Blog - Page 594 of 632 -

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Well here it is, the last weekend before Christmas. No doubt you’ll be gathering with family and friends to watch a few great holiday films.

But there are only so many hours in these upcoming days that aren’t filled with gift-wrapping, turkey-stuffing, and in-law-at-screaming. How can you narrow down the list of the best holiday movies to the ultimate champion?

The guys of Inside the Locker have you covered. They discuss which holiday films are the very best. But, being sports nerds in addition to movie geeks, they narrow the wide range of titles to one supreme winner the only way they could think of: March Madness style elimination tournament.

Here’s how it works…

J.C. (who sadly could not join us for the broadcast) came up with an initial list of 32 Christmas films and set them into an NCAA-style bracket, dividing them up into four regions (Contemporary, Classic, Raunchy/Horror, & Miscellaneous). For the first round, we simply voted on the winner of each matchup. From there, each commentator was assigned a film and a series of one-minute debates ensued. A moderator decided which pundit made the stronger case and that alone determined which film advanced.

Therefore much like an actual NCAA tournament, the better movie on paper isn’t necessarily a lock to advance. Hell, we had an honest-to-goodness Cinderella story moving into the finals. You have to hear this to believe it.

Joining us as moderator was Ramon Ramirez, a major sports fan and a music critic with the Austin-American Statesman. Filling in for J.C. is Our Neighbor Adam’s friend, and movie geek Brooks Eakin. Observe the bracket below. Feel free to print it out and follow along with us. Oh, and (as is the wont of the internet when it comes to anything subjective), feel free to voice your own picks for best holiday movie as well as communicate any staunch umbrage-taking.

Llllllllllllllllet’s get ready to jinglllllllllllllle!!!

Make sure to follow us all on Twitter!! People who don’t follow us on Twitter make Dez Bryant angry.

The Show Account–@ITLCast
Brian–@BriguySalisbury
J.C.–@jcdeleon1
Elliott–@ITLElliott
Adam–@the_beef

The Toronto International Film Fest is the stage for a lot of genre standouts, but the midnight section is the perfect setting for the bizarre and the stomach-turning features. Eli Roth is no stranger to both camps and his latest film as a director takes the shape of a cannibal shocker The Green Inferno. Open Road picked the film up and now plans on releasing the film on September 5, 2014. No news on just how wide this bad boy is going to go or if the plan is to make it a VOD release first with a limited theatrical run at a later date.

Roth’s films have all seen pretty sizable releases even if they don’t make Avengers-like cash, so I wouldn’t be shocked if it gets much of the same, but I’m also not holding my breath on it seeing a mainstream release. Cannibalism isn’t exactly what gets the kids in the seats these days and I can’t imagine it’s really what the older crowd has an appetite for either. Roth’s film seems to be tailored for only the hardcore genre buffs and his loyal fans, which still wouldn’t really make the film a hit if it did reach a hefty amount of theaters.

The film follows a group of activists on their way to the Amazon to save a tribe from extinction, but instead find themselves as prey to the very natives they sought to save. It’s very much in the same vein as Cannibal Holocaust and could end up being as close to a modern day telling of that story we will see that actually makes it to a more mainstream audience, should the cards fall that way. Roth paid a visit to Leno a while back and unveiled the first clip from the film that you can see below.

Are you excited about The Green Inferno? What are your thoughts on Eli Roth’s work thus far? How do you feel about cannibal movies in general? Sound off below!

Via: THR, NBC

This week, we delved deep into Nadine George. Susan (our lecturer) engaged us in her history and her fascinating personal relationship to her. Susan is not only a student of Nadine George, she has had major success as a Director, actor and trainer. From her website;

Susan graduated from the RSAMD with a BA Honours in Dramatic Studies, having specialised in Directing in her Honours year. Upon leaving, she spent two years gaining experience on valuable directing contracts in Scotland at which point she focused on further aspects within the arts

that she wanted to explore. These took the form of her work with the Nadine George Voice Technique and co-founding Artists in Exile Glasgow. After this 10 year exploration, Susan returned to directing where all her interests and experiences integrate into her rehearsal process: where the voice and it’s connection to how we live our lives, is the basis for truly embodied, engaged theatre.

