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Honest Movie Posters For Oscar Nominated Films Of 2014

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Sure, this year's Oscar-nominated films were critically acclaimed pieces of art starring Hollywood's top talent. But when it comes down to it, what will these movies really be remembered for?

CollegeHumor created nine mock movie posters, making fun of each film. Check out some of the funny titles below.

"The Wolf of Wall Street":Funny Movie Titles CollegeHumor

"American Hustle":Funny Movie Titles CollegeHumor

"Her":Funny Movie Titles CollegeHumor

To see more funny movie posters from CollegeHumor, click here >

SEE ALSO: The 9 Biggest Snubs And Surprises From The Oscar Nominations

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The Reasons For And Against Leonardo DiCaprio Winning An Oscar

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leonardo dicaprio wolf of wall street

Leonardo DiCaprio has been chasing the Oscar dream since he was 20 years old.

His first nomination came thanks to his supporting role as a mentally handicapped child in 1994’s What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, and since then he has been nominated two more times - for lead roles in both The Aviator and Blood Diamond.

But each time the star’s potential moment in the Oscar spotlight has come, it has gone by just as quickly. 

So now here we are in 2014. For the second time in his career, DiCaprio has received a nomination for a performance in a Martin Scorsese movie, this time the title in question being The Wolf of Wall Street.

While the film has been surrounded by controversy due to its extreme amounts of sex, drugs and adult language, one thing that most critics have been able to agree on is that the star is at the top of his game in his performance.

He has already won Best Actor – Comedy trophies at both the Golden Globes and the Critic’s Choice Awards, and he is definitely considered a contender among the five other names who are up for the Best Actor Oscar this year as well. But is this the year that DiCaprio should win? 

The star certainly deserves the recognition of a nomination. Starring as Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street, an insanely rich stockbroker with a taste for extreme excess, DiCaprio is more magnetic than he’s ever been while also portraying one of the most despicable, sleazy protagonists of the modern era.

As much as you want to punch the guy in the teeth, it’s insanely fun and funny to watch his own interpretation of the American dream unfold in the most extravagant way possible. Belfort is slime, but you love DiCaprio for doing it so well. 

More than just a great singular performance, the star’s work in the film demonstrates an impressive range that we don’t always get to see from him. As he said in the opening of his Golden Globes acceptance speech, "I never would have guessed that I would have won for Best Actor in a comedy."

Since maturing out of being a teen actor, DiCaprio has almost exclusively done dramas with a darker edge, but the Wolfmaterial brings out a bright charisma in him that just knocks you to the floor. Given how often things are done over and over in Hollywood, perhaps the greatest achievement here is doing something completely different. 

Brilliant as the Wolf of Wall Street star is, however, he also happens to be competing in what is probably the most stacked single category on the docket this year.

Like DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey just took home a incredibly well-deserved Golden Globe for his turn in the true life drama Dallas Buyers Club, but one must also consider the heart-stopping performance of Chiwetel Ejiofor in 12 Years A Slave, Bruce Dern’s stellar black-and-white turn in Nebraska and Christian Bale’s weird-but-engaging con artist portrayal in American Hustle.

The category is so stacked that the best way to find the proper winner may just be to throw a dart at a list of their names. 

Is this the year that Leonardo DiCaprio should win his Oscar? Is Jordan Belfort the character he should go down in the record books for playing? Answer our poll below and explain your choice in the comments section.

SEE ALSO: Oscar Nominations Revealed: Here's The Full List

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Exclusive: Keira Knightley Gets Kidnapped In Intense New 'Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit' Clip

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"Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit" debuted over the weekend to $17.2 million.

The Tom Clancy adaptation follows CIA analyst Jack Ryan (Chris Pine) as he attempts to prevent a financial terrorist plot to take down the U.S. economy.

This is the fifth time the Jack Ryan series has been brought to the big screen.

If you haven't seen the film yet, Paramount shared an exclusive 30 second clip from the movie with us. Check it out below:

SEE ALSO: Movies you should see this year

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Angelina Jolie Looks Delightfully Wicked In New 'Maleficent' Trailer

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maleficent angelina jolie

Disney released a new trailer for "Maleficent," starring Angelina Jolie as the titular character, and she looks great. 

However, the live-action adaptation of animated film "Sleeping Beauty" won't continue the adventures of Disney's most heinous villain. Rather, we'll get the backstory on what happened to turn the sorceress dark.

Elle Fanning also stars as Princess Aurora while Brenton Thwaites will play Prince Phillip.

Here's the official synopsis from Disney: 

"Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever."

The trailer reminds us of a parallel to Disney's prequel "Oz the Great and Powerful" last year which told the origin story of the Wicked Witch along with ABC's "Once Upon A Time" which showcases the beginnings of many Disney fairytale villains.

"Maleficent" comes to theaters May 30.

Here are more images of Jolie as the Disney villain:

maleficent angelina jolie

maleficent angelina jolie

maleficent angelina jolie

SEE ALSO: What movies you should see this year

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The Big 'Batman Vs. Superman' Movie Is Delayed Until 2016

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superman batman man of steel dark knight movieIt's not good news for "Batman / Superman" movie fans.

