Moviefone Editorial

Author: Jami Philbrick

Best Beatles Movies

(L to R) Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison in Disney+’s ‘The Beatles: Get Back’

Beatlemania is back!

Premiering February 11th only in IMAX theaters is ‘The Beatles: Get Back – The Rooftop Concert.’ The movie contains new and old footage from ’The Lord of the Rings’ director Peter Jackson’s three-part Disney+ series, ‘The Beatles: Get Back.’

The Disney+ documentary series covers the making of the Beatles‘ 1970 album ‘Let It Be,’ and uses new footage originally filmed for Michael Lindsay-Hogg‘s 1970 documentary of the same name. ‘The Rooftop Concert’ centers on footage from the end of the documentary, which highlights Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr in their final concert together as a band.

But the Beatles are no strangers to appearing in movies, having starred in several feature films, an animated movie, and countless documentaries. There have also been several fictional films made about members of the band, as well as movies that celebrate the music and legacy of the group.

In honor of the new IMAX concert movie, Moviefone counts down the top ten Beatles movies of all-time! For this list, we are including not only movies starring the Beatles, but also films about the band and their musical influence around the world.
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Let’s begin!

10) ‘Magical Mystery Tour’ (1967)

Released in 1967, the film was written, directed, and starred the Beatles at the height of their psychedelic phase. The movie follows a group of people on a bus tour who begin to experience strange and magical encounters, and was inspired by Ken Kesey’s own bus, Further, and his work with the Merry Pranksters.

The movie marks the third outing for the band starring in their own narrative film, and while it is probably the least appealing of any of the movies that the Beatles have appeared in, it does feature a performance of “I Am the Walrus’ with the band wearing animal masks.
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9) ‘The Beatles: Eight Days A Week’ (2016)

This documentary directed by Oscar-winner Ron Howard focuses on the Beatles’ touring years between 1962 and 1966, from their first gig in Liverpool to their final concert at Candlestick Park in 1966.

The highlight of the documentary is 30 minutes of unseen footage from the band’s 1965 Shea Stadium concert, which had its sound remastered by Giles Martin, son of Beatles producer George Martin.
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8) ‘Nowhere Boy’ (2009)

Filmmaker Sam Taylor-Wood made her directorial debut with this 2009 film about John Lennon’s teenage years, based on a biography written by Lennon’s half-sister Julia Baird.

The film stars Aaron Johnson as a young Lennon and follows his complicated relationship with his Aunt Mimi (Kristin Scott Thomas) and his mother (Anne-Marie Duff), as well as the creation of his first band, The Quarrymen, which eventually became the Beatles. Johnson gives a quiet and beautiful performance as Lennon, which gained a lot of attention from Hollywood and basically launched his career.
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7) ‘Let It Be’ (1970)

This 1970 documentary about the making of the band’s final album ‘Let it Be’ marked the last original film the Beatles would release before breaking up. The movie documents the interpersonal relationships between band members and illuminates some of the turmoil that would eventually lead to their dismantling.

The highlight of the documentary is an impromptu rooftop performance, which sadly would become the last time the Fab Four ever played in public. Unused footage from the making of this documentary is what Peter Jackson utilized for ‘The Beatles: Get Back.’
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6) ‘Yesterday’ (2019)

Working Title Films

Directed by Oscar winner Danny Boyle (‘Slumdog Millionaire’) and written by Richard Curtis (‘Love Actually’), ‘Yesterday’ is a clever romantic comedy and a love letter to the music of the Beatles.

The story follows a struggling musician (Himesh Patel) who through a series of events now finds himself the only person on the planet who has ever heard of the Beatles and plagiarizes their music for his own gain. In addition to Patel, the film also stars Lily James, Kate McKinnon, and in a hilarious cameo, Ed Sheeran.
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5) ‘Across the Universe’ (2007)

Revolution Studios

Directed by Julie Taymor (‘Frida’) and based on an original story by Taymor and screenwriters Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais, the film utilizes over thirty songs composed by members of the Beatles.

The movie also uses characters from Beatles songs like Lucy (‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’), Jude (‘Hey Jude’), Max (“Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’), Sadie (‘Sexy Sadie’), Jo-Jo (‘Get Back’), and Prudence (‘Dear Prudence’). The film features an excellent cast that includes Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Logan Marshall-Green, Dylan Baker, Bill Irwin, Eddie Izzard, Salma Hayek, Joe Cocker, and Bono.
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4) ‘Backbeat’ (1994)

This 1994 movie directed by Iain Softly, centers on the Beatles original bass guitarist Stu Sutcliffe (Stephen Dorff) and his relationship with Astrid Kirchherr (Sheryl Lee), which led to him leaving the band before they had worldwide success. In addition to Dorff and Lee, the film also features Ian Hart as John Lennon, Gary Bakewell as Paul McCartney, Chris O’Neil as George Harrison, and Scot Williams as Pete Best, the band’s original drummer.

But the best part of this movie might be the soundtrack, which featured an all-star band performing songs that the Beatles played in their early days. The musicians include David Pirner from Soul Asylum, Greg Dulli from The Afghan Whigs, Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth, Mike Mills from R.E.M., Henry Rollins from Black Flag, and Dave Grohl from Nirvana.
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3) ‘Help!’ (1965)

The Beatles second film, ‘Help!’ follows the group as they struggle to record a new album and try to protect Ringo Starr from an evil cult out to steal one of his rings. Directed by Richard Lester (‘Superman II’), the film’s plot is boarder-line ridiculous but does mark the last time the band’s pre-psychedelic years were captured on film.

