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The 50 Greatest Movie Villains of All Time

By Jason Bailey on

The true nature of Star Trek Into Darkness’s villain has become perhaps the Internet’s worst-kept secret, but don’t worry — you’ll not have it spoiled here. Suffice it to say that the film’s antagonist is fiercely intelligent, physically brutal, and hellbent on revenge. In other words, this is a great movie villain. But what makes a truly memorable one? Sifting through the scores of iconic movie bad guys and girls reveals that villainy comes in all shapes, sizes, and levels of intensity; ranking them against each other is a tall order, but your Flavorwire was willing to give it a… Read More

Film

Flavorwire’s Guide to Indie Flicks to See in October

By Jason Bailey on

It’s October, which means that prestige movie season is in full swing, and there are plenty of big, potential Oscar contenders slated for release this month: Argo, Cloud Atlas, um, Here Comes the Boom, maybe? Point is, the art houses are all but overflowing with terrific offerings this month, from dramas and documentaries to comedy and horror; our picks for the month’s dozen best bets are after the jump. … Read More

Film

The 10 Most Undervalued Actors in Movies

By Jason Bailey on

Robot & Frank, out now in New York and expanding to more markets tomorrow and in the coming weeks, is a charming and surprisingly heartfelt robot buddy heist movie; it is also a vehicle for the great Frank Langella, and one which prompts the question, “Can’t Frank Langella just be in everything?” One of the many drawbacks of the star-based, high-dollar climate in Hollywood is that, too often, the only actors that get attention and kudos are the paycheck players. Langella is one of the many fine thespians who don’t get enough credit for the good work that they’re doing — nor do they get cast as often as they should. After the jump, a few more great actors who don’t get the props they deserve. … Read More

Film

This Week in Trailers: ‘Anna Karenina,’ ‘Alex Cross,’ and a Slew of Sundance Films

By Jason Bailey on

Every Friday here at Flavorwire, we like to gather up the week’s new movie trailers, give them a look-see, and rank them from worst to best — while taking a guess or two about what they might tell us (or hide from us) about the movies they’re promoting. This week, we’ve got eleven new trailers, featuring Keira Knightley, Russell Crowe, Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, Bradley Cooper, Robert DeNiro, Jennifer Lawrence, Kevin James, Tyler Perry, Frank Langella, and John Hawkes — plus the directorial debut of Wu-Tang’s RZA and a new Spike Lee joint. Check ‘em all out after the jump, and share your thoughts in the comments. … Read More

Film

Sundance 2012: The Deals, The Awards, and That Kubrick Doc

By Jason Bailey on

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival drew to a close over the weekend with a flurry of additional distribution deals, as well as a Saturday night awards ceremony. The fest’s out-of-nowhere buzz hit Beasts of the Southern Wild was among the big winners, nabbing not only the Dramatic Grand Jury Prize, but the US Dramatic Excellence in Cinematography award. The Documentary Grand Jury Prize went to The House I Live In, an examination of the war on drugs from director Eugene Jarecki (Why We Fight). The Israeli film The Law in These Parts won the World Cinema Jury Prize for Documentary, while the Latin American musical drama Violeta Went to Heaven won the Dramatic World Cinema Jury Prize.

True to my history of excellent scheduling judgment, your humble correspondent saw not one of those films during my eight days in Park City, though I did take in — and greatly enjoy — the US Audience award winners The Invisible War (Documentary) and The Surrogate (Drama); the latter film also won a richly-deserved US Dramatic Special Jury Prize for Ensemble Acting. My favorite film of the fest, Mike Birbiglia’s warm, winning comedy Sleepwalk With Me, won the Best of NEXT Audience Award; another favorite, the wry time-travel comedy/drama Safety Not Guaranteed, won the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. … Read More

Film

Watch the Olsen Twins' Little Sister Escape from a Cult

By Caroline Stanley on

Sean Durkin’s directorial debut Martha Marcy May Marlene — a dramatic thriller which tells the story of a woman (Lizzie Olsen) who escapes from a cult in the Catskills and attempts to reconnect with her sister (Sarah Paulson) and brother-in-law (Hugh Dancy) — was one of the buzziest films to come out of Sundance this year, and garnered him a Best Director award. Now those of us who didn’t make it out to Utah can finally see why. Olsen is gut wrenching as broken, confused Martha, who is haunted by flashbacks of her time in Upstate New York; John Hawkes (Winter’s Bone) gives a chilling turn as the cult’s Charles Manson-esque leader. Click through to watch the trailer, and let us know in the comments if you plan on checking this one out. … Read More