Next time you think acting on a big-budget film is nothing but free Starbucks and waiting around for effects shots to be set up, think of Jennifer Lawrence. For her part as Mystique in X-Men: First Class, the future Katniss Everdeen had to stand around practically naked for seven hours while a team of make-up artists painted her blue. Now that’s commitment to the craft! Click through to watch, then stick around for more Buzz Break.
Tornado On Connecticut River downtown Springfield Massachusetts
Uploaded by jonah70757
On 06/01/2011 early evening a Tornado formed and was a frightening sight, no deaths have been reported. Reports are coming in of widespread damage in Springfield, MA, after a tornado touched down. The heavy damage is concentrated in the Downtown and South End areas of Springfield. An aide to the mayor says the National Guard has been called in to help with emergency response. Firefighters are trying to track down residents to ensure their safety. Traffic in the area is snarled due to downed trees on major routes. Route 5 is actually closed in places due to downed trees. There is a report of an overturned tractor-trailer on the Memorial Bridge, backing up traffic.
Drivers are being asked to stay off roadways to keep them clear for police and fire. Check with KKTV.com for more information on this developing story.
Bryan Singer's first two X-Men films were solid. They did a good job of wrangling a lot of different characters, their motivations and back-stories together. It took liberties with the details, but it made for a more realistic portrayal of superherodom. The third film? Well, erm, two out of three ain't bad. It lacked the finesse of the first two, instead falling back on forgettable action sequences and, honestly, it overdosed on superheroes and villains. It lacked storytelling grace. X-Men Origins: Wolverine? That never happened, okay? Move along.
X-Men: First Class is the best of the X-Men films, hands down. It draws on real-world conflicts to form the backbone of the threat in the story, which does wonders for context and a sense of realism. More than that though, it gets the balance of exposition and explosions just right.
After my first viewing, I felt X-Men: First Class was at first a familiar film – but an entirely different beast at heart from its predecessors. It is a mostly patient screenplay, taking its time with character development and feels balanced and compelling as a result.
That's the critical difference; as an origin story for Charles Xavier (Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto), the entire crux of the story has immense emotional weight. These are two men on opposite sides of the same coin – and Singer's story, while retreading some of Magneto's tormented childhood – does an amazing job of fleshing out his background.
For all their mutant bravado, these are human tales – very simple ones, too. Erik seeks revenge; one of the oldest motivators in drama. His tragic upbringing is given a lot of screen time, and that was the right decision. Not only does his early oppression at the hands of Nazi scientists provide a great comparison to the treatment of mutants by humans years later, but it also hints at somewhat rational motivations for his stance on the superiority of mutants.
Magneto's core story is about mutant segregation and superiority. That's the Nazi party line, in a manner. However, in Bryan Singer's first X-Men films, this is only hinted at. The parallels are drawn on thickly in First Class.
Superhero movies as a genre have advanced to the point where they can't afford to be hokey and lightweight.
Standing (well, sitting) opposed is Xavier; he is motivated to achieve peace through knowledge – and sharing that understanding with society. With First Class' Xavier, we see a totally different portrait to that of Patrick Stewart's poised and restrained interpretation. Here we see a swinging party guy; debonair and cheeky – and his charm carries the story beautifully.
There's still a team of mutants – some familiar, some new faces – to fill sequences with all kinds of eye-popping daring and effects work glory. But the balance is different. It's matured. It's better—and I think it's a sign of good things on the way.
In truth, I think superhero movies as a genre have advanced to the point where they can't afford to be hokey and lightweight. Audiences are too spoilt for quality now; they demand a lot more – and the original text deserves more too. Christopher Nolan's Batman rebirth pointed the way forward and it showed that audiences were as engaged by compelling story and artfully crafted filmmaking as spectacular stunts and dozens of characters on screen. In that way, there are two schools of approach today: the traditionalist and the modern.
The traditional approach apes the flow of a comic book arc and lifts dialogue and tone from the source. The Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, X-Men 3 and Ang Lee's Hulk all subscribe to this approach. They're bubblegum, colourful and aimed squarely at fans of the series above all others. And that's cool. It is. But it's not going to win any awards or turn heads that weren't already excited to begin with.
