News

Editor’s Note: this list was originally published in June 2023. It has since been updated to include Pixar’s latest output.

When you ask someone about their favorite Pixar film, the answer usually says less about the movie than it does about the person. The legendary animation studio has remained at the top of its game for years because of how its films use their big high-concept ideas to explore fundamental truths. A comedy about talking toys becomes a story about friendship and growing up; a kid’s movie about fish becomes an emotional tale of fatherhood; a film about a rat that likes to cook becomes a sneakily profound story about the nature of art and inspiration. The movies become very personal to each viewer, especially for those who’ve grown up with Pixar’s work and have seen its releases serve as milestones in their lives.

That said,...

The world of Black Mirror is back. The screens are darker, the stories more poignant, and the questions more uncomfortable than ever. As we head into this new season, a name appears behind the curtain once again. A familiar name. The same man who has been wreaking havoc on our minds for the past ten years. Yes, Black Mirror Season 7 is Charlie Brooker’s masterpiece once again.

Season 7 brings new fears. New realities. A reflection of the world we live in and the horror we’re heading into. Each episode is like a window. But one that doesn’t look out of, but one that stares back at you. Charlie Brooker isn’t just the creator of Black Mirror.

He’s a cultural alarm bell. A man who turns anxiety into art. Who shows us our true selves through screens, through satire, and terrifying shadows.

How Charlie Brooker made sarcasm...

Alice in Borderland is an intense Japanese TV series based on the manga by Haro Aso of the same name, throwing its cast into some truly violent challenges. It tells of Ryohei Arisu (Kento Yamazaki), Yuzuha Usagi (Tao Tsuchiya), and others who are transported to an abandoned version of Tokyo where they are introduced to deadly games that they must win to extend their "visa."

The Alice in Borderland trials have a range of difficulties represented by traditional playing cards: the spades are physical trials, the clubs are a team game, the diamonds are games of wit, and the hearts are games of betrayal. Even though the games are rated by difficulty according to the suit, the most challenging of these lethal games are often the simplest. The games are known for brutality but are portrayed on TV as less bloody than those in the manga. Since Alice in Borderland...

A lot needed to happen during “Wicked’s” “The Wizard and I.”

As Elphaba’s (Cynthia Erivo) “I want” song, it expresses the character’s innermost desires: to meet the wizard who she believes will help her, and to feel accepted by everyone, including the audience.

Director Jon M. Chu needed audiences to fall in love with her. “We needed anything we could to get us to root for her and to be more of an underdog,” he explains.

Visually, Chu had an idea of ascension. The “Wizard and I” number begins with Elphaba and Madame Morrible walking down the stairs in the classroom. By the end, as Elphaba stands alone on the edge of a cliff, she expresses her deepest desire — to be part of a powerful team, alongside the Wizard.

Chu and his artisans worked closely to hit the storytelling points to ensure Elphaba’s big moment worked.

For 88 years now, Disney has been releasing animated films with fantastical stories meant to delight children of all ages, creating a legacy of family-friendly entertainment that serves as its own stylistic canon. Sometimes Disney – or their competitors – will release a film that riffs on that style, but generally the decades have done little to whittle away at the formula first introduced with 1937's Snow White or 1942's Bambi: whatever struggles the protagonist goes through, they end with a "happily ever after" moment. Interestingly, Disney's Onward reexamined that trope.

Released theatrically in 2020, Onward is as full of humor as pathos. Teenage elf Ian (Tom Holland) and his older brother Barley (Chris Pratt) live in a fantasy world with supposedly little magic in Onward. On Ian's 16th birthday, they discover that their long-deceased father was secretly a wizard, and that he left them a way to return him to life for just a day.

Warning: This article includes major Deadpool & Wolverine spoilers.

Channing Tatum reflects on finally playing Gambit in the MCU after his solo movie was canceled. Tatum expresses gratitude for Reynolds' part in getting him the Gambit role in Deadpool & Wolverine, while praising the film as a masterpiece and pure joy. After a decade's wait, Tatum was excited to join Phase 5 of the MCU and considers Deadpool & Wolverine a thrilling experience.

One Deadpool & Wolverine star shares his excitement about finally getting to portray Gambit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film after his solo movie was canceled.

