News

John Wayne plays a German sea captain in a film that goes out of its way to create a favorable image of our former enemy, with hardly a Nazi flag or even a German accent in sight. Wayne and his co-star Lana Turner are as Teutonic as Blondie and Dagwood, yet the film works as a basic adventure – we like the charismatic star, and the sea chase format guarantees extra interest.

The Sea Chase

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1955 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 117 min. / Street Date July 11, 2017 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: John Wayne, Lana Turner, David Farrar, Lyle Bettger, Tab Hunter, James Arness, Richard Davalos, John Qualen, Paul Fix, Alan Hale Jr., Peter Whitney, Claude Akins, John Doucette, Tudor Owen, Adam Williams.

Cinematography: William Clothier

Film Editors: William Ziegler, Owen Marks

Original Music: Roy Webb

Written by James Warner Bellah, John Twist from a novel by Andrew Geer

Produced and Directed...

Lego has revealed a couple Thor: Ragnarok playsets that offer up additional details on the upcoming film. One of the biggest reveals in the set includes an early look at the fabled Fenris Wolf! There are no details on how he'll be utilized in the film, but in the comics, the Fenris Wolf is the Demon spawn of Loki, and he is "destined on the day of Ragnarok to break his bonds and to stand at the side of his father Loki, as they ushered in the Twilight of the Gods."

On top of Thor, Hela, Loki, Hulk and other characters we already know about, some of the other creatures revealed include one of Hela's monstrous looking goons and a robotic character that is said to be a Sakaarian Guard. I included additional details for each of the playsets that were unveiled below:

The Ultimate Battle for Asgard

Fly the...

Despite showing off some amazing sounding concept art at Comic-Con yesterday for Thor: Ragnarok, Marvel Studios decided against releasing it online. Thankfully, we now have some more detailed descriptions about what it containted courtesy of IGN and Slash Film. For starters, Surtur isn't the only newly revealed villain who will be showing up as the Fenris Wolf was also spotted, and he's destined on the day of Ragnarok to stand at the side of his father Loki, as they ushered in the Twilight of the Gods. It makes sense that he was there then given the movie's title, though the character who goes through the biggest change in Thor: Ragnarok will be the God of Thunder himself by the sound of it. He was spotted with short hair, war paint on his face, and no costume. Could that be Unworthy Thor?  As we reported last night, Surtur was also shown,...

With word currently spreading that the Hulk, played by Mark Ruffalo, will probably appear in the third Thor film, fans are speculating on what possible role the green skinned Avenger will play in the movie. Cinelinx looks at 7 ways that the Incredible Hulk could fit into the Ragnarok story.

The story of Ragnarok—Aka, the Twilight of the Gods in Scandinavian/German mythology—has been retold many times in various mediums throughout the centuries, including comic books. The most well-known and popular of the comic interpretations of the Ragnarok story came during Walter Simonson’s run on Marvel’s Thor comic, running from issue 337-353.

The enduring popularity of this excellent story which has come to be known as the Surtur Saga, is no doubt a big part of the reason that the next Thor film is called Thor: Ragnarok, starring Chris Hemsworth as the eponymous God of Thunder. It...

A number of singers known for their loud mouths will appear in a film that producers are billing as "the loudest silent movie on earth." Iggy Pop, Henry Rollins, Grace Jones and Eagles of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes have all been announced as stars in Gutterdämmerung, filmmaker Björn Tagemose's concert-film hybrid, which will find a live rock band and narrator providing the movie's score at screenings. The production, due out either later this year or early next, will announce more rocker-actors on August 1st.

"The film is sent in...

Chris Hemsworth has promised that Thor: Ragnarok will be a "big" continuation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Speaking to Digital Spy, the Blackhat star said that screenwriters Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost are yet to deliver a script for the sequel.

Ragnarok, which can be translated as "Fate of the Gods" or "Twilight of the Gods", is a North myth that tells of the universe's destruction and the death of gods.

Thor: Ragnarok will open in cinemas on July 28, 2017 with Hemsworth returning as the God of Thunder and Tom Hiddleston back as Loki. The hero will also appear in this year's Avengers: Age of Ultron, which will premiere in cinemas this April.

Hemsworth can next be seen leading the cast of Michael Mann's hacking thriller Blackhat. The film opened in the Us earlier this month and debuts on February 20 in the UK.

When December 17th rolls around, He-Man fans will be able to get their hands on the new He-Man: The Eternity War max-series from DC and Mattel. The partnership continues the long standing history of He-Man, an 80’s pop culture icon. He-Man: The Eternity War promises to take the series to an all-new level with matchups and team-ups never before seen in He-Man lore – and all of Eternia is at stake including the beloved Castle Grayskull. The series will feature heroes and villains from the vast universe including He-Man, She-ra, Skeletor, Hordak, and many more. The book’s will continue to feature an all star creator line-up including writer Dan Abnett, artist Pop Mahn with covers by Stjepan Šejić. “This is our Ragnarok, our Twilight of the Gods,” said Rob David, “the epic showdown He-Man fans have been waiting for. It’s He-Man vs. Skeletor, She-Ra vs. Hordak, Masters vs. Dark...

