It’s been just over a month since the devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami in Japan. I have been steadily glued to the TV here in Toronto, watching the news as the situation seemed to get worse before it would get better. The disaster has had a special effect on me: I spent 6 months living and working in Fukushima, one of the regions hardest hit. For the past 4 years, I have had to describe exactly where I lived when I would predictably be asked if I lived in Tokyo. “It’s about 5 hours north by bus from Tokyo,” I would say, or “It’s just over two hours on the shinkansen or bullet train.” And it’s heartbreaking that I’ll never have to describe where I lived because now the conversation inevitably becomes, “Oh, Fukushima, that’s where that nuclear plant is.”
Fukushima is a prefecture or province whose capital is my former home away from home, Fukushima City, approximately 220 km from Tokyo and 65km from the seaside area where the nuclear plant is. Nearby Sendai, the largest city closest to the earthquake’s epicentre was a hangout of mine- specifically because they had a music store with import CDs and English-language entertainment magazines and a branch of my favourite delicious Japanese hamburger chain for when I was feeling homesick. The reports I have heard through friends of friends in my former hometown have been grim in the days after the quake and nuclear explosions, but friends remain positive. As stories of survival and humanity continue to pour out of Japan, I reflect back on my time there, and eagerly wait the opportunity to visit the country I love again.
In honour of a country with a strong cultural legacy, here are my favourite Japanese films:
1) Woman in the Dunes, Hiroshi Teshigahara 1964
- A widow captures a man in her sand-pit to help her in her un-ending task of digging sand and selling it to cities while at the same time, keeping her house from being buried by sand. A psychological film that will have you on edge. Currently only available in Criterion's Teshigahara box set with The Face of Another & Pitfall, two more great Japanese films.
2) Rashomon, Akira Kurosawa, 1950
- A Japanese crime mystery in which the same event—a robbery & murder—is presented three times by a priest who was present at the trial, having witnessed the telling of events by 3 parties involved. A must-see for any serious film fan or film student.
3) Tokyo Story, Yasujiro Ozu, 1953
- An aging couple visits their grown children in Tokyo who are too consumed with their own lives to spend much time with their parents. Regarded as director Ozu's masterpiece.
4) Gojira, Ishiro Honda, 1954
- The very first movies featuring everyone’s favourite man-eating reptile, Godzilla. When first released, the film was a sci-fi thriller, though it's more liekly to elicit laughs from today's audiences. Still a fun watch with some great special effects considering the movie's age.
5) Onibaba, Kaneto Shindo, 1964
- A horror film featuring a woman and her daughter-in-law who attack passing samurai warriors, steal their valuables and then throw the bodies into a pit.
6) Departures, Yojiro Takita, 2008
- Winner of the 2009 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, Departures is about a young man who unwittingly answers an ad for a job in preparing the dead for funerals. A touching story with a few humourous moments.
7) Dainipponjin (Big Man Japan), Hitoshi Matsumoto, 2007
- By far one of the weirdest movies I have ever seen at the Toronto International Film Festival, Dainipponjin or Big Man Japan is a mockumentary comedy about a reluctant regular guy turned 30m high superhero who protects Japan from giant monsters. Absurdly hilarious.
8) Ringu, Hideo Nakata, 1998
- If you thought the Hollywood version of The Ring with Naomi Watts was scary, check out the original Japanese version. You won’t be disappointed.
9) Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, Nagisa Oshima, 1983
- Based on a true story about the experiences of four WWI POW’s starring David Bowie as one of the four men.
10) Norwegian Wood, Tran Anh Hung, 2010
- Based on the novel Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami, 1960s Tokyo comes alive on screen in this adaptation that explores one man’s relationship with life and death, past and future.
Nobody loves a picnic basket as much as Yogi Bear! To celebrate the DVD & Blu-ray release for the brand new movie, Yogi Bear on March 22 we're giving away some awesome Yogi Bear and Hanna-Barbera prizes for kids.
Yogi, Boo Boo and Ranger Smith first appeared in 1961 and he hasn't aged a bit. With a new computer-animated makeover Yogi hit the big screen with his pals for a whole new fun-filled adventure in this live-action movie. Voiced by comedian Dan Akyroyd, Yogi Bear and Booboo (the voice of Justin Timberlake) team up with Ranger Smith (Tom Cavanaugh) intrepid reporter Rachel (Anna Faris) to save their beloved Jellystone Park from becoming a new logging site.
