Latest Movie News From Moviefone |
- Oscar Race 2016: Why the Golden Globes Just Make Things More Confusing
- 'Making a Murderer' Trailer Brings True Crime to Netflix
- First 'Kubo and the Two Strings' Teaser Trailer Showcases Gorgeous Animation
- Ben Affleck Has a Giant Back Tattoo Now, and We Have a Lot of Questions
- Gina Rodriguez Reacts to America Ferrera Golden Globes Mix-Up: 'Who Cares?'
- 14 Actors Who Are Insanely Smart IRL
- Cate Blanchett May Star in 'Thor: Ragnarok': Report
- 'Edward Scissorhands': 11 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About the Tim Burton Classic
- Watch the Epic First 'X-Men: Apocalypse' Trailer
- 17 Times Amy Farrah Fowler Was the Funniest Part of 'The Big Bang Theory'
- Best of Late Night TV: Jon Stewart's Trump Impression and Chris Hemsworth's Sleigh Race
| Oscar Race 2016: Why the Golden Globes Just Make Things More Confusing Posted:  If you expected the announcement of the Golden Globe nominations on Thursday to bring some clarity to this year's awards race, you would have been disappointed. Or maybe relieved.Most years, Oscar pundits complain that the race is too predictable, that a short list of front-runners has already coalesced by early December. This year, though, they're complaining that it's not predictable enough. Which is indeed bad news if you're trying to win an Oscar pool, but good news for everyone who's rooting for an exciting, suspenseful competition. The many year-end groups that have announced their winners and nominees over the past two weeks have spread the wealth so much that it's hard to find any consensus. Some have favored "Spotlight," some "Carol," and some "Mad Max: Fury Road." So our Best Picture front-runners so far include a traditional ensemble drama based on a true story, a period lesbian romance, and the reboot of a 30-years-dormant action franchise. And just behind those, we have the space epic that the Globe voters think is a comedy ("The Martian"), a couple of brutally violent Westerns from important directors (Quentin Tarantino's "The Hateful Eight" and Iñarritu's "The Revenant"), a drama about a kidnapped woman and her little boy ("Room"), a dramedy biopic about a woman entrepreneur ("Joy") and more. That's one crazy list.  This isn't the race we thought we were going to see. A few months ago, it looked like we might all be talking about such seemingly "sure bets" as Johnny Depp in "Black Mass" (above), Robert Zemeckis' direction of "The Walk," "Steve Jobs," or Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard's performances in "Macbeth." But then critics actually saw the movies.The critics groups that have voted so far, including the New York Film Critics Circle, the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, the Boston Society of Film Critics, and the Washington DC Film Critics Association, don't offer much value when it comes to predicting the eventual Oscar nominees and winners. They do, however, help define the conversation, determining which performers and films are worthy of consideration. They're the reason that Fassbender still has a shot at a Best Actor prize for "Steve Jobs," or that Kristen Stewart is under consideration for her supporting role in the arcane "Clouds of Sils Maria." They're also why we're talking about such not-yet-widely-seen films as "Spotlight," "Carol," and "Room" in the first place, not to mention still-unreleased films like "Joy" and "The Big Short."  One happy result of the failure to agree on just a handful of worthy candidates is that this year's Best Actress field is richer than usual. The annual complaints about how few good lead roles there are for women should be a little quieter this year, given how many strong performances have a chance of an Oscar nomination. Among the 10 Globe nominees this year (since the Globes pick five for comedy as well as five for drama), at least eight have a solid shot at Academy recognition, with the front-runners being Jennifer Lawrence ("Joy"), Brie Larson ("Room"), Cate Blanchett ("Carol"), Saoirse Ronan ("Brooklyn"), and Lily Tomlin ("Grandma"). Larson and Blanchett (pictured) are all but sure things, but the rest of the nominations are up for grabs.The Best Actor race is going to be the tight one this year, with top contenders Leonardo DiCaprio ("The Revenant"), Fassbender ("Steve Jobs"), Matt Damon ("The Martian"), Eddie Redmayne ("The Danish Girl"), and Bryan Cranston ("Trumbo"), and not a whole lot of others. (Michael Keaton, like the rest of the ensemble, are being submitted for supporting categories.) Let the guys complain this year about the dearth of meaty roles. There are still a lot of questions about how we got to this point and where the race could go. Does "Spotlight," with its strong ensemble cast, really have a chance if that ensemble's individual actors keep getting ignored (as they were by Globe voters)? Do big-budget blockbuster spectacles like "Mad Max" and "The Martian" have a real shot against the small-scale independent dramas that awards voters usually favor? Did screener DVDs get sent to voters too late for "The Hateful Eight," "The Revenant," "Joy," and "The Big Short" to