We're as relieved as you are that this turned out to be great.
That's why the 'modern approach', on the other hand, is so vital right now. It's about breaking preconceptions about superhero films; taking clichés and breaking them down. Nolan's Batman took a costumed character tale and turned it into edgy, almost noir crime drama. Iron Man played up the humour and sex appeal – and played the stunts for laughs, making it much more digestible for non-comic book reading viewers. At the same time, it rooted its conflicts and technology within the realm of the plausible. Watchmen uses alternate-history America and wartime violence to flesh out archetypal heroes – and in doing so, makes them human beings who are very flawed and definitely not super.
In X-Men: First Class, it puts superheroics at the secret core of the Cuban missile crisis. It also touches on race relations, equal rights and, tantalizingly, government conspiracies. The link back to Nazism adds further complexity – but it's tied so nicely to the core story that it creates real empathy with the quasi-villain.
What lies ahead for X-Men – specifically the 60s-era First Class? This is the opening chapter of Xavier and Magneto's loose friendship and tighter opposition. As the set-up for the main event, it was fantastic. Fans of the comics will appreciate the ending – and we'll not dare spoil that for you. But it almost doesn't matter what the overarching threat is in the inevitable sequel, because the action is still secondary to the drama between Xavier and Magneto.
This interplay, sitting above the action, is how it should be. If the sequel wants to retain the sense of quality, urgency and emotional impact, keep the drama high and central. Keep the set pieces, of course – I mean, this is an action movie above all. But never neglect that it's the characters (and the audience's feelings towards them) that drive the action. It's what keeps us coming back for more.
For months, websites have been buzzing over rumors that January Jones dons sexy lingerie in 20th Century Fox’s X-Men: First Class. THR’s exclusive first photos of her bedroom ensemble puts those rumors to rest—mutant Emma Frost (Jones) looks plenty sultry.
Not that her other costumes are any less sexy. One outfit features Jones wearing a beaded push up bra, modified thigh-high boots (they can be worn outside, but also have the illusion of lacey thigh-highs on top) and a sheer cape with fur trim. Another has her in a simple, curve-hugging leather bodysuit.
First Class director Matthew Vaughn has repeatedly praised First Class costumer designer Samantha Sheldon for capturing the perfect of mix of swinging sixties meets superhero, mixed in with a little bit of James Bond.
Check out more exclusive photos of costumes from the film, and an interview with Sheldon, in next week’s issue of The Hollywood Reporter.
For as little we’ve seen of Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, neither compares to X-Men: First Class. Set to be released on June 3, we’ve been limited thus far to a couple of screenshots and a teaser poster. That changes today.
As first announced yesterday, Fox has launched the first trailer for the Matthew Vaughn superhero film on their official Facebook page. Set decades before Bryan Singer’s first X-Men movie, X-Men: First Class tells the story of the bond between Professor Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) and Erik Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) before they became Professor X and Magneto.
Check out the trailer below.
For a long day of waiting, that was not too shabby a payoff. I like how the pacing builds and shows off the characters before getting into the action and more fast-paced stuff. The biggest issue, is context. While you can make an argument that this is a teaser, those who haven't been keeping up on news about the film will have no idea who these new players are. The money shot with Magneto lifting the submarine, however, is pretty damn cool. Tell us what you think in the comments section and for more about X-Men: First Class, head on over to our Blend Film Database
For high-res, detailed screencaps from the trailer (containing more than a few surprises) go here.
Pyro was never my favorite of the X-Men, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited about this DIY project allowing me to mimic his powers. It's called Prometheus, and it's by far one of the best wrist-mounted flamethrowers I've seen.
We've seen this guy's work before, but nothing actually produced such a controlled flame or came with building instructions as detailed as Everett Bradford's new Prometheus Device. And while I know that Pyro technically controls fire rather than actually making it, short of mutant genetics, this project is as close as we'll get. And it's damn awesome. [Prometheus via Make]
Send an email to Rosa Golijan, the author of this post, at rgolijan@gizmodo.com.
