Finally: New 'Star Wars: Last Jedi' Trailer Hits!

"I've seen this raw strength only once before. It didn't scare me enough then… it does now." It's time to begin the next chapter. Disney + Lucasfilm have released the full-length official trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the next film in the ongoing Star Wars saga. Get ready to be wowed. Directed by Rian Johnson, this film continues the storyline started in The Force Awakens following Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren. Daisy Ridley returns as Rey, with John Boyega, Adam Driver, Oscar Isaac, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Gwendoline Christie, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong'o, Peter Mayhew, Andy Serkis, and Warwick Davis. Newcomers include Benicio Del Toro, Laura Dern, and others. This looks so unbelievably amazing, such chills watching this trailer. Tickets are now on sale in all formats as well. Ready?

You can still watch the first teaser trailer for The Last Jedi here, to see even more footage from this movie.

Having taken her first steps into a larger world in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Rey continues her epic journey with Finn, Poe and Luke Skywalker in the next chapter of the saga. Star Wars - Episode VIII: The Last Jedi is directed by American filmmaker Rian Johnson. The screenplay is written by Rian Johnson, based on the characters created by George Lucas. Featuring cinematography by Steve Yedlin, production design by Rick Heinrichs, and music by John Williams. It was produced by Ram Bergman, and Kathleen Kennedy at Lucasfilm. Disney will release Rian Johnson's Star Wars: The Last Jedi in theaters worldwide starting December 15th later this year. How does it look?

Review: 'Independence Day: Resurgence'

PLOT: 20 years after we shut down an alien invasion, the world lives in harmony and has integrated the alien technology into our rebuilding effort. But, as we probably guessed, those aliens haven't been licking their wounds during the hiatus; they're coming back for Round 2, more intent than ever to wipe us out.

REVIEW: Two decades after Independence Day decimated our landmarks in a fireworks spray of patriotic pomp-and-circumstance, Roland Emmerich returns with Independence Day: Resurgence, a hollow and laborious blockbuster that's more obligation than it is celebration. "That is definitely bigger than the last one," planet-saving scientist David Levinson dryly surmises near the start of this sequel. He's describing a new Mothership that's heading toward the Earth, but he's also talking about the movie itself, a massive endeavor that's Michael Bay-esque in its bloated generic-ness, populated by stiff cardboard cutouts who race through bland digital chaos without forging a single memorable human connection.

Twenty years after what's now known as The War of 1996, our society lives in a highly advanced state that assimilated alien technologies plucked off the ships we downed in the first movie. In addition to advancements in the fields of transportation and communication, we also have increased our military defense system, which includes a Moon Base staffed by soldiers preparing for the next possible alien attack.

Naturally, it occurs on the day our planet is celebrating the 20th anniversary of first contact. Our moon base is approached by a mysterious sphere, which current President Lanford (Sela Ward) orders be shot down, immediately. Striking first and striking hard wasn't the best possible approach, however, as the decimation of the sphere only leads to the arrival of a much larger ship -- one that measures 3,000 miles in diameter and is approaching the surface of our planet, causing all sorts of Emmerich-brand hysteria down below.

With Independence Day: Resurgence, everything old is ... well, old still. Original cast members not named Will Smith all return, and it's fun to see Jeff Goldblum once again sheepishly solving exaggerated problems like a GQ chaperone for the Math Club. He and Bill Pullman, playing President Thomas Whitmore and getting half of an inspiration speech, carry the nostalgic load, while Vivica A. Fox is dispensed of rapidly, and Judd Hirsch is abandoned in a subplot involving a stranger's family that makes no sense in the grand scheme of the story.

But Emmerich still seems like he's aiming to make a shlocky 1950's sci-fi drive-in movie, and Resurgence is hopelessly hokey and cheesy, even though the effects and tools at the director's disposal have improved dramatically in the past 20 years. Going bigger isn't better in the case of Resurgence, as the film loses focus the minute the massive Mothership enters out atmosphere. Emmerich ends up copying his past successes when it comes to staging his spaceship-induced chaos -- literally, as a scene with a man in a taxi cab eventually running from a decimated skyscraper plays like a blatant homage to Harvey Fierstein.

The new cast -- dubbed the Legacy Team in the story -- also doesn't rise up to fill the shoes of their predecessors. The five credited screenwriters immediately drive a wedge between male leads Liam Hemsworth and Jessie T. Usher (playing the son of Will Smith's ID character), meaning both men play sullen and morose instead of cocky, funny and cheerworthy. Maika Monroe replaces Mae Whitman as Whitmore's daughter, Patricia, though she isn't ready to be the physical action hero the movie asks her to be. And the final nail in the coffin is the noted absence of a ticking clock, a brilliantly simple plot device that created real urgency in the original Independence Day. Without it, Resurgence stumbles from one gigantic, generic set piece to the next, stopping alien resistances with relative ease and a lack of drama that helped the first movie cook, despite its faults.

There's an interesting trend happing at the multiplex lately. Long-awaited sequels like Jurassic World and Star Wars: The Force Awakens have blown the dust off dormant franchises and successfully answered the question, "So, can Hollywood go home again?" Independence Day: Resurgence, meanwhile, drops into theaters with a CGI thud and raises a different query: "Why bother?"

Review: 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens'

PLOT: Several decades after the defeat of the Empire, a new dark presence in the force rises, and two young people – Finn (John Boyega) and Rey (Daisy Ridley) may hold the key to salvaging the rebellion.

REVIEW: At this point, movie-going audiences have already made their decision whether or not they will buy a ticket, and a majority of them will. As such, I recognize that my role to play here is as a professional expectation adjuster, here to either hype you up, or help you avoid painful disappointment. The truth is that in this review I will do both. In short, the J.J. Abrams-directed film is unquestionably the best Star Wars movie we’ve seen in 30 years, and an undeniably entertaining ride – but one certainly not without a collection of narrative flaws, missed opportunities, and predictable plotting. 

