While taking questions at Otakon 2015, MAPPA and Madhouse founder Masao Maruyama indicated that anime director Satoshi Kon’s incomplete final film, Yume Miru Kikai (Dreaming Machine) is still in production, well sorta. However, getting enough money to finance the film is one considerable challenge, the more difficult constraint is finding someone as talented as Satoshi Kon to pick up the pieces and do it justice. Unfortunately, at the current time, no one is able to match Kon’s skill level. Maybe someday soon we’ll have someone step up and take the torch that’s been upheld for too long.
Highly regardly anime director Satoshi Kon (Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress, Tokyo Godfathers, Paranoia Agent, Paprika) passed away of pancreatic cancer in August of 2010. In 2009, he described his final project:
“The title will be Yume-Miru Kikai. In English, it will be The Dream Machine. On the surface, it’s going to be a fantasy-adventure targeted at younger audiences. However, it will also be a film that people who have seen our films up to this point will be able to enjoy. So it will be an adventure that even older audiences can appreciate. There will be no human characters in the film; only robots. It’ll be like a “road movie” for robots.”
The official site for Satoshi Kon’s last anime film Yume-Miru Kikai (Dreaming Machine) went offline in late 2012. (http://yume-robo.com/). The official blog is still alive, but nothing has been posted since June 15th, 2011. After his death on August 24, 2010, the anime studio Madhouse tried to finish the film and officially announced it resumed production on the film in November 2010. Masao Maruyama, the founder of Madhouse, indicated that production of the film had been halted due to lack of finances at Otakon in August 2011.
This article will be full of Captain America: Civil War spoilers, do not proceed any further if you’ve never read the comic books associated with the storyline. This is your final warning.
In the comic books, Civil War ends when Captain America surrenders because innocent people are getting hurt. There are events that set up Civil War as well. Hulk goes into space, Thor takes a nap, Hawkeye and Vision are killed off. These events take the powerful characters that could end Civil War in one punch off the board. The death of Hawkeye and Vision take the voices of reason off the board too.
At the end of Civil War Captain America is killed by Crossbones as he escorted to the courthouse. Bucky Barnes then takes over as Captain America.
Currently in Marvel Cinematic Universe, Hulk is now missing (could be in space) and Thor is off Earth on a mission. The powerful characters have been removed from the board to set up Civil War.
Now enter in Jeremmy Renner talking to ScreenRant while promoting Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation. Renner was asked about the how much screen time he would get in Captain America: Civil War.
“Yeah, yeah. It’s more active. A lot of fun stuff happening in that one. I can’t speak too much for it. They’re still filming that sucker right now. But yeah, there’s a lot of stuff happening in that one physically for me anyway. Then who knows in the future? I don’t know what’s going to happen,” said Renner.
In the video below, Renner gives a cryptic “Then who knows in the future?” Could they kill Hawkeye off in Captain America: Civil War and then resurrect him Avengers: Infinity War. We don’t know what side Hawkeye is on in Civil War but his death would make Captain America and Iron Man stop fighting.
“They’re not big on replacing people and characters so much, which I think is smart, because there’s so many different characters. I think there’s going to be a lot of new faces coming up in that world. I’m happy just to be a part of that big universe,” said Renner.
Set for release in the United States on May 6, 2016, “Captain America: Civil War” is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo (Marvel’s “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Community”) from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely (“Captain America: The Winter Solider,” Marvel’s “Captain America: The First Avenger”). The film returns Chris Evans (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron”) as the iconic Super Hero character Steve Rogers/Captain America along with Robert Downey Jr. (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Marvel’s “Iron Man 3”) as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”) as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow, Sebastian Stan (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Captain America: The First Avenger”) as Bucky Barnes/Winter Soldier, Anthony Mackie (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier”) as Sam Wilson/Falcon, Paul Bettany (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Iron Man 3”) as The Vision, Jeremy Renner (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Marvel’s “The Avengers”) as Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Don Cheadle (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Iron Man 3”) as Jim Rhodes/War Machine and Elizabeth Olsen (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Godzilla”) as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch.
After his debut in Marvel’s “Ant-Man” on July 17, 2015, Paul Rudd (“Ant-Man,” ”Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues”) will make his first appearance alongside the Avengers as Scott Lang/Ant-Man in “Captain America: Civil War.”
The film also includes outstanding additional cast, including Chadwick Boseman (“42,” “Get on Up”) as T’Challa/Black Panther, Emily VanCamp (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Revenge”) as Sharon Carter/Agent 13, Daniel Brühl (“Inglourious Basterds,” “Bourne Ultimatum”), Frank Grillo (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Warrior”) as Brock Rumlow/Crossbones, William Hurt (“A History of Violence,” Marvel’s “The Incredible Hulk”) as General Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross and Martin Freeman (“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies”).
“Captain America: Civil War” picks up where “Avengers: Age of Ultron” left off, as Steve Rogers 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.
Marvel’s “Captain America: Civil War” is produced by Marvel Studios’ president, Kevin Feige, with Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Patricia Whitcher, Nate Moore and Stan Lee serving as executive producers.
