When “Civil War” director Alex Garland first met with sound editor Glenn Freemantle (the Oscar-winning “Gravity”) to discuss his nightmarish vision of the combat zones, he emphasized that the secret was conveying the reality of the loud, chaotic gunfire and explosions within each environment.
Freemantle, though, saved the best for last: the distinctive sound of gunfire hitting concrete and metal during the climactic storming of the nation’s capital by the Western rebel forces.
“That particular battle [shot in an Atlanta car lot] is pretty intense because it’s hitting everything, and there’s no mercy in it,” Freemantle told IndieWire. “The thing that occurred to me was the acoustics would be very unique. You’re in the streets there with all these [blockades]. And it’s all metal and concrete, and you’ve got tanks, machine guns, [grenade] launchers, helicopter guns, other guns from distances, and you have it all around you.” Not to mention SUVs crashing...
Freemantle, though, saved the best for last: the distinctive sound of gunfire hitting concrete and metal during the climactic storming of the nation’s capital by the Western rebel forces.
“That particular battle [shot in an Atlanta car lot] is pretty intense because it’s hitting everything, and there’s no mercy in it,” Freemantle told IndieWire. “The thing that occurred to me was the acoustics would be very unique. You’re in the streets there with all these [blockades]. And it’s all metal and concrete, and you’ve got tanks, machine guns, [grenade] launchers, helicopter guns, other guns from distances, and you have it all around you.” Not to mention SUVs crashing...
- 4/20/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Spoiler Alert: This contains major spoilers for the ending of “Civil War,” now playing in theaters.
“Civil War” production designer Caty Maxey was tasked with building a dystopian America that showed bombed-out buildings and abandoned cars that stretched for miles on the freeway. It was all part of her creative brief for Alex Garland’s latest film.
Garland drops audiences into the middle of “Civil War.” America is no longer united and there are warring factions. At the center of it all are four journalists who travel from New York to Washington, D.C., where the Western Forces of Texas and California are battling the Federal Government. Kirsten Dunst plays Lee, a photojournalist. She is joined by colleagues Joel (Wagner Moura), Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) and Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson). When Lee, Joel, and Jessie arrive at a Western Forces base in Charlottesville, another reporter, Anya (Sonoya Mizuno) informs them that...
“Civil War” production designer Caty Maxey was tasked with building a dystopian America that showed bombed-out buildings and abandoned cars that stretched for miles on the freeway. It was all part of her creative brief for Alex Garland’s latest film.
Garland drops audiences into the middle of “Civil War.” America is no longer united and there are warring factions. At the center of it all are four journalists who travel from New York to Washington, D.C., where the Western Forces of Texas and California are battling the Federal Government. Kirsten Dunst plays Lee, a photojournalist. She is joined by colleagues Joel (Wagner Moura), Jessie (Cailee Spaeny) and Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson). When Lee, Joel, and Jessie arrive at a Western Forces base in Charlottesville, another reporter, Anya (Sonoya Mizuno) informs them that...
- 4/15/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Plot: In the United States, amid a brutal civil war, a team of journalists drive from New York to Washington D.C, where they’ve been promised an interview with the president.
Review: A24 is the only movie studio I know of that’s picked up a cult following of its own. Their brand has become one of the most trusted among discerning film fans, delivering a slew of interesting, provocative movies that fit all genres. In some ways, they are a throwback to an older kind of filmmaking in that they’ve never focused on chasing franchises and have always been filmmaker-focused. They’ve always taken risks, and it’s paid off more than it hasn’t. However, their latest film, Civil War, is arguably their riskiest movie, sporting their biggest budget (north of $50 million) and subject matter that could be seen as a bit of a political powder keg.
Review: A24 is the only movie studio I know of that’s picked up a cult following of its own. Their brand has become one of the most trusted among discerning film fans, delivering a slew of interesting, provocative movies that fit all genres. In some ways, they are a throwback to an older kind of filmmaking in that they’ve never focused on chasing franchises and have always been filmmaker-focused. They’ve always taken risks, and it’s paid off more than it hasn’t. However, their latest film, Civil War, is arguably their riskiest movie, sporting their biggest budget (north of $50 million) and subject matter that could be seen as a bit of a political powder keg.
- 4/12/2024
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
Having it’s World Premiere at SXSW on March 14 was Alex Garland’s Civil War.
The Hollywood Reporter says, “The audience reaction to the film has been very effusive, with viewers calling it a riveting, disturbing, masterful piece of filmmaking (read the audience and critic first reactions).”
The consensus of many of the reviews out of the film festival in Austin say the film is brilliant:
“With the precision and length of its violent battle sequences, it’s clear Civil War operates as a clarion call. Garland wrote the film in 2020 as he watched cogs on America’s self-mythologizing exceptionalist machine turn, propelling the nation into a nightmare. With this latest film, he sounds the alarm, wondering less about how a country walks blindly into its own destruction and more about what happens when it does,” says Lovia Gyarkye in her review over at The Hollywood Reporter.
“Alex Garland’s...
The Hollywood Reporter says, “The audience reaction to the film has been very effusive, with viewers calling it a riveting, disturbing, masterful piece of filmmaking (read the audience and critic first reactions).”
The consensus of many of the reviews out of the film festival in Austin say the film is brilliant:
“With the precision and length of its violent battle sequences, it’s clear Civil War operates as a clarion call. Garland wrote the film in 2020 as he watched cogs on America’s self-mythologizing exceptionalist machine turn, propelling the nation into a nightmare. With this latest film, he sounds the alarm, wondering less about how a country walks blindly into its own destruction and more about what happens when it does,” says Lovia Gyarkye in her review over at The Hollywood Reporter.
“Alex Garland’s...
- 3/17/2024
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A24’s new trailer for Civil War doesn’t move viewers any closer to understanding how, given the history of our country, California would be joining Texas and Florida in seceding from the United States. The idea of a second Civil War is nowhere near as far-fetched as Texas and Florida agreeing with anything California proposes, and vice versa, and writer/director Alex Garland recently said he wants audiences to ask how that could possibly happen.
“I tend not to spell things out in films. I sometimes feel overly spoon-fed by cinema, and so I probably just react against that,” said Garland in an interview with Empire. “That question, why Texas and California, is a question that I want the audience to ask.”
The film stars Oscar nominee Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Nick Offerman. Spaeny, McKinley Henderson, Offerman, and Mizuno previously starred...
“I tend not to spell things out in films. I sometimes feel overly spoon-fed by cinema, and so I probably just react against that,” said Garland in an interview with Empire. “That question, why Texas and California, is a question that I want the audience to ask.”
The film stars Oscar nominee Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Wagner Moura, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Sonoya Mizuno, and Nick Offerman. Spaeny, McKinley Henderson, Offerman, and Mizuno previously starred...
