Moviefone Copyright 2011, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. Moviefone Good old fashioned elbow grease. "Iron Man 3" is the line-up of new armors set to make their big-screen debut: the Mark VIII, the Iron Patriot, the Heartbreaker, Silver Centurion, Shotgun, Red Snapper, Gemini Space! We've run out of breath just trying to recap Tony Stark's mad display of tech.

But there's a few Iron Man suits that wound up on the cutting room floor and locked away in a vault of deleted scenes. Luckily for you, we don't need to wait for a super-special edition Blu-ray to get a peek at these rare and unusual armors -- because artist extraordinaire Dennis Culver and Moviefone have teamed up to give you an inside look at the most unusual Iron Man upgrades from Stark Industries.

These six suits will have Tony prepared for any battle situation -- whether it's a little bit of corporate synergy between Marvel and Disney or for when he's dropped into a gathering of ten-thousand ninjas partying at Cave-In-Rock, Illinois. Check out the armor designs in the gallery below.

PHOTOS:


Want more from Dennis Culver?
Order your very own copy of "All in the Game" -- a poster print featuring 52 characters from the critically-acclaimed television show "The Wire."

Pick up issues 1-6 of the digital super-villain series "Edison Rex" at MonkeyBrain Comics. (Available for only $.99 an issue) And be on the lookout for volume one of "Edison Rex" arriving in stores this June from IDW!

Previously on Moviefone:
The Nicktoon Avengers

The Forgotten G.I. Joes of the '80s]]> Wed, 1 May 2013 10:04:09 EDT 3192927 Moviefone's New Release of the Week
"Jack Reacher"
What's It About? Tom Cruise stars in the long-anticipated adaptation of the best-selling series of novels about a tough-as-nails military investigator searching for a deadly sniper who has already claimed several victims.
See It Because: Although "Reacher" purists were upset that Tom Cruise didn't fit the book's interpretation of the alpha hero, the film is still a gritty, throwback action movie with old-school gruffness.

Moviefone's Blu-ray of the Week
"Finding Nemo 3D"
What's It About? The beloved Pixar classic about a father and son fish separated from each other gets the 3D upgrade.
See It Because: "Nemo" is one of the animation studio's most lush, colorful productions ever -- and now you can experience the tropical visuals with in an even-more immersive experience.

New on DVD & Blu-ray
"In the Hive"
In or Out? IN

"Mama"
In or Out? IN

"The Oranges"
In or Out? OUT

"Safe Haven"
In or Out? OUT

"Starlet"
In or Out? IN

"Superman: Unbound"
In or Out? IN

Last Week's DVD & Blu-ray Highlights
"Broken City"
Watch a Clip from "Broken city"


"The Details"
In or Out? OUT

"The Guilt Trip"
Watch a Behind-the-Scenes Feature on "The Guilt Trip"


"Little Red Wagon"
In or Out? OUT

"Not Fade Away"
In or Out? IN

"Silver Linings Playbook"
In or Out? IN]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:04:51 EDT 3186128 Moviefone's Blu-ray of the Week
"Jurassic Park 3D"
What's It About? God creates dinosaurs. God destroys dinosaurs. God creates man. Man destroys God. Man creates dinosaurs... Dinosaurs eat man. Woman inherits the earth.
Why We're IN: It's "Jurassic Park 3D" from the comfort of your home. What more do you need?

Moviefone's New Release of the Week
"The Impossible"
What's It About? Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor star as the parents of a vacationing family that gets separated from each other during the devastating 2004 tsunami of Southeast Asia and struggle to locate each other and their missing children.
Why We're IN: Watts earned an Oscar nomination and it's easy to see why; as harrowing as the story can be at times, it's an incredibly moving, and even more remarkably, true tale that will keep you captivated.

New on DVD & Blu-ray
"Any Day Now"
What's It About? Alan Cumming stars in a true-story family drama about a gay couple that takes in a mentally challenged boy but must fight the courts to be recognized as his best caretakers. It can be melodramatic at times, but Cumming has never been a bad actor.
In or Out: IN.

"The Central Park Five"
What's It About? Ken Burns co-directs this documentary looking at an infamous 1989 crime and the five young men that were wrongfully convicted. Even though it took place in the past, the story is just as gripping now to watch unfold.
In or Out: IN.

"Cheech & Chong's Animated Movie"
What's It About? Wait, 4/20 was this past weekend!
In or Out: OUT.

"Family Weekend"
What's It About? A teenage girl holds her dysfunctional parents (Kristin Chenoweth and Matthew Modine) hostage in an attempt to work out their issues. Other comedies have explored the same subject matter a lot better.
In or Out: OUT.

"Gangster Squad"
What's It About? Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn, and Emma Stone headline an all-star "cops vs. mob" movie that's all music video style and no substance.
In or Out: OUT.

