Shia LaBeouf might face legal action for plagiarism

I didn't write about this when it surfaced because I didn't figure it would go anywhere, but it does appear that Shia LaBeouf might face legal action from publishers claiming he plagiarized material. LaBeouf's short film, HowardCantour.com, has come under scrutiny by publishers claiming he lifted the material from Daniel Clowes' comic, Justin M. Damiano. After the claim was made LaBeouf offered an apology saying he "fucked up" for not crediting Clowes for the material. He also offered to pay a settlement and work out a deal in order to properly credit Clowes and the publishers.
That doesn't seem to be enough as Clowes' publisher, Fantagraphics, announced they are exploring legal options against LaBeouf for plagiarism. I guess this comes due to the fact that he admitted to stealing the character for his short film. In addition to these claims, LaBeouf also admitted to plagiarizing material from Charles Bukowski for his comic, Let's Fucking Party. In the comic he exits the play Orphans and explains by stealing material from David Mamet and Tom Chiarella.

Basically this proves that Shia LaBeouf likes to read but has no original ideas and will most likely be sued for it. Good job, kid.

Fast & Furious 7 pushed to 2015

I figured this was coming.

Vin Diesel announced via Facebook that Fast & Furious 7 has officially joined a very crowded release year as it has been moved to April 10, 2015. This is almost a full year after the original planned release of July 11, 2014.

The move comes after Paul Walker's unexpected and sudden death on November 30th. Universal delayed production indefinitely to give all cast and crew, along with the fans, proper time to grieve the loss. There was some speculation that with fast work they could still make the release date because they were reportedly halfway done with filming, but in the end it seems they figured the best thing to do would be to delay. I think this is for the best because now they have enough time to fix what needed to be fixed and to figure out how to move forward.
Despite the news of the new release date, there is still no explanation on plot details or what will become of Walker's character, Brian O'Conner.

The Worst Posters of 2013

Along with the worst movies of 2013, I decided to reflect on the best posters we got this year. Just because the poster is on this list doesn't necessarily mean the movie was in the "worst of" list. It just means that the movie had a pretty bomb poster. Again, these are in no particular order.

Here we go!

Carrie
I feel like they could have done so much more for this one. I figured we would get a better poster and some point and it never came. Disappointing, but then again the movie sucked so I guess I should have known. 

Justin Bieber's Believe
We get it. He is trying to be Michael Jackson. Go away now, Bieber. No one cares. This looks like a poster for a Disney Channel movie.

Movie 43
A bad, risque poster to go with a bad movie. Nothing too special.

Star Trek Into Darkness
This was the worst of the "from behind" posters we got an abundance of this year. It is really busy and it showcases a villain they claimed wasn't even in the movie. Even the alternate posters weren't that great. Sorry.

The Last Exorcism: Part II
I think they tried to be clever, but it looks like a poster for a bad Netflix rental. I'm surprised this movie even was released in theaters.

Warm Bodies
I didn't like any of the marketing for Warm Bodies and part of it was the ghastly posters. The red on white was attention grabbing, but putting the pictures on mostly vector images was weird for me and none of them looked good. I think they hired first year design students for these. I don't even want to know who came up with the lame slogans and taglines.

World War Z
Busy, overly CGI infused posters to go along with a busy, overly CGI infused movie. I didn't like any of the marketing for this one as well. The alternate posters were just as bad.

Click the jump to see what else made the cut for the worst.

The Best Posters of 2013

Along with the best movies of 2013, I decided to reflect on the best posters we got this year. Just because the poster is on this list doesn't necessarily mean the movie was in the "best of" list. It just means that the movie had a pretty bomb poster. Again, these are in no particular order.

Here we go!

42
I thought this poster was great. It was one of many, but this was the main one I saw floating around. It is to the point and gives you a nice visual to set the tone for the film. Well done. 

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
Straight and to the point. It is a good teaser for the sequel.

The Conjuring
This is great in so many ways. There are aspects that are classic horror, but it does fit with the time period and theme of the film quite well. It gives the creepy vibe, for sure.

Elysium
It fell victim to yet another "from behind looking away" shot, but I think the machinery does assist in the poster by making it interesting. It looks a bit more practical than digitally enhanced.

Saving Mr. Banks
This is just a cute, simple poster. Bottom line. It draws your attention and hints to the plot in a tasteful way. The simplicity fits the time period, as well.

Gravity
Great poster. Beautiful effects and you get a sense of tension just from the image.

Man of Steel
Out of the many, many posters we got for this movie I think this image was the best. It showcases the new suit and logo in a tasteful way and doesn't have any distractions. By far the best of the choices.

Evil Dead
Another "from behind" shot, but I personally found this poster very effective. It sets the film up for a big expectation, but it is simple and attention grabbing and that's what you want in an advertisement.

