by admin | Apr 12, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
The trailer for the new Naked Gun reboot/legacy-quel dropped last week, and frankly, it pleasantly surprised a lot of people, including me. I grew up with the old Naked Gun movies, and my first reaction to the news that it was being rebooted was like that of a lot of other people: I asked (again) if Hollywood was out of ideas. I love Gen X nostalgia, but I’m sick of Gen X reboots.
The trailer, however, is legitimately funny, and I now have high hopes for the movie, which is on the 2025 movie schedule for this summer. One gripe I have noticed floating around the internet has been, “Liam Neeson is miscast; he isn’t funny.” I’m here to say there are two reasons that is misguided thinking, especially one as it relates to the original Naked Gun trilogy. And no, it’s not because the lead actors have similar names.
Leslie Nielsen Wasn’t “Funny” Either… Until He Was
Liam Neeson’s career, too.
When Nielsen delivered those hilarious deadpan jokes in Airplane!, it opened up a new avenue for him, and soon the world knew him better as a comedic actor. The three Naked Gun movies’ massive success and enduring legacy have only solidified his reputation, especially with people who grew up in the ’90s and beyond. For people born earlier, the roles were especially funny, just as Neeson’s will be for all of us who know him best for roles like Oskar Schindler and Priest Vallon in Gangs of New York.
which comes out August 1st. I was even happier to get a couple of genuine chuckles when I watched it, as I expected so little from the movie. Who can’t help but laugh at Liam Neeson with one leg up, wearing nothing but colorful underwear from the waist down? Usually, movie trailers don’t move the needle for me, and I rarely change my mind based on one, good or bad, but this one worked, and now I can’t wait to see this in theaters.
by admin | Apr 11, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
The build up to the 2025 release of Ryan Coogler’s upcoming horror movie Sinners has had me on the edge of my seat. Every new piece of information we have been given has made me more and more excited. As far as I’ve seen there hasn’t been one negative thing said about the project, which is high praise. And now, with only a week of waiting left, critics have released their reviews. While I normally don’t put too much stock in other people’s opinions, even I can’t ignore the fact that the reviews are insanely impressive. And it just makes me more hyped.
When the first reactions of Sinners came rolling in it was nothing but praise, even the legendary Spike Lee had nothing but praise, stating it was his “greatest experience” watching a film in years. So it’s no surprise that as of writing this, Ryan Coogler’s Sinners has a perfect 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. This is no easy feat, especially for a movie in the horror genre.
who was willing to stand and watch the whole movie after only a ten-minute clip. All of this just shows that Ryan Coogler has struck gold.
Aside from critic reviews, Michael B. Jordan gave big praises to co-star Hailee Steinfeld’s performance; and since its trailer’s releases, hype has been going up exponentially. Especially in myself. I rarely ever go to see movies on opening weekend (mainly just because I don’t want to deal with a crowded theater) but I am certainly going to throw elbows to get a ticket for Sinners. And that’s not an exaggeration or hyperbole. I just really want April 18th to be tomorrow.
by admin | Apr 11, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
It is going to be hard for any other film on the 2025 movie schedule to top the stories of madness we’ve been hearing lately about A Minecraft Movie. With A Minecraft Movie’s insane opening weekend box office in the books, tales of how audiences are creating literal show-stopping uproars have been flooding social media, especially when it comes to “The Chicken Jockey Scene.”
However, the latest video to come out of this debacle actually, somehow through the grace of Old MacDonald himself, included a chicken. Yes, a live chicken. And what’s more interesting is that after being sent examples of the videos sort of like the one we’re about to discuss, Minecraft co-writer/director Jared Hess has shared his thoughts.
Yes, Someone Brought A Live Chicken To A Minecraft Movie, And There’s Video
@hourly_shitpost Twitter video that revealed this very story. But if you want a quick description, it’s a clip from the same “Chicken Jockey” scene that inspired Minecraft-specific theater warnings meant to inspire a sense of decorum.
However, as you’ll see in the clip linked above, this particular scenario involved the popcorn-throwing and mass cheering you’ve heard about on social media. It also involved a real-life chicken.
