Here's a hilarious set of comics that give us an idea of what the super powers of certain superheroes would be like if they didn't develop a second power that would counteract the negative effects of the first power. The comics are called "Superheroes with Incomplete Super Powers," and they were created byJHall from Dorkly. Enjoy!
One of my main goals for the Sundance Film Festival this year is to see all of the horror movies that they have to offer. If you've been an avid reader of the site over the years, then you know I'm a huge horror movie buff.
It Follows was the first horror movie that I've seen so far. I heard a lot of great things about it before seeing it, I liked what I saw in the trailers, and lots of people have said it's one of the scariest movies they've seen in years. So the hype was built!
Well, the people who said those things must not watch that many horror movies because this one wasn't as terrifying as people made it out to be. I was way excited for this movie, but it ultimately let me down.
The concept for the film was awesome, and the idea behind it was freakin' brilliant, I just did not think that it was executed properly. The movie literally revolves around a sexually transmitted demon that follows the people who it becomes attached to, and its purpose is to kill them. The demon can look like anyone, and it just slowly walks and follows the person it's attached to. It's a pretty frightening concept, and it had some genuinely creepy moments that I enjoyed, but it's not a very terrifying flick. It seems like it would be pretty easy to evade the demon if you were always paying attention. But since the story follows a bunch of stupid teenagers who don't pay attention, the demon is always catching up to them, and they are, of course, scared for their lives. The only way they can get rid of the monster is to have sex with someone else. Having sex passes the demon on to that other person, but if the demon kills that person, it comes right back to its previous target.
Like I said, I loved the concept and it could have been a brilliant horror movie. It started out really strong, the opening scene was energetic, scary, fun, and I thought we were in for an amazing movie. But as the movie went on and the characters just got more and more ridiculously stupid, it lost me. Then it came to the climactic ending, which wasn't very climactic at all. The characters came up with the most absurd way to try and kill this thing, and they didn't think it through very well. I didn't care for how the movie ended because it didn't really have an ending. There was absolutely no closure. I know how I would have ended the movie, and it's a lot more satisfying than what we got. I won't spoil anything for you, but if you're a horror fan you'll probably roll your eyes.
Another problem the movie had was its pacing. Even though it had a strong beginning, it became really drawn out and slow. At one point the demon went away for way too long. They should have kept the energy and fear level up, but it lost that about halfway through the film and didn't really pull me back in after that.
On top the the concept, I really liked the music used in the film, the tone, and the way it was shot. You were always looking in the background of the film to see if anything was coming, and it was always fun when you caught something. It had a very John Carpenter type vibe to it that I appreciated, but I'm sure it would have been much better had Carpenter directed it. The movie definitely would have worked much better as a short film.
In the end, I didn't hate the movie, but I didn't love it either. I was expecting more, and I came out of it a little disappointed. That's my fault for buying into the hype I was hearing. I just have to remember that not everyone is as big a horror movie fan as I am, and people get scared a lot easier than I do.
The movie already has a release date of March 3rd, 2015, so you'll have the opportunity to see it in theaters if you want to. I would say go see it just to experience the concept, but be ready for a weak ending.
The movie was directed by David Robert Mitchell and stars Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, and Lili Sepe, all of whom did a fine job. Here's the official film description:
As 19-year-old Jay's summer—spent hanging with friends, lounging in a backyard pool—nears an end, her unperturbed suburban existence is about to be horrifyingly upended. After sleeping with a new boyfriend, she's suddenly pursued, slowly but persistently, by a malevolent supernatural presence that takes the form of different people. Hoping to buy time and devise a plan, Jay and her friends escape to a beach house. But it's coming.
