Rotten Tomatoes May Be Making Even More Changes To Combat Trolls

Rotten Tomatoes May Be Making Even More Changes To Combat Trolls

Rotten Tomatoes recently made changes to its users reviews after a deluge of trolls opted to give Captain Marvel some negative nods before the movie had even opened in theaters. The review aggregate service said the changes were not made to accommodate Captain Marvel specifically and will continue to be a part of Rotten Tomatoes moving forward. However, now it looks as if the site may not stop at changing the windows in which users are allowed to review.

A new report indicates that Rotten Tomatoes is looking at “additional measures” in terms of user reviews. Per THR those measures will likely include adding an additional layer of security so that users have to verify they’ve seen a movie before they can review it on Rotten Tomatoes.

This move hasn’t been made by the aggregate site yet, so it’s hard to tell exactly what that would like for regular users who leave reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s possible that if the additional layer of security is kind of a pain in the rear, it could deter both avid users and trolls.

Still, the whole Captain Marvel brouhaha led to a really low audience score for the new Marvel movie early on. At one point it was running at just 33% with over 58,000 reviews.

At the time of this writing, following Rotten Tomatoes’ user score change led by parent company Fandango, Captain Marvel is running at 62% with 64,385 reviews. If that math doesn’t totally add up, it should be noted that number only happened after Rotten Tomatoes literally went through and purged reviews that had been written and kept on the site even after the policy change last week.

Originally, users were able to reveal their excitement or lack thereof in a project ahead of its release, but a couple of weeks ago, Rotten Tomatoes said it would be changing its pre-release function and that comments would be disabled until a movie was released. For Captain Marvel this was a hassle and eventually some reviews had to be dropped from the site because people had been allowed to review prior to the rule change; presumably, this would not be an issue for future movies.

In fact, Rotten Tomatoes' decision has also had a bit of a chain effect, as YouTube also mentioned changes to its platform to combat trolls related to the same Marvel flick.

All in all, none of the trolls really had a huge effect on Captain Marvel fans. The movie nabbed an A CinemaScore and has gone on to already make $500 million worldwide, which is an incredibly quick period of time to achieve that number. That's the good news. However, what will be most interesting to see will be if Rotten Tomatoes complicates its user review process if it will have an effect on the engagement and user reviews people are willing to put on the site.

If you’ve left a review on Rotten Tomatoes before, is the process already a hassle? Would adding another step make you more or less likely to leave a user review? Let us know, and in the meantime, be sure to check out Clark Gregg calling Marvel trolls "butthurt."

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See The Best Look At Pepper Potts’ Avengers: Endgame Transformation

See The Best Look At Pepper Potts’ Avengers: Endgame Transformation

Spoilers ahead for Avengers: Endgame

It's been two weeks since Avengers: Endgame hit theaters, and the events of the massive blockbuster are still being felt by moviegoers. The Russo Brothers exceeded all expectations, and put together a narrative that was deeply connected to the first 21 movies of the shared universe. Tons of characters were serviced throughout the course of the movie, especially during the final battle against Thanos and his forces.

When all seemed bleak and Captain America was getting beat down by Thanos, the fallen characters and various other Avengers allies appeared in the rubble of the facility, and turned the tides against the Mad Titan's army. This includes Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts, who made her debut in the very first MCU movie. Pepper suited up in her own armor for the battle, taking on the comic book mantle of Rescue. And now we can see our clearest look at the armor itself, thanks to Endgame concept art. Check it out.

I mean, how cool is that? Pepper's ascension to Rescue has been a long time coming, as she's previously worn Tony's Iron Man suit, and has engaged in a few battles throughout her tenure in the MCU. And that journey really paid off in Avengers: Endgame, as Pepper's time as an official combatant was truly epic.

Pepper Potts has a supporting role in Avengers: Endgame, popping up early in the film's runtime, watching in awe as Captain Marvel arrives on Earth with Tony and Nebula in tow. Throughout the film, she mostly stays at Tony's side, helping him get healthy in the Avengers Facility and eventually becoming a mother after the time jump.

