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Hitchcock Review: A Psycho Love Story

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The crux of Hitchcock may be the making of Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic Psycho, but its heart is the lifelong love story between the man and his wife, Alma Reville.

Anthony Hopkins in Hitchcock
Hitchcock begins with the premiere of the suspense master’s North by Northwest. Immediately the filmmaker knows the Hollywood sentiment that you’re only as good as your most recent hit and begins searching for his follow up. People who work with him and for him have all sorts of ideas as to what he should do next. Reville does, as does Hitch’s trusty assistant, Peggy (Toni Collette).

Yet the famed director zeroes in a graphically violent true story of Ed Gein, a man who was arrested for the murders of two women. His story was told in the novel by Robert Bloch… called Psycho. When police arrested Gein, they found some disturbing things in his house, such as “skin” made from the women he killed that were used in an effort for Gein to become his dead mother. Sound familiar?

The Hollywood establishment begged Hitchcock not to make Psycho his next movie. It was too violent, they would say. Even his studio, Paramount, refused to fund the movie as they felt they could not distribute it. So, Alma and Alfred decide to mortgage their house and fund the picture themselves. The rest, as they say, is history. But, how Hitch got to release that iconic film is the meat and bones of the movie Hitchcock.

First time feature director Sacha Gervasi could not ask for a better cast for his debut narrative film. He scored raves for his documentary Anvil: The Story of Anvil and was more than up to the task of directing Oscar winners Anthony Hopkins as Hitch and Helen Mirren as his wife. Gervasi weaves a web that not only Hollywood history buffs will appreciate, but a wide audience. That is because he paints the picture as a love letter between the two life partners following their passion.

As seen in this Hitchcock international trailer, Hopkins is uncanny as the title character. That is a difficult task, given the public’s awareness of the real man. Yet the British actor manages to bring subtlety to the performance that gives previously unseen layers to a man we all think we know. And Mirren is a revelation as his wife, who put her own writing career on hold to be a cheerleader and priceless associate in her husband’s thriving film legacy.

Helen Mirren and Anthony Hopkins Hitchcock
One of the most surprising performances in the entire film comes from Scarlett Johansson. She portrays Janet Leigh, the actress made most famous by that legendary shower scene in Psycho. (When Hitchcock shows how that iconic scene was shot, it is jaw-dropping.) The filmmaker was known for casting a certain type of woman in his lead roles and they would become known the Hitchcock blondes. Where most were the subject of obsession by the director, Leigh managed to cut through the director’s persona and get to know the person. It is a platonic relationship that is almost as powerful as the romantic one between the director and his wife as shown in Hitchcock.

Our Hitchcock review is fascinated by this story and can state with absolute confidence that the film is one of the best of the year. It deserves a Best Picture nomination and in a town that loves to reward itself, look for this story of the making of Hitchcock’s biggest blockbuster to score a nod right alongside another film that celebrates Hollywood, Argo.


Weekend Movie Preview: November 23, 2012

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There is much to give thanks for this weekend at the movies houses across the land. Three films landed Wednesday for the Thanksgiving holiday -- Rise of the Guardians, Life of Pi and Red Dawn. And today arrives a story that any film fan should not miss…. Hitchcock.

Rise of the Guardians: Imagine if all the legends of our childhood joined together in a The Avengers type movie to tackle the most evil of wreckers of kid fantasy: The Boogie Man. Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Sandman and the Tooth Fairy take on a new member to their Guardians group, Jack Frost. As stated in our Rise of the Guardians review, the voice cast is impeccable with Chris Pine voicing Frost, Alec Baldwin is Santa, Hugh Jackman gets to do a straight Australian accent as the Easter Bunny and Isla Fisher charms as the Tooth Fairy. A perfect film to take the family to while taking a break from all that manic shopping!


