-
Give me your hand. Take my hand. Don't you let go. Don't let go.
MORE >> Posted 12.17.12 by Chris -
This weekend sees the opening of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, which is great news for Lord of the Rings who will get to see plenty returning characters such as the wizard Gandalf (Ian McKellen) aids a young Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and an assembly of dwarves in their quest to unseat the dragon Smaug from the treasure he's guarding. It's only the first of a three-part adaptation, which means there will be plenty more Gandalf to go around for the next few years, even if he will still be one appearance behind another literary-turned-cinematic wizard, Harry Potter's Dumbledore.
Speaking of Professor Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore (first played by the late Richard Harris and then by Michael Gambon), this week's arrival of Gandalf got us thinking about our two favorite, long-bearded wizards and which of the two would survive the cybernetic cage that is our Character Cage Match! No doubt, fans of either J.R.R. Tolkien and J.K. Rowling may already have their minds made up, but we make a case for both and only you can decide which wizard will leave victorious!
check out the characters' strengths and weaknesses before voting >> Posted 12.14.12 by Ryan -
"If by my life or death I can protect you, I will. You have my sword."
Fans of high fantasy — fantasy that takes place on an epic scale in an imaginary world in which otherwise supernatural creatures and forces are simply a part of the natural environment — were all but left out in the cold in 2012, while superheroes, aliens and secret agents were free to run amok on the big screen. Where were all of the wizards, dragons and elves? Except for animated movies and the pair of Snow White adaptations, high fantasy movies have been noticeably absent from the Cineplex of late.
Thankfully, fans of the fantasy sub-genre will not have to wait much longer with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opening in only a matter of days and Russian director Sergei Bodrov's (Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan) new fantasy adventure, Seventh Son — that's a begrizzled Jeff Bridges in the hood and cloak above, playing an aging knight who must train a new apprentice (Ben Barnes) to help him battle a malevolent witch (Julianne Moore) that seeks to destroy him — debuting next year. In anticipation of the return of magic to movie theaters, help us rate the best high fantasy movies of all time (beyond time).
Rate the Top 10 Best High Fantasy Movies >>
Image courtesy Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures
Posted 12.05.12 by BrentJS -
Since The Lord of the Rings trilogy left theaters, fantasy fans have slowly gravitated to George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones novels and subsequent HBO TV adaptation. But now that The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey is on its way, the inevitable comparisons are starting to be raised. Which series has the toughest warrior? Which series has the fiercest creatures? Fantasy fans could no doubt debate the subject for hours, but MTV Geek took the topic straight to Martin during this interview.
watch the video >> Posted 11.15.12 by Ryan -
Are you a big fan of J.R.R. Tolkien and The Lord of the Rings trilogy? Are you excited for the upcoming The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the first installment of a three-part adaptation of Tolkien's novel? Are you willing to spend over 40 hours constructing Bilbo Baggins' home of Bag End in your living room using 2600 balloons?
If the answer is no to that last one, worry not: Jeremy Telford of Balloon Guy Entertainment did have the time (and the desire) to create Bag End in his living room, documenting the construction in time-lapse photography so that anyone could watch.
watch the transformation >> Posted 11.15.12 by Ryan -
In Shrek Forever After, the formerly dashing lothario Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) has morphed into a morbidly obese, singularly unmotivated housecat. When fantasy's ultimate swashbuckler can no longer buckle his swash, you know things are bad. Puss isn't the first to have his downhill slide observed by the merciless eye of the camera. In fact, the list of characters with unfortunate cinematic transformations is considerable. We've compiled a video list of the most distressing cases.
See Top 10 "Wow, You've Really Let Yourself Go" Movies >> Posted 05.19.10 by reelz -
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association cast its votes for the best movies of the "aughties," and in the end, it was David Lynch's Mulholland Dr. that came out on top, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The organization made the following statement in announcing its decision:
Lynch's film stands as both a cautionary tale and a mascot for the triumph ofart and personal vision in an industry that, from where we sit, often seems actively devoted to the suppression of both.
