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Films Of The Decade – Ed’s List

23 December 2009 5:17 PM, PST | FilmShaft.com | See recent FilmShaft.com news »

Each decade of celluloid is defined by its psychological preoccupations. Oh yes it is, don’t look at me like that. The 9/11 terror attacks on New York and Washington cast a long shadow over the first decade of the 21st century. The Nineties had been a relatively stable and optimistic era by comparison and was all the more moribund for it. Tom Sizemore’s speech in Katherine Bigelow’s Strange Days (1995) summed up the emerging consensus – “everything’s been done, every kind of music’s been tried, every government’s been tried, every fuckin’ hairstyle. How you gonna make it another thousand years, for Chrissake?”

But it wasn’t quite the end of history after all. After 9/11 the zeitgeist became politically-charged once more as it had been in more polarised times. Entertainment was not immune from this effect, nor could it afford to be. With rare exceptions such as Paul Greengrass »

- Ed Whitfield

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What I Watched, What You Watched: Installment #22

20 December 2009 2:53 AM, PST | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

Last week I watched several films in the theater including It's Complicated and Sherlock Holmes as well as finally watched The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Broken Embraces (review here) and The Lovely Bones (review here). So, there was little time left for home movie watching, but I do have a couple to bring to the table before you share your lists in the comments.

A Prophet (2010) Quick Thoughts: I've been asked to hold off on posting an official review of this film until it's February 26, 2010 release, but seeing how it has been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, was named Best Foreign Language film by the National Board of Review and will almost certainly be nominated for an Oscar and will be competing with The White Ribbon for the win, I couldn't help but bring it up here. Even if it's only to make sure it's on your radar. »

- Brad Brevet

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Blu-ray Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

20 December 2009 2:45 AM, PST | Rope of Silicon | See recent Rope Of Silicon news »

In Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince it finally hits home that Warner Bros.' phenomenally successful cash cow is starting to come to its conclusion. The battle between the boy wizard Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his ghostly nemesis Voldermort (Ralph Fiennes) nears its climax during the student's sixth term at Hogwarts, and for all the twists, turns and surprises the revelation that the end is nigh might just be the most startling one of all.

This comes from the point of view of someone who has not always been this series' biggest fan. I wasn't impressed with director Chris Columbus' first two chapters, their sluggish pace and simplistic storytelling drove me nuts. Yet Alfonso Cuarón's magnificent third entry (still the best of the bunch) blew me away, Mike Newell's follow-up felt more like a John Hughes meets J.K Rowling hybrid than it did anything else. »

- Sara Michelle Fetters

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Films Of The Decade – Alex’s List

18 December 2009 4:15 PM, PST | FilmShaft.com | See recent FilmShaft.com news »

10 years is bloody ages in film terms. To narrow it down to my ten favourite films of the decade was no easy task. Even now I look at my list and can’t help but think…where the hell is Gladiator? Why didn’t I include any Lord Of The Rings films? What about The Dark Knight? Damn, what about The Lives Of Others, Pan’s Labyrinth, Finding Nemo, Downfall, No Country For Old Men? All of those films are incredible candidates and on another day they might have made it. The truth is no self-respecting film buff will ever be able to narrow down 10 films to fit a list and not have it change every so often.

One day my opinion of the best film of all time will be Seven Samurai the next day it will be Apocalypse Now and the day after that it might be Night Of The Hunter. »

- Alex Wagner

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Blu-Ray Review: ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ Looks Amazing in HD

17 December 2009 1:04 PM, PST | HollywoodChicago.com | See recent HollywoodChicago.com news »

Chicago – “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” is one of the most visually striking films of a year filled with achievements in great cinematography. I love Deakins’ work on “A Serious Man,” Richardson’s on “Inglourious Basterds,” and Christian Berger’s on “The White Ribbon,” but Bruno Delbonnel (who also lensed “Amelie”) has helped produce one of the most aesthetically remarkable films of the year, easily the most interesting interplay of shadow and light yet seen in a “Potter” film. Naturally, it makes for a great fit with the 1080p of Blu-Ray.

Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0

After shuffling directors for four installments in a row from Chris Columbus to Alfonso Cuaron to Mike Newell, the “Harry Potter” series settled on the relatively unknown David Yates for the final four films (“The Order of the Phoenix,” “The Half-Blood Prince,” and the two-part “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”).

