One of the most visible social media stars of Bernie Sanders's underdog campaign against Hillary Clinton was Oliver Jack Carter Lomas-Davis, better known on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter as the "Bernie Baby." Lomas-Davis's mother Souxsie would dress her son up as the upstart Vermont senator, decked out in Sanders's trademark gravity-defying hair and thick-rimmed glasses. And sadly, according to Lomas's Facebook, her son died on Feb. 25 at just 4 months old, of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Sanders met Oliver Jack at a rally in Las Vegas a few weeks ago, and was snapped grinning at his doppelgänger. (function(d, s,...
- 3/3/2016
- by Alex Heigl, @alex_heigl
- PEOPLE.com
To celebrate the October 16th release of the horror anthology Tales of Halloween, Daily Dead spoke to the filmmakers behind the movie to discuss the project, their individual contributions, and more.
The only directing duo contributing to Tales of Halloween, John Skipp (writer of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5) and Andrew Kasch (Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy) have a lot to say about making a movie with their friends and the current state of horror. Their segment, “This Means War,” about a pair of neighbors feuding over Halloween decorations, deals with this very subject.
One of the things I love about Tales of Halloween is that so many of the segments deal with different aspects of the holiday. Yours tackles Halloween decorations... sort of. Where did the inspiration for your short, "This Means War", come from?
Andrew Kasch: Halloween haunts are my jam! Each year, I hit...
The only directing duo contributing to Tales of Halloween, John Skipp (writer of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5) and Andrew Kasch (Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy) have a lot to say about making a movie with their friends and the current state of horror. Their segment, “This Means War,” about a pair of neighbors feuding over Halloween decorations, deals with this very subject.
One of the things I love about Tales of Halloween is that so many of the segments deal with different aspects of the holiday. Yours tackles Halloween decorations... sort of. Where did the inspiration for your short, "This Means War", come from?
Andrew Kasch: Halloween haunts are my jam! Each year, I hit...
- 10/13/2015
- by Patrick Bromley
- DailyDead
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.
New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only
"Insurgent"
Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Kate Winslet return as Tris, Four and The Wicked Witch of Erudite in this sequel to "Divergent," which has its Digital HD premiere on July 21, ahead of the DVD/Blu-ray/On Demand release on August 4. The Digital HD/3-D Blu-ray Combo Pack/Blu-ray include more than four hours of bonus material, including audio commentary with producers Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher; "Insurgent Unlocked: The Ultimate Behind-the-Scenes Access" feature-Length documentary; and five featurettes: "Diverging: Adapting Insurgent to the Screen," "From Divergent to Insurgent," "The Others: Cast and Characters," "The Train Fight Unlocked," and "The Peter Hayes Story."
"Before We Go"
Chris Evans -- aka Captain America -- makes his...
New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only
"Insurgent"
Shailene Woodley, Theo James and Kate Winslet return as Tris, Four and The Wicked Witch of Erudite in this sequel to "Divergent," which has its Digital HD premiere on July 21, ahead of the DVD/Blu-ray/On Demand release on August 4. The Digital HD/3-D Blu-ray Combo Pack/Blu-ray include more than four hours of bonus material, including audio commentary with producers Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher; "Insurgent Unlocked: The Ultimate Behind-the-Scenes Access" feature-Length documentary; and five featurettes: "Diverging: Adapting Insurgent to the Screen," "From Divergent to Insurgent," "The Others: Cast and Characters," "The Train Fight Unlocked," and "The Peter Hayes Story."
"Before We Go"
Chris Evans -- aka Captain America -- makes his...
- 7/20/2015
- by Gina Carbone
- Moviefone
(Spoiler alert: Do not read on if you have not yet seen the series finale of NBC’s “Parenthood” entitled “May God Bless and Keep You Always.”)
In true “Parenthood” fashion, the NBC dramedy said farewell with a few laughs and plenty of tears. The most engrossing family drama in recent years really resonated with its hardcore base of fans, who showed up in droves to say goodbye.
They also took to social media, posting on Facebook and sending the Twitter hashtag #BravermanForever to the top of the rankings throughout the night on Thursday.
Also Read: NBC Orders Comedy Pilot...
In true “Parenthood” fashion, the NBC dramedy said farewell with a few laughs and plenty of tears. The most engrossing family drama in recent years really resonated with its hardcore base of fans, who showed up in droves to say goodbye.
They also took to social media, posting on Facebook and sending the Twitter hashtag #BravermanForever to the top of the rankings throughout the night on Thursday.
Also Read: NBC Orders Comedy Pilot...
- 1/30/2015
- by Jason Hughes
- The Wrap
Rocky is likely to be a Broadway success – so which of Sly's other films deserve the song and dance treatment?
Rocky is far from the first movie to be turned into a Broadway musical, but it might be the most unexpected. Ever since Sylvester Stallone and the Klitschko brothers announced their plan to inject Stallone's plucky underdog story with the requisite razzle-dazzle to make it fly on stage, the project has piqued curiosity like little else.
If the musical turns out to be a hit – and, judging by the superlative reviews it received when it debuted in Germany two years ago, it's likely – then the next step is already painfully obvious. Sylvester Stallone is a man who made five separate sequels to Rocky. The idea of restraint is completely alien to him. If people go and see a Rocky musical, he's bound to flood the market with musicals based on his other films.
Rocky is far from the first movie to be turned into a Broadway musical, but it might be the most unexpected. Ever since Sylvester Stallone and the Klitschko brothers announced their plan to inject Stallone's plucky underdog story with the requisite razzle-dazzle to make it fly on stage, the project has piqued curiosity like little else.
If the musical turns out to be a hit – and, judging by the superlative reviews it received when it debuted in Germany two years ago, it's likely – then the next step is already painfully obvious. Sylvester Stallone is a man who made five separate sequels to Rocky. The idea of restraint is completely alien to him. If people go and see a Rocky musical, he's bound to flood the market with musicals based on his other films.
- 3/12/2014
- by Stuart Heritage
- The Guardian - Film News
The following is an expanded article Clothes on Film editor Chris Laverty wrote for men’s style resource Mr Porter analysing Michael Caine’s suits in The Italian Job. This post covers all the costumes he wore during the film.
If The Italian Job (1969) needs any introduction at all it might be possible you’ve been in a coma for the past 40 years. It’s so well known and so well loved that were it not for the fact that no-one has really delved into the sartorial details of Michael Caine’s suits there would be nothing left to talk about. As it happens we have spent time studying and researching The Italian Job for this very purpose; we even got in touch with Caine’s original tailor for the film, Douglas Hayward (now just ‘Hayward’ since he sadly died in 2008) to confirm the particulars on those scalpel sharp suits that still make us drool.
If The Italian Job (1969) needs any introduction at all it might be possible you’ve been in a coma for the past 40 years. It’s so well known and so well loved that were it not for the fact that no-one has really delved into the sartorial details of Michael Caine’s suits there would be nothing left to talk about. As it happens we have spent time studying and researching The Italian Job for this very purpose; we even got in touch with Caine’s original tailor for the film, Douglas Hayward (now just ‘Hayward’ since he sadly died in 2008) to confirm the particulars on those scalpel sharp suits that still make us drool.
