Rian Johnson on what movies influenced "The Last Jedi"

Taken from latest issue of Empire:
”Twelve O’Clock High’ was a big touchstone, for the feel and look of the aerial combat as well as the dynamic between the pilots, ‘Three Outlaw Samurai‘ for the feel of the sword-fighting, and the general sense of pulpy fun. And ‘To Catch A Thief‘ was a great film to rewatch, for the romantic scale and grandeur.”
“I found myself constantly wanting to push modern idioms into the dialogue, and sometimes that can work, but you have to be very careful. If you go too far you can break that ‘Star Wars’ spell. The other challenge is the tech talk, which has to be simultaneously complex enough to sound real and conceptually simple enough to follow. The original films were brilliant at that.” 

Ben Affleck's LIVE BY NIGHT projected to have more than $75M in losses

Live by Night
Variety reports:

 "The expensive gangster picture was a passion project for Ben Affleck, who directed, wrote, produced, and starred in the story of a Florida rum runner. But critics ripped the picture, calling it dramatically inert and a muddle. That’s left Warner Bros., the studio behind the film flop, looking at a $75 million loss, according to insiders with knowledge of its financing and rival studio executives."

 "“Live By Night” has made $16.5 million globally, and is not expected to have international appeal despite Affleck’s star power. Talky period pictures don’t tend to play well overseas, particularly when they don’t come loaded with Oscars (“Live By Night” was shut out). The film cost $65 million to produce and tens of millions more to distribute and market. Warner Bros. only gets a percentage of ticket sales. It will try to cushion its losses with home entertainment sales and rentals, as well as television licensing deals. The studio did have a significant financial partner on the film in RatPac-Dune Entertainment, though it’s not clear how much the slate financing partner invested in “Live By Night."

 Back in December I wrote:

 "I'm here to report that the dire streak of Gangster films for Hollywood will continue because, well, Ben Affleck's "Live By Night" is just not good. It follows the familiar tropes of the gangster genre and, in fact, makes them seem boring and rusty. Even the action scenes, which if you've seen Affleck's "The Town," are the director's specialty, fall flat on the ground. What we're left with is a film that is reminiscent of 2012's misbegotten "Gangster Squad." That's not a compliment. Remember that film? That was the nail in the coffin as far as I'm concerned for the genre. Bankable actors and actresses couldn't even make it a box-office success and the reviews, yikes.

The King of nominations without wins (21) is nominated again this year... will he ever win?


















Kevin O'Connell, sound engineer, is nominated yet again this year. This time for Sound Mixing - Hacksaw Ridge.

This nomination is his 21st Oscar nomination.

Previous nominations:


Transformers
Apocalypto
Memoirs of Geisha
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man
Pearl Harbor
The Patriot
Armageddon
Mask of Zorro
Con Air
The Rock
Twister
Crimson Tide
A Few Good Men
Days of Thunder
Black Rain
Top Gun
Silverado
Dune
Terms of Endearment

*Also to note, Thomas Newman picked up his 14th Oscar Nomination for Passengers this year. He's the only composer in the category with a previous Oscar Nomination. He's still yet to earn himself an Oscar.

Oscars: LA LA LAND leads with 14 nominations



Nominations for the 89th Academy Awards

Best motion picture of the year

“Arrival” Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, Aaron Ryder and David Linde, Producers
“Fences” Scott Rudin, Denzel Washington and Todd Black, Producers
“Hacksaw Ridge” Bill Mechanic and David Permut, Producers
“Hell or High Water” Carla Hacken and Julie Yorn, Producers
“Hidden Figures” Donna Gigliotti, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Pharrell Williams and Theodore Melfi, Producers
“La La Land” Fred Berger, Jordan Horowitz and Marc Platt, Producers
“Lion” Emile Sherman, Iain Canning and Angie Fielder, Producers
“Manchester by the Sea” Matt Damon, Kimberly Steward, Chris Moore, Lauren Beck and Kevin J. Walsh, Producers
“Moonlight” Adele Romanski, Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner, Producers

Achievement in directing

“Arrival” Denis Villeneuve
“Hacksaw Ridge” Mel Gibson
“La La Land” Damien Chazelle
“Manchester by the Sea” Kenneth Lonergan
“Moonlight” Barry Jenkins

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Casey Affleck in “Manchester by the Sea”
Andrew Garfield in “Hacksaw Ridge”
Ryan Gosling in “La La Land”
Viggo Mortensen in “Captain Fantastic”
Denzel Washington in “Fences”

