Talk about local flavor: Peter Jackson's WETA pals this week installed a giant Gollum statue inside Wellington, New Zealand's airport in celebration of the Lord of the Rings franchise's fruitful connection to the community (and, y'know, Jackson's upcoming The Hobbit). Now boarding: precious, MY PRECIOUS!
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When the credits rolled on The Master, I found myself thinking two things: Joaquin Phoenix is going to be nominated for an Oscar, and damn, I could use a drink! Watching Phoenix as feral Freddie Quell make moonshine from torpedo fuel, paint thinner and what appeared to be darkroom chemicals garnished with a mangy citrus fruit reminded me how inspiring it is to see a good mixologist at work. And that spurred me to find one who could invent a proper high-alcohol homage to Paul Thomas Anderson's movie and Phoenix's character that would not require masterminding a heist on The U.S.S. Curtis Wilbur. more »
"Why don't people send this stuff to me?!" Bryan Singer cries through laughter, watching YouTube parodies of his films, including X-Men, The Usual Suspects, and Jack the Giant Killer. It's kind of adorable. Welcome to the internet, Bryan Singer!
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With all the face-eatin' madness going around lately, it's been easy to wonder, after watching a few too many horror movies, if this is how the zombie apocalypse begins. Well, rest easy: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have officially stated that no zombie-making viruses exist. Yet. "CDC does not know of a virus or condition that would reanimate the dead (or one that would present zombie-like symptoms)," CDC spokesman David Daigle wrote to HuffPo. Phew! Still, remember the basics just in case they're horribly, horribly wrong: Go for the brain, run fast, and head for the nearest mall. Right? [Huffington Post]
Just when you think you've had enough of this week's Avengers hype, along comes perhaps the most irresistible bit of culture to date around the Marvel blockbuster: "Begin by outlining the cookie in your base color. (If you were starting with The Hulk, outline the entire shape in green. Color in your outline with green icing and cover the entire cookie. You can actually use a paintbrush to 'paint' your cookie.) Give the base a few minutes to dry and choose your next color. For The Hulk’s hair, outline his hairline in black and proceed to fill in with black icing. You can continue to draw features in and watch your character come to life." Take that, Jollibee! Find more kind of awesome Avengers party tips (DIY comic-book placemats!) here. [via Ricky Eisen]
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