Sundance Review: THE SKELETON TWINS Starring Bill Hader & Kristen Wiig

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It’s all been done before, broken families, suicide, depression, finding yourself when you feel so lost. They are all overused themes that can fall flat if not accompanied by the right script, cast or director. THE SKELETON TWINS stars Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as estranged twins, Milo and Maggie, who haven’t spoken in 10 years.  Both have their own demons floating just under the surface.  Milo hasn’t accomplished the things he wanted to in life, aiding his self destructive behavior. When he tries to commit suicide he ends up in the hospital and it’s his sister, Maggie, who comes to his rescue. Maggie decides to brings him back to her home to live with her and her husband, Lance (Luke Wilson).

Though you know from flashbacks that they were very close as children, you can see the void their 10 years of no talking has left. As they work to rebuild their relationship, sharing secrets that they’ve been keeping, you can see their bond grow strong once again. Maggie has been taking birth control to avoid getting pregnant, even though she’s telling Lance she’s ready for kids, all while cheating on him with her scuba instructor. Milo finds his way back to Rich (Ty Burrell), his teacher from high school with whom he had a sexual relationship at the age of 15.

Kristen’s strong performance showed her range of vulnerability in a way we haven’t really seen from her until now. From the first moment we see her, looking haggard and defeated and deeply considering overdosing, to when she’s out for drinks with her instructor and hooking up with him in the bathroom, she’s putting it all out there. With her most famous role being in the comedy BRIDESMAIDS, it’s refreshing to see her break out of that and into this darker place. 

Without a doubt though, Bill stole the show. His character is so deeply broken and traumatized by the past that he has a tough time functioning, even through daily life. I felt like instead of making the character seem extreme and untouchable, he brought a sense of normalcy to Milo. He made it seem like every little neurosis and quirk or moment of pure emotional abandon was justified, even his suicide attempts.

Wiig and Hader’s background on SNL together is definitely the key factor in why this film has such a massive sense of realism. The two of them play off each other flawlessly, whether it be when they are screaming in a fight, sharing their darkest secrets, making jokes while high off sleepy gas or lip syncing to “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”.  Milo and Maggie make you cry with heartbreak and cry with laughter.  With an addicting script written by the director, Craig Johnson, and BLACK SWAN writer, Mark Heyman, you will go through a full range of emotions during the 88 minute run time. THE SKELETON TWINS is the epitome of what indie film is. It breaks you, makes you rethink what you know, and leaves you with a new outlook on life.

Highlights of Our Coverage of AFI Fest Premiere, WALTER MITTY

Here’s a video of the best moments from our coverage of AFI Fest’s Centerpiece Gala, THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY!

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Check out our interview with Jon Daly and the cast as well as photos from the red carpet.

PHOTOS: AFI Centerpiece Gala THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY

Los Angeles, CA (November 13, 2013) — THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY premiered at AFI Fest as a Centerpiece Gala film. We were on the red carpet, interviewing the stars of the film — Ben Stiller, Sean Penn, Kristen Wiig, Kathryn Hahn, Adam Scott, Adrian Martinez, and Terence Bernie Hines.

Ben Stiller directs and stars in THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY, James Thurber’s classic story of a day-dreamer who escapes his anonymous life by disappearing into a world of fantasies filled with heroism, romance and action. When his job along with that of his co-worker (Kristen Wiig) are threatened, Walter takes action in the real world embarking on a global journey that turns into an adventure more extraordinary than anything he could have ever imagined.

Check out the photos we took below:

THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY opens in theaters nationwide on Christmas Day!

New Poster for HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

A new teaser poster for DreamWorks’ HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 has just been released! The poster features the heroic Viking Hiccup and his faithful dragon Toothless. In the second installment of the HTTYD trilogy, the inseparable duo must protect the peace – and save the future of men and dragons from the power-hungry Drago. Check out the new poster below:

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Don’t miss HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2 when it hits theaters nationwide on June 13, 2014!

Kristen Wiig Doesn’t Want A ‘Bridesmaids’ Sequel

I can quote it like it’s my job (oh, how I wish it was my job) but Bridesmaids will not have a sequel – at least according to Kristen Wiig. She talked to Harper’s Bazaar for their July issue saying; “It wasn’t a hard decision, We knew during the first one, this was it. We would have made a lot of money if there was a second one, but that’s not my goal in my creative life.”

As sad as this makes me I can completely understand where she’s coming from. You can’t make those types of things happen, they just do.  You don’t want to take a good thing and kill it with a sequel. I suppose I’ll just have to look at this like they’re quitting while they are ahead?

Maybe Melissa McCarthy can do a spin off sequel though, I’d be okay with that. Megan and her puppies…

Until that happens don’t mind me, I’ll just be watching Bridesmaids on repeat and quoting it on a daily basis.

 

and because I can’t seem to stop with the gifs here’s one more..

Read Full Harper’s Bazaar Article on Kristen Wiig Here!

Gif Source: Tumblr

The Graham Norton Show: Kristen Wiig, Steve Carell, Chris O’Dowd and a Fly

This past week on the British talk show, The Graham Norton Show, Steve Carell (40 Year Old Virgin, Despicable Me) and Bridesmaids co-stars Kristen Wiig and Chris O’Dowd were completely distracted by a giant fly!See what happened during the show in the video below!