Quick Take || ||

A Long, Long Time Ago, When 'Star Wars' Met 'Super 8'

Like those vintage 1980s Reese's Peanut Butter cup ads built around the "Two great tastes that taste great together," tag line, this photo tweeted by J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot production company is a cool visual mash-up of the filmmaker's past and future work.  No pressure, Mr. Abrams! more »

Quick Take || ||

Still No Halloween Costume? Become A 'Hunger Games' Rebel In 2 Easy Steps!

Your worst Halloween nightmare has come true.  You've  been invited last-minute to a costume party by your boss, who just loves letting his freak flag fly for the occasion. It's a command performance,  and your year-end bonus could damn well depend on what you throw together in the next hour. The thing is, you hate costume parties. Well, wipe that flop sweat off your brow, fire up your color printer and follow me to the next page.  more »

Bond at 50 || ||

'Skyfall': The Fashion Review

That cufflink-speeding train move? Just the tip of the bespoke iceberg when it comes to deconstructing Daniel Craig's Bond through his fashionista sensibilities. But what do Skyfall's style choices tell us about 007's frame of mind?

From the sharp-eyed folks at Clothes on Film, dapper deconstruction of Skyfall:

"For the man himself a modern cut of single breasted, two and three button Britishness. In context these costumes feel real. Silva’s (Javier Bardem) long leather coat might be a villain’s indulgence, but Bond looks immaculate and attainable; far from Savile Row though instilled with the swagger of 1960s cool. Even if Craig – here at his broadest – is in danger of bursting from the fabric on occasions, the vents always hang straight and providing he remembers to breathe in, the top button closes comfortably."

And: The stubble (and island casual outfit) say it all...

"Costume tells Bond’s tale just as much as the stubble that appears then disappears from his chin. Pre-credits he wears a grey sharkskin suit (actually ill-advised for Craig’s pale complexion), then hits the bottle in baggy leather flight jacket and untucked island shirt. For Bond this is as bad as Superman losing his cape – he is almost unrecognisable. Back in London, an unseen trip to Selfridges then stop off at Crockett & Jones and everything is okay again."

Read the full review here.

[Clothes on Film via Movie City News]

Newswire || ||

Horror Omnibus V/H/S Is 'A Sinful Way To Hell,' Raves Christwire

"Bad Qualities: Everything. The Satanic influence pumps through the film's heart. It is the worst movie ever made. It will lead kids to murder and death and drug use. If they had not experimented with Lesbiansm [sic] or Alcoholism before, they will definitely do it after viewing." Hit it here for the best review you're likely to see of horror anthology V/H/S — "a pornographic celebration of blood and violence and a celebration of Satan’s nefarious ways" — in theaters October 5. [Christwire via @Simon_Barrett, @BradMiska]

Adventures in Marketing || ||

Scary Movie 5 To Serve Up The Lindsay Lohan-Charlie Sheen Sex Scene You Didn't Ask For

Finally, the Scary Movie franchise is living up to its waning reputation as the classiest WTF-iest of the lowest common denominator spoof-offs, as The New York Post reveals: "'Charlie [Sheen] and Lindsay [Lohan] filmed a love scene,' said a spy. 'The scene they were shooting for the movie was of them in bed together'... We hear the Scary script called for Lohan to kiss Sheen, and also to slip into a kinky collar." Making out with Charlie Sheen! Just another thing Amanda Bynes hasn't had to do. (Yet.) [NY Post via WetPaint]

Newswire || ||

Report: Adele To Sing Skyfall's 007 Theme Song

Roger Friedman of Showbiz 411 reports that U.K. mega-singer Adele will sing the title theme song to the next James Bond joint, Skyfall — though, grain of salt: He's confirming his own scoop here, and the phrase "I think I can confirm for you what I said some months ago" doesn't inspire total confidence. But it's Friday, and a girl can dream! And Friedman's got it right when he argues that "Adele’s sound is the quintessential James Bond sound." Also, those other recent 007 themes did roundly suck. Bring on Agent Adele! [Showbiz 411]

Quick Take || ||

The New York Times Reviews Oogieloves In The Voice Of A 7-Year-Old

And I thought this whole Oogieloves business couldn't get any stranger. Take it away, A.O. Scott! "Nobody is mean in this movie. They talk very loud. Theres parts where you dance or say cheers and rimes which made it noisy in the theter. Hallie’s dad said it was Rocky Horror for toddlers whatever that is. Me and Hallie are 7 and we thought it was for babies. Theo is 3 and a half. Dont you dare call him 3. He ran in circels and fell asleep. At the end the Oogieloves get all the bloons and the bloons grow faces. That was kind of a scary part evn tho the bloons were nice." When I was seven I could spell much better than this, but whatevs. Yes, it counts toward the Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes. WTF indeed. [NYT]

Quick Take || ||

Kevin Costner: The Latest Movie Star Reborn?

