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Review: 'Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance' Is A Metal Album In Cinematic Form

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • February 17, 2012 7:39 AM
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  • 11 Comments
Reviews
The Marvel Comics character of Ghost Rider has always been more than a little alternative. Considerably darker and more haunted that contemporaries like Spider-Man and the Hulk, the demonic creation of trio Roy Thomas, Gary Friedrich and Mike Ploog found himself starring in more horror-centric stories, only ocassionally clashing with sunnier heroes in sales-boosting stunts. While the comic creation existed on the fringe of the industry, Mark Steven Johnson's 2007 adaptation "Ghost Rider" was a far more generic, populist attempt to appeal to the masses. It was, by design, a pop song, except it viewed itself as a catchier Massive Attack track when it was more of an O-Town b-side. Bring the kiddies.
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More: Review, Nicolas Cage, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Ciarán Hinds, Idris Elba, Violante Placido

Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor Talk African Tribal Dancing, Mimicking Pink Floyd & Making 'Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance'

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • February 15, 2012 2:00 PM
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  • 1 Comment
News
Coming from the grimier, gonzo world of "Crank," it was something of a surprise to see directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor take the helm of Sony blockbuster "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance." While the first film was a $228 million hit, Sony definitely wanted to take this prospective franchise in a different direction. And fortunately for the hands-on duo, who also shoot all their second unit footage themselves, they were given free reign by Marvel Studios to put their stamp on the film.
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More: Nicolas Cage, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, Interview, Ciarán Hinds, Sony, Marvel

Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor Say There's Already Talks About A 'Ghost Rider 3'; Still Considering 'Crank 3D'

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • February 13, 2012 4:41 PM
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  • 0 Comments
News
There is no doubt when watching a movie directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, that it was made by anybody else. The pair made their name with kinetic and electric "Crank" films, and recently graduated to comic tenptoles, helming the upcoming "Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance." Known for their unorthodox methods -- which includes strapping on roller blades, and grabbing a camera so they can get right into the action -- the film they make are distinctly their own, and comic book movies have never quite looked the way 'Vengeance' does. And while they haven't yet decided on what their next project will be, if things go well, they could be working with Nicolas Cage again very soon.
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More: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, Nicolas Cage, Crank 3

Mark Neveldine Says 'Crank 3' "Will Happen" & He Wants Idris Elba To Join Jason Statham

  • By Drew Taylor
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  • December 14, 2011 5:15 PM
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  • 3 Comments
News
While talking to British movie magazine Empire, Mark Neveldine, one half of the Neveldine/Taylor directorial partnership behind the two "Crank" movies, has let slip some information that will allow us to all sleep a little more peacefully tonight. Yes, by god, they want to make a "Crank 3." And what's more -- it might co-star one of their "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" principles. Hallelujah.
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More: Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Idris Elba, Crank 3

Well, That Backfired: Geek Audience At Harry Knowles' Butt-Numb-A-Thon Reject 'Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance'

  • By Drew Taylor
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  • December 12, 2011 12:35 PM
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  • 2 Comments
News
It probably seemed like a sure thing: grant a clamoring, genre-friendly, comic book-reading audience at Harry Knowles' 24-hour film festival/endurance test Butt-Numb-A-Thon, an early look at a heavily hyped superhero reboot. But while the likes of "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows," "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol," "Cabin in the Woods" and "The Grey" all picked up good buzz from the sleep-deprived crowd, when Sony decided to show the crowd at BNAT13 an early (but seemingly all-but-finished) cut of the reboot/sequel "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance," they probably weren't prepared for the outspoken geek hate for the movie, which many felt was even worse than the god awful Mark Steven Johnson movie from the 2007. Ouch!
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More: Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Nicholas Cage

NYCC: Sony Debuts New Footage From 'Underworld: Awakening,' 'Total Recall' & 'Ghost Rider 2'

