I feel that sometimes producers in Hollywood just don’t think.They will react to an actor they may enjoy watching on the silver screen and then try and build a movie around that person. A perfect example of this would be Magic Mike XXL and the male lead Channing Tatum. I am convinced that the producers thought that just the idea of seeing Channing Tatum in any capacity would drum up massive ticket sales. As we all soon learned, Channing Tatum was only good enough to earn Magic Mike XXL 4th Place in its opening weekend. What it boils down to is no matter how many wonderful leading actors you may have, a movie’s success is based on much more than a pretty face or great abs. The same can be said for the movie Self/Less. Even though Ryan Reynolds is far and away the biggest star in this movie, he’s simply not enough to make this it a success.
The movie starts off with Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley) coming to the realization that his time on this earth is short as is diagnosed with inoperable cancer. His only hope is the radical medical procedure known as “shedding” in which his consciousness is transferred to a healthy body. After the procedure, Damian, now called Edward (Ryan Reynolds), starts a new life but is troubled by the disturbing images that he keeps having. He quickly learns that these are images of a past life that someone would kill him over.
Based on what I saw, I am convinced that the biggest objective with Self/Less was trying to get an A-List celebrity to sign on to the project. Once Ryan Reynolds signed on the dotted line, I am sure that they elated but quickly came to the realization,“oh crap, we actually have to develop a script for this movie.” Which then a production assistant must have responded “What does it matter, we got People magazine’s sexiest man alive!” That had to be somewhat close to what transpired for that is the only logical reason for what transpired on that screen. Self/Less is a meandering, dull, and confusing mess from beginning to end. I felt no empathy for the characters on screen and what they were going through (and as one of the characters is dying from cancer I probably should have). The actors can only do so much and when the script is bordering on pathetic then you end up with what you end up with. Self/Less is a cinematic factory of sadness that will make you want to leave 20 minutes into it and demand reparations for the suffering you had to endure during this pointless movie. The only thing that saved this movie from being the worst experience I have had in 2015 was the fact that it wasn’t Magic Mike XXL.
I know Ryan, I’d be upset as well if I was in this film
I have a confession to make. Since I have a venue platform thousands of people check out, what better platform than this to let the cat out of the bag. Okay… here it goes … I am not a fan of children’s movies. Maybe it’s because I am constantly bombarded with them at home when I am with my almost 3-year-old son.Since I realized I am not predisposed to liking them, when I am faced with the task of reviewing a family film, I pay super close attention to the reactions of the kids and families in the audience. As critics, we have to put ourselves in the mindset of the target audience in order to present an accurate review of the quality of the film. After doing all this, it’s my conclusion that Minions is the epitome of Family Fun.
This movie begins at the dawn of time. As we all know, Minions live to serve,However they have the worst time trying to find a successful master. When all hope is lost one minion-Kevin, has a plan. Joined by his friends Stuart and Bob, he sets forth to find a new boss for all of them to follow. They eventually find themselves in the services of Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock).
I didn’t know much about the Minions and I still found myself laughing and enjoying myself throughout the movie. As I looked around the theater, I could see that the movie was also hitting a home run with the kids who were in the screening as well. I’m sure some critics might want to tell you that the Minions are just too silly for their taste.But this movie wasnt made for critics. This movie was silly enough to have kids and adults in the screening laughing their butts off. The last time I checked that’s a real good thing.
I have heard of some critics saying that the minions are just not strong enough to carry the whole movie. Well, then let me ask those critics, who exactly should have carried the movie? Scarlet Overkill? This movie is what it should have been and the proof is in the hundreds of happy faces I saw leaving the theater after the screening.
Am I going to tell you that Minions is the greatest thing going at the theater today? No, I wouldn’t even say that this movie would even be in a top 15 list for me.But we have to remember that this movie isn’t about me. This movie is about families like the Gonzalez’s, the Schaffer’s, and the Dasilva’s who I all saw leaving the theater smiling and talking with each other about their favorite parts in the film. Minions delivers and you will leave the theater very satisfied. I fully expect this movie to be the #1 movie in America this weekend. I know that I at the very least will be contributing to this as I will be taking my wife and son to go see Minions this weekend. I don’t want them to miss out on the family fun.
Disney released the first trailer for The Finest Hours starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Holliday Grainger, John Ortiz, and Eric Bana.