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Mahershala Ali in “Moonlight”
Jeff Bridges in “Hell or High Water”
Lucas Hedges in “Manchester by the Sea”
Dev Patel in “Lion”
Michael Shannon in “Nocturnal Animals”

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Isabelle Huppert in “Elle”
Ruth Negga in “Loving”
Natalie Portman in “Jackie”
Emma Stone in “La La Land”
Meryl Streep in “Florence Foster Jenkins”

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

Viola Davis in “Fences”
Naomie Harris in “Moonlight”
Nicole Kidman in “Lion”
Octavia Spencer in “Hidden Figures”
Michelle Williams in “Manchester by the Sea”

Best animated feature film of the year

“Kubo and the Two Strings” Travis Knight and Arianne Sutner
“Moana” John Musker, Ron Clements and Osnat Shurer
“My Life as a Zucchini” Claude Barras and Max Karli
“The Red Turtle” Michael Dudok de Wit and Toshio Suzuki
“Zootopia” Byron Howard, Rich Moore and Clark Spencer

Achievement in cinematography

“Arrival” Bradford Young
“La La Land” Linus Sandgren
“Lion” Greig Fraser
“Moonlight” James Laxton
“Silence” Rodrigo Prieto

Achievement in costume design

“Allied” Joanna Johnston
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” Colleen Atwood
“Florence Foster Jenkins” Consolata Boyle
“Jackie” Madeline Fontaine
“La La Land” Mary Zophres

Best documentary feature

“Fire at Sea” Gianfranco Rosi and Donatella Palermo
“I Am Not Your Negro” Raoul Peck, Rémi Grellety and Hébert Peck
“Life, Animated” Roger Ross Williams and Julie Goldman
“O.J.: Made in America” Ezra Edelman and Caroline Waterlow
“13th” Ava DuVernay, Spencer Averick and Howard Barish

Best documentary short subject

“Extremis” Dan Krauss
“4.1 Miles” Daphne Matziaraki
“Joe’s Violin” Kahane Cooperman and Raphaela Neihausen
“Watani: My Homeland” Marcel Mettelsiefen and Stephen Ellis
“The White Helmets” Orlando von Einsiedel and Joanna Natasegara

Achievement in film editing

“Arrival”Joe Walker
“Hacksaw Ridge” John Gilbert
“Hell or High Water” Jake Roberts
“La La Land” Tom Cross
“Moonlight” Nat Sanders and Joi McMillon

Best foreign language film of the year

“Land of Mine” Denmark
“A Man Called Ove” Sweden
“The Salesman” Iran
“Tanna” Australia
“Toni Erdmann” Germany

Achievement in makeup and hairstyling

“A Man Called Ove” Eva von Bahr and Love Larson
“Star Trek Beyond” Joel Harlow and Richard Alonzo
“Suicide Squad” Alessandro Bertolazzi, Giorgio Gregorini and Christopher Nelson

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

“Jackie” Mica Levi
“La La Land” Justin Hurwitz
“Lion” Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka
“Moonlight” Nicholas Britell
“Passengers” Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

“Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” from “La La Land”
Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
“Can’t Stop The Feeling” from “Trolls”
Music and Lyric by Justin Timberlake, Max Martin and Karl Johan Schuster
“City Of Stars” from “La La Land”
Music by Justin Hurwitz; Lyric by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
“The Empty Chair” from “Jim: The James Foley Story”
Music and Lyric by J. Ralph and Sting
“How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana”
Music and Lyric by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Achievement in production design

“Arrival” Production Design: Patrice Vermette; Set Decoration: Paul Hotte
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Anna Pinnock
“Hail, Caesar!” Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh
“La La Land” Production Design: David Wasco; Set Decoration: Sandy Reynolds-Wasco
“Passengers” Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Gene Serdena

Best animated short film

“Blind Vaysha” Theodore Ushev
“Borrowed Time” Andrew Coats and Lou Hamou-Lhadj
“Pear Cider and Cigarettes” Robert Valley and Cara Speller
“Pearl” Patrick Osborne
“Piper” Alan Barillaro and Marc Sondheimer

Best live action short film

“Ennemis Intérieurs” Sélim Azzazi
“La Femme et le TGV” Timo von Gunten and Giacun Caduff
“Silent Nights” Aske Bang and Kim Magnusson
“Sing” Kristof Deák and Anna Udvardy
“Timecode” Juanjo Giménez

