Billy Crystal reprises his Monsters Inc. role of Mike Wazowski in next week's Monsters University, and this time young Mike is studying hard to be a scarer. I sat down with Crystal to talk about what he thought of the college setting for the sequel, how Mike was made to appear younger, and what it's like reunting with costar John Goodman in the sound booth. Watch it now!
In a world where doing the voice-overs for movie trailers is a man's business, Lake Bell still wants a piece of the action. In the aptly titled In a World . . ., the actress stars in, wrote, produced, and directed this indie about a vocal coach trying to follow in the footsteps of her voice-over-legend father. Other quirky characters in the industry pop up along the way, like those played by Demetri Martin, Rob Corddry, and Nick Offerman.
I don't know what I'm more impressed by: the fact that Bell wrote/directed/produced and appears in the movie or the awesome voices she does in this trailer. The movie charmed audiences at this year's Sundance Film Festival and will open in limited release on Aug. 9. Check out the trailer for yourself after the jump.
If you get déjà vu looking at the cast of This Is the End, then chances are you're a fan of Freaks and Geeks, Knocked Up, or Superbad. In Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg's directorial debut, they round up friends and frequent costars James Franco, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, Craig Robinson, and Jay Baruchel (plus Rogen himself, naturally) for a comedy about the end of the world. Rather than being just another installment in their repertoire of film collaborations, This Is the End sets itself apart from their previous projects, because each actor is playing a heightened version of himself — giving them the chance to make fun of each other, while also dealing with the apocalypse. It's unique, meta, and ridiculously funny.
The movie takes us to a party at Franco's house, which is just as weird and star-studded as you'd expect it to be. Rihanna's there, Emma Watson's there, Michael Cera's there doing drugs and alienating people — there's so much celeb-spotting in the first half of the movie that you worry the second, postapocalyptic half can't keep up with all the fun. It's not an issue: when the movie switches gears to show us how Franco, Rogen, and the rest of the guys cope with the end of the world, some truly raunchy, outrageous humor emerges. It may be too over-the-top for some, but if you appreciate the comedies of any of these dudes, then you'll be trying to catch your breath between laughs. To find out why else I loved This Is the End, just keep reading.
Seth Rogen, James Franco, and more of their friends star in this week's This Is the End, but is the postapocalyptic comedy worth catching? Watch our review to find out if this is the movie you'd want to watch if the world was ending!
If you were underwhelmed by last year's The Hobbit, Peter Jackson is really kicking the action up a couple notches for the second installment in the series, The Desolation of Smaug. Featuring Benedict Cumberbatch as the voice of the dragon Smaug, we see some action when the terrifying creature shows up for Bilbo to defeat, but I'm actually more excited to see Orlando Bloom return as Legolas. It's just like Lord of the Rings old times! There are more fun faces to come into Middle Earth, too, like Lost's Evangeline Lilly and Luke Evans.
Even though I was a bit disappointed with how slow last year's The Hobbit was, I'm pretty psyched for this — probably due to my ongoing love for all the Lord of the Rings movies (and Legolas!). The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug comes out on Dec. 13, and you can watch the trailer after the jump.
Sundance favorite The Way, Way Back is coming to theaters next month, with a very distinctive trait: Steve Carell plays a jerk in it. In the coming-of-age film, Maya Rudolph also pops up as an employee of the water park where main character Duncan (Liam James) works, and we have a few exclusive shots from the Summer-set flick! Check them out to see Carell, Rudolph, Sam Rockwell, and more.
Summer is almost here, folks, and I can hardly think of anything I like better than the hot-weather activities the season brings on: barbecues, beach trips, convertible trips with the top down (if you're lucky enough to know anyone with a convertible, anyway). But one of the most important elements for all those things is a great soundtrack; you need songs that are upbeat, that are happy, and that somehow channel that carefree, fabulous Summer feeling. I've got your seasonal songs right here — whether they have the word "Summer" right in the title or are about this blissful time of year.
It's with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Game of Thrones for another year, but let's have some fun with the actors before we really say farewell. At this point, the actors on the show have become inextricable from their onscreen personas — blame their distinctive Winterfell costumes and hairstyles. It's jarring seeing them out of costume, and it's even more jarring to see them in different roles. Their other jobs are pretty diverse — do you know who the Harry Potter alums are, the Downton Abbey dwellers, or the ones who've been spotted in superhero blockbusters? Click through to see the Game of Thrones cast as you've never seen them before.
