Brendan Fraser Says Former HFPA President Sexually Harassed Him in 2003

Brendan Fraser was all over Hollywood in the early 90's up until the early-aughts ("Encino Man," "Airheads," "George of the Jungle," "Gods and Monsters," (far and away his best film) "The Mummy," "The Mummy Returns," "The Quiet American,""Crash," "Journey to the Center of the Earth," and "The Mummy 3." Not all movies I would recommend but all hits and he had screen presence to spare, tremendous screen presence. 

Something happened after that third "Mummy" movie, which a remarkable and well-written GQ profile by Zach Baron entitled “the stupendous rise and surprising disappearance of [a] once ubiquitous movie star” examines.

In the article, which was published today, Fraser basically insinuates that he backed away from Hollywood, in part because he was sexually assaulted by former president of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Philip Berk, this event supposedly occurred at an HFPA luncheon in 2003. 

According to Fraser, Berk grabbed his ass, and that “one of his fingers touches me in the taint. And he starts moving it around … I felt like someone had thrown invisible paint on me,” Fraser said.

Fraser’s representatives asked the HFPA afterwards for a written apology and they did in fact write it, but it “admitted to no wrongdoing” and that stated that “Mr. Fraser’s version is a total fabrication.” Fraser eventually became depressed post-incident, which he states ensuingly  “made me retreat. It made me feel reclusive.” 

We all hope Fraser finds a way to make it back onscreen, not just for nostalgia’s sake but also for the fact that he is a nice guy that was dealt a bad hand somewhere along this crazy Hollywood ride he had. He has tried to stage a sort of comeback of late with HBO’s The Affair in ’16, and Jeffrey Wells has claimed that Fraser’s AOL encounter with Ricky Camilleri “is regarded as one of the saddest such interviews in entertainment history.” I’ll have to listen to that later today.

Up next for Fraser is FX’s "Trust," which is "Slumdog Millionaire" scribe Simon Beaufoy‘s miniseries on the John Paul Getty III kidnapping which is said to better than Ridley Scott's 'All the Money in the World," which was just released this past December to mixed reviews and revolved around the same story.

Joss Whedon leaves "Batgirl" and, quite possibly, the DCEU

Oh well,  Joss Whedon, the supposed savior of the DCEU, who came aboard to take over the post-production and reshoots of “Justice League, seems to have had a falling out with the WB. Whatever happened, Whedon is moving on from the DCEU. 

It was just announced by THR that Whedon has left his passion project "Bagirl," with the filmmaker admitting that he simply couldn’t deliver what they wanted:

“ ‘Batgirl’ is such an exciting project, and Warners/DC such collaborative and supportive partners, that it took me months to realize I really didn’t have a story,” Whedon said. “I’m grateful to Geoff [Johns] and Toby [Emmerich] and everyone who was so welcoming when I arrived, and so understanding when I… uh, is there a sexier word for ‘failed’?”

If you are unfamiliar with Whedon, although why would you be, he's the creative mind that penned "Buffy," "Serenity," "Toy Story," "The Cabin in the Woods" and "The Avengers," and took over Zack Snyder as director of "Justice League" earlier last year amid reshoots, negative test screenings and the sudden passing of Snyder's daughter.

Full statement:

"Batgirl is such an exciting project, and Warners/DC such collaborative and supportive partners, that it took me months to realize I really didn't have a story," Whedon told The Hollywood Reporter in a statement. Referring to DC president Geoff Johns and Warner Bros. Picture Group president Toby Emmerich, Whedon added, "I'm grateful to Geoff and Toby and everyone who was so welcoming when I arrived, and so understanding when I…uh, is there a sexier word for 'failed?'"

More info developing ....

“Annihilation” astonishes, frustrates, provokes...

Alex Garland‘s "Annihilation" is based on a trilogy of books by Jeff Vandermeer. In the initial book, for which Garland's film is based on, a team of female scientists are assembled at Area X, located in Southern Floridian marshland, where a trippy, pinky purpled and blues wall of blow-bubble liquid has surrounded the area. They call it the "Shimmer." The last 11 teams that have walked through this psychedelic wall have not returned, safe for one man (Oscar Isaac) who returns to his wife Lena psychologically disturbed, with no memory of what happened and spitting blood, with, no doubt, his insides having been infiltrated by the unknown entity.  Lena joins a crew of five women for the twelfth expedition, yes these people keep sending crew after crew despite the obvious dangers that seem to arise from every expedition not coming back.

These are well-armed women — a biologist played by Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh's psychologist, Tessa Thompson's biologist, paramedic Gina Rodriguez and Tuva Novotny's M.D — but they seem rather ill equipped and under-trained to enter this realm of the unknown. The goal as you might imagine is rather obvious, try to to figure out the root of it all which seems to be coming from a lighthouse that is around a week away by foot.

What follows is a CG-fest with creepy surprises laying around every which corner. Visually, Garland's film is quite astounding,  It’s “inventive,” as the crew starts to realize that science-defying mutations are happening all around them, plants, animals, even humans binding together in unexpected ways, they also realize that, no kidding, they're in deep trouble. 

