After a starry awards gala kicked off the Palm Springs Film Festival, several of this year’s awards contenders and friends reconnected at Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch & Creative Impact Awards Presented by Directv, Friday at the Parker Palm Springs hotel.
Before the presentation, the honorees posed on the red carpet and stopped for questions with Variety’s senior culture & events editor Marc Malkin. Anna Kendrick, a new member of Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch, recalled the first time she yelled action on set for her film “Woman of the Hour.”
“Day one I was really worried about moving slowly on the first shot, of the first day, of the first Monday because it always sets the tone for the week,” the star-turned-director said. “And certainly, the very first one sets the tone for the whole shoot. I really raced through the first couple of setups because I was like,...
Before the presentation, the honorees posed on the red carpet and stopped for questions with Variety’s senior culture & events editor Marc Malkin. Anna Kendrick, a new member of Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch, recalled the first time she yelled action on set for her film “Woman of the Hour.”
“Day one I was really worried about moving slowly on the first shot, of the first day, of the first Monday because it always sets the tone for the week,” the star-turned-director said. “And certainly, the very first one sets the tone for the whole shoot. I really raced through the first couple of setups because I was like,...
- 1/6/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
There is nothing better than a cinematic needle drop. This year was absolutely loaded perfect song selections that charmed, horrified, confused or absolutely destroyed audiences. To celebrate the best moments of music in 2022’s film and television the Variety staff cobbled together a list of our favorite hits.
Labrinth & Zendaya “I’m Tired” – “Euphoria”
Music Supervisor: Jen Malone
This song is hauntingly perfect for the scene in which it is featured. Rue (Zendaya) is out of her mind on drugs and hallucinates that she is in a church before she sees herself in her living room dancing with her dead father. Zendaya proves that she is not only one of the best actresses of her time in this scene, but one hell of a singer to boot. – Joe Otterson
Donovan “Riki Tiki Tavi” – “Barbarian”
Music Supervisor: Jillian Ennis
During the tensest scene of this year’s horror hit “Barbarian,” Tess...
Labrinth & Zendaya “I’m Tired” – “Euphoria”
Music Supervisor: Jen Malone
This song is hauntingly perfect for the scene in which it is featured. Rue (Zendaya) is out of her mind on drugs and hallucinates that she is in a church before she sees herself in her living room dancing with her dead father. Zendaya proves that she is not only one of the best actresses of her time in this scene, but one hell of a singer to boot. – Joe Otterson
Donovan “Riki Tiki Tavi” – “Barbarian”
Music Supervisor: Jillian Ennis
During the tensest scene of this year’s horror hit “Barbarian,” Tess...
- 12/21/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay, William Earl, Joe Otterson, Kate Aurthur, Todd Gilchrist, EJ Panaligan, Ellise Shafer, Meredith Woerner, Katie Reul and Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Everyone starts somewhere. Although Succession star Hiam Abbass may be trying her hand at a new kind of terror in Hulu’s Hellraiser remake, the horror genre is still a largely new world for her. In a new interview with The A.V. Club’s Todd Gilchrist, the Palestinian actor says that she avoided horror films for much of…...
- 10/5/2022
- by Hattie Lindert
- avclub.com
The reviews are in for “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Marvel Studios’ first solo superhero movie featuring an Asian lead and ensemble cast, and critics call the movie “a triumph,” “a groundbreaking step of representation” and “a fiercely Asian American superhero film.”
Along with praising the grounded action scenes in the film’s first half, Tony Leung’s villain Wenwu gets noticed for being “one of the best MCU villains yet.”
“If Marvel Studios has thus far made slow progress in developing solo adventures for its many superheroes of color, it takes another successful stride, if not quite as sizable as “Black Panther,” with “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” a film that builds simultaneously on the lexicon of 50 years of Hong Kong action films and the thematic boilerplate of MCU origin stories,” wrote TheWrap’s Todd Gilchrist in his review.
“A mostly decent Marvel movie buoyed by crisp,...
Along with praising the grounded action scenes in the film’s first half, Tony Leung’s villain Wenwu gets noticed for being “one of the best MCU villains yet.”
“If Marvel Studios has thus far made slow progress in developing solo adventures for its many superheroes of color, it takes another successful stride, if not quite as sizable as “Black Panther,” with “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” a film that builds simultaneously on the lexicon of 50 years of Hong Kong action films and the thematic boilerplate of MCU origin stories,” wrote TheWrap’s Todd Gilchrist in his review.
“A mostly decent Marvel movie buoyed by crisp,...
- 8/23/2021
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Kanye West’s “Jesus Is King” scored just $862,000 in its opening weekend on 372 IMAX screens nationwide, for a less-than-divine per-screen average of $2,317.
On the one hand, that’s far below how other specialty films have performed this weekend. The critically acclaimed Palme D’Or winner “Parasite,” for example, was grossed $1.8 million this weekend from 129 screens, for a $14,170 per screen average. Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit” also outperformed “Jesus Is King,” with $1 million from 55 screens.
