The art of the crafting a movie trailer has recently become a science. Every smash cut, cliffhanger, fade to black, and fancy shot of an actor’s name has been reduced to a formula that seemingly every studio follows. The New York Times adds a new wrinkle to that analysis by splitting apart trailers for this […]
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Burning question: Does Best Picture matter?
With all the Oscar hullabaloo (of which we’re guilty as well), it’s easy to accept that the Oscars matter, that the acting winners represent the fines that Hollywood offers, and that an institution as venerated as the Academy is the official tastemaker. Take a step back and read this interesting and controversial opinion from Rob […]
Continue readingCozy up with some romantic films
Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and there’s no avoiding it if you’re in any center of commerce. If you’re one of those people who likes this annual, culturally mandated celebration of love and greeting cards, we’re got you covered. Our Pinterest page has a section for romantic films and […]
Continue readingSoderbergh calls it a day
Steven Soderbergh’s next film, Side Effects hits theaters tomorrow. But if the director can be believed, it will also be his last film. In recent interviews, Soderbergh has made clear his distaste for the Hollywood system and its treatment of directors. Although Soderbergh still has a film in the can waiting to be released (an […]
Continue readingAlternative programming: Are you ready for some football?
Super Bowl XLVII, the biggest American sporting event of the year, kicks off tonight. No matter where you go, the big game will probably be playing on the nearest display device, and there will be pizza. (There’s even pizza here for the Media Services staff!) Since the Super Bowl draws such massive ratings, any television […]
Continue readingAw, nerds! Catch up on 30 Rock as it comes to an end
There’s some bad news on our mind-grapes today. After seven years of “claps-giving yay ha-rade,” NBC sitcom 30 Rock is airing its final episode tonight. Though 30 Rock struggled to break out from the shadow of bigger NBC hits like The Office and MILF Island, it was an enormous critical success, winning a whopping 14 […]
Continue readingIs J. J. Abrams the right man for the job? See for yourself
The entertainment world went nuts this weekend over news that filmmaker J. J. Abrams will be helming the next installment in the Star Wars franchise. Apart from the sci-fi conflict of interest with his work on Star Trek, the biggest question is whether Abrams’s work gives him the chops and wherewithal to take on, arguably, […]
Continue readingWebsite reveals widespread movie screener piracy
Movie piracy is a major issue, but it can be easy to attribute it to overzealous hackers or teenagers who sneak cameras into theaters. Turns out this isn’t the case: even members of the film community are prone to leak new movies onto the Internet. An amazing new spreadsheet compiled by the author of Waxy.org […]
Continue readingOscar nominations: What can you watch right now?
The Academy Award nominations are out! There are a few surprises this time around, most significantly the inclusion of Beasts of the Southern Wild and Michael Haneke’s Amour. You can view the full list on the official Oscars website. As much as we would love for you to watch these movies, most of them aren’t […]
Continue readingGet ready for Oscar nominations with Wings
Tomorrow, the Academy will announce its nominations for the 85th Academy Awards. We can probably expect the likely nominees (Lincoln, Zero Dark Thirty, etc.), but given the widespread critical acclaim for these films, it will probably be a contentious and exciting contest. Last year, many were taken aback by the success of The Artist, the […]
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