It may be a stretch to refer to Lionel Atwill as a horror icon, but damned if he wasn’t a reliable utility player in the genre through the 1930s and ’40s. As a stage-actor-turned-film-star, he seemed to be the go-to for adding a dash of British gravitas to a supporting role. In fact, he starred in every Universal-produced Frankenstein movie after Bride as different characters ranging from inspectors, doctors, and other inspectors. In fact, Mel Brooks fans will be at least tangentially aware that his work as Young Frankenstein’s one-armed Inspector Kemp being a direct parody of Atwill’s Inspector Krogh from Son of Frankenstein. Atwill also dipped his toe into the Basil Rathbone Sherlock Holmes universe, including a supporting part in Hound of the Baskervilles and even a turn as Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon.
Like most great character actors, Atwill found his niche in supporting roles,...
Like most great character actors, Atwill found his niche in supporting roles,...
- 3/31/2021
- by Bryan Christopher
- DailyDead
"A secret unit of Russian soldiers..." 4Digital Media has released an official Us trailer for a Russian WWII action movie titled Secret Weapon, not to be confused the handful of other recent Russian WWII movies (e.g. Tanks for Stalin). Russia still loves to show off how proud they are of winning WWII and how much they're better than everyone because of that. In this movie, the Red Army retreats in a hurry and leaves their top secret weapon, a mobile rocket launcher called "Katyusha", behind. A small group of young soldiers is sent to do everything possible not to let "Katyusha" get into the hands of the Germans. Starring Alexander Ustyugov, Timofey Tribuntsev, Anatoly Gushin, and Polina Polyakova. This looks like they barely had a budget to pull it all off, as cheap and cheesy as they come. Find this in the bargain bin in a few weeks. Here's...
- 6/23/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
As a BBC production, Killing Eve has a lot going for it — quality writing, quality directing, and quality acting. The show’s picked up 11 Emmy nominations, including two for actress Sandra Oh. But while she appreciates all of the creative and technical excellence that goes into the show, she actually thinks it appeals to [...]
The post For Audience Appeal, Sandra Oh Thinks ‘Killing Eve’ Has A Secret Weapon appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
The post For Audience Appeal, Sandra Oh Thinks ‘Killing Eve’ Has A Secret Weapon appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 4/14/2020
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best show currently on TV?” can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What’s the best opening title sequence for a show premiering in 2017? (And yes, this is an update of the earlier midseason survey.)
Tim Surette (@timsurette), TV.com
I’ll go with “Mindhunter.” There’s a cool juxtaposition of recording equipment used by weirdo FBI profiler Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and the corpse of a murdered woman, which just goes to show that Ford kind of looks at both as objects for his own research, instead of, you know, an ex-person who still has actual importance to people. It’s an effective way to get right into his somewhat sociopathic head and is a real treat for people who love pareidolia.
This week’s question: What’s the best opening title sequence for a show premiering in 2017? (And yes, this is an update of the earlier midseason survey.)
Tim Surette (@timsurette), TV.com
I’ll go with “Mindhunter.” There’s a cool juxtaposition of recording equipment used by weirdo FBI profiler Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff) and the corpse of a murdered woman, which just goes to show that Ford kind of looks at both as objects for his own research, instead of, you know, an ex-person who still has actual importance to people. It’s an effective way to get right into his somewhat sociopathic head and is a real treat for people who love pareidolia.
- 12/5/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
With Thanksgiving comes the return of Canada’s most famous literary orphan to PBS with the second “Anne of Gables” installment. “The Good Stars,” the second film in a trilogy, continues the adventures of poor orphan girl Anne Shirley (Ella Ballentine), who’s finally found a home with elderly couple Matthew (Martin Sheen) and Marilla Cuthbert (Sara Botsford) at Green Gables. When last we saw Anne, she had settled into her new home and made a bosom friend out of Diana (Julia Lalonde). Taking on the adolescent phase of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Edwardian novel series, “The Good Stars” parallels the growing pains that Anne herself is going through as she becomes a teenager.
Before delving into some of the film’s missteps though, a few positive notes for what is overall an enjoyable hour and a half spent on Prince Edward Island. We are happy to say that Anne...
Before delving into some of the film’s missteps though, a few positive notes for what is overall an enjoyable hour and a half spent on Prince Edward Island. We are happy to say that Anne...
- 11/23/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Canneseries, the new TV festival set to launch in April during the Mip TV market, will be open for submissions starting next month.
Organizers revealed plans and a timetable for the festival during a press conference Monday in Cannes. They also announced that Danish actress Sidse Babett Knudsen (“Borgen”) would serve as patron for the inaugural Canneseries event.
“It’s an exciting moment for us,” said artistic director Albin Lewi, who unveiled the setup for Canneseries along side president Fleur Pellerin and managing director Benoît Louvet. ” It was just ideas six months ago. Now we are real and really ambitious.”
Canneseries will run from April 4 to 11 next year in the city of Cannes, with the official competition set to take place between April 7 and 11 at the Auditorium Lumiére in the Palais des Festivals.
Read More:Cannes Tackles Television: Why a Global TV Festival Could Be a Gamechanger
The competition will present 10 world premiere series,...
Organizers revealed plans and a timetable for the festival during a press conference Monday in Cannes. They also announced that Danish actress Sidse Babett Knudsen (“Borgen”) would serve as patron for the inaugural Canneseries event.
“It’s an exciting moment for us,” said artistic director Albin Lewi, who unveiled the setup for Canneseries along side president Fleur Pellerin and managing director Benoît Louvet. ” It was just ideas six months ago. Now we are real and really ambitious.”
Canneseries will run from April 4 to 11 next year in the city of Cannes, with the official competition set to take place between April 7 and 11 at the Auditorium Lumiére in the Palais des Festivals.
Read More:Cannes Tackles Television: Why a Global TV Festival Could Be a Gamechanger
The competition will present 10 world premiere series,...
- 10/16/2017
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Editor’s note: Nearly 20 years after making his feature directorial debut, Josh Klausner’s latest feature film, the musical “Wanderland,” is set for its world premiere. Klausner’s path from indie film and back again is a unique one, including stopovers in the studio world alongside big names like Peter and Bobby Farrelly, Paul McCartney, and Shrek himself.
We asked Klausner to reflect on his career so far, and what’s next for a filmmaker who has never taken the easy way.
My path to directing “Wanderland” was a bit like the rambling journey its main character Alex takes over the course of the movie. For me, it was about stepping off the path I was on as a studio screenwriter to reengage again as an independent filmmaker.
You’d never know it from “Shrek Forever After” or “Date Night,” but I always believed I’d primarily work in the world of independent film.
We asked Klausner to reflect on his career so far, and what’s next for a filmmaker who has never taken the easy way.
My path to directing “Wanderland” was a bit like the rambling journey its main character Alex takes over the course of the movie. For me, it was about stepping off the path I was on as a studio screenwriter to reengage again as an independent filmmaker.
You’d never know it from “Shrek Forever After” or “Date Night,” but I always believed I’d primarily work in the world of independent film.
- 10/6/2017
- by Josh Klausner
- Indiewire
Former USA Today film critic Claudia Puig is adding another programming feather to her cap, thanks to the announcement that she will program the newly announced Film Fest 919, set to unspool next October in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Founded by festival luminaries Randi Emerman and Carol Marshall, the festival is aiming to “showcase award-winning feature films discovered from the festival circuit worldwide, as well as notable filmmakers.” But it gets better — and dare we say it, tastier — as the festival’s film program will be combined with shining a light on culinary artists from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle region.
“I’m very excited about Film Fest 919. I’m thrilled to be programming and showcasing a carefully curated, compelling and diverse breadth of narrative features for such an engaged and film-loving audience,” Puig said. “And how fun it will be to pair the vitality of films with wonderful cuisine from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle.
