'The Road' versus 'Old Dogs'
Serious films like 'The Lovely Bones' are in a fight with lighter fare like 'Alvin and the Chipmunks' this holiday season. Guess who's...
Movie projector: 'New Moon' to dominate again as three new movies look soft
"Old Dogs," "Ninja Assassin" and "Fantastic Mr. Fox" don't seem to be a challenge to the supernatural love story.
Review: 'The Princess and the Frog'
The hand-drawn animated Disney film set in jazz-soaked 1920s New Orleans is a refreshing, lively version of the fairy tale.
Review: 'The Private Lives of Pippa Lee'
Robin Wright's housewife character reflects on her past in an off-kilter story.
'Missing Person': Lives altered by 9/11
Writer-director Noah Buschel's ambitious, stylish neo-noir "The Missing Person" starts so self-consciously that it verges on parody but...
AMPAS re-creates moviegoing experience of 100 years ago
The films will be hand-cranked and there will be live music accompanying the silent pictures. One night will feature Mary Pickford films.
Review: 'The Road'
"The Road" is a road you'll wish hadn't been taken. Not because anything's been badly done, but because there's a serious imbalance in the...
Review: 'Old Dogs'
"Wild Hogs," "Old Dogs" -- what's next, "Bumps on Logs"? Truly, I would rather watch John Travolta and Robin Williams sitting on a tree...
Exclusive video: 'The Private Lives of Pippa Lee'
The characters appear calm and in control, but that's sort of the premise: The "perfect life" can hide many dramatic, decadent and desperate...
Review: 'Red Cliff'
John Woo has set himself a new challenge in "Red Cliff," and that's to be as old-fashioned as possible. Returning to his roots after a stint...
John Lee Hancock responds to right wing attacks on 'The Blind Side'
Conservative bloggers have attacked the movie for one small joke made at the expense of George W. Bush.
'Avatar' star Zoe Saldana says the movie will match the hype: 'This is big'
"All of the technology in this pioneering film is used in a story about the human heart."
Pusan West shines light on Korean cinema
Contemporary filmmakers such as 'Thirst's' Park Chan-wook stop at the inaugural film festival at Chapman University to talk about the new...
'The Blind Side's' John Lee Hancock escapes from movie jail
Why hasn't the talented director made a movie since his second feature, "The Alamo," arrived way back in 2004?
'New Moon' gross is rising
Summit Entertainment underestimated the film's worldwide ticket sales by $16.1 million. The latest opening-weekend total is $274.9 million,...
Expect huge box office opening for 'The Princess and the Frog'
The initial release will include an "experience": games, actresses dressed as Disney princesses, props, and other activities.
'New Moon's' $140.7 million gives it the second-biggest weekend ever
The supernatural film earned the third-biggest domestic debut of all time, while"The Blind Side" and "Precious" are also strong performers.
William Kunstler's daughters make a case for him
In a new film, Emily and Sarah Kunstler reflect on the controversial attorney's trials, including the Chicago Seven, and his legacy.
Disney Studios drama might alter the industry
Chairman Rich Ross has begun restructuring operations and set in motion a plan that could pit the film unit against business partners.
Cormac McCarthy's rugged road to respectability
The writer had been dismissed as an eccentric with 'horrible' style and a hacky, regional view. Now, the much-anticipated film 'The Road,'...
'New Moon' poised for biggest box office day ever
The teen vampire phenomenon is all but certain to gross more than $67.2 million, the record set by "The Dark Knight" last year.
Walt Disney -- prince or toad?
Even before it opens later this week, Disney's new animated feature, "The Princess and the Frog," is already considered something of a...
'Pippa Lee' autobiographical? Not so, says its writer-director
In "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," opening Friday, the title character finds herself at a crossroads, bristling at the rather staid, low-...
Q & A with 'Princess and the Frog' animators
The Disney animation team of Ron Clements and John Musker wrote and directed the 1989 blockbuster musical fairy tale "The Little Mermaid,"...
John Woo revisits Chinese roots with 'Red Cliff'
"I've always wanted to be a global filmmaker," John Woo said in an interview at his Manhattan hotel last month.
Opinions pour from expanded 'Mondovino'
At once a punch-drunk love letter to the expressive possibilities of wine and a boozy rant against clubby wine-world politics, Jonathan...
New on DVD: 'Funny People' is funny and otherwise
Also: "Angels & Demons," "Four Christmases," "Gomorrah" and more
'New Moon' smashes 'Potter' midnight ticket sales record
According to four people close to the movie, "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" sold more than $22.2 million worth of tickets in midnights...
