Film
Alex Wheatle Is A Rare Stumble for the Small Axe Anthology: Review
The Pitch: Before he was an award-winning author of books like Brixton Rock and Island Songs, Alex Wheatle (Sheyi Cole) spent a short time in prison following his involvement in the 1981 Brixton riots, an explosive confrontation between the police and the neighborhood’s Afro-Caribbean community. There, with the help of his Rastafarian cellmate Simeon (Robbie Gee), Alex looks back on his life — a childhood marred by mistreatment in foster care homes and bolstered by his budding career as a DJ in Brixton — and tries to figure out what to do, and who to be, next. Short But Sweet: Of the five films in writer/director Steve McQueen‘s anthology about the West Indian communities of London from the ’60s to the ’80s, Alex Wheatle is by far the shortest (clocking in at 65 minutes). Th...
Party Time! Wayne’s World Cast Reunites Alongside Alice Cooper, Queen, and Aerosmith: Watch
We’re not worthy: The latest episode of Josh Gad’s quarantine charity series Reunited Apart brought together the cast of Wayne’s World alongside legendary rockers Alice Cooper, Brian May and Roger Taylor of Queen, and Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith. Schwing! The 1992 film was based on a popular SNL sketch, which itself had roots in the “Wayne’s Power Hour” segments on the 1987 Canadian series It’s Only Rock & Roll. Like other editions of Reunited Apart, this one began with a tortured comedy bit where Gad pretended that the whole thing hadn’t been meticulously planned. Here, he dials up Joe Perry and Steven Tyler, but only to ask for the phone numbers of Mike Myers and Dana Carvey, who played Wayne and Garth. “You brought us — two wo...
Christopher Nolan Blasts HBO Max As “Worst Streaming Service” in Light of “Arrogant” Warner Bros. Deal
Last week, Warner Bros. announced plans to simultaneously release all 17 of their 2021 titles (The Matrix 4, Dune, The Suicide Squad etc.) directly to HBO Max and to theaters. The news sent shockwaves throughout the film industry due to the drastic consequences it will have not just on the existence of movie theaters, but on the entire Hollywood apparatus. Naturally, Christopher Nolan had some opinions on the matter. On Monday, the Tenet writer-director told The Hollywood Reporter that Warner Bros.’ decision to unload their entire release schedule onto the new streaming service — which is owned by their parent company WarnerMedia and had a middling launch earlier this year— will be disastrous. “Some of our industry’s biggest filmmakers and most important ...
Self-Proclaimed Centrist Matthew McConaughey Criticizes Hollywood’s “Illiberal Left”
During a recent appearance on comedian Russell Brand’s podcast, Matthew McConaughey explained his “aggressively centrist” political views while taking both the left and right to task. McConaughey has been espousing a burgeoning political interest recently, even going so far as to mull over the idea of running for Governor of Texas. However, the actor sees politics as a “broken business” split too adamantly along divisive lines. On his Under the Skin podcast, Brand asked McConaughey about the “judgement” and values of the left-right divide, specifically noting the “condemnation and criticism” of “ordinary working people” who voted for Brexit or Trump. The actor responded that “the two vehicles on either side of the political aisle are so far apart, their fucking tires aren’t even on the pav...
What the Cluck? Mario Lopez Plays Colonel Sanders in KFC-Lifetime Original Film A Recipe for Seduction
The original Colonel Sanders looked like a mashed potato with glasses, so consider Mario Lopez the spicy option. The Saved by the Bell heartthrob will star as chef Harland Sanders in the new Lifetime original mini-movie A Recipe for Seduction. This corporate dystopian cluster-cluck will air December 13th on Lifetime, and the first trailer is out now. While KFC and Lifetime may seem like clashing flavors, the fast food retailer has proved that anything can go with anything, so long as your bucket is big enough. Besides, the two companies have a few things in common, especially a reliance on a tried-and-true formula, whether that is a woman in jeopardy with a violent male partner or the 11 original herbs and spices. Both make appearances in the 15-minute film, judging by the new trailer...
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart Is the Bee Gees Doc You’ve Been Waiting For: Review
The Pitch: Three Australian brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb formed the most formidable musical and songwriter trio this side of Holland-Dozier-Holland when they became the Bee Gees. Musical chameleons, they rose to fame during the late-staged British Invasion of the 1960s, recalibrated for the singer-songwriter era of the early-1970s, and rose to a level of fame during the height of disco not seen since The Beatles. Director Frank Marshall captures it all in his new HBO documentary, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, mixing spine-tingling isolation tracks and archival interviews with the brothers Gibb to tell a captivating story of a sibling trio who, despite their differences, thrived due to their deep love. To Love Somebody: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart finds the B...
