Saturday Night Live, Ep. 41.05, “Elizabeth Banks/Disclosure”
Wait a second, a host can be an integral part of the cast and not be an unfortunate fun-suck who robs the show of any potential to actually be funny? Man, how liberating.
Wait a second, a host can be an integral part of the cast and not be an unfortunate fun-suck who robs the show of any potential to actually be funny? Man, how liberating.
The dearth of strong, capable roles for women, especially in the action genre, is an open secret in Hollywood. One of the potential roles that has endured over time, however, is that of the trio of female characters who make up the core of Charlie’s Angels. The 70s tv series has seen revivals on both …
Charlie is coming back to find new angels and he will get help from a Pitch Perfect alum. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sony is set to reboot Charlie’s Angels with Pitch Perfect 2 director/producer/star Elizabeth Banks directing and producing the picture. The last version of the series starred Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Lucy …
Disney has become well aware that even releasing just the tiniest hint of news about Star Wars is enough to send the blogs into a feeding frenzy. One of those bad habits is studios staking a claim on a calendar date far out in the future. And they’ve now revealed that the release date for …
The feature debut of writer-director Sara Colangelo, Little Accidents is an intense small town drama that premiered to positive notices at the 2014 installment of the Sundance Film Festival, and is now seeing a release one year on. Starring Elizabeth Banks, Boyd Holbrook, Jacob Lofland, Josh Lucas and Chloë Sevigny, it concerns several players in a …
The splitting of the conclusions of recent fantasy or sci-fi franchises into two parts (or more – looking at you, Peter Jackson) has been financially successful for Hollywood studios, but less so creatively. Only arguable trendsetter Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I proved a satisfying film in its own right by being so rich in character interplay and having an actual sense of progression. Mockingjay – Part I is heavy on character beats, but they are repetitive ones due to its limited scope through withholding all the big stuff until Part 2.
The LEGO Movie Written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller USA, 2014 The opening moments of Pixar’s last great film to date, Toy Story 3, depict an intentionally, increasingly goofy and outlandish fantasy scenario in which all of the toys in Andy’s bedroom play a part. There are the heroic Sheriff Woody and …
With I Am Legend and Constantine in his filmography, two not entirely successful features but both ones with impressive sequences here and there, director Francis Lawrence would seem an adequate fit for a populist sci-fi or fantasy franchise instalment.
Movie anthologies have seen a rise in recent years, with several filmmakers collaborating on a series of short films, often with a common theme running through them, such as all being set in the same city, or all belonging to the same genre. The latest addition to this entry is Movie 43, which features a …
The Details Directed by Jacob Aaron Estes Written by Jacob Aaron Estes USA, 2011 Tobey Maguire exists in a kind of netherworld as a performer. When he played Peter Parker in the original Spider-Man trilogy, he was often criticized for looking too old to play a high school senior or, later, a college freshman. (This, …
Pitch Perfect Directed by Jason Moore Written by Kay Cannon USA, 2012 Too many people making romantic comedies and coming-of-age stories are tied down to a criminally punishing three-act structure and conventions defined both by standard-bearers of the genre and by studio mandates. Otherwise entertaining films like For a Good Time, Call… and Bridesmaids shift …
The Hunger Games Written for the screen by Suzanne Collins, Gary Ross and Billy Ray Directed by Gary Ross USA, 2012 In the dystopian, totalitarian nation of Panem, a wealthy capital city rules over an impoverished nation of districts. As penance for a previous rebellion, every year sees each district forced to enter two adolescents …
Man on a Ledge Directed by Asger Leth Written by Pablo F. Fenjves U.S.A, 2012 It feels safe to assume that ensemble pieces are rarely an easy proposition. The matter of juggling good writing and proper screen time between a great number of solid characters requires some highly regarded skill, both from the standpoints of …
Our Idiot Brother Written by David Schisgall and Evgenia Peretz Directed by Jesse Peretz USA, 2011 When is an indie not an indie? According to the Independent Spirit Awards, all it takes is a budget that falls short of the $20-million mark to qualify for that status, but while you’re watching something like Our Idiot …