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Film History’s Top Five Funny, Foolish, Freaky Aliens
The original Men in Black, released in 1997, was a pitch-perfect combination of action, comedy and sci-fi trappings, and audiences flocked to the genre mashup, which earned over $250 million domestically and spawned the 2002 sequel, which was poorly reviewed and didn't do as well at the box office as its predecessor but still managed to generate a profit. Now, 10 years later, Agents J and K are back for Men in Black III, in theaters this Friday. In honor of the film that brought sci-fi comedy into the mainstream, at least for a little while, we're taking a look back at five of cinema history's most hilarious aliens.
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Meanest Movie Moms
This weekend, offspring young and old will buy flowers, send cards and pay tribute to the women who brought them into this world. Mother’s Day is a time of celebration and gratitude toward the lady dearest to our hearts. And while turbulent times with mom are a natural part of growing up, this year you should be extra sweet to your creator, because she could be a whole lot worse. Don't believe us? Then take a look at this list of cinema's meanest mothers. From the psychotic to the just plain nasty, these moms make us glad that making our beds and taking out the garbage were the most ever asked of us.
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Finding Your Jodie Foster
Boy "wrirector" Taika Waititi on auditions, acting and happening upon the perfect child actor
We found our main actor three days before principal shooting started. I don’t recommend that process, but sometimes you have to go with your gut and believe everything will be okay.
Someone once said of casting: “This is quite painful and I’d rather be at the pub.” It was me. I’m not a fan. I’d rather write a role for a specific actor and then convince them do it with treats or weapons. Some of this probably stems from being an actor, having to audition and knowing the feelings that go with it: Putting yourself out there, walking into the room hoping to not suck, convincing yourself you don’t care, secretly knowing you’re amazing.
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Hooray for The Artist!
Awards season is over for another year. Last night's Oscars saw the big award go to—surprise, surprise—The Artist, which picked up a total of five wins (Best Film, Actor, Costume Design, Original Score and Director) out of its ten total nominations. Also heading home with a quintet of statuettes was Martin Scorsese's Hugo, whose wins in many of the more technical categories—Best Sound Editing, Sound Mixing and Visual Effects, in addition to Best Cinematography and Art Direction—had the legendary director's name thrown out in thank you speeches time and time again during the first half of the show.
In an night devoid of any big surprises, there was still an upset courtesy of Meryl Streep, who won for Best Actress courtesy of her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Though Streep has been nominated a grand total of 17 times, only three of those have been wins, and the last time she found herself ascending the stage at the Kodak Theatre to deliver an acceptance speech was in 1983 for Sophie's Choice.
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The Highs & Lows of Paul Rudd
If there’s one thing the entire human race can agree upon, it’s the inherent likability of Paul Rudd. With his good looks, goofy personality and gregarious yet laid-back persona, he seems like the kind of person pretty much anyone would love to have as a friend. But although Rudd almost always turns in a fun, witty performance, he’s also appeared in his share of stinkers over the years. With his latest film, Wanderlust, in theaters today, we're taking a look back at some of the highs and lows of this hilarious actor’s career.
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Funny Valentines: Cinema’s Quirkiest Couples
Some people are Valentine’s Day people and some just aren’t. As a service to our readers, MM has chosen several movies that break the typical romantic comedy mold, making for fine Valentine’s Day viewing for those looking to forgo the overpriced, overcrowded restaurants and gooey Valentine’s Day crowd.
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The Rising Stars of 2012
There’s quite the array of emerging actors out there in the film world, most of whom have been referred to as the "next big thing" at one point or another. But which of these "next big thing"s will actually live up to the title? Social media research company Fizziology (fizziolo.gy) has endeavored to find out by tracking and analyzing the social media buzz of over 1,500 actors and actresses, and after an exhaustive look at the general public's three social media must-haves—Facebook, Twitter and blogs—they've compiled their list of seven much-buzzed-about stars on the brink of a breakout year.
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The Artist, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Lead 2012 BAFTA Award Nominations
Though Tomas Alfredson's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has been notably absent from much of the awards season hoopla, the spy drama's dry spell may now be over. Its 11 nominations in this year's British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards, announced today, place it on the top of the heap; the only film to receive more nominations is The Artist, with 12. Martin Scorsese's Hugo also cleaned up with nominations in 11 categories, including Best Director.
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The Artist Comes Out on Top at the Golden Globes
At last night's Golden Globes, it was Oscar frontrunner The Artist that came out on top, winning three awards, including Best Picture—Comedy or Musical. Still, it's probably best to keep the film's name written in pencil on your Oscar ballot for now; though it was one of only two films to win multiple awards, the winner in the Best Picture—Drama category (this year, The Descendants) historically has a better chance at victory come Oscar night. Additionally, The Artist missed out in both the Best Screenplay and Best Director categories, in which Midnight in Paris and Hugo, respectively, walked away with the gold.
