Categoría: INTERNET

In a decade-old interview with Collider, Keanu Reeves addressed the rumors that were connecting him at the time to «Doctor Strange» and explained why the thought of joining a franchise like the MCU gave him pause. «From a practical standpoint, the idea of a longtime contract is sort of ‘errr’ because you want to make sure the material is up to a certain level,» he told the outlet. «I like the idea. I go to those kinds of movies. I grew up on them and comics and graphic novels. [But] I didn’t know Doctor Strange as a character. I didn’t read that as a kid.»

Reeves, notably, still hasn’t appeared in the MCU, and it’s unclear if he ever will. In 2021, though, Kevin Feige told The Hollywood Reporter that Marvel Studios no longer relied on its stars to sign sweeping, multi-project deals. Therefore, should he ever be approached to star in a future MCU TV series or movie, it doesn’t seem like Reeves will have to worry about making an obscenely long-term commitment.

For now, Reeves seems mostly concerned with reprising a comic book role he’s played once before: John Constantine. Indeed, not only was it revealed in 2022 that a sequel to 2005’s «Constantine» was in development, but Reeves has also confirmed that he’s spoken with DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn about it. In 2023, «Constantine» director Francis Lawrence also told GameSpot that he, Reeves, and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman had begun discussing the film’s story. It seems, in other words, more likely right now that the actor’s next comic book movie won’t be an MCU title, but «Constantine 2.»

It’s easy to see why Liam Neeson was hurt by the treatment of Ahmed Best following the «Phantom Menace» premiere. Not only was Best just doing his job as an actor, but he helped change the course of film history as the first motion-captured character to star alongside live-action actors. Fortunately, fans who grew up with the prequels have come to embrace the actor as a beloved figure within the franchise, leading to his return in later Star Wars media.

Most notably, he appeared in «The Mandalorian» Season 3 as Jedi Master Kelleran Beq, who skillfully protects Grogu during the Order 66 attack. Best created the character for the 2020 YouTube game series «Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge.» When «Mandalorian» producers Jon Favreau, Dave Filoni, and Rick Famuyiwa approached Best about bringing Kelleran to the hit Disney+ series, he was initially hesitant. «Honestly, I had to think about it,» the actor told StarWars.com. «I’ve been in the Star Wars world for such a long time, and my story is such a rollercoaster ride of emotions. So coming back to Star Wars wasn’t an easy decision for me. It wasn’t something I could have immediately said yes to.»

Not wanting to make his comeback bigger than the mythology at hand, Best’s worries were alleviated thanks to the show’s supportive team, adding, «I was still nervous, but it was really Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, and being with them, that made me want to come back.» Despite what even the harshest critics threw at him, the Force has always been with Best, and fans anticipate his positive future within the Star Wars saga.  

One of the main advantages for an actor like Mark Ruffalo joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe is that it means he gets to earn MCU money. And when someone like Mark Ruffalo gets MCU money, he’s not using it to collect sports cars or buy multiple mansions. Instead, he uses that financial security as a buffer that allows him to take on more roles that he truly wants to tackle and that he believes in, regardless of how much they do or don’t pay.

With an estimated net worth of $35 million, Ruffalo has seemingly moved beyond the point in his career where he has to take a role just for the payday ever again. And he’s made good on that, continuing to take on smaller roles in between big budget superhero movies, romantic comedies, and so on. During his most prolific stint as the Hulk, Ruffalo still found time to add smaller, more character-driven work like «Thanks for Sharing,» «Infinitely Polar Bear,» and «Dark Waters» to his filmography. 

Ruffalo also started doing more television in the 2020s for the first time since «A Normal Heart,» not just on Disney+ but also by way of the Netflix drama series «All the Light We Cannot See» and the HBO miniseries «I Know This Much Is True.» The latter brought Ruffalo his second Emmy win. He’s used to awards shows these days, but, while he didn’t get nominated for «You Can Count on Me,» he came away with something more valuable — a platform to build on. If he never got that, then he wouldn’t be making the kind of money that lets him indulge in passion projects.

