Category Archives: MOVIES

Movie News & Opinions

Die Hard 5: A Good Day to Die Hard – Casting Suggestions for “John McClane Jr.”

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We learned earlier today that the 5th installment in the Die Hard franchise will heavily feature McClane’s son – John McClane Jr. So the next obvious question is: Who merits the right to carry the family name? I loved the casting of Mary Elizabeth Winstead as ‘Lucy McClane’in the 4th movie, can they as well with her brother?

So in my anticipation for this latest addition to Action Cinema’s greatest franchise ever, here are some of my humble suggestions for the casting director…

John McClane Jr., Die Hard 5, Boardwalk EmpireMichael Pitt

Born April 10th, 1981: 26 yrs Younger than Willis, 8 years old when the first movie was released.

Pitt, the star of HBO’s Boradwalk Empire has proven there he has the acting chops to be considered for a major film role. And while Boardwalk is a significant departure from his prior roles, many of which wouldn’t scream ‘badass’, you can’t deny the presence and believability HBO has given him in terms of being man enough to be called a McClane. Pitt is the oldest guy on my list, but if it were me, he’d be the first guy I called in for a screen test…

John McClane Jr., Die Hard 5, TRONGarrett Hedlund

Born September 3rd, 1984:  29 Yrs Younger than Willis, 5 years old when the first movie was released.

Hedlund made a name for himself last year with his role in TRON: Legacy, but he had done his share of action movies before that, including Death Sentence, Troy, and Four Brothers. He’s the right age and has the necessary pedigree to handle the role. Something like this, along with the rumored 3rd TRON movie could turn him into a household name, and that prospect could be attractive to FOX. Plus he seems likable…

John McClane Jr., Die Hard 5, TerminatorThomas Dekker

Born December 28th, 1987:  32 Yrs Younger than Willis, 2 years old when the first movie was released.

Dekker starred on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles as the boy who would become the man who would lead the human resistance against the machines – John Conner. And while during the first season he seemed an unlikely hero, I thought he really started to come into his own as the show progressed. Since then he’s appeared in 10 projects, including the A Nightmare on Elm Street remake and has 3 more on the way. And while he will probably be the least popular suggestion of mine, I can see potential…

And finally, if he was about 5 years younger I think Logan Marshall-Green would’ve been perfect, but he’s probably just a little old…

John McClane Jr., Die Hard 5, Devil, Dark BlueSo those are my picks, what about you?

Movie News & Opinions

Die Hard 5: “A Good Day to Die Hard” Set for Valentine’s Day 2013

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Speaking on the ‘Jim Rome Show’, FOX Executive Tom Rothman today broke some details about the newest chapter of the franchise. The 5th movie, titled A Good Day to Die Hard will follow John McClane to Russia to find his son – John McClane Jr. The casting of Junior is still in the air, but if this is done right, maybe it’s the start of whole new generation ass kicking.

Seeing as Die Hard is one of my favorite movies ever, and unlike most ‘Web Writers’ I loved the 4th movie as well, I am extremely excited for this. The big question – who should play Junior?

I’ll have a list of possibles shortly, who do you think should get it?

MOVIES

Hero Express – So Much ‘Dark Knight Rises’

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Welcome to Hero Express, your one-stop sometimes SPOILER filled shop through the news filled world of superhero’s in Film, TV, Video Games and whatever else floats your boat.

This is the Hero Express for October 06, 2011:

Catwoman set photos – (Cinema Blend)

Anne Hathaway’s upcoming turn in the catsuit has us all a little curious. What exactly has Christopher Nolan got in store for Selina Kyle in TDKR? Here are some new photos of  Hathaway rockin’ the new outfit. I particularly like the shot of her and Bats chatting behind off-camera.

Selina Kyle set photos – (Comic Book Movie)

Actually more interesting for me to see than Catwoman’s get up is getting a good look at the Selina Kyle in Nolan’s Bat-verse, which we get a ton of here. Hathaway looks amazing in these photos and I’m really seeing why she was cast as the character.

Interview with Nestor Carbonell – (Splashpage)

You know Nestor Carbonell as Gotham’s mayor, Anthony Garcia. Back for the ride in The Dark Knight Rises, he had a lot to vaguely say and tease about the experience of finishing the Batman trilogy:

“I finished [filming] about a month ago in Pittsburgh. It was a lot of fun, it’s nice to go back to Chris Nolan’s world […] He has announced that this is his last go at ‘Batman’ but yeah, if it is the last for him, he certainly goes out big. It’s massive.”

