The Weinstein Company has released the first trailer for their upcoming animated adventure film Leap! The movie features the voices of Elle Fanning and Dane DeHaan as they attempt to live out their dreams. Fanning's character want to be a ballerina, and DeHaan's character is an aspiring inventor who wants to fly.

Unfortunately, the movie doesn't look very good, but it's something that kids would probably enjoy if any parents out there end up taking them to see it. It looks like something that should have gone straight to DVD/VOD.

Paris, 1884. An orphaned girl arrives in Paris from Brittany. Félicie Milliner is 11 and has no money but one big, passionate dream: to become a dancer. With nothing left to lose, Félicie takes a big risk: she ‘borrows’ a spoiled brats identity and enters the Opera Ballet School. But how long can she be someone else? Mentored by the tough and mysterious cleaner, Odette , Félicie learns that talent is not enough – it takes hard work to be better than her ruthless, conniving fellow students. That and friendship. Felicie’s inventive, exhausting and charismatic best friend Victor also has a dream: becoming a famous inventor. Together, they both encourage each other to reach for the stars.

Leap is set to be theaters on March 3, 2017.

I know Christmas is already passed, but I just came across this Batman fan art that I had to share with you. It basically gives us a hilarious visualization of what the classic Batman Jingle Bells Christmas song would look like. It has a smelly Batman replacing the wheel that he lost, Robin looking confused about laying an egg, and the Joker getting away. The art was done by Mauricio Abril, and here's The Joker singing the song in Batman: The Animated Series!

If you're a fan of the classic horror film Texas Chainsaw Massacre, you've got to watch this rare 1974 footage from the set of the film featuring some bloopers. I've gotta say, it's actually pretty awkward.

There's not a lot of funny stuff here. It's mostly just the actors messing up their lines, but it's interesting to see some raw footage of this before the music and sound effects were added to it to actually make it scary because there's nothing scary about this... it's just weird. It also gives us a real sense of just how low-budget this iconic horror film was. Check it out!

Via: Bloody Disgusting

We've experienced some major celebrity deaths in 2016, but I don't know about you, but I'm getting really tired of people blaming the year itself as if it's some sort of sentient creature stalking our icons and taking them away too soon. But instead of making a "clever" quip on Twitter about it, the team at Friend Dog Studios actually came up with a creative way to channel their displeasure with the past twelve months: imagining what a horror movie might look like that did feature 2016 as a personified, sentient killer. My favorite part? The slowed down, creepy cover of "Auld Lang Syne" — that's another cliche that should go away immediately, but it's still in full swing and it works exceptionally well here.

Via: Sploid

I like the Alien franchise as much as the next person, but I don't like it nearly enough to want to mount a Xenomorph skull on my wall. But hey, I'm not judging — there are probably a ton of you who see this 36-inch long replica from NECA and are stoked at the prospect of hanging it up prominently for all to see and staring it down every time you walk past it, as if you engaged in battle with this beast and killed it yourselves. You do you.

The skull is available for pre-order now for $269.99 (yikes!), and deliveries are expected to begin in March of 2017.

Via: NerdApproved

Carrie Fisher did very little voice work in video games in her long career in acting. Surprisingly, she only voiced Princess Leia in one Star Wars game (Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens)...read more on Gametyrant

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We all know about the drastic reshoots that were done for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. A lot of the footage that was replaced can be seen in the trailers that were released for the film. A lot of that footage was part of the final act of the film. There was obviously a different outcome of the story. We don't know the details on what this original ending entailed, but in an interview with Collider, actor Ben Mendelsohn, who played Director Orson Krennic, said that there's an "enormously different" version of the story that exists. He explains:

"We did have multiple, multiple ways of going at any given scenario, we had multiple readings of it. So should they ever decide to, there would be a wealth of ways of approaching these different things. And I know from having seen sort of the crucial kind of scenes throughout it, I know there’s vastly different readings of at least four of those scenes."

He was then asked if there was an alternate version of the story that exists because of the differences and his response was:

"Absolutely [there is a different version], with enormous differences within I would’ve said 20 or 30 of the scenes. There really would be. There would be enormously different renderings."

