RELATED
FILM
Disney Stays True to Intensely Adorable Animals in "The Lion King" Trailer
Have you ever noticed that Disney's lions were weirdly pretty in the original? Why? They're lions.
04.10.2019
YouTube
With Beyonce and Donald Glover as the voices of Simba and Nala, Disney's remake of The Lion King uses movie-making magic to create photo-realistic animals that are nearly as pretty as its leads.
But look back at the 1994 original, and Disney always had a penchant for illustrating animals with weirdly attractive features. In the upcoming remake, Jon Favreau also directs an impressive cast of comedians who capture the beloved oafishness of Pumbaa (Seth Rogan), high energy of Timon (Billy Eichner), and neuroticism of Zazu (John Oliver). As the voice of Scar, Chiwetel Ejiofor sounds dramatically menacing, even if he doesn't have the absolutely chilling voice of Jeremy Irons.
In the most recent trailer, baby Simba bonds with Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones in a blessed reprisal of the 90s' best father figure), Scar is a dick, and Nala is a weirdly pretty lion. Wait for the very last seconds of the trailer, and you hear a snippet of Seth Rogan and Billy Eichner singing "The Lion Sleeps Tonight."
As the latest of more than 20 remakes slated for production, Disney's mostly CGI "live-action" reboot is sure to be a mind-bending dose of nostalgia. The Lion King hits theaters July 19th, 2019.
The Lion King Official Trailer youtu.be
Meg Hanson is a Brooklyn-based writer, teacher, and jaywalker. Find Meg at her website and on Twitter @megsoyung.
POP⚡DUST | Read More...
The Hollywood Appeal of NXIVM's "Sex Cult"
Body Positivity: Seven Celebrities Who Think You're Hot Just the Way You Are
TV's Most Accurate Depictions of Mental Illness
Related Articles Around the Web
- The Lion King trailer breaks preview viewing records for Disney | EW ... ›
- 'The Lion King' trailer hypes the remake that's out in 100 days: Watch ›
- The Lion King 2019 trailer animation is worse than the original ... ›
- The first full-length trailer for Disney's live action 'Lion King' ›
- 'Lion King' just dropped a new trailer, and it looks stunning: Watch ›
- 'The Lion King': Disney Drops First Full Trailer – Variety ›
FILM
All Americans Are Aliens: Top 5 Alien Movies to Watch on Independence Day
You'll never guess #1 (*wink wink*)
07.02.2019
20th Century Fox
The 4th of July means you'll probably get plenty of time to watch movies about aliens.
Why aliens? Because it's Independence Day, silly: the day our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, freeing the thirteen American colonies from British rule. As a nation of immigrants, one could argue that we're all aliens on this special day. So without further ado, here are the top five Alien movies to watch on Independence Day (*wink wink*).
<h4>5. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)</h4><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTYzNzA4OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMjkxNDU3Nn0.QQ5aq1kGhf3qLu3PKD-R-DFS4Op8pS42NORGZm3bS2Q/img.jpg?width=980" id="9b3b1" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="bfe53c1e5eb8fef63bda5b6d8adf58de" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="invasion of the body snatchers">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">United Artists</small>
</p><p>
<em>Invasion of the Body Snatchers </em>is a rare case where the remake of a movie not only does the original justice, but improves upon it in every capacity. Donald Sutherland stars as a San Francisco health inspector who discovers a species of alien life forms that integrate with plants to replicate humans. Can he stop these "pod people" before they copy and kill everyone he loves? <em>Invasion of the Body Snatchers</em> plays with the deeply human fear of finding out that our friends and loved ones aren't actually who we think they are. But as great a movie as it is, it's nowhere close to our number one pick for best alien movie for <em>Independence Day</em>.
