“Megan” Proof of Concept “Cloverfield” Fan Film
Megan is a proof of concept fan film (with production values that rival theatrical releases) that is set in the Cloverfield Universe. Megan left me wanting more.
Category: Movies
“Creed 2” First Official Photos Are Here!
The first two official images from Creed 2 are here! You can see slightly bigger versions by clicking on the photos.
Rambo by Jonas Scharf
Once a week Joblo.com posts Awesome Art We’ve Found Around the Net. As you can imagine, they post awesome art that they, well, you get the idea.
I always enjoy seeing what JoBlo has found because with each post they list the artist’s name and a link to more of his/her art. If you check it out you’ll discover amazing artists like Jonas Scharf who did the Rambo piece above. Click on the photo and you can see a slightly bigger version.
Chris Warner’s “Predator” and Craig Asks for “Black Cross” Compilation
How about that “Predator” drawing by Chris Warner?
And while we’re talking about Chris Warner, it is time for me to once again say Dark Horse Comics should issue a compilation of Chris Warner’s Black Cross stories in a nice hardback or trade paperback!
Rocky by Jesse Munoz
Jesse Munoz decided to have a contest for his Twitter followers and the three winners would get sketches of their choice. As you can see from above, I was a winner! In addition to being a great artist, Jesse is a super nice guy. You can see more of his art at…
The 50 Best Movie Fights You’ll Want to Watch Again and Again
GamesRadar posted The 50 Best Movie Fights You’ll Want to Watch Again and Again. There are a lot of great choices in this list. Using just their picks here are five of my favorites…
41. Enter the Dragon (1973)
The fight: Bruce Lee faces his last great opponent, Han, in a showdown finale featuring trick mirrors and deadly traps. Because, when Bruce was at the top of his game, the best way his opponent could hope to defeat him was through cunning.Killer move: After much skulking around mirrored corridors, Lee finally catches Han out and delivers a final blow, high kicking him into his own spear.
40. Atomic Blonde (2017)
The fight: Charlize Theron’s spy has already been through a lot when she’s faced down by two attackers in a stairwell in Berlin during the Cold War, but that doesn’t stop her from kicking ass. This fight scene is so impressive due mainly to the fact that it goes on for a long time (the baddies seem to fight through many a mortal wound before finally going down) and the realistic brutality of the moves.Killer move: Towards the end of the fight, one of the men pulls his own dagger out of his chest only for Theron to slammed it back into his throat multiple times and throw him down the stairs.
34. Rocky (1976)
The fight: THE sporting underdog story: the little-known Italian Stallion’s climactic bout with arrogant heavyweight champion Apollo Creed.Killer move: Rocky’s sheer stamina. Having already taken a severe beating, Creed knocks him to the floor and throws his hands up in celebration. But his incredulous look is priceless as Rocky struggles back up to his feet…
16. John Wick (2014)
The fight: After declaring war on the Russian mob (who are indirectly responsible for killing his dog), Wick seeks out Alfie Allen’s Iosef Tarasov in the fancy sauna room of a nightclub. He cuts through Tarasov’s security with ease, practically punching them with bullets from his gun.Killer move: This actually happens at the start of the scene, when Wick finds and kills Tarasov’s buddy, Victor in the changing room of the club.
10. Way of the Dragon (1972)
The fight: Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris put each other through their paces in this legendary battle from Way of the Dragon. Watch out for Chucks shoulder hair its worryingly prominent.Killer move: The series of kicks that puts Norris on his backside. For a minute there, he almost looks worried.
And here are three that didn’t make the list that should have…
- Nada [Roddy Piper] vs. Frank [David Keith] in They Live
- Chaney [Charles Bronson] vs. Jim Henry [Robert Tessier] in Hard Times
- A Number 1[Lee Marvin] vs. Shack [Ernest Borgnine] in Emperor of the North
Others?
37 Things to Look for the Next Time You Watch “Back to the Future”
Sean Hutchinson and Mental Floss present 37 Things to Look for the Next Time You Watch Back to the Future. Here are three of my favorites…
6. MAYOR RED THOMAS FELL ON HARD TIMES.
When Marty sees the tramp on the bench in 1985 he shouts out the name “Red,” which could indicate this character is Red Thomas, the mayor of Hill Valley in 1955. The photo of Thomas on his 1955 reelection campaign is actually Back to the Future’s set decorator, Hal Gausman.
7. THE GUY WHO THINKS MARTY IS “TOO DARN LOUD” PROBABLY LOOKS FAMILIAR.
The school administrator with the megaphone who chides Marty’s band, The Pinheads, for being too loud is singer Huey Lewis in his first acting role. The scene had an added irony as Lewis made The Pinheads stop playing his own song, “Power of Love,” which appeared on the Back to the Future soundtrack.
Marty also has a poster for the Huey Lewis & the News album “Sports” in his bedroom, and when Marty wakes up after getting back to the future in the improved 1985, Lewis’s soundtrack song “Back in Time” plays on his alarm clock radio.