We began the first sequence of the breath exercise which involved working with a partner to massage and relax their body whilst they controlled their breathing. I had the privilege of being the demonstration and I was extremely surprised at the results. I felt a wave of energy/heat flow threw my body. I felt taller and had a growing sense of power within me. My inner tempo and rhythm was calm, yet alert. The exercise itself helps cross many barriers both in Theatre and personally. There is a lot of psychical touching that can be seen as intimate. I was very aware of this working with a female who was visibly nervous about the exercise. The reflection was equally as interesting. Identifying what worked and what wasn’t as easy for everyone. I found myself comfortable with the exercise but noticed when we added the visual element which made focus more difficult and an element of self consciousness come into play. I questioned how this technique could be used maintained throughout the week, to not lose our sense of power outside of a creative environment. Whilst this stage of the exercise cannot, there is a Nadine George sequence which acts independently and can be used.

Breath is life, and Shakespeare needs much life to come off the page. It was very fitting that our next exercises were looking at text – specifically, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth.

We focused on deconstructing the language and embodying the punctuation of a small extract. By creating movement and images, I generated a deeper understanding of the rhythm of the lines and how deep and complex each line indeed was. In a circle, we took a line each and passed the section along, standing with great power on our line. I took away that in Shakespeare, it is very important to begin with great power but also to maintain it throughout each line as the end of the line is just, if not more important than the beginning.

Using the de-constructed text, we each embodied items of the text (Alcohol and drugs for me). For Michael reading Macbeth, it was necessary for him to direct his attention on each of the objects as he read them in the text; it was a very difficult task indeed. Spatially, I noted that the room became very interesting metaphorically. Alcohol and power in the text are related, but in our space they are on opposite ends of the room, almost opposed. Just like Death and life.

We discussed how a designer could use these kinds of metaphors in designing the set for Macbeth, similar in concept to the implantation of light and dark in the kenneth branagh production of Macbeth. Today, I took away the demands physically and mentally of both Nadine George and understanding and performing Shakespeare.

I was incredibly drained afterwards but equally as excited to explore Shakespeare and text more. Whilst having some experience with Shakespeare, I realised how easy it is to lose the language when not familiar with a particular section or piece.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

The Coen Brothers are back with their heart-warming holiday tale of a musician in the sixties who pretty much takes advantage of everyone he comes across in any way he can so as to avoid freezing to death.

Merry Christmas from the Entire Coen Family!

Oscar Issac plays the titular role, playing a cynical and barbed folk musician who seems to burn every bridge he ever crosses, and he’s cross about pretty much everything. In his journey to make a living wage at what he loves doing the most, he comes across lots of real ‘characters’. Expect appearances by Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, F. Murray Abraham, Garrett Hedlund, Adam Driver, and, of course, the unforgettable John Goodman.

But how does it fair with The Unusual Suspects? Martin, JC and Chris are here to divvy up the review loot and let you know if that critical praise you’ve been hearing is real or just a false alarm.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

The seventies are back, and more sideboobed than you’ve ever seen before! The Unusual Suspects crew pulls out Chris, Martin, Beau and the new fish, JC, out of their lineup to give you the deets.

Director David O. Russell directs this ‘sort of’ true story about the FBI’s ABSCAM operation where a federal agent forced two grifters to use their conning skills to manipulate a slew of government officials into taking bribes. All does not go exactly as planned. No big shocker there.