The "Man of Steel" sequel is being pushed back from its July 17, 2015 release date to summer 2016.

That's an entire 10 months you'll have to wait to see Batman and the son of Krypton on screen together for the first time.

CNN reports the "Batman / Superman" movie was pushed back in order to provide "filmmakers time to realize fully their vision, given the complex visual nature of the story."

That's not good news, hinting at troubles behind-the-scenes of the new film.

Forbes reports "creative differences" over the nature of the movie are a reason for the push. (Is it a "Man of Steel" sequel or a setup for a "Justice League" film?)

Joining Henry Cavill as Superman will be Ben Affleck as the new Caped Crusader. "Man of Steel" director Zack Snyder is back working on the film with screenwriter David S. Goyer who wrote "The Dark Knight" trilogy.

The DC superheroes will now go head-to-head with an untitled Marvel movie expected to open the same weekend May 6, 2016. While a Peter Pan film will take the coveted July release date next year in its place.

Before, the "Batman/Superman" film was set to open more than two months after the "Avengers" sequel, giving audiences some breathing room from a big superhero flick.

Is it a smart scheduling choice? Sure. Historically, blockbuster films don't come out until the beginning of the summer season and the studio doesn't want to make fanboys wait an entire year for the film.

avengersIs it the best decision? Definitely not.

The third weekend of July has proven successful again and again Warner Bros. with the release of previous Batman installments from director Christopher Nolan.  

And now both Disney and Warner Bros.' films will be vying for the same audience come May 2016.

If one or the other film opened on any other weekend, each film would easily win the box-office weekend. Instead, in some cases, they'll be forcing fans to choose between team DC Comics and Marvel. Although this could lead to a record box-office weekend, it may also mean lower first-weekend grosses for both films.

We'd be surprised if both Disney and Warner Bros. released a big tentpole on the same day.

If anything, don't expect Disney to move their untitled film (at least if its a sequel to an already established franchise). That first weekend in May has worked for them with both "The Avengers" and "Iron Man 3" earning more than $1 billion at theaters.

Right now, Disney has nothing to worry about. In addition to the Marvel franchise they have Lucasfilm's "Star Wars" (debuting next year) and new Pixar films. In 2016, the "Finding Nemo" sequel is expected to hit the big screen in June.

It made sense to release the "Batman / Superman" movie next year when Disney has such a strong slate of films — the "Avengers" sequel along with the new "Star Wars" film will both be huge for the Mouse House.

This was supposed to be the big summer showdown between Disney and Marvel.

With Warner Bros. releasing a "Peter Pan" film in its place, it leaves a clear path for Disney to conquer at the box office next year.

SEE ALSO: Angelina Jolie looks delightfully wicked in new "Maleficent" trailer

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Here's What 'The Wolf Of Wall Street' Looked Like Before Special Effects

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"The Wolf of Wall Street" may not have used special effects to the same scale as, say, "Life of Pi" or "The Hunger Games," but the Martin Scorsese-directed, Oscar nominated film subtly used VFX to add that extra pizzazz to Jordan Belfort's colorful life.

Brainstorm Digital recently released a video showing the before-and-after "of the more challenging shots we put together" from the film, so we broke it down below.

Remember that wild party scene in the Hamptons where Belfort, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, first met his future second wife?

Here's what it looked like in the final cut of the film audiences saw in theaters:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

But here's what the house and surroundings looked like originally:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

Special effects were used to replace the trees and parking lot...Wolf of Wall Street VFX

... with a neighborhood of houses:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

So that it ended up looking like this from afar:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

Then there's this scene in which a real lion parades through the office:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

No people were actually in the room at the same time as the lion, who was escorted on a leash by a trained professional during filming:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

The people were placed in the shot in the editing room, and the lion trainer removed:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

In the film, Jordan Belfort marries his second wife Naomi on a beautiful tropical island:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

But here's what the property actually looked like during filming:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

The wedding set-up was later cut out...Wolf of Wall Street VFX

... And placed on a beach backdrop:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

When Jordan goes to London to visit Aunt Emma, she greets him outside of her fancy apartment:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

The scene was really shot at this small brick home:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

And later edited through special effects:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

The two later go have a chat in a picturesque London park:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

This is what the park really looked like. Note the added sculpture to the left and greener grass above.Wolf of Wall Street VFX

Jordan and Naomi later take a trip to Europe on his yacht:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

Here's what it really looked like when Naomi was walking back to the boat:Wolf of Wall Street VFX

Now watch even more before-and-after scenes in this video put together by "Wolf of Wall Street" special effects team, Brainstorm Digital.

SEE ALSO: This Is What Movies Would Look Like Without Visual Effects

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Check Out The Expensive Supercars In 'Need For Speed'

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need for speed aaron paul

When the "Need for Speed" adaptation comes to the big screen in March it will be filled with a lot of fast cars ranging from Lamborghinis to a Bugatti.

Starring "Breaking Bad" actor Aaron Paul, the movie is based on the popular game franchise from Electronic Arts.

