The legendary Batman foe has been making comic books, video games, television and feature films more interesting since the 1940s, and almost 70 years later we’re still talking about him.

In fact, just recently Warner Brothers and DC announced writer Scott Silver (8 Mile) will be penning a Joker origin movie set to be directed by Todd Phillips (The Hangover) and produced by none other than Martin Scorsese (The Departed).

Who will play the clowned prince of crime you ask?

According to Variety, and a few other sources, Leonardo DiCaprio is the first name on a probably very short list of actors. This shouldn’t surprise anyone considering Scorsese’s involvement, but it’s still too early to know if DiCaprio would want to portray a character already defined by heavyweights like Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger.

If he says no, well there is still good news for WB and DC. As it turns out, John Clyde and I have been casually texting back and forth about who we think could step in should DiCaprio reject the project.

We’re fairly confident at least one of the following actors will be a great replacement. Here’s our list of 10 actors who could play the Joker should DiCaprio say no.

John Clyde’s List

Evan Peters

John: This may seem like an odd choice, but I really like Peters. You will likely recognize him as Quicksilver in the last couple of X-Men movies, but the kid has a solid resume. His sense of humor and comic timing are solid and that’s something that is vital to playing the Joker. Not only does his humor match, but you can just tell Peters has a maniac just waiting under the surface waiting to get out and cause some chaos.

Travis: I didn’t originally like John’s first pick, but the more I think about it, the more I believe a script currently being written with DiCaprio in mind would translate well to Peters. I’m not saying Peters is a younger DiCaprio or anything like that, only when I imagine DiCaprio’s interpretation of the Joker, it’s not all that different from how I imagine Peters approaching it. I’ll give John this one.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

John: Yes, I may have picked both of the recent on-screen Quicksilvers, but I don’t care. Aaron Taylor-Johnson has made some bad movies, but who hasn’t? Taylor-Johnson was nothing short of phenomenal in “Nocturnal Animals,” and there is just something about him that feels just a touch off-center and unnerving that would make him a fantastic choice for Joker.

Travis: You go too far, Mr. Clyde. I don’t know if it’s the “Kick-Ass” connection or if you just want to see a Quicksilver from Marvel play one of DC’s most famous villains, but I reject at least one of your Quicksilvers. Of the two of them, I like Peters better, so Taylor-Johnson is fired by process of elimination.

Charlie Heaton

John: So Charlie Heaton is not a household name and he has the least amount of experience of anyone on the list, but what does that matter? Heaton played Jonathan Byers on “Stranger Things,” and the odd loner he portrayed had a vulnerability and accessibility that drew you in and sympathize with him even though he still made you uncomfortable. Based on that alone I believe Phillips and a solid script could get a fantastic performance as the Joker out of Heaton.

Travis: I don’t have a lot to go on concerning Heaton. I really liked him in “Stranger Things” and he has a look that could work for a younger, up-and-coming villain, but I don’t feel like his take on Jonathan Byers was enough for me to comment on regarding such a demanding role. I imagine John has had the chance to see more of Heaton’s resume than I have, so I’ll just go with it. If Clyde says he’s a ringer, I’ll put my faith in his faith.

Bill Skarsgård

John: So I am going on faith here, but Skarsgard comes from an acting family and he landed the coveted role of Pennywise the clown, and if there is any truth to the reviews he’s gaining now, there is no reason he couldn’t be the clowned prince of crime. This is a blind pick for me, but I’m confident in it none the less.

Travis: John and I both kind of cheated with our picks by making the obvious connection between Pennywise and Gotham’s agent of chaos. To be honest, were Tim Curry 30 years younger, he’d be on my list as well. That said, I’ll be playing the same card I did with Heaton. I’m not familiar enough with Skarsgard to really comment one way or another, and John and I won’t be seeing “It” until Wednesday night, at which point I’ll know better if I agree with the Skarsgard-for-Joker campaign.

Ben Foster

John: So Ben Foster is an incredibly talented actor that doesn’t really get the credit he deserves. If you don’t recognize his name, just know he’s that crazy guy you saw in that one movie. That’s what Foster does. The man plays crazy better than just about anyone, ever. Some examples include, “Hell or High Water,” “Hostage,” “3:10 to Yuma” and “Alpha Dog” to name a few. I honestly believe Foster is one of the most talented actors working today and I believe he could stand there with the likes of Nicholson and Ledger when it comes to The Joker.

Travis: Unlike lists past, I have to say I don’t hate any of John’s picks. Yes, we have to drop at least one Quicksilver, but at the end of the day, I see why Mr. Clyde would consider Taylor-Johnson and I even get why he’d go with someone like Foster. He’s probably the least obvious pick physically, and would probably get the Ben Affleck-Batman fan reaction were he to be announced, but on a whole, I’m going to give John a tip-of-the-hat on a list well considered.

Travis Poppleton’s list

Ansel Elgort

Photo by David X Prutting
CFDA Fashion Awards, Arrivals, New York, America – 06 Jun 2016

Travis: I am not the biggest Ansel Elgort fan. In fact, even though I really liked “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Baby Driver,” I think Elgort has a tendency to pose when he should be acting.

So, in some ways, I think the Joker can help Elgort out more than Elgort is the perfect fit to play the Joker. There’s a role in Elgort’s future that’s going to push him passed pretty-face status and this could be exactly the project to make that happen. If it is, then the Joker origin movie would be one of those examples where both the movie and the lead actor are better off for each other.

John: So, I really liked “Baby Driver.” Like, really liked. More than a friend even, but it wasn’t because of Elgort. He didn’t make the movie worse, but I also don’t think he did anything special. I don’t dislike the guy, probably a cool dude and he’s making a fine career for himself, but I’m not sold on this pick. Sorry, not sorry.

