There are few Hollywood institutions quite like “A Star is Born.” Originally made in 1937 with Janet Gaynor and Frederic March, the movie has become a sort of film culture time capsule, dug up with regularity to be reshaped and reimagined in the cinematic language of the time. In 1954, it was Judy Garland and James Mason. In 1976, it returned with Barbara Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. It seemed likely that this would occur every two decades, but the 90s came and went without its rendition of the rags-to-riches and riches-to-rags story, and it looked as if “A Star is…
Author: Steve Katz
This is Kevin Hart’s world – we just live in it. Since his first big starring vehicle, 2014’s “Ride Along,” Hart has become a true-blue box office success story. His newest project is “Night School,” marking his first time working with director Malcolm D. Lee, who has quietly put together an impressive resume since bursting onto the scene back in 2002 with the delightful “Undercover Brother.” Perhaps more significant than Hart’s gravitational pull is the reteaming of Lee and star Tiffany Haddish after setting the comedy world ablaze with last year’s comedy hit, “Girls Trip.” Haddish immediately became a name…
Dan Fogelman has been writing screenplays in Hollywood for some time, but it’s unlikely that many people noticed prior to launching NBC’s smash-hit melodrama, “This is Us,” in 2016. It’s the most popular show on television and a huge cultural touchstone – the sort of show you can expect with full confidence to find your aunts talking about at the Thanksgiving table. And it’s clear from Fogelman’s first feature screenplay since hitting pay dirt that he wants to stick to what got him there. The touchstones of “This is Us” – the interconnected nature of the storytelling and the penchant…
In recent history, the first major salvo of awards season tends to happen in early October. That’s when you see movies like “The Social Network,” “Gravity,” “The Martian” and “12 Years a Slave” hit theaters, heralding a three-month mad dash toward the end of the year. But in this age of movies, the traditional calendar doesn’t mean what it used to. When you have huge blockbusters like “Black Panther” debuting in February, the classical understanding of when certain types of movies are released seems to matter less from season to season. Take “White Boy Rick” for example. The new film…
When you think of the name Paul Feig, “crime thriller” probably isn’t the first genre that leaps to mind. The creator of “Freaks and Geeks” and director of comedy hits like “Spy,” “The Heat” and “Bridesmaids” has stayed pretty comfortably in his lane over the course of his 20-year career. So it makes you wonder why Lionsgate tapped him to direct “A Simple Favor,” adapted from Darcy Bell’s novel by “Nerve” screenwriter Jessica Sharzer. Sure, Feig has flirted with pathos and drama in previous projects, but this movie, which is far more “Gone Girl” than “Ghostbusters,” appears to come from…
The modern pop culture landscape is no stranger to the concept of good puppets gone bad. Peter Jackson explored the idea in his splatter horror comedy “Meet the Feebles” in 1989. “Greg the Bunny” got a one-season run on Fox in 2002 after a series of shorts on the IFC network. “Avenue Q” was an off-Broadway smash in 2003. The fifth season of “Angel” featured its own spin on wholesome felt with a bad side with “Smile Time.” And “Community” and “Glee” have also gone down the puppet road. It’s safe to say at this point that the idea of…
If you’re looking for subtlety in a Spike Lee movie, you’re probably barking up the wrong tree. That’s apparent just looking at the poster for his newest film, “BlacKkKlansman.” It features a black man in full 1970s Blaxploitation regalia wearing a KKK hood with an afro pick in his right hand and his left hand raised in a fist of power. The tagline? “Infiltrate hate.” “Dis joint is based on some fo’ real, fo’ real sh*t” is Lee’s tongue-in-cheek update of the standard “Based on a true story” title card at the beginning of a biopic. And the story of…