It's rare to watch an actor's star rise in real-time, but that is precisely what is happening with Anya Taylor-Joy.
The actress has nary a single project in her resume that wasn't loved by critics and audiences alike, save for a big-budget script or two.
With barely an entire decade under her belt, Anya Taylor-Joy already has thirty-nine nominations, including fifteen wins, three of which are a Golden Globe, a Critic's Choice Aware, and a Screen Actor's Guild award.
Not too bad, considering she's not even thirty yet. She's made some significant moves and has quickly solidified herself as one of Hollywood's most talented young actors.
From protecting the Mushroom Kingdom to questionable fine dining, Anya Taylor-Joy has embarked on various roles. Whether it's just her voice or a full view of her stealing every scene with her piercing gaze, the actress has the skill of someone with decades of experience.
The actress has nary a single project in her resume that wasn't loved by critics and audiences alike, save for a big-budget script or two.
With barely an entire decade under her belt, Anya Taylor-Joy already has thirty-nine nominations, including fifteen wins, three of which are a Golden Globe, a Critic's Choice Aware, and a Screen Actor's Guild award.
Not too bad, considering she's not even thirty yet. She's made some significant moves and has quickly solidified herself as one of Hollywood's most talented young actors.
From protecting the Mushroom Kingdom to questionable fine dining, Anya Taylor-Joy has embarked on various roles. Whether it's just her voice or a full view of her stealing every scene with her piercing gaze, the actress has the skill of someone with decades of experience.
- 5/15/2024
- by Joshua Pleming
- TVfanatic
One of the downsides of streaming’s cord-cutting era has been how hard it is to stumble on a great movie midway through. You know the joy of which we speak. After a long day at work or school, a moment to unwind turns into discovering one of your favorite flicks, that one you’ve probably seen a hundred times, is playing right now on cable. And wouldn’t you know it, you’ve come across it right at your favorite bit.
Before you know it, you spend the next 90 minutes catching up on a film you already have half committed to memory. It’s a perhaps uniquely dated phenomenon, but a great one for those of us who have entire personal libraries of movies that we may never have seen from beginning to end. I spent years, for example, convinced Con Air started with Nic Cage enunciating, “I said...
Before you know it, you spend the next 90 minutes catching up on a film you already have half committed to memory. It’s a perhaps uniquely dated phenomenon, but a great one for those of us who have entire personal libraries of movies that we may never have seen from beginning to end. I spent years, for example, convinced Con Air started with Nic Cage enunciating, “I said...
- 5/7/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
George Miller’s “Furiosa” is already riding high with first reactions.
The prequel to 2015 film “Mad Max: Fury Road” stars Anya Taylor-Joy as the title character warrior in an epic saga that spans 15 years for her origin story. Per the official synopsis, a young Furiosa is kidnapped from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus, played by Chris Hemsworth. As they trek across the Wasteland, the gang come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war over dominance, Furiosa faces many trials to find her way home.
While “Furiosa” is set to premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival May 15, early screening first reactions have already gone viral. Both Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth’s respective performances are especially highlighted by critics.
IndieWire’s David Ehrlich wrote, “[It] brings me great joy to report that ‘Furiosa’ is really,...
The prequel to 2015 film “Mad Max: Fury Road” stars Anya Taylor-Joy as the title character warrior in an epic saga that spans 15 years for her origin story. Per the official synopsis, a young Furiosa is kidnapped from the Green Place of Many Mothers and falls into the hands of a great Biker Horde led by the Warlord Dementus, played by Chris Hemsworth. As they trek across the Wasteland, the gang come across the Citadel presided over by The Immortan Joe. While the two Tyrants war over dominance, Furiosa faces many trials to find her way home.
While “Furiosa” is set to premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival May 15, early screening first reactions have already gone viral. Both Taylor-Joy and Hemsworth’s respective performances are especially highlighted by critics.
IndieWire’s David Ehrlich wrote, “[It] brings me great joy to report that ‘Furiosa’ is really,...
- 5/7/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Quentin Tarantino does not view Kill Bill as two separate films. That should be acknowledged upfront as fair. After all, it is this detail which allows Tarantino the ability to claim Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood as his ninth instead of 10th film (thereby delaying any obligatory early retirements). And to be sure, Tarantino shot Kill Bill as one epic vision that was only encouraged to be broken up by, ahem, Harvey Weinstein while Tarantino was finishing up principal photography.
So while the story was released as Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, they’re two sides of the same tale. Be that as it may, there’s no denying that they’re two incredibly different sides. Whether a creative choice made in post-production after realizing he had hours more of running time to play with, or because the filmmaker was already at his most indulgent...
So while the story was released as Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and Kill Bill: Vol. 2, they’re two sides of the same tale. Be that as it may, there’s no denying that they’re two incredibly different sides. Whether a creative choice made in post-production after realizing he had hours more of running time to play with, or because the filmmaker was already at his most indulgent...
- 5/6/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
On April 12, 2024, A24 released “Civil War,” a dystopian film following a team of military-embedded journalists as they race against time to reach DC before rebel factions descend upon the White House. The film written and directed by Alex Garland stars Oscar nominee Kirsten Dunst, Wagner Moura, Cailee Spaeny, Stephen McKinley Henderson and Nick Offerman.
Early reviews for the movie have been overwhelmingly positive, holding fresh at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics consensus reads, “Tough and unsettling by design, ‘Civil War’ is a gripping close-up look at the violent uncertainty of life in a nation in crisis.” Read our full review round-up below.
See Box office preview: Alex Garland’s ‘Civil War’ will try its best not to divide the moviegoing nation
Siddhant Adlakha of Inverse says, “An upsetting sensory experience accompanied by thundering cacophonies and paralyzing scenes of war and savagery so vast, intense, and overwhelming that you can practically...
Early reviews for the movie have been overwhelmingly positive, holding fresh at 87% on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics consensus reads, “Tough and unsettling by design, ‘Civil War’ is a gripping close-up look at the violent uncertainty of life in a nation in crisis.” Read our full review round-up below.
See Box office preview: Alex Garland’s ‘Civil War’ will try its best not to divide the moviegoing nation
Siddhant Adlakha of Inverse says, “An upsetting sensory experience accompanied by thundering cacophonies and paralyzing scenes of war and savagery so vast, intense, and overwhelming that you can practically...
- 4/13/2024
- by Vincent Mandile
- Gold Derby
Every year, SXSW seems to grow in size and breadth. The opportunities to glimpse the future and connect with its architects in an intersection of disciplines—music, technology, television, and cinema included—can be overwhelming. And in 2024 alone, there were more than 115 films and 80 short features at the fest.
It is impossible to see everything, yet our team of critics and journalists made a concerted effort to give it the old college try. Of the more than 40 projects we did glean between us, here were the ones that stood out most and we think should probably be on your radar. Also to note, the list is in alphabetical order.
Adrianne & the Castle
Given the sheer volume and variety of films at this festival, rarely does one do a double-take when reading loglines or hearing directors or producers soft pitch their films in passing. But that was absolutely the case...
