Category: Movies

The latest stop-motion animated movie made by Aardman Animations is now playing in cinemas in the UK, and opens in theaters in the US in just a few weeks (starting February 16th). Early Man is their latest creation, directed by Nick Park (watch the final trailers). For a glimpse behind-the-scenes, Tested’s Adam Savage got to visit Aardman in Bristol, England and take a look at their process of creating clay models and animating them to make a movie. The video he released focuses specifically on the modeling clay they use, and how they make it so the colors are perfect every single time. “Just what kind of sculpting material is used in making the stop-motion animation characters at Aardman?” Find out in the inside look video below. ›››

Continue Reading Watch: Learn About the Clay Aardman Animation Uses to Make Models

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HBO has unveiled the trailer for a documentary titled Andre the Giant, profiling the life and career of professional wrestler André Roussimoff, who gained notoriety in the 1980s as “Andre the Giant”. This HBO Sports documentary, made by “30 for 30” filmmaker Jason Hehir, is an “ambitious, wide-ranging film” that explores Andre’s upbringing in France, and his celebrated wrestling career in the WWE. Many may recall that Andre the Giant also played Fezzik in the comedy The Princess Bride, which was one of his few movie roles along with Micki + Maude and an uncredited appearance in Conan the Destroyer. Born in 1946, André was diagnosed with acromegaly (and gigantism) in his twenties, and passed away in 1993 at the age of 46. This covers the good and the bad of his life, and it looks like a fascinating film about a unique human being. ›››

Continue Reading First Trailer for HBO’s Doc ‘Andre the Giant’ About the French Wrestler

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“I know how disorientating it can be when you find yourself on your own…” Roadside has debuted the official US trailer for the romantic comedy Finding Your Feet, directed by Richard Loncraine. The films stars acclaimed English actress Imelda Staunton as a “middle class, judgmental snob” who discovers her husband has been having an affair with her best friend. So she moves in with her estranged, bohemian, older sister Bif, played by Celia Imrie, and is dragged along to her community dance class where she starts to find some romance again. The full cast includes Timothy Spall, Joanna Lumley, David Hayman, and John Sessions. This looks like a humorous, stirring, slightly entertaining comedy from England about how dancing and good friends can inspire true love again. Plus it’s Pettigrew and Umbridge together! Enjoy. ›››

Continue Reading Official US Trailer for Comedy ‘Finding Your Feet’ with Imelda Staunton

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The official awards for the 2018 Sundance Film Festival were announced tonight at a ceremony in Park City. We’ve been patiently waiting to see who won the awards at Sundance this year, and now we know – it’s not any of the films we expected. This seems to be one of the oddest sets of winners in years, but that’s the way it goes. The big Audience Award winners are: Burden, a story about a former Klansman being taken in by a Reverend starring Garrett Hedlund & Forest Whitaker, from director Andrew Heckler; The Sentence, a documentary by Rudy Valdez; and Search, the computer screen film (read my review) directed by Aneesh Chaganty. Other major winners include filmmakers Desiree Akhavan, Sara Colangelo, Christina Choe, Reed Morano, Reinaldo Marcus Green, Bing Liu, Derek Doneen, and Gustav Möller. View the full list from 2018. ›››

Continue Reading ‘Burden’ & ‘The Sentence’ Win the Audience Awards at Sundance 2018

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I admit I have a soft spot for musicals, which means I also have big soft spot for films where people come together to make new music – either as a band, or a DJ, or a solo act. Hearts Beat Loud is the latest film from filmmaker Brett Haley (The New Year, I’ll See You in My Dreams, The Hero) and it might be the best Closing Night film I’ve seen in the 12 years I’ve been coming to the Sundance Film Festival. Most films that premiere on Closing Night at Sundance are enjoyable, but ultimately forgettable, however this one breaks the mold and delivers a heartwarming, rockin’, completely satisfying experience. The music they make is great, even though it does have a pop sound, it’s still music I want to listen to on repeat. Most of all there’s a sweet, warm feeling to this film that makes it so satisfying, as cinematic storytelling that’s good for the soul. ›››

