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Travelling around Europe on the premiere circuit, the cast and crew of The Monuments Men hit London this week to talk about art history. The press conference was held, appropriately, in Britain's National Gallery, and focussed on the threat to Europe's heritage during World War II.

George Clooney [L] and Hugh Bonneville [R] in 'The Monuments Men'

"Hitler wasn't just trying to kill people and take their land," said writer-director-star George Clooney, "he wanted to destroy their culture. So he stole their art and destroyed a lot of it. He wanted to say that Picasso and Dali never existed. And the Monuments Men and Women went to get it back. This was the first time in the history of war that the victor didn't keep the spoils." Check out our Monuments Men review.

Continue reading: 'The Monuments Men' Promotional Tanks Roll Into London As Clooney Starts Debate

There are 474 films coming out on Valentines Day, all with the specific view of pulling couples in to sit down in silence for two hours while they’re force-fed a story. How will The Monuments Men pull away from the pack to win the weekend? Well let me tell you.

Great premise, poor execution - The Monuments Men

It’s a very simple formula. People who go to the cinema on Valentines Day don’t actually know anything about movies. If they knew about movies – or anything about life in general – they’d stay in on Valentines Day, eat pizza and watch episodes of Seinfeld. It’s the most comforting thing you can do.

Continue reading: Why 'The Monuments Men' Will Win Valentines Weekend UK Box Office

There was a period - late October, early November - when bookmakers were terrified of George Clooney's The Monuments Men, and for good reason. The heavily financed historical-drama had a superb story to work from, it had a script from Clooney and Grant Heslov and a supporting cast that included Matt Damon, Bill Murray, John Goodman, Cate Blanchett, Jean Dujardin and Hugh Bonneville. It was the favorite to win Best Picture at the Oscars with very little value to be had.

George Clooney in 'The Monuments Men'

Clooney eventually pulled the plug on the movie's Oscar-bait release date, owing to concerns about the special effects, however, rumors from the production suggested the director was struggling with the movie's tone and the trailers certainly didn't give any clues as to whether this was a serious historical drama, a comedy, or something else. 

Continue reading: What The Hell Happened To 'The Monuments Men'?

The Monuments Men, the film that is predicted to keep the box office afloat during the generally slow month of February, is out in cinemas tomorrow. With an all-star cast, including Matt Damon, George Clooney, Bill Murray, Cate Blanchett and Bill Murray among others, the Clooney-directed film tells the story of a special platoon, created during WWII at the order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt to rescue culturally important artwork from the Nazis. It’s based on a true story and a very new and different kind of war film.

The Monuments Men marks Clooney's fifth time in the director's chair.

Timed to match the movie’s release, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is hosting a series of events, online and off, based on the heroic work of the Monuments Men during World War II and their lasting impact on the Museum and its collection. The programme features a new gallery itinerary, display, a blog post and Sunday at the Metlecture event, Broadway World reports. The role of James J. Rorimer, a Monuments Man who became the Met's director after the war, is highlighted. Several individuals on the staff of the Metropolitan Museum-some of whom joined the Museum after the war-served as Monuments Men.

Continue reading: Matt Damon And The Met Prepare For "The Monuments Men" Release

Hulu have unveiled a plan to push their original programming even further in 2014 to complete with the likes of streaming site Netflix. The online video hub, which is owned by ABC, Fox and NBC, is currently a destination for next-day repeats of TV shows that have already aired on those and other networks.

The latest #TheAwesomes takes on intergalactic baby daddies. Maury Povich will be so proud: http://t.co/HDXK5szA5W. pic.twitter.com/NuDxxwiNIy

— hulu (@hulu) September 5, 2013

Continue reading: Hulu Unveils Big Original Programming Plans For 2014

Now this is an interesting tidbit of movie trivia: Conor Oberst has revealed that he auditioned for the lead role in folk music comedy-drama, Inside Llewyn Davis. Although the Coen Brothers eventually cast Oscar Isaac as the titular folk singer, Bright Eyes' singer Conor Oberst was reportedly considered for the role.

