After the first film underwhelmed like a muthaf***a, Sam Worthington pinky-swore that the sequel would be somewhat better. He said in an accent that waivered between English and Australian, “I think the first one, we kind of let down some people. What we’re setting out to do on this one — the writers and the director and myself — is improve.”

And apparently the way to improve is to add lava. All is forgiven, Sam Worthington. All is forgiven.

5 photosNew Clip And Photos From ‘Deathly Hallows Pt. 2: The One Where Something Finally Happens’

These 11 action-packed posters feature everyone from Harry Potter, Hermoine and Ron to Voldemort, Snape and Trolly McEarguy. Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, and Ralph Fiennes are all back for this final, magical battle between good and evil. It’s time to get really, really serious about a bunch of kids who fly around on brooms and have silly names.

Potter and pals poof into 3D and 2D theaters July 15, 2011.

Sadly, Harry Potter didn’t get the memo and now he’s gotta actually fight this guy. Judging from this new TV spot for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Deux, it’s going to be a hell of a fight. Even dragons are getting in the mix. Smart money’s on Voldemort!!

Directed by David Yates, it’s the last time Daniel Radcliffe plays Potter before going off and making less interesting movies. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint are back as Potter’s posse of Hermione Granger and Ron “Bonghead” Weasely, along with Ralph Fiennes, Alan Rickman and Helena Bonham Carter.

Judging by the trailer, this could be the darkest, most explodiest of the Potter movies. Oh man, a lot of Harry Potter’s friends have been killed at this point, and Voldemort is not afraid to push that button. On the other hand, Harry Potter isn’t afraid of a little cliff-diving, so I guess good and evil really do balance each other out.

Deathly Hallows Part 2 rides into theaters on a Quidditch-regulation broomstick on July 15, 2011.

Ralph Fiennes has been approached to play the mysterious escaped convict Magwitch who helps Jeremy Irvine‘s orphan Pip. Shooting is slated to begin this fall in order to be released by 2012 to time with Charles Dickens’ bicentennial. Although, I don’t see what the rush is. The bicentennial fans could easily go out and rent one of the 573,000 adaptations already in existence. (via The Playlist)

Since that’s the case, get ready to get more worried as you watch Harry face off against He Who Has A Weird Face in this behind the scenes video of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Pt. 2. These are the first clips we’ve seen from the second half of the last chapter in a series of films that have been going on for what feels like forever.

It’s all coming to a magical, fiery end this July in 3D. Join Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Ralph Fiennes and all the Hogwarts wizards as they die miserable deaths. However, the worst death of all is reserved for Harry Po– ah, oh, er… I’ve said too much.

Bonus: Below is a new image from the film. Harry Potter loves bridge-standing. (Collider)

Besson has been putting together the sequel to the hit ex-CIA agent vs. the French Underworld drama, and he’s currently talking to Best Last Name Ever Award Winner Olivier Megaton (Transporter 3) about directing it. However, Besson wants to shoot Taken 2 this year, while forgettable Jedi Neeson wants to take the year off for personal reasons. Can you do a sequel without the lead from the original? Besson is willing to try: his list of possible replacements to play Bryan Mills (or a character very, very similar) includes Ralph Fiennes, Mickey Rourke, and Jason Isaacs.

Faced with replacing Neeson with “The Ram,” Besson recently went back to Neeson and the two are currently trying to work out a shooting schedule for late this year, but nothing is confirmed yet. (Deadline)

UPDATE: My hostage plan worked, I assume. Liam Neeson just officially signed on for Taken 2. Neeson will get some time off before dealing with more stuff getting taken – the sequel starts filming late 2011 / early 2012.

This will be the 23rd James Bond film. It doesn’t have a title, but I’m thinking it’ll be something like: Live Until You Die, Never Die Twice or James Bond Goes To Camp. The source for these rumors about talks between Fiennes, Bond 23‘s producers and director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) are a British tabloid, which is about as reliable as my picks for the new movie’s title. So if you’re picking out which Harry Potter scarf to wear to the Bond 23 midnight premiere – slow your roll, muggle. (Cinema Blend)

Warner Bros. released the teaser poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and it’s grim as all get out. With the tag "It All Ends Here" looming above a flaming Hogwarts, someone in marketing must have desired tears from avid Potter fans. If you look really closely you can even see Harry screaming for his life in the far right tower window. Look closer. Clooooser.

Haha. You dummy. When will you learn not to trust me?

_{Finga-gunz are Harry Potter’s kryptonite.}

If you’ve already picked up the new video game Lego Harry Potter Years 1-4 then you’ve seen this new teaser trailer for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. If you prefer games with excessive violence and drug deals gone awry then you probably haven’t. It contains some new footage, so it’s worth checking out if you want to see new footage. Or you could continue having you avatar bash that defenseless pedestrians head in with a bat.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 hits theaters November 19.

Check out the teaser after the jump…

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Teaser – Watch more Funny Videos

Clash of the Titans
PG-13, 118m., 2010
Cast: Sam Worthington, Gemma Arterton, Mads Mikkelson, Jason Fleming with Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson
Directed by Louis Leterrier
Screenplay by Travis Becham, Phillip Hay, and Max Manfredi based upon 1981 screenplay by Beverly Cross

Clash of the Titans is 300 for 12-year-old boys: a fast paced Saturday morning cartoon on Greek mythology. Based upon a 1981 movie of the same name, Clash of the Titans tells of Perseus, the young half god/half human son of the God of the Heavens — Zeus — and his quest to behead the Snake Goddess Medusa in order to save the Greek city of Argos from destruction by his evil uncle, the God of the Underworld — Hades (played by Ralph Fiennes in yet another one of his demonic hissing roles) — and his giant sea monster The Kragen.