Continue Reading Sundance 2018: Brett Haley’s ‘Hearts Beat Loud’ is a Rockin’ Sensation

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“Let’s make goodness attractive.” We all know his name, we all know his show, but now we get to discover the complete story behind who this wonderful man really was. The iconic, irreplaceable Fred Rogers from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the man who created and starred on the beloved television show “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”, which ran from 1968 to 2001. This new documentary film, Won’t You Be My Neighbor? made by Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville (of The Cool School, Troubadours, 20 Feet from Stardom, Best of Enemies: Buckley vs. Vidal), provides an uplifting, humble look at Fred Rogers, as well as a definitive look at the show he created and its impact on the youth of America. It’s so wonderful. I love watching documentaries like this that are moving and impassioned, built around the good found in us. ›››

Continue Reading Sundance 2018: Mr. Rogers Documentary ‘Won’t You Be My Neighbor?’

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“We shouldn’t be here…” Netflix has released the official trailer for an indie horror film titled The Ritual, which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year. This horror is about a group of college friends that reunite for a camping trip in the forest, but encounter a menacing presence in the woods that’s stalking them. It seems to play with the idea that “your darkest dreams await you” out there, thanks to whatever this creepy “ritual” from the title is. The main cast of The Ritual includes Rafe Spall, Robert James-Collier, Arsher Ali, and Sam Troughton. Featuring a score by Ben Lovett. I feel as if we’ve recently seen tons of these kind of forest/camping horror thrillers, so I’m not sure what this one offers that’s new. Check this out. ›››

Continue Reading First Trailer for David Bruckner’s Horror Film ‘The Ritual’ from Netflix

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“You must stay where you are for as long as you can.” Good Deed Entertainment has released a brand new official US trailer for the WWI drama titled Journey’s End, from director Saul Dibb, which first premiered at the Toronto and London Film Festivals last year. The film is based on a seminal British play about WWI, set mostly in a dugout in Aisne, France in 1918. The story is about a group of ragged British officers, led by the mentally disintegrating young officer Stanhope, who are awaiting their fate in this wretched place. The three officers are played by Paul Bettany, Stephen Graham, and Tom Sturridge, and the cast includes Sam Claflin as a Captain, plus Asa Butterfield as a young new officer; as well as Toby Jones, Robert Glenister, Oliver Dimsdale, and Miles Jupp. This looks like a thoroughly harrowing WWI drama with some intense, gritty war scenes. It has received quite a number of positive reviews, might be worth a watch. ›››

Continue Reading Claflin, Butterfield, Bettany in US Trailer for WWI Film ‘Journey’s End’

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There’s a time and place for films where nothing really happens, but this is not one of those times. Chilean filmmaker Sebastián Silva is a regular at Sundance, having brought his films Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus and Magic Magic in years past. He’s back again to premiere his latest film, Tyrel, and unfortunately this film is a huge let down. I’m just going to state it right up front: nothing happens in this film. It has all this underlying tension, but none of it leads to anywhere, and none of it means anything. I’m starting to think I just do not like the films Silva makes, mostly because nothing happens. They’re boring exercises in telling dull, dry stories that play well at festivals, but have no place in the bigger cinematic universe. Which is unfortunate, because I was really hoping his film Tyrel might have something to say, but alas it does not. ›››

Continue Reading Sundance 2018: Nothing Happens in Sebastián Silva’s Party Film ‘Tyrel’

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“Night owls sleep here.” Momentum Pictures has unveiled the trailer for a thriller titled Looking Glass, from veteran American director Tim Hunter. The film stars Nicolas Cage as the owner of an old motel in the middle of the desert. He finds a two way mirror to watch guests, but when he witnesses a murder, things get weird. They soon “discover more and more gruesome secrets involving the hotel and its visitors.” The film also stars Robin Tunney, Marc Blucas, Ernie Lively, and Jacque Gray. At first glance, I thought this was a feature film about the guy in the Netflix doc Voyeur, about a peeping motel owner. But it seems to be more of a wacky motel horror and nothing unique (how many of these have we seen?). Take a peek below. ›››

Continue Reading Nicolas Cage as a Peeping Motel Owner in First ‘Looking Glass’ Trailer

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