have more of an impact? Still, there's something refreshing about the inability of the professional critics, the pundits who make up the voters for the Golden Globes and the National Board of Review awards, and the industry insiders who pick the Screen Actors Guild award nominees to settle on a consensus. It means there's still a wide-open race in nearly every category -- and nearly three months for us all to argue for our favorites to win big. %Slideshow-347056% This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Making a Murderer' Trailer Brings True Crime to Netflix Posted:  HBO's "The Jinx" and the podcast "Serial" (which just started its second season) have brought about a resurgence in the popularity of true crime documentaries. Netflix is getting in on the game with "Making a Murderer," a 10-part series about Steven Avery, who served 18 years in prison on a rape charge until he was exonerated by DNA.Then, two years after being freed, Avery is arrested again on a murder charge. The show follows that trial and explores troubling questions about the role of law enforcement as well as Avery himself. The first trailer is pretty compelling, with the requisite old footage, expert talking heads, and surprising twists. Will Netflix's true crime show be as riveting — and make as much of a real-life impact — as "The Jinx"? We'll see December 18 when all 10 episodes are available to stream. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| First 'Kubo and the Two Strings' Teaser Trailer Showcases Gorgeous Animation Posted:  If you loved the quirky, gentle, sensitive stop-motion-animated movies "Coraline" and "The Box Trolls," you're in for a treat.Laika, the animation company behind those films, released the first teaser trailer for its next movie, "Kubo and the Two Strings." It's just a brief glimpse, with no explanation of the plot, but the animation is breathtaking and gorgeous. Just what we'd expect from a Laika production. The movie features the voices of several Hollywood A-listers, including Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey. Here's the official synopsis:
"Kubo and the Two Strings" opens in theaters August 19. Want more stuff like this? Like us on Facebook. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Ben Affleck Has a Giant Back Tattoo Now, and We Have a Lot of Questions Posted:  Breakups are hard, and some ill-advised ink often goes with the territory. But Ben Affleck may have taken things a touch too far with his new, massive back tattoo.According to Us Weekly, Affleck has been spotted on the set of his latest directorial effort, "Live By Night," sporting a giant depiction of what appears to be a phoenix inked across his entire back. (Rights issues prevent us from posting the photos directly, so check them out on Us's site.) The colorful tattoo is certainly a head-scratching choice, but it can't possibly be real, can it? It's definitely a fake, stenciled on specifically for Affleck's role in the flick, right? Apparently not. Both Us Weekly and TMZ report that the ink is very much the real deal, with a source telling Us, "He got it done at home recently." Paparazzi photos show that Affleck has had the tat since at least July 4, when a portion of the ink was seen peeking out from under his shirt. What could possibly have inspired the actor to make such a huge, permanent change to his body? According to Us, it could be meant to symbolize his fresh start following his divorce from Jennifer Garner, who he split with right after the couple's 10-year anniversary back in June. We certainly don't want to judge a guy dealing in his own way with a very public break-up (especially when the rumor mill suggests that he was the one at fault for the split), but, uh, maybe Ben should have just opted for a bad haircut and pint of Ben and Jerry's instead of an odd (and again, we stress, permanent) addition to his body. Those laser removals in 10 years are going to hurt a lot. [via: Us Weekly, TMZ] Photo credit: Getty Images %Slideshow-188% This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Gina Rodriguez Reacts to America Ferrera Golden Globes Mix-Up: 'Who Cares?' Posted:  Gina Rodriguez is radiant in the titular role on CW series "Jane the Virgin," and she's proven she's a class act in real life, too. The actress was accidentally mixed up with America Ferrera during the announcement of the Golden Globes nominations on Thursday (the official Globes Twitter account used Rodriguez's handle when identifying presenter Ferrera), but instead of getting upset, Rodriguez just laughed it off."I didn't hear anything until recently someone sent me an article, but who cares?" Rodriguez said in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, adding some love for her fellow Latina actress. "America's lovely," Rodriguez told ET. "She's so beautiful and such a fantastic actress. If there's anybody I want to get mixed up with -- it's her for sure!" We're glad Rodriguez took the stupid goof-up in stride, and that she's not letting a silly Twitter mistake mar her nomination celebration. The star, who also took home the Best Actress in a TV Comedy award from the