Black Panther’s Letitia Wright Promotes Anti-Vax Conspiracy Theories on Twitter
Letitia Wright, star of Black Panther and Steve McQueen’s Mangrove, is facing a backlash after promoting anti-vaccination conspiracy theories on Twitter. On Thursday night, as The Hollywood Reporter, The Wrap, and others have documented, the Guyanese-British actress posted a 70-minute video with the all-caps title “COVID-19 VACCINE, SHOULD WE TAKE IT?” The author, Tomi Arayomi, is a self-described “Prophet” whose content spans Christianity, human rights, and conspiracy theories. “I don’t understand vaccines medically but I’ve always been a little bit of a skeptic of them,” he says towards the beginning of the rambling, fact-free video. Arayomi goes on to explain how RFID chips could be implanted through vaccines, name checks Bill Gates, George Soros, and The Great Reset, and...
Ranking: Every David Fincher Movie from Worst to Best
Mank, the latest from director David Fincher, is yet another feat by a filmmaker who has notched a few of them. He’s in that holy trinity of modern directors right alongside P.T. Anderson and Christopher Nolan — auteurs whose films are so defiantly theirs. Fincher would be the first to tell you that his career started off disastrously (read on for info on the Alien 3 production), so who could have anticipated all of the success that would follow both critically and financially? Not only did our film staff agree on a ranking of Fincher’s 11 films, we went ahead and dissected each movie, as well. The director’s career is full of highlights, curiosities, and a small serving of disasters. However, all of his films remain interesting in their own ways. We hope you’ll dive into the 8,000+ words ...
Oscar Isaac Cast as Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid Movie
Oscar Isaac has been cast as Solid Snake in Sony’s upcoming film adaptation of the beloved Metal Gear Solid video game franchise, according toThe Hollywood Reporter. Unless you’ve been hiding in a cardboard box for the last 30 years, you’ve probably heard of Hideo Kojima’s blockbuster stealth action series. The character first appeared in 1987’s Metal Gear as a naked homage to Snake Plissken, the protagonist of John Carpenter’s Escape From New York. Solid Snake (sometimes known as Iroquois Pliskin and sometimes just David) is a secretive special forces operative and occasional self-employed mercenary. The backstory is notoriously dense, and the series has long deployed lengthy cut-scenes that, while not always fun to play, would seem to make the material perfectly suited for...
The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone Is Tighter, Leaner, and Self-Aware: Review
The Pitch: The Godfather trilogy has to be the most beloved hated idea in popular cinema. The Godfather, about the semi-reluctant rise of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) to become the head of his family’s criminal organization, is one of the most watched and venerated American movies. The Godfather Part II, about Michael leveraging the last bit of his soul for control that isn’t his to take, broke a rule it could just as easily have created: it’s a sequel every bit as good as the original. The third Godfather movie, which sees Michael’s past replay itself in a violent burlesque? That’s a movie over which people are still personally aggrieved. They’ll come out of the woodwork to tell you The Godfather Part III sucked. Go ahead and post about it on social media, someone will find you and tell y...
Pocahonta Voice Actress Irene Bedard Arrested Twice in Three Days
Actress Irene Bedard, best known for voicing Pocahontas in the classic 1995 Disney film, was arrested twice in the span of three days. According to TMZ, police responded to a possible domestic violence call last Friday at Bedard’s ex-husband’s home in Ohio. Bedard was reportedly found with a belt in her hand. “Look, they sent the white man to come get me!” the 53-year-old Native American actress said of the arriving Beavercreek officers, per TMZ. Her ex-husband claimed a drunken Bedard kicked him and screamed at their teenage son. The incident resulted in Bedard being booked for domestic violence, assault, and resisting arrest. Not long after, Bedard was arrested again for allegedly harassing a front desk employee at a hotel. Authorities booked her for disorderly conduct. Since her br...
Peter Jackson Remastered The Lord of the Rings Trilogy in 4K
Peter Jackson has remastered both The Lord of the Rings trilogy and The Hobbit trilogy in 4K. According to the director, all six movies were lacking visual consistency, so he revisited both the theatrical and extended versions to give them the 4K Ultra HD visuals and surround-sound Dolby audio they deserve in 2020. Do these movies really need some touching up barely two decades later? It’s hard to believe so considering they repeatedly swept the Academy Awards for cinematography, visual effects, makeup, and more. And yet, considering his Lord of the Rings adaptations have maintained their lore over the years and technology makes visual adjustments like these rather easy, Jackson’s decision to do so also makes complete sense. In a behind-the-feature included on the box sets, Jackson re...
