Exclusive: Dillon D Jordan’s PaperChase Films and Fandom are collaborating to produce serial podcast Superman Vs. The Ku Klux Klan, recalling the true story of how everyday citizens infiltrated and exposed the Kkk in the 1940s.
The team will produce an initial 10 episodes, launching this spring. The project is based on the true events recounted in Rick Bowers’s 2012 novel of the same name, which chronicles the story of Stetson Kennedy, a man who went undercover to infiltrate the Klan in 1946. Unsure what to do with his findings, he partnered with the producers of the Superman Radio Show to make a series of episodes, titled ‘Clan of the Fiery Cross’, which exposed many of the group’s secrets to a wider audience.
More from DeadlineCAA Removes 'Optional' From Work-At-Home Mandate; Offices To Empty For Minimum Two Weeks Over Coronavirus ConcernsRoku Latest To Cancel Live NewFront PresentationBroadway To Go Dark...
The team will produce an initial 10 episodes, launching this spring. The project is based on the true events recounted in Rick Bowers’s 2012 novel of the same name, which chronicles the story of Stetson Kennedy, a man who went undercover to infiltrate the Klan in 1946. Unsure what to do with his findings, he partnered with the producers of the Superman Radio Show to make a series of episodes, titled ‘Clan of the Fiery Cross’, which exposed many of the group’s secrets to a wider audience.
More from DeadlineCAA Removes 'Optional' From Work-At-Home Mandate; Offices To Empty For Minimum Two Weeks Over Coronavirus ConcernsRoku Latest To Cancel Live NewFront PresentationBroadway To Go Dark...
- 3/12/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
When Galaxy Quest was released in 1999, I rushed to the theater to see it and was blown away by how great of a film it was. It ended up being so much better than I thought it would be, but the movie completely bombed at the box office.
It wasn’t until after the movie was released for Home Entertainment that people started to discover the film and it started to grow its fan base. I can watch this movie over and over again and it never gets old. Now, nearly 20 years since it was released, the film has a huge fanbase! We have a trailer for an upcoming documentary called Never Surrender that dives into the film and explores the making of it and how it ended up being a fan favorite.
By all accounts, it was a movie that beat all odds: Surviving a set fire, the loss of a powerful director,...
It wasn’t until after the movie was released for Home Entertainment that people started to discover the film and it started to grow its fan base. I can watch this movie over and over again and it never gets old. Now, nearly 20 years since it was released, the film has a huge fanbase! We have a trailer for an upcoming documentary called Never Surrender that dives into the film and explores the making of it and how it ended up being a fan favorite.
By all accounts, it was a movie that beat all odds: Surviving a set fire, the loss of a powerful director,...
- 10/16/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
YouTube channel ScreenJunkies has released new content for the first time since creator Andy Signore was fired almost three weeks ago for alleged sexual misconduct. ScreenJunkies film critic and producer Dan Murrell, “The ScreenJunkies Show!” host Hal Rudnick, “ScreenJunkies News” editor-in-chief Roth Cornet, and “Honest Trailers” writers Spencer Gilbert and Joe Starr released a solemn, respectful, 11-minute video on Oct. 26 where they vowed to rebuild trust in the community and thanked fans for their continued patience.
“We’ll be approaching some semblance of normalcy slowly,” said Starr. “I think we all agree that it would feel fake if tomorrow we just gave you a ‘Geostorm’ review.”
Read More:ScreenJunkies and Honest Trailers Remain Dark Following Andy Signore’s Dismissal
While Hollywood was reeling over the first allegations against Harvey Weinstein, multiple women on social media accused Signore of inappropriate behavior, including telling one woman that he masturbated to her picture and...
“We’ll be approaching some semblance of normalcy slowly,” said Starr. “I think we all agree that it would feel fake if tomorrow we just gave you a ‘Geostorm’ review.”
Read More:ScreenJunkies and Honest Trailers Remain Dark Following Andy Signore’s Dismissal
While Hollywood was reeling over the first allegations against Harvey Weinstein, multiple women on social media accused Signore of inappropriate behavior, including telling one woman that he masturbated to her picture and...
- 10/27/2017
- by Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
It’s been almost two weeks since Andy Signore — creator of the YouTube channel and online movie magazine ScreenJunkies, and senior vice president of content for its parent company, Defy Media — was suspended after several women came forward with allegations of sexual harassment and assault. The next day, Defy terminated Signore — the same day as Harvey Weinstein, and about a week before Amazon Studios’ head Roy Price resigned for inappropriate behavior.
Yet while The Weinstein Company and Amazon Studios work to convince the public that they’re back to business as usual, Defy does little to hide it’s in crisis mode.
On October 8, the day Signore was fired, ScreenJunkies and Defy (which oversees eight brands, including Smosh, Smosh Games, and Clevver) tweeted the official statement announcing Signore’s firing. Since then, those Twitter accounts have been silent and the official Defy Media statement didn’t extend to ScreenJunkies’ YouTube channel,...
Yet while The Weinstein Company and Amazon Studios work to convince the public that they’re back to business as usual, Defy does little to hide it’s in crisis mode.
On October 8, the day Signore was fired, ScreenJunkies and Defy (which oversees eight brands, including Smosh, Smosh Games, and Clevver) tweeted the official statement announcing Signore’s firing. Since then, those Twitter accounts have been silent and the official Defy Media statement didn’t extend to ScreenJunkies’ YouTube channel,...
- 10/19/2017
- by Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
Logan is tearing up the box office as Hugh Jackman rides off into the sunset after 17 years playing Wolverine.