"A Haunted House"
What's It About? Didn't this just come out? No, you're confusing it with "Scary Movie 5." Does that matter? No.
In or Out: OUT.

"It's In the Blood"
What's It About? Lance Henriksen stars in a direct-to-DVD supernatural thriller.... as he always does.
In or Out: For Lance completists only.

"K-11"
What's It About? Kristen Stewart's mom directed this warped prison thriller filled with pulpy characters. It's hard to watch a movie try to be "campy cult fun" and fail.
In or Out: OUT.

"Pawn"
What's It About? Ray Liotta, Forest Whitaker, and Michael Chiklis are just some of the names in this hostage thriller involving dirty cops and two-bit crooks. If you've seen one of these movies, you've seen them all.
In or Out: For fans of the genre only.

"Promised Land"
What's It About? Matt Damon and John Krasinski co-write and star under Gus Van Sant ("Good Will Hunting") in a small-town drama about a big, corporate salesman and an environmental activist fighting over fracking rights, a small town, and the affections of a woman. There are some problems involving plot twists, but there's enough substance to compensate.
In or Out: IN.

"Wasted on the Young"
What's It About? Step-brothers who fall on opposing sides of the social hierarchy come to blows over a beautiful classmate and her slandered reputation in a sleek, gritty, tech-savvy Australian drama that's heavy on the style and soap opera, and light on plausibility.
In or Out: OUT.

"Wuthering Heights"
What's It About? Emily Bronte's classic novel gets perhaps its most gorgeous and lyrical adaptation yet.
In or Out: IN.

New to Blu-ray
"Champion" (1949)
"City That Never Sleeps"
"Copacabana"
"The Great Gatsby" (1974)
"Magic Town"
Pierre Etaix Criterion Collection("As Long as You've Got Your Health" | "Land of Milk and Honey" | "Le grand amour" | "The Suitor" | "Yoyo" | 3 shorts)
"The Red Pony"
"Richard III" Criterion Collection

John Wayne-a-mania!
"The Fighting Seabees"
"Santa Fe Stampede"
"Wake of the Red Witch"
"War of the Wildcats"]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2013 10:53:48 EDT 3131935 Rob Zombie returns to theaters this weekend with an eerie new project titled "The Lords of Salem." The film stars Zombie's real-life wife, Sherri Moon (star of his "Devil's Rejects" and "Halloween" remake), as a radio DJ working in modern-day Salem, Massachusetts. One night, she is delivered a mysterious record to play on air from a group known only as "The Lords." The band's creepy sounds subsequently seem to posses Moon and the women of Salem, filling their heads with nightmarish visions of Satan and a coven of witches seeking revenge from beyond the grave.

Despite staying in the horror realm, "Lords of Salem" is a very different kind of Rob Zombie film. Light on gore and with an emphasis on cerebral, visual scares, "Salem" shows off new cinematic skills from the shock rocker.

Zombie spoke with Moviefone about the need to create something new for horror, struggling with "pointless" studio remakes and taking on an even bigger departure for his next film: a sports biopic of the notorious '70s line-up of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Moviefone: "Lords of Salem" is a definite evolution of your filmmaking style; it's much more methodical than your fans are used to.
Rob Zombie: That was my intention. I really wanted to do something very different from what I had done before, pacing wise, style wise and basically every-wise.

Modern, young audiences that go see mainstream horror movies are not used to a slow, psychological take. How do you try to tell a methodical horror story with that audience hurdle?
You just can't worry about it, because I really feel that the death of anything is when you start catering to the audience. That’s not an insult to the audience, it's just you go in there, you have a vision, and you try to carry it out, hope if it works well, and that people will discover it .

They may not discover it the day it comes out, they may discover it years later. But trying to crank out cookie-cutter product because the studios have decided that's what audiences want -- the audience doesn’t want that! But sometimes you force feed them crap because there is nothing else. They may go “Oh I want to go to the movies tonight” they look at the list of movies and go "I don’t want to see any of these movies!"

I want to go see something and go "Wow I’ve never seen that before," and I think most audiences do, too. They get beaten down. Maybe you like "American Idol," but you don’t need twenty other shows exactly like it. F---ing over-kill, but that’s what they figure. Try to turn art into Coca-Cola.

You have an interesting perspective because you’ve worked on remakes and original ideas. What differences did you see working with a major studio on an original idea as opposed to developing a remake?
The remake is more difficult because, on some level, remakes seem pointless. But the reality of the business is those are the movies they will give you money to make. So it's sort of like "I can do this or I can do nothing." I love movies and I want to make movies so you go, "All right let me do this." With the "Halloween" movies I made, I wanted to go in a different direction because it's so pointless to go, "I'm going to copy what John Carpenter did." That’s the struggle: You want to change it enough that it's worth making, but not so much that there is no resemblance.

