Entertainment

No Image

Entertainment February 3, 2016

First Listen: Rokia Traoré, 'Né So'

Rokia Traore's new album, Ne So, comes out Feb. 12.
45:35

Rokia Traore’s new album, Ne So, comes out Feb. 12. Danny Willems/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption Danny Willems/Courtesy of the artist

These days, the idea of home is on the mind of the fantastically gifted singer, songwriter and instrumentalist Rokia Traoré. It’s been four years since Mali, Traoré’s native west African country, began descending into ongoing bedlam. Only two months ago, jihadists attacked the Radisson Blu hotel in Mali’s capital, Bamako, and left 20 people dead. And, of course, the international migrant crisis is staggering in its numbers and complexity: At the end of 2014, the UN Refugee Agency says, 59.5 million people were displaced from their homes — a historical all-time high.

It’s no surprise that the idea of refuge — but also of abiding roots, and of possessing bone-deep knowledge of a specific place — serves as a central catalyst to Traoré’s gorgeous new album, Né So, whose title means “home” in the Bambara language.

The daughter of a diplomat, Traoré spent her childhood traveling internationally, and as an adult she’s moved back and forth between Europe and Mali. So it’s no surprise that she spends much of Né So investigating what, exactly, “home” means — and what it means when a person loses her or his home.

Sometimes, Traoré seizes on specific material; her sweetly tender song “Kolokani” references an ancestral town as its words alight upon particular experiences. (“Tell the hunters that I was deeply honored, amazed and moved by their tribute when last I visited. … Tell them I think of Kolokani; of the ancestral values of Kolokani; of the Zambila lineage of Kolokani.”)

At other times, Traoré embraces a much wider view: Her collaborators on Né So include not just a wealth of talented musicians from across western and central Africa, Europe and the U.S., but also guest performers John Paul Jones (of Led Zeppelin), Devendra Banhart and even author Toni Morrison, who appears in “Sé Dan.” (The album was produced by John Parish, who also collaborated with Traoré on 2013’s superb Beautiful Africa.)

As always with Traoré, her musical baseline reflects that cosmopolitanism: Listen to “Obikè” (Thus It Is), with its sinuous, funk-inflected grooves and odd-metered rhythms; “Ô Niélé” (First Woman), which puts Jones’ bass guitar and Parish’s drum kit front and center alongside Traoré’s voice; and the Prince-ly seductiveness of “Amour” (Love).

Another element carried over from her previous releases is the critical centrality and forthrightness of her lyrics. In “Kènia,” Traoré delivers a clarion call for behavior and action: “Failure,” she sings, “is due to an aim which has not found the right reasons … The good behavior of our congressmen, the attitude of opposition parties, the behavior of our ministers, the good behavior of our civil servants, the good example of our head of state — these are things that build a country’s progress, which inspire courage and integrity in a country’s citizens.” (Can you imagine an American singer-songwriter addressing politicians in such a way?)

Although the album consists mostly of originals, Traoré turns to one iconic, darkly bitter American song: Abel Meeropol‘s “Strange Fruit,” made famous by Billie Holiday. And though the song’s original context is (of course) racism in the U.S., Traoré’s spare and haunting rendition — which frames her voice with guitar, bass, ngoni lute and drums — provides a haunting reminder of how cruelty and bloodshed continue in our time.

Traoré, however, doesn’t settle for artistic introspection alone. She works closely with the UN Refugee Agency, and has been particularly outspoken regarding the crisis in her native country, though she keeps a wider scope. As she begins in the title track’s spoken introduction: “In 2014, another 5,500,000 people fled their homes … forced to seek refuge elsewhere.”

Her outrage and sorrow are palpable. Né So is a sonically beautiful project, for sure, and it’s easy to get lost in the lilting rhythms and Traoré’s smoky voice. But if you’re simply sitting back with this album, you may have missed her point.

