Artist Chris Brake created this fun series of art just in time for Halloween. It features several classic movie monsters that most of us should be familiar with. I really like the gritty black and white design of the characters presented here, and the little touch of background color makes them pop. You can check out the artist's fantastic set of Joker trilogy art right here, in case you missed it.
Javier Bardem seems to love playing villains. A couple of his best villainous roles include Anton Chigurh from No Country for Old Men and Silva in Skyfall. Now according to The Wrap, the actor is in talks to play the villain in the fifth Pirates of the Caribbean film, which might be titled Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Christoph Waltz was previously rumored to be up for the role of Captain Brand, but the latest report claims that Bardem currently holds the offer and is in discussions. If cast, the actor would join Johnny Depp. It was also recently revealed that Orlando Bloom would reprise his role if the studio offered it to him. He did say that there have been some discussions.
I'm actually excited for this fifth installment, and the reason for that is the movie is being directed by Kon-Tiki directors Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg. Those are a couple of really talented dudes. The script for the film comes from Catch Me If You Can scribe Jeff Nathanson.
Bardem would fit perfectly in this franchise, and if he signed up for it, he'd make an incredible villain. The site says he's "intrigued by the idea of working with the Kon-Tiki directors, who created gorgeous visuals for that film on a limited budget."
On a little side trivia note, Bardem's wife, Penelope Cruz, starred in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Disney plans to release the sequel in July of 2017.
Close Quarters Cosplay released a music video they put together feature some incredibly awesome cosplay that fans were wearing around the Javits Convention Center at New York Comic Con this last weekend. It looks like there were a ton of talented cosplay visionaries at this convention, and I was really impressed with a lot of the costumes I saw in this video, my favorite being the military exo-suit that was inspired by Tom Cruise's Edge of Tomorrow. You can see it in the picture above. That thing just looks badass. There's more cool stuff to see in the video, though, so check it out!
At one point Marvel was deep in discussions with Joaquin Phoenix to take on the role of the Sorcerer Supreme in Scott Derrickson's feature film adaptation of Doctor Strange. Those talks eventually broke down, and Phoenix walked away from the project. Then a rumor hit that Ethan Hawke had been cast in the role, but there's been no confirmation of that. Now, thanks to Badass Digest, we have learned that the studio is looking at Ewan McGregor to potentially take on the part.
The site, who has proven to have reputable sources, says, "a new source contacted me and said that Ewan McGregor had been prepping for the role - doing the usual research actors do when looking at taking on an adaptation or existing character. I contacted one of my usual sources and asked if this was true, and I was told 'They're looking at him.'"
So it seems as though the studio has not cast Hawke and that McGregor has been added to a list of actors that they are considering casting. I would have loved to see Phoenix in the part, I think he would have been awesome, but now Marvel is back to the drawing board when it comes to the casting for the lead role.
I think McGregor is definitely an interesting choice. I don't really envision him as Strange, but he is an incredibly talented actor, and if he did end up being cast in the role I'm sure he would pull it off brilliantly.
Let's keep this short since a lengthy article about a one-minute short seems like overkill.
The international one-minute film festival, Filminute, gave top honors to this superb short by Ignacio F. Rodó. “Tuck Me In” perfectly builds and leaves you with an uneasy feeling that is hard to shake. Be sure to check out the other winners at Filminute’s website. They are well worth the literal minute of your time.
Thanks to Neatorama.
It looks like director Sam Raimi will be moving in a very different direction of filmmaking than what we are used to seeing him do. Over the years he's given us films such as Evil Dead, Darkman, Army of Darkness, Spider-Man, Drag Me to Hell, and his most recent film, Oz the Great and Powerful.
Deadline is now reporting that the director is in talks to helm an adaptation of a novel called Love May Fail, which was written by Silver Linings Playbook author Matthew Quick. The script for this film was adapted by Mike White (School of Rock, Nacho Libre).
The story follows a character named Portia Kane, "who is coming off a demoralizing ending to her marriage to a cheating husband." While going through this, she "returns to her hometown determined to clear the name of her favorite English teacher, whose career was forcibly ended after a classroom scandal."
