Daniels discusses ‘The Butler’, wants Minka Kelly to play Jackie O
Lee Daniels is currently at the Cannes Film Festival promoting his film The Paperboy, which many are calling a glorious mess, but he’s taking time to speak about his next movie. Screen Daily sat down...
View ArticleFirst Official Image of Forest Whitaker in ‘The Butler’
With The Paperboy set to hit cineplexes soon, Lee Daniels is hard at work on his next feature film, The Butler. Based on the Wil Haygood’s report “A Butler Well Served by This Election,” the film will...
View ArticleThe Paperboy (*½)
NYFF: When discussing this film after seeing it at the New York Film Festival, my friend and colleague from The Playlist Drew Taylor said something that pretty much sums up our thoughts on Lee Daniels’...
View ArticleJack Reacher (***)
Much like the title character, the film ‘Jack Reacher’ gets in, does its job, and gets out. Tom Cruise’s potential new franchise is a decidedly low tech detective story that offers audiences some old...
View ArticleThe 10 Biggest Breakthrough Performances Of 2012
As we discussed on one of our previous Power Hour podcasts, it can be hard to define what a “breakthrough” performance/year really is. It could be someone coming out of seemingly nowhere to land...
View ArticleAwards Profile: The Butler
Written By: Danny Strong and Lee Daniels Directed By: Lee Daniels Cast: Forest Whitaker, Alex Pettyfer, John Cusack, Robin Williams, Alan Rickman, James Marsden, Minka Kelly, Lenny Kravitz, Jesse...
View ArticleFirst Trailer for Lee Daniels’‘The Butler’ Features All-Star Cast – Potential...
One of the big mysteries of this awards pre-season will be whether or not Lee Daniels latest effort, The Butler, will be an Oscar player or not. Following his Academy Award nominated film, Precious, in...
View Article2014 Oscar Predictions – Lucky Seven Performances To Look Forward To
We’re ankle-deep in the summer. There are lots to look forward to on the horizon. Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity was announced as the opening film for the Venice Film Festival, and the crews behind the...
View ArticleCast and Crew Talk ‘Lee Daniels’ The Butler’
Earlier this week, I was invited to be among the press present for a Press Conference featuring most of the players involved in Lee Daniels’ The Butler. The talent assembled at the hotel was director...
View ArticleLee Daniels’ The Butler (**½)
There are two very opposing viewpoints on display in Lee Daniels’ The Butler (from here on simply to be referred to once again as “The Butler,” for the most part at least). One is writer Danny Strong‘s...
View ArticleLee Daniels’ The Butler (★★★½)
Lee Daniels’ The Butler is an easy film to appreciate on face value with its wonderful performances, strong production values, and creative team. However, it isn’t till about the last 30 minutes of the...
View ArticleAwards Profile: A Most Violent Year
Directed By: J.C. Chandor Written By: J.C. Chandor Cast: Oscar Isaac, Jessica Chastain, David Oyelowo, Albert Brooks, Alessandro Nivola, Catalina Sandino Moreno, and Ashley Williams Synopsis (From...
View ArticleFirst Teaser Poster for Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’ Drops
I know that a bunch of you are salivating for any news or new details whatsoever about Christopher Nolan‘s Interstellar, so today is your lucky day…to some degree at least. While we’re still a little...
View ArticleOSCARS 2014: Films With the Strongest Chance at Acting Nods
TOP TEN TUESDAY: As Cannes gets more and more press (and I get more and more jealous), I’ve decided to focus this edition of Top Ten Tuesday to the remaining slate of films set to open later this year....
View ArticleAva DuVarney’s ‘Selma’ to Make Oscar Qualifying Run on Christmas Day
Here’s a last minute Oscar contender to hit our doorsteps. Ava DuVarney’s anticipated film Selma, which tells the story of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his historic struggle to secure voting rights....
View ArticleNew Trailer for Christopher Nolan’s ‘Interstellar’ has dropped
Last week at Comic-Con, Christopher Nolan and Matthew McConaughey made a surprise appearance to help promote Interstellar. The highlight was a brand new Trailer, which is now on the web today and here...
View ArticleOscars 2014: New Faces, Few Spaces
OSCAR CIRCUIT: A few changes have occurred in the 2014 Oscar Predictions. Rumors of Saul Dibb‘s Suite Francaise, Todd Haynes’ Carol, and Justin Kurzel‘s MacBeth moving to 2015 have floated around so I...
View ArticleOSCARS or NOT: Top 50 Films You Need to See for the Fall
This week we have the official kick off to awards season with the Telluride Film Festival starting for critics everywhere. Films will be “secretly” screened, buzz will reach a fever pitch for certain...
View ArticleOscars: Best Actor Comparisons, and Loading the Awards Season Gun
As pundits and fans of the awards season, we are constantly looking back to past races to see the similarities, and try to predict the possible outcome. Last year, many of us said the Best Picture...
View ArticleA MOST VIOLENT YEAR has a most beautiful poster
“The result is never in question. Just the path you take to get there.” The final poster for J.C. Chandor‘s A Most Violent Year has been revealed today. Very cool looking, if you ask me. The film...
View Article