Kristy Puchko
Everybody's always picking on Michael Bay. You know, because of 'Transformers, 'Transformers 2' and pretty much every other film he's directed. But give the guy a chance, maybe get to know him a little bit and then go watch 'Pain and Gain' not with the burning humiliation that this is a movie from the 'Armageddon' guy, but that you're watching a film made by the man who directed your favorite milk commercial. Yes, that milk commercial. Here are 10 things you didn't know about Michael Bay.
With season three of 'Game of Thrones' currently underway, we're once again entranced by Tyrion, Daenerys, Cersei and all the rest. A huge aspect of the hit HBO show's appeal is its excellent cast. The 'Game of Thrones' cast so fully disappear into their characters, it's easy to forget they are a vast group of actors from different backgrounds and disciplines, Let's take a look at a few things you might not have known about the brilliant actors who bring the citizens of Westeros to life.
First 'Game of Thrones,' and now 'Mad Men' is back on the air. Looks like the TV season is back in full swing, and just in time to keep us from enjoying the beautiful weather.
If Hollywood teaches us anything, it's that nothing is sacred. No matter how distinctive or beloved a movie might be, it could well be subject to a remake. Just this year we'll be seeing reboots of 'Evil Dead,' 'Carrie' and 'Old Boy.' And in the works are revamps of 'RoboCop,' 'The Naked Gun' and 'Escape From New York.'
From reckless junkies, to hopelessly romantic slumdogs, a man forced to face the zombie apocalypse and a man forced to hack off his own arm to survive an excursion gone terrifyingly wrong, director Danny Boyle has offered us plenty of portraits of unlikely protagonists. Not only has he taken us into the characters' vibrant and often brutal worlds, but he has also shown us how these desperate people are not so unlike ourselves.
It's the movie that taught us the phrase "Carpe Diem." It's the film that forged our long-lasting crush on Robert Sean Leonard and Ethan Hawke. It is the Oscar-winning coming-of-age drama that made boarding schools seem dreamy yet nightmarish. It is 'Dead Poets Society.'
One part comedy show, one part game show, 'Whose Line Is It Anyway' brought the whimsy and energy of improvisational comedy clubs into homes across America. Sure, the points didn't matter, and there were no actual prizes handed out. Nonetheless, it was riveting television with whip-smart comedians spinning wild narratives and creating kooky characters off the top of their heads!
In the wake of 'Beauty and the Beast,' an ambitious animated feature called 'FernGully: The Last Rainforest' aimed to capture the imaginations of children while teaching them a lesson about the importance of environmental conservation. Based on the book of the same name by Diana Young, 'FernGully' took audiences deep into the rainforests of Australia to show the incredible creatures that live there and how they are at risk because of reckless human greed.
Since 1981, MTV has been a taste-maker, influencing teens and tweens in the ways of music, fashion, movies and social awareness. And if you're old enough to remember when MTV actually centered its programming on showing music videos, then you're old enough to feel nostalgia over the wide array of beautiful people who served as VJs over the past thirty-some years.
Following the success of his 'Star Wars' trilogy, George Lucas chose to collaborate with Ron Howard on a family-friendly fantasy film about a little but brave man forced by fate into a grand adventure. The result was 1988's 'Willow.' Ultimately the film earned mixed reviews and was deemed only a moderate box office success, yet it became a beloved touchstone of countless childhoods.
As children we were all terrified by Disney's villains. Their evil cackles rattled our still-developing brains, and haunted our nightmares along with their songs, which gleefully reveled in their bad intentions and malevolent plots. Yet looking back, these vicious villains are a beloved part of our childhood, from their cruelly pointed toes to their audacious hairdos.
Through their long line of beloved animated adventures, Walt Disney Pictures has unveiled a sprawling and dazzling array of animal characters, from Baloo the Bear and Winnie the Pooh, to the Cheshire Cat and Sebastian the crab.
You know their voices. You know their songs by heart. Now get to know the folks behind these memorable characters that enchanted your childhood.