Mockingjay: Part 2 - First Teaser

We have our first look at the war moving into the Capitol in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2... and it looks pretty awesome.

Jennifer Lawrence to exit X-Men franchise

I hope you all enjoy X-Men: Apocalypse because after that installment the X-Men universe will lose Jennifer Lawrence. The actress confirmed that Apocalypse will be her last appearance as Mystique in Fox's longstanding X-Men franchise. Lawrence first appeared as the blue mutant in X-Men: First Class back in 2011. She returned for X-Men: Days of Future Past last year. Personally, I have really enjoyed what she's brought to the character so it's sad to see her go.

X-Men: Apocalypse is proving to be fairly interesting so far. Knowing now that it will be the last we see of Lawrence, it is also going to be just the second X-Men film not to feature Patrick Stewart or Ian McKellen. Bryan Singer is returning to direct and we will see new additions Oscar Isaac, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Tye Sheridan, Sophie Turner, and Alexandra Shipp. It's set to open in theaters May 27, 2016.

New trailer for Mockingjay - Part 1

I think after this trailer I'm done, but we shall see.

New poster for Mockingjay - Part 1

I like this one a lot more than the previous one. It's much better than the Catching Fire posters, too.

Jennifer Lawrence in talks for The Hateful Eight

After a lot of issues and a previous script leak, Quentin Tarantino did decide to bring The Hateful Eight to theaters. Word has it now that Oscar-winner and Hunger Games alum, Jennifer Lawrence, is in negotiations to star in the upcoming Western.

One thing we know is only one member of the "Hateful Eight" is a female and that is the role of Daisy Domergue (aka, The Prisoner). During the live read of the script a couple months ago, the role was read by Amber Tamblyn and Zoe Bell. However, after the internet leak of the script there have been a lot of revisions so it's possible the role Lawrence is up for is someone else or a brand new character.
Other cast members that have been rumored so far include frequent Tarantino collaborators, Michael Madsen and Samuel L. Jackson, along with Kurt Russell, Bruce Dern, and James Remar.

This would be an exciting casting choice, but Lawrence's involvement could very well fall through simply due to her busy schedule. She is still set to film additional shots for Mockingjay - Part 2 and is set to team back up with David O. Russell for Joy. The Hateful Eight currently holds a 2015 release as does both Mockingjay and Joy, so it very well could depend on when she's available. If they really want her it's possible the release for The Hateful Eight could change to accommodate her.

Michelle Forbes joins Mockingjay - Part 2

We have yet another casting announcement for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2.

Michelle Forbes, most often known for her portrayal of Maryann Forrester in True Blood, has been cast as Lieutenant Jackson in the second part of the Hunger Games finale. You also might recognize Forbes from the short-lived series The Killing and Battlestar Galactica.
Mockingjay has apparently wrapped filming already and many are speculating that we will be getting a teaser for Mockingjay - Part 1 before too long. At this time last year we already had one for Catching Fire, so the marketing is a bit behind schedule.

If you aren't familiar with Jackson, she is a soldier from District 13 who is placed on Squad 451 as a sharpshooter alongside Katniss, Gale, and Finnick. She is also tricked by Katniss on numerous occasions while on District 13 missions. She is described as a middle-aged woman who is capable of seeing and shooting objects others can't see without a scope.

X-Men spinoff being considered by producers

We have already had a spin-off for Wolverine and had planned spin-offs for Deadpool and Magneto that pretty much got scrapped in terms of the initial X-Men Origins idea. Now the X-Men producers, Lauren Shuler Donner and Simon Kinberg, are considering a new spin-off featuring Mystique.

It's no secret that Mystique has risen in popularity simply because she is currently played by Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence. She is pretty, popular, and is Katniss freakin' Everdeen. She also did a pretty good job as the character in X-Men: First Class. What's not to love?
This isn't really surprising as Lauren Shuler Donner has previously expressed interest in reviving the Origins storylines to feature Gambit and Deadpool. Channing Tatum's name was even thrown out there for the role of Gambit. Regarding Mystique, she thinks that Lawrence's work is being overshadowed by a crowded ensemble and she would love to have a film solely dedicated to her.

According to several fan polls floating around the internet, people just want a Deadpool movie. No one wants any other X-Men Origins films after seeing what an overall disappointment X-Men Origins: Wolverine was. The downside is the studio and producers don't want an R-rated superhero movie which is what a Deadpool movie would have to be. As far as Mystique goes, it would need a really good plot to pull me in. I like Mystique and Jennifer Lawrence, but she isn't really a solo character. I think it would be hard to carry the weight there.

Halle Berry cut from X-Men: Days of Future Past

Yet another victim of the cutting floor.

It was first announced that Anna Paquin (Rogue) had been cut entirely from X-Men: Days of Future Past and that we would most likely only see her on the DVD/Blu-Ray. We now learned that Halle Berry (Storm) has also been cut. Well, at least been cut down to just one scene.

