"Fargo" Tops HitFix's Third Annual Television Critics Poll
"True Detective"'s Matthew McConaughey named best performance of 2014
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HitFix (http://www.hitfix.com) announced today that "Fargo" has been chosen as the top television series of 2014 in HitFix's Third Annual Television Critics' Poll. FX and MGM's Emmy winning series follows "Breaking Bad" which won the first two editions of the poll.
“Breaking Bad' was the obvious winner for the first two years of the poll, but 2014 was such a wide-open year, with so many great series in so many places, that we had no idea what show would get the most support from our voters”
After "Fargo," the rest of this year's list includes (in the following order) "The Good Wife," "Game of Thrones," "Transparent," "True Detective," "The Americans," "Mad Men," "Orange is the New Black," "Louie," and "Broad City."
Participants were also asked to vote on for the top 10 new television programs and the best performance of 2014. FX's "Fargo" came out on top for best new show and Matthew McConaughey of "True Detective" won the best performance poll.
“Breaking Bad' was the obvious winner for the first two years of the poll, but 2014 was such a wide-open year, with so many great series in so many places, that we had no idea what show would get the most support from our voters," said Alan Sepinwall, HitFix's Sr. Editor and TV Critic. "FX's 'Fargo' was a worthy winner in both the overall and new series polls, and the three polls together present a terrific cross-section of an exciting year in TV, where if you can't find something great to watch, you're just not looking hard enough."
Over 50 critics from outlets such as USA Today, The Hollywood Reporter, Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, NPR, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Buzzfeed and Vulture participated. The vote totals for each critic as well as every show that received a vote are available at HitFix.com/TVCriticsPoll.
Each critic submitted their top 10 television programs, new shows and performances of the year. The votes were determined on a ranked system (#1 pick receives 10 votes, #2 pick receives 9 votes, etc.).
A complete list of all this year's critics and programs can be found at HitFix.com/TVCriticsPoll.
About HitFix: HitFix (www.HitFix.com) is the fastest growing multi-screen entertainment news brand, focused on driving consumer choices across movies, TV shows, streaming content, music and events. With top editorial critics and a hard-to-reach millennial audience, HitFix delivers breaking news, expert analysis and engaging original video content to 300 million monthly viewers. Through their 360-degree cross-platform approach, HitFix surrounds consumers throughout their day spanning desktop, mobile, social, in-home devices and out-of-home digital displays, quickly becoming The Entertainment Authority. Everywhere.
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Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
"Mad Max: Fury Road" Trailer Arrives Wed. December 10th, 2014
Worldwide Satellite Trailer Debut Mad Max: Fury Road
From director George Miller, originator of the post-apocalyptic genre and mastermind behind the legendary “Mad Max” franchise, comes “Mad Max: Fury Road,” a return to the world of the Road Warrior, Max Rockatansky.
Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.
Tom Hardy (“The Dark Knight Rises”) stars in the title role in “Mad Max: Fury Road”—the fourth in the franchise’s history. Oscar winner Charlize Theron (“Monster,” “Prometheus”) stars as the Imperator, Furiosa. The film also stars Nicholas Hoult (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”) as Nux; Hugh Keays-Byrne (“Mad Max,” “Sleeping Beauty”) as Immortan Joe; Nathan Jones (“Conan the Barbarian”) as Rictus Erectus; Josh Helman (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”) as Slit; collectively known as The Wives, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”) is Splendid, Riley Keough (“Magic Mike”) is Capable, Zoë Kravitz (“Divergent”) plays Toast, Abbey Lee is The Dag, and Courtney Eaton is Fragile. Also featured in the movie are John Howard, Richard Carter, singer/ songwriter/performer iOTA, Angus Sampson, Jennifer Hagan, Megan Gale, Melissa Jaffer, Melita Jurisic, Gillian Jones and Joy Smithers.
Oscar-winning filmmaker George Miller (“Happy Feet”) is directing the film from a screenplay he wrote with Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris. Miller is also producing the film, along with longtime producing partner, Oscar nominee Doug Mitchell (“Babe”, “Happy Feet”), and P.J. Voeten. Iain Smith, Graham Burke and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers.
The behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-winning director of photography John Seale (“The English Patient”), production designer Colin Gibson (“Babe”), editor Margaret Sixel (“Happy Feet”), Oscar-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan (“A Room with a View”), action unit director and stunt coordinator Guy Norris (“Australia”), and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt (“Knowing”).
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Kennedy Miller Mitchell production, a George Miller film, “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The film is scheduled for release on May 15, 2015, and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.
www.madmaxmovie.com
https://www.facebook.com/MadMaxMovie
https://twitter.com/madmaxmovie
#MadMax
-------------------
From director George Miller, originator of the post-apocalyptic genre and mastermind behind the legendary “Mad Max” franchise, comes “Mad Max: Fury Road,” a return to the world of the Road Warrior, Max Rockatansky.
Haunted by his turbulent past, Mad Max believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa. They are escaping a Citadel tyrannized by the Immortan Joe, from whom something irreplaceable has been taken. Enraged, the Warlord marshals all his gangs and pursues the rebels ruthlessly in the high-octane Road War that follows.
Tom Hardy (“The Dark Knight Rises”) stars in the title role in “Mad Max: Fury Road”—the fourth in the franchise’s history. Oscar winner Charlize Theron (“Monster,” “Prometheus”) stars as the Imperator, Furiosa. The film also stars Nicholas Hoult (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”) as Nux; Hugh Keays-Byrne (“Mad Max,” “Sleeping Beauty”) as Immortan Joe; Nathan Jones (“Conan the Barbarian”) as Rictus Erectus; Josh Helman (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”) as Slit; collectively known as The Wives, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley (“Transformers: Dark of the Moon”) is Splendid, Riley Keough (“Magic Mike”) is Capable, Zoë Kravitz (“Divergent”) plays Toast, Abbey Lee is The Dag, and Courtney Eaton is Fragile. Also featured in the movie are John Howard, Richard Carter, singer/ songwriter/performer iOTA, Angus Sampson, Jennifer Hagan, Megan Gale, Melissa Jaffer, Melita Jurisic, Gillian Jones and Joy Smithers.
Oscar-winning filmmaker George Miller (“Happy Feet”) is directing the film from a screenplay he wrote with Brendan McCarthy and Nico Lathouris. Miller is also producing the film, along with longtime producing partner, Oscar nominee Doug Mitchell (“Babe”, “Happy Feet”), and P.J. Voeten. Iain Smith, Graham Burke and Bruce Berman serve as executive producers.
The behind-the-scenes creative team includes Oscar-winning director of photography John Seale (“The English Patient”), production designer Colin Gibson (“Babe”), editor Margaret Sixel (“Happy Feet”), Oscar-winning costume designer Jenny Beavan (“A Room with a View”), action unit director and stunt coordinator Guy Norris (“Australia”), and makeup designer Lesley Vanderwalt (“Knowing”).
Warner Bros. Pictures presents, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, a Kennedy Miller Mitchell production, a George Miller film, “Mad Max: Fury Road.” The film is scheduled for release on May 15, 2015, and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.
www.madmaxmovie.com
https://www.facebook.com/MadMaxMovie
https://twitter.com/madmaxmovie
#MadMax
-------------------
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Review: "The Fault in Our Stars" a Love Story for All Times (Shailene Film Fest)
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 54 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for thematic elements, some sexuality and brief strong language
DIRECTOR: Josh Boone
WRITERS: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (based on the novel by John Green)
PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ben Richardson
EDITOR: Robb Sullivan
COMPOSERS: Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott
ROMANCE/DRAMA
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, Willem Dafoe, Lotte Verbeek, Ana Dela Cruz, David Whelan, Milica Govich, and Mike Birbiglia
The Fault in Our Stars is a 2014 teen drama and romance from director Josh Boone. The film is based on the 2012 novel, The Fault in Our Stars, written by author John Green. The Fault in Our Stars the movie focuses on the unconventional romance of two teenagers battling cancer.
Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) has terminal thyroid cancer. Intelligent and sarcastic, she also has no friends. Believing her to be depressed, Hazel's mother, Frannie (Laura Dern), encourages her daughter to join a cancer patients' support group for teens. There, Hazel meets Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), an 18-year-old former basketball player and amputee who lost his right leg to bone cancer. The teens' unconventional way of looking at life and their illnesses bond them, and a romance blooms, even with the specter of death looming over them.
