Hollywood always seems to be looking for the next big lucrative film franchise. Studios have looked at several existing properties in hopes of finding their big meal ticket, and some of those properties include classic action figure toy lines and cartoon series from the 1980s. We’ve already seen films for G.I. Joe, Transformers, He-Man, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and a few others, but there are a helluva lot more out there that would make for some great movies!

I’ve put together a list of several different action figure and cartoon properties that I would love to see adapted for the big screen. Most of the properties on this list are ones I loved as a kid, and it would be so cool to see them brought to life in a way we've never seen before. I briefly talk about each franchise on the list and give a little commentary about what we might expect to see in each of the (theoretical) movies.

There have been attempts to adapt some of the films on this list already, but there's nothing really concrete on them yet. I'm leaving Robotech off the list because James Wan (The Conjuring) is attached to direct it and that project is finally moving forward at Sony Pictures. 

I'm sure I may have missed something. If that's the case, please let me know in the comment section so I can kick myself in the ass over leaving it out. I hope you enjoy the list I've come up with!

Dino Riders

Oh man, this movie would be huge! Dinosaurs running around with insane-looking weaponry on their backs and headgear!? Sign me up! At one point, a similar concept to Dino Riders became the basis for Jurassic Park IV. It wouldn’t have worked with that franchise, but as a standalone film series, it would totally work! Everyone loves dinosaurs, and look how successful Jurassic World was. If this movie was done right, it could be one of the greatest things ever. 

There was also a cartoon series that was set on a prehistoric Earth, and the story focused on the epic battle between the good Valorians and evil Rulons. The Valorians were a superhuman race, and the Rulons were a mixture of humanoid creatures who both came from the future. They ended up being transported back in time to the age of dinosaurs and they used the creatures to help fight their war. The Valorians befriended dinosaurs, while the Rulons brainwashed them. I can already imagine the incredible visuals a movie like this could offer.

The Smithsonian Institute praised the toys for how detailed and accurate they were and they had the toy company Tyco reproduce the dinosaurs for their "Dinosaur and other Prehistoric Reptile Collection," minus all the awesome weapons that were packed on them. Mattel is reportedly looking to actually make this movie. I hope it's something they are pushing hard.

Starcom

These toys never really got popular in the U.S. but I was one of the few who owned some of these action figures and vehicles, and I remember having a lot of fun with them! One of my favorite things about them was the Magna Lock technology. Basically the figures had tiny magnets in their feet which would allow them to stand on their vehicles and playsets without falling off. They also activated certain devices in the playsets. 

The toys were followed by an animated series that was made to help promote NASA and get kids interested in the Space Program. The show focused on the adventures of an American astronaut brigade as they fought off attempted invasions by Shadow Force, an evil collection of aliens and robots who were led by the villainous Emperor Dark.

The animated series kinda sucked, but with a solid team of talent, Starcom would make for a great retro-looking sci-fi film set in an alternate 1980s universe.

Power Lords

It’s so weird for me going through old toys that I had as a kid and coming across something like Power Lords that I completely forgot about. The action figures featured humanoid characters that could change themselves. For example, Adam Power could change himself into his alto-ego, Lord Power, by pushing a button. After you pushed it, the torso of the figure would turn around to reveal the other character.

The toy line was adapted into a 3-issue comics by DC, and it also got its own video game, board game, and coloring book. 

The story behind Adam Power was that he is a human who is given the cosmic Power Jewel to protect the galaxy from an evil dictator named Arkus. Arkus is an invincible villain, who is determined to take the Power Jewel away from Adam as well as Volcan Rock, which is Adam’s secret stronghold. These items would help Arkus conquer the galaxy. The other characters include Shaya, the Queen of Power, and Sydot the Supreme. I know the story has kind of a serious tone, but I think it would make a great comedy!

BraveStarr

These figures were 8” tall, and the ones for Marshal BraveStarr and Tex Hex came with a Laser Fire Backpack which shot infra-red beams and included cool "space-age" sound effects. There was also a cartoon series in which each episode had a moral to the story, as well as an animated movie in 1988. There was also a side-scrolling video game that was released on the Commodore 64.

Bravestarr is set in the 23rd century and takes place on a multi-cultural desert planet that is called New Texas. What’s funny about this is I don’t recall ever watching the cartoon series, but I do remember playing with the action figures.

I’m one of the few people that actually enjoyed Cowboys vs. Aliens. I loved the concept of combining the old west with science fiction. It’s just one of those things that really appeals to me. BraveStarr is exactly that — it’s the wild west in space, a good vs. evil adventure comedy about a marshal trying to bring lawn ’n’ order to a western planet full of crazy mutant outlaws. That just sounds like a good time to me.

