Movie Headlines

Cinema’s Top 10 Directors Of The 20th Century

admin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

In alphabetical order:

Ingmar Bergman ” The director-s work can be heavy going, but his stark imagery (“The Seventh Seal’) has never been equaled.

Charlie Chaplin: With the character of the Tramp, Chaplin laid the groundwork for film comedy ” and filmmaking overall ” for decades to come.

John Ford: His straight-ahead directorial style has influenced countless filmmakers. Ford-s vision of the American western redefined the genre.

Howard Hawks: Comedies, westerns or sci-fi, Hawks- films are known for their sturdy construction and smart pacing.

Alfred Hitchcock: The master of suspense is notable for innovative storytelling and for becoming a pop culture brand unto himself.

Stanley Kubrick: A filmmaker who could tackle any genre and make it his own. His approach to filmmaking has influenced a generation

Akira Kurosawa: Best known for classics like “Seven Samurai’, the director was also proficient with personal films like “Ikiru.’

Steven Spielberg: No other film director has enjoyed the commercial and critical success ” and enduring cultural influence — of Spielberg.

Billy Wilder: The writer-director was as adept with comedies (“Some Like It Hot’) as he was with dramas (“The Lost Weekend.’)

William Wyler ” Known for solid filmmaking, Wyler directed epics like “Ben-Hur’ and comedies like “Roman Holiday’ with equal cinematic proficiency.

Dark Days Of Cinema: When Movies Go Bad

admin — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Some movies gain a reputation for being so bad they-re good. Here are 6 that fit the bill (listed by year of release):

“The Terror of Tiny Town’ (1938): The only thing original about this western is the all-midget cast playing against full-sized sets. The film has gained a reputation for its off-kilter concept, but the effort comes up short.

“Plan 9 From Outer Space’ (1959): Often considered the worst movie ever made. Ed Wood Jr.-s sci-fi magnum opus of aliens, zombies and miscellaneous footage featuring Bela Lugosi set the standard for grade-Z cinema.

“The Giant Spider Invasion’ (1975): Spiders from another dimension are on the attack and not even bad acting and lousy production values can stop them. A line from the trailer sums things up: “There has never been a movie like this before.’

“Showgirls’ (1995): The writer and director of “Basic Instinct’ came up with this salacious story of sleaze, sex and sadism in the strip clubs of Las Vegas. The provocative film provoked only laughter from the audience.

“Battlefield: Earth’ (2000): John Travolta squandered a lot of his “Pulp Fiction’ cred when he starred in this ill-conceived adaptation of L. Ron Hubbard-s novel. The sci-fi “epic’ suffers from over-the-top acting and leaden pacing throughout.The information doesn-t stop now. Keep looking: Ezekiel 25:17 Pulp Fiction: Samuel L Jackson Thoughts by Brian Cimins

Five Ways To Make Movie Night A Cinematic Experience

admin — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0000

We all love going to the movies and “getting away from it all” for that couple hours. Have a movie night with friends and family and make it a special one for everyone. Set up a popcorn stand with a variety of toppings like butter, flavorings, etc. Rent a projector similar to the ones used in a professional theater. Have customers “pay” admission to see the film of the evening. Have everyone dress up as if they are attending the opera. Reward anyone who comes to the movie dressed in a costume piece. Set up an area to resemble a theater with balcony seating. There are many ways to make movie night a fun and memorable experience for anyone. From young to young at heart, watch the smiles on their faces. What wys can you think of that will make your movie experience fun? Have your friends entertain everyone after the show by reenacting different scenes from the movie you’ve just seen. There are many ways to make movie going an experience to be remembered for years to come. Even if you’ve seen the movie before getting together with everyone on movie night will be a special time for all.

Great Movies to See Alone: For the Ladies

admin — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0000

If your husband-s going to be shut up all fall watching Sunday Ticket on DIRECT TV you-ve got to get a game plan: movies! The summer blockbusters are nearly long gone but don-t fret, there are tons of great female friendly films about to hit theatershere are a few of our favorites:
Breaking Dawn: If you liked the first three Twilight movies you-re going to love Breaking Dawnat least, we think you will. How can you not love the idea of a vampire/wolf hybrid baby and sweet love between Hollywood-s hottest real life couple?
One Day: Starring Anne Hathaway this lifelong romance has all the right elements ” British accents, unrequited love and a best friend angleit-s one you should go alone, anyway.
The Ides of March: Starring George Clooney and Ryan Gosslingit can-t be all that bad, can it? It-s a thriller chock full of intrigue and crime drama. Who says women only go to the movies to see romantic comedies?
Leave your oaf of a husband at home and head out to the theater for a date with yourself this fall!

