Director Neil Marshall Seems to be Disowning His Own ‘Hellboy' Reboot

April 11, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

As far as I’m concerned, Guillermo del Toro gave us as perfect an adaptation as you can get of underground comic “Hellboy” with 2008’s "Hellboy II: The Golden Army." He fought for Ron Perlman to be cast, he fought for the budget and he fought for creative control. There was just no way we could have a better Hellboy without Del Toro at the reign.

Perlman and, his "Hellboy" co-star, Selma Blair seem to be in agreement with my assessment; the pair even took to social media to indirectly criticize the reboot. Blair reacted by posting a photo of herself kissing a poster of Perlman’s Hellboy. “This man, Ron Perlman,” Blair wrote on Instagram. “Forever my Red. You are always the realest deal, a diamond.” Perlman, meanwhile, posted a reminder on his Instagram that the del Toro original can be streamed on Netflix right now.

Perlman and del Toro not being part of this reboot has been a source of controversy for many fans. This “Hellboy” reboot has “Stranger Things” actor David Harbour playing the titular character. Director Neil Marshall, who made the excellent horror film “The Descent,” is replacing del Toro.

The Wrap is even now reporting of production hell during the shoot of the film. That Harbour, and director Marshall consistently fought on-set. The report goes even further in insinuating that the studio undermined the filmmaker at every turn.

It all, supposedly, started when producers Lawrence Gordon and Lloyd Levin fired Marshall’s longtime collaborating cinematographer, Sam McCurdy. This firing was supposedly a warning shot at Marshall to let him know who was in charge … Then they gave permission to Ian McShane and Harbour to re-write their own scenes on set, ignoring Marshall.

“Hellboy” currently sits at 14% on RottenTomatoes and opens in theaters on Friday.

‘Hellboy' is a Grade-A Stinker [Review]

April 10, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

I mean, did you really believe that this latest incarnation of "Hellboy" would actually be better than the two excellent Guillermo del Toro films we got back in '04 and '08? Of course not.

Woody Allen's Delayed/Suspended ‘Rainy Day In New York' To Be Released in Mexico and Europe Later This Year

April 10, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

The always-insightful Robert Weide has a new Woody Allen defense titled “The Truth About Woody Allen (Part II)“, which was posted on 4.8.19. If you haven’t read Weide’s other knowledgeable, first-hand defenses of Allen I highly recommend them.

Zoe Saldana Says Her Mom Keeps Confusing Her With Thandie Newton

April 10, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

I hate to admit it, but I have, just a few times, mistaken Zoe Saldana for her actress Thandie Newton, they do have similar facial features, but eventually I caught on with the differences, it’s now hard for me to not distinguish them apart. However, I do feel less shameful about that confusion today, because it was revealed that even Saldana’s own mother regularly confused her for Newton, that’s what the “Guardians of the Galaxy” star told James Corden when she visited “The Late Late Show” on Tuesday.

"My mom still thinks that I'm in “Westworld," she said, referring to the HBO series, which Newton stars in, "I'm like, 'Years ago you thought that I was in Traffic. Mom, you did not give birth to Thandie Newton.'"

No matter how many times Saldana repeatedly told her mother that she was not on “Westworld,” her mother still continued to confuse her for Newton "She was like, 'Well, your show is on HBO.' I'm like, 'Which one?' She's like, 'Westworld,'" adding,. "I said, 'When are you going to understand I'm not Thandie Newton?'"

The actress said that she met Newton a few years ago at the Golden Globes. "I hugged her and I kind of scared her because I didn't tell her why I was invading her space, I was just like, 'Oh my God. Please tell me that people confuse you with me.' She was like, 'Who are you?'"

Despite that awkward first meeting, Newton and Saldana are now friends. "We text now. We're friends," she said.

Mark Hamill: Leia, Luke and Han Deserved to Have A Scene Together in ‘The Force Awakens'

April 10, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

star-wars-the-force-awakens-mark-hamill-slice-600x200.jpg

Mark Hamill is an automatic go-to for World of Reel. Whenever the guy opens his mouth we tend to cover the outrageously honest stuff he says. Interviewed during the THR podcast, complained that he didn’t like how he was introduced in the "The Force Awakens” and how he was, eventually, killed in “The Last Jedi.”

