The new full-length Creed trailer is disappointing. If you ask me. A few weeks back, we were given a captivatingly minimalistic and sharp look at the upcoming Rocky franchise spinoff, plenty to whet my appetite until I saw the actual film. It looked lean and mean, a solid second teaming between its star, Michael B. Jordan, and Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler.
Then here is the second Creed trailer, and on display is just about every twist and turn that is likely to come up in the film. It shows too much, just like pretty much every studio trailer, and in this case it waters down what seemed promising in the initial teaser.
Here is the full-length trailer, but if you don’t want to see basically the entire film in a three-minute condensed version, skip it:
There are things I do like here, including the old footage of Carl Weathers in the ring and the texture of the cinematography. The health issues of Rocky would be a nice thing to have kept secret, as would the fate of Paulie. Alas, we get it all.
I’m sure I will still see Creed when it hits theaters November 25. I only wish I hadn’t seen this unnecessary trailer ahead of time.
Rob Marshall, director of Chicago and Into the Woods, is developing a new Disney musical featuring Mary Poppins with his life partner and producer John DeLuca and Marc Platt.
Platt has produced various films, from Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World to Ryan Gosling’s Lost River, and musicals like the aforementioned Into the Woods – which gave Meryl Streep an Oscar nomination – Nine (also produced by DeLuca) and the upcoming La La Land, starring Emma Stone, J.K. Simmons and Ryan Gosling.
Entertainment Weekly has learned some details about the new film, including the composers of its original music, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, both responsible for the Hairspray and Smash soundtracks, along with writer David Magee, who holds several major award nominations for his work in Finding Neverland and Life of Pi.
The original Mary Poppins was based on the first book in a series of eight from author P. L. Travers, who was recently portrayed by Emma Thompson in the acclaimed Saving Mr. Banks. According to EW:
The new Poppins film will take place in Depression-era London, some 20 years after Disney’s classic Mary Poppins, and will draw from existing Poppins tales in the rest of author P.L. Travers’ 1934-1988 children’s book series… The new project (which is decidedly not being developed as a sequel) will explore Mary’s further adventures with the Banks family and beyond as illustrated by Travers’ seven additional novels.
It’s been over fifty years since Julie Andrews played Mary Poppins in the big screen, when she was only 29. This time we’ll face an older Poppins, but probably not Andrews.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is heading to the small screen, taking over Donald Trump’s role on Celebrity Apprentice.
Today, NBC announced that the former Governator would take over as the host of the reality series, after the network decided to sever ties with the outlandish Presidential candidate. NBC released an extensive, lengthy press release regarding the new hire:
Twice-elected California governor and international movie superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger has been named new host of NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice,” which will return to the network for the 2016-17 season.
Schwarzenegger served two terms as governor of California, managing more than 300,000 state employees and a state budget in the hundreds of billions. He has successfully invested in both real estate and sports franchises, and is known to millions globally for his starring role in the “Terminator” film franchise. His films, over a six-decade career, have grossed billions of dollars in worldwide box office.
The former governor will replace Donald Trump who, in his role as host of the seven seasons of “The Celebrity Apprentice,” helped raise more than $15 million for charity.
“We are thrilled to be opening a powerful new chapter in the story of the ‘Apprentice’ franchise,” said Paul Telegdy, President, Alternative and Late Night Programming, NBC Entertainment. “Arnold Schwarzenegger is the epitome of a global brand in entertainment and business, and his accomplishments in the political arena speak for themselves. It was Arnold’s personal passion for the format that Mark Burnett and Donald Trump built over the last decade, as well as his fresh take on how to take it to new heights for today’s audiences, that made him the man to hire. ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ … will be back!”
“The Apprentice” franchise is one of the most successful reality formats in television history. In “The Celebrity Apprentice,” business-savvy celebrity contestants work in teams and are asked to perform various tasks and win challenges, all the while employing a business model that promotes teamwork and, hopefully, ends with a financially successful outcome – all for a worthy charity. Contestants are subjected to long hours, grueling deadlines, intellectual challenges, personality clashes and intense scrutiny. Each task will end in the boardroom, where contestants must account for their actions or risk being “fired” by the host until one remains.
