In recent years, Apple TV+ has attracted a number of A-list actors to its original shows, many of whom rarely work in TV. Apple TV+ has never had as many subscribers as other major streaming platforms, but it consistently delivers some of the most entertaining shows on TV. One of her main strengths is that she always assigns big names to her shows, and these actors have elevated her shows. Actors like Gary Oldman, Natalie Portman and Cate Blanchett are bona fide movie stars, but they’ve all starred in their own Apple TV+ shows. While this isn’t exactly unheard of,…
Author: Ben Protheroe
Animation is an incredibly diverse medium for telling stories, and the best animated films of all time come in a variety of styles. Feature animation has continued to evolve since its beginnings in the 1930s. Hand-drawn 2D animation used to be the norm, but new technologies have set the stage for computer-generated animation, stop-motion, and many other techniques. This means that filmmakers have more freedom than ever and are limited only by their imagination. Choosing the best animated films will always generate debate among fans, as animation is very diverse. Animation should not be seen as a genre. Instead, it…
Over the last decade, budgets for the most expensive films have reached unbelievable levels. It’s not uncommon to see a film eclipse $200 million these days, something almost unheard of just a few years ago. These big budgets show that studios bet big on franchise films that they know are sure to make a lot of money at the box office. However, some films with huge budgets end up being huge failures. Different sources offer different figures for a film’s budget, so it can sometimes be difficult to determine exactly how much a particular film costs. Industry experts can make…
Unfortunately, it’s all too common for sequels to not live up to the quality of their predecessors, but some have achieved critical success by building on the original film. Only a few sequels have managed to top the previous films on Rotten Tomatoes. In most cases, franchises tend to suffer a drop in quality after the first film. This happened with Men in black, Ghostbusters, The Avengers and countless others. Even great sequences like The Godfather Part II doesn’t necessarily outperform previous films on Rotten Tomatoes. Many highly anticipated sequels fail because the high expectations of the first films make…
Some actors seem perfectly suited to a particular director’s style, even if they’ve never worked together before. In some cases, a pairing seems so obvious that it’s a mystery why it hasn’t happened yet. Still, there is hope that some of these fantasy scenarios could still play out in the future. Fans are always excited to see their favorite actors and directors team up, but some of those dream collaborations never come to fruition. Some long-standing collaborations between actors and directors show that a good creative partnership can last for years. Actors and directors often like working with the same…
For decades, Disney and Pixar films have provided truly moving moments. Beginning in the 1930s and 1940s, when Disney pioneered Western animation, the studio developed a reputation for its power to create emotionally devastating moments. Disney is also known for humor and lively animation, but it wouldn’t be the same without some heavy moments. Both Disney and Pixar have enough respect for their young audiences to show them the unhappy side of life. Some of his classic films feature the deaths of beloved characters and other tragic moments. These scenes represent universal human experiences and, for many children, are the…
Murder mystery films are often dark and dangerous, but there are some that use a murder investigation as a setting for comedy. People often find relief in laughing about taboo subjects, which goes some way to explaining why crime comedies are so popular. Humor can also be used to deconstruct the rigid structure of the mystery genre, which often seems stagnant in the era of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle or Agatha Christie. Some of the best murder mystery movies also double as hilarious comedies. It’s not easy balancing these two disparate sides, especially since murder can often feel very heavy.…
Filled with sex, violence and perverse scientific experiments, several Poor things scenes shocked and moved the public. Yorgos Lanthimos’ adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s novel follows Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a grown woman with a child’s brain, as she grows up quickly and comes to understand the world around her through a unique lens. Without the constraints of polite society to oppress her, Bella becomes fixated on sexual pleasure and instant gratification, leading to some intense sex scenes and many regressive outbursts of violence and swearing. Poor things’ 11 Oscar nominations (and four wins) are an indication of its critical charm,…
While sitcoms are often judged by their humor, they can also deliver some devastating emotional moments, especially when on-screen couples break up. Many sitcoms focus on romance as a way to provide gentle, relatable drama and as a form of humor. However, sitcoms that balance humor and heart can end up creating some surprisingly touching moments as their love stories take twists and turns. While some sitcom couples are bad ideas from the start, there are others that make the audience root for them. If a couple has great on-screen chemistry and complements each other well, it can be painful…
Disney films are often admired for their wholesome morals, but examining some classics a little closer shows that they contain some strange messages. Children’s films generally have positive messages, although children often learn more from brief interactions than from extended narratives. Disney has always been praised for teaching children to work hard for their dreams and to be kind to others, but not all of their films have such simplistic messages. There are many Disney films that have aged poorly, with outdated stereotypes and problematic characters. In some cases, older Disney films also contain questionable moral lessons that don’t stand…