Movies

Iron Man 3 deleted ending shows the badass Mandarin we could’ve had

The big bad villain of Iron Man 3 had a bit of a twist that tickled some and infuriated others. And now a whole new ending to the third Iron Man movie shows the stronger Mandarin we never saw. Do you like this version better? Thanks to artist Federico D’Alessandro, who recently revealed that The…

Simon Pegg explains the ending of The World’s End

The World’s End is a really funny movie — but it’s also a thought-provoking piece of science fiction, with a somewhat controversial ending. When we interviewed the stars and director of the film, we asked Simon Pegg about his take on the ending, and here’s what he told us. https://gizmodo.com/the-worlds-end-a-funny-movie-thats-also-decent-scien-1187143558 Warning: Major spoilers ahead! At…

Why does live-action fantasy fail at the movies?

Apart from Harry Potter, Twilight and the Tolkien adaptations, live-action fantasy movies always seem to tank these days. Latest case in point: Mortal Instruments, which underperformed massively, taking in only about $14 million on a $60 million budget. Why are fantasy movies cursed? Here’s a partial list of fantasy movies that have underperformed domestically in…

Must Watch: The CG Effects of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

You probably didn’t realize how much CG animation there is in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind — and not just in the big obvious scenes where stuff is vanishing. This VFX reel for Michel Gondry’s masterpiece is an eye-opener. In particular, this reel shows how a great filmmaker can use CG to help tell…

How the old movies and TV series models are being destroyed right now

Watch Kevin Spacey smashing the traditional movies and TV industry models in this convincing speech. Spacey believes in a new model where stories are delivered in bulk—like his House of Cards Netflix series—and the audience decides how and when to watch. David Lynch, of course, still disagrees: http://gawker.com/kevin-spacey-delivers-the-definitive-wake-up-call-to-an-1200851840

Meet the Wasp in these amazing Avengers movie animatics

Federico D’Alessandro was the Avengers movie’s animatics supervisor, and he just released a bevy of beautiful videos for storyboarded scenes that didn’t make in into the finished film. Most of them are Iron Man scenes, but one of them reveals how close the superheroine The Wasp was to making it into the movie. If you…

SuperBad: Breaking Bad villain Bryan Cranston will play Lex Luthor

Every single new media outlet is completely sure that Breaking Bad villain Bryan Cranston is going to be Lex Luthor in the next Man of Steel. A new rumor says that he may have signed up to be Superman’s archenemy “in anywhere between six and ten films.” https://gizmodo.com/bryan-cranston-might-actually-be-playing-lex-luthor-1200058429

Free will is a dangerous thing to have in full Divergent trailer

A few days ago, we got our first teaser for the big-screen adaptation of Veronica Roth’s dystopian YA novel Divergent. Now we get the full trailer, and a peek at this world where you’re defined by your faction. https://gizmodo.com/first-divergent-teaser-makes-it-look-like-dystopian-fun-1190884135 This trailer premiered tonight during the MTV Video Music Awards: Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog…

Alternate Iron Man 3 ending shows Ben Kingsley’s explosive death

Ben Kingsley’s Mandarin almost got a much messier ending in Iron Man 3. These animatics from the film’s final act reveal the fate he escaped. Spoilers in the video and below. Storyboard artist Federico D’Alessandro shares these animatics from the oil rig sequence, including Rhodey and Tony’s final encounter with the Mandarin/Trevor. He also share…

The AI Effects Team Controlled This Robo-Puppet While Buried Alive

AI had its narrative problems, sure. But it didn’t have a problem with the awesomeness of its practical effects, specifically the awesomeness of this fully kinetic, crippled android puppet. It’s so good that the robo-carnage is almost disturbing. This behind the scenes footage come from our friends at Stan Winston School, who put a few…

Genius Photographer Recreates Iconic E.T. Movie Poster in Real Life

Anyone who was a child once upon a time has probably dreamed about making their bicycles fly across the full moon like in E.T. Awesome photographer Philipp Schmidli actually did that. He recreated the iconic E.T. movie poster by snapping an awesome picture of a biker riding off a ramp against the backdrop of a…

First Divergent teaser makes it look like dystopian fun

This first teaser trailer for Divergent, the movie based on Veronica Roth’s hit dystopian young-adult novel, is barely long enough to get much of an impression. Just a dozen seconds. But it looks like good rib-cracking fun. [via Den of Geek]

Who’s the most absurdly competent character in all fiction?

We love competence porn — but some characters are just too competent for their own good. I’m talking about people who have planned for every contingency, even the universe imploding. And who have an answer to every problem. Who’s the most ridiculously prepared fictional character? https://gizmodo.com/the-moment-when-science-fiction-split-off-from-competen-1112227008 Please include a picture or clip of this paragon,…

You’ve Only Got a Week to Watch These James Bond Movies on Netflix

Bad news, Bond fans. In just over a week’s time, you’re going to have find a new spy friend on Netflix. On September 2, 17 of the spy films will disappear from the site’s streaming video library. No more Goldfinger. No more GoldenEye. No more a lot of things. The good news is that a…

RIP Gilbert Taylor. He was one of the great cinematographers who transformed science fiction with his work on Star Wars and other films. Sadly, Taylor has died at age 99.

What’s the best special effects scene in history?

Here are 15 options to choose from, selected by the top experts in movie magicks. Do you agree? If not, tell us your personal favorite. https://gizmodo.com/the-best-effects-shots-ever-as-chosen-by-hollywoods-to-1188416659

The New Star Wars Will Be Shot on Film, Which Is Probably Great

Last night, Star Wars: Episode VII cinematographer Dan Mindel announced that the J.J. Abrams-directed movie will be shot on 35mm film, as opposed to digital video. The decision symbolizes the changing of the guard from the reign of George Lucas, and hopefully adds some much-needed vigor to the beloved franchise. Back when The Phantom Menace…

Is anyone really going to notice the difference between Batmans?

The internet is shocked—SHOCKED—after the breaking news: Ben Affleck is getting into Batman’s suit to battle Superman in the next Man of Steel movie. It’s going to make such a difference, people argue. It must be that chin’s dimple. Just look at this selection of outraged people tweeting about it. Look, outraged clueless people: it’s…

The World’s End: A Science Fiction Movie That’s Also Pretty Funny

The World’s End isn’t the funniest movie of the summer. But it’s pretty darn funny in places, and it crackles with storytelling energy. And it’s a good example of how to do a science fiction comedy that’s actually proper science fiction, not just a comedy with science-fictional trappings. Spoilers ahead… Your usual science fiction comedy…

The Best Effects Shots Ever as Chosen By Hollywood’s Top FX Wizards

All right everyone, time to put on your debating/outrage hats. Empire magazine reached out to some of the top vfx artists around the world and had them choose—and justify—what they believe to be the top visual effects shots of all time. The list highlights 15 shots in all, ranging from recent blockbusters, all the way…