Watch the Short Film Love You Mama: "After the sudden death of her father, a young woman becomes haunted by the uncertainty of the world around her."
Starring:
Madeleine Arthur
Samantha Sloyan
Matt Biedel
Written and Directed by:
Alexandra Magistro
Produced by:
Christopher Langston
Connor Tkachuk
Cole Hewlett
Edited by:
Mike Flanagan
Director of Photography:
Tyler Walzak
Production Designer:
Jessica Baese
Music by:
The Newton Brothers
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Watch the Short Film Witchy: "A broken-hearted teenager learns an important lesson about fidelity and family from an immersive Halloween experience that may or may not be organized by an actual witch.
Written, Directed, Cast and Produced by Liz Manashil
Produced by: Robby DeVillez, Elena Weinberg
Executive Producers: Emily Hagins, Brett and Drew Pierce
Executive Producers: John Brazel, Jacob Manalan, Aaron Nemoyten
Director of Photography: Elizabeth Yarwood
Production Designer: Marcie Maute
Editor: Sam Hook
Music by: Amy Summers
Visual Effects: Lily Gareth Cunningham...
Starring:
Madeleine Arthur
Samantha Sloyan
Matt Biedel
Written and Directed by:
Alexandra Magistro
Produced by:
Christopher Langston
Connor Tkachuk
Cole Hewlett
Edited by:
Mike Flanagan
Director of Photography:
Tyler Walzak
Production Designer:
Jessica Baese
Music by:
The Newton Brothers
---
Watch the Short Film Witchy: "A broken-hearted teenager learns an important lesson about fidelity and family from an immersive Halloween experience that may or may not be organized by an actual witch.
Written, Directed, Cast and Produced by Liz Manashil
Produced by: Robby DeVillez, Elena Weinberg
Executive Producers: Emily Hagins, Brett and Drew Pierce
Executive Producers: John Brazel, Jacob Manalan, Aaron Nemoyten
Director of Photography: Elizabeth Yarwood
Production Designer: Marcie Maute
Editor: Sam Hook
Music by: Amy Summers
Visual Effects: Lily Gareth Cunningham...
- 10/18/2023
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Exclusive: It’s been more than 40 years, but filmmaker Robert Greenwald remembers the call that came in from a man on the run. The caller, one of America’s most famous fugitives, used an assumed name.
“Robert, it’s Barry,” the man said in a gravelly voice. It wasn’t long before Greenwald discerned he was speaking with Abbie Hoffman, the “radical” leftist whose conviction in the celebrated Chicago Seven trial had been vacated. But a pending drug charge had prompted Hoffman to go on the lam.
“He would never say ‘Abbie’ [on the phone] because he was underground and assumed all the phones were tapped,” Greenwald recalls. “But I figured out pretty quickly that ‘Barry’ was Abbie.”
After that initial call Greenwald and Hoffman got to know each other and met up on occasion, in less than clandestine circumstances. Sometimes the setting was Venice Beach, not in a darkened café, but out in the sunshine,...
“Robert, it’s Barry,” the man said in a gravelly voice. It wasn’t long before Greenwald discerned he was speaking with Abbie Hoffman, the “radical” leftist whose conviction in the celebrated Chicago Seven trial had been vacated. But a pending drug charge had prompted Hoffman to go on the lam.
“He would never say ‘Abbie’ [on the phone] because he was underground and assumed all the phones were tapped,” Greenwald recalls. “But I figured out pretty quickly that ‘Barry’ was Abbie.”
After that initial call Greenwald and Hoffman got to know each other and met up on occasion, in less than clandestine circumstances. Sometimes the setting was Venice Beach, not in a darkened café, but out in the sunshine,...
- 11/4/2021
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Narratively speaking, Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” stands apart from the rest of the Best Picture and Original Script nominees for its scope and multi-layered approach. The fact-based drama balances three story threads in a “Rashomon” fashion: the overheated courtroom drama, how the peaceful demonstrations turned violent during the ’68 Democratic Convention in Chicago, and the bitter political rivalry between Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne) and Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen).
That’s a lot of history and conflict to pack into 130 minutes, which is why Sorkin cleverly wrote a sprawling 12-page prologue to set up the whole movie, calling for archival footage, tricky tonal shifts, and jumping back and forth in time. And the six and a half-minute sequence (view below) proved quite the challenge and opportunity for Oscar-nominated Alan Baumgarten to edit. “It serves several purposes,” he said. “It provides a bit of a history lesson,...
That’s a lot of history and conflict to pack into 130 minutes, which is why Sorkin cleverly wrote a sprawling 12-page prologue to set up the whole movie, calling for archival footage, tricky tonal shifts, and jumping back and forth in time. And the six and a half-minute sequence (view below) proved quite the challenge and opportunity for Oscar-nominated Alan Baumgarten to edit. “It serves several purposes,” he said. “It provides a bit of a history lesson,...
- 4/14/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
While Nomadland picked up Best Picture at the Critics Choice a couple of weeks back—a pretty reliable Oscar top prize indicator—at Sunday night’s SAG, it wasn’t even nominated in that category. Instead, that prize went to Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, possibly bolstering its chances at the Academy show on April 25th.
The ‘Best Picture’ prize at SAG is actually awarded to the Best Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, and in accepting the award on behalf of the all-star cast, Frank Langella, who played Judge Julius Hoffman, recalled Martin Luther King’s words:
“God give us leaders, said the Reverend Martin Luther King, before he was shot down in cold blood on this very date in 1968—a profound injustice. The Trial of the Chicago 7 began 18 months later, ruled by a corrupt judge—me. Aaron Sorkin was determined to tell their story...