10. UNCLE ‘JAILBIRD’ JOEY IS USED TO BEING BEHIND BARS.
Lorraine serves the family a cake for Marty’s unseen uncle Joey in 1985, which was supposed to celebrate his freedom from prison before he didn’t make parole.Joey’s penchant for the slammer is brought up again when Marty sees baby Joey in 1955 when his mother says, “Joey just loves being in his playpen. He cries whenever we take him out so we just leave him in there all the time.”
11 Director’s Cuts That Changed a Movie’s Plot
Jason Plautz and Mental Floss present 11 Director’s Cuts That Changed a Movie’s Plot. Here are three of my favorites with my thoughts…
5. PAYBACK (1999)
In the theatrical release of this Mel Gibson film, almost the entire third act differs from director Brian Helgeland’s original vision, which was unresolved until the release of a 2006 director’s cut. The most notable change, however, comes at the very end of the movie. In the theatrical release, Gibson’s character kills two top mob figures, then drives off happily with the female lead, Rosie, and his dog. In Helgeland’s version, Gibson is shot in a train station showdown. Rather than driving off happily with Rosie, she picks him up while he is bleeding and his fate is left up in the air.
Craig’s thoughts: I love the fact that both versions of the film are available. I have and am a fan of both. Gibson’s theatrical version is more audience-friendly, and Helgeland’s more noir. It’s great that we can have both. Special note – I love the opening sequence that shows how Parker comes back from near-dead to get the cash and items needed to take his revenge.
1. BLADE RUNNER (1982)
Blade Runner has actually gone through many iterations. There was the theatrical cut released in 1982 with a “happy ending” shoehorned in by the studio. Both director Ridley Scott and star Harrison Ford hated it, and Ford has even confessed that he wasn’t giving it his all when recording a voiceover that he called “not an organic part of the film.” Then came the “directors cut” in 1992 that Scott also disowned.
Finally, Warner Bros. worked with Scott in 2007 to release the Final Cut of Blade Runner, the only version over which Scott had complete control. It contained several changes (particularly to the score) and new scenes, but perhaps the most significant was the confirmation—or close to it—that Ford’s character Deckard actually was a replicant. Instead of the “happy ending” that shows Deckard and Rachel driving through a beautiful landscape, Scott’s ending is more ambiguous and simply shows them leaving Deckard’s apartment. Plus the appearance of an origami unicorn in front of Deckard’s door hints that he is, in fact, a replicant (a similar calling card had been used earlier in the film to denote replicants). In interviews about the new release, Scott confirmed that Deckard was a replicant in his version, although Ford said he believed the character was human.
Craig’s thoughts: I saw Blade Runner during its initial theatrical release. I liked it. Didn’t love it. Over the years I’ve seen so many different versions. Some Blade Runner fans get pretty upset arguing if Deckard is a replicant or not. I don’t have a strong opinion either way, although if he is, it creates a more shocking ending.
6. LÉON: THE PROFESSIONAL (1994)
In the original film, the relationship between the hitman Léon and his 12-year-old neighbor Mathilda was already a little dicey, what with the two of them collaborating on a series of murders. But the directors cut adds a whole new level of discomfort. In it, Mathilda—played by Natalie Portman in her film debut—is shown to be far more involved in the assassinations of a crew of drug dealers. She also sexually propositions Léon and plays a game of Russian roulette to force Léon to say that he loves her. Those scenes were in the original European release, but were cut because producers were concerned about how American audiences would react.
Craig’s thoughts: I wonder how Leon would play in our current climate. Having a child become a professional assassin would be a tough sale and definitely not politically correct. I’m glad the sexually suggestive scenes were cut. I think the idea of Leon being a paternal influence is much more interesting than the alternative.
25 Things We Learned from John Woo’s “Mission Impossible 2” Commentary
Rob Hunter and Film School Rejects present 25 Things We Learned from John Woo’s Mission Impossible 2 Commentary. Here are three of my favorites…
2. He was concerned about competing with Brian De Palma’s style, but Cruise was very adamant that he wanted Woo’s style for the second film. “He loved Face/Off, he loved all of my Hong Kong films.” Cruise said his goal was to have each film — each “episode” — be a different style from a different director. “That made me feel relaxed.”
7. Director and star clashed over some of the stunts as Woo wanted stunt doubles and Cruise was adamant about doing them himself. He told Woo he didn’t like “cheating” and that it’s too easy to spot when the actor is being doubled because of body movement, timing, etc. It didn’t help that Woo is himself afraid of heights. “I admire his courage.”
22. Cruise shared with Woo his love of Bruce Lee, so the director used that as inspiration for designing the end fight between Hunt and Ambrose.
10 Colorful Facts About “The Munsters”
Me-TV presents 10 Colorful Facts About The Munsters. Here are three of my favorites…
1. The idea dates back to 1943.
The idea for a family of comedic Universal monsters dates back to the heyday of Universal monster pictures. In the early 1940s, the studio was still flying high off its monster franchises. It had recently launched The Wolf Man and The Phantom of the Opera. Lon Cheney Jr. was shambling along in The Ghost of Frankenstein. In 1943, Bob Clampett, an animator who worked on Looney Tunes cartoons, pitched the idea of a funny Monster family to Universal. After a couple years developing the concept, nothing came of it for two decades. Even in the 1960s, as interest picked back up, some at the studio believed it should be a cartoon.
