'The Debt' Stars Talk German Accents, '70s Thrillers

Even at a glance, John Madden's new movie "The Debt" has a lot going for it: a cool-looking espionage thriller that boasts a stellar cast, including breakout stars Sam Worthington ("Avatar") and Jessica Chastain ("The Help" and "Tree of Life"), as well as acclaimed actors Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson and Ciarán Hinds. "Debt" follows a trio of government agents who are haunted by repercussions from a top-secret mission they carried out in the 1960s. When we meet them, it's 1997 and the agents are mature adults played by Mirren, Wilkinson and Hinds. We relive their harrowing ordeal in a series of flashbacks, wherein the same characters are played by Chastain, Marton Csokas and Worthington. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems, and the agents must again risk their lives for redemption. When MTV News sat down with Worthington (and his co-star Chastain) recently, we asked what separates "The Debt" from other thrillers. "It's like an old 1970s thriller, I think," Worthington said. "It has the feel of 'The Boys From Brazil,' 'Three Days of the Condor,' 'The Conversation,' stuff like that. That was John [Madden's] pitch to me from the start," he explained. "There is a different pace on it, it was a movie that I would like to go and see. It is different. The role also required Worthington to take on various German accents, so we wondered how the actor went about mastering them. "I find them always hard, it's like a costume," Worthington admitted. "But to learn German on top of an Israeli lilt thrown on top of an Australian accent with a guy who's not very good at accents anyway, it was doubly hard. You just put in the effort, and Jessica Chastain is great at accents — she kind of helped me through it." Asked if his newly acquired accent stuck with him, Worthington laughed. "No, I drop accents. The character traits I keep and the emotions I keep, but the accents and the costume I don't take home." Chastain revealed that she also put in a lot of work, perhaps more than she ever has for a character. "I always do preparation but it was very strange," Chastain told us, "the preparation for this was more exhausting than filming the movie. About three and a half months before filming started, I started learning Krav Maga. I took a beginner's course Berlitz in German, I started learning the accent. I started watching a lot of Helen Mirren. I read about the Holocaust and the medical experiments, which was devastating to read about the atrocities that happened then," she recalled. "It really was like going back to school for me." Check out everything we've got on "The Debt." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Sam Worthington in "The Debt" Photo: Focus Features

'Avengers' Star Tom Hiddleston Teases 'Shady Deals'

Judging from the overwhelmingly positive response to the "Avengers" footage screened at Disney's D23 convention over the weekend, the film's marketing and PR teams are doing a bang-up job of keeping the buzz building for the highly anticipated summer 2012 film. The actors are doing a fine job as well, given the fact that they can't ever reveal too much about the plot. When MTV News caught up with the actor behind the film's master of mischief, "Thor" star Tom Hiddleston, we asked him what kind of villainy Loki will be up to in his second big-screen appearance. "He's the god of mischief and the god of menace," Hiddleston said. "He's still complicated. He's still motivated by this tragic jealousy of Thor and the fact he doesn't have a place in the universe, the sort of awful history of his genealogy." The Englishman added that jealousy is a key emotional motivator for the complex character. "It's making him evolve. That jealousy has made him more self-possessed," Hiddleston said. "He knows who he is. He knows what his powers are. So he's definitively more menacing, but it's still motivated by this awful spiritual desolation," he explained. "Out of that, he's come to the Earth and he intends to rule the human race as their king," he continued. "He thinks — like all the delusional autocrats of history — he thinks that absolute power will get him self-respect." But it's not all about being dark and brooding, Hiddleston assured us. "He has a lot more fun too," he said, before impressing us with a pretty spot-on impression of his "Avengers" director, Joss Whedon. "Joss Whedon's perpetual note to me is: 'Tom, more feral, more unpredictable, and enjoy yourself.' " In addition to his impressionist skills, Hiddleston teased that Loki won't be making mischief all by himself. "He's made some shady deals. That's what I'm allowed to tell you," he said. "In the footage [screened at D23], there is a line where I say to Iron Man, Robert Downey, 'I have an army,' and that's definitely true," he promised. "I have amassed an army to help me subjugate the earth." Check out everything we've got on "The Avengers." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Tom Hiddleston Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/ Getty Images

'True Blood' Star Warns Of The Curse Of 'The Caller'

