Singer Rita Ora is set to play Christian Grey’s adopted sister in Universal and Focus’ upcoming film adaptation of Fifty Shades of Grey. The movie marks the Yugoslavian-born British singer-songwriter’s biggest movie role to date. Her most recent album, Ora, went platinum and was the No. 1 album in the U.K. upon its release. For more information on Fifty…
Critic floored by ‘Five Minutes of Heaven’
It’s a rare film that manages to stay with the viewer for days after seeing it. Five Minutes of Heaven is just such a film. A tense, taut drama directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, it tells a familiar tale in a remarkably personal way, allowing it to hit home with astounding strength. The film focuses on…
Entertainment news round-up for Nov. 25
WWE and Blumhouse Entertainment are teaming up for new thriller “Incarnate,” starring Aaron Eckhart. The film will star Eckhart as an exorcist who taps into the mind of a nine-year-old who has been possessed by a demon. Brad Peyton is set to helm the project, with Ronnie Christensen penning the screenplay. For more information on…
Critic fascinated and frightened by ‘Trainspotting’
Danny Boyle may have won his Oscar for directing Slumdog Millionaire, but I wholeheartedly believe 1996’s Trainspotting is his best work to date. A strange and wonderful film, it is at once buoyantly joyful and bitterly dark, yanking the viewer into a world that terrifies and enthralls. The film follows “Renton” (Ewan McGregor), a Scottish…
Entertainment news round-up for Nov. 26
Marvel has confirmed that Elizabeth Olson and Aaron Taylor-Johnson will play Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver in the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron. Quicksilver will also appear in 2014’s X-Men: Days of Future Past, though he will be played by Evan Peters. Olson and Taylor-Johnson are also set to star together in Frank Darabont’s 2014 Godzilla reboot. For more…
Critic impressed by ‘Rachel Getting Married’
I like to think of Rachel Getting Married as the film for which Anne Hathaway really should have won an Oscar. A glorious cinematic tour de force, it’s undoubtedly her finest film to date – not only due to her own performance, but also because of the sheer brilliance of what director Jonathan Demme has built around…
Entertainment news round-up for Nov. 19
The five surviving members of comedy troupe Monty Python are reuniting for a stage show. Those performing will include John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, and Terry Jones. “We’re getting together and putting on a show — it’s real,” Jones said. “I’m quite excited about it. I hope it makes us a lot…
Critic finds “Cold Turkey” less than appealing
It seems that there’s never any shortage of films about dysfunctional families at holiday gatherings. Cold Turkey is the latest addition to the category, and it doesn’t bring much to the table. An empty, frivolous film, it’s got little in the way of intelligence and nothing in the way of heart Written and directed by…
Critic enjoys ‘Ender’s Game’ despite its flaws
If you’re willing to forget its source material, Ender’s Game is a thoroughly enjoyable movie. Those who have difficulty with compartmentalization should steer clear.
Entertainment news round-up for Nov. 18
NBC has ordered a pilot for Bad Judge, a comedy set to star Kate Walsh as a criminal court judge. The series will be penned by Chat Kultgen, who will also coproduce the series with Walsh, Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, and Anne Heche. To read more on the show, click here. Star Partners and Hummingbird Productions…
Short film round-up
As someone who isn’t too fond of Wes Anderson’s feature films, I was pleasantly surprised by Castello Cavalcanti, an eight-minute short commissioned by Prada that stars Jason Schwartzman as a 1950s race car driver who has an unfortunate crash in a small Italian town. Though certainly stylish, it’s a little subtler than Anderson’s usual efforts, and…
Entertainment news round-up for Nov. 14
Jack Black and Tim Robbins have signed on to star in HBO’s upcoming series The Brink. The dark comedy will follow three men as they deal with a geopolitical crisis. Black will play a Foreign Service officer, while Robbins has been cast as the U.S. Secretary of State. The two will also serve as producers on…
Critic finds ‘How I Live Now’ juvenile, angst-ridden
How I Live Now may be based on a young adult novel, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that it’s incredibly juvenile.