Shogun Warriors

This was a Japanese anime import that was licensed by Mattel. The Shogun Warriors were giant robots, and who doesn’t like giant robots!? The figures were 24 inches tall and they included watchdog-bothering spring-loaded weapons for kids to fire at each other. There was some controversy over that because kids were getting hurt from them. This led to new regulations that toy manufacturers needed to follow.

There was a tie-in Marvel comic that gave us a backstory on the Shogun Warriors. They were created by a mysterious group called the Followers of the Light and human operators were gathered from around the world to operate the massive robots in order to battle evil. I would give this film a western-style theme and the pilots of the robots would be the cowboys. 

I know we already have Pacific Rim, but this would be a completely different story, with drastically different giant robot designs. 

ThunderCats

For the life of me, I can understand why ThunderCats has not been made into a movie. It was one of the most popular cartoons and toys lines in the '80s and no one can seem to figure out what to do with it but one day it needs to be done, and I imagine the furries will love it.

ThunderCats has had a toy line, a cartoon series, and a comic book series. This was such a fun property. This is a movie that would have to be made using motion capture technology. Just imagine what James Cameron did with Avatar and now think about that but with Lion-O, Tygra, Cheetara, Snarf, Panthro, Mumm-Ra, and more. It would kick ass! 

The film would tell the tale of a team of exiled cat-like humanoids taking on the threat of Mumm-Ra, the Ever-Living. 

Madelman 2050

Here’s another toy line that incorporated magnets into the action figures. These Spanish action figures were inspired by G.I. Joe and basically banked on the success of that property, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t cool. These were high-quality action figures that had some fun features.

The villains, which were called Zircons, had a double face: one is reptilian and the other is human. The reptilian identity was revealed when one of the heroes stood in front of one villain. The magnets built into the chest of the figures made this possible. The C.O.T.A. were the heroes in the toy line, and magnets in their feet allowed them to stand upside-down in the Basetron 2050, which was built with some metal parts.

This would make a great sci-fi film in which futuristic heroes the C.O.T.A. go to war against the extraterrestrial militant Zarkons, who are invading Earth. This would prove to be a challenge for the C.O.T.A. because the villains look and sound just like them. The commando team would have to devise a way to identify them, and I’m not sure if magnets would do the trick in real life. 

Inhumanoids

As a fan of horror/monster movies, I thought it was a blast playing with these action figures when I was a kid, and they had this cool “glow in the light” feature. These things were awesomely disgusting. There was also a cartoon series, which, weirdly, I have never seen. I just was a fan of the figures and how crazy they were.

The story for Inhumanoids centers on a scientist-hero group called Earth Corps, and they have to battle a trio of subterranean monsters called the Inhumanoids with the aid of elemental beings called the Mutores. The creatures are awakened by volcanic activity after being buried for a millennia in the Earth’s core.

I’ve always loved a good creature feature and that's exactly the kind of movie Inhumanoids would have to be: a straight up B-movie style monster movie with cheesy dialogue and practical special effects.

M.U.S.C.L.E.

I had a ridiculous amount of these little 2-inch tall figures when I was growing up. I wasn’t a big fan of wrestling, but these weren’t just your average wrestlers, these were mutant wrestlers from outer space! M.U.S.C.L.E. stood for Millions of Unusual Small Creatures Lurking Everywhere and the line included 236 figures in total. There was also a board game and a NES video game.

If these ever became the subject of a movie, it would have to be a stop-motion animated film that had the same vibe as an early '80s-style grindhouse movie. A film with these kinds of characters is sure to turn out being something ridiculously wacky and off the wall. 

There was a character in the set called Muscle Man and he was the leader of the Thug Busters. There was another character named Buffaloman who was the leader of the Cosmic Crushers. Joe Dante (Gremlins, Small Soldiers) would be the perfect director for this movie.

Visionaries: Knights of the Magical Light 

There are a few toy and cartoon properties on this list that Paramount Pictures is trying to get off the ground, but they haven’t succeeded yet. Visionaries is one of those properties, and I hope they can figure out a way to effectively adapt it because it could be awesome.

The toy line wasn’t a big success and neither was the cartoon, but they sure did leave a lasting impression on me! The toys featured holograms with a 3D effect on the chests of the figures and the staff they carried. That hologram include an emblem of an animal that they could transform into, and the staff had magical powers.