It is impossible to see everything, yet our team of critics and journalists made a concerted effort to give it the old college try. Of the more than 40 projects we did glean between us, here were the ones that stood out most and we think should probably be on your radar. Also to note, the list is in alphabetical order.
Adrianne & the Castle
Given the sheer volume and variety of films at this festival, rarely does one do a double-take when reading loglines or hearing directors or producers soft pitch their films in passing. But that was absolutely the case...
- 3/18/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
In the new horror movie Immaculate, Sydney Sweeney plays a devout nun named Cecilia, who, after learning that she is somehow with child, is pursued by both the manipulative clergy inside her convent in Italy and servants of darkness. But before she became the young blonde prey in this “nunsploitation” flick, Sweeney was the one doing the chasing.
Sweeney first heard of Immaculate many years ago, when she was just 16 years old. “I auditioned for it, was obsessed with it, and didn’t get it,” she tells Den of Geek while promoting the film at SXSW 2024. “And then I found out that they never made it. And every year, I followed up with my team asking, ‘Did they ever make that movie Immaculate? Whatever happened to it? Who booked it?’ And when I got older and I realized I wanted to make it myself, I went after the script.”
Sweeney...
Sweeney first heard of Immaculate many years ago, when she was just 16 years old. “I auditioned for it, was obsessed with it, and didn’t get it,” she tells Den of Geek while promoting the film at SXSW 2024. “And then I found out that they never made it. And every year, I followed up with my team asking, ‘Did they ever make that movie Immaculate? Whatever happened to it? Who booked it?’ And when I got older and I realized I wanted to make it myself, I went after the script.”
Sweeney...
- 3/14/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
This post contains spoilers for The Marvels.
With the exception of maybe Avengers: Endgame, no MCU movie just ends. Borrowing from the comic book medium in which its characters were born, MCU films end with cliffhangers and portends, mid- and post-credit scenes that tease up the next movie or storyline.
That’s certainly the case with The Marvels, the latest MCU entry and latest indication that the superhero boom is now a whimper. The post-credit scene offers yet another nod to the X-Men, but that’s not the only question viewers have after watching The Marvels.
As David Crow put it in Den of Geek‘s review, the movie feels like “a post-production Frankenstein situation where a combination of ideas are thrown at the wall by reshoots and reedits.” As a result, The Marvels ended with many unanswered questions.
Some of them are little annoyances, like “Why didn’t...
With the exception of maybe Avengers: Endgame, no MCU movie just ends. Borrowing from the comic book medium in which its characters were born, MCU films end with cliffhangers and portends, mid- and post-credit scenes that tease up the next movie or storyline.
That’s certainly the case with The Marvels, the latest MCU entry and latest indication that the superhero boom is now a whimper. The post-credit scene offers yet another nod to the X-Men, but that’s not the only question viewers have after watching The Marvels.
As David Crow put it in Den of Geek‘s review, the movie feels like “a post-production Frankenstein situation where a combination of ideas are thrown at the wall by reshoots and reedits.” As a result, The Marvels ended with many unanswered questions.
Some of them are little annoyances, like “Why didn’t...
- 2/7/2024
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
It’s that time of year where critics, film buffs, and awards prognosticators come together and search for a consensus on what were “the best films” from the previous year. It’s already begun with the Golden Globes this past weekend and the Critics Choice Awards coming in the next. Perhaps more than most years, the frontrunners for “the best picture” prizes are obvious too.
That is all well and good, but sometimes attempting to find a consensus (or at least a horse race winner) deprives us from acknowledging our true favorites; films that you or I might have loved and are convinced no one else in the world has seen. These are the pictures that may not be “the best,” but they are favorites for our staff, and we’d like you to consider giving them a chance. Also feel free to shout out your own choices in the comments section below.
That is all well and good, but sometimes attempting to find a consensus (or at least a horse race winner) deprives us from acknowledging our true favorites; films that you or I might have loved and are convinced no one else in the world has seen. These are the pictures that may not be “the best,” but they are favorites for our staff, and we’d like you to consider giving them a chance. Also feel free to shout out your own choices in the comments section below.
- 1/12/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Love it, hate it, or love to hate it, Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn has left an impression on viewers. With its acerbic (and maybe muddled) allegory about social and economic class in the UK, the movie is a big twisty swing from the writer-director of Promising Young Woman. It also features star Barry Keoghan going there. In some scenes, there constitutes prancing around a luxurious manor in his birthday suit, galloping as free and liberated as a baby elephant charging a watering hole.
In others, there consists of the literal water (and other fluids therein) pooling around the hole of a bathtub. You know the scene: After Felix (Jacob Elordi), the wealthy patron and object of obsession for Keoghan’s Oliver Quick, is spied pleasuring himself in the bath, Ollie sneaks in afterward to slurp up the remainder that didn’t go down the drain. It’s disgusting, off-putting, and supposedly “titillating,...
In others, there consists of the literal water (and other fluids therein) pooling around the hole of a bathtub. You know the scene: After Felix (Jacob Elordi), the wealthy patron and object of obsession for Keoghan’s Oliver Quick, is spied pleasuring himself in the bath, Ollie sneaks in afterward to slurp up the remainder that didn’t go down the drain. It’s disgusting, off-putting, and supposedly “titillating,...
- 1/8/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
No matter what they tell you, Christmastime is the best time. It’s the deep breath on the last page of the calendar; the chance to take stock of the year that was and appreciate that we’re halfway through the darkest days of winter, hopefully surrounded by beloved family and friends.
But you know what would make it one better? If it was family, friends, and a fictional character of our choosing each year! Imagine for just one magical evening every December, Doc Brown rolled up in a DeLorean to sample Christmas cookies? Or what if it’s Han Solo or Princess Leia who is asking you to pass the gravy and potatoes? You just know Chewbacca would be all-in on a game of pulling the Christmas crackers. So with that in mind, we asked our staff to think of who they’d like to party with come Christmas Day.
But you know what would make it one better? If it was family, friends, and a fictional character of our choosing each year! Imagine for just one magical evening every December, Doc Brown rolled up in a DeLorean to sample Christmas cookies? Or what if it’s Han Solo or Princess Leia who is asking you to pass the gravy and potatoes? You just know Chewbacca would be all-in on a game of pulling the Christmas crackers. So with that in mind, we asked our staff to think of who they’d like to party with come Christmas Day.
- 12/24/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
2023 has proven to be a pivotal year for moviemaking. The industry itself seems to be in a state of upheaval, and perhaps renewal, as two labor strikes that dominated the calendar between May and November culminated with the writers and actors guilds earning hard-won benefits for their work, as well as securities against the advent of A.I.
Onscreen, too, audience tastes seem to be changing as the biggest films of the year are pictures with strong authorial voices from Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan. The former used a beloved doll IP to make a comedy about growing and growing old in the shadow of the patriarchy; the latter did a character study on the man who invented the most genocidal weapon imaginable. Neither were a sequel or a conventional bet, and both far outperformed the movies that were. The industry is changing, but beyond the news and potential paradigm...
