Welcome to FlixChatter’s primary blog series! As is customary for this monthly feature, I get to post five random news item/observation/poster, etc. and then turn it over to you to share your take on that given topic. You can see the previous five-for-the-fifth posts here.
1. First things first… well, Twitter erupted with geekgasm yesterday when the third Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer dropped. I have to admit I dug it enough I watched it three times in a row during my lunch break. I’m lucky to have the 23-inch Apple Cinema HD Display at the office 😉
I wasn’t super excited about the first two trailers but now I’m slowly getting more enthusiastic about this sequel. Though I’m much more excited about Captain America 3 that opens May 2016.
Favorite shot from #Avengers #AgeOfUltron new trailer. #ScienceBros #Stony pic.twitter.com/xFGNgFMRV2
— Durin’s Dame (@mavieenlair) March 4, 2015
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For those who’re averse to comic-book stuff, no fret. Far from the Madding Crowd also opens on the same weekend (May 1).
In Victorian England, the independent and headstrong Bathsheba Everdene attracts three very different suitors: Gabriel Oak, a sheep farmer; Frank Troy, a reckless Sergeant; and William Boldwood, a prosperous and mature bachelor.
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I never read Thomas Hardy’s famous novel that the movie’s based on but I like the look of this one, sounds like something I’d enjoy. Carey Mulligan is lovely & talented, and this is from the director of The Hunt, Thomas Vinterberg, which was one of my top 10 films of 2013.
So are you excited for either one of these?
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2. Check out the FIRST LOOK of Oliver Stone’s thriller SNOWDEN. The film is currently shooting in Munich, before moving to locations around the world. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Snowden before he became the NSA whistle-blower – Edward was an ordinary man who unquestioningly served his country.
The movie also stars Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo, Zachary Quinto, Tom Wilkinson, Rhys Ifans, Joely Richardson, Timothy Olyphant … and Nicolas Cage! Hmmm, I wonder which role he’d play, and most importantly which hairdo he’ll be sporting 😉
In any case, I’m not convinced yet about Levitt as Snowden, here’s what my casting wish for the role:
#RichardArmitage & #EdwardSnowden The resemblance is pretty uncanny, no? pic.twitter.com/KEZcocuFQJ
— FlixChatter (@FlixChatter) September 22, 2014
I knew the chance of Richard being cast is slim to none, he’s just a big enough name yet for such a role. Now, I’m not exactly a big Oliver Stone fan as director, we’ll see how much creative liberties will be taken for this movie. I think if you want to see the real Snowden, just watch the excellent doc Citizenfour instead.
What’s your initial thoughts of SNOWDEN?
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3. Well, Cinderella hasn’t even opened yet and the interweb has been abuzz with the casting of yet another live action Disney adaptation, Beauty & The Beast. Apparently it’ll be a musical, with Emma Watson as Belle, who was cast months ago. Well, this week we’ve got casting news of the Beast himself AND its villain, Gaston: Dan Stevens and Luke Evans respectively. Behold the gorgeous all-Brits main cast:
I actually just rewatched some clips of the animated feature not that long ago and looking at the drawings below, I’d say the casting is pretty spot-on physically. Though Stevens would likely have to undergo long hours in the makeup chair to get all big and furry as Beast, which is too bad that they have to cover up that handsome face!
I personally like this casting. These are impossibly beautiful actors but fortunately they can act and have charismatic screen presence. It’d have been horrid if they cast say, Alex Pettyfer and Liam Hemsworth for example. Not convinced with Bill Condon as director though, but I haven’t seen Dreamgirls yet, so I suppose he has experience directing a musical.
What do you think of this casting bit?
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4. Oh for the times they are a-changin. Nothing could be truer for media distribution landscape, as companies like Amazon and Netflix are entering the foray. Well, this is creating some interesting *shake-up* as four major theater chains are refusing to show Beasts of No Nation, the Cary Fukunaga drama starring Idris Elba that Netflix bought this week for $12 million, because the company is debuting the film simultaneously on its streaming service (per Variety).
Apparently the reason is that “… they do not want to provide screens to films that do not honor what is typically a 90-day delay between a theatrical debut and a home entertainment release.”
A drama based on the experiences of Agu, a child soldier fighting in the civil war of an unnamed African country.
Well, since I have Netflix, it doesn’t bother me much, but this news certainly made me pause a bit. What if it’s the kind of movie I’d LOVE to see on the big screen? There’s only a handful of indie theaters near me, so there’s a likelihood none would even show such films. How big of a game changer this will become remains to be seen, but we might know sooner rather than later. Netflix also announced similar plans to the sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon that’s supposed to be out in August. It’s also partnering with a bunch of celebs on various projects, the latest is a partnership with Leonardo DiCaprio on documentaries that will premiere exclusively on Netflix.
What are your thoughts on this development?
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5. The first 2015 Five for the Fifth’s guest is Natalie from Writer Loves Movies blog!
We’re seeing some interesting Artificial Intelligence films lately (Her, Ex Machina). Chappie is out soon too. As a kid I loved Johnny 5 from Short Circuit! But as a grown up I’d have to pick Her‘s Samantha, such a clever film.
So, what’s your favorite cinematic AI?
