In a recent edition of our regular Friday feature “Trailer Park,” we took a look at the trailer for the new Daniel Craig/Rachel Weisz haunted house thriller Dream House, and came to the following conclusion: “this is one of those trailers that gives you, about halfway through, the unsettling feeling that they’re showing you the whole movie.” Apparently, concern for that point was widespread enough that executive producer Rick Nicita was compelled to speak up, insisting to Entertainment Weekly that the revealed twist is “not the ending. The twist happens less than halfway through.” But Nicita’s damage control spotlights the fact that our film culture is increasingly dominated by discussion and fear of “spoilers,” and it’s a phenomenon that is only a couple of decades old. (Ever dive into your DVD special features and check out the original trailers for films from the ’40s? Talk about showing you the whole movie.)

We’re still obsessing over Jonah Lehrer’s fascinating study (and subsequent Wired piece) on the effect of spoilers on literary gratification. (The takeaway: knowing a story’s outcome ultimately does not prevent one’s enjoyment of the work, and may even increase it.) A couple of weeks back, we selected some of the books we still read, knowing full well how they end; now we’ve picked out ten movies that still play, even with precise knowledge of their narrative outcomes.

You can probably put this together yourselves, but just to be safe: plentiful spoilers after the jump.

Read More »

We’re a little bit sensitive about our beloved music icons. So when it comes time to make a biopic and Hollywood studios cast A-list actors to fill their glittery shoes, we’re likely to get defensive about their choices. For instance, a recently announced film about Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia has us hoping for lots of tie-dye, illicit substances, and trippy cinematography — but we won’t allow ourselves to get excited about it until we know who’s playing the hippie hero himself. Our trepidation about the Garcia film got us thinking about notable musician biopic casting decisions of the past. Check out the five best and worst after the jump.

Read More »

Nowhere Boy has finally released pictures of Aaron Johnson’s depiction of a young John Lennon. The film, which is the feature directorial debut of Sam Taylor Wood, tracks the years a young John Lennon is raised by his Aunt Mimi Smith, play by Kristen Scott Thomas. Lennon is reacquainted with his biological mother, Julia (played by Ann Marie Duff), shortly before she is killed in an automobile accident in John’s late teens. John turns to music and art with a young Paul McCartney to escape the loss of his mother.  The film is set for release in the UK on December 25th this year, but it will be the opening film on November 13th at the Turin Film Festival. The first stills from the set after the jump.

Read More »