Whether you loved Yogi as a kid or you're trying to introduce a whole new generation to the world of Hanna-Barbera, Yogi Bear is a smash hit for the whole family.
Want the chance to win some cool Hanna-Barbera prizes including kid-size Yogi Bear t-shits or hoodies and cool kids' DVDs featuring the original Yogi cartoon and his Hanna-Barbera friends? Follow @IndigoTVMovies on Twitter on Tuesday, March 22 and retweet the contest phrase and hashtag between 10am and 6pm EST to be entered into our random draw for you chance to win one (1) of our great prizes. See official rules and regulations for full contest details. Open to Canadian residents (excluding Quebec) over the age of majority only.
Check out the theatrical trailer for Yogi Bear.
A book-lover and a movie-lover, I have always enjoyed reading books before they were made into films; you’ll find Water for Elephants on my nightstand, and my Harry Potter collection is stacked on my bookshelf. My current literary-turned-movie obsession is The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins, a series of books I picked up knowing it would soon be made into a movie. When Hollywood turns its eye towards the written word, it suddenly makes that story much more desirable and bumps it up to “must-read” status. With a cult following of teens and adults alike, this is a post-apocalyptic, Big-Brother-turned-reality-TV-producer themed novel.
Having plowed through all three books in the span of a week, eagerly devouring ever page and plot twist, I have been imagining what it would look like on the big screen and how the screenwriter and director could make the intricacies and internalizations of the book come alive. If the online gossip and film trade papers are to be believed this week, it looks like I will have an easier time imagining Katniss Everdeen come to life.
The names of many talented young actresses have been tossed about for the role, including Abigail Breslin, Chloe Moretz, Saorise Ronan, and Oscar nominee for True Grit, Hailee Steinfeld, just to name a few. But the actress most online news sources have tapped to be the star is Jennifer Lawrence, who also earned an Oscar nomination for her work in Winter’s Bone. An Oscar-nominated young actress certainly brings more attention to the film and bumps it up from being labeled as “just another teen movie” by the die-hard film fan who might otherwise lump The Hunger Games into the teen film genre along with Twilight or I Am Number Four—a label it certainly doesn’t conform to.
Some may argue that Lawrence is old for the role at age 20 when Katniss is newly 16, and a younger actress like 14-year-old Steinfeld is the better option having proved herself in the dialogue-heavy True Grit. Lawrence may not be who I had pictured in my head as Katniss as I read the novels (With True Grit fresh in my memory, I actually thought of Steinfeld), but Lawrence is certainly a decent choice. She was excellent in the dark and gritty Winter’s Bone, displaying great depth and emotion and I have no doubt that she’ll excel as Katniss.
While she may be competent enough to handle the role, the other side of the age argument is that if the movie franchise continues to include the next two books, Catching Fire and Mockingjay, she would be well into her mid-to-late 20s before the final film is ever released. Sure, lots of actors have played teens well into their late 20s, some more plausibly than others: Gabrielle Carteris played 16 year old Andrea Zuckerman on Beverly Hills: 90210 at age 29, Glee’s Cory Monteith is 28 in real life while his character Finn Hudson is 16. As a character, Katniss is wise beyond her years, for better or worse, and Lawrence will be able to exude that maturity on screen and hopefully capture a new audience of adult viewers.
Time will tell if Jennifer Lawrence will end up in the role, while speculation as to who will be cast as the male leads, Peeta and Gale, continues. The film is set to begin production shortly with the hopes of being released into theatres in March 2012.
Who would you like to see battle it out in The Hunger Games on the big screen?
This ain’t your grandma’s Little Red Riding Hood. New in theatres, Red Riding Hood takes the familiar folk tale and twists it. Based on the YA book by Sarah Blakely-Cartwright , the story and the film both feature a teen romance, lots of action, and some smoldering stares in this Gothic reimagining.
Heavy on the paranormal and big on the chill factor, the movie will appeal to both young adults and the young-adults-at-heart. And it’s not just for the ladies, though there is plenty of male eye candy involved in the production…and Gary Oldman. The film has echoes of Twilight, which is unsurprising considering Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke is at the helm. She certainly knows a thing or two about teen dramas, novel adaptations, and making the supernatural seem plausible.
