Movie Poster Released For Christian Bale's Next Film, 'Concrete Island'

With all the news coming out for The Dark Knight Rises, it's very easy to forget all the other films that Christian Bale is currently working on. Today we have a movie poster for one of his upcoming films called "Concrete Island".

Los Angeles, 2020.Robert Maitland is a highly successful architect. One day, he speeds down the freeway losing control of his car and crashing into the middle of a manmade ‘island’ underneath a freeway intersection. After days of suffering agonising physical pain and the mental turmoil, he begins to suspect that he may not be the only person on the ‘island’. When his fellow inhabitants finally reveal themselves, it soon becomes clear to Maitland that on this ‘concrete island’, only the strong survive.

Leslie Bibb Talks About Playing Wonder Woman In 'Movie 43'

Comingsoon.net/SuperHeroHype had a chance to visit Takashi Shimizu's thriller 7500. While there they talked to Leslie Bibb about appearing in "Movie 43". The film is made up of short comedy segments.

This is what she had to say:

The Farrelly brothers did this compilation of these shorts and there's a whole slew of us.  Hugh Jackman did one, Gerard Butler, Kate Winslet, Mine is me, Jason Sudeikis and Justin Long and Bobby Cannavale and John Hodgman is the Penguin. And Bobby Cannavale is a jacked up Superman who smokes and we all are these f**ked up superheroes. Like, I’m sleeping with Batman. He won’t call me back. I’m kind of crazy.  Kristen Bell is Supergirl and Uma Thurman is Lois Lane or something. And we’re all just dysfunctional superheroes, like superheroes who can’t get a date. We’re all at this speed dating.

I’m Wonder Woman and I have on this amazing wig and the whole getup, which was pretty fantastic. And I’m crazier than bat sh*t. Like, she is really crazy, and so it was really fun because I know Jason [Batman] and he won’t call me back and I love him and he just doesn’t care about me. And so it proved to be a good time.  The Farrelly brothers directed one short and they were the main producers on it.

New Poster For 'John Carter' Released

Disney has released a new poster for John Carter. Based on the books by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the film is directed by Andrew Stanton. 

The synopsis:

From Academy Award(R)-winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes “John Carter”–a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). “John Carter” is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands

Production on 'The Wolverine' Sequel Might Be Delayed Again?

Though the actor will be taking his musical talents to the big screen for the first time early next year with Tom Hooper's new adaptation of Les Miserables, it's been reported that Hugh Jackman would start work on the gestating sequel The Wolverine with director James Mangold shortly thereafter still in early 2012. However, it sounds like that after the delay caused by Darren Aronofsky's departure from the project, the film may yet again be on hold until later next year. Moviehole has word from one of their inside industry sources that some issue in Japan (though it's not clear what) may cause delay in starting production.

Their source says talks to get the film off the ground will resume next year, so that makes it very unlikely that the film will meet its early 2012 projected start date. Though interest may have waned some since Aronofsky left the film, word on the street is that the script for this X-Men Origins sequel is quite good, and much better than the first film. To attract a name like Aronofsky initially, it would have to be on the higher end of quality, at least for a comic book film, so that's not surprising, but these delays are certainly frustrating as fans are eager to see Wolverine's backstory play out on the big screen again. Stay tuned.

Dark Knight Rises: High Res Images & Christian Bale Talks Co-Stars

Last week we added some lo res images from Empire Magazines upcoming Dark Knight Rises photo spread. Today we have some high res versions. Christian Bale also had another interview recently, and took some time to talk about his co-stars. Check out the images and some excerpts from the interview below.

Anne Hathaway - Catwoman:

I'm terrible at auditions, so I'm very impressed when somebody really seems to acquire an ownership of a character without having worked on it or prepared for some amount of time. I saw that in Anne. In many ways, she has the hardest job. There are a number of people who feel that the Catwoman role has been defined previously. So, I always saw Anne's role as being the toughest job of any of us.

Tom Hardy - Bane:

He's a phenomenal actor. I like working with him a great deal. He goes the whole hog. I know that Bane has been seen in movies before. But, in my eyes, Tom is essentially creating Bane for the first time so there's great freedom for him to be able to do so.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - John Blake:

Joseph is a very intriguing guy. I would see Joseph’s performances in other films while we were filming. He's somebody who truly seems to love acting. He's a good, smart guy. He did a very good job in the movie.

