Latest news with #SigourneyWeaver
UPI
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- UPI
Watch: Na'vi prepare for war in 'Avatar: Fire and Ash'
1 of 4 | Zoe Saldana returns as Neytiri in "Avatar: Fire and Ash." File Photo by Rune Hellestad/UPI | License Photo July 28 (UPI) -- The first trailer for Avatar: Fire and Ash, the third entry in James Cameron's film series, offered a first look at a new tribe of Na'vi called the Ash People. The trailer, posted to YouTube on Monday, features Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and his family teaming up with the Metkayina clan from Avatar: The Way of Water to prepare for battle against Pandora's sinister new tribe. "Your goddess has no dominion here," the leader of the Ash People, Varang (Oona Chaplin) says in the trailer. The film, set to hit theaters Dec. 19, also features returning cast members Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Britain Dalton, Jack Champion, Trinity Jo-Li Bliss, Bailey Bass, Joel David Moore, Edie Falco and Dileep Rao. Newcomers to the franchise include David Thewlis and Michelle Yeoh. The yet-to-be-titled fourth and fifth films in Cameron's Avatar universe are currently scheduled for release in 2029 and 2031. Sigourney Weaver turns 75: a look back Sigourney Weaver (L) and Winona Ryder, who co-star in "Alien Resurrection." pose together upon arriving at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles on November 20, 1997. Weaver has starred in four "Alien" movies with "Resurrection" being her last. The franchise continues with a TV series coming to Hulu in 2025. Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Always provided a release': why Aliens is my feelgood movie
Amid a recent IVF crisis, I turned to my husband in A&E and said, 'We should put on a cosy movie when we get home, like Aliens.' Immediately my mind flashed to the film's iconic image of gooey eggs exploding under vigorous gunfire. It seemed faintly ridiculous that Aliens was the chill-out film for this particular moment, but we watched it and, as ever, it hit the spot. I've viewed Aliens at least once a year for the last decade. It is both an excellent and terrible movie. Helmed by James Cameron in place of the original Alien director Ridley Scott, this pumped-up-on-steroids 1986 sequel retains the grisly design of its predecessor. Its walls and ceilings are covered in wet gloop and fleshy tendrils, like the insides of a giant body. Its monsters bring to life the trailblazing designs of the Swiss 'fantastic realist' artist HR Giger. Almost four decades after its release, the film's world building remains chillingly authentic, as a group of marines – plus a villainous corporate executive, heroic android, feisty lone-survivor child and Sigourney Weaver's gun-toting yet wholesome protagonist Ellen Ripley – discover then attempt to escape a nest of parasitic aliens, their nightmarishly outsized mother and her lethal henchmen. The film's high stakes are rarely far from the action while it hits just the right balance between absurd terror and genuine emotion. Like many of Cameron's movies, it simultaneously sends up and fetishizes military power, though ultimately the characters that survive are head-smart first and trigger-happy second. Its cheesy humour stops the violence from descending into cold detachment. The blusterous self-assurance of Bill Paxton's Pte Hudson is repeatedly undermined by douchebag lines like 'We just got our asses kicked, pal!' I've watched it so many times, I can picture his exact look of wide-eyed incredulity. Al Matthews' cigar-loving Sgt Apone satirises the macho marine trope, admonishing his unit with 'All right sweethearts, what are you waiting for? Breakfast in bed?' Aliens is a fast-paced, jump-scare-ridden scramble to violent demise or unlikely escape. Once it's been rewatched to death, there is a calm relief to its desperate fight for survival. I know who will live and who will perish; that the invasive titular form will ultimately not endure. In place of leaping out of my skin and hiding behind a cushion, viewing this movie now brings something else: the chance to process my own physical and emotional angst. When done well, the horror sci-fi genre functions on multiple levels, creating thrilling entertainment while also inviting its audience to digest real life experiences that are too painful or immediate to look at directly. The culturally deep-rooted terror of women's bodies and their functions is a central aspect of the movie. The young facehugger aliens attach to their victims' mouths to plant an embryo inside, which then grows in their hosts' bodies before bursting out the chest. There are undeniable parallels with the oft-unspoken horrors of pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the unsettlingly sci-fi retrievals and implantations of IVF. The movie revels in a certain revulsion at hyper-fertility and the act of birth, but it also captures the natural fears and frustrations of existing in a body that can grow and explosively eject a living being in a manner that is richly cathartic. As a psychotherapist currently in the middle of Kleinian training, I am drawn to embracing the dark side of the body. The British psychoanalyst Melanie Klein addressed the feelings of violence, rage and disgust that can be a normal part of the embodied psyche. I can't help but see her ideas woven through Aliens, as Ripley relentlessly tears through a grotesque symbol of extreme motherhood. A romcom may distract me temporarily from the bodily dread of IVF needles, speculums and dearly longed for new life, but the visceral sight of exploding eggs and torsos hits something deeper and more real. Aliens, with its invasive, parasitic monsters, finds parallels with other psychological and bodily battles that are often repressed. Over the years, this film has always provided a release, whether working through rage, sexual trauma or long Covid. It strikes the perfect tonal balance that enables momentary relief without further traumatising. After Ripley settles Newt, Hicks and Bishop into their cryo-sleep, her final long rest is well-earned and beautifully peaceful. I, too, always sleep well after watching it, my nightmare-prone mind settled knowing the on-screen and internal big beasts have momentarily been vanquished. I just have to pretend Alien 3 was never made. Aliens is available on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK and Australia