How did we come up with our chart? By tallying the votes of our pop writers – and here's what they plumped for

Tim Jonze

Albums

John Wizards – John Wizards

Disclosure – Settle

Paramore – Paramore

Hebronix – Unreal

Kanye West – Yeezus

Christopher Owens – Lysandre

Julia Holter – Loud City Song

Daft Punk – Random Access Memories

Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time

British Sea Power – From The Sea To The Land Beyond

Tracks

Julia Holter – Hello Stranger

Miguel and Mariah Carey – #Beautiful

Drake – Hold On, We're Going Home

Sky Ferreira – You're Not the One

Justin Timberlake – Suit and Tie

Jeffrey Lewis – Wwprd

Paramore – Still Into You

Disclosure feat. AlunaGeorge – White Noise

The 1975 – Chocolate

Stylo G – Soundbwoy

Tom Hughes

Albums

15-60-75 The Numbers Band – Jimmy Bell's Still in Town

Meat Wave – Meat Wave

The Drones – I See Seaweed 4

White Fence – Live in San Francisco

Ooga Boogas – Ooga Boogas

Superchunk – I Hate Music

Bits of...

If you only know the version of The Wicker Man that starred Nicolas Cage and a bunch of bees, I want you to leave right now and rent, download or stream Robin Hardy’s original 1973 classic The Wicker Man, starring Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward. There’s a world of difference between that film and the travesty that Neil Labute foisted upon the world. Unfortunately, Robin Hardy didn’t really make much since The Wicker Man, but now he has plans to complete the proposed trilogy of The Wicker Man, 2011′s The Wicker Tree and the upcoming The Wrath of the Gods.

Speaking with ScreenDaily (via Cinema Blend), Hardy discussed the future of his projected trilogy. Here’s what he said:

I am just at the opening stages of financing it, and hope to make it next year. The first two films are all about offers to the Gods. The...

Robin Hardy expressed his interest in completing a loose trilogy of “Wicker Man” films when we spoke to him after he completed work on The Wicker Tree. It has now been revealed that he’s moving ahead with the third movie and would like to start filming next year.

This was confirmed by ScreenDaily, who recently spoke with the director, and reports that he’s currently securing funding for the project. There were not too many new details other than the fact that he hopes to begin production on the movie next year. Here’s what he had to say during our interview with him last year:

“It’s really the story of the end of the Ring Cycle by Wagner, where the gods have been defeated. They have overplayed their hand and they have to go back to Valhalla. I’ve written a screenplay that is very loosely based...

The Wicker Tree was recently released to Blu-ray, and although I talked to director Robin Hardy in detail about the film earlier this year, I wanted to follow up on a couple of items. Hardy gave me his thoughts on the film’s mixed reception in the United States, and let me know what he’s planning for the third film in a loose trilogy of “Wicker” movies.

What do you think of the reception that The Wicker Tree has received in the Us? When we last spoke, you mentioned that this was more of a black comedy, but was being marketed as a horror film. Do you feel that this should have been developed as more of a comedy or straight horror film?

Robin Hardy: When we first made The Wicker Man, the American press received it very well and it was considered a horror film. Horror films...

Bluewater Productions - best known for its biographical comics featuring celebrities, politicians and royals - is to launch a new wave of superheroes.

The starting point will be a one-shot title, Twilight of the Gods, published on November 9 at a cost of just $1.

Written by Ae Stueve and drawn by Oscar Bazaldua, President Nelson, Joel Rasmuessen, and Gregg Paulson, Twilight of the Gods promises to introduce readers to "a new and exciting shared universe of superhero action" and gives readers a glimpse of four new comics from Bluewater: Artemis, Heracles, Orion, and Trident: The Power of Poseidon.

Bluewater says the story begins as the Greek gods of old are on their deathbed and continues with "ramifications that will have world-shattering consequences."

It will follow the shared universe formula familiar to fans of DC and Marvel, in which all characters exist within the same world.

Cover art for all four of the comics is featured here.

Twilight of the Gods #0 will arrive in stores in November, Bluewater Productions has confirmed. The one-shot kick-starts Bluewater's 'The Wave' initiative, marking the debut of its superhero line. Twilight of the Gods is written by Ae Stueve and drawn by Oscar Bazaldua, President Nelson, Joel Rasmuessen and Gregg Paulson. Four miniseries will spin out of the title: Artemis, Heracles, Orion and Trident: The Power of Poseidon. Stueve told Digital Spy: "I wanted each series to have its own distinct feel, but be simultaneously connected. So, with that in mind, the tropes of the (more)...

Every week my browser gets cluttered up with tabs for stuff that I stumble across and figure I might be able to use as a Question of the Day or a Wtf Thought for the Day or grist for some other post. And inevitably, I end the week with most of that material unused. But there's no reason to let this stuff go to waste: I can still share it with you, for your amusement, and start the new week with a clean slate. Herewith this week's leftover links, in no particular order: How Toy Story 3 Will Make You Think About Auschwitz Why Minority Report was spot on Why Splice isn't science fiction Race row erupts over casting of Angelina Jolie as Cleopatra Can Ridley Scott give Alien new life with 3D prequels? Twilight of the Gods (of Film Criticism)...