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‘Annie’: It’s the hard knock life for a remake

There were two distinct reactions coming from the news releases about the Annie remake. There was a collective groan from the cynics who like to complain about how Hollywood has no fresh ideas, and there was also a lot of excitement from social justice communities about a black Annie. Which side won out with the final product? That really depends on how charming you find Quvenzhané Wallis as the title character – as for me, I was sold and think it’s one of the best musicals of the past ten years.

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‘Horrible Bosses 2’ holds comedy hostage

There’s nothing more depressing than a lazy comedy, and Horrible Bosses 2 suffers from a terminal case of laziness. Instead of gleefully diving into its richly-black premise, it settles for obvious sight gags and uninspired improvisations. A talented comedic cast is wasted on material that aims for mediocrity and hits the target over and over again. There simply aren’t enough laughs here to justify this film’s existence.

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Jamie Foxx to play Mike Tyson in Terence Winter biopic

Variety reported Wednesday that Terence Winter, writer and producer behind shows like Boardwalk Empire and The Sopranos, is throwing his proverbial hat into the literal boxing ring by writing a biopic on boxer Mike Tyson. And a source told Variety that Tyson would be portrayed by none other than Jamie Foxx. The film is untitled …

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‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ too overloaded with new characters to rise above mediocrity

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 Written by Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, and Jeff Pinkner Directed by Marc Webb USA, 2014 The distinct whiff of chaos pervades The Amazing Spider-Man 2 from its first scene, both narratively and visually. Because its director and writers aren’t likely intending on this sequel to a reboot to feel persistently, unavoidably …

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The audacity of dope: ‘White House Down’ a goofy, fun ‘Die Hard’ rip-off

Subtlety is a skill Roland Emmerich has not mastered. Subtlety is not, nor ever will be, in his repertoire; it is likely as alien a concept to him as opposable thumbs are to all non-human creatures. Most of the time, his thudding portentousness doesn’t serve him well as a director, with previous misfires like The Day After Tomorrow, Godzilla, and 2012 lining his filmography, movies that are big and loud enough to make money despite being massively, unpleasantly stupid.

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First Official Images from ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’

[callout] In The Amazing Spider-Man™ 2, for Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield), life is busy – between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen (Emma Stone), high school graduation can’t come quickly enough. Peter hasn’t forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her …

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Django Chained: Tarantino and the American Slave

In just barely over a week since its Christmas release, Quentin Tarantino’s eighth feature film, Django Unchained, has exhaustively become a source of public controversy for its setting amongst southern, pre-Civil War plantations where the height of the black man’s plight in the United States was the accepted norm. Not the least of the film’s …

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Tarantino’s new film ‘Django Unchained’ is a florid, entertaining Spaghetti Western

Django Unchained Directed by Quentin Tarantino Written by Quentin Tarantino USA, 2012 Quentin Tarantino wears his style on his sleeve. Homages, tributes, and callbacks to older films, forgotten performers, and oft-ignored genres are part and parcel of his filmography. But one element of his aesthetic has become more pronounced over the years: his fierce, almost …

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‘Django Unchained’; Quentin Tarantino sans Sally Menke

Django Unchained Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino USA, 2012 If you ask a girl about the nuances of makeup, she’ll probably tell you that great technique is one where you barely notice the result. Ask a filmmaker about the nuances of editing and he or she will probably tell you the same. Ask Quentin …

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‘Django Unchained’ a fitfully engaging ahistorical romp that fails to earn its runtime

Django Unchained Written by Quentin Tarantino Directed by Quentin Tarantino USA, 2012 Has Quentin Tarantino’s work to date actually been…restrained? It’s not a descriptor often thrown at the populist auteur, whose frequently digressionary writing style and dual penchants for graphic violence and meta-textual indulgences has made him one of the most easily distinguished popular filmmakers …

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