Of course, Garland’s film is much more than just an alien film, its ambitions would like you to think that it is about the meaning of existence, but it rather shares striking similarities to John McTiernan‘s “Predator” and James Cameron‘s “Aliens”, two American-made sci-fi thrillers that have been relentlessly copied over the years by hundreds of filmmakers. Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Stalker” also comes to mind, but one wishes Garland was more influenced by the latter than the former. One cannot qualify ‘Annihilation” as a “creature feature,” it’s a blend of different genres, even though spliced monsters do show up to wreak havoc on our female heroines (check that albino alligator!).

Portman is her usual solid self, this is the chewiest, meatiest role she’s undertaken since 2010’s “Black Swan,” but, despite all that, it’s Gina Rodriquez that steals the show from her, completely castigating her sweet innocent role in “Jane the Virgin, by playing a torn character slowly but surely losing her mind in the wilderness. When that breakdown does occur, it’s gloriously unnerving stuff. Ditto a a horrific video made by an earlier expedition, which sends the movie off into higher tension. 

The familiarity that comes in watching the narrative structure of "Annihilation" is compensated by the fact that this film is just gorgeous to watch. Cinematographer Rob Hardy has given us images of sheer terror and beauty. the visual inventiveness of the multi-colored DNA mashups in the "Shimmer" reveals a world unlike any portrayed before on-screen. A natural biosphere filled with animals and plants spliced into trippy hues that seem so foreign but relatable that they exude an extra air of creepiness. And wait until you see the visually audacious, eye-popping, finale which unlike, say "2001: A Space Odyssey," a film Garland has clearly been inspired by, doesn't have the kind of heft it thinks it does. It's not as ambiguous or puzzling as the rumors had hinted it was and that's all fine and dandy because the sheer risk-taking is enough to compensate in "Annihilation." 

For all the supposed inventiveness displayed through Garland and Hardy's images, the narrative is fairly simple and cohesive enough to please the mainstream. There's an accessibility to the film that dulls or rather plods the film along in parts. The way Garland manages to turn interior settings into gloomy, isolate dorms of hell very much has to do with the way Garland frames his characters as singular entities rather than as a whole crew. 

Garland could have benefited from having a more interesting central character than Lena, whose personal life, a tumultuous marriage, a secret affair, is revealed to us over a series of flashbacks that feel too pat and obvious to make you care about this clearly troubled human being. That, in essence, turns out to be the film’s handicap. Despite the beautiful aesthetics and the gloomy, visionary ambitions, “Annihilation” feels empty inside. [C+]

“The Room” made into a classic movie poster

Natalie Portman: “I Very Much Regret” Signing Roman Polanski Petition

“I very much regret it,” Portman said. “I take responsibility for not thinking about it enough. Someone I respected gave it to me, and said, ‘I signed this. Will you too?’ And I was like, sure. It was a mistake. The thing I feel like I gained from it is empathy towards people who have made mistakes. We lived in a different world, and that doesn’t excuse anything. But you can have your eyes opened and completely change the way you want to live. My eyes were not open. I think there’s a direct connection between believing women about their own experience and allowing women to be experts of their own experience and every woman’s voice being heard.”

“Whether it’s someone talking about their work and not being listened to, or someone talking about their own experience of assault and being told that they don’t know what they’re talking about, I think there’s a direct connection between that. Of course, do I know anyone’s experience? No. But would I question a man who said ‘someone stabbed me’? Never! You know? I think it’s bizarre,” she added.

There has been renewed consideration about Roman Polanski, a director that Hollywood has honored for decades, even though he pleaded guilty in 1977 to sexually assaulting the then 13-year-old Samantha Geimer. Over the years, many Hollywood celebrities have defended Polanski, or simply worked with him, separating art and politics, but the tide is changing.

One of those celebrities that defended Polanski was Natalie Portman who is now owning up to her past “mistake.” Promoting her latest film “Annihilation,” Portman spoke with BuzzFeed, about a 2009 petition she signed in support of Polanski. The petition (also signed by Sam Mendes, Jeremy Irons, Isabelle Adjani, and others) was started after Polanski was arrested in Switzerland. The director faced possible extradition to the United States to face the charges from the 1977 case, after he had fled the country, when word circulated that the judge wasn’t going to adhere to the plea deal.

If I remember correctly the national debate when it came to Polanski was even divisive back then. But now that people are trying to weaponize public opinion, suddenly the topic became open again, as it should be. I'm just tired of all of these people being hypocrites on their past opinions. It's incredible how these men and women are speaking up about the sexual harassment and assault in Hollywood, but imagine a world where those women might have not stood up to Weinstein? The bombshell New Yorker report wasn't published. None of these artists would backtrack on statements about working with Woody Allen or Polanski.

From Wikipedia, here’s the main crux of the Polanski/Geimer story:

Describing the event in his autobiography, Polanski stated that he did not drug Geimer, that she “wasn’t unresponsive”, and that she did not respond negatively when he inquired as to whether or not she was enjoying what he was doing.[25] The 28-page probation report submitted to the court by Kenneth Fare (signed by deputy Irwin Gold) concluded by saying that there was evidence “that the victim was not only physically mature, but willing.” The officers quoted two psychiatrists’ denial of Roman being “a pedophile” or “sexual deviate”.