Life of Pi: Ang Lee tackled a book that many thought was impossible to bring to the big screen. Our five-star Life of Pi review delves deeper, but it must be said that one of the ten of the Best Picture nominee contenders is surely going to be Lee’s latest and most ambitious film to date. And that’s being said about the guy who gave us Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Also, if you leave the theater with a new affinity for tigers, you’re not alone.


Red Dawn: Chris Hemsworth, Josh Hutcherson, Adrianne Palicki and Josh Peck lead a cast of young stars trying to remake the 1984 classic of Cold War cinema. Although they share a title, story and overall premise, Red Dawn 1984 and Red Dawn 2012 are two quite different movies. Where the first film dealt with a Soviet invasion, Hemsworth and his Wolverines this time out are battling the North Koreans. Yes it’s possible! Check our Red Dawn review for more and check out our exclusive trailer below.


Hitchcock: Two Best Picture nomination locks released in the same week? Told you there was much to be thankful about this holiday weekend! Anthony Hopkins and Helen Mirren portray Mr. and Mrs. Hitchcock, something we learn in the film -- that bears the filmmaker’s legendary name -- are as much of a creative team than a single entity that is Alfred Hitchcock. The film explores what it took for the great to get his most successful film off the ground, Psycho. No one wanted to make it! The Movie Fanatic Hitchcock review also reports that Scarlett Johansson scores as the Janet Leigh, the subject of that iconic knife-in-the-shower scene.

It's a Wonderful Life to Bad Santa: Which Christmas Movie is Best?

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The arrival of Black Friday and its madness lets us know what is really happening: Christmas is around the corner. As the weeks go by and December 25 gets ever closer, the DVD and Blu-Ray players across the globe will surely be warming up with holiday movie fare. Movie Fanatic wants to know what spirit of the season piece of cinema is your all-time favorite.

Billy Bob Thornton Lauren Graham Bad Santa
Christmas movies come in all kinds, from the head-shaking hilarity of Bad Santa, to the modern classic that is A Christmas Story to the iconic -- It’s a Wonderful Life and Miracle on 34th Street.

What is your favorite holiday movie?

Breaking Dawn Part 2 Doubles Down For Thanksgiving: Weekend Box Office

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Thanksgiving is about family, friends, food, and an extra-long weekend at the box office. Breaking Dawn Part 2 took full advantage of the holiday weekend, scoring big in its second weekend. Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner earned $64 million over the five-day period to take first place in the box office.

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson in Breaking Dawn Part 2

Skyfall repeated a second-place performance in its third week. The newest Bond film took in $51.1 million for the five-day, bringing its total domestic gross to $221.7 million.

Preserving the top 3 from last week, Lincoln remains in third place. Steven Spielberg's presidential biopic grossed $34.1 million in its third weekend in theaters.

Two premiering films, Rise of the Guardians and Life of Pi, round out the top five. The films took in $32.6 million and $30.2 million, respectively.

Box office top 10:

1. Breaking Dawn Part 2, $64 million
2. Skyfall, $51.1 million
3. Lincoln, $34.1 million
4. Rise of the Guardians, $32.6 million
5. Life of Pi, $30.2 million
6. Wreck-It Ralph $23 million
7. Red Dawn, $22 million
8. Flight, $11.4 million
9. Silver Linings Playbook, $5.9
10. Argo, $5.1 million

Box office top 10:

1. Breaking Dawn Part 2, $141.3 million
2. Skyfall, $41.5 million
3. Lincoln, $21 million
4. Wreck-It Ralph, $18.3 million
5. Flight, $8.6 million
6. Argo, $4.1 million
7. Taken 2, $2.1 million
8. Pitch Perfect, $1.3 million
9. Here Comes the Boom, $1.2 million
10. Cloud Atlas, $900 thousand



Read more movie news at: http://www.moviefanatic.com/2012/11/breaking-dawn-part-2-scores-big-weekend-box-office-report/#ixzz2DLQsraPe

Zero Dark Thirty TV Spot: This is How it Happened

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The first TV spot for Zero Dark Thirty has hit the internet. Take a look:

The film tells the story of the search for Osama Bin Laden. Jessica Chastain (Madagascar 3) stars, along with Kyle Chandler, Edgar Ramirez, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt (The Five-Year Engagement), and Jason Clarke. James Gandolfini also stars as Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

The Oscar-winning director of The Hurt Locker, Kathryn Bigelow, directs the film.

