sandwichjohnfilms

The musical-romance Begin Again dares you to divorce it with its snails pace. One of my favorite 'musical-romance' films is High Fidelity . The story about a record store owner and his eclectic collection of employees, it's where I reconnected with Stevie Wonder, and where audiences probably saw Jack Black for the first time. And while I forgive them for failing to highlight Rush, Yes, and King Crimson, its timeless tale of people searching for love is an instant go-to classic. Unfortunately, Begin Again isn't nearly as endearing, wallowing in its own pool of self-pity, and merely easing the pain with a variety of really great music. Singer/songwriter Gretta (Keira Knightley) has come to America with her boyfriend and aspiring musician Dave (Singer Adam Levine) to get his career on track. Almost immediately, he attains success partially due to Gretta's songwriting. Unfortunately, she is soon without Dave due to his infidelity and finds herself in a b...

Here is the first trailer & new images from  BET/Relativity Media-backed next feature film from writer/director Gina Prince-Bythewood, now titled " Beyond the Lights " (previously, "Blackbird"). Beyond the Lights  is the story of Noni Jean, a hot new artist who has just won a Grammy and is primed for stardom. But the pressures of success compel her to nearly end her life until she is saved by a young police officer. They fall hard for each other, despite the protests of their parents who want each to focus on their own career ambitions. But he might be the missing piece to unlock her artistic potential. Watch the trailer and see all the images after the Jump... Bythewood's "Beyond the Lights" stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Nate Parker. Danny Glover and Minnie Driver co-star. Stephanie Allain is producer. Relativity president Tucker Tooley is exec producing with Matt Alvarez and Reggie Bythewood. "Beyond the ...

Universal Pictures , has released a  NEW trailer for DRACULA UNTOLD which has just debuted on iTunes Trailers. Plus stay tuned tomorrow morning for a live Twitter Q&A with star @TheRealLukevans taking place at 8AM PT. Tweet your questions for the #DraculaUntold Twitter Q&A with Luke Evans using the hashtag #AskLukeEvans Watch the trailer after the Jump... #DraculaUntold is in theaters and IMAX everywhere October 17. Please Leave A Comment-

D awn Of The Planet Of The Apes Premiere Interview With Gary Oldman A growing nation of genetically evolved apes led by Caesar is threatened by a band of human survivors of the devastating virus unleashed a decade earlier. They reach a fragile peace, but it proves short-lived, as both sides are brought to the brink of a war that will determine who will emerge as Earth's dominant species. Please Leave A Comment-

Ben Kingsley is Bagheera in Disney’s The Jungle Book . Academy Award-winning actor Ben Kingsley has been cast as the voice of Bagheera in Disney’s upcoming The Jungle Book. Directed by Jon Favreau from a script by Justin Marks, The Jungle Book combines live action and animated filmmaking. The Jungle Book arrives in theaters in 3D on October 9, 2015. Please Leave A Comment-

Get a good look at THE GIVER , the highly anticipated film. THE GIVER is based on Lois Lowry’s beloved young adult novel of the same name, which was the winner the 1994 Newbery Medal and has sold over 10 million copies worldwide. You can read her new foreword for THE GIVER, and learn how she looks back on her groundbreaking novel and its influence 20 years later. Trailer For THE GIVER Is Here - THE GIVER, starring Jeff Bridges, Brenton Thwaites, Meryl Streep, Katie Holmes, Alexander Skarsgard, Cameron Monaghan, Odeya Rush, and Taylor Swift , will be in theaters everywhere August 15th Please Leave A Comment-

Watch the teaser trailer for THE GUEST , exclusively Via IGN : From the director of YOU’RE NEXT and featuring a standout, badass performance from Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey”), comes THE GUEST : a tense, action-packed and unpredictable film like everything and nothing you've ever seen before. Empire Magazine called it "a demented action-horror hybrid of sci-fi conspiracy thriller and gore-fest", and Vanity Fair US said, “THE GUEST is big, it’s bold, it’s badass, full of flavor Hollywood wishes it could pour over its vanilla blockbusters.” Watch the trailer After the Jump... Synopsis: A soldier (Dan Stevens) introduces himself to the Peterson family, claiming to be a friend of their son who died in action. After the young man is welcomed into their home, a series of accidental deaths seem to be connected to his presence. THE GUEST visits theaters this September. Let us know if you'll be letting him in. Please Leave A Comment-

