Tag Archives: Bryan Cranston

Godzilla Is Coming… Slowly!

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Godzilla Is Coming... Slowly!

“Godzilla” has officially started filming, and now a video has been released by Legendary Pictures that shows director Gareth Edwards on set. It was taken right after the “Godzilla” crew filmed the movie##Q##s first shot, and Edwards seems ready to burst with excitement about finally getting the film underway.

“Hi Legendary fans, it##Q##s Gareth and this is day one of a very long shoot for ##Q##Godzilla##Q## and we##Q##ve just finished the first shot. It went great,” Edwards said. “I can##Q##t tell you any more, you##Q##ll have to see the movie.”

“Godzilla” is filming Vancouver right now, but it##Q##s clear from the video that the city is covering for Japan. The scene filmed was apparently shot on a set that looks like a Japanese airport, specifically in the customs area. There must be more to read into that somewhere.

Starring Aaron Johnson, Bryan Cranston, Elizabeth Olsen, Ken Watanabe, Juliette Binoche and David Strathairn, “Godzilla” is due out on May 16, 2014.

What are you looking forward to about “Godzilla”? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!

Is ‘Argo’ The Most Enjoyable Movie Of 2012?

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Confession time: There are few things I hate more than when an audience — especially one composed of journalists — claps at the end of a movie. Yes, I’m a joyless snob who cringes at the sight of kittens riding unicorns across dazzling rainbows. But a post-film ovation seems so…useless. The actors can’t hear you! Neither can the director, screenwriter or cinematographer! Why bother? Yet, as the credits rolled on “Argo” at a recent press screening, there I was hooting and hollering like a cheerleader at homecoming.

In fact, as I walked to catch the bus home, I sent a barrage of effusive missives across all of my social networks (except Myspace; you haven’t won me back yet, JT), pleading with my friends, family and followers to see the Ben Affleck-directed drama. I may have even said it was the most enjoyable movie of the year.

To be clear, I didn’t declare “Argo” the best movie of the year. I’m not a film critic (though most of them do agree that “Argo” is pretty awesome), and I’m not going to contemplate its Oscar chances. But as someone who enjoys movies and writes about them for a living, I feel confident saying it is one of the most fun movies you’ll watch this year. Which, for a feature about the Iran hostage crisis, is an unexpected treat.

In case you’re not familiar with the real-life story, which came to light after President Clinton declassified heaps of documents in 1997, “Argo” centers around a group of six Americans working in the embassy in Iran, who after coming under attack, seek refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. The CIA cooks up a number of hairbrained schemes to free them (including one involving bicycles and 300 miles of harsh Middle Eastern terrain), but the most outlandish idea of all comes courtesy of Affleck’s Tony Mendez: pose as Canadian filmmakers scouting locations for a “Star Wars” rip-off titled “Argo.” As one character points out mid-way through the film, it’s just crazy enough that it might work.

What unfolds is a nail-biting thriller infused with moments of laugh-out-loud levity. From zingy one-liners made at the expense of the Hollywood machine, to the film’s de facto catch phrase “Argo F— Yourself!” (based, apparently, on an old knock-knock joke), you may just end up peeing your pants — whether from anxiety or hilarity, you’ll never know.

Of course, the tone set by screenwriter Chris Terrio and director Affleck is only heightened by a cabal of high-class talent. The pairing of Alan Arkin and John Goodman as the film’s fake financiers is reminiscent of the best buddy comedies, while Bryan Cranston (who has never met a grizzled smart-ass role he didn’t like, especially of late), is in typically fine Cranstonian form here. Add in Chris Messina, Victor Garber, Tate Donovan and Kyle “Coach Taylor” Chandler, and well, let’s see another director top that anytime soon.

Ultimately, “Argo” is what every film should aspire to be. Dramatic. Humorous. Suspenseful. Touching. It’s not a perfect film, but I’ll bet it’s among the most enjoyable you see all year. And I’m more than happy to give it a hand.

Check out everything we’ve got on “Argo.”