“After leaving the show to run for political office, Donald made it clear that he wanted ‘The Celebrity Apprentice’ to be able to continue to raise millions of dollars annually for worthy causes, and now NBC and I have found an amazing new leader to do just that,” said executive producer Mark Burnett. “Gov. Schwarzenegger will use his vast and highly successful business, political and media experience to drive this hit franchise to new heights.”
Previous “Celebrity Apprentice” winners include Joan Rivers, Piers Morgan, Bret Michaels, Trace Adkins, Arsenio Hall, John Rich and Leeza Gibbons.
Always politically active, Schwarzenegger announced his candidacy for governor of California on Aug. 6, 2003 on the “The TonightShow with Jay Leno.” Two months later he was elected governor in a recall of Gov. Gray Davis and was then re-elected for a second time in 2006.
As governor, Schwarzenegger worked with leaders of both major political parties to address the greatest challenges facing the state. His leadership put California at the forefront of the nation in addressing climate change, pushing for the development of renewable energies, rebuilding critical infrastructure, investing in stem cell research and putting in place health care and political reforms.
Since leaving office in 2011, he has continued to promote state and local clean energy efforts by founding the non-profit R20: Regions of Climate Action. Additionally in 2013, he established the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy, devoted to seeking bipartisan solutions to environmental, economic and other public policy issues. He serves as chair of the think-tank’s board and also holds a public policy professorship at the school.
Schwarzenegger was appointed by President George H. W. Bush as Chairman of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports from 1990-93, and also served as the Chairman for the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under Gov. Pete Wilson. As an advocate for children, Governor Schwarzenegger championed the After School Education and Safety Act of 2002 (Proposition 49), which was overwhelmingly approved by voters. He authored and chaired the initiative, which is designed to make state grants available to every public middle school in California for quality after-school programs.
Schwarzenegger moved to the United States from Austria at 21 years old and was best known at the time for his bodybuilding career. He would eventually become the youngest Mr. Universe and a seven-time Mr. Olympia winner. By the age of 30, Schwarzenegger was a millionaire, well before his career in Hollywood. His financial independence came from his success as a budding entrepreneur with a series of successful business ventures and investments.
With an eye on acting, Schwarzenegger won a Golden Globe Award for the 1976 film “Stay Hungry” but would make his Hollywood breakthrough with the 1982 hit “Conan the Barbarian.” Over the next six years, he would cement his role as a huge box office star in several films, including “The Terminator,” “Twins,” “Predator” and “Kindergarten Cop.”
“The Terminator” would quickly become his best known film franchise and its popularity continues today. Most recently, Schwarzenegger starred in “Terminator Genisys,” which opened July 1 and has earned nearly $450 million globally.
“The Celebrity Apprentice” is produced by United Artists Media Group. Mark Burnett, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Page Feldman and Eric Van Wagenen are executive producers.
Schwarzenegger is represented by Creative Artists Agency and attorneys Patrick Knapp and Jacob Bloom of Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal.
I don’t know about you, but I think it will be a lot of fun to see Schwarzenegger take on a TV hosting role.
Over the last couple of weeks, fans of the X-Men franchise have been treated to exclusive images and instagram videos of some of the various stars in the upcoming X-Men: Apocalypse. However, the one thing that we all have been clamoring for is the actual trailer for this high anticipated picture. Well, in the midst of doing research I stumbled upon this gem. Is this really the X-Men: Apocalypse trailer? It sure looks like it to us. Check it out!
NHK’s Anime World Blog announced recently that Kyoukai no Rinne (AKA RINNE) is getting a second season in Spring 2016. The series will be 25 episodes long. The first season has been airing on Crunchyroll and should be wrapping up next Wednesday after two more episodes.
