Tag: Movies

Anime Legend Hayao Miyazaki to Retire (Studio Ghibli)

Hayao Miyazaki — the legendary Studio Ghibli director, artist, and producer — is set to retire. At the Venice Film Festival, Studio Ghibli president Koju Hoshino announced Miyazaki’s intention to retire. Hoshino didn’t provide details, as a press conference in Tokyo will be held this week to provide more fanfare and give Miyazaki the spotlight he deserves.

Miyazaki’s movie catalog is borderline ridiculous. The animated films he has directed include My Neighbor Totoro, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, and so much more. He has entertained and delighted millions of children (of all ages) from all over the world. With so many amazing movies, it’s tough to pick a Miyazaki favorite. I have a soft spot in my heart for Porco Rosso; it’s delightfully strange (though easy to understand) and has so much heart.

Many American reporters have called Hayao Miyazaki “The Japanese Walt Disney.” Certainly both mens’ careers have parallels, but stylistically they’re very different. Disney’s movies were modern fairytales and today many of them are criticized for various issues (racism, weak portrayals of women, etc.). Miyazaki’s movies are generally more cerebral. Several of them deal with the futility of war, something that stems from his childhood during World War II. Environmentalism is a theme in several of his films. Many of his movies have strong female characters that are a stark contrast to the numerous “Disney Princess” characters. While both men have made movies that were critically acclaimed and are loved worldwide, the comparison always felt funny to me.

Anyway, how do you feel about Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement? Any of you getting misty eyes by the animation master putting down his pencil? What’s your favorite Miyazaki movie? Leave a comment below and let me know (please!). 

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Justin Timberlake as the Riddler???

Superstar Justin Timberlake has revealed his desire to play the Riddler in the upcoming Batman movie. Following the news that Ben Affleck will be playing the Dark Knight, the next Batman film has been getting a ton of buzz. Here’s what Timberlake had to say in a recent radio interview on the Jim & Kim Morning Show (via People)

I ain’t playin’ Robin. I have no aspiration to ever be a superhero in a movie. Now, villain! I’ll tell you the villain I want to play more than anything because I grew up loving Batman, funny enough, is the Riddler.

The Riddler was like a sociopath. He was proper crazy. So if I’m gonna play crazy, I wanna play proper crazy… I’m ready. The Riddler. Give me a call!

I actually like this idea. Timberlake has a smugness that would work well for the Riddler. The villain, after all, thinks he’s smarter than everyone else in the world. The casting would work for Timberlake’s detractors as well; the Riddler is supposed to be annoying and many Timberlake haters find him to be an annoying actor. After Jim Carrey’s portrayal of the Riddler in the terrible Batman Forever, the bar is set pretty low. Timberlake could become a nerd hero for restoring the Riddler’s intellectual greatness.

On the off chance that Timberlake plays the Riddler, what do you think of the casting? Could you see him pulling off the enigmatic Batman rogue? Or would you keep thinking, “Backstreet’s back baby!!!”? Leave a comment and let me know (please!).

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Ben Affleck is Batman (Plus Poll)

Ben Affleck will be the next Batman. That’s right, the man that dazzled as the Fashionable Male employee in Mallrats, received critical acclaim for his writing in Good Will Hunting, fizzled in Gigli, fizzled some more in Jersey Girl, pulled a career 180 with The Town, and cemented his turnaround with Argo will be donning the Batman tights in 2015. Here’s a quote on the casting from Warner Bros. president Greg Silverman (via Variety):

We knew we needed an extraordinary actor to take on one of DC Comics’ most enduringly popular Super Heroes, and Ben Affleck certainly fits that bill, and then some.

Affleck is no stranger to superhero movies, having starred in Daredevil. However, that movie doesn’t help his case. While Daredevil had several solid performances, Affleck’s wasn’t one of them. There where many scenes where I couldn’t tell if he was acting like a blind man or acting like a mentally-handicapped man. Charming performances by Colin Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan, as well as Jennifer Garner’s sai-wielding hotness, couldn’t compensate for Affleck’s wretched performance as the titular hero.

