Collider - Movies

‘1883’s Most Historically Inaccurate Detail Is the Show’s Most Obvious

Jordan Todoruk — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 02:45:18 GMT

1883 is a film praised for its historical accuracy, but those pearly white teeth are a bit out of place; however, it does not affect the story, which matters most. Show creator Taylor Sheridan even hired a team of historians to assist in creating a historically accurate depiction of the period. The film does this spectacularly well, accurately portraying the socioeconomic conditions of the time with meticulous attention to detail in set design. According to Executive Producer David Glasser, every set, prop, and costume was built from the ground up to ensure careful attention to detail, something Sheridan prides himself on. This attention to detail is a typical feature of his work and it was evident in the neo-western crime film Wind River. It is safe to say that Sheridan endeavors to be as precise as possible, and that is an excellent quality in a filmmaker.

‘Beau Is Afraid’ Ending Explained: Ari Aster Puts Himself on Trial

Chase Hutchinson — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 02:01:18 GMT

Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for Beau Is Afraid. So how about that giant patriarchal phallus? That was really something. If that opening salvo didn’t tip you off about where you've now found yourself, we recommend that you strap in, as this piece is going to be an analysis of the Joaquin Phoenix-led Beau Is Afraid that spoils absolutely everything in the film. This third feature from writer-director Ari Aster is, to put it lightly, an experience that is equal parts unhinged as it is oddly compelling. However, while there are plenty of jokes to be made about the way it frequently dicks around, the ending beyond all of that is worth delving into in detail, as it's a beast all its own. Where his previous films such as Midsommar were unsettling yet relatively straightforward in how they all wrapped up, this one takes us to places that make those prior works look like a cakewalk for their characters.

Lucille Ball Stole the Show in a ’40s Cult Classic Before ‘I Love Lucy’

Jacob Slankard — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 01:30:17 GMT

Lucille Ball worked hard to make her reputation as one of the great screen comedians of history, trudging through years of experimentation and failures to become responsible for one of the most important pop culture works of the 20th century, I Love Lucy. While it might be hard to imagine her failing at anything, given her sharp business acumen and legendary intelligence for playing on the screen, it's intriguing to note how long she tried to make it in movies before finding her stride on television. She tried to find different films that suited her style, and while drama didn't work in her favor, she found the best cinematic showcase of her career thanks to the direction of one of the first great female directors in Dance, Girl, Dance.

The First Major Studio Western To Cast a Black Actor in the Lead Role

Namwene Mukabwa — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 00:31:17 GMT

“My name's John Ford. I make Westerns." John Ford, one of the Western genre's greatest influences, spoke these words at a Directors' Guild of America meeting to Cecil B. DeMille, considered one of the founders of American cinema and the most commercially successful producer-director in film history. In a conversation between two cinema greats, John Ford's words couldn't be more accurate. The director with the most Academy Awards under his sleeve, surprisingly never won an Oscar for a Western movie. But his name lives on through his immaculate films. Some were controversial, for which he received his fair share of criticism, particularly for his portrayal of Indigenous Americans and other people of color. In the final decade of his career, however, he made films that seemed to undo the stereotypes his critics had cited that his earlier films propagated. One such movie was a Western that broke the record of being the first ever major studio film in the genre to cast a Black actor in the lead role. That film was 1960's Sergeant Rutledge, with lead actor Woody Strode.

The Complicated Legacy of Steven Spielberg’s ‘The Color Purple’

Jacob Slankard — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 00:31:17 GMT

We all have an idea of who Steven Spielberg is as an artist. We think of him as the man who understands blockbusters better than anybody in history, or we think of him as a deeply felt historian, with an empathetic touch on how to make major historical events come alive again. What he rarely does is straight-up historical fiction, and he's even less known for tackling films about racial issues, which is what makes The Color Purple such an outlier in his filmography. When he was tapped to direct an adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Alice Walker, it was met with a lot of questions and, of course, a great deal of hype. The man who brought us films like Raiders of the Lost Ark and Close Encounters of the Third Kind is doing a prestigious drama based on a book everyone knows? That was a huge swerve for him, and the film itself wound up both living up to the hype and serving as an important fork in the road, both for Steven Spielberg and Hollywood representation as a whole.