17 years after Waterworld, is Kevin Costner back in the game? "[The] Movie Star is dead. But Costner is catching a wave that is still building, a trend that is still sinking into the cultural psyche — he’s re-emerging not as Kevin Costner, Movie Star, but as Kevin Costner, Portrayer of Memorable Characters. This is the way forward for actors in a star-less world... These days, I don’t think a true star can break through unless it’s on the back of a signature character...This is the future. This is the Movie Star’s second act. It’s not about the star anymore. Now it’s about the Celebrity Character." [Lainey Gossip]

Casting || ||

Angelina Jolie And Brad Pitt's 4-Year-Old Daughter Scores Maleficent Movie Debut

Nepotism strikes again (but that's okay): Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's 4-year-old daughter Vivienne Jolie-Pitt has scored her first movie role. The tot will play a young version of Princess Aurora, later played as a teenager by 14-year-old Elle Fanning, in Disney's live-action Maleficent, which stars Jolie as the famous evil witch of Sleeping Beauty lore and is in production gearing towards a 2014 release. According to The Sun, it was mama Jolie's idea: "Ange thought it would be a fun experience for her and Viv to share, and Viv is a natural." [The Sun via The Insider]

Celebs || ||

Jodie Foster Pens Open Letter To Kristen Stewart: 'This Too Shall Pass'

"Eventually this all passes. The public horrors of today eventually blow away. And, yes, you are changed by the awful wake of reckoning they leave behind. You trust less. You calculate your steps. You survive. Hopefully in the process you don’t lose your ability to throw your arms in the air again and spin in wild abandon. That is the ultimate F.U. and—finally—the most beautiful survival tool of all. Don’t let them take that away from you." [Daily Beast]

Newswire || ||

Dolph Lundgren to Host Best Movie-Related Competition Show Ever?

Set your DVRs this spring to Reelz Channel for a Dolph Lundgren-hosted reality competition show called Race to the Scene, which might be the most potentially dangerous but too awesome not to watch TV show idea ever dreamed up: "Race to the Scene will feature pairs of contestants who race to and from actual movie locations as they compete in challenges and stunts inspired by memorable movie moments... [producer Justin Hochberg] and his partner Charlie Ebersol began talking to the network about the project a little over a year ago, and have since spent time selecting iconic scenes —think Bruce Willis jumping off Nakatomi Tower in Die Hard — for which to recreate." Can't wait for the barefoot 50-yard dash over broken glass! What could go wrong? [THR]

Quick Take || ||

Is Don Corleone Funny?

"Don Corleone cuts a fearsome figure through the mafia underworld, yet Brando also makes him into an emotionally needy butterball. When Bonasera makes the gesture of friendship (an awkward 'Be my friend?'), the Don waves off the request. He knows how to play hard to get. It’s an odd juxtaposition, and a funny one at that. Without Brando’s levity, the dark sadness of the scene might have become unbearable. With it, the audience learns that The Godfather won’t limit itself in scope. Any emotion, any subject, anything is fair game." [Splitsider]

Quick Take || ||

Christopher Nolan Condemns 'Unbearably Savage' Massacre

"Speaking on behalf of the cast and crew of The Dark Knight Rises, I would like to express our profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community. I would not presume to know anything about the victims of the shooting but that they were there last night to watch a movie. I believe movies are one of the great American art forms and the shared experience of watching a story unfold on screen is an important and joyful pastime. The movie theatre is my home, and the idea that someone would violate that innocent and hopeful place in such an unbearably savage way is devastating to me. Nothing any of us can say could ever adequately express our feelings for the innocent victims of this appalling crime, but our thoughts are with them and their families." [via ABC]

Newswire || ||

Bane Was Created By 'Lifelong Conservatives,' Says Bane Creator

Following Rush Limbaugh's attempt to cry conspiracy over the idea that The Dark Knight Rises villain Bane was meant as a political jab at Mitt Romney's ties to Bain Capital, comic book writer Chuck Dixon — who created the Bane character for DC's 1993 series Knightfall — chimed in to set the record straight on the character's origins. "Bane was created by me and Graham Nolan and we are lifelong conservatives and as far from left-wing mouthpieces as you are likely to find in comics,” he told ComicBook.com. "He’s far more akin to an Occupy Wall Street type if you’re looking to cast him politically. And if there ever was a Bruce Wayne running for the White House it would have to be Romney." [ComicBook.com via The Guardian]

Quick Take || ||

Masturbating Actor Caught Fred-Handed

"Fred Willard was arrested for lewd conduct last night in Hollywood when police allegedly caught him with his pants down in an adult movie theater ... TMZ has learned. According to law enforcement sources, LAPD undercover vice officers went into the Tiki Theater in Hollywood and found the 78-year-old "Anchorman" star watching last night's feature ... with his penis exposed and in his hand. We're told Willard was arrested around 8:45PM and booked for lewd conduct." [TMZ]