I have to be honest with you. I have a deep love for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I have one more admission. It physically pained me when I found out some of the silly things that Michael Bay had in mind for the 2014 reboot. Really, Sir? Aliens? Really?
The cast of the mutant, uh, I mean, “alien” brothers has been finalized so I can’t help but add my two cents about the gents. Being attached to the name “Michael Bay” certainly has its advantages. Bay abuses what I would call an “increasingly stupefied” audience. Are his films visually overstimulating because that is his true expression of art, or is he just supplying what the audience wants? Either way, I don’t know what his exact plans are for the Ninja Turtles reboot, but I can guarantee they will be stupid and I will hate them. He is, however, box office gold.
So will these budding young stars reap the benefits of Bay’s name? So long as they don’t call him a Nazi, I’m quite positive they will experience some success from this highly commercialized, toy friendly franchise.
Cast as the group’s leader Leonardo is Pete Ploszek. You may recognize him from Parks and Recreation that one time. If you missed him then, maybe you saw him on Shameless that other one time. He has the shortest resume of the bunch, but this could be the springboard he needs.
Alan Ritchson, who has some fairly memorable previous performances, will be Raphael. Of all the main characters, this guy could potentially benefit the most from this stamp on his career. Between the Ninja Turtles being filmed, and The Hunger Games in post production, his attachment to some major titles could lead to future success. His strong handsome face doesn’t hurt anything either. Too bad his gorgeous mug is going to be CGIed in Ninja Turtles.
Jeremy Howard has been cast as Donatello. I am not entirely sure how he fits in considering the other gents are a bit more statuesque. However, he does have the most experience in films dealing with aliens, so I suppose that is fitting with Bay’s ideas. The only thing I can project is that they are truly trying to highlight the geekiness of Don’s character. This is the exact opposite of what they have done previously. Donnie was always the smart techie guy, but to avoid boxing him into a one-dimensional character, they also gave him a skateboard. These are all just assumptions, but as I have stated earlier, I already hate this movie and it is stupid.
I found Noel Fisher (Shameless, Terriers, etc.) to be the most recognizable of the foursome. He, obviously, will be playing Michelangelo. “All the good ones end in ‘o’.” Considering Mikey was my favorite turtle, I hope he stays true to the character. I feel weird saying that considering he is a turtle that is a ninja that also likes to party. What great depth!
Rounding out the cast is the ever sultry Megan Fox. Considering there aren’t too many female roles to choose from, she will be April O’Neil. I was kind of crossing my fingers she would have been the Shredder. Or even better, she could have been that girl turtle from that Saturday morning show that no one watched…
The only thing that I can guarantee is that I don’t care. Keep an eye out for Ninja Turtles exploding in a theater near you next summer.
Dread Central showcased the latest film trailer by promising upcoming director Adam Wingard (V/H/S Tape 56 segment). Called You’re Next it is a home invasion movie that was originally finished in 2011 and has now been acquired by Lionsgate (a studio well-known for its interesting horror output). Starring the likes of Wendy Glenn (666: The Prophecy), AJ Bowen (Hatchet 2), Joe Swanberg (V/H/S), Ti West (The House of the Devil) and Sharni Vinson (Bait), it is a home survival/slasher movie which focuses on the Davidsons coming together for a family reunion in a secluded vacation house, only to be set on by a gang of masked killers armed with axes and cross bows. Here is the recently released You’re Next trailer.
From looking at this trailer I have mixed thoughts on its originality. Home invasion movies are a staple of the urban horror movie and there are numerous nods to these other movies in this film. The masked killers invading a quiet family house parallels that of The Strangers (2008), while the generally gritty tone and helplessness felt by the protagonists and the viewers watching them feels a lot like Them (2006). In some instances with the booby traps and axe attacks it felt like a Friday the13th movie. It could even go the way of The Zero Boys where the group turn on their attackers in the most extreme way. The stances of the killers in the below photo certainly suggests a Zero Boys influence.