Like the book, the film is set in the requisite secluded medieval village deep in the misty snow-covered woods, evoking a similarly eerie feeling of isolation felt in the movie The Village. With a background in production design, Hardwicke certainly knows what she’s doing when it comes to setting the mood. The film opens with Valerie, who plans to run away with her lover Peter, one of the village’s hardworking woodcutters. Their plan to elope is halted when a girl is attacked by the village menace—a werewolf. That’s right, this isn’t just a regular wolf we’re dealing with as it is in the original folk tales dating back to 14th century France; it’s now a werewolf. After all, who’s afraid of a big bad wolf anymore? Unless it can shoot lasers out of its eyes or sprout wings and fly, I’m more likely to stop and snap a picture of a wolf to upload to Twitter than run for my life. I'm just not that good at running:
Of course, anyone well-versed in New Moon knows that werewolves are not the easiest creatures to get along with. These aren’t the teen werewolves I grew up watching: the basketball team all-star in love with his dream girl, the boxing champ who just wants to be a veterinarian; this generation’s werewolves mean business.
With the werewolf seemingly tiring of the villages’ full moon sacrifices of cute piglets and cuddly baby lambs, it decides to lash out, killing all who stand in the way of what it wants—namely Little Red Riding Hood herself, Valerie.
Amanda Seyfried is good as Valerie, having been genetically blessed with a wide-eyed stare, perfect for looking afraid, running to grandmother’s house, and staring longingly into the eyes of the two boys who make up her love triangle. Having apparently graduated from the Robert Pattinson Twilight school of messy-hair, open-mouthed, dead-eyed stare school of acting, Shiloh Fernandez finally gets a chance to become the next sigh-worthy pin-up boy. And it’s clear he has studied hard—he famously lost the part of Edward to Pattinson, but Hardwicke had a soft spot for him and cast him in this film. What good would a romance film be if there wasn’t some kind of human villain for our heroes to contend with? Enter Gary Oldman as Father Solomon: Werewolf Hunter. He’s a little bit Sirius Black , a little bit Count Dracula, 100% threatening, which is precisely the kind of Gary Oldman I like. Sure, Father Solomon is extreme, bordering on caricature, but he’s one of the best things the movie has going for it. The bizarre casting of Julie Christie as Valerie’s grandmother is confusing, and like the rest of the cast, she’s reduced to spouting ridiculous dialogue, including the classic response to “Grandmother, what big eyes you have!”
While the movie may have failed to capture my attention, it has made me want to check out the YA novel. If Beastly isn’t your type of fairytale, then be sure to check out Red Riding Hood to fill your werewolf quota until Breaking Dawn is released in theatres. Or you can revisit a gentler time, when werewolves just wanted to get dates and win that championship game with Teen Wolf & Teen Wolf Too.
But I stand by my love of Nicolas Cage—he continues to make the most varied films of any actor currently working; he fully embraces his off-the-wall persona, and let’s not forget that he has an Oscar. I often see Nic Cage movies on opening weekend in theatres, I am proud to include a whopping 18 DVDs starring the man himself in my personal movie collection, and when I’ve had a bad day, I often find myself reaching for Raising Arizona. He apparently has a collection of shrunken heads and a dinosaur skull, which makes him pretty cool in my books.
I love Nicolas Cage because he just doesn’t seem to care. Drama, action, comedy—he’s got them all covered and seemingly has no preference for genre, or even quality of film. In an interview, he once claimed to pick his roles based on the type of wig he could wear. His latest film, currently in theatres, is Drive Angry, one of the few films actually shot in 3D as opposed to making it look 3D in post-production like Clash of the Titans. Nicolas Cage as a man who literally drove out of Hell in order to save his infant granddaughter? I’m sold. Drive Angry is a throwback to grindhouse B-movies, and because it embraces its kitschy quality, it fully succeeds in being a non-stop action thriller, full of laughs and amazing one-liners courtesy of Cage and co-star William Fichtner. Don’t get me wrong, Drive Angry isn’t a going down in the history books as one of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, but it’s certainly the best thing currently in theatres.
And don’t get me wrong—they’re not all good movies. A lot are bad, like Ghost Rider. Some are downright awful…I’m looking at you, WIndtalkers. But depending on the mood you’re in, there’s a Nicolas Cage movie for you.
Want a good laugh? Check out Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans. Perhaps some of the best one-liners ever delivered on screen.
