With Jessica Chastain starring in another hotly anticipated movie, “The 355,” we figured now is a good time to look back at her finest performances to date.
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‘Jolene’ (2008)
“Jolene” is Chastain’s first major theatrical role, and while it’s not a particularly great film, it did serve as a promising showcase for a star-to-be. Here Chastain plays a runaway teen who learns some hard but valuable life lessons on the road. There’s a vulnerability to her character here that we don’t often see in her later, stronger characters.
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‘The Debt’ (2011)
It never hurts to appear in a movie where you and Dame Helen Mirren play different versions of the same character. Chastain proved plenty capable of holding her own alongside Mirren as the two explored different ides of a Mossad agent haunted by the legacy of a dark mission in the 1960’s.
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‘Interstellar’ (2014)
Director Christopher Nolan is often criticized for a lack of complex, multifaceted female characters in his films. It’s fitting that Chastain would help break that trend. In “Interstellar,” she played the adult version of Murph, daughter of Matthew McConaughey‘sastronaut hero who bitterly resents her father’s long absence. There’s a raw anger to her performance her that make the character stand out nicely.
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‘Take Shelter’ (2011)
“Take Shelter” proved to be a terrific combination of up-and-coming actors and director. Chastain starred alongside Michael Shannon in this Jeff Nichols film about a family man haunted by visions of apocalyptic doom. In many ways, Chastain had the more difficult task here, and she brought a terrific blend of subtlety and pathos to the role of an overburdened wife.
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‘The Tree of Life’ (2011)
Director Terrence Malick is more interested in mood and imagery than things like dialogue, so it’s not always easy for an actor to stand out amid all the gorgeous visuals and obtuse plotting. Fortunately, Chastain proved more than up for the challenge in “The Tree of Life,”relying on body language and facial expressions to convey the lyrical beauty of Malick’s story.
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‘Miss Sloane’ (2016)
Chastain proved to be a real tour de force in this 2016 legal thriller. Here, she plays Elizabeth Sloane — a powerful lobbyist who finds herself switching sides to help advocate for an anti-gun law. The film’s already snappy script is further elevated by Chastain’s charismatic and mesmerizing performance.
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‘Crimson Peak’ (2015)
Chastain’s eye for picking out great horror films again served her well in this 2015 Guillermo del Toro film. Less a real horror film than a lavishly designed Victorian romance, “Crimson Peak” is a gorgeous film with some top-notch performances from Chastain and her co-stars. It’s especially fun to see Chastain play the dark, twisted villain for a change.
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‘Mama’ (2013)
No one works in Hollywood for long without starring in a few horror movies. Fortunately, Chastain showed good judgment by starring in this twisted 2013 tale about two young girls who return after a five-year disappearance. Naturally, it’s not an altogether happy reunion, as the girls are accompanied by a supernatural force named “Mama.”
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‘The Help’ (2011)
2011 was the year Chastain really exploded into the public consciousness, appearing in no less than six films over the course of the year. She was at her funniest and most crowd-pleasing in “The Help,” playing a frazzled newlywed unwittingly breaking down racial barriers in 1960’s Mississippi. They weren’t the stars of the film, but Chastain and Octavia Spencer frequently stole the show.
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‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (2012)
“Zero Dark Thirty” truly cemented Chastain’s place in Hollywood. This dramatized take on the hunt for Osama bin Laden (with Chastain playing a fictional CIA analyst named Maya), wound up earning her an Academy Award nomination and a Golden Globe award. Some may take issue with the film’s depiction of the events in question, but Chastain’s performance is unimpeachable.
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‘Molly’s Game’ (2017)
The Oscar-nominated actor is gunning for her best shot at actually taking home a trophy for her effortless take on writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s dialogue. Sorkin’s directorial debut casts Chastain as a fallen Olympic skier prodigy-turned-underground poker madam and she’s scary-good.
Schwarzenegger churned out hit after hit in the early ’90s, beginning with this explosive adaptation of a Philip K. Dick story. As with most Dick adaptations, it’s a pretty loose take on the source material. But when you combine mind-bending sci-fi goodness with all the classic Schwarzenegger tropes and director Paul Verhoeven’s sly, hyper-violent stylings, good things follow.