Christopher Nolan's Batman:

We always maintained from the beginning that if you wanted to break it down, there are three personas – Batman is sincere, the private Bruce Wayne is sincere. The public version of Bruce Wayne, the playboy, is a completely fabricated performance.

On the end of the production:

I wrapped a few days ago so that will be the last time I’m taking that cowl [Batman hood] off. I believe that the whole production wrapped yesterday, so it’s all done. Everything’s finished. It’s me and Chris – that will be the end of that Batman era.

Bret McKenzie Says a 'Flight of the Conchords' Movie is in the Works

After two fantastically hilarious seasons, the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords delivered a satisfying series finale, but fans all agreed that the end had come far too soon. The series stars and comedic folk musicians Jemaine Clement and Bret McKenzie have each been busy in their own right with the former taking roles in Despicable Me and Men in Black III next year and the latter returning to work with Peter Jackson on The Hobbit (after an infamous cameo in Lord of the Rings) and writing songs for The Muppets (watch him sing with Kermit). But now the duo might return for a Flight of the Conchords movie!
Speaking with THR, McKenzie said, "We're gonna try and do a movie. We just need a story." He followed up in jest saying, "I’m gonna go back to New Zealand tomorrow, maybe film it next week. And then edit it the week after. I don’t know how familiar you are with movies, but there’s a lot of behind the scenes stuff that could take one or two weeks. Probably in about a month we’ll have a premiere.” However, the possibility of a movie has certainly been in real consideration, especially for series director James Bobin, who also had a hand in The Muppets revival as the fim's director. Bobin told StarPulse (via AOL TV):

“Jemaine, Bret and I are constantly in touch. We’re good friends. It’s just a question of our schedule. As everything, these answers are always about schedules. Jemaine’s in Greece, Bret’s in New Zealand and I’m in Los Angeles. I’d love to do it. It’s just a question of what it would be and when we would do it, but I’m sure because that’s what I want to make happen at some point.”

Of course, as has been evidence by the long gestating development of an "Arrested Development" movie (which seems like it might finally be coming together), TV shows that came to an end all too soon don't have the easiest journey to the big screen. Of course, with the success of The Muppets, and Clement's growing profile in film, it may not be too hard to get the movie off the ground. It wouldn't exactly have to be an expensive venture, and fans like myself are certainly hungry for more Flight of the Conchords after its early end. It didn't make us cry. It's just been raining. Any Flight of the Conchords fans want a movie?

New Images From John Carter

Along with a first look at the White Apes in  Andrew Stanton's John Carter, we have also added some more images that have been released today. Along with the images comes the announcement that we will see a new trailer next week.

From Academy Award®–winning filmmaker Andrew Stanton comes "John Carter"—a sweeping action-adventure set on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars). "John Carter" is based on a classic novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, whose highly imaginative adventures served as inspiration for many filmmakers, both past and present. The film tells the story of war-weary, former military captain John Carter (Taylor Kitsch), who is inexplicably transported to Mars where he becomes reluctantly embroiled in a conflict of epic proportions amongst the inhabitants of the planet, including Tars Tarkas (Willem Dafoe) and the captivating Princess Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins). In a world on the brink of collapse, Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes that the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

Four New Images From Underworld Awakening

Screen Gems has released some new images from Underworld Awakening featuring Kate Beckinsale and Michael Ealy. The film hits theatres January 20.

UNDERWORLD AWAKENING brings a stunning new dimension to the epic battle between Vampires and Lycans, as the first film in the franchise to shoot in 3D.

Kate Beckinsale, star of the first two films, returns in her lead role as the vampire warrioress Selene, who escapes imprisonment to find herself in a world where humans have discovered the existence of both Vampire and Lycan clans, and are conducting an all-out war to eradicate both immortal species.

Men In Black 3 Gets A Teaser Poster

Check out this teaser poster for the next instalment in the Men In Black series. It seems you can see the poster kicking around in some Cineplex theaters in the United States. The film comes out in 3D May 25th, 2012. Check out the image below and let us know what you think.