Nicholas Hoult

Travis: I agree with most movie fans who say Hoult’s take on Nux in “Mad Max: Fury Road” was a bit much. But, in all fairness, was there anything about “Fury Road” that wasn’t a bit much? Could his performance there be just as much George Miller as it was Hoult?

If Hoult can find that balance between vaudevillian crazy and the soft-spoken nerd he’s usually playing, I think there’s a Joker in there somewhere.

John: Apparently Travis and I both like picking superheroes from the X-Men universe. Personally, I’m a fan of this pick. I really like Hoult and I think he’s an incredibly versatile actor who would bring a unique perspective to such an iconic character.

Alfie Allen

Travis: I know, if I’m doing a “Game of Thrones” cast member it’s supposed to be Iwan Rheon. It’s been said before and it will be said again.

However, Rheon’s take on Ramsay Bolton already felt like a 14-episode audition for the Joker, and I don’t need to see any more of it. Alfie Allen, on the other hand, didn’t play his crazy card and was still able to pull off the most extreme character arc of the GoT series. He’s got the physical features and the potential range for the DC character.

John: I know this will ruin some of my street cred, but here it goes. I’ve never seen one episode of “Game of Thrones.” With that said I can’t say too much about Allen. I did see “John Wick,” which I really liked, but Allen was not the standout to me. I think he has the look and reminds me of my Charlie Heaton pick. I can get on board with this one.

Will Poulter

Travis: Had Will Poulter not been attached to “It,” he probably would’ve flown under my radar. But the leap from one crazy clown to another seems pretty obvious, and now that he’s choosing projects like “Detroit,” he’s beginning to become a more credible candidate – much more so than when “Narnia” and “We’re the Millers” were the best things on his resume.

John: Whenever Travis and I do these lists together one of usually texts immediately to call dibs on one specific actor and the other person is left cursing his phone for not texting first. That pick this time was Will Poulter. I have been a huge Poulter fan ever since I saw him in “Son of Rambow” as a 14-year-old kid and I’ve been watching him ever since. Poulter was originally cast as Pennywise in “It” before Skarsgard, but had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts. This would be a solid makeup. This may be my favorite pick on the list.

Ferdia Walsh-peelo

Travis: Yes, yes I did just choose Walsh-peelo because I like “Sing Street.” And, maybe because he wore makeup and played an outcast. But mostly because I like “Sing Street.”

John: I also like “Sing Street,” but I’m not sure that means he should be Joker, but then I also thought Ledger was a terrible choice to begin with, so I’ve obviously been wrong before.

The post 10 people who could play the Joker if Leonardo DiCaprio says no appeared first on Utah.Film.

“Captain America: Civil War” charged into US theaters this weekend, marking the beginning of the 2016 summer season.

From now until late August, big budgets, dazzling effects and witty one-liners will rule the box office, and we have a list of movies generating the most attention. Are we going to miss a few of your personal must-sees? Almost definitely. So make sure to scroll to the bottom of this article for a complete schedule of the 2016 cinematic summer season.

Captain America: Civil War – May 6

“Captain America: Civil War” is in theaters now and critics are calling it another home run for Marvel and Disney. The epic crescendo to the Steve Roger and Tony Stark tiff that started way back in 2012’s “The Avengers” comes with the promise of good guys punching good guys.

Normally, I’d strongly encourage heroic figures to talk through their differences and come to an agreement, but not during summer blockbuster season. Reasonable disputes need to end with explosions and millions of dollars in property damages.

The Angry Birds Movie – May 20

There are some people, mostly kids, who are genuinely excited for the soon-to-be-released “The Angry Birds.” Hopefully, said people are seeing something I’m not, because while I usually get excited for quirky animated projects, for me the marketing for “Birds” continues to fall flat.

That said, I’ve been duped by trailers in the past and I would like to see the feathered hot heads do well.

Alice Through the Looking Glass – May 27

Tim Burton’s 2010 “Alice in Wonderland” landed in this really bizarre place where both audiences and critics labeled it disappointing, yet it still made roughly 1.5 bajillion dollars.

As a result, it will be really interesting to see if this sequel is able to attract an audience. Not only will the studio need to convince ticket buyers there’s more to explore in Wonderland, but Disney will also be going head-to-head with the summer’s third major superhero adventure: “X-Men: Apocalypse.” No matter what the outcome, I’m sure I’ll be purchasing tickets for this one if only to hear Alan Rickman’s final performance.

X-Men: Apocalypse – May 27

For me, X-men has been a hit-and-miss franchise since its first real movie back in 2000. That said, I was pretty impressed with the creative decisions for both “First Class” and “Days of Future Past,” and was also hopeful for “Apocalypse.”

I’ll be releasing a full review for “Apocalypse” the week of its release, but for now, just know it can be a fun movie for fans but general audiences will probably want to lower expectations a bit.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – June 3

Is it bad that I’m looking forward to this? Like many TMNT fans, I was hoping for more from the 2014 reboot, but that film had a bit of an identity crisis, didn’t it? “Out of the Shadows” on the other hand looks like a straight adaptation of the late 80’s TV show, and what Turtles fan hasn’t been waiting to see Bebop and Rocksteady on the big screen? I might need to find a nicklecade that still houses the original game before opening night.

Finding Dory – June 17

I love Thomas Newman’s music for “Finding Nemo.” Sure, there are a million other things Pixar got right with the original film, but play me a few notes of the “Nemo Egg (Main Title)” track and my heart grows three sizes.

Since Newman’s back for “Finding Dory,” I absolutely will be as well.

Independence Day: Resurgence – June 24

I don’t know how you have an Independence Day sequel without Will Smith, but it looks like I’ll find out on June 24th when director Roland Emmerich releases the next chapter of his 1996 mega-hit.