Achievement in sound editing

“Arrival” Sylvain Bellemare
“Deepwater Horizon” Wylie Stateman and Renée Tondelli
“Hacksaw Ridge” Robert Mackenzie and Andy Wright
“La La Land” Ai-Ling Lee and Mildred Iatrou Morgan
“Sully” Alan Robert Murray and Bub Asman

Achievement in sound mixing

“Arrival” Bernard Gariépy Strobl and Claude La Haye
“Hacksaw Ridge” Kevin O’Connell, Andy Wright, Robert Mackenzie and Peter Grace
“La La Land” Andy Nelson, Ai-Ling Lee and Steve A. Morrow
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” David Parker, Christopher Scarabosio and Stuart Wilson
“13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Mac Ruth

Achievement in visual effects

“Deepwater Horizon” Craig Hammack, Jason Snell, Jason Billington and Burt Dalton
“Doctor Strange” Stephane Ceretti, Richard Bluff, Vincent Cirelli and Paul Corbould
“The Jungle Book” Robert Legato, Adam Valdez, Andrew R. Jones and Dan Lemmon
“Kubo and the Two Strings” Steve Emerson, Oliver Jones, Brian McLean and Brad Schiff
“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” John Knoll, Mohen Leo, Hal Hickel and Neil Corbould
Adapted screenplay

“Arrival” Screenplay by Eric Heisserer
“Fences” Screenplay by August Wilson
“Hidden Figures” Screenplay by Allison Schroeder and Theodore Melfi
“Lion” Screenplay by Luke Davies
“Moonlight” Screenplay by Barry Jenkins; Story by Tarell Alvin McCraney

Original screenplay

“Hell or High Water” Written by Taylor Sheridan
“La La Land” Written by Damien Chazelle
“The Lobster” Written by Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthimis Filippou
“Manchester by the Sea” Written by Kenneth Lonergan
“20th Century Women” Written by Mike Mills

LOGAN officially rated R















Very peculiar for a "superhero" movie, can spell death at the box-office, but something tells me it won't be a problem for this film. In fact I have this theory that if it weren't for Deadpool being such a huge hit and R-rated Logan would probably never exist. FINALLY, we get the R rated Wolverine movie we've wanted.

FINAL Oscar Predictions


































It all gets announced early tomorrow morning.

I saw LA LA LAND film in September, it was the frontrunner then it still is the frontrunner today, especially with "Silence" now having screened and not being everyone's cup of tea, we clearly have a favorite and there really isn't really a clearcut opposition willing to contend. Manchester by the Sea? Too depressing for the academy. Fences? It never truly escape its stage play roots. Nothing. This is the easiest Best Picture race to predict since The Return of the King in 2003.

Winning the People’s Choice Award at TIFF, and coming out this Friday, Damien Chazelle’s film was a no-brainer. Everyone felt sure it was going to win even before the festival started. Starring Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, Chazelle’s film has moments of pure joy that make you feel punch-drunk in love at the movies again. The morning press screening burst into extended applause after the film’s final shot and that sealed the deal for the film’s eventual fate as a major Best Picture contender. Stone, a beauty of an actress, also turned heads for her performance as Mia, a struggling actress hoping to find her big break. Mia falls for Sebastian, a playful and charismatic Ryan Gosling, as they embark on a colorful and touching adventure filled with some of the best original songs ever conceived for the big screen. It’s quite possibly the best movie musical since Bob Fosse’s “All That Jazz.

FRONTRUNNERS

 1) "La La Land"
2) "Fences"
3) "Manchester By The Sea"
4) "Moonlight"
5) "Lion"
6)  "Hacksaw Ridge" 
7) "Hidden Figures"
8) "Arrival"
9) "Hell or High Water"
10) "Sully"

MAJOR THREATS

Deadpool
Loving
Jackie
Patriots Day
Silence
Florence Foster Jenkins
Arrival
20th Century Women


Best Actor

FRONTRUNNERS

 1) Denzel Washington, "Fences"
2) Casey Affleck, "Manchester By the Sea"
3) Andrew Garfield, "Hacksaw Ridge"
4) Ryan Gosling "La La Land"
5) Viggo Mortensen, "Captain Fantastic"

MAJOR THREATS
Tom Hanks, "Sully"
Joel Edgerton, "Loving"
Dev Patel, "Lion"

