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Showing posts from August, 2013

'All Is Lost' Poster Drops

J.C. Chandor's All Is Lost gets checked out by quite a few critics at Telluride Film Festival this week and along with that receives a theatrical one-sheet. There isn't much to the poster, just star Robert Redford, his boat and some very bad weather coming his way. The minimalist poster fits the film perfectly and should give audiences an idea of what to expect: dialogue is virtually nil and Redford will be putting on a one-man show with no supporting performances to back him up. It's a risky move this late in Redford's career, but it should be a thrill to watch. All Is Lost hits theatres October 18th.

Telluride 40th Film Festival Lineup

The Telluride Film Festival starts tomorrow and for the past few months the lineup was a complete mystery. Telluride has a tradition of keeping critics and attendees in the dark until the last moment and today they revealed their slate of this year's contenders. Top mentions include: Cannes winner Abdellatif Kechiche‘s  Blue Is The Warmest Color , Alfonso Cuaron's  Gravity , Jason Reitman‘s  Labor Day , Asghar Farhadi’s  The Past , Ralph Fiennes‘  The Invisible Woman , Jonathan Glazer’s  Under the Skin  and documentaries from Errol Morris ( The Unknown Known ), Werner Herzog ( Death Row: Blaine Milam and Robert Fratta ). With the aforementioned list of films, I think it's safe to say that this is a solid group, most notable among the pictures being J.C. Chandor's  All Is Lost , the Coens'  Inside Llewyn Davis  and Alexander Payne's  Nebraska  — all big coups for Telluride considering those three pictures will not be making it to Toronto International Film Fest

Gravity Receives Raves from Venice Film Fest

There are only five weeks left before Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity hits theatres and the early word from critics at the Venice Film Festival is that it's a sure-fire hit. Test screenings that took place last year were also positive, but know that the film is complete the good word has turned into universal praise from all that have seen it. The critics are in agreement that Gravity is a technical marvel thanks to some stunning camerawork from cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (Tree of Life) that could warrant a trip to an IMAX theatre near you. It's not just the cinematography and effects that are drawing good word though, Sandra Bullock's performance as Ryan Stone is right up there as a career best. Varietys Justin Chang said: "Suspending viewers alongside Bullock for a taut, transporting 91 minutes (with George Clooney in a sly supporting turn), the director’s long-overdue follow-up to Children of Men is at once a nervy experiment in blockbuster minimalism

Dallas Buyer's Club Trailer

Following the success of his roles in  Killer Joe ,  Magic Mike ,  Mud , it seems like the man who couldn't escape romantic comedies has an upcoming slate that most actors would kill for. After Dallas Buyer's Club, he has The Wolf of Wall Street and Interstellar on his plate. Pretty nice for a guy who was only remembered for being shirtless there for a while. Dallas Buyer's Club  tells the story of Ron Woodroof, a Texas man diagnosed with HIV in the early days of the disease. Desperate to live and running out of time, he finds alternative treatments from other countries, and eventually smuggles them into the country to share with a “buyers club” of other HIV-positive people. Dallas Buyers Club lands in theaters November 1, 2013.

Review: The World's End

As the Cornetto Trilogy draws near an end, let us take a moment to appreciate how we got here. Before Simon Pegg was a key fixture in massive studio properties like Mission Impossible and Star Trek, he caught on as a layabout, who played video games with his buddy Ed (Nick Frost) before the impending zombie apocalypse. Ten years later and the smashing success of 2004's Shaun of the Dead and 2007's Hot Fuzz have brought Pegg, Frost and Edgar Wright to the mainstream. As we gather to say goodbye to the wild romps that Wright, Pegg and Frost are known for there is only one question. Will their third feature come out on top? Gary (Simon Pegg, taking his lead in a different direction this time) was an "outlaw" in high-school, his trademark black duster alerting everyone that he was on the scene. Gary wasn't really liked then and he certainly isn't now as a wayward 40 year old still rebelling against the system. There was a time though when people did lik

Affleck to Take On Superman in Batman vs Superman

You heard it right, Warner Bros. announced today that Ben Affleck has signed on to be the new Batman in the upcoming Batman vs Superman film. Affleck is the sixth man to don the cape and cowl after Bale, Clooney, Kilmer, Keaton and West on the big-screen. This comes as a bit of a surprise as Affleck's name wasn't mentioned in the rumor mill along with Josh Brolin, Jon Hamm and Armie Hammer. When asked to speak about the casting, director Zack Snyder said this: “Ben provides an interesting counter-balance to Henry’s Superman. He has the acting chops to create a layered portrayal of a man who is older and wiser than Clark Kent and bears the scars of a seasoned crime fighter, but retain the charm that the world sees in billionaire Bruce Wayne,” Snyder said in a statement. “I can’t wait to work with him.” When the news of a Superman/Batman team-up was leaked during Comic-Con, I don't think anyone anticipated the former Daredevil stepping in for the job. And while Affle

