Surabhi Verma

Race To Oscars: Christopher Nolan, Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott Are Ready To Compete For Academy Awards 2018

Sep 112017

The Oscar season is round the corner, and this year, it is going to be a tough competition between some of the most popular names in the industry, both in acting and directing categories. 2017 saw some phenomenal performances in technical and major categories. The year also saw the return of the 70mm screening after Quentin Tarantino’s ‘The Hateful Eight’, Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’ is seen to be the most significant film of the year. The previous year’s ‘La La Land-Moonlight’ mix-up clearly indicated that there may be scope for even last minute developments at the Oscars. When it comes to direction category, five popular names of all time will be competing with each other. The race to Oscars has already begun.

This year three major projects inspired by true events may change the course of Academy Awards forever, Oscars 2018 is going to be the most anticipated year after 2016, especially after Leonardo DiCaprio’s much awaited win. Let’s throw light one by one on who all are the strongest contenders in the direction category for Oscars 2018.

The year’s beginning saw a performance oriented psychological thriller titled ‘Split’ directed by M. Night Shyamalan. Getting twenty-three different personalities out happened to be the most challenging task both for McAvoy and Night. The film is believed to be a key player in the race to Oscars, due to its out of the box story and a theme which remained untouched for long when it comes to mainstream cinema.

It's Christopher Nolan Vs Steven Spielberg In The Race To Oscars 2018 © YouTube/FANDOM

Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dunkirk’ already saw a record-breaking opening and almost $412.6 million grossed till now. The harrowing narrative of survival and resistance set at the backdrop of World War ll has received positive reviews through and is termed as ‘A Time Bending Masterpiece’. Who would have believed that Nolan, who holds an expertise in taking us through the most unbelievable tales or fantasy and fiction, would nail the most crucial of the genres with a dash. ‘Dunkirk’ is a film that appears once in a while and changes the cinematic experience forever. Nolan, like every other time added a new meaning to what a film could be.

It's Christopher Nolan Vs Steven Spielberg In The Race To Oscars 2018 © Warner Bros.

Yet, there are three other veteran directors, whose works have transcended boundaries. Steven Spielberg, Clint Eastwood and Ridley Scott are currently working on their ongoing projects. December is going to be merrier than ever for movie buffs.

Steven Spielberg’s ‘The Post’ was recently renamed to ‘The Papers’. Inspired by true events, the film tells the story of Katharine Graham (Meryl Streep) and Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee’s (Tom Hanks) scandalous decision to publish a series of leaked articles entitled “The Pentagon Papers” in 1971. The papers were crucial due to the fact that they contained classified information related to the Defense Department’s plans for the Vietnam War. The film is crucial from two aspects – Firstly, it throws light on an important event in the history press freedom and secondly, for the first time ever, Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep are working together in a film despite of the fact that both are now veterans. The film is aimed for a December 22 limited release.

It's Christopher Nolan Vs Steven Spielberg In The Race To Oscars 2018 © YouTube/Wochit Entertainment

On the other hand Ridley Scott and Clint Eastwood are aiming for Oscars through their upcoming films ‘All the Money in the World’ and ‘The 15:17 to Paris’ (inspired by true events). Both films are coming from the hands of seasoned veterans and the appearance of all five directors together in Oscars is going to be a tough task for the jury as well.

Here Are Some Of The Best Hollywood Films Of 2017 That Forced Us To Go To The Cinemas

Celebrities

Sep 112017

If we talk about movies, 2017 has been all about thrillers and horror. The year’s beginning saw the very dynamic and performance-oriented film titled ‘Split’ by one of the well-known directors of all time – M. Night Shyamalan. The first half of the year was also about one of the most female-centric and revolutionary films (from the aspect of a female superhero), which smashed many box office records, ‘Wonder Woman.’ While, the creep factor hit next level with intense portrayal of cannibalism, French drama ‘Raw’ can easily be titled as the most ‘psychotic’ film of the year.

Here Are The Best Hollywood Films Of 2017 So Far © Focus World

Now, let us discuss one by one all those films of 2017 which have been successful in terms of viewership and critics ratings.

We start with M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Split.’ The film grossed a $276.9 million at the box office and received welcoming reviews from critics. “Split is all plot, an ingenious (and also ridiculous) conceit spun into an elegant ribbon of suspense. The less said about that plot, therefore, the better,” wrote the New York Times about the film. Shyamalan has made his point clear with a good number of twists and an immersive performance by James McAvoy. This is for sure a performance that’s Oscar worthy.

