents and what seems to be some kind of ominous family secret driving the proceedings.

Deeper is fine, but darker isn’t. And the trailer does come across a bit mopey at times, but Garfield really captures Peter well, and I love how spindly and agile Spider-Man looks at the end.

I never liked the jerky movements of the CGI Spider-Man in the Raimi movies, so I’m glad to see so much being done on this film with practical effects. Lots of stunt footage from filming hit the Internet earlier this year, and it was thrilling to see a real stuntman in a real Spider-Man costume doing a real somersault onto a real moving truck. Computers make everything in movies so lazy these days, so it’s nice to see new director Marc Webb doing things old-school.

In fact, the thrilling P.O.V. Spider-Man action at the end of the trailer reminds me of what the opening of the ’70s TV series might have looked like with more money and logistics behind the camera. I love the shot of Spidey’s reflection rushing toward the windows!

Watch it here and let me know what you think …

Conan’s first trailer isn’t even trying …

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… and that’s a bad way to start for a movie that’s got a lot to live up to.

Watch it here …

… or go here to see it in HD.

Not that there’s a lot to see. It’s more like a PowerPoint presentation overly reliant on some kind of mystical smoke filter than a trailer; there’s no actual footage from the film, though the “I live, I love, I slay, I am content” line is right out of creator Robert E. Howard’s character-defining Queen of the Black Coast story first published in 1934.

The movie comes out in August. Even though the Arnold Schwarzenegger films didn’t rely hardly at all on the source material, when someone says “Conan,” nearly everyone thinks Arnold. Jason Momoa actually looks more similar to the Conan from the stories than Arnold did, but Arnold’s charisma and confidence were as mighty as his muscles. To debut a trailer that barely features any imagery from the film suggests either misplaced confidence or an utter lack of it entirely.

I’m really rooting for Momoa and this movie. I just hope they try a little harder with the next trailer.

If the new Conan movie poster doesn’t move you …

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… you don’t have to worry about it losing any sleep, because it can move all by itself:

I originally had the poster embedded here in the page, but it’s messing up my site. And since it combines animation and audio, it’s loud. Check it out at IGN Movies!

Kind of cool, right?

I appreciate the creativity that goes into stuff like this, but I also miss the days of epic movie posters that were awesome by their own merit.

The same goes for movies. This one’s going to be in 3D, which is fine, but the Arnold movies didn’t need gimmickry to be bad-ass. I really hope this one’s good.

Meanwhile, here’s a better view of new Conan actor Jason Momoa …

… and hopefully we’ll get a trailer soon; the movie comes out August 19.

Second Thor trailer brings thunder and wonder

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This makes the wait for May 6 even more difficult! There’s some really incredible imagery on display, and I’m not just talking about how adorable Kat Dennings is in her glasses.

There’s a lot more majesty and action here than in the teaser trailer, all juxtaposed against the fish-out-of-water aspects of Thor’s banishment to Earth.

I especially love the line about how magic and science are the same where he comes from. They’re really going to need to tap into that sense of cosmic wonder to sell the high concept of this movie. I really think it can (and will) be done.

What do you think?

(And in a shameless bit of self promotion, here’s my interview with the original live-action Thor, Eric Allan Kramer.)

New Captain America photos and video!

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Well, kind of new. I know it looks like I’ve abandoned writing entirely, but I’m still writing all the time. I just don’t have much time to write here, which makes me sad, because every day I think of a dozen things I’d like to write about, and I get so overwhelmed that I don’t end up writing anything.

A few weeks ago, my writing partner Kevin Rice and I got outrageously close to our second movie deal. It fell through due to circumstances beyond our control, but oh would it have been sweet had it happened. We’re working up some new ideas to take to the same producer per his request, and that’s where all of my spare time and energy has been directed these days.

Luckily I’ve still got plenty of excitement to go around for some movies that are coming up this year, and one of the ones I’m looking forward to more than any other is Captain America, which I refuse to refer to by its full title, which I can’t even bring myself to type. (Seriously, Marvel. Captain America is enough of a title.)

Marvel has released another batch of images, which you can see here.

This one’s my favorite:

Chris Evans looks great in the costume, which looks absolutely awesome.

Meanwhile, here is Marvel’s first official photo of the Red Skull, played by Hugo Weaving:

It looks a little cartoony (which isn’t a bad thing) seen out of context in a still photo, but it looks really scary under proper lighting on film.

Which, by the way, you can see right here …

… in the TV spot that ran during the Super Bowl.

The effects used to make Chris Evans look frail are incredible …

… because this is is real physique for the movie:

Here’s Cap with the Howling Commandos (including Neal McDonough in the bowler as Dum Dum Dugan) …

… and a giant, jet-powered flying wing that evokes some of the amazing aviation designs of the day:

And finally, an awesome in-movie shot of the Red Skull:

Make sure you watch the whole thing because there’s a lot more to see, including co-stars Tommy Lee Jones (as Col. Chester Phillips) and Stanley Tucci (as Dr. Abraham Erskine).

Captain America wins the war his way on July 22!