- 1/28/2014
- by Lord Christopher Laverty
- Clothes on Film
Disney certainly has their hands full these days. It seems like the Mouse House owns the rights to almost every successful franchise on the planet. You've got Marvel Comics characters, the world of Oz, the Muppets, Star Wars, and now The Lone Ranger.
Most Disney films do quite well at the box office, but every now and then a flop comes along. Even though I loved the movie myself, the studio considers John Carter to be a miserable failure. Westerns don't do very well in the theater these days. One would think a producer investing in a movie about a masked outlaw and his Indian companion in the Old West would work out about as well as putting the money in a few bags and throwing it into a fiery furnace. Apparently, not if the Indian happens to be Johnny Depp and the director is Pirates of the Caribbean helmsman Gore Verbinski.
Most Disney films do quite well at the box office, but every now and then a flop comes along. Even though I loved the movie myself, the studio considers John Carter to be a miserable failure. Westerns don't do very well in the theater these days. One would think a producer investing in a movie about a masked outlaw and his Indian companion in the Old West would work out about as well as putting the money in a few bags and throwing it into a fiery furnace. Apparently, not if the Indian happens to be Johnny Depp and the director is Pirates of the Caribbean helmsman Gore Verbinski.
- 7/3/2013
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Eric Shirey)
- Cinelinx
“Superman comics are a fable, not of strength, but of disintegration. They appeal to the preadolescence, (sic) mind not because they reiterate grandiose delusions, but because they reiterate a very deep cry for help.” David Mamet
Much like when losing one’s virginity, time offers many a revisionist to credibility where the celebration dulls and the reality of uncertainty presents itself as a counterpoint. In the moment, you pray for it to be something other than a complete disaster that should’ve been left to the imagination. In Hollywood this is referred to as box office. Critical appraisal has little relevance when the bottom line is whether you delivered the requisite precision required when it came to the money shots. To be concise, you either strut like Bart to a Bee Gees tune or you do the equivalent of drinking towards oblivion, waiting for enough time to pass, hoping no one remembers.
Much like when losing one’s virginity, time offers many a revisionist to credibility where the celebration dulls and the reality of uncertainty presents itself as a counterpoint. In the moment, you pray for it to be something other than a complete disaster that should’ve been left to the imagination. In Hollywood this is referred to as box office. Critical appraisal has little relevance when the bottom line is whether you delivered the requisite precision required when it came to the money shots. To be concise, you either strut like Bart to a Bee Gees tune or you do the equivalent of drinking towards oblivion, waiting for enough time to pass, hoping no one remembers.
- 6/24/2013
- by Brett Faulds
- Obsessed with Film
One essential story that should spin out of Man of Steel is the formal introduction of Lex Luthor to this world. Imagine Luthor using Kal-El’s lack of experience against him to show the world that Superman does more harm than good (a classic Luthorism) – especially after the destruction and mayhem Superman “caused” in his battle with General Zod (Michael Shannon). Luthor doesn’t have to be the main villain; he can pull the strings, use technology or simply instigate Superman’s next big conflict in tandem with another villain. In no particular order, here is our list of actors who we think could pull off the Lex Luthor role, along with their pros and cons.
Michael Rosenbaum
Pros: In this case, familiarity breeds comfort instead of contempt since we know his interpretation of Luthor on Smallville well, and he could further develop that on the big screen. He’s...
Michael Rosenbaum
Pros: In this case, familiarity breeds comfort instead of contempt since we know his interpretation of Luthor on Smallville well, and he could further develop that on the big screen. He’s...
- 6/19/2013
- by Ernie Estrella
- BuzzFocus.com
The Walt Disney Co. posted $10.55 billion in revenue in the most recent quarter, up from $9.6 billion last year, and $1.6 billion in net income -- up from $1.2 billion a year ago. On a per-share basis, Disney posted 79 cents profit, while analysts had expected 77 cents. Analysts expected $10.5 billion in revenue. One stark improvement over last year was at the movie studio, where the science-fiction letdown John Carter led to a large write-down about this time last year. Photos: Disney's Robert Iger and 10 Highly-Paid Entertainment CEOs Without
read more...
read more...
- 5/7/2013
- by Paul Bond
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
One month into its run, Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures are reportedly on track to lose a total of $125-140 million over their fractured fairy tale epic "Jack the Giant Slayer".
The film is on track to finish its box-office run with $65 million domestically and around $140 million internationally. That's not enough to cover a production budget near $200 million and a global marketing spend north of $100 million.
As Legendary financed half of the production budget for Jack, the losses aren't as bad as it could have been for either company. Certainly not the kind of damage that last year's expensive Spring flops - Disney's "John Carter" and Universal's "Battleship" - were for their studios.
Both also aren't short of cash these days. The $1 billion success of the first "The Hobbit" film along with more financially promising upcoming films such as "Man of Steel," "The Hangover Part III" and "300: Rise...
The film is on track to finish its box-office run with $65 million domestically and around $140 million internationally. That's not enough to cover a production budget near $200 million and a global marketing spend north of $100 million.
As Legendary financed half of the production budget for Jack, the losses aren't as bad as it could have been for either company. Certainly not the kind of damage that last year's expensive Spring flops - Disney's "John Carter" and Universal's "Battleship" - were for their studios.
Both also aren't short of cash these days. The $1 billion success of the first "The Hobbit" film along with more financially promising upcoming films such as "Man of Steel," "The Hangover Part III" and "300: Rise...
- 4/4/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Stone age story bashes Jack the Giant Slayer and Oz the Great and Powerful to take the top spot ahead of Easter weekend
The winner
After the relative disappointment of Rise of the Guardians led to significant job losses at DreamWorks Animation, the outcome for the company's follow-up The Croods was always bound to receive extra attention. What's more, The Croods is the first film going out internationally through new distribution partner Twentieth Century Fox, following a long association with Paramount. The result – a £5.37m UK debut including £1.85m in previews – is a happy outcome for all parties, especially when you consider that snow and bitter cold over the weekend provided one less reason to leave the house, leading to significant drops for many films already on release.
For comparison, Rise of the Guardians debuted last November with £1.97m. Madagascar 3, which benefited from an inherited audience, kicked off with £6.03m including £2.39m in previews.
The winner
After the relative disappointment of Rise of the Guardians led to significant job losses at DreamWorks Animation, the outcome for the company's follow-up The Croods was always bound to receive extra attention. What's more, The Croods is the first film going out internationally through new distribution partner Twentieth Century Fox, following a long association with Paramount. The result – a £5.37m UK debut including £1.85m in previews – is a happy outcome for all parties, especially when you consider that snow and bitter cold over the weekend provided one less reason to leave the house, leading to significant drops for many films already on release.
For comparison, Rise of the Guardians debuted last November with £1.97m. Madagascar 3, which benefited from an inherited audience, kicked off with £6.03m including £2.39m in previews.
- 3/26/2013
- by Charles Gant
- The Guardian - Film News
A TV legend will be visiting "The Big Bang Theory" during May sweeps.
