L. Frank Baum’s much loved colorful Land of Oz has recently seen a resurgence thanks to the success of the current Broadway show “Wicked.” His novels have also seen many popular film adaptations such as with “Return to Oz” in 1985 and more famously “The Wizard of Oz” back in 1939. Now in 2013, director…
If you were slightly underwhelmed with the first trailer for Oz: The Great and Powerful, you will find the second trailer makes up for it. Mostly. Released today by Walt Disney Pictures, it alludes, in greater detail, to a great war between Oz, a down-on-his-luck illusionist made out to be a great wizard and an…
Ever wondered how the great wizard of Oz arrived and rose to power? Well wonder no more as Walt Disney Pictures has posted the first trailer for Oz: The Great and Powerful. In it, Oz, a small-time magician with dreams of grandeur, is whisked away to the wondrous land of fairies, munchkins and witches. Here…
The vast majority of film characters who are addicted to pills and alcohol should not be the main characters in movie scripts. These characters are frequently one dimensional and are only required to slur words, stumble over steps, and make a nuisance of themselves. There are exceptions (Nicolas Cage in Leaving Las Vegas) as there…
Establishing a poignant opening scene is the most important aspect of filmmaking and more often than not, otherwise talented screenwriters, directors, and editors underestimate its significance. The introduction of major characters, the picture’s setting, and putting the plot in motion are all elements that must be addressed from the start. In the case of Kelly…
Forever — the concept that something can last “without ever ending” seems implausible — nay — it is impossible. Yet at the same time, achieving something — especially love — that can last eternally and never wither or fail, is an insatiable lust that, unfortunately, no human being can ever conjure up. This makes Hollywood’s…
The opening shot of a Boston ferry emerging from an impenetrable veil of fog as it makes it way toward a hostile, gothic-looking island proves to be an apt visual metaphor for what transpires in Shutter Island. From the moment the ferry appears and we hear the first strains of music, the audience is cued…
