Mike Sampson is the Editor-in-Chief of ScreenCrush. He studied to become a lawyer and worked as an architectural planner after graduating college but neither of these professions afforded him the opportunity to watch movies and TV for a living. He previously served as the Editor-in-Chief of JoBlo.com for 10 years. He lives in New Jersey and probably spends too much time playing video games and overthinking things.
Mike Sampson
How Disney Turned a Cute, Talking Animal Movie Into an Commentary on Race Relations
As the story goes, corrupt government officials intentionally introduced a dangerous drug into marginalized minority communities resulting in increased power for politicians and law enforcement through the manipulated fear of the middle class.
This narrative has been the subject of a number of popular conspiracy theories over the years concerning the CIA’s alleged involvement in the crack cocaine epidemic among the African American community in the mid-80s. It’s also the plot of the 55th Disney animated movie starring a group of cute, talking animals.
Counterpoint: Scooby-Doo Is Not Dumb
My colleague, “esteemed” film critic Matt Singer, thinks Scooby-Doo is dumb. I know this because he wrote an article about it. You can read that article here, though I suggest you don’t — you’ll just be wasting your time, because Scooby-Doo is not dumb...
‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Passes ‘Avatar’ to Become Biggest Movie of All-Time
As was widely expected, Star Wars: The Force Awakens passed Avatar as the highest grossing movie of all-time on Wednesday morning. It was a record many, including George Lucas, thought would never be broken; The Force Awakens did it in just 20 da
‘Finding Dory’ Trailer: Pixar Returns With an Unforgettable Adventure
You’d be forgiven for thinking that Finding Nemo didn’t really need a sequel. It was a completely charming, yet contained adventure, wrapped up pretty neatly. But, it was a very, very successful Pixar movie and, these days, that means sequel. Of the first seven Pixar movies, only Finding Nemo and A Bug’s Life (which has seemed to be almost ret-conned out of existence in the Pixar universe) hadn’t yet had sequels, but that’s about to change next summer as Finding Dory opens in theaters.
Daniel Fleetwood, Terminally Ill ‘Star Wars’ Fan Behind #ForceForDaniel, Dies at Age 32
Back in October, Ashley Fleetwood, the wife of Daniel Fleetwood, a terminally ill Star Wars fan, started the #ForceForDaniel campaign to help her husband see Star Wars: The Force Awakens before he died. Daniel, a lifelong fan who camped out for tickets to see the prequel trilogy, was given only two months to live in July and both he and his wife knew he wasn’t going to be able to make it until opening day. On November 5, Disney, Lucasfilm and director J.J. Abrams made Daniel’s dying wish come true by bringing Star Wars: The Force Awakens to his home in Spring, Texas.
Daniel Fleetwood died last night, just five days after his Star Wars screening, at the age of 32.
First ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ TV Spot With Even More Footage!
Just when you thought it was safe to sleep in on a Sunday morning, comes the first full Star Wars: The Force Awakens TV spot and, like the surprise Japanese trailer, it’s a dooz
J.J. Abrams Talks Luke Skywalker’s Absence From the ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ Trailer
Disney and Lucasfilm are trying very hard to preserve the secrets of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. There are reports that the film won’t screen for critics until the day before it opens in theaters. And there are rumors that not only will there be no more trailers, but that the TV spots that run won’t use any new footage and everything you’ve seen so far, is all you’re going to get. But, even as they try to keep a carbonite fist on spoilers, J.J. Abrams has to leave his house. As much as Disney would like, they can’t keep him chained up in a Rancor pit until December 17. The dude has to go out in public. And that he did just the other day, and as people shouted at him “LUKE!!! WHERE’S LUKE!!!!” he was obliged to answer.
What If All the Guns in Movies Were Replaced With a Thumbs Up?
The question posed in the headline is probably one you've never wondered in your entire life, yet here we are and we have the answer for you. Via the magic of Photoshop, someone has replaced all the guns in famous movie scenes with a good ole thumbs up. Let's see what happens when gun control goes crazy.
Rick Moranis Turned Down a Role in New ‘Ghostbusters’ Movie, Says Reboot “Just Makes No Sense”
So far, all of the surviving original Ghostbusters cast members — Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver and Annie Potts — have returned to make cameo appearances in the upcoming reboot. Everyone, that is, expect Rick Moranis. The actor who played Louis Tully in Ghostbusters and Ghostbusters II mostly retired from the public eye and hasn’t acted in a live-action feature since 1997, but revealed that he was approached to return for the Ghostbusters reboot and he swiftly turned them down.
‘Good Dinosaur’ Trailer: Can a Dinosaur Make You Cry?
In an alternate universe, Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur would’ve opened on its original release date, all the way back in November of 2013. But, it hasn’t been an easy road for Pixar’s next movie, which was delayed over two years while the director and cast was replaced, and almost the entirety of the story was rewritten. With the movie just over a month away, was Pixar able to save The Good Dinosaur? Watch the new trailer and see what you think.