Scope out the above image and then I’ll give you two guesses who’s directing the movie.  Give up?  Michael Bay!  These lovely ladies were spotted on set of Transformers 4, along with stars Jack Reynor, Nicola Peltz and Mark Wahlberg.  In addition to the eye candy, some military personnel were also present, plus a new vehicle that is featured in a quick set video.  It’s not much to go on but at least we know Bay is sticking to his roots, even if Megan Fox isn’t along for the ride this time around.

Also starring Stanley Tucci, Kelsey Grammer, T.J. Miller and Bingbing Li, the untitled Transformers sequel opens June 27, 2014.  Hit the jump to see the new images and watch a video featuring the new vehicle. [Update: The images have been taken down by request of the photographer.  Sorry if you missed them.]

In addition to a latest Autobot to appear in Michael Bay’s Transformers 4, we get a first look at Mark Wahlberg on set of the new film.  It looks like Wahlberg has kept in shape from his previous collaboration with Bay (Pain and Gain) and has brought along some vintage vehicles for the latest Transformers installment.  We get looks at an old Chevy pick-up, a rusted-out big rig and a throwback firetruck from these images taken on set in Texas.  There’s no indication of whether these autos are robots in disguise or merely good old fashioned set dressing, but a new vehicle from Bay’s blog will surely be doing some transformin’.  Which Autobot it may be is anyone’s guess.  Hit the jump to check it out.

Also starring Nicola Peltz, T.J. Miller, Sophia Myles, Li Bingbing, Jack Reynor, and Kelsey Grammer, Transformers 4 opens June 27, 2014.

Universal Pictures announced today that it will be releasing director Peter Berg’s (The Rundown) Navy SEAL film Lone Survivor on January 10, 2014.  Based on the bestselling non-fiction book of the same name, the film tells the story of four Navy SEALs on an ill-fated covert mission to neutralize a high-level Taliban operative who are ambushed by enemy forces in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan.  The film’s impressive cast includes Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Ben Foster, Emile Hirsch, and Eric Bana.

Berg and Kitsch are coming off of last summer’s bomb Battleship, but both have proven themselves to be quite talented in the past, so hopefully Lone Survivor is a return to form.  The film will likely open in New York and Los Angeles at the end of December to qualify for awards season, and will face off against the Sylvester Stallone/Robert De Niro boxing film Grudge Match and the Lionsgate horror pic Jessabelle when it opens wide on January 10th.

Another Pain & Gain reunion is already in the works.  Deadline reports that Dwayne Johnson is set to star in and executive produce a half-hour dramedy pilot for HBO about the lives of athletes, with his Pain & Gain co-star Mark Wahlberg also onboard to executive produce alongside Steve Levinson.  The project takes place in Miami and “chronicles the lives of athletes—some retired, some still active.”  Johnson will play one of the athletes, but at this time it sounds like Wahlberg is only producing.  Levinson—who wrote many episodes of the Wahlberg-produced HBO series Entourage—wrote the pilot, which will be directed by Friday Night Lights helmer Peter Berg.  Production is slated to begin this fall.

This marks another move for the very busy Johnson, who is next set to shoot his starring role in Brett Ratner’s Hercules.  The actor is also in talks to return for Fast & Furious 7 should his schedule allow.  This also marks the second HBO pilot that Berg is helming this season, as he will also direct the pilot for Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof’s potential series The Leftovers.

Last night I had the opportunity to check out a late showing of Pain & Gain during which I encountered a few thoughts that I couldn’t shake: 1) I wish Michael Bay would make more films like this and less of the transforming car variety. 2) Why can’t Dwayne Johnson be in every movie? 3) This is probably the craziest “Based on a True Story” movie I’ve ever seen. I’ve heard Bay say that some of the most extreme elements of the plot are also the most true to the original story. This is good to know because had someone written a lot of what shows up in the film I would likely call it too farfetched for my suspended disbelief to withstand. Make no mistake, this is a wild, entertaining ride that utilizes layers of action, crime, comedy, sex, and even a touch of sadism to keep you invested from beginning to end.