Game of Thrones has wrapped its explosive third season, and while the finale isn't as crazy as last week's "Red Wedding," lots of loose ends are tied up, and we do get caught up with just about every character. There are homecomings, imminent rescues, and some fallout over the Starks being killed. Daenerys also has a big moment in the sun, which gives me hope for her role in season four — and hopefully her position on the Iron Throne.
This finale may not be the most exciting episode of the season, but there is still a lot to muse over, like the desecration of Robb's body, Arya's anger, and Ygritte's heartbroken revenge. Let's break it down after the jump.
In The Internship, Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson try to get jobs at Google, and the movie gives us a good look at the inner workings of the tech giant. Of course, it's not the first time Hollywood has explored a huge Silicon Valley company — in 2010, The Social Network gave us a peek at how Facebook was (controversially) started. They have more in common, including an actor, but how else do the films stack up? We've broken it down below.
The Internship is a comedy, and The Social Network is a drama.
The tone is an obvious difference; The Internship is a straightforward comedy, while The Social Network is heavy on the drama. Intellectual property lawsuits are so serious! Not that it doesn't have its laughs — remember that bit with Eduardo (Andrew Garfield) and the chicken?
Max Minghella is in both movies.
In The Social Network, Minghella plays Divya Narendra, the partner of the Winklevoss twins who sues Mark Zuckerberg. In The Internship, he's also the nemesis of the main characters. As Graham, he's a fellow intern determined to beat Billy and Nick (Vaughn's and Wilson's characters) to a Google job. His part is bigger in The Internship and, honestly, sexier: he gets to use his British accent. Long live the tech company villain!
The Social Network is inspired by true events.
The Social Network's veracity may be disputed by some, but it is based on real people and events. The Internship is a work of fiction, and while there is an internship program at Google, I doubt very much that real interns have to play a game of Quidditch as a challenge, as Billy and Nick have to do. But the brainteaser question they're asked in their interview? That's one of Google's old hiring practices, which is actually banned now.
We get to go inside Google, but not Facebook.
Both Facebook and Google have a college-like atmosphere, but only The Internship goes deep inside Google. And it is a lot of Google: its campus grounds, driver-less cars, nap pods, slides, free food, the works. You get a pretty good idea of the office culture, but in The Social Network, we only see an early version of the Facebook office.
Casting news is hot this week — especially if you're a fan of onscreen vampires and Oscar winners. Jennifer Lawrence will star and produce her next project, Kristen Stewart has snagged two new roles, and The Vampire Diaries heartthrob Ian Somerhalder has signed on for a thriller. Meanwhile, a Game of Thrones actor committed to a big-screen project, and the Guardians of the Galaxy cast gained another star. See these and the rest of this week's casting news now!
Today is Kanye West's 36th birthday, and though the rapper has courted controversy in the past, there's no denying that he's a supertalented artist. The musician has put out lots of amazing singles, ranging from hard-hitting hip-hop to upbeat dance songs, since he burst on the scene with his first album in 2004. For the expectant dad's birthday, we've narrowed down his 20 best singles (a tough feat in and of itself), from his five albums and memorable collaborations. Click through to find out our picks and get a Spotify playlist of all the songs!
This week, everyone was talking about the most recent episode of Game of Thrones, whether you read the books first or only watch the series. Even if you don't watch, the big Red Wedding was unavoidable — and just may end up being the biggest episode of the season. In case you were trying to keep up with all the coverage, we have it all rounded up right here.
Summer may be all about blockbusters, but there are a lot of smaller indies coming out over the next few months that I'm just as excited to see. The movies I'm most curious about are the ones I've been hearing about since they made a splash at film festivals like Sundance and have been gaining buzz ever since. There are films that already have award buzz, little movies with up-and-comers you should know about, and fun-looking gems featuring our favorite stars like Steve Carell and Paul Rudd. Check out the film-festival darlings that you should put on your calendar this Summer!
Not one but two of Hollywood's hottest actors headline Runner, Runner — and not only do these guy looks great in the thriller, but this movie also looks majorly entertaining. Timberlake stars as college student Richie, who's trying to make tuition by winning big at online poker. When he loses, he goes after those who run the poker site that screwed him over, but when he gets there, he ends up with the business opportunity of a lifetime: go to work for Ben Affleck. Affleck is Ivan Block, the charismatic owner, and obviously, all the excess Ivan is promising means that Richie is headed for trouble (cue Ivan tossing a victim to crocodiles. Yes, literally).
