The horror anthology V/H/S was one of the freshest genre discoveries to come out of Sundance ’12 , and this fall it finally arrives in theaters and on VOD. Revel in the found-footage conceit — done particularly well here, spanning short segments by the likes of Adam Wingard, Ti West , Joe Swanberg , and more filmmakers to keep on your radar — with a look at the official poster, itself a clever, cryptic spin on the old hand-marked VHS tapes some folks still have lurking in dusty closets and basements. Of course, most vintage mystery tapes don’t house footage of untold horrors like the ones “documented” in V/H/S — I hope. Over the course of six segments (tied together by a set-up about a gang of punks tasked with breaking into a house) surprises abound, which I’ll leave for you to discover. Head to Movies.com for the poster premiere, where you can view a high-res version of the poster and pore over the meaning of each VHS label in the design… which reveals far more dated tapes than what is shown in the film. What does that mean? HOW MANY HORRORS HAVE WE YET TO DISCOVER?? V/H/S will be released On-Demand via Magnolia on August 31 in theaters on October 5. [via Movies.com ]
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be released via IMAX on November 23rd. Director Francis Lawrence will make use of IMAX cameras in filming portions of the second installment of the franchise, Lionsgate is touting. Oscar-nominee Jennifer Lawrence will reprise her role as Katniss Everdeen along with fellow cast members Liam Hemsworth, and Josh Hutcherson. The first round of Hunger Games hit the $400 million milestone in North America and has hit $650 million worldwide. The film will hit the huge Chinese market later this month. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire is based on the second book in Suzanne Collins’ bestselling series. It chronicles the life of Katniss Everdeen after she emerges from the 74th Annual Hunger Games victorious, but still not safe. Even as she becomes an unwitting symbol of the rebellion mounting in the districts, Katniss never loses sight of her commitment to protect her family. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire will be directed by Francis Lawrence, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. The novel on which the film is based is the second in a trilogy that has over 36 million copies in print in the U.S. alone. “We are thrilled to continue the productive partnership we enjoyed with IMAX on the first installment of The Hunger Games ,” said Lionsgate Motion Picture Group Co-Chairs Rob Friedman and Patrick Wachsberger in a joint statement. “Our partnership on the first Hunger Games film was a resounding success, and we look forward to building on that experience with an expanded IMAX relationship on Catching Fire .”
Prometheus held the box office throne in the United Kingdom last weekend. Madagascar 3 won’t have its British theatrical roll out until the fall of all things, so Prometheus had no big newcomers to contend with in the United Kingdom last weekend. The Ridley Scott directed feature took in £3.14M ($4.87M) in its second weekend, a 50 per cent drop. Still, its ten day total is £15.47M ($23.99M), just behind the complete cumulative for Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood which totaled £15.65M, according to figures by The Guardian. Men in Black 3 has had a bit of a rough go in the States, but it’s holding steady among the Brits, dropping a mild 16% in its third weekend, grossing £2.53M ($3.92M). Snow White and the Huntsman , meanwhile dropped only 15%, adding £5.96m ($8.68M) over the past seven days
Hot dudes and with asses in air… A few thongs and strippers galore. A party in Miami, Key West or Palm Springs? Nahh… It’s Magic Mike of course and the latest trailer shows off a bit of skin courtesy of Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey — the resident hotties who will hold court in their sexiest in Steven Soderbergh’s latest film. There was a time in the not too distant past that Soderbergh said he was ” retiring ” from filmmaking, but things clearly changed and he found inspiration to continue. Good for him, since most ladies (and some gentlemen) will likely enjoy the show. By the way, there are more ass and skin scenes with Matthew McConaughey — and even a little bondage — to be had in Lee Daniels’ new film, The Paperboy , which premiered in Cannes last month . But back to Magic Mike … the story revolves around a male stripper who teaches a younger performer how to party, pick up women, and make easy money. “They also had to be able to do what we needed them to do and willing to do what we needed them to do,” Soderbergh told Indiewire back in January about making the film. “But I mean, we got really lucky. All these guys were great and have brought something specific to the movie. There’s nothing like shared potential humiliation to bond.” We can’t agree more… And what do you think of the fleshy teases? Check it out… Magic Mike hits theaters on June 29.