Premiering in Cannes and aptly reviewed as a "teen horror movie like you've never seen it before," David Robert Mitchell's It Follows is one of the most original indie films in years and an unrelentingly creepy experience that pairs edge-of-your-seat suspense with a beautifully poetic exploration of teenage sexual anxiety, yearning, and jealousy. His unnerving, dreamlike aesthetic—its long takes, eerily deliberate zooms and harrowing electronic score by Disasterpeace—lingers precariously over innocuous suburban tableaus and plays brilliantly with off-screen space, mercilessly baiting us with the edges of the frame. Perfect fodder for horror and allegory, the film’s unseen psychosexual menace may be sluggish, but slow and steady wins the race.
Elon Musk is the closest thing we have to a real Tony Stark. Having founded companies like PayPal, SpaceX, and Tesla, he's on the cutting edge. With ambitious plans to reach Mars, build Hyperloop technology, and launch low orbit satellites to give internet to the world, Musk is doing more in a year that some people do in a lifetime.
Musk will guest star on The Simpsons as himself and form a partnership with Mr. Burns to modernize Springfield. Obviously, this does not end well. The episode is titled "The Musk Who Fell To Earth" and will air tonight on FOX. If you can't wait, you can watch two clips that give you a fun preview.
For anyone who has ever wanted to watch The Lord of the Rings, but thought that the pace was just too fast and the characters were just too young, then A Walk in the Woods is just right for you. Walk in the Woods, starring Robert Redford and Nick Nolte, is a film based on Bill Bryson's book of the same name. It follows two elderly men who decide to take on the treacherous Appalachian Trail and all of the twists and turns that follow them along the road.
Altogether, the movie was, as critics will probably put it, "a fun romp." There are plenty of funny moments spread throughout the movie, although at times the pace is a little slow. Jokes that require a quick, sharp punch feel more like a lofty slug in the arm. Edits tend to linger a bit too long to really hammer in jokes, as if the audience may have missed what was supposed to be funny. This led to a more than a few "I get it" moments. That being said, I can't say that the movie was void of comedy. Almost all of the ensemble was funny and brought life to the movie, as did the spectacular combined efforts of Redford and Nolte.
There were plenty of moments where I found myself laughing at the great synergy of Redford and Nolte. Much of their performance reminded me of other great duos like Lemon and Matthau or Spade and Farley. Nolte perfectly embodied an old, out of shape man whose loneliness and irascibility makes him hilarious yet heartwarming. His antics often were cringeworthy in the best of ways. One particular moment, when he hit on a larger woman, made my skin crawl. All in all, though, he seemed honest and real, even in his larger than life moments.
Redford also had quite a bit of honesty in his portrayal, but at the beginning of the movie he was a little boring. He seemed like a father from the Sunday funnies instead of an ex-explorer and world traveler. I guess that's what made his performance particularly interesting to me. He was boring at the beginning, which made his desire to go on this trip all the more interesting. His experience made him more likeable throughout. The one thing I wished for from Redford would have been more frustration. As a comic myself, and having played the straight man in many comedic situations, I have learned that to enhance funny moments, you have to get frustrated and upset with things at hand. While there were moments of this in the movie, I felt Redford was far too happy and likeable. I wanted more moments where they were at each other's throats. The passion just seemed tired.
One last thing that can be said is that the cinematography was beautiful. Shots of the trail were filmed well and made you truly realize the grandness of it all. This was largely due to the critically acclaimed director of photography, John Bailey. As a filmmaker, I know one of the hardest things to film in is weather and woods, but John takes the challenge in stride and sets up the shots perfectly.
All in all, I felt the movie was interesting and funny, but was fit for an older generation. The pace and timing might be stronger suited for an audience that needs a little more time to get jokes. As a younger man, I found myself getting the punchline before the setup was finished. It never really hits a fast pace, which, in all honesty, can be ok. It doesn't advertise itself as an exhilarating, nonstop thrill ride. It is what is says: A walk in the woods. A leisurely, beautiful, funny, walk in the woods. A perfect movie for a Sunday afternoon.
Now You See Me: The Second Act has been in production for five weeks, and today we get our first look at the the cast. The movie is being directed by Jon M. Chu and the cast members you see in the photo are Mark Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg, Lizzy Caplan, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Daniel Radcliffe and Michael Caine. Isla Fisher was unable to reprise her role of Henley Reeves in the film because she is pregnant, so Caplan was cast as a new character to replace her, named Lula.
