How They Pulled Off that Insane Airplane Fight in Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Homecoming featured some crazy stunts and effects that made it one of the most exciting films of the year. Last week, VFX Supervisor Theo Bilaik walked us through replicating Tom Holland’s movements to fill the stunt gaps with CGI. Now, Bialik is back with an inside look at that iconic show down between Spider-Man and Vulture on the surface of a speeding jet.
Turns out this battle wasn’t any kind of green screen tussle...
Tessa Thompson Confirms Thor: Ragnarok Character Valkyrie is Bisexual
Tessa Thompson is proving herself to be an awesome addition to the Marvel Universe. Not only is she an incredible actress, but she’s pushing the envelope for inclusion and equality in the franchise. Thompson, who plays Valkyrie in the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok, first suggested that we see an all-female Marvel film. Now, she has identified her character as bisexual, making her the first LGBTQ character in the franchise.
Fans started in on a Twitter squabble when one user made the ludicrous comment that a Valkyrie promo video depicted the character as too masculine...
Here’s the First set Photo From Sony’s Venom
We’re still surprised, and excited, that Sony is making a film for Eddie Brock, aka the antihero Venom, one of Marvel’s most inspired creations. Venom has always been both a beloved villain and a bit of a hard sell as a character that could support his own stand-alone film, considering what he’s made of. Granted, Brock/Venom’s journey via the pages of Marvel comics has seen him go from being an outright villain to an antihero, a complicated creature with human and alien components...
Thor: Ragnarok Breakout Characters & New Images
How good is the buzz surrounding Thor: Ragnarok? Well first, there are the reviews. Not only are people loving the whiz-bang cosmic adventure that director Takia Waititi has cooked up with his insanely talented cast and crew, but Ragnarok is being hailed as one of the funniest films of the year, period. Then there’s the fact that Marvel is already planning on giving characters from the film more room in upcoming adventures. Tessa Thompson,...
Infrared Eyes on Cyborg in this Justice League Origin Featurette
While much of the buzz surrounding the upcoming Justice League is on the big three—Wonder Woman (especially after Gal Gadot’s world-beating stand-alone film wowed audiences this past May), Ben Affleck’s Batman (always of interest to fans) and the will he-or-won’t he return of Henry Cavill’s Superman (folks, he will), there’s reason to save some interest in the lesser-known DC superheroes. We’re talking about the Flash (Ezra Miller) and Cyborg (Ray Fisher), and of the two of them, Cyborg has the least awareness amongst filmgoers. ...
Seeing Double: Meet Jumanji’s Real Ruby Roundhouse—Stunt Performer Jahnel Curfman
The second Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle trailer dropped around a month ago, showcasing an action-packed sequel to the beloved 1995 original. From what we can tell, audiences can expect crazy chases, fight scenes, and impressive visual effects. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle sees four teenagers discover an old video game console (much like how the kids in the original found an old board game) and are literally drawn into the game’s jungle setting becoming the adult avatars they choose.The use of video game avatar characters amplifies the intensity of the action this time around,...
Thor: Ragnarok Director Taika Waititi Takes on Internet Comments
Taika Waititi is a gift to us all. His lighthearted sarcasm on Twitter is a bright spot on the often dark and grimy internet and his Instagram is filled with images of him having fun with – and making fun of – major movie stars. Waititi appears to have been welcomed into the Hollywood fold with ease. Even Ryan Reynolds made a reference to Waititi’s film Hunt for the Wilderpeople from the set of Deadpool 2...
Aquaman Production is a Wrap!
It is Instagram official: Aquaman is in the can. We haven’t even been introduced to Jason Momoa’s character, but his first headlining gig has wrapped on filming.
Horror movie master James Wan (The Conjuring) posted a picture from set beside what appears to be a giant prop whale. Does Aquaman take on Moby-Dick? One can dream. Wan gave the official word that shooting is done with the caption, “Holy mackerel, you scampi serious — that’s finally a principal photography WRAP on Aquaman!!...
From Alien to It: The Science Behind our Love of Horror via 9 Iconic Scenes
A clown’s eyes peering back at us when we look into the storm drain. An unsuspecting man enjoying a meal with colleagues when a baby alien decides to explode out of his chest. A fairy-eating and eyeless pale man stalking a little girl through subterranean chambers. What is it about these skin-crawling scenes that compel so many of us to sit at the edge of our seats for the next good movie fright?
Neuroscientist Christian Jarrett says we crave this kind of entertainment because it triggers so many of the cognitive buttons evolution has left us with...
Margot Robbie Takes to the Ice in Teaser for I, Tonya
Blockbuster nominated actress, Margot Robbie, takes on the fiery and darkly comedic role of Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding in the upcoming biopic I, Tonya. Directed by Craig Gillespie, the teaser trailer provides a heated and emotionally charged close-up into the life and controversial story of the famed athlete.
The film will follow her competitive figure skating career, dysfunctional personal life and the events that culminated to the infamous violent incident with 1994 Olympic competitor Nancy Kerrigan...
