The creme brulee, the crown jewel of desserts, belongs to the family of baked custards and has a crackly caramelized crust of sugar torched by a torch’s flame. The custard is known as pot de creme when it is left unadorned. Before baking the custard, you should add a spoonful of freshly caramelized sugar to the baking dish so that it can be inverted and served as flan or crème caramel.

---

With the release of Iron Man on May 2, 2008, Marvel Studios debuted its first feature film and established one of the most lucrative film franchises in history. Thanks to the enormous box office success of Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, the Marvel Cinematic Universe is now stronger than ever, and it shows no signs of slowing down. But it all started with a B-list superhero that other studios weren’t convinced would work, a kid-focused focus group, an unexpected post-credits scene, and a recovering actor who went on to become the biggest movie star on the globe.

Here are 6 interesting facts regarding the making of Iron Man in honor of its tenth anniversary.

1. IT WAS IN DEVELOPMENT FOR YEARS.

Marvel Studios

Iron Man was really in development for many years at more than one studio before he made his debut, even though he was first in line when Marvel Studios started its now-famous mission to build a common universe of characters. Fox (which would later produce movies based on Marvel superheroes The X-Men and The Fantastic Four) optioned the character in the 1990s, and by 2000 it had been acquired by New Line Pictures.

There, it went around from writer to writer and the studio even had a director in mind (Nick Cassavetes, coming off his breakthrough with The Notebook in 2004). (Nick Cassavetes, fresh off his success with The Notebook in 2004).

Unfortunately, Bob Shaye, an executive at New Line, did not like the idea. He stated that the idea that a bulky steel suit could make a man fly was absurd and expressed doubt about the character’s box office appeal. Marvel executives let New Line’s option on the character expire in 2005 (something New Line was reportedly very upset about as they had planned to renew it), believing they could do a better job with the character when they launched their new studio plan. Marvel executives then started creating their own version of what would become Iron Man.

2. IT WAS THE FIRST MARVEL STUDIOS FILM BECAUSE OF KIDS.

Even more so than selling the films themselves, one of the primary reasons Marvel established its own film studio was to sell products based on its characters. Captain America was supposed to open the slate of movies, but by the time Marvel acquired the rights to Iron Man and Hulk (whose prior picture was produced at Universal Pictures), the crew had additional possibilities.

Toy sales based on Marvel characters were one of the primary reasons the company established its own film studio in the first place, even more so than the desire to promote the films themselves. Initially, it was intended for Captain America to open the slate of movies, but when Marvel acquired the rights to Iron Man and Hulk (whose prior picture was produced at Universal Pictures), the crew had more options.

3. TOM CRUISE WAS ONCE CONSIDERED FOR TONY STARK, BUT HE WASN’T THE ONLY ONE.

Several other celebrities competed for the part before Robert Downey Jr. wore the iconic armor of the Armored Avenger. Tom Cruise, who expressed interest in Tony Stark when the project was still at New Line, is the most well-known of these. Nicolas Cage, a lifelong comics enthusiast who nearly played Superman for Tim Burton in the 1990s, was another possibility from those pre-Marvel Studios days, but he too ultimately lost out.

When the character returned to Marvel, the studio gave Colin Farrell and Patrick Dempsey some consideration for the part, but producer Kevin Feige and director Jon Favreau thought Robert Downey Jr. was the best choice. Sam Rockwell, who eventually played fellow billionaire industrialist and Iron Man antagonist Justin Hammer in Iron Man 2, was Favreau’s backup plan in case Downey didn’t work out for the role (2010).

4. ROBERT DOWNEY JR. SHOWED UP FOR HIS SCREEN TEST WEARING A TUXEDO.

Before the release of Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. was a renowned film and television actor whose career had significantly declined as a result of his very public battles with addiction. Due to his talent and the potential for his own issues to reflect those of Tony Stark, Feige and Favreau lobbied for Downey to be given the opportunity to play the role of Tony Stark (who, in the comics, is an alcoholic).