Radcliffe is playing Caine’s son in the sequel, and the story takes place one year after the band of magicians outwitted the FBI and won the public’s adulation with their mind-blowing magic tricks. “The Four Horsemen resurface in Now You See Me: The Second Act only to find themselves face to face with a new enemy who enlists them to pull off their most dangerous heist yet.”
The film is scheduled to hit theaters on June 10th, 2016.
Actress Judy Greer plays Scott Lang’s estranged ex-wife, Maggie, in Marvel’s highly anticipated adventure, Ant-Man. We’ve heard from Marvel Studio president Kevin Feige that this will be one of the most surprisingly emotional Marvel films to date. But don’t worry, it’s going to be really funny as well. In an interview with IGN, Greer discussed the comedic tone of the film:
“I haven’t seen it yet, but there was a lot of comedy on set and we did a lot of comedic improv. I don’t know what will end up in the movie, but yeah.”
Before taking the role, Greer wasn't really familiar with Ant-Man. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who don’t really know that much about superhero, but they will all know very soon. She had a great time filming the movie though, and she spoke about her co-star, Paul Rudd, and the heart of the story:
“Paul is so awesome and he’s so great in this role. This has been my first comic hero that I’ve really researched and fallen for. I also think the Ant-Man origin story that we tell in our movie is really beautiful and I think there’s something really real about a man trying to better himself for his family.”
The characters Maggie and Lang share custody of their little girl, Cassie, who in the comics eventually becomes known as heroes Giant Girl and Stature.
2015 is going to be a big year for Greer, who has two other summer blockbusters coming out. Those are Brad Bird’s sci-fi film Tomorrowland and Jurassic World. Ant-Man is set to be released on July 17th, 2015.
Check out this fantastically nightmarish fan poster for The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. It was created by Jason Edmiston for Grey Matter Art, and it perfectly captures the terror of this classic horror film. The attention to detail is is pretty amazing.
The 24″ x 36″ ten color screenprint will go up for sale on Tuesday, January 27th at a random time between 1:00-2:00 PM ET. It has an edition of 200, and will cost $50. There is also a variant that has an edition of 125 and will cost $65.
Via: OMG Posters
The Witch is easily the best movie that I've seen at Sundance so far! It is an awesomely well-made supernatural thriller that includes some pretty fantastic terrifying moments. This flick is creepy as hell, and the story it tells was brilliantly brought to life on the big screen.
The film is a colonial period piece set in New England in the 1600s, in which a man and his family are banished from the town they lived in. They are sent out to build a life for themselves in the wilderness. Things seem to be going well until their baby mysteriously disappears, never to return. This sends the family into a downward spiral of paranoia and madness and drives them to turn against one another as they try to move forward with their lives. The Devil is among them, and he wants this family to be torn apart in the most brutal of ways.
I loved this story, and the characters were developed extremely well. They were incredibly rich and interesting. The film was very much a character study, and I couldn't get enough of witnessing their descent into insanity. I know that may sound a little demented, but it is just done so well! I was completely engulfed in the story and what was happening from the very opening shot to the final frame of the film. It is a thing of destructive beauty.
The movie also looks amazing! The cinematography is stunning. It is one of the most beautifully shot films that I've seen in years. There are visual in the movie that I definitely won't forget. The way they use natural lighting to give this movie a period look is incredible. It enhances the eerie vibe of the story. There are certain shots in the film that I was completely in awe of. One of those was just a simple close-up of the main female character in the dark while she watches her father going mad. The way her face is lit makes her eyes pop with emotion, and it is just exquisite.
