Do you remember the days when the Christmas season started on Black Friday, me neither? Now BROAD GREEN PICTURES and MIRAMAX want to make Thanksgiving even darker with ‘Bad Santa 2’ hitting theaters on November 23.
Bill Bob Thorton returns as the worst Santa ever in the latest RED BAND trailer for the sequel.
‘Bad Santa 2’ returns Billy Bob Thornton to the screen as America’s favorite anti-hero, Willie Soke. Fueled by cheap whiskey, greed and hatred, Willie teams up once again with his angry little sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox), to knock off a Chicago charity on Christmas Eve. Along for the ride is ‘the kid’ – chubby and cheery Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly), a 250-pound ray of sunshine who brings out Willie’s sliver of humanity.
Mommy issues arise when the pair are joined by Kathy Bates, as Willie’s horror story of a mother, Sunny Soke. A super butch super bitch, Sunny raises the bar for the gang’s ambitions, while somehow lowering the standards of criminal behavior. Willie is further burdened by lusting after the curvaceous and prim Diane, played by Christina Hendricks, the charity director with a heart of gold and libido of steel.
Mark Waters directs ‘Bad Santa 2’ from a screenplay by Johnny Rosenthal and Shauna Cross, based on characters by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa.
MRC and Sony Pictures, which is releasing The Dark Tower Live Action film starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey, have committed not just to financing a pilot but a full run of between 10 and 13 episodes, of a companion TV Show depending on how the scripts and story arcs develop, Entertainment Weekly reports. The Dark Tower show will begin shooting in 2017 with plans to premiere it in 2018, ideally, around the time the film becomes available on cable or streaming services. The Dark Tower movie (Starring Idris Elba and Matthew McConaughey) will serve as a sequel of sorts to Stephen King’s novels as it tells the tale of Roland Deschain’s (Idris Elba) final journey to the the series’ titular structure.
While MRC has committed to making a full run of 10 – 13 episodes which will begin shooting in 2017. There’s no word on a distributor yet, although fans speculate it would end up on either a cable network like HBO or a streaming service like Netflix due to the adult nature of the material. On the other hand, shows like ABC’s Hannibal are proof that mature material could still be distributed by some of the larger network companies. Elba has signed on to appear alongside Tom Taylor (who will play Jake Chambers in the movie) as a framing device of sorts due to this show adapting Wizard and Glass, the book exploring Roland’s early years. As a result, a younger actor likely in his teens will be cast to play the younger Roland Deschain.
At the time of this report, no information has been release on whether Matthew McConaughey will be involved in the series, but given the Man in Black’s shapeshifting abilities, that may not be an issue and the character can be recast with a built in reason if McConaughey does not return in the series.
A gunslinger (Idris Elba) and an evil sorcerer (Matthew McConaughey) embark on a journey to reach a mystical tower that can save their decaying world. Produced by Ron Howard and Directed by Nikolaj Arcel, with a script co-written by Arcel and Akiva Goldsman set to be released by Sony Pictures on February 17th, 2017.
The Magnificent Seven does a lot of things right in terms of delivering wild west-style fun. It’s beautifully shot, has a charismatic cast, and sprinkles just enough humor in and around the gunfights to keep things balanced.
That said, it could have been even better. Casting issues keep it from approaching the immortal heights reached by its namesake film.
Is it entertaining? Absolutely. Does it earn a place among the genre’s greats, or even among the best of some more recent western yarns? Not quite.
What’s it about
In the broadest of strokes, The Magnificent Seven‘s film story resembles the story from the classic 1960 Yul Brenner-Eli Wallach tale, and Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai before it. A frontier town terrorized by a robber baron and his army seek the help of hired fighters for their salvation.
This time, it’s a mining town that needs saving, and its strong-willed Emma Cullen (Haley Bennett, Hardcore Henry) who leaves town in search of men brave enough to help them.
Emma first finds bounty hunter Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington), who for reasons of his own joins the cause. Chisolm then recruits gambler Josh Farraday (Chris Pratt), sharpshooter Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke), tracker Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio), knife man Billy Rocks (Byung-Hun Lee), outlaw Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and Commanche warrior Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeier), offering them the town’s reward for their help in facing what in effect is a suicide mission.
