Monday, September 24, 2018

The JOKER in Action at the Big Apple...

The Joker (Joaquin Phoenix) is up to no good inside a New York subway station in this snapshot from the set of JOKER.
(Picture: Backgrid)

Thanks to the paparazzi (which director Todd Phillips is currently not very fond of), new set photos have been posted online showing a scene from Joker being filmed at a New York subway station this past weekend. In the video at the very bottom of this entry, we see background actors running for their lives as the Joker (Joaquin Phoenix sporting a suit that's reminiscent of the one worn by Cesar Romero in the 1966-'68 Batman TV show) emerges from a train and discards his clown mask while genially walking away. While it's clearly obvious that the Joker make-up that I typed about in this previous entry has obviously made it into the flick, it remains to be seen if the Clown Prince will appear this way for the whole movie...or if something horrible (like say, falling into a vat of acid) will occur that gives the Joker permanent white skin, green hair and sinister-looking red lips. We'll find out on October 4, 2019.

The Joker is up to no good inside a New York subway station in this snapshot from the set of JOKER.
(Picture; Mega)

The photo below is an official behind-the-scenes snapshot of Phoenix (as pre-Joker Arthur Fleck) and Zazie Beetz (as Sophie Dumond) on the set of next year's crime drama. Happy Monday!

Joaquin Phoenix and Zazie Beetz (as Sophie Dumond) in this production still from JOKER.
(Picture: Mega)


Sunday, September 23, 2018

BUMBLEBEE Update: Three Classic Transformers Go Old-School in the Upcoming Film...

Optimus Prime (once again voiced by Peter Cullen) on his home world of Cybertron in this screenshot from BUMBLEBEE.

Sometime tomorrow, Paramount Pictures will release the newest trailer for Bumblebee...which arrives in theaters nationwide on December 21. Along with new footage of the yellow Autobot himself, as well as his human sidekick Charlie Watson (Hailee Steinfeld), the latest Bumblebee trailer will also introduce us to earlier incarnations of Optimus Prime (once again voiced by Peter Cullen) as well as Soundwave and his Decepticon minion, Ravage (the latter was last seen in 2009's Revenge of the Fallen). As you can see in the three screenshots posted here, these earlier incarnations are a lot more faithful to the Generation 1 (G1) cartoon and toy designs that fans all know and love.

The Decepticon known as Soundwave also appears on Cybertron in this screenshot from BUMBLEBEE.

Seeing as how Bumblebee is part of the canon for the Michael Bay-directed film franchise, it's interesting how Optimus has his G1 truck mode on Cybertron in Bumblebee, but had a more alien robotic form when he, Ironhide, Jazz and Ratchet land on Earth in 2007's Transformers. Oh well. It's clearly obvious that director Travis Knight is willing to overlook that aspect of the live-action movies' storyline to give us a more faithful depiction of the Transformers in his flick. Carry on!

Ravage charges away from Soundwave in this screenshot from BUMBLEBEE.




Friday, September 21, 2018

Welcome, Arthur Fleck... A New JOKER Is Revealed!

Joaquin Phoenix (who plays a character named Arthur Fleck before he becomes the Clown Prince of Crime) dons clown make-up during a camera test for 2019's JOKER.

Several hours ago, the video below was posted online—courtesy of director Todd Phillips (of The Hangover trilogy and 2016's War Dogs) himself—of Joaquin Phoenix transforming into the Clown Prince of Crime for 2019's Joker. Personally speaking, I dig the look! Right off the bat he ranks above Jared Leto's version from 2016's Suicide Squad on the Joker scale. And I hope Arthur Fleck (the name of Phoenix's character before he dons the make-up) asks a hapless victim "Am I not merciful?" (if you watched 2000's Gladiator you'd get the reference) in the same manner that the late, great Heath Ledger would ask "Why...so...serious?"

Joker hits theaters on October 4, 2019 (which is when I um, celebrate my 40th birthday). Joining Joaquin Phoenix in this DC Comics standalone flick is Zazie Beetz (who played Domino in Deadpool 2) and Robert De Niro. And in case you're wondering, yes—Leto is set to get his own Joker movie as well. I'm more excited for the one starring Commodus, though. Have a great weekend!