Bob Newhart will guest-star on an episode of the CBS hit scheduled for May 2. He'll play "Professor Proton," the former host of a science show Sheldon (Jim Parsons) loved as a kid, TVLine reports. It turns out Leonard (Johnny Galecki) also remembers him.
Sheldon learns that the Professor hires himself out for appearances and gets him to come to the guys' apartment.
More TV news and notes:
- NBC is resurrecting "The Sing-Off." The a cappella competition had a couple of fairly successful runs as a short-run show during the holidays but fizzled when the network made it a weekly series in 2011. The revived show will return to its original scheduling.
- David Anders ("Once Upon a Time") is joining John Stamos on USA's "Necessary Roughness" this summer. Anders will play the second-in-command at a talent agency...
Bob Newhart will guest-star on an episode of the CBS hit scheduled for May 2. He'll play "Professor Proton," the former host of a science show Sheldon (Jim Parsons) loved as a kid, TVLine reports. It turns out Leonard (Johnny Galecki) also remembers him.
Sheldon learns that the Professor hires himself out for appearances and gets him to come to the guys' apartment.
More TV news and notes:
- NBC is resurrecting "The Sing-Off." The a cappella competition had a couple of fairly successful runs as a short-run show during the holidays but fizzled when the network made it a weekly series in 2011. The revived show will return to its original scheduling.
- David Anders ("Once Upon a Time") is joining John Stamos on USA's "Necessary Roughness" this summer. Anders will play the second-in-command at a talent agency...
- 3/21/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Oz domestic box office slightly below expectations -- even so, the fantasy adventure boasted one of the biggest March openings in film history Starring James Franco as the eventual The Wizard of Oz, the Sam Raimi-directed $200 million+-budgeted (some sources claim $215 million) Oz the Great and Powerful raked in $79.1 million at 3,912 Us and Canada theaters this past weekend as per weekend actuals found on the web site Box Office Mojo. That's by far the most impressive debut weekend this year to date, in addition to being one of the biggest March openings in history (see more details / comparisons below); even so, Oz fell short of the $80 million-$85 million figure some had been predicting after looking at Friday and late Thursday estimates of $24.1m. The film's distributor, Walt Disney Studios, claimed it expected at most $74 million -- clearly a much too low prediction which meant that Oz was bound to "overperform.
- 3/11/2013
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
In 2010, rival studios watched with envy as Disney’s Alice in Wonderland earned more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Before long, a new wave of fairy-tale adaptations got the green light, but of the resulting films, only Snow White and the Huntsman did well, grossing nearly $400 million here and abroad — and even that was considered a mediocre finish given the film’s $170 million budget. Other fairy tale films, including Red Riding Hood, Mirror Mirror and Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, all fizzled. Now, with Jack the Giant Slayer due March 1, there are concerns that the 3-D adventure starring Nicholas Hoult...
- 2/26/2013
- by Grady Smith
- EW - Inside Movies
Submit your vote for Reviewer of the Year!
Every year, the Classic Horror Film Board recognizes the best in the horror/sci-fi/fantasy realm with the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. Fans of the genre can vote for their favorites in over thirty categories, and this year, Cinelinx would like to ask you to vote for one of our own, staff writer Victor Medina, as Reviewer of the Year (Category 29)! We've even included the ballot below so you can vote!
Votes must be submitted by copying and pasting the ballot into your personal email, making your choices, including your name, and sending it in. Votes for Reviewer of the Year are write-in only, so you must be sure to include Vic's name yourself under Category 29 when you vote. Pre-filled ballots are not allowed, so we can't do it for you! Remember, you must write in "Victor Medina, Cinelinx.com" yourself.
Every year, the Classic Horror Film Board recognizes the best in the horror/sci-fi/fantasy realm with the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. Fans of the genre can vote for their favorites in over thirty categories, and this year, Cinelinx would like to ask you to vote for one of our own, staff writer Victor Medina, as Reviewer of the Year (Category 29)! We've even included the ballot below so you can vote!
Votes must be submitted by copying and pasting the ballot into your personal email, making your choices, including your name, and sending it in. Votes for Reviewer of the Year are write-in only, so you must be sure to include Vic's name yourself under Category 29 when you vote. Pre-filled ballots are not allowed, so we can't do it for you! Remember, you must write in "Victor Medina, Cinelinx.com" yourself.
- 2/26/2013
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Jordan Maison)
- Cinelinx
Feature Ivan Radford 25 Feb 2013 - 07:00
In the wake of the Oscars, Ivan looks at the year's nominees, and argues that it's time the Academy changed its music categories...
It’s February. People are talking about John Williams. It must be Oscar season again. And this year, it’s a fairly traditional bunch: Alexandre Desplat, John Williams, Thomas Newman and Dario Marianelli are all familiar faces on the ballot sheet, with only Mychael Danna offering a relative shot of fresh blood.
So, is it time the Academy Awards introduced a few more changes to its music categories?
Back in the 1930s, Best Music (Scoring) was the award composers coveted, a gong given out to pre-existing musicals and brand new work alike. In 1938, the music prize was split into two: Original Score and Scoring, allowing new work (Korngold's The Adventures Of Robin Hood) to be rewarded while still celebrating the wealth...
In the wake of the Oscars, Ivan looks at the year's nominees, and argues that it's time the Academy changed its music categories...
It’s February. People are talking about John Williams. It must be Oscar season again. And this year, it’s a fairly traditional bunch: Alexandre Desplat, John Williams, Thomas Newman and Dario Marianelli are all familiar faces on the ballot sheet, with only Mychael Danna offering a relative shot of fresh blood.
So, is it time the Academy Awards introduced a few more changes to its music categories?
Back in the 1930s, Best Music (Scoring) was the award composers coveted, a gong given out to pre-existing musicals and brand new work alike. In 1938, the music prize was split into two: Original Score and Scoring, allowing new work (Korngold's The Adventures Of Robin Hood) to be rewarded while still celebrating the wealth...
- 2/22/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Feature Ryan Lambie Jan 25, 2013
Does an image tweeted by director Brad Bird hint at the true identity of his 1952 sci-fi project?
Inspiration for movies can come from all sorts of places - books, videogames, magazine articles, and even internet memes (see Safety Not Guaranteed). Brad Bird's enigmatic work-in-progress - currently going under the working title 1952 - takes its inspiration from an extremely unusual source: a box of stuff opened up at Disney's offices in Burbank, California.
Other than this snippet of information, the only things we've learned about 1952 are as follows: that it's a science fiction movie with a Close Encounters sense of Spielbergian wonder, that George Clooney's name is attached to it, and that Jeff Jensen (stuntman, actor, and writer) and Damon Lindelof are working on its script.
The dearth of facts about Brad Bird's film have led to all sorts of speculation - most notably,...
Does an image tweeted by director Brad Bird hint at the true identity of his 1952 sci-fi project?
Inspiration for movies can come from all sorts of places - books, videogames, magazine articles, and even internet memes (see Safety Not Guaranteed). Brad Bird's enigmatic work-in-progress - currently going under the working title 1952 - takes its inspiration from an extremely unusual source: a box of stuff opened up at Disney's offices in Burbank, California.
