Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance arrives in theaters on February 17, and we have a bunch of new stills from the film, thanks to Kinopoisk.ru (via Superherohype). I have been excited to see this sequel since seeting the Comic-Con footage that showed directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor in action. The film stars Nicolas Cage, Fergus Riordan, Ciaran Hinds, Violante Placido, Idris Elba, and Johnny Whitworth.

Synopsis:

In this gritty new vision for the character, Johnny is still struggling with his curse as the devil’s bounty hunter - but he may risk everything as he teams up with the leader of a group of rebel monks to save a young boy from the devil... and possibly rid himself of his curse forever.

Click the image below to check out the gigantic gallery of images:

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Magnolia Pictures has purchased the found footage anthology horror film V/H/S (read our review here) for around $1 million, acccording to THR. The film will be given a pre-theatrical run on VOD as part of Magnolia's ULTRA VOD Program, as well as a significant release in theaters from Magnet Releasing.

The film was courted by a number of studios, but Magnolia made their first purchase at the fest with this project. V/H/S is "a found-footage-within-found-footage creeper, which follows a group of petty criminals who are tasked with finding a VHS tape in a remote and rundown house, only to discover an entire trove of recorded nastiness there." Adam Wingard, Glenn McQuaid, Radio Silence, David Bruckner, Joe Swanberg, and Ti West all directed this film.

The film was produced by Roxanne Benjamin, Gary Binkow and Brad Miska, which was written by McQuaid, Bruckner, West, Simon Barrett, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Tyler Gillett, Justin Martinez, Chad Villella, and Nicholas Tecosky.

I am definitely interested in seeing this film, when it arrives on VOD or in theaters. Found footage is not my favorite type of horror concept, but this sounds unique. What are your thoughts?

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There has not been much word lately on Darren Aronofsky's upcoming Noah epic, until now. The Playlist reports (via Jeffrey Wells of Hollywood Elsewhere) that the film will have a big villain, will begin shooting this summer, and that they're eyeing a Fall 2013 release date.

Wells recently spoke with cinematographer Matthew Libatique (a regular Aronofsky collaborator). Wells reported, "They're going to start shooting in July in New York and Iceland and he says it's really a good script. They're really doing the story of Noah, a very unlikely subject you might think for a cutting edge fellow like Darren Aronofsky, but that's what they're doing. It's going to be more likely a Fall 2013 release." 

The conversation also covered the idea of a villain in the film:

That's the hangup right now, they haven't cast Noah yet. But it's got a guy in his 40s so it's not going to be young. It's going to be 40s. And there's a big villain part, gotta have a villain in the story of Noah," Wells added. "Someone who's saying 'Listen, don't listen to him. We're fine! We don't need to build any ark. Don't be so alarmist! Don't be so fundamentalist.' You know? One of those guys. So it sounded like a lot of fun, actually.

It will be interesting to see who takes on the lead for this film. This will be one of Aronofsky's biggest films to date, and I am interested in seeing where he goes with it visually. What are your thoughts? Are you looking forward to this film?

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A new viral campaign for The Amazing Spider-Man has begun! Thanks to our friends at HeyUGuys (via CBM), we have some images of the new logo being projected on building in London and the launch of a new website. Check them out below and share your thoughts:

Below we have a picture of the landing page for the new website where fans in London can sign up for a screening!

Here is the synopsis:

The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents' disappearance - leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr Curt Connors (Ifans), his father's former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors' alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.

I am looking forward to seeing this movie when it arrives in theaters on July 3! Are you excited to see this? 

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Check out this awesome homemade wooden USS Enterprise coffee table. The table was built by Barry Shields and is for sale on Etsy for $3,100. Below are some other angles of this sweet table that would look great in the home of any Star Trek fan thanks to Geekologie:

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George Lucas recently gave some candid commentary to EW (via Blastr) on what it was like to film Star Wars: A New Hope. Lucas revealed that the process of filming was hard, painful and unpleasant at times.

Here is what he had to say:

I didn't expect the film to be successful at all. I don't think anybody did.

He goes on to say:

The first film was really hard. It was painful. It was unpleasant. We never had enough time or enough money, and we were always compromising on everything, and it was a difficult experience all the way around.

You can watch the full video of Lucas talking to EW here.

Phantom Menace is being re-released in 3D on Feb. 10, 2012. Even though the filming process was so "painful" for Lucas, I plan on going to see the films as they arrive in theaters. Are you looking forward to seeing them again in theaters? What do you think about Lucas' statements above?

