F

Flavorwire

Paul Haggis

Film

10 Viciously Backlashed Movies We Still Like (and Why)

By Jason Bailey on

Backlash is a funny thing. It’s always been present in popular culture, but it feels as though it’s become particularly prominent over the past few years, an unavoidable step in any celebrated film, band, book, or television show’s penetration into the cultural landscape: first comes critical acclaim, then financial success, then ubiquity, and then the inevitable backlash from those who object (or who have turned, perhaps because of said popularity and/or ubiquity). Sometimes, the pendulum swings back and the backlash fades — but often, the negative connotation is what sticks, and that’s what becomes the lasting perception.

This week’s 3D rerelease of Titanic got us thinking about backlash, and how often we find ourselves defending movies that were, at least in the beginning, critical and popular hits, but have since fallen out of public favor. Thus, we’ve collected ten movies that the worm turned on — but that we’re standing by, damnit, and we’ll tell you why. Check them out after the jump, and add your own in the comments. … Read More

News

The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

By Caroline Stanley on

1. Rachel Weisz and director Darren Aronofsky — one of our favorite Hollywood power couples — are separating after nine years together. She has recently been linked with Daniel Craig, who has way less indie cred. [via Jezebel]
2. Good news: Thanks to great ratings out of the gate, AMC’s new zombie… Read More

Film

Rate-a-Trailer: The Next Three Days

By Caroline Stanley on

We were skeptical when we heard that Paul Haggis, the director of Crash, was working on an action movie, but The Next Three Days looks like it combines his skill for mining the darker parts of humanity with cool stunts and things that go boom. Elizabeth Banks plays a mom who likes to over document her son’s life with digital photos/a convicted murderer. Russell Crowe is her devoted husband. After she tries to commit suicide at the prospect of spending another 20 years in prison, he decides that it’s time to learn how to use a gun and break her out. Liam Neeeson plays the ex-con who helps him come up with a plan. … Read More

Web

What’s on at Flavorpill: Links That Made the Rounds in Our Office

By Caroline Stanley on

Today at Flavorpill, we deconstructed Disney Princesses. We welcomed director (and former Scientologist) Paul Haggis back to the real world. We looked at the first sketches from Stephen King’s upcoming comic book. We judged David Spade. We wanted to walk inside of Richard Serra’s steel sculptures. We daydreamed about the Apple tablet. We made a mental note never to cast Bruce Willis in anything we do. We were frightened by a future filled with rich robot overlords. We liked Tao Lin’s new promotional gimmick. And finally, we laughed at indie stars in Halloween costumes. You’re going to have to click through to find out who that is to the… Read More

Film

James Bond as a Runaway Dad Not a Movie We Want to See

By Caroline Stanley on

According to an interview in New York Magazine with QUANTUM OF SOLACE director MARC FORSTER, Oscar-winning screenwriter PAUL HAGGIS wanted to make James Bond a dad in the latest flick.

“Haggis had an idea they weren’t fond of, and I didn’t know if it would work or not,” says Forster. “The idea was that Vesper in the last movie, maybe she had a kid, and there would be an orphan out there. It wasn’t anything to insult the franchise. But they felt it wasn’t particularly Bond — him looking for the kid. I think Paul thought he just leaves the kid, he doesn’t deal with it. But [the producers] thought that would be really nasty, too, because Bond was an orphan himself. If he would find a kid, would he just leave it? They were so vehemently against it. That was the only time I saw, really, ‘No, we can’t do that.’ They said, ‘Once he finds the kid, Bond can’t just leave the kid. It’s not right.’”

Agreed Forster — we’re glad that you didn’t let Haggis steer the Aston Martin down that melodramatic lane as he is wont to do. It wouldn’t be right — just think of all the “shaken not stirred” baby jokes.

After the jump 10 additional film icons who we think would make really bad parents; add your own picks in the comments. … Read More