Manchester by the Sea

I’m not a Catholic man. But from what I’ve gathered over time, especially through 15 years of non-secular schooling, there’s nothing more painful or dangerous than Catholic guilt. It’s a poison that feeds on the human spirit, a weight that can’t be lifted, a burden that refuses to be shrugged off. Some might argue it’s nothing more than a myth, and who knows, they may be right, but there’s a fear one inherits from the scripture and its teachings — that all actions are judged, and some things can’t be forgotten. Filmmaker Kenneth Lonergan is certainly familiar with the term: Manchester by the Sea, which he wrote and directed, speaks to this suffocating illness. It’s what stunts his troubled lead, a devastated Boston handyman who can’t let go of his demons.


Set in the wintry confines of Manchester, Massachusetts, Lonergan’s latest revolves around said handyman, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck), who’s called back to his hometown after the sudden death of his brother, Joe (Kyle Chandler). Upon his return, he’s told by the family’s lawyer that he’s now the legal guardian of his brother’s teenage son, Patrick (Lucas Hedges). This is a problem for Lee, though, who has made every effort to remove himself from society. He doesn’t have any friends. He doesn’t have any loved ones. He only has a torturous past that he hangs on his shoulders. Why? Well, it’s the “why” that makes this story so compelling, so addicting, and so pummeling. In fact, the “why” is the story itself, and Lonergan is wise to slowly unravel it bit by bit.

To clarify, Lee isn’t a Catholic man, either. His subscription is more of a cultural thing, a hallmark of having been brought up in the North Shore area of Massachusetts, something he’s quick to remember. “We’re Christians too,” he reminds Patrick late in the film, contending that Christians and Catholics are one of the same. On this surface, this seems like a superfluous discussion, but it’s actually a nod to Lee’s tragic constitution. After all, this is a man who has dedicated his life to fixing the problems of everyone around him, tossing away their garbage even, and yet he can’t for the life of him find a way to absolve or purge his own sins. Instead, he condemns himself mentally and physically, the latter involving brutal bar fights and a nasty wound to his hand.

Affleck delivers a career-best performance as Lee. His icy demeanor recalls the likes of James Caan (think: The Gambler, Thief), and his dreary eyes do all the screaming. That’s not to say he isn’t lively. Lonergan riddles the film with humor, and it’s the supporting cast that brings out the best of him, specifically Hedges. Watching the two trade barbs or outwit one another is part of the warm humanity to Manchester. So much of their dialogue recalls the poppy athleticism of 1997’s Boston-set Good Will Hunting, mostly due to the New England accents. However, considering Matt Damon co-produced the film, it’s no coincidence that Hedges shares a number of traits with the martian, straight down to his whiplash Masshole charm.

Which is quite contagious, by the way. Channeling his inner David O. Russell, Lonergan floods his production with a collection of flawed characters who are real and endearing enough that you just want to follow them home. Chandler breathes paternal life into Joe through the many flashbacks; Michelle Williams nails the acid-tongued, no-nonsense wife (and later an emotionally rapturous performance); Gretchen Mol soaks up the role of a recovering alcoholic mother; Heather Burns tickles as a single mother of a sexually active daughter; and C.J. Wilson plays the friendliest Bostonian to ever hit the silver screen. They all have their moments both sad and hilarious, and that’s what makes them so vivid and tangible.

Palpability is a major trait of Lonergan’s drama. As we follow Lee around town, America’s defining middle class is on full display and without ever being the single bit ostentatious — it’s inviting! We watch Patrick and his bandmates bicker about a restless drummer, we drive from one cozy house to the next, we laugh with a bunch of middle-aged men over a drunken game of ping-pong, and we witness two teens exploring themselves sexually (or at least trying to). There’s life in Manchester, and Lonergan takes his time to show us that it’s all going down whether Lee finds solace or not. Cinematographer Jody Lee Lipes helps him paint these stunning portraits with framing that’s goddamn mathematical. They don’t spare a single shot from beginning to end.

