Buzz Aldrin On Gravity

Gravity has been getting some phenomenally good reviews over the last few days, with critics and the public alike. Alfonso Cuarón's tale of two astronauts cut adrift in space has really captured the public's imagination with its blend of sci-fi, disaster movie and warm human drama, all wrapped up in visual spectacle like you've never seen. It's rare to find a review that doesn't call it one of the best films of the year.

But now somebody who is more qualified than almost anyone on Earth (pun intended, but apologised for) has weighed in with his thoughts. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, actual spaceman and genuine legend Buzz Aldrin gives his verdict on the year's most exciting movie.

"I was so extravagantly impressed by the portrayal of the reality of zero gravity. Going through the space station was done just the way that I've seen people do it in reality. The spinning is going to happen -- maybe not quite that vigorous -- but certainly we've been fortunate that people haven't been in those situations yet. I think it reminds us that there really are hazards in the space business, especially in activities outside the spacecraft.

"I was happy to see someone moving around the spacecraft the way George Clooney was. It really points out the degree of confusion and bumping into people, and when the tether gets caught, you're going to be pulled -- I think the simulation of the dynamics was remarkable.

"We were probably not as lighthearted as Clooney and Sandra Bullock. We didn't tell too many jokes when people were in some position of jeopardy outside the spacecraft, but I think that's the humanity coming through in the characters. This movie gave great clarity to looking down and seeing the features of Earth … but there weren't enough clouds, and maybe there was too precise a delineation from space.

"I know: If you're looking down at Earth, you're looking through an atmosphere that has a bit of haze in many places and not just occasional clouds. Here, the precision was remarkable, though you might need a pretty good spy telescope to see that well.

"We're in a very precarious position of losing all the advancements we've made in space that we did 40 years ago, 50 years ago. From my perspective, this movie couldn't have come at a better time to really stimulate the public. I was very, very impressed with it."

So there you have it - Gravity is officially endorsed by a genuine space legend.

Gravity is out now in the US, and hits UK cinemas on the 8th November.

Lady Gaga In New Machete Kills Trailer

A new trailer for Robert Rodriguez's upcoming action sequel Machete Kills has been launched, focusing on Lady Gaga's character.

The film, a follow-up to 2010's Machete - itself based on the spoof trailer that went alongside Planet Terror in the 2007 Rodriguez/Tarantino team-up Grindhouse, sees B-Movie king and long-time Rodriguez collaborato Danny Trejo return as Machete, this time working for the President of The United States (Charl- err.. Carlos Estevez) to take down an insane arms dealer played by Mel Gibson.

Gaga looking like her more-restrained usual self off-set

This is one of those films that really doesn't need any trailers. You already know whether the stylistically ridiculous action, cheesy plot and complete defiance of any logic (Walton Goggins, Antonio Banderas and Cuba Gooding Jr. also appear... as the same character that Gaga plays) is going to be your cup of tea.

Those who like a bit less stylistic suck in their films would be best off staying away from their local cinema when Machete Kills arrives, but for those who yearn for the OTT action flicks of yore, when such things as acting, dialogue, plot, cinematography and so on didn't really matter... well, you won't be able to keep us away.

See the trailer below:

Also starring Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Sofia Veraga, Vanessa Hudgens and William Sadler, Machete Kills hits US and UK cinemas on the 11th October.

Teaser For Final Misfits Season Revealed

 

A teaser trailer for the fifth and final season of E4's cult hit Misfits has been unveiled online.

The show is returning for a final eight episodes soon, and this brief trailer gives a quick look at the sort of action that Rudy (Joseph Gilgun), Jess (Karla Crome), Finn (Nathan McMullen), Alex (Matt Stokoe) and Abby (Natasha O'Keeffe) are in for before they make their exit.

 

It would be fair to say that the fourth season of the show was received far less favourably than previous seasons. The show survived the loss of lead character Nathan (Robert Sheehan) after season two purely through the strength of replacement Joseph Gilgun's performance (even those who vowed off the show when Nathan left have grudingly admitted that Rudy is actually a far better character). But after the death of Alisha and Simon in the third season finale (well, Simon technically died a season and a half before but... it's complicated), the failure of Lauren Socha to return as Kelly in a move that definitely didn't mean she was fired after it turned out that she was a vile racist bully, and the loss of Seth and Curtis during the run all added up to a show that was just too turbulent. And it didn't help that, with lots of character introduced for only a few episodes before leaving again, viewers were left a bit unsure as to which characters even made up the core cast.