Christian Bale wears a toupee, Bradley Cooper wears his hair in curlers, and Amy Adams wears very little at all. Throw into the mix Jeremy Renner as the charismatic mayor of New Jersey, Louie CK as a schlubby FBI boss, and Jennifer Lawrence as one of the craziest chicks ever seen on screen…you have a helluva cast, but is it actually a good movie? You might be surprised to hear what we have to say…

Since it started making feature films in 1998, Dreamworks Animation has gone through many turns and developments. It’s had its fair share of missteps (we will never forget Will Smith in Shark Tale, unfortunately), but ever since 2008’s Kung Fu Panda, the content from them has been better more often than not than not. One such example is 2010’s How To Train Your Dragon, a film that built up a believably heartwarming relationship between a boy & his dragon and had (for my money) one of the best uses of 3D in any film which made you feel like you were flying along with all the dragons in the most beautiful fashion. Plus, it was a surprisingly lasting hit for the studio, so it’s no wonder that we’re getting a sequel next summer and the trailer is here for your viewing pleasure!

Taking place five years after the events of the first film, Hiccup (voiced by Jay Baruchel) is now in his late teens and has united the once bitter enemies of dragons and vikings of Berk. Now, he and his trusted dragon Toothless are out to explore uncharted parts of the world outside of Berk. Along the way, they come across a reclusive female vigilante Valka (voiced by Cate Blanchett), who seems quite versed in dragon training and has hidden secrets in store. But as she and Hiccup get to know each other, an oncoming war appears to be on the horizon, which the dragon-riding citizens of Berk must fight against in order to protect their home.

Be warned: the trailer contains potential spoilers. Check it out below, if you so choose:

One of the big things to note here is the actual physical change in the characters. It’s rare that animated sequels actually age their characters along with the audience, so it’s refreshing to see Hiccup the adolescent boy we saw in the first film grow into his own and become a commanding presence in the town that once cast him from its gates. Yet, at the same time, that boy and his dog relationship he had with Toothless is still there and looks to be the heart of the story. There’s also a sense of development for the world in general as we see the people of Berk embrace the idea of flying dragons and eventually use them in battle. Plus, aside from the maturation aspect, seeing those dragons flying into the conflict near the end of the trailer is just plain badass and provide a lot of promise for the film’s 3D.

I will say that this is one of the more potentially spoilery trailers I’ve covered in my time at OneOfUs. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. After all, we don’t know if the twist about Cate Blancett’s character is revealed early on or if it’s some sort of misdirect or anything really concrete in context of the film. Still, it’s a potent story element that could come together quite well. Plus, it ends up being the result of the exploration theme the film will have, which I love. Often times, sequels will focus on a threat coming to our heroes from the first film rather than the heroes themselves attempting to go outside of their environment. Thankfully, the natural curiosity of Hiccup is going to shine through here, which will hopefully lead to the threat seen at the end of the trailer naturally occurring within the film’s plot.

But enough of my blathering. What did you all think of the trailer? Will this be a Kung Fu Panda 2 for Dreamworks or more like a Madagascar 2? Voice your thoughts in the comments below.

UPDATE: Marvel has released a statement confirming Paul Rudd for the role of Ant-Man in Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man film, but coyly avoided mentioning if the actor would be playing Hank Pym or another version of the hero. Marvel’s full statement reads as follows:

Marvel’s “Ant-Man” has found its hero in Paul Rudd, who will star in the new film from director Edgar Wright hitting theaters July 31, 2015!

The casting of Rudd represents the actor that Marvel and Wright had long ago identified as its first choice to play Ant-Man, continuing the studio’s desire to cast actors that bring several dimensions to its onscreen heroes. The film’s plot is being kept under wraps.

“When Edgar Wright came to us with the idea of Paul Rudd, we felt a huge sense of relief because the first step in creating any Marvel Studios film is finding the right star,” said Marvel’s Kevin Feige. “We knew early on that we had found the right person in Paul. When he not only agreed to do it but became as enthusiastic as any actor we’d ever met with about doing the work, we knew we’d found the right guy. We couldn’t be more excited for our audiences to see what he’s going to do to bring Ant-Man to life.”