The ‘Best Picture’ prize at SAG is actually awarded to the Best Ensemble Cast in a Motion Picture, and in accepting the award on behalf of the all-star cast, Frank Langella, who played Judge Julius Hoffman, recalled Martin Luther King’s words:
“God give us leaders, said the Reverend Martin Luther King, before he was shot down in cold blood on this very date in 1968—a profound injustice. The Trial of the Chicago 7 began 18 months later, ruled by a corrupt judge—me. Aaron Sorkin was determined to tell their story...
- 4/5/2021
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
Updated with full winners list: The Trial of the Chicago 7 won the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture prize, SAG’s version of Best Picture, at the 27th annual SAG Awards on Sunday night. It was one of 13 awards honoring the year’s best film and TV acting performances.
The late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis took the best leading male and female actor in a motion picture honors for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. In the supporting actor category, Yuh-Jung Youn took the trophy for Minari and Daniel Kaluuya for his role as Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah.
Among the movie categories, the marquee ensemble prize is often an Oscar bellwether. Last year, Neon’s Parasite surprised with a win and it later repeated the feat by taking the Academy Awards’ Best Picture prize.The Trial of the Chicago 7 faced off against Da 5 Bloods,...
The late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis took the best leading male and female actor in a motion picture honors for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. In the supporting actor category, Yuh-Jung Youn took the trophy for Minari and Daniel Kaluuya for his role as Fred Hampton in Judas and the Black Messiah.
Among the movie categories, the marquee ensemble prize is often an Oscar bellwether. Last year, Neon’s Parasite surprised with a win and it later repeated the feat by taking the Academy Awards’ Best Picture prize.The Trial of the Chicago 7 faced off against Da 5 Bloods,...
- 4/5/2021
- by Denise Petski and Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Thursday marked the 51st anniversary of the verdict featured in The Trial of the Chicago 7, and in honor of the milestone, Netflix is streaming the 2020 film for free on their YouTube for 48 hours starting at midnight. Starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, and Eddie Redmayne, the Aaron Sorkin-directed film follows the infamous case of eight men - Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner, and Bobby Seale - who were indicted for inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
"It's our honor to share their story with the world."
"Since my initial introduction fourteen years ago, my relationship to the story of The Trial of the Chicago 7 has changed significantly," Sorkin said in a statement shared by Netflix. "When we began shooting last winter, we knew the story we were telling was not only an important chapter of American history,...
"It's our honor to share their story with the world."
"Since my initial introduction fourteen years ago, my relationship to the story of The Trial of the Chicago 7 has changed significantly," Sorkin said in a statement shared by Netflix. "When we began shooting last winter, we knew the story we were telling was not only an important chapter of American history,...
- 2/18/2021
- by Monica Sisavat
- Popsugar.com
“The Trial of the Chicago 7″ has been selected for the inaugural ensemble tribute by the Independent Filmmaker Project at the upcoming Gotham Awards on Jan. 11, 2021.
The film, directed by Aaron Sorkin from his own script, follows the story of the Chicago Seven, a group of anti–Vietnam War protesters who were charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The film began streaming on Netflix in October.
The ensemble cast includes Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman, Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Bobby Seale, Jeremy Strong as Jerry Rubin, Mark Rylance as William Kunstler, Michael Keaton as Ramsey Clark, John Carroll Lynch as defendant David Dellinger, Alex Sharp as defendant Rennie Davis and Frank Langella as presiding judge Julius Hoffman. Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Fred Hampton, Caitlin Fitzgerald portrays FBI agent Daphne O’Connor, Alice Kremelberg...
The film, directed by Aaron Sorkin from his own script, follows the story of the Chicago Seven, a group of anti–Vietnam War protesters who were charged with conspiracy and crossing state lines with the intention of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The film began streaming on Netflix in October.
The ensemble cast includes Sacha Baron Cohen as Abbie Hoffman, Eddie Redmayne as Tom Hayden, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Bobby Seale, Jeremy Strong as Jerry Rubin, Mark Rylance as William Kunstler, Michael Keaton as Ramsey Clark, John Carroll Lynch as defendant David Dellinger, Alex Sharp as defendant Rennie Davis and Frank Langella as presiding judge Julius Hoffman. Kelvin Harrison Jr. plays Fred Hampton, Caitlin Fitzgerald portrays FBI agent Daphne O’Connor, Alice Kremelberg...
- 12/17/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
John Carroll Lynch is adding another distinct character to his repertoire on the new ABC mystery drama “Big Sky.” In the series, the actor plays state trooper Rick Legarski, who is revealed to be involved in sex trafficking and finds himself in hot water after the disappearance of two teenage girls. Lynch has found a way into inhabiting all the unique idiosyncrasies of Rick thanks to the flexibility of Emmy-winning series creator David E. Kelley. “There’s always a freedom to interpret,” says Lynch in an exclusive new interview for Gold Derby. “It feels like jazz with his scripts. You can play it a lot of different ways.” Watch the full interview above.
Viewers are gradually coming to understand Rick’s motivation with each passing episode. Lynch describes his character as having “an ill-founded moral righteousness,” and the actor admits, “I have behaved this way in various circumstances where I...
Viewers are gradually coming to understand Rick’s motivation with each passing episode. Lynch describes his character as having “an ill-founded moral righteousness,” and the actor admits, “I have behaved this way in various circumstances where I...