Rokia Traoré, ‘Né So’

Rokia Traore, Ne So

Rokia Traore, Ne So Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption Courtesy of the artist

Tu Voles

  • Artist: Rokia Traoré
  • From: Né So
  • Add to Playlist
  • Embed
    <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/464757010/464901959" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Purchase Music

Obikè

  • Artist: Rokia Traoré
  • From: Né So
  • Add to Playlist
  • Embed
    <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/464757010/464898525" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Purchase Music

Kènia

  • Artist: Rokia Traoré
  • From: Né So
  • Add to Playlist
  • Embed
    <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/464757010/464899050" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Purchase Music

Amour

  • Artist: Rokia Traoré
  • From: Né So
  • Add to Playlist
  • Embed
    <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/464757010/464899428" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Purchase Music

Mayé

  • Artist: Rokia Traoré
  • From: Né So
  • Add to Playlist
  • Embed
    <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/464757010/464899999" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Purchase Music

Ilé

  • Artist: Rokia Traoré
  • From: Né So
  • Add to Playlist
  • Embed
    <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/464757010/464900503" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Purchase Music

Ô Niélé

  • Artist: Rokia Traoré
  • From: Né So
  • Add to Playlist
  • Embed
    <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/464757010/464900532" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Purchase Music

Kolokani

  • Artist: Rokia Traoré
  • From: Né So
  • Add to Playlist
  • Embed
    <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/464757010/464900615" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Purchase Music

Strange Fruit

  • Artist: Rokia Traoré
  • From: Né So
  • Add to Playlist
  • Embed
    <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/464757010/464900766" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Purchase Music

Né So

  • Artist: Rokia Traoré
  • From: Né So
  • Add to Playlist
  • Embed
    <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/464757010/464901048" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Purchase Music

Sé Dan

  • Artist: Rokia Traoré
  • From: Né So
  • Add to Playlist
  • Embed
    <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/464757010/464901257" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Purchase Music

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.

No Image

Entertainment February 2, 2016

Today in Movie Culture: 'Lego Force Awakens' Teaser, Honest 'SPECTRE' Trailer and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Video Game Trailer of the Day:

This trailer for the Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens video game is better than everyone else’s Lego version of the Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer:

[embedded content]

Cosplay of the Day:

Cosplayers took advantage of the winter storm for a photoshoot as Kylo Ren and Rey during their climactic duel in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. See more images at Fashionably Geek.

Movie Takedown of the Day:

Honest Trailers makes the case that SPECTRE is the dullest and most dated James Bond ever:

[embedded content]

Vintage Image of the Day:

Bill Murray and Stephen Tobolowsky wait for Harold Ramis to call “action” on the set of Groundhog Day:

Filmmakers in Focus:

With a new Coen Brothers movie out in theaters this week, here’s a great montage of their movies (via Cinematic Montage Creators):

[embedded content]

Fake Remakes of the Day:

What if the characters from Winnie the Pooh redid this year’s Best Picture nominees? Below are posters for The Revenant and Room (aka “KangaRoom”?). See more at Design Taxi.

Supercut of the Day:

Speaking of Oscar nominees, Cineplex produced a nice supercut of this year’s contenders:

[embedded content]

Trailer Mashup of the Day:

The “Bohemian Rhapsody” trailer for Suicide Squad has been redone with footage from Batman: The Animated Series (via One Perfect Shot):

[embedded content]

Actor in the Spotlight:

StudioCanal commissioned these drawings of Michael Caine through the years from artist Helen Green (via Live for Films):

Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 20th anniversary of the release of Black Sheep. Watch the original trailer for the comedy starring Chris Farley and David Spade below.

[embedded content]

and

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.

No Image

Entertainment February 2, 2016

opbmusic Presents: Rodrigo Amarante

February 2, 201611:55 AM ET

Rodrigo Amarante has toured for years with Brazilian rock band Los Hermanos, as well as the band Little Joy (with Binki Shapiro and The Strokes‘ Fab Moretti). In 2014, Amarante released his first solo album, Cavalo. The record demonstrates Amarante’s stylistic range and gift for wistful melody: His songs represent everything from lullaby-paced ballads with muted piano to tunes driven by bubbling bass to ebullient Portuguese love songs.

This week, opbmusic and NPR Music present a premiere from the Woods Stage at Pickathon, where Amarante enchanted the crowd — from a stage made of branches, no less — with his song “Maná.”

Pickathon has also announced two additions to its 2016 lineup: Wolf Parade will make its first festival appearance in five years and play two sets at the festival. The group joins Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, Yo La Tengo and Beach House among the headliners. Plus, Korby Lenker returns to Pickathon for a second straight year.

The festival will be held August 5-7 at Pendarvis Farm just outside Portland, Ore.

Every month this year, opbmusic and NPR Music present another episode from the Pickathon Woods Stage Series, handpicked by opbmusic to showcase some of the most exciting performances from the 2015 festival. Look for the next premiere on Feb. 16.