Onscreen, too, audience tastes seem to be changing as the biggest films of the year are pictures with strong authorial voices from Greta Gerwig and Christopher Nolan. The former used a beloved doll IP to make a comedy about growing and growing old in the shadow of the patriarchy; the latter did a character study on the man who invented the most genocidal weapon imaginable. Neither were a sequel or a conventional bet, and both far outperformed the movies that were. The industry is changing, but beyond the news and potential paradigm...
- 11/13/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
After almost four years into a new decade, horror remains one of the most resilient and fascinating genres of this century. In fact, it’s fair to say that the cinema of chills has only grown in esteem. About 10 years ago, some critics were dubiously suggesting that horror movies were undergoing an “elevation.” Nowadays, though, scary movies’ popularity and respect just seems nearly ubiquitous.
In a time when everything is dubiously being stripped down and sold as “content,” horror remains one of the last refuges for filmmakers to make art—or at least a wild good time with a dancing robo-doll! With that in mind, we’ve put our heads together at Den of Geek to provide you with a list of the best horror movies of 2023 so far, for your viewing terror. Enjoy.
Talk to Me
Every year, at least one horror film comes along that dominates the zeitgeist...
In a time when everything is dubiously being stripped down and sold as “content,” horror remains one of the last refuges for filmmakers to make art—or at least a wild good time with a dancing robo-doll! With that in mind, we’ve put our heads together at Den of Geek to provide you with a list of the best horror movies of 2023 so far, for your viewing terror. Enjoy.
Talk to Me
Every year, at least one horror film comes along that dominates the zeitgeist...
- 10/24/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
How do you like to celebrate the arrival of October and true autumn? Perhaps you have a favorite sweater you like to pull out of the drawer; or maybe you’re a fiend for consuming pumpkin-spiced… everything! For ourselves, it’s always been about putting on that first horror movie (or three). While the whole year is a fine time to watch scary movies, there’s something especially crisp about a favorite chiller to match the cool evenings outside.
Spooky season has to start somewhere, and for us it might as well be with a film that either makes us shriek or smile. So if you’re looking for suggestions on how to best ease yourself into the reason for the season, these are the movies that we think make Halloween a wickedly fine time.
It’s not Halloween until I watch… The Shining (1980)
There aren’t many of the...
Spooky season has to start somewhere, and for us it might as well be with a film that either makes us shriek or smile. So if you’re looking for suggestions on how to best ease yourself into the reason for the season, these are the movies that we think make Halloween a wickedly fine time.
It’s not Halloween until I watch… The Shining (1980)
There aren’t many of the...
- 10/5/2023
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
Sci-fi is a catch-all term, really. Most folks might think of franchises like Star Wars or Star Trek when they hear it—imagining fantastical vistas with magic wizards and teleportation beams. And to be sure, the space opera is a prized staple in the genre’s cabinet of curiosities; but the more interesting science fiction, or at least the type that sticks around in the old noodle, is the more grounded “hard sci-fi.” With a greater emphasis on speculation and estimation derived from the scientific realities of their times, as opposed to the flights of fancy in their pulps, these are stories created by writers, directors, and artists with an eager eye on the horizon.
It is easy to walk out of a film and announce “that will never happen,” but there have been plenty of times where the sci-fi of today turned out to be the scientific reality of tomorrow.
It is easy to walk out of a film and announce “that will never happen,” but there have been plenty of times where the sci-fi of today turned out to be the scientific reality of tomorrow.
- 9/20/2023
- by John Saavedra
- Den of Geek
A24 is having a moment right now. For starters, the indie studio and 21st century tastemaker is actually able to produce movies during the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes due to its separation from the major Hollywood studios. So bring on that movie where Paul Rudd and Jenna Ortega are responsible for killing a unicorn! More impressive though, A24 just picked up its second Best Picture Oscar in six years, and for a movie that walked away with a staggering seven Oscar wins overall in March.
Not bad for a company that’s barely a decade old, and which is still generally regarded in the zeitgeist for putting out strange, and yet often entrancing work. That, indeed, could be used to describe most of their horror output, which has had a bigger hand in shaping the genre in the 2010s than any other studio or production company not named Blumhouse. Whether...
Not bad for a company that’s barely a decade old, and which is still generally regarded in the zeitgeist for putting out strange, and yet often entrancing work. That, indeed, could be used to describe most of their horror output, which has had a bigger hand in shaping the genre in the 2010s than any other studio or production company not named Blumhouse. Whether...
- 8/4/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
It really is true: Spider-Man does whatever a spider can. And across 10 theatrically released films, in live-action and animation both, he (or sometimes she) has spun a web any size, catching those thieves just like flies. Still, not all webs are created equal, and some of those captured thieves have made for better cinematic opponents than others.
Indeed, alongside Batman, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has probably been blessed with the most consistent series of superhero movies released by Hollywood, with millions of fans ready to swear that either Tobey Maguire, Tom Holland, or the kaleidoscopic animation led by Miles Morales (and Shameik Moore’s voice) is the best Spidey. Heck, there are those out there who will defend the Andrew Garfield years.
Yet while Spidey has been fortunate to lead a number of good movies, some are better than others, and several more missed the Staten Island Ferry completley. So...
Indeed, alongside Batman, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man has probably been blessed with the most consistent series of superhero movies released by Hollywood, with millions of fans ready to swear that either Tobey Maguire, Tom Holland, or the kaleidoscopic animation led by Miles Morales (and Shameik Moore’s voice) is the best Spidey. Heck, there are those out there who will defend the Andrew Garfield years.
Yet while Spidey has been fortunate to lead a number of good movies, some are better than others, and several more missed the Staten Island Ferry completley. So...
- 6/23/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
During a tumultuous time for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the third and final film in James Gunn‘s Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy will (hopefully) arrive to save the day in a satisfying way. Our favorite band of A-holes are heading back to the big screen at the beginning of May for a new adventure together. Some lucky people have already seen the movie, thanks to the movie’s “European Gala” held at Disneyland Paris earlier this month, as well as the US screenings this week for critics. As you might expect, we now have plenty of thoughts about Gunn’s (presumably) final Marvel movie.
But first, a refresher on what’s going on in this one: in the upcoming Phase 5 threequel, the Guardians have pretty much settled down on Knowhere after the events of the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, but when Rocket’s past resurfaces, Peter Quill...
But first, a refresher on what’s going on in this one: in the upcoming Phase 5 threequel, the Guardians have pretty much settled down on Knowhere after the events of the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, but when Rocket’s past resurfaces, Peter Quill...
- 4/28/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
After “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania” earned some of the worst reviews for a Marvel movie yet (its 47% score on Rotten Tomatoes ties “Eternals” as the lowest-rated MCU title on the aggregation website), it appears the Marvel Cinematic Universe is back on track thanks to “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” First reactions for the trilogy-ending “Guardians” sequel are rolling in and praise the film as the “best Marvel movie in years” and “surprisingly emotional,” though some critics deemed it “uneven.”
Awards Radar editor Joey Magidson called the film “full of heart” and said it brought him “to tears on multiple occasions.”
“It’s not what you’re necessarily expecting,” he added, “but it really does land. A perfect ending, too.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is full of heart and brought me to tears on multiple occasions. @JamesGunn making it Rocket’s story pays off big. It’s...