The highlight of the movie is that the Beatles were just being themselves and having fun, which is a stark contrast to their disillusioned behavior by the time they made ‘Let it Be.’
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2) ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (1964)

The first of their many movies, ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ follows the band at the height of Beatlemania. What I like about this movie is that it is just a “slice of Beatles life,” and brings the audience behind the scenes to see what it would have been like to be a Beatle.

They mostly just avoid fans, make TV appearances, and try to manage Paul’s “crazy” grandfather, played by Wilfred Brambell. Directed by Richard Lester, the movie was nominated for two Academy Awards including Best Original Screenplay and ranked 88th on the British Film Institute’s greatest British movies of the 20th century list.
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1) ‘Yellow Submarine’ (1968)

Not only is ‘Yellow Submarine’ the best of Beatles movie of all-time, it’s one of the best animated movies of all-time. Directed by Charles Dunning, the film marks the fourth movie released by the Beatles. While the band technically doesn’t appear in the film or even voice their own characters, they do perform the music, which includes ‘Eleanor Rigby,’ ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,’ ‘Nowhere Man,’ ‘All You Need Is Love,’ and of course, ‘Yellow Submarine.’

The “totally trippy” movie begins in Pepperland, the home of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, where the music-hating Blue Meanies have just attacked. Young Fred (Lance Percival) is tasked with fleeing Pepperland in a Yellow Submarine to find help to battle the Blue Meanies, eventually returning with Paul (Geoffrey Hughes), John (John Clive), George (Peter Batten), and Ringo (Paul Angelis), to save the day. The animated film also acts as a great gateway for parents who want to introduce their kids to the music of the Beatles.
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February 6, 2022
Charlie Hunnam and Cast Talk ‘Last Looks’

Charlie Hunnam as Charlie Waldo in ‘Last Looks’

Opening in theaters On Demand, and digital beginning February 4th is the new mystery-action-comedy ‘Last Looks,’ which is based on the novel of the same name by author Howard Michael Gould.

Directed by Tim Kirkby (‘Action Point’), the movie stars Charlie Hunnam (‘The Gentlemen’), Morena Baccarin (‘Deadpool’), Lucy Fry (‘Bright’), Rupert Friend (‘The French Dispatch’), Dominic Monaghan (‘The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring’), Clancy Brown (‘The Shawshank Redemption’), Method Man (‘Garden State’), and Academy Award winner Mel Gibson (‘Braveheart’).

The movie follows disgraced LAPD detective Charlie Waldo (Hunnam), who is now living life as a recluse in the woods. But when eccentric TV star Alastair Pinch’s wife is murdered, he is convinced to investigate the murder as a private investigator, and all signs are pointing to Pinch (Gibson) as the killer.
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Moviefone recently had an opportunity to speak with actors Charlie Hunnam, Morena Baccarin and Lucy Fry about their work on ‘Last Looks.’ You can read a full transcript of the interviews below, or watch the interviews in the video player above.

Moviefone: To begin with, Charlie, can you talk about your character and where we find him at the beginning of the movie?

Charlie Hunnam: He is in exile. He’s serving his penance up a mountain in Idlewild, which is a mountainous area outside of Los Angeles. What led him there is a mistake that he made while he was a LAPD detective.

The backstory is that he was this wonderkid detective who had this meteoric rise through the ranks of the LAPD detective unit and then realized he’d made a mistake. It’s very hard to undo mistakes in the judicial system. He can’t forgive himself for this mistake he’s made. So, he has a little bit of a nervous breakdown and goes up the mountain to try to put his life back together.

MF: Morena, can you talk about your character’s backstory and why she seeks out Waldo’s help?

Morena Baccarin: Well, she was a big part of his life before he decided to ghost her and go up into the mountains. These two have a long history of just being crazy in love, but also having a very complicated relationship where their biggest vulnerabilities is the distrust they have for each other, that is not always founded in anything other than their own issues. So, she just can’t let it rest.

I think it’s both for selfish reasons and also for him. I think this case is a big deal and could really send her into PI stardom. I think also, she has this nagging feeling that something is wrong with him and that she needs to get him out of this crazy situation he’s gotten himself into. So, she won’t take no for an answer. She comes knocking on his door and even when he does say, “No,” she does not let it happen.

Lucy Fry as Jayne White in ‘Last Looks’

MF: Lucy, when we meet your character she is working as a teacher not because she wants to be but because her parents want her to. Can you talk about that?

Lucy Fry: There was part of the story where her father is the principal of the school. Her backstory is that she has had addiction problems in the past. Her dad’s tried to get her back on her feet and get her working again.

So, she’s this kindergarten teacher because she wasn’t actually fully qualified, but she has the family-ins to teaching at the school. But that isn’t her passion, and she’s looking for that thrill in whatever way she can get it.

MF: Charlie, what was your reaction to the noir elements of the screenplay when you first read it?

CH: I think that was designed by Howard Gould, the writer of this. He’s a huge neo-noir fan, and he really has encyclopedic knowledge. There’s not a film made in that genre that he doesn’t intimately know. So, this was steeped in that.

