Apple TV+ has renewed “The Big Door Prize” for a second season, the streamer announced on Wednesday.
According to the official description, “The Big Door Prize” follows the story of a small town that changes after a mysterious machine appears in the local general store, promising to reveal each resident’s true life potential.
Christopher O’Dowd stars as Dusty Hubbard, a seemingly content, cheerful family man and high school teacher, watches everyone around him reevaluate their life choices and ambitions based on the machine’s printouts which leaves him questioning his own happiness. Though he remains skeptical of the machine, his wife Cass (Gabrielle Dennis) starts to dive into the idea that she could have something bigger in store for her. Up until the arrival of the Morpho machine, the couple lived a seemingly easy and safe life. But all of that changes when the community is forced to take...
According to the official description, “The Big Door Prize” follows the story of a small town that changes after a mysterious machine appears in the local general store, promising to reveal each resident’s true life potential.
Christopher O’Dowd stars as Dusty Hubbard, a seemingly content, cheerful family man and high school teacher, watches everyone around him reevaluate their life choices and ambitions based on the machine’s printouts which leaves him questioning his own happiness. Though he remains skeptical of the machine, his wife Cass (Gabrielle Dennis) starts to dive into the idea that she could have something bigger in store for her. Up until the arrival of the Morpho machine, the couple lived a seemingly easy and safe life. But all of that changes when the community is forced to take...
- 4/5/2023
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
“Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butt-Head” returns to Paramount+ for its second season, beginning with two episodes on Thursday, April 20.
According to Paramount+, Beavis and Butt-Head will “triumphantly return as two guys who like things that are cool and don’t like things that suck.” Ahead of the Season 2 premiere, fans can check out “Beavis and Butt-head Do the Universe,” the 1996 movie “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America” and the remastered versions of the original MTV series all on Paramount+.
Judge executive produces the series alongside Lew Morton, Michael Rotenberg, Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Ben Kalina and Antonio Canobbio for Titmouse.
Watch below for the “Beavis and Butt-Head” teaser.
Also in today’s TV news:
Casting
Mattel announced Melissa Benoist will voice heroine Teela in “Masters of the Universe: Revolution,” a sequel to Netflix’s “Masters of the Universe: Revelation.”
Benoist joins the cast after her run as Supergirl in CW...
According to Paramount+, Beavis and Butt-Head will “triumphantly return as two guys who like things that are cool and don’t like things that suck.” Ahead of the Season 2 premiere, fans can check out “Beavis and Butt-head Do the Universe,” the 1996 movie “Beavis and Butt-Head Do America” and the remastered versions of the original MTV series all on Paramount+.
Judge executive produces the series alongside Lew Morton, Michael Rotenberg, Chris Prynoski, Shannon Prynoski, Ben Kalina and Antonio Canobbio for Titmouse.
Watch below for the “Beavis and Butt-Head” teaser.
Also in today’s TV news:
Casting
Mattel announced Melissa Benoist will voice heroine Teela in “Masters of the Universe: Revolution,” a sequel to Netflix’s “Masters of the Universe: Revelation.”
Benoist joins the cast after her run as Supergirl in CW...
- 3/9/2023
- by Charna Flam and Julia MacCary
- Variety Film + TV
As I pressed play on the first episode of “Run the World,” I wasn’t intending to mainline the entire eight-episode season in one greedy gulp. But as a blessedly rare warm New York City breeze floated through my open window, Leigh Davenport’s lush new series about four friends having a vivid, game-changing Harlem summer proved too good and fitting to resist.
“Run the World,” premiering May 16 on Starz, is immediately self-aware of its place in the TV canon, particularly as a witty dramedy about four thirty-something women falling in and out of love and lust in New York. In the pilot, frustrated writer Ella (Andrea Bordeaux) fondly refers to her on and off boyfriend Anderson (Nick Sagar) as her “Big,” as in the infamous “Mr. Big” who drove Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw so wild throughout “Sex and the City.” But on “Run the World,” Ella’s...
“Run the World,” premiering May 16 on Starz, is immediately self-aware of its place in the TV canon, particularly as a witty dramedy about four thirty-something women falling in and out of love and lust in New York. In the pilot, frustrated writer Ella (Andrea Bordeaux) fondly refers to her on and off boyfriend Anderson (Nick Sagar) as her “Big,” as in the infamous “Mr. Big” who drove Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw so wild throughout “Sex and the City.” But on “Run the World,” Ella’s...
- 5/15/2021
- by Caroline Framke
- Variety Film + TV
Starz has added Living Single actress Erika Alexander to its newest comedy series, Run the World, in a recurring role.
Alexander will join Run the World as Barb, adding to the cast of Amber Stevens, Andrea Bordeaux, Bresha Webb, Corbin Reid and Stephen Bishop. Additional cast members are Nick Sagar, Jay Walker and Tosin Morohunfola.