Steve Carell in Foxcatcher

Steve Carell hasn't gotten a chance to really convince audiences that he can separate himself from Michael Scott, but in Bennett Miller's upcoming Foxcatcher. The film depicts the insane, true story about the relationship between millionaire John duPont (Carell) and Olympic Wrestling Champion brothers, Mark and Dave Schultz (Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo). duPont is a dark role and one that could make moviegoers see Carell in a brand new light (aided by Carell's undergoing a transformation to embody the part). Source: EW

Muses and Maestros: Depp and Burton

Part three of a series about the most talented pairings of filmmakers today. On deck: Johnny Depp and Tim Burton. The players: Johnny Depp and Tim Burton The works: Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd, Alice in Wonderland, and Dark Shadows While Johnny Depp's status as a leading man hasn't been a question since Pirates of the Caribbean launched him into the A-list stratosphere, Depp wouldn't have gotten that far without Tim Burton. The two started working together in 1990 after Burton's huge success with Batman turned into creative freedom for pictures like Edward Scissorhands. When that quirky tale of a young orphan turned into a big hit, a creative partnership was born. Read more at GotchaMovies !

Review: The Wolverine

Wolverine has fallen on some hard times with his last two endeavors in cineplexes. While X-Men: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine were both financial successes, but left the most famous X-man feeling stagnant. Expectations were raised temporarily when it was announced that Darren Aronofsky would be directing the next feature, based on Chris Claremont and Frank Miller's acclaimed graphic novel that sets Logan in Japan. Aronofsky ultimately dropped out, but James Mangold ( 3:10 to Yuma and Walk the Line ) stepped in. With that, the tide turned on the sequel and audiences were low on The Wolverine. So when James Mangold put something together that looked and felt like a character study, it was a very pleasant surprise in a season (with exception to a few indies) that has thrown out more sequels and franchise add-ons than it knows what to do with. The Wolverine picks up some time after the events of The Last Stand , and Logan (Hugh Jackman), racked with guilt after

Review: Kick-Ass 2

What a difference four years makes. Matthew Vaughn's 2009 adaptation of the Mark Millar graphic novel Kick-Ass was a mid-level success due to its smack-in-the-face riff on the superhero genre. Now that the novelty of the extreme language and excessive violence has worn off, there is little reason for a sequel to Kick-Ass to exist. That there even is a Kick-Ass 2 undermines any criticism that was could be construed about the superhero genre in the predecessor. With so little going for the project, Vaughn jumped ship and now the reins are in the hands of Jeff Wadlow (known for low-budget fare like Never Back Down and Cry_Wolf). Really the only matter drawing attention to Kick-Ass 2 is that one of its stars, Jim Carrey, has decided to refuse supporting the film. Dave/Kick-Ass (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Mindy/Hit Girl (Chloë Grace Moretz given the gift of a more developed character) are about to put normal life behind them to become a full-time crime-fighting duo. The feeble Dav

Win A Signed Poster from the Star of In a World

PartnersHub and Roadside Attractions have teamed up to promote Lake Bell's In a World and to also award a lucky reader a signed poster from the star/writer/director herself! In this hilarious and heart-felt new film, In A World... Lake Bell (No Strings Attached, “Children’s Hospital”) stars as a struggling vocal coach who strikes it big in the cutthroat world of movie-trailer voiceovers, only to find herself in direct competition with the industry’s reigning king—her father! Want to win ? Simply take the movie trailer voiceover quiz in the app above and post your score (and email if possible) in the comments below. Scores will be tallied and the winner will be announced on August 24th. U.S. residents only please.

Review: Elysium

The summer movie season, in this day and age, is almost strictly reserved for rock 'em, sock 'em superheroes, super spies and giant robots and monsters. Escapism is in full swing during these months and audiences generally reward those pictures that put a smile on their face as they exit the theatre. Neill Blomkamp is no stranger to this season (his debut film District 9 was also a summer release) but where he differs from the action crowd is a tendency to lean toward the subversive. District 9 was an example of dropping some real-world truths into the cineplex and introducing viewpoints typically not seen in a blockbuster. Earth in the year 2154 is a world made up of favelas and a lack of resources, the wealthiest citizens have left and inhabit a station above the Earth where overpopulation, hunger and sickness is no longer an issue. With the technological innovation of medpods present on Elysium, broken bones are mended immediately and cancer can be waved away in

The Disappearance of the Action Star

Every once in a while there will be a murmur through theatre lobbies, "what happened to action stars?" It is a legitimate question and one that has been offered more and more. Over the years there has always been a marquee star of the action genre, but there is a noticeable absence at the moment. Jason Statham is the closest we have to an action star now, but his star burns nowhere near as brightly as the action icons of the 80s, men like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and Jean Claude Van Damme, who dominated the cinematic landscape for years without anyone questioning their status. So what changed? Read more at GotchaMovies !

Not Your Average Rom-Com

Romantic comedies are a studio-designed template in this day and age. The formula works, so it isn't tinkered with often. Boy and girl meet cute, go on some dates, fall in love, make love, and an argument is manufactured in before the last twenty minutes so that they can declare their love for each other once again. Then along comes a picture like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , it took the template, bent the frame, pulled it back through itself and added some science fiction along the way.   Eternal Sunshine isn't alone though, here are eight other romantic comedies that don't follow the formula. Check out my list on GotchaMovies !