A few weeks back, we got an enticing teaser for Sofia Coppola’s upcoming thriller, The Beguiled. And now we have a full-length trailer, which is pretty amazing.
Check it out:
During the Civil War, a girls’ school is disrupted by the arrival of a wounded soldier (Colin Farrell), who charms all the women and girls there, creating an atmosphere of jealousy and betrayal.
If this sort of thriller is your thing – and it most certainly is mine – then The Beguiled looks like the perfect movie. It’s also a remake of Don Siegel’s other 1971 film starring Clint Eastwood (the other, Dirty Harry, overshadowed it) and Geraldine Page.
This Colin Farrell renaissance also pushes forward. After The Lobster last year, the upcoming Killing of a Sacred Deer, and now this (and season 2 of True Detective, where he was great. I will fight you), maybe now people will start to realize Farrell is a low key great actor. The same can be said for Nicole Kidman, who is having a nice comeback after this year’s Big Little Lies.
Along with Farrell and Kidman, The Beguiled stars Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning. It will arrive in the peak of the summer season, June 30.
Grab Your Chips & Cocktails Because ‘Cocktails And Classics’ Is Doing ‘Showgirls’
What could make Logo’s ‘Cocktails And Classics‘ even better? ‘Showgirls‘, of course!
Logo is airing a new episode of ‘Cocktails and Classics‘ with host Michael Urie and guests (which include the fabulous Shangela) dishing all the tea on the cult classic. Expect games to be played, shade to be thrown, and at least one person to mis-pronounce Versace.
In one of the segments, the gang plays a game where they guess what actress auditioned for a role in ‘Showgirls‘. Imagine Angelina Jolie as Nomi Malone!
Check out the exclusive clip below:
“Michael Urie and guests put on their best Versace (pronounced ver-sayce) and watch the ultimate cult classic about a young drifter turned topless showgirl set on headlining the most popular dance revue in Vegas.”
‘Showgirls‘ episode of ‘Cocktails and Classics‘ airs Sunday, April 23rd, at 8pm on Logo!
While attending Star Wars Celebration 2017 in Orlando, Florida, a fan asked The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson why he chose to slightly adjust the location of Kylo Ren’s face scar.
“It was my decision to slightly adjust it, and that was my justification. It honestly looked goofy running straight up the bridge of his nose.”
And with that, a whole population of fanboys cried out in terror!
I kid, I kid – it’s easy to understand why Johnson chose to do this, and ultimately it has no effect on Ren’s role in the slightest.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi stars Daisey Ridley, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Benicio Del Toro, Gwendoline Christie, Andy Serkis, Kelly Marie Tran, Domhnall Gleeson, and Lupita Nyong’O.
The next chapter in the Skywalker saga hits theaters on December 15.
Will Smith is in talks to take on the Genie role made famous by the late, great Robin Williams in Disney’s live-action Aladdin from Guy Ritchie.
Production is gearing up for Aladdin in the summer, so expect to hear more casting news in the coming months. For the roles of Aladdin and Jasmine, the studio is casting fresh faces, releasing an open casting call last month.
Will Smith was previously connected to Tim Burton’s reboot of Dumbo, but negotiations recently fell through. Filling the pointy, golden shoes that Robin Williams made iconic sounds like a daunting task.
However, Smith has proven he has over-the-top comedic chops in the past, as seen in Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Men in Black, and Bad Boys. Of course, he also has the musician/rapper background to throw into the ring.
The original, animated Aladdin was released in 1992. It tells the tale of a ‘street rat’ who finds a lamp with a Genie contained within. The Genie grants him three wishes. Aladdin uses those wishes in hopes to make Jasmine, the princess of Agrabah, fall in love with him.
Aladdin went on to be one of the most successful Disney animated films of all time. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, winning Best Original Song for ‘A Whole New World.’
In 2011, Aladdin made its way to Broadway. James Monroe Iglehart, who played the Genie on stage, won the Tony Award in 2014 for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical.
Aladdin is one of the next in a string of live-action adaptations that Disney has been releasing over the last few years of their beloved animated films. This trend began in 2010, with the mega box-office success of Alice in Wonderland.
It was followed up with Maleficent in 2014, Cinderella in 2015, and The Jungle Book in 2016. More recently, Beauty and the Beast was released a few weeks ago to praise from fans and critics alike.