I went to see Prometheus over the weekend, and like many of you, I was disappointed (to put it lightly). Although a technical achievement in every way, the narrative and characters left much to be desired. The mystery I wanted solved was not the black goo or the Engineers — it was how the creative team of Ridley Scott , Damon Lindelof , and Jon Spaihts could produce a movie with such rudimentary mistakes . There have been casts of Scream movies with more intelligence than this lineup of characters. The connective tissue between the film’s big set pieces felt as if plucked from a Random Idea Generator program online; even the mythology was mucked up as the film dissolved into a by-the-book sci-fi thriller by the end. Baffled, I thought about the simple brilliance of 1979’s Alien . The 1970s were a fertile time for Hollywood. What we consider to be some of the greatest movies ever came from the “New Hollywood” era, including Scott’s Alien and works by the likes of Coppola, Kubrick, Altman, and more; these were directors who were the first wave of “film buffs” who emerged from university film programs having studied and loved the medium for years. They were awed and inspired by cinema, and introduced fresh technologies and darker and more subversive subject matter to wider audiences for the first time under a creative freedom Hollywood hasn’t allowed since. But all eras come to an end, and not every great director has a perfect score (except maybe Scorsese and Hitchcock). Even if Prometheus didn’t disappoint you, chances are one of these movies from nine New Hollywood filmmakers did. 9. Ridley Scott’s Hannibal (2001), Robin Hood (2010), and Prometheus (2012) There are two kinds of Ridley Scott camps: Those who think Scott is a middlebrow director with mediocre titles that appeal to AMPAS voters only, and those who believe Alien and Blade Runner constitute a lifetime pass. That’s not to say Scott isn’t an accomplished and respectable director even today. Prometheus is his most technically beautiful film in ages, and Matchstick Men and Kingdom of Heaven are underrated achievements. But let’s face it: Prometheus is a narrative mess, his Robin Hood was a bafflingly bland Russell Crowe vehicle that famously massacred a fabulous spec script that was intended to tell the Sheriff of Nottingham’s story, and… well, just watch Scott talk up Hannibal in this commentary track clip. — 8. Robert Altman’s Dr. T. and the Women (2000) Not inherently a bad movie, Altman’s Dr. T. and the Women is often delightful, but a bit too broad and soapy for the man behind MASH and Nashville . As an unconventional rom-com, Altman’s film retains much of the director’s trademark style, with charm and emphasis on character relationships over plot — obviously, since a magical tornado comes out of nowhere at the end to wipe slates clean. — 7. Roman Polanski’s The Ninth Gate (1999) From the director who brought you Rosemary’s Baby and Chinatown comes The Ninth Gate , starring a subdued Johnny Depp, who seems perpetually in danger of getting hit by cars, and Emmanuelle Seigner, delivering roundhouse kicks to baddies and floating down staircases. Like Altman’s Dr. T. , this isn’t Polanski hitting an extreme low — he’s just not hitting any highs, either. The film’s production values go a long way to delivering an elegant yet creepy atmosphere, but the business of the horror-fantasy plot falls deeper and deeper into absurdity with generic thriller frights. — 6. Brian De Palma’s Mission to Mars (2000) and The Black Dahlia (2006) You could also probably slide 1998’s Snake Eyes into this lineup to prove a point that, like Prometheus , no matter how technically capable you are as a visual director, sometimes the narratives just don’t measure up. Black Dahlia also carried the negative weight of bizarre miscasting (Hilary Swank, I’m looking at you), while Mission to Mars succumbs to shallow writing and absence of thrills. Snake Eyes , for what it’s worth, tries to cover up mediocrity and frustratingly silly webs of intrigue under an abundance of style and visual prowess. Movies are a sensory experience, and if what you’re hearing doesn’t work, it doesn’t matter if what you’re seeing is the most beautiful image ever shot. — 5. John Schlesinger’s The Next Best Thing (2000) This is the man who directed Midnight Cowboy , Sunday Bloody Sunday , and Marathon Man . Obviously we can chalk this one up to the Madonna poison she obviously secretes onto every set she steps foot on. Right? — Continued on page 2…