This seems to be more in line with Raimi's 1998 thriller A Simple Plan, but even this new project is very different from that. I'm a big fan of the director's work, and I'll watch anything he does because he's got a certain style of storytelling that I enjoy. Even though Love May Fail isn't really a geek movie, it could come from a director who has given us some of the geekiest movies of all time. We've got to support our favorite filmmakers in the projects they choose to make.
I don’t know if you guys are aware, but PBS Digital Studios is killing it with their various YouTube shows. They are a geek must-watch, trust me. Or if you don’t trust me, watch this episode of Shanks FX, a web series by Joey Shanks that “[creates] Hollywood effects with simple household products.” In this episode, Shanks recreates the time slice effect from Back to the Future using stop-motion animation and light painting techniques. It is cool and only the first of three episodes focusing on Back to the Future’s effects. Here’s a rundown of the rest:
"This is Part 1 of 3. The 2nd installment will deal with the editing process of putting all these frames and exposures together. The 3rd installment will deal with creating miniatures and using forced perspective for our clock tower sequence.
"...one of the last shots of the film was me trying to animate our mini-van doing the time slice technique. It took me 4 full days to get 27 frames with about 8-14 exposures for each frame. Not sure if I have the strength to finish it. It was a lot harder then I thought. No [sic] maybe if I was animating a real Delorean, my energy and interest would spark up again!!!"
Watch this episode, then go back and watch him recreate the Ghostbusters proton stream. Then do it yourself at home. Or watch all of his videos and eat ice cream. Either way.
Hat tip: Laughing Squid
Last year, ABC aired Pixar’s first television special with the Halloween-themed Toy Story of Terror! This year, Woody, Buzz, and the gang are back for another holiday special called Toy Story That Time Forgot, which will debut on Dec. 2 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
A lot of holiday specials feel forced or really disjointed from the worlds established in the films they’re based on, but Toy Story of Terror! was a really fun and fitting adventure for these characters. I have no doubt that this new special will deliver the goods as well. Here’s the synopsis:
After a post-Christmas play date, the Toy Story gang finds themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. If the gang hopes to return to Bonnie’s room, they’ll have to rely on Trixie the triceratops.
Mike Mignola (Hellboy) created a poster for the special that was given to fans at Comic-Con earlier this year. Now, thanks to Entertainment Weekly, we have our first real look at the Toy Story gang and the “dangerously delusional” toys that they will encounter. The character behind Buzz is Reptillus Maximus and is being voiced by Kevin McKidd (Rome). The original cast are all reprising their roles as well, with Tom Hanks as Woody, Tim Allen as Buzz, Kristen Schaal as Trixie, Wallace Shawn as Rex, Timothy Dalton as Mr. Pricklepants, Don Rickles as Mr. Potato Head, and Joan Cusack as Jessie.
Via: ComingSoon
If you’re looking for a way into fanboys’ hearts, just stick glowing white eyes on Batman. It was cool to see Christian Bale sporting them towards the end of The Dark Knight, and it was even more exhilarating seeing Ben Affleck rock the glowing white eyes and Frank Miller-inspired armor in the Comic-Con teaser for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. Artist Alex Ruiz goes a completely opposite but still pleasing route for this gritty and textured Batman portrait. Not being able to see the Caped Crusader’s eyes makes him a bit expressionless, but it also makes him more intimidating and unsettling. Ruiz’s Catwoman portrait also has very interesting eyes. The sheer size of them reminds me of a Margaret Keane, and the bat (Batsignal perhaps?) reflected in them is a nice touch.
Hat tip to XombieDirge.
Director Colin Trevorrow released the first official poster for his highly anticipated film, Jurrasic World. He tweeted the poster design that you see above, which comes along with the simple tag line, "The Park is Open."
We still haven't seen a plot synopsis for the movie, but we do know that the terrifying new adventure is set 22 years after the nightmarish events of the original Jurassic Park.
If you're looking for some spoiler filled details, click here. You can also check out some previously released photos here.