Twentieth-Century Fox was the butt of a big prank this April Fool’s Day, when news broke that a copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine was leaked onto the net. Movies get leaked habitually, sure, but the circumstances combined to make it feel like a first: It was a DVD-quality copy. Of a massive, big-budget superhero movie. Online a full month before the movie’s release.
The bootleg spread like wildfire, and by some accounts there were over one hundred thousand downloads on the first day alone. That’s a lot of conceivable box office revenue.
It felt like a first, but it also might be a last. Because the way I experienced it, April Fool’s Day marked the end of piracy’s glory days — the day piracy stopped being casually tolerated by everyone but studio heads.
This goes beyond Fox’s you-messed-with-the-wrong-people response to the incident (they put out a statement which went something like, and I’m paraphrasing, “we’re working with the FBI to make sure whomever was responsible will spend the rest of their life worrying about dropping the soap”). And it goes beyond the firing of FoxNews.com’s Roger Friedman, who won the Stupidest (Ex-)Columnist in the World award for writing a review of the bootleg and encouraging people to watch more movies online illegally. (Seriously, man. Twentieth-Century Fox and Fox News are sibling companies, what kind of false sense of job security did you have?)
It also goes beyond whether the movie was any good or not. I’ve read good and bad things; the majority of responses haven’t been promising, but then again, we’re talking about the internet. Do the disparagers really think watching it on a fifteen-inch screen with unfinished special effects will provide the same experience sitting in a movie theater will? No, they just like being negative.
What it really boils down to is that the online fan community itself condemned the leak. Universally.
Ain’t It Cool News, the granddaddy of online movie spoiling and fanboy bitching, ran a story called “We Don’t Want your Wolverine Movie Reviews,” explaining, “the only way you’re seeing it right now is through illegal channels, and we’re not going to condone that.”
JoBlo.com downplayed its potential effects, saying that “while there will always be a percentage of internetizens who actively seek pirated/bootleg/camera copies of movies, it’s probably safe to say that the average consumer still prefers the theater experience.”
TheBadandUgly.com said they stopped watching the bootleg after a couple minutes, in order to get the better theatrical experience: “Just because you can watch a rough-sketch and go somewhere on the internet to read the entire plot,” the article says, “does not mean you, I or anyone knows what X-Men Origins: Wolverine looks like. Because it isn’t done.”
And DarkHorizons.com summed things up by saying “It’s an act that cruelly robs thousands of people of not just months of hard effort, but their potential livelihood as well.”
That was the reigning sentiment: even if you don’t care about hurting a big studio, you’re hurting the hundreds of hardworking crew members who spent months on the project. If piracy translates into lost revenue, that’s going to translate into smaller budgets and fewer jobs.
If you really want a nail in the coffin? Even some pirates are speaking out against the leak. The New York Times ran a story called “Some Pirates Won’t Watch Illegal Wolverine”, while Gizmodo came out with a “Pirate’s Code of Conduct”, which contained gems like “save action flicks…for the big screen” and ” if you really like it and can afford to do so, buy it.”
Does this mean everyone in the world has suddenly found a stringent set of morals? That’s pretty doubtful. But the tide of public opinion has turned. And I am sure about one thing:
The fourteen-year-old who stole the copy of Wolverine from his dad’s postproduction and posted it online thinking he was cool is totally crapping his pants right now.
Wolverine seems simple enough on the surface. It's easy to think you know everything about him but his past is complex, he's over a century old after all. IGN dives into the topic, deciphering the comprehensive history of Wolverine.
We've now played a near final version -- once again starting out in the jungle -- and, well, we still like it. Luckily we got to see a lot more of what players are in for and found that, while Kratos probably has grounds for a civil suit, there are definitely plenty of unique elements to help Wolverine's adventure stand on its own.
Another taste of the game's variety came when Wolverine battled a 200-foot-tall Sentinel.
The fully built-out and polished first level of the game gave us a good taste (and smell?) of what the ferocious X-Man is capable of. Which is, in addition to being super-strong, being able to regenerate his body, and possessing animal-like senses -- well, he rips his enemies to shreds (and rips off their heads, arms, legs) like nobody's business. We also came across a lot of conveniently placed -- and very sharp -- background objects just perfect to slam enemies onto with the grab button.
