I do believe it’s time to put “Rocketman” on the very short list of Oscar contenders that have been screened so far this year. I mean, there aren’t many, not even if you count all the big festivals that have already happened. It does seem that Dexter Fletcher’s Elton John biopic may be destined for the same awards love as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which won four Academy Awards in February.
Read moreDenzel Washington's Best Performances
IndieWire’s list of the 10 Best Denzel Washington Performances is mostly spot-on. The obvious choices are there (“Fences,” “Flight,” “He Got Game,” “Training Day,” “The Hurricane,” “Malcom X,” “Glory,” “Roman Israel, ESQ”), but what gives in not including his great turn in Ridley Scott’s “American Gangster”? Or how about his star-making performance in 1984’s “A Soldier’s Story”? Those two omissions are replaced by Tony Scott’s “Crimson Tide” (Not bad) and Carl Franklin’s absurdly overpraised “Devil In A Blue Dress.”
Woody Allen's New Movie Casts Christoph Waltz; Set to Begin Shooting in Spain Next Month.
Woody Allen’s long-delayed last film, “A Rainy Day in New York,” will probably have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival this coming September, but that hasn’t stopped the filmmaker from moving on to his next project, an untitled film set to begin shooting in Spain next month. According to France’s Le Parisien, Allen has already signed-on actors such as Christoph Waltz, Gina Gershon, Louis Garrel, Sergi Lopez, and Elena Anaya to appear in this mysterious new film.
Read moreRon Howard Blames ‘Internet Trolls' For ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ Box-Office Failures
When Ron Howard took over directorial duties for "Solo: A Star Wars Story," replacing original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, he knew the task at hand was enormous. After all, the "Star Wars" brand is as important, if not more so, for Disney than their cherished Marvel brand. He was seen as the ‘savior’ as trouble was brewing between Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy and Lord/Miller during production of the film. Howard had to steer the ship back in the right direction and have fans that were turned off by Rian Johnson's Episode 8 come back onboard this more by-the-numbers movie. Suffice to say, the underwhelming box-office clearly showed that not to be the case and "Solo," a film that no doubt had major flaws on-screen, was not saved by Howard.
Read more‘Late Night' Tackles Feminism At Workplace In Commercially Predictable Ways [Review]
The idea that we can modernize familiar narrative tropes is something that Hollywood always strives in achieving. After all, why change a formula that has been working so well, and making money, on audiences since the beginning of time when you could just freshen it up for contemporary audiences, whose sensibilities, let’s be frank haven’t changed all that much. Please keep in mind that in the millions of years the homosapien has lived on this planet, their DNA has barely changed, nor has their way of responding to triggers which prompt the usual emotional reactions.
Read more‘Last Black Man In San Francisco' Can't Overcome Its Thin Drama, Even With Impressive Visual Style [Review]
Aesthetics and substance are two entirely different things in cinema. You could have a film that is bracingly inventive in its visual approach but fall flat in its narrative ambitions. Ditto the reverse, a visually flat film with a well-realized narrative. The latter is usually worth a recommendation, but the former can be problematic, even when you have a film as visually accomplished as Joe Talbot’s “The Last Black Man in San Francisco.”
Read more‘Rolling Thunder Revue’ Trailer: Martin Scorsese’s New Bob Dylan Doc Focuses on 1975 Tour
Now that the trailer for Martin Scorsese’s upcoming music documentary “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese” has finally been released, I can safely say this is my most anticipated doc of the year. The trailer opens with his protest song “Hurricane” and ends with “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” as we come across a 1975 America well over the done-to-death, post-Manson flower-power and social justice era of just a few years back. At the same time, Dylan decided to hit the road with his Rolling Thunder Revue Tour and, if you’re a Dylan aficionado, it represents the very best of live Bob Dylan. Forget about the theatrics for a second (the makeup and mask-wearing, magicians, boxers) and focus on the indelible music and the way Dylan, fresh off retirement and an endless mysterious spirit, explored the roots of the country in a barnstorming tour like no other. The likes of Joan Baez, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, Sam Shepard, and Allen Ginsberg took the bus with Dylan and The Band to add extra oomph to the surroundings.
Read moreA Few Thoughts on “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”
I should have reviewed Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures’ “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” but I missed the press screening when I was at Cannes. I did watch it a few days ago, by actually buying a ticket, the experience was, as usual, atrocious just fin terms of the sheer amount of idiots texting and talking during the movie. Modern-day mainstream moviegoers seizes to amaze me in their total ineptitude and lack of respect for the people around them trying to watch a movie. It just seems that every damn time I buy a ticket for a movie this experience always happens. Moviegoing etiquette is DEAD., Anyway, good thing ‘King of Monsters’ is terrible movie or I may have had to flash my phone light on these bastards. It ruly didn’t care for a single second of it. No surprise then that it under-performed this past weekend at the box-office. Who seriously wanted to watch another Godzilla movie?
Fantasia Film Festival Announces First Wave Titles
I absolutely adore Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, which happens to be North America’s largest genre festival. Celebrating its 23rd edition this year, the festival has announced its first wave of titles which will include world premiere’s for Malik Bader‘s “Killerman,” starring Liam Hemsworth and Emory Cohen, and a “Critters” movie? You heard me right, the first Critters movie since the ‘80s, titled “Critters Attack!” will premiere at the Montreal fest.