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Always provided a release': why Aliens is my feelgood movie
Amid a recent IVF crisis, I turned to my husband in A&E and said, 'We should put on a cosy movie when we get home, like Aliens.' Immediately my mind flashed to the film's iconic image of gooey eggs exploding under vigorous gunfire. It seemed faintly ridiculous that Aliens was the chill-out film for this particular moment, but we watched it and, as ever, it hit the spot. I've viewed Aliens at least once a year for the last decade. It is both an excellent and terrible movie. Helmed by James Cameron in place of the original Alien director Ridley Scott, this pumped-up-on-steroids 1986 sequel retains the grisly design of its predecessor. Its walls and ceilings are covered in wet gloop and fleshy tendrils, like the insides of a giant body. Its monsters bring to life the trailblazing designs of the Swiss 'fantastic realist' artist HR Giger. Almost four decades after its release, the film's world building remains chillingly authentic, as a group of marines – plus a villainous corporate executive, heroic android, feisty lone-survivor child and Sigourney Weaver's gun-toting yet wholesome protagonist Ellen Ripley – discover then attempt to escape a nest of parasitic aliens, their nightmarishly outsized mother and her lethal henchmen. The film's high stakes are rarely far from the action while it hits just the right balance between absurd terror and genuine emotion. Like many of Cameron's movies, it simultaneously sends up and fetishizes military power, though ultimately the characters that survive are head-smart first and trigger-happy second. Its cheesy humour stops the violence from descending into cold detachment. The blusterous self-assurance of Bill Paxton's Pte Hudson is repeatedly undermined by douchebag lines like 'We just got our asses kicked, pal!' I've watched it so many times, I can picture his exact look of wide-eyed incredulity. Al Matthews' cigar-loving Sgt Apone satirises the macho marine trope, admonishing his unit with 'All right sweethearts, what are you waiting for? Breakfast in bed?' Aliens is a fast-paced, jump-scare-ridden scramble to violent demise or unlikely escape. Once it's been rewatched to death, there is a calm relief to its desperate fight for survival. I know who will live and who will perish; that the invasive titular form will ultimately not endure. In place of leaping out of my skin and hiding behind a cushion, viewing this movie now brings something else: the chance to process my own physical and emotional angst. When done well, the horror sci-fi genre functions on multiple levels, creating thrilling entertainment while also inviting its audience to digest real life experiences that are too painful or immediate to look at directly. The culturally deep-rooted terror of women's bodies and their functions is a central aspect of the movie. The young facehugger aliens attach to their victims' mouths to plant an embryo inside, which then grows in their hosts' bodies before bursting out the chest. There are undeniable parallels with the oft-unspoken horrors of pregnancy and childbirth, as well as the unsettlingly sci-fi retrievals and implantations of IVF. The movie revels in a certain revulsion at hyper-fertility and the act of birth, but it also captures the natural fears and frustrations of existing in a body that can grow and explosively eject a living being in a manner that is richly cathartic. As a psychotherapist currently in the middle of Kleinian training, I am drawn to embracing the dark side of the body. The British psychoanalyst Melanie Klein addressed the feelings of violence, rage and disgust that can be a normal part of the embodied psyche. I can't help but see her ideas woven through Aliens, as Ripley relentlessly tears through a grotesque symbol of extreme motherhood. A romcom may distract me temporarily from the bodily dread of IVF needles, speculums and dearly longed for new life, but the visceral sight of exploding eggs and torsos hits something deeper and more real. Aliens, with its invasive, parasitic monsters, finds parallels with other psychological and bodily battles that are often repressed. Over the years, this film has always provided a release, whether working through rage, sexual trauma or long Covid. It strikes the perfect tonal balance that enables momentary relief without further traumatising. After Ripley settles Newt, Hicks and Bishop into their cryo-sleep, her final long rest is well-earned and beautifully peaceful. I, too, always sleep well after watching it, my nightmare-prone mind settled knowing the on-screen and internal big beasts have momentarily been vanquished. I just have to pretend Alien 3 was never made. Aliens is available on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK and Australia
France 24
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
'Alien' lands at Comic-Con
