Britt Hayes is a writer, movie lover, and sensible sweater enthusiast living in Austin, Texas. She watches too much TV and never eats her vegetables.
Britt Hayes
New ‘It’ Photo Puts Pennywise in the Gutter, Director Says ‘You’re Going to S— a Brick’
After a somewhat tumultuous development stage, the new adaptation of Stephen King’s classic horror novel It is finally heading to the big screen in September, courtesy of Mama director Andy Muschietti. While we wait for the first trailer (which may be arriving sooner than you think), a new photo of Pennywise the clown has debuted online, giving us another look at the iconic villain in a scene that fans of King’s novel and the original miniseries adaptation will immediately recognize.
Academy Reportedly Considers Hiring More Oscar Auditors as Soon as They Stop Analyzing This Guy‘s Tweet
Perhaps even more incredible than Envelopegate is how quickly the whole thing escalated, and our collective fascination with what instantly (and maybe inarguably) became the most memorable Oscar moment of all time. (To be fair, America was in desperate need of a distraction.) Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty’s Best Picture envelope mixup is the best-worst thing to happen to the Oscars in years, but it’s not a mistake they’re eager to repeat; according to a new report, they’re considering a possible solution, which they’ll get around to as soon as they finish exhaustively scrutinizing this tweet.
Taika Waititi and Animator Mark Gustafson to Direct Michael Jackson Chimp Movie ‘Bubbles’
Taika Waititi, you just directed a Marvel movie about a thunder god’s adventures through mythical realms with an angry green giant — what will you do next? The answer is not a trip to Disney Land (well, maybe?), but it’s definitely going to be one heck of a trip. Waititi is teaming up with animator Mark Gustafson to direct a stop-motion animated film about…Michael Jackson’s pet chimpanzee.
Donald Trump’s Inauguration Speech Was Totally Lifted From ‘Dark Knight’ Villain Bane
At some point we’re all going to have to stop asking, “Is this real life?! Is this really happening right now?!” The daily proliferation of surreal news headlines will never feel normal (nor should they), but it’s the frequency our country is operating at now, and it will likely continue at this pitch for the next four years, which officially kicked off today. In the latest episode of The Surreal Life, Donald Trump basically plagiarized Bane, Tom Hardy’s mush-mouthed villain from The Dark Knight Rises, in his inauguration speech.
Tilikum, Subject of Killer Whale Doc ‘Blackfish’, Dies in Captivity
In 2010, an orca named Tilikum made headlines when he killed SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau in Orlando, Florida — Brancheau wasn’t the first person killed by the park’s troubled resident; then again, Tilikum wasn’t the first (or the last) captive orca to attack a human being. Three years later, he became newsworthy again as the subject of Blackfish, Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s eye-opening documentary which used the story of Tilikum to shine a light on the horrors lurking within sea parks (spoiler: it’s the humans you need to worry about). Four years later, Tilikum is making headlines again, as the now-infamous orca has passed away at the estimated age of 36.
This iPhone ‘Theatre Mode’ Update Sounds Like a Threat
It’s hard to pass judgment on iPhone’s new “theatre mode” because, well, it doesn’t exist out in the real world just yet. But according to a new report, that might be changing sooner rather than later, as Apple’s latest update is said to include this mysterious function. What is it, exactly? What does it do? Is this good news or bad news? Is the sanctity of the theatrical experience facing a new, insidious threat? Whatever it is, we’ll probably find out on January 10, when the iOS 10.3 beta rolls out to iPhone users.
Carrie Fisher’s Obituary Request Was Typically Witty and Wonderful
Today we mourn the loss of Carrie Fisher: Iconic actor, talented author, brilliant script doctor and, most of all, an incomparable force to be reckoned with. There are so many great adjectives you could use to describe Fisher: Uncompromising, unapologetic, fierce, witty, relatable, real, honest. She took all of those qualities and put them to work in her books — from memoirs to novels, Fisher had a knack for telling poignant and painful stories with wit and wisdom. Writing a worthy obituary for one of the best and boldest women on this planet or any other is surely an impossible task…so it’s a good thing that the perfect obit basically already exists, and unsurprisingly, Fisher came up with it herself.
Jimmy Kimmel Will Host the 2017 Academy Awards
Not long after setting Mike DeLuca and Jennifer Todd as showrunners, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences has officially selected the host of the 2017 Oscars telecast. Drumroll please…oh, forget it, you saw the headline. It’s Jimmy Kimmel, comedian, host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and, most importantly, the guy who brought you celebrities reading mean tweets about themselves for your entertainment.
The ‘Bad Santa 2’ Red Band Trailer Is Here to Spoil Your Holiday Cheer
It should go without saying, but the red band trailer for Bad Santa 2 is NSFW — or for life, really, but that depends on your level of sensitivity. If there was any doubt that the sequel could be as profane and gleefully repulsive as its predecessor, the latest trailer should restore your optimism…or cynicism, as it were. Never fear, Billy Bob Thornton’s unsavory Santa has returned, and he’s just as foul as ever.
‘Masterminds’ Trailer: Zach Galifianakis’ Long-Delayed Comedy Is Finally Coming to Theaters
Hey, remember Masterminds? We saw the first trailer for the film last year, when it was originally set to hit theaters in August. But the latest comedy from Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess fell victim to Relativity Studios’ bankruptcy and was pushed back to this September — well over a year after its original release date. Now that it’s finally seeing the light of day (or the dark of the theater, whatever), Masterminds has a new trailer to remind you that A. It is definitely hitting theaters soon, and B. There are some very good reasons to see it.
‘Star Trek’ Actor Anton Yelchin Dies in Tragic Accident at the Age of 27
Anton Yelchin, the young actor best known for recent roles in the Star Trek franchise and acclaimed indie thriller Green Room has tragically passed away at the age of 27. Yelchin’s death was originally discovered early Sunday morning and initially reported by TMZ. Several outlets are confirming this terrible news, which comes just one month ahead of the release of Star Trek Beyond, in which he reprises the role of Chekov.
Watch Billy Crystal’s Wonderful Eulogy For Muhammad Ali
Comedian and actor Billy Crystal had been close friends with Muhammad Ali for many years, beginning with his appearance at an event honoring the legendary boxer in 1974. That moment — featured on ABC — helped launch Crystal’s career, and the comedian and boxer remained friends until Ali passed away last week. A special service was held for Ali last night in Louisville, Kentucky, where Crystal spoke at length about his dearly departed friend, delivering a eulogy that was equal parts heartwarming and humorous.
Michael Bay Reveals Bumblebee’s New Look in ‘Transformers: The Last Knight’
It looks like Bumblebee is getting a bit of a makeover for the new Transformers sequel — not that it’s the first time. The friendly Autobot capable of stealthily upgrading his wheels has traded in his 2014 Camaro for a newer model, though he’s still sporting his signature colors, of course. Michael Bay revealed Bumblebee’s new look over the weekend, and if you’re a fan of cars — or of Transformers — then you’ll probably want to take a look.
Jared Leto’s Joker Reportedly Starring in ‘Suicide Squad’ Music Video For Rick Ross and Skrillex
That headline seems a bit misleading because the real news here is that Suicide Squad is about to join the catalog of films that have their very own rap song — which includes recent releases like Deadpool and, weirdly, Jodie Foster’s Money Monster. Rick Ross and Skrillex collaborated on a track for David Ayer’s upcoming super-villain team-up, and according to a new report, the music video will feature Jared Leto’s Joker.
The Lonely Island Brings ‘Popstar’ to SNL With a Hilarious New Digital Short
It may seem like it’s been forever since The Lonely Island delivered a new Digital Short on SNL, but it’s only been a little over a year (which is like, eight years in Adult Time). In any case, Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone are back with their latest music offering, this one taken straight from their upcoming film Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping — which also happens to be an early contender for the best movie title of the year.
‘Captain America: Civil War’ Has Made One Billion Dollars Worldwide
Not that it’s terribly surprising, but Captain America: Civil War has now officially become the biggest film of the year (so far) worldwide, crossing the $1 billion mark at the box office this week. That makes Civil War the fourth Marvel film to reach that particular milestone, and it did so in just 24 days of release.
SNL and Beck Bennett Prove That a Man With a Baby Body Is Better Than Trump
It has been way too long since Beck Bennett’s Mr. Patterson made an appearance on SNL, but the man-baby makes his hilarious return this week, transitioning from running an office to running for office — it really doesn’t take much to see how this sketch came to be, but it’s still absolutely delightful nonetheless.
‘Space Jam’ Director Says the LeBron James Sequel Is ‘Doomed’
We’ve long been promised / threatened a sequel to Space Jam, and Warner Bros. is determined to follow through on that plan, recently tapping Furious 6 director Justin Lin to helm the project. But the director of the original film doesn’t think any of this is a good idea; in fact, he thinks WB should go ahead and pump the brakes on Space Jam 2 before it even takes off.
Andre the Giant Biopic in the Works Based on Wrestler’s Graphic Novel Biography
A biography told in graphic novel form is far from typical, but then again, so was Andre Roussimoff, the pro-wrestling legend better known to fans as Andre the Giant. The 2015 graphic novel Andre the Giant: Closer to Heaven will serve as the inspiration for the late wrestler’s big screen biopic, with his daughter Robin Christensen-Roussimoff serving as consultant on the project.
New DVD and Blu-ray Releases: May 2016
Sure, you have plenty of movie options in theaters next month, with Captain America: Civil War, X-Men: Apocalypse and everything in between (High-Rise. Go see High-Rise), but if you're looking to stay home there's lots of new stuff for you to check out. Whether you're looking to rent or add to your collection, read on for our guide to the new DVD and Blu-ray releases arriving in May.