Awards Radar editor Joey Magidson called the film “full of heart” and said it brought him “to tears on multiple occasions.”
“It’s not what you’re necessarily expecting,” he added, “but it really does land. A perfect ending, too.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is full of heart and brought me to tears on multiple occasions. @JamesGunn making it Rocket’s story pays off big. It’s...
- 4/28/2023
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Stakes, silver-tipped canes, and torches are all dependable ways to kill off the classic Universal Monsters. But the one common, unifying monster-slayer they are all powerless against is poor box office. This was very clearly communicated by the failure of Renfield, Universal’s attempt at resurrecting Dracula and his title sidekick in a modern horror-comedy where Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) acted more like a supernatural superhero than the simpering, wild-eyed Dwight Frye of old.
Not even the Scenery-Chewer Supreme that is Nicolas Cage could save Renfield from a meager $8 million opening weekend haul that saw the movie have its lunch eaten by Russell Crowe in The Pope’s Exorcist. This isn’t the first attempt either in the last 10 or 20 years to drag the undead out of their graves: Van Helsing (2004), The Wolfman (2010), Dracula Untold (2014), and the disastrous The Mummy (2017) all climbed back into the Universal Monsters’ tombs as quickly as possible,...
Not even the Scenery-Chewer Supreme that is Nicolas Cage could save Renfield from a meager $8 million opening weekend haul that saw the movie have its lunch eaten by Russell Crowe in The Pope’s Exorcist. This isn’t the first attempt either in the last 10 or 20 years to drag the undead out of their graves: Van Helsing (2004), The Wolfman (2010), Dracula Untold (2014), and the disastrous The Mummy (2017) all climbed back into the Universal Monsters’ tombs as quickly as possible,...
- 4/24/2023
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
There never has been a movie star quite like Nicolas Cage. While obviously handsome and gifted with backlogs of charisma, beneath the surface there lies an unmistakable hunger, a sense of searching, and what some might even call a mania to take a role to its fullest extreme. Even when Cage is taking the “paycheck” parts, be it in glossy ‘90s Hollywood star vehicles or some of his lesser 2010s straight-to-digital efforts, the actor’s tangible desire to push boundaries and experiment is nothing short of riveting.
In a Reddit Ama, Cage once said the following about his craft: “I think many of the choices I’ve made have been inspired by film stars from the silent era, as well as cultural expression of performance like Kabuki and some of the Golden Age actors like [James] Cagney, so I don’t know how to say I’ve done something new because...
In a Reddit Ama, Cage once said the following about his craft: “I think many of the choices I’ve made have been inspired by film stars from the silent era, as well as cultural expression of performance like Kabuki and some of the Golden Age actors like [James] Cagney, so I don’t know how to say I’ve done something new because...
- 4/15/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
When motion pictures first transitioned to the sound era, film studios were divided about how to use music in the cinema. Should it only be diegetic (as in emanating from a source onscreen that the characters can hear)? Would non-diegetic music distract from the dialogue and characters? Universal mogul Carl Laemmle famously decreed that movies like 1931’s Frankenstein and Dracula should have no background whatsoever after their opening titles.
Of course it didn’t take long for producers, and more importantly composers, to figure out that was nonsense. Musical compositions, leitmotifs, and even well-known songs can be a shorthand to heighten the drama onscreen—or to knowingly undercut it. And arguably few filmmakers would come to understand that better than Quentin Tarantino. The iconoclastic auteur who cut his teeth at the drive-in and video store is famous for not only his meticulously crafted screenplays and camera movements, but even how...
Of course it didn’t take long for producers, and more importantly composers, to figure out that was nonsense. Musical compositions, leitmotifs, and even well-known songs can be a shorthand to heighten the drama onscreen—or to knowingly undercut it. And arguably few filmmakers would come to understand that better than Quentin Tarantino. The iconoclastic auteur who cut his teeth at the drive-in and video store is famous for not only his meticulously crafted screenplays and camera movements, but even how...
- 4/1/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
This post contains spoilers for Shazam: The Fury of the Gods
Shazam and Black Adam have finally begun to fight. Just not in the way you expected. Or maybe even wanted.
Hot off the disappointing opening weekend box office sales of Shazam: The Fury of the Gods, The Wrap released an insider report that blamed Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for undermining the Big Red Cheese’s cinematic future. In it, unnamed sources describe Johnson as a person who “thinks he’s bigger than the movie,” who wants only “to extend his brand and make a brand centered on himself.” That includes demanding that Black Adam cut out the character’s traditional rival, Billy Batson aka Shazam aka Captain Marvel, going for the more flashy Superman.
Not only does the report back up previous claims that Johnson convinced Warner Bros to give Black Adam his own movie instead of debuting him in the first Shazam!
Shazam and Black Adam have finally begun to fight. Just not in the way you expected. Or maybe even wanted.
Hot off the disappointing opening weekend box office sales of Shazam: The Fury of the Gods, The Wrap released an insider report that blamed Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson for undermining the Big Red Cheese’s cinematic future. In it, unnamed sources describe Johnson as a person who “thinks he’s bigger than the movie,” who wants only “to extend his brand and make a brand centered on himself.” That includes demanding that Black Adam cut out the character’s traditional rival, Billy Batson aka Shazam aka Captain Marvel, going for the more flashy Superman.
Not only does the report back up previous claims that Johnson convinced Warner Bros to give Black Adam his own movie instead of debuting him in the first Shazam!
- 3/22/2023
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
This article contains spoilers for Swarm.
There’s an old African proverb that says “the child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.” Prime Video’s surreal horror series, Swarm, takes that proverb and tweaks it to a modern context. Throughout Donald Glover and Janine Nabers’ ode to dark obsession, Andrea “Dre” Greene (Dominique Fishback) burns down not one village but several – from Houston to Nashville to Little Rock to Atlanta – all to feel the radiating maternal warmth from one person: international pop superstar Ni’Jah.
https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/swarm-cast-inside-billie-eilishs-first-tv-role/Swarm is a difficult story to fully wrap one’s hands around. Six of the series’ seven episodes promise that the outlandish events viewers are witnessing are all true. And they are, to a certain extent, with Glover, Nabers, and the show’s writing staff drawing upon urban legends surrounding Beyoncé,...
There’s an old African proverb that says “the child who is not embraced by the village will burn it down to feel its warmth.” Prime Video’s surreal horror series, Swarm, takes that proverb and tweaks it to a modern context. Throughout Donald Glover and Janine Nabers’ ode to dark obsession, Andrea “Dre” Greene (Dominique Fishback) burns down not one village but several – from Houston to Nashville to Little Rock to Atlanta – all to feel the radiating maternal warmth from one person: international pop superstar Ni’Jah.
https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/swarm-cast-inside-billie-eilishs-first-tv-role/Swarm is a difficult story to fully wrap one’s hands around. Six of the series’ seven episodes promise that the outlandish events viewers are witnessing are all true. And they are, to a certain extent, with Glover, Nabers, and the show’s writing staff drawing upon urban legends surrounding Beyoncé,...