“I’m very excited about Film Fest 919. I’m thrilled to be programming and showcasing a carefully curated, compelling and diverse breadth of narrative features for such an engaged and film-loving audience,” Puig said. “And how fun it will be to pair the vitality of films with wonderful cuisine from the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill Triangle.
- 10/5/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
“Big Mouth” stars Nick Kroll and Jessi Klein realize that the United States has a sex-ed problem. As most states fail when teaching students all 16 benchmarks of sexual education, like pregnancy prevention and information on sexuality, Nick and Jessi are taking it upon themselves to educate us on something that’s too often overlooked: the female reproductive system.
In this larger-than-life — but very real — promotion for the recently released Netflix comedy, the show commissioned a two-acre crop circle featuring the female productive system that’s only viewable from outer space or via drone. The “space puss,” as Kroll puts it, can be found in Ventura, California.
“Big Mouth” features a gaggle of preteens at the height of puberty, including fictional versions of Nick and Jessi as they explore sex and pimples and the horrors of growing up. “My hope is that it makes all of it a little less scary...
In this larger-than-life — but very real — promotion for the recently released Netflix comedy, the show commissioned a two-acre crop circle featuring the female productive system that’s only viewable from outer space or via drone. The “space puss,” as Kroll puts it, can be found in Ventura, California.
“Big Mouth” features a gaggle of preteens at the height of puberty, including fictional versions of Nick and Jessi as they explore sex and pimples and the horrors of growing up. “My hope is that it makes all of it a little less scary...
- 9/29/2017
- by Raelyn Giansanti
- Indiewire
Although “Wonder Wheel” will conclude the New York Film Festival (which kicks off tomorrow), Woody Allen’s 48th film marks an important beginning for Amazon Studios: The Coney Island–set relationship drama will establish Amazon as more than just a distributor when it is released in theaters on December 1. “It completes the picture in terms of our ability to control a film from its inception to how it comes to customers,” Jason Ropell, Amazon Studios’ Worldwide Head of Motion Pictures, told Variety.
Additional self-releases from the tech giant’s cinema division will include “You Were Never Really Here,” “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” and “Suspira,” Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 follow-up to “Call Me by Your Name.” Variety reports that, starting next year, Amazon aims to distribute between 12 and 14 of its own films―each boasting a budget of $5 to $35 million―eliminating the need for rollout...
Additional self-releases from the tech giant’s cinema division will include “You Were Never Really Here,” “Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot” and “Suspira,” Luca Guadagnino’s 2018 follow-up to “Call Me by Your Name.” Variety reports that, starting next year, Amazon aims to distribute between 12 and 14 of its own films―each boasting a budget of $5 to $35 million―eliminating the need for rollout...
- 9/28/2017
- by Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from the finale of USA Network’s “The Sinner” in addition to the book on which it was based.]
USA Network’s “The Sinner” became one of the surprise hits of the summer for its fascinating look at how hidden and unresolved traumas can manifest in disturbing or downright horrifying ways. The psychologically twisted story delved deeply into the past of a woman who seemed relatively normal and happy, but whose abuse at the hands of multiple people eventually led to her murdering a man without apparent provocation.
German crime author Petra Hammesfahr penned the 1999 novel on which “The Sinner” is based, and for the most part the central mysteries remained the same in both versions. The television adaptation naturally also had the expected number of cosmetic changes: Cora Bender is now Cora Tannetti, a song played on a cassette tape now plays on a phone, and the setting has moved from Germany to a small city in New York.
Read More:‘The Sinner’ Finale: Creator on What Season...
USA Network’s “The Sinner” became one of the surprise hits of the summer for its fascinating look at how hidden and unresolved traumas can manifest in disturbing or downright horrifying ways. The psychologically twisted story delved deeply into the past of a woman who seemed relatively normal and happy, but whose abuse at the hands of multiple people eventually led to her murdering a man without apparent provocation.
German crime author Petra Hammesfahr penned the 1999 novel on which “The Sinner” is based, and for the most part the central mysteries remained the same in both versions. The television adaptation naturally also had the expected number of cosmetic changes: Cora Bender is now Cora Tannetti, a song played on a cassette tape now plays on a phone, and the setting has moved from Germany to a small city in New York.
Read More:‘The Sinner’ Finale: Creator on What Season...
- 9/21/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from the season finale of “The Sinner.”]
“I know you did it for your son,” Cora Tannetti (Jessica Biel) tells the man who had imprisoned her for two months, during which he shot her up with heroin and obliterated her true memories. It’s a curiously generous statement for her to make, but it’s not the first time that “The Sinner” has found sympathy and common ground for people’s failings.
USA Network’s summer psychological thriller began with Cora stabbing Frankie Belmont (Eric Todd) to death seemingly without provocation during a day at the beach. It turns out that five years ago at a party, Frankie had tried and failed to revive Cora’s sickly sister Phoebe (Nadia Alexander) with whom he had been intimate. A song that was playing at the time of the tragic accident was the same song that triggered Cora to attack Frankie during that day at the beach.
Read More:How...
“I know you did it for your son,” Cora Tannetti (Jessica Biel) tells the man who had imprisoned her for two months, during which he shot her up with heroin and obliterated her true memories. It’s a curiously generous statement for her to make, but it’s not the first time that “The Sinner” has found sympathy and common ground for people’s failings.
USA Network’s summer psychological thriller began with Cora stabbing Frankie Belmont (Eric Todd) to death seemingly without provocation during a day at the beach. It turns out that five years ago at a party, Frankie had tried and failed to revive Cora’s sickly sister Phoebe (Nadia Alexander) with whom he had been intimate. A song that was playing at the time of the tragic accident was the same song that triggered Cora to attack Frankie during that day at the beach.
Read More:How...
- 9/21/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Angelina Jolie is basking in a standing ovation at Telluride after the first screening of “First They Killed My Father.” It’s the film she wanted to make: Based on the 2000 memoir of Loung Ung, who was five when the Khmer Rouge forced her family into work camps, it required a $24 million budget, a 60-day shoot, a two-hour, 16-minute cut. The only place she pitched the film is the only one who would let her make it: Netflix.
“She had a very specific view of the story she wanted to tell,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos. “It’s very traditional. It’s just as resource-intense to make a small film as a big film, where there isn’t much infrastructure in Cambodia. It would have been difficult to get made anywhere, with all local talent. It all pays off on the screen.”
While Jolie’s film may be traditional in some ways,...
“She had a very specific view of the story she wanted to tell,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos. “It’s very traditional. It’s just as resource-intense to make a small film as a big film, where there isn’t much infrastructure in Cambodia. It would have been difficult to get made anywhere, with all local talent. It all pays off on the screen.”
While Jolie’s film may be traditional in some ways,...
- 9/18/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from “Part VII,” the penultimate episode of “The Sinner.”]
“The Sinner” laid out almost all of its secrets neatly on the table, much like the lines of coke that Cora (Jessica Biel) and her friends snorted during the worst party ever. The penultimate episode of the USA Network mystery answered some of the biggest questions that have been plaguing the show ever since Cora stabbed Frankie (Eric Todd), someone she thought she had never met, but ultimately had a very dark past with.
In an episode that was entirely a flashback to that fateful July night in 2012, Cora is guilted into bringing her sickly sister Phoebe (Nadia Alexander) out to a bar and later to a party with Cora’s boyfriend J.D. (Jacob Pitts). They all end up at the elite Beverwyck Club, the place with the distinctive wallpaper in Cora’s memories, and there, they meet med student Frankie for the first time.
Read More:How ‘The Sinner...
“The Sinner” laid out almost all of its secrets neatly on the table, much like the lines of coke that Cora (Jessica Biel) and her friends snorted during the worst party ever. The penultimate episode of the USA Network mystery answered some of the biggest questions that have been plaguing the show ever since Cora stabbed Frankie (Eric Todd), someone she thought she had never met, but ultimately had a very dark past with.
