91 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
(08/29/14 2:00am)
Summer movie season is typically described as the time of year in which some of the biggest films are released. Not yet awards season and just past the time of year in which studios release their “dump" films, the summer is meant to be that time of year in which people can just go to the movies to beat the heat and enjoy themselves.
(08/25/14 12:00am)
When Robert Rodriguez brought the world of Frank Miller’s “Sin City” graphic novels in 2005, he managed to make not only one of the best comic book adaptations ever, but to create and draw viewers into a world where nearly everything was computer-generated apart from the actors and their props.
(05/01/14 10:18pm)
Jennifer Baichwal seems to have found her niche as a documentarian. The director, who previously made 2006’s “Manufactured Landscapes,” which followed photographer Edward Burtynsky across the globe as he observed changes in natural landscapes, has released a follow-up that is visually stunning but unfortunately lacks some of the context and information that made her previous feature so poignant.
(04/01/14 9:21pm)
After a half season full of twists, turns, raw emotion and shocking deaths, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” concluded it’s brutal fourth season on Sunday night in the best possible manner.
(03/05/14 1:00pm)
Crispin Glover, who is perhaps best known as playing Marty McFly’s awkward and nerdy dad George in “Back to the Future," is currently starring alongside John Cusack, Rebecca Da Costa and Robert De Niro in the crime thriller “The Bag Man.”
(02/18/14 2:55am)
Founded in 1861 by William Morris, Morris and Co. quickly became one of the best-known names in the arts and crafts movement of the late 19thand early 20th centuries.
(12/01/13 9:29pm)
In the world of cinema, film festivals provide an ideal for independent filmmakers. Cannes, Toronto and Sundance are just a few of the prestigious competitions into which filmmakers try so hard to get their movies accepted.
(11/20/13 11:08pm)
4/5 Pitchforks"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is a rarity in film. Indeed the stakes have been raised since the first installment of the big screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins’ book hit theaters in March of 2012, and new characters are introduced to the expansive universe.
Director Francis Lawrence ("I Am Legend") managed to make a film that tops its predecessor, surpassing all expectations and managing to avoid falling into the category of lazy sequels. In that sense, Catching Fire is an absolute success.
The second installment of the series finds Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) preparing to embark on their victory tour, celebrating their win of the 74th annual Hunger Games. However, due to the defiant nature of their win, things are beginning to change all around the 12 districts of Panem. The two Victors are symbols of a revolution, a fact that is not unknown to those in power in the Capitol. As such, President Snow (Donald Sutherland) decides to make examples of Katniss and Peeta by placing them in the pool of possible Tributes to be chosen for the third Quarter Quell, the special games played once every quarter century.
Structurally, the film has three very distinct acts. The first features the Victors on their tour of the districts, the second features the training and all of the pre-game drama and the third act features the games themselves. It’s a fairly sound structure, but the biggest problem is that things tend to get a bit repetitive. We’ve seen the individual scoring sessions, the interviews with Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci) and so on. While all of it is entertaining and propels the story forward, it feels as if we’ve seen it before — because we have.
The action in the games feels a bit formulaic as well, once again because we’ve seen in the first installment how they work. However, the stakes are higher, the dangers more evident and absurd and the tributes are more colorful. All of these make for a refreshing experience. Perhaps more so than the first film, the world of Panem’s science fiction elements like hovercrafts and forcefields are featured, giving viewers a more inclusive look into the character's world. Although these elements mainly serve to build atmosphere, they are used effectively. In all, the action is by far more expansive than the first film, giving audiences more to invest in.
One thing that both film installments get right is the casting. Not only are Lawrence and Hutcherson superbly cast, but the supporting cast is also spectacular. Tucci once again nails Flickerman’s over-excited and slightly obnoxious personality, Elizabeth Jones is perfect as the absolutely bizarre Effie Trinket, Donald Sutherland is menacing-as-ever as President Snow and newcomer Phillip Seymour Hoffman is perfect as the sleazy and maniacal Head Games Maker, Plutarch Heavensbee. Also joining the cast as tributes are Jeffrey Wright ("Casino Royale") and Jena Malone ("Suckerpunch"). Both characters are key players, though we don’t get to really get to know them other than through some backstory. Overall, Wright and Malone are great at making their Tributes relatable.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect is the level of tension the film manages to build. Although most of the key action occurs in the arena, the most intense scenes occur outside of the arena. Conversations between Snow and Heavensbee about exterminating Katniss and making an example of her in order to end the rebellions are absolutely horrific and make the arena action much more intense.Fans who know what happens next will still find themselves on the edge of their seat in anticipation due to the strong script by Simon Beaufoy ("Slumdog Millionaire") and Michael Arndt ("Toy Story 3"). Anytime a screenwriter can make an existing story as exciting as Beaufoy and Arndt have done here is pretty miraculous, and the two writers have done a magnificent job at making familiar territory feel new.
At the end of the day, Catching Fire probably won't win over anyone not already sold on the series, but it should keep anyone already invested on the edge of their seat. Not only that, but the film manages to become something most blockbusters fall far short of: a smart sequel that surpasses its predecessor.
Reach the reporter at seweinst@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @s_weinstein95
(11/13/13 5:00pm)
Although writer and director Bobcat Goldthwait is best known as a comedic icon, his most recent film is far from funny.
(09/27/13 6:57pm)
4/5 PitchforksOver the course of his career, perhaps no director has been as hit, or miss, as Ron Howard. The former “Andy Griffith Show” actor, who has directed Oscar-winning film “A Beautiful Mind,” as well as “Frost/Nixon” and “Apollo 13,” has also put out mediocre films "The Da Vinci Code" and "Angels & Demons."His most recent film, "Rush," puts the mediocrity behind him and may just be his most entertaining and well done movie.
“Rush” tells the tale of the legendary rivalry between Formula One racing drivers, James Hunt and Niki Lauda in perhaps the most notorious sports rivalry of the 1970s. Chris Hemsworth (Marvel’s "The Avengers”), plays Hunt – a hot-headed and cocky playboy who races for the thrill. Hunt lives the good life; he wins races, has money, and gets ladies without even trying. Enter Lauda, played by Daniel Brühl (“Inglorious Basterds”), who is Hunt's opposite. Lauda is disowned by his father when he learns he plans to race cars for a living, and Lauda must take out a bank loan in order to get into the sport. The two men are the epitome of polar opposites, and both Hemsworth and Brühl give standout performances that could be the best of both men’s careers so far.
Written by Peter Morgan, he manages to find the perfect balance between showing the two drivers’ lives on and off the track. Morgan does a fantastic job of truly bringing these two characters to life.
“Rush” is atmospheric, moody, and the racing sequences are breathtaking. The film’s two stars are supposed to be the leading men, but the real stars here are the perfectly directed racing pieces. Howard finds a wide variety of ways to keep the scenes invigorating with several incredibly effective first-person shots from the driver’s seat. The high octane, full throttle action is bound to bring audience members to the edge of their seat in what could be one of the most thrilling theater experiences this year.
It may be a bit too early to talk seriously about Oscar nominations with films “American Hustle” and “The Counselor” set for release in the coming weeks, “Rush” is bound to spark early Oscar buzz. With the film's direction, leading actors and cinematographer, Anthony Dod Mantle, the award would be well-deserved. The only thing is, how weird would it be to say that Thor was nominated for an Academy Award?
Reach the reporter at seweinst@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @S_Weinstein95
(09/12/13 11:25pm)
In the midst of the upcoming fall TV seasons that will be premiering, Mike Schur and Dan Goor, creators of "Parks and Recreation," are bringing one of the most unique series of all to Fox.