About once a year we hear something new about the Ouija movie, which, as far as I can tell, is the first movie based on a "game" where there isn't a winner. It's not a game, actually. It's cardboard. It's a flattened cereal box with the decoder ring taped to the outside. Since you're surely intrigued by this inanimate slab's transformation into a "supernatural action-adventure movie" and the news that Mr. and Mrs. Smith scribe Simon Kinberg was hired to polish it, let's take a couple of cracks at the plot.
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Say what you will about Battle: Los Angeles -- and both Roger Ebert and Movieline's Michelle Orange had a lot to say -- Aaron Eckhart was convincing as the strong-jawed military hero who faces a SoCal alien air raid. That's saying a lot considering that Hollywood has created some very unlikely characters to go up against extraterrestrials. In honor of this small coup for Battle: Los Angeles (available on DVD and Blu-Ray this week), let's round up some of the most surprising movie personalities to fend off aliens.
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In a profile of Ryan Reynolds last week, the New York Times estimated that Warner Bros. spent a staggering $300 million making and marketing Green Lantern. In honor of the expensive DC Comics adaptation, Movieline runs down nine of the most mindblowing reported budgets in cinema history below.
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A few key things unite my generation of nostalgic pop culture devotees: a fondness for early '90s Nickelodeon series that played in reruns until the latter part of the decade; firm opinions about which season of The Real World is best; and an absolutely feigned remembrance of Fraggle Rock, the '80s HBO series that replayed for a short time on the Disney Channel, and now makes you look cool if you reference it right.
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If the 65th annual Tony Awards succeeded in doing just one thing on Sunday night, it was in reminding viewers just how bad the 83rd annual Academy Awards were this past February. To paraphrase the great Mike Lowery: that's how you produce an awards show! From host Neil Patrick Harris' opening song and dance number about Broadway to his closing wrap-up rap, the Tonys were funny, touching, energetic and just about perfect. Or, the opposite of everything the Oscars have become. Ahead, 5 lessons the producers of the 84th annual Academy Awards can take away from the telecast.
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Earlier on Friday, we told you about Warren Beatty's vague proposal to make "another" Dick Tracy film, presumably a sequel to the 1990 blockbuster that featured Warren Beatty, Madonna, and a terrifyingly fishy Al Pacino. The idea provokes several questions: Will Beatty still star? Will any of the original stars return? Will the movie fit comfortably alongside the dark, dystopian flair of the newer Batman films? And most of all: Who most deserves to play Dick Tracy? We're picking our five most ideal choices to play the slickster in the slicker, and they're all worthy of Breathless Mahoney's smolder.
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In this weekend's Super 8, writer/director J.J. Abrams harkens back to the seminal films from his idol Steven Spielberg to create a breath of fresh air in this summer of superheros and sequels. How did the the Los Angeles-raised cinephile transform himself from the guy who wrote the forgettable '90s comedy Taking Care of Business to an Emmy-winning Spielberg collaborator who has succeeded in both television and film, all while maintaining one of the most loyal followings in Hollywood? You can always trace a direct line through a few important projects to illustrate what led to a filmmaker's current success. As such, let's look at nine pivotal credits that track the evolution of J.J. Abrams.
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It is a very special Thursday here at Movieline HQ. Not just because it's Super 8 Eve, but because we have some birthdays to celebrate. Get out the sheet cake! Like the now-30-year-old Natalie Portman, star Johnny Depp -- one of the finest actors of our generation -- has a birthday on June 9. The Oscar nominee turns 48 today, and that means it's time to look back on some of his best onscreen work. What's your favorite Depp performance? Let's discuss ahead.
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Earlier this week, the British Board of Film Classification refused to approve The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) for public distribution on DVD, meaning that the British people will not be able to add the gross-out sequel to their home library anytime soon -- legally, at least. As disappointing as this is for Tom Six fans, this is not the first time that the UK has banned a film because of illicit content and it won't be the last. As such, let's remember nine other films that were prohibited overseas.
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This morning we relayed that Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol scribes Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec would head up a reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which is probably good news. Problem is, the best parts of hard-bitten 1990 original should be preserved in turtle wax for eternity. You simply can't recreate the essence of a film where the chief voice talent is Corey Feldman, and why on Earth would you try? Here are five elements from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that can't be topped or (probably) even retooled.
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It's the political scandal of the moment -- until the next political scandal of the moment. New York congressman Anthony Weiner was busted for engaging in "inappropriate online exchanges with at least six women, and repeatedly lying about sending a sexually suggestive photograph to a young woman over Twitter last month." (Somewhere, John Edwards is saying, "Oh, is that all?") In a summer of superheros and precocious kids, Weiner stands out as -- well, a wiener. And knowing Hollywood, that means a film about the formerly rising (ding!) political star cannot be far behind. Ahead, Movieline offers five casting suggestions for the inevitable Weinergate.
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Prince, who just wrapped up an amazing 21-night concert stint in L.A., turns 53 today! That means Movieline is honoring His Royal Badness's purple reign with clips from his fiercest and sometimes most insane films. We're even throwing in "Batdance" because we love you.
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Jason Sudeikis hosted a mostly smooth MTV Movie Awards on Sunday, marking a big step up from the past few lukewarm ceremonies. His successful emceeing (and the pitiful award handout) made us think about the show's fascinating 20-year history. Click ahead for a review of bizarre Best Kiss nominees, unfortunate snubs of funny ladies, and the single funniest forgotten category.
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Disney's California Adventure amusement park, located right next door to Disneyland, is in the middle of a $1 billion renovation. The first major addition is a new "The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure" ride, which opened yesterday with the help of Ariel's original voice actress Jodi Benson, who performed "Part of Your World" for parkgoers. The ride whisks passengers past scenes from the movie and concludes with an as-yet-undisclosed "surprise ending." What could that surprise be? We have nine guesses.
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