</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>
</p><center><script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script><!-- Popdust Mobile Banner 320x100 --><ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:320px;height:100px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-4301469008561137" data-ad-slot="6952751205"></ins><script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script></center>
<p></p><h4>4. Predator</h4><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTYzNzA4My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzODU4MDg5NH0.R7g9_VUtlTxODxOmT13m7vKf1CtUPDR3L_gXDrQXGaY/img.jpg?width=980" id="f35ea" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="34cfcc77c6fcfe913510a410be9ce901" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="predator">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">20th Century Fox</small>
</p><p>
Part sci-fi horror, part hardcore action, the original <em>Predator </em>is easily one of the most fun, adrenaline-pumping alien movies ever. Arnold Schwarzenegger plays the leader of an elite military team, sent into Central America on a rescue mission. Unfortunately for him and his team, the Predator––a technologically advanced space alien who gets his kicks hunting intelligent lifeforms––got there first. <em>Predator </em>features great special effects, grisly deaths, and one of the coolest alien monsters to ever hit the silver screen. On <em>Independence Day</em>, however, there's still another movie that's even more relevant.<br>
</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><h4>3. Lilo and Stitch</h4><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTYzNzA3MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0MTk1NzcyM30.ZOpTyOP8iEo11GJIDlzNOE04UgZtkZXl-hCvQu23PCw/img.jpg?width=980" id="f0376" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3e842efda2327232fa65b8cace82e47a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="lilo and stitch">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
Walt Disney Pictures / Photofest
</small>
</p><p>
Sure, <em>Lilo and Stitch </em>may not feature blood, gore, or the existential dread of realizing that humans are mostly likely not at the top of the cosmic food chain, but it's still an alien movie. Lilo is a little Hawaiian girl who likes to surf. Stitch is a cute blue alien who is also an intergalactic space criminal. The two become friends and surf together. It's very sweet, and unlike many of the other alien movies on this list, it can be enjoyed by people of all ages. Even factoring in Stitch's adorableness, a different alien movie naturally needs to top the list for <em>Independence Day</em>.
</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>
<script async="" src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script>
<!-- 04B3-text-and-display -->
<ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-4301469008561137" data-ad-slot="1924957707" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>
<script>
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
</script>
</p><h4>2. Alien</h4><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTYzNzA3NC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYyNTMxODQzNn0.xZklemcL3CSTX2xCpzEbDFQZPx5RkPsobfoT46rhshI/img.jpg?width=980" id="f5e9b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="61c09221b748942b9c4f272576d250ce" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="alien">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">20th Century Fox</small>
</p><p>
Considered by many to be the greatest sci-fi horror film of all time, Ridley Scott's <em>Alien </em>remains one of the best alien-related movies ever made. The story follows the crew of a commercial space tug called <em>Nostromo </em>that discovers a deadly alien loose within the interior of the ship. <em>Alien </em>utilizes incredible practical effects and features the iconic (and original) alien-bursting-out-of-a-dude's-chest scene. It also stars Sigourney Weaver as Ripley, one of cinema's first real badass female protagonists. Now, without further ado, here's what you've all been waiting for––the number one best alien movie to watch on <em>Independence Day</em>:<br>
</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><h4>1. Starship Troopers</h4><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xOTYzNzA5Mi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTU5OTUyMDM3Mn0.GgNgX8CcU-vwRBSgKCfeGbhlEYPY0oXsQyqOX-GBWbY/img.jpg?width=980" id="7d9cd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="87ed6429cb75c7de34f42789778ca316" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" alt="Starship Troopers">
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">TriStar Pictures</small>
</p><p>
That's right folks, the single best alien movie to watch on Independence Day is <em>Starship Troopers</em>. Oh, you thought it was going to be <em>Independence Day</em> with its razor-thin plot and distinct lack of political subtext? Maybe we'll do that during a year when <a href="https://www.apnews.com/46da2dbe04f54adbb875cfbc06bbc615" target="_blank">immigrants aren't being detained en masse on the Mexican border</a>, with <a href="https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/06/236389/border-concentration-camps-conditions-migrant-children" target="_blank">children in concentration camps on American soil</a>.<br>
</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>
On one hand, <em>Starship Troopers </em>is an awesome sci-fi movie featuring brutal, large-scale space battles between mankind and the insectoid alien race known as "Arachnids." But more importantly, <em>Starship Troopers </em>is a merciless satire of right-wing militarism and American jingoism. This makes it the perfect pick for the 4th of July, because on "America's Birthday" it's nice to remember that we're supposed to be a nation of aliens, and not a fascist, xenophobic regime.