When the project first came up, the studio strangely enough didn’t care if Michael Meyers or Dr. Loomis was in the movie; they just wanted it be "Halloween." And I thought what appealed to me was Meyers was like a modern-day Frankenstein. These characters, like Meyers, Freddy Krueger, are our generation's Wolfman and Frankenstein -- the iconic monsters -- so why not treat it that way? This is just another retelling of a classic story.

Inevitably, whenever a filmmaker directs their spouse, critics will judge that performance with more scrutiny. Does that impact how you direct your wife?
I try not to think about that stuff. I know that she will get more attention than she normally would. People who have no sort of public persona whatsoever, they might not even mention the director's name. With me, they mention my name and then start pontificating on what I was thinking, what I was doing and who I am -- and they read a lot into it, and unfortunately they do that a lot with her as well. Which is a good and a bad thing; in one way it gets you more attention, but in another way people can't distance themselves enough when they are watching the movie. It's ridiculous at times.

What is your approach to getting these crazed performances out of your cast?
I try to tell them as much as possible, but sometimes it does seem stupid what I’m telling them, truthfully. “OK, bring in the fake goat. You’re going to ride that goat. This is going to happen: there’s going to be all these nude women with animal heads walking down a hallway.” I think, more than usual, the cast and crew were in a state of constant confusion.

Do you personally get scared by the concept of Satanic horror?
No, not at all. But I know others do, that’s why I like messing with it.

Then how do you ensure a movie like this is scary?
I don’t find movies scary, so I have to figure out what I think other people would find scary. That’s really the trick. I figure out what would push other people’s buttons. A lot of the stuff in the film was really bothering Ken Foree because he is very religious. He was really wigged out by a lot of the stuff in the script.

I wanted to switch gears and talk about the next movie you are working on: the biopic of the Broad Street Bullies. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve seen working on a true sports story?
You have to find a way to stay true to the facts as much as you can but still make it a compelling movie. It doesn’t have to be a perfectly exact retelling of the truth; it might be accurate but it might not make for a good film. I’m trying to make it as detailed and accurate as possible but also make it work as a drama... We’re at the point where the script is finished and we are trying to figure out how and when and where we are going to do it because I have a new record coming out, so I start touring in June. My year is pretty booked up with tour dates. So I’m hoping late in the year to start that one.

Do you consider yourself a horror director, and will this movie be an "experiment"?
I consider myself a director and I love movies. My first bunch of movies for the first ten years were all from a certain genre, and now I’m going to move off of that and do other things. Maybe I’ll come back to it sometimes, maybe I won’t. I don’t know, but I didn’t wake up one day and say "I’m going to do this forever." I like movies of all kinds and I want to make movies of all kinds.

If you could score the work of any director, living or dead, what would be your dream music job?
I love silent movies, and I think it would be pretty cool to go back and score silent films. "Hunchback of Notre Dame" or "Metropolis." The really epic ones could be kind of cool. I think with "Metropolis" you could do some pretty interesting things.]]> Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:55:53 EDT 3115920 Moviefone's Pick of the Week
"Django Unchained"
What's It About? Quentin Tarantino's Western about a German bounty hunter freeing a southern slave (and all that comes with it), is at once a commentary on how barbaric the idea of slavery is/was and also a dark comedy about the horrors of the slave trade.
See It Because: Some moments you'll be laughing out loud and at others you'll be morose and silent. In the end, you'll be cheering aloud for protagonist Jamie Foxx (Django), who's gunslinging badassery is one of the most memorable performances of the year.

Moviefone's Blu-ray Pick of the Week
"Repo Man" Criterion Collection
What's It About? Uh well.... Emilio Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton star in this 1984 punk classic as a pair of repossession agents that race against rival thugs and government agents to locate a classic Chevy Malibu that may or may not have dead radioactive aliens locked in the trunk.
See It Because: This new edition is a smorgasbord of '80s counter-culture movie history -- with new video interviews featuring the cast and crew and legendary rocker Iggy Pop, along with comics, essays, and commentary.

New on DVD & Blu-ray
"Dragon"
What's It About? A plot that is very similar to "A History of Violence" gets transplanted into early 20th century China and replaces the gun battles with kung fu; the dramatic scenes drag on, but the action is impressive.
In or Out: IN.

"The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia"
What's It About? The poorly-received imitator of "The Amityville Horror" gets a direct-to-DVD sequel with a younger, more attractive cast, including Chad Michael Murray and Katie Sackhoff
In or Out: OUT.

"Iron Man: Rise of the Technovore"
What's It About? Tony Stark gets a very PG-13 anime adventure featuring Hawkeye, Black Widow and the Punisher (voiced by "The Walking Dead's" Norman Reedus); "Iron Man" should be the perfect sci-fi vehicle to introduce American audiences to Japanese animation, but this cash-grab is littered with every anime cliche.
In or Out: OUT.

