The Night Before Written by Evan Goldberg, Kyle Hunter, Jonathan Levine, and Ariel Shaffir Directed by Jonathan Levine U.S, 2015 Every November and December studios release holiday-themed flicks to cash in on the frenzy of the season. Every once in a while a gem like Gremlins or Elf comes out and becomes yearly viewing, but …
Robert Zemeckis’s The Walk, based on Philippe Petit’s wire walking across the Twin Towers in the early 1970s, opens on the face of its star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, thereby setting the tone for the film: Zemeckis puts much technical effort and detail into accentuating the depth and various surfaces of the actor’s face, and as the star, as wire walking Philippe, begins to talk, nothing but tall tales falls from his mouth.
It looks like another Oscar contender is headed for 2016. With the Christmas release stacking up, Open Road has made the decision to move Snowden, the biopic on Edward Snowden that is directed by Oliver Stone, from its Christmas 2015 release date to an unspecific date in 2016, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film …
Have you ever wanted to watch Joseph Gordon-Levitt to sing and dance with a host of Jim Henson creations? Because if that was some weird dream of yours, you hit the nail right on the head, and could probably be a studio executive with that kind of mind. Variety reported on Thursday that Gordon-Levitt will …
Socially conscious cable television network Pivot announced a new slate of documentary and investigative programming to go with two returning series at its advertising upfronts presentation in New York on Thursday. Deadline reports the Participant Media network has greenlit a new digital-age investigative series by executive producer Brian Knappenberger, which is scheduled to premiere at …
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For Written by Frank Miller Directed by Robert Rodriguez & Frank Miller USA, 2014 When Sin City exploded into theaters in 2005, we had never seen anything like it. It was a resounding declaration that digital filmmaking had finally arrived. The new Robert Rodriquez-Frank Miller collaboration, Sin City: …
Picking out ten moments from The Dark Knight Trilogy, what is essentially one epic journey encompassing 459 minutes, is an almost impossible task, as it leaves out so many wonderful scenes enriching the story or bewitching the audience.
After screening at both Sundance and South by Southwest, this weekend sees Don Jon hitting theaters. It is a well-crafted and confident debut for Joseph Gordon-Levitt who stars, directs, and writes. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, and Tony Danza; it follows a man and his addictions as they bleed into various parts of …
It is hard not to wonder, while watching Don Jon, exactly how much Joseph Gordon-Levitt can’t stand the culture of which he is a part. His directorial debut (which he also wrote) is a deeply cynical portrait of what he must consider the shallowest elements of pop culture.
Don Jon Directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt Written by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (screenplay) US, 2013 Gender roles can be a land mine of a topic. The subject matter is riddled with opinions that no one can agree on. It is a topic that perforates and polarizes. However, most can agree that objectification plays a large role in …
Lincoln Directed by Steven Spielberg Written by Tony Kushner USA, 2012 The American political system is hopelessly fractured. Its legislators are viciously divided on how to govern the nation. The president, about to begin his second term in office on a groundswell of grassroots public support, is either too much or not enough of a …
Director Rian Johnson has been slowly gaining acclaim in the film community for his unique feature films, which he also writes, the latest of which is the Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt starring time travel thriller Looper. Before a film can go into production, however, directors are expected to create a Pitch Reel that effectively …
Brick Written and directed by Rian Johnson. imdb USA 2005 Edgar Chaput’s Review The Brothers Bloom Written and directed by Rian Johnson. imdb USA 2008 Looper Written and directed by Rian Johnson. imdb USA 2012 Sound on Sight podcast about Looper. Simon Howell’s review. Josh Spiegel’s review. Edgar Chaput’s review. Josh Slater-William’s review. Modern Times Written and directed by Charlie Chaplin. …
Spring Breakers – Opening Sequence Having been at TIFF this month, attempting to select favorite scenes without going entirely overboard– well, it may not exactly be as drastic as Sophie’s choice, but that is the first label that comes to mind. Spring Breakers is one of many very strong showings from Toronto this year, and …
Looper Written and directed by Rian Johnson USA/China, 2012 Of its numerous strengths, one of Looper’s greatest is that, despite featuring narration by its lead character, it heavily relies on visual storytelling to successfully convey both information and emotion. The narration delivers as little exposition as necessary to begin understanding both of its dystopian worlds, …
Looper Directed by Rian Johnson Written by Rian Johnson USA, 2012 If there’s any justice in this world, we’ll look back on Looper in 10 or 20 years, and pinpoint it as the moment when Rian Johnson entered into the realm of stardom. Though he proved his directing savvy with Brick and The Brothers Bloom, …
Looper Directed by Rian Johnson Written by Rian Johnson U.S.A., 2012 It is tempting to write that it does not get any better than a new film from Rian Johnson starring seemingly everybody’s favourite actor of the past couple years, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as well as Bruce Willis and Emily Blunt. However, last week saw the …
The Dark Knight Rises Directed by Christopher Nolan Written by Christopher Nolan and Jonathan Nolan USA, 2012 Christopher Nolan doesn’t half-ass things. Unlike a lot of summer-movie directors, he knows how to deliver a true spectacle. His dedication to telling a complete story about one of pop culture’s most beloved superheroes is remarkable. This determination …
Brick Directed by Rian Johnson Written by Rian Johnson U.S.A., 2005 It speaks to a director’s qualities as a storyteller that even before his or her third film is released, their every word and hint and what may be to come has film aficionados exuberant with gleeful anticipation. Rian Johnson is one such director, having …
Joseph Gordon-Levitt might only be 30 years old, but he has already distinguished himself as an actor with a wide range. Beginning in commercials as a young child, he made his film debut in 1992’s Beethoven, but it wasn’t until 1996 that he became a household name, co-starring in the television sitcom 3rd Rock from …
To commemorate that yesterday, May 17th, was the International Day Against Homophobia, here’s a spotlight on some influential films in queer cinema (within the last decade or so and in no particular order) that gave way to more visibility and awareness within media and popular culture . Brokeback Mountain (2005) Who could forget the incredible …
Writer-director Rian Johnson’s turned heads with his brilliant debut feature – the scandalous high-school-set neo-noir Brick – and ever since the director has been a player to keep an eye on. He became a seemingly overnight, fresh voice in independent film. In reality, after putting in a good eight years in the Hollywood trenches, Johnson …