Revealing story details from J.J. Abrams and Lawrence Kasdan’s script would be doing you a disservice, as everyone deserves to go into the film with the same level of mystery and wonder that I did, but certainly one thing that can be unequivocally stated is that The Force Awakens is passionately and respectfully rooted in the unmistakable and awe-inspring saga of the “Original Trilogy.” After the ugly, CGI-overloaded prequels, Episode VII truly returns fans to the world they recognize and love. It’s thrilling to be riding alongside an X-Wing during a battle with a TIE Fighter squadron, and to listen to the strings and horns of a John Williams score while watching a real droid roll around an expansive sand-covered desert planet. There’s nothing that feels quite like Star Wars, and The Force Awakens captures that particular sensation. 

Obviously helping in that respect is the return of legendary characters like Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) – who are wonderfully recaptured and only further fleshed out with three decades worth of mysterious history added to their legacy. What’s more, they manage to be so fascinating that it’s hard not to cling to every bit of exposition that is uttered, then working to understand what it means for both the past and the future. Old chemistry is reintroduced with vigor and really just watching their familiar expressions play off each other as they stand together in a room is enough to spark memories of everything you love about these heroes. 

There is a complaint to be levied that the film doesn’t utilize these classic characters enough, but the truth is that it’s a hard one to land simply because the new generation of heroes and villains is utterly fantastic. Fighting on the side of the Resistance against the tyrannical and horrific rule of the First Order, Rey (Daisy Ridley), Finn (John Boyega), and Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) all bring unique temperaments and backgrounds to the table, and just watching them connect and their relationships grow is both fun, and thrilling. Individually, they’re all personable, relatable, funny and entertaining, and it comes from a mix of fantastic performances and great characterization. 

Every actor in the ensemble given the opportunity within the material shines brightly, but it’s Adam Driver who is the true show-stopper of Star Wars: The Force Awakens - delivering a fascinating and deeply emotional turn as Kylo Ren. All working within context, the character is filled with palpable and painful internal conflict, and it comes out as dangerous rage that disturbingly coexists with his intense determination and drive to complete his ultimate mission. Even through an expressionless mask, Driver is compelling and brings a dark atmosphere to every scene he’s in – very much reminiscent of another notable black-cloaked antagonist. 

From a character and aesthetic perspective, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is tremendously on point – but it’s the construction of the narrative and devices that create significant problems. These issues exist on both the macro and the micro scale. From the larger perspective, the MacGuffin that’s introduced in the first act and begins the story really has no correlation with the big, dramatic conclusion – and the adjective “remake-quel” is unfortunately relevant. Some of the beats are also far too dependent on extreme coincidence – a flaw reminiscent of Abrams’ Star Trek reboot – and have the effect of thinning the plot. None of these issues entirely derail the film, but they are nagging and notable. 

Fans surely want Star Wars: The Force Awakens to be the greatest thing they’ve ever seen grace a movie screen – and while I know many will be upset about me saying this, the reality is that it isn’t. It’s a fun and thrilling return for one of the all-time great science-fiction franchises, and one that’s undercut by glaring issues with the script. It’s not a perfect film but it’s far superior to all of the prequels and exactly the movie fans have been waiting the last thirty years for. If you go in with your expectations adjusted accordingly, you’ll very likely have a blast.

Full Trailer for 'Star Wars - The Force Awakens' Is Here!

 

"The Force… it's calling to you!" Disney/Lucasfilm have unveiled the full trailer for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, directed by J.J. Abrams, and if you're a Star Wars fan like I am, it will leave you totally giddy with excitement. Star Wars is back!!!! And they're actually making a sequel to Return of the Jedi! And it looks amazing! John Boyega stars as Finn, along with Daisy Ridley as Rey, Oscar Isaac as Poe Dameron, Adam Driver as Kyle Ren, Harrison Ford as Han, Carrie Fisher as Leia, Peter Mayhew as Chewie, Andy Serkis as Snokes, Domhnall Gleeson as General Hux, plus Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma, and many others. Ready to go on another adventure in a galaxy far, far away?

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, continuing the beloved original trilogy about Luke, Leia, Han & Chewie that ended in 1983, is directed by J.J. Abrams, of the films. The screenplay is written by Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams, with Kathleen Kennedy from Lucasfilm producing. This debut is the beginning of a brand new saga, with another trilogy planned for this storyline, with Rian Johnson and Colin Trevorrow lined up to direct. Disney, after acquiring Lucasfilm in 2012, will release Star Wars: The Force Awakens in theaters worldwide on December 18th.

Finally: Watch The 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' Trailer

Walt Disney Pictures, Lucasfilm, Bad Robot Productions

"A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away..." It's here. It's period. It has been 31 years past we've seen Luke & Leia Skywalker, Han Solo, and Chewbacca in a movie, but they'on avow once again. Disney/Lucasfilm have unveiled the first teaser public message for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, in addition to know as Episode VII, the continuation of the Jedi parable that concluded taking into consideration the destruction of the Death Star at the fall of Return of the Jedi. It starts behind a shot of John Boyega and has a glimpse of the Millennium Falcon. From there? Well. This is what we've all been waiting for, our first glimpse after consequently many secrets. May the Force Be With You.

Along with Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher and Harrison Ford, the cast includes Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, Lupita Nyong'o, Adam Driver, Warwick Davis and Peter Mayhew.

Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, continuing the beloved original trilogy about Luke, Leia, Han & Chewie that ended in 1983, is directed by J.J. Abrams, The screenplay is written by Lawrence Kasdan and J.J. Abrams, with Kathleen Kennedy from Lucasfilm producing. Disney, after acquiring Lucasfilm, will release Star Wars: The Force Awakens in theaters worldwide on December 18th, 2015.

Are you excited for the return of Star Wars?

   

Review: 'Guardians of the Galaxy'

PLOT: In the furthest reaches of the cosmos, a disparate band of misfits put aside their differences in order to save the galaxy from a villainous warlord bent on controlling the universe.

REVIEW: Thinking back on my experience watching Guardians of the Galaxy, the new film from writer/director James Gunn, I find myself challenged to decide on the first aspect to really focus on. The comedy seems like an easy target, given that the feature is far and away the funniest Marvel Studios title to date. But it would be criminal to not pay immediate tribute to the impressive, gripping action sequences filled with stunning visual effects. It’s incredible that each member of the ensemble cast steals every scene they are in – letting your mind race and struggle to determine a favorite character – but it’s equally notable that each song in the ‘60s/’70s pop-rock-infused soundtrack beautifully enhances the moments it’s played. Hell, the natural starting place may just be talking about the beginning of the movie, featuring a heartbreaking, unexpectedly pathos-drenched moment set in 1988 where a young Peter Quill, the lead hero, watches as his mother passes away. 

Then again, perhaps it’s just best to look at Guardians of the Galaxy from a macro perspective and call it one of the most entertaining, fun, thrilling, heartfelt and beautiful summer blockbusters we’ve seen. 

Similar to Joss Whedon’s The Avengers, the movie brings together a group of strange, disparate heroes/anti-heroes from the world of Marvel Comics who unite as a team and stop a dangerous enemy from killing millions. Diving deeper, however, it’s a story about five lost-but-adventurous souls who have experienced tremendous loss in their lives and begin to discover a way to start putting all of the pieces back together. The main plot begins as an adult Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) – who has become an intergalactic thief known as Star-Lord – finds himself on an abandoned planet looking to steal a mysterious orb that he hopes to sell for a pretty penny. What he doesn’t realize is that this acquisition possesses a massive amount of power, and paints a gigantic target on his back - with a war criminal named Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace), and Peter’s former partner, Yondu (Michael Rooker), separately taking aim. 

It’s this event that leads Star-Lord to meet Gamora (Zoe Saldana), a green alien assassin experiencing a change of heart about working for someone as evil as Ronan; and Rocket (voice of Bradley Cooper) and Groot (voice of Vin Diesel), a talking, gun-loving raccoon and walking tree, respectively, who are hired by Yondu as bounty hunters to hunt Star-Lord down. A disastrous first encounter between the four characters results in all of them being thrown in a space prison, where they encounter Drax The Destroyer (Dave Bautista), a rage-fueled alien who wishes revenge against Ronan for the death of his wife and daughter. As the five individuals discover that they can help each other out –both getting closure with Ronan, and getting stinkin’ rich – they team up to try and break out of lock-up, but soon find themselves on a much larger mission together with millions of lives hanging in the balance. 

A perfect blend of simple storytelling mixed with just the right dose of sci-fi weirdness, Guardians of the Galaxy is in many ways a marvel in the sense of balance: it’s an ensemble that gives proper shrift and provides depth to each of the central heroes, while also constantly playing around with tone for both hilarious and dramatic results. As really the only human in the film, Star-Lord serves as the audience’s gateway into the story, and Chris Pratt proves himself to be a fantastic, unyieldingly charismatic leading man. 

Once all of the proper plot devices are in place, James Gunn provides exceptional depth for his entire cast. Rocket is as funny and acerbic as he is fuzzy, and with a terribly painful backstory he may even get you to produce a tear or two. Dave Bautista’s Drax is far, far more than a pile of muscles, and in addition to kicking a ton of ass, he also delivers – with perfect cadence – some of the best lines in the movie. Even Groot, who is limited to a vocabulary that consists of “I am Groot” and nothing else, is able to steal scenes just by being so physiologically bizarre and emotionally expressive. The only lead left slightly wanting is Gamora, who has a terrifyingly dark backstory that comes through more in telling than showing, but she’s still a crucial character for narrative and emotional arcs, and is intense fun to watch fluidly fighting her way through any and all opposition. 

What really can’t be stressed enough is just how insanely fun and entertaining Guardians of the Galaxy is for literally its entire two-hour-plus runtime. Made with the same kind of energetic and creative gusto that has fueled classics like Star Wars, Ghostbusters and Back To The Future, the movie transports the audience to a unique, whole new world on the other side of the universe, and features no shortage of diverse landscapes, colorful aliens, and spaceship battles and chases. Fight sequences play out not just with skilled martial arts and weapons play, but also with bizarre little toys and gadgets found useful in rocketing characters from one side of the screen to the other. The film is built to be bright, colorful and laugh-out-loud funny, and it’s a scream to watch it succeed. 

Guardians of the Galaxy is far and away the biggest budget that James Gunn has ever worked with, but the film also happens to be the writer/director’s most mature film to date. Perhaps benefiting from working within the Marvel Studios system, Gunn made his feature on a clean-cut, linear storyline that organically and skillfully brings its entire cast together – including the amazing supporting characters. Aesthetically, you can’t tell that he hasn’t ever tackled a blockbuster before, as every “big screen moment” is shining and spectacular (the teams of visual effects artists deserving a great deal of credit as well). The movie is in every way a product of James Gunn – featuring the same smart dialogue and even a handful of his regular stars – but it’s James Gunn working on a whole other level than what we’ve seen from him before. 

