Pixar films, at their best, are wildly imaginative, speaking to children and adults alike. On paper, most Pixar films have basic scenarios with complex themes – toys that come to life or the monsters under the bed become surrogates for parenthood; a family of superheroes gives way to themes of isolation, self-worth, and our place …
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Surely, the most dreaded words in all of feature film development must be “it needs a new direction.” [Followed closely by “I have a few notes”]. Not that searching for a new direction is bad; some fantastic films have come from creatives throwing out what came before and, in the process, re-discovering an original truth. …
The image is compelling: a bride in her wedding dress with a gun in her hands and ammo strapped around her body. You know exactly what you’re in for… or do you? I tried to stay as far away from the original trailer as I could before I watched Ready or Not, starring Samara Weaving, …
Stuber feels almost revolutionary in a summer where every film seems to have earth-shattering stakes and where the simple pleasures of a good belly laugh and solid chemistry between actors happy to be there seem like the movie staples of a bygone era. To whip out an old critic’s cliché, they really don’t make them …
Before I start this The Lion King review, I want to address something so you know where I stand. There has been some discussion online lately about whether or not people are fans of Disney live-action remakes. Though I’ve enjoyed reading both sides, I have loved some and not others. I’m also okay with changes …
Spider-Man: Far From Home is a film caught up in the inconsistencies of grief. It suggests grief both causes individuals to freeze in their pre-trauma state and to attempt to put it behind them come hell or high water. Even as their every action is being caused by their grief, they are also turning their …
It’s difficult not to compare Ari Aster’s Midsommar to his previous film, Hereditary; in both, Aster uses grief as an entry point into explorations of horror and despair. In the case of Midsommar, that grief hits directly and quickly as Dani (Florence Pugh) is given some devastating news that destroys her world as she knows it. Her …
The great philosopher Tyler Durden once said, “The things we possess end up possessing us.” Taking that sort of glib pseudo-philosophy seriously is bound to backfire, but someone has anyway, so we may as well grapple with it. The possession under discussion is the haunted doll Annabelle, which has been traveling in search of a …
During the press conference for the highly-anticipated reboot of Child’s Play, we got to learn how Mark Hamill came to take on the role of the legendary horror figure, Chucky, and what it was like stepping into the big shoes that previous Chucky actor, Brad Dourif, left behind for him to fill. More importantly, we learned …
The new Netflix film Murder Mystery, starring Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, is released today. In the film, when a NYC cop (Adam Sandler) finally takes his wife (Jennifer Aniston) on a long-promised European trip, a chance meeting on the flight with a mysterious man (Luke Evans) gets them invited to an intimate family gathering on …
This past week, Vital Thrills got a chance to check out the premiere and press conference for the upcoming Netflix film, Murder Mystery. On the panel were writer James Vanderbilt, director Kyle Newacheck, Luis Gerardo Mendez Shioli Kutsuna, Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, and Dany Boon. In the film, when a NYC cop (Adam Sandler) finally …
During the press conference for the highly-anticipated live-action adaptation of Disney’s Aladdin, we got to learn more about how actor Will Smith approached the role of Genie, especially since Robin Williams’ performance left such a huge mark on Disney animated history. More importantly, we learned how composer Alan Menken’s music helped Smith start acclimating into the …
We recently attended the press conference for the upcoming, highly-anticipated live-action remake of Disney’s Aladdin and learned everything about how the world of Aladdin was created, what went into the dance sequences of the film, and how the team behind the remake decided to expand upon the original animated film’s story while still holding onto …
Star Wars fans received a unique gift for Star Wars Day this year when A Musical About Star Wars – or Why Star Wars is the Greatest Thing in the Galaxy, Much Much Better than Star Trek opened Off-Broadway in New York City. It’s a double gift for geeks like me to have my fandom collide …
There is no denying that a lot of work goes into creating stop-motion animated films. Just the shooting process alone for a feature-length film can take up to one or two years as a whole team of immensely driven and hard-working people come together to painstakingly capture each individual frame. But what exactly goes into …
When the curtain opened on the actors appearing for the Avengers: Endgame press conference, there was an audible gasp. No one had been notified about who was going to be there beforehand. Some characters that turned to dust with the snap of Thanos’ (Josh Brolin) fingers have movies coming out, of course, but who knows …
I am a massive Stephen King fan. Pet Sematary is one of my favorite King novels & films. When I heard they were remaking this, I had the knee-jerk reaction that most of the internet had: “No! Hollywood is remaking yet another classic yet again instead of coming up with fresh ideas. Nothing is sacred!! …
During the first half of the press conference for the highly-anticipated live-action reimagining of Disney‘s Dumbo, we got to learn more about how composer Danny Elfman came to the project. Most importantly, we learned how he created Dumbo’s theme and managed to capture director Tim Burton’s need to hear Dumbo soar in the film’s score. When you …
We recently attended the press conference for the highly-anticipated live-action reimagining of Disney‘s Dumbo. The press conference was split into two parts. Attending the first part of the press conference were producer Derek Frey, producer Katterli Frauenfelde, production designer Rick Heinrichs, costume designer Colleen Atwood, composer Danny Elfman, screenwriter Ehren Kruger, and producer Justin Springer. While …
People have been talking about a change in tone for DC superhero films for a while now. I’ve certainly been one of them. There are a million think pieces on how the world has gone to hell in a handbag and how we need films that take us away from that these days. Wonder Woman …