Yeah, you’ve been worried. You’ve thought there’s no way. Jar-Jar Binks. Raped childhood. Yeah. I feel your pain.
But check it. The final moments of this trailer. MILLENNIUM FALCON SIGHTING!
That is all. Needed to share, because that’s who I am. But I can’t say more ’til I watch this many more times, so my feeble neurons can paste together something more than *glurk*.
Enjoy!
[Note: I’ve already screened this film, but haven’t written the review yet. Also, no spoilers ’til it opens at the end of December. Jazz hands!]
Looks like the Award Season Onslaught is here; films are starting to jockey for position in a big way, rather than the lower key festival season. So, here’s the official trailer for A Most Violent Year, along with some 411! And without spoilerage, I’ll leave you to it!
OFFICIAL SYNOPSIS: A MOST VIOLENT YEAR is a searing crime drama set in New York City during the winter of 1981, statistically the most dangerous year in the city’s history. From acclaimed writer/director J.C. Chandor, and starring Oscar Isaac (INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS) and Jessica Chastain (ZERO DARK THIRTY), this gripping story plays out within a maze of rampant political and industry corruption plaguing the streets of a city in decay.
J.C. Chandor’s third feature examines one immigrant’s determined climb up a morally crooked ladder, where simmering rivalries and unprovoked attacks threaten his business, family, and – above all – his own unwavering belief in the righteousness of his path. With A MOST VIOLENT YEAR, Chandor journeys in a bold new direction, toward the place where best intentions yield to raw instinct, and where we are most vulnerable to compromise what we know to be right.
Before you hit the road for Turkey Day (or batten down the hatches because SNOWMYGODGETBREADMILKTOILETPAPER) how about one more screening pass giveaway before The Holidays officially start? Groovy! Today it’s Wild, and the Oscar buzz surrounding Reese Witherspoon is already crazy. Here’s the synopsis:
In Wild, director Jean-Marc Vallee (Dallas Buyers Club), Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line) and Academy Award nominated screenwriter Nick Hornby (An Education) bring bestselling author Cheryl Strayed’s extraordinary adventure to the screen.
With the dissolution of her marriage and the death of her mother, Cheryl Strayed (Reese Witherspoon) has lost all hope. After years of reckless, destructive behavior, she makes a rash decision. With absolutely no experience, driven only by sheer determination, Cheryl hikes more than a thousand miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, alone. WILD powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddens, strengthens, and ultimately heals her.
Honestly, I haven’t read the book, but this story had me at Nick Hornby’s screenplay. Because High Fidelity rocks.
Ready for some passes? Read on….
I decided to read this short story before I read The Forest of Hands and Teeth, so I’m guessing I have a slightly different viewpoint from the fans of the series. I understand that this character plays a part in the series, but for me she’s the headliner. And after reading Hare Moon, I hope she’s around; I’m eager to see how her character develops.
To me – a short story fan and horror junkie – this felt like a complete tale. It’s a brief window into the life of a woman who lives in a post-apocalyptic world. Think The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Walking Dead. Religion, oppression, a Sisterhood, along with fear, complacency, and those ever-present zombies literally at the gate.
How Tabitha deals with her life, her longing to be free, and how the history of her village play a part in her decisions is fascinating. Not bad at all for a 41 page (via Kindle) story.
Off to dive into the series now….
[Also posted -to Goodreads – edited/expanded here.]
Yeah nerds. Mah peoples. This is one of the big ‘uns. The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies! Want passes? Yeah you do.
In case you’ve forgotten where we’ve left off in The Hobbit…
Synopsis:
From Academy Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes “The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies,” the third in a trilogy of films adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.
“The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies” brings to an epic conclusion the adventures of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman), Thorin Oakenshield (Richard Armitage) and the Company of Dwarves. The Dwarves of Erebor have reclaimed the vast wealth of their homeland, but now must face the consequences of having unleashed the terrifying Dragon, Smaug, upon the defenseless men, women and children of Lake-town.
As he succumbs to dragon-sickness, the King Under the Mountain, Thorin Oakenshield, sacrifices friendship and honor in his search for the legendary Arkenstone. Unable to help Thorin see reason, Bilbo is driven to make a desperate and dangerous choice, not knowing that even greater perils lie ahead. An ancient enemy has returned to Middle-earth. Sauron, the Dark Lord, has sent forth legions of Orcs in a stealth attack upon the Lonely Mountain. As darkness converges on their escalating conflict, the races of Dwarves, Elves and Men must decide—unite or be destroyed. Bilbo finds himself fighting for his life and the lives of his friends as five great armies go to war.
Website: www.thehobbit.com
#OneLastTime
So, how to get passes? As usual, read on….
E-mail me at editor@atomicfangirl.com with your name & address (need ’em so the PR folks can send you your tickets!) First 5 get ’em!
Note: these are free tickets, not free passes. So you get in. Easy-peasy!
Oh, and the 411….
Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Wednesday, November 26th at 6:30 p.m. ET – ENCORE
The Met’s effervescent production of Rossini’s classic comedy – featuring some of opera’s most instantly recognizable melodies – stars Isabel Leonard as the feisty Rosina, Lawrence Brownlee as her conspiring flame, and Christopher Maltman as the endlessly resourceful and charming barber, himself. Michele Mariotti conducts the vivid and tuneful score.
