 The Tribeca Film Festival kicked off last Thursday with Pre-Festival screenings giving press and industry personnel the opportunity to see the heavy slate of films the New York festival has to offer. Over the next few weeks, until the official festival kicks off on April 17th, the very best in foreign, documentary, and independent cinema will get some of their first viewings.
Richard Linklater directed and co-wrote the romantic classic Before Sunrise (1995) with Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy. We have to start by looking at how far this series has come since its inception nearly twenty years ago. At the time, Hawke was fresh off Ben Stiller’s Reality Bites (1994) and was on his way to bigger projects. Starring in the underwhelming yet entertaining White Fang (1991) and having a supporting turn in my favorite film of all-time Dead Poets Society (1989) with Robin Williams; Hawke was on his way from teen sensation to serious character actor. Julie Delpy had a very different journey and was virtually unknown in America. Having roles in the “Three Colors” series as Dominique, her only memorable American roles up to that point were in Roger Avary’s Killing Zoe (1993) as the young Zoe and as Constance in Disney’s adaptation of The Three Musketeers (1993) with Charlie Sheen and Keifer Sutherland. Read more on TRIBECA: Before Midnight (****)…
Categories: Editor, Festivals, Film Reviews Tags: 2013 release, Before Midnight, Editor, Editor Film Review, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Richard Linklater, Sony Pictures Classics, Tribeca Film Festival
 With a slate that includes The Hangover Part 3, Man of Steel, The Great Gatsby, The Conjuring and 300: Rise of an Empire, Warner Bros is set to have a really big summer. They took the time to stop by WonderCon and share footage from two of those films, The Conjuring and Pacific Rim. Playing in front of an enthusiastic crowd and hosted by Drew McWeeney of HitFix.com, this was one of the most fun panels I’ve been to here at WonderCon. Check out the preview of both films after the jump!
Read more on WonderCon: Warner Bros. previews The Conjuring and Pacific Rim…
Voting has already begun for the Elite 8, so be sure to vote today and tomorrow so that your favorites advance to the Final 4. You
already know the winners for the Sweet 16 round, but here are the final numbers (percentage-wise) for voting that round so that you can see how tight (or not) each match-up was. Have a look at the tallies after the jump.
Read more on Circuit Madness Sweet 16 Round Results…
The search for the “Best” Best Picture Winner of all-time.
Download the Bracket HERE>>>Oscar_Madness_Full_16
The final eight films are competing in some of the best matchups that could have been possible. VOTE HERE.
Read more on Circuit Madness Final 8 is Open!…
Link(s) of the week:
The big news of the week centered around the March 2 2014 date for the 86th Academy Awards. Pete Hammond at Deadline gives his analysis on why the date was pushed back rather than moved forward.
Read more on Around the Circuit: March 23rd – March 29th…
Academy Award winner Colin Firth and Emily Blunt star in Arthur Newman, a heartwarming tale of a middle-aged man (Firth) starting over after a difficult divorce, whose plans are derailed by a woman (Blunt) struggling to leave her own past behind. The screenplay is by Academy Award nominee Becky Johnston (Seven Years in Tibet, Prince of Tides), with Dante Ariola making his directorial debut. Arthur Newman arrives in limited release on April 26. Have a look at the trailer and poster after the jump.
Read more on Trailer and Poster for Colin Firth’s New Film ‘Arthur Newman’…
 With earlier this week marking the start of Passover for 2013, I wanted to tie in one of my favorite family holidays (I’m not a fan of the religious aspect, but I do love the food assorted shenanigans with people I only see once a year) and one of my favorite things overall…analyzing Oscar races! This time out, I decided to look back and see what 2012 contenders for Academy Awards were “passed over” by voters when all was said and done. I only included movies that were completely snubbed and didn’t receive a single Oscar nomination. I also separated those 20 flicks into two categories…one of which deals with films that were thought to be in the running for at least one nod but wound up being left out in the cold on nomination morning, while the other deals with movies that were never close to being honored in the end but deserved a nom for quality alone. I tried to make this as all-encompassing as possible, but if I left one out, be sure to let me know in the comments. For now though, on with a look back at what voters “passed over” last year.