Albert Lawrence's experience at At DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon 2 exhibit, some innovative artists showed him there's more than one way to draw a dragon! Albert will be helping us from time to time when he has a free second. And we are looking forward to his coverage of the Echo To Earth Junket. Make sure to check out his site TALK OF FAME and follow him on Twitter . On this episode of Massive Movie Minute , Albert explores DreamWorks' ' How to Train Your Dragon 2 ' art exhibit at Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra, California. From paper to pencil to paint, three artists show us there's more than one way to draw a dragon! Host: Albert Lawrence Camera: David Gaafar Please Leave A Comment-

MTV’S “ TEEN WOLF ” RETURNS TO SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON WITH A STAR-STUDDED PANEL FOR THE FIFTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR. Network Takes a Bite Out of the Convention Center Floor with First Ever “Teen Wolf” Themed Booth MTV announced today that its hit drama series " Teen Wolf " will return to San Diego Comic-Con for the fifth year in a row with a panel featuring series’ stars on Thursday, July 24. “Teen Wolf” will also have a show-themed booth on the convention center floor for the first time ever. Tyler Posey, Dylan O’Brien, Tyler Hoechlin, Holland Roden , plus new cast members Shelley Hennig and Dylan Sprayberry , along with Executive Producer Jeff Davis, will once again take Comic-Con by storm, giving fans a can’t-miss panel in which they will share season four secrets, debut a new mid-season trailer and answer fan questions. The panel will be moderated by Buzzfeed Senior Editor, Jarett Wieselman. The “ Teen Wolf ” booth (#3729) will be open to fans all weekend long and wi...

Random House’s Knopf Doubleday group returns to this year’s San Diego ComicCon (July 24-27, plus preview night on July 23), and we would love to see you there. We are booth #1515 , along with the other Random House groups. A reminder that Knopf Doubleday is comprised of Pantheon & Schocken Books, Alfred A. Knopf, Doubleday, and Vintage Anchor Books . This year’s appearing authors include: debut Pantheon graphic novelist Michael Cho , author of SHOPLIFTER (September 2014); Pantheon/Vintage Anchor novelist Charles Yu, author of HOW TO LIVE SAFELY IN A SCIENCE FICTIONAL UNIVERSE and SORRY PLEASE THANK YOU, whose new novel THE BOOK OF WISHING (2016) is already in the works; Doubleday novelists Chuck Palahniuk, author of BEAUTIFUL YOU (October 2014) and Daniel H. Wilson, author of ROBOGENESIS (June 2014); and Knopf author Anne Rice, author of PRINCE LESTAT (October 2014). See below for more details, and please note that all authors are available for select interviews in advance o...

Millennium Entertainment will release GOOD PEOPLE in theaters and on iTunes/OnDemand September 26, 2014. Directed by Henrik Ruben Genz Written by Kelly Masterson Starring James Franco, Kate Hudson, Omar Sy, Tom Wilkinson Young American couple Tom and Anna Reed ( James Franco and Kate Hudson ) fall into severe debt while renovating Anna's family home in London. As the couple faces the loss of their dream to have a house and start a family, they discover that the tenant in the apartment below them has been murdered and he left behind a stash of cash—$400,000 worth. Though initially hesitant, Tom and Anna decide that the plan is simple: all they have to do is quietly take the money and use only what's necessary to get them out of debt. But when they start spending the money and can't seem to stop, they find themselves the target of a deadly adversary—the thief who stole it—and that's when very bad things start happening to good people. Please Leave A Comment- ...

Renée Fleming and Johan Botha Star in Verdi's Shakespearean Masterpiece “Otello” Broadcast to Your Local Movie Theater Wednesday, July 9 Renée Fleming sings one of her greatest roles as the innocent Desdemona in Verdi's towering tragedy “Otello.” South African tenor Johan Botha sings the title role, one of the most demanding parts in the operatic repertory, with German baritone Falk Struckmann as the treacherous villain Iago and rising American tenor Michael Fabiano in his Live in HD debut as Cassio. Maestro Semyon Bychkov conducts Verdi's dramatic masterpiece, which is based on Shakespeare's play. Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, one of the Met's leading Verdi stars, hosts the transmission and interviews the stars backstage. (Running time: approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes.) WHEN: Wednesday, July 9, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. local time. Click here for a list of participating U.S. cinemas and ticketing links. Ticket prices vary. More information is available at ...