In 2008, Geimer stated in an interview that she wishes Polanski would be forgiven, "I think he's sorry, I think he knows it was wrong. I don't think he's a danger to society. I don't think he needs to be locked up forever and no one has ever come out ever – besides me – and accused him of anything. It was 30 years ago now. It's an unpleasant memory ... (but) I can live with it."

Bowie/Jagger/Tom Jones/Elvis, they all had young girlfriends, hell, as young as 15.  It is possible (though statistically less likely) for girls that age to be physically and mentally ready for sex. The excuse it was just “another time” does indeed has some truth in it. If you don’t like the “another time” argument, then think about how attitudes to black people and gay people have changed in a matter of decades. Fact is that, just like Woody Allen, the supposed criminal event between Polanski and Geimer is disputed, and, I’m going there, the culture at the time was more accepting of sex with young girls. Am I saying Polanski should be let loose? No, but there’s enough contrarian evidence to suggest that we shouldn’t point a finger. The French have defended Woody and Polanski for decades, it’s not like they’re just defending them because they love their art, the French aren’t that stupid. No, they are defending these artists because they actually read the fact from those cases and, quite frankly, there are gaping holes. Americans refuse to read the evidence, there is witch hunting for the sake of being part of the cool crowd and, what they think, is the right side of history. But history might prove them to be wrong when it comes to Allen, Polanski, and others.

Jessica Chastain Will Play Beverly in “It” Sequel

Director Andy Muschietti’s “It” was a box-office SMASH last fall, so much so that a sequel was already in the works right after the film’s September release. The focus of the second chapter would be on the kids all grown up, but Pennywise the clown still looming in the creaky darkness all around them. Muschietti wasn’t shy in his insistence to have grown up Beverly, the redhead, played by Jessica Chastain.

“Chastain is an amazing actress and very good friend and I would love her to play Beverly… she loves the movie and it feels like the planets are aligned in that sense, but we still have to make that happen,” Muschietti said during the film's release. 

That wish has been granted. Chastain will most likely pay Beverely as she is currently in negotiations. You must wonder how she and Muschietti are such good friends, right?  Well, they had previously worked on “Mama,” which I've totally forgotten Chastain was a part of. Maybe I give it the ol' rewatch this week. Bill Skarsgård will of course be back as Pennywise.

“It: Chapter 2” opens on September 6, 2019. [Variety/THR]

Viola Davis on Hollywood Gender Pay Gap:I “I’m the Black Meryl Streep … Pay Me What I’m Worth”

The Hollywood gender pay gap dates way back to medium's infancy, even Marilyn Monroe had a hard time with it who was even payed less than her makeup artists for the 1953 film "Niagara." For all the awards love we see at this time of the year, when it comes to equal gender pay Hollywood has yet to make considerable strides to fix the problem. Forbes even had a study which showed just how "grossly underrepresented and underpaid," as compared to their male counterparts, women were in film, and television alike. It's of course, not just in the film industry that this is happening, gender pay gaps are present across all industries. However, just like the #MeToo and TimesUp! movements, artists in Hollywood know just how influential their actions could be for the rest of the workplace.  And so, already actresses like Jennifer Lawrence, Meryl Streep, Jennifer Lawrence and Viola Davis have spoken out about the unfairness of it all.

Back in February of 2016, Viola Davis was interviewed by Mashable and had this to say about the gender pay gap in Hollywood: "I believe in equal pay, first of all. I’m sorry, if a woman does the same job as a man, she should be paid the same amount of money. She just should. That’s just the way the world should work. What are you telling your daughter when she grows up? ‘You've got to just understand that you’re a girl. You have a vagina, so that’s not as valuable.’ What are you telling her?"  Two years later the 52-year-old actress is at it again and this time she's as militant as ever, not only speaking as a woman, but as an African American, two severe handicaps when it comes to equal pay in Hollywood. During a "Women in Hollywood" convention on Sunset Boulevard, she had this to say:

“What they’re getting paid — which is half of what a man is getting paid — well, we get probably a tenth of what a Caucasian woman gets. And I’m No. 1 on the call sheet,”
The “How to Get Away With Murder” star went to a more controversial comment, comparing her career to Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Sigourney Weaver and others:

“I got the Oscar, I got the Emmy, I got the two Tonys. I’ve done Broadway, I’ve done Off Broadway, I’ve done TV, I’ve done film. I’ve done all of it,” she said. “And yet, I am nowhere near them, not as far as money, not as far as job opportunities. Nowhere close to it.”

Despite all the accolades and awards Davis has received over the years, she even won an Oscar for her supporting turn in "Fences," she adds that she still has to "hustle" for every job, and frequently receives the same answer from studio bigwigs and talent scouts:

“People say, ‘You’re a black Meryl Streep. You are. And we love you. We love you. There is no one like you,'” she said, “OK, then if there’s no one like me, if you think I’m that, you pay me what I’m worth. You give me what I’m worth.”

Those are some fighting words from Viola and, although a comparison to Meryl Streep is a far stretch, Streep has 21 Oscar nominations compared to Davis' 3, we are in total agreement about her arguments here. It's a severe problem that has inflicted almost every industry in the United States. Patricia Arquetteeloquently summed it up to The Wrap last year by stating:

"Look, inequality is in 98 percent of all industries, so I’m not surprised it’s still in Hollywood. That’s just part and parcel with what’s happening across the nation. A lot of studios are actually really making it a priority. There’s incremental changes as far as Hollywood goes."