To make a connection to the game believable, a mix of '70s muscle cars and European super cars featured in the "Need for Speed" series over the years will appear on screen. 

More than 15 supercars were built in less than six months for the film with each costing between $2-3 million. In addition, Ford worked with filmmakers to design a Mustang based on the 2013 Shelby GT 500. Of course, since many of these cars are getting smashed up on screen, there were replicas built to take the hits.

Walt Disney Pictures released a series of photos showing off the six super cars that will be featured in the film. 

In addition to the cars below there will be a '69 Gran Torino and ’66 Pontiac GTO. 

"Need for Speed" is in theaters March 14.

Let's take a look at the cars that will appear on screen.

Here's the Shelby Mustang made especially for the movie that Aaron Paul's character will drive.shelby mustang need for speed

The GTA Spano has a top speed of 217 mph.gta spano need for speed

There will be a few Swedish Koenigseggs racing the roads. Those cars can reach up to 273 mph.koenigsegg need for speed

koenigsegg need for speed

The McLaren P1 was featured in "Need for Speed: Rivals." The car can reach up to 217 mph and costs $1.5 million.mcclaren p1 need for speed

If the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento looks familiar, it's because Batman's Tumbler in "The Dark Knight" was a Lamborghini-Hummer hybrid.lamborghini sesto elemento need for speed

Here's the Saleen S-7 that appeared in "Need for Speed: Most Wanted." This car can reach 205 mph.saleen 7 need for speed

The Bugatti Veyron has appeared in a few titles in the franchise including "Need for Speed: Hot Pursuits" and can go up to 255 mph.bugatti need for speed need for speed

Now, take a look at the cars in action.

SEE ALSO: A trailer for the film

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Jonah Hill Took $60,000 SAG Minimum Pay For 'Wolf Of Wall Street'

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Wolf Of Wall

A $60,000 pay check for a seven-month film shoot may sound nice to most  but by Hollywood standards, it's the Screen Actor's Guild minimum pay.

But when Jonah Hill was offered the $60,000 to star as stockbroker Donnie Azoff in the Martin Scorsese-directed "Wolf of Wall Street," he still jumped at the chance.

"I got to f------ be in a Martin Scorsese movie and I just got nominated for an Oscar,"Hill told Howard Stern yesterday on "The Howard Stern Show.""I'm tripping out, Howard ... I'm in shock. I'm totally in shock."

The 30-year-old actor admits he would have done anything to be in the film.

"They gave me the lowest amount of money possible, that was their offer," he continued on Stern's radio show. "I said, 'I will sign the paper tonight. Fax me the papers tonight.' I want to sign them tonight before they change their mind. I said I want to sign them before I go to sleep tonight so they legally can't change their mind." 

"So you got paid $60,000 for that movie?" Stern clarified.

"It was the minimum. I think SAG minimum is something like $60,000 before commissions and taxes,"Hill confirmed. "Yeah, for an almost seven-month shoot. I would sell my house and give him all my money to work for [Scorsese] ... I would have done anything in the world. I would do it again in a second."

But unlike some of his peers in the industry, Hill says "It's not about money for me. None of this s--- is about money. I want to make money to pay my rent, and hopefully have a family one day and have kids and stuff."

The pay cut paid off. Hill was nominated for an Oscar last week for his role in the film.

"I am in complete and total shock," Hill said in a statement after receiving the nod in the Best Supporting Actor category. "I honestly was not expecting this, on a level you can't even imagine. Again, I'm clearly in shock. I didn't have a plan for celebrating today because I truly did not expect any of this ... Truly, this is shocking."

Hill was previously nominated for an Oscar for 2011's "Moneyball." 

SEE ALSO: Jonah Hill Says ‘Wolf Of Wall Street’ Behavior 'Leads To A Very Bad Ending'

MORE: Jonah Hill Got His Big Break Making Prank Calls For Dustin Hoffman

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It’s All Out War In New ‘300’ Sequel Trailer

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300 rise of an empire

Warner Bros. released a new trailer for “300: Rise of an Empire” filled with ships, mayhem, and bloodshed.

The sequel to the 2006 movie stars Eva Green (“Casino Royale”) as Artemisia, a commander of the Persian navy who is leading her army to war against Greek general Themistokles (Sullivan Stapleton). 

Director Noam Murro takes over for Zack Synder this time, who wrote the screenplay. 

“300: Rise of An Empire” is in theaters March 7. 

SEE ALSO: Check out the supercars that will be featured in "Need for Speed"

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9 Fantastic Behind-The-Scenes Images From ‘Sherlock’ Season 3

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Benedict Cumberbatch is back as our favorite detective on British series "Sherlock."

Season 3 made its return to PBS in the US last Sunday. While we're waiting for another new episode, we have a few behind-the-scenes photos from the new season to hold you over until Sunday.

We first spotted these on BenedictCumberbatch.co.uk. All of these are photos tweeted out by cast and crew from the BBC series.

If you haven't seen the first episode yet, there are a few mini-spoilers in the photos below.

Enjoy!