At the studio, Downey’s relatively cool career meant that he could be cast for what was effectively a discount compared to any of the megastars of the day. However, because of his addiction troubles, it might be challenging to get the Oscar nominee insured for the movie.

In order to get the part, Downey agreed to a screen test (something famous celebrities with decades of experience frequently get to skip in the casting process), and he arrived in typical Tony Stark fashion by donning a tuxedo. The Marvel execs were impressed by Downey, and they recruited him for $2.5 million with a potential bonus if the movie went well.

That sounds like a lot of money, but it pales in comparison to what Downey made when he renegotiated his deal with Marvel following the success of Iron Man (an estimated $50 million for just The Avengers).

5. DOWNEY WASN’T THE FIRST ACTOR TO JOIN THE CAST.

Iron Man and Marvel Studios were both unproven products at the time of its production, and the strategy within Marvel was to use the movies to make money on toys rather than rely on the movies themselves to create significant revenue.

This meant that Iron Man was produced on a relatively little budget for a movie of its scale and scope, which prompted certain crucial choices that would increase the movie’s visibility while keeping costs to a minimum. One of these choices was choosing Terrence Howard to play Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes, Tony Stark’s best friend, as the project’s first actor.

Howard was in a good mood after receiving an Oscar nomination for his role in Hustle & Flow. Although he wasn’t yet a megastar, this brought him respect. Marvel could get another huge name on the movie’s poster and save a little money if they could use that prestige by casting Howard in a supporting part. Howard agreed to star in the movie for a $3.5 million pay, making him the highest-paid actor.

But he didn’t stay at Marvel for very long. He was replaced by Don Cheadle, who is still a co-star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe eight years after his debut after he asked for a raise in pay for Iron Man 2.

6. THE ORIGINAL INTENDED VILLAIN WAS THE MANDARIN.

The Mandarin, a scientist, and megalomaniac who wields 10 potent rings produced from alien technology was the first adversary the Marvel Comics studio thought Tony Stark may face in his debut adventure. When Marvel Studios unveiled its slate at San Diego Comic-Con in 2006, it appeared so apparent that the character would be the antagonist of the first movie that Favreau announced him as such. Later, Favreau explained this excitement as being a result of the studio’s discussions on its slate being more “generic” than specific.

By the time the cameras started rolling, Jeff Bridges’ character Obadiah Stane—a rival arms dealer who attempted to take over Stark Industries after Tony’s father Howard died in the comics—was the bad guy. The character was changed for the movie to represent Stark’s corporate steward while Tony was away, who ultimately attempted to take over the business from within as the comic book villain Iron Monger. The Mandarin eventually made an appearance in Iron Man 3 but was drastically altered from the comics.

7. MUCH OF THE MOVIE WAS IMPROVISED.

More than just a strong box office performance and the ability to produce sequel after sequel, Iron Man gave Marvel Studios a boost. Additionally, it established a certain tone of lightheartedness that has persisted throughout practically all of the company’s films, including the saddest ones. That’s thanks, in part, to the improvisation that took place on-site. Particularly Downey seemed to like incorporating humor into the heroic drama, and Favreau encouraged this.

Bridges claimed that this was partly because the Iron Man script was never finished when he looked back on the movie years later. Before the filming began, he, Downey, and Favreau would effectively hold impromptu rehearsals, which Bridges initially found problematic before changing his perspective on the picture.

Jon handled it very beautifully, Bridges remarked. “I was terrified. I was quite worried. I prefer to plan ahead. Man, my school requires me to memorize my lines. very organized That was extremely annoying, so I quickly adjusted. A lot of times in movies, something will brush on your fur and it won’t feel right, but that’s simply how it is.