- 12/16/2020
- by Kevin Jacobsen
- Gold Derby
Having served as the costume designer for both of Aaron Sorkin’s directorial features, Susan Lyall has learned how to find the right outfits that serve his vision. “He responds more to images rather than a discussion. He’s more inclined to describe an emotion or what he hopes to achieve than to tell you it needs to be a yellow dress,” says Lyall in our recent webchat (watch the exclusive video above). This allowed Lyall the freedom to bring many different ideas to Sorkin which he very much appreciated. “He would say that if he costumed ‘The Trial of the Chicago 7,’ that everyone would be wearing khaki pants and a blue shirt from The Gap.”
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which is currently streaming on Netflix, examines the federal trial of seven anti-war protesters who were charged with crossing state lines in order to incite a riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
“The Trial of the Chicago 7,” which is currently streaming on Netflix, examines the federal trial of seven anti-war protesters who were charged with crossing state lines in order to incite a riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
- 10/23/2020
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Photo: 'The Trial of the Chicago 7'/Netflix 'The Trial of the Chicago 7': In August of 1968, the Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago, and history was made. In addition to nominating Hubert Humphrey as the Democratic nominee that would replace President Johnson and ultimately lose to Richard Nixon that election year, riots broke out between police and anti-war/civil rights activists. The court case that was held to prosecute the group of men believed responsible for conspiracy against the police went down in history as it called into question the American government’s respect for the first amendment all taking place in a time on the precipice of radical revolution. After the leader of The Black Panthers, Bobby Seale, was dismissed from the case, the men ultimately tried in court were David Dellinger, Rennie Davis, Tom Hayden, Jerry Rubin, Abbie Hoffman, John Froines, and Lee Weiner.
- 10/19/2020
- by Christopher Davis
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
“You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows,” Bob Dylan intoned on his song “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” influencing a group of young mad bombers to blow against the wind. The group at the center of Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7 didn’t blow up bathrooms in federal investigative agencies; they protested bombings, and all other forms of violence, when they stood against authority at the Democratic National Convention in 1968.
The Youth International Party, or Yippies, was non-violent, even if one of the co-founders, Abbie Hoffman (played by Sacha Baron Cohen in the movie), wrote his first radical tract, Fuck the System, under the pseudonym George Metesky, a mad bomber from the 1940s. The other, Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong on screen), blew bubbles while dressed as George Washington at his Huac hearing.
Rubin would go on to beat bongos as part of John Lennon...
The Youth International Party, or Yippies, was non-violent, even if one of the co-founders, Abbie Hoffman (played by Sacha Baron Cohen in the movie), wrote his first radical tract, Fuck the System, under the pseudonym George Metesky, a mad bomber from the 1940s. The other, Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong on screen), blew bubbles while dressed as George Washington at his Huac hearing.
Rubin would go on to beat bongos as part of John Lennon...
- 10/18/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Aaron Sorkin returns to the political drama sphere with The Trial of the Chicago 7, which is based on the infamous court case involving protesters at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. It was a tense time in America as citizens were unhappy with poverty, racial inequality, and the Vietnam War. Police brutality notoriously broke out at the demonstrations. Ultimately, eight organizers were arrested on charges of conspiracy to use interstate commerce with intent to incite a riot: Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Lee Weiner, and Bobby Seale.
The presiding judge on the case was Judge Julius Hoffman. During the trial, the eight men and their lawyer ignored decorum and provoked the judge, hoping to reveal what they saw as the corrupt values of the establishment. Judge Hoffman demanded order using troubling measures, even gagging and tying Seale, who would be severed from the case. Only...
The presiding judge on the case was Judge Julius Hoffman. During the trial, the eight men and their lawyer ignored decorum and provoked the judge, hoping to reveal what they saw as the corrupt values of the establishment. Judge Hoffman demanded order using troubling measures, even gagging and tying Seale, who would be severed from the case. Only...
- 10/16/2020
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
(Spoiler alert: Do not read on if you haven’t seen “The Trial of the Chicago 7.”)
In Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong) appeared in court wearing flowing black judge’s robes to taunt the judge. Did this really happen, though?
Yes, it did. During the five-month trial of the Chicago 7, who were charged with conspiracy and inciting to riot regarding anti-Vietnam War protests during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, Hoffman, Rubin, and the other five defendants, as well as their attorney William Kunstler, disregarded all decorum of a courtroom from the very beginning, according to PBS.
Hoffman and Rubin did wear judge’s robes to the trial one day, according to PBS. When Judge Hoffman (no relation to Abbie) ordered them to remove the robes, they complied, revealing Chicago police uniforms underneath. The...
In Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen) and Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong) appeared in court wearing flowing black judge’s robes to taunt the judge. Did this really happen, though?
Yes, it did. During the five-month trial of the Chicago 7, who were charged with conspiracy and inciting to riot regarding anti-Vietnam War protests during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois, Hoffman, Rubin, and the other five defendants, as well as their attorney William Kunstler, disregarded all decorum of a courtroom from the very beginning, according to PBS.
Hoffman and Rubin did wear judge’s robes to the trial one day, according to PBS. When Judge Hoffman (no relation to Abbie) ordered them to remove the robes, they complied, revealing Chicago police uniforms underneath. The...
- 10/16/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
(This post contains Spoilers for Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” on Netflix)
Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is loaded with moments that will make you laugh, cheer or be outraged. But one of the film’s most alarming moments comes when Bobby Seale, the Black Panther party leader as portrayed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, is ordered bound and gagged in his courtroom seat by judge Julius Hoffman.
