Over the past decade, Marvel Studios has grown to become one of the biggest movie studios in the world. There is one character however, who is far more interesting and compelling than a casual viewer might gather if they are only interested in the movies: SHIELD Agent Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye. He’s the one with the bow and arrow and is portrayed by Jeremy Renner in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
Read MoreYou can learn a lot about a person and the types of movies they love. You ask 3 people what the best movie they have ever seen is, and you are likely to get three different movies.
Like a dog whistle or a typical Sam Smith song, movies speak a note whose unique resonation can only be heard by that specific person based on their life experiences.
Read MoreWell, it’s that that time of year again, on the cusp of spring we start to look forward to the summer months and the summer movie slate. And with that comes the long-running Fantasy Box Office league that myself, Chris, Greg, Tim, and Paula participate in. After a dominant 2018, I’m looking to stay on the mountaintop, but I have to admit that it will be very difficult this year. This summer is incredibly stacked, so much so that we decided to extend the summer rosters from 7 to 8 and our auction budgets from $70 to $80. It made for an interesting draft and some unique rosters and calculations on everyone’s part, which should make for a fun summer. Let’s take a look at the rosters, going in order from last season’s last place to first.
Read MoreA new music-centric feature film showcasing the most famous band of all time.
Read MoreOut of all the movies that came out of 2018 no movie (in my opinion) has had more of the underdog story than Bohemian Rhapsody. Based on the life and times of Freddie Mercury and Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody tells the story of Freddie through moments in time leading up to the legendary Live Aid Concert in 1985.
The film opened to mixed reviews from the critics but the audience and the fans came through showing their immense support.
However reports of Bryan Singer "Director" of the film, being very unprofessional on set to the point of barely showing up. And when he did show up he would argue with everyone. Reports even state that he threw things at Rami Malek who stars as Freddie Mercury. This report Singer vehemently denies.
Read MoreYesterday morning I got really excited at about 7:45am when I was on Twitter and remembered, “Oh, it’s Oscar nomination day!” Almost immediately after this, I also got slightly bummed out because I knew that there were bound to be disappointments with the nominations. Cinephiles have a love/hate relationship with movie award ceremonies like the Oscars because so often truly great gems get overlooked, the Academy always gets something wrong, what resonates now might be lost in the shuffle in five or ten years, and yet we always hold out hope that the films we champion will somehow win out and be rewarded for their greatness and it will validate everything we believe about the movies we love. Or maybe that’s just me. Suffice to say, there were a few nominations I loved, but quite a few snubs I hated.
Let’s get into some of the biggest Oscar snubs this year and who I would kick out to put them in.
Read More2018 has been a unique year. Typically, when I get to the end of the year, there are a handful of limited releases that haven’t expanded to where I live, and I don’t get to see them until mid-January. This year, there are only one that I want to see that I haven’t managed to get to yet: If Beale Street Could Talk. Because of that, I feel comfortable crafting my year-end list of the best films of 2018 now rather than waiting. I’m going to list twenty, but I’m only going to devote a sentence each to 11-20. Let’s just get right into it!
Read MoreI was pretty close. Currently, I’m actually in first place and Greg is in 2nd, but only about $15 million separates us. What accounts for that? Well, the big reason for that is likely Fantastic Beast: The Crimes of Grindewald. I didn’t expect glowing reviews, but I also did not expect a T-meter of 39% for it either. The first Fantastic Beasts was favorably reviewed at 74%. I expected a modest drop off, perhaps somewhere in the 60s or bottoming out in the mid-to-high 50s. 39% is a steep drop and that drop is impacting its revenue too, as it is lagging nearly $50 million compared to the first film at this point. That severely limits Greg’s chances to win.
Read MoreEvery lover of cinema pictures different actors in different roles. When we come to admire or enjoy performers, it’s hard not to think about what kind of part might maximize their talents. Throw in a general love of fiction and stories and it’s easy to start picking and choosing imagined roles for various actors. Basically, we all want to try our hand at casting in one way or another!
Since I’m not exactly a Hollywood producer or casting director just yet, a list will have to suffice for now. But these are 10 casting wishes I’d love to see come true.
Widows is a film that joins the ranks of State of Play and Edge of Darkness as recent films that have been adapted from a British miniseries. Actually, it jumps to the front of the class of these adaptations. Like Edge of Darkness, Widows originated from the mid-80s and has been ported over to a modern-day American setting. However, whereas those other films were political thrillers, this film is more of a crime thriller with political tones. It is also director Steve McQueen’s first film since the 2013 Oscar-winning Best Picture 12 Years a Slave.
Read MoreWhen last we left our intrepid bunch of movie lovers, the fall movie season was on the cusp of kicking off, the rosters were set, and I was ready to defend my crown after winning the summer league. So what has happened in the interim?
OnStage founder Chris Peterson paid off his last place finish by watching his punishment movie, Freddie Got Fingered, a truly miserable experience that he livestreamed to the delight of the rest of us, especially me.
Read MoreWith the rise of the action movie and the string of Marvel Universe films, there has been an increase in the number of female actors portraying superheroes. In the past, there was often the view that superhero movies were over-dependent on CGI. Of course, there’s a lot of effects added to these types of movies, but it doesn’t mean that there’s no skill involved.
The actors who take roles in these movies are oftentimes taking a leap from their usual type of film. There is one female actor who has gone on to thrive in the action movie industry, and that is Scarlett Johansson. It’s no secret that she is the highest-earning actor in Hollywood, but it’s also remarkable to see how she has fully embraced the life of an action hero.
Read More*As much as Ken Jones and Greg Ehrhardt wanted to break down Johnny English strikes again, “Guess The Box Office” is taking a week off to give a review of the smash box office hit “Halloween”*
Read MoreFantasy sports is a billion-dollar industry. It’s all the rage. Just myself, I am in three fantasy football leagues, a Pick ‘Em League, and a Survivor League. I’ve even dabbled in Draft Kings. But here’s the thing, fantasy doesn’t have to be limited to sports. In fact, it shouldn’t be limited to sports. What if you could build a fantasy roster of your favorite movies and win bragging rights about your movie prowess?
Read MoreOnScreen is pleased to bring you a new weekly feature called “Guess The Box Office”, where OnScreen critic Ken Jones and OnStage Contributor Greg Ehrhardt will preview the weekend in movies and predict which movie will win the weekend and may even try and guess actual box office while they are at it. Check back every Friday for a new column.
Read MoreLast week, certain people on the internet lost their minds regarding First Man, a film that has yet to even be released. The film is a biopic about Neil Armstrong and the moon landing from director Damien Chazelle.
The “outrage” stems from an interview that Ryan Gosling, who portrays Armstrong in the film, gave during press for the film after it premiered at the Venice Film Festival. In that interview, he said that the moment of the American flag being planted on the moon is not shown in the film and that the moon landing was a human achievement.
Read MoreDays 9 & 10 from the Maine International Film Festival.
Read MoreLet's be honest. When it was announced, did any of us have high hopes for Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again?
I'll be the first to say I didn't. In fact, I remember posting on Facebook, "Who asked for this?!?!?!" and jeering its trailer during NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live!
Not only was I not looking forward to this movie, but I also predicted it would fail.
How wrong I was.
Read MoreDays 7 & 8 from the Maine International Film Festival.
Read MoreDays 5 & 6 from the Maine International Film Festival.
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