Walter White Joins ‘The Office’ In Dailies!

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7ba7d Bryan Cranston The Office Walter White Joins The Office In Dailies!

Bryan Cranston is directing an episode of “The Office” next season, but we wish this photo was from the long-awaited “Office”-”Breaking Bad” crossover event.

Also, Boba Fett meets Iron Man, and Marko Zaror joins “Machete Kills” in today’s Dailies!

» Check out the first image of Forrest Whitaker in Lee Daniels’ “The Butler.” [Variety]

7ba7d The Butler Forrest Whitaker Walter White Joins The Office In Dailies!

» The Week shares some thoughts about Tony Scott. [The Week]

» Chilean martial arts badass Marko Zaror just joined “Machete Kills.” Here’s a sizzle reel of some of his moves. [The Playlist]

» Check out this series of modified Boba Fett helmets, including a convincing Iron Man mash-up. [Super Punch]

7ba7d Iron Boba Walter White Joins The Office In Dailies!

» The second season of “American Horror Story” looks creepier with each new teaser. [Shock Till You Drop]

» Deep down inside, we knew “The Office” and “Breaking Bad” existed in the same universe. [Twitter]

7ba7d Bryan Cranston The Office Full Walter White Joins The Office In Dailies!

Welcome to the Dailies, where the MTV Movies team runs down all the film and television news, odds and ends that are fit to print! From awesome fan art to obscure casting news, this is your place to feast on all the movie leftovers you didn’t know you were hungry for.

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‘Breaking Bad’ Actor Jesse Plemons Keeps Everyone Guessing

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Back in 2007, actor Jesse Plemons found himself at the heart of a controversial murder subplot on the otherwise corpse-free football drama “Friday Night Lights.” With his latest small-screen role on AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” few would bat an eyelash at the idea of Plemons partaking in the lethal game of thrones that is Heisenberg’s crystal meth empire — but even those fans might be surprised at just how dark the former Landry Clarke‘s story is about to get.

Plemons’ “Breaking Bad” character, bug exterminator Todd, didn’t leave much of an impression when he was introduced a few episodes ago. But in “Dead Freight,” the episode debuting on Sunday (August 12), he’ll make a much bigger splash — one that left actor Aaron Paul virtually speechless when MTV News caught up with him at Comic-Con this summer.

“Man, I gotta tell you. He’s a brilliant actor. But such a complex, interesting character,” Paul said when asked about Plemons’ contributions to the series. “I’m not going to give anything away, but Todd may or may not complicate things a bit. It just gets so dark this season. I don’t even know what to say.”

“There’s some friction when he joins the group,” leading man Bryan Cranston added of Todd when we spoke with him a few months ago. “We think we know him, and then it’s like, ‘What just happened? What did he do?’ It’s fun for [Plemons] to play because it keeps him guessing, and it keeps [Walter White and Jesse Pinkman] as a partnership guessing, too.”

Even as Paul and Cranston are left wondering what will happen with Plemons’ character next (fans will be wondering the same question after “Dead Freight,” too), there’s no uncertainty surrounding the invaluable new energy the actor brings to the final phase of “Breaking Bad.”

“He’s a great kid with a good attitude,” said Cranston. “A really good actor. He’s a nice addition. There’s an interesting quality to him: he seems older than he is. There’s a presence and a weight to him that makes him seem more advanced.”

Tell us what you think about Plemons’ work on “Breaking Bad” in the comments below or hit me up on Twitter @roundhoward!

Five Reasons To See ‘Total Recall’

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Director Len Wiseman’s “Total Recall,” in theaters Friday (August 3), has little in common with the Mars-centric Arnold Schwarzenegger original, but that doesn’t mean the trip to the Sony reboot isn’t worthwhile. But even as it attempts to stay closer to the original Philip K. Dick short story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale” that the first “Recall” was based on, there are certainly callbacks to Paul Verhoeven‘s 1990 punch-fest that die-hard fans will find impossible to ignore.

