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"Yippee ki-yay, motherf****r!"
Legendary action movie icon Bruce Willis can currently be seen on the big screen in his fifth go-round as John McClane, the perpetually "wrong guy in the wrong place at the wrong time," in A Good Day to Die Hard. In his 28-year career as an actor, Willis has starred in more than 60 movies — five last year alone — playing such diverse characters as a time travelling hitman, a deep-sea oil driller (in space), a taxicab driver (in space), a dead child psychologist, an honorable boxer with a killer hook, an assassin named "Mr. Goodkat," a professional gambler named "Dink," and a charming killer named "The Tulip." Some of his movies have become classics, while others...not so much, but they all boast one thing: Willis himself, a bonafide movie star the likes of which are rarely seen in Hollywood anymore. Pour yourself a refreshing glass of Seagram's Golden Wine Cooler, queue up The Return of Bruno on your iPod and help us select Willis' best movies.
Rate the Top 10 Best Bruce Willis Movies >>
Posted 03.04.13 by BrentJS -
Even though visionary writer-director Quentin Tarantino is arguably at the height of his career right now, with his latest movie, the Western-set-in-the-Deep South Django Unchained, both a commercial success — at $138 million and counting it is his highest-grossing North American release — and a critical favorite — it's nominated for five Academy Awards (on top of the Golden Globe it earned him for Best Screenplay - Motion Picture) — he is no less a controversial and divisive filmmaker today than when his first movie debuted back in 1992. Fellow filmmaker and frequent Tarantino critic Spike Lee is one of the most vocal opponents of his latest movie, saying Django Unchained is "disrespectful" of the history of slavery (though he admitted that he hasn't seen the movie and has no intention of seeing it). Other important figures in the black community have come out in support of the movie, however, such as Rev. Jesse Jackson, who applauded Django Unchained, saying that it captured "the cultural, physical and psychological pain" of slavery.
If you're one of the many for whom Django Unchained was an introduction to the violent, cool, hyper-realistic world of Quentin Tarantino cinema and now you are wondering what you've been missing all of these years (or, conversely, you hated it and want some more fuel to heap on the Tarantino fire), we've put together a list of movies that can help you become more knowledgeable of the style and language of his movies. We're not promising that you're going to love all of the movies on the list or get all of his cultural and cinematic references, but, in less than eight hours' time, you will be able to hold your own the next time Tarantino's name pops up in conversation.
Let's do it! Both barrels blazing! >> Posted 01.22.13 by BrentJS -
"No women, no kids, that's the rules."
In a civil society, there are few professions more reprehensible than that of hitman, cleaner, assassin, a job that, by definition, requires the death of another human being to exist at all. In real life, you wouldn't want to meet a hitman, let alone get to know one, but Hollywood hitmen are often far more interesting, engaging, relatable and...handsome, like Brad Pitt in his new movie, Killing Them Softly. Of course, it wouldn't be fair to dismiss Pitt's second go-round — the first being John Smith in Mr. & Mrs. Smith — as a contender for the movie hitmen hall of fame based solely on his looks, so we'll reserve judgment until Killing Them Softly debuts on Friday. In the meantime, help us determine what sort of competition Pitt's Jackie Cogan is up against by ranking the best movie hitmen of all time.
Rate the Top 10 Best Movie Hitmen >>
killer entertainment newsWeeknights after the movies
Posted 11.26.12 by BrentJS -
"Revenge is never a straight line. It’s a forest. And like a forest it’s easy to lose your way… To get lost… To forget where you came in."
Enter a vast cinematic world that feels very much like our own, but hyperrealistic — groovy, violent, romantic, frightening and filled with characters so interesting that even the most dastardly of them can be relatable, even likeable. The only rule in this world is that revenge can and will be served, be it at the end of a legendary samurai's sword or in a hail of double-barreled justice.
Oooh, that’s a bingo! >> Posted 11.20.12 by BrentJS -
"When you dance with the devil, you wait for the song to stop."
Audiences have been flocking to theaters to watch gangster movies since before the introduction of "talkies," enticed by the opportunity to be a tourist in the violent world of career criminals without any of the risk associated with the reality of the lifestyle. The genre has been dominated by the stories of desperate Italian immigrants struggling to make it in America and Italian-American mafiosos who temper their ruthlessnes with strict codes of conduct, such as in The Godfather, considered the second greatest film in American cinema by the American Film Institute.