Other than this snippet of information, the only things we've learned about 1952 are as follows: that it's a science fiction movie with a Close Encounters sense of Spielbergian wonder, that George Clooney's name is attached to it, and that Jeff Jensen (stuntman, actor, and writer) and Damon Lindelof are working on its script.
The dearth of facts about Brad Bird's film have led to all sorts of speculation - most notably,...
- 1/24/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
One of the most talked about films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival is Randy Moore’s Escape From Tomorrow. To shoot his film, set in Disney World, Moore purchased a season pass to the park and secretly filmed his actors without the park’s knowledge. There is no question that, at a minimum, Moore violated the terms of entry on the tickets he purchased. It’s possible that he could be prosecuted for trespass. The larger question though: Does the film violate Disney’s copyright? Or to put it in a way that film fans actually care about: Will the film ever be released? Will we ever be able to watch it?
The New York Times suggests that Moore will have problems releasing the film, “The movie, while careful to leave out certain copyrighted material (like the “It’s a Small World” song), would seem to test the...
The New York Times suggests that Moore will have problems releasing the film, “The movie, while careful to leave out certain copyrighted material (like the “It’s a Small World” song), would seem to test the...
- 1/24/2013
- by Michael Ryan
- SoundOnSight
The 2012 RopeofSilicon Movie Awards 2012 was a curious year for movies. To look at a year in movies at a glance we often turn straight to blockbusters and in the case of 2012 it may seem as if it really wasn't that great a year. Then you begin to drill down deeper and even films that divided the audience created large amounts of discussions, and beyond blockbusters there were plenty of middle ground to small-budget indie features that were quite powerful. As far as discussion pieces go, here on RopeofSilicon a lot of time was dedicated to divisive films as The Grey, Prometheus and Looper. A conversation involving the ending of The Grey was quite popular, I posed theories on Looper's theme more than once, the Zero Dark Thirty torture controversy was annoying, but necessary and the movie that probably generated the most conversation was Prometheus, of which I wrote a massive six-page exploratory article.
- 1/22/2013
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Feature Mark Harrison Jan 10, 2013
Have the Golden Raspberries become as predictable as the Oscars? Mark looks over this year's nominations...
The beginning of the year in movies is typically dominated by awards season, and with this week's announcement of the Academy Award nominations on both sides of the pond, (the BAFTAs on Wednesday and the Oscars on Thursday) there's no shortage of articles about apparently egregious snubs. Only eight BAFTA nominations for Skyfall? No Best Picture nomination for The Impossible? Like a song by Journey, it goes on and on and on and on.
It's less frequent that you see people complaining about the snubs at the Golden Raspberry Awards, (or Razzies) the cheekily counter-programmed ceremony that names and shames the worst films of the previous year. If you're unfamiliar, you might remember Sandra Bullock's crazy weekend in 2009, where she pulled off the impressive feat of winning the Razzie...
Have the Golden Raspberries become as predictable as the Oscars? Mark looks over this year's nominations...
The beginning of the year in movies is typically dominated by awards season, and with this week's announcement of the Academy Award nominations on both sides of the pond, (the BAFTAs on Wednesday and the Oscars on Thursday) there's no shortage of articles about apparently egregious snubs. Only eight BAFTA nominations for Skyfall? No Best Picture nomination for The Impossible? Like a song by Journey, it goes on and on and on and on.
It's less frequent that you see people complaining about the snubs at the Golden Raspberry Awards, (or Razzies) the cheekily counter-programmed ceremony that names and shames the worst films of the previous year. If you're unfamiliar, you might remember Sandra Bullock's crazy weekend in 2009, where she pulled off the impressive feat of winning the Razzie...
- 1/10/2013
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Looking back at 2012 on what films moved and impressed us, it is clear that watching old films is a crucial part of making new films meaningful. Thus, the annual tradition of our end of year poll, which calls upon our writers to pick both a new and an old film: they were challenged to choose a new film they saw in 2012—in theaters or at a festival—and creatively pair it with an old film they also saw in 2012 to create a unique double feature.
All the contributors were asked to write a paragraph explaining their 2012 fantasy double feature. What's more, each writer was given the option to list more pairings, with or without explanation, as further imaginative film programming we'd be lucky to catch in that perfect world we know doesn't exist but can keep dreaming of every time we go to the movies.
How would you program some...
All the contributors were asked to write a paragraph explaining their 2012 fantasy double feature. What's more, each writer was given the option to list more pairings, with or without explanation, as further imaginative film programming we'd be lucky to catch in that perfect world we know doesn't exist but can keep dreaming of every time we go to the movies.
How would you program some...
- 1/9/2013
- by Daniel Kasman
- MUBI
<< Continued from "2012 Recap: Winner & Losers"LosersHorror: The highest-grossing horror movie in 2012 was February's The Woman in Black with just $54.3 million. Paranormal Activity 4 was just behind with $53.9 million, or around half of what its predecessor grossed a year earlier. Of course, there were a few low-budget entries that earned between $45 and $55 million (The Devil Inside, The Possession, Sinister) and probably turned a slight profit for their studios; for the horror genre to thrive, though, it's going to need to occasionally return higher margins than this. Romantic Comedy: Romantic comedy used to be a thriving genre, but in recent years it has fallen off significantly. Excluding Ted (which is, first-and-foremost, a buddy comedy), the highest-grossing rom-com of 2012 was Think Like a Man with $91.5 million. Otherwise, though, it was a terrible year: What to Expect When You're Expecting ($41.2 million), The Five-Year Engagement ($28.7 million), and Playing for Keeps ($12.7 million) were all major disappointments.
- 1/4/2013
- by Ray Subers <mail@boxofficemojo.com>
- Box Office Mojo
Well, now I get to reflect on the movies I liked, and I have to say, this was a surprisingly good year. After having to sit through stuff like Battleship/John Carter/The Bourne Legacy/That One Fairy Tale Movie I Don't Want To Talk About Any More, I had written this year off as being mostly a failure. But I was wrong, and I think this turned out to be a better year then last. On to my list again, then.
- 1/3/2013
- by David Hoffman
- GetTheBigPicture.net
At the time of writing, it has been exactly two weeks to the day since The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hit UK screens. aving been panned by critics – though, seemingly adored by everyone else – Peter Jackson’s second delve into the adventure-ridden realms of Middle Earth looks set to be the most controversially talked about film of 2012.
In a year in which fantasy has been forced to play second fiddle to many other genres of the industry – thanks in part to the forgettable Snow White and the Huntsman and the under appreciated John Carter – The Hobbit, it would seem, announced itself to the world during a time in which cynicism governed the day. Indeed, unlike the plaudits received by the technology used to render Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, the controversial pioneering of the high frame rate format was seen by many as a step too far.
Coupled...
In a year in which fantasy has been forced to play second fiddle to many other genres of the industry – thanks in part to the forgettable Snow White and the Huntsman and the under appreciated John Carter – The Hobbit, it would seem, announced itself to the world during a time in which cynicism governed the day. Indeed, unlike the plaudits received by the technology used to render Gollum in The Lord of the Rings, the controversial pioneering of the high frame rate format was seen by many as a step too far.