RINNE is essentially the story of two people: Sakura Mamiya, a girl who was accidentally pulled into the otherworld and has been able to see spirits ever since, and Rinne Rokudou, a sort-of-shinigami who works to send souls to the wheel of reincarnation and collects bounties on evil spirits to help pay off a crippling debt. The pair accumulate numerous allies and enemies (and frenemies) throughout the series that make their lives a lot more complicated than either would prefer.
Rumiko Takahashi, the creator of RINNE, has written several works with large casts of recurring characters, including Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha. RINNE is no different in this respect – several new characters will be appearing in the new season. Renge the Damashigami and Black Cats Oboro and Suzu are featured in the new promotional image released on the blog, and there are hints of another character as well.
RINNE has been a refreshing watch for me the past two seasons and I am glad there is only a winter break before it continues on. The show is fairly lighthearted and doesn’t take itself seriously at all. It’s been a great break from some of the more serious plot-oriented shows the past two seasons, and I will be eagerly awaiting more!
Tom Hardy has answered questions about his sexuality in the past, but this weekend at the press conference for his new gangster flick Legend, Hardy was having none of it.
At the presser, a representative from LGBT news outlet Daily Xtra asked Tom Hardy if it’s difficult for celebrities to talk about their sexuality. Hardy appears to be a little perturbed by the question, and a little confused at the same time.
“What on Earth are you on about?” Hardy asked the reporter, who then struggled to not sound nervous as hell.
Here is the video. Fast forward to the 28:00 mark, or thereabouts, to see the awkward exchange:
Maybe Hardy was out of line, maybe not, but when you approach an actor – or anyone for that matter – regarding questions of sexuality, this sort of irritated reaction may be perfectly acceptable to most.
What do you think about Tom Hardy’s cold reaction?
Marvel’s Doctor Strange has been assembling talent for months now ahead of its release, and it appears Rachel McAdams has been confirmed as a member of the cast.
McAdams has been circling the project for months, and now The Wrap confirms she has signed on for the film. While it’s uncertain which role Rachel McAdams will have in the film, process of elimination should point at Doctor Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) love interest, at least according to Collider. Given the fact that the majority of the central cast is filled out – Tilda Swinton as the Ancient One, Chiwetel Ejiofor the villain Baron Mordo – McAdams fitting in as a love interest would make perfect sense.
After a few quiet years, it seems Rachel McAdams is gearing up her career again. Most recently, she shined in the uneven and maddeningly morose True Detective, season 2.
Doctor Strange will begin filming in London this fall with a release date set for November 4, 2016.
In the history of film, there are a handful of iconic scenes improvised during filming, or born from unscripted moments on set and kept in the final edit of the movie.
I have come to realize that in the last few years, some of my favorite films happen to be (almost) entirely improvised. It certainly seems to be a more prolific style among independent filmmakers, and I find that it can mean success when they cast the right actors.
Let’s go through some of the best-improvised movies — that is, those who not only have a few improvised/unscripted scenes, but most of the feature has been created from the actors’ own interactions, with a minimal script outline. In no particular order:
DRINKING BUDDIES (2013)
Joe Swanberg has become a reference when it comes to improvised films. He’s had a prolific directing career since 2005, but the first movie I saw of him was Drinking Buddies.
It was fairly evident that it was ad-libbed for the most part, and I don’t mean that as a negative thing. The chemistry between Olivia Wilde and Jake Johnson made it so easy to stay engaged. Even supporting actors like Ron Livingston, Anna Kendrick, and Jason Sudeikis were surprisingly good at this, and the story remains fresh and realistic throughout. It will make you crave some beer, for sure.
After Drinking Buddies, Swanberg released Happy Christmas (2014), which honestly didn’t rise up to the expectations. It had the same improvised formula, an interesting plot, but the actors didn’t seem to be at their A-game (especially repeater Kendrick), and they’re the ones the director needs to rely on the most. I will say that Melanie Lynskey stole the scenes she was in, though. There’s a special charm about her that I love.