A sci-fi slug-out with a clear vision of the future, the Colin Farrell-starring “Recall” kicks the summer movie season’s final month off with explosive fury. Here are five reasons to check it out this weekend.

The World
Even without Mars, you know the shape of the story: guy suffering from violent dreams soon realizes he’s not the man he thought he was, but a key figure in a rebel resistance fighting against a tyrannical regime. What you might not know is the difference between the worlds of the two “Recall” films. Wiseman’s vision feels reminiscent of Steven Spielbeg’s “Minority Report,” also based on a Philip K. Dick yarn. Synthetic soldiers populate the streets, buildings are suspended in midair, vehicles prefer the skies to the road. You’ll hurt yourself if you think too hard about how all of these technological advancements can be achieved in a dystopian post-World War III 2084, but the eye-candy is all there for you to devour.

The Fall
One of the biggest set pieces of Wiseman’s “Recall” is a transportation system called The Fall, essentially a bullet train that takes passengers from the oppressed Colony to the upscale United Federation of Britain on the other end of the world. Literally on the other end of the world, too; the train passes through the molten core of the Earth, a portion of the trip that puts passengers in a zero-gravity situation. And as “Inception” taught us, whenever zero-gravity is involved, you know an action scene is bound to follow. “Recall” has no shortage of action, but without spoiling too much, the moment that zero-gravity kicks in on The Fall is a standout in the film.

The Heroine And Villainess
Farrell gets top billing in “Recall,” but it’s his two co-stars Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel who truly stand out in the cast. Beckinsale plays Lori, a highly trained operative posing as Quaid’s wife; her actions are questionable and, at times, show her to be one of the more misguided villains in recent blockbuster memory, but Beckinsale chews on the role and comes out with a magnetic performance. Her character-changing beat-’em-up against Farrell stands out as the film’s best action scene, even eclipsing the aforementioned zero-gravity scene. Biel isn’t quite as electric as the heroic Resistance fighter Melina, but she’s tough and badass in ways that give Farrell’s conflicted Quaid a run for his money.

The Cranston
If there’s anyone who tops Beckinsale in “Total Recall,” it is, unsurprisingly, Bryan Cranston. Best known to television viewers as cancer-stricken chemist turned meth-cooking drug kingpin Walter White on “Breaking Bad,” Cranston repeatedly proves himself to be one of the best working actors in the business today. It’s no exception in “Recall.” The repeat Emmy-winner’s time on screen as the warmongering Cohaagen is brief compared to Beckinsale, but Cranston brings enough weight to the role that you’ll forgive any improbable plot twists so long as he’s ripping his scene partner apart.

The Callbacks
Mars isn’t in sight this time around, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t connections between the two “Total Recall” films. Even ignoring the shared source material, there are countless Easter eggs in the new “Recall” that call back to the “Recall” of old. Keep an eye out for classic lines from the original, unique costume and identity changes, and yes, even a nod or two to the Red Planet. There’s no sign of the Johnny Cab or Kuato, sadly, but on the bright side, we’re pretty sure the three-breasted woman won’t go unnoticed.

Tell us what you think of “Total Recall” in the comments section below!

‘Total Recall’: The Reviews Are In!

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Len Wiseman‘s 2012 take on “Total Recall,” a reboot of the 1990 mind-bendingly fun sci-fi flick, brings together a strong cast of actors, including Colin Farrell, Kate Beckinsale and Jessica Biel. By all accounts, Wiseman’s flick takes on a more serious tone than the original action romp, ditching blood-bursting campiness in favor of a decidedly edgier world.

Farrell jumps into “Recall” as Douglas Quaid (played in 1990 by Arnold Schwarzenegger), a man looking to get some memories more exciting than his own through a form of technology called Rekall. Upon visiting a Rekall station, however, he learns that his mind has already been tampered with, and he’s actually a former secret agent. The reveal only confuses an already-confused Quaid even further, thrusting him into the thick of a rebellion (one he used to fight for) against an evil Bryan Cranston in a futuristic landscape complete with hovercrafts and three-breasted women.