A heroic action-thriller, “The Finest Hours” is the remarkable true story of the greatest small boat rescue in Coast Guard history.Presented in Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D, the film will transport audiences to the heart of the action, creating a fully-immersive cinematic experience on an epic scale. On February 18, 1952, a massive nor’easter struck New England, pummeling towns along the Eastern seaboard and wreaking havoc on the ships caught in its deadly path, including the SS Pendleton, a T-2 oil tanker bound for Boston, which was literally ripped in half, trapping more than 30 sailors inside its rapidly-sinking stern. As the senior officer on board, first assistant engineer Ray Sybert (Casey Affleck) soon realizes it is up to him to take charge of the frightened crew and inspire the men to set aside their differences and work together to ride out one of the worst storms to ever hit the East Coast. Meanwhile, as word of the disaster reaches the U.S. Coast Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts, Warrant Officer Daniel Cluff (Eric Bana) orders a daring operation to rescue the stranded men. Despite overwhelming odds, four men, led by Coast Guard Captain Bernie Webber (Chris Pine), set out in a wooden lifeboat with an ill-equipped engine and little, if any, means of navigation, facing frigid temperatures, 60-foot high waves and hurricane-force winds.
Disney’s “The Finest Hours” is the unforgettable story of the Coast Guard’s courageous mission, which is directed by Craig Gillespie and stars: Chris Pine; Academy Award® and Golden Globe® nominee Casey Affleck; Ben Foster; Holliday Grainger; John Ortiz; and Eric Bana. Produced by Jim Whitaker and Dorothy Aufiero, the screenplay is by Oscar® nominee Scott Silver and Oscar nominees Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson based on the acclaimed non-fiction book of the same name by Michael J. Tougias and Casey Sherman. Doug Merrifield serves as executive producer.
“The Finest Hours” storms into U.S. theaters on January 29, 2016 in Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D.
Minions, the prequel/spin-off latest entry in the Despicable Me franchise from Universal, is the 3D CG-animated equivalent of an SNL bit dragged out to feature length in order to make a movie. While the writers and animators do deliver a chuckle here and there, the endless pratfalls and sight gags revolving around the sweet little yellow simpletons in the overalls grow tiresome very quickly, resulting in a family film that’s likely to miss the mark with family members of any age.
The premise, as you might imagine considering the film’s stars, is pretty simple. As audiences learn from narrator Geoffrey Rush, the tribe of Minions that will one day come to serve Felonious Gru (Steve Carell) have been around since the dinosaurs walked the earth, with one single biological impulse driving their existences: to gleefully (though hopelessly ineptly) serve the needs of the most impressive villain they can find. After serving numerous “bosses” through the centuries (and getting them all killed or maimed in the process), the poor tribe finds itself at the end of its rope, rapidly losing hope of ever finding a boss they can properly grovel before.
But, after the tribe has been in hiding for decades, one intrepid minion, Kevin, who just slightly cleverer than his brethren, takes it upon himself to venture out into the world to find them all a new boss, and in so doing a new home. He does not undertake the journey alone, however: his companions include the musically-inclined, one-eyed Stuart and the dim-witted but eager and well-meaning Bob (all three voiced by Pierre Coffin), both of whom really have no idea what they are undertaking or what it will entail.
The trio’s misadventures eventually lead them into the service of the world’s first female super-villain, Scarlett Overkill (Sandra Bullock), who thanks to the help of her fiendish and super-groovy inventor husband Herb (Jon Hamm) has risen to heights of celebrity heretofore never before reached in the criminal underworld. They arrive just in time to help Scarlett pull off a heist she’s been planning since she was an abandoned, unloved little girl, the theft of one of England’s greatest national treasures, and if the minions can successfully steal that treasure for her, she promises them and their entire tribe anything they could ever desire. No problemo, Boss!
Of course, these are the Minions. You can imagine that things don’t go even remotely as planned.
Prior to this Minions film, the minions have been the stars of six separate animated shorts produced and released along with the home video releases of the first two Despicable Me films. If anything, the new longer film proves that the short film format really is ideal for minion-centric tales, as it keeps all the inane quasi-Spanish and Caribbean-fruit name inspired babbling and “whoops, he got knocked over again” gags from getting stale.
