With the holiday season upon us, Alexander Paynes new film Nebraska reminds us that family comes first, no matter what. Following his previously successful films Sideways (2004) and The Descendants (2011), Payne returns with his passion for character driven storylines, this time focusing on a modern day Midwestern family.
"Almost Human," FOX's new show starring Karl Urban and Michael Ealy, is an intriguing mix between science fiction and procedural crime drama. In the year 2048, detectives are paired with robots with human appearances, known as androids, to combat increased criminal threat. Urban plays the damaged John Kennex, a detective with a dark past. Kennex's new partner is the android Dorian, who is different from the standard model of robot because he was designed to have emotions and empathize.
Almost Human, FOXs new show starring Karl Urban and Michael Ealy, is an intriguing mix between science fiction and procedural crime drama. In the year 2048, detectives are paired with robots with human appearances, known as androids, to combat increased criminal threat. Urban plays the damaged John Kennex, a detective with a dark past. Kennexs new partner is the android Dorian, who is different from the standard model of robot because he was designed to have emotions and empathize.
With the holiday season upon us, Alexander Payne's new film "Nebraska" reminds us that family comes first, no matter what. Following his previously successful films "Sideways" (2004) and "The Descendants" (2011), Payne returns with his passion for character driven storylines, this time focusing on a modern day Midwestern family.
While promoting his new film "Nebraska," Will Forte took some time to sit down with the Daily and answer questions about the new Alexander Payne drama.
While promoting his new film Nebraska, Will Forte took some time to sit down with the Daily and answer questions about the new Alexander Payne drama.
Simulcast in 94 different countries and in more than 1,500 theaters to millions of viewers around the world, the BBC's "Doctor Who" 50th Anniversary special, "The Day of the Doctor," was an absolutely spectacular treat for the show's dedicated fans. This record-breaking special has certainly earned its place as one of the greatest science fiction episodes of all time.
A film that lionizes and questions religion in the same breath, and moments later, has us cracking up about "effing" Catholics, "Philomena" will undoubtedly leave audiences in tears - tears of profound sadness and from sidesplitting laughter.
Simulcast in 94 different countries and in more than 1,500 theaters to millions of viewers around the world, the BBCs Doctor Who 50th Anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor, was an absolutely spectacular treat for the shows dedicated fans. This record-breaking special has certainly earned its place as one of the greatest science fiction episodes of all time.
A film that lionizes and questions religion in the same breath, and moments later, has us cracking up about effing Catholics, Philomena will undoubtedly leave audiences in tears tears of profound sadness and from sidesplitting laughter.
When we last left Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), she had just won her dystopian state's Hunger Games, where she defied the rule of the totalitarian Capitol by saving her fellow contestant Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). In "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," the forces of the Capitol - led by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) - are forced to celebrate Katniss' victory, while simultaneously attempting to suppress the revolutionary sparks she has ignited. Now the political powers of the Capitol have decided to send Katniss and Peeta into yet another Hunger Games, hoping that this time the population will see her as a conniving opportunist rather than the revolutionary hero she has inadvertently become.
When we last left Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence), she had just won her dystopian states Hunger Games, where she defied the rule of the totalitarian Capitol by saving her fellow contestant Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson). In The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the forces of the Capitol led by President Snow (Donald Sutherland) are forced to celebrate Katniss victory, while simultaneously attempting to suppress the revolutionary sparks she has ignited. Now the political powers of the Capitol have decided to send Katniss and Peeta into yet another Hunger Games, hoping that this time the population will see her as a conniving opportunist rather than the revolutionary hero she has inadvertently become.
When Greys Anatomy premiered in March of 2005 as the midseason replacement for Boston Legal (2004-2008), hardly anybody could have predicted that the show would still be on the air eight years later. But as the medical drama wraps up the first half of its 10th season, it shows no signs of stopping. Despite several seasons plagued with ill-conceived storylines and unpopular characters, Greys Anatomy has been experiencing somewhat of a creative renaissance in the past few years. Fans who abandoned the show when it went downhill are missing out; Greys has rebounded nicely and is now arguably better than ever.
Just when you thought that Chris Daughtry had disappeared from the music scene completely, hes decided to reinsert himself in not-so-spectacular fashion. Attempting to justify the fame that accompanies a stint on reality TV is a predicament unique to the modern age. Indeed, for many of the contestants from the various talent shows that have become so integral to the American television experience, this is an insurmountable challenge. So, its no surprise that American Idol (2002-present) fifth season finalist Chris Daughtry has struggled to reach mainstream audiences ever since the initial excitement surrounding his music began to wane. Known for his hard rock persona of course, only on American Idol is Chris Daughtry considered hard rock Daughtrys band, ingeniously called Daughtry, released their similarly self-titled debut in 2006. Since then, the band has been relegated to universal scorn, second only to Nickelback and Dane Cook.