This could be a fun Harry Potter-style film. The story is set on a planet called Prysmos, which is an advanced society where all electronics have failed so the people are forced to rely on magic to survive. The Visionaries consist of two factions of knights: the Spectral Knights and the Darkling Lords. Everyone who wants to gain magic is invited to a competition by the wizard Merklynn, and that could be the main plot of the story. During the competition, they have to survive traps, dangerous creatures, and each other. The survivors are then rewarded with their animal, which is chosen based on their personalities or abilities they exhibited during the competition.

Battle Beasts

This is another one of those great small collectible toy lines that I spent lots of time playing with. I’m not sure if you remember or not, but they had those heat sensitive stickers on their chest and when you rubbed them it would reveal the strength of the Battle Beasts, which included wood, water, fire, and the ultra-rare Sunburst. These were armor-clad beasts with weapons who would do battle with each other. They were actually a Transformers spin-off series.

The 1980s story was set in 2011 on a planet called Planet Beast which resided in the galaxy territory of the Deceptions. It centered on an intelligent peaceful race of animals called Beastformers and they were ruled by the Lion Family. With the Decepticons trying to dominate the universe, Galvatron gives a character named Alligatron the weapons he needed to overthrow the Lion Family and take over Planet Beast.

If a movie was made with these characters I don’t think that it should tie into the Transformers films. This needs to be a separate standalone film, and I think the best way to handle it would be to do something in the same vein as what Duncan Jones is doing with the Warcraft movie. I imagine that the Beasts will have to rise up, find the Sunburst, and use its power to save their planet.

SliverHawks

Warner Bros. currently own the rights to this property, and it’s a shame that they haven’t really done anything with it. The action figures for Silverhawks were based on the cartoon series, which I enjoyed watching. It was just such a cool series that was different from everything else at the time. Each of the figures came with a companion bird and they also had an action feature.

The SilverHawks team is recruited by a bionic police man named Commander Stargazer, and tasked with fighting the villainous Mon’Star, who is an escaped alien mob boss that transforms into an enormous armor-plated creature. This would make for a visually stunning film, especially with the setting and characters that are partly metal and partly human. This kind of film seems like it would have a Guardians of the Galaxy-type vibe, which is why I’m surprised WB hasn’t jumped all over it. I can see it as an action-packed adventure movie with some great humor.

The SilverHawks team consisted of Quicksilver, the leader who has a metal bird companion named TallyHawk. There are a couple of twins that go by the names of Steelheart and Steelwill. They are the technician and strongman. Then there’s a country singer character named Col. Bluegrass who plays a sonic guitar and piloted the team’s ship, the Miraj. Rounding out the team is a younger character named Copper Kidd, who is a mathematical genius who spoke in whistles and computerized tones.

Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future

This was seriously one of my favorite things to come out of the '80s. It was an sci-fi action interactive toy that you could play with while watching the TV series that blended live action with early CGI. During each episode, there was a segment that included visual and audio material that you could use your toys with by firing at the TV. It was so cool!

The series was set in the 22nd century on Earth after the Metal Wars, which was a cybernetic revolt that resulted in the subjugation of the human race by intelligent machines known as Bio-Mechs. The story centered on Captain Jonathan Power and a small team of guerrilla fighters, called "The Soldiers Of The Future," who would oppose and fight agains the machine forces that dominate Earth.

It would be pretty awesome if there was a way to incorporate the interactive aspect of the toy and series into the movie-going experience. Even if they couldn’t do that, it still has the potential to be a fun action-packed sci-fi adventure film.  

Super Naturals

There really weren’t a lot of horror-themed action figures when I was growing up, which is why I was a big fan of Super Naturals. These were action figures that included 3D holograms of the characters they represented. Their hands and swords also glowed, which made them creepy in the dark. I thought they were a really fun, underrated, and unique property and I loved the packaging which commanded the buyer to "Release their HOLOGRAM POWERS!"

Each of the toys came with a mini comic, and the story revolved around an army of heroic and villainous warriors who were sealed in the Tomb of Doom. That tomb was opened after hundreds of years and the ghostly warriors are fighting it out. The Super Naturals were split into two factions of warriors: the heroic team was lead by Lionheart, and the evil team was lead by Skull.

This kind of film is left wide open for someone to build an original story around. There was no cartoon to go off of, so the basic plot could be shaped into anything. I loved the concept of the toys, though, and if there's a cool way to incorporate that into a film…awesome! I think the Army of the Dead in The Lord of the Rings is a perfect visual way of bringing Super Naturals to life on the big screen.

