In November 1998, Star Wars fans were queuing up to see The Phantom Menace trailer in cinemas. Ryan looks at how a teaser became an event...
Murmurs of anticipation in the pitch black theatre. Excited shuffles of feet. Then the word "Lucasfilm" sparkles up on the screen, and the audience goes wild. "Yeah!" someone exclaims at the back of the room, as though they'd just spotted an old best friend they hadn't seen in a decade.
It's November 1998, and for many Star Wars fans, this is the moment they've been waiting the best part of five years to see: their first glimpse of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Ever since George Lucas had announced his return to the Star Wars universe, in an October 1993 issue of Vanity Fair, anticipation had slowly been building for the new movie. And here, finally, was a first look at what Lucas had in store.
Murmurs of anticipation in the pitch black theatre. Excited shuffles of feet. Then the word "Lucasfilm" sparkles up on the screen, and the audience goes wild. "Yeah!" someone exclaims at the back of the room, as though they'd just spotted an old best friend they hadn't seen in a decade.
It's November 1998, and for many Star Wars fans, this is the moment they've been waiting the best part of five years to see: their first glimpse of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Ever since George Lucas had announced his return to the Star Wars universe, in an October 1993 issue of Vanity Fair, anticipation had slowly been building for the new movie. And here, finally, was a first look at what Lucas had in store.
- 11/25/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Interview Ryan Lambie 14 Mar 2014 - 06:29
We talk to the legendary director Terry Gilliam about his new film The Zero Theorem, 12 Monkeys, social media and much more...
In person, Terry Gilliam's every bit as mischievous, funny, generous and entertaining as you'd hope. The director of some wonderful science fiction and fantasy films, from Jabberwocky to Time Bandits and Brazil to The Fisher King and 12 Monkeys, he's one of the most imaginative and individual filmmakers working - and then there are the wonderful animated short films he created, which came to international prominence thanks to Monty Python's Flying Circus.
When we meet Mr Gilliam on the fifth floor of a London hotel, the sun's shining through the window and the director's positively beaming. He's encouraged because there's plenty of light and fresh air in the room - a stark contrast, he says, to the sometimes dark and claustrophobic rooms he...
We talk to the legendary director Terry Gilliam about his new film The Zero Theorem, 12 Monkeys, social media and much more...
In person, Terry Gilliam's every bit as mischievous, funny, generous and entertaining as you'd hope. The director of some wonderful science fiction and fantasy films, from Jabberwocky to Time Bandits and Brazil to The Fisher King and 12 Monkeys, he's one of the most imaginative and individual filmmakers working - and then there are the wonderful animated short films he created, which came to international prominence thanks to Monty Python's Flying Circus.
When we meet Mr Gilliam on the fifth floor of a London hotel, the sun's shining through the window and the director's positively beaming. He's encouraged because there's plenty of light and fresh air in the room - a stark contrast, he says, to the sometimes dark and claustrophobic rooms he...
- 3/13/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Looks can be deceiving.
Movies are full of characters who aren’t what they seem. I’ve only just finished an article about characters who don’t look tough, but actually are, which is testament to that fact.
On a related note, there are countless characters out there who appear, on the surface at least, to be very normal human beings, whereas they’re actually something more.
Aliens, vampires, robots – you name it – they’ve all tried to blend in with society by assuming the appearance of one of us. Sometimes it’s with lethal intent, other times it’s simply because they do indeed want to blend in. And sometimes it’s simply because they belong to a race that happens to look like us.
With that in mind, here are ten movie characters who looked completely human, but actually weren’t human at all…
10. Joe Black (Meet Joe Black...
Movies are full of characters who aren’t what they seem. I’ve only just finished an article about characters who don’t look tough, but actually are, which is testament to that fact.
On a related note, there are countless characters out there who appear, on the surface at least, to be very normal human beings, whereas they’re actually something more.
Aliens, vampires, robots – you name it – they’ve all tried to blend in with society by assuming the appearance of one of us. Sometimes it’s with lethal intent, other times it’s simply because they do indeed want to blend in. And sometimes it’s simply because they belong to a race that happens to look like us.
With that in mind, here are ten movie characters who looked completely human, but actually weren’t human at all…
10. Joe Black (Meet Joe Black...
- 8/14/2013
- by Kev Stewart
- Obsessed with Film
There's something undeniably satisfying about seeing the protagonist of a film exact sweet revenge upon those who wronged him or her. Even though what the protagonist is doing could be seen as wrong, we love to cheer them on and bear witness to their divine retribution. Just because two wrongs don’t make a right doesn’t mean that two wrongs can’t be fun. Retribution films appeal to our sense of justice. There's a basic belief ingrained in most people that those who do wrong must be punished, and those who are wronged must be vindicated. When we're subjected to watching the suffering of a seemingly reasonable person, we want nothing more than to see them exact swift and precise revenge upon their oppressor(s). Read on for our picks for ten of the most intensely satisfying retribution films in the horror, thriller, and suspense genres. Leon: the Professional...