As for the acting in the film, everyone in it is virtually unknown, but they all give stellar performances. The actors include Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, and Lucas Dawson. They bring their characters to life in a way that I don't think anyone else could. It is chilling at times to see how well they play these characters. Especially the kids! I don't know how director Robert Eggers got the kids to deliver such mind-blowing performances, but he did it. This was actually Eggers' debut feature film, which he wrote and directed, and he just knocked it out of the park. I hope this guy has a successful career ahead of him.
This movie may not be for everyone, and I think it might be hard to market to general audiences. It's a brooding, slow-burn kind of horror story, and not everyone at the festival liked it as much as I did. But it's intense, and it's actually a pretty hardcore movie, as it doesn't hold back on anything. They take it to the extreme, and I loved that about it! I really hope that this movie gets a wide theatrical release, because I'd love to see it on the big screen again. It's also a film that needs to be seen on the big screen to get the full effect of its excellence.
This is the best movie that I've ever seen that is set in this time period and location, dealing with this subject matter. It's just so damn authentic in every way possible. I seriously can't wait to see what Eggers does next. This is a movie you have to see when it's eventually released.
Here's the official description:
A colonial family leaves plantation life and attempts to reap their harvest on a fledgling farm at the edge of an imposing ancient New England forest. Soon, superstition and dread set in as food grows scarce, a family member goes missing, and the children's play takes on a frenzied and menacing undercurrent. As they begin to turn on one another, the malevolent machinations of an ethereal presence from within the woods exacerbate the growing corruption of their own natures.
In his debut feature, writer/director Robert Eggers painstakingly designs an authentic re-creation of New England generations before the 1692 trials in Salem, immersing the audience in a bygone era and evoking the alluring and terrifying power of the witch myth as the timeless terror of this folk tale envelops us. Aided by a creeping camera and ominous score, the stark historical realism of The Witch creates a chilling portrait of a family unraveling within their own fears and anxieties, leaving them prey for an opportunistic evil.
Hot Toys has officially unveiled their badass Captain America collectible action figure from Avengers: Age of Ultron. I have a couple of Captain America Hot Toys figures already, but this one looks freakin' sick! I wouldn't mind adding another one to my collection. I love the new uniform design, and as expected, the toy company manages to get every little detail of it just right.
Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron will begin hitting the theatres worldwide in just a few months! Fans are already pumped for this epic sequel and eager to see the Earth’s mightiest heroes come together again to defend the world from the menacing Ultron! Today we are excited to continue the Avengers: Age of Ultron series and officially present the new 1/6th scale Captain America Collectible Figure!
The movie-accurate Captain America Collectible Figure is specially crafted based on the image of Chris Evans as Captain America/Steve Rogers in Avengers: Age of Ultron, featuring a newly painted helmeted head sculpt, a newly painted Steve Rogers head sculpt, finely tailored Captain America suit, magnetic metal Captain America shield with retractable handles, and a specially designed figure stand.
Pre-order this famed super-soldier to expand your Avengers: Age of Ultron collection!
Over the last few years we’ve reported on the development of a live-action film adaptation of The Jetsons. At one point Robert Rodriguez was even attached to direct it. It seems like things have moved away from that, and now Warner Bros. Pictures is looking to finally move forward with it as an animated feature. According to Deadline, the studio hired a screenwriter named Matt Lieberman to write the script. He hasn’t really done much, other than a direct to video film called Doctor Dolittle: Tail to the Chief. He’s also currently working on films such as an upcoming remake of Short Circuit, set to be directed by Tim Hill, and an original idea called The Pet, which Jared Hess is attached to helm. He's also working on a new theatrical animated film for Scooby-Doo.
The Jetsons cartoon series was produced by Hanna-Barbera and centered on a family living in a space age future. It was a primetime series that aired Sunday nights on ABC from September 23rd, 1962 to March 3rd, 1963. I enjoyed watching reruns of it when I was a little kid.
I was actually really curious to see a live-action adaptation of this classic series, but I’m sure an animated version of it will end up making a lot more money in the end. Animated films are a big business, and it makes more sense for The Jetsons to be animated. The fact that the film is being produced at Warner Bros. really gives me confidence in it, especially after their success with The LEGO Movie.
