Tag: Amy Adams

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Amy Adams Set To Star In Truly Bizarre Sounding Movie Titled ‘Nightbitch’

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Are you ready for some weirdness? Searchlight Pictures has acquired worldwide rights to Annapurna’s ‘Nightbitch’ film, which is set to star Amy Adams.

And the premise sounds pretty bizarre. Basically, Adams’ character believes she’s turning into a dog.

Adams stars as a woman thrown into the stay-at-home routine of raising a toddler in the suburbs, who slowly embraces the feral power deeply rooted in motherhood, as she becomes increasingly aware of the bizarre and undeniable signs that she may be turning into a canine.

It’s described as a “darkly comic neo-horror,” film. Marielle Heller wrote and will direct this movie. She previously directed A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, Can You Ever Forgive Me, and The Diary of a Teenage Girl.

Production on ‘Nightbitch’ is set to begin in Los Angeles this September, which means it’ll likely be released in the fall of 2023.

It’s set to stream as a Hulu original. We’re not sure if it’ll also be released in theaters as well, or if it’ll strictly be on Hulu, similar to their other horror hit, Fresh.

The film is based on Rachel Yoder’s acclaimed novel. Heller had high praise for it, by the way.

Rachel Yoder‘s book took my breath away. I haven’t felt this way about a book since I read ‘The Diary of a Teenage Girl’ many years ago. Rachel’s darkly hilarious tale of motherhood and rage made me feel seen. And adapting it with Amy Adams in mind has been the thing that has kept me going through the pandemic.

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Amy Adams And Jake Gyllenhaal Teaming Up To Create Film Adaptation Of Suzanne Simard Memoir

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The dream team? Possibly. Jake Gyllenhaal and Amy Adams are working together to produce the upcoming adaptation, Finding the Mother Tree.

Their respective companies won the bidding war and acquired the rights to produce the film, which is based on Suzanne Simard’s memoir, Finding the Mother Tree.

Adams will not only produce, but she’ll also star in the film.

Adams will star as Simard, a world-renowned scientist and ecologist who first discovered how trees communicate underground through an immense web of fungi. Simard’s work has been praised as having ‘planetary significance’ and forever changing the way we look at trees.

In the memoir, Simard writes about her own journey, including being a mother, a former logger and of course a scientist. She also explains how trees, living side-by-side for centuries, evolve and communicate.

While her revolutionary findings were initially dismissed and even ridiculed, they are now firmly supported by research and data. Her memoir was published today by Knopf.

This certainly sounds it has the potential to be a unique/impactful film, so we’re all about it.

No word on when they’ll be getting to work on this, but it’ll likely be late this year or next.

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Ron Howard’s ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Film Is Getting Slammed By Critics

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Yikes. Many people thought Ron Howard’s upcoming movie ‘Hillbilly Elegy‘ might be an Oscar frontrunner. After all, it stars Amy Adams and Glenn Close.

But unfortunately, a great cast can’t save a poor story, at least according to nearly every single critic who has reviewed the movie.

The first reviews came pouring in today, and they were pretty awful. For those who don’t know, this film is based on a memoir of the same name by J.D. Vance.

Hillbilly Elegy is bout the Appalachian values of his Kentucky family and their relation to the social problems of his hometown of Middletown, Ohio, where his mother’s parents moved when they were young. He writes about a family history of poverty and low-paying, physical jobs that have since disappeared or worsened in their guarantees.

So that’s the meat of the story. What could go wrong? Well, a lot. The movie currently sits at a 21% on Rotten Tomatoes.

IndieWire’s David Ehrlich wrote this in his C- review…

For all of the favors that Howard does to the subject of his biopic, the director can only do so much to disguise the self-serving nature of a story that was always less about where Vance came from than it was about where he wanted to go.

The Guardian’s Peter Bradshaw writes…

I’m not sure I entirely believed in Adams either, however earnest her performance undoubtedly is. Bev’s sudden and irresponsible druggie impulse to go rollerskating through the corridors of the hospital that employs her – though very possibly taken from a real anecdote – looks odd and unmotivated on screen.

This is a well-meant story of someone pulling himself up by his bootstraps, with some help from his grandma. But it feels contrived and self-conscious.

Many critics talked about how the film feels like a rich person’s view of poor people. Like the people working on the film didn’t really understand what or who they were portraying.

Vanity Fair’s Richard Lawson said the film is “shameless Oscar bait”

I can’t really find much good to say about Close’s performance, except that when the film shows pictures of the real Mamaw during the closing credits, you realize that they did do a pretty good job of turning Close into a lookalike. Otherwise, Close’s work in the film is almost an obscenity, a patrician actor doing the hoariest of brassy-old-lady drag. It’s a kind of mugging that has no place in an age when audiences have become much better attuned to Hollywood falseness than they once were. Every note of Close’s performance is a glaring actor choice, all grim calculation masked as empathy.

