One of the most beloved movies of 1983 is “The Big Chill,” starring Kevin Kline, Glenn Close, William Hurt and Meg Tilly. Written by Lawrence Kasdan and Barbara Benedek and directed by Kasdan, the film is an ensemble comedy-drama about a group of former college friends who reunite for a weekend after one of their college friends dies. Released 40 years ago on September 28, 1983, “The Big Chill” did well at the box office, making $56 million worldwide on a budget of just $8 million. The movie marked another financial triumph for director Kasdan, whose feature debut two years earlier, “Body Heat,” did well at the box office and with critics. Read on as Gold Derby celebrates “The Big Chill” 40th anniversary.
Critics for the most part gave positive notices to “The Big Chill,” including Richard Corliss in Time Magazine, who called it “funny and ferociously smart.” Vincent Canby in The New York Times said,...
Critics for the most part gave positive notices to “The Big Chill,” including Richard Corliss in Time Magazine, who called it “funny and ferociously smart.” Vincent Canby in The New York Times said,...
- 10/3/2023
- by Brian Rowe
- Gold Derby
In what Criterion is describing as their “first collaboration” with fabled animation studio Pixar, Andrew Stanton’s “Wall•E” will be joining the collection this November (spine #1161). And, typical of Criterion releases, it will be festooned with special features, including a new essay (by Sam Wasson), a pair of audio commentaries and a new documentary called “Wall•E A to Z,” featuring co-writer/director Andrew Stanton and writer Jim Reardon.
“Wall•E,” released back in 2008, originated as an idea from “Up” director (and current Pixar chief creative officer) Pete Docter called “Trash Planet.” Soon the idea mutated, as it was passed to Stanton and the focus became squarely on a small, lonely robot inhabiting an abandoned, garbage-covered Earth. When another droid visits Earth, the sleek new Eve, Wall•E falls in love. He follows her to the Axiom, a cruise ship in space, and together they reignite the human race.
“Wall•E,” released back in 2008, originated as an idea from “Up” director (and current Pixar chief creative officer) Pete Docter called “Trash Planet.” Soon the idea mutated, as it was passed to Stanton and the focus became squarely on a small, lonely robot inhabiting an abandoned, garbage-covered Earth. When another droid visits Earth, the sleek new Eve, Wall•E falls in love. He follows her to the Axiom, a cruise ship in space, and together they reignite the human race.
- 9/8/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Bruce Fretts, longtime critic and entertainment journalist for Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide and other publications, died Friday at age 54.
According to his brother Chris Fretts’ Facebook post, Bruces Fretts had been battling Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (Nms), a rare reaction to certain medications including those that treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions.
During a long and storied career as an entertainment journalist, Fretts worked as a critic for a decade at Entertainment Weekly in the 1990s and later as a writer and editor at TV Guide — where he wrote the “Cheers and Jeers” column on the back page for many years. Since 2014, he served as articles editor for Closer Weekly. In addition, he worked as a freelance writer and interviewer for a variety of outlets, such as the New York Times, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and Emmy magazine.
He is survived by two children, Jed and Olive.
Also Read:...
According to his brother Chris Fretts’ Facebook post, Bruces Fretts had been battling Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome (Nms), a rare reaction to certain medications including those that treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other mental health conditions.
During a long and storied career as an entertainment journalist, Fretts worked as a critic for a decade at Entertainment Weekly in the 1990s and later as a writer and editor at TV Guide — where he wrote the “Cheers and Jeers” column on the back page for many years. Since 2014, he served as articles editor for Closer Weekly. In addition, he worked as a freelance writer and interviewer for a variety of outlets, such as the New York Times, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation and Emmy magazine.
He is survived by two children, Jed and Olive.
Also Read:...
- 7/5/2020
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries.NEWSLast weekend the generally derided yet fiercely observed Golden Globes winners were announced 2016, which included La La Land (Best Director, Screenplay, Song, Score and Actor, Actress and picture for a musical/comedy), Moonlight (Best Drama), and Elle (Best Foreign Language film, Best Actress for a drama).Okay, it's not strictly cinema news, but 18 episodes of new moving pictures directed by David Lynch counts as news to us! Showtime has revealed the number of episodes of the upcoming season of Twin Peaks, all directed by Lynch, and that the two-hour premiere of the show will be on May 21, immediately followed by the digital release of the third and forth episodes. Those film professionals who will be in Cannes at the time better plan on skipping their Monday morning screenings!Great news for those, like us, still enamored by celluloid: Kodak has...
- 1/12/2017
- MUBI
Michael Cimino “The Sicilian” (1987) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 13 percent “The film is a mess, though hardly on the panoramic scale of ‘Heaven’s Gate,'” Vincent Canby wrote in the New York Times. “The Sunchaser” (1996) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 17 percent “Michael Cimino — a daredevil director for whom the tidy story is never worth shooting — pokes around interesting themes of mysticism, healthy (and unhealthy) lifestyles, bonds between men, and the joys of driving in the desert really recklessly but doesn’t know what to do with what he finds. Nothing jells,” Lisa Schwarzbaum wrote in Entertainment Weekly. “Desperate Hours” (1990) Rotten Tomatoes Score: 36 percent “It’s a variation.
- 7/3/2016
- by Thom Geier
- The Wrap
Focus Features released their new, highly anticipated drama flick, "Fifty Shades Of Grey" into theaters today, and the top, major movie critics have submitted their reviews. It turns out that it got a mixed response with an overall 47 score out of a possible 100 across 41 reviews at the Metacritic.com site. The movie stars : Jamie Dornan, Dakota Johnson, Jennifer Ehle, Luke Grimes, Victor Rasuk, Eloise Mumford, Max Martini, Rita Ora, Marcia Gay Harden, and Callum Keith Rennie. We've added blurbs from a few of the critics,below. Sara Stewart at the New York Post, gave it a 75 score. He stated: "The film never pretends to be other than what it really is: soft-core porn for the ladies, diluted with an “R” rating." Sheri Linden from the The Hollywood Reporter, gave it a 70 grade, stating: " With a loose-limbed naturalness, she conveys naiveté, intellectual curiosity and romantic yearning, and shows the unassuming...
- 2/13/2015
- by Chris
- OnTheFlix
Bad news: Walt Disney World ride “It’s a Small World” is reportedly getting its own movie. Good news: Uh…
“Small World” has a nice enough premise — ride a brightly colored boat through the world’s countries, learning about their cultures through cutesy animatronic puppets and song. But as for movie potential? We’re not so sure about that.
Disney has pioneered the movies-based-on-rides trend, and so far, Disney rides are the only theme park rides to ever be turned into films. And while its Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has done surprisingly well, other ventures into ride-based movies...
“Small World” has a nice enough premise — ride a brightly colored boat through the world’s countries, learning about their cultures through cutesy animatronic puppets and song. But as for movie potential? We’re not so sure about that.