In the «Deadpool & Wolverine» trailer, viewers are only given snippets of what the narrative has in store. Wade Wilson is brought in by the Time Variance Authority, seemingly to take part in an unspecified multiversal mission. Along the way, he fights off some bad guys and visits various locations, teaming up with Wolverine in the process. Otherwise, the teaser doesn’t go much further in regards to plot points, so fans are left to speculate on the finer details. In a similar vein, assuming they’ll appear in both films, fans can also ponder how they might fit into «Avengers: The Kang Dynasty» and «Avengers: Secret Wars.»

The obvious route to think about is that all kinds of Kang-induced Multiverse shenanigans result in Deadpool and Wolverine unexpectedly joining the fray in «The Kang Dynasty.» Perhaps they join the Avengers and other MCU heroes to defeat Kang and his forces, thus setting them up to play a role in «Secret Wars» afterward. Then again, perhaps «Deadpool & Wolverine» will have a more direct impact on the two «Avengers» installments. Maybe their timeline-hopping team-up movie will see them, intentionally or otherwise, mess with the Multiverse in some way, allowing Kang to once again become a major threat. Thus, they have to right their wrong in «The Kang Dynasty» and «Secret Wars.»

Hopefully, «Deadpool & Wolverine» will bring some answers and a bit of narrative direction when it arrives on July 26.

Credit has to go where credit’s due for the creation of the Madame Web that’s remained an essential part of Spider-Man lore for decades. Cassandra Webb exists thanks to Dennis O’Neil and John Romita Jr., who introduced the clairvoyant spider lady in «The Amazing Spider-Man» #210. In her first comic book outing, Madame Web is an ally to Spider-Man, who helps him with a kidnapping case thanks to her ability to see things others cannot. It’s a decidedly cooler intro than Madam Web admitting that she webbed a bridge because she thought there were snack pastries in it for her. 

More than likely, having Madam Web before Madame Web is merely a coincidence, as there’s no indication the name was derived from the Twinkies ad villain in any way. It’s likely a case of parallel thinking, with various people realizing it’s a cool name. Still, with this knowledge, it’s a little disappointing that Madam Web couldn’t have factored in the «Madame Web» movie at all. With all of the various references to Pepsi, one would imagine there could’ve been a moment when Dakota Johnson or Sydney Sweeney ate a Twinkie or something. With all the dumb things in «Madame Web» already, it wouldn’t have been that strange. 

Of course, now there could be fan theories of how the Twinkie-obsessed Madam Web is a variant of Cassandra Webb or something. After all, the title of Madame Web can be passed down as Cassandra was killed in the comics, so Julia Carpenter took on the moniker. With the Marvel Multiverse now on the big screen, it’s high time Madam Web had a rebirth. 

Throughout her entire press tour, Dakota Johnson has woken up each day and chosen violence (judging by the bleak «Madame Web» reviews, this might be more entertaining than the movie itself). In January, she spoke to Entertainment Weekly and interestingly described the process of making the film, saying, «I’ve never really done a movie where you are on a blue screen, and there’s fake explosions going off, and someone’s going, ‘Explosion!’ and you act like there’s an explosion. That, to me, was absolutely psychotic. I was like, ‘I don’t know if this is going to be good at all! I hope that I did an okay job!’» Incredibly, calling her movie «absolutely psychotic» and wondering if it’ll be enjoyable was just the beginning.

Since that quote, Johnson has complained about how «annoying and boring» the nepo baby discourse is, said she hated being on «The Office,» challenged an interviewer over the most viral line from the «Madame Web» trailer, called her younger co-stars from the film «annoying,» and just generally been delightfully weird. As for the finished movie, she revealed she hasn’t seen it — saying she might watch it «someday.» On «Late Night With Seth Meyers,» when asked if you need to know about Spider-Man or Marvel to see the flick, she deadpanned, «You don’t have to know anything about anything at all to watch this movie.» 

