Surprise 'Blair Witch' Sequel!

Lionsgate managed to pull off filming a Blair Witch Project sequel in secrecy, releasing a trailer and screening the film, titled Blair Witch, at Comic-Con. The movie was filmed last summer under a false title called The Woods. I'm always fascinated how something like this can stay secret in the age of social media. Screening the entire movie for people who thought they were seeing a different horror film is the type of genius move that will grant them plenty of publicity.

The Blair Witch Project was released in 1999 and became a major phenomenon, also thanks in part to clever marketing, which utilized the Internet as a form of viral marketing in a major way for the first time. The website used fake news clippings & police reports which caused people to debate whether the movie was a real documentary or fake. The rookie actors were also listed as "missing" on IMDB to keep up appearances, and the movie was filmed using the "shaky cam" technique. It gave birth to the found footage horror genre, which has died down in recent years after endless mediocre Paranormal Activity sequels.

Blair Witch is actually the third film in the franchise, as a disappointing sequel titled Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows was released to poor reaction in 2000. The third film has gotten a positive reaction at Comic-Con, and the trailer, which you can watch below, already makes it look much improved over Book of Shadows.

'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' Trailer is Here!

The first major trailer for J.K. Rowling's 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' is here! In it we get our first look at the New York Wizarding World, as well as some familiar looks at places we've seen in the 'Harry Potter' films. The inside of Gringott's is shown early on, and there are references to both Hogwarts and Dumbledore. Eddie Redmayne stars as Newt Scamander, who is revealed to have been kicked out of Hogwarts at some point, yet is well liked by Dumbledore.

Hearing "Hedwig's Theme" in a movie trailer again is enough to bring a tear to any Harry Potter fans eye. 'Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them' is in theaters November 18, 2016.

Ricky Gervais Takes On Mel Gibson

Ricky Gervais hosted the Golden Globes again this year, and of course the censors were ready through the night. He joked about a number of things from <i>The Martian</i> being considered a comedy (because a person being stranded in space, trying not to starve, with impending death on the horizon is a comedy) to the whole Sean Penn/El Chapo thing.

The highlight of the night came when Gervais met Mel Gibson. Gibson was one of the award presenters, so of course Gervais, who joked about him at previous Golden Globes, introduced him. He pulled no punches, having one long sentence bleeped out. The bleeped out line that he asked Gibson directly: "What the fuck does sugar tits mean anyway?" Sugar tits is of course a reference to Gibson's 2006 arrest when he drunkenly called a female cop sugar tits. Watch the awkward yet mesmerizing exchange below.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens New Trailer

The new trailer of Star Wars: The Force Awakens premiered during the Giants/Eagles Monday Night Football game on ESPN. Of course, its already online and you can watch it as many times as you please. Call Guinness because the world record for nerdgasms will be broken tonight.

There is more dialogue than the previous trailer, our first look at Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and more Han Solo (Harrison Ford)! There is also a version of Leia & Han's theme from the original trilogy. Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) get the most screen time, fitting into the scenery just fine. No Jar Jar Binks type mistakes there.



Still no sign of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), though it might be smart to hold off and keep his story secret. Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) seems influenced by Darth Vader, speaking to the burnt mask in once scene, but we'll find out for sure once the movie hits. Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens is in theaters December 18, 2015. It will probably make a gazillion dollars.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens Teaser Trailer 2

Nerds and nerd lovers unite! The second teaser trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens has hit the web and you can watch it below. Being a teaser it still doesn't show much, but does feature some familiar famous breathing and a look at two of the returning characters from the original trilogy. Expectations are already high, and will just keep growing with more reveals like this one.



Han Solo & Chewbacca! Darth Vader's charred mask! You can bet with the next trailer we'll see Luke & Leia, and maybe a first glimpse at some of the new characters we haven't seen yet (like Lupita Nyong'o).

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is out on December 18, 2015. It stars Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Lupita Nyong'o, Oscar Isaac, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Gwendoline Christie, Andy Serkis, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker.

2015 Anniversaries

How has it been 20 Years since 'Toy Story'?