- 2/20/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
It's that time of year again for Fangoria's anticipated Chainsaw Award nominations for horror movies and terrifying television, and we have a look at the full list of nominations, including Ti West's Pearl, Jordan Peele's Nope (leading with 10 nominations), and the second season of Don Mancini's Chucky TV series:
Press Release: Fangoria and Fangoria Studios have released their 2023 Chainsaw Award nominations, which recognizes outstanding achievements in horror film and television. Since 1992, the Chainsaw Awards have honored top achievements in the horror genre, with past recipients including Wes Craven, George A. Romero, Lupita Nyong’o, Anthony Hopkins, and Elisabeth Moss.
“Nope,” written and directed by Jordan Peele, leads the pack with ten nominations including Best Wide Release Movie and Best Director. Other nominees include “Barbarian,” “Pearl,” “Hellraiser,” “Chucky” and “Yellowjackets.” Fangoria has also introduced two new categories this year: Best Short and Best Cinematography.
Editor-in-chief of Fangoria Phil Nobile Jr. states,...
Press Release: Fangoria and Fangoria Studios have released their 2023 Chainsaw Award nominations, which recognizes outstanding achievements in horror film and television. Since 1992, the Chainsaw Awards have honored top achievements in the horror genre, with past recipients including Wes Craven, George A. Romero, Lupita Nyong’o, Anthony Hopkins, and Elisabeth Moss.
“Nope,” written and directed by Jordan Peele, leads the pack with ten nominations including Best Wide Release Movie and Best Director. Other nominees include “Barbarian,” “Pearl,” “Hellraiser,” “Chucky” and “Yellowjackets.” Fangoria has also introduced two new categories this year: Best Short and Best Cinematography.
Editor-in-chief of Fangoria Phil Nobile Jr. states,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
On Friday, Fangoria and Fangoria Studios released their 2023 Chainsaw Award nominations, which recognize outstanding achievements in horror film and television. First established in 1992, the Chainsaw Awards honor works and artists in a genre frequently overlooked by traditional organizations and critics groups. Past recipients include Wes Craven, George A. Romero, Lupita Nyong’o, Anthony Hopkins and Elisabeth Moss.
“Nope,” Jordan Peele’s follow-up to “Us,” received the most nominations of any film in Chainsaw Award contention, with 10 nominations including best wide release movie and best director. Other nominees include “Barbarian,” “Pearl,” “Hellraiser,” “Chucky” and “Yellowjackets.” Fangoria also introduced two new categories this year: Best Short and Best Cinematography.
Founded in 1979, Fangoria has become one of the most influential horror brands in the genre, living up to its moniker as “First in Fright.” At one time the only place on newsstands where fans could read about the world of contemporary horror, Fangoria...
“Nope,” Jordan Peele’s follow-up to “Us,” received the most nominations of any film in Chainsaw Award contention, with 10 nominations including best wide release movie and best director. Other nominees include “Barbarian,” “Pearl,” “Hellraiser,” “Chucky” and “Yellowjackets.” Fangoria also introduced two new categories this year: Best Short and Best Cinematography.
Founded in 1979, Fangoria has become one of the most influential horror brands in the genre, living up to its moniker as “First in Fright.” At one time the only place on newsstands where fans could read about the world of contemporary horror, Fangoria...
- 1/27/2023
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
It was an historic night for female filmmakers at the British Independent Film Awards, with 10 of the night’s biggest awards going to women or films directed by them. The biggest winner of the night was “Aftersun,” which won Best British Independent Film, as well as Best Director, Best Screenplay, and Best Debut Director for Charlotte Wells. The film also took home prizes for cinematography, editing, and music supervision.
Georgia Oakley’s “Blue Jean” also had a strong showing, with Rosy McEwen winning Best Lead Performance and Kerrie Hayes winning Best Supporting Performance and Oakley winning Best Debut Screenwriter. Shaheen Baig also won Best Casting for the film.
Despite facing stiff competition from the likes of “Decision to Leave” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World” won Best International Independent Film.
Keep reading for the complete list of nominees from the 2022 British Independent Film Awards,...
Georgia Oakley’s “Blue Jean” also had a strong showing, with Rosy McEwen winning Best Lead Performance and Kerrie Hayes winning Best Supporting Performance and Oakley winning Best Debut Screenwriter. Shaheen Baig also won Best Casting for the film.
Despite facing stiff competition from the likes of “Decision to Leave” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World” won Best International Independent Film.
Keep reading for the complete list of nominees from the 2022 British Independent Film Awards,...
- 12/4/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Spoiler Alert: The following review contains spoilers.
In “Ex Machina” director Alex Garland’s latest, “Men,” the leaves are so green, the tone is so ominous, and the men are so … Rory Kinnear-y that audiences are all but guaranteed to leave this folk-horror bizart-house offering feeling disturbed, even if no two viewers can agree on what bothered them about it. There’s that shocker of an ending, of course, but we’ll postpone discussion of that till the penultimate paragraph of this review, so as not to spoil the fun — even if, by the time you see it, “Men” is already likely to be defined by its over-the-top finale.
Kinnear, who comes across as a chummy enough fellow — albeit one who might chase you into a back alley and murder you if given the chance — impressively embodies eight different characters: basically, all the men, plus one particularly creepy boy,...
In “Ex Machina” director Alex Garland’s latest, “Men,” the leaves are so green, the tone is so ominous, and the men are so … Rory Kinnear-y that audiences are all but guaranteed to leave this folk-horror bizart-house offering feeling disturbed, even if no two viewers can agree on what bothered them about it. There’s that shocker of an ending, of course, but we’ll postpone discussion of that till the penultimate paragraph of this review, so as not to spoil the fun — even if, by the time you see it, “Men” is already likely to be defined by its over-the-top finale.
Kinnear, who comes across as a chummy enough fellow — albeit one who might chase you into a back alley and murder you if given the chance — impressively embodies eight different characters: basically, all the men, plus one particularly creepy boy,...
- 5/9/2022
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Portishead are commercially releasing their 2016 cover of Abba’s “Sos” for the first time, exclusively through SoundCloud’s fan-powered royalty program, the two groups tell Rolling Stone.
The influential trip-hop act originally recorded their version of the Swedish pop hit for a film soundtrack; until now, it could only be found on YouTube. It now becomes one of the higher-profile songs to be released through SoundCloud’s fan-powered royalty program, which launched in April with lofty goals of making the streaming economy more equitable for artists.
“When we heard that...
The influential trip-hop act originally recorded their version of the Swedish pop hit for a film soundtrack; until now, it could only be found on YouTube. It now becomes one of the higher-profile songs to be released through SoundCloud’s fan-powered royalty program, which launched in April with lofty goals of making the streaming economy more equitable for artists.
“When we heard that...
- 7/8/2021
- by Ethan Millman
- Rollingstone.com
“My little three year old and one year old were crawling around trashing the living room and it was almost bath time,” recalls cinematographer Rob Hardy Bsc on the day he found out he had just received his first ever Emmy nomination for his the ambitious work of the FX on Hulu sci-fi limited series “Devs.” He adds tongue-in-cheek, “I got a text from my agents saying congratulations and I said ‘for what? For managing to get through another day?… It was a big surprise!” Watch our exclusive video interview with Hardy above.
See the 2020 Gold Derby TV Awards nominations complete list
“Devs” is writer and director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after his acclaimed sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who believes that the secretive ‘Devs’ division of the Amaya corporation where she works is behind the murder...
