Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
starring: Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Maya Rudolph, Ellie Kemper, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Jon Hamm, Jill Clayburgh, Matt Lucas, Rebel Wilson, Chris O’Dowd
written by: Kristen Wiig and Annie Mumulo
directed by: Paul Feig
MPAA: Rated R for some strong sexuality, and language throughout.
starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgard, Kat Dennings, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Idris Elba, Rene Russo, Colm Feore
written by: Ashley Miller, Zack Stentz, Don Payne (screenplay); J. Michael Straczynski, Mark Protosevich (story); Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Jack Kirby (comic book)
directed by: Kenneth Branagh
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sequences of intense sci-fi action and violence.
starring: Mel Gibson, Jodie Foster, Anton Yelchin, Jennifer Lawrence, Cherry Jones
written by: Kyle Killen
directed by: Jodie Foster
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for mature thematic material, some disturbing content, sexuality and language including a drug reference.
starring: Ginnifer Goodwin, Kate Hudson, Colin Egglesfield, John Krasinski, Steve Howey, Ashley Williams
written by: Jennie Snyder (screenplay), Emily Giffin (novel)
directed by: Luke Greenfield
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for sexual content including dialogue, and some drug material.
starring: Michelle Williams, Bruce Greenwood, Will Patton, Zoe Kazan, Shirley Henderson, Paul Dano, Neal Huff, Tommy Nelson, Rod Rondeaux
written by: Jonathan Raymond
directed by: Kelly Reichardt
MPAA: Rated PG for some mild violent content, brief language and smoking.
Aimee Teegarden and Thomas McDonell are a bit of an odd couple. And I say “couple” figuratively, since the two aren’t actually reported to be dating (an increasing rarity in these promotional showmance times we live in). Teegarden is, at 21, already a consummate media professional. An actor in film and television from the age of 14, she recently spent five very big years of her young life living in Austin while filming the critically beloved NBC series Friday Night Lights, currently airing its fifth and final season. Talking with Teegarden feels like chatting with the button-cute president of the FBLA: she is bright, quick, and upbeat. But ironically, playing a teenager for five years meant she had to miss high school herself. “I was working,” she says ruefully.
McDonell, on the other hand, is new at this. The well-spoken NYU-trained actor, 24, got his first film role when he auditioned “as an experiment” for a small role in the Jackie Chan movie The Forbidden Kingdom while living in China to study contemporary art. This was followed by another small role in Joel Schumacher’s Twelve. And now, he suddenly finds himself playing the romantic bad-boy lead opposite Teegarden in Disney’s Prom, which the studio is hoping will take off like High School Musical. He has also been cast as the younger version of Johnny Depp’s character in Tim Burton’s upcoming Dark Shadows film. It seems like big things are in store for him. But for now, he is brooding through his exhaustion.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Interview: Aimee Teegarden and Thomas McDonell on “Prom””
starring: Michael Angarano, Uma Thurman, Reece Thompson, Lee Pace, Rebecca Mader, Jake M. Johnson
written and directed by: Max Winkler
MPAA: Rated R for some language, sexual references and drug use.
starring: Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon, Christoph Waltz, Paul Schneider, Hal Holbrook
written by: Richard LaGravenese (screenplay), Sara Gruen (novel)
directed by: Francis Lawrence
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for moments of intense violence and sexual content.
The 54th annual San Francisco International Film Festival kicks off this Thursday, April 21, bringing with it two weeks of jam-packed film programming until its conclusion on May 5. Special guests and honorees this year include Oliver Stone, Matthew Barney, Zoe Saldana, Clifton Collins Jr., and Christine Vachon. The festival will also feature a live performance of the film scores of Claire Denis by Tindersticks.
For full information, check out the official festival website. But first, look after the jump for our top 15 movies to see this year at the SFIFF.
Continue reading “Spinning Platters Guide to the San Francisco International Film Festival 2011”
starring: James McAvoy, Robin Wright, Evan Rachel Wood, Alexis Bledel, Kevin Kline, Tom Wilkinson, Justin Long, Norman Reedus, Danny Huston, Jonathan Groff, Johnny Simmons, Stephen Root, Colm Meaney
written by: James Solomon (screenplay/story), Gregory Bernstein (story)
directed by: Robert Redford
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some violent content.