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Heres the first major movie of the new year that touches greatness, and damn if there isnt a curse hanging over it. Stop-Loss , directed with ferocity and feeling by Kimberly Peirce ( Boys Dont Cry ), is up against the war raging between audiences and films about Iraq. Box-office casualties last year include Lions for Lambs , Rendition , Redacted , Grace Is Gone and the unfairly scorned In the Valley of Elah . Stop-Loss has the juice to break the jinx. The emotional battlefield on which Peirce paints her canvas strikes a universal chord that transcends politics and preaching. Peirce, who co-wrote the script with Mark Richard, takes us inside the minds and hearts of soldiers who enlisted after 9/11. Why? To get the people who had done this, in the words of Peirce, whose brother joined a unit attached to the 82nd Airborne. At first, Peirce thought of making documentary about the trauma faced by men and women in military service who struggle to re-enter civilian life after duty in Iraq. ...

A couple is torn apart by an unspeakable injustice in the powerful first trailer If Beale Street Could Talk . The movie is based on James Baldwins 1974 novel of the same name and the trailer arrives on the late authors birthday. Directed by Moonlight directorBarry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk tells the story of Fonny and Tish, a young couple who are expecting their first child when Fonny is framed for rape. Tish enlists her dysfunctional family to help prove Fonnys innocence and free him from a corrupt system. The trailer is light on plot specifics, but captures the emotional turmoil of the story. Shots of Fonny and Tish together one moment are juxtaposed with footage of them separated by the glass of a prison visitation booth. The trailer is guided by an old audio clip of Baldwin, who says, When I was growing up, I was trying to make a connection between the life I saw and the life I lived. There are days when you wonder what your role is in this country and what your future ...

M EGAN FOX has been known to say a few things. She says shes a tranny, she says shes a bisexual, she says she has the libido of a 15-year-old boy, she says, Actors are the worst assholes to hang out with theyre either narcissistic douche bags or raging alcoholics, she says most men are weak like puppies, she says she has her boyfriends name tattooed next to my pie. She says all these wonderful, crazy things, which are most often accompanied by pictures of her in bra and panties, with her pillow-plump lips provocatively parted, and then she goes on about her business like shes said nothing of interest at all, leaving delighted tabloid editors everywhere dancing in her wake. But why docs she do this? Whats the point? The theory usually posited is that shes a slut for attention and that her ultimate goal is some kind of freakish worldwide celebrity domination. If thats indeed the plan, so far, so good. At the age of 23, shes already been called the Sexiest Woman on Earth, already been ask...

There are so many congratulatory statements I want to make to FX at this time about The Americans. However, since space is limited and I need to maintain some semblance of an objective slant on this recap, Ill just say this: Please, FX, dont ever put The Americans up against Scandal (which returns from its winter hiatus February 27thon ABC). I dont think my nervous system could handle having to choose between two Washington, D.C.-based dramas filled with sex, intrigue and costumes I covet on a daily basis. Anyone who has been following my Twitter feed of late (or that of most TV critics/reporters) will know that its pretty much been an Americans lovefest since I got my hands on the first batch of screeners. So now that the season premiere has aired: For those havent hopped on the Americans bandwagon yet, this recap will serve as my longform argument to, to use a popular term from the Soviet-era drama, turn those remaining holdouts. With Breaking Bad having ended its run last fall...

Johnny Depp will star in Wes Andersons next movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel , according to the The Hollywood Reporter . While few details about the movie itself are available yet (specifically regarding Depps character or the films plot), it will be financed and produced by Indian Paintbrush, and will also mark Andersons first time shooting in Europe. Depp is the first actor to officially sign on to Budapest , though its rumored that Anderson is looking to add some names familiar to his past films, including Bill Murray, Owen Wilson, Adrien Brody, Willem Dafoe, Jeff Goldblum and Edward Norton (who appears in Andersons latest, Moonrise Kingdom ), as well as Jude Law and Angela Lansbury. Footage of Depps latest film, The Lone Ranger , premiered at Comic-Con over the weekend, and the actor is currently co-editing a lost novel by Woodie Guthrie.

