Monday, November 18, 2013

The Good, The Bad & The Badass: Michael Mann

Last week, we took a look at the career of internationally acclaimed action icon Chow Yun-Fat. While Chow's known mostly for his work with John Woo, he'd no doubt be right at home in a movie directed by this week's subject...

Michael Mann is without a doubt one of my favourite living directors. He's certainly one of the great visual stylists working in the industry, and his movies (many of which were lensed by master DP Dante Spinotti) are influential to the point that when you say a “Mann-style shot” one immediately thinks of a man driving through a neon-lit city in the dead of night, accompanied by a cool electronic soundtrack. The other day, I was walking along the water in Montreal, with the city lights in the background, and the friend who was with me said that all we were missing was a Tangerine Dream soundtrack to make it seem just like a Mann movie. Without Mann, a movie like Nicholas Winding Refn's DRIVE would not exist.

Adam Driver Denies ‘Batman Vs. Superman’ Nightwing Rumors

After learning that Ben Affleck would be playing Batman in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel sequel – still known only as Batman Vs. Superman – perhaps the piece of news which has proven as divisive was the report that Batman’s former sidekick Dick Grayson – who in the comic books adopted the identity of Nightwing after outgrowing that of Robin – would somehow tie into the plot of the next film.

While we here at Screen Rant had some suggestions on who could play the role, Girls star Adam Driver was thought to be the front-runner, while other actors reportedly in consideration were Penn Badgley (Gossip Girl) and Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being A Wallflower). Warner Bros. producer David Alter has apparently confirmed that Robin will be part of the story, but what about Nightwing? And what about the actors supposedly in the running?

From the Set of Out of the Furnace, Starring Christian Bale

The country's economic downturn of the past five years has hurt many cities with unemployment running rampant and some cities unable to take care of its citizens and their debt. This came to a head earlier this year when Detroit, Michigan, a city already plagued by fallout from the market crash, declared bankruptcy, but the same could be said for the economically-depressed town of Braddock, Pennsylvania. Once a thriving steel town with a number of active steel mills and a population of 30,000, the town had fallen on hard times after the closure of the Carrie Furnace with thousands losing their jobs before people started to drift away turning it into a ghost town.

Now, here at ComingSoon.net, we've been to a lot of glamorous places in our pursuit of getting the early word on movies, but visiting Braddock and the set of Out of the Furnace, the second film from Crazy Heart director Scott Cooper, was certainly an experience that wasn't easily forgotten because we were brought closer to true poverty than anyone might ever hope to see in their lifetime.

Warner Bros. Releases New TV Spot for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Warner Bros. Pictures has released a new TV spot for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug. You can watch it below!

The second in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece "The Hobbit," by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug continues the adventure of the title character Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) as he journeys with the Wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and thirteen Dwarves, led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) on an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor.

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug opens in 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters on December 13.

Riddick And Riddick: The Complete Collection Hitting Blu-ray And DVD In January

There was a period of time when Vin Diesel was the next big thing. Those days might be past, but the actor has little to complain about. He’s still larger than life, thanks to having starring roles in two prominent Hollywood franchises. The first of these is obviously the Fast & Furious movies, but he’s also well known for playing the antihero Riddick, a warrior in the future who has starred in multiple feature films, the most recent of which hit theaters back in September and is headed onto Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD soon. Universal Studios Home Entertainment is releasing Riddick on January 14, 2014.

Riddick is the fourth movie in the franchise, depending on how you look at it. Two big theatrical releases hit theaters in 2000 and 2004. Pitch Black and The Chronicles of Riddick featured plenty of Diesel planning a hardcore man of action who kills people with cups and gets up to other shenanigans. An additional flick, The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury was also made in animated form, with AEon Flux’s Peter Chung on board. Not only will Riddick hit Blu-ray next year, Universal Studios Home Entertainment is also releasing a full collection featuring all of the related movies called Riddick: The Complete Collection. If you are only interested in the most recent feature film, it still might be worth it to purchase the Blu-ray copy, as it will come in an Unrated Edition.

PREACHER Graphic Novel Goes to Pilot at AMC; Seth Rogen on Board to Produce?

AMC is looking to fill the void left by departing dramas Breaking Bad and Mad Men with an adaptation of the graphic novel, Preacher.  The network has apparently ordered the show to pilot, based on Garth Ennis’ story of a Texas preacher who becomes disillusioned with his belief system after accidentally merging with a supernatural force known as Genesis.  The source material isn’t afraid to tackle themes of a religious nature alongside other mature elements, making it a potentially controversial addition to AMC’s programming, which currently boasts The Walking Dead as its biggest draw.  In related news, it seems as if none other than Seth Rogen may be involved with bringing Preacher to the small screen in some capacity.  Hit the jump for more.

Javier Bardem May Play Blackbeard in Peter Pan Origin Film

Just as there are currently several Lance Armstrong biopics in various states of development, there are also multiple Peter Pan-inspired projects in the works. The Hunger Games director Gary Ross was reportedly in talks to helm Peter and the Starcatchers, while Channing Tatum and producer Joe Roth are said to be working on Neverland, with Gavin O’Conner (Warrior) sought to direct.

The third project is known as Pan, and has Hanna director Joe Wright in negotiations to direct a script by Jason Fuchs (Ice Age: Continental Drift), with Arrow‘s Greg Berlanti producing. While there is still no word on who could play Pan for Wright, (should the director end up on board) Warner Bros. sounds confident that the project will happen, as it’s being reported that an Oscar-winning actor is up for the role of Blackbeard the pirate.
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