Rudd brings a diverse background to the role having become one of the industry’s most known actors with a reputation for smart, funny and creative performances. Rudd can currently be seen in “Anchor Man 2: The Legend Continues,” as well as past roles in “Anchorman,” “This Is 40,” “I Love You, Man,” “Role Models,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Our Idiot Brother,” “Knocked Up,” and “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” among numerous other films, television shows and primetime animation.

The Wrap first reported on Rudd’s selection for the role on Wednesday and said that Hank Pym was the role in question. While Marvel and Wright have been less forthcoming with the details, The Wrap makes no mention of the fact that Hank Pym may not be the Ant-Man Rudd is playing. The news site seems quite confident that Pym is the guy, but given what the studio and the director have said thus far, I’m still wondering if another Ant-Man will be the hero in this film.

One of Us’ original story is below.

—

It would appear that we have an Ant-Man, ladies and gentlemen. According to The Wrap, multiple sources have confirmed that Paul Rudd has been selected for the lead role in the upcoming Ant-Man film and is currently in negotiations to play Hank Pym.

The Wrap reported yesterday in response to queries about Rudd’s noticeable weight loss, several reliable sources stated that it is because he has been undergoing a training regimen to prepare for the role of Ant-Man. Rudd’s main competition for the role was was Joseph Gordon-Levitt and both men had been considered frontrunners to play Hank Pym since October.

Hank Pym is one of leading scientific minds in the Marvel universe. One of his many notable inventions is a substance that allows him to alter his size. He uses this material and a cybernetic helmet that allows him to communicate with insects to become Ant-Man. The film adaptation will be directed by Edgar Wright and is slated for release on July 31, 2015.

Paul Rudd’s comedic acting has been well-received, particularly in the Anchorman films and during his stint on Saturday Night Live. That being said, it appears that at least in this first film, Marvel seeks to highlight the more comedic aspects of the character and underplaying the tragic parts of Pym’s background. Hank Pym has struggled with several vices and personal issues, such as domestic abuse and mental instability, during throughout his history. Many fans view these negative elements as key components of the character. While I am certain Rudd can make us like Pym, his ability to portray the less likeable parts of Ant-Man are just as important. Hopefully he can be as unsavory as he can be funny.

Do you believe Rudd is the right man for the role? How should the Ant-Man film balance the Hank Pym we love with the negative aspects of the character? Let us know in the comments!

Via The Wrap and Marvel

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Behold the penultimate installment of OneOfUs.Net’s all-encompassing holiday gift guide: All I Want for Geekmas.

Brian and Chris rifle back through their last year’s worth of reviews to find the standout Blu-ray and DVD releases in some of the major genre categories. In this show, an especially extensive entry, they nominate their picks for best comedies, horror, martial arts/Asian, drama, sci-fi, and just plain weird home releases of 2013.

Once again, keep in mind that these aren’t necessarily films that were released theatrically this year, but whose Blu-ray and/or DVD release fell between January and December. You get the idea.

The guys have provided thumbnails for each of these titles with time codes so you can jump right to any film you wish. Each thumbnail image is linked to the OOU Amazon account, so even if you don’t buy that particular title, just getting to Amazon via our links means that any purchase you make supports the site and we REALLY appreciate it.

The Comedies…

The Dramas…

Horror/Sci-Fi/Just Plain Weird…

Martial Arts/Asian…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

When Walt Disney wants something, he REALLY wants it.

So much so that he was patient for almost twenty years before enough was enough. Tom Hanks as a rather idealized version of the legendary raconteur pulls out all the stops trying to get the writer of “Mary Poppins” to agree to let him make a film out of it. Problem is, that writer, P.L. Travers, as played by Emma Thompson, isn’t exactly going to let her beloved characters get Disneyfied without a fight.

The Unusual Suspects plan an elaborate heist of a review for this Christmas release, featuring Most Wanted poster children Brian, Beau, Martin and Chris. Is this is a heart-warming and funny fable imbued with the Disney magic of old, or is it a shameful and treacly white-washing of history? You be the judge.