“What I saw of the sets was just unbelievable. When we were shooting a particular scene I snuck around to see the image on the dolly of what the D.P., Wally Pfister, Academy Award Winner [was shooting]. I looked and immediately thought, ‘Wow, I see why he is who he is, it’s beautifully framed, beautifully shot, half is on IMAX.”

On Christopher Nolan:

“He’s one of these amazing storytellers in our generation, he’s one of the guys who’s taken that genre and grounded it and done something with it that hasn’t done before […] He’s made it that much more real, much more accessible, and he’s made a psychological thriller out of all of them, so he’s great, he’s amazing.”

New set photos of Bane – (Script Flags)

Here we get to my most interesting part of the Hero Express so far; some new images of Tom Hardy as Bane. In addition to photos of the Inception co-star in the face mask, there are a couple of images and videos of his Bane Truck to enjoy:

And his truck:

Even MORE set photos; Christian Bale and JGL – (Comic Book Movie)

Okay, this is getting a little ridiculous. Here are some photos of Joseph Gordon-Levitt driving Christian Bale around Gotham in a police car.

Adam Rodriguez gets cast in TDKR – (Deadline)

Oh my God, look at that. News that isn’t 25 videos and a 360 degree photo gallery of Anne Hathaway’s leather-coated butt (Not that I’m complaining). Adam Rodriguez, famous for his role in CSI: Miami, has just been added to The Dark Knight Rises cast, in a small role that as yet hasn’t been announced.

And that’s it for this edition of The Hero Express! I have a new-found respect for SupaScoot, having filled in for him this week and sorting through piles of links and news stories. Drop a comment telling us what you think about all this Dark Knight Rises news!

Movie News & Opinions

Asimov’s ‘Foundation Trilogy’ Coming to the Big Screen

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You should know Isaac Asimov as a fundamental part of all science fiction. His ‘three laws of robotics’ have pretty much defined the genre’s depiction of robots ever since. He’s known as one of the “big three” science fiction authors and he’s basically had an influential role in every android, automaton, and metal man you know and love. On top of being one of the most prolific writers ever, he’s credited with writing arguably the best science fiction short story of all time.

Anyway, if you’re not so much into sci-fi literature, you might have heard Asimov’s name attached to mediocrity-fests like I, Robot. Just let it be known that the original short story is very different and very much better. Asimov’s had a few of his works adapted into unfaithful movies that blandly miss the point, but Gamma Squad’s got word that Hollywood’s giving it another go, this time with the Foundation trilogy. Three books that make up the major storyline of a vast saga Asimov added to and compiled throughout his writing career.

 In case you Asimov fans were crossing your fingers and mouthing prayers to the sci-fi Gods, you should know the series is set to be written by relative newcomer Dante Harper and directed by Roland “Make Things Go Boom-Boom” Emmerich, so the beloved and iconic stories so cherished in the genre will likely be handled with the care and subtlety of a propeller plane dodging an exploding Los Angeles.

Above: Subtlety

Fox has also recently greenlit Asimov’s The Caves of Steel, so now would be a good time to hit the library and read these books before they go the way of Bicentennial Man. Unless you’ve already read them, in which case now would be a good time to cry.

Movie News & Opinions

#28 – Countdown to Halloween: THE THING (1982)

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“We’re a thousand miles from nowhere, man. And it’s gonna get a hell of a lot worse before it gets any better.” – Windows

John Carpenter’s The Thing wasn’t well-received when it was released in 1982, which apparently hit Carpenter pretty hard. It’s a shame because had he had the foresight to understand the turnaround the film would experience, he’d never have worried; The Thing is now one of the most celebrated horror movies of all time and rightfully so. Combining some of the best elements of horror and suspense, it’s one of the few movies I’ve seen that can deliver real chills, and scare consistently through repeated viewings.

Continue reading #28 – Countdown to Halloween: THE THING (1982) →

Movie News & Opinions

Django Unchained: Kurt Russell to Replace Kevin Costner in Tarantino’s Latest

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Back in July we talked about Django Unchained and how Kevin Costner was set to appear. And that was accurate until recently when he dropped out and was upgraded to replaced by Kurt Russell. Russell of course worked with QT before when he played ‘Stuntman Mike’ back in 2007…

So Russell will play ‘Ace’ the sadistic whipmaster on DiCaprio’s plantation. Sound good to me. While I have nothing against Costner, I am more of a Russell fan. I mean come on –The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, Tombstone, Escape from New York...guy is a badass.

As far as the movie – Django Unchained – this is as stoked as I’ve been about a QT movie since walking out of Kill Bill and knowing I still had another 6 months till the 2nd part came out…