Disney has pioneered the movies-based-on-rides trend, and so far, Disney rides are the only theme park rides to ever be turned into films. And while its Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has done surprisingly well, other ventures into ride-based movies...
- 4/23/2014
- by Ariana Bacle
- EW.com - PopWatch
In the post-Lady in the Water era, it’s tough to remember how bonkers people once went for The Sixth Sense. But a mere millennium ago, M. Night Shyamalan’s atmospheric thriller was the toast of audiences and critics alike — a box office smash, a cultural touchstone, a freakin’ Best Picture nominee. Not only at the MTV Movie Awards, but also at the Oscars!
How did a simple, potentially gimmicky ghost story capture our hearts and minds so fully? Easy: because despite the shadow hindsight casts upon it, The Sixth Sense is a great movie. Its brief 107-minute run...
How did a simple, potentially gimmicky ghost story capture our hearts and minds so fully? Easy: because despite the shadow hindsight casts upon it, The Sixth Sense is a great movie. Its brief 107-minute run...
- 4/14/2014
- by Hillary Busis
- EW.com - PopWatch
• Brie Larson (Short Term 12) is set to star as Ma in the adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s 2010 best-seller Room about a kidnapped woman living in captivity with her 5-year-old son. Donohue wrote the script for director Lenny Abrahamson (What Richard Did, Frank). Lisa Schwarzbaum gave the book an A- and wrote: “Though the story’s chilling circumstances reflect the horrors endured by tabloid-famous abductees, Donoghue avoids all sensationalism. Instead, she gracefully distills what it means to be a mother — and what it’s like for a child whose entire world measures just 11 x 11.” [Deadline]
• Matt Damon is being eyed to star in The Martian,...
• Matt Damon is being eyed to star in The Martian,...
- 4/10/2014
- by Lindsey Bahr
- EW - Inside Movies
Has any hit ever been more sure-fire than Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2? The eighth Harry Potter film opened just under a decade after the first one — a decade that saw Potter fandom sweep across the globe. The franchise’s rapid release schedule — with a new film hitting theaters every 18 months on average — meant that a whole generation of moviegoers literally grew up with Harry Potter, watching the stars age from humble prepubescent beginnings into grown-up megastars. The fact that J.K. Rowling released the three final books during the same period occasionally made it feel like all...
- 4/7/2014
- by Darren Franich
- EW.com - PopWatch
King Kong ain’t got s–t on superstar Denzel Washington (at least, not until the beast’s new musical declares a firm date next season), as the movie megastar touched down on Broadway for the first time since his Tony-winning turn in August Wilson’s Fences in 2010. And like that heralded revival, he once again got raves from most outlets. Also receiving raves this week was Wicked star Idina Menzel, who dazzles in If/Then, the new tuner by the Next to Normal team of Brian Yorkey and Tom Kitt. And though the young fans who adore her voice in Frozen may,...
- 4/5/2014
- by Jason Clark
- EW.com - PopWatch
A movie about pirates. Based on a theme park ride. Starring the eighth lead from Lord of the Rings and the second fiddle from Bend It Like Beckham. From the director of The Ring remake (which was good) and The Mexican (which was, well, The Mexican.) Yes, expectations were let’s-say-mild for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, a film which looked on paper like a high-concept travesty-in-waiting. (The full title was ten words long.)
But there was a wild card in Disney’s deck. When Pirates arrived in July 2003, Johnny Depp was a well-respected actor...
But there was a wild card in Disney’s deck. When Pirates arrived in July 2003, Johnny Depp was a well-respected actor...
- 4/3/2014
- by Darren Franich
- EW.com - PopWatch
New Release
Alan Partridge
R, 1 Hr., 30 Mins.
Steve Coogan’s hilariously acidic creation, the buffoonish radio host Alan Partridge, is finally back. And like so many reunions, this one starts off all smiles and quickly grows tiresome. Coogan’s alter ego is as deliciously petty as ever. But the plot swirling around him — a fired co-worker (Colm Meaney) takes the station hostage — is unimaginative and endless. (Also available on iTunes and VOD) B- —Chris Nashawaty
Anita
Not Rated, 1 Hr., 17 Mins.
Freida Mock’s documentary about Anita Hill is an important reminder of a shameful chapter in American politics — when blame-the-victim...
Alan Partridge
R, 1 Hr., 30 Mins.
Steve Coogan’s hilariously acidic creation, the buffoonish radio host Alan Partridge, is finally back. And like so many reunions, this one starts off all smiles and quickly grows tiresome. Coogan’s alter ego is as deliciously petty as ever. But the plot swirling around him — a fired co-worker (Colm Meaney) takes the station hostage — is unimaginative and endless. (Also available on iTunes and VOD) B- —Chris Nashawaty
Anita
Not Rated, 1 Hr., 17 Mins.
Freida Mock’s documentary about Anita Hill is an important reminder of a shameful chapter in American politics — when blame-the-victim...
- 4/2/2014
- by EW staff
- EW - Inside Movies
• LeBron James is getting ready to make his big-screen debut (not as Bane). The NBA superstar could be starring in a Warner Bros. sequel to the 1996 film Space Jam, that Dick Ebersol’s sons — Charlie and Willie — are developing. Michael Jordan appeared in the first film, which grossed $90.4 million domestically and earned a D+ review from EW. In her review, Lisa Schwartzbaum called it an “87-minute novelty act that grew out of a TV commercial for sneakers.” [Deadline]
• Saturday Night Live alum Colin Quinn has joined Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, starring Amy Schumer and Bill Hader. Short Term 12′s Brie Larson...
• Saturday Night Live alum Colin Quinn has joined Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, starring Amy Schumer and Bill Hader. Short Term 12′s Brie Larson...
- 2/22/2014
- by Lindsey Bahr
- EW - Inside Movies
Hollywood Will the ending of August Osage County screened at Tiff be the ending it has in theaters? The film might not be "locked" just yet
Pajiba on social media, celebrity, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Town & Country & BuzzFeed suddenly the internet noticed Clint's son Scott Eastwood (also an actor). I think he looks like a douchey fratboy but the internet don't care. The internet wants what it wants. Weirdly T&C claims he's channeling leading men of the sixties but the only movie star I'm seeing in the photos is a bit of Young Clint Eastwood... the nose mostly.
Awards Daily helps you keep track of the upcoming awards calendar
Sketchy Details yes! another Short Term 12 convert. We must grow and grow, the Short Term 12 fan club.
New York Post check out this Taiwanese movie theater and it's hand painted movie posters
Vulture the final season of Mad Men will be split in two.
Pajiba on social media, celebrity, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Town & Country & BuzzFeed suddenly the internet noticed Clint's son Scott Eastwood (also an actor). I think he looks like a douchey fratboy but the internet don't care. The internet wants what it wants. Weirdly T&C claims he's channeling leading men of the sixties but the only movie star I'm seeing in the photos is a bit of Young Clint Eastwood... the nose mostly.