The «Final Destination 2» log truck sequence is so legendary, it’s entered meme status, with countless people posting humorous photos with comments on how a generation has been scarred for life from ever driving behind such a vehicle ever again. A perfect example is in a post from the Instagram account @physicalmediapresident where they share a photo that shows cars apparently refusing to line up in the lane behind a log truck. The caption reads, «Everyone in the left lane has seen final destination 2.»

Even if a log truck’s presence in the superhero movie was a completely random choice that had nothing to do with the fan-favorite horror franchise, «Madame Web» director S.J. Clarkson doesn’t mind her film receiving «Final Destination» comparisons. GamesRadar+ brought up the similarities between the two properties, at least in terms of the basic plot, and Clarkson was all for it. «Listen, I’ll take that,» she stated. «It’s a thriller at the end of the day and it was exciting to be able to have those thriller-slash-horror moments.» 

That genre naturally lends itself to «Madame Web» because, as star Dakota Johnson acknowledged in an interview with Looper, the title character doesn’t have a typical superhero power like the ability to fly. Cassie sees into the future, and much like in «Final Destination,» that can have unsettling consequences. «It was so inherently psychological that it could be a thriller; more cerebral, and therefore more grounded,» Clarkson said. «I found it really interesting and exciting to explore that in a cinematic world.»

Roger Ebert’s criticism of «The Brown Bunny» launched a fiery back-and-forth with Vincent Gallo. The filmmaker responded by calling Ebert a «fat pig with the physique of a slave trader» (via Far Out Magazine). Ebert clapped back with a mic drop of his own. «It is true that I am fat,» he wrote, «but one day I will be thin, and he will still be the director of ‘The Brown Bunny.’»

The barbs didn’t stop there. When Gallo jokingly put a hex on Ebert’s colon, implying he hoped the critic got cancer, Ebert clapped back, «I am not too worried. I had a colonoscopy once, and they let me watch it on TV. It was more entertaining than ‘The Brown Bunny.’»

Ebert wasn’t alone in his critiques of the film. Variety called it «this year’s definition of navel-gazing cinema,» and A.O. Scott remarked upon the Cannes crowd’s «unrestrained hostility» in the New York Times. However, others lauded the film. Les Cahiers du Cinéma named «The Brown Bunny» one of the top 10 movies of the year, and Jean-Luc Godard, John Waters, and Werner Herzog praised it.

Even Ebert came around on «The Brown Bunny.» When Gallo made edits to the film, cutting 26 minutes from its runtime, the critic reevaluated it and gave it a three-star review. «Make no mistake: The Cannes version was a bad film,» he wrote in his 2004 reassessment. «But now Gallo’s editing has set free the good film inside.»

Padawan braids weren’t always as strict of a requirement as they are in the prequel trilogy era. During the era of the High Republic, a few hundred years prior to «The Phantom Menace,» it’s more the prerogative of a padawan’s master. This reflects a larger shift in Jedi doctrine in the centuries leading up to the prequels, as the High Republic was a much less dogmatic time for the order as a whole.

Because the Jedi bring in (see: kidnap) members from all across the galaxy, plenty of padawans simply don’t have hair to braid. In these cases, Jedi in training would wear an artificial lookalike that carries the same meaning. Ahsoka Tano wears a string of silka beads, for instance, while apprenticed to Anakin Skywalker. When Ahsoka is expelled from the Jedi Order at the end of «Star Wars: The Clone Wars» Season 5, her «braid» is physically ripped from her, marking both her expulsion and her failure to achieve knight status. The Jedi Council later tries to bring her back and offers to return her silka beads, but she refuses.

Finally, in the old Star Wars Legends continuity, the different colored bands on a padawan braid also carried meaning. These colors marked things such as the age of the Jedi and their specialized areas of study.

