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10 of Film’s Greatest Sex Comedies

By Jason Bailey on

We’ve been excited about For A Good Time, Call… since its Sundance premiere, and not just because it (like fellow Sundance film Bachelorette, on demand now and in theaters next month) indicates that the post-Bridesmaids female-heavy R-rated comedy surge is actually going to happen. More than that, For A Good Time is, quite simply, a very funny and exquisitely likable sex comedy, and there’s a shortage of those any way you slice it. There’s no shortage of sex comedies, of course — since the early ‘80s heyday of Porky’s and Hardbodies and their ilk, they’ve been all but ubiquitous. But have you ever tried going back and watching those iconic titles? Good heavens. They do not hold up well.

But a select few do. After the jump, we’ve assembled ten of our all-time favorite sex comedies (which we’re defining as movies where sex is the primary preoccupation/subject matter); add your own in the comments. … Read More

Film

10 Great Supporting Performances by Actors Who Usually Lead

By Jason Bailey on

Out on DVD today is one of our favorite rom-coms in many a moon, Jennifer Westfeldt’s Friends with Kids, which stars the writer/director and… Adam Scott, which seems sort of strange considering that Ms. Wesfeldt’s S.O. for the past decade and a half has been Mr. Jon Hamm, who would seem an obvious choice for the film’s leading role. Instead, as in Bridesmaids, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and The Town (and in sharp contrast to his television work), Hamm plays a secondary supporting role in the picture — and continues to carve out a niche for himself as a leading man who chooses to be a second banana. After the jump, we’ve got ten more name actors who decided to step back and play supporting roles, to great effect. … Read More

Film

This Week in Trailers: Cruise, ‘Compliance,’ and Cirque du Soleil

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 seven new trailers starring Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson, Jesse Eisenberg, Jessica Biel, Gael Garcia Bernal, Melissa Leo, and Tracy Morgan; check ‘em all out after the jump, and share your thoughts in the comments. … 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 laughed at 10 wtf romance novel covers. We wondered about the future of Tomkat on his 50th birthday. We read a history of Romney and the Beach Boys. We watched a 1992-riffic mashup featuring Bill Clinton and M83′s “Midnight City” from Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming.… Read More

Fashion

Dear Costume Department: ‘Rock of Ages’

By Of a Kind on

Editor’s note: Welcome to Dear Costume Department, a bi-weekly feature brought to you by our fashion-minded friends from Of a Kind, a curated shopping site of limited-edition goods by emerging designers. With each installment, they’ll bring you a head-to-toe look inspired by a buzzed-about pop culture personality — complete with info on where to grab the pieces for your own closet. Enjoy!

So many Broadway-to-megaplex journeys only end in disappointment — remember Rosario Dawson and Taye Diggs in Rent? — but we’re so excited at the prospect of seeing Paul Giamatti, Alec Baldwin, and Bryan Cranston in musical form that we’re willing to give Rock of Ages a chance. Plus, the opportunity to finally forgive Tom Cruise a handful of his sins is pretty welcome, too. It’s almost like he’s getting to travel back in time, channeling the good old days when he was still the world’s biggest movie star by playing the world’s biggest rock star. Here’s what we hope he’s wearing as ’80s icon Stacee Jaxx. … Read More

Film

Flavorpill’s Guide to Movies You Need to Stream This Week

By Jason Bailey on

Welcome to Flavorpill’s streaming movie guide, in which we help you sift through the scores of movies streaming on Netflix, Hulu, and other services to find the best of the recently available, freshly relevant, or soon to expire. This week, we find Netflix purging a bunch of good titles for a giant batch of new ones in early June (must be some sort of mid-year end-of-contract period or something), so our list is mostly — but not entirely — comprised of stuff you’ll have to get on quick, featuring stars like Johnny Depp, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, Michael Douglas, Billy Bob Thornton, Parker Posey, Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Spacey, Woody Harrelson, Tom Cruise, Winona Ryder, and Sylvester Stallone. Check them all out after the jump, and follow the title links to watch them right now. … Read More

Film

Video Essay: “Threequel: Even More Famous Faces in Their Film Debuts”

By Jason Bailey on

Well, I’m sorry, but we just couldn’t resist. After our first two “Famous Faces in their Film Debut” video essays took the Internet by storm, we found that with a bit more digging, we could unearth enough new goodies to warrant a third (but final, probably) entry in the series. So check out a squeaky-voiced Tom Cruise, a little tiny Angelina Jolie, an even tinier Robert Downey Jr., and a young (but somehow still old-looking) Tommy Lee Jones, among many other oddities, after the jump. … Read More

Film

10 of the Most Exciting Stunts in Film History

By Alison Nastasi on

World-class stuntman Vic Armstrong has lived as Indiana Jones, James Bond, Superman, and other epic cinema heroes throughout his career. He’s worked closely with the action icons many of us grew up with on the big screen, and the stuntman has risked his life countless times to perfect the unforgettable scenes that have replayed in our collective movie memory for decades.

Armstrong’s new book — The True Adventures of the World’s Greatest Stuntman, a wild ride through the death-defying maestro’s career — hits shelves on May 29. It’s a reminder that some of the greatest talents in Hollywood are those behind the scenes and not mugging for the camera.

We wanted Armstrong’s expert input on some of cinema’s most exciting action stunts, and he was kind enough to share his thoughts about 10 different scenes. Head past the break where we dig up a few thrilling moments in action movie history, and drop your favorites below. … Read More

Film

Our Favorite Action Scenes of the 21st Century

By Jason Bailey on

Though it was considered a possibly tough sell upon its original theatrical release last December (due to the, shall we say, tricky PR challenges presented by star Tom Cruise), we probably don’t have to do much at this point to sell you on Mission: Impossible—Ghost Protocol, the fourth (and best) of the series, out today on DVD and Blu-ray. But if you’re still unconvinced, it is worth reiterating that not only is the picture a smooth, confident, masterfully executed spy thriller, but it contains one of the single finest action sequences we’ve ever seen (below). Contemplating the weight of that statement got us thinking about some of the other contenders; in the interest of brevity, we decided to confine ourselves to films released in the current century. After the jump, take a look at some of our favorite recent action sequences, and be sure to add your own in the comments. … Read More

Film

This Week in Trailers: ‘Ted,’ ‘Total Recall,’ ‘To Rome with Love,’ and More

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. We’ve got eleven trailers for you this week, including new films from Woody Allen, Oliver Stone, and Seth McFarlane, plus Whitney Houston’s final role and Katy Perry in 3D. (Seriously.) Check ‘em all out after the jump, and share your thoughts in the comments. … Read More