- 7/30/2013
- by Tyler Doupe
- FEARnet
Noah Wyle has a killer sports memorabilia collection -- Killer -- and last night, the "Falling Skies" actor revealed his most prized possession ... and it has to do with Jackie Robinson. Wyle was leaving Madeo last night with his girlfriend Sara Wells when we started talking baseball ... since the former "ER" star is known for being an avid baseball card collector. But when it came to the crown jewel of Wyle's collection -- it wasn't...
- 5/22/2013
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
April 15th is tax day in America, and as such it’s the perfect time to reflect on the guys in popular culture that collect, enforce, or process the tax code for us working stiffs. Some are really good at it, while others leave a lot to be desired. Others still merely pretend to be able to actually understand what even the most experienced bureaucrats have problems processing.
With that in mind, here’s our salute to those guys that make it rain April showers for the U.S. Government. Just make sure you get those taxes in on time, or else you may run into the ire of some of our list’s more demanding members.
7. Joe Black – Meet Joe Black
Occupation: “IRS Agent”/Death
Description: Death’s mortal form himself, Joe Black tags along with William Parish as his company is trying to avoid a multi-million dollar, deal with family drama,...
With that in mind, here’s our salute to those guys that make it rain April showers for the U.S. Government. Just make sure you get those taxes in on time, or else you may run into the ire of some of our list’s more demanding members.
7. Joe Black – Meet Joe Black
Occupation: “IRS Agent”/Death
Description: Death’s mortal form himself, Joe Black tags along with William Parish as his company is trying to avoid a multi-million dollar, deal with family drama,...
- 4/15/2013
- by Mike Reyes
- Obsessed with Film
The Glee winter finale left fans both sad and shocked, as it featured a suicide attempt and life-threatening car accident. What is the fate of Quinn? How did the show handle such a delicate topic of teen bullying?
Our Round Table panel of Matt Richenthal, Miranda Wicker and Chris O'Hara checks in below with a few answers. What is your take on these topics?
-------------------------------------------
What was your favorite scene from the episode?
Matt: Easy: Hiram's panicked speech prior to his daughter marrying Finn. Jeff Goldblum always slays me and he was at his Jeff Goldblum best here, going off about kidnapping Rachel, Barbara Streisand's underground mall and other stream of consciousness topics.
Miranda: Agreed. Anything involving the parents trying to stop the wedding, really. Their elaborate scheme followed by Jeff Goldblum's "I'm going to fake an epileptic seizure" made me chuckle.
Chris: It's unaninimous. Goldblum had some gems,...
Our Round Table panel of Matt Richenthal, Miranda Wicker and Chris O'Hara checks in below with a few answers. What is your take on these topics?
-------------------------------------------
What was your favorite scene from the episode?
Matt: Easy: Hiram's panicked speech prior to his daughter marrying Finn. Jeff Goldblum always slays me and he was at his Jeff Goldblum best here, going off about kidnapping Rachel, Barbara Streisand's underground mall and other stream of consciousness topics.
Miranda: Agreed. Anything involving the parents trying to stop the wedding, really. Their elaborate scheme followed by Jeff Goldblum's "I'm going to fake an epileptic seizure" made me chuckle.
Chris: It's unaninimous. Goldblum had some gems,...
- 2/23/2012
- by matt@mediavine.com (Matt Richenthal)
- TVfanatic
It’s the one aspect of humanity that binds the demographics; the one thing that’s on everyone’s mind, young or old. Whether you’ve come to terms with your mortality or not, Hollywood thrives off it and the simple fact that you just can’t look away.
Many films exist and across them countless characters shuffle off the mortal coil; some nobly while others pointlessly, some even to the audiences’ collective groan of derision (two words: Mace Windu). Regardless of their dramatic accomplishment, movie deaths present a director with an opportunity to invoke empathy at the most primal level – sure Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) was an asshole throughout Die Hard but it’s hard not to acknowledge his humanity given his expression of mortal terror as he falls from the Nakatomi Plaza rooftop.
Done well, movie deaths make dramatic statements. They’ll kick-start a narrative or punctuate it with tragedy.
Many films exist and across them countless characters shuffle off the mortal coil; some nobly while others pointlessly, some even to the audiences’ collective groan of derision (two words: Mace Windu). Regardless of their dramatic accomplishment, movie deaths present a director with an opportunity to invoke empathy at the most primal level – sure Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) was an asshole throughout Die Hard but it’s hard not to acknowledge his humanity given his expression of mortal terror as he falls from the Nakatomi Plaza rooftop.
Done well, movie deaths make dramatic statements. They’ll kick-start a narrative or punctuate it with tragedy.