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Here's a couple of fun Ghostbusters posters featuring the Stay Puft marshmallow man. One incredibly angry, the other looking a bit happier. The art you see here was created by artist Matt Ferguson. Hope you like them!

The image you see above is our first look at James McAvoy looking like a badass detective in the upcoming crime thriller Welcome to the Punch. 

The film was written and directed by Eran Creevy, and was previously described as “an epic crime thriller in the mould of Heat or Internal Affairs.” The action thriller follows a London detective (McAvoy) and an ex-criminal named Red Diesel (Mark Strong) who is forced to return from his Icelandic hideaway. Diesel is an old nemesis of the detective, but they are forced to team up in a bid to expose a high-level conspiracy. 

Here's hoping this turns out to be a entertaining flick! 

Here's a fun series of Disney geek art showing off the popular princesses sporting a different kind of fashion trend. The character art was created by by deviantART artist viria13. Now, you may be saying to yourself... "Damn Venkman, what the hell is your deal with Disney princesses?" What can I say? I can't get away from them! I have a couple little girls obsessed with these leading ladies, and so I must be obsessed with them as well. I'm not the only one though, I know for a fact that many of you are obsessed with them as well , which is why I keep sharing the stuff I find with you. Hope you like these!

Marvel Studios has announced that they will be holding a Global Twitter Chat for The Avengers with writer and director Joss Whedon and cast members Tom Hiddleston and Clark Gregg. It will also include a 10-second teaser preview of the 30-second Super Bowl spot which will be shown on February 5th.

The event will take placeon Tuesday, January 31, 2012, at 11 a.m. (Pacific Standard Time). Who knows what will come of this, but I doubt that anything will be revealed that we don't already know. 

Here's the full Press Release with all of the Information:

“MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS” ASSEMBLE ON TWITTER

MARVEL STUDIOS SPONSORS GLOBAL TWITTER CHAT WITH DIRECTOR AND CAST FOR FANS AROUND THE WORLD

PARTICIPANTS GET TEASE OF “MARVEL’S THE AVENGERS”

30-SECOND SUPER BOWL SPOT AND CHANCE TO WIN PRIZES

BURBANK, CALIF. (January 27, 2012)–Marvel Studios announced today that they will be sponsoring a Global Twitter Chat on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 11 a.m. (PST) with cast members and the director of their highly anticipated action-adventure “Marvel’s The Avengers,” opening in theaters on May 4, 2012. The 30-minute live tweeting event features writer/director Joss Whedon and cast members Tom Hiddleston and Clark Gregg.

International fans will be able to submit questions for the talent in their native language through a global translation tool provided by Ortsbo.com. The chat will be moderated by Marvel’s @Agent_M.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is the Super Hero team up of a lifetime, featuring iconic Marvel Super Heroes Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When an unexpected enemy emerges that threatens global safety and security, NickFury, Director of the international peacekeeping agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D., finds himself in need of a team to pull the world back from the brink of disaster. Spanning the globe, a daring recruitment effort begins.

Starring Robert DowneyJr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, JeremyRenner and Tom Hiddleston, with Stellan Skarsgård and Samuel L. Jackson, and written and directed by Joss Whedon, “Marvel’s The Avengers” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963 and a comics institution ever since.

“Marvel’s The Avengers” is presented by Marvel Studios in association with Paramount Pictures. The film is being produced by Marvel Studios’ President Kevin Feige and executive produced by Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Jon Favreau, Louis D’Esposito, Patricia Whitcher, Victoria Alonso and Jeremy Latcham. The film is distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures.

Follow @Avengers on Twitter for more details.

The Double arrives on Blu-ray and DVD on Tuesday, January 31st. Richard Gere, Topher Grace, Martin Sheen, Odette Yustman, Stana Katic, Stephen Moyer, and Tamer Hassan star in the film directed by Michael Brandt. The story follows a retired CIA operative (Gere) who partners with a young FBI agent (Grace) to unravel the mystery of a senator's murder, with all signs pointing to a Soviet assassin. As time goes by, the lines between good and bad are blurred.

There is a decent mix of intrigue and suspense, but this film misses the mark on the pacing and action sequences, which are few and far between. One of the biggest problems was the lack of character build up in the story. If I can't get to know a character, there is no way I can decide if I like them and want to root for them. Character development does not have to happen with each character, but must at least be for the hero and villain. The main villian never really scared me or felt ominous enough. Grace's character was handled a bit better. Overall the character development was rushed. That rushed character development threw off the pacing of the entire movie. I found myself looking at my clock to see how much longer I had in this movie, which is never a good sign.