Awards Daily helps you keep track of the upcoming awards calendar
Sketchy Details yes! another Short Term 12 convert. We must grow and grow, the Short Term 12 fan club.
New York Post check out this Taiwanese movie theater and it's hand painted movie posters
Vulture the final season of Mad Men will be split in two.
- 9/18/2013
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
One of the best things about being editor of EW is getting free stuff — like the scary doll from The Conjuring that’s sitting on my desk; it looks like Lindsay Lohan and freaks me the hell out every day. The other great thing is working with an incredibly fun, talented staff. Speaking of which, I want to share some exciting news with you. Today I announced three new critics: Jeff Jensen (TV), Melissa Maerz (TV), and Chris Nashawaty (Movies). Please wish them well and tweet them your best wishes. Here’s the announcement that went out to the staff:
Ladies and gentlemen,...
Ladies and gentlemen,...
- 8/12/2013
- by Jess Cagle
- EW.com - PopWatch
I became a film critic to celebrate the movies I love — to spread the word about them, to talk about why they enthrall, why they matter, what they mean. And really, what could fulfill that desire more completely than spreading the word about the greatest movies you’ve ever seen? It’s like organizing the ultimate banquet: one perfect, sublime, exquisitely tasty dish after another. That said, how does one choose? In putting together EW’s list of the 100 All-Time Greatest Movies, I figured, at first, that it would be easy. Working with my fellow critics Lisa Schwarzbaum and Chris Nashawaty,...
- 7/2/2013
- by Owen Gleiberman
- EW - Inside Movies
Here they are, the last gasp of shows for the 2012-2013 theater season as we approach T-Day (Tony Nomination Day on April 30). And on that note, some notable rulings have been announced: the four young tykes taking on the title role in Matilda will not be competing jointly for Best Actress in a Musical (they will instead receive a special “Tony Honor For Excellence”). And poor Kristine Nielsen (Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike) and all the men in Orphans have been added to the crowded slate of competitors for Leading Actor/Actress, which means about eight Tony-worthy performers...
- 4/27/2013
- by Jason Clark
- EW.com - PopWatch
The theater season is in full-swing glory right now, and EW has covered no less than nine (!) shows since last week. Broadway is saying one permanent good night (Rip Breakfast at Tiffany’s), and hellos to stage stalwarts as varied as Alec Baldwin, Nathan Lane, Bobby Cannavale and Constantine Maroulis. And Motown legend Berry Gordy throws his hat into the ring too. So, who’s most worth your hard-earned bucks? (Click on the links below to read the full reviews):
The Assembled Parties Richard Greenberg (already on the boards this season with Tiffany’s) unveils a new play about...
The Assembled Parties Richard Greenberg (already on the boards this season with Tiffany’s) unveils a new play about...
- 4/21/2013
- by Jason Clark
- EW.com - PopWatch
The April 4 death of Roger Ebert unleashed an unprecedented outpouring of affection and appraisal. Ebert embodied the old and the new, the tough-nosed competitive reporter and film enthusiast as well as the new model internet communicator and brand-builder. On the one hand, he revealed as outmoded the film critic as expert expounding down to their audiences. But he also exemplified the authoritative experienced veteran whose opinion was valued. He had clout. How will the Chicago Sun-Times move to replace him? Myriad editorial changes continue as print media buckles under the pressure of slashing costs as print readers and advertisers decline. For the most part this means that established and respected voices are tempting line item deletions: Ken Tucker and Lisa Schwarzbaum at Entertainment Weekly are especially missed; they're now freelancing. But as Scott Foundas left the Film Society of Lincoln Center for The Voice and then Variety, Stephanie Zacharek, once of Salon and Movieline,...
- 4/16/2013
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s directorial debut Don Jon, formerly Don Jon’s Addiction, will be in theaters Oct. 18. Gordon-Levitt (who also wrote the film) stars as a modern day Don Juan from New Jersey who is addicted to porn. The film made a splash at Sundance and was quickly scooped up by Relativity Media for $4 million. Gordon-Levitt stated in February that he would probably have to cut out some of the film’s racier scenes to secure an R-rating. Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore and Tony Danza also star.
Read more:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt changes title of his directorial debut from ‘Don Jon’s Addiction’ to…...
Read more:
Joseph Gordon-Levitt changes title of his directorial debut from ‘Don Jon’s Addiction’ to…...
- 4/11/2013
- by Sarah Caldwell
- EW - Inside Movies
It was a notable week on the boards, one that included the Broadway debut of a most-beloved film star, a reboot of a musical two-hander with quite a vocal fanbase, and the Main Stem composing debut of an ’80s pop icon. (Click on the links below to read our full reviews.)
Lucky Guy A smoky, New York-flavored ode to Mike McAlary, the respected and feared tabloid journo who exposed corruption in the NYC police ranks, Lucky Guy brings two-time Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks to the Great White Way, courtesy of a script by the late, adored Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle...
Lucky Guy A smoky, New York-flavored ode to Mike McAlary, the respected and feared tabloid journo who exposed corruption in the NYC police ranks, Lucky Guy brings two-time Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks to the Great White Way, courtesy of a script by the late, adored Nora Ephron (Sleepless in Seattle...
- 4/6/2013
- by Jason Clark
- EW.com - PopWatch
When Lisa Schwarzbaum announced earlier this month that she would be leaving Entertainment Weekly, I wrote her asking why. "I'm leaving under the happiest of circumstances," she replied. "22 years is enough for anything, don't you think?" Fact is, a generation of film critics is leaving their chosen profession, some earlier than they intended. (More on recent media transitions, including Time Warner and EW, here.) I will miss Schwarzbaum's sharp writing, which did much to set EW's bright and breezy house style, as well as seeing her at Sundance's Eccles Theatre as part of a troika with fellow critics Manohla Dargis and Amy Taubin. The February 15 issue of the magazine published Schwarzbaum's eloquent goodbye; she wrote that her experience of engaging with the EW readership over two decades was "A+." Excerpts are below. The piece can be read in its entirety here. On the good responses to her film criticism: I once.
- 2/21/2013
- by Anne Thompson and Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
Lisa Schwarzbaum, a leading film critic at Entertainment Weekly, is leaving after 22 years at the magazine, managing editor Jess Cagle announced Wednesday. In a memo to the staff, Cagle said Schwarzbaum, who "quietly declared" her departure plans months ago, was moving on to "expand the kind of writing" she does, which may include a book or an online venture. "Now's my opportunity and I'm grabbing it," Schwarzbaum said to Cagle, "grateful beyond measure for such a beautiful EW life among so many I love." On Twitter, Schwarzbaum announced her plans but said...