Entertainment news round-up for Nov. 12
A&E is planning a documentary series about the Wahlberg brothers. The show, entitled Wahlburgers, will give a behind-the-scenes look into a hamburger restaurant that Mark, Donnie and Paul Wahlberg opened in their hometown of Dorcester, Massachusetts. The series will premiere on A&E on January 22, 2014 at 10:30 pm. For more information, click here. Anna Karenina director…
Short film round-up
One of the highlights of the ABCs of Death 2 short film contest is M is for Marble, a delightfully horrific three-minute short from Zac Blair. The plot centers on an inanimate object that manages to wreak havoc on three roommates. Blair’s got a definite flair for visual tension, and the camera work is superb. To watch the film…
Entertainment news round-up for Nov. 6
James Badge Dale has joined Cate Blanchett in the cast of writer-director David Mamet’s upcoming Blackbird. Dale will play a military major trying to discover the truth about his grandfather who worked for the US special ops in the 1960s. For more on the project and on Dale’s career, click here. The Bold and the…
Critic enjoys quiet charm of ‘All the Real Girls’
It’s very easy to dismiss David Gordon Green as a frivolous filmmaker, considering that his two biggest releases, Pineapple Express and Your Highness, fall into the stoner comedy genre. However, a deeper look into his filmography reveals a different, more nuanced side of his directorial style. For an example, one need look no further than All the Real…
Critic finds ‘All is Bright’ a waste of talented actors
The most marked characteristic of All Is Bright is that it’s a colossal waste of Paul Giamatti and Paul Rudd.
Entertainment news round-up for Nov. 4
Paramount Production Studio is offering fans the opportunity to see Anchorman 2 two days early. “Supertickets” for the screenings will go on sale on November 26. The studio has not yet provided ticket prices or any additional details, but fans can register at AnchormanMovie.com for more information. To read more on supertickets and on Anchorman 2, click…
Short film round-up
Fans of stand-up comedy will love Omid Singh’s Subway, in which the comedian and filmmaker recounts the tale of an unfortunate public transportation experience. The three-minute short combines shots of Singh telling his story with a dramatization of the event, doubling the humor and delivering maximum impact in a brief amount of time. A winner at…
Entertainment news round-up for Oct. 30
Daniel Radcliffe is set to star in Gold, which tells the story of athlete Sebastian Cole’s rivalry with Steve Ovett in the years leading up to the 1980 Olympic Games. The film will be directed by The Woman In Black helmer James Watkins, with a script by Slumdog Millionaire scribe Simon Beaufoy and How to Train Your Dragon screenwriter Will Davies….
Entertainment news round-up for Oct. 29
Paramount has moved the release date of Martin Scorsese’s upcoming The Wolf of Wall Street from November 15 to December 25. The move was reportedly based on Scorsese’s ability to finish the film in time. The movie is based on Jordan Belfort’s memoir of the same name and will star Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, and Matthew McConaughey….
Critic finds ‘C.O.G’ a bore
If I hadn’t known that C.O.G. was based on an essay by humor writer David Sedaris, I might have mistaken it for the world’s most twisted Hallmark movie.
After all, the title stands for “child of God,” and the main character does go on something of a spiritual journey.
‘Satellite of Love’ weakened by stilted screenplay
Satellite of Love would probably be a great movie, if it didn’t have some of the worst dialogue I’ve ever had the misfortune of hearing. Directed by Will James Moore, it’s gorgeously shot, beautifully acted, and abysmally written, making for a profoundly disappointing experience.
Short film round-up
For a sweetly melancholic treat, take a look at Reflections, a five-minute animated short from Bosmat Agayoff & Alon Ziv. It’s a sad little coming-of-age story that’s told through the eyes of a man named “Barnie,” whose desire to stay young is illustrated by the childish reflection that taunts him from various reflective surfaces. The sharp 2D…
Entertainment news round-up for Oct. 22
Stephen Lang is set to reprise his role as Colonel Quaritch in future Avatar sequels, despite his character’s apparent death in the first film. Also returning to the franchise is Sam Worthington, who recently revealed that the movie will begin shooting in October of next year. Director James Cameron has already selected screenwriters for all three sequels,…
