All Articles by Jason Barr

TOP 5: WATCHMEN Prequel Comics, CHRONICLE Interviews, 16-Bit BREAKING BAD, DR. SEUSS’ THE LORAX, Sundance 2012 Interviews

Posted: February 4th, 2012 at 10:33 am

This past week brought us a story that is near and dear to me. While I briefly give my own thoughts regarding DC Comics’ Watchmen prequel comic series after the jump, I want to use the “Top 5′s” opening paragraph space to invite readers to voice/type their own opinions on the announcement in the comments section. As a fervent fan of the series, I’m always interested to hear fellow fans’ take on Watchmen adaptations, prequels, and the like. So, with that said, what do you think? Does the creative talent involved interest you? Is it the best idea ever? The worst? Somewhere in between? Sound off in the comments.

In addition to DC’s Before Watchmen announcement, this installment of the “Top 5″ includes interviews with the cast and director of superhero/found-footage pic Chronicle, a “What If?” look at a 16-Bit Breaking Bad RPG, ten things to know about Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, and Sundance 2012 video interviews with Bradley Cooper, Paul Dano and more. A brief recap and link to each follows after the jump.

TOP 5: 2012 Oscar Nods, CHUCK Series Finale Interviews, THE GREY, MAN ON A LEDGE, 2012 Sundance Coverage

Posted: January 28th, 2012 at 2:46 pm

So, after two weeks of talking about it, I finally caught Steven Soderbergh‘s Haywire. My thoughts? I was satisfied. Not blown away. Not shaking my head in disappointment. Satisfied. Soderbergh’s fight scenes were as beautifully executed as can be reasonably expected. In my opinion, though, there just weren’t enough of them. David Holmes’ score was fantastic when set behind said fight/chase/action sequences so, by default, there just wasn’t enough of it. The same could be said for much of the ensemble cast. In large part, their screen time was time well served. There just wasn’t enough of it to go around. So, do I recommend Haywire? Sure. As long as you go in with the expectation of seeing a slick action/thriller that is somewhat light on action and thrills. Now, onto business…

…After the jump, you’ll find that this week’s “Top 5″ is comprised of the 2012 Oscar nominations, interviews from our Chuck series finale set visit, a number of interviews for both The Grey and Man on a Ledge, and an ode to all of our 2012 Sundance coverage. A quick recap and link to each follows.

TOP 5: UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING Interviews, HAYWIRE Interviews, Recent Films/Retro Posters, Live-Action RUGRATS Trailer, Sundance 2012 Coverage

Posted: January 21st, 2012 at 1:17 pm

In last week’s “Top 5″ I spent the opening paragraph musing about my anticipation for Steven Soderbergh‘s Haywire. I also promised the readers a quick “Before & After” discussion this week which would address whether or not the pic lived up to my expectations. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but said discussion will have to be postponed. I know, I know, I’m disappointed too. Fear not, though, I’m slated to check out the film tonight which means that I’ll be able to deliver on my promise, albeit a week late. In the meantime…

…This week’s “Top 5″ installment brings you interviews with the cast of Underworld: Awakening and the aforementioned Haywire, a gallery of recent films in retro poster form, an ultra-disturbing Rugrats live-action trailer, and all of our Sundance 2012 coverage to date. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

TOP 5: New STAR WARS Live-Action Series Details, CONTRABAND, WARM BODIES, Cinemath, Our TCA Winter Press Tour Coverage

Posted: January 14th, 2012 at 11:35 am

I have to say that I can’t wait to check out Steven Soderbergh‘s actioner Haywire. Everything I’ve seen from it thus far has looked great and the positivity pouring out from early reviews only supports my belief that the entire pic will deliver. Whether it be the stellar cast, the proclaimed breakout performance from Gina Carano, or Soderbergh’s top-notch action sequences, I fully expect to be talking about Haywire right here again next week in a little “Before & After” discussion. In the meantime…

…This week’s “Top 5″ brings you some new details regarding the long-gestating Star Wars live-action television series, Contraband interviews with Mark Wahlberg, Giovanni Ribisi, and more, the first official images from Jonathan Levine‘s (50/50) Warm Bodies, a “Cinemath” feature that analyzes the 2011 box office, and all of our coverage from the 2011 Television Critics Association (TCA) Winter Press Tour. Hit the jump for brief recaps and links to each.