Now though, the new cast will hopefully be more established, and some stability will be returned to the show. It would be a shame if what had been appointment viewing a few years ago went out on a wimper.

Not that that's the plan - in the words of Roberto Troni, Channel 4 drama commissioning editor, "Like the characters in the show, it won't be going quietly."

Glad to hear it.

See the trailer here:

Misfits returns to E4 soon.

The Simpsons Renewed For 26th Season

 

Fox have renewed The Simpsons for a staggering twenty-sixth season.

The move, which will surprise nobody, was announced by entertainment chairman Kevin Reilly.

"For more than a quarter of a century, The Simpsons has captured the hearts and minds of fans in a way that transcends ages, languages and cultures.

"This groundbreaking series is not only the longest-running scripted show in television history, it's one of the greatest sitcoms of our time, and I'm looking forward to yet another landmark season."

For the record, Reilly is wrong about The Simpsons being the "longest-running scripted show" on television by a massive margin, but The Simpsons is America's longest-running sitcom and animation.

Daniel Radcliffe, Elisabeth Moss, Will Arnett and Eva Longoria will appear during the show's current 25th season.

Not all of the characters will make it to season 26, though - Al Jean recently revealed that an iconic character will die during the current run.

The Simpsons Season 25 continues on Fox in the US this Sunday with Treehouse Of Horror XXIV. The season will air on Sky 1 in the UK.

One Direction vs. Doctor Who: It's War, Apparently...

In a truly bizarre twist to the Doctor Who fiftieth anniversary celebrations, it seems that Doctor Who fans are gearing up for online battle against One Direction.

You see, the pop munchkins have decided that they want a bit of the hot, sweet 23rd November action, and have declared the date "One Direction Day", planning on streaming a live concert, amongst other things, in a seven hour event. It's unknown whether this will be online only, or whether ITV will be showing some of the shows.

One Direction (from l-r): Harry Styles, Footballer Alan Smith, Harry Styles, Placeholder Name and Bob

Now while seven hours straight of One Direction is enough to make even the sturdiest of souls want to cry into their Northern Line (NEVER FORGET!!) bedsheets, a vocal minority of Who fans online have really taken umbridge to this, claiming that this is an act of spite or cynical marketing designed to somehow undermine or disrupt the anniversary weekend.

Here are a few direct quotes from across the forums. Names have been removed to prevent embarrassment, but the text is unaltered:

"I wouldn't be surprised if Simon Cowell, a staunch ITV man, has chosen this date deliberately to take some of the gloss of The Day Of The Doctor. Doctor Who's 50th anniversary is a fixed point in time... surely 1D could have chosen any other day?"

"1D aren't sharing the day... Stealing, usurping, infecting, infesting,smothering,..are all far more suitable words."

And, my personal favourite:

"It's down right anti-British of them."

Our grandparents didn't die in the war so that you could pull shit like this, Styles!

Again, it is to be noted that this is merely a vocal minority of Who fans. But still, guys, it's all a bit embarrassing, isn't it?


Yes there are probably a lot of 1D fans who also like Who, and vice versa, so this may be a minor dilemma for them (if only there were some way to watch shows when it suited you, some way of recording them or watching them online later...) but there are also a lot of people out there who don't want to watch Who - the show is taking over all four BBC TV channels and several of the major BBC radio stations that weekend, people need other things to watch, too.

This sense of entitlement and outrage over the fact that people may dare to watch something other than Doctor Who come the 23rd November does nothing but damage the public impression of Doctor Who during its birthday year. Can't we all just get along?

For the record, Sky are also showing West Ham vs. Chelsea while the anniversay ep is on, and some channels are bound to dedicate a lot of programming to the fiftieth annversary of JFK's death over that weekend - both also sure to be big draws. But nobody is complaining about that.

...Yet.

