Film
The Marvel Cinematic Universe’s 10 Greatest Needle Drops
This article is part of Consequence‘s Marvel Pop Culture Week, examining all the ways in which the MCU invokes our world’s pop culture and creates its own. Here, we’re taking a look at the MCU’s best needle drops. As of May 2022, there are 28 films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (excluding the six upcoming projects, multiple television shows, and the “One Shot” series). From Jon Favreau’s experiment with Iron Man in 2008 to Sam Raimi’s grand return to superhero flicks with this year’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, there are now hours upon hours of quippy dialogue, Stan Lee cameos, and epic CGI battles to satisfy our hunger for adventure. And as much as Kevin Feige deserves credit for overseeing the direction of the MCU, building such a massive, beloved body of work takes a...
Downton Abbey: A New Era Delivers Exactly the Sort of Period Drama Fans Crave
The Pitch: It may have been a few years since the last one, but never mind that; it’s time for the newest episode of Downton Abbey! Yes, all your favorite characters are back as the clock chimes on the year 1928, and the good folks of this lovely English countryside continue to puzzle over the encroachment of the modern world. First automobiles, then the telephone, and now — moving pictures! What is a stately English manor and its staff and residents to do?!? The above is this writer’s best efforts to inject some extra drama into a description of Downton Abbey: A New Era, the second theatrically-released installment continuing the saga of the wildly popular ITV/PBS period drama. But also, that’s really not necessary. While this isn’t something unique to Downton, it has always been a franch...
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Being Rebooted for Hulu
It’s been two decades since Stephen Norrington’s messy adaptation of Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which is apparently enough time to get a reboot off the ground. According to The Hollywood Reporter, 20th Century Studios is taking another crack at the comic book franchise as a feature film for Hulu. Penning the screenplay will be Justin Haythe, who is known for his work on Revolutionary Road and Red Sparrow, with Don Murphy revisiting his producer role from the original adaptation. Murphy will be joined by producing partner Susan Montford and Erwin Stoff of 3 Arts Entertainment. THR reports that unlike the 2003 film, which went as far as adding Tom Sawyer as a US Secret Service agent, Haythe is returning to the core comic books for a more faithful ...
11 Funniest Moments From This Is Spinal Tap
(Editor’s Note: In light of news that This is Spinal Tap 2 is in the works, we are republishing this article. Originally published in 2019 to coincide with the 35th anniversary of the iconic rockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, Marty DiBergi Jr., son of filmmaker Marty DiBergi, took a look back at the film’s funniest moments. Below are his words, as he takes us on a trip through the classic film’s most humorous scenes.) My name is Marty DiBergi, Jr. I’m a writer. In the late fall of 1982, my father, filmmaker Marty DiBergi, heard that the UK band Spinal Tap were releasing a new album called Smell the Glove, and were planning their first tour of the United States in almost six years. He jumped at the chance to make a documentary, which hit theaters in March 1984, and the rest is history. L...
Christopher Walken Is the Emperor in Dune: Part Two
The casting process for Denis Villeneuve‘s next movie seems to be Dune just fine: Christopher Walken will lord over Part Two as the ruler of the universe himself, the Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, The Hollywood Reporter notes. The Emperor didn’t appear in the 2021 movie Dune, which covered the first half of Frank Herbert’s classic novel. But his actions were felt from the first moments, which picked up with his assigning Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) to the spice-rich desert planet Arrakis. Duke Leto brought his family along, including his son Paul (Timothée Chalamet). Joining Walken in Part Two will be Florence Pugh, who was already cast as the Emperor’s daughter Princess Irulan, and Austin Butler, who will portray the heir ...
Adam Driver and Forest Whitaker Lead Cast of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis
Francis Ford Coppola has announced the cast for his long-gestating film Megalopolis, including Adam Driver, Forest Whitaker, Nathalie Emmanuel, and more. Jon Voight and Laurence Fishburne are also attached to the director’s dream final project. The latter actor began his career with Coppola’s 1979 classic Apocalypse Now opposite Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, and Martin Sheen. Although he was 14 when the film began, production took so long that he was 18 by the time it was released in theaters. Coppola is self-financing the film and per Deadline, the story is described as follows: “The fate of Rome haunts a modern world unable to solve its own social problems in this epic story of political ambition, genius, and conflicting interests.” Production on the film is set to begin later this fall....