Read more on Some “Passed Over” Films from 2012…
Nearly four months into the year and we finally have an (prematurely timed) awards contender, in the mix with Derek Cianfrance’s dramatic masterpiece in The Place Beyond the Pines. After deeply moving with Blue Valentine (2010), Ryan Gosling teams up with Cianfrance again to follow-up with another heavy performance, proving what we already whole-heartedly knew: that we don’t want him taking a break from acting. Also in the fray is Stephenie Meyer’s first post-Twilight novel, The Host, getting picked up in an adaptation, G.I. Joe getting some Retaliation, and the secrets behind Kubrick’s enigmatic horror classic, The Shining (1980), being discussed in Room 237.
Read more on Weekend Openings: 3/29/2013…
Categories: Weekend Openings Tags: Bradley Cooper, Derek Cianfrance, Eva Mendes, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Mental, Room 237, Ryan Gosling, The Host, The Place Beyond the Pines, Tyler Perry's Temptation, Welcome to the Punch, Wrong
The synopsis for Wes Anderson’s (Moonrise Kingdom) latest film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, has been unveiled, increasing speculation that the quirky director’s new movie might hit theaters in 2013 after all. Fox Searchlight has acquired worldwide distribution rights, with rumors swirling for a late 2013 release. Anderson’s films almost always include the most wonderful casts, and Budapest will be no exception. With Ralph Fiennes, Edward Norton, Owen Wilson, Tilda Swinton, Jude Law, Bill Murray, Adrien Brody, Harvey Keitel, Jason Schwartzman, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum, Saoirse Ronan, Tom Wilkinson, Mathieu Amalric, F Murray Abraham, and Bob Balaban lined up, this is a film I know a lot of people are going to be excited to see. The synopsis comes to us via Screen Daily, so have a look after the jump.
Read more on Will We See Wes Anderson’s ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’ This Year?…
Planes, Disney’s latest action-packed 3D animated comedy adventure, tells the story of Dusty (voiced by Dane Cook) a plane who dreams of competing as a high-flying air racer. Dusty is apparently not built for speed, however, and has a fear of heights, so there are some obstacles for him to overcome in order to pursue his dream. Have a look at the first official poster for the film - which comes out August 9 – after the jump.
Read more on First Look: Disney’s ‘Planes’ Poster…
Sony Pictures Classics has released the first trailer for Richard Linklater’s third film in the Before series. Before Midnight reunites Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) nine years since their last encounter (Before Sunset), and eighteen years since their first (Before Sunrise). The film opens May 24, and you can read Joey’s ***½ review here. Have a look at the trailer after the jump.
Read more on First Trailer for Richard Linklater’s ‘Before Midnight’…
Quentin Jerome Tarantino was born on March 27, 1963 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Tarantino is known best for his non-linear story-lines and excessive on-screen violence. His first completed feature film, Reservoir Dogs (1992), screened at the Sundance Film Festival and received immediate praise. The critics followed suit in their admiration of the film and its director. Tarantino’s success continued with two successful screenplays: True Romance (1993) – directed by Tony Scott – and Natural Born Killers (1994) – directed by Oliver Stone. The latter was revised heavily by Stone and his writers, but Tarantino was still given story credit.
Read more on Circuit 3: Quentin Tarantino…
We all love and root for Julianne Moore to finally win her inevitable Oscar, but no one has supported her chances for The English Teacher anywhere near as much as our very own editor, Clayton Davis. For the last few years he has anxiously awaited the release of this film, and now, finally, on May 17 it will open in theaters. Before that, it will be On Demand on April 16 and premiere in theaters at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26. While this might not end up being the vehicle to get Ms. Moore her first Oscar, there should be a shout out to Clayton in her speech for his support when she finally does win. Have a look at the poster for The English Teacher - which also stars Greg Kinnear and Nathan Lane – after the jump.