However, go to the babble-and-pratfall well over and over again over the course of 90 minutes, as the Minions movie does, and it’s quite likely even the kids will lose interest after a while. That just leaves all the sight gags thrown in for the grown-ups — minions dressed in caveman loin-cloths, vampire-inspired high collars, Napoleonic uniforms, and 60’s era tie-dye, and the many comedic set-ups built around things like pop culture conventions, department stores, and cultural touchstones in the UK — which are all cute, certainly, but very few of which are laugh out loud funny. Their lasting impact may just be a smile on your face when you see the Minions plush toy or action figure inspired by a gag in the film while walking through a gift shop at a Universal Studios attraction, or through the toy aisle while Christmas shopping later this year.
Thankfully, with Despicable Me 3 on the way, this very forgettable movie won’t be the last time audiences see the minions on the big screen, and thus be left with a less than banana-sweet taste in their mouths. With any luck, the folks behind this franchise will learn from the minions-like error they made here: that despite the fact that the minions might be the most marketable aspect of the Despicable Me series, they’re not what make the films successful. It’s the human characters — Gru, Agnes, Margo, Edith, even Russell Brand’s Dr. Nefario — who really make the stories resound and fill them with charm, heart, and humor beyond the “drop evil villain device, go boom” variety. Look forward to the continuation of their stories in 2017, and feel free to skip this pill-shaped bump in the road, unless you really want to know the stories behind all the new minions toys the kids will be wanting around the holidays. Then, by all means, beedo, and bringada papaya! Hahaha!
Minions
Starring the voices of Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton, Allison Janney, and Geoffrey Rush. Directed by Pierre Coffin & Kyle Balda.
Running Time: 91 minutes
Rated PG for action and rude humor.
With such a talented cast in front of the camera and a truly inventive director at the helm, Self/less should have been a cinematic experience that has you talking about it for days and weeks with the people you saw it with and recommending it to the people you didn’t.
But while it puts an interesting spin on an old debate and delivers a few twists you probably won’t see coming, Self/less in the end just doesn’t live up to its potential. It’s entertaining enough that it should hold your attention for the majority of its running time, but it won’t live much longer than that in your memory or imagination, which is a little ironic, considering its conceptual focus on human longevity and the possibility of immortality.
New York City real estate magnate and power broker Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley), who built his vast fortune and considerable influence all from the ground up in the course of a lifetime of overcoming obstacles and outsmarting rivals, seems to be facing the end as he fights a losing battle against cancer. Never one to be outmaneuvered, however, he takes a meeting with Albright (Matthew Goode), a representative of a company offering the ultimate power play to a very select and elite clientele, the opportunity to literally side-step death by having the mind transferred from a dying body into a younger, healthier one via a process called “shedding.” Keeping the meeting a secret from his longtime friend and business partner Martin (Victor Garber) and his estranged daughter Claire (Michelle Dockery), Damian agrees to the procedure, and in very short order, after his “death” is publicly witnessed, he finds himself looking in the mirror and seeing young, handsome Edward (Ryan Reynolds) looking back.
The transition is not seamless, however. Albright puts “Edward” through a rigorous physical rehabilitation in order to help his mind learn to function within its new confines, and puts him on medication to offset the other “side effects”, which include painful headaches, vertigo, and painfully vivid flashes of foreign images, like daydreams forced into his conscious state. Edward’s physical and medical regimen does its work, and soon he finds himself settling comfortably into a new life and identity enjoying all the pleasures that a vigorous, attractive single man with wealth can enjoy in the city of his “rebirth”, New Orleans.
Only the visions don’t stop, and the images Edward sees feel like more than simple hallucinations or fantasies. Without Albright’s knowledge, he begins to search for the people and places he sees when he misses doses of his little red pills, and the journey down the rabbit hole leads him right to the secret of where his “new” body came from, as well as puts him square in the sights of the nasty folks tasked with guarding that secret and killing anyone who comes close to uncovering it.
Considering the projects he’s undertaken in the past, Self/less is a very interesting choice of undertaking for director Tarsem Singh, who is perhaps best known for the stylish and often breathtaking visual aesthetic he’s brought to such films as 2006’s The Fall and 2011’s Immortals. Compared to those fantastical journeys into the imagination and mythology, Self/less is a much more grounded film in terms of its visuals, its settings and set pieces far more conventional and “real-world” than what audiences are used to from Singh. That may actually work against the film in terms of expectations fans of Singh’s work may have going into the film, although there are particular touches in the area of production design that they should immediately associate with Singh’s other films thanks to the work of designer Tom Foden, who worked with Singh on Immortals, The Fall, and 2000’s The Cell. Overall, there’s no question that this is a Singh film — his touch is just more restrained here, and because he’s the craftsman that he is, visually it all works.
