Eden Caceda
For CelebrityOz: It’s been described as the film no one wanted, but Michael Bay’s 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is precisely what you would expect – over two hours of overdramatic storytelling about bravery against all odds.
For CelebrityOz: Old-fashioned storytelling, classic film techniques and unbridled emotion take centre stage in every moment of John Crowley’s Brooklyn.
For CelebrityOz: In the hype of reality cooking television series that appear to be overrunning our networks, it’s not unusual that film studios have tried to commodify this trend.
For CelebrityOz: From What Women Want to Something’s Gotta Give to my personal favourite The Holiday, audiences have complained about Nancy Meyer’s approach to romance, feminism and viewpoint on life.
For CelebrityOz: It’s safe to say that director Ridley Scott hasn’t had the best luck with his films of late. From the tedious Prometheus to the disastrous Exodus: Gods and Kings, Scott has struggled to regain the brilliance and gravitas that his earlier works, including Alien and Blade Runner, added to the cinematic canon.
For CelebrityOz: Every few years sees the release of a new teen film dedicated to representing the quirkiness and nature of a generation. Millennials have already seen Mean Girls, Easy A and Juno represent many of our attitudes and contemporary behaviours, but there has always been a tendency toward fewer younger male voices who are less Perks of Being A Wallflower, and more 21 And Over.
For CelebrityOz: Unfortunately this is not the reboot of Fantastic Four that the original 1961 comic book series deserves. Fant4stic (as it’s been remarketed) lacks the thrill, charisma and chemistry necessary for a superhero film to succeed.
For CelebrityOz: In recent years Melissa McCarthy has brought to our screens a different kind of funny woman: rowdy, sex-positive, dirty-talking, and unconventional in every sense of the word. But comedienne Amy Schumer’s debut film Trainwreck embodies many of these aspects and more as she continues to drive a provocative humour that pushes many boundaries, making the film one of the funniest and more original ones this year.
For CelebrityOz: Watching Inside Out with a large audience of older people and young children in a cinema reminds me of the potential for animated films, mostly because the concept is devoid of talking animals and supernatural beings.
For CelebrityOz: It’s a common fact that sequels are hit and miss. With films that have such a successful formula, it’s difficult to not want to repeat the same old recipe with a few new ingredients, as it is taking a chance to make the a sequel a completely different affair.
For CelebrityOz: In 1981, a romantic drama film adapted from a novel of the same name by Scott Spencer graced the screens and filled the hearts of teenagers on dates in local cinemas.
For CelebrityOz: Since The Hangover debuted in 2009, cinemas have screened an abundance of films about friends travelling to Las Vegas, or any other location with alcohol and bright lights, prior to a wedding or as a way to forget their transience. The new adult comedy Last Vegas is no different, but this time the male protagonists are about 40 years older than the younger men cast in similar films.
For CelebrityOz: The Academy Award-nominated actress Cate Blanchett has transformed herself into a lesbian in a huge return to Australian television for an upcoming episode of the hit ABC drama series Rake.
For CelebrityOz: This year Grammy winner Bruno Mars was the chosen one to follow up last year’s unforgettable Beyonce performance during the halftime show, collaborating with veteran rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers.
For CelebrityOz: It’s not the first time a celebrity has attended Britney Spear’s current ‘Piece of Me’ Las Vegas show but worldwide superstar Lady Gaga joined the club when she watched the new show on Friday night.
For CelebrityOz: Solomon Northup’s 1853 memoir Twelve Years A Slave is easily one of the greatest novels of the American literary canon about the slavery of African Americans pre-Civil War.
For CelebrityOz: It was Australia’s night of nights as actors, directors, models, singers and A-list celebrities hit the red carpet for the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Awards.
For CelebrityOz: Sydney’s The Star is preparing to host the annual 3rd AACTA Awards this Thursday, celebrating the best of Australian film and television in 2013.
For CelebrityOz: Based on the “untold story” of the Disney villainess, the upcoming Maleficent is both a prequel and re-imagining of Disney’s 1959 Sleeping Beauty and told from the perspective of the antagonist Maleficent, whom Angelina Jolie is set to portray.
For CelebrityOz: A melodrama about the past and struggle to let it go, this film adaptation uses the infallible acting skills of Kate Winslet, Josh Brolin and Gattlin Griffith to portray a lonely single mother, escaped con and the son who is at the centre of the love story that develops.
For CelebrityOz: Beyonce and Jay Z have done it again.
For CelebrityOz: The 56th American Grammy Awards, awarding music from 2013, celebrated emerging artists, highlighted social issues and was the musical party of the year on Sunday evening, held in Los Angeles’ Staples Center.
For CelebrityOz: Romantic comedies have long featured women in lead roles and revolved around the lives of single young women, made for single young women. But Are We Officially Dating? switches up the conventions of the genre by having the romantic comedy told from men’s point of view.
For CelebrityOz: After years of legal troubles regarding record labels, noughties singer Joanna Levesque, also known as JoJo, has finally left her old label Blackground Music and moved to Atlantic Records, igniting beliefs that 2014 will be the year of her comeback.
For CelebrityOz: Four years ago Australian character actor David Field made his directorial debut, starring newcomer George Basha, on the well-received drama film The Combination. It’s easy to see the connections between that film all those years ago and this new film Convict, this time Basha working behind the camera with Field.
For CelebrityOz: Tom Clancy’s CIA operative Jack Ryan returns to the silver screen for the fifth time since The Hunt for Red October in 1990, this time Ryan being played by Star Trek actor Chris Pine.
For CelebrityOz: Tracy Lett’s epic three hour play August: Osage County is a renowned work of fiction that has won the Pulitzer Prize and a number of Tony Awards since its debut in 2007.
For CelebrityOz: Comedy American Hustle and 3D space odyssey Gravity have lead the nominations for the 86th Academy Awards.
For CelebrityOz: Despite the cultural importance, a new Hollywood version of the classic story appears this year with Keanu Reeves in the lead role of 47 Ronin.
For CelebrityOz: Barbados-native Rihanna and Colombian Shakira have been working on the collaboration for a month, with the single cover art going live on January 9.
For CelebrityOz: 3D science fiction thriller Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney took home Best International Film and Best International Director for Alfonso Cuaron at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards.
For CelebrityOz: Honouring the best in pop culture in 2013, Beth Behrs and Kat Dennings from 2 Broke Girls hosted the event where over 700 million people voted for their favourites.
For CelebrityOz: Relying on the legacy and animation to captivate audiences has been the consistent issue since the first film, with The Smurfs 2 sure to bore adults in the cinema despite the hyperactive action on screen.
For CelebrityOz: Directed by Brian Percival, The Book Thief is well-intentioned and handles the story with delicacy. Unfortunately the tone of the film isn’t stable and The Book Thief ends up being a film made for middle-aged children.
Eden Caceda 