I’m still not sure how I feel about this. Initially, I was stunned by the news. Several moments later, I still don’t know what to make of it. While I’ve enjoyed Affleck’s work in Kevin Smith’s movies and admire his recent films, I still think of him as a hunky doofus. Like most comic-book fans, “hunky doofus” isn’t what comes to mind when I think Batman. I have no doubt that Affleck could ace the role of Bruce Wayne, but I fear his Batman moments will result in numerous scenes that are unintentionally funny.

What do you think of Ben Affleck playing Batman? Kindly vote in today’s poll and expand on your choice in the comments section.

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Watch Olivia Munn Dislocate Her Shoulder!

My sexy friend Tricia just sent me a video of Olivia Munn dislocating her shoulder…and it is awesome!!! In the video, the woman formerly known as Lisa is playing around on a makeshift swing indoors. Generally speaking, swings are used outdoors and supported by sturdy metal poles. That’s not the case with this homemade concoction and the results are fantastic — first there’s a wicked snap that’s quickly followed by a sickening thud. And there’s our dear Olivia Munn, splattered on the floor with a dislocated shoulder. Ha!

Yes, I know that we’re not supposed to revel in the misfortune of others, but it’s Olivia Munn! Besides, she posted the video on Twitter, so fair game, right? Now please excuse me, as I’m going to watch this video 50 times in a row.

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What If…Thor Played Hulk Hogan?!?

A Hulk Hogan biopic is inevitable, but who in the world would be able to portray him on the silver screen? What actor has the combination of muscles, mass, and charisma to play the man that changed pro-wrestling forever and for better? If Hulk Hogan had his way, it would be Chris Hemsworth training, saying his prayers, and eating his vitamins in a Hulk Hogan movie. In an interview with the Canadian Press, the Hulkster said:

I think we need a serious, serious actor that knows what he’s doing. You know who I thought would be good? That guy that did that action movie, Thor (Chris Hemsworth).

I love it! Hemsworth has the charm and the physique to pull off Hulk Hogan. However, I wonder if he can mask his Australian accent while doing over-the-top promos in an American voice. I also wonder if comics fans that are wrestling marks will be able to block out memories of Hemsworth’s role as Thor while seeing him play Hulk Hogan. It would certainly be difficult for me. In my head, I see a mashup going something like this:

Wucha going to do, brother?!? When the largest arms in Asgard run wild on you?!?

And also:

Well you know mean Loki, Mjolnir is the mightiest hammer in the world, brother! And there’s no way Andre the Frost Giant can wield it, brother!

So what do you think of the idea of Chris Hemsworth playing Hulk Hogan?

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Charles Dance to Star in Witcher 3

CD Projekt RED has announced that Charles Dance will voice the Emperor of Nilfgaard in Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This is completely awesome. Why is this completely awesome? Because Charles Dance is completely awesome! That’s why. In recent years, fantasy nerds have marveled at Dance’s portrayal of Tywin Lannister in HBO’s Game of Thrones. While he has been brilliant as that character, Dance’s brilliance to the nerd community goes back a long ways. Many of you RPadholics know and love Dance from The Golden Child, in which he played Sardo Numspa (Brother Numsie!). Lastly, Dance completely owned in Last Acton Hero as Benedict, one of the coolest bad guys to grace the silver screen.

I was already looking forward to Witcher 3, but now that Sardo Numspa/Benedict/Tywin Lannister has been revealed as one of the game’s voice actor, I want the game even more. To celebrate this awesome news, let’s take a look back at some of Charles Dance’s best scenes.

The Pirate Bay Launches PirateBrowser

The Pirate Bay has launched PirateBrowser, a barebones web browser that helps users reach the popular torrent-file service when using Internet service providers (ISPs) that block it. PirateBrowser is a mix of Firefox, FoxyProxy, and Tor. Here’s the description from the company’s blog:

Do you know any people who can’t access TPB or other torrents-sites because they are blocked? Recommend PirateBrowser to them. It’s a simple one-click browser that circumvents censorship and blockades and makes the site instantly available and accessible. No bundled ad-ware, toolbars or other crap, just a Pre-configured Firefox browser.