To mark the occasion, Heat Vision welcomed two guests from the Screen Junkies team — Honest Trailers creator Andy Signore and Screen Junkies News editor in chief Roth Cornet — to share their spoiler-free thoughts on Logan, the future of the franchise and the state of superhero movies.
Among the tidbits discussed: Is Jackman really done with the franchise (or could he show up in a Deadpool movie?); What about Tom Hardy...
To mark the occasion, Heat Vision welcomed two guests from the Screen Junkies team — Honest Trailers creator Andy Signore and Screen Junkies News editor in chief Roth Cornet — to share their spoiler-free thoughts on Logan, the future of the franchise and the state of superhero movies.
Among the tidbits discussed: Is Jackman really done with the franchise (or could he show up in a Deadpool movie?); What about Tom Hardy...
- 3/3/2017
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Karyn Kusama had a rough go of this Hollywood business nearly from the beginning. After winning acclaim for her first feature, the independently-financed drama Girlfight starring Michelle Rodriguez, she moved on to studio filmmaking with the poorly-received 2005 live-action adaptation of Aeon Flux, which -- as she previously told Girls on Film co-hosts Miri Jedeikin and Roth Cornet -- was "very much a committee's film." After that came the 2009 Megan Fox vehicle Jennifer's Body, which didn't fare much better either critically or commercially (though it has become something of a minor "cult" film). Nonetheless, working on Jennifer's Body seems to have sparked in Kusama a love of telling stories through the lens of horror, and after several years spent away from the feature world (though she did helm episodes of series like Halt and Catch Fire and The Man in the High Castle in the interim), she returned to her indie roots to direct The Invitation,...
- 9/19/2016
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
When one motormouth superhero met another… Deadpool didn’t show up for Civil War. (Fox surely wouldn’t have let him, and he wasn’t in the Civil War comics anyway.) But one fan’s editing skills has plopped the Merc with a Mouth into Captain America: Civil War and given us a peek at what a meet-up of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man and Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool would be like. Spider-Man is apparently just as big a fan of Deadpool as he is of Cap. Check out the 45-second clip featuring some seamless editing in the video below: HitFix’s Donna Dickens and Roth Cornet put forth their pitch for a crossover feature starring both Holland and Reynolds that will probably only ever remain in our imaginations, but, hey, the Sony-Disney team-up for Homecoming has us getting our hopes up for anything. If you want some more Spidey-Deadpool shared screen time right now though,...
- 9/14/2016
- by Emily Rome
- Hitfix
Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay’s new show Queen Sugar hit the small screen this week, and their mutually supportive love affair represents an unfortunately rare scenario in Hollywood. Oprah and Ava are showing the women of Hollywood how it's done, and the also-mutually-supportive Alicia Malone, Miri Jedeikin and Roth Cornet discuss Queen Sugar and women in the entertainment biz. Why don’t more women rise to the top of the ranks? Why aren’t there more women behind the camera? Why is it so hard for women in Hollywood to break through and then support each other? Answers to all this and more on this episode of Girls on Film. Take a look at our take in the player above and chat with us here or on Twitter! Roth: @RothCornet Miri: @MiriTheJedi Alicia: @AliciaMalone Check out more from Girls on Film Here.
- 9/7/2016
- by Matt Perez-Mora
- Hitfix
Trolls hide under every bridge on the Internet, and their disgusting behavior reached new lows recently with a full-scale attack on SNL cast member, Ghostbuster and Olympics super-fan Leslie Jones. The cyberbullying, including misogynist and racist attacks, extended to her personal website after hackers posted her driver's license, passport and explicit photos of Jones. Alicia Malone, Miri Jedeikin, and Roth Cornet discuss this increasingly common sadistic behavior and what it means for women and society. Take a look at our take in the player above or below, and chat with us here or on Twitter! Roth: @RothCornet Miri: @MiriTheJedi Alicia: @AliciaMalone Check out more from Girls on Film Here.
- 9/1/2016
- by Matt Perez-Mora
- Hitfix
Last August, former HitFix staffer Roth Cornet and I pondered the ways in which the CW's planned Friday the 13th TV series could potentially not suck. Turns out we needn't have bothered! At Thursday's Television Critics' Association, the network's president Mark Pedowitz revealed that the slasher spinoff series is as good as dead. “The bottom line is we felt we had stronger things to go with, and we didn’t go forward with it,” said Pedowitz (via EW). “It was well-written, it was darker than we wanted it to be, and we didn’t believe it had sustainability … We didn’t believe that it was a sustainable script, a sustainable series. It was a very good pilot, but not a sustainable series.” The show -- under the working title of Crystal Lake Chronicles -- would have taken a "meta" approach by setting the events in a world where the Friday...
- 8/11/2016
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
Back in March, the latest attempt to adapt The Sandman hit another major bump in its long road to the screen when Joseph Gordon-Levitt dropped out of the film project that had just shifted from Warner Bros. to WB subsidiary New Line Cinema. Gordon-Levitt, who was set to direct and star in the big-screen adaptation of the acclaimed Neil Gaiman comic, was candid about how he and the folks at New Line didn’t “see eye to eye on what makes Sandman special.” It was bummer news for Gaiman fans hoping to see Sandman realized onscreen. Gordon-Levitt — whom we’ve seen grow so much as an actor since his 3rd Rock from the Sun days and even since (500) Days of Summer. He's taken on grittier, more introspective, and more varied roles like Inception, The Walk, and his directorial debut, Don Jon — seemed like a perfect fit for Morpheus. The sprawling...