The movie stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins, Jake Johnson, Nick Robinson, Irrfan Khan, Vincent D'Onofrio, BD Wong, Omar Sy, Judy Greer, Katie McGrath, Lauren Lapkus, and Andy Buckley. The film is set to be released on June 12th, 2015. Hopefully we'll get to see a trailer soon!
Some new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle statues have been designed and will be released by the premiere Japanese collectible figure maker, Good Smile Company, as well as Nickelodeon. These are described as "large-scale collectible figures for the iconic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." They are also based off of original character designs created by artist James Jean. The designs are definitely a lot cooler than what the Michael Bay-produced movie gave us. Of course, most fan art that we've seen has been better than that.
There are four individual sculptures in the set that can be combined to create one large diorama sculpture. The individual statues will be released separately, and it all starts with the Leonardo, which will be available for pre-order in November 2014. The other three characters will be released in 2015.
Here is some additional information about the statues and the artist from the press release. I've also included an illustration featuring the design of the Ninja Turtle statues below.
A key highlight to this exciting project is the collaborative efforts between Takanori Aki, President and CEO of Good Smile Company, Inc. and James Jean. Known as the most awarded cover artist in comic book history and renown for a global collaboration with Prada, Jean stepped away from commercial work to focus on painting. Jean was asked by his good friend Aki to make a rare appearance back into the realm of commercial art to help in the visual development of the sculptures. Jean created an image that is reminiscent of the classic comic book version the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
“James Jean is a good friend and one of the most talented artists that I have had the fortune to work with,” says Takanori Aki. “The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles art piece he created for our project is truly fantastic. Staying true to his vision, our Good Smile Company creative team worked intricate details into the collectible statues which capture the essence of his artwork and will be just as great.” Jean says, “Good Smile Company and I have shared many adventures in the past, and this is a unique and rare collaboration that I hope the fans will treasure.”
American Horror Story: Freak Show did so well with its premiere that FX has decided renew the horror anthology series for a fifth season! Freak Show set the record for the most watched show in FX history with 10 million total viewers. What's so cool about this series is that every new season does better than the last.
Creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk will be back to come up with a new setting and story that will be told over the course of 13-episodes. No casting has been announced yet, but I assume that it will include the usual suspects that is led by Jessica Lang.
In a statement, FX CEO John Landgraf said,
"The American Horror Story anthology has had the highest growth trajectory of any show in FX history, not to mention an unprecedented track record of success in awards recognition. With Ryan Murphy and his partners, Brad Falchuk, Dante Di Loreto and Tim Minear at the helm, the show’s success is not surprising. AHS continues to deliver amazing stories, a brilliant troupe of actors led by Jessica Lange, and a visual style unlike any other on TV. With Nip/Tuck, Glee, The Normal Heart, and American Horror Story, Ryan Murphy has established himself as one of the most successful and prolific producers of this generation. We expect AHS: Freak Show and the next incarnation of AHS to further his legacy.”
It was also recently reported that Murphy will be developing a companion show called American Crime Story: The People Vs. O.J. Simpson. American Horror Story season 5 will premiere in 2015.
Marvel has given Deadpool a comic book deal! He has rewritten Sun Tzu's literary classic Art of War. This is a real comic series being released called Deadpool's Art of War, and there's no doubt in my mind that it's going to be hilariously amazing. If there's anyone who should rewrite Art of War, it's Deadpool. Marvel released this description of the comic:
Sun Tzu’s Art of War has been called the definitive work on military strategy and tactics and has influenced leaders in both warfare and business for hundreds of years... which means it’s totally in the public domain and ripe for being ripped off by Deadpool! And what’s Deadpool’s plan to ensure his version of Art of War outsells the original? Make sure the entire world is at war when it comes out!
The comic is available in comic shops today. It was really written by Peter David, and the cover art you see above comes from artist Scott Koblish. This is a must own for any fan of Deadpool!
Over the last few days several character posters for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Battle of The Five Armies have been released. Well, the posters continue to roll out for the epic fantasy adventure film. Today we bring you two more character posters featuring Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins and Lee Pace as Thranduil. We also have some have a dark and beautiful poster of featuring Galadriel reaching out in a scene of chaos to save Gandalf. I've also include three new banners for the movie, two of which give us a glimpse of armies gathering for war.
