What is Movie News After Dark? It’s candy-colored hearts, bright-blooming flowers, lovable links, rainbows just doing whatever the hell it is rainbows do, heartwarming stories, woods-dwelling beasties, and pink-frosted movie news with a woman’s touch. At least, that’s what it is tonight.
Leading off with some greats news, congratulations are in order for the Internet’s own Alison Willmore, as IndieWire has just announced that they have hired the very talented writer to head up their expanded television coverage as their brand new TV Editor. Between her scribblings over at Movieline, the AV Club, and Time Out New York, and of course her new podcast with constant collaborator Matt Singer, Filmspotting: SVU, I’m not entirely sure when Willmore will be sleeping, but it does mean the rest of us will be treated to still more of her brilliant insights into entertainment. As someone who struggles to love television as much as I love film, I suspect Willmore’s new work might finally get me invested in the small screen.
It’s not often that you can mark the precise moment a feature film grabs your interest, but tonight I’m able to pinpoint the second that Snow White and the Huntsman finally spoke to me. At The Playlist, they’ve posted some new photos from the film’s Facebook page, including that one up top, with Kristen Stewart going eye-to-eye with some kind of beastie. The picture’s caption teases “friend or foe?” I don’t care which one it is, I’m just excited that one of the year’s two Snow White picks has finally revealed something unexpected and awesome-looking.
Over at HitFix, Kris Tapley is kicking into one of my most favorite film lists of the whole year, The Top 10 Shots of 2011, and he’s broken out the first five to get lovers of great cinematography stoked. Even better? Each shot’s respective DP weighs in on their individual frame, with notes on what the shots mean to them, or how they are supposed to make viewers feel, or just how each shot was technically put together. These babies will make your heart pound.
I scoured the entire Internet (really, all of it) to find the very best movie-related valentines for you to print out and give to the special people in your life. These hand-spun Drive-inspired gems stayed on my mind (and in my heart!) all day. Kidding! They’re hilarious! Look at that tiny little heart trying to hide in that elevator corner! You can’t hide from Ryan Gosling’s feet, little dude!
Jezebel has re-posted a Feministing article by Chloe Angyal, an editor for the site who is also (brave woman) working on both a doctoral thesis and a book on romantic comedies. Her article details the year she spent watching rom-coms, and the unexpected effects it had on both her work and her life.
In break-up news, looks like Chris Pine‘s former agents aren’t taking his firing of them well. Pine apparently kicked SDB Partners to the curb via email (ouch!) last November (right before the holiday season!) after nine years together (sting!). SDB is now suing Pine for millions of dollars in commissions for projects they say they helped the actor nab. THR has the exclusive, which is of interest to movie fans because of some of the potential upcoming Pine projects it mentions: his Star Trek deal holds for three films, just like his deal to take over of the Jack Ryan franchise. But the real meat? Projects like A Few Good Men, Hamlet, Triple Nine, “untitled Steve McQueen biography,” Sexual Perversity in Chicago, and Ness/Capone. It looks like, even without a lawsuit to fight, Pine is going to be a busy bee.
Oh, lookie, Mockingjays, here’s the brand new music video for the first single of the soundtrack for The Hunger Games. Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars are here to assure us that everything is “Safe & Sound” – and, sweet lord, that’s not true at all! This stuff is bleak! Sorry, District 12, you’re hideola. And while I love the Civil Wars, I can’t say that I’m digging the weird trilling stuff Swift is breaking out. I think she doesn’t quite get what Mockingjays are. Eesh.
Here at Film School Rejects, we are more concerned about the romantic happiness of our readers than any other film-related website – that’s high-falutin’ hyperbole that I can actually back up (at least this time around). Proof positive? Our new partnership with dating site How About We? – our solemn guarantee that we really want to find you a new mate who loves movies (and us!) just as much as you do. Take a peek, lonesome heart, it can’t hurt.
We’ll wind down tonight’s dispatch with a charming (and bizarre) video from our brethren over at Movies.com. Did you know that Disney reenacted the famous spaghetti scene from Lady and the Tramp with real dogs? Of course you didn’t and of course they did.
And finally, our pals over at Sony sent us a Valentine from the crew of Pirates! Band of Misfits. I include it here because a) it’s adorable and b) I laugh in a manner not unlike a three-year-old drunk on conversation hearts every time I see the Pirates! trailer and c) it fits the theme of tonight’s MNAD.
Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at Film School Rejects. We love you, dear readers, we really love you.