In an episode that was entirely a flashback to that fateful July night in 2012, Cora is guilted into bringing her sickly sister Phoebe (Nadia Alexander) out to a bar and later to a party with Cora’s boyfriend J.D. (Jacob Pitts). They all end up at the elite Beverwyck Club, the place with the distinctive wallpaper in Cora’s memories, and there, they meet med student Frankie for the first time.
Read More:How ‘The Sinner...
- 9/14/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Céline Dion loves—no, really loves—all things fashion, which we’ve seen with her recent style renaissance-meets-reinvention (we’ve collected over 37 pictures that prove it right here). But now, she’s taking her passion to the next level by actually getting involved in the industry, launching an eponymous bag line that just debuted exclusively in Nordstrom stores and online in the U.S.
“My collection combines luxury with function,” the French Canadian singer, 49, tells People in a new interview, featured in this week’s issue, on newsstands tomorrow.
Dion partnered with the Canadian company Bugatti to develop the pieces,...
“My collection combines luxury with function,” the French Canadian singer, 49, tells People in a new interview, featured in this week’s issue, on newsstands tomorrow.
Dion partnered with the Canadian company Bugatti to develop the pieces,...
- 9/7/2017
- by Sharon Kanter
- PEOPLE.com
Breakout singer (and all-around songwriting genius) Julia Michaels took the stage to make her MTV Video Music Awards debut Sunday night, but the network cut her screen time short — much to the chagrin of Adam Levine and many Twitter users.
Shortly after Best New Artist finalist Michaels kicked off her performance of her hit single “Issues,” MTV dropped the sound and began announcing upcoming show highlights via voiceover before cutting to commercial.
Michaels, 23, released her first Ep, Nervous System, this summer and has cowritten some of the biggest pop songs of the past five years, from Justin Bieber‘s “Sorry...
Shortly after Best New Artist finalist Michaels kicked off her performance of her hit single “Issues,” MTV dropped the sound and began announcing upcoming show highlights via voiceover before cutting to commercial.
Michaels, 23, released her first Ep, Nervous System, this summer and has cowritten some of the biggest pop songs of the past five years, from Justin Bieber‘s “Sorry...
- 8/28/2017
- by Jeff Nelson
- PEOPLE.com
Fantastic Fest 2017 Announces Lineup, Including ‘Gerald’s Game’ and Plans for Nationwide Programming
Few film festivals happily brand themselves as the nexus of chaos and carnage, but Austin’s genre-driven Fantastic Fest proved itself as a very different kind of festival long ago. This year’s lineup speaks to that same impulse, as its 13th edition features a range of provocative films and a timely theme that aims to bring truly diverse cinema to genre fans nationwide.
This year, that audience will be larger than ever. For fans of Fantastic Fest’s sensibilities who can’t make it to the annual festival, the festival has a few new options: Alamo Drafthouse locations in San Francisco, Brooklyn, and Denver will feature an exclusive slate of 2017 Fantastic Fest titles over the weekend of September 29.
Read More‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’: Martin McDonagh’s Latest Lands Awards-Friendly Release Date
This year’s Fantastic Fest will open with the U.S. premiere of Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,...
This year, that audience will be larger than ever. For fans of Fantastic Fest’s sensibilities who can’t make it to the annual festival, the festival has a few new options: Alamo Drafthouse locations in San Francisco, Brooklyn, and Denver will feature an exclusive slate of 2017 Fantastic Fest titles over the weekend of September 29.
Read More‘Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri’: Martin McDonagh’s Latest Lands Awards-Friendly Release Date
This year’s Fantastic Fest will open with the U.S. premiere of Martin McDonagh’s “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing,...
- 8/8/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Hiro Murai comes from the world of music videos, which gave him experience in creating stylized visuals. Now, as a key director in television, that background has helped inform his work on shows like FX’s comedy “Atlanta,” which includes surreal moments woven into the narrative, and the trippy Marvel series “Legion.”
“I think you get a really good grasp of the visual language of film,” Murai said of music videos. “The downside is not working with dialogue or actors as much. But you learn how to tell simple stories visually very quickly.”
Read More: ‘Atlanta’: Meet the Secret Weapon Behind FX’s Baffling and Beautiful New Series
Murai moved to the United States from Japan around age nine and learned some of the English language and American cultural cues from watching “The Simpsons.” In middle school, he started shooting small projects on handicam, and by college he landed his first paid gig,...
“I think you get a really good grasp of the visual language of film,” Murai said of music videos. “The downside is not working with dialogue or actors as much. But you learn how to tell simple stories visually very quickly.”
Read More: ‘Atlanta’: Meet the Secret Weapon Behind FX’s Baffling and Beautiful New Series
Murai moved to the United States from Japan around age nine and learned some of the English language and American cultural cues from watching “The Simpsons.” In middle school, he started shooting small projects on handicam, and by college he landed his first paid gig,...
- 6/1/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best show currently on TV?” can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What is the best new opening title sequence for the 2016-2017 TV season?
Todd VanDerWerff (@tvoti), Vox
I’m kind of into the way “The Handmaid’s Tale” starts every episode with ambient sound and those big, block letters in the title. And I’d be lying if I said the week “The Leftovers” was randomly scored to the “Perfect Strangers” theme song wasn’t an absolute delight. Also, I’m digging the new “Twin Peaks” credits. But for great new title sequences, the one for “Stranger Things” has to take the cake. That music! That neon! That minimalism! I had my quibbles with “Stranger Things...
This week’s question: What is the best new opening title sequence for the 2016-2017 TV season?
Todd VanDerWerff (@tvoti), Vox
I’m kind of into the way “The Handmaid’s Tale” starts every episode with ambient sound and those big, block letters in the title. And I’d be lying if I said the week “The Leftovers” was randomly scored to the “Perfect Strangers” theme song wasn’t an absolute delight. Also, I’m digging the new “Twin Peaks” credits. But for great new title sequences, the one for “Stranger Things” has to take the cake. That music! That neon! That minimalism! I had my quibbles with “Stranger Things...
- 5/30/2017
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
For those curious if the final season of “Bloodline” is worth it — the basest function of a review — I will quickly and succinctly answer: No.
Such efficiency feels refreshing after 10 redundant and listless hours spent with a family stuck in the Florida swamp, drifting through the guilty consciouses of characters who seem eager to move on from their own story, and the only thing holding them back is the need to fill one more season.
At its best, “Bloodline” found tension in the intense moral quandaries drawn out by its central conflict: John Rayburn (Kyle Chandler), the patriarch of the Rayburn family, and his younger brother, Danny (Ben Mendelsohn), couldn’t resolve deep-seeded issues that divided them years before “Bloodline” began; not before it was too late, Danny was dead, and John was the one holding him under water.
Read More: ‘Bloodline’ Recap Video: Relive Every Essential Moment of the...
Such efficiency feels refreshing after 10 redundant and listless hours spent with a family stuck in the Florida swamp, drifting through the guilty consciouses of characters who seem eager to move on from their own story, and the only thing holding them back is the need to fill one more season.
At its best, “Bloodline” found tension in the intense moral quandaries drawn out by its central conflict: John Rayburn (Kyle Chandler), the patriarch of the Rayburn family, and his younger brother, Danny (Ben Mendelsohn), couldn’t resolve deep-seeded issues that divided them years before “Bloodline” began; not before it was too late, Danny was dead, and John was the one holding him under water.
Read More: ‘Bloodline’ Recap Video: Relive Every Essential Moment of the...
- 5/27/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
No one who has watched even 30 seconds of “The Leftovers” would tell you it’s a cheery show. HBO’s ambitious, poignant, and periodically gut-wrenching drama often chases one devastating moment with another, occasionally pausing to give the viewer a brief, teary respite — if we’re lucky.
