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Showing posts from February, 2013

Muses and Maestros: DiCaprio and Scorsese

This marks the first post in a new series called Muses and Maestros, featuring some of the most talented pairings in modern film. First up, Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese. The players: Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese The works: Gangs of New York ,   The Avi ator ,  The Departed ,  Shutter Island The most famous actor/director duo that Martin Scorsese will ever be involved in is his partnership with Robert DeNiro. The movie classics that evolved from that relationship will always be untouched. With that said, Scorsese is treading similar waters with Leonardo DiCaprio to great results. The Departed  finally netted Scorsese that coveted Best Director trophy and it's hard to argue that DiCaprio's performance isn't a major reason for the film's success. DiCaprio has gone on to other great work for directors besides Scorsese (Steven Spielberg, Christopher Nolan, Ridley Scott), but his highs have rarely reached the same heights that Shutter Island  

New Amazing Spider-Man 2 Suit

Courtesy of Coming Soon , comes the newest look at Marc Webb's Spidey suit for the sequel to The Amazing Spider-man . The last suit worn drew some criticism for looking odd, but this look returns to the more familiar comic book styling that most fans are used to. Maybe this redesign will buy more goodwill from those apathetic about the 2012 reboot.

Live Blogging the 85th Oscars

Tonight, Never Mind Pop Film is blogging the Oscars live. The big talk of the 85th Academy Awards will definitely be whether Argo continues to steamroll into a write-in win for Best Director. Daniel Day-Lewis could make history tonight if he wins Lead Actor for the third time. Also looking to make history is Amour  actress Emmanuelle Riva who is poised to become the oldest winner for Best Actress, but in order to so she will have to fend off Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain. The big question tonight will be what wins Best Picture (the last four years, the winner was a given going into the evening, but tonight is a toss-up). Tonight is my first attempt at doing this, so here goes nothing... Seth MacFarlane is doing well thus far. He already made Tommy Lee Jones laugh. Still, taking no prisoners. And there goes his goodwill... Captain Kirk! Where was he when James Franco co-hosted? So no Muppets version of Flight then? Bummer. Best Supporting Actor

Stuff Academy Voters Like

Today marks the 85th Academy Awards and before we all sit down to watch the proceedings, let's look at some of the things that Oscar voters like. The definitive guide to everything deemed relevant by the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences. "Serious" comedians Alcoholism History's greatest monsters Divorced parents Actors playing famous people Meryl Streep Tragic romances Musicals Hollywood saving the day Messages Sentiment, but not heart Supporting actors playing psychopaths Period pieces Mental illness Domestic drama Feel good stories Loose women True stories Adaptations of literature The Great War Stephen Daldry films Festival winners Tom Hanks circa 1993-1998 Homages to yesteryear Feel free to use this checklist to add to the evening's festivities. Also, take a shot whenever a winner tells his/her kids to go to bed.

Keeping Their Fingers Crossed for Oscar

Sunday night is rapidly approaching and the favorites for the 85th Academy Awards have mostly set themselves apart from the field. Still, favorites have a way of managing to be surprised when the winner's name is announced. These nominees may just benefit from playing the dark horse. Emmanuelle Riva For a majority of the season, Jennifer Lawrence and Jessica Chastain had the inside track for Best Actress, but along the way 86 year old Riva upset both actresses at the BAFTAs. Her strong performance may connect with a majority of the voting body that thinks Lawrence hasn't paid her dues and Chastain has many nominations in front of her. Frankenweenie Wreck-It Ralph  is the hip choice right now, it has swept its respective category for the last several awards, but these two animated features have their own passionate fanbases. Tim Burton has never won an Oscar over his long career and maybe that changes Sunday evening. Either way, Disney will win its first Animated Feature

It's All Been Done Before

Originality is often bemoaned to be lacking in modern cinema. Sequels and adaptations lie in waiting every weekend. Yet with all of the complaints about there not being anything new in film anymore, take faith that this is not a new problem. Hollywood has always put out movies that are a little too  similar to other movies. Familiar plots collide at least twice in any given year. In 2006 three films about magicians all saw the screen: The Prestige , The Illusionist  and released to less fanfare,  Scoop . 2013 is shaping up to repeat that again with The Incredible Burt Wonderstone and  Now You See Me . Prestidigitation just keeps popping up lately. If something as obscure as magic manages to appear that often how could any unused plots be mined out of Hollywood? Read more at Film Annex

Review: The Doting Wife (Side Effects)

