'Jaws' Swims Back to Theaters for 40th Anniversary

As weird as it might sound, Jaws was one of the first movies I was obsessed with growing up. In fact, some of my earliest childhood memories involve Steven Spielberg's seminal aquatic nightmare, when my mom would ask me to go into the kitchen and make her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich during the goriest scenes, just to get me out of the room (I always made it back too early). Jaws even drifted into playtime for me, when my toy shark munched on G.I. Joes and gave me the chance to perfect Robert Shaw's death gargles as I shoved Shipwreck into its gaping rubber maw.

Despite all that, I turned out perfectly well-adjusted, right?

Forty years after ushering in the era of the summer blockbuster in 1975, Jaws is heading back into theaters for a limited run. Fathom Events will hold screenings on Sunday, June 21 and Wednesday June 24 at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. local time at theaters across the United States. To mourn that little Kintner boy at a theater near you, pre-order your tickets by clicking here.

Why I Can't Stop Thinking About 'Mad Max: Fury Road'

During a much-needed day off, I capped off a day of relaxation and self-reflection with George Miller's Mad Max: Fury Road, a reboot of sorts for the influential trilogy of 1980s Mel Gibson flicks. I've never seen a Mad Max film before, and judging by what I'd heard about this new installment (starring Bane himself, Tom Hardy), I wouldn't need to do much homework before diving into this high-octane race through a post-apocalyptic desert wasteland. Instead, I strolled into the 3:40 showing at Bow Tie Cinemas' Regent 8 in South Norwalk with only the faintest knowledge of the film, expecting little more than loud explosions and steel-bending car wrecks, and what I got was a whole lot more. Whether or not it was a good choice on a day that was supposed to be relaxing is another issue.

Fury Road isn't a fun movie, necessarily, and definitely isn't what most people are looking for in a summer blockbuster. Max's world is a tense and grotesque one, and it's not one I was entirely comfortable experiencing for the film's two-hour's running time. That being said, I loved what this film brought to the table. Here's why it's sticking with me. Spoilers ahead!

• This film is a love letter to practical filmmaking, using real cars, real pyrotechnics and real stunts. CGI was used sparingly, and seldom drew attention to itself. 
• The villain, Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne), is delightfully evil and always interesting to watch on-screen thanks to some superb makeup work. There's that dedication to practical effects again.
• The Doof Warrior, who heralds the coming of Immortan Joe's war party with a flame-spewing guitar, is one of the craziest things I've ever seen in a movie. I want him to play my next birthday party.
• With all of this talk recently about genre flicks not giving women their due, it's arguable that the women in Fury Road are its strongest characters, namely Charlize Theron's awesomely named Imperator Furiosa. In fact, Furiosa has more bearing on the plot than even Max himself.
• The scene where Immortan Joe's son, Rictus Erectus (former WWE Superstar Nathan Jones), meets his baby brother is one of the most nightmarish things I've seen in a movie in quite some time. 
• I dug that Immortan Joe's soldiers, or "war boys," had a viking-esque code of honor, with promises of Valhalla for those who make the ultimate sacrifice in battle. This made it easier to sympathize with Nux (Nicholas Hoult) later in the movie.
• This movie shows more than it tells. We don't get a ton of exposition once things get rolling, and the film isn't really interested in slowing down to explain why things are the way they are in this universe. There's a lot of world-building going on, but you'll barely notice it. That's rare.
• Fury Road isn't beholden to the original films, nor does it end with a tease for sequels. This movie truly stands alone, making you actually want a sequel before you're guaranteed one. 

Coldplay Unveils 'Game of Thrones: The Musical' for Red Nose Day

"You know nothing, Chris Martin."

For the Red Nose Day poverty-fighting charity event, Coldplay unveiled "Game of Thrones: The Musical," a faux documentary chronicling the band's attempt at creating a Broadway musical based on the George R. R. Martin fantasy-turned-HBO phenomenon.

The 12-minute clip is pretty fantastic, and it's refreshing to see so many of the cast members having a blast when the show itself has gotten so dark lately. I know it will never actually happen, but I need to see Emilia Clark perform a full version of "Rastafarian Targaryen" in the very near future.

Watch the full video below. For more on Red Nose Day, click here.