</p><p><div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-632"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - undersecond12 - under_second_paragraph --></p><p>
Also, after watching <em>Starship Troopers</em>, you can appreciate this great song:
</p><h2></h2><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube">
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="29e1eea0377ffc94a6c907fb0b54f381"><iframe type="lazy-iframe" data-runner-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ThrVQKl04Ak?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">"Death from Above" Music Video</small>
<small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="add photo credit...">
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThrVQKl04Ak" target="_blank">www.youtube.com</a>
</small>
</p>
From Your Site Articles
- Why Bad Movies Are Better Than Good Ones - Popdust ›
- What Happened to Disaster Movies? Oh, We're Living in One ... ›
- The latest installment of the Alien franchise disappoints. - Popdust ›
Related Articles Around the Web
- World UFO Day: The 10 best alien films, from ET: The Extra ... ›
- Scariest alien movies. - IMDb ›
- The Top 30 alien invasion movies, ranked | SYFY WIRE ›
- 10 great films about aliens visiting Earth | BFI ›
- Alien Movies Ranked From Worst To Best | IndieWire ›
- Best ALIEN INVASION Movie Trailers - YouTube ›
- The 11 Best Alien Movies on Netflix to Watch Tonight [July 2019] ›
- Alien Movies Ranked from Worst to Best | Collider ›
- Best Alien Movies | List of Top Films About Aliens ›
- The greatest alien encounter movies, ranked ›
Keep Reading
Show less
Film Lists
All of Taika Waititi's Movies, Ranked
New Zealand's greatest writer-director-actor has some big new projects coming up, but it's worth looking back at his previous work
05.05.2020
A lot of filmmakers keep themselves apart from their work.
You can watch all of their films, learn to recognize their style and vision, and still be left with the mystery of who their creator is. That's not the case with New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi.
<p>Waititi is a true auteur. As a writer and director, each of his movies fits into a broader framework of his vision—searching for a healthier, more sensitive concept of masculinity, especially through the lens of father-son relationships. And far from keeping himself remote from his stories, he plays a crucial role as an actor in each one. With six films under his belt, and four more coming down the pipeline—including <a href="https://www.popdust.com/taika-waititi-star-wars-2645925490.html" target="_blank">an unnamed <em>Star Wars</em> movie</a>, <a href="https://screenrant.com/thor-ragnarok-original-movie-plan-before-waititi/" target="_blank"><em>Thor: Love and Thunder</em>, and a live-action version of the anime classic <em>Akira</em> (1988)</a><a href="https://screenrant.com/thor-ragnarok-original-movie-plan-before-waititi/"> (1988)</a>—it's time to look back at the best (and worst) of his work so far. Why is it time? Because I said so. Who's asking? Stop interrupting. Shh! The list is about to start...</p>
<p class=""><br/></p>
<!-- Ezoic - underfirst11 - under_first_paragraph -->
<div id="ezoic-pub-ad-placeholder-630"></div>
<!-- End Ezoic - underfirst11 - under_first_paragraph -->
1. Eagle Vs. Shark (2007)
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="865a56bb1507d40fc5d6598b6865e141"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-dqW6ZAxbp0?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>Waititi's first feature-length film was 2007's <em>Eagle Vs. Shark</em>, a charming low-budget look at socially-awkward romance, starring Waititi's friends Jemaine Clement (<em>Flight of the Conchords</em>) as Jarrod and Loren Horsley as Lily. Aptly compared to 2004's <em>Napoeleon Dynamite</em>, <em>Eagle Vs. Shark</em>'s comedy leaned heavily on Jarrod's cringeworthy attempts to be tough and to live up to his dead brother Gordon (played by Waititi), who was a star athlete.</p><p>While the film offers a lot of sweet and funny moments, and the use of charming stop-motion sequences add to its appeal, it's clear that Waititi was still finding his voice, and the final result lacks the strength of vision and emotional depth of his later work.<i></i></p>2. Boy (2010)
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3480389206571831f0aceb58c5f6ffc5"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ESD3mlgpSwM?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>The fact that 2010's <em>Boy</em> is number five on this list is a testament to Waititi's talent, because <em>Boy</em> is a sweet, disarming, and silly look at childhood for a young Māori boy in 1980s New Zealand. Boy, AKA Alamein, lives with his little brother Rocky and a large extended family. Their mother died in childbirth, and Alamein paints their father (for whom he's named) as a mythic hero who is off saving the world somewhere. In reality their father (played by Waititi) is in prison, but when he gets out, he comes home with his lackeys to bond with his sons, commit petty crimes, and search for the money he buried years ago.</p><p>At first Boy is ecstatic to have his father back and is wholly impressed by all his apparent toughness. But eventually it becomes clear that the elder Alamein is as much a child as his sons and that beneath his posturing he's a sad, pathetic man. Ultimately Boy learns from him who he doesn't want to be.</p><p>The film's blend of sincerity and silliness is endearing, and its meandering story delivers a compelling emotional arc. It's not quite as polished as most of Waititi's later work, but everything that makes him a great director is there in <em>Boy</em>.</p>3. Thor Ragnarok (2017)
