Not long after DreamWorks Animation released its over-the-top, all-star comedy “Madagascar” in 2005, the studio was already thinking about having the film’s breakout characters, the slick and suave Penguins, headline their own movie. Now, nearly 10 years later (and following two more “Madagascar” films and a “Penguins” TV series on Nickelodeon), the Penguins are finally […]
“The Homesman” is easily the most bizarre movie of 2014. Academy Award winner Tommy Lee Jones, one of the most respected actors of the past three decades, co-writes, directs, and stars in this adaptation of a 1988 novel. It’s a western, set in the mid-1800s. There are no trains in the film, so to be […]
British actor Eddie Redmayne’s breakout performance was opposite Michelle Williams in 2011’s underappreciated biopic “My Week with Marilyn”. One year later, he joined the stellar ensemble of Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried for the big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical sensation “Les Miserables”. Now, Redmayne finally takes center stage, giving […]
“The Hunger Games” movie franchise, based on Suzanne Collins’ wildly successful book series, reached greater heights with last year’s second installment, “Catching Fire”. The sequel proved to be stronger, both in quality and at the box office, than the original film. Unfortunately, “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1”, the first half of the epic […]
1994’s “Dumb and Dumber” is considered by some to be a cult comedy classic, highlighted by one of the funniest performances of Jim Carrey’s career. 20 years later, Carrey (who’s hasn’t had much success with anything in a while) and Jeff Daniels (who’s earned an Emmy for his current work on HBO’s “The Newsroom”) reunite […]
“Foxcatcher” is director Bennett Miller’s follow-up to 2011’s “Moneyball”, making this his second “based on a true story” sports drama in a row. The first trailer was actually unveiled over a year ago (September 2013) because the film was originally scheduled for release last December. However, Sony Pictures Classics decided to take “Foxcatcher” out of […]
Walt Disney Animation Studios hit a grand slam last year with the cultural phenomenon “Frozen”, which grossed nearly $1.3 billion worldwide, won two Oscars, and was one of the best films of 2013. The studio’s follow-up, the superhero adventure “Big Hero 6”, will likely make a lot of money, especially overseas, but it’s one of […]
Space is no longer simply the Final Frontier. Director Christopher Nolan follows-up his “Dark Knight” trilogy and the critically acclaimed but highly overrated “Inception” with a sci-fi adventure that goes well beyond the phrase “To Infinity and Beyond”. In “Interstellar”, Michael Caine (a Nolan staple) plays the head honcho at NASA. He repeatedly quotes lines […]
“Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)” is one of the most thrilling films I’ve ever seen – which is pretty amazing, since it’s not a big-budget, action-packed, superhero blockbuster. “Birdman” is being categorized by most as a dark comedy, though it’s one of those incredible pieces of work that’s very tough to describe in […]
Comedy is Bill Murray’s forte. From “Caddyshack” to “Ghostbusters”, “Groundhog Day” to “Garfield”, Murray has made us laugh for decades. In 2003, he took a dramatic turn in “Lost in Translation”, which earned him an Oscar nomination. Now, as a cranky old man in “St. Vincent” – his most buzzed-about role in over a decade […]