
Early reviews peg the sixth installment as one of the series' best.
By
Jen Yamato on Friday, Jul. 10 2009, 04:40 PM
25 CommentsThe Harry Potter franchise gets its sixth film adaptation next week, and early buzz on the wizarding saga is... fantastically fresh! As Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Co. experience the first tremors of teenage love -- and all the hormonal shifts that come with puberty, (Hog)warts and all -- the battle between good and evil is also heating up. Can Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and returning helmer David Yates withstand the series' growing pains? By the looks of things, Half-Blood Prince not only might maintain the franchise's track record of Certified Freshness (all five previous installments won the honor), it may also conjure up the best reviews of the entire series. As a wizard might say, "Merlin's Beard!"

The actress on the films that inspired her.
By
Joe Utichi on Wednesday, Jul. 08 2009, 06:58 PM
19 CommentsIf you flick through the celebrity pages of most British newspapers -- particularly the free sheets -- you'll likely recognise Jaime Winstone. As Ray Winstone's daughter she's part of that select set of star children -- think Peaches and Pixie, Lily and Alfie, Kelly and Jack -- with whom the tabloid press seem to have a keen fascination; especially when it comes to photographing them on nights out at hip London hotspots. At 23 years old, it's no surprise Winstone enjoys having a good time of an evening, but it's her daytime activities which are becoming increasingly more interesting. Her five favourite films reveal her passions, her upbringing and the steps that brought her into the industry.

The director of Point Break, Near Dark, and K-19: The Widowmaker discusses her latest film, The Hurt Locker.
By
Jen Yamato on Wednesday, Jul. 08 2009, 09:37 AM
39 CommentsWith her latest film, the critically acclaimed war film The Hurt Locker, director Kathryn Bigelow has earned the best reviews of her career to date. (At 95 percent, The Hurt Locker is also one of the best-reviewed films of the year.) True to her reputation for balancing muscular action with strong character drama, Bigelow injects moments of riveting tension into her study of volunteer bomb technician soldiers in Iraq. Rotten Tomatoes spoke with Bigelow recently in Los Angeles to learn more about the action-genre specialist's background, why she chose to make The Hurt Locker, based on embedded journalist Mark Boal's observations, and what films and filmmakers she cites among her favorites.

French artist Alexandre Tuis shares art from his work on Blood, Dragonball, Frontieres, and more
By
Jen Yamato on Thursday, Jul. 02 2009, 03:32 PM
14 CommentsWe've been fans of up-and-coming artist Alexandre Tuis for a while, so we jumped at the chance to speak with him about his work and share exclusive concept art from his latest project, the live-action manga adaptation Blood: The Last Vampire, which is out already in the UK and debuts stateside July 10. Tuis also graciously shared additional original art from his personal collection of pop culture-based work (including his rendering of Doug Jones as Frankenstein, created in honor of Guillermo del Toro's potential film adaptation) and concept art from films such as Dragonball: Evolution and Xavier Gens' horror film, Frontiere(s). We spoke with Tuis via email about his art, his influences, and his career aspirations. Read more inside.

RT talks with the Education of Charlie Banks director and Limp Bizkit singer.
By
Tim Ryan on Monday, Jun. 29 2009, 09:33 AM
87 CommentsF. Scott Fitzgerald once said there are no second acts in American lives. Obviously, he never met Fred Durst. Best known as the lead singer for rap/rockers Limp Bizkit, Durst has always had a passion for movies. His debut, The Education of Charlie Banks (out this week on DVD), tells the tale of an uneasy friendship between Charlie (Jesse Eisenberg) and Mick (Jason Ritter), a tough kid from his old neighborhood. When Charlie goes to an elite college, Mick follows him there, and for a while it appears he's smoothed out his rough edges, before old tensions come back to the surface. (Charlie Banks was shot before, but released after, The Longshots, Durst's second film, which starred Ice Cube).
Durst (who spoke to RT from Poland while on tour with his band) reflected on five of his favorite films, as well as the differences between making music and making movies, and why he chose The Education of Charlie Banks to be his first film.