It sounds strange to say about a show I haven't watched regularly in two years — and barely at all in its final season — and stopped consistently enjoying long before that, but there was a time when I loved "Sons of Anarchy" about as much as anything on TV. Back in the day, Kurt Sutter's biker "Hamlet" was one of the shows I most enjoyed watching, writing about, and debating with critics and fans alike. In its second season in particular, it was one of the very best shows on television (on that year's Top 10 list, I had it only a couple of spots behind "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad") and every bit the Next Great FX Drama you would expect from Sutter, who apprenticed on "The Shield" and penned many of that show's most memorable (and/or disgusting) moments. In retrospect, that second season — pitting Samcro against a band...
- 12/9/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
As an avid Texas Hold’em player, I’ve honed my ability to read statuesque poker faces concealing the slightest tell (a subconscious sign revealing your rival’s hand). Sure, developing such a sleuthy skill has helped build a nice bankroll for my casino trips, but I’ve also carried this talent over into my film criticism as well. Just because a movie isn’t human doesn’t mean there aren’t tells scattered about the script and screen, as filmmakers unintentionally show their hand long before the cards are flipped. Foreshadowing, heavy-handed-dialogue, condemning red herrings – it’s not that hard to spot a tell.
Squaring off against Greg Francis’ Poker Night, I didn’t expect to face an opponent with Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu’s swagger. Establishing itself as a criminal thriller, we meet a police officer named Jeter (Beau Mirchoff) the night he’s abducted by a masked...
Squaring off against Greg Francis’ Poker Night, I didn’t expect to face an opponent with Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu’s swagger. Establishing itself as a criminal thriller, we meet a police officer named Jeter (Beau Mirchoff) the night he’s abducted by a masked...
- 12/3/2014
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
Academy Award winner Adrien Brody has been cast in the title tole of Lee Tamahori's revenge tale “Emporer.” Brody (“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “The Pianist”) will play Emporer Charles V, a brilliant strategist trying to hold together his vast empire amid debauchery, sex and treason. Also read: Adrien Brody's ‘Houdini’ Miniseries Gets Green Light From History It is written by Michael Thomas III (“The Devil's Double”) and the script was adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher (“The Dutchess). Production begins in August 2014, and filming will take place in the Czech Republic and Belgium. Corsan World Sales is handling sales, and Paradigm Talent Agency is.
- 5/19/2014
- by Tim Molloy
- The Wrap
Review by Barbie Snitzer
The first lines of dialogue in Now You See Me are:
“The closer you look, the less you see. The more you think you see, the easier it will be to fool you.”
With poorer syntax, this could easily sound like a fortune cookie written by Yoda, but it’s not.
These lines are offered seductively by J.Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) as answers to the young lady for whom he’s performing a card trick. He’s speaking in measured tones, mesmerizing a young woman à la David Copperfield, sans the creepiness but on the same massive scale.
When you see the result, you will understand why this young lady, whom he’s marked for that evening’s lovefest, did not hesitate to go home with a street performer nor question for a moment if he even had a home.
As they start, you know,...
The first lines of dialogue in Now You See Me are:
“The closer you look, the less you see. The more you think you see, the easier it will be to fool you.”
With poorer syntax, this could easily sound like a fortune cookie written by Yoda, but it’s not.
These lines are offered seductively by J.Daniel Atlas (Jesse Eisenberg) as answers to the young lady for whom he’s performing a card trick. He’s speaking in measured tones, mesmerizing a young woman à la David Copperfield, sans the creepiness but on the same massive scale.
When you see the result, you will understand why this young lady, whom he’s marked for that evening’s lovefest, did not hesitate to go home with a street performer nor question for a moment if he even had a home.
As they start, you know,...
