Easily some of the most amazing work with LEGO figures on the Web, Alex Eylar’s portfolio of LEGO character poses, designs and builds is absolutely magnificent. Eylar creates everything from famous movie scenes to entire sets inspired by television, video games and everything else in between.

If you want to see more of his brilliant work, take a look at his Flickr account here. However, you should also check out some of our favorite pics of his work with movie scenes below.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

The Addams Family

American Beauty

The Big Lebowski

The Big Lebowski

Billy Elliot

Black Swan

127 Hours

Chinatown

A Clockwork Orange

Die Hard

The Exorcist

The Fighter

The Godfather

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

Inception

Inglourious Basterds

The Invisible Man

James Bond Opening

The King’s Speech

Looper

Modern Times

Monsters Inc.

Psycho

Pulp Fiction

Raging Bull

Reservoir Dogs

The Shining

The Silence of the Lambs

2001: A Space Odyssey

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Sucker Punch

True Grit

34 Famous Movie Scenes Captured by LEGOs

For every year the movie theaters and production companies want to edge that ticket price up ever so slightly, the premium on gift cards rises right along with it. You may be holding one such card in your hand right now. Before you go on calculating just how much popcorn and candy you can shove into your pockets at once, you’re going to need to choose a movie to see first.

January movies can often be among the year’s best. That’s when all the Oscar contenders make their final push for publicity and public favor, hitting wide release after gaining accolades on the art house market. If you’re feeling up for a “serious” outing, the following should suit your high-minded need:

A Most Violent Year

Though Jessica Chastain is certainly the biggest name here, both her and Oscar Isaac have been slowly growing their respective reputations as front runners for the best scripts around. Chastain made her go with Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar-winner Zero Dark Thirty and Isaac hit his stride in the Coen Brothers’ sorrowfully underplayed Inside Llewyn Davis. Why not have the two meet up as a power couple in a moody New York City, towing the line between gangster violence and running an honest business?

A Most Violent Year is reviewing quite well in the run-up to wide release, critics lauding the two stars, each pulsating in this unique marital duet of subversive and understated power against each other and the violent world around them. Also, it’s a chance to see Isaac before he explodes onto the scene in next year’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

American Sniper

You’ve likely already seen that one trailer. Bradley Cooper is sitting behind a high-power sniper rifle, surveying a modern-day Middle East war zone as a young boy and a woman cross his sights. One of them has a bomb and it’s his terrible decision to make. Don’t expect to exit the theater laughing. Cooper plays real-life United States SEAL Chris Kyle, the sniper with the most recorded kills in U.S. history.

This true story hits the big screen under the often quiet and contemplative direction of Clint Eastwood. He seems to have found the perfect western twang in Cooper as the two wrestle with America’s wars through the narrowed scope of one very dangerous man. Though critics aren’t completely torn, some are praising the film’s realism and directness in its approach to the toll of war on one man and his family, while others just highlight Cooper’s performance and deride the tunnel vision Eastwood’s taken to the subject matter.

Selma

Of all the movies on this list, Selma screams Oscar the absolute most. Is it a true story? Yes. Is it about a universally revered man who crafted great change? Yes. Does it reflect an alarming relevancy to current events? You betcha. Martin Luther King Jr. goes front and center, portrayed by David Oweloyo with eerie likeness, as he leads the fateful civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama.

Reception is all around great. The critics are soaking in the film’s biographical approach, similar to Spielberg’s Lincoln for its ability to fully examine King within a short window, rather than some sprawling, epic life story. Protesters and other players get their fair share of screen time as well, all the more highlighting King’s own contributions to the cause as well as everybody else’s.

Inherent Vice

Everything about Inherent Vice is deliberately oddball, but we’d expect no less from acclaimed director Paul Thomas Anderson. Whereas with previous award-winners Magnolia and There Will Be Blood Anderson dripped humor in around the drama, this time around he’s gone full nutjob and perhaps created his most divisive film yet. Some love it, some hate it. That’s not too surprising for a film based off a novel from Thomas Pynchon, whose prose is as complex as it is oft tangential.

Joaquin Phoenix bobs his way through the reportedly jumpy script as private detective in the groovy ’60s and ’70s, bumping heads with an eclectic cast along the way. There’s a kidnapping plot somewhere in there, but it’s more about the shenanigans than the middle, beginning and end. In that order.

If those three movies are meant to be taken seriously, then the following two are how we relax. Perhaps the Academy frowns upon action heroes and far-flung plots, but we casual moviegoers know better. It’s about the entertainment, after all.

Blackhat

At first glance, Blackhat and its starring man, Chris Hemsworth, seem a bit too far-fetched, a bit too fantastical to fit into the hacker-turned-hero casting call of this latest thriller. The trailers depict a lot of people yelling none-too-interesting bits of hooha about evil hackers and good hackers and all the innocent bystanders standing in between all the geniuses. Only one detail should stand out, but it’s one that matters. This is all from director Michael Mann, the guy who brought us Heat, Collateral and The Last of the Mohicans.