Well, that’s it for the March 2015 edition of Five for the Fifth, folks. Now, please pick a question out of the five above or better yet, do ‘em all! 😀
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FLIXCHATTER FILM BLOG 
1. I’m excited for both The Avengers: Age of Ultron as it looks cool while I’m eager to check out Far from the Madding Crowd.
2. Having just seen Citizenfour, I feel like this dramatic version of the film is unnecessary. Plus, Oliver Stone hasn’t made a good film in more than a decade and I doubt it will be any good because the man has lost his touch.
3. Dan Stevens as the Beast, Emma Watson as Beauty, and Luke Evans as Gaston? OK, I’m in.
4. I don’t have Netflix and I have no interest in using it. Plus, I want to see the film in the theaters if its available nearby.
5. Samantha from Her.
Hi Steven! Yeah I’m excited for both Ultron and ‘Far from the Madding Crowd’ too, I like both action flicks AND period dramas 🙂
Yep that’s kind of what I think too about Snowden, besides Stone tends to embellish things and like you said, he probably has lost his touch.
That’s pretty awesome casting isn’t it? Esp Luke Evans as Gaston, apparently he could sing, too!
I think Beasts of No Nation will be shown in indie theaters, I’m interested in seeing that too!
Yay, I love Samantha too!
1. Age of Ultron! Been intrigued from the beginning. This new trailer only added to its awesomeness.
2. Oh, I think this story needs to be told. The more that comes out, the better. All in for SNOWDEN.
3. Don’t know about this.
4. While I’m a fan of the big screen, I’m okay with simultaneous releases for smaller, independent films. Big tentpole franchises really won’t be effected, I believe.
5. Great question by Natalie. Good picks, Ruth. I’d offer up BLADE RUNNER and WALL•E for mine.
Hello Michael! I hope Age of Ultron would be even better than the first Avengers!
I’m curious about Snowden’s life before he worked at NSA, let’s hope Stone does it justice though.
Are you not into Beauty & the Beast in general or just the live-action adaptation?
Yeah I doubt big tent pole films would be affected, that’s why it’s odd that these theaters are so up in arms about this.
Oooh I love Deckard and Wall•E too!
I enjoyed the movie, and then the stage play. I don’t know if a live-action movie is going to capture that same magic.
Ah I hear ya. I still haven’t seen the stage version but I’ve been wanting to do so. The animated version is one of Disney’s most astounding work so yeah it’ll be tough for this film to measure up to that. Still the casting has me intrigued 😉
1. Yup Age of Ultron will rock on IMAX, hopefully the 3D effects will be better than the first movie.
2. Don’t really care about Snowden and Stone hasn’t made a good film in years. In fact after the awful ALEXANDER, I stopped refuse to see his movies after that one. It’s funny when criticized how current movies are unwatchable and yet he’s been churning out crappy movies.
3. Not my cup of tea.
4. It’s the wave of the future, many people prefer streaming these days and I don’t have any issues with Netflix or Amazon carrying new movies. But like Michael said, big budget tentpoles won’t be effected because there are too much money involved and of course those kind of movies needs to be seen on the biggest screen.
5. The Terminator and Deckard from Blade Runner (even though I don’t believe he’s a replican). CHAPPIE = awful.
I REALLY hope the screening would be at IMAX, I mean the real IMAX at the zoo!
I never saw Alexander, though I’ve been reading about him recently. It’s a bummer there hasn’t been a good film made about him, as he’s such an interesting historical figure.
Yeah I think most studios wouldn’t be affected by Netflix/Amazon, but it’s interesting how the major theater chains react so negatively. I mean, Beast of No Nation sounds like a small-budget film so it’d probably play more at indie theaters anyway.
Oy, so Chappie is THAT bad eh? Looking forward to reading your review 😉
I wouldn’t recommend you sit through that train wreck ALEXANDER, I watched the so-called extended version was supposed to improved from the theatrical cut and it’s 3 hours of my life I can’t get back. Stone is like many filmmakers his age, he doesn’t have much to say or creativity to tell good stories anymore.
CHAPPIE was like a work of a film student who somehow conned a big studio to financed it. Terrible terrible!
Ahah I wouldn’t waste my time on Alexander, Ted. I’d rather look for some documentaries on it. I mean Colin Farrell looked hilarious w/ bleached blond hair, he doesn’t scream ‘warrior’ to me either.
Oy, I reckon your review would be a pretty scathing one. Well I look forward to reading it soon 🙂
Looking forward to reading your review of Chappie Ted. I was excited to see this one but there are a few bad reports coming in… 😦
Thanks for including my question here Ruth!
1. I’m super excited for Far From The Madding Crowd, I love Carey Mulligan! I just started reading the book.
2. I think Snowden could be good with JGL in the lead, although I have to say that Richard Armitage is pretty uncanny in the looks department! I think he deserves a strong lead role too.
3. Beauty And the Beast is probably my second favourite Disney film after The Little Mermaid so I’m a bit nervous about a live action version. I think the casting of Emma Watson is perfect but I’m not really a fan of Dan Stevens – he doesn’t really scream romantic hero to me 😦
4. It’s interesting news but I’m disappointed that some cinema chains have declined to take part – I can see where they’re coming from, as why would people pay to see a movie in the theatre when it will be available as part of a package deal at home? But it just seems like bad news for the industry as a whole, times are a changing and theatres need to look forwards rather than cling to the past.