More info: http://www.fathomevents.com/event/met1415-il-barbiere-di-siviglia-live
Special Fathom Features: Go behind the scenes with the Met’s stars! During intermission, interviews with cast, crew, and production teams give an unprecedented look at what goes into the staging of an opera.
PP2 poster is BEST POSTER.
Hit the Baltimore “Pitch Perfect Sing-Along” a few nights ago, and gotta say it was a whole lot of fun. There’s just something about belting out songs in a room full of other folks belting out the same song…it’s just a blast. More please, and keep ’em coming.
There was a nice pre-show at this one, with several Baltimore area college a cappella groups coming in and warming up the crowd with a song or two. Shout-outs to The Chimes, The Greysounds, and The Mamma’s Boys, who really brought it to a very appreciative crowd!
And of course the movie itself was amazing (caveat: I’m a huge sing-nerd), but the real treat was seeing the Pitch Perfect 2 trailer. Which I will share, of course!
Hello, Elizabeth Banks and John Mmichael Higgins, as their wonderful Best In Show-esque announcers! “…[T]he whole world hates us.” Well, that should make the world competition easy-peasy for our Bellas, right?
Pitch Perfect 2 opens May 15, 2015. Until then, I can only hope that there will be many, MANY more Sing-Alongs.
Night at the Museum! I thought the first two were adorable. I mean really, who doesn’t love a skeletal T-Rex that plays fetch? And Robin Williams as the coolest Teddy Roosevelt ever? (Sniff)
So the gang’s all back for Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb, and this time it’s London y’all. Which can mean only one thing: Britquake! Seriously; Rebel Wilson as Ben Stiller’s security guard counterpart across the pond. And she’s kinda awesome.
Here’s the synopsis:
Get ready for the wildest and most adventure-filled Night at the Museum ever as Larry (Ben Stiller) spans the globe, uniting favorite and new characters while embarking on an epic quest to save the magic before it is gone forever.
Want passes? Of course you do. Read on….
Nutshell: I’d give Theory an A. Solid acting with riveting performances, beautiful cinematography and a story about one man’s real life triumph over adversity…and the universe. What’s not to like?
Went to the DC premiere. Saw the screening. Loved the movie. Wanna know why? Here goes. The Theory of Everything is a damn-near perfect biopic, with viewpoints from more than just the main draw, gorgeous shots (even when the story gets dark), and a “warts and all” look that is as refreshing as it is intriguing.
Theory looks at theoretical physicist/cosmologist/author Stephen Hawking’s life from the start of his student years at Cambridge, through the publication of his seminal work, A Brief History of Time, in 1988. Not too shabby for a man given only 2 years to live back in the early 60s. The film shows how Stephen (played by Eddie Redmayne) reacts to, and then (mentally) overcomes his diagnosis, and as his tenure as a professor at Cambridge begins, the main viewpoint shifts from Stephen to his wife, Jane (Felicity Jones), the woman who was with him from his years as a student to the publication of his first widely-known book. As this film is based on Jane’s memoir Travelling to Infinity – My Life with Stephen, that kinda makes sense. And kudos to screenwriter Anthony McCarten for taking a memoir and turning it into such a compelling story. But even with the focus on Stephen and Jane, this film is more than a love story; it’s a look at how relationships grow and change over time, and of course it shows a man overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles in order to succeed, and live life to it’s fullest.
Nutshell: A well-done attempt to turn the final book of The Hunger Games into two films, though there are choppy spots where editing could have been smoother. Lawrence jumps back into Katniss territory with ease, and so does the rest of the cast. Pour out some Twizzlers for Philip Seymour Hoffman. Seriously do it; that man was a friggin’ genius and will be missed. B+
TwitView: Fans will rejoice! Casual viewers may find the editing patchy. Still, a worthy entry in an excellent series. B+
Seems like forever since we’ve seen Katniss, Peeta, Gayle and the gang fight against the man President Snow in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Heck, I’ve even watched Catching Fire on Netflix a time or two already. But it’s only been a year. Time flies, don’t it? But it seems like the filmmakers have taken their time and crafted a compelling film with Mockingjay Part 1. Screenwriters Peter Craig and Danny Strong (yes, Buffy‘s Jonathan) do an excellent job breaking the novel in two, ending Part 1 with a nice cliffhanger of sorts; the Districts readying for civil war (not a spoiler if you’ve been paying any kind of attention).
If you’ve forgotten, when last we left Katniss, she was being air-lifted out of her second Hunger Games, the 75th Quarter Quell. Rebellion is on the horizon for the Districts, and megalomaniacal President Coin (Donald Sutherland, obviously enjoying his eeeee-vil) bent on her destruction. In Mockingjay Part 1, she wakes up in District 13, the District that was supposedly burned to the ground. But they’ve been waiting for a leader to rise, and Katniss looks like their dream come true. ¡Viva la Revolución! But where’s Peeta…?
Got a dollar to spare? A quarter?
Atomic Fangirl 