Part of the way through, an interactive sequence kicked in that had us controlling Logan as he leapt at a helicopter, used his claws to climb around to its front, then pulled the pilot out and held him up into the rotors, severing his head and coating the screen in blood. (Need any more convincing that it's gory?)
(It's worth noting that none of the screenshots or videos provided by Activision display the game's blood and gore. Wolverine is, at pace of almost one per every 10 seconds, grabbing an enemy and decapitating/disemboweling/eviscerating them using a timing-based attack.)
The level didn't offer much we hadn't seen and played before, sans a final "living rock" Golem boss Wolvie had to leap onto and stab away at. What happened next was a nice surprise (for us, probably not Logan). The setting changed to Canada, and the battle became a bar fight with Sabretooth. It incorporated pretty much every environmental object you'd imagine could be smashed over someone's head, including a telephone pole when the fight spilled outside into the rain.
We were told this admittedly brief scene was a taste of the gameplay variety to come later on. Another taste of it -- which we sadly didn't get to play -- was Wolverine battling a 200-foot-tall Sentinel. After strategically taking out the Goliath's feet and fists (while trying not to get squashed), Logan caught a ride as it attempted to rocket its way into orbit. The ensuing sequence saw him ripping parts off the robot using rapid button presses until it went hurtling back to Earth. Wolverine followed in free fall, dodging debris until finally landing on the giant and taking out its final core systems.
The second of the two areas we played was the interior of the Weapon X facility. This scene was Wolverine's enraged escape from captivity. We had to take out dozens of guards (while trying not to hit explosive objects), fight genetically engineered giants (these were almost exactly like the earlier Golem in terms of how they're fought), and use feral senses to escape the labyrinthine compound. Deflecting bullets with Logan's newly acquired adamantium claws was helpful -- and fun -- and we found his spinning attacks worked nicely in the cramped hallways.
While it wasn't especially useful in this environment (except to get onto the larger enemies' backs), we found the game's leaping/pouncing mechanic to be one of its most fun -- and handy. It's not only a combat move; it's used to traverse large gaps, spring on enemies below and cover large areas more quickly.
Raven Software says it's excited to get a chance to make a "true to form" Wolverine game. Well, we're excited to say we played just that. Heck, we're even more excited about it than the film on which it's based, and that's saying a lot.
Today an unwatermarked, time code free workprint of X-Men Origins: Wolverineleaked on the internet. Within hours thousands of people had a version of the upcoming Fox release, and once a file like this is in the wild it can never be fully brought back in.
How the hell did this happen?
I got in touch with a friend of mine who works in a post-production facility here in Los Angeles and he seemed to think my question was funny. "I'm surprised this doesn't happen more often," he said.
While studios bend over backwards to police film critics at press screenings (I've become used to security guards with night vision lenses staring at me while I'm watching a movie), the post-production process is apparently porous. Burned DVDs are swapped around with aplomb in this world; in fact I was told that the Wolverine DVD was switching hands for the last couple of weeks. It's hard to nail down where in the post-production process the Wolverine leak originated; it could have been someone working in digital FX, someone working on the titles, or even someone working on the trailer. Hell, it could be somebody working on the DVD release, for that matter.
My source told me stories of people blithely taking home DVDs of major upcoming studio blockbusters - some with watermarks, some without - so that they wouldn't have to work overtime at the office. And it's not just the honchos who have this access. My source told me about interns bringing DVDs home to watch with their friends. Even he seemed incredulous about the lackadaisical security at most of these post-production houses.
I've experienced some of this stuff first hand. I had someone from a post house meet me at a coffee shop and show me the Cloverfield trailer on a laptop. I've had files emailed to me that are clearly watermarked with post house names. I know a filmmaker who had his film pirated in the post-production stage, and who managed to nail the guy who was handing out DVDs to his friends. And I've come across some of these DVDs myself, although I never knew that they were so rampant.
