Exclusive: Sherri Shepherd, actress and Emmy-Award winning former co-host of ABC's The View, has joined Aldis Hodge and Greg Kinnear to co-star the biopic Brian Banks which is being directed by Tom Shadyac. The biopic tells the story of Banks (Hodge), an All-American high school football player committed to USC by his junior year whose life was upended in 2002 when he was falsely accused of rape. Despite maintaining his innocence, Banks was railroaded through the system…...
- 11/21/2017
- Deadline
Oh, ’80s slashers. You come in so many shapes and varieties that I never get tired of you. Take Slaughter High, for example, a slasher movie that was released in 1986 but looks like it was made in 1981. It has three directors. It was shot in the UK by English filmmakers, but passes itself off as an American film taking place in an American high school. The high schoolers all appear to be in their early 30s. It’s entirely placed on April Fool’s Day but couldn’t be called April Fool’s Day (its original title) because there was already a movie coming out called April Fool’s Day. Nothing about Slaughter High makes complete sense, but it’s in this way that the movie distinguishes itself.
Marty Rantzen (Simon Scuddamore) is the school nerd, picked on by just about everyone. Naturally, he’s surprised when Carol, one of...
Marty Rantzen (Simon Scuddamore) is the school nerd, picked on by just about everyone. Naturally, he’s surprised when Carol, one of...
- 11/16/2017
- by Patrick Bromley
- DailyDead
Netflix's American Vandal, released back in August, surprised critics and audiences by offering both a ridiculous parody of true crime shows and a surprisingly accurate portrayal of American high school culture. While we still may not know #WhoDrewTheDicks, the mystery of the show's future has been solved. Netflix has scooped up a second season of American Vandal, which will premiere in 2018.
In a brief video, Netflix confirmed American Vandal's second season, though details about the plot are still slim. According to Variety, eight more episodes are in the works, with executive producers Dan Perrault (Honest Trailers) and Tony Yacenda (CollegeHumor).
Its unclear which members of the American Vandal cast will be reprising their roles for season two, given the show's new story. The first season was driven in part by an inspired lead performance from YouTube star Jimmy Tatro, who played a dumb-as-rocks stoner accused of spray painting penises on 27 cars.
In a brief video, Netflix confirmed American Vandal's second season, though details about the plot are still slim. According to Variety, eight more episodes are in the works, with executive producers Dan Perrault (Honest Trailers) and Tony Yacenda (CollegeHumor).
Its unclear which members of the American Vandal cast will be reprising their roles for season two, given the show's new story. The first season was driven in part by an inspired lead performance from YouTube star Jimmy Tatro, who played a dumb-as-rocks stoner accused of spray painting penises on 27 cars.
- 10/26/2017
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Exclusive: Melanie Liburd, who co-stars on Netflix’s Gypsy, has been set to join the cast of Brian Banks, a biopic starring Aldis Hodge and Greg Kinnear. The Tom Shadyac-directed biopic tells the story of Banks (Hodge), an All-American high school football player committed to USC whose life was upended in 2002 when he was falsely accused of rape. Despite maintaining his innocence, Banks was railroaded through the system and sentenced to a decade of prison and…...
- 10/18/2017
- Deadline
Get ready to experience the senior year of high school all over again! American High School will follow a group of high school students at a South Carolina area high school through its senior year.Read More…...
- 9/11/2017
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
On Saturday, the biggest names in entertainment, journalism, sports, and music joined educators, parents, and more for “Eif Presents: Xq Super School Live,” a one-hour telecast and multi-platform event that invited the public to help rethink the future of American high schools.
DJ Khaled and son Asahd Tuck Khaled speak onstage during the Xq Super School Live
Credit/Copyright: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Eif
Among the stars who took part were J.J. Abrams, Mahershala Ali, Kelsea Ballerini, Maria Bello, Cate Blanchett, Chance the Rapper, Common, James Corden, Miranda Cosgrove, Cindy Crawford, Portia Doubleday, Michael Ealy, Kevin Frazier, Matt FX, Bill Hader, Tony Hale, Tom Hanks, Salma Hayek Pinault, Sean Hayes, Samuel L. Jackson, Allison Janney, Jax, DJ Khaled, Gayle King, Norman Lear, Marshawn Lynch, Rami Malek, Thomas Mann, Joel McHale, Alano Miller, Hasan Minhaj, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Maren Morris, David Muir, Randall Park, Chris Paul, Tanika Ray, Conrad Ricamora, Melissa Rivers,...
DJ Khaled and son Asahd Tuck Khaled speak onstage during the Xq Super School Live
Credit/Copyright: Christopher Polk/Getty Images for Eif
Among the stars who took part were J.J. Abrams, Mahershala Ali, Kelsea Ballerini, Maria Bello, Cate Blanchett, Chance the Rapper, Common, James Corden, Miranda Cosgrove, Cindy Crawford, Portia Doubleday, Michael Ealy, Kevin Frazier, Matt FX, Bill Hader, Tony Hale, Tom Hanks, Salma Hayek Pinault, Sean Hayes, Samuel L. Jackson, Allison Janney, Jax, DJ Khaled, Gayle King, Norman Lear, Marshawn Lynch, Rami Malek, Thomas Mann, Joel McHale, Alano Miller, Hasan Minhaj, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Maren Morris, David Muir, Randall Park, Chris Paul, Tanika Ray, Conrad Ricamora, Melissa Rivers,...
- 9/11/2017
- Look to the Stars
Today, Xq Institute and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (Eif) announced that more stars will participate in “Eif Presents: Xq Super School Live,” a one-hour telecast and multi-platform event that will invite the public to help rethink the future of American high schools.
Among those set to participate are J.J. Abrams, Kelsea Ballerini, Maria Bello, Cate Blanchett, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Michael Ealy, Matt FX, Salma Hayek Pinault, Sean Hayes, Allison Janney, Jax, DJ Khaled, Gayle King, Norman Lear, Marshawn Lynch, Joel McHale, Alano Miller, Hasan Minhaj, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Maren Morris, David Muir, Chris Paul, Tanika Ray, Conrad Ricamora, Adam Rodriguez, Al Roker, Ian Somerhalder, Karla Souza, Ringo Starr, Justin Timberlake, U2, Chris Wallace, Matt Walsh, Reggie Watts, D’Wayne Wiggins, and Jesse Williams, as well as East Los High stars Ashley Campuzano, Jorge Diaz, and Danielle Vega.
The live special will also include musical performances by Kelly Clarkson, Jordan Fisher and Hunter Hayes.