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince »

- adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)

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Sci-Fi Squad Names The Best Science Fiction Films of the Decade

13 December 2009 3:32 PM, PST | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

It's been ten years since we crossed into the seemingly futuristic "Year 2000." While we didn't get moon colonies or hovercars, we did get a collection of amazing science fiction films, both blockbusters and indies. The staff of Sci-Fi Squad has compiled their top ten (okay, eleven) favorite films of the decade, a list that will allow you to nod your head in agreement or spit venom at us in the comments. So now, in alphabetical order...

Children of Men (2006, Dir. Alfonso Cuarón)

The opening scenes of Children of Men plunge the viewer neck-deep into an icy future with an expiration date firmly set. The human race faces extinction because women all over the world have become infertile: no children have been born for a generation. The British government endeavors to stave off chaos by deporting all foreigners, but many of its citizens have already succumbed to hopelessness and despair. Theo »

- Cinematical staff

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Cuaron and Depp Find Its a High Season for 'The Tourist'

12 December 2009 6:25 PM, PST | ioncinema | See recent ioncinema news »

The French film from which The Tourist is based from (Anthony Zimmer) contains a narrative DNA that is very kaiser soze, but to be frank about it, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. Spyglass Entertainment is seeing a lot of action for a tale about a wanted man...its mostly due to scheduling conflicts. - The French film from which The Tourist is based from (Anthony Zimmer) contains a narrative DNA that is very kaiser soze, but to be frank about it, I'm not sure what all the fuss is about. Spyglass Entertainment is seeing a lot of action for a tale about a wanted man...its mostly due to scheduling conflicts. Male lead Sam Worthington has jumped ship and an even better replacement in Johnny Depp might take the part. Meanwhile, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck who just recently considered taking helming duties has dropped the pic, »

- Ioncinema.com Staff

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'Harry Potter' Star Tom Felton Names His Favorite Franchise Director

11 December 2009 12:57 AM, PST | MTV Movie News | See recent MTV Movie News news »

'I think he's a genius at what he does,' he says of David Yates.

By Eric Ditzian, with reporting by Tami Katzoff

Tom Felton

Photo: MTV News

From "Terminator" to "Twilight," any movie franchise is going to see some turnover in the director's chair, and you can't expect these franchises' stars not to play favorites among these helmers. Both Kristen Stewart and Kellan Lutz, for example, have picked Chris Weitz as their top "Twilight" director.

By the time it wraps up in 2011, the "Harry Potter" series will have seen four directors helm its eight films. Tom Felton, who plays baddie Draco Malfoy, said his favorite is David Yates, the man who's been in charge since 2007's "Order of the Phoenix" and who will bring the franchise to a close with the two-part "Deathly Hallows" finale.

"David Yates, who we've been working with for the last few years, he's been by far my personal favorite, »

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Decade: Alfonso Cuarón on “Y Tu Mama Tambien”

9 December 2009 4:27 AM, PST | IndieWIRE | See recent indieWIRE news »

Editor’S Note: Every day for the next month, indieWIRE will be republishing profiles and interviews from the past ten years (in their original, retro format) with some of the people that have defined independent cinema in the first decade of this century.  Today, we’ll step back to 2002 with an interview indieWIRE’s Anthony Kaufman had with Alfonso Cuarón upon the release of his greatly acclaimed Y Tu Mamá También.” Interview: Not … »

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Decade in Review: 2002 Top Ten

2 December 2009 7:58 PM, PST | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »

As with 2000 and 2001, I'm reprinting my original top ten lists and commentary. If I've got something new to say, it'll be in red below.

Please note: This list was based on NYC release dates in the year 2002. Some movies are listed as different years at the IMDb based on when they were produced or released in their home country or in La or whatnot.

Undervalued: Morvern Callar, Roger Dodger, About a Boy, White Oleander, Panic Room and Kissing Jessica Stein Top 10 Runners Up: Chicago, Monsoon Wedding, Punch Drunk Love and Spirited Away I still am glad I championed most of these movies though I am sad that some of them aren't in the top ten... particularly Morvern, Monsoon and the Miyazaki. The MMMs. Though I'm not sure I'd know what to remove to make room for them.

10. 8 Women (François Ozon)

Ever since I a French teacher took my friends and »

- NATHANIEL R

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Birthday Suits, Well Directed

30 November 2009 6:05 AM, PST | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »

Lights. Cameras. Birthday Action (for this, the 30th of November). Only one month left to go and it's 2010. How crazy is that?