Coupled...
- 1/1/2013
- by Matt Hawker
- Obsessed with Film
One hundred four scores from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2012 are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 85th Academy Awards, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today. As noted by various online Oscar pundits, most noticeably missing is Moonrise Kingdom. A Reminder List of works submitted in the Original Score category will be made available with a nominations ballot to all members of the Music Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award. Click Here for the complete rules.
In February, Ludovic Bource won the Oscar for Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score) for The Artist at the 84th Academy Awards.
The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below...
In February, Ludovic Bource won the Oscar for Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures (Original Score) for The Artist at the 84th Academy Awards.
The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below...
- 12/11/2012
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Public confession time: I am a bit of a geek. I obsess over punctuation and fuss over math. In fact, in the part of my job that pays the bills (because acting as Festival Director for the YoungCuts Film Festival is more a labor of love) I just celebrated the 2 year anniversary of a project to create “Video Study Guides” about Economics for the web and for the iPad. This included interviewing close to 200 economists across North America. In the process, I became keenly aware of a number of economist pet peeves. One of the biggest is the media’s inability to distinguish between nominal and real values. This happens all the time when we compare what a film made this year with what a film made a decade ago as if prices have stayed exactly the same in those ten years.
For example, if you paid attention to the news from Skyfall,...
For example, if you paid attention to the news from Skyfall,...
- 11/30/2012
- by Michael Ryan
- SoundOnSight
Amazon has released their early Black Friday Deals Week schedule beginning Monday, November 19 and running through Monday, November 26 and I have added the entire list in its state below and will be updating as more and more titles are added it to it and considering the limited number of Blu-ray titles included I have to assume this thing is going to get beefed up. There are some notable titles beginning with the Gold Box Deal on Saturday, November 24 where the Blu-ray edition of the recently released amazon asin="B006U1J5ZY" text="Bond 50: The Complete 22 Film Collection" will be on sale. The price has not yet been announced, but as of right now it sits at $149.99 and I wouldn't be surprised if it drops under $100 on that day so stay tuned. Additional titles on sale throughout the eight day sale include X-Men Origins: Wolverine, X-Men: The Last Stand,...
- 11/17/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Savages has arrived on unrated Blu-ray from Universal Home Entertainment. I see so many movies in theaters throughout the year that I'm able to later review on Blu-ray. Oliver Stone's Savages is one film that I did not check out on the big screen, but I wish that I had. The all-star cast includes Taylor Kitsch, Salma Hayek, Benicio Del Toro, Blake Lively, Aaron Johnson and John Travolta.
Based on the book by Don Winslow, the film is set in Laguna Beach, California and follows two independent pot dealers who get in way over their heads after crossing paths with the Mexican cartel. The dealers are played by Ben (Johnson), who is a Buddhist and his best friend Chon (Kitsch), a former Navy Seal who grows and sells some of the best marijuana on the market. They have an interesting love triangle going on with Ophelia (Lively). After growing...
Based on the book by Don Winslow, the film is set in Laguna Beach, California and follows two independent pot dealers who get in way over their heads after crossing paths with the Mexican cartel. The dealers are played by Ben (Johnson), who is a Buddhist and his best friend Chon (Kitsch), a former Navy Seal who grows and sells some of the best marijuana on the market. They have an interesting love triangle going on with Ophelia (Lively). After growing...
- 11/11/2012
- by Jim Napier
- GeekTyrant
It's official. Kathleen Kennedy confirms that Michael Arndt is the new writer for "Star Wars: Episode VII." She was celebrating the AFI Fest closing night world premiere of Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln" Thursday, along with Disney chairman Robert Iger, who when pressed, admitted that he wouldn't have paid $4.05 billion for Lucasfilm if he didn't think Disney, Lucasfilm and Kennedy couldn't turn out the best "Star Wars" film ever made. Update: Lucasfilm is taking its news direct to fans; Kennedy and George Lucas talk about the new "Star Wars" on the Lucasfilm video below. Well, if they're setting their sights that high--remember, this is the same studio that wrote off $200 million on "John Carter" and has allowed Gore Verbinski to spend like a drunken sailor on "The Lone Ranger"--Michael Arndt ("Hunger Games: Catching Fire") is the way to go. One of the most tantalizing bits of information...
- 11/10/2012
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
When the news broke last night that Disney were to buy Lucasfilm and that a new Star Wars movie will be out in cinemas in the same summer as The Avengers 2 sent the internet as close to meltdown as I’ve seen it.
Rarely have I seen so many Photoshopped mash-ups (Disney Princess Leia, The Emperor’s New Groove etc) thrown out into the twittersphere so quickly. Few saw it coming and yet as the disbelief subsided there was an outporing of opinion and conjecture as to what this all meant.
Disney now own Marvel, Pixar (which begin as part of Ilm) and now Lucasfilm and this summer’s The Avengers proved that Disney can deliver up a fine film, exceeding expectations of critics, the fans and their shareholders, in this instance by employing the right people to do the job. But is the continuation of the Star Wars...
Rarely have I seen so many Photoshopped mash-ups (Disney Princess Leia, The Emperor’s New Groove etc) thrown out into the twittersphere so quickly. Few saw it coming and yet as the disbelief subsided there was an outporing of opinion and conjecture as to what this all meant.
Disney now own Marvel, Pixar (which begin as part of Ilm) and now Lucasfilm and this summer’s The Avengers proved that Disney can deliver up a fine film, exceeding expectations of critics, the fans and their shareholders, in this instance by employing the right people to do the job. But is the continuation of the Star Wars...
- 10/31/2012
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Right now, a fourteen year-old boy, somewhere within the bowels of the imdb message boards is making the comment that filmmakers just aren’t delivering the goods anymore. Everything is contrived, rehashed, lifeless, and money-grabbing; there’s no longer any art to the entertainment. It’s all just blasé hodgepodge, thrown at a screen (probably in 3D and IMAX) to make the quickest buck.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there’s a young man in his early twenties, who, as you would think by his demeanor, knows absolutely everything there is to know about cinema. He’s claiming that filmmakers can’t help the movies they make, because all audiences want now-a-days are gratuitous explosions, breasts, and mindless, circling action clichés.
On one hand, the argument presents itself that audiences are forced to watch whatever unoriginal, remade films that studios put out. The flip side is that studios...
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there’s a young man in his early twenties, who, as you would think by his demeanor, knows absolutely everything there is to know about cinema. He’s claiming that filmmakers can’t help the movies they make, because all audiences want now-a-days are gratuitous explosions, breasts, and mindless, circling action clichés.
On one hand, the argument presents itself that audiences are forced to watch whatever unoriginal, remade films that studios put out. The flip side is that studios...