The Centurions

One of the main reasons why I enjoyed this sci-fi property — other than the fact that the action figures and cartoon were awesome — is that it was designed by comic book legends Jack Kirby and Gil Kane. If you're familiar with The Centurions, then it’s not hard to see the style of these artists in the characters. 

The story is set in the near future and there's a villainous cyborg genius named Doc Terror out to conquer the world with the help of his cyborg sidekick Hacker and an army of Doom Drones. Luckily for Earth, the heroic Centurions are there to stop him. The Centurions are a team who wear special exo-frame suits that allow them to fuse with some awesome assault weapons when they shout the term "Power Xtreme." At that point, they become what the series called "man and machine, Power Xtreme!"

The toys and cartoon were cheesy as hell, but if the right team came together, this could be adapted into a grounded, realistic, kick-ass, action-packed movie. Just look at the stuff they’ve done with Iron Man and Edge of Tomorrow. This film could be kind of a mixture of those two movies.

M.A.S.K.

There’s a chance that Paramount Pictures could do this one day. I hope it’s true because it’s another one of those properties that I’m shocked hasn’t been adapted into a movie yet. The series centers on a group of vehicles that can transform into combat-style armored vehicles. Each of the drivers of the vehicles had a mask with a certain ability.

The main story revolved around an underground task force team called M.A.S.K., which stands for Mobile Armored Strike Kommand. They would fight against a criminal organization called V.E.N.O.M., which stands for Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem. 

I can’t help but envision M.A.S.K. as a film that could bring on some of that badass Mad Max flare. I think M.A.S.K. could be just as insanely radical as Fury Road was, it could even take it to the next level!

Voltron

It’s Voltron — why wouldn’t someone want to adapt this into a feature film! It’s definitely one of the most obvious things on this list. As I write this, the memories just come flooding in of playing with these figures and watching the animated series. This was seriously one of greatest properties of my childhood.

The story centered on a young team of five young astronauts that pilot five robot lions which combine into a giant super robot known as Voltron. The team was in charge of protecting the planet Arus, which was ruled by Princess Allura, from the evil King Zarko, who was from the planet Doom. He and his gang, which consisted of his son Lotor and the witch Haggar, would create giant Robeasts to terrorize the people of Arus.

People have been trying to get a Voltron movie off the ground for years, but for some reason it just hasn’t happened, and that’s insane! This franchise has the potential to be bigger and better than films like Pacific Rim and Transformers. A Voltron movie could put those properties to shame.

What do you think?

JayDeloria took several enthusiastically dressed pictures of celebrity's and re-imagined them as gym leaders. He even gave them the types of Pokemon they would have for their battles...read more on Gametyrant

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Lionsgate and Comic-Con International have teamed up to create a new video-on-demand streaming platform called Comic-Con HQ. 

Last year, they announced that Comic-Con HQ was in the works and yesterday, word came out that a free beta for the streaming service will debut May 7, and the full version will be released sometime in June. The cost of the service is unknown at this time. Hopefully, this will give them enough time to work everything out before the main event in San Diego actually begins in July. 

Here are some definite features the service will provide: original series (scripted and unscripted), with one of those being the series Kings of Con; two roundtable discussion shows, one featuring female perspective of pop culture; and a 1:1 interview series from Adam Sessler (X-Play).

As for coverage of the con, not much has been verified as to what the service will actually host. We do know that the Masquerade and the Eisner Awards will be featured, as will "select" panels, and there will be some convention floor footage.

The service was created in order to appease the overwhelming number of people who make up the Comic-Con community and an attempt to reach out to those unable to attend the actual con. Comic-Con International Vice President Seth Laderman stated:

"There is a demand for Comic-Con. And until now, it was an experience that only lasted five days a year with only so many badges to buy and so much floor space to give. So Comic-Con International and Lionsgate –- two companies who know and respect genre entertainment -– teamed up to launch Comic-Con HQ, because there is a strong need and equal opportunity to provide our community with a premium platform that uniquely and authentically extends everything we love about Comic-Con all year round."

While I agree with his sentiments — I would probably crawl under a blanket and cry for all of July if I missed a year of Comic-Con — I haven't really made up my mind on how I feel about the actual streaming service. Do I think Comic-Con should be enjoyed by everyone? Of course. But do I also think that people will PAY to see the things listed above? Maybe not, unless they start streaming Hall H panels or even the very intimate Nerd HQ panels, I don't think the demand for this service exists. However, if they start streaming those things (including the exclusive footage in the halls), I think I would feel under-appreciated as a fan who battled, Hunger Games-style, to get my badge. 

