Celebs Dressed as Movie Characters

What do Ben Stiller, Anne Hathaway and P Diddy all have in common? They're all partial to a spot of movie-themed fancy dress…

For some, just watching a film isn't enough - many people take their movie experience to the next level by dressing up as their favourite film heroes.

Teri Hatcher as The Queen Of Hearts

We almost didn't recognise Desperate Housewives star Teri Hatcher in this picture... Perhaps the actress was subtly hinting to casting agents that she wouldn't have minded playing Helena Bonham Carter's role in the latest Alice in Wonderland flick - maybe next time Teri...

Will Ferrell as Megamind

 We've heard of actors getting into character, but we think Will Ferrell may have taken it a notch too far when he turned up to The Today Show dressed as his Megamind alter-ego.

AnnaLynne McCord as a Na'vi

90210 stunner AnnaLynne McCord was feeling a bit blue when this snap was taken on the set of her show... In the episode being filmed, AnnaLynne's character, Naomi, dresses as a Na'vi to impress her latest geek-crush - whatever happened to just buying a new dress?

Anne Hathaway as Cleopatra

The Devil Wears Prada star swapped Gucci for gold when she dressed up as the legendary Egyptian Queen Cleopatra in 2004.

Ben Stiller as a Na'vi

We all know that Ben Stiller's character Zoolander loved a bit of Blue Steel, but this is taking it to a whole new level... The actor dressed up as a Na'vi at the 82nd Annual Academy Awards Show and we think he looks a little bit on the scary side.

Jason Biggs as Dorothy

American Pie's Jason Biggs is used to being chuckled at, but we think he looks hilarious dressed up as a sweet and innocent-looking Dorothy from The Wizard Of Oz. Now, he's off to see the stylist...

Jennifer Love Hewitt as Audrey Hepburn

Jennifer Love Hewitt couldn't resist dressing up as movie goddess Audrey Hepburn...

Jesus Luz as The Joker

No wonder Jesus Luz isn't smiling - he's dressed up as one of the most sinister characters in movie history and he was also going out with Madonna at the time...

Katy Perry as Jessica Rabbit

Katy Perry looks fabulous dressed up as the uber-hot Jessica Rabbit from the classic kid-flick Who Framed Roger Rabbit? She wore the sizzling outfit at the 'VH1 Divas Salute the Troops' concert last year.

Kim Kardashian as Wonder Woman

Never one to miss an opportunity for publicity or to wear something a bit on the skimpy side, Kim Kardashian donned a very revealing Wonder Woman outfit for a fancy dress party that left very little to wonder...

Liv Tyler as Pocahontas

Liv Tyler looked shy when she was snapped as Disney's Pocahontas in 2007.

P. Diddy as a Gladiator

It's OK P. Diddy - we won't tell anyone that you secretly wanted to audition for Russell Crowe's role in Gladiator... The rapper wore this Roman ensemble at a Halloween party back in 2004.

Russell Brand as Batman

Comedian and actor Russell Brand looks like he has muscles to put Arnie to shame in this picture...either that or he has inflatable muscles which he's slyly blowing up with that straw. Russell stepped out as the caped crusader while filming a project over in the States in 2010.

Sting as Robin Hood

Fantasy worlds collided in 2006 when Trudie Styler turned up to a charity event as a Legolas-inspired elf and her husband, Sting, arrived as a rugged-looking Robin Hood.

TIFF10 Review: Super

Super

If you have listened to my guest spot on the Super edition of The Dark of the Matinee’s TIFF podcast, Wicked Little Town, then you already know I am quite fond of James Gunn’s latest film. If you have not had a chance to check out the podcast yet then I highly recommend you give it a spin. The Mad Hatter was lucky enough to score a nice interview with James Gunn after our screening of his dark superhero inspired comedy.

Frank D’Arbo’s (Rainn Wilson) life has consisted of two perfect moments. The first was when he happened to help a cop nab a robber by pointing out which direction the crook ran. While the other moment of note was the day he married Sarah (Liv Tyler). Frank’s perfect world is destroyed when he comes home one day and discovers that is wife has left him to be with a local drug dealer, Jacques (Kevin Bacon). Depressed and seeking guidance Frank gets a sign from the above, in the form of folk Christian superhero The Holy Avenger (Nathan Fillion). Thus he is inspired to not only right the wrongs of the world but also save Sarah in the process. Disguised as The Crimson Bolt, Frank delivers his own unique brand of vigilante justice to everyone from drug dealers to theatre line cutters. Frank even gets a sidekick, Boltie (Ellen Page), in the process. While successful at the start, Frank soon realizes that the criminal mind in real-life is far more dangerous, and unpredictable, than it is in comic books.

Super often feels like the dark funnier cousin to the film Kick-Ass. Both films look at the challenges ordinary folks endure when trying to become real-life superheroes. While there will surely be debate over which of the two films works better, Super gets my vote. Kick-Ass tries hard not to be your standard superhero tale, but that is exactly what it becomes in the end. Unlike Kick-Ass, there are no jetpacks, outlandish machine guns etc. Super maintains a certain level of realism throughout the film. Sure there are some over-the-top moments, especially the scene where God touches Frank’s brain and inspires wisdom, yet when it comes to the action the film rarely strays from its goal. Super is all about detailing how the average Joe would handle superhero responsibilities in a world where bullets are real and wounds cannot magically heal by turning to the next panel.

For the first part of the film Frank’s main weapon is a simple wrench. When Frank finally upgrades to a gun, Gunn still keeps it all fairly realistic. Even The Crimson Bolt costume looks exactly the way you would expect it to look if it was made by someone with average tailoring skills. The majority of the costume is one sloppy patch job after another.

The fact that The Crimson Bolts outfit looks so put together last minute only enhances the extremely dark humour the film offers. Super wonderfully plays up many of the superhero conventions, including having a secret identity, finding a place to change in public, etc. for big laughs. Yet is should also be noted that Super offers an interesting commentary on the nature of superheroes. Gunn is making a statement that superheroes are nothing more than off-kilter individuals who take pride in beating up others.

This idea is perfectly captured in the character of Boltie. Boltie gets such a thrill out of inflicting punishment on people that she does not even care if the person actually deserves it. Ellen Page is hilarious as Boltie, she steals every scene that she is in while still bring weight to Frank’s plight. Page, Wilson and Bacon are the reason why I think Super will catch on with most viewers. Despite the brutal violence, the lead actors bring much levity to this dark comedy. Bacon is so good in his role, that I wished he was given even more screen time. The fact that the film gets extremely dark in the last half may not sit well with some, yet it is needed when looking at the film as a whole. If you are willing to stay with the film until the end you will be greatly rewarded, Super is a surprisingly smart and extremely funny dark comedy that will have you looking at the superhero genre in a whole new way.

Is This Hero Super Enough To Save TIFF?

We are at the halfway point of TIFF and it has been another interesting year. As there is still plenty of festival left to go I will keep this post brief. I just wanted to bring your attention to a recent podcast I took part in over at The Dark of the Matinee blog. The Mad Hatter and I briefly discussed the new Rainn Wilson and Ellen Page film Super which had its premier at TIFF a few days ago.

You can listen to the podcast here.