With Timberlake looking like he's turning in a pretty good performance and Affleck taking an irresistibly, cartoonishly evil turn as Ivan, I can't wait to see this movie. Don't be afraid to watch it again just to watch Affleck cackling, "What are you gonna do?!" Runner, Runner opens Sept. 27, and you can watch the trailer after the jump.
This week's ultrashocking Game of Thrones episode, aka the "Red Wedding," depicts the deaths of Robb, Catelyn, and many more, and it hasn't just caused an outcry from fans of the show — the actors behind the characters have also been sharing their reactions. Richard Madden and Michelle Fairley, who play Robb and Catelyn, have chimed in with how they felt about the episode, and young Maisie Williams embraced Vine in a funny way for her reaction. And the Game of Thrones god himself — writer George R. R. Martin — has also spoken to answer the question on everyone's lips: whyyy? See what they have been saying in interviews and on social media below!
George R. R. Martin (the author)
Author Martin told Entertainment Weekly why he sacrificed Robb.
"I killed Ned in the first book and it shocked a lot of people. I killed Ned because everybody thinks he's the hero and that, sure, he's going to get into trouble, but then he'll somehow get out of it. The next predictable thing is to think his eldest son is going to rise up and avenge his father. And everybody is going to expect that. So immediately [killing Robb] became the next thing I had to do."
Martin also made an appearance on Conan this week, where Conan O'Brien showed Martin a bunch of fan reactions to the huge episode. Martin's response? "Now you know why your nerdy friends were depressed 13 years ago."
Maisie Williams (Arya Stark)
Williams posted a Vine of herself in character as Arya, goofing off a little with her reaction.
Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark)
Fairley told Vulture she thought the red wedding was more shocking than Ned's beheading:
"I think so, because it's not just one person, it's practically a family. It's the number of deaths as well, and the sheer brutality of them, too."
Richard Madden (Robb Stark)
Madden admitted on a conference call with reporters he bawled after shooting his last scene.
"I cried the whole way. I was the crazy boy on the plane crying at about midnight, landing in London."
Today is the 15th anniversary of the premiere of Sex and the City, and even after all those years, two movies, and countless reruns, we're still just as in love with the HBO series. To commemorate the day, let's look back at one of the most momentous moments in the series premiere (and, well, series): when Carrie meets Big. Before Carrie romanced the likes of Bradley Cooper and John Slattery, there was Big. Actually, Big's been there before, after, and sometimes during Carrie's other relationships, proving that the two — now married in the movies — just can't stay away from each other. So, to take you waaay back, watch the first scene of their introduction, embarrassing bag spill and all. Epic.
Former First Lady Hillary Clinton is getting the biopic treatment with the film Rodham, which will follow the politician during her college days — and while dating Bill, of course. The film already has a script and a director, but it's still in early production, and obviously, the biggest question is who will play Hillary. Now, British actress Carey Mulligan is reportedly the front-runner for the role, but there are a few other actresses in the game as well, so let's speculate about who should play her. Click through to vote on whether or not you can see each actress as Hillary Clinton.
Liam Hemsworth shows off his leading-man chops in the trailer for Paranoia, in which he plays Adam, a young man chasing the American dream, only to get sucked into an insidious plot. When he joins a powerful firm as an entry-level employee, his boss (Gary Oldman) preys on his ambition and gives him an assignment that will send him to the top: spying on the head of a rival firm (headed by Harrison Ford). When Adam realizes he's in over his head, he faces threats to his life and his family — along with the attention of the FBI.
Though it looks like a generic and predictable espionage thriller, I love seeing Hemsworth center stage (even if he's not allowed to use his glorious Australian accent). Plus, the supporting cast is impressive enough to give it a boost. Aside from Ford and Oldman, Josh Holloway and Amber Heard also star. Paranoia comes out Aug. 16, and you can watch the trailer after the jump.
Music is a big part of most weddings, and if you've already started planning one, you know there are more than a few decisions to be made. Whether you decide to hire a band or a DJ or provide the wedding's soundtrack with your own iPod, we have a wedding music guide to help you through. Below, you'll find all the major categories for music you'll need to figure out, as well as other parts of the day you may not have thought of yet.
Check out the list for guidelines on music you need to think about, whether you're an indie rock bride or a country Western couple, after the jump.