Movie projector: 'New Moon' headed for $90-million-plus launch
Edward and Bella's latest bite at the box office looks like it will be the second biggest of 2009.
Review: 'The Blind Side'
Watching "The Blind Side" is like watching your favorite football team; you'll cheer when things go well, curse when they don't, and be...
Review: 'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans'
Drawn to another man-in-crisis story, director Werner Herzog delivers a darkly delicious tale in which Nicolas Cage is positively reptilian.
Movie review: 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon'
"This is the last time you'll ever see me," Edward Cullen says to Bella Swan. As if.
Review: 'The Messenger'
Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson lead a strong cast in director Oren Moverman's taut drama about a casualty notification team's struggle to...
The newcomer stars opposite Sandra Bullock in 'Blind Side'
The young man auditioned, but thought he would be lucky to land a security job on set. Instead, he scored a lead role.
15 documentary features make Oscar's short list
Of the 89 documentary films eligible for Oscar consideration this year, 15 were selected for a short list of potential nominees. And Michael...
'New Moon' causes strange changes for Taylor Lautner
The young actor muscled up to hold on to his role as the werewolf Jacob. Excited howling ensued.
Is Percy Jackson's mythology too close to Harry Potter's magic?
Executives working with the film are prepared for comparisons, but they're confident that the adventure has plenty of his own unique magic.
African American actors disappear from 'Couples Retreat' poster
Universal's new black eye: The movie's African American couple -- Faizon Love and Kali Hawk -- are absent.
'Twilight' mania hits Westwood with the premiere of 'New Moon'
It was a premiere so highly anticipated even the wolves came out. Literally.
The swashbuckling spirit behind 'Pirate Radio'
British DJs such as Johnnie Walker helped launch the music rebellion that spawned a similar underground movement in the U.S. that crested 30...
Disney's Rich Ross halts production of 'Captain Nemo: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'
The planned $150-million project was just months from beginning shooting. The film was once considered to have franchise potential.
'Twilight: New Moon' rises in L.A.: red carpet in Westwood
Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and more raise the heat at the movie's premiere.
Hal Holbrook basks in 'That Evening Sun'
Making 'Into the Wild' gave the actor something he needed -- confidence. Now, he has star billing.
Chris Columbus is 'like a proud parent' watching 'Harry Potter' stars from afar
It's been a long time since the director was the cinematic headmaster at Hogwarts.
Disney's dream that 'Chrismas Carol' will be the new 'Polar Express' coming true
The film isn't holding as well as "The Polar Express" -- it's holding even better.
'2012' explodes with $225 million worldwide box office
"A Christmas Carol" has a strong second week and "Precious" is powerful.
'Twilight' screenwriter says 'New Moon' is better than first
Melissa Rosenberg, who adapted Stephenie Meyer's novels, says "I know who I'm writing for."
Hoping 'Avatar' is the new face of filmmaking
Inside a dark mixing stage at 20th Century Fox a few weeks ago, writer-director James Cameron, surrounded by nearly a dozen colleagues,...
'2012' looking huge, 'Christmas Carol' holding strong
The end of the world is going to do big business once again.
'New Moon' fans camping out in Westwood
Fans hoping to get a glimpse of the "New Moon" cast on premiere-night Monday were camping out on the sidewalks of Westwood today, some...
Smart List: Pop-culture talking points
"New Moon," "Chef Academy" and "Blind Side" all made the list this week.
Werner Herzog and Nicolas Cage: Partners in crime
In "Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans," Nicolas Cage portrays a cop of unwavering commitment: He never lets his duty to protect and...
László Kovács, Vilmos Zsigmond: Fade in on a friendship
It's a tale of friendship and survival that has become legend in Hollywood.
New on DVD: 'Star Trek' demonstrate the proper way to revamp a franchise
Also: "Brüno," "Humpday" and "Thirst."
'The Exiles' is an excavation
Kent Mackenzie's "The Exiles" feels like a snapshot from another era -- not just 1961, when it was completed, but a time when realist...
Soldiers cope with grim duty in 'The Messenger'
Two soldiers knock on a door. When it opens, they deliver the devastating news no one with a loved one in the military ever wants to hear.
Tom Sherak wants Oscars to be fun
The new academy president brings his populist instincts -- think blockbuster -- onto the institution's biggest stage.
