Chinese Squawking Chicken Ben Affleck’s tarnished glow A few days ago Lainey wrote about the luck forecast for Rats this year, and she name-checked Ben Affleck as a Rat who could have a lucky year, if only he can maintain his focus. And he’s going to need to maintain his focus to channel his luck this By Sarah • Jan 27, 2017 01:30 pm
Media Manipulation Vin Diesel’s hype train I said in my xXx: Return of Xander Cage review that Vin Diesel is “extremely good at self-promotion” and here is an example of what I am talking about. While promoting Xander Cage, Diesel did an interview with MTV in which he talks up a potential Groot spin-off with Marvel. By Sarah • Jan 27, 2017 12:06 pm
Movie Reviews and Previews Vin Diesel in xXx: Return of Xander Cage xXx: Return of Xander Cage opened in second place last weekend but is doing better business overseas. It’s the stupidest f*cking movie in the world but sure, let’s review this sucker like it’s a real movie. (This is not a real movie. This is the Vin By Sarah • Jan 26, 2017 01:23 pm
Maple Leaf Ryan Gosling’s wax figure While I was posting yesterday about Ryan Gosling and whether or not he and Emma Stone will sing at the Oscars, everyone else was talking about his wax figure at Madame Tussaud’s. Here’s what Ryan’s wax figure at Madame Tussaud’s in London looks like: Not bad. By Lainey • Jan 26, 2017 10:00 am
Music Will Emma and Ryan sing at the Oscars? La La Land has two songs nominated in the Best Song category, City Of Stars and Audition. Both Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling sing on City Of Stars and Emma is on her own on Audition. As you know, the nominated songs are typically performed at the Oscars, often by By Lainey • Jan 25, 2017 03:59 pm
Movie Reviews and Previews Adam Driver in Paterson Many were hoping that Paterson would have a chance at the Oscars and that there would be a surprise nomination yesterday, while acknowledging that the chances weren’t great. It certainly wasn’t the biggest snub, but most critics agree that Adam Driver’s performance stands up to any of By Sarah • Jan 25, 2017 01:22 pm
Movie Reviews and Previews Martin Scorsese’s Silence Many are considering Silence to be an Oscar snub after nominations were announced. It took Martin Scorsese nearly thirty years to bring his adaptation of Shusaku Endo’s novel to the big screen. Clocking in at nearly three hours, Silence is a magnum opus of faith and doubt and a By Sarah • Jan 25, 2017 10:36 am
Movie Reviews and Previews Hidden Figures surging We are fans of Hidden Figures around here, and while, as Michael Shannon puts it, the work is the work regardless of recognition, there’s still something nice about professional validation. And today Hidden Figures got validated with three Oscar nominations: Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Octavia Spencer, and By Sarah • Jan 24, 2017 03:06 pm
Movie Reviews and Previews Disney Tom Hardy Look! Tom Hardy in mouse ears! Tom was at Disneyland, Paris today for the launch of Star Wars: Season Of The Force. Which is interesting because there are rumours that he makes a cameo in the next Star Wars, opening in December. Yesterday they revealed that the official title is By Lainey • Jan 24, 2017 10:38 am
Movie Reviews and Previews DC wants Tom Cruise because they have no imagination Friday The Wrap published an alleged short list of actors wanted by Warner Brothers/DC to play the Green Lantern, the character that almost wrecked Ryan Reynolds’ career. That list includes Reynolds—who is probably praying they decide to start over from scratch—as well as Jake Gyllenhaal, Bradley Cooper, By Sarah • Jan 23, 2017 01:29 pm
Movie Reviews and Previews Mudbound 2018? At Sundance, back in 2012, Ava DuVernay became the first black woman to win Best Director for her film Middle Of Nowhere. Two years later, she directed Selma, which was the first film directed by a black woman to be nominated for Best Picture, though she was not nominated for By Lainey • Jan 23, 2017 10:16 am
Movie Reviews and Previews Chris Pine’s cardigan vest I know people who have it bad for Chris Pine. This has not been my experience. That’s not to say I can’t with Chris Pine. But that I’ve never actually felt one way or another about him. When I see Chris Pine, my reaction, almost always, is By Lainey • Jan 20, 2017 03:13 pm
Movie Reviews and Previews Monster Trucks is a disaster at every turn Last fall Viacom took a $115 million write-down for an unnamed Paramount movie, but everyone made the leap that Movie X was Monster Trucks, the long-delayed would-be kiddie franchise meant to sell toys. Paramount has the rights to Transformers, but they have to share those profits, including merchandising, with toy By Sarah • Jan 20, 2017 01:16 pm
Movie Reviews and Previews Kristen Stewart, academic Kristen Stewart is at Sundance to promote Come Swim, a short film she wrote and directed. Just ahead of the premiere, it was revealed that she’d also co-authored an academic paper on the artificial intelligence used during production. According to Quartz: Stewart’s starting inspiration point for Come Swim By Lainey • Jan 20, 2017 12:06 pm
Movie Reviews and Previews Pre-nomination Andrew Andrew Garfield has been in London this week promoting Silence. It’s his work in Hacksaw Ridge, however, that is receiving the most recognition. A large majority of Oscar prognosticators are expecting to hear Andrew’s name called on Tuesday morning when the Academy announces its nominations. He told Reuters By Lainey • Jan 20, 2017 11:16 am
Movie Reviews and Previews James McAvoy is tremendous in Split Following The Visit, M. Night Shyamalan continues his return to form with Split. It’s his second collaboration with Blumhouse Pictures, and where in The Visit there is discernable friction between Shyamalan’s impulse to go big and Blumhouse’s frugal, lo-fi approach to filmmaking, in Split there is no By Sarah • Jan 20, 2017 10:29 am
