Jessica Chastain Joins Crimson Peak

The buzz description on Crimson Peak is Guillermo del Toro does a Haunted House movie. That alone peaks my interest. If it's a return to his Spanish-language days like the superb The Devil's Backbone, even better.

It's casting up nicely too. Jessica Chastain has joined the cast that includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Emma Stone and Charlie Hunnam. Plot details are the minimum for the moment. As filming approaches its February 2014 start, we'll hear more.

Source: Variety

"Iron Man 3" International TV Spot

Iron Man 3" pits brash-but-brilliant industrialist Tony Stark/Iron Man against an enemy whose reach knows no bounds. When Stark finds his personal world destroyed at his enemy's hands, he embarks on a harrowing quest to find those responsible. This journey, at every turn, will test his mettle. With his back against the wall, Stark is left to survive by his own devices, relying on his ingenuity and instincts to protect those closest to him. As he fights his way back, Stark discovers the answer to the question that has secretly haunted him: does the man make the suit or does the suit make the man?

First Look at Nicholas Hoult in X-Men: Days of Future Past

The blue makeup on Beast was all over the place in X-Men: First Class. Some shots it was good, others too CG and some it looked like Mystique's blood turned Hank McCoy into a Muppet. A problem that appears resolved according to this first look at Dr. McCoy in X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Source: Bryan Singer's Twitter

"Oblivion" IMAX Poster

On a spectacular future Earth that has evolved beyond recognition, one man's confrontation with the past will lead him on a journey of redemption and discovery as he battles to save mankind.

Jack Harper (Tom Cruise) is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack's mission is nearly complete.

Living in and patrolling the breathtaking skies from thousands of feet above, his soaring existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands.

"Fast & Furious 6" Poster

Since Dom and Brian's Rio heist toppled a kingpin's empire and left their crew with $100 million, our heroes have scattered across the globe. But their inability to return home and living forever on the lam have left their lives incomplete.

Meanwhile, Hobbs has been tracking an organization of lethally skilled mercenary drivers across 12 countries, whose mastermind  is aided by a ruthless second-in-command revealed to be the love Dom thought was dead, Letty. The only way to stop the criminal outfit is to outmatch them at street level, so Hobbs asks Dom to assemble his elite team in London. Payment? Full pardons for all of them so they can return home and make their families whole again.

Justin Lin Will Not Direct 'Fast & Furious 7'

Rob Cohen's eyes just became as big as flying saucers.

In what is rather surprising news, word came out yesterday that director Justin Lin - whose helmed the past four Fast & Furious movies including this summer's upcoming Fast & Furious 6 - won't be returning for the inevitable Fast & Furious 7.

No, it's not because he clashed heads with the studio, Universal, or the film's cast (if anything, the relationship is probably anything but).  It's because the studio wants the next film in theaters by next summer and Lin doesn't feel he can make that release date.

I for one find this to be the absolute dumbest move a studio - not the director of course - can make.

Why would you rush out the next film in less than a year's time?  Your Fast & Furious film every two years seems to be working great with each subsequent film surmounting the previous one, so why would you screw with that formula?  I mean if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

I'm sure the cast and crew aren't too happy about this as they realize films that are rushed out never work.  The best example I can think of is the Twilight films, believe it or not.

Yeah, I'm not a fan, but it's pretty obvious the studio rushed those sequels out after the original was such a hit.  Their mindset was as long as we can put moving pictures up on screen with people talking, the movie will sell.  Hell, even the original director (Catherine Hardwicke) didn't return because of that crap.

Did Chris Nolan rush out his Batman trilogy?  Hell no.  That dude took his time developing those films and look how they turned out.

It's pretty obvious Universal wants the next film out quickly because of the big ending that leaked a few months back, which sets up the next film.  Yeah, it's an exciting twist, but just as many people will go see the film in two years as they will next year (and I bet you it would be an overall better film too).

No word on what Lin is now going to do with all his free time but I can only hope he re-attaches himself to Terminator 5 that he was so interested in doing a couple years back.

Universal plans to announce the new director for F&F 7 by next week (my money's on the original film's director, Rob Cohen, as happy as he'll probably be).

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Review: Evil Dead (2013)

Evil Dead isn't a scary film. Evil Dead is a bloody, disgusting, extremely well-made crowd-pleaser that will satisfy not only the gore-junkies; but the teenager audience who sadly hasn't had enough films like this.