I would really love to see the different scenarios of how this movie could have played out. I hope that they will include all of this alternate footage on the Blu-ray. Hell, would it be cool if they actually recut the different versions of the film using that unused footage!? That would be awesome! I doubt it'll ever happen, though.  

I've spent the last week sitting on my parents' couch and eating a ridiculous amount of food that was delicious but incredibly unhealthy, so the idea of moving around actually sounds pretty great right about now. Editor Robert Jones provides a bit of inspiration with a new supercut of dance scenes from '90s movies, set to Fatboy Slim's "Praise You." He did a pretty good job of including all of the major examples that immediately come to mind, but check and see if your favorite '90s flick made the cut below:

The 2017 version of The Mummy aims to tell two origin stories. Director Alex Kurtzman says that while the film will serve as a reboot to the popular Mummy films of the past, it will also tell a different story, one which Entertainment Weekly thinks could spur the Universal Movie Monsters franchise...

“There’s an origin story happening on two different fronts...I won’t tell you too much more than that, other than to say: One of the things that I think has defined Tom Cruise movies, for 30 years, is that Tom Cruise always saves the day. You know whenever you’re in a Tom Cruise movie that he’s gonna figure out a way to save the day. And that’s great, and it’s why I pay my money to see his movies. However, in the context of a monster movie, it’s challenging, because monster movies are about characters who are often very out of control, and don’t know how to save the day. The first thing I said to Tom was, ‘It’ll be scarier if we can take away the fundamental knowledge that you’re gonna solve the problem.'”

I would love if The Mummy didn't lead to a series that only showed off "The Mummy" if that makes sense. Considering that Russell Crowe is playing Dr. Jekyll, I think it's possible that Cruise's character discovers a force that's driving multiple monsters worldwide! I'm sure I'm reaching a bit, but the idea sounds a lot cooler than "let's make The Mummy again, but this time it's serious." Wouldn't you love to see a Tom Cruise led series that resurrects all the former Universal movie monsters?

A few characters from Star Wars: A New Hope awesomely make an appearance in Rogue One. These characters were brought back to life in CGI form. I won’t tell you who they are right now in case you haven’t seen the movie yet, but Lucasfilm discusses their decision to bring these characters back to life as well as the work that went into making it happen with the New York Times.

One of the biggest surprises in the film for me was how big a role Grand Moff Tarkin played in Rogue One’s story! I already knew he would be in the film, but I didn’t think his part would be that big, so that was awesome. I thought ILM did an amazing job bringing this character played by Peter Cushing back to life.

There was a bit of controversy surrounding this decision because Cushing died in 1994, and there have been debates about the ethics of “prolonging the life span of a character and his likeness beyond that of the actor who originated the role.” They did have permission from the Cushing estate to do it, and I think that’s what ultimately eased everyone’s mind.

When talking about the character, Kiri Hart, a Lucasfilm story development executive and “Rogue One” co-producer said: 

“If he’s not in the movie, we’re going to have to explain why he’s not in the movie. This is kind of his thing.”

To bring Tarkin back to life they hired an English actor named Guy Henry who has the same physical build as Cushing and could also speak in similar voice and tone. They strapped him up with motion-capture gear on his head so that they could digitally reconstruct his face with CG technology. It’s described by John Knoll, the chief creative officer at ILM and a visual effects supervisor, as being “a super high-tech and labor-intensive version of doing makeup.”

“We’re transforming the actor’s appearance to look like another character, but just using digital technology.”

I thought that they did a fantastic job with the look of Tarkin. One of the main things that they had to figure out between A New Hope and Rogue One was the difference in lighting that they had to adjust for the character. They go into a lot of other little details in the full interview so make sure to check that out. I will say, though, that at one point they talked about only using Tarkin in a hologram form, which I’m happy they didn’t do. Knoll said:

“This was done for very solid and defendable story reasons. This is a character that is very important to telling this kind of story.”

As for including a young, digital version of Princess Leia at the end of the film, she was an essential part of the story as well. Hart explains that she was there “to deliver on that moment of hopefulness, that is really underscored by the fact that you do get to see her face. That’s the best possible use of effects, to enhance the meaning and the emotion of the experience for the viewer.” 