The PG-13 film makes no bones about its blockbuster flashiness, but the results — according to the critics — are mixed. Keep reading for our roundup of “Total Recall” reviews.

The Twists and Tone
“Duplicity abounds, and the plot twists and turns quite satisfyingly, taking the time, of course, to add a wild fight scene between Farrell (very appealing as the confused Douglas) and Beckinsale (who goes a bit overboard as his relentlessly ferocious ‘wife’). There’s even a cat fight between Biel and Beckinsale, one that raises the question: How does Beckinsale find the time to reapply lip gloss between smackdowns? None of this is taken too seriously, and that’s a good thing. Clever references pop up regarding the Arnie film, and a quick flash of currency showing Obama’s face on it gives the film a contemporary feel. There’s even a shoutout — sort of — to the Bay Area’s Fremont, where director Len Wiseman was born.” — Randy Myers, San Jose Mercury News

The Visual Dream
“It’s a ‘Blade Runner’ world of dark and rain, a ‘Fifth Element’ future of stacked up ‘levels’ of humanity and traffic. No doubt about it, there’s a lot to take in, visually, during the endless chase that runs Doug through skylights, awnings, crowded streets, subway cars and this vast shuttle that shoots people through the center of the Earth from Britain to Australia. So, kudos where they’re due — to production designer Patrick Tatopolous.” — Roger Moore, TheSouthern.com

The Girl Power
“One vast improvement here is that the women are stronger and fiercer than they were in the original; Rachel Ticotin’s Melina was the proverbial hooker with a heart of gold and Sharon Stone’s Lori was a sweetly passive housewife. Here, when Biel and Beckinsale square off against each other, it’s with all the skill and intensity of the men. Similarly, they don’t break a single bone as they scramble across rooftops and leap from one ridiculously perilous height after another.” — Christy Lemire, Associated Press

The Questions It Asks
“It’s a great subject for a movie because you could argue that, like the Farrell character, moviegoers are having fake memories planted in their brains when they watch movies. Questions of identity and determinism bang around in ‘Total Recall,’ and the idea of not being able to trust your own brain is pretty scary.” — Chris Hewitt, TwinCities.com

The Bland Side
“A hot cast, vividly imagined futurescape, and exciting action sequences will appeal to a wide range of moviegoers looking for a punchy late summer blockbuster, but hardcore genre fans will likely be quite disappointed to find a film that trades vision and originality for something best described as bland and inoffensive … [Wiseman's] post-apocalyptic vision is clear and consuming, and, lens flares aside, it looks and feels both tangible and possible. Once the audience comes to understand the state of the world in ‘Total Recall,’ they’ll likely barely even miss Mars. Paired with some well-directed and choreographed action sequences, ‘Total Recall‘ works well enough as popcorn entertainment. But it’s a diversion that doesn’t do its source justice.” — Kate Erbland, BoxOffice.com

Check out everything we’ve got on “Total Recall.”

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

Comic-Con 2012: Television Steals The Show

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SAN DIEGO — This year was television’s time to shine at Comic-Con. Though movies like “The Hobbit,” “Pacific Rim” and “Elysium” drew massive crowds, it was the TV fans who camped out for days to see “Game of Thrones,” the “Firefly” reunion and “Breaking Bad.”

MTV News was lucky enough to catch up with most of the stars of the shows during our time at Comic-Con as well as catch some great panels. We’ve decided to compile the shows that walked out the winners of SDCC this year to share with all of you:

“Game Of Thrones”
The biggest news to come out of the “Game of Thrones” Hall H panel was the lineup of 14 new actors who will be joining the show in season three, as well as the fact it will be returning to HBO on May 31. Sadly missing from the list was the name of the man playing Mance Rayder, though author George R.R. Martin later told MTV that was because HBO hasn’t cast him yet. We also would be remiss if we didn’t mention the fact that Martin’s inspirations for his “A Song of Ice and Fire” series were apparently turtles.