The Rescue armor was teased shortly after the blockbuster's time jump, which introduced Tony and Pepper's daughter Morgan. Upon finding his daughter in a tent outside their new home, and she wearing the Rescue helmet. Tony jokes that Pepper never wears anything he gets her, an exchange that not-so-subtly set up Pepper's eventual fate during Endgame's third act.

Pepper Potts did some great work as Rescue in the final Avengers: Endgame battle, serving as both an attacker and protector of her fellow good guys. She also participated in the epic all-female moment, which saw the MCU's femme fatales team up to battle Thanos' forces. Pepper had already killed two Iron Man villains, so watching her become a genuine hero was massively satisfying.

Related: The 25 Most Emotional Moments In Avengers: Endgame

In addition to her work as Rescue, Pepper Potts helped to move Tony Stark's narrative forward a few times throughout the course of Avengers: Endgame's runtime. For instance, she helped change Tony's mind about time travel. And most heartbreakingly, she mourned her husband in front of our eyes after he sacrificed his life to snap his fingers and destroy Thanos forever. While Gwyneth Paltrow has been part-time in the MCU in recent years, it was great to see her get so much screen time in Endgame.

Avengers: Endgame is in theaters now. Be sure to check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

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How Much Godzilla: King of the Monsters Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

How Much Godzilla: King of the Monsters Could Make In Its Opening Weekend

The summer movie season is basically here. With Avengers: Endgame arriving in just a couple weeks the box office will begin to heat up as the studios all bring out major tentpole releases during this competitive season. One movie looking to make a huge impact when it arrives in a little over a month is Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and early tracking has the film looking at an opening weekend between $40 and $60 million.

While that's a perfectly respectable number for most summer movies, many are wondering if it might be a little low. 2014's Godzilla saw a domestic opening weekend of over $90 million, and so a drop to less than half that for the sequel would be a huge hit. However, it's possible that the movie to look at isn't the previous Godzilla but actually Kong: Skull Island. That film, from which King of the Monsters also follows, came out more recently and managed a $60 million opening, which could indicate people are becoming less interested in giant monster movies.

Part of the issue, of course, is competition. Godzilla had basically none. The biggest movie to open against it was Disney's Million Dollar Arm, which barely grossed $10 million in its opening weekend. The comedy hit Neighbors was number two at the box office that weekend in its second week. The only big tentpole release in competition was The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which was in its third week, and had underperformed from the beginning.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters biggest opening weekend competition is the Elton John biopic Rocketman, which isn't expected to set the world on fire, but is looking at a $25 million opening weekend, far better than what the previous Godzilla's opening weekend competition was able to muster.

In addition, there will likely be significant hold over business from the Memorial Day Weekend releases from the week before, including Disney's live-action Aladdin.

BoxOfficePro simply suggests that the Godzilla/Kong franchise is losing steam. If that's the case, it's not great news for Godzilla Vs. Kong. The movie recently wrapped its Australian production with an eye toward a release next year. Getting it in front of the cameras so soon after Godzilla: King of the Monsters was clearly an attempt to strike while the iron was still hot, but it may have cooled too much already.

Of course, these numbers are still incredibly early and subject to change. As we get closer to release many who might be lukewarm on the film may realize they're actually much more interested in it. At this point, it's probably tough to judge the public's feelings toward any movie that isn't called Avengers: Endgame. Perhaps, by the time we get to the end of May Godzilla will be a true king once again and bring in a massive opening weekend.,

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Linda Hamilton Confirms James Cameron Convinced Her To Return For Terminator: Dark Fate

Linda Hamilton Confirms James Cameron Convinced Her To Return For Terminator: Dark Fate

A full 35 years after she first played the role of Sarah Connor, actor Linda Hamilton is still the textbook definition of what that character represents. Going from a typical female target of a robotic killing machine in The Terminator to a badassed hero in Terminator 2: Judgement Day, her performance is a lynchpin to what fans expect from the series. So the news that she was indeed returning in Terminator: Dark Fate to play the part she made famous was something that made fans actually happy to see yet another film taking place in this famous franchise; and we all have James Cameron to thank for that.