Director Luc Besson helped define the look and feel of a whole new wave of stylish French thrillers with this movie. It doesn’t hurt that star Anne Parillaud gave us the femme fatale heroine the movie world needed. It’s usually a good sign when an action movie inspires multiple foreign language remakes.
If ’90s kids had a bad case of deja vu watching “The Fast and the Furious,” it’s only because they had already fallen in love with “Point Break.” The two movies share the exact same plot, but “Point Break” has the benefit of some incredible surfing scenes and the late, great Patrick Swayze in the role he was born to play.
The first two “Terminator” movies are critical pillars of the sci-fi genre, but it’s really “Terminator 2” that stand as the high-water mark for this franchise. Great action, compelling characters and a heartfelt story about humanity struggling to change its fate make for an incredible sci-fi experience.
The ’90s weren’t a great time for supoerhero movies in general and Batman movies in particular, but at least we got one more great movie out of Tim Burton and Michael Keaton. Even though Keaton’s Batman is about as agile as a tortoise, “Batman Returns” features some great fight scenes and a generally more exciting, action-packed alternative to its predecessor. And Catwoman is the sh**.
Director John Woo cultivated his own unique brand of action movie in the ’90s, one that combines classics “cops and robbers” storytelling with stylish gunplay and liberal use of slow motion and flying doves. “Hard Boiled” is where Woo really perfected that formula, and also where American audiences began to sit up and take notice of star Chow Yun-fat.
I mean, how can you NOT love this movie?! That’s Stallone, stabbing a bad guy, on a stalagmite (or is it tite?) Whatever, the point is: This guilty pleasure gave Stallone a much-needed action movie career boost in the ’90s. And it’s one of the most beautifully shot action movies ever.
Sylvester Stallone didn’t fare so well in the ’90s, between “Rocky V” and some generally poor choices of roles. But at least he had “Demolition Man,” a futuristic movie that blends satisfying action with a healthy dose of satire. As guilty pleasures go, you could have worse. #ThreeSeashells.
By the time the ’90s rolled around, Harrison Ford was getting a bit long in the tooth to keep playing Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Instead, he transitioned into more an everyman action hero who kicked ass despite his age. And nowhere does that formula work better than in “The Fugitive.”
We’re down for any movie in which Jean-Claude Van Damme plays a Cajun butt-kicker with a mullet. The fact that “Hard Target” also marked John Woo’s first American film just made it that much more of an attractive proposition. Sure, it’s dumb, but the kind of dumb that keeps you enthralled from start to finish.
Few action stars have aged as gracefully as Harrison Ford. The star continued to carve out a new place for himself as a likable middle-aged action hero in this third installment of the Jack Ryan franchise. We’re not sure why Paramount has tried so hard to reinvent the character as a younger, sexier hero when this formula worked so well.
The Die Hard franchise has a pretty spotty track record when it comes to sequels. Luckily, At least we got one great follow-up to the original during the ’90s. “Die Hard With a Vengeance” is the only sequel to retain the blue collar everyman appeal of the original without also simply recycling the same plot.
While it wouldn’t see official release in the US until 2000, hardcore martial arts lovers swooned over Jackie Chan’s second “Drunken Master” movie. Never has the actor’s incredible blend of athleticism and physical comedy been more impressive.
Director Luc Besson became one of the dominant forces in the action movie world in the ’90s, and this film was a major reason why. It features one of the all-time coolest action heroes in the form of Jean Reno’s Léon, and the fact that a young Natalie Portman played his precocious sidekick/trainee just makes the whole ting that much more fun. We’re still holding out for a Portman-driven sequel.
For all of you who wanted “Die Hard” on a battleship, Steven Seagal made your dream come true. He plays, naturally, the ship’s cook (with some SEAL training) and, yup, gets into a vicious knife fight with baddie Tommy Lee Jones. This movie is dated, sure, but director Andrew Davis’ tension and TLJ’s scene-stealing performance still hold up.
A lot of the best action movies are the ones with the simplest premises. “Speed” makes the most of a simple idea and its two leads, Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Unfortunately, that simplicity is one reason it was so hard to cook up a worthwhile sequel.
As the decade wore on, Schwarzenegger started losing steam as a traditional Hollywood action hero. But at least we got one more great collaboration between Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron first. “True Lies” is a real crowd-pleaser and remains one of the best movies in both their careers.