In his youth, Patrick Stewart dealt with poverty and violence at home by turning to acting to escape the turmoil. As a young boy he found his love of acting, and discovered Shakespeare through his second brother, Jeffrey, who was 15 years his senior. Encouraged onto the stage by his mother, Stewart threw himself into acting, finding something of a mentor in one of his earliest teachers, Cecil Dormand. While attending a drama camp, Stewart was bunkmates with a young Brian Blessed, and that’s when he decided that acting was to be his future.

Unfortunately, Stewart’s father didn’t approve, and at 15, Stewart decided to drop out of school altogether to pursue his dream. «My education was very basic,» he told the New Yorker. «And for years I felt uncomfortable about that, when I found myself working with Oxbridge men and women, and so forth.» As a teenager, Stewart’s teacher got him a job as a reporter at a local paper. But the job didn’t last because the editor of the paper didn’t approve of his taking time off to pursue amateur theater productions. He quit the job when scolded by his boss, and never looked back.

Ultimately, of course, Stewart’s choice proved to be the right one. Though it took some time, he eventually joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1966 at the age of 26, and made his Broadway debut five years later.

In comic book movies, oftentimes the antagonists are the most important piece of the puzzle, as they are the most blatant foils for the heroes and strongly and actively challenge their ideals. Sadly, the villain of «Madame Web» is perhaps one of its weakest qualities, choosing the character of Ezekiel Sims to be Cassie’s foe, but he’s not a very intimidating one. The character played by Tahar Rahim bears few resemblances to his comic book counterpart, as he’s also a successful businessman who has gained similar powers to Spider-Man.

Audiences are introduced to Ezekiel early on, though his motivations are pretty vague. He inadvertently kills Cassie’s mom while trying to steal a mutated Peruvian spider, and when he’s seen later on in the future (albeit, he hasn’t aged a day), he possesses a venomous touch and can crawl on walls. Ezekiel can also see the future, having constant night terrors presaging his own death by Spider-Women, causing him to hunt the trio of teenage girls down to kill them before they get their powers.

However, audiences may struggle to understand Ezekiel. He claims to have come from nothing but never elaborates. He’s a rich businessman, but his actual profession is unexplained. Furthermore, in his visions of his death, he appears as an old man, so why is he in such a rush to kill off this trio of Spider-Women now?

While Zod and Lex Luthor originated in past Superman stories, the first major movie adaptation of the comic book hero introduced some new villains to the forefront. Among them was one of Zod’s allies, Ursa, played by actress Sarah Douglas. Ursa holds an especially strong disdain for all mankind and proves to be a match for Superman, finally fighting him in «Superman II.» Her film persona eventually reached the comic book pages in 2007’s «Action Comics #845.»

The 71-year-old performer is no stranger to superheroes, having starred and provided voice work in a variety of TV shows and movies since starring in «Superman: The Movie.» Some of these titles include «The Return of Swamp Thing,» «Batman Beyond,» and «Green Lantern: The Animated Series.» Like Terrence Stamp, she has also appeared in other Superman-related projects with roles in the TV shows «Superman: The Animated Series» and «Supergirl.» 

Yes, Zendaya’s «Dune 2» fit is definitely giving off «Star Wars» vibes, but she’s not explicitly taking cues from C-3PO. The «Dune 2» star’s outfit is more in line with German film director Fritz Lang’s «Metropolis,» which features a cyborg/machine-like character known as Maria (Brigitte Helm). Known as the Maschinenmensch in the 1927 sci-fi film, the character’s design has inspired several sci-fi projects, including «Star Wars.»

It’s giving Metropolis. I love it! #Mugler #Zendaya #Dune https://t.co/C15pWjz4YE pic.twitter.com/zYdZR45Wgm

— All Up In Your Mind (@ParisianVixen) February 15, 2024

X user @sitcomznfilmz unpacked all the connections Zendaya’s outfit has to the world of sci-fi, showcasing just how deep the fashion rabbit hole goes. «Me when her outfit is mugler which is inspired by gold robot in metropolis silent German movie which also was inspiration for C3PO in star wars which is low-key based on dune,» they commented.

