I really wish that Mystery Men was a better movie. Released in 1999, Kinka Usher‘s loose adaptation of some of the comics of Bob Burden is a great example of where the comic book movie was in the days immediately after the release of Joel Schumacher’s Batman movies and before X-Men helped turn around the cinematic profile of comic book stories.
Which is to say: it is broad, weird, over-stylized and neither totally stupid nor particularly smart. It has a better cast than you’d expect (Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, William H. Macy,, Janeane Garofalo, Eddie Izzard, Paul Reubens, Geoffrey Rush, Claire Forlani, Tom Waits) and some definite highlights as a set of misfit heroes assemble a funhouse Avengers to rescue another hero.
The film also has one weird thing that few people in 1999 would have noticed, but which is a lot more attention-getting now: a super-brief cameo from director Michael Bay. Read More »
.
Please Recommend /Film on Facebook
Two big-shot feature filmmakers are headed to the small screen, albeit in two very different capacities. Michael Bay will executive produce Starz’ pirate adventure Black Sails, while David Cronenberg is set to guest star on Syfy’s time-travel thriller Rewind. Also after the jump:
- Go behind the scenes of Breaking Bad‘s fifth season
- The first set photo from Season 7 of AMC’s Dexter drops
- The CW’s Arrow is virtually “a lock” for pick-up
- January Jones says to expect more “Fat Betty” on Mad Men
- The BBC orders a brand-new zombie drama
Read More »
Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson was initially famous for his presence and swagger in the wrestling ring, and for his goofy but memorable tagline “can you smell what The Rock is cooking?”
As an actor the guy has taken a few steps beyond that initial image (only a few) but now Michael Bay is bringing him right back to that original question. In a new set photo from Pain and Gain, Bay’s ‘ripped from the headlines’ movie in which a couple juiceheads kidnap a local businessman, the Rock is cooking something crazy. See the full image below. Read More »
Yesterday at noon, a text message popped up on my phone: “TF has soft opened. Wanna go?” And with that, I put all of my scheduled work on hold. I jumped in a car and was off to Universal City. Transformers: The Ride doesn’t open at Universal Studios Hollywood until May 25th 2012, but yesterday the theme park was running a technical rehearsal.
Theme parks usually hold grand opening celebrations, complete a red carpet with celebrities and the usual group of press folk. And after that, on an advertised date, the masses go at it. But before any of that can happen, theme parks hold “soft launches”. This usually begins with employee nights, allowing workers at the theme park to test out the new attraction. After that, they open the ride on select days and hours to annual pass-holders, and sometimes later, the general public. The point of these previews are to test the rides against large groups, to fine tune the technology and hopefully spot problems before the real advertised grand opening.
After the jump you can read my reaction and watch a video blog I recorded after experiencing the ride alongside /Film correspondent and theme park expert Reza Lackey. I have also included an image gallery featuring photos from outside the attraction and inside the queue.
Read More »
Imagine what would happen if the 3D rerelease of Titanic was so profitable that James Cameron employed George Lucas, Michael Bay and JJ Abrams to create a Super 3D version of the film to give audiences an updated 4D experience. This is the premise of a funny youtube video which has been going viral this week. Watch it now embedded after the jump.
Read More »
Posted on Friday, April 6th, 2012 by Angie Han
Earlier this week, we got our first look at a beefed-up Mark Wahlberg on the set of Pain & Gain, Michael Bay‘s relatively low-budget ($20 million) true crime black comedy, but his co-star Dwayne Johnson was nowhere to be seen. Now we also have a glimpse of Johnson in character, and Wahlberg may be wishing we didn’t. Because as buff as Wahlberg is, pretty much everyone looks shrimpy standing next to the 6’5″ former wrestling star.
As Wahlberg and Johnson push their bodies to ever more impressive levels of muscularity, however, the project’s also added another actor who doesn’t fit into the bodybuilding mold. Ken Jeong, who previously starred in Bay’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon, has just boarded the cast in a mysterious role. More after the jump.
Read More »
Posted on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012 by Angie Han
We’ve been dying to know just how in the hell Michael Bay‘s Pain and Gain would turn out, because the $20 million black comedy sounds so far out of the Transformers director’s usual wheelhouse. While we’ll have to wait a few more months for a proper trailer to get a better sense of whether or not Bay actually nails the alleged “Pulp Fiction meets Fargo” tone, the first photos of Mark Wahlberg on set as bodybuilder-turned-kidnapper Daniel Lugo have hit the web. Wahlberg doesn’t exactly look Schwarzenegger-in-his-prime buff here, but he looks pretty beefy nonetheless.
The snapshots also offer a glimpse of Rob Corddry as another former bodybuilder, though I’m a little disappointed to report that the comedic star doesn’t look any more bulked up than usual. Check out the photos after the jump.
Read More »
This week, Dave, Devindra, and Adam discuss the pleasures of texting in a theater, praise the wonders of Clone High and The Raid: Redemption, and compare Battle Royale to The Hunger Games (because nobody’s ever mentioned their similarities ever!). Tasha Robinson joins us from AV Club.
You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. We’ll most likely be reviewing Goon next week. /Filmcast live broadcasts won’t be regular the next few months, but follow Dave on Twitter to see when we’ll be broadcasting next!
Download or Play Now in your Browser:
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Subscribe to the /Filmcast:
Read More »