This hasn't been officially announced as Paquin's cut was, but I would assume director Bryan Singer will cite the same problem; the movie is running too long. He cited irrelevance, confusion, and running too long as reason to cut Rogue out of the movie. This comes just shy of two month prior to the release of X-Men: Days of Future Past and after all the Empire covers showcasing the new and returning mutants.
Some are suggesting that Berry's pregnancy had to do with this move in the end due to the fact that she was unable to be as active as they would have liked and there was some visibility of a baby bump. Berry has already admitted to the pregnancy limiting her movement because shooting conflicted with the timing.

All I have to say is I hope the cutting is over with. If they cut any more returning mutants I don't understand why they brought them back in the first place. Not acceptable.

X-Men: Days of Future Past stars James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Omar Sy, Evan Peters, and Nicolas Hoult. The film brings back mutants such as Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Hugh Jackman, and more. It hits theaters on May 23rd.

First teaser for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1

Here it is!

This is a pretty nice change to the mockingjay pin as it shows the wings fully extended as Katniss spreads her wings as the "mockingjay." It is still fairly similar to the Catching Fire poster, though. At first glance you'd probably think it was the Catching Fire poster. There is a similarity between all the posters so far.

2014 BAFTA nominations

One week before the big Oscar announcements, we have the nominations for the 2014 British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Gravity is a surprise leader with 11 total nominations while 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle each earned 10. One movie missing that has been popular in other award lists so far is Dallas Buyers Club, so that is a bit of a surprise. The BAFTA's are set to air on February 16, 2014.

Best Film:

12 Years a Slave
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Philomena

Outstanding British Film:

Gravity
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom
Philomena
Rush
Saving Mr. Banks
The Selfish Giant

Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director, or Producer:

Colin Carberry & Glenn Patterson - Good Vibrations
Kelly Marcel - Saving Mr. Banks
Kieran Evans - Kelly + Victor
Paul Wright & Polly Stokes - For Those in Peril
Scott Graham - Shell

Best Foreign Film:

The Act of Killing
Blue is the Warmest Color
The Great Beauty
Metro Manila
Wadjda

Best Documentary:

The Act of Killing
The Armstrong Lie
Blackfish
Tim's Vermeer
We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks

Best Animated Film:

Despicable Me 2
Frozen
Monsters University

Best Director:

Steve McQueen - 12 Years a Slave
David O. Russell - American Hustle
Paul Greengrass - Captain Phillips
Alfonso Cuaron - Gravity
Martin Scorsese - The Wolf of Wall Street

Original Screenplay:

American Hustle
Blue Jasmine
Gravity
Inside Llewyn Davis
Nebraska

Adapted Screenplay:

12 Years a Slave
Behind the Candleabra
Captain Phillips
Philomena
The Wolf of Wall Street

Best Actor:

Bruce Dern - Nebraska
Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave
Christian Bale - American Hustle
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street
Tom Hanks - Captain Phillips

Best Actress:

Amy Adams - American Hustle
Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Emma Thompson - Saving Mr. Banks
Judi Dench - Philomena
Sandra Bullock - Gravity

 Best Supporting Actor:

Barkhad Abdi - Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper - American Hustle
Daniel Bruhl - Rush
Matt Damon - Behind the Candelabra
Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave

Best Supporting Actress:

Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
Julia Roberts - August: Osage County
Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave
Oprah Winfrey - Lee Daniels' The Butler
Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine

Best Original Score:

12 Years a Slave
The Book Thief
Captain Phillips
Gravity
Saving Mr. Banks

For the rest of the nominees, head on over here to look.

American Hustle - Review

After a scheme gone wrong, top con-artist Irving Rosenfeld and his British partner are recruited and forced to work for the FBI under the direction of Richie DiMaso, an over-ambitious FBI agent. Little do they know DiMaso has his sights set on intentionally bribing and busting East Coast power brokers, politicians, and mobsters in American Hustle.


I probably found this movie a lot funnier than it was supposed to be perceived, but I did really enjoy American Hustle. I admit I went into it a bit uninformed and unprepared because I honestly didn't know what the movie was actually about. I got the basics of the FBI using con-artists for their operations but I didn't really know anything else. I think it's best that I went in that way because the movie was surprising, interesting, and hilarious. I feel like if I would have known more that the enjoyment would have been a little downplayed.
As far as acting goes, the entire cast was on point. There wasn't a single actor I didn't like, even Jeremy Renner, and they all played their roles great. Out of the choices I would say my favorite was Christian Bale as Irving Rosenfeld. The overall appearance alone just steals the show. Bradley Cooper and Amy Adams both played somewhat damaged characters but they still managed to get you to like them. Even though Cooper's character, Richie DiMaso, turns out to be a complete dumbass you do appreciate him in the end. One person I do wish would have been in the movie a bit more is definitely Jennifer Lawrence. I thought her character was hilarious and it's a shame that she was only a supporting role.
Direction and style were both well done, too. I liked what David O. Russell brought to the table with this one and he nailed the 70's style. There were some moments where I felt like I was watching a movie made in that timeframe and not in present day. The actors all had the look, the environments were all retro, and the dialogue was similar.

