Some adaptations of great literature become so beloved and important in their own right that it can be hard to separate where the book ends and the movie begins. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of those cases. Released in 1962, two years after Harper Lee’s novel was published, the movie propelled the nationwide discussion on racial inequality and introduced characters that went against the norm yet were easy to relate and aspire to. Scout and Atticus Finch are finding their footing in a challenging environment, not an alien concept for generations of junior high and high school kids who are assigned to read the book.
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Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of the gifted guest critics who turned out yesterday and today to review Blue Velvet. It is difficult to sum up David Lynch's psycho-thriller masterpiece in just ten words but, as always, our clever readers rose to the occasion. Unfortunately, Movieline could only choose three critics to gift with Blue Velvet: 25th Anniversary Edition Blu-rays. Click ahead for the victors.
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Another week, another chance to play guest critic at Movieline and earn a cool prize. This time, our giveaway is Blue Velvet-themed in honor of the 25th anniversary Blu-ray release of David Lynch's twisted, symbolism-laden, profanity-heavy masterpiece. So crack a Pabst Blue Ribbon and click ahead to begin the fun! [UPDATE: The contest is now closed! Thank you to everyone who participated. We will now sort through your submissions and notify you of a winner shortly.]
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Another week, another chance to play guest critic at Movieline and win a great prize. This time, our giveaway is Jurassic Park-themed in honor of the dinosaur trilogy's Blu-ray release this week. Click ahead to begin the fun! [UPDATE: The contest is now closed! Thank you to everyone who participated. We will now sort through your submissions and notify you of a winner shortly.]
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Not 24 hours since The Smurfs officially cracked the $500 million mark worldwide, along comes the announcement we've been waiting for: "The Smurfs On 3-Disc Holiday Gift Set, Blu-ray 3D™, DVD and Digital on December 2nd," blares the press release just over the transom at Movieline HQ. Three. Discs. Who the smurf needs three smurfing discs of The Smurfs for the holidays? Well, like so many things, it depends on whom you ask.
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The 2008 holiday hit Marley & Me might not seem like an ideal candidate for a sequel since, uh, you know. But there it is, just sitting in my inbox: "Hear Marley Speak for the First Time in MARLEY & ME: THE PUPPY YEARS." And it gets better.
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If you weren't familiar with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover model Brooklyn Decker last year, you certainly became acquainted with the Ohio-born blonde this February when Columbia Pictures used her -- more specifically, her body in a yellow bikini -- as the primary marketing tool for Adam Sandler's latest rom-com Just Go With It. Contrary to what the promos would have you believe, Decker didn't spend her first feature debut emerging from different bodies of water in slow-motion; she played a sweet-natured school teacher with whom Sandler's character falls in love and Jennifer Aniston's character falls in perpetual annoyance.
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Last year, Barry Pepper earned glowing reviews for his portrayal of "Lucky" Ned Pepper in Joel and Ethan Coens' adaptation of the 1968 Charles Portis novel True Grit. The Canadian actor appeared in less than a third of the film, but managed to steal his scenes as an outlaw gang leader opposite Oscar nominees Jeff Bridges and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld. Perhaps it had something to do with his teeth.
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Ron Howard may have built an Academy Award-winning career around finely-tuned dramas like Parenthood, A Beautiful Mind and Frost/Nixon, but the Happy Days star was only able to do so after proving his directorial worth in the lighthearted chase romp Grand Theft Auto (available on DVD this week as part of a double-feature set from Shout Factory). In honor of Howard's unlikely entrée into filmmaking, Movieline has compiled five other unusual directing debuts from Oscar-winning directors.
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While Natalie Portman earned critical praise and heaps of awards for Darren Aronofsky's psychological thriller Black Swan last year, her work in Don Roos' limited release drama The Other Woman (available on DVD today from MPI Home Video) went largely overlooked. Not that it should have been -- Portman turned in another pitch perfect performance, this time as Emilia Greenleaf, the homewrecking second wife of a Manhattan lawyer (Scott Cohen) who must form relationships with her stepson and the first wife who hates her (Lisa Kudrow), all while mourning her infant daughter.
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Did you know that all movies based on video games are five-star landmarks of cinema? I did the research and it's true. No use double-checking my work: Double Dragon, Resident Evil, Super Mario Bros. (Happy birthday, Samantha Mathis!), Mortal Kombat, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Mortal Kombat: Back in the Habit, and the coup de grace, Street Fighter all qualify as gems. Another one is about to join their company: the completely ignored Tekken film. Let's observe this fresh nugget of DVD-bound Namco gold!
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Only George Lucas could make an event out of a press release, as he did today when Lucasfilm announced what you can look forward to on its Star Wars: The Complete Saga Blu-ray release -- four months from now. But there's value in that $140, nine-disc set!
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Given that sitcoms and shows about policemen have dominated American television since the days of the picture tube, it's probably inevitable that these two popular genres have cross-bred from time to time. The tradition probably started with the still-hilarious Car 54: Where Are You? (Shanachie Entertainment releases "The Complete First Season" on DVD today), a show that combined men in blue -- Joe E. Ross as the excitable Gunther Toody and a pre-Munsters Fred Gwynne as his laconic partner Francis Muldoon -- with a sharp sense of humor. Check out these other po-pos who make us laugh -- and suggest your own favorite cop-coms in the comments.
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Oh, the 1970s: It was the only decade where major studios could make films like Chinatown and Blazing Saddles, and it was also the only moment in pop culture history where the wonderfully bizarro entertainments of Sid and Marty Krofft would have been become the toast of children's television. But for those of us who grew up at a time when Saturday morning cartoons were interrupted by the Watergate hearings, we still treasure the Kroffts' crazypants style of kid's show -- and there's no better example of it than H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series (out on DVD this week from Vivendi Entertainment).
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This weekend brings us Soul Surfer, the inspirational true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who continued pursuing the sport even after a shark made off with one of her arms. And while the latest in CG effects allow actress AnnaSophia Robb to appear to be missing a limb for most of the film's running time, Hollywood's fascination with amputees predates such elaborate digital trickery. Check out our favorite limb-lacking characters after the jump, and add your own suggestions in the comments.
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