- 7/26/2016
- by Emily Rome
- Hitfix
Recently, Anya Jaremko-Greenwold wrote a piece in The Atlantic about the dearth of films featuring young female leads. There's no one simple answer, and certainly it's not a conspiracy. There are consequences to the lack of those films, however. Here, Miri Jedeikin, Roth Cornet, and Alicia Malone talk about the complex reasons for and the results of having so few young female leads in movies. Take a look at our take in the player above or below and chat with us here or on Twitter! Roth: @RothCornet Miri: @MiriTheJedi Alicia: @AliciaMalone Check out more from Girls on Film Here.
- 7/8/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
There was a bit of a stir recently when it came to light that Geena Davis would be producing a film about gender inequality in Hollywood, directed by a man (via The Mary Sue). Davis has done great work to bring these issues to light via her Institute on Gender in Media, so this took some by surprise, until the full picture emerged. Here, Alicia Malone, Miri Jedeikin, and Roth Cornet unpack the fact that there's a male director behind the Davis-produced film about gender inequality, and the real cause for concern in this story. Which is not so much a man making this film, but how it was covered here on Fox's Red Eye. Take a look at our take in the player above or below and chat with us here or on Twitter! Roth: @RothCornet Miri: @MiriTheJedi Alicia: @AliciaMalone Check out more from Girls on Film Here.
- 7/7/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Television producer Ryan Murphy (Glee, American Horror Story, Scream Queens) has worked to put an emphasis on diversity in his shows, and he is now aiming to -- in his own words -- "do better" behind the camera as well. The creator is launching a foundation within his 20th Century Fox-based production company called Half which, according to THR, “aims to have 50 percent of all director slots on his shows filled by women, people of color and members of the Lgbt community and will begin outreach efforts at colleges to align candidates with mentors.” In the video above or below Roth Cornet, Alicia Malone, and Miri Jedeikin dive into Murphy's initiative. Take a look and chat with us here or on Twitter! Roth: @RothCornet Miri: @MiriTheJedi Alicia: @AliciaMalone Check out more from Girls on Film Here.
- 7/6/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
I may not write about Game Of Thrones here at HitFix, but that’s only because between Alan Sepinwall, Roth Cornet, and Donna Dickens, the show is already exhaustively covered. They do a great job of covering everything from the characters to the careful manipulations to the theories about the future, and they all clearly love the show. Me, too. Every week during the show’s run, a close friend of mine comes over for the full Sunday night lineup on HBO. We watch Veep first, then Silicon Valley, saving Game Of Thrones for the dessert. While I liked the George R.R. Martin books, I love the show. Yes, things have been streamlined and shifted and consolidated, and if you prefer the books, I wish you well. But for me, the show has been an exercise in how to take a piece of material from one media to another, making...
- 7/6/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Warning: spoilers for both Orange is the New Black and Game of Thrones follow... This past season of television has been, in many ways, an answer to the previous year when it comes to the portrayal of sexual assault and its repercussions. Both Orange is the New Black and Game of Thrones featured central characters dealing with the trauma of rape, with very distinct outcomes. Here, Roth Cornet, Miri Jedeikin, and Alicia Malone tackle the two very vastly divergent ways that the two series tackled the sensitive topic and what the impact is on media and in the culture at large. Take a look in the player above or below and chat with us here or on Twitter. Roth: @RothCornet Miri: @MiriTheJedi Alicia: @AliciaMalone Check out more from Girls on Film Here.
- 7/5/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Game of Thrones gave viewers an explosive (yep) season finale that both met and exceeded audience expectations with "The Winds of Winter." It also set up a violent confrontation between several factions. It's all about "fire, fire!" Warning: Spoilers From Both The HBO Series And Book References Follow! First, let's pause for a moment to enjoy Cersei's now-infamous wildfire moment set to Frozen's "Let it Go." That is somehow perfect, and wildfire isn't a weapon to be trifled with. As we saw in the season 6 finale, and again in the video above, Cersei has access to wildfire and is willing to use it. She's also lost the final vestiges of her humanity with the death of her last living child, Tommen. She has taken the Iron Throne and looks set to be a mad, ruthless queen. Meanwhile, Jon Snow -- who the show has confirmed is the child of Rhaegar...
- 6/30/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Game of Thrones gave fans what they'd been waiting for all season on Sunday night's finale "The Winds of Winter": the confirmation that, yes, R+L=J. Sly dogs that they are, they teased us with a secondary mystery even in the midst of solving the primary... Enter If You Will, There Are Spoilers Ahead: You are a Stark, Jon. You're just not the Stark you thought you were. As we saw in the season 6 finale, Bran Stark returned to allow the scene at The Tower of Joy play out. There he saw his father Ned attempt to rescue his aunt Lyanna, but it was too late. Lyanna lay in a bed of blood (which looked to be created by far more than a childbirth gone wrong, honestly.) Ned was handed Lyanna's infant boy and made to promise to protect him. Now, she didn't turn to camera and say,...
- 6/28/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Game of Thrones gave fans a finale that is nearly universally beloved and features one of — if not the — strongest sequences the show has ever produced with "The Winds of Winter." There was one character that was notably missing, however... Prepare For Spoilers Ahead! The Night's King did not make an appearance in the Game of Thrones season 6 finale. However, we were given a hint about where the icy leader of an undead army may be, and what he is likely plotting. As Donna Dickens points out, Benjen Stark (a.k.a. Coldhands) dropped Bran and Meera Reed off at the Wall telling them that he was unable to cross over, as he is not one of the living. What does that mean for the Night's King? It's why he and his army are, currently, trapped behind the Wall and unable to go South. The magic in the stones acts...
