"The Dark Knight Rises" Collector Cards Now Available at Fandango!

Are you a Batman fan who can't get enough from this latest upcoming installment from Christopher Nolan? If so, then this might need to be the next stop on your list. Just yesterday Fandango rolled out these fantastic new "The Dark Knight Rises" Collector Cards. As you can see by clicking on the link (and from the image above) they have them available in three varieties, either featuring Batman, Catwoman, or Bane. Each of these cards can be a neat little addition to your memorabilia collection, but more importantly, you can actually put them to some use too! Load them up in whatever amount works for you, and apply it to whichever tickets you need. Most of us will probably be applying these to our "The Dark Knight Rises" pre-sale tickets, but if you feel like you need to go see "The Amazing Spider-Man" or something next weekend, you can always do that too. These are good for any movie available for ticketing on Fandango.com.

Also, as the site suggests, these make fantastic gifts for any movie fan, and especially Batman fan. If you're thinking about getting them some sort of gift certificate anyway, why not make it one of these limited edition Dark Knight Rises cards that they can use towards any film at literally any theater across the United States?

Make sure to get your hands on these before they're sold out!

Top 5 Movie Guide: R-Rated Comedies

For this edition of the Top 5 Movie Guide, we thought we'd work off what "Ted" has to offer this weekend, and take a look at some of our other favorite R-Rated Comedies. In 1966 when Valenti took over as President of the MPAA, he proposed new rating criteria, replacing the out-of-date Hays Code. With Valenti's new proposals, four brackets would be created for films: G (General Audiences), M (Mature Audiences - Parental Digression Advised), R (Restricted - No One Under 16 Allowed), and X (People Under 18 Not Admitted). Over the years, many of the details of the rating system has changed, but the R-rating is one that's stayed pretty steady since it's creation.

Guidelines have also varied from generation to generation, but overall, it's always been pretty regulated. For instance, once drugs or alcohol is referenced in your film, it's an automatic PG-13 at minimum. If it's done recreationally or repetitively, that will bump you up to an R-rating right away. You can have sexual content OR brief nudity and still get away with a PG-13 rating, but once the two are combined, it's a certified R. And then of course there's the language. Different words have taken stronger or weaker connotations over the years, but the "F-Word" has generally always remained the apex of it all. In today's films, your movie can reference the word twice to still get away with a PG-13 rating. Once it comes out that third time though, it's the surest train to Rated-R town you'll ever find.

Obviously there are many other aspects that can determine the rating of your film, but those are generally looked at as the "big three". So without further ado, hit the jump for a listing of all our favorite films that go over the top with one or all of the above referenced items!

Photo Bomb!

Thanks for checking out the latest edition of Photo Bomb!, your weekly roundup of all movie-related photos and posters floating around the internet.

This is more like it! So much new stuff this week, we'll go ahead and jump right in. We have new images from films "Machete Kills", "Riddick", "To Rome With Love", "The Expendables 2", "Maleficent", "Jobs", "Paperman", "Empire State", "Carrie", "Knight of Cups", "Jack Reacher", and "The Man with the Iron Fists".

We also have some new posters from films "The Man with the Iron Fists", "Arbitrage", " Alex Cross", "Hope Springs", "The Campaign, "Wreck-It Ralph", "Paddington", "The Words", and "Robot & Frank".

Hit the jump for everything listed above!

First Trailer for "The Man with the Iron Fists"

You'll get your first look at the film's poster in this afternoon's Photo Bomb!

I'm not sure I'm loving this film, but it did look interesting enough to give it its own featured post. Just yesterday the first trailer for "The Man with the Iron Fists" hit the internet. The film is produced by Quentin Tarantino, written by Eli Roth and RZA, and directed by RZA. For those of you unfamiliar with RZA (or, Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, for those of you that prefer his given name to his stage name), he's somewhat of a modern renaissance man. You'll probably be most familiar with his membership in the hip-hop group, Wu-Tang Clan, but he's much more into the overall music producing business these days than anything. Along with music, RZA is also an accomplished writer, actor, and now, director. He's contributed to soundtracks for such films as "8 Mile", "Smokin' Aces", and "Repo Men", and acting in a variety of films, including "Coffee and Cigarettes", "American Gangster", and "Funny People".

This time though, RZA gives his screenwriting and feature film directing a shot for "The Man with the Iron Fists".

As you'll be able to tell from the trailer after the break, the film is very stylized, and you can tell that Quentin Tarantino's presence was definitely felt; the film features the same exaggerated, brutal violence featured in films of his like the Kill Bill duo. The cast is impressive, and even though this is RZA's first directorial effort, you can tell he's much respected in the entertainment industry. Along with RZA, who's also acting in the film, the cast includes Russell Crowe, Jamie Chung, Lucy Liu, Pam Grier, and Cung Lee. The film, again similar to Kill Bill, is reminiscent of classic kung-fu movies, and is something of a battle royale between various clans in a feudal China.

Check out the gallons of blood splatter and cool looking weapons designs for this film after the break.