Yes, she is right, we have seen change, but not enough. The countless examples are just so many that it hasn't even become a question of "is it really happening," but rather "how do we stop it?" The answer to the latter is still very much part of the activism and fighting being brought in by all the aforementioned actresses in this article. With many powerful men being ousted by sexual misdemeanor allegations left and right these days, I would expect that a domino effect would surely leak into more favorable pay for women as they, cross your fingers, start to incrementally gain more power over these next few months, years, maybe decades? One only hopes that to be the case.

A promotional poster for the upcoming comedy “The Death of Stalin” has scrubbed out actor Jeffrey Tambor

Jeffrey Tambor's future in the show "Transparent" was all but sealed last week when the producers confirmed he wouldn't be back for the show's fifth season. Why? claims emerged late last year that he had sexually harassed colleagues on the set of "Transparent."

Tambor, 73,  is actually quite good in his upcoming movie “The Death of Stalin,” he had originally appeared in the initial poster for the movie, which had, alongside him, fellow cast members Rupert Friend, Michael Palin, Jeffrey Tambor, Steve Buscemi, and Jason Isaacs, but The Wrap found a nifty little manoeuvre on the part of Amazon which has now had his face removed from the artwork. Andrea Riseborough now replaces Tambor on the poster, anything with Riseborough is fine by me, she’s my Queen B, however, Tambor does have a commendably important role in the film so it’s not like people will just go to “The Death of Stalin” and not notice that Tambor is in more 60% of the scenes.

Edited version:

Tambor still maintains his innocence and blames a highly politicized "Transparent" set for the supposed witchhunt:

“I am profoundly disappointed in Amazon’s handling of these false accusations against me. I am even more disappointed in Jill Soloway’s unfair characterization of me as someone who would ever cause harm to any of my fellow cast mates. In our four-year history of working together on this incredible show, these accusations have NEVER been revealed or discussed directly with me or anyone at Amazon. Therefore, I can only surmise that the investigation against me was deeply flawed and biased toward the toxic politicized atmosphere that afflicted our set. As I have consistently stated, I deeply regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone and I will continue to vehemently defend myself. I also deeply regret that this ground-breaking show, which changed so many lives, is now in jeopardy. That, to me, is the biggest heartbreak.”

“As I have consistently stated, I deeply regret if any action of mine was ever misinterpreted by anyone and I will continue to vehemently defend myself,” he said.

“The Death of Stalin” opens in U.S. theaters on March 9.

Jeffrey Tambor getting disappeared from the Death of Stalin poster is the Simulation at its very best https://t.co/MrlMFTKSe5 pic.twitter.com/EGRQim4SIi

— Tom Gara (@tomgara) February 16, 2018

“Call Me By Your Name” Director Luca Guadagnino didn’t think masturbating with a peach was possible so he tried it himself. Chalamet to Guadagnino: “Of course it works. I tried it myself as well.”

That's a hella tight.

“I thought it was a scene that can only play in a book, because you could go into your imagination,” Guadagnino told IndieWire earlier last year, “I also thought it was a metaphor for sexual impulses and energy. I didn’t believe in the actual physical possibilities of masturbating yourself with a peach. In translating this into a movie, I was both admiring Aciman’s work and dreading Aciman’s work…many times I said, ‘We have to remove this from the script.’ I didn’t want something that could be exploitative, sensationalist, or even involuntarily ridiculous. So it was a process, a long process.”

"One day I tried, physically, to masturbate myself with a peach because I was asking Timothée to do it as a character, and I wanted to prove to myself that it was not doable so we would not have to do it. And actually, when I got the fruit and put my finger in the fruit and started to debone it, already that act gave me a cinephile memory, reminding me of a great moment in this version of Madame Bovary [called Abraham’s Valley] by Manoel de Oliveira, the great Portuguese filmmaker. In it, the Bovary character is young and full of lust, she wants to fuck this guy. She sees a flower, she grabs this flower, and she puts her finger into the flower. It’s an incredible scene about the sensuality in all things. So I thought, “Finally, we have a lead here that can make this scene doable.” Then I tried to put the deboned peach on me and it actually worked, it wasn’t just a metaphor! So I threw the peach away, composed myself, and went to Timothée and told him, “Timmy, I tried the peach myself, and it works. We can film the scene.” And he goes, “Of course it works! I tried it myself as well.”

2018 BAFTA Awards: ‘Three Billboards’ Wins Best Film

For all you folks that would like to see "Three Billboards" win the Best Picture Oscar then its win at the BAFTA's today has surely given it some for of momentum, albeit all bets are still on "The Shape of Water" to win. In such an unpredictable awards season, who knows, anything goes it seems. You can count on it possibly winning Best Screenplay, Best Actress (Frances McDormand), and Best Supporting Actor The british bloc of the Academy are with it and that's a big deal. Going against "Three Billboards" is that fact that the last three BAFTA Best Film winners, “La La Land,” “Boyhood” and “The Revenant” ultimately did not win Best Picture.

