Authenticity is important when it comes to any movie set in our reality, otherwise, some of the audience is going to lose their suspension of disbelief. By making a film as believable as possible, filmmakers help ensure that they keep the audience engaged. Authenticity can be har … | Continue reading
For audiences, television is entertainment, but for the companies behind the scenes, TV is big business. From the late '20s through the early '80s, American Broadcasting Company (ABC), National Broadcasting Company (NBC), and Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) had no lasting comp … | Continue reading
It's a tale as old as time — or at least as old as Hollywood. An actor gets cast in a role that comes to define, even haunt, them as they traverse the perilous landscape of the movie business. They scavenge for roles that due to their unfortunate type-casting continue to elude th … | Continue reading
Not only is Geena Davis remembered and recognized for iconic roles such as "Tootsie," "The Accidental Tourist," "Thelma & Louise," and "A League of Their Own," her humanitarian work has done a great deal for the entertainment industry at large. The Geena Davis Institute on Gender … | Continue reading
In the highly unlikely event that you become a major Hollywood player (if that even means anything anymore), keep this in mind: net points are for saps. Studio accounting is basically rigged to ensure that blockbusters almost never turn a significant profit. This is because lowly … | Continue reading
In the classic Holiday comedy "Elf," Buddy (Will Ferrell), a human raised as a Christmas elf on the North Pole, returns to New York City to find his father (played by the late James Caan, who couldn't keep a straight face on set). A fish out of water, Buddy fails to understand Am … | Continue reading
Ava Gardner is a peculiar actress from the golden age of Hollywood. Her name is familiar, yet if one were to try to answer what she was most known for or what her niche was, the answer would be difficult to come by. Her stunning beauty was arguably the stuff of legends. For the b … | Continue reading
I've heard of just about every kind of killer animal movie in my time, from hordes of ravenous rats to the mutton monsters of "Black Sheep," but a killer deer is a new one. According to Dread Central, the team behind the demented "Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey" are tackling th … | Continue reading
Marvel dropped its second-ever Marvel Studios Special Presentation this week, and while "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" packs a lot of fun into its short runtime, the latest one-off is not exactly a standalone story like "Werewolf at Night." In fact, the holiday spe … | Continue reading
Chuck Russell's 1988 sci-fi/horror remake "The Blob" features an enormous, all-consuming rosy mass making its way to the fictional small American town of Arborville, California. Naturally, a lot of people are plunged into its gelatinous maw, and the result isn't pretty. Like Irvi … | Continue reading
Spoilers follow for "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special." Just because you've settled in for an hour of MCU-fueled fun does not mean you can escape the grasp of DC Comics. At this point, the two comic-inspired blockbuster franchises are tied together. Wherever one goes, … | Continue reading
Initially written off as just another unnecessary spin-off for an ancillary character from a spin-off from the main film series, "Andor" has instead emerged as one of the most exciting, viscerally thrilling, politically charged additions to the "Star Wars" universe since, well, t … | Continue reading
Everyone loves a good survival story. There is something innately satisfying about watching a protagonist push themselves toward the finish line despite all the odds stacked against them, and emerge stronger in the end. Ridley Scott encapsulates this exact feeling in his 2015 sci … | Continue reading
"Batman Beyond" is the most out-there project of the DC Animated Universe. It's not based on an existing comic and is instead an original take on Batman's future. Set in 2039, a long-retired, eighty-year-old Bruce Wayne trains the teenage Terry McGinnis to be the new Dark Knight. … | Continue reading
In the year 2000, author Leonard B. Stern published a hilarious book called "A Martian Wouldn't Say That!!," a compilation of studio notes written by executives. The book is a litany of absurd demands and strange requests that perhaps made sense in a broader boardroom discussion, … | Continue reading
If you've already caught Tim Burton's new take on "The Addams Family" on Netflix this holiday weekend, you'll know there's a clear frontrunner for the best part of "Wednesday." It's a scene in the show's fourth episode, "Woe What A Night," in which confidently macabre teen Wednes … | Continue reading