Okay, so we know what Zendaya’s look is inspired by, so what exactly is she wearing? The «Euphoria» star’s outfit comes from the mind of fashion designer Thierry Mugler’s 1995 couture collection, and was explicitly inspired by the visual design of «Metropolis.» According to W Magazine, the outfit took over six months to design and was made in collaboration with artist Jean-Jacques Urcun. But here’s the kicker: Zendaya was wearing the actual fit that debuted in 1995 — not a recreation. 

For fashion fans, Zendaya’s daring look is one for the history books, with @saintdoII writing, «zendaya in thee thierry mugler fall 1995 haute couture robot suit, this is literally a piece of fashion history and the fact that it’s not a remake but directly from manfred’s archives!! UGHH IM SO GAGGED.» 

«Dune 2» lands in cinemas on March 1, 2024. 

Social media reactions should typically be taken with a grain of salt, as they’re usually meant to drum up hype. But based on how early Warner Bros. wants the online chatter to start, it seems like «Dune 2» is a genuine winner that somehow tops the original. «Incredible filmmaking. Brilliant score. Entire cast was excellent,» wrote @colliderfrosty, before expressing how they wish the nearly three-hour-long film was longer. 

On the other hand, @ScottMendelson loved the film, but did think it ran out of steam. They wrote, «#DunePartTwo is an audio/visual triumph on par with (relatively speaking) ‘John Wick 4’ or ‘Avatar 2’. Strong performances, some clever action beats but, like DUNE 1, it’s a 2.5-hour film that mostly runs out of story at the 90-minute mark and jogs in place til the climax.» 

These positive reactions are mostly in line with the confident feedback the first film received — it has an 83% on Rotten Tomatoes. Unfortunately, the review embargo for «Dune 2» won’t drop until February 21. Until then, fans can relish the words of @griffschiller, who casually called «Dune 2» Denis Villeneuve’s biggest triumph to date. «#DunePartTwo is not only Denis’s magnum opus; it’s the definitive sci-fi epic of a generation. A tragic tale of blind fanaticism & corruption. A spectacular, soulful, awe-inspiring masterclass of aesthetics & mood beautifully echoing Paul’s turbulent journey. Left me speechless!» they wrote. 

A major talking point for some viewers was the chemistry between Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, with @DorianParksnRec calling it «unmatched.» X user @Lulamaybelle was especially impressed by the film’s strong performances, writing, «Timothée Chalamet & Zendaya turn in singular work … Austin Butler is absolutely transformative, captivating & seductively evil. Yet another compelling performance from Dave Bautista. Rebecca Ferguson tears up the screen … Florence Pugh turns in career best work.» 

«Dune: Part Two» arrives on March 1, 2024. 

Damon Wayans Jr. also said in the interview that he really loves the romantic comedy genre, which makes sense, considering he’s appeared in rom-coms like «How to Be Single» in 2018 and «Love, Guaranteed» in 2020. Sure, romantic comedies can be predictable and rote, but Wayans Jr. said he actually loves that aspect the most.

«I used to not like the idea of knowing how the movie is going to end from the beginning, but after doing this movie, I thought because this was such a fresh take on the rom-com, that I’m OK with [knowing the ending],» Wayans said of «Players,» where his character Adam and Gina Rodriguez’s character Mack are best friends constantly trying to help each other find hookups and dates. 

«I already knew how the movie was going to end by the second scene, even when reading [the script], but the journey is what kind of differentiates it,» he concluded. «So I’m cool with that staying the same.»

Of course, this isn’t the first time that fans have fought back against critics, especially concerning superhero movies. Notably, both «Venom» and «Morbius» have a massive gulf between the reactions of professional and more casual movie reviewers.

This trend continues with «Madame Web,» where the void between critics and viewers is substantial. «Madame Web’s disastrously-woven pile of flaws exceeds the descriptive limits of not only the English language but of the very collective of contrived sound itself,» read a particularly scathing take from Charlotte Simmons of We Got This Covered.

