San Diego Comic-Con International is mere days away, and with it the promise of collectible grab bags and star sightings. But this year something else fans have come to expect might be missing: Leaked Trailers.
Director James Gunn, in a response to a fan’s question about upcoming Guardians of The Galaxy 2 via Facebook last week, hinted at the use of new technology to prevent fans armed with cell phones from leaking special previews intended for the diehards in Hall H.
It may be part of Darth Disney’s plan to take over the world, but Marvel’s ever-expanding movie universe has taken audiences by storm (just not Johnny Storm).
Captain America: Civil War kicked off Phase Three with some impressive numbers the last two weekends, keeping the number one spot and showing that audiences are still symptom-free of what some are calling Superhero-Fatigue.
Continue reading Marvel Enters Phase Three: The MCU Goes Infinite With Updated Film Slate
Oh Marvel Entertainment, you do seem to have a knack for casting.
Chris Pratt is one example of this. He perfectly encapsulates the cocky and slightly stupid character that is the almighty StarLord. Once you see Pratt in that role it really is hard to even imagine anyone else portraying that character.
Pratt and his amazing castmates, as well as some sharp writing and great direction made Guardians of the Galaxy a huge success, and Marvel will be hoping that Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 (which is currently filming at the moment) will be just as big a hit. Director James Gunn does not look like he is going to disappoint either. Gunn recently made a casting decision that, if nothing else, will make a majority of fandom fans insanely happy.
Continue reading Nathan Fillion to Appear In Guardians Of The Galaxy 2?
What a time it is to be a nerd right now. Movies and new comic books are popping up left and right, and it’s all getting really hard to keep track of. With the new year came a flood of marketing and campaigning for movies that are set to release in 2016; Deadpool, Suicide Squad, BVS Dawn of Justice, etc. What I’m saying is, I don’t blame you if some of the 2017 features aren’t at the forefront of your mind right now. Director James Gunn however, would like to change that. That’s why when he went on social media and gave us some behind the scenes snapshots of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy sequel.
Continue reading James Gunn Gives Us a Look at Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
A number of the press were recently invited to a special Marvel Studios event, with very little details to go on. Today the crowd gathered in anticipation, with rumors and speculation running rampant, especially considering the recent news that Benedict Cumberbatch may take on the role of Doctor Strange. Kevin Feige took to the stage to show the new trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron, which has been seen by over 70 million people. He was also there to make a few announcements, which he called “Comic-Con level news.” And he did not disappoint.
Following in the footsteps of the recent Warner Bros. film slate announcement, Kevin Feige and Joss Whedon announced the next 8 films from Marvel Studios, revealing titles for upcoming sequels, as well as introducing some new faces for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After a brief recap of the first 10 films of the MCU by Joss Whedon, which made over $7 billion, the first sequel title was announced. We’re going to move pretty fast through these announcements today, with a more in-depth examination to follow.
Continue reading Marvel Studios Phase Three: Civil War, Black Panther, Captain Marvel & More!
Marvel Studios upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy keeps on casting some big names that keeps us talking and speculating. Last time we discussed James Gunn’s GotG we learned that Glenn Close would be playing a leading member of the Nova Corps along with a rumor that John C. Reilly was up for a role as well. Today we have another piece of news that set some tongues wagging.
Continue reading 8 Characters Benicio del Toro Could Play in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’
We’ve been following the news pretty closely lately concerning James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and some recent developments have revealed a lot more of the story. Rumors and casting announcements have been hitting fast lately, so we’ll try and speed through this as quickly as possible.
The search for Marvel Studio’s newest lead actor has ended, and the role of Star-Lord goes to… Chris Pratt! Just like the title says! Pratt will be joining no one in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, the next big franchise coming to us in Marvel’s Phase 2. Still pretty early in it’s development, GotG has yet to cast any other members of the team or reveal much about the story, but casting this role is a huge step forward.
Continue reading Chris Pratt Cast as Star-Lord in Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy”!
In one of the many post-Avengers Marvel movies hitting theaters before 2015’s The Avengers 2, it’s possible that James Gunn will join Kenneth Branagh, Joe Johnston, Jon Favreau, and Louis Leterrier as the directors who made all the pre-Avengers movies possible. With Guardians of the Galaxy, Gunn hopes to introduce a plethora of new characters to the franchise, like Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, with Thanos as a villain, a being audiences were only able to catch a glimpse of at the end of The Avengers.
