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Fan Made: 'Avatar' Halloween Costume Looks Impressive

Filed under: Fandom, Trailers and Clips, Fan Made


Usually the Internet has to wait for something to become popular before its denizens start dressing up like it. Alas, further proving that there is little typical about James Cameron's Avatar, it has broken that cycle by inspiring an enthusiastic YouTuber's Halloween costume nearly two months before the movie is set for release.

Attempting to pull off Sam Worthington's character of Jake Sulley, the fan in question explains that it took countless days of planning and roughly five hours of makeup on the final day, which sounds like a lot of a devotion, but if you ask me it was worth it. Baring the necessary facial reconstructive surgery to make it look like he was born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome and taking some Skele-Grow to bump his height up another two feet to truly complete the look, I'd say this is a damned impressive bit of cosplay; particularly considering he would only have been able to use promo materials as his sources and not the end product.

His tail could use a bit of work, but the modded Nerf gun he has more than makes up for it. Plus the guy has a good sense of humor, as evidenced by a picture of him in front of a toy display at a store.

Watch the video and see the full costume over at SciFi Squad

Reminder:
Cinematical's Fifth Annual Halloween Costume Contest is still accepting entries till this Friday, so keep sending them in.

Angelina Jolie Jumps All Over the Place in 'Salt' Trailer

Filed under: Thrillers, Trailers and Clips

Once upon a time, Tom Cruise was going to star in an espionage thriller that had him getting into some heavy action MI-style. But that didn't last long and Mr. Edwin A. Salt got a sex change and a sexy new lead with Angelina Jolie. One would think the Edwin A. would become Edwina and all would be well, but now the character is Evelyn Salt, the movie is Salt, and you can check out the first teaser trailer after the jump.

Salt focuses on a CIA officer who's in for a shock when a Russian captive tells her that a Russian agent will head to Manhattan to kill the president. The spy's name: Evelyn Salt. Rather than let her co-workers detain her, she escapes, striving to prove that she's no spy. She's a patriot. "Using all her skills and years of experience as a covert operative, she must elude capture and protect her husband or the world's most powerful forces will erase any trace of her existence." (Sony IMDb summary)

The action chaos is just what any good adrenaline thriller needs to thrive, and the flick seems to have it in spades with Jolie jumping around in Live Free or Die Hard style. Unfortunately, it also has a good dose of fake hair with Angelina sporting a distracting blond wig, and later, a jet-black 'do. It's amazing how wigs can stay on in high-pressure situations, yet still look so damned fake. Nevertheless, this should be a fun ride. Are you ready for more hardcore Jolie action?

What if 'Empire Strikes Back' Included a Power Ballad?

Filed under: Fandom, Trailers and Clips



A little known fact about Empire Strikes Back was that George Lucas had popular singer/songwriter L.B. Rayne put together a righteous power ballad for the film's soundtrack, and supposedly the song -- titled "Skywalking" -- was to be featured throughout the film and over the credits as well. Lucas, however, scratched the idea at the last second, later admitting that it didn't really fit with the film's themes. Rumors suggest there's a lost cut of Empire Strikes Back that contains "Skywalking" in the film, though I've personally never seen it, nor do I know anyone who's seen it.

Back in the late 80s, I remember my friends passing around a bootleg cassette tape of "Skywalking", but that was the last I heard of it ... until now. Yes, folks, the power ballad that was at one time a tall tale Star Wars fans shared with one another around a late night campfire has finally arrived online in music video format. Of course this song would never have worked in the movie, but it's great to have it out there again so that younger Star Wars fans can enjoy a little piece of galactic history.

As far as L.B. Rayne goes, his career pretty much ended in 1985 when he lost to a one-legged mule in a drinking contest ... but his legacy lives on! After the jump, check out Rayne's power ballads for Empire Strikes Back and Indiana Jones (another one Lucas commissioned but never used).

Christopher Walken Out-Poker-Faces Lady Gaga

Filed under: Fandom, Trailers and Clips



I don't think there's anything Christopher Walken can't do. He can make gold records, hide watches up his arse, dance like a prince, play Russian roulette, find missing people, live underground for decades, and make just about everything sound cool. He's no one-hit wonder.

And now he's also proved that he can out-Poker Face Lady Gaga. Yes, the latest YouTube video to make the rounds (embedded after the jump) finds the actor guesting on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross -- a program from BBC One. Instead of adding more cowbell to the music scene, he calmly sits in his chair and reads lyrics to Gaga's song. In. The way. Walken. Would. Say it.