Firestarter Review: Zac Efron Stars In a Stephen King Remake That Quickly Flames Out
The Pitch: Stephen King adaptations have been a fixture of the big and small screens for decades, but there’s been a particular surge in recent years, following the blockbuster success of It. So it’s only natural that studios might circle back and revisit some of the adaptations that weren’t especially beloved in their day. Firestarter seems like a good candidate; the 1984 film version is more notable for its eclectic cast (including George C. Scott, Louise Fletcher, and a young Drew Barrymore!) than its meandering story (albeit one that’s largely faithful to the events of King’s book). The new Firestarter still follows Charlie (Ryan Kiera Armstrong), the pyrokinetic daughter of two telepathic parents, who goes on the run with her dad Andy (Zac Efron), pursued by the shadowy government for...
Tom DeLonge Shares Trailer for Bonkers Alien Movie with Richard Kind: Watch
Tom DeLonge loves aliens almost as much as he loves dick jokes, and it seems he’s managed to combine these passions in his directorial debut Monsters of California. An absolutely bonkers teaser trailer is out now, and it comes stocked with UFOs, bikini models, and beloved comedian Richard Kind. As far as alien flicks go, Monsters of California seems pitched closer to a horror comedy than a sci-fi romp. It follows teenager Dallas Edwards (Jack Samson) as he investigates paranormal activity in the SoCal area. “Maybe UFOs aren’t what we think they are,” his friend Riley (Jared Scott) says in the trailer. There’s also evidence of DeLonge’s unique sense of humor. One character quips, “That’s classified information. I’d tell you, but then I’d have to fuck your dad.” Spea...
Spinal Tap II Will Reunite Rob Reiner, Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer
Turn your amps all the way to 11: Rob Reiner will direct and star in Spinal Tap II, which will reunite David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer), and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) as the hardest-hitting rock band to ever get lost backstage in Cleveland. The film will be the first production from the newly reformed Castle Rock Entertainment, Deadline reports. As for the plot, it’s still being developed by Guest, McKean, Reiner, and Shearer, who together improvised huge swathes of the groundbreaking 1984 mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. Reiner told Deadline that he expects the second part to be released on the 40th anniversary of the original. “The plan is to do a sequel that comes out on the 40th anniversary of the original film a...
Top Gun: Maverick Review: Tom Cruise Goes Full Throttle In a Sequel That Does the Original Justice
The Pitch: It may have taken 36 years, but even pandemic delays couldn’t keep Tom Cruise away from the danger zone. When viewers are reunited with Captain Pete Mitchell in Top Gun: Maverick, one of the military’s best-ever fighter pilots is still a Navy man, working on experimental aircraft after decades of avoiding promotions that would pull him out of the cockpit. But the brass, personified here by a very cranky Jon Hamm, has a new assignment for the ace: Train up a team of hotshot youths for an incredibly difficult (dare we say… impossible) mission into enemy territory. While a dozen officers are selected as candidates for the task, the most prominent are a very Maverick-esque pilot known as Hangman (Glen Powell) and Rooster (Miles Teller), the grown-up son of Maverick’s tragically dece...
Rob Zombie’s Walking Tour of Munsters Set Shows Off Authenticity of His Big-Screen Adaptation
Rob Zombie has been a stickler for detail while filming his big-screen adaption of the 1960s sitcom The Munsters, and it’s apparent how authentic the set is in a new walking tour conducted by the rocker-director himself. As previously reported, Zombie had the Munsters’ famous 1313 Mockingbird Lane mansion faithfully recreated on the film’s set in Budapest, Hungary, along with the surrounding homes in the movie’s suburban neighborhood. In a new video posted to his Instagram (see below), Zombie walks through the “neighborhood” on his way to 1313 Mockingbird Lane, with no one else on the set. Using either a Super 8 camera or a filter to give it a vintage look, the video looks like it’s straight out of the ’60s, and the set truly captures the vibe of the original TV show. Advertisement Related...
Rebel Wilson Recalls Falling Flat on Her Face While Channeling Britney Spears’ ‘You Drive Me Crazy’ Video
Rebel Wilson knows firsthand that trying to keep up with Britney Spears’ choreography is really hard work. During her appearance on The Late Late Show With James Corden on Tuesday night, the actress discussed her upcoming Netflix movie Senior Year, which features a re-creation of Spears’ iconic dance moves in the “You Drive Me Crazy” music video that resulted in her falling flat on her face during a take. “I love Britney and I just wanted to pay homage to her because 20 years earlier in the film in 2022, she was like the biggest star in the world, so we did the ‘Crazy’ video … when I’m dancing, I just really like to give it, just give my all to it,” Wilson explained. “And then what happens is that I fall over and so in the Britney thing, they actually keep the take where I’m dancing and lo...