It was interesting, how this actually happened. Howard wrote this as a spec screenplay, which means that he just wrote the idea speculatively; he wasn’t writing it for a company. Then, he fell in love with Charlie and this world so much, that he actually went and wrote a novel, which bloomed into a series of novels.

So, he’s now written three and is in the middle of writing the fourth novel. But I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a novel adapted from a screenplay before. It’s always a screenplay adapted from a novel.

So, it’s interesting that this character just grew inside of Howard in that way, and he decided to change his profession from screenwriter to novelist so that he could pursue writing more of this world. So, if people like this film, hopefully we’ll be able to go back and make another one of these; adapted from one of the other novels.

Morena Baccarin as Lorena Nascimento in ‘Last Looks’

MF: Morena, did you have a chance to speak with Howard Gould about the script and was he able to give you any insight to your character?

MB: Yeah, we talked quite extensively, and especially on set, he was there a lot. I really enjoyed speaking to him about it. I think at one point, correct me if I’m wrong, Charlie, maybe he was developing it as a series as well; a TV series.

There were a lot of incarnations of these characters. He just was really helpful discussing tone and how to in the book, when you’re reading, it’s just right there on the page, and it’s so easy to imagine the film noir aspect of it.

But when you’re doing it adapted, and it’s also present day, and you’re dealing with Hollywood and all these things, you can lose some of that grittiness. So, it was really helpful to have him around to discuss the tone of the piece.

Then, he paid me the biggest compliment ever, because he was starting to write his other book and he said, “I can’t get you out of the character now.” I’m like, great. It means I’ve done my job. So, it was a really nice marrying of the two worlds. I very much dove deep, read all the books and really enjoyed getting to know the character.
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February 5, 2022
‘Raising Dion’ Season 2 Interviews

Jason Ritter Promoting Netflix’s ‘Raising Dion’ Season 2

Premiering on Netflix beginning February 1st is season two of the popular series ‘Raising Dion,’ which is based on the comic book of the same name by author Dennis Liu. The series stars Alisha Wainwright (‘Palmer’), Ja’Siah Young (‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit), Jazmyn Simon (‘Baggage Claim’), Jason Ritter (’Frozen II’), Rome Flynn (’Dear White People’), Marc Menchaca (‘Ozark’), and Michael B. Jordan (‘Black Panther’), who also serves as the show’s executive producer.

The series follows the story of Nicole (Wainwright), a widowed single mother raising her son, Dion (Young). However, things get complicated when Dion begins to manifest superpowers. To protect her son, Nicole only tells his secret to Pat (Ritter), her late husband’s best friend. Now, Nicole must help Dion control his special abilities in order to keep him safe, while also dealing with the threat from the evil Crooked Man.
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Moviefone recently had a chance to speak with Alisha Wainwright, Rome Flynn and Jason Ritter about their work on the second season of Netflix’s ‘Raising Dion.’ You can read the full interview with Jason Ritter below, or watch all of our interviews in the video player above.

Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about where we left Pat at the end of season one?

Jason Ritter: Pat turned into the giant, evil, Crooked Man at the end. It was revealed that he had been the Crooked Man the entire time. At first, we see him turn into the Crooked Man, and then he is defeated by Dion, his mother and her friends. They all come together, and we just see the dissipation of all this smoke.

Then at the very end of that season, we see one piece of smoke go to Brayden and follow him around, and that’s where we ended. We pick back up two years later, after Brayden’s been with this Crooked energy for all two years.

MF: So, we assume Pat is no longer the Crooked Man, is that correct?

JR: We hope so. Pat certainly does. Yeah. You know, it’s tough, because while he was feeding this Crooked energy, trying to survive and do all these things, he did lie to everybody. He wasn’t going around saying, “Hey, this thing is happening to me. Someone help me out.” He’s trying to figure it out all on his own, and he really did a lot of bad things.

So even though he’s coming back and saying, “You can trust me now,” anybody who has lied to anybody for a long period of time knows that you can’t just flip a switch and say, “Okay, now I’m telling you the truth. Let’s just start with you believing me now.” It takes a long time, so he’s at that stage in his redemption journey, which is at the very bottom.

I think that’s one of the fun things about Pat, is it’s sort of hard to pin him down, even how I feel about him sometimes. I can see where some of his pettiness comes in. He’s definitely a certain way when he is talking to Nicole and some of the people that he’s wounded, and then a different way talking to David, who he finds a bit frustrating. A little bit more of his selfish, angry and petty instincts come out with certain other characters, but he’s trying. He’s got some problems.

MF: As an actor, how did you go about creating this character?

JR: He is very complex. A lot of it was in the writing, and then the rest of it is that I took pieces of my own feelings about certain things. Certain ways I felt growing up and some of the ways that I was bullied, and I wasn’t bullied like crazy, but just like a normal amount of bullying.

I remember I eventually, at a certain point in my life, called it my mad scientist syndrome, where there was an element in high school where I felt like, “I think I’m okay. My friends think I’m okay. Why does the outside world not reflect that?” The mad scientist part was like there was a part of my head where I was going, “You’ll all see one day!”, or something like that.

I think that part is what I really used for Pat, this sort of thing without evidence that he has, like he deserves this certain thing that he’s not getting. The truth is, I didn’t deserve anything that I wasn’t getting at that point in my life, but this feeling of like, “I feel like I’ve done enough. I feel like I’m okay enough, so why isn’t the world mirroring how I feel on the inside?” My response to that was to work on myself and try to get better. Pat’s response is maybe the world needs to change and come to him.