Michael Bay was undeniably at his best in the ’90s, back before his career became dominated by “Transformers” sequels. “Bad Boys” offered an explosive new take on the buddy cop genre, one anchored by the terrific chemistry between Martin Lawrence and superstar-in-the-making Will Smith.
While 1992’s “El Mariachi” is a great showcase for what a skilled director can do on a minuscule budget, this 1995 sequel allows Robert Rodriguez to operate on a much bigger stage. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen a mariachi singer wield a rocket-launching guitar case.
The James Bond franchise was badly in need of a new direction and a new leading man in the ’90s, and it got both thanks to “GoldenEye.” The only Bond film with a story to live up to Pierce Brosnan’s thoroughly satisfying take on the character, “GoldenEye” remains one of the high points in this incredibly long-running series.
“Sudden Daeth” is basically a “Die Hard” sequel set inside a hockey arena. How could you not love that. While not one of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s bigger hits of the ’90s, it’s gained a healthy following thanks to its simple premise and strong execution.
If there’s one thing ’90s action movies were good at, it was updating classic ’60s TV series into sexy modern blockbusters. “Mission: Impossible” delivered a satisfying bled of stunts and intrigue. In the process, it established a formula so strong that the series is still alive and thriving even two decades later.
How good is this Michael Bay movie? Good enough to be selected for the Criterion Collection. “The Rock” is a high point in Bay’s career. It’s an expertly crafted action thriller that makes the most of the unusual but satisfying pairing of Nic Cage and Sean Connery.
Harrison Ford had one of his biggest hits ever in this 1997 “Die-Hard-on-a-plane” thriller. In a time of ongoing political scandal, it was refreshing to see a President getting down to business and punching a bunch of terrorists off of his plane. This film served as another reminder that Gary Oldman is the all-time champ when it comes to over-the-top villains.
The premise of “Face/Off” skirts the line between brilliant and ridiculousness, which is only fitting for a movie featuring John Travolta and Nic Cage impersonating one another. It’s a wild, stylish ride, as all John Woo films should be.
In a decade marked by one lousy comic book movie after another, “Blade” finally came along to show what was possible when studios treat the source material with the respect it deserves. “Blade” also doesn’t get enough credit for its influence on the action movie genre. It was basically doing “The Matrix” a year before “The Matrix” hit theaters.
When your crime thriller is crammed with one plot twist after another, it helps to have some satisfying, next-level car chases to keep things humming along. That’s no problem for “Ronin,” which features a nonstop stream of car chases, shootouts and betrayals to keep viewers hooked.
Arguably Will Smith’s most underrated ’90s effort, this paranoid thriller casts him as a likable DC attorney caught up in a conspiracy involving the murder of a politician. Soon, Smith finds himself on the run with surveillance expert Gene Hackman and a lot of fun twists ensue, thanks to Tony Scott’s deft direction.
The two “Matrix” sequels don’t exactly hold up, with dated CG effects and lousy storytelling choices reminding us why this franchise had such a meteoric rise and fall. But that doesn’t mean the original film should be forgotten. “The Matrix” delivered a unique mash-up of philosophy, martial arts and science fiction. It was a revelation at the time, and it’s still a darned good watch nowadays.
At 91 years old, Clint Eastwood is still directing movies, and his latest film ‘Cry Macho‘ will open on September 17. Few actors have been as successful as Eastwood when it comes to making the transition from acting to directing. We ranked Eastwood’s best movies as a director.
It’s not quite as highly regarded as the most iconic of Eastwood’s many Western movies (in part because of the controversial rape scene early on), but “High Plains Drifter” served as an early sign that Eastwood had as much promise behind the camera as in front of it. It’s also a Western that pushes the boundaries of the genre. It’s as much a ghost story and a revenge thriller as anything else.
While Eastwood once again cast himself as a gruff cowboy in “Bronco Billy,” this movie is — tonally — a complete departure from his usual fare. It’s an unexpectedly charming look at a traveling circus and its main attraction, a trick-shooting cowboy trying to hold it all together. “Bronco Billy” is a nice reminder that Eastwood can be a great comedian when he puts his mind to it.