The BAFTA's were also the last shot for Christopher Nolan's "Dunkirk" to win and become a contender, alas, its chances of winning have now gone kaput. Toobad. I recently rewatched Nolan's intricte minimalist masterpiece and, by golly, does its quality enhance upon several additional viewings.

J-Law says she’s taking a two year break from acting to delve into politics and “fix democracy”

Jennifer Lawrence has had a tumultuous last two years, what with her last three movies "Serena," "mother!" and "Passengers" polarizing a big chunk of her fanbase and dividing critics as well. Ok, maybe "Passengers" and "Serena" didn't divide critics as much as we're just slaughtered by the worst reviews of J-Law's career, but whether you liked "mother!" or not, and there are plenty of people that do love Darren Aronofsky's mother earth allegory, you couldn't help but root for such a dark, ambitious big studio film to do well at the box-office. It didn't. Lawrence also nabbed an undeserved Razzie nomination for Worst Actress, which, quite frankly, had many film fans puzzled because, if anything, she was the best part of Aronofsky's mindbender. Suffice to say, after seemingly looking unstoppable with that incredible streak of films she had between 2010 and 2015 ("Winter's Bone," "Silver Linings Playbook," "American Hustle," "X-Men: Days of Future Past, and" "The Hunger Games" trilogy) J-Law has come back down to earth in an abrasive and abrupt way.

So it is no surprise then that the 27-year-old actress has just announced a break from acting. While promoting her latest movie "Red Sparrow" (our mixed review of the film can be read here), she sharedwith The Today Show an urge to retire and "fix" democracy in America and that she doesn't "have anything set for 2 years.”

During another interview, this time with Entertainment Tonight, she further elaborated telling them, "I'm going to take the next year off. I'm going to be working with this organization as a part of Represent US... trying to get young people engaged politically on a local level. It doesn't have anything to do with partisan (politics). It's just anti-corruption and stuff trying to pass state by state laws that can help prevent corruption, fix our democracy.”

This delve into politics isn't anything new for Lawrence as she has posted in the past on social media about various different political causes that mattered to her. For example, back in January, she shared a photo on Facebook in which she, Cameron Diaz and Adele were taking part in the Women's March.

"I stand in solidarity for Women's rights, Equal pay, DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), CHIP (Children's Health Insurance Program)," she captioned, even holding a sign that reads: "A woman's place is in the revolution." More recently she told Oprah Winfrey in an interview for THR  that she used to be uninterested in politics but had become "obsessed" ever since Donald Trump became President.  "My political passion has almost turned into an obsession. I mean, I don’t think you ever do feel settled, (but) as soon as you feel settled with your home and your personal life, you’re looking at the world and going, ‘How in the hell do I fix this? What do we do?’” she explained.

Up next for J-Law, before this supposed break comes into effect, will be her return as Raven/Mystique in the upcoming "X-Men: Dark Phoenix" set for release this coming November.

“Blade Runner 2049" and Roger Deakins Win American Society of Cinematographers’ Top Prize. Is Oscar Next?

Roger Deakins. A legendary cinematographer who has never won an Oscar, despite being nominated 15 times. Absurd. Blasphemous. He recently nabbed that 15th nomination for "Blade Runner 2049," a visceral and intense movie from Quebecois director Denis Villeneuve, their third collaboration together. A lot of the film’s brilliance had to do with the cinematography that Deakins brought to the table. The film is almost as much a showcase for Villeneuve as it is for the famed cinematographer. Villeneuve seems to be giving carte blanche to Deakins with every movie, which isn’t a bad idea, and the two complement each other to great degrees. Villeneuve told me a few years back  “I always profoundly felt Roger wanted to make the movie. One thing I adore about Roger is his discipline and his rigor. He exudes so much respect from the cast and crew. When I started editing the movie I was just floored by what he had done."

There's a good chance Deakins will finally win for "Blade Runner 2049," as he has just won the American Society of Cinematographers top prize. This is the fourth ASC award Deakins has won in his illustrious career. 

However, according to The Wrap don't bet the whole lot on Deakins to win that Oscar  just yet:

"...The win does not necessarily mean that Deakins is now an Oscar front runner. In the first 31 years of the ASC Awards, the theatrical winner went on to win the Oscar only 13 times, although three of those wins (“Gravity,” “Birdman” and “The Revenant,” all to Emmanuel Lubezki) were in the last four years."

In my BR2049 review last year I wrote:

“We all figure this will be the movie that will have Roger Deakins win his first ever Oscar, right? After all, Denis Villeneuve’s “Blade Runner 2049" is a transportive visual feast for the eyes which has no less than a dozen, or so, of the best shots of the entire movie year. The legendary cinematographer and 13-time nominee shoots the hell out of this visionary sequel and will surely be a contender come Awards season.”

Black Panther is making almost as much this weekend as Justice League made in its entire run (~216m vs 228m)

"Black Panther" is currently set to make an estimated $216 million in its opening weekend. "Justice League "grossed $228+ million for its entire run. 