Globes earlier this year for her work on "Jane," shared her joy on Twitter, and also released a statement noting that there were actually a couple causes for cheer. "Today two fantastic things happened," Rodriguez's statement said. "My work on 'Jane' was recognized and celebrated by some of my favorite people for a second year. And my student loans from the university that taught me to act were paid off. Education works, how serendipitous." Congrats to Rodriguez on all her success -- both in acting and in life in general. [via: Entertainment Tonight, Entertainment Weekly] Photo credit: Getty Images for Moet & Chandon %Slideshow-258675% This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 14 Actors Who Are Insanely Smart IRL Posted: %Slideshow-346077% Actors and actresses portray different kind of characters everyday. Some of them smart, some of them dumb. But, in real life, a lot of your favorite celebrities are certified geniuses, with high IQs and degrees from Ivy Leagues. These are the 14 celebrities who could kill it in a game of "Jeopardy."  [Sources: IMDB, NYT, Huffington Post, Yahoo] This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Cate Blanchett May Star in 'Thor: Ragnarok': Report Posted:  Oscar-winning actors joining genre flicks is nothing new (just look at Lupita Nyong'o in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" for the latest example), but this recent bit of casting scoop is truly surprising: Cate Blanchett is reportedly in talks to join "Thor: Ragnarok."According to Variety, Blanchett is currently negotiating to "play one of the new female leads" in the upcoming Marvel flick, which is due out in late 2017. Though it would be the actress's first foray into the world of comic book flicks, she does have some experience in fanboy fair, with a starring role in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, which she later reprised in the "Hobbit" films. But Blanchett is once again in the midst of awards season talk, thanks to her titular turn in the drama "Carol," and her reported decision to line up a tentpole flick as her next project is a bit eyebrow-raising. Then again, Marvel is probably offering some serious dough for whatever part she may play, and her Aussie connection to "Thor" star Chris Hemsworth probably doesn't hurt, either. And using her Oscar work as an example (a Best Supporting Actress statuette for portraying fellow Academy Award winner Katharine Hepburn in "The Aviator," a Best Actress trophy for "Blue Jasmine"), Blanchett truly can play it all, so it's likely that she'd fit right in to the MCU. Marvel declined to comment on Variety's report, so we'll have to wait for official word before we know this is a done deal. But it's an intriguing prospect, and we're certainly curious to see the actress in action, should this news pan out. Stay tuned. "Thor: Ragnarok" is due in theaters on November 3, 2017. [via: Variety] Photo credit: Getty Images for AFI %Slideshow-195350% This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 'Edward Scissorhands': 11 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About the Tim Burton Classic Posted:  Before 20th Century Fox released "Edward Scissorhands" 25 years ago (on December 7, 1990), the studio marketers didn't want ticketbuyers to see what Johnny Depp looked like. Why? They found his appearance freakish and off-putting.But audiences warmed up to Depp; this was the role that made him an in-demand big-screen leading man. It's also the film that launched Depp's long creative partnership with director Tim Burton, and it's a fan favorite that's stood the test of time. In honor of the film's 25th (!?) anniversary, here are ten facts you need to know about our favorite hair stylist/dog groomer/walking hedge trimmer.  1. A wild-haired, black-clad, misunderstood artist adrift in suburbia, Edward is clearly based on Burton himself as a teenager growing up in Burbank, California. He and screenwriter Caroline Thompson had been developing the character and the story for years, but Burton waited until the enormous success of 1989's "Batman" gave him the clout to make the highly-personal movie without creative interference.2. Depp, then best known as the teen-heartthrob star of TV's "21 Jump Street," was no one's first choice to play Edward. Burton wanted someone more obscure, but the studio wanted a bigger, more bankable name. Tom Cruise met with Burton to discuss the role, but he walked away when Burton refused to give the film a happier ending. Michael Jackson reportedly expressed interest, but the filmmakers didn't follow up with him. 3. Others up for the role were Tom Hanks, William Hurt, Robert Downey Jr. and the then-little-known Jim Carrey, before Depp finally won over the filmmakers.  