- 9/25/2011
- by Stuart Bedford
- Obsessed with Film
James Cagney, the quintessential movie gangster
Seemingly always en vogue, gangsters have been especially so in recent years. The grand seigneur of American cinema, Martin Scorsese, finally won his long-deserved first Academy Award for Best Achievement in Directing for “The Departed” in 2007. Michael Mann’s 2009 effort “Public Enemies” was a big-budget production with high-dollar stars. The HBO drama “The Sopranos” attracted millions of viewers per week for eight years. “Sopranos” writer Terry Winter teamed up with Scorsese in 2010 for another acclaimed gangster series, “Boardwalk Empire,” which won two Golden Globes earlier this year. Warner Bros., the studio that invented the gangster film, is hoping to get back in the game with a revival of the classic genre.[1] And Scorsese, who made his name with gangster films like “Mean Streets,” “GoodFellas” and “Casino,” will likely return to the genre with mafioso thesps Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino in...
Seemingly always en vogue, gangsters have been especially so in recent years. The grand seigneur of American cinema, Martin Scorsese, finally won his long-deserved first Academy Award for Best Achievement in Directing for “The Departed” in 2007. Michael Mann’s 2009 effort “Public Enemies” was a big-budget production with high-dollar stars. The HBO drama “The Sopranos” attracted millions of viewers per week for eight years. “Sopranos” writer Terry Winter teamed up with Scorsese in 2010 for another acclaimed gangster series, “Boardwalk Empire,” which won two Golden Globes earlier this year. Warner Bros., the studio that invented the gangster film, is hoping to get back in the game with a revival of the classic genre.[1] And Scorsese, who made his name with gangster films like “Mean Streets,” “GoodFellas” and “Casino,” will likely return to the genre with mafioso thesps Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino in...
- 6/1/2011
- by Torsten Reitz
- The Moving Arts Journal
A couple of our more popular Seriously Random Lists in the past were lists that explored once popular actors and actresses who have seemingly fallen off the face of the Earth (or at least, no longer appear in movies with which we are familiar). People like Rene Russo or Paul Reiser, who were once ever-present, and then just vanished. Today, we're going to do the same with directors. It's more difficult with directors because they work behind the camera and, in many cases, weren't very familiar to begin with. But you knew their movies. Many of the directors below had considerable success before all but vanishing -- some of them still work, on TV or making Direct-to-dvd movies or movies no one has ever heard of. But the fall from their peak has been precipitous and, in some cases, mysterious.
10. Joe Dante
Signature Movies: Gremlins, Gremlins 2, The Howling, Twilight Zone: The Movie,...
10. Joe Dante
Signature Movies: Gremlins, Gremlins 2, The Howling, Twilight Zone: The Movie,...
- 4/18/2010
- by Dustin Rowles
A few days ago, my colleague here at Atomic Popcorn gave his top 15 movie romances/romantic movies. Well, being a girl, I’m contractually obliged to enjoy romantic movies. For that reason, I’ve decided to give my own female take as to the top 15 movie romances.
Here to wrap up this Valentine’s Day week, I present to you my… Top 15 Favorite Movie Romances/Movie Couples!
*Warning: Spoilers May Be Present*
First, some honorable mentions:
- Fight Club: Tyler Durden/Narrator & Marla
The neurotic Marla and the split personalities of Tyler Durden and our crazy narrator are weirdly perfect for each other, and you have to give kudos to a woman who is willing to stand by her (men?) as each is more and more consumed by his other side. Plus, the final scene where the two hold each other’s hands as they watch a building go down is eccentrically sweet.
Here to wrap up this Valentine’s Day week, I present to you my… Top 15 Favorite Movie Romances/Movie Couples!
*Warning: Spoilers May Be Present*
First, some honorable mentions:
- Fight Club: Tyler Durden/Narrator & Marla
The neurotic Marla and the split personalities of Tyler Durden and our crazy narrator are weirdly perfect for each other, and you have to give kudos to a woman who is willing to stand by her (men?) as each is more and more consumed by his other side. Plus, the final scene where the two hold each other’s hands as they watch a building go down is eccentrically sweet.
- 2/20/2010
- by Carly
- Atomic Popcorn
Fifty years ago, a brief letter to the editor of a student newspaper led to a national furor over academic freedom. When it broke in 1959, the Leo Koch Case dominated front pages and newscasts. It remained a story for three years. Today it is so thoroughly forgotten that not even Wikipedia, which knows everything, has heard of it.
I was on the campus the whole time and later edited the same campus paper, but I don't want to write about the case. I want to write about what was said in the letter.
It was published in the autumn of 1960. Let me take you back on a trip through time. That was a Puritan era by today's standards.
Most universities took aggressive steps to prevent sex among undergraduates. Students weren't allowed to live in their own apartments. In women's dormitories, a strict curfew was enforced, and too many "late minutes...
I was on the campus the whole time and later edited the same campus paper, but I don't want to write about the case. I want to write about what was said in the letter.
It was published in the autumn of 1960. Let me take you back on a trip through time. That was a Puritan era by today's standards.
Most universities took aggressive steps to prevent sex among undergraduates. Students weren't allowed to live in their own apartments. In women's dormitories, a strict curfew was enforced, and too many "late minutes...
- 1/15/2010
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
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