Enter Season 3. In any given episode of “The Leftovers,” tears are a sure thing, but there are scenes that spark tears of joy. From Nora’s awkwardly endearing comebacks (“Fuck your daughter!”) to Kevin’s attempts at family bonding to a giant blow-up doll of Gary Busey, the laughs are there, if you can smile through the pain.
Read More: ‘The Leftovers’ Review: A Very Funny Season 3 Premiere is Bursting With Mysteries, Callbacks, and Ominous Signals
It wasn’t easy, but we’ve rounded up the happiest, most bittersweet moments of “The Leftovers” so far. Between Season 1 and 2, the show only seems to be getting cheerier,...
Enter Season 3. In any given episode of “The Leftovers,” tears are a sure thing, but there are scenes that spark tears of joy. From Nora’s awkwardly endearing comebacks (“Fuck your daughter!”) to Kevin’s attempts at family bonding to a giant blow-up doll of Gary Busey, the laughs are there, if you can smile through the pain.
Read More: ‘The Leftovers’ Review: A Very Funny Season 3 Premiere is Bursting With Mysteries, Callbacks, and Ominous Signals
It wasn’t easy, but we’ve rounded up the happiest, most bittersweet moments of “The Leftovers” so far. Between Season 1 and 2, the show only seems to be getting cheerier,...
- 4/17/2017
- by Kate Halliwell
- Indiewire
Rock’s most flamboyant band is setting the stage for a summer of movies.
If you’re me, the first thing you thought of when you saw the Thor: Ragnarok trailer was King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. No, not because both movies feature a dethroned ruler who is trying to defend his kingdom from an evil sorcerer, or because both feature bombastic feats of slow-motion swordplay, or even because each movie adheres to a sort of punk-medieval aesthetic with splashes of color (well, Ok, now I’m thinking of those things). No, I thought of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword because that was the other trailer in only a month’s span to pull out all the stops and feature an iconic song by Led Zeppelin, arguably the greatest band that ever lived. They’re big, they’re bold, and they’re Hollywood’s new secret weapon when it comes to blockbuster titles.
https:...
If you’re me, the first thing you thought of when you saw the Thor: Ragnarok trailer was King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. No, not because both movies feature a dethroned ruler who is trying to defend his kingdom from an evil sorcerer, or because both feature bombastic feats of slow-motion swordplay, or even because each movie adheres to a sort of punk-medieval aesthetic with splashes of color (well, Ok, now I’m thinking of those things). No, I thought of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword because that was the other trailer in only a month’s span to pull out all the stops and feature an iconic song by Led Zeppelin, arguably the greatest band that ever lived. They’re big, they’re bold, and they’re Hollywood’s new secret weapon when it comes to blockbuster titles.
https:...
- 4/12/2017
- by Matthew Monagle
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for the “Legion” Season 1 finale, Episode 8, “Chapter 8.”]
In the aftermath of the Season 1 finale of “Legion,” fans can rejoice because showrunner Noah Hawley already has a premiere date planned for Season 2 of the surrealist superhero show. Currently, Hawley’s goal is to have 10 episodes for Season 2, with the same 2018 premiere date as Season 1.
Read More: ‘Legion’ Finale Review: Noah Hawley Goes Full Marvel Without Losing What Makes This Series Revolutionary
With a surprise ending, and an even more surprising mid-credits scene (props to the Marvel fans who stuck it out), a lot of questions were left to delve into in the second season. In a joint call with showrunner Noah Hawley and other reporters, a few things were cleared up looking back on Season 1, with exciting ruminations on what to look for in the not-so-far-off Season 2.
Division 3’s Secret Weapon
When asked about the supposed “peacemaker” Division 3 has on hand during the finale, Hawley alluded to its...
In the aftermath of the Season 1 finale of “Legion,” fans can rejoice because showrunner Noah Hawley already has a premiere date planned for Season 2 of the surrealist superhero show. Currently, Hawley’s goal is to have 10 episodes for Season 2, with the same 2018 premiere date as Season 1.
Read More: ‘Legion’ Finale Review: Noah Hawley Goes Full Marvel Without Losing What Makes This Series Revolutionary
With a surprise ending, and an even more surprising mid-credits scene (props to the Marvel fans who stuck it out), a lot of questions were left to delve into in the second season. In a joint call with showrunner Noah Hawley and other reporters, a few things were cleared up looking back on Season 1, with exciting ruminations on what to look for in the not-so-far-off Season 2.
Division 3’s Secret Weapon
When asked about the supposed “peacemaker” Division 3 has on hand during the finale, Hawley alluded to its...
- 3/30/2017
- by Maya Reddy
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Hugh Jackman Says Oscars Host Jimmy Kimmel Doesn't Need Any Advice: 'He's Funny, I'm Not'
If Jimmy Kimmel is looking for any advice before hosting the Oscars on Sunday, he shouldn't look to Hugh Jackman -- he doesn't have any!
Et caught up with the 48-year-old actor at the premiere of his new film, Logan, in New York City on Friday, where he opened up about hosting the Academy Awards in 2009, and why he's confident Kimmel is "doing just fine" ahead of the big day.
Watch: Oscar Host Jimmy Kimmel Reveals His Secret Weapon for the Awards Show
"The best advice I got was from Steve Martin who said, 'The first 45 minutes, it's the best audience of your life. From that moment on the room is filling with people who did not win so hurry up and get to the end,'" Jackman joked, before revealing how he thinks Kimmel will stack up as this year's host.
"He's funny, I'm not," he said. "He's doing just fine."
Though Jackman's...
Et caught up with the 48-year-old actor at the premiere of his new film, Logan, in New York City on Friday, where he opened up about hosting the Academy Awards in 2009, and why he's confident Kimmel is "doing just fine" ahead of the big day.
Watch: Oscar Host Jimmy Kimmel Reveals His Secret Weapon for the Awards Show
"The best advice I got was from Steve Martin who said, 'The first 45 minutes, it's the best audience of your life. From that moment on the room is filling with people who did not win so hurry up and get to the end,'" Jackman joked, before revealing how he thinks Kimmel will stack up as this year's host.
"He's funny, I'm not," he said. "He's doing just fine."
Though Jackman's...
- 2/25/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Jimmy Kimmel admits to Et's Cameron Mathison that he's had a change of heart towards his frenemy of 12 years, Matt Damon.
"He's such a sad person. I feel it's gone from anger to sympathy," the 49-year-old comedian said of The Great Wall star. "I feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for his wife, [Luciana Barroso]. She's a lovely woman, [and] she has to live with him. I feel sorry for the Great Wall of China that had to be in a movie with him."
Related: Jimmy Kimmel Says He's Going Do 'Everything' He Can to Stop Matt Damon From Winning an Oscar This Year
Both men will be at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, for the 89th Academy Awards on Sunday, but in the meantime, Kimmel -- who is hosting the awards show on ABC -- says he's "praying" for Damon, who is nominated for his work as a producer on Manchester By the Sea.
When...
"He's such a sad person. I feel it's gone from anger to sympathy," the 49-year-old comedian said of The Great Wall star. "I feel sorry for him. I feel sorry for his wife, [Luciana Barroso]. She's a lovely woman, [and] she has to live with him. I feel sorry for the Great Wall of China that had to be in a movie with him."
Related: Jimmy Kimmel Says He's Going Do 'Everything' He Can to Stop Matt Damon From Winning an Oscar This Year
Both men will be at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California, for the 89th Academy Awards on Sunday, but in the meantime, Kimmel -- who is hosting the awards show on ABC -- says he's "praying" for Damon, who is nominated for his work as a producer on Manchester By the Sea.
When...