"A Monster in Paris 3D"
What's It About? A tiny flea that has been grown into a seven foot tall monstrosity -- thanks to the misguided efforts of a cocky scientist and his lovesick assistant -- becomes a night club sensation, in 1910 Paris; this international animated CGI musical (available in both French and English) proves you don't need Disney to deliver funny, colorful pop cartoons.
In or Out: IN.

Watch a Clip from "A Monster in Paris"



"Not Suitable for Children"
What's It About? A hard-partying slacker (Ryan Kwanten) attempts to find a woman who will bear his child before he undergoes cancer treatment that will render him infertile. It's a well-worn Apatow-esque romantic comedy from Australia, but it's still charming.
In or Out: IN.

"Save the Date"
What's It About? Allison Brie and Lizzy Caplan star as sisters with differing views on romance in a very indie-hip romantic comedy. There isn't much story underneath the twee packaging, but Brie and Caplan are charming enough that it's worth one viewing.
In or Out: IN, but just barely.]]> Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:47:30 EDT 3087356 Moviefone's Blu-ray of the Week
"Naked Lunch" Criterion Collection
What's It About? William S. Borroughs's landmark ode to drug use was never going to be coherently adapted for the big screen, so visionary sci-fi director David Cronenberg did the next best thing with a surreal, meta take on the writer's own hallucination-filled life.
See It Because: It's probably one of the most underrated movies of the 1990s and visually on-par with the weirdness of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas"; the Criterion Collection upgrades the movie's rich color palette, and packs this edition with looks at the movie's unsettling special effects and its real-life inspiration.

New on DVD & Blu-ray
"Down the Shore"
What's It About? James Gandolfini stars in a New Jersey-set drama about small-town lives, that sat on the shelf for years before finally finding its way on DVD; if you watch it, you'll see why.
In or Out?: Out

"The Girl"
What's It About? Toby Jones stars in the other Alfred Hitchcock biopic from 2012 -- this one an HBO film following his complicated relationship with Tippi Hedren -- that focuses less on the director's unique, quirky life story, and more on soap opera-level Hollywood "drama."
In or Out?: Out

"Hyde Park on Hudson"
What's It About? Bill Murray as FDR in a comedic re-telling of the President's meeting with King George VI seems like a cannot-miss movie... but it misses big time, by being oddly boring.
In or Out: Out

"The Kitchen"
What's It About? "That '70s Show" star Laura Prepon headlines an indie ensemble comedy about a young woman celebrating her 30th birthday and the "wacky hijinks" caused by her friends and family. Unfortunately, her birthday's ruined by film school-level moviemaking littered with professional actors.
In or Out: Out

"The Sorcerer and the White Snake"
What's It About? In this CGI-heavy martial arts film (that's light on real stunt choreography), Jet Li stars as an ancient wizard that battles with a snake woman over a man's soul. Oh, so the title wasn't a metaphor.
In or Out: Out

New to Blu-ray
"Gate of Hell" Criterion Collection
"Major Dundee"
"Richard III" (1955) Criterion Collection]]> Mon, 8 Apr 2013 14:06:30 EDT 3038818 "Jurassic Park 3D" hitting theaters this weekend, it may make us feel a little old. It's been 20 frickin' years since we first got knocked out of our seats by the roar of a t-rex on the big screen, but we still remember it was like it was yesterday.

Clearly, we're still in recovery mode from the seismic impact of "JP" or else we would have noticed all the amazing artwork inspired by Steven Spielberg's dino thriller. For two decades, talented illustrators have been paying tribute to the best (worst?) theme park ever with awesome renditions of the movie's most exciting moments and terrifyingly imposing prehistoric creatures. But perhaps the most dynamic visual tributes were reserved for that most dynamic of chaos theorists: Dr. Ian Malcolm.

Check out some of our favorite "Jurassic Park" inspired artwork in the gallery below.

PHOTOS:


Our sister site, ComicsAlliance, makes a habit of spotlighting particular artists and/or specific bodies of work. For more awesome fan art, check out their feature Best Art Ever (This Week).]]> Thu, 4 Apr 2013 12:27:13 EDT 3015416 Moviefone's New Release of the Week
"John Dies at the End"
What's It About? The cult comic horror novel -- about twenty-something slackers who discover an inter-dimensional invasion occurring through the use of a psychoactive drug -- gets a film adaptation that's just as trippy as the story on the page.
See It Because: If you're looking for a midnight movie then you'll be hard pressed to do better than the pedigree attached to this one (Paul Giamatti co-stars and the film is directed by Don "Phantasm" Coscarelli)

Moviefone's Blu-Ray of the Week
"Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One - Avengers Assembled"
What's It About? This box set contains (deep breath): "Iron Man," "Iron Man 2," "The Incredible Hulk," "Captain America" (2D and 3D), "Thor" (2D and 3D), and "The Avengers (2D and 3D).
See It Because: You need a reason?

