The success of the Rated-R smash-hit Deadpool caused concern about the future state superhero movies. Already facing the hurdles of fatigue and saturation of superhero franchises, the kind of money that Deadpool made is the kind that makes the copycat industry of Hollywood latch on to the wrong things and leads short-sighted producers to believing
A harrowing chapter in Danish history occurred in 1945 after the German occupation of Denmark. Two thousand German prisoners of war, all teenagers, were forced to clear a beach of 1.5 million landmines planted by the Nazi troops during WWII. The boys had little training or experience and nearly half died or sustained debilitating injuries in
Science fiction has some of the most inventive concepts in any genre — and sci-fi weapons are no exception. Because the rules of reality are so bendable in science fiction, it’s easy to let the imagination run wild, and we all know what happens when brilliant imaginations run wild: magic. The magic that comes from these
Lego animation television shows, video games, films, and of course, toys, whether they were based on licensed entities (Star Wars, DC/Marvel Superheroes, you name it) or their own homemade properties (Ninjago or Chima) have been a success. The empire has no doubt infiltrated most homes in one way, shape or form wherever youth or the
With just a little more than two weeks left before voting closes for the 89th Oscars, Hollywood turned its spotlight 90 miles north to the beachside town of Santa Barbara as stars gathered for the eponymous film festival’s annual Virtuoso Awards — a celebration of, well, celebrity. This year’s program honored a record eight film
In the ancient entertainment industry ritual known as the Awards Season, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival is the last stop along the Oscar pilgrimage. The festival falls after the Oscar nominations are announced but before the deadline for Motion Picture Academy members cast their ballots. Added bonus: Many of the Academy members live permanently
It’s not without irony that two feature-length documentaries creating film fest buzz last week in Park City were about the coming fresh water crisis — even as Utah and other states in the western U.S. currently are experiencing record snowfall. Both cautionary tales, however, make the case that the world’s fresh water supply is in
If the present is a little too hard to take at the moment, you can escape into the past and future in director Jamie Greenberg’s low-budget, truly independent paean to the screwball comedies of the 1930s — Future 38. In an on-camera introduction that breaks the fourth wall, celebrity astrophysicist Neal LaGrasse explains the re-discovery
Among the first films at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival to generate real buzz among audiences and the industry is director Jim Strouse’s cheekily titled The Incredible Jessica James. The narrative dramedy revolves around the title character played by Jessica Williams, the American actress-comedian best known for her television work on the third season of
One of the most anticipated films of the 2017 Sundance Film Festival was Taylor Sheridan’s directorial debut, Wind River, which is essentially a fictional crime procedural story set in the real-life eponymous Indian reservation in Wyoming. Sheridan, best known as a screenwriter of feature films including Sicario, understands cinematic movement, and the dramatically beautiful wintertime