"Unknown" Trailer

Yahoo has the new trailer for Unknown, (previously Unknown White Male), starring Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger and Frank Langella.

The script is based on the novel Out of My Head by Didier Van Cauwelaert.

Here's their overview:

"Dr. Martin Harris awakens after a car accident in Berlin to discover that his wife suddenly doesn’t recognize him and another man has assumed his identity. Ignored by disbelieving authorities and hunted by mysterious assassins, he finds himself alone, tired and on the run. Aided by an unlikely ally, Martin plunges headlong into a deadly mystery that will force him to question his sanity, his identity, and just how far he’s willing to go to uncover the truth."

Teaser Trailer for Pixar's "Cars 2!"

Pixar's Cars 2 teaser trailer, due out June 24, 2011.

Need I say more?

Hugh Jackman Confirms Aronofsky to Direct "Wolverine 2"

In a recent quick interview with Hugh Jackman, Vulture found out that Darren Aronofsky will indeed be directing the sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, confirming Tonedog's earlier rumor post.
I hope it'll be worth it and make up for the terrible first film.

Here's what Jackman had to say:

"This is, hopefully for me, going to be out of the box. It’s going to be the best one, I hope…Well, I would say that, but I really do feel that, and I feel this is going to be very different.
"This is Wolverine. This is not Popeye. He’s kind of dark… But, you know, this is a change of pace. Chris McQuarrie, who wrote The Usual Suspects, has written the script, so that’ll give you a good clue. [Aronofsky’s] going to make it fantastic. There’s going to be some meat on the bones. There will be something to think about as you leave the theater, for sure."

Van Damme Has Heart Attack While Filming "Weapon?"

Jean Claude Van Damme, who just turned 50 years old this last Monday, has had some minor chest pain on the set of his newest film, Weapon, in New Orleans. After leaving the hospital, he returned home to Brussels to join his wife. Many blogs and news sites are reporting that he suffered a minor heart attack, although JCVD himself denies this.

Either way, we here at AtD hope he recovers quickly from whatever it may be. Get well soon, Jean Claude.

Cool "Green Hornet" Poster

Here's the newest poster out for The Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen and Jay Chou.

Now as stupid as this movie looks, I'm still really curious to see it, and you would be too, if you appreciated the work of director Michael Gondry.

Click to enlarge.

Awesome "Black Swan" International Posters

Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan opens on December 1st, and international audiences have been treated to some beautiful posters.

If you haven't seen the trailer yet, check it out here.

Thanks to Empire, who had these hi-res images.
As always, click to enlarge.

Nicolas Cage's "Drive Angry 3D" Trailer

Well, it seems that Nicolas Cage has all but given up on making good movies.
On the plus side, at least this looks like a bad movie that will be fun to watch.
Drive Angry was shot in 3D and looks to be a lot like Death Proof. You can click the poster to enlarge.

Here's the plot (not that it matters) according to Slashfilm:

"Drive Angry 3D is about a man who breaks out of hell to get violent, R-rated revenge on the cult who killed his daughter and stole her baby."

It's due out February 2011. Enjoy the trailer, from Yahoo Movies.

Tom Hardy Cast in "Batman 3"

Tom Hardy, who you probably most recently saw in Inception as Eames the forger, has been cast in the upcoming third Batman movie.

Deadline reported that Christopher Nolan cast Hardy himself, which isn't a surprise to anyone. Hardy was great in Inception, and I can see him portraying a villain in Batman, because he can play a great character that an audience likes for all the wrong reasons.

Lionsgate To Make Dark "Muppets" Movie

A Muppets movie that has been in production since 2008 might start being made this January by Lionsgate. Happytime Murders is co-written by Brian Henson, the son of Jim Henson, who also wants to direct it.