However after saying all this it certainly does grab your attention, it has an ‘on the edge of your seat’ quality which certainly made me watch until the end. The group of people at this party seem quite likable which is an important factor in these style of movies, and the cast involved in this are some great up and coming players in the horror genre. Much like Ti West’s own House of the Devil or the new Lords of Salem movie by Rob Zombie, it has grittiness to it, which seems to be all the rage in recent horror movies. The nice mix of quick kills and slow, methodical stalking kills came across really well in the trailer and the use of “Perfect Day” song as the trailers score helps to heighten that tense mood even more. Something is defiantly not right here and it is not going to end well. Though Adam’s section on V/H/S was only average, it did have a great style to it, and some sequences were incredibly freaky. Here is hoping that same feeling of unease comes across in this movie, and if the trailer is anything to go by it is well on its way to scaring the pants off everyone.
You’re Next comes out on August 23rd. While you wait here are some promotional posters for the movie that showcases the psychotic murdering trio.
Poster supplied by dreadcentral.comPoster supplied by dreadcentral.comPoster supplied by dreadcentral.com
So – Wolverine. One of the greatest comic book characters of all time, and a main stay on the X-Men for over 30 years is finally (hopefully) getting the film treatment that he deserves…or at the very least something to make us forget about the steaming pile of crap that was X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The other day we showed you some posters and production stills for Hugh Jackman‘s The Wolverine movie, but now we’ve actually got a couple of trailers as well.
The Wolverine is coming and we have got a bevy of information and pics for you to take a look at. The main reason for all this the first trailer is being released on Wednesday and we wanted a place where you can get all of the content online and get all updates to be ready for Wednesday. We have oh so many images from the film, both leaked and released. We got posters and banners, all the latest news and cast information and we hope you all keep an eye out here Wednesday because we’ll have the trailer on our page ready for consumption. We know we got a while until The Wolverine hits theaters on July 26th (in 3D as well mind you) so let’s drop some knowledge and get you guys situated.
The Wolverine Plot
Official Synopsis:
Based on the celebrated comic book arc, this epic action-adventure takes Wolverine, the most iconic character of the X-Men universe, to modern day Japan. Out of his depth in an unknown world he faces his ultimate nemesis in a life-or-death battle that will leave him forever changed. Vulnerable for the first time and pushed to his physical and emotional limits, he confronts not only lethal samurai steel but also his inner struggle against his own immortality, emerging more powerful than we have ever seen him before.
Wolverine Comic:
The celebrated comic book arc mentioned is the comic Wolverine released in 1982 and covers a large period of Wolverine’s origins and his Weapon X days. In the comic, Wolverine’s love Mariko Yashida wound up getting an arranged marriage set up by her father Lord Shingen. Logan travels to Japan to rescue her and troubles ensue with Samurai getting gutted by some Adamantium claws. We will not go much further as not to spoil the plot of the film. However, we are not sure how closely the film will follow this story line. For example, the film story is set after the events of the third X-Men film but the comics have no specific timeline with the rest of the X-Men. The comic is great and the story arc only has 4 issues so if you feel like getting ahead of the curve, pick it up and enjoy.
The Cast of The Wolverine
Wolverine
Hugh Jackman plays Logan/Wolverine: A mutant and member of the X-Men. I don’t feel I need to explain this character too much. In the film, Logan leaves the X-Men to find himself and get away from the devastating losses that took place in X-Men: The Last Stand. On his journey, he falls in love with a woman Mariko Yashida, although she is to be married off by her father. Logan feels he must do something and naturally gets into a middle of a gang war where probably chaos ensues.
Bloody Claws! Rated R
Lord Shingen
Hiroyuki Sanada stars as Shingen Yashida, a character created by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, who is a Yakuza crime boss and antagonist to Wolverine. Lord Shingen will be one of the main villains in this film as a father to both Silver Samurai and Logan’s love interest that figures into Wolverine’s conflicts. Lord Shingen arranges his daughter Mariko Yashida to marry another crime boss to settle debts.