In the mood for retro fun? Valley Girl, Fast Times at Ridgemont High or Peggy Sue Got Married are time capsules of off-beat performances.
Need to see stuff get blown up? Look no further than Face/Off, Con Air, Knowing, or The Rock.
Family movie night? Cage has got that covered too, with The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, G-Force , The Ant Bully and Astro Boy.
Quality cinema time? Go for award winners Moonstruck, Adaptation, or Leaving Las Vegas.
Had a bad day? Chances are it’s not as bad as Edward’s in the 2006 remake of The Wicker Man:
Want to start your own Nicolas Cage collection? Check out the list of Nic Cage movies on DVD & Blu-ray.
The awards have been handed out, the speeches have been played over by the orchestra, the dresses are back in the closet, and the Oscar pool winnings have been dished out. Now that the Academy Awards are over, we can start talking about next year’s award contenders. Just kidding…barely.
On all accounts, that was a pretty predictable Oscar ceremony. With no real upsets, other than perhaps The King’s Speech’s Tom Hooper winning the award for Best Director over rumoured favourite David Fincher for Inception, the awards sort of fell flat. With much hype over trying to skew a younger audience by having Anne Hathaway and Best Actor nominee James Franco (127 Hours) host, and a misguided attempt at humour in the awkward “autotune the movies” clip, the show came off even more boring than usual. Sure, it was nice to see Young Hollywood represented, but not when you give them the same old corny jokes and stale banter that we’ve all been hearing for years. Hathaway did her best, and was quite charming—who knew she was such a good singer? Franco looked like he was sleeping most of the time, which is a shame, given his “Live Tweeting” hosting duties (you can follow him on Twitter to check out his behind-the-stage photos and video clips @jamesfranco).
And then there were the awards themselves. Some people enjoy having ten nominees for Best Picture, as they did in the early 1930s through 1944; I for one loathe the inclusion of 10 films. Where is the sense of competition? Or, to echo some critics, are there really ten worthy films in a year?
The King’s Speech was crowned Best Picture, a truly deserved honour, if a bit predictable. It will age well, unlike The Social Network, which, as good as it is now, will seem as quaint and humourous as floppy disks in another 20 years. The King’s Speech now joins the ranks of past Best Picture winners, including On the Waterfront, It Happened One Night, Annie Hall & Schindler’s List.
The acting trophies were well-deserved for stand-out performances by Christian Bale, Colin Firth, Natalie Portman & Melissa Leo; however, it would have been nice to see newcomer Hailee Steinfeld earn an Oscar for her work in True Grit since she handles the dialogue-heavy script with ease.
Luckily, each of the Best Picture nominees are either currently available on DVD and/or Blu-ray, or are coming soon so you’ll be able to catch up on films you might have missed in theatres. Take a peek at Academy Awards Shop for DVDs of nominees & winners, and a selection of movie book tie-ins.
Check out this list of the lucky people who have to make room on their mantle for their golden statuette:
- Best Picture – The King’s Speech
- Actor in a Leading Role – Colin Firth in The King’s Speech
- Actor in a Supporting Role – Christian Bale in The Fighter
- Actress in a Leading Role – Natalie Portman in Black Swan
- Actress in a Supporting Role – Melissa Leo in The Fighter
- Animated Feature Film – Toy Story 3
- Art Direction – Alice in Wonderland
- Cinematography – Inception
- Costume Design – Alice in Wonderland
- Director – The King’s Speech Tom Hooper
- Documentary (Feature) – Inside Job
- Documentary (Short Subject) – Strangers No More
- Film Editing – The Social Network
- Foreign Language Film – In a Better World, Denmark
- Makeup – The Wolfman
- Music (Original Score) – The Social Network
- Music (Original Song) – “We Belong Together” from Toy Story 3 Music and Lyrics by Randy Newman
- Short Film (Animated) – The Lost Thing Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
- Short Film (Live Action) – God of Love
- Sound Editing – Inception
- Sound Mixing – Inception
- Visual Effects – Inception
- Adapted Screenplay – The Social Network Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
- Original Screenplay – The King’s Speech Screenplay by David Seidler
What’s blue, has a big head, and is surprisingly laugh-out-loud funny? Megamind! The newest animated feature from Dreamworks is this week’s DVD Pick of the Week.
Arriving on DVD, Blu-ray/DVD combo pack and in a double-pack with bonus feature The Button of Doom on February 25th, Megamind packs a punch with a killer soundtrack (seriously) and an all-star cast of voices. Megamind is not your average superhero cartoon: instead of rooting for the good guy, you’ll be rooting for the kinda-bad-but-is-he-really-good guy. Megamind, voiced by Will Ferrell, is a super-intelligent alien who is sent to Earth as an infant along with fellow superhero-in-training Metro Man (Brad Pitt) as their home planet is destroyed. The two youngsters quickly become adversaries in school, setting up a lifelong rivalry filled with battles, gadgets, and a fight for the love of Metro City reporter Roxanne Ritchi (Tina Fey).When Megamind inadvertently creates a new mega villain Tighten (Jonah Hill), he has to finally choose between being good and being evil.
Fun for the whole family, Megamind effortlessly blends sight gags with verbal jokes…a villain with a big blue head shaped like a brain is always good for a few laughs. The top-notch cast is also a reason to watch the film. In addition to the main characters, several notable stars provide the voices for the citizens of Metro City: Ben Stiller, Justin Long, J.K. Simmons, David Cross, Bill Hader, and Amy Poehler.
Megamind is sure to be a mega-hit in your family!
This week’s DVD Pick of the Week is a no-brainer. Hailed as one of the best films of 2010, The Social Network is based on the true story of Mark Zuckerberg, creator of Facebook. Nominated for several Golden Globes including Best Picture and Best Actor, The Social Network is a smart and compelling look at the man behind the social media.
Long before “friend request” meant anything, Mark Zuckerberg was just another student at Harvard University in 2003 when, to combat the sting of being dumped, he creates a computer algorithm to “rate” the female student population online. The popularity of the concept of looking up fellow classmates online was so popular that his fellow students, the Winklevoss twins, seek him out to help on their class directory website. It is soon after that Zuckerberg comes up with “The Facebook.” Zuckerberg begins to work on his creation and along the way make a few friends, and even more enemies.
Adapted from Ben Mezrich’s 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, the film follows Zuckerberg from the founding of Facebook through his subsequent lawsuits and rise to fame. Much has been said of Jesse Eisenberg’s performance and his deserved Golden Globe nomination. He is able to echo the real Zuckerberg’s mannerisms and what can be called his abrupt frat-boy persona. It is refreshing to finally see Eisenberg break out of the ensemble roles and secondary characters he has played in Zombieland, The Squid and the Whale, and Adventureland. He has received many accolades from film critic associations around the world, including being winning the Toronto Film Critics Association’s award for Best Actor.
Justin Timberlake and Andrew Garfield (fantastic in Boy A and Never Let Me Go) are not to be outdone by Eisenberg. Garfield gives a commanding performance as Zuckerberg’s slighted best friend and Facebook co-founder, Eduardo Saverin. In a turn of brilliant casting, the Winklevoss twins are played by the same actor, Armie Hammer. The result is incredible—you would never guess that the twins are played by a single actor, using a body double as a stand-in. Timberlake is along for the ride as Sean Parker, founder of music-sharing service Napster and an early Facebook advisor and investor.
Directed by David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club, Panic Room and the upcoming English version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), the film was listed as the best film of the year by the American Film Institute (AFI) and Fincher has scored several awards and nominations, including a nomination for Best Director at the Golden Globes. The film’s score has also garnered attention, as the entire soundtrack was created by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
Sure to take home a few Academy Awards come Oscar night, The Social Network is a must-have in your DVD or Blu-ray collection.
So long 2010, hello 2011.
A new year brings a slew of new movies, both in theatres and on DVD. Like any movie buff, I love reading up on the hot new movies coming to theatres over the course of the year. From big-name blockbusters to small indie films, there’s a lot to get ready for in 2011. Let’s take a look far into the future at some of the upcoming releases I can’t wait to see.
All release dates are tentative and may not be playing in all parts of the country.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. This one is a no-brainer. After reading all the books (and re-reading in some cases) and sitting on the edge of my seat for Part 1 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I cannot wait to line up for the last film of the beloved franchise. Part 1 is due on DVD in early spring. July 15
Red Riding Hood. Loosely based on the well-known fairytale, Red Riding Hood is one of those films that could either be a sleeper hit or a box office bomb. With a slick trailer and Twilight director Catherine Hardwicke at the helm, the film definitely has potential to warm up audiences in March.
