We’ve been following Aaron Sorkin’s career since the days of A Few Good Men and Sport Night. Loved that show. Then, of course, he went on to create The West Wing and later win the Academy Award for writing The Social Network.

Now he’s back on TV, at HBO this time around, and preparing to launch a new show called The Newsroom. We brought you the first trailer for the show recently and now, there’s a brand new one we want to share with you today.

In it we get to know the band of optimists and crusaders that will make up the new show and see a bit more of the ironic humor Sorkin is famous for. Sure, some of you may think this looks an awful lot like Sorkin’s Sports Night.

Even if it does have quite a few similarities, that isn’t a bad thing because, as we said above, Sports Night was a pretty great show that we loved. So, let’s just think of this one as Sports Night 2.0 with swearing and the potential for nudity and sex.

Not a bad threesome. Not at all. Check out the trailer after the break. The Newsroom premieres on HBO in June.

Continue Reading →

Let’s start this particular post by admitting Aaron Sorkin is one of my favorite writers. His previous shows, The West Wing, Sports Night and Studio 60 showed how TV is supposed to be written and produced. He’s also done pretty well writing movies including the recent Acadamy Award winner The Social Network.

Now, Sorkin has gone back to TV and landed where he probably should have been all along: HBO. His new show is called The Newsroom and HBO has released a new trailer for it.

The show stars Jeff Daniels as a cable news anchor Will McAvoy who decides to try telling it like it is instead of how his superiors want him to. In short, he’s mad as hell and he’s not going to take it anymore. Look it up.

Around Daniels’ character is an ensamble team including his new executive producer (Emily Mortimer), his newsroom staff (Alison Pill, John Gallagher Jr, Olivia Munn, Dev Patel, Thomas Sadoski), and their boss (Sam Waterston). Jane Fonda is also in the show and yes, I did say Olivia Munn. Guess she’s there to help get the gaming fanboy viewers? I don’t get it either.

Anyway, check out the trailer after the break. Look for The Newsroom to premiere later this year on HBO.

Continue Reading →

If you’re as big a fan of writer/genius Aaron Sorkin as we are here at The Flickcast, this news will make you very happy. HBO has picked up Aaron Sorkin’s hourlong cable news network pilot and will take it to series.

In case you haven’t been following the developments of this show, it is as yet untitled (but used to be called More As This Story Develops) and centers on a cable news anchor (Jeff Daniels), his new executive producer (Emily Mortimer), his newsroom staff (Alison Pill, John Gallagher Jr, Olivia Munn, Dev Patel, Thomas Sadoski), and their boss (Sam Waterston).

In true Sorkin fashion this ragtag team of individuals gradually comes together as they explore the world and the news taking place around the, and, in some cases, right in front of them. The number of episodes is yet to be determined but it is generally believed to be at least 10.

This is great news but not really that surprising. Sorkin is a well known commodity and coming off an Oscar win for The Social Network so it’s not hard to believe HBO would be interested in working with him.

It’s also a great deal for Sorkin as well as he can finally have a series on a newtork where ratings are not all that important. Sems like a good fit and we can’t wait to see the show.

Say what you will about Apple CEO Steve Jobs, but one thing is for certain, he’s never boring. However, he is extremely private and keeps most of his thoughts and feelings well hidden. That is, until now.

Well, at least until 2012 when the first, official authorized biography about Mr. Jobs is set to launch from publisher Simon and Schuster, who announced the book over the weekend. The book, titled “iSteve: The Book of Jobs,” was written by Walter Isaacson, who began writing it in 2009.

According to reports, Isaacson worked closely with Jobs and also interviewed his family members, co-workers at Apple, and even those at Apple’s competitors. Previously, Isaacson has written books about Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, served as CEO at CNN, and worked for TIME. So, he’s no slouch either.

“This is the perfect match of subject and author, and it is certain to be a landmark book about one of the world’s greatest innovators,” said Simon & Schuster publisher Jonathan Karp. “Just as he did with Einstein and Benjamin Franklin, Walter Isaacson is telling a unique story of revolutionary genius.”

I agree, Although, not sure I’m in love with the title. After all, Steve Wozniak’s biography was called ‘iWoz” and this one is pretty close to that. Surprised Mr. Jobs let that one go.

No matter what, though, with the unprecedented access Isaacson has had for this book and the huge amount of interest in Mr. Jobs and Apple, I expect it to be one of the biggest biographies ever. I know I’ll be reading. How about you?