What’s remarkable about Manchester by the Sea is how it’s so enjoyable despite its abyssal themes. In lesser hands, this could have easily turned into an unbearable sob fest, but it never comes close. Lonergan strikes a divine balance between the highs and the lows, wrestling in some dry humor even amidst the darkest moments — and it’s fitting every time. Without spoiling too much, there is a resolution for Lee, albeit a quiet one. It’s a tender landing that so few films ever seize, but to be fair, this isn’t your average production. This is pitch-perfect filmmaking, the kind that turns a hungry visionary into a popular last name. Rest assured, it’s all earned. Manchester by the Sea is a hearty, rewarding drama audiences will remember for years.

Though, as Lee would say, “It’s up to you.”

for more : http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/01/sundance-film-review-manchester-by-the-sea/

Captain America: Civil War

While it is still a ways away before Captain America: Civil War is released into theaters, Marvel Studios debuted the first trailer for the movie during the late night show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!
On Tuesday, both actors Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans appeared on Kimmel to talk about the upcoming superhero movie. On the show, the stars revealed that they had some obstacles when filming, especially during the brutally hot days in Atlanta, Georgia. Robert, who plays Tony Stark (i.e. Iron Man) in the movie, explained that he had it the worst considering he was cooped up in a full fledge mask and costume suit for most of the movie. His co-star Evans joked, “I really just wanted to come to work on my days off and watch [Robert] suffer.” Fortunately as Captain America, Chris only had to wear a partial mask for most of the movie.

The synopsis of the highly anticipated movie explains that it picks up right where Avengers: Age of Ultron left off. Captain America: Civil War follows Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, as he leads the new and improved team of Avengers. Together, the superheroes hope to continue their fight against evil and protect humanity. However, after an international incident involving the crime-fighting team results in notable damage, political pressure leads to the creation of a systematic procedure and governing body that determines when to list the group. Unfortunately, this system of accountability tampers with the group’s ability to protect the world, especially now that there is a new villain in the picture.

As previously mentioned, Chris Evans stars as Captain America. However, he is not the only superhero in the movie, as he is joined by a slew of Marvel characters such as: The Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), Ant-Man (Paul Rudd), Falcon (Anthony Mackie), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Spider-man (Tom Holland), amongst several others. Unfortunately, some of these characters are pitted up against each other, as Captain America leads a team opposing Iron Man’s. In addition, villain Baron Zemo (played by Daniel Bruhl) is also added to the mix.

The trailer begins with Captain America gathering up his troops. Shortly after, it is clear that Captain America and his team face some conflict with the public and government. They sit in a meeting, as they are told their ungoverned actions, unlimited power and lack of supervision will “no longer be tolerated.” This conflict is heightened, as the team of heroes feel they are being limited in their ability to protect the world.
Later in the trailer, tension arises as Captain America encounters Iron Man once again. The teaser ends with a glimpse into a fight scene between Bucky Barnes/ Winter Soldier (played by Sebastian Stan), Captain America and Iron Man.

To up the ante, the studios are putting these heroes not only against a villain but also against each other and the political world.
While the movie still relies on much of the foundation that Avengers: Age of Ultron did, it seems to be much more focused on the development and story surrounding Captain America. However, it also throws in enough glimpses of other fan favorites, like Iron Man, to ensure that everyone will leave the theater happy.

In addition, there are some new names dropped into the mix, such as Ant-Man. It will be interesting to see Paul Rudd’s portrayal of his superhero characters amongst all of the other relatively more established action stars. The movie is also introducing the young Tom Holland as Peter Parker, aka Spider-man. While there have been numerous Spider-man movies in the past, this is Tom’s first portrayal of the character.
Captain America: Civil War brings back brothers and co-directors Joe and Anthony Russo, who directed 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Nonetheless, fans will have to wait until May 6, 2016 when the movie is released in North America. However, Warner Brothers did end up moving their superhero movie Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’s release date from May to March. Therefore, there is plenty of action to look forward to in the coming year!

for more : https://movietvtechgeeks.com/captain-america-civil-war-latest-trailer-charges-in/?page_y=0

Zootopia Trailer movie

In the world of Zootopia, the latest from Walt Disney Animation, pesky humans never existed. Which means animals behave like "humans" (even though humans aren’t really a thing). This has good and bad ramifactions, as we learn in the first teaser trailer for Zootopia, next year’s animated Disney feature. Check it out right here.



This isn’t so much a plot-heavy reel as it is a trailer meant to educate audiences on what they can expect from the usual world of Zootopia, an animated feature from co-directors Byron Howard (Tangled) and Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph), and writer Jared Bush. The voice dominating the teaser belongs to Jason Bateman, who plays Nick Wilde. Though she doesn’t say anything, Ginnifer Goodwin stars as Judy Hopps, the fox’s "natural enemy." Expects sparks to fly.

The comedy in Zootopia looks to go far beyond talking-animals-wearing-clothes, however. The key line of dialogue is that, of all the things the movie could focus on, it’s the animals’ use of technology that sets them apart. There are rhinos on cellphones, and Bateman’s fox uses a clapper to turn off the lights, allowing him to take advantage of his exquisite night vision. Just how far the movie goes in pushing that comedic premise will determine whether or nor Walt Disney Animation has another monster-size hit on its hands.

We don’t know much about Zootopia beyond those two voice actors in the lead, though with all of those characters on display in the teaser, you know that Disney’s going to have an army of recognizable actors voicing funny animal characters in this unique world. The thing is, at this moment, putting Walt Disney Animation ahead of the title is as much of a selling point as Pixar was (back in the day). As the title card reveals, Zooptopia is coming to us from te team behind Frozen and Big Hero 6. And prior to those two hit movies, Disney was firing on multiple cylinders by releasing Tangled ($200 million domestically), Wreck-It Ralph ($189 million) and Bolt ($114M). These are money-making movie. More important, these are heartfelt, entertaining animated movies that have helped restore the Disney Animation brand after years of stale features.



We have a while to wait until Zootopia hits theaters on March 4, 2016. For now, this is a quick introductory clip that lets fans know what’s on the horizon, and what they might be able to expect from the family animation comedy.



for more :  http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Disney-Zootopia-Trailer-Clever-Silly-71967.html

review film Deadpool - film 2016

“Deadpool” is the cinematic equivalent of that kid in school who would always say how much he didn’t care what people thought of him, but just loud enough so everybody could hear him. It is the teenager who pretends to be too cool to care, but wants you to like him so badly it hurts.

Of course, this is partially a byproduct of being a cog in the machine of the superhero movie marketing system—you unavoidably have to hit a few of the beats of the genre in order to satisfy the audience.

 However, “Deadpool” fails to live up to the potential of its beloved source material, subverting its own agenda by becoming a remarkably generic, by-the-numbers man-in-tights flick. “Deadpool” is about a guy who constantly pushes back against the expectations of the superhero, but the movie about him fails to match his rebellious personality.

 It’s a remarkably straightforward origin flick, lacking in true satire of its genre, carried almost entirely by its lead. Deadpool is a fun character, but he’s still in search of a fun movie to match his larger-than-life personality.

for more : http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/deadpool-2016

Review Film Batman vs Superman

Who would win in a fight, Batman or Superman? Could the Flash outrun Superman? Could Superman craft a boulder so heavy even he couldn’t lift it? While “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” ostensibly seeks to tackle the first of those evergreen schoolyard hypotheticals, it’s the third that ends up proving the biggest litmus test for director Zack Snyder. Tasked with colliding the two most archetypal of American superheroes while also answering critics of his last outing, “Man of Steel,” and perhaps most importantly, paving the way for an extended DC Comics universe of films on which much of Warner Bros. 

future bottom line relies, Snyder has set a Sisyphean task for himself. That this very long, very brooding, often exhilarating and sometimes scattered epic succeeds as often it does therefore has to be seen as an achievement, and worldwide box office should be sufficiently lucrative to ensure future installments proceed on schedule. But amidst all the grueling work of saving the world and shouldering a franchise toward the heights, it would be nice to see these heroes, and this series, take a few more breathers to enjoy the view.

Proving that the placement of names in the title isn’t simply alphabetical, the first few reels of “Batman v Superman” are dominated by the Caped Crusader, with controversial casting Ben Affleck stepping quite comfortably into the role. That the film opens with yet another operatic depiction of the young Bruce Wayne’s most formative trauma is perhaps unavoidable — Thomas and Martha Wayne have been killed so many times in so many different media that their deaths may as well be one of the Stations of the Cross — but our first glimpse of the adult Wayne is hardly standard issue. 

Taking a civilian-level view of the cataclysmic destruction of Metropolis that ended “Man of Steel” on a contentious note, we watch as Wayne attempts to remotely evacuate his own Metropolitan Wayne Enterprises skyscraper, crippled by a wayward Superman (Henry Cavill) as he battles with General Zod just outside the frame. Despite his mad drive through the battle-torn streets, Wayne arrives just in time to watch, horrified, as a friendly security guard loses his legs and a young girl becomes an orphan.

Setting Wayne up as the film’s initial conscience is one of Snyder’s most interesting gambles, especially as his Batman quickly evolves into the most morally ambiguous iteration of the character yet seen on film. More than willing to shoot, brutalize and kill if the need arises, this Batman is still a figure of mystery in Gotham, and Snyder refrains from showing us the character in full cowl until surprisingly late in the game.

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Fortunately, Affleck’s Wayne — here sporting salt-and-pepper temples and all the baggage of a man who, as faithful butler Alfred (Jeremy Irons) notes, “got too old to die young, and not for want of trying” — is a winningly cranky, charismatic presence even when out of costume. Diving headfirst into the sorts of detective work that Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy often short-shrifted, Wayne casts a skeptical eye on Superman while investigating a mysterious underworld figure named White Portuguese, his tracks traced by an equally mysterious woman (Gal Gadot). 

Meanwhile, Superman has hardly recovered from the fallout of his chaotic battle with Zod when controversy strikes yet again. Though he’s been welcomed as a savior by most of Metropolis, in the course of rescuing Lois Lane (Amy Adams) from a terrorist interview gone awry, he’s blamed for the deaths of several African villagers. This attracts the scrutiny of the crusading southern Senator Finch (Holly Hunter), who heads up a Congressional Superman Committee, disturbed by the Krypton’s exercise of unilateral power.

She gains an uneasy ally in a cheeky young industrialist named Alexander “Lex” Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg, retaining his Zuckerbergian misanthropy from “The Social Network” and his stringy, Cobainian hair from “American Ultra”), who hopes to seduce her into allowing him to import a mysterious glowing green substance discovered in the Indian Ocean. Scarfing Jolly Ranchers, quoting Nabokov and showing up to formal events wearing a white blazer and sneakers, Eisenberg tackles Luthor as the brogrammer from hell, a chattily malevolent presence who provides the only real moments of levity in the film.

Juggling all of these strands while steadily beating the drum toward the battle promised in the title, Snyder sometimes loses track of his various allegories. Scripters Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer provide kernels of philosophical and theological quandaries throughout, while their nods toward contemporary political debates are more complex than the scattered visual gags (such as an anti-Superman protester waving an “Aliens Are Un-American” placard) might seem to imply. Yet the essential clash of ideologies promised by the central conflict — vigilante justice vs. self-sacrificing restraint, night vs. day, Dionysus vs. Apollo — never develops quite as forcefully as it should, and the life-or-death battle between the two icons ultimately comes down to a series of misunderstandings.

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While “Batman v Superman’s” Dark Knight may be more of a pure punisher than some fans would prefer, Snyder’s conception of the character at least feels fully formed. Superman remains something of a work-in-progress. (If nothing else, it’s strange to see Clark Kent cast a more brooding figure than Bruce Wayne.) Daily Planet scenes are even more perfunctory this time around, and Adams’ Lois has plenty to do but little to say. 