Author

So here we are at the end of the first part of journey in ‘Write a Movie With Us’. We’ve discussed our favourite genres, films, characters and more and began exploring the content of our very own script. This week, I give everyone, new and old to re-establish themselves with the project, catch up on each week and through the holidays, in between egg nog, turkey and festivities to finish, or to begin writing our movie.

You guys are already developing some great stuff, I know, I’ve been reading it. And through the holiday I will be gathering all the content from the last eight weeks to create the first draft of our script, ready to roll out for scrutiny and discussion early January.

So below I’ve posted some visual stimulus that I have created or photographed, or just think is relevant and inspiring.

So what are we writing about? Our brief and entirely expandable synopsis is as follows;

The future is here. With computers, smartphones and digital technology we are truly living in a new age. But what about the communities, struck with poverty and crime, that are left behind. Looking for his break, documentary film maker John Smith takes on a local urban legend serial killer, who maimed and tortured within a housing block many years ago. As he begins to investigate the legend, he finds that all is not as it seems with the block and the residents may know more than they let on.

The main takeaway from this is the legend for which is the central driving point of the film and can be anything. Think Candyman, think REC. We’ve also had elements of supernatural being injected into the story and it gave me a thought for you guys;

What if the film makers investigate this myth, get drawn into it, sent strange signs, messages. They encounter the people in the building who seem off, disturbed and disturbing. They start going after the film makers for getting “too close”, torturing them, playing with them but also trying to legitimately keep them away from something. We reveal the secret, which is some kind of book, or symbol or whatever that has corrupted the inhabitants of the building, but they are ultimately doing something worthwhile, keeping the thing locked away from civilisation. Not allowing it to reach out to anyone else in the world. Is it Satan? Who knows, but it is evil.

Maybe the film makers have accidental let it loose? Or they have to make the decision to allow what is going on to happen, for the good of humanity. Maybe a little bit too Cabin in the Woods at the end there, but possibilities? Thoughts?

So it’s over to you guys. Get writing and discussing all our elements, bringing them together before the first draft. As always you can submit written pieces down below in the comments for easy discussion but you can also send pieces to chris-harrison@outlook.com.

Decided on writing based on the other pitch? Discuss below why and do submit based on those too. This is your chance to be heard and to do so.

So good luck, and I’ll see you soon for the first draft of our community created Horror script.

Inside The Locker: Holiday Movie Elimination Tournament

Well here it is, the last weekend before Christmas. No doubt you’ll be gathering with family and friends to watch a few great holiday films.

But there are only so many hours in these upcoming days that aren’t filled with gift-wrapping, turkey-stuffing, and in-law-at-screaming. How can you narrow down the list of the best holiday movies to the ultimate champion?

The guys of Inside the Locker have you covered. They discuss which holiday films are the very best. But, being sports nerds in addition to movie geeks, they narrow the wide range of titles to one supreme winner the only way they could think of: March Madness style elimination tournament.

Here’s how it works…

Therefore much like an actual NCAA tournament, the better movie on paper isn’t necessarily a lock to advance. Hell, we had an honest-to-goodness Cinderella story moving into the finals. You have to hear this to believe it.

Llllllllllllllllet’s get ready to jinglllllllllllllle!!!

Make sure to follow us all on Twitter!! People who don’t follow us on Twitter make Dez Bryant angry.

The Show Account–@ITLCast
Brian–@BriguySalisbury
J.C.–@jcdeleon1
Elliott–@ITLElliott
Adam–@the_beef

Release Date Set For Eli Roth’s ‘The Green Inferno’

‘Introduction to Actor Training’ – Week 7

Movie Review: Inside Llewyn Davis

The Coen Brothers are back with their heart-warming holiday tale of a musician in the sixties who pretty much takes advantage of everyone he comes across in any way he can so as to avoid freezing to death.