My mini-review aside, this week’s Top 5 includes the first trailer for Thor: The Dark World, Pain & Gain interviews with Michael Bay, Mark Wahlberg, and more, a recap of our visit to Pixar for Monsters University, news that Zack Snyder could take the helm of Justice League pending Man of Steel‘s success, and the first entry in a new interview series from Steve: “Breaking Down the Movie” with The Place Beyond the Pines director Derek Cianfrance. As is customary, a brief recap and link to each of the above is ready and waiting after the jump.

Entitlement is a central facet of the American Dream. If you work hard, you should be rewarded. We believe we live in a meritocracy despite all evidence to the contrary. In some walks of life, you can get out what you put in. It’s a truth in exercise, and it’s mostly been a truth for the films of Michael Bay. He is a director completely without subtlety and grace, and is one of the most financially successful directors in American history. His films are cinematic excess in their purest form; indifferent to story and character, they have disgustingly large budgets pumped in and grandiose spectacle pumped out. His new film, Pain & Gain, may not have the funds of his recent blockbusters, but it wholeheartedly shares the cocky and reckless spirit of his controversial oeuvre. Sympathetic to his meathead protagonists, Bay has crafted a picture that is energetic, fun, and almost too large for life.

Opening this weekend is director Michael Bay’s fantastic dark comedy Pain & Gain.  The film is based on a crazy true story and stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as two bodybuilders who get caught up in an extortion ring and kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.  Pain and Gain also stars Anthony Mackie, Rebel Wilson,  Tony Shalhoub, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, Ken Jeong, and Bar Paly.  For more on the film, watch some clips or the red-band trailer.

Recently, I landed an exclusive phone interview with Johnson  and Wahlberg.  We talked about how the craziest stuff is true, the way they prepared for the role, whether they were nervous to play these characters, collaborating with Michael Bay, future projects like Ted 2, Hercules, G.I. Joe 3, and more.   In addition, I asked Wahlberg if we can get Johnson walking around in the background of Transformers 4 so that there can eventually be a G.I. Joe/Transformers movie.  Hit the jump for what they had to say.

Paramount has released a bunch of new images for Pain & Gain.  Director Michael Bay turned up the saturation for the sun-soaked Miami setting, and it looks great, especially with the bulked-up stars Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, and Anthony Mackie holding the frame.  They play “three personal trainers in 1990s Miami who, in pursuit of the American Dream, get caught up in a criminal enterprise that goes horribly wrong.”

Ed Harris, Tony Shalhoub, Rob Corddry, Rebel Wilson and Bar Paly also star.  Pain & Gain opens April 26.  See the images after the jump.

Paramount Pictures has unveiled some new images and a couple of TV spots for director Michael Bay’s upcoming dark comedy Pain & Gain.  Based on a true story, the film stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as two bodybuilders who get caught up in an extortion ring and kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.  We recently got a look at a red-band trailer for the film that highlighted the pic’s more comedic aspects, and these images tease the characters played by Rebel Wilson and Ed Harris as well as inform us that Wahlberg and Johnson are indeed cool guys who don’t look at explosions.

Hit the jump to check out the images and TV spots.  The film also stars Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub, Rob Corddry, and Bar Paly.  Pain & Gain opens on April 26th.

Before I dive into the main topic of this week’s opening paragraph, just a quick disclaimer that the Top 5 will be taking a week off next Saturday to accommodate the first, and perhaps only, trip to Hawaii I will ever take. Here’s to hoping it’s less awkward but equally as life-changing and Kristen Bell/Mila Kunis-filled as Forgetting Sarah Marshall depicted. That said, while it fell just short of the cut this week, I still want to draw attention to the first trailer for director Adam Wingard‘s You’re Next that debuted on Thursday. As a horror fan, I’m always excited when a new entry in the genre gets lauded from both sides of the aisle (horror fans and those who aren’t as giddy about movies that make them think twice about turning out the lights). As far as I’m concerned, August 23rd can’t get here soon enough.

All Hawaii and horror fanboy talk aside, this week’s list offers up the first trailer(s) for The Wolverine, interviews with Dwayne Johnson and more for G.I. Joe: Retaliation, the first trailer and posters for White House Down, a new red-band trailer for Pain & Gain, and The Host interviews with Saoirse Ronan and more. As you’re probably expecting, a brief recap and link to all of the above can be found after the jump.