Can you believe we are already halfway through the 2010's? 2015 unbelievably kicks off the second half of this decade, even though many of those Back To The Future II predictions didn't come true (although some did, like big flat screen TV's and video chatting).  There are also some hard to believe anniversaries this year.

2010, 5 Years Since... Lebron James joined the Miami Heat and oddly became a media "villain". Cavs fans burned his jersey, but now that he's made his return to Cleveland, love him again. Funny how sports work. The Chilean miners were freed and one famously kissed his mistress. The double rainbow also became a hit viral video, and now everyone searches for one.

2005, 10 Years Since... YouTube debuted. Before 2005 it was harder to find shareable videos where you can watch people make fools of themselves. You could still find them, though you had to search a bit more depending on which site people used. YouTube made it easy for everyone to use one site. Xbox 360 was launched, and its still going strong today despite the updated generation of video game consoles being released recently. August will see the 10th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, one of the most devastating natural disasters in American history.

2000, 15 Years Since... The last Subway Series. I mean the real Subway Series, during the World Series, not that interleague stuff. The Mets and Yankees squared off in the first Subway(All New York) World Series since the 1950's. Looking back, this was also New York in the final year before 9/11, and America as a whole was a different place in 2000. People also said "The Year..." before 2000. Why did so many people say "The Year 2000" again?

1995: 20 Years Since... Toy Story. That's right, this fall will mark 20 years since Toy Story hit theaters and launched Pixar into the huge studio it is today. Feels like yesterday when it came out and jaws dropped at the sight of the first fully computer animated movie. Clueless also came out, and perfectly encapsulates the style and lingo of the time. It was also the year of the OJ Simpson trial, one of the first times a trial became a television phenomenon thanks to cable news, and people are still obsessed with these today.

1990: 25 Years Since... Home Alone. The Christmas favorite will be a quarter of a century old. I wonder what Buzz's girlfriend looks like now? East & West Germany finally reunited. And now we get Angela Merkel pantsuits. "U Can't Touch This" was released and popularized parachute pants. Thankfully those have not stood the test of time.

1985: 30 Years Since... Live Aid took place on July 13, 1985, simultaneously from London and Philadelphia, becoming one of the biggest TV broadcasts and satellite link-ups ever. Bono sported quite the show stealing mullet when he moved down to the crowd during U2's 14-minute performance of "Bad".  The Breakfast Club and The Goonies came out. It has really been 30 years since the Truffle Shuffle.

1980: 35 Years Since... John Lennon was sadly shot in December 1980, but his timeless music and memory live on today. The Empire Strikes Back took over the world and had people waiting in long lines for tickets, which is a rare thing now thanks to the internet and apps.

1975: 40 Years Since... Saturday Night Live began, launching many careers and providing some late night laughs. Sonny and Cher divorced, which made "I Got You Babe" a bit awkward. Jaws started the summer blockbuster movie craze and scared tons of people from going in the water.

1970: 45 Years Since... The Beatles broke up and released their final album, Let It Be. I'm sure lots of people were sad, but they all went on to have successful solo careers anyway. Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin both dies at age 27, which gave rise to the "27 Club" of famous musicians who tragically passed away at the same young age.

1965: 50 Years Since... The Beatles performed at Shea Stadium and the New York World's Fair took place in Queens. The NY World's Fair was not a money maker, but still has become quite a famous event which is still talked about.

Sony Releases 'The Interview'

When the major theater chains pulled Seth Rogen & James Franco's film The Interview, Sony took a lot of heat, including from me. They originally said they didn't have plans to release it in an alternate way. They've changed course, with a number of theaters around the country showing it starting on Christmas Day.

The chains who pulled it are: Bow Tie Cinemas, AMC, Regal, Cinemark, Cineplex and Carmike. However, if you live near a medium sized chain (such as Alamo Drafthouse) or a locally owned theater, you might be in luck. Click here for an updated list of all the theaters showing the comedy.

Though there is even better news for those of you who aren't near a theater showing it, or are just too lazy to leave the house this Christmas, the movie will now be streaming on the cheap online through various sources. Its just $5.99 through each of the available sites. Visit theinterview-movie.com to see how you can stream it through your computer, Xbox or TV. Go ahead, its your duty as anyone living in a free country! 

