Quantcast
Channel: Movies
Viewing all 8368 articles
Browse latest View live

There's only one 'Star Wars' movie you actually need to re-watch before you see 'The Force Awakens'

0
0

luke c3p0

Everyone is talking about the new "Star Wars" movie. But if you're not a die-hard fan, chances are you haven't watched any of its six predecessors in a long time. After all, the very first "Star Wars" movie came out in 1977, and the latest, "Return of the Sith," was a whole decade ago.

There's good news: 

You actually don't need to watch any of thembefore you go see J.J. Abrams' "Star Wars: The Force Awakens." 

The movie does a good job of explaining itself to even the least knowledgable "Star Wars" fan.

But! If you want to be let in on some of the inside jokes in Abrams' movie — because he does include a fair amount of throwback references for the avid fan's viewing pleasure — there's one movie you really should re-watch above all the others: "Episode IV: A New Hope."

"A New Hope" was the first "Star Wars" movie George Lucas ever made. It introduces you to everyone you'll need to know about in "The Force Awakens," including Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Darth Vader — even Chewbacca, the wookiee.

There are a lot of similarities between the two movies, too, both in terms of plot and in cinematography. For example, there's a famous bar/cantina scene in "A New Hope" that Abrams recreates in his own vision in "The Force Awakens." And there's a famous trash-compactor scene in "A New Hope" that Han Solo jokes about in Abrams' new movie.

Anyway, if you're not up for binge-watching half a day's worth of "Star Wars," just go watch the very first "Star Wars" again, and you won't miss much at all.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Everything that happened in the first six ‘Star Wars’ movies in 4 minutes


Someone figured out how much money we've spent rescuing Matt Damon

0
0

Ever noticed that a ton of Matt Damon movies center around having to rescue him?

Scientific researcher Kynan Eng published a post on Quora that advances the discussion on a very important topic: How much money has the fictional universe spent rescuing Matt Damon?

By his count, Damon has needed big-money rescues in eight movies, including "The Martian,""Interstellar," and "Saving Private Ryan."

The total cost of these is off the charts.

Story by Tony Manfred and editing by Stephen Parkhurst

INSIDER is on Facebook: Follow us here

INSIDER is on YouTube: Subscribe here

SEE ALSO: A grandma had the best reaction ever to virtual reality

Join the conversation about this story »

An Easter egg in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' pays homage to the original movie

0
0

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" introduces fans to the Death Star 3.0, an icy planet called Starkiller Base where the First Order is stationed.

Here's a look at the base's exterior in the film's poster:

starkiller base, star wars the force awakens poster

According to StarWars.com, the base exists deep in the "unknown regions" and serves as a weapon platform.

It's capable of harvesting energy from its system's star, storing it within a magnetic field, and funneling the energy into a powerful beam that can obliterate an entire planet in one shot.

star wars the force awakens stormtroopers

As it turns out, there's an Easter egg buried right in the base's name: Starkiller was the original last name of our beloved protagonist, Luke Skywalker.

In a 1975 script titled, "Adventures of the Starkiller, Episode One: The Star Wars," George Lucas dreamt up an 18-year-old hero, Luke Starkiller, trained in the ways of the Force by his Uncle Owen.

Starkiller's described as a "sensitive artistic type" who practices using a laser sword on his small moisture ranch.

luke skywalker, star wars: a new hope

The name stuck through the first couple months of production.

During a Q&A on Twitter in October, actor Mark Hamil revealed the only time he says his character's name on-camera, he used Luke Starkiller.

Eventually, Lucas ditched the name Starkiller for Skywalker.

"That I did because I felt a lot of people were confusing him with someone like Charles Manson," Lucas explained in the 2007 book, "The Making of Star Wars.""It had very unpleasant connotations."

Charles Mason helmed a cult in the late 1960s, and was responsible for the death of a beautiful, famed actress, Sharon Tate, among others. The murders were still fresh in people's minds into the '70s, when "Star Wars" arrived in theaters, making a name like Starkiller hard to swallow.

Charles Manson

More than four decades later, the negative connotation faded and the phrase returned to the franchise, giving a nod to the movie that started it all.

When news of the Easter egg first slipped at San Diego Comic-Con earlier this year, "The Force Awakens" director J.J. Abrams revealed the name Starkiller Base was indeed "in honor of" Skywalker.

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Everyone is obsessed with these 2 ‘Star Wars’ theories about the movie’s deepest mystery

Carrie Fisher fires back at critics who are debating whether or not she 'aged well'

0
0

star wars behind the scenes trailer leia

Carrie Fisher has had enough of the body-shaming.

The "Star Wars" actress took to twitter yesterday to shut down critics commenting on her appearance in "The Force Awakens."

She followed up with another tweet saying, "My body is my brain bag."

A few hours later, she sent another tweet adding that youth and beauty are not accomplishments.

While Fisher retweeted a supportive message from a fan that said, "Men don't age better than women, they're just allowed to age," she also retweeted a few gross comments from body-shamers to highlight the problem. 

Earlier this month, Fisher critiqued Hollywood's obsession with appearance, telling British Good Housekeeping that she was pressuredto lose 35 pounds to reprise her role as Leia in "The Force Awakens." She was also reportedly asked to lose 10 pounds — to get down to 95 pounds — for the original trilogy.

"They don’t want to hire all of me – only about three-quarters! Nothing changes, it’s an appearance-driven thing," she said. "I’m in a business where the only thing that matters is weight and appearance. That is so messed up. They might as well say get younger, because that’s how easy it is."  

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every 'Star Wars' movie from best to worst — and why 'Force Awakens' is 3rd

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Here's what Sports Illustrated swimsuit models look like in real life

'Star Wars' is now the fastest movie to hit $600 million, eyes taking down 'Avatar' all-time record

0
0

star wars force awakens trailer

Another day, another box-office record broken by "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

On Tuesday evening, the film made an estimated $29.3 million, giving the film a total gross in the US of $600.65 million, according to Deadline

That makes "The Force Awakens" the fastest movie to hit the $600 million mark. And $700 million should be in its grasp come this weekend.

The all-time domestic box-office champ (not adjusted for inflation) is "Avatar," which took in $760.5 million over its theatrical life. "The Force Awakens" is gearing up to pass that number in the coming week.

A few of the other major milestones for "Force Awakens" include biggest opening day, biggest opening weekend for domestic and worldwide, and fastest movie to $1 billion worldwide.

Disney obviously had a good feeling about the film's monster release, as it's been reported that the studio was able to negotiate an unprecedented split with theater chains, securing more than 60% of ticket sales in the US. Since 2008, the average studio take from domestic ticket earnings is 53%.

SEE ALSO: Here's how the massive earnings from the new "Star Wars" really get split up

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The chillest guy in Hawaii almost flew a drone into Obama's motorcade

This year's record-setting $11 billion box office in the US wouldn't have happened if it weren't for 'Star Wars'

0
0

star wars force awakens trailer

Yoda's advice for Hollywood as it tries to make sense of the dramatic highs and lows at the 2015 box office: "You must unlearn what you have learned."

Box-office revenue will hit a record $11 billion in North America on Tuesday, beating 2013's $10.9 billion and up 6.3 percent from last year's $10.35 billion. The milestone came down to the wire, and it wouldn't have been happened without Disney and Lucasfilm's "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Much of this record came from ever-increasing ticket prices, and doesn't mean that attendance hit a record this year. However, moviegoers have been turning out to the cineplex ever increasingly in 2015 (an official figure won't be calculated until the new year.)

In a paradigm shift for Hollywood studios, social media ruled in 2015, whether propelling a movie to huge numbers or dooming a title by the Friday afternoon of its opening. "Force Awakens" and Universal's "Jurassic World" — marking the first time in history that two films will gross more than $600 million in a calendar year — are among that happy group of 2015 titles proving that the theatrical experience can withstand the myriad of options on television or other forms of entertainment.

No one wants to miss out on having something to contribute at the proverbial water cooler. On the other hand, 2015 box office was also littered with the worst openings ever for major studio releases.

chris pratt jurassic world"Going to the movies has become all about the social-media conversation. Creative remains key, but it's less about television commercials and more about shaping the social conversation," says Imax Entertainment CEO Greg Foster.

"The release of initial images for a film are carefully curated by the studios, usually six months before a film is released, as is the initial teaser trailer," he continued. "Fans post their reactions each step of the way and the sentiment begins to take shape. Nowhere has this been more evident than "Star Wars," which began its social-media parade over Thanksgiving of 2014 and peaked perfectly the week the film opened."

For many, the $11 billion record is bittersweet.

The wealth was largely divided between two studios, Universal and Disney. Combined, they command more than 40 percent of 2015 domestic market share to date, an unheard-of stat. Others found their lightsabers malfunctioning or inoperable — in particular Warner Bros., usually the industry leader.

Universal boasts a record $2.4 billion in domestic ticket sales to date, and more than $6.7 billion worldwide. Disney follows with $2 billion and more than $5.7 billion globally. Both beat the mark set last year by Fox with $5.5 billion worldwide. Between them, Universal and Disney released the year's top six grossing titles worldwide.

"From a Disney perspective, it makes us feel even more confident about our strategy of turning out big, branded event films," says Disney worldwide distribution chief Dave Hollis. "Our titles this year were part of the moviegoing culture before they even came out, and were the kind of events that drove people to theaters."

avengers age of ulton finalAfter "Force Awakens"— which has cleared $1.16 billion worldwide — Disney's 2015 slate was led by Marvel's "Avengers: Age of Ultron," which earned $1.4 billion globally, Pixar's "Inside Out" ($851.6 million), "Cinderella" ($542.7 million) and "Ant-Man" ($518.6 million).

Universal's standing is impressive for the fact that its 2015 lineup was populated by both tentpoles and mid-sized films that the studio managed to eventize, including "Fifty Shades of Grey" ($570.5 million), "Pitch Perfect 2" ($287.1 million) and "Straight Outta Compton" ($200.4 million). Tentpoles included "Jurassic World," the top-grossing pic of the year to date at $1.66 billion, followed by "Furious 7" ($1.52 billion) and Illumination Entertainment's "Minions" ($1.57 billion).

Over the hill in Century City, Fox experienced the power of social media in brutal fashion this summer when "Fantastic Four" director Josh Trank tweeted on the eve of the movie's opening that his version of the reboot was better. He quickly deleted the tweet, but the damage was done and "Fantastic Four," also hamstrung by dismal reviews, bombed.

"Too few movies worked this year," says Fox domestic distribution president Chris Aronson. "The takeaway is that we have a record year, but it was concentrated among fewer films. The top 10 films in 2014 represented 24 percent of the pie. The top 10 films this year represent 34 percent. There is no bottom anymore."

fantastic fourAdds Paramount vice chairman Rob Moore: "Anyone under 30 is checking Rotten Tomatoes and telling their friends what the score is on a Thursday. You saw it with 'Fantastic Four' — Fox actually had good tracking, but by opening day the audience knew the film was bad. The good news is that when you have a good movie, people equally share that."

With three days left to go in the year, Warner Bros., which released more movies than any other studio (26), is No. 3 in domestic market share with $1.6 billion to date, followed by Fox ($1.27 billion, 17 releases), Sony ($957.2 million, 16) and Paramount ($640.7 million, 11). Disney released 11 movies, and Universal released 21.

Sony's top-grossing 2015 release globally is James Bond installment "Spectre" ($850.4 million), while "Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation" took in $682.3 million for Paramount. Fox's No. 1 grosser is "The Martia"n ($594 million); Warner Bros. is "San Andreas" ($473.8 million).

SEE ALSO: The 20 best songs of 2015 that you can stream right now

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: The Philadelphia Eagles fired Chip Kelly and apparently players got the news on Twitter

RANKED: Every character in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' from best to worst

0
0

rey star wars

The excitement for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" seems to have no end. The seventh episode in the franchise has cleared the $1 billion mark in worldwide grosses as it sits in the No. 10 spot on the all-time list, and is eyeing the domestic box-office crown currently held by "Avatar" ($760.5 million) as soon as New Year's Day.

What really makes "The Force Awakens" work so well, at the end of the day, are the characters — some we've grown up watching and others we're meeting for the first time but who've already left an indelible mark.

Here we analyze all the characters in the movie and rank them, moving up to the best.

It should be noted that we're judging how good the characters are only within the context of "Force Awakens."

Warning: spoilers for the movie follow.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every 'Star Wars' movie from best to worst

24. General Hux (Domhnall Gleeson)

There always has to be a sniveling evil henchman, and General Hux is that in "The Force Awakens." But outside of trying to one-up Kylo Ren and giving bombastic speeches to the troops at Starkiller Base, there isn't much to Hux. Guess there's always the next movie ...



23. Admiral Statura (Ken Leung)

Admiral Statura is among the heads of the Resistance who figure out how to take on Starkiller Base. Jury is still out if this was just a role for an actor director J.J. Abrams likes to use — he was in "Lost"— or if there's more to the character beyond "Awakens."



22. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill)

Yes, the whole story revolves around trying to find Luke, but it was kind of a bummer when we finally saw him. All we got was a stare. He will have more of a presence in the future movies, but there wasn't much payoff for all the buildup — and media hype around his role here.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Fans speculate that the 'Star Wars' movies might have their first gay character

0
0

star wars the force awakens finn poe

One "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" theory sets the film franchise up for its first LGBT character.

Following an appearance by actors Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, and Oscar Isaac on "Ellen" this month, fans began speculating that Isaac's character, Resistance pilot Poe Dameron, could be gay.

When Ellen DeGeneres asked about potential romances in the film, Isaac said there was a "subtle romance" to watch for and said he was "playing romance," to which Boyega said he was also playing romance as the rogue stormtrooper, Finn. Since Isaac isn't paired with any women in the film, just Boyega, people wondered.

After the film's release, fans took to social media in support of the bromance between Finn and Poe, creating memes, writing fanfiction, and giving them couple nicknames such as FinnPoe, Pinn, and FoeDameron. 

Hypable's Natalie Fisher took the speculation more seriously, and wrote an article analyzing the interactions between the two characters and how they could lead to a potential romance.

"Poe, very much not dead, comes swooping in to save the day, and his reunion with Finn is where all the pieces about him click into place," she wrote. "Poe, healthy and whole, is revealed to Finn in a total romantic hero shot... and both men, who thought the other was dead, realize all at once that they’re not. It’s a literal screaming-each-other’s-names, running-into-each-other’s arms situation. No shame, no restraint, just relief."

finnpoe

But she also mentions that there is a more clear romantic plot forming between Finn and Ridley's Rey. After all, at one point, Finn does ask her if she has a boyfriend back home. 

Whether the relationship between Finn and Poe is romantic or just friendlyFisher says Poe could still very well be the first LGBT character in the "Star Wars" films. 

"I’m not actually sitting here trying to convince you that Poe Dameron is gay," she said. "I’m trying to convince you that he should be." 

Earlier this year, the franchise introduced its first LGBT character in a new novel, "Star Wars: Lords of the Sith."

You can watch cast's interaction on "Ellen" below:

SEE ALSO: 15 things we just learned about the making of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Everyone is obsessed with these 2 ‘Star Wars’ theories about the movie’s deepest mystery


Jennifer Lawrence has one thing in common with the self-made millionaire she plays in her new movie

The 9 biggest breakout stars in movies from 2015

0
0

Jason Mitchell Jason Kempin Getty

Amongst the blockbusters and superstar-centric movies this year, there were some breakout performances that stood out. After all, Hollywood is always in need of new blood.

Varying from highbrow drama to action, these eight actors show they have the potential to be the lead name on the marquee very soon.

Let’s break down the current most valuable rising stars in Hollywood.

SEE ALSO: The 10 biggest box office bombs of 2015

Jacob Tremblay (“Room”)

This nine-year-old Canadian’s life changed after being cast as one of the main characters in the heartbreakingly beautiful “Room.” Playing the child of a mother (Brie Larson) who has been living in an enclosed space after being kidnapped seven years ago, Tremblay’s performance of a young boy who literally sees the world for the first time is moving and will likely get him an Oscar nomination.



Rebecca Ferguson (“Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation”)

Though she's been acting since the early 2000s, Ferguson’s role as the MI6 agent in “Rogue Nation” is her coming out. In a movie that's charged with Tom Cruise doing death-defying stunts, Ferguson is able to bring forth a character who's worthy of sharing screen time with Ethan Hunt (and she’s doing it again in the recently announced next “M:I” movie). Not an easy feat.



Abraham Attah (“Beasts of No Nation”)

Plucked from the streets of Ghana to play the lead in Netflix’s first-ever feature-length film, Attah has wowed audiences with his performance that is at times warm and funny while at others ferociously violent. With this kind of range for a role in which he had zero prior experience, we can only imagine how he’ll do with some more acting under his belt.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's why Hayden Christensen says he walked away from fame after the 'Star Wars' prequels

0
0

Hayden Christensen Leonard Adam Getty final

Hayden Christensen became an overnight star when George Lucas cast him as the older Anakin Skywalker in the last two "Star Wars" prequels, "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith." And if it seems as if you haven't heard from him since, then, well, there's a reason for that.

After becoming globally recognized at age 19, and the target of many criticisms directed at the prequels, Christensen walked away from the spotlight. He has spent most of the years since on his farm in Canada.

"I guess I felt like I had this great thing in 'Star Wars' that provided all these opportunities and gave me a career, but it all kind of felt a little too handed to me," the actor told the Los Angeles Times. "I didn't want to go through life feeling like I was just riding a wave."

It's an interesting remark from an actor who, beyond the "Star Wars" films, was building a respectable if limited filmography with movies like "Life as a House" and "Shattered Glass." Even the Doug Liman action/thriller "Jumper," starring Christensen in the lead, has its moments.

Star Wars Episode II Attack of the Clones hayden christensen

Now 34, Christensen was recently the lead in the faith-based movie "90 Minutes in Heaven," and he has starred in straight-to-video titles over the past few years. But from what he tells the Los Angeles Times, it sounds as if he's not against making a comeback — on his own terms.

"You can't take years off and not have it affect your career," he said. "But I don't know — in a weird, sort of destructive way, there was something appealing about that to me. There was something in the back of my head that was like, 'If this time away is gonna be damaging to my career, then so be it. If I can come back afterward and claw my way back in, then maybe I'll feel like I earned it.'"

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every character in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" from best to worst

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: 7 proven strategies to become more charismatic

The best movies and TV shows coming to Amazon Prime, iTunes, Hulu, and more in January

0
0

goosebumps

2016 will be filled with lots of streaming viewing options.

Highlights include new releases like "Goosebumps" and "Black Mass;" titles that never get old like "Dazed and Confused," and "Serpico;" as well as new seasons of TV shows like "Workaholics,""New Girl,""The Bachelor," and the premiere of the final season of "American Idol."

All the new movie and TV titles are below. We've highlighted in bold some titles we think are worth checking out.

SEE ALSO: The 9 biggest breakout stars in movies from 2015

iTunes

Available January 5

"Black Mass"
"Goosebumps"
"The Last Witch Hunter"

Available January 12

"All Things Must Pass"
"Burnt"
"The Diary of a Teenage Girl"
"Freeheld"
"Rock the Kasbah"
"Suffragette"

Available January 19

"The 33"
"The Assassin"
"By the Sea"
"Crimson Peak"
"Truth"



Amazon Prime

Available January 1

"An Affair To Remember"
"Annie" (2014)
"The Da Vinci Code"
"Dazed and Confused"
"Journey To The Center Of The Earth"
"Mad Dogs" (Season 1)
"Miracle On 34th Street"
"Paper Planes"
"Taps"
"The Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water"
"The St. Valentine's Day Massacre"
"Thundercats" (Season 1)

Available January 4

"Breakfast At Tiffany's"
"Boardertown" (Season 1)
"Flesh and Bone" (Season 1)
"Margin Call"
"Planes, Trains & Automobiles"
"Serpico"

Available January 5

"1408"
"Captive"
"Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser"

Available January 8

"Hot Tub Time Machine"

Available January 9

"Goodnight Mommy"

Available January 10

"Shameless"

Available January 11

"All Creatures Big and Small"

Available January 12

"Black Mass"
"Goosebumps"

Available January 13

"The Missing"

Available January 14

"The Second Mother"

Available January 15

"Idiot Sitter" (Season 1)
"Workaholics" (Season 6)

Available January 16

"Frank Miller's Sin City"
"Hell's Kitchen" (Season 15)
"Spare Parts"

Available January 17

"Billions"

Available January 21

"Dark Net"

Available January 23

"Black Sails"
"Mortdecai"

Available January 26

"Man of Tai Chi"



HULU

Available January 1

"Bad Influence" 
"Beverly Hills Cop II"
"Breakfast at Tiffany's"
"Catch-22"
"Caveman"
"Devil's Double"
"Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007"
"Footloose" (1984)
"From Mexico with Love"
"Guns Of The Magnificent Seven"
"Heartbreakers"
"High Noon"
"I.Q."
"Larger Than Life"
"License to Kill" 
"Married to the Mob"
"Miami Blues"
"Mission: Impossible"
"Mighty Fine"
"Planes, Trains and Automobiles"
"Radio Days"
"Scrooged"
"Serpico"
"Shane"
"Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out of Water"
"Stigmata"
"Thief" 

Available January 2

"Project Almanac"

Available January 3

"Bordertown": Series Premiere (FOX)

Available January 4

"Cooper Barrett's Guide to Surviving Life": Series Premiere (FOX)
"Into the Abyss"

Available January 5

"The Bachelor": Season 20 Premiere (ABC)
"The Biggest Loser": Season 17 Premiere (NBC)
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia": Complete Season 10 (FXX)
"You Kill Me"

Available January 6

"American Idol": Final Season Premiere (FOX)
"New Girl": Season 5 Premiere (FOX)
"Stolen"        

Available January 7

"Chicago P.D.": New Episodes (NBC)
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit": New Episodes (NBC)
"The Mysteries of Laura": New Episodes (NBC)
"The Thin Blue Line"

Available January 8

"Beyond the Tank": Season Premiere (ABC)
"Hot Tub Time Machine 2"
"Shades of Blue": Series Premiere (NBC)
"Sleeping Beauty" (2011)

Available January 9

"Albatross"

Available January 16

"Hell’s Kitchen": Season 15 Premiere (FOX)

Available January 17

"Saturday Night Live": New Episodes (NBC)

Available January 25

"Regular Show": Complete Season 6 (Cartoon Network)
"The X-Files": Season 10 Premiere (FOX)

Available January 26

"Fear the Walking Dead": Complete Season 1 (AMC)
"Lucifer": Series Premiere (FOX)
"Mommy"
"The Westbrooks": Winter Finale (BET)

Available January 27

"The Boonies": Series Premiere (Nat Geo)
"Mine Hunters": Series Premiere (Nat Geo)

Available January 30

"Aqua Teen Hunger Force Forever": All Episodes (Adult Swim)



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Here's a clear explanation of the confusing galactic politics in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

0
0

star wars force awakens

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" introduces the New Republic, the Resistance (basically the new Rebels), and the First Order (basically the new Empire), but between all the battle scenes, it never exactly explains the relationship between the three organizations.

For those wondering about the new galactic politics, the film's novelization, written by Alan Dean Foster, offers some insight. We read it and this is what we found.

The New Republic formed in the wake of the Battle of Endor (seen in "Return of the Jedi") as the new central government, but in the 30 years that have since transpired, it fell into disarray and began to collapse. 

The novel begins with General Leia remembering how people failed to take advantage of their newfound freedom and disagreeing about the threat from the First Order, which rose from the fallen Empire.

According to Kylo Ren, the First Order exists to fix what the Republic had destroyed. He explains to a lieutenant:

"It is the task of the First Order to remove the disorder from our own existence, so that civilization may be returned to the stability that promotes progress. A stability that existed under the Empire, was reduced to anarchy by the Rebellion, was inherited in turn by the so-called Republic, and will be restored by us. Future historians will look upon this as the time when a strong hand brought the rule of law back to civilization.”

Leia recalls that the former rebellion leaders thought rebuilding after the Empire's fall would be easy, but they underestimated the challenges that were ahead.

"Those who had led the rebellion had under-estimated the deeply buried desire of far too large a proportion of the population who simply preferred to be told what to do," she remembers. "Much easier it was to follow orders than to think for oneself. So everyone had argued and debated and discussed. Until it was too late."

Leia and others who perceived the First Order as a threat formed the Resistance. Due to a treaty between the New Rupublic and the First Order, the Resistance was an unsanctioned organization, though it did have the private support of the New Republic.  

In a scene not featured in the movie, Leia implores her personal envoy, Korr Sella, to travel to the Hosnian System, home to Hosnian Prime, the current capital of the New Republic, to seek support against the First Order. 

Sella suspects the Senate won't listen, but Leia insists that the Senate has changed and might now be willing to help. When Sella asks Leia why she won't personally go, Leia says it's because she wouldn't be safe. 

"I would never, never get out of the Hosnian system alive," she says. "I would have a terrible ‘accident,’ or become the victim of some ‘deranged’ radical. Or I would eat something that didn’t agree with me. Or encounter someone who didn’t agree with me.”

Sella does briefly appear in "The Force Awakens." Played by Maisie Richardson-Sellers, she is standing on the balcony when the Starkiller Base destroys the Hosnian System.   

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every character in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' from best to worst

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Steve Harvey announced the wrong winner in the Miss Universe contest and now Trump has a solution

This short story may reveal the secret of how Kylo Ren ended up with Darth Vader's helmet

0
0

vader helmet

Warning: There are some spoilers ahead!

After seeing "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," I compiled together a bunch of big questions left unanswered by the film.

For some reason, I didn't include one of the simplest questions on my list: How did Kylo Ren end up with his dear old granddad Darth Vader's helmet?

kylo ren darth vader helmet

It's a good question. Like Anakin/Luke's lightsaber, Vader's helmet conveniently pops up decades later in "The Force Awakens."

It looks like someone may have figured out the answer.

YouTube channel "Star Wars Minute," which breaks down — you guessed it — "Star Wars" trivia in a minute or so, points out that the answer may lie in "Star Wars: The Perfect Weapon," a short story released November 24 as part of many tie-in literature leading up to the release of "The Force Awakens."

the perfect weapon star wars

The story revolves around Bazine Netal, the model-looking character spotted in Maz Kanata's cantina who rats out BB-8's location to the First Order.

bazine netal

According to the story's synopsis, an anonymous client hires Netal to find an ex-stormtrooper and retrieve a mysterious package. That former stormtrooper just so happens to be a captain who fought in the Battle of Endor, which took place in 1983's "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi."

ewok spear endor forest

Remember, Vader's body was burned on Endor during the Ewok celebration at the end:

Darth Vader burning Star Wars

It's never made clear in "The Perfect Weapon" what the package contains or who is on the receiving end, but it certainly sounds plausible that it could contain the semi-melted helmet of Darth Vader.

Why else would you release a 57-page short story and mention a mysterious item retrieved from a former stormtrooper who just happened to fight on Endor?

Another less-fun theory is that Luke kept the helmet himself after "Return of the Jedi" and Kylo — who is so obsessed with grandpa Vader — stole it after he turned on his uncle, who was training a flock of new Jedi.

Check out the full video from "Star Wars Minute" below:

(h/t/film)

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Daisy Ridley was only in one other film before 'Star Wars' — now she's the star of one of the biggest movies ever

We’ve never seen an alien invasion movie show us massive destruction like this

0
0

"The Fifth Wave" follows massive waves of alien attacks on earth like we've never seen. It's adapted from a successful young adult novel written in 2013. The film version comes out January 22, 2016.

Produced By Matt Johnston. Video courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment.
 
Follow TI: On Facebook

Join the conversation about this story »


George Lucas says he sold 'Star Wars' to 'white slavers'

0
0

george lucas

In a recent interview with Charlie Rose, George Lucas let some of his true feelings for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and Disney slip.

Lucas, who created the "Star Wars" saga, said he was against making the new movie "for the fans" and felt he sold the company he created, Lucasfilm, to "the white slavers," referring to Disney. [UPDATE: Lucas has issued an apology for his remark to Disney.]

This is somewhat surprising because Lucas has previously seemed supportive of "The Force Awakens." It's even been said that he liked the movie and attended its premiere.

When Disney bought Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012, it gave Disney ownership of the "Star Wars" franchise. At the time, Lucas had some ideas for how "Episode VII" could be told. But it seems once the papers were signed, Disney told Lucas to take a hike.

"They looked at the stories and they said, 'We want to make something for the fans,'" Lucas said. "I said, 'All I want to do is tell a story'… They decided they didn’t want to use those [my] stories, they decided they were going to do their own thing. They weren’t that keen to have me involved anyway — if I get in there, I'm just going to cause trouble, because they're not going to do what I want them to do. And I don't have the control to do that anymore. All I would do is muck everything up. And so I said, 'OK, I will go my way, and I'll let them go their way.'"

C 3PO LucasBut it seems Lucas hasn't been able to let go.

"It's a very, very, very hard thing to do," Lucas said about letting go of the franchise, as well as another Lucasfilm property that is now Disney's, "Indiana Jones.""You have to say, 'I have to move on,' and everything in your body says, 'Don't. You can't.' These are my kids."

Rose then said, "Those were your kids … and you sold them."

"I sold them to the white slavers that take these things and, and …" Lucas then stopped himself and laughed, probably realizing he was about to get himself into some hot water.

So it's obvious that while "Star Wars" fans love "The Force Awakens" and it's a box-office juggernaut, the "remakequel" style it's in wouldn't have been the path Lucas would have taken if he were still at the helm.

george lucas star warsSo why did George Lucas sell Lucasfilm?

"There are three more stories," Lucas told Rose, referring to episodes "VII,""VIII," and "IX."

"To do it right would be 10 years, and I said, 'I'm 70 — I don't know whether I'll be here when I'm 80,' every 10 years the odds get less, and I want to do [other films], so I have to make the decision on my own that it's time for me to move on."

Watch a clip with the above quotes in the embed below. Watch the entire interview here.

SEE ALSO: RANKED: Every character in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" from best to worst

Join the conversation about this story »

The cinematographer behind 'Creed' and 'The Visit' reveals her favorite scenes she shot in 2015

0
0

the visit2final

Cinematographer Maryse Alberti has had a diverse career shooting everything from TV shows to documentaries and some memorable features like "Velvet Goldmine" and "The Wrestler."

In 2015 she had a busy year, as three of her movies — "The Visit,""Freeheld," and "Creed"— opened while also finding time to help out frequent collaborator Alex Gibney with some additional photography for his hit documentary, "Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief."

Alberti took time out from the latest film she's shooting to tell Business Insider three scenes that stand out from the movies she did this year.

SEE ALSO: The cinematographer behind some of the most beautiful movies of all times gives his 3 favorites

The final fight in "Creed" required a lot of digital effects, 400 lights and 600 feet of green screen.

Everyone was talking about one particular scene in "Creed," where Alberti shot Adonis Creed's first fight with Rocky in his corner in one continuous long shot. But that wasn't the only sequence that stuck out for Alberti. 

The final fight between Creed and "Pretty" Ricky Conlan in a huge stadium still needed to feel intimate.

"It was challenging," Alberti told Business Insider. "There was 600 feet of green screen and more than 400 lights. It was challenging to make the fight emotional and show the drama between the two fighters. We had 1,000 extras and the rest of the audience members were digital effects. We wanted to be in the reality of the fighter. A fighter alone in the ring." 



"The Visit" had one scene where the children took the camera and filmed it.

For M. Night Shyamalan's low budget thriller "The Visit," Alberti had to use a found-footage style. She says her documentary pedigree didn't help her and in one instance, she just had to hand the camera over to her child actors.

"The one where they crawl underneath the house and the grandmother chases them was the only time we gave the kids the camera," she said. "We tried a camera operator but it never looked right, so we used them and it turned out very nice. I was really happy how that turned out."

Often times to get the right feel they used what was available on a small digital camera.

"At the end of the film where the grandmother is in the bedroom and going completely mad and the girl comes in, we shot that with only the flashlight that was on the camera. Really, all the evening scenes were shot with only that one light."



In "Going Clear," she shot former Scientology member and "Crash" director Paul Haggis at his house

Alberti has done cinematography for numerous Alex Gibney films, but for "Going Clear," she only came in to do some additional photography. Specifically, the interview with former Scientology member, "Crash" director Paul Haggis.

"We did it fairly early on in production, and it's very basic," she said. "I do remember we tried to find a location to shoot him but we ended up just doing it in his house. We did a long lens to blur the background and some dramatic lighting, and I just sat back and listened. It was a great interview. Sometimes not doing much with the camera is the best option."



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 10 biggest box-office winners in 2015

0
0

Jurassic World

This week, most in Hollywood are taking some time off to celebrate the holidays and be with loved ones.

Studio execs are also taking this break to joyfully count the 2015 box-office dollars, which hit $11 billion in the US alone, an all-time record.  

The 2015 box office has been historic. Universal had three movies cross the $1 billion mark worldwide, the first time a studio has ever done that.

And already "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" has had incredible success since it opened on December 18. It became the fastest movie to ever hit the $1 billion mark and ticket sales show no signs of slowing down.  

With the help of data from Box Office Mojo, we compiled the 10 biggest worldwide box-office earners of 2015.

SEE ALSO: The 10 biggest box office bombs of 2015

10. “The Martian” - $594.1 million

Matt Damon stranded on Mars turned out to be a real draw for audiences. Melding the star's dry humor in the role with its science-heavy plot, the movie turned into Twentieth Century Fox's biggest earner of the year.

*Still in theaters



9. “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2” - $619.4 million

Though it's been tracking slower than "Mockingjay - Part 1," the final chapter in the story of Katniss Everdeen is far from a disappointment from an earnings perspective. All the more reason why you'll likely see prequels and spin-offs of the franchise in the coming years.  

*Still in theaters



8. “Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation” - $682.3 million

The latest box-office dominance for Tom Cruise and the "M:I" franchise means we're in store for more from the franchise, and that also means more of Cruise's crazy stunts. But what may be the most exciting is the impending return of actress Rebecca Ferguson, who was a highlight playing the tough female lead in "Rogue Nation."

 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

An incredible number of people are seeing 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' twice or more in theaters

0
0

the force awakens box office

With the enormous box office sales "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is generating, it's a good bet that many people are going back numerous times to see the movie.

A study released by Fandango, which surveyed 1,000 moviegoers, suggests as much. It found that 42% of people said they'd go see the new "Star Wars" movie again in theaters. The reasons varied. Some wanted to take their children for a repeat viewing (41%). Others wanted to catch things they missed the first time (17%). But the biggest reason people plan to see "Star Wars" more than once in theaters is simply because they loved the movie (69%).

"The Force Awakens" certainly has found universal acclaim. It currently has a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

But for more proof that many are returning to see "Awakens," Fandango told to Business Insider on Thursday that “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is seeing double the repeat customers it sees with a typical blockbuster.

"The Force Awakens" has currently made over $600 million in the US and $1.2 billion worldwide.

SEE ALSO: President Obama is laugh-out-loud funny on Jerry Seinfeld's web show about cars and coffee

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: Pictures on the internet aren't always what they seem — and this photographer proves it

The 17 worst movies of 2015

0
0

hot pursuit reese witherspoon sofia vergara

2015 brought us some real gems like "Mad Max: Fury Road" and "Ex Machina," but there were also a lot of clunkers.

We consulted film aggregator Rotten Tomatoes to sort out the worst-reviewed movies of 2015. What did we learn? Remakes aren't always the way to go.

Keep reading to see the worst films of the year.

[TIE] 16. "Pan": 26%

Now that Disney is finding success in turning all of its animated movies into live-action films, Warner Bros. wanted to cash in on the trend, too. The only problem? They probably should have reconsidered doing a prequel to "Peter Pan." 

"Joe Wright's Pan is lacking in the fun, excitement, and magic that made earlier adaptations of Peter Pan so endearing and memorable, leaving behind a troubled prequel that even kids will more than likely find to be a tremendous bore,"said the Examiner's Jeff Beck.

It also didn't help that its star, Hugh Jackman, was mostly unrecognizable as Blackbeard. Nope, he's not even Captain Hook.



[TIE] 16. "Jupiter Ascending": 26%

Channing Tatum in eyeliner and with wolf ears does not a good movie make. Fans should have been alarmed when the Wachowski siblings' next sci-fi movie was abruptly pushed back 10 months. What was supposed to be Warner Bros.' big summer tentpole in 2014 turned out to be a wacky romance between a reincarnated royal and a half-human, half-wolf creature (Tatum) who team up to stop youth-hungry aliens from harvesting humans for their cells. 

It also gave us this strange performance from now Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne.

 



15. "Transporter: Refueled": 17%

The first few "Transporter" films with Jason Statham were enjoyable, but when you make a fourth film and replace him with an unrecognizable newcomer (Ed Skrein), it's a lot of rehashing what the first trilogy did without making it feel fresh. 

"Cheap silliness abounds, including car chases that are more about loud crashes and CGI than the thrill of speed,"writes Los Angeles Times' Robert Abele.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Viewing all 8368 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images