Despite this, I’m very much looking forward to seeing Swanberg’s latest film Digging for Fire (2015).
LIKE CRAZY (2011)
Anton Yelchin and Felicity Jones lead this fantastic movie by Drake Doremus. He admitted to only having an outline for the script, and the dialogue is improvised. The young actors aced it, crafting this story about a long-distance relationship in the most meaningful way. Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Messina also starred in minor roles in the film.
Doremus recently directed Equals (2015), a sci-fi drama which was received at this year’s Venice and Toronto International Film Festival with mixed reviews. It is led by Nicholas Hoult, Kristen Stewart, and Guy Pearce.
THE ONE I LOVE (2014)
This is Mark Duplass at his best, and Elisabeth Moss doesn’t stay behind. Essentially, the script for this movie lacked all dialogue except for the few scenes where they required some kind of special effect when they were given a few more guidelines. All in all, it is a solid, intriguing, and at times funny debut feature by Charlie McDowell that will grab your attention from the beginning.
Duplass also starred in Your sister’s sister (2011), a highly improvised film by Lynn Shelton, who has directed several episodes of comedy shows like New Girl, The Mindy Project and Fresh Off the Boat.
BLUE VALENTINE (2010)
This film took several years to be made, and director Derek Cianfrance wrote over sixty drafts for it but decided to scrap them all right before shooting and let the actors improvise their scenes. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling had been attached to the project for 7 and 5 years, respectively, so they had an idea of the story. They filmed the first part of the movie chronologically, when the main characters meet each other, and then Williams and Gosling spent a month living together before the filming resumed. Cianfrance wanted to wait six more years for this, but producers refused. The result is a compelling movie about falling in and out of love.
COHERENCE (2013)
My love story with this incredible micro-budget film can’t be summarized in only a few lines. It’s in my Top 3 favorite movies of all time, and if you haven’t seen it… well, I’m disappointed. If you like sci-fi and subtlety brilliant filmmaking, check it out without knowing anything about it. No trailer, no nothing.
I didn’t know this the first two times I saw it, but the movie was shot in a way in which only one of the actors (because he was the “co-writer”) and the director, James Ward Byrkit, knew where they wanted it to go. They fed the actors some small directions and clues, and the rest was all for them to develop. Mind-blowing.
Ward Byrkit is also credited as one of the creators of the story for the Gore Verbinski’s first animated feature, Rango (2011).
BONUS: AMERICAN HUSTLE (2013)
What I’ve come to learn from my research about improvised films is that the only way they can work is when, apart from the right actors, you have a somewhat solid story you want to tell… with a defined plot.
I thought American Hustle was the most overrated movie in 2013. There, I said it. At some point, David O. Russell had a script and a good idea for this. When he gave the actors some free rein, the project took a turn, but Russell stated that he cared more about the characters than the plot. That’s why his film turned out to be the mess that it was, but it was an improvised movie nonetheless so that it could have made my list.
BONUS #2: VERA DRAKE (2006)
I can admit to not having seen this movie, but I remember it being nominated for several Academy Awards. Truth be told, director Mike Leigh is known for utilizing improvisation in his films, drawing dialogue from conversations with the actors during pre-production, for example. He actually won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 2005 with Vera Drake, and he admitted to having sent a script for the Academy, but “actually the screenplay that was nominated doesn’t exist. The film is the screenplay.”
BONUS #3: SHADOWS (1959)
This was John Cassavetes’ debut feature film. He’s been named the pioneer of American independent film because he directed and wrote a dozen partially self-financed movies, and he was also the first to use improvisation.
At the end credits of Shadows, you can read: “The film you have just seen was an improvisation.”
What do you think of this style of filmmaking? Have I missed any entirely improvised films?