What really makes this case of A Minecraft Movie mania truly wild, besides the live chicken in the theater, is two patrons wearing Creeper masks – with one sitting on the other’s shoulders. It all led to the crowd being kicked out of the theater, as well as these creative comments from said post calling out this negative moviegoing experience:
- “They should lock the entire theater down and tell them they can only leave after they’ve cleaned up their mess. After that, they can leave without getting a refund.” – @RuggedTheDragon
- “Notice how they turned on the lights and paused the movie? People go to a theater to escape this shit, not to have it come to them. No theater etiquette at all” – @sonicman1020
- “imagine being a normal person who got seated with these people” – @Trixxxy19
- “Call me sour but this is just so painfully unfunny Cheering is fine but throwing shit all over the place and bringing in live animals? Were they all raised in a barn? Where are y’all’s manners” -@ThatRabidDog
You know, it’s stories like these that make Bill Hader’s Titanic spoiler story all the more valid. This kind of rowdy behavior is deeply distracting and potentially dangerous.
However, there is a kind of positive side to this Minecraft mania, and it comes from co-writer/director Jared Hess himself. As it turns out, he is quite pleased with the happiness on display.
A Minecraft Movie Director, Jared Hess, Can’t Get Over The Crowd Reactions
During an interview with Mr. Hess, EW brought up the disruptive theatrical phenomenon that was sweeping social media. And some of you may not be surprised by this, but as you can start to read below, the Nacho Libre creative is having quite a ball watching these moments of madness:
Breaking his reaction down a little more specifically, Jared Hess also had something to say about the responses to A Minecraft Movie screenings that have seen law enforcement called into the mix:
While it may not be hilarious to the theater workers cleaning the auditoriums after, A Minecraft Movie’s shenanigans do seem to have a silver lining. That comes from the final Jared Hess highlight, in his remarks below:
That last quote from the Napoleon Dynamite mastermind is an intriguing example, if only because it sounds like Hess has seen the video we’ve described above. Unless there are other screenings where people are sitting on someone’s shoulders, a possibility that is not out of the question at this time.
Much as A Minecraft Movie’s critic/audience divide, it sounds like there’s a rift between how to behave during this film that could be brewing. So if you’re looking to enjoy it in a calm and low-key setting, you may want to wait until it hits home release.
Or, if you want the theater experience, head to a Minecraft 3D/4DX experience, as those are active enough without any audience participation required! But if you’re the type that thrives in chaos that could potentially shut down a showing, then what are you waiting for?
by admin | Apr 11, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
Tom Cruise has a reputation for being involved in all aspects of the movies he makes. While his most famous contribution outside of acting is that he insists on doing all of his own stunts, it turns out he really gets involved in all of the details of his movies. He even vetoed the original popcorn bucket design for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.
In a story from Empire (via Comicbook.com), it’s revealed that the initial plan was to make a bucket that would have been in the shape of the movie’s submarine, which houses the rogue AI causing all the trouble. However, producers, of which Tom Cruise was one, didn’t like it. It’s explained…
recent creations in popcorn bucket design that we have seen. Any sort of closed structure that can have a hatch for the popcorn seems to be fair game. Some of them get absolutely wild.
And all we got instead was a standard bucket with a scary-looking eye on it. In this case it was the eye of The Entity, the AI program at the heart of the film. But it could easily be confused for the Eye of Sauron were it not for the Mission: Impossible logo across the front. It’s honestly pretty dull. I’d rather have a submarine.
Even if the submarine design had its flaws, it’s certainly more creative than a simple bucket with a picture on it. Popcorn buckets have become things that fans collect, and the more unique, the better. A submarine is going to look cooler sitting on your shelf.
However, this situation with the Dead Reckoning popcorn bucket may have gotten Tom Cruise very excited about the topic. It was previously reported that Cruise was directly involved in the design of the bucket that’s on the way for Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. While it turned out later that wasn’t the case, it doesn’t change how popular and important these popcorn buckets have become.
What the bucket will be hasn’t been revealed yet. That’s still being kept secret for now but will likely drop before the May 23 release date of Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. It seems that everybody is quite happy with whatever the design is. Popcorn bucket fans should probably start to get excited.
by admin | Apr 11, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
The legal battle between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is contentious right now, and the rabbit hole has been getting deeper as there are actually multiple lawsuits ongoing as a result of the initial complaint filed by Lively, including some that don’t even technically involve her. This includes a pair of lawsuits, one filed by and another against Stephanie Jones, Justin Baldoni’s former publicist.