Even a guy like Eastwood feels the urge to try his hand at a romantic drama now and then. While a bit sappy in the way so many of these films are, “Bridges of Madison County” is a top-notch adaptation of the novel that benefits greatly from the chemistry only Eastwood and Meryl Streep can provide.
Eastwood has a well-honed reputation for playing some of the toughest, crabbiest heroes in Hollywood. “Gran Torino” stands out because it turns that reputation on its head. Eastwood plays one of his most memorable characters here, an old rabble-rouser and Korean War veteran drawn into a neighborhood conflict involving Hmong American gang members. It’s easy to picture a lot going wrong given the movie’s racially charged elements, but instead the result is arguably Eastwood’s best film of the 21st Century.
“Mystic River” is one of those films we can’t help but wonder if Oscar voters went a little overboard in honoring at the time. Still, it’s a worthy addition to the Eastwood canon by any measure. The performances are uniformly terrific, and the film offers a sobering look at the lingering impact a terrible crime can have on a group of lifelong friends.
For the most part, audiences were pretty well burnt out on Westerns in the 1980’s. But there’s always room for another good Western directed by and starring Eastwood. With its religious undertones and its commentary on America’s consumer-driven mania of the mid-’80s, this is a Western with a lot of meat on its bones.
A lot of “Jersey Boys” fans were underwhelmed by Eastwood’s take on the popular stage musical. Luckily, he found far more success with this biopic about jazz legend Charlie “Bird” Parker. Sure, it plays a little fast and loose with history, but it’s a fascinating (and underrated) glimpse into the life of a true artist, an artist played with gusto by the excellent Forest Whitaker.
Every year, it gets a little harder for boxing movies to make their mark. It’s one genre that has been done to death over the years. Yet that didn’t stop Eastwood from crafting what many regarded as the best movie of 2004 with “Million Dollar Baby.” The dynamic between Eastwood’s gruff trainer and Hilary Swank‘s ambitious boxer is a highlight, and more than enough to make up for the somewhat unsatisfying ending.
Perhaps Eastwood’s most underrated film, “A Perfect World” stars Kevin Costner as an escaped fugitive who befriends a young boy and Eastwood as the Texas Ranger hellbent on bringing them in. Basically, Eastwood’s take on “Les Miserables.” Costner’s terrific performance — and Eastwood’s deft hand behind the camera — work to deliver a truly compelling drama on par will Mallick’s “Badlands.”
This companion piece to 2006’s “Flags of Our Fathers” opted to explore the infamous Battle of Iwo Jima from the Japanese perspective for a change. In the process, it wound up far surpassing its companion. Everything here, from the acting to directing to cinematography, is top-notch Eastwood. This film also proves that Eastwood can succeed just as well even when directing a script that’s mostly non-English.
The Western genre was past in prime by the time the ’70s rolled around, but Eastwood proved he had plenty more to say by strapping on his boots and six-shooters. “The Outlaw Josey Wales” is a true Western for the Vietnam era, despite being set during the Civil War. It’s a staunchly anti-war film that reflects on America’s deeply troubled past and the importance of family.
You’d think after a career that includes timeless classics like “The Man With No Name Trilogy,” “The Outlaw Josey Wales” and “Hang ‘Em High,” Eastwood would have nothing left to contribute to the Western genre. Instead, he saved his best effort for “Unforgiven.” This haunting tale of an ex-bandit dragged back into the hard life easily ranks among the best Westerns of all time. It abandons the romance and adventure of classic Westerns for a more frank, even bleak look at life on the frontier. “Unforgiven” truly earned its Best Picture Oscar that year.
People need their escapism these days. These are the best sci-fi and fantasy franchises of all time, including a couple that blur the line between the two.
14. Blade Runner
The fact that “Blade Runner” qualifies as a franchise now rather than one really beloved sci-fi movie is a pretty neat development. To date, the franchise only consists of two films, a couple animated shorts and a tenuous connection to the “Alien” movies, but here’s hoping it continues to grow.
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13. Godzilla
The “Godzilla” series is both one of the most influential sci-fi franchises of all time and one of the most prolific. This is a series that spans dozens of sequels and all sorts of random spinoffs, with the tone varying between serious contemplation of nuclear age horror to rampant monster-on-monster zaniness. We wish American studios had better success translating that formula, but you can’t argue with the sheer amount of Godzilla goodness on tap.