Read more on ‘The English Teacher’ Gets a Poster – FINALLY Coming to Theaters…
 Directed By: Bennett Miller
Written By: E. Max Frye, Dan Futterman
Cast: Channing Tatum, Steve Carell, Mark Ruffalo, Sienna Miller, Vanessa Redgrave
Synopsis: Foxcatcher tells the story about how John du Pont suffered paranoid schizophrenia and killed Olympic wrestler David Shultz in 1997.
Read more on Awards Profile: Foxcatcher…
Categories: Award Profile Tags: Academy Award, Award Profile, Bennett Miller, Channing Tatum, dan futterman, E. Max Frye, Foxcatcher, Mark Ruffalo, sienna miller, Steve Carell, vanessa redgrave
 The Top 8 American Idol hopefuls took the stage tonight taking on the music of Detroit with Motown legend Smokey Robinson in tow to guide them through the process. This theme and genre has been done countless times on American Idol and hopefully Executive Producer Nigel Lythgoe is getting wind of that and will bring some fresh sounds to the themes in the coming weeks, and hopefully future seasons.
Host Ryan Seacrest gave us a breakdown of the show with not only the eight contestants performing solos but the infamous return of the duets/trios that plagued us all so much last year during Season 11. I guess we’re stuck with this for the next two weeks until we’re down to six or they use the save. I’ll only be going in-depth on the solo performances from this evening. Read more on American Idol Season 12 – Top 8 (Detroit Theme) Recap…
Categories: Article, Editor, TV/Music Tags: amber holcomb, american idol, American Idol Season 12, Angie Miller, Burnell Taylor, Candice Glover, Devin Velez, Janelle Arthur, kree harrison, Lazaro Arbos
 Directed By: Spike Jonze
Written By: Spike Jonze
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Olivia Wilde, Samantha Morton, Sam Jaeger, Luka Jones, Katherine Boecher
Synopsis (From IMDB): A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with his newly-purchased operating system that’s designed to meet his every need.
Why It Could Succeed:
After directing three highly-respected films that have reached cult status in their own special way, Spike Jonze’s latest effort has fans of his offbeat style salivating at the mouth. Jonze has passionate movie fanboys, critics, and The Academy™ in his corner, so you know all eyes will be fixated on his newest film, which also marks his solo screenwriting debut. It’s hard to believe that Jonze’s only writing contribution has been on Where the Wild Things Are, since his whimsical style of directing has this writer-director energy to it a la Wes Anderson. Longtime collaborator Charlie Kaufman, who wrote the original screenplays for Being John Malkovich and Adaptation, is not working with Jonze on this project, but it’s clear that the revered Oscar-winning screenwriter has influenced Spike Jonze this go-around. Read more on Awards Profile: Her…
It’s going to be a summer full of super heroes (again), with Marvel’s Iron Man 3 and Warner Brothers’ Man of Steel looming as enormous box office giants. Twentieth Century Fox hopes to be in on the action as well, with their stand alone story of The Wolverine. Hugh Jackman reprises his role as the Adamantium enhanced titular character, with James Mangold (Walk the Line) directing. The Wolverine will be in theaters July 26, 2013. Have a look at the trailer and poster after the jump.
Read more on Full Trailer for ‘The Wolverine’…
The British Academy has pushed their awards schedule back a week, announcing February 16, 2014 as the date for the 67th BAFTA awards ceremony. This keeps the British version of the Oscars in front of the Academy Awards ceremony after AMPAS’ recent decision to move the Oscars to March 2 in an effort to avoid next year’s Olympic games. BAFTA has not yet announced the date for nominations.