Merry Christmas from the Entire Coen Family!

But how does it fair with The Unusual Suspects? Martin, JC and Chris are here to divvy up the review loot and let you know if that critical praise you’ve been hearing is real or just a false alarm.

Movie Review: American Hustle

The seventies are back, and more sideboobed than you’ve ever seen before! The Unusual Suspects crew pulls out Chris, Martin, Beau and the new fish, JC, out of their lineup to give you the deets.

Director David O. Russell directs this ‘sort of’ true story about the FBI’s ABSCAM operation where a federal agent forced two grifters to use their conning skills to manipulate a slew of government officials into taking bribes. All does not go exactly as planned. No big shocker there.

Trailer Reaction: ‘How To Train Your Dragon 2’

Update: Marvel Confirms Paul Rudd As ‘Ant-Man’, But Which One?

All I Want For Geekmas: The Genre Standouts

Behold the penultimate installment of OneOfUs.Net’s all-encompassing holiday gift guide: All I Want for Geekmas.

Once again, keep in mind that these aren’t necessarily films that were released theatrically this year, but whose Blu-ray and/or DVD release fell between January and December. You get the idea.

The Comedies…

The Dramas…

Horror/Sci-Fi/Just Plain Weird…

Martial Arts/Asian…

Movie Review: Saving Mr Banks

When Walt Disney wants something, he REALLY wants it.

‘Write a Movie With Us’ – Week 8

Well here it is, the last weekend before Christmas. No doubt you’ll be gathering with family and friends to watch a few great holiday films.

But there are only so many hours in these upcoming days that aren’t filled with gift-wrapping, turkey-stuffing, and in-law-at-screaming. How can you narrow down the list of the best holiday movies to the ultimate champion?

The guys of Inside the Locker have you covered. They discuss which holiday films are the very best. But, being sports nerds in addition to movie geeks, they narrow the wide range of titles to one supreme winner the only way they could think of: March Madness style elimination tournament.

Here’s how it works…

Therefore much like an actual NCAA tournament, the better movie on paper isn’t necessarily a lock to advance. Hell, we had an honest-to-goodness Cinderella story moving into the finals. You have to hear this to believe it.

Llllllllllllllllet’s get ready to jinglllllllllllllle!!!

Make sure to follow us all on Twitter!! People who don’t follow us on Twitter make Dez Bryant angry.

The Show Account–@ITLCast Brian–@BriguySalisbury J.C.–@jcdeleon1 Elliott–@ITLElliott Adam–@the_beef

The Coen Brothers are back with their heart-warming holiday tale of a musician in the sixties who pretty much takes advantage of everyone he comes across in any way he can so as to avoid freezing to death.

Merry Christmas from the Entire Coen Family!

But how does it fair with The Unusual Suspects? Martin, JC and Chris are here to divvy up the review loot and let you know if that critical praise you’ve been hearing is real or just a false alarm.

The seventies are back, and more sideboobed than you’ve ever seen before! The Unusual Suspects crew pulls out Chris, Martin, Beau and the new fish, JC, out of their lineup to give you the deets.

Director David O. Russell directs this ‘sort of’ true story about the FBI’s ABSCAM operation where a federal agent forced two grifters to use their conning skills to manipulate a slew of government officials into taking bribes. All does not go exactly as planned. No big shocker there.

Behold the penultimate installment of OneOfUs.Net’s all-encompassing holiday gift guide: All I Want for Geekmas.

Once again, keep in mind that these aren’t necessarily films that were released theatrically this year, but whose Blu-ray and/or DVD release fell between January and December. You get the idea.

The Comedies…

The Dramas…

Horror/Sci-Fi/Just Plain Weird…

Martial Arts/Asian…

When Walt Disney wants something, he REALLY wants it.

The Show Account–@ITLCast
Brian–@BriguySalisbury
J.C.–@jcdeleon1
Elliott–@ITLElliott
Adam–@the_beef