A movie about children dying young, especially of cancer, would be expected to be difficult to watch. However, The Fault in Our Stars is beautiful and poignant without being heartbreaking or heart-wrenching. Perhaps, the film succeeds because it is a tale of star-crossed love about two people who happen to have cancer, rather than being a love story about cancer patients.
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber's screenplay adapts the novel by focusing on love in bloom. Of course, that comes at the cost of the supporting characters and also the nuances of the relationships between Hazel and Augustus and their respective parents. The screenplay treats the parents as visitors, appendages rather than as the mothers and fathers who are obviously, intensely involved in the lives of their critically ill children. Still, Neustadter and Weber capture the freshness, spark, and enchantment of young love, while making the fact that the young lovers must confront finality seem like a magical and romantic thing rather than a dreadful thing.
With this movie, Shailene Woodley gives her best performance in a leading role to date. She is good from start to finish, and, as usual, she takes female film characters and makes them feel like real girls and young women. In the film narrative, it takes a while for Ansel Elgort to warm as Augustus, but he eventually makes the boy with the big personality a good fit for the acerbic Hazel. Director Josh Boone does excellent work by letting his leads grow into the spaces that their characters inhabit. [Woodley and Elgort also played siblings in the 2014 film, Divergent.]
The Fault in Our Stars became a worldwide hit film. Why? This Romeo and Juliet-like film is one of those classic movie love stories in which love triumphs over darkness, with a magic that dispels whatever gloom tries to come over the audience. Also, this film's musical score, composed by Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott (two members of the indie rock band, Bright Eyes), seems beautiful and uplifting even when it plays over sad moments. The Fault in Our Stars is like no other recent romantic movie, but it is exceptional and exceptionally good.
8 of 10
A
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
The Fault in Our Stars (2014)
Running time: 126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for thematic elements, some sexuality and brief strong language
DIRECTOR: Josh Boone
WRITERS: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (based on the novel by John Green)
PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey and Marty Bowen
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Ben Richardson
EDITOR: Robb Sullivan
COMPOSERS: Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott
ROMANCE/DRAMA
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, Nat Wolff, Laura Dern, Sam Trammell, Willem Dafoe, Lotte Verbeek, Ana Dela Cruz, David Whelan, Milica Govich, and Mike Birbiglia
The Fault in Our Stars is a 2014 teen drama and romance from director Josh Boone. The film is based on the 2012 novel, The Fault in Our Stars, written by author John Green. The Fault in Our Stars the movie focuses on the unconventional romance of two teenagers battling cancer.
Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shailene Woodley) has terminal thyroid cancer. Intelligent and sarcastic, she also has no friends. Believing her to be depressed, Hazel's mother, Frannie (Laura Dern), encourages her daughter to join a cancer patients' support group for teens. There, Hazel meets Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), an 18-year-old former basketball player and amputee who lost his right leg to bone cancer. The teens' unconventional way of looking at life and their illnesses bond them, and a romance blooms, even with the specter of death looming over them.
A movie about children dying young, especially of cancer, would be expected to be difficult to watch. However, The Fault in Our Stars is beautiful and poignant without being heartbreaking or heart-wrenching. Perhaps, the film succeeds because it is a tale of star-crossed love about two people who happen to have cancer, rather than being a love story about cancer patients.
Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber's screenplay adapts the novel by focusing on love in bloom. Of course, that comes at the cost of the supporting characters and also the nuances of the relationships between Hazel and Augustus and their respective parents. The screenplay treats the parents as visitors, appendages rather than as the mothers and fathers who are obviously, intensely involved in the lives of their critically ill children. Still, Neustadter and Weber capture the freshness, spark, and enchantment of young love, while making the fact that the young lovers must confront finality seem like a magical and romantic thing rather than a dreadful thing.
With this movie, Shailene Woodley gives her best performance in a leading role to date. She is good from start to finish, and, as usual, she takes female film characters and makes them feel like real girls and young women. In the film narrative, it takes a while for Ansel Elgort to warm as Augustus, but he eventually makes the boy with the big personality a good fit for the acerbic Hazel. Director Josh Boone does excellent work by letting his leads grow into the spaces that their characters inhabit. [Woodley and Elgort also played siblings in the 2014 film, Divergent.]