- 5/31/2013
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Louis Leterrier's magician movie Now You See Me may not have pulled a rabbit out of its hat exactly, but it has delivered the next best thing: a cache of new motion posters. This one, courtesy of Buzz Sugar, shows Henley, Isla Fisher's escapologist, well, escapologing.Other posters doted around the web show off fellow casties Michael Caine, Jesse Eisenberg, David Franco, Mark Ruffalo and Woody Harrelson. Click on the names above to see them in full motion-enhanced prestidigitation mode.A Prestige-y thriller of illusion and double-cross, Now You See Me centres on a wildly audacious band of robbers called the Four Horsemen. Jesse Eisenberg stars as Atlas, the leader of the Horsemen; a team that also includes Woody Harrelson, Fisher's Houdini-alike escapologist and Dave Franco. When Atlas and his partners contrive to send a rich man to his bank in France from their Vegas stage – and...
- 5/15/2013
- EmpireOnline
Back in 2006, two dueling movies about magicians happened to hit theatres around the same time: Christopher Nolan's The Prestige and Neil Burger's The Illusionist. Now it appears that magic is back in vogue again as another wave of magic-related films are headed our way including Mandrake the Magician, McG's Magic Castle movie, and a new Houdini biopic. Before any of those even head into production, however, we will be getting something a little bit different: a heist flick that revolves around a group of magicians who use their skills to steal from the rich and give to the poor. The movie is called Now You See Me, and it stars Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher and Dave Franco as this group of illusionists known as "The Four Horsemen", who face off against a team of FBI agents led by Mark Ruffalo. Although the premise is somewhat intriguing,...
- 11/19/2012
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
There are some actors who end up staying stuck in a particular realm of acting, never crawling out of their performance cocoon. If we're comparing actors to the different stages of a butterfly, then Ryan Gosling's been flapping his pretty wings around the acting realm for a few years now. Between his work in "Half Nelson," "Lars and the Real Girl" and now Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive," this man is turning into an unstoppable acting force. Gosling pushes his acting abilities even further with the help of truly creative director Nicolas Winding Refn in a high octane and beautifully shot thrill ride in "Drive." Gosling plays a man of few words who's a stunt car driver by day and a getaway driver by night. Once he becomes entangled in a heist gone horribly wrong, it's up to the soft spoken and skilled man to make things right again.
- 9/15/2011
- LRMonline.com
Ryan Gosling is in the proverbial driver’s seat when it comes to his career. To say he is hot right now is an understatement. After charming in Crazy Stupid Love, Gosling has two films that will heat up the fall: George Clooney’s The Ides of March and Drive. Drive is an astounding piece of filmmaking and firmly establishes Gosling as a Hollywood superstar. Gosling sat down with Movie Fanatic in Los Angeles right before heading to Toronto to promote Drive and Ides of March (don’t miss our Gosling in Toronto Ides interview coming soon!).
Gosling first caught audiences’ attention in, of all things, The Mickey Mouse Club opposite none other than Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. The Canadian-born actor is now an Oscar nominee and a certified movie star after his turn in the unforgettable The Notebook.
In Drive, audiences get to see Gosling in a whole new light.
Gosling first caught audiences’ attention in, of all things, The Mickey Mouse Club opposite none other than Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake. The Canadian-born actor is now an Oscar nominee and a certified movie star after his turn in the unforgettable The Notebook.
In Drive, audiences get to see Gosling in a whole new light.
- 9/14/2011
- by joel.amos@moviefanatic.com (Joel D Amos)
- Reel Movie News
A couple of days ago it was reported that DreamWorks purchased a script from J. Michael Straczynski called Voices From The Dead. The story follows magician Harry Houdini, detective Sherlock Holmes, and writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as they solve a string of murders in 1920's New York with the help of a psychic friend.
The SyFy Channel is also developing a TV series based around this same idea. This series is no way involved with the movie DreamWorks is making. It will be called Among the Spirits, and the project is a drama that also follows Houdini and Doyle solving mysteries in 1920s. The series was named after Houdini's book A Magician Among the Spirits published in 1924, and is based on self-published graphic novel Among the Spirits by writers Steve Valentine and Paul Chart.
President of original programming Mark Stern had this to say about the project, "I...