Author George R.R. Martin, who created the world of Game of Thrones in his Song of Ice and Fire series of books, has heard fans complaints that he is taking too long with the sagas next installment, The Winds of Winter , and he has two words for them: Fuck you. Top 40 Game of Thrones Characters, Ranked The 65-year-old writer delivered that message to Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger , (viaUproxx), when a reporter brought up the issues of his age and health and the outside chance that something could happen to him before the story is complete. I find that question pretty offensive, he said. He also threw up his middle finger as he delivered his two-word retort. The writer said that he also found it contentious that fans would complain about his attending events rather than staying home and working, noting that he only writes when he is home. But despite his outrage at such suggestions, he also said that he did not know when the next book would be finished. He reiterated, however, that he...

Game of Thrones will kick off its fourth season on April 6th but since two weeks is an eternity in nerd time (this writer included), the fantasy-drama has shared another round of intense teasers to satisfy fan cravings. Both of these new 30-second clips (titled Awaken and All Men) feature the foreboding phrase ALL MEN MUST DIE, a translation of Valar Morghulis, possibly emphasizing just how bloody these new batch of episodes will be. TVs 22 Smartest People on Their Favorite Shows Awake, available above, features a series of tantalizing teases including one notable throat-slitting and teases some added screen time for characters like Bran Stark (Isaac Hempstead-Wright) and Hodor (Kristian Nairn). All Men, available below, is heavy on sword fights and climaxes with Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage) warning, If you want justice, youve come to the wrong place. The premiere episode of season four, Two Swords, will air on April 6th at 9 p.m. EST, and the show has been cranking out the tra...

The Wolverine will slash through theaters this summer, and in this new trailer for the Marvel superhero movie, Hugh Jackmans Logan aka the X-Man Wolverine travels to Japan and revisits his past. Summer Movie Preview 2013: The Wolverine Logan first awakens from a nightmare in which he has stabbed longtime love and X-Men teammate Jean Grey (Famke Janssen). The emotionally rattled Logan is revealed to be sleeping outdoors, and the hero has been traveling to Japan. He encounters an impressive swordswoman who ends a barfight with a few quick strokes, and she says her boss would like to meet with Wolverine. Logan visits the man and learns theyve connected in the past. But old acquaintances give way to new brawls, and Logan battles the Silver Samurai to save himself and his weakening powers. The Wolverine opens July 26th.

Eddie Murphys headed back to Detroit in the upcoming fourth installment of the Beverly Hills Cop franchise. According tothe Associated Press, the state of Michigan approved $13.5 million in film incentives, based on an estimated $56.6 million of filmmaker spending in the state. The film will be shot in and around Detroit, creating jobs for an estimated 352 workers, the Michigan Film Office announced on Thursday. Murphy Going Family Friendly and 9 More Annoying Movie Star Behaviors Beverly Hills Cop 4 the first in the series since 1994 will find Murphy reprising his role as police detective Axel Foley. Describing the plot, the film office says the character leaves his position in Beverly Hillsduring the coldest winter on record to navigate the new rules and old enemies in one of Americas most tenacious cities. The film will be directed by Brett Ratner (who worked with Murphy on 2011s Tower Heist ) and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (who produced the original 1984 Beverly Hills Cop ), b...

Rockers Kings of Leon stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live last night to perform two tracks off their latest LP, Mechanical Bull . Even though they didnt shut down Hollywood Boulevard to play the show, as our new cover subjectPaul McCartney recently did, they delivered rousing renditions of Supersoaker and Temple Where Does Aha Shake Heartbreak Rank on Our 100 Best Albums of the 2000s? The band showed restraint at the start of Temple, as frontman Caleb Followill pushes his bandmates and brothers to stay at just the right threshold, adding in a melody here and a drum showcase there, before they all push themselves just a little further for the chorus. By the time they reach the bridge, Followill leans back and howls, I just want to be noticed. The audience cheers accordingly. The Supersoaker clip begins with Followill strumming a ragged rhythm until the rest of the band kicks in with a lush backdrop of thumping bass, post-disco cymbal work and xylophones. In the hands of Kings of Leon, though, ...