The pop culture convention held annually in San Diego was the chosen setting for the world premiere of the FX series created by Noah Hawley. "This is by far the biggest thing I've ever made," Hawley told 6,500 cheering fans in Comic-Con's Hall H before presenting the first episode, which he also directed. And in Hall H -- unlike in space -- you could hear them scream. "It was crazy!" squealed Nicole Martindale, a fan of the franchise who traveled from northern California for the event. "It wasn't what I expected based on the Alien movies, but it was pretty cool," she added. "Alien: Earth" is set a couple of years before the events of Ridley Scott's seminal 1979 film starring Sigourney Weaver. Scott served as executive producer of this expansion of the franchise, which will hit streaming platforms in August. "If I have a skill at adapting these films, it's in an understanding what the original movie made me feel and why, and trying to create it anew by telling you a totally different story," Hawley told the audience. The panel also featured stars Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, Timothy Olyphant, Babou Ceesay and Samuel Blenkin, who discussed what it was like to become part of the storied franchise and share a scene with the Xenomorph. "It's a dream, it was surreal," said Chandler, who plays Wendy, a "hybrid" who is a blend of human consciousness and a synthetic body. "I've been a sci-fi and 'Alien' fan forever. I keep pinching myself." 'Tron' One of the world's largest celebrations of pop culture, Comic-Con brings together 130,000 people, many of whom come dressed as wizards, princesses or characters from movies, games or TV series. This year, the lines to enter Hall H have been less frenetic than in previous editions. Fans accustomed to camping out at the gates of the venue to get a spot inside say the lack of a big Marvel Studios presence has eased the crush. "Last year, we arrived the night before and had to wait hours to get" in, said Carla Gonzalez, who has attended the event every year with her family since 2013. "This year the first panel is about to start, and there are still empty chairs. If Marvel were here, it would be packed," she added. There was still plenty for afficionados to get excited about, including a panel on "Predator: Badlands" directed by Dan Trachtenberg and set to hit US theaters in November. Trachtenberg, responsible for revitalizing the franchise with "Prey" (2022), is expected to appear alongside stars Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, who plays the Predator, Dek. The panel is expected to reveal more details and images from the production, which places the predator at the center of the plot for the first time as prey, not hunter. Actors Jared Leto, Jeff Bridges and Greta Lee were also expected Friday to present exclusive clips from "Tron: Ares." The film, directed by Joachim Ronning, is the third installment of another beloved science fiction franchise, which began in 1982, with Bridges playing a hacker who becomes trapped in the digital world. Comic-Con concludes on Sunday.
Daily Mirror
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Netflix fans only just discovering 'most underrated' film that has left them 'traumatised'
An 'underrated' thriller on Netflix has found a new lease of life 30 years since its initial release Movie fans are just now discovering a seriously intense thriller on Netflix that has left them 'traumatised'. Originally released back in 1995, psychological thriller Copycat, stars Sigourney Weaver as Dr Helen Hudson, a criminal psychologist who is struggling with agoraphobia. The renowned expert became a recluse after a traumatic attack that saw her nearly get murdered by killer Daryll Lee Cullum (Harry Connick Jr). Years later, Helen is recruited by San Francisco police officer Detective M.J. Monahan (Holly Hunter) to try and hunt down a serial killer replicating the methods of infamous murderers. Although she fears the outside world, Helen uses her knowledge and expertise to try and catch the person behind the copycat killings while working with M.J. The cast of the film - which developed a cult following in the decades since its release -also includes stars like Dermot Mulroney, William McNamara and Will Patton. As well as Copycat doing pretty well at the box office - grossing $79 million from a $27 million budget - the critical response was positive too. On Rotten Tomatoes, it was given a 76% rating. Copycat was released on UK's Netflix last month - and it's fair to say the film has found a new lease of life 30 years since its initial release. On Facebook, Netflix uploaded the opening scene of Copycat in which Helen is attacked by Daryll in a public toilet. Reacting to a 'traumatising' clip, one person said: 'Man! This scene made me afraid to use public bathrooms. I mean, even to this day I'm still on high alert at rest stops.' Someone else added: 'I remember seeing this in theaters. I was freaked out in public restrooms for months!' A third chimed in: 'This scene TRAUMATISED me when I saw it as a teenager, for years and years. I'd always be looking up when using the public bathroom to make sure it didn't happen to me.' Meanwhile, others praised the film as a whole, with someone declaring: 'I really liked this, one of the most underrated movies out there.' Another agreed: 'Great movie, it holds up and I agree no one really talks about it.' It wasn't just the audience that Harry Connick Jr creeped out thanks to his portrayal of killer Daryll Lee Cullum. In 2024, he revealed that Sigourney Weaver was so freaked out by his performance that 'she wouldn't talk to him' on set. 'Every time I came around, she went the other way,. She was like, 'I don't want to be around that guy!'' he told SiriusXM's The Jess Cagle Show with Julia Cunningham.