- 6/28/2016
- by Roth Cornet, Donna Dickens
- Hitfix
Warning: full spoilers for the Game of Thrones season 6 finale "The Winds of Winter" follow... When last we saw her, Cersei Lannister sat upon the Iron Throne, her soul dead to everything but power lust. Her own need for vengeance drove her to an act very close to the one that her brother/lover Jaime murdered the Mad King to prevent. "Burn them all," Cersei said of the Sparrows, Margaery and Loras Tyrell, and all the rest present at her (truncated) trial in the Great Sept. With one act, she set fire to all ties to her once allies, the Tyrells, religion, and solidified her place as a ruthless Queen. A Mad Queen. She also caused her son to suicide. Unable to withstand one more loss, nor live in a world where he would -- essentially -- be forced to rule alongside his clearly insane mother, King Tommen leaped to his death.
- 6/27/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
There was an awful lot to unpack in last night's Game of Thrones season finale, which I wrote about at length last night, so Roth Cornet and I dug into all of it in our final GoT Fandemonium chat of the season, starting with my assertion — which admittedly may be a victim of recency bias — that the opening segment in King's Landing was the single best thing the series has ever done. (The video, as usual, is embedded at the top and bottom of this post.) Along the way, we also talked about the line of succession, where things stand between Sansa and Jon, Arya's revenge, and the question of whether Dany and Jon could wed, now that we know that she's his: A fun conversation about a fantastic finale. Now that you've had half a day to think on it, how you feeling about all that went down in...
- 6/27/2016
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Warning: spoilers for the Game of Thrones season 6 finale "The Winds of Winter" follow... Game of Thrones delivered a finale packed with moments that paid-off highly anticipated set-ups and gave us entirely unforeseen shocks. What was remarkable was that, often, even when we'd seen an event coming creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss were able to deliver a sense of both suspense and awe. We may have known that certain progressions were imminent, but the how was a revelation. Tommen's fate was pretty much written on the wall last week, but the dark poetic justice of his dive from a high window "for love" was not lost on us. Margaery seemed to be the quintessential survivor, but even she could not defeat the High Sparrow's arrogance. Even as he lectured on the pitfalls of hubris, he died by his own in that inferno. Okay, it was Cersei and the terrifying...
- 6/27/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Director Roland Emmerich's return to the world he created with 1996's Independence Day was never going to make for a brilliant, life-altering film. Nor is that what Independence Day: Resurgence is meant to be. No, this is a quintessential get-out-of-the-heat, mindless summer popcorn-chomper. As such, the film's greatest sin isn't that it's stupid — it's that it's entirely inert and uninspired. The plot's muddled and — as with many sequels — often a retread of the "greatest hits" from the original, which inevitably leads to diminishing returns. Things shift between characters too quickly for us to invest it any of them, and it often feels like the script is simply checking off tired tropes from a list: "Flight school nemeses must work together," check. "Heroic self-sacrifice," check. "Fiancé in peril," check to that many times over. "Parent/chid in peril," check, check, check... President being presidential, sure. There are big declarations of bravado,...
- 6/25/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Day after day since opening a week ago, Finding Dory has been absolutely dominating the box office and setting record after record. Here are some of the records the Pixar sequel has blown out of the water: • Highest opening weekend for an animated film at the domestic box office, beating Shrek the Third’s $135.1 million • Second-biggest June opening weekend ever in the U.S., behind only last year’s Jurassic World • Largest preview night for an animated film (Thursday), surpassing Minions’ $9.2 million • Fastest animated movie to cross $200 million at the domestic box office, in seven days, beating Minions’ and Toy Story 3’s nine days So is it a sure thing that Dory will be the biggest movie of the summer? Can it surpass Captain America: Civil War? And does Dory have a shot at becoming the top-grossing film of the entire year? For HitFix’s dive into those questions with Roth Cornet,...
- 6/24/2016
- by Emily Rome
- Hitfix
All is fair in the Game of Thrones, but the Baratheons are quickly running out of heirs. Excluding the White Walker threat*, the main source of strife in Game of Thrones is the fight for the Iron Throne. Or to be free from the rule of the Iron Throne. Nobles and smallfolk alike have perished in droves to see their side come out on top. For now, King Tommen Baratheon rules, but all signs point to him not making it out alive. Which would throw a massive wrench into everything. *For all we know, maybe the Night King wants the Iron Throne too. To explain why Tommen’s demise would be a crushing blow to the stability of the Seven Kingdoms, first we need a very brief recent history lesson. Less than two decades ago, Westeros was still ruled by the Targaryens. It wasn’t until the Mad King went...
- 6/22/2016
- by Donna Dickens
- Hitfix
When the phone rang, I answered immediately. I knew Bebe Lerner, Zack Snyder’s personal publicist, was supposed to be calling me, but I wasn’t sure why. “Hi, Bebe,” I said. “Am I in trouble?” It’s a fair question. After all, my relationship to Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice has been a difficult one, and my reportage this spring set off way more controversy than I would have guessed possible. At this point, anytime I start to write about any DC film, I have a moment of hesitation. “Is this worth the hassle it will inevitably become?” One of my least favorite things about all of this has been the way all communication with Zack and Deb Snyder ceased the moment my reporting set off a ripple of bad publicity. I’ve been talking to the Snyders about their work since they were in post-production on 300, and...