Fans pushed back in many of their approximations. «Awesome film kept me laughing and such a great period piece,» said Jasmine M. However, not all were so kind to «Madame Web.» «If you thought Aquaman was bad, this movie is atrocious,» wrote Joe R. User Elvs P. agreed, writing, «More horrible writing and stories … save your money … This is the worst Sony MCU movie to date.»

Since we’re still in one of the slower parts of the release schedule, casual audiences may be enticed to give «Madame Web» a shot. Still, taking a beating this nasty just two years after «Morbius» is not a good look for Sony’s Marvel movies.

A good villain is often on another level of thinking than the hero trying to take them down. They speak cryptically and are playing a game of mental chess when everyone else is still playing checkers. That could’ve very well been the case for Tahar Rahim as Ezekiel, who is set on averting his own death. It’s an understandable obsession, but one that is dropped on the audience in one of the most stilted and borderline hilarious info dumps ever put to film, made even worse given the character is barely seen saying the words at the time.

Ezekiel wakes from a nightmare about three mysterious girls pushing him out a window. When the woman he’s bedded asks what woke him up, he casually reveals it was three women who had a part in his death, which his one-night stand is totally unfazed by. What makes this conversation even more of a chore to process is half of it unfolds with Rahim’s lips barely moving, setting a standard for this villain’s automated dialogue replacement (ADR) that continues throughout the film. 

This isn’t due to him being a lousy actor, by the way. Rahim is a two-time BAFTA nominee with great performances under his belt (see «A Prophet» for proof). Instead, he’s just another poorly used star who might as well be in a dubbed foreign movie and one of many parts that are totally out of sync in «Madame Web.»

As disappointing as it might have been for John Lithgow to be let go from playing Hades in «Hercules,» it wouldn’t take long for him to take center stage as an animated antagonist in 2001’s «Shrek.» The computer-animated comedy would see Lithgow play the deviously diminutive Lord Farquaad, who sends Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers) out to retrieve Princess Fiona (voiced by Cameron Diaz).

Not only was performing Farquaad a fun time for Lithgow, but he had great respect for the film’s artistry. Speaking with GQ, he shared his experience of visiting the animation team a year before the film’s release. «I was the only actor who had ever visited them and I walked through this place … to all these computer cubicles where all these animators were working,»  Lithgow said. «One was in charge of nothing but milk being poured out of a pitcher into a glass. One was in charge of only leaves blowing in the wind. One was in charge of mud when a wheel went through the mud … working on this for months in this technology that not many people had used yet. And I suddenly realized, I am something history-making and I didn’t even know it.» And history-making it was.

«Shrek» went on to earn over $492 million worldwide and took home the first-ever Academy Award for best animated feature, managing to even beat out Pixar’s «Monsters Inc,» while also being the first animated film to receive a nomination for best adapted screenplay. Lithgow may have missed out on the moderately successful «Hercules,» but it’s safe to say that what he got instead far exceeded his expectations. 

Shaun Weiss ran into some legal trouble in his adult life. In July 2017, the actor was arrested for stealing $151 in merchandise from Fry’s Electronics. He entered a plea of no contest to a petty theft charge. Though sentenced to 150 days in jail, Weiss was only locked up for 12 days before being released from the Los Angeles County Jail because the jail was overcrowded.

Five days after his release the actor was arrested again. After reports that he was shambling around yards in an L.A. neighborhood, Weiss was arrested and booked with possession of a controlled substance. People reported that the substance was methamphetamine. The Burbank Police Department shared with E! News that the actor was sentenced to 90 days in jail.

A year later, in August 2018, Weiss was arrested for public intoxication in Oroville, California. TMZ reported that he was not charged or sentenced, he just «spent a few hours in the drunk tank,» according to information the site received from law enforcement. In January 2020, the actor was arrested again in Marysville, California. In this case, Weiss was charged with being under the influence of methamphetamine and residential burglary after the police responded to a call about a burglary in process in the early morning hours.

If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).