Shingen
Mariko Yashida
Tao Okamoto plays Mariko Yashida, the daughter of Shingen and one-time fiancee to Wolverine. K.I.S.S.I.N.G. as Logan’s love interest in this film Mariko is the main cause for conflict within the story. Logan falls in love with her but her father arranges a marriage to honor his clans’ debt. Logan goes to rescue her from an abusive husband but the clans obviously don’t like this and violence ensues. This plot could be way off but it is the basic layout of the comic arc the film is based off so I would be surprised if it wasn’t close to this.
Mariko
Yukio
Rila Fukushima stars as Yukio, one of the deadliest assassins in Shingen’s clan. We think she will be an amazing character to watch out for. In the comics, she is a heroine but is described here almost on the other side. Yukio is an occasional thief by profession, as well as a ronin, a masterless samurai. Yukio has been portrayed as a free spirit with an almost careless disregard for personal danger. While she is highly skilled in the martial arts, Yukio is not a mutant and possesses no super powers. Unless being a badass is a mutant power.
Yukio
The Silver Samurai
Will Yun Lee plays Kenuichio Harada, more commonly known as the Silver Samurai, who possesses an electrified suit of samurai armor and is the illegitimate son of the crime lord Shingen. The first Silver Samurai was a mutant with the ability to generate a tachyon field (some kind of heat energy), with which he can surround anything. He commonly used this power on his sword, enabling it to cut through nearly anything, except adamantium, hence the fun with Wolverine. From what we have gathered, the Silver Samurai will be working for the crime boss Shingen Yashida as a bodyguard. In the comics, he has worked for Viper so speaking of…
Silver Samurai
Viper
Svetlana Khodchenkova plays Viper, a one-time peer of Wolverine’s as well as an enemy. Viper, also known as Madame Hydra, should be an interesting character to watch. She was not in the comic arc but she does have affiliations with both the Silver Samurai and Wolverine in other comics. She is certainly a villain but it remains to be seen how she fits into this film. Not sure how I feel about the costume though, it doesn’t really look anything like the original other than the color.
Viper
Teaser
Below is a short GIF released by director James Mangold to give a small teaser to the trailer. It looks very interesting and I am certainly pumped to see the trailer. Are you teased?
Just thought I would devote a part of this round up to point out how to make a good poster and how to make a terrible poster. Below is a great example of a trailer for this film, its got that brilliant hand drawn Japanese style painting which makes Wolverine look cool and strong whilst showing off the claws.
Next however is one of the worst posters I have ever seen for large budget film. It’s just awful! I have seen better Photoshop jobs from my 7 year old cousins (spoiler alert: they’re not good). What is this! Loads of Ninjas with quick cut and paste of an angry Wolverine. To be honest, I am not even sure Ninjas are involved in this story as the main opposition is from Samurai clans. Please look and laugh.
With that, we’ll leave you with a bunch of production stills from the set as well as other photos we have gathered. And how about a 20 second trailer tease too? Hopefully this piques your interest and gets you excited for Wednesday when we finally get to see The Wolverine in action!
I’ve been waiting for the new Riddick movie ever since Chronicles Of Riddick came out in 2004. I thought that movie, and it’s infinitely superior director’s cut, was one of the most evocative, creative and interesting new worlds in science fiction to come around in a long time. No movie has ever really opened up a universe so widely and amazingly the way they did with the jumpfrom Pitch Black to CoR. Between the heavy push to make an all new franchise under the “Chronicles Of Riddick” banner, Pitch Black became The Chronicles Of Riddick: Pitch Black, an anime short film was released called CoR: Dark Fury, and of course there was just Chronicles of Riddick, which presupposed its own banner name by using it as the title of the film. At the time David Twohy talked about turning Chronicles Of Riddick into a trilogy, and expanding the mythos even further. Unfortunately that didn’t happen, because CoR failed pretty spectacularly at the box office. The fact that we’re even getting a sequel, is to me, a damned amazing thing in and of itself, and I’m incredibly thankful to even have it at all. While it’s a bummer we won’t get the epic trilogy Twohy originally planned, I’m positive this will still be an amazing film. Now finally, close to a decade later, we get to see Riddick on the big screen again, and it’s a damned great thing. This teaser for it is exactly the kind of teaser I like to see, which is it shows the scale of the film, doesn’t give away plot details, and lets you know what the style, look, and feel of the film will be. It’s what a teaser should be.