8. The original Marilyn quit acting after 13 episodes — and a third Marilyn was used in the movie.
No Munster family member changed like Marilyn, Lily’s niece. Initially, Beverley Owen (pictured here) filled the role. Midway through season one, Owen quit the business entirely, to get married and focus on her family. She would later earn a masters degree in Early American History. Pat Priest popularized the role of Marilyn thereafter on the show. However, Universal recast the character for Munster, Go Home! The studio inserted Debbie Watson — 12 years younger — into the role, in hope of building the contracted starlet’s career.
9. The Drag-U-La was made with an illegally purchased coffin.
Reportedly, according to legend, a real coffin was used to make the awesome DRAG-U-LA hot rod seen in Munster, Go Home! The only catch that it was supposedly illegal to purchase a coffin without a death certificate in the state of California at the time. Richard “Korky” Korkes, the man who built the dragster, claimed he passed money under the table to a funeral home in North Hollywood, who left a coffin for him outside the back door.
Here’s the Poster and Trailer for “Hunter Killer”
Here’s the poster and trailer for Hunter Killer.
The “Making a Killing” Trailer and Poster are Here!
Here’s the poster and trailer for Making a Killing starring Michael Jai White, Mike Starr, Jude Moran and Christopher Lloyd. Making a Killing has been flying below my radar but has my attention now!
The 10 Wildest Movie Plot Twists
Paul Shrodt and Mental Floss present The 10 Wildest Movie Plot Twists. Be advised that major spoilers wait for those who venture further. Using Shrodt’s list, here are three of my favorites and some of my thoughts to boot.
1. PSYCHO (1960)
Alfred Hitchcock often constructed his movies like neat games that manipulated the audience. The Master of Suspense delved headfirst into horror with Psycho, which follows a secretary (Janet Leigh) who sneaks off with $40,000 and hides in a motel. The ensuing jolt depends on Leigh’s fame at the time: No one expected the ostensible star and protagonist to die in a gory (for the time) shower butchering only a third of the way into the running time. Hitchcock outdid that feat with the last-act revelation that Anthony Perkins’s supremely creepy Norman Bates is embodying his dead mother.
Craig’s thoughts: Psycho makes the “twist” list for a couple of reasons. 1: It starts off with the feel of a crime movie and twists into a horror film. Bravo! 2. The twist ending is a classic and truly shocked audiences… still does.
2. PLANET OF THE APES (1968)
No, not the botched Tim Burton remake that tweaked the original movie’s famous reveal in a way that left everyone scratching their heads. The Charlton Heston-starring sci-fi gem continues to stupefy anyone who comes into its orbit. Heston, of course, plays an astronaut who travels to a strange land where advanced apes lord over human slaves. It becomes clear once he finds the decrepit remains of the Statue of Liberty that he’s in fact on a future Earth. The anti-violence message, especially during the political tumult of 1968, shook people up as much as the time warp.
Craig’s Thoughts: I saw the original Planet of the Apes during it’s initial run. I was 9 years old and had no idea of the twist ending. I. Was. Shocked. The movie remains one of my favorites.
5. THE USUAL SUSPECTS (1995)
The Usual Suspects has left everyone who watches it breathless by the time they get to the fakeout conclusion. Roger “Verbal” Kint (Kevin Spacey), a criminal with cerebral palsy, regales an interrogator in the stories of his exploits with a band of fellow crooks, seen in flashback. Hovering over this is the mysterious villainous figure Keyser Söze. It’s not until Verbal leaves and jumps into a car that customs agent David Kujan realizes that the man fabricated details, tricking the law and the viewer into his fake reality, and is in fact the fabled Söze.
Craig’s Thoughts: The Usual Suspects is a modern classic. What a great mystery told to us with all the clues right there. Then when it all comes together in the end, we’re as shocked as David Kujan.
Additional thoughts:
The Sixth Sense is a great choice, but I picked the three above because they surprised me. I knew the Sixth Sense had a twist at the end and actually figured it out early on. It was cool to see how M. Night put it all together though.
I also applaud the twist in Primal Fear. That one caught me off guard. Kudos to Ed Norton’s acting. Fight Club and The Others had interesting twists but didn’t shock me as much as the three I chose did.
Although it didn’t make the list, The Perfect Getaway is an under-rated film with a great twist ending. Written and directed by David (Pitch Black) Twohy it stars Milla Jovovich, Steve Zahn, Timothy Olyphant and Chris Hemsworth.
Monsters – “Hey, Hey, the Gangs All Here!”
Horror fans have got to love this poster! Is there any monster you’d have added? If so, which monster would you delete?
Anyone know the name of the artist? I’d like to credit him/her.
Source: Classic Horror Movies.
Final Poster “Escape Plan 2”
Here is what I think is safe to assume the last official poster for Escape Plan 2. While I like the poster a lot with the focus on Stallone and Bautista, it does present the expectation that they are the sole/main stars.
