Last year’s remake of Dead Spaceproved a critical hit, reviving the beloved space horror series after it had been left fallow for ten years. However, despite being January 2023’s second-biggest selling game (behind Modern Warfare II), this seemingly wasn’t enough success to satisfy EA, and it was reported in April of…
Last year’s remake of Dead Spaceproved a critical hit, reviving the beloved space horror series after it had been left fallow for ten years. However, despite being January 2023’s second-biggest selling game (behind Modern Warfare II), this seemingly wasn’t enough success to satisfy EA, and it was reported in April of…
PLOT: Four years in the life of Bob Dylan (Timothee Chalamet), from his discovery by Pete Seeger (Edward Norton) through his eventual rise to fame as a folk singer, through his controversial decision to go electric on the eve of the 1965 Newport Folk Festival.
REVIEW: It’s hard to accurately sum up just how much of a profound effect Bob Dylan had on pop culture. One of the greatest songwriters of all time, for sixty years now, Dylan’s been sitting at the top of the pantheon of music greats, but oddly enough, outside of Todd Haynes’s impressionistic ode to his legend – I’m Not There, and a series of documentaries by Martin Scorsese, no one’s ever tried to tell his story as a traditional biopic until now. Sporting an impeccably assembled cast, James Mangold’s made an excellent companion piece to his own Walk the Line in that it’s another stunning screen depiction of one of the giants of 20th-century music.
While musical biopics are a genre unto themselves at this point (brilliantly satirized in Walk Hard), Mangold’s movies are distinct in how contained they are. Walk the Line tackled Johnny Cash’s career up until the seventies, while A Complete Unknown’s focus is even more specific, tackling the first four years of Dylan’s career. It’s a wise choice, as Dylan’s life story is so rich that Mangold if he wants to, could make a whole slew of sequels, and given how perfect Timothee Chalamet is in the lead, I’d be game.
For years now, it’s been obvious that as far as the rising crop of new stars goes, Chalamet is the real deal. He makes for a perfect Dylan, with him channelling the man’s iconic appearance and voice without ever coming off like he’s doing a caricature. By narrowing the focus to Dylan’s early years, Chalamet never has to deal with cumbersome prosthetics to evoke an aging star. Instead, it is a portrait of Dylan’s rise to prominence as a young man.
Mangold, who co-wrote the film with Jay Cocks (Gangs of New York, Strange Days, Silence), based the film on Elijah Wald’s well-regarded book, “Dylan Goes Electric”, which was raved about by Dylan himself. The film resists ever becoming pure hagiography, with it not shying away from the fact that Dylan, at the time, could be ruthless in his ambition and also callous with the people he loved.
Much of the film revolves around his relationships with four key figures. The first is Woody Guthrie, played by Scoot McNairy (in a nearly silent performance) as the folk singer suffered from Huntington’s disease and was nearly forgotten as he wasted away in a sanitarium. Next is Edward Norton’s Pete Seeger, another folk great who, while supportive of Dylan, also realizes that his devotion to folk and its ideals doesn’t appeal to his protege as the latter’s fame starts to grow.
Then there’s Dylan’s two love affairs. He initially falls for Elle Fanning’s Sylvie, forever immortalized on the cover of “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan,” only to have his head turned by Monica Barbaro’s Joan Baez. Like Chalamet, she does her own singing and has a number of show-stopping numbers that will hopefully send younger viewers of the movie to Spotify, where they can discover more of Baez’s work.
Certainly, the film’s heart revolves around the clash between Dylan and Seeger, with Norton heartbreaking as the kindly folk singer who’s perhaps too idealistic to understand Dylan’s need to be his own man. Everyone is terrific, including Boyd Holbrook, who plays Johnny Cash (taking over from Joaquin Phoenix), as he plays a supporting part in Dylan’s rise to fame as one of his most trusted contemporaries.
Through it all, Mangold’s film, which is quickly paced, is thoroughly entertaining and really gives you an appreciation for Dylan’s craft and importance, with the film packed with impressively mounted performances of his most essential songs. A Complete Unknown should do what Walk the Line did: it will expose Dylan’s music to a younger audience, as the film plays well to Dylan aficionados, more casual fans (such as myself) and even those who’ve never heard of him. It’s one of the year’s most entertaining movies, with Mangold’s film so good that I hope he’s got a few Dylan sequels in him, as it truly left me wanting more.
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The 1996 disaster movie, Daylight, will soon be coming to your home in crisp ultra high-definition picture. Blu-ray.com has recently reported that the Sylvester Stallone film from Rob Cohen, who directed Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story and The Fast and the Furious, will be getting a new 4K remastered physical media release from the Kino Lorber distributor. In addition to Stallone, the movie co-starred Amy Brenneman, Viggo Mortensen, Dan Hedaya, and Jay O. Sanders. This new ultra-HD version is expected to hit retailers next year on March 11.
