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Two-time Oscar winner Daniel Day-Lewis is the star and protagonist of the new musical “Nine,” but you almost have to squint to make him out in the film’s pre-release hype. The selling point of the movie, it would appear, is the presence of its scintillating and high-profile cast of women, five of whom are Oscar winners themselves. Complete Story...
If the last 10 years of Robert Downey, Jr.’s life were a movie, nobody would believe it. An Oscar nominee for 1992’s “Chaplin,” Downey’s drug use over the rest of the decade got worse and worse until finally, in 1999, a judge sentenced him to a three-year sentence in the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison. Released after one year, Downey continued to relapse until early 2001, when he finally took rehab seriously.
Web sites that buy original video clips often pay so little that "The Bannen Way," a flashy crime thriller debuting online, looked destined to be made poorly if it could be made at all.
Before attacking the film version of “Gone with the Wind” for its racial and gender politics, it bears noting that almost as much time has lapsed between today and the film’s original release as had lapsed between that original release and the end of the Civil War. And it can be argued that American society underwent greater changes between 1939 and 2009 than it did between 1865 and 1939.
It's fair to say that it's a risky venture create a movie about an exotically colored, 10-foot-tall tribe called the Na'vi and spend more money making it than any other film in the history of Hollywood.
The top 10 films of 2009, according to AP Movie Writer David Germain:
Years pass and tastes change, at least a little. In choosing their top films of the past decade, Associated Press movie critics David Germain and Christy Lemire stuck closely to their favorites from each year.
Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road” won the Pulitzer Prize, but it’s likely the voters read it while holding a hand over their eyes and peering through a gap in two fingers. While it is a novel that explores the unwavering bond between a father and son, there are chilling and gruesome aspects that make a beautifully written tale somewhat cringeworthy.
NEW YORK - Director Tim Burton has become a household name thanks to his highly stylized and hugely popular movies such as “Batman” and “Beetlejuice.” While fans may say his films are works of art, few would expect to see Burton’s imagery displayed alongside Monet’s “Water Lilies” and Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” However, from now until April, the Museum of Modern Art in New York is doing just that, with a major career retrospective of Burton’s art and movies.
Fans of Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" book series have been waiting impatiently to see her second novel, "New Moon," brought to the big screen. Now Bella Swan's patient friend Jacob gets his chance to see if he can oust Edward Cullen from her affections, and judging from the shirt selection at Hot Topic, he has more than a few fans in his pack.
NEW YORK - While the country continued to find ways to cut back in tough times, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences decided it was time to supersize. In October, it announced a doubling of the number of nominees in the best picture category, bringing the grand total to 10.
Sure, it’s flattering to have girls and women the world over swooning over your every move and hair toss, but sometimes a guy just wants to connect one-on-one, you know? Without a lot of D-R-A-M-A.
The Internet is truly an information highway that covers the globe. Al Gore claimed he invented it. Former Sen. Ted Stevens described it as “a series of tubes.” Jon Stewart once said of it, “The Internet is just a world passing around notes in a classroom.”
For years, 70-year-old Ian McKellen was a highly respected actor who alternated between films and stage, which included lots of Shakespeare. Then just before turning 50, he came out on a BBC radio show and in the last two decades his career has skyrocketed. He’s appeared in blockbusters such as “The Da Vinci Code,” the X-Men series and of course as Gandalf in “The Lord of the Rings.” McKellen’s new TV show, “The Prisoner,” debuts on AMC on Nov. 15. He chatted with Nicki Gostin.
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver's office took a close interest in the state's film promotion efforts long before questions about spending and bookkeeping prompted the governor to freeze the program, e-mails obtained by The Associated Press indicate.
It started as a seven-minute short that took place in a filthy bathroom and featured two men chained by their ankles to pipes, thrust into a sinister predicament by a clever monster known as the Jigsaw Killer. Four more installments later, the “Saw” franchise is a bona fide blockbuster, raking in more than $1 billion of worldwide revenue in box office and DVD sales and becoming a Halloween treat for horror buffs.
Many of the musicians and craftsmen interviewed in “This Is It” talk about Michael Jackson’s perfectionism, so it begs the question: Would Michael Jackson have wanted this movie of rehearsal footage to be seen by mass audiences?
