Charles Bramesco
A Crazy and Exciting New Way of Watching Movies Is Coming to a Theater Near You
With the rise in on-demand and streaming options for home viewership and American reluctance to leave the house at an all-time high, brick-and-mortar theaters have scrambled to keep viewers in the seats. High-end boutique chains have survived by committing themselves to the luxury of the theatrical experience, installing ritzy overstuffed La-Z-Boys in theaters and shrinking down the size of each i
Matthew McConaughey Challenges God in the French ‘Sea of Trees’ Trailer
When Gus Van Sant’s latest feature The Sea of Trees debuted at Cannes nearly a year ago, expectations were high. A skilled actor’s director, Van Sant’s collaboration with buzzy star Matthew McConaughey was presumed to be an insta-hit and a possible Oscar contender in the making. McConaughey’s professional capital has never been higher, and the Cannes set has always been fond of Van Sant, awarding him the Palme d’Or for his school-shooting drama Elephant in 2003. So it came as that much more of a shock when audiences roundly rejected The Sea of Trees, complete with booing and walkouts. (Though that sounds a bit more dramatic than it is. Cannes audiences love big gestures; nearly everything gets either a standing ovation or jeering, and in the rarest of occasions, both.)
Man Arrested For Failing to Return VHS Copy of ‘Freddy Got Fingered’ 14 Years Ago
In precisely the sort of absurdist mix-up that sounds like something Tom Green would come up with, a North Carolina man has been arrested for failing to return a VHS copy of the Tom Green comedy Freddy Got Fingered 14 years ago. The Wrap relays the odd tale of James Meyers, the unfortunate soul that checked out a tape of the widely reviled but cult-beloved surrealist comedy at a video store in Kan
Now You See the ‘Now You See Me 2’ Trailer, Now You Don’t
Magicians: they’re no longer just people who remind of you of the good choices you made in life when seen at children’s birthday parties. Magicians are now “cool” and “sexy” and “played by Lizzy Caplan.” She’s taking the place of Isla Fisher, who was presumably busy keeping a brave face as she watched her husband of six years crawl into an elephant’s vagina, as one of two new key acquisitions for the fledgling franchise. As the newly released trailer embedded above indicates, she’s one of three newcomers, along with Chinese singer Jay Chou and actual boy wizard Daniel Radcliffe, showing a little range by portraying a character who cannot do magic, but does somehow have access to every single computer in the world, which is slightly more implausible.
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.
Would You Pay $50 to Watch ‘Batman vs. Superman’ at Home on Opening Night?
Leaving your house, driving to the nearest movie theater (or, if you want to find a film other than a wide-release studio picture, driving what could be very far away), dropping $13 on a ticket, spending $8 more on a soda and popcorn, watching fifteen minutes of commercials and trailers, and staring daggers at jagwagons using their cell phones in the theater is cool...
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
Yes, David Hasselhoff Will Appear in The Rock’s ‘Baywatch’ Movie
David Hasselhoff is famous for many things, not all of them good: for holding the Guinness World Record for the highest reverse bungee jump (seriously), for his extended stint as a man willing to have protracted conversations with a car on Knight Rider, for the painful footage of his impotent attempt to consume a cheeseburger while rolling around on the floor in an alcoholic stupor, but most of al
‘The Ring vs. The Grudge’ Trailer Is Terrifying, Presumably
It’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like — the creepy, wet-haired girl from The Ring will do battle with the creepy, bowl-cut-haired boy from The Grudge.
Sarah Michelle Gellar Will Return to ‘Cruel Intentions’ With Role in TV Sequel
Earlier this month, NBC placed an order for a Cruel Intentions TV pilot that would act as a sort of sequel to the 1999 film, and today brings the fortuitous news that the central pillar of this grand monument to teen horniness will return for the second go-round. Now comes word that original star Sarah Michelle Gellar will reprise her role as Kathryn Merteuil, the queen-bitch rich kid meddling in everyone’s affairs with her sexual scheming.