Heat Vision has the story:

“Happytime” takes place in a world where humans and puppets co-exist, with the puppets viewed as second-class citizens. When the puppet cast of an ’80s children’s TV show called “The Happytime Gang” begins to get murdered one by one, a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private eye puppet — with a drinking problem, no less — takes on the case with his former human partner. Think “Avenue Q” meets “L.A. Confidential.”

Pretty interesting stuff, if you ask me.

10 New Pics from "Batman: Arkham City"

IGN is premiering 10 new pictures from the much anticipated Batman: Arkham City video game. Check them out and let us know what you think.

UPDATE: Darren Aronofsky Confirmed to Direct "Wolverine 2"

Yes it was only a rumor at first, but now Hugh Jackman has confirmed. Via various websites, here's a quote from Jackman himself:

This is Wolverine. This is not Popeye. He’s kind of dark… But, you know, this is a change of pace. Chris McQuarrie, who wrote The Usual Suspects, has written the script, so that’ll give you a good clue. [Aronofsky’s] going to make it fantastic. There’s going to be some meat on the bones. There will be something to think about as you leave the theater, for sure.

Could it be Darren Aronofsky is directing Wolverine 2? Ok, so he directed Hugh Jackman in The Fountain. Like 6 people saw the damn thing. Well, maybe it's because Zack Snyder got the Superman job and Darren Aronofsky didn't. Even though he was rumored to be in the running? I don't know, that's speculation on my part. /Slashfilm via Vulture are reporting the news.

I couldn't see Aronofsky making Superman and I don't see him doing Wolverine 2 either. Don't get me wring, I think he's a great director. Maybe Fox sees something in him that will improve upon the awful X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Improving the first film wont be very difficult. Director Gavin Hood butchered that film. There was so much wrong with the movie, it's not even funny. Check out my original review here.

Aronofsky is a dramatic director, but so was Gavin Hood. I believe that directors with a dramatic background are going to continue having difficulties in a genre such as superhero films. I wouldn't mind seeing an Aronofsky-directed Wolverine, but he wouldn't be my first pick. What do you think?

Quickie: "Thor's" "Empire"

The mighty Thor makes the cover of Empire this week, actually holding his hammer in full costume. The movie is looking really good and generating buzz after Comic-Con, but for some reason a lot of the web-surfing community thinks it's going to tank. The negative feedback is kind of surprising. This is solely based on comments and questions on other blogs, but still, I thought people were still high on the idea of Thor in theaters. Guess not... but I am.

Quickie: "Green Lantern" Site Launches

Every post today seems to be superhero related, including this one. It's the talk of Twitter, check out the new website for the Green Lantern film starring Ryan Reynolds. Click the image above to see the not-so-thrilling site. Or click here.

Zack Snyder Will Direct "Superman!"

A visionary director for a superhero who so desperately needs him. The rumors have been confirmed, Zack Snyder will direct the next Superman film! Producer Christopher Nolan had a difficult task at hand, but chose the man I hoped he would!

It's been a crazy road since 2006, and even earlier. Directors like Tim Burton, McG and even J.J. Abrams have been linked to directing a Superman film at one point or another. Richard Donner will forever be synonymous with Superman; his 1978 epic created the genre of film I have come to cherish, the superhero film genre.

Fast forward almost 30 years to 2006. Brian Singer creates an homage to Donner with the pitiful Superman Returns and leaves an entire generation of fans wishing Donner himself would have directed the movie instead.

Fast forward a bit more to 2012 when we will look to the sky for our savior, Superman! Not like Snyder needs an introduction, but there are four films that I believe got him the job.

1. 300 was a huge success and placed Snyder on a very short list of visionary directors that could give us a money shot for every single frame of a movie. He began his voyage into comic book-to-film adaptations.

2. Watchmen proved he could create drama and emotion and only use the action as a tool to tell the story, much like Christopher Nolan and the Batman films, again working in the comic book genre.

3. Legend of the Guardians, which is doing very well in theaters this month and making Warner Brothers a lot of money.

4. Sucker Punch looks like a literal translation of a graphic novel come to life and will surely feature Snyder's recognizable film style.

