 The adaptation of fairy tale musical Into the Woods is ramping up towards it’s fall production with a ton of casting announcements coming our way. Earlier this week it was announced that Chris Pine, reaching the ubiquitous phase of his career, was in talks to join the film as one of the Princes, along with Jake Gyllenhaal. Emily Blunt and Christine Baranski have also joined the previously announced cast of Meryl Streep as the Witch and Johnny Depp as the Wolf. Read more on Pine, Gyllenhaal, Blunt and Baranski heading ‘Into the Woods’…
 With Star Trek into Darkness, director J.J. Abrams has not only made one of the most action packed Star Trek films to date, he’s also made the most compelling case yet for him to successfully cross over into the world of Star Wars. This is a space adventure, pure and simple, so Trekkies may take issue with certain things, though regular audiences members are likely in for a rollicking good time at the movies.
Abrams is his normally reliable self here, and if he shows some extra confidence behind the camera after a successful first time out with this franchise, so does the entire returning cast, as well as writers Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Damon Lindelof. Armed with raised stakes and not having to waste time introducing all the characters, the minds behind this flick are able to drop you right into the thick of things and rarely put on the brakes. This is a pretty tense two hours and change, and I’d even make the argument that the film could stand to be a little longer. Though hardly perfect by any stretch, this is one of the most fun things I’ve seen in 2013 so far.
Read more on Star Trek into Darkness (***)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: 2013 releases, Alex Kurtzman, Alice Eve, Anton Yelchin, benedict cumberbatch, Bruce Greenwood, Chris Pine, Damon Lindelof, franchise, J.J. Abrams, John Cho, Karl Urban, Peter Weller, Roberto Orci, Simon Pegg, Star Trek Into Darkness, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana
To boldly go where no host has gone before? Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana, stars of J.J. Abrams upcoming Star Trek sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, have been tapped to host the Academy’s Scientific and Technical Awards this year. Have a look at the press release after the jump.
Read more on Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana to Host Academy’s Sci-Tech Awards…
 JJ Abrams certainly knows how to deliver a teaser trailer for his films and he’s hit us with a doozy for his new film Star Trek Into Darkness, the sequel to the massively popular 2009 reboot Star Trek. Releasing not one, but two teaser trailers, we can see that the franchise is heading in a darker direction, with Benedict Cumberbatch unleashing all kinds of crazy on his quest for vengeance. Check out the two new trailers after the jump! Read more on ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ with two teaser trailers!…
Categories: Trailer Tags: Alice Eve, Anton Yelchin, benedict cumberbatch, Chris Pine, John Cho, Karl Urban, news, Simon Pegg, Star Trek, Star Trek Into Darkness, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana
 One of 2009′s pleasant surprises was J.J. Abrams Star Trek reboot, a film that succeeded in being both a great crowd-pleaser and critical success. With a trailer for the sequel set to premiere in front of The Hobbit, Paramount has released an official synopsis for Star Trek Into Darkness, available after the jump!
Read more on ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ gets an official synopsis, trailer announcement…
Categories: News Tags: Alice Eve, Anton Yelchin, benedict cumberbatch, Chris Pine, J.J. Abrams, John Cho, Karl Urban, news, Noel Clarke, Peter Weller, plot synopsis, Simon Pegg, Star Trek Into Darkness, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana
Rise of the Guardians (***)
Heroes are created by you and me, but for them to survive they require unwavering faith from us all. That is the underlying message in Dreamwork’s latest animated spectacle, Rise of the Guardians. A visual bedazzlement with 3-D utilized to its absolute best since Avatar, Director Peter Ramsey’s Rise of the Guardians works more as eye candy entertainment — with a whooshing speed of intensity that tickles the senses — than as an animated feature with bountiful substance. The story, adapted from William Joyce’s The Guardians of Childhood, tells of the greatest heroes in kiddy lore (known individually as “Guardians”) all coming together to fight evil — in this case, Pitch Black (Jude Law) A.K.A. “The Boogeyman.” The Guardians include Jack Frost (Chris Pine), North/Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), The Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman), The Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), and The Sandman. These procurers of childhood fantasy come together, “Avengers” style, to thwart the nefarious plans of Pitch, who plans on destroying The Guardians by kidnapping each of the Tooth Fairy’s helpers. By doing so, children would wake up and see that a tooth still remains under their pillow, without any kind of monetary reward to be found. Such a discovery would be catastrophic to The Guardians. If every child in the world stops believing they exist, The Guardians will die. Read more on AFI Fest: “Guardians” entertains but it’s “The Impossible” that is most Heroic…
Categories: Article Tags: Best Animated Feature, Chris Pine, Ewan McGregor, Hugh Jackman, Isla Fisher, Juan Antonio Bayona, Jude Law, naomi watts, Peter Ramsey, Rise of the Guardian Oscars, Rise of the Guardians, Rise of the Guardians review, The Impossible, The Impossible Oscars, The Impossible review, The Sandman, TOM HOLLAND, william joyce
UPDATE: Last day to enter!