The good news is Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman and Brent Spiner will be returning along with new cast members, Liam Hemsworth and Jessie Usher. If you’re someone who looks forward to the obligatory alien invasion each summer, “Resurgence” is your 2016 model.

The BFG – July 1

I’m not entirely sure what’s going on in the recent trailers for “The BFG,” but I do know Roald Dahl’s stories have consistently transferred well to film and with Steven Spielberg’s sitting in the director’s chair, I have high hopes for the project.

The story of young Sophie and her kind-hearted 24-foot giant friend has also brought together a really interesting cast with Mark Rylance, Bill Hader, Rebecca Hall and Jemaine Clement.

Ghostbusters – July 15

I really want to like the new “Ghostbusters.” I like the cast, I love the idea of my daughters wanting to be Ghostbusters for Halloween, and I can get behind the Disney Haunted Mansion vibe they’re going for with the ghosts this time around. But that trailer. The comedy looked so lazy, right down to the never-funny line “That’s going to leave a mark.” I’m really hoping they’re saving the good stuff for July 15, because a large portion of my wardrobe revolves around that Ghostbusters logo.

Star Trek Beyond – July 22

The next addition to the Star Trek franchise will be getting a Fast and Furious makeover now that director Justin Lin has taken the reigns. This probably won’t be welcome news to fans who’ve complained the latest installments have replaced slower, thought-provoking science fiction with action sequences and explosions; or the “True Detective” fans who feel like Lin is at least partially responsible for the underwhelming second season. Add that to writer Simon Pegg’s comments to Radio Times where he said he plans to, “make a Western or a thriller or a heist movie, then populate that with Star Trek characters so it’s more inclusive to an audience that might be a little bit reticent,” and were does that leave us?

Hopefully everything works out for this one, but this is the project I have the least amount of faith in for July.

Jason Bourne – July 29

Matt Damon is taking back the Bourne franchise with “Jason Bourne.”

Before we get too far into the preview, it’s important to note that Damon recently said in an interview with E! that he believes Bourne would beat Batman in a fist fight. Yes, I want to see another Bourne movie and yes, we can go on and on about how fit Damon got for the part, but I think the more important topic we should be discussing is, isn’t it time to get Damon and Ben Affleck back together, and shouldn’t that happen in a project called “Batman v Jason: Justice is Bourne”?

Suicide Squad – August 5

“Suicide Squad” is the comic book movie I have the highest hopes for in 2016. Not only will it be good to see a DC cinematic universe movie directed by someone other than Zack Snyder, but I love DC’s library of villains. Bringing DC’s B-list baddies into a sort of anti-Avengers movie is something I hope works for both the studios and audiences.

Pete’s Dragon – August 12

With “Pete’s Dragon,” I’ve seen the teaser, I’ve seen the design of the dragon, I know they have a solid cast, but still, I have no idea what to think about this remake.

Personally, I would’ve loved to see Disney go with classic 2D animation here, or at the very least, the beautiful hybrid style they used for their “Paperman” short. But from what I’m being told, that’s not this movie.

This is a more serous take on the classic live-action, animated musical about a boy and his dragon. And that’s fine. In fact, it could be amazing. My brain is still having trouble processing the idea of a more serous take on the classic live-action, animated musical about a boy and his dragon.

Kubo and the Two Strings – August 19

Have you noticed on this list there isn’t a single movie that isn’t a sequel, remake or adaptation? Any other time of year, this would make my heart weep, but its summer. Summer blockbusters are like the greasy fast-food of cinema, and around mid-May I always find I’m ready for at least 15 slices of cinematic pizza.

But, to the best of my knowledge, “Kubo and the Two Strings” is totally original. It still looks bright and colorful and ready to delight our senses, but it’s also new, which makes it that much cooler. Also, I’m a sucker for stop-motion animation so the trailer had me even before its cool rendition of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”

So that’s it for the highlights. Below we’ve included a more detailed breakout by month. Let us know in the comments what you’re most looking forward to or hit us up on Twitter: @KSLcom.

May

• Captain America: Civil War – May 6
• Going in Style – May 6
• The Darkness – May 13
• Free State of Jones – May 13
• Kidnap – May 13
• Money Monster – May 13
• The Angry Birds Movie – May 20
• Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising – May 20
• The Nice Guys – May 20
• Alice Through the Looking Glass – May 27
• X-Men: Apocalypse – May 27

June 

• Me Before You – June 3
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows – June 3
• Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping – June 3
• The Conjuring 2 – June 10
• Now You See Me 2 – June 10
• Warcraft – June 10
• Central Intelligence – June 17
• Finding Dory – June 17
• Independence Day: Resurgence – June 24
• The Shallows – June 24

July

• The BFG – July 1
• The Legend of Tarzan – July 1
• The Purge 3 – July 1
• Mike & Dave Need Wedding Dates – July 8
• The Secret Life of Pets – July 8
• Ghostbusters – July 15
• La La Land – July 15
• Ice Age: Collision Course – July 22
• Lights Out – July 22
• Star Trek Beyond – July 22
• The Space Between Us – July 29
• Jason Bourne – July 29

August

• Nine Lives – August 5
• Suicide Squad – August 5
• Pete’s Dragon – August 12
• Sausage Party – August 12
• Spectral – August 12
• Ben Hur – August 19
• Arms and the Dudes – August 19
• Kubo and the Two Strings – August 19
• Untitled Lucas & Moore Comedy – August 19
• A Man in the Dark – August 26
• Mechanic Resurrection – August 26
• Hands of Stone – August 26
• The Infiltrator – Wednesday, August 31

The post Preview: Summer’s 14 biggest movie releases appeared first on Utah.Film.