Conor Oberst Auditioned For The Lead Role In 'Inside Llewyn Davis.'

"I know I told you this when we met, but I tried out for your role in Inside Llewyn Davis," Oberst told Isaac for Interview magazine. "Thank god for everyone that I didn't get it." Perhaps one of the main reasons Oberst failed to convince the Coen Brothers that he was best suited for the role was because of his non-existent acting C.V. which could have proved risky to take on in such a challenging lead role.

Continue reading: Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst Missed Out On 'Inside Llewyn Davis' Lead Role

New series Alpha House has just premiered on Amazon, giving early viewers a sniff of what is to come in this John Goodman political comedy. The new series surfs upon the current trend for D.C political dramas, whether it's the comedy explored in Veep, the personal affairs of Scandal, the business-like drama of House of Cards, or even the CIA angle of Homeland. Right now, networks are simply racing to capitalise on the viewer enthusiasm for the inner workings of America.

John Goodman Is Gil John Biggs In 'Alpha House.'

The show tells the story of four Republican senators who are picked to live together and have their lives filmed. Goodman plays Gil John Biggs, a Southern senator whose not exactly the most proactive member of the government but he does recycle his roommate's speech on TV. Clark Johnson stars as Robert Bettencourt, the Pennsylvanian rep and highest-ranking member of the house as well as Matt Malloy's Nevadan Louis Laffer, and finally Mark Consuelos' Andy Guzman who plays the house's newbie and resident player.

Continue reading: Political Comedy 'Alpha House' Debuts On Amazon: Worth The Effort? [Videos]

George Clooney's latest venture in front of and behind the camera; The Monuments Men, has been held back from it's planned release date following problems in applying the visual effects to certain scenes. The World War II set drama, which was also co-written and directed by Clooney, was due to be released on 18 December, however a statement from Clooney, given to the Los Angeles Times, revealed that the film is no longer running on schedule and as such it's release will be delayed until early 2014.

The Monuments Men was initially set for a 18 December release

The film, in which Clooney leads a team of art historians, museum curators and academics in a race to rescue a number of priceless works of art looted by the Nazis during their rampage through Europe. The screenplay was written by Clooney and Grant Heslov, who used the Robert Edsel account, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History, to base the movie on.

Continue reading: Clooney's 'The Monuments Men' Out Of Oscars Race After Delay

A second trailer has been released for The Monuments Men, giving us another look at the sideways take on WWII. These men aren’t soldiers fighting to kill Nazis, rather captains of creative industries, over in Western Europe with a view to preserve the culture Hitler was vying to destroy.

George Clooney starring in The Monuments Men

The Monuments Men is based on a book by Robert Edsel and tells the true story of a World War II platoon charged with rescuing artistic and architectural landmarks from the Nazis before Hitler has his way with them.

Continue reading: A Fresh Look At The Art Of War– 'The Monuments Men' Trailer #2 [Trailer + Pictures]

George Clooney's latest assault on the Hollywood awards' season, The Monuments Men, remains the favorite to win Best Picture at the Oscars in February 2014 following the release of the first trailer this week.

Directed and co-written by the popular actor, the movie is based on the incredible and at times unbelievable story of a special unit formed in World War II to save rare antiques, art and architecture from destruction.

Clooney also plays the lead role, a man tasked with pulling together a team of curators and historians - played by Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin and Bob Balaban - and attempting to mould them into a fighting force. 

Continue reading: Clooney's 'The Monuments Men' Remains Oscar Favorite After Trailer Release

The first trailer for upcoming George Clooney movie The Monuments Men has dropped ahead of the 2013/2014 film release. American audiences will catch the film this year, but most other countries (including the UK) will have to wait until 2014.

George Clooney Is Firmly At The Helm Of The Monuments Men As Actor, Writer & Director.

Here in Britain, we've been teased with snaps showing the glamorous American A-listers, such as Clooney himself, Matt Damon, Bill Murray and John Goodman, filming in "exotic" authentic wartime locations on our shores and occasionally popping by to check out the local amenities.