Best Actress


FRONTRUNNERS

 1) Emma Stone, "La La Land"
2) Natalie Portman, "Jackie"
3) Amy Adams, "Arrival"
4) Ruth Negga, "Loving"
5) Isabelle Huppert, "Elle"

MAJOR THREATS

 Taraji P Henson, "Hidden Figures"
Meryl Streep "Florence Foster Jenkins"
Jessica Chastain, "Miss Sloane"
Annette Benning, "20th Century Women"
Best Supporting Actor 


FRONTRUNNERS

 1) Mahershala Ali, "Moonlight" 
2) Michael Shannon, "Nocturnal Animals" 
3) Jeff Bridges, "Hell or High Water"
4) Lucas Hedges, "Manchester By the Sea"
5) Kevin Costner "Hidden Figures"

 MAJOR THREATS

 Aaron Eckhart, "Bleed For This"
Issey Ogata, "Silence"
Ben Foster, "Hell or High Water"
Hugh Grant, "Florence Foster Jenkins"
Stephen Mckinley Henderson, "Fences"
Dev Patel, "Lion"

Best Supporting Actress
Image result for VIOLA DAVIS FENCES

FRONTRUNNERS

 1) Viola Davis, "Fences" 
2) Michelle Williams, "Manchester By the Sea"
3) Naomie Harris, "Moonlight"
4) Nicole Kidman, "Lion"
5) Octavia Spencer, "Hidden Figures"

 MAJOR THREATS

 Felicity Jones "A Monster Calls"
Margo Martindale, "The Hollars"
Molly Shannon, "Other People"
Helen Mirren, "Eye in the Sky"
Lupita Nyong'o, "Queen of Katwe"
Janaelle Monae, "Hidden Figures"

Best Director

 FRONTRUNNERS

 1) Damien Chazelle, "La La Land"
2) Kenneth Lonergan, "Manchester By the Sea'
3) Denzel Washington, "Fences"
4) Mel Gibson "Hacksaw Ridge"
5) Barry Jenkins, "Moonlight"

POSSIBLE THREATS

Pablo Larrain, "Jackie"
Paul Verhoeven, "Elle"
Clint Eastwood, "Sully"
Jeff Nichols, "Loving"

"Toni Erdmann"
"The Salesman"
"Land of Mine"

Best Animated Film

 "Zootopia"
"Kubo and the Two Strings"
"Finding Dory"
"Moana"
"The Red Turtle"
"Sing"

Best Documentary Feature

 "OJ: Made in America"
"The 13th"
"Weiner"
"Gleason"
"Cameraperson"
"Jim: The James Foley Story"
UPDATED: 12.26.16

Best Actor: Michael Keaton's performance in "The Founder" is just not getting buzzed enough. It is a great performance and I do believe it might still nab a nomination, but for now I've taken him out of the nominees. I've added Viggo Mortensen's much loved performance in "Captain Fantastic." If Andrew Garfield is ngoing to be nominated we now know it will be for "Hacksaw Ridge," NOT "Silence." He might push off Mortensen, but for the time being he's sixth.

 Best Actress: Meryl Streep is very much in a position to get a 20th Oscar nomination for "Florence Foster Jenkins." It'll take the Academy to shun Isabelle Huppert, but it sure looks like that is a possibility. If it does happen, what an idiotic move.

Best Picture: "Jackie" is now on the outside looking in, the reception it has garnered thus far has been positive, but with many people puzzled by its enigmatic narrative structure. "Patriots Day" seems to be a slam dunk with audiences and is now very contending nominee, but it's just lacking that extra puunch for industry and bloggers. Think of it as this year's "American Sniper," a film that the bible-belt right will embrace wholeheartedly with a healthy boxoffice, so don't count on it. "Hidden Figures" and "Moonlight" have squeezed into the nominees list, "Silence" has been taken down, sadly, but that doesn't mean it won't get nominated, I still think it might. Scorsese is very well loved within the industry and, if reviews are great, it might just squeeze in. 

Best Supporting Actor: Kevin Costner has now entered the fray for his performance in "Hidden Figures." He stands to get his second Oscar Nomination as Actor, his last being 26 years ago for "Dances With Wolves," when he won the Best Actor statuette for "Dances With Wolves.". Somebody had to be sacrificed for Costner to get in and, sadly, that means Aaron Eckhart is that person. He practically steals the show in "Bleed For This," but there is just not enough buzz right now for the movie and his performance. Issey Ogata of "Silence" has entered the major threats, Liam Neeson has been taken out.