Directors Joe and Anthony Russo’s creative team also includes director of photography Trent Opaloch (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Elysium”), production designer Owen Paterson (“Godzilla,” “Matrix”), and three time Oscar®-nominated costume designer Judianna Makovsky (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”).
Based on the Marvel comic character first published in 1941, “Captain America: Civil War ” continues the lineage of epic big-screen adventures chronicled in “Iron Man,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Iron Man 2,” “Thor,” “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Marvel’s The Avengers,” “Iron Man 3,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron” and the upcoming release schedule, which includes Marvel’s “Ant-Man” on July 17, 2015, Marvel’s “Doctor Strange,” on November 4, 2016, Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” on May 5, 2017, and Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok,” on November 3, 2017.
Paramount has a firm date set for Richard Linklater’s Boyhood follow up.
Deadline has reported the film will drop April 15, 2016, originally up against the Judd Apatow-produced Bad Moms, which has since been moved. Originally titled That’s What I’m Talking About, the name will change before the release next April.
Richard Linklater’s story, set in the 80s, will follow a college freshman (Blake Jenner) during his first weeks of college as a pitcher for the baseball team. Linklater has called the film a “spiritual sequel” to both Dazed and Confused and, somehow, Boyhood.
Unlike most franchises, Tom Cruise’s Mission: Impossible films appear to be getting stronger with age, like the ageless actor himself. Rogue Nation, the fifth film in the series, hits this Friday with the fifth director, Chris McQuarrie. With so many different visionaries behind the scenes, each ‘M:I’ film manages to cop its own identity while still following the adventures of Ethan Hunt. Some have been highly effective, and one in particular has become fodder.
Here are the rankings of the first four M:I films, from worst to first…
Mission: Impossible II – John Woo’s foray into the franchise four years after the original could have been enough to end things. Woo’s slow-motion addiction and dove feitsh don’t translate well to what is supposed to be a kinetic action adventure film. The action here is more an attempt to show off kickass slo-mo than to captivate audiences. There is no anchor for the action, just one chase after another, shootouts upon shootouts, and some curious moments of doe-eyed naval gazing between Hunt and his femme fatale, played by Thandie Newton.
The villain, Dougray Scott, is incredibly passive and forgettable. And the plot, about a deadly virus, is clunky and tired, pushing along vapid stunt work. Woo’s action romanticism is out of place, dating the entire picture. The hokey early 2000s hip hop drivel from Limp Bizkit don’t help the dating process either.
And the dialogue! Pitiful. At one point, Anthony Hopkins – who is entirely unnecessary to the story other than to add some Oscar cred – says “that’s why it’s not mission: difficult, it’s mission: impossible.” Meta groan.
Mission: Impossible III – These next two could be interchangeable, depending on what day you talk to me. M:I III has one major advantage over every other entry in the franchise, and that is the strong villainous presence of the late Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman plays Owen Davian, a sadistic arms dealer who is holding Hunt’s secret spy identity over his head, and when the picture fires on all cylinders, Hoffman is on the screen.The fight scene between Cruise and Hoffman is a highlight of the film.
As for the action, J.J. Abrams handles it competently, lens flares and all. The assault on a bridge in the middle of the film, serving as an anchor, is visceral but all too brief. None of the set pieces stand out as truly special.
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol –Brad Bird took over as director for the last entry in 2011. The expanding of Simon Pegg’s role, and the addition of Jeremy Renner infuse some new blood into the proceedings. And, unlike the last two, these supporting characters actually have, ya know, things to do other than sit around and gaze in wonderment as Hunt saves the day.
This fourth film was also able to inject the template Abrams laid out in M:I IIIwith a little testosterone, and added the crucial awe-inspiring action set piece. Cruise’s daliance atop the Burj Kahlifa tower in Dubai is not for the faint of heart. The only issue with Ghost Protocolis what comes on the back end, after the dizzying Burj Kahlifa sequence. I don’t remember the climax particularly, because it paled in comparison to the Burj Kahlifa scene, and even the explosive Kremlin sequence in the first act.
And let’s not forget, Ghost Protocolshowcased some of the most kickass “Tom Cruise running” moments in the actors long history of scampering across the screen. Dude outruns a sandstormand an exploding captiol building:
Mission: Impossible – Yes, the first is still the best. Way back in 1996, when this franchise kicked off, Brian DePalma directed what is still an incredibly dense, plot-packed, action-fueled suspense spectacle. The scene inside CIA headquarters, and the final showdown between chopper and train still stand out as the finest action moments in the franchise, because they have both stakes in the game and incredible physicality:
https://youtu.be/S8LGzbU3PtI
Surrounding these set pieces is a convoluted conspiracy narrative that is not too confusing if you pay attention. Making the villain Jim Phelps himself brings intimacy into the story. And much like Ghost Protocol, the team is a factor. These films are more effective when everyone isn’t sitting around watching Ethan Hunt dominate. The key to the original M:I was balance, between story and static. The tension isn’t just in those great set pieces, but in the plot itself.