He doesn’t put out a film all that often (the last one, Public Enemies, hit in 2009), so it’s worth paying attention when he does. Mann’s best films dig into the psyches of criminals, the kind we love and the kind we hate, so the world-disrupting hackers of Blackhat is a great start. Expect the best kind of old-school thriller/action scene-setting with just a touch of modern paranoia. Maybe more than a touch.

Taken 3

Let’s admit this right now: Taken 2 was a rushed mess completely derivative of the first, far superior film. Shame on us, let’s try and get fooled again. The best evidence towards Taken 3 outdoing its predecessor is the primary marketing line for the film: It Ends Here. It’s the first of the series to take place primarily in the U.S., with constantly underestimated hero Brian Mills on the run in L.A. after the murder of his wife. He has to protect his last remaining family member, that daughter that can’t seem to figure out how to run, by doing sweet action stunts and driving cars into stuff that cars wouldn’t normally drive into.

This is the Liam Neeson series that inspired a million Liam Neeson movies, so it deserves our respect. Forest Whitaker classes up the joint as the guy on Neeson’s tail. His investigation is going to blow Mills’ mysterious past wide open, and with an end clearly in sight the writers have no limit to the pain and suffering they can bring their ill-fated hero. To be clear, that’s a good thing for the audience.

Predestination

You’d be forgiven for having no idea that this movie existed before reading this article. Directing duo the Spierberg Brothers and Ethan Hawke, who previously collaborated with the vampire flick Daybreakers, go for time travel next. Predestination gives us Hawke as a Temporal Agent, a special dude who saves people’s lives by preventing stuff from happening, jumping from decade to decade, from head trip to rabbit hole, all the while mentoring another time traveler portrayed by newcomer Sarah Snook.

Hawke knows sci-fi and the Spierberg Brothers seem to be gaining traction in their clean, mind-bending style. This one’s got a chance to hit cult status down the line, so if you want to be hip you need to get on the bandwagon while it”s still just a wagon. In this scenario you’d be the band, making you the coolest cat around.

7 January Movies Worthy of Using Your Holiday Gift Card

Jealous of the shopping options of fictional characters? We can relate. After all, if we could shop Amazon for the magical items that turn normal people into heroes, we wouldn’t need to watch movies, would we? But while we can’t buy a car with funny doors that travels through time, we can buy Marty McFly’s color-changing hat.

So for anyone who’s ever been in a theater or on a couch and let out a sigh because of the limited options of their hometown mall… We present these movie replicas you actually can buy:

Marty McFly’s Color Changing Hat (Back to the Future Part II)

2015 is almost here, and you’re going to need something to wear when you take your hover-board to the hologram theater. The 80s perspective of the 2010s are pretty… 80s. But at least this hat still looks like its from the future. Made from a mysterious futuristic material known as “plastic,” this hat really changes color from different angles.

View Marty McFly’s Color Changing Hat on Amazon

Chalice of Kali (Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom)

There’s only one cup that really brings out the full flavor of the Blood of Kali Ma, and that’s this Chalice of Kali (the Blood of Kali Ma really has to breath for a few minutes for the best taste). For discerning dinner guest like Indiana Jones, you may need to “persuade” them into drinking from this in the Thuggee fashion: holding their head down and their mouth open.

View the Chalice of Kali at Amazon

Batman Prop Set (The Dark Knight)

Playing cards, coins, a pin, and a deadly weapon. What more could a Bat-fan want? This Warner Bros. official prop set comes with three Joker cards (one in a creepy classic style, one in a creepy weird style, and one with Batman… which we don’t remember from the movie…), two replica Harvey Dent coins, a Harvey Dent pin, and a small Batarang we’re guessing could really work as a weapon if you threw it hard enough (please don’t).

View the Batman Prop Set on WBShop

The Time Turner (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)

Hermione was entrusted with the Time Turner so she could study twice as much and help her friend fight the forces of evil. We’d probably just use it to get twice as drunk for cheap by redoing Happy Hour.

View Hermione’s Time Turner on ThinkGeek

ASHPD (Portal series)

While not a movie replica, we just couldn’t resist. The Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device is supposed to create a pair of portals that lets the user teleport… although ours seems to be broken. At least it still looks cool. And this kits lets you customize its look with 4 Aperture Laboratory Decals and the capability to switch between 4 different colors on the LED light – plus Sound Effects from the game when you pull the trigger!

View the ASHPD on Amazon

Sting (The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogies)

There’s no better craftsmanship than Elven craftsmanship. This replica of the “epic” dagger has been in the Baggins family for years, used by both Bilbo and Frodo. Unfortunately it does not glow blue when orcs are near… then again, maybe it does, but we just never encountered any orcs in our day-to-day lives.

View Sting on Amazon

Ghost Trap (the Ghostbusters series)

Who has seen Ghostbusters and didn’t want each and every toy they used! Well, at least now we can tick off one of our childhood fantasies. This replica rolls and opens with a pedal switch, plus has “spooky” sound effects and lights. Even though it claims to be authentic, we’re not sure owning it would make us feel any safer in the event of a real ghost attack.