- 2/24/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
If the first eight episodes of Season 7 of The Walking Dead were a little bleak for you, fear not — a change isn’t just gonna come, it’s already arrived, showrunner Scott Gimple tells TVLine. “The first half of the season was about these characters — and the audience — getting past a heartbreaking and horrific trauma. It was about them finding a way to go forward. By the end of Episode 8, we saw [Rick & Co.] hopeful and happy — yes, happy!
PhotosThe Walking Dead Season 7B First Look: New Characters, Shocking Betrayals and… Oh, Enid, What Have You Done?!?
“And there is something...
PhotosThe Walking Dead Season 7B First Look: New Characters, Shocking Betrayals and… Oh, Enid, What Have You Done?!?
“And there is something...
- 2/9/2017
- TVLine.com
Got a scoop request? An anonymous tip you’re dying to share? Send any/all of the above to askausiello@tvline.com
Question: Grey’s Anatomy scoop, please! —Allison
Ausiello: The show is admitting the rarest breed of Grey’s Anatomy character this spring: an honest-to-goodness Big Bad. According to sources, Shonda Rhimes & Co. are looking for a Caucasian actor in his mid 40s to play a new doctor who is “appealing, charismatic and charming” — in other words, a total freakin’ catch. The twist? He’s has a “manipulative, scary dark side.” The MD (which in this case stands for...
Question: Grey’s Anatomy scoop, please! —Allison
Ausiello: The show is admitting the rarest breed of Grey’s Anatomy character this spring: an honest-to-goodness Big Bad. According to sources, Shonda Rhimes & Co. are looking for a Caucasian actor in his mid 40s to play a new doctor who is “appealing, charismatic and charming” — in other words, a total freakin’ catch. The twist? He’s has a “manipulative, scary dark side.” The MD (which in this case stands for...
- 2/9/2017
- TVLine.com
Pablo Larraín’s “Jackie” may be getting Oscar buzz, but it’s not his only film up for contention. His Spanish-language picture “Neruda,” starring Luis Gnecco and Gael García Bernal, has also been well received by critics, especially at the 2016 Fenix Awards — it took home four prizes, including Best Picture and Best Editing.
The drama, which is also Chile’s official Oscar entry for Best Foreign-Language Film, tells the story of poet Pablo Neruda (Gnecco), arguably the most famous communist in post-wwii Chile. When the political tides shift, he is forced into hiding with tenacious police inspector Oscar Peluchoneau (Bernal) hot on his trail.
Read More: How The Fenix Awards Became Mexico’s Secret Weapon at the Oscars
The third annual Fenix Ibero-American Film Awards took place on December 7 in Mexico City and honored the best in film from Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
Another big hit of the night...
The drama, which is also Chile’s official Oscar entry for Best Foreign-Language Film, tells the story of poet Pablo Neruda (Gnecco), arguably the most famous communist in post-wwii Chile. When the political tides shift, he is forced into hiding with tenacious police inspector Oscar Peluchoneau (Bernal) hot on his trail.
Read More: How The Fenix Awards Became Mexico’s Secret Weapon at the Oscars
The third annual Fenix Ibero-American Film Awards took place on December 7 in Mexico City and honored the best in film from Latin America, Spain and Portugal.
Another big hit of the night...
- 12/8/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
There are plenty of movie lovers out there who just don’t like the movies of Michael Bay. But no matter how ridiculous the action is in his movies, or how silly the story may be, you can’t deny that he is one of the most proficient and efficient directors working today. All of the stories […]
The post What Is Michael Bay’s Secret Weapon for Shooting ‘Transformers’ Movies So Quickly? appeared first on /Film.
The post What Is Michael Bay’s Secret Weapon for Shooting ‘Transformers’ Movies So Quickly? appeared first on /Film.
- 12/5/2016
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
The new sci-fi horror film “The Similars” takes audiences onto a mysterious journey where paranoia runs rampant. Set on a rainy night in a Mexico City bus station in October, 1968, eight people start experiencing a strange phenomenon. Threatened by fear and unexplained seizures, the strangers show the best and worst of themselves as they try to unravel the condition that’s invading each of them like a virus. It has garnered comparisons to “The Twilight Zone” and “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” The film stars Gustavo Sánchez Parra (“Amores Perros”), Fernando Becerril (“The Mask of Zorro”), Cassandra Ciangherotti (“Even the Rain”), Luis Alberti (“The Golden Dream”), Humberto Busto (“Never on a Sunday”) and more. Watch an exclusive clip from the film below.
Read More: Fantastic Fest 2016 Preview: How a Wacky Austin Genre Festival Became A Secret Weapon for the Foreign Language Film Market
The film is directed by Isaac Ezban.
Read More: Fantastic Fest 2016 Preview: How a Wacky Austin Genre Festival Became A Secret Weapon for the Foreign Language Film Market
The film is directed by Isaac Ezban.
- 11/15/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
David Lowery is reuniting with Casey Affleck and Robert Redford on his upcoming crime thriller “The Old Man and The Gun.” The director previously worked with Affleck on his 2013 critically acclaimed film “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” and Redford on “Pete’s Dragon.”
Written by Lowery, the movie is based on a 2003 New Yorker article by David Grann and tells the true story of Forrest Tucker (Redford), an outlaw with 18 successful prison breaks and a lifetime of bank robberies to his name. The film will retrace Forrest’s twilight years from his escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to his unprecedented heists that confused authorities and enchanted the public. Affleck will star as a detective who’s captivated by the lawbreaker’s commitment to his craft.
Read More: David Lowery On ‘Pete’s Dragon’: How a Microbudget Filmmaker Became Disney’s Secret Weapon
Principal photography for the...
Written by Lowery, the movie is based on a 2003 New Yorker article by David Grann and tells the true story of Forrest Tucker (Redford), an outlaw with 18 successful prison breaks and a lifetime of bank robberies to his name. The film will retrace Forrest’s twilight years from his escape from San Quentin at the age of 70 to his unprecedented heists that confused authorities and enchanted the public. Affleck will star as a detective who’s captivated by the lawbreaker’s commitment to his craft.
Read More: David Lowery On ‘Pete’s Dragon’: How a Microbudget Filmmaker Became Disney’s Secret Weapon
Principal photography for the...
- 10/28/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Longtime Columbia University film professor and author Annette Insdorf is celebrating the 30th anniversary of her film series “Reel Pieces” with a 10-episode TV special titled “Reel Pieces with Annette Insdorf.”
For the past 30 years Insdorf has interviewed the best actors and directors in the business, everyone from Meryl Streep, Al Pacino and Martin Scorsese, among others, on 92nd Street Y’s stage. With her film series, viewers are treated to not just film talk but an educational experience as she adds historical film facts and anecdotes about actors, directors and cinematographers, all while making connections between the best films of today with the classics and little-known movies of the past.
Read More: Oregon Militia, Subject of Morgan Spurlock Documentary, Acquitted After Standoff
To kick off the 30 year celebration, NYC Media is broadcasting the first of ten “Reel Pieces with Annette Insdorf” episodes on NYC Life beginning Friday, October 28 at 8:30 pm.
For the past 30 years Insdorf has interviewed the best actors and directors in the business, everyone from Meryl Streep, Al Pacino and Martin Scorsese, among others, on 92nd Street Y’s stage. With her film series, viewers are treated to not just film talk but an educational experience as she adds historical film facts and anecdotes about actors, directors and cinematographers, all while making connections between the best films of today with the classics and little-known movies of the past.
Read More: Oregon Militia, Subject of Morgan Spurlock Documentary, Acquitted After Standoff
To kick off the 30 year celebration, NYC Media is broadcasting the first of ten “Reel Pieces with Annette Insdorf” episodes on NYC Life beginning Friday, October 28 at 8:30 pm.
- 10/28/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
“If you asked me 10 years ago, I would have said, ‘Yes, of course.’ That was my dream, to be on Broadway. But now I don’t think I would,” Colleen Ballinger (rhymes with Jolene) told IndieWire in a recent interview. “I love what I’m doing so much.”