Among those set to participate are J.J. Abrams, Kelsea Ballerini, Maria Bello, Cate Blanchett, James Corden, Cindy Crawford, Michael Ealy, Matt FX, Salma Hayek Pinault, Sean Hayes, Allison Janney, Jax, DJ Khaled, Gayle King, Norman Lear, Marshawn Lynch, Joel McHale, Alano Miller, Hasan Minhaj, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Maren Morris, David Muir, Chris Paul, Tanika Ray, Conrad Ricamora, Adam Rodriguez, Al Roker, Ian Somerhalder, Karla Souza, Ringo Starr, Justin Timberlake, U2, Chris Wallace, Matt Walsh, Reggie Watts, D’Wayne Wiggins, and Jesse Williams, as well as East Los High stars Ashley Campuzano, Jorge Diaz, and Danielle Vega.
The live special will also include musical performances by Kelly Clarkson, Jordan Fisher and Hunter Hayes.
- 9/8/2017
- Look to the Stars
Exclusive: Aldis Hodge (Underground) and Greg Kinnear are set to topline the Tom Shadyac-directed Brian Banks for producer Amy Baer’s Gidden Media and ShivHans Pictures. The biopic tells the story of Banks (Hodge), an All-American high school football player committed to USC by his junior year whose life was upended in 2002 when he was falsely accused of rape. Despite maintaining his innocence, Banks was railroaded through the system and sentenced to a decade of prison…...
- 9/7/2017
- Deadline
So Netflix’s “Death Note” is finally available to stream around the world, and everyone is completely thrilled about it with no reservations whatsoever, the end.
Just kidding. While the release of Adam Wingard’s controversial manga adaptation has been overshadowed by everything from Hurricane Harvey to “Game of Thrones” and even a different story of Hollywood white-washing (albeit one with a happy ending, thanks to actor Ed Skrein agreeing to remove himself from the “Hellboy” remake), the movie has been kicking up a fuss ever since it was first announced that none of its major characters would be played by actors of Asian descent. The case may not be quite as cut-and-dry as it was with this year’s ill-conceived “Ghost in the Shell” remake, but the discussion around it may be even more valuable for that.
Below, IndieWire critics David Ehrlich and Hanh Nguyen dig into the issue.
Just kidding. While the release of Adam Wingard’s controversial manga adaptation has been overshadowed by everything from Hurricane Harvey to “Game of Thrones” and even a different story of Hollywood white-washing (albeit one with a happy ending, thanks to actor Ed Skrein agreeing to remove himself from the “Hellboy” remake), the movie has been kicking up a fuss ever since it was first announced that none of its major characters would be played by actors of Asian descent. The case may not be quite as cut-and-dry as it was with this year’s ill-conceived “Ghost in the Shell” remake, but the discussion around it may be even more valuable for that.
Below, IndieWire critics David Ehrlich and Hanh Nguyen dig into the issue.
- 8/31/2017
- by David Ehrlich and Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hanks, Mahershala Ali, Tony Hale, Bill Hader, Christian Slater, Common, Randall Park, Rami Malek, Portia Doubleday, Thomas Mann, Anna Deavere Smith, Miranda Cosgrove, Melissa Rivers, Kevin Frazier and many more will participate in “Eif Presents: Xq Super School Live,” a special one-hour telecast which will invite the public to help rethink the future of American high schools.
They will join Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, who also serve as executive producers, in the all-star telecast, which will air live from Los Angeles on all four major U.S. networks – ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC – on Friday, Sept. 8 at 8:00-9:00 Pm Et live/Pt tape-delayed.
In September 2015, Xq: The Super School Project launched an open call to rethink and design the next American high schools. Since then, thousands of communities across the country have come together to reimagine high school education. “Eif Presents: Xq Super...
They will join Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, who also serve as executive producers, in the all-star telecast, which will air live from Los Angeles on all four major U.S. networks – ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC – on Friday, Sept. 8 at 8:00-9:00 Pm Et live/Pt tape-delayed.
In September 2015, Xq: The Super School Project launched an open call to rethink and design the next American high schools. Since then, thousands of communities across the country have come together to reimagine high school education. “Eif Presents: Xq Super...
- 8/28/2017
- Look to the Stars
Viola Davis and Julius Tennon will executive-produce “Eif Presents: Xq Super School Live,” a special one-hour telecast event which will invite the public to help rethink the future of American high schools.
The announcement was jointly made today by Xq Institute and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (Eif). The telecast will combine live musical, comedy and documentary segments to bring to life the past, present and future of the American high school system. The event will air live from Los Angeles on all four major U.S. networks – ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC – on Friday, Sept. 8 at 8:00-9:00 Pm Et live/Pt tape-delayed.
In addition to Davis and Tennon, the star-studded event in support of the national education initiative will be produced by Done + Dusted and directed by Hamish Hamilton. Through live musical performances, comedic sketches, and more, the program will challenge viewers to understand that rethinking high school...
The announcement was jointly made today by Xq Institute and the Entertainment Industry Foundation (Eif). The telecast will combine live musical, comedy and documentary segments to bring to life the past, present and future of the American high school system. The event will air live from Los Angeles on all four major U.S. networks – ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC – on Friday, Sept. 8 at 8:00-9:00 Pm Et live/Pt tape-delayed.
In addition to Davis and Tennon, the star-studded event in support of the national education initiative will be produced by Done + Dusted and directed by Hamish Hamilton. Through live musical performances, comedic sketches, and more, the program will challenge viewers to understand that rethinking high school...
- 8/21/2017
- Look to the Stars
The weirdest thing about USA's limited series The Sinner that no one seems to be talking about is that it's the same premise as Albert Camus' existentialist novel The Stranger, which has been read by just about every American high school student, especially sad ones, but apparently no German ones
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- 8/3/2017
- by Liam Mathews
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Author: Zehra Phelan
Coming soon to Netflix is yet another Manga adaptation with that all-American twist, Death Note in which a brand new trailer has been revealed.
Adapted from Tsugumi Ohba Takeshi phenomenal Manga story which Light Yagami, a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook from a Shinigami named Ryuk that grants its user the ability to kill anyone whose name and face he knows. The series centres around Light’s attempts to create and rule a world “cleansed of evil” as “God” using the notebook, and the efforts of a detective known as L to stop him.
To deliver the story to the global masses, the story is flipped over to an American High school and focuses on L (Lakeith Stanfield) as he makes it his mission to warn the world against a deadly killer in Kira, The trailer goes on to give us a glimpse into...
