New on DVD & Blu-Ray: 'Elysium', 'The Lone Ranger', 'Kick-Ass 2'

Elysium: In a world where only the seriously wealthy get to live in Utopian-like society with health machines that cure everything from the common cold to cancer, it's not hard to wonder why the other half is angry and desperate to get the same thing. And when an accident befalls a factory worker and he only has days to live, he sets out to help himself and the remainder of the population that's left to suffer on Earth. The film stars Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, and Diego Luna. 

BUY NOW!


The Lone Ranger: Gore Verbinski re-teams with Johnny Depp, this time playing the famous Tonto, to bring us the movie-version of the hit TV series of the same name. Train action, the Lone Ranger's horse Silver, and an adventure that's filled with humor are sprinkled throughout the film. Also starring Armie Hammer, Ruth Wilson, Helena Bonham Carter, William Fichtner, and Tom Wilkinson. 

BUY NOW! 

Kick-Ass 2: The sequel to the popular 2010 film brings back Kick-Ass and Hit Girl as they move on after Big Daddy's death and try to live normal lives only to realize that they really can't. Red Mist plots his revenge and Kick-Ass joins a crime-fighting team of misfits and do-gooders who are led by Colonel Stars and Stripes. The film stars Chloe Grace-Moretz, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Morris Chestnut, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Jim Carrey.

BUY NOW!

Prisoners: What happens when two families are faced with the kidnappings of their daughters? They face anger, desperation, anguish, and are pushed into morally questionable actions in order to get back what they lost. A drama filled with great performances and a fantastic story. Starring Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Terrence Howard, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo, and Paul Dano. 

BUY NOW!

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters: Percy Jackson takes his next great adventure when he has to save his friend Grover from the Cyclops who's holding him hostage. With the help of Annabeth and his newly-discovered half-brother Tyson, Percy sets out to cross the sea of monsters. Starring Logan Lerman, Alexandra Daddario, Douglas Smith, and Brandon T. Jackson. 

BUY NOW!

The Family: Robert De Niro plays a mobster who's had to go into the Witness Protection Program after ratting out a fellow mobster to the FBI. His family can't seem to keep the secret of their identity... well, a secret. So they move from place to place, finally landing them in the south of France. But the past always has a way of biting everyone in the ass. Also starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Tommy Lee Jones, and Diana Agron. 

BUY NOW!

One Direction: This is Us: If you're a fan of the British pop group (or maybe your tween), then this movie is most definitely for you. It highlights the each of the five members' pasts, how they got into the music scene, and follows them through moments in their private and public lives. An extra bonus is the concert footage.  

BUY NOW!

Ain't Them Bodies Saints: To protect his pregnant wife, Bob Muldoon is sentenced to four years of prison for a crime he didn't commit. He escapes prison before his sentence is over and teams up with a man named Will in order to find his wife and the daughter he's never met. The film stars Casey Affleck, Rooney Mara, Rami Malek, Ben Foster, and Keith Carradine. 

BUY NOW!

The Sound of Music Live!: Millions of viewers tuned in to watch country music star Carrie Underwood fill the shoes of Julie Andrews in the stage musical of The Sound of Music. Originally a stage production, the beloved story of the Von Trapp family singers and their governess was filmed during a live production and is available to add to your stockings for Christmas! 

BUY NOW!

Read More

Cinema Royale #29- Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and Edgar Wright Talk 'The World's End'

On a very special Cinema Royale, host Travis Hopson downs a pint with Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and director Edgar Wright while talking the conclusion of their "Cornetto Trilogy", The World's End!

Plus, reviews of Lee Daniels' The Butler and Kick-Ass 2!

You can find Cinema Royale every single week on Blogtalkradio, Itunes, Libsyn, and Podomatic. Listen to this week's episode below...