MF: Can you expand on that? What did you do differently in your own life when you thought that “the world was not mirroring how you felt on the inside?”

JR: I think I really dove headfirst into my little group of friends, and we just tried to make each other laugh all the time. We all thought we were funny, even if other people didn’t. We kind of built each other up and helped each other feel okay, and feel like we had worth as people, at least to each other. I think that eventually gave me a little bit of confidence in who I was, as opposed to, I think what was happening before is I was trying to be someone who I wasn’t, and I think people can sniff that out.

I think people can go, “You’re trying to make me believe something about you that’s not true.” There’s something that’s comforting to people about people who just are who they are and are just jerks or they’re not or whatever. You go, “At least I know who you are.” Whereas this guy who’s being overly something, they’re like, “What’s your ulterior motive here?” And so, I think eventually, I was just able to let go of trying to control what other people felt about me and just getting more comfortable in who I was.

(L to R) Alisha Wainwright and Ja’Siah Young in Netflix’s ‘Raising Dion’

February 4, 2022
Adrien Brody Talks ‘Clean’

Adrien Brody in ‘Clean’

Opening in theaters, on digital rental, and VOD beginning January 28th is ‘Clean,’ from director Paul Solet. The film stars Oscar winner Adrien Brody (‘The Pianist’), who also co-wrote the screenplay with Solet, created the music for the movie, and served as producer.

The film centers on Clean (Brody), a recovering alcoholic and former criminal who is now living a simple life as a garbageman after the death of his daughter. He soon befriends a young girl named Dianda (Chandler DuPont) and after helping her out of a dangerous situation, gets put in the crosshairs of local mobster, Michael (Glenn Fleshler). With Michael out for revenge, Clean has no choice but to protect himself and fight back.

In addition to Brody, DuPont and Fleshler, the cast also includes Mykelti Williamson (‘Forest Gump’) and RZA (‘Nobody’).
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Moviefone recently had the opportunity to speak with Oscar-winner Adrien Brody about his new movie, ‘Clean.’ You can read the full interview below or watch it in the video player above.

Moviefone: To begin with, you are not only acting in ‘Clean’, but you are also a producer, you co-wrote the screenplay, and created the music for the movie.

What was it about this particular story that made you so passionate about this project and what was it like having the opportunity to express yourself artistically in ways that you hadn’t before?

Adrien Brody: I mean, that was part of the impetus to make it. I had been looking to find a role somewhat within this vein for forever. I love films where the hero of the film is so deeply flawed and tragic, and in spite of all of those factors, that some of them are even unlikable qualities, you root for him. That he or she is able to surmount that and do a heroic act.

I think those are the real heroes in life anyway, and sometimes characters are depicted in too clean of a heroic manner and they need a bit of grit, and they need a bit of frailty within them to overcome that. It’s a genre of films that I’ve always loved, and I wanted to bring some nuance to the character within that genre.

It’s something that I know I can do well, to play the physicality that often hasn’t been afforded to me. I just wanted to tell a story that also felt that it honored and spoke to a lot of what I am troubled with in this great nation and a lot of the frustration and anger that I feel within that ‘Clean’ represents.

Adrien Brody in ‘Clean’

I think it’s a collective feeling that we all have of a sense of powerlessness against oppressive forces. The ability of pharmaceutical giants to create mass addiction that then they’ll reign in. Then all these people turn to street drugs because they can’t afford to get their fix that they’ve been fed.

There’s this undercurrent of so much hardship that people and young people, especially in impoverished areas must escape from in order to have a life ahead. So, I wanted that in the scope of an entertaining film, not to shy away from them, if that makes sense.

Then the music. The music is another part of that. That is also deeply influenced by my life growing up in Queens, New York, through the birth of hip hop and through everything that feels right for the tone. It felt like a character within the movie. So, that was an afterthought, I didn’t set out to take on even more responsibility. It just felt like it was my responsibility to share that and to help bring more emotional complexity to the overall picture.

MF: Finally, can you talk about collaborating with director Paul Solet both on the screenplay and as well during production?

AB: Paul’s wonderful. We had worked in the past on ‘Bullet Head.’ I pitched Paul the idea of doing this together and really asking his help. Because I didn’t really have the confidence to write a screenplay on my own. I trusted his sensibilities and he brought so many interesting qualities to this that were truthful to him as well. It was a very interesting process and I greatly appreciate all that he’s brought to this.

(L to R) Director Paul Solet and Adrien Brody on the set of ‘Clean’
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February 3, 2022
Alicia Silverstone Talks ‘The Requin’

Alicia Silverstone in ‘The Requin’

Premiering in theaters, on digital, and On Demand beginning January 28th is the new shark movie ‘The Requin,’which was directed by Le-Van Kiet (“Furie’). The film stars Alicia Silverstone (‘Clueless,’ ‘Batman & Robin’) and James Tupper (‘Big Little Lies’) as a married couple that takes a tropical vacation to overcome a personal tragedy.

