There is an insidious idea creeping into the movie-going experience. Something that drives up attendance without demanding higher quality in the product. A non-issue that can make a person feel like their life has been ruined when at most two hours of their life has been slightly tweaked. This threat to our sanity and our humanity is the spoiler: the idea that if you find out the big secret in a movie (or play or book) it ruins the whole thing.
Read MoreWhen presented with a new character for the first time, I immediately ask myself where am I going to find inspiration?
It’s during these times that I remember that Andy Serkis used his cat as his inspiration for the voice of Gollum. This story taught me to be open-minded about where I gain inspiration. There’s no need to religiously study the performances of BAFTA winning actors and attempt to copy and paste what they do. There’s a lot to be said for people watching. Or if you’re Mr. Serkis, pet watching.
Read MoreRecently, I saw Midsommar with a friend and we left the theater completely blown away by it and spent our entire drive back to his place talking about it. After I dropped him off and headed home, I started listening to a podcast that had an interview with the director, Ari Aster. When I got home, even though it had been a long day, I was not tired; I was still energized from having seen the film.
Read MoreGive us the songs, the dances, the people who train day in and day out to entertain and let them do what they do best. Just let them do it through a different medium.
Read MorePride Month is about more than wearing rainbow T-shirts from Target and walking in parades. There are so many more impactful ways to support the community. Perhaps the most natural way actors and other theatre artists like us can show our support is by seeking out LGBTQIA media that contributes to much-needed representation.
Read More“Lights. Curtain. Action!”
Besides being a bad pun, this silly play on words has begun to feel like an all too poignant reality when looking at the shows currently running on Broadway. One of the major draws of Broadway is the creativity and effort that goes into every stage of producing a show; from writing, to set, to costume, to lights, everything takes thought and effort to make it looks as seamless and magical as it does once it hits the stage.
Read MoreNetflix’s new film Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile starring Zac Efron and Lily Collins was highly anticipated and somewhat controversial. The story follows the persecution of Theodore Bundy, infamous 1970’s serial killer. As the film was released, so were the opinions of a multitude of viewers speaking out against the sensationalization of the horrific story. Many feel that the film is evoking sympathy for a man that would later confess to 30 murders.
Read MoreOver 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 More