But there’s an important caveat: While “Parasite” and “Jojo Rabbit” got a full share of screenings at the theaters playing them this weekend, “Jesus Is King” had more limited showtimes. That’s because IMAX, which has deals with all major studios, is currently devoting most of its screens to Disney’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” and other blockbusters. Screenings of “Jesus Is King” were inserted in between showings of feature-length blockbusters, minimizing how much it could gross.
On the one hand, that’s far below how other specialty films have performed this weekend. The critically acclaimed Palme D’Or winner “Parasite,” for example, was grossed $1.8 million this weekend from 129 screens, for a $14,170 per screen average. Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit” also outperformed “Jesus Is King,” with $1 million from 55 screens.
But there’s an important caveat: While “Parasite” and “Jojo Rabbit” got a full share of screenings at the theaters playing them this weekend, “Jesus Is King” had more limited showtimes. That’s because IMAX, which has deals with all major studios, is currently devoting most of its screens to Disney’s “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” and other blockbusters. Screenings of “Jesus Is King” were inserted in between showings of feature-length blockbusters, minimizing how much it could gross.
- 10/27/2019
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
“Captain Marvel” is just a few days away from release, but how are critics responding to Marvel’s first female superhero film?
Pretty well, it seems. With more than 100 reviews, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s blockbuster has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 85 percent. In her review for TheWrap, April Wolfe praised Brie Larson’s performance as the film’s titular heroine, selling a balance of warrior intensity and sly mischievousness.
Also Read: Male Film Critics Outnumber Women 2 to 1 - And Are Less Likely to Mention Female Directors, Study Says
“Larson’s energy, at first, is powered by a precocious kid-sister vibe, disobeying the rules but charming her way out of trouble. Carol’s arc is defined by shedding those bonds to that identity and to her mentor/father figure, speaking and acting with directness,” Wolfe writes.
“Larson’s quite capable of selling that oscillation of maturity without losing the...
Pretty well, it seems. With more than 100 reviews, Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck’s blockbuster has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 85 percent. In her review for TheWrap, April Wolfe praised Brie Larson’s performance as the film’s titular heroine, selling a balance of warrior intensity and sly mischievousness.
Also Read: Male Film Critics Outnumber Women 2 to 1 - And Are Less Likely to Mention Female Directors, Study Says
“Larson’s energy, at first, is powered by a precocious kid-sister vibe, disobeying the rules but charming her way out of trouble. Carol’s arc is defined by shedding those bonds to that identity and to her mentor/father figure, speaking and acting with directness,” Wolfe writes.
“Larson’s quite capable of selling that oscillation of maturity without losing the...
- 3/6/2019
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Earlier this month, my parents came to visit me and my wife in Hollywood and we all went on a tour of the Sony Pictures lot. I’d been on the lot a bunch of times before to see screenings, but that was the first time I’d taken the official studio tour. Since I’ve also been on the tours at Universal, Paramount, and Warner Bros., I decided to rank them for you in case you plan on visiting Los Angeles and have any interest in checking one (or more) out in person.
Before we get started, here are a few basic tips and pieces of information about these tours in general.
For anyone who already knows the ins and outs of film production, these tours will be covering familiar territory. They’re largely designed for people who come in with little to no knowledge of how a movie is made,...
Before we get started, here are a few basic tips and pieces of information about these tours in general.
For anyone who already knows the ins and outs of film production, these tours will be covering familiar territory. They’re largely designed for people who come in with little to no knowledge of how a movie is made,...
- 9/20/2016
- by Ben Pearson
- GeekTyrant
Here's a cool bit of news I missed from this year's AFI Film Festival. I reviewed a handful of movies from the event, finishing up last week with the world premiere of The Big Short, but one of the non-screening events that took place was a discussion with director Ridley Scott. Chinese publication Mtime was there, and they relayed some cool quotes from Scott as he talked about the opening scene of the long-gestating Blade Runner 2, which he's producing next year. Denis Villeneuve and cinematographer Roger Deakins are collaborating on the film (their third film together, after Prisoners and Sicario), and Ryan Gosling is set to star. Mtime journalist Todd Gilchrist provided an English translation to /Film:
We decided to start the film off with the original starting block of the original film. We always loved the idea of a dystopian universe, and we start off at what I describe...
We decided to start the film off with the original starting block of the original film. We always loved the idea of a dystopian universe, and we start off at what I describe...
- 11/16/2015
- by Ben Pearson
- GeekTyrant
Guillermo Del Toro’s Crimson Peak premiered at Austin’s Fantastic Fest this past weekend, and while full reviews are embargoed until mid-October, the first reactions to the highly anticipated Gothic horror movie have surfaced on Twitter.
Pacific Rim was a movie which divided critics and even the most loyal of the filmmaker’s devoted fanbase, but it thankfully sounds like Crimson Peak is something of a return to form for Del Toro as he goes back to his roots. It’s odd then that Universal has decided to hold back reviews until so close to the movie’s release, but there have been reports of some behind the scenes issues (they refused to co-finance Crimson Peak with Legendary Pictures upon learning that it was going to be R-Rated), so that could explain why they’re not overly interested in giving it a huge push.
After all, this kind of...