Staying in a bungalow over the ocean, the couple soon finds themselves fighting for their lives when a storm carries their bungalow away from shore and out to sea. Lost, exhausted, injured, hungry, and in need of fresh water, they attempt to survive but that becomes even more difficult as a great white shark begins to circle them. Now, they must put their past aside and work together, if they want to survive.
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Moviefone recently had the chance to speak with Alicia Silverstone about her work on ‘The Requin.’ You can read the full interview with Silverstone below, or watch our interview with both her and actor James Tupper in the video player above.

Moviefone: To begin with, you spend most of this movie either in the water or wet. Can you talk about the challenges of acting in those conditions?

Alicia Silverstone: Well, it’s freezing and that’s miserable. Every time the dear man, who was in charge of spraying me down, would come near me, I would just say, get away from me. Please get away from me. Because they have to make you wet. I would say, we don’t have to be wet now. I’ve dried, negotiating how wet I have to be. The water was freezing. We had a freezing cold pool.

At one point, the set medic had to pull me aside and he’d taken my temperature and it was dropping really low. He was like, “She needs a break. She has to get warm.” I’m face planted in the sand and they’re throwing a bucket of water on my face trying to give the idea that the ocean is waking me up. I’m shivering because there’s no sun, and it’s just freezing. That happened a lot.

I got bruised, I got beaten, but I was so happy the whole time. It’s extraordinarily challenging physically, the freezing. I was even just hurting myself all the time, pulling things from the act of survival. But in the end, every single day I was just so excited to be there.

I love Le-Van Kiet’s films. He made these Vietnamese films and two of them that I saw were so beautiful. So, I was just there for that. I was so willing to do whatever, to jump into that ocean and just see what would happen and that’s what I did. I actually was happy all the time. No matter how hurt I was, I was having fun.

MF: Can you talk about the emotional and mental state of your character when the film begins and what a survivor she is, not only because of what she goes through in the movie, but also because of what happened to her before the film begins?

AS: Thank you for asking that. She essentially loses her child at birth and what a traumatic experience that would be. Losing a child at any time is just the most gut-wrenching thing. So, she’s got PTSD, as you would. It’s really destroying her marriage. She’s got rage. It’s like she’s experiencing this thing, and no one can understand it. Her husband isn’t upset enough or he’s not doing it right enough, because she’s so consumed with this grief.

Then when they’re on this trip, they’re really trying to save their marriage. That’s what they’re there to do. You see glimmers of it, you see where they are coming together, and it feels hopeful again. Then you see her have another PTSD moment where she goes right back in. He cuts his foot on a rock and she’s like, “Blood.” She goes crazy about the blood, and that’s all very real and present for her.

I think that when they have to fight for their lives, somehow all that trauma melts away. Because now it’s just the new trauma. It’s a new trauma and they have to just live, and she becomes a warrior. I noticed on day one that I have no muscles. I’m working on that now. I was very soft when I arrived. I exercised a little, but I’m not a Rock-type person. I don’t exercise every day with muscles. You know what I mean?

I like that for this movie because It might be less interesting if I had ripped muscles everywhere. Because then it’s like ‘The Terminator.’ She’s not that. She’s just a woman trying to make it. But I noticed that because they would say, “Can you do that?” I’d say, if I had muscles I think I could. But I don’t have any, so I don’t know. I would just do everything, but then I would be in pain afterwards.

Alicia Silverstone in ‘The Requin’

MF: Finally, are you a fan of shark movies?

AS: I am not. I’m not your normal person, because I don’t watch a lot of movies at all. So, I haven’t seen a lot of films. The genre definitely would freak me out. I don’t like anxiety. I don’t want to be stressed. I get it every day. I don’t need more. But I like acting in it. I want to also say I love sharks and I don’t think they’re so scary. I don’t want one near me, but I want them to be left alone and unharmed.

I like to think she’s being hunted (by the shark). The director does too, because of the environmental damage that we’ve done as consumers and people in the world. They’re coming closer and closer, coming after us because they don’t have what they need. But I think that if you like shark movies or you like thrilling adventure, this is the movie for that. People love being scared, frightened and anxious. They like that. This movie does all of those things very well, I think.
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February 2, 2022
Movie Review: ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’

(L to R) Crash (voiced by Vincent Tong), Eddie (voiced by Aaron Harris), Zee (voiced by Justina Machado), and Buck (voiced by Simon Pegg) in ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Premiering on Disney+ beginning January 28th is the sixth movie in the extremely popular ‘Ice Age’ franchise entitled, ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild.’ Directed by John C. Donkin, the movie features the voice of Simon Pegg (‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’), reprising his role as Buck Wild from ‘Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs’ and ‘Ice Age: Collision Course.’

In addition to Pegg, the voice cast also includes Justina Machado (‘The Purge: Anarchy’), Utkarsh Ambudkar (‘Free Guy’), Vincent Tong (’Cop and a Half: New Recruit’), and Aaron Harris (‘Returned‘). The result is a kid friendly family film with fun characters and situations, that lacks the style and heart of the previous films in the series.

The movie begins by reintroducing us to Crash (Tong) and Eddie (Harris), as well as their sister Ellie (Dominique Jennings) and her husband, Manny (Sean Kenin). Frustrated with his brothers-in-law, Manny encourages them to move on with their lives and find their own adventures, which they reluctantly decide to do, and Ellie is furious when she discovers their gone. Crash and Eddy soon discover the Lost World and reunite with Buck Wild (Pegg), who seems to be happy living as a recluse.