When it was announced that Hilary Swank would be starring as Amelia Earhart in the new biopic “Amelia,” Oscar-watchers everywhere thought to themselves, “Well, of .” Swank, after all, took home Best Actress Oscars for two films — 1999’s “Boys Don’t Cry” and 2004’s “Million Dollar Baby” — that required her to cut her hair, wear pants and communicate photogenic anguish.
At this point, the question doesn't seem to be if Harris will one day host the Oscars but when. His championship turn at the Emmys this year would have seemed like a slam dunk even if he hadn't followed last year's disastrous five-reality-hosts-without-a-script telecast. It came a mere three and a half months after his hosting debut at the Tonys, and he proved in both cases that he was equally adept at song-and-dance numbers as he was with off-the-cuff jokes about events that happened just minutes before. Even so, he was respectful to the ceremonies without taking things too seriously while successfully tailoring each show to a different audience. If Hugh Jackman could successfully make the awards-show transition from Broadway to the silver screen, so can NPH. Unless, of course, he's beaten out by Jeremy Piven or Jon Cryer.
I never cared much for Pink Floyd until a friend persuaded me to go with him to a late-night screening of “Pink Floyd: Live at Pompeii” when we were sophomores in high school. Actually, let me put that another way: I hated Pink Floyd. They were a ’70s band known for drawn-out songs and elaborate concept albums, and I was an ’80s kid who liked loud, fast punk rock.
When an actress wins an Academy Award, it catapults her to a new universe. When she wins two, she gets into the VIP room in that new universe. Hilary Swank has two Oscars, for her work in “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Million Dollar Baby,” which means that in the distaff hierarchy of movie stardom she ranks somewhere between Katharine Hepburn (four Oscars) and Helen Hunt (one). Swank has as many Oscars as Meryl Streep.
In an era when most mainstream films seem to have originated as TV shows, old movies or even action figures and board games, it’s no surprise that beloved children’s books are considered ripe for big-screen adaptations.
There’s so very much to like about Spike Jonze and Dave Eggers’ adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s beloved book “Where the Wild Things Are” — it fleshes out the original’s themes brilliantly, it’s lovely to look at and listen to — but it winds up being a well-crafted vehicle that never soars. While many of the individual filmmaking choices are intelligent, the finished product lacks that spark of magic that marks a classic.
Yes, yes, there are only seven basic stories, and there’s nothing new under the sun, ob-la-di, ob-la-dah, I get it. Authors and playwrights and filmmakers take familiar characters and situations and use them to tell new and different stories, because it’s all been done before.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - There’s something about reliving the ’60s that seems to appeal to everyone, from those who were actually alive during that defining era to those whose parents weren’t even old enough to conceive them.
Man wins 'Christmas Story' house sleepoverThe experience is a "major award" for Billy Jeffrey, who says he's obsessed with the 1983 film. He bid $4,200 in an online charity auction.
Downey's no Sherlock Holmes, but it worksTake it from a lifelong fan of Arthur Conan Doyle: Robert Downey Jr. is so NOT Sherlock Holmes. That's not a hindrance - in fact, it's a big help - as he and director Guy Ritchie bring Conan Doyle's dusty Victorian-age detective into the modern world.
Utah man who inspired 'Rain Man' diesKim Peek was a savant with a remarkable memory and inspired writer Barry Morrow when he wrote "Rain Man," the 1988 movie that won four Academy Awards.
'Avatar' could get nine Oscar nominationsThere were plenty of skeptics awaiting the years-in-the-making film with a show-me attitude. But once it began screening two weeks ago, and in the wake of its opening Friday, James Cameron's space odyssey has redefined the awards-season contests.
Arnold Stang, actor known for nerdy roles, diesArnold Stang, a radio, theater, film and television actor famous for his nerdy looks and demeanor, has died.
'It's Complicated' is all too simple-minded"It's Complicated" is lying from the moment the title appears. This relationship comedy is simple, almost as simple about grown-up romance and heartache as the average Hollywood teen comedy is about youthful love and sex.
