Mike Sampson is the Editor-in-Chief of ScreenCrush. He studied to become a lawyer and worked as an architectural planner after graduating college but neither of these professions afforded him the opportunity to watch movies and TV for a living. He previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of JoBlo.com for 10 years. He lives in New Jersey and probably spends too much time playing video games and overthinking things.
Mike Sampson
‘The LEGO Batman Movie’ Trailer: The Dawn of Justice in Brick Form
Everyone who goes to see Batman vs. Superman this weekend is going to get an extra treat: a first look at the new Batman movie. No, not Batfleck, the real Batman. LEGO Batman. But, if you absolutely, positively can’t wait until you see it in the theaters, you can watch The LEGO Batman Movie trailer right now...
Chris Hemsworth on His ‘Extreme’ Weight Loss for ‘In the Heart of the Sea’
Chris Hemsworth certainly looks the part of a man who’s been stranded at sea; at least 30 pounds lighter than his Thor physique. The shabby clothes hang off him like a kid playing dress up with his parents’ clothes. Don’t get me wrong: behind the beard, the dirt and the sackcloths, Chris Hemsworth is still a pretty handsome dude (it’s almost not fair). I was able to speak with Hemsworth for a few moments about what it was like to build up all that muscle, lose it again, and then have to build it all back up.
What’s Expiring on Netflix Instant: October 2015
Normally the lists of what is disappearing from Netflix in any given month isn’t that long. Last month it was 15 total titles. But, October is the Great Netflix Cleansing as a whopping 45 movies are expiring. And these aren’t just generic B-movies, these are legit classics like Annie Hall, This is Spinal Tap, The Big Lebowski, The Exorcist and Kangaroo Jack. Not you too, Kangaroo Jack!
Sigourney Weaver Confirmed For a Cameo in the ‘Ghostbusters’ Reboot
Sigourney Weaver was the only one of the core actors from the original film (minus Rick Moranis who retired from acting) who was not going to be appearing in the new Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig version. But, as it turns out, Weaver will be appearing in the new Ghostbusters movie, alongside Bill Murray, Ernie Hudson, Dan Aykroyd and Annie Potts.
Watch the Best Moments From Jon Stewart’s Final ‘Daily Show’
Jon Stewart said goodbye to The Daily Show last night in equal parts star-studded and quiet, personal fashion as former correspondents like Steve Carell, Stephen Colbert, John Oliver and Olivia Munn returned to pay their respects, while Bruce Springsteen closed out the slow with a performance — at Stewart’s request — of his 1999 song “The Land of Hopes and Dreams” and, for his fellow New Jerseyan, “Born to Run”.
Lexus Just Created a Working Version of the ‘Back to the Future’ Hoverboard
With 2015 being the year Back to the Future II envisioned as the future, everyone is looking to celebrate what the future of 1989 was supposed to look like. Earlier this year, Nike announced they’d be releasing a version of Marty McFly’s self-lacing Air Mags. And now, Lexus may have one-upped them, releasing a teaser video revealing a sneak peek at an actual working hoverboard.
Watch How the LEGO Oscar Trophies Were Made
The LEGO Movie may not have been nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 2015 Oscars, but one of the highlights of the show was still the performance of “Everything is Awesome” by The Lonely Island with Tegan & Sara. During the song, dancers from the stage came down into the audience and handed out LEGO Oscar trophies to Emma Stone, Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Oprah, who was really excited.
Some ‘Star Wars: Episode 7’ Spoilers Are True, Says J.J. Abrams
Star Wars: Episode 7 spoilers are a dime a dozen on the internet. The hard part is, it's difficult to determine whether any of those spoilers are actually true. Director J.J. Abrams, himself a fierce protector of spoilers confirmed that some of the stuff you're reading online is actually true.
‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2’ Will Be Released in IMAX 3D
For the past two years, ‘The Hunger Games’ movies have topped the yearly box-office charts, beating two Marvel movies (‘Iron Man 3’ and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’) without the help of 3D ticket sales. Well, today Lionsgate announced that ‘Mockingjay, Part 2’ will be released in IMAX and 3D, which should put it squarely in the running with ‘Star Wars: Episode 7’ and ‘Avengers 2’ as the biggest movie of 2015.
James Cameron Says ‘Avatar 2’ Has Been Delayed Until 2017
Not long ago, we wondered aloud why James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ had been largely forgotten about only five years later, despite being the biggest movie of all-time. It doesn’t even seem like there is a lot of anticipation for ‘Avatar 2’, which Cameron is developing concurrently with Parts 3 & 4. Well, people will suddenly have a little more time to start getting excited for an ‘Avatar 2’, because Cameron announced today that the upcoming sequel has been pushed back a full year, to December 2017.
‘Avengers 2′ Trailer: Ultron in the Flesh!
The last ‘Avengers 2’ trailer was pretty fantastic, but like all good teases, it left us wanting more. One cannot subside on a single Hulkbuster GIF alone! Well today our Marvel overlords have granted us the sweet release we so desperately need in a brand new ‘Avengers 2’ trailer and it was well worth the wait.
‘The Interview’ to Begin Streaming Online Starting Today; $6 to Rent, $15 to Buy
Just last week it seemed possible that 'The Interview' may never be seen anytime soon as Sony Pictures canceled the theatrical release and claimed they had no immediate plans for a VOD debut. But, following yesterday's news that 'The Interview' will run in select theaters on Christmas Day, comes more details on their plans to simultaneously stream the film online.