View the Ghost Trap at Amazon

7 Fantastic Movie Replicas You Can Actually Buy

The Back-to-school season is in full swing. Even if your own high school days are (thankfully) long gone, here are some of the greatest high school movies to get you in the back-to-school spirit, and maybe even teach you a few life lessons along the way (because that’s what high school movies are for, right?)

The Breakfast Club (1985)

In what many consider to be the best high school movie ever made, five kids from different cliques (an athlete, basket case, princess, brain, and criminal) are forced to spend a Saturday in detention together and discover they have a lot more in common than they ever would have thought. The lesson: don’t judge someone until you get to know them.

Superbad (2007)

Seth and Evan are two nerdy guys who get into all sorts of (hilarious) trouble trying to be “cool” and score booze for a party hosted by the girls they like. In the end, though, it turns out the girls they were trying so hard to impress actually like them just the way they are — dorkiness and all. The lesson: don’t try to be someone that you’re not.*

*But if you do, at least pick a better alias than “McLovin.”

Hoosiers (1986)

In Hoosiers (one of the best high school sports movies out there), a small town basketball team, led by a down-and-out coach (Gene Hackman), ends up making it to the state championships, beating lots of bigger, more athletic players along the way. Plenty of inspirational locker room speeches and final second buzzer-beaters make this movie a sports classic. The lesson: root for the underdog.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Napoleon Dynamite is like, the embodiment of weird. But he’s totally cool with that. The lesson: be who you are (and dance like no one’s watching).

Heathers (1989)

The original (and much better) Mean Girls gives us a glimpse inside the world of the most popular girls in school. And it’s not so pretty. The lesson: cliques are overrated.

Bring it On (2000)

In Bring it On, the best of the gazillion teen flicks that were so popular in the late 90s/early 2000s, Torrence (Kirsten Dunst), newly appointed cheer captain, learns that her team has been stealing routines* from a rival squad. Not only does she decide her team must come up with all new routines, she raises money so that their rivals can compete against them at the state championships. The lesson: it’s better to play fair and lose than to cheat and win.

*Tell me I’m not the only one that still can’t help chanting “Brr, it’s cold in here…” anytime I’m feeling a bit chilly?

Karate Kid (1984)

At the end of the film, during the championship fight, a hobbling, nearly defeated Daniel pulls out the Crane Kick and dramatically defeats his opponent. The lesson: even if things are looking pretty grim, never give up.

 Orange County (2002)

In one of the most underrated movies of all time, Shawn (Colin Hanks) spends a lot of time being mad at his dysfunctional family for getting in the way of his dream of attending Stanford University and becoming a writer. But in the end, it’s his crazy family that provides the inspiration for his first book. The lesson: no matter how nuts they are, family is family.

Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)

Any good back-to-school movies list just has to include the cult favorite Bill & Ted, in which a couple of high school dudes travel back in time and meet a bunch of historical figures that help them with their history presentation. The lesson: turns out you can learn a lot from those old dudes from the past.

Freaky Friday (1976)

In Freaky Friday, a mother and daughter magically switch bodies and gain a new kind of appreciation (and respect) for each other.  The lesson: being a teenager is hard; so is being a grown up.

Footloose (1984)

This movie, about a teenager who takes on a city that outlaws dancing, definitely seemed a lot less cheesy when I was 9, but it’s definitely worth watching again to see Kevin Bacon’s sweet dance moves (it’s streaming on Netflix). The lesson: fight hard (or dance hard?) for what you believe in.

Clueless (1995)

In this cinematic masterpiece that gave the world its first real taste of Paul Rudd, spoiled high schooler Cher learns that doing nice things for other people is even more fun than shopping. The lesson: helping others can be pretty rewarding.

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

In this classic film about a kid’s epic day of playing hooky, Bueller says, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” The lesson: have fun.

13 Movies That Will Put You In the Mood To Head Back to School

What is it about behind-the-scene film photos that make them so fascinating? Does it tantalize the fantasy of being a directer in all of us? Or is it because these movies are so artfully crafted and paint the picture of their world so well that these kinds of photos are jarring to think that the movies behind them are not fact but fiction.

I’m not sure, but I do enjoy a good photo of Freddy Krueger carrying a ghetto-box. Here are 20 of my favorite film photos:

Wayne’s World (1992)

Tron (1982)

The Matrix Revolutions (2003)

The Godfather (1972)

The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

Rebel Without A Cause (1955)

Raiders Of The Lost Ark (1981)

Monty Python And The Holy Grail (1975)

Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom (1984)

Independence Day (1996)

Goldeneye (1995)

Frankenstein (1931)

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986)

Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004)

Casino Royale (2006)

CaddyShack (1980)

Blade Runner (1982)

Batman (1989)

American Psycho (2000)

A Nightmare On Elm Street (1984)

20 Amazing Behind-the-Scene Film Photos