Summer 2014 Will End With A Superhero Blockbuster!
Marvel is bringing one of their most unique, and therefore much beloved comic books to the silver screen!
Kudos To Director James Gunn!
This new blockbuster is a result of the tireless effort of Director James Gunn, who was passionate about the special nature of this franchise. He assembled a terrific cast, and Disney has unveiled some great marketing materials – including the cover of the latest GEEK magazine!
The new issue of GEEK is available now, and I’m excited about it for two reasons: first, Director Gunn and the film deserve the attention. Second, the aricle includes one of my James Gunn photos!
Yep, there it is, clear as day in the upper right box…OK, here is the picture, full sized for your enjoyment:
The Writer asked to use it, and since I thought it was a fun picture, and have posted it on my blog before, said “sure.” I also know James saw the picture and didn’t raise an objection to it…more on the story of the picture in a moment, but first, back to Gunn’s new film:
Behold The “Guardians Of The Galaxy!”
There has been a ton of press hitting, along with great stills and some really fun trailers like this one:
What a great trailer! And yes, you will NEVER get Blue Suede’s classic 70′s version of “Hooked On A Feeling” out of your head – and we are all the better for it!
A great cast, terrific sense of humor, and what appears to be amazing action sequences make this a “must see” for me. Here is what Cinemablend.com just posted:
“It will prove to be the final comic book movie of summer 2014, but don’t think for a second that we’ve forgotten about James Gunn’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The film ranks extremely high on our most anticipated list, and today we not only have a closer look at the sci-fi adventure itself, but also into its future. Marvel Studios has just unveiled two brand new stills from the August release, and Disney CEO Bob Iger has revealed that the studio is already thinking about a sequel.
To focus on the images first, which come to us via the Guardians of the Galaxy Facebook page, while Star-Lord – played by Chris Pratt – has certainly been a big part of the marketing for the film so far, what these new stills provide are some cool closer looks at the character’s costume. For example, his helmet:”
As you can tell, CinemaBlend is VERY excited about the upcoming “Guardians” release…check out their website for even more coverage!
The advance buzz on “Guardians” is very strong, and Gunn is doing lots of press to support it. In fact, the Director recently hosted a screen and live discussion of his previous film, “Super!”
This was Gunn’s “anti-hero superhero” film. Here is the plot: after his wife falls under the influence of a drug dealer, an everyday guy transforms himself into Crimson Bolt, a superhero with the best intentions, though he lacks for heroic skills.
James Gunn directs a tight, effectively shocking look at the everyday man who wants to rise up against those who do him wrong!
Writer-director James Gunn does a terrific job with a cast that is up for anything – Rainn Wilson, Ellen Page, Liv Tyler, Gregg Henry and Michael Rooker.
And how about this for trivia? Towards the end of the movie when Liv Tyler is in her rehab group session, she is heard stating “f**ked up, insecure, neurotic, and emotional”. This is a reference and nod to her rocker father Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith) and his 1980′s song “FINE” which is an acronym for the same line.
Lots of great moments, grisly grindhouse exploitation, and heart. LOVE James Gunn’s work and terrific performances by the entire cast!
James Gunn has a great, colorful history in film, and I wanted to celebrate that as well. So here is the story of my Cannes film festival shoots with James and the wacky Troma team!
Welcome to Cannes!
Yes, Troma and James Gunn owned the “unofficial” Cannes film festival, and I had the chance to have some fun with the gang in one of the most beautiful places in the world!
THE CANNES INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL DU FILM!
Oh, as it turns out, one of the most beautiful places in the world just happens to be home to the world’s most prestigious film festival!
This is the Palais du Festival, where the world’s greatest filmmakers arrive to showcase their movies to the world. Cannes 2014 begins on May 15th, and this is a look at the festival and the fun I’ve had there – this is me one year – in a meeting…
I was lucky enough to go to Cannes a dozen times, where I saw the world premieres of “Pulp Fiction”, “Breaking The Waves”, “Moulin Rouge” and many more…and interviewed a bunch of great film makers and stars…it is one of my favorite spots in the world… a place where, at any time, someone can take their top off and get a crowd to take a picture…
I witnessed shoving matches and fistfights as these photographers fought for the perfect shot of a big star – or a topless starlet…it is a delirious madhouse…
Alex was with me many times – like this picture of us taking a break during filming one year for E!
As you can see, Alex caught Michael Castner relaxing before a shoot…and Alex also ran into John Lithgow once!
It a madhouse, one of my favorite jobs ever, and I vow to go back next year with good friend Steve Kmetko, who not only interviewed big stars for us every year, but also hung out with our friends from Troma…
And while the official film festival was underway, so was the “unofficial” Cannes film festival!
All The Love You Cannes! Full disclosure: I am in this movie. I am. It might be a single b-roll shot while Lloyd mentions me in passing, but hey, I’m a Troma star!
Here we all are in Cannes one year: E! News Host Steve Kmetko, who allowed my wife Alex, along with James Gunn, turn him into “Dolphinman” for “Sex On The Riviera”. Lloyd is on the left, by the way…
Every year I was in Cannes, Lloyd and his Troma team were up for any shenanigans…and their tireless energy is captured in Lloyd’s documentary about life at the Cannes film festival.
Tiffany Shepis on the left and James Gunn on the right were always ready to film special stunts with us to capture the craziness of Cannes…we had a lot of fun with them, and they are terrific people!
If you want to see the best documentary about the pomp, circumstance, and sordid underbelly that is Cannes, “All The Love You Cannes” is the movie for you!
Places like Cannes are crucial to an independent studio like Troma – they attract international buyers, they get screenings for their films – as well as lots of press.
The Troma Team is willing to try every stunt imaginable to get a little publicity, including walking the streets of Cannes dressed as various Troma heroes, staging lesbian make-out sessions, hilariously crashing Jean-Claude Van Damme’s “press conference,” where JCVD shows up for about 2 seconds.
So congrats to James Gunn on the upcoming release of “Guardians Of The Galaxy”, and here’s to great memories of Cannes brought back to life by Geek magazine!