The Fault in Our Stars became a worldwide hit film. Why? This Romeo and Juliet-like film is one of those classic movie love stories in which love triumphs over darkness, with a magic that dispels whatever gloom tries to come over the audience. Also, this film's musical score, composed by Mike Mogis and Nate Walcott (two members of the indie rock band, Bright Eyes), seems beautiful and uplifting even when it plays over sad moments. The Fault in Our Stars is like no other recent romantic movie, but it is exceptional and exceptionally good.
8 of 10
A
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Labels:
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Movie review,
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Willem Dafoe
Review: Woodley Carries "Divergent" to Victory (Shailene Film Fest)
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 53 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux
Divergent (2014)
Running time: 139 minutes (2 hours, 19 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality
DIRECTOR: Neil Burger
WRITERS: Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor (based on the novel by Veronica Roth)
PRODUCERS: Lucy Fisher, Pouya Shahbazian, and Douglas Wick
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Alwin H. Küchler (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Richard Francis-Bruce and Nancy Richardson
COMPOSER: Junkie XL
SCI-FI/DRAMA/THRILLER
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoe Kravitz, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q, Mekhi Phifer, Kate Winslet, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Christian Madsen, Amy Newbold, and Ben Lamb
Divergent is a 2014 science fiction drama from director Neil Burger. The film is based on the 2011 novel, Divergent, by author Veronica Roth. Divergent the film is set in a world divided by factions and focuses on a teen girl who does not really fit in with any one faction.
Divergent is set in an indeterminate future and a dystopian Chicago that is a walled city. There, society is divided into five factions: Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent). There is also a sixth group, the “Factionless,” in which the members are homeless and shunned by everyone except Abnegation.
Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) belongs to Abnegation with her mother, Natalie (Ashley Judd); father, Andrew (Tony Goldwyn); and brother, Caleb ( Ansel Elgort). On her sixteenth birthday, Beatrice will take an aptitude test that is supposed to decide in which faction she would best fit. She will also learn of a plot to destroy Divergents, people who think independently and do not really fit into any particular faction. To which faction does Beatrice belong? Or is she Divergent?
If honesty is the best policy (and often it is), then, I must be honest about my feelings concerning Divergent. I love it – totally love it. I enjoyed the hell out of this movie. There, are two things about Divergent that stand out to me: (1) the story's themes and messages and (2) Shailene Woodley's performance.
I think that Divergent the film is not literal dystopian science fiction so much as it is metaphorical and thematic. It is not important that Chicago is a post-apocalyptic city full of survivors trying to both eek out a living and to maintain a social order that is supposed to... well, maintain social order. In the film, Chicago is important as a setting where creeping individualism meets growing spots of selflessness. Beatrice wants not only to be “herself,” but to also fit in where she wants. Being an individual means being able to help people outside of one's caste, even if one's caste-mates frown upon that. Divergent's story, as I see it, says that the individual and the society are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the reign of one over the other means disaster for everyone.
As for Ms. Woodley's performance, she does what the best actors do with a character – bring them fully to life. She makes Beatrice's wants and desires, conflicts and confusion, and her goals and struggles tangible, as if they belong to an actual living person. When an actor can do this, she makes the audience buy into the character, as if the character were a real person. I can see why people compare Woodley to fellow millennial actress, Jennifer Lawrence, but they are different from each other. Lawrence's characters tend to be brash and bold, even when they are vulnerable. Shailene Woodley is vulnerable and brash and brave in equal measures and at the same time.
Theo James, as the love-interest, Four, is good. Perhaps, director Neil Burger makes him scowl more than he needs to do for this young male character who must be upfront and hidden. James, however, has a screen quality that at least serves this film well.
In some ways, Divergent is predictable and follows the hero vs. the system journey so common in films adapted from Young Adult (YA) dystopian science fiction and fantasy books. However, Divergent is not generic because of Woodley, by both her performance and her engaging screen presence. She grabbed me and forced me to live in Beatrice's world. I am glad that this film's box office success has yielded a sequel.
