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Watch: Trailer For Powerful Documentary 'The Act Of Killing'
54 minutes ago
Hailed as an incredible piece of documentary work, Joshua Oppenheimer’s “The Act of Killing” -- after hitting festivals in the past year including Telluride, Toronto, Berlin, Sydney and more -- is on its way to theaters and a brand new trailer has arrived.Presented by Errol Morris and Werner Herzog (no slouches in the field themselves), this imaginative documentary explores the celebrity status of death squad leaders in Indonesia. The film studies the men behind countless killings by presenting them with the task of recreating their killings in the style of the American movies they love so much. It's chilling and powerful stuff, and our own Jessica Kiang saw the film earlier this year and hailed it as "a towering achievement in filmmaking, documentary or otherwise." You can read her full review here -- quoted in the banner for the movie over at Apple -- and it really highlights »
- Jason McDonald
Watch: 4 New Clips From 'Arrested Development'; Mitch Hurwitz Says Show Could Live On Past The Movie
1 hour ago
So this weekend brings the the long awaited, highly anticipated return of "Arrested Development," and we're sure you've already got a viewing party marathon session ready to go. But of course, fifteen new episodes just isn't enough, as a movie has always been on the horizon with creator Mitch Hurwitz saying over and over again, that his new season is just a precursor to a feature. But could the show live on past that? "There is a story that I’m leading up to with this show, and it could take the form of a movie, I’m hoping it does. But truthfully, I even have the last beat of the movie, and it definitely is, like, 'Oh, so there’s more.' Without being too George Lucas about it, I would love to continue this," Hurwitz told Av Club. "Jason Bateman used to always say, 'We should do it like the Michael Apted films. »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Watch: Awesome Trailer For Sundance & Cannes Hit 'Ain't Them Bodies Saints' Starring Rooney Mara & Casey Affleck
1 hour ago
fertival By now, you've heard the praise for David Lowery's outlaw tale "Ain't Them Bodies Saints." Premiering at Sundance in January to all sorts of good word and then hitting Cannes to play the Critics' Week sidebar, the movie continues it's march toward the big screen with a brand new trailer that's as beautiful as all get out. The story seems simple enough: After a crime spree leaves an officer wounded, Bob (Casey Affleck) takes the blame and heads to prison, leaving his girl Ruth (Rooney Mara) behind, and pregnant. Four years later, he breaks out and makes his way to back to her to see meet the child he's never seen, but of course, it won't be easy. And the result is a picture that we called a "searing, romantic crime drama and love story...a wholly engrossing and impressive piece of work that the movie world will »
- Kevin Jagernauth
5 Things You May Not Know About 'Return Of The Jedi' & How It Could Have Been Much Cooler
2 hours ago
This week George Lucas’ “Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” turns 30. The conclusion to what was then imagined to be the end of the "Star Wars" saga concerned the Rebellion going up against the evil Galactic Empire, which has constructed a second, planet-destroying Death Star that is about to go online. It had a whole bunch of thrills, chills, and fussy robots, but, as we look back on ‘Return of the Jedi’ (and look forward to whatever J.J. Abrams’ "Star Wars: Episode 7" will be,) it’s interesting to note what the sequel might have contained under different conditions– and how it could have ended up being much, much cooler (This as the companion piece to that ran earlier today btw.) The Ewoks Could Have Been Creepy As originally envisioned, the inhabitants of the forest moon of Endor weren’t the cuddly, ripped-from-Toys-r-Us stuffed animals. Instead, they were creepy little lizard folk, »
- Drew Taylor
Tom Cruise Bails On Guy Ritchie's 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' To Gear Up 'Mission: Impossible 5' Instead
2 hours ago
This is probably not how Warner Bros. wanted to head into the Memorial Day weekend. With the studio seemingly to finally get their long developing "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." movie going, with Guy Ritchie attached to direct and Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander coming in supporting roles, they've just lost their leading man. That's right, Tom Cruise has bailed on the movie, with Deadline revealing he's focusing on "Mission: Impossible 5" instead. It seems Paramount want 'Impossible' shooting by the end of the year, and Cruise tends to be super involved in every detail of that franchise, so scheduling in 'U.N.C.L.E.' turned out to be an... impossibility! So what's Warner Bros. to do? They will want the movie to shoot this fall but replacing an actor of Cruise's caliber isn't easy at all. An actor who can play to overseas markets the way he can, »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Watch: Michael Douglas Shines In Clip From 'Behind The Candelabra' Plus New Photos
