Let’s just hope the new Oscar song from Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez isn’t going to get stuck in our head the way “Let It Go” has. The Frozen songwriting team are writing a song specifically for Oscar host Neil Patrick Harris to perform on the 87th Academy Awards, and Harris and the Oscar producers say the “Moving Pictures” number will be part of a multimedia musical sequence during the February 22, 2015 broadcast.
“On the heels of the international success of last year’s Frozen and their Oscar for Let It Go, we couldn’t be happier to have Kristen and Bobby Lopez write an incredibly special song for Neil Patrick Harris and special guests to perform this year on the Oscar stage,” said producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. “YouTube, get ready!”
“We love the Oscars® and have always been huge Neil Patrick Harris fans, so when he asked us to write him a song for this year’s show we said, ‘Yes!’ before he could finish the sentence – it’s possible he may have been asking us for something else,” said the Lopezes. “We are having so much fun collaborating, and have even enjoyed weaving our experience as Oscar nominees into the song.”
It’s about time 20th Century Fox released the trailer for the reboot of the Fantastic Four franchise and, at least from the point of view of someone who’s never read the source material, it was worth the wait. This version doesn’t resemble the first Fantastic Four film franchise but instead takes a grittier, more grounded in reality approach to the story. The teaser trailer lays out the basics on how the Fantastic Four came to have special abilities while not giving away too much too early.
Directed by Josh Trank (Chronicle) from a script by Trank, Simon Kinberg, and Jeremy Slater, this attempt to salvage the franchise stars Miles Teller, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell, and Kate Mara.
Fantastic Four opens in theaters on August 7, 2015.
The Plot:
Fantastic Four, a contemporary re-imagining of Marvel’s original and longest-running superhero team, centers on four young outsiders who teleport to an alternate and dangerous universe, which alters their physical form in shocking ways. Their lives irrevocably upended, the team must learn to harness their daunting new abilities and work together to save Earth from a former friend turned enemy.
By the Gun is the latest entry in the Boston mob sub-genre of crime films, with Brit Ben Barnes wrapping his tongue around a Boston accent to play an Italian-American “made man” who’s slightly less sleazy than his cohorts. “Slightly” in that Barnes’ Nick Tortano has a heart and a conscious, and he actually feels regret over his wrong-doings.
The film focuses on Nick as he rises in the organization despite the fact that to most people there’s no glory in this decade to being a made man. Nick’s ambitious and smart, and eventually earns the respect of mob boss Salvatore Vitaglia (Harvey Keitel). However, life in a mob drama never goes smoothly, and complicating matters in this particular film are Nick’s uncontrollable best friend (played by hip hop MC/Boston native Slaine) and Nick’s budding relationship with rival crime boss Tony Matazano’s (Ritchie Coster) gorgeous daughter, Ali (Leighton Meester). And because this is a mob drama, you know from the opening frames that Nick’s in for a world of pain and hardship given his choice of associates.
While By the Gun does incorporate much of what you’d expect from films of its ilk, it’s also surprisingly self-aware. At the same time that it’s using tried-and-true formulas from mob films past, writer Emilio Mauro melds into the script the fact the characters have grown up watching those films and understand they’re in large part caricatures of movie characters. It’s an interesting twist on a sub-genre that’s often too lazy to attempt a re-invention of the wheel or even a small insertion of an original idea.
Also working in By the Gun‘s favor is its handling of mob life in general. It’s not portrayed as sexy and all-powerful but instead it’s shown as a thing of the past, a throwback to a bygone era. In the insulated world in which By the Gun‘s mobsters exist, there’s still a hierarchy and a code to conform to. However, the outside world looking in isn’t envious of this messy, outmoded criminal world.
Ben Barnes was an interesting choice for the lead in a Boston-based crime film, but any doubts about his ability to handle both the accent and the genre are quickly put aside as he’s convincing as a guy who grows up longing for acceptance in a world in which “live by the gun, die by the gun” is all too prophetic. Barnes isn’t just that guy from Narnia, even though that’s what he’s best known for, and if you haven’t seen him in other films put Killing Bono> at the top of your list to screen for a better look at what he’s capable of.
