Blog Posts by Mark Deming

Robert Redford in 'All Is Lost' (Photo: Roadside Attractions)At the age of 76, Robert Redford is an actor who still thrives on a creative challenge — and he's been handed a huge one in his latest film "All Is Lost": Redford is the only actor on screen for an hour and forty-five minutes, and he says no more than a handful of words.

'Nymphomaniac' publicity photo courtesy of Artificial Eye

So how much Shia LaBeouf are you going to see in Lars Von Trier's upcoming "Nymphomaniac"? Short answer: Less than he said you would, but more than you might want.

LaBeouf is one of several major stars who have signed on to appear in "Nymphomaniac," the next feature from the perennially controversial art-house troublemaker Von Trier. (Other stars include Uma Thurman, Christian Slater, Willem Dafoe, and Stellan Skarsgard; French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg will play the leading role.) The story follows the life of a woman struggling with sex addiction, and both Von Trier and LaBeouf previously promised that the sex in the movie would be the real deal.

Did Alice Eve really need to strip down in 'Star Trek Into Darkness'? (Photo: Paramount/Getty)Women of America – particularly female "Star Trek" fans – Damon Lindelof has something to say to you: There was no practical reason for Alice Eve to appear in her lingerie, and he's sorry for that.

Monday night, Damon Lindelof, who is co-producer and co-screenwriter of "Star Trek: Into Darkness," took to his Twitter account to address the controversy that had been buzzing among a group of online commentators: Why does Alice Eve's character, gifted scientist Dr. Carol Marcus, strip down to her very special-occasion-looking bra and undies on camera before changing into a special armored space suit? The scene seemed designed to give fanboys in the audience a charge, and it did little to advance the plot.

Seth MacFarlane on the Oscars stage Sunday night (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Seth MacFarlane was one of the most controversial Oscar hosts of recent memory, and he's decided, perhaps wisely, not to compete with himself on that score.

Monday afternoon, Seth MacFarlane posted a message on his Twitter account reading, "Traumatized critics exhale: I'm unable to do the Oscars again. Tried to make it work schedule-wise, but I need sleep."

Traumatized critics exhale: I'm unable to do the Oscars again. Tried to make it work schedule-wise, but I need sleep.However, I highly-->

— Seth MacFarlane (@SethMacFarlane) May 20, 2013

MacFarlane's statement follows widespread speculation that he might return to host the Academy Awards telecast in 2014, after his stint as host in February brought in solid ratings, with an impressive 34% uptick in male viewers from 18 to 34 over the 2012 telecast. While it's now clear MacFarlane will not be hosting, producers Neil Meron and Craig Zadan (who oversaw this year's show) have been confirmed to return for the 2014 Oscars. In his next

Michael Fassbender in 20th Century Fox's X-Men: First Class - 2011 Jennifer Lawrence in 20th Century Fox's 'X-Men: First Class'

Jennifer Lawrence has got the blues again, and she's enjoying it more this time around.

"X-Men: Days of Future Past" director Bryan Singer took to his Twitter account today to post a pic of Lawrence in costume and make up as Mystique, the sexy but villainous mutant from the Marvel Comics universe, giving us all a preview of how she'll appear in the next "X-Men" movie.

"First look: #JenniferLawrence as a vengeful #Mystique. #XMen #DaysOfFuturePast," Singer tweeted, tagging a picture of Lawrence looking patient but ready to put her powers to work, while a make-up artist puts the final touches on her head-to-toe blue skin and bright red hair.

Judging from Singer's picture, Lawrence doesn't look radically different than she did in 2011's "X-Men: First Class," where she first took on a younger version the role Rebecca Romijn played in 2000's "X-Men" and two subsequent sequels. However, in 2011 Lawrence was made to look like Mystique primarily through blue latex appliances and body make-up

(Photo: Getty/LucasFilm)"The Clone Wars" may be over, but "Star Wars" fans can rest easy – they'll be able to get a regular dose of animated Jedi action again starting next year.

Disney has announced that a new animated "Star Wars" series, "Star Wars Rebels," will be premiering in the fall of 2014. The series will kick off with a two-hour movie debuting on the Disney Channel, and the following episodes will be aired on Disney XD.

How would Superman fare as a member of the crew on "Deadliest Catch"?

We'll probably never know, but the new "Behind the Scenes" preview for "Man of Steel," director Zack Snyder's upcoming reboot of the "Superman" saga, promises a newly introspective look at Clark Kent and his alter ego while working a variety of odd jobs as he tries to make sense of life on Earth before accepting his destiny as a hero.

"He's an incredibly conflicted, lonely, and lost person," says Henry Cavill, the man who plays the Man of Steel, and while this "Behind The Scenes" preview offers plenty of the expected heroics from Superman, we also see him trying to fit into traditional human society, a hero struggling to be ordinary.

Wearing work clothes and a slightly scruffy beard, Superman – excuse me, Clark Kent – handles steel on a construction site, tries to hitch a ride from a logging truck, and works aboard a fishing boat, tossing cages into the water and keeping things lashed together on deck while covering

Christopher Polk/Getty ImagesThe Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the group best known for organizing and presenting the Golden Globes, is being hit with charges of racism after a black journalist has been denied membership in the organization.

Samantha Ofole-Prince, a British journalist of Caribbean heritage based in Los Angeles, applied for membership with the HFPA and was rejected, with only 33 of the group's 84 members voting in her favor. An anonymous figure at the HFP has gone public with the story, telling Sharon Waxman, a columnist at the on-line entertainment news site The Wrap, that members of the organization "insinuated, Jim Crow-style, that she was unqualified based on no evidence whatsoever (in fact, directly contradicted by actual evidence of her experience and qualifications). And they carried the vote.”