In Theaters This Weekend: June 29, 2012

In theaters this weekend, we're greeted with not one, not two, not three (okay, I better slow down, I'm starting to sound like LeBron James..), but four wide releases. There is definitely a wide variety of genres and subjects that will be available to you, but the question is, as we're locked-in on the summer season now, do any of the titles hold up to those standard?

We have an R-rated comedy, a movie about male strippers, a character drama about siblings, and a Tyler Perry movie with a guy dressed as an old woman. On paper, not the most inspiring collection of films for June.

"Ted", "Magic Mike", "People Like Us", and "Madea's Witness Protection". Those are our four new films this weekend. I'll give a stronger description of each, as well as what to expect, after the break. Also, we'll take a stab at what some of the weekend box office numbers might look like. With now blockbusters this weekend, but four different films fighting for placement, I expect things to get messy.

In Anticipation: "The Dark Knight Rises"

Welcome to the third installment of our In Anticipation series. This week is all about the hotly anticipated "The Dark Knight Rises", which I'm sure many of you will be attending on opening weekend.

If you are unfamiliar with this franchise, it would probably be wise to get caught up before opening weekend because you will miss out on all the excitement. Warner Bros. and director Christopher Nolan have taken our favorite cape and cowl wearing crime fighter to towering levels of respect from the film going community and critics alike. Very few superhero films have been able to carry a realistic tone matched with gritty content, and obtain critical praise lined with box office gold. This will be the third and final installment to Christopher Nolan's take on the Batman universe.

If you are a fan of the comic book icon, or are just wanting to soak up more information on this film, hit the jump for more on The Dark Knight Rises.

Top 5 Movie Guide: Matthew McConaughey

In this week's edition of the Top 5 Movie Guide, we check out one of the stars of this weekend's "Magic Mike", Matthew McConaughey. McConaughey is a unique specimen when it comes to A-List actors, as he's never lived his life according to the standards of the industry. The son of a gas station owner, McConaughey grew up in rural Texas and spent his entire life in various small towns until the completion of his college career. But while in college in wasn't acting that McConaughey reached for - it was law. While there, he studied to become a criminal defense lawyer. And while he ended up taking a different route, a quick glance at McConaughey's filmography will show his interest in such things.

While it wasn't his first role, Matthew McConaughey gained popular success in Richard Linklater's 1993 cult favorite, "Dazed and Confused". He was only dabbling in the industry when Linklater, his friend, asked him to help read with auditioning actors in the film. He read opposite his now famous Wooderson role, until eventually he switched it up in need of showing Linklater how he thought the character should be approached. Instantly he knew McConaughey was perfect for the role and asked him if he'd like the part. At first uninterested, he eventually agreed, and the rest, we can say, is history.

Since then, McConaughey has acted in more than 30 different feature films, and has without a doubt become a household name with many different demographics. But no matter his success or fame, this laid back actor continues to do his own thing and abide by his trademarked life motto, Just Keep Livin'.

For a full rundown on which films we each see as the best from this actor's career, his the jump!

Slackers Selection CinemaCast: Episode 21

Thanks for checking out this week's edition of the Slackers Selection CinemaCast!

This week, we discuss the new films that released this past weekend, including "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter", "Brave", and "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World".

We also look ahead to the releases next weekend and which films we'll be checking out, including "Ted", "Magic Mike", "People Like Us", and "Madea's Witness Protection".

Plus, some other films we've been watching this week, including "Meet the Feebles" and "Tales From the Script".

This episode comes in just over 30-minutes, so another clean and concise episode. So be sure to give it a listen!


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Blu-Ray/DVD Releases: June 26, 2012

Welcome back movie fiends! This week we have a solid assortment of new releases that should cater to most tastes. Look forward to big budget 'sword and sandal', raunchy comedy, family comedy, black and while silent, as well as a classic thriller. Be sure to make room on your movie shelf!

Hit the jump for this week's releases!

Movie Review: "Brave" by Andy Schopp

Brave (2012)
Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell
Writers: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell, Irene Mecchi
Cast: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Craig Ferguson
Run Time: 100 min

The bagpipes sound on the misty hilltop while a herd of Highland cows graze nearby. No, unfortunately this wasn't my vacation I took last week, but it was the setting of the new Pixar movie, "Brave". The movie is set in 10th-Century Scotland and centers around a young princess named Merida. The Queen wants her daughter to be proper and dignified and act like a "lady", while Merida thinks she ought to be able to decide her own fate. She wants to be free to do what she wants; she wants to learn to fight and she wants to be able to marry whomever she wants. This becomes the main conflict for Merida in the movie when the King and Queen organize a gathering of all the clans to let the first born children compete for her hand in marriage. Merida is frustrated and upset and in a firestorm of anger, and in defiance she bounds out of the castle and runs away. This is where she meets the (not necessarily so evil) witch.

Casting Calls

Thanks for checking out Casting Calls, a weekly roundup of all the notable roles that actors and actresses have scored for upcoming films. As always, we will try to avoid rumors, and stick to roles that have been locked down or are in the negotiation stage.



In this weeks edition, Aaron Eckhart and Charlie Sheen get elected President, Reese Witherspoon stars in another film being adapted from a popular book, “The Wolf of Wall Street” continues to add actors, a slew of Hollywood’s up-and-coming stars snag roles, and more.