Pacific Rim was a movie which divided critics and even the most loyal of the filmmaker’s devoted fanbase, but it thankfully sounds like Crimson Peak is something of a return to form for Del Toro as he goes back to his roots. It’s odd then that Universal has decided to hold back reviews until so close to the movie’s release, but there have been reports of some behind the scenes issues (they refused to co-finance Crimson Peak with Legendary Pictures upon learning that it was going to be R-Rated), so that could explain why they’re not overly interested in giving it a huge push.
After all, this kind of...
- 9/28/2015
- by Josh Wilding
- We Got This Covered
When "Inherent Vice" made its premiere at the New York Film Festival, I was there, having flown out specifically so I could see the film and then attend the after-party at Tavern On The Green. At the party, I spoke to many of the cast members and finally got to meet Joanne Sellers, Paul Thomas Anderson's longtime producer, and at the end of the evening, I spent a few quick minutes talking to Anderson about his film. It was a lovely evening, and they all seemed to be enjoying the high of that first public reaction. Since then, my enthusiasm for the movie has only grown, and I was eager to attend this year's Los Angeles Film Critics Association meeting to vote for the film in several key categories. So of course, that's the exact time they also scheduled my time to speak to Paul Thomas Anderson, and there...
- 12/11/2014
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
It was over a year ago when a movie called "We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" impressed us at Fantastic Fest, leading our critic Todd Gilchrist to declare in his review that it "offers the kind of clean, elegant storytelling whose emotional impact eclipses the cosmetic horrors of its counterparts while announcing the arrival of considerable new filmmaking talents." It's taken a little while, but the movie has now circled back onto our radar with a shorter, punchier title — "Bad Turn Worse" — and today we have an exclusive clip that we hope spurs you to check this one out. From directors Simon and Zeke Hawkins, and starring Jeremy Allen White, Mackenzie Davis, Logan Huffman, Mark Pellegrino and William Devane, the story follow three teens in debt to a local gangster. Looking to square the balance sheet, the teens agree to rip off the gangster's boss, and as you might surmise from the title,...
- 11/11/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
In episode 70 of The Bloodcast, hosts Ryan Turek and Clarke Wolfe welcome guest Todd Gilchrist to debate the recently released Oculus. Director Mike Flanagan’s film has proven to be rather divisive in the horror community and The Bloodcast is ready to hash it out. What worked? What didn’t? What can the moderate opening weekend box office and average CinemaScore rating be attributed to? Oculus, plus, The Raid 2, fan webseries “Krueger” and Jodorowsky’s Dune this week on The Bloodcast!
The post The Bloodcast Episode 70: Oculus Rift appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post The Bloodcast Episode 70: Oculus Rift appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 4/16/2014
- by Ryan Turek
- shocktillyoudrop.com
"She really did stand on that ledge," director Neil Burger marveled to EW months ago about one of the main set-piece stunts in the upcoming Ya dystopian sci-fi film, “Divergent” featuring his up-and-coming lead Shailene Woodley. "She's incredibly game and so adventurous. In a way, she's very Dauntless" (that’s code for the faction of people in this world that are brave). Wanna see that scene in question? Well, MTV has a sneak peek clip which you can watch below, in addition to over 30 new images from the film. Meanwhile, reviews are rolling in, and most reaction seems to mixed, and even our “positive” takes sounds a little reluctant. Todd Gilchrist writes, “At almost 140 minutes, there’s no better way to describe ‘Divergent’ than as a bit of a slog,” but ultimately concedes it’s “probably [the] second-best among the Ya adaptations that Hollywood has mounted since ‘Twilight’.” Ok, so buyer beware I guess.
- 3/17/2014
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
“300: Rise of an Empire” hits theaters on Friday, and critics are mixed on whether its bloody gore is a bore or leaves them wanting more. But they seem to agree on one thing: Eva Green. The actress stars as Persian navy commander Artemisia, who has a taste for Greek blood as a result of a rough childhood during which she was enslaved by Spartans, who killed her family. “‘Rise of an Empire” is all Eva Green's show, and she clearly relishes the opportunity to not only match but exceed her male counterparts’ supposedly indefatigable toughness,” TheWrap‘s Todd Gilchrist wrote in his review.
- 3/6/2014
- by Greg Gilman
- The Wrap
After all the positive buzz that followed festival screenings of The Sacrament, including from our own Todd Gilchrist, the latest film from Ti West will be released in May. The first red band trailer is due out tomorrow, but we have a brand new poster for you to check out in the meantime. Courtesy of Magnet Releasing, The Sacrament will have a limited theatrical release on June 6th, but it will be available first on digital services and VOD on May 1st. A Blu-ray and DVD release will follow, but a date has not yet been mentioned.
“From acclaimed writer/director Ti West (The Innkeepers, The House Of The Devil) and master of horror Eli Roth (The Last Exorcism, Hostel, Cabin Fever), The Sacrament follows two Vice Media correspondents as they set out to document their friend’s journey to find his missing sister. They travel outside of the United...
“From acclaimed writer/director Ti West (The Innkeepers, The House Of The Devil) and master of horror Eli Roth (The Last Exorcism, Hostel, Cabin Fever), The Sacrament follows two Vice Media correspondents as they set out to document their friend’s journey to find his missing sister. They travel outside of the United...
