A couple months ago, I wrote a piece about how Paramount kept “Arrival” in theaters so the sci-fi drama could get to the $100 million mark at the U.S. Box Office. Last year, I wrote a similar article about how Sony extended “Spectre”‘s theatrical run simply so the James Bond installment could get to $200 […]
Who’s lived in a pineapple under the sea for nearly 18 years? Of course, its the iconic yellow sponge that has served as the face of Nickelodeon (and likely the reason the network is still running). Some say “The Simpsons” isn’t as good as it used to be. When people ask them why, the response is […]
A new comedy is debuting this Wednesday night on ABC – “Imaginary Mary”. The series stars Jenna Elfman as Alice. Alice’s childhood imaginary friend Mary (voiced by “SNL” alum Rachel Dratch) re-enters her life to help deal with her new boyfriend and his kids. In January, I talked with one of the “Imaginary Mary” creators, Patrick Osborne. He’s […]
Where do movies go 8-12 months after their theatrical opening day? Premium channels. HBO, Cinemax, Showtime and Starz have dominated this field for a long time. Each of the four channels, and their many sub-divisions, offer movies from specific studios. As a longtime customer, and one of the more than 30 million people who currently have HBO, […]
Now that Disney’s re-working of “Beauty and the Beast” has been released, which future film in the studio’s pipeline are Mouse House fanatics most excited about? Without question: it’s “Mary Poppins Returns”. The build-up and hype is similar: this is a new spin on a beloved favorite; the casting was extremely high-profile, with Golden Globe winner Emily […]
My Best to Worst Ranking of Disney’s live-action remakes of their own animated films that they’ve made… so far: “CINDERELLA” 2015’s romance drama directed by Kenneth Branagh was a near-masterpiece. Branagh took a serious approach to the material, and it worked. Lily James was perfect as the title princess, and Cate Blanchett gave a sinister supporting performance as The […]
“La La Land” capped an incredible 2016-17 Awards Season by winning eight categories, including Best Picture and Best Director (Damien Chazelle), at the annual LCJ Movie Awards on Sunday. The win total by the musical romance ties it with “Birdman” and “Saving Mr. Banks” for the most in the history of the awards. “La La […]
March 2017 will go down as one for the ages. The Wolverine finale “Logan” has already proven to be a juggernaut with an $85 million opening weekend. And it’s already receiving Awards buzz, particularly for star Hugh Jackman. I’m also starting a campaign for Patrick Stewart to get a Best Supporting Actor nomination. But the […]
The release of “Logan” marks star Hugh Jackman’s final film as Wolverine…for now. Jackman has played the X-Men icon nine times – seven installments as the lead character and two franchise cameo appearances (“X-Men: First Class” and “X-Men: Apocalypse”). So, will Hugh be able to survive without his cinematic alter ego – and what have his roles […]
“LA LA LAND” easily lands on my list of the best movies that were nominated for – but lost – the Best Picture Academy Award. Joining the dazzling musical are the following films (and no – “Star Wars” and “Citizen Kane” are NOT among this lineup): “TOY STORY 3” 2011 Oscars Lost To: “The King’s Speech” Also Nominated: “127 […]