- 3/20/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Can a festival have swagger? Because it felt like SXSW was swaggering in 2023. This should not be a total surprise for a weeklong conference that’s an intersection between film, television, music, gaming, technology, and arguably innovation itself. As per one industry insider, SXSW has long been perceived as “the cool kids festival.” Nonetheless, one year and a day after Everything Everywhere All at Once premiered on SXSW’s opening night, that film went on to win a staggering seven Oscars on the same weekend as the 2023 festival.
And after last Sunday, excitement and a sense of vindication floated in the air around every movie theater in Austin. Somehow this fest was coming even more into its own with its first Best Picture win, and that truth appears reflected in the eclectic mix of films and television series that showed up the year Everything Everywhere came to town. From oddball...
And after last Sunday, excitement and a sense of vindication floated in the air around every movie theater in Austin. Somehow this fest was coming even more into its own with its first Best Picture win, and that truth appears reflected in the eclectic mix of films and television series that showed up the year Everything Everywhere came to town. From oddball...
- 3/19/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Hulu’s list of new releases for March 2023 features an event long in the making.
On March 6, History of the World, Part II will finally arrive more than 40 years after Mel Brooks’ classic comedy History of the World, Part I. first premiered. Of course, Brooks never had any intention of adding future parts to his ahistorical film, but that yet makes the arrival of Part II so many years later even funnier. Described as a four-night comedy event, History of the World, Part II will release two episodes a day through March 9. Brooks returns to write and executive produce this series and will star alongside Nick Kroll, Wanda Sykes, and Ike Barinholtz. Guest stars include…everyone. Basically just everyone.
Read more Movies Great Eat the Rich Satires to Watch After The Menu By Nick Harley Movies Mel Brooks Recalls Alfred Hitchcock’s Unique Review of High Anxiety By David Crow...
On March 6, History of the World, Part II will finally arrive more than 40 years after Mel Brooks’ classic comedy History of the World, Part I. first premiered. Of course, Brooks never had any intention of adding future parts to his ahistorical film, but that yet makes the arrival of Part II so many years later even funnier. Described as a four-night comedy event, History of the World, Part II will release two episodes a day through March 9. Brooks returns to write and executive produce this series and will star alongside Nick Kroll, Wanda Sykes, and Ike Barinholtz. Guest stars include…everyone. Basically just everyone.
Read more Movies Great Eat the Rich Satires to Watch After The Menu By Nick Harley Movies Mel Brooks Recalls Alfred Hitchcock’s Unique Review of High Anxiety By David Crow...
- 3/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
It’s a rough time of year out there. Despite what commercials, candy companies, and even the occasionally cagey internet listicle tells you, February isn’t the most romantic month of the year. In fact, for many folks, it’s just a cold, short 28 days with a Singles Awareness celebration wedged smack dab in the middle.
Of course that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. There are many reasons why being single is the ideal lifestyle for some; and to others, a respite after things went wrong. And the horror movie genre is nothing if not deluged with stories about how things can go very wrong.
Spectral old flames, lying spouses, manipulative boyfriends, femme fatales, and a lover who transforms into a literal jungle cat when you get intimate are just a handful of the concepts touched upon in the below list! Many of these stories are clear cut fables.
Of course that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. There are many reasons why being single is the ideal lifestyle for some; and to others, a respite after things went wrong. And the horror movie genre is nothing if not deluged with stories about how things can go very wrong.
Spectral old flames, lying spouses, manipulative boyfriends, femme fatales, and a lover who transforms into a literal jungle cat when you get intimate are just a handful of the concepts touched upon in the below list! Many of these stories are clear cut fables.
- 2/11/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
There are people out there who will tell you they don’t like romantic comedies. These same folks may as well confess that they’re dead inside, with a frozen void replacing where their heart once beat. You shouldn’t be their friend.
Romantic comedies are as old as the movies themselves. Generation after generation, audiences have sought out stories about the universal appeal (or agony) of love. And they’ve often wanted to laugh at it. When two characters—typically as photogenic as a camera lens demands—can generate real heat onscreen, and often channel that into knowing humor for the viewer, it’s more tangible than any visual effect. To wit William Shakespeare, it can create much ado about nothing, and it’s an absolute pleasure to laugh along with.
And despite the best efforts of some studios to drown the genre in the bathtub, rom-coms have endured in the 21st century,...
Romantic comedies are as old as the movies themselves. Generation after generation, audiences have sought out stories about the universal appeal (or agony) of love. And they’ve often wanted to laugh at it. When two characters—typically as photogenic as a camera lens demands—can generate real heat onscreen, and often channel that into knowing humor for the viewer, it’s more tangible than any visual effect. To wit William Shakespeare, it can create much ado about nothing, and it’s an absolute pleasure to laugh along with.
And despite the best efforts of some studios to drown the genre in the bathtub, rom-coms have endured in the 21st century,...
- 2/10/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
“Netflix and chill.” Future pop culture historians will likely look back and chuckle at that turn of phrase, which in the 2010s signaled a hefty technological shift from the days of “we can put on records.” It also represents the moment when Netflix dominated the zeitgeist for years. It’s an open question whether that dominance will continue after next month since the most popular streaming service is doing away with its password sharing capabilities. But in the meantime, let’s all “Netflix and chill” one last time, especially with Valentine’s Day around the corner.
Indeed, this Valentine’s season has a winsome collection for the romantics at heart to embrace, with a significant other or otherwise. Below is a list that includes Oscar winners, teen comedies, happy endings, sad endings, young love, old love, and enduring love. Let’s just say if you need something sweet to watch...
Indeed, this Valentine’s season has a winsome collection for the romantics at heart to embrace, with a significant other or otherwise. Below is a list that includes Oscar winners, teen comedies, happy endings, sad endings, young love, old love, and enduring love. Let’s just say if you need something sweet to watch...
- 2/9/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Horror cinema is thriving. It feels important to note that after a year like 2022. While the past 12 months saw industry trades choked with grim or despairing reports on the box office of original movies and new ideas, the news surrounding chillers has been strangely sunny and full of cheer. From the year beginning with a robust relaunch of the Scream franchise to its ending, where the horror-comedy-satire amalgamation of The Menu won audiences over twice, once in theaters and again on streaming, we’ve seen repeated testimonials to the fact audiences like being scared—and they don’t necessarily care if the movie has a colon, numeral, or hyphen in the title.
Along the way, we’ve seen some genuinely nervy and daring attempts to push the boundaries of cinematic dread, be it in the art house, a la Speak No Evil , or the multiplex, courtesy of Smile. We’ve...
Along the way, we’ve seen some genuinely nervy and daring attempts to push the boundaries of cinematic dread, be it in the art house, a la Speak No Evil , or the multiplex, courtesy of Smile. We’ve...
- 1/21/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
When Rian Johnson’s Brick arrived at Sundance in 2005, it was a bit like its namesake being thrown through a window. Here was a first-time feature, from a guy barely out of his 20s, talking about the high school experience. That wasn’t the unusual part for a Sundance indie though; the strange bit is that Johnson had made the high school experience look indistinguishable from a Dashiell Hammett novel. Brick was a full-throated, grizzled-to-the-bone noir about characters barely old enough to shave!
This has of course been the fascinating paradox of Johnson’s career as it’s unfolded over the last several decades: one of the most excitingly new, modern filmmakers cheekily and eagerly relies on the cinematic vernacular of nearly a century ago. These sometimes jarring sensibilities have found surprising harmony, too, across the writer-director’s six feature films to date. Along the way, he’s masterminded an...
This has of course been the fascinating paradox of Johnson’s career as it’s unfolded over the last several decades: one of the most excitingly new, modern filmmakers cheekily and eagerly relies on the cinematic vernacular of nearly a century ago. These sometimes jarring sensibilities have found surprising harmony, too, across the writer-director’s six feature films to date. Along the way, he’s masterminded an...
- 1/14/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Once you see M3GAN dancing, you can’t unsee it. While killer dolls have always been fertile ground for horror movie directors to explore, the creators of the new Blumhouse movie M3GAN knew they needed something special for their story of an AI robot going to lethal ends to protect young orphan girl Cady (Violet McGraw). By the time the first trailer dropped late last year, it was clear that they found that something. From Twitter to TikTok, movie fans were recreating a clip of M3GAN dancing before grabbing a paper cutter, presumably to do something murderous.
Although M3GAN boasts creative talent such as James Wan and Jason Blum producing — as well as Akela Cooper, the writer behind 2021’s gonzo horror masterpiece Malignant — the dancing bit came from director Gerard Johnstone. The idea occurred to the New Zealand-born director of the horror comedy favorite Housebound late at night.
“It was one of those crazy,...
Although M3GAN boasts creative talent such as James Wan and Jason Blum producing — as well as Akela Cooper, the writer behind 2021’s gonzo horror masterpiece Malignant — the dancing bit came from director Gerard Johnstone. The idea occurred to the New Zealand-born director of the horror comedy favorite Housebound late at night.
“It was one of those crazy,...
- 1/9/2023
- by Joe George
- Den of Geek
We all have our favorite movies in any given year. The ones we raise up and champion with lofty titles like “Best Picture” or “Movie of the Year.” Sometimes in an attempt to claim that title we can even reach for consensus—or at least toward films we’re confident others have seen. However, there are times we each discover something that doesn’t have an obvious consensus. In fact, sometimes you can fall in love with a movie that it feels like nobody else in the world knows about.
Below is a collection of films that members of our staff feel that strongly about. They’re not the movies that wound up at the top of our poll for the best movies of 2022, but they’re movies that at least one of us thinks perhaps should… or that you should at least have heard about and have a chance to seek out.
Below is a collection of films that members of our staff feel that strongly about. They’re not the movies that wound up at the top of our poll for the best movies of 2022, but they’re movies that at least one of us thinks perhaps should… or that you should at least have heard about and have a chance to seek out.
- 1/8/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Cinema just had a rough year. While there were definitely upbeat stories to accompany the now constant anxieties percolating throughout the industry—from Tom Cruise once again asserting his dominance as the king of summer via Top Gun: Maverick to the surprise and wholly welcome blockbuster status of A24’s Everything Everywhere All at Once—the fact remains that “the movies” are in a state of upheaval and uncertainty. Do massive, mainstream audiences still have taste left in their palates for original adult-skewing films? And if streaming is the future for dramas, comedies, and other “mid-budget” movies, what then is the future of streaming given that market’s own recent crises?
It’s a weird time. Yet one thing stays consistent: the satisfaction that comes with seeing a good movie. Whether that film makes you laugh, cry, or shudder, there is still an ineffable joy derived from being lost for...
It’s a weird time. Yet one thing stays consistent: the satisfaction that comes with seeing a good movie. Whether that film makes you laugh, cry, or shudder, there is still an ineffable joy derived from being lost for...
- 12/30/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Leave it to Edgar Allan Poe. While many probably associate the mercurial author and poet with horror milestones like “The Pit and the Pendulum” and “The Fall of the House of Usher,” he’s also widely credited with inventing the detective story with his 1841 publication, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.” Since then the genre of detective fiction has spanned untold numbers of short stories, novels, plays, radio shows, TV series, and of course, movies.
One of the subsets of detective fiction, the whodunit, remains almost interchangeable with the genre itself and one of its most popular variations. From the urbane, eccentric likes of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot to the more grizzled Sam Spade and Mike Hammer, to the shapeshifting meta-detective Ellery Queen, stories that allow the reader or viewer to solve the mystery right alongside the protagonist are an entertainment staple to this day, as borne out by...
One of the subsets of detective fiction, the whodunit, remains almost interchangeable with the genre itself and one of its most popular variations. From the urbane, eccentric likes of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot to the more grizzled Sam Spade and Mike Hammer, to the shapeshifting meta-detective Ellery Queen, stories that allow the reader or viewer to solve the mystery right alongside the protagonist are an entertainment staple to this day, as borne out by...
- 12/26/2022
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
This isn’t about favorites. Favorites are flimsy and can be overdone, like a song or a sandwich filling you tire of after choosing it one too many times. This is about rightness. Of all the Doctors in the Tardis, of all the Bonds in the Aston Martin, of all the Batmen in the Batsuit, there’s one that feels more right to you than the rest. They’re in technicolor while everybody else is in black and white (speaking figuratively if it’s William Hartnell).
Maybe they’re the one you first fell for as a kid, or maybe they’re the newest hire who made everything finally click into place. The point is that they’re yours, an actor in a role that is unchangingly, enduringly right.
You know your Bond, you may well know your Doctor and own the accompanying action figure/reproduction Sonic screwdriver. But who’s your on-screen Santa?...
Maybe they’re the one you first fell for as a kid, or maybe they’re the newest hire who made everything finally click into place. The point is that they’re yours, an actor in a role that is unchangingly, enduringly right.
You know your Bond, you may well know your Doctor and own the accompanying action figure/reproduction Sonic screwdriver. But who’s your on-screen Santa?...
- 12/23/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Over a decade after the first Avatar movie set records at the global box office, sequel Avatar: The Way of Water is about to finally hit theaters on December 16. It seems like a long time since we first met Jake Sully and Neytiri on Pandora as they fought off the moon’s human colonizing forces together, but this kind of delay is not without precedent for the film’s director James Cameron, as he had originally intended the first movie to be released back in 1999 as his next project following Titanic. However, the technology just wasn’t up to scratch for Cameron’s vision, and it would be a decade later in 2009 that Avatar arrived on screens, many of them utilizing big advances in 3D viewing.
It may be true that Avatar has made an eye-watering amount of money since its original release – almost 3 billion to date – but the long-in-development...
It may be true that Avatar has made an eye-watering amount of money since its original release – almost 3 billion to date – but the long-in-development...
- 12/7/2022
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
December is not quite here yet, but for some of us, it’s already beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Thanksgiving is over, and the grimness of Black Friday too. So with the passing of those uniquely American traditions, the biggest holiday event for millions of film lovers is on the horizon. And some want to start celebrating now.