'Joker 2' Image - Lady Gaga Has Heart-Eyes for Joaquin Phoenix

Safwan Azeem — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 23:45:51 GMT

For the last two years, Todd Phillips has been pretty excited about the sequel to his critically acclaimed Joaquin Phoenix-led Joker, and his social media feed backs that up! Keeping up with his ways, in his new holiday post, the writer-director has given fans a new look at Arthur Fleck in Arkham Asylum—which is likely where he’ll fall in love with his psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzel, better known as Harley Quinn (Lady Gaga), setting the stage for Joker: Folie à Deux. While the first image in the post gives us a peek at Arthur Fleck locked behind bars, the second image sets a very different tone, with Gaga’s Harley Quinn looking adoringly at the Joker. Although the exact plot details have been kept under wraps, the second installment of Phillips’ Joker is expected to traditionally follow the duo’s romance and cruel partnership.

'The Sound of Music': What Was the von Trapp Family's True Story?

Patrick Fogerty — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 23:16:18 GMT

"I can't seem to stop singing wherever I am." Julie Andrews' Fräulein Maria just couldn't resist making melodies. Whether it was on a mountain overlooking Salzburg or in a rowboat on the Salzach River, the pixie-haired songstress was the human phonograph of late 1930s Austria that simply couldn't be turned off, and moviegoers wanted the music to play on. Not only was The Sound of Music 1965's top-grossing film, it earned 10 Academy Award nominations and won five statuettes, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Greta Gerwig's 'Little Women’ Is the Superior Holiday Movie

Elisa Guimarães — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 22:45:18 GMT

A beloved literary classic filled with even flawed, human characters. An adaptation helmed by a director made famous for the expertise with which she captures the complexity of the most tender years of our lives. A setting that features everything that we have come to associate with comfort: cold weather, small cottages, fireplaces, 19th century clothes made of wool, silk, and other natural fabrics. It is no wonder that, in the handful of messed up years since its release in 2019, Greta Gerwig’s Little Women has quickly become a comfort movie staple. Everything in its two hours and 15 minutes of runtime, from the kindness of the March family towards their neighbors to the beautiful melodies that come out of poor Beth’s (Eliza Scanlen) piano, simply screams warmth and serenity.

This Michelle Yeoh Movie Featured Hong Kong’s Own Wonder Woman

Orestes Adam — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 22:45:18 GMT

Those who’ve never been exposed to the joys of Hong Kong action cinema would be pardoned for thinking that Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh only blitzed onto the scene opposite Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond, but Yeoh was a star long before Hollywood ever heard of her, evident in her starring in a film featuring Hong Kong’s very own Wonder Woman! And no, it’s not that Wonder Woman. The film in question is Johnnie To’s The Heroic Trio, and, just like any superhero movie from Asia, it’s properly insane. The ‘Wonder Woman’ in question is actually played by Anita Miu, where Yeoh instead plays the Invisible Woman. And no, we don’t mean that Invisible Woman either. Rounding out the cast is Maggie Cheung who plays the Thief Catcher, a Batman analogue. Only this one, like Snyder’s, is very questionably fond of her guns.

Every Patronus From the Harry Potter Movies, Explained

Kendall Myers — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 22:15:18 GMT

One of the many spells that play an important role in the Harry Potter movies is the Patronus Charm, but unlike other examples of magic, it is different for every witch or wizard who uses it. The spell creates a shining shield in the form of a creature, but the exact shape varies. The animal formed by the spell is symbolic, representing something about the caster. Some Patronus forms are explained within the story. However, most are left up to interpretation. The spell is a difficult one that only the most powerful wizards are capable of performing, though more can cast the charm to produce an incorporeal mist rather than a full Patronus. As long as the witch or wizard remains focused on a happy memory, the Patronus can shield them from many things, but they are most notable for their use against the soul-sucking Dementors.