Jacob Hall
SNL 40: Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg Pay Tribute to Breaking Character With New Digital Short
In between all of the tributes and montages and musical performances, the SNL 40th Anniversary Special actually found time for some original content. Right after a montage celebrating the short films that have been featured on the show over the years, Zach Galifianakis took to the stage to introduce a new digital short from Andy Samberg and Adam Sandler. Unlike most of Samberg’s original shorts, which usually traded in genial silliness, this one looked inward and examined a subject that everyone who has ever been on the show should be familiar with: breaking character.
SNL 40 Resurrects ‘The Californians’ and Recruits Bradley Cooper, Taylor Swift and Betty White For the Cast
A few key members of the SNL cast and crew must love “The Californians” because the much-derided sketch was brought back to life for the show’s star-studded 40th anniversary special. For those of us who have always enjoyed this bizarre sketch (and there are about three of us), it’s a welcome return and we will greedily drink up the angry tears of everyone else.
SNL 40 Monologue: Steve Martin, Tom Hanks and Everyone Else You Love Stops By
We knew going in that the SNL 40th anniversary special would be chock-full of just about every famous person who has ever walked within spitting distance of 30 Rockefeller Plaza and the opening monologue was quick to make use of this genuinely insane temporary cast of stars. Things got started on the right foot when the always-welcome Steve Martin took the stage ... but then he was joined by Tom Hanks. And then things got really crazy.
SNL 40: Jim Carrey Makes an Awkward Brian Williams Joke on the Red Carpet
In the midst of an otherwise dull (and occasionally painful) red carpet special that aired before the SNL 40th anniversary show, special guest Jim Carrey livened things up by by making Matt Lauer really uncomfortable. His comedic weapon of choice? The recently suspended/disgraced NBC newsman Brian Williams.
‘Suicide Squad’ Casts ‘RoboCop’ Star Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg
Despite being based on a niche comic book and starring a cast of characters who are total unknowns to most people, Suicide Squad is quickly shaping up to be one of the most intriguing superhero movies on our radar. Much of our interest comes from the cast director David Ayer has assembled for his supervillain-themed men-on-a-mission tale. Even with Tom Hardy dropping out, the film is still set to feature Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Jared Leto and Viola Davis (and, sigh, Jai Courtney), which makes this one of the nuttiest ensembles ever assembled. Now, Ayer is looking to plug that Tom Hardy-shaped hole with Joel Kinnaman.
‘Crimson Peak’ Trailer: Guillermo del Toro Made the Haunted House Epic You’ve Always Wanted
The first Crimson Peak trailer is here and it showcases a side of director Guillermo del Toro that we haven’t seen in far too long. Before Pacific Rim and Hellboy and even the dark fantasy of Pan’s Labyrinth, he made horror movies. Now, del Toro has returned to the genre where he made his name and the first footage from the resulting film looks as gorgeous and creepy as you’d imagine.
New ‘Jurassic World’ Toys Offer Our Best Look Yet at the Indominus Rex
In the Jurassic World trailer, careful editing ensured that we only catch tiny glimpses of the Indominus Rex, the genetically modified dinosaur cooked up by scientists to increase attendance to their theme park. But if you were expecting our first really good look at this guy to come from another trailer, you were wrong. This is the year 2015. These kinds of things get revealed in toy form these days.
New ‘Star Wars’ Toys Let You Build Your Own Crazy Lightsaber
Remember how so many Star Wars fans lost their minds when we first saw Kylo Ren’s bizarre hilted lightsaber in the trailer for Star Wars: Episode 7? Well, they’re about to lose ‘em all over again. Hasbro is introducing a new line of toys that will allow children (and their parents) to customize their own Jedi weapons. If you should a little hilt was crazy, then you probably aren’t prepared for what people will soon be able to create in their homes.
Ryan Reynolds Teases His ‘Deadpool’ Costume
Ryan Reynolds has been trying to get a proper ‘Deadpool’ movie off the ground ever since he helped botch the character in the deplorable ‘X-Men Origins: Wolverine.’ Yeah, he says he has a genuine affinity for the character, but he also has to appease the ever-fickle movie gods, who punished him for his earlier comic book movie transgressions by putting him in ‘Green Lantern.’ Making a ‘Deadpool’ movie is how he restores order to the universe. Anyway, Reynolds took to Twitter to share our first glimpse of the Merc With a Mouth’s costume and even in this early state, it’s a significant improvement over the previous big screen version of the character.
‘Pitch Perfect 2’ Trailer: The Bellas Go International
The first ‘Pitch Perfect’ was a sleeper success, doing surprisingly solid business at the box office and earning equally solid reviews from critics. But it was home video that transformed this little a cappella comedy into a genuine sensation, instantly becoming the favorite film of 12-year-old girls (and their initially reluctant parents) all over the world. So the new ‘Pitch Perfect 2’ trailer arrives with the air of an event film. The sequel is not an underdog, but the Bigger, Flashier, and Louder follow-up that has the confidence to suggest that there is an entire franchise to be found here.
‘Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2’ Trailer: Kevin James Fights Thieves and a Bird and a Horse and an Old Woman and…
After six long years, our national nightmare is over. The sequel to ‘Paul Blart: Mall Cop’ has finally arrived. In the stunningly titled ‘Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2,’ Kevin James reprises his role as the portly rent-a-cop with a bad habit of stumbling into dangerous situations that are beyond his meager pay grade. This time, he fights thieves while attending a security conference in Las Vegas, as you are wont to do when you visit Las Vegas in a comedy sequel.
‘Magic Mike XXL’ Poster: Channing Tatum and His Abs Are Back
‘Magic Mike’ was a perfect storm of a movie. For some of the moviegoing population, it was a chance to load yourself up with frozen margaritas and go watch a bunch of extremely attractive, chiseled men strut their stuff on camera. For cinephiles, it was the next film from the ever-versatile genius Steven Soderbergh, whose filmography is littered with experimental and pop masterpieces alike. It was a big hit, a sequel was greenlit, and now, the first ‘Magic Mike XXL’ poster has arrived, placing returning star Channing Tatum (and his abs) front and center.