Charles Bramesco
‘Batman vs. Superman’ Simultaneously Conquers, Flounders at Box Office
Love it or hate it, there’s no denying that Batman vs. Superman at the very least occupies an interesting space in the pop-cultural landscape: a polarizing film loathed by critics but fiercely defended by a cult fanbase while simultaneously achieving mainstream success, but now facing an unanticipated challenge...
Daniel Radcliffe’s Dead-ish Body Saves the Day in Bizarre ‘Swiss Army Man’ Trailer
Among the hottest topics of conversation at Sundance back in January was a picture by the name of Swiss Army Man, or as it was commonly referred to, “the farting corpse movie.” Described by Variety as “Cast Away meets Weekend at Bernie’s as directed my Michel Gondry,” the singularly weird picture casts Paul Dano as Hank, a man marooned on a desert island who has officially exhausted all his option
After More Than a Decade, Terry Gilliam‘s ‘Don Quixote’ Is Back on Track
After 17 years spent milling around development hell, Terry Gilliam’s adaptation of Don Quixote ranks among the greatest films never made. The celebrated director of such wild-eyed satires as Brazil and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas took on a mad mission of his own in tackling the legendary picaresque novel from Miguel Cervantes, landing Johnny Depp and Jean Rochefort to star in the tale of a deluded knight pursuing farcical missions around the Spanish countryside while providing subtle critiques of class and religion. The 2002 documentary Lost in La Mancha chronicles Gilliam’s long and arduous road to realizing this vision, which included everything from flash floods to technical hassles to a serious illness from Rochefort that would ultimately table the entire production and result in a $15 million insurance claim.
Bridget Jones Romances Batman and Superman in Superhero/Romcom Trailer Mash-Up
The hot topic du jour in the world of pop culture is Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, a blockbuster behemoth with terrible reviews, a devoted fanbase, and all the buzz in the world. Everyone, proponent and detractor alike, has got their own jokes about the new smash, with some taking aim at the weird and unwieldy title (“Batman v Superman v Ecks v Sever v Alien v Predator v Freddy v Jason v Kra
‘Walking Dead’ Star Steven Yeun Set For Indie Thriller ‘Mayhem’
On The Walking Dead, an actor never knows when it’s going to be his last week on set. It sure looked like Glenn Rhee (played by Steven Yeun) was out of the picture when he was covered by an entire horde of zombies in the most recent season, but then he wasn’t, somehow. But he could’ve been! And in that moment, Yeun (probably) realized just how precarious his spot on the cult-hit show really was, liable to evaporate with a few keystrokes out of the writers’ room. He began to make plans to ensure that he’d be secure in the event of a Walking Dead-less future, and today, those plans have solidified into a new movie role for the in-demand actor.
Warner Bros. Jump-Starts ‘Cannonball Run’ Remake
The original film collected Burt Reynolds, Roger Moore, Dom DeLuise, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Farrah Fawcett, Jackie Chan, Jamie Farr, and Peter Fonda in a cameo role, which means this new Cannonball Run will be required to cast at least nine beloved famous people if they want to get this up and running. Truly, the Fast and Furious parallels could not be more glaring.
In-Home Screening Room Draws Support From Major Filmmakers
Last week, we took note of a new business venture called Screening Room spearheaded by Napster founder Sean Parker. The proposed service would digitally stream the latest major-studio theatrical releases into the confines of private American homes for a hefty estimated fee of $50 on the same day as in-theater premieres, rendering a trip to the local cineplex less necessary than ever. Naturally, this radical new strategy would change the entire face of the industry, and has accordingly raised hackles on the production, distribution, and exhibition sides of Hollywood. As movie theaters struggle to stay relevant and profitable, Parker’s every press conference sounds like a death knell. And this weekend, both sides of this instantly contentious debate dug in their heels on their positions.
National Film Board of Canada Devotes 50% of Budget to Female-Directed Projects
America’s eternally more-chill neighbor to the north has just implemented heartening new measures to ensure gender parity on a wide scale. The National Film Board of Canada has released a new report detailing plans that moving forward, 50% of all production funds will be allocated to films directed by women...
J.J. Abrams Dispels Fan Theory About Rey and Leia
Fan theories, a perplexing recent trend in which devotees of a work of fiction claim to unearth hidden truths about it through elaborate and often nonsensical analyses of minor peripheral details, are bigger than all of us. They serve no real purpose other than giving denizens of the internet something to occupy our time while we wait for the sweet release of death, and in some instances can even detract from actual criticism, but for the most part they’re harmless fun. In recent weeks, however, they’ve caused J.J. Abrams a bit of frustration.
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Documentary to Premiere at SXSW
Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the sun around which a vast galaxy of tie-ins revolve. The latest installment of the Star Wars franchise is only a piece of a much larger system of products and supplemental material, from the endless rollout of merchandising (that somehow excludes the main character of the film) to the various tidbits of trivia dropped during interviews that fans have hungrily gobb