Online Movies Radio at Blog Talk Radio with Cinema Royale on BlogTalkRadio

Read More

*CLOSED* 'Kick-Ass 2' Advance Screening

What better way to wrap up this summer of superhero movies than with the wildest one of all, Kick-Ass 2! Kick-Ass and Hit Girl are back and now they've inspired a whole new generation of street heroes, with Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey) leading the charge. But new heroes usually means new villains, and their old pal Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), now known as The Motherfu**er, has assembled his own team of bad guys.

The screening takes place on Tuesday August 13th at Regal Gallery Place at 7:30pm.  To qualify, you MUST be a fan of Punch Drunk Critics on Facebook,so if you haven't "Liked" us yet please go there and do so now. To enter, simply leave a comment here with your full name, email address or some other method of online contact (Facebook, Twitter...but if we can't message you you're out of luck!), and we want you to come up with your own vigilante superhero name.We will NOT be using Gofobo's system for this contest. Instead we have actual tickets for you and a guest, which will be distributed at the theater on the day of the screening. Winners will be selected on Saturday August 10th and put on the list for entry into the screening.

Good luck! Kick-Ass 2 opens on August 16th.


Kick Ass 2 - Red Band Trailer Premiere by FanReviews

Read More

Comic-Con: New 'Kick-Ass 2' Red Band Trailer

At today's Kick-Ass 2 panel, director Jeff Wadlow and the cast of the film debuted a brand new red band trailer. There's a lot of new footage, most of it centering on The Motherfucker (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) assembling his own team of villains to battle the good guys in Justice Forever. We also see more of the relationship between Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz). The main thing I took away from the presentation is that Johnson has really bulked up for the role, dwarfing practically everyone else.

PLOT: In the sequel, after Kick-Ass' insane bravery inspires a new wave of self-made masked crusaders, led by the badass Colonel Stars and Stripes, our hero joins them on patrol. When these amateur superheroes are hunted down by Red Mist—reborn as The Mother F%&*^r—only the blade-wielding Hit Girl can prevent their annihilation.

Kick-Ass 2 opens on August 16th.

Read More

Sure Shots: Tina Fey; 'Kick-Ass 2'; Paul Bettany

* Now that Shawn Levy and Jason Bateman have put an adaptation of Jonathan Tropper's novel This is Where I Leave You back on track, they're going to make sure it's a star-studded ensemble. They've enlisted Tina Fey to play Bateman's sister in the film, about an estranged family forced to co-exist under one roof for a week as their late father's final request. Ari Graynor, Isla Fisher, Zoe Saldana, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead were previously said to be eying the romantic lead opposite Bateman, and THR says they are still in contention. Kathryn Hahn is up for the role of Bateman's sister-in-law. Fey will jump directly into this once she finishes up with The Muppets...Again!

* We'll have to wait a little bit longer for Kick-Ass 2, Jeff Wadlow's sequel to the hit comic book adaptation starring Aaron Johnson and Chloe Moretz. The film has been bumped from its June perch down to August 16th, where it will open against Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters and Aubrey Plaza's The To-Do List.

* The last time Johnny Depp and Paul Bettany teamed up it was in The Tourist, which wasn't very good at all. Hopefully they'll fare better this time, as Bettany has joined Wally Pfister's sci-fi film, Transcendence. The script by Jack Paglen follows a scientist who has his brain uploaded into a supercomputer after he's assassinated. There are three main scientist roles, including a female lead, so expect more casting news soon. Bettany will heard not seen as the voice of Jarvis in Iron Man 3 when it opens in May.

Read More

Mark Millar says 'Kick-Ass 3' will be the last; teases Sentinels in 'X-men: Days of Future Past'

It wouldn't be all that hard to do an X-men: Days of Future Past without giant robotic Sentinels, but it would be hella disappointing. Probably so much that Fox would never even consider leaving them out, despite the cost of putting them in. Mark Millar, the talkative comic book scribe who also serves as a creative consultant on Fox's Marvel flicks, puts any doubt to rest in an interview with SFX, saying the Sentinels will be in there and causing havoc...

