By Dan Auty on Dec 11, 2018 10:51 pm
It's been a quiet couple of weeks in terms of new movies releases, with very little of note hitting theaters since mid-November. But this weekend finally brings us some of the season's biggest movies. The animated adventure Spider-man: Into the Spider-Verse arrives in the US and UK on the back of rave reviews, with some critics stating this is the best Spider-Man movie ever made. There's more superhero action in the shape of Once Upon A Deadpool--a specifically re-edited version of this year's smash Deadpool 2, with new footage and a portion of every ticket sold going to the charity F*** Cancer (renamed Fudge Cancer for this more audience-friendly Deadpool). And that's not all--while DC's much-anticipated Aquaman isn't released in the US until next week, UK audiences can see it seven days earlier from this Friday. Also in UK theaters are a couple of smaller, darker movies--The House that Jack Built and Lizzie--while the Peter Jackson-produced fantasy epic Mortal Engines is also released. FInally, one of 2018's most acclaimed films arrives on netflix. Alfonso Cuaron's Roma has been picking up acclaim since it premiered at the Venice International Film Festival back in August, and is set to be the streaming giant's first serious Oscar contender. After a limited theatrical release it can be watched worldwide on Netflix from this Friday. So here's the week's new releases in the both the US and UK, in both theaters and on streaming...
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
See it in US and UK theaters on December 14 This spectacular animated Spider-Man adventure has been getting rave reviews and is set to be one of the winter's biggest movies. It features no fewer than six Spideys--including Peter Parker and Miles Morales versions, plus Spider-Gwen and, er, Spider-Ham--and is produced by Lego Movie directors Chris Miller and Phil Lord. In his review, GameSpot's Michael Rougeau called the movie "an instant animated classic, and, with any luck, the first of many of its kind."
Once Upon A Deadpool
See it in US and UK theaters on December 12 The idea of a PG-13 rated Deadpool 2 might seem crazy--how do you reduce the levels of violence and cursing enough to make it teen-friendly but still entertaining? But that's exactly what Once Upon A Deadpool is. Ryan Reynolds and company have filmed new scenes for this version and the movie is set to run until December 24th, with a portion of every ticket sold going to charity. The promos released so far have been very funny, so Deadpool fans will want to make sure they check this out.
Mortal Engines
See it in US and UK theaters on December 14 While Peter Jackson's first post-Hobbit directorial effort is yet to be revealed, he is heavily involved with this sci-fi adventure. Jackson produces and co-writes alongside his regular collaborator Fran Walsh, while Christian Rivers--who has worked with Jackson since his early horror days--makes his directorial debut. Mortal Engines is an adaptation of the first of four YA novels written by Philip Reeve and is set in a post-apocalyptic steampunk world where motorised cities-on-wheels are at war with one another. As you'd expect from Jackson, it looks pretty spectacular.
The Mule
See it in US theaters on December 14 Clint Eastwood might be 87 years old, but his output as a director shows no sign of slowing. We've already had one movie from him this year--the drama The 15:17 to Paris--and The Mule arrives this week. It's another true-life tale, in which Eastwood plays Leo Sharp, who was the world's oldest drug courier, responsible for moving millions of dollars of cocaine across the border for a Mexican cartel. The cast also includes Bradley Cooper as the DEA agent on his trail, plus Laurence Fishburne (The Matrix, John Wick: Chapter 2) and Michael Peña (Ant-Man).
Backtrace
See it in US theaters on December 14 Sylvester Stallone might be enjoying one of the biggest successes of his career with Creed II, but that's not the only movie he has coming out this month. The thriller Backtrace hits selected US theaters and Video on Demand this weekend, and stars Stallone as cop on the trail of a veteran bank robber, played by Stranger Things' Matthew Modine. It sounds like standard stuff for Sly, but 40 decades into his career, he remains a popular star.
Aquaman
See it in UK theaters on December 14 It's been a more than a year since the last DC hit theaters--and frankly, it's best just to forget Justice League ever happened. But there's plenty of movies from the studio on the way over the next couple of years, starting with Aquaman. It's not out in the US until next week, but it arrives in the UK on Friday. Jason Momoa reprises his role as the King of Atlantis, with Amber Heard as Mera, and a cast that also includes Patrick Wilson, Willem Dafoe, Nicole Kidman, and Dolph Lundgren. It's directed by Furious 7 and The Conjuring's James Wan.
The House That Jack Built
See it in UK theaters on December 14 Lars Von Trier remains one of the most provocative directors in the world, best known for such controversial, divisive films as Dogville, Nymphomaniac, Dancer In The Dark, and The Idiots. Von trier has made one horror movie to date--2009's harrowing Antichrist--and he returns to the genre in 2018 with The House That Jack Built. This is a '70s-set serial killer movie that follows the gory exploits of a man named Jack over the course of a decade. Matt Dillon plays the killer, and his victims include characters played by Uma Thurman and Riley Keough.