So hit the jump to get all the details on who got what gig!

The Trailer Park: Anna Karenina, Celeste And Jesse Forever, Dredd, Hotel Transylvania, Klown, The Master, Monster University, Taken 2, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, The Watch

Welcome to The Trailer Park! - A weekly column rounding up new and newish trailers lurking around the internet.

As always, put on your John Nada sunglasses before the jump or...submit to the advertising.

Box Office Report: "Brave" is Strong in Opening Weekend

I just want to start by stating that these were the best box office predictions I've made since I've started doing these (you do anything for long enough and you're bound to get lucky eventually, right?). We'll have to wait for the official numbers tomorrow, but if "Snow White and the Huntsman" can pull together just a few more bucks I will have hit it right on the head, pretty much with amounts expected. Now, maybe this weekend's numbers were easy to predict and there wasn't much too surprising, so I won't spend too much more time basking in my glory. We can actually get to the numbers, where Disney Pixar's "Brave" easily topped the box office office. While the film didn't open with the best of the best from Pixar's filmography, it still managed solid June numbers.

"Madagascar 3" was able to hold off "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" for the number two spot this weekend, while "Prometheus" comfortably settled in after that.

A lot of mess afterwards though, and even a couple of films that hit some nice milestones this weekend.

Quick Cuts: "Meet the Feebles" Movie Review by Ben Foutch

Release: 1989

Director: Peter Jackson
Writers: Peter Jackson, Danny Mulheron,Stephen Sinclair, Fran Walsh
Actors: Donna Akersten, Stuart Devenie and Mark Hadlow

Rated: R

Run Time: 94 min

Lurking in the filmographies of most great directors that started from the ground up, are films that test the boundaries of taste, but still straddle the line of genius. Academy Award winner Peter Jackson, widely known for the hugely successful Lord of the Rings trilogy and the splatter classic Dead Alive is also known in smaller circles for a little film called, Meet the Feebles. Equal parts vile and cuddly, Feebles weaves a story of sex, lies, drugs, murder, and muppets.

Welcome to Peter Jackson's dirty laundry.

Top 5 Movie Guide: Vampire Films

For the genre edition of this week's Top 5 Movie Guide, we have some fun with one of the strongest sections of film we've ever done before. This week, looking at "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter", we take a look at some of our own favorite Vampire Films of all-time. There are many ways we could have narrowed that down a little further, but we decided to just go with it and see how it turned out. So for this list, every film featuring vampires was considered. These films are usually associated with the horror genre, but even since it's early silent film-era days, Dracula has crossed over into almost every category of film, including Horror, Science Fiction, Comedy, Romance, and Fantasy.

The term vampires was used in the earliest days of film, but did not embody its blood-sucking supernatural form until the 1922 film, "Nosferatu". And almost a decade later it was Bela Lugosi in Universal's adaptation, simply titled "Dracula", that really reformed the characteristics of the creature, including the use of the cape and the Romanian-accent in speech patterns (in fact, as legend goes, Lugosi didn't even speak English when he accepted the role - he memorized all of his lines phonetically and never actually understood the words he was saying).

Since those days the Vampire genre has exploded and become a popular subject of every decade. The characters and creatures are constantly being reworked and re-imagined for newer adaptations, and dozens of big-name actors have taken on iconic roles in these movies. To date, over 170 different feature films have portrayed some version of this character, in some regard or another.

Even with as many different versions of these films as there are, spanning multiple genres and almost an entire century, we each try to narrow our lists down to five apiece. So hit the jump and see what we came up with!

Movie Review: "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" by Ben Foutch

Director: Timur Bekmambetov
Writer: Seth Grahame-Smith (screenplay/novel)
Stars: Benjamin Walker, Rufus Sewell, Dominic Cooper

Rated: R

Run Time: 105 min

Political hero by day, slayer of the undead by night. Honest Abe uses his charismatic speeches and mad ax skills to end slavery and carve through some blood-thirsty vamps. Sound like good time? To a certain extent it is. However, director Timur Bekmambetov doesn't quite hit the mark, leaving us with a disjointed yet adrenalin soaked pile of above average mediocrity.

Photo Bomb!

Thanks for checking out the latest edition of Photo Bomb!, your weekly roundup of all movie-related photos and posters floating around the internet.

Overall, a pretty slow week in the photo world, but there still plenty of good stuff here. This week, photos from films include "House at the End of the Street", "Ted", "Maleficent", "Raging Bull II", and "Oz, The Great and Powerful". And then we have some posters from such films as "The Dark Knight Rises", "Frankenweenie", "Taken 2", "Savages", "Won't Back Down", and "Total Recall".

And since it has been such a slow week in this department, you can also take a look at some of the photos taken from the newly opened Cars Land, at Disney California Adventure. It's not one of my favorite Disney Pixar films, but it's still kind of cool to see how they turned the different sets and characters in the film into real attractions.

Jim Carrey Leaves “Dumb and Dumber” Sequel

Back in early April we learned that Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels would reunite for a sequel to “Dumb and Dumber”, which also happens to be my all-time favorite comedy. Frankly I was surprised that it took this long to get a sequel to the first film - it's not like either Carrey or Daniels have been overly busy as of late, especially Daniels.