Superman needed a director like Snyder for so many reasons. It needed his visual style of course, but more so, it needed the darkness Snyder has shown in his previous films. Superman Returns failed on so many levels, for so many reasons. One reason everyone agreed on was the lack of action. I doubt this will be a problem, considering what we've seen in both 300 and the trailer for Sucker Punch.

Another reason that film failed was the character was impossible to relate to in a terrorized world. That good 'ol boy, boyscout type of character will not resonate in this time in the world. So David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan have promised a darker character that better resembles the times.

I love the decision and was jumping up and down like a little kid when I read the news. Now what? Well now we argue and debate the lead. I say Jim Caviezel, some say Jon Hamm. What about Brandon Routh returning to the role? Give us your thoughts on Snyder being hired and your idea for the lead!

Quickie: A Mark Ruffalo Stand-Alone "Hulk" Film?

Mark Ruffalo recently sat down with Empire and had this to say: "They set up several pictures over a couple of years and possibly there will be a Hulk movie. There'll probably be a couple more Avengers too, which would be fun."

I don't know what to think. I love the casting of Ruffalo for the Hulk in The Avengers movie, but I'm kind of burned out on the character all together. Maybe I'll feel different in 3 years after The Avengers has been released and everyone is singing its praises (or hates it).

Also, I think Marvel learned a lot and did some great things with The Incredible Hulk starring Edward Norton. I think they can build on that success and create another story worth telling where we actually care about the big green monster. Read Empire's entire article. He gives Norton some props as well.

Now rumor has it, and there's proof in the comics, that Hulk may be the villain in The Avengers. Check out The Ultimates series of The Avengers. This would be interesting to say the least; The Avengers assembling to take down one of their own. I could be wrong, because there's a rumor that Hulk's nemesis, Abomination, is the Avenger's main villain (he doesn't die at the end of The Incredible Hulk). Either way, I'm waiting to hear more details before I decide. What do you think about a Mark Ruffalo stand-alone Hulk film?

Emma Stone Cast in "Spider-Man," But NOT as Mary Jane Watson

Emma Stone is indeed going to be in the new Spider-Man film, but NOT as Mary Jane Watson. Huh? We've been talking about Stone joining Andrew Garfield in Spider-Man for some time now, but we always assumed it would be as Mary Jane Watson, Peter Parker's red-headed love interest. Well let me tell you something. Sony wants this next franchise to be completely different than the previous, starting with Stone's character.

Stone will play Gwen Stacy, who was previously portrayed by Dallas Bryce Howard in Spider-Man 3. She's the beautiful blond who goes to the same school as Peter. Another thing to note is that Stone is naturally blond. She dyed her hair red for Superbad and it just kind of stuck.

I like what they're doing at Sony. The first franchise was so big, so successful, it's going to take clever moves like this one to differentiate between the two franchises. If you read this blog, you know Emma Stone is my Hollywood crush, so I love the casting aspect of all this, but I'm more intrigued by the choice of character (Gwen Stacy as apposed to the obvious Mary Jane Watson). Either way, Sony just improved their chances of getting my 12 bucks at the theater. It will probably be 18 bucks by the time the movie comes out. Ooouf.

"Iron Man 2" DVD Review

Iron Man 2 was obviously one of the biggest movies of the summer/year in 2010. Director Jon Favreau and star Robert Downey Jr. are back for another go. Let's just say we covered it A LOT here at AtD. As a huge fan of the first film, I expected a lot out of the sequel, and have to be honest, was a bit disappointed. For my original review, go here. What I'm going to do now is give some additional insight that I've seen it multiple times, and talk about the Blu-Ray.

