Universal has selected Breaking Bad scribe Gennifer Hutchinson to write a film adaptation of Victoria Aveyard’s novel The Red Queen, about a world in which society is divided by the color of blood. Hutchinson was recently nominated for a Writers Guild of America award. For more on the film and on Hutchinson’s career, click here. Martin Scorsese…
McConaughey makes ‘Dallas Buyers Club’ worth watching
I think it’s probably safe to say that the old Matthew McConaughey – he of the rom-coms and slacker films – is long gone. In recent years, the actor has proven himself to be much more than his previous filmography suggests, what with his stunning turns in 2011’s Bernie and Killer Joe and 2012’s Mud,…
Entertainment news round-up for December 2
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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 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….
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,…
Entertainment news round-up for Oct. 24
Time Warner Cable has made a deal to carry Al Jazeera America, significantly expanding the audience of the cable news network backed by the Qatar government. TW Cable will add the channel for basic digital cable subscribers in New York, L.A. and Dallas within the next six months, with further expansion to follow. “We said…
Critic unimpressed by festival film ‘Ex-Girlfriends’
Ex-Girlfriends is not a very good movie. It’s also not a very original movie, borrowing a little too heavily from the likes of Woody Allen and Whit Stillman to feel like a film of its own. Nevertheless, it’s a mildly entertaining little diversion that strikes a few honest chords. Written and directed by Alexander Poe,…
Critic perplexed by classic animated film
I’m not entirely sure why I enjoyed The Last Unicorn so much as a child. Then again, I can’t really say I dislike it now. What I can say, however, is that it is one of the strangest animated films I’ve ever seen. Released in 1982 and adapted from Peter S. Beagle’s 1968 novel of…
Entertainment news round-up for Oct. 17
Meryl Streep will receive the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s annual Monte Cristo award, given each year to an individual singled out for their contributions to the theater. The award will be presented at an April 21 ceremony in New York City. Past recipients include Michael Douglas, Christopher Plummer, Kevin Spacey and Brian Dennehy. For more information…
Entertainment news round-up for Oct. 16
Lost creator Damon Lindelof has decided to deactivate his Twitter account. Lindelof was an previously highly active on the social media site and was one of the first film and television producers to use it as a way of communicating with fans. However, many viewers used the site as a way of criticizing his work. His…
Entertainment news round-up for Oct. 11
Idaho residents will not be able to see Cannes Palme d’Or winner Blue is the Warmest Color due to the state’s obscenity laws. The Flicks, the only arthouse theatre in the area, has declined to screen the NC-17 rated film, which violates Idaho Code 23-614. The law prohibits any acts of simulated sex, as well as any…
‘Waking Ned Devine’ is a modern classic
It may be slightly premature to call Waking Ned Devine a classic – after all, it was released in 1998 – but I’m reasonably certain that it will stand the test of time. Written and directed by Kirk Jones, it’s a sweet, simple comedy with plenty of heart and just enough bite. The film is…
Entertainment news round-up for Oct. 9
Disney has decided to close Pixar Canada, which operates out of Vancouver. The shutdown will eliminate 100 jobs. “The team at Pixar Canada is incredibly talented and we are so proud of the excellent work we have produced there,” a Pixar spokesman said in a statement on Tuesday. “However, as we look at the creative…