8 of 10
A
Friday, November 14, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
Divergent (2014)
Running time: 139 minutes (2 hours, 19 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense violence and action, thematic elements and some sensuality
DIRECTOR: Neil Burger
WRITERS: Evan Daugherty and Vanessa Taylor (based on the novel by Veronica Roth)
PRODUCERS: Lucy Fisher, Pouya Shahbazian, and Douglas Wick
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Alwin H. Küchler (D.o.P.)
EDITORS: Richard Francis-Bruce and Nancy Richardson
COMPOSER: Junkie XL
SCI-FI/DRAMA/THRILLER
Starring: Shailene Woodley, Theo James, Ashley Judd, Jai Courtney, Ray Stevenson, Zoe Kravitz, Miles Teller, Tony Goldwyn, Ansel Elgort, Maggie Q, Mekhi Phifer, Kate Winslet, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Christian Madsen, Amy Newbold, and Ben Lamb
Divergent is a 2014 science fiction drama from director Neil Burger. The film is based on the 2011 novel, Divergent, by author Veronica Roth. Divergent the film is set in a world divided by factions and focuses on a teen girl who does not really fit in with any one faction.
Divergent is set in an indeterminate future and a dystopian Chicago that is a walled city. There, society is divided into five factions: Abnegation (the selfless), Amity (the peaceful), Candor (the honest), Dauntless (the brave), and Erudite (the intelligent). There is also a sixth group, the “Factionless,” in which the members are homeless and shunned by everyone except Abnegation.
Beatrice Prior (Shailene Woodley) belongs to Abnegation with her mother, Natalie (Ashley Judd); father, Andrew (Tony Goldwyn); and brother, Caleb ( Ansel Elgort). On her sixteenth birthday, Beatrice will take an aptitude test that is supposed to decide in which faction she would best fit. She will also learn of a plot to destroy Divergents, people who think independently and do not really fit into any particular faction. To which faction does Beatrice belong? Or is she Divergent?
If honesty is the best policy (and often it is), then, I must be honest about my feelings concerning Divergent. I love it – totally love it. I enjoyed the hell out of this movie. There, are two things about Divergent that stand out to me: (1) the story's themes and messages and (2) Shailene Woodley's performance.
I think that Divergent the film is not literal dystopian science fiction so much as it is metaphorical and thematic. It is not important that Chicago is a post-apocalyptic city full of survivors trying to both eek out a living and to maintain a social order that is supposed to... well, maintain social order. In the film, Chicago is important as a setting where creeping individualism meets growing spots of selflessness. Beatrice wants not only to be “herself,” but to also fit in where she wants. Being an individual means being able to help people outside of one's caste, even if one's caste-mates frown upon that. Divergent's story, as I see it, says that the individual and the society are not mutually exclusive. In fact, the reign of one over the other means disaster for everyone.
As for Ms. Woodley's performance, she does what the best actors do with a character – bring them fully to life. She makes Beatrice's wants and desires, conflicts and confusion, and her goals and struggles tangible, as if they belong to an actual living person. When an actor can do this, she makes the audience buy into the character, as if the character were a real person. I can see why people compare Woodley to fellow millennial actress, Jennifer Lawrence, but they are different from each other. Lawrence's characters tend to be brash and bold, even when they are vulnerable. Shailene Woodley is vulnerable and brash and brave in equal measures and at the same time.
Theo James, as the love-interest, Four, is good. Perhaps, director Neil Burger makes him scowl more than he needs to do for this young male character who must be upfront and hidden. James, however, has a screen quality that at least serves this film well.
In some ways, Divergent is predictable and follows the hero vs. the system journey so common in films adapted from Young Adult (YA) dystopian science fiction and fantasy books. However, Divergent is not generic because of Woodley, by both her performance and her engaging screen presence. She grabbed me and forced me to live in Beatrice's world. I am glad that this film's box office success has yielded a sequel.
8 of 10
A
Friday, November 14, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
------------------------
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Review: "The Spectacular Now" a Spectacular Love Story (Shailene Film Fest)
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 52 (of 2014) by Leroy Douresseaux
The Spectacular Now (2013)
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – R for alcohol use, language and some sexuality - all involving teens
DIRECTOR: James Ponsoldt
WRITERS: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (based on the novel by Tim Tharp)
PRODUCERS: Michelle Krumm, Andrew Lauren, Shawn Levy, and Tom McNulty
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jess Hall (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Darrin Navarro
COMPOSER: Rob Simonsen
DRAMA/ROMANCE
Starring: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Masam Holden, Dayo Okeniyi, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nicci Faires, Andre Royo, Bob Odenkirk, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead
The Spectacular Now is a 2013 drama and romantic film from director James Ponsoldt. The film is based on the 2008 novel, The Spectacular Now, by Tim Tharp. The film follows a hard-drinking high school senior whose life changes when he meets a nice girl, the kind he previously ignored.
