Seasoned: Matt Reviews THE WIRE – Season 4

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 7:45 pm

Up until the past 15 years or so, television series were firmly episodic.  Serialized TV (outside of mini-series) risked alienating viewers since it stopped anyone from coming in mid-season.  However, with the rise of DVDs, OnDemand, and digital downloads, serialized TV series have become firmly established.  Some shows still retain an episodic nature, but some series—particularly dramas—have been built around telling one long story over the course of an entire season.  Our new feature, Seasoned, will review a TV series by season rather than by episode.

Hit the jump for my review of the fourth season of The Wire.  Click on the corresponding links for my reviews of Season 1, Season 2, and Season 3.

Director Barry Sonnenfeld Talks MEN IN BLACK 3, His Oscar Caliber Performance in the Film, Filming in NYC, and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 7:44 pm

Opening this weekend is the third film in the Men in Black franchise.  Barry Sonnenfeld returns as director and the story finds Will Smith’s Agent J travelling back in time to save Tommy Lee Jones’ Agent K.  In addition to Bill Hader as Andy Warhol, Josh Brolin plays a younger version of Jones’ character and does an incredible job.  You’ll absolutely think you’re watching Jones as a young man.  Men in Black 3 also stars Jemaine Clement, Alice Eve, and Emma Thompson.  In addition, make-up effects artist Rick Baker returns to the franchise and you can see some of his creature work here.  For more on the film, here’s all our previous coverage.

Last week I got to speak with most of the cast and every day this week I’ve been posting new interviews.  If you missed them, here’s Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith. Up next is director Barry Sonnenfeld.  During the interview we talked about his Oscar-caliber performance in MIB3 where he’s falling alongside Will Smith, the pros and cons of filming in NYC, what people might be surprised to learn about Smith, Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin, and more.  Hit the jump to watch.

2 New TV Spots for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Shows New Footage of Bane, Batman, Alfred, Catwoman and the Bat-Wing

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 6:51 pm

It turns out that American Idol is still good for some things, like airing this new TV spot for The Dark Knight Rises.  Christopher Nolan’s epic final piece to his Batman trilogy is now less than two months away, but don’t expect the marketing to stop any time soon.  We recently posted some new images, a slew of character posters and even the Tumbler and Bat-Pod on tour in all their gritty glory.  This new TV spot gives us a better look at the Bat-Wing, which is good, since pretty much all we knew about it before was “it’s not a car.” There are also some new shots of Tom Hardy’s Bane accompanied by some dialogue I had to listen to twice to understand.  Some good shots of Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne and Michael Caine’s Alfred sharing some dialogue.  What are you waiting for? Hit the jump to check it out! [Updated with a second TV spot featuring Catwoman.]

Rupert Grint Joins THE NECESSARY DEATH OF CHARLIE COUNTRYMAN and CBGB

by Matt Currie    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 6:32 pm

Though Ron Weasley will always be the defining role of his career, Rupert Grint isn’t short on post-Harry Potter employment. The young Brit has lined up a pair of pretty intriguing projects; first up comes confirmation that he’s climbed aboard Fredrik Bond’s action-comedy-romance The Necessary Death of Charlie Countryman. While the details of his role are unknown at this point, the film stars Shia LaBeouf as a hapless fellow that falls in love with a woman (Evan Rachel Wood) who’s lorded over by an unhinged mob boss (Mads Mikkelsen). Oscar winner Melissa Leo (The Fighter) and Til Schweiger (Inglourious Basterds) are set to play LaBeouf’s deceased (but still communicative) mother and a Serbian war criminal respectively. All told, it’s a pretty fantastic assemblage of on-screen talent. More than anything, I’m looking forward to Mads “Le Chiffre” Mikkelsen busting out his “insanely violent” side; I simply never tire of watching that man commit unspeakable deeds.

The script for Countryman comes from Project X scribe Matt Drake. It’s currently filming in Romania. Hit the jump for more, plus details on Grint’s other new project, CBGB.

“Darkness & Light” Art Tour Unveiled Featuring Original Art Inspired by DC Comics Superheroes

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 6:29 pm

Though Collider is primarily a film and television news website, from time to time we post art that we think our readers might take an interest in.  Mondo posters have almost become a regular staple, and today we’ve got some art news to share that should be of particular interest to fans of DC Comics.  Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment yesterday unveiled a collection of artwork entitled “Darkness & Light: Art Inspired by Heroes & Villains, Hope & Heroism.”  The exhibit features a collection of original fine art inspired by the DC Comics universe.

