Awesome Movies

(PG-13: Language) A struggling black man becomes a successful telemarketer by following the advice of the company veteran: use a white voice. Reviews say rapper Boots Riley’s surreal satire gets out of hand at times, but it’s worth seeing nonetheless.

The upcoming science fiction thriller Prospect is about a woman and her father trying to mine gems in a toxic alien moon filled with dangerous inhabitants. As if that wasn’t bad enough, they end up violently engaging with other miners and with each other.

CineFix continues its list of its best movie shots of all time with an episode that focuses on the cinematic potential afforded by the camera lens. They pick one shot each for the telephoto, the wide angle, the zoom and the focus.

“Only something that is well made can be beautiful.” Helvetica, Objectified and Urbanized filmmaker Gary Hustwit shares a sneak peek at his upcoming documentary about legendary industrial designer Dieter Rams. The film comes out in 2018.

Nine of Studio Ghibli’s animated masterpieces are coming to select theaters in the US. You can book individual screenings or the entire series, which includes My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke. And Grave of the Fireflies, but, well.

(PG-13: Language) Wisecrack’s alien film critic Garyx Wormuloid takes on Peter Weir’s sci-fi classic, The Truman Show. Despite the overabundance of jokes in the video, it still does a good job of explaining the movie’s theme.

“A little knowledge is a dangerous thing.” Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon star in this HBO movie adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s classic novel about a bleak future in which so-called “firemen” burn books to control the minds of the people. Drops May 2018.

(PG-13, Gore) ScreenPrism breaks down the trademarks of a Stanley Kubrick film, from scenes and shots that were symmetrical and clean, yet cold and unnerving, to their pessimistic view of technology and humanity.

We’ve seen how they made some of the eye candy in Blade Runner 2049, but this 10-minute clip from VFX house Framstore offers a plethora of effects breakdowns from Denis Villeneuve’s science fiction spectacular, from close-up character work to giant CGI set pieces.

Jordan Bolton Design makes movie and TV show posters that look like stacks of cassette tapes. The title and cast are on the cassette tapes’ spines, each with a different retro design. The typography definitely feels dated and clunky, but appropriate in this context.

A family tries its best to keep quiet in a post-apocalyptic world haunted by mysterious creatures that attack anything that makes a sound. John Krasinski stars and directs alongside Emily Blunt in this intriguing supernatural horror film.

Marvel Studios celebrates its 10th anniversary in May 2018. They made this graphic tee to commemorate its successful decade. It lists all of its movies, from Iron Man to Ant-Man and the Wasp. It’s also available as a long sleeve shirt, a sweater or a hoodie.

Looking for movies that will have you itching to know what happens next? Look no further than thrillers. CineFix presents its top 10 picks from the genre, from ones that dole out fear or absurd comedy to the ones about desire, conspiracy or simply the need to survive.

After defining a movie act and looking at the oft-used three-act structure, Lessons from the Screenplay looks at a film that breaks those conventions. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has an odd structure, but each act has a self-contained story that keeps the film engaging.

The Avengers now have two size-shifting heroes. Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly and Michael Douglas reprise their roles in Ant-Man and The Wasp. The titular heroes team up to overcome an equally high-tech adversary that can render herself intangible.

Spurred by David Fincher’s comment that Marvel’s three-act structure is constricting and formulaic, Lessons from the Screenplay sets out to define what exactly an act is, using The Avengers as an example before even beginning to issue a verdict on how Marvel uses acts.

(PG-13) “Someone let them in. Someone from our world.” The latest trailer for Pacific Rim Uprising shows that our young heroes are thrust reluctantly into their roles when the kaiju unexpectedly return. Premieres 3/23/18.

“Not to pursue reality, but to replicate an impression of emotions.” Channel Criswell pays homage to former Studio Ghibli animator and director Hiromasa “Maro” Yonebayashi. Maro-sama’s work uses the surroundings and objects to reflect a character’s inner state.

The second trailer for the Tomb Raider reboot wants to prove just how faithful it is to the spirit of the video game reboot. In other words, prepare to wince and gasp in what appears to be one long quicktime event. Mash the X button, Lara! Mash!

Just because you’ve got a widescreen doesn’t mean you’re seeing movies the way they were filmed. Many films were shot in an even wider aspect ratio, and streaming services are cutting off the edges to make them fit without black bars. Patrick (H) Willems explains.

It’s one of our pet peeves – replacing actors in the middle of a TV series or in movie sequels as if nothing happened. Writer Rex Sorgatz takes a look at this Hollywood monkey business, and how digitization could allow actors to keep performing long after they die.

Joaquin Phoenix plays the late cartoonist John Callahan. A car accident left Callahan a quadriplegic at age 21. Already an avid drinker, he turned to the bottle to save himself. But along the way, he also discovered his talent for making funny cartoons. Premieres 5/11/18.

(Spoilers) A look at some of the visual effects used in Guillermo Del Toro’s wonderful film, and how VFX artists used green screen, CGI, and other techniques to not only create the amphibian man, but to magically transport viewers in place and time.