There are probably stranger, scarier things in the universe than a mystery woman from the past who can cross the space-time continuum to obsessively call your home telephone for hours and days and weeks on end. But the idea is plenty creepy as the premise of "The Caller," director Matthew Parkhill's indie thriller starring "Twilight" villainess Rachelle Lefevre and "True Blood" vamp Stephen Moyer. In "The Caller," Puerto Rico resident Mary Kee (Lefevre) moves into a new home following a nasty separation from her abusive husband ("Eureka's" Ed Quinn), only to find an even more harrowing nemesis in Rose (Lorna Raver), an unhinged and disgruntled woman living in the late 1970s. Rose somehow has the ability to call Mary's new phone number some 30 years into the future, a seemingly impossible sci-fi feat that leaves our protagonist skeptical, frustrated and frightened in turns. When Mary's patience for Rose's hysteria wears thin, she learns the hard lesson that scorning a deranged woman who lives in the past can be hazardous for your health. Though it boasts a sinister plot, it was actually the behind-the-scenes mysteries that raised the hair on the backs of the "Caller" cast and crew's necks throughout the film's 23-day shoot. "Sometimes a shoot will take on its own energy," Moyer, who plays Mary's love interest and resident time-travel expert John Guidi, told MTV News. "Every day, something was happening. Things were breaking, film missing, scratches on necks ... it just became this regular occurrence. Even after I left the shoot, me and Matthew and Rachelle would speak regularly, and there would be bits and pieces happening on a regular basis: phone calls coming in from people, literally prank phone calls. It was an odd, odd thing." Parkhill said that screenwriter Sergio Casci was convinced there was a "curse of 'The Caller.' " But the director doesn't much believe in curses himself, though even he admitted to "weird" and "unsettling" occurrences. "We dressed Mary's living room with these old National Geographic magazines, and one of them fell open to this page where there were three corpses hanging in this old room, that were identical to the three corpses hanging in our pantry," said Parkhill, referring to a trio of bodies that play a pivotal role in the horror film. "Then when we were shooting in a supermarket, we moved one of the supermarket shelves and there was an old bottle of perfume that had cracked which was labeled 'Rose,' which is [the name of the film's villain]." In the end, none of these eerie events was powerful enough to derail production on "The Caller," which opens in limited release on Friday (August 26). But that doesn't mean that the alleged curse of "The Caller" doesn't still rear its head from time to time. The press junket held in San Juan earlier this week just so happened to coincide with the presence of Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico, a threat that is now storming its way up the East Coast. As a result of the storm, certain parts of Puerto Rico — including the hotel that housed the "Caller" cast and crew for the week — were left almost entirely without power for multiple days. "It feels particularly fitting that we're in the middle of a hurricane," Moyer told MTV with a grin. "There's no power. Last night, after we all left the bar, we had to go back to [our rooms] with flashlights. It's literally pitch black in the hotel. You've just watched a horror film, which is pretty scary, and you're going into your room with a flashlight and you can't see anything. I think all of us went through some moments last night thinking, 'This is it. My time is up! Somebody's going to jump out of the cupboard!' " Check out everything we've got on "The Caller." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Stephen Moyer in "The Caller" Photo: Samuel Goldwyn Films

'Dark Knight Rises' Director Is 'Genius,' Tom Hardy Says

The only problem with Christopher Nolan's hugely anticipated "The Dark Knight Rises" is that no one involved in the project can talk about it, and with such secrecy comes obsessive fanboy quests for spoilers and on-set footage and photos. When MTV News caught up with "Rises" star Tom Hardy as he promoted another of his anticipated films, "Warrior," we asked what he thinks about the incessant quests for details about his character Bane and the rest of the film. "I think it just shows that people are really into it. It's great," Hardy said. "If you love something, why not follow it?" He added that he doesn't much care for those who seek out spoilers, however, and also hasn't paid much attention to the photos that have been released, official or not. "There are photos out there; it's nice to see them," he said, before changing the direction of the conversation toward more general territory. "Chris Nolan is amazing. How he releases his films, he's a very enigmatic human being. It's genius, what he does, and I just trust him and how he slowly feeds what he's about to do to the world." Speaking of one of the things Nolan and company have fed to the world, we asked for his reaction to Anne Hathaway's catsuit. "I've seen it, obviously. I've seen it up front," he said, not willing to expand on the subject. "I think everything Chris Nolan and every person at Warner Bros. [does] is amazing," he continued with a cheeky smile. "As I do Lionsgate as well [the studio releasing 'Warrior']. Funny, isn't it?" he said when his "Warrior" co-star Joel Edgerton burst out laughing at Hardy's politically correct outpourings of love for everyone. "Mercenary of me," he joked, proud to be toeing the company line. "Ka-ching!" Check out everything we've got on "The Dark Knight Rises." For breaking news and previews of the latest comic book movies — updated around the clock — visit SplashPage.MTV.com. Tom Hardy as Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises" Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures

Madonna's 'W.E.': The Venice Reviews Are In

The Venice Film Festival turned into something of a feeding frenzy on Thursday, as critics practically fell over one another in an effort to drum up the harshest disses and most damning, damaging turns-of-phrase about Madonna's second directorial effort, "W.E." Their cackles of laughter echoed across the pond the next day, as the Weinstein Company attempted some damage control and a handful of defenders staked out claims that the film had been unjustly dismissed. Those supporters pointed to the lush visual landscape Madonna had captured and the touching love story she'd brought to life. But the critics weren't having any of it. They slammed the garbled narrative structure, cheesy dialogue and directorial trickery that seemed to serve no other purpose than Madonna's look-at-me self-servitude. Read on for those critiques and more. The Story " 'W.E. is rather better than expected; it's bold, confident and not without amusing moments. Still, it's undeniably a strange concoction. Madonna (who also co-scripted with [Alek] Keshishian) has fashioned a split-level story of two couples: the Windsors, and the growing attraction between Wally Winthrop (Abbie Cornish), a contemporary Manhattan woman, and Evgeni (Oscar Isaac), a handsome Russian working security at Sotheby's. Wally, married to an eminent shrink who isn't above slapping her around, desperately wants children. (He doesn't.) Worse, she has inherited her mother's and grandmother's obsession with the Windsors (Andrea Riseborough, James d'Arcy) and doggedly researches their lives, seeking clues about how to live her own. In extreme moments, Mrs. Simpson actually appears to her." — David Gritten, The Telegraph The Direction "What an extraordinarily silly, preening, fatally mishandled film this is. It may even surpass 2008's 'Filth and Wisdom,' Madonna's calamitous first outing as a filmmaker. Her direction is so all over the shop that it barely qualifies as direction at all. 'W.E.' gives us slo-mo and jump cuts and a crawling crane shot up a tree in Balmoral, but they are all just tricks without a purpose. For her big directorial flourish, Madonna has Wallis bound onstage to dance with a Masai tribesman while Pretty Vacant blares on the soundtrack. But why? What point is she making?" — Xan Brooks, The Guardian The Writing "The script is the first problem. Co-written with Alek Keshishian, it's laden with clichés and clunky exposition from the off, with some moments drawing laughs from the Venice audience. More fatally, the structure works against what's trying to be achieved. There aren't really any similarities between the characters in the parallel stories, so the one isn't enlightened or embellished by the other. Furthermore, by telling Wallis' story in a somewhat non-linear fashion, jumping around from place to place, it becomes glacially paced and uninvolving, particularly as Madonna seems to steer things away from any actual drama — we never see the moment that Wallis and David first get together, for instance." — Oliver Lyttelton, The Playlist The Defense "A lot of people will loathe it, simply because it's been made by Madonna. But if they were to watch it with no knowledge of who directed, they would be pleasantly surprised. They might even find much of it enjoyable, although the odd moment may have them wondering if Madge has committed treason. Whatever your feelings about Ms. Ciccone, it's impossible to refute that her film brings to the screen one of the most compelling love stories in history." — Baz Bamigboye, Daily Mail The Final Word "Before it preemed in Venice, advance word on 'W.E.,' Madonna's sophomore feature about Wallis Simpson and Edward VIII, was that it was better than her debut, 'Filth and Wisdom.' Indeed it is, though that's not saying much: Burdened with risible dialogue and weak performances, pic doesn't have much going for it apart from lavish production design and terrific, well-researched costumes — and it's in focus, which is more than can be said for the script. Nevertheless, interest in the subject and her Madgesty alone will ensure substantial royalties internationally." — Leslie Felperin, Variety For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Madonna attends the "W.E." premiere during the 68th Venice Film Festival Photo: Getty Images

'Apollo 18': The Reviews Are In!