Five friends head to a remote cabin, where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads them to unwittingly summon up demons living in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them until only one is left to fight for survival

 Evil Dead is being touted as *THE* film to see for a pants-shittingly good time and for lots and lots of blood. While I can personally attest to the fact the film isn't exactly scary, spare a few really well done jump-scares, it gives bloody a whole new definition.

The story follows the original film's pretty well. 5 friends in a cabin, they accidentally summon demons, shit goes wild; but 2013's Evil Dead certainly does a better job of getting you into the characters who, while not Shakespearian by any stretch, do a decent enough job of getting you emotionally involved, with the key emotional core in the film is the relationship between Mia (played by a beautiful and deadly Jane Levy), a drug addict who is using their family's old cabin as the site of her cold-turkey quitting experiment, and her brother David (the sexy and sympathetic Shiloh Fernandez) and it makes it a lot easier to care for those two than Bruce Campbell and his girlfriend's awkward and loveless relationship.

But no one is going to see Evil Dead for the character-driven emotion, are they?

Fede Alvarez, Uruguayan director making his first "Big Hollywood" film honors the material,fought tooth and nail with the studio to try and make the film with as much practical effects as possible, a move whch really elevates the film to another level in terms of technical and aesthetic presentation.
The gore is chunky and red, the effects and prosthetics are on a whole other level of believability. Evil Dead is THE best looking horror film in years and will make your stomach curl at all the raw dismemberment, painful execution, and viscous mutilation.

Alvarez is also a pro behind the camera, making the film look better than most Best-Picture 'noms. The lighting and camera-work harkens back to not only classic horror; but injected with a definite "new age" style that will cement Alvarez as hot commodity in not only the horror industry; but all across the spectrum.

The film is a definite crowd-pleaser, and if you're into the whole "movie experience". The crowd I saw it with gasped and screamed, which is one of the first times I've seen a film impact it's audience that much in a while. If you have a free slot this weekend (and a strong stomach) you need to see Evil Dead because let's face it, no matter how awesome 3-D Jurassic Park is, THIS is the movie everyone will be talking about.

Man of Steel Statues Show Off Kryptonian Gear

While Warner Bros. stays a bit conservative with what's released on Man of Steel, these scans come in showing off what the fashion of Krypton looks like. Some prototype images of these were released months ago and I assumed Jor-El's outfit was uncolored at that point, but it looks like his has some tan thrown in it to contrast against all the black of Zod and Faora.

Earlier this week an image of a potential Zod mask for Halloween costumes popped up online and was later asked to be taken down from many sites. If you notice behind Jor-El's outside armor there is a little bit of blue peeking through and also the iconic red cape of Superman so it looks like this will be directly connected to Kal-E'ls heritage.

New Carrie Trailer

Youngsters can relate to the story of Carrie White. If they read the Stephen King novel or watch Brian DePalma's rendition. But they haven't. Maybe it's the "70sness" of the film or simply their attention spans don't go past 1990. Doesn't speak ill of them or their tastes, it's what it is.

So here comes their chance with the Carrie remake courtesy of director Kimberly Peirce (Boy Don't Cry) and starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Judy Greer and Julianne Moore. The horror re-do hits cinemas this October and here's the trailer from Yahoo! Movies.

It looks adequate. High-school aged movie-goers will probably get into it. I watch the footage and ask myself couldn't they have tried harder to conceal what happens? I just saw the whole movie in two minutes.

Roger Ebert RIP

Film Critic Roger Ebert has passed away.

Like many, I grew up with Siskel & Ebert and the Movies. Every Saturday morning at 2:00 AM, my local CBS station aired the latest episode. Especially during the summer film season, my priority was getting their thoughts on the newest blockbuster. If they didn't approve then I had to take serious consideration on if I'd see the movie in question. While I had respect for both, I always could rely on Roger. He was more likely to enjoy something I did.

He liked the good movies and loved the great ones. "No good movie is too long. No bad movie is short enough," as he famously said. He's why I got into film criticism/commentary. Can't contain all my emotions when my best friend texted me the news a few short hours ago (in his usual jokey manner). Mostly though I'm sorrowful of the great voice we have now lost.

Check out his print reviews on his official site and video reviews from the decades at Siskel & Ebert.Org.