Disney has a dozen more live-action remakes in the works, reportedly, including Mulan, The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Aladdin, among others.
How do you feel about Will Smith potentially taking on the role of the Genie? How do you feel about this slew of live-action Disney adaptations? Share in the comments!
While discussing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 with Screen Rant, Nebula actress Karen Gillian was asked if she wants to see the character have a more prominent role in Avengers: Infinity War.
“I hope so. Of course, that would be amazing! When I was preparing to play Nebula the first time, I read the Infinity Gauntlet. I loved it because it was like the most Nebula heavy comic and yeah, I mean that would be amazing if it does for that storyline. I’m hoping. I don’t know yet – very big secret, but I’m hoping.”
Infinity Gauntlet sees Nebula tortured at the hands of Thanos. However, after, the character gets the gauntlet and does some serious damage.
Do you think Nebula will be a major player in Infinity War? Speculate in the comments below!
“Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.”
GotG Vol. 2 stars Chris Pratt as Star-Lord/Peter Quill, Zoe Saldana as Gamora, Bradley Cooper as the voice of Rocket Raccoon, Vin Diesel as the voice of Groot, Michael Rooker as Yondu, Kurt Russel as Ego The Living Planet, Karen Gillian as Nebula, Dave Bautista as Drax, Pom Klementieff as Mantis, Sean Gunn as Kraglin, and Sylvester Stallone in a currently unknown role. The film is directed by James Gunn.
The movie hits theaters on May 5.
Avengers: Infinity War stars Robert Downey Jr, Chris Evans, Tom Holland, Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Scarlett Johansson, Brie Larson, Cobie Smulders, Elizabeth Olson, Jeremy Renner, Sebastian Stan, Peter Dinklage, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Hemsworth, Karen Gillian, Bradley Cooper, Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Rudd, Josh Brolin, Paul Bettany, and Mark Ruffalo.
Although no official synopsis has been released at this point, we can safely assume that Avengers: Infinity War will follow a story that includes Thanos, with the Infinity Gauntlet, taking on the Avengers. A more detailed plot summary will be released as the film’s release date nears.
The movie is will be released in theaters on May 4, 2018.
While attending the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 red carpet premiere, The Avengers director Joss Whedon briefly discussed his upcoming DC Comics project with Variety. Whedon officially confirmed that he will direct the standalone Batgirl movie, and talked about the casting process.
Unsurprisingly the director revealed that he isn’t expecting his Batgirl to be portrayed by a major star, not because he doesn’t want a movie star in the role but because he’s committed to finding the perfect actor to play the character, no matter how famous they already are.
It certainly sounds like Joss Whedon has already started on the project and is preparing to find the perfect Batgirl. While I’m sure a lot of people are upset that their fan-casting probably won’t happen, it’s exciting to hear that Whedon is looking for the perfect actor, instead of just settling with the most famous option.
The Batgirl movie is still in the construction stages and we likely won’t hear about any casting developments for quite a while. For now, it’s extremely exciting just to know that Whedon is 100% directing the project and ensuring that he brings the perfect performance to the big screen.
Are you excited to see Joss Whedon’s Batgirl movie? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below!
Ben Wheatley’s ‘Free Fire’ is a magnificent blood-soaked romp that’s both captivating and witty.
Summary
Free Fire is set in the 1970’s as a group of criminals meet up with an arms dealer. The first group is connected to the IRA and is led by Chris (Cillian Murphy) along with his partner Frank (Micheal Smiley). They, of course, brought back up to the meeting in the form of hired guns Stevo (Sam Riley) and Bernie (Enzo Cilenti) on top of a suitcase of cash. The arms dealers are a South African man named Vernon (Sharlto Copley) and Martin (Babou Ceesay), an ex-Black Panther. Helping to broker this deal for each side are Ord (Armie Hammer) and Justine (Brie Larsen). During the negotiations, a fight breaks between some of the hired guns which manifest into an intense 85-minute shoot-out between the two groups.
Acting
While each member of the cast played their respective roles with a great deal of precision, the one performance that stood out above all others was Sharlto Copley’s portrayal of Vernon. His character is a mix of used car salesman meets psychopath. Vernon tries to pull a fast one during the gun sale by selling the wrong brand of rifles to the IRA. When questioned about this, he immediately flies off the handle, and the audience quickly realizes that this deal is doomed even before it starts. His business partner Martin tries to reason with him, but even he sees that there’s no talking to a crazy person.