But according to Entertainment Tonight, Jim Carrey has decided to back out of the project due to his frustrations with New Line Cinemas and Warner Bros. apparent lack of interest in the project. When ET asked Carrey’s publicist to confirm the story, they got this quote:

"I would have thought Dumb and Dumber Two was a no-brainer, after all it's implied in the title."

Read more after the break.

In Theaters This Weekend: June 22, 2012

In theaters this weekend we're greeted with a full slate of films. It's nice to get back to a weekend where I can talk about three different films that just about everyone will have a chance to see. It's a really good collection of films too, each with something vastly different to offer. In what will probably be the box office leader for at least a few weeks, Disney will be releasing its newest Pixar creation, "Brave". From all we've seen, the animation and 3D looks amazing. We also get Timur Bekmambetov's fantasy/action/horror film, "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter". As the title suggests, this is based around the idea that Honest Abe had a hidden journal, where he recounts his early life as a hunter of the damned. And the third film opening nationwide this weekend is the dramedy starring Steve Carell and Keira Knightley, "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World". Again, not too secretive in the title, this one centers around two characters who randomly get joined together, and how they play out the last few weeks of their lives before a meteor strikes and destroys the planet.

At least with the three films, if you're looking for an uplifting tale, your decision isn't very difficult.

For a rundown on each of the films, and even some weekend box office projections, hit the jump!

Top 5 Movie Guide: Greg Kinnear

We change courses a bit for this latest edition of the Top 5 Movie Guide. Generally, as you know, we like to feature a specific filmmaker that's relevant to an upcoming weekend release. We have, at times, went a different route still, and done Wednesday posts on filmmakers with birthdays on that specific day. Between those two, it's usually pretty easy to find someone to focus on. Well, just in case you're reading this week's post and can't figure out where Greg Kinnear came from, after our CinemaCast recording Sunday night, as we chatted randomly about films, one of our tangents got us talking about Greg Kinnear, of all people. Out of curiosity we looked up his filmography to see when we might be able to focus a list around him (in the process actually noticed that we just missed by a couple of days on having his birthday fall on the correct date). There wasn't anything of note in sight, but as we talked about his career and recalled some of our favorite films, we decided that it didn't really matter whether his birthday was today or not; he doesn't do a lot of movie acting anymore, and since we felt inspired, we just went with it. So this week, for no real reason other than our recent interests, we focus this post on some of our favorite films from this actor's career.

Insert generic photo of Greg Kinnear here.

Greg Kinnear started acting in 1988, but first broke into feature films in 1994. He had minor roles in a variety of films for a few years until nabbing a significant role in the 1997 drama/comedy, "As Good as It Gets". His performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor that year, still his only one to date. Since then, Kinnear has probably become a household name, even though he regular hits the big screens in supporting roles. Nonetheless, his filmography has been quite extensive, and provided for a unique blend of roles over the years.

With that in mind, we take a look at some of our favorites and note the more significant roles of this actor's career.

In Anticipation: "Ice Age: Continental Drift"

As we round second base in June, we're starting to see a good amount of movies ready to step up to bat for July. One the those movies, which I'd like to see get a little more love, is "Ice Age: Continental Drift". I think that this entire series has been great over the years; consistently funny and well-animated. This is the fourth film for the franchise, and looks just as well-crafted as any previous.

Sometimes we loose sight of the films about to make their theater release because of the films that are currently out in theaters. With all the spectacle of movies still hanging around like "The Avengers" or "Prometheus", we lose sight of what's still on the horizon. Well I'm here to say: Fear NOT! In the second installment of this new series, I aim to shed a little light on another movie that's surely to show up on some radars in the coming weeks.

For all the coverage on a film that should be full of laughs and prehistorically good times, hit the jump!

Quick Cuts: "Wanderlust" Movie Review by Alex Schopp

Wanderlust (2012)

Director: David Wain
Writer(s): David Wain, Ken Marino
Cast: Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Theroux, Alan Alda, Malin Akerman, Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio
Run Time: 123 min

"Wanderlust" was released on Blu-Ray today, and is the forth directorial effort from David Wain ("Wet Hot American Summer", "Role Models"). The film revolves around George (Paul Rudd) and Linda (Jennifer Aniston) as two New Yorkers hit with sudden unemployment and nowhere to turn. They take it as a sign to try out a new lifestyle, and ultimately decide to experiment with life in a rural commune, full of a variety of free spirits. Personalities clash, as George and Linda try to shed their New York personalities for free love and natural living.

Slackers Selection CinemaCast: Episode 20

Thanks for checking out this week's edition of the Slackers Selection CinemaCast!

This week, we discuss the new films that released this past weekend, including "Rock of Ages" and "That's My Boy". It wasn't the strongest of summer weekends, but both provided us a little something worth talking about.

We also look ahead to the releases next weekend and which films we'll be checking out, including "Brave", "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter", and "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World"

Plus, some other films we've been watching this week, including "The Woman", "Men in Black 3", and "Wanderlust".

This episode comes in at a cool 30-minutes, so give it a listen!