2 hours ago
Put the Emmys and Golden Globes on alert, because Michael Douglas is coming. Earlier this week, Steven Soderbergh's "Behind The Candelabra" screened at the Cannes Film Festival and the conversation soon moved on from discussion of it being the director's final feature (for now) to Douglas' standout performance. It's the best thing he's done in probably a decade, if not longer, a completely transformative turn that's really unlike anything he's tackled before, in a movie that we described in our review as "decadently entertaining." Well now you can get a little taste. A new clip has arrived for the film and it gives away a small segment of the great introduction to Liberace, during the opening section of the movie. Liberace's future lover Scott Thorson (Matt Damon) is brought by his friend Bob Black (Scott Bakula) to see the musician and star in action in his Las Vegas show. »
- Kevin Jagernauth
The Coen Brothers Don't Like Sequels, Put Kibosh On Long Rumored 'The Big Lebowski' Followup
3 hours ago
If you thought there was a chance you might see Jeff Bridges don his iconic bathrobe one more time we’ve got some troubling news for you. Joel and Ethan Coen are attending the Cannes Film Festival to promote their latest film “Inside Llewyn Davis,” and the duo sat down to answer questions at a press event. Inevitably the conversation turned to their cult classic “The Big Lebowski” and whether or not they would want to take on a sequel. Over the years actors, John Turturro has been leading the charge in making a sequel, one that would center on his character, Jesus Quintanta. Although he's only in 'Lebowski' for a couple of scenes, he's a fan favorite, and he's been pitching the Coens on a followup, and has spoken to the press about it too (read all about it in our feature 5 Things You Might Not Know About The »
- Jason McDonald
How 'Return Of The Jedi' Ruined 'Star Wars' Forever
3 hours ago
Imagine it: you've taken off from school and waited in line all day to see "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi," the last installment (ever!) in the "Star Wars" saga. You're wearing your favorite "Star Wars" shirt, have your bucket of popcorn and jumbo-sized soda, and a primo seat in the auditorium, the best possible vantage point from which to watch the end of the trilogy unfold. No more than twenty minutes into the movie the lovable rogue Han Solo (Harrison Ford) dies fighting the evil Galactic Empire, sacrificing himself for the good of the Rebellion. The shockwaves from his death ripple through the audience and a very clear warning is issued from the filmmakers: no one is safe. Co-screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan fought for this to be a reality. So did Ford, who had grown weary of the character. But series overlord George Lucas said no. As Harrison Ford put »
- Drew Taylor
5 Things You'll Learn From 'Jodorowsky's Dune' From Nicolas Winding Refn's Thoughts, The Original Cast & More
4 hours ago
The fact that Alejandro Jodorowsky -- coming off the double whammy of 1970s cult favorite mind benders "El Topo" and "The Holy Mountain" -- even got near bringing Frank Hebert's "Dune" to the big screen perhaps speaks to the wackiness of the 1970s movie world. That it actually got as far as it did, hiring an insane set of collaborators, an equally ambitious cast and actually reaching the stage where sets were going to be built, is even more miraculous. But alas, the production fell apart and has gone on to become one of the great unmade movie stories in cinema history. The mind still reels at what it could have resulted in, but the new documentary "Jodorowsky's Dune" gives a pretty good insight into what could have been a game changing sci-fi epic. Playing in Cannes Directors' Fortnight, the movie let's the man himself tell the saga of what happened, »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Watch: Short Film 'Gregory Go Boom' Starring Michael Cera
4 hours ago
Want to see Michael Cera troll YouTube’s Comedy Week? I don’t want to say too much about his latest project from Jash, the YouTube comedy channel he co-founded with Reggie Watts, Tim & Eric, and Sarah Silverman, but you can check it out below. Written and directed by Janicza Bravo, "Gregory Go Boom" stars Michael Cera as a paraplegic looking for love, and also features Sarah Burns and Brett Gelman. While the premise might be a bit misleading, keep in mind; this was released specifically for YouTube’s Comedy Week. It has a little awkward comedy to get you started, but things take a pretty wild turn towards the end. I have to believe this whole thing is some kind of ironic statement...right? Check it out and let us know what you think. »
- Jason McDonald
Yes, George Lucas Was Already Talking About 'Star Wars' Prequels In 1981