Ouch. Hillbilly Elegy hits theaters tomorrow and will be released on Netflix on Nov. 24.

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Check Out The First Trailer For Ron Howard’s Oscar Contender ‘Hillbilly Elegy’

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There haven’t been a lot of Oscar-worthy films released this year, due to the pandemic, which has basically shut Hollywood down.

But now that we’re entering the fall/winter months, we’re slowly starting to see better films being released/promoted. For example, Netflix just dropped the first trailer for Ron Howard’s upcoming film, Hillbilly Elegy.

The addiction drama stars Glenn Close, Amy Adams and Freida Pinto. The project is based on the New York Times best-selling memoir ‘Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis’

It follows one woman’s journey with opioid addiction and its impact on the lives of her son and mother, played by Close. When a family crisis arises just as he’s earned an interview for his dream job, Yale Law student J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso) struggles with his decision to go back to his Appalachian home in Southern Ohio.

The cast is impressive, the trailer looks great, and with Ron Howard directing, this has the potential to take home some awards.

It’s set to hit select theaters in November before a Netflix release date of November 24, 2020.

Watch the trailer below…

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Amy Adams Set To Star In Crime-Thriller ‘The Woman In The Window’ Based On Best-Selling Book

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You may have heard of a little book called The Woman in the Window. The psychological thriller was published in January of 2018 and debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list and it remains the the biggest-selling adult fiction title of 2018. It’s safe to say author A.J. Finn is loving the attention.

It was announced recently that Fox 2000 would be making a film based on the book.

Joe Wright (Darkest Hour) has been hired to direct the movie, and now we know that Amy Adams will star in it. We’re assuming she’ll be playing the lead character, a child psychologist called Anna Fox who lives in New York and suffers from agoraphobia.

“Anna becomes addicted to classic film thrillers like Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Expect to see her drinking a lot of wine, downing prescription medication, and witnessing a crime that will leave her questioning everything she previously thought she knew about herself.”

No word on when this film will be released. It’s still in the very early stages, but we will keep you posted.

For now, you can go buy the book and read it, so you can be one of ~those~ people when the movie premieres.

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The Reviews Are Coming In For Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Arrival’ And You Might Be Surprised By How Positive They Are

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The first trailer for the upcoming sci-fi thriller ‘Arrival‘ intrigued me. I wouldn’t say I was blown away by the trailer, but it was enough to get me interested. I thought it had the potential to be something special.

Then I kinda forgot about the movie. I’ve seen some advertisements for it around town, but there are so many out there you just start to zone them all out. Now the movie is just two days away from being released and the reviews are starting to come in.

And the reviews are extremely positive. Some critics are even saying it’s the best film of the year. 85 reviews have been counted and 83 of those reviews were deemed “fresh” by Rotten Tomatoes.

Most critics give two people the credit for the film’s success: Amy Adams and director Denis Villeneuve. The critics love Villeneuve, and for good reason. He directed last year’s surprise hit Sicario. Many people (myself included) considered it to be one of the best films of 2015.

Brian Truitt from USA Today wrote the following about Arrival:

“Arrival is such a beautiful and thought-provoking film that it almost singlehandedly makes up for every bad aliens-coming-to-Earth film you’ve ever seen.”

And Mara Reinstein from Us Weekly had this to say:

“The sci-fi thriller not only subverts expectations in brilliant ways, it explores deeply felt themes of life, loss and love. In other words, it’s light-years away from Independence Day 3.”

You can check out the official synposis and trailer below. Check it out at a theater near you this weekend.

“When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team – lead by expert linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) – are brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers – and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.”

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Wow…Denis Villeneuve’s Sci-Fi Alien Drama ‘Arrival’ Looks Incredible, Check Out The First Trailer Inside!

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Denis Villeneuve is so hot right now. Last year he directed the Oscar-nominated thriller Sicario starring Emily Blunt, and this year he’s coming right back with sci-fi drama Arrival. The movie is based on the short story ‘Story of Your Life,’ which was written by Ted Chiang. It won the 2000 Nebula Award for Best Novella.

Paramount Pictures released a teaser for the film last week that got some people talking, and now this week the first  full trailer has arrived. In the trailer, we see that aliens have landed on Earth. We say landed because invasion seems to be too strong of a word for what is really going on. The story focuses on language, and how just one little miscommunication could change everything for two species on the verge of a global war.

After watching the trailer, I can now say I’ll be watching this movie opening weekend. It has the potential to be something truly special.

Arrival stars Amy Adams, Forest Whitaker and Jeremy Renner. It will play at the Toronto International Film Festival and the Venice Film Festival before hitting theaters November 11, 2016.

Check out the synopsis and trailer below…

“When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team – lead by expert linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) – are brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers – and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.”

 

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Movie Review: Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice – After the Opening, it all Goes Downhill.

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God, the comic geeks must have spooged themselves when they learned that finally, all their ‘batman v superman’ arguments were coming to the movies. I never got that. To me Batman Versus Superman is the same as the ratio of ghosts to snork berries; nonexistent.  But, with the intent of becoming the wet dreams of 13-year-old boys everywhere, director Zack Snyder and screenwriter David S. Goyer put this together.

And now it’s time for a rant. How many times have I said “too many Superman movies”? How many times have I said “too many Batman movies?” So what do they do? Put them together. And, as if they’re making fun of me, they stick Ben Affleck in the lead.

That’s it. I quit. <typing stops abruptly, sound of footsteps, door slams>

Ok, not really. But that’s the kind of abrupt change of attitude you can expect from this newest DC adaptation. Dawn of Justice peaks in its opening sequence, a slow-motion, Sucker Punch-esque dispatching of the Batman origin story in three minutes or less, which sets the stage for the introduction of an older, broken, kinda fat Batman (Ben Affleck), who engages in increasingly violent and futile attempts to clean up Gotham City. The rest of the introductory character work sees Superman (Henry Cavill) grappling with public criticism over his actions in his last cinematic outing and the young Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) attempting to build a weapon capable of stopping Superman.

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After the opening, it all goes downhill. I have to admit; I didn’t hate Ben Affleck in this. He makes a passable Batman. Henry Cavill came across better as Clark Kent. Jesse Eisenberg was almost embarrassing as Lex Luthor. It felt like he was doing an impression of Heath Ledger playing the Joker. Watching Jesse Eisenberg, I wasn’t entirely sure if he’d ever heard of Superman.

Now me, I’m not a person who has a big problem with violence. Heck, I love everything by Quentin Tarantino and he’s turned violence into an art form. But this movie seemed to be rushed in order to get to the next violent fight scene. The characters become completely interchangeable and really, you stop caring about who wins. The problem is there really are no stakes. This is such an obvious cash grab; we know that they’d never kill off anything they can franchise. Hell, if a spork tested well with a focus group, they’d give it a franchise. And I’d watch the Adventures of Sporky just like everyone else.

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It’s not worth the watch, but it’s inevitable. It’s one of those bad blockbusters that everyone will go to, but eventually forget until the next one gets spit out by the studio.  They’re raking in garbage bags of money and we’re watching what they tell us to.

I’d say if it’s a choice between this and a Trump rally, I’d go with the Trump Rally. While the Trump Rally will be violent, at least Ben Affleck won’t be there.

WE GAVE IT: 2 Stars – Watch the Official Trailer and Official Movie Poster below!

2 Stars

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10 Incredible Actors Who Have Never Won An Oscar

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The 87th annual Academy Awards will air live on ABC in just over two months, and for the great actors listed down below, it may be too painful to watch. We understand that there are only so many awards to hand out and not everyone can leave a winner, but we have to wonder why the voters have failed to recognize all the talent you see down below.

Who would you add to this list?

 

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No. 10 – Glenn Close

Glenn Close, but no cigar. The 67-year-old actress has been nominated an impressive six times, but she never has received an Oscar. She was nominated three times for Best Supporting Actress and three times for Best Actress. Her most recent nomination came after her brilliant performance in Albert Nobbs. She lost to three-time Academy Award winner Meryl Streep.

 

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No. 9 – John Cusack

John Cusack is an intense guy and he takes his job seriously. He believes in putting out a quality product, and for the most part, he has delivered again and again throughout his career. Starring in award-winning movies like, The Grifters and Bullets Over Broadway; however the Academy just doesn’t seem to appreciate his brilliance.

 

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No. 8 – Jim Carrey

When most people think about Jim Carrey, their mind automatically jumps to his role in Dumb & Dumber. A classic comedy, but I think we can all agree shouting out the ‘most annoying sound in the world’ isn’t Oscar-worthy. But Jim Carrey is more than just a funny face. Who could forget his performance in The Truman Show? He won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor for his performance, but he wasn’t even nominated for the Oscars. And then the same thing happened the following year with Man on the Moon.

But wait, there’s more! Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was a brilliant film. Critics fell in love with the movie, and Carrey’s co-star Kate Winslet landed a nomination for her role in the film. But again, the Academy looked over Carrey’s wonderful performance.

 

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No. 7 – Ian McKellen

Sir Ian was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1991, but he still hasn’t earned an Oscar. He is adored by millions around the world and has earned more than 50 major international acting awards, so he’s probably not that broken up about it. We certainly are though! This man deserves it! But with McKellen turning 76 next year, it’s more likely he will receive an Honorary Oscar Award.