Remember Sherlock's long shaggy look that wasn't shown in the episode? Actor Tomi May (who played Sherlock's torturer in the episode) tweeted this photo with Mark Gatiss (Mycroft) and Cumberbatch after the episode first aired overseas.sherlock benedict cumberbatch

Actress Louise Brealey, who plays Molly, shared this photo of herself and Cumberbatch looking less than serious at 221 Baker St.louise brealey sherlockCumberbatch and Martin Freeman goofing off at script read through.benedict cumberbatch martin freeman

Makeup artist and hair designer Claire Prtichard tweeted out this photo of the two dropping gang signs ... or the Vulcan salute.

martin freeman benedict cumberbatch sherlock

Here's one of our favorites — Cumberbatch's Sherlock posing as his Khan character from "Star Trek Into Darkness" in front of the movie poster.

sherlock into darkness benedict cumberbatch

Cinematographer Steve Lawes was seeing double in this photo.
sherlock big head benedict cumberbatch

Here's one of the crew reviewing footage. (Check out Freeman's mustache!)sherlock season 3 ep 1Production designer Arwel Jones shared a photofrom the shocking kiss between Sherlock and Molly.sherlock mollyAnd one more showing how they made the tube car seen at the episode's end.tube car sherlock

SEE ALSO: The expensive supercars that will be featured in the "Need for Speed" movie

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Carrie Fisher Confirms That She'll Be Princess Leia In The Next 'Star Wars' Movie

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Gold Princess Leia

While Disney has yet to confirm it's bringing back the original "Star Wars" cast members for the next installment of the franchise, "Episode VII," that hasn't stopped a few of them from spilling the beans.

The latest is Carrie Fisher, who told TV Guide that she'll reprise her role as Princess Leia. (This isn't the first time she's said it either.) Fisher says that she, Harrison Ford, and Mark Hamill will start filming in March or April of this year. Ford will play Han Solo and Hamill will be back as Luke Skywalker.

"I'd like to wear my old hairstyle again, but with white hair" Fisher told TV Guide, referring to Leia's iconic cinnamon bun hairdo.

Disney has already announced that "Episode VII" will launch on December 18, 2015.

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THEN & NOW: The Cast Of 'Mean Girls' 10 Years Later

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Mean Girls

This April marks a decade since The Plastics ruled the halls of North Shore High School, taking new student Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) along for the crazy, Burn Book-filled ride.

Aside from giving us many memorable quotes (see: "She doesn't even go here!"), the film, written by Tina Fey, boosted the careers of many in its cast.

While some actresses, like Rachel McAdams (Regina) and Lizzy Caplan (Janis) continued to have successful careers in Hollywood, other actors such as Rajiv Surendra (Kevin) and Daniel Franzese (Damian) went on to pursue more artistic ventures.

It's almost the 10-year anniversary of "Mean Girls"— let's see what our favorite high school students and teachers are up to now.

THEN: Lindsay Lohan played Cady Heron, a high school student who is forced to navigate manipulative friendships, dating, and gossip after moving to a new school.



NOW: Lohan, 27, is making a comeback after several stints in rehab and legal troubles.

The former child star, known for her leading roles in "Parent Trap" and "Life-Size," announced at the Sundance Film Festival this week that she will produce and star in a new film titled "Inconceivable."

The announcement follows Lohan's continued comeback from five years of rehab stints and run-ins with the law.

She's filming a docu-series for the Oprah Winfrey Network after a failed turn in the 2013 erotic thriller "The Canyons."

Since "Mean Girls," Lohan has also appeared on "That '70s Show" and "Ugly Betty" and has even released two music albums between 2004 and 2005.



THEN: Rachel McAdams played Regina George, the leader of the mean-girl pack.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Stan Lee Won't Have His Usual Cameo In 'Guardians Of The Galaxy'

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stan lee

One of the best things about going to see a Marvel movie — other than the post-credits scenes— is spotting Stan Lee in the film. 

He’s had a cameo in every single Marvel film since 2000's "X-Men." 

That streak will come to an end this summer “Guardians of the Galaxy” comes out. 

The comic lord recently explained during a video podcast with DweebCast why he can't appear in "Galaxy": 

"This is the one group that I didn't create," says Lee. "I didn't write "Guardians of the Galaxy.' I'm not even sure who they all are!"

If you were hoping to see Lee in "X-Men: Days of Future Past," he won't be in that either. Last summer, he told people at the Fan Expo in Toronto he wasn't able to shoot a cameo in the Bryan Singer-directed sequel because he was attending the conference.

You will be able to see Lee in both "The Amazing Spiderman 2" and "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" this year.

Watch the podcast below and relive all of Stan Lee's cameos below: 

 

SEE ALSO: 21 movies to see this year

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The 10 Best Boxing Films

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rocky iv balboa boxing

Boxing and cinema have enjoyed a long relationship. The first boxing match to be filmed was way back in 1894, when early American producer and Thomas Edison protégé William KL Dickson filmed a contest between Jack Cushing and Mike Leonard, aka the ‘Beau Brummell’ of pugilism. Only 37 seconds of the match were recorded, and nobody today seems to care that Leonard won, but the bond forged between boxing and the movies 120 years ago shows no signs of breaking.