Here Are The Best Hollywood Films Of 2017 So Far © Univesal Pictures

The most awaited film of Hugh Jackman’s career grossed a whopping $616.2 million. ‘Logan’ left many teary-eyed and nostalgic at the same time. The film is the third ‘Wolverine’ solo film and marked the most well-scripted and anticipated end of Wolverine’s character.

2017 also gave us that one film, which is already seen as a strong contender for Academy Awards 2018, ‘Dunkirk’ that left us in a sublime awe. The film marked the biggest 70mm release in the last 25 years, and a major part of it has been shot through IMAX cameras. With the current 8.4 IMDb rating, the movie succeeded in resonating with the global audience.

Here Are The Best Hollywood Films Of 2017 So Far © Warner Bros. Pictures

Jordan Peele’s ‘Get Out’ was one of the most gripping films of the year. The film also had a social message apart from its nerve-wrenching horror based plot. Giving another definition to horror genre was ‘Annabelle: Creation’, the fourth installment in ‘The Conjuring’ series. The film proved to be a commercial success and grossed $255.4 million approx.

Here Are The Best Hollywood Films Of 2017 So Far © Warner Bros. Pictures

Chris McKay tried his hands at creating an entertaining film, superhero comedy ‘The Lego Batman Movie’ which brilliantly told the story of the DC comics character. But, there was another superhero inspired film, ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ which was the perfect space adventure ride, a fresh and fun-filled fantasy which crossed the $200 million mark on the big screen and won our hearts.

Here Are The Best Hollywood Films Of 2017 So Far © Walt Disney Studios

The year’s end will mark three major projects by veteran directors – Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott and Clint Eastwood. As all three of them gear up for expected 2017 releases of their films, seems like the competition is already tough with the added cinematic masterpiece by Nolan. The first collaboration between Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep is also going to be an anticipated one. It will be interesting to see as which all films and actors make it to the Academy Awards 2018.

'It' Review: Stephen King's Novel Gets A Brutal New Adaptation That Is Surely A Hit

Celebrities

Sep 092017

The commencement of horror in Hollywood has left viewers flabbergasted for a long time now. Since the beginning of human existence, people have been fascinated by ghosts or eerie tales. The curiosity to acquire knowledge about the presence of the unknown and feeling connected to the darker side of life has lead people to believe in ghastly energies around us.

Filmmakers have tried to tap into this primal fear since the advent of horror films. They see the horror genre as a money-making venture while still being true to what it set out to do. The audience is also attracted to mysterious plots as well. With no idea of what might be coming next and totally unpredictable climaxes, such movies can be extremely alarming while giving us incredible chills!!

Director Andy Muscheitti is finally here with ‘It’, an adaptation of one of Stephen King’s most visceral and terrifying novels. Stephen King is one of the most prolific and imaginative writers of his generation. He is undisputedly one of the best authors in the modern horror literature and when it comes to movies based on his stories – they are successful in both commercial and artistic ways. ‘It’ is the latest movie based on his book after ‘The Dark Tower’ in 2017 and ‘Cell’ in 2016, both appreciable in their own ways. Since 1976, Stephen King’s book adaptations to movies have been enthralling audiences worldwide. It’s 2017 now and the charm still hasn’t faded.

'It' Review: Stephen King's Novel Gets A Brutal New Adaptation That Is Surely A Hit Source: Warner Bros Pictures

The movie begins with a scene where Bill Denbrough and his seven-year-old brother Georgie are seen making a sailboat out of a sheet of paper. Georgie takes the boat out into the flooded streets and accidentally sails it down the gutter. He encounters a strange man claiming to be “Pennywise – the Dancing Clown”. Georgie, being an innocent kid is easily charmed and devoured by the monster. The movie proceeds with the events that follow in the town, six months later. Bill, feeling guilty about sending his younger brother out alone, assembles “The Losers Club”.