New on DVD & Blu-ray
"The Baytown Outlaws"
What's It About? Eva Longoria and Billy Bob Thornton star in a shoot-em-up southern comedy that you've never heard about -- and for good reason.
In or Out?: Out

"Freeloaders"
What's It About? Comedy troupe Broken Lizards (makers of "Super Troopers" and "Beerfest" among other cult comedy hits) produce and co-star in this slacker comedy about wacky! roommates. If only they had a hand in writing it, too.
In or Out?: Out

"Hemingway & Gellhorn"
What's It About? This HBO telefilm chronicles the relationship between famed writers Ernest Hemingway and Martha Gelhorn, with Clive Owen and Nicole Kidman assuming the daunting roles. It's loaded with talented actors, but the production is too long, too crammed, and too corny.
In or Out?: Out

"Stitches"
What's It About? A low-rent clown returns from the dead to get revenge on the bratty kids who inadvertently caused his demise. There's a fine line between clever and stupid, and this movie's attempt to be funny, scary, and weird -- and all on a tiny budget -- leads to it missing the mark.
In or Out?: Out

"The Sweeney"
What's It About? Ray Winstone stars as a tough-as-nails detective who has to go against his boss's orders to clean up the streets; imagine the most predictable cop story ever through the lens of typically stylish British crime capers.
In or Out?: Out

New to Blu-ray
"Hello, Dolly!"]]> Mon, 1 Apr 2013 16:07:11 EDT 2994316 Moviefone's New Release of the Week
"Lincoln"
What's It About? Steven Spielberg and Daniel Day-Lewis take on the story of The Great Emancipator in "Lincoln." The film centers on honest Abe's final months in office, trying to unite a divided country and abolish slavery.
See It Because: With the incomparably method Day-Lewis at the forefront, looking like the spitting image of the 16th President, he successfully altered the public's perception of Lincoln -- and went on to win an unprecedented third Academy Award for Best Actor .

New on DVD & Blu-ray
"Easy Money"
What's It About? Three men -- a status-chasing business student, a two-bit crook, and a single-dad mafia hitman -- collide in this heavy, stylish Swedish crime thriller.
In or Out?: In.

"The Collection"
What's It About? A poor man's version of the "Saw" franchise tries to get a sequel off the ground, and fails.
In or Out?: Out.

"The Comedy"
What's It About? "Adult Swim" comedian Tim Heidecker stars in a intentionally not-funny skewering of trust-fund Brooklyn hipsters and their insufferable ironic detachment from real life; if you're a fan of Andy Kauffman at his most confrontational, you'll be prepared for this one.
In or Out?: In, if you're up for a challenge.

"Killing Them Softly"
What's It About? Brad Pitt leads an all-star cast of grizzled dudes (like Ray Liotta and James Gandolfini) as a Mob enforcer who goes after dumb criminals that rob a Mob card game. It's tough, it pulls no punches, and it's charmingly thuggish.
In or Out?: In.

Watch a Scene from "Killing Them Softly"


"Parental Guidance"
What's It About? Bette Midler and Billy Crystal star as grandparents in a sweet family comedy that means well but plays a little too corny for young hip crowds.
In or Out?: Out, unless you can relate.

Watch a Scene from "Parental Guidance"


"A Royal Affair"
What's It About? Broaden your international pallet with this Oscar-nominated Danish film about a love triangle between a young queen, her mad husband, and the educated physician that enters the kingdom.
In or Out?: In.

"To the Arctic"
What's It About? Meryl Streep narrates this documentary (originally presented in 3D IMAX) about a mother polar bear surviving a changing Arctic landscape with twin cubs; come for the beautiful cinematography and cute animals, stay for important lesson about preserving our environment.
In or Out?: In.

New to Blu-ray
"The Atomic Kid"

"The Devil and Miss Jones"

"From Beyond" Collector's Edition

"Hell's Half Acre"

"Ironweed"

"Jurassic Park"

"The Lawless Nineties"

"Little Fugitive"

"A Man Betrayed"

"A Man Escaped" Criterion Collection

"McLintock!"

"Monsieur Verdoux" Criterion Collection

"Panic in the Streets"

"Phantasm II" Collector's Edition

"Ruthless" (1948)

"The Sandlot" 20th Anniversary Edition

"The Song of Bernadette"

"The Squid and the Whale"

"The Sun Shines Bright"

"Westward Ho"

"Wyoming Outlaw"]]> Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:17:49 EDT 2973242 Yo Joe!

Fans of "G.I. Joe" are eagerly awaiting the release of this weekend's "G.I. Joe: Retaliation" which looks be a more faithful adaptation than the previous film installment, and relishes in the infinite ninja battles that have been entertaining audiences through decades of toys, comics, and cartoons. If you need more proof that "Retaliation" gets it right, look to the actors involved; casting larger-than-life action heroes like Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Bruce Willis reminds us of those Saturday morning adventures where the Joes recruited Sgt. Slaughter and William "The Refrigerator" Perry (and even came close to nabbing Rocky too!) It's a shame that the Joes didn't team-up with even more icons of the '80s... until now.

