Film
9 Reasons to Watch Red Notice, a Movie Where Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds Do Art Crime Together
Got to say this for Red Notice — it knows exactly what kind of a movie it is: a mashup of a classic caper tale and Indiana Jones that’s fully aware of how the star power involved will draw people in, and thus makes sure to put said stars (Ryan Reynolds, Dwayne Johnson, and Gal Gadot) front and center. Director Rawson Marshall Thurber also makes sure that all 118 minutes of the film move along at a brisk pace, with plenty of action set-pieces, twists, and heist hijinks along the way. Things begin with notorious art thief Nolan Booth (Reynolds) attempting to steal one of the three legendary (and incredibly valuable) eggs of Cleopatra, with special agent John Hartley (Johnson) determined to track him down and stop him, building up to a globe-trotting adventure packed with legitimately laugh-o...
Stallone’s Recut Rocky IV Has More Heart, But Less Charm: Review
The Pitch: In 1985, Rocky IV was released to box office success (netting $300 million, the most the series has ever earned), but critical derision. It’s no surprise, either; the film, which tracks Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) as he seeks revenge against Russian superman Ivan Drago (Dolph Lundgren) for the death of his friend Apollo Creed (Carl Weathers), was the ultimate jump-the-shark moment for a series that had heretofore mixed taut boxing action with comparatively tamped-down character drama. It’s a thorn that’s clearly been stuck in Stallone’s paw for 35 years, and with the creative idleness that came with the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020 seemed as good a time as any to pick it back up and revisit it. And so, we have Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago – The Director’s Cut, a dra...
Licorice Pizza Soundtrack Features David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Jonny Greenwood, and More
As if casting a HAIM sister wasn’t enough for Paul Thomas Anderson to pique the interest of music nerds with Licorice Pizza, its soundtrack is one for the books: Republic Records has unveiled the tracklist for the coming-of-age film’s original motion picture soundtrack, which features David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Nina Simone, and many more. The album will be released November 26th before the film hits theaters nationwide Christmas Day. Considering Licorice Pizza takes place in the 1970s, it’s only fitting that the soundtrack pulls straight from that era, featuring the likes of Sonny & Cher, Taj Mahal, and The Doors, as well as some more overlooked highlights from that decade. To the surprise of absolutely nobody, Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood — who’s scored numerous f...
Tom Petty Doc, Somewhere You Feel Free, Premieres on YouTube: Watch
A new documentary about one of the key eras in the life and career of Tom Petty is streaming for free on YouTube. Stream it below. Largely based around a collection of 16mm archives that weren’t discovered until 2020, Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free – The Making of Wildflowers follows the rock icon from 1993 to 1995 through the making of his now-classic sophomore solo album Wildflowers. Featured throughout the 89-minute documentary are new interviews with the likes of Heartbreakers guitarist (and Wildflowers co-producer) Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, and more. “I spent almost 20 years with the Heartbreakers,” Petty says in the doc. “And if I only made records with the same people all the time, I’d never learn, I’d never grow. Rick Rubin kind of guided me back into a musical ...
The Bizarre, Booby-Trap-Happy History of the Home Alone Sequels
The abiding premise of Home Alone — a precocious tot in suburban Chicago defending his home against bumbling burglars with an array of increasingly complicated booby traps — feels like the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle pitch that could only sustain itself for one perfect movie. And yet, like its fellow Christmas-siege classic Die Hard, that hasn’t stopped studio execs from mining the concept for, count ’em, four sequels and counting. (A fifth, Home Sweet Home Alone, is set to premiere on Disney+ on November 12th.) After the success of the 1990 original, written by John Hughes and directed by Chris Columbus — a film that grossed nearly $500 million at the box office and catapulted Macaulay Culkin to superstardom — a sequel naturally followed, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Expand...
Jeff Tweedy Announces Chelsea Walls Soundtrack Reissue with Unreleased Songs
Jeff Tweedy has announced a reissue of his soundtrack to Chelsea Walls, the 2001 film by Ethan Hawke. The newly released edition contains two previously unreleased songs and is out January 14th via Omnivore Recordings. Set in a single day, Chelsea Walls follows a group of artists living in the famed Chelsea Hotel in New York. The film, based on the 1990 Nicole Burdette play of the same name, was Hawke’s directorial debut, and as a longtime fan of Wilco, he asked Tweedy to write the music. Tweedy collaborated with drummer-composer Glenn Kotche on the soundtrack, and Kotche ended up becoming Wilco’s permanent drummer soon after. In addition to Tweedy and Kotche’s original score, the Chelsea Walls soundtrack features songs from Wilco and Billy Bragg, as well as vocal contributions f...
