Via: The Wrap / Fan Art by Lyndon Berresford

There's a lot of Star Wars: Episode VII talk out there, and a lot of rumors about casting and the story are going around. One day we'll find out what is true and what isn't. For now, director J.J. Abrams did clarify a few things in an interview during the Television Critics Association press tour. He confirms that the script is complete and that they are moving "full steam ahead." He also says that Breaking Bad's Jesse Plemons is in the running for a role in the film, saying, 

“He is one of the actors that we’ve talked to, yeah. It’s not often that I read about actors that I’m going to be meeting. I get to read articles about actors who were going to come in, so I get to see someone and say, 'Oh, I read that I was going to see you. It’s very nice to see you.' It’s usually agents talking to people about what’s happening. It’s just a lot of noise.”

When asked if he would be shooting certain aspects of the film in IMAX, he replied,

“In the right situation, I’d like to use IMAX again. The problem with IMAX is that it’s a very loud camera. It’s a very unreliable camera. Only so much film can be in the camera. You can’t really do intimate scenes with it. It’s slow. They break down often. Having said that, they’re working on digital versions of that, so there may be a version one day. But, we’re going to be shooting this next movie on film.” 

I was actually really looking forward to some Star Wars IMAX action, but I understand why he's not going to do it. Hopefully some of the future Star Wars films will get the IMAX treatment. As far as all of the rumors that have been buzzing around the internet, Abrams is asked what the craziest one he's heard of has been, and this is what he said,

“There’ve been so many of them. It’s amazing to see how many there are. … But it’s sweet because it shows that there’s an interest in this movie that we all obviously know is there. But it is an incredible thing to see how many incredible things get thrown out that people then write commentaries about. How happy they are, how disappointed they are about something that is completely false. It’s a lot of noise, frankly.” 

As you know, we shouldn't really believe everything we read on the internet until something is 100% confirmed. That being said, it is still fun to talk about the rumors that pop up. You never know, some of them might end up being true! It's happened plenty of times before. 

The movie is scheduled to start filming in the spring and will be released on December 18th, 2015.

HBO has released a new "On the Set" video for Game of Thrones Season 4, giving us a behind the scenes look at the making of the highly anticipated fantasy series. It focuses on the epic size of the cast and crew, and it shows footage and includes interviews with several of the talented people involved in bringing the series to life. They all talk about where the story is headed, and they hint at how this season could have some of the best episodes of the series so far. It's hard to think that this show could get even better! The series is set to return on Sunday, April 6th.

I'm sure one day Marvel will get around to making another Hulk film, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen any time soon. Maybe not until Phase Four or even Five. In a recent interview with Total Film, Mark Ruffalo was asked about the possibility of a standalone Hulk movie, and if it happens he would like to see an eco-friendly type movie. Here's what he said,

"As artists we have an ability to reach a lot of people in a deep way, and we have a responsibility. What we have to do as storytellers is to take science and make it relatable. I think we have to tell the story of the positive and what we're going to try to do. Give them alternatives but don't make it a polemic.

"I'm in The Avengers, but if you took my screentime it would come to about ten minutes, along with the 12 other people I'm sharing the screen with, so my input's kind of limited on that. But if we get to a standalone Hulk movie, I'll have a much better chance to do that. I'm just learning now how to find my voice and bring it into the studio world."

The next time we see the Hulk will be in Avengers: Age of Ultron, which is set to be released on May 1st, 2015. Personally, I'd love to see a live action version of Planet Hulk, but that may never happen. What other Hulk storylines would you like to see brought to the big screen? 

Writer/Director: Gillian Robespierre

Cast: Jenny Slate, Jake Lacy, Gaby Hoffmann, David Cross, Gabe Liedman, Richard Kind

Performances

In Obvious Child, former SNL cast member Jenny Slate shines as a struggling stand-up comic whose life unravels when her boyfriend brutally dumps her for one of her friends. Things get worse when she has a rebound one-night-stand and becomes pregnant. Slate is known mostly for her often over-the-top characters on SNL and Kroll Show. In this film, however, she gives a wonderful and grounded performance, emerging as a relatable and irresistibly likable leading-lady.

Jake Lacy plays the straight-laced guy Slate has a one night stand with who is unaware that she is pregnant as he continues to pursue her. He plays to type as the nice guy the girl should obviously end up with — pretty much the exact same role he played on The Office -- but he’s damn good at it, and his undeniable chemistry with Slate is where the movie will charm audiences.

Story and Direction

Despite having a lot of heart and the thoroughly enjoyable performances from its entire cast, the film would have benefitted from a streamlined script and fewer, more developed supporting characters. David Cross’ short but memorable appearance in the film could have carried more weight and been more integral to the story had the comedy club where Slate performs been the central setting of the film. Instead, we spend quite a bit of time with unimportant side characters and in the closing bookstore where Slate works (being broke, cheated on, and an unplanned pregnancy weren’t big enough blows?).