4. Although Drew Barrymore had auditioned for the role of Kim Boggs, casting Winona Ryder as Edward's love interest proved to be a no-brainer. Not only had Burton enjoyed working with her on "Beetlejuice," but she had also been Depp's girlfriend for several months. By the time the shoot was underway, they were engaged, and Depp had tattooed "Winona Forever" on his bicep. Alas, they ended their engagement three years later, and Depp erased some of the tattoo, so that it read "Wino Forever."5. Lutz, Florida served as the location for the film's surreal suburban setting. Production designer Bo Welch created the neighborhood's look of pastel uniformity by having the houses painted in one of four shades, which he described as "sea-foam green, dirty flesh, butter, and dirty blue." The castle, however, was built from scratch on a soundstage. 6. Blink and you'll miss future Backstreet Boy Nick Carter (at the time, a 10-year-old living in nearby Ruskin, Florida) as a kid having fun on a slip-and-slide.  7. A lifelong fan of Vincent Price (above), Burton created the role of the inventor with the horror icon in mind. It would turn out to be Price's final screen appearance before his death in 1993.8. In 2013, when British scientist David Legg discovered a 505-million-year-old fossil of a lobster-like creature with claws that resembled scissors, he named it "Kooteninchela deppi" after the "Edward Scissorhands" star. 9. Those elaborate topiary sculptures that Edward clips weren't bushes at all; in fact, they weren't even alive. They were made of elaborate webs of chicken wire, covered with green plastic plant sprigs and stretched over steel skeletons.  10. Fox initially budgeted the movie at around $8 to $9 million, though the final cost was closer to $20 million. It earned back $56 million in North America and another $30 million overseas.11. "Edward Scissorhands" was nominated for a single Oscar -- Best Makeup. It lost the award to the team from "Dick Tracy." %Slideshow-342747% This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Watch the Epic First 'X-Men: Apocalypse' Trailer Posted:  The first full trailer for "X-Men: Apocalypse" dropped this morning, and it's bursting with new characters, explosive action sequences, and a feeling of dread that can really only be applied to a film with "Apocalypse" for a subtitle.The literally-dark mood certainly suggests the end of days, and the clip begins with Jean Grey (Sophie Turner) waking with a start, telling Professor X (James McAvoy) that she "saw the end of the world," littered with death. X assures her it was just a dream, but it turns out to be a very real nightmare soon enough. Apocalypse (Oscar Isaac), believed to be the first-ever mutant, has awakened from an ancient sleep, and makes quick work of taking over the minds of several mutants, harnessing Psylocke (Olivia Munn), Storm (Alexandra Shipp), Angel (soon-to-be-Archangel, Ben Hardy), and Magneto (Michael Fassbender) into his own version of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Led by Raven (Jennifer Lawrence) and Professor X (who we finally see bald, at the end of the clip), the rest of the X-Men must fight back against Apocalypse's power grab -- and assured destruction of the rest of the world -- or risk Jean Grey's premonition coming true. "This is war," Raven declares. Game on. "X-Men: Apocalypse" hits theaters on May 27, 2016.  Photo credit: Alan Markfield/Marvel/Twentieth Century Fox%Slideshow-332532% This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| 17 Times Amy Farrah Fowler Was the Funniest Part of 'The Big Bang Theory' Posted: %Slideshow-346407% Mayim Bialik's Amy Farrah Fowler may have been a late addition to "The Big Bang Theory" gang, but we couldn't imagine the show without her. The brilliant, awkward, witty, and sexually charged neurobiologist is the kind of blunt buddy anyone would be lucky to call a bestie. Her silly quips, weird anecdotes, and love of Sheldon is the source of endless entertainment. Here are 17 times Amy was the funniest part of "The Big Bang Theory."  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Best of Late Night TV: Jon Stewart's Trump Impression and Chris Hemsworth's Sleigh Race Posted:  If you're like us and value your sleep, you probably nodded off into your Ambien dreamland before the party started on post-prime time TV. Don't worry; we've got you covered. Here's the best of what happened last night on late night.Jon Stewart is back! The former "Daily Show" host crashed Stephen Colbert's opening monologue, and managed to be both hilarious and poignant due to the fact that he trumped-it-up. Like, he literally wore a Donald Trump wig. You're welcome. We're sensing a theme, because Justin Bieber crashed James Corden's opening monologue and he made some hilarious jokes. Our favorite? "Yesterday, the CEO of Yahoo gave birth to twins and even they have gmail." Umm...if the whole pop star thing doesn't work out, Bieber has a future in Late Night. Over on "The Tonight Show," Chris Hemsworth stopped by, donned a Santa hat (we're already thrilled), and had a sleigh scooter race with Jimmy Fallon. Tragically, racing isn't exactly his forte. Finally, Hillary Clinton showed up on "Late Night" and spoke about Donald Trump. "I no longer think he's funny," she said. "What he's saying now is not only shameful and wrong, it is dangerous." Thoughts? %Slideshow-346408% This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Moviefone News RSS Feed - Moviefone.com. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment