In his seemingly never-ending quest to provide meaty satire and goofing on many things in real life, Seth MacFarlane knows no bounds. With his mega-popular Family Guy and 2012’s Ted, he certainly knows how to generate laughs. His latest film, in which he wrote, directed, and starred,A Million Ways to Die in the West, is no different. The film continues his farcical tradition and manages to squeeze as much humor, adventure, and romance out of its 116-minute runtime. With an all-star cast and an even more hilarious array of cameos, West may not be an Oscar contender but it’s definitely worthy of a viewing if you’re in the mood for a good chuckle.
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn
When one thinks of comedy, one name always comes to mind. He is a man of supreme funny-man power, impeccable timing, and an almost unlimited supply of improvised genius: Robin Williams. Over the course of four decades, Williams has delighted audiences both young and old, from his wacky comedies and stand-up routines to his occasional voice-over work in animation. Though known mostly for his comedy, he is also a very talented dramatic actor. He is a man who continually surprises. Unfortunately, however, with his latest cinematic effort, The Angriest Man in Brooklyn, it seems he may have run out of steam and this is unfortunate because the subject matter of this film is full of true potential.
The Big Ask
Friendship is all about compromise. Any true bond that lasts and endures relies heavily on the notion that he, she, or they will do almost anything for the good of the relationship. Such a bond is tested in the new dramedyThe Big Ask. In this honest, slightly gritty indie film, we see just how much one person relies on his friends and how a rather unusual request can instill random emotions and reactions from a small group of people.
Batman at 75: To All a Dark Knight – The Event
In 1939, artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger created one of fiction’s greatest and most enduring characters, Batman. Since then, this masked hero has been a staple in comic books, film, TV, video games, toys, shower curtains, and almost anything else you can think of. On May 5th, 2014, the Paley Center for Media in New York City hosted Batman at 75: To All a Dark Knight, a very special event celebrating 75 years of the Caped Crusader and the memories created during the iconic character’s history. New memories were created as well during this awesome event, which I had the honor and privilege of attending.
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Chef
Jon Favreau is a man of many talents. Three of those talents, of course, are his directing, writing, and acting abilities. Known the world over for helming the first two Iron Man films and for his comedic roles in films like Swingers, Made (also as writer & director), and for playing one of Monica’s boyfriends on TV’s Friends. Favreau’s latest film Chef, has the man pulling triple duty and this fun, original film may be his best work to date.
Stage Fright
In the last decade or so, the horror film genre has faltered in many ways. The classic slasher formula has diminished and the only genuine scares come from loud crashes caused by malevolent spirits. The Paranormal Activity franchise has dominated the horror film market and originality and freshness has sadly gone out the window. However, there is hope with schlocky little satires like Stage Fright, a unique hybrid of the horror and musical genres. This film seemed to come out of nowhere and if you want some mindless entertainment that will scare as well as amuse, then this is the film for you.
Joe
Hey, remember Nicolas Cage? That eccentric Academy Award-winning actor who has enjoyed a career full of many ups and downs. It’s very difficult to predict the thespian’s next move, wether his next film is going to be a flop or hit. His latest project Joe, fortunately manages to overcome mediocrity and thankfully, entertains and attracts audiences for its 117-minute run time.
Primeval: New World – The Complete Series
In recent years, television has basically replaced feature films. Gripping storytelling and excellent acting is seen more often on the small screen than on the big. Shows manage to hook viewers and keep them glued to the screen for the duration of their beloved shows. Primeval: New World tries to attempt this trend but doesn’t quite pull it off. It tries hard, that’s for sure but it just ends up as mediocre television at best.
NYCC 2013: Black Sails Roundtable Interview #4
Interview with Black Sails Stars Zach McGowan and Mark Ryan
Q: They were talking about doing the training. I remember the Spartacus guys and the Da Vinci’s Code were on a strict diet. Is it the same for you guys?
Zack McGowan: It’s not that they keep us on a strict diet or whatnot. I mean, you know, they have kind of goals, creative goals, and you either do them or you don’t, depending on, I mean I was just told that I have to go off of any kind of diet because they said I’m in too good of shape, so I’m going back to something. You know, to me, I always stay in shape. For this, I definitely kicked it up a notch. It’s not like you can go to the grocery store in this world, so there is a nature of being on boats, not having a lot of supplies and sick, not having safe drinking water. You know, the Bahamas is a really tough place to get drinking water because they’re small islands that don’t have very high elevation and not very large forests that there was not much clean drinking water around. You get the sense that being lean in this world is pretty specific, so yes and no, but I tend to eat well anyway.
Mark Ryan: I was on a special diet, South African Savignon Blanc, oysters, I ate a lot of kudu, a lot of wildebeest, a lot of kinklet, some lobster. Yes, as you can see, my body is a temple.
Zack McGowan: You guys will have no problem with that, you’ll like everything with that.
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NYCC 2013: Black Sails Roundtable Interview #3
Interview with Black Sails Stars Luke Arnold and Jessica Parker Kennedy
Q: Are you from West Australia?
Luke Arnold: I studied in West Australia, yeah, so I lived in Australia kind of in every state there. I went to drama school over in Perth. The most isolated city in the world, so, which is good practice for shooting in Cape Town.
Continue reading NYCC 2013: Black Sails Roundtable Interview #3
Unger the Radar 