Barley a week after Deadpool & Wolverine was released in theaters, Channing Tatum has broken his silence about finally getting his shot at playing Gambit in the Phase 5 installment. Tatum, who was supposed to headline his own Gambit solo film, shared two pictures of him and Ryan Reynolds at two different San Diego Comic-Cons, and...

Fantasy is a film genre that has birthed many classics over the years, with notable examples being the works of Hayao Miyazaki and Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy. Previous decades have shown how popular fantasy films were, yet the 2020s have been a slow period for entries in the genre. Nevertheless, in an era of superhero films and other associated blockbusters, there still have been some incredible fantasy films that have stood out.

By transporting the audience to new and wondrous worlds, these films have shown that the fantasy genre is alive and well. 2024 will hopefully have more modern additions to the genre with anticipated releases like Wicked, Nosferatu, and Beatlejuice Beatlejuice. Currently, fantasy in the 2020s has given audiences hits like Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, The Northman, and more.

Onward is an Underrated Pixar Gem

Onward PGAnimationAdventureComedy

In a magical world full of technological advances,...

Dan Jeannotte is starring in Hallmark Channel’s new movie Our Christmas Mural and we have the scoop on his personal life!

The 42-year-old actor is best known for his work as Katie Stevens‘ love interest “Pinstripe Guy” on the Freeform hit series The Bold Type.

Dan has also been seen as James Stuart in The CW’s Reign, Sam Kirk in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and Brandon Russell in Hallmark’s The Good Witch series.

Over the years, Dan has appeared in several movies for Hallmark Channel.

So, is Dan single or married?

Keep reading to find out more…

Dan has been married to his wife Heidi Hawkins since 2012!

Neither of them have public Instagram profiles, so we don’t have any photos to share of the couple.

Dan‘s official bio on the Hallmark Channel website notes that he “lives in Collingwood, Ontario with his family and their dog Barley.

Chris Pratt has showcased his acting range in a variety of roles, from action heroes to lovable goofballs, and has consistently stood out and connected with viewers. In addition to his iconic role as Star-Lord in the MCU, Pratt has appeared in highly acclaimed projects and gained attention for his performances in animated films. Pratt's range as an actor is evident in his roles, from lovable goofballs like Andy Dwyer in Parks and Recreation to intense action heroes like Owen Grady in Jurassic World.

Chris Pratt is now widely known as a leading man in Hollywood and a major voice actor, but he has appeared in other major roles over his decades-long career. Pratt is known for his lovable goofball and action hero roles, which have consistently helped his character to stand out and connect with viewers. His quirky humor, sense of childlike wonder and innocence, and ability to convey...

Pixar has been steadily releasing animated hits since the '90s, and in 2023, it released one of its most ambitious films yet, Elemental. But even though Pixar has been releasing a steady stream of successful animated films, not all of them have been major critical hits. But when it comes to the Rotten Tomatoes scores for these films, even the lowest can still be worth a watch

Luca (2021) - 91%

When two sea monsters, Alberto and Luca, decide they prefer being on the surface rather than the ocean, they explore the nearby town. There, the two of them are welcomed, but only if they hide the truth. Under the sea, Luca's family worries about his time on the surface.

Related: 10 Most Evil Movie ChefsWith such a high score, it would be strange to believe that most critics found Luca to be a safer Pixar film than most others. That's because the...

Warning: This article contains spoilers for I Think You Should Leave with Tim RobinsonNetflix's sketch-comedy masterpiece, I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson has returned, and here are the 10 best sketches from season 3. Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin continue to push mainstream sketch comedy conventions into increasingly absurdist territory. Sketches that begin as commercials expand into nightmarish tales of neighborly disputes or a deep dive into the more ludicrous corners of the club scene.

As with previous seasons, I Think You Should Leave season 3 continues to feature some big-name guest stars such as Jason Schwarzman, Will Forte, and Patti Harrison. The six episodes are full of the outlandish comedy that viewers have come to expect from I Think You Should Leave. While some viewers may think it will be difficult to top I Think You Should Leave's coffin flop sketch, season 3 reaches new heights in terms of what Tim...

“When was the first time you heard the word ‘saccharine’?” singer Rachel Brown asks, sounding a bit like a tired Beat poet, on Water From Your Eyes’ jazzy song, “Remember Not My Name.” Like practically every lyric on the avant-pop duo’s Everyone’s Crushed – at least the ones that don’t read like free-associated stream of consciousness poetry – Brown’s question could be taken ironically.