- 9/25/2012
- by Cameron Domino Carpenter
- Obsessed with Film
Finding Nemo 3D
Directed by Andrew Stanton
Co-directed by Lee Unkrich
Written by Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, and David Reynolds
USA, 2003 and 2012
Pixar is in the middle of its growing pains as a studio. The public still loves them, but a good chunk of the media wants them to return to their glory days; any deviation from perfection makes us, apparently, more suspicious of the studio’s imperviousness. Though their last two new releases, Cars 2 and Brave, made an impressive amount of money at the box office, neither was as critically beloved as the four films preceding them—Ratatouille, Wall-e, Up, and Toy Story 3. There’s no question it was a letdown to most audiences and critics that their latest films weren’t as moving or thrilling as others, but is it really fair to blame Pixar? Is it fitting to attack a studio for not being flawless every time they take a swing?...
Directed by Andrew Stanton
Co-directed by Lee Unkrich
Written by Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, and David Reynolds
USA, 2003 and 2012
Pixar is in the middle of its growing pains as a studio. The public still loves them, but a good chunk of the media wants them to return to their glory days; any deviation from perfection makes us, apparently, more suspicious of the studio’s imperviousness. Though their last two new releases, Cars 2 and Brave, made an impressive amount of money at the box office, neither was as critically beloved as the four films preceding them—Ratatouille, Wall-e, Up, and Toy Story 3. There’s no question it was a letdown to most audiences and critics that their latest films weren’t as moving or thrilling as others, but is it really fair to blame Pixar? Is it fitting to attack a studio for not being flawless every time they take a swing?...
- 9/14/2012
- by Josh Spiegel
- SoundOnSight
2012 already racked up a few blockbuster box office disasters. Many times the failure to bring in the audiences and money studios expected is warranted. Other times it's a lack of promotion and unexpected disinterest in the project. One of the films I was hard on before I saw it was Battleship. I'm glad I got another chance to see it on Blu-ray now that it's coming out through Universal Studios Home Entertainment.
It appeared Hasbro and Universal were just trying to cash in on the success of the Transformers and G.I. Joe movies. Could lightning strike three times and another one of their other popular lines garner as much attention? The dismal domestic box office numbers answered that question with a loud, "Not in America!" The negative response to the film gave a whole new meaning to the famous phrase, "You sank my Battleship!"
Naval officer Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch...
It appeared Hasbro and Universal were just trying to cash in on the success of the Transformers and G.I. Joe movies. Could lightning strike three times and another one of their other popular lines garner as much attention? The dismal domestic box office numbers answered that question with a loud, "Not in America!" The negative response to the film gave a whole new meaning to the famous phrase, "You sank my Battleship!"
Naval officer Alex Hopper (Taylor Kitsch...
- 8/22/2012
- by feeds@themoviepool.com (Eric Shirey)
- Cinelinx
Marley; Outside Bet; Battleship; Lockout
Considering the extraordinary levels of access that he's been granted both to interviewees and archive recordings, it would have been easy for Kevin Macdonald's vibrantly exhaustive documentary Marley (2012, Universal, 15) to become little more than a hagiography. Although the tone is indeed broadly celebratory (Ziggy Marley gets an executive producer credit, and family members feature heavily on screen), Macdonald still manages to delve beneath the public adulation, painting a credible and engrossing picture of a troubled youth who grew into a cultural giant, often at the cost of his family life.
Describing his approach as "more traditional" than such previous works as Touching the Void, Macdonald intertwines interviews, stills and concert footage with some spectacularly scenic views of Jamaica as he traces Marley's mixed-race roots (his father was a uniformed white man who looked at home on a horse) to find a search for...
Considering the extraordinary levels of access that he's been granted both to interviewees and archive recordings, it would have been easy for Kevin Macdonald's vibrantly exhaustive documentary Marley (2012, Universal, 15) to become little more than a hagiography. Although the tone is indeed broadly celebratory (Ziggy Marley gets an executive producer credit, and family members feature heavily on screen), Macdonald still manages to delve beneath the public adulation, painting a credible and engrossing picture of a troubled youth who grew into a cultural giant, often at the cost of his family life.
Describing his approach as "more traditional" than such previous works as Touching the Void, Macdonald intertwines interviews, stills and concert footage with some spectacularly scenic views of Jamaica as he traces Marley's mixed-race roots (his father was a uniformed white man who looked at home on a horse) to find a search for...
- 8/18/2012
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
1.) Another wrinkle has been thrown into the dilemma surrounding Marc Webb's possible return for an Amazing Spider-Man sequel. What was previously known was that Webb is still on the hook for one more film with Fox Searchlight on his (500) Days of Summer deal. Now, Fox is considering giving Webb its blessing to make The Amazing Spider-Man 2, but of course there's a catch: the move would then lock him into a two-picture deal with Fox Searchlight. With the next Spider-Man movie due out in just 21 months (May 2, 2014), Webb must quickly decide if it's worth that long-term commitment to one studio to return to one of Hollywood's biggest franchises. One plus is the sequel is said to dive deeper into the background of Peter Parker's parents, which was only hinted at in The Amazing Spider-Man. [La Times] 2.) Ron Howard is attached to direct "Conquest," a series on the fall of the Aztec Empire,...
- 8/1/2012
- by Kevin Blumeyer
- Rope of Silicon
Sam Humphries is my favorite comic book success story. He’s been a regular at my comic shop for years. I remember his excitement at the Image solicits for Our Love Is Real; I remember the Sacrifice announcements and thrill of getting The Gods Of Mars; I remember his unbelievable nervousness about researching the Ultimate universe shortly after being offered Ultimate Comics Ultimates—a gig he took over from the esteemed Jonathan Hickman. Now he’s churning out properties left and right, including the hilarious schlock-fest Fanboys Vs. Zombies and his own Sci-Fi adventure Higher Earth for Boom! Studios. I tackled him with a recorder at Comic-Con—partly to catch up as friends, and partly to get the goods on his current and upcoming projects. The future of the Ultimates is in capable hands.
Famous Monsters. So monster kids love their Edgar Rice Burroughs… [laughs] and you did the Marvel adaptation...
Famous Monsters. So monster kids love their Edgar Rice Burroughs… [laughs] and you did the Marvel adaptation...
- 7/23/2012
- by Holly I.
- FamousMonsters of Filmland
Willem Dafoe says he is disappointed that there will not be a sequel to John Carter after it bombed at the box office when released in March.
Dafoe played alien chief Tars Tarkas in Disney's adaptation of the fantasy tales by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, which follow the adventures of a soldier transported to a wartorn Mars.
Made on a monster budget of $250million to $300million, plus marketing costs, the film earned just $283million worldwide.
The 56-year-old actor said: "I feel bad that there won't be a sequel. I don't want to go on about it, but it's true I was disappointed that its reception wasn't as great as I think it deserved."
But he added: "I can honestly say I don't regret any movie because I know why I intended to do it. Sometimes it doesn't work out well, but I always have a good intention."
Dafoe was...
Dafoe played alien chief Tars Tarkas in Disney's adaptation of the fantasy tales by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, which follow the adventures of a soldier transported to a wartorn Mars.
Made on a monster budget of $250million to $300million, plus marketing costs, the film earned just $283million worldwide.
The 56-year-old actor said: "I feel bad that there won't be a sequel. I don't want to go on about it, but it's true I was disappointed that its reception wasn't as great as I think it deserved."