[Box Office Mojo]

Henry Cavill's Digitally Removed Mustache

The "Justice League" reshoots, which wanted to accommodate with the success of "Wonder Woman" among other things, cost the WB upwards of $25M, with Joss Whedon, who took over Zack Snyder's leave of absence, overseeing it all. Those reshoots dragged on for roughly two months. It wasn't just reshooting scenes that plagued the film, it was also the fact that Henry Cavill's was a major issue for the filmmakers. “Justice League” was expected to finish shooting before the sixth “Mission: Impossible” film, starring Cavill, was tobegin production. Sadly, this being DC and production issues always seeming to be a problem, the new scenes that were being shot required Cavill to jump back and forth between films. Having to sport a mustache he grew for his character in the “Mission: Impossible” sequel, Paramount, which was in charge of MI:6, would not allow Cavill to shave his 'stache in order to shoot his scenes as Superman for "Justice League." The WB, with not many options to show for, figured the only option they had was to just digitally remove the facial hair in post-production.

The very idea of them digitally removing Henry Cavill's mouth brow was a running joke for many fans and, surprise surpise, a major qualm for the many more that saw "Justice League." If you look closely you can definitely see the CGI erasement, of course, one can just let go and, you know, watch the film instead of focusing on Cavill's upper lip, but it turned out to be quite the distraction for many.

Over on Reddit, the VFX artist in charge of Cavill's mustache said the WB offered Paramount the option to digitally create a CGI mustache for the Mission: Impossible film, in return for Cavill to shave the damn thing. It was obviuously a pain and very complex process to digitally remove the mustache, but Paramount didn't budge, they said Cavill keeps the lip rug:

“A mix – to some people it’s a cool little project to get stuck in to and another problem to solve, which is what a lot of VFX is about. Challenging. To me, as a fan, I was annoyed haha Paramount should’ve shaved him and stuck a fake one on for MI6. Ridiculously petty of them. We did tests on already shot footage of Superman to add a beard as well to show the MI6 team at Paramount it was loads easier, and Warner Bros offered to pay for all the beard adding shots in MI6. They said no.”

How important could the dirty Sanchez Cavill was sporting be for the plot of "Mission: Impossible 6"? We won't really know until the film is released next summer, but suffice to say it was important enough that the WB had to go through a digital removal of it and be the butt of jokes of many film fans.

The results are, quite frankly, frightening

Star Wars: J.J. Abrams Claims Some of ‘The Last Jedi’ Backlash Comes From Fans “Threatened” By Women

Yes, Rian Johnson's "The Last Jedi" riled up many long-time "Star Wars" fans and quickly became the most divisive movie in the franchise's history. There's no arguing that. You may say the film was "bold" but there's no discounting the fact that those that did the complaining were longtime fans that, in all essence, were purists when it came to the franchise and were allergic to any kind of change emerging through the characters and storylines. The main complaint was, of course, the way Johnson treated Luke Skywalker and how his all-encompassing statement that the "Jedi was dead" could not have been uttered by the same guy who told Yoda in 1980's "The Empire Strikes Back" "I won't fail you, I'm not afraid." Alas, this deviation from the original spirit of the character rubbed many people the wrong way. Others were also complaining about the new characters whom, coincidence or not, were mostly female characters, (Laura Dern's Admiral Holdo and Kelly Marie Tran's Rose Tico,) which even led to a fan deciding to edit his own 46 minute version of the "The Last Jedi" without any women in it. That was going a little too far.

With all that being said, JJ Abrams' claim that the reason for the nasty backlash is because these very fans felt "threatened" by having strong women in the movie kind of misses the point. Sure, there is some truth in that statement, but it wasn't just the fact that Rose and Kelly were in the movie that had fans wanting Johnson's head on a golden platter. No, it was a lot more than that, but first let's get to Abrams' quote which derived from a fascinating interview he did with IndieWire's Kate Erbland: 

“Star Wars is a big galaxy, and you can sort of find almost anything you want to in Star Wars,” Abrams told IndieWire. “If you are someone who feels threatened by women and needs to lash out against them, you can probably find an enemy in Star Wars. You can probably look at the first movie that George [Lucas] did and say that Leia was too outspoken, or she was too tough. Anyone who wants to find a problem with anything can find the problem. The internet seems to be made for that.”

Point taken. Laura Dern's Admiral Holdo was perfectly fine and brought some much-needed tension to some of the scenes she was in, she was a highlight and went out with, quite literally, a bang. But I'd have to disagree about Marie Tran's Rose Tico, a character that felt like a non-starter, underdeveloped and thinly written.  Of course, we want strong female characters to be included in these big-budget tentpole blockbusters and "Star Wars" has, quite frankly, done it quite well with this new trilogy, especially when it comes to Daisey Ridley's Rey who is, no doubt, turning into one of the great sci-fi heroines of our time. 
However, Abrams assertion that fans who didn't like "The Last Jedi" feel threatened by strong women kind of misses the point of the backlash. Being against art that doesn't affect you or resonates deeply inside you is not always as simple as just a matter of sexism.