Chisolm’s band then undertakes preparing the town’s inhabitants to fight for what’s theirs. They have just days to get them ready, as their tormentor, the ruthless Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard), learns of the town’s defiance and marshals all the gunfighters his wealth can buy in order to put down their rebellion.
Seven men against an army. Brave souls standing up for the weak in the face of tyranny. Warriors looking death in the eye with steely, squinty-eyed calm as it thunders down upon them.
Is there a more classic recipe for cinematic glory?
Fuqua knows badass
The Magnificent Seven is both director Antoine Fuqua and Denzel Washington’s first foray into westerns. But it’s certainly not Fuqua’s first time around when it comes to delivering big-screen badassery.
The man knows how to sell characters who are people you just don’t mess with. That vision, that understanding of what makes a hero or a villain a ‘cool customer’ informs Fuqua’s vision of this film more than anything else. If you buy into what makes each of Chisolm’s men the right men for this job in this time and place, then the film works.
Not all of them, however, are the easiest sell. For as good as Washington, Hawke, and Sarsgaard are in their respective roles, Chris Pratt never really looks or sounds like he’s doing anything more than playing “Cowboys and Indians.” Tasked with being the silver-tongued, irreverent rogue of the group, Pratt’s line reads come off as leaden and off-key, like he’s trying too hard.
It’s not his fault, entirely. Contemporary “cool”, which Pratt has a sure handle on, doesn’t always translate to the Old West. Just ask Will Smith and Sharon Stone, whose own forays into the genre were hampered in part by the fact that they simply could not sound like they were products of that time and place.
Great stunts, cinematography, music
Of course, the great westerns of old also were memorable for their location photography and action scenes. In those areas, Fuqua demonstrates his love and knowledge of the genre with what he packs into The Magnificent Seven.
Cinematographer Mauro Fiore (The Equalizer) and production designer Derek Hill (Olympus Has Fallen) help Fuqua deliver a western worthy of comparison to the great “spaghetti westerns” of the past in terms of visuals. The effort at authenticity is everywhere in the production, and it pays off in terms of entertainment value.
Similarly, the thrilling action and special effects are of the “old school” variety, as well they should be. A Magnificent Seven remake filled with green screen and computer effects would be an insult — thankfully, Fuqua chose to go the more traditional route.
And what great western doesn’t have an iconic score? This Magnificent Seven benefits from the last work of the late, great composer James Horner, who died in 2015. Listen closely, and you’ll hear instrumentation and motifs Horner made distinctive in his scores for Legends of the Fall, The Mask of Zorro, and even Avatar. If you know Horner’s style, its unmistakable here, and it’s fun to enjoy it one last time.
Worth seeing?
Fans of the genre and of the cast should flock to theaters this weekend to see The Magnificent Seven. While it has its flaws, certainly, it’s still tremendously entertaining.
Will it make you forget Brenner, McQueen, Wallach, Coburn, and Bronson? Not a chance, but that’s never Fuqua’s intent.
Consider this instead the director’s ode to the genre and the themes that made the original unforgettable. That way, you most likely won’t be disappointed.
The Magnificent Seven
Starring Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Vincent D’Onofrio, Byung-Hun Lee, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Martin Sensmeier, Haley Bennett, Matt Bomer and Peter Sarsgaard. Directed by Antoine Fuqua.
Running Time: 132 minutes
Rated PG-13 for extended and intense sequences of Western violence, and for historical smoking, some language and suggestive material.
Comic creator Rob Leifeld (Image Comics, Deadpool) has taken to the internet to showcase a script treatment for his bestselling comic title, Youngblood, in celebration of the comics’ 25th year anniversary of the launch of both the aforementioned book and Image Comics. Leifeld notes that this is not an attempt to get excitement among the fans and lead to an accelerated production a la Deadpool as he’s not currently shopping it around to any studios.
It appears the film rights are now back with Liefeld after having been acquired by Reliance in 2009 for an intended live action adaptation which would have seen Brett Ratner at the helm. In a Facebook Post, Leifeld said,
“As we approach the 25th anniversary of the launch of Youngblood and Image Comics I am sharing unknown items and relics from its past. I loaded up my Youngblood screenplay available for download on my website. It’s not being shopped around, it’s for the fans and in all honesty it’s how I would launch the book if I had a do-over. Link to my website in my bio.”
The script can only be downloaded after a subscription to Leifeld’s newsletter is complete.
It remains to be seen, if this will create the same kind of buzz that the Deadpool test footage caused and whether or not this will lead to a live action adaptation of the character in the near future. Liefeld’s other famous character, Deadpool was severely butchered in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine and halted all plans for a spin off until a test footage was leaked to the public to glowing reviews and excitement from fans. This reaction led to a fast tracked production which led to the critical and commercial success that was Ryan Reynold’s Deadpool earlier this year, with a sequel currently in active development with plans to introduce Cable into the mix.
Youngblood is a creator-owned superhero title from Rob Liefeld which debuted in 1992 at Image Comics. At the time of its release, Youngblood #1 was the highest-selling independent comic book of all time, despite scathing reviews from critics. The series followed a government-sanctoned superhero team and how the general populace would truly react to the existence of superheroes.
Sony Pictures Wednesday morning released the first teaser for the animated film ‘Smurfs: The Lost Village’ due out next spring.
Synopsis: In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her best friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting and thrilling race through the Forbidden Forest filled with magical creatures to find a mysterious lost village before the evil wizard Gargamel does. Embarking on a rollercoaster journey full of action and danger, the Smurfs are on a course that leads to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history!
‘Smurfs: The Lost Village’ is directed by Kelly Asbury, from a screenplay by Stacey Harman and Pamela Ribon. The film stars Demi Lovato (Smurfette), Rainn Wilson (Gargamel), Joe Manganiello (Hefty), Jack McBrayer (Clumsy), Danny Pudi (Brainy), with Mandy Patinkin (Papa Smurf).
‘Smurfs: The Lost Village’ is based on the characters and works of Peyo.
Sophie Turner was at the 68th annual Emmy Awards on Sunday night and she had some interesting comments about the future of Sansa Stark and revealed that not everyone will survive till season eight. Which makes sense, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss loves to rip the hearts out of fans.
“You don’t really know what’s going on with her this season. We’re trying to figure out where her loyalties lie and you’re wondering if she is going to pull through and be a true Stark or not,” said Turner to Variety.
The young actress ended the red carpet interview with a cryptic message about season eight.
“We’ve got one more season…well, not all of us,” said Turner.
Season seven of ‘Game of Thrones’ returns to HBO in the summer of 2017.
‘Game of Thrones’ won 12 Emmys Sunday night, including Outstanding Drama Series; Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (Miguel Sapochnik); Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss); Outstanding Production Design for a Narrative Contemporary or Fantasy Program (One Hour or More); Outstanding Casting for a Drama Series; Outstanding Costumes for a Period/Fantasy Series, Limited Series or Movie; Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Drama Series; Outstanding Makeup for a Single-Camera Series (Non-Prosthetic); Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Limited Series, Movie or Special; Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Comedy or Drama Series (One Hour); Outstanding Special Visual Effects; and Outstanding Stunt Coordination for a Drama Series, Limited Series or Movie.
There are good fan petitions, and then there are insane fan petitions. Trying to save a canceled TV show, GOOD. Trying to get a director fired because you don’t like his or her work, INSANE. With fandom, sometimes you get an insanely good idea, and yesterday was one of those days.
DC Extended Universe fans started a petition to urge Warner Bros. to cast Shia LaBeouf as Jason Todd, also known as the Red Hood. If you let it sink in for a moment, this is a brilliant idea. LaBeouf is as polarizing as Jason Todd, and fans have a solid love-hate relationship with the Red Hood. Furthermore, Jason Todd and LaBeouf are both crazy!
Here are the reasons from the petition why LaBeouf should be cast at the Red Hood (p.s. We did fix all the spelling errors in the petition on our copy.)
Shia LaBeouf is willing to go the distance to be the best that his character can be in recent films.
It’s an opportunity for him to show the world what an amazing actor he can truly be if you Just give him a chance to Be this character.
Help him get from one of the most looked down upon actors in Hollywood to one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood because of this role.
Ben Affleck was hated by so many people because he was cast as Batman and now he is loved by many after they say what an amazing performance Ben Affleck could do as Batman.
Shia LaBeouf is truly one of the most talented actors in Hollywood if you have seen his recent films.
If you know the character Jason Todd aka red hood And if you know Shia LaBeouf the then u can see how similar they are in and how perfect this casting choice is for Shia LaBeouf.
At the time this article was published, 490 people have signed the petition.
What do you think, do you want to see Shia LaBeouf as Jason Todd? Comment below.
Do you want to see Shia LaBeouf cast as Jason Todd (Red Hood)?
Fox’s Lethal Weapon strikes the right balance between action, sentiment, and comedy making the pilot a tremendous first step in the right direction for this series. Now, this may seem shocking to some as this is the fifth iteration of the Mel Gibson/ Danny Glover movie franchise and one would think the public would grow tired of this narrative by now. How many more of these buddy cop shows could the public actually like?
The difference between this franchise and other cop shows is the chemistry between the lead actors. Damon Wayans and Clayne Crawford are what make this show work. Sometimes the success of a television series comes down to casting, and they couldn’t have done a better job than the two that were chosen.
Crawford plays Martin Riggs, the grief-stricken/suicidal cop who is dealing with the loss of his wife. Wayans is cast as Roger Murtaugh who is just returning to work after a heart attack during the birth of his third child.
Now there are some parts of this show that won’t be surprising. Riggs likes to take chances he hopes will lead to his death while Murtaugh wants to live long into his retirement. Of course, this generates conflict between the two. What was enjoyable about the pilot is that they explored how those two became partners and found a common ground. This was a twist that made the pilot stand alone from the previous four films.
My biggest concern going in was could each actor make these two roles (Riggs and Murtaugh) uniquely their own. If Wayans was going to resort to doing a Danny Glover imitation or Crawford was going to try and play the role similar to Mel Gibson, then this series was going to be dead on arrival. It appears both have chosen a different approach. Wayans instead of trying to be Danny Glover has injected some humor into the role of Murtaugh that doesn’t overwhelm and is very consistent with his character and the narrative of the pilot. Crawford is playing Riggs as more of a nuanced character who might be crazy but is dealing with a lot of pain stemming from a personal tragedy.
While the pilot has plenty of chases and explosions in it, the real story is that Wayans and Crawford bring enough to this series to make audiences want to come back for more and Fox has to be elated by that.
Antione Fuqua’s The Magnificent Seven is a love letter to cinema where heroes are routinely outnumbered, and disputes settled with pistols at high noon. Some might refer to this as yet another remake in the litany of films that Hollywood has rehashed, but that would be a gross oversimplification. Fuqua doesn’t seek to recreate the magic of the 1960’s classic film; he honors it by creating a thunderous two-hour epic that’s highly engaging while managing to stay faithful to the genre.
If Fuqua had sought to simply do a full on remake of The Magnificent Seven, the results would have been disastrous. How could he recapture the magic of the original film? Even if he did assemble a full cast of A-listers, it wouldn’t nearly reach the standard set by a gritty and rugged Yul Brenner, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson. The theme alone is considered to be one of the greatest movie scores of all time and any attempt to “remake” it would be foolish at best.
Now, does this film capture the essence of the original movie? Sure .. the narrative is similar. Only this time the town of Rose Creek is being overrun by a mining company run by Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard). Bouge offers to buy up their land for pennies on the dollar which infuriates Matthew Cullen (Matthew Bomer). Cullen questions Bouge and he answer him back by shooting him in the chest, therein kicking off a mini-massacre. Emma (Haley Bennett) mourns the loss of her husband, but ultimately seeks vengeance. Weeks later, she happens to witness Bounty Hunter Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington) take out a whole saloon of people who had guns pointed at his back, and immediately begins to solicit his aide. They reached a deal, but it’s on Chisolm to recruit more men.
He first brings in Josh Faraday (Chris Pratt), a reckless playboy who uses card tricks to charm his victims before he shoots him. Some might argue that this is just the same Chris Pratt that we see in all of his films, but there’s more here. Beneath the surface of this lighthearted playboy is a slick killer. Goodnight Robicheaux (Ethan Hawke) and his Asian business partner Billy Rocks (Byung-hun Lee) join the crew with specialties involving knives and a sniper rifle. Goodnight is a former soldier in the Confederate army – who seems to be still dealing with PTSD – and Billy is trying to help him the best he can while trying to survive himself.