In a new interview with Marie Claire , Kristen Wiig reveals why she left Saturday Night Live and that she had always planned on exiting after seven seasons. I know a lot of people probably assume, Oh, shes leaving because she is going to be doing movies now and things like that, which I will be, she tells the magazine. But I just always knew it was going to be seven and that was it. I think maybe if I were 22, I could see myself staying a little bit, but it just felt like the right time. But leaving the show that made her a star wasnt easy. It was very emotional, she says. I just wanted to get through it without breaking down in every sketch. Because nothing says comedy like breaking down. Wiig and castmate Andy Samberg announced their departures from SNL after this past season, with Samberg set to star in an upcoming BBC series.

Kevin Smiths new comedy/horror film Tusk opens this weekend and its got us thinking back to Clerks , which turns 20 next month. Its the super low-budget movie that transformed the 24-year-old Jersey kid and comic book nut into one of the most beloved indie filmmakers of the 1990s and a cult hero for slackers everywhere, even if the mainstream press hasnt quite embraced all of his follow-up films. The original Clerks paved the way for an animated TV show and a sequel in 2006, but none of those would have happened had Smith stuck with his original ending for the movie, where Dante Hicks the Quick Stop worker who wasnt even supposed to there on that fateful day gets murdered by a mysterious man who robs the register. The film ended with a shot of Dantes lifeless corpse on the ground. I hated that ending, said Brian OHalloran, the actor that played Dante. I just thought it was too quick of a twist. Smith said he shot the scene because he simply didnt know how to end the movie, but he ...

American comedy lost one of its most influential voices this week, with the great Harold Ramis dying at age 69. In the wake of that massive loss, Sony has decided to revamp the script for the long-awaited Ghostbusters III , which originally featured a cameo appearance from Ramis. Ramis, who played Dr. Egon Spengler in the original 1984 comedy and its 1989 sequel, co-wrote both films with Dan Aykroyd. Readers Poll: The 25 Greatest Movies of the 1980s, Ghostbusters According to the Hollywood Reporter , the third Ghostbusters film was supposed to feature a baton-passing scene between original three castmembers (Ramis, Aykroyd and Bill Murray) and a trio of newbies. One unnamed insider speculates the project will face some repercussions following Ramis death, but the film (written byLee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, veterans of The Office ) is expected to continue with some subtle story tweaks. Director Ivan Reitman, who helmed the first two Ghostbuster films, is expected to meet with Son...

Danish director Nicholas Winding Refn makes movies from images he paints in his head. Sometimes the result is mesmerizing, as in Pusher, Bronson and especially Drive. Sometimes the movie just lies there like a bad idea ready to be put out of its misery. Only God Forgives is that kind of Refn mistake (and, to my mind, so are Refns Lincoln commercials with a muttering Matthew McConaughey). But his new one, The Neon Demon , is a special kind of awful. Its not that I cant buy the premise that the Los Angeles fashion world is producing a world of jealous models who suck the life out of each other by becoming vampires. That sounds reasonable. What I cant buy is that Refn has made a movie this lifeless and devoid of human interest. Elle Fanning stars as Jesse, the new kid in fashion town. Shes a natural beauty so everyone wants to hate her but not untilafter they fuck her. Ruby (Jena Malone) plays a makeup artist who practically drools at the sight of Jesse. Its even worse for the surgica...

