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10 Ways to Know You've Joined a Cult (At Least in Movies)

By Rick Mele (Subscribe to Rick Mele's posts), Posted Oct 28th 2011 10:00AM
Filed under: Features, Halloween, Moviefone Canada


Already a critical hit thanks to its film festival runs, 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' is generating no shortage of buzz these days. The haunting indie drama stars Elizabeth Olsen as Martha, a young woman who struggles to reintegrate into normal life after escaping from a cult in the Catskills. But writer/director Sean Durkin's feature debut isn't the first movie to delve into the dangerous grasp cults can hold over their followers. And with 'Martha Marcy May Marlene' out now in theaters (try ordering that ticket five times fast), Moviefone thought it was time revisit some true "cult" classics; because if you're a little wary about why that new social club you signed up for keeps asking you to try the Kool-Aid, here are the top 10 ways to know you've joined a cult -- in the movies at least.
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Oliver Platt on 'The Oranges,' Subversive Behavior, and Unconventional Holiday Movies

By Rick Mele (Subscribe to Rick Mele's posts), Posted Sep 19th 2011 11:00AM
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Toronto Film Festival, Moviefone Canada
A veteran of film, TV and theater, Oliver Platt is one of the key pieces in the ensemble puzzle of 'The Oranges,' playing opposite his former 'West Wing' co-star Allison Janney as Terry Ostroff. When Terry's daughter (Leighton Meester) starts dating his best friend (Hugh Laurie), it throws all of their lives into disarray. But credit Platt and director Julian Farino's unconventional suburban comedy for not taking the obvious route and instead finding off-beat humor in an otherwise tricky situation. And while Terry may be the most subdued of the bunch, he's also the glue that holds the two families (and the movie) together.
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Leighton Meester Gossips About Her Role in 'The Oranges'

By Rick Mele (Subscribe to Rick Mele's posts), Posted Sep 18th 2011 9:20PM
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Toronto Film Festival, Moviefone Canada
Leighton Meester moves from the city to the suburbs in 'The Oranges,' a new ensemble comedy from veteran TV director Julian Farino, but the drama stays the same. In the film, Meester plays Nina Ostroff, who returns home after a five-year absence and upsets the delicate balance of their quiet New Jersey suburb. Despite Nina's parents trying to set her up with their neighbors' and best friends' eligible son (Adam Brody), Nina instead falls for his father David (Hugh Laurie) -- and the feelings are mutual.
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Ingrid Veninger on the Introspective 'i am a good person/i am a bad person'

By Rick Mele (Subscribe to Rick Mele's posts), Posted Sep 12th 2011 10:00PM
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Toronto Film Festival, Moviefone Canada

With 30 years of experience as an actor, producer, writer and director, Ingrid Veninger is a veteran when it comes to the film festival circuit. And with her latest film 'i am a good person/i am a bad person,' the Toronto filmmaker draws on that wealth of experience to play Ruby White, also a Toronto filmmaker, who struggles with personal and professional crises while touring European festivals with her daughter Sara (played by Veninger's real-life daughter Hallie Switzer).

After premiering 'MODRA' to acclaim in Toronto last year, Veninger returns to the Toronto Film Festival for her latest film. Moviefone sat down to talk to her about how 'i am a good person/i am a bad person' came together so quickly and where the line between fiction and reality blurs.
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'The Raid' Director and Stars Talk Midnight Madness and Crazy Indonesian Action

By Rick Mele (Subscribe to Rick Mele's posts), Posted Sep 8th 2011 9:30PM
Filed under: Celebrity Interviews, Toronto Film Festival, Moviefone Canada


In 2009, director Gareth Evans and Iko Uwais joined forces for 'Merantau,' which introduced movie fans to the traditional Indonesian martial art silat, along with the most exciting new star to come out of Southeast Asia since Tony Jaa. Now, Evans and Uwais have brought their bone-crunching follow-up 'The Raid' to the Toronto Film Festival, where it took the coveted opening night spot in Midnight Madness, one that's launched the careers of numerous genre directors and stars over the years (including Jaa himself).

We sat down in the AOL/Alliance Films Lounge with Evans, Uwais and fellow 'Raid' star Joe Taslim to talk about what fans can expect from the action-packed martial arts film.
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Paul Rudd, the Newest Member of the Movie Morons Club

By Rick Mele (Subscribe to Rick Mele's posts), Posted Aug 24th 2011 4:00PM
Filed under: Features, Best and Worst, Moviefone Canada

With 'Our Idiot Brother,' Paul Rudd joins a distinguished club: noted comedians who have played complete morons. The consummate straight man has always had a goofy streak, but in his new movie, which opens in theaters this week, Rudd gets to play Ned, a well-meaning idiot whose utter cluelessness makes life hell for his three sisters (Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel and Emily Mortimer). After a stint in jail for selling pot to a uniformed police officer, Ned gets shuttled from relative to relative, wearing out his welcome at every stop with his constant bumbling.

But Ned's no new phenomenon -- from Charlie Chaplin to Will Ferrell, moviegoers have long enjoyed watching actors play dumb. To celebrate Ned's stupidity, we've put together a list of the biggest movie idiots, characters who make us feel smarter by comparison and stupider for having watched them.

They say you have to be pretty smart to play dumb, and if that's the case, these 10 actors undoubtedly belong to Hollywood's Mensa chapter.
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What Is 'Senna' About?

By Rick Mele (Subscribe to Rick Mele's posts), Posted Aug 12th 2011 11:00AM
Filed under: Reviews, Moviefone Canada
senna

Charismatic yet humble, Ayrton Senna was a Brazilian national hero and an international sports superstar -- so why haven't you heard of him, much less the documentary about his life? Well, Senna's sport of choice was Formula One, which might help explain the worldwide adulation and relative North American ambivalence. But Asif Kapadia's 'Senna' is starting to change all that, as the thrilling and tragic look at one of auto racing's all-time greats landed Audience Awards at Sundance and the Los Angeles Film Festival, forcing even racing neophytes to take notice.

For those unfamiliar with Ayrton's tale, we'll bring you up to speed on just what 'Senna' is about, and why you don't need to be a Formula One fan to get drawn into this compelling retrospective on the racing superstar.
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