On the day when the new Stallone/De Niro vehicle Grudge Match is released, Let us guide you by the glove, then, as we run down the finest boxing films of all time…

Raging Bull

Martin Scorsese’s 1980 masterpiece is at once one of the best sport films ever made – few films have ever got so under the skin of just why someone would make such sacrifices to excel physically, and what it can do to them – and possibly the best film ever made about masculinity.

Taking a professional fighter with jealousy and rage issues as his representative for half the human race, Scorsese is unafraid the show both the ugliness of uncontrolled male rage, and the fear of the little boy who can so often lie behind it.

With fights that are at the same time exhilarating, disgusting and perfect representations of the main character’s psychology, and dazzling performances all round, this is the peak of Scorsese’s glittering career.

Rocky

A thousand ad men may have tarnished Rocky by overplaying the theme tune in lazy commercials, but there’s a reason the film has become a reference point for three generations of people. In these irony-drenched days, stories of genuine uplift are met at best with a raised eyebrow – but when they’re delivered with this much sincerity, they’re pretty much irresistible.

It speaks volumes that one of the most uplifting films ever made (Rocky) and one fo the darkest (Raging Bull) were both about boxers.

When We Were Kings

Boxing as a staged event is inherently cinematic. Months of training and trash-talking are followed by an explosion of action in a tiny space, with cameras and a braying audience avidly watching on. It makes sense, then, that one of the finest boxing films should be a documentary, and it especially makes sense that this doc should focus on boxing’s most titanic figure: Muhammad Ali.

Covering the dramatic circumstances the 1974 rumble in the jungle, the film looks at the confluence of black nationalism, culture and Ali’s unique status as part-martyr, part-loudmouth. It's a thrilling look at a period of intense sporting and social tension.

Million Dollar Baby

It’s tough to talk about Million Dollar Baby without giving away some of the surprises that make it one of the best boxing movies, and one of the best of director/star Clint Eastwood’s long career. Suffice to say, what starts out looking like yet another triumph-of-the-underdog tale turns into something else, taking on enormous moral weight that ultimately lands with the force of a knock-out punch.

Fat City

Legendary director John Huston was a boxer himself, and had his fair shares of knocks in a life that saw ups, downs, and some serious drinking, so this examination of failure has the ring of bitter truth.

Stacy Keach is a has-been fighter, Jeff Bridges is a future has-been, and this meandering look at their relationship steers clear of phony heroics, and instead uses the boxing ring as the metaphorical arena where every man must take life’s jabs and do what they can.

Sounds depressing, but really isn’t.

Ali

Michael Mann’s legendary eye for detail gets a workout in this epic look at the key years of Muhammad Ali’s life, which also functions as a backdoor history of the civil rights movement in Sixties America.

How many sports or athletes could be used for the same purpose? Will some hologram maker of the 2030s tell the history of our era through the story of David Beckham?

Unlikely.

The Fighter

American Hustle director David O Russell’s comeback film is an unusual hybrid of many of the familiar elements of various boxing films, packing in the brothers dynamic of Ragin Bull, the underdog element of Rocky, the period detail of Ali, and much else besides.

Even in 2010, though, these ingredients were still fresh, and combined with a new focus on the role of the women in the eponymous boxer’s life, it built into one of the year’s most satisfying films.

Rocky IV

If the first Rocky is a parable of the triumph of the common man shot with a realism well-suited to the gritty Seventies, the gloss and glitz of the Eighties required a different approach.

By the time of second sequel, the franchise was pure camp (Rocky III has both Mr T and Hulk Hogan), but Rocky IV is where the silliness became transcendent. Clint Eastwood’s examinations of mortality and morality are all very well, but do they have James Brown belting out ‘Living in America,’ Dolph Lundgren playing a robot, an actual robot, and a lovably naff pro-détente message?

Somebody Up There Likes Me

James Dean was set to play Rocky Graziano in this true-life Fifties classic, but died before the cameras began turning. A young Paul Newman stepped in, was electrifying, and a star was born.

With beautiful black and white photography, and solid direction from Citizen Kane editor Robert Wise, this little-seen gem is proof positive of the virtues of old Hollywood.

Cinderella Man

Russell Crowe is a Very Serious Actor, and actors love boxer parts because it gives them the chance to flaunt months spent in the gym learning a new skill (not to mention the fact that it places them in tradition of De Niro et al).

Crowe clearly put the time in for Cinderella Man, and although the script occasionally segues into the schmaltzy, his portrait of a decent man amid the depredations of the Great Depression has taken on an added resonance after the 2008 crash.

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Reviews For This Weekend's 'I Frankenstein' Are Terrible

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i, frankenstein aaron eckhart

We're more than halfway through January and the only big movie at the box office so far has been Kevin Hart's "Ride Along" featuring Ice Cube. 

Don't expect that to change this weekend with Lionsgate's "I, Frankenstein" starring Aaron Eckhart as the monster. 