- 2/6/2013
- by Alexander C. Kaufman
- The Wrap
What are you doing tonight? Nothing, right? And you want to talk about the Oscars, right? And you want to hang out with three of the biggest, best film critics around, right? Well, hot damn, we've got something that's right up your alley. Tonight (that's Thursday, January 24) at the 92Y, our film critic David Edelstein will be joined by the New York Times' A.O. Scott, Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum, and Columbia University's Annette Insdorf to talk all things Oscar. They will most certainly discuss Zero Dark Thirty's torture debate and A.O. Scott's mad love for Beasts of the Southern Wild. But who will defend Argo? Drop by and find out. The details are all here.
- 1/24/2013
- by Vulture Editors
- Vulture
This is Not a Film
"A subtle and haunting work of art ... A masterpiece in a form that
does not yet exist.” – A.O. Scott, The New York Times
“An extraordinary film. This Is Not a Film ends with a whimper that is a bang.”
– David Edelstein, New York Magazine
EW's Grade: A
"Ignore the title This is Not a Film — this is a great film, and a triumph of creativity and courage over repression." - Lisa Schwarzbaum , Entertainment Weekly
Released by Palisades Tartan, this “breathtakingly cinematic” (Karina Longworth, Village Voice) film already opened in more than 50 markets and continues to play in select venues throughout the United States. With a rare 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and rave reviews by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker and Village Voice, to name a few, This is Not a Film has already been included on several annual Top 10 lists (Sight & Sound; The Guardian; Washington Post).
Shot partially on an iPhone and smuggled into France (in a Flash-Drive hidden inside a cake) for a last-minute submission to Cannes, This is Not a Film depicts a day in the life of acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi (Offside, The Mirror, The Circle).
While appealing his sentence – six years in prison and a 20-year ban from filmmaking – fellow director Mojtaba Mirtahmasb (Lady of the Roses) visits Mr. Panahi at his Tehran apartment and films him talking to his family and lawyer on the phone, reflecting on the art of filmmaking, meeting some of his neighbors and even interacting with an inquisitive iguana. After several years of conflict with the Iranian government over the content of his films (including several short-term arrests), Panahi was arrested on March 1, 2010 and taken to Evin Prison, an Iranian penitentiary noted for its political prisoners' wing. He was released three months later on bail, and was eventually prosecuted for "assembly and colluding with the intention to commit crimes against the country’s national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic."
On December 20, 2010, Panahi was given a six-year jail sentence and a 20-year ban on making or directing any movies, writing screenplays, giving any form of interview with Iranian or foreign media as well as leaving the country.
On Octorber 16, 2011, the appeal which is discussed in the film was denied, and Mr. Panahi can be taken to prison at any time.
The film's co-director, Motjaba Mirtahmasb, was arrested in September 2011, on his way to present This is Not a Film in Toronto. He was released on bail in December of 2011, after he was charged with being a spy for the BBC.
Since his detention in 2010, Panahi's cause has won international support from the film community. World-renowned directors, including Joel and Ethan Coen, Francis Ford Coppola, Jonathan Demme, Robert De Niro, Ang Lee, Terrence Malick, Michael Moore, Robert Redford, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Frederick Wiseman, among many others, signed a letter of support calling for his release.
Confirming the importance of Mr. Panahi’s work as well as his trailblazing role in Iranian society, The European Parliament has recently honored him with the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The Sakharov prize is widely considered to be the most important human rights award in the world. The Prize was shared with the imprisoned Iranian Human Rights Lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, who just ended her 49-day hunger strike after Iranian authorities finally met her demand to stop harassing her family. The European delegation canceled their visit to Iran in October 2012, after Iran refused for them to meet with, and present the prize to, both winners.
http://www.thisisnotafilm.net...
"A subtle and haunting work of art ... A masterpiece in a form that
does not yet exist.” – A.O. Scott, The New York Times
“An extraordinary film. This Is Not a Film ends with a whimper that is a bang.”
– David Edelstein, New York Magazine
EW's Grade: A
"Ignore the title This is Not a Film — this is a great film, and a triumph of creativity and courage over repression." - Lisa Schwarzbaum , Entertainment Weekly
Released by Palisades Tartan, this “breathtakingly cinematic” (Karina Longworth, Village Voice) film already opened in more than 50 markets and continues to play in select venues throughout the United States. With a rare 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes and rave reviews by The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker and Village Voice, to name a few, This is Not a Film has already been included on several annual Top 10 lists (Sight & Sound; The Guardian; Washington Post).
Shot partially on an iPhone and smuggled into France (in a Flash-Drive hidden inside a cake) for a last-minute submission to Cannes, This is Not a Film depicts a day in the life of acclaimed Iranian director Jafar Panahi (Offside, The Mirror, The Circle).
While appealing his sentence – six years in prison and a 20-year ban from filmmaking – fellow director Mojtaba Mirtahmasb (Lady of the Roses) visits Mr. Panahi at his Tehran apartment and films him talking to his family and lawyer on the phone, reflecting on the art of filmmaking, meeting some of his neighbors and even interacting with an inquisitive iguana. After several years of conflict with the Iranian government over the content of his films (including several short-term arrests), Panahi was arrested on March 1, 2010 and taken to Evin Prison, an Iranian penitentiary noted for its political prisoners' wing. He was released three months later on bail, and was eventually prosecuted for "assembly and colluding with the intention to commit crimes against the country’s national security and propaganda against the Islamic Republic."
On December 20, 2010, Panahi was given a six-year jail sentence and a 20-year ban on making or directing any movies, writing screenplays, giving any form of interview with Iranian or foreign media as well as leaving the country.
On Octorber 16, 2011, the appeal which is discussed in the film was denied, and Mr. Panahi can be taken to prison at any time.
The film's co-director, Motjaba Mirtahmasb, was arrested in September 2011, on his way to present This is Not a Film in Toronto. He was released on bail in December of 2011, after he was charged with being a spy for the BBC.
Since his detention in 2010, Panahi's cause has won international support from the film community. World-renowned directors, including Joel and Ethan Coen, Francis Ford Coppola, Jonathan Demme, Robert De Niro, Ang Lee, Terrence Malick, Michael Moore, Robert Redford, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, and Frederick Wiseman, among many others, signed a letter of support calling for his release.
Confirming the importance of Mr. Panahi’s work as well as his trailblazing role in Iranian society, The European Parliament has recently honored him with the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. The Sakharov prize is widely considered to be the most important human rights award in the world. The Prize was shared with the imprisoned Iranian Human Rights Lawyer, Nasrin Sotoudeh, who just ended her 49-day hunger strike after Iranian authorities finally met her demand to stop harassing her family. The European delegation canceled their visit to Iran in October 2012, after Iran refused for them to meet with, and present the prize to, both winners.
http://www.thisisnotafilm.net...