As a pure visual spectacle, however, “Batman v Superman” ably blows the hinges off the multiplex doors, and editor David Brenner does excellent work to comprehensibly streamline the chaos, capably captured by d.p. Larry Fong. Composers Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL are again key assets here, with Gadot’s theme in particular proving quite infectious. Snyder largely tamps down his penchant for hyper-stylized combat imagery until the end, when he stages a series of galactic battles that take style notes from sources as varied as classic WWE rumbles and Harryhausen creature features. As overblown as the lengthy showdown might become, Snyder gets closer than ever before to the chiaroscuro palette of classic comics, and even if his scrupulous efforts to avoid reopening “Man of Steel’s” collateral damage debates are a bit on the nose, at least he’s clearly received the message.

read more http://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/batman-v-superman-review-dawn-of-justice-1201735801/

Shemar Moore on His Criminal Minds Exit: "I'm Proud of the Way Things Ended for Derek Morgan"

Shemar Moore, Criminal Minds


 
[Warning: The following story contains spoilers about Wednesday's episode of Criminal Minds. Read at your own risk.]
That sound you hear is baby girls crying everywhere.
After 11 years and (probably) 103 broken doors and 214 tackles, Shemar Moore exited Criminal Minds on Wednesday's episode.

Directed Moore's "little brother" Matthew Gray Gubler, and written by his "baby girl" Kirsten Vangsness and showrunner Erica Messer, the episode quickly reveals the aftermath of last week's shooting: Morgan's (Moore) pregnant wife Savannah (Rochelle Aytes) was shot, but she and their baby survive. It's all hands on deck once again to catch the unsub -- Chazz Montolo (Lance Henriksen), the father of Dirty Dozen hit man Giuseppe Montolo -- minus one. Hotch (Thomas Gibson) removes Morgan from the case because it's too personal and he doesn't want Morgan's family to suffer the same fate his did after his tango with The Reaper (RIP Haley). Obviously, that doesn't sit well with Morgan. But after getting some hints from Reid (Gubler) and an actual message from Montolo from JJ (A.J. Cook), who doesn't agree with Hotch's call, Morgan goes rogue and heads to one of his renovated houses (callback!), where he finds Montolo, who (wrongly) believes Morgan killed his son earlier this season.

Criminal Minds boss on Shemar Moore's exit: "There is no replacing Derek Morgan"
Montolo sadistically holds Morgan at gunpoint with only two bullets loaded. "If this is how it ends, it's meant to be," he tearfully tells the BAU over the phone as Montolo clicks through the empty chambers. "Promise me you'll look after Savannah and my baby." But he tackles Montolo and refuses to shoot him unarmed despite Montolo's taunts. After the BAU busts in and arrests Montolo, Morgan makes it back to the hospital in time for the birth of his son, Hank Spencer (!) Morgan. "Hotch, I get it," he says. "I never knew that 6 pounds, 1 ounce could knock me out."

As Morgan takes stock of the highs (marriage, baby) and lows (oh, you know, being kidnapped, tortured and burned) of the past six months, and his new priorities, everyone knows what's coming, even though it's never explicitly said. "I don't want you to stay," Reid says. "Because I know why you're leaving and I couldn't be happier for you." And so, after some emotional, heartfelt "this isn't goodbye" goodbyes with everyone -- "You will always be my original baby girl," he tells Garcia (Vangsness) -- Morgan leaves behind his BAU family for his new real one.
TVGuide.com chatted with Moore about his exit, why this episode is his proudest moment on the show, the birth of "baby girl" and more.

25 times Morgan and Reid's bromance on Criminal Minds was the best
Was this your decision? Was it mutual with the network and Erica?Shemar Moore: Erica said she was so tired of looking at me. She was tired of me being late in the morning. She's was like, "You've got to get the hell up..." -- no, I'm kidding. [Laughs] My mother sends me these great cards. ... She gave me this one card and I'm looking at it right now and it says, "Leap and the net will appear." That's what she did her whole life. She thought outside of the box and she never got too comfortable because she wanted to continue to grow. There's been other people in my life who are like that too. I don't want to be ordinary. I don't want to follow. I want to be bold and I want to see what I'm capable of. So yes, it was my decision.

I've treated my acting career like school. The Young and the Restless: eight years. [That was] high school. Criminal Minds: college. Now I'm ready for grad school, a Ph.D., whatever you want to call it. I'm just ready to grow. I just want to leap. And I don't know where I'm going to land, but I believe that I'm going to land. ... I'm not leaving to go be a big star. I'm not leaving to go make a bunch of money. ... I'm leaving because I just creatively want to be fueled and [am] excited to try new things and see what else I'm capable of. But I'm always going to look back and salute. They did not kill me on The Young and the Restless and I went back to say hello and thank the fans. Erica Messer refused to kill Derek Morgan. Those elevator doors closed. Am I going to sign a long-term contract? Probably not. But if they ask me to come back and dance, yes, I would be willing to do that. [But] not right away.