As far as my review, I still feel the same way about my "likes." The writing, the villains, the action are all still pretty awesome. The sequel contained what worked in the first film and improved on them. The writing was great in both films; quick, witty and smart. The villains were much better in the sequel (as far as depth), more unique and visually better than the first. And of course, the action was improved upon, big time.
The "likes" are the same, but the "dislikes" are even more of a dislike now that I've seen the movie a couple of times. The second act of the movie is God-awfully slow. There is nearly nothing going on in the middle of the movie and the pace is paralyzing. I wrote about the "misused acting," and boy was I right. Don Cheadle is a wonderful actor, but it just didn't show in Iron Man 2. Watching it again made me wish Terrance Howard was signed for the sequel. There is zero chemistry between Downey Jr. and Cheadle.

And worst of all is the abrupt, horrible climax that did not justify the earlier action sequences. This is immediately following the never-ending chase scene with the droids. Jeez Louise.

Now the special features. I give them a 7/10. There is a nice 'making of' that was satisfying and insightful. The featurettes are fun, and again, give an insider look to the making-of. I also liked the concept art involved in making the movie.

I bought the 2 Disc Special Edition Blu-Ray. There is a 1 Disc Blu-Ray as well as a DVD. Enjoy the film.

"Superman./Batman. Apocalypse" DVD Review

I read about Superman./Batman. Apocalypse (S/B A), the straight-to-DVD film, a few months ago and got really excited. If you frequent this blog, even a little bit, you know how obsessed I am with comic books, movies and comic book movies. I'll give you a brief description of the film and a quick review.

Remember the Supergirl film? C'mon, it came out and was supposed to carry on its own franchise. You don't remember? It's ok, neither do a lot of other people. Well, Supergirl is the cousin to Clark Kent/Kal-El/Superman. Her Krypton name is Kara Zor-El. She, too, was sent in a spaceship to Earth from Krypton. S/B A follows Kara from her landing on Earth to becoming Supergirl, but it's not all fun and games.

Along the way, Batman is suspicious of this new alien on Earth. Superman is convinced she is his cousin and is no threat to mankind. But there is a dark side to Kara, and it is brought on by who else? Darkseid. Darkseid has a long and rich history as a villain in the DC Universe. This movie was the perfect way to get him into the straight-to-DVD movies.

The movie features some of DC Comics' most popular characters, and doesn't disappoint. It's good to remember this is more of a Supergirl story and that Batman and Superman are really secondary characters in this one. I love how they incorporated Wonder Woman and the Amazons into the film. It was great.

Another thing I'd like to note are the special features on the Blu-Ray I purchased. The Warner Brothers/DC Universe Blu-Rays have some of the most comprehensive special features I've ever seen. History of major characters, episodes of previously aired cartoons, interviews, etc. If you are a comic book fan or even an animation fan, you'll love this movie. The animation is on par with some of the best in the industry; smooth, recognizable and memorable. Check this gem out and let me know what you think.

"The Town" Review

I remember the first time I saw the trailer for The Town and thought to myself, WOW! Now, granted trailers aren't exactly the most accurate way to judge a film, but this one was good, really good. Ben Affleck directs and stars in the film about bank robbers. Let's jump right in.


What I liked about the movie:
The Story/Characters
I'm a sucker for heist movies, I have to admit. But what I hate is when a writer or director plays on all the cliches from movies in the past. This movie does not do that. It's an original story with original characters. Each character is an intricate part of the movie. There are no wasted characters, no wasted plot points.

Peter Craig, Ben Affleck and Aaron Stockard weave together a fascinating story about friends, loyalty, trust, respect and most of all, money. Without giving much away, the movie breaks down into three major action sequences with obvious character development in between. But The Town does something very elegantly. It not only makes us care about the criminals, but the FBI agents tracking them as well.

Acting
The acting in the film was great. Ben Affleck showed off the emotional chops needed to play a troubled lead. He has to portray someone who is lost; his mother abandoned him as child, his father's in jail and he wants out of the family business of robbing banks. Great performance.

