TORONTO TO HOST CANADIAN PREMIERE OF "THE EXPENDABLES 2"

Official Artwork for The Expendables 2

Toronto, get ready as we play host to the Canadian Premiere of The Expendables 2, Sequel to 2010's $274 million-grossing Blockbuster with an all-star and all-brawn Cast. 

Church (Bruce Willis) reunites with the Expendables in this Sequel in what should be an easy Paycheque for them. After the death of one of their Men, they find themselves out for revenge as they are buried deep into Enemy territory.

Alliance Films & Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven are thrilled to give Readers a chance to attend the Red Carpet Canadian Premiere of THE EXPENDABLES 2 with Randy Couture and Terry Crews in-attendance. The Premiere takes place Monday, August 13, 2012 at 7:30 PM, Scotiabank Theatre! Ten Double Passes are available.

To enter to win, simply click “like” on this Post at Mr. Will-W.:Pop Maven on Facebook. Please ensure you enable your settings to receive messages from me or you can leave a comment with an email address or Twitter account you can be reached!

Double your chances by Tweeting the following on Twitter:

.@MRWILLW wants to take me to the Canadian Premiere of THE EXPENDABLES 2 w/Randy Couture & Terry Crews! #EXPENDAWILL http://tinyurl.com/cjk7k8r

Your deadline is Saturday, August 11, 2012 midnight. Good luck!

Follow our Friends at Alliance Films on Twitter and "like" them on Facebook for more details!

The Expendables 2 hits theatres August 17, 2012.

(Photo credit: Lionsgate Films)

"THE AVENGERS" - MOVIE REVIEW

Still from The Avengers

Marvel's The Avengers carries the weight of the World - both literally and figuratively - but does it meet the demands of Moviegoers and Comic Fans alike? You bet. Director/Writer Joss Whedon (Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer) knows exactly what Fans of the Genre want and delivers item-by-item like a Grocery Checklist.  It's funny, it's intense, it's thrilling and every bit a masterfully-interwoven Spectacle.

The $220-million Blockbuster via Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) brings together Superheroes Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Captain America (Chris Evans) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).  These Superheroes are united by one great Cause to save the Earth from Thor's Brother, the ruthless Supervillain Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and his catastrophic Army, in his quest for endless Power and Domination.

The problem with Films boasting All-Star Casts is that Story Lines and Character Development often are skimpy, but impressively Whedon manages to tell each Superhero's Story clearly and concisely, with our attentions focused always on the Mission at-hand.  Anyone walking into Marvel's The Avengers without a clue would be able to enjoy the Film sans confusion amidst all the Sci-Fi jargon.  The beauty is that you don't need to see it in 3-D necessarily to enjoy it - it stands on its own in 2-D glory.  My only concern though is that v. integral The Hulk's Story Line is given the least detail here and perhaps more could have been done to build-up the excitement for his awaited massive transformation.

MARK RUFFALO & COBIE SMULDERS TO APPEAR AT CANADIAN PREMIERE OF "THE AVENGERS"

Mark Ruffalo at TIFF 2007

In case you missed it, you can catch all the excitement from the World Premiere of The Avengers last week in Los Angeles' El Capitan Theatre! Gracing the Red Carpet were the likes of: Robert Downey Jr (Tony Stark/Iron Man), Chris Evans (Steve Rogers/Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Scarlett Johansson (Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow), Jeremy Renner (Hawkeye), Cobie Smulders (Maria Hill), Tom Hiddleston (Loki) and Joss Whedon (Director).  

And if this weren't exciting enough, Toronto will be hosting the Canadian Premiere of The Avengers on Monday, April 30, 2012 at Scotiabank Theatre with none other than Hulk himself, Mark Ruffalo and Canadian Actress Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) scheduled to make an appearance!  This will be gracious Ruffalo's first visit to the City since TIFF 2008 when he was promoting The Brothers Bloom and Blindness.  This is just what the City needs and we'll be there!