Similar To

Although it doesn’t stack the laughs quite as high as an Apatow film, it’s totally like Bridesmaids meets Funny People.

Chances You'll See It in Theaters

For the sake of getting Slate more lead roles, I hope this gets a wide release. At the time of writing this review I don't believe it has been acquired yet.

Official Synopsis:

Donna Stern is a 27-year-old Brooklyn comedian whose unapologetically lewd, warmhearted wit is pretty irresistible with audiences. When she gets heartlessly “dumped up with” by her two-timing boyfriend, Donna plunges into some light stalking and heavy moping. Hitting a serious low point, she performs a dreary set of break-up vengeance and Holocaust jokes and drunkenly falls into bed with a nice young professional named Max—not remotely her type. A few weeks later, condoms be damned, she’s pregnant. Now Donna, incapable of telling anything but the naked truth when she’s on stage, will resort to any means to avoid telling Max the score. As her date with Planned Parenthood draws near, she must confront her doubts and fears like never before. 

The third full trailer has been released for 300: Rise of an Empire, and like all of the trailers that have been released, it's pretty freakin' badass. This movie looks so damn cool and entertaining. I think this movie is going to meet my expectations. It looks like director Noam Murro did a hell of a job bringing Frank Miller's graphic novel to life. The movie comes out on March 7th, and I'm really pumped up for it. Hope you enjoy the latest trailer!

Via: Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros.

At this point we really know nothing about what we can expect to see from the twenty-fourth James Bond movie. All we know is that actor Daniel Craig, director Sam Mendes, and screenwriter John Logan are teaming up again to bring us another adventure. In a recent interview with IGN, Logan opened up about the what he and his team hope to accomplish with the film and where they are looking for inspiration.

"My goal is to write a great movie that's appropriate, to build on what we did on Skyfall, but make it its own unique animal. The themes, ideas and the characters from Skyfall can obviously continue on, because it is a franchise, and it is an ongoing story. So I think there's resonance from Skyfall in the new movie."

He then discussed his love of the franchise and said that they will be incorporating elements from the previously made films and novels.

"I grew up on the Bond movies. The first one I saw was Diamonds Are Forever, when I was a kid. I just loved them to pieces. I love all the elements, from the books -- mostly from the novels; going back to Ian Flemming is where I started with Skyfall -- and there's certainly elements of the movies and the novels that we've brought into the new movie, as they did into Skyfall."

When asked about the villain of Bond 24, and if it would be one Bond's most famous adversary, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, he replied,

"You know, I think our villain's appropriate to the story we're telling."

I've got to say, if they bring Blofeld in as a villain it would be amazing! For those of you not familiar with the name, he is the one with the scar down his face. Austin Powers Dr. Evil is based on the character. The movie is set to be released on the U.K. on October 23rd, 2015 and in the U.S. on November 6th, 2015. 

Written and Directed by Jim Jarmusch

Starring: Tom Hiddleston, Tilda Swinton, Mia Wasikowska, Anton Yelchin, John Hurt,* and Jeffrey Wright

Synopsis: Set against the desolation of the once-vibrant cities of Detroit and Tangier, an underground musician, deeply depressed by the direction the world is going, reunites with his resilient and enigmatic lover. [P.S. They are also vampires. –ed.]

Review:
Only Lovers Left Alive has more story than plot, and more mood than story. Adam (Tom Hiddleston) and Eve (Tilda Swinton) are vampires living in Detroit and Tangier, respectively. At the start of the movie, they move separately but synchronously through their lives. Hiddleston is tired of being alive–or undead. Swinton goes to Detroit, and they spend awhile in blissful domesticity as reunited husband and wife. Then Swinton’s younger sister shows up, and all the plotty things happen in quick succession.

But the parts I liked best weren’t the plotty bits. They were the scenes with just Swinton and Hiddleston–exploring the city, rediscovering each other, and examining their passions (that’s not a euphemism). The central relationship is so real and alive you can practically feel it breathe. You absolutely believe that they have been married for 150 plus years. They take visceral delight in each other and know each other’s hidden fears and desires in an intimate way that only comes with long marriage. When they are facetiming and Hiddleston talks about his ennui, Swinton knows he is asking her to come to Detroit without him ever saying the words, or even hinting at them. 

Mia Wasikowska is perfectly bratty as Swinton’s sister, Ava. She is loathed by Hiddleston, but doted upon by Swinton in that way much older sisters have. I am with Hiddleston on this one. I couldn’t wait for her to get off my screen, and I hated her for the way she disrupted their lives. Anton Yelchin is… strange as Hiddleston’s very human unofficial assistant. In the early scenes between the two of them, I thought the movie might be a seventies period piece. (It is not.) But Yelchin is so far out and groovy, with a kind of open naivety, that he didn’t seem entirely of our time. Jeffrey Wright appears in two scenes, and is fantastic in each, but I was expecting him to play a slightly larger role in things.