With a somewhat obscure filmography as a director, Gunn will be another addition to the already unorthodox list of names chosen to direct the films. Gunn is known for writing and directing Slither and Super, while also writing the two live-action Scooby Doo movies as well as the Zack Snyder directed Dawn of the Dead remake. I’m a huge James Gunn fan, and after hearing this and the talks of an Edgar Wright-directed Ant-Man have me thinking that Marvel is going to go in a new direction. Previously considered for the job were Peyton Reed (Yes Man) and Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (Half Nelson, It’s Kind of a Funny Story), but it was Gunn’s ability to blend horror and comedy that landed him the job. Serves him right, too. He’s been doing stuff way smarter and funnier than the traditional studio fare, and I hope his break into the mainstream is a successful one. 
And yes, I know, I’m not the biggest fan of the Marvel movies. Yes, I’m “that guy” who didn’t like The Avengers. And yes, even the people who claim they love me also call me an asshole on a regular basis due to this. Do I deserve it? Probably. But am I also excited with the new direction Marvel seems to be taking with its films now that it’s owned by Disney (who, surprisingly enough, makes the best action movies these days). [Ed. Note – No they don’t.] With Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Thor: The Dark World, Iron Man 3, and Nick Fury to hit theaters before The Avengers 2, I’m interested in seeing how this massive story line is extended even further. And by the way, I think the titles for the Captain America and Thor sequels are badass while Iron Man is stuck with a generic number title. What’s up with that? 
Guardians of the Galaxy is set to release on August 1st, 2014.
In 2010, we were introduced to one of the best films of the year, Kick-Ass, as well as the future of female actors, Chloe Grace Moretz. Playing Hit Girl, the infamously foul-mouthed pre-teen assassin, Moretz nailed the role perfectly and that will forever go down as my favorite performance of that year.
2011 gave us the flip side of what seemed to be the same story. Whereas Kick-Ass celebrated its unrealistic nature and extreme cheesiness, James Gunn’s new film Super revels in realism. Starring Rainn Wilson, the film follows a loyal husband named Frank D’Arbo, a fry-cook at a local diner. When his wife, Sarah (Liv Tyler), falls for a manipulative drug dealer named Jacques (Kevin Bacon), it’s up to Frank to save her from Jacques, but more importantly from herself.
To do this, he becomes a “superhero”, under the name The Crimson Bolt. He spends his first few nights hanging around dumpsters waiting for crime to come to him, with no luck. Inspired by a Christian TV star known as The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion), Frank searches for meaning in life, as well as what he can do to help the innocent people of his city.
One day, while at a movie theater, a man cuts in line to much disapproval from the rest of the people behind him. Frank, in a misguided act of heroism, changes into his Crimson Bolt costume in his car, grabs a large wrench, and bludgeons the man on the head, causing his skull to split open. This well-meaning but ultimately daft and vigilante behavior lands Frank a spot on the local news, which labels him a dangerous vigilante.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, and the only way that Frank has any chance of getting Sarah back from Jacques is to accept an offer by a local comic book chick named Libby (Ellen Page) to be his sidekick. A borderline psychotic young girl, Libby, whose superhero name is Boltie, begins hatching a plan with The Crimson Bolt, who has now adopted the catchphrase “Shut up, Crime!”, to get Sarah back once and for all.
Super, which is Slither writer/director James Gunn’s new film, is a darkly hilarious and brutally violent film about the chemically imbalanced vigilante in all of us. Rainn Wilson plays a distressed husband pushed to the point of violence perfectly, and his onscreen chemistry with Ellen Page is comedy gold. Previously sharing the screen with her for a scene in 2007’s Juno, it’s good to see them both starring in a movie together because from that one scene in Juno, I knew they would do well together if they co-starred with each other in a dark comedy. These are the things I daydream about don’t judge me.
Kevin Bacon is great as usual, playing a good villain with a particularly toothy smile. His sometimes dim-witted cronies make for some pretty great laughs, especially when they come into contact with Frank in the explosive climax. James Gunn’s directing is perfect for a film like this, previously displaying his action/comedy chops in his first feature film, Slither.
Super is probably not everyone’s idea of a good time. Some will find it dull, some will find it too brutal or realistic for a comedy film. Some will even find it to be completely unfunny with its dark punch lines and physical comedy. I’ll give you a taste of what you’ll be seeing; Super contains the funniest rape scene out of any movie I’ve ever seen. Take that as you will, but it’s true.
4/5 Bears
Grizzly Bomb 