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is absolutely obsessed with Steve Rogers. It's been years since we last saw the star-spangled man disappear into the past, share a dance with Peggy Carter, and then reemerge as a Joe Biden lookalike. And even so, we've never really been rid of him. A … | Continue reading
The current generation of horror fans might know Shawnee Smith as the unstable Jigsaw protege, Amanda Young, in the "Saw" movie franchise, but older moviegoers remember the time she battled a supersized man-eating slimeball. Chuck Russell's "The Blob" is one of the great movie re … | Continue reading
"The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" is a fun, fluffy tribute to the joys of the holiday season that follows Mantis (Pom Klementieff) and Drax (Dave Bautista) as they try to give Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) the best Christmas possible. Poor Peter hasn't been able to have a … | Continue reading
The re-imagined "Battlestar Galactica" series, developed by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick, hit our screens in 2003. The ongoing story would eventually end in 2009, having picked up several accolades -- including winning Emmys and Hugo awards -- along the way. Telling the tale of … | Continue reading
This post contains spoilers for "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special." The Marvel Cinematic Universe has truly come a long way, from the days of Tony Stark fighting against essentially a disgruntled employee to becoming a franchise dealing with alien conquerors, ancient g … | Continue reading
"Waterworld" is almost universally regarded as one of the biggest movie flops of all time (just don't let Kevin Costner catch you saying that). The movie was made with an absolutely massive budget. I'm talking about a "GDP of a small nation" budget of around 175 million dollars. … | Continue reading
The Marvel Cinematic Universe has earned a reputation for major cameos, so when "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" dropped on Disney+ this week, it's no surprise that some eagle-eyed fans thought they spotted someone famous. The special, which follows Drax (Dave Bautis … | Continue reading
It's odd to talk about parodies of Harry Potter when J.K. Rowling has become a satire of herself. Her relentless retconning of the Harry Potter franchise has arguably led her to writing three "Fantastic Beasts" movies that achieve little other than trying to justify her public st … | Continue reading
"Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" will win Thanksgiving weekend at the box office, but another film's losses are just as noteworthy as its wins. According to Variety, the Disney animated film "Strange World" has made just $11.8 million domestically since Thursday -- an unusually a … | Continue reading
Warning: This article contains spoilers for the movie "Strange World." "Strange World" tests the bonds of love and the importance of family through a sci-fi adventure. Director Don Hall and writer/co-director Qui Nguyen have sculpted an extraordinary world full of bizarre creatur … | Continue reading
This post contains spoilers for "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special." Michael Rooker has been James Gunn's secret weapon throughout the course of his filmmaking career. Rooker has appeared in just about every film Gunn has ever made, so fans were shocked when his charact … | Continue reading
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.) The Movie: "Devil in a Blue Dress" Where You Can Stream It: Hulu The Pitch: It's Los Angeles in 1948, and Ezekial … | Continue reading
There's something about playing James Bond that seems to really stress actors out. While everyone is waiting to hear who will be next Bond, most of the actors who've played him before have been vocal about their issues with the entire affair. In 2012, Daniel Craig told Rolling St … | Continue reading
Warning: This article contains spoilers for "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special." "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" is about Christmas traditions: honoring them, subverting them, and acknowledging they're great for humanity. Beyond the blatant consumerism tha … | Continue reading
The Oscar-winning singer and actor Irene Cara has died at the age of 63. Best known for singing the theme songs for "Fame" and "Flashdance," which launched her to public recognition in the '80s, the performer's death was announced by her publicist, Judith A. Moose, on Twitter (vi … | Continue reading
When a character shows up in a Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, it's usually to set them up for a spin-off. After the debut of Riri Williams/Ironheart (Dominique Thorne) in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," she's set to head to Disney+. However, you shouldn't hold your breath for … | Continue reading