This band of children, on the brink of adolescence, are the only ones who are awake and attuned to the sheer horror of town’s mysterious unexplained tragedies and child disappearances. The creature also goes after a kid in the form of a living painting, permanently traumatizing him and attacks other in the form of a rotting leper. “The Losers Club” soon realise that they have been having the same experiences. Curious, they head to the library only to find that the town Derry has been plagued by such ghastly eruptions for hundreds of years. The kids come together, some out of friendship and some out of desperation resolve to vanquish this curse and free their town from ‘It’.

'It' Review: Stephen King's Novel Gets A Brutal New Adaptation That Is Surely A Hit Source: Warner Bros Pictures

With each scene different and tingling, the film finds a proper rhythm to scare the crap out of us. Elements like – the balloons, the titular clown and “You will float too” do not make the film sadistic. The filmmakers have supposedly played the safe card in releasing the movie. ‘It’ is based upon only the childhood-set portions of King’s book. The film is expected to have a potential sequel after considering the film’s pre-release tracking numbers.

Overall, ‘It’ succeeds in making you feel the sheer terror that the kids in the film go through and sends chills down your spine. Do not watch the film alone especially if you have a fear of clowns.

Wolverine May Have Died In 'Logan' But Hugh Jackman Is At An All-Time High

Celebrities

Sep 012017

His magnetic appeal and physicality helped him slip into the skin of ‘Logan’ in the ‘X Men’ cinematic universe and Hugh Jackman absolutely owned the role. In fact, the foremost reason for the audience admitting that ‘X-Men’ film series is incomplete without ‘Wolverine’ is Hugh Jackman’s remarkable portrayal of the mutant who possesses superhuman healing abilities and metal claws that protrude from his knuckles.

Hugh Jackman Is Making His Return With ‘The Greatest Showman'

Hugh Jackman has been a part of the ‘X-Men’ franchise since the first movie of the series came out in 2000. Hugh Jackman who always played ‘Logan’ as grumpy but hiding a deep ocean of pain within him has been successful in seizing ‘Wolverine’s’ essence as a haunted warrior. That is why, in-spite of being one of the finest stage actors and an Oscar nominee, he will probably be known as ‘Wolverine’, forever.

Hugh Jackman Is Making His Return With ‘The Greatest Showman'

After the embodiment of the quintessential ‘Wolverine’, Hugh Jackman is to be seen as ‘The Greatest Showman’ in a movie of the same name. This movie is based on the 1952 drama film, ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’. The iconic movie celebrated the extravagant three-ring circus and depicted the passionate love and jealousy behind the greatest show on Earth.

Hugh Jackman Is Making His Return With ‘The Greatest Showman' © 20th Century Fox

This adaptation will be a biographical musical about the celebrated American showman, P.T. Barnum, who founded the traveling circuses and The Ringling Bros. While Hugh Jackman is set to play the protagonist Barnum, the film also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Zac Efron, Michelle Williams and singer-dancer, Zendaya.

Hugh Jackman Is Making His Return With ‘The Greatest Showman' © 20th Century Fox

Jackman was also working on a musical comedy titled ‘Larrikins’ that was expected to release in early 2018. The film would surely have been a treat to his fans. Other Australian actors like Margot Robbie, Naomi Watts, and Rose Byrne were also to be a part of this film. Unfortunately, the movie was scrapped by DreamWorks Animation in early March 2017.

Hugh Jackman Is Making His Return With ‘The Greatest Showman' © Instagram – Hugh Jackman

Hugh Jackman will also be seen with Mark O’Brien in an upcoming Hollywood political drama ‘The Frontrunner’ based on the book ‘All the Truth is Out: The Week Politics Went Tabloid’ by Matt Bai. The movie examines the journey of American Senator Gary Hart in the world of politics. Jackman will play Hart in ‘The Frontrunner’, while O’Brien, 33, will play his aide-de-camp, Billy Shore.

Hugh Jackman Is Making His Return With ‘The Greatest Showman' © Instagram – Hugh Jackman

Jackman is pragmatically one of the best performers to have donned the spandex and played superheroes in ongoing franchises; so it’s no doubt that ‘Logan’ is the perfect and flawless adieu to ‘Wolverine’. He may have considered staying on for a few more films with the ‘X-Men’ franchise if there had been an edge with the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Nevertheless, fans who were left disappointed with his farewell in the last ‘Wolverine’ film couldn’t have asked for a better ending.