Cameron Crowe's Wonderful 'We Bought a Zoo'

Sometimes you go in to see a movie, unsure of really what to expect, and it sweeps you away, connects with you emotionally in ways you didn't think possible, then the tears start flowing without any control. That's what happened to me seeing Cameron Crowe's new movie We Bought a Zoo at the sneak previews held Saturday evening; it's one of the most endearing, heartwarming, joyful films I've seen this year (so far). Part of this is thanks to Crowe, his direction and cast, another part of it is thanks to Jónsi's amazing score, which I wholeheartedly believe deserves Oscar recognition. I love this film, it filled my heart with true happiness.
Crowe's We Bought a Zoo is based on the real-life memoir's of Benjamin Mee (played by Matt Damon), a journalist who moves his young daughter Rosie (played Maggie Elizabeth Jones) and son Dylan (Colin Ford) into a small, struggling rural zoo in Southern California to start his life anew after his wife passed away. Yes, this zoo really exists in real life, and Crowe captured the story of how Mee, calm but still devastated by the loss of the love of his life, decides to go on an adventure and bring this zoo, and all of its inhabitants, back to life. It's a family film at its core, but we still get a fulfilling story of how one family finds happiness again by stepping out from darkness into the sunshine, and putting a little care into something that needs some care.
Maybe it was just the mood I was in that night, maybe it was the fact that had just flown in earlier in the day from a wonderful visit with my family for Thanksgiving, maybe it was just that outstanding of a film made with a genuine passion by everyone involved. Whatever it was, it got to me, and I found myself wiping away tears multiple times, laughing often, and walking out with one of the warmest, happiest feelings one could wish for leaving a movie theater. I think my friend Jack Giroux said it best in his quick reaction to this film on Film School Rejects: "If The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is going to be the 'feel-bad' movie of Christmas, then this is certainly going to go down as the ultimate 'feel-frickin'-great' movie of Christmas." Indeed.
A large reason why this is such a wonderful movie is Cameron Crowe himself. If it had been directed by anyone else, it would not have turned out anywhere nearly as endearing or impressive, instead it would've been a cheesy Hollywood comedy with goofy animals and sound effects. Crowe, who if you know his work (e.g. Say Anything, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous, Vanilla Sky) you already know is a talented filmmaker, directs with a subtly, not overdoing any of the few jokes or fun moments aimed towards a younger audience, but without losing an ounce of emotion in the story or characters. It's that balance that works wonders.
Of course, I must make mention of the score, written by Sigur Ros frontman Jónsi. I've been a longtime fan of Sigur Ros and while they do use "Hoppípolla" in the film once, his original score written for We Bought a Zoo is just extraordinary. I can't wait to get my hands on it to listen to endless times over. Every time I'd hear the score come in, used almost quietly in the background, right on queue I'd start to well up again. It certainly deserves at least an Oscar nomination. It was the cherry on top—an incredibly sweet one—of an already fantastic movie that instantly won me over and took my emotions on an adventure as unforgettable and enjoyable as the one Benjamin, Rosie, Dylan, and the entire staff of the Rosemoor Wildlife Park go on.
Editor's Note: Yep, I actually paid full-price for a ticket to see this Sneak Preview on Saturday evening. But even so, when you truly love a superb film, and I mean genuinely love it, you can't help but profess that love.

Tarak Ben Ammar Presents... Wait, who? Our friends at IMPAwards recently found and posted an official poster for Jean-Jacques Annaud's Black Gold, and it definitely has a Lawrence of Arabia meets There Will Be Blood feeling to it, that's for sure. It's a stunning poster and makes me even more excited for this, which we featured an official international trailer for just a few months ago. The film stars Tahar Rahim, Mark Strong, Antonio Banderas and Freida Pinto, all four of whom can be seen below (as floating heads) in the rising black smoke from a burning oil well. Even more impressive this wasn't made by Hollywood at all.
Click the image below to see the full-size, high res version of this stunning Black Gold poster. Thoughts?

Black Gold, originally Black Thirst (also Or Noir in French seen above), is directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud (of Quest for Fire, Seven Years in Tibet, Enemy at the Gates, Two Brothers) and shot on-location out in the Sahara. The script was written by Annaud & Menno Meyjes (Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, The Siege, The Passion Within) adapted from Hans Ruesch's Arab. If you want to see more than the trailer, Playlist has a behind-the-scenes video looking at the scope of the shoot. As far as we know, it doesn't have a US distributor yet, only in France and most of Europe so far. We'll let you know when we have info on a US release, as we're not sure when to expect this - likely (hopefully) next year. We'll certainly keep you updated!