But he added: "I can honestly say I don't regret any movie because I know why I intended to do it. Sometimes it doesn't work out well, but I always have a good intention."
Dafoe was...
- 7/23/2012
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
One of Pixar’s most enduring films, 2003′s Finding Nemo, is getting a sequel and a familiar face is returning to direct.
Following his foray into live action with the sci-fi epic John Carter Andrew Stanton is returning to the world of animation for the long expected follow up to the film he directed (along with co-director Lee Unkrich) almost ten years ago.
Deadline have thrown the story out there and while we wait for official confirmation to come in we have to wonder if the ‘concept the studio loves’ is a wholly different idea that Laurie Craig was working on a few years ago. Rumoured to be a reversal of the original film with Nemo seeking out his father Marlin, I’m hoping that we’ll see something a little more original, set in school perhaps?
There is a timelessness which has often been posited as one of the...
Following his foray into live action with the sci-fi epic John Carter Andrew Stanton is returning to the world of animation for the long expected follow up to the film he directed (along with co-director Lee Unkrich) almost ten years ago.
Deadline have thrown the story out there and while we wait for official confirmation to come in we have to wonder if the ‘concept the studio loves’ is a wholly different idea that Laurie Craig was working on a few years ago. Rumoured to be a reversal of the original film with Nemo seeking out his father Marlin, I’m hoping that we’ll see something a little more original, set in school perhaps?
There is a timelessness which has often been posited as one of the...
- 7/17/2012
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
As I sit here typing these words it is exactly seven days until The Dark Knight Rises hits movie screens across the world on July 20th. If the strong remarks that have slipped out in the wake of private screenings of the film for Warner Bros bigwigs, select bloggers and movie critics (there have been accounts of standing ovations and tears shed) are any indication of what we will see next week, then we may very well have another touchstone to place next to Detective Comics #27, Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns, Tim Burton’s Batman ’89, RockSteady’s wildly successful Batman-themed video games, Dini and Timm’s Batman: The Animated Series, and a worthy conclusion to the ambitious trilogy started by Christopher Nolan and company seven years ago.
Like most every Batman, comic book, and movie connoisseur, my anticipation for this film is higher than the temperatures have...
Like most every Batman, comic book, and movie connoisseur, my anticipation for this film is higher than the temperatures have...
- 7/13/2012
- by Jason O. Logan
- Obsessed with Film
Hulk Does Not Use The Word Hero Lightly… Jackie Chan Is One Of Hulk’S Heroes.
That May Sound Silly Given That A Few Of Hulk’S Regular Readers Know That Hulk’S Cinematic Heroes Include The Ranks Of Kubrick, Fellini, Bergman, Tarkovsky, And Breillat, But It Is Absolutely 100% True. Jackie Chan Is One Of Cinema’S Unique Treasures. And At His Best, Hulk Thinks He Is The Great Heir To The Tradition Of Buster Keaton.
Most People Are Probably Familiar With Jackie Chan. Some Fans Go All The Way Back To His Early Films In Hong Kong (Snake In The Eagle’S Shadow,...
That May Sound Silly Given That A Few Of Hulk’S Regular Readers Know That Hulk’S Cinematic Heroes Include The Ranks Of Kubrick, Fellini, Bergman, Tarkovsky, And Breillat, But It Is Absolutely 100% True. Jackie Chan Is One Of Cinema’S Unique Treasures. And At His Best, Hulk Thinks He Is The Great Heir To The Tradition Of Buster Keaton.
Most People Are Probably Familiar With Jackie Chan. Some Fans Go All The Way Back To His Early Films In Hong Kong (Snake In The Eagle’S Shadow,...
- 7/13/2012
- by FILMCRITHULK
- EW - Inside Movies
So ‘John Carter’ has arrived on Blu-Ray. You’ll be forgiven for not having noticed since Disney has turned its corporate back on the film and released it with as little fanfare as they could muster. Well, if they aren’t bothered … Why should you be? Well, because the film is a lot better than its dismal theatrical performance would suggest. I genuinely feel that this is a film which will generate a lot of fan discussion and fiction, will be the focus of a lot of fan affection and will become the subject of much cosplay at conventions. If you’d like to see just how little the girls at science-fiction conventions will be wearing next year, you’d best check it out. It’s available now on DVD, Blu-Ray and, if you really want Lynn Collins’ boobs poking your eyes out: 3D Blu-Ray.
I love this film. I...
I love this film. I...
- 7/9/2012
- by John Ashbrook
- Obsessed with Film
Here we are, at the halfway mark of 2012. Six months have gone and we still have six months ahead of us. So, where does that leave us in terms of movies? Well, admittedly, the first half of the year is always pretty slow. We’ve seen quite a variety of films over the past six months and while not all of them brought something exciting and unique to the table, a fair amount of them definitely had their moments, moments that made the price of admission worth it and moments that make you happy to be a moviegoer.
On that note, I present to you our Top Ten Movie Moments of 2012 So Far! They are arranged in no particular order, but before we begin, remember that these are the top movie moments, not movies. We are judging these choices on the scenes described, not on the whole film.
Please note...
On that note, I present to you our Top Ten Movie Moments of 2012 So Far! They are arranged in no particular order, but before we begin, remember that these are the top movie moments, not movies. We are judging these choices on the scenes described, not on the whole film.
Please note...
- 7/6/2012
- by Matt Joseph
- We Got This Covered
Savages
Directed by Oliver Stone
Written by Shane Salerno & Don Winslow & Oliver Stone
USA, 2012
Taylor Kitsch cannot catch a break this year. After appearing as the lead in the enjoyable but financially disastrous John Carter, he headlined the equally unpopular and far less entertaining Battleship. Now, he’s one of the leads of Oliver Stone’s latest film, the crime thriller Savages, based on the novel by co-screenwriter Don Winslow. Savages is, or wants to be, gloriously excessive but is instead grating, bathed in self-love, filled with barely-sketched-in characters, and is a bore to watch.
Kitsch isn’t the problem, thankfully. Though people won’t look back on 2012 as a banner year for the actor best known for his work on the excellent Friday Night Lights, he’s fine if unremarkable here as Chon, an ex-u.S. Navy Seal in the marijuana business with his best friend, Ben (Aaron Johnson...
Directed by Oliver Stone
Written by Shane Salerno & Don Winslow & Oliver Stone
USA, 2012
Taylor Kitsch cannot catch a break this year. After appearing as the lead in the enjoyable but financially disastrous John Carter, he headlined the equally unpopular and far less entertaining Battleship. Now, he’s one of the leads of Oliver Stone’s latest film, the crime thriller Savages, based on the novel by co-screenwriter Don Winslow. Savages is, or wants to be, gloriously excessive but is instead grating, bathed in self-love, filled with barely-sketched-in characters, and is a bore to watch.
Kitsch isn’t the problem, thankfully. Though people won’t look back on 2012 as a banner year for the actor best known for his work on the excellent Friday Night Lights, he’s fine if unremarkable here as Chon, an ex-u.S. Navy Seal in the marijuana business with his best friend, Ben (Aaron Johnson...