Want to be a fly on the wall when a gaggle of investment bankers precipitate the 2008 financial crisis? Step up for Margin Call , a thrillingly intense look at what went down through the prism of one unnamed Wall Street investment firm trying to save its ass before Armageddon. Writer-director J.C. Chandor, whose father toiled for Merrill Lynch, makes an impressive debut by focusing the action on a 24-hour period that starts with staff layoffs. One of the shitcanned is Eric Dale (a reliably superb Stanley Tucci), a manager who shares the smell of disaster with his protg Peter Sullivan (a very fine Zachary Quinto, one of the films producers). It looks like the future losses will exceed the firms total market capitalization. Peter and his colleague, Seth Bregman (Penn Badgley), call in their boss, Will Emerson (Paul Bettany), who brings in his chief, Sam Rogers (Kevin Spacey). Before total panic, Sam consults with even bigger guns Jared Cohen (Simon Baker, wily perfection) and Sarah Robe...

Peter OToole, the acclaimed actor who made his name playing the title role in the 1962 epic Lawrence of Arabia , died in London on Saturday at the age of 81. The New York Times reports that he had been ill for a long time. The 10 Best Movies of 2013 The son of an Irish bookmaker, OToole started off his acting career on the British stage in the 1950s, spending several years at the Bristol Old Vic theater and turning in an impressive performance as Hamlet in a 1958 London production. His portrayal of soldier and scholar T.E. Lawrence in David Leans Lawrence of Arabia earned him his first of eight Academy Award nominations. Further accolades came for his work in Becket , The Lion in Winter , Goodbye, Mr. Chips , The Ruling Class , The Stunt Man , My Favorite Year and, most recently, in the 2006 film Venus . The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences finally gave him an honorary Oscar in 2003 in recognition of his entire body of work, which includes more than 90 films and televisio...

The only good, solid movie to open this weekend is a holiday-themed piece shot through with humor and heartbreak. No bull. And low on sappy. Props to Edward Burns, the writer, director and star, who goes back to this Irish-Catholic roots and the 1995 debut film that put him on the map, The Brothers McMullen . Often called the Irish Woody Allen, Burns knows his way around the business of family. Burns plays Gerry Fitzgerald, the eldest of seven children parented by Josie (a superb Anita Gillette), a single mom since her husband, Big Jim (Ed Lauter), walked out on them 20 years ago. Now Big Jim has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He wants to come home for Christmas. Josie wants no part of the rat bastard. His adult children are divided on the issue. Thats the movie. It sounds like a Hallmark card, but Burns and a bracingly fine cast play it for real. Lots of grit and comic grace notes. Burns introduces so many characters at once that the movie begins to feel like a Tolstoy novel. ...

For the provocative questions it asks about identity and brute force, David Cronenberg's A History of Violence is the best movie of the year so far. That's what makes the rerelease of Michelangelo Antonioni's 1975 landmark, The Passenger , such a well-timed companion piece. The script, co-written by Antonioni and Peter Wollen, focuses on a TV journalist (a superb Jack Nicholson) who steals the identity of a dead man and embarks on a new life, only to find violent surprises on his trail. Antonioni and Cronenberg differ greatly as stylists, but their shared gift for expressing the comfort and agony of dislocation is uncanny.

Billy Bob Thornton is the best weapon against cute that a kid baseball movie ever had. Like Bill Murray, Thornton is allergic to uplift. As Morris Buttermaker, the boozing pussy-hound coach of the Bears a losing team of California misfits Thornton cuts the brats no slack. You look like the last shit I took, he drawls. elcome to Bad Santa baseball with Santas writing elves Glenn Ficarra and John Requa reteaming with Thornton to rock the PG-13 rating. In terms of drugs, the film tones down the 1976 original. Unlike Walter Matthau, who created the role of the badass coach, Thornton doesnt tell kids to grab a toke. But the mischief he does make adds up to wild, rowdy fun. Baseball is a dictatorship, and Im Hitler, says the coach, who spikes his beer with hard stuff, passes out on the field and hustles the Bo-Peep strip club to supply the teams jerseys. Its a business, they pay taxes, he tells the lawyer (Marcia Gay Harden) who stuck him, a man who once pitched an inning in the majors, wi...