My only real complaints are small. I am not an advocate for long movies in any way, but I think this one should have been a bit longer. It seemed like they used the interchanging narratives to sum up what could have been shown and I thought that took away from the movie in a small way. The beginning moved a bit fast and a lot of the FBI operations did, too. They also didn't really explore exactly where Richie DiMaso came from. He just appears and all of a sudden gets to put together this massive fraud operation using two con-artists to try and bust the mayor of New Jersey. He set his sights too high and you don't really understand why he did it.

Overall I did enjoy this movie a lot. I think the humor came from the subtle things, like the character's style and dialogue. I found Jennifer Lawrence very entertaining as well as Christian Bale and Bradley Cooper. I understand the award frenzy over this movie and I must say after seeing it that I think it's well deserved. We will see how this pans out when the Oscar nominations are announced.

Thumbs up!

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Review

After their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion across the districts of Panem, Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark return to the arena to fight against other surviving victors in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.


I just have to start by saying this was a great movie and a pretty decent book to film adaptation. I personally enjoyed it more than The Hunger Games and I found it was a lot closer to the source material. Obviously, there were things left out but a majority of what is in the film was in the book. That was a big breath of fresh air. Especially after The Hunger Games had so much missing and had a lot of new things incorporated into the plot.
Starting off with direction, I think Francis Lawrence did a much better job than Gary Ross. The movie itself had a much better flow and it was a lot smoother than The Hunger Games was. I also think the actors had a lot more purpose than they did before.
As far as acting goes, I thought some people did a better job while some people floundered a bit. I thought Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Banks, and Woody Harrelson were fantastic and much better this time around. I'm not saying they were bad in the first movie, but they were more enjoyable and just better this time around. Jennifer Lawrence was the confusing one for me. She was great in The Hunger Games and had her moments in Catching Fire as well, but I feel like she wasn't really trying during the first half of the movie. I don't know if it was intentional to show how damaged Katniss had become or if she is just one of those actresses that has elements she is good and bad at. It was a bit off. I also want to take the moment to say that I cannot stand Liam Hemsworth. They could have cast a much better actor as Gale. I feel like he was cast based on physical appearance and the fact that his brother is Thor.
Regarding the new characters, I thought a majority of the casting was marvelous. Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, and Lynn Cohen were such great choices, specifically Malone and Wright. I thought Beetee and Johanna were portrayed beautifully. Sam Claflin surprised me a bit, too. I won't say that his portrayal is exactly how I envisioned Finnick Odair when I read the books, but it wasn't necessarily bad. Another newcomer is Philip Seymour Hoffman who I thought did a great job as Plutarch Heavensbee, the new gamemaker. He was very believable as the character.

Now I want to talk about aspects of the movie that have spoilers, so if you haven't seen Catching Fire yet and/or didn't read the books I encourage you to come back once you have. You don't want it ruined for you.

Rob Riggle joins Dumb and Dumber To; Jennifer Lawrence to have a cameo?

In addition to the announcements of Billy in 4C and Sea Bass returning for Dumb and Dumber To, we do have some news that the movie will indeed have some new characters. Rob Riggle (21 Jump Street) has joined the sequel to play twins; "a handyman named Travis and his unstable brother, Captain Lippencott." Other actors on board to bring new characters are Laurie Holden, Kathleen Turner, and Steve Tom.

Another rumor flying around Dumb and Dumber To is that Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence will have a cameo in the movie. Reports are Lawrence spent one day on set and is apparently playing the younger version of Kathleen Turner's character. She just happened to be in the Atlanta area as she is currently filming The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Parts 1 & 2, so it will be interesting to see if Lawrence actually filmed or if she was just visiting.


Dumb and Dumber To tells the story of Harry and Lloyd trying to locate Harry's long lost daughter so she can hopefully donate a kidney.

Catching Fire soundtrack revealed; includes Coldplay, The Lumineers, and Imagine Dragons

The full tracklist for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has been revealed. It contains some pretty interesting choices, in my opinion. Check it out for yourself!

