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May 06 2012
Ethan Survives 15 Hours, 6 Films and an Assembly of 'The Avengers'
At midnight on May 4th, The Avengers assembled on the big screen for the very first time (read Jeremy's review here) and audiences have turned up to the tune of over $200 million this weekend alone. But for the entire day preceding, some dedicated and loyal fans of the iconic superheroes had enough free time (or skipped out on work) to spend an entire day in the theaters as part of the epic Marvel Marathon hosted by AMC Theatres. The event ran through Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger, in that order, leading to The Avengers, and damn was it great. ›››
Continue reading: Ethan Survives 15 Hours, 6 Films and an Assembly of 'The Avengers'
May 02 2012
'Skyfall' On Set: Observing a Bond Shoot Out First Hand in Istanbul
For as long as I can remember, as long as my dad has shown me movies, I've been a James Bond fan. I've seen all 22 multiple times, own well-worn copies of all of them on VHS, DVD, everything. Bond has always been one of my favorite series. I've dreamt of one day stepping into his world, visiting Pinewood Studios, but I never thought, one sunny April afternoon, that I would literally find myself standing on the set of a James Bond film. In the middle of an action scene. In the middle of a crowded marketplace in Eminönü in Istanbul... waiting for Bond to grab his Walter PPK and fire off shots. But somehow, this dream came true. ›››
Continue reading: 'Skyfall' On Set: Observing a Bond Shoot Out First Hand in Istanbul
April 27 2012
Kickstart This: 'Derby, Baby', 'MK-ULTRA' and Film Doc 'Out of Print'
Welcome back to another edition of Kickstart This, FirstShowing's weekly column dedicated to spreading the word about cool indie projects that need a little bit of your help to become a reality. This week, we've got three films that we wanted to highlight: a documentary about roller derby called Derby, Baby: A Story of Love, Addiction and Rink Rash; a psychological drama based on real government testing called Project MK-ULTRA, and a documentary about revival cinema called Out of Print. Take a look at each of these projects below, sound off in the comments below, and toss them a few bucks if you can. Check 'em out! ›››
Continue reading: Kickstart This: 'Derby, Baby', 'MK-ULTRA' and Film Doc 'Out of Print'
April 20 2012
Kickstart This: 'Tube' Animation, 'Thanks for Dying' & 'Police Warfare'
Welcome back to another edition of Kickstart This, FirstShowing's weekly column dedicated to spreading the word about cool indie projects across the internet. This week, we've got three cool endeavors that need your help to become a reality: Tube an open source animated film, a mockumentary called Thanks for Dying, and an intense-looking video game called Police Warfare that takes much of its inspiration from Michael Mann's 1995 crime classic Heat. As always, these projects are looking for your help to get made, so if you have the ability, please donate and help support independent projects like these three. Read on! ›››
Continue reading: Kickstart This: 'Tube' Animation, 'Thanks for Dying' & 'Police Warfare'
April 14 2012
Kickstart This: 'The Last Draw', 'Best Friends Forever' and '100 Yen'
Welcome to another edition of Kickstart This, FirstShowing's weekly column dedicated to spreading the word about cool new independent projects that need your help to get made. This week, we'll be focusing on three different movies that need a helping hand. The Last Draw is a short film about a western duel in the afterlife; Brea Grant's Best Friends Forever follows two girls on a road trip during the apocalypse; and finally 100 Yen: The Japanese Arcade Experience highlights the subculture of arcade gaming that's still happening in Japan. Read on to find out more about each one, and support these projects if you can! ›››
Continue reading: Kickstart This: 'The Last Draw', 'Best Friends Forever' and '100 Yen'
April 13 2012
Looking Back: The Farrelly Brothers Used to Make Funny Comedies?
With a stretch of movies starting with Osmosis Jones in 2001, all the way to Hall Pass just last year, the recent "comedies" of brothers Peter & Bobby Farrelly between there have included Shallow Hal, Stuck on You, Fever Pitch and The Heartbreak Kid. It's not exactly an Uwe Boll worthy line-up of films, but these are easily some of the worst comedies of their given years of release. Taking that into account, you'd think the Farrelly Brothers were just hacks who can't seem to do anything but inexplicably fit Richard Jenkins into most of their films. But there was a time when the sibling duo actually used to make very funny movies. ›››
Continue reading: Looking Back: The Farrelly Brothers Used to Make Funny Comedies?