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DVD/Blu-Ray Releases: June 19, 2012

Welcome to the first installment of a weekly segment covering the new DVD and Blu-Ray releases. While we won't be covering every single title, there will be a diverse selection of current and older films that will hopefully quench your cinephile thirst for quality entertainment.

This week we have some variety in our releases. While I won't be waiting anxiously for any of these, I know a few people who definitely will. After the break, we'll take a look at these bad boys, outlining what you can expect with each. Hit the jump for this weeks releases!

First Red Band Trailer for Horror Film V/H/S

The first Red Band trailer has officially hit for the upcoming horror anthology project, "V/H/S". It appears that the premise for this film hearkens back to what "The Ring" pulled off so well back in 2002. This one revolves around a group of small-time criminals who are pointed toward a cache of old VHS tapes in search of one specific clip. The problem is - in this creepy, middle-of-nowhere house, each tape offers content more terrifying than the last, and seemingly more real than just footage on a video cassette tape. They must continues to weed through them though to ensure they can retrieve the specific one they were hired to find.

Magnolia Studios is behind this one, and already it's getting solid feedback. It's appeared at both Sundance and SXSW to overly positive reviews. And on top of it being a truly suspenseful film, one of the neatest aspects to this one is that each section of this film is actually directed by a different filmmaker. Ti West, Joe Swanberg, Radio Silence, David Bruckner, Adam Wingard, and Glenn McQuaid teamed up and pieced this one together.

Hit the jump for the first Red Band trailer for the film, release information, and an official plot synopsis.

Casting Calls

Welcome to Casting Calls, the first of a weekly post that will serve as a one-stop-shop so to speak for all casting news going on in Hollywood over the week. We will try to avoid rumors, and stick to roles that have been locked down or are at least in the negotiation stage.

In this weeks edition, “Django Unchained” adds to its already loaded cast, an Oscar winner goes to Wall Street, RoboCop gets it’s villain, Chalize Theron has a “Murder Mystery” to solve, and much more.

So hit the jump to get all the latest news on who got what gig!

The Trailer Park: 2 Days In New York, For A Good Time Call, Pitch Perfect, Not Suitable for Children, The Queen of Versailles, Django Unchained, Resident Evil: Retribution

Welcome to The Trailer Park! - A weekly column rounding up new and newish trailers lurking around the internet.

As always, put on your John Nada sunglasses before the jump or...submit to the advertising.

Quick Cuts: "The Woman" Movie Review by Ben Foutch

Director: Lucky McKee
Writers: Lucky McKee, Jack Ketchum
Stars: Pollyanna McIntosh, Brandon Gerald Fuller andLauren Ashley Carter
Run Time: 101 min
Release: 2011
Rated: R

It doesn't come as much of a shock to anyone familiar with the work of Jack Ketchum, why this film was met with so much controversy. His ability to create disturbing scenerios on taboo subjects is unparalleled. If you haven't checked out any of his novels or films, I challenge you to do so. While we are on the subject, you might as well start with The Woman.

Box Office Report: Newcomers "Rock of Ages" and "That's My Boy" Fall Flat

It was safe to assume that "Madagascar 3" would win the weekend and it would be in the $30MM-$35MM range. That part was easy. The part that apparently wasn't was picking EVERY OTHER MOVIE.

I'm not sure if it was due to the lack of quality this weekend, but the overall weekend totals were the lowest they've been since April. Because of that, projections were high across the board, and really nothing else performed as expected. I get a bit of satisfaction out of the fact that "That's My Boy" didn't even trump "Snow White and the Huntsman" in its third weekend, but I also wish that films like "Prometheus" and "Rock of Ages" would have done a little better than they did.

Top 5 Movie Guide: Live-Action Musicals

With this weekend's release of "Rock of Ages", we decided to take a look at some of our other favorites from the long and esteemed history of this genre. The musical genre is unique in the fact that is uses song and dance numbers in place of certain moments of dialogue to help advance the plot. As no surprise, this section of film arose from those on the stage. As sound quality and film technology advanced, it was a natural evolution for the medium. While it's still common practice for actors in film to treat the performances much as if they're on stage in front of an audience, many do prefer film to the actual stage because it allows for more creativity and elaborate set designs.

First making their big screen appearance in the mid 1920's, the genre's "Golden Age" was from the 1930's to the 1960's, when its popularity was at an all-time high. From 1961-1965 three different musicals won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, the best stint the genre's ever had. The problem that the genre had after that time was that it was traditionally a very soft and elegant genre. But 1970's audiences didn't care for the idealistic views and themes anymore; they needed more realism in their films. The genre adapted, and the decade produced a number of hits that have become some of the greatest the genre has ever seen. Walt Disney took the reigns for the majority of the 1980's, though much more with animation than live-action, and overall, the genre experienced another upswing. the 1990's and 2000's haven't been quite as impressive for the genre - especially in the live-action department - but there's still no doubting that the genre is here to stay. Fans continue to show up in masses for new adaptations, and it's clear that while the themes of the genre have continued to change, it's still a staple in our culture, and one that will be around for years to come.

So hit the jump and see which Live-Action Musicals we found as some of the best that the genre has ever had to offer.