You're Next
Although I still haven't seen this movie, I loved this poster. It is a bit busy but it keeps your attention and gives you something interesting to look at. I just like it.

To check out the rest of the posters, click the jump and take a look.

Vin Diesel officially joins Guardians of the Galaxy

It has been rumored for months now, but we finally have confirmation that Vin Diesel will be playing Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy. He joins Chris Pratt, Bradley Cooper, Zoe Saldana, Michael Rooker, and Lee Pace. Guardians of the Galaxy is being directed by James Gunn and is set for release on August 1, 2014.

If you aren't aware, Groot is a highly intelligent tree-like alien. Groot will be voiced by Diesel as he is assumed to be full CGI along with Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper). Originally, Groot was interested in capturing humans for experimentation, but after being destroyed by both termites and the Hulk he was captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. and made part of the Guardians team. Groot was also a warrior in the battle against Thanos, so he is an important aspect of this movie.

Age of Ultron receives another villain

In addition to a main villain battling against The Avengers in the upcoming sequel, we will have another villain to test the team. This villain is rumored to be more relevant to recent additions of Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch.

HitFix is reporting that Baron Von Strucker is the second villain in addition to Ultron that will be battling The Avengers, Von Strucker is another H.Y.D.R.A. leader (along with Red Skull whom we saw in Captain America: The First Avenger) and former Nazi soldier who has been altered to practically no physical vulnerability. He also possesses a super healing power which allows him to cheat death.As far as casting this character goes, apparently Marvel is seeking a physically imposing man aged 40-50. Rumors are already swirling around Dougray Scott and Marton Csokas.
Now, how does this come into play? Well, it is being said that Von Strucker is the one who brings Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch into the mix because they are both on his side. If this is true it will be an interesting storyline to see exactly how the twins join The Avengers. Unless they are altering the characters to be more of a "frenemy" situation than an ally.The other question is how this villain will tie into Ultron or to the other Avengers. I also want to bring up that most people are forgetting that we still might have Thanos in some capacity, so if that is the case this makes three villains total.

I am not putting too much stock in this just yet, but I am not counting it out. Until we get more info on the plot of The Avengers: Age of Ultron I imagine we will be getting a lot of rumors and word on the street situations.

Anna Paquin cut from X-Men: Days of Future Past

It seems as though Bryan Singer pulled what Sony did to Shailene Woodley with The Amazing Spider-Man 2. Anna Paquin, who played Rogue in X-Men, returned for a cameo in X-Men: Days of Future Past along with many other former X-Men cast members. However, we learned that Paquin's only scene in the upcoming film has reached the cutting room floor. We will have to wait for the special features to see what role Rogue played in Days of Future Past.

Paquin's scene was filmed very early in production and the rescue scene cut from the final edit also featured Ian McKellen, Patrick Stewart, and Shawn Ashmore. Singer emphasized that cutting the scene had nothing to do with performance quality, but due to the fact that he felt the scene became too long. Nothing but a tough break.

X-Men: Days of Future Past is set for release on May 27, 2014.

First Academy Award teaser feat. Ellen DeGeneres

X-Men: Apocalypse brings in X2 writers

Bryan Singer is busy developing the next X-Men movie, X-Men: Apocalypse, despite X-Men: Days of Future Past not coming out until 2014. Singer has brought in X2 writers Mike Dougherty and Dan Harris to join Days of Future Past writer Simon Kinberg to develop the Apocalypse story.

We still have no details on what exactly this movie will focus on, but there is a lot of speculation the movie will focus on the Apocalypse storyline of En Sabah Nur's origin in Egypt. If you are unfamiliar with the Age of Apocalypse arc, basically it is another time traveling story where Professor X is killed before forming the X-Men. Apocalypse conquers the world and mutants become the superior and dominant species. Magneto brings the X-Men together to defeat Apocalypse and restores the original timeline. In a way I think this new movie could be a direct continuation to Days of Future Past seeing that both ideas are related to time travel.

We shall see! 

Joaquin Phoenix to be in Batman vs. Superman?

Rumor has it that Joaquin Phoenix is being sought after for a villain role in Batman vs. Superman. Warner Bros. and Zack Snyder are setting the bar pretty high by chasing another Oscar nominated actor for a lead antagonist role.

Now... along with this there is already a lot of speculation that Phoenix could be Lex Luthor. Just throwing that out there. Recently Jason Momoa and Callan Mulvey have been considered for antagonist roles, but apparently neither of them would be playing a major villain such as Luthor. The easter eggs in Man of Steel do suggest that Luthor is a part of this new DC Universe so this is very plausible. However, I don't know if I would necessarily pick Phoenix for Lex Luthor.
Even with that said, there is no guarantee that even if the offer is extended that he will bite. Phoenix has been more focused on character driven roles recently such as the roles in The Master and Her. He got an Oscar nomination for The Master and many are speculating that he could get another one for Her. Previously he's been nominated for Walk the Line and Gladiator. He has also been nominated for Golden Globes, BAFTA's, and even won a Grammy award. The point is, why would he consider starring in a comic book movie?