What she’s doing is playing Miranda Sings, a character she created for her wildly popular YouTube channel, the first of its kind to make the jump to Netflix with “Haters Back Off,” which explores Miranda’s home life. It follows Miranda on her quest for Internet stardom, shrieking out “Defying Gravity” and uploading it with the title “My Fist Video,” (typo included). The only problem is, she can’t sing (though Ballinger can, and well.) She howls and mewls flatly and loudly, sporting her signature shade of glossy red lipstick far beyond the contours of her lips. The effect is a clownish one,...
What she’s doing is playing Miranda Sings, a character she created for her wildly popular YouTube channel, the first of its kind to make the jump to Netflix with “Haters Back Off,” which explores Miranda’s home life. It follows Miranda on her quest for Internet stardom, shrieking out “Defying Gravity” and uploading it with the title “My Fist Video,” (typo included). The only problem is, she can’t sing (though Ballinger can, and well.) She howls and mewls flatly and loudly, sporting her signature shade of glossy red lipstick far beyond the contours of her lips. The effect is a clownish one,...
- 10/22/2016
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Texters, beware: The Downtown Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse officially opens next Friday, October 28. Based in Austin, Texas and beloved by moviegoers, the theater chain is known for its food and alcohol menu, no-phone policy and interactive events. A Yonkers location opened in the summer of 2013, but this new Brooklyn outpost marks the company’s first foray into New York City proper.
Read More: Alamo Drafthouse Comes to Brooklyn: The Long Road Is Almost Over
“Diverse programming has been a cornerstone of our brand since its inception and I’m beyond thrilled to finally share films we love in the city of New York,” said Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse’s CEO and founder. “Blending classics, oddities, blockbusters and new discoveries allows us to further our mission of championing cinema with the widest variety of audiences.” One of the theater’s first programming series is “New in Town,” which will feature films like...
Read More: Alamo Drafthouse Comes to Brooklyn: The Long Road Is Almost Over
“Diverse programming has been a cornerstone of our brand since its inception and I’m beyond thrilled to finally share films we love in the city of New York,” said Tim League, Alamo Drafthouse’s CEO and founder. “Blending classics, oddities, blockbusters and new discoveries allows us to further our mission of championing cinema with the widest variety of audiences.” One of the theater’s first programming series is “New in Town,” which will feature films like...
- 10/18/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Film journalist Devin Faraci has stepped down as editor in chief of Birth.Movies. Death. following sexual assault allegations that became widely known on Twitter over the weekend.
“I’m here to assure you that the site and magazine will continue, with a team of smart, passionate writers dedicated to bringing you the best in pop culture news and conversation today,” wrote B.M.D.’s managing editor, Meredith Borders, in a note posted to the site today. “Devin built this site into something we’re proud to continue and grow in his absence. We are a community, and you are a crucial part of that community. We’re eager to move forward, together, with all of you.”
Faraci is also co-host with Amy Nicholson of the podcast “The Canon.” We’ve reached out to Nicholson to confirm his continuing involvement.
In the entertainment industry, “rape culture” is as old as the casting couch,...
“I’m here to assure you that the site and magazine will continue, with a team of smart, passionate writers dedicated to bringing you the best in pop culture news and conversation today,” wrote B.M.D.’s managing editor, Meredith Borders, in a note posted to the site today. “Devin built this site into something we’re proud to continue and grow in his absence. We are a community, and you are a crucial part of that community. We’re eager to move forward, together, with all of you.”
Faraci is also co-host with Amy Nicholson of the podcast “The Canon.” We’ve reached out to Nicholson to confirm his continuing involvement.
In the entertainment industry, “rape culture” is as old as the casting couch,...
- 10/11/2016
- by Dana Harris
- Indiewire
Move over, Neil Degrasse Tyson, and make room for science’s most scientific new voice: Ted Rimmarniet. He may not have any fancy degrees or published research, he may think Albert Galileo invented gravity, but by the courage of his convictions and the cut of his turtle neck, he may have you doubting — if only for a split second – everything you vaguely remember from your eighth grade science class.
Read More: Why Demetri Martin Decided to Make His Directorial Debut With ‘Dean’
Rimmarniet is the alter ego of comedian Demetri Martin and the host of “Our Fascinating Planet,” a short series produced by Funny or Die that hit Verizon’s go90 streaming service yesterday. Borrowing liberally form the tradition of “Nova” and “Cosmos,” Martin applies his incisive absurdism to the planet’s great mysteries, taking liberties with celestial truths in the name of that other divine entity: Comedy.
“Space, a...
Read More: Why Demetri Martin Decided to Make His Directorial Debut With ‘Dean’
Rimmarniet is the alter ego of comedian Demetri Martin and the host of “Our Fascinating Planet,” a short series produced by Funny or Die that hit Verizon’s go90 streaming service yesterday. Borrowing liberally form the tradition of “Nova” and “Cosmos,” Martin applies his incisive absurdism to the planet’s great mysteries, taking liberties with celestial truths in the name of that other divine entity: Comedy.
“Space, a...
- 10/6/2016
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
“Rule 34” of the Internet states: “If it exists, there is porn of it — no exceptions.” The PG-rated version might read: “If it exists, there is a Reddit or Tumblr group celebrating it.”
Thanks to MTV, now there is a web series celebrating it as well. “Owning It” explores a wide array of eccentric predilections and the young people who have found or started online communities around them. Looking at pockets of the internet like Reddit, Tumblr and other social platforms, “Owning It” captures trends like furries and real-life mermaids in a respectful and empathetic way. The docu-series mixes first person interview footage with surreal animation; the result is a succinct vlog profiling the trend, with an added bonus of trippy visuals.
Read More: ‘American Male’ Exclusive Debut: MTV Tackles Privilege In Three Digital Shorts
“I grew up in a time and place where it wasn’t necessarily cool to be different or eccentric,...
Thanks to MTV, now there is a web series celebrating it as well. “Owning It” explores a wide array of eccentric predilections and the young people who have found or started online communities around them. Looking at pockets of the internet like Reddit, Tumblr and other social platforms, “Owning It” captures trends like furries and real-life mermaids in a respectful and empathetic way. The docu-series mixes first person interview footage with surreal animation; the result is a succinct vlog profiling the trend, with an added bonus of trippy visuals.
Read More: ‘American Male’ Exclusive Debut: MTV Tackles Privilege In Three Digital Shorts
“I grew up in a time and place where it wasn’t necessarily cool to be different or eccentric,...
- 10/3/2016
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
If last night’s debate has you eyeing one-way tickets to Canada to enjoy universal healthcare and the feminism of Justin Trudeau, here is one more reason to consider moving to The Great White North: “Baroness Von Sketch Show.”
Read More: Female-Led Films Are Finally Getting Bigger Budgets, But Don’t Thank Hollywood For That
“Baroness Von Sketch Show” is a half-hour comedy on the CBC performed and written almost entirely by women. (There is one male writer out of 12 credited for the series.) The six half-hour episodes premiered in June of 2016. While full episodes are not available in the U.S., many sketches are on the CBC’s YouTube channel. Ranging in length from one to three minutes, they are ideal for Internet sharing.
Unlike the fattened up sketches of “Saturday Night Live,” which often meander into boring set-up and linger on actors breaking character, the sketches on “Baroness...
Read More: Female-Led Films Are Finally Getting Bigger Budgets, But Don’t Thank Hollywood For That
“Baroness Von Sketch Show” is a half-hour comedy on the CBC performed and written almost entirely by women. (There is one male writer out of 12 credited for the series.) The six half-hour episodes premiered in June of 2016. While full episodes are not available in the U.S., many sketches are on the CBC’s YouTube channel. Ranging in length from one to three minutes, they are ideal for Internet sharing.
