Lynn Shelton’s Your Sister’s Sister was one of the best films of 2012, and is still probably criminally underseen, so let’s make sure that doesn’t happen to her new film, Touchy Feely, by spreading around its trailer early and often. The film stars Rosemarie Dewitt as a massage therapist who develops a fear of touching and being touched by other people, and even though that sounds like a difficult enough hurdle to overcome already, probably it’s safe to say that’s not entirely what the movie is about.

No, the new trailer for the film makes it seem like a metaphor for the larger issue of human relationships, how we make connections with other people, how important those connections are to our wellbeing, and all of that good stuff. Of course, any movie about human relationships is going to need some talented humans to bring the whole thing to life, so Touchy Feely has gone ahead and brought together a cast of people like Ellen Page, Scoot McNairy, Allison Janney, and Josh Pais to make that happen. Click through to watch the trailer and see how they did.

If you’re the type of person who usually appreciates Shelton’s method of getting her actors together in a few confined spaces in order to heighten the intimacy between them and then see how that plays out on camera, then it seems like Touchy Feely is going to have plenty for you to love. And hey, look at that, Mark Duplass even showed up in the trailer long enough to say one word. Who can say no to that?

The film is scheduled to first become available on iTunes on August 1, and then hit theaters a little bit later on September 6, so make sure you’re ready to hunt it down.

What is Casting Couch? It’s a safe place where you can read all the casting news you want without being afraid that anyone is going to judge you. Today we are happy to inform you that Hollywood has given new jobs to TV funnymen Donald Faison and Ryan Hansen.

From judging reality shows on TV to recently co-starring with Jason Statham in Parker, it seems like Jennifer Lopez is slowly dipping her toes back into the world of celebrity. Probably it’s only a matter of time before we even have to start listening to “J-Lo” music on the radio again. Before you shudder at that notion though, let’s just focus on the movie world. THR is reporting that she’s just taken another role, this one in the dramatic retelling of the Chilean mining collapse of 2010, The 33. We already know that Antonio Banderas is starring in this one, and as an addendum to the news of Lopez’s casting also comes word that Martin Sheen and Rodrigo Santoro are on board as well. That’s only 29 to go.

Ray Winstone

If the name Ray Winstone doesn’t instantly ring a bell, he’s that charming though gruff English chap you remember from big Hollywood releases like The Departed and Hugo. Yeah, look at him, don’t you just want to pinch his cheeks? Anyway, the news here is that The Gunman keeps looking more and more interesting, because even though it’s got one of those generic secret-agent-being-pursued-by-his-own-people Bourne-knockoff plots, the secret agent being pursued is being played by Sean Penn, Javier Bardem and Idris Elba are two of the dudes doing the pursuing, and now Deadline is reporting that Winstone has joined the film as the Penn character’s mentor. That’s one excellent cast, don’t you think?

Matthew Goode

Park Chan-wook’s first English-language film, Stoker, was something of a mixed bag, but the one thing everyone seems to be in agreement about concerning its quality is that Matthew Goode gave a magnetic and powerful starring turn as the film’s creepy uncle, and that likely what he did there will lead to him getting higher profile work in the future. Well, we may now be seeing the fruits of that labor, because The Daily Mail is reporting that Goode is the latest name to join Benedict Cumberbatch in the Alan Turing biopic he’s starring in, The Intimidation Game. Goode will reportedly be playing fellow military codebreaker Hugh Alexander. Keira Knightley is also on board in the role of intelligence lady Joan Clarke.

Donald Faison

Scrubs charmer Donald Faison is going to get the chance to take the lead role in a movie. According to a report from Deadline, the project is called Ward’s Wife, and it’s described as being a dark comedy about a man named Ward (Faison) who’s sick of being verbally abused by his wife (Dagmara Dominczyk), so he hatches a scheme to kill her. Nicollete Sheridan, Patrick Wilson, James Carpinello, Marika Dominczyk, Amy Acker and Greg Grunberg are all also scheduled to appear in the film. It will be overseen by first time writer/director Scott Foley, who’s probably best known for playing the nice dude on Felicity as well as being related to most of the people in this cast in one way or another.

Ryan Hansen

Rob Thomas keeps announcing new names for the Veronica Mars movie, ya’ll! His most recent correspondence with his Kickstarter backers revealed that The B From Apartment Whatever’s lovely star Krysten Ritter is coming back to reprise her role of Gia Goodman, which she played in a good handful of Veronica Mars episodes back in the day. That’s not even the exciting news though, the exciting news is that series regular Ryan Hansen has also been announced as being on board to once again play the rock stupid and delightfully dickish Dick Casablancas, and he even made a super-fun Youtube video to celebrate his return. This one should be enough to melt the hearts of even the grumpiest rich-people-shouldn’t-be-on-Kickstarter advocates. There’s dancing!

Documentaries come in all shapes, sizes and colors, but one thing the vast majority of them have in common is that they’re usually telling a story about something that has happened in the past. They could be looking back centuries, decades or years, but more often than not they’re exploring events that have already come to pass.

Call Me Kuchu is a less common example of a film that explores an ongoing story by following people and events as they unfold, and the result is an at times harrowing, heartbreaking and hopeful look at the best and worst humanity has to offer.

While the subject of gay rights divides the United States for the most part evenly and peaceably, other countries vary wildly. Some are more accepting, and some are far more restrictive. Uganda belongs in the latter camp with 95% of Ugandans aligning themselves directly against homosexuality. Gay sex is already illegal and punishable by time in prison, but a newly proposed law would make repeat offenses punishable by death. The film follows David Kato, Uganda’s first openly gay man, as he and other activists fight to stop the law from passing. It quickly and quite literally becomes a fight for their very lives.

The term “kuchu” is “a synonym for the queers,” but as evidenced by the film’s title it doesn’t appear to be a derogatory one. Instead it’s embraced by Uganda’s LGBT community and used frequently by David and his peers as they share their own stories to the filmmakers. Some are told with smiles, like David’s recounting of his first experience with openly gay men in the streets and bars of South Africa, while others offer a window into an all-too common tragedy. Stosh, a young lesbian, shares her tale through tears about contracting HIV from a man intent on forcibly showing her the “right way” to have sex. The term “curative rape” is applied and is a practice often committed by male relatives to “cure” lesbian tendencies.

Naome, a full time activist and lesbian with two kids, has her own stories, but her focus is forced into the present when her picture appears in the local paper under the headline “Shock as Lesbo Snogs Babe on TV!” The paper, Rolling Stone, becomes the second front along with the courts for the activists’ war against systematic oppression. Rolling Stone posts dozens of photos of gays and lesbians, sometimes accompanied by home addresses, along with front page quotes calling for the offenders to be hanged. A terrorist bombing of a crowd watching the World Cup leads the paper to report in big headlines that “Homo Generals” were responsible for the attack.

Giles Muhame is the paper’s unapologetic and amused editor, and while the legal ramifications ultimately hold the most sway the power of the press can’t be understated. Even a tabloid like Rolling Stone shapes public opinion, and having an editor eager to “ignore the right of privacy in the interest of the public” can have a more devastating effect on people’s day to day lives than any statute. Unsurprisingly, the socially approved hate is exacerbated by religious figures both local and imported in the form of American preacher/swindler Lou Engel.

These events feed a darkly swirling undercurrent of fear, disgust and violence that weaves throughout the film like a viper, coiled and ready to strike. The dread-filled anticipation is occasionally unbearable, and the fact that the feeling is that strong even filtered through a film watched from the comfort of a couch makes the activists’ courage, tenacity and positivity on display here that much more inspiring and impressive.

Directors Katherine Fairfax Wright and Malika Zouhali-Worrall wisely aim their documentary at all of the humanity on display instead of simply focusing their cameras on the struggles and dramas. The hate-mongering pastors above are countered by a local bishop who sets up high-walled safe houses for gays and lesbians to gather, celebrate and relax in peace. Another activist, the tall but soft-spoken and frequently smiling Long Jones, looks over a delivery of condom samples meant to encourage safer sex and comments “They look small, they’re not for the African market.”

Call Me Kuchu tells both big and small stories, but it’s the power of the more intimate tales that fuels and informs the global importance of the larger one. The proposed law would criminalize “aiding and abetting” the gay community by offering HIV testing or by failing to turn known gays (even your own children) into the authorities within 24 hours, and the penalty in both cases would be three years in prison. And to ensure it wasn’t glossed over above, the suggested penalty for “Aggravated Homosexuality” is death.

The Upside: Inspirational, powerful and important story; strong sense of humanity, for better and worse, running throughout

The Downside: Filmmakers aren’t shy about not being impartial

On the Side: Giles Muhame, who now works for Chimpreports.com, describes himself on Twitter as an “Investigative journalist, social media entrepreneur, political analyst, strict moralist & God-fearing intellectual.”

Seeing as Spider-Man is definitely one of the top five most recognizable superheroes on the planet, and superheroes have been pretty much the most profitable thing you can make movies about over the last decade or so, it makes sense that Sony wouldn’t want to give up the rights to making Spider-Man movies and have them revert back to Disney/Marvel Studios.

A new press release from the studio [via /Film] reveals just how enthusiastic they are about making sure that the further adventures of the web head stay under their control. Even though they only have to keep making Spider-Man movies every few years to keep control of the property, which currently puts them in a very safe position seeing as they’re deep into production on The Amazing Spider-Man 2 right now, they’ve decided to take steps to ensure that Spidey won’t be going back to his Marvel roots at least up through 2018.

That’s right, Sony must really like what they’re seeing over on Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2 set, because before that movie can even be finished, they’re already going ahead with plans for not just another ASM sequel, but two more sequels. This new press release firms up dates for three upcoming movies, which are apparently going to look as follows: We’ll see The Amazing Spider-Man 2 on May 2, 2014, The Amazing Spider-Man 3 on June 10, 2016, and The Amazing Spider-Man 4 on May 4, 2018.

Does it seem a little ridiculous to be planning sequels all the way up to 2018? Probably. Does Sony even have Webb and his star, Andrew Garfield, under contract all the way up through four films? Probably. Though these sorts of things used to always come in threes, huge franchises like The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and the Marvel Movie Universe have changed the movie landscape to the point where ongoing, endless franchises are now becoming the norm. So it makes sense that contracts binding up talent would start to include more and more movies. Just take it from Sony’s marketing and distribution chairman, Jeff Blake, who said, “Spider-Man is our most important, most successful, and most beloved franchise, so we’re thrilled that we are in a position to lock in these prime release dates over the next five years.”

If this keeps up, we might be seeing the first steps back toward the days when studios owned actors’ entire careers outright. You know, until the first time a big star gets signed to a ten picture deal and then develops a drug habit or something. Then we’ll probably be back to square one.

What kind of parent do you think you will be? That’s a big question, and one that usually doesn’t come up until you are actually face-to-face with the prospect. Grace (Brie Larson) works at a foster care facility, the eponymous Short Term 12, and is clearly in a loving (albeit not very well hidden) relationship with her boyfriend and fellow facility staff member, Mason (John Gallagher Jr.) But even though she works with kids all day, the idea of having one of her own has Grace completely spooked. This fear is not completely unsurprising considering the first few moments we spend in Short Term 12 see Mason telling a new hire, Nate (Rami Malek), a ridiculous story about his first day and a kid who tried to run away, only to then have one of the current kids burst through the front doors, hightailing it to the gates. Grace and Mason do not miss a beat in chasing down Sammy (Alex Calloway) and calming him down, but it becomes very clear in that moment that the residents of Short Term 12 are dealing with big issues of their own.

Grace is the “boss” and very much in control of the facility, but when Jayden (Kaitlyn Dever) comes to stay with them, something about their newest resident causes Grace to start to unravel. Grace tries to connect with Jayden to get her to open up, but in doing so she finds herself relating to and recognizing parts of herself in the troubled young girl, and the similarities start to drudge up some deeply repressed issues in Grace. Larson and Dever turn in affecting performances in these moments, sometimes never even needing to say a word, but the sudden focus on Jayden felt a bit rushed and could have worked better if she came to the forefront through her interactions with the other, just as troubled, kids.

Short Term 12 will having you laughing one minute and tearing up in the next. The kids in the facility (much like any facility like this) are complicated and have seen more life than anyone their age ever should, making the stunning performances of the actors playing them all the more powerful. The idea of growing up and “leaving the nest,” so to speak, would be all the more terrifying for someone who has only experienced pain and fear on the other side of the Short Term 12 gates and Keith Stanfield in particular brings this fear to life through a memorable performance as Marcus, a tough kid trying desperately to overcome his past and conceal the heart on his sleeve.

Larson and Gallagher shine as Grace and Mason, a couple with complicated backgrounds of their own, trying to find peace and happiness in each other while realizing their pasts will always be a part of them. A stark, but realistic landscape from cinematographer Brett Pawlak and a stripped down score from Joel P. West add to the tone of the film without taking away from the performances.

Director Destin Cretton creates a narrative that presents big questions, but never preaches the answers. Can you help those you may relate to too much? Do past scars ever truly heal? Short Term 12 shows that you may never escape your past, but you can certainly decide your future.

The Upside: Strong narrative filled with fully realized characters; memorable performances from Larson, Gallagher, Dever, and Stanfield; restrained score allows the actors to express the film’s complex emotions instead of the music.

The Downside: Slightly rushed relationship between Grace and Jayden.

On the Side: Gallagher credited Cretton for the natural and layered rapport between Grace and Mason thanks to the director giving the two an envelope of questions to answer when they first met over dinner, which helped the actors get to know both each other, and their characters, better.

Why Watch? Although director Fergal Rock could do with a better camera package, the charm of this short film comes from the sweetness of its leads. Dorothy Cotter and Matthew Keenan shine here, converting a chance encounter into something special with looks, silent era swagger and obvious chemistry.

Yes, they have a meet cute, but it’s not based on the situation’s circumstances or a wacky locale (it’s in an empty movie theater); it’s sprinkled with sugar because of Cotter’s portrayal of a character that’s decidedly not shy. Where some movies would include elements that are charming for charming’s sake, Rock and company imbue the characters with it so that everything that happens feels light but still organic.

For those who have seen Rock’s Henry and Sunny, the style here shouldn’t be surprising at all.

What Will It Cost? About 9 minutes.

Keep Watching Short Films

As we all know, Hollywood is imploding. Steven Spielberg is on the case, millions of angry comment section responses to remake announcements are on the case, and now producer Lynda Obst is on the case. In an excerpt from her new book, “Sleepless in Hollywood,” Obst laboriously details her drive to former Fox CEO Peter Chernin‘s house while repeating the phrases New Abnormal and Old Abnormal until they seem clever.

Okay, so I didn’t like the chapter, but it did feature at least two clear insights into the current production mindset of the major studios. The New Abby Someone, if you will.

First: DVD sales numbers are the real killer. According to Chernin via Obst, “The historical studio business, if you put all the studios together, runs at about a ten percent profit margin. For every billion dollars in revenue, they make a hundred million dollars in profits. That’s the business, right? . . . The DVD business represented fifty percent of their profits. Fifty percent. The decline of that business means their entire profit could come down between forty and fifty percent for new movies.”

Second: The magic wand of the Profit and Loss Statement where studios considered the earning potential of a movie based on its actors, director and content is now a mystery to most. Again, Chernin, “They said to me, ‘We don’t even know how to run a P&L right now. We don’t know what our P&L looks like because we don’t know what the DVD number is!’ The DVD number used to be half of the entire P&L! . . . The implications are— you’re seeing the implications—the implications are, those studios are frozen. The big implication is that those studios are—not necessarily inappropriately—terrified to do anything because they don’t know what the numbers look like.”

The takeaway is that streaming has eaten into DVD/Blu-ray sales, which has eroded a major source of revenue for studios while creating a major source of fear for them. The result is less gambling, because if you think you have a small stack of chips (or if the pot isn’t sweet enough), you’re not going to go all-in. Simple psychology for simple math.

None of this is particularly shocking or profound (or new), but what makes it fascinating is what the future holds for studios and how they navigate this oncoming crisis. After railing against home video with the advent of the VCR as a potential extinction event, the industry now relies heavily on those of us who shell out for a physical disc. Without that leg to stand on, the studios will have to adapt (as they’ve done in the past) to a digital world where we’d rather store things in the Cloud than on shelves. Of course in 40 years, we’ll probably be discussing the potential implosion of a studio system too reliant on internet streaming revenue.

For now, studios very well may find themselves further backed into the corner of blockbusters — pouring more money into advertising and budget for fewer movies overall while a robust independent cinema delivers the non-caped, lower budget movies that audiences still clearly want. They may also pivot in a way that finds better balance between the heavy-hitting single points of failure and the smaller movies that are seen as gambles currently.

Or they may implode. No matter what, it’ll be fun to watch. And to see what comes next.

With just one episode left in this year’s remarkable Mad Men season, AMC has cheerily released an “official” press release announcing the latest merger for the ad men, including a look at the new firm’s new logo and adorable comments from all of its partners. The memo was shared on Mad Men’s Facebook page after last night’s show (and subsequently shared by every person you know on social media), and while it’s certainly fun to gaze at, it’s even more fun to use as the jumping off point for some Mad Men activities (and, we’ll admit it now, to delve ever-deeper into the finely-tuned historical elements of the ever-accurate show). Let’s have some fun.

1. Call Peggy at (212) KL 5-0112

Well, we tried, and only got a recorded message telling us that dialing this number “is not allowed from this line.” What, SC&P doesn’t like iPhones?

Of course, the phone number listed on the release as the SC&P main line utilizes the traditional fictitious phone number style for most major entertainment productions. However, despite popular opinion, not all 555 numbers are fake, as only 555-0100 through 555-0199 have been set aside for strictly fictional use, while the rest of numbers have been assigned as regular phone numbers. Those poor people.

The inclusion of the “KL 5” dialing style is (of course) historically accurate. KL 5 was used in the mid-1960s by a number of television shows for its fake numbers, a throwback to the telephone exchange codes used in the early days of widespread telephone usage in America. Basically, they were used as a precursor to area codes, with the first two or three characters serving as direction for which central office the dialed number was served from. The “KL 5” exchange code was for “KLondyke(55),” which was fictitious from the get-go. The Bell System adopted all-number calling, and though they started rolling it out in 1958, most areas didn’t have it until the 1960s, and the transition was not considered complete until the 1980s.

2. Stare at the firm’s office address online

Manhattan’s Sixth Ave. has been referred to as “Avenue of the Americas” since way back in 1945, when its new moniker was actually signed into law by sitting mayor Fiorello La Guardia. SC&P notably occupies space at 1271 Ave. of the Americas, which is not only a real building (unlike Don and Megan’s Upper East Side apartment), it’s a famous building. Sure, if you’ve paid attention to the myriad mentions of the firm’s trials and travails when it comes to nabbing good office space, you know it’s the Time & Life Building (better known just as the Time-Life Building).

It’s basically super-swank, and it was still nice and new back in 1967 (it opened for business in 1959).

What did it look like back then? A bit like this.

What does it look like now? Take a walk around it.

3. Wonder about the historical meaning of the date

The release is prominently dated “October 27, 1968,” which is in line with the current timeline of the show (after all, the logo was featured in last night’s episode, which takes place in the autumn of 1968, though Megan and Don go to see Rosemary’s Baby during the episode, and that film was released way back in June of that year).

So what happened back in October of 1968? And what’s coming up in November of 1968? In short – a lot. October of 1968 featured all kinds of big happenings – some of them great, some of them not so great. Bad news? The Tlatelolco student demonstration in Mexico City ended in a massacre (with as many as three hundred people presumed dead), police officers abusing civil rights demonstrators in Derry, Northern Ireland essentially kickstarted “The Troubles,” the Department of Defense announced that they were sending 24,000 troops back to Vietnam War for involuntary second tours and both Panama and Peru got new governments via violent coup.

Good stuff happened, too! Apollo 7 was launched, the Summer Olympics happened, and Led Zeppelin performed live for the first time. Jackie Kennedy also remarried (as referenced in last night’s episode), though how you feel about the merits her marriages to Aristotle Onassis is probably a personal decision.

What’s coming up next? Three days after the SC&P release goes out, Lyndon B. Johnson will order a stop to all military bombardment of North Vietnam, and November will see Richard Nixon win the presidency, 3 million tons of bombs getting dropped on Laos, Yale University going co-ed, the Farmington Mine Disaster (which kill seventy-eight men), The Beatles releasing their so-called “White Album,” and the hijacking of Pan Am Flight 281 (departing from New York’s own JFK International Airport). While Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner has promised that no one will die this season, maybe someone could be on a hijacked flight where everyone lives? Maybe?

4. Imagine what each partner was doing as they fired off their dynamite quotes

Bert Cooper was happy that someone needing him for something (finally, sweet God, finally), and he struggled to get his shoes back on in time to chat. Roger Sterling was actually looking at a newspaper, which is the only reason he thought to say it was “front page news.” Don Draper was drinking, pacing, silently crying. Jim Cutler was high. Ted Chaough was really just thinking about Peggy.

5. Get angry that Joan doesn’t get a say in the release

Well, this one isn’t so much fun as it is infuriating – and par for the course. Joan Holloway is a partner, goddammit! At least Pete Campbell doesn’t get to pipe in, that would have been a real kick in the pants.

 6. Compare the former logos of the Sterling Cooper dynasty

Sterling Cooper was all standard class, while SCDP was going for streamlined attitude. SC&P? It’s all forward thinking to the hues and styles of the 1970s. Yes, it’s hideous, but it’s certainly timely. Want to look at some other evolving logos? Check out this awesome piece.

The season finale of Mad Men airs next Sunday.

Children naturally grow up wanting to be like their parents, and some actually do. Children of actors becoming actors, children of musicians becoming musicians, and I’m sure there are some children of accountants who become accountants. (Okay, maybe not that last one.) Carol (Lake Bell) wants to be a voice over actor, but not because her father, famous voice over actor Sam (Fred Melamed) is one, but because she understand the power of voice.

Carol spends her days as a vocal coach (boasting Eva Longoria as one of her clients) and logging various accents into her archive of voices. Carol is kooky and a bit awkward (her outfits alone can tell you that), but she is also sweet and honest, in no way the shark you apparently need to be to make it as a voice over actor.

In A World… takes audiences behind the scenes of voice over acting as the community “mourns” the death of the godfather of voice over acting, Don LaFontaine, by clamoring for a shot to take over the iconic, “In a world…” line. Even though his own daughter has aspirations to make a name for herself in the industry, Sam is instead grooming another up-and-coming voice over actor, Gustav (Ken Marino) for the job. Sam may not support his daughter’s career, but he also decides to stop supporting her, throwing her out so his new, younger girlfriend Jamie (Alexandra Holden) can move in. Carol finds herself living on the couch of her sister Dani (Michaela Watkins) who is in the midst of her own problems with her husband Moe (Rob Corddy.)

After subbing in for a children’s rom-com (as Carol says, “That’s a genre now?”) promo, Carol’s voice is suddenly sought after as a fresh new sound from the standard male vocals. Carol is just happy to be getting work, but the rest of the community views her as a threat that must be destroyed. The competition heats up as rumors spread that Carol will be voicing the trailer for the upcoming quaduriple series The Amazon Games (think The Hunger Games, but with cavemen hybrids) which is bringing back the classic, “In a world…” intro. All those in the industry (including her father) start vying for the job and the gloves come off as throats are cleared, hot water with lemon is consumed, and way too many hours are spent in the sauna.

Bell also the writer and director of In A World… and has created a narrative with a natural comedic flow that delivers laughs despite the more restrained performances from her cast of accomplished comedians including Demitri Martin, Nick Offerman, and Tig Notaro. The intertwined relationships and missed connections make In A World… almost seem like a new take on A Midsummer’s Night Dream at times, but the relationship between Carol and Dani and the budding romance between Carol and Louis (Martin) are some of the film’s best moments.

While certainly funny and goofy, In A World… also imparts an important message about the power of voice, and Bell is clearly a voice to be heard.

The Upside: Impressive comedic writing from first-time writer/director Bell; feel good movie with a message that is not overly preachy; a nice dose of Corddy’s dramatic chops.

The Downside: Scenes of the characters talking over one another is not only grating, but takes away from the idea that everyone should have a voice when they all become muddled together; Sam’s relationship with Jamie seemed both random and forced; more Tig Notaro, please.

On the Side: Melissa Disney was the first woman to do the voice over for a film trailer for Gone in 60 Seconds and Melamed was also a voice over actor having voiced commercials for the Olympics, Mercedes Benz, the Super Bowl, and the Grand Theft Auto series.

Few franchises have crashed and burned as spectacularly as the Superman films, which reached their nadir with 1987’s fourth installment, The Quest for Peace, which grossed barely a tenth the box office of Richard Donner’s classic origin story a decade earlier.

SUPERMAN’S DIMINISHING RETURNS

• Superman (1978) $134M
• Superman II (1980) $108M
• Superman III (1983) $60M
• Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987) $15M

With Tim Burton’s dark, gritty Batman demolishing box office records in 1989, Warner Bros. had no reason to think audiences would respond to the brighter, more colorful Man of Steel mythos – at least, not until 1992, when DC Comics’ bestselling “The Death and Return of Superman” cycle put The Daily Planet’s most famous reporter back on the front page. In the comics (later turned into a 2007 animated film, Superman: Doomsday), Superman is killed by a creature called Doomsday, before being resurrected after a three-month publishing hiatus which became a publicity magnet. Deciding that the death-and-rebirth story merited a movie, Warner placed a full-page ad in the trade press announcing a working-titled Superman: The New Movie, with Batman producer Jon Peters at the wheel, and screenwriter Jonathan Lemkin (Lethal Weapon 4, Devil’s Advocate, Demolition Man), at the typewriter.

Superman Reborn (1994-95)

“Superman demands fantasy elements that Batman doesn’t,” Lemkin said. “You’ve got to have villains whose powers and abilities demand that Superman — and only Superman — can be the one who stops them. The fate of the whole planet should be at stake.” Putting his own spin on the death-and-return concept, Lemkin’s script opened with a defeated Superman in his death throes, telling the story of his successor, who is born after Lois Lane is impregnated with his spirit. “Superman literally dies as he professes his love to Lois, and his life force jumps between them,” the writer explained. “Lois later finds out that she’s pregnant — immaculately. She gives birth to a child who grows twenty-one years in three weeks, and is, essentially, the resurrected Superman.”

Gregory Poirier, who had written the acclaimed dram Rosewood for Peters, delivered a rewrite in late December 1995, adding Kal-El’s existential woes about being an outsider alienated on Earth, and introducing a popular comic book villain, the energy-sucking extraterrestrial Brainiac, as Doomsday’s creator. Although Jon Peters, no fan of Superman’s trademark blue-and-red caped costume, would have been delighted by Poirier’s introduction of Superman’s sleek new bat-style black ensemble, the costume change may have caused die-hard Superman fans to get their tights in a twist.

Poirier’s script received a warm welcome from Warner executives, but their opinion changed in late 1996, following a meeting with indie movie icon Kevin Smith, whose buzzed-about third film, Chasing Amy, dealt with two comic book creators. “I said I thought it was terrible,” Smith said of the latest draft. “Poirier didn’t get the Superman mythos.” Fearing that Smith — who co-owns a New Jersey comic book store — spoke for millions of Superman fans, Warner president of production Lorenzo di Bonaventura encouraged him to start over, on the proviso that he retain the death-and-return storyline, and Brianiac as the villain.

Peters, meanwhile, had his own ideas, as Smith recalled. “He had all sorts of weird parameters. Like, ‘I don’t wanna see him in the suit and I don’t want to see him fly, and I want him to fight a giant spider in the third act.’ I’m like, ‘What?! A giant spider? Are you crazy?!’” Nevertheless, Smith accepted the assignment, turning in an outline which, at 80 pages, was 76 pages longer than Peters expected.

Superman Lives (1996-1998)

In Smith’s story, entitled Superman Lives, energy-sucking extraterrestrial Brainiac works with Superman’s arch-nemesis Lex Luthor on a plot to block the source Man of Steel’s solar-powered superpowers and allowing Doomsday to defeat him. Littering the script with playful or ironic references to the superhero’s past, Smith further displays his fan credentials by incorporating fellow DC Comics characters Deadshot and Batman in cameo roles (the latter giving a moving eulogy at his fallen friend’s funeral), as well as such Superman staples as Planet photographer Jimmy Olsen and his venerable boss Perry White.

Although details of Superman’s new look are sketchy — Smith admitted “Superman, um, ’90s style” is as far as he got — the script ingeniously depicts Superman in flight as a red-and-blue blur accompanied by a sonic boom. Peters liked Smith’s script-length outline, although he felt it needed more guards at the Fortress of Solitude (!), Superman in a robot suit (!!), and more polar bears (!!!). Smith duly delivered a second draft on 27 March 1997 – just as Warner’s Mars Attacks! crash-landed at the box office, suddenly making Batman director Tim Burton not only available, but hungry for a sure thing. Burton’s first move was to ditch Smith’s script and start over with Batman Returns co-writer Wesley Strick. “Who is Warner Bros. going to back,” Smith said pragmatically, “the guy who made Clerks, or the guy who made them half a billion dollars on Batman?”

Strick recalls reading Smith’s draft in awe – and not the good kind.

Man of Steel made all the money this weekend, rocking the third highest opening June weekend (adjusted) with $125M domestic and another $71.6M international for good measure. The extent of its success will depend on whether audience reactions are positive enough to propel it to large numbers in the following weeks (because getting to a billion isn’t easy), but it’s not surprising that the team at Warners is excited about the sequel/franchise possibilities. In fact, according to The Wall Street Journal, they might be looking to release Man of Steel 2 as early as next year.

But how realistic is that?

It’s true that Zack Snyder and David S. Goyer are both back as director and writer respectively, but even with main talent in place, the timeline seems truncated. After all, it was three years between Christopher Nolan sharing Goyer’s concept with Warners and the release of the new Superman. Plus, Man of Steel took at least 7 months to shoot — that’s without counting post-production and effects. So, essentially, they’d better start tomorrow if they want a Summer 2014 slot.

Obviously the other major questions are whether fans will want to see Superman return so quickly, and whether or not it’s a good move for Warners considering their overall plan to move forward with a Justice League movie. That Wall Street Journal piece pegs its potential release in 2015, which seems downright ridiculous considering the lack of work Warners has done with the other characters and their renewed focus on the one that brought them to the dance. Is that really enough time to introduce us to new incarnations of Wonder Woman, The Flash and (possibly) Green Lantern? Doubtful. There are clearly a lot of people out there who loved Man of Steel, and this might be welcomed news, but it all feels a bit like Hollywood Math being done by a studio blinded by the success of Disney/Marvel and The Avengers.

“Hey! We have superheroes, too!” is not a business model. Neither is rushing out of the gate because you’ve seen a hint of success.

Don Draper just keeps pulling out the dick moves. And with next week being the season six finale, who knows what he had in store for us? A lot of stuff happened on this week’s Mad Men installment, “The Quality of Mercy,” written by Andre and Maria Jacquemetton and directed by Phil Abraham. So much so that Ken Cosgrove gets shot in the face in the first few minutes and it’s barely a blip on the overall drama scale. Another great episode, this one really sets the stage for the impending finale. It also featured Roger Sterling’s proclamation that he “once held Lee Garner Jr.’s balls!” if that’s any indication. Well, not really. But that line sure tickles.

As noted, Don behaved pretty poorly this week, which makes for great television, but not necessarily for making his character any more likable. Don is still pretty worked up over the Sally-caused coitus interruptus… to the point where he is acting like Kirsten Cohen from The O.C. and stealthily spiking his orange juice with vodka. And taking the day off work. He is also very peeved by the growing camaraderie between Peggy and Ted, to the point where he goes out of his way in a meeting to embarrass the hell out of Ted and rob Peggy of her idea for the St. Joseph aspirin campaign.

This Don-shaming-Ted scene is perhaps one of the standout scenes this season. Fresh from screwing Ted out of the Ocean Spray account, Don claimed he was going to back up Ted and Peggy in increasing the budget for the Rosemary’s Baby-inspired ad. And he does, sure – but by claiming that the idea was Gleason’s final one and also bringing both Ted and Peggy to a near-panic as he “forced” Ted to think of why the ad idea was so “personal” to him (this reaction is echoed, on Don’s part, when Betty calls and says that she was “talking to Sally”). Kevin Rahm and Elizabeth Moss’s respective reactions of frozen fear as Don is going on and on about the whole “personal” thing is so incredibly brilliant. You know full well that they think he is going to blurt something out about them being involved. But he doesn’t.

His behavior here is driven by a multi-pronged spear of jealousy. For one, he has always felt this sort of ownership of Peggy. It was he who plucked her out from the secretarial pool and made her a copywriter. It was he who thought himself to be her mentor. There was always a sort of fatherly love going on there. Jon Hamm delivers such a palpable feeling of jealousy and betrayal as Ted touches Peggy’s waist during their mock pitch to him. He then informs St. Joseph that they are overbudget. Sure, it’s his right… but obviously his motivations weren’t pure. Especially in light of his falling out with Sally, Don is especially reluctant to relinquish control of his advertising “daughter” Peggy to Ted – and like he did with Sally last week, he effectively severs all ties with Peggy at the end of this episode by calling out Ted’s love for her and squashing Ted’s spirit in the process. Don has become very apathetic about the advertising industry as well as the creative process. But not apathetic enough so that he can let go of his jealousy and give other hungrier, passionate people their place in the sun.

Ken Cosgrove has got to be immortal, right? He survives a Chevy-caused car accident… and now a Chevy-caused hunting accident. He’s like a human Looney Tune. It’s cool, he just has to wear an eyepatch. But he comically voices his hatred of working with them and why he wants out of the Chevy account to Pete with, “I hate Detroit. I hate cars, I hate guns – I don’t even want to look at a steak anymore!” Of course, Pete wants the account instead and gets it… but needs to destroy Bob Benson first.

It’s a good thing that Bob has a deeper secret than his assumed homosexuality. And it’s interesting that he is yet another Don Draper, a self-made former extra man who wove together this falsely cheery identity. Hell, this assumed persona works too – Jim Cutler won’t let Pete kick him off Chevy because of how much they like him. Another great moment in this episode was Bob furtively speaking perfect Spanish on the phone, one would assume, to Manolo. The writers here probably wanted to perpetuate one of the growing hypotheses that he is a spy or something of a more fantastic nature. James Wolk as Bob is quite the revelation this week in his scenes with Pete. He turns from cheery to resentful to pleading on a dime. His Bob is inscrutable to the point of unsetting… it’s like he popped up in 1960s New York from Twin Peaks. Though, like Don Draper, Bob Benson is a force to be reckoned with. There is no doubt in my mind that he will end up being more powerful than Pete, who doesn’t fire him with the newfound intel that he is a fraud but rather uses it to keep Bob under his thumb. I could see Pete’s reasoning here, but really, Bob probably will conquer in the end.

Don Draper and Bob Benson – frauds really seem to succeed with alliterations.

That brings us back to Sally. She is still traumatized by catching Don in the act and tells Betty that she wants to go to boarding school, where she has to interview and stay overnight as a trial run. The boarding school plays out almost like a tough women’s prison, with the girls forcing Sally to bring in contraband goods. And she does… via Glen Bishop (oh hey, Marten Weiner!) and his friend, Rollo, who puts the moves on Sally. Sally’s not into it and Glen rushes to her rescue and punches his friend out. How great is Sally’s self-satisfied smile when Glen punches Rollo? Pretty damn great.

Sally wants desperately to be an adult and it’s refreshing here that she doesn’t go along with making out with someone she’s not interested in just because she is expected to, or wants to impress the other girls. She’s already not as societally impressionable as her two parents, who still try to fit into their cookie cutter worlds at the sake of their mental health. Though she does accept a “you’re a woman now” cigarette from Betty after she is accepted into the school. Nevertheless, the boarding school is a means with which to really cut off her relationship with her father. She even tells Betty, “My father’s never given me anything.”

While that statement probably isn’t true, Don has now effectively ended two very important relationships in his life: with Sally and with Peggy. And watching further fallout in next week’s finale with definitely be an exciting prospect.

“As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a stockbroker.”

Leonardo DiCaprio might as well be laying out that line in Martin Scorsese‘s The Wolf of Wall Street, where he plays real-life multi-millionaire stockbroker/swindler Jordan Belfort. In the new trailer, gleeful immorality, fat stacks of cash and a self-aware voice-over from a man who wants too much all feel like a sequel to Goodfellas. Or maybe a modern adaptation of “Bonfire of the Vanities” (The Wolfe of Wall Street?). Or maybe the Gatsby For 2013 that’s really for 2013.

Comparisons aside, it looks ridiculously cool.

Belfort’s trick was artificially inflating a stock price before dumping the lion’s shares and screwing over clients. He made a crazy amount of money that fueled some very profound drug and control problems — and it looks like DiCaprio is having the time of his life here. It’s almost like Django loosened the lid for him, and Wolf has opened the pickle jar. Plus, the script comes from Terence Winter (The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire), and it’s about time he teamed with Scorsese.

Check out the trailer for yourself:

Those are some valuable lessons. Taping someone’s money to your boobs constituents employment, and safety is the core concern when setting up a friendly midget toss.

Tonally, this is Christmas in July in June, but the book has more than its fair share (naturally) of dark moments — especially in regards to the consequences of Belfort’s drug abuse. Quaaludes and driving don’t mix. It’s easy to imagine Scorsese and company exploring those elements with gusto.

And, wow, McConaughey. With this and Dallas Buyers Club coming out this year, he’s going to dominate with prestige. Hopefully he wears a black leather vest to the Oscars.

The Wolf of Wall Street hits theaters November 15th.

We all want to lose ourselves sometimes. To find those perfect moments where you do not have a care in the world and you feel close and in harmony with all those around you. But rarely can you manufacture or plan for these moments, they simply happen. Uptight and pretentious Jamie (Michael Cera) is a person who definitely needs a moment like this to loosen him up, but he is so desperate to achieve what he believe will be a transformative high, he is missing the possibly more meaningful moments leading up to it.

Jamie is living abroad in Chile and his boorish behavior is the epitome of a “rude American.” He is entitled and says everything he is thinking, but his good natured roommate puts up with it, despite the fact that Jamie clearly only wants one thing from him – to drive him to the beach to finally imbibe in some San Pedro cactus.

Jamie is clearly obsessed with drugs and what he believes are intelligent, esoteric thoughts, but when he meets Crystal Fairy (Gaby Hoffmann), a free spirit literally dancing to the beat of her own drummer, he may have just met his match. In his altered state he invites Crystal along on the trip, but of course regrets it the following morning, trying to convince his friends to simply leave her behind. Crystal is certainly a handful, showing up in the midst of a scuffle with a group of other women and discarding her clothing whenever she feels like it, but she is honest in a way Jamie pretends to be and the group adopts her in, despite Jamie’s attempts to turn them against her.

This random group of travelers certainly make for an interesting adventure, and while Crystal’s antics of giving the group magic rocks and offering healing continuously draw the focus to her, watching Jamie become increasingly threatened by her becomes even more interesting. The boys are simply on the trip for some fun, Crystal is simply there to connect with something new, but Jamie’s obsession with the San Pedro cactus and finally experiencing its effects become both comedic and sad. The group is having a good time and creating actual memories together, but Jamie constantly disengages himself to literally stir a pot, more focused on the drug he came there to consume rather than the people he is there with.

Crystal stirs the pot in her own ways, asking the group about their biggest fears and inadvertently calling Jamie out on his “honesty” with her true ability to be completely vulnerable. Jamie is so desperate to have a good time with his friends and experience the high of the San Pedro cactus that he is missing the organic moments bringing the group together. The boys laugh it off and ignore him, but Crystal pushes him to reveal why he must keep everyone at arm’s length unless he is under the influence of something.

Hoffmann turns in a powerful and layered performance that is captivating to watch. Crystal is eccentric and strange, one of those hippy-dippy people you meet and find easy to disregard, but Hoffman infuses her performance with a raw sense of honesty that makes not only Jamie and his friends, but also the audience, unable to simply turn away.

Crystal Fairy could be dismissed as a movie about drugs and trying to embrace concepts bigger than oneself, but the quiet moments with Hoffmann make it a film worth watching for her performance alone. Director Sebastián Silva may have crafted a film of out there concepts and ideas, but he certainly knows how to create an environment to get memorable and moving performances out of his actors. Cera is infuriating as Jamie, a boy only focused on himself, but there is a reason the film is titled Crystal Fairy - this is not Jamie’s story, this is a story about a woman and how her complex nature changes those around her.

The Upside: Stunning performance from Hoffmann that officially breaks her away from her child actor roots; interesting visuals; Silva creates a more organic feeling of being high without relying on distorted camera movements and trippy music to do so.

The Downside: Scattered narrative; much of the film is spent trying to keep the focus on Cera, but Crystal Fairy truly shines when the focus is on Hoffman.

On the Side: Cera stars in another Silva film, Magic Magic, which is also set in Chile about a girl who may be dealing with more than she first lets on.

Italian giallo films have made something of a quiet comeback recently. Restored blu-rays of Dario Argento and Mario Bava’s films are inviting renewed considerations of the genre outside the canonized Suspiria, and Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s Amer presented a dedicated contemporary revisitation of the genre. Now consider British writer-director’s Peter Strickland’s sophomore feature Berberian Sound Studio, a densely atmospheric and wonderfully bizarre journey into the increasingly fevered mind of a sound effects engineer of an Italian horror (but don’t call it horror!) film in which is the film itself is never actually seen, but only heard.

It’s 1976. Gilderoy (the great Toby Jones) is a meek, soft-spoken English sound effects engineer who has just flown into Italy  in order to produce sonic gore effects for a giallo-type film made by the eccentric self-fashioned visionary Santini (Antonio Mancio) and a curmudgeonly, dictatorial producer Francesco (Cosimo Fusco). Santini’s affairs with his voice actresses create complications on the set, one of whom he develops a personal connection with. The gore effects manufactured for the film, inventively executed through a ritualized destruction of fruits and vegatables, slowly creep into Gilderoy’s psyche, causing him to slowly lose any motivation to work on the film, but he remains without a means of escape. That Berberian Sound Studio takes place almost exclusively in the studio’s dank, 70s-sepia interiors contributes greatly to the film’s deliberately escalating aura of immersive claustrophobia.

Berberian Sound Studio basically continues where the opening five minutes of Brian DePalma’s Blow Out left off: with the problem of fidelity, specifically the issue of conjuring a convincing scream. How does one recreate within the confines of a sound booth the fantastic events occurring onscreen? But Gilderoy eventually encounters the exact opposite problem: how sound effects change the nature of the actions that produce them. The film is strongest during the moments where Gilderoy and other foley artists invent horrifyingly violent sound effects from everyday quotidian objects, specifically food. Chopping up a watermelon to simulate the sound of stabbing flesh, or severing a radish from its base to create the sound of a woman’s hair being pulled away from her scalp – such practices eventually seem like acts of violence on their own. Strickland has a remarkable ability to let his camera sustain on his filmed details in a way that lets the audience immerse in the wholly unique subjective world created by the sound.

Berberian Sound Studio follows Hitchcock’s doctrine fully: what information audiences fill in with their imagination is always more horrifying than anything that can be filmed. Even in the confines of this (almost) single-setting film, there’s a world of elements to explore. And it’s Strickland’s seasoned, expert control of dense atmospherics that creates the necessary groundwork for the film’s absolutely nuts third act.

The Upside: Expertly crafted, incredibly atmospheric, wonderfully original take on the affective experience of horror.

The Downside: Not so much a horror film as a film interested in the psychological mechanics of horror; not a film that’s invested in clearly answering its many questions – all of which is fine, but this certainly isn’t for anybody going in and expecting a conventional genre exercise.

On the Side: Berberian Sound Studio is based upon a short film Strickland made in 2004.

Berberian Sound Studio is now playing on VOD and in New York and Los Angeles.

Friday night during the Los Angeles Film Festival, the talented (and 8 months pregnant) Maya Rudolph sat down with LACMA curator and host of KCRW’s The Treatment, Elvis Mitchel, to discuss “the serious business of being funny.” From her days at SNL to her early days watching movies with her dad (composer Richard Rudolph) in Westwood, Rudolph shared some of her favorite comedic moments from various films and how various comedians influenced and advised her throughout her career.

Read on for ten tips and antidotes from Rudolph on the art of being funny, her memories growing up in comedy, what kind of comedians she is attracted to, and who gave her the best advice of her career.

1. Rudolph thought Steve Martin was a regular SNL cast member. Before Rudolph joined the cast, she thought Martin was a regular on the show because he hosted so many times. She expected Martin’s character from The Jerk when she finally met him on set and was terrified to be in sketch with him because he was very serious about it.

Rudolph found herself reliving Martin’s brilliant comedic performance in The Muppet Movie while watching it with her daughter and said while she loved the physical comedy he does in that scene, and is certainly a physical comedian in her own right, that was never something she actively or consciously thought she could do or wanted to emulate.

2. The only comedian Rudolph aspired to be like was Madeline Kahn. Rudolph explained that while she wold appreciate other comedians performances, like Martin, she never thought of herself in that realm. She found herself looking up to Kahn as the kind of comedian she would want to be like – one who could also act, sing, and dance, all while seeming incredibly glamourous. Rudolph advised that it is good to absorb various influences because you hope it eventually becomes a part of your own comedic DNA.

3. Rudolph thought she was going to marry Gene Wilder. Rudolph had a major crush on Wilder while growing up and loved how he would get “beautifully angry” in his performances. Wilder is certainly a genius at the craft, but Rudolph found herself attracted to his confidence and ability to command a performance while never alienating his fellow actors. Wilder has the amazing ability to turn on a dime from funny to serious and Rudolph commented that acting is acting and finds it funny when she does a serious role and people focus on that. In her mind, she is just “doing her job,” whether that mean acting in a comedy or a drama.

4. Good comedy gives you moments you want to relive over and over. Rudolph said one of the greatest things about watching comedies with her dad while growing up was how certain lines have now become a part of the way the speak to one another. A simple question will prompt them to answer with a line from one of their favorite movies, creating that magical, inside joke feeling.

In the days when only a few people had VCRs, Rudolph and her friends found themselves watching movies like Airplane! over and over. One of Rudolph’s “parlor tricks” was to performing the jive talking scene for her friends, something she did for the audience and assuredly made everyone jealous they did not grow up hanging out with someone as naturally hilarious Rudolph.

5. Sometimes a good comedic performance is all about casting. Rudolph noted John Hughes‘ casting of Michael Anthony Hall in Sixteen Candles because he looked like he had just stepped out of a Polo ad, but his performance as “The Geek” was “perfect.” Rudolph and Mitchel noted the way Hughes would use music to play people in, like “New York, New York” in the martini scene with Jake Ryan (Michael Schoeffling), made his films almost seem more like various sketches laced together than a standard narrative. 

6. Rudolph performed in a stage rendition of Sixteen Candles. Back in New York, Rudolph and some friends decided to try performing Sixteen Candles on stage. And by “some friends” I mean Amy Poehler, Will Arnett and Tina Fey playing the grandparents, Paul Rudd as Long Duk Dong, and Rachel Dratch as the other grandmother with the ashy cigarette. The group knew how important the music was in a Hughes film and had a live band on stage with them to do the songs, including Rudd singing “I Think I’m Turning Japanese.” Rudolph noted there was no such thing as “politically correct comedy” during that time and Mitchel noted Hughes even started his own record label to try and help him avoid dealing with the licensing process of putting music in his films.

7. Rudolph also thought she was going to marry Bill Murray. Murray is one of her favorite comedians to this day because he is “just smooth” and just has fun when he is acting, always making his performance about the other people on stage with him, never keeping the focus on himself. While Murray never hosted SNL while she was a cast member, when she did finally run into him, he swung her over his shoulder like she was “fresh kill.” This moment led to the two of them sitting down and having a great conversation together over some scotch which Murray naturally had on him. (Because he’s Bill Murray.)

8. Murray gave Rudolph the best advice of her career. Rudolph said during this conversation, Murray gave her the best advice of her career telling her that when she was blocking a scene on the set of SNL to try and make the crew laugh because that was her room. Once she shifted her focus from trying to play to the live audience, or even the audience at home, and just had fun in that moment on stage making her “homies” laugh, it became more like bantering with ones friends than performing to a large audience.

9. The scene that made Rudolph think, “I wanna play!” The scene at the Alamo from Pee-wee’s Big Adventure with Jan Hooks as the tour guide was a performance Rudolph said she “absorbed subconsciously.” While she thought it was funny when she watched the movie, it was one of those moments stuck with her much later and made her realize she not only thought the performance was hilarious, she wanted in on the fun.

10. Own what you do. Rudolph is clearly attracted to confident performers like Wilder, Murray, and Dom DeLuise because they owned their brand of comedy. This did not mean they had to be the focal point of every scene they were in, it meant they were confident in what they were doing which allowed them to play off and with the other actors on stage with them. Rudolph noted that in the 1980s comedies started becoming more about a singular actor driving the show, like Eddie Murphy in Beverly Hills Cop, but even in that movie there were brilliant moments like Murphy riffing with Bronson Pinchot where the pure joy and fun the two actors were having jumped off the scene and made those scenes so funny and engaging.

A comedian can say a funny line or make a hilarious face, but Rudolph found the real comedy in those that could bring everyone into the moment to create something hilarious. Born from an improv background and growing up on a set like SNL, it is no surprise Rudolph admires confident performers and appreciates comedians who understand the concept of always adding to another’s performance, responding with, “Yes, and…” to keep the comedy (and the fun) going.

This is another edition of Short Starts, where we present a weekly short film(s) from the start of a filmmaker or actor’s career. 

Dan Scanlon has worked at Pixar for almost twelve years (he started the day before 9/11), and it’s taken this long for him to direct his first solo effort for the studio, Monsters University. Actually, though, that’s not a very long time to wait, especially considering he’s the youngest person there to helm a feature (he turns 37 two days after the movie hits theaters). Prior to this, he co-directed the 2006 Cars short Mater and the Ghostlight with John Lasseter and had been a storyboard artist on Cars, Toy Story 3 and Disney DVD sequels The Little Mermaid II and 101 Dalmatians II and was on the senior creative team for Brave. In 2009, Scanlon put out his award-winning feature debut, a non-Pixar-based live-action mockumentary he stars in titled Tracy, which you can watch as a web serial here.

That’s not all the past works of his you can watch online. Much like Jordan Vogt-Roberts, who got the Short Starts treatment a few weeks back, Scanlon has been quite generous and not at all shy about his early work. He’s personally uploaded a handful of films he made in high school and at Columbus College of Art and Design, many of which he appears in or voiced characters for (in The Chase he plays a guy who likes to be peed on, which hopefully isn’t a sign of what to expect in the Monsters Inc. sequel). One of these is a surreal live-action short from 1994 he co-directed called Die Fingen in Mein Apfelsope (Fingers in My Applesauce) that kind of reminds me of the old pre-Muppets shorts by Jim Henson (watch it here). The same year he made two Plympton-esque animated films while studying at the William D. Ford Career-Technical Center in Westland, Michigan, and these are what I’d like to showcase.

On the Front Lawn

This minute and a half black and white film was done with pen and colored pencil on typing paper. It’s a sort of creepy tale of a bird who witnesses his fellow feathered friends sucked into the ground while looking for worms to eat. And then go through a terrifying transformation. It’s basically what you’d imagine birds’ nightmares to look like. There’s so much camera movement here for a young amateur to be working with, especially with basic, rudimentary supplies. I don’t know for sure, but I assume this is the earlier of the two shorts here, as it’s colorless and dialogue-less.

Andy

Scanlon doesn’t indicate what tools he used for the drawings on this one, but given the fully painted stationary backgrounds, I’m going to guess he went with a whole different technique here than with On the Front Lawn. In addition to that change, this five-minute Halloween-set short also has some dialogue (Scanlon voiced the guy in the bear with boobs costume) and more of a narrative, though again it’s basically just a nightmare scenario. I think one of his voice actors, Matt Cantu, is the Michigan-based horror filmmaker of the same name (co-director of 2005′s Silent Scream).

Bonus: Rocket Boy pencil test

Continuing his impressive animation work at CCAD, Scanlon’s final project there was a short film called Rocket Boy. I don’t know why he doesn’t have a finished copy to share, but here’s the rough pencil test version, which is still really great. The filmmaker was really into non-kid-friendly material.

Editor’s Note: To celebrate Father’s Day, 114% of movie websites will be giving you a list of the best and worst cinematic fathers, the most fatherly moments, the best movies to watch with Dad on Father’s Day. This year, we’re keeping things simple by dedicating our recurring column Scenes We Love to a single scene (not coincidentally featuring this weekend’s biggest hero Superman) featuring a tender moment between father and son. Our J.L. Sosa recalls his favorite scene from 1977′s Superman: The Movie.

“And one thing I do know, son, and that is you are here for a reason.”

The one scene in 1977’s Superman: The Movie that has always resonated with me most comes as young Clark is grappling with an existential ache. An orphan from a dead planet, he feels like something of an outcast growing up in Smallville. He feels he cannot reveal the full extent of his abilities without being judged as “an oddball.”

His adopted dad, Jonathan, can empathize. But he encourages Clark to be patient. The day will come when his purpose will be revealed. He will shine brightly and change the world … someday. Like Hugo Cabret, another orphaned son whose gifts go long unrecognized, the young man named Clark Kent will discover his reason for being…

Los Angeles is known for being a town where it is hard to meet people and have meaningful interactions. Angelinos live in their cars and do not frequently use public transportation like other big cities such as New York and Chicago, further lessening the chance you will randomly catch someone’s eye across a crowded subway car. There is certainly a predominant bar and night life scene in LA, but it is rare to walk away from those interactions with anything more than a random hook up.

Forev gives audiences a glimpse into single life in Los Angeles for two 20-somethings looking to connect with someone, but not quite sure how. Pete (Matt Mider) is a mild mannered guy spending an evening in with a pizza and some TV, but his night is quickly interrupted when his neighbor Sophie (Noël Wells) crashes through his door in the throes of a very intense make out session. After overhearing her potential hook up bragging about her on the phone to his friends, she quickly sobers up and as it becomes clear Pete does not look put out because Sophie mistook his apartment for her own, he may have a thing for Sophie himself.

This would be the moment the story focuses on Pete as he works up the courage to ask Sophie out on a date, but Pete has a different proposal in mind. After a discouraging audition (Sophie is naturally an out of work actress) she agrees to an impromptu road trip with Pete to Arizona to pick up his sister Jess (Amanda Bauer) from college.

Written and co-directed by James Leffler and Molly Green, also the duo’s debut directing a feature length film, Forev is an impressive blend of believable characters and natural, but funny, comedic bits. When Sophie thinks she has botched her audition, she lies on the floor of Pete’s apartment and announces she is going to stay there forever, a natural thing we have all probably said at one time or another, but a statement that slyly nods at how everything feels like forever at this age.

Pete may not be a character with any deep, dark secrets, but when he hears the news of Jess’ break-up, he takes it almost harder than she does, hinting at his desire to connect with people (as he thought he had with her ex.) Pete is an affable guy who quickly takes to those around him, but this behavior also suggests a slightly naïve nature which causes him to feel close to people he barely knows simply because they are nice to him. Before the road trip, Sophie comments that she does not really know Pete outside of their apartment complex, a telling statement seeing as she clearly felt comfortable enough to come in and out of his apartment like an old friend.

Films about road trips and trying to get the girl are not a new concept, but Forev gives this narrative new life thanks a charming cast and dialogue that feels natural and never forced. Forev does ask some bigger questions, but does so in a lighthearted way that assures audiences not everything is forever or permanent, and few things are ever worth the stress and heartache so many of us go through at this age. Forev shows that sometimes it is good to throw caution to the wind and live in the moment – however long it may last.

The Upside: Full of awkward, but authentic, moments, Forev is surprisingly funny with a cast of fresh, unknown faces that deliver promising performances.

The Downside: Some of the awkward moments seem to occur due to the inexperience of the actors rather than the purpose of making the characters more relatable.

On the Side: Mider, Wells, and Bauer all have writers credits one the film as well having provided additional material to Leffler and Green’s screenplay.

Anyone who’s flown on a Southwest flight knows the flight attendants can get a bit silly. But hopefully the reason is not because they are taking pulls from hidden bottles of alcohol behind the privacy curtains. Unfortunately the passengers of Peninsula Flight 2549 in I’m So Excited are not so lucky, but their flight attendants have a good reason to try and take the edge off. A mistake that happened before the flight took off (thanks to the antics of a few grounds crew members plus two funny cameo appearances) damaged the landing equipment and now the pilots are trying to find a free runway to try and make an emergency landing. While the crew drugged the passengers in coach to keep them from noticing they had been flying in circles for hours (and nowhere near their intended destination), those in business class end up finding out the truth, and the results are not what you would expect.

Spoilers Ahead: This article contains advanced talking points for Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel. We recommend reading it after you see the film.

Anyone who called Iron Man 3 or any other blockbuster in the past few years an “epic” will be eating their words once they see Zack Snyder‘s giant toy set called Man of Steel. It’s as if Shane Black and J.J. Abrams were playing with plastic action figures and then, all the sudden, Snyder showed up with real heroes. His Superman reboot is exciting, a visual marvel, and gives fans the movie they wanted to see from Bryan Singer. Finally, we have a 21st century Superman who punches somebody, but is there more here than a few wicked brawls?

For the most part, yes.

There’s some heart present, especially with Russell Crowe taking part in the film’s emotional peak within the first twenty minutes. After that, the movie loses some of that patient drama with certain structural and character choices. This isn’t, let’s say, a Star Trek Into Darkness situation where the experience falls flat by Abrams & Co. consistently choosing spectacle over logic. For every confounding choice made in Man of Steel, there’s plenty of right choices made.

Some of those puzzling choices raise questions, though. There’s no plot holes to drive buses through here, but they feel like issues that shouldn’t go unnoticed.

When, exactly, did Lois and Kal-El fall in love?

Lois Lane rarely, if ever, has a genuine conversation with Kal-El. Despite a few interactions, and most of the exposition variety, Lane falls in love rather quickly with the alien she barely knows. Yes, he’s extremely noble, but so is Perry White and she’s not going to start dating him. Then again, she’s a journalist, so she may simply be enamored with her subject. We already know they’re going to fall for each other, so why show it now? It feels like, “It’s Lois and Superman, of course they have to be together in this movie!”

Why does Martha instantly trust Lois Lane?

During Lois Lane’s voice-over heavy investigation, she pays a visit to Martha Kent. When she tells Martha she’s there to ask about her son, there’s no, “Get the hell off my porch,” but instead she lets Lois in without much hesitation. Because if someone came around asking about your alien son, why wouldn’t you ask them in? And then…nothing. There’s no conversation shown between them. Then Lois is shown standing near Jonathan’s gravestone and Clark is there. And then he shows up at the Kent home, with Martha acting like he just showed up. Is this a clumsily edited sequence or I did I truly miss something? If he’s already home, then why did Martha act as if he just arrived?

Were we supposed to care more about Jonathan Kent dying?

Kevin Costner is terrific in Man of Steel. Every moment of his has a hearty amount of wisdom, except for one key moment. Jonathan Kent’s death is somewhat clunky. Maybe if that beautiful flashback of Jonathan looking proudly upon his son was placed before it, Jonathan’s passing would feel more weighty in the moment. When his death comes we’ve only spent a few minutes with him, far less time spent with Superman’s biological father. Also, why couldn’t Clark have ran at normal speed to save him? He seemed to spend quite a bit of time under that overpass, waiting for Jonathan to leave that car. It’s a strong idea of Jonathan telling Clark to trust him, but the execution felt off. Clark could’ve ran to save Jonathan, at least it seemed that way in during all the standing around.

Superman doesn’t care about the destruction of Metropolis?

There’s only one memorable instance where Superman asks, “Are you okay?” And, no, it does not come during the destruction of Metropolis, surely killing hundreds of thousands, if not millions. He asks a soldier in Smallville, during a battle which doesn’t match half of the destruction of Metropolis. There’s never a brief moment or expression of, “We gotta hurry. People’s lives are at stake!” For such a large body count, Superman doesn’t show much worry or urgency over the people of Metropolis. Yes, he’s attempting to stop Zod’s machine from turning Earth into a New Krypton, but there’s no question of sacrificing the lives of few for many. If this was a Fast and Furious movie, then that type of popcorn destruction would fly. But this is set up as a humanistic genre movie with 9/11 imagery, not mindless fun.

Does Henry Cavill have more than ten lines in that last half hour of the movie?

Cavill impresses in the first half of Man of Steel. Clark Kent is just as entertaining to watch as Superman is, discovering his identity and living his life as clothes-thieving loner. Cavill isn’t only a pretty face, but a guy who can play a joke, throw a punch convincingly, and have a heart-to-heart with his dad. That’s a lot of range which kind of gets sidetrack by the film’s last half hour or so. How many lines does Cavill actually have in that third act? Considerably less than what came before. Even with all the full blown chaos going on, time could’ve been made for Superman not just to run, jump, and fly.

What does Superman have to prove by the end?

Amazing. Just amazing. Every punch thrown in that final fight is felt, delivering on the potential of true superheroes/Gods fighting each other. On a technical level, it’s 100% satisfying. Structurally, not so much. At this point, Superman doesn’t have much to prove. He’s already Superman. Unlike Batman in Batman Begins, there’s no striking catharsis or realization in this fight. The Smallville battle shows that Supes isn’t invincible, conveys the threat he’s facing, and what happens when you mess with his mom, which is why that sequence tops the much bigger Zod and Superman showdown.

And, most disappointingly, they give Zod an ultimate dick villain line, along the lines of, “Where did you train, a farm?” They turn Zod from an emotionally scarred and defeated alien without a home into any other snarling baddie who makes hateful quips. The movie asks you to understand Zod through most of the film, but then turns him into a snobbish bro by the end.

Does the 9/11 imagery work?

A lot of action movies which feature destruction inevitably draw 9/11 comparisons. I’ve rarely had that reaction to a summer movie — with the obvious exceptions, like War of the Worlds — but here it’s far too obvious: Perry trying to free Jenny from under the rubble, ash clouding his face. It’s an emotional scene on its own right, but does it fit? Not too long after this manipulative sequence it’s followed by a female soldier — and one of the few female soldiers we see — comment on how “hot” Superman is. Those are two radically different tones, and with them that close together, it’s jarring. Besides that, it’s such an obvious joke in a movie with a rather sharp wit. Is anyone else bothered seeing a summer movie invoke imagery from a serious tragedy, only to followup it up with jokes and a lack of reflection on all the lives lost in Metropolis?

Final Thoughts:

Zack Snyder has said that he has a three hour cut of Man of Steel, and I wouldn’t be surprised to learn some of that dramatic breathing room is in that version. In the film’s current state, it’s a more than satisfying popcorn movie that could’ve been as incredible as its titular character. That’s also what makes a followup to Man of Steel all the more exciting. There’s room for improvement.

Have more questions? Read our unanswered questions for other summer films Iron Man 3, Star Trek Into Darkness and The Purge.

We’re about six months away from Christmas, so why not highlight a film about Santa Claus? Actually it’s a very appropriate time to discuss this particular film, because it’s about the off season for guys who play the role of St. Nick. Titled I Am Santa Claus, it’s a documentary that follows six Kris Kringles, including none other than pro wrestling legend Mick Foley. WWE Raw fans may be familiar with his appearances in the ring dressed as the jolly old icon, but for this film he went a bit further by even dying his hair and beard and fully trying out the gig as many men do every December. Additionally Foley is a producer of the doc, which is directed by relative newcomer Tommy Avallone. He’s been thanked in the credits for the films Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles and Indie Game: The Movie, which is good enough for me to trust him here.

Other reasons I’m into this doc, which is done shooting and now raising finishing costs via Kickstarter, are that I love Foley as a documentary subject thanks to Beyond the Mat (if you’ve seen it, you saw his daughter, Noelle, getting very upset as a little girl in the audience of a bloody bout; now you can see her grown up and helping to hawk incentives in a video here) and that I’m a big fan of a similar recent doc, the wonderful Becoming Santa. The latter showed men, yes, becoming Santa, while I Am Santa Claus seems to be going the other way, showing us Santas returning to their regular lives as men. The film previously raised more than $10,000 on Kickstarter in January 2012 to begin filming, now they’re looking for a minimum of $40,000 (with a stretch goal of $80,000) by July 10. And the campaign site has a handy pie graph to show precisely where the money will be going.

Check out a video selling us on the project after the jump. Even if you can’t contribute, you should be aware of it, as it’s got a year of footage in the bag and will surely be completed eventually.

Do you want to see this film? Enough to help fund it? 

You can tell Man of Steel is the movie of the summer because none of us can stop writing about it. Would it be more or less covered if the Superman movie actually got mostly favorable reviews? It’s hard to say, as much of our and other outlets’ think pieces are a mix of pre-planned stuff on the character in general as well as superhero movies in general and reaction posts both about what the new movie gets wrong and right. All I know is I could have devoted this week’s whole Reject Recap to the ol’ Caped Kryptonian (is that not one of his nicknames?). Let me just point out that it’s deserving. While the official FSR review is fairly negative, I’ll admit that I love it. And it’s definitely worth seeing even if you have problems with much of it. As is clear, there’s so much to talk about.

There’s a bunch to discuss on other topics and movies, too. We had two big stories involving the future of Hollywood, thoughts on some older favorites and some other characters’ announced returns, an update on real-life versions of characters from one of this week’s new releases and also a geeky comparison between video game consoles complete with their relevance to movie fans. Before we get to your week in review, here’s some trivia regarding the headline above: all are tied to Superman. Steven Spielberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger were both linked to Superman: The Movie and, well, some interns probably thought they were going to work on it but really wound up just getting coffee and making copies.

Start your weekend right after the jump.

How is Superman’s Latest Return to the Big Screen?

“So much goes wrong in the latter half that even the film’s most modest aspirations get pummeled into oblivion. Gone are the Snyder and Goyer who passed earlier information to viewers with economy and efficiency, and in their place is a series of holograms whose sole purpose is to spout exposition and details. The fighting strategies of both Superman and the US military are continuously inane, idiotic and ineffective. And Superman, defender of all that’s right and highly opposed to needless death, is seemingly unmoved and uninterested in the mass murder of thousands.” – Rob Hunter

More on Superman:
What Man of Steel Gets Right About Lois Lane
What Does It Mean That Man of Steel Has Superman Pledging His Allegiance to the U.S. Flag Again?
10 Things the Internet Got Wrong About Man of Steel
A Man of Steel Poster for the People
Man of Steel 2 Takes Flight
Super Strengths and X-Ray Revision: How Superman Past Affects Man Of Steel
Get Ready for Man of Steel By Watching the Oscar-Nominated Superman Film From 1941
24 Things We Learned from the Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut’ Commentary
Why The World Needs Superman Returns
Infographic: The Financial Success of Superman
How Superhero Movies Save Us When We Need Them Most

Spielberg Predicts the “Meltdown” of Hollywood

“As he said, ‘The pathway to get into theaters is really getting smaller and smaller,’ and maybe a paradigm shift will help balance that, but there are no guarantees. After all, it’s easy to lament a perceived lack of originality coming out of Hollywood — ignoring that most studio products have always been adaptations or sequels — but the newest model has led to global dominance and record profits even in years when domestic attendance dropped. There’s little incentive to change now. All the more reason to believe, as Spielberg does, that it will take an aggressive, world-altering event to end the addiction to tentpoles. It’s probably just a matter of time.” – Scott Beggs

Interns Win Lawsuit Against Fox Searchlight

“Essentially, what this ruling accomplishes is ensuring that studios and production companies don’t use a false promise of work experience and possible future employment to justify go-nowhere, exploitative, uncompensated labor. It’s also a necessary reminder about what an ‘internship’ is for an industry in which unpaid internships are the norm. This is not to say that interns should never be expected to do coffee runs and write travel schedules, of course, but the ruling makes certain that the notion of an ‘internship’ remains within the strict parameters of an apprentice-like opportunity geared towards professional experience. Sure, an internship is not a guarantee of future employment, but it’s quite difficult to network in even the most basic of ways (let alone learn about the production process) when one is relegated to a copy room for the majority of the work day.” – Landon Palmer

Arnold Schwarzenegger is Back for The Terminator 5

“Fortunately, since the franchise is pretty loose on time travel to begin with, having a robot look 30 years older shouldn’t be too hard to explain away…but how much more of this has to happen before it gets sad? The franchise itself seems to limp along after a tepid third installment and the dull confusion of Salvation, and Schwarzenegger’s return to cinema wasn’t all that triumphant. All of that raises the question: what has to happen for Terminator 5 to actually be good?” – Scott Beggs

Questioning The Purge

“Current times are tough and many people are struggling which makes the idyllic world of The Purge seem very appealing. But this ‘perfect’ world comes with a price. The Purge claims if you allow people to do whatever they want for one night a year, they will live in perfect harmony and peace the other 364 days. But what happened to inspire such an idea? Was there a specific event that made the idea of a purge the most logical solution? Were there no other options? And how did anyone know that this would ‘work’?” – Allison Loring

Where Is Emma Watson’s Bling Ring Character Today?

“She was arrested again in December of 2011 for possession of heroin. Neiers was then shipped off to a ‘luxury rehab facility in Malibu’ for a year (a stay that was free of charge, strangely enough), where she stayed from December of 2011 until December of 2012. She is now reportedly a counselor at that same facility, and is married to a guy she met in AA. They have a baby daughter. Neiers disputes her portrayal in Coppola’s film.” – Kate Erbland

More on The Bling Ring:
Review: The Bling Ring Digs Skin Deep Into Celebrity Obsession

PS4 vs. Xbox One: Which Is Better For Movie Fans?

“In the streaming video world, the 360 has been the one with the leg up. While apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video are available for both current-gen consoles, Xbox also has apps for HBO Go and ESPN streaming services. These are apps people want access to and while it’s possible that new versions could be released for the PS4, right now Xbox has the lead in video streaming…If I had to pick one of these consoles to spend my hard earned dollars on, it would be the PS4. The lower cost and at least perceived lack of restrictions outweighs the possibility of better streaming options and a better styling for me. But there’s plenty of points in the pro column for the Xbox One as well. Ultimately, either console would work well for a movie fan, in fact, strictly for movies and streaming the Xbox One may well be the better option.” – Luke Mullen

The Most Amazing Use of a POV Shot in Cinema Is…

“Jaws: It’s amazing what an underwater cam and a couple notes on a tuba can do for a whole generation of swimmers…While that shark looked pretty good, and the actors were amazing, it’s really this shot that drives this entire film. Just imagine what it would have been like without it – if the mechanical shark had worked consistently and Spielberg had no limitations. It was those limitations that gave the film the suspense that made it famous. Not to mention shooting at water level, a cinematic act that proved quite unnerving to watch.” – David Christopher Bell

More on First Person POV Shots:
Short Film: First Person Darth Vader Puts You Behind the Red Lightsaber

Filmmaking Advice From Alejandro Jodorowsky

“Embrace Psychomagic, Improvise Your Life, and Metaphorically Commit Murder and/or Incest: There’s a lot going on here in Jodorowsky’s answer to an audience member’s question about the filmmaker’s philosophy of psychomagic and its role in his films. In this interview after a screening of El Topo at the film society of Lincoln Center, Jodorowsky discusses how the most aberrant and subliminal and repressed feelings can (and should) be exercised metaphorically. To perhaps attempt to complete the connection for Jodorowsky himself, one can see filmmaking (especially Jodorowsky’s films) as a metaphorical exercise in exploring, exercising, realizing, and intellectualizing the most subjective of our hidden desires. Films offer the possibility of getting away with activities that are forbidden in daily life. It’s Freud’s chair made into gloriously irreverent and unconventional filmmaking, and a magical celebration of the impossible.” – Landon Palmer

Can’t Hardly Wait Has a Quinceañera

“While it might not be the definitive high school comedy (that’s a discussion for another time), 1998′s Can’t Hardly Wait is a damn good one, and a strangely enduring new classic. Sure, the nineties-set production is dipped in era-appropriate fashion, slang, and cultural nods (X-Files, anyone?) and its cast is positively peppered by awesomely nineties talents (Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ethan Embry, Seth Green, Melissa Joan Hart, the list goes on and on), but Can’t Hardly Wait still feels applicable to teens today. Or, at the very least, it still feels like a very good approximation of the high school experience that we remember.” – Kate Erbland

This week, we kneel before Zod and Hatchet III star Danielle Harris, who describes her Pussy Posse and explains what it’s like to have hoses filled with fake blood aimed at your face. Plus, Geoff faces an Interrogation Review of Zack Snyder‘s Man of Steel, and Scott talks with a budding filmmaker who’ll learn this weekend if his new project gets funding or not.

For more from us on a daily basis, follow Danielle Harris (@halloweengal), the show (@brokenprojector), Geoff (@drgmlatulippe) and Scott (@scottmbeggs) on the Twitter.

And, as always, we welcome your feedback.

Download Episode #20 Directly

Or subscribe Through iTunes

On This Week’s Show:

• Visiting Hours [0:00 -  1:15]
• Man of Steel Interrogation Review  [1:15 - 13:00]
• Killing Victor Crowley [13:00 -29:30]
• On the Cusp [29:30 -39:00]

Get In Touch With Us:

• Ask Us Anything
• Email Us
• Twitter Us
• Call Broken Projector: (512) 212-1301

When we first heard that John C. Reilly had been offered a role in Marvel’s upcoming space odyssey, Guardians of the Galaxy, the story was that he was probably going to be playing a character named Rhomann Dey, who is a member of an intergalactic police force called the Nova Corps in the comics, but who would apparently be a SHIELD member who acted as a liaison to the stars in this story. This was confusing and made no sense. Why take an alien character with an alien name and arbitrarily turn him into some other human character for no reason? Why not just name this character something else?

Well, it turns out the reason everything was so confusing was that it was all a bunch of bullpucky. All except the most important part—that John C. Reilly actually was offered a role in Guardians of the Galaxy. Luckily for us, a new report from Deadline not only clears up the confusion around the role that Reilly was offered, it also confirms that the actor is now officially on board.

So, what’s the role he’s really going to be playing? Turns out nobody named Rhomann Dey at all, and certainly not a lowly SHIELD agent (apologies, Agent Coulson). According to Deadline’s report, Reilly is actually going to be playing a super strong, invisibility exoskeleton-wearing, magic hammer-wielding villain named Ronan the Accuser. He’s basically an alien race called the Kree’s version of Judge Dredd. So yeah, this version of the John C. Reilly joining Guardians of the Galaxy story is way more exciting.

And unlike that original report, it makes sense. If you look at the backstories of most of the characters involved in Guardians of the Galaxy, the big thing they all have in common is that they have some sort of connection to Thanos, the all-powerful intergalactic conqueror who’s currently looming in the background of the Marvel Movie Universe as its eventual big bad. Ronan fits this pattern, because, though he didn’t start out that way in the original Marvel stories, recent depictions in their Ultimate Universe of comics have changed the character to make him Thanos’ son, and one of the main supporters of his empire.

Could it be that Reilly’s Ronan will actually be the main villain of this Guardians story, which will provide us with the next step toward Thanos inching his way ever so slightly out of the shadows en route to his eventual clash with the Avengers? Maybe, maybe not. It’s certainly a theory that makes some sense though, and at least we’re going to get to see John C. Reilly wear space-armor and hold a huge hammer.

Update from Deadline: “I got it backward. John C. Reilly will play Rhomann Dey, leader of the Nova Corps.”