Reviews are only trickling in now since reviews were held until this morning — always a bad sign for a film — and, as expected, they're pretty awful. 

Currently, the film is sitting at 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. 

i frankenstein zero percent

This is the second film of the year to bring in awful reviews after recent releases "The Legend of Hercules" and "Devil's Due." 

Personally, I never really understood what this film was trying to do. Yes, it's telling the story of Frankenstein, but this film is based on a graphic novel which finds the monster caught in a war between gargoyles and demons fighting over him. (What?)  

aaron eckart i frankensteinFor some reason Frankenstein (Eckhart) is also really attractive despite being created from corpses and electricity.  

Something else that will hurt this movie at the box office is the "I" in the title. It seems pretty unnecessary.  

Everyone I've spoken to about the movie has agreed it reminds them of another similarly titled movie, "I, Robot" and for that reason it's become a turnoff — not because "I, Robot" wasn't an enjoyable Will Smith movie, but because it feels like "Frankenstein" borrowed from a title that's already been done years ago and is trying to replicate its success. 

The film cost an estimated $65 million to make and is expected to bring in figures in the mid-teens opening weekend with comparisons to the "Underworld" franchise starring Kate Beckinsale. 

Here's what critics are saying:

Variety says the movie is pretty dull. 

"Utterly witless, listless, sparkless and senseless, this supernatural actioner makes one long for the comparative sophistication of the conceptually identical 'Underworld' franchise (with which it shares producers and a writer)." 

"... the film never attempts to explore, exploit, or elaborate on Adam’s origins in the Frankenstein story, to the extent that it’s easy to occasionally forget the film’s entire premise while watching it."

RogerEbert.com notes that Eckhart's Two-Face in "The Dark Knight" looked more grim.

"This particular envisioning of Frankenstein's monster might just as well be called Scarface, for a cut-up visage, and, for the 18th-Century-set intro, some Seattle-grunge-rocker hair, are all that disguise Eckhart's fratinee-idol good looks here."

The effects aren't great either.

"All this and elaborately mediocre production design, oodles of mediocre CGI-action scenes, and, in the version I personally paid about 20 dollars to see, really uninspired 3D."

The Village Voice: 

"Noisy and repetitive dullness, its many confounding plot developments and character motivations, or its tossing out the philosophical complexity of Shelley's novel in favor of Underworld–style good-versus-evil claptrap. It's not good enough, but it is slightly better than it has to be."

Still, Cinemablend offers that at least Eckhart is enjoyable — at times — to watch on screen and is better than "Hercules" (which isn't saying much): 

"To his credit, Eckhart digs into the role with a surly bravado, sneering behind the prosthetic scars and deftly wielding scowls as well as the dual-fisted weapons Adam picks up. In action sequences, he's pretty awesome, barreling forth with an effusive rage that punctuates his intimidating physicality. But aside from brawling and brooding, Eckhart is given little else to do."

The Toronto Star:

"There’s very little left of Mary Shelley’s 19th-century morality tale in this video game-like version, clearly geared to the fan-boy/fan-girl set."

"By going to the unusual length of insisting reviewers hold opinions until 9 a.m. opening day, clearly the movie studio behind I, Frankenstein sees this as a “critic-proof” effort that will easily separate genre lovers from their premium ticket money (it’s in IMAX and 3D) no matter what the reaction to the movie may be."

If you are looking for something to see this weekend, check out one of the Oscar-nominated flicks like "Her,""Nebraska," or "Philomena" that you probably haven't seen.

SEE ALSO: What movies you should check out this year

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Here's How You Can Vastly Increase The Number Of Shows And Movies You Can Get On Netflix

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netflix on phoneI love Netflix's streaming service, but recently, as the company has been investing in original programming like "House of Cards" and "Orange Is the New Black," I've noticed that finding really great movies on the service has become something of a challenge. Fortunately, it turns out there's a way to vastly increase the size of Netflix's catalogue. 

Say hello to Hola

A free browser extension, Hola allows you to visit websites that are otherwise blocked in your country. 

For Netflix subscribers, that includes the UK version of the site, along with a bunch of other versions, all of which have their own ever-evolving libraries of TV and movies. 

You're probably wondering: Is this legal? 

That was my first question before using it.

Hola unblocker

Basically, Hola let's you use a virtual private network (VPN) to watch the site in other countries.

How Hola lets you to watch Netflix overseas and other programming anywhere in the world » 

While not illegal, using a VPN proxy may violate the Terms of Service for some sites, including Netflix. It's not clear if the company has a way of knowing what you're up to, but in theory they could deactivate your service for breaking the rules.

In practice, of course, Netflix is in a battle for subscribers, and punishing violators is not in their interest. Especially with Richard Plepler, CEO of Netflix rival HBO, publically admitting that he doesn't mind a bit if people share their HBOGo passwords with nonsubscribers. 

Still, it must be said, violate Netflix's TOS at your own risk.

I took a chance, and after playing around with the tool — with an assist by a great online content search tool, Moreflicks.com— I quickly realized the international Netflix sites have a ton of movies the U.S. site doesn't.