5. Super excited to see Chappie this weekend! Hope it’s as good as District 9. I thought Elysium was a bit to conventional, so hopefully Chappie will be a little more original.
No thank YOU! LOVE your question too and we share a favorite.
Well JGL is the better and more recognized actor than Richard, but yeah, it’s uncanny how much he resembles Snowden. I kept thinking that when I was watching Citizenfour! Yeah he certainly deserves a high profile role.
Dan Stevens doesn’t scream romantic hero?? Oh no, you should see him in BBC Sense & Sensibility!! He’s such a perfect romantic hero, waaaay better than Hugh Grant in the same role of Edward.
“…times are a changing and theatres need to look forwards rather than cling to the past” You hit the nail straight on the head there. But of course if it affects their bottom line it’s hard for the execs to think about the big picture.
I hope Chappie doesn’t disappoint you. I will have a guest review of that for this weekend, doesn’t look like my friend enjoyed it though.
Thanks Ruth. I have a feeling Chappie is going to disappoint as there are a few negative reviews creeping in 😦 I’ll let you know after the weekend. I haven’t seen that Sense & Sensibility but I’m more of a Colonel Brandon girl myself 😉 Loved Alan Rickman in the role!
1.) Director Thomas Vinterberg has been hit or miss over his career(avoid It’s All About Love and Dear Wendy, which are both average). Hopefully Far from the Madding Crowd is of the same quality as The Hunt.
5.) Good question. My favorite film 2001: A Space Odyssey has the speaking computer HAL 9000
I have to admit I’ve only seen The Hunt from Vinterberg, which was superb. So yeah hopefully this would be at least as good as that one.
Believe it or not, I still need to see 2001, that’s on my Blindspot of this year 😉
Just on while at work so I’ll be quick…
2. I actually watched Citizenfour the other day and I’m going to have to try hard to hold off from judging Snowden until I see it. I do think a bit more distance would be useful before the appearance of a biopic, but hey ho, it’s a tasty-looking cast and I could well be wrong. I do wonder whether a focus on his pre-whistleblowing past will actually diminish the importance of what he revealed in 2013, though. In Citizenfour he’s very clear that the story shouldn’t be about him.
5. For my favourite cinematic AI I’ll go for Roy Batty in Blade Runner and Yul Brynner’s cowboy in Westworld. He was the Terminator while Arnie was still beefing up in the gym!
Hey Stu! Curious what you think of Citizenfour. I thought it was a well-done doc and you’re right, the story should be more about the NSA. I don’t really know the relevance of showing Snowden’s life prior to his role as a whistleblower.
Yul Brynner once played an AI?? Now THAT I gotta see!
I’ll happily watch Far From the Madding Crowd. With Cinderella coming out, it seems Disney has a new platform–all the princess movies will be redone with real people. Favorite A.I.? I still love to cry for David in Spielberg’s A.I. 🙂
If I could watch both Age of Ultron and Far From the Madding Crowd back to back, that’ll be awesome! Yeah, Disney is milking their own creations for all its worth, nothing new there though. David is played by Jude Law right?
Jude Law starred in it as the robotic gigolo–one of my favorite performances by him! David was the boy and played by Haley Joel Osment. 🙂
Ah ok, I kept forgetting their names. Joel Osment was excellent in that!
That film stands the test of time. I loved it. Minority Report, too.
I always enjoy your FFTF 🙂
#1 hehehe sorry to say none excite me.
The beauty and the beast musical sounds intriguing and yes the cast are great.
Favorite AI..I would say Doraemon. Growing up watching that series kinda makes me wants to have my own Doraemon. I don’t know whether you had a chance to see that animation before you went to US.
Hello Nov! No love for Far for the Madding Crowd? I thought you’d be familiar w/ the novel. Glad to hear you dig the Beauty & The Beast cast. Are you familiar w/ Dan Stevens?
Doraemon! Interesting, I actually never seen any of the animated series.
Nice to see Stevens land something big like Beauty and the Beast. I wonder how they plan on pulling that off, CGI or practical? Maybe a little bit of both…
Hi Ryan! Yeah I’m curious how they’ll do the Beast makeup. I think it might have to be both, it’ll be too expensive I’d imagine to do a full CGI on that.
AH! I was planning on talking about like half of these on Monday in my Fistful of Thoughts post! You beat me to it, but I had a strong feeling you’d be talking about Beauty and the Beast today 😀
1) Yes, excited for both…mostly Far From…simply because I loved the 67 version and the cast is wonderful. I was cool on The Avengers while the rest of the world was flipping out, so I’m wondering if I’ll really like this one, but it looks exciting!
2) Snowden, while initially one of those films I was dismissing, it’s starting to creep up on me as one I’m really excited for…I think.
3) The Disney film is one of my favorite films of all time, without question, so I’m weary about this…but…the cast seems good, even though I don’t think Watson is near the beauty they should have chosen for Belle.
4) I kind of love that Netflix picked this film up, because it means I’ll get to see it sooner than later, since getting to the theaters is SO HARD when you have three kids.
5) I loved Samantha in Her…like SO MUCH. I fell in love with her along with Phoenix. Such a believable romance which is so unbelievable.