A hard-boiled “Mother” makes for compelling cinema

admin — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 19:22:15 +0000

Like France’s A Prophet and Argentina’s The Secret in Their Eyes, South Korea’s Academy Award submission Mother is another hard-boiled crime film. Is there something in the global consciousness that is bringing the archetypes of the criminal and the noir hero back into favorperhaps a feeling that being a moral person is more difficult than ever in today’s world? That’s the question at the heart of Mother, in which an illegal acupuncturist’s (Kim Hye-ja) life is turned upside down when her mentally challenged son is accused of a schoolgirl’s murder. Through the lens of cinema, at least, it makes for compelling, masterful art.Classic noir archetypes like a faceless hero (the main character is known only as Mother) and a single clue linking her son to the murder are the only familiar signposts in a film that quickly outstrips what we expect from American mystery films. Mother is an unlikely investigator, but proves remarkably dogged as she attempts to untangle the plot. The viewer, a level removed, has an even more difficult task. Rumination is interrupted by equally dark violence and humor, as well as true connection between characters. Director Bong Joon-ho touched on all of these themes in his last film, The Host, a mish-mash of monster movie motifs and social satire.American filmgoers who are falling out of love with movies after this year’s dismal summer fare (with a few notable exceptions) will find much to admire in Mother. It goes beyond the labels of “foreign” or “art” film and simply becomes “great cinema”, in the sense that it rivets the viewer to their seat and invites conversation as soon as the credits roll. Mother is now out on DVD. Do yourself a favor and buy it, because just one viewing won’t be enough.

Predators revamp coming soon

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:39:20 +0000

Robert Rodriguez has established himself in recent years as a master of kinetic, thrill-packed action films, with releases like Grindhouse: Planet Terror and Once Upon a Time in Mexico. He also has veered into family-friendly territory with films like the Spy Kids trilogy and 2009′s Shorts. Now he is moving into a new role as producer of Nimrod Antal’s Predators reimagining.Rodriguez also wrote the original script for the film, way back in 1994, but budget constraints forced Fox to forego the project. When the studio decided to update the series last year, however, they found Rodriguez’s script and realized that was the direction they wanted for the film. A bevy of directors went through the rumor mill, including Neil Marshall and Rodriguez himself, but the job ultimately went to Antal, who has also directed Armored and Vacancy.Marketing for the film in recent months has included a four-issue comic book series, expanding on the back story of the film, as well as official games for Apple products. A first look at the film was shown at the SXSW Film Festival back in March in Rodriguez’s home state of Texas. The film itself will be released July 9. So what should viewers expect?The plot involves a group of humans kidnapped by the Predators and used as bait to determine how humanity managed to vanquish the previous Predators. The film is officially only a sequel to the two original films, and attempts to return to a darker vision of the creatures than was shown in the Alien vs Predator films. Arnold Schwarzenegger, one of the stars of the first film, was originally slated as a cameo, but ended up dropping out.Still, there are strong indications that the new film will be able to stand on its own. Check it out opening night to see for yourself.

Kristen Stewart to film On the Road

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:29:56 +0000

The release of The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is on the horizon (no pun intended), but where is Kristen Stewart headed from here? At the LA Eclipse premiere last Thursday, she confirmed that her next film will be an adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s classic novel, On the Road. Stewart will play Marylou, wife of main character Dean Moriarty. But is Stewart ready for the jump from vampires and werewolves to hippies and the Beat Generation?Kristen has already portrayed anti-authoritarian punk rocker Joan Jett in this year’s The Runaways. Many critics praised Stewart’s performance but also acknowledged the strength of costars Michael Shannon and Dakota Fanning in holding the film together. It’s undeniable that Stewart has achieved a strong fan-base thanks to her Twilight role, but it is still a large leap for the 20-year-old actress to take on Kerouac’s 60-year-old novel.On the Road is a semi-autobiographical novel recounting the travelling life of Kerouac and his friends. In 2005, Time Magazine chose it as one of the 100 best English novels from 1923 to 2005. Luckily, the film, set for release in 2011, is helmed by experienced Brazilian director Walter Salles. It will be interesting to see Salles’s interpretation of such a quintessentially American novel.There is no doubt a reason behind this casting choiceperhaps to highlight the evolution of the 1950′s woman to the teenager of today, which Stewart exemplifies in the Twilight series. Keep an eye on this one, and keep your fingers crossed that this gambit pays off. Meanwhile, Eclipse will be released on June 30, and Stewart is gearing up to film The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1, also due for release in 2011.