- 6/21/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Warning: spoilers for Game of Thrones, season 6, episode 9, "The Battle of the Bastards" follow... Game of Thrones fans have come to expect great things from the ninth episode of the season. Shocking deaths, epic battles, and show-altering twists have all been on tap. Normally, the entries delight fans and are fodder for energetic water-cooler conversation both virtually and in person. Last night's "Battle of the Bastards" seems to have divided the fanbase, however. I have to wonder if part of the issue is that setting up an audience to expect the unexpected is inherently problematic. We all also seem to have different notions of what Game of Thrones ought be as a series, which is in many ways a result of the fact that it functions on multiple levels. Finally, we're simply different human beings with various tastes and perspectives. And healthy disagreement is part of what's enjoyable about experiencing...
- 6/20/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Warning: Game of Thrones Season 6 Episode 9 "Battle of the Bastards" spoilers follow... In keeping with tradition, Game of Thrones delivered a large-scale/action-packed ninth episode of the season. Contained within that, though, was another look at both the ivory tower and brutal, bloody, on the ground experience of war. As Daenerys offers Fire as the answer to all problems and Tyrion suggests that diplomacy punctuated with dragons may be another way. Meanwhile, the bastards come to blows as Jon and Sansa Stark rise to the occasion to deliver one sweet moment of justice. Here, Donna Dickens and Roth Cornet dive into Game of Thrones' bloody "Battle of the Bastards" and ask: Wait, are Jon and Sansa a thing? Take a look in the player above or below and chat with us here or on Twitter. Roth: @RothCornet Donna: @MildlyAmused...
- 6/20/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Duncan Jones' Warcraft is heading into its second weekend in the United States, after a somewhat lackluster domestic debut. Though the film has already earned $280 million in foreign box office sales. In very broad terms, fans of the Blizzard Entertainment game are responding enthusiastically to the adaptation, while critics have been left wanting more. (Warcraft has 26% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.) There is one aspect of Warcraft that few have mentioned but bears pulling out. Here's what Warcraft is getting right (in addition to satisfying fans): It's created an inclusive universe in a very organic way. In Paula Patton (Garona) and Ruth Negga (Lady Taria) it has two women of color in leading roles. Additionally, the film includes a bi-racial family that doesn't require explanation nor calling out. Lady Taria is sister to Travis Fimmel's Lothar. Perhaps most refreshing of all is that these are two very distinct female characters, yet both are heroic and strong. Patton's Orc is very much a warrior, while Negga is a gentle but savvy Queen who moves to save her people with alliances and compassionate -- but smart -- power moves. Donna Dickens and Roth Cornet discuss what Jones' film got right in the video at the top of this page or below. Take a look and chat with us here or on Twitter. Roth: @RothCornet Donna: @DonnaDickens Warcraft is in theaters now.
- 6/15/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
New Zealand director Taika Waititi is taking on the God of Thunder for Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok. But how well does he know Chris Hemsworth's character? Let us see. I won't go into everything you need to know about Thor: Ragnarok because, well, Roth Cornet did just that earlier today! (But seriously, how about that cast?) Instead, let's take a detour into speculation town. Waititi spoke to Fandango about his upcoming film Hunt for the Wilderpeople but they also asked him a very important question - if Thor had been on Earth for the events of Captain America: Civil War, which side would he have taken? Any guesses? Here's what he told them: "We've talked a little bit about this. Personally, I feel Thor would have started his own team. He wouldn't have liked the idea of those teams. But, even though Thor is from outer space and he lives in a palace, part of me likes to think he would side with Cap. I would side with Cap purely because I don't trust billionaires." I concur. If only because Thor is a very "don't tell me what I can or can't do" kind of guy. Fandango also alerted me to this amusing video Disney shared of Hemsworth weighing in on the same topic a few months ago. What do you think?...
- 6/15/2016
- by Jill Pantozzi
- Hitfix
The Internet is dark and full of spoilers... That sentiment is perhaps never more true than on Sunday nights, which has become the premier night for television viewing. The bulk of the "water cooler" moments happen on Sundays. The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, True Blood, and more deliver/ed non-stop Wtf moments that bring audiences together. And also have the power to rip them apart. Dramatic? Perhaps, but I've seen a number of relationships sustain serious damage as a result of one friend revealing a key moment in a television episode or movie before the other had a chance to experience it for him or herself. There are those rare monsters who take great pleasure in spoiling things for others -- you know who you are, Game of Thrones book readers. For the most part, though, spoilers are increasingly tricky in this culture because most of us have widely divergent levels of sensitivity. And the rules are ever fluid. Twitter has become our collective gathering place for television viewing. Live-tweeting an episode is a ritual for many, and a way to connect with others who share your passion. It's thrilling to experience something powerful in the same moment as thousands of others do. Hashtags have become the way to connect and also to protect yourself from any unwanted reveals. You can mute a hashtag if you don't want to see what people are saying about a given episode. Or, as Game of Thrones star Maisie Williams believes, it's now the user's responsibility to stay off social media if one doesn't want to the particulars of a given episode revealed during the tweet frenzy that accompanies our most popular shows. Entertainment sites have wildly different policies in this regard as well. There is one well-renowned publication (that shall not be named) that is by far the most egregious when it comes to posting spoilers in headlines. They called out the goriest of details of the Red Wedding about five minutes after the east coast feed had concluded. On the other hand, a site I used to work for was pathologically sensitive about spoilers. If I so much as said, "this episode was heartbreaking" our higher-ups would panic. There's no perfect way to do this, and often it's a matter of taste. In a culture when the rules for how to avoid spoilers is constantly changing, Drew McWeeny and Roth Cornet talk about where they land on the debate. Take a look in the video player above or below and chat with us here or on Twitter. Roth: @RothCornet Drew: @DrewAtHitfix...
