Thoughts

Hello all. I'm back in India and in exam mode. I would skip this post but too much has happened in the world of cinema and etc.

1) So Edgar Wright isn't making Ant-Man anymore because Marvel is officially gone crazy. I knew the "films planned till 2028" was a sign of bad things to come. This especially sucks because Wright has been involved since phase 1 of MCU but due to creative differences, he won't be directing it. Joss Whedon tweeted this in support-

Apparently, things aren't great with him too and I've read in a few sites about how he won't return after The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Just when I thought Marvel will experiment with other unique filmmakers too, it goes and shits over everything. I still love the cast of Ant-Man, IF they remain, and so I will watch it but I am v. v. v. sad about Wright leaving. Ant-Man was my most anticipated film of next year but though it will still release on the same day, I don't care about it half as much.

2) Cannes '14 just wrapped up. You can go to a million film sites and read all about it. All I have to write about is firstly, how Lost River apparently is as bad as I thought it would be. However, if I was being honest, this is all I was thinking of. Like seriously, I spent a day just looking at videos and pictures of the Gos's magnificent return to Cannes. HOW is anyone that sexy? It blows my mind. Anyways, back to the movie stuff or whatever, I am actually very happy about Xavier Dolan winning the Jury Prize (along with Jean-Luc Godard of all the cinematic legends) for Mommy. It's officially become one of my most anticipated films of this year. Other films I am excited to check out are Foxcatcher, Mr. Turner, Maps to the Stars, Two Days, One Night, Lost River (I still *have* to see it), The Wonders, How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Clouds of Sils Maria.

3) I don't know where my brain has been lately but there are a number of awesome-sounding films that are in production and I know NOTHING about them. First, there's Trainwreck, the new Judd Apatow film. Okay, I'm not the world's biggest Apatow fan so I can understand why I overlooked it but HOLY SHIT, it has an amazing cast! Brie Larson, Tilda Swinton, Ezra Miller (!!!), Bill Hader, Amy Schumer and Vanessa Bayer. Woah! Also Tilda and Ezra back in a movie together! Then there is Tulip Fever which has Dane DeHaan, Jack O'Connell, Christoph Waltz, Zach Galifianakis and Alicia Vikander. It is romance set in 17th century and it's all about tulips and art, all of which sounds pretty and obviously it will be pretty because it has DeHaan, O'Connell and Vikander. Galifianakis is also tied to three other really exciting sounding projects- Richard Linklater's Larry Kidney, which will also star Will Ferrel, Michel Hazanavicius' Will, which might have Paul Rudd also, and Jared Hess' Loomis Fargo along with Owen Wilson and Kristen Wiig. Woah again! Linklater is one of the most exciting filmmakers EVER, and though Hazanavicius' The Search didn't get very good reviews from Cannes, his return to what I think is a comedy, (the story is about a man whose life changes when his "author" in Heaven quits) is good news. As for Hess' film, it's based on a true story about one of the biggest heists in American history and all you or I really need to care about is that it will have Wiig's character using her "feminine wiles" to lure these other characters into thieving and THAT. SOUNDS. AMAZEBALLS. Luca Guidagnino's last movie I Am Love was stunning and his next one, which is apparently a "sexy thriller", will also star Tilda Swinton along with Margot Robbie, Ralph Fiennes and Matthias Schoenaerts. There are all these movies too, most of which sound pretty good but I don't have the energy to write about them.

4) Other casting news- Michael Shannon has joined the lesbian drama Freeheld which also stars Ellen Page and Julianne Moore. That's one powerful trio, right there. Emma Stone might just become Woody Allen's new muse (YAAAAAAYYYY!!!) as she's going to star in his next film with Joaquin Phoenix also. Ben Wheatley's next, High Rise, which already has Tom Hiddleston and is therefore highly anticipated, will now also boast of Jeremy Irons and Sienna Miller among its cast members. I really like both of them and the project keeps sounding more and more exciting. The second collaboration between Jonathan Levine, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Seth Rogen, after their adorable and touching 50/50, has a new addition to it in the form of Anthony Mackie. I approve of this. The Helen Mirren movie about a Holocaust survivor fighting to retrieve lost Klimt paintings called The Woman in Gold will now also star Tatiana Maslany who will play Mirren's character's younger self. You all have probably read this in a lot of places already but let me do my bit- Maslany is one of the best actresses out there right now and deserves to be a major star. She's amazing and I love her and those who don't watch Orphan Black should. Finally, Benedict Cumberbatch has replaced Guy Pearce in the Johnny Depp-Joel Edgerton gangster flick Black Mass, and it will also star Adam Scott. The biggest thing about this casting news is that I am officially more excited about Cumberbatch and Scott being in a movie together than the fact that it has Depp. #timeschange

5) Since I have already bitched about Marvel, let me spread the love around and also talk about DC. The new Superman-Batman movie is going to be called Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice. BAHAHAHAHHAAHAHA WHAT?!! What's with the V? I do not get it. At all. My favourite tweet about this title was this:

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: LAWN OF JUSTICE pic.twitter.com/HCHZM4SuX3
— Ali Arikan (@aliarikan) May 21, 2014

6) Lars von Trier wants to make an action movie next. I don't even know. I have been trying to imagine what it would be like but I'm failing completely, which is fine because even if I come up with some concept, I have fully believe that LvT will totally upend it and do something else entirely which is part of his charm *hehe*. He's also writing a horror movie set in Detroit for Kristian Levring. LvT has already made one of the most terrifying movies I have ever seen, Antichrist, which is a movie I never, ever, ever want to rewatch, ever. I would honestly rather eat my own leg than watch it again. According to Levring though, this new one called Detroit, will have more classic American horror elements than whatever the fuck LvT does. Let's see how both of these pan out.

7) The Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them trilogy might have found their director already. Reports say that Warner Bros are asking OSCAR-WINNER Alfonso Cuarón (the caps bring me joy, okay?) to direct the three films based on the Harry Potter companion book of the same name. Cuarón is responsible for one of the most celebrated installments in the Harry Potter franchise, Prizoner of Azkaban and is certainly the filmmaker who set the path for the kind of direction the films then took. I will be incredibly happy if this comes to pass. They still haven't cast the films yet but hopefully they will do so soon.

8) I recently stumbled upon this video of Jennifer Aniston's opening SNL monologue in the 90s which is all about Fight Club because she was dating Brad Pitt at the time. It's super strange. Also, it is hard to believe that Fight Club was so topical at a point of time that Jennifer Aniston, of all people (I mean, she's still spoken of in relation to a type of hairstyle :/), did a skit on it.

9) Posters and pictures- Everyone has freaked out about the Fassy-Cotillard (but mostly Fassy) Macbeth posters, yes? Good. This link has all the new pictures, first clip and the poster of the Daniel Radcliffe-Zoe Kazan starrer What If? This film will give me diabetes. Also the first official images of the majorly awaited Todd Haynes' Carol, starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara as a lesbian couple on the run in the 1950s have arrived. This film will rock!

10) Trailers- Let's get television out of the way. The Doctor Who series 8 teaser is totally pointless but I need this show in my life already. I have missed you, TARDIS. Speaking of Doctor Who, Karen Gillan's new TV show Selfie, which is based on Pygmalion looks really silly but really cute at the same time, especially Gillan. I laugh at the Gwyneth Paltrow and Lady Gaga jokes every time. The trailer of the last season of True Blood doesn't feature Eric AT ALL! Whyyyyyyy?!! Also, sue me but Flash looks adorable! The guy is so cute. Can't wait :D And Gotham doesn't look too terrible either. Coming to movies, I guess this puts me in the minority but I wasn't too buzzed about the Interstellar trailer except perhaps the last bit in the space. I am obviously dying to see the movie and I do love everyone in it (in other words, put down your pitchforks, internet) but just the trailer itself isn't as awesome as I expected it to be. The Clouds of Sils Maria trailer looks interesting enough but it is really the actresses that are drawing all the attention. I can't help but think that Moretz was born to play roles like this. I haven't seen Drinking Buddies yet but I still think that I will love Happy Christmas, if not for anything else other than Anna Kendrick. I love her. The Life of Crime trailer reminded me just how much I need a Jackie Brown rewatch. I'm most excited about Isla Fisher in this, 'cuz she's ab fab. Disney's Big Hero 6 looks like the cutest thing ever, AND it's a superhero movie too! Yaay! It could very easily be awful but The Riot Club looks exactly like the kind of movie I will eat up, at least for now. I mean, rich, hot, spoilt, British boys doing bad things *swoons*. As I wrote above, no matter how it is, I will be watching Lost River when it comes out. Its teaser is incredibly strange but Matt Smith saying "Look at my muscles" over and over again does win it some points because duh. I don't know about you all, but I have liked/loved all the films that Matthew Vaughn has made so far and Kingsman: The Secret Service looks like it will continue that tradition. Colin Firth looks dapper as fuck. Ditto for his role in Magic in the Moonlight, the trailer of which is also out. I think it looks absolutely charming. Could Emma Stone be any cuter? Finally, my favourite trailer since the last thoughts post and a strong candidate for my favourite trailer of the year is that of Guardians of the Galaxy. I have watched it some 57 times and I love it to bits. So funny, so entertaining and it really gives nothing away. I love the music, I love that it features a space raccoon tugging at its own crotch and *obviously* Chris Pratt is my new dream man. I'm hooked (on a feeling)!

11) And last but not the least, you all totally expected me to post these, right?

I mean, I had to. Just look at the man.

My reaction to all this, btw-

:'( Byeeee.