The Day Of The Doctor stars Matt Smith, David Tennant, Jenna Coleman, Billie Piper and John Hurt, and airs worldwide on 23rd November (unless One True Voice decide to stage a comeback that day).

Kathryn Hahn Heads To Tomorrowland

Kathryn Hahn has joined the cast of Brad Bird's Tomorrowland.

The Disney sci-fi feature deals with a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor jaded by disillusionment who "embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory as “Tomorrowland.”"

George Clooney, Hugh Laurie and Britt Robertson are already on board, and The Incredibles/Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol director Bird will also share production and writing credits with Lost/Prometheus scribe Damon Lindelof.

Hahn, famous for roles in Anchorman, Parks And Rec and Wanderlust, will play a character named Ursula, in what is described as a "funny, scene-stealing role".

Trust me, this is one to watch out for.

Tomorrowland is expected to release in December 2014.

Volstagg And Fandral In The Latest Thor Posters

Marvel are continuing apace with their two-at-a-time poster campaign for Thor: The Dark World ahead of its release later this month.

This time it's Ray Stevenson's Volstagg and Zachary Levi's Fandral (Levi taking over from Joshua Dallas, who played the role in the first Thor movie) getting the attention. The Fandral poster has the film's title as "The Dark Kingdom" instead of "The Dark World" for some reason.

The movie features Chris Hemsworth's Thor being forced into a tentative alliance with the villainous Loki when an army of Dark Elves headed by Christopher Eccleston threaten both Asgard and Earth.

Also Starring Tom Hiddleston, Natalie Portman, Stellan Skarsgård, Idris Elba, Kat Dennings, Tadanobu Asano, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Sir Anthony Hopkins and Rene Russo, Thor: The Dark World releases in the UK on October 30th, with a US release following on November 8th.

Terry Crews Wants Fantastic Four Role

 

Terry Crews has opened up about wanting to play The Thing in the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot.

Speaking to Newsrama, the Expendables star says: “One character I always thought I could play is the Thing from Fantastic Four.

"Another character I’ve always loved as a fan is Colossus. If there was a way to make that happen that worked, I would love to be Colossus.” Unfortunately for Terry, Daniel Cudmore is already on board to play Colossus for the third time in next year's X-Men: Days Of Future Past. But with production starting to gear up for The Fantastic Four, you never know.

 

However Crews remains refreshingly philosophical about his chances, saying that it's all about the fans. “You can’t make yourself President; the people make you the President. If people want me to be a part of this superhero genre, it’ll happen. People get what they want."

 

Crews would be the first actor ever to have to bulk down for a superhero role.

 

Michael Chiklis played Ben Grimm/The Thing in the previous Fantastic Four movies, and while comics fans are usually an argumentative bunch, his performance was universally lauded as being the best thing about the films. So fans might initially balk at the suggestion of the former-NFL star donning The Thing's skimpy pants, but actually I think he'd be quite a good choice - he's certainly got the stature, and his prolonged stint in the first season of The Newsroom showed that he actually possesses an excellent sense of comic timing.

 

But if it isn't to be, then Crews won't mind too much - he says that if he doesn't get to be The Thing, he'll simply invent his own superhero to  play.

 

"I feel like we need to make new superheroes, African-American superheroes, that people would accept. Whatever I do, it has to be right – for me, for the character, and for the fans.”

 

That's the spirit, Terry!

The Fantastic Four is due to hit cinemas in March 2015. But with no cast as yet, and with a script that is still being rewritten, don't be surprised if that date is pushed back.

I, Frankenstein Trailer Debuts

The first trailer for Lionsgate's I, Frankenstein has been released.

The movie follows Adam Frankenstein, the monster of Shelley's original novel, as he finds himself caught in a modern-day battle betweengargoyles, evil angels and other supernatural creatures, and stars Aaron Ekhart, Bill Nighy, Miranda Otto and Yvonne Strahovski.

The movie has been long-delayed (filming was completed in early 2012), which, coupled with it's January release date, usually a dumping-ground for bad flicks, and the fact that it comes from the producers of the visually-slick-but-soulless Underworld movies, does not bode well, but the trailer actually makes the film look kinda fun. It has a cheesy Van Helsing/Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter feel to it.

This is never going to win any awards, but it might be a reasonable enough way to spend a cold January evening.

See the trailer here:

I, Frankenstein is out in the US on the 24th of January. An international release date has yet to be set.

Dafoe Slams "Cynical" Amazing Spider-Man Franchise

In an interview with Total Film, former Green Goblin Willem Dafoe has spoken out against Marc Webb's Amazing Spider-Man movies.

I saw a trailer for the first Spider-Man reboot and I thought, 'This is crazy! It's not shot for shot, but it's the same story [as Raimi's films]'," the actor commented. "I thought, 'This is sort of a cynical approach to making money!'"

Dafoe went on to suggest that the rebooted Spider-Man series lacks the purity of Raimi's 2002 comic book adaptation.

"I like Spider-Man, the first one that I was involved in, because although you can argue all sorts of things, from my perspective it was very pure, it really was. The way Sam Raimi approached it, it was pure in its intentions and I think he captured, particularly, Tobey at that particular moment.

This real, genuine innocence; it wasn't indicated. Then after that it became more difficult because it's hard to achieve that when it's gotten some kind of attention and a certain level of success."

Willem Dafoe: A fan of purity, Sam Raimi and epic facial hair

It's hard to disagree with him in many ways (although the "purity" stuff is a bit odd) - Webb's first Spider-Man movie was very enjoyable for the final third, but up until then it did all feel a bit pointless. Hopefully now that the set-up is out of the way, the sequel can go on to be far more entertaining from the off.

Speaking of the sequel, Dafoe did want to make it clear that he has no problem with Chris Cooper playing Norman in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, saying: "You know, in the theatre, people play the same role all the time."

Also starring Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Sally Field, Jamie Foxx, Dane DeHaan and Paul Giamatti, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 opens in the UK on April 18, 2014 and May 2, 2014 in the US.

Forster, For You The War Is Over

 

Brad Pitt has been talking to The Hollywood Reporter about the upcoming sequel to this Summer's zombiethon World War Z, and the big news is that director Marc Forster will definitely not be back behind the camera for the follow-up.

No reason was given, but Pitt did confirm that the film - which, in addition to featuring him in the starring role, is being handled by his Plan B production company [who are also going to be helming David Fincher's adaptation of Black Hole] - is still in the very early stages of development.

"We are talking about it. We are going to investigate a script. We have a lot of ideas we will cull from. Nobody is writing just yet, but we are compiling our ideas."

World War Z suffered through a very painful production period, plagued by extensive delays and massive rewrites. The reason that a big name like Matthew Fox ended up playing a role that could have been filmed by an extra is that when he was cast, and filming began, the entire third act was to be completely different. And that was one of the least troubled aspects of the movie.

But when it finally hit the screens, some great set pieces, including a phenomenally tense journey through a zombie-filled WHO base, favourable reviews and good old fashioned star power made the film a surprise hit at the box office.

Here's hoping the sequel runs more smoothly.

Oh, and if it could be even tangenitally related to the book this time, that's be great.

Latest Episode VII Rumour From Latino Review: Daniel Day Lewis

Medically unable to keep quiet on the Episode VII cast for more than twenty-four hours, Latino Review are at it again.

This time, though, they've thrown a truly exciting name into the mix: Daniel Day Lewis.

They've dropped their usual "read for an unspecified role" line - whether that makes this more or less convincing is up to you - and instead claim that the multiple-Oscar-winning actor met George Lucas and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy for lunch recently.

As always, there's probably not enough salt in the world to take this report with, but of all the (many) names Latino Review have linked with Episode VII, this is surely the most exciting.

Star Wars: Episode VII is expected to hit cinemas in 2015.

Devane Returns To 24

William Devane has joined the cast of 24: Live Another Day, reprising his role as former Secretary Of Defense James Heller.

Heller featured in the fourth, fifth and sixth season of the action drama, and Devane's performances was one of the few good things to come out of the atrocious Day Six, but his character was absent from the show's final two seasons.

Production for the 12-part mini-series begins in London soon.

Also starring Kiefer Sutherland, Mary Lynn Rajskub and Kim Raver, 24: Live Another Day will air on Fox in the US next year. Sky 1 are expected to show the series in the UK.

