Clik here to view.
Box Office: Is 'The Amazing Spider-Man 2' a Success or Disappointment?
Sometimes, you have to stand back and marvel (no pun intended) at the vast Hollywood hype machine working exactly as intended. This weekend, for instance, everyone expected "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Gaslight': 7 Everlasting Legacies of the Ingrid Bergman Classic
1. The term "gaslight." The Ingrid Bergman thriller "Gaslight" -- released 70 years ago this week, on May 4, 1944, wasn't the original use of the title. There was Patrick Hamilton's 1938 play "Gas...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Box Office: 'Neighbors' and the Importance of Theater Count
This weekend's box office winners and losers defied expectations in extreme ways; with its estimated $51.1 million debut, the R-rated comedy "Neighbors" knocked "The Amazing Spider-Man 2" off its perch...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why We Still Love Godzilla
For a creature who's been asleep for hundreds of millions of years, Godzilla is surprisingly adept at changing with the times. Across 60 years and 30 movies, from his first appearance in 1954's...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Box Office: Is Jon Hamm a Movie Star?
Jon Hamm has played supporting roles in various movies ("Bridesmaids," "The Town"), but he hadn't really carried a film until "Million Dollar Arm" opened this weekend. The Disney sports drama was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Mel Brooks on 'Blazing Saddles' at 40, Richard Pryor's Genius, and Keeping...
At 87, Mel Brooks has lost none of his edge. The legendary comic provocateur has phoned me from his Los Angeles office to promote the just-released 40th anniversary Blu-ray of his magnum opus, "Blazing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
This Is the 'Midnight Cowboy' Legacy, From A to Z
It's a shock to go back and watch "Midnight Cowboy" 45 years after its debut (on May 25, 1969) and see how raw and otherworldly it looks. After all, the X-rated Best Picture Oscar-winner has been so...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Disney Villains: Ranking the Top 30 of All Time (PHOTOS)
Admit it: Disney princesses and other heroes of Disney animated features can be... kinda bland. But the villains are always fascinating and alluring. Many are seductive and deceptive by nature, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Box Office: Six Lessons From a Weak Memorial Day Weekend
1. A little competition is good for everybody. Last year's Memorial Day weekend, which saw two would-be blockbusters aimed at similar audiences ("Fast & Furious 6" and "The Hangover Part III") open...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The 40 Best Opening Sequences in Movie History (VIDEO)
It's been only five years since Pixar released "Up" (on May 29, 2009), but many critics are already eager to enshrine it in the pantheon of great movie opening sequences. After all, the cartoon's...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Box Office: In 'Maleficent' vs. 'Million Ways,' It's Girls 1, Guys 0
Why have this summer's box office behemoths been dropping like flies after their first weekends? "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," "Neighbors," "Godzilla," and "X-Men: Days of Future Past" all opened at No....
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Ghostbusters' Cast: Where Are They Now? (PHOTOS)
Who you gonna call? For 30 years, since the release of "Ghostbusters" on June 8, 1984, the supernatural exterminators have been among the most reliable of film stars; after all, the movie and its 1989...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Gremlins': 25 Things You Didn't Know About the Horror Comedy Classic
It's been 30 years, but we all still remember the three rules: Don't expose them to bright light, don't get them wet, and never feed them after midnight. "Gremlins," which opened on June 8, 1984, has...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Box Office: What's Behind the Surprise Success of 'The Fault in Our Stars'?
A female-centered drama about two teens with cancer doesn't sound like your typical light, summer action fare, but "The Fault in Our Stars" still had one of the strongest openings of the year to date,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Why Is Binge-Viewing So Popular in a Short Attention Span Age?
Still groggy from spending the weekend watching an entire new season of "Orange Is the New Black"? You're not alone. Netflix says the women-in-prison series, whose second season premiered on the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
This Week in TV: Jumping Through Hoops to Win an Emmy
A few days ago The Wire posed the question of why comics like Amy Schumer, Key and Peele, and "Portlandia"'s Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein were submitting themselves to the Emmy nominations...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Box Office: Why Did '22 Jump Street' Win Against 'How to Train Your Dragon 2'?
This weekend's battle of the sequels was supposed to be close, with nearly every pundit giving "How to Train Your Dragon 2" a slight edge over "22 Jump Street." To some experts, it wasn't even going to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The 50 Best Movie Musicals Ever Made
Movies ask us to suspend disbelief and accept fantasy, never more so than when characters suddenly break into song. What we've learned to expect on Broadway or at the opera house still feels weird in...
View ArticleClik here to view.
'Alien' Facts: 25 Things You Didn't Know About the Sci-Fi/Horror Classic
"In space, no one can hear you scream." So ran the tagline for "Alien," which went into wide release 35 years ago this week (on June 22, 1979). Then again, we've been screaming loudly for the past...
View ArticleClik here to view.
This Week in TV: How Will Chelsea Handler's Netflix Deal Change Television?
Last week, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos was talking up the success of "Orange Is the New Black," noting that it and fellow binge-viewing favorite "House of Cards" have thrived because...
View Article