The scene is a horrifying moment of racial injustice and prejudice that finally boiled over after numerous scenes of Seale being denied his rights, representation and more. It’s such an outrageous sight in a movie that prides itself on its accuracy that it begs the question, was Seale really bound and gagged in the way the movie suggests?
The truth is, yes, Seale was tied to his chair and gagged in full view of the jury,...
Aaron Sorkin’s “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is loaded with moments that will make you laugh, cheer or be outraged. But one of the film’s most alarming moments comes when Bobby Seale, the Black Panther party leader as portrayed by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, is ordered bound and gagged in his courtroom seat by judge Julius Hoffman.
The scene is a horrifying moment of racial injustice and prejudice that finally boiled over after numerous scenes of Seale being denied his rights, representation and more. It’s such an outrageous sight in a movie that prides itself on its accuracy that it begs the question, was Seale really bound and gagged in the way the movie suggests?
The truth is, yes, Seale was tied to his chair and gagged in full view of the jury,...
- 10/16/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
You’d think that a bunch of Yippies nominating a 145-pound pig, cheekily dubbed “Pigasus,” for president would need showcasing, but Aaron Sorkin is of a different mind. The venerable writer/director’s criminally pigless picture, The Trial of the Chicago 7, focuses instead on the eponymous group’s protracted trial following its heavy involvement in anti-war protests in ’60s Chicago.
Fiery bellies and a gravitational pull toward positive change drove these men to become ardent faces of a festering distaste for the United States’ wartime priorities. And Sorkin’s searing film does a decent job driving that earnestness home. It may skimp on necessary emotional beats and become more innocuous than it intends, but there’s an undeniable relevance to Sorkin’s latest effort that ultimately makes it a worthy expenditure of cognitive juice.
As one of its respective era’s most critical moments, the 1968 Democratic Convention cranked patriotic...
Fiery bellies and a gravitational pull toward positive change drove these men to become ardent faces of a festering distaste for the United States’ wartime priorities. And Sorkin’s searing film does a decent job driving that earnestness home. It may skimp on necessary emotional beats and become more innocuous than it intends, but there’s an undeniable relevance to Sorkin’s latest effort that ultimately makes it a worthy expenditure of cognitive juice.
As one of its respective era’s most critical moments, the 1968 Democratic Convention cranked patriotic...
- 10/16/2020
- by Hayden Mears
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Over half a century has passed since the events portrayed in the outstanding courtroom drama from Netflix, The Trial of the Chicago 7, took place and, given the current politically charged times, our relationship with authority and authoritarian rule hasn’t gotten any less prickly.
When first envisioned, the protest accompanying the Democratic National Convention in 1968, was intended to be a peaceful protest of the war in Vietnam. But, as most protests of the period went, this one quickly turned violent as police and members of the National Guard used force and violence to quell a supposed riot. The accused organizers of the alleged riot—who included Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Les Weiner, and Bobby Seale—were subsequently charged with conspiracy and inciting a riot, resulting in one of the most infamous trials in American history.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin,...
When first envisioned, the protest accompanying the Democratic National Convention in 1968, was intended to be a peaceful protest of the war in Vietnam. But, as most protests of the period went, this one quickly turned violent as police and members of the National Guard used force and violence to quell a supposed riot. The accused organizers of the alleged riot—who included Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, Les Weiner, and Bobby Seale—were subsequently charged with conspiracy and inciting a riot, resulting in one of the most infamous trials in American history.
Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin,...
- 10/16/2020
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
Image Source: Netflix
Director Aaron Sorkin is hopping back on the political drama train with Netflix's The Trial of the Chicago 7. Based on a true story, the period film follows the infamous case of the seven men - really eight - who were indicted for inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The demonstrations drew an estimate of
10,000 participants
, many of who faced police brutality at the frontlines. Sorkin's movie spotlights the notoriously chaotic and controversial trial that followed. Its cast is stacked - the powerhouse team includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, and more. Before you add The Trial of the Chicago 7 to your queue, here's the backstory that you should know from this turbulent year in American history.
To understand how the situation unfolded, we need to look at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, which followed the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr.
Director Aaron Sorkin is hopping back on the political drama train with Netflix's The Trial of the Chicago 7. Based on a true story, the period film follows the infamous case of the seven men - really eight - who were indicted for inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The demonstrations drew an estimate of
10,000 participants
, many of who faced police brutality at the frontlines. Sorkin's movie spotlights the notoriously chaotic and controversial trial that followed. Its cast is stacked - the powerhouse team includes Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Sacha Baron Cohen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Keaton, and more. Before you add The Trial of the Chicago 7 to your queue, here's the backstory that you should know from this turbulent year in American history.
To understand how the situation unfolded, we need to look at the Democratic National Convention in 1968, which followed the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr.
- 10/14/2020
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
People stand gathered around a federal building, outraged at the violent treatment of fellow peaceful demonstrators; counter-protestors are also standing by, waving signs which bemoan the lack of focus on all civil rights; and an exceedingly politicized Justice Department gathers trumped up charges intended to demonize those they deemed “radical,” “subversive,” and “the far left.” No this isn’t the nightly news, it’s the opening moments of Aaron Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7, a movie about a grotesque miscarriage of justice from 50 years ago.
Premiering on Netflix just before the U.S. presidential election, but months after a summer of civil unrest, The Trial of the Chicago 7 feels both tailored for our moment and almost transported from another universe. The irony of the timeliness is not lost on Sorkin, who filmed Chicago 7 a year before the death of George Floyd ignited a new wave of protests across...
