Daisy Ridley was supposed to be the Luke Skywalker of this generation, what with her character Rey destined to become a feminist icon etc. etc. Hey, that’s what we were being fed by the media and Disney! However, the Disney-produced “Star Wars” trilogy failed many hardcore fans once “The Last Jedi” was unleashed in theaters to furious debate. The criticism which followed wasn’t necessarily directed at her, but more so the mouse house, the writers and directors, but, most specifically, ‘Jedi’ filmmaker Rian Johnson. Ridley had to bear the brunt of it because of how important and central her character was to the new trilogy.
Read moreFirst Image of Timothée Chalamet in Denis Villeneuve's ‘Dune'
There is no question that Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of “Dune” is one of the most-anticipated 2020 movies for cinephiles worldwide. Not only is the source material, author Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel, in dire need of a solid movie adaptation (sadly, David Lynch’s version bombed back in 1984) but Villeneuve himself has become one of the most sought after directors in the industry after his back-to-back trifecta of “Sicario,” “Arrival,” and “Blade Runner 2049.”
Read more‘Sea Fever': It's ‘Alien' at Sea in Familiar Body-Horror Survivalist Tale [Review]
“Mother of Jesus, a redhead!” That’s how loner marine biologist Siobhán (Hermione Corfield) is greeted by a tight-knit sea crew when she hops onboard a ragged fishing trawler in director Neasa Hardima’s sci-fi horror “Sea Fever.” The superstitious fishermen and women see redheads as bad luck, doctoral student Siobhán shrugs it off as mere folklore. She joins this sea expedition to study faunal behavior, planning on photographing the catches made on this expedition for scientific anomalies.
Read moreJoel Coen Confirms ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth' Will Be Very Faithful to the Original Text
Director Matt Reeves Says 25% of ‘The Batman’ Was Shot Before Production Shutdown
David Lynch Thinks The COVID-19 Pandemic Will Lead to a “Much Kinder” World and a “New Way of Thinking"
My ultimate wish, and glass-half-full moment, for this COVID-19 pandemic, is that it turns out to be a humbling-inducing moment for this divisive world we live in. We badly needed a wakeup call, especially in the U.S, where partisanship and fervent hatred for each other’s political ideals were damaging the country to its core. Sometimes a tragedy can bring peace and tranquility, although, sadly, I’m still seeing this toxic partisanship all over my social media, with red state and blue state still at war over how to manage and contain this virus.
Read moreNetflix and Apple Interested in Buying Martin Scorsese’s ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ From Paramount, Budget Nearing $225 Million
‘Star Wars’ Editor Says ‘Last Jedi’ Undid the Franchise
“Star Wars” fans will never stop debating what director Rian Johnson did to ‘The Last Jedi,’ it’ll just be part of the norm for them, up there with did “Han shoot first?” and why Chewie was snubbed of a medal.
Read more‘Coffee and Kareem' Features One of the Most Annoying Kid Actors in Recent Memory [Capsule]
We desperately need comedy in this lockdown world, which is why I had hopes that Netflix original, “Coffee and Kareem,” would tickle my fancy and make me forget, for just a few hours, about the apocalyptic world we’re living in. Turns out, this lame-duck vehicle, starring Ed Helms, Taraji P. Henson, and Betty Gilpin, wasn’t the comfort food I was looking for.
Read more‘Roma' in Color?
Alfonso Cuaron‘s “Roma,” shot in black and white by Cuaron himself, is always going to be on Netflix for a rewatch, not just that, but in pristine 4 to boot. Of course, the recently released Criterion Bluray version, which I own but have yet to watch, must be of even higher quality. I’m not here to compare and contrast both of these versions, but wouldn’t it be great if we could also get a “color version” of Cuaron’s film?
Read more‘Sincerely': Louis C.K's New Standup Special is a Politically Incorrect Hoot
“Canceled” comedian Louis C.K. surprised his fans last Saturday by releasing a new comedy special titled “Sincerely,” (which can be streamed for $8 on his website). Performed, written, edited and directed by C.K, whose career got derailed in 2017 after it was revealed that he was a chronic public serial masturbator, “Sincerely” is his first filmed special in over three years.
Read more‘Tiger King' Has Been Seen By More Than 40 Million U.S. Viewers, 1/8 of the Entire Country
When it comes to “Tiger King,” the million-dollar question has got to be, would it have been as popular if most of the country weren’t on pandemic lockdown? We’ll never really know the answer, but there’s no doubt, in my mind at least, that a majority of Americans staying at home probably helped boost its numbers. The Netflix docuseries has become a pop culture phenomenon of epic magnitude. The rivalry between Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin, it seems, only the second most-discussed topic in the country after COVID-19.
Read moreTrailer: Netflix Original ‘Extinction' Starring Chris Hemsworth
I’m ready to give the benefit of the doubt to Netflix’s upcoming action thriller “Extraction” (04.24.20). The film comes to us from well-known stuntman-turned-filmmaker Sam Hargrave. Hargrave’s resume as a stuntman coordinator is also impressive, having worked with the Russo Brothers on “Avengers: Endgame” and “Captain America: Civil War.”
Read moreRoman Polanski's ‘An Officer and a Spy' Deserves To Be Released in the U.S.
86-year-old Roman Polanski has made one of the very best movies of his entire career. No, really. His Venice-winning “An Officer and a Spy” is the real deal. The legendary director has crafted his film with absolute surgical genius. Only a master can make a film as sublimely atmospheric and textural as this one.
Read moreCannes Boss Teases That ‘The French Dispatch,' ‘Top Gun 2' and ‘Soul' Would Have Premiered at the 2020 Edition
Report: AMC Theaters May Be Shutting Down and Closing Permanently
The largest theater chain in the United States may be in big financial trouble.
Read moreNetflix's ‘The Platform' and its Flawed Socialist Vision [Capsule]
Here’s a movie that was no doubt was inspired by “Snowpiercer,” but lacks the visual excitement, let alone the reeling inventiveness, of Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi movie.
Read more14 Great Movies with “Rotten” Scores
For a film to be "rotten" on Rotten Tomatoes it has to have a score of under 60%. Even films that were at first critically reviled, but have aged like fine wine, have (for the most part) had their scores boosted above 60% by present-day reviews and reconsideration. Because of that, it was actually tough to find 10 “classic” movies which are still rotten. These are all still below 60%, but as time passes they will more than likely move towards that 60 percent fresh spot. For now, they belong on this list.
Read moreVenice Film Festival Says There is Absolutely No Chances It Goes Digital in September
First things first, despite the SXSW and Tribeca canceling their live events and partially moving online, Cannes and Venice are different beasts. They are purists at heart, with a very rich and lengthy tradition in celebrating the theatrical experience. There is absolutely no way these festivals would embrace going digital and screening their competition films via a streaming platform. Okay? Get that out of your head. Either these prestigious European festivals happen in-person or will be unequivocally canceled.
Read moreLarry David Says “It’s Hard” To Think Woody Allen Did Anything Wrong
Larry David owes a lot of his comedy shtick to Woody Allen. You know, the Jewish, neuro-eccentric style of comedy that Allen basically made his own in the early to late ‘70s with classics such as “Bananas,” “Sleeper,” “Love and Death,” “Annie Hall,” etc. Jerry Seinfeld and David eventually took that style of comedy and infused it with the kind of everyday minimalism with now associate it with. Hell, David was even cast as the lead to Allen’s 2009 “comedy “Whatever Works.”
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Part of the reason a fourth 'Austin Powers' was never made is that Myers basically stepped away from the industry. After "The Love Guru" bombed in 2008, he all but disappeared from leading roles.