- 1/4/2013
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
.One of the most memorable movie-going experiences of the year. (Richard Roeper, .Richard Roeper & The Movies.), the .keenly felt, knuckle-biting drama. (Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly) Flight makes its Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Download and On Demand debut on February 5, 2013 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Hailed by critics and audiences alike, Flight is directed by renowned filmmaker Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Cast Away) and stars the incomparable Denzel Washington in a performance that .will be talked about for years. (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) and has earned him Golden Globe®, SAG and Critics. Choice award nominations. Written by John Gatins, the film tells the story of Whip Whitaker, a commercial airline pilot who miraculously lands a plummeting airplane during a breathtaking sequence described as .the hairiest, scariest, most realistic, and thrilling plane crash in movie history. (Richard Corliss, Time). But despite his heroics, Whip comes under investigation and begins what may be an even more harrowing personal descent.
- 1/3/2013
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Entertainment Weekly examines the trends, triumphs, and disasters of 2012 in a year-end double issue. Best films from critics Owen Gleiberman and Lisa Schwarzbaum start with "Lincoln" and "Zero Dark Thirty," respectively, followed by "Zero Dark Thirty," "Amour," and "Silver Linings Playbook." (Their complete lists are posted below.) EW's Great Performances highlights were not surprising: Daniel Day-Lewis in "Lincoln," Anne Hathaway as both Catwoman in "The Dark Knight Rises" and Fantine in "Les Miserables," and Philip Seymour Hoffman in "The Master" and on stage as Willy Loman in "Death of a Salesman." Breakout Performances included Jessica Pare from "Mad Men" and Quvenzhané Wallis from "Beasts of the Southern Wild." EW's Owen Gleiberman List of Best Movies 1. Lincoln 2. Amour 3. Silver Linings Playbook ...
- 12/20/2012
- by Maggie Lange
- Thompson on Hollywood
Did you miss End of Watch during it’s theatrical run? If so, then you may be happy to read this press release:
End Of Watch Returns To Theaters Nationwide On December 7th
Los Angeles, CA, November 30, 2012 – End Of Watch — the hit film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña, written and directed by David Ayer, which opened to number one at the box office in September 2012 — will return to theaters nationwide on December 7, 2012. The announcement was made today by Tom Ortenberg, CEO of Open Road Films.
End Of Watch was produced by David Ayer’s Crave Films, John Lesher under his Le Grisbi Productions, and Nigel Sinclair and Matt Jackson of Exclusive Media who also financed the film, in association with Emmett/Furla Films.
End Of Watch, which earned the Critics’ Choice distinction from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, recently won nominations from the Film Independent Spirit Awards for Best...
End Of Watch Returns To Theaters Nationwide On December 7th
Los Angeles, CA, November 30, 2012 – End Of Watch — the hit film starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña, written and directed by David Ayer, which opened to number one at the box office in September 2012 — will return to theaters nationwide on December 7, 2012. The announcement was made today by Tom Ortenberg, CEO of Open Road Films.
End Of Watch was produced by David Ayer’s Crave Films, John Lesher under his Le Grisbi Productions, and Nigel Sinclair and Matt Jackson of Exclusive Media who also financed the film, in association with Emmett/Furla Films.
End Of Watch, which earned the Critics’ Choice distinction from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, recently won nominations from the Film Independent Spirit Awards for Best...
- 12/3/2012
- by Philip Sticco
- LRMonline.com
Liev Schreiber is calling from the gym. It’s clearly not a New York Sports Club, judging from the background noise. In fact, it’s a boxing gym. The actor was training to portray a boxer in a movie — more on that below — and he’s since adopted those sessions into his regular workout routine. On Friday, though, the Tony-winning actor and star of such films as The Manchurian Candidate and Defiance will be at New York’s Lincoln Center to participate in a film symposium called Roughcut, a special spin-off of TropFest, the Australian short-film festival that’s become...
- 12/3/2012
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
The New York Film Critics Circle (Nyfcc) will be the first organization to announce its picks for the best of 2012. The group, whose members include Time's Richard Corliss, Rolling Stone's Peter Travers, and Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum and Owen Gleiberman, reveals its winners on Monday, Dec. 3. -Insertgroups:5- In the last ten years, four of Nyfcc's Best Picture winners have gone on to take the top Oscar: "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" (2003), "No Country for Old Men" (2007), "The Hurt Locker" (2009), and "The Artist" (2011). You have to go back to 2002 to find a Nyfcc winner that wasn't at least nominated for the Best Picture Oscar: Todd Haynes's "Far from Heaven." This year, "The Master" is favored to win Best Picture, with odds of 21 to 10. Its closest competitors are "Argo" (4 to 1), "Lincoln" (11 to 2), and "Zero Dark Thirty&...
- 12/1/2012
- Gold Derby
Blu-ray, Digital & DVD Release Date: Feb. 5, 2013
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.99
Studio: Summit/Lionsgate
Tyler Perry (For Colored Girls) steps away from Medea and gets more serious in the thriller movie Alex Cross.
Based on James Patterson‘s novel Cross, the film follows the Detroit Police Department homicide detective/psychologist (Perry) as he takes on one of his toughest cases. Cross plays a cat and mouse game with a serial killer called Picasso (Matthew Fox, TV’s Lost). After Picasso makes the mission personal, Cross is pushed to the edge of his moral and psychological limits.
The character of Cross is, of course, the same one who was played by Morgan Freeman (Seven) in Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider.
Rated PG-13, Alex Cross also stars Giancarlo Esposito (TV’s Breaking Bad), Rachel Nichols (Conan the Barbarian), Jean Reno (Armored), Ed Burns (Edward Burns) and John C. McGinley (Platoon). The...
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.99
Studio: Summit/Lionsgate
Tyler Perry (For Colored Girls) steps away from Medea and gets more serious in the thriller movie Alex Cross.
Based on James Patterson‘s novel Cross, the film follows the Detroit Police Department homicide detective/psychologist (Perry) as he takes on one of his toughest cases. Cross plays a cat and mouse game with a serial killer called Picasso (Matthew Fox, TV’s Lost). After Picasso makes the mission personal, Cross is pushed to the edge of his moral and psychological limits.
The character of Cross is, of course, the same one who was played by Morgan Freeman (Seven) in Kiss the Girls and Along Came a Spider.
Rated PG-13, Alex Cross also stars Giancarlo Esposito (TV’s Breaking Bad), Rachel Nichols (Conan the Barbarian), Jean Reno (Armored), Ed Burns (Edward Burns) and John C. McGinley (Platoon). The...
- 11/28/2012
- by Sam
- Disc Dish
Entertainment Weekly critics Owen Gleiberman and Lisa Schwarzbaum discuss The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 2, heading into its second week of likely box office dominance.
“This movie feels like it might as well be the fifteenth Twilight movie,” Owen says. ”What I do think works is that they tap into a certain teen-pop, schlock, other worldly, sexually incorrect, neo-Victorian rapture that I think is very appealing.”