Moviefone has teamed up with our favorite artist Dennis Culver to imagine an all-star roster of the '80s biggest figures -- from the Goonies to "Rebel Yell" rockers, with a pit stop at Melmac on the way -- suited up for the war against Cobra. If you thought you knew everything about Rainbow Brite and the Care Bears, these declassified file cards will prove that you didn't know anything (and knowing is half the battle). Check out the gallery below to learn all about the forgotten Joes of the 1980s!

PHOTOS:


Want more from Dennis Culver? Pick up issues 1-6 of the digital super-villain series "Edison Rex" at MonkeyBrain Comics. (Available for only $.99 an issue)

Previously on Moviefone:
The Nicktoon Avengers

If Pixar Characters Starred in All the Summer Movies

Cartoon Characters Go Trick-or-Treating]]> Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:51:52 EDT 2963520 outlandish characters to an already-ridiculous family of ogres, dragons and superheroes with the caveman clan known as "The Croods."

Since its inception in the mid '90s, DreamWorks has been seen as a cinematic rival to the animation powerhouse of Disney and Pixar, but that's not a concern to fans who have enjoyed blockbuster films like "Shrek," "How To Train Your Dragon," and "Madagascar"; and as these movies have introduced audiences to a bevvy of fantastical figures, it's only natural that the web's most talented artists pay tribute to their favorite figures.

Check out some of Moviefone's favorite eye-catching interpretations of the DreamWorks characters in the gallery below.

PHOTOS:


Our sister site, ComicsAlliance, makes a habit of spotlighting particular artists and/or specific bodies of work. For more awesome fan art, check out their feature Best Art Ever (This Week).

Related: The Best DreamWorks Characters -- Ranking Everyone, From Megamind to Shrek ]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 10:06:48 EDT 2932262 Moviefone's Pick of the Week
"Zero Dark Thirty"
What's It About? Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow documents the recent history we're all too familiar with in this action blockbuster retelling of the manhunt for Osama bin Laden.
See It Because: It's an intense and thrilling recreation of events you already know about, but still manages to keep you guessing; and while the film has earned its fair share of controversy, it's worth watching as a snapshot of a very unique time in American history.

Moviefone's Blu-ray Pick of the Week
"Badlands" Criterion Collection
What's It About? Before he became "that 'Tree of Life' guy" Terrence Malick changed filmmaking forever with his directorial breakthrough starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek as two young lovers who embark on a cross-country killing spree.
See It Because: If you know what Blu-ray does for beautiful cinematography and what Criterion does for historical archiving, then this should be a no-brainer.

New on DVD & Blu-ray
"Bachelorette"
What's It About? Kirsten Dunst, Isla Fisher, Lizzy Caplan, and Rebel Wilson star in a raunchy comedy about jealous bridesmaids that attempted to be a female version of "The Hangover'.... but the main characters are just too mean and selfish to be charming.
See It or Skip It: Skip it.

"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey"
What's It About? It doesn't quite pop! like any one installment of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, but there's enough rollicking adventure scenes and familiarity with the Tolkien mythology that it's a worthy-enough prequel; the jury is still out on the decision to pad out this one story into three separate films, however.
See It or Skip It: See it.

Watch a Behind-the-Scenes Clip from "The Hobbit"


"Les Miserables"
What's It About? Life! Death! Revolution! Music! Oscars!
See It or Skip It: See it.

"Rust and Bone"
What's It About? Marion Cotillard stars as a whale trainer who loses her legs, following an accident at a marine park. With her life in shambles, she falls into the arms of a nightclub bouncer she met one drunken night. The film is beautifully shot and captures both the grittiness of their physical trauma and the naked truth of their relationship, with a flair that's both raw and stylish
See It or Skip It: See it.

"This is 40"
What's It About? Judd Apatow's latest semi-autobiographical(?) family comedy starring his real-life wife Leslie Mann and his on-screen alter-ego Paul Rudd has great, strong comedy on par with "Knocked Up" or "The 40-Year-Old Virgin,' but the flaws inherent with his films -- the navel-gazing look at rich L.A. lifestyles, the bloated running time -- are too much to ignore after "Funny People" left a bad taste in peoples' mouths.
See It or Skip It: Skip it. ]]> Mon, 18 Mar 2013 16:28:18 EDT 2902852 George Lucas attempted to do for fantasy what "Star Wars" did for sci-fi with the blockbuster adventure film "Willow." With Ron Howard on-board as director, "Willow" told the tale of a diminutive sorcerer-in-training (the titular Willow Ulfgood) that must protect an infant child, who will fulfill a prophecy and overthrow an evil Queen. Willow is aided in his struggle by Madmartigan, a wise-cracking bandit played Val Kilmer; together the duo encounters sword fights, magic spells and dragons -- a standard day in a magic kingdom . To play the part of the Frodo-esque hero, Lucas cast none other than 18-year-old dwarf actor Warwick Davis, who got his start playing Wicket the Ewok in "Return of the Jedi" and two follow-up TV movies.