SET LIST
  • “Maná”

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.

No Image

Entertainment February 1, 2016

Today in Movie Culture: Grindhouse 'Star Wars,' Tim Burton's 'Pinocchio' and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Reimagined Movie of the Day:

Mashable made a trailer that makes Star Wars into a Grindhouse movie:

[embedded content]

Mashup of the Day:

Artist Jerome Gomez mixed together Star Wars and Blade Runner for a piece he titles “A Dark Jedi and a Renegade Princess” (via Live for Films):

Misunderstood Movie of the Day:

The Wolf of Wall Street is badly analyzed by an alien in the latest episode of Earthling Cinema:

[embedded content]

Fan Build of the Day:

Learn how to make a replica golden snitch from the Harry Potter movies in the latest episode of DIY Prop Shop:

[embedded content]

Cosplay of the Day:

Who wouldn’t want another Hellboy sequel if all the characters were recast with pugs (via Fashionably Geek)?

Visual Effects Reel of the Day:

See why Jurassic World should have been nominated for an Oscar for its visual effects with this video from ILM (via io9):

[embedded content]

Fake Remake of the Day:

Tim Burton is apparently the go-to guy for directing live-action remakes of Disney’s animated classics, but here’s what it would look like if he directed an animated remake of Disney’s Pinocchio. See other reimagined Disney animated films at Nerd Approved.

Retrospective Trailer of the Day:

In honor of the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare‘s death, the British Film Institute has programmed a series on Shakespeare on film. Here’s a trailer for the retrospective:

[embedded content]

Supercut of the Day:

Jim Casey compiled what he believes to be the most beautiful shots in movie history (via Geek Tyrant):

[embedded content]

Classic Trailer of the Day:

Today is the 55th anniversary of the release of John Huston‘s The Misfits. Watch the original trailer for the film, which stars Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift, below.

[embedded content]

and

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.

No Image

Entertainment January 31, 2016

Vân-Ánh Võ's 'The Odyssey' Tells Refugee Stories Past And Present

Vân-Ánh Võ was inspired by the plight of refugees to create a concert piece called The Odyssey: From Vietnam to America."
5:08

Download

Vân-Ánh Võ was inspired by the plight of refugees to create a concert piece called The Odyssey: From Vietnam to America.” Courtesy of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts hide caption

toggle caption Courtesy of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Hundreds of thousands of refugees fleeing their country by boat. That’s Syria today. It’s also Vietnam in 1979.

Vân-Ánh Võ left Vietnam more than a decade after that, and under far different circumstances: She was already an award-winning musician, bound for Carnegie Hall. But the plight of her countrymen, and that of today’s refugees, has inspired her to create a new concert piece that will be touring the country.

Võ grew up in Hanoi, living with the legacy of the Vietnam war. Her family’s washbasin was an old artillery shell. Her school bell was a piece of an American B-52 bomber; she says her teacher would bang on it to signal recess.

Võ left her homeland in 1995, after the United States normalized relations with Vietnam. She wound up in Fremont, Calif., near the large Vietnamese American community in San Jose.

“After having food, after having fun, we all end up talking how we came here,” she says of her friends.

Võ learned that many of her friends in the United States were “boat people.” When the war ended, ethnic hostilities forced hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese, most of Chinese descent, to flee on overcrowded boats. Many died on the South China Sea.

“I wonder how they can find the strength,” she says, “and how they can find hope.”

The more she heard about their stories, she says, the more she wanted to share them — especially after the news turned to people fleeing Syria in boats.

So Võ has written The Odyssey: From Vietnam to America,” a 40-minute multimedia piece about the boat people.

[embedded content]
YouTube

Võ’s father played guitar in the North Vietnamese army during the war. Võ herself has won awards for her skill with traditional instruments, like the single-stringed dan bau, the bamboo xylophone, and especially the Vietnamese zither, the dan tranh.

“That’s the power and my luck and my fortune,” she says, “of learning traditional music.”

Since arriving in the United States, Võ has made strong musical connections. She has performed and recorded with Kronos Quartet and toured the country playing and singing her own compositions, which blend Vietnamese and Western traditions.

When she was ready to tell the story of the Vietnamese boat people, Võ didn’t feel comfortable going to her friends. So she approached Asian-Americans for Community Involvement in nearby Santa Clara. The organization was founded in 1979 to help Vietnamese refugees; president Michele Lew says the group doesn’t usually work with artists, but that storytelling can be helpful.