4 hours ago
Believe it or not, “Return of the Jedi” turns 30 this year. Now before you start to think about how old you are, why not enjoy this interesting little nugget? Author J.W. Rinzler’s book “The Making of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” comes out later this year and The Huffington Post has gotten their hands on a little excerpt that will definitely perk the interest of any "Star Wars" fan. The excerpt is from a “Revenge of the Jedi Story Conference” that was attended by George Lucas, writer Lawrence Kasdan, director Richard Marquand, and producer Howard Kazanjian. In discussion story details regarding the third film of the original trilogy, Lucas unearths the backstory of Darth Vader as well as Luke and Leia Skywalker and it’s pretty fascinating to see how much of the story winds up in the prequels. Even more fascinating, perhaps, is what didn’t wind up in the prequel. »
- Ken Guidry
Cannes: New Clip From ‘The Immigrant’; James Gray Talks Title Changes, Working With Joaquin Phoenix & Marion Cotillard & More
5 hours ago
James Gray’s long-awaited period drama, “The Immigrant,” finally screened in Cannes early this morning. Featuring the excellent cast of Joaquin Phoenix, Marion Cotillard and Jeremy Renner, “The Immigrant” centers on a conniving pimp (Phoenix) who manipulates a destitute Polish immigrant (Cotillard) into a life of prostitution. Saddled with a sick sister, she works to pay for her medicine and her dismal life seems hopeless until a curious magician (Renner) enters it. Our reviewer called the film “carefully poised and slowly building to a resonant climax,” and that sounds like a James Gray film alright. Mostly unappreciated at home in the United States (but beloved in France), Gray generally makes melodramatic family tragedies disguised as crime dramas (“Little Odessa,” “The Yards,” “We Own The Night”), but “The Immigrant” is somewhat of a gear shift, with its 1920s period setting and having a woman as the lead character. While Joaquin Phoenix »
- Rodrigo Perez
Watch: Full Length Filmmaker Docs On John Cassavetes & Sam Fuller
5 hours ago
It’s Friday and a long holiday weekend is just around the corner. Why not start it off right with a couple of cool documentaries on a couple of cool directors? After all, the new season “Arrested Development” doesn’t come until Sunday, so you've got some time. First up is a two-part documentary -- nearly 100 minutes total -- on John Cassavetes, “Anything For John.” It features interviews from many key collaborators like his wife/muse Gena Rowlands, Peter Falk and Seymour Cassel and focuses as much on his films as it does on the man himself. It’s a hugely informative film that we’d recommend for both Cassavetes fans and newbies alike. Next is a nearly hour-long documentary -- “The Typewriter, The Rifle and the Movie Camera” -- that focuses on “Shock Corridor” and “The Naked Kiss” director Samuel Fuller. Beginning from his time as a reporter, continuing »
- Cain Rodriguez
Exclusive: Clip From Biopic Of Immigrant Entrepreneur Van Vlahakis 'A Green Story'
6 hours ago
The name Van Vlahakis might not be well known, but his is the immigrant success story that perhaps we don't hear of often enough. The Greece native landed in America with only $22 dollars to his name and wound up founding Earth Friendly Products, a multi-million dollar company. Now, perhaps completing the circle of the American dream, his tale has now inspired the biopic, "A Green Story." Ed O’Ross, Annabella Sciorra, Shannon Elizabeth, Malcolm McDowell, Billy Zane, Louis Mandylor and Debbie Matenopoulos are among the ensemble cast in writer/director Nick Agiashvili's film which premiered last year at the L.A. Greek Film Festival. Today, we have an exclusive clip to share with you. In this clip we see a young Van, played by George Finn ("Lol") sharing some time with his first love (Alessandra Torresani of "Caprica" fame) before some news from Greece arrive under his door. "A Green Story »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Todd Phillips Says 'The Hangover 3' Post-Credits Sequence Is A Response To His Critics
6 hours ago
With today’s release of “The Hangover Part III,” our national nightmare ends and the Wolfpack rides off into the sunset (we hope). Because fans of the “The Hangover” films are also readers of Vanity Fair, director Todd Phillips was interviewed by the magazine and had a few choice words for his critics. Talking about the origins of the third film, Phillips revealed that he was tempted to “do another wake-up movie.” Why? We’ll let him explain: “The criticisms [of 'The Hangover Part 2'] were really about the structure -- they didn’t know how this could happen to the same guys twice. ‘Who would ever have a night like that twice?’ So we were like, ‘Oh yeah? It’s going to happen three times. Fuck you.’” Charming. Obviously the third film doesn’t follow that template -- at least not totally -- but Phillips does mention that he did manage to sneak in »