Will Ferrell’s Buddy the Elf Costume Fetches over $200K at Auction
In news that’ll leave you screaming for, “Santaaaaaa!” Will Ferrell’s costume for Buddy from the 2003 movie Elf has fetched north of $200,000 at auction. The auction was held by Prop Store, and via TMZ, Buddy’s costume was expected to be worth around $30,000. But that estimate turned out to sit on a throne of lies. Instead, it went for a whopping £175,000, which translates to about $237,000 USD. The ensemble includes a green pointed hat that comes with a yellow pleated sash and red feather; a matching green tunic with white fur collar and cuffs; a pair of yellow stockings; and black leather shoes with curled toes. The hat, tunic, and stockings are all stocked with a Carelli Costume tag reading “Mr. Ferrell,” while the shoes have been labelled “02 Buddy.” Advertisement Related Vid...
Channing Tatum and Tom Hardy to Star in Afghanistan Evacuation Thriller
Channing Tatum and Tom Hardy have boarded an upcoming film about a group of former special forces members who orchestrated a rescue mission to save their Afghan counterparts during the fall of the country earlier this year. George Noffi (The Banker, The Adjustment Bureau) will write and direct the as-yet-untitled film for Universal Pictures. During America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan earlier this month, several former US special forces members launched ad hoc rescue missions to save former Afghan allies, their families, and other individuals who were not prioritized by the US government as part of its official evacuation efforts. Advertisement Related Video One group, “Task Force Pineapple,” consists of former Green Berets and aid workers who’ve established an underground railroad networ...
Leonardo DiCaprio to Star in Jim Jones Movie
Leonardo DiCaprio is in final negotiations to star in and produce MGM’s upcoming feature on Jonestown cult leader Jim Jones. The appropriately titled Jim Jones biopic is penned by Scott Rosenberg (Venom) and will be produced by DiCaprio alongside Jennifer Davisson for their Appian Way production company. Rosenberg will also serve as executive producer (via Deadline). Jones was the founder of the People’s Temple. What initially began in 1955 as a religious organization built on principals of Christianity and socialism eventually devolved into a fanatical religious cult. After becoming disillusioned with Christianity and the US government, in 1974 Jones migrated the group to Guanya, where they constructed a jungle commune known as Jonestown. Jones, who by then had publicly declared hims...
Foo Fighters to Star in Horror Comedy Studio 666
Foo Fighters will make their feature film debut in a new horror comedy inspired by the making of their latest album, Medicine at Midnight. Entitled Studio 666, the film is directed by BJ McDonnell and will be released in over 2,000 theaters across the US on February 25th, 2022. The story of Sonic 666 is a fantastical retelling of Foo Fighters’ recent experience recording in an old house in Encino California. In interviews in the lead up to Medicine at Midnight’s release, Grohl recounted strange, supernatural events that occurred as the band was recording. “We would come back to the studio the next day and all of the guitars would be detuned,” Grohl told NME. “Or the setting we’d put on the [mixing] board, all of them had gone back to zero. We would open up a Pro Tools session and tracks wo...
Bryce and Aaron Dessner Detail C’mon C’mon Soundtrack, Share “I Won’t Remember?”: Stream
Check in on your local sad boy: Bryce and Aaron Dessner, twin brothers and members of The National, have scored C’mon C’mon, the forthcoming Joaquin Phoenix-starring family drama directed by Mike Mills. Ahead of the soundtrack’s release on November 12th (and the film’s theatrical release the following Friday), the Dessners have shared “I Won’t Remember?” one of the songs they contributed to the film. Stream it below “I Won’t Remember?” is a simple ambient track, consisting of little more than just synths and a clarinet ensemble. Though it’s much quieter than your favorite National songs, the Dessners’ affinity for poignant melodies shines in the song, even without lyrics. Considering C’mon C’mon comes from the same guy who directed 20th Century Women, this soundtrack is boun...
Ariana Grande to Star in Film Adaptation of Wicked
Ariana Grande is headed to Oz. The pop star has been cast as Glinda in the film adaptation of Wicked, the musical prequel to The Wizard of Oz. She announced the news on Instagram Thursday evening. “Thank goodness,” she wrote, sharing ecstatic photos of her reaction to the casting. Grande’s good witch will be joined by Cynthia Erivo’s Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. In the Heights director Jon M. Chu leads the big screen adaption, while Stephen Schwartz, who wrote the music to the original Broadway show, returns with Winnie Holzman to adapt the screenplay. Advertisement Related Video Though Grande’s become a world-renowned singer in recent years, she got her start as an actress, first on Broadway in the musical 13 and later as Cat Valentine in the Nickelodeon hit Victorious...