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e5b5ec8473729ff2d1b53c8f496babae"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ue80QwXMRHg?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>2017's <em>Thor: Ragnarok</em> is by far Taika Waititi's most successful film, with box office sales just over $850 million. It's also a legitimately great movie and possibly the only Marvel movie to be genuinely funny throughout. While Waititi brings his sense of humor and his keen directorial eye to this story of super-powered gladiators and intergalactic apocalypse (as well as his voice in the figure of Korg, the would-be revolutionary made of stone), this is the only film on the list that wasn't also written by Waititi.</p><p>So while Waititi definitely <a href="https://screenrant.com/thor-ragnarok-original-movie-plan-before-waititi/" target="_blank">had a significant influence on the film's story</a>—which may explain the emphasis on Thor's relationship with his father, as well as his struggle to define himself without his hammer—the restrictions of working in an existing franchise mean that it doesn't quite fit into the mold of his other works, which are purely his vision.<br></p>4. Jojo Rabbit (2019)
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8777a725839ef20896e892912d887aa0"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tL4McUzXfFI?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p><em>Jojo Rabbit</em> is Waititi's 2019 film telling of the story of Jojo, a young Austrian boy whose imaginary friend and father-figure is his hero...Adolf Hitler (played by Waititi). Ostensibly adapted from Christine Leunen's dark novel <em>Caging Skies</em>, <em>Jojo Rabbit</em> explores concepts of war, nationalism, and xenophobia through a child's perspective, and won Waititi the academy award for Best Adapted Screenplay.<br></p><p>While there's something deeply unsettling about <em>Jojo Rabbit's</em> madcap humor being set in Nazi Germany near its collapse, the movie succeeds in portraying the universal challenges of childhood and the struggle to understand a world that is full of deception and hate. Waititi—whose Grandfather was a Russian Jew—humanizes some of the film's Nazis, not to diminish their crimes, but to show how even decent people can end up participating in terrible evil if they don't actively resist. While Jojo initially demonizes the Jewish girl he finds hidden behind his mother's bedroom wall, in the end she's the only one he has left.</p><p>Some will no doubt find that Waititi's humor undercuts the poignancy of the film's message, but the film's outstanding cast holds it together, and the thrilling moment when Jojo finally rejects Nazi ideology (by telling Hitler to f*** off, and kicking him out a window) is irresistibly cathartic.</p>5. What We Do in the Shadows (2014)
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="88c70af30da13e42b21e31f5971309a9"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wxt2DSWS_eI?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>2014's <em>What We Do in the Shadows</em> is an absurdist mockumentary that tells the story of a group of vampires from different eras, living together in modern-day New Zealand. While it doesn't attempt to touch the sort of serious drama that some of Waititi's other work touches on, it doesn't have to, because it's his funniest movie. From confrontations with a gang of polite werewolves to the fruitless hunt for virgins, <em>What We Do in the Shadows</em>' semi-improvisational style delivers frequent laughs as the vampires struggle to navigate the modern world.</p><p>Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi wrote the movie together, as well as portraying two of the main vampires. As silly as the movie is, it still has an emotional core, provided mainly by Waititi's character, Viago—a lovelorn 18th century dandy. While it's since been adapted into a TV series for FX, Waititi's original remain's untouchable for silly vampiric humor.<span></span></p>6. The Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
<span style="display:block;position:relative;padding-top:56.25%;" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7d2b72c873a19446680735f7e749f702"><iframe lazy-loadable="true" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dPaU4Gymt3E?rel=0" width="100%" height="auto" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;"></iframe></span><p>According to Waititi, 2016's <em>Hunt for the Wilderpeople</em> was the first film in which he really found his directorial voice, and it shows. Following young delinquent Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison) and his cantankerous foster uncle Hec (Sam Neill), who go on the run together in the untamed wilderness of New Zealand. It's a touching exploration of boyhood and manhood and the dynamic relationship between the two. It also features what might be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32QcvEuJYFA" target="_blank">the greatest funerary sermon</a> in cinematic history, delivered by Waititi's minister character. While all of Waititi's movies are worth watching, <em>Hunt for the Wilderpeople</em>—which he spent more than a decade adapting from the stories of acclaimed New Zealand writer Barry Crump—delivers more of the heartfelt and joyful strangeness that makes his movies so satisfying.</p>From Your Site Articles
Keep Reading
Show less
