F

Flavorwire

George Clooney

Film

Exclusive Supercut: Big Hollywood Stars in Their Early Horror Roles

By Jason Bailey on

Many a young actor has come to Hollywood seeking fame and fortune, only to discover that the road to success is a long and difficult one, with plenty of detours and diversions along the way. And many have found that, in their early, hungry days of trying to make it as a working actor, the horror genre always has a (meager, but cashable) paycheck for a rising young talent with stars in their eyes. And as a salute to those young, starving artists, we give you this week’s special, Halloween-tinged supercut, in which we’ve tracked down and collected some of the more entertaining and surprising of those early roles. Check it out after the jump. … Read More

Film

10 Films That Are Better Than Their Bad Reputations

By Jason Bailey on

Perhaps the most intriguing of today’s Blu-ray releases is Magical Mystery Tour, the Beatles’ 1967 television film that was famously roasted by critics, which cemented its reputation as some sort of epic folly by the lads from Liverpool. But here’s what’s interesting about watching Magical Mystery Tour now, with that common wisdom in mind: contrary to popular opinion, it’s kind of great. This sort of thing happens all the time: imperfect, odd, or merely unconventional films are released and get labeled as some sort of flop, and the reputation sticks. But some films haven’t earned their bad rep, and after the jump, we’ll take a look at Magical Mystery Tour and nine other movies that are better than you’ve heard. … Read More

Film

10 Fantastic Comedies Based on True Stories

By Jason Bailey on

You wouldn’t think that the cold-blooded murder of a defenseless old woman would make for big laughs, but that’s just one of the surprises found in Bernie, Richard Linklater’s wickedly enjoyable Texas comedy, out today on DVD and Blu-ray. And it’s all true — or, as the opening title card notes, “What you’re fixin’ to see is a true story.”

As the old saw goes, truth is stranger than fiction, and in ruminating about the pleasures of Bernie, we discovered that several of our favorite comedies were, in fact, based on real events. After the jump, a few thoughts on that film, and nine others based on (varying degrees of) true stories. … Read More

Film

10 Movie Franchises That Lost Their Lead — And What Happened

By Jason Bailey on

If you felt a slight gust from the west yesterday, it may have been the folks at Universal Pictures letting out a sigh of relief; The Bourne Legacy, the newest (and Bourne-less) entry in their venerable franchise put up respectable numbers over the weekend, selling $40 million of tickets to a picture that was, from the outset, a bit of dicey proposition. Its success got us thinking about other film series that lost their lead actors, and whether those franchises succeeded or failed in their absence; we collect and analyze the data for you after the jump. … Read More

Film

Our 10 Favorite Voice-Only Film Performances

By Jason Bailey on

Critics and audiences weren’t entirely enamored of The Lorax (out today on DVD and Blu-ray), but it was tough to complain about the casting of the title character: Danny DeVito is spot-on, investing the character with the curmudgeonly lovability that’s always been part of his screen persona, and is a perfect fit for the orange creature who speaks for the trees.

Voice-over acting, whether in live action or animated films, is in many ways a tougher task than conventional on-screen work; the performer must do all of their acting with only the voice, unable to rely on other tools (movement, eyes, facial expression, etc.) to convey meaning and emotion. After the jump, we’ve selected — with considerable difficulty — our ten favorite voice-only performances in feature films (let’s face it: if we were just talking shorts, it’d be a list of ten Mel Blanc roles). Check them out after the jump, and add your own in the comments. … Read More

Film

The 10 Sexiest Movies Ever Made [NSFW]

By Jason Bailey on

Good news for people who like sexy stuff: amongst tomorrow’s catalog Blu-ray releases is Bound, the debut feature by future Matrix creators the Wachowskis, a cracklingly good noir­-tinged thriller with a generous helping of seriously hot love scenes. Now that those scenes will be available in high-definition video and sound, we thought it might be worth taking a look at some of the sexiest movies ever made; they’re assembled (along with a dozen runners-up) after the jump, so feel free to concur, disagree, or amend in the comments. … Read More

Film

A Survey of Sci-Fi Sex Symbols

By Alison Nastasi on

Sci-Fi cult classic Barbarella, starring Jane Fonda as a sexy space agent, arrives on Blu-ray tomorrow. The psychedelic kitsch-fest was adapted from Jean-Claude Forest’s comic series of the same name and is adored for its comical, stylish, and erotic production. While Fonda’s ditzy, deadpan performance is charming, the actress is most remembered for her multiple skintight costume changes and a zero gravity striptease seen in the movie’s opening. The 1968 film helped establish Fonda’s sex symbol status. We took a look at the genre’s other memorable faces and figures — some human, others not so much — past the break. … Read More

Film

George Clooney to Direct Film Adaptation of ‘New Yorker’ Feature ‘The Yankee Commandante’

By Judy Berman on

If you’re a New Yorker subscriber, we probably don’t have to tell you about “The Yankee Comandante,” David Grann’s lengthy feature that ran in the magazine’s May 28th issue. Filling 23 tightly packed pages, the piece relates the strange tale of William Alexander Morgan, an American who fought alongside the rebels in the… Read More

Film

The Most Notorious Actor/Director Feuds in Movie History

By Jason Bailey on

A couple of weeks back, we spotlighted a few of the most fruitful and (presumably) harmonious filmmaker/actor collaborations in moviedom. But as we all know, filmmakers can also be a prickly lot, and the recent (mostly tabloid) coverage of director Kevin Smith’s recent swipes at his Cop Out star Bruce Willis (more on that below) got us thinking about some of the less cordial actor/director relationships. We’ve assembled some of the more contentious ones for your reading pleasure after the jump. … Read More

Art

2012 Oscars Fashion as Beautiful Watercolors

By Caroline Stanley on

If analyzing actresses’ sartorial choices is your favorite part of the Academy Awards, then you’ll be as obsessed with this personal project from São Paulo-based illustrator Camila Gray as we are. From Rooney Mara’s fashion-forward Givenchy couture gown to Michelle Williams’ bright orange, strapless Louis Vuitton number to Angelina Jolie’s much-discussed leg-baring Atelier Versace dress, click through to revisit some of the most memorable looks from this year’s red carpet, made all the more lovely when rendered in watercolors. … Read More