We've gone through seven other countries, picking out a few new and classic films you can see right now overseas on Netflix. We were surprised by how many recent movies we found. 

Netflix Canada

taken 2 liam neeson"Amour"
"An Education"
"Taken 2"
"Monsters Ball"
"Vicky Cristina Barcelona"
"Jerry Maguire" 
 

Netflix Chile

the butler"Lee Daniels' The Butler"
"The Way Way Back"
"The Bling Ring"
"The Godfather"
"A Clockwork Orange"
"Slumdog Millionaire"

Netflix Norway

the dark knight rises"Argo"
"Cloud Atlas"
"The Dark Knight Rises"
"The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly"
"The Goonies"

"Halloween" 
"Kill Buljo" -- Norwegian parody of Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill"
"The Matrix" 

"Pale Rider"
"The Reader"
"Rush Hour"

"The Shining" 
"Superman"
"Taken"
"The Terminator"
 

Netflix UK

hobbit dwarfs"3:10 to Yuma"
"Donnie Brasco"
"Gone Baby Gone"
"The Help"
"Erin Brockovich"
"Kill Bill Vol. 2"
"Pretty Woman"
"Snatch"
"When Harry Met Sally"

Also, if you didn't see it in theaters, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" is streaming there, too.

Netflix Uruguay

seven psychopaths"Amadeus" 
"American History X"
"Anchorman"
"Chicago"
"Crash"
"Gladiator"
"Glory"
"The Master" 

"Place Beyond the Pines" 
"Rocky" 
"Seven Psychopaths"
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"  

Netflix Sweden

Jim Carrey Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"Airplane"
"Blood Diamond"
"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"
"Lethal Weapon"
"Moon"
"Ocean's Eleven"
"Rambo"
"The Hurt Locker"
"Volver" 

Netflix Venezuela

Scarface"American Beauty"
"Chinatown"
"Cleopatra"
"District 9"
"Dirty Harry"
"Iron Man"
"Iron Man 2"
"Kill Bill"
"Out of Africa" 

"Scarface"
"Schindler's List"
"The Dark Knight"
"True Grit" (1969) 
"Up in the Air" (gone after 1/25)
"V for Vendetta"
"Zombieland"

Check out more movies: 21 films to see this year

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Here's The 'Maleficent' Trailer Featuring Lana Del Rey That Premiered During The Grammys

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Disney just premiered another new trailer for its live-action "Sleeping Beauty" film "Maleficent" during the Grammys.

The film features Angelina Jolie as the villainess as the story is told from her point of view.

Forget the movie for a minute though. We're digging Lana del Rey's take on the classic tune "Once Upon A Dream" more. You can get it now free on Google Play (sorry iTunes users).

"Maleficent" is in theaters May 30.

Watch the trailer below:  

SEE ALSO: Pink's amazing aerial performance during the Grammys

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'I, Frankenstein' Bombs At Theaters — Here's Your Box-Office Roundup

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frankenstein aaron eckhart

After awful reviews, “I, Frankenstein” bombed at the box office, debuting to well under $10 million opening weekend. 

The film was expected to make nearly double that figure, but that’s mostly because reviews were comparing it to “Underworld,” a film which benefitted from a female lead in Kate Beckinsale.  

This film had the star power of Aaron Eckhart. Other than a role in “Thank You for Smoking,” he’s best known for playing Harvey Dent / Two Face in “The Dark Knight.” 

Instead, it was another winner weekend for Universal as Kevin Hart and Mark Wahlberg’s films “Ride Along” and “Lone Survivor” continue their runs at theaters. 

For Disney, “Frozen” is continuing to be a behemoth since its November release. The film has officially made more than “The Lion King.” With a sing-along version headed for theaters the animated picture may reach $1 billion by the time its run ends. 

Out of the top ten this week is Warner Bros.’ Best Picture Oscar nominee “Her.” The Spike Jonze film has made $19.7 million worldwide. 

Here are this week’s winners and losers in Hollywood.

10. Fox’s horror flick “Devil’s Due” rounds out the top ten this week with $2.8 million. The film has made $18.7 million worldwide, costing an estimated $7 million to produce. 

9. Oscar-nominated “The Wolf of Wall Street” brings in another $5 million. The Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese movie has now made $175.2 million at theaters. The film cost Paramount a big $100 million. 

8. Weinstein Company’s “August: Osage County” just edged out “Wall Street” with a little over $5 million. The dramedy which picked up Oscar nods for both Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep has made $35 million at theaters.

7. “American Hustle” moved down one spot this weekend with $7.1 million. The Sony picture from David O. Russell has made $162.4 million worldwide. 

6. Lionsgate’s ill-fated “I, Frankenstein” opened much lower than expected with $8.3 million. The Aaron Eckhart film based on a graphic novel of the same name suffered from a staggering plot and poor marketing that didn’t do anything for the movie. 

5. Even “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit” beat out “Frankenstein” with $8.8 million in its second week. The next film in the Tom Clancy series may have only earned $30 million at home, but “Jack Ryan” is performing better overseas. The estimated $60 million film has now made $76.7 million worldwide. 