The Dark Knight Rises' Images + Quotes from Christian Bale

Nothing like a little Bane, Catwoman—oh and Batman defending Gotham—to brighten this Thanksgiving weekend. Our friends at ComingSoon have posted a few higher res scans from the Empire issue focusing on The Dark Knight Rises, that last week we revealed two cover shots for, as well as some shoddy internal scans and, more importantly, exciting quotes. The newer scans of the photos from the mag are definitely worth seeing, and in addition to those, Christian Bale also spoke with Inquirer about working with both Tom Hardy as Bane and Anne Hathaway as Catwoman in the film, praising both for their acting skills.
"We always maintained from the beginning that if you wanted to break it down, there are three personas – Batman is sincere, the private Bruce Wayne is sincere. The public version of Bruce Wayne, the playboy, is a completely fabricated performance," Bale says. "I've stopped referencing outside sources. I now reference Chris' own world of Batman as a guide to what I will continue doing." That certainly makes sense, especially considering this is the completion of Nolan's Batman saga. "I believe that the whole production wrapped yesterday, so it's all done. Everything's finished. It's me and Chris – that will be the end of that Batman era."

The more interesting quotes from Bale are about his co-stars in The Dark Knight Rises, mainly actors like Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy and even a quick bit about Joseph Gordon-Levitt, whose role in this is still unknown besides a Gotham beat cop. "I would see Joseph's performances in other films while we were filming. He's somebody who truly seems to love acting. He's a good, smart guy. He did a very good job in the movie." I'm definitely looking forward to seeing him in this, but of course everyone is much more excited for Bane, and even Catwoman who hasn't been seen much besides in that very first photo (and isn't even in any of Empire's photos). Bale spoke about working with Anne Hathaway and how talented she truly is:

"I had plenty of scenes with Anne," Christian began. "And I was there when we did the screen test for her. The thing that I said to Chris [Nolan] that day was that there were many very accomplished actresses who had read for the role. I'm terrible at auditions, so I'm very impressed when somebody really seems to acquire an ownership of a character without having worked on it or prepared for some amount of time."
"I saw that in Anne," he added. "When Chris watched the screen test, he agreed that Anne did a wonderful job. In many ways, she has the hardest job. There are a number of people who feel that the Catwoman role has been defined previously. So, I always saw Anne's role as being the toughest job of any of us."

Very interesting to hear, especially considering none of us actually know what he's talking about because we haven't seen much besides a few photos of Hathaway in a tight leather outfit with some dark glasses. That said, I'm expecting to be as impressed with her performance as I was with everyone in The Dark Knight, even Heath Ledger. The same goes for Tom Hardy, who is the last one that Bale has glowing things to say.

In the original quotes from Empire, Nolan commented about Bane: "He's brutal. Brutal. He's a big dude who's incredibly clinical, in the fact that he has a result-based and oriented fighting style. It's not about fighting. It's about carnage. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it's nasty." In the Inquirer update, Bale says what we all already know, calling Tom Hardy "a phenomenal actor. I like working with him a great deal. He goes the whole hog. I know that Bane has been seen in movies before. But, in my eyes, Tom is essentially creating Bane for the first time so there's great freedom for him to be able to do so." Wow I guess I didn't think about it, but he's right, Bane was indeed in Joel Schumacher's travesty Batman & Robin.

That's all the updates we have for now, along with that final badass Bane photo above, but it's always great to hear some quotes and see more official photos. By the end of the year we'll have the second official trailer as well as the IMAX prologue to watch, and I'm sure additional posters and more photos. We'll keep you updated, as always, as The Dark Knight Rises is unquestionably one of our most anticipated in 2012. Directed by Christopher Nolan from a story by David S. Goyer & Nolan, and screenplay by Jonathan Nolan & Christopher Nolan, Warner Bros has TDKR set for IMAX release starting on July 20th, 2012 next summer.

Our Complete Thanksgiving Weekend Movie Guide 2011 Has Arrived

Continuing our annual tradition of posting Thanksgiving and Christmas Movie Guides every holiday season, our resident San Fran contributor, Marco Cerritos, has once again put together another movie guide for Thanksgiving 2011, giving a recap and rundown of what's playing and what's worth seeing (or skipping). Marco has seen almost everything out there, and while you may not always agree with him, he provides the best reviews he can to make it a bit easier for everyone to choose. There are some fantastic films currently playing in theaters, so if you're still a bit unsure of what to watch or need a few tips, then look no further!
This is an alphabetized list containing 10 films that, as of today, are playing in most theaters nationwide.