We’ve got a few photos that give us a look at a key set of works including Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman, and they’re pretty damn impressive.  The exhibit will be hitting the road for a series of public exhibitions that will benefit and raise awareness for the We Can Be Heroes charity.  Moreover, there will be a showing at the Michael J. Wolf Gallery in San Diego during Comic-Con.  Additional dates have yet to be announced.  Hit the jump to check out some of the art.

Mia Wasikowska to Star in TRACKS, Minka Kelly Joins THE BUTLER

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 6:24 pm

Two bits of casting news today for some lovely leading ladies (although only one of the roles is actually a lead).  Here are the headlines:

• Mia Wasikowska (Alice in Wonderland) is set to join Tracks for director John Curran (The Painted Veil).  The Australian-set picture is based on Robyn Davidson’s trek across the heart of the island continent.
• Minka Kelly (Friday Night Lights) will join Precious director Lee Daniels‘ historical drama, The Butler, based on the life of Eugene Allen, who served on the White House staff from 1952 to 1986.

Hit the jump for more.

Fox Moves LIFE OF PI Up to November 21; THE INTERNSHIP Starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn Set for June 28, 2013

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 6:18 pm

Following the big release date shakeup of Paramount moving G.I. Joe: Retaliation to March 2013 and Ted taking the film’s June 29th slot, 20th Century Fox has announced two release date shifts of its own.  Briefly:

• Fox moves Ang Lee’s 3D adaptation of Life of Pi up from December 21st to November 21st.
• Director Shawn Levy’s comedy The Internship, starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, will open on June 28th, 2013

Hit the jump for more on each film.

Fan-Made Trailer for EXPENDABLES 2 is Not Approved for People Who Hate America and Fun

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 5:28 pm

Do you love America?  Do you love guns, explosions, muscles, action, tanks, explosions, violence, fighting and explosions?  If you do, then you’re a lot like me, pal.  And we’ve got mutual friends in The Monocular Group, who have put this awesome fan trailer together for The Expendables 2.  They’re also here to remind us that long before a bunch of gussied-up prima donnas assembled to fight evil, there were men to handle our problems: big, strong men with powerful guns and boots on the ground.  In a summer dominated by superhero fare, let us not forget the men that built the foundation of the action movie.  These men include Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Dolph Lundgren, Jason Statham, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Jet Li, Randy Couture and Terry Crews. The Expendables 2 also stars Liam Hemsworth, who has something to prove, and Scott Adkins, who should feel right at home with this crew.  The movie opens this August 17th in America, the Land of Guns and Awesome.  Hit the jump to check out the trailer.

Universal Planning Movie Based on LEGO Hero Factory Robots

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 5:23 pm

Fresh off a very disappointing opening weekend for Battleship (I actually didn’t think the movie was terrible), Universal has decided that it needs more movies based on existing toy/game properties.  Heat Vision reports that the studio is in negotiations to acquire the rights to LEGO’s Hero Factory line of toys, with Predators scribes Michael Finch and Alex Litvak onboard to write the screenplay.  The toy line actually has a mythology of its own, as the robotic characters hail “from a planet where a factory churns out robotic machines whose goal is to fight intergalactic evil.”

Though it was definitely marketed as such, apparently Battleship wasn’t Transformers-y enough for Universal so now they’re going all-out by turning what’s basically a knock-off Transformers toy line into a movie.  Seriously, this is two steps away from Transmorphers.

7 New Images from THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 5:01 pm

For those of you who didn’t get your fill of Batman this week from a new theatrical poster and six character posters, seven new images from The Dark Knight Rises have now landed online.  They give us a couple of really great close-up looks at Anne Hathaway’s Catwoman, as well as new images of Christian Bale’s titular Dark Knight, Tom Hardy’s Bane, and Mr. Joseph Gordon-Levitt as a new police officer character.

Hit the jump to check out the images.  If you missed Matt’s editorial in which he offers his prediction of how The Dark Knight Rises ends and where the Batman franchise can go from there, click here to give it a read.  The Dark Knight Rises opens on July 20th.