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12. The Hunger Games
You can pretty much trace the current YA dystopian fiction craze straight back to the “Hunger Games” series. And it’s little wonder it turned out to be such a trend-setter. These four movies offer a captivating look at a world so deranged the wealthy elite make hungry teenagers fight to death for their amusement. The allegory is pretty obvious in this case.
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11. X-Men
The “X-Men” franchise has seen some pretty extreme highs and lows over the course of almost two decades of existence. Fortunately, those highs are enough to make up for everything else. These aren’t just great superhero movies, but terrific sci-fi parables about outcasts banding together to make the world a better place. Here’s hoping that things will only improve as the franchise makes it way to Marvel Studios.
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10. Alien
1979’s “Alien” and its 1986 sequel both rank among the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. One is a claustrophobic sci-fi horror mash-up, and the other is a delightfully enjoyable action romp. Sadly, none of the sequels, prequels, and spinoffs have quite lived up to that standard, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t always eager to spend more time in this universe.
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9. Harry Potter
It’s rare to find a franchise that stays good for even two or three movies, much less eight. But for the most part, the “Harry Potter” series only got better with time. And now that series has spawned a whole new spinoff franchise in the form of “Fantastic Beasts.” Between the two, you have one of the most consistently entertaining fantasy properties in Hollywood.
The “Mad Max” movies remain the gold standard when it comes to post-apocalyptic action. And thanks to “Mad Max: Fury Road,” the franchise has proven itself to be more relevant and daring than ever in the 21st Century. That belated sequel shows that this series doesn’t need to rest on the shoulders of Mel Gibson, or even the Max Rockatansky character at all.
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7. The Lord of the Rings
For decades, many “Lord of the Rings” fanatics considered this franchise to be impossible to adapt to the big screen. But all it took was a crafty team led by director Peter Jackson to do justice to J.R.R. Tolkien’s sweeping saga of men, elves, orcs and Hobbits. The original trilogy ushered in a whole new weave of fantasy and medieval epics. It’s unfortunate that the “Hobbit” prequels were stretched beyond the breaking point, but we’re still eager to see what other directions Hollywood can take this beloved fantasy series in the years to come.
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6. The Planet of the Apes
From the original series to the new, very photo-real reboot, “Apes” is the allegorical-heavy and emotionally-resonate franchise we need and deserve right now.
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5. Terminator
Much like the “Alien” franchise, the “Terminator” series is marked by two amazing movies followed by sequels and spinoffs of varying degrees of quality. But those first two movies are enough to cement this franchise as one of the greatest sci-fi properties of all time. The conflict between man and machine is still as resonant now as it was at the time, as is the central theme of fate vs. free will. We just hope we can get one more good sequel out of Arnold Schwarzenegger before he retires from the series for good.
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4. Back to the Future
There’s a lot to be said for a franchise that knows when to call it quits. “Back to the Future” never overstayed its welcome. The 1985 original is a delightful fusion of science fiction and comedy. Its two sequels further enrich the whirlwind saga of Marty McFly and Doc Brown. And that’s it. Other than an entertaining animated series and a video game continuation, this franchise has been allowed to rest in peace. No remakes or reboots to dilute the appeal of the originals.
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3. Star Trek
TV may be the medium in which “Star Trek” works best, but there have been some darned good Trek movies over the decades. Between “The Wrath of Khan,” “The Voyage Home,” “First Contact” and the recent reboot series, there’s no shortage of sci-fi goodness to be found with this franchise. Even if these movies are notorious for alternating between good and bad sequels, “Star Trek” will always rank among the greats.
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2. The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Marvel Studios
The MCU has truly changed the game when it comes to superhero movies. There had certainly been great superhero movies before the MCU came along, but never before had a studio attempted to craft a shared universe on this scale. Marvel Studios has managed to craft a franchsie where super-soldiers, armored billionaires, gods and aliens bump elbows. Most amazingly of all, almost all of the 20-something MCU movies to date have ranged from really good to downright terrific.