Fright-Rags release Tales from the Crypt shirts & box set for 25th anniversary Limited edition designs available now for pre-order: http://bit.ly/1rH3GTO It's hard to believe that Tales from the Crypt celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. HBO's horror anthology show changed TV as we knew it. Fright-Rags is showing its gratitude in the way it does best: making kick-ass horror shirts! A trio of fan-favorite artists - Jason Edmiston, Christopher Lovell and Jeff Zornow - each offer their unique take on the show's cackling, pun-spouting host, the Crypt Keeper. The three designs are limited to 500 pieces each and available on unisex shirts, girl shirts and zip-up hoodies. The diehard boils and ghouls who want all of the shirts are in for a real treat. Fright-Rags is offering a limited edition box set that includes all three designs, a bonus glow-in-the-dark Tales from the Crypt logo shirt (exclusive to the set), an 11x17 poster and a sticker pack, all...

MARVEL AND IMAX GIVE FANS WORLDWIDE AN AMAZING FIRST LOOK AT THIS SUMMER’S HIGHLY ANTICIPATED EPIC ADVENTURE— MARVEL’S “ GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY ” MARVEL’S “GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY”: AN IMAX® 3D FIRST LOOK FEATURES EXCLUSIVE FOOTAGE TO BE SHOWN IN 150 SELECT IMAX® THEATRE LOCATIONS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA ON JULY 7 AT 7 P.M. See how to get tickets after the Jump... Marvel Studios announces Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy”: An IMAX® 3D First Look, featuring 17 minutes of exclusive footage from the highly anticipated summer blockbuster “Guardians of the Galaxy.” The sneak peek will be showcased in 150 IMAX® theatre locations across North America on July 7 at 7 p.m. Select IMAX 3D® theatres nationwide and internationally will offer the special screening of thrilling, never-before-seen IMAX 3D footage of the James Gunn-directed epic space adventure, which opens in U.S. theatres on August 1. Commenting on the exclusive footage, director James Gunn says, “We’ve re-mastered some of ...

The fourth Daniel Craig outing will add more Bond repartee. Ever since news broke in November that MGM had acquired both SPECTRE and the villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld , fans of the James Bond franchise had breathed a sigh of relief. The biggest news since perhaps the signing of Pierce Brosnan to revive the franchise back in 1994, the acquisition of SPECTRE would now allow MGM to pursue a story arc pitting Bond against the evil think tank of villains which included Blofeld at its head. From all indications, the upcoming Bond 24 was in good shape: the script was complete and 12 Years a Slave star Chiwetel Ejiofor had supposed been offered the role of the film's villain . So, it comes as a bit of surprise that The Daily Mail is reporting that some script changes are in the works. Writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade - responsible for five previous Bond films - have been brought on to "polish and punch-up" John Logan's original script. According to the article...

Here's your chance to connect with the SJF community. A few ground rules: keep it nice, no ads, and no flaming. Other than that, sound off on any movie or television thoughts you have. Some ideas as we get this part of the site going: 1. What are you watching on television? 2. What's the last film you saw? 3. How can we make the podcast better? These are just some of the questions, but again pick something movie or TV related. Happy posting!

Guillermo del Torro announces new plans for a Pacific Rim sequel. With Godzilla eating up the box office, one has to recognize the first assault on the beach head in terms of bring kaijus back into the movoe consciousness: 2013's Pacfic Rim . While not as runaway success, the movie did earn $411 million worldwide, demonstrating that fans would embrace giant monsters wrecking cities. But, would that mean Pacific Rim would somehow benefit from that fact? Apparently, the answer is Yes. According to the video you're about to see, Director Guillermo del Toro revealed that he is collaborating with Zak Penn on writing deveoping a sequel, and now Universal has confirmed that Pacific Rim 2 will arrive in 3D and IMAX theaters on April 7th, 2017. If you haven't seen the announcement, here it is: Pacific Rim is a guilty SJF pleasure to be sure, but news of a sequel is intriguing. How can a series which seemed to have a definite ending be expanded to include mor...

News that Star Trek 3 will be in 'deep space' gets us excited...ok, not like that. With Director J.J. Abrams far away producing the first Star Wars movie in a decade, his other project - the rebooted Star Trek franchise - has been handed over to Co-writer and Producer Roberto Orci. Simply titled Star Trek 3 at this point, it's aiming for a 2016 release date to coincide with the franchise’s 50th anniversary. With the series a financial success so far, it seems like Trek fans are ready for the actual 5-year mission which made the original so successful. So, where will the next chapter lead the crew of the starship Enterprise? Apparently, the answer came during a taping of the Bad Ass Digest podcast interview for Humans From Earth which Orci is producing along with Writer Geoff Boucher. Here's what he said: In [Into Darkness] they set out finally where the original series started. The first two films – especially the 2009 [Star Trek] – was an origin ...