Writing/Direction
Amy Jump and Ben Wheatley constructed a narrative that was absent of any sympathetic figures. Not a single one of the characters would be confused as being some sort of hero. Now that certainly is different, but what was odd was how this film is missing an arc. There isn’t any story where the gunmen are shooting these guys because they killed his one true love. No one is firing off an M16 into another person’s stomach as an act of revenge. This film is incredibly simplistic. It’s as if the director, Ben Wheatley, ripped out the most intense moment of 70’s era crime drama and then expanded it to 80 minutes long.
Now on the surface, the idea of a film based on entirely an 80-minute gunfight seems problematic, but in this case, it wasn’t. Each one of these characters is so uniquely written the film became less about its simplicity and more about the complexity of its characters.
The director understood that while these characters and each were evil in their unique way, not one of them should be proficient with a gun. Most of the film is watching these characters dive, roll around, and miss terribly as they attempt to kill one another. Their ineptitude added a slight dark comedic element to the picture. Wheatley also utilized every square inch of the warehouse to help heighten the action sequences. This film isn’t just only gunshot after gunshot. Don’t be shocked if Vernon manages to find a random metal object that he slams into the side of an unlucky victim.
Overall
Free Fire isn’t the deepest film ever released nor does it claim to be. If you are searching for a movie that seeks to make some social commentary or has a plausible storyline with a happy ending, then this film isn’t for you. However, if a film that’s non-stop action with stellar writing appeals to you, then Free Fire should be your choice this weekend.
Scott Snyder recently teased fans of his horror series “Wytches” published by Image Comics that there was more on the way. A Lot more.
The initial run may have only ran for six issue’s but in that short time Snyder crafted a tight and terrifying story.
“Pledged is Pledged”
The story starts in 1919, with a bloodied woman screaming for help whilst trapped inside a tree. Over the next four pages, Synder sets the tone for the comic. With Jock on art and Matt Hollingsworth on colors adding a dark and dreamlike quality to the opening. These four pages let the reader know that this is going to be a dark tale.
“Chit Chit Chit”
Through clever use of diary entries, flashbacks, and art from a children’s book the reader is drawn into a story of redemption and hope. The cast of the story is small, but the characters are fleshed out and complete. Focusing on the Rooks family in 2014 the story jumps from the past to present to let you know who they are and what motivates them. From teenage heroine Sail who is struggling with her future. To her father Charlie who is trying to make amends for his past the Rook family is just like anyone other. They’re not perfect, merely human.
“More than anything, you make me brave.”
The story works because at it’s heart, it’s about the parental fear that something is going to happen to your child. That as a parent you cannot watch over them 24/7. Charlie is one of the most believable parent’s that’s been written in a comic for a very long time. He’s not the perfect father and he doesn’t have all the answers. He’s just trying to be a better man. The comic touches on themes of bravery and furthermore hope. With hints towards the darker side of human nature. What does it take to sway you to the dark side? Whilst this is touched upon, at its heart this is a story of parental love. What it means to be a family and how the love for a child forces you to find care for someone more than yourself.
“And they’re the Gods of selfishness”
The decision to have the wytches themselves barely appear until the later half of the book is a wise one. Many people have preconceived idea’s of what a wytch should look like and this book completely turns that on it’s head. There are no long noses and pointy hats here. Instead you get primordial creatures of the earth. Beings who have been here longer than us and who know how to play to humanity’s darker side.
The TPB comes with an added production diary at the back. In this Snyder talks about his inspiration for the comics and gives the reader further insight into the process of creation and evolution of “Wytches”. After only 6 six issue’s this is a great addition as you are left genuinely wanting more. It’s interesting to read the inspiration for the story behind the book.
Despite coming out in 2014, this is a comic that will stand the test of time. The artwork is out of this world. While the coloring only goes to further add to the other worldly and horror like feel of the story. Through clever uses of dark shading and vivid reds, Hollingsworth adds another layer to the story. With Synder confirming the return of Jock to art and two further runs of the story coming out in the summer and fall now is the perfect time to introduce yourself to the Rooks family.
After the catastrophic box office failure of The Black Cauldron (1985), Disney announced in early 2016 that they had reacquired the full rights to Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles of Prydainfor a second go. There’s been no news on the front since, and Disney is infamous for putting properties into development hell, which leaves Prydain fans bursting with questions. Are all five books slated for adaptation? Will it be live-action or animated? Who’s going to write it? Who’s going to direct it?