“We have found that storytelling … is a powerful hook to talk about health and wellness issues, such as the refugee experience,” she says.

Lew’s organization helped Võ connect with almost 60 boat people, whom the musician then interviewed. She weaves audio and video from her conversations with them into The Odyssey.

During the performance, a video screen shows what could be the sail of a boat, plus Võ’s group: Japanese taiko drum, electric cello, accordion, and Võ singing and playing traditional instruments. The aim is to re-create the journey of the boat people, including the sound of the ocean carrying them from Vietnam.

One person Võ interviewed for The Odyssey is software engineer Mai Bui. Sitting in the living room of her Bay Area home, Bui recalls how she and her brother spent days on a crowded boat, without food or water, until a Thai merchant ship towed them into Bangkok. They ran at night to avoid pirates.

“The ocean sound is really romantic,” she says, “but at that time, it’s scary.” She says she still cannot look at the ocean at night without thinking of her journey.

This isn’t the only memory of the Vietnam War that Võ is addressing through music this year. She’s performing a new work called My Lai, by Jonathan Berger, with Kronos Quartet. She’s also taking The Odyssey on the road for performances in places with large Vietnamese-American populations, including Washington, D.C., southern California’s Orange County, and Houston, Texas.

Võ says The Odyssey is a plea on behalf of all refugees, and against the wars that divide us.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.

No Image

Entertainment January 31, 2016

SAG Awards: Idris Elba Makes History and 'Spotlight' Takes Best Ensemble

Idris Elba becomes the first ever individual SAG Award winner without an Oscar nomination, and Spotlight finally gets a well-deserved win for Best Ensemble during a SAG Awards that featured at least one adorable Jacob Tremblay moment and even more momentum for Brie Larson (Best Actress, Room), Alicia Vikander (Best Supporting Actress, The Danish Girl) and Leonardo DiCaprio (Best Actor, The Revenant) heading into the Oscars on February 28.

[embedded content]

Check out the full list of this year’s SAG winners below.

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Beasts of No Nation
The Big Short
WINNER: Spotlight
Straight Outta Compton
Trumbo

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Rooney Mara, Carol
Rachel McAdams, Spotlight
Helen Mirren, Trumbo
WINNER: Alicia Vikander, The Danish Girl
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs

[embedded content]

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Christian Bale, The Big Short
WINNER: Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies
Michael Shannon, 99 Homes
Jacob Tremblay, Room

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture
Cate Blanchett, Carol
WINNER: Brie Larson, Room
Helen Mirren, Woman in Gold
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn
Sarah Silverman, I Smile Back

[embedded content]

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture
Bryan Cranston, Trumbo
Johnny Depp, Black Mass
WINNER: Leonardo DiCaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Eddie Redmayne, The Danish Girl

[embedded content]

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.

No Image

Entertainment January 30, 2016

Latitudes: Our Favorite Global Music Right Now

Italy's Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino.

Italy’s Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino. Courtesy of the artists hide caption

toggle caption Courtesy of the artists

Italy wasn’t a single nation until about 150 years ago, and there are some really fascinating regions that remain distinct. A case in point: the cultural, artistic and linguistic traditions that ground Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (CSG), who come from Salento, on Italy’s “boot heel” in Salento, Puglia. Much of their music is based on the taranta (also known as pizza), a dance rooted in ancient local trance ritual.

Forty years after its founding, CGS is now in its second generation of members, but they haven’t lost their roots. And they’ve pushed their sound into the 21st century through collaborations with other artists. Their new song “Taranta” finds them working with popular Italian composer Ludovico Einaudi, who co-wrote the song with the band’s leader, Mauro Durante.

[embedded content]
Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino YouTube

A lot of guitar fans have been eagerly awaiting the next album by Niger’s Bombino, and now he’s making good on his followup to 2013’s Nomad. The new project is called Azel; produced by Dirty Projectors‘ David Longstreth and recorded in upstate New York, it will be released in April. Here’s a teaser in the form of “Inar (If You Know the Degree of My Love For You).” Bombino’s sweet vocals and quiet presence belie his fierce guitar and songwriting skills.

I particularly love the tight-lipped exchange in French at the end of the video. “That works?” someone calls out, presumably about the take. Barely a response. “It’s good, right?” Finally, Bombino: “Mmm-hmm.” When he’s really pressed, he mutters, “Yeah.”