See the 2020 Gold Derby TV Awards nominations complete list
“Devs” is writer and director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after his acclaimed sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who believes that the secretive ‘Devs’ division of the Amaya corporation where she works is behind the murder...
- 8/18/2020
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
“It was just a joyful experience to come to work every single day,” admits Alison Pill about working on the acclaimed psychological sci-fi drama “Devs,” in which she plays a mysterious scientist that has discovered a machine that will change humanity. “Everything about it was perfect.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Pill above.
See Alex Garland Interview: ‘Devs’ showrunner
“Devs” is writer and director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after his sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who believes that the secretive ‘Devs’ division of the Amaya corporation, a Silicon Valley quantum physics company where she works, is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Devs is the passion project of Amaya’s CEO Forest (Nick Offerman) and quantum physicist Katie (Pill), both of who we learn have developed a machine that can see literally backwards and forwards in time.
See Alex Garland Interview: ‘Devs’ showrunner
“Devs” is writer and director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after his sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who believes that the secretive ‘Devs’ division of the Amaya corporation, a Silicon Valley quantum physics company where she works, is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Devs is the passion project of Amaya’s CEO Forest (Nick Offerman) and quantum physicist Katie (Pill), both of who we learn have developed a machine that can see literally backwards and forwards in time.
- 6/29/2020
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
“As designers we are really always here to back up the drama and not overshadow it,” declares production designer Mark Digby, who alongside set decorator Michelle Day designed the ambitious look and feel of the FX on Hulu sci-fi drama series “Devs.”
“To have people responding to that, in addition to responding to the drama is a great thing for us,” he says. “It’s a wonderful present at the end of what we do.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Digby above.
See Alex Garland Interview: ‘Devs’ creator
“Devs” is writer and director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after his sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who believes that the secretive ‘Devs’ division of the Amaya corporation, a Silicon Valley quantum physics company where she works, is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Devs is...
“To have people responding to that, in addition to responding to the drama is a great thing for us,” he says. “It’s a wonderful present at the end of what we do.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Digby above.
See Alex Garland Interview: ‘Devs’ creator
“Devs” is writer and director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after his sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who believes that the secretive ‘Devs’ division of the Amaya corporation, a Silicon Valley quantum physics company where she works, is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Devs is...
- 6/25/2020
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
“It’s utterly transformative,” declares Oscar-winning visual effects artist Andrew Whitehurst about how visual effects can make or break a show like sci-fi drama “Devs.” “When you’re using visual effects as a method of completing your work, it is the thing that finally pushes the audience through, into this idealized environment.” Watch our exclusive video interview with Whitehurst above.
SEEAlex Garland Interview: ‘Devs’ creator
“Devs” is writer/director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who investigates the secretive development division of the Amaya corporation, a cutting-edge Silicon Valley tech company where she works, which she believes is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Amaya and its secretive ‘Devs’ division is run by a mysterious CEO Forest (Nick Offerman) and his ambiguous offsider Katie (Alison Pill), both of who we...
SEEAlex Garland Interview: ‘Devs’ creator
“Devs” is writer/director Alex Garland‘s first foray into series television after sci-fi films “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who investigates the secretive development division of the Amaya corporation, a cutting-edge Silicon Valley tech company where she works, which she believes is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Amaya and its secretive ‘Devs’ division is run by a mysterious CEO Forest (Nick Offerman) and his ambiguous offsider Katie (Alison Pill), both of who we...
- 6/24/2020
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
According to Oscar nominee Alex Garland (“Ex Machina”), his FX psychological sci-fi drama “Devs” might ultimately be “about love,” he reveals. “What it is that matters to us, whether we have free will or not. Who do we love? Why do we love them? Do we stop loving them?” Watch our exclusive video interview with Garland above.
See Nick Offerman Interview: ‘Devs’
“Devs” is the writer and director’s first foray into series television after his acclaimed sci-fi dramas “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who investigates the secretive development division of the Amaya corporation, a cutting-edge Silicon Valley tech company where she works, which she believes is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Amaya and its secretive ‘Devs’ division is run by mysterious CEO Forest (Nick Offerman) and his ambiguous offsider Katie (Alison Pill), both of who we learn have...
See Nick Offerman Interview: ‘Devs’
“Devs” is the writer and director’s first foray into series television after his acclaimed sci-fi dramas “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” It follows a young software engineer (Sonoya Mizuno) who investigates the secretive development division of the Amaya corporation, a cutting-edge Silicon Valley tech company where she works, which she believes is behind the murder of her boyfriend Sergei (Karl Glusman). Amaya and its secretive ‘Devs’ division is run by mysterious CEO Forest (Nick Offerman) and his ambiguous offsider Katie (Alison Pill), both of who we learn have...
- 6/23/2020
- by Rob Licuria
- Gold Derby
This post contains full spoilers for all eight episodes of Devs.
When Alex Garland’s sci-fi thriller Devs premiered last month (as the start of the new FX on Hulu imprint), I was dazzled by the presentation of the story, but just as frequently puzzled about what exactly was happening, and why.
The miniseries’ finale premiered today. In it, fugitive coder Lily (Sonoya Mizuno) invades the Devs building to confront sinister tech mogul Forest (Nick Offerman) about what goes on there and why her boyfriend was murdered to protect the project’s secrets.
When Alex Garland’s sci-fi thriller Devs premiered last month (as the start of the new FX on Hulu imprint), I was dazzled by the presentation of the story, but just as frequently puzzled about what exactly was happening, and why.
The miniseries’ finale premiered today. In it, fugitive coder Lily (Sonoya Mizuno) invades the Devs building to confront sinister tech mogul Forest (Nick Offerman) about what goes on there and why her boyfriend was murdered to protect the project’s secrets.
- 4/16/2020
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Rollingstone.com
For a cautionary tale about not seeing the trees for the forest, “Devs” wields a powerful hallucinatory effect. Methodically paced and meticulously built, Alex Garland’s latest hard stare into the tech world’s black moral abyss can feel like you’re caught in a loop, overhearing engineers repeat the same ominous jargon and catching a glimpse of the same giant doll hovering over Silicon Valley’s redwoods.
The setting, the subject, the show — it’s all a bit cultish, both in the intensely eerie religious parallels the story evokes and in the cult fandom most likely to appreciate another of Garland’s mind-bending projects. The writer-director pulled double duty on every episode of “Devs,” and he remains in the same esoteric territory that divided “Annihilation’s” audience, but that’s not a bad thing. In fact, all of the above are very good things that make up a very good show.
The setting, the subject, the show — it’s all a bit cultish, both in the intensely eerie religious parallels the story evokes and in the cult fandom most likely to appreciate another of Garland’s mind-bending projects. The writer-director pulled double duty on every episode of “Devs,” and he remains in the same esoteric territory that divided “Annihilation’s” audience, but that’s not a bad thing. In fact, all of the above are very good things that make up a very good show.