- 6/14/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Warning: spoilers for Game of Thrones season 6, episode 8 "No One" follow... One of the most satisfying aspects of this season of Game of Thrones has been seeing two of the living Stark children come together, and if the last few episodes are any indication, they all may be headed back to Winterfell. Rickon is, of course, already there as a prisoner of the unhinged Ramsey Bolton. Sansa and Jon plan to take back their home. Now that she's decided that she is -- and can be no other than -- Arya Stark, the would-be-assassin is on her way back and will likely be adding a few new names to her "kill list." We're not sure if Bran will return, but it seems likely that they'd head South seeking safe place to land right now. It's possible that Bran will now look to connect with his brother Jon. It appears as if everything's coming up House Stark at this point. That the children of the fallen Ned and Catelyn will join their now formidable forces to fight enemies both mortal and supernatural. If so, was Arya's time in Braavos and the interlude at Riverrun a way to "park" some characters as other aspects of the story developed? Or was Arya's commitment to her Starkness a crucial aspect of her evolution? Here, Alan Sepinwall and Roth Cornet talk about the events of "No One" and whether the show has been treading water with some of our most beloved characters. Take a look in the player above or below and chat with is here or on Twitter. Alan: @Sepinwall Roth: @RothCornet...
- 6/13/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Warning: spoilers for Game of Thrones, season 6, episode 8, "No One" follow... Tonight's episode of Game of Thrones comes to us on the same weekend as a great tragedy: the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. Fifty people were killed in a nightclub in Orlando by a gunman. It's impossible not to bring that knowledge into the viewing experience. For me, in any case. Last week's "The Broken Man" brought us a guest appearance from the great Ian McShane, who delivered a speech that was, at it's core, a stunning indictment of war and brutality. As I mentioned previously, the monologue served to confront us, the audience, by highlighting the celebratory response that many of us have to some of the violence on the series. I certainly related with Arya and her gleeful smile as she watched the repellant King Joffrey "die" in that play. "No One" opened with the theater troup's "Cersei" vowing vengeance for her son's passing as the crowd wildly cheers. If it we're Sansa or our Arya pledging to avenge the Starks we would likely fervently support their plan just as that audience did the Queen's. That is part of what makes this series as rich as it is. Though there are heroes and villains, as things move along, which one is which becomes more and more a matter of perspective. The Hound cutting down the members of The Brotherhood who'd slaughtered the peaceful group he'd landed with brought with it mixed feelings. I was thirsty for that bloodshed at the close of last week's episode, but weren't his actions in total opposition to McShane's beliefs? In fact, isn't that act the exact opposite of what he'd want for the Hound? When I fist heard Cersei utter the phrase "I choose violence" I felt a visceral sense of excitement. As she challenged the Sparrows one couldn't help but feel that they got what they deserved for being controlling, repressive, killers who do so in the name of God. In fact, the dangers of religious fanaticism is one of the great themes of this season. Varys warns Tyrion that getting into bed with the followers of the Lord of Light is to put a knife to his own throat. And we've seen how Cersei has paid for believing she can control extremists, as it is now they who have her son, and her life, in their hands. It was impossible to imagine feeling empathy for Cersei for the bulk of this series, but the Sparrows have somehow transformed her into a sympathetic character. It's easy to transfer the hate we once felt towards Jaime and Cersei to the Sparrows, or the Sons of the Harpy, or...But isn't wanting death in the name of what is righteous the very vicious cycle that Westeros has been circling forever? As the Hound says, "Half the horrible sh**t in this world gets done for something larger than ourselves." I have to wonder if that's ultimately the point of the series. That as easy as it is to hate those who commit horrendous acts, we must know that we are also flawed and that there are hidden depths to those we see as little more than evil. It's true that there are some that are more ethical than others. Yet all imagine that it's their violence that is justified. "We all have to believe that we're decent, after all." Here, Donna Dickens and Roth Cornet talk about the events of "No One," and how it's all too relatable... Take a look in the player above or below and chat with us here or on Twitter. Roth: @RothCornet Donna: @MildlyAmused...
- 6/13/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
There has been a great deal of back and forth about whether Marvel Studios has the rights to use Namor in their cinematic universe over the last several years. Recently, however, Marvel Cco Joe Quesada indicated that he is safely in Marvel's hands. "I can't speak for studios," Quesada said on a recent stint on the Fatman on Batman podcast, "As far as I know, yeah we do. It’s not at Fox, it’s not at Sony." There's also been some talk of 20th Century Fox returning the rights to The Fantastic Four to Marvel after their most recent -- and disastrous -- outing with the characters. Here, Donna Dickens and Roth Cornet talk about how The Sub-Mariner might enter the McU and how he could tie into The Fantastic Four. Take a look in the player above or below and chat with us here or on Twitter. Roth: @RothCornet Donna: @MildlyAmused...
- 6/10/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Duncan Jones' Warcraft opens in theaters this weekend, and has already made $168 million in foreign box office sales. In broad stokes, the film is working for fans of the game. Critics haven't embraced the film, however, which stands at 25% on the review aggregate Rotten Tomatoes. Here, Donna Dickens and Roth Cornet talk about Warcraft from the gamer and non perspective and ask: does it work? Take a look in the player above of below and chat with us here or on Twitter. Donna: @MildlyAmused Roth: @RothCornet ...
