Young Adult novels have been all the rage these past few years from Twilight to Hunger Games to the upcoming Divergent series. When you have a glut of movies of “similar” subject matter, the only way to differentiate yourself is through the casting. The producers of The Maze Runner have tapped Teen Wolf star and internet favorite Dylan O’Brien to play the lead character in the adaptation of the dystopian trilogy. The film centers around a group of teens who wake up in a maze with no memory of how they got there and their struggles to search for a way out. Read more on Dylan O’Brien of MTV’s “Teen Wolf” lands Maze Runner Lead…
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How can a movie with such fantastic performances and interesting subject matter feel so drawn out and boring? It’s a quagmire of a situation. On one hand you have an in-depth exploration of eco-terrorism and cultist behavior that’s given time to grow and enrapture you. On the other hand, it takes it’s sweet time to get there and doesn’t really engender any real feeling sfor the characters, making the running time feel much longer than it is. In short, The East manages to be the embodiment of that contradiction, being one of the most enchanting boring movies put to screen. 
SXSW is winding down now and there’s only two films left for me to screen, the Zac Efron led At Any Price and The East featuring Brit Marling, Ellen Page, and Alexander Skarsgard. So before those final reviews are posted, I thought I should share my snippet review of the three 3 star films I had the opportunity to see: Some Girl(s), Reality Show and my #1 most anticipated film of the festival, Big Ass Spider. 
James Wan, the mastermind behind Saw and Insidious, has been scaring audiences for years now and judging by this frightening new trailer for The Conjuring, he’s done it again. The Conjuring is based on a true story of a family haunted by a presence in a farmhouse. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga play the paranormal investigators called upon to help the family, which turns into the most terrifying case of their lives. Check out the creepy trailer after the jump!
Snitch is one of those films that you go in expecting one thing and get those judgments and preconceived notions blown to bits by a sharp screenplay, fantastic acting, and confident direction. A fascinating character study wrapped in the thin shroud of an action thriller, Snitch, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is a powerful statement film about drug trafficking, masculinity, and ultimately how humans react when faced with extraordinary circumstances. 
Don’t you guys just love lists? Of course you do or else Mark’s fantastic Circuit 3 series wouldn’t be so popular. Entertainment Weekly, in celebration of the Oscars, has released their top 25 Best Picture winners which you can view 
Supernatural teen dramas have been all the rages the past few years, with movie goers flocking to see every manner of movie about 
I’m sure SoCal and New York denizens are used to seeing places they frequent being used in movies, but it was so much fun seeing buildings from my alma mater Georgia Tech (go Yellow Jackets!) in this trailer for The Internship, even if the real building is in the Silicon Valley. The movie is about two men (Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson) who get laid off and decide to try and make it as interns at Google, where their managers are in their twenties. The cast for the film also includes Dylan O’Brien, Will Ferrell, JoAnna Garcia Swisher, B.J. Novak, Max Minghella, Josh Gad and John Goodman. Check out the trailer after the jump!
Original Score is one of the most interesting categories year in and year out, with the list of films that were disqualified being almost as good of a list as the nominees. This year was not only a great year for film but film music, with the 5 nominees beating out many worthy adversaries to make it in the Oscar lineup.
Supporting Actress has proven to be one of the best categories recently for the Academy Awards. For every year there was a clear front runner (Spencer, Monique, Hudson), there was another year when we had no idea who was winning (Leo, Swinton, Weisz, Cruz). Although after a few award shows, it’s clear that this year’s race is shaping up to be one of those “Frontrunner wins everything” years, there’s still an interesting slate of nominees and narratives to discuss.
You’d be hard pressed to find a person who was more unsure of Warm Bodies than me when the trailer dropped. In this age of reboots and re-imaginings and remixes, this just seemed like another in the assembly line of ideas. Luckily the writers took care to develop a dynamite script that earns every laugh and dramatic beat, found the perfect director in Jonathan Levine, and captured a fine cast to make it all come to life. A lighthearted romp through the undead genre, Warm Bodies is the first real bright spot in this year’s opening slate of films. 