Lizzie
See it in UK theaters on December 14 Lizzie Borden is one of the most notorious figures in American crime; in 1892 she was tried and acquitted of the axe murders of father and stepfather. Lizzie is based on this case, with Chloe Sevigny as the title character, a young woman who lives in terror under the domineering control of her stepfather, played by Homeland's Jamey Sheridan. Kristen Stewart plays a maid who comes to work at the Borden family home and befriends Lizzie, and it's a safe bet to assume that things get pretty dark from there.
Roma
See it on Netflix on December 14 Alfonso Cuaron is best known for the hugely successful Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Gravity, but his new movie is a world away from those blockbusters. It's a semi-autobiographical story set in Mexico City of the early '70s, and it follows the life of a housekeeper who works for a dysfunctional middle-class family. It's had some the best reviews of any of movie this year, with critics praising both it's beautiful black-and-white photography, ambitious narrative, and powerful performances.
By Phil Hornshaw on Dec 11, 2018 07:33 am
Celebrate The Holidays With New Emotes
The Dawning is Destiny 2's holiday-themed in-game event, bringing a winter wonderland to the Tower. It's now live, adding a whole bunch of new cosmetic items to the Eververse store and a brand-new kind of Bright Engram--the Winterdrift Engram--from which you can earn new cosmetics. The coolest thing on offer in this year's Dawning, though, are multiplayer emotes. These are emotes that go a step beyond the usual dances, waves, and other goofy expressions players can do, to allow you to team up with friends for your emotes. They include fist bumps, chest bumps, and high fives. There's also a hockey themed emote, Protecting Teammates, that has you throwing down your stick and gloves to get ready to brawl somebody guilty of some unsportsmanlike conduct. The Dawning also offers opportunities to take part in the Mayhem playlist in Crucible, which includes extra Power weapon ammo and fast-charging Super abilities--which means it's basically all chaos, all the time. Its more holiday-themed activity, which has you giving away gifts to the various characters of the Tower, sends you around the solar system to collect ingredients to bake cookies. This is Destiny, though, so getting those ingredients generally means killing baddies. Below, we've compiled all the armor, ships, emotes, and ghost shells you'll be able to earn during the rest of December. With the accompanying update now live, you can also start tracking down recipes and taking advantage of improved Prime engram drops, among other things.
Winterdrift Engram
Armor
Protecting Teammates
True North Shell
Hard-Packed Shell
Glad Tidings
Home Away
Chest Bump
High Five
Whetted Resolution
Upsilon's Rune Shell
Sibyl Shell
Froststrike Plate
Froststrike Mark
Froststrike Helm
Froststrike Greaves
Shower Of Gifts
Howling Blizzard
Frostreach Gloves
Frostreach Hood
Frostreach Robes
Frostreach Boots
Frostreach Bond
Frostveil Cloak
Frostveil Boots
Frostveil Vest
Frostveil Mask
Frostveil Grasps
By Dan Auty on Dec 11, 2018 02:00 am
There are few movie monsters as famous as Godzilla. The giant, fire-breathing radioactive reptile first appeared on screens in the 1954 Japanese classic Gojira, a surprisingly dark movie that was as much an allegory for the wartime atomic bombing of Japan as it was a monster movie. The huge popularity of that film spawned dozens of sequels and spin-offs over the next few decades. These films introduced a whole host of other big monsters, and were subsequently dubbed and exported to the US with considerable success. There have also been a number of attempts to produce a version of Godzilla in Hollywood. In 1978, legendary American animation studio Hanna-Barbera teamed up with Toho, who own the rights to the character, to create a short-lived cartoon series. In 1992, Columbia Pictures acquired the US rights, with the intention of creating a new trilogy. But the critical and commercial failure of the result--1998's Godzilla, from Independence Day director Roland Emmerich--quickly ended those plans. But in 2014, Hollywood tried again and got it right. This version of Godzilla was an entertaining and popular take on the classic material, that featured some stunning set-pieces from director Gareth Edwards and an impressive cast that included Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, and Sally Hawkins. It made more than $529 million at the worldwide box office, and helped kickstart a new big monster cinematic universe, known as the MonsterVerse. Godzilla was quickly joined by last year's equally successful Kong: Skull Island, and next May, Godzilla: King of the Monsters arrives. So ahead of that, here's everything we know so far about Godzilla: King of the Monsters...
When is the movie released?
Godzilla: King of the Monsters hits US theaters on May 31, 2019. This is actually the third release date the movie has had--it was originally scheduled for June 2018, before being shifted to March, then to May. The only other movie currently scheduled for release on the same day is the musical fantasy Rocketman, based on the music of Elton John. However, King of the Monsters will only have a week to claim a No.1 slot on the box office chart, before the X-Men movie Dark Phoenix hits screens seven days later.
Who is the director?
Godzilla: King of the Monsters is directed by Michael Dougherty. This is Dougherty's third film as a director, following his cult Halloween anthology Trick 'r Treat (2007) and the seasonal monster movie Krampus (2015), and he was also a co-writer on movies such as X-Men 2 and Superman Returns. Gareth Edwards was originally set to return for this one but in May 2016 decided to step away to focus on smaller movies. In January 2017 Dougherty was announced as director.