Peter Segal May Direct Vin Diesel in THE MACHINE

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 4:56 pm

Peter Segal (Get Smart) is reportedly in talks to direct Vin Diesel (The Fast and the Furious) in the action film, The Machine for MGM.  At the moment, Segal is currently attached to Warner Bros. pictures Grudge Match and the adaptation of the manga, Bleach, so this more than likely won’t be his next feature.  Segal is producing Bleach and may end up directing the picture, while he is attached to direct the Grudge Match, about a boxing rematch between aging fighters. Diesel, meanwhile, is currently in post-production on The Untitled Chronicles of Riddick Sequel, which we can expect to see sometime early next year.  Hit the jump for more information on his involvement in The Machine, as well as the picture’s plot synopsis.

Gary Oldman Joins ROBOCOP Remake

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 4:10 pm

Director Jose Padilha got off to a nice start with setting The Killing star Joel Kinnaman as the lead in the Robocop reboot, and now he’s landed a very fine actor to star alongside Kinnaman.  Heat Vision reports that Gary Oldman has signed on to star as Norton, the scientist who creates Robocop and “finds himself torn between the ideals of the machine trying to rediscover its humanity and the callous needs of a corporation.”  Oldman’s a terrific actor and I’m eager to see how big of a role this Norton character will be in Padilha’s iteration of the story.

No production start-date has yet been set, but with an August 9th, 2013 release date looming the film is apparently eying a shoot in Toronto.  Kinnaman recently talked about the film and said that he can’t imagine how it could be PG-13, so hopefully we’re in for an R-rated Robocop.  That would definitely be a rarity in a sea of PG-13 actioners, but its possible that Ridley Scott’s R-rated Prometheus could alter studio thinking if it does really well.

Universal Moves Seth MacFarlane’s TED Up to June 29

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 3:39 pm

Hot on the heels of the news that Paramount is pushing back G.I. Joe: Retalitation to March of 2013 at the last minute, Universal has swooped in and grabbed the film’s old release slot of June 29th for the comedy Ted.  The film is Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane’s feature directorial debut and this allows the comedy to open before the summer’s big superhero pics, The Amazing Spider-Man and The Dark Knight Rises, dominate the box office.  It’s a smart move on Universal’s part, as late June is void of any adult comedy releases.  Ted was previously set for July 13th, but now the film faces off against Steven Soderbergh’s male stripper pic Magic Mike, the dramedy People Like Us, and Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Witness Protection (sigh).

Ted stars Mark Wahlberg as a 35-year-old man who’s still best friends with his teddy bear, Ted (voiced and mo-capped by Macfarlane), after his childhood wish brought the stuffed animal to life.  The first red-band trailer was a bit polarizing, but  I thought Wahlberg hit all the right comedic notes and I’m looking forward to the film.

Charlize Theron Says MAD MAX: FURY ROAD Starts Filming June 2

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 3:20 pm

Director George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road has been a long time coming.  The film was planned as a reboot of sorts for Miller’s Mad Max series that launched Mel Gibson’s career.  Pre-production began in 2009 with Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron set to star, and when filming was finally gearing up to commence in late 2010 on the ambitious, large-scale project, Miller announced that they would have to postpone production until 2012.  Torrential rains flooded the area in Australia where Miller was planning to shoot, so he decided to wait until the landscape returned to its desert-like nature.  Hit the jump for more.

First Trailer for THE APPARITION [Updated with Poster]

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: May 23rd, 2012 at 2:44 pm

The first trailer for the horror film The Apparition has arrived.  The trailer begins by explaining that ghosts only exist because we believe in them, then shows a group of scientists who test said theory by trying to conjure a ghost themselves.  They apparently succeed, but I’m confused as to how the film is supposed to be scary when we’re told up front that everything is a product of the characters’ imagination.  The trailer shows a physical presence disturbing the characters, but this seems to be a misapplication of the “science” that the film is supposedly using to ground the film in reality.  The pic mixes traditional narrative with found footage (oh boy!), and I really can’t say this trailer did anything for me.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film stars Ashley Greene, Sebastian Stan, and Tom Felton.  The Apparition opens on August 24th. [Update: We've added the film's poster after the jump as well]

Copyright ©2005 - 2012. All Rights Reserved. California web design