Movie Review: "Rock of Ages" by Alex Schopp

Release: 2012
Director: Adam Shankman
Writer(s): Justin Theroux, Chris D'Arienzo, Allan Loeb
Cast: Juilianne Hough, Diego Boneta, Tom Cruise, Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Malin Akerman, Mary J. Blige
Run Time: 123 min

"Rock of Ages" offers up a theme centered around the latter stages of the Rock & Roll era of the 1980's. A plethora of songs from the time were remixed and re-imagined for the film, including pivotal plot developers Wanted Dead of Alive, Jukebox Hero, I Wanna Know What Love Is, and Don't Stop Believing. A handful of others were of course featured, but those stand out as the most significant to the plot of the film. The music of the time tied the whole thing together, but this one starts and stops with the various performances featured in the movie.

Director Adam Shankman isn't new to the genre, having previously tackled the 2007 version of "Hairspray". Though I never saw the film, it was met with overwhelmingly positive reviews. And while the actors and specific plots were different this time around, both films featured very similar themes. This newest film also brought in lead writer Justin Theroux for the script. Like Shankman, he has also established himself as one of the go-to talents in the industry, with previous hits like "Tropic Thunder" and "Iron Man 2" already under his belt. But the question still loomed: even with an experienced director and writer, and a bona fide cast in place, could they all pull it together and capture the essence and heart of this era?

Photo Bomb!

Thanks for checking out the latest edition of Photo Bomb!, your weekly roundup of all movie-related photos and posters floating around the internet.

It looks like another great week in the photo and movie poster world, so I won't waste any more of your time before jumping right into the great content below. Photos-wise, we have content from the films "Mood Indigo", "Pacific Rim", "Effie", "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn, Part 2", "Knight of Cups", "The Great Gatsby", "Prometheus", "The Dark Knight Rises", "Killing Them Softly, and "DREDD". As for the movie posters, we have the first one for the previously-listed film, "DREDD", as well as other for films "End of Watch", "Katy Perry: Part of Me", "Life of Pi", "2 Days in New York", "The Amazing Spider-Man", "Pitch Perfect", and "Rise of the Guardians".

Hit the jump for everything listed above!

First Trailer For "Sinister"

Sinister is a new supernatural horror thriller from the producer of Paranormal Activity and Insidious, and the director of The Exorcism Of Emily Rose. Ethan Hawke plays a true crime novelist who moves into a new house with his family (what you'd expect from any horror film really). Upon moving in he discovers a box full of home movies from the family who lived in the house before him. From these films he finds the horrific fate of the previous homeowners in turn creating a chain of events that puts his own family face to face with the supernatural entity that caused the demise of the previous homeowners.

I quite enjoyed Insidious, The Paranormal Activity franchise has its moments, and The Exorcism Of Emily Rose is the last horror film that has truly scared me. Knowing who's behind this film has me looking forward to seeing what this movie has to offer. Check out the trailer after the cut.

In Theaters This Weekend: June 15, 2012

In theaters this weekend, as has been the case recently, we're looking at two wide releases and one smaller film with some potential that's just getting rolled out in a limited variety. We start with a 80s-themed rock & roll musical, "Rock of Ages", move to an Adam Sandler and Andy Samberg comedy, "That's My Boy", and round it out with an independent dramedy starring Emily Blunt and Mark Duplass, "Your Sister's Sister".

All three offer something a little different, but you'll have to hit the jump to see which of these I think, if any, will be worth your time this weekend.

Did Paleolithic Humans Invent Movies?

Raquel Welch from 10 million B.C.

Recently, in France, a find was made by Marc Azéma of the University of Toulouse–Le Mirail consisting of cave drawings, made over 30,000 years ago, with cartoons on them! The moving effect is created by superimposing figures in moving poses then darkening the area and holding a torch to it. The flicker effect makes the image seems to move! While searching for these paintings they realized that there were more instances of what they had originally believed to have been poor quality drawings. Many cave drawings have multiple images of the same animal drawn over and over again in almost exactly the same spot. Until now, researchers simply thought that prehistoric man was simply a faulty artist.

An Image of the super-imposed drawings,  you can find this picture
and more like it at Discovery News

Top 5 Movie Guide: Adam Sandler

Depending on your perspective, it's probably been a while since Adam Sandler has starred in a quality film. For someone who helped to completely shape the comedy styles of the mid to late 90's, his characters haven't stuck much like they once did. Though each of us at this site have a pretty good idea of where Sandler's latest film, "That's My Boy", will fall, we'll hold-off opinions until the film is actually released. And who knows, maybe the movie will surprise and get Sandler back to what made him a star in the first place. Regardless though, this latest film did catch us thinking about exactly that, and reminiscing about some of Sandler's earlier work. Because of that, this week we focus our Top 5 Movie Guide on him.

As most of us know, Adam Sandler got his big break by joining the cast of Saturday Night Live in 1990. Sandler first broke into the comedy medium by unexpectedly jumping onstage at a comedy club when he was 17 years old. He was a natural, and from that point on, focused on developing his craft. Only a few years later he was discovered by Dennis Miller, and joined the cast of SNL as both an actor and writer. Other than growing his popularity, while there he developed strong relationships between people that would go on to star in many of his films, including Norm MacDonald, Chris Rock, and Rob Schneider. Also, interestingly, he shared a New York apartment with Judd Apatow at the time too.

