With so many films releasing each year, it’s impossible to catch them all. No matter how many movies you see, there are always a handful that manage to get by. You pledge to catch them at a later date, or maybe when they hit Blu-Ray, but we all know how it goes. You never get around to watching them and as more and more time passes, they get completely forgotten. It’s a shame, too, because there really are so many great movies that get overlooked each and every year and unfortunately, don’t achieve the mainstream success that they deserve.
Being hailed as the best blockbuster not only of 2014, but one of the best blockbusters of all-time, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes has got everyone talking. A follow-up to the excellent Rise of the Planet of the Apes, this sequel picks up ten years after its predecessor and places us in a world that's ruled by the might ape Caesar (Andy Serkis). A fragile peace has been reached with the remaining human survivors, but tensions soon boil and an all out war breaks out, with only one side able to emerge as Earth's dominant species.
With so many films releasing each year, it's impossible to catch them all. No matter how many movies you see, there are always a handful that manage to get by. You pledge to catch them at a later date, or maybe when they hit Blu-Ray, but we all know how it goes. You never get around to watching them and as more and more time passes, they get completely forgotten. It's a shame, too, because there really are so many great movies that get overlooked each and every year and unfortunately, don't achieve the mainstream success that they deserve.
When FX CEO Jon Landgraf described the network's 10-episode miniseries Fargo as "one of the better things we’ve ever put on the network," he undersold it. It truly is a tremendous series and reminds us yet again that the most compelling characters and storylines these days can be found on the small screen.
The 4th annual Sundance Institute Celebration took place on Wednesday and was held at Stage 37 in New York. Among those being honored were Glenn Close, for her distinguished career and involvement with independent films, and director Damien Chazelle, whose film Whiplash earned major buzz during the Sundance Film Festival.
Though most of the chatter about James McAvoy this week will be in regards to his role in Bryan Singer's X-Men: Days of Future Past, the actor actually has another film releasing this month as well. Expanding on May 30th (it's already begun its limited run), Jon S. Baird's Filth is a far cry from 20 Century Fox's superhero outing, but it's an equally impressive film that features the Scottish actor like you've never seen him before.
Jim Mickle has been one of the most interesting American filmmakers to watch over the last couple of years. After first putting himself on the map with the chilling vampire tale Stake Land, the director followed it up with the equally terrifying We Are What We Are. Now, he's gearing up to release Cold in July, an adaptation of Joe R. Lansdale's crime novel of the same name.
FX's slow burn thriller The Americans has emerged as one of the most emotionally complex dramas on TV. Its captivating premise has remained intriguing thanks to poignant and thought provoking writing, stylized editing and gripping performances.
One of the most delicious and enjoyable films of the year is Jon Favreau's Chef, which sees the Iron Man director returning to his indie roots to explore the world of food. Stepping both behind and in front of the camera, Favreau plays Carl Casper, a chef who, after losing his job in a prestigious restaurant, starts up a food truck to rediscover his passion for food and cooking. Along the way, he also attempts to reconnect with his family, who have become estranged from him in recent years due to his demanding work.
One of the standouts from this year's Tribeca Film Festival is the teen drama Palo Alto. Directed by Gia Coppola, this beautifully photographed gem is based on James Franco's short story collection, Palo Alto: Stories, and centers on a group of high school students (played by Emma Roberts, Nat Wolff, Jack Kilmer and Zoe Levin) who have a penchant for getting in trouble.