I'm still very unsure about this, but it will definitely be interesting to see what happens.

"Daenerys Targaryen" is about the hardest name in the world to spell. I much prefer "Khaleesi," but if I'm going for super easy mode, I don't need to Google this — my go-to is "Mother of Dragons." Honestly, this art by Babs Tarr is good...but the title is what I appreciated the most. Great work!

Disney, Lucasfilm, and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller are still on the hunt for an actor to play young Han Solo in the upcoming Star Wars spin-off film. As you might expect, finding someone to fill Harrison Ford's shoes has been a huge challenge. After narrowing the search from 2,500 actors down to about ten, THR reports that "a final shortlist has quietly emerged" for the coveted role.

Though the outlet cautions that there could still be a few other names on the list, they reveal that tests were conducted in London this past weekend that involved Alden Ehrenreich (Hail, Caesar!), Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction), and Taron Egerton (Kingsman: The Secret Service, Eddie the Eagle). While Ehrenreich was terrific in Hail, Caesar!, I don't know if he's the best fit for the swaggering Solo. Of this trio, I'm leaning toward Egerton right now, but that's because I've only seen Reynor in Transformers 4, which was basically a pile of hot sewage. I've heard he's really good in the upcoming film Sing Street, and he definitely has fans who know his range goes far beyond what Michael Bay required in that garbage pit of a movie.

Variety reporter Justin Kroll chimed in on Twitter to add two more names to the list of contenders:

I concur on Mr @Borys_Kit list HAN SOLO LIST and you can also add Blake Jenner and Jack O'Connell's name to the list as well

— Justin Kroll (@krolljvar) March 15, 2016

Blake Jenner appears in Richard Linklater's upcoming Everybody Wants Some!!, while Jack O'Connell delivered standout performances in Starred Up, '71, and Unbroken. I'm still leaning toward Egerton because I haven't seen a lot of those films from the other actors yet. If it gets narrowed down to just these actors, who do you think would make the best Han?

The utility belt is one of Batman's greatest assets in his fight against crime in Gotham City. While many incarnations of the character tend to de-emphasize the belt and its seemingly infinite compartments in order to make the character feel more realistic, Tim Burton's version in his 1989 Batman film is bright and cartoonish, serving as a bit of a throwback to the comics and even, to a lesser degree, the ridiculous and campy Adam West TV show and movie.

DIY Prop Shop has released a video that teaches you how to build your own replica for only $9. It isn't perfect, but it's about as close as you can get for under ten bucks. Check it out below if you're interested:

Magnolia Pictures and Magnet Releasing sent over this new trailer and poster for Ben Wheatley's newest film High-Rise, and it's another good reminder that this movie looks super interesting. I haven't seen the film yet, so I'm not sure if it gives away any of the story's best moments, but just to be safe, I'd say if you're already intrigued by the premise and the cast — which includes Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth Moss, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, and Luke Evans — it might actually be worth skipping this trailer just to be safe. This one seems to put more of an emphasis on the societal allegory than any of the other trailers, and it looks like it could get pretty trippy. Wheatley is a hell of a filmmaker, and I'm looking forward to seeing how this adaptation of J.G. Ballard's novel turns out.

High-Rise hits theaters on May 13, but will be available On Demand starting on April 28.

HIGH-RISE stars Hiddleston as Dr. Robert Laing, the newest resident of a luxurious apartment in a high-tech concrete skyscraper whose lofty location places him amongst the upper class. Laing quickly settles into high society life and meets the building’s eccentric tenants: Charlotte (Miller), his upstairs neighbor and bohemian single mother; Wilder (Evans), a charismatic documentarian who lives with his pregnant wife Helen (Moss); and Mr. Royal (Irons), the enigmatic architect who designed the building. Life seems like paradise to the solitude-seeking Laing. But as power outages become more frequent and building flaws emerge, particularly on the lower floors, the regimented social strata begins to crumble and the building becomes a battlefield in a literal class war. HIGH-RISE is the latest film by cult British director Ben Wheatley (Kill List, A Field in England), an ambitious adaptation of the J.G. Ballard novel of the same name.

Alain Moussi plays Charlie Nash in Machinima's live action series STREET FIGHTER: RESURRECTION. The series premieres today on go90, and is really awesome...read more at Gametyrant

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Batman and Robin is the agreed-upon low point of the Batman film franchise, but Joel Schumacher's garish sequel at least looks palatable thanks to a recut trailer from YouTuber The Unusual Suspect. He uses the score from The Dark Knight and minimizes Schwarzenegger's terrible puns (I'm sure it was a Herculean task to find moments of the movie in which he isn't making a godawful pun), and the result is...well, I'm not going to say it's good, but it's a lot better than the actual movie turned out to be.