- Cain Rodriguez
Watch: Meow! New Clip From 'The Bling Ring' Goes Into Paris Hilton's Closet
6 hours ago
Okay, so as we noted in our review from the Cannes Film Festival, Sofia Coppola's "The Bling Ring" doesn't exactly break down the door of insight into the emptiness and excess of celebrity culture and the pursuit of it. That said, it does have some fun along the way. Most notably, it's Paris Hilton's house (and yes, it's actually Paris Hilton's house in the movie) that provides the thieving gang of teens the most enjoyment on their crime spree. In fact, they go back to it more than once... In this new clip from the movie, we see Emma Watson and company dive into Hilton's closet which features an unfathomable amount of shoes and clothes. It's paradise for the girls as they go through the designer threads, but it's Watson who caps with the scene getting the biggest laugh after finding the most absurd piece of all them all. »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Review: Visual Grandeur Of ‘Epic’ Undone By Undercooked, Rote Story
6 hours ago
Let’s get one thing out of the way: “Epic,” the latest from Blue Sky Studios (the “Ice Age” films, “Robots” “Horton Hears a Who” and “Rio”) is at times breathtakingly beautiful. The Chris Wedge-helmed feature presents a visual step-up for Blue Sky and we are luckier for it. The film features a rich and compelling vision of a forest populated by a variety of tiny creatures and protected by the Leafmen. Leafmen, who most closely resemble tiny humans, don weapons and travel by hummingbird, are locked in combat with the Boggans, led by Mandrake (Christoph Waltz, enjoying himself despite lacking motivation or really any memorable lines). When the Queen of the Forest (Beyoncé Knowles) is threatened during a ceremony to name her successor, Leafmen leader Ronin (Colin Farrell, toned down and all the better for it) crosses paths with M.K. (Amanda Seyfried) and the duo must deliver »
- Mark Zhuravsky
Cannes Review: James Gray’s Careful, Poised 'The Immigrant' Builds Slowly To A Resonant Climax
9 hours ago
A strangely chimeric movie, that only reveals its truest colors in its closing moments, James Gray’s “The Immigrant” which screened In Competition this morning in Cannes is a meticulous reframing of the director’s familiar themes and concerns that mostly lived up to our high expectations, while never bursting their bounds the way we might have dared to hope. It’s a beautifully shot film marked by deeply felt performances from its leads, that will play to those attuned to the loveliness of Gray’s minor-key redemption stories, but is unlikely to win new converts among the impatient or those whose expectation of a period drama is something more traditionally epic and grandiose. In fact, in some ways the apparent sprawling ambition of the exercise (Ellis Island! Immigration! The great Untold American Story!) is misleading because while draped in Darius Khondji’s luxuriant, golden-hued cinematography like the silks of Lady Liberty’s gown, »
- Jessica Kiang
Review: 'Nancy Please'
16 hours ago
We've all known people like Nancy. The title character of Andrew Semans' "Nancy, Please" is a real pill, dark eyes, slumped shoulders, and an eternal pout. There's always drama in Nancy's life, and she's always expressing it physically. She's always impetuous, always difficult, and frequently nasty, as if lashing out not against a single person but the world at large. In spite of it all, her punk sneer and angular sensuality is also sharp like a knife, tight like a fist. And for young potential PhD Paul, she is an out-and-out boogeyman. Working as a graduate student at Yale, Paul has just emerged from the dark tunnel of being Nancy's roommate. We're led to believe they didn't interact much, and when they did, it was slightly more than the standard tension that occurs when two young people with nothing in common share space. The more stringently academic Paul, now »
- Gabe Toro
Cannes Review: Masterful ‘Blue Is The Warmest Color’ Is The Sublime Story Of A Transformative Relationship
20 hours ago
Why do we watch movies? No, really, why is it? As close an answer as we’ve ever come to for our own, fairly evident obsession with what we consider the greatest storytelling medium humankind has ever developed, is well, that life is short. Bear with us a second on this: basically to submerge yourself in a story well-told is a way to live out other lives within your own, and through those complex and magical processes of identification, to breathe and dream and feel things that your own short span might otherwise never afford you. Of course for many movies that experience, of killing a mutant robot or whatever, may have evaporated before you’ve picked the last of the popcorn husks from between your teeth. But occasionally, very rarely, we experience the cinema not of escape but of exploration in which the discoveries you make stay with you »
- Jessica Kiang
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