- 2/21/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
I, Frankenstein sure was something, eh? Why that movie wasn’t a bigger hit is beyond comprehension, but like most works of unheralded beauty, it will stand the test of time. January 2014 will forever be known as the month that didn’t recognize a good thing when it was sitting there in a cineplex the whole damn time. The same might be said for this February, with Jason Reitman’s Labor Day tanking alongside its Frankensteinian brethren. Which is a shame. Reitman’s movie is actually rather memorable. The film, albeit quite flawed, is refreshingly sincere, romantic, and is without any irony. While the last day of January didn’t do it any favors with poor reviews and a low audience turnout, make sure to see its beautiful cinematography and Josh Brolin‘s performance before it leaves theaters. And after you finally get around to Labor Day, make sure to checkout these five February releases as well:...
- 2/4/2014
- by Jack Giroux
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
On paper, the premise of "Grand Piano" might seem a little silly, following a famed a concert pianist, stricken with stage fright, who attempts to make a comeback after five years only to have an unseen individual threaten his life if plays a single note wrong. But the result may be far more gripping than you might expect. Elijah Wood stars in director Eugenio Mira's thriller, which as our review from Fantastic Fest notes, have more than a few tricks up its sleeve. Praising the film's "brilliantly simple concept and nimble, elegant style," correspondent Todd Gilchrist was taken by the film's De Palma-esque "classical, muscular visual style" and declared the film, "an expertly timed, painstakingly assembled and endlessly engaging game of cat and mouse." In this exclusive clip, you get a sense of all of those qualities, with Wood's pianist performing while his assailant whispers into his ear. "Grand Piano...
- 1/31/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Star-studded movie about the search for art stolen by Hitler's Nazis is dubbed a museum piece by reviewers
• Watch George Clooney in the trailer for the second world war drama
It is the hunt for priceless Nazi treasure that seems to have turned up worthless hokum: George Clooney's star-studded second world war caper, The Monuments Men, has been getting a panning from the critics.
Featuring Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin, Cate Blanchett and John Goodman, the humorous tale focuses on a real-life group of men and women who risked their lives to track down art stolen by Adolf Hitler and prevent its destruction. As well as co-writing and directing – his fifth stint behind the camera – Clooney portrays Frank Stokes, based on the Us army officer and leading art conservationist, George Stout, who repatriated tens of thousands of pieces of art from the Nazis.
The film had been...
• Watch George Clooney in the trailer for the second world war drama
It is the hunt for priceless Nazi treasure that seems to have turned up worthless hokum: George Clooney's star-studded second world war caper, The Monuments Men, has been getting a panning from the critics.
Featuring Clooney, Matt Damon, Bill Murray, Jean Dujardin, Cate Blanchett and John Goodman, the humorous tale focuses on a real-life group of men and women who risked their lives to track down art stolen by Adolf Hitler and prevent its destruction. As well as co-writing and directing – his fifth stint behind the camera – Clooney portrays Frank Stokes, based on the Us army officer and leading art conservationist, George Stout, who repatriated tens of thousands of pieces of art from the Nazis.
The film had been...
- 1/30/2014
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Now we know why Us distributor Lionsgate chose not to screen I, Frankenstein for the critics in advance of its Us debut last Friday, and why the release was postponed from February 2013. The Melbourne-shot 3D action-thriller, written and directed by Stuart Beattie, has been shunned by Us audiences and excoriated by reviewers. The film starring Aaron Eckhart as Frankenstein.s reincarnated corpse who battles gargoyles and demons in 21st Century London, opened with $8.6 million at 2,753 screens, far lower than most pundits. predictions. It ranked sixth behind the second weekend of buddy cop comedy Ride Along, the fifth frame of war drama Lone Survivor,. animated films The Nut Job (week 2) and Frozen (week 10), and the second weekend of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. The reviews were near unanimous, with just two "fresh" and 41 rotten on Rotten Tomatoes, for a pitifully low score of 5%. Based on a graphic novel by Kevin Grevioux, creator of Underworld,...
- 1/25/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
The best movie culture writing from around the internet-o-sphere. Just leave a tab open for us, will ya? “A hot script, sent to the Hollywood back burner” — Steven Zeitchik at the La Times deftly chronicles the fascinating rise and fall and re-rise of a script called The Low Dweller. You know it by a different name (and that name isn’t Smaug). “Abel Ferrara On Re-Releasing Ms. 45: ‘Does a Movie Even Exist If Someone Else Doesn’t See It?’” — An incisive interview from Todd Gilchrist at Forbes about the bizarre practice of putting movies into movie theaters. (Read our review of the movie here.) “100 Essential Favorite Movies chosen by Alamo Drafthouse Cinema” — Why release a list of favorites? Because “asking an Alamo programmer to name his or her favorite movie is like asking a mother to name her favorite child, knowing that the rest of her kids will be killed.” If...