April 06 2012
Kickstart This: Animated 'Dome', 'Creep!' and 'Terrible Week' Musical
Welcome back to another Kickstart This, FirstShowing's weekly column dedicated to highlighting cool (and sometimes unusual) independent fundraising projects that need your help to survive. This week, we've got two Kickstarter campaigns and an IndieGoGo project that we think are worth your while. There's Dome, an animated film about a robot with multiple celebrity endorsements; It's A Terrible Week for Singing, a musical feature about an unlucky puppeteer; and also Creep!, a multifaceted project about a terrible monster movie from the 1960s. Check out all of them below, and don't forget to donate if you can. Read on! ›››
Continue reading: Kickstart This: Animated 'Dome', 'Creep!' and 'Terrible Week' Musical
April 05 2012
Cinematic Reunion: Ethan Makes the Call for Five Big Screen Returns
As the release of American Reunion is right upon is, it seems fitting that other comedic ensembles are returning in the form of an Anchorman sequel and a Dumb & Dumber sequel, which could even end up shooting this September. And while other blasts from the past include follow-ups to Midnight Run, there are several other big screen reunions that I'm much more keen on seeing come together. Now this is by no means an assembly of the best and most desired returns to the big screen, but my personal picks of certain movies with recognizable groups or duos that I would absolutely love to see back in theaters again. ›››
Continue reading: Cinematic Reunion: Ethan Makes the Call for Five Big Screen Returns
March 30 2012
Kickstart This: 'Kenny' Doc, 'P5YCH' + IndieGoGo's 'Halo: Helljumper'
Welcome to this week's edition of Kickstart This, our weekly column devoted to shining the spotlight on interesting fundraising projects that need your help to get made. We're finally spreading our wings a bit and looking outside the Kickstarter umbrella to IndieGoGo this week, and we've got three projects that we think are worth a look. There's Kenny: A Documentary in G about the sax player, a horror flick called P5YCH that brings together classic horror icons, and a badass webseries called Halo: Helljumper that's so awesome it almost makes us forget that a big screen version hasn't been made yet. Check them out below! ›››
Continue reading: Kickstart This: 'Kenny' Doc, 'P5YCH' + IndieGoGo's 'Halo: Helljumper'
March 23 2012
Kickstart This: 'Coker Creek,' 'Jurassic Farce,' 'Flex is Kings' + An RPG
Welcome back to another edition of Kickstart This, FirstShowing's new column devoted to spreading the word about cool up-and-coming projects that need our help to become a reality. In our first entry in this series last week, we profiled a doc called Us and the Game Industry and a short called Beyond (which you can still help support), but this week we're taking it up a notch. We've got four projects for you to check out today, and they include a traveling theater production from Austin, a documentary in New York City, a short film from Tennessee, and even an RPG video game based out of North Carolina. Check them all out below! ›››
Continue reading: Kickstart This: 'Coker Creek,' 'Jurassic Farce,' 'Flex is Kings' + An RPG
March 22 2012
Interview: 'The Hunger Games' Writer & Director Gary Ross Spills All
"I'm as proud of this as anything I've ever done in my life." I haven't met him before, but I know his films, Pleasantville and Seabiscuit. Now he's at the head of a new franchise, a new adventure in filmmaking. Gary Ross is the director of The Hunger Games, and he co-wrote the screenplay with Suzanne Collins, the author of the books this is based on. I've already seen the movie twice and I love it, it's a fantastic slice of post-apocalyptic sci-fi with gritty worlds and robust characters. A few weeks ago, I was invited to sit down with Gary for an interview on Hunger Games, to discuss any and everything about bringing this story to life. ›››
Continue reading: Interview: 'The Hunger Games' Writer & Director Gary Ross Spills All
March 14 2012
Love or Hate 'Game Change,' Julianne Moore Morphs into Sarah Palin
HBO's politically charged film Game Change premiered over the weekend and became the most watched original film on the cable network in eight years. No doubt the star power of subject Sarah Palin in her run for vice president in Senator John McCain's 2008 bid for the presidency fueled viewers' curiosity, but the battle across the aisle between liberals and conservatives about the film's unfair portrayal of the Alaskan governor's short-comings probably didn't hurt either. However, while I found the film to be quite good, I'm not here to argue anything except the undeniable fact that Julianne Moore disappeared into Sarah Palin. ›››
Continue reading: Love or Hate 'Game Change,' Julianne Moore Morphs into Sarah Palin
February 22 2012
The 19 Best Movies That You Didn't See in 2011 - Stellar Indie Gems
The best of the best - that you didn't see. It's back again and we're a bit late, but with the Oscars coming up, perfect timing once again. Back by popular demand is our fifth annual list of the 19 Best Movies That You Didn't See in 2011 (you can find our past lists here: 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007). Featured below is a hand-picked selection of the best independent and/or mainstream films that were either quietly dumped, ignored by audiences, or just not marketed well enough. So to give them some extra time in the spotlight, and to support some of the best filmmakers out there, we've put together a 2011 recap. Read on for the list! ›››
Continue reading: The 19 Best Movies That You Didn't See in 2011 - Stellar Indie Gems
February 21 2012
Editorial: Discussing Oscar Voter Demographics, Diversity, and More
When The King's Speech won Best Picture over The Social Network at last year's Academy Awards, it confirmed something I had suspected for a long time: my personal views on most films do not align with those who cast votes for the Oscars. Over the past year, The Los Angeles Times did some digging and recently published an investigative report uncovering many of the identities of Oscar voters, and the results are staggeringly one-sided: of the 5,765 voting members, 94% are white, 77% are male, 2% are black, and less than 2% are Latino. Just below we can take a look at what those numbers actually mean. Keep reading! ›››
Continue reading: Editorial: Discussing Oscar Voter Demographics, Diversity, and More
February 09 2012
Wait, What?! George Lucas Asserts That Greedo Always Shot First?