TOP 5: GHOST RIDER SPIRIT OF VENGEANCE Set Visit, Benedict Cumberbatch Talks STAR TREK 2, Mondo’s Justin Ishmael, BRIDESMAIDS Sequel, WAR HORSE

Posted: January 7th, 2012 at 8:44 am

With awards-season upon us, I’ve been doing my best to catch up with any potential contenders that I may have missed up to this point. Without a doubt, the standout of late has been writer/director Tate Taylor‘s The Help. I had heard from several friends that the pic was solid but nothing special. After finally getting a chance to sit down with it myself, I have to say that I disagree. I think it’s better than that. Not only is it filled with great performances, but it also finds a way to be more than a story of how a caring white person can help those otherwise hopeless black people. If only 2009′s The Blind Side could go back in time and take note.

But enough of my own cinematic experiences, in this week’s “Top 5″ you’ll find a recap of our visit to the Romanian set of Ghost Rider Spirit of Vengeance, Benedict Cumberbatch talking about his villainous role in J.J. Abrams‘ Star Trek sequel, our interview with Mondo creative director Justin Ishmael, the possibility of a Bridesmaids world without Kristen Wiig, and video interviews with War Horse‘s Jeremy Irvine, Emily Watson, Tom Hiddleston and more. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

TOP 5: End of the Year Edition – “Alamo Texter Voicemail”, Cinemath, Rise and Fall of Cult Status, How to Talk to Your Kids About STAR WARS, Nike’s Sweet BACK TO THE FUTURE MAGs

Posted: December 31st, 2011 at 9:35 am

With 2011 coming to an end at the stroke of midnight, we thought it might be nice for our weekly “Top 5″ to celebrate the season. So, after months minutes of deliberation we decided that this, the “Top 5: End of the Year Edition”, is best suited for said task. After the jump, you’ll find the five stories covered in previous “Top 5″ iterations that we think withstand the test of time and best represent the spirit of what we hope “Top 5″ to be. I promise, there’s nothing from The Dark Knight Rises here…unfortunately.

TOP 5: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, STAR TREK Sequel, Brad Bird Interview, Another Crazy Week in Trailers

Posted: December 24th, 2011 at 1:07 pm

I’m writing to you this afternoon in the late stages of a full-on nostalgia buzz. The reason? Last night, I had the pleasure of taking in a performance of the Beauty and the Beast musical at St. Louis’ beautiful The Fabulous Fox theatre. Thanks to Belle’s “Little Town”, “Something There”, and the Academy Award-winning title track, I’m still giddy and in complete tune with my five-year old self nearly 24 hours after the fact. Now, if I could just get my hands on that old Proton Pack I used to lug around at all times, my return trip to the ’90s would be complete…

…In this week’s “Top 5″ you’ll find a collection of items from The Dark Knight Rises, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo interviews with David Fincher, Rooney Mara, and Daniel Craig, tidbits of news from J.J. Abrams‘ Star Trek sequel, director Brad Bird talking about Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, The Incredibles sequel and more, and a recap of what has been yet another crazy week in trailers (Hint: there’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Prometheus, and Wrath of the Titans). Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

TOP 5: SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS Interviews, THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, The Crazy Week in Trailers, Golden Globe Nods, BRIDESMAIDS’ Awards Season Chances

Posted: December 17th, 2011 at 8:19 am

Admittedly, I have fallen off of the beaten path with regards to checking out awards season contenders in the theaters this year. That said, I’m hoping to begin turning all of that around this afternoon as a matinee of director Jason Reitman’s Young Adult is currently on my Saturday itinerary. While I can’t claim to be a huge Diablo Cody fan (I tend to think her characters all sound the same…as in, exactly like Diablo Cody), I’m almost always happy with Reitman’s work. Moreover, Charlize Theron looks to be in rare comedic form (an arena she doesn’t always find herself in, but one she undoubtedly has the chops to pull off). All in all, here’s to hoping that my Young Adult screening is just the tip of my awards season iceberg. In the meantime…

…In this week’s “Top 5″ installment, you’ll find a slew of interviews for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, a number of new assets from director Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man, a recap of this crazy week in trailers, a rundown of the 69th Annual Golden Globes nods, and a light musing regarding Bridesmaids‘ awards season chances. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each of the above.