Any hope for a fresh reboot of the franchise is extinguished by a bloated runtime and generally dull effects. With three highly divisive Transformers films behind us, one was hoping Director Michael Bay would introduce a new world of sentient robots and situations that would reinvigorate what was beginning to feel like old hat. Poor acting? Check. Over-the-top CGI that was hard to follow? Check. Poor storytelling and a general sense that the right hand was robbing the left hand blind? Check again. Sadly, Transformers: Age of Extinction is just more of the same, except with new actors to muck up the lines and a nearly three-hour mess that will leave a dull feeling in your brain. With The Battle of Chicago five years in the past, the country has decided that Autobots and Decipticons should be kicked off the planet or face annihilation. Through a series of raids, an elite black ops squad are employed to take down both sides with the help of the mysterious Transfo...

The universe is depending on "criminals, misfits, and thugs" in this spot. With Marvel Studios and Empire releasing covers featuring heroes and villains from the upcoming movie, as well as a series of character posters , there was bound to be another trailer released. And like clockwork, Marvel Studios has released a new TV spot for Guardians of the Galaxy, which you can see here: The spot focuses on the team's rather sorted individual histories, suggesting that the Nova Corps are planning to use them to stop a war threatening an unknown planet. While that's probably not all we're going to see from the August 1st release, it's a guarantee that we'll be seeing other plot lines which have leaked, including the role of the mysterious Nowhere, a space station on the edge of the universe, manned by telekinetic dog Cosmo (voiced by Nathan Fillion). Additionally, we'll be seeing Ronan the Accuser, a Kree warrior who behaves like Judge Dredd but ...

Does Jack finally get his woman? Read on after the jump. Review by Brandon Wolfe If there is one ‘24’ hallmark that ‘Live Another Day’ has thus far denied us, it’s with displays of Jack Bauer’s ruthlessness. We’ve seen him shoot a couple of people and he did inflict some light torture on Simone, but Jack has played things relatively straight thus far, not really unleashing his full wrath upon any of his adversaries. But when Jack finally does catch up to Margot Al-Harazi, after he has incapacitated her and foiled her plans, she can’t help but throw in his face the hundreds of lives she was successful in taking on this day, deaths that she claims are on his head. Jack’s response: “The only death tonight on my head is yours” before chucking her out the window. It’s at once shocking, rousing and even a little hilarious in its audacity. Jack murdering a neutralized villain out of pure spite is a character trait that extends all the way back to the first season’s finale,...

What's new with Penny Dreadful? Read on to find out! Recap by: Sue Lukenbaugh Vanessa awakens in Malcom’s study. She speaks about the death, and how in some places the dead are prettied up and photographed for men’s spank banks. As she almost purrs about it, Malcolm asks if she remembers her episode the previous night. She’s been asleep since. She asks who dressed her, if he did like he did when she was a child. But he never dressed her, he was always away. It’s Mina inside her, as she talks about her mother weeping over him, missing him as he whored around the continent. She wants to hear about those women, but not Mrs. Ives, she knows all about him. He tells her to stop, but she continues talking about his screwing the natives, making his son screw them along side him even though he didn’t want to, but Peter did anything to please his father. Things start flying about the room, as Vanessa gets out of control, and Sembene is forced to come in and pimp slap her....

What does the newest episode have in store? Read on to find out! Recap by: Sue Lukenbaugh Furniture piles up in the street. Inside Increase binds his flesh with a strap. He prays to the lord as he tightens it more and more finding himself a wretched thing, worse than those he pursues. The girls prepare to dunk Emily’s father. She hopes that the devil is as kind to him as he was to her. She spits upon his face before the girls toss him down with the rest of the corpses in the grove. Emily misses Mercy, but Dollie believes that Mercy is always with them in the form of spiders. Mary searches for Mercy in her darkened house. She isn’t pleased that the girl is hiding, and even less so that she pointed her finger at Tituba. Mary finds Mercy beneath a table. Mercy tells her that she did it for her, that had she not it would be Mary in the house of pain. That decision was not up to Mercy though, and when Mary goes to grab her, she finds a tarantula in her hand. Mary crush...