But the Lost World is soon threatened by an evil dinosaur named Orson (Ambudkar), who has a vendetta against Buck. Orson is determined to destroy the Lost World and take back Earth for the dinosaurs, unless Buck, Crash and Eddie can stop him. Joining the team to defeat Orson is Buck’s old friend and love interest Zee (Machado), who is an even more capable survivor than Buck. Meanwhile, Ellie, Manny, and their friends go looking for Crash and Eddie to make sure they are safe.

Buck (voiced by Simon Pegg) in ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’ is a fairly entertaining animated movie with fun characters, and an interesting hook … it’s really a superhero movie! But, in capitalizing on the current most popular movie genre, the film loses some of the heart of its predecessors. In fact, the most touching part of the film only happens at the beginning and end and involves Ellie’s relationship with Crash and Eddie. The rest of the film is a hybrid between a Marvel movie and Indiana Jones, and may not be the “Ice Age” movie you expect.

Unfortunately, Ray Romano and Queen Latifah do not reprise their voice roles as Manny and Ellie, respectively. While the characters have less to do this time around, the absence of Romano is felt, as Sean Kenin does his best to imitate the comedian’s unmistakable voice. Dominique Jennings voices Ellie and gives the character the emotional depth the role calls for.

Also absent from the film are the voices of franchise actors John Leguizamo and Denis Leary, who play Sid and Diego, respectively. Jake Green and Skyler Stone do their best to fill in those roles. Crash and Eddie also have new voice actors, as Vincent Tong and Aaron Harris, take over the roles originated by Seann William Scott and Josh Peck. Tong and Harris do well in the roles, and channel the same heart and humor the beloved characters are known for.

Utkarsh Ambudkar gives a strong voice performance as the villain Orson, reminiscent of Jason Lee’s performance in ‘The Incredibles.’ Justina Machado voices new character Zee, and the actress really brings her to life, achieving more than just a “female Buck.” She is his rival, but also his friend, and that really shines through her performance.

Buck (voiced by Simon Pegg) and Zee (voiced by Justina Machado) in ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’ exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

But as the title indicates, this movie really belongs to Buck, and actor Simon Pegg’s performance in the role. Pegg plays the character with youthful energy, but also gives Buck a worldly wisdom that is apparent with every line he says. He’s kind of a cross between Indiana Jones and Jack Sparrow in the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movies. As the breakout character of ‘Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,’ it only makes sense to center a film around Buck, and Pegg’s performance perfectly brings the character to life again.

The franchise has grossed over $6 billion at the box office and is the third highest grossing animated series of all-time, right behind ‘Despicable Me’ and ‘Shrek.’ The animated series, which began at 20th Century Fox, is now owned by Disney, which is a fitting home for the franchise, as the new movie will only be available on Disney+.

In the end, ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’ is certainly not the best film in the ‘Ice Age’ franchise, but it is entertaining fun for the kids. Taking the franchise into a more action-orientated direction was a good choice, but losing some of the series’ heart, and its original voice actors, does ultimately hurt the new movie.

‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’ receives 2.5 out of 5 Stars.
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January 29, 2022
‘The Afterparty’ Exclusive Interviews

(L to R) Sam Richardson, Jamie Demetriou, Ben Schwartz, John Early, Tiffany Haddish, Tiya Sircar, Ilana Glazer, Zoe Chao, and Ike Barinholtz in ‘The Afterparty’ on Apple TV+

Premiering January 28th on Apple TV+ is the new murder mystery comedy ‘The Afterparty,’ from Oscar winning producers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’).

The series features an impressive cast of comedic actors that include Tiffany Haddish (‘Girls Trip’), Sam Richardson (‘The Tomorrow War’), Ben Schwartz (‘Sonic the Hedgehog’), Zoe Chao (‘The High Note’), Ike Barinholtz (‘Suicide Squad’), Ilana Glazer (‘Rough Night’), and Dave Franco (‘The Disaster Artist’).

‘The Afterparty’ revolves around a murder that takes place at a high school reunion after party, and each episode is told from a different character’s point of view. Lord and Miller serve as executive producers and both co-wrote several episodes, with Miller also directing the entire series.

Moviefone recently had a chance to speak with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller about their new Apple TV+ series, as well as some of the cast from ‘The Afterparty’ Including Sam Richardson, Ben Schwartz, Zoe Chao, Ike Barinholtz, Dave Franco, and Ilana Glazer.
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Below you can read our full interview with Phil Lord and Christopher Miller about ‘The Afterparty,’ or you can watch the complete set of interviews in the video player above.

Moviefone: Chris, can you begin by talking about the genesis of the idea for the series, and also deciding to have each episode focus on a different character’s point of view?

Christopher Miller: It was a little over a decade ago that I had the idea to tell a murder mystery in a Rashomon style where each suspect would tell their version of the evening and it would be wildly different from the other ones. We were going to make it, we wrote it as a movie, and then we got busy making ‘The Lego Movie’ and ‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ and whatnot.

But when we got a breath of air, we revisited it and thought this would work better as a series because in a movie, you didn’t have time to really dig to each character. But as a series, you could give each character their own episode and really understand them as more complex characters. You could really learn to empathize and love each of them, and hope that they didn’t do it. So, as that was evolving, we realized that to push their style of storytelling, stylistically and thematically, we can make each episode feel like a different genre of filmmaking and storytelling.