 

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No. 6 – Samuel L. Jackson

This man is a legend. He’s been in this business for over 40 years and has appeared in over 100 films; however, he has only received one Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the classic, Pulp Fiction. Even though he’s about to turn 66, Jackson is still working his ass off.  You will be seeing him in several films next year, so maybe he still has a fighting chance. We are certainly rooting for him.

 

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No. 5 – Julianne Moore
(Won in 2015!!!)

Julianne Moore often gets overlooked when talking about Oscar-less actors, but there is no reason her name shouldn’t be included in this list. After all, she is among a small group of actors who have been nominated twice in the same year. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for The Hours and Best Actress for Far From Heaven in 2002. In total, she has received four Oscar nominations. Many people believe she will earn another nomination this year for her performance in Still Alice. Maybe she will actually win this time.

 

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No. 4 – Johnny Depp

Most people just assume Johnny Depp has won an Oscar. He’s one of the most talented actors of his generation, how could he not have an Oscar? Good question. Unfortunately, we don’t have an answer for you. Some people have questioned his range as an actor, but it’s hard to forget about the amount of great films he starred in back in the 1990s and early 2000s. He’s been nominated for Best Actor three times, but lost each time to some stiff competition; Sean Penn, Jamie Foxx and Daniel Day-Lewis.

 

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No. 3 – Amy Adams

Again, you hear someone mention Amy Adams and you just assume she has won an Oscar. And considering she has been nominated five times in the last ten years, it’s not hard to understand why so many people believe that. The good news is that she still has a long career ahead of her, and she is smart when it comes to picking the right movies to star in. I would bet big money on her winning an Oscar before she retires.

 

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No. 2 – Brad Pitt

You all know his name, his wife’s name and the names of his 20 children. You could also probably name at least 10 films he has starred in. That’s just how popular Brad Pitt is. Almost every movie he stars in is a success, simply because his name is attached to it. He’s been nominated three times, most recently for his performance in Moneyball, but he still hasn’t received that special solo award. As one of the producers of 12 Years A Slave, he did receive a win for Best Picture.

 

No. 1 – Leonardo DiCaprio

No words are needed. Just this one GIF…

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Movie Review: Her (2013)

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her-movie-posterVery Necessary for Our Generation

5 Stars

Are you someone who can’t live without your Siri app on your iPhone? Then chances are you will completely get where the protagonist in the movie ‘Her’ is coming from.

Theodore Twombly (Joaquin Phoenix) is a man who is lonely, introverted and just trying to get over his pending divorce from Catherine (Rooney Mara). Then, he gets a new operating system with an artificial intelligence upgrade. This upgrade comes in the form of Samantha, a program much like Siri, only it has the ability to think and learn. As Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson), get more and more involved in Theodore’s life, he becomes more and more dependant on her. Soon, the two are in a relationship and everyone is chiming in with their opinions.

Her might sound weird, but it’s actually a charming love story. It plays like a romantic comedy with just a bit of a sci-fi twist. It’s also a very clever commentary on our current reliance on technology. [more…]

Joaquin Phoenix was magnificent as the lonely guy Theodore. He played out just the right amount of wounded awkwardness and innocence to come off as a convincing lonely guy. In addition, I have to give props for the makeup crew on this one. They managed to play down Phoenix’s good looks so we wouldn’t be wondering why a guy that hot would be dating his cell phone.

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Johansson had an even tougher part to play. She never appears onscreen in any form, so she only had her voice to rely on in order to get her feelings to come off as genuine. She managed to make it happen and really gives a disembodied voice a personality.

There is a twist ending which is both sad and necessary.

Director and Writer Spike Jonze really had his work cut out for him in this one. With such an implausible story line, it is very likely that this film could have gone in a ‘ridiculous but not in a good way’ direction. Instead his direction and dialog were spot on and believable.

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This movie will actually make you think of another great, quirky comedy “Endless Sunshine of a Spotless Mind.” If you like that one, then you will like ‘Her.’

This is a boundary pushing movie. It had the potential to be ridiculous. But with the right direction and actors, instead came off as virtually flawless.

My biggest complaint about the movie was the overly long monologs where Theodore talks about his new love and how much better she is than a human woman. This was a classic example of ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’ and at a 2 hour run time, these scenes were overkill and completely unnecessary.

However, that is about the only flaw I could find in the film. This is not a lazy movie. It requires thought and self examination. At the same time, it plays like a clever romantic comedy. The ending is sad but hopeful, much like the lead protagonist Theodore. I could easily see this movie going down as one of the best movies of our generation.

Watch the trailer below.