Alan Rickman, the British actor with the unforgettable voice who played the brooding Professor Severus Snape in the Harry Potter films, the Die Hard villain Hans Gruber, and countless other roles, died Thursday after a short battle with cancer, according to his representatives at Independent Talent Group.
He was 69. Continue reading
David Bowie, the infinitely changeable, fiercely forward-looking songwriter who taught generations of musicians about the power of drama, images and personae, died Sunday, two days after his 69th birthday, according to his publicist. Mr. Bowie’s death was reported in posts on Facebook and Twitter, and confirmed by the publicist, Steve Martin, on Monday morning. Continue reading
After all these years of knowing that an Avatar sequel was on the way, director James Cameron has yet to shoot it. He’s basically been preparing the film for production this whole time. In that time, the anticipation for any kind of Avatar sequel has waned to the point of almost being non-existant.
While talking to the Montreal Gazette, Cameron confirmed when the movie will be released, when he plans to start shooting it, and what he’s accomplished in the last two years of development. Continue reading
If you thought the forthcoming Transformers universe was only interconnected IP, then think again. The companies have announced that five nostalgic toy properties under the Hasbro brand are going to cross-pollinate to form their own Marvel-like universe, including G.I. Joe, Micronauts, Visionaries, M.A.S.K. and ROM: SpaceKnight. Continue reading
Getting cast in a Star Wars film is a very big deal. The kind of role that can change your life forever, because at the very least it guarantees you’ll always be able to make money from conventions. So it’s no surprise that roles in The Force Awakens were highly coveted. Now we can see what could have been, since Saturday Night Live showed the auditions for some very famous people that didn’t make the cut. Continue reading
Last week we learned that terminally ill Star Wars superfan Daniel Fleetwood was granted his dying wish to see a cut of J.J. Abrams’ Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Disney and Lucasfilm allowed him to see the film after a massive social media campaign with the hashtag #ForceForDaniel that was supported by the likes of Mark Hamill, John Boyega, and several other fans around the world.
It’s with a heavy heart that I report that Daniel passed away last night in his sleep. He was 32-years-old and his wife Ashley posted the following message on Facebook early this morning: Continue reading
There is no getting around the fact that Destiny is heavily influenced by Bungie’s first major series, Halo. But the question of who would win in a smack down between the Spartans of Halo and the Guardians of Destiny has long gone unanswered. Well the creative team over at the relatively small YouTube channel, Freakin Rad put together this great short to finally try to answer that question. The video features some really spectacular cosplay and some flashy visual effects. Continue reading
Vanity Fair photographer Patrick Ecclesine was with Demi Lovato this week when the singer was suddenly inspired to pose for a series of portraits, with only three rules: “no makeup, no clothes, no retouching.” These are the results. Continue reading
Editor Antonio Maria De Silva has created something magical with Hell’s Club, a mashup that features tons of characters across movie history interacting in the same fictional club. This is a Twilight Zone-style place where Ewan McGregor’s young version of Obi-Wan Kenobi can walk in and make eye contact with Ewan McGregor’s character from Trainspotting, or Tom Cruise in Collateral can catch the eye of Tom Cruise from Cocktail behind the bar. It’s a place where John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever can bust a move on the dance floor while John Travolta from Pulp Fiction watches from above, and where Blade fights The Terminator for no reason whatsoever. It doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense, but it’s pretty awesome! I don’t normally post this kind of thing, but I feel it’s a must-watch, so here we go!
Wes Craven, the famed writer-director of horror films known for the Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream movies, died Sunday after a battle with brain cancer. He was 76.
Craven, whose iconic Freddy Krueger character horrified viewers for years, died at his home in Los Angeles, his family announced. Survivors include his wife, producer and former Disney Studios vice president Iya Labunka.
Craven was a longtime summer resident of Martha’s Vineyard, where he moved permanently three years ago before returning to Los Angeles for work and health reasons. Craven claimed to have gotten the idea for Elm Street when living next to a cemetery on a street of that name when growing up in the suburbs of Cleveland. His five Nightmare on Elm Street films were released from 1984-89.
Similarly, Craven’s Scream series was a box-office sensation. In those scare-’em-ups, he spoofed the teen horror genre. The movies frequently referenced other horror movies.
Craven’s first feature film was The Last House of the Left, which he wrote, directed and edited in 1972. Continue reading