“Firefly”
The Comic-Con TV panel that featured the most tears was easily the 10th anniversary “Firefly” reunion, which brought all of the show’s stars — including Nathan Fillion and Summer Glau — together with creator Joss Whedon to reminisce about the short-lived space western. Fans started lining up for the Ballroom 20 panel en masse the night before, and though there were no major announcements during the panel, there was plenty of nostalgia. “When you’re telling a story, you’re trying to connect to people in a particular way. It’s about inviting them into a world,” Whedon said while choking back tears. “The way you’ve [the fans] inhabited this world, this universe, you have become part of it. When I see you guys, I don’t think the show is off the air. I think there’s spaceships and horses — the story is alive.”

“Breaking Bad”
The “Breaking Bad” panel might have opened with what Bryan Cranston calls the “most revealing” teaser yet, but the cast of AMC‘s hit show did a great job of not giving anything away. During a later interview with MTV News, Cranston and RJ Mitte did discuss how they think Walter White Jr. would accept finding out his father is a murderous meth dealer. “I say a father is a father no matter how you look at it, and at the moment he’s looking pretty up to [Walt] right now,” Mitte said. “Wouldn’t you like to have a dad that’s pretty much like Scarface?”

“The Walking Dead”
“The Walking Dead” managed to dominate Comic-Con with its cool factor this year between the epic obstacle course in Petco Park to the announcement that Universal Studios Orlando and Hollywood will be having a “Walking Dead”-themed maze during their Halloween Horror Nights this year. Add to that the fact we can openly talk about the introduction of Michonne and we’re sold. “I really haven’t seen any story told this viscerally and palpably as ‘The Walking Dead.’ To be able to step into it, it’s thrilling,” Danai Gurira said of joining the cast.

“True Blood”
Between the body rolling, strip teases and hand stands during “True Blood‘s” Ballroom 20 panel, it ended up being the bromances of the show that reigned king. Alexander Skarsgard and Bill Moyer talked about their growing onscreen relationship as well as their offscreen appreciation for season newcomer Christopher Meloni. But all we wanted to know about when we caught up with Skarsgard later for some interviews was whether Eric would be reunited with Pam any time soon. “I want her back,” he told MTV News. “I’m not going to tolerate an entire season without her, I’m not going to have it so for sure.”

“The Vampire Diaries”
“The Vampire Diaries” cast didn’t have any new footage to bring fans at Comic-Con during their panel, but they did bring plenty scoops when they stopped by MTV News headquarters. Michael Trevino, Zach Roerig and Steven R. McQueen teased that Connor, the new vampire hunter villain in season four, will be a badass and tougher than any of the series’ previous baddies. Ian Somerhalder, Paul Wesley and Nina Dobrev were a bit more coy, but did say that some of Elena’s memories that have been compelled away during her life as a human will come back now that she’s a vampire and will forever change her relationship with the Salvatore brothers.

“Community”
The “Community” panel at Comic-Con was the perfect opportunity for new showrunners David Guarascio and Moses Port to assure fans that they will “not screw [the show] up” now that creator Dan Harmon has been booted from it. When cast members Joel McHale, Allison Brie, Gillian Jacobs and Yvette Nicole Brown stopped by to chat with MTV, they promised that next season won’t deviate much in tone from those that came before. McHale also said that there might be room for Harmon to return in some capacity during the show’s 13-episode final season. Fingers crossed.

MTV News had San Diego Comic-Con covered. Stick with us as we roll out more interviews with your favorite stars!

San Diego Comic-Con Winners And Losers

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For every mega-hit that comes walking tall out of Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, there’s another big-budget movie that underwhelmed. That kind of divisiveness is what you risk when appealing to the most passionate demographic in the business.

After four days of wall-to-wall fandom, we’ve been able to see which movies will get that precious Comic-Con boost and which still need the help. Here are our winners and losers of Comic-Con.