Premiering on Netflix just before the U.S. presidential election, but months after a summer of civil unrest, The Trial of the Chicago 7 feels both tailored for our moment and almost transported from another universe. The irony of the timeliness is not lost on Sorkin, who filmed Chicago 7 a year before the death of George Floyd ignited a new wave of protests across...
- 10/14/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Well, burnt-out history teachers have a new movie to kill two class periods.
That’s assuming they can get permission slips from parents to show it to students. It has some violence and a moment of sexual menace, so that might be a hurdle for some high school sophomore instructors. So how about this: They turn on the overhead projector, start the movie, and play a majority of it without video. The kids listen to it like it’s a radio play, the teacher catches up on their grading, and by Wednesday morning class is back in session as normal. Or they could, you know, read about it.
No, The Trial of the Chicago 7 isn’t terribly cinematic. It’s hardly cinematic at all, and here the idea of Aaron Sorkin at his most Sorkin-y somehow translates to him at his worst. It doesn’t confront. It doesn’t stimulate.
That’s assuming they can get permission slips from parents to show it to students. It has some violence and a moment of sexual menace, so that might be a hurdle for some high school sophomore instructors. So how about this: They turn on the overhead projector, start the movie, and play a majority of it without video. The kids listen to it like it’s a radio play, the teacher catches up on their grading, and by Wednesday morning class is back in session as normal. Or they could, you know, read about it.
No, The Trial of the Chicago 7 isn’t terribly cinematic. It’s hardly cinematic at all, and here the idea of Aaron Sorkin at his most Sorkin-y somehow translates to him at his worst. It doesn’t confront. It doesn’t stimulate.
- 9/25/2020
- by Matt Cipolla
- The Film Stage
Nothing epitomized late ’60s iconoclasm like the trial of the Chicago Seven, a high-profile courtroom showdown between vindictive government forces and the righteous men who opposed its corruption. The nearly five-month proceedings were so loaded with histrionic grandstanding they practically anticipated the movie Aaron Sorkin would make five decades later. “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is exactly as advertised — , that overall makes a passionate case for the resilience of its formula more than using it as an excuse.
Of course, Sorkin practically rejuvenated that formula by writing the fiery confrontations of “A Few Good Men” almost 30 years ago, and here directs his own blunt, energetic screenplay with the convictions of a storyteller fully committed to the tropes at hand. It works well enough in part because the trial lends itself to such artifice: When the government charged an eclectic blend of stoned rebels and non-violent anti-war protesters with inciting...
Of course, Sorkin practically rejuvenated that formula by writing the fiery confrontations of “A Few Good Men” almost 30 years ago, and here directs his own blunt, energetic screenplay with the convictions of a storyteller fully committed to the tropes at hand. It works well enough in part because the trial lends itself to such artifice: When the government charged an eclectic blend of stoned rebels and non-violent anti-war protesters with inciting...
- 9/25/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen), Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong), Tommy Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp), David Dellinger (John Carroll Lynch), John Froines (Daniel Flaherty), and Lee Weiner (Noah Robbins) were the Chicago 7. Along with Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II), co-founder of the Black Panther Party, these eight men captivated America from 1969-70 while on trial for inciting a riot during the 1968 Democratic National Convention — a bloody protest witnessing the Chicago Police Department viciously beating unarmed demonstrators, which culminated in Mayor Daley instituting his infamous shoot to kill order.
Continue reading ‘The Trial Of The Chicago 7’: Aaron Sorkin’s Courtroom Drama Provokes Your Outrage, But Often Feels Manufactured [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Trial Of The Chicago 7’: Aaron Sorkin’s Courtroom Drama Provokes Your Outrage, But Often Feels Manufactured [Review] at The Playlist.
- 9/25/2020
- by Robert Daniels
- The Playlist
On paper, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” feels like it could be a bit of Aaron Sorkin’s greatest hits. The drama, which hits select theaters on Friday before heading to Netflix on Oct. 16, has lots of the qualities you can find in previous works that he’s written: politics, legal scenes and, most of all, smart people talking fast (pretty much everything Sorkin has done).
But if “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is indeed full of the verbal pyrotechnics that can make Sorkin such an invigorating storyteller, the film is most notable for the way it goes in directions we haven’t seen from the writer and director. With its intricate editing and full-scale action sequences re-creating the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” moves beyond Sorkin the writer of dialogue, or Sorkin the supplier of scripts to the likes of Rob Reiner,...
But if “The Trial of the Chicago 7” is indeed full of the verbal pyrotechnics that can make Sorkin such an invigorating storyteller, the film is most notable for the way it goes in directions we haven’t seen from the writer and director. With its intricate editing and full-scale action sequences re-creating the riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, “The Trial of the Chicago 7” moves beyond Sorkin the writer of dialogue, or Sorkin the supplier of scripts to the likes of Rob Reiner,...
- 9/25/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Plot: Following the 1968 Democratic Convention, the Chicago 7 - Jerry Rubin (Jeremy Strong), Abbie Hoffman (Sacha Baron Cohen), Tom Hayden (Eddie Redmayne), John Froines (Daniel Flaherty), David Dellinger (John Carroll Lynch), Lee Weiner (Noah Robbins), and Rennie Davis (Alex Sharp), as well as Black Panther Bobby Seale (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) are put on trial for inciting the riots. Review:…...