You may waste a lot of time whining about it, or you can decide how you’re going to handle it and play the cards you’ve been dealt. What you can influence is how you see things and how you think about them. So I said, ‘Oh, what we’re doing here, we’re making a $200 million student film. We’re all just f*ckin’ around! We’re playin’. Oh, great!’ That took all the pressure off. ‘Oh, just jam, man, just play.’ And it turned out great!”  

Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, and Laurence Fishburne fought against artificial agents of a programmed world in The Matrix, which debuted in theatres in 1999 and wowed fans with its gravity-defying and leather-clad action. They were not just trying to look stylish, but also free humanity from the clutches of a machine-controlled Matrix. The Wachowski Sisters prompted viewers to think about the parallels between our own reality and that of a computer simulation and popularised the red pill/blue pill paradigm for understanding the universe.

---

After The Matrix, two additional full-length motion pictures, The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions were released in theatres. Twenty years later, Lana Wachowski revived the franchise with The Matrix Resurrections (December 2021). The Animatrix, an anthology of animated short films that were released in the middle of the trilogy, is another entry in the franchise (June 2003). The Animatrix is regarded as Matrix canon as the Wachowskis themselves wrote four of the nine shorts.

The anthology is a collection of animated short films, although each short is set at a different epoch in the Matrix chronology. Additionally, even though a few of The Animatrix stories are set before the events of the first Matrix movie, we still advise seeing The Matrix.

In terms of the major motion pictures, the fourth Matrix movie features returning actors like Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss as well as fresh faces like Jessica Henwick, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Neil Patrick Harris, and Priyanka Chopra. Resurrections, which was published in December 2021, added a new chapter to the epic tale and drew on dynamics and lessons from the first trilogy. We’ve got you covered if you’re seeking a brief synopsis of The Matrix series. For convenience, we’ve listed every film and animated short from The Matrix franchise here in chronological order of events and by date of release. See you in the desert of the real.

The Matrix Movies in Order of Release Date

And here is every Matrix movie in order of release date:

The Matrix (March 31, 1999)

The Matrix Reloaded (May 15, 2003)

The Animatrix (June 3, 2003)

The Matrix Revolutions (November 5, 2003)

The Matrix Resurrections (December 22, 2021)

All of these films are available now to stream on HBO Max.

The Matrix Movies in Chronological Order of Events

The Animatrix: The Second Renaissance, Part I and II

The Second Renaissance is divided into two parts, Part I and Part II, which trace the history of the development of machines and the decline of man. It describes how people were made into slaves by the Matrix and transformed into batteries. In the story, which takes place around 2090, the development of artificial intelligence and the events of the War of the Machines are both mentioned.

The Animatrix: A Detective Story

Following Detective Ash as he searches the Matrix for the elusive internet hacker known as Trinity, sometime after the birth of the Matrix and before she teams up with Morpheus, “A Detective Story” blends anime with classic cinema noir.

The Matrix

The 1999 movie The Matrix introduces viewers to Neo, Trinity, and Morpheus as they battle machines from the real world and agents from the Matrix in an unspecified time period that the human rebels estimate to be in the year 2199. The actual year the movie is set in, however, might be much further out given that the Matrix has already undergone six cycles.

The Animatrix: The Kid’s Story

This gritty animated story centres on “The Kid,” a character from the second film in the trilogy who escapes the Matrix and saves himself solely through willpower, self-actualizing unlike anyone else before him. His story takes place in the six-month period between The Matrix and The Matrix Reloaded’s events.

The Animatrix: Final Flight of the Osiris

The stylised simulated fight between Jue and Thadeus is the main subject of “Final Flight of the Osiris,” which occurs right before The Matrix Reloaded’s events. Sending a word to the human rebels about the Sentinel army digging into Zion, however, is the task that ultimately results in their destruction.

The Matrix Reloaded

The love story between Neo and Trinity is followed in The Matrix Reloaded, which takes place six months after The Matrix’s events and shows Neo learning about the Matrix’s cyclical development. Following the “Final Flight of the Osiris” short, it begins.

