On Venturus: TripIt Introduces TripIt Pro Premium Flight Monitoring Service

Latest Video: FilmCrunch 067: Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, Premonition reviewed

Veronica Santiago and Neil Estep review Hairspray, Chuck & Larry, and Premonition in this episode of FilmCrunch.
Play Video
Close Player   Episode Permalink Comment on this Video Subscribe to this show via iTunes, Miro, or RSS Download for: iPod High Definition

This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: June 2, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: MGM, New Line, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Action, Adaptation, Classics, Drama, Period, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Home Entertainment, Lists, New Releases

Defiance DVDHere are some of the options available this Tuesday:

  • Air Force One: Blu-ray
  • Anaconda: Blu-ray
  • Bruce Almighty: Blu-ray
  • Defiance: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Eddie Murphy: Delirious (25th Anniversary Edition): DVD
  • Fletch: Blu-ray
  • Glory: Blu-ray
  • The Graduate: Blu-ray
  • He’s Just Not That Into You: DVD, Blu-ray
  • Inside Man: Blu-ray
  • Navy Seals: Blu-ray

Click to continue reading This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: June 2, 2009

Read More | Amazon

Advertisement

Leonardo DiCaprio taking lessons to sound like Frank Sinatra

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Universal, Biopics, Casting, Upcoming Releases

Leonardo DiCaprio Frank Sinatra is taking singing lessons to sound like Frank Sinatra. Leo is hoping to portray the legendary Sinatra in a new biopic, but needs to prove to director Martin Scorsese he has the vocal talent to carry it off. “Leonardo has hired a top vocal coach to get him sounding like Sinatra. He is a massive fan of the singer and has always wanted to play him. He would be upset to miss out on the leading role because his singing wasn’t up to scratch. He is now in intensive vocal coaching lessons to replicate Sinatra’s distinctive style.” said a source.

However, Leonardo faces competition from stars including George Clooney, Justin Timberlake, Harry Connick Jr. and Jamie Foxx. It was recently claimed Jamie - who played jazz musician Ray Charles in Ray - is being lined up to portray the Rat Pack singer after film bosses saw similarities between the two stars’ backgrounds.

Click to continue reading Leonardo DiCaprio taking lessons to sound like Frank Sinatra


This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: February 17, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Lionsgate, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Adaptation, Drama, Horror, Music, Period, Religious, Sequels, Comedy, Home Entertainment, Lists

Religulous DVDHere are some of the options available this Tuesday:

Five Lovable Big Screen Couples

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Adaptation, Musicals, Romance, Comedy, Casting

Grease - Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta

Love is in air in February - or at least, it’s all over the entertainment industry. Retailers vie for our money, love-soaked television episodes hope for big ratings. The sappier the better, because doesn’t romance put everyone in a spending mood? In Hollywood, love stories are popular all year ‘round - but which lovable big screen couples continue to endure when other romances seems to fade? Some leading ladies and big screen hunks seem to have more chemistry than the average pair, and we love to watch them fall in love again and again.

Let’s look back at five lovable big screen couples, and see what happens when pretend romance is done right.

Olivia Newton-John and - They were both in their twenties when they filmed Grease, but they were the perfect High School couple. The enduring tale of bad-boy-falls-for-good-girl is perhaps best represented with rollicking music and 50s-era fashion - or at least, it’s more enjoyable that way. It’s all thanks to Sandy and Danny, who are so very lovable together.

Click to continue reading Five Lovable Big Screen Couples


Revolutionary Road Another Hit for DiCaprio and Winslet?

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Paramount, Adaptation, Drama, Romance, New Releases, Theatrical Reviews

Revolutionary Road

Eleven years ago, and made film history in Titanic - truly, an on-screen pairing even more epic than Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. With Revolutionary Road, the two are reunited.

But despite this star power, many critics aren’t raving about . MSNBC called the flick “another sinking ship,” to poke a little fun at the Titanic history of this on-screen couple. The same review goes on to call the movie a “dreary film adaptation” and says both main characters are “thoroughly mediocre, uninteresting people.”

The Associated Press calls the film “brutally tedious,” hardly high praise. Many reviewers are comparing the subject matter of the film to a watered-down version of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, and the look of the piece to TV series Mad Men.

Somewhere in the middle of it all are DiCaprio and Winslet, whom - everyone seems to agree - both delivered great performances. If nothing else, the film is worthwhile for these two alone. And not all the reviews are negative - Variety calls the flick “constantly engrossing.”