- 9/25/2020
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Aaron Sorkin always wanted The Trial of the Chicago 7 to be a movie. Ever since Steven Spielberg first broached the subject of adapting the story of how eight men were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot during the Democratic National Convention of 1968, it’s been a project Sorkin has thought about, toyed with, and rewritten over the last 14 years. But what finally led Sorkin to forego his stage play for something bigger and more cinematic is when the events of the heady days of 1968 began seeing echoes in the 21st century. What happened was Donald Trump ran for president.
“I asked DreamWorks if I could try writing this as a play,” Sorkin said Monday during an industry talk for The Trial of the Chicago 7 at the Toronto International Film Festival. By this time, the film had already gone through several drafts, with directors like Paul Greengrass and...
“I asked DreamWorks if I could try writing this as a play,” Sorkin said Monday during an industry talk for The Trial of the Chicago 7 at the Toronto International Film Festival. By this time, the film had already gone through several drafts, with directors like Paul Greengrass and...
- 9/14/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
“The whole world is watching,” we hear chanted repeatedly in the first The Trial of the Chicago 7 trailer. After riots, which may have begun due to the excessive force by the police, overtook the 1968 Democratic National Convention, the federal government tried to charge a group of counterculture activists with conspiracy in one of the most infamous trials in American history. Written and directed by Aaron Sorkin, and featuring an all-star cast headlined by Sacha Baron Cohen, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Mark Rylance, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the Netflix film merits global consideration. Subscribers will have access to the film starting on Oct. 16
The Trial of the Chicago 7 was originally going to be released by Paramount Pictures, but the studio sold the distribution rights to Netflix due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Trial of The Chicago 7 was initially set to be released in September, but the deal between Paramount and Netflix pushed it back a few weeks.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 was originally going to be released by Paramount Pictures, but the studio sold the distribution rights to Netflix due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Trial of The Chicago 7 was initially set to be released in September, but the deal between Paramount and Netflix pushed it back a few weeks.
- 9/14/2020
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Streaming giant Netflix has set an Oct. 16 launch date for Aaron Sorkin’s star-studded political drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7” — three weeks before the national election.
Netflix closed the deal on July 1 with Cross Creek Pictures for the drama, which recaps the trial that followed what were intended to be peaceful protests that turned violent at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The organizers of the protest, including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale, were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot.
Netlix also released first-look photos on Wednesday on Twitter, noting the “big hair energy” on several of the stars. Mark Strong’s Jerry Rubin character appears to be smoking marijuana in a classroom in one shot.
Will never get over the big hair energy in these first look photos from The Trial Of The Chicago 7.
The latest from writer/director Aaron Sorkin, detailing...
Netflix closed the deal on July 1 with Cross Creek Pictures for the drama, which recaps the trial that followed what were intended to be peaceful protests that turned violent at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The organizers of the protest, including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale, were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot.
Netlix also released first-look photos on Wednesday on Twitter, noting the “big hair energy” on several of the stars. Mark Strong’s Jerry Rubin character appears to be smoking marijuana in a classroom in one shot.
Will never get over the big hair energy in these first look photos from The Trial Of The Chicago 7.
The latest from writer/director Aaron Sorkin, detailing...
- 7/22/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Streaming giant Netflix has closed a worldwide rights deal for Aaron Sorkin’s star-studded “The Trial of the Chicago 7” from Cross Creek Pictures for release later this year.
Variety first reported on June 20 that Netflix was in negotiations for the property. The drama recaps the trial that followed what were intended to be peaceful protests that turned violent at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The organizers of the protest — including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale — were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot.
Hoffman is portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen with Eddie Redmayne as Hayden, Jeremy Strong as Rubin and Yahya Abdul-Mateen as Seale. Michael Keaton portrays Ramsey Clark, John Carroll Lynch portrays defendant David Dellinger, Alex Sharp plays defendant Rennie Davis and Frank Langella plays presiding judge Julius Hoffman. Mark Rylance portrays attorney William Kuntsler.
Netflix is expected to release “The Trial of the Chicago 7...
Variety first reported on June 20 that Netflix was in negotiations for the property. The drama recaps the trial that followed what were intended to be peaceful protests that turned violent at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. The organizers of the protest — including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale — were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot.
Hoffman is portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen with Eddie Redmayne as Hayden, Jeremy Strong as Rubin and Yahya Abdul-Mateen as Seale. Michael Keaton portrays Ramsey Clark, John Carroll Lynch portrays defendant David Dellinger, Alex Sharp plays defendant Rennie Davis and Frank Langella plays presiding judge Julius Hoffman. Mark Rylance portrays attorney William Kuntsler.
Netflix is expected to release “The Trial of the Chicago 7...
- 7/1/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
If DreamWorks still plans to make The Trial of the Chicago 7, it.s going to have to do it without Paul Greengrass at the helm. Variety reports that the Bourne director and the studio .have decided to part ways after being unable to agree on a budget. for the period piece, which would focus on the riots caused by activists during the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Illinois. The man accused included Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines, and Lee Weiner. They were charged with conspiracy, inciting to riot, and other charges related to protests. Part of the reason Variety says that the budget was ballooning close to $40 million . as opposed to the $30 million mark the studio sought . is because Greengrass wanted to accurately stage the riots, a costly proposition for whomever takes over the production. Someone will be plugged in soon, though, as DreamWorks...
- 9/17/2013
- cinemablend.com
DreamWorks is moving forward on their production of the Aaron Sorkin-scripted film The Trial of the Chicago 7. Steven Spielberg has been looking to direct it since 2008, but according to an inside source, no movement has been made. The source explains that “every two months it’s been revisited. The title would come up in conversation at production meetings. But it’s just been hanging.”