The Animatrix: Beyond

Given the existence of the first Matrix film, “Beyond” takes place at some point during the trilogy’s events. It centres on a little girl named Yoko and some neighbourhood youngsters who stumble onto a “haunted house” full of strange occurrences that we know to be Matrix flaws.

The Animatrix: World Record

In “World Record,” a character by the name of Dan briefly escapes the Matrix thanks to the strength of his physical determination, much like in “The Kid’s Story.” Dan, unlike Kid, only experiences self-actualization briefly at the top of his race before returning to the Matrix. Given the presence of the Agents, it is assumed that the story takes place in an earlier iteration of the Matrix, however the exact time period in The Matrix canon is unknown.

The Animatrix: Program

“Program” is a stunningly animated short that revolves around simulated training set in a Samurai-like training program. Given that it is a story about rebels testing their crew’s loyalty to the cause, it is likely that “Program” is set after The Matrix and before The Matrix Revolutions.

The Matrix Revolutions

The Matrix Revolutions picks up immediately after The Matrix Reloaded ends — concluding the trilogy of feature films and portraying Neo’s ultimate sacrifice and attempt to make peace with the machines.

The Animatrix: Matriculated

The animated short “Matriculated,” which follows a different set of human rebels from the ones we are familiar with from Zion, is yet another one without a definite location in the Matrix timeline. They live close to the surface of the planet, collecting robots to “awaken” them by instilling in them human traits like empathy, passion, and playfulness. It’s challenging to place this because these people may have lived a very long time after the Zion and Machine cycles.

The Matrix Resurrections

The events of The Matrix Revolutions are placed 60 years later in The Matrix Resurrections. As we can see, people have relocated to IO, a new metropolis that Niobe is in charge of (Jada Pinkett-Smith). Although Neo’s sacrifice and reintegration into the matrix brought about a time of peace, it also made the matrix much more powerful and made it harder for humans to disconnect from it.

This post also included contributions from Kacie Cooper Stotler.

The movie “The Social Network” concentrates on Mark Zuckerberg and the emergence of Facebook but in a way touches on so much more, making it the definitive film about the development of the internet. It was a great smash and is regarded as one of the best movies of the new millennium. There are many intriguing directions that the discussion of the movie may take. Here are 20 things about “The Social Network” you might not be aware of.

---

The movie was based on an unfinished book

Without the use of altered material, the story of Zuckerberg and his social media behemoth may have been conveyed, but that wasn’t the case in this instance. The publisher of “The Accidental Billionaires,” a book by Ben Mezrich on the creation of Facebook, was soliciting offers even though it hadn’t been completed. At that point, Aaron Sorkin noticed it. Sorkin claims he didn’t read much of the novel before deciding to adapt it.

There wasn’t a ton of adapting going on, though

Sorkin was unable to just read “The Accidental Billionaires” and then write his book because it was still being written. He would instead get together with Mezrich and swap thoughts on studies. According to Sorkin, he had completed about 80% of the screenplay by the time the book was finished and available for reading.

Most of the actors were settled on pretty quickly

Director David Fincher is meticulous but also has a clear sense of what he wants. There aren’t many reports of actors other than the ones who were hired being considered for roles in “The Social Network.” For instance, Jesse Eisenberg is a relatively obvious pick for Zuckerberg. Sean Parker’s part, though, is an exception. Fincher chose Justin Timberlake over Jonah Hill even though Jonah Hill was up for the part. 

Andrew Garfield didn’t originally go out for the role of Eduardo

Garfield is now a well-known actor because of his role as Spider-Man, but that wasn’t the case in 2010. Nevertheless, the actor did go out for the role of Zuckerberg in the film. Despite the fact that Fincher was obviously fond of him, he also believed Garfield would do better as the kinder, more forgiving Eduardo Saverin.