Hey Drew! Hey you can still post ’em on Monday, though there might be other news by then that catches your eye 😉
I’m curious about the 67 version of ‘Far from Madding Crowd,’ might have to check that out before the new one is out. Ahah yeah I’m actually not as huge a fan of Avengers as most, I actually still like Capt America the most from Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Have you seen Citizenfour yet? Highly recommend that one Drew!
I hear ya about not having time going to the movies! I don’t have kids and it’s still hard for me to go every weekend.
I was quite taken by Samantha too, in fact I was hoping Scarlett would get a nomination for her astounding voice performance!!
Highly recommend the 67 version. It’s stunningly beautiful, and Peter Finch gives a tremendous performance (Michael Sheen has his role in the new movie).
Will do! I just checked IMDb and Terrence Stamp plays Sergeant Troy, I almost didn’t recognize him from the poster: http://www.imdb.com/media/rm2864553472/tt0061648?ref_=tt_ov_i Boy he looks hot in that photo 😉
1. Age of Ultron is so far away I can’t get excited for it just yet.
Thanks for the heads up about Far From the Maddening Crowd. Was looking online and saw that John Schlesinger unsuccessfully directed this movie back in ’67 right before he went on to direct his most successful movie Midnight Cowboy. Will check it out Ruth.
Thomas Vinterberg directed a movie called The Celebration (Festen) back in the late ’90 under his and Lars von Trier’s Dogme 95 collective. It’s a serious film about a dysfunctional family that gathers for their father’s birthday. Secrets from the past are revealed turning the party into a confessional that will stay with you long after the movie is over. It was my favorite of the Dogme 95 series. By the end of it you forget the “gimmick” and come away impressed with how he did so much with the restrictive rules of Dogme ’95. There’s no subs in this trailer. The less known going in the better.
2. I stopped watching Stone after Natural Born Killers and that was 20 years ago. I will say he had a great run from Salvador in ’86 to JFK in ’91. That includes writing Midnight Express and Scarface earlier in his career. Citizenfour was enough for me.
3. Beautiful cast but I’m not that big on Disney. Despite your reservations Condon did write Chicago. So there’s that.
4. Times are a changin’. I’m not bothered by the films on the small screen. I do think there are films that should be seen on the big screen. For example Jurassic Park or Lawrence of Arabia. Plus there is something to be said for the group movie watching experience.
5. Sure Samantha from Her is sexier but I have to go with the one, the only Hal 9000. With that unblinking red eye and that calm, soothing voice he’s scary as any psychopath out there who rationalizes killing in the name of self preservation with out feeling a thing. Now please open the pod bay doors Hal.
Hey Dave! May is just two months away 😉 The Celebration sounds intriguing, I could’ve sworn there are some American movies recently with that premise.
Seems that everyone agree Stone hasn’t got it anymore. We’ll see how he fares w/ this one, I’m surprised JGL signed on to be honest.
Actually I didn’t really care for Chicago 😦
I agree, there are definitely films that need to be experienced on the big screen.
Still need to see 2001, it’s in my Blindspot list!
1. Age of Ultron! SQUEEE! So excited for this. You know what’s even better? We get it a week earlier than the States. Can.Not.Wait. 😀
I’m not a big Carey Mulligan fan myself, but I will most likely see Far From the Maddening Crowd at some stage.
2. Richard would have been PERFECT for Snowden. I like Joseph Gordon-Levitt, don’t get me wrong, his talent just continues to grow, but I’ll withhold judgement on him in this role until I see it. Still not completely sold. Citizenfour was indeed excellent.
3. Luke Evans as Gaston!! Amazing! It’ll be hard not to cheer for the villain in this case, as I love Evans, and I always found Gaston in the animated Beauty and the Beast to be hilarious, even as a child. (“I’m especially good at expectorating!”)
Dreamgirls is worth a watch, though I was slightly disappointed as it didn’t live up to the hype, IMO.
4. I’ll watch anything with Idris Elba in it.
To be honest, I’m loving the direction the likes of Netflix and Amazon are taking. It can only mean one thing for us; some quality programming and film for a decent price that we can enjoy without being bombarded with intrusive advertisement.
5. As a kid, my favourite AI was probably The Terminator. And R2D2. And Bishop. As an adult, maybe Wall-E. So backwards, I know. Great question!
Hey hey V, glad to see you stop by girl!
Squeee! LOVE your enthusiasm there. What what, you’re getting it sooner than the States? No fair! 😉 Hey the boys might interest you in ‘Far From Maddening Crowd’ he..he..
Richard just never catch a break for some reason, I mean he’d be perfect! I kept thinking that as I watched Citizenfour, he looks SO much like him, he’s also tall and lean.
Gaston is such a hoot! I think Evans has the looks and charisma to pull off the role. Apparently he could sing too!
Yeah I think Netflix/Amazon as game changers is exciting for us movie fans, I know that studios/theaters might be worried but for us it’s a good thing to have multiple options to see a film.
Terminator still rules! I so wish the upcoming movie would be decent.
1. I’m very excited about Age of Ultron. I actually dug the previous trailers too, but this latest one to be released has me even more excited!
2. Well, you probably know what a big fan I am of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, so of course, I’m excited for him. But I’m much more excited for his lead role in The Walk that’s coming out later this year in October. What’s interesting is that documentaries have been made about the content of both films in which he’ll be starring (When I Walk in 2013 and CitzenFour in 2014). It’s just interesting.