It's fair to say that when we go to the movies, all we're really doing is picking a particular brand of the make-believe - be it action, comedy, romance or fantasy - to immerse ourselves in for a few hours. Of these options, feel-good movies are certainly some of the phoniest. This is why it is surprising that "Delivery Man," every bit a feel-good movie, works as well as it does. Granted, the film isn't perfect. But in the realm of campy cinema, it is a gem.
Dev Hynes - recording under his latest moniker, Blood Orange - has set out to capture the spirit of the streets of New York in his latest album, "Cupid Deluxe." By combining musical influences from the '80s with innovative, forward-thinking pop, the album embodies the feel of the city - where anything and everything can happen after sundown - with style and poise.
NBCs new series, Dracula filled with plenty of intrigue, gorgeous mansions and beautiful people would be a middling success were it not for its star. The handsome and charming Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays the eponymous character, and he brings enough mystery - and more than a hint of danger to keep both his character and the show interesting. The talent Meyers possesses is undeniable, and he commands every scene he is in, playing the legendary vampire with intensity and charm.
Its fair to say that when we go to the movies, all were really doing is picking a particular brand of the make-believe be it action, comedy, romance or fantasy to immerse ourselves in for a few hours. Of these options, feel-good movies are certainly some of the phoniest. This is why it is surprising that Delivery Man, every bit a feel-good movie, works as well as it does. Granted, the film isnt perfect. But in the realm of campy cinema, it is a gem.
Dev Hynes recording under his latest moniker, Blood Orange has set out to capture the spirit of the streets of New York in his latest album, Cupid Deluxe. By combining musical influences from the 80s with innovative, forward-thinking pop, the album embodies the feel of the city where anything and everything can happen after sundown with style and poise.
Hollywood, it seems, will never tire of adapting beloved young adult novels into films. With The Hunger Games (2012) sequel Catching Fire expected to roar into theaters this weekend, Enders Game in the midst of its run and titles like Divergent and The Fault in Our Stars scheduled to be released in 2014, young adult fiction has never been more in vogue. The Book Thief is simply another item on this very long list.When Australian author Markus Zusak published The Book Thief in 2005, he captured the imagination of young readers and, with more than 230 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list, The Book Thief catapulted to commercial success.Unfortunately, the movie is less worthy of such high praise. Like the novel, the film tells the story of Liesel Meminger (Sophie N?lisse), a young girl growing up in Nazi Germany, who is sent to live with foster parents after her mother is no longer able to care for her. Liesel cannot read when she arrives, but her kindly adoptive father, Hans Huberman (Geoffrey Rush), soon teaches her. As Liesel becomes enamored with books, she also adapts to her new home. She makes friends with a neighborhood boy named Rudy (Nico Liersch), learns a family secret and participates in her local Hitler Youth organization.Although The Book Thief offers beautiful cinematography and delightful performances by the adult actors, it ultimately fails to reproduce the magic that made the novel so compelling. Of course, its not fair or particularly reasonable to judge the merits of a film simply by comparing it to the novel on which it is based, but the principal flaw of The Book Thief is not poor adaptation but rather structural choices that do not work well on screen.The Book Thief is a sprawling work and, consequently, struggles with the same problems that often plagued the Harry Potter films: The movie attempts to cram so many storylines into its 131 minutes that no single plot is sufficiently explored or developed. The Book Thief leaves viewers feeling somewhat unsatisfied, and significant relationships especially the integral one between Liesel and the mayors goodhearted wife (Barbara Auer) lack natural or believable development. The movie also follows the novels example by using Death as its narrator yet this technique falls flat, confusing an audience who may be unfamiliar with the source material. Voiceovers rarely work well on screen, and The Book Thief is no exception to the rule.The Book Thief was directed by Brian Percival, who has helmed several episodes of the acclaimed Downton Abbey (2010-present), which may explain why the film feels, at times, excessively neat. The cinematography is just a bit too beautiful, unable to effectively capture the bleakness and distress of life in Nazi Germany. The movie, however, appears to occur in a perpetual winter, which may have been Percivals attempt to depict the grim circumstances. While making The Book Thief extremely graphic would not have been appropriate given its young target audience, the movie certainly should have spent more time showing instead of telling. Rosa Hubermann (Emily Watson), Liesels new mother, frequently mentions how little food the family has, but there are no visible manifestations of this. Liesel seems perfectly healthy and robust as do other children and there is always food on the kitchen table. Surely it would not have been terribly difficult to make a few small changes in order to present a more believable and consistent image.However, The Book Thief does have its redeeming qualities. Rush and Watson are charming as odd couple Hans and Rosa and their relationships with Liesel, which progress in vastly different ways, are depicted with endearing sweetness. Liesels character, while less developed than it could be, is lovable and her journey is an important one for young audiences to witness. As she grows up in these grim circumstances, Liesel comes to understand that the world can be an unhappy place even an evil place filled with hurt, confusion and loss. This point is driven home unforgivingly in the films conclusion, which fans of the book will remember as a tragic one. Though the didactic message is taken to an extreme, Liesels story still remains appropriate for young viewers.12
