Photo:MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images Well, another Oscar night is in the books. How did you do? I finished with 17 out of 24. I would have had 20 out of 24 had I not made some last minute changes; I changed my original picks for Best Picture, Song and Documentary. Receiving his fifth nomination, Leonardo DiCaprio finally took home an Oscar. Mad Max: Fury Road took away 6 Academy Awards; twice the amount of its nearest competitor. Witness! Here's the list of last night's winners. Best Picture: “Spotlight” Direction: “The Revenant,” Alejandro G. Iñárritu Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant” Actress: Brie Larson, “Room” Supporting Actor: Mark Rylance, “Bridge of Spies” Supporting Actr
Zootopia is a place where no matter what you are—from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew—you can be anything. But when rookie officer Judy Hopps arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with Nick Wilde—a fast-talking, scam-artist fox—to solve a mystery. ****1/2 Stars Zootopia Directors: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush Screenplay by: Jared Bush & Phil Johnston Story by: Byron Howard & Rich Moore & Jared Bush & Phil Johnston & Jennifer Lee Starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk, Bonnie
It's a feat that I've only managed to accomplish just a few times. Over fifty features and short films are nominated for an Academy Award and last night I watched the last remaining nominee I had yet to watch. Since the nominations were announced I watched 19 feature films and 3 short film programs. Yup, I watched "Fifty Shades of Grey." Why would someone want to watch every single nominee? Well for one I love movies. Also, it doesn't hurt to have an educated opinion about the nominees when it comes time to make predictions. To tell the truth, last year I watched every nominee and correctly picked 16 of 24 categories so the only benefit I got out of it was being able to see some gre
18 years after the death of Master Li Mu Bai, Yu Shu Lien resurfaces to pay respects to a fallen mentor. No sooner does she arrive she discovers she must risk her life to protect and keep the sword Green Destiny from falling into the hands of a malevolent warlord. **** Stars Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny Director: Yuen Woo-Ping Screenplay by: John Fusco based on Du Lu Wang's 'Crane-Iron Series' Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Harry Shum Jr., Shuya Chang Rated PG-13 for martial arts violence and brief partial nudity Running Time; 1 hour 36 minutes Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Average
With the tremendous success of Deadpool, to date it's the 6th highest grossing R-rated release of all time, fans were left to wonder if they would be seeing more R rated comic book adaptations in the future. Word is that Hugh Jackman's final appearance as Wolverine will be an R rated adaptation of the Old Man Logan storyline. Can Spawn and Howard the Duck be far behind? I took to my twitter and decided to take some lines from the new film and make them a bit salty. Simple, juvenile but amusing. Here are just a few: MARTHA KENT: "You don't owe this world fuckin' shit, you never did." ALFRED: "Even you've got too fuckin' old to die young, not for lack of fuckin' trying." BRUCE WAYNE: I've
Ernest Cline's "Ready Player One" was a huge pop-culture hit and is certainly a novel that fan's have been eager to see unfold on the silver screen. If you grew up in the '80s the novel truly spoke to you and likely had you waxing nostalgic about the good old days. In fact, after reading it I found myself craving '80s films to watch and video games to play. Fortunately I got my classic arcade fix at Neon Retro Arcade in Pasadena, CA. Warner Bros. announced that they would be bringing the novel to the big screen. Adapted by Ernest Cline, from his own novel, and to be directed by Steven Spielberg it is shaping up to be an event film for 2018. The novel's back cover teases what's to come
Warner Bros. has taken to Twitter to annouce that advance ticket sales for Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice will go open on Monday, February 29th. BvS is the first major event film of 2016, Deadpool came out of nowhere and most people pegged this film as the first big release once its release date was announced, and is expected to open to huge opening weekend. In the film, Gotham City’s own formidable, forceful vigilante, the Bat Man, fearing the actions of a god-like Super Hero left unchecked, takes on Metropolis’ most revered, modern-day savior. Meanwhile the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat quickl
A few days ago Disney unveiled the first teaser poster for their reimagining of the 1977 family classic Pete's Dragon. During a television special celebrating Disneyland's 60th anniversary, the teaser had its world premiere and now Disney has also revealed the film's story. In a reimagining of Disney’s cherished family film, “Pete’s Dragon” is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon. “Pete’s Dragon” stars Bryce Dallas Howard (“Jurassic World”), Oakes Fegley (“This is Where I Leave You”), Wes Bentley (“The Hunger Games”), Karl Urban (“Star Trek”), Oona Laurence (“Southpaw”) and Oscar® winner Robert Redford (“Captain America:
I was just a wee lad when 1977's Pete's Dragon was released by Walt Disney Pictures. It's quite easy to understand how a little kid could get caught up in the excitement and magic of having a dragon for their best friend. Thanks to Dreamworks it's still pretty cool to imagine having a dragon for a best friend. Pete (Sean Marshall) and his best friend Elliott the dragon in 1977's Pete's Dragon. It's been nearly four decades, and two generations removed, since the original flew into theatres and now Pete's Dragon is being reimagined. Disney has had a pretty solid track record of reimagining many of their beloved classics and I can't imagine this one being any different. With the film, dir
After being banished by the town elders, a family ventures out into the vast, unexplored wilderness to find a new place to settle and call home. Life appears to be going well until mysterious events that grow progressively worse puts the family in grave danger. ***1/2 Stars The Witch Director: Robert Eggers Screenplay by: Robert Eggers Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson Rated R for disturbing violent content and graphic nudity Running Time: 1 hour 32 minutes Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Average *** = Good **1/2 = Mediocre ** = Fair *1/2 = Poor * = Bad 1/2* = Abysmal