What cast members are returning from the first movie?
For the most part, Godzilla: King of Monsters has an entirely new cast. But there are two characters returning--scientists Dr. Ishiro Serizawa (Ken Watanabe) and Dr. Vivienne Graham (Sally Hawkins). They work for Monarch, the secret organisation dedicated to investigating big monsters in the MonsterVerse. Watanabe is best known for movies such as Inception and The Last Samurai, while Hawkins has had a lot of success in the last couple of years with both The Shape of Water and Paddington 2.
Who is in the new cast?
An impressive list of big-name stars enter the MonsterVerse for King of the Monsters. The cast is headed by Vera Farmiga (The Conjuring, The Departed) as Dr. Emma Russell, a scientist working for Monarch alongside her daughter Madison, played by Stranger Things break-out star Millie Bobby Brown. Kyle Chandler (First Man, Game Night) plays Emma's ex-husband Mark. There are also supporting roles for Bradley Whitford (Get Out, The West Wing) and Chinese star Zhang Ziyi, playing Dr. Stanton and Dr. Chen respectively. Silicon Valley lead Thomas Middleditch is Sam Coleman, the communications liaison between Monarch and the government, while O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Straight Outta Compton) plays an officer in Monarch's special military group. There's also role for veteran actor Charles Dance (Game of Thrones, Alien 3).
What is the movie about?
The plot of Godzilla: King of Monsters has, unsurprisingly, been kept a secret for the most part. But we do know a few details. The official synopsis reads: "The new story follows the heroic efforts of the crypto-zoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god-sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three-headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient super-species--thought to be mere myths--rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance." Monarch has become an increasingly bigger part of the MonsterVerse across the movies so far, and it looks like this latest film puts the focus primarily on them. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Dougherty revealed that Farmiga's character, Monarch scientist Dr. Emma Russell, is kidnapped by "a mysterious organization, with their own plans for the creatures." According to EW this kicks off a "rescue mission", led by Russell's ex-husband Mark, her daughter Madison, and scientists Serizawa and Graham. And of course, there's the small matter of the monsters...
What monsters are we getting?
Godzilla is all about the monsters, fans of the original Japanese movies will know that the Godzilla universe is packed with fearsome creatures. As the title suggests King of the Monsters gives us three more giant beasts--King Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mothra. Mothra is a giant centipede who transforms--like a caterpillar--into a moth-like creature. He's usually portrayed as being on the side of the humans, and in original Japanese movies was accompanied by two humanoid fairies (really!) Rodan is a giant winged reptile, and King Ghidorah is Godzilla's greatest nemesis--a terrifying three-headed beast, with the ability to shoot devastating energy beams.
What else have we learnt from the trailers?
Two trailers have been released so far. From the first, we know that the big monsters are being referred to as "titans", and that Dr. Russell is very keen to locate them, referring to them as the Earth's "original and rightful rulers." From her voiceover, it seems that they hold the key to the survival of the Earth--exactly how and why is not clear. We see Godzilla roaring blue flame into the sky and the other monsters are glimpsed fleetingly--Rodan skimming across the surface of the water and King Ghidorah coming towards the camera, backlit by flame. The second trailer doesn't reveal much more plot, but it definitely shows a lot more monster action. We see Ghidorah rising from a volcano, Rodan doing battle with jet fighters, and Mothra swooping into battle. The trailer suggests that Mothra is one of Godzilla's allies, while the trailer ends with Godzilla and Ghidorah about to get into a serious fight.
Who wrote King of the Monsters?
The movie was written by Dougherty, Max Borenstein, and Zach Shields. Borenstein is most consistent creative figure in the MonsterVerse so far, having co-written both Godzilla and Skull Island. Shields might be new to the these movies, but he co-wrote Krampus with Dougherty, as well as directing some short spin-off films from Trick 'r Treat.
Will King of the Monsters get a sequel?
Godzilla is definitely returning for more action. Production has already started on Godzilla vs. Kong, which--as the title suggests--will deliver the ultimate showdown between cinema's two greatest monsters. It's directed by Adam Wingard (Death Note, The Guest), and the cast includes Alexander Skarsgård (Hold the Dark), Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry (Atlanta), and Demián Bichir (Alien: Covenant), with Millie Bobby Brown and Kyle Chandler both set to reprise their roles from King of the Monsters. And we won't have to wait too long for this one--it currently has a May 2020 release date.
What is Godzilla: Aftershock?
Godzilla: Aftershock is a prequel graphic novel that will be published in the spring by Legendary Comics. It bridges the gap between the first movie and the new one, and sees Godzilla face a "new original monster." It will also introduce several of the new characters from King of the Monsters, including Dr. Russell, and will reveal more about the inner-workings of Monarch. The graphic novel is written by Arvid Nelson, who previously wrote the Skull Island prequel comic Skull Island: The Birth of Kong, and illustrated by Drew Edward Johnson.
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