Upon breaking into the movie side of things, he found quick success with early films like "Billy Madison" and "Happy Gilmore", the two films he based the name of his future production company, Happy Madison Productions, around. Since then, he and his company have went on to create dozens of memorable films, focusing on a variety of different subjects.

For a full rundown on each of our favorites from his career though, you'll have to hit the jump!

Las Vegas Licensing Expo 2012

The Licensing Expo 2012 is taking place in Las Vegas this week, where a lot of movies are coming forward with campaign ads and merchandising opportunities. When a movie wants to make a little money on merchandise or wants to find some companies to get hyped up on a joint venture product placement opportunities, they come here. While normally this convention is almost entirely for the movies to get a little extra coin in pocket, it also gives us, the general audiences, a chance to see some really cool marketing campaigns and props from movies!

Check out some of the photos for the event after the break, first hitting the web thanks to ComingSoon

In Anticipation: "The Amazing Spider-Man"

The the summer slate of movies is really starting to roll around, and it's inspired us to try out something new with the site. As we've seen great films like "The Avengers" and "Prometheus" already hit theaters, we realized that the anticipatory coverage we've provided for each film has been a less than desired. We've posted about all of the popular topics on each film, but we've never really got the chance to just write about our thoughts on one specific film or give you in-depth looks into films ahead.

For the most, part we'll be focusing on some of the films we're personally looking forward to, but we really want to try and blanket the coming months and year fully, and provide coverage on many different genres and styles of films. The plan for this series is to preview one upcoming film every week or two, rotating between different writers here, to provide different perspectives and insights on some of the films you can look forward to in the coming months.

We'll start off the first installment of this weekly post with "The Amazing Spider-Man". Hit the jump to check out tons of coverage on the film, and to better get acquainted with what will surely be one of the biggest films of the summer!

Clive Barker Gives Hope For 'Nightbreed' Blu-Ray

Normally I wouldn't get excited for little tidbits of news like this because the film has been through hell and back in terms of getting this director's cut released. There was even the heartbreaking news awhile back concerning the fate of the original unused footage. Apparently with the use of some unearthed VHS work prints, new voice overs by Doug Bradley, and some editing magic, the Cabal Cut is currently being screened in select locations.

Yearning for that long fabled director's cut of Clive Barker's Nightbreed?

Slackers Selection CinemaCast: Episode 19

Thanks for checking out this week's edition of the Slackers Selection CinemaCast!

This week, we discuss at length Ridley Scott's latest film, "Prometheus". We jump right in with our thoughts on every aspect of the film, so if you haven't seen it yet, you may want to hold off on this episode for now; it's full of lots of material that would probably be considered spoilers. But if you have seen the film, definitely give this one a listen, because we really break down all aspects of what was presented.

Though we don't spend too much time on much else, we do get in a rundown of the films releasing next weekend, including "Rock of Ages" and "That's My Boy".
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"The Dark Knight Rises" Fandango Ticket Pre-Sales Start Today!

If you're reading this post then you're probably already aware that The Dark Knight Rises Ticket Pre-Sales started earlier today (or, if you're not reading this on first posting, started June 11th). If you're like any of us here at this site and go to more movie showings than you can keep track of, then you know the benefits of purchasing your tickets in advance for big movies like this. I post about this because not only has our site been given permission to help with ticket purchasing for this upcoming film, but I actually have a story that I can share on the subject that might provide valuable insight into the situation. It's a horror story though, so beware!

It was 2008. I was on my way to meet up with my friends at the movie theater for the midnight showing of "The Dark Knight". I foolishly arrived only an hour or so before showtime and thought I'd be just fine. I was wrong. After finally finding a spot to park, I had  to head to the very back of the line, which wrapped outside and around the side of the building. I was stuck behind what was probably thousands of people. Before cementing my spot in line, I peeked inside the building to to see what the atmosphere was like. I saw a couple of my friends right near the front, excitedly waiting to get in. They told me days before that I needed to get there extra-early. I shrugged it off and thought my hour+ would be just fine. But as fate would have it, it was not. With as far back as I was, by the time I got to the front, they were sold out. And while luckily I was with a few other friends and not completely alone, I was left outside, movie-less, while some of my other friends happily enjoyed the first screening of the epic film. Right then I knew that if I would have just purchased my tickets beforehand, this never would have been an issue. From that day forward I vowed to never get stuck in that situation again. And now, as the third and final chapter to Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy rolls out, I know this film has a chance to be the biggest one yet! This is the first film this summer where I really feel like I need to get my tickets early (probably mostly due to my trauma from its previous installment) and avoid any issues that could otherwise arise in this experience.

Anyway, the moral of the story: don't be naive like I once was. Whether it's for the midnight release of the film, sometime during its opening weekend, or even just a random day down the road, don't expect that with a film as large as this that you'll be guaranteed a ticket on walk-up. I've seen it happen too many times, and it's never fun. While it pains me to relive this horror story - I mean, I had to wait until Friday afternoon to finally see the film! - I'm happy to share it with all of you if it helps to save another soul from the same fate. I've included a link below to Fandango's website, where you can pre-order your tickets for this film and guarantee peace of mind.

