By John C. There is a scene in the excellent Super 8, where young director Charles (Riley Griffiths) begs his best friend Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney) to let him blow up his model train to provide the special effects for a low-budget zombie film that he is making on an old 8 millimeter video camera.… Read More Steven Spielberg, “Super 8” and the Art of the Summer Blockbuster

By John C. Please note: Aside from basic plot points in Woody Allen’s “Midnight in Paris” that we already discussed in our reviews of the film, there are no actual spoilers in this article for movies new or old.  Enjoy! Woody Allen’s wonderful Midnight in Paris opened over the weekend, and it’s only the second movie… Read More Movie Spoilers: How Much Should be Revealed?

By John C. When all is said and done, there will be 27 sequels released this year, breaking the previous record of 24 in 2003.  Even though they aren’t all directly following another film, that’s the number of movies coming out in 2011 that will be sold as part of a preexisting franchise or series. … Read More The Summer of Sequels

By John C. The 64th annual Cannes Film Festival came to a close over the weekend, with the jury headed by Robert De Niro awarding Terence Malick’s The Tree of Life the prestigious title of Palme d’Or.  The Kid With a Bike and Once Upon a Time in Anatolia were in the midst of a two-way… Read More Cannes 2011: An Outside Look at this Year’s Film Festival

By John C. Since the dawn of entertainment, there has been much debate as to what makes something funny.  Why do certain things make audiences laugh and others miss their mark?  The bigger question in Hollywood seems to be whether or not there is any one formula to effectively tickle the box office funny bone.… Read More “The Hangover” & “Bridesmaids:” A Look at Comparisons Between Modern Comedy

By John C. It’s hard to believe that we are already at the summer movie season for 2011.  We’ve already seen a handful of good and even great films, coupled with a whole lot of average.  I’ve liked several films that others did not, and disliked some as much as everybody else.  We have witnessed… Read More A Lawyer, a Lizard and a Bird: A Look at 2011, So Far

By John C. Books that make the leap from page to screen have been the subject of debate for quite some time.  With numerous novels getting the big screen treatment in the coming months, it is surely one we will be hearing about over the rest of 2011.  It’s sometimes hard for a film adaptation… Read More From Page to Screen: The Many Book Adaptations of 2011

By John C. Over the weekend, the box office was dominated by both a kids flick about the Easter Bunny and a comedic remake centred around a billionaire playboy.  Hop enjoyed repeat success after last weekend’s $37.5 million opening, easily coming in first with an estimated $21.7 million domestic.  Arthur narrowly edged out Hanna for… Read More For Audiences, Russell is a “Brand” Name

By John C. Over the weekend, I found myself revisiting the original Arthur, in anticipation of the remake set to open this coming Friday.  The 1981 film starred Dudley Moore in a brilliant Oscar-nominated turn as a drunken playboy falling in love for the first time, and John Gielgud deservedly won an Oscar for his… Read More The Practice of Movie Remakes

By John C.   Recent Oscar winners The King’s Speech and Black Swan just can’t seem to shake the controversy.  For Best Picture winner The King’s Speech, distributor Harvey Weinstein has ludicrous plans to release an edited version with crucial scenes of swearing taken out, and Natalie Portman’s recent Best Actress win for Black Swan… Read More The King’s “Censored” Speech & Black Swan’s Ballet Controversy: Why Can’t Oscar Winners be Left Alone?

By John C.   I’ll admit that I was skeptical at first before initially signing up for a Disney Movie Rewards account in late 2007.  But I shouldn’t have let the more childish themes and activities featured on the site fool me, as what I discovered is what I would consider one of the best… Read More Everybody Wants to be a Cat: Disney Movie Rewards & The Discovery of a Jazz CD

By John C. The motion (or performance) capture animation process is getting more advanced all the time, but there is still confusion and controversy amongst critics and audiences alike. Those of you who saw Mars Needs Moms over the weekend (and stayed through the ‘behind the scenes’ video during the end credits) have a pretty… Read More A Brief History of Motion Capture, and a Look Inside the “Uncanny Valley”

By John C. I opened my review of the recent Rango by saying that it was “one of the most bizarre animated movies in recent memory.”  I meant it in the best possible way.  The film opened this weekend to excellent reviews (a very ‘fresh’ rating of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes), and came in first… Read More The Success of Rango, and Why Animation isn’t Just for Kids