Ridley, Terrence (in the 70s) and Marc

1835 Mark Twain's books have been adapted into movies ever since the movies began. Most notably The Prince and the Pauper and any tale of Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer

1920 Virginia Mayo 40s and 50s star, frequent Danny Kaye foil

1926 Richard Crenna, character actor

1927 Robert Guillaume, "Benson"

1929 Dick Clark, seemingly immortal creature who may finally be destroyed by the rise of his spiritual offspring Ryan Seacrest. It's all very Cronos vs. Zeus, only without the thunderbolts

1937 Ridley Scott, manly director whose movies are usually way better when they're shot through with a strong female presence. Consider the three classics: Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise, Alien. The rest of the filmography surely has its moments but that's the trinity right there.

1943 Terence Malick, »

- NATHANIEL R

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Birthday Suits, An Oscar For Ed!

28 November 2009 6:20 AM, PST | FilmExperience | See recent FilmExperience news »

Each day we're celebriting the birth of various cinematic persons. Can someone in Hollywood please give their Oscar to Ed Harris today? I mean, my god how long does he have to wait for that damn thing? The rest of today's Sagittarians are less easy to shop for. What could we give Jon Stewart, for example, that he doesn't already have?

Ed, Laura and Jon

1896 Lilia Skala, Oscar nominated actress (Lilies of the Field)

1923 Gloria Grahame, Oscar winner (The Bad the Beautiful)

933 Hope Lange, Oscar nominated actress (Peyton Place, The Young Lions, Death Wish)

1941 Laura Antonelli, Italian actress, sex symbol

1946 Joe Dante He'll always have Gremlins, such a great 80s picture.

1949 Alexander Godunov, like Baryshnikov, he was a Russian ballet star who defected to America and co-starred in movies. It didn't go quite as well. He never achieved anything close to Misha's level of fame though he made for a memorable screen presence (Witness, »

- NATHANIEL R

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IFC Teams with Netflix to Bring 53 New Films to Streaming “Watch Instantly” Service

20 November 2009 2:50 PM, PST | Collider.com | See recent Collider.com news »

While not quite as massive as the thousands of films the Starz deal provided to Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” service last year, IFC Films has signed an exclusive streaming deal with Netflix for 53 of IFC’s films.  Among the 53 films are John Sayles’ The Brother From Another Planet and Return of the Secaucus Seven; Christopher Nolan’s first film, Following; James Toback’s When Will I Be Loved?; the Errol Morris’ documentaries Gates of Heaven and The Thin Blue Line; Susanne Bier’s Brothers (which is the original version of the upcoming Tobey Maguire/Natalie Portman/Jake Gyllenhaal movie of the same name); and Alfonso Cuaron’s first feature film, Solo con tu pareja.  The press release doesn’t say whether or not any IFC Films beyond the 53 they’re adding today will become available on “Watch Instantly”.

For those who don’t know, Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” service allows »

- Matt Goldberg

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Netflix and IFC Team Up for Streaming Indies

20 November 2009 1:32 PM, PST | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

Netflix knows where it's at when it comes to the rental biz; more and more, folks want to stay at home and watch movies instantly. We don't even want to wait for those happy little red envelopes any more. Nope, if it's not on our Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, or computer, we get all squirrelly. (Okay, maybe that last part is just me.) And IFC is also on the cutting edge of home entertainment in its steadily growing on-demand offerings, including their IFC Festival Direct program, where you can watch a selection of movies that have played during recent festivals, and the In Theaters + On Demand program, which offers at-home viewers the chance to see indie flicks the same day they premiere in what's usually limited release.

Now Netflix and IFC have sealed the deal for a partnership that gives Netflix access to 53 IFC releases to be streamed online to whichever platform you like, »

- Jenni Miller

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IFC Films to Stream Content Through Netflix

20 November 2009 7:21 AM, PST | MovieWeb | See recent MovieWeb news »

In a move designed to increase the reach of independent cinema, IFC Entertainment, one of the leading distributors of independent and foreign films, and Netflix, the world's largest online movie rental service, today announced a partnership that gives Netflix U.S. rights to 53 unique titles from IFC Entertainment. Through this agreement select titles from IFC Entertainment's eclectic library of independent films will become available to be streamed instantly to televisions and computers via the Netflix service. The deal was announced jointly by Lisa Schwartz, executive vice president for IFC Entertainment, and Robert Kyncl, vice president of content acquisition for Netflix.

