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Film

The Greatest Movie Endings of All Time

By Alison Nastasi on

All things must come to an end, but the greatest finales leave a lasting impression. We’ve already explored the best opening scenes in cinema, and now it’s time to dig into a few of film’s greatest movie endings. Not all stories provide audiences with closure, happy resolutions, and loose ends neatly wrapped in a bow. Some of the best tales reveal jaw-dropping truths, narrative twists, and allow questions that go unanswered to linger in our minds. We’ve rounded up some of the most epic film endings past the break. There’s plenty of room to discuss your favorites in the comments, so chime in with your thoughts after clicking through our gallery for more memorable movie goodbyes. Oh, and consider this your big-time spoiler warning. … Read More

Film

Cinema’s Most Famous Babies: Where Are They Now?

By Jennifer Lewis on

Folks, it’s time to shift our attention to a special breed of actors: the ones who can’t remember performing in their respective films. They come into our lives as little ones, leave our lives as little ones, and often go on to lead perfectly normal non-child star lives — y’know, just with some excellent conversational perks, like, “I’ve been kidnapped by David Bowie,” and “Bill Murray protected me from demons.” Have you ever wondered what these former tiny movie stars look like as grownups? We certainly have. That’s why we tracked down the current photos of 11 famous movie babies from the likes of Labyrinth, Popeye, The Godfather, and more (but not from Three Men and a Baby, because our Internet detective skills have failed us in that… Read More

Web

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

By Alison Nastasi on

Today at Flavorpill, we checked in with Time’s Fall Arts Preview — a look at the season’s most-anticipated films, shows, art, and more. We read the best comic ever about Drake fighting the Illuminati. We witnessed a giant bird in a man suit. We enjoyed 11 of the best… Read More

Film

The Movies We Never Get Tired of Watching

By Jason Bailey on

As part of its year-long commemoration of 100 years making movies, Universal is releasing Jaws in a terrific new Blu-ray edition today, to which we say: about time. For us, Jaws is one of those special movies that, no matter how many times you see it, never gets old; it’s not just that it’s a great movie (though it is), since there are plenty of great movies that don’t scream out for repeat viewings. (Dancer in the Dark was one of our favorite films of 2000, for example, but we can’t imagine subjecting ourselves to it again.) It’s that there are certain movies that only grow richer with return visits, or whose pleasures seem inexplicable inured to the diminishing glow of repetition. After the jump, some thoughts on Jaws and a few other movies that we just can’t stop watching. … Read More

Film

The Movies People Need to Stop Quoting

By Jason Bailey on

Earlier this week, while running down the worst performances of some of our favorite actors, we were reminded again of that unfortunate moment back in 2000 where Robert De Niro cashed in the chip of one of his most iconic performances for a cheap laugh in a Rocky & Bullwinkle movie. That’s only one way of looking at it, of course — it could also be argued that everyone else had been quoting Taxi Driver for years, so De Niro was just getting in on the action himself. There is something to be said for the notion that, cinema classic though it might be, we’ve probably all had enough of people taking the opportunity whenever they look in a mirror to do a Bickle-esque smile/smirk and inquire, “You talkin’ to me?”

Taxi Driver is one of many great movies that have been trod upon by the corrupting influence of movie quoting, that unfortunate social phenomenon by which pop culture obsessives, unable to communicate with their own words, end up speaking primarily in dialogue lifted from their favorite films, rendering said dialogue tiresome and unwelcome. We’ve assembled over a dozen movies we’re sick of having quoted back to us, but we’re sure we left some out — and that’s what the comment section is for. Check them out after the jump. … Read More

Design

Illustrations of Classic Movies in Miniature Style

By Caroline Stanley on

What do you get when you combine the iconic imagery of classic films like Star Wars and The Godfather with the style of Ottoman miniature? Istanbul-based illustrator Murat Palta decided to explore this unlikely juxtaposition as part of the portfolio that he created for his thesis project, and we find the resulting images incredibly entertaining.

“It all started two years ago with an experiment to blend traditional ‘oriental’ (Ottoman) motifs and contemporary ‘western’ cinema,” he explains. “After a positive response to Ottoman Star Wars, I decided to take the theme further, and developed more film posters using the same technique. Combining global with local, traditional with contemporary, and adding a bit of humor made it a fun and rewarding experience for me.” Click through to check out the series, head over to The Curious Brain to get a look at each of the pieces in even greater detail, and then let us know in the comments what kind of marks you’d give his work. … Read More

Pop Culture

Of Course You Can Be the Horse’s Head in ‘Godfather’ Monopoly

By Caroline Stanley on

We’re no stranger to pop culture-inspired takes on Monopoly; we’ve previously lusted after versions of the classic board game that nod at Game of Thrones, The Princess Bride, and The Big Lebowski. The major difference with The Godfather Monopoly? You’ll actually be able to buy this collector’s edition —… Read More

Film

Famous Films Almost Made by Different Directors

By Alison Nastasi on

After a slam-dunk opening weekend at the box office, Avengers director Joss Whedon has to be giddy over his epic superhero spectacle. We’re sure it’s far more thrilling a feeling than the one the Cabin in the Woods filmmaker had when he pitched a Batman movie shortly before Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins would reboot the caped crusader franchise. According to an interview with the director that Slash Film shared, Whedon’s “morbid, death-obsessed kid” Batman pitch — in which a 12-year-old Bruce Wayne realizes his true purpose — didn’t impress Warner Bros. Nolan’s version of Batman eventually made its way to theaters. Whedon’s story, however, recalls the number of big budget studio projects that were almost made by different directors, and we’ve explored a few of those famous titles past the break. Leave your picks below. … Read More

Web

What’s On at Flavorpill: The Links That Made the Rounds In Our Office

By Alison Nastasi on

Today at Flavorpill, we learned a few real-life love lessons from favorite fictional men. We got teary at this story about dogs on the Titanic. We went zero gravity with creative collective NAM. We enjoyed this TED talk with Rookie founder and editor-in-chief Tavi Gevinson about teens “figuring it… Read More

Film

12 of the Greatest Movie Roles Almost Played

By Jason Bailey on

The weekend’s big movie, as you well know, was The Hunger Games, while DVD and Blu-ray players have been firing up Fincher’s Girl with the Dragon Tattoo since its release last week. The two films have a lot in common: powerful female protagonists, adaptations of bestsellers, probable franchise kick-offs. As such, they were also each objects of carefully considered casting. It’s become part of the pre-production process, the bandying about of potential name actors for high-profile roles; Fincher reportedly talked to Carey Mulligan, Keira Knightley, Anne Hathaway, Natalie Portman, Kristen Stewart, and Scarlett Johansson before settling on Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, while Hunger Games director Gary Ross’ alternate Katnisses included Hailee Steinfeld, Abigail Breslin, Emma Roberts, Chloe Moretz, and Saoirse Ronan.

Contemplating proxy casting choices is a fun parlor game for movie fans (perhaps second only to considering movies that never came to pass at all). After the jump, we’ll take a look at a dozen iconic movie roles, and the actors who almost, almost filled them. … Read More