Where things don’t click nearly as well is in the film’s editing and pacing, as the tension tends to ease and the plot gets bogged down as it progresses toward its resolution. To be fair, what slows things down are scenes scripted by screenwriters David and Alex Pastor to help develop the character of Damian/Edward and make credible his story arc, particularly in terms of his failure as a father in his previous life and how tries to atone for that failure in his new one. The intent seems to be for the film to be as much a character study as it is a thriller, and unfortunately, in this case the two elements don’t mesh quite well enough. It doesn’t help that the film’s action scenes, while capably choreographed and executed, lack any real spark of innovation or energy, a strange occurrence in a Singh film.
What’s also rather surprising is that there isn’t as much continuity between Kingsley and Reynolds in terms of how they physically play the same character. Kingsley’s take on Damian is defined by a manicured rigidity and haughtiness that the character justifies by his clear sense of being the smartest and most capable man in the room, even when his own body is betraying him. Reynolds brings none of that affectation to his version of Edward, and though that might be somewhat appropriate considering his new and extraordinary circumstances as well as the character suddenly being in a situation where he’s sure he doesn’t know everything, one might have expected Reynolds to have incorporated a little of what Kingsley was doing, especially in scenes shared with Garber’s character. But no, Reynolds instead goes with the wide-eyed intensity he usually defaults to when cast in action-thriller roles, and while it’s serviceable, it’s not particularly memorable, especially considering he’s capable of much better.
The performances that do stand out here are the supporting ones. Garber can always be counted on to deliver credible and compelling performances either on TV or on film, and Self/less is no exception. Matthew Goode, who delivered stand-out work in The Imitation Game and also appeared with Dockery on “Downton Abbey” last year, is also very strong playing the antagonist here in Albright, a man of science and reason who genuinely believes in the good intentions behind his work. He thinks he sees in Damian a kindred spirit — a practical individual with a keen mind and the kind of moral flexibility that allows for making this sort of deal and reaping its benefits without asking too many questions — and so his interactions with both Kingsley and Reynolds are informed by a wit and charm afforded by the view of the other as an equal, as opposed to the countless others beneath his notice and unworthy of the gift his procedure offers. Despite the fact that eventually he and Damian/Edward find themselves at odds, he never really comes off as a villain, and that’s a credit to the nuance with which Goode approaches the work.
All that considered, Self/less is a perfectly fine way to spend an afternoon or evening at the movies, provided you’ve seen everything else that’s out there. But it’s also one that you can feel justified in putting off as a rental for home entertainment later this year. There’s enough “good” in it that you won’t regret the time spent in seeing it should you decide to, but if you don’t, rest assured that you didn’t miss out on “great.”
Self/less
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Natalie Martinez, Matthew Goode, Victor Garber, Derek Luke, and Ben Kingsley. Directed by Tarsem Singh.
Running Time: 116 minutes
Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, some sexuality, and language.
The photo below has been proven to be a fake. Rick Rolled again!
The image below is rumored to been taken from Hall H at Comic-Con International while Lucasfilm was testing out their presentation. The photo shows Disney’s plans for Star Wars through 2020.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens – December 18, 2015
Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One – December 16, 2016
Star Wars Episode VIII – May 26, 2017
Star Wars Anthology: Fett/Solo – May 25, 2018
Star Wars Episode IX – (2019)
Star Wars Anthology: Kenobi: The Balance of the Force – (2020)
Friday at 5:30 p.m. PST is when the Lucasfilm panel is scheduled to take p[lace at Hall H. Lucasfilm president and producer Kathleen Kennedy, director J.J. Abrams, writer Lawrence Kasdan, and special guests provide a special look at Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
We had mentioned earlier in the week that there might be a teaser trailer for Star Wars Anthology: Rogue One during the presentation since it appears they have already started film.
From Disney Studios Media: Lucasfilm and visionary director J.J. Abrams join forces to take you back again to a galaxy far, far away as “Star Wars” returns to the big screen with Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Episode VII in the Star Wars Saga, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, opens in theaters December 18, 2015.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan & Abrams, features a cast including actors John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong’o, Gwendoline Christie, Crystal Clarke, Pip Andersen, Domhnall Gleeson, and Max von Sydow. They will join the original stars of the saga, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Peter Mayhew, and Kenny Baker.