But, the "face" of gangster movies has become less defined in the past two decades as America has become more diverse and moviegoers more accepting of foreign imports. Modern masters like Martin Scorsese and Brian De Palma continue to elevate the genre by perfecting it, while innovative filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino, Guy Ritchie and Takashi Miike have helped to broaden the genre by refusing to be slaves to gangster movie tropes. Hide your stash, check your clip, and help us choose the latest, greatest gangster movies.
Top 10 Best Gangster Movies of the Past 20 Years >>
Posted 11.08.12 by BrentJS -
We love movies and we especially love movies with great ensemble casts. There's nothing better than seeing our favorite actors and actresses sharing screen time with one another, feeding off of each others' performances and upping each others' game. With a decent script and the right director, a great ensemble cast can create cinematic gold.
It's because of our love for movies with great ensemble casts that we are eagerly anticipating writer-director Martin McDonagh's (In Bruges) new black comedy, Seven Psychopaths. The plot is a bit out there, but with a cast that includes Colin Farrell, Christopher Walken, Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson, we're sure to be treated to some combustible onscreen chemistry. Seven Psychopaths doesn't come out until next week, so help us pass the time until its release by rating the Top 10 Great Ensembles in Good Movies.
Rate the Top 10 Great Ensembles in Good Movies >>
Posted 10.01.12 by BrentJS -
Screenwriter and director Roger Avary, who won an Academy Award for co-writing Pulp Fiction with Quentin Tarantino, was sentenced to one year in prison this week after pleading guilty to gross vehicular manslaughter for a fatal car crash that occurred last year. Avary was driving at speeds of around 100 mph while under the influence of alcohol before his car crashed into a telephone pole. Both Avary and his wife, Gretchen Avary, were injured; the other passenger was killed.
Avary was recently hired to write the screenplay for the upcoming sequel to Silent Hill. The judge sentencing Avary allowed the Rules of Attraction director to be entered into a furlough program that will allow him to write Silent Hill 2 and his other screenwriting commitment, Return to Castle Wolfenstein.
After serving his sentence, Avary will perform five years of probation after his release. He has reached a settlement with the widow and family of his fatally injured friend.
Posted 10.01.09 by Ryan -
For cinephiles (pronounced “movie nerds”), the works of Quentin Tarantino aren’t just fun on their own terms: They’re packed with nods, winks, and say-no-mores to other movies, genre clichés, and Tarantino’s own conventions. His characters are no exception, though some of them may pop us for saying so.
When Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds rides a pile of Nazi corpses into a theater near you, it’s a pretty safe bet that some of the writer-director’s favorite stock characters will be along for the genoride. And yes, many of them will be movie buffs. Here are the ones to watch for with your one good eye through a hail of bullets, sleet of blood, and freezing rain of gore.
Check out the Top 10 Tarantino Character Types.
Posted 08.14.09 by reelz -
The latest movie from director Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds, hasn't even hit theaters yet and there's already talk of a sequel – or a prequel – on its way. Harvey Weinstein, co-chairman of The Weinstein Co. and longtime producer of Tarantino's films, said that Tarantino has enough Basterds backstory for a whole series of movies:
We could do two movies, three movies. I was begging for the movies, but Quentin wanted to do the TV series, Bob wanted to do the TV series, so it was like two against one, you know?
And then Quentin turns it into one movie. Go figure.
When asked if superstar actor Brad Pitt would be interested in reprising the role of Lt. Aldo Raine, Weinstein said:
Brad wants to do Inglourious II. We all want to do it. And the movie hasn't even come out yet!
Inglourious Basterds also stars Mike Myers, Diane Kruger, B.J. Novak, Julie Dreyfus and Eli Roth.
Posted 07.02.09 by BrentJS -
"Okay, we know Transformers: Return of the Fallen is out," you say, "but what blockbuster is there for me, someone who’s already seen Megan Fox’s rack and isn’t a racist?" Into that breach steps Public Enemies, recounting the pursuit of legendary pirate Willy Wonka Dillinger by noted law-and-order type The Batman. Here are the top 10 gangster movies you should watch to psych yourself up for Johnny Depp rocking out with his Tommy gun.
Posted 07.01.09 by reelz