For that reason, we’ve collected the below streaming guide of holiday favorites, old and new, so you know exactly where to find your favorite Christmas movies this year. We’ve generally based this on where they’re available to watch without an additional surcharge on top of a subscription. In other words, we’re leaving off that most of these movies will be available to rent on demand for a fee from Amazon, Apple, or your other preferred video on demand platform. We also have based this list on American streaming service libraries.
For that reason, we’ve collected the below streaming guide of holiday favorites, old and new, so you know exactly where to find your favorite Christmas movies this year. We’ve generally based this on where they’re available to watch without an additional surcharge on top of a subscription. In other words, we’re leaving off that most of these movies will be available to rent on demand for a fee from Amazon, Apple, or your other preferred video on demand platform. We also have based this list on American streaming service libraries.
- 11/25/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Some people say the 1990s wasn’t the best time for horror since it marked the end of many of the popular slasher franchises from the ‘70s and ‘80s that previous generations grew up on. In those movies’ place, the ‘90s introduced way more postmodern teen horrors (following on from Scream). But there was way more to ‘90s horror than that, and it was an era which deserves a second look. While Scream was revising the slasher model, making it more female-friendly and catering to teen gore hounds who knew all the tricks, The Blair Witch Project ushered in a new era of found footage horror, and high-concept marketing. And horror was suddenly becoming more mainstream: Silence of the Lambs became the first and only horror to win the Best Picture Oscar, though The Sixth Sense mustered up 6 nominations the following year. Meanwhile the well-respected director of The Godfather, Francis Ford Coppola...
- 10/29/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Fifteen years ago, the term “elevated” and “horror” rarely shared the same sentence, lest someone was talking about the setting of Snakes on a Plane; found footage was considered the spookiest new trend in terrifying audiences; and at least according to box office receipts, October signaled one thing: It was time for a new Saw movie.
So, yes, things have changed a lot in horror and the larger moviemaking landscape in the years since Den of Geek launched in 2007. And through it all, we’ve been there to cover how 21st century horror cinema seemed to come of age. After the 2000s were generally considered a low point in the art form of making audiences panic—although there are some notable exceptions, including more than a few below—the 2010s saw a renaissance in the genre. Whether they be “elevated” or entertaining crowdpleasers that know how to say boo, there...
So, yes, things have changed a lot in horror and the larger moviemaking landscape in the years since Den of Geek launched in 2007. And through it all, we’ve been there to cover how 21st century horror cinema seemed to come of age. After the 2000s were generally considered a low point in the art form of making audiences panic—although there are some notable exceptions, including more than a few below—the 2010s saw a renaissance in the genre. Whether they be “elevated” or entertaining crowdpleasers that know how to say boo, there...
- 10/14/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Keep your warm-colored lights and green pine trees. For some of us, October is the most wonderful time of the year. You can smell it as autumnal leaves drifting across the grass; you can hear it as children laugh in their most beloved Halloween costumes; and you can see it with the cornucopia of horror movies to watch.
Aye, horror flicks are the most important part of the season to some. For 31 days, you don’t need an excuse to indulge in the wicked and the weird, and to hopefully scare yourself silly. But in an age of streaming, and when countless mounds of content is being thrown at you, how do you decide what to watch? Well, at least when it comes to Amazon Prime Video, we have a few ideas…
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
U.S. Only
It’s rare for any subgenre of horror to have...
Aye, horror flicks are the most important part of the season to some. For 31 days, you don’t need an excuse to indulge in the wicked and the weird, and to hopefully scare yourself silly. But in an age of streaming, and when countless mounds of content is being thrown at you, how do you decide what to watch? Well, at least when it comes to Amazon Prime Video, we have a few ideas…
An American Werewolf in London (1981)
U.S. Only
It’s rare for any subgenre of horror to have...
- 10/7/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Near the beginning of what many consider to be the definitive James Bond movie, 1964’s Goldfinger, Sean Connery’s 007 reveals himself to be simultaneously roguish and antiquated. The moment occurs when his latest conquest affronts his snobbish tastes—dismissing something to do with champagne and refrigerators. He thus believes it’s his duty to explain, “My dear girl, there are some things that just aren’t done, such as drinking Dom Pérignon ’53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s as bad as listening to the Beatles without earmuffs.”
Bond might’ve been the coolest fictional character around at the time of that movie’s release, but his musical tastes were clearly not. Fortunately for the superspy, his producers at Eon Productions were rarely so old-fashioned.
Over the past 60 years and 25 James Bond pictures, the Bond franchise has become synonymous in its better years with evolving with the times.
Bond might’ve been the coolest fictional character around at the time of that movie’s release, but his musical tastes were clearly not. Fortunately for the superspy, his producers at Eon Productions were rarely so old-fashioned.
Over the past 60 years and 25 James Bond pictures, the Bond franchise has become synonymous in its better years with evolving with the times.
- 9/23/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
It is known that George R.R. Martin often takes inspiration from medieval and early modern history for his stories about Westeros. Part of the inspiration behind A Song of Ice and Fire (televised as Game of Thrones) was the Wars of the Roses, a series of civil wars in late medieval England which saw the houses of York and Lancaster battling over the English throne. It’s no surprise, then, that the prequel series House of the Dragon (based on Martin’s book Fire & Blood) also takes some inspiration from English medieval history – specifically, from an earlier set of civil wars fought over the English crown known to historians as the Anarchy.
George R.R. Martin himself spoke about this at the recent Sdcc panel on House of the Dragon, explaining that “I pilfered from real history,” and briefly outlining the series of events that led to the Anarchy. Showrunner...
George R.R. Martin himself spoke about this at the recent Sdcc panel on House of the Dragon, explaining that “I pilfered from real history,” and briefly outlining the series of events that led to the Anarchy. Showrunner...
- 9/5/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
This article contains House of the Dragon episode 1 spoilers.
One episode into House of the Dragon, and it’s clear the series is going to return to the ambiguity that made Game of Thrones so compelling—and at times more than a tad disturbing. Take for instance the first big scene between Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon Targaryen and Milly Alcock’s Princess Rhaenyra. Their relationship is that of uncle and niece; the king’s younger brother and his only daughter. But while neither character will verbalize it, they’re technically competitors—imperfect choices to be heir to King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and the Iron Throne.
Still, when Rhaenyra excitedly runs to meet her favorite relative in the throne room, it is not rivals whom we see embrace beneath the Iron Throne’s shadow. And it doesn’t necessarily seem like an uncle and niece either as the two...
One episode into House of the Dragon, and it’s clear the series is going to return to the ambiguity that made Game of Thrones so compelling—and at times more than a tad disturbing. Take for instance the first big scene between Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon Targaryen and Milly Alcock’s Princess Rhaenyra. Their relationship is that of uncle and niece; the king’s younger brother and his only daughter. But while neither character will verbalize it, they’re technically competitors—imperfect choices to be heir to King Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine) and the Iron Throne.
Still, when Rhaenyra excitedly runs to meet her favorite relative in the throne room, it is not rivals whom we see embrace beneath the Iron Throne’s shadow. And it doesn’t necessarily seem like an uncle and niece either as the two...