Mulholland Dr. stars Laura Elena Harring as an upscale LA woman who suffers from amnesia after a car accident. She meets Naomi Watts (in her breakout role), an ingenue trying to break into Hollywood, and the two set about trying to solve the mystery of the accident. The movie also features Justin Theroux as a director whose project is sabotaged by big-studio producers.
The movie both glamorizes and satirizes Hollywood, often in the same moment, and the tone runs the gamut from absurd hilarity to outright horror. It's a rhapsodic celebration of the history of movies on one hand, and yet at the same time a ruthlessly bitter denunciation of industry evils. Perfect territory for Lynch, whose very success depended partly on Hollywood capital and partly on his ability to keep his distance from it.
Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood was second on the critics' list, followed by Michel Gondry's Eternal Sunshine of theSpotless Mind and Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain. Other contenders included Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away, and Alfonso Cuarón's Y tu mamá también.
Posted 01.13.10 by reelz -
Sir Ian McKellen (Gandalf), Andy Serkis (Gollum), and Hugo Weaving (Elrond) are confirmed to reprise their LOTR roles in The Hobbit, the prequel to The Lord of the Rings (LOTR), but the lead role of Bilbo Baggins has yet to be cast. Based on a statement from producer Peter Jackson less than a month ago, the part would likely go to an unknown or lesser-known actor found in a "casting sweep," rather than to a "name" actor.
A recent open casting call list posted by SpoilerTV seemed to indicate that Jackson planned on making good on his comments about casting unknowns in major roles, as the list includes the title character, Bilbo Baggins, as well as a collection of humans, elves, dwarves, a wizard, and even the dragon Smaug, which is listed as a voiceover role.
However, shortly after the list was posted, our friends at TheOneRing did somefollow up on the news with their undisclosed sources and it appears that the list may be bogus or simply no longer pertinent to the production.
After touching base with more of our contacts, we’ve been notified that this is not a valid list of lead roles and, in fact, some of the roles listed in the links are not relevant.
While casting an unknown in such an expensive production may seem like a risky proposition — especially in light of how cash-strapped MGM is right now — Jackson pointed out that the LOTR trilogy was not "star-driven." He went on to say that the true "star" is the late J.R.R. Tolkien, the creator of the LOTR universe.
A recent Tweet from Production Weekly declared that The Hobbit would begin its14-month productionthis June in New Zealand. Like the LOTR movies, The Hobbit films — one film split into two parts, a la Kill Bill — are being filmed concurrently.
Posted 01.07.10 by BrentJS -
The ReelzChannel 100 began when we asked Leonard Maltin for his favorite Hidden Gems of the decade. His list led the web team into a general discussion about the best movies of the decade and — after no small amount of debate, arguing, and (we're not proud to say) some petty name-calling — we decided we'd better bring it to an end with a company-wide vote. Then it was just a matter of tallying up the votes and hoping for the best. Lucky for us, ReelzChannel is filled with a staff ranging from movie lovers to movie fanatics. What turned out isn't what you'll find on a critic's best of list — instead it's what movie fans really enjoyed.
In our final day of the ReelzChannel 100, we highlight 10 New Classics from the Decade.
Posted 01.01.10 by reelz -
The ReelzChannel 100 began when we asked Leonard Maltin for his favorite Hidden Gems of the decade. His list led the web team into a general discussion about the best movies of the decade and — after no small amount of debate, arguing, and (we're not proud to say) some petty name-calling — we decided we'd better bring it to an end with a company-wide vote. Then it was just a matter of tallying up the votes and hoping for the best. Lucky for us, ReelzChannel is filled with a staff ranging from movie lovers to movie fanatics. What turned out isn't what you'll find on a critic's best of list — instead it's what movie fans really enjoyed.
In day three of the ReelzChannel 100, we highlight the Top 10 Action/Adventure Movies of the Decade.
Posted 12.23.09 by reelz