Coming soon to Netflix is yet another Manga adaptation with that all-American twist, Death Note in which a brand new trailer has been revealed.
Adapted from Tsugumi Ohba Takeshi phenomenal Manga story which Light Yagami, a high school student who discovers a supernatural notebook from a Shinigami named Ryuk that grants its user the ability to kill anyone whose name and face he knows. The series centres around Light’s attempts to create and rule a world “cleansed of evil” as “God” using the notebook, and the efforts of a detective known as L to stop him.
To deliver the story to the global masses, the story is flipped over to an American High school and focuses on L (Lakeith Stanfield) as he makes it his mission to warn the world against a deadly killer in Kira, The trailer goes on to give us a glimpse into...
- 6/30/2017
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
It’s always important that an actor properly research for the role he or she is being cast in. For instance, to really sell the idea that you’re a hardened cop, you should probably at least know the basics of what your average cop goes through, and the mindset that creates for them. If you don’t, chances are audiences will see through your lack of knowledge and judge you hardcore. The same could be said about Tom Holland’s portrayal of Peter Parker, an American high school student. Would he be able to play an American high school student in the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming when he’s only been to school in London (yes, the entire setup I’ve laid out is a stretch, but go with it, because it apparently led to something).
Related: Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige Calls Spider-Man "The Greatest Superhero Of All Time"
Speaking with Jimmy Kimmel,...
Related: Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige Calls Spider-Man "The Greatest Superhero Of All Time"
Speaking with Jimmy Kimmel,...
- 6/5/2017
- by Joseph Medina
- LRMonline.com
If you've watched 13 Reasons Why, Netflix's heartbreakingly beautiful adaptation of Jay Asher's bestselling 2007 Ya novel, then you probably spent the hours following episode 13 googling all you can about the incredible cast. While you might have recognized one or two faces (Dyan Minnette, for example), most of them are newcomers to Hollywood. In addition to being completely blown away by their stellar acting, we also immediately wanted to know more about them off camera, in particular the show's star, Katherine Langford (Hannah Baker). Since Katherine, 20, is already causing a lot of buzz for her amazing performance, we have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of her in the near future. So get a snack, settle in, because we have some fun facts about the actress that you'll want to know. She's Australian. Katherine is from Perth, Australia, and actually auditioned for the show over Skype. Her résumé is very short.
- 4/3/2017
- by Caitlin Hacker
- Popsugar.com
The action wasn't just on the court at the famous McDonald's All-American high school hoops game Wednesday ... a huge brawl broke out in the concourse and it was all caught on video. Fyi, the McDonald's game is a Big Deal in high school sports -- bringing together the top prep players in the country ... almost all of whom are already serious NBA prospects. But after the final buzzer, roughly a dozen people went to...
- 3/30/2017
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Is there anything Lin-Manuel Miranda can’t do? His gargantuan hit musical Hamilton continues to sell out Broadway and is soon to open in London’s West End. Aside from that, he’s proved a stellar TV host for Saturday Night Live, he wrote the Oscar-nominated songs for Disney’s Moana, he’s won a whole bunch of awards, is set to appear in the upcoming Mary Poppins sequel and is serving as producer and co-composer of Disney’s live action remake of The Little Mermaid.
He is, to say the least, a busy guy. But there’s one project he will not be doing – an all singing, all dancing Broadmay musical based on Saved By The Bell.
For those too young to remember, this was a teen soap/comedy/drama that was so wonderfully cheesy it wrapped right back around to awesome again. Set in an all-American high school,...
He is, to say the least, a busy guy. But there’s one project he will not be doing – an all singing, all dancing Broadmay musical based on Saved By The Bell.
For those too young to remember, this was a teen soap/comedy/drama that was so wonderfully cheesy it wrapped right back around to awesome again. Set in an all-American high school,...
- 3/28/2017
- by David James
- We Got This Covered
Stranger Fruit, an explosive documentary retracing the events surrounding the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown, begins with an image of the Ferguson, Missouri, African-American high school grad proudly wearing his cap and gown.
He’d die eight days later, unarmed, of multiple gunshot wounds at the hands of white police officer Darren Wilson, who would ultimately be exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing by a state grand jury, igniting a firestorm of protests in Ferguson and throughout the country.
Determined to set the record straight, director Jason Pollock (a protege of Michael Moore) opens his own investigation — and the damning, emotionally...
He’d die eight days later, unarmed, of multiple gunshot wounds at the hands of white police officer Darren Wilson, who would ultimately be exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing by a state grand jury, igniting a firestorm of protests in Ferguson and throughout the country.
Determined to set the record straight, director Jason Pollock (a protege of Michael Moore) opens his own investigation — and the damning, emotionally...
- 3/12/2017
- by Michael Rechtshaffen
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A bullying mob mentality informs this far-fetched tale of a fight between American high school teachers
Charlie Day deploys his most irritating strangulated voice and twitchy performance as a high-school English teacher who finds himself challenged to a fight by a fellow teacher (Ice Cube) in this crass, painfully overstated comedy. Day plays Andy Campbell, a meek husband and soon-to-be father who understandably fails to cover up the fact that his colleague smashed up a desk with a fire axe. With its bullying mob mentality and inexplicable character motivation, this is film-making for people who watch YouTube clips of happy-slapping for kicks.
Continue reading...
Charlie Day deploys his most irritating strangulated voice and twitchy performance as a high-school English teacher who finds himself challenged to a fight by a fellow teacher (Ice Cube) in this crass, painfully overstated comedy. Day plays Andy Campbell, a meek husband and soon-to-be father who understandably fails to cover up the fact that his colleague smashed up a desk with a fire axe. With its bullying mob mentality and inexplicable character motivation, this is film-making for people who watch YouTube clips of happy-slapping for kicks.
Continue reading...
- 3/5/2017
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
While we don't know the exact premiere date for the return of Ash vs Evil Dead, the third season of the Starz series is already starting to shape up, as a new cast member has been revealed.
Deadline reports that Arielle Carver-o’Neill has joined the cast of Ash vs Evil Dead as a series regular to play "...Brandy, a smart middle-class American high school senior whose life is up-ended when she finds herself caught up in violent demonic events."
O'Neill, who previously appeared in House Husbands, Suburbs, and the Spierig Brothers' Predestination, joins a core season 3 cast that is expected to include Bruce Campbell, Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo, and Lucy Lawless. While no seasons beyond the third one have been announced, Campbell told us in our interview last year that he'd like to do five seasons of Ash vs Evil Dead:
"I'll take five [seasons]. No one's gonna burn out at five.