Rounding out Wednesday morning’s mostly film news briefs, Tribeca Film takes rights to one of its winners, Focus Forward heads to LA Film Festival with prizes ready to hand out, Amazon teams with MGM titles and CBGB movie picks up another actor to play a singer Tribeca Film Nabs War Witch U.S. rights to Kim Nguyen’s Berlin and Tribeca Film Festival prize-winner War Witch have been picked up by Tribeca Film, the distribution unit of Tribeca Enterprises. The film, which won the ‘Founders Award’ at the Tribeca Film Festival, centers on Komona who is swept up in an African war at an early age and has the uncanny ability to see gray ghosts that warn her of approaching enemies. Tribeca Film plans an early 2013 release. Focus Forward Heads to LA Film Festival with $200K Filmmaker Challenge The initiative announced during the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year is a series of 30 three-minute nonfiction films, inspired by a “vision of innovative people being the catalyst for world change.” Focus Forward will travel to LAFF to inspire filmmakers to submit their work and cash prizes will be given to the top five entries and $100K eventually going to the top prize winner. More information can be found here . Around the ‘net… Whoah! Johnny Depp’s Lone Ranger Lassoes $250M Budget Depp, director Gore Verbinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer had cut out some action sequences to mosey costs down to a more manageable $215M, but the dollar figure is stampeding upward again, THR reports . Amazon to Stream MGM Movies and Series Amazon Prime customers will have access to MGM television and movie titles under a new licensing agreement. Late ’80s shows like thirtysomething and film titles such as Baby Boom (1987) are among those available under the new arrangement that will last for an undisclosed amount of time, Deadline reports . CBGB Pic Tags Justin Bartha The Hangover star will portray Dead Boys lead singer Stiv Bators. Randall Miller is directing the film about the now defunct club in Manhattan’s Bowery that is credited with spawning punk in the U.S. The film begins shooting next month in Savannah, GA., Deadline reports . Meryl Streep Fetes Viola Davis at Women in Film Event Streep took Best Actress for her portrayal of Margaret Thatcher over Davis in The Help , but Streep lavished praise on her colleague Tuesday at Women in Film’s annual Crystal + Lucy Awards, EW reports via AP.
‘I was so happy that she got the role,’ Garfield tells MTV News of Stone’s casting. By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Josh Horowitz Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield in “The Amazing Spider-Man” Photo: Marvel / Columbia Pictures One would hope that “Spider-Man” stars Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone have “Amazing” chemistry, considering the two started dating after meeting each other on the set of Sony’s forthcoming superhero reboot. If the two are to be believed, that chemistry came to them very quickly, as early as Stone’s first screen test for the role of Peter Parker’s first girlfriend, Gwen Stacy. “I went and did a screen test that was very elaborate,” Stone recalled during a recent interview with MTV News. “It was full hair and makeup and with the [director of photography] and different angles, and Andrew was there. We read a couple of scenes together. We did that scene at Oscorp — ‘Why are you here?’ — and a sad one.” From there, the easygoing dynamic between Garfield and Stone came almost instantly, both on and off the set. “We got on really well as people, in between [takes],” Garfield remembered. “That was the fun stuff: In between, we’d just mess around, and I felt, ‘Ah, this is different.’ I wasn’t really aware what was happening in the screen test. She keeps you on your toes, and that wakes you up. That was the beginning. “Obviously I was so happy that she got the role and decided to do it,” he continued. “Those are the days I’d look forward to, you know? For Peter as well, because Peter goes through some horrible stuff in the movie. There’s some joy to be had when experiencing his first love.” Much has been made about Garfield and Stone’s relationship both in the film and outside of it, but the first MTV Trailblazer winner believes that screen tests are a crucial element not just for establishing a movie’s romantic leads, but any other numbers of relationships within a given fictional universe. “That has to do also with people playing your parents or friends, with anything,” she said. “You can sense it. It’s like life: You can sense if you guys have a kind of chemistry or rapport right away, no matter what the relationship is, whether it’s a love interest or not.” Tell us what you think of the dynamic between Garfield and Stone in the comments section below! Check out everything we’ve got on “The Amazing Spider-Man.” For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com . Related Videos MTV Rough Cut: ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ Related Photos ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ Trailer #2: Five Key Scenes