The Unusual Suspect is back with another cool trailer mashup for your viewing enjoyment. This one combines footage from the Marvel films like The Avengers with the tone and music from Zack Snyder’s Watchmen. I guess this is the closest thing we’ll ever see to a look at what a Snyder-directed Marvel movie might feel like. It kind of gives the Marvel films a darker, grittier vibe. Check it out!
A teaser trailer has been released for Keanu Reeves' and Eli Roth’s upcoming psychological thriller, Knock Knock. Roth directed the film, which tells the story of a happily married family man, played by Reeves, who is left alone for the weekend. Things take a turn for the worse when two beautiful girls show up at his house and start wreaking havoc.
The movie is a remake of a 1977 exploitation movie called Death Game. The movie is currently screening at the Sundance Film Festival, and I saw it recently. There will be a review up later today for you to read, but I will tell you right now that I didn't like it.
Movie fan Clara Darko put together a video montage that pays tribute to 60 classic sword fights that have been featured in films over the years. Who doesn't love watching a great sword fight? Some great ones are featured in this video, and they are all cut to the cover song "Don't Let Me be Misunderstood," by Santa Esmeralda, which was also used in Kill Bill. It's an incredibly fun watch, so enjoy!
Who hasn’t enjoyed playing a game of foosball at least once in their life? I don’t go out searching for foosball tables to play on, but if I come across I’m always ready to throw down! The Weinstein Company has made an animated movie that revolves around fooseball called Underdogs, and today we have the first trailer for you to check out. The studio's animated films have never been the same caliber as Disney, Pixar, or BluSky films, but this looks like it could be one of the better films that they've made.
The movie features the voice talent of Matthew Morrison (Glee), Ariana Grande, Nicolas Hoult (X-Men: Days of Future Past), Bella Thorne (Blended), Katie Holmes (Batman Begins), and John Leguizamo. Here’s the synopsis:
From Academy Award® winning director Juan Jose Campanella comes UNDERDOGS, an animated comedy with a little bit of magic and a whole lot of heart. Jake (Morrison) is a shy, but talented, foosball player. His passion for the game is rivaled only by his love for free-spirited Laura (Grande). With her encouragement, he beats the town bully, Ace (Hoult), in a foosball game. But everything changes when Ace becomes the world’s best soccer player and returns years later to turn their village into a new sports stadium. He starts to destroy everything and kidnaps Laura in the process. Just when it looks like all hope is lost, the toy figures from Jake’s foosball table come to life. He and the players embark on a wild adventure to save Laura and reclaim their village. With the help of his team, his town, and a little bit of magic, Jake will try to save the day.
The movie will be released in theaters on April 10th, 2015.
Artist Salba Combe created this charming set of cartoon style art featuring female superheroes. The characters here are Batgirl, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, and Starfire. I like the way these characters are portrayed here because they are happy, fun, and playful.
Via: XombieDirge
This shouldn't come as a huge surprise, but Disney has just sent over a press release that confirms Emma Watson will be starring as Belle in the studio's live-action interpretation of Beauty and the Beast. This project has been in the works for years, with casting news going back to at least 2011. At one point, Guillermo del Toro was going to direct, but as you probably know, he's one of the busiest guys in Hollywood, so he had to bail and was replaced by director Bill Condon (Dreamgirls, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn).
Watson seems like she'd be a great Belle (as a Harry Potter alum, she's obviously no stranger to acting in huge productions like this), and with del Toro's fingerprints still on this project, I have no doubt that this is going to skew more toward the original fairy tale and have a much darker feel than the studio's 1991 animated classic. Production should begin later this year. Do you think Watson would make a good Belle? Sound off below.
