Star Wars

Will Smith Talks MEN IN BLACK 3, M. Night Shyamalan’s AFTER EARTH, His Love of STAR WARS and Future Projects

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 22nd, 2012 at 5:42 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’ll be posting a new interview.  Yesterday was Tommy Lee Jones and today I’ve got Will Smith.  During the interview we talked about when he knew they could make another Men in Black, the impact Star Wars had on him as a kid, how many takes he likes to do, and more.  In addition, we talked about future projects like M. Night Shyamalan‘s After Earth, and I tried to get updates on Independence Day 2, Bad Boys 3, I Am Legend 2 and Hancock 2.   Hit the jump to watch.

Geek Gifts: Awesome Movie/TV T-Shirts Inspired by Studio Ghibli, SUPERMAN, BREAKING BAD, HARRY POTTER, STAR WARS, TRON, and a Lot More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 5:28 pm

A few days ago, I posted an awesome Loki figure from The Avengers made by Hot Toys.  It was the first “Geek Gifts” article in a long time and I mentioned that the response to the post would determine if we’d continue the column.  Let’s just say it was a success.  So, as promised, it’s time for another “Geek Gifts” article and this one is especially relevant for those that like cool t-shirts.

If you’ve ever seen my video interviews, you know I love wearing t-shirts.  I especially love wearing shirts that are inspired by my favorite movies and TV shows.  Recently, a friend turned me onto a company called RedBubble, and they let their users submit their own designs and some of them are pretty great.  Since I know a lot of you don’t have the time to go through the thousands of reader submissions, I’ve done the legwork for you.  So hit the jump if you like Studio Ghibli, Breaking Bad, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Tron, the original Superman, Battle of the Planets, The Lion King, and more.

Peeps Invade THE HUNGER GAMES, TITANIC, BRIDESMAIDS and More in Diorama Contest

by Perri Nemiroff    Posted: April 7th, 2012 at 11:02 am

Passover is my springtime holiday, but who doesn’t indulge in some Peeps come Easter? The Washington Post celebrates that yummy time of year packed with sugary chicks and bunnies with a Peeps Diorama Contest. This year was the sixth installment and while the big winner was “OccuPeep D.C.,” of the hundreds of entries, quite a few were movie related, and pretty impressive looking, too!

Of the 34 dioramas featured in their “Peeps in Movies” slideshow, naturally, a few hit Panem for some Hunger Games inspired designs, one of which is actually kind of bloody. There’s also a couple of Titanic entries in there and even one dedicated to The Help called “Sometimes Peep Happens.” However, had I had the opportunity to crown a winning movie Peep, it’d undoubtedly be the recreation of the Bridesmaids poster, “Brides Peeps.” Enjoy the holidays this weekend and check out some of the Peeps dioramas after the jump.

Posters for HARRY POTTER, IRON MAN, 300, JURASSIC PARK and More Get the 8-Bit Treatment

by Perri Nemiroff    Posted: April 2nd, 2012 at 7:14 pm

Sure, the whole Google Maps 8-bit for NES thing might haven been an April Fool’s gag, but there’s something wonderfully timeless about the 8-bit era, when there was a limited color palette and characters moved around realms without bending their knees.  Not only is it still quite fun to pop in a Nintendo cartridge (in my case, with a Game Genie still attached), but 8-bit gaming has evolved into an art form and artist Eric Palmer is embracing it, using the 8-bit style to put a new spin on some iconic films.  Some examples are Jurassic Park, 300, Harry Potter, Office Space, Star Wars and The Matrix. Hit the jump to check them out.

Geek Gifts: “Han Solo Carbonite” iPhone 4 Case Lets You Feel Like Boba Fett

by Matt Currie    Posted: March 29th, 2012 at 4:30 pm

If I have one complaint about the iPhone (and I may, in fact, have only one) it’s the relatively plain-looking exterior. Much as it kicks all kinds of ass in terms of performance, there are certainly more aesthetically-intriguing devices out there. But hey, that’s what iPhone cases are for, right? And this one is a doozy, especially if you’re a fan of the Star Wars franchise.

Provided you’ve got an extra $15.50 lying around, the iconic image of Han Solo encased in carbonite at the end of The Empire Strikes Back/beginning of Return of the Jedi can adorn the back of your iPhone 4 or 4S. The plastic-aluminum case is the work of Moti Zemelman, proprietor of the Etsy.com-powered online store iCaseSeraSera. Hit the jump to get a look, plus some insight into how it was designed and buying info.