Jarmusch’s choice of setting–mostly the wasteland of Detroit, and at night–combine with Hiddleston’s ennui to give the movie a very elegiac tone. It’s a beautiful film, all orange light and dark shadow. It does lag at times, but it never bores. The costumes are fantastic. Swinton only wears one outfit the entire movie, but it is maybe the coolest ensemble in film history. I talked to another festival-goer who is already shopping for leather gloves.

Only Lovers Left Alive keeps getting pushed further down my list of Sundance favorites, but I liked watching it. And if I ever want to feel like life is worthwhile even though the world is going to shit, I’ll pop this one in the Blu-ray player.

*Personal note: Hurt plays Christopher Marlowe, a vampire. It is a running gag throughout the movie that he wrote all the works of William Shakespeare. Just so you know, that is total bullshit for 5000 reasons, and it cheapens the movie just a touch. For me, at least. I am a rabid Stratfordian.

Chances You’ll See It in Theaters:
One hundred percent. The film will be released in April 2014.

Fast and Furious franchise director Justin Lin is set to direct a big screen Chinese language remake of a film called The Shaolin Temple, and it will be in 3D. The original film came out in 1982 and starred Jet Li. 

According to Deadline, the plan is to hire “an A+ list Hollywood writer to tackle the story,” and they will start production when they feel the film is completely ready.

The original story was based on Shaolin folklore and "set during the transition period between the Sui Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty. When the Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, the son of one of his slave workers escapes to the temple, trains in kung fu, and sets out to kill the traitor."

The whole goal of this is to make it one of China's biggest blockbusters ever. Perfect Storm Entertainment CEO Troy Craig Poon had this to say,

“The aim is to make an unprecedented Chinese-based tentpole with story, style and scope that will resonate with global audiences as well.”

Lin is a decent director. I've enjoyed his Fast and Furious films, and it will be interesting to see what he does with this. It sounds like a massive film project, and I hope he is able to deliver something awesome. 

Hang out with Knight and JDot as we talk Alien Isolation, Metal Gear Solid V and its onslaught of bad PR moves, Lego Marvel Heroes, WWE Network, and of course, we can't help but touch on the recent Amazing Spider-Man news, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

I am a product of the 1980s. I grew up in that magical time of fun music, great movies, and terrible fashion. I loved my childhood, and my favorite parts were the cartoons, toys, and movies. Ping Pong Summer is a coming of age comedy that is set during this time of great memories. Michael Tully made Ping Pong Summer in the spirit of films from that era, like Rad, The Karate Kid, North Shore, and several others. 

The movie was made in the present day, but it instantly has that classic 1980s movie feel to it. That's one of the main reasons why I loved it so much. It's almost like I had seen the movie a long time ago and was revisiting it again after all these years. It just took me back to that time that I enjoyed so much.

Ping Pong Summer was intentionally made to feel like an old school '80s film. So it has the same style of acting, story, music, and dialogue that you would expect from a movie like that. It's incredibly adorable and fantastically cheesy in the best ways. I can see some people not getting the style and humor, but if you have experience with '80s films, and you're not a movie snob, then you'll get it. 

Tully wrote and directed the film, and he accomplished exactly what he set out to do, and in that respect it was a perfect movie. It's seriously the ultimate love letter to the 1980s, with its style, wit, and characters. 

Here's an official synopsis that gives you a rundown of the story:

The year is 1985. Rad Miracle is a shy, 13-year-old white kid obsessed with two things: Ping-Pong and hip-hop. During his family's annual summer vacation to Ocean City, Maryland, Rad makes a new best friend, experiences his first real crush, becomes the target of rich, racist local bullies, and finds an unexpected mentor in his outcast next-door neighbor. Ping Pong Summer is about that time in your life when you're treated like an alien by everyone around you, even though you know—deep down—you're as funky fresh as it gets.

For those of you who experienced the '80s, or enjoy the cheesy good films that came from that time, then this movie is for you. It brings back all those classic memories of simpler days that we haven't seen in a very long time. The movie brought out that kid in me, and I couldn't be happier with how it made me feel… pure happiness. 

This is one of my favorite films at Sundance, and I'm sure it will end up getting distribution, so you should eventually get to see it. The film might not get a wide theatrical release, but it's definitely going to get a limited release and VOD. When it does come out, I highly recommend that you watch it. This is one of those films that I know most of you will really enjoy!

"He's got the mission. She's got his back!"