AFI's Top 50 Movie Heros and VilliansTo Kill a Mockingbird's Atticus Finch, portrayed in the drama by Gregory Peck, was chosen as the top hero, while serial killer Hannibal Lecter, played by Anthony Hopkins in the thriller The Silence of the Lambs, was tagged as cinema's top villain.
The beauty of film is that it affects each and every one of us in many different ways. During the holidays, it's no different.
Hospital: Actress Brittany Murphy dies at age 32Brittany Murphy, the actress who got her start in the sleeper hit "Clueless" and rose to stardom in "8 Mile," has died in Los Angeles. She was 32.
What The Next 10 Years Holds In Sci-Fi Movies!As mankind hurtles towards a brand new decade, the problems of a slumping economy, the swine flu, and increasingly divisive debate over health care seem positively trivial in comparison to what's in store for us...
'Avatar' blasts off with $232 million worldwideJames Cameron launched his science-fiction epic "Avatar" into a safe orbit as the costly film soared to No. 1 with $73 million domestically and $159.2 million overseas, for a $232.2 million worldwide total.
Yesterday afternoon I was treated by my darling kids to see James Cameron's new film, Avatar. After the movie, it was Dad's treat to lunch, a place I'd haven't been to in years, but "newly discovered" by the next generation. Funny how that seems to be working out lately.......
Avatar :: rogerebert.com :: ReviewsAt first, I ruled out seeing avatar, another cgi or animated flick for the young'uns. But the trailers are very good, and I noticed that there are people in them. I got curious. So I whipped over to Roger Ebert, whom I've been reading since he started reviewing...Roger likes it.
Midnight 'Avatar' screenings pull in $3.5MJames Cameron's big-budget film "Avatar" took in $3.5 million at its initial midnight screenings in the United States and Canada, ticket tracker Hollywood.com Box Office said.
Paparazzo crashes bike into Anne Hathaway's carAuthorities say a paparazzo has crashed his bicycle into actress Anne Hathaway's car in West Hollywood. No one was seriously injured.
Sarah Jessica Parker can't wait for ChristmasSarah Jessica Parker is looking forward to a family Christmas. That's because she won't be the only female in the house this year; her baby girls, Marion and Tabitha, will also be part of the festivities.
You'll wish you didn't 'Hear About the Morgans'This bland fish-out-of-water comedy is unremarkable in every aspect, unless you're one of them thar city slickers who thinks the idea that Sarah Jessica Parker trading in her Jimmy Choos for a pair of cowboy boots amounts to an act of cultural treason.
Miyazaki's next based on The BorrowersStudio Ghibli will release a new animated film next summer based on a novel by British writer Mary Norton, the leading "anime" creator said Wednesday.
Rene Russo Is Thor's Stepmom... But Have They Already Cast Thor's Executioner?Variety announced Rene Russo would be playing the role as Frigga, whose husband Odin, to be played by Anthony Hopkins. Frigga is the stepmother to both Thor and Loki
That Bloody Shower and Its Violent OffspringThe film historian David Thomson makes a powerful; and sometimes surprising; case for the importance of Psycho in film and cultural history.
Paparazzo on bike hits Anne Hathaway's carNo one was seriously hurt and no arrests were made after the photographer hit the car while it was making a right turn in West Hollywood.
'Precious,' 'Up in the Air' score with SAG nodsThe Screen Actors Guild announced it nominations for the 16th annual SAG Awards Thursday, with "Precious" and "Up in the Air" earning three nominations each. Both films also picked up multiple Golden Globe nominations this week.
Clooney, Streep, Bullock earn SAG Award nods"Inglourious Basterds" and "Precious" are competing for the guild's overall cast prize, along with "An Education," "The Hurt Locker" and "Nine."
This was not the decision Lucas was looking forA British court on Wednesday rejected an attempt by George Lucas' film empire to collect damages from the prop designer who sold replicas of the Stormtrooper uniforms from the "Star Wars" movies.
Jeff Bridges is Bad to the bone in 'Crazy Heart'Academy Awards buzz is swirling around Jeff Bridges, nominated four times previously without a win. "Crazy Heart" feels like a potential Oscar winner for the actor, who is so good as Bad Blake that you love this guy even when he is bad, even when he messes up.
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