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5 Things You Might Not Know About 'Who Framed Roger Rabbit'

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • March 14, 2013 1:05 PM
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  • 0 Comments
Features
Late last year, Disney released CGI animation "Wreck-It Ralph," and thanks to its wide selection of cameos from videogame legends, barely a review passed without comparison to another Disney film from the past -- 1988's "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," which included dozens of brief appearances from classic cartoon characters. Sadly, for all of the charms of "Wreck-It Ralph," the comparison didn't do it many favors. On Blu-Ray this week, ahead of its 25th anniversary later in the year, Robert Zemeckis' 'Roger Rabbit' is a loving, beautifully crafted and inventive picture that's barely aged a day since its release.
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More: 5 Things You Might Not Know About..., Features, Steven Spielberg, Roger Rabbit, Robert Zemeckis, Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd

Robert Zemeckis Puts The Kibosh On His 'Yellow Submarine' Remake

  • By Cain Rodriguez
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  • December 28, 2012 10:24 AM
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  • 2 Comments
News
With his return to live-action filmmaking a financial and critical success, it seems like Robert Zemeckis isn’t in a hurry to return to the cold and creepy embrace of mo-cap. The “Flight” director was originally set to helm a mo-cap remake of the landmark Beatles animated film “Yellow Submarine” before Disney put the kibosh on the project in the wake of the dismal showing of “Mars Needs Moms” and now hit seems e’s cooled on the idea of ever returning to the project.
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More: Yellow Submarine, Robert Zemeckis

'Flight' Director Robert Zemeckis Talks Denzel Washington's Moral Ambiguity, The Future of 'Roger Rabbit 2' & More

  • By Charlie Schmidlin
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  • November 5, 2012 3:03 PM
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  • 0 Comments
Interviews
His storied career brimming with underdog personalities faced with extreme spectacle, director Robert Zemeckis has seemingly found his fireworks this time in the recognizable face of one man: Denzel Washington. In his just-released drama, “Flight” -- which secured a fantastic opening this past weekend to the tune of $25 million -- the actor plays William “Whip” Whitaker, an alcoholic airline pilot responsible for expertly crash-landing a damaged aircraft mid-flight, and it is Zemeckis' choice of cinematic focus that marks his altered approach.
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More: Flight, Robert Zemeckis, Taking Flight: The Hunt For A Young Outlaw, Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Review: Promising Alcoholism Drama ‘Flight’ Often Hits Rock Bottom

  • By Rodrigo Perez
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  • November 1, 2012 2:56 PM
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  • 1 Comment
Reviews
After 12 years immersed (lost?) in the world of motion capture, Robert Zemeckis re-emerges into live-action filmmaking for “Flight,” an engaging and initially very promising drama about alcoholism, redemption and forgiveness that grows uneven and long-winded as it progresses, eventually clocking in at just under 2 hours and 20 minutes. Featuring a thrilling, terrifying opening, plus many of the potent, moving elements that a conventional but admirable morality drama might boast, “Flight" is often undone by its very unsubtle choices and its problematic, strained last act.
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More: Flight, Robert Zemeckis, Denzel Washington, Review

Robert Zemeckis Says 'Roger Rabbit' Sequel Will Still Go On Despite Bob Hoskins' Retirement

  • By Edward Davis
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  • October 15, 2012 12:25 PM
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  • 5 Comments
News
Director Robert Zemeckis made his long-belated return to live-action filmmaking this weekend after a 12-year stint in the world of motion-capture with his latest drama, "Flight,” starring Denzel Washington as a commercial airline pilot struggling with alcohol (read our review here). It’s about as far away as you can get from the mo-cap world of "A Christmas Carol" with Jim Carrey. But with 300-some digital shots in the drama to pull off some of its dazzling aerial sequences, it’s not like Zemeckis has completely abandoned technology. A pioneer in the field of motion capture with "The Polar Express" and "Beowulf,” Zemeckis also blazed trails in the late ‘80s with his now-classic live-action animation hybrid, "Who Framed Roger Rabbit?"
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More: Robert Zemeckis, Who Framed Roger Rabbit

NYFF: Robert Zemeckis And Cast Discuss The Making Of 'Flight'

  • By Gabe Toro
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  • October 14, 2012 3:25 PM
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  • 0 Comments
Festivals
In "Flight," Robert Zemeckis makes a return to the world of live-action filmmaking with the story of Whip Whitaker (Denzel Washington), a pilot who performs a heroic task in engaging in risky aerial manuevers to save a crashing plane. But the morality is not that simple, as Whitaker saves one hundred lives while inebriated. However, misconception has dogged the project since its inception, and screenwriter John Gatins was on hand during the New York Film Festival screening to clarify that the story is not based on the 2009 crash where a plane was preserved by controversial pilot Chealsey "Sully" Sullenberger. 
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More: New York Film Festival, Flight, Robert Zemeckis, Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Bruce Greenwood, Don Cheadle

NYFF Review: Promising Alcoholism Drama ‘Flight’ Often Hits Rock Bottom

  • By Rodrigo Perez
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  • October 14, 2012 2:35 PM
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  • 4 Comments
News
After 12 years immersed (lost?) in the world of motion-capture, Robert Zemeckis re-emerges into live-action filmmaking for “Flight,” an engaging and initially very promising drama about alcoholism, redemption and forgiveness that grows uneven and long winded as it progresses, clocking in just under 2 hours and 20 minutes. Featuring a thrilling and terrifying opening, plus potent and moving elements of a conventional but admirable morality drama, “Flight" is often undone by its very unsubtle choices and its problematic and strained last act.
Read More »
More: Flight, Robert Zemeckis, Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Don Cheadle, Melissa Leo, New York Film Festival, Bruce Greenwood, Review

Fall Movie Pros & Cons: Robert Zemeckis' 'Flight' Starring Denzel Washington

  • By Oliver Lyttelton
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  • October 9, 2012 4:23 PM
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  • 4 Comments
Features
Over the next couple of weeks, we're casting an eye on the unknown quantities of the fall season; the films which haven't yet been unveiled at festivals, and are set to big news in multiplexes between now and the end of 2012. From what we know about them already, do they have the potential to be masterpieces, or disappointments? After starting off with a peek at Steven Spielberg's "Lincoln," with the verdict on the film following soon after, we're with another NYFF film from a legendary director.
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More: Flight, Robert Zemeckis, Denzel Washington, Features

Robert Zemeckis Takes Over Former David Gordon Green Barefoot Bandit Film 'Taking Flight'

  • By Kevin Jagernauth
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  • August 6, 2012 6:40 PM
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  • 2 Comments
News
Somewhere between "The Sitter" and his soon to be shooting remake of "Suspiria," David Gordon Green dropped the movie he'd been developing about the Barefoot Bandit. Another filmmaker is now taking on the film and it's a choice that may surprise some.
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More: Taking Flight: The Hunt For A Young Outlaw, Robert Zemeckis

Posters For Robert Zemeckis' 'Flight,' Cate Shortland's 'Lore' & David Ayer's 'End Of Watch'

  • By Simon Dang
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  • June 8, 2012 11:39 AM
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  • 2 Comments
News
Here's a trio of posters from three very different helmers: one from a seasoned pro returning to live action after a stint in mo-cap, one following up a superb directorial debut with a foreign-language novel adaptation and the last a genre specialist tackling what he knows best.
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More: Robert Zemeckis, Denzel Washington, Cate Shortland, Lore, David Ayer, End of Watch, Flight

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