Snore-gate

Many of you have emailed me with much concern as to the, now, infamous "Snore-gate," I am glad to report that I wasn't the journalist that Jeffrey Welles kicked out of his condo for relentless snoring. No, in fact the "perpetrator" gave me a couple of sleepless nights due to his snorefest, albeit not enitrely his fault as I too was a snorer once upon a time when I was 30 or so pounds heavier. What I will say is this, if it weren't for Jeffrey kicking out the snorer I would probably have had a sleepless festival, which ends up being one of the most frustrating and infuriating things that can happen for a writer when covering a film festival.

As for my coverage? It will start to pickup by this evening on this site.

Razzie Nominations announced with Batman vs Superman leading in nominations

'Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'

Worst Picture
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 
Dirty Grandpa
Gods of Egypt
Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party
Independence Day: Resurgence 
Zoolander No. 2

Worst Actor
Ben Affleck, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice 
Gerard Butler, Gods of Egypt & London Has Fallen
Henry Cavill, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice  
Robert De Niro, Dirty Grandpa
Dinesh D'Souza (as himself), Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party
Ben Stiller, Zoolander No. 2

Worst Actress
Megan Fox, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
Tyler Perry, BOO! A Medea Halloween
Julia Roberts, Mother's Day 
Becky Turner (as Hillary Clinton), Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party
Naomi Watts, Divergent Series: Allegiant & Shut-In
Shailene Woodley, Divergent Series: Allegiant 

Worst Director
Dinesh D'Souza and Bruce Schooley, Hillary's America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party
Roland Emmerich, Independence Day: Resurgence
Tyler Perry, BOO! A Medea Halloween 
Alex Proyas, Gods of Egypt 
Zack Snyder, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice  
Ben Stiller, Zoolander  No. 2

Worst Supporting Actress 
Julianne Hough, Dirty Grandpa
Kate Hudson, Mother's Day
Aubrey Plaza, Dirty Grandpa
Jane Seymour, Fifty Shades of Black
Sela Ward, Independence Day: Resurgence
Kristen Wiig, Zoolander No. 2

Worst Supporting Actor
Nicolas Cage, Snowden 
Johnny Depp, Alice Through the Looking Glass
Will Ferrell, Zoolander No. 2
Jesse Eisenberg, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice  
Jared Leto, Suicide Squad 
Owen Wilson, Zoolander No. 2

For more click HERE

Hugh Jackman says LOGAN is definitely NOT part of the X-Men universe



Source: Digital Spy, 

 Hugh Jackman told Digital Spy that “Logan” exists outside the “X-Men” universe. 

 “When you see the full movie you’ll understand,Not only is it different in terms of timeline and tone, it’s a slightly different universe. It’s actually a different paradigm and that will become clear.”
“We wanted to make something really different. Definitely tonally different, early on we had the idea for the title not having anything to do with Wolverine in it but just being about the man. And what the collateral damage of being Wolverine your entire life would be.”

Robert De Niro still trying to convince Joe Pesci to join "The Irishman"












It seems like Martin Scorsese's next project will indeed be “The Irishman.” In an Associated Press interview with Scorsese’s longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker (680 News), she has revealed that “The Irishman” might begin shooting as early as June.

What we're most interested in, however, is if Robert De Niro has finally convicned Joe Pesci to come out of retirement, but more specifically reunite with the incredible Scorsese/De Niro partnership he had in "Raging Bull," "Goodfellas," and "Casino." Producer Gaston Pavlovich puts it this way “I know he’s making an effort. There will be a time when we have to start that so I know he’s having those conversations with Joe and still trying to get him on board,” producer (Collider.)

Now one last thing. Scorsese has admitted that he is open to using CGI to make De Niro younger in his flashback scenes for "The Irishman." Pavlovich says that’s what will likely happen. “It’s a story that spans a lot of time, so some segments without prosthetics we’ll be able to get him to look like his ‘Godfather: Part II‘ part. Well, that age, anyway,” he said. “It won’t be a huge aspect of the moviei, but sections. The technology can go from 20, 40, 60. Yeah. We’re still experimenting but [we] saw a test and it looked extraordinary.”