Like Tarkin, Leia had an actress stand in for her with motion capture head gear. The actresses name is Ingvild Deila. The people at ILM understand that this is a technique that should be used sparingly. Knoll says:

“It is extremely labor-intensive and expensive to do. I don’t imagine anybody engaging in this kind of thing in a casual manner. We’re not planning on doing this digital re-creation extensively from now on. It just made sense for this particular movie.”

That’s good to know, but it was still really cool to Tarkin and Leia in the film. That made me and a lot of other fans very happy. 

Pulp Fiction, the second feature film from writer/director Quentin Tarantino, may ultimately go down as the filmmaker's most iconic work. He's made some incredible movies over the years, but Pulp Fiction launched into the zeitgeist in a way most movies could never achieve, providing a shot in the arm to Hollywood in the '90s, popularizing the idea of a blockbuster-style financial success made on a relatively independent scale, and inspiring tons of copycat movies in the process (OK, that last part wasn't necessarily a good thing).

The fact that it came out in 1994 and people are still making fan art of it today speaks volumes, and you can check out this cool piece that blends the stylish Jack Rabbit Slims with the diner from the opening and closing scenes of the movie (as evidenced by Mia and Vincent dancing in the background while Pumpkin and Honey Bunny chat about their robbery strategy in the foreground). Nice work by artist Marie Bergeron here!

Via: Xombiedirge

Space Hulk isn't a game you've played before. Its maps are larger than the typical FPS, the gameplay is far from linear, and the scenery absolutely stunning at times...read more on Gametyrant

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The Karate Kid was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. It's one of those classic films from the '80s that I still enjoy watching. For those of you who are also fans, now you can practically watch the whole film in a way you've never seen it before! You can watch it through the 1983 rehearsal movie that director John G. Avildsen posted online. 

The whole movie was basically shot on a VHS camcorder as a proof-of-concept film to show how the story would play out. There are 13 ten-minute video segments that even include some deleted scenes and feature some the cast and crew members standing in for other characters that would later be replaced for the final film. 

This was incredibly fun to watch and both amusing and interesting to see. Fan of the original film are going to enjoy this. 

Via: CB

If you've never ventured into the world of Rick and Morty fan theories, boy, are you in for a treat. Because the show presents such crazy scenarios and concepts, the theories are almost as out of control as the show! This video talks about Rick's depression, and I didn't even know he was depressed! I just thought he was an alcoholic Doc Brown, but I guess it makes sense when you watch the video. 

For those who don't have 15 minutes in their day to waste on this, it essentially speculates that Rick is aware there is a higher power than him. 

Season three of Rick and Morty is expected to come out early 2017.

J.A. Bayona is assuring us that Jurassic World 2 will be "way bigger" than the first movie. Slashfilm reports that Bayona said the following about the second film in the new trilogy...

"I think what is tricky about doing the fifth movie of a franchise is how will you bring in new stuff and still pay tribute to what we all know and the legacy of the film. So, it’s the balance between the new stuff and the old stuff. I think Colin did a great job in the first one finding the balance between what people are expecting and what people are being again. I was kind of surprised when he pitched me the story because it leads the story to a place that we’ve never seen before and it brings some of the most important elements from the other films and makes something with them. I thought that was very interesting. It’s the second chapter of a trilogy so it gets the story to a place that wants you leaving more and more."

Bayona has said this film will be notably darker than the last ones, but I'm curious as to exactly "where" this new film will take us. What I would love to see (although I'm not holding my breath) is Jurassic Park in an environment that isn't confined to a remote island! I'm not quite sure how you take the dinosaurs off the island after the numerous accidents the park has had, but these characters don't seem all that bright anyway considering how many times they've reopened this park only to have people killed. 

What elements from the other films do you think will be addressed that haven't already been covered in Jurassic World? Forgive me for saying it because I love the films... but it's not like this franchise is incredibly deep. Dinosaurs, jungles, and attacks... What more is there to add? 

If the excellent BBC series Sherlock does indeed end after its upcoming fourth season, I'll be incredibly disappointed, but I can't say they didn't warn us. Co-creator Steven Moffat hinted five months ago that this could be the last we'll see of the deerstalker-wearing detective, and star Benedict Cumberbatch himself has said that the end of the fourth season "feels like the end of an era" and that while he's still willing to play the character, they're going to be taking a break to work on other projects.