- 2/18/2020
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Not all movie scores have the potency to stick with viewers long after the credits rolled. But a great film score not only stands out in our minds, it can bring back the emotions we felt during a particular scene. We can relive the thrill of danger or adventure, tears can well up in our eyes over romantic or mournful notes. Without looking, some scores can even conjure up images from the movie, clear and crisp as when we first watched it, because the music pinned those moments to our memories. There have been hundreds of scores that have had this effect on us over the decade. Here are just a handful of some of our most unforgettable favorites:
10. “Arrival,” Jóhann Jóhannsson
For a movie about communicating with other lifeforms from outer space, some of the most poignant moments of Denis Villenueve’s “Arrival” are actually more terrestrial. As Amy...
10. “Arrival,” Jóhann Jóhannsson
For a movie about communicating with other lifeforms from outer space, some of the most poignant moments of Denis Villenueve’s “Arrival” are actually more terrestrial. As Amy...
- 12/12/2019
- by Monica Castillo
- The Wrap
Enough with Summertime frivolity, time to get serious. Really, here’s a real thought-provoking, and debate-provoking, drama featuring some award-winning actors and a fresh new actor who could be up for several of those with this work. Though set in the world of high school, this film focuses on the parents and teachers as much as the students. Yes, it is a drama, but it’s also a mystery, as loyalties change and evolve, and unlikely alliances are formed. Throw in explorations of class and race and you’ve got a compelling tale that swirls all around the title high school student, the young man named Luce.
The story opens at the start of his senior year as Luce Edgar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) delivers a speech to a most appreciative audience of fellow students, faculty, and parents including his folks, Amy (Naomi Watts) and Peter (Tim Roth). Ten years ago...
The story opens at the start of his senior year as Luce Edgar (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) delivers a speech to a most appreciative audience of fellow students, faculty, and parents including his folks, Amy (Naomi Watts) and Peter (Tim Roth). Ten years ago...
- 8/23/2019
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Regardless of the premise behind the age-old foundation we still call the American Dream, not all are afforded the same prosperous outcome. Only the most powerful are granted the benefit of the doubt — the luxury to fall, reset and ultimately thrive. For the marginalized forced to kick-start their endeavors far behind on the racetrack, it’s a different story. How the intersection of race, gender and class shapes and oftentimes unjustly dictates one’s journey is eloquently examined in “Luce,” the third feature from Nigerian-American filmmaker Julius Onah.
This cumulatively unnerving psychodrama, where everyone harbors a deep secret, couldn’t be more relevant to today’s America of Black Lives Matter, #MeToo and a severely biased allocation of power. But co-writers Onah and Jc Lee (who wrote the stage play on which the film is based) take matters a step further. Their handsomely dynamic script continually pits various high-stakes qualms against each other,...
This cumulatively unnerving psychodrama, where everyone harbors a deep secret, couldn’t be more relevant to today’s America of Black Lives Matter, #MeToo and a severely biased allocation of power. But co-writers Onah and Jc Lee (who wrote the stage play on which the film is based) take matters a step further. Their handsomely dynamic script continually pits various high-stakes qualms against each other,...
- 7/31/2019
- by Tomris Laffly
- The Wrap
In the middle of a summer of dumb fun and comic-book escapism, it’s some kind of miracle to find a film as seriously ambitious, scrappy and suspenseful as Luce. A provocation about race, privilege and the expectations that come with both, the movie follows the title character, played by star-in-the-making Kelvin Harrison Jr. He’s an African-American student and academic all-star at the Arlington, Virginia high school he attends. His white parents, a doctor named Amy (Naomi Watts) and a financier named Peter (Tim Roth), couldn’t be prouder...
- 7/30/2019
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
If you’re a fan of quality film scores, you probably were amazed by last year’s work by composers Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow on the sci-fi film “Annihilation.” The score for that film, accompanied by Alex Garland’s visuals, was one of the best of 2018. And now, the duo is back with a new score, this time for the upcoming dramatic thriller “Luce.”
And in honor of the soundtrack’s impending release in August, coinciding with the film, we are thrilled to be able to present our readers with an exclusive first listen to a couple of tracks from Salisbury and Barrow’s score for “Luce.” And as you can hear, the composers have returned with another unique, beautiful score that perfectly accompanies the film.
Continue reading ‘Luce’ Exclusive Music: Listen To 2 Tracks From The Upcoming Soundtrack From Composers Behind ‘Annihilation’ at The Playlist.
And in honor of the soundtrack’s impending release in August, coinciding with the film, we are thrilled to be able to present our readers with an exclusive first listen to a couple of tracks from Salisbury and Barrow’s score for “Luce.” And as you can hear, the composers have returned with another unique, beautiful score that perfectly accompanies the film.
Continue reading ‘Luce’ Exclusive Music: Listen To 2 Tracks From The Upcoming Soundtrack From Composers Behind ‘Annihilation’ at The Playlist.
- 7/23/2019
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Film journalists have already reacted in horror to the first trailer for Universal’s “Cats” musical adaptation, but that’s nothing compared to the overwhelming response from social media users. Less than 24 hours after the trailer’s debut, a viral meme mixing the “Cats” footage with popular music scores has taken over Twitter with terrifying results. One video that sets the “Cats” trailer to the “Us” remix of Luniz’s “I Got 5 On It” has exploded with over 1.8 million views, and best of all, it got director Jordan Peele’s seal of approval.
Other viral “Cats” trailer remixes set the footage to Mica Levi’s hypnotic “Under the Skin” score, Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow’s “Annihilation” score, and the music featured in Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.” And of course the “Cats” trailer got mashed up with the “Just want to take another look at you” moment from...
Other viral “Cats” trailer remixes set the footage to Mica Levi’s hypnotic “Under the Skin” score, Ben Salisbury and Geoff Barrow’s “Annihilation” score, and the music featured in Stanley Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.” And of course the “Cats” trailer got mashed up with the “Just want to take another look at you” moment from...
- 7/19/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
For many years, Oscar “shortlists” narrowed down the choices in a preliminary round that would eventually lead to the five nominees for original song and score. Academy executives discontinued that practice after the 1979 awards, but have brought it back for the 2018 honors.
It was problematic then and it remains so now. Not everyone agrees that the shortlist concept is a good idea, primarily because it forces music-branch members to see and evaluate dozens of films before the first round of voting in early December. Previously, they had until early January to wade through all those “for your consideration” screeners and CDs.
In May, Academy executives insisted that the shortlist “gives smaller or lesser-known films a better chance to be nominated.” Speculation at the time focused on music from films released in the first half of the year, which have often been ignored in favor of end-of-year releases, generally deemed more “important.
It was problematic then and it remains so now. Not everyone agrees that the shortlist concept is a good idea, primarily because it forces music-branch members to see and evaluate dozens of films before the first round of voting in early December. Previously, they had until early January to wade through all those “for your consideration” screeners and CDs.
In May, Academy executives insisted that the shortlist “gives smaller or lesser-known films a better chance to be nominated.” Speculation at the time focused on music from films released in the first half of the year, which have often been ignored in favor of end-of-year releases, generally deemed more “important.
