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Nicolas Cage Movies: His 10 Best and Worst

By Dan Solomon (Subscribe to Dan Solomon's posts), Posted Jan 7th 2011 4:30PM
Filed under: Features, Best and Worst


In honor of Nicolas Cage week, we've been sifting through the man's prepostorously long filmography in order to determine the ten best and worst films he's appeared in. This is no simple task. The highs are some of the better movies of the past few decades, and the lows are -- well, they're pretty low. As the man turns 47 years old today, we can only hope that the next four-plus decades are filled with an array of his movies as wildly uneven as the first.

When compiling the list, we tried to focus mostly on the Cage's more noteworthy performances -- so, even though it was awesome in its own right, his cameo in 'Fast Times At Ridgmont High' doesn't qualify for a spot on the "best" list. We also limited it to movies we'd actually seen, meaning that 'Season of The Witch,' which opens today, also doesn't count. (Cage told us this week that the script was "marvelous," so who knows?) Nonetheless, if you disagree with some of our picks, let us know in the comments.
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Happy Birthday, January Jones! Is 2011 the Year She Becomes a Movie Star?

By Dan Solomon (Subscribe to Dan Solomon's posts), Posted Jan 5th 2011 3:00PM
Filed under: Movie Photos, Hot Topic


Given how passionate fans of the TV drama 'Mad Men' are, it's easy to forget that the cable show's audience is so limited that its stars aren't, like, stars.

Sure, Jon Hamm appeared in a moderately successful movie last year ('The Town') and has hosted 'Saturday Night Live' multiple times. But as of yet, no box-office heroes have emerged from 'Mad Men.'

Which leads us to ask: Will January Jones (aka Betty Draper) be the first to break out? With big roles in a trio of promising films due out this year -- the Liam Neeson thriller 'Unknown' (Feb. 18), the potential blockbuster 'X-Men: First Class' (June 3) and the Nicolas Cage drama 'The Hungry Rabbit Jumps' (release date TBD) -- Jones has a real shot at transitioning from small-screen favorite to bona-fide star.

In honor of her 33rd birthday -- she isn't named December Jones for a reason -- let's take another look at Miss January (enjoy the photos!) and debate a burning question: Will the 'Mad Men' actress's upcoming films push her over the movie-star hump?

January Jones (15 Photos)(click thumbnails to view gallery)

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Thanksgiving Movies: 21 Films About Turkey Day

By Dan Solomon (Subscribe to Dan Solomon's posts), Posted Nov 25th 2010 6:00AM
Filed under: Features, Holiday Movies

Thanksgiving doesn't get the same sort of movie love that holidays like Christmas and Halloween do. Still, just because there aren't quite as many theatrical examples focusing on America's favorite celebration of turkey and smallpox doesn't mean that there aren't a number of films delivering a cinematic representation of the big day.

As you prepare to gorge yourselves on stuffing and pie, Moviefone gives you a list of some of the best Thanksgiving-related movies ever made.
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'Happytime Murders' Producer Dishes on Brian Henson's Upcoming Puppet Noir

By Dan Solomon (Subscribe to Dan Solomon's posts), Posted Nov 15th 2010 10:00AM
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Behind the Scenes, Cinematical

The puppet movie-loving public -- which we're certain includes almost everyone who reads Moviefone -- was thrilled to see the initial report that Brian Henson, scion to the house that Kermit built, would be returning to feature filmmaking for the first time since 1996's 'Muppet Treasure Island,' with the puppet noir film 'The Happytime Murders.'

The movie was picked up by Lionsgate and is slated to begin production in January -- and Vulture reports that Cameron Diaz has been offered a starring role. With the film making real progress toward leaving behind its "risky project" description and actually being made, there's also been a lot of speculation about the project based on its one-paragraph synopsis:

"Happytime" takes place in a world where humans and puppets coexist, with the puppets viewed as second-class citizens. When the puppet cast of 1980s children's TV show "The Happytime Gang" gets murdered one by one, a disgraced LAPD detective-turned-private-eye puppet -- with a drinking problem, no less -- takes the case with his former human partner.

The Internet has mischaracterized the film as a "Muppet noir" -- it isn't, as the Jim Henson Company sold the Muppets to Disney in 2004. Some have also compared the movie to 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit' and the cult TV show 'Greg the Bunny.' To clarify what 'The Happytime Murders' is really about, Moviefone recently sat down with Dee Austin Robertson, the project's creator and executive producer.
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Actors Who Do Their Own Stunts: Tom Cruise and 8 Other Daredevil Stars

By Dan Solomon (Subscribe to Dan Solomon's posts), Posted Nov 8th 2010 4:00PM
Filed under: Features, Behind the Scenes, Hot Topic

Last week, Tom Cruise scaled the world's tallest building while filming his own stunts for 'Mission: Impossible 4.' The idea of a 48-year-old Scientologist peering through the windows at tourists visiting the indoor observation area on the 124th floor is certainly a compelling one, but Cruise is hardly the first big star to perform his own stunts.

Let's take a look at other highly paid actors from recent years who have risked life and limb in pursuit of making things look just a little more authentic on-screen. Keep reading to learn about hardcore stars such as Jason Statham and Chloe Moretz who have elected to take the action into their own hands.
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Dax Shepard Talks 'Brother's Justice,' Martial Arts and Burt Reynolds' Junk

By Dan Solomon (Subscribe to Dan Solomon's posts), Posted Oct 29th 2010 10:00AM
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Features, Coming Soon

America -- nay, the world -- has sorely been missing something ever since Chuck Norris became a post-ironic punchline. What is that, you ask? Why, a white martial arts superstar/international sensation, of course!

Luckily, one actor has recognized this void and decided to step in to fill it with a not-so-major motion picture. That man's name is Dax Shepard, and his independently financed movie is 'Brother's Justice.'
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Will Zach Galifianakis Stop Being Funny? Not If He Follows Our Advice.

By Dan Solomon (Subscribe to Dan Solomon's posts), Posted Oct 6th 2010 4:45PM
Filed under: Features, Hot Topic

Zach Galifianakis, take note: Just because everybody -- including us -- thinks you're effin' hilarious right now doesn't mean that people might not get tired of your shtick one of these days.

We'll be the first to admit it: Zach G. is still funny now. Whenever we see him in 'The Hangover' with the baby? Never gets old. The trailer for 'Due Date,' where he's annoying the crap out of Robert Downey Jr. for three minutes, has great comic potential. But in all of these, including the new dramedy 'It's Kind of A Funny Story,' Galifianakis is starting to look a little same-y.

And that's a problem.

For most big-screen funnymen, there comes a point when the gimmick that made them famous begins to wear. Jack Black had an early career trajectory -- beloved indie comedian to buzz-worthy Hollywood hotshot -- similar to Galifianakis's, and though he's still a bankable star, few have flipped over his mainstream work since 2003's 'School of Rock.' Jim Carrey, Billy Crystal, Adam Sandler and Mike Myers all slipped from their once-lofty comic perches, too.

So how can the bearded buffoon learn from that history and avoid losing his cred? Let's look for some clues as to what he can do to avoid turning into Robin Williams.
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