In the end, could there be any other franchise topping this list? “Star Wars” blurs the lines between sci-fi and fantasy, tapping into our most fundamental myths and archetypes to tell the ultimate story of a heroic few overcoming a terrible evil. The original Trilogy shaped countless childhoods and gave us some of the greatest cinematic moments ever. And while the prequels and sequels have their detractors, they also prove that this is a franchise capable of constantly reshaping itself in order to appeal to new generations. This is a saga that apparently has no end, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
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The whole point of movie trailers is to make audiences excited for what’s coming. But sometimes they do their job a little too well. Some move trailers inflate our expectations, only to leave us disappointed when the end product doesn’t live up to a well-edited, two-minute-long teaser.
“Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace”
It’s not often that people skip school and work just to watch a trailer, but that’s the appeal of seeing the first new Star Wars footage in over 15 years. The “Phantom Menace” teaser showed us glorious new sights like a droid army on the march and Darth Maul’s double-bladed lightsaber. And the movie gave us those things, but also a whole lot that we never bargained for.
“Spectre”
All we really need out of our James Bond trailers is some cool action, a few shots of gorgeous locations and that iconic theme music. “Spectre” gave us plenty of those things in its trailer. And coming off the high that was “Skyfall,” we had no reason to doubt anything was amiss.
But then we watched the actual movie and were reminded at how quickly things can go wrong with this franchise.
“Watchmen”
The “Watchmen” movie had been trapped in development hell for so long that many fans refused to believe it existed until the teaser trailer finally arrived. That teaser had us believing director Zack Snyder could actually do justice to one of the most acclaimed graphic novels of all time. The way iconic images from the book synced up to Smashing Pumpkins music really left a strong impression. Sadly, the movie only wound up proving that some adaptations can be guilty of being too faithful.
“Die Another Day”
We should have been wary of this Bond sequel, given how poorly Pierce Brosnan‘s previous two films played out. But we couldn’t help but be won over by this teaser’s stylish opening sequence, cool narration, and short burst of awesome Bond footage. It didn’t show much of the actual film, and — eventually — we learned there was good reason for that.
“Godzilla”
The original teaser for 1998’s “Godzilla” is unique in that it doesn’t feature any actual footage from the film. Instead, it acts as a short film that teases the Americanized reboot of the iconic monster and pokes a little fun at “Jurassic Park” in the process. It’s an effective trailer, but perhaps we should have been more suspicious of their unwillingness to show the final product.
“Prometheus”
After a progressively worse series of sequels and spinoffs, we were ready for Ridley Scott to return and bring the “Alien” franchise back to basics. The teaser for “Prometheus” showed every sign that he could pull it off, with plenty of evocative imagery and a terrifying soundtrack that called back to the original “Alien” teaser. What the teaser didn’t show us was how much of the movie centered around convoluted mythology and dumb characters doing dumb things for dumb reasons.
“Man of Steel”
Rarely has there been such a huge divide between a film’s trailers and the finished product. All three “Man of Steel” trailers offered a captivating look at a superhero reborn, one who represented all the goodness and wonder we expect from Superman.
By the time the final trailer debuted Hans Zimmer‘s epic new score, we were all-in on the new Superman. Sadly, the actual movie proved far more brooding and depressing than the trailers.
It showed us a tantalizing glimpse of the movie, one that paired epic superhero images with a slowly mounting score. And in some ways, the actual movie lived up to the hype. But between the numerous plot holes and head-scratching story choices, TDKR wasn’t everything it could have been.
“Where the Wild Things Are”
Flawed as it is, there’s a lot to like about Spike Jonze‘s ambitious, emotionally charged adaptation of this beloved children’s book. The problem is that you basically get that same rush in much more concentrated form just by watching the trailer. After all, two minutes is about all the time it takes to read the book. Did we really need a two hour movie?
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”
Before “Thor: Ragnarok,” “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” proved that there’s no better way to deliver a memorable trailer than to pair some cool, tightly edited footage with Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song.” Sadly, where “Ragnarok” lived up to its own hype, “Dragon Tattoo” proved to be an underwhelming experience. We expected something of more substance from the director who gave us classics like “Seven.” In the end, we’re not surprised that this American remake failed to spawn a full-fledged franchise.
“X-Men: The Last Stand”
The third X-Men movie derailed the franchise in a bad way. But based solely on the trailer, we would have thought we were in for a worthy follow-up to “X2.” That’s the power of good editing. It can hide all the less savory elements like an underwhelming climax or the fact that certain key characters are killed off way too soon.