Rebecca Hall plays Affleck's love interest, but she's not just some girl. She's the girl he robs at the beginning of the film. The two develop a relationship throughout the film. Hall is great at showing the aftereffects of a traumatic experience like being robbed at gun point.

Jeremy Renner plays Affleck's best friend. He's the crazy gunslinger of the gang and does well to show his loyalty to Affleck. He really didn't have much screen time where he wasn't shooting a gun, but does great with the character development and motivations.

Jon Hamm, aka the rumored new Superman, is awesome! They could have easily written Hamm as a stereotypical FBI agent out to do good and bring the bad guys to justice. Uh-uh! He's a bad ass. He's a perp-beating, insult-flinging, threat-making son of a bitch. I loved his character! Wait until you see the exchange between him and Affleck. It's awesome. Oh, and there are bit roles for Chris Cooper and Pete Postlethwaite which are AMAZING! I don't want to tell you more about their characters, see the movie.

Action Sequences

They did WHAT?! Shot up FattMatt's hometown? Wait, they did what? The climax of the film is at Fenway Park? Are you kidding me? NOPE! The first action sequence is brilliant, perfectly choreographed and executed. The second features a chase through the narrow streets of Charlestown, Massachusetts that is pretty intense. And of course, the much talked-about climax at Fenway Park, home to the Boston Redsox. I don't want to say more, please just see the movie and let me know what you think.


What I didn't like about the movie:
The Love Story

This is a tricky one. The love story works, just trust me, I'm the first to bitch and complain when a love story feels fake or forced. This one works, but I wish there was a bit more of developing the relationship. Yeah, I really did just say that. Maybe one more date, or a walk somewhere would have sealed the deal that the two main characters were as madly in love as we're supposed to believe. I did, however, like the contrast between the relationship of Affleck and Hall vs. Affleck and Blake Lively's character. One is based on nothing but lust (Lively) and the other, love (Hall). Well done.

Coincidences/Tie-in
This one bothered me a bit. I understand the reasoning, but I didn't appreciate the execution. The story needs to tie-in the FBI to the final heist. So Affleck and company give it to us, in a nicely packed box with a bow on it. We're better than that! Come on. It's so absurd the way the FBI is tipped off on the final heist that it left a sour taste in my mouth. Please let me know if it made you roll your eyes as well.

Overall the film was a ton of fun. The characters were rich and their back stories fascinating. Affleck's sophomore effort as director is a great one. I enjoyed Gone Baby Gone a lot, but The Town is even better. The story and execution were unique, great contrast between the thieves and the FBI and a climax that was worth it's location's history. Go see this film and I'm sure you'll have a good time.

UPDATE: EMMA STONE NOW, Not Hilary Duff for Mary Jane Watson in Spider-Man?

UPDATE: So it's been rumored this week that my new Hollywood crush, Emma Stone could be taking over the character of Mary Jane Watson in the new Spider-Man film. THANK GOODNESS! I was going to shoot myself if Hilary Duff really was cast for such an important role. What do you think about this update? Good? You better say it's good news! Emma Stone's doing well in theaters with Easy-A. The girl can act, and will be a perfect fit in the new world of Spider-Man.

Like really? Latinoreview is reporting that the Disney star, Hilary Duff, is rumored to star as Mary Jane Watson in the upcoming reboot of Spider-Man. Usually Latinoreview doesn't post hearsay or b.s. casting rumors, but they did on this one. Some reporter was interviewing her husband (an NHL hockey player) and saw a Spider-Man script with highlights on the character of "girl". C'mon! Well, those guys are usually on target so I'm posting it anyway.

I hate the idea, I hate bubblegum pop star, wanna be singer, former Disney queens; so no, I do not like this rumor. She can't act, dear God, we all know she can't sing. I would rather the druggie, law breaking Lindsay Lohan play Mary Jane Watson. At least she's a true red-head. No? Yeah I don't like that one either.