The action scenes in films like The Double break up the monotony, but as I mentioned they were very few of them in the film. I love when there is a old wise cop and a young cop forced together against one or the other's will and they end up becoming the best of friends during the course of the film. Grace and Gere's relationship is what the story had hoped to achieve in this film, but it missed the mark completely. He and Grace did not have enough chemistry. Gere is a much better actor than this material, but he has not been in anything good for so long. His losing streak was not broken with this movie. Neither of them are action stars, so the action sequences were lackluster.

The rest of the cast was truly forgettable. You would think that a veteran actor like Sheen would have been used more or better during the film, but that was not the case. If you were hoping to see more of True Blood's Stephen Moyer, you will be upset. You can basically count the minutes he is onscreen on your fingers. I guess that is not too bad because his attempt at a Russian accent was atrocious, but then, everyone's turned out horribly. One of the great things about this disc that I did like was the sound quality. The picture and sound on this Blu-ray are what you would expect for any disc. I liked the picture quality of the Blu-ray as well. This is not a film that you need to see in Blu-ray so a DVD will suffice. The special features are nothing special, and almost non-existent on The Double.

In Conclusion, this story has been done better in so many other films. I would highly recommend you see a film called No Way Out, which has great performances by Kevin Costner and Gene Hackman. Too few action sequences, pacing that can't quite get into gear, and the poorly-matched cast make this a forgettable film. I am glad that I skipped this film in theaters; The Double is a film that I can easily see on FX or AMC in a few years.

I have just witnessed the most transformative role of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. John Hawkes, who earned an Oscar nomination for his Sundance hit Winter's Bone and who made waves last year with Martha Marcy May Marlene, is back with another extraordinary performance as a man suffering from polio and who must spend most of his life confined to an iron lung machine in his house. The Surrogate is based on the true story of Mark O'Brien (Hawkes), a man who overcame his limitations to become a poet and journalist. As a 40-something-year-old virgin, Hawkes takes the opportunity to meet with a sex surrogate (Helen Hunt), a woman who has sex with him in order to prepare him for further sexual encounters in his life. During this arrangement, O'Brien procures the advice of a smoking, drinking priest played by William H. Macy.

Hawkes is magnificent to watch, completely losing himself in an role that allows him to play against type. Surprisingly, he brings a great deal of humor to a potentially dark situation. Helen Hunt - who I talked about in an early episode of The Not Just New Movies Podcast dedicated to her 1985 film, Trancers - did a lot with a taciturn character, slowly revealing her emotions as the film went on like a pinhole poked in a dam that eventually bursts. Some may call her performance "brave," but that's just because she was naked for a lot of the movie and that's apparently what you're supposed to say when actors take their clothes off. And I've gotta say: her Massachusetts accent was hideous, going in and out at random. Aside from Hawkes' enthralling work, it's William H. Macy that's the highlight. His priest character is one of the most liberal religious figures I've seen on film, and he brings a humanity to the role that's practically unheard of with an archtype like this. He offers rational human advice instead of just saying what he thinks he's "supposed" to say due to his association with the church, and provides a welcome freshness to a wonderfully written role.

The film deals with sex more bluntly than most, another fresh aspect to an otherwise serious movie. The entire film is ostensibly about sex, but it rarely carries that mystical air our society has created around the act. It's discussed openly and directly and depicted in a matter-of-fact way that doesn't sexualize the actors. So instead of being all about sex, it's actually about the relationship Mark O'Brien forms with the women in his life, and more importantly, the one he has with himself by the end of the film. Perhaps just as compelling as the film's treatment of sex is the way it expertly presents the living conditions of someone confined to a rolling bed; a scene in which the power goes off while O'Brien is in the iron lung is gut-wrenching.

The Surrogate is a film that will have some staying power throughout 2012, with awards for its leads almost assured before we even crown the Oscar winners from last year. If you're someone who appreciates a great lead performance, it's a must-watch.

After the premiere screening for the romantic comedy Celeste and Jesse Forever up at Sundance Film Festival 2012 a Q & A panel was held with the cast and crew of the movie. Andy Samburg, Rashida Jones, Elijah Wood, Will McCormack, and director Lee Toland Kriger were all there to talk about the movie. I really enjoyed this movie, and you can read my full review of it right here.