Audiences demand Hollywood stop updating beloved material. Hollywood openly ignores the concerns of paying customers, and somehow reboots consistently generate billion dollar returns for studios.

While I can’t explain the obvious disconnects in this proven formula, I can tell you I’m not as antagonistic toward Hollywood remakes as some fans. I mean, not every remake ends up with Johnny Depp in a chocolate factory. Occasionally, we even get a “True Grit” from the process.

So as we stare into a summer of Ghostbusters and Jungle Books, let’s talk about a few properties that might just benefit from higher budgets, some gratuitous computer animation and an updated concept.

Here are five films that might benefit from a remake:

Song of the South

I was 8 years old when Disney ran its final theatrical release of “The Song of the South” back in 1986. From what I remember, the movie consisted of long and painfully boring live-action sequences, which occasionally crossed over into bright and colorful animated short stories that made me smile.

Most modern-day commentary available on the movie suggests my 8-year-old self didn’t pick up on some obvious and racially insensitive material, so I imagine that’s the first thing the remake would need to address. However, if there’s a way for the Mouse House to celebrate the stories collected by Joel Chandler Harris while also capturing the fun of Disneyland’s Splash Mountain attraction, well, I’d love to see it.

The Monster Squad

“Monster Squad” was kind of like “The Goonies” meets “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein.” For a smaller 1987 film, it did the job, and there’s even a fan base today still happy to revisit the movie on especially nostalgic evenings.

To be honest, I’m not dying to see the property get remade; however, rumors continue to persist concerning Universal modernizing its monster library. There is even talk of Universal copying the Marvel Cinematic Universe by creating a string of movies that all crossover in some way.

If those rumors are to be believed, or if Universal is just looking for a fun way to electrify new life into its classic characters, well, why not bring them all together again in a modernization of “The Monster Squad?”

The General

As a general rule, I’d say leave Buster Keaton’s material alone. Not only did he get his movies right the first time, but I can’t think of an actor capable of giving his signature, expressionless stare the respect it deserves — though a small part of me would love to see Robert Downey Jr. play both Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton in his lifetime.

That said, “The General” is one of the few silent movies that plays on regular rotation at my house, and every time I sit down to watch it, I can’t help but imagine what the Civil War comedy would look like with a proper, summer blockbuster makeover.

Sure you’d need to change Keaton’s character from Johnny Gray to Johnny Blue, but after that detail was sorted out, imagine how much fun a period high-speed train chase could be with today’s technology.

Sneakers

“Sneakers” is still a late night favorite of mine. Even if Hollywood did pull off a successful reboot, I imagine the classic 1992 movie would remain my go-to ensemble heist movie.

But like any movie dealing with technology, there’s always room for some upgrades. I’d love to hear Mother’s latest conspiracy theories, and an updated point of contention for Marty and Cosmo could be great fun as well.

One item I’d never quite get over, however, would be the soundtrack. James Horner’s “Sneakers” music is absolutely brilliant, and with the composer’s tragic passing in 2015, there would be no way to recapture the magic from the original.

Still, I’d pay to see an updated “Sneakers.” In fact, I’m totally game for a direct sequel.

Avengers: Age of Ultron

For the record, listing “Age of Ultron” here isn’t a knock on the very successful 2015 Avengers sequel. Like many fans, I wish they’d done a few things differently, but as far as the cinematic universe goes, it worked as a standalone movie while also offering more content for the ever expanding cinematic universe.

The reason “Ultron” is listed here is simply because I’d like to see a true adaptation of the 10 issue comic series — or at least something a lot closer to the time traveling, post-apocalyptic setup from the original material.

This is of course a total dream since many of the characters, including Wolverine, are owned by other studios, and Marvel has made it clear they’re not interested in going too dark with their films. But while we’re discussion remakes I’d like to see, why not drop a pie-in-the-sky project in the mix. Someday the world will be ready for Hammerhead, She-Hulk and Morgan le Fay.

Originally published at KSL.com

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We had been chatting about possible articles focusing on classic films when Maxfield mentioned how surprised she was to hear some people think of Scarlett O’Hara as a terrible person. Up until that point, it had never occurred to me that anyone saw Scarlett as anything other than a slave-holding, physically abusive, manipulative home wrecker. So, I asked my wife what she thought about the topic. Her reply? “Of course Scarlett’s the good guy.”

Since that email exchange with Maxfield, my wife and I have watched “Gone with the Wind” at least three times, and every time we’ve actively pointed out moments for and against Scarlett’s good-guy status.

Collectively, I believe all three of us have changed or at least softened our “Gone with the Wind” positions. And this got me wondering, how many other characters have I been totally wrong about, or at least didn’t realize audiences see differently than me.

Here are five characters I now suspect aren’t as heroic as Hollywood would like us to believe.

Scarlett O’Hara — ‘Gone With the Wind’

As I mentioned, both Maxfield and I (and my wife) have all at least softened our original positions concerning Scarlett O’Hara from “Gone with The Wind.” But in a nutshell, here were some of our original arguments.

For Maxfield, Scarlett’s deeds taken out of context do in fact seem horrible, but when you look at the entire story, Scarlett rises above her very difficult surroundings to take care of the people who matter most to her. To quote Maxfield:

“(Scarlett’s) not afraid to go after what she wants. This is still not easy for women these days, even 150 years later, because the minute a woman becomes too assertive she is labeled something vulgar and out goes her credibility. So in a way, yes, Scarlett can be seen as a role model. ”

To be honest, I was sympathetic to Maxfield’s position, but we disagreed on what exactly “too assertive” means.