Disney/Lucasfilm have already launched their first new Star Wars property with Star Wars Rebels, but obviously all eyes are on The Force Awakens to see what the future holds for live-action adventures in a galaxy far, far away. But in order to get all of the creative units on the same page, the company decided to completely destroy the Star Wars Expanded Universe, meaning that all of the stories previously thought to be canon (or, an officially acknowledged part of the Star Wars saga and timeline) have been thrown out. So what does that mean? What is actually canon now that this huge chunk of Star Wars history has been removed? Mr. Sunday Movies breaks it all down in this helpful video:
It's crazy to think that Avengers: Age of Ultron is only four months and a week away. Empire posted a preview of their March issues that feature Ultron and the Avengers on two respective covers.
Director Joss Whedon shared a few humorous words with Empire:
"I've been working on a lot of Ultron scenes, so I’m very anti-Avengers right now. You can’t write someone if you don’t love them and I've come to the conclusion that Ultron is right. The Avengers need to die."
Thanks to Dark Horizons, we have eight photos scanned from the magazine.
Avengers: Age of Ultron attempts to destroy all previous box office records on May 1st (USA).
If you are not already reading the humorous Texts From Superheroes site, you really need to start following their work. I've put together a quick collection of texts involving Superman. Check out our previous texts collections, "10 Best of" and "Christmas."
H/T: Geeks Are Sexy
Michael Shannon and Andrew Garfield are two actors that you really can't go wrong with. They are both incredibly talented. Bringing them together to star in a film seems like it would be pure magic, and in the film 99 Homes, it is. Both actors bring their A-game for this movie and give us some of their best and most compelling work to date.
99 Homes is an intense drama that kept me on the edge of my seat. It deals with some heavy subject matter, set in 2008 during the housing market crash in which many people were losing their homes. The story centers on a man named Dennis Nash (Garfield), who is having a hard time making ends meet due to lack of work. Even though he's a hard working dad with the best intentions for his family, he can't stop his home from going into foreclosure. He's kicked out of his home and forced to take his family to live in a shady hotel that's full of people who have found themselves in the same situation. As Dennis is trying to find a way to get his home back and make money, he ironically starts working for the man who forced him to leave his home, Mike Carver (Shannon). Carver pushes Nash's ethics and values to the limits as Nash is now the person who is kicking others out of their homes.
It's devastating watching these families being forced out of their homes. They are old, young, with children and without. There is absolutely nothing they can do to save themselves. Carver, Nash, and the system basically make it impossible. I've never lost a home, as I've never owned one to lose, but I do know what it's like to be in a hopeless situation where things are out of your control, and you can't stop them. It's unfortunately a part of life, and certain things are set up in a way where we, the people, will almost always lose no matter what we do, or how hard we fight. It's a sad truth.
The movie filled me with anger because you see just how easy it really is to be screwed over. In that sense it was a hard movie to watch. That's a compliment to the movie in a weird way because the story was told so damn well! Had it been a poorly made film, I wouldn't have felt those emotions. It's great when a movie evokes the emotions in its audience members that it intends too, and you aren't distracted by terrible acting, directing and dialogue.
Even though 99 Homes is kind of depressing, it's still worth watching, especially for the performances. These actors bring their characters to life perfectly. Of course, it's also always a joy to watch Shannon bring the hardcore intensity.
The movie was written and directed Ramin Bahrani, and here's the synopsis:
Set amidst the backdrop of the 2008 housing market catastrophe, Dennis Nash (Andrew Garfield), a hard-working and honest man, can’t save his family home despite his best efforts. Thrown to the streets with alarming precision by real estate shark Mike Carver (Michael Shannon), Dennis, out of work and luck, is given a unique opportunity—to join Carver’s crew and put others through the harrowing ordeal done to him in order to earn back what’s his. Delicately training his eye on the rigorous details, the reliably astute Ramin Bahrani imbues his characters with icy complexity to achieve his compassionate portrait of a man whose integrity has become ensnared within an all-too-relevant American crisis. With precision and care, Bahrani’s provocative character study applies all the cinematic tools at his disposal to explore the ethical dilemma at the heart of man’s struggle to reach higher—by whatever means necessary.