Continue reading: 'The Monuments Men': First Trailer Released For Upcoming George Clooney WWII Movie [Trailer]

Ok, so by now everyone's well aware that Jerry Buckheimer and Gore Verbinski's The Lone Ranger is a monumental flop - a serious disaster that could cost Disney $150 million. The Johnny Depp-Armie Hammer starring western took just $48.9 million over the usually lucrative five-day Independence Day weekend - leaving it miles from its $175 million marketing budget, not to mention its $250 million production costs.

Johnny Depp starred as Tonto and Armie Hammer played The Lone Ranger

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Disney is praying for a return of $150 million abroad, taking its worldwide total to $275 million and $150 million short of its $425 million total budget. "It's very disappointing," said Disney executive vice-president of worldwide distribution Dave Hollis. "Everything was perfect on paper, so today was incredibly frustrating." The problem is, nothing could be described as perfect. If Hollis is referring to Johnny Depp than it's lazy marketing. If he's referring to Verbinski in the directorial seat, or the bloated budget, than it's just stupid talk. The Lone Ranger has received some of the worst reviews of the year - it's a terrible movie - and unfortunately, nobody wants to watch big-budget westerns. Did Cowboys and Aliens teach them nothing? 

Continue reading: Where Does 'The Lone Ranger' Rank In List Of Biggest Movie Flops?

Monsters University spent its second week at No.1 in the US Weekend Box Office grossing $46.2 million. The sequel of Monsters Inc. follows the early, not so jovial, relationship of Sulley and Mike as they attend college. Monsters University includes some big names from the acting community including Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi and Dame Helen Mirren.

Billy Crystal with ‘Mike Wazowski’, the character he voices in Monsters Inc. and Monsters University. 

Disney Pixar’s animation has fended off competition from Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy’s cop comedy The Heat. The comedy has received favourable reviews and the weekend box office reflects this, grossing since its release on Friday $40 million.

Continue reading: 'Monsters University' Fends Off 'The Heat': Still No.1 In US Box Office

Monsters University, the prequel to Monsters Inc., has done extremely well during its first weekend of release. The Disney Pixar animation has made $82.4 million, placing it ahead of World War Z and Superman: Man of Steel in the box office charts. 

The animation has outdone its predecessor, Monsters Inc. which, released in 2001, made $65.5 million during its opening weekend. In Monsters Inc. we saw the monster's world powered by the terror of children scared by Mike and Sulley during their night-time adventures into the human world. The two best friends overcome adversity to ensure a predictable happy ending in true Disney style. 

Monsters University follows the relationship between Mike (the green Cyclops) and Sulley (the fluffy blue one) as they attend university. As it turns out the pair were not always as close as they were in Monsters Inc. 

Continue reading: Monsters University Earns $82.4 Million On Its Opening Weekend

The weekend box office is looking colorful as Monsters University, Pixar’s return to the 2001 comedy, is set to dominate. Gearing up for takings to the tune of $80 million (according to the Los Angeles Times) by the end of the weekend, Monsters University is set to topple other new releases, such as Brad Pitt’s nod to the zombie genre, World War Z and even Warner Bros.’ monster hit (no pun intended) Man of Steel. This would make Monsters University’s opening weekend the fourth biggest this year. It would also make it Pixar’s biggest opening weekend since Toy Story 3 in 2010. And if Monsters U doesn’t quite catch up to Toy Story in emotional depth or originality of plot, it still shows (hopefully) that the California-based animated dream factory is finally onto something – after flops like Cars 2 and lackluster releases, such as Brave.

Monsters University is a sort of prequel to the 2001 movie. While in Monsters Inc. Mike and Sully are a pair of bachelors, sharing an apartment and working together at the scare factory, here we see them back in their college days – at the beginning of their friendship, when Mike is a hardworking loser and Sully – an overly confident jock with a legacy at the university. After both join the same fraternity – the unimpressive Oozma Kappa and have to compete with rival frat Roar Omega Roar, their friendship begins to slowly unfold.

Watch the Monsters University trailer here.

Continue reading: Weekend Box Office: Monsters University Makes Monster-Sized Debut

A host of Hollywood stars, including Clooney, Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray and Hugh Bonneville have landed in southern English locations while filming World War II movie The Monuments Men in Rye, Sussex, and Duxford's Imperial War Museum in Cambridgeshire.

Adapted from the 2010 true story novel, Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves And The Greatest Treasure Hunt In History, by Robert M. Edsel, the film will be centred upon a group of historians and art curators - members of the 'Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives' program - a taskforce who work together to recover priceless artwork stolen by Nazis and other important cultural items, before they are destroyed by Hitler or bombed in the six-year-long conflict.

The film, which is produced and directed by Clooney, will also co-star Cate Blanchett and The Artist's Jean Dujardin, and will use the former airfield in Duxford for plane scenes and American war-base footage, and the coastal Rye location for shotting of a nautical nature.

Continue reading: Hollywood Meets Sussex: Clooney And Co Shoot 'The Monuments Men' [Pictures]

The Coen brothers eighth placement in the competition for the prestigious Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival could be their strongest chance since Barton Fink, which won the award in 1991. It's been six years since the filmmakers have been in competition at Cannes though it seems Inside Llewyn Davis could see the brothers back with a bang.

Llewyn (Oscar Isaac) At Jim and Jean's Apartment

The movie, loosely based on Dave Von Ronk's posthumously published memoir The Mayor of MacDougal Street, follows Oscar Issac as a singer-songwriter who navigates the testing New York folk music scene of the 1960s. The film, boasting an all-star casting including Isaac, Carey Mulligan (The Great Gatsby), Justin Timberlake (The Social Network), Garrett Hudlund (On The Road), Adam Driver (Girls) and John Goodman (Argo), Inside Llewyn Davis appears to have all the attributes of a possible Palme D'Or winner and the Coens appear to have spent time making it the best movie possible. It is believed the brothers could have rushed the film into last year's Oscar season though decided against it. Timberlake has contributed to the movie's soundtrack, as has Mulligan's husband Marcus Mumford and T Bone Burnett, who helped shift 8 million copies of the O Brother, Where Art Thou? score. 

Watch The 'Inside Llewyn Davis' Trailer!

Continue reading: Coen's 'Inside Llewyn Davis' Targets Cannes' Prestigious Palme D'Or [Trailer]

Mike and Sulley enter the Oozma Kappa house

The new worldwide trailer for Disney/Pixar's Monsters University introduces Helen Mirren's character Dean Hardscrabble whilst also featuring Steve Buscemi, John Krasinski, Alfred Molini and, of course, Billy Crystal and John Goodman as Mike and Sulley. The latest clip focuses on the duo as they study to become "scarers. The movie opens in the U.S. on June 21, 2013 and a few weeks later on July 12 in the UK.

The trailer opens with students extolling the virtues of Monsters University, "Imagine a university where I can unique...and learn what I love," says one wide-eyed student. It's quickly established that the institution's main job is to teach young monsters how to become scary. "I'm gonna scare circles around you this year," Mike tells his roommate Sulley, "You're not even in the same league as me," comes the confident reply, "You don't have to study scaring, you just do it!"

Continue reading: New Monsters University Trailer Introduces Helen Mirren's Dean Hardscrabble [Trailer & Pictures]

Take your Amours, your La Haines, Amelies, City of Gods and Pan Labyrinths. You can even take your Taxi Drivers, Graduates and Citizen Kanes and just get the hell out of here. Animated films are everyone’s favourite, and it’s time we started admitting it.

Monsters University is the film we’ve all been waiting for, isn’t it? The prequel to Monsters Inc? Course it is! Although we know Sully and Mike landed well-paid jobs after college so that’s kind of a spoiler, but nonetheless we can’t wait to see it. In fact, the only other animated treat we can think of to outdo this would be Toy Story 4, and that ain’t happening any time soon. Forgetaboutit. This lovely new long trailer should whet your appetite for what is shaping up to be the year’s biggest animated event. Saying that, with Despicable Me 2 set for a summer release, it’s facing real competition.

Continue reading: Get Ready For Degrees Of Laughter With Monsters University [Trailer]