- 8/22/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
One year after a column in the Paper of Record announced that “we aren’t going back to the movies”… it kind of feels like we are. Yes, the film and exhibition industries remain incredibly volatile and difficult to predict, yet it’s undeniable that in the summer of 2022, audiences began returning to cinemas in droves. And not just to superhero movies. The success of crowdpleasers like Top Gun: Maverick and Elvis acts like a balm for movie lovers, and the sleeper success of truly innovative indies like Everything Everywhere All at Once should leave you downright giddy.
Cinephiles really do have a lot to savor as we enter the dog days of summer and the moviegoing season winds down. It is also in this exact moment, where we inhabit the deep breath between Hollywood spectacle’s biggest months and the beginning of awards season in September, that we find...
Cinephiles really do have a lot to savor as we enter the dog days of summer and the moviegoing season winds down. It is also in this exact moment, where we inhabit the deep breath between Hollywood spectacle’s biggest months and the beginning of awards season in September, that we find...
- 8/12/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
And just like that, winter has come again. HBO Max’s list of new releases for August 2022 is highlighted by the return of the king. Or more accurately: the return of the queen … of the Seven Kingdoms.
Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon is set to premiere on HBO and HBO Max on Aug. 21, just over three years after Game of Thrones concluded in controversial fashion with “The Iron Throne.” This new series is a prequel, depicting the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons from George R.R. Martin’s lore. When dragon fights dragon, the realm will be torn asunder. But the viewer will certainly delight in all the Targaryen action.
Read more TV How House of the Dragon Is Approaching the Game of Thrones Ending Backlash By David Crow TV House of the Dragon: What Rickard Stark Means for the Game of Thrones Spinoff...
Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon is set to premiere on HBO and HBO Max on Aug. 21, just over three years after Game of Thrones concluded in controversial fashion with “The Iron Throne.” This new series is a prequel, depicting the civil war known as the Dance of the Dragons from George R.R. Martin’s lore. When dragon fights dragon, the realm will be torn asunder. But the viewer will certainly delight in all the Targaryen action.
Read more TV How House of the Dragon Is Approaching the Game of Thrones Ending Backlash By David Crow TV House of the Dragon: What Rickard Stark Means for the Game of Thrones Spinoff...
- 8/1/2022
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
John Ford was wont to say that there is no image more cinematic than a man on a horse. If that concept sounds a bit antiquated, you must forgive the legendary filmmaker for coming of age in Hollywood during a time where Oaters were all the rage. But if you updated his idea to a man or woman on a motorcycle, runaway train, or some other type of speeding vehicle, with the sunset in their hair and a trail of baddies in their wake, and the assertion still holds true.
Despite the continued indifference of the Academy toward the bedrock importance of stunt work in the moviemaking industry, the daring sights of madmen, and sometimes even madder movie stars, hanging from the sides of planes or riding that fabled horse past walls of fire is as pure a distillation of visual entertainment as you can get. And in the last 15 years,...
Despite the continued indifference of the Academy toward the bedrock importance of stunt work in the moviemaking industry, the daring sights of madmen, and sometimes even madder movie stars, hanging from the sides of planes or riding that fabled horse past walls of fire is as pure a distillation of visual entertainment as you can get. And in the last 15 years,...
- 7/29/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
With his debut feature, Get Out, Jordan Peele reinvented himself as a groundbreaking genre director/writer with an almost uncanny sense of how to balance the horrific with the socially conscious, while adding a nice dash of edgy humor as well. His second feature, Us, was more ambitious conceptually yet perhaps not quite as sharp thematically, although the film was still largely effective, unpredictable, and managed to stick the landing.
In his third film, Nope, Peele leans more fully into science fiction (with horror flavoring) and also aims for his most visually ambitious film yet – a “spectacle,” as all the early social media reactions seemed almost programmed to call it. Yet the bigger the scope, the hazier the picture: like the clouds that play an ominous role in the movie as they hover above its California desert setting, Nope becomes more shapeless as it goes on, with a third act that borders on incoherence.
In his third film, Nope, Peele leans more fully into science fiction (with horror flavoring) and also aims for his most visually ambitious film yet – a “spectacle,” as all the early social media reactions seemed almost programmed to call it. Yet the bigger the scope, the hazier the picture: like the clouds that play an ominous role in the movie as they hover above its California desert setting, Nope becomes more shapeless as it goes on, with a third act that borders on incoherence.
- 7/21/2022
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Gloop. Guts. Gigantic gore creatures from alternate dimensions having tentacles axed off by plucky schoolkids who should by rights be doing homework/a paper route instead of saving the world, but honestly, who else is going to do it? Not the government, not the military and definitely not the shady experimental lab on the edge of town that’s the reason all the local rats now glow in the dark…
That’s the kind of thing a show like Stranger Things offers, and now that season four is finished and Vecna is safely sealed up in psychic-proof Tupperware and buried under Mount Rushmore, here are a frankly ludicrous amount of recommendations for films and TV shows to scratch your Stranger Things itch (assuming that you’ve already seen the show’s many Steven Spielberg/John Carpenter/Wes Craven inspirations). Aliens. Monsters. High school kids getting covered in squelch, new and old.
That’s the kind of thing a show like Stranger Things offers, and now that season four is finished and Vecna is safely sealed up in psychic-proof Tupperware and buried under Mount Rushmore, here are a frankly ludicrous amount of recommendations for films and TV shows to scratch your Stranger Things itch (assuming that you’ve already seen the show’s many Steven Spielberg/John Carpenter/Wes Craven inspirations). Aliens. Monsters. High school kids getting covered in squelch, new and old.
- 7/4/2022
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
This Westworld review contains spoilers.
Westworld Season 4 Episode 1
At the end of season 3 of Westworld, things looked fairly bleak for humanity. After all, there were still fires burning and riots in the streets, hundreds of people were either killed or killed themselves, and humanity’s social order had been thrown into chaos by the revelation that Incite’s AI program Rehoboam controlled everything about every person’s fate. That seems like the kind of thing that would indeed kick off a melt-down of society and full-scale revolution, right? As it turns out, that’s not exactly the case.
Take the case of Caleb (Aaron Paul), who was one of the people who broke the chains on humanity. When we met him, he was working construction with a robot pal and wishing for a better life. Eight years after literally bringing down the world’s richest man, he’s still working construction,...
Westworld Season 4 Episode 1
At the end of season 3 of Westworld, things looked fairly bleak for humanity. After all, there were still fires burning and riots in the streets, hundreds of people were either killed or killed themselves, and humanity’s social order had been thrown into chaos by the revelation that Incite’s AI program Rehoboam controlled everything about every person’s fate. That seems like the kind of thing that would indeed kick off a melt-down of society and full-scale revolution, right? As it turns out, that’s not exactly the case.
Take the case of Caleb (Aaron Paul), who was one of the people who broke the chains on humanity. When we met him, he was working construction with a robot pal and wishing for a better life. Eight years after literally bringing down the world’s richest man, he’s still working construction,...
- 6/27/2022
- by Ron Hogan
- Den of Geek
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