Of course, now that the book is on the way, the other thing we have to think about is who’s going to play Jobs in the movie based on this book? Whoever it is I sure hope they can get David Fincher to direct and Aaron Sorkin to write the screenplay. Now that’s a movie I would see.

I don’t think anyone would argue that Aaron Sorkin is an extremely talented writer. His shows, including Sports Night, The West Wing and Studio 60 and movies like the recent The Social Network, have proved this over and over.

Needless to say, we’re big fans. So, when Sorkin takes on a new project, we’re interested. As we told you previously, Sorkin is returning to TV with a new show on HBO. And now, that show’s pilot has a director.

Superbad and Paul helmer Greg Mottola is now set to direct the pilot set behind the scenes of a cable news show. The project centers on news anchor Will McCallister, which Jeff Daniels will most likely play, who has his own cable show, his female executive producer and his staff.

With Sorkin doing a new show, Jeff Daniels starring and now with Mottola’s involvement, we’re even more interested in this show. Come on HBO, get it going and let’s see it soon.

This may be the biggest year for the Academy Awards, as some major Hollywood players are going up against some fresh newcomers. Eyeballs everywhere will be glued to ABC on Sunday, February 27th at 8PM E/5PM P when the awards show goes live. But before that, we decided to do some picking of our own with the staff’s predictions for each award.

For a full list of the nominees, check out our previous article on the subject. Now, on to the predictions.

Best Picture

Shannon Hood-The Social Network. It had early and consistent momentum all year, and the Academy appears to be trying to shake up their stodgy image. This would be the perfect film to put their money where their mouth is.

Matt Raub – True Grit. Not only are the Coens a regular in the “I Have an Oscar” club, but this testament to classic western films is definitely one for record books, between its all-star cast and gritty (no pun intended) visual style, this one definitely deserves the golden statue.

Chris Ullrich – True Grit. Even though this was a pretty great year for movies and there are many excellent choices in this category, True Grit stands on its own as my pick. As an example of pure movie storytelling, this Coen Brothers masterpiece excels on every level and delivers a pure entertainment experience you will want to revisit many more times in the future.

Cortney Zamm – The Social Network. There’s a lot of great films in this category, some of them from my favorite directors and starring my favorite people. But the one that combined all of the essential elements of filmmaking into a truly gorgeous, compelling, and memorable film was The Social Network.

Continue Reading →

So yesterday, we ran part one of this post.  In case you missed it, here were my picks:

• Waiting for Superman
• Winter’s Bone
• The Company Men
• Rabbit Hole/Blue Valentine (tie)
• The Fighter

Now, without further ado, are the rest of my picks for best movies of the year.

5. The Kids Are All Right

This quirky drama won me over in no time. Annette Bening and Julianne Moore play a lesbian couple raising two children who were the product of an anonymous sperm donor. When the kids are old enough, they seek out and find their donor, who is played by Mark Ruffalo.

His character Paul is a perpetually laid-back restaurateur who drives a motorcycle and lives a bohemian lifestyle. The kids are instantly captivated, and develop a relationship with the guy, much to the chagrin of their uptight mom Nic (Bening).

I admire writer/director Lisa Cholodenko for her sensitive handling of the subject matter. A lesser director could have turned this into a slapstick farce, but ultimately the film is funny, touching, and wholly original.  It is also universally relatable.  Bening is a standout in the film for her performance.

Continue Reading →

I was surprised at how much trouble I had narrowing down my top ten movies this year.  My top 20 were all very close, but here are the movies that I ultimately enjoyed the most. I readily admit that I did not see near as many foreign films as I would have liked, but by the time I cover most of the mainstream fare, there is simply no time left.

Honorable Mentions: Fair Game, Tiny Furniture, Greenberg, Cyrus, The Tillman Story, The American, Mother and Child, Scott Pilgrim.

10. Waiting for Superman
This Documentary was equal parts frustrating, inspirational, and heartbreaking. Director Davis Guggenheim (No End in Sight) sheds light on the dismal state of our public school system. He follows the plight of several children who live in various geographic regions who are placing all of their hope for an decent education into lottery systems for charter or private schools. Guggenheim relies on their compelling stories for a narrative, while interspersing lots of graphics and cartoons illuminating some pretty harrowing statistics.

Continue Reading →

Indeed it is the time of year when inevitability the lists appear and people pick their favorites of 2010. Some have already done their lists and some, like me, like to wait a bit. That said and since I don’t want to be accused of not following trends, I will also be making a list (or two) of my picks of the best of 2010. However, in the interest of clarity and brevity (or neither), I’m going to pick my top 5 (or so) things in the main categories we cover here at The Flickcast.