Via: Uproxx

Considering that director Tim Miller spent years working in the visual effects industry, it shouldn't be much of a surprise that Deadpool, his feature directorial debut, featured a ton of visual effects shots. Atomic Fiction has released a new video showcasing the highway crash/shootout sequence, and that alone was almost entirely created inside a computer.

It's no secret that I didn't like the movie very much, but it's impressive that Miller and his team were able to get results that looked like this with what was, comparatively speaking, a much smaller budget than many of its superhero movie contemporaries are granted by studios.

Via: io9

I was very impressed with writer/director Jeff Nichols' two most recent films, Take Shelter and Mud, so I was slightly torn when I heard he was going to be directing his first studio film. Would this new project retain the qualities that made the aforementioned movies so enjoyable, or would a bigger budget and navigating the complicated landscape of studio filmmaking soften the style I enjoyed so much? Thankfully, Midnight Special is a mostly-satisfying thriller that tells its own story while feeling like a throwback to classic sci-fi movies like Close Encounters of The Third Kind, Starman, and E.T.

Nichols avoids the exposition dump that so often happens in movies like this, instead choosing to drop us into the middle of the action and slowly reveal information about the characters we meet. Roy (Michael Shannon) and Lucas (Joel Edgerton) are armed and on the run in a dark motel room with a young boy named Alton (Jaeden Lieberher) in tow. They see a news broadcast about Alton's disappearance which pegs Roy as a kidnapper, but we quickly find out that Roy is actually Alton's biological father, and the boy isn't distressed or bothered by their circumstances. Alton just sits quietly, reading comic books through blue swimming goggles with a flashlight and wearing massive headphones when it's time to sleep. There's something strange about him, but it's not until later that we find out what he's capable of. As for how Roy and Lucas know each other and why Lucas is even there, that isn't revealed until deep into the story, finally sating our curiosity about his motivation.

Meanwhile, the FBI raids a compound called The Ranch, where a cult pastor (Sam Shepard) shares sermons that quote dates and coordinates instead of Bible verses. The cult worships Alton, who lived with them for two years and who possesses some extraordinary abilities that the government is extremely interested to examine more closely. Ranch members and government agents — including NSA communications expert Paul Sevier (Adam Driver) — separately set out to find the boy, with only four days until a mysterious prophesied event that could change the world forever. It's a hell of a hook, and the story gradually reveals information about the backstories of the various characters, including Alton's mom, Sarah (Kirsten Dunst), who hooks up with the guys as they head toward a specific set of coordinates in time for the impending event.

Nichols takes his own road trip through the films of Spielberg and Carpenter, tipping his hat to those titans of the genre and deftly incorporating references to their work that don't ever feel annoying or winking. The look of the movie is always filtered through the director's style and sensibilities — the closest he gets to outright homage is one shot of light emanating from a car that's a clear riff on Close Encounters — and Nichols' contemporaries should take notice of the way he captures the feeling of other films without crossing the line of taking nostalgia too far. The story shares similarities to things like Starman and E.T., but there's enough original world-building and mysterious backstory to unravel that you never get too caught up in the nods. There are also a couple of familiar elements from more recent movie history; I was reminded of Rian Johnson's Looper a couple of times when presented with Alton and his abilities, and there's some imagery in the final act that recalls one of last year's failed would-be blockbusters — to say which one would spoil this film, but you'll instantly know it when you see it. But for the most part, this feels very much like a Jeff Nichols movie.

Shannon, ever the ace up Nichols' sleeve, is understated and authentic as Roy, who is super protective and clearly loves his son, but here's one area where the film's tendency toward mystery results in a hazier characterization than it should. We discover that Roy was once part of the Ranch, but we're never sure whether he really believes in Alton as a savior. He's willing to sacrifice everything for him and he talks a lot about the child's importance, but Shannon plays Roy with so much subtlety that we don't get a full read on his personal beliefs; since faith is one of this movie's major themes, this seems like a pretty egregious shortcoming. Dunst and Driver acquit themselves well in utilitarian roles, and surprisingly it's Edgerton that comes out as one of the most fascinating and fully-formed characters.