While James Cameron previously told the world the story about that fateful phone call he made to bring Linda Hamilton back to the fold for Terminator 6, she explained the scenario that drew her back in with the following details:

You know, it was basically a phone call from James Cameron. Well, he had to call me three times for me to call him back… But once he told me the idea and I actually sat and thought about it for six weeks... Did I want to go there again? But once I'm in, I'm in.

The exact idea that captured both Linda Hamilton and James Cameron’s imaginations isn’t totally revealed just yet, but knowing that Terminator: Dark Fate is supposed to wipe the slate clean back to the end of Terminator 2: Judgement Day, we can kind of see what brought her back into the fold. Most importantly, the fact that Sarah Connor’s alleged death after a battle of cancer, as noted in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, is now erased.

Last seen, or rather heard, in Terminator: Salvation, Linda Hamilton hasn’t appeared on camera as the key figure in humanity’s defeat of Skynet since the last time James Cameron actually directed a Terminator film. Though Deadpool director Tim Miller is the helmer behind Terminator: Dark Fate, Cameron is the most hands-on he’s been with the film as a producer and shaper of the story that marks the sixth film in the series. And as Hamilton confirmed with ET Online at CinemaCon, he was the person to really win her over on coming back.

Part of me is excited that Terminator: Dark Fate will see Sarah Connor suiting up again, but there’s a nagging feeling that part of James Cameron’s pitch involves delivering Sarah to the Grim Reaper himself, as the torch is apparently being passed to the younger generation of this series. That usually means those who built the foundations find themselves iced, so as to prove that the situation is truly serious.

Ultimately, whether Sarah Connor lives or dies, if Linda Hamilton thinks that Terminator: Dark Fate has such a good idea that she has to be a part of it, that should excite the fans awaiting her return. When a character as formidable as Sarah Connor gets a proper end, with full approval by the person who brought them to life in the first place, there’s no better fate than that very scenario.

Terminator: Dark Fate unveils what Sarah Connor’s been up to all these years on November 1. But should you want to determine your box office fate sooner than that release date will allow, you’ll want to take a look at the 2019 release schedule. You’ll be back to the theaters in no time!

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ReelBlend #62: Us Spoilers And Our Danny Elfman Interview

ReelBlend #62: Us Spoilers And Our Danny Elfman Interview

The ReelBlend podcast tends to be a safe and positive space where movie lovers come to celebrate film. But every once in a while, a movie generates tension amongst the guys, and creates a spark of controversy that helps the guys get heated.

Jordan Peele’s Us is one of those movies.

And the funny thing is, Jake and Sean both like it. A lot, even. But Kevin loves it, and doesn’t agree with Jake and Sean’s issues with it.

This one gets very spoilery. But if you saw Us over opening weekend – and the box office suggests that a lot of you did – you are going to want to listen to this week’s episode of ReelBlend.

Before they got to spoilers, the guys discuss the Us box office, and they get into the alleged run time of Avengers: Endgame. The guys marvel (no pun untended) at how much of Endgame Disney and Marvel have been able to hide, with next to no real footage being shown in the marketing.

From there, it was a whole lot of Us talk. But that’s not all. Kevin conducted an interview with Danny Elfman on behalf of the podcast, where they talked Dumbo, and his entire career. You do NOT want to miss that conversation.

In light of March Madness, this week’s Blend game is #SportsBlend and the stories that came out of it were really personal and touching. Also, next week’s game already sounds like it’s going to be a blast.