3. I think Luke Evans became my new favorite crush after the latest Hobbit movie. I also saw him recently in one of the Fast and Furious films as the villain (I think the 6th one), and I thought he was great. He’s ideally cast as Gaston, considering his looks. And now that I’ve seen him play both a good guy and a villain, I certainly think he’ll be great. What I am most curious about is how well he sings!
4. It’s an interesting trend. I have Netflix, so I won’t complain, but I am with you in that things are really beginning to change. I have a lot of friends who couldn’t care less about going to see movies on the big screen, but for me, it is one of the biggest deals, haha. So while it’s convenient to get a lot of these releases through Netflix (I really like some of the Netflix original TV shows), I prefer to keep movie debuts on the big screen, personally.
5. Ya know, I’d probably go with Terminator for lack of better options. I’d really like to see Her at some point.
Age of Ultron definitely will blow EVERY competition out of the water, the question should be who ISN’T excited for it, ahah.
I’m a bit more intrigued by The Walk than Snowden, but mostly because of the director.
Evans seems like an actor who can pull off both hero AND villain. There are actually some clips on youtube of him singing, just search for them. He sounds pretty good!
I don’t always see movies on its first weekend, so I personally don’t mind that it debuts on Netflix. If it’s a movie I want to see on the big screen, like say Interstellar, then I’ll go to the theater.
OMG do see HER soon, Kris! I really love that one.
1. I am looking forward to all these movies, especially Far from the Madding Crowd. I haven’t read the novel. The only Hardy novels I’ve read are Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Return of the Native. But given that Tess and Jude are quite good, I think Hardy is very adaptable to screen. 🙂 And The Hunt was excellent!
2. I was excited about Snowden until I found out they’d cast Nicolas Cage.
Meh.
3. Not sure — but I will probably watch it when it comes to DVD.
4. I have mixed feelings. Like you, I don’t have any theaters around me that show non-mainstream films, so Netflix is my best chance of seeing movies. On the other hand, with movie theaters struggling, I can see the reason the delay should be honored. But this is the wave of the future. Sadly, theaters are taking a mortal blow, like video rental shops and brick and mortar bookstores. We can’t turn back time.
Great question! I am fond of Wall-E and the robot voiced by Alan Tudyk in I, Robot.
Hi Irene! I have a feeling you’d like Far from the Madding Crowd, it’ll be my first Hardy adaptation for me. Glad you like The Hunt too!
Ahah, Cage is a bit of guilty pleasure for me. I bet he only has a small supporting role in it.
I understand movie theaters are hurtin’ but if Netflix bought the film, I’d think they have the right to release it however they want. I do miss the brick & mortar video stores, they’re practically gone except for a couple of tiny family-operated ones I see in smaller towns.
1. Excited for both! Euffalo in one and Sheen in the other!
2. Stone’s films suck lately so I don’t think this one will be good
3. Stevens is a fabulous choice! I’m still not sure about Watson there is something mean looking about her
4. Well I watch movies at home more often so this is great, not everything has to be viewed on the big screen though I do love the ambiance of the movie theater
5. Hm, Samantha is a great choice but I adore the Teddy Bear from AI 🙂
Hi Sati! Y’mean Ruffalo right, you must be too excited to type properly, mwahaha! Yeah Sheen is in the Far from the Madding Crowd too, been a while since I saw him in anything.
Yep, seems that Stone’s lost his touch, I personally recommend Citizenfour anyway if you’re curious about Snowden.
Yeah I’m glad they cast Stevens instead of some pretty young thing who can’t act. Hmmm, now that you said it, I see what you mean about Watson. Belle has to be sweet and kind, I’m thinking someone like Felicity Jones might work.
I watch as many movies at home too, unless it’s a press screening. It’d have to be a VERY special movie for me to pay full price for cinematic viewing. Btw, no comment about Idris? 😉
Yeah this is what happens after hours in a shit office and several martinis in the evening….:)
Idris is clothed in that picture, so I can’t comment yet 🙂
Hey Ruth, I’m slightly more on the ball with this one this month!
1. I can’t wait for The Avengers. I absolutely loved the first one and they could just show that again and I’d probably lap it up!
2. Snowden isn’t one that’s particularly on my radar right now, but I’ll keep an eye on it. Armitage certainly looks more the part than JGL!
3. I think they may well have just completed the most perfect casting in history with this lot. It’s pretty much spot on!
4. I think everyone, including cinemas, needs to accept that services like Netflix are here and probably here to stay. I would always choose seeing something in the cinema, but it’s not always possible so everyone needs to work together in my opinion. Sounds little bit like the cinemas are throwing their toys out of the cot.
5. I think The Matrix will always stand out for me, especially if you watch the Animatrix to go with it to learn more about the whole thing.
Right on Chris!
I hope the sequel is as good as the first! But I reckon it’d still be entertaining at the very least.
Have you seen Citizenfour? That’s an insightful doc that I bet offers more info than this new one ever could. Armitage is like a dead ringer for Snowden!
Ahah yeah, they must have the animated feature drawings during the actor’s audition 🙂
Yeah, Netflix & Amazon are only just getting started so there’ll be more and more films released this way I think. I think people would still go to the cinema though, the theater experience just can’t be replicated by watching stuff at home.
1. I’m quite excited about Age of Ultron but I recently read Tess of the D’Ubervilles, which put me off Hardy for life.
2. I really enjoyed Citzenfour. Not sure if I want to see a fictional account of Snowden’s life.
3. The original Beauty and the Beast really bothers me from a feminist perspective so unless they’re going to really change the story it’s not for me. Plus musical. *Shudder*
4. I think the cinemas are being short-sighted. Netflix isn’t going away and by not embracing it they’re going to make themselves obsolete.
5. I am with you on Sam.
Hey Abbi! Now you actually got me curious about Tess of the D’Ubervilles, looks like there are some film adaptations of that one.
Ahah, fictional account of Snowden, that’s kind of what I’m getting at w/ the creative liberties statement.
I don’t think they’d change the story of Beauty & The Beast. As for the musical part, I don’t mind it if they still have some dialog instead of having every single line being sung.
Yep, the cinemas are going to have to face it that times are changin’, besides I doubt that people are gonna forgo going to the cinema entirely.
Sam is sooo awesome, I was as entranced by her as Joaquin’s character was.
Lots of interesting stuff as always Ruth. Despite Stone having been off the boil in his last few movies I’m still excited about Snowden, having just seen Citizenfour.
So did you like Citizenfour? I was quite blown away by it when I saw it months ago. It made my top 10 of the year.
I loved it.
Glad to hear!
Ah, a lot of meaty content to read through. I’ll get to each one by one.
1. I really feel as if I’ve outgrown the superhero films, at least for a while. I have yet to see even the first Captain America, let alone any of the Transformers after the first one.
I wasn’t thrilled by the summary of the film Far from the Madding Crowd, let alone the fact that I’m not really a big fan of romantic period pieces. However, you sparked my curiosity when you mentioned the film comes to us from the director of The Hunt, which was also one of my favorite films in recent memory.
2. The Snowden story intrigues me even though I have yet to see CitizenFour (which I plan to correct very soon). Though Levitt seems like an odd choice to play the part, I think he’s well capable of surprising us. As for Oliver Stone, his films tend to be a hit or miss with me and don’t get me started with his politics.
3. This came as news to me. Beauty and the Beast is one of the best, if not THE best animated film Disney has ever made, but a live-action movie based on the story has been done before, and no amount of interesting casting will spark my interest. Maybe if it comes out and everyone loves it….but I doubt it.
4. I feel so out of the loop. I had no idea about the dispute surrounding Beasts of No Nation. Maybe I’ll give it a shot. After all, it might be the first of many more to come exclusively via streaming. As for the action taken by theater chains, they seem to be reacting to a trend and a decision that is unavoidable. I’ve always thought that with the improvement of home TVs, their increase in size, and the availability of film on the internet, movie rental kiosks as well as movie theaters are on their way out. In fact, I count that they will be gone in 20-30 years, maybe before that. I do hope I’m wrong though.
5. Undoubtedly my favorite bit of AI comes from Wall-E. In terms of live-action movies, Haley Joel Osment’s touching performance in Spielberg’s A.I. comes to mind. Certainly an underrated piece of cinema.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi Niels! I hear ya about being tired of superhero movies. I kinda felt that last year, but the Captain America sequel kinda renewed my enthusiasm. I really love the two Capt America movies, in fact, he’s my fave Marvel superhero now.
You should check out Citizenfour, it’s such a great film. I’m not too crazy about JGL as Snowden either, but he’s a good actor, better than Stone as a director.
I hope Beauty & The Beast movie will somehow live up to the animated version. I doubt it’d ever surpass it but I’m hoping it’d at least be decent and entertaining.
The dispute about the Netflix thing is fairly new, just read about it on Tuesday but I think it’s kind of the way of the future that there’ll be a variety of options on movie viewing.
YES on Wall•E!
I’m excited for The Avengers although I am still bummed that they are totally recreating the Ultron story just to give Downey, Jr. more face time. Now Downey is great so that isn’t automatically a bad thing, but the original story is so rich and it offers the perfect way that Marvel could have introduced Hank Pym (Ant Man). Instead Ant Man also seems like a foreign concept altogether. I hope they pull it off.
Oliver Stone doesn’t excite me much. I loved Platoon but his political heavy-handedness often smothers his movies. His take on Snowden isn’t that exciting to me despite its intriguing casting.
I think Chappie looks pretty terrible. But one AI that I do love is Bishop from Aliens. “Synthetic”, “Artificial Person”, either way he is awesome.
Interesting perspective there Keith about Avengers. Iron Man is actually not my fave Marvel superhero, and to be honest I’m a bit tired of Downey’s schtick. Interesting point too about Ant Man. Right now I’m mildly curious about it, but not exactly excited for that movie yet.
Yep, his political leaning and how he likes to bludgeon the audience to death w/ it is why I haven’t seen a lot of Stone’s movies. Just see Citizenfour if you’re curious about Snowden.
Look for Ted’s review of Chappie this weekend, he shares your dread.
Well, I haven’t watched the Avengers trailer because I didn’t watch the first one and I was completely blown away by the movie because I hadn’t seen anything! But I do see things on tumblr so I mean, I see it but not properly on a big screen from a trailer!
I’m excited for Snowden because I haven’t seen my baby Joe in a movie for so long.. he has some coming up this year, The Wire? seems good but I mean, Snowden has a banging cast. Minus Cage, I mean, why is he still being cast in movies?
Hi Mettel! If only I had your discipline in not checking out the trailer 🙂 It’s good going into a movie without knowing anything about it, which is hard to do these days w/ social media.
I think that JGL movie is called The Walk, yeah that looks interesting. Ahah, well Cage is more like a guilty pleasure for me. He was good though in a small indie called JOE from a couple of years back, so he CAN act given the right material.
Well, I guess I’m not fangirlling too hard on things and never have to be tempted to check out a trailer for something I’m definitely going to see and most likely enjoy. It’s like.. I can’t love something that isn’t going to satisfy me fully, the trailer is a tease in itself and I’m just.. what ever.. show me the entire thing, then I’ll watch it. 😀
I don’t really have much to comment on here with except that I am also more excited for Civil War. Now, as for the casting of Beauty and the Beast… those are two absolutely freaking delicious choices. They might even actually make me see this… 😉 For science, that’s all.
Ugh. Chappie. Ugh. I don’t even want to touch that with a ten foot pole. As though I was not wary enough, Blomkamp had to stick those common losers of Die Antwoord in there… the embarrassment, I tell you…
PS: We feel relatively strongly about Die Antwoord out here…
Hey there Zoë! Glad to hear you’re enthusiastic about Civil War too, I freakin’ love Captain America movies! Those two Brits in Beauty & The Beast are awesome aren’t they? Yeah I’m now more excited about that movie, too!
I remember you’re not fond of Blomkamp. Sorry I’m not familiar w/ Die Antwoord, what is that??
WHOOP! Soon we will have another to adore! Hmmmmm, yeah, definitely some inspired casting 😉
Die Antwoord is that sketchy band/duo thing that Blomkamp has in there – that blonde woman and that skinny druggie looking dude? Ugh, they made it so big overseas and over here they are just dead embarrassing to us
Hey Zoë! Now I know who Die Antwoord is as my friend Ted just reviewed Chappie for me. Oy, sounds like people over there aren’t fond of Blomkamp either eh? Glad I avoided Chappie then, it sounds horrendous.
Ugh, Die Antwoord is so tacky
Nah, he’s not so much an issue, we actually like that we have someone out there making movies, even though they are pretty hit and miss.
I can’t see myself rushing for it. I am sure you and I both have better things to watch. Going to check out the review!
3. Maybe they’ll do motion capture for the Beast?
Hi Wandering, hey that’s definitely a possibility! I can’t imagine they’d have to do a full makeup for Beast every single day of the shoot.
1. Batman is my favorite superhero, so I’m a little bit lost when it comes to X-Men and Avengers, and what looks good vs what doesn’t. haha Even I have to admit, this looks like a lot of fun and I might try to watch the individual installments to prep for the new one.
2. Is it wrong for me to say I haven’t really followed Snowden…?
3. Beauty and the Beast casting looks great! I don’t mind the live action versions of princesses, but I just hope they all aren’t over the top or hokey. I’d love to see more versions of princess stories like Snow White and the Huntsman rather than a series of Disney cash grabs though.
4. The Netflix development is interesting – though sometimes I thought movies on demand are released at the same time as movies in theatres. My aunt, who is a nurse and has no time except to unwind and watch movies at home, is always (legally) renting and streaming new films. I’m not sure what a big change this will make but we’ll have to see, I guess!
5. Terminator is the first that comes to mind, and also A.I. Artificial Intelligence too. 🙂
Hello Katy! Cool that Batman is your fave superhero, mine is Superman so that’s why I can’t wait to see Dawn of Justice! You should definitely check out the Capt America films if you haven’t already, that’s my fave from Marvel Cinematic Universe right now.
I think movies on demand are released either at the same time as cinema or shortly after so yeah, this development might not affect everyone, esp for those who are so used to watching films at home anyway.
Super excited for Age of Ultron! Cannot wait. No, literally, I cannot wait!
Anything with JoGo in it, I’ll watch. No coverage of Snowden here in Australia, really, but I’m interested to see what is made of his story. Reminds me a little of Blanderdark Crumblesnitch doing Julian Assange in that film a few years back.
Disney cashing in on their animated treasures by “livening” them up? Saints preserve us. Can’t wait for the fully live action Song Of The South, then. 😉
netflix: greatest invention ever. It arrives officially in Australia this year, although I’ve been VPN’ing it from here anyway. Sidebar: there should not be a sequel to Crouching Tiger. Not at all.
AI? I’m a big fan of JARVIS, because any Ai that can smack-talk so passive-aggressive to Tony Stark and get away with it is okay in my book.
Hi Rodney! Love your enthusiasm man, hope it lives up to your expectation and then some!
Ahah, Blanderdark Crumblesnitch! Well I sure hope it’ll be better than that Julian Assange film.
Well it’s nothing new about Disney and cashing in on their stuff, but then again so is everything else in Hollywood.
Glad to hear you’re loving Netflix too. And I’d agree w/ you about Crouching Tiger, leave it alone, darn it!
Oh I like the snarky Jarvis too, great pick!
Hi Ruth,
1: I could really take or leave The Avengers but as it’s Vinterberg doing Madding Crowd, I’m very much interested on that.
2: Oliver Stone doesn’t make films the way he used to but I’m intrigued with a Snowden biopic and JGL in the lead. That said, it seems a bit pointless when Citizenfour was a gripping documentary on the subject anyway.
3: Can’t say this really floats my boat but my kids will be very excited. Can’t fault the casting here, though. It looks like that could work very well.
4: I hadn’t even ward of this but Idris Elba is always a winner. I think the time is looming for me to finally get Netflix.
5: So many to choose from on this question. Her’s Samantha is a good shout but I’d have to go with Rutger Hauer’s Roy Batty from Blade Runner. Such a great character.
Hello Mark! Sorry for the late reply, I’m actually sick today, sidelined w/ a cold.
I knew you’d like ‘Madding Crowd’ Mark, that sounds like something right up your alley.
Oh good you’ve seen Citizenfour. Yep I think it’s redundant and unnecessary to make a film about Snowden pre-NSA life to be honest.
Seems that the live action movies would appeal to adults as well but I totally understand if it’s not your thing 😉
Yes you should get Netflix, there are tons of good shows on there on top of the movies.
1. I hated the silly tone of The Avengers, and I suspect the sequel will be similar, so not excited for it. Far From the Madding Crowd seems great. I loved Vinterberg’s The Hunt and Festen, and I love the cast, especially Carey Mulligan.
2. Snowden seems interesting, and the cast is awesome, but I don’t hold out much hope for Stone. He has been making some stinkers for a while now.
3. Love the casting for Beauty and the Beast. Hope they can sing well. They certainly look the part!
Hi Fernando! I think Avengers has always been kind of lighthearted. But yeah, I love The Hunt too, and Mulligan is one of my fave actresses so I’m looking fwd to ‘Madding Crowd.’
Yep, just rent Citizenfour if you’re ever curious about Snowden.
I’m curious if Emma and Dan can sing, I’ve heard Luke Evans sing in a few clips on youtube!
1) I’m not terribly interested in the superhero flicks, but Far from the Madding Crowd could be worth a look. I loved The Hunt, and I’ll watch Carey Mulligan in anything. Nice to see her acting again, feels like it has been a while.
2) Ehhh I don’t know. Oliver Stone hasn’t had the best track record lately, so I’m not holding my breath on Snowden.
3) Not really a fan of musicals, but Emma Watson seems like a great bit of casting there.
4) I think it’s cool to see Netflix entering the film industry, but it’s pretty weak of the theater chains to dismiss their films entirely. Really interested in seeing this movie, BTW.
5) It’s gotta be HAL-9000.
Hi Eric! Yeah I’m glad Far from the Madding Crowd is released on the same day, gives us an alternative to all the superhero flicks. I really like Mulligan too.
Yep, Stone seems to have lost his touch. But do watch Citizenfour if you haven’t already!
I’m usually not a huge fan of musicals either, so I’m curious to see how this one would fare.
Yeah I think it’s only a matter of time Netflix & Amazon are gonna enter the cinematic foray. I’m interested in seeing Beast of No Nation too, glad we can watch that in the comfort of our home.
2001 is in my Blindspot this year 🙂
My friends are definitely more excited than I am about Avengers:Age of Ultron. Not saying that I don’t have high hopes for it because I’ve already agreed to a very early date with a bunch of friends to see it on opening weekend.
Beauty and the Beast casting is pretty awesome. I’m loving Dan Stevens a whole lot, especially after The Guest and currently just finished Season 1 of Downton Abbey.
I like how Netflix is having these exclusive movies or just showing the whole indie film thing. Its so francophone in Montreal that a lot of great indie films skip past the theatres. And then I either have to wait for it the DVD/Bluray release and usually it costs a lot. Netflix has some high quality stuff nowadays and its pretty impressive to see where its going with that.
Hi Kim! Avengers is one of those flicks you probably would enjoy even if you’re not hugely anticipating it. Watching it w/ a bunch of friends sounds like the way to go, too!
If you like Dan Stevens, you should try to find the BBC Sense & Sensibility where he plays Edward Ferrars, he’s so swoon worthy in that role.
Yeah I’d think Netflix is great in places such as Montreal, or where indie films don’t get theatrical release. Plus there are tons of TV series there and now they’re getting into more original content.
1. I’m MUCH more excited about Far from the Madding Crowd, but I do enjoy the Marvel films, even if the amount of films they release is getting a bit ridiculous.
2. I’m hesitant on Snowden, as Oliver Stone hasn’t made a great film in some time. Still, maybe low expectations are a good thing for this one. 🙂
3. I really like the Beauty and the Beast casting, but I’m more excited to see the French version with Vincent Cassel and Lea Seydoux, whenever it finally gets a US release.
4. I’d like to see Beasts of No Nation on the big screen, but I’m not opposed to watching it on Netflix. I like their release strategy, though it does put theaters in an odd position.
5. I’ll echo the love for Roy Batty from Blade Runner and David from A.I. They’d be my favorites.
I really hope they don’t screw up Beauty and the Beast.
I really hope they cast Jean Dujardin as Lumiere. He’d totally be perfect for it.
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