Daylight is not particularly well regarded by Stallone fans, and it had the misfortune of coming out just as disaster movies were bombing left and right. It grossed an abysmal $33 million domestically, which seriously hurt Sly’s career, even though it did well enough overseas that it likely broke even by the time it hit home video. It was meant to be the beginning of a massive series of blockbusters for Stallone, but it would prove to be his last action movie to get a wide release until Get Carter in 2000 and Driven in 2001.
The description reads,
“A group of armed robbers fleeing the police head for the New Jersey Tunnel and run right into trucks transporting toxic waste. The spectacular explosion that follows results in both ends of the tunnel collapsing and the handful of people who survived the explosion are now in peril. Kit Latura is the only man with the skill and knowledge to lead the band of survivors out of the tunnel before the structure collapses.”
Special Features and Technical Specs:
DISC ONE – 4K BLU-RAY
DISC TWO – BLU-RAY
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audio
TBA
Subtitles
English SDH
Discs
4K Ultra HD
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BD)
Packaging
Slipcover in original pressing
Playback
4K Blu-ray: Region free
2K Blu-ray: Region A
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Trying to sum up 2024 in video games in an entirely celebratory way would feel somewhat dishonest. In recent years, our efforts to recognize the best video games of the past 12 months always come with a caveat: Yes, great games undeniably come out, but things are bad for the industry. The world makes another trip…
Trying to sum up 2024 in video games in an entirely celebratory way would feel somewhat dishonest. In recent years, our efforts to recognize the best video games of the past 12 months always come with a caveat: Yes, great games undeniably come out, but things are bad for the industry. The world makes another trip…
Art Evans, the actor who appeared in Die Hard 2, A Soldier’s Story and so many more movies and TV shows beginning in the 1970s, has passed away at the age of 82. The cause of death was diabetes.
Art Evans had well over 100 credits to his name, normally playing smaller roles. One of these key ones was in Die Hard 2, in which he played an air traffic controller who aids in John McClane’s latest fight against terrorists. Another came in 1984 with A Soldier’s Story, co-starring alongside Howard E. Rollins Jr. and Adolph Caesar as an army private. While Caesar would end up receiving the bulk of the attention (receiving Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations), Evans was also making his own mark.
Art Evans got his career started the previous decade — after time studying theater and on the stage — earning his first credit on sitcom Chico and the Man. Soon after, he landed the role of legendary blues musician Blind Lemon Jefferson in Gordon Parks’ Leadbelly, putting to use his own musical abilities. Most of his early movies found him in small, sometimes uncredited roles, but the titles themselves show how attracted he was to good or popular movies: Fun with Dick and Jane, The In-Laws, Christine, Fright Night, Jo Jo Dancer, School Daze, and the great Walter Hill action flick, Trespass, which reunited him with his Die Hard 2 co-star William Sadler, and so many more.
Evans’ wife Babe said in a statement, “Art was not only an incredible actor but a devoted husband, friend, and source of light to everyone who knew him. His laughter, passion, and love of life will be deeply missed. While our hearts are heavy, we celebrate the legacy of joy and inspiration he leaves behind.”
Art Evans spent the latter phase of his career working exclusively in television, appearing on A House Divided, Real Husbands of Hollywood and The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder, lending his voice.
We here at JoBlo.com want to share our condolences over the loss of Art Evans, a talented and underappreciated actor who gave us some memorable supporting characters throughout the years. Leave your own remembrances of Evans in the comments section below.
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We all know that Chris Columbus directed one of the greatest Christmas movies ever in Home Alone, but did you know it may never have happened if he didn’t clash with the star of another holiday essential? Let’s check out how Columbus was not only drawn to Nero’s Pizza but why he filled in the National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation pool with cement.
Chris Columbus was actually set to direct National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, with none other than John Hughes recruiting him for the job. As Columbus remembered, “John Hughes sent me the script for Christmas Vacation. I love Christmas, so to do a Christmas comedy had been a dream.” So what kept Columbus from the gig? “I went out to dinner with Chevy Chase [the movie’s star]. To be completely honest, Chevy treated me like dirt. But I stuck it out and even went as far as to shoot second unit [collecting establishing shots and special sequences, usually without principal actors]. Some of my shots of downtown Chicago are still in the movie.”