- 1/5/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Kendrick Lamar and Sza’s Black Panther track “All the Stars,” Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s A Star Is Born single “Shallow” and Thom Yorke’s “Suspirium” from Suspiria are among the 15 tracks that were shortlisted for the Academy Awards’ Best Original Song, the Oscars announced Monday.
Dolly Parton’s “Girl in the Movies” (Dumplin’), Sade’s “The Big Unknown” (Widows), Quincy Jones’ “Keep Reachin'” with Chaka Khan and Mark Ronson (Quincy), Sigur Ros’ Jonsi and Troye Sivan’s “Revelation (Boy Erased) and the Coup and Lakeith Stanfield’s...
Dolly Parton’s “Girl in the Movies” (Dumplin’), Sade’s “The Big Unknown” (Widows), Quincy Jones’ “Keep Reachin'” with Chaka Khan and Mark Ronson (Quincy), Sigur Ros’ Jonsi and Troye Sivan’s “Revelation (Boy Erased) and the Coup and Lakeith Stanfield’s...
- 12/18/2018
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The Academy music branch returned to the “shortlist” concept for the first time in nearly 40 years, and for the most part, it seems to have worked. The 15 scores and 15 songs chosen by the composers, songwriters and music editors — from which the final five in each category will be selected — in large part align with the choices of most observers and pundits.
The preliminary songs list allows for an eclectic assortment of singer-songwriters from the pop, rock, country, R&B and hip-hop worlds, including Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Dolly Parton and Troye Sivan — all of whom were already nominated for a Golden Globe this month — along with Thom Yorke, Sade, Gillian Welch and the Coup.
In the score category, all five Golden Globe nominees were cited among the top 15: Ludwig Goransson for “Black Panther,” Marco Beltrami for “A Quiet Place,” two-time Oscar winner Alexandre Desplat for “Isle of Dogs,” Marc Shaiman...
The preliminary songs list allows for an eclectic assortment of singer-songwriters from the pop, rock, country, R&B and hip-hop worlds, including Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar, Dolly Parton and Troye Sivan — all of whom were already nominated for a Golden Globe this month — along with Thom Yorke, Sade, Gillian Welch and the Coup.
In the score category, all five Golden Globe nominees were cited among the top 15: Ludwig Goransson for “Black Panther,” Marco Beltrami for “A Quiet Place,” two-time Oscar winner Alexandre Desplat for “Isle of Dogs,” Marc Shaiman...
- 12/18/2018
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
For the first time since 1979, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced shortlists for both the Original Song and Original Score categories. To no one’s real surprise, selections from “Mary Poppins Returns,” “A Star Is Born” and “If Beale Street Could Talk” made some noise on their respective lists, with ‘Poppins’ making both. Some interesting surprises included a score shortlist nod for “Avengers: Infinity War” by Alan Silvestri, the music to the sci-fi mind-bender “Annihilation” by Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury and the score to “The Death of Stalin.
Continue reading ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Tops First Oscar Original Score And Original Song Shortlists at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Tops First Oscar Original Score And Original Song Shortlists at The Playlist.
- 12/17/2018
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
2018 was a year of tumult, of wild emotional swings from tragedy to triumph. The movies released this year seemed exceptionally well-tuned to the current moment — as IndieWire’s Chief Film Critic Eric Kohn noted in his picks for the best films of 2018, this year’s films were the first largely to be greenlit or developed following the geopolitical upheavals of 2016.
To that end, a lot of the moments that stand out from movies of the past 12 months could be called twists — but “twist” feels too sleight to convey the horror of the ending of the Gal Who Got Rattled segment of “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” or the sadness of the birth scene in “Roma.” It’s more a feeling of anything bad that we fear might happen might really happen, that when we think life is going to zig it just might zag in the worst way possible. You...
To that end, a lot of the moments that stand out from movies of the past 12 months could be called twists — but “twist” feels too sleight to convey the horror of the ending of the Gal Who Got Rattled segment of “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” or the sadness of the birth scene in “Roma.” It’s more a feeling of anything bad that we fear might happen might really happen, that when we think life is going to zig it just might zag in the worst way possible. You...
- 12/10/2018
- by Christian Blauvelt, Eric Kohn, Kate Erbland, Anne Thompson, David Ehrlich, Tambay Obenson, Chris O'Falt, Michael Nordine, Zack Sharf and Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The movie scores of 2018 have been as eclectic as the movies themselves, with any list of the year’s best forced to hop between the pep of “Paddington 2,” the swoons of “If Beale Street Could Talk,” the bloody tumult of “Mandy,” and the regal triumph of “Black Panther.” Yes, for the first time in forever, the score for a Marvel movie was worthy of being discussed alongside work from the likes of Jonny Greenwood and Justin Hurwitz. In fact, there was too much great work this year to celebrate all of it, especially in under-the-radar films like “Mary Shelley” (Amelia Warner), “Nostalgia” (Laurent Eyquem), and “Madeline’s Madeline” (Caroline Shaw). And while attention is too seldom paid to the original music in foreign films, the likes of “Burning” (Mowg) and “Capernaum” (Khaled Mouzanar) boasted indelibly evocative scores, as well.
2018 also featured a number of memorable soundtracks full of original...
2018 also featured a number of memorable soundtracks full of original...
- 12/7/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Desert Daze – California’s psych-leaning boutique getaway – has left the desert for the grassy, sandy, gorgeous sprawl of Lake Perris State Recreation Area. If it remains in this spot, Desert Daze could get a rep as America’s most aesthetically pleasing fest, not just for the majestic view of the surrounding mountains, but for the festival organizers’ completely overboard attention to trippy projections, art installations and neon. All was not chill vibes this year – a lightning storm and forced evacuation ended Tame Impala’s Friday night set after three songs...
- 10/15/2018
- by Christopher R. Weingarten
- Rollingstone.com
Over the course of their first two albums, Bristol, England trio Beak> synthesized a a handful of elements from across the vintage moodscape and murkiverse: the minimal throb of Young Marble Giants, the relentless rhythms of Neu!, the squinchy electronics of Silver Apples and the muffled vocals of Can among them. In short, it was a great way to turn cratedigger obsessions with psychedelic breakbeat music or Eighties synth soundtracks into a working, touring, motoriking rock band.
Best known for having Portishead’s Geoff Barrow as member, they started as a fragile,...
Best known for having Portishead’s Geoff Barrow as member, they started as a fragile,...
- 9/24/2018
- by Christopher R. Weingarten
- Rollingstone.com
Editors’ Pick: Christine & the Queens, Chris
“Chris is an LP doubled,” writes Will Hermes. “First, there’s a mostly English-language set, with heavily accented lyrics, charmingly off-kilter syntax, and polyglot asides. ‘Let me taste/On a butch babe in La,’ she pleads on ‘Damn (What A Woman Must Do),’ lamenting the extremes of ‘what must a woman do/Para follarse’ (sure, look it up). Then there’s a nearly-identical set sung in French, as the singer sucks, chews, and tongues verses in ways that communicate plenty, even if you don...
