Here are the biggest snubs and surprises from the Oscar Nominations: – Eight Best Picture nominees: “Star Wars”, “Carol”, “Compton” not on the list – Lenny Abrahamson (“Room”) and Adam McKay (“The Big Short”) with surprise Best Director nominations; Ridley Scott (“The Martian”), Todd Haynes (“Carol”), Steven Spielberg (“Bridge of Spies”) snubbed – No Johnny […]
Here are my thoughts on this year’s movie category nominees for The 21st Annual Critics’ Choice Awards: BIGGEST SNUBS: Each of the acting categories has six nominees, but four Hollywood heavyweights still weren’t able to secure slots. Will Smith is not up for Best Actor for his performance in “Concussion”, though I think he still […]
My thoughts on the 73rd Annual Golden Globe Awards Movie Nominations: No one can ever accuse the Hollywood Foreign Press Association of ageism. With nominations for Jane Fonda (77), Lily Tomlin (76), Al Pacino (75), Helen Mirren (70), Maggie Smith (80), even Sylvester Stallone (69), the HFPA definitely went “Old School” this year. Unfortunately, with […]
“Anomalisa” is a rare R-rated animated feature. Directors Charlie Kaufman and Duke Johnson have crafted an adult story using puppets and stop-motion animation techniques. Many have embraced “Anomalisa” for being bold and unique. It’s true that F-bombs, sex scenes and graphic nudity aren’t regular features in Pixar or DreamWorks Animation movies (for good reason). However, […]
From the innovative minds of Disney•Pixar comes a hilariously heartwarming adventure about the power of confronting and overcoming your fears and discovering who you are meant to be. The Good Dinosaur asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely, and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? In […]
Less than an hour into Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur”, I began thinking about the studio’s 15 other animated movies (never a good thing). Not all of them are outstanding (“WALL-E” being the most overrated), but given the choice, I would watch any of them again in favor of a second viewing of “The Good Dinosaur”, […]
Transitioning from movie actor to talk show host, Brit James Corden took the reigns from Craig Ferguson as ringmaster of CBS’ “The Late Late Show”. His inaugural show was packed with star-power, including perfect choice first guest Tom Hanks and showed tons of promise. Since then Corden’s car-eoke videos have blown-up online, and his genuine […]
I seem to make this statement every year, but it really does seem like we’re about to enter one of the biggest, and potentially best years in the history of Animated Movies. The crowded 2016 line-up already includes more than a dozen features with a variety of appealing storylines. Headlining the group are a trio […]
Could two movies prove to be too much for some actors and studios as we approach Awards Season? Cate Blanchett is currently experiencing this problem, as the praise she’s receiving for her lead actress performance in “Carol” (opening in Limited Release Nov. 20) is overshadowing her work in “Truth”. The CBS News biopic with Blanchett […]
For 11 of the past 12 years, an animated movie has opened on the first weekend of November. The streak continues this year with the highly-anticipated “The Peanuts Movie”, from 20th Century FOX and Blue Sky Studios, the makers of the “Ice Age” series. “Peanuts” has a HUGE built-in fanbase, from the original Charles Schulz […]