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, Thorin Oakenshield and the Company of Dwarves. Having reclaimed their homeland from the Dragon Smaug, the Company has unwittingly unleashed a deadly force into the world. Enraged, Smaug rains his fiery wrath down upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town. Obsessed above all else with his reclaimed treasure, Thorin sacrifices friendship and honor to hoard it as Bilbo’s frantic attempts to make him see reason drive the Hobbit towards a desperate and dangerous choice. But there are even greater dangers ahead. Unseen by any but the Wizard Gandalf, the great enemy Sauron has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide – unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends in the epic Battle of the Five Armies, as the future of Middle-earth hangs in the balance.
The movie is set to be released on December 17th, and I can't wait to see it.
What better way to start a beautiful fall day than eating zombie pancakes! Saipancakes has created a series of pancake art inspired by the hit AMC series, The Walking Dead. The pieces feature characters such as Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Carol, Daryl, and Tyreese. The series would be complete with out a few rotting flesh-eating walkers. I've include both photos of the horror pancakes and videos showing us how they were made. It's really cool to watch and see how this pancake art comes together. I'm actually going to give this a try with my kids and see how it turns out. It looks like fun!
If you want to wait and watch Star Wars: Episode VII without spoilers, skip this post. Although it's cool to look at, this leaked art is possibly full of spoilers.
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This art matches other art that has been removed from the internet previously, so this is all very potentially real. The picture of the person holding Darth Vader's helmet has the caption "Grave Robber," which only explains how he got it, but not why. We can also see the chrome Knight Trooper, new Stomtrooper designs, an all black tie fighter, and lots of art related to the characters played by Daisy Ridley and John Boyega.
Source: Superhero Movie News via CBM
Digital artist Atilla Ceylan created this fantastically dark and terrifying 3D rendering of the classic comic book antihero Spawn. This is some really impressive work. Now that the design is done, I would love to see the artist add some animation to it. It would be so cool to bring this design to life and make him move. I included a video at the bottom that shows the design in a lighter atmosphere. This was one of my favorite characters when I was reading comics in the '90s, and maybe one day we will get to see a new movie that will be a lot better than the first one.
A new featurette for X-Men: Days of Future Past that gives us a really cool special effects breakdown for Quicksilver's epic scene in the film. This was hands down the best sequence in the movie, and it's really a shame that Quicksilver wasn't utilized more. Hopefully he ends up playing a major role in the live-action X-Men series that was recently rumored. We posted another behind-the-scenes video for this scene a couple weeks ago, but this new one gives us even more insight into how the scene was brought to life. The movie was released on DVD and Blu-ray yesterday, and if you haven't picked up a copy for yourself, what are you waiting for?! This movie is a must own for any fan.
If you’ve ever cosplayed, or even just been close enough to smell the cosplayers at Comic-Con, you’ve probably realized that superhero costumes aren’t really designed for extreme climates. Or even just regular climates. This comic — "We All Have That One Season..." — by deviant artist Nebezial highlights the flaws in Batman and his rogues’ costumes. I should point out, all of these problems could be solved by moving. Poison Ivy could move to L.A. where the leaves don’t turn, Harley Quinn would probably do well in Miami, and Batman could hit the far north where it never gets too hot. Stockholm, maybe? I’ve seen The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. He would have plenty to do. Or if he’s too attached to his dysfunctional relationship with Gotham, he could have a summer suit based on Superman’s new, sun-friendly costume. Of course, Mr. Freeze doesn’t need to go anywhere. Except maybe Arkham Asylum.
Paramount Pictures has released three UK TV spots for Christopher Nolan's Interstellar. I love that every time I see a trailer from this movie I get an overwhelming feeling of excitement. Now, I get excited about a lot of movies, but there are different levels of excitement, and the feeling I get for Interstellar is a rare one due to the emotions that it brings out in me. Nolan is an incredible director, and it seems like this movie may be his greatest achievement yet. It comes out on November 7th, 2015.