“Chris is an LP doubled,” writes Will Hermes. “First, there’s a mostly English-language set, with heavily accented lyrics, charmingly off-kilter syntax, and polyglot asides. ‘Let me taste/On a butch babe in La,’ she pleads on ‘Damn (What A Woman Must Do),’ lamenting the extremes of ‘what must a woman do/Para follarse’ (sure, look it up). Then there’s a nearly-identical set sung in French, as the singer sucks, chews, and tongues verses in ways that communicate plenty, even if you don...
- 9/21/2018
- by Maura Johnston, Suzy Exposito, Will Hermes, Mosi Reeves, Jonathan Bernstein, Elias Leight, Kory Grow, Christopher R. Weingarten, Hank Shteamer, Jon Freeman and Simon Vozick-Levinson
- Rollingstone.com
In ‘The Shimmer’, the mysterious coastal landscape where writer/director Alex Garland’s Annihilation takes place, nothing is as it seems. How do multiple species of flower grow from the same vine? Why does that albino alligator have rows of teeth like a shark? Why have the five women sent here to explore the abandoned, overgrown, and dangerous area been so completely misled about what awaits them there? And what’s going on in that lighthouse by the sea? By the time Garland’s challenging, confusing, occasionally terrifying, but often tedious film ends, you will know the answers to some of these questions, but not all. That may be because it’s adapted from the first in a trilogy of novels by Jeff VanderMeer, and because Garland has no intention of tying his metaphysical odyssey up neatly.
In Annihilation Natalie Portman stars as Lena, a Biologist and former soldier. Her...
In Annihilation Natalie Portman stars as Lena, a Biologist and former soldier. Her...
- 2/23/2018
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Folks, Ex Machina was no fluke. Alex Garland, long a top tier genre screenwriter, has evolved into one of the more exciting filmmakers out there. His latest directorial outing, the hugely ambitious Annihilation, is easily among the best films of 2018 so far. Opening this week, it represents thoughtful science fiction at its most engaging. Garland clearly is now a director with a lot to say, as opposed to just a writer. Everything he suggested with Ex Machina he pursues on a grander scale here. In face, Annihilation, at least in my opinion, is the superior work. High praise for sure, but earned praise, without question. The movie is a sci-fi tale mixed with some legit horror elements. After “something” crashes into a lighthouse, a glowing anomaly called the “shimmer” begins spreading. Still contained within the beach and nearby swamp where it began, the shimmer will soon begin encroaching on American territory.
- 2/21/2018
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
To call Annihilation writer-director Alex Garland the thinking geek's new sci-fi guru is probably to jinx his box-office chances. Look where thoughtfulness got Denis Villeneuve's Blade Runner 2049. But Garland is the real-deal for generating rattling tension and mind-blowing mojo. Annihilation, an eco-thriller based on the first book in the acclaimed Southern Reach trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer, gives Garland a shot at stretching the cerebral and scare muscles he flexed so brilliantly in his 2015 directing debut, Ex Machina, a fierce and acidly funny take on artificial intelligence that asked provoking...
- 2/21/2018
- Rollingstone.com
More terrifying than any creature Hollywood could dream up is the unraveling of one’s mind—the steady loss of a consciousness as defined by the memories, motivations, and knowledge built up from decades of experience and reflection. With Annihilation, Alex Garland’s beautiful, frightening follow-up to Ex Machina, he portrays this paralyzing sensation with a sense of vivid imagination, and also delivers a cadre of horrifying creatures to boot.
Fans of Jeff VanderMeer’s novel (myself included), will realize right off the bat that this is another beast altogether; there’s more laying of the groundwork to kick off the mission, a deepening of the backstory, no mention of hypnosis or entire locations, a wholly different ending, and more outright humor between our group, who are given names this time around. The Biologist is Lena (an excellent Natalie Portman), a former soldier; The Psychologist is Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh...
Fans of Jeff VanderMeer’s novel (myself included), will realize right off the bat that this is another beast altogether; there’s more laying of the groundwork to kick off the mission, a deepening of the backstory, no mention of hypnosis or entire locations, a wholly different ending, and more outright humor between our group, who are given names this time around. The Biologist is Lena (an excellent Natalie Portman), a former soldier; The Psychologist is Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh...
- 2/21/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
As artificial intelligence expands from sci-fi conceit to everyday reality, its implications inspire both horror and awe. Few recent movies have explored that divide better than writer-director Alex Garland’s robot rebellion thriller “Ex Machina,” and now it has some company with his stunning followup, which expands his thematic focus: Where “Ex Machina” argued that the machines are a few steps ahead of us, “Annihilation” suggests that the universe is even further along. At once a gripping jungle survival thriller and an alluring sci-fi puzzle, Garland’s heady gambit confirms he’s one of the genre’s best working filmmakers.
See More:‘Annihilation’ Star Tessa Thompson: Having a Predominantly Female Cast on Sci-Fi Horror Film ‘Changes Everything’
Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s first novel in his Southern Reach Trilogy, “Annihilation” finds biologist Lena (Natalie Portman, stern and focused, which also describes the movie’s tone) enlisting herself to follow...
See More:‘Annihilation’ Star Tessa Thompson: Having a Predominantly Female Cast on Sci-Fi Horror Film ‘Changes Everything’
Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s first novel in his Southern Reach Trilogy, “Annihilation” finds biologist Lena (Natalie Portman, stern and focused, which also describes the movie’s tone) enlisting herself to follow...
- 2/21/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
In the macho world of superstar DJs (and irate presidents), Twitter is the battleground, the premier forum for airing grievances about the competition. Case in point: In March of 2016, Diplo – who made $23 million that year, according to Forbes – decided that another producer, Zedd ($24 million) had plagiarized the work of the young Australian beat-maker Flume. So Diplo took aim on social media and let fly: "[You’re] young and rich and a great musician … Use that to your advantage … Don't be such a pompous cornball loser also I fucked your girl."
This now-deleted...
This now-deleted...
- 8/1/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Oscar-winning actress Brie Larson has long been eager to get behind the camera — she’s already helmed a pair of short films, including the Sundance award-winning “The Arm,” which she made alongside Jessie Ennis and Sarah Ramos — and her feature directorial debut, “Unicorn Store,” is reportedly set to bow sometime later this year. And now the film has snagged the backing of a brand new production shingle, one that sounds very much in line with Larson’s own outspoken and equality-driven attitude.
Long-time producer Lynette Howell Taylor has now launched a new production banner called 51 Entertainment, with a focus on filmmaker-driven content, and “Unicorn Store” is set up as its first feature. Larson directed the film from Samantha McIntyre’s script, and she also stars in the feature alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Bradley Whitford, Joan Cusack, and Martha MacIsaac. The film also boasts a crew that was mostly made up of female professionals.
Long-time producer Lynette Howell Taylor has now launched a new production banner called 51 Entertainment, with a focus on filmmaker-driven content, and “Unicorn Store” is set up as its first feature. Larson directed the film from Samantha McIntyre’s script, and she also stars in the feature alongside Samuel L. Jackson, Bradley Whitford, Joan Cusack, and Martha MacIsaac. The film also boasts a crew that was mostly made up of female professionals.