‘Dogman’: One of the Year's Best Movies [Cannes Review]

April 10, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

Following two Cannes efforts both met politely, but a little meso meso by critics, the comedy “Reality” and the dark fantasy of “Tale Of Tales,” Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone returns to the crime genre that launched his career in 2008 (“Gomorrah“) with the equally disturbing “Dogman.” Yet, instead of simply returning to the comfortable well that yielded his best notices, Garrone looks at the seed of violence through another lens; not the pervasive malignancy of mafia corruption, but a rather an unsettling, malevolent individual perpetrating his own brand of terror. A hyper-realistic urban tragedy “Dogman” is ferocious and in its own way, much more frightening than “Gomorrah.”

Cannes 2019: Jarmusch Confirmed as Opener. Larrain's ‘Ema' Bought by Netflix. Tarantino Might Not Make it in Time.

April 10, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

We’re getting down to the final hours when it comes to the Cannes Film Festival. Speculating these past few months has been fun, but, when all is said and done, the official lineup announcement is set to happen on April 18th. However, a few breaking items for your convenience on this Wednesday afternoon.

J.J. Abrams Says He Initially Turned Down ‘Star Wars: Episode IX’

April 9, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

I'm all for JJ Abrams returning to direct the ninth and final chapter of the Skywalker saga. But can we please point out the elephant in the room when it comes to the failure of this Disney-fied version of Star Wars? The fact that there was no apparent overarching planned story. Is it just me or does it look like there’s a brand new creative team in place for each chapter and they were given carte-blanche to do whatever they felt like doing with the story and characters? If I hadn’t known before watching it, I would have barely guessed that “The Last Jedi” was a sequel to “The Force Awakens.” Thematically, visually, dialogue-wise, it all felt uncorrelated. That, to me, will be the lasting legacy of this trilogy. Let’s hope Abrams can somehow find a way to bring it all back home.

Oliver Stone Was Once A Formidable Director

April 9, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

Jeffrey Wells has a nice little conversation-starter over at Hollywood-Elsewhere about Oliver Stone:

Kevin Feige: ‘It Will Be a Very Long Time’ Until X-Men Join the MCU

April 9, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

Take it to the bank, the X-Men will not be joining the MCU for at least five more years. That’s what Marvel head Kevin Feige told i09 earlier today:

‘Girls of the Sun' Has Harrowing Action, But is Bogged Down By Speechifying [Review]

April 9, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

Bahar (Golshifteh Farahani) is the leader of an all-female battalion of Iraqi and Syrian women, who escaped kidnapping at the hands of an Islamic terrorist group and are planning their revenge. Mathilde (Emmanuelle Bercot), a veteran war reporter, with an eyepatch no less, follows Bahar and her warriors in Kurdistan where they try to take back their invaded village from the terrorists.

Joe and Jane Popcorn adored ‘Green Book'

April 8, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

With the sole exception of journalist friends, I have not met a single “normal” moviegoer that saw “Green Book” and didn’t fall for its charms. If you noticed, last year I was crusading, defending if you will, Peter Farrelly’s film, on a daily basis, because I blocked all the toxic hysteria and saw the film for what it truly was: A crowd-pleaser of the highest order that audiences would absolutely adore. I was also defending it for what it wasn’t, especially since most supposedly progressive-minded film critics decided to shoot darts at it for not accurately portraying race relations in America. The terms “white savior” and “magical negro” were used to disavow the film.

‘Avengers: Endgame' and the Dangers of Expectations

April 8, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

It’s rather debatable if any of these MCU movies will age well. Yes, they are landmark moments of cinema, solely for the way Marvel Head Kevin Feige managed to set-up all 20 of these movies in a single well-connected and continuum-like universe.

Best Movies of 2019 So Far ...

April 8, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

OK, fine, I’ll budge. Many readers of this site love lists, understandably so, and there have been a few emails I’ve gotten about what the best movies of 2019 have been so far. I won’t list the stuff I saw at Sundance, I’ll just list the movies that have already been released, the cutoff date is April 30th just to give me a little room to manoeuvre.