[embedded content]
Bombino Official YouTube

If you really need to get your blood pumping, there’s no better place than the wrestling dream world that A Tribe Called Red creates for their song “Suplex,” featuring Northern Voice. This trio of Ottowa-based DJs layers electronic dance music with the sounds of their own First Nations cultures and socially conscious contexts.

As one of the group’s members, Bear Witness, told Fader when the video was first released: “In North America we had pros like Chief Jay Youngblood and Wahoo McDaniel who were indigenous, but had to dress in headdress and tassels to compete. The idea of the video was to show that connection we made to these people beyond stereotypes, but also to see an indigenous character make it, without needing the stereotype.”

[embedded content]
A Tribe Called Red YouTube

Speaking of getting all fired up: Remember Lady Leshurr and her “Queen’s Speech” series? She finished out 2015 with one more fireworks display of pop-pop-pop-pop wordplay. Between her previous “brush your teeth” refrain and her newest chorus/insult — “Your lips look like crispy bacon!” — haters should definitely keep their oral hygiene in check.

[embedded content]
Lady Leshurr YouTube

I was sad to learn of the death of eminent Indian dancer and choreographer Mrinalini Sarabhai at age 97 on Jan. 21. Not only was she a very fine technician (and, as it happens, the wife of Vikram Sarabhai, a scientist acknowledged as the father of India’s space program) but as an artist she pushed boundaries. Sarabhai was among the first women to perform the theatrical kathakali style, which was historically the exclusive preserve of men. Even more crucially, she used the vocabulary of ancient classical dance and classical music to explore contemporary social issues, from female suicide to the treatment of dalits, or “untouchables.” As she told filmmaker Anupama Srinivasan in 2003, “Art can speak in a much louder tone, because art speaks through beauty.”

[embedded content]
PBST India YouTube

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.

No Image

Entertainment January 29, 2016

Best of the Week: Sundance Reviews, Marvel and 'Star Wars' Movies Forever and More

The Important News

Franchise Fever:: Disney announced they’ll make Marvel and Star Wars movies forever.

Star Wars Mania: Harrison Ford will host the unveiling of Star Wars Disney theme park plans. Colin Trevorrow plans to shoot Episode IX on film.

Marvel Madness: The next Spider-Man movie will be released in IMAX 3D.

Remake Report: Sam Raimi will direct the remake of A Prophet. The Little House on the Prairie movie will now be made by Paramount. Labyrinth is getting a reboot (or sequel).

Casting Net: Saoirse Ronan will star in Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut. Uma Thurman might star in Marjane Satrapi’s next movie. Joseph Fiennes will play Michael Jackson in a 9/11 movie. Kim Basinger will co-star in Fifty Shades Darker.

New Directors/New Films: Kathryn Bigelow will direct a Detroit riot movie scripted by Mark Boal.

Reel TV: The Exorcist is being redone as a TV series. Miley Cyrus will star in Woody Allen’s Amazon series.

Box Office: Appropriately, The Revenant won the weekend of the big blizzard.

Fandom Planet: Back to the Future fans will be able to buy a brand new DeLorean next year.

Awards: The Big Short won the top PGA Award.

The Videos and Geek Stuff

New Movie Trailers: The Angry Birds Movie, Trolls, Nine Lives, The Bronze, The Secret Life of Pets and Kubo and the Two Strings.

TV Spots: Warcraft, The Witch and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.

Behind the Scenes: Bridge of Spies.

Watch: New Star Wars character meet old Star Wars counterparts. And a new theory about Rey’s father.

See: Cool Star Wars goodies to buy your loved one for Valentine’s Day.

Watch: Gareth Evans made a bloodless samurai short film.

See: Deadpool did a PSA about testicular cancer.

Watch: The Shining remixed as The Chickening.

See: Disney’s Alice in Wonderland as a horror film. And a report on a problem with Disney princess movies.

Watch: The Martian visual effects reel.

See: How all Adam Sandler movies are interconnected.

Watch: Free documentaries from Kartemquin Films for their 50th birthday.

See: The 10-hour single-shot movie made in protest of movie ratings.

Watch: A montage of every black Oscar winner for acting. And a video essay on the 2016 supporting actress nominees.

See: This week’s best new movie posters.

Our Features

Sundance Film Festival Reviews: Manchester by the Sea and Swiss Army Man, Sing Street, The Birth of a Nation and Sleight.