OK, so Chevy Chase was a bit of a pain — what else is new? But at a certain point, Columbus couldn’t take it anymore, resulting in him leaving Christmas Vacation when that tier of film would have truly served him. “Then I had another meeting with Chevy, and it was worse. I called John [who was producing the film] and said, ‘There’s no way I can do this movie. I know I need to work, but I can’t do it with this guy.’ John was very understanding. About two weeks later, I got two scripts at my in-laws’ house in River Forest.” Any guesses as to how Columbus both saved his career and solidified a Christmas classic? “One was Home Alone, with a note from John asking if I wanted to direct. I thought, Wow, this guy is really supporting me when no one else in Hollywood was going to. John was my savior.” Jeremiah S. Chechik would end up directing, although we still say Angelo Badalementi is the most shocking name on the credits…
With so may negative stories about Chevy Chase, we can’t really blame Chris Columbus for cashing in that gift receipt on Christmas Vacation. And while we certainly can’t confirm the dynamic there, if it ended up giving us Home Alone then that’s all for the better. But we don’t need to take any sides here, especially since both Christmas Vacation and Home Alone are two of our favorite holiday movies ever.
Would you rather watch National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation or Home Alone this holiday season? Give us your pick below!
The post Why Chris Columbus refused to direct National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation appeared first on JoBlo.
Paul McCartney had to get Ringo Starr back into his life this week, bringing out his former Beatles bandmate for a mini reunion during the final show of McCartney’s Got Back Tour.
McCartney concluded his tour at London’s 02 Arena after nearly 60 performances across the globe. After leading off the encore with “I Got a Feeling”, McCartney introduced former Beatles drummer Starr to just about as much love as you’d expect from the crowd. Greeting the audience with peace and love, Starr said, “It’s fantastic, playing with me old mate, but there comes a time when we’ve got to go home. All that remains to be said….I’ve had a great night and I love you all.”
Starr played drums for a reprise of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, followed up by “Helter Skelter” before McCartney closed out the set with the Abbey Road trifecta of “Golden Slumbers”, “Carry That Weight” and “The End.”
Not that the Beatles ever need it but the Fab Four will be getting a whole different level of attention, this time on the big screen soon, as Sam Mendes is leading a quartet of films about the iconic band. As it stands, it’s looking like Paul Mescal will be playing Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan will get behind the kit as Ringo Starr, Harris Dickinson will be John Lennon, and Joseph Quinn is being eyed for George Harrison. Lennon was shot and killed in 1980, while Harrison died of lung cancer in 1981.
On Mendes’ Beatles films, Neal Street Productions co-founded Pippa Harris stated, “This project springs from an idea of Sam’s which he had over a year ago, and it’s a testament to his creative brilliance and powers of persuasion that Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sean Lennon and Olivia Harrison responded with such warmth and enthusiasm as soon as he spoke with them. […] To have The Beatles’ and Apple Corps’ blessing to do this is an immense privilege. From our first meeting with Tom Rothman and Elizabeth Gabler, it was clear that they shared both our passion and ambition for this project, and we can’t think of a more perfect home than Sony Pictures.”
What are your favorite Beatles songs? Give us your top 5 below!
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Mel Brooks inspired a generation of filmmakers and their hits, but one you might not have anticipated was Robert Eggers. That’s right, the man behind The Witch and The Lighthouse was directly influenced by one terrible Brooks comedy.
We know that Robert Eggers does a lot of research for his films, and certainly Nosferatu was no different. And since it had been brewing in his head and was even planned to be his second film, he had a lot of time to do so on Nosferatu. But oddly enough, one of the movies he included in his rotation of Nosferatu exploration was Mel Brooks’ 1995 spoof Dracula: Dead and Loving It, widely considered one of the comedy genius’ worst. “There are a lot of scenes that were deliberately rewritten after watching the Mel Brooks movie, and considering, ‘Wow, that totally doesn’t make sense.’” But we really know he’s talking about the entirety of Dracula: Dead and Loving It…
Outside of that flop, Robert Eggers was digging back even to his youth when he first became fascinated by myths and staples surrounding vampires. “Vampire cinema is so prolific that we have all these tropes and rules that we think we know that have been established, and Anne Rice refined them further. [While] trying to understand the origins of the vampire myth and understanding folk vampires, I had to forget everything that I had learned. I read [Bram Stoker’s] ‘Dracula’ at least five times as a young person, and then realized that I had infused it with things from vampire movies that aren’t in the book, [that] I thought were there.”
However, Robert Eggers is anticipating that his version not only of the vampire film but the Nosferatu story – first brought to screen more than a century ago and most notably redone by Werner Herzog – is one that is truly original despite its influences. In short, don’t expect to see Count Orlok sinking his teeth into any necks or stakes going through the heart. Instead, we’ll be seeing blood being sucked from the chest and stakes in the naval.
Nosferatu opens on December 25th.
Will you be seeing Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu on opening weekend?
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