Today we’re going to talk about Ella Enchanted the Anime– I mean, the shortform comedy Komori-san wa Kotowarenai!. The synopsis is a little odd this time around…
“Fourteen-year-old Komori Shuri is a junior high school girl who is too nice to decline requests. Constantly doing favors for other people has given her incredible strength!? But even so, she is also an adolescent junior high school girl. A manga overflowing with the ups and downs of everyday life!” (Source)
That’s all we really have on this show. We don’t have a trailer, or promotional images, all we have is some staff, a synopsis, and a release date. So let’s speculate a bit shall we?
Normally, I’d say this show has little to no chance of actually being good. Artland may have worked on Mushishi, but their work lately looks more like weird Magical Detective Girl shows, or terrible ecchi shows. Mr. Imaizumi may have directed Hitman Reborn, but most of his work comprises of terribleecchishows, the best recent show of his being Brynhildr in the Darkness. Couple this with the strange synopsis, the fact that it’s a shortform, and the manga covers, and it seems like we aren’t getting anything special.
In conclusion, this show might not seem like it’ll be all that great, but considering the track record, and the fact that at the longest it’s only eight minutes I implore you to check the first episode out, I know I will.
Komori-san was Kotowarenai! will begin aring on October 4th, 2015 for the Fall 2015 season.
I’m a bit of a snob about some things. A purist if you will. I like the original versions of songs to the their (usually) less-than-stellar remakes. And when it comes to film classics, WHY would you want to tamper with greatness? ESPECIALLY where horror films are concerned.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
There have been some exceptions to that rule in both music and in film. Let’s take for example The Man in Black, Mr. Johnny Cash. He recorded a heart-wrenching, true-to-life cover of the Nine Inch Nails classic, “Hurt.” In his voice and in his delivery of that tune you not only heard, but felt the weight and the truth behind the lyrics. “You could have it all; My empire of dirt. I will let you down; I will make you hurt.” Garth Brooks (and Adele) put his spin and the Boy Dylan classic, “To Make You Feel My Love,” and it was great, filled with melancholy and a haunting loneliness that tugged at your heartstrings. And let’s not forgot the incomparable Ms. Aretha Franklin’s version of the Otis Redding song, “RESPECT!” What was once a song about a man seeking his woman’s support and respect became a call to arms for women all over the planet when Aretha sang it. “R-E-S-P-E-C-T; Find out what it means to me.”
The instances when remakes/reboots of classic movies are just as good as the original is a rare occurrence, but there are few worth watching:
In 2007, musician/artist/screenwriter/director Rob Zombie made one of those remakes worth watching. He put his spin on the 1978 classic Halloween. The story focused on Michael Myers, the disturbed boy who stabbed his older sister to death one Halloween night and was institutionalized until he escapes from custody and returns to his hometown of Haddonfield, IL and goes on a murderous rampage. The 1978 version is blood curdling and downright creepy. The silent and stoic Myers shows not emotion and kills with efficiency. We never hear his voice. We never see him run after a victim and this lends to the terror that he strikes in our hearts.
In Zombie’s rendition we hear Michael speak for the first time. We see the adolescent Michael going to school, being bullied, and interacting with his family. We see the once human side of this killer and it adds a depth to the story and character that was not there before. Rob Zombie humanizes the killer. It was an interesting and gutsy move by the director to tackle a part of Myer’s adolescence to illustrate a sliver of how he became such a menacing creature. Was it his early tendency to kill birds and other animals in his youth? Or, was it the death of his mother that finally drove him over the edge? A little Nature vs. Nurture. Brilliant!
While it has plentiful blood and gore, Rob Zombie doesn’t make it into a Halloween/House of 1000 Corpses mash-up. It stands on its own. Malcolm McDowell (he’s no stranger to ultra violence) adds a quirky neurosis and ego to Dr. Loomis that wasn’t there before. Scout Taylor-Compton added an edge to Laurie Strode, but only in the sequel; that edge didn’t exist completely until Jamie Lee Curtis portrayed her in later sequels. Zombie’s vision of “Halloween” is chilling and effective. Perhaps we should call this a rendition instead of a remake.