Unlike the fattened up sketches of “Saturday Night Live,” which often meander into boring set-up and linger on actors breaking character, the sketches on “Baroness...
- 9/27/2016
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
M. Night Shyamalan’s reputation for unexpected plot twists may falter after “Split,” his second collaboration with Blumhouse Productions. “Split” is burdened with a story that treads dully familiar ground. The kidnapped-girls-in-peril thriller strives for originality with a spin on dissociative identity disorder (Did), but instead it plays like a stale, unfunny retread of “United States of Tara.” Only James McAvoy’s multi-faceted performance saves the movie from complete mediocrity.
After a downright wholesome teen birthday party, three girls are kidnapped in broad daylight: friends Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula), and difficult outsider Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Witch”). Their captor (McAvoy) locks the trio in a windowless room, then proceeds to frighten and baffle them. One minute he’s bespectacled and obsessive about cleanliness, the next he’s presenting as female, and later he acts like a nine-year-old boy.
Read More: ‘Split’ Trailer: James McAvoy Has 23 Different...
After a downright wholesome teen birthday party, three girls are kidnapped in broad daylight: friends Claire (Haley Lu Richardson) and Marcia (Jessica Sula), and difficult outsider Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Witch”). Their captor (McAvoy) locks the trio in a windowless room, then proceeds to frighten and baffle them. One minute he’s bespectacled and obsessive about cleanliness, the next he’s presenting as female, and later he acts like a nine-year-old boy.
Read More: ‘Split’ Trailer: James McAvoy Has 23 Different...
- 9/27/2016
- by Jette Kernion
- Indiewire
While most of America was anticipating the historic showdown of Hillary vs. Donald, on Friday night in Austin, it all came down to Dolph Lundgren. At Fantastic Fest’s famous “Fantastic Feuds” event, a heated conversation about whether or not “Rocky IV” was the best boxing movie of all time was abruptly resolved when no less than the beefy action star himself — aka Russian villain Ivan Drago in “Rocky IV” — walked through a curtain of smoke to set the record straight for good.
The crowd shrieked and hollered as an American flag waved in the ring. No, this wasn’t some ill-advised sketch comedy set envisioning a rally of redneck cinephiles supporting Arthouse Trump, but rather the essence of the silly-serious approach to movie fandom that Fantastic Fest uniquely conjures up.
The Alamo Drafthouse-hosted genre festival showcases edgy storytelling from around the world, but it also brings that sensibility to the ring.
The crowd shrieked and hollered as an American flag waved in the ring. No, this wasn’t some ill-advised sketch comedy set envisioning a rally of redneck cinephiles supporting Arthouse Trump, but rather the essence of the silly-serious approach to movie fandom that Fantastic Fest uniquely conjures up.
The Alamo Drafthouse-hosted genre festival showcases edgy storytelling from around the world, but it also brings that sensibility to the ring.
- 9/24/2016
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Anyone who spends more than a few days at a major festival like the Toronto International Film Festival gets used to hearing the same question: “What’s the best thing you’ve seen?”
For this year’s edition of the Tiff Critics Poll, we asked a variety of writers covering the festival exactly that. The results, culled from 45 ballots, point to a particularly interesting mixture of awards season hopefuls and some of the festival’s standout international offerings.
Read More: ‘La La Land’ Review: A Lively Supercut of Classic Musicals Starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone
The quartet at the top? Fan favorite “La La Land” (which was named by seven different critics), followed closely by Barry Jenkins’ tender coming-of-age story “Moonlight” (six), Maren Ade’s “Toni Erdmann” (five) and Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival” (four). However, there were many other votes cast for under-the-radar titles.
The close race partly reflects...
For this year’s edition of the Tiff Critics Poll, we asked a variety of writers covering the festival exactly that. The results, culled from 45 ballots, point to a particularly interesting mixture of awards season hopefuls and some of the festival’s standout international offerings.
Read More: ‘La La Land’ Review: A Lively Supercut of Classic Musicals Starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone
The quartet at the top? Fan favorite “La La Land” (which was named by seven different critics), followed closely by Barry Jenkins’ tender coming-of-age story “Moonlight” (six), Maren Ade’s “Toni Erdmann” (five) and Denis Villeneuve’s “Arrival” (four). However, there were many other votes cast for under-the-radar titles.
The close race partly reflects...
- 9/22/2016
- by Steve Greene and Zipporah Smith
- Indiewire
Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column. Check out last week’s Roundup right here.
Full Lineup Announcements
– The Chicago International Film Festival today announces the complete film and event lineup, including the International Feature Competition, Documentary Competition and Special Presentations. The festival will include Special Presentations of “Lion,” “Paterson” and the re-release of “Daughters of the Dust.” Other highlights include “After the Storm,” “Neruda” and “The Salesman.” The festival’s documentary lineup is also a typically robust one, including titles like “Among Wolves,” “Karl Marx City” and “A Mere Breath.”
Tickets go on sale Wednesday, September 21 for Cinema/Chicago members and September 23 for the general public.
– The Hamptons International Film Festival (Hiff) has announced its Spotlight Films, World Cinema, Shorts programs, Views from Long Island, and Special Screenings, as part of the 2016 festival lineup. The 24th edition will take place October 6 – 10, Columbus Day Weekend,...
Full Lineup Announcements
– The Chicago International Film Festival today announces the complete film and event lineup, including the International Feature Competition, Documentary Competition and Special Presentations. The festival will include Special Presentations of “Lion,” “Paterson” and the re-release of “Daughters of the Dust.” Other highlights include “After the Storm,” “Neruda” and “The Salesman.” The festival’s documentary lineup is also a typically robust one, including titles like “Among Wolves,” “Karl Marx City” and “A Mere Breath.”
Tickets go on sale Wednesday, September 21 for Cinema/Chicago members and September 23 for the general public.
– The Hamptons International Film Festival (Hiff) has announced its Spotlight Films, World Cinema, Shorts programs, Views from Long Island, and Special Screenings, as part of the 2016 festival lineup. The 24th edition will take place October 6 – 10, Columbus Day Weekend,...
- 9/22/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
We all know what a heartwarming Disney sports drama feels like. Glossy, sentimental, going for rousing win moments. When Ugandan-Belizean Disney executive VP production Tendo Nagenda read Tim Crothers’ 2013 Espn magazine feature about Phiona Mutesi, a chess master who rose up from selling corn in the Kampala, Uganda slum of Katwe, he knew he’d found the right story. But he knew that if it was going to resonate, this couldn’t be soft-focus or glib. He had to find a director with the sensibility to keep it real.
For that, he approached veteran New York filmmaker Mira Nair, who has also lived in the Ugandan capital of Kampala for 27 years. He invited himself to tea, and she jumped on board.
They developed “Queen of Katwe” (September 23) with writer William Wheeler. Nair finally met Mutesi when she was in New York to play against Kasperov, she told me in our interview.
For that, he approached veteran New York filmmaker Mira Nair, who has also lived in the Ugandan capital of Kampala for 27 years. He invited himself to tea, and she jumped on board.
They developed “Queen of Katwe” (September 23) with writer William Wheeler. Nair finally met Mutesi when she was in New York to play against Kasperov, she told me in our interview.
- 9/22/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
If you were dream hampton, the award-winning filmmaker who happens to call Shawn “Jay-z” Carter a friend, naturally you would want make a movie with him. And if you want to raise awareness about a massive social justice issue that deeply affects your community in gorgeously simple and human terms, you make “A History of The War on Drugs, from Prohibition to Gold Rush.”
Read More: ‘Endless’ Review: Frank Ocean Takes a Running Leap Into Experimental Digital Art With New Visual Album
The animated short, which is narrated by Carter with drawings by the artist Molly Crabapple (who credits Spike Jonze as a collaborator), premiered on The New York Times website today to much viral fanfare. Crabapple’s hand appears in frame holding a watercolor brush, the frame-rate sped up to create the illusion that whipping up her gorgeous illustrations is the easiest thing in the world. Carter’s narration tells the history of U.