You might just be able to manage getting through the first part unscathed, but when he starts making "Oh!" sound effects, well, it's comedy gold and I don't see how you could maintain your own poker face. Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin might be the Oscar hosts, but I stand by my wish of seeing Walken on that shining stage. He proves, over and over again, that his delivery makes just about everything a-mazing.

And just in case you haven't gotten Gaga enough, you can check out the Lady's version here, and Cartman's version here. Watch Walken do his thing after the jump.

Discuss: Which Trailers Are You Sick Of?

Filed under: Action, Comedy, Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Paramount, Focus Features, George Clooney, Trailers and Clips

I'm grateful for this Friday, because that's the day that The Men Who Stare at Goats comes out and I can stop seeing its trailer relentlessly attached to anything and everything I see (and given that I try to see most anything and everything out there, it's really only a 'me' problem, I suppose). One night, I had myself a triple feature and saw the preview not one, not two, but three times; as a pal put it, he had "more than a feeling" that I was getting sick of it.

Before that, it was a summer of Taking Woodstock time and time again, and it would already seem that Shutter Island's move to February will insure that I'll be sitting there, trying to piece the thing together for the next three months when not perfecting my New England Leo impersonation.

So, whether currently or in your own formative years, what trailers have you been just absolutely burnt out on? Did you and your friends quote along with them as they played? Were you actually ever turned off from seeing a film because you had it advertised to you too much? Come on, let it all out...

DreamWorks Shows Off 'How to Train Your Dragon'

Filed under: Animation, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Family Films, Newsstand, Dreamworks, Movie Marketing, Trailers and Clips


DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon has been on my radar due to its literary roots (it's based on a 2003 book by Cressida Cowell) and its large and charming cast. But we all know that doesn't necessarily make a memorable animated movie. Too many kid flicks end up flimsy, and feel like extended fast food commercials. I figured Dragon would be one of them.

Happily, I might be wrong. A surprisingly charming trailer for Dragon has debuted at Yahoo! Movies. While I'm an easy mark thanks to a weakness for Scottish accents and Viking villages, the trailer is refreshingly free of Shrek's self-conscious hipness . Why, there's barely any snark to be found! It's all about a gentle lad (you'll recognize the voice of Jay Baruchel immediately) and the most adorable dragon you've ever seen. His limpid eyes and froggy mouth immediately makes the Viking-on-dragon violence rather horrific, and may cause you to feel hatred towards the brogue of Gerard Butler. (I know, I didn't think it was possible either.) Plus, there's a young Viking lass who wields an axe! If this could inspire a few girls to don Viking berserker costumes next Halloween, I will praise it no matter what its flaws and Burger King tie-ins.

The trailer is below the jump thanks to an embed from Yahoo! Movies. Watch it, share your thoughts, and squee over that squishy dragon. If there's a plush version that has that skeptical expression, I want it for my desk.

Michael Bay on 'Transformers 3': Less Action, More Emotion

Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Paramount, RumorMonger, Fandom, DIY/Filmmaking, Home Entertainment, Remakes and Sequels, Trailers and Clips


I didn't think it was possible for any movie to be too big for Michael Bay, especially not a Transformers movie. But judging from this candid DVD extra, even Bay thinks Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen veered on excessive, and he's promising to scale back when he tackles #3. As we speak, Bay is combing through the Transformers lore that Hasbro has sent him and pondering who or what will be smashing crap up in another installment. Just the way he says "Transformers lore" makes me want a story centered on Bay exploring ancient catacombs to uncover the missing Transformers arcana with Megan Fox as his sidekick. (She'll be packing a Ph.D in Hasbro lore because she's not afraid to be smart and sexy.)

As Bay ponders how to go sideways from Revenge (his words, not mine), he does have a few ideas in mind. He wants more Bumblebee, and to explore the powerful relationship he has with Sam. He wants more characters, and more emotion. He wants it to be "more undercover" and "less exposed" which might be difficult for our transforming pals when they destroyed the Great Pyramid of Giza.

At the end of the video, Bay decides to abandon plot ideas and offer a cash reward. Then he says "Just joking!" because come on, the man has to eat, and Fallen didn't make a kajillion dollars, just a few hundred million. However, maybe a few of you more skilled in Transformers lore than he is can make use of the address, and write him with what you want to see in #3.

Check out the video of slippery promises below the jump.