In celebration of its 25th anniversary, "Willow" arrives on Blu-ray this week for the first time in a pristine HD upgrade -- overseen by Lucas himself -- and packed with never-before-seen deleted scenes and retrospective diaries from Lucas, Howard, and "Willow" himself. Moviefone spoke to Warwick Davis about the pressure of his first starring role, his admiration for Lucas's storytelling abilities, and the still-possible plans for a "Willow" sequel on the small screen.

First off, I want to confirm or deny one of those pieces of movie trivia that have been floating around on the Internet: Is it true that Val Kilmer improvised a lot of his dialogue?
No, I really don’t think it is. All great actors will bring something with them to the character. Val certainly gave a very unique spin to the character that wasn’t necessarily written in the script. But as far as dialogue went, he was saying what was written in the script, he was just giving a little bit of a quirk, a little spin that made this character quite individual... I wouldn’t say Val’s approach to it is any more extreme than any other actor I’ve worked with. It’s just what he does.

When you look at Ron Howard’s filmography, he seems like an unusual fit for the high fantasy of "Willow" -- and I think some audiences still feel like he was a strange choice. What was unique about his style?
I think Ron was a great choice. He’s a very good "actors' director" having been an actor himself. He knows exactly how to empathize with an actor and communicate with an actor, to bring the very best out of them. He is all about creating characters that the audience will root for.

It’s not about how epic we can make this, or about how amazing we can make the special effects. Those are there to create the backdrop for the characters to tell their story. For Ron it was about being a good storyteller. Fantasy directors can get carried away at making it epic and making the special effects great, and those films feel very empty, don’t they? You go, Oh, it looks lovely but I just don’t get it, I’m not getting anything from this. Ron is a very unique filmmaker that can do both.

It’s interesting that you bring up directors getting carried away with special effects, because you've had a long working relationship with George Lucas. Post-"Star Wars," Lucas has been criticized for putting an emphasis on effects over story. In your experience with him, how did you interpret his approach?
George has always been very interested in effects. Without George Lucas we wouldn’t be where we are today with special effects. I don’t really think that there was ever a point where he changed his approach or anything like that. He has always used effects to tell the story. He has been adamant about that. He enjoys playing with those tools he has at his disposal, those that he has developed.

Since you got to work Lucas on on "Return of the Jedi," did "Willow" feel like familiar filmmaking or was it still overwhelming?
It was a huge experience but not overwhelming. It was fairly intense, physically and emotionally. I was facing new challenges whether it was a difficult dialogue scene or a big action scene. I had great training, not only the training they gave me in that film, but having done "Return," the "Ewok" movies, "Labyrinth"; I was tucked away inside a creature suit at those points, but all the time learning about being on the film set, the process, what was required of actors.

You’ve got so much experience in those roles that require a lot of costumes and makeup. But so much now is done with CGI, whether it's the Hobbits or how the "Star Wars" prequels did Yoda. I wouldn’t be surprised if Disney presents the Ewoks using CGI in a future "Star Wars" movie. Is there still a place for performers who use practical effects?
I think very much so. If you look at something like "Harry Potter," I think they used them in a way that was very balanced. There are some things that you simply cannot achieve with makeup effects. But using CGI just for the sake of using it isn’t necessarily a good thing. I think an audience can discern whether there is some living presence within a character or whether it is CGI.

When I’ve done work in those projects, I am collaborating with makeup artists and designers, and every day I am having my makeup applied by these people. I look at it as a team effort when I go out on the set. The character is all of our work, I’m just the one that gets to go out and perform it. The best CGI is the stuff that you don’t see and is used to enhance. But I am still a fan of the traditional process of prosthetic makeup because it has gotten to such a brilliant level.

How far have conversations gone in terms of expanding the universe beyond that initial movie?
There have been conversations throughout the years -- hopefully some of them joking ones. I had a conversation with Ron and George and said "You know people would love a sequel to the movie." George said, “Yeah we thought about it, but if we did it, we would have to recast 'cause you are too old.” [Laughs] And that’s where the conversation ended. I think he was joking. I don’t look that different. Ron and I were together a couple of weeks ago and we look the same.