Read More: ‘Endless’ Review: Frank Ocean Takes a Running Leap Into Experimental Digital Art With New Visual Album
The animated short, which is narrated by Carter with drawings by the artist Molly Crabapple (who credits Spike Jonze as a collaborator), premiered on The New York Times website today to much viral fanfare. Crabapple’s hand appears in frame holding a watercolor brush, the frame-rate sped up to create the illusion that whipping up her gorgeous illustrations is the easiest thing in the world. Carter’s narration tells the history of U.
- 9/15/2016
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Thanks in part to a couple of “Star Trek” movies, Chris Pine is now one of the most recognizable faces at the movies. His mixture of old-school swagger and disarming charm helped introduce a new generation to Captain James T. Kirk, while keeping diehard fans at bay, and that appeal shows no sign of letting up: The latest “Star Trek” film has grossed close to $200 million worldwide this summer and it’s still going.
But while some stars anchoring franchises may stick close to the blockbuster routine, over the past year, that hasn’t been Pine’s only mode — or even the one that interests him the most these days. In last year’s minimalist post-apocalyptic drama “Z for Zachariah,” Craig Zobel directed Pine as one-third of a tense love triangle featuring three survivors on a farm who comprised the entire cast of the movie.
Read More: ‘Star Trek Beyond...
But while some stars anchoring franchises may stick close to the blockbuster routine, over the past year, that hasn’t been Pine’s only mode — or even the one that interests him the most these days. In last year’s minimalist post-apocalyptic drama “Z for Zachariah,” Craig Zobel directed Pine as one-third of a tense love triangle featuring three survivors on a farm who comprised the entire cast of the movie.
Read More: ‘Star Trek Beyond...
- 8/11/2016
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
This article was produced as part of the Locarno Critics Academy, a workshop for aspiring journalists at the Locarno Film Festival, a collaboration between the Locarno Film Festival, IndieWire and the Film Society of Lincoln Center with the support of Film Comment and the Swiss Alliance of Film Journalists. The following interview, conducted by a member of the Critics Academy, focuses on a participant in the affiliated Filmmakers Academy program at the festival.
With no prior film education, filmmaker Wei Liang Chiang relocated to Taiwan to participate in the sixth Golden Horse Film Academy under the mentorship of filmmakers Hou Hsiao-hsien and Arvin Chen. Like his cinematic mentors, Chiang’s work, varying from realist portraits to melodramas, captures the intersection of the personal and political with patience and warmth.
His 2015 film, “Anchorage Prohibited,” won the Audi Short Film Award at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. Comprised of long takes and minimal dialogue,...
With no prior film education, filmmaker Wei Liang Chiang relocated to Taiwan to participate in the sixth Golden Horse Film Academy under the mentorship of filmmakers Hou Hsiao-hsien and Arvin Chen. Like his cinematic mentors, Chiang’s work, varying from realist portraits to melodramas, captures the intersection of the personal and political with patience and warmth.
His 2015 film, “Anchorage Prohibited,” won the Audi Short Film Award at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. Comprised of long takes and minimal dialogue,...
- 8/9/2016
- by Kelley Dong
- Indiewire
If you’ve been loving Zhu‘s debut album as much as we have, then you owe it to yourself to hear it on vinyl. The cryptic DJ/producer has released limited-edition opaque blue vinyl records of Generationwhy, and we’re giving three away to lucky contestants.
“Palm of My Hand,” “Cold Blooded” and “Secret Weapon” are only a few of the tracks featured on Generationwhy, which came out today through Columbia Records. As a whole, the album perfectly encapsulates Zhu’s impressively unique style, with instrumentals samples that would only sound richer when played on analogue equipment.
Zhu made his debut with 2014’s “Faded,” but remained largely anonymous until 2015. Even after revealing his identity as Stephen Zhu, his music has continued to resonate with a wide audience.
In order to be eligible to win a limited-press vinyl record of Zhu‘s debut album, Generationwhy, simply join our Facebook group.
“Palm of My Hand,” “Cold Blooded” and “Secret Weapon” are only a few of the tracks featured on Generationwhy, which came out today through Columbia Records. As a whole, the album perfectly encapsulates Zhu’s impressively unique style, with instrumentals samples that would only sound richer when played on analogue equipment.
Zhu made his debut with 2014’s “Faded,” but remained largely anonymous until 2015. Even after revealing his identity as Stephen Zhu, his music has continued to resonate with a wide audience.
In order to be eligible to win a limited-press vinyl record of Zhu‘s debut album, Generationwhy, simply join our Facebook group.
- 7/29/2016
- by John Cameron
- We Got This Covered
In every pop culture era, there are always a handful of artists who just plain make sense for what’s going on in music. Zhu may have gotten his actual start a couple years ago, but his unique, melancholy style of electronic music made the post-edm landscape of 2016 the ideal time to release his debut album, Generationwhy.
A series of dreamlike soundscapes encapsulate the full breadth of the Los Angeles DJ/producer’s first studio-length effort. Without resigning himself to any particular genre, he manages to seamlessly blend elements of house, hip-hop, jazz and rock in a way that doesn’t come across as forced. Even the prominence of instrumental samples from song to song seems genuine; for the most part each arrangement consists of only what it needs to with little added for filler.
Only a few entries on the Generationwhy’s tracklist belong to singles that Zhu shared...
A series of dreamlike soundscapes encapsulate the full breadth of the Los Angeles DJ/producer’s first studio-length effort. Without resigning himself to any particular genre, he manages to seamlessly blend elements of house, hip-hop, jazz and rock in a way that doesn’t come across as forced. Even the prominence of instrumental samples from song to song seems genuine; for the most part each arrangement consists of only what it needs to with little added for filler.
Only a few entries on the Generationwhy’s tracklist belong to singles that Zhu shared...
- 7/28/2016
- by John Cameron
- We Got This Covered
Los Angeles producer and master of non-marketing Zhu had begun to release songs from his debut album, Generationwhy, all the way back in February – but he’s had this one, titled “Palm of My Hand,” on the back burner far longer, having dropped it in his sets for over a year now.
The track begins with a melancholy electric guitar solo before Zhu’s own vocals share the arrangement with a series of other instrumental samples. A female voice speaking in French accompanies a violin melody at the end of the track, making it one of the artist’s more acoustically rich productions.
Zhu opened his BBC Radio 1 debut last year with “Palm of My Hand” – in addition to using it in numerous live sets throughout his 2015 tours. The single has seen negligible changes, if any between now and then, which means that he’s held onto it specifically to...
The track begins with a melancholy electric guitar solo before Zhu’s own vocals share the arrangement with a series of other instrumental samples. A female voice speaking in French accompanies a violin melody at the end of the track, making it one of the artist’s more acoustically rich productions.
Zhu opened his BBC Radio 1 debut last year with “Palm of My Hand” – in addition to using it in numerous live sets throughout his 2015 tours. The single has seen negligible changes, if any between now and then, which means that he’s held onto it specifically to...
- 7/15/2016
- by John Cameron
- We Got This Covered
The Brexit vote was good for at least one entity: Fox Business Network. Fbn delivered wall-to-wall coverage of the crucial referendum — in which British voters elected on Thursday to exit the European Union — and came away with a landmark primetime win over archrival CNBC, according to Nielsen. Fbn logged an average of 242,000 total viewers from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Eastern time, compared with 198,000 for CNBC. Also Read: Stuart Varney's Secret Weapon in Fox Business' War Against CNBC That marked Fbn’s first-ever primetime sweep over CNBC. At 11 p.m., as the vote was rolling in, a special edition of “Varney.
- 6/25/2016
- by Scott Collins
- The Wrap
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