While Disney will remain as tight-lipped as possible, below are my top three choices for directors for the first Prydain novel – The Book of Three.
At first glance, a director most known for his horror films and terrifying monsters might seem an odd choice for a series often described as a lighter, softer Tolkien. However, The Chronicles of Prydain requires an ability to balance quirkiness with the dark themes of the material. The books are also a grand epic in the true sense of the word, and del Toro’s movies repeatedly draw on fairytale, myth, and legend to build their worlds. (Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Trollhuntersall use Celtic mythology to some degree or other, and The Chronicles of Prydain is unabashedly Welsh.)
The Faun in ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006).
It’s easy to imagine, after all, characters like the Horned King or Gwydion Son of Don in del Toro’s signature style. In addition, del Toro’s recent project Trollhunters demonstrates that he’s ready, willing and able to take on children’s projects while still leaving a touch of darkness.
2. Brenda Chapman
Directed Prince of Egypt (1998); Brave (2012)
Brenda Chapman made history in 1998 as the first woman to direct an animated feature from a major studio (Prince of Egyptfrom Dreamworks). She hit the stage again in 2012 when she co-directed Brave as the first female Pixar director. Both of her movies have been gorgeous successes, rich with mythos and thematic imagery.
It’s not difficult to imagine, then, the rich Welsh world of Prydain in the hands of the woman who brought both Ancient Egypt and medieval Scotland to life. While it’s still unknown whether the Chronicles of Prydain movies will be animated or live-action, Chapman is more than capable.
In addition, the women in Chapman’s movies have always been strongly characterized. Merida and Elinor are the heroes of Brave in every way possible. Even though The Prince of Egypt is about Moses, Tzipporah, Miriam, and even the untitled Pharaoh’s wife are standout characters. This means that with Chapman at the helm, the wonderful women of Prydain would get the same treatment. Most of all, this includes the fantastic, enigmatic and slightly silly Princess Eilonwy.
Directed The Fall (2006); Mirror Mirror (2012); Emerald City (2017-)
Tarsem Singh’s movies are known for bright colors, dark topics and a sense of surrealism pervading every frame. In 2006’s The Fall, a stuntman tells a heroic story of a little girl with suicide as his goal in mind. In 2012’s Mirror Mirror, his Snow White saves the day as a spunky, grown-up heroine and then kills her wicked stepmother with her own poison.
This interplay of bright and dark, heroic and cowardly and mythic and realistic suits itself well to Prydain. Even adapted for a younger audience, it’s breathtaking to imagine the themes of death and undeath that pervade the books done in Singh’s style. The first book especially features the villain the Horned King, the vassal of Arawn Death-Lord – a worthy recipient of Singh’s talent.
Who would you like to see direct the Chronicles of Prydain?
The popular Stoner holiday, just like any other holiday, calls for a celebration. Beers and brewers are turning this day into a beer celebration day, something to pair along right with the other substance. Many brewers have taken a liking to doing a specialty brew to share on this special day. Whether they are brewed with special ingredients or just a high alcohol content, these brews are dank and ready to be drank.
in 2012, Stone started doing something no other brewery has done. They started making beer that is only good for 37 days, and calling the series ‘Enjoy By.’ They make this version several times a year, but once it’s past the date, it goes bad. This 4-20 version is a double IPA reigning in at 9.4%.
Hazy unfiltered beer, that is a take on their beer, Resin with an extra dose of dry hops. This beer is supposed to last 100 days, which is longer than the enjoy by, but that doesn’t mean you have to wait to drink it. 9.8% ABV, and worth every penny.
In 1971, the Waldos met one afternoon at 4:20 in the front courtyard of their school near the statue of Louis Pasteur. They set out in a ’66 Impala armed with a “treasure map” on a journey to find a secret garden near Point Reyes. They met there at the same time every day and continued their quest. They never found the secret garden….But they keep lookin’. The dankest and hoppiest beer ever brewed at Lagunitas was made with help of the Waldos for all treasure hunters.
11.9% ABV, Dank.
These are just a few of the many brews for the 4/20 crowd. Hemp beer is another one you can find, learn about it from Monkeys Fighting Robots Michael Bedford, here.
You can find many of these out and about, especially this week.