The SyFy Channel is also developing a TV series based around this same idea. This series is no way involved with the movie DreamWorks is making. It will be called Among the Spirits, and the project is a drama that also follows Houdini and Doyle solving mysteries in 1920s. The series was named after Houdini's book A Magician Among the Spirits published in 1924, and is based on self-published graphic novel Among the Spirits by writers Steve Valentine and Paul Chart.
President of original programming Mark Stern had this to say about the project, "I...
- 2/11/2011
- by Venkman
- GeekTyrant
Exclusive: Just the other day, Mike Fleming reported on DreamWorks acquiring Voices from the Dead, an original script by Changeling and Thor scribe J. Michael Straczynski. Based on the real-life friendship between magician Harry Houdini and mystery author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, it is a fictional account of how they teamed up with a psychic to solve bizarre murders in 1920s New York. Independently, Syfy had been negotiating for Among the Spirits, a drama series project about Houdini and Doyle solving mysteries in 1920s, with the deal closing at the very time the feature announcement was coming out. "I guess there is something in the air about that whole time period and that very interesting relationship between Houdini and Doyle," said Syfy's president of original programming Mark Stern. (Both Syfy brass and the producers of Among the Spirits first heard about Voices from the Dead from reading our story.
- 2/11/2011
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
I have to say, I'm really starting to be optimistic about this season. The writers at Heller and Co. seem to have heard our gripes about the things that went wrong in season two and are fast on the way to fixing them! Although, this is probably the worst title for an episode, ever. We are met with Jane, still isolating himself in his "Bat Cave," at Cbi headquarters, playing with a remote control helicopter. He receives a call from his brother in law, Danny Ruskin (Kevin Rankin), who has gotten himself into a bit of trouble and needs Jane's help. This is the first family we've seen for Patrice Jane, other than flash backs of his wife and daughter, so it should make for some interesting interactions. Of course, Jane goes to meet Danny, and in true Jane-style, digs himself in deeper. Police arrive at an office building to...
- 10/4/2010
- by mbijeaux@corp.popstar.com (Melissa Bijeaux)
- TVStar
Pen Densham is the director behind The Kiss starring exotic beauty Joanna Pacula, ever so wholesome teen superstar Meredith Salenger, the legendary Jan Rubes and feature directing superstar Shawn Levy (Cheaper by the Dozen, Night at the Museum, and Date Night to name a few). The Kiss deals with the title smooch being passed down from one generation to the next. Unfortunately, for poor little Meredith Salenger she is next in line to receive this deadly kiss from her aunt, Joanna Pacula. Initially a flop when it first came out, The Kiss has found an ever growing following over the past few years due to the film being released at the height of the DVD craze. We had the chance to ask Pen Densham a few questions about The Kiss. Here is what he had to say.
So who is Pen Densham and what are you all about?
Wow – Not an easy question.
So who is Pen Densham and what are you all about?
Wow – Not an easy question.
- 9/27/2010
- by Big Daddy aka Brandon Sites
- Big Daddy Horror Reviews - Interviews
DVD Playhouse—December 2009
By
Allen Gardner
Public Enemies (Universal) Johnny Depp portrays legendary Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger in co- writer/director Michael Mann’s take on America’s first “Public Enemy Number One.” Like many big studio releases today, Public Enemies has it all: A-list talent before and behind the camera, but lacks a heart or soul that allows its audience to connect with it. Film plays out like a “true crime” TV show with re-enactments of famous events cast with top actors and shot by the best technicians in the business, with little, if any, character or story development to hold it together in between. A real disappointment from one of our finest filmmakers and finest actors. The lone standout: the great character actor Stephen Lang as a hard-eyed lawman who’s seen a lot, but manages to retain a tiny piece of his heart. For a better take on the same subject,...