Movie Villain Icons: The Twilight Years

by Dave Trumbore    Posted: March 23rd, 2012 at 3:55 pm

There’s no debate that the following movie villains are some of the most iconic characters in cinema history, but what have they been up to since their days of inspiring fear and terror on-screen have long since passed? Does Star Wars’ Darth Vader spend his lonely nights lamenting his poor life decisions? Will A Nightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger ever hold a heartfelt conversation with someone who is actually conscious (and did he ever have to move off Elm St)? And whatever happened to The Shining’s Grady twins? Photographer Federico Chiesa and effects artist Carolina Trotta decided to explore the answers to these questions in a series of photos depicting our favorite villains in their twilight years. I’ve got to say, Friday the 13th’s Jason Vorhees is one of my all-time favorites and apparently he has really fallen on hard times. Hit the jump to see what cinema’s classic ne’er-do-wells have been up to.

TOP 5: JOHN CARTER, Topher Grace Edits STAR WARS Prequels, THE CABIN IN THE WOODS, SILENT HOUSE, First Image from THE LONE RANGER

by Jason Barr    Posted: March 10th, 2012 at 1:29 pm

I’ll use this week’s opening paragraph to offer a bit of foreshadowing. There’s a great chance that I’m going to be talking about 21 Jump Street here next week. Now, I’ll admit, I’ve never been one to laud the work of Channing Tatum. For the first time ever, though, I’m going into a film with high expectations for his performance. I think that everything I’ve seen of the film thus far looks terrific and Matt’s review and this NSFW extended trailer are just icing on the cake at this point.

On tap in this week’s “Top 5″ is a plethora of John Carter coverage including interviews with Taylor Kitsch, Andrew Stanton and more, a video blog recap of Topher Grace‘s Star Wars prequels edit, new images and a new trailer for The Cabin in the Woods, Silent House interviews with Elizabeth Olsen and co-directors Chris Kentis and Laura Lau, and the first image of Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer in The Lone Ranger. Per usual, a brief recap and link to each await after the jump.

New STAR WARS IDENTITIES Posters Ask “What Forces Shape You?”

by Matt Currie    Posted: March 9th, 2012 at 3:28 pm

While George Lucas toils day and night thinking of ways to make iconic scenes from his classic Star Wars films just a little bit worse, there are plenty of folks out there who are doing more interesting, worthwhile stuff with the beloved intergalactic heroes and villains of their youth. National treasure Topher Grace for one. Another is Montreal-based X3 Productions, which has provided us with these elegant, thought-provoking posters, featuring the prominent inhabitants of the Star Wars universe rendered with an eye on the major “forces” that make them who they are.

The posters are designed to promote X3’s forthcoming “Star Wars Identities” exhibit, which provides fans with an interactive experience studying how “the origins of the characters, the influences that shape them, and the choices they make during their life” have coalesced to forge the identity of each,” seemingly with particular focus on the divergent paths of Luke and Anakin Skywalker. It will also feature around 200 original props, costumes and art used in the films. And maybe, just maybe attendees will learn something about their own identities in the process. Hit the jump for the posters and more information on “Star Wars Identities”.

Topher Grace Edits the STAR WARS Prequels into One 85-Minute Movie! Steve’s Thoughts plus a Video Blog Discussion

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: March 7th, 2012 at 10:00 am

Since the VCR first entered people’s homes, many consumers have tried to edit Hollywood films.  As the technology got more advanced and computer software became more powerful, fan edits have become commonplace with “fan trailers” popping up on YouTube every day.  In fact, every week I get at least a dozen emails asking me to watch a fan-trailer.  But while fan trailers are commonplace, trying to edit three movies into one eight-five minute film is not.  But that’s what Topher Grace did with the Star Wars prequels, and shockingly it really worked!

Let me back up a second.

Last night, Topher Grace invited about 50 people to a one-time showing of his version of the prequels.  While you may think there is no way to make the three films work as one coherent movie, Grace accomplished it with only a few minor flaws.  His combined prequel trilogy moves quickly and omits huge chucks of story in favor of action and streamlining the narrative events of the prequels.  Gone are the politics, General Grievous, Jar Jar Binks (except for one shot), the clone army, and about 99% of the first movie.  More after the jump.

Dominic West Talks JOHN CARTER, THE WIRE, STAR WARS: EPISODE 1, His Favorite Movie, Director and Actor, and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: March 6th, 2012 at 10:09 am

While Dominic West has been acting for two decades, I’ll admit that he only got on my radar when I started watching HBO’s amazing series, The Wire.  Over the course of the series, West did an amazing job portraying the complicated life of detective James ‘Jimmy’ McNulty.  While the show was never a ratings bonanza for HBO, it will go down as one of the best TV shows ever produced, and it provided a launching pad for its excellent cast to take bigger projects.  For West, that bigger project is John Carter.  In Andrew Stanton‘s film, West plays the leader of an alien race who is obsessed with taking over Barsoom (Mars).