New Bane Teaser Poster for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES

Posted: December 10th, 2011 at 2:05 pm

With all of the momentum that Christopher Nolan‘s The Dark Knight Rises has been gaining around these parts the past few days, it’s only fitting that Warner Bros. would continue to fuel the fire by sending over a new Bane teaser poster from the pic. Given that the film is still seven months away from release, I would imagine we’ll be seeing plenty more teaser one-sheets pop-up (ala The Dark Knight). In the meantime, this new sheet in addition to the original teaser poster from the film should be enough to tide me over.

Check out the new poster after the jump. The Dark Knight Rises stars Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Marion Cotillard, Morgan Freeman, and Cillian Murphy. The film hits theaters on July 20th, 2012. Also, in case you missed them, be sure to check out our spoiler-free recap of the film’s six-minute IMAX prologue and the film’s initial viral marketing campaign.

TOP 5: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, Movie Stars Portray Famous Movie Villains, TRANSFORMERS 4, QUANTUM OF SOLACE Script Problems, Kathleen Kennedy Talks JURASSIC PARK 4, TINTIN, More

Posted: December 10th, 2011 at 12:40 pm

I think there’s something to be said for coming to your own conclusions. Case in point: I may currently be at odds with 77% of the Rotten Tomatoes critic community when I say this, but I found The Sitter to be worthy of my box office dollars. Was it the best comedy I’ve ever seen? Not even close. Was it the best comedy I’ve seen in the past six months? Nope. That said, I had been looking forward to the pic over the course of covering it for this site. When the critical negativity began pouring in, I could have easily passed on the film as a result (something I’ve been guilty of in the past). Instead, I decided to check it out and I laughed (quite a bit, actually). So, what’s the moral of my story? If you want to see a movie, go see it. Don’t let poor reviews detour you from something you think you may enjoy. Use reviews as a foundation for healthy debate rather than as an excuse to not give something a chance because someone else didn’t like it.

All ranting aside, in this week’s “Top 5″ installment, you’ll be able to read all about The Dark Knight Rises and its IMAX prologue, viral campaign, and potential IMAX footage runtime. You can also see George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Rooney Mara and more portraying classic movie “villains” of their choice, get up to date on Michael Bay potentially returning to direct Transformers 4, Daniel Craig discussing the script problems that plagued Quantum of Solace, and producer Kathleen Kennedy talking Jurassic Park 4, Tintin, Lincoln, and Robopocalypse. Check out a brief recap and link to each after the jump.

TOP 5: THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN, MEN IN BLACK 3, LINCOLN, Cinemath, 2012 Oscar Previews

Posted: December 3rd, 2011 at 12:15 pm

I’m writing to you this week a better person. “Why?” you ask? Well, I’d like to think it’s a result of my ongoing pursuit to better myself. Really, though, It’s because I watched The Muppets movie last weekend. I can’t remember leaving the movie theater that genuinely happy with the state of the film industry and the world as a whole. Any place that understands the societal importance of and allows for the continued expression of Jim Henson’s iconic creations is a place I’m happy to be a part of. In short, anytime The Muppets are around, I’m all the better for it.