Millar: "I don’t really want to give too much away but the Sentinels are a big feature of this story. They will be cool and this will deliver on all of the teasers. We’ve all been waiting for this ever since X-Men: The Last Stand showed us one of their heads. Now it is finally coming, and we only have to pay ten quid to see it in the cinema."

He also goes on to talk about the large ensemble of returning faces, comparing it to J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. One name in particular he mentioned was the return of Ellen Page, who plays Kitty "Shadowcat" Pryde, an integral piece in the Chris Claremont comic. It's unclear if she'll be quite as important in the film, but Millar seems to think so....

Millar: "Kitty Pride fans will not be disappointed."

While X-men is hardly Millar's baby, Kick-Ass certainly. I'm certain that he'll hook up with John Romita Jr. on a third series of the hit comic book, but as for a third film? I'm not nearly as certain of that. It all depends on how Kick-Ass 2 performs at the box office in a few months. Millar seems confident, though, and recounted his discussion with Universal on the future of the franchise...

Millar: "Kick-Ass 3 is going to be the last one though. I told Universal this and they asked me, ‘What does that mean?’ I said, ‘It means that this is where it all ends.’ They said, ‘Do they all die at the end?’ I said, ‘Maybe’ – because this is a realistic superhero story. And if someone doesn’t have a bullet proof vest like Superman and doesn’t have Batman’s millions then eventually he is going turn around the wrong corner and get his head kicked in or get shot in the face [laughs]. So Kick-Ass needs to reflect that. There has to be something dramatic at the end, he cannot do this for the rest of his life.”

Makes sense to me. I can see Kick-Ass getting offed in some random fashion like Omar from The Wire.

Kick-Ass 2 opens on June 28th, X-men: Days of Future Past on July 18th 2014.

Read More

*UPDATE* Looks like Jim Carrey's in for 'Kick-Ass 2' after all!

*UPDATE* Yep, Deadline has confirmed Jim Carrey for the role of The Colonel in Kick-Ass 2. Check out the earlier story below where Mark Millar and Jeff Wadlow pretty much announced it themselves.

With filming on Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall set to begin soon, one of the more intriguing rumors had them seeking out Jim Carrey for the role of The Colonel, known in the comic as Colonel Stars and an ex-mafia figured turned costumed vigilante. Carrey's a proven fan of Mark Millar's comic and of the first film, but reports that followed pegged the deal is "unlikely" to occur. Turns out that may have been a little premature, though, as director Jeff Wadlow and Millar took to Twitter to confirm that Carrey has agreed to join the film. Thanks to Bleeding Cool for capturing the tweet conversation that follows....

6 days till we start shooting... and we officially have our Colonel. Alrighty f'n then! @chloegmoretz @mintzplasse @donald_faison #kickass2
— Jeff Wadlow (@JeffWadlow) September 1, 2012

@jeffwadlow who do we got?!
— Chris Mintz-Plasse (@MintzPlasse) September 1, 2012

@mintzplasse @jeffwadlow clue- he lives with 200 raccoons and parrots, owns the mask of Loki and named by spielberg as a genius.
— Mark Millar (@mrmarkmillar) September 1, 2012

That's a pretty big get for a film that a lot of people are already looking forward to and doesn't really need the starpower. Carrey joins the returning Aaron Johnson, Chloe Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, and Yancy Butler, along with new faces Lindy Booth, Donald Faison, Morris Chestnut, John Leguizamo, Claudia Lee, Robert Emms, and Andy Nyman. Filming begins on Kick-Ass 2 in five days for release on June 28th 2013.

Read More

Jim Carrey sought for 'Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall'

It's been a long time since Jim Carrey ventured into the superhero realm, way back in 1995 when he played The Riddler in Batman Forever. We can argue about the merits of the film itself, but I thought it marked one of Carrey's finest performances, and now he may looking to the comic book world to help get his career back on the right track.