The partnership gives Netflix members on an unlimited plan the opportunity to instantly watch the newly acquired films on their computers or TVs through a range of Netflix ready devices. Those devices include Netflix ready Blu-ray disc players and new Internet TVs from LG Electronics; Blu-ray disc players from Samsung »

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"The Twilight Saga: New Moon" Movie Review or My Random Thoughts on the "Twilight" Sequel

19 November 2009 1:28 AM, PST | Manny the Movie Guy | See recent Manny the Movie Guy news »

(I"m writing this at 12:49 in the morning, fresh from my jaunt from Los Angeles after watching "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" so if I may sound a bit blurry, I am! Oh, and there may be spoilers as well.)

Previously on "Twilight," Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart), the human, falls in love with Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), the vampire. They fight bad vampires and they live happily ever after.

Well...almost.

Now is the dawn of "New Moon," the sequel to the super-popular franchise based on a series of books by author Stephenie Meyer. The sequel begins with Bella's birthday and ends with her quest for immortality. At the center of the film is a love triangle between a human, a vampire, and a werewolf.

The movie's first five minutes is vibrant and full of life. Ironically enough, Bella's mortality is the crux of the film. In her dream, »

- Manny

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Joe Wright to Tackle Action With 'Hanna'

17 November 2009 3:15 PM, PST | Cinematical | See recent Cinematical news »

The director of Atonement, The Soloist, and Pride & Prejudice is jumping into the action pool? That's what The Hollywood Reporter indicates: Director Joe Wright, best known for Oscar-friendly drama, is about to sign on the dotted line to helm Hanna, which THR describes as a La Femme Nikita style project: "The story centers on a 14-year-old Eastern European girl who has been raised by her father to be a cold-blooded killing machine. She connects with a French family, forms a friendship with their daughter and goes through the pangs of adolescence. When the girl is dragged back to her father's world and discovers that she was bred as a killing machine in a CIA prison camp, she must fight her way to a free life."

Sounds to me like a fairly conventional, rather familiar tale -- so then why were Danny Boyle and Alfonso Cuaron both (briefly) attached to the project? »

- Scott Weinberg

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Wright in Talks to Direct 'Hanna'

17 November 2009 5:05 AM, PST | The Wrap | See recent The Wrap news »

By the Hollywood Reporter

"Atonement” helmer Joe Wright is in talks to direct Focus Features’ action-adventure thriller “Hanna.” Marty Adelstein and Scott Nemes are producing.

The project has garnered considerable attention in director circles since getting set up at Focus in 2007, with Danny Boyle kicking its tires as a directing vehicle at one point and Alfonso Cuaron circling it in recent weeks.

Read more from the Hollywood Reporter. »

- Dylan Stableford

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And Now For Something Completely Different: Joe Wright Directs Hanna

17 November 2009 3:33 AM, PST | Beyond Hollywood | See recent Beyond Hollywood news »

Joe Wright has earned a reputation for directing films like Atonement and Pride & Prejudice, but after his latest production Indian Summer with Cate Blanchett fell into budgetary disarray, he decided to halt the production and jump ship to an action film, the assassin flick Hanna. Heat Vision has the details: The project has garnered considerable attention in director circles since getting set up at Focus in 2007, with Danny Boyle kicking its tires as a directing vehicle at one point and Alfonso Cuaron circling it in recent weeks. The project is described as having shades of “La Femme Nikita” and the “Bourne” movies. The story centers on a 14-year-old Eastern European girl who has been raised by her father to be a cold-blooded killing machine. She connects with a French family, forms a friendship with their daughter and goes through the pangs of adolescence. When the girl is dragged back to »

- Jacob

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Wright eyes assassin thriller 'Hanna'

17 November 2009 1:57 AM, PST | digitalspy | See recent digitalspy news »

Joe Wright is in discussions to direct action thriller Hanna for Focus Features, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Written by Seth Lochhead and David Farr, the project centres on a 14-year-old Eastern European girl who has been raised by her father to be a ruthless assassin. She later finds friendship with a French family and must leave behind her dark past. Danny Boyle and Alfonso Cuaron were previously (more) »

- By Simon Reynolds

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