If you’re like me, then you’ve been wondering where Jack Huston is and why he isn’t a bigger star yet after absolutely dominating Boardwalk Empire (he is in the Ben-Hur remake, but that looks ridiculous).
Huston will join Emilia Clarke in Phillip Noyce’s Above Suspicion, and maybe it will be his big break. Either way, the premise sounds fascinating.
Based on the Joe Sharkey book of the same name, Above Suspicion is the sordid true story about an FBI agent in over his head. Here’s the synopsis from the report in The Wrap:
ABOVE SUSPICION, is the chilling true story of a newly married FBI poster-boy assigned to an Appalachian mountain town in Kentucky. There he is drawn into an illicit affair with an impoverished local woman who becomes his star informant. She sees in him her means of escape; instead, it’s a ticket to disaster for both of them. This scandal shook the foundations of the nation’s top law enforcement agency, ending in the first ever conviction of an FBI agent for murder.
This sounds very “adult thriller,” a genre that seems to be dying a slow death in Hollywood. And Noyce is an excellent action/thriller filmmaker; Dead Calm and Patriot Games are his best. The Bone Collector? Eh, let’s move on.
Vice continues to spread its reach in the television world, and now they’re teaming up with ESPN to create new series for the TV sports giant.
Also included in the deal is 30 for 30, which will now have a regular place over on Vice’s new channel, Viceland. Clearly, these new shows will be cut from the same cloth as 30 for 30, but with way more beards and horn-rimmed glasses.
The 30 for 30 series is the best thing ESPN has to offer these days; the Bill Simmons brainchild is fascinating no matter how interested you may be in the subject matter. The Vice microscope could lean more towards an investigative look on current issues affecting the sports landscape. We shall see.
Sometimes a comic doesn’t have to be a roller coaster thrill ride for it to entertaining to the reader. Sometimes it just has to be enjoyable enough to keep your audience happy with the purchase they have made. This issue manages to meet this objective. Being entertaining with the material it presents.
As always, this comic features two characters from the series being paired up for a one shot adventure. The pairing for this issue is Princess Luna and the Cutie Mark Crusaders. When Celestia has business elsewhere it’s up to Luna to take over control of a slumber party so it doesn’t get off track. Unfortunately, Luna doesn’t exactly know what the kids are into these days so she has to rely on the trio of Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo to help her keep the party on track. Simple premise but luckily the issue is filled with comedy to keep the reader entertained. Before turning the first page, writer Jeremy Whitley has dropped a joke which will have many laughing hysterically.
The art by Jay Fosgitt adds to the humor of the issue. The characters are drawn with large eyes and over the top reactionary aspects which help to sell the humor by drawings alone. Just like in previous issues of My Little Pony, Fosgitt’s art is perfect for delivering a more slapstick atmosphere when the story tries to focus more on comedy.
The only real problem is the sudden appearance of a monster which really shows up out of nowhere with little introduction and is fixed with just as little difficulty. It appears just to tie up the story’s problem in two pages. A little more lead up would have been nice but still it doesn’t detract from the overall entertainment of the issue.
This is what the series should be about. A simple story which came from the result of a group being paired together which doesn’t get as many adventures as they would in the show or the main comic. Fans will enjoy reading this book for the humor and will resonate with fans of Princess Luna or the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon released a new trailer for ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows.’ The trailer doesn’t explain much but it is action-packed and Michelangelo eat some pizza.
Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo, and Raphael return to theaters this summer to battle bigger, badder villains, alongside April O’Neil (Megan Fox), Vern Fenwick (Will Arnett), and a newcomer: the hockey-masked vigilante Casey Jones (Stephen Amell). After supervillain Shredder escapes custody, he joins forces with mad scientist Baxter Stockman (Tyler Perry) and two dimwitted henchmen, Bebop (Gary Anthony Williams) and Rocksteady (WWE Superstar Stephen “Sheamus” Farrelly), to unleash a diabolical plan to take over the world. As the Turtles prepare to take on Shredder and his new crew, they find themselves facing an even greater evil with similar intentions: the notorious Krang.
‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out Of The Shadows’ hit theaters on June 3.
Professional wrestlers have been stepping out of the squared circle and into the bright lights of Hollywood for ages. Most have been pretty bad (looking at you Triple H), but others have been pretty decent and some even iconic.
The Rock has become one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. While others, like John Cena, are popping up more and more on the big screen all the time.
So how does The Rock compare to other wrestlers turned actors. Here’s my take at the top 5 movie roles play be professional wrestlers.
Thunderlips “The Ultimate Male” versus Rocky Balboa “The Ultimate Meatball”… er.. “Italian Stallion” in Rocky 3. The match was set up for charity only no one seems to have told that to Thunderlips. The wrestler is out to prove professional wrestling isn’t fake by taking out the boxing champ.
