Matthew Monagle
Jam Out With Led Zeppelin in the Latest ‘King Arthur: Legend of the Sword’ Trailer
It’s amazing how much difference a song makes. We’ve been treated to several teasers for Guy Ritchie’s upcoming King Arthur: Legend of the Sword movie, and to this point, I would have described them all as just OK. Ritchie’s particular brand of historical fiction and modern action aesthetics — including his signature fast-slow-fast brand of fight choreography — is something I’ve gone back and forth on a little bit in the last few years. I’m not a big fan of Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes movies, but I did rather enjoy The Man From U.N.C.L.E., meaning King Arthur was kind of a net zero in my book.
Our Favorite A-Holes Save the Galaxy (Again) in This New ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ TV Spot
It’s funny how things work out. When Marvel was putting together the cast for Guardians of the Galaxy, they probably never dreamed that it would be former professional wrestler and MMA fighter Dave Bautista who would emerge as the film’s most likable character. And yet, with his deadpan line deliveries and awesome physicality, Bautista stood out among his live-action costars — I mean, nobody was going to beat Groot — as the funniest and most sympathetic of all the Guardians. Just like that, Bautista was a bonafide movie star and one of the biggest strengths of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Rumor: Catwoman Will Not Appear in Ben Affleck’s ‘The Batman’
For as much as Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies varied wildly in tone and aesthetics, one thing both franchises got right was the character of Catwoman. Michelle Pfeiffer played Selina Kyle in Batman Returns as a demented femme fatale, the true star of Burton’s sequel, while Anne Hathaway’s high-tech criminal was the perfect updating of the character for Nolan’s urban Batnoir. One unhinged and unbroken, the other sleek and urbane, the perfect summary of two separate directorial styles.
U.S. Court Dismisses MPAA Case Requiring Movies With Smoking to Be R-Rated
As times change, standards change, and we occasionally find ourselves bumping up against old traditions that need to retire. Even some of our most beloved childhood movies feature behavior and activities — smoking, strong language, casual misogyny — that went unnoticed and unappreciated by our older selves. Given the well-established health risks that smoking poses, one person recently took it upon himself to sue Hollywood in an attempt to get onscreen smoking banned. I’ll give a moment to guess who won.
Ewan McGregor Explains Why He Nearly Turned Down ‘Star Wars’
Over the past few years, there has been a small but noticeable attempt to rehabilitate the image of the Star Wars prequels in popular culture. Last November, for example, the A.V. Club published an article on why the Star Wars prequels don’t deserve our hatred. Similar pieces have been published in The Mary Sue, USA Today, and many other websites and online publications. It just goes to show that there is a lid for every pot, no matter how misshapen that pot may be.
James Gunn Has a Special ‘Groot Version’ of the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ Script
“I am Groot.” With the exception of one small variation, this is the only thing we hear from Vin Diesel’s Groot throughout Guardians of the Galaxy. What makes this such a funny running joke isn’t the fact that he only says the one phrase, though; it’s the fact that Rocket Raccoon understands him perfectly, unearthing complicated sentiments and emotions from three simple words. Translating Groot’s dialogue would be like un-bleeping the profanity in an episode of South Park: you pretty much already know what Groot is saying, and the jokes just work better this way.
Watch Matt Damon Recap the Original ‘Bourne’ Trilogy in 90 Seconds
If you’re like me, even after all these years, you can still remember everything that happened in The Bourne Identity pretty clearly. It’s when you get to The Bourne Supremacy that things start to get a little fuzzy. I remember an early scene in the second film where Matt Damon’s Bourne and Franka Potente’s Marie are ambushed by Karl Urban’s Treadstone assassin, and then some sort of car chase in an Eastern European city, but that’s about the last major plot point I can keep straight in my head. Was Brian Cox in the second film? Didn’t the third film have some sort of investigative journalist? Did Bourne actually ever get his memory back in the three films? Does The Bourne Legacy even matter at all?
The New Season of ‘Mystery Science Theater 3000’ Is Headed to Netflix
If someone asked me to trace my personal development as a cinephile, I’m pretty sure that Mystery Science Theater 3000 would be one of the most important stops along the way. I grew up watching the show; it instilled in me an appreciation for pointless pop culture knowledge as well as an affection for so-called bad movies. Mike, Joel and the bots may have spent their time mocking ’70s and ’80s films, but there was always an undercurrent of good cheer and low-budget kinship that I admired.
‘Viral’ Trailer: Avoid the Infected at All Costs
It can be tough to fit in as a teenager. It can also be tough to get along with your siblings. And if it turns out that your sibling is infected by some kind of psychotic worm virus that makes her want to murder you in your sleep? Maybe you find someone else to give her graduation ticket to.
John Malkovich to Star in Comic-Con Comedy ‘Supercon’
In the old days, it used to be that an actor who Hollywood had deemed past his or her prime would be relegated to television or low-budget superhero movies. It’s funny how far we’ve come. Nowadays, both television and superheroes are big business, and actors in the final third of their career are one more step removed, playing the once-famous people who used to be in television or low-budget superhero movies.
Roland Emmerich is Already Talking About ‘Independence Day 3’
The box office results for Independence Day: Resurgence may not be in yet, but that hasn’t prevented director Roland Emmerich from talking sequels. According to a recent interview with Empire (via /Film), Emmerich has plans to send Earth’s most Goldblum-y defenders out among the stars.
Sony Is Planning A ‘Spider-Man’ Cinematic Universe (Again)
Ah, our old friend, the Spider-Man cinematic universe. It seems like just yesterday that pundits were absolutely certain that the upcoming box office success of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 would lead to separate Venom and Sinister Six spin-offs. Then Marvel swooped in with their darn Captain America: Civil War and the future of Spider-Man seemed back up in the air.