For many, the joys of Star Wars comes from the comfort of familiarity, the mythology Lucas created. “The Last Jedi” erases all that. I knew “The Last Jedi” would likely rub purist fans the wrong way within the first few minutes. The primary intent of the film was to reinvent the franchise. Of course, these purists wanted things to stay the same, but watching “The Last Jedi” you can sense director Rian Jonson trying to, as Kylo Ren says to, “let the past die.” It’s a theme that resonates throughout the film.  The little moments that make up this backlash are not “little” to fans of Lucas’ original films. For example, Rey handing off Anakin’s blue lightsaber to Luke, who then goes on to toss it over his shoulder and brush off Rey? That’s a nono for them. Luke doesn’t even believe in himself anymore.  The mythology, his legend, was, in fact, a sham according to this new movie.  I, of course, enjoyed the film, but I do understand some fans’ frustrations and even though sexism may be the reason for a minority of fans, Abrams needs to realize it is much, much more than just that. And remember, Carrie Fischer’s Leia was an integral part of the first three films. A strong, sensible, independent female heroine that everyone took into their heart.

While filming ‘Blade: Trinity,’ Wesley Snipes was so fed up with the studio, he began smoking weed, choked the director, and only communicated through post-it notes signed “Blade.”

The AV Club’s Random Roles has Patton Oswalt as the guest this week as he recounts the horrific experience of shooting "Blade: Trinity" with Wesley Snipes.  Yes, Snipes pulled a Daniel Day-Lewis and was in character for the entire shoot. “When I met him I was like, ‘Hi!’ And he was like, ‘I’m Blade.’  Also, judging by the title of this post, you might know that it was much, much more than that. 

Here's Patton:

Oh, Christ. That was the third Blade movie. And there’s a scene where Blade goes in and confronts this guy for harvesting humans. That scene was supposed to be the whole basis of the film. Blade is fighting for the last shred of humanity. But they thought that it was just so fucking grim, so they decided to just have Blade fighting Dracula. It was just one of those; it was a very troubled production. Wesley [Snipes] was just fucking crazy in a hilarious way. He wouldn’t come out of his trailer, and he would smoke weed all day. Which is fine with me, because I had all these DVDs that I wanted to catch up on. We were in Vancouver, and it was always raining. I kept the door to my trailer open to smell the evening rain while I was watching a movie. Then I remember one day on the set—they let everyone pick their own clothes—there was one black actor who was also kind of a club kid. And he wore this shirt with the word “Garbage” on it in big stylish letters. It was his shirt. And Wesley came down to the set, which he only did for close-ups. Everything else was done by his stand-in. I only did one scene with him. But he comes on and goes, “There’s only one other black guy in the movie, and you make him wear a shirt that says ‘Garbage?’ You racist motherfucker!”

And he tried to strangle the director, David Goyer. So later that night, Ron Perlman was in the city. Everyone who makes movies in Vancouver stays in the same hotel. It’s like an episode of The Love Boat. Every time the elevator stops, you’ve got a different celebrity getting on. Like, [announcer voice] “Hey, now we’ve got Danny Glover!” So we went out that night to some strip club, and we were all drinking. And there were a bunch of bikers there, so David says to them, “I’ll pay for all your drinks if you show up to set tomorrow and pretend to be my security.” Wesley freaked out and went back to his trailer. [Laughs.] And the next day, Wesley sat down with David and was like, “I think you need to quit. You’re detrimental to this movie.” And David was like, “Why don’t you quit? We’ve got all your close-ups, and we could shoot the rest with your stand-in.” And that freaked Wesley out so much that, for the rest of the production, he would only communicate with the director through Post-it notes. And he would sign each Post-it note “From Blade.” [Laughs.]

The thought of Wesley Snipes trying to be a method actor is quite hilarious. So he wouldn't respond to his own name, only Blade. 

Also, calling a colleague only by "cracker" is a jerk move, it's not being a frustrated artist or "eccentric". Snipes was getting into dickish territory by the end there. 

Karma seemed to have eventually caught up with him as he served jail time for tax evasion.

Is “Red Sparrow” a winner?

Jennifer Lawrence as a former ballerina turned Russian intelligence officer? Joel Edgerton as the CIA agent that falls in love with her? This spy thriller, directed by Francis Lawrence, also stars Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, and Jeremy Irons.  Based on the popular novel by former CIA operative Jason Matthews, the film re-teams J-Law with her Hunger Games director Lawrence. The film has also been stamped with an R rating for strong violence, torture, sexual content, language and some graphic nudity, the creatives are going all in with this movie.

I'll be watching "Red Sparrow" next week and the fact that a screening is happening tonight in Los Angeles and the embargo is lifted tomorrow says a lot about the confidence 20th Century Fox might be having for this J-Law spooker, which only opens on the 23rd. Director Lawrence has sent a message to press for us to keep “all major plot points including the ending secret so other viewers may also enjoy the movie to the fullest.” Amen to that.

“Kung Fury” adds Arnold Schwarzenegger to its cast which already includes Michael Fassbender and David Hasselhoff

When the news broke this week that Michael Fassbender and David Hasselhoff were cast in a feature-length version of director David Sandberg's viral action-comedy short "Kung Fury,” well, suffice to say, we were quite frankly confused. Fassbender isn’t exactly known for comedies but that’s all about to change with this film which, following the plot of Sandberg’s original short, would have a Miami Cop with super Kung Fu powers time travelling to fight Kung Führer  AKA Hitler. The short was produced on an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign amassing close to $630,000. The half hour movie ended up garnering close to 40 million views online and was actually part of Cannes' prestigious Director's Fortnight. Since then Sandberg broke through as a good horror director with "Lights Out" and last year's hit  "Annabelle: Creation."

