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Second Trailer For ‘The Hunger Games’ Shows Katniss’ Plight
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The Hunger Games is now nearer than ever — duh. But March draws even closer as we enter Feburary, and Lionsgate plays on that fact by releasing another excellent trailer for the upcoming film. I think this trailer is better than the first, so don’t delay and hit the jump to check it out.
GRADE: A
It has taken me far too long to finally see this Award Season Juggernaut. After being nominated for Best Picture for the 84th Academy Awards and winning at the Golden Globes, I made it my mission to see The Artist ASAP. While I had my own reservations because of the old school nature this film embodies, those we dashed by the brillance put forth in this homage to the ‘Golden Age’ of Hollywood Cinema. For anyone that considers themselves a film connoisseur or film fanatic, The Artist should be a must see added to your list.
Matt’s Review: ‘Man on a Ledge’ is Formulaic, But An Action Packed Thrill Ride
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GRADE: B-
The premise of this film is self explanatory considering the title. Man on a Ledge is the latest Sam Worthington flick, which also stars Jamie Bell, Edward Burns, Elizabeth Banks, Anthony Mackie, and Ed Harris. Worthington plays Nick Cassidy, a man, who is essentially on a ledge for the majority of the film. This is the quintessential example of a popcorn flick, a film that is purely entertaining, full of cheap thrills, and devoid of real emotion. It isn’t a narrative that progresses rationally, and some of the characters and many of the situations are over the top. But like I said, it’s a mindless popcorn flick akin to many Summer blockbusters.
Oscar Nominations Revealed For The ’84th Academy Awards’
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This morning the 2012 Oscar nominations were revealed, which of course annually provides both heartbreak and jubilation for those nominated and those snubbed. This year, the Best Picture nomination pool is nine, and not the ten of years past. The nominations were reduced from the ten made standard in 2010, down to however many Best Picture nominees the voting body feels is necessary. This year they felt nine was appropriate, a number I do not agree with. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was left off the nominee list, as was its director David Fincher. In my opinion, these two headline the snubs this year, along with Steven Spielberg being left out of the nomination for Best Director despite War Horse earning a Best Picture nod. Hit the jump for the full list, and a few brief thoughts from yours truly.
Netflix This: ‘Tangled’
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I had the pleasure of finally sitting down and watching the critically acclaimed Disney animation Tangled which came out in 2010 — this fact alone makes me ashamed to admit I am just seeing now. While I’m sure many out there have already seen it, I loved this film so much I had to gush about it and recommend people look for it on Netflix. Tangled isn’t my favorite Disney film, but it definitely oozes with the magic that has made the Disney logo one of the most recognizable castles on the planet.
Matt’s Review: ‘Haywire’ Has Positive Pieces, But This Puzzle Doesn’t Fit Right
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GRADE: C
Haywire is exactly what you would think stemming from the previews; elite super solider-esque persona who gets double crossed and must fight back against a system that possesses a lot of firepower. Despite having a run-of-the-mill premise, this is far from the typical action flick. It’s unique from the mindless action genre because it features the distintive talents of Steven Soderbergh’s less serious storytelling and slow paced cuts, as well as his favor for an upbeat jazzy Ocean’s 11-type soundtrack (which I felt was totally off). Don’t get me wrong, Haywire has a lot of great ass kicking and action scenes within, but that unfortunately is where my praise stops.
The Cinematography and Editing From ‘The Descendants’
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It’s no secret that my favorite movie from 2011 was Alexander Payne’s The Descendants. Not only was it my favorite, but the film also took home awards for Best Picture and Best Actor (George Clooney) at the Golden Globes this past Sunday. If you haven’t made time for this film, take my recommendation, as well as the recommendation from judging body of the Golden Globes, and get out and see The Descendants. The purpose of this post is not simply to rant about the greatness of this film, but to spotlight the cinematography and the editing from the project. After the jump you can check out a behind the scenes look, which features interviews with members of the production crew.
Enjoy The First Trailer For Wes Anderson’s ‘Moonrise Kingdom’
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If anyone knows Wes Anderson, watch this trailer for five seconds and you can already tell it is one of his films. The look and feel of his films has a very distinct taste to them. Hit the jump to enjoy the trailer for Moonrise Kingdom, which features many of Anderson’s usual cast of characters like Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman, but also new faces like Bruce Willis and Edward Norton.
Just to keep all those in desperate need of something new from The Dark Knight Rises I thought I’d pass along some photos that will be in the next issue of Entertainment Weekly. For now, this is all we have — don’t be so ungrateful, we just got a new trailer and the prologue barely a month ago. Besides the new photos, Christopher Nolan recently responded to the critics calling out Tom Hardy’s dialogue as Bane indecipherable. Hit the jump to check it all out.
‘Shameless’ is Another Showtime Gem You Shouldn’t Miss
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From the recommendation of my little brother, I started watching one of Showtime‘s new series last year, Shameless. The second season starts this upcoming weekend, but I caught up on the first season through the wonder of DVR. What’s DVR? Leave now please.
With all the episodes recorded and ready for my viewing pleasure, I plowed through them at an alarming rate. I just started a week ago — considering that, finishing the first season’s 12 episodes is an achievement. I couldn’t stop. The story lines weaved into this show from the various and many interesting characters, both very young and old, kept me wondering what will come next for this low income Chicago family. Hit the jump to hear more about the series, and why I love it so much.