- 7/19/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Have an itch to see a movie about a gunfight, the whole gunfight and nothing but the gunfight? Search no more, for Ben Wheatley and Amy Jump have the movie for you: twenty minutes of angry crooks in conference, and then seventy minutes of non-stop shootin,’ with no annoying plot context or character depth to get in the way. Just say ‘Bang Bang I shot you down,’ and then play it in a loop, ad infinitum.
Free Fire
Blu-ray
Lionsgate
2017 / Color / 2:39 widescreen / 90 min. / Street Date July 18, 2017 / 24.99
Starring: Sam Riley, Michael Smiley, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer, Sharlto Copley, Babou Ceesay, Noah Taylor, Jack Reynor, Mark Monero, Patrick Bergin, Enzo Cilenti, Tom Davis.
Cinematography: Laurie Rose
Film Editors: Amy Jump, Ben Wheatley
Original Music: Geoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury
Written by Amy Jump, Ben Wheatley
Produced by Andy Starke
Directed by Ben Wheatley
Many critics fairly well loved Ben Wheatley...
Free Fire
Blu-ray
Lionsgate
2017 / Color / 2:39 widescreen / 90 min. / Street Date July 18, 2017 / 24.99
Starring: Sam Riley, Michael Smiley, Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy, Armie Hammer, Sharlto Copley, Babou Ceesay, Noah Taylor, Jack Reynor, Mark Monero, Patrick Bergin, Enzo Cilenti, Tom Davis.
Cinematography: Laurie Rose
Film Editors: Amy Jump, Ben Wheatley
Original Music: Geoff Barrow, Ben Salisbury
Written by Amy Jump, Ben Wheatley
Produced by Andy Starke
Directed by Ben Wheatley
Many critics fairly well loved Ben Wheatley...
- 7/4/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
In the age of nonstop studio blockbusters, a composer is never out of work. And no composer works harder than James Newton Howard. The brains behind more than 150 scores for film and TV, Howard has been nominated for eight Oscars across a career spanning more than four decades. His work includes the “Hunger Games” series; “Pretty Woman”; and every M. Night Shyamalan movie.
And music from all those films was on display at the 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, where Howard was honored during the June 30 opening ceremony with the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema.
“I’m very lucky,” Howard told IndieWire at the festival the next day. “I do seem to be in demand.”
Read More: How Hollywood’s Latest Tech Tool Enhanced Oscar-Winning ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ (Video)
Fittingly, after receiving his award,...
And music from all those films was on display at the 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, where Howard was honored during the June 30 opening ceremony with the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema.
“I’m very lucky,” Howard told IndieWire at the festival the next day. “I do seem to be in demand.”
Read More: How Hollywood’s Latest Tech Tool Enhanced Oscar-Winning ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ (Video)
Fittingly, after receiving his award,...
- 7/3/2017
- by Andrew Lapin
- Indiewire
The following is excerpted from a chapter in film critic Adam Nayman’s new book “Ben Wheatley: Confusion and Carnage,” which is now available.
“Nobody fucks with you like [Ben] Wheatley,” wrote Cinema Scope’s Robert Koehler in a dispatch filed from Cannes in 2012, the year that “Sightseers” premiered in the Director’s Fortnight and shifted the critical perception of its director to a global figure. If Cannes is historically the proving ground for auteur directors, then the presence of “Sightseers” on the Croisette suggested that Wheatley was emerging from his niche as a UK genre specialist. For Koehler, “Sightseers” was one of the titles at Cannes that seemed “eager to play outside boundaries within which most of the other films were all too willing to contain themselves.”
Trying to break away from the everyday—or, put another way, the search for transcendence—is the secret theme of “Sightseers,” a film that,...
“Nobody fucks with you like [Ben] Wheatley,” wrote Cinema Scope’s Robert Koehler in a dispatch filed from Cannes in 2012, the year that “Sightseers” premiered in the Director’s Fortnight and shifted the critical perception of its director to a global figure. If Cannes is historically the proving ground for auteur directors, then the presence of “Sightseers” on the Croisette suggested that Wheatley was emerging from his niche as a UK genre specialist. For Koehler, “Sightseers” was one of the titles at Cannes that seemed “eager to play outside boundaries within which most of the other films were all too willing to contain themselves.”
Trying to break away from the everyday—or, put another way, the search for transcendence—is the secret theme of “Sightseers,” a film that,...
- 6/14/2017
- by Adam Nayman
- Indiewire
As pointed out by Dorian Lynskey, we all should have seen this Kendall Jenner controversy coming. The ill-advised Pepsi ad in which she appears was pulled shortly after its misbegotten premiere, presumably because it angered nearly everyone who saw it (or, less likely, because it managed to end racism in a matter of hours); it was also presaged by the Chemical Brothers’ music video for “Out of Control.” Watch it below and marvel at the similarities.
Read More: YouTube TV Launches Today: Learn About Google’s Big Attack On Cable Providers
Directed by W.I.Z., the 1999 video stars Rosario Dawson as a protester who manages to distract riot cops with a most refreshing bottle of soda — a ruse later revealed to be part of an advertisement. “In the heat of the moment serve chilled,” reads the tagline for Viva Cola. Once again, ads imitate art.
Read More: ‘Colossal’ Is...
Read More: YouTube TV Launches Today: Learn About Google’s Big Attack On Cable Providers
Directed by W.I.Z., the 1999 video stars Rosario Dawson as a protester who manages to distract riot cops with a most refreshing bottle of soda — a ruse later revealed to be part of an advertisement. “In the heat of the moment serve chilled,” reads the tagline for Viva Cola. Once again, ads imitate art.
Read More: ‘Colossal’ Is...
- 4/5/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Kendrick Lamar has released a brand new song and video, “Humble.” The clip was directed by Dave Meyers alongside Lamar and Top Dawg Entertainment President Dave Free (Lamar and Free are known as The Little Homies). The song was produced by Mike WiLL Made-It.
“Humble.” comes just one week after the release of another new song, “The Heart Part 4.” Both tracks are from Lamar’s highly anticipated upcoming album, which is expected to drop April 7, as reported by NME. The release follows the Compton rapper’s acclaimed third studio album “To Pimp a Butterfly,” which dropped in 2015.
Read More: ‘Free Fire’ Score: Listen to All The Music from Portishead’s Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury
“I think now, how wayward things have gone within the past few months, my focus is ultimately going back to my community and the other communities around the world where they’re doing the groundwork,...
“Humble.” comes just one week after the release of another new song, “The Heart Part 4.” Both tracks are from Lamar’s highly anticipated upcoming album, which is expected to drop April 7, as reported by NME. The release follows the Compton rapper’s acclaimed third studio album “To Pimp a Butterfly,” which dropped in 2015.
Read More: ‘Free Fire’ Score: Listen to All The Music from Portishead’s Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury
“I think now, how wayward things have gone within the past few months, my focus is ultimately going back to my community and the other communities around the world where they’re doing the groundwork,...