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any more exciting around here, the Awards Circuit is proud to announce its first reader competition! As a thank you to all of our loyal fans we’ve got a copy of family drama People Like Us, starring Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde, and the insatiable Michelle Pfeiffer, to give away. Back in June, our very own Joseph gave the movie a very favourable 3-star review, citing the chemistry between Banks and Pine as some of the decade’s finest!
Read more on DVD Giveaway: People Like Us…
 The second half of the year is upon us. The race is about to heat up with big Oscar hopefuls coming down the pike. Our John Foote will be in attendance at the Toronto International Film Festival and many films will be unveiling themselves to critics alike. There is a very unclear yet still feasible shape to the race looking from ten thousand feet.
There are internet jitters building for Paul Thomas Anderson’s The Master starring Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman. With the trailers released and now the film being pushed up to September, it looks as though we may be in store for a master class in filmmaking. Phoenix also looks to be a lead contender for his first Oscar after delivering in his previous nominated works, Gladiator (2000) and Walk the Line (2005). Phoenix does have tough competition ahead of him including what looks to be a critical darling-type performance coming from John Hawkes in Ben Lewin’s The Sessions. Early word is very positive for the film and the turns by Hawkes along with co-stars Helen Hunt and William H. Macy. Since Hawkes’ initial nomination two years ago for Winter’s Bone, he hasn’t shown any signs of letting up. He was arguably left off last year in Sean Durkin’s Martha Marcy May Marlene and will be seen later this year in Julia Dyer’s The Playroom and Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln. There seems to be a tremendous following and support for him in his current state. Speaking of Spielberg, we’re still awaiting some type of marketing material for his upcoming Lincoln biopic. No poster or trailer has been released with very few stills leaked online. One starts to think if it will even be ready in time.
Taking a look at the next couple of months, the circuit will begin to reveal itself.
Read more on Oscar Circuit: “It’s the time of the season”…
Categories: Article, Editor, Oscar Circuit, Oscar Predictions Tags: Amour, Amy Adams, ang lee, Anna Karenina, Anne Hathaway, Arbitrage, Argo, Ava DuVarney, Ben Affleck, Bill Murray, Bradley Cooper, Brave, bryan cranston, Carey Mulligan, Chris Pine, Christoph Waltz, Christopher Walken, Clint Eastwood, Cloud Atlas, Colin Farrell, Daniel Barnz, Daniel Day-Lewis, David O. Russell, Django Unchained, Editor, Elizabeth Olsen, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Flight, Fun-Size, Great Expectations, Halle Berry, Helen Hunt, Hyde Park on Hudson, jamie foxx, Joaquin Phoenix, Joe Wright, John Goodman, John Hawkes, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, judd apatow, Justin Timberlake, kathryn bigelow, Killing Them Softly, Laura Linney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Les Miserables, Liam Neeson, Liberal Arts, Life of Pi, Lincoln, Logan Lerman, Looper, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Martin McDonagh, Michael Haneke, Middle of Nowhere, Moonrise Kingdom, nicole kidman, Not Fade Away, olivia colman, Olivia Williams, Oscar Circuit, oscar predictions, Paul Thomas Anderson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Quentin Tarantino, Rian Johnson, Richard Gere, Rise of the Guardians, Roger Michell, Russell Crowe, Rust and Bone, Sam Rockwell, Seth Rogen, seven psychopaths, Silver Linings Playbook, Skyfall, Steven Spielberg, the dark knight rises, The Grandmasters, The Guilt Trip, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Impossible, The Man with the Iron Fists, The Master, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Sessions, tom hanks, Trouble with the Curve, Viola Davis, Woody Harrelson, Wreck-It Ralph, Zero Dark Thirty
(Image Credit: Jesse Grant/Getty Images North America, ‘People Like Us’ premiere)
As you all probably know, Alex Kurtzman’s directorial debut (former screenwriter of ‘Transformers’ and ‘Star Trek’) People Like Us is hitting theaters this weekend. Two weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the press junket for People Like Us, where I participated in four separate roundtables featuring some of the film’s cast and crew. Below, you will find the audio from these roundtable sessions as well as some of my own personal takeaway thoughts from this special event. I greatly enjoyed People Like Us, but my appreciation for it skyrocketed after all the participating talent and crew were able to fully explain this dynamic film with such heart and conviction. It’s abundantly clear how treasured People Like Us has become for those who were a part of it. Check out all that went down at the press junket after the jump… Read more on ‘People Like Us’ Press Day Roundtables…
 If there’s one sure way to ruin a film for me, it’s to knowingly base the entire plot around a contrivance that exists only because there’d be no movie without it. ‘People Like Us’ is the latest flick to fall into that category, and it’s a shame since this drama about family is otherwise well acted and suggests that co-writer/director Alex Kurtzman and his writing partner Roberto Orci can do more than just pen loud summer blockbusters. They’re not quite there yet though, as Kurtzman’s direction has a few issues and this film all too often plays like a soap opera. Like I said, the acting is strong, particularly Elizabeth Banks’ supporting turn (though Chris Pine and Michelle Pfeiffer are good too), but it’s in the service of an inferior product. The flick threatens to overcome its mediocrity on a few occasions, but it can never get over the hump, and I was left feeling rather disappointed when the lights came up. I will grant you that the film ends on a touching note, but it’s made hollow when you realize how out of place it is, considering the character it’s trying to redeem. The ending wasn’t earned in my eyes, so I couldn’t quite forgive the movie. It’s not a bad flick, but it’s not exactly a good one either. You can decide for yourself when the film opens next week, but I’m not recommending it.