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It’s Alive!: The Best in Performance Capture
Performance capture: It’s the wave of the future. This fascinating computer technology allows ordinary human actors to transform themselves into creatures or otherworldly characters that, just 15 years ago, would have been impossible to imagine. With the latest performance capture film, Steven Spielberg’s much-anticipated 3-D epic The Adventures of Tintin, hitting theaters today, MM thought it a perfect time to take a look back at our six favorite performances achieved through this ever-evolving technology.
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Movie Journalists: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly
In David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, out in theaters today, Daniel Craig plays journalist Mikael Blomkvist; those who've seen the trailer (or read the book, or seen Danish director Niels Arden Oplev’s earlier film adaptation) know that he gets up to some stuff over the course of the film that they probably didn’t prepare him for in journalism school. In honor of the cinematic journalists—some good at what they do, some, er, not—from years past, MM presents our retrospective of movie journalists: The good, the bad and the ugly.
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The Help Leads the Pack with Four SAG Awards Noms
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) today announced the nominees for the 18th Annual SAG Awards, the only major awards given to actors where the nominees and winners are chosen by—wait for it—actual actors, in this case members of SAG. Coming out on top with four nominations was The Help, while The Artist—which has stepped up as an Oscar frontrunner after being named the year’s best film by the Boston Society of Film Critics, New York Film Critics Online and Washington, D.C. Area Film Critics Association—came in second with three nominations.
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Best Cinematic Little Siblings (Just Be Glad They’re Not Yours)
In David Gordon Green's The Sitter, out in theaters today, Noah Griffith (Jonah Hill) finds that buying cocaine for his girlfriend's party is made exponentially more difficult when he's babysitting three children at the same time. While it's possible for children in movies to be portrayed as adorable and innocent, it's usually more dramatic—and funnier—for them to be inveterate troublemakers. And, as any older sibling knows, no one causes more trouble than a little brother or sister. With that in mind, MM presents our list of five great movie little siblings.
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Actor Overload: Great Ensemble Casts of the Movies
Every once in a while a movie comes along with an ensemble cast so improbably spectacular that you just have to wonder who the director had to kill to get everyone on board. For Anglophiles, one such movie is Tomas Alfredson's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, hitting U.S. theaters tomorrow. The spy thriller, based on the bestselling novel by John Le Carré, stars Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciarán Hinds and Tom Hardy. The film's smorgasbord of acting talent inspired us at MM to take a look at remarkable ensemble films from years past.
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Elizabeth Mitchell Shares Her Answers to Nothing
From playing supermodel Gia Carangi’s (Angelina Jolie) lover in Gia to her role as Juliet Burke in TV’s “Lost,” Elizabeth Mitchell has shown her talent and range as a dramatic actress. For Mitchell, the drives and desires of characters have always held a strong pull and served as the driving forces behind her preferred cinematic landscape. It was this passion that drew her to the complexities of her newest film, Answers to Nothing.
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Jason Segel Resurrects The Muppets
At the end of 2008’s Forgetting Sarah Marshall, actor-scribe Jason Segel inserted a Dracula puppet musical as both a touching coda to his witty comedy and a good excuse to showcase a longtime passion. Having gotten Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to create the puppets and help stage his mini-tribute, Segel asked if he could meet Kermit and Miss Piggy, only to learn that his old friends had been sold to Disney.
“I just got a little fire in my belly,” Segel recalls. “The Muppets are such a great group of characters. I just couldn’t stand the thought of it going fallow. I went to Disney and pitched the idea of a Muppet movie.”
So began the next chapter in the charmed life of the 31-year-old Los Angeles native—and the resurrection of Henson’s internationally beloved pantheon. “I don’t think anyone saw it coming,” admits Segel.
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Legendary Actor John Hurt Channels Melancholia with Lars von Trier
Legendary British performer John Hurt has consistently exemplified the qualities of an on-screen chameleon, skillfully transforming and inhabiting roles often marked by physical and psychological struggles. After narrating two of Lars von Trier’s films, Dogville and Manderlay, Hurt said told von Trier: “‘You keep giving me the narration, but you never put me in front of the camera!’ Shortly after, he called my bluff and asked me to do this part.” In von Trier’s deeply meditative apocalyptic drama Melancholia, Hurt plays the fun-loving father to two sisters (Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg) struggling for meaning in their lives and relationships as a new planet rapidly approaches Earth.
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Beyond Twilight
Today sees Breaking Dawn: Part 1, the fourth installment of The Twilight Saga, hitting movie theaters worldwide. While Breaking Dawn: Part 1 might end up being the highest-grossing film on many of its cast member's CVs—it earned $31.3 million in ticket sales for midnight shows alone—it's a fair bet that it'll be far from the best in terms of quality. To that effect, MovieMaker highlights the best non-Twilight roles of Twilight actors.