Deadline reports that Arielle Carver-o’Neill has joined the cast of Ash vs Evil Dead as a series regular to play "...Brandy, a smart middle-class American high school senior whose life is up-ended when she finds herself caught up in violent demonic events."
O'Neill, who previously appeared in House Husbands, Suburbs, and the Spierig Brothers' Predestination, joins a core season 3 cast that is expected to include Bruce Campbell, Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo, and Lucy Lawless. While no seasons beyond the third one have been announced, Campbell told us in our interview last year that he'd like to do five seasons of Ash vs Evil Dead:
"I'll take five [seasons]. No one's gonna burn out at five.
- 3/4/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Tom Holland recently did a live Q&A on the official Spider-Man Facebook page to answer some questions from the fans and revealed a few interesting things. One of the more interesting things he talked about was how he prepared for the role by secretly enrolling in a New York City high school!
The young actor had never been to an American high school so he wanted to get a little taste of what it was like before he played a kid who attended one. It was definitely an interesting experience for him, and during his time there he actually told one of the kids that he was Spider-Man. Of course, the kid didn't believe him. Here's his story:
“The coolest thing I think I did for the movie was I was enrolled in a high school in New York, in the Bronx, as a secret. No one knew who...
The young actor had never been to an American high school so he wanted to get a little taste of what it was like before he played a kid who attended one. It was definitely an interesting experience for him, and during his time there he actually told one of the kids that he was Spider-Man. Of course, the kid didn't believe him. Here's his story:
“The coolest thing I think I did for the movie was I was enrolled in a high school in New York, in the Bronx, as a secret. No one knew who...
- 12/12/2016
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Tony Revolori, best known for his standout performances across Dope, Ya sci-fi The Fifth Wave and Wes Anderson’s Grand Budapest Hotel, is in contention to take the lead role in Exchanged, a globe-trotting terrorism thriller in the works from writer-director Geoff Haley.
Working from a screenplay co-written with David Chisholm, Exchanged represents a rare opportunity for Haley to take point at the helm, having served as camera operator across Furious 7, Star Trek Beyond and American Hustle. Variety’s report goes on to confirm that Revolori is on the verge of clinching the role of an autistic American high school senior who uproots for Germany as part of a student exchange program – hence the title – only to discover that his newfound family moonlight as terrorists. Paralyzed by fear, Revolori’s protagonist is unable to notify his real parents or indeed the local police about his predicament, and reluctantly agrees...
Working from a screenplay co-written with David Chisholm, Exchanged represents a rare opportunity for Haley to take point at the helm, having served as camera operator across Furious 7, Star Trek Beyond and American Hustle. Variety’s report goes on to confirm that Revolori is on the verge of clinching the role of an autistic American high school senior who uproots for Germany as part of a student exchange program – hence the title – only to discover that his newfound family moonlight as terrorists. Paralyzed by fear, Revolori’s protagonist is unable to notify his real parents or indeed the local police about his predicament, and reluctantly agrees...
- 12/6/2016
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Tony Revolori, of The Grand Budapest Hotel and the upcoming Spider-Man: Homecoming, is in final negotiations to star in the indie thriller Exchanged, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.
Geoff Haley — a camera operator on Avengers: Infinity War, Baywatch and Furious 7, among others — is directing the Meyers Media Group feature from his own screenplay, penned with David Chisholm.
Meyers Media Group’s Lawrence Steven Meyers and Randy Dannenberg are producing, with John Evangelides and Jonathan Tybel as executive producers. Mmg will also handle worldwide sales.
Revolori will play an autistic American high school senior who travels to Germany as part...
Geoff Haley — a camera operator on Avengers: Infinity War, Baywatch and Furious 7, among others — is directing the Meyers Media Group feature from his own screenplay, penned with David Chisholm.
Meyers Media Group’s Lawrence Steven Meyers and Randy Dannenberg are producing, with John Evangelides and Jonathan Tybel as executive producers. Mmg will also handle worldwide sales.
Revolori will play an autistic American high school senior who travels to Germany as part...
- 12/6/2016
- by Ashley Lee
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Gotham and Shameless actor Cameron Monaghan is set to star in supernatural thriller The White Devil, directed by South African filmmaker Jahmil Qubeka. Roberi Media and Spier Films will finance and produce the title, which begins shooting in Cape Town, South Africa, in the spring. Qubeka will direct from a script he adapted with Julian Paul Stein from Justin Evans’ 2011 novel. The story sees a young American high school senior, who hopes to put his past behind…...
- 10/27/2016
- Deadline
BBC Three is going Stateside in October 2016 after announcing commissions of what the network calls landmark documentary series, “American High School” and “Reggie Yates: Life and Death in Chicago.” Damian Kavanagh, Controller, BBC Three, says: “We know young people… Continue Reading →...
- 8/26/2016
- by shadowandact
- ShadowAndAct
Common might have one regret about being out of town for Memorial Day weekend: not getting to meet John Legend and Chrissy Teigen's baby Luna. "I haven't met Luna yet, but I will," he told People about his friends' almost two-month old baby girl. "I told (John) I have to see her soon because I missed out on a barbecue they were having for Memorial Day and that was the opportunity that I would have had to see her for the first time." The rapper and actor was in his hometown of Chicago to promote and participate in a...
- 6/10/2016
- by Blake Bakkila, @bcbakkila
- PEOPLE.com
Common might have one regret about being out of town for Memorial Day weekend: not getting to meet John Legend and Chrissy Teigen's baby Luna. "I haven't met Luna yet, but I will," he told People about his friends' almost two-month old baby girl. "I told (John) I have to see her soon because I missed out on a barbecue they were having for Memorial Day and that was the opportunity that I would have had to see her for the first time." The rapper and actor was in his hometown of Chicago to promote and participate in a...
- 6/10/2016
- by Blake Bakkila, @bcbakkila
- PEOPLE.com
While we.re still a couple of years away from the Steven Spielberg directed adaptation of Ernest Cline.s Ready Player One, pre-production is beginning to get underway. Fans are looking forward to seeing the fully realized virtual world of the Oasis created on the big screen. However, according to the film.s star, we may not be seeing nearly as much of it as we thought. Tye Sheridan says only about a third of the script takes place there. Ready Player One tells the story of Wade Watts, an American high school student who lives most of his life inside the virtual reality simulation called the Oasis under the name Parzival. Tye Sheridan will be playing the role when the movie is released in 2018. Recently Variety asked the actor if he was familiar with source material. While Sheridan is currently ready the book now, he.s already the screenplay,...