It would be fun to see if Willow is going to become better as a sorcerer. Is he the apprentice? What has happened to him? Has Madmartigan calmed down a bit or is he still this crazy character? Has Elora Dannen become the queen who would rule over the land? The recent success of fantasy TV series has been phenomenal. "Willow" could easily sit in that category quite nicely.]]> Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:17:37 EDT 2861838 Moviefone's New Release of the Week
"Life of Pi"
What's It About? The best-selling novel about Pi, a 16-year-old boy who survives a shipwreck and is stranded in the ocean with a hyena, orangutan, wounded zebra, and Bengal tiger, is finally brought to the screen by Ang Lee.
See It Because: While an ambitious undertaking, Lee's masterful storytelling and spellbinding cinematography made believers out of even the most devout "Pi" fans -- and it's easy to see why Lee and the movie's visual artists were rewarded with heaps of Oscars.

Watch Ang Lee talk about working with a real tiger, in an exclusive clip from "Life of Pi" (video at the top of this post).

Moviefone's Blu-ray of the Week
"Who Framed Roger Rabbit" 25th Anniversary Edition
What's It About? Disney's landmark Hollywood noir -- set in 1940s "Toon Town" -- is just as madcap and amazing to watch now as it was when it was first released.
See It Because: When "Roger" burst onto the scene, it was mind-blowing to see real people interacting with cartoons so effortlessly; the Blu-ray debut features the best visual presentation available and is loaded with "making-of" special features.

New on DVD and Blu-ray
"Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away"
What's It About? James Cameron's production of a 3D performance film of the trippy stage event is certainly a noble effort, but the grandeur of the show is lost in translation when converted to the small screen. Save up for the real thing.
See It or Skip It: Skip it.

"Hitchcock"
What's It About? It's not flawless, but in this biopic detailing the controversy surrounding the production of "Psycho" Anthony Hopkins nails the iconic director with humorous, freaky accuracy.
See It or Skip It: See it.

Watch an Exclusive Clip from the Special Features of "Hitchcock"

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"Rise of the Guardians"
What's It About? Santa, Jack Frost, the Easter Bunny, the Sandman, and the Tooth Fairy team-up to battle the Boogeyman in a grand fantasy adventure loaded with clever new twists on holiday traditions, There are a few moments that feel like "Happy Meal" commercials, but there's enough imagination (and then some!) to make "Guardians" an enjoyable viewing experience for any season.
See It or Skip It: See it.

"Smashed"
What's It About? Mary Elizabeth Winstead deservedly earned the best reviews of her career in this small, indie comedy-drama about a young woman whose life bottoms out when her "recreational drinking" gets out of control, and she begins to re-examine her marriage to free-wheeling, unintentionally-enabling husband ("Breaking Bad's" Aaron Paul).
See It or Skip It: See it.

"Sound City"
What's It About? Dave Grohl directs this documentary look at the modest recording studio where bands like Nirvana, Metallica, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, and countless other legends recorded their greatest albums. In addition to being a testament to the power of actual hand-made human craft in an increasingly digital auto-correct world, the film climaxes as an all-star concert.
See It or Skip It: See it.

"This Must Be The Place"
What's It About? Sean Penn appears as a thinly-veiled take on The Cure's Robert Smith, in a movie about a reclusive rock star who goes on a cross-country road trip to hunt down the escaped Auschwitz guard who tortured his late father. It's a gorgeously-filmed depiction of small-town America, and, as goofy as he appears, Penn conveys the character effortlessly. But it may be too quirky for its own good.
See It or Skip It: Skip it.

New to Blu-ray
"Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman"

"The Blob" (1958) Criterion Collection

"Brother Bear" / "Brother Bear II" Special Edition

John Carpenter's "Christine"

"The Fury"

"The Hunchback of Notre Dame" / "The Hunchback of Notre Dame II" Collection

"Ministry of Fear" Criterion Collection

"Mulan" / "Mulan II" Special Edition

"Scooby-Doo and the Legend of the Vampire" | "Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster" | "Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico" | "Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword"

"Superman: Braniac Attacks"

"Tom & Jerry: Shiver Me Whiskers"

"Willow"]]> Mon, 11 Mar 2013 14:40:58 EDT 2854278 "Oz the Great and Powerful" hitting theaters this weekend, it's time to revisit one of the most imaginative fantasy lands ever conceived in storytelling. Generations of fans have grown up with the adventures of Dorothy, Glinda and the various non-human magical creatures -- whether it's in Judy Garland's timeless MGM classic or the kind-of creepy '80s cult hit "Return to Oz."

It's only natural for talented artists to pay tribute to the limitless wonder of "Oz" with their own unique spin that can be gorgeous or scary or downright awe-inspiring.

Moviefone has assembled thirty (30!) of the most eye-popping artistic interpretations of the "Oz" universe -- ranging from cute and classical homages to trippy reinventions, with a few funny mash-ups along the yellow-bricked way. Check them all out in the gallery below!

PHOTOS:


Our sister site, ComicsAlliance, makes a habit of spotlighting particular artists and/or specific bodies of work. For more awesome fan art, check out their feature Best Art Ever (This Week).]]> Fri, 8 Mar 2013 12:54:24 EST 2838101