Enjoy The Avengers World Premiere Red Carpet Arrivals below:

The Avengers opens in theatres May 4, 2012.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W. | Video credit: Marvel)

DIRECTOR DREW GODDARD IN TORONTO FOR "THE CABIN IN THE WOODS"

Drew Goddard in Toronto - March 2012 with Richard Crouse, Mr. Will-W. & Fans

NOTE: This Post containts Spoilers. After several delays, mostly at the corporate level, Sci-Fi/Comedy/Horror The Cabin in the Woods finally will get a release after switching hands from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer over to Lionsgate Films (Alliance Films in Canada).  First-time Director Drew Goddard known mostly for his writing in acclaimed Feature Cloverfield and also TV Series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Alias and Lost, flew-in to Toronto to do a Press Day for the Film - co-written by Joss Whedon (The Avengers, Roseanne).  The Duo had prior collaborated on Buffy.

A humble Goddard admitted before a crowd which gave him a standing ovation tonight at Scotiabank Theatre he felt at many moments that others working on The Cabin in the Woods would clue-in and realize that he didn't belong, speaking on his inexperience as a Director.  He also expresses much pride in having worked with a brilliant Cast which includes Richard Jenkins, Chris Hemsworth, Bradley Whitford and more.  He admits to being rather starstruck in securing Sigourney Weaver to do a brief appearance also.  Weaver apparently approached had Whedon and Goddard for an Autograph on her copy of the Script, which the Director still to this day doesn't believe had happened, being a huge Ghostbusters Fan himself.

In tonight's Q&A moderated by Film Critic Richard Crouse, we learned that some positives did come out of the many delays surrounding the release of The Cabin in the Woods, which was filmed in Vancouver back in 2009.  "I mean Thor (Hemsworth) is in our Movie and it weirdly makes his death look way better!", Goddard jokes.  "This is actually the best thing that could have happened".  No more Spoilers though, unfortunately.

Following the Screening, Goddard took his time greeting Fans, signing Buffy Memorabilia and Posters.  He was pleased that I enjoyed an uncomfortable scene involving a Wolf head and a passionate kiss.  Yes, it's that kind of a Movie!

Watch a Clip of the Q&A below:

WATCH: 60-SECOND "THE AVENGERS" PREVIEW

The Avengers

For those of you who missed it lats night during the Super Bowl, here's the full 60-second Preview of Marvel's The Avengers in anticipation of its May 4, 2012 release.  Are you ready for the most epic battle ever to have been captured on camera?  Iron Man, Black Widow, The Hulk, Captain America, Hawkeye, Thor.  Together at last.

Watch the 60-second Preview of The Avengers below:

(Photo/video credit: Walt Disney Motion Pictures Canada)

CHAT WITH DIRECTOR AND CAST OF "THE AVENGERS" ON JANUARY 31, 2012

Still from The Avengers

Great news for fans of The Avengers!  The eagerly-awaited Action-Adventure won't be hitting theatres till May 4, 2012, but Fans in the meantime will have a chance to chat with Writer/Director Joss Whedon, Tom Hiddleston and Clark Gregg much sooner.  For the first time ever on the Big Screen, we'll be seeing Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow on-screen together.

Marvel Studios will be sponsoring a 30-minute Live Chat on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at 2:00 PM EST and to participate, you can follow @Avengers on Twitter and Tweet with the Hashtag #Avengers. During the Chat, Fans will have a chance to answer Avengers Trivia and win Prize Packs too!

  A 30-second TV Spot will be airing also during Super Bowl XLVI on February 5, 2012 on NBC. Stay tuned.

(Photo credit: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures)

"SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN": FIRST TRAILER

Still from Snow White and The Huntsman

Wow!  I had high expectations for Rupert Sanders' Snow White and the Huntsman, but I never expected it to look this good.  Although we don't really see much here of Kristen Stewart as Snow White, Charlize Theron as The Evil Queen gives us plenty and them some, making us remember why it is that she won that Oscar back in 2004 with Monster.  Perhaps that bit of a break that she took a couple years back paid off as she's showing that fire again that we haven't seen in her last handful of Films.