Disney CEO Bob Iger believes that ESPN will move towards standalone service like HBO Now, were cord cutting consumers can just buy the channels they want.
“I think eventually ESPN becomes a business that is sold directly to the consumer. I think there’s an inevitably to that, but I don’t think it’s right around the corner,” said Iger on CNBC’s financial morning show “Squawk Box.”
This will be a very interesting concept to see unfold. ESPN would be one of the few standalone services with live broadcasts like the NFL and the College Football Playoff. These events have huge ratings and advertisers pony up big dollars for events where the consumer can’t fast forward through the commercials.
“I have very bullish feelings about ESPN long-term, but I’m a realist in terms of the disruptions of the business. I happen to believe that if we end up seeing more erosion in terms of the so-called multi-channel bundle, quality will win out and popularity will win out,” Iger said. “The business model may face some challenges over the next few years. I think long-term for ESPN because of the strength of its brand… they’ll be fine.”
X-Men: Apocalypse director Bryan Singer loves to teases his fans with Instagram photos while filming. The latest photo shows how massive a set they have built for the film as it looks like Apocalypse’s tomb.
Singer admits in the post his love of practical effects and memories of Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Ancient mutant Apocalypse is unearthed after 5,000 years and recruits his four horsemen; Magneto (Michael Fassbender), Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Storm (Alexandra Shipp) and Angel (Ben Hardy). The Four Horsemen of Apocalypse try to reboot the world through destruction.
X-Men: Apocalypse is directed by Bryan Singer and stars Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, James McAvoy and Nicholas Hoult, Oscar Isaac (Apocalypse), Sophie Turner (Jean Grey), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops), Alexandra Shipp (Storm), Lana Condor (Jubilee), Olivia Munn, and Kodi Smit-McPhee.
The film is set in 1980s and we will see younger versions of previously-seen characters.
X-Men: Apocalypse opens in theaters on May 27, 2016.
One of the biggest cliffhangers in television since “Who shot Mr. Burns?” is whether or not Jon Snow from Game of Thrones is alive. The Night’s Watch definitely tried to kill him but there are several theories on how Jon could survive. But HBO might have accidentally spoiled the drama as Cinemablend points out their dubious marketing campaign.
HBO sent out emails about a toy and merchandise sale they’re having on their website called “In Memorium: Fallen Fan Favorites,” which is basically a sale for all the merchandise of characters that have been killed off Game of Thrones. See image below. Guess what character doesn’t have any items in the sale? JON SNOW! Check out the website for yourself (HBO).
Does this mean he’s alive, not sure. There has been no official word. It would be funny if this is true and the mystery was solved by the melting kids over at CinemaBlend.
If you’re afraid of the first day of camp and not remembering who anyone is, Netflix has released a featurette to reintroduce you to Camp Fire Wood. Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp is a limited 8-episode series that comes out July 31, 2015 on Netflix.
“Working on this just feels like when we shot Wet Hot — it was really cold, we’re moving really fast and everybody’s having sex with each other,” said Amy Poehler.
Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp stars; Janeane Garofalo as Beth, David Hyde Pierce as Prof. Henry Newman, Molly Shannon as Gail von Kleinenstein, Paul Rudd as Andy, Christopher Meloni as Gene, Michael Showalter as Gerald “Coop” Cooperberg/Alan Shemper/Ronald Reagan, Marguerite Moreau as Katie, Ken Marino as Victor Pulak, Michael Ian Black as McKinley Dozen, H. Jon Benjamin as Mitch / Can of Vegetables, Zak Orth as J.J., A. D. Miles as Gary, Amy Poehler as Susie, Bradley Cooper as Ben, Marisa Ryan as Abby Bernstein, Kevin Sussman as Steve, Joe Lo Truglio as Neil, Elizabeth Banks as Lindsay, Judah Friedlander as Ron Von Kleinenstein, Chris Pine[2] as a mysterious figure, Jon Hamm as a secret spy, Jason Schwartzman as the boy’s camp head counselor, Kristen Wiig as a snobby Camp Tigerclaw counselor, Michaela Watkins as a tough New Yorker, John Slattery, Josh Charles as a tough guy from a rival camp, Randall Park as a camp librarian in love with Gail, Jayma Mays, Lake Bell, Paul Scheer as a journalist, Rob Huebel as Professor Newman’s rival, Richard Schiff as Professor Newman’s superior, Michael Cera, and “Weird Al” Yankovic.
John Oliver tackles the issue of mandatory minimums, the require fixed prison sentences for certain crimes. Oliver states that the United States treat some turkeys better than most low-level offenders.
Dennis Dugan the director of Problem Child, went off on the critics and their recent hatred for Adam Sandler in an interview for The Hollywood Reporter. Dugan directed Happy Gilmore, Big Daddy, I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry, Grown Ups, You Don’t Mess With Zohan, Jack and Jill, and Grown Ups 2.
“I don’t give a fuck what [critics] think. I give a fuck that almost every one of my movies opens up number one and makes a giant profit for the studio, and people buy them, rent them, quote them and have a good time seeing them. … How fucking dare anybody say that he’s a shitty [entertainer],” said Dugan.