“The thing that I liked about this concluding episode, besides the fact that it is the concluding episode, is that apparently, vampiredom has finally made dress better,” Lisa says. Watch their whole discussion below!
“This movie feels like it might as well be the fifteenth Twilight movie,” Owen says. ”What I do think works is that they tap into a certain teen-pop, schlock, other worldly, sexually incorrect, neo-Victorian rapture that I think is very appealing.”
“The thing that I liked about this concluding episode, besides the fact that it is the concluding episode, is that apparently, vampiredom has finally made dress better,” Lisa says. Watch their whole discussion below!
- 11/22/2012
- by EW staff
- EW - Inside Movies
Entertainment Weekly critics Lisa Schwarzbaum and Owen Gleiberman are at odds over the latest Bond installment – Skyfall. “This is about the darkest James Bond film that I have ever seen. And for also, for me, one of the best,” Schwarzbaum says. But Gleiberman doesn’t feel the same. “I thought the whole ‘Is James Bond too old and out of date thing?’ in this movie, seemed like something they brought out of moth balls from other movies.” Watch their full discussion below!
Related:
Box office preview: ‘Skyfall’ headed for sky-high debut, but how big will it be?
Box office update:...
Related:
Box office preview: ‘Skyfall’ headed for sky-high debut, but how big will it be?
Box office update:...
- 11/9/2012
- by EW staff
- EW - Inside Movies
Entertainment Weekly critics Owen Gleiberman and Lisa Schwarzbaum discuss Cloud Atlas in the latest installment of “Movie Talk with Owen & Lisa.” “This movie very much wants to be a mind-bender, a head-trip, all that kind of stuff,” says Gleiberman. “I think its secret is that it’s really a gonzo mini-series. It’s very accessible, it is not profound. But I do think that it is imaginative, I think it’s surprising. And I got caught up in it.”
“We saw, as they say, a different movie,” Schwarzbaum counters. Watch the full chat below!
Related:
Box office preview: ‘Silent Hill...
“We saw, as they say, a different movie,” Schwarzbaum counters. Watch the full chat below!
Related:
Box office preview: ‘Silent Hill...
- 10/26/2012
- by EW staff
- EW - Inside Movies
Editor’s note: Critical Consensus is a biweekly feature in which two critics from Indiewire’s Criticwire network discuss new releases with Indiewire’s chief film critic, Eric Kohn. In this installment, University of California, Santa Cruz professor and critic B. Ruby Rich trades e-mails with Entertainment Weekly's Lisa Schwarzbaum about "Cloud Atlas," which opens Friday. Lisa, from what I can tell, the only Wachowski movie that ever won you over was the siblings' first one, "Bound," which you found superficial but impressive as a genre exercise. "Cloud Atlas," of course, fuses many genres across a vast spectrum of events and characters. What kept you from appreciating the film on this level? And since you didn't respond kindly to any of "The Matrix" films or "Speed Racer," were you expecting another dud here? Or did the presence of a third director and peculiar source material shift your...
- 10/25/2012
- by Eric Kohn, B. Ruby Rich and Lisa Schwarzbaum
- Indiewire
Chicago – Critics like to complain that some Hollywood blockbusters skew the balance from character to special effects. With “Battleship,” it’s almost as if director Peter Berg decided, after a brief bit of character set-up, that he would just give up entirely on the human element of his movie. It’s CGI overload, an orgy of special effects designed to rattle your brain like a hyperactive video game.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
While there’s something nearly admirable about the sheer audacity of the filmmaking here (and the thing looks and sounds great on Blu-ray), it’s numbing in its presentation. To say it’s impossible to care about what happens is an understatement. Half the time, it’s impossible even to know what Is happening. If one considers how much of this movie was created by a computer, it should probably qualify for Best Animated Film.
And yet there’s no pretension here.
Rating: 2.5/5.0
While there’s something nearly admirable about the sheer audacity of the filmmaking here (and the thing looks and sounds great on Blu-ray), it’s numbing in its presentation. To say it’s impossible to care about what happens is an understatement. Half the time, it’s impossible even to know what Is happening. If one considers how much of this movie was created by a computer, it should probably qualify for Best Animated Film.
And yet there’s no pretension here.
- 9/14/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
There’s a moment in the charming new indie Hello I Must Be Going when our heroine, Amy (Melanie Lynskey), is — to understate — down on her luck. She’s recovering from a brutal divorce and has moved back in with her parents, where she skulks about their suburban house in the same schlubby t-shirt and cut-off shorts. Her mother (Blythe Danner) tends to say helpful things like, “Getting fat isn’t going to help anything,” and she’s become tangled up in an affair with a 19-year-old (Girls’ Christopher Abbott). Due to one night’s extra-unfortunate events, Amy ends up on a picturesque beach…...
- 9/8/2012
- by Sara Vilkomerson
- EW.com - PopWatch
In the latest edition of “Movie Talk With Owen & Lisa,” Entertainment Weekly critics Owen Gleiberman and Lisa Schwarzbaum take on a Matt Damon-less Bourne film, The Bourne Legacy, “which is the last big movie of the summer that people are looking forward to,” Schwarzbaum says.
“I’ve always been a Jeremy Renner kind of girl and I think he absolutely nails it,” Schwarzabaum adds of Damon’s replacement.
“What I love about the Bourne movies is that they seem to be about something,” Gleiberman says. “But they’re really about nothing. This movie is just a game and yet...
“I’ve always been a Jeremy Renner kind of girl and I think he absolutely nails it,” Schwarzabaum adds of Damon’s replacement.
“What I love about the Bourne movies is that they seem to be about something,” Gleiberman says. “But they’re really about nothing. This movie is just a game and yet...
- 8/10/2012
- by EW staff
- EW - Inside Movies
In the latest edition of Movie Talk With Owen and Lisa, Entertainment Weekly movie critics Lisa Schwarzbaum and Owen Gleiberman discuss a little film you may have heard about called The Dark Knight Rises.
Schwarzbaum was disappointed by Christopher Nolan’s trilogy-ender. “It’s so big and so broad and held on the shoulders of a villain who, bottom line, is boring,” she says. But Gleiberman enjoyed it. “I think the movie earned it’s bigness,” he explains. “Even though it doesn’t have the total surprise that The Dark Knight had, it’s full of surprises. I think the...
Schwarzbaum was disappointed by Christopher Nolan’s trilogy-ender. “It’s so big and so broad and held on the shoulders of a villain who, bottom line, is boring,” she says. But Gleiberman enjoyed it. “I think the movie earned it’s bigness,” he explains. “Even though it doesn’t have the total surprise that The Dark Knight had, it’s full of surprises. I think the...
