Hollywood is full of “what if” casting scenarios, stories of actors who came thisclose to landing life-changing leading roles that may have had huge ripple effects through the rest of the industry. You probably know many of them: Nicolas Cage as Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings, Dougray Scott as Wolverine in X-Men, etc.
At this point, someone could write an entire book about all of the actors who were nearly cast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and one of those chapters would have to be about Wilson Bethel, who eventually landed the MCU-adjacent role of Bullseye on Netflix’s Daredevil. If things were slightly different, Bethel could have suited up as Captain America. Meanwhile, outside of the MCU, Jonah Hill was close to playing Sean Parker in The Social Network. Read more about both of these what-if stories below.
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The start of a David Fincher commentary is kind of like the start of a David Fincher movie: you know you’re in store for something good. Sometimes after listening to hours upon hours of commentary tracks, I question how I spend my time, but listening to Fincher’s commentaries is always time well spent. He’s concise and candid, he’s as funny as his movies, and he’s a great storyteller. The co-founder of Propaganda Films is completely open about his choices and how a scene and film was put together, and never attempts to preserve some sense of mystery about his work.
Everything you’d want to know about one of Fincher’s movies can be learned in one of his commentary tracks, which are usually joined by other excellent and informative bonus features, including a highly reccomended Panic Room commentary featuring screenwriter William Goldman. Audio commentaries don’t get much better than Fincher’s, though, so if you’ve yet to listen to one of his, do yourself a favor and check one out.
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The Morning Watch is a recurring feature that highlights a handful of noteworthy videos from around the web. They could be video essays, fanmade productions, featurettes, short films, hilarious sketches, or just anything that has to do with our favorite movies and TV shows.
In this edition, find out how Pixar’s The Incredibles should have ended. Plus, take a tour of the new Jim Henson exhibition on display at the Museum of the Moving Image and watch a video essay looking closely at how David Fincher uses music in his films. Read More »
How a film opens says a lot about its style and tone, and can turn people off or make them sit forward in their seats with curiosity. This week’s big new release, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, has a hard act to follow; its 2014 predecessor had a memorable opening in which hero Peter Quill/Star-Lord dances through an alien world, blasting “Come and Get Your Love” on his old Walkman. As we wait to see if Vol. 2 lives up to the original, let’s look at 15 of the best opening scenes in movies.
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If you’re looking for a film that accurately depicts the creation of Facebook, it’s not The Social Network. But if you’re looking for a sharply written drama that defines the generation who is living on the internet, then David Fincher‘s drama scripted by Aaron Sorkin is just the ticket.
Still, just because The Social Network was nominated for Best Picture does not make it safe from the folks at Screen Junkies, who decided to mock the film in an Honest Trailer in honor of this week’s release of The Circle starring Tom Hanks. You also might be surprised to learn how many laptops were broken in the scene where Andrew Garfield smashes Jesse Eisenberg‘s computer.
Watch The Social Network Honest Trailer after the jump. Read More »
Aaron Sorkin has collaborated with some of the best filmmakers working today. Bennett Miller (Moneyball), Danny Boyle (Steve Jobs), and David Fincher (The Social Network) — all of them made first-rate films out of Sorkin’s first-rate writing.
The acclaimed screenwriter is finally tackling one of his own scripts as a director, an adaptation of Molly’s Game. In a recent interview, while the Academy Award-winning writer discussed his directorial debut and the rest of his career, he praised Fincher’s commitment and drive.
Below, Aaron Sorkin discusses David Fincher, the opening of The Social Network, and more.
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It can’t be easy watching a movie about your life. Some people get extremely agitated when pivotal parts of their favorite book aren’t in the film adaptation, so imagine what’d be like for those people seeing an unfaithful or highly dramatized version of their own life shown on the big screen. The movie, especially if it’s popular, is going to be associated with their image forever. Not all audience members leave a theater saying, “I bet that one scene was dramatized for storytelling purposes,” so, if the portrait of its subject is unflattering or inaccurate, that can’t feel great for the subject.
Many folks featured in bio movies have felt left the theater not feeling so hot on how they’ve been depicted, while others have been pleased with the results. Learn about a few biopic reactions from the subjects after the jump.
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I’ve rarely felt this annoyed in a movie theater. Next to me, during a screening of Steve Jobs, an elderly couple loudly whispers comments to each other every few minutes. With each line of dialogue they distract me from basking in, the more frustrated I grow. I’m afraid to ask them to keep quiet — not because I care how they’ll react, but out of fear of missing another line from the movie.
Aaron Sorkin writes anti-bathroom break movies. You don’t want to miss a scene or a line of his, especially in the case of his latest piece of work, the breathless, unrelentingly paced, and intricately structured Steve Jobs. By now, such an exciting piece of drama seems like a foregone conclusion from one of Hollywood’s most prolific, acclaimed, and all-around successful screenwriters. But past and present interviews with him have revealed not only how he pulls off these feats of genius, but how to start if you’re trying to create your own.
After the jump, learn writing tips from Steve Jobs screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.
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Hey there! We haven’t been properly introduced. I’m Ethan Anderton. Back in May, I joined the /Film crew as the Weekend Editor, and while some of you have gotten to know me and my film tastes over the past few months, I never got a chance to truly arrive here at the site like our new writers Jack Giroux and Jacob Hall.
Therefore, I figured I’d follow suit by delivering my own favorite films of all time. These are the movies that have stuck with me over the years, some more recently than others, and have defined and changed my life in a variety of ways. Read More »
Cool Posts From Around the Web:
Just recently we featured a quick little edit of some footage from the Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice trailer where Bruce Wayne witnesses the final battle from the end of Man of Steel. But now the DC Comics superhero match-up gets a whole new face…literally.
YouTube user and TV writer David Elmaleh has created a mash-up of Batman v. Superman and The Social Network, which features the DC Comics cinematic universe’s new Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) in the lead role. The battle for Facebook between Mark Zuckerberg and The Winklevoss twins has never been so epic, and the David Fincher movie looks like a true battle for the ages.
Watch the Batman v Superman Social Network trailer mash-up after the jump! Read More »