Romero's 'Empire Of The Dead'

Zombie master George A Romero has been talking to USA Today about his plans to bring his Living Dead saga to Marvel Comics.

The fifteen-issue limited series will take the zombie action to New York City, a place that Romero "could never afford" to film in in the past.

"These zombies are starting to show sparks of real care and concern for each other," Romero says.

"I'm not going to go all the way to Omega Man where they take over the world, but I'm having a lot of fun with it. We've got some new rules and new characters, and we're taking it in a completely different direction."

Empire Of The Dead will debut in January.

Taylor-Johnson Confirmed As Quicksilver?

Following hot on the heels of the confirmation that Elizabeth Olsen will be playing Scarlet Witch in Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Latino Review are now reporting that Kick-Ass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson has signed on the dotted line to play her brother Quicksilver.

Latino Review tend to be a bit sketchy with their info at times (just look at how many people they have claimed will be in Episode VII - continuing to tout Benedict Cumberbatch even after he confirmed that he wasn't going to be in the movie), but it's no secret over the past few months that Taylor-Johnson was a shoe-in for the role, so this confirmatioin seems likely.

Due to a loophole in regards to which studio owns the rights to the character, Quicksilver will also be in X-Men: Days Of Future Past next year, played by American Horror Story's Evan Peters.

Taylor-Johnson, meanwhile, will be appearing alongside Olsen in next year's Godzilla movie.

Avengers: Age Of Ultron also stars Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans, Chris Hemworth, Scarlett Johansson and Cobie Smulders, and is out in May 2015.

Nathan Fillion To Appear In Community

Firefly star Nathan Fillion is to guest in the fifth season of Community.

According to Deadline, Fillion will play Greendale's politically savvy head custodian Bob Waite.

Fillion, who is expected to only make a single appearance, joins Breaking Bad's Jonathan Banks and Justified's Walton Goggins guesting in the upcoming season. Previous guest stars have included Jack Black, John Goodman, Betty White and The Wire's Michael K Williams.

The show's fifth season will see the departure of Donal Glover's Troy early on in the run. Chevy Chase will not be returning as Pierce Hawthorne, although former showrunner Dan Harmon and John Oliver (Prof. Duncan) will both be back in Greendale.

No more notches for you, Troy...

Guillermo Del Toro Does The Simpsons

 

Mexican Director Guillermo Del Toro has joined the likes of Banksy by producing his own take on The Simpsons' opening sequence.


The two-and-a-half minute clip, which will air as part of this year's traditional Halloween bonanza Treehouse Of Horror XXIV is an absolute love letter to the horror genre, with references a-plenty: from zombie B-movies to The Birds to Harryhausen, from Blade to Futurama (!), featuring cameos from famous monsters and famous horror writers alike. There are too many references to list here (and, of course, the joy is on spotting them yourself), but of course the most notable one is Del Toro's own dark fairy tale masterpiece Pan's Labyrinth.

 

Del Toro told Entertainment Weekly that he hopes that this doesn't mark the end of his association with The Simpsons, claiming that he would love to one day produce an entire Treehouse segment: "There’s a lot of stuff in the title sequence that’s pretty graphic" he says, “but it would be great to make a Treehouse of Horror that is really scary — that actually makes you shiver."

See the clip here:

Treehouse Of Horror XXIV airs in the US on Fox on the 6th of October. Sky 1 will air the episode in the UK.

Sleepy Hollow Gets Second Season

It may have only aired three episodes so far, but Sleepy Hollow has already been picked up for a second run by Fox.

Fox don't have a great history of being friendly to genre shows, so a renewal this soon is a very welcome surprise.

The first season will end after the initial 13-episode order is filled, and the show will return for another 13 episodes next Autumn. Later on in this first run Lord Of The Rings star John Noble is set to appear in the series, alongside True Blood's James Frain.

Sleepy Hollow stars Tom Mison, Orlando Jones, Nicole Beharie and Clancy Brown, and airs on Fox in the US on Monday nights. A UK air date is sadly still not confirmed as yet.

Read our theory on why Sleepy Hollow might be one of the most brilliant shows of the new season here.