The First Trailer For Disney's 'The Prince of Persia'!

Filed under: Action, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Disney, Newsstand, Movie Marketing, Games and Game Movies, Trailers and Clips


After so much hype surrounding the casting and a handful of beefy stills, the trailer for Disney's The Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is finally here, and we have it courtesy of IGN. From the comments left on Todd's preview of the trailer, I know you've been as eager to see its swashbuckling as we have.

It really looks like Jerry Bruckheimer and Mike Newell have taken the best of Pirates of the Caribbean, and employing it here. The costumes and sets are lush and exotic, the cast is gorgeous, there's plenty of crazy action sequences, and the special effects look as solid as golden sands of time can look. My only issue with it is that we only see a few glimpses of wit and fun. Part of what made Pirates so enjoyable was the chemistry and dialogue, and a cast that seemed to be relishing every moment it spent swashbuckling. There was a healthy sense of the ridiculous inherent in it. Everyone in Persia seems to be taking magical daggers, destines, and demons very, very seriously and such earnestness can be offputting for an audience who wants to be transported. Luckily, there's some promising flickers of humor at the end of the trailer (Do jokes about body searches ever get old? Not if they're delivered with the right twinkle in the eye.), and I hope it's a sign that it's not going to be grim and humorless stuff.

Check out the trailer below the jump, and let us know what you think. Thanks again to IGN for the embed.

Wait, Now Heath Ledger Has a DirecTV Commercial?

Filed under: Celebrities and Controversy, Trailers and Clips



If you've been watching playoff baseball these past few weeks, you've probably come across the Tommy Boy DirecTV commercial about, say, 176,000 times. About a week after it began airing, the satellite television company came under fire for a second time for airing parody commercials featuring actors or actresses who died tragically at a young age. The first was a commercial featuring Poltergeist actress Heather O'Rourke, and now folks are really pissed DirecTV is using Chris Farley in a commercial that stars David Spade (who reprises his character from Tommy Boy in a parody of the "Fat Guy in a Little Coat" scene).

If you want my personal opinion, I think DirecTV does this sort of stuff on purpose -- claiming to be "celebrating" the life of a dead celebrity, though what they're really hoping for is that people like us (and several other sites) will give them a bunch of free publicity by writing attacks on their ads. But back to my original point: The folks over at Landline TV have put together a spoof of the DirecTV dead celebrity spoofs -- this time including folks like Heath Ledger, John F. Kennedy and Jesus Christ. Honestly, I'm surprised Michael Jackson hasn't made an appearance yet ... or, heck, how long before DirecTV butchers a scene from Dirty Dancing and craps all over Patrick Swayze?

What do you think about these commercials? Yes, they're annoying (believe us we know), but are they in the wrong for featuring dead celebrities? Or what about celebrities who died tragic deaths at an early age? Is there a difference? Anyone canceling their DirecTV service because of this?

Chime in below, and watch the video after the jump.

Watch This: Spider-Woman and Superman In Bollywood Love

Filed under: Foreign Language, Romance, Fandom, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Trailers and Clips


In Bollywood, no filmmaker needs to worry about what studio owns the rights to what Marvel or DC character. Not even the boundaries between DC and Marvel have meaning, as evidenced by this delightful clip from India's Dariya Dil. Here, Superman shows off his dance moves on land and in the sky while courting Spider-Woman. Yep, Spider-Woman! Somewhere, Lois Lane is throwing a snit fit. It's hard enough to be secure knowing Wonder Woman is out there, but how can she compete with Jessica Drew's pheromones?

All joking aside, I think it's rather cool that at least one filmmaker in India decided Superman needed nothing less than a super woman as a costar (we still haven't done that here!), and that superheroines could use a nice afternoon in the sky. Can you imagine how hard it is for a superheroine to date a normal guy? He'd be threatened by her powers and fame, and jealous of her working relationship with the impossibly buff superheroes in her universe. This is probably the first date Spider-Woman has had in ages where she didn't have to play down her awesomeness.

This clip also demonstrates something else you'll never see in a stateside Marvel or DC adaptation: Song and Dance! India must not have a lot of supervillains running around, because these two are able to take time to learn some sexy steps. If you find yourself sniggering "How cheesy!", just remember that Lois Lane was supposed to sing to Superman in Richard Donner's Superman: The Movie. Every adaptation walks a fine line between The Dark Knight and Dariya Dil.

Go below the jump for the video. Thanks to Cory Casciato and Westword for highlighting it.
 
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