“Avengers” Special Effects Gurus Talk About The Opening Sequence.

In an interview with Brit sci-fi mag Starburst, Hydraulx special effects supervisor Chris Wells let slip some tantalizing details about Joss Whedon’s superteam flick:

“We’re doing what essentially boils down to the prelude of the movie,” he said. “There’s a whole intro that happens before you start even getting the titles and it’s pretty big. There’s nothing small in this movie. I went to a screening with all the temporary visual effects and it was pretty fleshed out. It’s a long movie but it doesn’t feel like it. Out of all the comic book movies and franchises I’ve worked on, this is the best one I’ve seen so far.”

And asked whether the film would be action- or character-oriented, he responded:

“I think they nailed both,” he said. “I think he did a very good job of setting up the characters based on what we know from the Marvel franchise, integrating them together with all their differences and similarities and then getting on with business. And just when you think the movie is a character piece it just goes nuts.”

He went on to confirm that Captain America villain The Red Skull won’t be making an appearance, but, “I promise you it’s not going to be boring. This thing has gone so big that Marvel are dwarfing their other franchises. For people who enjoy the comics and haven’t really liked the way some of the characters were treated in other movies, I think they’re going to be a little more appeased by this one. Especially the Hulk. They let the Hulk be Hulk and that’s great. He acts more like the comic book Hulk. It’s fun. My biggest problem with every single superhero movie is I don’t think the payoff ever matches the build up. This one definitely does.”

Read the full story here.

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New “John Carter” TV Spot Breaks Out.

Here’s a newly released TV ad for Disney’s sci-fi epic “John Carter,” which hits theaters next month. It’s a pretty good romp. Still not sure if I’m going to plunk down my hard-earned shekels yet, though.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

And the obligatory 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.”

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Twelve Movies Comedies To Watch For in 2012.

Looking for a good laugh at the multiplex? Feel like it’s been a while since you’ve had one? You’re not alone. Thankfully, the good folks at HeyUGuys have put together their list of the dozen must-see comedies hitting theaters this year.

Some are expected, such as the upcoming “American Pie: Reunion,” which, well, reunites, the cast of the 1999 raunch-comedy that launched the careers of Seann William Scott, Jason Biggs and others.

Others are less expected, such as “Ted,” the big-screen directorial debut of “Family Guy” honcho Seth McFarlane, which follows the adventures of a raunchy teddy bear who’s come to life.

And then there are those that are probably best avoided: Men in Black III; The Three Stooges (despite the presence of Kate Upton) and “21 Jump Street.”

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New International “Amazing Spiderman” Trailer Reveals New Footage.

Here’s the official synopsis:

“The Amazing Spider-Man is the story of Peter Parker (Garfield), an outcast high schooler who was abandoned by his parents as a boy, leaving him to be raised by his Uncle Ben (Sheen) and Aunt May (Field). Like most teenagers, Peter is trying to figure out who he is and how he got to be the person he is today. Peter is also finding his way with his first high school crush, Gwen Stacy (Stone), and together, they struggle with love, commitment, and secrets. As Peter discovers a mysterious briefcase that belonged to his father, he begins a quest to understand his parents’ disappearance – leading him directly to Oscorp and the lab of Dr Curt Connors (Ifans), his father’s former partner. As Spider-Man is set on a collision course with Connors’ alter-ego, The Lizard, Peter will make life-altering choices to use his powers and shape his destiny to become a hero.”
(Via HeyUGuys)

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Dwayne Johnson Talks “GI Joe: Retaliation”

The folks at ComingSoon sat down to talk with Dwayne Johnson, who stars in the upcoming sequel to 2010’s “GI Joe.”

In the interview, the former professional wrestler (who hails from Pennsylvania) discusses why he’s honored to have his own GI Joe action figure.

I’m still not entirely sure why Hollywood felt that a sequel to the first movie, which was a hot mess, was necessary. But they’re not paying me to make these decisions.

Vodpod videos no longer available.