- 4/19/2016
- cinemablend.com
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Director Rian Johnson continues the Star Wars saga next year. DC takes a look at Johnson's earlier films to see what we can expect...
Like or loathe The Force Awakens, there’s no denying that at its heart, it’s very much a Jj Abrams movie. There are aspects of film and TV production that Abrams is generally acknowledged to excel at; likewise, there are elements for which he has repeatedly faced criticism over the years (insert tired, de rigueur joke about lens flare here. If. You. Must.). He’s great at world building - perhaps the most important element in establishing a new Star Wars trilogy is, y’know, making it feel like Star Wars. Sounds simple enough on paper but in a post-prequel world, we all now recognise that this seemingly simple hurdle is actually anything but. That said, Abrams did do an admirable job...
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Director Rian Johnson continues the Star Wars saga next year. DC takes a look at Johnson's earlier films to see what we can expect...
Like or loathe The Force Awakens, there’s no denying that at its heart, it’s very much a Jj Abrams movie. There are aspects of film and TV production that Abrams is generally acknowledged to excel at; likewise, there are elements for which he has repeatedly faced criticism over the years (insert tired, de rigueur joke about lens flare here. If. You. Must.). He’s great at world building - perhaps the most important element in establishing a new Star Wars trilogy is, y’know, making it feel like Star Wars. Sounds simple enough on paper but in a post-prequel world, we all now recognise that this seemingly simple hurdle is actually anything but. That said, Abrams did do an admirable job...
- 4/6/2016
- Den of Geek
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While The Shannara Chronicles' production values remain through the roof, its storytelling keeps ignoring the best bits...
This review contains spoilers.
1.7 Breakline
MTV’s fantasy drama series The Shannara Chronicles is at its most watchable when limiting the scope of its episodes and focusing on one or two areas of interest per week. It gives the show room to breathe and the audience time to invest in the tribulations of the characters. It is perhaps no surprise then that seventh offering, Breakline, struggles somewhat to maintain interest levels as the episode attempts to take on several large chunks of plot in one go.
Breakline splits the central Amberle, Eretria and Wil trio into two groups while also introducing several new characters: the recently uni-eared elf Perk and the hunter with a grudge, Zora. But the episode also attempts to resolve the fate of Allanon after his stabbing last week,...
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While The Shannara Chronicles' production values remain through the roof, its storytelling keeps ignoring the best bits...
This review contains spoilers.
1.7 Breakline
MTV’s fantasy drama series The Shannara Chronicles is at its most watchable when limiting the scope of its episodes and focusing on one or two areas of interest per week. It gives the show room to breathe and the audience time to invest in the tribulations of the characters. It is perhaps no surprise then that seventh offering, Breakline, struggles somewhat to maintain interest levels as the episode attempts to take on several large chunks of plot in one go.
Breakline splits the central Amberle, Eretria and Wil trio into two groups while also introducing several new characters: the recently uni-eared elf Perk and the hunter with a grudge, Zora. But the episode also attempts to resolve the fate of Allanon after his stabbing last week,...
- 2/10/2016
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Qaushiq Mukherjee blends English literature and bovine sex jokes in 1980s-set film that departs from American high school comedy formula
Forget the jocks who spend their time dead-lifting and perfecting their wedgie techniques. It’s the Shakespeare-loving horny geeks we all need to watch out for. That’s the message from Qaushiq Mukherjee’s (aka Q) coming of age comedy set in 1980s Bangalore, with a focus on the love lives (or lack thereof) of a group of sex-starved “quizzers”.
Well, sex-starved might be taking it a bit far. Head geek Naman (played by Shashank Arora) does manage to fornicate … with a fridge door and a fish tank (really). But just as in Us teen comedies such as Porky’s and American Pie, he’s got his eyes set on something more unattainable. And as in those movies, there is a bully – in this case the suave cricket star Ronnie (Sid Mallya).
Continue reading.
Forget the jocks who spend their time dead-lifting and perfecting their wedgie techniques. It’s the Shakespeare-loving horny geeks we all need to watch out for. That’s the message from Qaushiq Mukherjee’s (aka Q) coming of age comedy set in 1980s Bangalore, with a focus on the love lives (or lack thereof) of a group of sex-starved “quizzers”.
Well, sex-starved might be taking it a bit far. Head geek Naman (played by Shashank Arora) does manage to fornicate … with a fridge door and a fish tank (really). But just as in Us teen comedies such as Porky’s and American Pie, he’s got his eyes set on something more unattainable. And as in those movies, there is a bully – in this case the suave cricket star Ronnie (Sid Mallya).
Continue reading.
- 1/31/2016
- by Lanre Bakare
- The Guardian - Film News
★★★☆☆ Last year, weepy romance The Fault in Our Stars (2014) in tandem with Divergent (2014) launched its leads, Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, to stardom. Paper Towns (2015), based on another novel by John Green, author of Fault, is a slightly different prospect, straddling the boundaries between the classic American High School Movie and the Young Adult literary adaptation boom. Jake Schreier (of 2012's Robot & Frank) directs this coming-of-age tale. When two children, Margo and Quentin find a dead body, Margo wants to find out about the man's life, while Quentin is happy to leave the matter alone.
- 1/3/2016
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Jughead #2
Written by Chip Zdarsky
Art by Erica Henderson
Letters by Jack Morelli
Published by Archie Comics
Jughead #2 is yet another silly, sarcastic entry in writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Erica Henderson’s surreal, slice of life series starring the Riverdale’s most non-conforming conforming teenager. This issue shows Jughead’s basically superpower of being able to skirt by the rules without breaking from getting free milkshakes from Pop’s to even avoiding detention for the most part under the draconian rule of Principal Stanger. He even has a purely metaphorical cheat code that hacks P.E. class, but Zdarsky and Henderson bring an end to his good luck with a dark and compelling cliffhanger.
One of the highlights of Jughead has been Erica Henderson’s cartoonish, yet with normal body proportions take on the Archie characters as she puts her own imprint on classic characters, like Betty, Archie, Kevin Keller...
Written by Chip Zdarsky
Art by Erica Henderson
Letters by Jack Morelli
Published by Archie Comics
Jughead #2 is yet another silly, sarcastic entry in writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Erica Henderson’s surreal, slice of life series starring the Riverdale’s most non-conforming conforming teenager. This issue shows Jughead’s basically superpower of being able to skirt by the rules without breaking from getting free milkshakes from Pop’s to even avoiding detention for the most part under the draconian rule of Principal Stanger. He even has a purely metaphorical cheat code that hacks P.E. class, but Zdarsky and Henderson bring an end to his good luck with a dark and compelling cliffhanger.