Sure, you can write off Scarlett’s first marriage as impulsive, but when Scarlett lies to her sister’s fiancée and ultimately marries him for money, we’re definitely approaching a grey area. I think for me, the moment Scarlett turns from ambiguous hero to fully formed villain is when she betrays the only person who is unconditionally kind to her, Melanie Hamilton.

Not the first time of course, when Melanie is simply engaged to heartthrob Ashley, or even the second time when Ashley’s returning home from the war. No, it’s the third time and then final betrayal on Melanie’s death bed that illustrates just how slimy Scarlett really is.

My grievances aside, Maxfield’s position is probably closest to the author’s intent. As far as story analysis goes, Melanie dies a weak and helpless character while Scarlett stands strong to fight another day. The last shot of the film is actually a silhouette of Scarlett heroically posing in front of a fading sun, so at the very least, we can be sure as an audience we’re supposed to see her as a good guy. But I don’t know. After three additional viewings and a string of entertaining emails, I can only say she’s half-good-guy at best.

The Narrator — ‘Fight Club’

Anyone who has seen “Fight Club” will tell you this is the most obvious movie on the list and for reasons we probably shouldn’t delve into. As it turns out there are people who still haven’t seen this movie but have it somewhere near the top of their films-to-see-before-I-die list. What kind of terrible person would I be if I ruined one of cinema’s big reveals for a barely serious entertainment article?

That said, even at the very beginning of the movie Edward Norton’s character uses lies and deceit to temper his insomnia before starting a seedy, underground fight club. The Narrator begins with bad motives and never learns a lesson or finds a way to redeem his underlying character. Still he’s not the typical antihero, which would have disqualified him from our list, because he’s also the person trying to stop Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt), so in the context of the story he’s trying to do the right thing — mostly.

Fine, I’ll give you that this second pick is rather ambiguous for anyone not familiar with the movie. But trust me, the Narrator belongs here. At least, the mostly good part of him does.

Ariel — ‘The Little Mermaid’

That’s right, we’re following “Fight Club” up with “The Little Mermaid.”

I’m sure Ariel isn’t the worst mermaid under the sea, but her little teenage rebellion and irrational cross-species crush almost costs King Triton his trident, which would’ve ultimately tipped the scales of good and evil and ruined the lives of her fellow merpeople.

Not only does the story begin with Ariel flagrantly embarrassing her entire family, but within the first 10 minutes of the movie she’s breaking one of her world’s most important laws — “Contact between the human world and the mer world is strictly forbidden.”

And how does Ariel thank her father for not sending her tail to prison after committing an underwater felony? She makes a deal with the devil to change her body type so she can kiss a boy.

In the end, kids who watch “The Little Mermaid” learn contracts are only binding until you murder the other party involved, and parents will learn their lessons once they’ve been turned into a dying sea weed. These are not principles they teach at good guy college.

Morpheus — ‘The Matrix’

This one is tricky, and in the end, it’s going to be up to your own philosophical position to decide if Morpheus is a good guy or bad guy.

But here’s the deal: as the Matrix trilogy progresses we learn Earth is barely inhabitable. It’s to the point where even naturally growing your own food is out of the question. Most daily meals consist of some tapioca-pudding-looking protein supplement.

So for Morpheus to show up at someone’s house offering pills that he claims will help them to see the world for what it really is, well one, that’s already a bit shady. And two, who says no to answers to the universe?

Morpheus’ mission is to ultimately transition the human race from a reasonably happy existence where they can still eat steak and ice cream sundaes to living off cold soupy mushy stuff. At the very least, that suggests his good-guy status deserves another look.

Ultimately, your take on Morpheus will probably depend on how you rank truth vs happiness, and that’s not a topic we’re going to get to the bottom of in this article.

Joy — ‘Inside Out’

“Inside Out” is one of those movies that really only needed to be about 15 minutes long.

Unlike the spoiler free “Fight Club” section, I’m going to work through Joy’s less-than-heroic ways, so if you haven’t seen the movie go ahead and stop reading now.

For those still reading, this movie would’ve ended the moment Joy let Sadness cry it out with her beloved Riley. But not only does Joy prevent Sadness from sharing some alone time with her favorite person on the planet, Joy actively manipulates situations to ensure Sadness is excluded from Riley’s entire healing process. That’s practically the definition of bullying, which is not how most people want to think of their protagonists.

But the brilliance of “Inside Out” is that Joy absolutely believes she’s doing the right thing, which makes her actions all the more dangerous. In spite of all the evidence telling her something’s wrong, that maybe her happy-all-the-time approach isn’t the perfect fit for every situation, Joy believes her commitment to what she knows is noble.

To her credit, and unlike a few characters on this list, Joy realizes her mistakes and tries to set things right by the closing credits but by the time she does, everyone has paid a pretty high price for her actions.

Do I love Joy? Absolutely. But think of how much better Riley’s world would’ve been had Joy chosen to look for worth in Sadness from the very beginning.

Originally published KSL.com

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Originally published KSL.com

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Recently, we said our goodbyes to the Goblin King (Labyrinth) and Nikola Tesla (The Prestige) with the passing of David Bowie — not to mention the greatest walk-off moderator in ever (Zoolander). And now, barely two weeks into the new year, we’re staring at a future without Alan Rickman.

Rickman’s ability to make you love, trust or fear his characters seemed effortless. We wanted Alice to listen to Absolem because, well, he had the voice of Alan Rickman. The affair in “Love Actually” was so much more heart breaking because, once again, that was Alan Rickman. And when it came to villainy, he was so good it’s hard to imagine a bad guy he couldn’t have played.

How amazing would it have been to hear Rickman tell Marty to “Make like a tree and get outta here”? Jack Torrance from “The Shining?” Yes. He would have even nailed the paperboy from “Better Off Dead.”

“Didn’t ask for a dime. Two dollars.”