- 6/10/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
As far as the McWeeny house is concerned, the decision-making process regarding Independence Day: Resurgence is over. Toshi let me know in no uncertain terms that we will be seeing the film and that he is very, very excited about it. He’s a fan of the original, which I’m not even sure when he saw. That’s how little fondness I have for the 1996 Roland Emmerich film, but the sequel’s coming, and at this point, I am on notice, evidently. One of the things that made the first film a global sensation was a truly brilliant marketing campaign. So far, the trailers for the new film strike me as business as usual. If there’s any blockbuster director responsible for the “let’s blow up the world in the trailer” culture that we live in right now, it’s Emmerich, and Independence Day’s trailer was a...
- 6/9/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
The Americans season 4 finale, "Persona Non Grata," left the Jennings family facing the biggest decision of their collective lives. One again, the FX series demonstrates how to do family drama set within extraordinarily heightened stakes. Each member of the Jennings clan (with the exception of poor Henry) is being challenged to ask themselves who they really are -- and act on it. Here, Alan Sepinwall and Roth Cornet talk about the cliffhanger at the close of The Americans' fourth season and where Elizabeth and Philip are headed from here. Take a look in the player above or below and chat with us here or on Twitter. You can also read Alan's review here. Alan: @Sepinwall Roth: @RothCornet...
- 6/9/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Warning: spoilers for Game of Thrones through season 6, episode 7 follow... When Game of Thrones first began many viewers believed that it was exactly what it appeared to be: a battle for the Iron Throne. The introduction of dragons, magic, ancient forest beings, and fierce zombies tells us that there's far more at play here than political power. However, the fact remains that George R.R. Martin set out to tell a fantasy story that defies the tropes of the genre. As Richard Rushfield points out in this video, his novels are an answer to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings in many ways. His purpose was to create a story that undercuts the notion that life can be wrapped up in neat little bows. So if there are no traditional heroes and no happy endings according to Martin's logic, then who should ultimately "win" this game? Here, Roth Cornet,...
- 6/8/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow's documentary exploration of the career of controversial filmmaker Brian De Palma, aptly named De Palma, opens in theaters on Friday, June 10. As film lovers, we all likely have our own love, hate, or bit of both story with De Palma. Critics have had a storied relationship with the man that HiFfix's own Drew McWeeny describes as the "proto-Tarantino." His work was a significant part of my early introduction to film. In part, purposefully on the part of my mother. De Palma was a favorite of hers, and I had a particular affection for thrillers. My very first De Palma experience, however, was entirely against her will. When I was eight my friend and I managed to sneak into her parents' bedroom and watch Body Double. If you haven't seen it, it's essentially De Palma's take on what an X-Rated (or nearly X) Hitchcock film would look like.
- 6/7/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Movie premieres are weird. Even more so when the movie's based on a video game property that has eaten nearly a decade of your life (off and on). But when you’re asked to see Warcraft at the Tcl Chinese Theater in glorious IMAX 3D, you yell “For The Horde!” put on a fancy party dress, and proceed to throw your analytical mind out the window because Oh My God, That Fan Is Dressed As An Arakkoa!!!!! Last night was the premiere of Duncan Jones' (Moon) latest film, Warcraft. Based on the Blizzard video game franchise of the same name, Warcraft pits humans against orcs in the ultimate battle for the survival of the world (Azeroth). Nearly three years in the making, the movie features cutting edge special effects from Ilm that pushed the boundaries of CGI characters. But can a lore-dense video game be converted into a film for general audiences?...
- 6/7/2016
- by Donna Dickens
- Hitfix
Warning: spoilers for Game of Thrones season 6, episode 7 "The Broken Man" follow... Game of Thrones has been doing something interesting this season. Well, the HBO series has been doing several interesting things this season -- most notably creating a propulsive feel by introducing about 17 Wtf/water cooler moments per episode and playing with the structure and pacing. In addition, the series has been toggling back and forth between those who are concerned with the "small war" -- the battle for the Iron Throne, for power, for wealth -- and those who are at the front line of the larger war. The one that is building between the dead things emerging from the North -- bringing winter with them -- and the fiery power of dragons, dragon glass, and Valyrian steel. Now for some, those fights are intertwined. Jon Snow and Sansa Stark both want Winterfell back, but he's got the long game in mind here.
- 6/6/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Warning: spoilers for Game of Thrones season 6, episode 7 'The Broken Man' follow... Game of Thrones shows no signs of slowing the pace this season, and is now introducing significant reveals before he opening credits. The Hound is back! And the young lady who left him for dead -- our own Arya Stark -- now finds herself in mortal peril. It's interesting, in each storyline this was an episode that explored both the desire for and consequences of violence. In a way, that is the crux of this series. That and the very nature of life and death. As to that, as one character we thought was dead returns the series seems to set up the long-awaited arrival of another.... Here, Roth Cornet and Donna Dickens dive deep on another big episode of Game of Thrones, one which seems to indicate that This character is just around the corner... Take a...
- 6/6/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
For some, winning an Academy Award is the sweet reward after an established and respected career. A select few have been movie stars for some time prior to their win. For others, it is the fuel they need to kickstart superstardom. This year's Best Actor and Best Actress winners represent both sides of that coin. Leonardo DiCaprio has been famous almost as long as he's been alive. Brie Larson has been building a body of work that demonstrates both great skill and range. And her her first big post-Oscar move is a bold, and in some ways, risky one. It was recently revealed that Larson is the frontrunner to star in Marvel's fist solo female superhero outing: Captain Marvel. Here, Drew McWeeny and Roth Cornet talk about Larson taking on the role that many thought very well might go to Emily Blunt, and whether the actress is making the right...