Hugh Jackman Is Making His Return With ‘The Greatest Showman' © Instagram – Hugh Jackman

Superheroes have been ruling the box office, giving rise to franchises in this genre. ‘Wolverine’ or ‘Logan’ is synonymous with Hugh Jackman and that portrayal will be cherished forever. His departure is a swift turn, not just for the series but also for the genre. Such is the impact of Hugh’s unmatched performance.

Before you go, let’s relive that epic scene when Wolverine was on steroids in ‘Logan.’ It took 17 years, but we finally got to see the true and savage Wolverine on screen!!

Beyoncé & Jay Z's Journey To A Billion Dollar Empire Is All About Hard Work & Superstardom

Celebrities

Aug 292017

Beyoncé and Jay Z have been creating magic since years now. Together the couple has established a billion dollar empire now their net worth is $1.16 billion; their joint earnings have made them richer and more powerful. When Forbes released their list of America’s richest self-made women (2017), Beyoncé found her place at number 46, with a net worth of approx $350 million, while Madonna still holds her position strong at number 32 with a net worth of approx $580 million. But how did this really happen? How did Beyoncé and Jay Z together become a billion dollar couple?

When Beyoncé was asked about the same, she famously mentioned to Forbes that she never gets satisfied nor she met anyone in the industry who has worked harder than her. These days, she is the primary breadwinner in her family and loves to stretch her limits. After Diddy, Beyoncé is the only on-screen artist to have clocked an amount of $105 million pretax.

How Beyoncé and Jay Z Together Created A Billion Dollar Empire © Instagram/Beyonce

Beyoncé’s Formation World Tour, that ended in late 2016 (her seventh tour), in support of her sixth studio album ‘Lemonade’ turned out to be a major grosser for the star performer. According to Billboard Boxscore, the tour grossed $256 million from 49 sold out shows and ranked at number two on Pollstar’s 2016 Year End Tours chart.

In 2012, Beyoncé signed a $50 million deal reported with Pepsi taking over more creative control over the advertising of the brand. The diva must be finding it a great source of income especially when she is on a break since last six months, post the birth of her twins. The couple recently purchased an $88 million mansion in LA’s Bel Air neighborhood.

How Beyoncé and Jay Z Together Created A Billion Dollar Empire © Instagram/Beyonce

On the other hand, Jay Z’s fortune made a hike of almost 30 percent in the previous year. The rapper made a $200 million investment from Sprint. This in-turn increased the value of his music-streaming service, Tidal at $600 million.

Jay Z however, stayed away from touring for a long time. He became a part of the national debate during the presidential elections which took place in 2016. He performed at Hillary Clinton’s event and extended his support for her. This political inclination didn’t any way affect the couple to grow financially. In-fact, in 2016 both their influence and income boomed to the next level. Jay Z also signed a $200 million deal with Live Nation and is now having some upcoming festival dates.

How Beyoncé and Jay Z Together Created A Billion Dollar Empire © Instagram/Beyonce

Though the couple has earned huge reputation and wealth individually, a major part of their money comes from companies like Roc Nation, Armand de Brignac, and others. Both believe in the idea of Team work and making everything tough and difficult possible together. Jay Z is often seen in many of Beyoncé videos, last time in her album Lemonade. In-fact that is somehow more attractive from a viewer’s perspective, their fans have always wanted to see them together.

Two years ago Jay Z purchased a streaming service known as Tidal. Now, both the rapper and his superstar wife hold a significant equity in Tidal. The value of their shares went high when Sprint invested a reported $200 million for a 33% of the company–valuing Tidal at $600 million. This was one significant deal that launched Beyoncé and Jay Z into the ten-figure territory.

The couple, after years of hard work, dedication and business skills, now know how to make investments to create a secure future, to keep their worth going up and their family’s stardom un-shattered.

From ‘Pulp Fiction' To ‘The Hateful Eight', This Is How Quentin Tarantino Aestheticized Violence & Became One Of The Greatest Film-Makers Of All Time

Celebrities

Aug 242017

It was 1992 when aestheticization of violence in movies became a new thing, Hollywood was looking forward to. A young film-maker wanted us to see his craft in extended dialogues, ensemble cast consisting of lesser known actors, and popular culture of the west. It was Quentin Tarantino’s zest in curating themes out of the box, novel and hard-nosed. Since then, there has been no looking back for him, and after decades he is known as a director who has mastered his art of depicting the neo-noir version of films.