Emily (Rooney Mara) has been putting on a brave face for the last four years. Her husband, Martin (Channing Tatum, a regular in these flicks now), was arrested for insider trading and spent a majority of their marriage inside of a jail cell. Martin is due out in a few days and Emily wants to be there for him to assist his transition back to regular life. Emily really is happy to see her husband again, but the enthusiasm they shared when they first met in college just isn't there. Sex is spent staring at the ceiling and the rest of her day is like carefully treading through a trance. Her depression confuses her as everything can only get easier with Martin out of prison. It is only when Emily drives straight into a parking garage wall that her outlook raises concern with Dr. Jonathan Banks (Jude Law, doing his best Hitchcock leading man impression). Emily's condition could be easily solved, Banks presumes, and Oblexa should be the drug to do it. A lot of Side Eff

James Gandolfini Appreciation Day

February 12th is Mardi Gras, but did you know that today is also James Gandolfini Appreciation Day? Gandolfini broke out in his turn as hitman Virgil in True Romance  and has appeared in 49 films over the course of his career. For all of his work ranging from The Last Boy Scout  to Zero Dark Thirty , he is most easily recognized as Tony Soprano. Mr. Gandolfini has proven to be the kind of actor that you want to appear in any role and has the kind of range that would make other actors blush. Whether he plays a tough-as-nails general or a neurotic mess, Gandolfini brings the gravitas. To properly celebrate James Gandolfini Appreciation Day, check out his most recent roles in  Killing Them Softly  and Zero Dark Thirty .

Jim Jarmusch's 'Only Lovers Left Alive'

Jim Jarmusch's upcoming vampire-love story finds Adam (Tom Hiddleston), a mysterious underground musician (who has lived for centuries) sunk in a depression due to the endless suffering in humanity. Trying to escape his existential funk, he reunites with long-term lover Eve (Swinton), but his hopes for romantic calm are spoiled by her wild younger sister Ava (Mia Wasikowska). Only Lovers Left Alive  received a great deal of its financing from last year's Cannes so there could be a first look at this year's festival. The cast (also including John Hurt and Anton Yelchin) and premise are extremely intriguing, let's keep those fingers crossed for a debut this year. (Courtesy: IndieWire )

The Disappearing Epic

Sprawling adventures with set pieces and large casts used to be available only on the big screen. If viewers wanted to watch a story that spans generations they had to go out for the evening and see it on the silver screen. It is no coincidence that, when taking into account inflation, five of the top ten grossing films of all-time are epics (#8  Doctor Zhivago ,   #6  The Ten Commandments ,   #5  Titanic ,   #2  Star Wars , and   #1 Gone with the Wind ). Those evenings out have become less frequent as mini-series on television have over-taken the epic onscreen. The elements of one of the most famous epics of all-time, the Lord of the Rings franchise, are recreated on a weekly basis on HBO's Game of Thrones . Going to the theatre is no longer necessary to catch a story on a grand scale. Television has latched onto that market with miniseries. With television, writers and directors do not have to sacrifice character for cinematic splashes of glory. David Lean had upwards of t

Tim Doyle's Unreal Estate Art

Pop culture artist Tim Doyle's first solo art show will take place in San Francisco from February 7th through February 23rd. His subject for this show are locations from some of the cult-iest shows on television (Firefly, Doctor Who , Deadwood ). Firefly, in particular, is my favorite. Can't make the show? Prints will be on sale this Friday here . (Courtesy: /Film)

Who Needs Oscar?

Judging from videos like the one above, entertainment columnists devoting their columns to the voting selections of octogenarians, and Oscar bloggers grabbing at each other's throats, it must be award season again. Ideally, award shows should be about the celebration of cinema as all moviegoers get a chance to become acquainted with the nominees. For most people, that is the case, but not for Oscar bloggers. War paint is thoroughly applied, for your consideration ads are placed conspicuously and Twitter turns into a battleground. The problem with the awards season itself is that it doesn't really strive to provoke interesting conversations, Oscar prognosticators act more like loiterers surrounding a fistfight: they spur on the conflict and get their kicks in when one film gets knocked down. In many ways, it's not that different from The Hunger Games, contestants enter battle to the death and only one is crowned victor. Read more at Film Annex

'Star Trek Into Darkness' Super Bowl Spot

Even with a crowded field of advertisements, even with all of the other trailer, that spot got a lot of people's attention. J.J. Abram's biggest news may have been taking the job for Star Wars VII, but 2013's biggest blockbuster will definitely be Star Trek Into Darkness .

2013 Oscar Pool

Hey guys! Once again it's time to make your picks for Oscar. Bragging rights are on the line as well as prizes (posters for Hitchcock, Silver Linings Playbook and Prometheus), first prize winner gets his or her choice of the three posters, followed by second place and third. So please  join us .

Hit Me With Your Best Shot #15

The game where I throw out one of cinema's more obscure quotes and you try to guess it. Readers are currently 9 for 14. Let's see if you can name the film this quote is from: "Badly is an adverb. So to say you feel badly would be saying that the mechanism which allows you to feel is broken. "