Arthur Christmas
Marco's Rating: C+

Directed by: Sarah Smith ("The Armando Iannucci Shows")
Starring: James McAvoy, Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent
Rated: PG
Review: It's a sad feeling to pick on a family film that has its heart in the right place but never delivers the goods. Aardman Animation is the studio behind this predictable holiday story and while they've scored highs with Chicken Run and the Wallace and Gromit franchise, Arthur Christmas joins Flushed Away as another misfire. McAvoy leads the voice talent as Arthur, Santa Claus' insecure son who one fateful Christmas night decides to step out of his father's shadow and create a magical holiday experience for an overlooked child. Themes of tradition, family bonding and being good to your fellow man run rampant and there's nothing wrong with that. The only problem is these are messages we've seen before in other, better movies. The film's repetitive nature is lazy and uninspired, leaving adults to quickly tune out and only younger kids might be entertained as a result.
The one solid thing Arthur Christmas offers is a top-notch voice cast which in addition to James McAvoy includes Hugh Laurie, Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy and Laura Linney. They all seem game and project the good time they must have had in the recording studio. Too bad none of that fun rubbed off on the audience.

The Artist
Marco's Rating: A

Directed by: Michel Hazanavicius (OSS 117: Cairo, OSS 117: Lost in Rio)
Starring: Jean Dujardin, Bérénice Bejo, John Goodman, James Cromwell
Rated: PG-13
Review: One of the best and most unexpected treats this holiday weekend is only opening in NY/LA but slowly expanding in the weeks to come. The film is The Artist and it's a period piece set in Hollywood at the end of the silent era. It also has the distinction of staying true to its subject by mostly being a silent film itself and shooting in gorgeous black and white.
At its core, The Artist is a mostly silent, B&W spin on A Star is Born and while originality may not be its strong suit, the film more than makes up for it in entertainment value. The lead actors are French, the supporting players are mostly American and there's even a cute dog named Uggie for comic relief. The story of a down-and-out silent film star ushering in the talkies with a beautiful protégé may seem stale on paper but there is a geyser of comedy and charm in The Artist. If you live in New York or Los Angeles, this should be one of your top choices this week. For everyone else, keep an eye out as it expands in the coming weeks.

Breaking Dawn: Part I
Marco's Rating: D

Directed by: Bill Condon (Gods and Monsters, Kinsey, Dreamgirls)
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner
Rated: PG-13
Review: This review is a little late to the party but everything you've read about Breaking Dawn and the Twilight series as a whole is indeed true. It is incredibly pandering, lazy, joyless, moronic, unnecessary and many other terrible adjectives I don't wish to publicly state. Having said that, there are many fans (read: teenage girls and easily duped hopeless romantics) who obviously disagree with my previous sentence. How else to account for the film's monstrous opening weekend?
For the record, New Moon is the most tolerable of the series because the studio was smart enough to know these movies would make a mint no matter what and hired a competent director to run the ship (Chris Weitz). Despite that inspired choice prior, New Moon manages to never rise above its trashy outline but at least it was watchable. In hiring Bill Condon for this latest two-part finale the studio tried to once again shine a turd with a classy filmmaker and the result is even worse. If the man who directed Kinsey and Gods and Monsters can't manage to stage semi-erotic sexual tension in a film or even the vaguest threat of danger, then he's just there to collect a paycheck. Sadly, we suspected this all along but didn't want it to be true.

The Descendants
Marco's Rating: B+

Directed by: Alexander Payne (Election, About Schmidt, Sideways)
Starring: George Clooney, Shailene Woodley, Amara Miller, Nick Krause
Rated: R
Review: Clooney is an actor we seem to take for granted because we know he's always capable of delivering a solid performance. Even if he sleepwalks through a film he brings more charm and charisma than most B-listers do on their best days and seeing his work in The Descendants reflects some of the best work in his career. The film is the latest from director Alexander Payne who after an extended sabbatical has returned in a big way. Aside from being a gifted writer, Payne's talent lies in nurturing strong performances from his lead actors. Laura Dern in Citizen Ruth, Reese Witherspoon in Election, Jack Nicholson in About Schmidt and Paul Giamatti in Sideways all come to mind and now Clooney joins the list, too.
The Descendants gets off to a rocky start with overbearing narration but once it finds its groove proves to be an intricate puzzle that is better left unspoiled despite the film's marketing campaign. The vague synopsis for your enjoyment is this: Clooney plays a man in deep psychological turmoil who must confront some serious issues in order to repair his broken-down life. While not in the league of Payne's best movies, The Descendants is a worthy follow-up to Sideways, the film many consider to be his best.