1. Atlas - Coldplay
2. Silhouettes - Of Monsters and Men
3. Elastic Heart - Sia (feat. The Weeknd & Diplo)
4. Lean - The National
5. We Remain - Christina Aguilera
6. Devil May Cry - The Weeknd
7. Who We Are - Imagine Dragons
8. Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Lorde
9. Gale Song - The Lumineers
10. Mirrors - Ellie Goulding
11. Capital Letter - Patti Smith
12. Shooting Arrows at the Sky - Santigold
13. Place for Us - Mikky Ekko
14. Lights - Phantogram
15. Angel on Fire - Antony and the Johnsons

The full soundtrack will be available on November 19th, just a few days ahead of Catching Fire's release on November 22nd.
This album is expected to do very well as the soundtrack for The Hunger Games was the best selling soundtrack for 2012. It was also certified Gold by the RIAA and became the fastest selling soundtrack on iTunes. In addition to a Golden Globe nomination and three Grammy nominations, Taylor Swift's single for the album, "Safe and Sound," won a Grammy for Best Song Written for Visual Media.

[EDIT] Check out my review of Catching Fire here. 

First photo of Finnick Odair in Catching Fire

I know I'm not the only one who has waited for this.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire hits theaters on November 22nd.




#CelebrateYourVictors #CatchingFire #Finnick

New character posters for Catching Fire

Well these are just fantastic.

I am getting very excited for Catching Fire.

#CatchingFire #TheHungerGames

Catching Fire panel for Comic-Con announced

There have been some questions about who exactly will attend Comic-Con for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire panel. We now have the answer.

The cast members attending will be Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss), Josh Hutcherson (Peeta), Liam Hemsworth (Gale), Lenny Kravitz (Cinna), Jena Malone (Johanna), Jeffrey Wright (Beetee), and Willow Shields (Primrose). Also set to attend is director Francis Lawrence. Along with the panel there will be a new trailer premiering and many websites are saying immediately after it shows at Comic-Con it will be online to watch as much as you want.

Catching Fire will have the panel in Hall H on Saturday, July 20th. Lionsgate's presentations begin at 1:45pm. The film is in theaters November 22nd.

Catching Fire set for Comic-Con International 2013

[UPDATE] Catching Fire will be in Hall H on Saturday directly after the Warner Bros. and Legendary Presentations at 1:35pm. Here is the schedule for Saturday.

 
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has been set to appear at Comic-Con International in San Diego. There will be a panel along with a new trailer that will premiere on July 20th. You are able to visit the official Facebook page and submit questions (using the hashtag #CatchingFireComicCon)to be asked to the unannounced cast members that will attend. The panel will be moderated by Fandango correspondent Dave Karger. Catching Fire has been voted on Fandango as the most anticipated movie of 2013. It opens on November 22, 2013.

The powers that be are predicting Lionsgate will be setting up shop in Hall H and that Marvel will be holding panels the same day, so get your tents and sleeping bags ready to go. San Diego Comic-Con International is celebrating their 44th year and will be running from the evening of July 17th to July 21st.

Silver Linings Playbook - Review

Pat Solitano seeks to reunite with his estranged wife after a brief stint in a mental institution by moving back in with his parents only to come in contact with a young widow named Tiffany. Her own problems and desires make his journey back to marriage and sanity more challenging in Silver Linings Playbook.


I had wanted to see Silver Linings Playbook, but seeing that I live in a lousy city for limited releases I was forced to wait until the DVD release. I had some minor issues with the ending but overall I thought this was a great movie. Jennifer Lawrence's Oscar was well deserved and I would go far enough to say Robert De Niro deserved Best Supporting Actor over Christoph Waltz and Bradley Cooper should have been taken more seriously. Hell, the entire movie should have been taken more seriously.

As far as the plot goes, I really loved the general basis of the movie. I thought the concept of him being committed into a mental hospital after a fight rather than being put in jail was an interesting twist. Most of the time Hollywood just puts the "sick" in mental wards for being depressed or attempting suicide. I also loved how Bradley Cooper portrayed Bipolar Disorder. His character Pat Solitano was a man who knew what he wanted and was very analytical in expressing why he does the things he does and why he says what he thinks out loud. He was happy but lacking what he thought made him the happiest. It was great.

For acting... Jennifer Lawrence was just in another category. Her character Tiffany was sad, hilarious, and powerful all at the same time. Tiffany recently lost her husband Tommy in a freak accident and was searching for something, or someone, to fill the gap that Tommy had left. She recruits Pat by bribing him into thinking she would help him break the restraining order his wife had placed on him after his fight. She was deceitful but it worked.
Don't get me wrong, everyone was good in this movie. Even the minor characters played by Chris Tucker and Jackie Weaver were great. I just think Jennifer Lawrence carried the movie and gave it heart.

The only gripe I had was with the ending. I thought it was a little too abrupt and predictable. It was a classic ending that we have seen a million times so that I wasn't too happy with, but again... it worked.


Overall I think Silver Linings Playbook was great. I don't really get why people were calling this movie a comedy, but whatever floats your boat. I recommend it!

First look at Jennifer Lawrence for X-Men: Days of Future Past

Pretty self explanatory.