- 7/6/2012
- by Josh Spiegel
- SoundOnSight
It’s always unfortunate to watch a filmmaker slip further away from his better work with age – but even more so when it’s one who exhibited the sort of storytelling craft that could both frustrate and engage his audience all at once. Director Oliver Stone has always been one to challenge his viewers. From his days of illustrating with his pen the brutal confines of a Turkish prison in “Midnight Express” to the conspiracy minded reels of “JFK,” Stone has honed an ability to tell seemingly documentary ready material in a more compelling cinematic narrative – treating fiction like reality (and occasionally blurring the line between the two). That all began to slip even in the eyes of some of Stone’s most adamant defenders in the early 2000s, where after the semi-respectable “Any Given Sunday,” Stone sat in the director’s chair for “World Trade Center,” and “Wall Street 2: Money Never Sleeps,...
- 7/3/2012
- by Benjamin Wright
- The Playlist
With the start of a new week we’re once again given the chance to increase our already heaving Blu-ray and DVD collections. This week see’s a handful of releases, but do any of them deserves a place on your shelf?
If so, all of these DVD’s can be on your shelf by the end of the day as all are released in the UK this week.
This Means War; Cert 12
Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) co-star with Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon in this fast-paced mix of explosive action and laugh-out-loud comedy. Fdr (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy) both fall for the charming and lovely Lauren (Witherspoon). As Lauren struggles to choose between them – with help from her sassy friend, Trish (Chelsea Handler) – Fdr and Tuck wage an epic battle for Lauren’s affection. Using their surveillance skills and an array of high-tech gadgetry – may the best spy win!
If so, all of these DVD’s can be on your shelf by the end of the day as all are released in the UK this week.
This Means War; Cert 12
Chris Pine (Star Trek) and Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) co-star with Oscar-winner Reese Witherspoon in this fast-paced mix of explosive action and laugh-out-loud comedy. Fdr (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy) both fall for the charming and lovely Lauren (Witherspoon). As Lauren struggles to choose between them – with help from her sassy friend, Trish (Chelsea Handler) – Fdr and Tuck wage an epic battle for Lauren’s affection. Using their surveillance skills and an array of high-tech gadgetry – may the best spy win!
- 7/3/2012
- by Neil Tillbrook
- Obsessed with Film
After the release of one of the highest-grossing British films in recent years last week with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, we’ve got an entirely different selection lining the shelves this week with John Carter, one of the year’s biggest blockbusters, now available for your home entertainment.
And beside it, a critically acclaimed new Us series, Falling Skies, produced by none other than Steven Spielberg, which aired in the States last summer.
Not only that, but we have an excellent Blu-ray Steelbook re-release of Batman Begins / The Dark Knight, so needless to say, it’s a good week to be a Batman fan and/or steelbook collector.
My picks of the week:
Andrew Stanton’s John Carter & Kenneth Lonergan’s Margaret.
Falling Skies – Season 1.
And for good measure, the Blu-ray re-releases of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins / The Dark Knight & Kevin Smith’s Mallrats & Ben Stiller’s Zoolander.
And beside it, a critically acclaimed new Us series, Falling Skies, produced by none other than Steven Spielberg, which aired in the States last summer.
Not only that, but we have an excellent Blu-ray Steelbook re-release of Batman Begins / The Dark Knight, so needless to say, it’s a good week to be a Batman fan and/or steelbook collector.
My picks of the week:
Andrew Stanton’s John Carter & Kenneth Lonergan’s Margaret.
Falling Skies – Season 1.
And for good measure, the Blu-ray re-releases of Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins / The Dark Knight & Kevin Smith’s Mallrats & Ben Stiller’s Zoolander.
- 7/2/2012
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
John Carter is already available to buy on DVD, Blu-ray and Blu-ray 3D in the Us, but the film will finally be available to buy in the UK on all of the above formats on Monday, July 2nd (it will also be available to download on iTunes and VOD). To celebrate, we've been given these ten fascinating facts to share with you about Andrew Stanton's sci-fi epic. They offer an insight in to just how much work it took to bring the Edgar Rice Burroughs creation to the big screen as well as revealing some fun stories and facts about what went on behind-the-scenes. John Carter Secret One: Taylor Kitsch Read Hundreds Of Civil War Letters To Research The Role! "The start of the movie takes place during the Civil War," explains actor Taylor Kitsch, who plays John Carter. "To research the role, I sat down with historians at the University Of Texas,...
- 6/29/2012
- ComicBookMovie.com
After much speculation, it seems that we now know the identity of Marvel's secret film that's been long targeted for a May 2014 release. And it's not "Ant-Man," or "Black Panther," or "Runaways," or "Doctor Strange." It's "Guardians Of The Galaxy," the cosmic adventure that was a favorite in the 1970s before being revived recently.
Originally, the Guardians were a group of superpowered individuals from an alternate timeline in the 31st century, including human astronaut Vance Astro, humanoid crystal Martinex T'Naga, soldier from Jupiter Charlie-27, and Yonda Udonta, a savage from Beta Centurai. The team (whose lineup would have other shifts), battled a number of adversaries, including alien race the Badoon, and teamed up with The Avengers before the series was cancelled in the 1990s. A more recent 2008 update relaunched the property with a new lineup, including long-time characters like Star-Lord, Adam Warlock, Gamora and Quasar, and it's been suggested that...
Originally, the Guardians were a group of superpowered individuals from an alternate timeline in the 31st century, including human astronaut Vance Astro, humanoid crystal Martinex T'Naga, soldier from Jupiter Charlie-27, and Yonda Udonta, a savage from Beta Centurai. The team (whose lineup would have other shifts), battled a number of adversaries, including alien race the Badoon, and teamed up with The Avengers before the series was cancelled in the 1990s. A more recent 2008 update relaunched the property with a new lineup, including long-time characters like Star-Lord, Adam Warlock, Gamora and Quasar, and it's been suggested that...
- 6/29/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Yes, we're excited for "The Dark Knight Rises" and "The Amazing Spider-Man." But if you ask us (and you just did – no, really, we heard you), the movie that's going to make our summer special is "Magic Mike." It's not only meat-packed with some of the best-looking men working in Hollywood today, but it's based on Channing Tatum's life. Everything you see on-screen was inspired by actual events, which makes it all that much more tantalizing.
Plus, it's just fun. A lot of summer films offer shirtless dudes, but how many have based an entire movie around their ability to look good shirtless, pantless and dancing? Zero. Mark our words, "Magic Mike" is gonna be huge. And after it blows away the box office, you know what the studio will be thinking: Sequel! We've known we wanted a "Magic Mike 2" ever since the trailer came out.
So, to give the studio a head start,...
Plus, it's just fun. A lot of summer films offer shirtless dudes, but how many have based an entire movie around their ability to look good shirtless, pantless and dancing? Zero. Mark our words, "Magic Mike" is gonna be huge. And after it blows away the box office, you know what the studio will be thinking: Sequel! We've known we wanted a "Magic Mike 2" ever since the trailer came out.
So, to give the studio a head start,...
- 6/29/2012
- by Elisabeth Rappe
- NextMovie
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.