Created, written and executive produced by Leigh Davenport, Run the World is the story of a group of black, vibrant, fiercely loyal best friends who work, live and play in Harlem as they strive for world domination. Dear White People and Living Single producer Yvette Lee Bowser will serve as showrunner.
Along with the new casting, Starz announced that the eight-episode series has started production in Harlem and throughout New York City. Primarily filming in Harlem, the series is set to feature renowned landmarks such as Marcus Garvey Park and the Harriet Tubman Memorial statue...
Alexander will join Run the World as Barb, adding to the cast of Amber Stevens, Andrea Bordeaux, Bresha Webb, Corbin Reid and Stephen Bishop. Additional cast members are Nick Sagar, Jay Walker and Tosin Morohunfola.
Created, written and executive produced by Leigh Davenport, Run the World is the story of a group of black, vibrant, fiercely loyal best friends who work, live and play in Harlem as they strive for world domination. Dear White People and Living Single producer Yvette Lee Bowser will serve as showrunner.
Along with the new casting, Starz announced that the eight-episode series has started production in Harlem and throughout New York City. Primarily filming in Harlem, the series is set to feature renowned landmarks such as Marcus Garvey Park and the Harriet Tubman Memorial statue...
- 10/29/2020
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
“Vida” creator Tanya Saracho has signed an overall deal with Universal Content Productions.
Under the deal, Saracho will be able to develop and create original content for television as well podcasts via the studio’s Ucp Audio extension. Addtionally, Saracho will establish a lab and incubator program aimed to nurture, amplify, guide, and empower intersectional Latinx voices.
“To say that I’m immensely enthusiastic about this union is not enough. This partnership with Ucp is a vital opportunity to keep amplifying the voices and stories that matter to me – those brown, queer narratives which have been missing from the landscape, and which are so important to tell. I’m also elated and looking forward to establishing a lab and incubator program aimed to nurture, amplify and empower intersectional Latinx voices,” said Saracho. “And on a personal level, it is greatly gratifying to find a home where I already feel so seen and supported.
Under the deal, Saracho will be able to develop and create original content for television as well podcasts via the studio’s Ucp Audio extension. Addtionally, Saracho will establish a lab and incubator program aimed to nurture, amplify, guide, and empower intersectional Latinx voices.
“To say that I’m immensely enthusiastic about this union is not enough. This partnership with Ucp is a vital opportunity to keep amplifying the voices and stories that matter to me – those brown, queer narratives which have been missing from the landscape, and which are so important to tell. I’m also elated and looking forward to establishing a lab and incubator program aimed to nurture, amplify and empower intersectional Latinx voices,” said Saracho. “And on a personal level, it is greatly gratifying to find a home where I already feel so seen and supported.
- 8/19/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
It’s almost time for one last check-in to “Room 104.” Mark and Jay Duplass’ ethereal HBO anthology series will premiere its fourth and final season on July 24 and IndieWire is exclusively premiering the season’s first trailer.
The half-hour episodes, which hail from the “Togetherness” creators and centers on various travelers who pass through a room in a typical American chain motel, have been compared to “The Twilight Zone” for their deft blend of surreality, horror, and surprises. The series’ new trailer promises to explore a dizzying range of genres and characters for the series’ send-off and even teases a glimpse at the season’s original songs, one of which will be performed by Duplass.
Per HBO, Season 4 will also include the series’ first-ever animated episode, and the premiere entry will mark the first time that Mark Duplass stars, writes, directs, and performs original music for the series. Stories...
The half-hour episodes, which hail from the “Togetherness” creators and centers on various travelers who pass through a room in a typical American chain motel, have been compared to “The Twilight Zone” for their deft blend of surreality, horror, and surprises. The series’ new trailer promises to explore a dizzying range of genres and characters for the series’ send-off and even teases a glimpse at the season’s original songs, one of which will be performed by Duplass.
Per HBO, Season 4 will also include the series’ first-ever animated episode, and the premiere entry will mark the first time that Mark Duplass stars, writes, directs, and performs original music for the series. Stories...
- 6/30/2020
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Almost one month after the June 24th premiere of the new season of The Twilight Zone on CBS All Access, another mind-bending anthology series, Room 104, will return for its fourth and final season on HBO:
Press Release: Room 104 returns for its fourth and final season Friday, July 24 at 11:00 p.m. Et/Pt, exclusively on HBO. Created by Mark and Jay Duplass (HBO’s “Animals.” and “Togetherness”), the late-night, half-hour anthology series returns with 12 new episodes, each telling a unique and unexpected tale of the characters who pass through a single room of a typical American chain motel. While the setting stays the same, every episode of the series features a different story, with the tone, plot, characters, and even the time period, changing with each installment.
The series will also be available on HBO Now, HBO Go, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms.
Exploring a variety of genres,...