[quote] Diesel reprises his role as the antihero Riddick, a dangerous, escaped convict wanted by every bounty hunter in the known galaxy. The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he’s encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty.
The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of Riddick is more personal. With time running out and a storm on the horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won’t leave the planet without Riddick’s head as their trophy. [/quote]
Now aside from looking totally badass, I do have one complaint, and that’s that we’re running into a Rambo-esque naming problem with the movies here. No film franchise is as confusingly named as the Rambo franchise. You’ve got First Blood, Rambo: First Blood Part 2, then they just cut out First Blood from the title and called the third movie, Rambo 3. Then the fourth movie they just called RAMBO, as if to say “F**K EVERYTHING, IT’S RAMBO WHO CARES RIGHT?”, and I’m afraid the Riddick franchise is doing a similar thing. If you had no knowledge of the Riddick Franchise, you’d be pretty confused about which movie goes first in any sort of chronological timeline. Furthermore are they all even still united under the ostensible brand of “Chronicles Of Riddick” anymore? I’ve seen reissues of Pitch Black just as Pitch Black now, without the CoR brand, and Dark Fury is more or less being ignored, and then there’s the video games which were AMAZING, but nobody played them either. Now we’ve just got “Riddick” with no CoR brand and well I guess I just give up. Listen, I’m not complaining. I’m totally stoked for the film. Honest. Now let’s hurry up and get it into theaters where it’ll bomb horribly and kill the franchise once and for all.
Excuse me, that sound you hear is the sound of my tears hitting the floor.
It’s about that time; that time being just long enough in between Star Trek teasers and trailers that people started to get ready to actually see the movie to have its secrets revealed to them, which means it’s also time for them to release a big, “show-everything-basically” trailer internationally that more or less spells out the plot of the film. Don’t get me wrong, it was a great trailer and all, but it’s had sort of a reverse effect of making me less excited. Now Benedict Cumberbatch is so clearly just an original new villain for the series, rather than some updated or remade villain like we were all thinking a while ago. On top of the basic plot being revealed, (Cumberbatch is mad at the Federation while destroying things and getting revenge; Kirk & Co are the only ones to help), it’s also more or less telling us that we’re not getting interesting reinterpretations of older characters rather it will continue it’s own new path. Which I have mixed feelings on, but here, judge for yourself first:
While I like the idea of the Star Trek franchise moving forward and creating all new everything to complement and refresh the franchise for new and old fans alike, a part of me still wishes to see everything old, but new again. We’ve been teased with Klingons and Kahn and whatnot for so long, just little hints at these things make us salivate. It raises the question, is it bad that they’re seemingly not going this way? At this point I can’t really decide one way or the other, I’m just glad the movie still looks good. I’m also glad that apparently Peter Weller is in the film, which was a shock to me, but a happy one because I f***ing love Robocop. I’m also glad that cute blond girl they’ve been showing in the trailers up until now definitely gets in her skivvies, because I’m a disgusting man-pig.
What?! SHE HAS GREAT… ABS!
I’m sure there’s probably a bit more that the more hardcore Trekkie could get into, but more or less, this trailer was full of a lot of repeated footage, with some new stuff added in between. It’s nice to get a thematic preview of what the movie will be, and if it still turns out somehow that Cumberbatch actually IS a new version of an old character, it’ll still be surprising reveal. Maybe they are playing some double-negative-mega-reverse-double-bluff with us about his character all along? OH GOD I DON’T KNOW ANYMORE! Let’s just have the movie come out already okay? I don’t think my heart can take this much more. Especially if it includes cute blonde girls half-naked in their underwear.
{Amanda- while the guys have their moment with the cute blonde, excuse me as I geek out over a new poster, ooooohhhh Benedict Cumberbatch!}
Grizzly Bomb 