Dogman (Matteo Garone)
Dragged Across Concrete (Craig Zahler)
Gloria Bell (Sebastien Lelio)
High Life (Claire Denis)
Us (Jordan Peele)
The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (Terry Gilliam)
Ash is Purest White (Jia Zhangke)
Hail Satan (Penny Lane)
Fyre (Chris Smith)
Avengers: Endgame (Joe and Anthony Russo)
Booksmart (Olivia Wilde)
Transit (Christian Petzoldt)

Max Minghella’s Directorial Debut ‘Teen Spirit’ Falls Flat Despite A Strong Elle Fanning Performance [Review]

April 8, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

Music competition shows have been a TV mainstay in America ever since the Brits imported “American Idol” in the early-2000s, which in turn kickstarted a slew of copycats, including NBC’s incredibly popular “The Voice.” Eventually, movies based on the competitive nature of these shows (“American Dreamz” and “Pitch Perfect“) were made, creating a genre which, when successful, can be a biting satire of our culture’s obsession with fame.

‘The Man Who Killed Don Quixote' Is A Surreal and Absurdist Comeback for Terry Gilliam [Review]

April 8, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

Make no mistake about it, “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” is a love letter to art, to those that dare dream and how it can also lead us to madness, but the best most joyous kind.

‘Stuber' Trailer: Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista Star in Buddy-Cop Comedy

April 8, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

“Stuber,” which world premiered at SXSW last March, stars Kumail Nanjiani and Dave Bautista in, what seems to be, an action-comedy take on Michael Mann’s ‘Collateral.” The newly released trailer has gags that made me chuckle, the chemistry between the two actors will be the driving force of this film, let’s hope it can continue to work for 90 minutes.

‘Parasite’ Trailer: Bong Joon-ho’s Latest Expected to Have Cannes Debut

April 8, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

I do not know Korean but this trailer for Bong Joon-Ho’s “Parasite” looks wild. Bong Joon-ho is the South Korean director that gave us“Snowpiercer,” “Okja,” and “The Host,” if that’s not enough to whet your appetite for “Parasite,” then I don’t know what will.

Box-Office: ‘Shazam' Takes Top Spot; Anti-Abortion Film ‘Unplanned' Continues to Surprise

April 7, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

I’ve been following, with a very close eye, the surprising success of anti-abortion movie “Unplanned” at the American box-office and, suffice to say, It’s been keeping its strong momentum intact, especially in bible-belt states. By all accounts, industry experts are flabbergasted by the success of this movie, which finished in the 8th spot this weekend with a very respectable $3.2 million, after expanding to 1,515 screens.

Christopher Nolan's Mysterious New Movie Said To Be Globe Spanning Sci-Fi About Time Continuum; ‘North By Northwest' Meets ‘Inception'?

April 6, 2019 Jordan Ruimy

There have been many rumors as to what Christopher Nolan’s next film, set to be released in 2020, would be about, with many rumors having been debunked already. People have been shooting these rumors left and right and, hoping one of them sticks, and yet, we still don’t what the damn thing is about. All we know is that the screenplay is so secretive that its star, Robert Pattinson, had to be locked up in a room to read the damn thing. He couldn’t bring a physical copy home.

FOLLOW US!

Critics Polls

Featured

Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

Critics Poll: Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Tops Our 1960s Critics Poll

We’ve already covered the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Now we have the results for the Best Films of the 1960s.

SEND NEWS TIPS

Bassam Tariq Says Making ‘Blade' at Marvel Was ‘“a Different Thing”: “Somebody Else Is Running This”

Bassim Tariq was the first one in the chair. The "Mogul Mowgli" director spent two years building out the Mahershala Ali vehicle before exiting in 2022, and he's now letting the air out on this one.

‘The Family Stone’ Sequel Greenlit at Searchlight, Fall Shoot, Reunites the Entire Cast — Except Diane Keaton

Claire Danes, Rachel McAdams, Dermot Mulroney, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Luke Wilson, Tyrone Giordano, Elizabeth Reaser, Paul Schneider, and Brian White will all be back.

Critics Are Fighting About ‘Fjord’ at TIFF; Sebastian Stan: “Not A MAGA Movie”

I was curious how Cristian Mungiu's "Fjord" would be received this fall. The Palme d'Or winner has become a culture-war flashpoint, and critics are more split on it than you might expect.

Sebastian Stan Thinks ‘The Batman: Part II’ Is ‘The Godfather: Part II’

Oh, Sebastian Stan … he tells Variety that walking onto the set of "The Batman: Part II" gives him the feeling that he might be making "The Godfather: Part II." His exact words.

August 19, 2019

3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.