Posts Tagged ‘Thor’

What exactly makes the summer movie season so alluring?

People go to the movies at all times during the course of the year, but summertime always seems to be the period when movies are most popular. It’s the time of year when we can usually look forward to a blockbuster or two, whether they be special effects extravaganzas or what have you, which attract massive crowds of patrons young and old to the local cinemas where they eat tubs of popcorn and drink frosty beverages. What is it exactly, though, that attracts, or even compels so many to see summer releases? Is there something special about the films themselves, or the audiences who watch them? The answers to these questions can be found by figuring out what all of these various audience members have in common, and how what that is relates to the movies they’re seeing.

Read the rest of this entry »

Short Take: Exceeds expectations by balancing action and story

Director: Kenneth Branagh

Screenwriters: J. Michael Staczynski and Mark Protosevich (story), Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Don Payne (screenplay)

Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston

Length: 1h 55m

Synopsis: King Odin (Hopkins) of Asgard was looking to pass down the crown to his son Thor (Hemsworth), but before that would happen the sophomoric son went on a foolish and dangerous errand that could potentially rekindle a war between Asgard and their olden enemies the Frost Giants. For such recklessness Thor is exiled to Earth where he shall be powerless until he proves himself worthy to return. While gone, Odin’s adopted son Loki (Hiddleston) carries out plans to usurp the throne and compromise Asgard for the Frost Giants. With the help of several humans trying to understand Thor’s plight, the most empathetic of which is an astrophysicist named Jane (Portman), the God of Thunder must mature in time to save his kingdom.

Read the rest of this entry »

Short Take: Shows more promise in future Marvel films than in itself. Entertaining, but disjointed.

Director: Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf)

Screenwriter: Justin Theroux (Tropic Thunder)

Cast: Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man, Sherlock Holmes, Tropic Thunder), Don Cheadle (Brooklyn’s Finest, Hotel Rwanda, Ocean’s 11), Gwyneth Paltrow (Two Lovers, Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (He’s Just Not That Into You, The Spirit, Vicky Christina Barcelona), Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler, Domino, Sin City), Sam Rockwell (Everybody’s Fine, Moon, Frost/Nixon)

Length: 2 hours 4 minutes

Synopsis: Picking up where the last film left off, the film follows Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) as he struggles to overcome a number of obstacles after revealing he is Iron Man.  Stark fights to keep the U.S. government from taking the Iron Man technology while also competing with fellow arms businessman Justin Hammer (Rockwell).  However, Stark has bigger problems like Ivan Vanko (Rourke), an angry nemesis out for revenge against the Stark family, as well as the threat that the piece of machinery keeping him alive may also be slowly killing him.  On top of all this, Stark tries to cultivate his budding romance with Pepper Potts (Paltrow) while also flirting with his mysterious new personal assistant Natalie (Johansson). Read the rest of this entry »

Oscar winner Anthony Hopkins

Thor, set to begin production in January, will now star Anthony Hopkins as Oden, father on Thor and Loki. The rest of the cast includes Chris Hemsworth (as Thor), Tom Hiddleston (as Loki), and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Thor’s romantic interest.

Thor is set to release May 20th, 2010.

Source: Variety

In Other News…

Disney continues to trim down Miramax studios. Miramax president Daniel Battsek has been asked to step down as head of Disney’s specialty film division. Disney plans to cut 50 more jobs at Miramax by January, leaving only around 20.

The figurative trimming of the fat is a continuation of Disney’s plans to cut costs, which it said it planned to do months ago. Miramax, which usually releases 6 to 8 films per year, will now only release 3 annually.

Under Battsek’s guidance over the last 18 years, Miramax has released such acclaimed films as The Queen, Gone Baby Gone, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, No Country for Old Men, and Doubt. Miramax’s last film this year will be Everything’s Fine starring Robert De Niro, set to release December 4th.

Source: Hollywood Reporter

May 6, 2011

For those who haven’t yet heard, a release date had been announced for Columbia Picture’s fourth Spider-Man movie, which is May 6, 2011.

This will make Spider-Man 4 the third superhero movie scheduled to come out that summer, accompanied by Thor (June 17) and The First Avenger: Captain America (July 22).

Director Sam Raimi and actors Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst will return. Gary Ross is currently writing the script.

Source: Variety