Zero Dark Thirty will premiere December 19. Take a look at the latest batch of Zero Dark Thirty stills for more.

The Hobbit Post Production Vlog: Racing Toward the Premiere

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Seriously, The Hobbit makes the movie industry seem like a hopelessly clunky, barely functioning tugboat with a hole in the bottom where more man-hours just keep flooding into the hull. Yet somehow, we'll still get to see An Unexpected Journey on its premiere date. Pretty crazy.

Check out the new post-production vlog for The Hobbit, which chronicles just how unfathomably complicated making one of these films is:

Martin Freeman stars as Bilbo Baggins in the adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien novel. Ian McKellen reprises his Lord of the Rings role as Gandalf the Grey, with Richard Armitage, Ian Holm, Andy Serkis, Benedict Cumberbatch (Star Trek Into Darkness), Hugo Weaving (Cloud Atlas), Cate Blanchett, and Elijah Wood also star.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hits theaters December 14. The Hobbit ticket presale has already begun, so get your tickets now!

Movie Fanatic's Top 100 Films of All Time: 100-91

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Movie Fanatic is happy to unveil its Top 100 Films of All Time list! We've whittled down all of film history into just 100 films, and it was no easy task! With so many amazing films to choose from, Movie Fanatic decided to take a slightly less conventional approach to this list. While influence and historical significance were surely taken into consideration, we focused a bit more on viewing experience, on the acting, the cinematography, the soundtrack, the scope, the story, the dialogue, the things that make us leave the theater in awe.

We begin today with #100-91, and we will unveil ten new films everyone Monday until we reach #1! We encourage our readers to join in on the conversation, so scroll down to read our picks and leave all your thoughts in the comments section below!

Top 100 Films of All Time

100. Lost in Translation
The film that truly showed the world that Bill Murray was so much more than a comic actor. Only Murray could have pulled off the role of a man traveling in Japan and his unlikely friendship with a young woman, expertly played by Scarlett Johansson. Lost in Translation also showed the world that the talent apple does not fall far from the tree as Francis Ford Coppola’s daughter Sofia scored an Oscar nod for Best Director with one of her first films. What is not to like about this movie?! Want a taste of the brilliance? Check out our Lost in Translation quotes for more!

99. Jurassic Park
Steven Spielberg not only brought dinosaurs to life in this sci-fi thriller adaptation of Michael Crichton’s novel, he also revolutionized computer-generated imagery along the way. The 1993 film stars Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Samuel L. Jackson, and Wayne Knight, and features what is perhaps the most memorable bathroom scene of all time. Read through our Jurassic Park quotes page for more.

Jurassic Park Poster

98. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Deep discussions could ensue about which of John Hughes’ movies are his best. Movie Fanatic submits the Matthew Broderick-starring 1986 movie about a high school senior, who even after missing school NINE TIMES, elects to take a glorious spring day off. There are countless Ferris Bueller’s Day Off quotes that have become iconic and that is because Hughes’ script encapsulates all that is those late teen years: Living at home still while knowing that everything is about to change. This is a teen comedy that doesn’t shy away from the tough emotions that are grappled with by kids of that age. That is why it is just as relevant today as it was when it arrived in 1986.

97. Breaking the Waves
Avant-garde Danish filmmaker and progenitor of the Dogma 95 filmmaking movement Lars von Trier kicked off his Golden HeartTrilogy with this 1996 drama. Emily Watson gives an outstanding performance as Bess McNeill, a woman in the Scottish Highlands torn between her deep-rooted religious beliefs and her love for her husband in this devastating and beautiful film.