Not anymore. The studio is pushing it forward, and according to Deadline, they are looking to hire Paul Greengrass (Bourne franchise) to direct it. Greengrass was also looking to direct it back in 2008 when Spielberg's plate started to fill up with other projects. It's funny to see this news pop up again five years later.
The movie is "based on the infamous 1969 federal conspiracy trial arising out of the protesters vs police violent rioting at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago that transfixed the nation...
Not anymore. The studio is pushing it forward, and according to Deadline, they are looking to hire Paul Greengrass (Bourne franchise) to direct it. Greengrass was also looking to direct it back in 2008 when Spielberg's plate started to fill up with other projects. It's funny to see this news pop up again five years later.
The movie is "based on the infamous 1969 federal conspiracy trial arising out of the protesters vs police violent rioting at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago that transfixed the nation...
- 7/24/2013
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Is 2013 the year of lost Steven Spielberg projects finding new life? On the heels of Christopher Nolan picking up the mantle for Spielberg on "Interstellar," a film Spielberg first started developing back in 2006, comes this Deadline.com report about Paul Greengrass taking over for the director on "The Trial of The Chicago 7," a feature Spielberg started game-planning back in 2007.
Written by Aaron Sorkin, the film will focus on the famous conspiracy trial of Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines and Lee Weiner, all of whom were charged with inciting riots after the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Spielberg was first attached to the film in 2007, and worked with Sorkin on the project through 2008. The director also had a cast in mind, as noted by Vanity Fair in a piece on the director in February of 2008.
My glance strays to a side table, where headshots...
Written by Aaron Sorkin, the film will focus on the famous conspiracy trial of Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, David Dellinger, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, John Froines and Lee Weiner, all of whom were charged with inciting riots after the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Spielberg was first attached to the film in 2007, and worked with Sorkin on the project through 2008. The director also had a cast in mind, as noted by Vanity Fair in a piece on the director in February of 2008.
My glance strays to a side table, where headshots...
- 7/24/2013
- by Christopher Rosen
- Huffington Post
Sundance Film Festival
PARK CITY -- "Chicago 10" accurately catches the moment when politics, dissent and celebrityhood first collided in this country in 1968. What it doesn't do, which filmmaker Brett Morgen says he wanted to do, is draw a parallel between contemporary America and the anti-Vietnam war movement, which will mobilize the youth in this country. The movie's main difficulty is that it fundamentally fails to explain what drove tens of thousands of people into the streets in 1968.
"Chicago 10" makes a fascinating opening-night film for the Sundance Film Festival, not only because of its experimental mix of archival footage and animation. While this festival normally prefers comedies or feel-good movies for its first night, in 2007 it is willing to open with an overt political statement, which resulted in front-page coverage in the Salt Lake Tribune. This make speak to the times we live in and for that reason "Chicago 10" might get limited distribution.
But the filmmaker's technique and his inability to confront the political legacy of the '60s and '70s put audiences at arm's length from the story he wants to tell. Instead of our watching a challenging political document, we are watching history albeit a fascinating one that does capture some of the experiences of that era.
The movie operates on parallel tracts. Morgen has ransacked film archives for considerable eye-opening footage of events leading up to the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago in 1968 -- the anti-war movement leaders' decision to put on a festival of peace to counter the convention and Mayor Richard Daley's determination to deny permits and turn Chicago into a police state. This footage gives a sense of the brutal repression peaceful demonstrators at civil rights and anti-war demonstrations of that era experienced.
The other tract is to dramatize the federal trial in Chicago a year later against the protesters, where the government hand-picked eight defendants, singled out because they were leaders of the various movements. To do this, Morgen came up with a brilliant idea. Rather than employing talking-head interviews or restaging the trial with actors, Morgen uses motion-capture animation with an impressive cast of actors to do the voices of the key characters. Because the trial was something of a circus anyway, portraying it as a cartoon works brilliantly.
The Yippies Abbie Hoffman (Hank Azaria) and Jerry Rubin (Mark Ruffalo) conceived of the protest as political theater so they naturally turn the courtroom into a comic display of their disregard for authority and, not incidentally, achieve rock-star celebrityhood in doing so. Renowned pacifist David Dellinger (Dylan Baker) is more sober-minded and serious. Black Panther Bobby Seale (Jeffrey Wright) is so vocal in demanding his rights, that the judge has him bound, gagged and handcuffed to a chair. Then there is Judge Julius Hoffman (Roy Scheider) himself, who clearly loses control of the case and clearly is deeply prejudiced against the defense.
The entertainment value of this cartoon trial is high, but a political connection is missing. The film fails to explore the crisis of conscience that drove both the eight defendants and the millions they represented. The protest movements grew out of a realization that how one lives one's life is a political act and how people must take responsibility for their government's tragically absurd policies, both in a war far from home and its racial segregation at home.
The protest movement spanned four social segments: the pacifists, the politicos, the counter-culture and black power movements. All were on trial but Morgen's cartoon focuses on personalities over movements and caricature over substance.
The screenwriter-director concentrates heavily on the theatrical aspects of the trial, especially the antics of Hoffman and Rubin. Their clowning and speeches aren't half as amusing as Morgen seems to think, which perhaps demonstrates how dated yesteryear's rhetoric and concepts of charisma can be.
What Morgen ignores are the politics of culture and, pivotally, the politics of the counter-culture. Everyone's behavior in that courtroom stems from a set of values and beliefs, from the prosecution and judge's overweening sense of decorum, entitlement and privilege to the defense's distrust and contempt for their authority.