When Guardians of the Galaxy was first announced, it was viewed as a risky proposition on behalf of Marvel Studios, given that the titular comic book heroes were largely unknowns to even most die-hard comic book fans. Now having seen the film, all of that questioning just seems rather foolish. What James Gunn and company have put together is nothing short of phenomenal, and one of the most outstanding, entertaining pieces of science-fiction space opera out there. I enjoyed the hell out of every second of it, and you will too.

Watch: First Trailer + Poster for 'Hercules' Starring Dwayne Johnson

Now that The Legend of Hercules has crashed and burned, it's times to see attend to to what will hopefully be a far-off away higher description of the Greek epic starring Dwayne Johnson in the title hero role of Hercules. The and no-one else downside might be the turn of Brett Ratner (Rush Hour) astern the camera, but the teaser flyer doesn't atmosphere in the express of one of his films at all. Having said that, this first footage from the film isn't all that promising either, and no-one else because we don't very attain Johnson as Hercules gone he opens his mouth. The do something star has been approaching a roll lately, and we'd flatter for this to be awesome, but we'more or less not sure. Watch!

And here's the poster featuring an angry Dwayne Johnson in full swing (via Twitter):

Hercules is directed by Brett Ratner (Rush Hour, X-Men: The Last Stand), written by Ryan Condal and Evan Spiliotopoulos, and based on Steve Moore's graphic novel Hercules: The Thracian Wars. MGM and Paramount release the film July 25th.

Oscars: 2014 Academy Awards Winners - Complete List

The 86th Academy Awards are upon us and it's time to watch the show and announce the winners of the most prestigious award in Hollywood. The Oscar ceremony is being broadcast live from the Dolby Theatre with another returning, exuberant host - Ellen DeGeneres. Last year featured a vivid and memorable set of movies, from Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity to Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave to Scorsese's The Wolf of Wall Street to Spike Jonze's Her to David O. Russell's American Hustle to Paul Greengrass' Captain Phillips as the key contenders, among many others. Who will win? Time to finally find out at the 2014 Oscars. The full list below will be updated with winners marked as they're announced live tonight - refresh for updates.

PICTURE:

12 Years a Slave
Steve McQueen

  DIRECTOR:

Alfonso Cuaron for
Gravity

ACTOR:

Matthew McConaughey
for Dallas Buyers Club

  ACTRESS:

Cate Blanchett for
Blue Jasmine

Read on for the complete list of 2014 Oscar nominees & winners. Let us know what you think of the results!

This will be updated throughout the night to reflect the winners as revealed. Additionally, I might be adding a small bit of editorial commentary beneath each category. Winners are highlighted in BOLD below.

PICTURE:
American Hustle
Captain Phillips
Dallas Buyers Club
Gravity
Her
Nebraska
Philomena
12 Years a Slave
The Wolf of Wall Street

DIRECTOR:
David O. Russell - American Hustle
Alfonso Cuarón - Gravity
Alexander Payne - Nebraska
Steve McQueen - 12 Years a Slave
Martin Scorsese - The Wolf of Wall Street

Thoughts: Fantastic! Alfonso! Congratulations on this huge win, the film is groundbreaking and he deserves it for all the years of work that he and his team put into this. Bravo, bravo! A big night for Gravity with so many awards in total, but especially this win.

ACTOR:
Christian Bale - American Hustle
Bruce Dern - Nebraska
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street
Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave
Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club

ACTRESS:
Amy Adams - American Hustle
Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine
Sandra Bullock - Gravity
Judi Dench - Philomena
Meryl Streep - August: Osage County

SUPPORTING ACTOR:
Barkhad Abdi - Captain Phillips
Bradley Cooper - American Hustle
Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave
Jonah Hill - The Wolf of Wall Street
Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club

Thoughts: He deserves it, performance for the ages, and he's been winning all the awards for good reason. While I love Abdi and Hill and Fassbender too, this was Leto's Oscar to win. Nice job.

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:
Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine
Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle
Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave
Julia Roberts - August: Osage County
June Squibb - Nebraska

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:
American Hustle - Eric Warren Singer & David O. Russell
Blue Jasmine - Woody Allen
Dallas Buyers Club - Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack
Her - Spike Jonze
Nebraska - Bob Nelson

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:
Before Midnight - Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy & Ethan Hawke
Captain Phillips - Billy Ray
Philomena - Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope
12 Years a Slave - John Ridley
The Wolf of Wall Street - Terence Winter

ANIMATED FEATURE:
The Croods
Despicable Me 2
Ernest & Celestine
Frozen
The Wind Rises

Thoughts: Of course! Everyone loves Frozen! Even The Academy, and it wins, as expected. No win for Miyazaki, but I'm not surprised that Frozen won.

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:
The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)
The Great Beauty (Italy)
The Hunt (Denmark)
The Missing Picture (Cambodia)
Omar (Palestine)

CINEMATOGRAPHY:
The Grandmaster - Philippe Le Sourd
Gravity - Emmanuel Lubezki
Inside Llewyn Davis - Bruno Delbonnel
Nebraska - Phedon Papamichael
Prisoners - Roger Deakins

Thoughts: Congrats! Lubezki! The best. A cinematography master, one of the all-time greats who finally gets his Oscar. Deakins should win one day, but I'm happy Lubezki is getting this one for Gravity.

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:
The Act of Killing - Joshua Oppenheimer & Signe Byrge Sørensen
Cutie and the Boxer - Zachary Heinzerling & Lydia Dean Pilcher
Dirty Wars - Richard Rowley & Jeremy Scahill
The Square - Jehane Noujaim & Karim Amer
20 Feet from Stardom - Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen & Caitrin Rogers

DOCUMENTARY SHORT:
CaveDigger - Jeffrey Karoff
Facing Fear - Jason Cohen
Karama Has No Walls - Sara Ishaq
The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life - Malcolm Clarke & Nicholas Reed
Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall - Edgar Barens

ANIMATED SHORT:
Feral - Daniel Sousa & Dan Golden
Get a Horse! - Lauren MacMullan & Dorothy McKim
Mr. Hublot - Laurent Witz & Alexandre Espigares
Possessions - Shuhei Morita
Room on the Broom - Max Lang & Jan Lachauer

Thoughts: Yes! I loved this short, it's very adorable and so much fun, I'm so glad it won. Out of all five of these shorts this year, it was my favorite, though I admit I also love Get a Horse, too.