Read more on People Like Us (**)…
Categories: Film Reviews Tags: Chris Pine, Early Review, Elizabeth Banks, Jon Favreau, Mark Duplass, michael hall d'addario, Michelle Pfeiffer, Olivia Wilde, People Like Us, Philip Baker Hall, Roberto Orci
 Trying to resist director Alex Kurtzman’s deeply personal dramedy film — People Like Us — is an exercise in futility. Oh trust me, I tried my best to rebel against the oozing melodrama, the sappy familial bonds that the characters so desperately desire, and the lines of dialogue that teetered on the brink of cliché yet somehow remained firmly in the realm of originality. But in the end, every component of this film won me over despite all the technical flaws, despite the “too real or too unreal” moments, and despite Olivia Wilde’s total insignificance to the narrative. I have to credit the dazzling cast in this regard. Placing incredibly likeable and charming actors into complicated, dark, and deeply flawed roles was either a stroke of genius on the part of Kurtzman or careful manipulation. I want to believe the former, especially since Kurtzman has such a personal attachment to this film — this story greatly reflects his own experience of wondering what his father’s first family was like and then getting the opportunity to find out through a chance encounter. People Like Us doesn’t pretend to be anything less than a go-for-broke tearjerker, and that unabashed tone that the film streamlines over its duration is partly why I cannot fully discount its significance to the “dysfunctional family” brand of storytelling.
Read more on People Like Us (***)…
 With Cannes Film Festival in full force, there’s been a flurry of news coming out so here is your Late Pass with a little bit of a Cannes flair.
Cannes Update
The Cannes Film Festival is well underway. Several films have been met with universal praise like Mystery, Beasts of the Southern Wild, No and Rust & Bone. Of course since this is Cannes there were boos as well.
Production News
The colorist responsible for Avatar‘s vibrant screen quality, Skip Kimball, is joining Technicolor - The Hollywood Reporter
Oscar whisperer Harvey Weinstein traveled to Cannes and has acquired a documentary about the fall of Gaddafi. Will this steal some of the thunder from Zero Dark Thirty this awards season? - The Hollywood Reporter
Read more on Late Pass: Cannes, Casting and Production News…
Categories: News Tags: Beasts of the Southern Wild, book adaptation, Cannes Film Festival, Chris Pine, Harvey Weinstein, James Franco, Juno Temple, Mila Kunis, news, Olivia Wilde, Rust &Bone, The Exorcist, upcoming projects, Weekend
 Maybe I’m more curious than most, but I’ve been keeping an eye on the film ‘People Like Us’ (formerly known as ‘Welcome To People’) for a little bit of time now. I haven’t had much to go on, but I’m a sucker for a dysfunctional family flick. The movie now has a Trailer to judge it on, and after the jump you can go ahead and do just that!
Read more on Trailer for ‘People Like Us’!…
 A action tinged romantic comedy completely devoid of competent action, romance, or comedy, ‘This Means War’ is about as stupid as movies get. I’d say that it’s no surprise considering the director is McG, but I dislike him less than most critics, and actually really enjoyed his “serious” effort ‘We Are Marshall’. Here, he’s being as lazy as possible (and so are scribes Timothy Dowling, Marcus Gautesen, and Simon Kinberg as well), and it really does show. At no point does this mindless flick manage to be at all entertaining in the least. Really, you spend most of the film shaking your head and being disgusted at the actions of the 3 principle characters. Stars Reese Witherspoon, Chris Pine, and Tom Hardy are wasted and play pretty terrible people. I’m not sure what’s worse, the awful individuals we’re supposed to think so highly of, or the talented performers who don’t even bother to try. Witherspoon is sleepwalking through a role hardly distinguishable from a number of her previous jobs, Pine is just upping the jackass quotient from his portrayal of Captain Kirk in ‘Star Trek’, and Hardy is wasted so much it doesn’t seem like he knows what to do. That’s an unforgivable offense on the part of this team. When you waste Tom Hardy like this film does, you know you have a pile of junk on your hands. I’ll confess that I was mildly hopeful that this would be a light piece of popcorn entertainment with some fun to be had (ala ‘Mr. and Mrs Smith’)…how wrong I was.
Read more on This Means War (*½)…
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