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War cinema has long been a pivotal touchstone of filmmaking brilliance. Through its confronting and visceral stories and its basis on historical facts, the war genre has always been able to appeal to the masses despite its often-disturbing presentation. There is perhaps no greater testament to this than the fact that such war films asSaving Private Ryan,American Sniper, and1917are among the highest-grossing R-rated films of all time. However, not every war film has been so fortunate at the box office....

Universal has released the first trailer for Sam Mendes’ new movie1917.George MacKay(Captain Fantastic) andDean-Charles Chapman(Game of Thrones) are set to star as two young British soldiers, and the film will follow them over the course of a single day at the height of WWI as they attempt to deliver a message that could save 1,600 soldiers. The film also starsBenedict Cumberbatch,Mark Strong,Richard Madden,Colin Firth,Andrew Scott(Sherlock),Daniel Mays (Rogue One),ÂAdrian Scarborough (Christopher Robin), Jamie ParkerÂ(Harry Potter and the Cursed Child),ÂNabhaan Rizwan (Informer) andÂClaire Duburcq....

[Editor’s note: The following containsspoilersforAdventure Time: Distant Lands - BMO.] When last we saw BMO, the fan-favorite robot was telling Beth and Shermy the tale of the great Gum War some 1,000 years after that conflict ended in theAdventure Timeseries finale, “Come Along with Me.” But like most of the acclaimed animated series, we never quite know where in time, space, or canon we are with any given episode. That remains the case in the new spin-off specials, the first of which isAdventure Time: Distant Lands - BMO, which delivers a wonderful standalone story for the optimistic bot and even provides a bit of tie-in lore for the fans out there....

They can spin off TV series and direct-to-video sequels, they can move from the screen to the stage, they can persist in their live-action remake trend in the face of all artistic arguments against it, but the Walt Disney Company has yet to treat the offshoots of their animated library as more than that – offshoots. In toys and merchandising, in children’s books, in the theme park lands and cast costumes, you’re far more likely to encounter the stable of characters in their cartoon guises than any approximation of the live-action variant....

[This is a re-post of my review from the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.American Pastoralopens this Friday in limited release.] I likeEwan McGregor. I think he’s a charming presence in films and despite his longevity in the industry (he’s been a star since 1996’sTrainspotting), he’s frequently underrated despite his range and versatility (he has no Oscar nominations and can only get lead roles in independent films). I hoped his directorial debut,American Pastoral, might not only allow him to show another dimension to his acting, but reveal a promising new career avenue....

InThis Week in Animation News,I’ll take a look at the previous week in the world of animation in order to get you caught up on everything you might have missed. It’s your one-stop shop for news regarding cartoons, anime, and animated web series. We’re talking movies, TV shows, digital shorts, and everything in between! Hopefully you had a chance to check out all the ridiculous animation news that came out ofSan Diego Comic-Con, but if not, I’ve rounded a bunch of it up for youhere....

In no surprise,Avengers: Infinity Warclimbed past $450 million domestically this weekend and reached (well over) $1 billion worldwide in a record-setting 11 days. A good chunk of the Marvel movie’s opening weekend audience opted not to follow up for a second viewing this weekend since the movie suffered a 56.4% drop in ticket sales from its first frame, but the massive turnout was still enough forAvengers: Infinity Warto top its nearest competitor by almost $100 million....

Ending a TV series is hard. The whole idea behind a TV show is that it doesn’t end. It keeps going. Sure there are season finales, but they usually end in a manner that sets up more drama and conflict to come. The list of truly great series finales is actually rather short. Most shows, if given the opportunity to go out on their own terms, end in a satisfactory if somewhat forgettable manner....

With directorJon Favreau’sThe Lion Kingnow playing in theaters, I recently sat down withAlfre Woodard(Sarabi) andChiwetel Ejiofor(Scar) for an exclusive interview. During the brief but fun interview, they talked about what it’s like being in a project like this, how even their friends were asking about the film during production, if they ever got to record with other people at the same time, what they love about Disneyland, and how Alfre Woodard wanted to move to California as a kid because of Disneyland....

Netflix announced an all-star cast today for its upcoming filmThe Devil All the Time. Directed byAntonio Campos(The Sinner,Christine), and written by Antonio andPaulo Campos, the movie is described as “a midwestern gothic involving a serial killer couple, a faith-testing preacher, and a corrupt local sheriff in a story told across two decades.” Produced by Randall Poster, Ninestories’ Jake Gyllenhaal and Riva Marker, and Max Born, the film will starChris Evans,Tom Holland,Robert Pattinson,Bill Skarsgard,Mia Wasikowska, andEliza Scanlen....

[This is a re-post of my review from the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival.Colossalopens in limited release on Friday.] Writing about a movie likeColossalis tough. Basically, this movie is insane. Each successive scene is different from what you expect. But given that part of its charm is the constant subversion of expectations, I’m wary of giving away too much. Suffice it to say, writer/directorNacho Vigalondosucceeds in crafting a drama about the cost and demons of alcoholism in which a giant lizard monster factors significantly into the plot....

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Dead to Me Season 3.Netflix’s black comedyDead to Meis a classic case of opposites attract. That’s the basis of a lot of relationships, and it’s also a cliché that tends to be overused in film and television. It’s not necessarily that it’s notentertaining, but it’s a premise that can go stale rather quickly if it isn’t developed properly.Liz Feldman’s delicious crime comedy successfully builds off this strong foundation and pulls us into the world of Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini), two very different women, who, despite their unusual circumstances, become unimaginably close....

Horror has always been about more than jump scares, kill counts, and blood and guts. With the goal being to frighten the viewer, the genre is perfect for deeper messages about our society.Just about every horror movie you watch is political, whether you notice it or not. It doesn’t have to be as obvious as withJordan Peele’sGet Out. It can bethe unintentional subtext created about race inGeorge Romero’sNight of the Living Dead, or, for a more recent example, the issues of gender and gentrification inBarbarian....