From the moment I saw Les Misérables unfold on stage over a decade ago, I became enamored with Victor Hugo’s story. I’ve seen the musical adaptation on tour several times (including the first time when I went back the next day and snuck around backstage to see the behind-the-scenes workings of the production), I’ve attacked Hugo’s original work several times (although finishing... 

Ever since the first time I saw it on stage as a teenager, I’ve been a huge fan of Les Miserables. The musical adaptation of Victor Hugo’s story of revolution and romance, and particularly his heroic, downtrodden Jean Valjean enraptured me instantly. I’ve seen the show at every opportunity, purchased the incredible Symphonic edition and the DVD of the concert performance (the incredible 10th Anniversary... 

Margaret is convinced I told her we could stop doing the podcast when the movies stopped coming. Since the movies keep coming, we’re still here. This week we look at Pixar’s strike-out with Cars 2, debate the merits of Weezer, argue about Andie MacDowell’s voice, talk about the casting of the new Superman flick, and hit on who will be (or more likely won’t be) at San Diego Comic... 

The Retrospectives are an idea I’ve been rolling around for a number of years now, even going back to my time with Cinema Blend. You see, it’s bothered me that we decide in the heat of the moment which film was better that year. We can’t decide what movie was the best movie in a given year just as we can’t determine if a year is going to produce a good crop of wine. It takes... 

If it was any other week, The Next Three Days might have had a chance. The thriller, which stars Russell Crowe as a man whose life gets turned upside-down after his wife is accused of murder, certainly has a high enough pedigree: Crowe, writer/director Paul Haggis (Crash), and Elizabeth Banks (W), among others. But up against the phenomenon that is Harry Potter, well, this movie just didn’t have... 

Taking place in 1199 AD, the new Robin Hood is set as soldiers are coming away from the Crusades, where murdering and plundering have become a way of life for King Richard and his men, who are working their way back to England bankrupt and exhausted. While Robin Longstride, played by Russell Crowe, has been fighting as an archer for the King, he feels the grief such acts have caused, and makes a plan... 

This year is filled with small-squad army movies, kicking off with this week’s The Losers. Is this sub-genre going to wear out its welcome or is it starting off with a bang? Listen to this week’s episode to get our thoughts on that, as well as the South Park controversy, Joss Whedon taking on Marvel’s mightiest, Leonard Nimoy, the Alien prequel, and the beginnings of this year’s... 

So it’s like I’ve been hidden under a holiday rock or something, because somehow the trailer for Robin Hood came out and whizzed right by my field of vision. This is definitely a teaser trailer, giving you little if any plot or story layout other than Russell Crowe, who plays the title character, coming out of some water and kicking butt. From the trailer we gather Cate Blanchett is Maid Marian... 

We talked on the audio show a few weeks ago about the effects of bad star behavior on their careers. Russell Crowe is one of those who has sort of fallen into that trap. A few bad decisions and my desire to see a movie strictly because of him has reduced. If the movie looks good I’ll still see it (I’m not avoiding Crowe’s projects), but his star power alone isn’t enough to draw me to something. Still,...