Concept artists help set the mood (or mayhem) in movies
For "2012," concept artist Warren Flanagan created images of a tidal wave engulfing the Himalayas and a chasm in the Earth swallowing up Los...
Review: 'Fantastic Mr. Fox'
The exhilarating stop-motion animation film, with George Clooney and Meryl Streep, shows director Wes Anderson at his best.
Movie projector: '2012' will be big domestically, huge worldwide
"2012," Sony Pictures' $200-million disaster movie from genre specialist Roland Emmerich, is on track for strong domestic opening weekend...
Wes Anderson, crazy like a fox
A self-described "total novice" in stop-motion animation, Wes Anderson severely tested the patience of his crew of stop-motion top guns by...
Review: 'Pirate Radio'
The plot might lose the rhythm sometimes, but the soundtrack and cast keep the '60s-set rock fable afloat.
Apocalypse now: 'Collapse' and the end of the world as we know it
America has a bad case of the doomsday jitters.
Bill Nighy pretty much lived this role
Bill Nighy's journey to mid-'60s England began in, of all places, mid-'60s England. As a teen, he left home for Paris to write, came back...
Oscars give Roger Corman and Gordon Willis a golden glow
They will be honored for their achievements behind the camera.
Rudy Ray Moore conquered blaxploitation genre
Larry Karaszewski, who co-wrote such films as "Ed Wood" with Scott Alexander, is presenting a salute tonight to 1970s blaxploitation...
Rich Ross restructures Disney movie studio
Rich Ross is putting his mark on Walt Disney Studios, bringing over a technology guru from Pixar and promoting the home entertainment...
Why a Monopoly movie? The story behind the dice roll
A Monopoly movie? When word first spread about Universal's plan to make a film based on the venerable board game, it wasn't hard to...
Ooops -- strike '2012' off your Oscars best-picture list
It looks like '2012' will score big at the box office, but only one pundit is calling it an Oscar contender.
Walt Disney Studios President Mark Zoradi resigns
The studio distribution veteran is leaving the company after 29 years as restructuring continues under the new regime.
Jim Cameron's 'Avatar' price tag: How about a cool $500 million?
When it comes to a mega-blockbuster like "Avatar," studios like Fox don't just hedge their bets.
David Ansen named artistic director of the Los Angeles Film Festival
A critic at Newsweek from 1977 through 2008, Ansen continues to write for the magazine as a contributing editor.
Once again TV, not film, drives Lionsgate growth
Lions Gate Entertainment swung to $31.7 million in net income during its second fiscal quarter compared with a net loss of $51.8 million a...
Tobey, Jake, Natalie and Oscar: O 'Brothers' where art thou?
Jim Sheridan's little movie could surprise this season.
The Cold War's greatest hits
The fears of that era left their imprint on a treasure trove of films. Here are a few favorites.
Box office: 'Christmas Carol not so merry as 'Precious' plans expansion
The Jim Carrey starrer rings up $31 million, while 'Precious' opens strong with $1.8 million in only 18 theaters.
The evergreen Ebenezer Scrooge
Over the decades, numerous actors have inhabited the role of Dickens' memorable skinflint Scrooge.
Grant Heslov, George Clooney team up for 'The Men Who Stare at Goats.'
The director and the star have been friends and colleagues since the 1980s.
South Africa in the Hollywood eye
Just 20 years ago, South Africa was commonly perceived as one of the most polarized, ill-starred places on the planet. Shackled by the...
Opening day: 'Christmas Carol' debut not looking too jolly
Pre-release surveys had indicated the movie would open to at least $40 million domestically over its first three days.
Smart List: Should you talk about 'Uncertainty'?
Also; More reasons to talk about 'Glee,' 'Mad Men's' finale and more.
Pakistan's film industry is in collapse
The Odeon Cinema's creaky, ripped red vinyl seats are mostly empty except for a couple of back rows where a dozen Pakistani men sit...
Indie Focus: 'Women in Trouble'
Over one eventful day in Los Angeles, a series of women -- including a newly pregnant porn star, an uptight businesswoman, a masseuse, an...
'Lake Tahoe' is a journey of grief
At first glance "Lake Tahoe," the second feature by the 39-year-old Mexican director Fernando Eimbcke, looks very much like your standard...
Holiday season kicks off with Disney's pricey 'Christmas Carol'
Executives who follow pre-release polling say the movie will likely sell between $40 million and $45 million worth of tickets on its opening...
Alessandro Nivola: Man of a thousand accents
"I don't see myself as having any integrity at all," says Alessandro Nivola through his roguish, close-toothed smile, toying with a glass of...