Here's a four part video that I shot of the panel which ended up having some pretty funny moments. Enjoy!

Here's the Synopsis for the film: 

Celeste and Jesse met in high school and got married young. They laugh at the same jokes and finish each other’s sentences. They are forever linked in their friends’ minds as the perfect couple—she, a high-powered businesswoman and budding novelist; he, a free spirit who keeps things from getting boring. Their only problem is that they have decided to get divorced. Can their perfect relationship withstand this minor setback? 

Here's a collection of G.I. Joe character art by artist Jarreau Wimberly. These are the designs for the box art for Hasbro's G.I. Joe 25th Anniversary set. The Sgt. Slaughter painting was for the box for a 2010 Comic-Con exclusive toy. These pieces are pretty awesome and take me back to watching the cartoons when I was a kid. What do you guys think?*

*This post has been corrected to note that this is professional box art, not fan art. Our apologies.

Ben and Joey talk about Rodrigo Cortes' new film in the video below. For more, you can read Ben's full review. Click here for all of our Sundance 2012 coverage, and thanks for watching!

Todays Geek Art comes from Mr. Hipp, and it's called Heroes in a Half Shell. The piece is obviously inspired by The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. 

One of the midnight screenings at Sundance 2012, Grabbers is a low budget Irish horror/comedy that will almost certainly draw comparisons to James Gunn's Slither by people other than Ben. Check out the video review below, and click here for all of GeekTyrant's coverage of this year's festival.

20th Century Fox released the funny first film clip from McG's new action romantic comedy This Means War starring Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, Tom Hardy, Chelsea Handler, Til Schweiger, and Abigail Spencer. The movie's got a solidly good cast, and it actually looks like it could end up being entertaining. 

Earlier in the week the movie was given an R-rating, but FOX ended up cutting out some of the bad language in the film. It now has a PG-13 rating for for some sexual content including references, some violence and action, and for language.

Here's the Synopsis:

Two of the world's deadliest CIA operatives are inseparable partners and best friends - until they discover that they've fallen in love with the same woman. Deciding to keep their friendship a secret from her, they pull out their full arsenal of fighting skills and high-tech gadgetry to defeat their greatest enemy - each other.

The movie is set to be released on February 17th, 2012. Watch the film clip below and tell us what you think!

When Americans hear "the Dream Team," sports fans conjure images of Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, David Robinson, and more as the team went undefeated in the 1992 Olympics and won the gold medal. But for Lithuania, the country who won the bronze medal that year, basketball wasn't just a game - the court was a political battlefield on which their country gained independence from the Soviet Union.

The Other Dream Team gives an expansive look at the political landscape of Lithuania during the late 1980s and early 1990s, providing a perspective that most Americans (myself included) have never bothered to examine. In 1988, the USSR Olympic team defeated the United States in competition, but four out of the five starting players on that squad were Lithuanian. Occupied by the USSR at the time, Lithuania wasn't recognized as a soverign nation, so Russia pulled from the nearly 200 million residents of the USSR territories to create the finest team they could. Through interviews and news footage, we see what basketball meant to the little country of 3 million people as it fought for its independence.

The movie follows Arvydas Sabonis, Sarunas Marciulionis, and a few others as they tell their own personal stories cross-cut with the more sweeping tale of the country as a whole. It's like a real-life Mighty Ducks, but instead of a kid's movie with no real stakes involved, these guys were playing to keep their families fed. The disparity in lifestyles between American athletes at the time is shocking; while Jordan and other pros were making shoe commercials, Sabonis and his family were standing in bread lines. Director Marius Markevicius tells this remarkable true story in an entertaining way, keeping the pace up even when dour topics arise.

If you're a history nut but don't like basketball, this movie still has the potential to entertain you. It chronicles the history of Lithuania from the early 1930s to present day, concentrating on the stars of the 1992 team but also focusing on one current prospect from the country hoping to make it into the NBA. There's even a section devoted to The Grateful Dead, the jam band who bankrolled the fledgling country's trip to the Olympics and created tie-dyed T-shirts for the team that were seen and sold across the world. The Other Dream Team is an inspiring story that makes you want to jump to your feet and cheer. If the events depicted here occured in a cheesy Disney movie, I'd roll my eyes. But for Lithuania, their country's history was forever altered by the sport of basketball and the men brave enough to play it.