By
Allen Gardner
Public Enemies (Universal) Johnny Depp portrays legendary Depression-era bank robber John Dillinger in co- writer/director Michael Mann’s take on America’s first “Public Enemy Number One.” Like many big studio releases today, Public Enemies has it all: A-list talent before and behind the camera, but lacks a heart or soul that allows its audience to connect with it. Film plays out like a “true crime” TV show with re-enactments of famous events cast with top actors and shot by the best technicians in the business, with little, if any, character or story development to hold it together in between. A real disappointment from one of our finest filmmakers and finest actors. The lone standout: the great character actor Stephen Lang as a hard-eyed lawman who’s seen a lot, but manages to retain a tiny piece of his heart. For a better take on the same subject,...
- 12/19/2009
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Pen Densham has been set to direct "Big Bill," a feature about the self-destructive tennis legend Bill Tilden.According to Variety, Gil Dennis ("Walk the Line") wrote the script, based on the Frank Deford book "Big Bill: The Triumphs and the Tragedy."Baldwin Entertainment and GlennIris Entertainment have put together the funding to make the picture.Densham hasn't directed a feature since 1996's "Moll Flanders," though he directed the 1998 telepic "Houdini" for TNT. He has busied himself writing and producing such projects as the series revivals of "The Outer Limits" and "The Twilight Zone" for his Trilogy Entertainment Group.In the 1920s, Tilden won six straight U.S. Open singles titles, a feat that Roger Federer will try to surpass this month. Tilden was...
- 8/13/2009
- by Adnan Tezer
- Monsters and Critics
Pen Densham has signed on to direct Big Bill, a feature about the self-destructive tennis legend Bill Tilden. Gil Dennis (Walk the Line) wrote the script, based on the Frank Deford book Big Bill: The Triumphs and the Tragedy. In the 1920s, Tilden won six straight U.S. Open singles titles, a feat that Roger Federer will try to surpass this month. Tilden's accomplishments -- including stints as a novelist, playwright and contract bridge champion -- were marred by his imprisonment twice for sexual misbehavior with teenage boys. He died broke. Tilden was the first American to win Wimbledon, and he led the U.S. Davis Cup team to six straight titles. He was also meticulous about obeying the rules on court -- if he got an undeserved call, he would hit the next ball out to even things up -- and refused to soft sell his indiscretions. Densham hasn't...
- 8/13/2009
- by James Cook
- TheMovingPicture.net
By Neil Pedley
This week finds the U.S. Army bringing war games to a whole other level, a '60s sex icon getting an exposé, Ron Perlman returning as the defender of small fluffy kittens everywhere and Eddie Murphy taking cinema egotism to new heights.
"August"
After the warm reception his first feature "Xx/Xy" received at Sundance in 2002, director Austin Chick returned to the snowy slopes of Park City to debut his sophomore effort, which seemed to impress our own Matt Singer when he saw it in January. Assembling an noteworthy ensemble that includes the likes of Robin Tunney, Naomie Harris, Rip Torn and David Bowie, Chick follows Tom and Josh Sterling (Josh Hartnett and Adam Scott, respectively), two brothers desperately trying to right the sinking ship of their failing dot-com company in the weeks leading up to the devastating September 11th attacks.
Opens in New York.
"Days...
This week finds the U.S. Army bringing war games to a whole other level, a '60s sex icon getting an exposé, Ron Perlman returning as the defender of small fluffy kittens everywhere and Eddie Murphy taking cinema egotism to new heights.
"August"
After the warm reception his first feature "Xx/Xy" received at Sundance in 2002, director Austin Chick returned to the snowy slopes of Park City to debut his sophomore effort, which seemed to impress our own Matt Singer when he saw it in January. Assembling an noteworthy ensemble that includes the likes of Robin Tunney, Naomie Harris, Rip Torn and David Bowie, Chick follows Tom and Josh Sterling (Josh Hartnett and Adam Scott, respectively), two brothers desperately trying to right the sinking ship of their failing dot-com company in the weeks leading up to the devastating September 11th attacks.
Opens in New York.
"Days...
- 7/15/2008
- by Neil Pedley
- ifc.com
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