Robert Zemeckis' 'Christmas Carol': Bah humbug. Too many special effects
Have you ever wanted to strangle a ghost?
'Precious' cuts deep
Nothing quite prepares you for the rough-cut diamond that is "Precious." A rare blend of pure entertainment and dark social commentary, this...
Review: 'The Men Who Stare at Goats'
"The Men Who Stare at Goats" sounds like some ethnographic documentary about the bushmen of the Kalahari or the Bakhtiari herders of old...
Review: 'Turning Green'
"Turning Green," an amusing Irish coming-of-age comedy set in 1979, takes its title from the effect of chug-a-lug beer drinking upon 16-...
Reviews: 'Died Young, Stayed Pretty,' about rock poster artists, loses focus
Although "Died Young, Stayed Pretty," a documentary about the underground rock poster movement, begins with a freewheeling array of...
Review: 'Araya'
"Araya" has been hidden in plain sight for decades, which is especially ironic for a film whose glories are so visual. A critical...
Review: 'The Fourth Kind'
The vogue for verité spooks continues with "The Fourth Kind," but unlike the understated stylistic rigor of the first-person-...
Review: 'The Box'
Have you ever actually tried watching paint dry? A sloth walk? Grass grow? You can have all the "thrills" with none of the chills...
Margot Benacerraf's film 'Araya' returns
When director Margot Benacerraf set out to film an isolated community of salt harvesters on Venezuela's Caribbean coast 50 years ago, she...
Mariah Carey shows her ugly side in 'Precious'
You'd be forgiven for not recognizing Mariah Carey in her role as a dowdy welfare caseworker in the urban drama "Precious: Based on the...
'Precious' aims to translate buzz into box office gold
“Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire” has attracted...
Is Hollywood always in panic mode? Ari Emanuel's history lesson
It's nervous time for talent, especially with the studios crowing that most of their biggest hits this year have come without the presence...
'The Telephone Book' at the Egyptian Theatre
When the X-rated sex comedy "The Telephone Book" was released in 1971, it was called pornographic and obscene. But now, 38...
'1939 Redux': Series digs beyond the classics of 'Hollywood's Greatest Year'
When talk turns to the golden age of Hollywood, by common consent 1939 is the year of years. In that 12-month period the studios released an...
Sandra Bullock 'Blind Sides' the competition
This is the kind of inspiring and solid upbeat studio release that could put Bullock firmly in the race for best actress.
Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli, a Bond man all the way
Albert "Cubby" Broccoli was a self-made man who not only believed in the American dream but lived it as producer of the James Bond films,...
New Muhammad biopic drives the anti-Hollywood crowd nuts
England's the Guardian is reporting that Barrie Osborne, one of the producers of "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Matrix," is hoping to...
'This Is It' as his personal thriller
The film on Michael Jackson proves an unlikely odyssey for Tim Patterson, a commercial director who made crucial contributions.
Hollywood Backlot: 'The Twilight Saga: New Moon'
More photos of Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart and Taylor Lautner on set in Vancouver filming the "Twilight" sequel.
Hotels seek the Hollywood limelight
Now you can shoot your movie and hold the junket for it at the same place.
Barry Levinson delves into celebs' politics
Barry Levinson is best known for the critically acclaimed features he directed in the 1980s, including "Diner," "Good Morning, Vietnam"...
'North by Northwest' still full of thrills and chills
Who can forget those images -- Cary Grant on a deserted highway being chased by a crop dusting plane? Grant and Eva Marie Saint scampering...
'Sherlock Holmes' makes the detective a troubled action hero
Forget the deerstalker hat, the twee houndstooth Inverness overcoat and the oversized spyglass. Sherlock Holmes in the 2009 big-budget...
Anna Kendrick's the upstart opposite George Clooney in 'Air'
To fully appreciate the skill involved in Anna Kendrick's purse-lipped, perfect-postured turn as Natalie, the comic and dramatic foil to...
John Myhre dresses a set to the 'Nine'
Production designer John Myhre won Oscars for his work on director Rob Marshall's 2002 period musical "Chicago" and his 2005 drama...
'A Christmas Carol'
Charles Dickens' most popular creation, Ebenezer Scrooge, usually takes on the tenor of the times, so it's not surprising that Robert...
Emily Blunt is 'The Young Victoria'
Emily Blunt insists her new movie, "The Young Victoria," is "definitely not a history lesson. It's very relatable. She doesn't get on with...