Vasquez (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), Red Harvest (Martin Sensmeir), and Jack Horne (Vincent D’Onofrio) round out Chisolm’s crew. Vasquez is a Mexican bandit who has a price on his head who agrees to help Sam in exchange for his freedom. Red Harvest is a Comanche warrior who proves to be very useful in combat. Jack Horne is a Grizzly Adams looking animal tracker who’s a religious nut with a bloodlust.
Obviously, Fuqua wasn’t trying just to cast people who fit certain roles from the previous film (I can’t envision an African American being cast in the lead role of a western in the 60s). He sought to create a certain chemistry and rapport on the screen, and for the most part he pulls off a nice balancing act, giving each of the seven their moments. It’s this type of chemistry that can carry a film even when the narrative is all too familiar.
Nic Pizzolato and Richard Wenk, the screenwriters, do an admirable job crafting a story that is equal parts familiar and focused on the strengths of the ensemble cast. The cinematography is spectacular and the wide shots felt like an apt throwback to CinemaScope Westerns from a bygone era. Mauro Fiore (who’s worked on both Avatar and Training Day) uses plenty of sweeping shots, capturing the beauty of the open plains. These types of wide shots evoke memories of sitting in my Grandfathers living room watching The Outlaw Josey Wales, turning towards him and saying “Haven’t we seen this already?” The film has all those same visual qualities.
The cast all deliver solid performances. Denzel and Chris Pratt are front and center, sure, but what makes this film click is the power of the ensemble. Everyone in the film feeds off of one another. Sometimes it’s not about one person, it’s a team effort, and this team hit all the right notes.
Good news, fellow FX watchers: Atlanta and Better Things are renewed for second seasons. Collider reported the news. Each new 10-episode season will air sometime next year. Both of them are worth your time, if you’re not watching them already.
Atlanta is Donald Glover’s passion project, a soulful, often surreal bluegrass effort centered around a young man trying to earn his way through producing his rising talent rapper cousin. It’s a darkly comedic, often strange and uncompromising series with a great sense of style and setting. I’m now two episodes behind, but I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen so far a good deal. I can’t wait to see where it goes.
Better Things, meanwhile, is the new series from Pamela Adlon. Viewers might either know her extensive voice work, on shows like Recess, King of the Hill and Pajama Sam, or her live-action work on Californication and Louie. Adlon’s new semi-autobiographical series is cut from the same cloth as the latter, especially with Louis C.K. writing, directing and producing the series alongside Adlon. It’s not quite on Louie‘s level yet, but it’s finding its way. It’s developing its own voice.
Here’s what Nick Grad and Eric Schrier, FX’s Presidents of Original Programming, had to say about both renewals.
It’s really gratifying to launch two new comedies that have received overwhelming critical acclaim right out of the gate and that are emblematic of FX’s award-winning brand. It is clear to us that Atlanta and Better Things have struck a nerve with viewers, which is a credit to Donald Glover’s vision for Atlanta and Pamela Adlon’s vision for Better Things. They, along with their spectacular casts, writers and directors, have created exceptional shows that we are incredibly proud to produce.
FX continues to be one of the best stations for original content. This news only continues their excellent programming. I can’t wait to see what both shows — along with FX in general —have in store for the future.
The script can only be downloaded after a subscription to Leifeld’s newsletter is complete.
Now, does this film capture the essence of the original movie? Sure .. the narrative is similar. Only this time the town of Rose Creek is being overrun by a mining company run by Bartholomew Bogue (Peter Sarsgaard). Bouge offers to buy up their land for pennies on the dollar which infuriates Matthew Cullen (Matthew Bomer). Cullen questions Bouge and he answer him back by shooting him in the chest, therein kicking off a mini-massacre. Emma (Haley Bennett) mourns the loss of her husband, but ultimately seeks vengeance. Weeks later, she happens to witness Bounty Hunter Sam Chisolm (Denzel Washington) take out a whole saloon of people who had guns pointed at his back, and immediately begins to solicit his aide. They reached a deal, but it’s on Chisolm to recruit more men.