- 3/31/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
After premiering at the 2016 Toronto Film Festival, Ben Wheatley’s “Free Fire” is finally gearing up for its theatrical debut on April 21. But before that, we get to enjoy the film’s score, which was created by Portishead’s Geoff Barrow and composer Ben Salisbury. The soundtrack, which also includes songs by John Denver, Creedence Clearwater Revival and The Real Kids, was released Friday via Invada and Lakeshore Records.
Read More: ‘Free Fire’ Review: Brie Larson Stars In the Craziest Shootout of All Time
Barrow and Salisbury previously created the soundtrack for Alex Garland’s 2015 sci-fi psychological thriller “Ex Machina,” which earned them an Ivor Novello Award. The duo also collaborated on the score for Garland’s follow-up, “Annihilation,” which is slated for release in September; as well as an episode of the Netflix original series “Black Mirror.”
Read More: ‘Free Fire’ Trailer: Brie Larson and Ben Wheatley Unleash A...
Read More: ‘Free Fire’ Review: Brie Larson Stars In the Craziest Shootout of All Time
Barrow and Salisbury previously created the soundtrack for Alex Garland’s 2015 sci-fi psychological thriller “Ex Machina,” which earned them an Ivor Novello Award. The duo also collaborated on the score for Garland’s follow-up, “Annihilation,” which is slated for release in September; as well as an episode of the Netflix original series “Black Mirror.”
Read More: ‘Free Fire’ Trailer: Brie Larson and Ben Wheatley Unleash A...
- 3/31/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
Cinemax's gritty drama Quarry is a rollercoaster ride of emotions not only for its main characters Mac and Joni, but for its audience as well.
For the audience, the music heightens those emotions, adding to the intense drama taking place on screen. Composer Kris Dirksen is the guy responsible for creating that dramatic sound.
In addition to composing for Quarry, Dirksen also worked on Banshee, and his music can be heard in hundreds of movie and TV show trailers, including Mad Max: Fury Road, Sicario, The Revenant, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and more.
We put some questions to Kris about his life as a composer and what it's like scoring for a show like Quarry.
Take a look at what he had to say below, and be sure to tune in for Quarry Season 1 Episode 8, the season finale, airing tonight on Cinemax at 10/9c!
TV Fanatic: How did you get interested in music?...
For the audience, the music heightens those emotions, adding to the intense drama taking place on screen. Composer Kris Dirksen is the guy responsible for creating that dramatic sound.
In addition to composing for Quarry, Dirksen also worked on Banshee, and his music can be heard in hundreds of movie and TV show trailers, including Mad Max: Fury Road, Sicario, The Revenant, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, and more.
We put some questions to Kris about his life as a composer and what it's like scoring for a show like Quarry.
Take a look at what he had to say below, and be sure to tune in for Quarry Season 1 Episode 8, the season finale, airing tonight on Cinemax at 10/9c!
TV Fanatic: How did you get interested in music?...
- 10/28/2016
- by Lisa Babick
- TVfanatic
If you don’t have any plans tonight, you might want to fire up Netflix and get caught up with “Black Mirror.” The hit anthology show unveils its third season on the streaming service today, and the six episodes certainly have no shortage of big talent in terms of directors (Joe Wright, Dan Trachtenberg) and actors (Bryce Dallas Howard, Alice Eve, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Mackenzie Davis), but even the music has some top shelf names.
Continue reading Stream Max Richter And Geoff Barrow & Ben Salisbury’s Scores For ‘Black Mirror’ Season 3 at The Playlist.
Continue reading Stream Max Richter And Geoff Barrow & Ben Salisbury’s Scores For ‘Black Mirror’ Season 3 at The Playlist.
- 10/21/2016
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive is definitely more style than substance, but that’s hardly a problem when the style is just so good. A lot of that style comes from Ryan Gosling’s instantly iconic scorpion jacket, but the film’s retro-ish soundtrack handles a lot of the heavy lifting all on its own. Now, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the film’s release, Lakeshore Records and Geoff Barrow’s Invada will be releasing a limited edition version of the Drive soundtrack on vinyl. The reissue will feature appropriately stylish new artwork as well as new linter notes by Refn and Cliff Martinez, the film’s composer. According to Fact Magazine, it’ll only be available from September 30 to December 31, so make sure to jump on it if you’re eager to listen to A Real Hero again—and really, who isn’t?
You can see ...
You can see ...
- 8/18/2016
- by Sam Barsanti
- avclub.com
Love for “Stranger Things” has not abated, in no small part because of the entrancing synth-laden score that enhances Netflix’s fantastical ‘80s-nostalgia series.
Fortunately, fans of the music can now purchase the official “Stranger Things” soundtrack, which will be released in two volumes: the first will be released digitally on Friday, Aug. 12 (Sept. 16 on CD) and the second released digitally a week later on Aug. 19 (Sept. 23 on CD). Both volumes feature the eerie original score by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, half of the members of experimental Austin synth band S U R V I V E.
“The directors were previously fans of S U R V I V E,” Dixon said in a statement released by Netflix on Wednesday. “They used a song from our first LP in a mock trailer they made to pitch their concept to Netflix and reached out to see if we were available to score the show.
Fortunately, fans of the music can now purchase the official “Stranger Things” soundtrack, which will be released in two volumes: the first will be released digitally on Friday, Aug. 12 (Sept. 16 on CD) and the second released digitally a week later on Aug. 19 (Sept. 23 on CD). Both volumes feature the eerie original score by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, half of the members of experimental Austin synth band S U R V I V E.
“The directors were previously fans of S U R V I V E,” Dixon said in a statement released by Netflix on Wednesday. “They used a song from our first LP in a mock trailer they made to pitch their concept to Netflix and reached out to see if we were available to score the show.
- 8/10/2016
- by Hanh Nguyen
- Indiewire
Dailies is a round-up of essential film writing, news bits, videos, and other highlights from across the Internet. If you’d like to submit a piece for consideration, get in touch with us in the comments below or on Twitter at @TheFilmStage.
Portishead‘s Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury will reteam with Ex Machina director Alex Garland to score Annihilation, Pitchfork reports.
See a video essay on imitation, contamination, and dissolution in Bong Joon-ho‘s Memories of Murder:
Fantastic Fest 2016 has announced its first wave of programming including films from Andrea Arnold, Werner Herzog, and more.
Read an extensive profile on Mike Mills and the making of 20th Century Women at Semi Permanent:
When it came to shooting 20th Century Women, he actually welcomed the chance to revisit his adolescence, and commune with the spirit of his mother who, he says, was a bit too thorny for that when she was alive.
Portishead‘s Geoff Barrow and Ben Salisbury will reteam with Ex Machina director Alex Garland to score Annihilation, Pitchfork reports.
See a video essay on imitation, contamination, and dissolution in Bong Joon-ho‘s Memories of Murder:
Fantastic Fest 2016 has announced its first wave of programming including films from Andrea Arnold, Werner Herzog, and more.
Read an extensive profile on Mike Mills and the making of 20th Century Women at Semi Permanent:
When it came to shooting 20th Century Women, he actually welcomed the chance to revisit his adolescence, and commune with the spirit of his mother who, he says, was a bit too thorny for that when she was alive.
- 8/2/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
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