Paul Rudd

‘Captain America: Civil War’ has everything a superhero movie needs to save the day

Looks like Marvel can pat themselves on the back now. They put a female hero in the title of something! After being a moderate success in Marvel terms this summer, it looks like Ant-Man will be returning in his own solo movie, which the studio announced on Thursday. The film will be called Ant-Man and …

With traditional pinball falling more and more toward the wayside over the last decade, along with the arcades which once housed these fabled tables of fate, Zen Pinball and its sequel have managed to carve a clever little niche in the digital market for nostalgia hounds who grew up blasting off that little silver ball with each lucky quarter.

It takes 45 wobbly minutes for director Peyton Reed’s film to find its rhythm, but it closes with some ingenious action set pieces that leave you feeling satisfied. ‘Ant-Man’ is a quirky little orphan that will probably need some time and distance from its cinematic brethren to be fully appreciated.

Ant-Man is a superhero identity that’s actually been used by three different characters of note and, despite the fact that Lang is the character being used in the Marvel Studios feature film, he is, arguably, the least of the three characters. Hank Pym originated the identity and though he quickly discarded it in favor of the more overtly powerful Giant-Man (using his size-changing Pym Particles to get bigger instead of smaller, a switch Pym-creator Stan Lee has said was triggered by artists failing to depict the world around the shrunken Pym in proper perspective), it was as Ant-Man that Pym helped co-found the Avengers (and come up with their name), and though he quickly left the specific Ant-Man identity behind, Pym remains a stalwart member of the Avengers.

Ant-man hits theaters on Friday, and with its release marks the end of Phase Two of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Phase Three kicking-off next May. Depending on how big of a Marvel fan you are, this news will come as either exciting, or painfully boring. A surprise appearance by Agent Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) in …

Back to the Future is having its 30th Anniversary this month, and the film is on such a high in 2015 as one of simply the most beloved, classic, and near perfect blockbusters so rare today. It has something to do with the fact that the sequel had a portion set in today’s 2015 and …

  We’re just a week removed from The Avengers: Age of Ultron, and already people are moving on to talk about the next one. Captain America: Civil War is the next chapter (after Ant-Man) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and this one, (really, you guys) is the one you’ve been waiting for, not the one …

20. Dead Man Walking Directed by: Tim Robbins Susan Sarandon earned herself an Oscar for her work in “Dead Man Walking,” a film directed by her then husband, Tim Robbins. She plays Sister Prejean, a nun who befriends a death row inmate named Matthew (Oscar nominated Sean Penn) as they confide in one another and …

David Gordon Green says that he was inspired to make his most recent film, Prince Avalanche, after shooting a Super Bowl commercial for Chrysler that featured Clint Eastwood. His crew was about ten men, with not much star power (Eastwood isn’t on screen for two-thirds of it), and it was shockingly easy for Green considering how much money Chrysler was willing to put at stake. Prince Avalanche is similar, a film so easygoing and simple that it seems to have required no effort at all, but which never seems lazy.

While Seth Rogen’s acting profile has noticeably risen over the last few years to firmly plant him in A-list territory, his writing career has also seen an upswing, as he has shared writing duties with frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg on films such as Superbad and Pineapple Express. For their next project, however, the screenwriting team has chosen to …

Admission Directed by Paul Weitz Written by Karen Croner USA, 2013 Tina Fey and Paul Rudd have, over the last decade, cornered the market on being professionally delightful. They are immensely likable if quirky performers, blending off-kilter comedy with movie-star good looks. As such, Admission, their first film together, has an affable charm for its …

Prince Avalanche Directed by David Gordon Green Written by Hafsteinn Gunnar Sigurðsson  (original story), David Gordon Green (adapted screenplay) US, 2013 The inception of this film does not so much start with a story but a location. Filmed in the ash ridden Bastrop, TX  after the late 2011 fires that devastated thousands of homes, Prince …

This is 40 Directed by Judd Apatow Written by Judd Apatow USA, 2012 Over the past decade, Judd Apatow the writer has made a calculated effort to mature himself, while Judd Apatow the producer indulges in his childish side. The films he’s directed have gotten progressively less raunchy and more introspective, as he’s explored unexpected …

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Directed by Stephen Chbosky Written by Stephen Chbosky USA, 2012 There are times during The Perks of Being a Wallflower when it looks like this film will be able to stand alongside such cinematic coming-of-age landmarks as Stand by Me and Rushmore, that its quality will remain steady and …

*Disclaimer: the following is based on and an expansion of an article written by Peter Howell, the Toronto Star Movie Critic. It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a film of the lowest common denominator adds nothing to the institution of cinema. But as profiteers like Adam Sandler have already understood, when money speaks, truth is …

Community, Season 3, Episode 17, “Basic Lupine Urology” Written by Megan Ganz Directed by Rob Schrab Airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC “Basic Lupine Urology” (an odd title at first until you remember the creator of Law & Order is named Dick Wolf) is light on the character development Community has been trading in …

30 Rock, Season 6, Episode 2, “Idiots are People Two!” Written by Robert Carlock Directed by Beth McCarthy-Miller Airs Thursdays at 8pm ET on NBC Tonight on 30 Rock an attempt is made to deal with Tracy Morgan’s homophobic outburst this summer, and I’m not sure they wouldn’t have been better off leaving it alone. …

Our Idiot Brother Written by David Schisgall and Evgenia Peretz Directed by Jesse Peretz USA, 2011 When is an indie not an indie? According to the Independent Spirit Awards, all it takes is a budget that falls short of the $20-million mark to qualify for that status, but while you’re watching something like Our Idiot …

Recently we posted an article announcing that Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann would be reprising their roles from Judd Apatow’s  Knocked Up, in a spin off to the hit comedy. Apatow confirmed that the movie would not be a prequel nor a sequel, but instead a stand-alone film. The question that remains now is, whether …

Hulks, high-flyers and web-slingers – it was a decade dominated by superheroes of all shapes, sizes and hues. And in the unlikely event that Batman, Superman or Iron Man failed to wow you at the box office, there were brooding, muscle-bound guys with cool gadgets (Bourne and Bond); a precocious young wizard (Harry Potter); and …

Hot off the heels of a big critical success with Adventureland, Greg Mattola’s upcoming Simon Pegg and Nick Frost sci-fi comedy Paul has gotten a lot more interesting.  Variety reports that a ridiculous quantity of talent has now been added to the project: Seth Rogen, Jason Bateman, Jane Lynch, Bill Hader, and the glorious Kristen …

Annoyed by the ubiquity of the Apatow brand? Understandable – but imagine for a moment that the hands-on producer and director’s previous hits (from 40-Year Old Virgin to Pineapple Express) were all handled by the anonymous hacks that usually pilfer out studio comedies. One might reasonably reply that it wouldn’t make a difference if the …