Content about Cinema of the United States
So many romantic comedies fail to be engaging, entertaining films all the way up to their final act, when they finally have to acknowledge the romantic portion of their premise. Nicholas Stoller’s debut film, “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” mostly avoided that trap, layering in a funny story and characters with a sweet, unexpected romance.
In “Bernie,” Austin-based filmmaker Richard Linklater’s newest film, Jack Black plays real-life Texas criminal Bernie Tiede, a mortician who strikes up an unlikely friendship with millionaire Marjorie Nugent (Shirley MacLaine). When the friendly, unassuming Bernie is driven to murder the curmudgeonly Marjorie, District Attorney Danny Buck (Matthew McConaughey) swoops in to pick up the pieces.
There’s no denying that “Titanic” was a genuine cultural phenomenon when it hit theaters, spending a staggering 15 weeks at the top of the box office, and setting records left and right. Even so, it’s a film that our generation didn’t really get a chance to see in theaters. My first memory of the film was watching it in a hotel room with my parents and really only paying attention to the part where the ship goes down.
Madonna’s age looms large over her latest album, MDNA. At 53, she has remained relevant (despite protests from her critics to the contrary) in the world of entertainment where celebrities are edged out before you can say “Miley.”
Another Academy Awards goes by and just a few minutes after, the show is all but forgotten (Jean Dujar — who won for Best Actor?). Except for Angelina’s left leg sticking out of her dress, the show was a tame affair, from the traditional host of Billy Crystal to the largely unsurprising winners.
Since the dawn of cinema, Hollywood has been quick to exploit tragedies new and old for cinematic value, not to mention the occasional awards season boost in prestige. It wouldn’t be too difficult to amass an impressive DVD collection solely from films based on the atrocities of the Holocaust and World War II, and the period is represented almost annually in the Best Picture race. Therefore, it’s only fitting that the greatest catastrophe our generation has ever faced, Sept. 11, be mined for similar cinematic gravitas.
It’s been seven years since Alexander Payne’s last film (the sublime “Sideways), and although “The Descendants” may not reach the staggering highs of that film, it’s a charming picture of those who stay in Hawaii once vacation season is over.
A year ago, Shailene Woodley was probably best known for her prominent role on “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” However, her wonderful performance as George Clooney’s spunky, brutally honest daughter in Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants” promises to redirect the 20-year-old actress&r
A year ago, Elizabeth Olsen was most recognizable for her last name, one she shares with older sisters Mary-Kate and Ashley. Fortunately, Elizabeth skipped the child star route and is now an infinitely better actress than either of her older sisters, something that’s abundantly clear in her stunning performance in Sean Durkin’s “Martha Marcy May Marlene.” Olsen stars as Martha, who’s recently escaped from a horrific cult and takes refuge with her sister, played by Sarah Paulson.
Roland Emmerich has built his career on disaster film epics such as “Independence Day” and “2012,” but his passion project “Anonymous” is a film of an entirely different vein.
Renowned actor Johnny Depp said journalism has become a big business based on selling a product instead of telling the truth at an exclusive screening of his new film, “The Rum Diary.”
George Clooney and Shailene Woodley in Alexander Payne’s “The Descendants,” one of the hottest tickets at this year’s festival. (Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight)
Yesterday marked the beginning of this year’s Austin Film Festival. The festival will run through Oct. 27 and seeks to balance local flavor with Hollywood flair. Among the many events that The Daily Texan will be on hand to cover are several red carpet premieres at the Paramount Theatre that are being billed as the highlights of this year’s festival.
WHAT: Titus Andronicus
WHEN: Thurs. Oct. 20 — Monday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m.
WHERE: CTC International, 1102 E. Cesar Chavez St.
ADMISSION: $15
WEB: http://www.lastacttheater.com/
“Footloose” is director Craig Brewer’s fourth feature film, a remake of the 1984 Kevin Bacon classic. The film continues Brewer’s tradition of southern-set films, a collection that also includes “Hustle & Flow” and “Black Snake Moan,” two of the most distinctly deep-fried southern films to come out of the last decade.
George Clooney’s first directorial effort since 2008’s “Leatherheads” abandons the screwball comedy that derailed that film and returns to the socially conscious sparring of 2005’s “Good Night, and Good Luck.” “The Ides of March” is not only a clear evolution of Clooney’s directorial style, but an impressive piece of intelligent, adult cinema; political intrigue of the highest degree.
Rod Lurie’s remake of “Straw Dogs” makes many changes to Sam Peckinpah’s original, some of which improve the story and some that don’t make much of a difference. The biggest flaw in the remake, however, is that not enough has changed.
Director and filmmaker Richard Linklater and artist Mika Tajima contended that slackers aren’t apathetic or lazy, but are instead driven by a unique ideology that emphasizes enjoying life. They discussed their views on slackers at a program presented Tuesday by the Blanton Museum of Art and the UT Visual Arts Center.
[Corrected Sept. 13: Changed who is required to attend the University Lecture Series]
When director Robert Rodriguez was a student at UT, he didn’t have the grades to get into the University’s Film 1 class. But he did create a short film called “Bedhead” that completely surprised and impressed radio-television-film professor Charles Ramirez-Berg.
“Contagion” may be the most unexpectedly terrifying movie of the year. It’s not exactly a horror movie in the traditional sense of the word, since there are no axe murderers, ghosts or zombies, but its step-by-step breakdown of the spread of a potentially apocalyptic virus is every bit as unnerving as anything George Romero or John Carpenter has ever accomplished.
There is no reason for “Bucky Larson: Born to be a Star” to exist. It has one good joke in its entire run time and this is it: There’s a throwaway gag at the end of the second act about Pauly Shore hosting the pornographic equivalent of the Oscars. And now that you’ve heard it, don’t put yourself through this film. If you were thinking about seeing it anyway, consider this: Do you like being dipped in sulfuric acid for hours on end?
Standing in the midst of slide projections, scaffolds and paintings displaying vivid and energetic colors, artist Mika Tajima quietly surveyed her work as it neared completion Tuesday in the Visual Arts Center.
At a Blanton Museum event on campus Tuesday, Tajima, the new artist-in-residence at the UT, explained her creation process for her exhibit “The Architect’s Garden,” set to be open from Sept. 9 until Dec. 17 in the Visual Arts Center.