Production values are slick with an overlay of music including rap, reggae and other genres not in existence at the time. These might connect with the younger generation but the music often is distracting. CHICAGO 10
Participant Productions and River Road Entertainment in association with Consolidated Documentaries and Public Road Productions
Credits:
Writer/Director: Brett Morgen
Producers: Brett Morgen, Graydon Carter
Executive producers: William Pohlad, Laura Bickford
Music: Jeff Danna
Animation: Curious Pictures
Additional animation: Asterisk, Yowza Animation
Editor: Stuart Levy
Additional editing: Kristina Boden
Voice Cast:
Abbie Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg: Hank Azaria
David Dellinger, David Stahl: Dylan Baker
Thomas Foran: Nick Nolte
Jerry Rubin: Mark Ruffalo
Judge Hoffman: Roy Scheider
William Kunstler: Liev Schreiber
Bobby Seale: Jeffrey Wright
Running time -- 103 minutes
No MPAA rating...
PARK CITY -- "Chicago 10" accurately catches the moment when politics, dissent and celebrityhood first collided in this country in 1968. What it doesn't do, which filmmaker Brett Morgen says he wanted to do, is draw a parallel between contemporary America and the anti-Vietnam war movement, which will mobilize the youth in this country. The movie's main difficulty is that it fundamentally fails to explain what drove tens of thousands of people into the streets in 1968.
"Chicago 10" makes a fascinating opening-night film for the Sundance Film Festival, not only because of its experimental mix of archival footage and animation. While this festival normally prefers comedies or feel-good movies for its first night, in 2007 it is willing to open with an overt political statement, which resulted in front-page coverage in the Salt Lake Tribune. This make speak to the times we live in and for that reason "Chicago 10" might get limited distribution.
But the filmmaker's technique and his inability to confront the political legacy of the '60s and '70s put audiences at arm's length from the story he wants to tell. Instead of our watching a challenging political document, we are watching history albeit a fascinating one that does capture some of the experiences of that era.
The movie operates on parallel tracts. Morgen has ransacked film archives for considerable eye-opening footage of events leading up to the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago in 1968 -- the anti-war movement leaders' decision to put on a festival of peace to counter the convention and Mayor Richard Daley's determination to deny permits and turn Chicago into a police state. This footage gives a sense of the brutal repression peaceful demonstrators at civil rights and anti-war demonstrations of that era experienced.
The other tract is to dramatize the federal trial in Chicago a year later against the protesters, where the government hand-picked eight defendants, singled out because they were leaders of the various movements. To do this, Morgen came up with a brilliant idea. Rather than employing talking-head interviews or restaging the trial with actors, Morgen uses motion-capture animation with an impressive cast of actors to do the voices of the key characters. Because the trial was something of a circus anyway, portraying it as a cartoon works brilliantly.
The Yippies Abbie Hoffman (Hank Azaria) and Jerry Rubin (Mark Ruffalo) conceived of the protest as political theater so they naturally turn the courtroom into a comic display of their disregard for authority and, not incidentally, achieve rock-star celebrityhood in doing so. Renowned pacifist David Dellinger (Dylan Baker) is more sober-minded and serious. Black Panther Bobby Seale (Jeffrey Wright) is so vocal in demanding his rights, that the judge has him bound, gagged and handcuffed to a chair. Then there is Judge Julius Hoffman (Roy Scheider) himself, who clearly loses control of the case and clearly is deeply prejudiced against the defense.
The entertainment value of this cartoon trial is high, but a political connection is missing. The film fails to explore the crisis of conscience that drove both the eight defendants and the millions they represented. The protest movements grew out of a realization that how one lives one's life is a political act and how people must take responsibility for their government's tragically absurd policies, both in a war far from home and its racial segregation at home.
The protest movement spanned four social segments: the pacifists, the politicos, the counter-culture and black power movements. All were on trial but Morgen's cartoon focuses on personalities over movements and caricature over substance.
The screenwriter-director concentrates heavily on the theatrical aspects of the trial, especially the antics of Hoffman and Rubin. Their clowning and speeches aren't half as amusing as Morgen seems to think, which perhaps demonstrates how dated yesteryear's rhetoric and concepts of charisma can be.
What Morgen ignores are the politics of culture and, pivotally, the politics of the counter-culture. Everyone's behavior in that courtroom stems from a set of values and beliefs, from the prosecution and judge's overweening sense of decorum, entitlement and privilege to the defense's distrust and contempt for their authority.
Production values are slick with an overlay of music including rap, reggae and other genres not in existence at the time. These might connect with the younger generation but the music often is distracting. CHICAGO 10
Participant Productions and River Road Entertainment in association with Consolidated Documentaries and Public Road Productions
Credits:
Writer/Director: Brett Morgen
Producers: Brett Morgen, Graydon Carter
Executive producers: William Pohlad, Laura Bickford
Music: Jeff Danna
Animation: Curious Pictures
Additional animation: Asterisk, Yowza Animation
Editor: Stuart Levy
Additional editing: Kristina Boden
Voice Cast:
Abbie Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg: Hank Azaria
David Dellinger, David Stahl: Dylan Baker
Thomas Foran: Nick Nolte
Jerry Rubin: Mark Ruffalo
Judge Hoffman: Roy Scheider
William Kunstler: Liev Schreiber
Bobby Seale: Jeffrey Wright
Running time -- 103 minutes
No MPAA rating...
- 1/22/2007
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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