ReelBlend is a weekly podcast that we do on CinemaBlend. You can download the latest episode (and all of our past episodes) for FREE on our iTunes page! Visit. Subscribe. Like and comment. Review! Apple loves when you have star ratings and reviews, so if you listened, and you liked it (or even if you didn't), let us know. We also are on Spotify. And Google Play. And basically everywhere that you download podcasts. So download us.

Meanwhile, follow the guys on Social Media! We have an official Twitter feed for the show, so follow @ReelBlend. In addition, follow the guys at @Sean_OConnell, @JakesTakesand @KevinMcCarthyTV.

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Why Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Wanted To Put The 'God' Back In Godzilla

Why Godzilla: King Of The Monsters Wanted To Put The 'God' Back In Godzilla

At the end of 2014’s Godzilla, after the titular beast has prevailed over the MUTOs and saved what was left of San Francisco, the news reports declare him King of the Monsters and query if he is the savior of the city. The idea of Godzilla as a savior is apt for the sequel, Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The film’s director, Michael Dougherty, really wanted the film to put the ‘god’ back in Godzilla, as he explained:

Myself and my writing partner, Zach Shields, we kept saying that we wanted to put the 'god' back in Godzilla. By that, I mean, the way that I always saw the creatures growing up. I didn't see men in rubber suits. I saw ancient, powerful, mythic creatures. To me, these creatures were intelligent beings fighting out old grudges. They were the equivalent of dragons and giants, and all the creatures you read about in mythology and the Bible. That's what they were. That's sort of element that we wanted to add to the film.

By saying they wanted to put the ‘god’ back into Godzilla, Mike Dougherty meant that he and Zach Shields saw Godzilla a certain way and they wanted to bring their vision for the character to life in the film. The way that they saw Godzilla and the Titans was not as cheap movie monsters or the result of a science experiments gone awry, but like dragons, giants, the Old Ones or any other mythological beasts and creatures so wondrous and magnificent that they defy comprehension.

As he told Total Film Magazine, Mike Dougherty wanted Godzilla and the other Titans to feel ancient and unknowable, mythic and biblical, with a power and scale that is truly godlike. Like gods, these are creatures whose motivations and machinations take place on a higher plane beyond our understanding, and when they clash, looking to settle scores millennia in the making, the result is truly apocalyptic, like something out of the Bible.

Mike Dougherty has really leaned into that biblical feel with the film, and not long ago he even tweeted a new image out from the film accompanied by a verse from the Book of Job. This sort of ancient, god-like feel really sets Godzilla 2's Titans apart from the monster in Cloverfield or the Kaiju in Pacific Rim.

This element may have been lacking in the previous MonsterVerse movies, although I would argue Kong: Skull Island did some work to expand the mythology, but Mike Dougherty really wanted to bring it to the fore in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. And although we have yet to see the film, he appears to have done just that based on the trailers.

This word is often overused, but the trailers for Godzilla: King of the Monsters have felt truly epic, and I think a big part of that is because of what Mike Dougherty talked about, putting the ‘god’ back in Godzilla. The trailers have talked about the leviathans known as Titans being the planet’s original inhabitants and the images of their battle has looked like something out of the end times, with one side fighting to protect humanity and another looking to destroy it.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters roars into theaters on May 31. Check out our 2019 release schedule to keep track of all this year’s biggest movies.

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Allison Williams Explains How Her Get Out Performance Enhances Her Character In The Perfection

Allison Williams Explains How Her Get Out Performance Enhances Her Character In The Perfection

There are many reasons why Jordan Peele’s Get Out is a phenomenal film, but certainly high on the list is the performance given by Allison Williams. Throughout the movie she does such an amazing job representing herself as an ally to Daniel Kaluuya’s Chris, so when the big twist goes down it basically feels like taking a shovel to the face. It’s become one of the most beloved surprises in modern horror, which makes it all the more exciting that Williams is returning to the genre with the upcoming The Perfection.