By the end, the film veers into territory one could describe as "corny," but David Wingo's towering score keeps us grounded in the emotions of the moment. Still, the climax raises so many unanswered questions that, combined with the litany of purposefully murky character backstories, Midnight Special struck me as a movie that's almost aggressively uninterested in providing a tidy conclusion. It's far more concerned with finding emotional truth in its characters than explaining the consequences of Alton's revelation. It's a little off-putting and feels a little disappointing after the whole story builds up to this moment, but I suppose the ending sort of works as a strange sort of reflection of the beginning: it's a story that feels very much like we're only seeing the most important segment of it, where both the inception and the completion happen off screen.

Midnight Special runs out of steam by the end, but for the most part, it's a riveting, enjoyable thriller that further cements Nichols as a talented filmmaker to keep high on your list of must-watch directors.

An interesting bit of news has surfaced regarding a possible new TV series that is set in the Batman universe. The news comes from Bleeding Cool, who reports that DC Entertainment has registered a trademark in the name of Pennyworth, and they say it could be a TV series. 

There’s no other information than that. We are just left with a lot of questions. There are two live-action versions of Alfred Pennyworth currently in play. There’s Sean Pertwee’s version on Gotham and Jeremy Irons’ version in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. 

Could it be a spin-off series of one of these characters? Hell, it might not be a TV series at all. It could be for a direct-to-video animated movie. Maybe it could even be a web-series type thing that helps tell the backstory of the character and connects to either Gotham or Batman v Superman.

Who knows, there’s a chance that it doesn’t even center on Alfred. Maybe, whatever it is, will focus on his daughter Julia Pennyworth. It seems like a lot of networks and studios are trying to bring in strong female characters.

As with any trademark like this, it could end up being nothing. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how this plays out.

Someone from Reddit who claims to have worked on the production of Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters reboot says he’s seen an early cut of the film, and he offers lots of SPOILERS on how the story plays out. It doesn’t surprise me that someone has seen an early version of the movie already, so these details could be legit. (Feig recently tweeted that he was getting ready to screen test a version.) He gets very detailed in his descriptions, but there’s always a chance this person made up all this crap. Until we see the movie, we will treat this information as rumor. 

Here are a few things points of interest that we learn from the information... SPOILERS!

• Ernie Hudson plays Leslie Jones' uncle. He’s a funeral director that supplies the team with their car that we see in the trailer.
• Rowen, the film's villain, starts out in the story as a human. He’s been bullied is whole life and he builds a machine that can focus supernatural energy. It breaks the barrier between the living and the dead. He wants to release as many ghost as he can to torment the living and he eventually becomes a ghost himself about halfway through the film. Apparently these pestering ghosts are tearing apart people's flesh.
• Chris Hemsworth’s character gets possessed and helps Rowen release all of the ghost into the world from his machine. Apparently there’s a scene that pays homage to Rick Moraines when he was possessed in the first Ghostbusters film when he turns around and snarls with glowing eyes. Only instead of Moraines, it’s Hemsworth.
• Hemsworth ends up controling the city with his ghost powers and at one point makes an army of ghosts dance with him to "You should be Dancing", by the Bee Gees.

As far as the other cameos from the original cast go:

Bill Murray = a Skeptic. His lines arent good and he's kinda stiff "WHY ARE YOU PRETENDING TO CATCH GHOSTS??!! THATA GIRL!!!" he gets killed when pushed out a window by the rock concert dragon ghost. He convinced the GGB's to let it out as proof in their tiny chinese restaurant HQ. (Did I mention everyone is stupid in this movie?)

Dan Aykroyd = Cab driver who refuses to drive them when NYC is in havoc "I aint 'fraid of no ghosts" he says in a hard NY accent. This scene was alright.

Annie Potts = Now a hotel lobby clerk answering the phone WHATTAYA WANT??

Sigourney Weaver = A mentor of McKinnon who is disappointed but approves of McKinnon's work at the end of the movie

Then the film supposedly ends with a Zuul tease that will set up the future of the franchise.

There’s a lot more details, and you can read the full thing here if you want. Let us know what you all think about the direction the film seems to be taking the franchise. 

I’m going to see this movie with an open mind. I’m not going to judge it before I see it. It looks like it will be a fun and entertaining flick. Feig always seems to deliver solid comedy in his movies, so hopefully he does that with this. We’ll just have to wait and see when it’s released on July 22nd, 2016.

Deadpool has made over $700 million worldwide, which, according to Screen Rant, puts it above Iron Man as one of the highest grossing Marvel films of all time! On a national scale, the film is sitting at about $328 million, which puts it on track to beat Guardians of The Galaxy's national record of $331 million by this weekend.