Luckily for we movie fans, Rickman actually did play some of the best characters in repeatable cinema, and here are five of our favorites:

Hans Gruber (Die Hard)

Was there a better ’80s villain than Hans Gruber? No, there wasn’t. And you can thank Rickman for that. Even Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” sounds ominous when casually hummed by the charismatic baddie. As much fun as it is to watch officer John McClane spout off one-liners and take out henchmen, “Die Hard” could’ve never become the billion-dollar franchise it is today without Gruber.

Everyone has their nontraditional Christmas favorites, and I know I speak on behalf of action fans everywhere when I say, “Die Hard” is among the best.

Elliott Marston (Quigley Down Under)

It was pretty brilliant to take the classic American western and move it to the Outback. It was also pretty brilliant to plant a bad guy in that story who over-romanticizes the wild west and ends up importing his own demise from the country he idolizes.

Rickman’s take on the wealthy landowner and murderer, Elliott Marston, maintains the actor’s usual gravity, but it’s the fear behind Marston’s eyes that ultimately makes the portrayal so compelling. If it’s been a while since you’ve seen “Quigley Down Under,” or, and obviously this isn’t the case, you’ve never actually seen it, this is the weekend to dust off the 1990 classic.

Sheriff of Nottingham (Robin Hood)

There are people who genuinely hate this version of Robin Hood, and I understand the general criticism; however, Rickman’s Sheriff of Nottingham is so good, it’s easy to overlook everything else.

Whether he’s threatening to tear someone’s heart out with a spoon, or simply getting even for the scar on his cheek, Rickman sells the dialogue perfectly.

Alexander Dane (Galaxy Quest)

“Galaxy Quest” is one of my favorite sci-fi comedies, and Rickman’s Alexander sits at the top of my list for reasons why.

On paper, this is a movie that shouldn’t have worked, and yet this is a movie that gets funnier and funnier with every viewing. So why are people still watching a parody about an old TV show that lifted its plot from “Three Amigos?” That’s right, Alan Rickman. “By Grabthar’s hammer, we live to tell the tale.”

Severus Snape (Harry Potter)

I don’t know that I’ve ever had a conversation about the Harry Potter movies which doesn’t include someone bringing up how much they love Rickman’s portrayal of Severus Snape. Even if the conversation is about one of the lesser-Potter’s, Rickman always gets a pass because he seemed to have walked out of the pages and onto the screen.

As time moves on, Snape will probably be the role Rickman is remembered most for, and that seems rather appropriate, doesn’t it? A villain at first glance who the world was better off having known.

Thank you for the memories, Mr. Rickman.

Originally published KSL.com

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Originally published KSL.com

The post 10 people Hollywood said goodbye to in 2015 appeared first on Utah.Film.

We’ll tell you of the time that crafty filmmaking wizard Shyamalan scared the bajeebers out of us before unleashing one of the greatest climactic reveals in movie history. Then we’ll stroke our chin, look off into the distance and mutter something like, “That was before the darkness took hold of Shyamalan’s brain. That was before “The Last Airbender…”

We who tell the tales of 1999 have never given up on Shyamalan, even as his films transitioned from compelling to bizarre to desperate. We saw the greatness before, and if KSL.com‘s John Clyde is to be believed, we’ll see it again with the release of this weekend’s “The Visit.”

To celebrate that possibility, we’re taking a look at Shyamalan’s library, from his very worst to his very best. Obviously we’ll be ignoring “Praying with Anger” and “Wide Awake,” because no one actually saw those. Also, since I have yet to see “The Visit,” I reached out to Clyde to find out exactly where he felt “The Visit” fits among Shyamalan’s nine features.

With those explanations behind us, let’s begin:

The Last Airbender — #9

If you’re unfamiliar with Nickelodeon’s original series, “Avatar,” you might be tempted to swap this last place ranking with the eighth pick, “The Happening.” However, because “The Last Airbender” was a frustratingly lazy and clumsy adaptation of the very beloved stories of Aang, Katara and Sokka, “The Last Airbender” goes beyond simply being a bad movie and moves onto actively offending a very dedicated fan base. Since “The Last Airbender” causes some viewers emotional distress, we had to give it priority as our last place pick.

The Happening — #8

“The Happening” actually enjoyed some great marketing leading up to its release. The trailers left us wondering what would cause thousands of humans to take their own lives, and since Shyamalan was behind it, many hoped the answer would blow audiences away. Unfortunately, even for those who did buy into the premise, shots of trees swaying in the wind while some eerie music played in the background did little to sell scary. In fact, more moviegoers report laughing throughout those scenes than feeling anything that resembles fear.

After Earth —#7

I actually really liked Will Smith in “After Earth.” I also loved the way Shyamalan separates the father and son characters, leaving Father Smith to listen helplessly as his son endures the dangerous journey to becoming something greater. Unfortunately, said dangerous journey is painfully generic, and it turns out watching Jayden Smith fight CG monsters for 90 minutes isn’t all that entertaining.

Lady in the Water — #6

I get a lot of grief for enjoying “Lady in the Water” as much as I do. I know. I understand people really hate this film, and a lot of their reasons for doing so are sound. However, the way Shyamalan takes a very real, very mundane setting and unapologetically folds in the miraculous really resonates with me. Most critics disagree, but that might have more to do with Shyamalan killing off the movie critic character than anything substantial. We movie critics really need to work on taking criticism.

The Visit — #5

The truth is, I haven’t seen “The Visit.” I’m taking Clyde’s word on this movie, and if you want to know more about why he thinks it deserves a reasonable ranking on this list, check out his review.

However, since we both actively review films for KSL.com, we often swap out press screenings the way kids of the ’80s swapped Garbage Pail Kids. I had to trade a Shyamalan, a Hunger Game and a 007 for a single “Force Awakens.” That might have also cost me some credibility here, but ultimately I think I did the right thing.