Joining Perseus on his journey through the river Styx and into Medusa’s layer are the stoic bad ass Draco (Bond villain Mads Mikkelson), the fiery oracle Lo (Bond girl Gemma Atherton) and the disfigured minion Calibos.

Sadly for those who enjoyed the original ’81 flick with all its Ray Harryhausen stop motion wizardry, the tin owl Bubo does have a cameo but is quickly put back in his cage for this journey.

Worthington as the forsaken demigod proves like he has in the past with Avatar and Terminator Salvation to be a good image for this day and age’s new action hero. On screen he has quick athletic instincts, can say a silly line like “Not on this planet you won’t!” or “Damn the Gods!” with ful conviction, and pull off a good running war cry like his hero and fellow Aussie actor, Mel Gibson.

Where Clash of the Titans falls on its sword is the 3D. The film was shot in standard 2D and at the last minute given the 3rd dimensional gimmick to pull in more money at the box office. The 3D glasses are more than anything a distraction as many of the action scenes are in standard play and only make your eyes strain as scorpions and snakes crawl on to the screen.

Another thing that will strike a blow to Greek Mythology purists in the audience are the wasting of other Olympic Gods, like Zeus’s brother, Poseidon (Danny Huston), who has but one line in the whole movie and makes you wonder if the rest of his performance was left on the cutting room floor or if the filmmakers’ hands were tied behind their backs. Last month’s kids-tailored Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightening Thief had stronger copyrights to the Gods of Olympus than this more mature swords and sandals epic.

While, Clash of the Titans may not appeal to the older more scholarly crowd, it does make its way up the river of Styx at least halfway before sinking into the Saturday morning matinée abyss.

Grade: C+

It’s no secret that we here at Screen Junkies have an infinity for mustaches. This featurette for Clash of the Titans shows a lot of cool new footage, but it’s Liam Neeson’s facial hair that really takes the spotlight. Deep down I knew that if Neeson grew a mustache it would be an exemplary one, I just had no idea how exemplary. If acting doesn’t work out, the man should sell mustaches at the store I’ll be opening soon that will surely be denied a business loan.

The featurette also contains new Medusa footage and unicorns, so you’re going to want to check it out after the jump.

Clash of the Titans Featurette – Watch more Funny Videos

(LatinoReview)

_{"I’m gonna get you so good, Sam Worthington."}

Up until now, all the materials we’ve seen from Clash of the Titans have focused mainly on Liam Neeson’s permed beard, monster-fighting, and the Monsters of Rock soundtrack. The new international trailer offers a change of pace by taking a breath to set up the plot of the movie.

It seems that the mortals have drawn the ire of Hades so naturally it’s statue-tumbling time. To make matters worse, the humans rebel against the Gods which provokes Zeus to the point where he’s forced to use his shockwave fist-slam (that’s how you know when he’s pissed). Then, it’s all out war and Gemma Arterton shows up to act stalkery.

After that, it’s mainly what we’ve seen before: Sam Worthingto fighting the Starship Troopers bugs, an Orc, that monster from Pan’s Labyrinth, and those angel-monsters that were out-of-place in Max Payne. And, of course, it closes with Liam Neeson releasing his Kraken. Seriously Liam, quit whipping that thing out all the time.

Check out the trailer after the jump.

(/Film)

In the latest released clip from Summit’s upcoming war flick about the military’s bomb squad in the Middle East, Colonel Reed (David Morse) gets Staff Sgt. Wiliam James (Jeremy Renner) to open up about just how many bombs he’s blown up working for the EOD.  I’ve seen the film and when put in the full context of the story, even this little dialogue piece is tense.  I kept thinking Renner’s character was gonna get the sh*t chewed out of him by Morse for being a loose cannon.  Turns out Morse’s character’s a bit of a wildman himself, I guess. 

We also have eight new still images , which you can see after the jump!

In the meantime, enjoy today’s top links:

_{Theresa Correa               If Book Titles Were Truth      Megan Fox is CGI}

_{50 White Gangstas       Remote Control Titanic!   Devito is DRUNK!  AGAIN!}

_{What Apocalypse?!         David Lynch iPod Spot       UFC Invades Germany}

_{Polarizing Movies   11 Moments in Dad Pop Culture    Lingerie League}

_{Kickass FBB Portraits   Movies that Make Men Cry   Good NCAA B-Ball Joke}

NEW IMAGES FROM’THE HURT LOCKER‘

The other clip, which you can watch after the jump, is called "Cell Phone, Two O’clock," and gives a tiny clip of the film’s tension quotient, as St. Matt Thompson (Guy Pearce) – bedecked in full blast suit and all – is compromised by an insurgent with a cell phone-cum-detonator.  And the guy’s got Thompson’s number… on speed dial…  Check out the clip after the jump.  

We’ll have a review for anxiety-inducing The Hurt Locker coming soon, but suffice it to say my sphincter was clenched the entire movie so as to avoid dropping a deuce in the pristine Wilshire Screening Room.  And I want to be invited back there.

THE HURT LOCKER – Cell Phone Clip – Watch more Movie Trailers

IF YOU LIVE IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA…

You may want to check out Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow’s retrospective at the American Cinematheque running this Friday, June 5th thru Sunday, June 7th!

SCHEDULE:

Friday, 6/5 – 7:30PM

Advance Screening of The Hurt Locker, followed by Q&A with Kathryn Bigelow and stars Jeremy Renner, Anthony Mackie, Brian Geraghty and Screenwriter Mark Boal.

Saturday, 6/6 – 7:30PM

Double feature of Near Dark and Strange Days, with an introduction by Kathryn Bigelow and actor Lance Henriksen

Sunday, 6/7 – 7:30PM

Double Feature of Point Break and K-19: The Widowmaker, with an introduction by director Kathryn Bigelow