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

The CAPTAIN MARVEL Teaser Poster and Trailer are Here!

The teaser poster for CAPTAIN MARVEL. Can you spot Chewie the Cat?

Earlier today, Marvel Studios began the hype machine for its next film (before Avengers 4) when it unveiled the teaser poster and trailer for Brie Larson's Captain Marvel. As anticipated, the new preview gave us a glimpse of a young Agent Coulson (Clark Gregg) and two-eyed Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), as well as Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace), Carol Danvers' (Larson) teammates on her Starforce military team (including Gemma Chan as Minn-Erva, seen below), the shape-shifting Skrulls and of course, Captain Marvel in her signature red, blue and gold suit. And if you stare closely at the poster above, you'll see Chewie the Cat—Danvers' furry extraterrestrial companion in the comic books—lurking in that hangar's shadow (towards the lower-left side of the image). Can't wait to see how this alien feline steals the show next year!

Captain Marvel arrives in theaters nationwide on March 8, 2019.

Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) and Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) prepare to board their fighter jets at a U.S. air force base in CAPTAIN MARVEL.

Donning a green Kree military suit, Carol Danvers gets ready for a mission with her Starforce teammates (which includes Minn-Erva, played by Gemma Chan) in CAPTAIN MARVEL.

Carol Danvers confronts a nice old lady (who is, in fact, a Skrull) on a bus in CAPTAIN MARVEL.

Carol Danvers dons her Kree battle helmet in CAPTAIN MARVEL.

Carol Danvers powers up in CAPTAIN MARVEL.


Wednesday, September 5, 2018

Photos of the Day: Revealing CAPTAIN MARVEL!

CAPTAIN MARVEL (Brie Larson) graces the cover of a September 2018 issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine.

Earlier today, Entertainment Weekly (EW) released new photos showcasing next March's newest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Captain Marvel. Along with getting our first glimpse of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) in her red and blue superhero outfit (as well as the green Kree suit that she wears while fighting for an alien mercenary group known as Starforce), we also got promotional stills of Jude Law as Mar-Vell, Gemma Chan as Minn-Erva, Ben Mendelsohn as Talos and Lashana Lynch as Maria Rambeau (mother of Monica Rambeau...who originally referred to herself as Captain Marvel before going by the names of Photon and Spectrum, respectively). EW also unveiled images of a young, two-eyed Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) as well as Korath the Pursuer (Djimon Hounsou) and Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace)...who made their on-screen debuts in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy.

With the release of Captain Marvel about six months away (on March 8), we should also be getting a teaser trailer for this highly-anticipated film soon. Marvel president Kevin Feige has also hinted that the title for next April's Avengers 4 may be revealed not too long after we get our first footage of Carol Danvers in action. So as 2018 comes to a close, an exciting time awaits comic book fans as we should be getting previews and new info about two movies that mark the end of the first 10 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the beginning of the next decade of MCU flicks! Can't wait.

A promotional still of Carol Danvers (Brie Larson) in CAPTAIN MARVEL.

Carol Danvers strikes a pose from the cockpit of an F-15 Eagle fighter jet in CAPTAIN MARVEL.

Carol Danvers and her fellow Starforce members [which consist of Minn-Erva (Gemma Chan) and Korath the Pursuer (Djimon Hounsou)] approach Ronan the Accuser (Lee Pace) and Mar-Vell (Jude Law) in CAPTAIN MARVEL.

Director Anna Boden discusses a scene with Lee Pace (as Ronan the Accuser) and Jude Law (as Mar-Vell) on the set of CAPTAIN MARVEL.

Talos (Ben Mendelsohn, foreground) and his group of Skrulls come ashore in CAPTAIN MARVEL.

A young, two-eyed Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in CAPTAIN MARVEL.

A promotional still of F-15 fighter pilot and Carol Danvers' best friend Maria Rambeau (Lashana Lynch) in CAPTAIN MARVEL.