- 7/19/2012
- by EW staff
- EW - Inside Movies
The less time Peter Parker spends in costume the better. A superhero without an alter ego is just a megalomaniac in a cape
Here are some of the things that Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, gets up to in the course of his new movie, The Amazing Spider-Man: he shuffles along the hallway of his school, mumbles, gets bullied, rides his skateboard, skips class, fails to finish his sentences, broods like James Dean over his parents, catches a cab, catches a subway, smashes an alarm clock, and has Branzino for dinner with his high-school crush Gwen Stacy.
"This Spidey reboot refreshes an old story through the on-trend notion of making a Marvel superhero less super-heroic" noted Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly.
Not that he doesn't get up to his usual tricks — swinging through the canyons of New York, saving kids from burning cars, and fighting off giant green lizards — but...
Here are some of the things that Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, gets up to in the course of his new movie, The Amazing Spider-Man: he shuffles along the hallway of his school, mumbles, gets bullied, rides his skateboard, skips class, fails to finish his sentences, broods like James Dean over his parents, catches a cab, catches a subway, smashes an alarm clock, and has Branzino for dinner with his high-school crush Gwen Stacy.
"This Spidey reboot refreshes an old story through the on-trend notion of making a Marvel superhero less super-heroic" noted Lisa Schwarzbaum in Entertainment Weekly.
Not that he doesn't get up to his usual tricks — swinging through the canyons of New York, saving kids from burning cars, and fighting off giant green lizards — but...
- 7/5/2012
- by Tom Shone
- The Guardian - Film News
Pixar's first female-driven adventure leaves many satisfied, but doesn't quite meet the studio's storied standards, according to the critics.
By Josh Wigler
Merida in "Brave"
Photo: Disney/Pixar
Between "The Hunger Games" and "Marvel's The Avengers," 2012 is rapidly becoming the year of the archer . and another bow-wielder joins the fray this weekend in "Brave," Pixar's latest effort and first feature film led by a female protagonist.
"Boardwalk Empire" actress Kelly Macdonald supplies the voice of Merida, a princess who does everything possible to resist her fate in a male-driven medieval society. She does not want to be married off to some noble she doesn't care about; she wants to pursue her own path, living freely with her treasured bow and arrow at her side. But circumstances eventually change for Merida, leading her down a path that even she couldn't have envisioned for herself.
By many accounts, "Brave" continues Pixar's trend...
By Josh Wigler
Merida in "Brave"
Photo: Disney/Pixar
Between "The Hunger Games" and "Marvel's The Avengers," 2012 is rapidly becoming the year of the archer . and another bow-wielder joins the fray this weekend in "Brave," Pixar's latest effort and first feature film led by a female protagonist.
"Boardwalk Empire" actress Kelly Macdonald supplies the voice of Merida, a princess who does everything possible to resist her fate in a male-driven medieval society. She does not want to be married off to some noble she doesn't care about; she wants to pursue her own path, living freely with her treasured bow and arrow at her side. But circumstances eventually change for Merida, leading her down a path that even she couldn't have envisioned for herself.
By many accounts, "Brave" continues Pixar's trend...
- 6/22/2012
- MTV Movie News
Ridley Scott's "Prometheus," a prequel of sorts to his seminal sci-fi film "Alien," starring Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Noomi Rapace on a voyage to a distant moon, has finally hit theaters. It's one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, but does it live up to the hype?
General consensus is that the film is beautiful and superbly acted but ultimately a little to mythology-heavy for its own good. Check out what the critics had to say:
Rolling Stone
The film gets three out of four stars from Peter Travers, who writes: "The ending isn't squishy scary or deeply satisfying. Bummer. Otherwise, 'Prometheus' -- especially in its spellbinding first hour -- kicks ass so hard and often that it's impossible not to be thrilled by it....even when the script by Jon Spaihts and Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof ties itself in knots trying to be profound,...
General consensus is that the film is beautiful and superbly acted but ultimately a little to mythology-heavy for its own good. Check out what the critics had to say:
Rolling Stone
The film gets three out of four stars from Peter Travers, who writes: "The ending isn't squishy scary or deeply satisfying. Bummer. Otherwise, 'Prometheus' -- especially in its spellbinding first hour -- kicks ass so hard and often that it's impossible not to be thrilled by it....even when the script by Jon Spaihts and Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof ties itself in knots trying to be profound,...
- 6/8/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
"Prometheus" has landed -- at least for some critics.
The highly anticipated Ridley Scott blockbuster -- which lives in the same universe as Scott's seminal 1979 sci-fi film "Alien" -- arrives in theaters with mostly positive reviews and many head-scratching questions. (One of the many your friends at HuffPost Entertainment have: What is David doing?)
"[T]he virtuosity on display makes the weakness of the story -- the screenplay is by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof -- all the more frustrating," writes A.O. Scott in his wonderful New York Times review. "I’ll avoid spoilers here, but 'Prometheus' kind of spoils itself with twists and reversals that pull the movie away from its lofty, mind-blowing potential. Geeks and dreamers will hold onto scraps of splendor and wish for more. There are no revelations, only what are called, in the cynical jargon of commercial storytelling, 'reveals,' bits of momentarily surprising...
The highly anticipated Ridley Scott blockbuster -- which lives in the same universe as Scott's seminal 1979 sci-fi film "Alien" -- arrives in theaters with mostly positive reviews and many head-scratching questions. (One of the many your friends at HuffPost Entertainment have: What is David doing?)
"[T]he virtuosity on display makes the weakness of the story -- the screenplay is by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof -- all the more frustrating," writes A.O. Scott in his wonderful New York Times review. "I’ll avoid spoilers here, but 'Prometheus' kind of spoils itself with twists and reversals that pull the movie away from its lofty, mind-blowing potential. Geeks and dreamers will hold onto scraps of splendor and wish for more. There are no revelations, only what are called, in the cynical jargon of commercial storytelling, 'reveals,' bits of momentarily surprising...
- 6/7/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
Entertainment Weekly’s movie critics Owen Gleiberman and Lisa Schwarzbaum are back with the latest installment of “Movie Talk.” On their docket? Snow White and the Huntsman starring Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart and Chris Hemsworth.
Owen isn’t sure that “we needed this revisionist take on Snow White,” but still found Theron compelling in her role as the evil queen. On the other hand, Lisa thought the movie was “excitingly dark.”
Watch the rest of their discussion below!
Related:
Movie Talk: Owen Gleiberman and Lisa Schwarzbaum on ‘Dark Shadows’ — Video
Movie Talk: Owen and Lisa debate ‘The Avengers’: Great fun?...
Owen isn’t sure that “we needed this revisionist take on Snow White,” but still found Theron compelling in her role as the evil queen. On the other hand, Lisa thought the movie was “excitingly dark.”
Watch the rest of their discussion below!
Related:
Movie Talk: Owen Gleiberman and Lisa Schwarzbaum on ‘Dark Shadows’ — Video
Movie Talk: Owen and Lisa debate ‘The Avengers’: Great fun?...