Before the ‘Mad Max’ star ‘skinned the cat,’ Natalie Portman, Demi Moore and more had also shaved it all off for movie roles. By Jocelyn Vena Charlize Theron and her son Jackson Photo: FameFlynet Charlize Theron made headlines on Monday when she was spotted sporting a shaved head for her role in “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The blond Oscar-winner might have been trying to hide the look under a fedora, but it was clear that her locks had been handed their pink slip. The haircut might have come as a surprise to fans of the “Snow White and the Huntsman” star, but she certainly teased it in a recent discussion about the flick. “It’s been three years: It’s time to skin this cat already!” Theron said last month during a roundtable interview. “I’m very excited about it.” To see other female stars imagined with shaved heads, click here. However, Theron is hardly the first Hollywood starlet to shear off her hair for a big-screen role. She joins an A-list filled list of other leading ladies who have also “skinned the cat.” Sigourney Weaver and Robin Tunney Weaver not only kicks ass and takes names as the iconic Ripley in “Alien 3,” but she also sports a super short hairdo. Ripley certainly didn’t need hair to hold her back as she battled alien creatures in the 1992 film. Three years later, Tunney donned the look for her troubled character in the classic teen flick, “Empire Records,” starting the hair-trimming trend of the ’90s. Demi Moore Moore went Navy chic in “G.I. Jane,” lopping off her famous hair to tackle her physically challenging role in the 1997 film. “We were involved and we realized the importance of the event happening — that sign of commitment. … I was ready for it. So, I feel actually more just liberated by the time we got there,” she said of filming the famous scene in which her character, Jordan O’Neill, chops it all off. Cate Blanchett In 2002, Blanchett cut her hair off playing a vigilante out for justice in “Heaven.” “I think you’ve just got to embrace it,” she later said of the look. “You have to be prepared to shed your natural vanity, and if the part requires it, shed parts of yourself that perhaps make you feel more secure.” Ellen Page and Natalie Portman Page joined a cult and lost her hair in the 2005 flick “Mouth to Mouth,” which she made right before her star-making turn in “Juno.” That same year, Natalie Portman chopped her hair off for “V for Vendetta.” In an interview shortly after filming, she opened up about filming the scene. “It was a one-shot deal,” she told USA Today, “and that was the most stressful thing about the experience.” Cynthia Nixon Nixon went fully bald for her recent role in “Wit” on Broadway. “I thought it was kind of gonna be no muss-no fuss, but I have to shave it every day!” Nixon said of the up-keep for the role. “It’s got kind of a five o’clock shadow, and you don’t want to go on with that,” she said. “I was always kind of curious to see what it would be like. I like it; I don’t think I’m gonna keep it forever.” Anne Hathaway Recently, Hathaway caught everyone’s attention when she sported a super-short pixie cut for her role in the latest big-screen adaptation of “Les Miserables.” The look is consistent with her role in the film, where she plays Fantine, an ill-fated prostitute who chops off her hair to buy food for her child, Cosette. What do you think of Charlize Theron’s new haircut? Leave your comment below! Check out everything we’ve got on “Mad Max: Fury Road.” For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com . Related Photos Female Celebrities Imagined With Shaved Heads
And he’s not the first: Zac Efron and Channing Tatum also got their starts with Adam Shankman. By Amy Wilkinson Diego Boneta Photo: MTV News Producer/director/choreographer Adam Shankman is clearly a man of many talents, but perhaps the ” Rock of Ages ” helmer should consider adding “talent scout” to his r
Summer movie season is here, and once again talk turns to Olivia Wilde . Olivia’s career started skinfully enough with her topless scene in Alpha Dog (2006), but (as you may recall) last summer she faked us out (twice!) with CGI flames covering her seat meat in Cowboys & Aliens (2011) and full-on faux CGI nudes in The Change-Up (2011). We haven’t heard much from Olivia since these crimes against BOOBmanity, but now it appears she’s attempting to make amends with a nude role in the indie art flick Deadfall (2012) . Olivia plays Liza, a thief and con woman on the run from the law with her brother Addison ( Eric Bana ), and according to early reviews she bares her moneymakers…for real this time. They don’t have the budget for CGI nudity in this flick: “Liza (Wilde)…in short order is showing her breasts because this is an “arty” movie and not “TRON Legacy, ” critic Drew Taylor writes in his review for Indiewire . Jerry Cavallaro of We Are Movie Geeks is less cynical in his review, saying her ” loved the hell out of ” the movie and that “the film has plenty of other great things going for it like some wonderful visuals, thrilling action set pieces, the beautiful Kate Mara, and unnecessary Olivia Wilde nudity.” We only have one small correction: when it’s Olivia Wilde we’re talking about, all nudity is completely necessary. Deadfall hits theaters September 7 , so tide yourself over with pics and clips of Olivia Wilde nude in Alpha Dog (2006) right here at MrSkin.com!