The other week, Disney held a big press junket in Arizona, and I landed an exclusive video interview with West.  During our extended conversation we talked about how he got involved in John Carter, the challenges of the production and working with green screen, his reaction to the finished film, the reshoots, how he might do an upcoming HBO series, and more.  In addition, as a huge fan of The Wire, I made sure to ask about his work on the show and how it opened the door to other things.  Finally, we talked about West’s little-known but crucial part in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.  Hit the jump to watch the interview.

Artist Wayne Dorrington Tells the Original STAR WARS Trilogy in Iconoscope Form

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: February 24th, 2012 at 8:46 am

Fans of Star Wars have managed to parody and re-tell the saga in countless ways, and it’s getting to the point where it’s become redundant and predictable.  Artist Wayne Dorrington has broken the mold by going through every scene in the Original Trilogy, and breaking down to its barest form.  No dialogue, no motion, just basic pictures and symbols.  Dorrington told us that he thinks this is how IKEA would tell the Star Wars movies.  I would agree except that Dorrington’s illustrations makes me laugh whereas IKEA’s instructions make me want to murder every Swedish person in the world.

Hit the jump to check out Star Wars: A New Hope done in “iconograph” form.

TOP 5: GHOST RIDER SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE, 21 JUMP STREET Set Visit, ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER Trailers, TRANSFORMERS 4, 2012 Toy Fair

by Jason Barr    Posted: February 18th, 2012 at 1:33 pm

I generally don’t like to check out extended clips of footage from films ahead of their release. Call me old fashioned but, similar to how I try and avoid cherry picking music singles before listening to the entire album, I like to think of records and movies as complete bodies of work. Of course, I say all of this only to preface breaking my own general rule. I implore you to watch the first 12 minutes of writer/director/actress Brit Marling’s Sound of My Voice. I did, I don’t regret a single moment of it, and now I can’t wait to check out the entire film as soon as possible.

All self-contradiction aside, in this week’s “Top 5″ installment you’ll find Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance interviews with talent like Nicolas Cage, Idris Elba, Johnny Whitworth, and directors Neveldine/Taylor, a recap of our 21 Jump Street set visit, trailers and a featurette for Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Transformers 4 news, and Avengers, Star Wars, and G.I. Joe: Retaliation toy images from the 2012 Toy Fair. Check out a brief recap and link to each after the jump.

STAR WARS Travel Posters Advertise the Swamps of Dagobah and Imperial Star Destroyer Transport

by Adam Chitwood    Posted: February 15th, 2012 at 9:41 am

As we’re currently in the midst of the 3D re-release of George Lucas’s Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, there’s no lack of Star Wars material on the interwebs. Given that The Saga is pretty much all encompassing, you can probably find a Star Wars version of just about anything these days. Case in point: today our attention was brought to a batch of Star Wars travel posters. These prints take a fun approach to promoting travel to some of your favorite Star Wars locations by way of some of your favorite Star Wars vehicles. For anyone wondering how the hell one would advertise tourism in the swamps of Dagobah, wonder no more. From Imperial Star Destroyers to Mos Eisley, this set of posters has your tourism needs covered.

Hit the jump to check out the posters. Note: these locations/vehicles do not actually exist.

Tons of Images and Info on Hasbro’s 2012 STAR WARS Toys; Will You Give George Lucas More Money?

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: February 11th, 2012 at 7:23 pm

If you’re a toy collector, the beginning of February is always circled on your calendar.  That’s because every year, around this time, New York City hosts a huge toy show for industry insiders called Toy Fair.  During the convention, toy manufacturers from around the world display all their upcoming products and it’s a great preview of what’s to come later in the year.

Just a little while ago, I posted tons of Avengers movie toys and G.I. Joe: Retaliation toys.  Now I’ve got a crazy amount of Star Wars toys coming in 2012.  While I’ve tried to curtail giving George Lucas anymore of my money, I’ll admit some of the figures and vehicles look cool.  Hit the jump for all the images and the product descriptions and let me know in the comments if you still buy Star Wars toys or might this year.

TOP 5: JOHN CARTER Set Visit, STAR WARS, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, THE BOURNE LEGACY, Super Bowl XLVI Movie Ad Recap

by Jason Barr    Posted: February 11th, 2012 at 11:50 am

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, I can’t help but think that Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum’s The Vow is Hollywood’s way of saying, “We know you suck at planning romantic Valentine’s dates, so why not pay us to take care of that for you?”. And you know what? They’re right. I’ve already reserved a couple of tix for the pic and, just like that, I’m basically a romance deity (Note: “Romance deity” may be a slight exaggeration”).

All romantic escapades aside, this week’s “Top 5″ brings you all of our John Carter set visit coverage, a plethora of Star Wars items, a new trailer for director Marc Webb‘s The Amazing Spider-Man, the first trailer and poster from Jeremy Renner‘s The Bourne Legacy, and all of Super Bowl XLVI’s movie ads in one place. You can find a brief recap and link to each after the jump.

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