While nothing is close to official yet, Deadline reports that Carrey is being sought for the Kick-Ass sequel, which I guess is indeed taking on the full-title of Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall. If Carrey does agree, he'll be getting one of the flashiest roles in the film. He'd be playing Colonel Stars, an ex-mafia member turned masked vigilante who helps put together Justice Forever, the team of masked heroes Kick-Ass(Aaron Johnson) becomes a member of.

Carrey's been shown in the past to be a huge fan of Kick-Ass and its director, Matthew Vaughn, so he may try and do everything in his power to fit this into his schedule. We'll see what happens, but to me it sounds like a smart move for Carrey at this stage of his career. Jeff Wadlow is directing Kick-Ass 2: Balls to the Wall for release on June 28th 2013. Carrey is next lined up to star alongside Steve Carell in the magician rivalry comedy, Burt Wonderstone.

Read More

Donald Faison to play Doctor Gravity in 'Kick-Ass 2'

While most people will be amped up for the return of Chloe Moretz as the awesomely violent Hit Girl in Kick-Ass 2(it's actually happening!!!), I for one am far more excited about numerous other characters who will need to be part of the sequel. We're talking at least twenty, most of them really lame heroes who should look hilarious on screen. My favorite of the bunch is Doctor Gravity, and his character is set to be played by someone who's perfect for it.

Donald Faison, probably still best known for his multi-year stint on Scrubs or for co-starring in Clueless, will play Doctor Gravity, a copywriter and English major who uses a foil-wrapped baseball bat as his primary weapon. He refers to it as a Gravity Pole, but...yeah, nothing special about it. Gravity is part of a team of loser street heroes known as Justice Forever, who work with Kick-Ass(Aaron Johnson) and Hit Girl to help take down the Red Mist(Christopher Mintz-Plasse).

Solid move, and certainly a step up from what Faison has been doing lately(*cough*Next Day Air*cough*). Jeff Wadlow is directing Kick-Ass 2, with production set to gear up this fall.

Read More

Wait...'Kick-Ass 2' might really shoot this summer?

We've learned over time to not exactly trust the words that come out of Mark Millar's mouth. The creator of Kick-Ass, Wanted, and other buff comic book properties has a long history as a fountain of misinformation and hyperbole. For instance, he's been promising us Kick-Ass 2 for more than a year now, and nothing he's said has ever come to pass. In the last couple of weeks he was at it again, stating that the sequel would film this summer, and of course nobody believed him. Now a different, more credible source has said the same thing, and suddenly it's looking like this might actually happen.

While attempting a record breaking 50hr autographing and sketching session in Las Vegas, artist John Romita Jr. revealed to a fan that the deals are signed, sealed, and delivered, and that filming would begin this summer for a release next May. Romita Jr. is the artist on the Kick-Ass comics and credited as one of the creators, so he would know a thing or two about it. He also revealed there may be an animated sequence in the film that he would like to take charge of. That may be worth the price of admission alone.

With director Matthew Vaughn busy with the X-men: First Class franchise, he'll only be in a co-writer/producing role this time. However it's possible he may not be the only change afoot for the sequel. The most popular character in Kick-Ass was Hit Girl, played by rising star, Chloe Moretz. With her schedule looking mighty crowded(she'll be in Dark Shadows this weekend), it's possible the new director may have to look elsewhere for someone to don the purple wig. Moretz will be filming the Carrie remake this summer, and is also trying to work The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea(with Zach Braff and Jessica Biel) into her schedule. It's possible she could still fit Kick-Ass 2 in, but they would have to backload her scenes to do it. Plus, there's the issue of her age, as she's grown considerably in the last two years. I don't see it as too big of an issue, but others may see things differently.

If this all turns out to be true, then we should start hearing word on the creative make-up of Kick-Ass 2 very soon.  A new director must be found, the principle players locked up, and some fresh new faces added. It looks like this is actually happening, folks. [BleedingCool]

Read More

Mark Millar says 'Kick-Ass 2' will shoot this summer. Yeah right.