Post isn't the only source of major leaks; these days getting a script to an unmade movie isn't even a badge of insider honor. They seem to be available to anyone who wants them. Someone told me that the security on the script for Cabin in the Woods was so tight no one would get it. Just to prove him wrong I got it three days later. I don't say that to boast but to explain how lax security is on the script end; once something hits an agency, PDFs of it may as well be deposited in the mailboxes of the biggest movie site writers. But while that's a problem - the mass leak of the script to Quentin Tarantino's Inglorious Basterds being one example - it's not half as damaging as the leak of an actual movie. Very few people will read a script. Many more will watch a DIVX file.
I have a feeling that the Wolverine leak is the tip of the iceberg. My source tells me that he suspects the person who leaked it may have been motivated by a grudge against the house where they work - perhaps someone who has been laid off or had his hours reduced (although to be fair he did also say that it's just as likely that this leak came from a dumb intern who simply made a copy for a friend. My friend has no actual knowledge of the particulars of this specific leak). The ease with which a DVD can be ripped and disseminated makes it child's play, and the ubiquity of laptops make it simpler and simpler for someone to rip a movie without even taking the disc off premises. Studios can keep being worried about someone sneaking a Flip camcorder into a press screening, but the real problem is right in their own system. So far they've been amazingly lucky, but how long can that luck hold out?
[Update: According to Carlyle (AKA Massawyrm) at Spill.com, the version of the film that's leaked online is most likely an older version that hasn't yet integrated the new material from Hood's recent reshoots.]
Gavin Hood’s X-Men Origins: Wolverineis currently slated for a May 1, 2009 release date in the U.S., but unfortunately, it looks like a few people might be getting their hands on the film a bit earlier than intended. Reports are pouring in that a full-length, DVD-quality workprint of the film has been leaked onto the internet and is quietly making its way across various bittorrent sites and other unsavory online venues. According to Drew McWeeny at HitFix, who has evidently seen parts of the video file, the copy is “near-finished…marred only by a few unfinished FX shots.” In addition, “there’s no timecode, no watermark…nothing. It’s a clean, perfect copy.”
This is perhaps the biggest leak for a major tentpole release in recent memory. Leaving aside the well-known phenomenon of Oscar screener leaks, workprint leaks have certainly happened in the past. For example, Eli Roth’s Hostel 2 leaked onto the internet several weeks before its release (in that situation, Roth was furious and blamed the leak for the film’s weak box office performance). Other films such as Rob Zombie’s Halloween and Michael Moore’s Sicko also experienced similar issue. However, those films were all relatively small compared to X-Men Origins: Wolverine, a film which 20th Century Fox was probably betting on to help revive its recent lackluster box office performance.
The film’s production has already been plagued by bad buzz, and with a fairly pristine copy of the film floating around for consumption by the very audience the film is targeted at, it will all probably combine to have a dramatic and negative impact on this film’s opening and overall box office performance.
20th Century Fox has debuted the final trailer for "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" starring Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, and Ryan Reynolds.
I'm actually quite shocked how good this trailer is and how awesome Deadpool looks. But then again that's what a trailer is suppose to do for you...they always show you the good parts.
But for sure this looks like a good way to start the summer movies with.
Meanwhile USA TODAY, posted some character pics from the film as well. Click on the Deadpool to check out the rest.
Have a look at the trailer below (or for a Hi-Def version go HERE) and let us know what you think about the final trailer.
Hugh Jackman reprises the role that made him a superstar - as the fierce fighting machine who possesses amazing healing powers, retractable claws and a primal fury. Leading up to the events of X-Men, X-Men Origins: Wolverine tells the story of Wolverine's epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe whose appearances in the film series have long been anticipated.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is disarmingly violent. After watching NPC’s crudely decapitated, de-limbed, and disemboweled, any thoughtful, intelligent criticism or comment was pushed aside for me to mumble an “Uh, woa,” or a “Did they just, wow, they did that.” If you have any concerns that Wolverine’s latest videogame foray, brought to us by Raven Software and Amaze Entertainment by way of publisher Activision, lacks the visceral viscera that makes Wolverine one of the most brutal, animalistic superheroes, worry not. This is the most violent Wolverine game yet.
