Charles Bramesco
Tracy Morgan May Star Opposite Ed Helms and Amanda Seyfried in ‘The Clapper’
It hasn’t been two years since the six-car collision that threw Tracy Morgan’s whole future into question, but the actor has already begun his comeback. He appeared in the Christmas comedy The Night Before back in the winter as the omniscient narrator, and will soon appear in the ensemble comedy Fist Fight with Charlie Day, Christina Hendricks, and Ice Cube...
Benicio Del Toro Starring in Cuban-American Crime Saga ‘The Corporation’ For Leonardo DiCaprio
Benicio Del Toro has been enjoying something of a hot streak since his standout performance in the nerve-fraying Drug War thriller Sicario back in the fall. Though it’s not as if he’s just gotten his big break; the actor earned his first Academy Award in 2000, for covering similar ground as a casualty of the Drug War in Traffic...
A Crazy and Exciting New Way of Watching Movies Is Coming to a Theater Near You
With the rise in on-demand and streaming options for home viewership and American reluctance to leave the house at an all-time high, brick-and-mortar theaters have scrambled to keep viewers in the seats. High-end boutique chains have survived by committing themselves to the luxury of the theatrical experience, installing ritzy overstuffed La-Z-Boys in theaters and shrinking down the size of each i
Is This Rick Ross, Skrillex Track the Official ‘Suicide Squad’ Theme Song?
This past weekend, some brave soul with the wherewithal to actually attend a Skrillex DJ set at Atlantic City‘s Wav Nightclub shot a brief video of the celebrity EDM icon spinning an unreleased track featuring hip-hop heavyweight Rick Ross...
Ben Affleck, Matt Damon Re-Teaming For Historical Epic ‘Bunker Hill’
When a collaboration between creative types in Hollywood bears fruit, the studios often attempt to keep it together for as long as possible in order to extract all possible profit. Aaron Stockard and Ben Affleck first found success as the co-writers of Gone Baby Gone, a moody-broody, Affleck-directed neo-noir that cleared a trail through the untamed wilds of Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood...
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Man Arrested For Failing to Return VHS Copy of ‘Freddy Got Fingered’ 14 Years Ago
In precisely the sort of absurdist mix-up that sounds like something Tom Green would come up with, a North Carolina man has been arrested for failing to return a VHS copy of the Tom Green comedy Freddy Got Fingered 14 years ago. The Wrap relays the odd tale of James Meyers, the unfortunate soul that checked out a tape of the widely reviled but cult-beloved surrealist comedy at a video store in Kan
Shane Black Outlines Plan for ‘Predator’ Reboot, Wants Dwayne Johnson for ‘Doc Savage’
Today, a dynamite interview with The Nice Guys director Shane Black ran over at Thrillist. It’s a good read — not only does Matt Patches get at some nifty insights about violence on film and working with Ryan Gosling, but he extracts two tantalizing tidbits from Black that will only enflame fan anticipation for his upcoming projects.
Study Indicates Racially Diverse Movies Perform Better at Box-Office
Historically, the number-one rationale behind the overwhelming whiteness of Hollywood has been the financial imperative, the dubious claim that movies with predominantly black casts then become “black movies,” which is to say that they are niche movies, which is to say that they are not profitable...
‘Walking Dead’ Star Steven Yeun Set For Indie Thriller ‘Mayhem’
On The Walking Dead, an actor never knows when it’s going to be his last week on set. It sure looked like Glenn Rhee (played by Steven Yeun) was out of the picture when he was covered by an entire horde of zombies in the most recent season, but then he wasn’t, somehow. But he could’ve been! And in that moment, Yeun (probably) realized just how precarious his spot on the cult-hit show really was, liable to evaporate with a few keystrokes out of the writers’ room. He began to make plans to ensure that he’d be secure in the event of a Walking Dead-less future, and today, those plans have solidified into a new movie role for the in-demand actor.
The Lonely Island Tones It Down for ‘Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping’ Green-Band Trailer
The Lonely Island’s upcoming music mockumentary Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping won’t start never stopping until June 3, but Universal has already released a green-band trailer for the eyeballs too innocent for last week’s red-band delight. The newly released spot covers most of the same territory as the previously released trailer, introducing the intricate network of assistants in the orbit of pop sensation Conner4Real (Andy Samberg) and the star-studded roster of performers who will portray them.
Paramount Sues Fan-Made ‘Star Trek’ Film Over Copyrights on Ears, Klingon Language
The tough thing about using someone else’s ideas to make money is that it’s not entirely legal. This lesson had to be learned the hard way this past weekend by Alec Peters, producer of an independent film titled Prelude to Axanar. The Star Trek fan film drew quite a bit of ire from copyright holders Paramount after a crowdfunding effort on Indiegogo brought this grassroots DIY production over half a million dollars last summer. The promise to make a “studio-quality” film including characters, settings, and other elements from the heavily-licensed Star Trek franchise with no engagement from the relevant studio spelled doom for the Axanar team, and now the chickens have come home to roost.
In-Home Screening Room Draws Support From Major Filmmakers
Last week, we took note of a new business venture called Screening Room spearheaded by Napster founder Sean Parker. The proposed service would digitally stream the latest major-studio theatrical releases into the confines of private American homes for a hefty estimated fee of $50 on the same day as in-theater premieres, rendering a trip to the local cineplex less necessary than ever. Naturally, this radical new strategy would change the entire face of the industry, and has accordingly raised hackles on the production, distribution, and exhibition sides of Hollywood. As movie theaters struggle to stay relevant and profitable, Parker’s every press conference sounds like a death knell. And this weekend, both sides of this instantly contentious debate dug in their heels on their positions.