Just when we were all feeling warm and fuzzy about a clever film designed to sell toys, Hollywood has to go and ruin it all for us by beating a good thing to death. The success of The LEGO Movie apparently means that we can expect a sudden rush of toy-themed films, beginning with Tonka's Monster Trucks from Paramount.
Capitalizing on the current popularity of American Horror Story, Showtime has decided to resurrect some classic horror characters and put them all together in a hodge-podge of sex, violence and Eva Green. The result is the new horror series Penny Dreadful, for which we now have the first proper trailer.
There are some actors who command the screen simply by virtue of their presence. Without uttering a line, they attract the audience's attention and hold it for as long as they're on screen. I'm growing convinced that Tom Hardy is one such actor, and he'll have the opportunity to prove it with Locke, a film that stars a multitude of performers but visually, only features Hardy alone in a car.
Terry Gilliam's The Zero Theorem still does not have a U.S. release date, and that makes me very angry indeed. Although we've already seen one trailer for the film, those of us still languishing across the pond will have to make do for now with dreams and foreign previews. Today, the first UK TV spot has hit, featuring a bald Christoph Waltz and an intriguing introduction to the potential meaninglessness of the universe.
While director Wes Anderson's style and tone has not changed much over the years, he's nevertheless still matured as a filmmaker. Creating new locales and deeper conflicts for his quirky characters, Anderson's films have become philosophically and narratively more mature, culminating in the strange but honest coming-of-age story of Moonrise Kingdom. Hopefully Anderson will continue that upward trajectory with his latest film The Grand Budapest Hotel, which recently premiered at the Berlin Film Festival.
As Hollywood slowly works its way through remaking all TV and film from the 1980s and 90s, it was only a matter of time before the television classic Knight Rider got its day on the big screen. While rumors have swirled about a Knight Rider movie for about a year now, it is apparently one step closer to fruition.
Melissa McCarthy has had her share of hits and misses over the past few years. The Heat and Bridesmaids showcased her formidable comedic skills, while Identity Thief left a lot to be desired. But if you're a fan of McCarthy's irreverent and at times clumsy humor, then you will want to check out her latest film Tammy, set to hit theatres in July.
In the post-Christian world we now inhabit, making a Biblical epic seems like an uphill battle. There's the need to appease faith-based audiences as well as the rest of us, and messing with a Bible story in certain fundamentals might turn some people away from a film. This has been the concern of Paramount in the production and release of Darren Aronofsky's Noah, and has resulted in some major clashes between the director and the studio.
I happen to be a connoisseur of the newly minted sub-genre of old or middle-aged actors appearing in films that are plainly beneath them. From the RED films to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, there's something so fun and warming about watching truly great performers in light action or romantic comedies, obviously enjoying the vacation.
Jack Black and Mike White's names go so well together that you would think they'd do more projects as a team. Having played buddies in School of Rock, the pair are finally getting the band back together for another comedy. This time they are boarding The D-Train, an upcoming high school reunion comedy co-starring James Marsdan.