Now you can see why everyone is so eager to copycat the rated R hero film! We will see if those other films have as much success!

Warner Bros. has picked up the rights to the Cannonball Run franchise, and they’ve hired Etan Cohen to write and direct it. Cohen is the writer of Tropic Thunder, and he also directed Get Hard. The studio won’t call this new movie a remake. Instead, they are calling it a relaunch. If they were honest with themselves, though, they know that relaunch basically means remake. Regardless of that, Cohen knows how to do comedy, and I think this would be a great project for him to take on.

The original Cannonball Run film was released in 1981 and had an incredible ensemble cast that included Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Farrah Fawcett, Adrienne Barbeau, Dean Martin, Jackie Chan, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dom DeLuise. The story followed a group of contestants who participated in a massive, illegal, cross-country race that stretched from Connecticut to California. It is an incredibly fun movie, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you should check it out! The movie spawned two sequels, one in 1984 and the other in 1989.

There are no details on what the new Cannonball Run movie will be about, but I imagine it will follow the same basic plot as the original. It would also be pretty cool if they managed to bring together a cast of modern popular actors to be involved with it. If done right, this movie could be a blast. Here's the trailer for the original film:

Source: Deadline

If you're someone who frequents the community of /r/Arrow, you hold these truths to be self evident...

• The show has become too Felicity centric.
• Season three sucked.
• Oliver needs to kill again.

I agree with one of those three. To be honest, I'm completely fine with Felicity so long as it means less Laurel! Oliver doesn't need to kill but he could be a little hardcore I guess...so that leaves us with season three. Season three of Arrow was pretty bad. The big mid-season cliffhanger was Oliver dying... which we all knew wasn't going to happen.

Now, thanks to the token meme explanation video on the net, we finally have some answers. Someday we will get a real reason as to what went wrong, but this doesn't seem that far off! Nice work, Batman (Youtube not the real guy)!

Deadline is reporting AMC has given the go ahead for a 3rd season of Better Call Saul! For fans of Breaking Bad who HAVEN'T been watching...you're missing out! Sure we don't have Walter White, meth use, or Jesse saying "bitch," but damn this show holds up! Watching Jimmy McGill slowly become Saul Goodman is very much the same decline we saw in Walter White.

Obviously I'm a big fan of the show. Is anyone not watching? If you're looking to get on board now, watch the first season on Netflix and catch up on this current season ASAP.

I’ve got an incredibly fun short film for you to watch today called "The Man From Death." This thing is completely off the hook! It’s an adrenaline-fueled Western genre film that awesomely includes elements of Kung-Fu, video games, and bloody violence.

The film was created by Stream Team, and the story centers on a man who is seeking revenge for his wife’s death, which he does with the help of a mysterious list of prophecies. The short features some awesome VFX and practical effects. On top of that, there is some pretty sweet ass fight choreography that you’re gonna love. Here’s the synopsis:

A poor, dumb sap, Elijah Stryder and his wife, Mrs. Stryder, are attacked by the nefarious Ailester Hall and left for dead in the wild wild west. That poor sap, Stryder, awakens with a mysterious green colored list of prophecies that lead him on a journey of fun and fancy free adventures with his skeptical partner, Sergio. There is only one caveat, Stryder is not allowed to take revenge on the man who shot and killed his wife. Can Stryder keep his composure and learn how to forgive, or will he ruin it for everybody? It might be the latter.

This is seriously one of the most entertainingly fantastic shorts I’ve seen so far this year. Enjoy!

Jesse Eisenberg appeared on Fallon last night to discuss Batman v Superman and revealed a little bit more about the film we're all dying to see! Apparently, there's a basketball scene that Eisenberg had to do as Luthor. Basically, Lex had to no look swish a 3 pointer and then turn around and begin his line.

If that sounds hard, try living it like Eisenberg did...

"That was like the 30th take...it's not because I'm like terrible...I was making them all day...the pressure was so intense and then the character needs to turn around and have this very confident villainous greeting to these people but I just looked like a guy who just made a shot after 30 baskets which is exhausted and apologetic."

Glad he finally made it happen! Can't wait for this movie!

Blessed are the content stealers, for their lies shall be exposed by the web and ultimately mean more publicity for the original. Some jabronis on Reddit tried to claim this very well made biker zombie short as their own, but something seemed fishy. How did something so cool only have 125 views? Well I did some digging, and it turns out "Horde" is about a year old and was made by BRVTS Collective!

It still didn't have enough views for my liking, so check it out!