96. The Usual Suspects
The Usual Suspects possesses that hard to achieve cinematic jaw-dropping moment that the audience does not see coming. It is the rarest of Hollywood commodities. After the “wow” moment is achieved, it can be counted on that audiences will go back through the film and make sure it all adds up. The insanity of the brilliance of Bryan Singer’s film is it adds up so much so, that upon repeated viewings, you still don’t see that twist coming. Check out our The Usual Suspects quotes page for more.

95. Five Easy Pieces
Jack Nicholson is at his cutting-est as Bobby Dupea, a former piano prodigy who has abandoned his talent in favor of a blue-collar lifestyle in this classic from 1970. Nicholson is an actor with many memorable lines, and some of his most iconic come in the form of Five Easy Pieces quotes, where we learn never to give him a hard time about ordering toast in a diner.

94. The Big Lebowski
One of many Coen brothers classics, The Big Lebowski is among the best as it showed the filmmakers’ knack for films that effectively intersect crime, out-there characters that audiences make iconic and enough humor for the film to be considered a comedy. In The Big Lebowski, Jeff Bridges turns in a characterization of The Dude that will reverberate through film history as does the performance by his brother in arms, John Goodman as Walter Sobchak. Those The Big Lebowski quotes only further illustrate the film’s brilliance.

The Big Lebowski Photo

93. The Apartment
Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine delight in Billy Wilder’s follow-up to Some Like it Hot. This Best Picture winner features Lemmon as a lonely office worker who gets in good with the higher-ups at his company by offering them his apartment for their extramarital trysts. Visit our The Apartment quotes page for some of the best moments.

92. Wall-E
One of Pixar’s absolute best (and that’s saying something), Wall-E achieved the impossible: It painted a beautiful picture that is the love story between two robots. Wall-E proved that it doesn’t matter the form in which a story is told, here with Pixar animation, if there is resonance to a tale, the art form that it is presented in does not matter. Be sure to visit our Wall-E quotes page.

91. A Hard Day’s Night
Considering what modern-day movie vehicles for non-film celebrities tend to be like, A Hard Day’s Night is a triumph for the ages. The first of five Beatles movies was made to capitalize on the height of Beatlemania, but ended up being a delightful romp replete with wit and whimsy in that very cheeky 1960’s British sort of way. But we’ll take The Beatles over Benny Hill any day. Check out our A Hard Day’s Night quotes page for more.

Les Miserables French Poster: All the Characters Together

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After a slew of Les Miserables character posters, including this one of Amanda Seyfried, a new poster has dropped that includes most of the major characters from the film. Take a look:

Les Miserables French Poster

Hugh Jackman (The Wolverine) stars as Jean Valjean, a paroled man on the run from Inspector Javert, played by Russell Crowe. The pursuit consumes both men's lives, culminating in the 1832 June Rebellion in Paris.

Seyfried stars as Cosette, with Anne Hathaway as Fantine. Eddie Redmayne, Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, and Samantha Barks also star.

Tom Hooper directs the film, which premieres on Christmas Day. Watch this Les Miserables featurette for an insight into the making of the film.


This is 40 Gets a New Clip and Featurette: Jason Segel Gets Close to Leslie Mann

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Jason Segel gets very close to Writer/Director/Producer Judd Apatow's wife Leslie Mann in this featurette for This is 40. Check it out, followed by a new clip that we've seen a bit of in the trailer:

Mann and Paul Rudd reprise their Knocked Uproles as Debbie and Pete in the new Apatow film, which focuses on their marriage and family life as Debbie turns 40. Apatow is calling This is 40 his most personal movie yet.

Charlene Yi, Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Albert Brooks, John Lithgow, Megan Fox, Lena Dunham, and Robert Smigel also star. This is 40 comes out December 21.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt Could be the New Batman: Justice League Casting Rumors

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Warning: This whole post is sort of a The Dark Knight Rises spoiler. Okay, did the one guy who doesn't know leave? Cool, then we can talk about it.

After the ending of TDKR suggested Joseph Gordon-Levitt's Robin is in a perfect position to take over as the new Batman, creating a cohesive DC film universe that hasn't really existed before, and making the absolutely ridiculous ending at least somewhat palatable, Christopher Nolan denied that there are any plans to proceed with that arrangement. It was just a fun little thing he threw in there to, you know, make us forget the ridiculous thing we just saw in relation to the ridiculous thing we were about to see.

The Dark Knight Rises Still: John Blake

Now, a really interesting rumor is circulating the internet that says JGL may indeed be in multi-picture talks to play the Caped Crusader. According toMotion Captured, Warner Bros. is close to securing Gordon-Levitt in the role for the upcoming Justice League movie. Of course, that doesn't mean that Nolan was lying to us, just that Warner Bros. subsequently saw an opportunity and seized it.

MC goes on to speculate that, since The Justice League is still many years away, Warner may be planning to give Gordon-Levitt a little introductory cameo in Man of Steel. While it was previously denied that Henry Cavill's Man of Steel Superman would be the same as the Justice League Superman, that now appears to be very likely.

So could Warner Bros. introduce us to their DC universe as early as next year? Right now it's just a speculation on a rumor, but we think it makes some sense. Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Star Wars Episode VII Director Matthew Vaughn? Jason Flemyng Seems to Think So!

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Why Hollywood studios try to keep secrets is beyond me. It's gonna leak, guys. It's gonna leak.

It's hard to know for sure if that's what happened here, but it sure as heck looks like it. In an interview withHey U Guys at the UK Seven Psychopaths premiere, actor Jason Flemyng may have let slip that Matthew Vaughn, with whom he's worked 9 times, is directing Star Wars Episode VII.

Flemyng has a total "what did I just do?" look on his face right around 1:33, after he is asked if he thinks Vaughn is interested in the job, and he reacts as if everyone already knew that Vaughn was attached. Take a look:

It looks like solid evidence to us, but then again, it could just be a case of an actor being weird. It's hard to trust these kinds of incidents. Let us know what you think in the comments section, then watch George Lucas discuss Star Wars Episode VIIwith Disney!

Beautiful Creatures Character Poster: Alice Englert as Lena Duchannes

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A new Beautiful Creatures character poster has dropped, featuring Alice Englert as Lena Duchannes, doing her best duckface. Take a look:

Beautiful Creatures Lena Duchannes Poster

Lena is a new girl in town, who instantly captures the attention of local boy Ethan Wate, played by Alden Ehrenreich. What Ehrenreich doesn't realize is that Lena belongs to a race of witches called Casters, and on her upcoming 18th birthday, her fate will be decided for the side of good or evil.

Emma Thompson (Brave), Jeremy Irons, Emma Rossum, Viola Davis, and Thomas Mann (Project X) also star. The film is based on the young adult novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

Richard LaGravenese directs the film, which hits theaters February 13, 2013. Watch the Beautiful Creatures trailer for a closer look.

Star Wars Sequel News: Lawrence Kasdan and Simon Kinberg to Pen Spin-Offs?

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Disney has a brand new toy in the Star Wars franchise and they have been playing with it non-stop. Michael Arndt has written a treatment for the next three films, and is currently working on the first screenplay. Rumors are flying that Matthew Vaughn will direct Star Wars Episode VII. Now, it looks like we may have some news about a spinoff series.

Much like Disney is doing with the Marvel Universe, they may be using their newly acquired property as a way to explore side characters in their own films, while concurrently bringing them together for the main series. This absolutely seems to be where Hollywood is going, with Warner Bros. trying to figure out their DC Comics universe in preparation for the Justice League movie.

Star Wars Photo

Enter Lawrence Kasdan (who worked on the scripts in the original Star Wars series) and Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Days of Future Past). The pair of writers were previously rumored to be penning Episodes VIII and IX together, but now THGis reporting that they may in fact be working separately on spin-off movies.

The plan seems to be very loose at the moment, and there is no word yet on which characters may be highlighted in the spin-offs. Apparently, the scripts still have the potential to turn into episodes in the main series, with Disney CEO Robert Iger stating that he would like some kind of Star Wars movie to be released about every three years.

Who's hoping for a Jar-Jar movie!?

December Movies: Which Gets Your Vote?

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The weather may be getting colder outside, but inside the movie houses, the heat is elevating. The final month of 2012 is upon us and some of the best films and most anticipated movies of the year will all make their debut in December.

Andy Serkis as Gollum in The Hobbit
Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Hurt Locker director Kathryn Bigelow’s take on the manhunt for Osama bin Laden arrives in the form of Zero Dark Thirty, and Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor are getting serious Oscar buzz for their performances in the 2004 Tsunami true tale, The Impossible.

It should be a December for the ages as fun films also land including the first chapter in what Tom Cruise hopes is a new action franchise with Jack Reacher, Seth Rogen and Barbara Streisand hit the road in the comedy The Guilt Trip, and Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann reprise their Knocked Up roles in the “somewhat” sequel This Is 40.

Oh yeah, there are two more Oscar contenders to add to this esteemed list for the final months of 2012: Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained and the wildly anticipated stage-to-screen effort that is the iconic Les Miserables. So...

Which December movie are you most looking forward to? 

Zero Dark Thirty Gets its First Clip: You Don't Know Al Qaeda!

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Heck yeah Jessica Chastain (Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted)! I'd be terrified to scream at Coach Taylor like that. Especially now that he's become the CIA Station Chief for Pakistan.

I kid, of course. I can absolutely separate an actor from his iconic television character. It's not something I struggle with at all. Dr. Frasier Crane says I'm perfectly stable. Anyway, watch the first clip from Zero Dark Thirty, featuring an impassioned speech from Chastain to Kyle Chandler:

The film chronicles the CIA's search for Osama Bin Laden. Chris Pratt (The Five-Year Engagement), Edgar Ramirez, Joel Edgerton, Scott Adkins, and Taylor Kinney star as the members of SEAL Team 6, with Jason Clarke, Mark Strong, and James Gandolfini also starring.

Oscar-winner Kathryn Bigelow directs the film, which will hit theaters December 19. Watch the Zero Dark Thirty trailer for a full preview.


Step Up Revolution: tWitch Talks Dance Explosion

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As Step Up Revolution has landed on Blu-Ray and DVD, star tWitch gives Movie Fanatic an exclusive take on the proliferation of dance that is going on right now in the world. As a child of the 1980s, he grew up with limited access to that world, except what he could see on his television. But, there were a few things that lit the creative fire with the star. “Breakin’ and Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo. Those were my movies,” tWitch said.

tWitch in Step Up Revolution
“This was before DVDs. So I had to rent these movies every weekend. I learned a lot from those movies. I’m from Alabama, this is before YouTube and before you could pull up a video of a street dancer -- music videos and those two Breakin' movies were a lot of my education.”

Then, there were the twin towers of the Jackson brother-sister pair and their massive MTV hit list. “Also, all the Michael Jackson videos, the Janet videos… those were also the things that got me excited about dance. I would think about it daily,” tWtich admitted.

While some of his friends were studying an athletic legend, tWitch was surveying every move of a different sort. “I knew guys that would watch Michael Jordan play basketball and break down everything he does. I was doing the same and Michael and Janet, whatever had dance in it.”

Largely given the credit for this modern dance revolution is the Fox hit show So You Think You Can Dance and the Step Up movies that debuted in 2006. tWtich has the unique perspective of being a part of both words, having been a finalist on SYTYCD and appearing in both Step Up 3 and the fourth film, Step Up Revolution.

Showing the wide landscape that dance can inhabit in the modern world, there is an enormous differentiation made in the use of dance in Step Up 3 and the latest.

“The biggest difference is difference in story. The dancing had a different intent, but still the same intensity. In Step Up 3, we were -- as castmates -- bent on being the better crew. During the filming of the performance pieces, you could feel the tension in the air. Every person came out like they would come out on top, even though the outcome was scripted. It was about besting your opponents,” tWitch said.

As we state in our Step Up 4 review, what makes the latest work so well is that it is choreography with a mission statement. “We really have a lot to say. Whether that was making presence known, like the opening scene on Ocean Drive, to making social statements about us not being expendable and realizing what is being lost if you tear down our homes and where we work. Each movie brings a different artistic intent.”

Step Up Revolution Blu-Ray
Of all the electric dance scenes in Step Up Revolution, the dance star doesn’t miss a beat when asked which was his favorite. “During the finale there was myself, and four other dancers were strapped bungee-style to a wall. So we could run up and down the wall and jump back and forth. That was literally the most fun of all the things that I did in that movie. When they yelled cut, we didn’t want to come off the wall. We were like kids who did not want to come inside from playing,” he said and laughed.

There will be a Step Up 5 without any doubt. Movie Fanatic asked our expert about the future of dance on film and what type of dancers he’s seeing coming up through the ranks with the expanded education opportunity provided by SYTYCD and the Step Up films.

"There’s been an explosion as far as the awareness of dance. With that, the dancers and artists now have been a bit more intelligent on how to ride the wave of this explosion. There are a lot of dance studios popping up everywhere now,” tWitch said.

“It’s a huge difference from the boom of b-boying when it came on the scene in the 1980s. It was huge. But the education wasn’t pushed and it turned into a fad and it was gone. Now, the difference is we’ve gotten hip to that and we want to pair how big it is with the education of the dancers. You like what you see on TV? Well, you can go over here and learn it.”

A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III Releases Suggestive Character Posters

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In order for them to be character posters, do they need to actually include the characters on them? Regardless, these somewhat-suggestive poster for A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III each represent one of the actors from the cast. Check them out (click thumbnails to enlarge):

A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III Charlie Sheen Poster

A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III Patricia Arquette PosterA Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III Aubrey Plaza PosterA Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III Jason Schwartzman PosterA Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III Bill Murray Poster

The film stars Charlie Sheen as a ladies man (who's going to buy that?) in the 1970s named Charles Swan III, whose life spirals out of control after his girlfriend dumps him. Hitting rock bottom, Swan begins to have fever dreams of his past relationships.

Patricia Arquette, Aubrey Plaza (Funny People), Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray (Groundhog Day), and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter) also star.

Roman Coppola wrote the script, directed, and produced. A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III premiered at the Rome Film Festival on November 15, and will hit theaters February 8, 2013.

Killing Them Softly: Andrew Dominik on Directing Brad Pitt Twice

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Andrew Dominik, writer and director of Killing Them Softly, admits that there is something truly special about the talents of Brad Pitt that keeps him coming back. After directing the superstar in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Dominik could think of no one more perfect for the mob “fixer” Jackie -- as seen in the Killing Them Softly trailer.

Brad Pitt Killing Them Softly
“I worked with him before on Jesse James, and I feel that he’s somebody who can do anything. He has a certain mystery to him. You can’t cast him as an everyman,” Dominik said.

“But, you can cast him as somebody who’s extraordinary -- particularly in a character like this, that we don’t know much about. That sense of mystery that you’re only seeing the top 10-percent of the iceberg is something he’s good at. He’s got a real good sense of comic timing as well. Brad Pitt is just a great actor.”

Dominik phoned Movie Fanatic for an exclusive interview taking us further inside the dark world that was first created on the pages of George V. Higgins’ novel. “I really liked his characters. I could really see them all. I could hear them and I could imagine being in the room with them. And he really captured a real sense of authenticity. The initial attraction was Higgins’ voice,” Dominik said.

There’s an underlying tension to the story of an underground poker game run by Ray Liotta that is robbed. It’s 2008 and as Election Day approaches, the U.S. is in the grips of a financial collapse not seen since the Great Depression. “Once I realized the movie was about the economic crisis and I got the idea contrasting it against the bailout, the movie became a bit more generic or a bit more poppy,” he said.

Speeches on the subject are heard throughout including an Obama one that intercuts with the film’s opening credits. Although some have forgotten, that economically frightening period of late 2008 had just a few illegal activities as its cause -- mirroring the gamblers and killers of Killing Them Softly.

“What I was trying to show was there's a certain criminality in America from top to bottom,” Dominik said. “The story of an economic collapse was supported by people who were, in a sense, gambling. That was kind of what was going on in 2008.”

The film has a strong and compelling story, made infinitely more resonant due to the deep thought process with which Dominik wrote, and subsequently shot, the film -- shown off in these Killing Them Softly clips. “The idea originates in the screenplay and you provide a verbal description of what it’s going to be. But, it gets flushed out in pre-production. You storyboard it,” Dominik said.

He then pushes the creativity envelope to give his film a look that is unforgettable. “We go further and get the lenses out and we do a little photo essay. We’re always looking for great little accidents that we can discover,” Dominik said.

In one particular sequence with Pitt and a car window, it is a violent thing of beauty. “In scenes like that you can’t just loosey-goosey with it. You have to plan it. But at the same time you want it to be organic in some way. I remember for that sequence, I went and did those photo essays with the cars, to also see what other unusual things we could find too.”

One of the many, almost acting clinic like, scenes in the film involve Pitt and Richard Jenkins. The actor had previously eluded Dominik. “I asked Richard for Jesse James and he wouldn’t do it,” Dominik admitted and laughed.

Brad Pitt Richard Jenkins Killing Them Softly
Once on the Killing Me Softly set, it was worth the wait. “One of the things he said to me was, 'Listen, give me a couple of takes by myself before you do anything.' I did it. Then I did give him direction. He’d pretty much do anything you ask him to do. But I would always go back to Richard’s first two takes. He really knows what he’s doing, that guy.”

His film is riddled with tension, but also terrifically artistic dialogue and a visual style that sticks with a viewer for weeks. “I always think that’s the mark of a good movie is that it lasts beyond the day that you saw it,” Dominik said. 

Avatar Sequels To Shoot Next Year? James Cameron Hopes So

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James Cameron was a surprise guest at the New Zealand premiere of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. He and The Hobbit director Peter Jackson apparently have been working closely together on both 3D technology and 48fps technology.

For those who aren't in the frame rate enthusiast community, The Hobbit is experimenting with doubling the rate of film from 24 to 48, in order to provide a smoother visual experience. Cameron told reporters at the premiere that Jackson is set to revolutionize filmmaking in the same way that his own Avatardid for 3D.

James Cameron 3D Director

So what does that all mean? Well, it means that Cameron is getting excited about filmmaking again. And that means that Avatar 2 and 3 are back on his mind. According toThe West Australian, Cameron hopes to finish up his scripts for the two Avatar sequels by February, and begin shooting at the end of 2013.

Both films will be shot back-to-back, and of course, Cameron hopes to take advantage of Jackson's revolutionary frame rate. Cameron also said that if he goes ahead with a fourth film, he would want to make it a prequel.

Black Rock Trailer: You Did What You Thought You Had to Do in Order to Survive

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Katie Aselton, who you may know from the TV show The League, where she co-stars with husband Mark Duplass, has a new horror movie coming out called Black Rock. Take a look at the first trailer:

Aselton directed the film, and stars alongside Lake Bell (No Strings Attached) and Kate Bosworth (Movie 43) as three childhood friends who reunite for a weekend on a remote island off the coast of Maine. When they run into three men on the island for a hunting trip, one wrong move turns their vacation into a nightmare.

Aselton co-wrote the script with Duplass, who is known for his work in the "mumblecore" movement, and who wrote and directed this year's Jeff Who Lives at Home.

Black Rock opens May 17, 2013.

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