Universal has released the first trailer, poster, and a few new images for director Baltasar Kormakur‘s (Contraband) actioner 2 Guns.  The film is based on the graphic novel of the same name and stars Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg as operatives from competing government bureaus who are disavowed and forced to go on the run together after a mission goes wrong.  I’m happy to see that the pic doesn’t take itself too seriously, as there’s a nice sense of humor blended in with the more action-geared aspects of the story.  Washington and Wahlberg have some very promising chemistry, and 2 Guns looks like it could be a nice breath of fresh air in a sea of gritty, dark, and unrelenting action films that populate the marketplace.  Also, Bill Paxton as the villain?  Yes please.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer, poster, and some new images.  The film also stars Paula Patton, James Marsden, and Edward James Olmos.  2 Guns opens August 2nd.

A new red-band trailer and some images for director Michael Bay’s upcoming dark comedy Pain & Gain have been released online.  Based on a true story, the film stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as two bodybuilders who get caught up in an extortion ring and kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.  The main focus of this trailer is on the film’s humor, some of which is great (Rebel Wilson and Wahlberg’s closing rant are highlights), while other jokes seem a bit forced and are reminiscent of the more juvenile stuff in Bay’s Transformers franchise.  Nevertheless, I’m very excited about the prospect of Bay tackling this “small-scale” true crime story, and Wahlberg and Johnson look to make a great comedic pairing.

Hit the jump to watch the new red-band trailer and to check out the new images.  The film also stars Anthony Mackie, Rob Corddry, Ed Harris, and Tony Shalhoub.  Pain & Gain opens on April 26th.

The nationwide expansion of Harmony Korine‘s Spring Breakers meant that I had the opportunity to catch the film last night at my local theater. We’ll talk a more specifically about our coverage of the film after the jump. For now, I’d like to make a futile attempt at encapsulating my feelings on the pic in the next few sentences. There’s a lot to like about Breakers whether it be the performances (James Franco‘s especially), the music, the slick editing and use of foreshadowing, etc. Nevertheless, for me this isn’t a movie that I “liked” as much as it’s one I respect. It’s beautiful, surreal, challenging, abhorrent, and vapid all at the same time. In other words, it’s art.

I could go on for days about the pic but that’s not why we’re here. In this week’s Top 5 we’ll take a look at our Breakers coverage, some Transformers 4 plot details, Olympus Has Fallen interviews with Gerard Butler and Antoine Fuqua just to name a few, a new trailer and poster for Star Trek Into Darkness, and The Croods interviews with Nicolas Cage and more. As is standard, a brief recap and link to each awaits after the jump.

Paramount has released a new TV spot for director Michael Bay’s incredibly promising black comedy Pain & Gain.  Based on a true story, the film stars Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne Johnson as two bodybuilders who get caught up in an extortion ring and kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.  The film’s first trailer is fantastic, and this TV spot does a great job of showcasing that pic’s charm and comedy.  Pain & Gain looks like it could actually be Bay’s most entertaining film yet, but I have a feeling they’re keeping some of the story’s more sordid details under wraps.  The real life ordeal is fairly horrific, though I expect Wahlberg and Johnson will bring enough levity/ridiculousness to the film to make it palatable.

Hit the jump to watch the latest TV spot.  Anthony Mackie, Rob Corddry, Ed Harris, Tony Shalhoub, and Rebel Wilson co-star.  Pain & Gain opens April 26, 2013.

While all eyes are currently on director J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness to see if the sequel can live up to expectations (and to find out once and for all who the damn villain is), a new, fascinating bit of trivia about Abrams 2009 reboot has now come to light.  As most everyone knows, the film opens with a rather thrilling sequence involving the father of Captain James T. Kirk.  Chris Hemsworth famously made his Hollywood debut in the brief role, but apparently a much more high profile actor was first sought after for the part, as Mark Wahlberg recently revealed that he was asked to play Kirk Sr. in the film.  Hit the jump for more.