Why does anybody believe anything Mark Millar has to say about...well, anything? The comic book scribe behind such film adaptations as Wanted and Kick-Ass is basically a fountain of misinformation when it comes to the progression of future projects. Like last March when he told us Kick-Ass 2 was greenlit, then two weeks later it was revealed to be a lie? The film still isn't officially a go as far as I can tell, but don't tell that to Millar, who claims it will actually be shot in just a few months...

Millar: “We shoot Kick-Ass 2 and American Jesus this summer. Then Matthew and I have Secret Service, which is a neddy James Bond.”

Whether or not he's trying to imply that the first film's director, Matthew Vaughn, will be involved isn't really clear. If so, it would likely be in a producer or co-writing capacity, as he'll be busy with an X-men: First Class sequel around that time. It should also be made clear that none of the Kick-Ass cast is signed to return, including it's breakout star, Chloe Moretz. Lionsgate has said nothing on the film's start date, so as usual take this with a serious heaping of salt.

While most of the Millar film adaptations have been straight forward action, American Jesus promises to be something totally different. The story follows a boy who discovers he is Jesus Christ, and sets out to find his place in a world in turmoil. The 2004 comic was provocative and insightful, and Millar sounds as if he'll adapt the material to the big screen faithfully...

Millar: “A lot of people are surprised because much of my work is irreverent and expect the same with American Jesus. But I want it to be a beautiful film. A film about the returned Jesus Christ has amazing artistic potential. Jesus shows up in the middle of the financial crisis, America is in turmoil and the Eurozone is collapsing. They are quite apocalyptic times that we are living in with the gap between rich and poor."

It was last October we learned Matthew Vaughn was set to take on two more Millar adaptations, one was the kid superhero comic, Superior. The other was The Secret Service, based on Millar's upcoming comic teaming him with Watchmen artist, Dave Gibbons....

Millar:  "We came up with this idea of a wee ned who becomes a gentleman spy, ditching his trainers for his Savile Row suits and being taught how to speak properly. I am halfway through the comic and Matthew and I are halfway through the script. There is a good role for a 50-something actor to play an older gentleman spy training this young kid. There are not a lot of tough actors in that age group but you would never believe Colin Firth or Hugh Grant in a fight scene. We are bouncing names around."

While that may sound like a lot, it's not even close to all that Millar has in store. A sequel to Wanted has been in the works for years, with the major hang up being Angelina Jolie's refusal to return, and her possible replacement by Kristen Stewart. James McAvoy is contractually bound to come back. The latest news on the film came last September when the film's original writers were hired to start work on the sequel.

Also, Millar has an adaptation of his evil superhero comic, Nemesis, in the works as well. Joe Carnahan(The Grey) is set to direct the film about a Batman level genius who uses his powers to wreak havoc. Michael Fassbender and Liam Neeson are reportedly in consideration to star. [Daily Report]

Read More

You might be waiting awhile for that Kick-Ass sequel

Matthew Vaughn's been slogging through(some would say struggling with) the production of X-men: First Class, which might make you think he'd want to escape the comfort of a pet project once that was over.  Something like say...Kick-Ass 2?  Mark Millar, who has been working on the comic book sequel to Kick-Ass, basically confirmed that a film version had already been greenlit, but no official word ever came down. Now it's looking like Vaughn might not be making Kick-Ass 2 for awhile, if his frequent writing partner Jane Goldman is to believed.

This is what Goldman tweeted....

Saw a few erroneous reports today that I’m currently writing Kick Ass 2 script – sorry if anyone’s disappointed, but not true. Currently writing for 2 other projects, then on to lovely Matthew V’s next thing (right now, looks unlikely to be KA2) when X-Men post-prod’ ends.

I'm pretty sure we'll get that sequel at some point, but Vaughn is way too busy to even be thinking about any future plans right now.  With that said, what are the chances of Vaughn and Millar re-teaming for a film version of Superior?

Read More