A few tricks helped bring the Winklevoss twins to life

The history of how Facebook was founded must include Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss. But where are the identical twin performers who are physically suited to play them? That was practically unachievable. Thus, with assistance, Armie Hammer was able to play both twins. The Winklevosses were embodied by actor Josh Pence, with Hammer’s face digitally added on Pence’s body. Without using any real identical twins, this provided us characters who are identical twins.

Pence got a chance to show his face, though

In order to play his part in the movie, Pence had to perform real acting. His face, however, was not visible in his portrayal of the Winklevoss twins. Pence was given a cameo part as the man who Eduardo Saverin and Zuckerberg sent away from the restroom, perhaps as a token of appreciation for his arduous duties.

Sorkin makes an appearance

In addition to writing the script, Sorkin has a small cameo in the film. He appears as an unnamed ad executive in one scene. Reportedly it was Fincher’s idea, not Sorkin’s.

One small part required multiple performers

Bill Gates making an appearance was not vital to the story of “The Social Network,” but the billionaire is a character in the film nonetheless. To play the role they hired a professional Bill Gates lookalike. However, the keyword there is “lookalike.” He could not actually act in the role beyond looking like Gates, so another actor dubbed over his voice.

An unusual casting call was put out

As Harvard rowers, the Winklevoss twins inspired Fincher to really utilize the sport’s aesthetics in his film. They even advertised a casting call for rowers due to the volume of rowing occurring. Many former college rowers from the Boston region who had recently graduated from college attended. Many of the people who were cast weren’t really in the picture, though, because Fincher opted to transfer shooting the regatta racing scene from Los Angeles to England.

The film did not shoot at Harvard

Although Wheelock College in Boston was designed to resemble the campus of Harvard, Harvard plays a significant role in the plot and Zuckerberg was a student there when he launched Facebook. There’s a rationale behind that. The 1970 motion picture “Love Story” was filmed at Harvard. Since some trees were harmed, Harvard has essentially prohibited any filming on its campus.

A famed musician made his move to scores with his movie

Trent Reznor is best known as the frontman of Nine Inch Nails. Well, he once was. He may currently be best known for his work as Atticus Ross’ co-composer on film scores. Reznor did contribute to the soundtracks for “Natural Born Killers” and “Lost Highway” in the 1990s, but he did not write the films’ complete scores. The Social Network was the first film that Reznor (and Ross) completely scored.

Justin Timberlake makes multiple appearances (in a way)

Naturally, Timberlake portrays Parker in the movie, but he has other roles as well. You may hear a N*Sync song playing in one scene. Naturally, Timberlake was a part of a renowned boy band before he became an actor.

It’s hardly surprising that many people scrutinized “The Social Network” to determine its truth given that it’s not just based on a true event, but also on a recent true story. Everyone involved acknowledged that it was a dramatization and a Hollywood version of the story, but they all generally accepted that it was necessary to convey a gripping tale. By stating, “I don’t want my fidelity to be to the truth; I want it to be to storytelling,” Sorkin himself made no apologies about the nature of his movie. What’s the big deal about precision done solely for the sake of accuracy?

I had a similar experience to when I saw “Star Wars” back in 1977 while watching “Avatar.” I went into that movie with hazy expectations as well. Similar to “Titanic,” James Cameron’s movie has been the focus of the consistently negative advance talk. He has once more hushed the skeptics by merely producing a superb movie. At least one man who has the ability to wisely spend $250,000,000—or was it $300,000,000—remains in Hollywood.

Even though it is sensational entertainment, “Avatar” is more than that. It represents a technical advance. Its message is unmistakably anti-war and green. It will undoubtedly start a cult. It has so fine visual detail that repeated viewings would be worthwhile. It creates a new language, Na’vi, much like “Lord of the Rings,” but thankfully I doubt that even teenage humans could speak it. It produces new Hollywood stars. It is an Event, one of those films you feel you must see to stay up with the conversation.