One of the highlights of Jughead has been Erica Henderson’s cartoonish, yet with normal body proportions take on the Archie characters as she puts her own imprint on classic characters, like Betty, Archie, Kevin Keller...
- 11/18/2015
- by Logan Dalton
- SoundOnSight
Why do we still care about "The Breakfast Club"?
Thirty years after its release, it remains the definitive movie about the American high school experience. In his tale of five diverse kids bonding during a Saturday in detention, writer/director John Hughes captured some eternal elements of being a teenager -- the awkwardness, the alienation, the casual cruelty, the social hierarchies, the longing for connection, and most of all, the penchant for self-dramatization.
Of course, none of this would have worked without the sensitive performances of the five stars, the nucleus of what the adult press quickly and derisively dubbed "The Brat Pack." One of its members, Molly Ringwald, has a new movie hitting theaters - "Jem and the Holograms." In honor of its release, here is what we would learn if we got "The Breakfast Club" cast together for a high school reunion.
Thirty years after its release, it remains the definitive movie about the American high school experience. In his tale of five diverse kids bonding during a Saturday in detention, writer/director John Hughes captured some eternal elements of being a teenager -- the awkwardness, the alienation, the casual cruelty, the social hierarchies, the longing for connection, and most of all, the penchant for self-dramatization.
Of course, none of this would have worked without the sensitive performances of the five stars, the nucleus of what the adult press quickly and derisively dubbed "The Brat Pack." One of its members, Molly Ringwald, has a new movie hitting theaters - "Jem and the Holograms." In honor of its release, here is what we would learn if we got "The Breakfast Club" cast together for a high school reunion.
- 10/23/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
WikiLeaks announced on Wednesday that it has obtained a collection of CIA Director John Brennan’s emails and will publish them. “We have obtained the contents of CIA Chief John Brennan’s email account and will be releasing it shortly,” the renegade document dumper tweeted. Brennan’s private AOL email account was allegedly hacked earlier this week by a teenager, who told the New York Post on Sunday that part of the hacked emails included a 47-page application by Brennan for top-secret security clearance. Also Read: Sony Hack: WikiLeaks Publishes 270,000 More Documents From Breach The hacker described himself as an...
- 10/21/2015
- by Jordan Chariton
- The Wrap
Keva Rosenfield's All American High: Revisited is something like unburying an ancient relic, or perhaps your old high school yearbook with dated wardrobe and coiffure. But it's more explicit than that. You hear the dialog, you see the 80's swagger, it has aged into a timeless record of a now exotic time. Today, this lifestyle feels so distant -- fun even. Director Keva Rosenfield and I discuss why that is, and what those comparisons mean going forward.
All American High: Revisited is just that. A recap on the 1985 documentary that followed the Finnish exchange student Rikki's assimilation into the ways of the American High School (with that Californian tinge). The original 16mm negative has been restored to 2K and reformatted for the big screen. It also includes an additional section that takes place 30 years later, where we revisit with some of the classmates.
These kids really give you access to everything.
All American High: Revisited is just that. A recap on the 1985 documentary that followed the Finnish exchange student Rikki's assimilation into the ways of the American High School (with that Californian tinge). The original 16mm negative has been restored to 2K and reformatted for the big screen. It also includes an additional section that takes place 30 years later, where we revisit with some of the classmates.
These kids really give you access to everything.
- 9/29/2015
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Aaron Hunt)
- Cinelinx
Charming and funny, a wonderfully sweet and silly mashup of spy stuff and high-school comedies, like if John Hughes made a James Bond movie. I’m “biast” (pro): desperate for movies about girls and women
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Here we go again. After Lila & Eve earlier this summer, here’s another example of a film that, if it were about a guy, would have gotten a big splashy release instead of being shuffled off to the land of VOD. (Arguably, American Ultra is sort of a guy version of this. That opened on 2,778 screens in North America. Barely Lethal opened on 22… after it had been on VOD for a month.) The fact that is stars Hailee Steinfeld, one of the most interesting young actors working today, and in a role that shows off comedy chops I don...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Here we go again. After Lila & Eve earlier this summer, here’s another example of a film that, if it were about a guy, would have gotten a big splashy release instead of being shuffled off to the land of VOD. (Arguably, American Ultra is sort of a guy version of this. That opened on 2,778 screens in North America. Barely Lethal opened on 22… after it had been on VOD for a month.) The fact that is stars Hailee Steinfeld, one of the most interesting young actors working today, and in a role that shows off comedy chops I don...
- 8/28/2015
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
WWE.com
What is a jock? It’s not a term that has much meaning in the UK, but if you watch a 1980s American high school film, it doesn’t take long to realise what a jock is. Essentially, they are the popular athlete who only hang around with fellow cool kids, date cheerleaders and generally abuse their power and act arrogant.
The anthesis of nerds, jocks rule the roost (and then usually fall later in life when removed from the safety zone of their school/college/university and have to fit into normal society). When jocks get older, professional wrestling is as good a career choice as any.
It lets them use their athletic gifts as well as their sculpted bodies, they get to live a life akin to that of a rock star and become a beloved figure with adoring fans. Besides, we all know that wrestling...
What is a jock? It’s not a term that has much meaning in the UK, but if you watch a 1980s American high school film, it doesn’t take long to realise what a jock is. Essentially, they are the popular athlete who only hang around with fellow cool kids, date cheerleaders and generally abuse their power and act arrogant.
The anthesis of nerds, jocks rule the roost (and then usually fall later in life when removed from the safety zone of their school/college/university and have to fit into normal society). When jocks get older, professional wrestling is as good a career choice as any.
It lets them use their athletic gifts as well as their sculpted bodies, they get to live a life akin to that of a rock star and become a beloved figure with adoring fans. Besides, we all know that wrestling...
- 8/6/2015
- by Lewis Howse
- Obsessed with Film
Chicago – Horror films have many players, but few contenders. Writer/directors Chris Lofing and Travis Cluff debut with “The Gallows,” a “found footage” movie about a force that haunts a typical American high school, complete with familiar student types, and touches on the mysteries of unresolved events and their backlash.