Seth Green learns new tricks in 'Old Dogs'
Disney's family comedy "Old Dogs" stars Robin Williams and John Travolta as aging bachelors, lifelong friends and business partners who have...
Maguire feels he can be a good 'Brother'
"I lost a lot of my joy while doing the movie," says Tobey Maguire of the family drama "Brothers." "I wasn't even aware of it. I don't mean...
Surviving '2012'
Roland Emmerich has destroyed Los Angeles twice before -- twisters razed the city in "The Day After Tomorrow" and aliens did the honors in...
Ben Foster puts his heart into 'The Messenger'
Ben Foster is standing on a boulder in a field in Armenia.
'Alvin and the Chipmunks' sequel was a walk down memory lane for Betty Thomas
Nostalgia was a driving force behind Betty Thomas' desire to direct the family film "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel," opening...
'The Box': Fingers on the button
A mysterious man presents a couple with a box, telling them that if they push its button they will receive a large amount of cash...
Jeff Bridges, psychic warrior
Jeff Bridges, looking like a Malibu prophet with his bushy beard and seasoned surfer smile, says he had a bit of a flashback while filming...
Honored Horror: A century (sort of) of Oscar-nominated fright films
Enough for a dusk-to-dawn movie marathon for you and your fellow night creatures. Don't forget to dim the lights.
New films are on the serious side
I don't know if you've noticed, but as a nation we've become a very grumpy and discontented bunch. Consumer confidence continues to waver...
Building an afterlife in 'The Lovely Bones'
The filmmakers had to reimagine Susie Salmon's postmortem dream-like landscape from the novel for the screen.
Battsek is out: The last nail in the coffin at Miramax
After its already-in-production films pass through the pipeline, expect to see it die a quiet death.
New documentary explores just how awesomely bad 'Troll 2' is
Michael Stephenson -- the child star of the disaster -- reunites with his former costars and investigates the film's pop-culture status.
'The Room,' once a bomb, scores a direct hit
The film that was panned when it came out in 2003 has become the latest cult sensation. 'It's fantastically bad,' one fan at a monthly...
Miramax Films' chief Daniel Battsek out
The head of Disney's specialty movie label Miramax Films is being forced out of his job after a series of flops failed to turn around the...
Hugh Jackman will not host 82nd Oscars
Word has it that he did not wish to do the show two years in a row.
Review: 'Gentlemen Broncos'
Watching "Gentlemen Broncos" sparks the pressing question: "Is it worse to be clueless or self-deluded?" That's because most every character...
Get out the boxing gloves: Richard Schickel vs. Robert Altman
The Big Picture gets out the boxing gloves over Richard Schickel's "nasty, dismissive" review of a new biography about the filmmaker.
'2012': The disaster filmgoers can't wait to happen
The buzz on director Roland Emmerich's doomsday film is at a fever pitch ahead of its Nov. 13 release.
Review: 'Skin'
There is a pivotal scene in "Skin," a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction story plucked out of the mess of South Africa's apartheid, when young...
Review: 'The House of the Devil'
A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, and with "The House of the Devil," a baby-sitter-meets-evil gem of a movie, up-and-coming writer-...
Review: 'The Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day'; 'The Fall'
Troy Duffy went from a bartending screenwriter to Harvey Weinstein's golden boy in the '90s with his calling-card script "The Boondock...
'This Is It' headed for $10 million to $12 million opening day
The opening-day box office for "This Is It" is neither a "Thriller" nor "Bad."
Jared Hess mines his childhood for quirky new 'Gentlemen Broncos'
"Napoleon Dynamite" director Jared Hess is well aware that his particular style of aggressively quirky humor isn't for everyone. He's fine...
Halloween weekend horror shows
Get your ghoul on this weekend with a horror lineup that includes an academy event and a graveside screening.
Paul Haggis on Scientology: 'Morally reprehensible'
His letter, full of passion and moral outrage, resembled large portions of his film and TV work.
Poll: Will Jackson's 'This Is It' get a best picture nod?
Confusion reigns over whether the Michael Jackson concert documentary "This Is It" may compete at the Oscars. The answer is, well,...
A spine-tingling ending for 'Paranormal Activity'
Just a few weeks ago, Katie Featherston was balancing plates brimming with spaghetti and baked ravioli, working as a waitress at Buca di...
|
The gospel on celebrity and pop culture
|
|
Inside the awards
|
|
'American Idol' all year long
|
|
Awards season news and ponderances
|
Save more than