movies
Will Smith betting on ‘Black’ after four-year hiatus
LOS ANGELES — Will Smith has been quietly absent from the big screen since 2008. Why? He’s been building a family empire. Wife Jada’s TV show “HawthoRNe.” Daughter Willow’s hit single “Whip My Hair.” Son Jaden’s “Karate Kid” remake. “Oh man, I go back to …
Rat Pack in MacLaine’s past, ‘Abbey’ in her future
In her new film “Bernie,” Shirley MacLaine plays a widow so mean that when she’s murdered, no one wants to lock up her killer. The Oscar winner took the role for one simple reason. “I love to play evil bitches,” she says with a delicious …
Quirky ‘Five-Year Engagement’ worth walk down theater aisle
A more accurate title for “The Five-Year Engagement” would have been “I Got a Job in Michigan.” Uneven and a little too predictable but also consistently smart, sharp and sweet, this movie is more about the tension created when a couple uproots so one of them can realize a career dream than it is about fear of commitment.
Zac Efron leads charmed life as ‘Lucky One’
LOS ANGELES — Zac Efron likes a good scare. “I think each time in life that you confront your fears, you actually grow a little bit,” says the former teen icon. He stars in “The Lucky One” (opening Friday), playing a Marine fighting in the …
‘Safe House,’ ‘Vow’ dominate holiday weekend
The President’s Day weekend box office was too close to call as the action tale “Safe House” and the love story “The Vow” competed for the No. 1 spot. Based on Sunday’s studio estimates, Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds’ “Safe House” had a slim lead …
Hundreds of teens in Aurora ravenous for ‘Hunger Games’
Fans of the books and upcoming film wait hours at Fox Valley mall to see Josh Hutcherson and other young stars. “It was totally worth it,” says one.
Roger Ebert’s Oscar predictions: Much talk about ‘The Artist’
When the nominations come out Tuesday, the joyously fun silent film is likely to dominate a race that celebrates Hollywood nostalgia.
Scorsese’s ‘Hugo’ leads Oscars 11 nominations
Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo” leads the Academy Awards with 11 nominations. “The Artist” ran second with 10 nominations.
‘New Year’s Eve’ not too happy
Hollywood’s holidays are off to a dreadful start. Domestic revenues tumbled to a 2011 low of about $77 million this weekend, when the star-filled, holiday-themed romance “New Year’s Eve” debuted at No. 1 with a weak $13.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. …
‘The Artist’ speaks up with 6 nominations to lead Golden Globes
Silent film is taking over Hollywood’s awards scene. The silent-era tale “The Artist” heads the Golden Globes with six nominations, among them best comedy or musical, and acting honors for its French stars, Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo.
‘Twilight’ lingers in No. 1 position
None of the new Thanksgiving family films was a match for the sullen teens of “Twilight.” “Breaking Dawn — Part 1” took the top spot at the box office for the second straight weekend and has raked in $221.3 million since its release Nov. 18. …
‘Breaking Dawn’ kills at box office
“The Twilight Saga” staked out another huge opening with $139.5 million in its first weekend domestically and $283.5 million worldwide. The tally gives “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1” the second-best debut weekend for the franchise, after the $142.8 million take for “Twilight Saga: New Moon.” (2009).
Despite triteness, ‘Warrior’ shines
★★★
“Warrior” is one of those movies that, if you were to describe it to friends in an attempt to tell them how much you enjoyed it, would sound ridiculous.
Do it anyway. Implausible and far too reliant on coincidence, with a mixed martial arts …
Leonardo DiCaprio calls Hoover ‘a Crock-Pot of eccentricities’
Leonardo DiCaprio read up and visited D.C. for demanding role as FBI boss in “J. Edgar.”
Nick Nolte a contender again with ‘Warrior’
In “Warrior,” Nick Nolte plays a man looking for redemption. Nolte plays Paddy Conlon, a recovering alcoholic seeking forgiveness from his two sons. Nolte’s character, who speaks volumes with his crinkled eyes, is the heart of the film. “He’s the heart and the problem!” laughs Nolte.
Daughter of Smurfs creator says dad would dig modern 3-D version
In her house, it was encouraged to have the blues. In fact, little blue creatures called the Smurfs were all around Veronique Culliford when she was a child. “I was born the same year as the Smurfs. I grew up with them,” says Culliford, daughter of Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford, known as Peyo. The Smurfs have graduated from a Saturday morning cartoon to a big-screen 3-D adventure supervised and produced by Culliford.