- 6/3/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Dave Green’s first film, Earth To Echo, had some mighty familiar DNA. You could tell that he was a fan of ‘80s Amblin’ films and that he’d absorbed the lessons of the film on a nearly molecular level like many of the film nerd kids who grew up on those movies. More than anything, he got the relationships between the kids right in that film, and it appears he carried that skill set over to a franchise that I have very little personal fondness for, resulting in what may well be the most consistently fun live-action Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie ever made. It’s easy to dismiss someone’s fondness for something as pure nostalgia, but it’s also reductive and, in many cases, not why someone loves something. I may not personally be a Turtles fan, but I know enough of them (and have fathered a...
- 6/1/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
X-Men: Apocalypse is in theaters, and brings with it a predictable level of -- in film -- catastrophic events. The demolishment of iconic monuments has become so old hat that Jeff Goldblum's David Levinson quips, "they like to get the landmarks," in the Independence Day: Resurgence trailer. The unfortunate result of the overuse of grand-scale destruction in film is that both we, the audience, and seemingly the filmmakers themselves have become numb to the intended impact. So much so that director Bryan Singer demonstrated just how tone-deaf both he and the studio had become when they featured Magneto destroying the remains of the Auschwitz concentration camps in X-Men: Apocalypse. It's one thing to drown London bridge for the umpteenth time in a film, but there are certain places that stand sacred. We preserve and honor them because they hold within them the memories that are meant to teach us to be and do better.
- 5/31/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Warning: spoilers through Game of Thrones season 6, episode 6 "Blood of My Blood" follow... This Sunday's Game of Thrones marked the beginning of the end of Arya Stark's journey with the Many-Faced God, or at least that's how it appears. Arya triumphantly lifting Needle from a stone (that she herself had placed the sword in) was her surrendering to her true nature and embracing her destiny. Arya is fundamentally a Stark. There are many other characters on the show who would have done quite well with the demands of the Many-Faced God, as it is their nature to show the face that is most convenient for them to present in any given circumstance, Margaery among them. But Arya is not one of them and never could have been. In fact, the episode's central theme was that everyone -- to one degree or another -- plays the game of faces. As Alan...
- 5/31/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Warning: spoilers for Game of Thrones: Season 6 episode 6 'Blood of My Blood' follow... Once again, the men who adapted Game of Thrones so vividly for HBO, David Benioff and D.B.Weiss, have essentially told audiences that they'd better hold onto their pants for the remainder of this series because there will be no slowing down. "Blood of my Blood" was another propulsive episode that showed us who the real players to contend with are in this game, provided another big reveal, and kind of make a liar out of George R.R. Martin (probably...maybe...). Here, Donna Dickens and Roth Cornet dive into the events of "Blood of My Blood," and where they might be leading the show in the future... Take a look in the player above or below and chat with us here or on Twitter. Roth: @RothCornet Donna: @MildlyAmused...
- 5/30/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
With X-Men: Apocalypse opening this weekend, and already unleashed unto the masses overseas, it's time to start digging into the granular details and speculating on what's next. Are you ready? Because... First let's talk about the about as subtle-as-a-bag-of-hammers hints the film was dropping that we'll likely see Sophie Turner return as Jean Grey in a Dark Pheonix storyline. Bryan Singer seems determined to make up for his past missteps, but none more than for the first X-Men trilogy's treatment of that character. If you're unfamiliar with Dark Pheonix, take a look here to get a sense of just how wildly bonkers things may get. Of course elements of the storyline were used in X-Men: The Last Stand, but there is room for 20th Century Fox to make their riskiest X-Men film yet (yep, even more so than Deadpool) if they are really to go full-out on the Pheonix story,...
- 5/27/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
X-Men: Apocalypse opens in theaters stateside this weekend, having already earned $130 million overseas. Is this latest addition of the X-Men franchise worth your time, though? It treads some very familiar ground and will likely feel stale to some and comforting to others. It's a well-made, serviceable summer action movie with great elements, but the sum doesn't equal the parts. If you've already seen it, or don't plan to and aren't worried about spoilers, join us here for a chat on director Bryan Singer's latest. In the video above or below Roth Cornet and Drew McWeeny dive into a full spoiler review of X-Men: Apocalypse. Take a look and let us know what you think here or on Twitter. You can also read Drew's review here. Drew: @DrewAtHitfix Roth: @RothCornett...
- 5/27/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
Warning: spoilers for Game of Thrones though season 6, episode 5 (as well as mentions from the books) follow... Game of Thrones season 6 is packing each episode with bombs and revelations, taking full advantage of the fact that show watchers and book readers alike are now (for the most part) equally in the dark. This past Sunday's episode, "The Door," provided a heartbreaking origin story for Hodor, which revealed that Bran was accidentally responsible for poor Wylis' condition. If you'll recall, we've been granted visions of the past via the Bran and the Three-Eyed Raven's greensight, which is how we discovered that our beloved Hodor was once a young man named Wylis with full verbal capacity. The question became: What Happened To Hodor? Now we know: Bran Stark happened. During the climactic events of "The Door," Bran was greenseeing into Hodor's past even as they were under attack in the present. In...
- 5/27/2016
- by Roth Cornet
- Hitfix
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.