Hogan basically played a trumped-up, hyper-violent version of Jesse “The Body” Ventura in his movie debut. The match ended in a draw, but the real winner was Hogan. His performance drew the attention of Hollywood and he has gone on to start in a number of movies and even his own TV series.
Despite only 5 minutes of screen time, Hogan’s performance has helped pave the way for other wrestlers to transition to film and that’s why “Thunderlips” cracks the top 5.
4. Jerry Lawler (Man on the Moon)- Jerry Lawler
A lot of actors have played themselves over the years with mixed results, (Arnold Schwarzenegger in Last Action Hero: Bad. Neil Patrick Harris in Harold & Kamar Go to White Castle: Good) but very few are asked to play themselves to depict something that happened in their past. In Man on the Moon Jerry “The King” Lawler was asked to play himself… 17 years earlier.
Jim Carrey stars as comedian Andy Kaufman who had an infamous feud with Lawler that spilled from the ring to the set of Late Night with David Letterman. In this case, Lawler is reenacting much of that feud including that now famous scene on the Letterman set.
Go back and compare the two scenes and you’ll see just how good Lawler is at being the exact same guy. If nothing else, Lawler aged really well between 1982 and 1999 that’s why he gets the 4 spot.
3. Hobbs (Fast & Furious Franchise)- The Rock
The Rock at 3?!?!
One on hand the Rock has been in by far the best movies in which a wrestler has EVER appeared. On the other hand, none of his roles have been particularly iconic. While I considered his role in San Andreas, it’s Hobbs from The Fast and Furious that truly rises above the rest.
What I love about this particular role is that in each movie it makes less and less sense and it bothers me in now way. These movies are what every summer popcorn blockbuster aspires to be: larger than life action that requires little to no thinking. The Rock fits perfectly as a larger than life super cop who can fall out of a building, land on a car and a week or two later pull a giant machine gun off a crashed helicopter and use it to take down another chopper. No big deal.
Putting The Rock on this list is a little unfair since he really isn’t a wrestler who acts, he’s a movie star who occasionally wrestles. But you know what? That’s just fine with me as long as he keeps cranking out the blockbusters like these.
2. Drax (Guardians of the Galaxy)- Dave Bautista
When you’re surrounded by a giant talking tree, a small but super smart talking Raccoon and one of the biggest actors on the planet you might think the wrestler turned actor could get lost in the shuffle. But as it turns out, Dave Bautista’s turn as the ultra-literal member of the Guardians of the Galaxy often stole the show.
Bautista is great here delivering some of the best lines in the entire movie, “nothing goes over my head. My reflexes are too fast, I would catch it.” All while playing an alien hell-bent on avenging the murder of his family. Bautista was so good, he’s following The Rock’s path in transitioning from full-time wrestler to full-time actor.
This wasn’t Bautista’s first movie, but it certainly was and is his biggest. Since his Guardians appearance, Bautista played a villain in Spectre and he’s lined up to play a role in the sequel to Bladerunner. Not bad for a guy once giving a manager because he lacked mic skills.
1. Fezzik (The Princess Bride)- Andre the Giant
If we’re talking about iconic roles played by wrestlers, none is larger (literally) than Fezzik in The Princess Bride. This was the role Andre the Giant was born to play.
Fezzik is part of the gang along with swordsman Inigo Montoya and leader and self-proclaimed genius Vizzini. Vizzini treats Fezzik as if he’s just a big, dumb oaf. Turns out Fezzik is smarter than he gets credit for, and has a heart of gold. Perhaps the key Andre’s performance is that it is so close to how people described him in real life.
The other thing that makes Andre’s performance so amazing, is when you learn about all the pain he was in. He had back surgery just before the movie and was in such a bad way he couldn’t even carry Carey Elwes. Those scenes above were shot using ramps to make it appear he was on Andre’s back.
The Princess Bride was not a smash hit in theaters, but became a cult classic and nearly 30 years later is still a highly quotable movie. To have anyone other than Andre as Fezzik at the top of this list would be… wait for it… inconceivable!
Radiohead has been acting strange lately online; well, stranger than they normally do. After seeming to disappear from the Internets yesterday, they have returned with a video for their new song “Burn the Witch.” And the video is set to a stop-motion animated remake of The Wicker Man. Because, of course.
Here’s the video:
I do enjoy the fact Radiohead has returned to at least some form of melodic flow. It may be simple, but “Burn the Witch” does have more structure than anything they released on King of Limbs.
Cinemax announced the June 3 premiere date for Robert Kirkman’s ‘Outcast’ Monday.