How Wonderstruck Brilliantly Uses Sound & Silence to Tell a Beautiful Story
Wonderstruck, Brian Selznick’s 2011 young adult novel, weaves together illustration and text to tell a riveting story that chronicles the solo quests of two deaf 12 year olds through New York City in different eras: Rose in 1927 and Ben in 1977. The film adaptation, written by Selznick and directed by Todd Haynes, similarly transitions in puzzle-like fashion between black and white narrative and color, between silence and sound. (Read our interview with Wonderstruck cinematographer Ed Lachman ...
This Thor: Ragnarok Interview with Jeff Goldblum is Seven Minutes of Heaven
The press circuit on major films can be exhausting and stars sometimes begin to wear down. Not so for Thor: Ragnarok actor Jeff Goldblum who seems to have unlimited stamina and puts serious thought into every answer, no matter how mundane.
GamesRadar got the star to sit down and answer a smattering of questions, all of which are thoroughly and delightfully answered. The journalist poses several rapid-fire questions, Thor themed and otherwise...
Tour the Props and Production Design on the Set of Blade Runner: 2049
Adam Savage got to freely roam the set of Blade Runner: 2049 in spectacular giggling glory and it will brighten your day. If we couldn’t be there ourselves, we’re glad that Savage got the honor. He could not be more delighted by the incredible talent on display as he pulled the trigger on a real blaster and test drove a fictional snow plow around the set.
Savage, who teamed with Jamie Hyneman on Mythbusters, now runs Tested that has podcasts,...
How Wonderstruck DP Edward Lachman Channeled The French Connection for Kids Adventure
Director Todd Haynes’ longtime cinematographer Edward Lachman renders contrasting visions of New York City in their latest collaboration Wonderstruck (opening Friday.) Based on Brian Selznick’s children’s book, the story follows two kids, separated by fifty years, who run away to Manhattan in search of a missing parent and wind up forging an unexpected bond. The twist: one story’s shot in black and white as an homage to the silent movie era, while the parallel tale draws on The French Connection as inspiration for its hyper-colorful street scenes...
Will Smith and Joel Edgerton are LAPD Partners in Magical World of Bright
Netflix will be bringing the magic this holiday season. Ok, maybe not your typical snow-and-miracles seasonal type of magic. It’s more like the old ‘orcs and powerful wands in the police force’ style of magic.
A new featurette gives us a look at the latest Netflix endeavor, Bright, along with cast and crew commentary. The action packed buddy comedy stars Will Smith and Joel Edgerton in a fantasy world packed with magical creatures. Edgerton’s character, Nick Jakoby,...
New Coco Clip and Featurette Show Mexico’s Real Life Influence
Día de los Muertos is nearly here, and with it comes Pixar’s next major release, Coco. Following in the vein of Disney’s Moana, the filmmakers did some incredibly in depth research to capture a fascinating and colorful culture. Coco looks like a delightful celebration of the Mexican holiday, traditions, and way of life. Pixar released a brand new clip and featurette that give us a flavor of the film.
The story follows young Miguel whose dreams exceed his familial expectations...
Heath Ledger Wanted Christian Bale to Really hit him in The Dark Knight
It practically goes without saying at this point that the greatest personification of a comic book villain of all time was Heath Ledger’s turn as the Joker in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Ledger won a posthumous Oscar for the performance (the only time an actor has ever won an award in this category after his death), a performance which he imbued with such unhinged gravitas and psychopathic charm it stands to this day, nearly a decade later, as the high water mark for playing a villain...
Writer/Director Rebecca Daly on Exploring a Community on the Edge in Good Favour
For her third feature Good Favour director Rebecca Daly, working with co-writer Glenn Montgomery, left her native Ireland, where her first two films were set, for Belgium. She also centered her story more on an ensemble, in this case a remote religious community that’s upended when a young, mysterious man appears out of nowhere and joins them, rather than the more intimate stories anchored by female heroines of her first two films.
Daly’s debut feature was the thriller The Other Side of Sleep,...
The VFX Magic Behind Spider-Man: Homecoming
Spider-Man: Homecoming star Tom Holland trained tirelessly to do as many of his own stunts as possible, but some of them were just too epic to do live. In stepped the team at Imageworks VFX, who just released an incredible video giving us a glimpse at the film’s incredible CGI.
Holland was charmingly awkward as the young Peter Parker, and his homemade super suit gave his character more realism. VFX Supervisor Theo Bialik described how the artists made a photorealistic version of Holland that could act out the most dangerous stunts...
Go Behind-the-Scenes of Murder on the Orient Express
Director/star Kenneth Branagh’s Murder on the Orient Express is a beautiful caper that looks as lavish as the train on which the action takes place. This adaptation from Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel (Sidney Lumet’s version from 1974 is worth a watch as well) was shot on film, which Branagh explains in this new behind-the-scenes featurette was his way of making the film look “sharper, richer, more colorful and feels like you’re inside [the train].”
Adapted by prolific screenwriter Michael Green (Logan,...