Happy Feet Two
Marco's Rating: C-

Directed by: George Miller (Mad Max, Lorenzo's Oil, Happy Feet)
Starring: Robin Williams, Elijah Wood, Sofía Vergara, Pink, Common
Rated: PG
Review: Happy Feet Two is strictly for the little ones and even they will quickly get tired of the film's silly and unoriginal nature. The first Happy Feet had its main characters (animated, dancing penguins) finding their place in the world, with the story wrapped in an ecological message for good measure. The sequel cuts out the message and main characters from the first film altogether and instead focuses on toilet humor and repeating most of the same plot from the first Happy Feet.
Before seeing Happy Feet Two there was a hope that director George Miller would take this sequel in a darker direction much like the last children's sequel he directed, Babe: Pig in the City. Both franchises had family-friendly first chapters with a slight hint of danger and in Babe's case, Miller turned up the sequel's tension and danger to 11 guaranteeing one of the darkest family films to ever come out of a major studio. It should also be noted that Babe: Pig in the City was a big money loser for Universal so it makes sense why Miller would not want to take this one down a darker path. But after finding a good middle ground with the first, it's sad to see those "Happy Feet" penguins changing their tune, only aiming to entertain younger kids with bad humor and cringe-inducing musical numbers.

Hugo
Marco's Rating: B

Directed by: Martin Scorsese (Raging Bull, Goodfellas, The Departed)
Starring: Asa Butterfield, Chloe Moretz, Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen
Rated: PG
Review: It's always good to see Martin Scorsese stretch his filmmaking muscles and venture outside his comfort zone, even if the results are rarely successful. Kundun, The Age of Innocence and The Aviator are some of his interesting misfires and his latest film Hugo falls somewhere in between his solid hits and noble attempts.
The huge selling point the marketing campaign is completely neglecting is that Hugo is a story about movies for people who love movies. Granted, that angle will not get as many butts in seats as selling the film as a family spectacle, but in reality it's more the former than the latter. Hugo is a fantasy set in a 1930's Parisian train station with our orphaned titular character navigating the ins and outs of the establishment for the first half and awakening a long-lost cinematic slumber in the second half.
There is more slapstick than I would like in the first half of Hugo as Scorsese sets the plot in motion, but once the film gets going it's a nostalgic love letter to cinema. This is one of the better holiday offerings this weekend, but you would be better served not watching it with those dark, obtrusive 3D glasses.

Immortals
Marco's Rating: C

Directed by: Tarsem Singh (The Cell, The Fall, Mirror Mirror)
Starring: Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans
Rated: R
Review: Speaking of bad 3D, at least Hugo was shot in 3D. Immortals makes no effort to hide the fact that despite its sometimes gorgeous visuals, is saddled with a lackluster story and absolutely no need for a 3D experience.
Director Tarsem Singh has only made two prior films but in that small body of work has proven to be a strong storyteller with a gift for beautiful imagery. Tarsem did not write Immortals, which perhaps could explain why this feels like a lifeless 300 retread with small visual feasts peppered throughout. The film is also incredibly violent which at times calls into question its R rating but if it serves two small purposes they are these: Mickey Rourke steals the film as a menacing and unrelenting villain and we get our first glimpse of future Superman Henry Cavill in action. Since the new Man of Steel, won't be ready until 2013 this will have to do as our introduction.