The story takes place in the year 2154 and centres on a U.S. military mission to an earth-sized moon orbiting a powerful star. A material that Earth sorely needs can be found in abundance on this new world, Pandora. We deploy ex-military mercenaries to Pandora to assault and subdue them even though they pose no threat to Earth at all. Gung-ho warriors use machine guns and command armoured hovercraft that are used for bombing missions. You are allowed to see this as an allegory for modern politics. Cameron obviously does.

---

The Na’vi, a blue-skinned, golden-eyed race of slender giants that stand about 12 feet tall each, live peacefully in a forest on the planet Pandora. Humans cannot breathe the air, and the environment has reduced us to pygmies. We utilise avatars—Na’vi lookalikes developed naturally and mind-controlled by humans who remain wired up in a trance-like state on the ship—to leave our landing craft. They perceive, fear, taste, and feel like Na’vi while serving as avatars, and they share all of their physical prowess.

For the protagonist Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who is paraplegic, this final quality is liberating. He’s been recruited because he’s a genetic match for a dead identical twin, who an expensive avatar was created for. In his avatar condition, he can once more walk, and as payment for this service, he will receive a highly costly operation to allow him to move his legs again. Theoretically, he is safe since even if his avatar is destroyed, his human form is unaffected. in concept.

Jake is a fine soldier at first on Pandora, but once Neytiri, a slender and courageous native, saves his life, he turns native (Zoe Saldana). He finds it is indeed true, as the aggressive Col. Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) briefed them, that nearly every species of life here wants him for lunch. (Avatars are not be made of Na’vi flesh, but try explaining that to a charging 30-ton rhino with a snout like a hammerhead shark).

The Na’vi are able to live in harmony with nature, have a thorough understanding of their home world, and have wisdom towards the creatures they coexist with. They are similar to Native Americans in this and a variety of other ways. They tame a different species, not horses, but gorgeous flying dragon-like creatures, to transport them around. One of the best scenes in the movie is when Jake manages to capture and tame one of these enormous animals.

The special effects used in “Avatar” are from a new generation, just like in “Star Wars” and “LOTR.” Many questioned Cameron’s claim that it would happen. It does. Pandora uses a lot of CGI. Through the use of motion capture methods, the Na’vi are realistically embodied. They avoid the unsettling Uncanny Valley effect while having the appearance of being particular, convincing people. However, I’ll be damned if Cameron and his artists succeed in transforming Neytiri into a blue-skinned giantess with golden eyes and a long, supple tail. Sexy.

The film’s length of 163 minutes doesn’t seem excessive. There is so much in it. stories about people. Because the Na’vi are also evolved as people, the Na’vi stories. the intricate nature of the earth, which conceals a universal mystery. Jake joining the resistance to fight his former allies in the ultimate battle. Small, graceful details, like a floating being that embodies goodness and resembles a cross between a blowing dandelion seed and a drifting jellyfish. or amazing cloud islands that float.

I’ve complained that many recent films abandon story telling in their third acts and go for wall-to-wall action. In essence, Cameron does that in this scene, but he has done a good job of developing his characters so that what they do in combat and how they do it matter. There are more important concerns at play than just who will prevail.

In “Avatar,” Cameron promised to introduce the newest 3-D technology. Being a pointless diversion from the flawless reality of 2-D movies, I am a well-known sceptic of this approach. The best I’ve seen is Cameron’s, and more importantly, it’s one of the best executed. The film never uses 3-D simply because it has it, and doesn’t promiscuously violate the fourth wall.

He also seems quite aware of 3-D’s weakness for dimming the picture, and even with a film set largely in interiors and a rainforest, there’s sufficient light. I saw the film in 3-D on a good screen at the AMC River East and was impressed. I might be awesome in True IMAX. Good luck in getting a ticket before February.

It takes a hell of a lot of nerve for a man to stand up at the Oscarcast and proclaim himself King of the World. James Cameron just got re-elected.