Guardians of the Galaxy

It’s that time of the year, when pop culture websites and critics publish their annual Best Of lists and we heap praise on the best and most beloved movies and TV shows of the year. But what about the average moviegoer and TV-viewer? That’s where Facebook comes in. The social media site has released their top 10 movies and top 10 TV shows of the year, based on the most discussed titled of 2014. While some are fairly obvious, the lists might surprise you and inspire you to contemplate the overlap between what’s popular and what’s actually good.

Trailers are a huge part of the fabric of movies. They play before every film shown in theaters, and on every movie website around the world. They’re commercials, obviously, but they’re also more than that; miniature works of art that utilize the core elements of cinema—image, sound, music, action, editing—at their most pure and refined. And today at ScreenCrush we’re celebrating movie trailers by saluting the best sneak previews of 2014.

Everyone loves comic book trivia, but with 75 years of superhero comics behind us right now, there's always some new obscure fact to learn. That's why ComicsAlliance is going deep into the minutiae of your favorite characters in our new video series. You think you know comics? Well here's a few things you might not know! This week, we're going deep with the biggest movie stars of the summer, the Guardians of the Galaxy! Find out about their obscure origins as a time-tossed team battling the galactic scourge of the Badoon, all the way up to their rebirth as one of the decade's most prominent franchises!

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ is the biggest movie of 2014. It’s made over $750 million worldwide. Kids love it. Adults love it. Grandparents even love it. Lots of people (us included!) have seen the movie multiple times, but do you know everything there is to know about Marvel’s latest superhero phenomenon? They're the frickin Guardians of the Galaxy!

The whole Marvel Cinematic Universe is based around the fact that the strongest power in the universe are these magical Infinity Stones, gems of incredible power over time and space. When Ronan the Accuser combines an Infinity Stone with his hammer in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy,’ he becomes nigh-invulnerable and almost unbeatable. The only things left to stop him from destroying the universe are the Guardians… and dance moves. Sweet hot funky dance moves.

As successful as 'Guardians of the Galaxy' was at the box-office (and, as the highest-grossing film of the year, it certainly was that), the film's iconic soundtrack was equally as successful. "Awesome Mix Vol. 1" spent two weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and is currently the 10th largest selling album of 2014. You've been able to buy the digital album, the CD, vinyl and even a "Deluxe Edition," but so far, no actual cassette like the mix tape in the film. But, that's all about to change.

We all know what you've been thinking since you saw Rocket Raccoon and dancing Groot steal our hearts on the big screen: when can we take home Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy' on Blu-ray and DVD, or even Digital Download? Just, when can we take this bad boy home, period? Well, you're in luck, because Marvel announced the home release dates for its superhero space opera. And guess what?! They come with an exclusive sneak peek at 'Avengers 2'!

30 years after their comic book debut and several decades since they last ruled the box office, the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' returned this week and proved that they're as relevant and popular as ever. Although many people wondered if the turtles would have the power to overtake Marvel's 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' it now seems obvious in retrospect: of course they could...

Ahead, Oscar-winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne takes us through a handful of the major characters from 'Guardians of the Galaxy' and explains the trials and tribulations of dressing the most infamous band of a-holes in the galaxy.

While Thanos won't pop up in 'Avengers 2,' according to Marvel's Kevin Feige, we will get to see him in 'Guardians of the Galaxy.' At Comic-Con, the Marvel Studios president and producer told us there will be a shot of him replicating that iconic image of the Mad Titan lounging on his throne, and now the first look image has leaked out.

Undoubtedly the Marvel Comics stories that brought the Guardians of the Galaxy back to the forefront of fans' minds -- and shaped the versions of the characters that appear in the movie that opens next week -- were Annihilation and Annihilation: Conquest. Those series were also a bit of a revival for another character, Nova. And in a recent interview with ScreenCrush, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige said some early drafts of the Guardians of the Galaxy script included the Richard Rider version of Nova.