J. Edgar
Marco's Rating: B-

Directed by: Clint Eastwood (Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby, Invictus)
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer, Naomi Watts
Rated: R
Review: Clint Eastwood is one of the least subtle filmmakers currently working in Hollywood so it's no surprise that many feared his portrayal of FBI honcho J. Edgar Hoover. The good news is Eastwood isn't nearly as heavy-handed as he usually is. The bad news is that while there a few small missteps in J. Edgar, they almost completely destroy the film altogether. DiCaprio does his best to bring Hoover to life in the scattered script by Dustin Lance Black (Oscar winner for Milk). The film focuses on many things we already know (Hoover was a closeted man with a crippling addiction for his mother's approval) but also takes a few unexpected liberties with Hoover's life that play to mixed results.
J. Edgar's biggest offense isn't with story or acting at all but instead with the makeup department. DiCaprio and supporting actor Armie Hammer jump through the film in their present form and in later years through old age makeup and the results are beyond distracting. I'm not sure Eastwood intended laughter during some of J. Edgar's pivotal scenes, but bad makeup and the script's leaps of logic certainly provide it.

The Muppets
Marco's Rating: B+

Directed by: James Bobin ("Flight of the Conchords")
Starring: Jason Segel, Amy Adams, Chris Cooper, Rashida Jones
Rated: PG
Review: Through tons of marketing nostalgia over the last few months it's become crystal clear that Jim Henson's Muppet clan have been sorely missed. Returning with a bang, their new movie doesn't shoot them into space or have them playing opposite Michael Caine in their version of A Christmas Carol, but instead drops them into 2011 with reinvigorated personalities and a lot of fun.
Lead human actors Jason Segel and Amy Adams wisely take a backseat after the first third of the movie and let the Muppets steal the show (the movie is called The Muppets after all). There is obvious care and love put into The Muppets and it shows. From all the in-jokes to the delicate additions of new characters, this is a project that is more than just a shameless money grab and comes from genuine affection and nostalgia. Of all the family entertainment this weekend, The Muppets is your best bet for total family entertainment.

My Week with Marilyn
Marco's Rating: C

Directed by: Simon Curtis (David Copperfield, "Cranford")
Starring: Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, Kenneth Branagh
Rated: R
Review: Michelle Williams is a gifted actress but even she can't pull off a movie on her own and sadly that's all My Week With Marilyn is, a hollow performance piece with nothing else to offer. Even with distinguished acting pedigree in its corner (Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Julia Ormond, Toby Jones) the material is way too flat to work in any shape or form.
The film is taken from the novel of the same name by Colin Clark who documented his experience working with Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier on the 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl. Despite all the inspired casting choices My Week with Marilyn never stops feeling like a made-for-TV movie with a great lead performance at its core. Shameless Oscar bait perhaps, but I see it as a true missed opportunity.

Ben Whishaw is Playing a Young Q in Sam Mendes' 'Skyfall' Bond 23

"Must you touch everything?" Well this is some odd casting, but we'll have to accept it. THR is reporting that Ben Whishaw (Layer Cake, Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, The Tempest, Cloud Atlas) will be playing a young agent Q in Sam Mendes' Bond 23, officially titled Skyfall, now shooting in England. Q is an iconic character from the original movies, played by one of my all-time favorite actors Desmond Llewelyn (seen right above), and hasn't appeared in the new Daniel Craig reboot yet. I didn't expect this kind of casting to be confirmed, but here we go. THR simply says that Whishaw is "reported to have been assigned the role."
Ben Whishaw is a young British actor, only 31 years old, on the rise mostly in Europe working primarily with European directors so far. He's immensely talented and Perfume is one of my favorite films because of his performance in it. It's a bit odd that this Q will be younger than James Bond himself (Daniel Craig is 43), but then again maybe they're going to claim that Q is an interchangeable character just like 007 himself. Skyfall is being directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Road to Perdition, Away We Go), and also stars Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney among others. Production is currently underway, and Columbia Pictures has the film scheduled for release in the US on November 9th next year.

Movie Poster For Angelina Jolie's In The Land Of Blood And Honey

FilmDistrict has released a movie poster for the Angelina Jolie directorial debut, In The Land of Blood and Honey. The film comes to theatres December 23rd and stars Zana Marjanović, Goran Kostić, Rade Šerbedžija, Vanesa Glodjo and Nikola Djurićko.

Set against the backdrop of the Bosnian War that tore the Balkan region apart in the 1990s, In the Land of Blood and Honey tells the story of Danijel (Kostić) and Ajla (Marjanović), two people from different sides of a brutal ethnic conflict. Danijel, a soldier fighting for the Serbs, and Ajla, a Bosnian held captive in the camp he oversees, knew each other before the war, and could have found love with each other. But as the armed conflict takes hold of their lives, their relationship grows darker, their motives and connection to one another ambiguous, their allegiances uncertain. "In the Land of Blood and Honey" portrays the incredible emotional, moral and physical toll that the war exerts both on individuals and people as a whole, and the terrible consequences that stem from the lack of political will to intervene in a society stricken with conflict.