Don't get sold out! Buy advance tickets to "The Dark Knight Rises" here and ensure your seat!

The Trailer Park: 360, Bindlestiffs, Flight, The Perks Of Being A Wallflower, Wreck It Ralph

Welcome to The Trailer Park! - A weekly column rounding up new and newish trailers lurking around the internet.

As always, put on your John Nada sunglasses before the jump or...submit to the advertising.

Box Office Report: "Madagascar 3" Bests "Prometheus"

Well, I had a sneaking suspicion this might happen. We knew going in that it was going to be a clash between the family-friendly "Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted" and the R-Rated, Ridley Scott directed, sci-fi film "Prometheus". I said in the most recent Weekend Releases post that I really felt like parents were yearning for a pure children's movie to take their kids to; we haven't had one for a little while now. Both films (sort of) had the luxury of coming from established franchises, so fans of both films generally knew what they were getting into when they checked these out. Ben Foutch and I were discussing the numbers earlier today, and I mentioned that ultimately this was just more a case of timing than anything - parents wanted a film for their kids now that school is out, this one happened to come along at the right time. As we jokingly noted, it was a perfect storm for the film. Looking back, I don't think "Prometheus" ever had a chance.

"Prometheus" still put up decent numbers though, and I think more than any of the complaints anyone might have with it, the fact that it was Rated-R was the biggest downfall in its less-than-anticipated totals. It was still a close weekend between the two films though, and both set solid bases going forward.

Outside of these two new releases, "Snow White and the Huntsman", "Men in Black 3", and "The Avengers" rounded-out the top five. Even though its drop-offs weren't very good, "Snow White and the Huntsman" still did better than I thought it would do this weekend, and "The Avengers" probably enjoyed what will surely be its last $10MM+ weekend.

The Slackers Selection Movie-Rating Guide

In case you ever missed it, I wanted to revisit this post, which we originally debuted back in the beginning of April. I realize that we have more readers now, and now that we're focusing more on getting reviews up, you should be familiar with what those little rating blocks mean at the bottom of every review.

You've surely seen the way we approach films and that our ideas of what makes something "good" are a little different than you're going to find from most other sites. Our main priority is always enjoyment; we want to show you and talk about films that we think you'll have fun watching. That being said though, finding a balance between what is technically good and what is good because it's nostalgic or sweet has always been tough for us to express. We appreciate all aspects of film, so when we give you a review, we want to make sure you know the exact reasons we're either promoting or discouraging the film. While we always try to be as informative as possible in the actual review, bottom-line stats can sometimes get diluted.

That's why we created the above graphic. It breaks down the specific elements that we feel most contribute to a films success of failure. It simplifies it of course, but that's the point.

Movie Review: “Prometheus” By Nathan Hinds

When Michael Fassbender’s Android character, David, uttered the phrase “Big things, have small beginnings”, we certainly weren’t getting a metaphor for “Prometheus”. There is nothing small about Ridley Scott’s quasi-prequel to his legendary sci-fi debut “Alien”. Everything about this movie screams big; from the dazzling special effects and powerhouse performances, specifically those of Fassbender and Rapace, down to the questions the film is asking.

For anyone who was a fan of the Alien films, or pretty much any sci-fi films in general, “Prometheus” has become one of the most highly anticipated sci-fi films in many years. On the most basic level, this film has everything you want in a summer sci-fi blockbuster; it’s monsters, though limited, are genuinely scary, and it’s special effects are the most impressive feat this side of “Avatar”.

What separates this film from you standard blockbuster though, are the complex questions it is asking: where we came from, who created us, and above all, why? There are no simple answers to these questions, and those expecting a simple answer may be disappointed, and may be missing the main point of the film…

Top 5 Movie Guide: Animated Animal Films

Animated films have long given us hope and taught us some of our most valuable life lessons. Their creativity and wonderment has inspired the minds and imaginations of each generation since their creation nearly 100 years ago. Whether or not you still regularly explore this genre or not, there's no doubt that these films provided some of the most memorable childhood moments for each of us. No matter our age, we grew up with these films and so many of them are so strongly cemented in our lives.

With all of that in mind, for this week's list we decided to theme our post around this weekend's release of "Madagascar 3". While simply going with animated films would have been an interesting and broad list to compile, we decided to narrow it down to a smaller section that still has plenty of memorable titles to offer. This time around, we decided to compile some of our favorite Animated Animal Films of all-time. Animated films have been around since the early 1900's, but it probably wasn't until the early 1940's when Walt Disney introduced such films as "Dumbo" and "Bambi" to the world and turned us all onto this section of the animated world. Since then, the use of animals as main characters in film has been a staple, as their presence has provided a more interesting and easier-to-absorb format for children and adults alike. There have been countless stories told with a variety of different lovable creatures in these title roles, and we continue to fall in love with all of them.

With so many great titles from this genre, hit the jump to see which animated films, which feature animals as the main characters, each of us see as the best!