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • October 16, 2011 3:16 AM
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  • 4 Comments
On Saturday at the New York Comic-Con, Sony promised a panel dedicated to “Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance.” But in a bit of a surprise, they gave fans a first look at two other upcoming genre films on their slate. This being Comic-Con, people expected a glimpse of “The Amazing Spider-Man.” But aside from a stuffed mannequin hanging upside down on the showroom floor, promotion for the upcoming superhero tentpole was completely absent. Instead, Sony, gave us a Len Wiseman horror show.
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More: Films, Film Studios, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Len Wiseman, Genre Films, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, Underworld 4, Sony, Screen Gems, Total Recall

NYCC: Mark Neveldine & Brian Taylor Diss First Film, Say 'Ghost Rider' "Re-quel" Has Huge Body Count

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • October 16, 2011 2:58 AM
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  • 2 Comments
Directors Say They've Thought About Direct-To-DVD Character Spinoffs For The 'Crank' SeriesSony had a superhero franchise on their hands in “Ghost Rider.” Curiously, though first film that turned a solid profit, but no one particularly fell in love with it, leaving them in a position to experiment with a second film about Johnny Blaze. So it only makes sense that they would turn to Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, the architects of the gonzo, hard R-rated “Crank” series to recapture the magic of a beloved Marvel Comics’ “superhero.” We sat down and talked with Mark and Brian at the New York Comic Con to talk about the approach to “Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance,” their thoughts on their first movie, and how a PG-13 rating wasn't a hurdle to their usually risky brand of filmmaking.
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More: Films, Actors, Film Studios, Interview, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Genre Films, Nicolas Cage, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance, Warner Bros, Sony

First Look At 'Ghost Rider 2'; Another 'Crank' Movie In The Works With Or Without Jason Statham

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • July 26, 2011 1:44 AM
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  • 1 Comment
Bookending their Comic-Con presentation this weekend by a title that read “fucking your shit up in 3D February 2012,” the “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” co-directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor certainly aren't mincing words about the visual blitzkrieg they're planning for the upcoming comic sequel. Holding on to moving motorcycles wearing only rollerblades and generally disregarding their personal safety all in the name of capturing action sequences in their distinct visual style, if anything, 'Ghost Rider' promises -- for better or worse -- to be unlike any comic movie we've ever seen. But as anyone who has seen their "Crank" movies knows, trying to nail down what they do on film with a single still is pretty much impossible so don't get too bummed at static nature of these first look pics from the film.
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More: Films, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Genre Films, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance

Comic-Con '11: 'Ghost Rider 2' Boasts It Will "Fuck Up Your Shit" Come February 2012

  • By The Playlist
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  • July 23, 2011 2:05 AM
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  • 3 Comments
'Spirit Of Vengeance' Co-Star Idris Elba Says He Would Love To Play 'Power Man' Character Luke CageBookended by a title card that read “fucking your shit up in 3D February 2012,” the "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance" footage showcased co-directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor's particularly physical style of filmmaking. Both filmmakers ran cameras simultaneously in certain shots, Taylor held on to moving motorcycles wearing only rollerblades as he filmed the action, and the two of them generally disregarded their personal safety as they shot some fairly epic action sequences. When asked whether they’ve ever been hurt, Neveldine knocked on the table and said, “Nope – and we would never ask stunt men or actors to do anything we wouldn’t do.” They added that they always try to include any shots where stunt men injure themselves, as a tribute to their efforts: “You will see real bones breaking in this movie,” Taylor said.
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More: Films, Actors, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Genre Films, Nicolas Cage, Idris Elba, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance

Nicolas Cage Will Be Playing Two Parts In 'Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance', But Won't Be Villain

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • October 29, 2010 12:48 PM
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  • 1 Comment
One of your most eagerly-anticipated films of 2012, if you recently suffered a significant injury to the brain, or have only ever watched films with the words "Rider" and "Ghost" in the title, is probably "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance," the sequel to the disastrous 2008 Marvel Comics adaptation "Ghost Rider." Nicolas Cage will once again be playing stuntman Johnny Blaze, who makes a deal with the devil to become the fiery-headed demon-hunter Ghost Rider, and the plot will involve the hero in Europe, going up against his employer, who's trying to possess the body of a child.
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More: Films, Actors, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, Genre Films, Nicolas Cage, Ghost Rider: Spirit Of Vengeance

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