The Happytime Murders was making news before it even hit theaters after Disney sued the creators for potentially causing marketplace confusion among consumers. Directed by Brian Henson - the son of legendary puppeteer and the creator of the Muppets, Jim Henson - The Happytime Murders is set in a world where humans and Muppet-like puppets... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: July 31, 1998 Production budget: $20,000,000 Worldwide gross: $7,027,290 Twenty years ago, Trey Parker and Matt Stone were riding high. Their brand-new animated series "South Park" had taken off and become a huge hit for Comedy Central and, seeing as how fandom at wide was beginning to take a greater interest... Continue Reading →
I have to say, when I saw the trailers for Jon M. Chu's Crazy Rich Asians (based on Kevin Kwan's novel of the same name), I wasn't really sure what to expect. The first time I see any given trailer, I tend to take in more of the overall tone and atmosphere than anything else... Continue Reading →
Does any urban legend have as fascinating (and disturbing) a history as Slender Man? The terrifying creature was created by Eric Knudsen as part of a 2009 online Photoshop contest and, from there, it took on a life of its own - literally, if you ask some people. There have been real-life rituals and even... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: December 25, 1993 Production budget: $35,100,000 Worldwide gross: $70,172,621 For those who might not be aware, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau were a common theatrical comedy duo, much like the pairings of Don Knotts and Tim Conway, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, or Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Their first movie... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: July 3, 1996 Production budget: $75,000,000 Worldwide gross: $817,400,891 Will Smith was once known as the king of the Independence Day weekend and it all started here, with Roland Emmerich's Independence Day. Released around the world in the middle of the week to coincide with the dates on which the film,... Continue Reading →
Approximately one year ago, I found myself tasked with the responsibility of standing in front of my Freshman Orientation class and attempting to explain to them the then-recent events of Charlottesville, Virginia. It was Current Events Day in the curriculum, and each Freshman Orientation teacher was asked to discuss the most relevant current events for... Continue Reading →
Jon Turteltaub was responsible for many popular films throughout the nineties and early-two-thousands, from Phenomenon and The Kid to the National Treasure series. Turteltaub's films haven't always been critical darlings, but he has a way of producing crowd-pleasers that make a lasting impression and carry goodwill forward, years beyond their release dates. His profile has... Continue Reading →
Original US release date: December 7, 1960 Production budget: $200,000 Worldwide gross: $2,175,000 There's something special about old-fashioned, black-and-white horror, isn't there? Without reliance upon grisly and grotesque images, profanity, or nudity, horror used to stay firmly focused on delivering compelling stories, characters, and atmosphere. There are still horror films that accomplish those feats, today,... Continue Reading →
Based upon Alexandra Bracken's novel of the same name, Jennifer Yuh Nelson's The Darkest Minds is the latest attempt at a dystopian young adult franchise starter, hoping to follow suit and tap into the same audience that made the Hunger Games series such a massive success. Bracken's series of novels has proven popular enough to... Continue Reading →
The Movie March! 