Co-creator Mark Gatiss recently spoke with TVLine and didn't sound too optimistic about the future of the show:

Gatiss says “we honestly don’t know” if this season will be the last. “These three [episodes], we’ve very, very pleased with them. And everybody’s very keen to carry on. It’s just genuinely difficult to schedule everyone’s diaries. It was a nightmare to schedule this season… and that’s not going to go away. I mean, the success of Doctor Strange is not going to make Benedict short of work.”

With Cumberbatch and co-star Martin Freeman getting more popular by the day, it sounds like it's dreadfully difficult to get everything to align perfectly so they can shoot a new season. Hopefully they can all work the timing out in a few years and give us a fifth season (and maybe even more).

We've already seen the trailer for Logan recut using footage from X-Men: The Animated Series, but now there's a different take on it for you to watch. Hugh Jackman's final movie as Wolverine looks like a haunting, emotional end for the character (and a solid action movie to boot), and as we see in this fan-made video from YouTuber thebrickranger, the trailer is pretty powerful even in LEGO form.

Logan hits theaters on March 3, 2017.

Via: io9

I've got some truly awful news to share with you today as it is being reported that Carrie Fisher has passed away. I'll be honest, I'm really heartbroken and saddened by this news. As many of you know, Fisher recently had a heart attack, which put her in critical condition. We later got an update from her mother Debbie Reynolds that she was in stable condition. Now there's this. She was only 60 years old. Family spokesman Simon Halls tells People:

“It is with a very deep sadness that Billie Lourd confirms that her beloved mother Carrie Fisher passed away at 8:55 this morning. She was loved by the world and she will be missed profoundly. Our entire family thanks you for your thoughts and prayers.”

For those of you who don't know, Billie Lourd is Fisher's daughter. Fisher was a big part of my life growing up, mostly because of her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars films. Another favorite of mine was her role opposite Tom Hanks in in the classic 80s film The Burbs. She's been in several other films over the years and was also a successful writer, a career which began with her 1987 best-selling novel Postcards From the Edge. That book told the story of an actress struggling to rebuild her career after an overdose. She adapted it for the screen in 1990. The film, directed by Mike Nichols, starred Meryl Streep and Shirley MacLaine. She really did have an incredible career that she and her family should be proud of.

One of my favorite memories of Fisher was when I attended her "Date With a Princessa" panel at Star Wars Celebration 2015. It was the first time I ever got to see her in person and listen to her talk about her life and career and interact with an audience. This was the one where she hilariously locked lips with a fan of hers up on stage! The actress was certainly full of life and lived it to its fullest.

Fisher was so much more than just Princess Leia, though. In her life, she was also a wife, mother, daughter, and friend. Fisher is survived by her mother Debbie Reynolds, her brother Todd Fisher, and her half-sisters, actresses Joely Fisher and Tricia Leigh Fisher.

Our hearts and prayers are with Fisher's family at this time.  

Do you believe in miracles? As bad as 2016 has been for pop culture, some things will never die. I'm quite convinced at this point that memes centered around Smash Mouth's...read more on Gametyrant

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Back in 2013, Mondo did one of their Mystery Movie screenings in Los Angeles, and they put on a hell of a show: they screened Die Hard, drove some fans past Nakatomi Plaza (which is part of 20th Century Fox's studio property), put fake glass on the floor of the theater for everyone to walk across, and brought out actor Reginald VelJohnson (Sgt. Al Powell) in person as a surprise guest.

You know how they said they made one of the posters on glass? Whoever got it that night eventually put it on eBay, and someone named Robert Davis snatched it up. Not content with owning an original piece of art, Davis (who hails from Georgia) worked with the folks at Oakland, California's Yzzo Studios to create a stunningly awesome frame that fits perfectly with the movie: a bank vault, just like the one Hans Gruber and his gang are trying to break into.

This setup is totally one of a kind. It must be awesome for Davis to know that this will never be replicated, and it's one of the coolest ways I've ever seen anyone frame a piece of pop culture art. Nice work! Check out a quick time lapse of what it looks like with different colored lights shining out from behind it:

Via: io9