Then it evolved even farther, and we got an amazing writing staff full of really cool people. With the structure and outline already intact, they were able to turn it into something really special. But it was a really mind exploding process because if you’re working on episode four and you want to change something there, it affects everything in all the other episodes. So, you have to keep the whole thing in your head like this giant machinery of a massive clock in your head. It would really explode people’s heads from time to time.

MF: Phil, was making a murder mystery something you always wanted to do?

Phil Lord: I think Chris and I are fans of ‘Clue,’ ‘The Last of Sheila’ and ‘Murder by Death.’ There’s a long proud history of mixing comedy and murder and we’ve always been interested in what’s a unique way to pull that off. Chris had been developing this as a script for a long time for a feature. When he thought of the idea of breaking it into episodes, and then each of those episodes would have its own filmmaking style and you would get to know each of these characters even more deeply, that’s when it really took off for us and felt like it was going to be worth doing.

MF: Phil, because each episode contains events seen from different characters perspectives, can you talk about how production actually worked?

PL: So, the whole show, more or less, we batch shot it. Meaning that we would shoot a scene in a hallway that was like a fun rom-com and then, “Okay everyone, let’s go to lunch, we’ll come back and now it’s a dark thriller.” That’s part of the fun of it, honestly, but the poor actors did need a second to switch modes.

MF: Chris, can you talk about the impressive cast of actors you assembled and the challenges for them with the different tones in each episode?

CM: We got so lucky to get like a real murderer’s row, pun intended, of comedy geniuses. What was especially great about all of them is that so many of them are writers, filmmakers or show creators in their own rights. So, they really were smart about also holding this whole show in their heads, because asking an actor to be able to just do a character is one thing, but to do a character with eight different shadings of that character is a really big ask. It has to be people who are really smart and savvy, and luckily, they all were amazing, and they added so much to it. We all had a great time together and it was a real love fest. You could really feel the chemistry and joy on the screen.

(L to R) Ben Schwartz and Sam Richardson in ‘The Afterparty’ on Apple TV+

January 28, 2022
Simon Pegg Talks ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’

Simon Pegg as Buck Wild in ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’

Premiering on Disney+ beginning January 28^th is ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild,’ which is the sixth film in the ‘Ice Age’ franchise. Directed by John C. Donkin, the movie stars Simon Pegg (‘Mission: Impossible – Fallout’) as the voice of the title character, and also features the voice work of Justina Machado (‘The Purge: Anarchy‘), Utkarsh Ambudkar (‘Free Guy’), Vincent Tong (’Cop and a Half: New Recruit’), and Aaron Harris (‘Returned‘).

After deciding to leave their home for a new adventure, Crash (Vincent Tong) and Eddie (Aaron Harris) discover the Lost World and reunite with Buck Wild (Pegg), who seems to be happy living as a recluse. But when dinosaurs begin to threaten the Lost World’s existence, Crash and Eddie team with Buck, and his old friend Zee (Machado), to put a stop to them for good.

Moviefone recently had the opportunity to speak with actors Simon Pegg and Justina Machado, as well as director John C. Donkin and producer Lori Forte, about their work on ‘The Ice Age Adventures of Buck Wild’.
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Below you can read our full interview with Simon Pegg, or you can watch the full set of interviews in the video player above.

Moviefone: To begin with, what is it like for you to return to the ‘Ice Age’ franchise as Buck Wild after first appearing in ‘Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs,’ and having the opportunity to explore the character in his own film?

Simon Pegg: It’s like slipping into a pair of very comfy shoes. I really love playing Buck. He’s there in my muscle memory the whole time. I think that first experience of doing him in ‘Dawn of the Dinosaurs’ was so intense. It was such a big deal for me because I was joining the franchise and I figured that would just be it.

Then, he was invited back for ‘Collision Course,’ and now this. I always would say to Lori Forte, the producer, at the end of every session that we did with Buck, that we should do more of this. We should do like a Buck spinoff. And here we are, so I guess my wish came true.

MF: When we first see Buck in the new movie, he has been living by himself and seems to have gone a bit stir crazy. Can you talk about your character’s mental state when the movie begins?

SP: Well, Buck was always pitched to me as a cross between Indiana Jones and Colonel Kurtz from ‘Apocalypse Now.’ I think in the interim between when we first met him in this film, he has actually had a period of time where he met some other creatures. He was hanging out with Zee, his sort of girlfriend as it were, this equivalent to him, a female, but she’s as resourceful, as courageous, and more sane than he is. They’d formed this little pact where they were going to look after the Lost World.

In that time, they fell out, and so when Crash and Eddie, the possums come to the Lost World, they find Buck back to being a loner. He lives by himself and he talks to inanimate things. Part of the film is about encouraging Buck to re-embrace his sociability, which I think we’re all having to do now, or hopefully we’ll have to do at some point, when we come out of lockdown.

MF: I know you love comic books, and there is a real superhero team vs. super villain vibe to this movie. Can you talk about that aspect of the movie?

SP: I think obviously the superheroes are very much in vogue at the moment. There’s a lot of superhero content out there. I think superheroes, in some respects, are the ultimate sort of aspirational characters because you simply cannot ever be them because they’re beyond us. They’re preternatural.

But in this film, Buck says to be a superhero, you just need courage and resourcefulness. It kind of makes their superhero idea a little bit more relatable and a little bit more something that people watching the movie can be themselves, particularly children. So, I think that’s a nice little message for the era in which superheroes seem to dominate.