That’s hopeful, right?

Read More | MSNBC

In Theaters This Holiday Week: December 25, 2008

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Disney, Lionsgate, Paramount, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Documentary, Drama, Foreign, Period, Political, Comedy, Thrillers, Lists, New Releases

The Spirit

Here are some possible suggestions for your holiday weekend:

2009 Golden Globe Nominations (Film)

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Family, Foreign, Foreign Language, Independent, Musicals, Period, Political, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Awards, Lists

Revolutionary Road

Although a looming SAG strike may threaten next year’s Academy Awards, the Golden Globes ceremony should finally go on as planned. The 66th annual event is scheduled to air on Sunday, January 11th, just 11 days before the Oscar nominations are announced.

Here are some of the noteworthy mentions from this year’s list of film nominees:

  • Frost/Nixon and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button both led the field with five nominations each.
  • Despite being chosen Best Film by the New York Film Critics, Sean Penn was the only nod Milk received by the HFPA.
  • Meryl Streep earned two nominations for her work in Doubt and Mamma Mia.
  • Kate Winslet is also up for two awards. Her films - Revolutionary Road and The Reader - are also up for Best Picture.
  • Heath Ledger did get a posthumous nomination as expected.
  • Although he was recently recognized for his acting work in Gran Torino, director Clint Eastwood (Changeling) was only acknowledged for his musical achievements.

(You can find the full list of film nominees after the jump. Click here for the TV nominations.)

 

Click to continue reading 2009 Golden Globe Nominations (Film)

Read More | Hollywood Foreign Press Association

Box Office Breakdown: High School Musical at the Top of the Class

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Family, Horror, Musicals, Political, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

This past week, the multiplexes had a little bit of something for everyone: politics, animals, music, dancing, thrillers, Oscar contenders and even horror. Not surprisingly, this meant a lot of dollars were shelled out in return.

As expected, the big screen debut of had tweeners (and their loving parents) all atwitter. Thanks to a $42 million debut, the G-rated film officially became the best musical opener of all time. (Mamma Mia! - with its $27.8 million - was the previous leader.)

Meanwhile, a film on the other end of the ratings spectrum was scaring up some decent dollars of its own. , which probably could have waited to premiere on Halloween, took in approximately $30 million over the last three days. Although it was pitted against the highly-anticipated Disney sequel, the movie carved out its own audience and raised first place-worthy numbers. Although the series is currently on its fifth life, the 2008 installment came within $4 million dollars of Saw III, the franchise’s best performer to date.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: High School Musical at the Top of the Class

Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: Max Payne Outvotes W for #1

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, DreamWorks, Disney, Fox Searchlight, Lionsgate, Paramount, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Family, Horror, Political, Romance, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists

Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis in Max Payne

Even though was the host of last Saturday’s SNL, it was Mark Wahlberg - a minor player on that same show - who ended up on top.

This past weekend, finally managed to do what no other movie has done yet: take Beverly Hills Chihuahua down. The video game adaptation earned $17.6 million putting nearly $6 million between itself and the family flick.

Surprisingly, a whole Oprah show dedicated to couldn’t provide that star-studded cast enough buzz. Despite a $10.5 million take, the drama still placed behind the four-legged film. (Bee did, though, earn more per theater than any Top Ten entry.) Meanwhile, Oliver Stone’s latest project did a respectable job for a politically-themed movie. W. also raked in $10.5 million this weekend, narrowly missing third place.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Max Payne Outvotes W for #1

Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: Chihuahua Refuses to Kneel Down

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: DreamWorks, Disney, Miramax, Paramount, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Family, Horror, Period, Religious, Romance, Comedy, Sports, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists, New Releases

Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio in Body of Lies

Put a couple of Oscar-nominees in a Middle East-based film and what do you get? Answer: Third place.

Despite the star-wattage in Ridley Scott’s new CIA movie, failed to meet expectations this weekend. The Russell Crowe/Leonardo DiCaprio thriller pulled in a surprising $12.9 million for Warner Bros. That turnout is especially low given the film’s reported $100 million budget.

On the flip side, an entry with a relatively small price tag did better than Lies this week. , Sony Screen Gem’s horror contribution, earned $14.2 million and a second place finish. In just three days, the film has already surpassed its $12 million production costs.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Chihuahua Refuses to Kneel Down

Read More | Variety

Advertisement