Film Festival Guide: All the movies that have been bought at Sundance so far.

Sci-Fi Movie Guide: Reboots and adaptations we’d like to see.

Comic Book Movie Guide: 5 Wolverine stories we’d like to see made into movies.

Home Viewing: Here’s our guide to everything hitting VOD this week. And here’s our guide to everything hitting HBO Now next month. And here’s everything coming to Netflix next month.

and

MORE FROM AROUND THE WEB:

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.

No Image

Entertainment January 28, 2016

Today in Movie Culture: The Adam Sandler Shared Universe, 'Jurassic Park' Parkour and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Fan Theory of the Day:

Watch a crazy fan show how all Adam Sandler movies take place in the same universe (via Live for Films):

[embedded content]

Cosplay of the Day:

Watch a guy dressed as the T.rex from Jurassic Park doing some “Jurassic Parkour” (via Geekologie):

[embedded content]

Fan Art of the Day:

See Finn, Rey and Poe from Star Wars: The Force Awakens use the streaming power of BB-8 for a little hologram and chill in this great art by Cal-Cla (via Live for Films):

Supercut of the Day:

Semih Okmn collected shots of villains smiling for a wonderful montage that will make you happy about evil (via Cinematic Montage Creators):

[embedded content]

Video Essay of the Day:

Kevin B. Lee’s latest video essay on this year’s Oscar nominees showcases the roles of women in movies and real life (via Fandor Keyframe):

[embedded content]

Vintage Image of the Day:

Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle and Betty Ross Clarke in the lost second version of Brewster’s Millions, which opened 95 years ago today:

Actor in the Spotlight:

This supercut titled “The Leonardo DiCapriOlympics” showcases the mightiest movie moments of Leonardo DiCaprio (via Fandor Keyframe):

[embedded content]

Filmmaker in Focus:

The second part of The Directors Series’ focus on the work of Paul Thomas Anderson covers Boogie Nights, Magnolia and his late ’90s music videos:

[embedded content]

Recut Trailers of the Day:

The below recuts of trailers for The Lord of the Rings and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice show that any movie can look more appealing set to “Bohemian Rhapsody” Suicide Squad style:

[embedded content]

[embedded content]

Classic Trailer of the Day:

This weekend is the 35th anniversary of the release of The Incredible Shrinking Woman. Watch the original trailer for the comedy, which stars Lili Tomlin and Charles Grodin, below.

[embedded content]

and

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.

No Image

Entertainment January 27, 2016

Today in Movie Culture: New 'Star Wars' Meets Old, the Big Problem With Disney Princess Movies and More

Here are a bunch of little bites to satisfy your hunger for movie culture:

Movie Brand Problem of the Day:

Disney princess movies since The Little Mermaid have been worse for female characters than in the past. Watch the video accompanying a Washington Post report below.

Vintage Image of the Day:

Marlon Brando makes a face at Elizabeth Taylor, many decades before they went on their supposed road trip with Michael Jackson:

Character Comparisons of the Day:

Characters from Star Wars: The Force Awakens meet their original trilogy counterparts in this 8-bit-animation video (via Devour):

[embedded content]

Road Rage of the Day:

Apparently a Jedi Master and a Sith Lord got into some beef sitting in Austin traffic (via Geekologie):

[embedded content]

Movie Comparison of the Day:

Couch Tomato shows 24 reasons why Kung Fu Panda is the same movie as Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith:

[embedded content]

Movie Takedown of the Day:

Speaking of Kung Fu Panda, here is everything wrong with the animated feature in 15 minutes:

[embedded content]

Mashup of the Day:

What if it was Batman who was starred in Mad Max: Fury Road instead of Bane? Messy Pandas imagined Batman: Omega Road in this poster:

Recut Trailer of the Day:

This redone trailer for Batman & Robin, using some audio from The Dark Knight Rises, almost makes it look like a good movie (via Live for Films):

[embedded content]

Filmmaker in Focus:

This video showcases shots in Paul Thomas Anderson films where the camera follows people as they walk, run or even skate (via Live for Films):

[embedded content]

Classic Trailer of the Day:

This weekend is the 30th anniversary of the release of Paul Mazursky‘s Down and Out in Beverly Hills. Watch an original TV spot for the underrated 1980s classic, starring Nick Nolte, Richard Dreyfuss and Bette Midler, below.

[embedded content]

and

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.