Everything about Captain Fantastic is fantastic. Thematically massive, tonally bold, determinedly non-formulaic and featuring a preternaturally perfectly cast leading man at the top of his game, Matt Ross’ second feature film as writer/director is one of the best of the year thus far, up there with Sing Street. Viggo Mortensen – and, once you’ve seen the film, you…
A bunch more news this week – let’s get this train a-rollin’! Ka-pow! In this week’s “most interesting remake” story, Awesome director Jeff Nichols has signed a deal with 20th Century Fox to write and direct a film remake of Alien Nation, the sci-fi film from 1988. That original dealt with issues of prejudice and…
As I have done the past 7 or 8 years now, I went to the Creation Entertainment Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas last month. This year was certainly special, though, as this year marks the 50th year of Star Trek’s existence. In fact, today, September 8, is the exact date the original Star Trek…
In what can be described as a less cerebral, action/thriller version of Ex Machina, Morgan manages to use every trope in the genre book therefore creating a film whose every step is visible from the first 10 or 15 minutes. Directed by Luke Scott, son of Ridley Scott, Morgan is clearly one of those films…
A whole new week of film news! And if you’re nice, maybe even one or two nerd relevant TV stories, too! Now, mush! In this week’s “Funny people in funny costumes” story, Christopher Guest has a new mockumentary coming – not to theaters – but to Netflix! The comedy, Mascots, will be available on October…
Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s series The Office, which ran for two seasons of six episodes plus two Christmas specials starting in 2001, is, minute for minute, the greatest half-hour comedy program ever made. Its influence on popular culture is massive beyond measure; besides pioneering a mockumentary vibe for the sitcom format and revolutionising the office…
Great googly-moogly! It’s another week of informative and flabbergasting film news! What nonsense is afoot this week?! In this week’s “Don’t bruise it” story, Disney is going to make another version of James and the Giant Peach. This time it will be live action and Sam Mendes is in talks to direct. Author Nick Hornby…
I’ve always liked Jason Statham. Correction: I’ve always rooted for Jason Statham, ever since I first saw him in Guy Ritchie’s Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels back in 1998. Even though he had been on the British National Diving Team, he seemed to have simply stepped off the streets of London (and the seedy streets at…
If you’re an admirer of Blake Lively (Savages, The Age of Adaline), see The Shallows, for it’s a fair bet that no movie ever again will devote to her so much adoring screen time. Essentially (though not literally) a one-man show á la Castaway, this surf-and-shark tale, a cunning little B-movie from Spanish genre whiz Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax, Orphan,…
Well, this one certainly seemed right up my street: a model-animated adventure clearly inspired by Japanese mythology, as well as Japanese samurai and horror cinema. Created by Laika Entertainment (Coraline, The Boxtrolls) — owned by Nike chairman Phil Knight — and directed by the company CEO (and Phil’s son) Travis Knight, it tells of a ……