The latest TV spot for The LEGO Movie is called "Girl Power," and it includes more new footage from the hilariously fun-looking CG animated adventure film. The movie comes out on February 7th, 2014, and I have high hopes for it. If the movie does well, I'm sure we'll end up seeing a ton of sequels. 

Tsume, creators of the similarly gorgeous Ezio statue, have just announced two new statues based on Capcom's premier fighting franchise–Chun-Li and the masked combatant Vega. This is Tsume's first foray into the Street Fighter franchise, but from how good these look, I think I can say with confidence we will continue to see more.

There is no shortage of Chun Li merchandise on the market, but Tsume has brought their A game here, as everything on this piece is stellar. From the dynamic action pose (mid Tenshôkyaku to be exact) to the cool mid-motion base, this is damn well done. Not to be outshined, Vega’s sculpt is impressive as well, and the artists deserve kudos on the nice paint applications on both. These two come in at 28 cm (Chun-Li ) and 35 cm (Vega) respectively. If you’re thinking of pre-ordering, better do it soon, as there are only 200 of each of these being made. Get on it, son!

Here's the first trailer for DC Animation's new film, Son of Batman, which is loosely based on the first story arc from Grant Morrison’s long run of writing Batman comics, illustrated by Andy Kubert. The movie features the voices of Jason O'Mara as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Stuart Allan as Damian, Morena Baccarin as Talia, Giancarlo Esposito as Ra's Al Ghul, David McCallum as Alfred Pennyworth, Xander Berkeley as Kirk Langstrom (aka Man-Bat), and Thomas Gibson as Deathstroke.

There are some pretty big changes to the story, especially with Deathstroke appearing to be the main bad guy even though he wasn't a part of the comic. It looks like there are a few other changes as well, but it could be a fun addition to their animated film collection. 

The movie is set to be released late this spring on DVD, Blu-ray, and for digital download, and will have its world premiere at WonderCon on Easter weekend. Thank to TV Guide for the embed!

Richard Trammell tried and, with the exception of some slight blurring, succeeded in removing Tyler Durden from this scene in Fight Club. Imagine how this movie would change in tone if the audience knew the whole time Tyler wasn't real! I imagine it would be really intense and likely have a more arthouse feel. While this would be cool, I would hate to have missed out on Brad Pitt's awesome performance in this movie!

Sony Pictures has released another international poster for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 featuring a slightly different look. It's almost the same as one of the last posters that has been released, but it's still cool! It was pointed out to me earlier that these posters are similar to the following comic art from Mark Bagley.

Hal Jordan takes on the infamous extraterrestrials from Alien  in this fantastic piece of artwork by Sam R. Kennedy. I don't think this would be much of a fight unless it were in close quarters, but in an open field or jungle, I think they might give the Green Lantern a run for his money.

Lionsgate has released a couple new trailers for their supernatural action film I, Frankenstein. They've got bits of new footage from the movie, and I still think it's going to be a little fun regardless of how ridiculous it looks. I know exactly what I'm getting myself into when I watch this movie. I know it's not going to be good, but it could still provide some entertainment. It comes out on January 23rd.

The GeekTyrant team is currently in Park City, UT attacking the Sundance Film Festival! Between the four of us we are averaging about eight films a day, which is pretty awesome. For those of you have have been to Sundance you know the kind of movie that they show. They all seem to carry very similar indie film elements, and you really notice these things when you watch the movies back-to-back. Some of the themes in these films are just overused, but they are used in different ways. Here's a fun parody trailer called Not Another Sundance Movie that points out all of the cliches you would see in a Sundance film. 

Thanks to Firstshowing for the heads up on the video! 

Check out this amazingly cool medieval leather armor suit for Batman's archnemesis, the Joker. The suit was constructed by Prince Armory, and it's supposed to be functional. Here is the list of components:

Jester's Helmet with Joker Mask, Breastplate, Drama Face Pauldrons, Breastplate, Jester's War Skirt, Cuisses/Knees/Greaves, Articulated Jester Shoe Sabatons

To see some close ups of individual pieces of the suit, click here. I would love to see these guys construct a medieval Batman suit next. Hell! They should do one for all of the Batman characters! Thanks to Io9.

A new Star Wars: Episode VII casting rumor has hit the internet. According to the Full Of Sith podcast, "several reliable sources" are claiming that Dame Judi Dench is wanted for the role of Mon Mothma. If you're not familiar with that character, she only had one scene in Return of the Jedi as she was coordinating the rebel attack on the Death Star. Her most memorable line was… "Many Bothan spies died to bring us this information." 

The news is just a rumor at this point, but they seem pretty confident with their sources. It will be interesting to see how this turns out. I guess I could see the new movies bringing back some other characters from the original trilogy even if they are minor. Who knows, maybe they will build on those characters even more. I guess we'll see how it pans out, but Dench would obviously make a great addition.