As Barnes’ two main co-stars, Leighton Meester and Slaine are strong in supporting roles. The chemistry between Barnes & Meester and Barnes & Slaine is solid, and both Meester and Slaine are involved in some of the film’s more memorable scenes. By the Gun does have its share of stereotypical mob movie characters, however, director James Mottern was able to fill one-dimensional roles with actors (including Harvey Keitel and Toby Jones) who elevate them above cliched mobster characters.
Smartly written and shot, By the Gun is an above average mob thriller that colors outside the lines. With Barnes in the lead, By the Gun is a terrific second effort from director James Mottern following his critically acclaimed directorial debut with 2008’s Trucker.
GRADE: B
MPAA rating: R for strong violence, sexual content, nudity, language throughout, and some drug use.
The winners of this year’s “Team Oscar” competition were announced by judge Channing Tatum on the January 26, 2015 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. The six aspiring filmmakers who were chosen for the honor will have the opportunity to appear on the 87th Academy Awards stage, where they will be responsible for handing the Oscar statuettes to presenters.
In order to qualify for consideration, the filmmakers had to be between 18 and 30 and submit a 60-second video on the best advice they’d ever received.
“I’m so impressed by the creativity, passion, and hard work that went into this year’s Team Oscar submissions,” said Tatum. “It was difficult to pick just six winners, but I’ll be proud to share the Oscars stage with these talented, young filmmakers in a few weeks.”
“Now in its third year, our Team Oscar program has become a real tradition for The Academy. We love giving these incredibly talented young filmmakers the experience of what it’s like to be on the Oscars stage and making sure that everyone on that stage is connected to the future of film,” said Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.
The 2015 Team Oscar winners are:
Chris Carmona – Hometown: Bell, CA
Justin Craig – Hometown: Ballston Spa, NY
Kelly FitzGerald – Hometown: Geneva, NY
Justin Floyd – Hometown: Compton, CA
Rhianna Shaheen – Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
Patrick Walker – Hometown: Atlanta, GA
The 2015 Oscars will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris and will take place on February 22, 2015 in Hollywood, CA.
Retta as Donna Meagle in ‘Parks and Recreation’ (Photo by Colleen Hayes / NBC)
NBC’s Parks and Recreation is currently airing its final season, with fans of the series getting a chance to say good-bye to all of their favorite characters as the show wraps up its seven-season run. Episodes of the half-hour comedy are airing back-to-back on Tuesdays nights at 8pm ET/PT, and as the show heads toward its final episode on February 24, 2015 I had the opportunity to briefly chat with Retta who plays Donna Meagle on the award-winning show.
Sitting down at the Television Critics Association winter press event, Retta talked about playing Donna for seven seasons and what it was like on the final day of shooting.
Retta Exclusive Parks and Recreation Interview
How did you feel on the last day?
Retta: “It was tough. I mean, we were busy, busy, busy, but any moment that we had downtime you still feeling the weight of not coming back. Because when you’re working, we’re still trying to put out good material but it was during the times when it was somebody else’s coverage and you’re watching from the monitors. We’d all watch all the other scenes, so it was hard.”
Do you feel like your material is as funny this season as it has been in the previous seasons?
Retta: “Yeah. I feel like – believe it or not we got to know a little bit more about Donna, so I feel like I got to show more of her, other sides of her that you may have heard about but didn’t see.”
Was there a point when you realized Donna was becoming more of a main character?
Retta: “I think ‘treat yourself’ was my first thing where I was a part of a storyline. I never thought she wasn’t a main character. By season three, I felt like we were all in it together. I thought people were just as interested in Donna [as the other characters].”
What are some things you think the writers picked up on from you that they wrote into the scripts?
Retta: “Mike Schur emailed me and said, ‘I have something for you in the next episode,’ and it was in season six – or season five – when I got to live tweet. And then when I got to sing for Leslie and Ben’s wedding because they knew I could sing. They’re like, ‘Oh, well we’ll have Donna sing at the wedding.’ And the fact that I love boys…’ So, Donna’s going to be a man whore.'”
Has Parks and Recreation opened a lot of doors for future work?
Retta: “Well Parks has definitely given me a lot of visibility so I get to take meetings. I’ve taken a lot of meetings and hopefully, those will lead to my next gig.”
Singer/actor Nick Jonas is the latest addition to the cast of Fox’s Scream Queens, a comedy/horror anthology series premiering this fall. Jonas joins the season one cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Emma Roberts, Joe Manganiello, Lea Michele, Abigail Breslin, Keke Palmer, and Ariana Grande.