Of course, if you're going to make an absurd comedy that pays tribute to ’80s action films then you might as well stack up the cast with a nice dose of nostalgia. Cue in Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has joined the cast of "Kung Fury." THR is reporting that the "Governator" is going to play the American president in Sandberg's movie which is set to shoot this summer.

THR has the synopsis going like this:

"The action is set in 1985 Miami, which is kept safe under the watchful eye of Kung Fury and his Thundercops, the ultimate police force assembled from across history to defeat the villainous Kung Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler. After the tragic death of a Thundercop sees the group disband, a mysterious villain emerges from the shadows to aid in the Fuhrer's quest to attain the ultimate weapon. Kung Fury must travel through space and time to save his friends, defend the prestigious Miami Kung Fu Academy and defeat evil once and for all."

Sandberg will also star as the titular hero, deemed the "greatest damn cop of all time" and something tells me more '80s action stars will be cast in the film. As for Schwarzenegger, the 70-year-old actor has had a rough time finding a groove ever since coming out of acting retirement in 2013 with "Escape Plan," his films since then ("The Last Stand," "Sabotage," "Maggie," "Killing Gunther," "Aftermath"), although different and having shown a range in the actor we've never seen before, have failed to ignite any kind of excitement at the box-office or with his fans. However, with "Kung Fury" and Tim Miller's as of yet untitled "Terminator" reboot starring Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, and written by James Cameron, things might change for Arnold, who isn't getting any younger and has us desperately in need of another great movie from him.

The original “Kung Fury” short can be seen below.

Wes Anderson’s “Isle of Dogs” Premieres at the Berlinale to Raves

Of all the great Wes Anderson movies, and there quite a few, I've always a real fondness for "The Fantastic Mr. Fox," a stop-motion animation treat from 2009 that was the most formally realized picture of his career. So it is with great joy that I see that there's another film of his that will be in stop motion animation form: "Isle of Dogs." If that wasn't enough he has amassed another fantastic cast to take part in this adventure. Earlier this year, Anderson had mentioned that the film was “less influenced by stop-motion movies than it is by Akira Kurosawa.” The full cast includes Bryan Cranston, Bill Murray, Jeff Goldblum, Scarlett Johansson, F. Murray Abraham, Edward Norton, Tilda Swinton, Kunichi Nomura, Harvey Keitel, Akira Ito, Akira Takayama, Koyu Rankin, Yoko Ono (!), Courtney B. Vance (!), Greta Gerwig (!!!), Frances McDormand, Bob Balaban and Liev Schreiber "Isle of Dogs" comes out on April 20th, 2018. Is it a coincidence that this is coming out on 4/20?

The reviews thus far are fairly good, this isn't Fantastic Mr. Fox-level raves but we'll take it, especially since Anderson tends to release a film every 4 years these days so this is surely a celebratory moment for any cinephile right now. 

“Isle of Dogs is really a film about its own enthusiasms: for four-legged fleabags of all shapes and sizes, of course, but also for the culture and cinema of Japan, which is woven with typical fastidiousness into Anderson’s magpie aesthetic. That makes it a markedly more eccentric proposition than Anderson’s first feature-length foray into stop-motion, 2009’s Fantastic Mr. Fox — and with a PG-13 rating for its dry adult comedy, mostly played in a limbo-low key, a niche commercial prospect too. The Anderson faithful will be tickled pink as a newborn pup, as will voters for year-end animation awards; the palpable spirit of affection driving proceedings, meanwhile, will have to be the film’s chief defense against charges of cultural appropriation.” Guy Lodge, Variety.

“An even wilder, more distinctive experience” than Anderson’s The Fantastic Mr. Fox, buttressed by a “thoroughly captivating tale of a 12-year-old Japanese boy’s quest to rescue his beloved pet, and indeed an entire outcast canine population, from the genocidal scheme of a crooked mayoral regime…the Fox Searchlight March release has cult potential stamped all over it. For those who choose to see this in conventional family-film terms, Anderson might perhaps be accused of overplotting, layering complication upon complication in a story that’s basically a classic hero’s journey, with multiple plucky sidekicks. But the unique charm of Isle of Dogs is its bottomless vault of curios, its sly humor, playful graphic inserts and dexterous narrative detours.” - David Rooney, THR.

Yeah so Isle of Dogs is extra funky, pro-dog stop-motion excellence. A truly one-of-a-kind Wes Anderson creation.

— Alex Billington (@firstshowing) February 15, 2018

As a stop-motion fan absolutely blown away by Wes Anderson's 'Isle of Dogs'. The level of detail in every shot is jawdropping. Want to watch it again being able to stop it on every frame. Also loved the story and characters. Such a great movie.

— Steven Weintraub (@colliderfrosty) February 15, 2018

Today is my birthday, and I feel like Wes Anderson gave me a present. My @berlinale review of ISLE OF DOGS: https://t.co/qq8eBELlZW

— Guy Lodge (@GuyLodge) February 15, 2018