- 12/16/2013
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Critics suggest a very simple formula for determining whether you’ll like ”The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”: Fans of the first film will be happy, while haters will continue to hate. The second installment of Peter Jackson’s trilogy based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel “The Hobbit” soars into theaters Friday, and out of the 77 reviews counted (at this moment) on critic aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 55 were positive, giving the film a 71 percent “fresh” rating. See video: Ian McKellen Spoofs All Over ‘The Hobbit’ in ‘Sesame Street’ Sneak Peek TheWrap’s Todd Gilchrist agreed with the majority of his peers,...
- 12/12/2013
- by Greg Gilman
- The Wrap
After all the positive buzz that followed festival screenings of The Sacrament, including from our own Todd Gilchrist, the latest film from Ti West will be released early in 2014. Courtesy of Magnet Releasing, The Sacrament will have a limited theatrical release on June 6th, but it will be available first on digital services and VOD on May 1st. A Blu-ray and DVD release will follow, but a date has not yet been mentioned.
“The Wagner/Cuban Company’s Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures… have acquired North American rights to The Sacrament, a chilling death-cult thriller written, directed and edited by Ti West. Featured in Venice and Toronto, The Sacrament stars Aj Bowen (TheHouse of the Devil), Joe Swanberg (You’re Next) and Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color), and features a star-making performance from Gene Jones as the charismatic cult leader known as “Father.” Magnet and West are frequent collaborators,...
“The Wagner/Cuban Company’s Magnet Releasing, genre arm of Magnolia Pictures… have acquired North American rights to The Sacrament, a chilling death-cult thriller written, directed and edited by Ti West. Featured in Venice and Toronto, The Sacrament stars Aj Bowen (TheHouse of the Devil), Joe Swanberg (You’re Next) and Amy Seimetz (Upstream Color), and features a star-making performance from Gene Jones as the charismatic cult leader known as “Father.” Magnet and West are frequent collaborators,...
- 12/9/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Features, Reviews and Interviews Remembering Paul Walker, Syd Field, Irene Kane and Other Reel-Important People We Lost in November by Christopher Campbell Paul Walker Remembered: 5 Memorable Movies from the Late Actor’s Career by Sean O'Connell How to Get Revenge, According to the Movies by Perri Nemiroff Watch: This Exclusive 'Inside Llewyn Davis' TV Spot Wonders if You Ever Think About the Future by Peter Hall 'American Hustle' Is Both Deliciously Sexy and Hilariously Unsexy by Erik Davis You're Old: Gus Van Sant's 'Psycho' Came Out 15 Years Ago This Week by Eric D. Snider Dialogue: The Coen Brothers Explain the Inspiration Behind 'Inside Llewyn Davis' by Todd Gilchrist Meet the...
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- 12/7/2013
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
The wait is over, Katniss fans! The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens in UK cinemas today (its Us release is tomorrow) just as hype levels are hitting fever pitch.
Film critics have already had their say, with critics largely delivering rave reviews about Jennifer Lawrence's hotly-anticipated return to the arena. Digital Spy rounds up a selection of the reviews below...
Emma Didbin - Digital Spy
"Catching Fire succeeds on a great many fronts, not the least of which is pacing - despite its hefty running time it never feels less than lean and efficient. But it strays too often into unearned melodrama and by-numbers plotting, with even Lawrence struggling to sell some of Katniss's more abrupt emotional shifts. Fans who want to see a story they already love brought vividly to life won't be disappointed, but there's nothing here to engage the uninitiated."
Robbie Collin - The Telegraph
"It's...
Film critics have already had their say, with critics largely delivering rave reviews about Jennifer Lawrence's hotly-anticipated return to the arena. Digital Spy rounds up a selection of the reviews below...
Emma Didbin - Digital Spy
"Catching Fire succeeds on a great many fronts, not the least of which is pacing - despite its hefty running time it never feels less than lean and efficient. But it strays too often into unearned melodrama and by-numbers plotting, with even Lawrence struggling to sell some of Katniss's more abrupt emotional shifts. Fans who want to see a story they already love brought vividly to life won't be disappointed, but there's nothing here to engage the uninitiated."
Robbie Collin - The Telegraph
"It's...
- 11/21/2013
- Digital Spy
Considering “The Hunger Games” was one of the most overrated of the well-received tentpoles of 2012, never in my wildest dreams would I ever think the sequel, 'Catching Fire' would be favorably compared to “The Empire Strikes Back.” Or at least in Todd Gilchrist’s review of ‘Catching Fire’ he called it the ‘Empire… of Ya adaptations.” Not too shabby. To that end, with 'Catching Fire' receiving favorable reviews across the board and set to possibly make the $1 billion mark when it hits theaters later this month, we present “Katniss Everdeen Kills Everything,” a viral video making the rounds (via Movies) that’s cute, funny and pretty clickable. The first person to say this clips “spoils” any movie gets an arrow in the eye. Watch it below and sound off on your favorite kill.