New Images From Prometheus

The upcoming edition of Entertainment Weekly has some great new images from Ridley Scott's Prometheus. Starring Logan Marshall-Green, Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba and Charlize Theron, the film comes out June 8, 2012. 

Ken Watanabe Offered The Colonel in Akira

It is now being reported that Gary Oldman has turned down the role of The Colonel in WB' Akira. The part has now been offered to Ken Watanabe.

The colonel is the military leader who is assigned to take down Tetsuo after they figure out he may have enormous power.

Akira (1988) synopsis:

Kaneda is a bike gang leader whose close friend Tetsuo gets involved in a government secret project known as Akira. On his way to save Tetsuo, Kaneda runs into a group of anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists and a powerful military leader. The confrontation sparks off Tetsuo's supernatural power leading to bloody death, a coup attempt and the final battle in Tokyo Olympiad where Akira's secrets were buried 30 years ago.

The Dark Knight Rises: New Images & More Story Details

Over the weekend Empire Magazine released two covers of there upcoming issue, the covers feature Batman and Bane. Today we have some more images from Empire. They also had an opportunity to interview Nolan and some of the cast. The interview reveals a lot about what type of Batman film we can expect. Check out the images and some of the excerpt from the interview below.

It's really all about finishing Batman and Bruce Wayne's story. We left him in a very precarious place. Perhaps surprisingly for some people, our story picks up quite a bit later, eight years after 'The Dark Knight.' So he's an older Bruce Wayne; he's not in a great state. With Bane, we're looking to give Batman a challenge he hasn't had before. With our choice of villain and with our choice of story we're testing Batman both physically as well as mentally.

Tom Hardy talking about Bane:

...brutal. He's a big dude who's incredibly clinical, in the fact that he has a result-based and oriented fighting style. It's not about fighting. It's about carnage. The style is heavy-handed, heavy-footed, it's nasty. Anything from small-joint manipulation to crushing skulls, crushing rib cages, stamping on shins and knees and necks and collarbones and snapping heads off and tearing his fists through chests, ripping out spinal columns. He is a terrorist in mentality as well as brutal action.

 Costume designer Lindy Hemming on Banes mask design:

He was injured early in his story. He's suffering from pain and needs gas to survive. He can't survive the pain without the mask. The pipes from the mask go back along his jawline and feed into the thing at his back, where there are two cannisters.

Nolan on the Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol prologue:

...is basically the first six, seven minutes of the film. It's an introduction to Bane, and a taste of the rest of the film.

   

Project X Gets A Movie Poster

The first movie poster for the Todd Phillips (Old School, The Hangover) produced, found footage style R rated comedy is now online. 

Here is the films synopsis:

3 high school seniors throw a birthday party to make a name for themselves. As the night progresses, things spiral out of control as word of the party spreads.

Jeremy Renner Reveals Brief Details on 'The Bourne Legacy' Spin-Off

Though it isn't exactly a hard mystery to figure out, plenty have been wondering just how Universal's franchise spin-off The Bourne Legacy would tie-in to the original franchise starring Matt Damon. Well, Empire recently sat down with the film's star Jeremy Renner and asked him to clear things up, and while he doesn't give away too much, he does reveal the key bit of information that should quell anyone's fears about Damon being replaced in the series.  Renner says, "My character is called Aaron Cross, but he ends up having a bunch of different names" Basically, Renner is taking on a new character in the same universe."

Renner continued, "For fans of the franchise, [The Bourne Legacy] has that same ticking clock, but it's a new program and new characters. It's that same deal, it's just a new set of agents with a different leash. It's the same tempo and pace but more expansive and bigger. The differences are pretty vast but you'll know it's a Bourne movie." In addition, there's been rumblings that the film will actually take place while the events of the Bourne franchise with Matt Damon are happening concurrently, and there might even be a sneaky way of tying Renner's character and his actions into the plots of the original series, which would be pretty cool. My favorite moment in the original series is how The Bourne Ultimatum ties the end of the second film into being the middle of the third film, and I'm betting there will be some connections like that with The Bourne Legacy. Sound good?