Screenhead

By now, especially if you read the news on this site, you may have learned that the entirety of the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie has been leaked to the internet fully months ahead of its scheduled release.  It’s not a complete print, of course–some of the effects shots are as yet unfinished, but Funny or Die took the opportunity to present the ENTIRE Wolverine movie,  free of charge.

Putting the phrase “Funny or Die” in there should be a good tip off that, in fact, you won’t be watching the full Wolverine movie in that space.  But what you WILL get to see is an excellent short spoof in its place.  They even managed to splice in bits of the trailer just to make sure, and this lends the whole thing a bonus note of credibility that’ll keep you well immersed.

That and the whole thing couldn’t be much funnier–you’re EXPECTING some kind of Wolverine-based affair, and frankly, you won’t be disappointed.  It’s a riot, what they did with this, and though it’s only a quick one-note joke, it’s still a note worth hearing.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Piracy has pretty much plagued Hollywood since the dawn of VHS, but the ever increasing bandwidth of broadband internet is causing major headaches for studios. Torrent programmes are bypassing laws and methods of tracing pirates, and even new and more intricate ways of getting the latest movies are possible. Almost every Christmas sees the release of Oscar potentials online as screeners are copied. 2007 saw the leak of American Gangster a week before its initial release. But possibly the biggest blow to Hollywood yet is this week’s leak of the forthcoming summer blockbuster Wolverine.

A sort of prequel to the X-Men films, the Hugh Jackman vehicle is now working its way through the internet, a month before its worldwide release. The version is a workprint cut, meaning that many special effects are incomplete, some of the sound needs to be refined, and there are probably scenes that need to be added or cut. But, according to those who have watched it, the quality is quite good.

Needless to say, Fox are pretty unhappy with this, and are estimating that several hundred thousand people have viewed it. The FBI are currently investigating exactly how a workprint was leaked. Meanwhile, most established movie review websites are refraining from posting reviews of an incomplete movie. On the bright side, if those who watch the workprint enjoy it, not only will they most likely watch the complete version next month, but they may generate good word of mouth and actually boost box office intake. American Gangster, for example, went on to make $266 million worldwide.

Popularity: unranked [?]

These days it’s all about value– am I getting the most for my entertainment dollar? It’s a question we’ve all had to ask ourselves at one time or another, and it’s a question can be answered with a surprising yes in the case of one of Lions Gate’s newest releases–Hulk Versus.

Why is this a surprise, you might ask? Well, in this case, you’ll be getting two movies for the price of one. Granted, these two movies are only about an hour long, but they’ll pack plenty of action into each of those hours.

Both installments of Hulk Versus will feature everyone’s favorite rage-fuelled pounding machine, The Hulk. First, he’ll manage to find himself taking on Thor in Asgard, pounding his way through a whole bunch of pagan deities in an effort to, well, I’m not really sure why he decided to go off the rails in such a fashion. I DO know that certain magic spells separated The Hulk from controlling factor Bruce Banner, but after The Hulk was free to rampage as he saw fit, I’m not sure why he was so desperate to try and go kill Odin. Makes no sense, in retrospect, but it was still fun to watch.

But the real winner of the set has to be Hulk Versus’ second installment, in which The Hulk will start pounding the living daylights out of not only Wolverine, as the title implies (Hulk Vs. Wolverine. Guess that’s not so much an implication as it is an outright promise.), but also a panoply of Weapon X adjuncts and other assorted Marvel figures like Lady Deathstrike, Omega Red, and, in a surprising twist, Deadpool.

Yes, for those of you who were wondering when Marvel was going to finally manage to do something with the merc with the mouth, it’s now. You have no idea how happy I was to see DEADPOOL in a movie. That was most of the draw for me, right there—Deadpool’s been a favorite for a long time now, and it’s great to see him at work.

Small personal quirks aside…these are pretty solid pieces. There’s a lot more blood in the Wolverine chapter, so if it’s your kids these are meant for you may want to keep an eye out. Oh, sure, there’s some in the Thor installment too, but it’s mostly like a split lip, with a bit trailing down Thor’s jaw. Wolverine is soaking with it—for those who were wondering, yes, adamantium claws CAN pierce Hulk skin.

The stories will be a little thin—essentially, The Hulk goes to a few different places and starts clubbing things with his fists repeatedly—but it’s the sheer amount of action and violence that they included in this that’s going to make it an adrenaline-fuelled ride of downright epic proportions for a comic book based movie.

If you’re making yours Marvel on a regular basis, then there’s little doubt you’ll enjoy Hulk Versus. But if you’re not a true believer—or maybe if you just favor DC—then unless you’re an action fan, you’ll likely not get much out of it. So there’s a rather limited appeal here, but for those who’d like to see The Hulk in something, well, this will DEFINITELY fit your bill.

Popularity: 1% [?]

For sure you have seen a lot of trailers about the upcoming X-Men Origins Wolverine. And while this one may seem similar to most of them, it is the final trailer up for release prior to the actual showing of the movie on May 1.

Leading up to the events of “X-Men,” “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” tells the story of Wolverine’s epically violent and romantic past, his complex relationship with Victor Creed, and the ominous Weapon X program. Along the way, Wolverine encounters many mutants, both familiar and new, including surprise appearances by several legends of the X-Men universe.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Popularity: 1% [?]

This TV spot aired on “American Idol.”

Popularity: unranked [?]

These spots are circulating around the Internet. Trailer Addict quality is pretty good. Enjoy!

Popularity: 1% [?]

This trailer is the first of three spots.  I like it because it tells you what to expect in the movie. Hugh Jackman is lookin’ good — to die for — nice.

Popularity: 1% [?]

With Wolverine going through extensive reshoots, many thought the film was in danger. Responding to those queries, Hugh Jackman, the titular character himself, sent along the following comment to AICN.

“Due to scheduling conflicts with certain cast members and location/weather considerations, we had to wait until now to shoot a couple of scenes. Please rest assured that ‘Wolverine’ will be badass and hopefully meet all of your expectations.

I am stoked by the positive response to the teaser, which clearly reflects the tone and scope of the film. If you like that, we’ve got much more in store.”

Jackman also sent along a photo featuring Deadpool, Gambit, Wolverine, Sabretooth and Silver Fox from the forthcoming film.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Speaking to New York Post’s Popwrap blog, actor Dominic Monaghan confirmed that he is scheduled to do another ten days of filming in Vancouver at the end of January for Wolverine.

When asked if it is going to be a reshoot or additional scenes, Monaghan said: “We’re doing a bit of both, more than anything else, it’s an additional scene… my character features in a huge set piece with Hugh [Jackman] and Liev [Schreiber]. I think the best thing I can tell you is that it’s a flashback scene.”

The film is scheduled for release this May, so the reshoot comes as a surprise. It can be noted that Wolverine has been plagued by production problems since its inception.

Popularity: unranked [?]