Read moreOverpraised Barry Jenkins Set to Direct Alvin Ailey Biopic
It’s great living in a world where a director like Oscar winner Barry Jenkins has the ability and freedom to make any movie he damn well wishes to make. After all, the man is visually gifted, especially in his talent for immaculately conceived close-ups. However, I can’t say the substance in “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Moonlight” warranted all those over-the-top raves from critics. There was something lacking in the rather simple ‘Beale’ story and ‘Moonlight,’ despite an absolutely enveloping first two acts kind of fell apart for me in its last third. Alas, I am still very much anticipating Jenkins’ fourth film [via Deadline] which will have him team up with Fox Searchlight for an as-of-yet untitled film based on the life of choreographer Alvin Ailey.
Read more‘Ford v Ferrari’ Trailer: Christian Bale and Matt Damon Eye Oscar
Christian Bale and Matt Damon star in the racing biopic “Ford v Ferrari.” James Mangold’s Race-car drama will deal with Ford Motor Company’s rivalry with Enzo Ferrari’s racing empire in 1966. Mangold, best known for having directed “Logan” and “I Walk the Line,” has been directing adult dramas now for close to 20 years in Hollywood, which is truly and unprecedented feat given the amount of paradigm shifting that has happened at the movies all that time. He’s maintained his integrity as an artist, even amidst all the changes and obsessions with superheroes and the lack of mature fare.
Read moreOlivia Wilde's ‘Booksmart' Struggling to Find An Audience
It all started when “Booksmart” director Olivia Wilde tweeted, “Anyone out there saving @Booksmart for another day, consider making that day TODAY. We are getting creamed by the big dogs out there and need your support. Don’t give studios an excuse not to green-light movies made by and about women.”
Read more‘Rocketman' Debuts With Average $22M Weekend; 61% Less Than ‘Bohemian Rhapsody' Opening
The jury decision is in on “Rocketman” and the results aren’t necessarily pleasant. Dexter Fletcher’s R-rated Elton John biopic racked up $22M in its opening weekend. Whereas last year’s Freddie Mercury trend-starter “Bohemian Rhpasody” had racked up $51M in its first three days of business. I have said this would happen all along, but the R rating stamped on “Rocketman” prevented it from becoming a profitable endeavor. Hell, at this point, I would be surprised if it even cracks the $100M mark when all is said and done.
Read moreRobert Pattinson Deserves To Be Batman
I do wonder how this R-Batz backlash, stemming mostly from DCEU fans, will unfold once, ya know, Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” is actually released. The trailer will no doubt be a good indicator as to how this risky bit of casting will be met. Once first footage is shown (probably next year) Pattinson’s take on Bruce Wayne/The Caped Crusader will be miscroscoped to no ends by megafans
Read moreTom Hanks Peaked Between '92 and '02 (But, Please, Let's Not Hate ‘The Ladykillers')
An April ’16 Tom Hanks career assessment, courtesy of Hollywood-Elsewhere’s Jeffrey Wells, claims that Hanks’ peak started with 1992’s “A League of Their Own” and ended with 1999’s “Toy Story,” I would disagree with that timeline. The whole article was inspired by a Hanks quote from a Tribeca Film Festival discussion with John Oliver where he claimed “I peaked in the ’90s.”
Read moreFirst Poster for James Mangold’s ‘Ford v. Ferrari’
20th Century Fox are no doubt working extra hard for director James Mangold’s new film “Ford v. Ferrari” to make a dent in the Oscar race. This beautiful new poster has a ‘70s Hollywood cinema vibe to it. The studio will be debuting the first trailer for the movie on Sunday Night during Game 2 of the NBA Finals.”
Read more‘Rocketman' is Released Nationwide; Reactions?
“Rocketman” is at 73 on Metacritic and has a 90% score on Rotten Tomatoes — that is more than respectable. Dexter Fletcher’s Elton John biopic is not close to being a landmark cinematic highlight but it does do the job and it does it well. Fletcher and the writers’ decision to make this more into a musical than, say, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is commendable and the artistry is truly more pronounced in Fletcher’s film than the aforementioned. I also happen to think that those MC and RT scores are higher that I thought they would be. It’s been an average year for mainstream filmmaker, so it seems like critics’ standards have been slightly lowered for “Rocketman,” which given the fact that it isn’t a sequel, reboot, superhero movie or animated movie, feels, to many, like some kind of “oasis in a sea of muck.”
Read more‘Rocketman' Censored in Russia Due to Gay Content; Elton John Condemns
Dexter Fletcher‘s “Rocketman,” which opened last night, has had a few ‘Gay themed’ scenes cut in Russia. This has automatically elicited a rebuttal on the part the movie’s director Dexter Fletcher and Elton John himself, condemning Russia’s “cruelly unaccepting” stance on LGBTQ rights.
Read moreRobert Pattinson Is Officially ‘The Batman’
Many rumors these past few weeks have had Robert Pattinson reportedly signing on to play Batman in Matt Reeves’ upcoming “The Batman.”
Read more‘Onward’ Trailer: Another Pixar Winner?
The folks at Pixar swear that they are done with sequels. Well, at least, after “Toy Story 4” is released next month. After that we can look forward to original content, starting with Dan Scanlon’s “Onward.” Yes, it’s a movie about Elves but Ill give the toon company the benefit of the doubt, they have, after all, given us these past 15 years classics such as “WALL-E,” “Finding Nemo,” “Up!” “Ratatouille,” “The Incredibles,” and “Toy Story 3.”
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