In 1993, a student named Charlie Grimmille is killed performing a hangman’s act in the school play called “The Gallows.” Twenty years after this event, the school resurrects the failed production in an attempt to honor the memory of Charlie. When a group of four students break into the school and onto the play’s set after hours, a series of unexpected situations start to occur, for which there is no escape. Lofing and Cluff go “old school” in this overt and psychological horror movie, and the result is a chilling fright fest, containing the “presence” of unseen forces.
Chris...
In 1993, a student named Charlie Grimmille is killed performing a hangman’s act in the school play called “The Gallows.” Twenty years after this event, the school resurrects the failed production in an attempt to honor the memory of Charlie. When a group of four students break into the school and onto the play’s set after hours, a series of unexpected situations start to occur, for which there is no escape. Lofing and Cluff go “old school” in this overt and psychological horror movie, and the result is a chilling fright fest, containing the “presence” of unseen forces.
Chris...
- 7/9/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Archie #1
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Fiona Staples
Published by Archie Comics
After 600+ issues, Archie is going the way of most comics and getting a new number one issue. And a slice of life comic hasn’t looked this gorgeous as Saga artist Fiona Staples gives all the inhabitants of Riverdale a fashion facelift along with bringing rich colors and facial expressions to the new comic. However, she hasn’t abandoned the stylized elements of the Archie mythos as the letter jacket and Jughead’s crown shaped cap remain intact. This mix of classic and new finds its way into Mark Waid’s script. The plot of the first issue (which stands on its own with a tiny bit of serialization) is classic Archie filled with romance, pranks, and high school pitfalls, but Waid adds some fourth wall breaking humor and revamps the characters of Jughead and Reggie to...
Written by Mark Waid
Art by Fiona Staples
Published by Archie Comics
After 600+ issues, Archie is going the way of most comics and getting a new number one issue. And a slice of life comic hasn’t looked this gorgeous as Saga artist Fiona Staples gives all the inhabitants of Riverdale a fashion facelift along with bringing rich colors and facial expressions to the new comic. However, she hasn’t abandoned the stylized elements of the Archie mythos as the letter jacket and Jughead’s crown shaped cap remain intact. This mix of classic and new finds its way into Mark Waid’s script. The plot of the first issue (which stands on its own with a tiny bit of serialization) is classic Archie filled with romance, pranks, and high school pitfalls, but Waid adds some fourth wall breaking humor and revamps the characters of Jughead and Reggie to...
- 7/7/2015
- by Logan Dalton
- SoundOnSight
Chicago – If you’re lucky enough, you’ll never know what it’s like to grow up in a poor American neighborhood. But what if the notions of such societies are flipped on its ear, and what if the message draws attention to our current perceptions of race? This is what the new film “Dope” conveys.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
I saw it as a fantasy of sorts, since the main character Malcolm seems to switch characteristics and points of view from scene to scene. He’s trying to solve a dilemma perpetuated by his adventures in the poor Los Angeles neighborhood of Inglewood, and inevitably offers a moral lesson through an application – naturally – to Harvard University. While the schizophrenic nature of Malcolm trips the story momentarily, it still can be interpreted as a through-the-looking-glass scenario – the streetwise version of the old 1980s film “Risky Business.”
Malcolm (Shameik Moore) is a self-described African-American high school geek,...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
I saw it as a fantasy of sorts, since the main character Malcolm seems to switch characteristics and points of view from scene to scene. He’s trying to solve a dilemma perpetuated by his adventures in the poor Los Angeles neighborhood of Inglewood, and inevitably offers a moral lesson through an application – naturally – to Harvard University. While the schizophrenic nature of Malcolm trips the story momentarily, it still can be interpreted as a through-the-looking-glass scenario – the streetwise version of the old 1980s film “Risky Business.”
Malcolm (Shameik Moore) is a self-described African-American high school geek,...
- 6/19/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Exclusive: Arclight, Ambi, Lakeshore deals among pick-ups.
UK distributor Signature Entertainment secured a raft of completed titles at the Cannes Marche for theatrical release, including Nicolas Cage thriller Dog Eat Dog from Arclight and action-comedy Barely Lethal - with Hailee Steinfeld, Samuel L Jackson, Jessica Alba and Sophie Turner – from The Highland Film Group.
Paul Schrader directs Cage in crime-thriller Dog Eat Dog about three men recently released from prison who go on to commit the ‘perfect’ crime but find that their own circumstances, the system and the long arm of the law are never far from getting the better of them.
In Barely Lethal, True Grit actress Steinfeld stars as Megan Walsh, a teenage special ops agent who yearns for a normal adolescence. After faking her own death, she assumes the role of an exchange student and quickly learns that surviving the treacherous waters of a typical American high school can be even more difficult than international...
UK distributor Signature Entertainment secured a raft of completed titles at the Cannes Marche for theatrical release, including Nicolas Cage thriller Dog Eat Dog from Arclight and action-comedy Barely Lethal - with Hailee Steinfeld, Samuel L Jackson, Jessica Alba and Sophie Turner – from The Highland Film Group.
Paul Schrader directs Cage in crime-thriller Dog Eat Dog about three men recently released from prison who go on to commit the ‘perfect’ crime but find that their own circumstances, the system and the long arm of the law are never far from getting the better of them.
In Barely Lethal, True Grit actress Steinfeld stars as Megan Walsh, a teenage special ops agent who yearns for a normal adolescence. After faking her own death, she assumes the role of an exchange student and quickly learns that surviving the treacherous waters of a typical American high school can be even more difficult than international...
- 6/8/2015
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Brian Yuzna's 1989 horror Society is out on Blu-ray from Arrow Films. Ryan takes a look back at a grotesque satire...
Bill Whitney’s just an ordinary American high school kid. Sure, he may live in a Beverly Hills mansion. He might drive a brand new Jeep to the beach. But deep down, he has the same hang-ups as most teenagers: he distrusts authority, resents his parents, and suspects that he might actually be adopted.
Gradually, however, we suspect that there might be something more to Billy’s paranoid fantasies than raging hormones - his parents really do seem to be up to something sinister - something to do with private parties, naked orgies, and shunting...
"We're just one big happy family... except for a little incest and psychosis"
Society stars Billy Warlock, a young actor fresh from TV shows like Days Of Our Lives. If this were a straight drama,...
Bill Whitney’s just an ordinary American high school kid. Sure, he may live in a Beverly Hills mansion. He might drive a brand new Jeep to the beach. But deep down, he has the same hang-ups as most teenagers: he distrusts authority, resents his parents, and suspects that he might actually be adopted.