The upcoming series was created by Glee‘s Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk, and Ian Brennan. According to Fox, filming should begin this spring. Season one of Scream Queens “revolves around a college campus which is rocked by a series of murders.”
Jonas’ acting credits include Hawaii Five-O, Smash, Kingdom, and Careful What You Wish For.
Relativity Studios has released the official trailer for the dramatic movie Desert Dancer based on a true story and directed by first time feature film helmer Richard Raymond. Coming to theaters in April, the cast of Desert Dancer includes Freida Pinto, Reece Ritchie, Tom Cullen, and Makram J. Khoury.
The Plot:
Set in Iran, this powerful and unbelievable true story follows the brave ambition of Afshin Ghaffarian. During the volatile climate of the 2009 presidential election, where many cultural freedoms were threatened, Afshin and some friends (including Elaheh played by Freida Pinto) risk their lives and form an underground dance company. Through banned online videos, they learn from timeless legends who cross all cultural divides, such as Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev. Afshin and Elaheh also learn much from each other, most importantly how to embrace their passion for dance and for one another.
David Tennant’s about to get evil as he tackles the key role of Zebediah Kilgrave (aka The Purple Man) in Marvel’s A.K.A. Jessica Jones. Marvel and Netflix announced Tennant’s on board to star in the 13-episode series coming to Netflix this year.
Tennant (Doctor Who, Gracepoint) joins a cast that includes Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones and Mike Colter as Luke Cage.
Writer Melissa Rosenberg is the executive producer and showrunner.
“I’m so honored and excited by the prospect of David inhabiting this multifaceted character,” stated Rosenberg. “He can deliver the most heart-wrenching moment to the driest of lines, and all points in between. He’ll make Kilgrave a truly original villain.”
“Anyone familiar with David’s work knows he brings an incredible level of dedication to any role he inhabits, a level we knew we would need from the man playing Kilgrave,” added Jeph Loeb, Executive Producer/Marvel’s Head of Television. “While most know him for his roles as a hero, we can’t wait to unleash a whole new side of this talented actor.”
The Plot:
After a tragic ending to her short-lived superhero stint, Jessica Jones is rebuilding her personal life and career as a detective who gets pulled into cases involving people with extraordinary abilities in New York City.
An enigmatic figure from Jessica’s past, Kilgrave’s reappearance will send shockwaves through the former superhero’s world.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, an early favorite at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, has been picked up by Fox Searchlight for theatrical distribution. The coming-of-age tale is based on Jesse Andrews’ book, which he adapted for the screen. Directed by Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, the cast is led by Thomas Mann, Olivia Cook, and R.J. Cyler, and features Nick Offerman, Molly Shannon, Jon Bernthal and Connie Britton.
“For a film that was such a personal labor of love, I am delighted to find partners who have embraced the film which such enthusiasm,” said director Gomez-Rejon.
“We are so thrilled to be a part of this film – the movie completely floored us and stole our hearts. The response at the festival has been extraordinary. The performances are honest and relatable and the film is smart, funny and original,” stated Fox Searchlight Pictures Presidents Nancy Utley and Stephen Gilula, announcing the acquisition.
Fox Searchlight is aiming for a 2015 theatrical release.
The Plot:
In Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Thomas Mann plays Greg Gaines, an awkward high school senior whose mom forces him to spend time with Rachel – a girl in his class (Cooke) whom he hasn’t spoken to since kindergarten – who was just diagnosed with cancer.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced Adam Levine is the first musical artist confirmed for this year’s Oscars. The Grammy winning singer/songwriter will take the stage to perform “Lost Stars,” the Oscar-nominated original song from Begin Again. Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois wrote the song and Levine performed it in the music-driven romantic drama which he co-starred in along with Keira Knightley and Mark Ruffalo.
“Adam Levine is an exceptional and dynamic artist. We’re thrilled to have him make his Oscars stage debut this year,” said Oscar producers Craig Zadan and Neil MeronZadan and Meron.
This year’s Original Song nominees also include “Everything Is Awesome” from The Lego Movie, “Glory” from Selma, “Grateful” from Beyond the Lights, and “I’m Not Gonna Miss You” from Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me.
The 2015 Academy Awards will take place on February 22nd and will air live on ABC. The 87th Oscars will be hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.