MF: The voice you use for Buck is very specific. Was it difficult to find it again for this movie, or does Buck’s voice just live inside your head always now?

SP: Oh, he definitely just lives inside me, and I’ve had to do the voice several times between films for kids who don’t believe that I’m Buck. I remember a little girl came up to me on holiday and told me that her mom said that I was Buck, and she didn’t believe it, because I didn’t look like a weasel. She genuinely was like, “Prove it.” So, I did. Then after that, every time she saw me on holiday, she’d go, “Hi Buck.” I’d have to go, “Hello little girl,” like this. So, it’s something that stayed with me the whole time.
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January 27, 2022
Steve Carell Reuniting with John Krasinski for ‘IF’

Steve Carrell in ‘Welcome to Marwen’

It’s been years since Steve Carell and John Krasinski were co-stars on the hugely successful sitcom ‘The Office’, and while the pair has teamed up from time to time on other things, they haven’t made a movie together before. Krasinski is looking to change that with new fantasy comedy ‘IF’.

The film, which Krasinski is planning to write, direct, produce and appear in (like he did for both ‘A Quiet Place’ movies), already has Ryan Reynolds in the lead. ‘IF’ – then called ‘Imaginary Friends’ – was first announced back in 2019.

Based on an idea by Krasinski, the story has officially been listed as “a child’s journey to rediscover their imagination”, and reportedly follows a man (Reynolds) who can see and communicate with other peoples’ imaginary friends, who, it turns out, are not so imaginary. He befriends those who have been forgotten or discarded, but some become irretrievably evil, and he must find a way to stop them.

It all sounds like a cross between 1991’s Phoebe Cates comedy ‘Drop Dead Fred’ and the ‘Doctor Dolittle’ concept (though he could talk to animals, not fantasy friends). Will it also manage to make us all cry like Bing Bong in Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’?

And Carell is only one of the new cast members that Krasinski has rounded up to co-star in the movie. There’s also Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the creator and star of comedy series ‘Fleabag’ who also adapted and ran the first season of ‘Killing Eve.’ Fiona Shaw, one of the stars of ‘Killing Eve’, is also joining ‘IF’, along with young ‘Minari’ breakout Alan Kim and veteran actor Louis Gossett Jr., probably best known for movies such as ‘An Officer and a Gentleman’ and ‘Enemy Mine’ in the 1980s.

Ryan Reynolds/YouTube

Finally, young actress Cailey Fleming is part of the cast, having been seen in ‘The Walking Dead’ and as young Rey in ‘Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker’.

Carell, of course, is no stranger to screens – though ‘The Office’ boosted his profile even higher than it already was, he’s since gone on to movies including the ‘Despicable Me’ franchise (with a new entry due this summer), ‘The Big Short’ and ‘Vice’, both for director Adam McKay.

Krasinski has increasingly been working as a director and producer, though he also still stars in the ‘Jack Ryan’ TV series for Amazon and will be heard on cinema screens this year in the animated ‘DC League Of Super-Pets’, playing Superman. He’s also developing a third ‘Quiet Place’ movie, though he won’t direct that one.

Paramount Pictures is making the new movie, and both Krasinski’s Sunday Night and Reynolds’ Maximum Effort production companies have deals there.

The movie is scheduled for release on November 17, 2023.
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January 25, 2022
Alicia Silverstone On Leslie Grace’s ‘Batgirl’

Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl in 1997’s ‘Batman & Robin’

Last weekend, actress Leslie Grace posted on her Instagram account a photo of herself in her new costume for HBO Max’s upcoming ‘Batgirl’ movie.

The movie, which is currently filming in Scotland, will be the first time the character has appeared in a live-action feature film since Alicia Silverstone first played the role in ‘Batman & Robin.’ Silverstone, best known for playing the iconic Cher Horowitz in Clueless, starred opposite George Clooney and Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1997 movie, which was directed by Joel Schumacher.

Moviefone recently had the chance to speak exclusively with Alicia Silverstone about her upcoming shark movie, ‘The Requin,’ which will be released in theaters, on digital, and On Demand beginning January 28th. We also asked the actress her thoughts on Leslie Grace’s new Batgirl costume, and if she had any words of encouragement for the young actress taking on the iconic role.

(Via Instagram)

“I didn’t get to see it,” Silverstone said of Grace’s Instagram post. “I’m going to look it up now when we get off the phone. I’m just so excited for her. What an amazing experience she is going to have on this journey. I’m sure she is going to kill it. She doesn’t need any words (of encouragement) from me. She’s going to be great!”

Grace, who was last seen in director Jon M. Chu’s ‘In the Heights,’ will be joined in ‘Batgirl’ by Oscar winner J.K. Simmons, who is reprising his role from ‘Justice League’ as Barbara Gordon’s father, GCPD Commissioner James Gordon. Also reprising his role from ‘Batman,’ ‘Batman Returns,’ and the upcoming ‘The Flash,’ will be Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne/Batman.

Directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah (‘Bad Boys for Life’), the movie will also feature Brendan Fraser as the villain, Firefly. ‘Batgirl’ is scheduled for release on HBO Max sometime later this year.

(L to R) Alicia Silverstone, George Clooney, and Chris O’Donnell in 1997’s ‘Batman & Robin’
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January 24, 2022