Eleven years in college is a long time.
Moore: [Laughs] It is! ... I wanted to see what the next chapter of my acting career is and also have a little balance so I could pursue other avenues of my life. I want to get married, I want to have kids, I want to travel. What's funny is in the last month -- dogs can't talk, but I swear to God, my dogs look at me and go, "Why are you walking us so much?" "Because I ain't got sh-- to do! Daddy doesn't have a job! So let's go for a walk!" It's been this weird, bittersweet feeling because it's what I've known for so long. I'm just taking time to breathe, exhale, enjoy the view. ... I'm going to spend the next month just saying, "Thank you, thank you, thank you," because I'm really proud of it and what we did together.

How much input did you have in planning out Morgan's arc this season, which started with the Dirty Dozen and built to this trilogy of episodes devoted to him?
Moore: Erica, Breen [Frazier] and the rest of the writing staff came to me with ideas towards the end of Season 10 and through the hiatus. But what Erica said was, "You come back for Season 11 and just allow us not only to honor you, Shemar Moore, but more importantly, Derek Morgan the character, the crew -- the 368 people who make that show work -- and most importantly, the fan base that has supported us so we can do what we do. Let's give Derek Morgan a proper goodbye." We had the wrap party this past weekend and I hugged her really tight. And I looked at her and said, "You kept your promise."

I've done 251 episodes. I'm proud of many of them. But in Episode 16 [this season], Danny Glover played my father, which is a dream come true, and 11 years of Derek Morgan was touched on in that episode. And in this, Episode 18, it was about us. Nobody dies. ... It's a great story, and it's about the team coming together and their bond. And everything you've learned about Derek Morgan culminates. ... You've heard all the expressions: "left it all on the field," "drop the mic." When those elevator doors close, Derek Morgan is dropping the mic.

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Even though the show by its nature is gruesome, when it comes to the team, you've never killed anyone off except for Strauss (Jayne Atkinson), who wasn't a regular, and Gideon (Mandy Patinkin), and that was off-screen seven years after he left. When one of you leaves, the character just leaves the job, which is realistic. People move on in real life.
Moore: Right. And I probably shouldn't say this. I appreciate and respect and learned so much from Mandy Patinkin. Mandy Patinkin is one talented, talented, eccentric man. Some of the craziest people in the game are the most interesting people to watch. He went to Homeland and he took his next step. He took many, many steps. [Criminal Minds] killed his character for whatever reason. I hope I get my Homeland one day and they still don't kill Derek Morgan. [Laughs]

I hope you get your Homeland and I really don't think they'll kill off Morgan. I do think they gave him the closure they had promised, with his dad and the evolution of his and Reid's friendship. It was Reid giving Morgan the pep talk last week when he was in a funk.
Moore: Everything you're talking about -- the relationships with Reid and Baby Girl Garcia and Hotch and JJ and everyone -- all those things were in this episode. I don't know how they did it because [the first cut] was 17 minutes too long and they had to cut stuff. And I hated that! I was like, "But this line, but that!" "Nope. We gotta get to the Honda ad!" [Laughs] But I love that the last third of the show is all about the team and relationships, not necessarily in the words, but it's us. You feel the love. Somehow Erica and Kirsten got it all in 43 minutes. I think it competes with -- I'm not saying it's the best -- but just how people remember Episode 100, I think they'll remember 251. Not because of my departure, but because of the team and the emotional component.