Suck it, North Korea!

SONY Cancels 'The Interview'; North Korea Behind Hack?

The Interview, the new comedy poking fun at North Korea and leader Kim Jong-Un from Seth Rogen & James Franco, has been cancelled by Sony. This is following the Sony hack and 9/11-like threats against theaters showing the film. Major movie theaters dropped the film which caused Sony to just pull it altogether. Sony then announced they were not planning to release it on DVD or Streaming services.

Following news of the movie release being cancelled, an official from the US Government announced that the North Korean government was in some way behind the hack and threats to Sony. 

Am I the only one who finds it oddly amusing that two stoners have caused another international crisis between the United States and North Korea? And lets be real...what could North Korea really do to act on any threats? Launch a missile that would just break up in 3 seconds anyway?

One theater in Texas will be showing a screening of 2004's Team America: World Police, which also spoofed North Korea. The studio (Sony) and the theaters who caved in to the hackers/North Korea should be ashamed for allowing them to dicatate what we do in a free country. Sony is showing a clear lack of guts by not releasing the movie on DVD/VOD right away. I understood them pulling it from theaters once the movie theaters companies all pulled their support, but for the studio to not even release it digitally? That is a WEAK move by Sony. What a great message it would have been if Sony had just released the film for home viewing...but instead they've just backed out completely. We all know it'll leak eventually anyway, but still.

*Update* Team America has now been cancelled thanks to Paramount, because I guess these corporations are all scared and have no guts. Now, Sony has said they are looking at ways to distribute the movie. They've reversed their earlier stance which made it seem like they wouldn't release it in any formate once the theaters pulled it. But, now it looks as if they will be releasing the movie in some form, which is a smart decision. Hopefully they can get it out there soon.

Full 'Jurassic World' Trailer!

The park is open! Well as expected the first trailer for 'Jurassic World', the fourth Jurassic Park movie, was released to the Internet by Universal early. We get our first glimpses of Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard and Judy Greer with dialogue. The only original returning character, Dr. Henry Wu (BD Wong), is absent from the first trailer. Laura Dern, Sam Neill & Jeff Goldblum will not be in the film barring cameos that have been kept under wraps. However, Steven Spielberg was once again involved with the film.


Jurassic Park IV has been in production in some form or another since Jurassic Park III came out in 2001. Several versions were discussed and then scrapped over the past 13 years before finally being settled on the current version titled Jurassic World. It deals with humans creating a brand new man-made dinosaur which is rumored to combine the DNA of a Velociraptor, Cuttlefish, T-Rex and Snake (and hopefully the DNA of Jeff Goldblum as well). That was obviously a terrible idea, and the dinosaur wreaks havoc on the Park. So how do you stop a hybrid dinosaur? Well, "life finds a way"...

Jurassic World is out on June 12, 2015.

'Jurassic World' Gets Teased (Finally!)

The full trailer for Jurassic World will premiere on Thanksgiving during the NFL on NBC Thursday Night Football game. If you're sleeping from the tryptophan induced food coma, then I am sure it will leak early or be uploaded to YouTube before the game. A brief teaser of that one showing off some dinosaurs, as well as Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard, was released to whet your appetite.

Its an absolutely perfect teaser. The music, the gates opening up, the Gallimimus running... it all brings you back to the original Jurassic Park. The film takes place on the original Isla Nublar 22 years after the first movie, this time with a fully functioning theme park of dinosaurs. Attendance apparently starts to sag (that would never happen), so scientists start to create dangerous new man-made dinosaurs by mixing DNA (bad idea), and of course things go terribly wrong.

We all know if this were real, attendance would never drop. But this is a fantasy film after all, so we can all suspend disbelief.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron First Trailer

The first trailer for Marvel's highly anticipated upcoming blockbuster Avengers: Age Of Ultron has been released. It doesn't give too much away, but offers the first glimpses of Ultron (James Spader), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). All of the returning heroes from the first Avengers are back as well.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron is out May 1, 2015.

