Superman must surrender or Earth pays, blah blah blah
While the first few trailers for Zach Snyder's hotly anticipated upcoming "Man of Steel" were full of operatic bombast, weepy nostalgia, epic Kevin Costner voice over, and dreamy images of faded Americana, they weren't so much with the face punching. Or the plot. The latest clip, and presumably the last, lays down the stakes pretty clearly, however.Soderbergh's intelligent take on a familiar genre reminds us how much we'll miss his touch
Steven Soderbergh says that "Side Effects" (Universal) is his last theatrical feature before retirement (he doesn't count his upcoming made-for-HBO film "Behind the Candelabra"). The modestly scaled but satisfying thriller reminds us just how much we'll miss his take presence on the big screen.
What begins as a medical drama of wonder drugs and pharmaceutical conspiracy turns into a sly psychological thriller, with Jude Law as a committed psychiatrist and Rooney Mara as a troubled patient with a coldly calculating soul. Law prescribes a new, experimental drug to combat her depression and anxiety attacks (recommended by fellow therapist Catherine Zeta-Jones, all very controlled and steely), Mara ends up killing her husband (Channing Tatum) in a sleepwalking nightmare, and the more he looks into the suppressed side effects of the drug, the more suspicions are raised about the whole situation. Meanwhile the film's observation on how cozy the medical profession is with the pharmaceutical industry, and how her murder trial is intertwined with big business and medical malpractice, puts a whole new angle on the stakes of the murder trial.
"Side Effects" is less twisty in retrospect than it appears as the drama unfolds moment to moment. Like so many of Soderbergh's films, it turns on human nature, perception, and expectations, which Soderbergh and screenwriter Scott Z. Burns play with to great effect. As Law's ambitious, seemingly sincere, and possibly paranoid psychiatrist says, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior. Fittingly the entire last act rests on that simple observation.
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For more releases, see Hot Tips and Top Picks: DVDs, Blu-rays and streaming video for week of May 21
Okay, why can't this come out already?
Any remaining confusion about where "The Wolverine" would fall in the "X-Men" saga's chronology—is it a straight sequel to "X-Men Origins: Wolverine?" Is it a standalone film?—has seemingly been cleared up by its latest trailer, posted below. In it, Wolverine/Logan is haunted by dreams (or are they?) of the ostensibly late Jean Grey, as played by Famke Jannsen. The last time we saw Jean Grey, if you'll remember, was as she was being murdered/mercy killed by ol' Mega Sideburns at the end of the otherwise execrable "X-Men: The Last Stand."Jeremy Saulnier's follow-up to 'Murder Party' is a tense, twisty triumph
Rating: 4.5/5 starsWe reveal one of the witches to you so you can partake in the hunt
Stars Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton are the brother and sister team seeking to avenge their parents’ deaths as they face evil greater than anything they’ve seen before. The digital release of the unrated cut of “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters” is now available so you can watch the adventure unfold before your eyes! To celebrate MSN Movies is partnering with Paramount Pictures so you can be a part of the witch hunt.
The first person to find all six witch images and uncover the secret URL will win an iPad mini with digital versions of the theatrical and unrated cut of “Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.” You also have a chance to win a trip to the premiere of “World War Z” the latest film starring Brad Pitt.
Follow and take part in the official “Hansel & Gretel” witch hunt by going to this Twitter and Facebook handle.
"Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters" digital release is available now and the Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack is available starting June 11.
For all you hunters out there, here is the first of six witches that will be revealed!
Project described as a sort of modern day 'Top Gun'
According to Deadline, Liam Hemsworth has agreed to star in "Aurora Rising," a sort of modern-day "Top Gun" in which a surfer dude becomes a crack fighter pilot. Hemsworth would play said surfer-turned-pilot, who, after apparently "acing" a potentially hairy first combat mission, is granted the opportunity to test the next generation of fighter aircraft. Naturally, this occurs simultaneously as an international incident heightens tensions in the region.Only time will tell if this proves more "Top Gun" or more "Hot Shots!" Although it does make us wonder what happened to that planned "Top Gun" sequel that we keep hearing rumors about. Will "Aurora Rising" beat it to the punch? Does "testing the next generation of fighter aircraft" mean Hemsworth will actually be piloting a drone from his parents' basement? If so, could this ultimately prove more "War Games" than anything else? We'll bring you the relevant details when available, but in the meantime, ain't it fun to speculate?
Joins Martin Sheen and Rodrigo Santoro on the project
Can we call this "1656 Hours?" According to Deadline, Antonio Banderas has agreed to join "The 33," a dramatization of the events surrounding the infamous mine collapse that trapped 33 Chilean workers underground for 69 days in 2010. Like the Oscar-nominated "127 Hours," "The 33" seeks to put famous faces to its real-life protagonists, and accurately portray their triumph over adversity—and, uh, very large rocks.Bing: Chilean miners | Antonio Banderas
Martin Sheen and Rodrigo Santoro have already signed onto the film, giving the film an eminently respectable cast if not one that'll draw in all those lucrative pre-teens with their free-wheeling allowance money. Banderas will reportedly play Mario Sepulveda, who earned the nickname "Super Mario" during the ordeal. Given that there are approximately, oh, thirty odd other roles yet to be cast, it seems safe to assume many more such announcements moving forward. We wonder what other talents the project will attract... Any ideas, Hitlisters? As always, let us know in the comments. More details as they become available...
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Animation veteran, 'Simpsons' and 'King of the Hill' writer Jon Vitti gets the call
Indicating that, yes, this is apparently still not a joke, The Hollywood Reporter is, er, reporting that Rovio Entertainment has hired "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill" writer Jon Vitti to pen their upcoming "Angry Birds" adaptation. The ostensibly 3D animated film—which will somehow dramatize the act of catapulting mute avian kamikaze wrecking balls at flimsily made if elaborate structures populated by evil green pigs—is expected out July 1, 2016, or far enough into the future that "Angry Birds" might still not be a thing then, and all those involved, including studio Sony, might come to their senses and, say, not do it. After all, while flicking a bunch of mute avian kamikaze wrecking balls at flimsily made if elaborate structures populated by evil green pigs might be a fun thing to do, is it really the solid basis of a movie?Bing: Angry Birds | Jon Vitti
What do you think, Hitlisters? Would you actually consider it fun to sit around watching this for two hours? Or are the filmmakers going to have to go to extreme lengths to add depth and, you know, story, to the whole enterprise, before making it worthwhile? And is three years enough time to figure all that out? As always, let us know in the comments, or tell us on MSN Movies Facebook or MSN Movies Twitter.
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