Press Release: Room 104 returns for its fourth and final season Friday, July 24 at 11:00 p.m. Et/Pt, exclusively on HBO. Created by Mark and Jay Duplass (HBO’s “Animals.” and “Togetherness”), the late-night, half-hour anthology series returns with 12 new episodes, each telling a unique and unexpected tale of the characters who pass through a single room of a typical American chain motel. While the setting stays the same, every episode of the series features a different story, with the tone, plot, characters, and even the time period, changing with each installment.
The series will also be available on HBO Now, HBO Go, HBO On Demand and partners’ streaming platforms.
Exploring a variety of genres,...
- 5/12/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
The HBO anthology series “Room 104” will conclude after its upcoming fourth season.
The premium cabler revealed the new season would be the last in announcing the season premiere date Monday. The 12-episode fourth and final season of “Room 104” will bow on HBO on July 24 at 11 p.m. Et/Pt.
Created by Mark and Jay Duplass, the half-hour series tells the stories of an assortment of characters who pass through a single room of a typical American chain hotel. Season 4 will feature the series’ first ever animated episode, with the premiere episode marking the first time in the series that Mark Duplass stars, writes, directs and performs original music.
The season four cast includes (in order of appearance): Mark Duplass, Hari Nef, Logan Miller, Jillian Bell, Jon Bass, Dave Bautista, Melissa Fumero, Vivian Bang, Finn Roberts, Adam Shapiro, Breeda Wool, Kevin Nealon, Erinn Hayes, Ron Funches, Sadie Stanley,...
The premium cabler revealed the new season would be the last in announcing the season premiere date Monday. The 12-episode fourth and final season of “Room 104” will bow on HBO on July 24 at 11 p.m. Et/Pt.
Created by Mark and Jay Duplass, the half-hour series tells the stories of an assortment of characters who pass through a single room of a typical American chain hotel. Season 4 will feature the series’ first ever animated episode, with the premiere episode marking the first time in the series that Mark Duplass stars, writes, directs and performs original music.
The season four cast includes (in order of appearance): Mark Duplass, Hari Nef, Logan Miller, Jillian Bell, Jon Bass, Dave Bautista, Melissa Fumero, Vivian Bang, Finn Roberts, Adam Shapiro, Breeda Wool, Kevin Nealon, Erinn Hayes, Ron Funches, Sadie Stanley,...
- 5/12/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Mark and Jay Duplass’ horror anthology “Room 104” will end after its upcoming fourth season on HBO.
The show returns on July 24.
The premiere episode will be the first time in the series that Mark Duplass stars, writes, directs and performs original music. Stories and characters featured in season four include: an estranged performer giving a one-night-only performance; a woman battling her dark past with addiction; a dollhouse; transporting back in time; and more.
The show returns on July 24.
The premiere episode will be the first time in the series that Mark Duplass stars, writes, directs and performs original music. Stories and characters featured in season four include: an estranged performer giving a one-night-only performance; a woman battling her dark past with addiction; a dollhouse; transporting back in time; and more.
- 5/12/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Room 104, the HBO anthology series created by Mark and Jay Duplass, is ending after its upcoming fourth season.
The late-night show, which features half-hour episodes of a variety of spooky happenings in a motel room, returns on July 24 at 11pm. The show was filmed last year, meaning that it was not hit by the Covid-19 production shutdown.
The series, which tells the stories of a cast of characters who pass through a single room of a typical American chain motel, features a variety of standalone episodes, from dark comedy to sci-fi as well as its first ever animated episode.
The premiere episode will be the first time in the series that Mark Duplass stars, writes, directs and performs original music.
Other stories include an estranged performer giving a one-night-only performance; a woman battling her dark past with addiction; a dollhouse and transporting back in time.
The season four cast includes Hari Nef,...
The late-night show, which features half-hour episodes of a variety of spooky happenings in a motel room, returns on July 24 at 11pm. The show was filmed last year, meaning that it was not hit by the Covid-19 production shutdown.
The series, which tells the stories of a cast of characters who pass through a single room of a typical American chain motel, features a variety of standalone episodes, from dark comedy to sci-fi as well as its first ever animated episode.
The premiere episode will be the first time in the series that Mark Duplass stars, writes, directs and performs original music.
Other stories include an estranged performer giving a one-night-only performance; a woman battling her dark past with addiction; a dollhouse and transporting back in time.
The season four cast includes Hari Nef,...
- 5/12/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Starz’s Lgbtq-themed drama “Vida” will end after its upcoming third season.
The series returns for its now-final season on April 26.
The third season of “Vida” was filmed in Los Angeles and was written by an all Latina writers’ room and directed by Latina directors Jenée Lamarque and Tanya Saracho. You can watch the trailer above.
Also Read: Starz Pro-Wrestling Series 'Heels' Casts Former Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker James Harrison
“Vida” stars Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda and Roberta Colindrez.
Saracho, who also serves as creator and showrunner, wrote a letter about the ending of the show, which you can read in full:
I have not been able to write this letter — every time I try my palms get sweaty, my heart does a cumbia beat and I get nauseous. It’s taken me days. