The Perfection’s Director And Stars Really Want You To Keep The Movie’s Big Twists A Secret

The Perfection’s Director And Stars Really Want You To Keep The Movie’s Big Twists A Secret

Every movie ever made is made better when you don’t know exactly what’s going to happen before you watch, but that’s being said, The Perfection is a special case. Simply put, it’s one of the most surprising horror features released in recent memory, and possesses some major twists during its runtime that audiences will definitely not see coming. As such, it’s a feature that deserves extra protection from widely spread spoilers as it makes its way to Netflix this week – and that’s not just me talking, but also the film’s director and stars.

This past week I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with writer/director Richard Shepard and actresses Allison Williams and Logan Browning, and one subject that I brought up during both conversations was the way in which they hope that audiences will wind up discussing the movie. There’s a bit of an extra challenge involved given that it will be available to watch instantly by Netflix subscribers everywhere on Friday, but as Browning put it, The Perfection isn’t a film that you should recommend to your friends by simply explaining it beat for beat:

I really don't want people to spoil it for each other…. So you have to kind of go in early and then really respect your friends and just encourage them to go watch it. Because I think it's way more fun, way more enjoyable to talk to someone about, 'Oh, remember when that happened?' instead of telling them everything and then they have a ruined experience. So yeah, just don't spoil it, and enjoy it!

For his part, Richard Shepard agreed that the movie is best experienced when audiences know as little about it as possible – but also added that even if you are aware of some plot details, there is still a lot going on in the film that people will be able to appreciate. The Perfection is purposefully built with different layers (he describes it as “unique and sexy and weird and dark, and also funny”), and is personally excited to hear about the conversation that surrounds it following its release. He explained,

The greatest genre movies always have more than one thing going on. There's social commentary, there's hopefully film aesthetic commentary, and then there's just the fun of a good genre movie. And I hope that The Perfection has all of those things… But part of the joy of this movie is kind of going in a little blind. So it's going to be interesting as it drops all over the world on the same day. But in a way that's kind of what the beauty of this situation is. It's like, 'Here it is. Now let's see if people gravitate toward it.'

While I most certainly won’t spoil the movie for you here, it’s safe to mention that The Perfection stars Allison Williams as a former cello prodigy named Charlotte Willmore, who finds her way back into the music world following the death of her mother – whose sickness was the reason she left in the first place. Reuniting with her former instructor (Steven Weber) during an event in China, she has the opportunity to meet Logan Browning’s Elizabeth Wells, who has experienced all the global acclaim and fame to which Charlotte once came so close. The two of them immediately bond, agreeing to go on a two week vacation together, but things start to go horribly wrong when a night out partying results in Lizzy starting to feel exceptionally sick.

Allison Williams, of course, has some notable experience with big twists thanks to her acclaimed part in Get Out, and she had her own interesting perspective to add to the conversation. She definitely agreed with Logan Browning that specific details from The Perfection shouldn’t just be dropped on friends or blasted on social media, but she also has a certain hands-off approach that recognizes that the movie doesn’t really belong to the filmmakers or stars once it’s released; it belongs to the audience. Said Williams,

This is now that weird moment where it's not ours anymore. And so I can hope that people interact with this theme or that theme or whatever, but for the most part I'm learning this is when we just throw up our hands and say, 'Okay, we've raised you as best we can. Now be good in the world and take care of yourself!' I'm so curious to see what people's reactions are to it, because that's always this other phase of doing a movie. You learn stuff about it when you hear other people thinking and engaging with it. So I agree. Don't spoil it for people. Memes will happen, and hopefully people just won't know the context of them.

You can watch my conversation with Logan Browning, Allison Williams, and Richard Shepard about protecting The Perfection spoilers by clicking play on the video below.

The Perfection co-stars Alaina Huffman, Mark Kandborg, and Graeme Duffy, and arrives on Netflix this Friday. To be totally safe, you should definitely watch the movie as early as possible – and we can promise you it’s a decision you won’t regret.

James Cameron Congratulated Avengers: Endgame For ‘Sinking’ Titanic’s Box Office Records

James Cameron Congratulated Avengers: Endgame For ‘Sinking’ Titanic’s Box Office Records

Avengers: Endgame has been in theaters for two weeks, and has become a true pop culture sensation. The Russo Brothers crafted a story that was built on the myriad movies before it, and moviegoers flocked to theaters in droves to see how it all goes down. Endgame is also such a complicated tapestry of stories that it totally warrants a rewatch from the hardcore fandom, selling more tickets in the process.

The anticipation and rave reviews for Avengers: Endgame have resulted in some insane box office numbers. And aided by the blockbuster's fantastic performance internationally, the movie has even surpassed James Cameron's Titanic in its earnings. After Endgame passed Titanic's $2.187 billion (which was adjusted for inflation), Cameron went to social media to congratulate the team at Marvel Studios. Check it out below.

How cool is that image? The Marvel Cinematic Universe's box office power has been steadily building for the last decade, and the anticipation and celebration of Avengers: Endgame proved to be enough to sink the titanic. Again.

Aside from the narrative feats and positive reviews, Endgame's legacy in the film world can be seen by its unprecedented box office success. The 22nd installment in the MCU is currently the second highest grossing film in movie history, second only to another James Cameron classic: Avatar. So it probably wasn't too hard for the director give up the #2 spot to Marvel Studios, considering Avengers: Endgame is sandwiched between two of Cameron's blockbusters.

Related: James Cameron Reveals What Really Happened With Matthew McConaughey And Titanic

James Cameron has had some insanely successful movies during his long career, and he's not stopping anytime soon. The 64 year-old actor has a slew of Avatar sequels in the works, although it's taken quite a long time to get the ball rolling. In fact, Avatar 2 recently got pushed back yet again, as a result of Disney's acquisition of Fox and its properties. It's currently set to arrive during the 2021 holiday season, a whopping 12 years after the original broke records back in 2009.

The Avatar sequels are coming out eventually, and they have the potential to break box office records as well. Although given the long gap between films, it'll be interesting to see if moviegoers are still invested in the colorful world of pandora. Luckily, an attraction at Disney's theme parks may help satiate the fans, and keep the public curious about the film's eventual sequel.

As for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there's going to be another blockbuster in theaters before we know it. Spider-Man: Far From Home will be the final installment in Phase Three, revealing how Earth has recovered from Thanos' assault and The Decimation. So we should expect plenty more money to come form both the Avatar and Marvel franchises.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now, and Avatar 2 is currently set to arrive in theaters on December 17, 2021. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

Yes, Taron Egerton Threw Himself Down Some Stairs While Filming Rocketman

Yes, Taron Egerton Threw Himself Down Some Stairs While Filming Rocketman

Taron Egerton really put his all into playing Elton John in Rocketman, the new musical biopic from director Dexter Fletcher that is out in theaters right now. There’s already been a lot written about how Egerton did his own singing as Elton John, but we’ve heard less about the stunt work Taron Egerton did, of which there was a surprising amount.

In fact, in a recent interview, Taron Egerton revealed that one particularly harrowing scene in Rocketman involving a dangerous-looking stairwell. He noted he ultimately decided to shoot the scene himself, mentioning,

I felt keenly that I could do that and do it safely. I have a back pad on. And I threw myself down the stairs. It looks painful and dangerous. But I didn’t get hurt in the slightest. And it’s quite shocking in the film. I’m so glad we did it.

The things we do for love and art... In the past, Taron Egerton has left some of the stunt work to the professionals, but in Rocketman, it’s clear he, the actor, actually fell down those stairs as the camera pans in rather close during the sequence.

Looking back, Taron Egerton told USA Today he’s super happy he took the task on himself because of how it comes off in the film. He also said he really wanted to make sure that the Elton presented in the movie was his Elton, thus explaining the need to do his own stunt. He said:

The character of Elton is my character, and I didn’t want any moment in the film to be anyone else's.

The moment – and minor spoilers if you aren’t familiar with the life of Elton John – comes when Elton John is at his lowest. The singer and performer could always captivate an audience, but it took a lot out of him. And Rocketman seems to push the idea that Elton’s deep-seeded issues from childhood spawned a dislike for his person and an abundance of drug abuse.

Following a night of rampant drug use, he tumultuously falls down some stairs.

Of course, all of this pales in comparison to something like Tom Cruise breaking his ankle jumping off a building. But sanely, Taron Egerton doesn’t seem like the type who would want to compete with Cruise, which is likely why he leaves a lot of the Kingsman stunts to the professionals. Still, it’s good to know he’s game to try new things when it can improve a scene.

Rocketman didn’t win the box office this weekend, but it was still a good start for the biopic, which kicked off to $25 million domestically and $56 million worldwide. While not a box office behemoth, there’s obviously a lot of interest around the movie and with a lower budget, it should end up being a hit.

Related: How Rocketman’s Box Office Compares To Bohemian Rhapsody

A lot of the reason I personally enjoyed Rocketman was because Taron Egerton and Dexter Fletcher did a good job of making Elton John seem vulnerable and someone the audience can empathize with even at his lowest. Part of that may have to do with the work Taron Egerton put in with things like the stair scene and the portion of the movie where he had to figure out how to “sing” underwater with a camera trained on him.

Taron Egerton also doesn’t just mimic Elton John in the role, a request he said Elton John made of him, noting,

He said not to try and sound like him, which is tough when you’re playing him.

Luckily, it all seems to have worked out, as Rocketman is rapidly becoming one of the movies that both the critics and the audience seem to really be latching onto this year.

If you haven’t caught the movie for yourself you can check out Rocketman, in theaters now. Or take a look at its summertime competition with our full movies schedule.

Leonardo DiCaprio Circling Role In New Guillermo Del Toro Movie

Leonardo DiCaprio Circling Role In New Guillermo Del Toro Movie

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of those actors who will get the chance to work with just about all of the greatest filmmakers of our time. The Oscar-winner has collaborated with Christopher Nolan, Alejandro Iñárritu, Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, the list goes on. And the list might be getting longer, because the actor is reportedly in talks to star in Guillermo del Toro’s next project, titled Nightmare Alley.

The filmmaker, best known for stylized films such as Pan’s Labyrinth and Crimson Peak, has been taking a year off from directing, but he's set to make a strong return with a coming adaptation of thriller Nightmare Alley, based on the ‘40s noir by William Lindsay Gresham. Leonardo DiCaprio would star as conman Stanton “Stan” Carlisle, who pairs up with a female psychologist to swindle people into giving them their riches.

Guillermo del Toro has penned the script with Kim Morgan, and he will produce the film with frequent collaborator J. Miles Dale for Fox Searchlight, according to Deadline. The novel was previously adapted into a movie in 1947 starring Tyrone Power, but the upcoming Nightmare Alley is said to be drawing more from the source material than serving as a remake to the previous film.

Nightmare Alley is scheduled to begin shooting in the fall, amongst del Toro’s other high-profile project, a new Pinocchio movie for Netflix. The streaming service is backing the project for the writer/director, which will be a new take on the fairytale that is set behind fascist Italy. Disney was previously to add the tale to its live-action slate starring Tom Hanks as Geppetto, but it has since reportedly been cancelled, maybe due to competition with del Toro’s vision.

Guillermo del Toro was recently recognized with a Best Picture win for his 2017 girl meets fish romance The Shape of Water. He has since been producing his upcoming horror film Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark and Antlers.

Leonardo DiCaprio is infamously choosy about what roles he signs on for. His last role was all the way back in 2015 for The Revenant. The actor will soon return to the big screen for Quentin Tarantino’s highly-anticipated next film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as a ‘60s television actor named Rick Dalton. He will also team back up with Martin Scorsese for an adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon and potentially for a Theodore Roosevelt biopic.

If the actor joins Nightmare Alley, it will certainly be the highest-profile collaboration Guillermo del Toro has opted for, since the director has usually hired lesser-known actors in his prior films. It’s an exciting project to look forward to, especially the idea of DiCaprio and del Toro taking on the noir genre together.

Mark Ruffalo Had No Idea Brie Larson Was In 13 Going On 30

Mark Ruffalo Had No Idea Brie Larson Was In 13 Going On 30

Get out those Razzles and your “Thriller” dance moves because Avengers: Endgame actually marks a reunion of sorts for two 13 Going on 30 actors: Mark Ruffalo and Brie Larson. The classic early ‘00s rom-com starring Jennifer Garner as a pre-teen who time jumps to her 30-year-old self famously features the Bruce Banner actor in his early days as Jenna Rink’s childhood bestie, Matty. But did you know Captain Marvel was one of the “Six Chicks” in the film? If not, it’s okay… Ruffalo didn’t know either.

At the Los Angeles premiere of Endgame on Monday night, the actor was shown a picture of Brie Larson in his well-known film. Here was his reaction:

She was a mean girl. Oh my god, that's amazing! Wow, I didn't know that. It looks like her a lot. It's her.

Mark Ruffalo and his wife Sunrise Coigney were speaking with Entertainment Tonight on the purple carpet before going in to see the highly-anticipated blockbuster when the big reveal was laid on them. The news really seemed to tickle Ruffalo. He continued with this:

How cool, I didn't know that. Did she talk about that? What did she say? We didn't work together.

It makes sense that Mark Ruffalo may not have known about Brie Larson’s small role in 13 Going on 30, because he was not in same scenes as she was. Larson’s role of “Six Chick” is featured in the beginning of the film with young versions of Jennifer Garner’s Jenna and Ruffalo’s Matty. ET also showed the same picture to Larson before talking to Ruffalo. Here’s what she said of her time on the set:

I remember it was the moment when I realized that I really wanted to direct. I remember paying a lot of attention to where the camera was and the camera moves, thinking about how I would have cut it together and then seeing the movie and seeing how it differed from what I thought.

How cute! Sounds like her short time in 13 Going On 30 was actually an inspiring one that lead her to her passion of directing. The actress has since helmed two shorts and a recent Netflix film called Unicorn Store. Let’s get back to Ruffalo’s amazing reaction though. Look for it below:

Oddly enough, Brie Larson was around 13 years old when she worked on the 2004 movie and will be turning 30 later this year. I guess young Jenna Rink was right to aspire to be a Six Chick... one of them became a superhero! Next to Brie on the left is also a young Ashley Benson, best known for her role of Hanna in Pretty Little Liars. Andy Serkis, who played Ulysses Klaue in a few MCU films and Judy Greer, who is Ant-Man’s ex-wife in the franchise were also main characters in 13 Going On 30 as well.

This is such a delightful detail to know ahead of Endgame, especially since the movie just celebrated its 15-year anniversary since release a couple days ago. It’s the perfect time to revisit it, even if the two don't work alongside each other in the comedy. Let’s hope the two share a few memorable scenes this time around in Avengers: Endgame.

Stan Lee’s Avengers: Endgame Cameo Will Be His Last

Stan Lee’s Avengers: Endgame Cameo Will Be His Last

When you go see a movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe there are a few things you can count on. You know you'll see classic superheroes and great action. You know it will be full of easter eggs and reference to other Marvel movies. You also know that you'll see Stan Lee, a man responsible for so many of those Marvel heroes, appear on screen at some point. However, it's now been confirmed that when Lee makes an appearance in Avengers: Endgame in a couple weeks, it will be his last appearance in the MCU.

Stan Lee died at the end of 2018 and so it was always known that the cameos would be coming to an end. What wasn't clear, however, was exactly which movies Lee had done filming for and which he had not. He was confirmed to appear in both Captain Marvel and Endgame, but we didn't know for sure if Lee had ever filmed a scene for Spider-Man: Far From Home, now Endgame director Joe Russo has confirmed that Lee's final bow will be in the massive Avengers film, saying...

It’s his last one committed to film.

Of course, Joe Russo's comments to Mashable are likely specifically designed to leave the door open for other ways for Stan Lee to "appear" in future films. We could still see easter eggs that reference Lee in future Marvel films. Just because the man himself cannot film new material, doesn't mean the MCU is going to forget Stan Lee.

Honestly, it feels somewhat fitting that Stan Lee's final appearance will be in Avengers: Endgame. The movie is likely to be the end of a lot of things in the MCU. We expect characters to leave the story already, so Lee ending his cameo run here makes sense. Clearly, nobody knew he wouldn't be able to film any more scenes when his Endgame cameo was filmed, but if there were ever plans to wrap up the streak of appearances, Endgame certainly would have been the place to do it.

Captain Marvel, the first MCU movie to hit theaters after Lee's death, included a great tribute to the man, replacing every image in the Marvel Studios graphic with a different Lee cameo. It also had one of his funniest cameo moments of the entire run, with a hilarious reference to Kevin Smith's 90s comedy Mallrats, in which Lee also appeared. It will be a tall order for Endgame to out do Captain Marvel, but you can't help but think that for a movie as big as Endgame, even Stan Lee's cameo was designed to be something epic.

We're expecting to say goodbye to some of our favorite characters by the time Avengers: Endgame is over. It seems w'll also be saying goodbye to Stan Lee. If you were planning to bring tissues, maybe pack a couple extra.

6 Fun Video Game References In Shazam!

6 Fun Video Game References In Shazam!

The following contains MAJOR SPOILERS for Shazam!

Shazam! sets itself apart from your normal superhero blockbuster by having a hero who is, basically, a 15-year-old kid. As such, Shazam/Billy Batson’s passions are largely similar to the sorts of things that average teenagers love, like eating junk food and occasionally skipping school.

One other thing that’s a big part of Shazam! is video games. We see our main characters playing against each other at one point, but that’s far from the only time that video game references are made in Shazam! Here are five surprising references to video games found in the new DC superhero movie.

Mortal Kombat

As mentioned, there is one very clear video game reference in Shazam! As we see the adult superhero and his friend/brother Freddy playing the classic fighter Mortal Kombat, apparently using money they swiped from ATMs, based on all the new stuff we see surrounding them. Specifically, the two are playing the recent Mortal Kombat X and Shazam is playing as Raiden, the god of thunder. It's a fitting choice considering both Raiden and Shazam can shoot lightning from their hands.

However, that’s not the only reference to Mortal Kombat in Shazam! Another reference comes later, when the superhero version of foster brother Eugene, uses a classic Mortal Kombat line. The game series is best known for its collection of brutal and violent finishing movies, where characters can eviscerate their opponents in various ways. It’s called the Fatality, and Eugene uses the classic phrase after Shazam has taken Silvana’s eye and defeated him for good.

Street Fighter

Mortal Kombat is one of the best known tournament fighter games ever made, but one title that might be even more well known is the Street Fighter series. The title predates Mortal Kombat by a few years and has had several more games to its name.

Again, the reference here comes from Eugene at the end of the film. His adult superhero version has the lightning power of Zeus that he gained from Shazam. At one point, upon firing his lightning at one of the Seven Deadly Sins, he shouts “Hadouken,” a reference to the call of Street Fighter members Ryu and Ken, who use the word when sending a fireball toward an opponent.

Watch Dogs

While Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat are two game series that many people are familiar with, even if they’ve never touched a video game console, the rest of the references begin to get a bit more obscure. While those familiar with AAA console games will know the name Watch Dogs, others may not. The game is an open world action game in the vein of Grand Theft Auto but with the twist that the player has the ability to “hack” computer systems in order to manipulate the environment.

Eugene makes reference to the game as one of the reasons he has picked up some skills as a hacker. I’m not entirely clear how, since all hacking in Watch Dogs is done by pressing a single button. There really isn’t much opportunity to learn actual hacking.

Uplink

Alongside Watch Dogs, however, is a reference to another hacking-themed video game, and one that might be slightly more useful to learning hacking. Uplink is another game that Eugene apparently plays, or did play, quite a bit. It’s actually sort of impressive since the game was originally released back in 2001, making the title older than Eugene is. It’s possible Eugene played the mobile version that was released in 2012. Still, it’s nice to know the kid likes to play older video games too.

Uplink doesn’t have you control an avatar of any kind, but instead is a game that looks like you’re using an actual PC interface. The “hacking” works more like the way that you see hacking portrayed in movies, as opposed to actual hacking, but since Shazam! is a movie after all, it seems likely that Uplink is a realistic version of hacking for that world.

PlayStation Move

The most utterly bizarre video game reference is the unlikeliest one in the movie to notice. Rather than being referenced in dialogue or shown clearly on screen, one scene shows one of the supporting characters armed with a Sony Sharpshooter, a gun peripheral that was designed to be used with the PlayStation 3’s Move motion control.

Back when the Nintendo Wii was the biggest thing to hit video games since, well, the original Nintendo Entertainment System, Sony tried to come up with its own version of the tech. The Sharpshooter was essentially a plastic shell for the system that turned the standard Move controller into a light gun. The thing is, the Move was never a major hit, and the Sharpshooter was an additional peripheral, making it even less popular. Where somebody found one of these, and why they thought using it was a good idea, is anybody’s guess.

Fortnite?

This last one I’m not sure is specifically meant to be a video game reference, but it’s too close to one not to mention. During the Shazam “super power testing” montage, we see the superhero doing a little dance while he’s waiting for Freddy to get ready to film him.

The dance he’s doing is called the Floss, and, while it wasn’t created for a video game, its popularity as a dance move has become immensely more popular thanks to being an available emote option in Fortnite, the most popular game in the world right now. The dance and the game have become so popular together that they're currently the subject of one of several lawsuits against the game.

From the obvious to the obscure, there are some really fun video game references in Shazam! With all indications being that we're going to get a sequel to Shazam! sooner rather than later, video games will probably continue to be a touchstone of this franchise, and we can look forward to more references in the future. Shazam has made appearances in real life video games before. One has to wonder if Shazam could actually become a video game character within the DC film universe, allowing Billy Batson and Freddy to actually play as their superhero counterparts in some future movie.