In 2011, it was announced that Alcon Entertainment acquired the franchise rights to Blade Runner and that they plan to produce prequels and sequels to the iconic, science-fiction film classic. Immediately questions arose such as what the sequel will be about, which version of the film is being sequelized, will Harrison Ford return and will Sir Ridley Scott be directing. The sequel will be directed by Denis Villeneuve (Sicario, Prisoners) and he will reunite with cinematographer Roger Deakins for the film. The screenplay is by Hampton Fancher (who co-wrote the original) and Michael Green and is based on a story by Fancher and Sir Ridley Scott. The film will star Ryan Gosling and Harrison
In October 2014, the world was introduced to retired hitman John Wick. He wasn't just any hitman. He was the hitman you send to kill the Boogeyman. Now, that is one man you don't want to run into. Wick proved to be a highly efficient killer with dogged determination. Genre fans liked what they saw and the film went on to gross $86 million at the world wide box office and became a huge hit on the home video market. When a film such as this achieves a certain level of success a sequel seems like a logical step in the right direction. Fans can rest easy knowing that a sequel was green lit and that Lionsgate will be releasing the sequel, titled John Wick - Chapter Two, in theatres on Febru
In 33 A.D., Clavius, a powerful Roman tribune, is tasked by Pontius Pilate to find the missing body of a crucified Jew who is rumored to have risen from the dead. **1/2 Stars Risen Director: Kevin Reynolds Screenplay by: Kevin Reynolds & Paul Aiello Story by Paul Aiello Starring: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth, Cliff Curtis Rated PG-13 for Biblical violence including some disturbing images Running Time: 1 hour 47 minutes Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Average *** = Good **1/2 = Mediocre ** = Fair *1/2 = Poor * = Bad 1/2* = Abysmal
In the '80s and '90s Cannon Films, headed by producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus, introduced us to many action stars and provided us with countless hours of entertainment. Movie fans were introduced to Chuck Norris and Michael Dudikoff. Charles Bronson became a name synonymous with Cannon Films itself. American Ninja, Death Wish, MIssing in Action were just a few titles that established themselves as notable franchises amongst genre fans. Cannon brought us Breakin', Breakin' 2 and The Forbidden Dance. Of course, they also brought us Over the Top, Superman IV and Masters of the Universe; three films that signaled the demise of the studio. It's been a long time since we last saw a
Director James Gunn has always had a strong presence in social media. Fans can always expect to find cool behind the scenes photos, hear great stories and read relevant insight on filmmaking in general. Today, Gunn took to his Facebook page to announce that the eagerly anticipated sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy has begun filming. He not only shared this cool official photo but also announced new and returning cast members. Gunn posted this on his official Facebook page: "Official photography on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 has started, and I couldn't be more stoked. My favorite movie as a small child was The Strongest Man in the World, so I'm glad to announce that, yes, Kurt Russe
Last year it was revealed that the 20th Century Fox "Predator" franchise would be getting a revival. I'm sure that this news was met with much dismay amongst die hard Predator fans. The announcement that this new film would be directed by Shane Black (Iron Man 3, The New Guys) and would be written by Black and Fred Dekker (The Monster Squad, Night of the Creeps) certainly has fans excited. Now, the studio has revealed this new Predator teaser image on the franchise’s official Facebook page with the caption, “Here we go again, bro.” The teaser image also includes the title “The Predator,” which could be the official title Fox may be going with. Few details are available regarding the new
Rey took her first steps into a larger world in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and will continue her epic journey with Finn, Poe, and Luke Skywalker in the next chapter of the continuing Star Wars saga, Star Wars: Episode VIII, which began principal photography at Pinewood Studios in London on February 15, 2016. Star Wars: Episode VIII, which is written and directed by Rian Johnson and continues the storylines introduced in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, welcomes back cast members Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Anthony Daniels, Gwendoline Christie, and Andy Serkis. New cast members will include Academy Award wi
The dust has yet to settle but it looks the Merc with the Mouth has wiped the floor with the competition and broken records, and bones, in the process. Studio estimates show Deadpool has grossed $132.7 million over the 3-day weekend and an estimated $150 million total for the 4-day President's Day weekend. In a time where it comes as no surprise for comic book films to have huge openings but this one in particular is impressive for many reasons. In one weekend, Deadpool has broken the following records: -Highest Opening - President's Day Weekend: $150m -Highest Opening Weekend for an R rated film: $132.7m -Highest February Opening Weekend: $132.7m In terms of other Marvel films, Deadpool h
After being diagnosed with a terminal illness, Wade Wilson, a former Special Forces operative turned mercenary, volunteers for an experiment that ultimately leaves him with accelerated healing powers. He discovers his new life proves to be less ideal than the one he left behind so he goes on the hunt for the man who nearly destroyed it. **** Stars Deadpool Director: Tim Miller Screenplay by: Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick based on the character created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, T.J. Miller, Morena Baccarin, Gina Carano Rated R for strong violence and language throughout, sexual content and graphic nudity Running Time: 1 hour 48 minutes Rating Scale
To learn what the United States can learn from other nations, Michael Moore playfully "invades" several countries to see what they have to offer. ***1/2 Stars Where to Invade Next Director: Michael Moore Starring: Michael Moore Rated R for language, some violent images, drug use and brief graphic nudity Running Time: 2 hours Rating Scale: ***** = Outstanding ****1/2 = Excellent **** = Very Good ***1/2 = Above Average *** = Good **1/2 = Mediocre ** = Fair *1/2 = Poor * = Bad 1/2* = Abysmal