Money could play a factor and the mostly positive feedback from Man of Steel, but in the end I think this is a long shot. He's too high caliber for something like this, imo. Not to mention the fact that Warner Bros. doesn't know what the hell they're doing with this DC Universe.

What do you think? Is this your Lex Luthor?

[Updated] Paul Rudd in talks for Ant-Man

So it appears the rumors were true. Paul Rudd is apparently in very early talks to play Ant-Man in the upcoming Marvel film. Hank Pym (aka, Ant-Man) is being brought to us by Edgar Wright on July 31, 2015.

It was originally rumored that Simon Pegg was being considered for the role, but those were shot down after word got out that Wright was leaning towards Rudd for the lead role. Rudd's direct competition was Joseph Gordon-Levitt who just signed on to direct and star in an adaptation of Sandman. It is assumed that Hank Pym will be dealing with the backlash of The Avengers: Age of Ultron seeing that the sequel opens just three months prior to Ant-Man. There are no plot details as of now and no villain set, but it has been said that the main villain from Age of Ultron will not play a part in Ant-Man.
In the comic world, Pym was a founder of The Avengers along with his girlfriend, Janet Van Dyne (aka, Wasp). In the cinematic universe it appears he will be joining the party a little late as we already have Thor, Iron Man, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, and Hulk in the group. However, I wouldn't be surprised if they add in a Pym cameo seeing that Ultron is his own creation. Either that or Ultron will ultimately be saved until The Avengers 3.

[UPDATE] Marvel has confirmed that Paul Rudd will play Ant-Man. The studio says this deal has been finalized for quite sometime, it just hadn't been officially released. They also cited that Rudd has been their frontrunner since Wright's film was approved.
After letting this sink in a bit, I don't think Paul Rudd will do a bad job. Similar to the other heroes they have a decent mixture of comedy and seriousness and Paul Rudd is great at balancing both. Welcome aboard, Paul.

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes - First Trailer

Holy shit. Those apes look fantastic.

Frank Darabont sues AMC over The Walking Dead

Frank Darabont, the ex-showrunner for AMC's The Walking Dead, has decided to file a lawsuit against AMC over the show's profits. Darabont is accusing AMC of "self dealing" the show's profits by setting low license fees affecting the compensation for those involved. He is also claiming he was wrongfully terminated by AMC and says he should continue to receive a credit as "executive producer" for The Walking Dead, Talking Dead, and the upcoming spin-off by Robert Kirkman. AMC declined comments, but Darabont and his agency, CAA, are asking for a monetary settlement.

There is a slim chance this will go to trial. It is likely that AMC will settle out of court and give Darabont a cash settlement. This isn't uncommon with television shows due to the relaxed syndication laws passed in 1995. Examples of previous cases include:

Home Improvement producers suing Disney
Alan Alda (M*A*S*H*) sued 20th Century Fox
Will & Grace creators sued NBC
Smallville producers sued Warner Bros.

All claims were that the studios did not distribute the money properly. The main difference with this case by Darabont against AMC is he was fired while the season was still running and is including the grievance in the case. In Darabont's original contract, AMC stated that The Walking Dead would be produced by an outside company and he would receive up to 12% compensation from the company. However, AMC decided to self-produce the show and as a result, they decided to self-deal the profits. The contract also included protection against self-dealing profit margins.
The wrongful termination is the clincher, imo. When Darabont was renewed as showrunner, AMC included a lock on him for seasons two and three along with a pay raise. Darabont was suddenly terminated from the show and the suit claims it was to avoid paying him the promised salary per episode and to prevent another pay raise after the third season was over.

AMC should the thanking Darabont. He gave them the best show in the network's history both profit wise and in viewership.

American Horror Story to drop hints about Season 4

Word has it that there will be some hints dropped about the upcoming fourth season of American Horror Story. When Coven returns in January, pay attention to the episode because we are supposed to get a hint regarding the theme to the next season. Here is all the info we have on what to look for:

It will not take place in modern times.
The clue will hint to its theme and setting.
Filming is set to take place in Santa Fe or New Orleans.

That's all we have, folks. FX has renewed American Horror Story for 13 episodes to air in Fall 2014. I would assume around the same time in October.

Any guesses for the theme of season 4? I am still pulling for a cult theme, but I don't know if it will happen. All I ask is they don't go for vampires. I am so sick of vampires.

22 Jump Street - First Trailer

Here's to hoping you have a YouTube account because the trailer is redband.