Very little is showy about Peter Berg‘s movies. He’s typically a filmmaker who manages to stay invisible, often successfully trying his hand at different genres. His strengths — his eye for performances and grasp on tension, in particular — are never overt in his movies. He’s a director that can build and build pressure over an extended period and create a great sense of geography with some quick cutting, but again, his skills never draw your attention away from the story.
As the director’s latest film, Deepwater Horizon, hits theaters, I wanted to take a look back at his career so far. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to see Deepwater Horizon before putting together this list, but the reviews are enough to convince me to see it as soon as possible. Below, check out our Peter Berg ranking.
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Have you ever wondered how the Transformers movies came to be? Or how about the box office failure Battleship, the two G.I. Joe movies, or the upcoming Jem and the Holograms film adaptation? All of these films started as toys owned by the Hasbro toy company. Business Insider talked with Hasbro Chief Marketing Officer John Frascotti to find out how these toys become movies and I think some of the details are fascinating and humorous. Find out how toys get made into movies, after the jump.
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Posted on Monday, February 25th, 2013 by Angie Han
We’ll be hearing arguments over which film really deserved the Best Picture Oscar for months, if not years, to come, but if the Razzie results are any indication there’s a firm consensus on which movie was the worst of 2012.
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part II swept this year’s proceedings, as seven out of their record-tying eleven nominations turned into wins. Keep in mind that that’s eleven nominations out of ten categories — that’s how bad Razzie voters thought this thing was. That’s My Boy and Battleship got a little love (hate?) as well. Hit the jump to read the winners.
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Many fans consider 2012 to be one of the best years for film in a long time. We’ve had great popcorn movies, huge epics, mind-melting indies and new films from some of the best filmmakers around. But every year has some stinkers and as good as 2012 has been, it’s probably been equally as bad too.
The team at NextMovie compiled four minutes of some of the worst movies of the year reviewing themselves. Which movies did they pick and what does each one say for itself? You’ll have to click below to find out. Read More »
Posted on Wednesday, December 19th, 2012 by Angie Han
At their core, all narrative features are lies. We can will ourselves to believe we’re watching superheroes save Manhattan, but we know deep down that what we’re really seeing is costumed actors zipping around on wires and jumping in front of green screens. And like all great, big whoppers, the more moving parts there are, the more difficult it gets to keep everything straight.
The folks at MovieMistakes.com delight in pointing out the tiny mistakes that slip through, whether it’s a costume that’s been sloppily rearranged between takes or an anachronistic prop that’s been dropped into a period piece. Just as they did in 2011, they’ve just released a list of their favorite goofs of the year, as well as a tally of the most error-prone films of the year. Read them both after the jump.
[UPDATE: One of the filmmakers mentioned, Rian Johnson, has since responded to Looper‘s inclusion at #8 on the list. Hit the jump to see his tweet.]
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Posted on Tuesday, July 24th, 2012 by Angie Han
Watch enough movies, and you’ll find that you occasionally walk out of the theater sometimes with the vaguely disappointing feeling that you’ve just shelled out $14 to see a movie you’re already seen before. Sometimes, it’s no surprise that a film looks derivative — did anyone really expect Underworld: Awakening to wow us with its originality, for example? — but even great movies fall prey to old habits sometimes. The Avengers was exhilarating, but Lord knows we’ve seen the dear old Big Apple demolished more than a few times before, and often in very similar ways at that.
The Funny or Die folks point out the most familiar repeating shots and motifs in a video titled “Every 3D Movie is the Same.” Unfortunately, it seems their theoretical fact-checkers were dozing on the job, since a handful of the movies they cite were not, in fact, released in 3D. But even so, their point stands. Perhaps they should’ve just retitled it “Every Studio Action Movie is the Same”? Watch it after the jump.
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Everybody loves Liam Neeson. It’s impossible not to. He’s a badass, he’s handsome, he’s got the cool accent, he seems like a smart guy and he’s starred in some of the best movies of the past quarter century. Even when he shows up for a quick and dirty paycheck like in Battleship it’s hard to begrudge the guy. (Given the recent tragedy in his personal life, my inner Jewish grandmother says “it’s good he should keep busy. And why not make a few dollars at the same time?”)
I won’t suggest that you skip Battleship this weekend. With friends and some smuggled-in tall boys of Coors Light you’ll have a fine time. But don’t expect that much Liam Neeson. In fact, it may leave you wanting more, so here are eight films of his you probably haven’t seen.
Note – Darkman isn’t on here. I’m giving you enough credit and assuming that you’ve seen that one already. Read More »
Over the weekend, I visited Orlando Florida to preview Universal Studios Orlando’s two new entertainment options, the new Superstar Parade and nighttime watershow Cinematic Spectacular – 100 Years of Movie Memories. I also found the time to ride the new renovated version of Island of Adventure’s The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man ride. After the jump you can find my thoughts on all three of these new theme park experiences, along with photos we took at the preview event.
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One stars Taylor Kitsch and Rihanna as Naval Officers trying to save the world from aliens. The other stars Mario Van Peebles and Carl Weathers as Naval Officers trying to save the world from aliens. If those two descriptions sound somewhat interchangeable to you, you aren’t alone. The company behind the former, which obviously is Universal’s upcoming mega-budget blockbuster Battleship, is suing Global Asylum, the company behind the latter, a film called American Battleship. One will be released on thousands of screens May 18. The other will hope to fool thousands of people into believing its the former on DVD shelves May 22. Read more about the situation below. Read More »
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Posted on Friday, April 20th, 2012 by Angie Han
If Safety Not Guaranteed and Battleship seem like opposites in every way, it’s probably because they are. One is an offbeat indie that’s drawn glowing reviews on the film festival circuit; the other is a big, splashy blockbuster that’s been likened to Michael Bay’s Transformers. But both have just released new clips in preparation for their summer bows, so I’ve decided to arbitrarily lump them together. Watch the scenes after the jump.
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