Jones sued Baldoni, his production company Wayfarer, and two other publicists, including Jennifer Abel, a former employee of Jones’ firm. In turn, she was countersued with claims that she breached her responsibilities by leaking text messages with Baldoni. Now Jones is seeking to have the countersuits dismissed through a pair of legal filings that take shots at Baldoni and co.
Publicist Calls Out Justin Baldoni’s ‘Retaliatory, Vindictive Smear Campaign’
via Deadline) focused on Justin Baldoni and his Wayfarer production company. The motion to dismiss the lawsuit claims that Baldoni et al are suing simply out of anger that the conflict between the It Ends Us with Us director and Blake Lively has become public and that the lawsuit itself has no merit. The filing reads in part…
Jones’ lawyers claim that the potentially damaging text messages that she is accused of leaking were actually produced as part of a subpeona that she was complying with, and thus she can’t be blamed for them having been released to the public.
The messages allegedly show a coordinated plan to attack Blake Lively’s credibility and are a major component of her own lawsuit against Baldoni.
The other motion filed in court this week by Stephanie Jones is directed at Jennifer Abel, a former publicist at Stephanie Jones JonesWorks PR company. Abel is referred to as a “rogue employee” elsewhere in the filings, and the motion to dismiss calls her claims, including invasion of privacy, a “soap opera” that should be dismissed due to a lack of legal basis. The motion opens…
The lawsuits at the core of all this between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni aren’t expected to go to trial until next year. By then, the multiple other lawsuits may have been dealt with.
Notably, Baldoni is also suing the New York Times for publishing the story that broke this news, as well as suing Blake Lively and her husband, Ryan Reynolds. In the past month, Lively has moved to dismiss, and Reynolds made a motion to dismiss as well.
The results of all this could have a material impact on what happens when the core lawsuit comes to trial. As more information comes out about it, we’ll keep you posted.
by admin | Apr 11, 2025 | Articles, Cinemablend Articles
There are popular franchises, and then there’s Harry Potter. The Wizarding World (which is streaming with a Max subscription) has entertained audiences for decades thanks to theme parks, stage plays, and (of course) the Harry Potter movies. David Tennant is one of the many actors who helped to bring the story to life on the big screen, and he recently took a dig at J.K. Rowling when asked if he’d return to the property.
A Harry Potter television series is currently in development, and fans are curious about which actors might play various beloved roles. As a result, fans are hoping to see some of the Harry Potter cast pop up in new roles. David Tennant recently threw some shade at Rowling when asked if he’d return, but there’s history there. Let’s break it down.
Potter fans boycotting the franchise, while various actors from the Wizarding World have spoken out in support of trans people. And Rowling has been throwing shade at Potter actors on social media… including David Tennant.
The feud between J.K. Rowling and David Tennant came after he shared his support for the transgender community. Things got more complicated due to the pair’s conflicting political views, eventually leading the author to take aim at him on Twitter. After Tennant went viral for saying he wished politician Kemi Badenoch would “not exist”, Rowling tied that along with this support of trans people, posting:
The term “Gender Taliban” is definitely one that turned people’s heads, as was the feud with Doctor Who actor David Tennant. He had a small but memorable role in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire as Barty Crouch Jr., and joined the ranks of actors like Daniel Radcliffe who defended the transgender community. Rowling also called out the actor on another occasion, when Badenoch won the Tory vote, tweeting:
Rowling certainly isn’t holding back her disdain for the actor, and now David Tennant is throwing some shade in response.
How David Tennant Referenced Rowling Recently
The cast of the Harry Potter TV show is seemingly coming together, with John Lithgow confirmed to play Dumbledore. Fans want to see the original actors back in new roles, such as the former students playing professors. Tennant was doing a Q&A at Planet ComicCon (via The Independent), where he was asked if he’d like to participate. The Jessica Jones actor said his “contribution has probably been made,” and then he referenced the author, saying:
He’s not wrong. Even if Tennant wanted to appear in the Harry Potter show (there are certainly plenty of characters to cast), it seems unlikely, given the state of his feud with J.K. Rowling. While she continued to work with Eddie Redmayne after he voiced support for the transgender community, the Fantastic Beasts franchise was already in motion when that happened. And now that series is seemingly over.
It’s currently unclear when the Harry Potter TV series will actually debut, but it’s in active development. For now, fans can rewatch the film franchise on Max.