- 11/13/2013
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
The first round of reviews for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire are almost unanimously positive, with most critics hailing it as a vast improvement over the first installment. The Playlist's Todd Gilchrist even went so far as to proclaim it "the Empire Strikes Back of young adult adaptations", and "a monumental achievement". Here is where it currently sits on Rt (obviously that could well change when more critics weigh in) and if you click on the image you can check out the reviews in full. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire begins as Katniss Everdeen has returned home safe after winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games along with fellow tribute Peeta Mellark. Winning means that they must turn around and leave their family and close friends, embarking on a “Victor’s Tour” of the districts. Along the way Katniss senses that a rebellion is simmering, but the Capitol is still very...
- 11/12/2013
- ComicBookMovie.com
This summer has offered genre fans two home invasion horror films: The Purge and You're Next (the latter opening August 23rd). And that's just on the theatrical film front. On DVD and VOD, we've also seen the release of a few other titles in the home invasion sub-genre such as Cherry Tree Lane and Home Sweet Home.
So, what is it about this sub-genre that's making it endure? What are filmmakers getting right or getting wrong about it? To answer some of these questions and to dissect a few select home invasion titles, I called upon colleagues Devin Faraci, Evan Dickson and Todd Gilchrist for the latest Choice Cuts group discussion.
Head inside for our chat!
Read more...
So, what is it about this sub-genre that's making it endure? What are filmmakers getting right or getting wrong about it? To answer some of these questions and to dissect a few select home invasion titles, I called upon colleagues Devin Faraci, Evan Dickson and Todd Gilchrist for the latest Choice Cuts group discussion.
Head inside for our chat!
Read more...
- 8/15/2013
- shocktillyoudrop.com
by Brett White
Jamie Foxx has been hyping up his "Amazing Spider-Man 2" co-star Dane DeHaan for a while now, urging everybody to "watch out" for him. Now the actor dubbed "dope" by Mr. Foxx—which means a lot coming from the Duke of Dope himself—has spoken to Comic Book Resource's Todd Gilchrist about taking on the role of Harry Osborn in the Spidey sequel.
The actor, who broke out thanks to 2012's found footage super film "Chronicle," spoke about taking on a character with a rich history both onscreen—where he was played for three films by James Franco—and in the comics.
"I think what this version of Spider-Man does is it takes the Spider-Man characters and puts them in modern culture," said DeHaan. "So I started to look at Harry as, how does a person like this exist in modern day culture—and to me, he's a trust fund baby.
Jamie Foxx has been hyping up his "Amazing Spider-Man 2" co-star Dane DeHaan for a while now, urging everybody to "watch out" for him. Now the actor dubbed "dope" by Mr. Foxx—which means a lot coming from the Duke of Dope himself—has spoken to Comic Book Resource's Todd Gilchrist about taking on the role of Harry Osborn in the Spidey sequel.
The actor, who broke out thanks to 2012's found footage super film "Chronicle," spoke about taking on a character with a rich history both onscreen—where he was played for three films by James Franco—and in the comics.
"I think what this version of Spider-Man does is it takes the Spider-Man characters and puts them in modern culture," said DeHaan. "So I started to look at Harry as, how does a person like this exist in modern day culture—and to me, he's a trust fund baby.
- 8/8/2013
- by Splash Page Team
- MTV Splash Page
Welcome to Issue 5 of ‘The Marvelous Da7e!’
Real quick mission statement: this column is for discussion of superhero movie news and superhero movies. Titular allegiance aside, this sphere includes non-Marvel properties.
This week: I think the cinema has misused Superman as a character and a podcast about functional design blows my mind and reveals the Man of Tomorrow.
Down in San Diego, our brethren unite to cover television, movies and comics. I can promise you full analysis of the superhero movies next week, but what’s the fun of calling shots when each new day could potentially bring new pictures of Jamie Foxx’s Blusferatu Electro make-up?
Instead, I think it’s time I face a new fear I’ve developed since the release of Zach Snyder’s Man of Steel: Maybe we’ve all been misusing Superman as a character in movies the whole time.
In a...
Real quick mission statement: this column is for discussion of superhero movie news and superhero movies. Titular allegiance aside, this sphere includes non-Marvel properties.
This week: I think the cinema has misused Superman as a character and a podcast about functional design blows my mind and reveals the Man of Tomorrow.
Down in San Diego, our brethren unite to cover television, movies and comics. I can promise you full analysis of the superhero movies next week, but what’s the fun of calling shots when each new day could potentially bring new pictures of Jamie Foxx’s Blusferatu Electro make-up?
Instead, I think it’s time I face a new fear I’ve developed since the release of Zach Snyder’s Man of Steel: Maybe we’ve all been misusing Superman as a character in movies the whole time.
In a...
- 7/17/2013
- by Da7e
- LRMonline.com
The Conjuring has been receiving some great reviews from its early screenings, including from our own Todd Gilchrist. Want to get a better idea of what to expect? A new trailer has been released and we have it for you to check out.
“Before there was Amityville, there was Harrisville. “The Conjuring” tells the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga), world renowned paranormal investigators, who were called to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives.”
The Conjuring was directed by James Wan and stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor, Joey King, Shanley Caswell, Haley McFarland, Mackenzie Foy, Kyla Deaver, and Sterling Jerins. The movie will be released in the Us on July 19th and the UK on August 2nd.
