Matthew Monagle
The ‘Justice League’ Gets Colorful in These New Character Posters
Someday, someone smarter than me — or at least better than me in Photoshop — will create a visual scale of the various Justice League posters, trailers, and images released over the past two years. This scale would also include key moments in the evolution of the DC Cinematic Universe, including the triumphant release of Wonder Woman earlier this year and the announcement that Joss Whedon would be taking over for Zack Snyder in post-production on the film. My guess? This progression of photos will show a clear and marked lightening of the Justice League images, serving as a nice parallel to the shifting conversation around the property itself.
Blumhouse Boss Explains Why He’s OK With Todd McFarlane Directing ‘Spawn’
If you know one thing about Blumhouse Productions boss Jason Blum, it’s that the man knows how to finance excellent horror movies. From Hush to Split to Get Out, Blumhouse has built a reputation as a destination for talented low-budget genre filmmakers, and the success of this past year — and the studio’s upcoming Halloween sequel — should only vault the studio to new heights. Part of what makes this formula work is the studio’s dedication to artistic freedom: while Blum is notorious for his rigid approach to production costs, as long as you are able to deliver under-budget, you’ll be given a chance to make something with your stamp on it.
Mel Brooks Calls Political Correctness the ‘Death of Comedy’
Stop me if you’ve heard this one: a middle-aged white comedian sits down for an interview and starts complaining about the things he can’t say onstage. This isn’t exactly a new complaint in the stand-up industry. For years, the old guard of legendary comedians have argued that modern audiences are too sensitive these days to the detriment of comedy; and sure, while there are certainly those who look for offense in any commentary — no matter how benign — it’s more than a little frustrating to hear some comedians claim that their decades-old material isn’t funny anymore.
Legendary Comedian Jerry Lewis Dies at 91
Today the world of comedy lost one of its brightest stars. Jerry Lewis was no stranger to controversy during his decades-long career, but his impact on both Hollywood and comedy in general cannot be denied. From his early days as Dean Martin’s partner-in-crime to his career-capping turn in Martin Scorsese’s The King of Comedy — and countless box office success in the interim — Lewis’s impact on Hollywood will be a source of much discussion for years to come.
A New York Lawyer Wrote an Authorized ‘My Cousin Vinny’ Book Sequel
With the exception of technical honors, there’s still probably no Academy Winner as surprising as Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny. To be fair, Tomei’s performance is absolutely delightful — funny at times, forceful at others, and the perfect counter for Joe Pesci’s endless barrage of conversation — but movies like My Cousin Vinny don’t typically take home Academy Awards for anything, least of all performances. That award speaks to the soft spot everyone has in their heart for that film; it may not be the most prestigious work of either Tomei or Pesci’s careers, but it’s a hard movie to say no to after a long day at the office.
Watch Tom Cruise Bounce Back From a Failed ‘Mission: Impossible 6’ Stunt
As someone in his early 30s, I feel like everything I do comes with the risk of hurting myself. I go for a run without stretching every single muscle? Hurt myself. I reach down to pick something up? Hurt myself. I sit in one position for an extended period of time without straightening out my back? Hurt myself. That’s just one of a dozen reasons why I find Tom Cruise so impressive: at 55-years-old, it’s not like Cruise is going to hurt any less after his physical activities, he just finds ways to pick himself back up after something goes wrong.
Hollywood Wants to Turn the Mooch’s White House Tenure Into a Movie
They say the flame that burns brightest also burns quickest, which might explain America’s short-lived fascination with Anthony Scaramucci. Scaramucci was a singular political figure: from his methodical recreation of Donald Trump hand gestures to his, ah, poorly conceived late night phone calls, Scaramucci was immediately the most colorful character in an administration that already featured a surplus of memorable individuals. So when Scaramucci was fired from his official position as White House spokesperson, there was a half-ironic sense of loss, a feeling that we’d only begun to scratch the surface of Mooch madness.
Channing Tatum Says His ‘Gambit’ Movie Is Undergoing a ‘Bit of a Rethink’
Are you familiar with a ‘sunk cost’ concept? That’s when a business allocates resources to get a project or product off the ground only to see it struggle to deliver; instead of treating that seed money as an expense they’ve written off and will never recover - a ‘sunk cost’ - the company continues to throw good money after bad in a vain hope of eventually recouping its financial losses. You see this happen in Hollywood every now and then, where a studio spends millions of dollars to market a movie it knows is probably going to fail. Or, in the case of a film like Gambit, a studio keeps hiring people to write or rewrite the film despite zero evidence it’ll actually get made.
John Heard, Star of ‘Home Alone’ and ‘Big,’ Dies at 72
For many people who grew up in the 1990s, Home Alone is a film that ages alongside them. When you’re a child, you feel an immediate kinship with Macaulay Culkin’s Kevin, sharing in his delight at being able to run around the house entirely rule-free. The older you get, though, the more you find yourself goggling at the actions of John Heard and Catherine O’Hara‘s parents. How on earth could they manage to leave their youngest child behind? Was it really that easy to breeze through airport security in the ‘90s? Why do I still feel so sympathetic towards them even after all that?
The Director of ‘Monsters University’ Will Make a Movie About Elves for Pixar
What happens when Disney throws a party for itself and everyone is invited? The answer is D23, this weekend’s trade show-slash-Disney party with new teasers, news, and footage from the company’s expanding lineup of Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar properties. We’ve already seen a few updates on Wreck-It Ralph 2 and The Incredibles 2, but for the sequel-phobic among you, there was also a pretty high-profile announcement of Pixar’s upcoming original feature.