While PirateBrowser should unblock The Pirate Bay for many users, it’s important not to mistake it for a product that offers truly anonymous browsing. It’s a potentially useful tool for people that like to…uhm share files, but a good virtual private network (VPN) is the way to go if you want your Internet activity masked from your ISP, the government, nosy martians, etc. Don’t get me wrong. I love that this free product is being offered, but I fear that some people will overestimate its capabilities.

Any of you thinking of giving PirateBrowser a whirl?

Source via BGR

Thor: The Dark World Trailer

Marvel has posted a new trailer for Thor: The Dark World, embedded below for your viewing pleasure. Highlights include Thor being powerful, Natalie Portman being hot, Loki being awesome, Kat Dennings being super hot, lots of fiery destruction, Sif being fiercely hot (though not as hot as Kat Dennings), Volstagg being voluminous, Rene Russo being the fiercest she’s been since Lethal Weapon III, and Mjolnir cementing its status as the coolest hammer ever. Check out the clip below and let me know if it has you amped for Thor: The Dark World.

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Behind the Scenes Feature on Jobs (Ashton Kutcher)

The latest behind-the-scenes feature on the upcoming Jobs movie starring Ashton Kutcher has me wary of the film. Be sure to check out the clip — featuring Kutcher (Steve Jobs) and Josh Gad (Steve Wozniak) — embedded below. On the plus side, Kutcher has Jobs’ awkward strut down (it’s almost like the nerd version of WWE Vince McMahon’s silly duck walk). He looks great as young Steve and looks decent as NeXT-era Steve. As for iPod-era Steve…ouchie. To me, he looked less like Steve Jobs and more like Will Ferrell playing James Lipton on Saturday Night Live. That’s not good.

Speaking of not good, I’m not digging Kutcher’s voice. While it’s true that a limited actor can only do so much to change the sound of his or her voice, cadence is something that can be mimicked. After watching several clips of the feature, it sounds like Kutcher wasn’t even trying. Perhaps I’m expecting too much from the guy from That ’70s Show, but considering his heavy involvement in the tech world and his obvious adoration for Jobs, I thought he would have tried harder.

Let’s be real though. There are many people that find Apple so fascinating that they’re going to see Jobs no matter what. (And yes, I’m one of those people.) How about you? How does the short feature on Jobs make you feel about the movie? Excited, scared, or ready to embrace Android/Windows?

Are You Ready For the Rise of Elizabeth Olsen?

In the Janty RY4 review I posted yesterday, I made an analogy using Elizabeth Olsen, comparing her to the least of the three e-liquids I covered in the story. As I was writing it, I was thinking, “You know, this probably won’t make sense in a year.” For the longest time, Elizabeth “Lizzie” Chase Olsen lived in the shadow of her famous sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley. It’s easy to understand why. A lot of you watched the Olsen twins in Full House and saw them become child celebrities. In recent years, the twins have been a staple for gossip rags (which are strangely fascinated by the alien-like appearances of these young women). I suspect that in a year’s time, Elizabeth will be the primary Olsen sister — at least in the nerd world.

Elizabeth Olsen is set to star in Oldboy and Godzilla. Those are two hugely important movies to the geek chic. I gotta feeling that these movies will take her fame to new heights. It’s entirely possible that these roles will catapult her to stardom and she’ll eclipse her sisters’ accomplishments. She’s already proven to be the most talented actress in the family (not hard, I know) and she’s arguably the most attractive Olsen sibling. With the help of the nerd elite, I believe that the rise of Elizabeth Olsen is imminent.

What do you guys and dolls think? Is Elizabeth Olsen set to take away the spotlight from Mary-Kate and Ashley?