Read more on BAFTA Announces Ceremony Date – Still Prior to Oscar…
 There’s something almost mythical about the story being told in The Place Beyond the Pines, Derek Cianfrance’s absolutely brilliant follow-up to his award-winning drama Blue Valentine (2010). Both traditional and unique in its nature, Cianfrance has crafted something just as strong as last time out while focusing on a different subject and painting on a far broader canvas. Again teaming up with Ryan Gosling and once more getting a searing performance out of him, Cianfrance this time has a larger cast which works out to become a powerful ensemble, notably including Bradley Cooper as essentially a co-lead with Gosling. There’s also Emory Cohen, Dane DeHaan, and Eva Mendes on hand for major parts, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Read more on The Place Beyond the Pines (****)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: 2013 releases, Ben Coccio, Ben Mendelsohn, Bradley Cooper, Bruce Greenwood, Dane DeHaan, Darius Marder, Derek Cianfrance, Emory Cohen, Eva Mendes, Mahershala Ali, Mike Patton, Oscar hopeful, Ray Liotta, Rose Byrne, Ryan Gosling, Sean Bobbitt, The Place Beyond the Pines
Wow…that was good, real good. Last night’s blind audition episode of The Voice was perfect from top to bottom. Shakira was more comfortable and gave specific, outstanding feedback that demonstrated her commitment to the show and its new flock of contestants. As for Usher, what can I say? The man’s disposition is as infectious as his smile. He’s going to make his one-leg-up sitting posture a signature style that the world will soon copy — you watch! Even though Blake irritates the crap out of me, his presence is necessary especially since his and Adam’s back and forth bickering never gets old. As for Adam, dude gets what he wants, and what he wants is also the cream of the crop. Once again, hats off to all four coaches. Also in store is the return of a Season 3 American Idol finalist. Which one is it? You’ll have to wait and find out after the jump… Read more on The Voice Recap: Blind Auditions Part 2…
 I think it goes without saying that multi-hyphenate filmmaker Quentin Dupieux is one weird dude. Known for his cult film ‘Rubber’ from a few years ago (yes, the one about the killer tire), Dupieux is back with a new movie called Wrong, and the title fits rather nicely if I do say so myself. It’s super odd and doesn’t often make a lot of sense, but this time out Dupieux isn’t just making a bizarre genre exercise…he’s making a statement about humanity as well. Armed with an interesting central performance by Jack Plotnick and some inspired moments, I saw a lot of promise here, even if it doesn’t all come together as smoothly as it perhaps should have. I was amused, but didn’t see the movie as a complete film. It’s got a concept, but the execution is just a touch lacking, especially in terms of holding the plot together and driving things forward. Dupieux is almost working in David Lynch territory here, and while there are effective scenes, I just wanted a bit more than he had to offer.
Read more on Wrong (**½)…
On Dancing with the Stars first elimination, reality star Lisa Vanderpump and boxing champion Victor Ortiz found themselves in the bottom two. Which star is the first to go home?
Dorothy Hamill?
Read more on Dancing with the Stars: Week 2 Results…
The adaptation of Orson Scott Card’s beloved sci-fi classic, Ender’s Game, is one of the year’s most quietly anticipated releases. A newly released teaser poster features Ender poised and ready for his strategic training in the Battle Room. Along with the poster (see below) is an updated synopsis as follows:
Read more on Get a Glimpse of the Battle Room in New ‘Ender’s Game’ Teaser Poster…
The battle continues. We’re down to the heavy hitters and we have some really fantastic match-ups going on like:
- Casablanca vs. The Bridge on the River Kwai
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest vs. Lawrence of Arabia
- The Godfather vs. All About Eve
- Amadeus vs. The Godfather Part 2
- Schindler’s List vs. No Country for Old Men
- The Sound of Music vs. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- Gone with the Wind vs. Annie Hall
- On the Waterfront vs. The Silence of the Lambs
Read more on Circuit Madness Sweet 16 Open!…
|
The Tribeca Film Festival kicked off last Thursday with Pre-Festival screenings giving press and industry personnel the opportunity to see the heavy slate of films the New York festival has to offer. Over the next few weeks, until the official festival kicks off on April 17th, the very best in foreign, documentary, and independent cinema will get some of their first viewings.