Sutter Keely (Miles Teller) is a high school senior who likes to drink and party. He is charming and self-possessed, and he lives in “the now.” He is also a budding alcoholic. After a night of drinking, he wakes up in someone's yard, and standing over him is Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley). She is the nice girl who reads science fiction and manga (Japanese comics), and does not have a boyfriend. Sutter and Aimee start dating, but while Aimee dreams of a future with him, Sutter is not sure what he wants, other than to live in the “spectacular now.”
Much of the attention about The Spectacular Now, when it was released last year, focused on rising star, Shailene Woodley. And she is indeed spectacular here. She is a natural talent, and she seems like a pure movie star. Perhaps, the camera does indeed love her, but I am sure that my eye-camera loves her. Woodley is sincere and refreshing and makes this film sincere and refreshing – different from so many other romantic teen dramas.
However, Miles Teller also gives an exceptional performance. Sutter Keely has soul, and he makes The Spectacular Now a truly soulful film. Sutter has substance; there is something inside him. He is a three-dimensional character, fighting in conflicts and holding motivation, even when it seems as if he does not have any motivation. Teller is also a rising star, and has been cast as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in 20th Century Fox's reboot of its Fantastic Four film franchise. Teller doesn't necessarily look like a leading man, but he has the talent to take him to leading man status.
The Spectacular Now is a surprisingly good film, mainly because of its romantic leads, Teller and Woodley, but there are plenty of good supporting performances – actors that add to this film's wonderful sense of naturalism. The always-good Kyle Chandler makes the most of his screen time in a small role as Sutter's absentee father. Chandler is intense and coiled, as if he is ready to explode or to strike. It isn't a showy performance; rather, it adds to this film's overall quality. The Spectacular Now is... well, spectacular, but in a subdued and inviting manner. In the history of American cinema, it will go down as an authentic teen movie.
8 of 10
A
Friday, November 7, 2014
The text is copyright © 2014 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.
The Spectacular Now (2013)
Running time: 95 minutes (1 hour, 35 minutes)
MPAA – R for alcohol use, language and some sexuality - all involving teens
DIRECTOR: James Ponsoldt
WRITERS: Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber (based on the novel by Tim Tharp)
PRODUCERS: Michelle Krumm, Andrew Lauren, Shawn Levy, and Tom McNulty
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jess Hall (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Darrin Navarro
COMPOSER: Rob Simonsen
DRAMA/ROMANCE
Starring: Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, Brie Larson, Masam Holden, Dayo Okeniyi, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Nicci Faires, Andre Royo, Bob Odenkirk, and Mary Elizabeth Winstead
The Spectacular Now is a 2013 drama and romantic film from director James Ponsoldt. The film is based on the 2008 novel, The Spectacular Now, by Tim Tharp. The film follows a hard-drinking high school senior whose life changes when he meets a nice girl, the kind he previously ignored.
Sutter Keely (Miles Teller) is a high school senior who likes to drink and party. He is charming and self-possessed, and he lives in “the now.” He is also a budding alcoholic. After a night of drinking, he wakes up in someone's yard, and standing over him is Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley). She is the nice girl who reads science fiction and manga (Japanese comics), and does not have a boyfriend. Sutter and Aimee start dating, but while Aimee dreams of a future with him, Sutter is not sure what he wants, other than to live in the “spectacular now.”
Much of the attention about The Spectacular Now, when it was released last year, focused on rising star, Shailene Woodley. And she is indeed spectacular here. She is a natural talent, and she seems like a pure movie star. Perhaps, the camera does indeed love her, but I am sure that my eye-camera loves her. Woodley is sincere and refreshing and makes this film sincere and refreshing – different from so many other romantic teen dramas.
However, Miles Teller also gives an exceptional performance. Sutter Keely has soul, and he makes The Spectacular Now a truly soulful film. Sutter has substance; there is something inside him. He is a three-dimensional character, fighting in conflicts and holding motivation, even when it seems as if he does not have any motivation. Teller is also a rising star, and has been cast as Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic in 20th Century Fox's reboot of its Fantastic Four film franchise. Teller doesn't necessarily look like a leading man, but he has the talent to take him to leading man status.
The Spectacular Now is a surprisingly good film, mainly because of its romantic leads, Teller and Woodley, but there are plenty of good supporting performances – actors that add to this film's wonderful sense of naturalism. The always-good Kyle Chandler makes the most of his screen time in a small role as Sutter's absentee father. Chandler is intense and coiled, as if he is ready to explode or to strike. It isn't a showy performance; rather, it adds to this film's overall quality. The Spectacular Now is... well, spectacular, but in a subdued and inviting manner. In the history of American cinema, it will go down as an authentic teen movie.
8 of 10
A
Friday, November 7, 2014
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Labels:
2014,
Bob Odenkirk,
book adaptation,
Drama,
Indie,
Jennifer Jason Leigh,
Kyle Chandler,
Miles Teller,
Movie review,
romance,
Shailene Woodley
British Independent Film Awards Name Beresford and Warchus' "Pride" Best Indie Film
In 1998, Raindance created the British Independent Film Awards to celebrate merit and achievement in independently funded British filmmaking. The awards also honor new talent and promote British films and filmmaking to a wider public.
On Sunday, December 7, 2014, the winners for the 17th Annual Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced at the Old Billingsgate in London.
The 2014/17th Annual Moët British Independent Film Awards winners:
BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM -Sponsored by Moët & Chandon
Pride
BEST DIRECTOR - Sponsored by AllCity & Intermission
Yann Demange – '71
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR] - Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios
Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard – 20,000 Days on Earth
BEST SCREENPLAY - Sponsored by BBC Films
Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan – Frank
BEST ACTRESS - Sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle
BEST ACTOR - Sponsored by Movado
Brendan Gleeson – Calvary
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Imelda Staunton – Pride
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Sponsored by St Martins Lane
Andrew Scott – Pride
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – Catch Me Daddy
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
The Goob
BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Stephen Rennicks - Music – Frank
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Next Goal Wins
BEST BRITISH SHORT
The Kármán Line
BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
Boyhood
THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Luna
THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film):
Emma Thompson
THE VARIETY AWARD
Benedict Cumberbatch
THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Announced at the Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 7th December
John Boorman
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On Sunday, December 7, 2014, the winners for the 17th Annual Moët British Independent Film Awards were announced at the Old Billingsgate in London.
The 2014/17th Annual Moët British Independent Film Awards winners:
BEST BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM -Sponsored by Moët & Chandon
Pride
BEST DIRECTOR - Sponsored by AllCity & Intermission
Yann Demange – '71
THE DOUGLAS HICKOX AWARD [BEST DEBUT DIRECTOR] - Sponsored by 3 Mills Studios
Iain Forsyth, Jane Pollard – 20,000 Days on Earth
BEST SCREENPLAY - Sponsored by BBC Films
Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan – Frank
BEST ACTRESS - Sponsored by M.A.C Cosmetics
Gugu Mbatha-Raw – Belle
BEST ACTOR - Sponsored by Movado
Brendan Gleeson – Calvary
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Imelda Staunton – Pride
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR - Sponsored by St Martins Lane
Andrew Scott – Pride
MOST PROMISING NEWCOMER
Sameena Jabeen Ahmed – Catch Me Daddy
BEST ACHIEVEMENT IN PRODUCTION
The Goob
BEST TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT
Stephen Rennicks - Music – Frank
BEST DOCUMENTARY
Next Goal Wins
BEST BRITISH SHORT
The Kármán Line
BEST INTERNATIONAL INDEPENDENT FILM
Boyhood
THE RAINDANCE AWARD
Luna
THE RICHARD HARRIS AWARD (for outstanding contribution by an actor to British Film):
Emma Thompson
THE VARIETY AWARD
Benedict Cumberbatch
THE SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
Announced at the Moët British Independent Film Awards on Sunday 7th December
John Boorman
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Labels:
2014,
Brendan Gleeson,
Documentary News,
Emma Thompson,
Indie,
International Cinema News,
movie awards,
movie news,
press release,
Richard Linklater,
Short Films,
United Kingdom
"Boyhood" is Los Angeles Film Critics' Best Picture of 2014
The Los Angeles Film Critics Association (LAFCA) is a professional organization of Los Angeles-based, professional film critics working in the Los Angeles print and electronic media. Since 1975, LAFCA members vote on the year's Achievement Awards each December, honoring screen excellence on both sides of the camera.
40th Annual (2014) Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards:
BEST PICTURE: “Boyhood”
Runner-up: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
BEST DIRECTOR: Richard Linklater for "Boyhood"
Runner-up: Wes Anderson for “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
BEST ACTOR: Tom Hardy for "Locke"
Runner-up: Michael Keaton for "BIRDMAN"
BEST ACTRESS: Patricia Arquette for "Boyhood"
Runner-up: Julianne Moore for "Still Alice"
Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons for “Whiplash”
Runner up: Edward Norton for "Birdman"
Best Supporting Actress: Agata Kulesza for "Ida"
Runner-up: Rene Russo "Nightcrawler"
Best Screenplay: Wes Anderson fir “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Runner-up: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., and Armando Bo for "Birdman"
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for "Birdman"
Runner-up: Dick Pope for "Mr Turner"
Best Production Design: Adam Stockhausen for "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Runner-up: Ondrej Nekvasil for "Snowpiercer"
Best Editing: Sandra Adair for "Boyhood"
Runner-up: Barney Pilling "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Best Music Score (TIE): Jonny Greenwood for "Inherent Vice" and Mica Levi for "Under the Skin"
Best Foreign-Language Film: "Ida" Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski
Runner-up: "Winter Sleep" directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film: "CITIZENFOUR" Directed by Laura Poitras
Runner-up: "Life Itself" Directed by Steve James
Best Animation: "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” directed by Isao Takahata
Runner-up: "The Lego Movie" directed by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
New Generation: Ava DuVernay for “Selma”
The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award: Walter Reuben "The David Whiting Story"
Career Achievement: Gena Rowlands
-------------------------
40th Annual (2014) Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards:
BEST PICTURE: “Boyhood”
Runner-up: “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
BEST DIRECTOR: Richard Linklater for "Boyhood"
Runner-up: Wes Anderson for “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
BEST ACTOR: Tom Hardy for "Locke"
Runner-up: Michael Keaton for "BIRDMAN"
BEST ACTRESS: Patricia Arquette for "Boyhood"
Runner-up: Julianne Moore for "Still Alice"
Best Supporting Actor: J.K. Simmons for “Whiplash”
Runner up: Edward Norton for "Birdman"
Best Supporting Actress: Agata Kulesza for "Ida"
Runner-up: Rene Russo "Nightcrawler"
Best Screenplay: Wes Anderson fir “The Grand Budapest Hotel”
Runner-up: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr., and Armando Bo for "Birdman"
Best Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki for "Birdman"
Runner-up: Dick Pope for "Mr Turner"
Best Production Design: Adam Stockhausen for "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Runner-up: Ondrej Nekvasil for "Snowpiercer"
Best Editing: Sandra Adair for "Boyhood"
Runner-up: Barney Pilling "The Grand Budapest Hotel"
Best Music Score (TIE): Jonny Greenwood for "Inherent Vice" and Mica Levi for "Under the Skin"
Best Foreign-Language Film: "Ida" Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski
Runner-up: "Winter Sleep" directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Best Documentary/Non-Fiction Film: "CITIZENFOUR" Directed by Laura Poitras
Runner-up: "Life Itself" Directed by Steve James
Best Animation: "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” directed by Isao Takahata
Runner-up: "The Lego Movie" directed by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller
New Generation: Ava DuVernay for “Selma”
The Douglas Edwards Experimental/Independent Film/Video Award: Walter Reuben "The David Whiting Story"
Career Achievement: Gena Rowlands
-------------------------
Labels:
2014,
animation news,
Ava DuVernay,
Critics,
Documentary News,
International Cinema News,
LAFCA,
movie awards,
movie news,
Richard Linklater,
Studio Ghibli,
Wes Anderson
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