Sundance Film Festival may be over, but we’ve still got fun stuff to share! In addition to the final reviews and analysis, Joey and I sat down before leaving Park City to record one final video where we share our thoughts about the festival and dole out some awards. So without further ado, here’s the final Park City Dispacth video! 
It’s not every day you get to speak with someone who has even been to a porn shoot, let alone made a documentary about one of the bigger studios. But that’s what happened when I sat down with kink director Christina Voros at Java Cow in Park City last week. In what was perhaps the most fun I’ve had during an interview, Christina and I discuss her lightning rod of a film, the challenges of shooting porn without bias, and what it’s like working with James Franco. Check it out after the jump! 
Raucously entertaining and yet incredibly earnest, Christina Voros’ documentary kink is a fascinating film about the inner workings of the porn studio kink.com. Certainly not for the faint of heart or prude of mind, Voros spares us nothing in her examination of BDSM porn by way of the most profitable studio of the genre. It’s a lightning rod of a film instantly sparking discussion, division and derision. But that’s what makes the documentary great, you can’t help but be compelled to have a longer conversation about the film. 
One of the best things about Sundance is that you get to meet every matter of person involved in indie film. Miriam Cutler has been composing music for documentary films since 1988, authoring over 100 scores. She’s also been a longtime advisor in the Sundance Composers Lab, as well as a long time board member of the Society of Composers and Lyricists. This year she’s back at Sundance having done the score for the documentary American Promise. We sat down at the hp Lounge to chat about the film, how the film scoring process works, and what she most enjoys about the work. Check out the interview after the jump! 
Sometimes movies are incredibly clear in their intentions from the outset. Other films take their time, sneaking up on you and subtly creeping into your consciousness. and there are those films that sneak up on you, creeping into your consciousness. Pit Stop, an eloquent look at gay men living in Texas and the crossroads they find themselves at in their interactions, is most definitely the latter. While I had some problems with the first half of the film, the 2nd half is so wonderful that it made me reevaluate my entire experience. Anchored by some nuanced performances and a character driven screenplay, the film manages to say a lot without speaking loudly. 
It’s that time again we’re taking questions for Power Hour! We’ll be broadcasting LIVE on Blog Talk radio talking about the PGA Awards, how the Oscar race stands now, and announce the winners of the first annual Circuit Awards! There will be an opportunity for you to send your questions LIVE during the recording of Power Hour or you can post them in the comments. We will be recording on Sunday at 6:00 pm Eastern Time. So be here Sunday @ 6 sharp to give your feedback and ask your questions. You can also leave it in the comment section.
Every so often as a critic you get the opportunity to witness a film that’s so ingrained in your experience that it becomes difficult to even comprehend how you feel about the film. On one hand, Fruitvale is a rich, if slightly problematic, retelling of the day in the life of Oscar Grant, the Oakland man who was shot by police officers on New Year’s Day 2009. On the other is innate sense of personal relevance. I can still tell you exactly where I was sitting when I heard about him getting shot, the worry on my parent’s (and to speak the truth, all Black parents) faces that something like this could happen to me (their children), and the anger, not just African Americans, but most Bay Area residents felt when the officer who shot him was only sentenced to two years jail time. There’s no way to divorce those experiences from watching a film like this. However the movie doesn’t ask you to, it just wants you to be in the moment as it tells it’s story. For those reasons, Fruitvale is a feat of movie making, something that operates well within the medium and invites you to bring your emotions along for the ride. 
Do you all remember that split screen in 500 Days of Summer where we see the main character’s expectations vs. reality? Well my screening of Ain’t Them Bodies Saints was very much like what the main character went through. In my mind, Aint Them Bodies Saints was a thrilling yet poetic film that would put Malick to shame with a lot of meat for gifted actors to chew on. However, in reality, it was a plodding, dimly lit slog of a film that was more style than substance. 
