Ben Affleck Batman Portrait
DC Comics has released that latest image of Ben Affleck as Batman for the upcoming Batman v Superman Dawn of Justice. The image below is a pretty intimate snap, getting so close you can practically touch the neatly stubbled chin dimple. It also follows the classic Batman motif of brooding in the darkness. Though someone should probably warn Affleck that this time unlike Daredevil he is atually allowed to open his eyes.
Fifty Shades Of Grey Trailer
Here’s the first official trailer for the film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey, the infamous ‘Mommy Porn’ page turner that has sold over 100 million copies in 51 languages, making it one of the biggest and fastest-selling book series ever.
The trailer teases audiences with a first glimpse inside Christian Grey’s world of wealth, success, power and kinky secrets. Check it out for yourself below:
Hercules Review
The Plot
Brett Ratner and Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson bring a new version of half-man half-God all muscle Hercules to the big screen. With his stories being spread across the land, Hercules (Johnson) is hired by Lord Cotys (John Hurt) to bring down King Eurystheus (Joseph Fiennes) with a small army of men and his loyal companions.
The Good
Brett Ratner is known mostly these days for directing the third and what most fans perceive as the worst instalment of the original X-Men Trilogy, The Last Stand. His work on Tower Heist and Movie 43 certainly didn’t help people forget this. With Hercules though, he seems to be going in the right direction. Ratner could very well have the beginnings of a franchise on his hands if Hercules does well, and at parts it deserves to do well.
The casting of Dwayne Johnson as the titular hero is a fantastic decision and Johnson proves it within the opening segment. Coming face to face with a lion, Johnson gives us a reason to believe he was born to play Hercules. And his humungous muscles certainly help. The most interesting part of Ratners new take on the old tale is the way in which he manages to dissect it and turn it into something completely different in a way. Instead of simply labelling Hercules as a God, Ryan Condal and Evan Siliotopoulos’ script brings an air of mystery surrounding the character. Is he a God or are his collection of heroic stories simply there to impress his fans and scare his foes?
A supporting cast of Ian McShane, Rufus Sewell, Aksel Hennie, Ingrid Bolso Berdal and Reece Ritchie turns Hercules from a one man hero into a team of renegades who band together to create the legend of Hercules and both characters and actors seem to have no problems with him being the main attraction. For while McShane’s character Amphiaraus in particular has some stand out moments, it really is Johnsons film.
Plenty of action makes sure that you won’t get too bored with Hercules even if his adversaries don’t really stand a chance against him.
The Bad
Humanizing Hercules in a way lowers the character at points. The demi-god lie teeters a touch too much on the human side eventually, leaving the air of mystery surrounding his past to disappear slowly along with some interest in the character. The film tries to counter-act this at one point by attempting to send the message that anyone can be a hero and using Hercules as their example. Which is all well and good except for the tiny niggling fact that Dwayne Johnson has something the average cinemagoer will probably not. Put any other person in the same situations that Johnson faces throughout the film and their lack of muscles will most definitely hinder them slightly. After all Dwayne Johnson wasn’t called the Rock ironically!
The Ugly Truth
Brett Ratner is definitely making eager strides to redeem himself from being simply known as the man who nearly ruined X-Men with Hercules. With a neat twist on the old tale and enough humour, action and Dwayne Johnson to keep audiences entertained, a sequel/franchise is definitely not the worst idea…
Guardians Of The Galaxy World Premiere Pictures
Marvel Studios had the world premiere for their much anticipated space adventure Guardians Of The Galaxy in Hollywood yesterday. Starring Chris Pratt, Karen Gillan, Vin Diesel, Zoe Saldana, Lee Pace and Benicio Del Toro, Guardians Of The Galaxy sees Marvel expand their cinematic universe even wider in a comic book adaptation that includes a talking Racoon voiced by Bradley Cooper. Check out a truly massive gallery of red carpet pics below and a bonus gallery from last year’s comic con.
The Imitation Game Opens London Film Festival 2014
The 58th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express®, is delighted to announce that this year’s Opening Night film will be THE IMITATION GAME, a dramatic portrayal of the life and work of Alan Turing, one of Britain’s most extraordinary unsung heroes, and one of the world’s greatest innovators.
The film will receive its European premiere on Wednesday 8 October at the Odeon Leicester Square with a live cinecast from the red carpet and simultaneous screenings taking place at cinemas across the UK. Stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley, and director Morten Tyldum are expected to attend the London event.
The pioneer of modern-day computing, Turing is credited with cracking the German Enigma code and the film is a nail-biting race against time by Turing and his brilliant team at Britain’s top-secret code-breaking centre, Bletchley Park, during the darkest days of World War II. Turing, whose contributions and genius significantly shortened the war, saving thousands of lives, was the eventual victim of an unenlightened British establishment, but his work and legacy live on.
Clare Stewart, BFI London Film Festival Director, comments:
“We are thrilled to announce one of the most anticipated films of the year – THE IMITATION GAME – as this year’s BFI London Film Festival Opening Night gala. Featuring extraordinary performances from the British talent in front of the camera and vividly directed by Morten Tyldum, THE IMITATION GAME does cinematic justice to Alan Turing’s vision, determination and personal story as well as his enduring impact on British history and contemporary life.”
Director Morten Tyldum comments:
“I am thrilled to be returning to London to share THE IMITATION GAME with the audience of the BFI London Film Festival. The experience of directing this film has been so tremendously rewarding, and I am humbled to share Alan’s Turing’s incredible story on Opening Night.”
Producer Teddy Schwarzman comments:
“We are truly honoured that THE IMITATION GAME will be opening the 58th BFI London Film Festival. The film, shot in various locations throughout England, tells the story of an incredibly gifted yet unsung British hero. We look forward to sharing this film with audiences across the country, and couldn’t imagine our European Premiere anywhere but London.”
The 58th BFI London Film Festival in partnership with American Express runs from Wednesday 8 October-Sunday 19 October. The full programme for the Festival will be announced on Wednesday 3 September