Was it deliberate that Thomas, Joe [Mantegna] and Matthew directed these last three episodes, and Erica and Kirsten co-wrote your last episode? That couldn't have been a happy accident.
Moore: I think so. I remember having a meeting and Erica saying, "We have a plan." It was deliberate on Erica's part. It wasn't my idea. ... What's beautiful is I didn't think this show was going to have a chance in hell when we shot the pilot. I was sick as a dog with the worst cold of my life in Vancouver for four and a half weeks. It was raining every day except for three days. I was telling my representation at the time, "Get me outta here! This show has no chance!" It got picked up. We started doing our thing. In Season 2, we got our own identity. The show got stronger. The team started to evolve. Mandy did his time and left. Joe came in and brought this energy. Hotch became Hotch, and Morgan put on the jeans and combat boots. All of the sudden "baby girl" was born and "chocolate thunder" was born. And I grew as a person, as a man, as an actor tremendously. ... I started producing in other areas of the business. And Matthew, who went to NYU for directing, started to direct. He was never supposed to act. He just happens to have a good luck charm in his pocket or something. He's had two auditions in his life! [Laughs]

I know -- Wes Anderson and this, and he got them both!
Moore: Yeah, he had The Life Aquatic. Then he wanted to meet [producer] Mark Gordon about directing. They said, "Just audition for this thing called Quantico because then you can get in the office and you can go in the other room and meet Mark Gordon." And he goes into the room and reads and he gets the job! ... Now 11 years later, he's rich as hell, pretty, popular as hell and a great actor. Always imitated, never duplicated! If they gave me what Matthew has to do, I would've quit or been fired a long time ago.
[Laughs]

But my point is, we all evolved. Matthew started directing, and that inspired Joe and Thomas. And that inspired Kirsten to write. What's so cool is my baby girl co-wrote my final episode. It was beautiful to see Thomas get to direct Danny Glover in 249. Then Joe Mantegna, who is just the man, gets 250. And then Matthew Gray "Lucky Charm" Gubler of NYU gets to direct 251 -- I'm directed by my little brother -- and Erica Messer, who started on the writing staff who evolved and became the showrunner, gives me the best hug anyone could give me with 251. I'm willing to bet Criminal Minds will get to Episode 300, and Joe, Thomas and Matthew will all co-direct it, and Erica and Kirsten are going to write it.

Maybe they'll ask you back for that one. Paget [Brewster] came back for 200.
Moore: This business is all about politics, so I'm not promising anything. But from a creative place, from a passionate place, if I'm asked intermittently to come back like they did at The Young and the Restless, from my heart, the answer is yes, yes, yes, yes. But I don't know where I'm going to be in my career and my life when that time comes. But is it possible? Yes, it's possible.

I've watched the show since the beginning and Derek's definitely grown and changed over the years. In Season 1, he was kind of eager to please, and then he became the action hero and ladies' man, but he never came off one-note.
Moore: Can I interrupt real quick? On television, I have been the most sexually deprived person. [Laughs] On The Young and the Restless, I would steal my brother's wife and she would die or leave me. And now you say Derek was a ladies' man. Derek Morgan was doing nothing!

He was perceived to be one. He was the single guy. But, yes, we hardly saw him on dates or have a girlfriend until Savannah.
Moore: Yeah! Garcia had like five boyfriends! I'm just teasing, but it is wonderful bringing it to the end. Yes, it happened kind of quickly, but Derek didn't just get married. Excuse me for talking in the third person, but it's not just Shemar Moore's exit. The reason Derek is leaving -- after people cry and scream at the TV because people don't like change hopefully will realize this -- is for his unborn child, for his wife, for a part of his life that has always eluded him. It's the progression. ... What I'm so proud of is, in this episode, there are things you never realized or thought Derek was capable of. You're still learning about him. It was great for me as an actor and it was a great gift from Erica and the writing staff. I have watched Episode 16 probably around 20 times. ... I've watched Episode 18 exactly 41 times. It's not because I'm vain and I want to watch how great I am as an actor. It's the final dance and it's so beautifully done.

My favorite Morgan moment is when he and Reid were stuck in the elevator and cried for Hotch. What's your favorite moment or episode?
Moore: The elevator thing is pretty great. My favorite memory from the show that's not on-screen is when they brought me to work at 6:30 in the morning. I'm not a morning person at all. I have my baseball hat and my sunglasses on, not to be cool, but don't talk to me until I finish my Starbucks coffee. They walk me to rehearsal. I walk around this bush in Griffith Park. I'm looking down because that's the way I walk when I'm tired. I stop and look up and six feet in front of me is a 3,000-pound grizzly bear going, raaawwwwrrrrr! I almost poo-poo-ed in my pants. They punked me! They rented a grizzly bear!