Although, as our own John Carle covered the best of 2010 in games so well already, I won’t make much (if any) a list of those and will just mention my two favorites. In case you’re not familiar with those main categories we cover, they are as follows: Movies, TV, Comics, Games, Tech and all things Geek.

So, to that end, here’s my list (or lists really) of my picks of the top stuff of 2010.

Movies

Inception – I love smart movies and this one is pretty damn smart. Featuring great performances, a mind-bending plot and twists galore, director Christopher Nolan delivers with one entertaining ride I was talking about for weeks (and months) afterward. And with all the ways I can get distracted by other things, to still be taking about this movie now is a testament to just how great it is.

True Grit – I love Westerns and this one will go down as truly one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and the rest of the cast are superb and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld owns the screen. She is definitely one to watch. Plus, the Coen brothers have a genuine love and reverence for the classic Western conventions, even when they twist and turn them into new and even more compelling shapes.

The Social Network – When I first heard of this movie I was skeptical, as probably most were, about how interesting a movie about Facebook really could be. I had nothing to worry about. This brilliant film, directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, delivers on all levels and tells a compelling story of one of the most impressive success stories in history. Along the way it also shows us a little something about the nature of greed, friendship and the real cost of success.

Winter’s Bone - This tale of a real heroes journey to find out what happened to her father before the bank forecloses on her home resonated with me for quite some time after watching this film. Jennifer Lawrence as the young mother and John Hawkes as her meth-snorting uncle really deliver top performances. Part crime movie, part thriller and part coming-of-age-story this film’s stark realism takes you into a world you didn’t know existed and holds you there until the lights come up.

Continue Reading →

This week on The Flickcast Chris and Matt are together again and ready to tackle a whole bunch of new and exciting topics. This week those topics include Zack Snyder as the director of Superman, more about True Grit and what Aaron Sorkin should write next.

In addition, they discussed casting news from Spider-Man, more TV show cancellations, The Social Network, Boardwalk Empire and the classic Mark Hamill film Corvette Summer. Finally, the boys made some picks again this week including Matt’s pick of the movie Monsters and Chris’ pick of Season 1.5 of Caprica.

As always, if you have comments, questions, critiques, offers of sponsorship or whatever, feel free to hit us up in the comments, on Twitter, at Facebook and MySpace or via email.

When I first heard that David Fincher was directing and Aaron Sorkin was writing The Social Network, a movie about the founding of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg’s adventures at Harvard University, I have to admit I wasn’t completely sold on the idea. Sure, Facebook is a giant beast that millions of people use every day to communicate with friends and family around the world but still, I wondered if it would make an interesting movie.

As more and more info, including the first teaser, came out for the film I began to see the appeal. Now, with this new full trailer, just put up over at Yahoo Movies, I’m even more convinced that this film will really be one to watch. Apologies Mr. Fincher and Mr. Sorkin, I should never have doubted you.

In the new trailer we get our best look yet at Zuckerberg’s life at Harvard as well as some insight into his motivations for starting Facebook. In short, he was a nerd that wanted to fit in so he decided to start a website detailing college life so he could get noticed by his peers and perhaps, one day, be accepted by them. Plus, the trailer is accompanieed by a great choral rendition of  “Creep.” A very nice touch.

I wonder how those people that ignored him back in college feel now that Zuckerberg is not only a rich man but is having a movie made about him by none other than David Fincher? Based on how he seems in the movie from this trailer, they probably still don’t like him.

Take a look at the full trailer and believe after the jump. The Social Network hits theaters on October 1, 2010.

Continue Reading →

Spend a lot of time on social networks like Facebook? Well then, this movie is for you. The Social Network, directed by David Fincher and written by Aaron Sorkin, tells the story of the founding of the most popular social network around, Facebook, and we’ve got the first teaser for the film to share with you today.

Like many teasers this one doesn’t give much away except that the film will take a look at the darker side of Facebook’s creation and follow its founder Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and president Sen Parker (Justin Timberlake) as they create the site just six short years ago and see it grow into the juggernaut it is today.

The trailer, courtesy of Mashable, gives us at least something to work with, though it’s really only lines of dialogue. However, the tagline (also seen in the poster) of “You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies” should also be telling in that this film probably won’t gloss over the troubles, both internal and external, that inevitably plague an undertaking as huge as Facebook.

Check out the teaser after the jump. The Social Network hits theaters on October 1st.

Continue Reading →