Rango. I am sold on Johnny Depp as a chameleon in this surefire animated hit. With trailers already getting laughs in theatres, Rango looks fresh and funny. Intriguingly, the entire script was acted out on a sound stage with props by the voice actors. I have high hopes for this one. Look for it in March.
Biutiful. Coming in January, this Spanish-language film has already earned rave reviews from critics on the film festival circuit, including a Best Actor trophy for star Javier Bardem at the Cannes film festival. This one has been on my must-see list since its North American debut at the Toronto International Film Festival.
Gnomeo & Juliet.
A CGI animated feature based on—you guessed it—Romeo & Juliet. An all-star voice cast includes James McAvoy, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, and Patrick Stewart. For all the pop culture fans out there, the film also features the voices of Dolly Parton, Ozzy Osbourne, and Hulk Hogan as gnomes. In theatres in February.
Jane Eyre. Based on the Charlotte Bronte novel, Jane Eyre is said to follow the novel quite closely. A BBC Films co-production, the lovely Mia Wasikowska of Alice in Wonderland and The Kids Are All Right stars as Jane Eyre. Look for it in March.
Scream 4. 15 years after the first Scream hit theatres, Scream 4 is poised to update the Scream franchise as the first of what is rumoured to be a new trilogy. With old favourites Courtney Cox, David Arquette, and Neve Campbell joined by Emma Roberts, Hayden Panettiere, and Rory Culkin, the film is likely to spawn a new generation of fans. Scream 4 hits theatres in April.
African Cats.
Calling all cat lovers! Part of the Disneynature films collection with Earth and Oceans, you can guess the subject matter of African Cats. Following a family of cheetahs and a family of lions, the film is presented in high definition. Due in theatres on Earth Day, April 22.
Water for Elephants. I am a not-so-secret Twilight film fan. Call them my guilty pleasure. Or more accurately, call Robert Pattinson my guilty pleasure. RPatz stars alongside Oscar winners Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz in this adaptation of the historical novel by Sara Gruen. The film is scheduled to be released in April.
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. Another must-see Johnny Depp film for 2011! The fourth installment of the Pirates series sees Captain Jack Sparrow on the hunt for the Fountain of Youth. That’s one adventure I don’t want to miss. Due out in theatres in May.
Beginners. I am so happy to see this film released in theatres. My favourite film of the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival, the movie is a heartwarming modern take on a father-son relationship. With Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor as the leads, the film is at once sad, touching, and funny. Due in June.
Crazy, Stupid, Love. Ryan Gosling in a comedy? That sounds like a must-see! Gosling is along for the comedic ride with Steve Carrell as a man who is unexpectedly hit with divorce papers from his wife Julianne Moore. Due out in theatres in July, the movie also stars Easy A’s Emma Stone.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins. Based on the classic children’s book, Mr. Popper’s Penguins the film tells the tale of Mr. Popper (Jim Carrey) who unexpectedly come into possession of a number of penguins. Bound to be one of the family favourites of the year, the film will be released in August.
The Help.
Following the lives of three African-American maids in 1960s Mississippi, The Help is based on the bestselling novel by Kathryn Stockett. A must-read and a must-see, the film stars some great female talent including Viola Davis, Emma Stone, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Cicely Tyson. Look for in the theatres in August.
Breaking Dawn: Part 1. Fast forward all the way to November for the first part of the final film in the Twilight Saga. The most action-packed book of the series, the film is bound to be a no-holds barred blockbuster adaptation.
And there you have it- a brief look at some of my most anticipated films of 2011. See you at the movies.
Emma Stone is great as the realistically portrayed Olive. Her comic timing is dead-on and it's great to see her as the lead in a film after her fun roles in Zombieland and Superbad. The stand-out of the movie isn’t Stone (though she is great) but it is the scene-stealing pairing of Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson, as Olive’s parents Rosemary and Dill—yes, they really are a family of flavours—that gets the most laughs. Tucci and Clarkson have amazing chemistry and steal every scene they are in. I’d pay to watch a full-length film of just the two of them as the modern parents of a teenager!
The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2010 and boasts a bevy of stars in its cast including Gossip Girl’s Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Lisa Kudrow, Twilight’s Cam Gigandet, and Malcolm McDowell.
With lots of charm, Easy A is a bonafide gem that will continue to shine with the passing of time. Now available on DVD & Blu-ray.
Check out the great teaser trailer for a laugh:
