Trailer for Pixar’s “Brave,” featuring the studio’s first female solo-protagonist. I think she’s also a “princess” of some sort, which will probably make her the first Pixar character to join the ranks of the Disney Princess brand.

Stop asking me if I’ve read this Hollywood Reporter story about Warner Bros. still being hot to make a “Green Lantern” sequel. Just stop.

Does this even rate the need for an explanation? No one “badmouths” their own movie while it’s still in theaters with money (theoretically) still to be made; and in today’s Hollywood where EVERY genre film is presumed to be the start of a franchise NOT immediately talking sequels is as bad as mouthing can get. They (and the cast/crew) will be saying “Oh, yeah. Sequel. Definitely.” for at least another year or two, but the writing is almost-certainly on the wall: The film is a major money-loser and industry-wide joke. Reboot in five or six years with an entirely new cast/crew? Maybe. Sequel? Almost-certainly no.

If you REALLY want to gauge how big a dent “Green Lantern” has put into WB’s enthusiasm, watch and see what (if any) kind of movement gets made on his buddies. Warners is still angling for the DC Universe to replace “Harry Potter” as their yearly cash-cow franchise, and “Lantern” was supposed to kick-off a wave of (possibly-connected) DC superhero movies – potentially including an already-mentioned “new” Batman unrelated to the soon-to-conclude “Dark Knight” version and the (for now) one-off “Superman.” There’s supposedly a completed “Flash” script – they wanted Shawn Levy to direct for awhile – and even freaking “Hawkman” (HAWKMAN!??) is “in development.”

Of course, only three months ago Warner’s movie group president Jeff Robinov was talking about a “Justice League” movie hitting by 2013 – a logical response to “The Avengers” in 2012. At the time, the “plan” was to spin-out new versions of certain characters (Wonder Woman specifically, as the now-aborted TV show was still happening at that point) introduced therein in their own movies. It’s not a bad plan – fans and followers had been suggesting as much since before “Avengers” was even a possibility – but it’s concievable that “Lantern” could end up killing any enthusiasm for second-tier characters.

NBC passed on David E. Kelley’s “Wonder Woman” show. Now you can watch a clip and see why…

http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage/xplayer/yo033.swf

I dunno about you, but seeing the pitch-perfect recreation of nighttime/orange-interior/blue-exterior/generic-location TV action shooting like this on “Eagleheart” has pretty-much ruined my ability to take it seriously. Pallicki certainly looks stunning, but the outfit still looks like a Halloween costume and she’s not really selling the “I’m a badass” thing (dig the lazy floppy arm-swing business after she opens the door, like she’s halfheartedly opening up a mall security door for her morning shift.)

RiffTrax is coming back to theaters in August, and bringing along a significantly more ‘high profile’ movie than usual: The 1962 Harryhausen-wannabe kiddie fantasy “Jack The Giant Killer.”

And for a better look at what they’re up against, here’s “Jack’s” original trailer:

In all seriousness, congratulations to the Empire State for electing to enter the 21st Century. FUN FACT: This one state legalizing Same-Sex Marriage actually doubles the number of Americans in total who live in a marriage-equality state – an object lesson in why those red/blue map breakdowns are essentially worthless.

P.S. Does anyone have footage of JUST Sen. Ruben Diaz’s apparently instant-douchebag-classic “this will destroy the world!!!” speech from the Senate vote they’d like to post for the lulz?

Anyway, if you want to be in on what us asshole film snobs will be using to make ourselves feel superior THIS weekend; check out this sign found posted at the Stamford, CT Avon Theatre (posted right, click to embiggen) warning patrons that refunds will not be issued in the event of blown minds – keep in mind, this is a movie with NO real violence, sex or even much language; they are issuing a WARNING for a non-linear narrative.

I think my favorite part is the sheer level of “we’re fucking sick of idiots* bitching about this movie” condescension dripping from the language here. “Auteur?” Nobody who walks out of this particular movie knows or cares what that word is. You can just feel the reservoir of “are you people kidding me!!??” helpless rage boiling within whoever had to type this up. I hope they had to have a meeting about it, especially because you know there were one or two members of the management repeatedly going “see? See? I told you we shouldn’t have booked this – I didn’t get it at all!”

Ah, well. If Rome is gonna burn anyway, you may as well fiddle…

*No, I am not calling YOU an idiot, hypothetical-reader-who-takes-this-personally-for-some-reason. I completely understand people not “getting into” this particular movie, I just remember being in the position of whoever had to make this sign and frankly have never understood the rationality of people who try to get their money back because they didn’t like a movie they’ve already (partway) watched.

EDIT: I am aware that there is a spelling-error, it’s being worked on.
EDIT: I am also aware of the bitter irony in mispelling a common Latin phrase in a video posted directly below one making fun of people for walking-out of “Tree of Life.”

INTERMISSION is a “fanboy-free” breakdown of “Green Lantern” – no comic stuff, no geek nitpicks, strictly it’s failures on basic filmmaking.

Hat-tip: Hollywood-Elsewhere

Good sign: That business with the chair. That’s cool.

Seals the deal: How can you NOT respect an action trailer with the balls to use “Rock You Like a Hurricane” in a non-parody context? Exactly – you can’t.

Not bad either: Cutting-to-black on a guy getting punched in the nuts.

Apparently the final theatrical poster for “Captain America,” via Yahoo. (hat-tip to BAD)

I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that the GREAT BIG FLAG backdrop will be replaced by something else for the international “First Avenger” release version – or is Marvel just kind of rolling the dice on that at this point?

I don’t love that he’s not wearing the helmet – the marketing for this seems to be actively afraid of the mask, much in the same way “Thor’s” was wary of showing Asgard – but other than that it’s pretty damn incredible.

The early word on this is very good so far, though it probably helps enormously that it’s coming on the heels of “Green Lantern’s” spectacular crash-and-burn, as opposed to having to “follow” a better-recieved superhero flick like “Thor” or “First Class.” Then again, it opens up after both “Potter” and “Transformers,” so are people going to be burned out on Summer by then?

UPDATED: NEW TRAILER after the jump!

UPDATE: Here’s the new trailer, which one assumes will be running in front of “Transformers.”

Hating the generic metal-riff music. Loving everything else – especially that they pointedly spelled-out that HYDRA are Nazis, hopefully killing the “they took out the Nazis!!!!” bullshit thats been running rampant on the web.

Chris Pranger and Kyle Martinak, whom some of you may know as the “Armchair Thinkers,” have a show now called “No Right Answer.” You should maybe watch it, yes?

DISCLOSURE: Yes, I have worked with Kyle and Chris in the past, and the show airs on a website I am also affiliated with. I have not been asked by any of these parties to do a “plug,” I just liked the show.