The Village — #4

“The Village” starts out strong, but once it reveals its secret about halfway in, the rest of the movie kind of implodes. You no longer care about the characters, the tension evaporates and your concern for any given outcome flitters out the window. The reveal also, unlike “The Sixth Sense,” ruins any reason to rewatch the film, which means all of its entertainment value lies within the first time you watch the first half of the movie. The first half was good enough to land “The Village” as number four, but at the same time you can point to “The Village” as where things started to go wrong for Shyamalan.

Signs — #3

“Signs” proved to be the first notable split among Shyamalan fans. Some found it to be one of the few legitimately scary alien movies, while others decided the entire premise was too far out there. Critics were mostly kind to the project and fans still consider Joaquin Phoenix’s closet scare equal to Buddy the Elf’s finger prick when it comes to comedic shock reactions.

Telling the story of a global catastrophe from the perspective of a tiny farmhouse goes a long way in making the audience feel as uneasy as the characters, and Shyamalan sets up some of his finest scares for the climax.

Unbreakable —#2

“Unbreakable” is still one of the most unique spins on the superhero genre, and an approach many of us would like to see revisited. Of all of Shyamalan’s films, this is the title that gets brought up most as sequel worthy, and if Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson were on board, I’d be interested to see the next chapter as well.

“Unbreakable” proves you don’t need $200 million to tell a super heroic story and Shyamalan deserves major props for threading a quiet and compelling character piece. While I love my DC and Marvel, I’d pay to see either studio take a page out of Shyamalan’s playbook for one of their leading protagonists.

The Sixth Sense — #1

The one that started it all is still the best, and autumn is the perfect time to revisit the haunted classic. Even after 16 years, people enjoy sharing their “Sixth Sense” story.

For me — I was in San Diego hours before the big show when a teenage girl, burdened with a dark, hateful heart, purposely ruined the ending for me and a few friends. I was so bummed walking into the theater, but so pleasantly surprised to see the movie was more than a trick ending.

Shyamalan fans may argue that they enjoy a specific title more than “The Sixth Sense,” but this is a movie that changed things. “The Sixth Sense” was the subject of some of the Internet’s earliest memes, and “I see dead people” is now a classic movie line that will be brought up in conversation for years to come.

A still fantastic selection for any Halloween movie night, and a title that left its mark on cinematic history. Well done, Mr. Shyamalan.

Originally published KSL.com

The post Rating M. Night Shyamalan’s movies from worst to best appeared first on Utah.Film.

• ‘High School Musical’ — University of Utah

  While the beautiful state of Utah has been generously depicted throughout classic and contemporary cinema, almost no love is given to its places of higher learning. One exception to this unfortunate trend however is the University of Utah’s appearance in Disney’s uber-trendy “High School Musical.” Fans of the phenomenon will remember the Jon M. Huntsman Center doing its part to promote communication through song and random though perfectly synced explosions of high energy choreography.

• ‘Beautiful Mind’ — Princeton University

  Ron Howard’s “A Beautiful Mind” captures Princeton University, well, beautifully. The film, which tells the story of John Forbes Nash Jr., uses many iconic locations of the campus, including Holder Courtyard and the Firestone Common Room. One interesting side story told about production mentions that winter scenes were actually shot during spring, which meant film crews needed to cover parts of the campus with fake snow. Princeton’s own website noted, “Imagine the surprise of Holder Hall residents who awoke one warm May morning to find snow piled up outside their windows!”

• ‘Forest Gump’ — University of Southern California

  For obvious reasons, seeing movie cameras around UCLA or USC campuses is nothing to write home about. As noted in the heading, “Forest Gump” was filmed at USC, taking up shop around the school’s Hancock Building. Other USC attendees include, “Frost/Nixon,” “Die Hard 4,” “The Social Network,” “Matilda,” “Million Dollar Arm” and “Young Frankenstein.” For UCLA, “Legally Blonde” “Erin Brockovich,” “Back to School” and “Old School” make up just a few of the movies that called the Bruins’ campus home.

• ‘Real Genius’ — Occidental

  Before he was Ice Man, Val Kilmer was working on chemical lasers at Pacific Tech University. The fictional school was mostly captured at California’s Occidental College, with a few additional scenes shot at Pomona College. Look for Weingardt Hall on Bird Road or Johnson Student Center if you’re ever in town. There’s even a website dedicated to Goggle Mapping each location of the film at ’80s film locations.

• ‘Ghostbusters’ — Columbia University

  You know that scene shortly after the Ghostbusters get fired from their university jobs and Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd are sitting on those steps discussing what to do next. It’s that scene where Murray says: “For whatever reasons, Ray. Call it fate. Call it luck. Call it karma. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I believe that we were destined to get thrown out of this dump.” Well, that moment takes place at Columbia University. Which means, if you think about it, Columbia University is the birthplace of the original “Ghostbusters.”

  Other movies shot at Columbia include “Spider-Man 2,” “West Side Story” and “Malcolm X.”

• ‘Rudy’ — Notre Dame

  There is no movie that celebrates a single university quite like that classic stand-up-and-cheer underdog story, “Rudy.”

  At the time of its release, “Rudy” was one of only two movies ever allowed to be filmed on the Notre Dame campus. The other, also based on a notable Notre Dame football player, was “Knute Rockne All American.” Many of the college’s famous landmarks can be seen throughout the movie, including the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, but Rudy’s most famous scene was filmed during halftime of the 1992 game against Boston College. Notre Dame has also detailed many of “Rudy’s” behind-the-scene moments on its website.