- 6/1/2012
- by EW staff
- EW - Inside Movies
Third film in the franchise sees Agents K and J time-traveling to 1969, but is it worth a trip to the theater?
By Kara Warner
Will Smith in "Men in Black 3"
Photo: Columbia Pictures
Can you believe it's already been 15 years since we first met Agents K (Tommy Lee Jones) and new-recruit-turned-agent J (Will Smith)? Time flies, even when the subject of fictional time travel is at play. "Men in Black" debuted to rave reviews back in 1997 and its filmmakers and stars are hoping for the same warm welcome at the box office this weekend when "Men in Black 3" rolls into theaters.
The film is currently sitting pretty at a 65 percent "Fresh" rating over at Rotten Tomatoes, complemented by an enthusiastic 95 percent of the audience rating it as a "Want to See It" movie this weekend. So without further ado, let's blast off through the "Men in Black 3" reviews!
By Kara Warner
Will Smith in "Men in Black 3"
Photo: Columbia Pictures
Can you believe it's already been 15 years since we first met Agents K (Tommy Lee Jones) and new-recruit-turned-agent J (Will Smith)? Time flies, even when the subject of fictional time travel is at play. "Men in Black" debuted to rave reviews back in 1997 and its filmmakers and stars are hoping for the same warm welcome at the box office this weekend when "Men in Black 3" rolls into theaters.
The film is currently sitting pretty at a 65 percent "Fresh" rating over at Rotten Tomatoes, complemented by an enthusiastic 95 percent of the audience rating it as a "Want to See It" movie this weekend. So without further ado, let's blast off through the "Men in Black 3" reviews!
- 5/25/2012
- MTV Movie News
Third film in the franchise sees Agents K and J time-traveling to 1969, but is it worth a trip to the theater?
By Kara Warner
Will Smith in "Men in Black 3"
Photo: Columbia Pictures
Can you believe it's already been 15 years since we first met Agents K (Tommy Lee Jones) and new-recruit-turned-agent J (Will Smith)? Time flies, even when the subject of fictional time travel is at play. "Men in Black" debuted to rave reviews back in 1997 and its filmmakers and stars are hoping for the same warm welcome at the box office this weekend when "Men in Black 3" rolls into theaters.
The film is currently sitting pretty at a 65 percent "Fresh" rating over at Rotten Tomatoes, complemented by an enthusiastic 95 percent of the audience rating it as a "Want to See It" movie this weekend. So without further ado, let's blast off through the "Men in Black 3" reviews!
By Kara Warner
Will Smith in "Men in Black 3"
Photo: Columbia Pictures
Can you believe it's already been 15 years since we first met Agents K (Tommy Lee Jones) and new-recruit-turned-agent J (Will Smith)? Time flies, even when the subject of fictional time travel is at play. "Men in Black" debuted to rave reviews back in 1997 and its filmmakers and stars are hoping for the same warm welcome at the box office this weekend when "Men in Black 3" rolls into theaters.
The film is currently sitting pretty at a 65 percent "Fresh" rating over at Rotten Tomatoes, complemented by an enthusiastic 95 percent of the audience rating it as a "Want to See It" movie this weekend. So without further ado, let's blast off through the "Men in Black 3" reviews!
- 5/24/2012
- MTV Music News
Critics were surprised by how much they enjoyed Peter Berg's film, giving credit to its entertainment factor.
By Fallon Prinzivalli
Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna in "Battleship"
Photo: Universal Pictures
Many movie fans have been wary as to whether director Peter Berg could successfully pull of "Battleship." Inspired by a Hasbro board game giving no hint of any type of plot, the sci-fi epic follows the adventures of an international Navy fleet when aliens begin to invade earth. As the two forces go to battle, each must rely on a crafty, cunning strategy in order to conquer their enemy. The all-star, insanely attractive cast includes Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Neeson and Rihanna, in her movie debut.
While some have written off "Battleship" as a lesser version of "Transformers," critics were surprised by how much they enjoyed the film. They praise the movie for not taking itself too...
By Fallon Prinzivalli
Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna in "Battleship"
Photo: Universal Pictures
Many movie fans have been wary as to whether director Peter Berg could successfully pull of "Battleship." Inspired by a Hasbro board game giving no hint of any type of plot, the sci-fi epic follows the adventures of an international Navy fleet when aliens begin to invade earth. As the two forces go to battle, each must rely on a crafty, cunning strategy in order to conquer their enemy. The all-star, insanely attractive cast includes Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Neeson and Rihanna, in her movie debut.
While some have written off "Battleship" as a lesser version of "Transformers," critics were surprised by how much they enjoyed the film. They praise the movie for not taking itself too...
- 5/18/2012
- MTV Movie News
Critics were surprised by how much they enjoyed Peter Berg's film, giving credit to its entertainment factor.
By Fallon Prinzivalli
Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna in "Battleship"
Photo: Universal Pictures
Many movie fans have been wary as to whether director Peter Berg could successfully pull of "Battleship." Inspired by a Hasbro board game giving no hint of any type of plot, the sci-fi epic follows the adventures of an international Navy fleet when aliens begin to invade earth. As the two forces go to battle, each must rely on a crafty, cunning strategy in order to conquer their enemy. The all-star, insanely attractive cast includes Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Neeson and Rihanna, in her movie debut.
While some have written off "Battleship" as a lesser version of "Transformers," critics were surprised by how much they enjoyed the film. They praise the movie for not taking itself too...
By Fallon Prinzivalli
Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna in "Battleship"
Photo: Universal Pictures
Many movie fans have been wary as to whether director Peter Berg could successfully pull of "Battleship." Inspired by a Hasbro board game giving no hint of any type of plot, the sci-fi epic follows the adventures of an international Navy fleet when aliens begin to invade earth. As the two forces go to battle, each must rely on a crafty, cunning strategy in order to conquer their enemy. The all-star, insanely attractive cast includes Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Neeson and Rihanna, in her movie debut.
While some have written off "Battleship" as a lesser version of "Transformers," critics were surprised by how much they enjoyed the film. They praise the movie for not taking itself too...
- 5/18/2012
- MTV Music News
It’s rare that Peter Berg looks nervous. The actor-turned-director has a habit of putting other people on edge, like that poor Israeli reporter who recently admitted to Berg that he hadn’t yet signed up for the country’s mandatory military service. Or the day when Berg, during what I expected to be a simple 20-minute phoner, ordered me down to his Santa Monica office to watch the first 50 minutes of his $200 million Battleship.
After the screening, though, Berg indeed looked nervous. He was most concerned about conveying two things: One, his movie isn’t a total Transformers rip-off.
After the screening, though, Berg indeed looked nervous. He was most concerned about conveying two things: One, his movie isn’t a total Transformers rip-off.
- 5/17/2012
- by Adam B. Vary
- EW - Inside Movies
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