LIVE-ACTION SHORT:
Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me) - Esteban Crespo
Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything) - Xavier Legrand & Alexandre Gavras
Helium - Anders Walter & Kim Magnusson
Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?) - Selma Vilhunen & Kirsikka Saari
The Voorman Problem - Mark Gill & Baldwin Li

VISUAL EFFECTS:
Gravity
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Iron Man 3
The Lone Ranger
Star Trek Into Darkness

Thoughts: Yes! Of course, the obvious winner and expected pick because the work in this is extraordinary.

PRODUCTION DESIGN:
American Hustle - Judy Becker (Production Design); Heather Loeffler (Set Decoration)
Gravity - Andy Nicholson (Production Design); Rosie Goodwin & Joanne Woollard (Set Decoration)
The Great Gatsby - Catherine Martin (Production Design); Beverley Dunn (Set Decoration)
Her - K.K. Barrett (Production Design); Gene Serdena (Set Decoration)
12 Years a Slave - Adam Stockhausen (Production Design); Alice Baker (Set Decoration)

COSTUME DESIGN:
American Hustle - Michael Wilkinson
The Grandmaster - William Chang Suk Ping
The Great Gatsby - Catherine Martin
The Invisible Woman - Michael O'Connor
12 Years a Slave - Patricia Norris

MAKE-UP & HAIR:
Dallas Buyers Club - Adruitha Lee & Robin Mathews
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa - Stephen Prouty
The Lone Ranger - Joel Harlow & Gloria Pasqua-Casny

FILM EDITING:
American Hustle - Jay Cassidy, Crispin Struthers & Alan Baumgarten
Captain Phillips - Christopher Rouse
Dallas Buyers Club - John Mac McMurphy & Martin Pensa
Gravity - Alfonso Cuarón & Mark Sanger
12 Years a Slave - Joe Walker

SOUND MIXING:
Captain Phillips - Chris Burdon, Mark Taylor, Mike Prestwood Smith & Chris Munro
Gravity - Skip Lievsay, Niv Adiri, Christopher Benstead & Chris Munro
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Chris Boyes, Michael Hedges, Michael Semanick & Tony Johnson
Inside Llewyn Davis - Skip Lievsay, Greg Orloff & Peter F. Kurland
Lone Survivor - Andy Koyama, Beau Borders & David Brownlow

SOUND EDITING:
All Is Lost - Steve Boeddeker & Richard Hymns
Captain Phillips - Oliver Tarney
Gravity - Glenn Freemantle
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - Brent Burge & Chris Ward
Lone Survivor - Wylie Stateman

ORIGINAL SCORE:
The Book Thief - John Williams
Gravity - Steven Price
Her - William Butler & Owen Pallett
Philomena - Alexandre Desplat
Saving Mr. Banks - Thomas Newman

Thoughts: Alright, this is okay. I like the Gravity score a lot, but I would've preferred Her winning or even Philomena, but this is still a good choice. Gravity's score is awesome, congrats to Price.

ORIGINAL SONG:
"Happy" from Despicable Me 2
"Let it Go" from Frozen
"The Moon Song" from Her
"Ordinary Love" from Mandela

Chime in below as we continue to update this 2014 Oscars winners list live throughout the night and let us know if you're satisfied with this year's results (so far) and what your thoughts are on the actual Oscar ceremony with Ellen DeGeneres and plenty of love for cinema. Plus, of course, a big congratulations to all of this year's winners and all of the nominees, too! Thoughts on the 2014 Academy Awards winners?

Oscars: 86th Academy Awards Nominations - Complete List

http://e-manic.blogspot.in/2014/01/oscars-86th-academy-awards-nominations.html

The complete list of nominees for the 86th Academy Awards, the most prestigious award in Hollywood, have been announced today (via Oscars.com). The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences revealed the nominees this morning live from the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. There's no need to spend any more time introducing this, so let's get right down to it! This year, The Academy has selected a total of nine Best Picture nominees, including: Gravity, Her, Philomena, Wolf of Wall Street and 12 Years a Slave, but oddly no Inside Llewyn Davis. So without further ado, here is the full list of 2014 nominees from 2013.

The 86th Academy Awards will take place late on Sunday, March 2nd at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood with a live telecast airing on ABC starting at 7PM (EST) / 4PM (PST). This year's ceremony is being hosted by comedian/director Ellen DeGeneres. The complete list of 2014 Academy Awards nominees in full here:

PICTURE:

American Hustle

Captain Phillips

Dallas Buyers Club

Gravity

Her

Nebraska

Philomena

12 Years a Slave

The Wolf of Wall Street

DIRECTOR:

David O. Russell - American Hustle

Alfonso Cuarón - Gravity

Steve McQueen - 12 Years a Slave

Alexander Payne - Nebraska

Martin Scorsese - The Wolf of Wall Street

ACTOR:

Christian Bale - American Hustle

Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave

Bruce Dern - Nebraska

Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club

Leonardo DiCaprio - The Wolf of Wall Street

ACTRESS:

Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine

Sandra Bullock - Gravity

Judi Dench - Philomena

Amy Adams - American Hustle

Meryl Streep - August: Osage County

SUPPORTING ACTOR:

Barkhad Abdi - Captain Phillips

Bradley Cooper - American Hustle

Michael Fassbender - 12 Years a Slave

Jonah Hill - The Wolf of Wall Street

Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club

SUPPORTING ACTRESS:

Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave

Sally Hawkins - Blue Jasmine

Jennifer Lawrence - American Hustle

Julia Roberts - August: Osage County

June Squibb - Nebraska

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY:

American Hustle - Eric Warren Singer & David O. Russell

Blue Jasmine - Woody Allen

Dallas Buyers Club - Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack

Her - Spike Jonze

Nebraska - Bob Nelson

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY:

Before Midnight - Richard Linklater, Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke

Captain Phillips - Billy Ray

Philomena - Steve Coogan & Jeff Pope

12 Years a Slave - John Ridley

The Wolf of Wall Street - Terence Winter

ANIMATED FEATURE:

The Croods

Frozen

Despicable Me 2

Ernest & Celestine

The Wind Rises

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM:

The Broken Circle Breakdown (Belgium)

The Great Beauty (Italy)

The Hunt (Denmark)

The Missing Picture (Cambodia)

Omar (Palestine)

CINEMATOGRAPHY:

The Grandmaster - Philippe Le Sourd

Gravity - Emmanuel Lubezki

Inside Llewyn Davis - Bruno Delbonnel

Nebraska - Phedon Papamichael

Prisoners - Roger Deakins

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE:

The Act of Killing

Cutie and the Boxer

Dirty Wars

The Square

20 Feet from Stardom

DOCUMENTARY SHORT:

CaveDigger

Facing Fear

Karama Has No Walls

The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life

Prison Terminal: The Last Days of Private Jack Hall

ANIMATED SHORT:

Feral

Get a Horse!

Mr. Hublot

Possessions

Room on the Broom

LIVE-ACTION SHORT:

Aquel No Era Yo (That Wasn't Me)

Avant Que De Tout Perdre (Just Before Losing Everything)

Helium

Pitääkö Mun Kaikki Hoitaa? (Do I Have to Take Care of Everything?)

The Voorman Problem

VISUAL EFFECTS:

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Iron Man 3

The Lone Ranger

Star Trek Into Darkness

PRODUCTION DESIGN:

American Hustle

Gravity

The Great Gatsby

Her

12 Years a Slave

COSTUME DESIGN:

American Hustle

The Grandmaster

The Great Gatsby

The Invisible Woman

12 Years a Slave

MAKE-UP & HAIR:

Dallas Buyers Club

Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa

The Lone Ranger

FILM EDITING:

American Hustle

Captain Phillips

Dallas Buyers Club

Gravity

12 Years a Slave

SOUND MIXING:

Captain Phillips

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Inside Llewyn Davis

Lone Survivor

SOUND EDITING:

All Is Lost

Captain Phillips

Gravity

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Lone Survivor

ORIGINAL SCORE:

The Book Thief - John Williams

Gravity - Steven Price

Her - William Butler and Owen Pallett

Philomena - Alexandre Desplat

Saving Mr. Banks - Thomas Newman

ORIGINAL SONG:

"Alone Yet Not Alone" from Alone Yet Not Alone

"Happy" from Despicable Me 2

"Let it Go" from Frozen

"The Moon Song" from Her

"Ordinary Love" from Mandela

Congratulations to all of this year's nominees. There's much to discuss, but it should also be exciting to see who goes on to win in March. Will 12 Years go all the way, will Gravity sneak in for the win? We'll see soon.

Quantified: David O. Russell's American Hustle and Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity were the top films, with 10 nominations in total each; next came Steve McQueen's 12 Years a Slave with total of 9 nominations.

Review: 'The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug'

PLOT: Furthering Bilbo Baggins and his company of Dwarves adventures through Middle-earth, the ragtag group discovers that their journey is getting more and more treacherous. On this quest to take back the Lonely Mountain from the dark and powerful dragon Smaug they find themselves fighting a myriad of foes. With a collection of giant spiders, orcs and enemies of old, they find they must rely on a few unlikely allies along the way.

REVIEW: It turns out The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a pretty terrible name for Peter Jackson's latest trek into the world and works of J.R.R. Tolkien. While the book on which it's based is centered on the story of the titular hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the movie barely makes time for him and his arc from reluctant adventurer to epic hero at all. Instead, Jackson and his screenwriters Philippa Boyens, Fran Walsh, and Guillermo del Toro smother Bilbo's story by puffing up the narrative through Tolkien's 125 pages of appendices and characters of their own creation. The results play out more like miniseries than a movie, and without the satisfaction of a finale episode that properly pays off on the subtitle. 

In this sequel to The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, the dwarf band led by Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) is closer than ever to the Lonely Mountain, where the horrible fire-breathing dragon Smaug lies. Once they reach it, Bilbo (Martin Freeman), the group's lone hobbit and purported burglar, will have to sneak inside and steal a gem that will help Thorin regain his throne. But along the way, this motley crew of pint-sized warriors must face off against vengeance-fueled orcs, a fearsome shape-shifter, giant bloodthirsty spiders, and a kingdom of condescending wood elves. 

Like The Lord of the Rings movies that preceded it, the sheer scale of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a joy to behold. Once more the natural beauty of New Zealand is awe-inspiring, and the CGI-created worlds and beasts are captivating. Plus, the action sequences are tons of fun, full of imaginative stunts, character-based humor, and plenty of thrills. It's an absolute delight to see an arrogant, dwarf-hating Legolas (Orlando Bloom) use the grumbling little men as little more than stepping stools as he leaps onto their heads to fire an arrow at marauding orcs. And the spider scene--whose Rankin and Bass version still haunts me--is perfectly chilling and enthralling in live-action, punctuated by creepy sound design and a terrific blending of practical and visual effects. 

However, some of these moments as well as some of the establishing shots of grand virtually created set pieces have a distractingly artificial feel. Several of the sets lack the texture that has been meticulously designed into costumes and real-life characters' beards. Some of the battle scenes clearly feature CGI stand-ins over stuntmen, given away by the too fluid motions they manage as they whip about in physic-defying motions. Disappointingly, these moments look less like a top-notch Hollywood blockbuster, and more like an excellent video game. 

To fill out the hefty running time of 161 minutes, Jackson adds in extra battle scenes to the story. While some are welcomed and wonderfully entertaining, others strain credulity as these dwarves get through bloody battles with mostly minor scuffs--even when they are totally unarmed. Personally, it reminded me of the Jar Jar Binks battle scene in Star Wars: Episode I where he trips on a droid, setting of its gun at random, yet only takes down his enemies and not the allies fighting in close contact with them. Which is to say, I felt that even in a world of fantasy, Jackson is pushing it. 

While I greatly enjoyed the first half of the film, it begins to screech to a halt as we reach the tacked on Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) subplot. Created just for the movie, she's a welcomed addition in the fight scenes, proving a fierce and deadly warrior. But she's quickly (and frustratingly) relegated to a clichéd romance subplot that is totally unneeded and just serves to slow the story down. This to me speaks to The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug's biggest issue: it's not Bilbo's movie. Or at the very least, not his alone. It's also Thorin's who must face up to the destiny that lies before him. It's also Gandalf's who must abandon the dwarves to seek out a terrible threat elsewhere. It's also Bard the Bowman's, a Lake Town resident who is a rebel in a brewing class conflict between the haves and have-nots. It's also Tauriel's, who finds herself crushing on the only remotely handsome dwarf (Aidan Turner). And so on and so on. 

All this makes the film feel bloated and meandering. Bilbo's scenes end up of feeling oddly out of place, recognizing him as the franchise's protagonist, but only briefly before moving on to another story altogether. This kind of leaping about makes sense as a miniseries focused on a group rather than an individual, but as a movie it's ultimately unsatisfying to divide the focus this much. Having now seen two thirds of Jackson's expanded Hobbit, I'm not convinced that his idea of more is better. While there's plenty of fun to be had with this feature, much of it could have easily been left on the cutting room floor. And frankly I wish it had been.

'Mission: Impossible 5' Gets a Christmas 2015 Release Date

 

In Back to the Future Part II, it was comedically predicted that Jaws 19 would be in theaters in the year 2015. Obviously, that won't be happening in the next two years, but 2015 is already becoming one of the most crowded years for blockbusters in recent memory. The Avengers: Age of Ultron, Batman vs. Superman, Tomorrowland, Fantastic Four, Ted 2, Terminator 5, Ant-Man, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II, Pixar's The Good Dinosaur, Assassin's Creed and Jurassic World are just some of the titles. Now we can add one more to the mix as Mission: Impossible 5 will arrive December 25th, 2015.

The new from Exhibitor Relations puts the action spy sequel in theaters one week after Star Wars: Episode VII hits theaters on December 18th. Paramount must really want to try to punish J.J. Abrams for leaving Star Trek behind for a galaxy far, far away. Though we imagine the sequel won't put too much of a dent in the sci-fi saga box office earnings. It means that we're going to have a blockbuster Christmas though. Christopher McQuarrie is directing Mission: Impossible 5 with Tom Cruise returning to star. That's all we know for now, but we hope at least Simon Pegg will be back for the sequel. We're not sure about the return of Jeremy Renner and Paula Patton though. Stay tuned.

Patton Oswalt Inspired Star Wars: Episode VII' Gets [EW] Poster

If you're confused, here's the deal: On tonight's episode of NBC's comedy series "Parks & Recreation," comedian Patton Oswalt has a guest appearance and offers some sort of filibuster during a town hall meeting. Well, in an outtake, he improvises an entire plot for Star Wars: Episode VII and the crew just let's him ramble for eight minutes. While he starts off fine with important nerdy Star Wars details, he ventures off into nerd heaven and imagines a world where Thanos is the villain, using the reality gem from the Infinity Gauntlet to exist in the Star Wars universe, and from there it turns into a crazy movie. Someone with Photoshop skills has crafted this amazing poster for Patton Oswalt's pitch and it's just glorious. Look!

Here's the poster for Star Wars: Episode VII - The Gauntlet of Infinity made by EW:

This might be the best poster ever created. It has everything all the nerds want, and it even evokes Drew Struzan's style a little bit. If J.J. Abrams is paying attention, he should probably get Michael Arndt to stop writing and just let Patton Oswalt takeover. If Disney released this movie, it would perpetually make money until the end of time. We might have to pack up the Internet, because it's not going to get better than this.

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Talk of the Town: James Cameron Gives Update on 'Avatar' Sequels From NZ

"I'm deep into it and I'm living in Pandora right now." He's gone. He's on another planet somewhere, one called Pandora, writing the screenplay. That's where James Cameron is right now. We're waiting for him to continue to write and develop the next two Avatar sequels, Avatar 2 & 3, before eventually making Avatar 4. Last we heard we weren't going to be seeing any of these until at least 2015, but in the meantime, we're curious what he is up to. A site called Play Goes Strong recently posted a brief Q&A with Cameron, where they ask him about an update on the Avatar movies - and his location in New Zealand.

Pretty much all we know at the moment is that Cameron is working on these sequels to the '09 sci-fi action movie starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana and Sigourney Weaver, and not much else. "I'm making Avatar 2, Avatar 3, maybe Avatar 4, and I'm not going to produce other people's movies for them," he said last year. But now he's apparently relocated down to New Zealand, Peter Jackson's realm where Weta is located, to continue writing. At first, they asked about a scoop on the "upcoming little film called Avatar 2":

"Oh believe me, it's not that little! It's not exactly a little, intimate drama. I'm working on 'Avatar 2' and 'Avatar 3.' I was talking the other day with Peter Jackson and said, 'You had it easy dude. You had the books when you did the second and third 'Lord of the Rings.' I have to create my own books in my head and extract a script from it. I'm deep into it and I'm living in Pandora right now. There is that start up torque where you feel it's coming to you. Then you build up momentum. That's when it gets fun. The characters talk and it's writing itself. I'm almost there right now. It's building fast."

Awesome. So it actually sounds like things are moving along—in the writing phase at least. That's where Cameron reveals to them that, "as a writer, I need isolation. I'm calling you from New Zealand right now where I'm writing on a little farm. When you live in a special world like Pandora, you have to live in that world." That sounds intense, I wonder if his farm is decorated with fauna to look like Pandora from Avatar—wouldn't that be amazing. There are supposed to be theme parks in the works. If only we could get a glimpse, but that wouldn't happen for a few years, if it's even real. The site asked him if he feels pressure:

"Pressure, no. It's a little daunting because sequels are always tricky. You have to be surprising and stay ahead of audience anticipation. At the same time, you have to massage their feet with things that they know and love about the first film. I've walked that line in the past, so I'm not too worried about it. At the same time, I definitely have to deliver the goods... As for a release date that will be determined by when I get the script out. No pressure!"

No pressure indeed, Mr. Cameron. We've got all the time in the world, right? Especially with new Star Wars coming in 2015, too. I can't help but wonder if "I've walked that line in the past, so I'm not too worried about it" refers to going from The Terminator to Terminator 2: Judgment Day or even just Aliens - and if so, imagine that kind of upgrade from Avatar to Avatar 2. We have no idea what kind of epicness is coming, and that's why I'm so excited, even if these kind of vague updates provide no details while we wait keep waiting for likely another two years. Thanks again to Play Goes Strong, where you can find the full interview also covering his Cirque du Soleil 3D movie from last year. Are you excited for these Avatar sequels?

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Review: Trip to 'Oz' is a Pleasant - But Non-Essential - Journey

PLOT: A small-time con-man (James Franco) who ekes out a living conning audiences at a travelling carnival, is swept off to the magical land of Oz after making a hasty getaway in a hot air balloon. He quickly fools people into thinking he’s the great magician that’s been prophesized to replace their dead king. Before assuming his throne, he must first contend with the dead king’s three daughters, Evanora (Rachel Weisz), Theodora (Mila Kunis), and Glinda (Michelle Williams).

REVIEW: In a world of sequels, reboots, remakes, re-adaptations and re-imaginings, prequels have become one of Hollywood’s hardest nuts to crack. There have been far fewer successes than notorious missteps, from George Lucas’ second Star Wars trilogy to X-Men Origins: Wolverine. In directing Oz The Great and Powerful, Sam Raimi was facing an uphill battle working to live up to the legacy of Victor Fleming’s classic The Wizard of Oz, but by embracing what was great about the old film while introducing plenty of new to the world, he has succeeded. 

The legacy of both Disney and Oz both could have found a way to stifle Raimi’s style, but Oz The Great and Powerful is undeniably a Raimi film. The director brings all of his little flourishes that he’s had since The Evil Dead to the new blockbuster - most notably the quick-zooms that distinguish scenes of chaos – and he’s also even able to play around with some scarier elements. The film is never any more frightening than The Wizard of Oz is, but between dragon-winged baboons, intense witches and a scene involving some freaky plant monsters, the movie will raise your pulse at times. 

And credit to Raimi for actually building Oz for his actors to interact in instead of a bunch of green screens. Not only does it give the film a surreal quality, convincing the audience of its otherworldliness, it’s also a boon to the 3D cinematography, which succeeds in not making the characters look like cardboard cutouts against a matte painting. But where the CGI does come in its fantastic, particularly in the design and integration of the China Girl, who looks impressively photorealistic. 

As an origin story for The Wizard of Oz, this film cleverly balances its own story while also embracing the elements that made the original great to begin with. Raimi includes many nods to Fleming’s movie, including the sepia-toned 4:3 aspect ratio opening that turns to color and widescreen in the Land of Oz, and the fact that both stories have a group of unlikely heroes joining together to go on a great adventure, but keeps the story surprising and clever enough for it all to play as loving homage. The troupe that the movie pulls together - which includes Oz (James Franco), the con-man/magician/presumed wizard destined to save the land from the wicked witch; Finley (Zach Braff), a flying monkey who owes a life-debt to Oz; and the aforementioned China Girl (Joey King), a sassy young porcelain doll who Oz rescues – has wonderful chemistry and conflicting personalities, while the three witches Glinda, Evanora and Theodora (Michelle Williams, Rachel Weisz, and Mila Kunis) all get interesting new backstories that add surprising depth to previously underdeveloped characters. 

Fun as Franco is in the eponymous role, it’s surprisingly his CGI co-stars that wind up stealing the show. As Finley, Braff has the benefit of getting the lion’s share of the funniest one-liners and quips, but the actor deserves the credit for his great timing and simply having the perfect voice for the part. King, meanwhile, brings the ideal level of pluck and cute humor to the China Girl without ever being cloying or reducing the character to being a stereotype. 

Unlike 2011’s The Thing, Hannibal Rising or Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, Oz The Great and Powerful is the rare prequel that fans will want to rewatch back to back with the original classic, not only finding the places where the stories sync up, but also just enjoying the story of it all. It’s an entertaining family movie, a true Sam Raimi film, and a fun return to a merry old land.

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