Robin Williams Dead At 63

Actor Robin Williams was tragically found dead in his home at age 63, confirmed by his wife and publicist.

Apparently it was a suicide by asphyxiation, and police in Marin County, CA were alerted around 12 PM and found him in his home. The news had caused his wikipedia page to briefly crash with so many people flooding to it. 

Williams had battled alcohol and drugs in the past, and recently went back into rehab this past July. He talked openly in the past about dealing with depression and recently it had returned, possibly triggering his suicide. Its sad news, and we often forget that just because someone is a famous comedian playing happy, funny characters in big movies and TV shows, that doesn't mean they can't have problems in real life just like anyone else. 

Since rising to fame in 1978 on the show "Mork and Mindy", he made millions laugh with roles in many incredibly popular movies, especially during the 90s with a string of hit family movies. However, he also took on many more dramatic roles as well. Here's just a sampling:

1987: Good Morning, Vietnam. 

1989: Dead Poets Society

1991: Hook

1992: Aladdin

1993: Mrs. Doubtfire

1995: Jumanji

1997: Good Will Hunting

1998: Flubber

2002: One Hour Photo

2006: Happy Feet

2009: Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian

2013: The Butler

'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' Teaser

The first teaser for 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1', one of the most anticipated movies of the year, was released at comic-con and is now online for your viewing pleasure. It shows Julianne Moore as President Alma Coin and Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his final roles. Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) briefly appears at the end, declaring that she will lead the fight against the Capitol. Some battle scenes are included, possibly upping the action to a new level from the first two films.

   

'Mockingjay Part 1' will be released on November 21, 2014. Unlike 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows' Parts 1 and 2, which were released a few months apart, fans will have to wait a year for 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2' to be released on November 20, 2015.

X-Men: Days of Future Past Trailer Hits

After being teased for a while, the new full trailer for the most anticipated movie of the summer, X-Men: Days of Future Past is now available. It lives up to the hype of course, and shows the future sentinels in action for the first time, with one appearing behind Storm (Halle Berry) and another shot being of one shooting something out of its face. May 23 can't get here soon enough!

A good look is given to most of the characters in the film, including the new Blink (Fan Bingbing), Quicksilver (Evan Peters) & Sunspot (Adam Canto). A striking image of the future world shows New York City in shambles, with a big hole in the Empire State Building, furthering New York's distinction as the most destroyed city on film. This is the seventh X-Men based film, and the third directed by Bryan Singer who started it off with X-Men (2000) and X2: X-Men United (2003).

Sandra Bullock Drops the Best F-Bomb

Sandra Bullock picked up an award for "Best Actress in an Action Movie" for Gravity at the Critics Choice awards. In true humorous Bullock fashion she first thanked Jackie Chan, Sylvester Stallone, & Jean Claude Van Damme for "teaching her everything she knows" as an action star.

Then all of a sudden someone must have hit a button to trigger the loudspeaker when "Choice Movie Awards" came booming out leading Sandra to proclaim "What the fuck" to a rounding ovation. The censors on The CW caught it, unlike on NBC. Her co-star from The Heat, Melissa McCarthy, obviously enjoyed it. Various times she made funny references to why it was considered an Action Film. Awards shows always find loopholes to get films into different categories, as with the Golden Globes and some of their questionable choices for in the Comedy category. Gravity has some action scenes, but overall it is more of a drama/thriller.

She also thanked George Clooney for "floating away and not coming back." Watch the fantastic speech below.

    

Sandra Bullock Cleans Up

Award Show season has arrived. Usually that tends to elicit a yawn and a big "who gives a rats ass?" from most people. And usually they can be a big fat bore fest.

However, Sandra Bullock is back on the scene this year, and nobody knows how to give an interesting speech or interview quite like she does. At the People's Choice Awards, she took home prizes for "Favorite Actress", "Favorite Comedic Actress" and "Favorite Dramatic Actress". It's safe to say we know who America's favorite actress is. And sure enough her speech was funny, humble, and authentic. 

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler are also back to host the 71st Golden Globes this year, adding a level of fun to the awards show that is sure to bring out some laughs much like it did last year. Even if you just keep it on in the background, be sure to perk your heads up whenever they come on screen. 

Batman vs. Superman and Wonder Woman

The upcoming 2015 film 'Batman vs. Superman' will officially be introducing Wonder Woman/Diana Prince into the DC film franchise. The iconic character will be featured in a movie for the first time (Lynda Carter played her in the Wonder Woman TV show from 1975-1979), and be played by Gal Gadot (Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6). Much like when Ben Affleck was announced as the new Bruce Wayne/Batman, there has been a lukewarm internet response to the casting, though not quite as much as with Affleck.

Gadot comes from a modeling background rather than an athletic/fitness one. However, she can obviously hit the gym and build up her muscle some more, plus she has been in action films before. Also, the Wonder Woman character comes from another planet and wouldn't need huge muscles to be powerful on Earth. I think people should just wait for the film to come out before judging Affleck & Gadot or the idea of the film as a whole. There still haven't been any pictures or plot released, so for now people should just take a wait and see approach. 

The goal is to build to a Justice League movie with numerous other DC superheroes joining the action. You can also expect a solo Wonder Woman movie at some point should 'Batman vs. Superman' be a success...which it probably will be considering you have Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman in a summer action movie together.

Paul Walker Killed In Car Crash

TMZ has reported that 'Fast & The Furious' star Paul Walker has died at the age of 40 in a car crash in Southern California, after the car he was in lost control and crashed into a tree, bursting into flames.

He was in Santa Clarita for a car show that was raising money for the Philippines typhoon disaster. For someone to die coming back from a charity event is one of the worst things to hear. His reps confirmed the news, stating, "It is with a truly heavy heart that we must confirm that Paul Walker passed away today in a tragic car accident while attending a charity event for his organization Reach Out Worldwide. He was a passenger in a friend's car, in which both lost their lives. We appreciate your patience as we too are stunned and saddened beyond belief by this news. Thank you for keeping his family and friends in your prayers during this very difficult time. We will do our best to keep you apprised on where to send condolences." Thoughts go out to his family.

'Fast & Furious 7' is due to be released in July, but filming began in September and likely isn't finished yet, so with this news there may need to be changes to the film. He rose to fame in 1998 & 1999 with roles in 'Pleasantville', 'Varsity Blues', 'She's All That' & 'The Skulls' before taking on his biggest role in 'The Fast and the Furious' in 2001, a series he still stars in which is still going and making lots of money.

'Jurassic Park' and Harry Potter Take New York

Ever since 'Jurassic Park' was released in 1993, we've been wondering if it would actually be possible to create one in real life. Well, this may be the closest we get, thanks to Improv Everywhere and their awesome "Movies in Real Life" series. I've always wanted a Jeep that has the Jurassic Park paint job.

Another fantastic episode featured a young wizard dressed as Harry Potter, complete with a stuffed Hedwig in a cage wandering around Penn Station looking for Platform 9 3/4. The reactions are mostly hilarious of course. When he tries to run into the pillar between Platforms 9 & 10 but goes nowhere you come to the sad realization that the movies are much more exciting.

'Maleficent' & 'Noah' Trailers Debut

Two trailers were recently released for big 2014 fantasy films this week - 'Maleficent' and 'Noah'.

Disney brings us 'Maleficent', starring Angelina Jolie as the evil title character we all know from 'Sleeping Beauty'. We don't often see a villain get their own film & origin story focused on them, so this should be a refreshing change of pace. Elle Fanning will also star as Aurora/Sleeping Beauty. Jolie's daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt will make an appearance as the younger version of Aurora as well. 'Maleficent' hits theaters on May 30, 2014. It marks Jolie's return to live action films, her last being 'The Tourist' in 2010.



'Noah', loosely based on the story of Noah's Ark, is one of the more talked about films of 2014, hitting screens on March 28. The film stars Russell Crowe, Emma Watson, Jennifer Connelly, Anthony Hopkins, & Logan Lerman. Its the first big budget fantasy film for Emma Watson since the Harry Potter series, between which she starred in numerous drama and comedy films.