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New “Lone Ranger” Set Photos.

Here’s a few set shots of the on-again-off-again reboot of the adventures of the famed masked man, with Johnny Depp, inexplicably, playing Tonto (via ComicBookMovie):


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New Russian “Wrath of the Titans” Poster Is All Kinds Of Crazy.

From the Brit Film Site, HeyUGuys, here’s a look at the Russian-language poster for the upcoming sequel to the 2010 reboot of the swords-and-sandals adventure starring Sam Worthington:

Here’s a synopsis:

“A decade after his heroic defeat of the monstrous Kraken, Perseus—the demigod son of Zeus—is attempting to live a quieter life as a village fisherman and the sole parent to his 10-year old son, Helius.
Meanwhile, a struggle for supremacy rages between the gods and the Titans. Dangerously weakened by humanity’s lack of devotion, the gods are losing control of the imprisoned Titans and their ferocious leader, Kronos, father of the long-ruling brothers Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. The triumvirate had overthrown their powerful father long ago, leaving him to rot in the gloomy abyss of Tartarus, a dungeon that lies deep within the cavernous underworld.
Perseus cannot ignore his true calling when Hades, along with Zeus’ godly son, Ares (Edgar Ramírez), switch loyalty and make a deal with Kronos to capture Zeus. The Titans’ strength grows stronger as Zeus’ remaining godly powers are siphoned, and hell is unleashed on earth.
Enlisting the help of the warrior Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike), Poseidon’s demigod son, Argenor (Toby Kebbell), and fallen god Hephaestus (Bill Nighy), Perseus bravely embarks on a treacherous quest into the underworld to rescue Zeus, overthrow the Titans and save mankind.

Wrath of the Titans” opens next month.

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Michael Bay To Direct Next Transformers Flick, Will Reboot Franchise.

Actress Megan Fox: the only thing the "Transformers'" franchise ever had going for it.

Oh … hurray. Maybe if we’re really lucky it’ll be in 3D, as well.

Via an MTV News interview with producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura comes this soul-destroying report:

“Michael’s going to direct it and it will be in the summer of 2014,” Bonaventura confirmed in an interview with MTV News. “He’s a cool customer, he’s excited and I think the challenge there is that we are really are going to do a reboot and what that’s going to be we don’t even know yet.”

On Jason Statham casting rumors: “No, it’s so silly. We’ve got to get a story first.”

On whether it’s a reboot: “It’s a hybrid. I’m not involved with Spider-Man, but what I perceive Spider-Man to be is a redoing of the whole thing. It’s [Transformers] not. It’s an evolution, there’s still continuity that’s going on and yet there will be a lot of new cast and whether there will be anyone from the old cast we don’t even know yet. It’s going to be a whole new story. The characters who will come along will be Optimus and Bumblebee I’m sure.”

(via ComicBookMovie)

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First Look: Whit Stillman’s “Damsels in Distress” Trailer

If you’re like me and you loved director Whit Stillman’s “Metropolitan,” and “Barcelona,” then you’re over the moon about the fact that he has a new movie out for the first time in a decade.

Here’s the trailer for “Damsels in Distress.” Adam Brody, Greta Gerwig and Analeigh Tipton star.

Here’s the synopsis:

“A trio of beautiful girls set out to revolutionize life at a grungy American university – the dynamic leader Violet Wister, principled Rose and sexy Heather. They welcome transfer student Lily into their group, which seeks to help severely depressed students with a program of good hygiene and musical dance numbers. The girls become romantically entangled with a series of men – including smooth Charlie, dreamboat Xavier, the mad frat pack of Frank and Thor – who threaten the girls’ friendship and sanity.”

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New John Carter Featurette Reveals Movie Secrets

Here’s a featurette from Disney’s upcoming “John Carter” which gets its U.S. and overseas release on March 9. It comes courtesy of our pals at HeyUGuys:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

And here’s a synopsis for those of you unfamiliar with the film:

“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.”

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