This is your Revenant.
Moore: Yeah, and it was in my face eating marshmallows. That's what it ate. The trainer had a chain on and I'm like, "That chain ain't gonna do sh--!" I was so scared. The whole crew was dying. They've gotten me with bats and rats. I just have a big "S" on my forehead for "sucker." Those are my memories -- the camaraderie. We truly are a family. But as far as episodes, yeah, me and Reid in the elevator, me coming out of Baby Girl's shower with a rainbow towel on. Little things like that. As far as poignant episodes ... Season 2's "Profiler, Profiled," which came full circle in Season 8 in "Restoration." There was a show ... where not that I got all the lines, but Derek got to be in command. It was called "25 to Life" [in Season 6]. I was proud of that opportunity. And I'm not just saying this because of the timing, but Danny Glover playing your father? That's for the rest of my life. No joke. ... And honestly, because of what it represents for us as a team, it took 11 years, but this episode is my proudest moment of Criminal Minds. I'm proud of the way things ended for Derek Morgan.

Do you have a favorite non-"baby girl" nickname you've called Garcia?

Moore: Yeah, but I can't say it on TV! I wanted to call her "sugar t--s." So Paget was like, "Well, you can call me 'sugar t--s' because I've got nice boobs." So on set, she was like, "Shemar, you can only say 'baby girl' on TV, but we know you have to get this off your chest, so around the set, you can call me 'sugar t--s.'" So I called Paget 'sugar t--s." [Laughs]

But I've said silly pet names my whole life -- baby girl, sweet thang, cutie pie. ... This started in Season 1 or 2 when I had a scene with Kirsten on the phone ... and I was just in a goofy mood and said, "Hey, baby girl, check this out. I need you to work your magic. We're looking for a white guy in a minivan. Age 31 to 35. Do what you do. Let me know. Show me something good." I just kind of riffed and I was waiting for the script supervisor to go, "OK, Shemar, that was nice, but can we stick to the script?" They didn't say anything and it made the episode. Back in those days, there wasn't social media. It was just blogging and stuff started coming in -- "That was cute." Kirsten started coming back with "chocolate thunder," "brown sugar." Then fast-forward a couple episodes, I go to the table read and "baby girl" is in the script. And "chocolate thunder" is in the script. They didn't always write it the right way, so me and Kirsten finessed it and did it our way, but the fact that they were putting it in, that's how that relationship, outside of chasing the bad guy, came to be. And then you've got "pretty boy" [for Reid].
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And "kid."

Moore: Yeah. He's my little brother. And I'm "baby boy." I don't know where I came up with that. I'm actually glad I'm not considered the pretty boy. [Laughs] I mean, this guy and his long hair. He would be a pretty woman. I would mess with him. In one of the scenes, I was like, "Hey pretty boy, c'mon, let's go to the crime scene." And it stuck. That was just us messing around. That's the stuff I'm really going to miss.
What's next for you besides walking your dogs?

Moore: My dogs are so busy! I've got a movie [The Bounce Back] that I produced and put together and co-starred in that's going to be out. I'm just wearing my producing hat. Producing is attention to detail and I'm enjoying that. I've got some projects, whether they're for cable or feature films. I'm not going to sit back and wait for Spielberg to call me and all that stuff -- though it would be cool -- but in the meantime, I've got some ideas. Some of them are for me in front of the camera and some have nothing to do with me that I just want to put together and put out there. But I want to take a second and exhale. I want to travel a little bit. I want to hang out with my family. In the very near future, you'll hear the next chapter.

But right now, it's saying goodbye to Derek -- not forever -- and getting my movie out and showing a different side to me. I'm not disappearing. I'm grateful to all the fans, all the baby girls. We really would not be here without them. Hopefully they'll follow me where I go. You'll see me on social media and all that. You won't get rid of me that easily!

 for more info :  http://www.tvguide.com/news/shemar-moore-leaves-criminal-minds-interview/