Kyle Barnes has been plagued by demonic possession all his life. Now, with the help of the Reverend Anderson, a preacher who has personal demons of his own, the young man embarks on a journey to find answers and regain the normal life he lost. But what Kyle discovers could change his fate — and the fate of the world — forever.
The show is based on the comic book by Robert Kirkman and artist Paul Azaceta. The series will be ten episodes and has been picked up for a second season. The showrunner for ‘Outcast’ is Chris Black.
Patrick Fugit stars as Barnes, a man searching for answers, and redemption, who sequesters himself from those he loves for fear of causing greater hurt.
Philip Glenister stars as Reverend Anderson, a West Virginia evangelist who believes he is a soldier in God’s holy war against the forces of evil on Earth. An inveterate drinker and gambler, he doesn’t believe God intends people to sweat the small stuff.
Gabriel Bateman stars as Joshua Austin, an eight-year-old who lives across town from Kyle. To his family’s dismay, he appears to be in the clutches of demonic possession, but there’s something very different about this possession and its connection to Kyle Barnes.
Bone Tomahawk screenwriter S. Craig Mahler, and distributor Caliber Media, are bringing a Puppet Master reboot to the masses. If you haven’t seen Bone Tomahawk yet, might I suggest doing that as quickly as human possible.
According to Variety, Caliber and Di Bonaventura Pictures are teaming up to reboot Puppet Master, the quirky 1989 horror that spawned a handful of increasingly unwatchable sequels. It’s an odd teaming for sure; Bone Tomahawk is a fantastic Western which transitions masterfully into a 19th Century gore-fest, but very little in it reminds me of Puppet Master. Like none of it.
“We couldn’t be more excited to take the series in a new direction while embracing all the practical effects and terrifying insanity that fans of the ‘Puppet Master’ films love,” Jack Heller, producer with Caliber Media, said when the announcement was made this weekend at Texas Frightmare Weekend.
STX Entertainment released the RED BAND trailer for ‘Bad Moms’ Monday night.
The film stars Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn and Kristen Bel as three overworked and under-appreciated moms. Christina Applegate plays the evil Gwendolyn.
Over Worked. Over Loaded
‘Bad Moms’ is writen and directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, the team that brought you ‘The Hangover.’
Amy Mitchell (MILA KUNIS, Black Swan) puts her family first, second, and third. But her man-child husband, high-maintenance kids, and idiot boss are taking a toll. She gives and gives, and gives and gives, and then gives a little more, but it’s never enough. When the alpha moms (CHRISTINA APPLEGATE, Anchorman; ANNIE MUMOLO, Bridesmaids and JADA PINKETT SMITH, Magic Mike XXL) at her kids’ school push her too far, Amy finally snaps. Good Amy becomes Bad Amy really fast — and she doesn’t go alone. Teaming up with two other misfit moms (KATHRYN HAHN, Transparent; KRISTEN BELL, Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Amy gets a jolt of freedom that shakes up her life and might even make her a better mom. So call a sitter, put on your comfy pants, and pour yourself a double Chardonnay, because these moms are about to get bad.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ is upon us, and now the questions turn to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Chris Evans attended a press conference Monday to discuss the movie, the impact of the MCU on the film industry, and his future as Captain America.
“In the first couple years of your involvement in the franchise, you’re very internal. You’re scared about being the thing that’s going to cause it [to fail], you’re going to be awful, and you’re very terrified in a very ego-ic manner. But as you kind of continue on the journey, you kind of realize how amazing it is what they’re doing and what they’re accomplishing and how fortunate you are to be a part of this unbelievable inter-webbing of stories. You kind of are just so fortunate to be a part of it,” said Evans.
“I say, “Keep going. Let’s keep going. Let’s let the wave get bigger and bigger.” It’s not stopping. It’s not like they’re making bad movies. They’re making great movies… Especially the Russos, they ground them in such an authentic way. It’s real humans, real struggles, real conflict, good cinematic storytelling with, like, a streak of superhero flavor in it. So I say, keep going. If you can keep doing it, keep doing it,” said Evans.
“It’s amazing. It’s amazing that it’s happening. It’s unprecedented. I don’t know how you do it outside of the use of preexisting properties of the comic book world. And they’ve got a monopoly on it. They got it. They’re doing it. No one else can try and copy. You know what I mean? It’s really unbelievable to try and venture out into these uncharted waters and do it so well. It’s just really impressive,” said Evans.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ is directed by Anthony & Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, Captain America: Civil War picks up where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off, as Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) leads the new team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. After another international incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability and a governing body to determine when to enlist the services of the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers while they try to protect the world from a new and nefarious villain.
The film stars Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Chadwick Boseman, Emily VanCamp, Daniel Brühl, Frank Grillo, William Hurt, Tom Holland, and Martin Freeman.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ is set for release on May 6.