Throughout the "Ip Man" franchise's run, there's been an awkward question plaguing the popular film series. The Donnie Yen-led action movies have proven incredibly successful in their native Hong Kong and mainland China, also managing to gain fans internationally. Combined, the f … | Continue reading
This article contains spoilers for "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special." The latest Marvel Studios Special Presentation, "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special," has arrived just in time for the holidays. It's a fun, lighthearted affair that does not have galaxy-wi … | Continue reading
"Andor" has concluded its first season with a climactic and emotional finale, and with it came another set of unconventional choices (for a "Star Wars" series) that ended up making the show even better. Filled with key character moments and eerie parallels to the current politica … | Continue reading
Walt Disney Animation has a long history of presenting stories about adventures. The House of Mouse has taken its audience on adventures into the woods, under the sea, almost there, just around the riverbend, and into the unknown. Thanks to Pete Docter and Bob Peterson's "Up," Di … | Continue reading
Having sold 250 million copies worldwide in over 40 countries, "Naruto" is the most popular manga series in the world. There are many reasons why Naruto is an enduring character: he's an endearing knucklehead who expertly balances situations with equal parts humor and heart. The … | Continue reading
Clint Eastwood and John Wayne may be Western icons but they didn't exactly see eye-to-eye on the genre that made them both superstars. Back in the early '70s, B-movie maestro Larry Cohen ("Q: The Winged Serpent," "The Stuff") wrote a screenplay called "The Hostiles," intended as … | Continue reading
(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.) Rian Johnson probably could have done a great many things in the wake of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." While I'm more … | Continue reading
Running a mere 42 minutes, James Gunn's "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special" has a simple premise. The alien characters Mantis (Pom Klemetieff) and Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista) have noticed that their friend, the human Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), has been sullen of la … | Continue reading
When Steven Spielberg decided to adapt Ernest Cline's sci-fi fantasy novel, "Ready Player One," the book underwent critical reappraisal and the reception to the adaptation was mixed. There were good reasons for this to happen: Cline's novel, which was hailed as a heartfelt trip d … | Continue reading
Imagine this scenario: You're shopping for groceries and all of a sudden you come across a 6-legged behemoth monster over 240 feet tall, two-story lobster-like creatures, and dog-sized spiders shooting corrosive webs at you. These are just a few of the creatures plaguing humanity … | Continue reading
When the COVID-19 pandemic first started, people suddenly had a tremendous amount of time on their hands to comb through their streaming subscriptions. This viewing manifested itself in two distinct ways. Either people retreated into the movies and television shows they have alre … | Continue reading
In the world of fiction, every character serves a purpose. For some unlucky characters, their only purpose in the narrative is to die. These characters are sometimes known as "Redshirts," a term coined by "Star Trek" fans used to refer to the unfortunate ensigns who'd be sent alo … | Continue reading
In the words of Kevin Bacon, "Funny-scary is a very difficult thing." The star of Ron Underwood's horror-comedy "Tremors" has spoken at length about the 1990 creature feature and his role as stubborn handyman Val McKee who, alongside Fred Ward's Earl Bassett, tries to escape the … | Continue reading
"The Orville" seems to be the little ship that could. Seth MacFarlane's show about 25th-century space exploration and a misfit space crew has survived a pandemic, cancellation, and a move from broadcast to streaming. Now the show is left to deal with a future unknown (which doubl … | Continue reading
Lewis Tan, the actor who played Cole Young in the live-action "Mortal Kombat" adaptation and the mutant superhero Shatterstar in "Deadpool 2" has been tweeting little emoji teasers for the last few months regarding "Deadpool 3," sparking rumors that Shatterstar will appear in the … | Continue reading
Few composers have shaped the soundscape of Hollywood cinema for the past 30 years quite like Hans Zimmer. From "The Lion King" to "The Thin Red Line," "Gladiator," "Dune: Part One," and his work on Christopher Nolan's films, Zimmer's best soundtracks are capable of telling gripp … | Continue reading