It's been a point of contention amongst fanboys since 1997 when Star Wars (again, I will not call it A New Hope) returned to theaters in Special Edition form complete with new special effects, creatures and remastered sound and picture. However, one of the biggest changes to the film came in the form of an extra split second of footage in the Mos Eisley cantina in which Han Solo is confronted by Greedo. Now in the original film, Solo blasts Greedo without a second thought, but in the Special Edition, galactic history is rewritten to have Greedo taking the first shot. However, George Lucas never saw it that way. More below! ›››
Continue reading: Wait, What?! George Lucas Asserts That Greedo Always Shot First?
February 04 2012
Is It Personal? No One Ever Likes the Best Picture Winner Anymore
Earlier today I got into a huge discussion on twitter about 3D, gimmicks, and how bad The Artist is (except that I love The Artist) and how much better Hugo is. It all started because @KrisTapley posed the question: "Which film will you remember more a year from now? The Artist or Hugo?" While I am not an awards blogger, I follow the awards season closely, and root for my faves. I'm on the side of The Artist this year, mainly because I really adore the film, but I've started to realize that no one really likes the Best Picture winner (for now I should say frontrunner) anymore. No one is ever happy, it's never the right film. Why? ›››
Continue reading: Is It Personal? No One Ever Likes the Best Picture Winner Anymore
January 31 2012
Sundance 2012: Our Final Recap & 10 Favorite Films of the Festival
The 2012 Sundance Film Festival has finally come to an end and to put a wrap on things and finalize our nearly two weeks of coverage, we've got a recap and list of our favorites. I know I've said this before, but 2012 was a truly outstanding year, and it got even better as it came to an end. Between Ethan and I, we saw over 50 films, some good, some bad, some incredible, and we're here to tell you about the best of them. We tend to run reviews mostly for films we truly enjoy, the ones we want to tell everyone about, which is what our coverage has focused on. As a final recap we present our favorite films, plus a rundown of our posts. ›››
Continue reading: Sundance 2012: Our Final Recap & 10 Favorite Films of the Festival
January 27 2012
Sundance 2012 Blog: In It for the Long Run - All the Way to Sunday!
I'm here all the way to the very end. Even though this is my sixth year at the Sundance Film Festival, for those past five years straight, I've attended all 10 days of the fest. Sundance (and most major film festivals) last a full 10 days, which is quite a long time when you think about it, spending 10 days in one location watching movies non-stop every single day. It's exhausting, mentally and physically, that's for sure, but I love it. I'm one of those people who does not bail early, who'll stay to the end just to stay to the end, just to get the full experience and most importantly catch up on any films that I really need to see before it's over. ›››
Continue reading: Sundance 2012 Blog: In It for the Long Run - All the Way to Sunday!
January 20 2012
Kicking Off Sundance 2012 - What Films Will We Fall in Love With?
We're back in (soon-to-be snowy) Park City, Utah, bundled in layers of clothing, ready to kick off another Sundance Film Festival. This will be my sixth year in a row I've been attending this fest (I started going in 2007) and I'm always incredibly excited to be back. There's something in the air this time, I don't know if it's just me or if it's reading through the film selection on paper or what, but I have a feeling we might fall in love with some wonderful films at Sundance 2012. Or so that is my hope. I always come to every Sundance hoping to fall in love with a few films, to find "the Donnie Darko" or "the 500 Days of Summer" of this year. ›››
Continue reading: Kicking Off Sundance 2012 - What Films Will We Fall in Love With?
January 18 2012
Our Top 10 Sundance Film Festival 2012 Movies to Keep An Eye On
"We are, and always have been, a festival about the filmmakers." Kicking off this week in soon-to-be-snowy Park City, UT is the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, where both Ethan and I are headed for 10 days to see films non-stop. To clue everyone in on some of the movies we've taken an interest in, here's our pick of the Top 10 films we're excited for, ones we're keeping an eye on and will be seeing at the earliest opportunity. Alex has chosen five he's interested in, and Ethan has also chosen another five he's excited to see. You never know how any of these will turn out, but I'm hoping some of them are truly as great as they sound on paper. ›››
Continue reading: Our Top 10 Sundance Film Festival 2012 Movies to Keep An Eye On
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