Gradually, however, we suspect that there might be something more to Billy’s paranoid fantasies than raging hormones - his parents really do seem to be up to something sinister - something to do with private parties, naked orgies, and shunting...
"We're just one big happy family... except for a little incest and psychosis"
Society stars Billy Warlock, a young actor fresh from TV shows like Days Of Our Lives. If this were a straight drama,...
- 6/4/2015
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
The high school adventures of killer Victoria Knox begins…In theaters and on demand on May 29th – Currently Available on DirecTVMegan Walsh (Hailee Steinfeld) is a teenage special ops agent who yearns for a normal adolescence. International Assassin Knox faked her own death as she assumes the role of an exchange student, She learns that surviving the treacherous waters of a typical American high school can be even more difficult than international espionage. Did we not learn anything from “Mean Girls”?Steve-o is back! The “Jackass” star appears with Samuel L. Jackson, Dan Fogler, Jessica Alba, Sophie Turner, Dove Cameron, and Thomas […]...
- 5/20/2015
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
A second trailer for teenage assassin comedy Barely Lethal has arrived online. After a long distribution delay, Kyle Newman’s latest offering is gunning down a VOD and theatrical opening this spring, and now’s as good a time as any to get yourself acquainted with the movie.
Hailee Steinfeld stars as a Hit Girl type called Megan Walsh, who was raised as a highly-skilled special ops assassin. When she weighs up the pros and cons of her dangerous livelihood, she opts to throw down her weapons and study up on the rules of high school etiquette. And from what we can gather, this newest tease doesn’t offer a whole lot more insight than the first trailer. Steinfeld’s affable, smart teen is taken down a peg or two by Samuel L. Jackson’s mentor figure and the chaos begins.
On the basis of its strongest selling points – a...
Hailee Steinfeld stars as a Hit Girl type called Megan Walsh, who was raised as a highly-skilled special ops assassin. When she weighs up the pros and cons of her dangerous livelihood, she opts to throw down her weapons and study up on the rules of high school etiquette. And from what we can gather, this newest tease doesn’t offer a whole lot more insight than the first trailer. Steinfeld’s affable, smart teen is taken down a peg or two by Samuel L. Jackson’s mentor figure and the chaos begins.
On the basis of its strongest selling points – a...
- 4/24/2015
- by Gem Seddon
- We Got This Covered
Read More: Hailee Steinfeld to Play Carrie Pilby in Ya Adaptation If Matthew Vaughn's box office hit "Kingsman: The Secret Service" proved anything earlier this year, it's that audiences never get too tired of a cocky-teenager-turned-kickass-assassin storyline. While such a character is a staple of young-adult spy movies, director Kyle Newman and star Hailee Steinfeld are shaking the genre up in this summer's action-comedy "Barely Lethal." Steinfeld stars as Megan Walsh, a ruthless teenage special ops agent who yearns for a normal adolescence. After faking her own death and assuming the role of an exchange student, the agent quickly learns that surviving the treacherous waters of a typical American high school can be even more difficult than international espionage. "Barely Lethal' co-stars Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Alba, Sophie Turner, Dove Cameron and Thomas Mann. The film will be available on DirectTV beginning April 30. A theatrical...
- 4/24/2015
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
“This is one of the best films about American life that I have ever seen”, Roger Ebert famously stated during the first of many reviews of director Steve James, cinematographer Peter Gilbert and editor Frederick Marx’s still remarkable basketball documentary, Hoop Dreams, on Siskel & Ebert over the course of the film’s 1994-95 run. Having set out to make a film on street basketball players in Chicago during the mid-80s, the fledgling filmmakers never could have conceived of the vast narrative of American life’s unpredictable twists and turns that Ebert so staunchly spoke of. Today, now over two decades old, restored by the Academy which originally snubbed it so shamefully back in 1995, it looks better than it ever has and still rings of supreme cultural relevancy within the interweavings of sport, family, education and poverty.
At its core, Hoop Dreams is essentially a parable for the American dream itself.
At its core, Hoop Dreams is essentially a parable for the American dream itself.
- 4/21/2015
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
The presence of Jack Black and the prominence of the letter D might, at a casual glance, lead to you to expect a reteaming with Kyle Gass and a follow-up to The Pick Of Destiny. The D-Train is about a reunion of the school variety, however, with Black tenaciously trying to secure James Marsden's involvement. Here's the new trailer for the feel-bad comedy.Yes Man writers Jarrad Paul and Andrew Mogel have stepped up to direct this one, which finds Black chairing the committee of a middle American high school's reunion. Desperate for the acceptance and acclaim he never got in his yoot, our hero sees his chance to shine by convincing the guy voted most popular (Marsden) to attend.Trouble is, the one-time hotshot is now a failed actor primarily working in adverts who has no real desire to parade around his old school. So Black’s...
- 4/1/2015
- EmpireOnline
Why do we still care about "The Breakfast Club"? Thirty years after its release (on February 15, 1985), it remains the definitive movie about the American high school experience. In his tale of five diverse kids bonding during a Saturday in detention, writer/director John Hughes captured some eternal elements of being a teenager -- the awkwardness, the alienation, the casual cruelty, the social hierarchies, the longing for connection, and most of all, the penchant for self-dramatization. "The Breakfast Club" takes all of this as seriously as teenagers do, which is why teens through the decades continue to see themselves in the the film's characters.
Of course, none of this would have worked without the sensitive performances of the five stars, the nucleus of what the adult press quickly and derisively dubbed the Brat Pack. The name stuck, and maybe that's why fans weren't surprised at the rocky paths they all took...
Of course, none of this would have worked without the sensitive performances of the five stars, the nucleus of what the adult press quickly and derisively dubbed the Brat Pack. The name stuck, and maybe that's why fans weren't surprised at the rocky paths they all took...
- 2/14/2015
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Park City - The Sundance Film Festival can often focus too much on films set in New York or Los Angeles, but this year it provided a unique perspective on the latter in three very distinct films. "Dope" centers on African-American high school students in Inglewood, "Tangerine" is set in a small part of Hollywood known for transvestite hookers (as well as shining a spotlight on the city's Armenian Immigrant community) and Patrick Brice's "The Overnight" is a window into the hipster family scene in the city's Silverlake neighborhood. Radically different communities that don't always find their way on the big screen. Well, spot that last line with an asterisk. The east side of La has become something of a staple of Sundance over the past decade ("Beginners," "Quinceanera," "Afternoon Delight," etc.). Even the Duplass Brothers, who produced "The Overnight," set their new TV series "Togetherness" on the East Side.
- 1/29/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
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