The film is being produced by Kathleen Kennedy, J.J. Abrams, and Bryan Burk, and John Williams returns as the composer.
Sony released the Goosebumps trailer starring Jack Black as R.L. Stine.
Upset about moving from a big city to a small town, teenager Zach Cooper (Dylan Minnette) finds a silver lining when he meets the beautiful girl, Hannah (Odeya Rush), living right next door. But every silver lining has a cloud, and Zach’s comes when he learns that Hannah has a mysterious dad who is revealed to be R. L. Stine (Jack Black), the author of the bestselling Goosebumps series. It turns out that there is a reason why Stine is so strange… he is a prisoner of his own imagination – the monsters that his books made famous are real, and Stine protects his readers by keeping them locked up in their books. When Zach unintentionally unleashes the monsters from their manuscripts and they begin to terrorize the town, it’s suddenly up to Stine, Zach, and Hannah to get all of them back in the books where they belong.
Goosebumps will be in theaters on October 16, 2015.
Apart from the official San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC 2015) panels, actor Zachary Levi and The Nerd Machine have once again organized some interesting panels at NerdHQ to raise money for Operation Smile with guests like Bryan Cranston, Nathan Fillion, M. Night Shyamalan and Joss Whedon, amongst many others.
If you didn’t know, The Nerd Machine, founded by Zachary Levi (Chuck, Tangled, Thor: The Dark World, Heroes Reborn), sets up this four-day event every year during SDCC to be able to gather together as many nerds and prime members of the film, television, tech and gaming industry (some of whom happen to be Levi’s friends) as they possibly can to share a fun, relaxed Q&A with fans — and occasional auctions — apart from many other activities. All the proceeds from the panels tickets, exclusive photoshoots and signings, as well as attendees donations go to Operation Smile, a nonprofit organization which provides worldwide medical service to children who are born with cleft lip and cleft palate. Zachary Levi himself and his team have experienced in person what Operation Smile does in countries like Honduras, and he’s been an ambassador for the organization for years, along with other celebrities like Molly Sims, Jackie Chan and Kate Walsh.
So if you’re near San Diego, check out Nerd HQ for lots of fun activities:
“The event will feature PC, console, and mobile gaming activations that are only available at HQ. […] HQ will feature two of the best fan parties of the weekend on Thursday and Saturday night. […] We will continue to bring you the “Smiles for Smiles” and “Signings for Smiles” opportunities that raise money for Operation Smile.”
This year’s NerdHQ will be held at the New Children’s Museum in downtown San Diego and it is free to attend, except for the “Conversations for a Cause” panels, with tickets selling for $22 and capacity for 200 people each. At the time of posting this article, most of the panels are already sold out, but there are still some seats available for “Conversations” like “Virtual Reality, Project Morpheus, and the Future of Gaming”, which promises to be fascinating, or “Bad Ass Women”, next Friday. Last year’s “Bad Ass Women” panel featured Yvonne Strahovski, Retta, Jennifer Morrison, Sophie Turner, Missy Peregrym and Ming-Na Wen, so I look forward to this year’s guests, still not revealed.
Scheduled panels from next Thursday to Sunday include film and television actors, directors, producers, like William Shatner, Elijah Wood, Steven Moffat, Clark Gregg, Hayley Atwell, Seth Green, Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, M. Night Shyamalan, Bryan Cranston, and recurring guests Nathan Fillion, Alan Tudyk and Joss Whedon.
For a complete “Conversations for a Cause” schedule visit The Nerd Machine.
All panels will be streamed live online via IGN, but be sure to follow Monkeys Fighting Robots to find out everything that you missed from NerdHQ and also anything else interesting from SDCC 2015!
Idris Elba is currently filming Star Trek Beyond in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It is reported that Elba is the Klingon villain and the current version of the franchise Spock has stood center in the first two film. It will be interesting to watch the interaction between dry with of Zachary Quinto’s Vulcan and the gruffness of Elba’s Klingon.
Xpose.ie caught up with Elba and talked about how he was a Trekkie growing up and his favorite character was Spock.
“Almost everyone was a Trekkie, really, weren’t they? I wouldn’t say I was a hardcore one but I definitely watched that show a million times,” Elba told British newspaper Metro.
“Spock was probably my favorite character – and in this one I have some scenes with Zachary Quinto,” said Elba.
Star Trek Beyond stars Idris Elba, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho and Anton Yelchin with direction from Justin Lin. The film opens July 8, 2016.