4. “Frozen” has been crushing it at theaters since its Thanksgiving release and it shows no signs of stopping after another weekend of $9 million. The film should continue to bring in even more money since another sing-along version of the movie is expected in theaters. “Frozen” has made more than $810 million so far. 

3. It’s not often that you see two kid films performing well at the same time in theaters, but “The Nut Job” manages to stay ahead of “Frozen” with $12.3 million in its second weekend. A sequel was just announced for the film. 

2. “Lone Survivor” featuring Mark Wahlberg edged out the two animated pictures with another $12.6 million. The Universal film based on a true story has now made $93.6 million at theaters. 

1. Taking the weekend for the second week in a row is Kevin Hart’s “Ride Along” with a big $21.2 million. The film had a huge $41 million opening weekend and has already tripled its estimated $25 million production budget earning $75.4 million. 

SEE ALSO: The best and worst dressed at the Grammys

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Theater Owners Pushing For Movie Trailers To Be No Longer Than Two Minutes

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Julia Louis Dreyfus James Gandolfini Enough Said Movie Theater

If you're tired of really long (spoiler-y) movie trailers that harbor on the three-minute mark, that may soon be a thing of the past. 

The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO) — no, not that NATO— released in-theater marketing guidelines Monday calling for shorter trailers and a specific timeline for when movie marketing can occur. 

In a nutshell, NATO is calling for two-minute long trailers that can't be shown more than five months ahead of the film's release date.  

This isn't the first time NATO has proposed shorter movie trailers. The argument for shorter movie trailers came about last year after theater owners received complaints about trailers being "too long" and giving "away too much of the plot." 

Voluntary guidelines currently in place by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) limit a trailer to two-and-a-half minutes. However, each studio is allowed one movie to exceed that limit per year.

Similarly, these new guidelines aren't being strictly enforced. Instead, they're "voluntary" guidelines that will go into effect starting October 2014. 

Basically, while trailers may start to ebb toward a shorter time, there's nothing stopping Peter Jackson from putting out another 3-minute "Hobbit" trailer.

SEE ALSO: How to watch Netflix in other countries

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Bizarre 'Zero Theorem' Trailer Brightens Up Corporate Dystopia

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While there have been a couple of apparently unofficial trailers floating around in the last few months, Voltage Pictures has put out a final first theatrical trailer for Terry Gilliam’s upcoming sci-fi fantasy The Zero Theorem, or as some people might want to refer to it, Brazil 2: Philosophical Boogaloo.

Though parallels with his fantastic 1985 satire Brazil are obvious, it says something about the filmmaker that he is possibly the only director in existence who could make a "Terry Gilliam film." And this trailer is jam-packed with the visionary absurdities for which fans put up with the long treacherous years in between his projects. 

Beyond the bright colors and Christoph Waltz’s sickly bald head, the most noticeable thing about this trailer is that it’s stuck in some kind of a sh---y-definition vortex. I’m not going to gripe about a raunchy R-rated comedy in 360p, but it’s impossible to just accept such a distinctly visual trailer with pixel blotches all over the place. Impossible, I say! 

The Zero Theorem, Gilliam’s latest last trip into dystopian sci-fi, follows Waltz as Qohen Leth, a reclusive computer programmer who is tasked by a mysterious figure called Management (Matt Damon) with figuring out the titular formula, which may or may not provide proof that life has true meaning. Of course, he’s living in a future where everything is run by corporations and everything in the world is merely an advertisement for something else. I absolutely love that in such a high-tech society, there are still arrowed signs that say "Eats." 

The surly and sexually uncomfortable Qohen initially doesn’t appear to want life to be anything more than the sum of its parts, but it looks like the project turns him into a believer. Part of that may be because of Mélanie Thierry’s femme fatale Bainsley, who enters Qohen’s life ass first and takes no time in winning him over - even somehow sharing a mini-vacation on a beach with him within his own mind. I don’t trust her. 

All in all, this looks like it's a truly a signature Gilliam film. There are tons of wide paranoia-inducing angles, huge industrial-looking machines and a vivid color palette. There is a darkness that spreads well beyond the shadows, but also a feeling of hope that can’t be crushed by corporate fists. Plus, it has a truly solid supporting cast, including David Thewlis, Lucas Hedges, Ben Whishaw and an almost unrecognizable Tilda Swinton. Also keep an eye out for the billboard commercial cameos, as seen in the trailer with Rupert Friend and his hideous sunglasses. 

Unfortunately, there still isn’t a release date set for The Zero Theorem, which is pretty ridiculous in the scheme of things. While I can understand if studios are hesitant to get behind his oft-plagued Don Quixote adaptation, this film and all of its amazing visuals reportedly cost less than $15 million, which is further proof of how godawfully wasteful Hollywood is. Let’s hope our future is brighter than Qohen’s and The Zero Theorem will hit theaters soon. 

Zero Theorem

SEE ALSO: Pete Seeger Has Died: Legendary Musician And Activist Dead At 94

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