“Terminator Salvation”
“Terminator Salvation” tantalized us with the prospect of a film entirely set in a wartorn future of which past Terminator movies had only shown small glimpses. Unfortunately, it was a formula that worked a lot better in trailer form than as an actual film. But hey, at least “Salvation” will go down in history as having the best use of a Nine Inch Nails song in a trailer.
“Pearl Harbor”
“Pearl Harbor” is a textbook case of a trailer distilling all the good parts of a bad movie and inflating the expectations of viewers. Between the rousing instrumental music, Jon Voight‘s delivery of FDR’s speech and images of America gearing up for war, the trailer shows all the makings of a historical epic. It leaves out the bloated story and awkward love triangle that bogged down the actual movie.
“Suicide Squad”
We were wary of the DCEU after being disappointed by both “Man of Steel” and “Batman v Superman.” Even so, the first trailer for “Suicide Squad” left us hopeful for a cinematic redemption. The trailer did a great job of teasing a violent, stylish romp featuring the villains of the DC Universe. The inspired soundtrack choices didn’t hurt.
The problem is that it teased a movie that didn’t really exist, no matter how many last-minute reshoots and re-edits WB tried to cram in.
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”
It’s impossible not to be won over by the teaser for “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” In addition to its effective soundtrack choice, it presents a joyous look at an ordinary man who decides to finally venture forth and live out his dreams.
Unfortunately, the actual movie lacks the substance to back up that well-meaning story, meaning it’s a formula that just works better as a two-minute music video.
It’s been 15 years since the movie world was introduced to the greatest stoner buddy pair since Jay and Silent Bob. “Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle” launched a new franchise and revived the image of both Neil Patrick Harris and the White Castle fast food chain in the process. Grab a a sack of burgers and learn more about the making of this cult-favorite comedy.
1. While White Castle happily granted the filmmakers the necessary licensing rights, Krispy Kreme proved more difficult. A subplot involving Harold and Kumar trying to track down donuts had to be changed to hot dogs after Krispy Kreme refused to sign off.
2. While the movie is set in New Jersey, the majority of filming took place in Toronto, Canada. The crew had to build a White Castle set because White Castle doesn’t operate any locations in Canada.
New Line Cinema
3. White Castle issued a series of commemorative cups after the movie hit theaters, making “Harold & Kumar” the first R-rated movie to receive a fast food restaurant promotion.
4. Writers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg based the character Harold Lee on their high school friend of the same name.
5. Hurwitz and Schlossberg specifically wrote Neil Patrick Harris’ cameo into the script before approaching him to appear.
New Line Cinema
6. “Harold & Kumar” is credited with reviving Harris’ career and paving the way for his starring role in the sitcom “How I Met Your Mother.” Both Kal Penn and John Cho would go on to guest star in the series.
7. Hurwitz revealed that “The Karate Kid” star Ralph Macchio would have been the duo’s backup choice if Harris refused to appear in the movie.
New Line Cinema
8. The characters Rosenberg and Goldstein were intended as homages to Shakespeare characters Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. At one point Hurwitz and Schlossberg even considered a spinoff movie in the vein of “Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead.”
9.Luis Guzmán originally had a cameo role as Maria’s brother, but his character was cut from the final version.
10. The scene where Ryan Reynolds cameos as a doctor assisting Kumar in surgery is intended as a callback to 2002’s “National Lampoon’s Van Wilder,” where Reynolds and Penn’s roles were reversed.
New Line Cinema
11. Despite quoting the line “Thank you, come again!” made famous by “The Simpsons” character Apu Nahasapeemapetilon, Penn would later appear in the 2017 documentary “The Problem With Apu,” where he criticized the character for perpetuating racial stereotypes.
It’s been 25 years since “The Mask” hit theaters and capped off an amazingly successful year for Jim Carrey. Even now, we can look back on this kooky romantic comedy as one of the only good comic book movies of the ’90s. Celebrate this big anniversary by learning more about the making of “The Mask” and why it’s so different from the source material.
1. “The Mask” is loosely based on a comic book series published by Dark Horse Comics. However, the source material is much darker, with the stories focusing on ordinary people who are transformed into a sadistic killer called Big Head.
2. One of the biggest differences between the comic and the movie is that Stanley Ipkiss is much less sympathetic in the former. in fact, he’s eventually killed when his girlfriend steals the mask and murders him in his sleep.