Interestingly, though, the connection between the two features doesn’t end with that. Without giving too much away, Allison Williams stars as a character in The Perfection that’s purposefully hard to get a full read on, and as a member of the audience you spend the majority of the runtime not quite sure if you can fully trust her. As you might imagine, this is a feeling that is only enhanced by those who associate the actress with her part in Get Out – and it’s a connection that Williams definitely recognized in the making of the new movie.

With The Perfection set to hit Netflix this Friday, I had the wonderful opportunity to sit down with Allison Williams, co-star Logan Browning, and writer/director Richard Shepard last week at the film’s Los Angeles press day, and during the interviews I took the opportunity to bring up the movie’s unique relationship with Get Out. Discussing the influence of audience perception of her character, Williams agreed with my analysis, and noted that it was something that occurred to her shortly after reading the script for the first time:

Richard [Shepard] sent it to me and said, 'This is insane. You need to call me after you read it.' And I was like, 'Okay, well if you think it's insane, and you're insane, and I think it's insane, and I'm insane, this must be really, really crazy.' And it was! And I called him right afterwards and as we were talking about it, it occurred to me that if you have a sort of associative hangover of me from Get Out, it's very helpful to go into The Perfection with that.

In the new movie, Allison Williams stars as Charlotte Willmore, a former cello prodigy who, at a young age, had to drop out of one of the most esteemed music schools on the planet when her mother got sick. Following her mother’s death, she tries to reconnect the world she was forced to disconnect from, and in the process gets to know Elizabeth Wells (Logan Browning) –the star student who joined the aforementioned school when Charlotte left. The two quickly hit it off during a special event in China, eventually making plans to go on a two-week vacation together in the country, but things start to go very badly very quickly on the adventure.

Without getting into spoiler territory, as the story progresses in The Perfection you’re never quite sure how to feel about Charlotte’s relationship with Elizabeth – and this is where memories of Allison Williams' Rose Armitage from Get Out start to play a role. As Williams explained, she loved that her past role tweaks the way we look at her new performance, while at the same time fully appreciating that Charlotte is an absolutely wonderful character independently. Said the actress,

I thought, what is more fun than using that to make people very, very untrustworthy when they see me for the first time and very wary of sending us off on a bus together in rural China - as you should be in the movie! And so I thought that was a very interesting sort of meta level to it. But first and foremost I was just fascinated by Charlotte. I thought she was so interesting and I just had to play her so that I could understand what makes that girl tick and what, what is going on in there.

This was a sentiment shared by Richard Shepard, who noted that he wrote the role of Charlotte in The Perfection with Allison Williams specifically in mind – having previously worked with her directing episodes of the HBO comedy series Girls. And while Get Out may not have had any specific influence in the writing process, it is something that he acknowledges will have an effect on the way people watch his film. Said Shepard,

The fact that people don't initially really trust Allison because of Get Out helps us enormously because Alison's playing a character that you're not quite sure is a good guy, or a bad guy. You can't quite get a grasp on her. And that's really important in a movie like this because people are projecting what they think. So Allison's sort of baggage helps a lot.

Continuing, the filmmaker further added that part of what makes Allison Williams such a talented performer is the way in which she is able to modulate her emotional reactions to effective degrees. She doesn’t show her full hand until exactly the right moment, and when that happens it can be powerful and affecting. Explained the director,

I've always seen in Allison an ability to hold back her emotions until it's really ready to show. And in this it was perfect because she was holding back just enough to keep the audience leaning in, and then when she needed to show it she really could.

You can watch Allison Williams and Richard Shepard discuss the special influence of Get Out on The Perfection by clicking play on the video below!

Also starring Steven Weber, Alaina Huffman, Mark Kandborg, and Graeme Duffy, The Perfection is a horrific delight that first premiered at Fantastic Fest last year, and will be available soon to set your brain on fire. As mentioned earlier, the movie will be available on Netflix this Friday, May 24th – and we’ll have more from my interviews with the cast and filmmakers coming your way soon here on CinemaBlend!

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