And while I’m at it, how about another hyperbolic generalization: this may be the best movie-game yet, too.
To call X-Men Origins: Wolverine a movie-game, though, is to misunderstand it. X-Men Origins: Wolverine borrows from plenty of sources beyond the film that shares its name—God of War, Uncharted and LOST to name a few.
How could I name drop everyone’s favorite mystery island, without eventually explaining myself. To tell our hero’s tale, Origins uses a narrative device similar to LOST’s flashbacks and flashforwards. You open the game on a tropical island setting, which acts a constant for Wolverine’s back story as you pop from different times and places; tropical stages are palate cleansers between the various levels spent battling helicopters, super villains and a 200 foot tall Sentinel.
More details after the jump…
Oh yeah, you fight a Sentinel. No we didn’t see it, nor did we score any gritty details, but if it’s half as awesome as what we saw, expect your fanboy glands to secrete pure joy.
The gameplay plays like a fusion of Uncharted and God of War. That’s meant as a flattering comparison, as Wolverine borrows generously, but, for the most part, nails what made those two titles great. The attacks—light, strong and grab along with additional abilities—feel like God of War, but without the need to remember intricate combos or button presses.
Thanks to an easy lunge maneuver where you lock on an enemy with right button, and hurl yourself at them with left button, you can leap across 30 or 40 feet in a split second, flaying your enemy up on arrival.
If a bullet or a machete interferes with the slaughter, Wolverine’s down, but not out. Our hero can be injured—torn away flesh and gaping wound—but with time the skin, muscle and bone regenerates. The regeneration’s an impressive effect and a visual way to express the self-healing mechanic popularized by the Call of Duty series.
To break things up, you have Uncharted-esque platforming moments and your “feral senses.” These senses strip away an environment’s colors and highlight interactive set pieces a glowing green; a blue wisp of light emanates from Wolverine, aiming in the direction of your next goal. With the help of these senses, you navigate the lush jungle, and, presumably, some tricky mechanical compounds (read: Sentinel, we hope).
But in the end, this is a movie game, so there must be a downside, yes? Well, maybe. The game contains a bulk of the movie’s events and characters, but takes things a step further with 30% more content not from the film. The folks at Raven claim they were developing this Wolverine title before the film, so we’re curious to see how their take on the beastly tough guy meshes with a big studio’s likely more kosher image.
The devs don’t seem too concerned. The over the top violence and fan service (you can unlock additional Wolverine costumes like the popular yellow and blue outfit from the cartoon) may not make this the best X-Men Origins: Wolverine: The Movie: The Game. However, I doubt that was ever Raven’s goal.
What it does look like is the best Wolverine game, and that is what fans have been waiting for.
SpoilerTV has five new photos from 20th Century Fox’s X-Men spin-off filmWolverine. I’m not sure where these originated. As always, click to enlarge. Wolverine hits theaters on May 1st 2009. Four more photos after the jump.
Director: Gavin Hood Screenplay by: David Benioff Cast: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, will.i.am, Danny Huston, Lynn Collins, Taylor Kitsch, Dominic Monaghan, and Ryan Reynolds Plot Synopsis: Hugh Jackman reprises the role that made him a superstar – as the fierce fighting machine who possesses amazing healing powers, retractable claws and a primal fury. Leading up to the events of X-MEN, X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE tells the story of Wolverine’s epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe whose appearances in the film series have long been anticipated.
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All you art collectors out there. Here is a chance to get a Giclee copy of some of Ian M Sherwin work. Ian is planning on doing a whole series of Marblehead, Massachusetts paintings. His work is amazing.
Pyro was never my favorite of the X-Men, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited about this DIY project allowing me to mimic his powers. It's called Prometheus, and it's by far one of the best wrist-mounted flamethrowers I've seen.
Twentieth-Century Fox was the butt of a big prank this April Fool’s Day, when news broke that a copy of 
Today an unwatermarked, time code free workprint of 
20th Century Fox has debuted the final trailer for 
.
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