Since forming in 2016, Water From Your Eyes have paired noisy yet winsome music with winky, tongue-in-cheek lyrics that Brown delivers in a way that...

“Experimental pop” is probably the most succinct descriptor for the music made by Brooklyn duo Water From Your Eyes. But it’s also a little bland, which is why singer/vocalist Rachel Brown follows it with the more expressive “dance punk, question mark?” and “art rock, shrug.” They also admit they do, unfortunately, have to hand it to the awful drunk guy they met in England who told them, “You sound like Sonic Youth and New Order fighting underwater.”

Instrumentalist/producer Nate Amos, meanwhile, has grown partial to “sandwich rock.

After troubling reports about the DC Universe emerged this week, DC Studios co-ceo James Gunn has shared a statement on what's actually going on with the franchise. Since November 1, DC Studios has been operating as part of Warner Bros. Discovery's new strategy to take the Dcu (formerly known as the Dceu) in a new direction. Gunn and Peter Safran were hired to lead the new division, which is replacing DC Films, and was previously managed by Walter Hamada. Gunn is focusing on the creative side of DC Studios, while Safran is taking care of the business aspects.

Barley 24 hours have passed, and Gunn has now finally spoken out on Twitter to respond to the report that was initially shared about various Dcu projects and the future of DC Studios. Projects that were supposedly being scrapped were Wonder Woman 3, Man of Steel 2, and there were no plans for further Aquaman movies with Jason Momoa.

There are many great options for fandom collectibles, but Funko Pops! are some of the best. They're fun, mostly affordable, and make it easy for fans to show off their favorite pop culture figures. Best of all, many Pops! are currently on sale during Amazon's Early Black Friday Deals.

Amazon makes it easy to find collectibles for personal use or holiday gifts, and right now there are some great discounts. From Disney to horror, Marvel to music, there's something for everybody to love. As an added bonus, many come with 1-day shipping for Amazon Prime members, making it possible to get shopping out of the way quickly. High-quality Funko Pops! are currently available at Stocking Stuffer prices, so jump on the sales before they return to their usual retail prices.

Red Miller From Mandy List Price: 11.99 Deal Price: 5.49 (54 Off)

Horror fans and Nicolas Cage fans can all celebrate with this...

"Your power crushed my life and my personality as well." Film Forum in NYC has revealed a trailer for the first narrative film from acclaimed doc filmmaker Frederick Wiseman. It's called A Couple, also known as just Un Couple in French, and it's not really a film - a 63 minute chamber piece. A Couple follows a long term relationship between a man and a woman. The man is Leo Tolstoy. The woman is his wife, Sophia. It's nothing more than an hour of a woman reading letters and dairies written by Sophia, his young wife, who he didn't seem to love. French actress Nathalie Boutefeu portrays Sophia as a "determined, loving, angry woman who recognizes the limitations of long-term marriage to a man of world-renown." Which is to say that she didn't really understand that she was married to someone who didn't really care about her. It premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival,...

This Irish-language comedy has a touch of the supernatural in its warm story about a grieving widow and a stray dog

You’d need a shard of ice in your heart not to be charmed even just a little by this eccentric Irish-language comedy: a warm-hearted tale about a woman who believes that a stray dog is the reincarnation of her dead husband. It’s a family film, though I suspect teenagers – and the smutty-minded (I confess to being one of them) – will smirk at the one-woman-and-her-dog bedroom scenes.

Bríd Ní Neachtain plays Róise: a widow who, two years on from the death of her husband, is still struggling to get out of bed each morning. Then, one day, a lurcher-terrier cross (fine mutt acting by Barley the dog) turns up on her doorstep. He seems to know things about her late husband, Frank: his favourite chair, the route of his morning walk.

Dan Scanlon's 2020 animated film "Onward" has a pretty high concept: It is set in a world where fantasy creatures such as elves, centaurs, and manticores not only still exist, but they're the primary population, with no humans anywhere to be seen. Centuries ago, they got by using spells and magic, but they eventually discovered that technological advances were easier and more convenient than the mystical arts, and they evolved into a 21st century-like modern day society that pretty much resembles our own. 

In this world of elven suburbs, a pair of teen elf brothers, Ian (Tom Holland) and Barley (Chris Pratt), are gifted an ancient staff...

The post Onward's Original Pitch Was Almost Too Weird For Pixar appeared first on /Film.