In other news, in this week’s “Top 5″ installment you’ll find some of the first looks at Rhys Ifans’ The Lizard from The Amazing Spider-Man, the first teaser posters for Men in Black 3, the first image of Daniel Day Lewis in Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, Brendan’s latest Cinemath feature, and each of our 2012 Oscar Previews. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

TOP 5: THE MUPPETS, HUGO, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, PROMETHEUS, Gary Oldman and Colin Firth Discuss AKIRA and OLDBOY Rumors

Posted: November 26th, 2011 at 1:15 pm

I did it, folks. I came, saw, and survived yet another Black Friday. This year’s destination of choice was my local Best Buy and I sat outside in moderately chilly temperatures for around six hours for one lonely purpose: to buy things for cheaper than what they were the day before. That’s right, I rocked Best Buy to the tune of two seasons of television on DVD for a combined $15. Now, I know some of you reading this may be thinking, “Wait, Jason waited outside for six hours so that he could buy two seasons of TV on DVD?”. My answer: a resounding “Yes!”. It’s the small things, people. The small things.

But enough of my Black Friday exploits. In this week’s “Top 5″ installment you’ll find interviews for this weekend’s openers The Muppets and Hugo, new images and plot details from The Dark Knight Rises, new images from Ridley Scott’s Prometheus, and Gary Oldman and Colin Firth addressing Akira and Oldboy remake rumors. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

TOP 5: SHERLOCK HOLMES Set Visit Coverage, BREAKING DAWN, MIRROR MIRROR Trailer, THE HUNGER GAMES Trailer, Wizarding World of Harry Potter Coverage

Posted: November 19th, 2011 at 11:48 am

As I write today, in the back of mind rests more than a handful of permutations for my Black Friday plan of attack. Do I really need a new 42 inch HDTV? How about various seasons of television on DVD/Blu-ray for rock bottom prices? What about one of those sweet Dyson vacuum cleaners with the roller ball? The answer to all of the above is most likely a resounding “no”, but need isn’t what Black Friday is all about. Not even close. Black Friday is all about getting something/anything on the cheap if for no other reason than because if you don’t, then the person behind you in line will. Oh, America. How I love thee.

In this week’s “Top 5″ installment you’ll find our set visit coverage for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, our review and interviews for a little movie you may have heard about called The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, the first trailer for director Tarsem Singh’s Snow White-tale Mirror Mirror, a new trailer for Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games adaptation, and Steve’s coverage from his visit to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

TOP 5: SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN, IMMORTALS, CARS 2, THE EXPENDABLES 2, Billy Crystal and Brian Grazer Take on 2012 Oscars

Posted: November 12th, 2011 at 12:49 pm

I’m going to bypass my usual opening paragraph musings this week and simply wish everyone a Happy Veterans Day weekend. Given that I don’t have any immediate family or friends who serve, I won’t claim to know the first thing about the sacrifices that each serviceman/woman and their respective families and friends are continually asked to make. I reap all of the benefits of their service without any of the concessions. As a result, I owe a debt of gratitude to each and every one of them.

In this week’s “Top 5″ installment you can find the first trailer for Snow White and the Huntsman, a cornucopia of interviews for Immortals and Cars 2, new set images from the set of The Expendables 2 featuring Jean-Claude Van Damme, and a look at the road that led Billy Crystal and Brian Grazer to the top of the 2012 Oscars. Hit the jump for a brief recap and link to each.

TOP 5: A VERY HAROLD AND KUMAR 3D CHRISTMAS, BREAKING DAWN, 21 JUMP STREET, Albert Brooks Interview, American Film Market Coverage

Posted: November 5th, 2011 at 11:55 am

Happy Saturday, folks. I’m writing to you this week surrounded by a mountain of used facial tissue (that’s right, I’m not endorsing Kleenex on the site without some sort of kick back…wait, dang it). Cold season has officially set in which means I’m on a daily regimen of Dayquil (which I have no problem endorsing), warm tea, and self-pity. In case you’re a longtime reader of the “Top 5″ and you’re wondering to yourself, “Wasn’t Jason just complaining about the summer heat?”, the answer is yes. Out of the 52 yearly weeks, I’m generally not complaining about the weather for approximately 2 or 3 of them. It’s sad, I know.

In this week’s “Top 5″ you can find our video interviews with the cast of A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas, press conferences with Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and more from The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 junket, the red band trailer for Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum’s  21 Jump Street, a sit-down with the great Albert Brooks, and our coverage to date of this year’s American Film Market. Find a brief recap and link to each after the jump.

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