Sundance 2017



I Don't Feel at Home In This World Anymore 

Macon Blair has been an actor I've been keeping a watchful eye on the past few years, what with him being Jeremy Saulnier's muse in both "Green Room" and "Blue Ruin." Suffice to say that he takes quite a bit from Saulnier's visceral style of filmmaking for his feature directing debut "I Don't Feel at Home In This World Anymore," which loosely lends its name from Woody Guthrie's song of isolation "I Ain't Got No Home." Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood, both of which I will interview tomorrow, make a formidable team in this tale of isolation set in an ever-growing the "me, me, me" society. Lynskey's home has been broken into with some personal stuff stolen, including her grandmother's dining set and a box of personal immensely value. Wood is the weirdo neighbor that she teams up with to find the perpetrator of the robbery and he's the highlight of the film- engrossing, comic, frightening, lonely and armed with nunchucks, you have to check out this performance They make a formidable, comic team, but don't think this is a comedy. Blair has much more up his sleeve here than laughs and he is clearly influenced by David Lynch's "Blue Velvet" which depicted a dark underbelly of Americana that this film seems to wholeheartedly embrace, almost religiously. It ain't a perfect film, pacing issues which include an over-stretched finale could have used a bit of trimming, but there are many surreal and memorable moments in Blair's film.



Novitiate

It's a tough experience directing your first movie. Maggie Betts' feature film debut, for the most part, does not feel like the work of an amateur. The shot selection, framing, tone are all top-notch.Set in the early 1960s and during the era of the reform that would be known as Vatican II,a young lady, perfectly played by Diana Agron, decided to join the nunhood due to her unadorned love for God, her first love iff you will, but things get complicated. Self-questioning faith, a changing, more prrogressive church and sex, yes sex, start to interfere. The film has some truly powerful moments and others that feel more forced and by-the-books. It's a messy, sprawling 123 minute film that still hits your hard to the core and leaves you truly shaken when it hits its targets. A special shout out to Melissa Leo, stunning as the conflicted nun from hell.











The Incredible Jessica James ...

 You know, sometimes a performance just elevates a moveie and in Jim Strouse's "The Incredible Jessica James" Jessica Williams lifts a standard romantic comedy into a real winner. Strouse's film is not groundbreaker, but Williams sure is.

Sundance: Al Gore & "An Inconvenient Sequel"






"An Inconvenient Sequel" is Al Gore's state of the union address, an important document of change and time. In fact the notion of time healing everything and making us realize our mistakes is a key theme in this film directed by Bonnie Cohen and Jon Chenk. I would go as far as to say that it is better than the 2006 David Guggenheim film, if, maybe, not as revoltuionary considering that film brought global warming to the forefront of the mainstream and changed the political spectrum when it came to the environment. If that 2006 film felt like a high school lecture/power point, and I'm not stretching it a bit here considering it is one of the most watched films in high schools nationwide, this sequel is more in the style of cinema verite and has Gore in a rather passionate and angry mood. The high point of the film has the former Vice-President manoeuvring chaotically/strategically to get
India onboard the 2016 Paris agreement, a key setting for the film which shows what can happen when world leaders come together to better the planet we live in.

Gore appeared post-screening to talk about the film stating:

“This movie gives me an extra burst of hope because I think …it really effectively tells the story of how much hope is our there for transforming our energy system to become much more efficient,” Gore told the crowd, almost all of who remained in their seats after the screening concluded. Gore added: “We are going to win this.”

"Logan" has brand, spanking new trailer


I don't look forward to many superhero movies. I was anticipating the Christopher Nolan "Batman" films, "The Avengers" definitely piqued my interest, but overall they always come armed with a marketing campaign and hype machine that just doesn't suit my tastes. Don't get me wrong, I do end up liking quite a bit of them, this is me giving some much needed love to "Iron Man 3,"but I can't really say a Marvel or DC movie fills me with excitement. "Logan," on the other hand, is a film that has peeked my curiosity ever since its black and white trailer appeared late last year with Johnny Cash's version of "Hurt" playing in the background. That was sheer brilliance, then again, I'm sure you can make a great trailer out of almost any drama by just using Johnny Cash's haunting song. Nevertheless, "Logan" passes the test with this new trailer which is in black and white, and which doesn't use Cash, by how eligiac and tragic the tone feels. This isn't a Marvel movie that will end on a cliffhanger, there's doom looming in every frame and director Jame Mangold (Cop Land, Girl Interrupted, Identity, Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma) that knows what he's doing.

 “Logan” premieres at the Berlin Film Festival and opens on March 3rd.