Comic book casting calls

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:20:07 +0000

The latest entries in the popular X-men and Spider-Man film series are about to formally get off the ground as a flurry of casting rumors finally settle into stone. Michael Fassbender seems to have officially accepted the role of Magneto in the upcoming film X-Men: First Class. The Irish actor gained prominence as Lt. Archie Hicox in the film Inglourious Basterds, and recent news reports had him deciding between Magneto and an unnamed villain in the upcoming Spider-Man reboot.Fassbender’s inclusion in X-Men, along with the previously-announced James McAvoy as a young Professor X, could draw in many fans who would otherwise have dismissed the film. McAvoy himself has a legion of fans, both for his dramatic work in films like Atonement and for his previous comic-book film, Wanted.Although Fassbender passed on Spider-Man, reports from “Deadline” indicate that things are moving along quickly, and main character Peter Parker will soon be selected from a long list of hopefuls. Those up for the role include Jamie Bell (King Kong), Anton Yelchin (Star Trek), Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson and the Olympians), and more. To truly pull off the role (and satisfy the many demanding fans), the actor will have to show a combination of heroism and comedy that may be tough to get right. An online initiative on Twitter recently attempted to get Community series regular Donald Glover nominated for the role, but with apparently no results.Both upcoming films are attempts to showcase teenage versions of their respective series. X-Men: First Class will serve as a prequel showing a young Professor X’s and Magneto’s attempts to work together for the good of mutantkind. The film is directed by Matthew Vaughn. The unnamed Spider-Man film is a reboot of the previous series starring Tobey Maguire and will focus on the character in high school. Marc Webb will direct.

Bringing The Last Airbender to life

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 19:00:21 +0000

M. Night Shyamalan‘s latest film The Last Airbender is set to release July 1. The film represents a first in a number of regards for Shymalan: the first film set in a true fantasy world, the first one aimed at families, and most importantly, the first adaptation. As the fans of the Nickelodeon cartoon prepare for the release, expectations are high, and the director seems to be taking that into account.First, Shyamalan has placed acting talent over visual similarity to the characters. The characters in the show appear to be Asian, but many of Shyamalan’s characters are American unknowns. The only actor to appear in another film is Dev Patel, who starred in Slumdog Millionaire. The children are the real stars of the film, including Noah Ringer, age 12, as Aang, the eponymous airbender who is capable of controlling all four elements in a world where most can only control one. The film also stars Nicola Peltz, age 16, as one of the members of the Water tribe who finds Aang. This is Noah’s first film, and Peltz’s first starring role, following small appearances in films like Deck the Halls and Righteous Kill.Shyamalan’s team has also spent a lot of time turning his Philadelphia neighborhood into the mystical realm of the movie. The set for the kingdom of the Northern Water Tribe takes up an entire airplane hangar. Other sets were created or embellished with CG.The summer movie season has been slightly disappointing this year, with not much to look forward to after the early release of Iron Man 2. It looks like The Last Airbender may change all this, and provide an epic experience for filmgoers who turn out on July 1.

Back to the Future hits the Blu-ray age

admin — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:54:57 +0000

On October 26^th, the 25^th anniversary of the Back to the Future film trilogy, Universal Studios Home Entertainment will release a new box set featuring never-before-seen bonus features. This is a treat for both old fans of the series as well as a younger generation poised to discover them for the first time.Both films have been restored for both picture and audio quality, and new features include a six-part documentary looking back on the series with both the cast and crew. Another feature will highlight events in the films that foreshadow future plot points. Viewers can also compare important scenes with their storyboards, learn trivia while watching the films, and even delve into the actual science of the movies with renowned physicist Dr. Michio Kaku.Deleted scenes, commentaries, and featurettes are also included on the discs, helping to cement the trilogy’s lasting influence. The original film achieved was the highest-grossing film of 1985 and achieved international acclaim, leading to two more films, a television cartoon, rides at the Universal Studios Theme Parks, and upcoming video games for the Xbox 360 and PS3.With the prevalence of Hollywood remakes in recent years, it is refreshing to see a studio not willing to tamper with the classics, but instead give them the presentation they deserve. Of course, who knows what crafty director may be reading this right now? If you’re a fan of the films, the actors, or great movies in general, be sure to check this release out in October, or add it to your Christmas list and watch those next two months fly by at 88 mph.