Dark Horse Comics
3. Originally New Line intended “The Mask” to form the basis of a new horror franchise. One early pitch involved a mask maker who removes the faces of corpses and transplants them onto teenagers in order to transform them into zombie-like slaves.
4. Jim Carrey’s distinctive yellow zoot suit was actually inspired by the suit he wore to his very first stand-up comedy set.
New Line Cinema
5. If the body shop where Stanley is getting ripped off by the mechanics seems familiar, that’s because the scenes were shot in the unused firehouse that also doubled as the headquarters in 1984’s “Ghostbusters.”
6. Anna Nicole Smith was the studios original top choice to play Tina Carlyle. However, Cameron Diaz (who made her acting debut in “The Mask”) got the part after being discovered at a modeling agency. Bullet dodged!
8. The movie was originally meant to end with Stanley’s friend Charlie Schumaker inheriting the mask.
9. The DVD includes a deleted scene that sheds more light on the origins of the titular mask. It shows a group of Vikings burying the mask in what would later become New York City.
New Line Cinema
10. Carrey was nominated for both a Golden Globe and a Razzie Award for his performance.
11. While it was the third Jim Carrey movie released in 1994, “The Mask” was the first of the three to enter production. Because filming began before Carrey’s explosion in popularity, he was paid a surprisingly modest $450,000 for the role.
New Line Cinema
12. At the time, “The Mask” was the second highest-grossing superhero movie ever, only topped by 1989’s “Batman.” However, both have since been eclipsed by the current wave of superhero movies.
13. The magazine Nintendo Power held a contest where the winner would receive a cameo role in the sequel movie. However, after Carrey dropped out of the sequel and the project became trapped in development hell for years, Nintendo Power was forced to award the winner an equivalent cash prize instead.
It’s been 60 years since “North by Northwest” hit theaters and further cemented Alfred Hitchcock as one of the greatest American filmmakers of all time. Even six decades later, this film is regarded as one of the greatest ever made. So celebrate this huge milestone by learning some fun behind-the scenes facts about this classic tale of suspense and mistaken identity.
1. Hitchcock and writer Ernest Lehman conceived of “North by Northwest” after suffering from writer’s block while working on an adaptation of the Hammond Innes novel “The Wreck of the Mary Deare.”
2. MGM executives wanted Cyd Charisse to play Eve Kendall, but Hitchcock was adamant that Eva Marie Saint be cast in the role.
MGM
3. While Hitchcock had final say over most aspects of the film, he was forced to re-dub one of Saint’s lines. “I never make love on an empty stomach,” became “I never discuss love on an empty stomach.”
4. The production went severely over-budget because a delay in filming activated a penalty clause in Cary Grant‘s contract. That clause resulted in him being paid an extra $5000 per day.
MGM
5. Part of the reason for the delay is that Hitchcock accidentally led James Stewart to believe he’d be cast as the lead. In order to mitigate Stewart’s disappointment, Hitchcock waited until Stewart was busy filming 1959’s “Anatomy of a Murder” before “offering” him the part.
6. Hitchcock wanted to film a scene where Grant’s character Roger Thornhill hides inside Lincoln’s nose at Mount Rushmore and is given away by his sneezing. He was eventually convinced to abandon the idea, but he did use “The Man Inside Lincoln’s Nose” as a tongue-in-cheek working title.
MGM
7. Grant’s iconic business suit was the model for the near-identical one worn by Tom Cruise in 2004’s “Collateral.”
8. “North by Northwest” is one of only two MGM projects filmed in the widescreen VistaVision format, the other being 1956’s “High Society.”
9. In its August 2009 issue, Empire magazine ranked the crop-duster scene as the #1 greatest movie moment of all time.
MGM
10. Given its tone and subject matter, many fans refer to “North by Northwest” as “the first James Bond film.” In fact, the helicopter chase in 1963’s “From Russia With Love” was directly inspired by the crop-duster scene.
11. The movie inspired a long-running annual live music festival in Austin, TX called South by Southwest.
The whole point of movie trailers is to make audiences excited for what’s coming. But sometimes they do their job a little too well. Some move trailers inflate our expectations, only to leave us disappointed when the end product doesn’t live up to a well-edited, two-minute-long teaser.