Originally Published KSL.com

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Since then, announcements of new “Star Wars,” more “Avengers” and a genetically altered dinosaur have been piled into the schedule, causing some moviegoers to wonder, will 2015 be the best year for movies since 1984?

But 2015 isn’t all sequels and adaptations. Intriguing titles like “Tomorrowland,” “Chappie” and “Inside Out” are also being worked into the lineup. And in fact, there are so many potentially great movies in this year’s pipeline, John Clyde and I decided not to do our annual, unified list.

Instead, we’ve split our 2015 list into two individual articles. I’ll be tackling January through June, in this Part I article. And Clyde will follow up tomorrow with July through December in Part II.

“Selma” – Jan. 9

It’s true, “Selma” is already in theaters, and in fact, my review for it was published last week as well.

However, I’m including it here as a reminder of the kind of movies we’re getting this year. Leading 2015 with a picture like “Slema” is a good omen. Also, I didn’t really want the first movie on my list to be about a 3D sponge and his less-than-intelligent starfish buddy.

“The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water” — Feb. 6

You did too laugh at the trailers. And even if you didn’t, there’s not much by way of family entertainment this early in the year, so pack up the little ones and go huddle together with a summer beach movie in February.

OK, I admit, the superhero route was a terrible way to go with this property, but “Out of Water” may just include Antonio Banderas’ best performance since “Donkey’s Christmas Shrektacular.” Don’t underestimate the sponge.

“Focus” — Feb. 27

Before Will Smith and Margot Robbie team up in DC’s “Suicide Squad,” they’re acting like “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” in this early 2015 heist film. Normally, I’d say a February release marks this project as suspect, but with the year being as crowded as it is, all bets are off. Maybe “Focus” does for February what “Winter Soldier” did for April in 2014.

“Chappie” — March 6

Director Neill Blomkamp nailed “District 9” before fumbling a bit with “Elysium,” so sci-fi geeks are cautiously hopeful for this “Short Circuit” reboot. At least, I think it’s a “Short Circuit” reboot.

While interesting to see Hugh Jackman deliver his first villain of 2015 (check out tomorrow’s list for the Blackbeard details), perhaps the most curious performance to watch for will be Sharlto Copley’s motion-captured Chappie. Is anyone other than Andy Serkis even allowed to play a central motion-capture character?

“In the Heart of the Sea” — March 13

Apparently, “Moby Dick” is based on the true 1820 account of Chris Hemsworth and Cillian Murphy getting capsized in the middle of the ocean by an angry sperm whale.

Director Ron Howard teamed up with Hemsworth back in 2013 with the critically well-received “Rush,” so it’s fun to see the duo back, tackling another mode of transportation. Unlike “Focus,” the early release for “Heart” is concerning because everything about it screams award bait, so Howard fans are hoping this isn’t another “The Monuments Men.” But again, traditional Hollywood rules may not apply for 2015.

“Insurgent” — March 20

This follow-up to 2014’s “Divergent” has a lot to prove as the year’s first big sequel.

Commercially, “Divergent” proved fans are eager to see Tris and Four fight to save the world from Kate Winslet’s tyrannical rule. Critically however, the response to “Divergent” was divided, leaving “Insurgent” with the task of uniting critics and fans for the final chapters of the series. At the very least, fans of “The Fault in our Stars” will be happy to see Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort sharing screen time again.

“Avengers: Age of Ultron” — May 1

Joss Whedon takes Earth’s mightiest heroes down a dark path, as Marvel begins paving the way for its famous “Civil War” — set for May of 2016.

Promising to take the fight out of New York City, the Avengers will scale the globe trying to stop one of comic book history’s most threatening and successful villains. If Whedon is borrowing from the 10-issue comic crossover, this will not be the fun-time adventure audiences enjoyed back in 2012. Don’t expect the Avengers to be the same characters walking out of this story as they are going in.

“Tomorrowland” — May 22

If rumors are to be believed, Brad Bird turned down directing the next “Star Wars” film because of this project.

For those of you sick of sequels and adaptations, hopefully “Tomorrowland” is that shining light you’re searching for. Conceptually interesting, written and directed by the creator of “The Incredibles,” and co-written by one of those out-there brains behind “Lost” — forget the ending, and remember how captivated you were for the first three seasons.

“Tomorrowland” is actually my No. 1 most anticipated movie for 2015.

“Jurassic World” — June 12

The series is kind of on thin ice, as the original movies got progressively worse throughout the trilogy. But you and I both know, the Jurassic sequels didn’t have Chris Pratt, so, we have to pretend those other movies never happened.

The genetically altered super dinosaur they’re selling here is either going to be brilliant or laughably bad. If it’s the latter, well, who would you rather see lead a laughably bad dinosaur movie than Chris Pratt? On the other hand, if it’s brilliant, who doesn’t want to see a brilliant dinosaur movie led by Chris Pratt?

Clyde gets to have this same conversation with you tomorrow when you’ll be discussing “Ant-Man.”

“Inside Out” — June 19 and “The Good Dinosaur” — Nov. 25

Oh, how I’ve missed you, original Pixar movie.

As far as animated sequels go, Pixar has done pretty well with “Monsters University” and the “Toy Story” series — and here’s hoping for “The Incredibles 2” and “Finding Dori” — but we Pixar fans miss the good ol’ days, when Pixar titles included some crazy concept involving a man flying his house with balloons or monsters powering cities with the screams of children.

Well, 2015 has us fans covered with two such titles. The first is a story about the voices in your head, “Inside Out,” and the second (which I stole from Clyde’s list) is a movie about a world where dinosaurs never went extinct, “The Good Dinosaur.”

Welcome back, Pixar! Not even Chris Pratt in your dinosaur movie could make me happier. Though, seriously, have you considered him as one of your future voices?

Originally published KSL.com

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