"Apollo 18" is not a documentary — NASA made a point of clearing that up — but that doesn't mean that a certain suspension of disbelief won't make the movie a terrifying experience. The flick is just the latest to cash in on the found-footage premise made popular in 1999's "The Blair Witch Project," but it is the first to bring that filmmaking style to outer space. Some critics thought the premise worked in its new location, while others felt the film lost its momentum in the second hour. The consensus is that it either will work for you or it won't; which way will you sway? Check out what the critics have to say and make your decision in theaters this weekend. The Premise "These days, none but the most naive, gullible and uninformed of moviegoers would ever fall for the déclassé claim that a horror film purporting to consist of found footage is, in fact, real. 1999's 'The Blair Witch Project' was one thing, since it started the trend, but that was 12 years ago and most viewers are more savvy now to the flimsy trickster ways of overzealous studios and marketing execs. The latest entry into the genre, 'Apollo 18,' is clearly fictional despite claims to the contrary, but it doesn't matter. A willing audience member's suspension of disbelief can go a long way in creating the necessary sense of reality as long as the performances are natural and the filmmaking itself free of obvious artifice." — Dustin Putman, DustinPutman.com The Presentation "It's easy to dismiss a bad feature film as 'something that'd play better as a short,' but such is most certainly the case where 'Apollo 18' is concerned. If it clocked in at around thirty minutes, it would still have the novelty of its premise and presentation, but it'd also be wonderfully bereft of all the dead air, aimless wandering, and redundant dialogue that all but ruin a potentially fun movie. Not helping is the fact that the 'character development' is clumsy at best and that much of the narrative is just plain, old worthless wheel-spinning. Lifelong apologist for the oft-lamented 'sci-fi horror' genre I may be, but there's virtually nothing of value to be found in 'Apollo 18.' I have no problem with gimmick movies, but the story and its presentation should always be more important than the gimmick itself. Or at least more interesting." — Scott Weinberg, FearNet The Scares "The best horror films are movies that play on our real fears, that speak to something universally understood or shared, and that create a situation we can imagine ourselves in. The notion of being trapped on the moon could work if they really wanted to play on the notions of isolation and dependence on technology and the onset of madness in a closed space. There are definitely fears that this film could have cranked up to have an effect, but instead, there is this cheap, false tension that all comes down to cheap jumps and moon rocks with legs." — Drew McWeeny, HitFix The Subtext "In fact, this is what makes 'Apollo 18' special; it is perhaps the first narrative film to address the popularity of 9/11 conspiracy documentaries. Though it never touches on the modern world, the 'lunartruth.org' title card, the large scale conspiracy elements, the closing frames of the astronauts official cause of death and the 'edited from stolen footage' conceit all heavily recall 'Loose Change,' the Abu Graib photos, Saddam's hanging video and even at hint of the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment. While most viewers will never pick up on this subtext, it will play just below the consciousness of many, adding depth and a creeping sense of malaise. Even as someone who is 100% not a 'truther' it added an extra element that I responded to emotionally." — Hunter Daniels, Collider The Final Word " 'Apollo 18' is innovative, intense and will make you scream like a little girl. It's not a great film by any means but it's all about the atmosphere and the world that is created by Director Gonzalo López-Gallego (his first major motion picture). Even though I knew going in that the film was fake, I still found myself suspending my disbelief. Hats off to the amazing film makers for making me feel like I was on the moon with these actors. I mean seriously, the film looked just like found footage from the 1970's. The post-production on this project must have been insane, adding in all the scratch marks, etc. The tight spaces these actors had to film in were absolutely insane. What the film does really well is use a slow-build effect for the scares which became a very important factor in keeping you entertained for ninety minutes." — Kevin McCarthy, BDKReviews Check out everything we've got on "Apollo 18." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. "Apollo 18" Photo: Dimension Films

'American Reunion' First-Look Clip Hits The Net

The East Great Falls class of 1999 are coming back together for a good old-fashioned "American Reunion." The first teaser for the fourth installment of the "American Pie" comedy series hit the Internet, courtesy of People.com, and the 60-second clip features a montage of pics of the main characters posing in a photo booth at their high-school reunion. "Get ready for one last slice," the video teases in a voiceover. Starring Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Mena Suvari, Thomas Ian Nicholas, Tara Reid, Seann William Scott and Eddie Kaye Thomas, the final movie in the "Pie" series follows the beloved characters as they come together for their 10-year reunion. A recently released plot synopsis teases that things aren't so different for the old friends a decade later; Finch (Kaye Thomas), for one, is still longing for Stifler's (Scott) mom. It turns out that the bond among the castmembers is also just as strong, even so many years after they filmed the '99 original. People.com caught up with Scott and Biggs, and they talked about the impact "American Pie" has had on their lives. "We realized that no matter how much we may have changed individually, as a group, we will always be connected and have a special chemistry that arises immediately when we're together," Biggs said. According to Scott, that involves a lot of boys being boys. "In many respects, we've grown up a lot," he said. "But on the other hand, we haven't grown up at all. On set, Jason Biggs was farting up a storm, Chris Klein was belching, and Eddie Kaye Thomas and Biggs were hitting each other in [the groin]." Directed by "Harold & Kumar" helmers Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg, "American Reunion" has reunited its original cast en masse: Eugene Levy, Natasha Lyonne, Shannon Elizabeth and Jennifer Coolidge are all back. Newcomers Katrina Bowden and Chad Ochocinco also hit the reunion when the movie opens in theaters on April 6, 2012. Check out everything we've got on "American Reunion." For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com. Cast of "American Reunion" Photo: Sam Jones / Universal Pictures