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Joshua Leonard Tells The Lie
A commercially successful screenwriter friend of mine recently attended a showing of my film, The Lie. Afterwards, as folks were milling about and drinking the booze that I was hoping wouldn’t run out, he approached me and began a wistful ramble that I often hear from well-paid acquaintances. Something like, “It’s so fantastic how you guys keep it real with your work, man.” Or worse yet, “You know what’s great about you guys? You manage to make cool things for no money.”
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Oddfellas: Cinema’s Quirkiest Heist Teams
What’s the key to pulling off a successful heist? Having a competent and quick-witted team, for starters. But, as many heist movies have proved, it’s not as easy as it looks. In Brett Ratner’s Tower Heist, in theaters today, Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy lead a group of hard-working guys (among them Casey Affleck, Matthew Broderick and Michael Peña) who discover they’ve fallen victim to a Wall Street billionaire’s Ponzi scheme and, as a result, conspire to rob his high-rise penthouse. But before you check out Tower Heist, join MM as we take a look at some of the quirkiest heist teams in recent movie history.
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The Tao of Ray Stevenson
From “Rome” to The Three Musketeers, Stevenson follows his own path
Ray Stevenson’s career is a reminder that if an actor is meant to find success, he’ll get there on his own schedule. Stevenson was in his mid-20s before he ever gave serious thought to going to an audition. Another 15 years would pass before he landed his big-screen breakthrough. But now, at 47, Stevenson is enjoying the best year of his professional life.
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Gotham Independent Film Awards Nominations Ring in the (Awards) Season
Martha Marcy May Marlene and The Descendants lead with three nominations each
Strap on your boots, moviemakers… award season's back in town. Nominations for the 21st Annual Gotham Independent Film Awards, the first major awards ceremony of the 2011 season, were announced today; The Descendants and Martha Marcy May Marlene lead the pack with three nominations each, while Beginners and Take Shelter each received two.
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Blayne Weaver Introduces His 6 Month Rule
When I talk about my film 6 Month Rule, one of the first things people ask is: “How do you direct and act at the same time... and why would you want to?” Seems like there are a lot of us writer/director/actor types out there right now, and I’m sure each one works differently and has their own strengths and weaknesses. There are, however, certain guidelines to pulling off this trifecta successfully. Allow me to present my rules for directing, writing and acting in an indie film.
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James Franco’s Freedom of Expression
Inspiration. Imagination. Freedom of expression. They're all ideas that are close to the heart of Oscar-nominated actor-writer-director-producer James Franco. Here, Franco sits down with Playboy to talk about where he finds his own inspiration in anticipation of their upcoming Short Film Competition.
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Hillbillies and College Kids Fight to the Death in Eli Craig's Tucker & Dale vs. Evil
In the unconventional horror-comedy Tucker & Dale vs Evil, all best friends Tucker (Alan Tudyk) and Dale (Tyler Labine) want to do is spend a nice weekend fixing up Tucker's mountain cabin and doing some fishing. As luck would have it, a group of vacationing college kids—led by the popped collar-wearing frat boy Chad (Jesse Moss)—assume the scruffy, overall-wearing Tucker and Dale are Deliverance-style psycho killers. It's all downhill from there. Tucker & Dale director Eli Craig took the time to chat with MovieMaker about his genre-spanning debut film, which hits select theaters this Friday, September 30th.
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Mixed Reviews: Hopper, Huston and Monsters in the Movies
Two Hollywood legends and 300-plus pages of nightmare fuel—check out MM's reviews of the newly-released Dennis Hopper: The Wild Ride of a Hollywood Rebel, John Huston: Courage and Art and Monsters in the Movies.
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Charles Martin Smith Spins a Dolphin Tale
From the moment I took on the project of directing Dolphin Tale, it was clear to me that the relationship between the boy, Sawyer, and Winter the dolphin was the movie’s emotional core. I wanted the audience to sympathize with and even envy Sawyer (What kid wouldn’t want to have a dolphin for a best friend?). But to have all these emotions ring true, Sawyer himself had to ring true. Because I introduced other elements of childhood wish fulfillment into the film, the film was in danger of feeling unreal and losing emotional resonance. Hazel and Sawyer had to be absolutely truthful characters, both in the writing and in the performing, to balance the film. This meant casting was crucial.
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MM Remembers: Cliff Robertson
Veteran actor Cliff Robertson passed away from natural causes last Saturday, one day after his 88th birthday. MovieMaker remembers this talented actor and his contributions to American cinema. After his film debut in Picnic (1955)—in which he co-starred with William Holden—the ruggedly handsome Robertson quickly made a name for himself in Hollywood, working with the likes of Joan Crawford, Debbie Reynolds, Lana Turner, Robert Redford and Jane Fonda.