“Before there was Amityville, there was Harrisville. “The Conjuring” tells the true story of Ed and Lorraine Warren (Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga), world renowned paranormal investigators, who were called to help a family terrorized by a dark presence in a secluded farmhouse. Forced to confront a powerful demonic entity, the Warrens find themselves caught in the most horrifying case of their lives.”
The Conjuring was directed by James Wan and stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Ron Livingston, Lili Taylor, Joey King, Shanley Caswell, Haley McFarland, Mackenzie Foy, Kyla Deaver, and Sterling Jerins. The movie will be released in the Us on July 19th and the UK on August 2nd.
- 6/28/2013
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
The first reviews of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel, which stars Henry Cavill in the dual role of Superman and Clark Kent, have been released. While some critics have been apprehensive about character development, most have welcomed the sense of spectacle projected in Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder and David S Goyer's big-screen reboot.
Digital Spy's Movies Editor Simon Reynolds gave the film four stars out of five, writing: "Snyder's instincts as an action director quickly come to the fore as he marshals skirmishes on Krypton, a huge-scale battle in Smallville and a Metropolis smack-about that sends Superman and Zod careening through skyscrapers. With the latest digital tools at its disposal, Man of Steel is easily the most exhilarating and arresting interpretation of Superman yet."
DS rounds up the critical take so far below:
The Hollywood Reporter (Todd McCarthy)
"Zack Snyder's huge, backstory-heavy extravaganza is a rehab job that...
Digital Spy's Movies Editor Simon Reynolds gave the film four stars out of five, writing: "Snyder's instincts as an action director quickly come to the fore as he marshals skirmishes on Krypton, a huge-scale battle in Smallville and a Metropolis smack-about that sends Superman and Zod careening through skyscrapers. With the latest digital tools at its disposal, Man of Steel is easily the most exhilarating and arresting interpretation of Superman yet."
DS rounds up the critical take so far below:
The Hollywood Reporter (Todd McCarthy)
"Zack Snyder's huge, backstory-heavy extravaganza is a rehab job that...
- 6/11/2013
- Digital Spy
Features, Reviews and Interviews Why 'Fast and Furious 6' Is Just As Cool As 'The Avengers' by Peter Hall Boldly Going Wrong: Why There's No 'Star Trek' in 'Star Trek Into Darkness' by Todd Gilchrist Director’s Notebook: Oscar Winner Haskell Wexler on Filming the Controversial, X-Rated 'Medium Cool' by Jason Guerrasio A 'Fast and Furious' Guide for Beginners: the Plots, the Cars and the Life Lessons by Rick Marshall Early Buzz on the Biggest Movies Premiering at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival by Mike Bracken The 10 Greatest Moments from 'The Hangover' Trilogy (So Far) by Tara Bennett Six Things We Learned While Watching 'World War Z' with Brad Pitt by Rick...
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- 5/25/2013
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
Reviews, Interviews and Features The 10 Best Moments from Marvel's Phase One Movies by Evan Saathoff Check Out This Trippy Alternate Poster for 'Room 237' (Exclusive) by Erik Davis Dialogue: Jon M. Chu on Future 'G.I. Joe' Movies, Standalone Sequels, 'He-Man' and More by Todd Gilchrist Which Rusty Griswold Is Ed Helms Playing in 'Vacation'? by John Gholson Disney's 2015 Film Slate Is Insane: 'The Avengers 2,' 'Pirates 5,' 'Star Wars,' 'Ant-Man,' 'Finding Dory' and More by Erik Davis How Producer Jason Blum Is Saving the Hollywood Horror Movie by Peter Hall Our 'Evil Dead' Infographic: Kills, Nudity, Chainsaws, Box Office and More by John Gholson...
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- 4/6/2013
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
The long-anticipated Evil Dead remake opens tomorrow (10pm in select cities tonight) and Choice Cuts is back to discuss the redo.
After the jump, listen in to our group discussion with ShockTillYouDrop.com's Ryan Turek, film critic Todd Gilchrist, Bloody-Disgusting.com's Evan Dickson and actress Brea Grant as the team talks about their expectations and concerns (if any).
This is the final chapter in our four-part discussion with this group, for the previous episodes - and our entire Choice Cuts library - click here.
Read more...
After the jump, listen in to our group discussion with ShockTillYouDrop.com's Ryan Turek, film critic Todd Gilchrist, Bloody-Disgusting.com's Evan Dickson and actress Brea Grant as the team talks about their expectations and concerns (if any).
This is the final chapter in our four-part discussion with this group, for the previous episodes - and our entire Choice Cuts library - click here.
Read more...
- 4/4/2013
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Tonight’s edition of Movie News After Dark is a Friday free-for-all. William Shatner fights Gorn, WonderCon explodes, Ron Burgundy reproduces, we learn lessons of Westeros and I sit the Iron Throne in defiance of the North Korean threat to central Texas. Shatner fights Gorn (again) – In a new promo for the forthcoming Star Trek: The Video Game. Ten Reasons to Attend WonderCon – It’s actually quite fun, I’m told. Does Ron Burgundy have a son? – New photos indicate that as “The Legend Continues” in Anchorman 2, there might be a smaller, less mustachioed Burgundy. Time will tell, San Diego. Voyage to Westeros – Kayak has begun taking reservations for ships to King’s Landing. They’re a little outside my price range, but you might want to go. Seven things learned about Game of Thrones season 3 – The sharply-dressed Todd Gilchrist takes to the pages of IndieWire to talk about a bunch of things that might...
- 3/30/2013
- by Neil Miller
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The third part of our Choice Cuts "discussion" with guests Todd Gilchrist (film critic), Evan Dickson (Bloody-Disgusting) and Brea Grant (Heroes, Dexter) is live and, this time, we're focusing on horror on the small screen.
From True Blood and The Following to American Horror Story and newcomers like Hannibal and Bates Motel - what are our guests tuning into? What's getting them excited, furthermore, what is working and why?
Our panel, hosted by yours truly, digs into it all via the video player inside. Enjoy! And, for more episodes in this discussion series, head to our Choice Cuts hub.
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From True Blood and The Following to American Horror Story and newcomers like Hannibal and Bates Motel - what are our guests tuning into? What's getting them excited, furthermore, what is working and why?
Our panel, hosted by yours truly, digs into it all via the video player inside. Enjoy! And, for more episodes in this discussion series, head to our Choice Cuts hub.
Read more...
- 3/28/2013
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Features, Reviews and Interviews Before & After: What It's Like to Have a Movie Playing the SXSW Film Festival by Perri Nemiroff How SXSW 2013 Helped Define the "Austin Movie" by Jacob S. Hall How to Get into College, According to the Movies by Peter Martin Top 10 Movies Discovered at SXSW 2013 by Jacob S. Hall Why 'Spring Breakers' Will Make You Hate Teenagers Today, but Also Understand Them by Todd Gilchrist Cinematic Plots to Kill the President and How They Fail by Evan Saathoff How a 'Goosebumps' Movie Could Create a New Generation of Horror Fans by Jacob S. Hall Why 'Olympus Has Fallen' Is the Best ‘Die Hard’ Sequel We’ve Seen in Years by Sean O'Connell 5...
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- 3/23/2013
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
ShockTillYouDrop.com managing editor Ryan Turek returns for another group discussion in this episode of Choice Cuts.
This time, he's - once again - sitting down with Todd Gilchrist (film critic), Evan Dickson (Bloody-Disgusting) and actress/director Brea Grant (Dexter, Best Friends Forever) to chat about horror sub-genres. Specifically, which ones they would like to see return.
As we all now, horror goes in cycles and Hollywood bleeds certain sub-genres - be it vampires, slashers or haunted houses - until they go into hibernation. But which sub-genres have been out of the scene for far too long? Head inside for the group chat!
Read more...
This time, he's - once again - sitting down with Todd Gilchrist (film critic), Evan Dickson (Bloody-Disgusting) and actress/director Brea Grant (Dexter, Best Friends Forever) to chat about horror sub-genres. Specifically, which ones they would like to see return.
As we all now, horror goes in cycles and Hollywood bleeds certain sub-genres - be it vampires, slashers or haunted houses - until they go into hibernation. But which sub-genres have been out of the scene for far too long? Head inside for the group chat!
Read more...
- 3/21/2013
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Our long-running video series Choice Cuts went away for a bit...but now it's back with a new look and feel.
For the series' reboot, we've adopted a "group discussion" format which we've toyed with in the past. Our guests for this episode include Brea Grant (Dexter, Best Friends Forever), Evan Dickson (Bloody-Disgusting) and film critic Todd Gilchrist.
The topic on the table: Horror films and their replay value. What are modern horror films missing that is preventing them from being revisited time and time again? We break it all down. Of course, if you have something to say about the issue, head inside, watch the discussion and use our comment boards to weigh in!
Read more...
For the series' reboot, we've adopted a "group discussion" format which we've toyed with in the past. Our guests for this episode include Brea Grant (Dexter, Best Friends Forever), Evan Dickson (Bloody-Disgusting) and film critic Todd Gilchrist.
The topic on the table: Horror films and their replay value. What are modern horror films missing that is preventing them from being revisited time and time again? We break it all down. Of course, if you have something to say about the issue, head inside, watch the discussion and use our comment boards to weigh in!
Read more...
- 3/14/2013
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Who needs "The Office"? Steve Carell's going to have a big 2013. Coming later this year is the Sundance indie hit "The Way, Way Back," he's reprising his voice role in "Despicable Me 2" and landing in theaters very soon is "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone," in which he stars as a magician in crisis alongside Jim Carrey and Steve Buscemi. 'Wonderstone' will premiere even sooner at the SXSW Film Festival, which kicks off this week. Playlist contributor Todd Gilchrist recently caught up with Carell in person in Las Vegas to talk about "The Incredible Burt Wonderstone" and the actor also shared his thoughts on Bennett Miller's ("Moneyball") upcoming fall film, "Foxcatcher." A dark, dramatic change of pace for Carell, the movie is the true story of John du Pont, a paranoid schizophrenic who built a wrestling training facility on his 800-acre Pennsylvania estate where he subsequently unraveled and was...
- 3/5/2013
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
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