In 1957, the first messages encouraging moviegoers to buy Coca-Cola and popcorn were spliced into movie theater film strips, and audiences did just that. The age of subliminal messaging in entertainment was born, and has been used as a running gag in movies like Fight Club , or as a genuine attempt to influence audiences without them realizing
The previous two movies in the rebooted Star Trek franchise were filmed at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, so the change of locale is most likely due to the hefty tax incentives offered in British Columbia (which have made Vancouver a popular destination for both film and TV productions). It makes sense that Paramount would try to rein in the budget of Star Trek 3 where possible; anything that cuts down the costs of such an effects-heavy movie is no doubt an attractive prosp
With the star of this near-future action film advertised as part man, part machine, it’s hard to see how Robocop could truly take inspiration from the Bible. But the events of the movie are a clear match: Alex Murphy is a hero in a corrupt city, who is killed, resurrected, and emerges as a robotic savior. Director Paul Verhoeven confirmed that a Biblical allegory was his goal, even including a scene of Murphy walking on water in the film’s third act. According to the Dutch filmmaker, an invincible hero who used bullets instead of forgiveness was his idea of “an American Jesus,” dishing out brutal justice in a world torn apart by violent cr
While some directors might shy away from fan criticism, J.J. Abrams seems to embrace and accept it. He is fully aware of the fan reaction to Star Trek Into Darkness and his movies overall. He even tries to make up for his misgivings with his next film, but he’s not above admitting that he miscalculated what he thinks fans w
In recent days, Latino-Review has been dropping some big rumors about Episode VII ; first came word that Emperor Palpatine will be returning – if only as the Sith equivalent of a “force ghost” – and now the website claims to have knowledge that Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi could also be coming back as a ghostly gu
Over the weekend, J.J. Abrams and Stephen Colbert were featured in a two-hour “celebrity nerd-off” during the Montclair Film Festival at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, New Jersey. While Colbert asked Abrams about the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens , the late night talk show host also touched upon Star Trek Into Darkness . According to Jordan Hoffman from Rolling Stone , Abrams admitted that Star Trek Into Darkness had a number of problems, namely that there were too many homages and references to The Wrath of Khan . Hoffman wri
Jeff Bridges got the chance to show a darker side when cast as the villain of Iron Man , but the visual effects team made it clear which of the actor’s roles was their favorite. When Pepper Potts is secretly looking for evidence on his computer, the documents show weapons shipped on a vessel named “Lebowski” – a nod to Bridges’ role in The Big Lebowski released a decade earlier. His character’s name is also contained in a barcode for all to see, and exact quotes from the movie are easy to read in the fine print. Pepper and the viewers had just a fraction of a second to read all of the hidden messages, since she’s interrupted by none other than The Dude hims
Additionally, Stephen Colbert also asked Abrams about his penchant for lens flares. It’s no secret that Abrams is notorious about including (sometimes unnecessarily) a number of big, bright, and distracting lens flares in all of his movies. It’s actually a popular Internet meme anytime Abrams announces a new project. The director is well aware of the number of lens flares he used in the past, but affirms that he reduced the filmmaking flourish for The Force Awakens . From Jordan Hoff
Every Firefly fan knows that Joss Whedon’s canceled TV show was given a second life, and a conclusion on the big screen. But when Serenity was greenlit by Universal, the crew realized that Fox, believing the property to be dead, had destroyed the sets – meaning they had to be rebuilt from scratch. The film’s budget had to cover the new ship, but Whedon made a post light of the situation, stencilling storage containers with the words “REUSABLE CONTAINER: DO NOT DESTROY” in large letters. Let’s hope they took the message to he
William Friedkin’s tale of demonic possession is widely recognized as one of the most terrifying horror movies ever made, and its use of subliminal imagery only makes The Exorcist more unsettling. The demon Pazuzu – nicknamed ‘Captain Howdy’ by Regan – can be seen in a few frames scattered throughout the movie, but its appearances go by so fast that some audience members may never even be aware that they saw them. For those who did manage to spot the pale-faced Pazuzu, the fact that the demon’s horrifying face is only visible for a fraction of a second is far more frightening than a drawn-out close