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All in the Family: Cinema’s Baddest Black Sheep
Black sheep—there’s one in every family. You know the kind, the dysfunctional relative who, no matter what, always seems to screw things up. The latest cinematic black sheep can be seen in the new comedy, Our Idiot Brother. The movie revolves around Ned (Paul Rudd), a well-meaning but troublesome idealist who, after being released from prison for selling marijuana, proceeds to disrupt the lives of his three sisters. The impressive supporting cast includes Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel, Emily Mortimer, Steve Coogan, Rashida Jones and Adam Scott. The movie had a buzzworthy premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and is in theaters now.
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First Look: Henry Cavill as the Man of Steel
Hitting theaters on June 14, 2013 (that’s nearly two years away, for those who want to mark their calendars early) is the highly-anticipated Superman reboot, Man of Steel, directed by Zack Snyder (Watchmen; Sucker Punch). Taking over from Brandon Routh (who last played the man in tights) is Henry Cavill (of "The Tudors" and Tarsem Singh's upcoming Immortals), who is surrounded by an all-star cast, including Amy Adams as Lois Lane, Laurence Fishburne as Perry White, Diane Lane and Kevin Costner as his parents, Michael Shannon as General Zod and Russell Crowe as Jor-El. Below is the first-ever photo released from the movie, with the Man of Steel looking particularly buff. Take a look!
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Fright Night and Then Some
The best and worst horror remakes
Horror movie remakes are a dime a dozen these days, with re-treads of such genre classics as Poltergeist, Hellraiser and Suspiria currently in production. The latest to hit theaters is Fright Night, a 3-D update of Tom Holland’s frightfully fun '80s flick, starred Chris Sarandon and Roddy McDowall, which reinvigorated the vampire genre. The movie revolves around high school student Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin), who suspects that his charismatic new neighbor, Jerry Dandrige (Colin Farrell), is in fact a vampire. With nocturnal bloodsuckers being all the rage these days, Fright Night will hopefully be able to make a splash in the overcrowded "True Blood"/Twilight marketplace. With the film hitting theaters this weekend, MM thought it a perfect time to take a look back at some of the best and worst horror remakes of all time.
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Film is More Than a Visual Medium for “Blind Film Critic” Tommy Edison
Time for an experiment: Pop a movie in your DVD player. Make some popcorn, sit down and prepare to enjoy. But, as you push play, close your eyes. This is what the movie-going experience is like for Tommy Edison, better known to his fans on YouTube as the "Blind Film Critic."
A lifelong movie lover, Edison's criteria for what makes a great film are different from that of the average viewer. While sighted viewers might forgive a movie’s hackneyed plot, cliché-ridden script or uneven characterization if the special effects are spectacular, Edison says that, “If you take the [visual aspects of a film] away, sometimes it leaves a whole lot to be desired.” His appreciation of a film therefore hinges on the quality of its script, actors, character development, soundtrack and—above all—its story. So what are his five favorite movies?
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Greg Mottola Enters Alien Territory with Paul
When Greg Mottola, the New York-based moviemaker behind such naturalistic, character-driven comedies as Superbad, Adventureland and The Daytrippers, was asked by Shaun of the Dead co-creators Simon Pegg and Nick Frost to direct Paul, their “pop culture mash-up” homage to the golden age of sci-fi blockbusters, even Mottola admits he wasn’t the most obvious guy for the job.
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On the Road Again… with Four of the World’s Best Road Trip Movies
Ah, the road trip. A small group of people are forced to cohabit a confined space as they journey through strange locales and encounter eccentric people, all in an effort to achieve some goal before time runs out. Is there any scenario better suited for the silver screen? Much-loved classics like Easy Rider, The Grapes of Wrath and The Wizard of Oz are among the hundreds of movies where the central plot revolves around a group of people who must get from point A to point B. Most real-life road trips are more soul-crushingly boring than their cinematic counterparts, but audiences are still drawn to the mystique of the movie road trip.
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Movie History’s Greatest Mismatched Pairs
In The Guard, out in limited release tomorrow, Gerry Boyle (Brendan Gleeson) is a provincial Irish cop partnered with the straight-laced FBI agent Wendell Everett (Don Cheadle) to investigate an international drug-smuggling ring. Boyle is confrontational and racist, neither of which endear him to the by-the-book, African-American Everett. The unlikely alliance between these two very different men has inspired MovieMaker to pay tribute to five of movie history’s most mismatched pairs. They may not like each other, they may not get along, but they’ve been thrown together to achieve a common goal, and dammit, they’ll just have to manage.
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