The Premise of Snow White and the Huntsman is that The Evil Queen hires The Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth) to take Snow White into the Woods to be killed.  He however, winds-up protecting her from The Queen, causing all sorts of Drama.  Rule of Thumb: don't piss-off The Queen.

Watch the Trailer below:

June 1, 2012. Universal Pictures. Mark your Calendars.

(Photo/video credit: Universal Pictures)

NEW PHOTOS FROM "SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN"

Kristen Stewart as Snow White

Although Director Rupert Sanders has yet to begin filming for this eagerly-awaited Snow White and the Huntsman, one of two Snow White movies to hit theatres in 2012, he took to Comic-Con in San Diego with his Principal Cast to create a little bit of buzz. 

With filming slated to begin next week in the UK, Sanders brought three days' worth of test footage to show the audience, giving them an idea what the 3-D Film will be like, in addition to revealing some new photos of Cast members Kristen Stewart, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin and Chris Hemsworth in-costume.

Right at the start of the Conference, Academy Award winner Theron (who just might be appearing at TIFF in September with Jason Reitman's Young Adult), told Stewart "I’m ready for it bitch, let’s go.".  Theron of course will be playing Stewart's (Snow White) nemesis The Queen.  This sure ain't Disney. 

Take a look at the Photos below:

"BRIDESMAIDS" DEBUTS IMPRESSIVELY BEHIND "THOR"

Still from Bridesmaids

Thor shows no signs of stopping, landing on top of the Box Office again for a second week. The Marvel Comics adaptation brought in $34 million this weekend from 3,963 theatres, firmly planting Australian Actor Chris Hemsworth as a star in North America. Hemsworth is said to be starring next in the upcoming Snow White and the Huntsman 3-D adaptation set to film in Montreal with Kristen Stewart and Charlize Theron.

Despite opening against a Monster, Universal Pictures' Bridesmaids exceeds expectations, debuting in second spot with $24.5 million from 2,918 theatres. The Comedy pairs Saturday Night Live alumni Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph together and actually has received stellar reviews also. Rotten Tomatoes pegs it in around the 90% mark on its Tomatometer, making it one of the best-reviewed films of 2011. To put this into perspective, despite this being R-rated and showing in only a fraction of theatres that Thor is, Bridesmaids actually is the real champion here.

Fast Five still is going strong this weekend and despite slipping to third in its third week of release, it still earns $20.2 million at the Box Office. Usher who was in Toronto this weekend, could not resist even and had to head to our AMC to see it Friday night!

"THOR" POISED TO DEBUT BIG AT BOX OFFICE

Still from Thor

With surprisingly positive reviews, Thor opens this weekend with high hopes from Paramount Pictures which spent $150 million on production. The latest Marvel Comics adaptation is poised to make upwards of $60 million Friday to Sunday according the Studio estimates.  It will be looking to best Fast Five's stellar opening of $86 million last weekend at the Box Office.

Despite including a Cast with the likes of Natalie Portman, Kat Dennings and Anthony Hopkins, Thor looks to be star vehicle for Australian Hunk Chris Hemsworth and it is winning the praises of key Critics:

"Hemsworth, an Aussie actor with a vocal command to match his heaving brawn, doesn't just play the role, he owns it." - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

NEW TRAILER FOR MARVEL'S "THOR"

In addition to getting loads of Oscar buzz for Black Swan, this just proves that there is no other Actress more versatile and loved by the masses than Natalie Portman. Check her out in this newly-released Trailer for Marvel's THOR, which hits theatres May 6, 2011.  Australia's Chris Hemsworth looks every bit a Movie Star here and all the CGI looks just stunning.  Also, is that Kat Dennings I see in there?