Winner: Marvel Studios
To be fair, a win for Marvel Studios wasn’t that surprising. We just had no idea how big a win it would be. Obviously, the studio hit its peak earlier in the year with “The Avengers,” so a satisfying showing at Comic-Con could have been a daunting notion. Fans expected an official announce for “Guardians of the Galaxy,” which they got, plus some badass concept art. The big surprise came from an unlikely source. The “Captain America” sequel got a subtitle that floored most of Hall H: “The Winter Soldier.” Thor’s subtitle underwhelmed, but overall, Marvel Studios proved that their world domination will continue as planned.

Loser: Hall H
When the line to get into Hall H stretches halfway to Tijuana yet there are a bunch of empty seats, you have a problem. It happened consistently throughout the convention, but people complained the most about it during the highly anticipated “Game of Thrones” panel. For as wonderfully organized as Comic-Con is, this was a massive oversight that only hurt the most diehard of fans.

Winner: Hall H
But those lucky fans that actually did get into Hall H were treated to a steady stream of awesome. All of the major buzz — outside of everything Joss Whedon-related — came out of Hall H, as it tends to, but this year, the dominance of the convention’s biggest venue could not be questioned.

Loser: “Total Recall”
When you’re going up against the likes of Rian Johnson’s “Looper” and the beyond-buzzy “Elysium” from Neill Blomkamp, you have to bring your A-game. Len Wiseman’s remake of “Total Recall” did not live up to the high standards set by the rest of the Sony Panel. No amount of charm from Bryan Cranston could meet the time-travel Bruce Willises of “Looper” and the sci-fi politics and ultra-violence of “Elysium.”

Ultimate Winner: Warner Bros.
Frankly, it wasn’t even close. When the curtains peeled away in Hall H revealing two gigantic extra screens, it was pretty clear that Guillermo del Toro’s “Pacific Rim” — or “Pac Rim” as it came to be known — threw everyone for a loop with gigantic monsters fighting gigantic robots. But that wasn’t even the end of the monsters. Legendary Pictures then dropped the teaser trailer for Gareth Edward’s “Godzilla.” Keep in mind that this all occurred before “Man of Steel” and “The Hobbit” even took the stage.

MTV News had San Diego Comic-Com covered. Stick with us as we roll out more interviews with your favorite stars!

Comic-Con: ‘Breaking Bad’ Cast Updates Us On The State Of The Whites

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By Ryan J. Downey, with reporting by Josh Wigler

Considering the series began with Walter White stranded in the desert contemplating suicide, followed not long after by the liquifying of a dead body, to say that this new season of “Breaking Bad” kicks off with Walt “at his darkest” certainly carries a tremendous amount of weight. But perhaps, maybe, it was all a dream? Maybe this season, the folks in “Breaking Bad” will awaken to find that everything is just fine (no cancer, no meth), like Bobby Ewing‘s wife in “Dallas.”

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Sitting down with MTV News San Diego Comic-Con alongside his on-screen family of Anna Gunn and RJ Mitte (who, of course, play Walt’s wife and son, respectively), Bryan Cranston told us a story about a fan interaction that made him wonder.

“We were on the floor today and we were signing autographs and one fan handed me her cellphone. And on the back of the cellphone was Snow White. And she goes, ‘Cause she’s a member of the family!’ And I went, ‘Yeah!’ And I signed it ‘Walter and Snow White.’”

“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if it turned out to be this fantasy life?’” he added. But of course, that’s not the case. “It’s a tragedy life for the White family. It started out precarious. The best it ever was was ‘touchy.’ Even during the pilot, it was like kind of depressed. And it’s gone downhill from there.”

As awful as things are for the White family on “Breaking Bad,” at least one cast member thinks being parented by a drug-dealing dad could have its upside.

“Junior is still loving everybody, so we’re all good,” Mitte pointed out. But what happens if/when Jr. learns the truth about his pops? “I either think one he’s going to be accepting of his father, or two, he’s going to be like, ‘What is going on in your mind?’” Cranston couldn’t believe Jr. might be accepting.

“A father is a father, no matter how you look at it,” Mitte countered. “Wouldn’t you like to have a dad that’s pretty much like Scarface?”

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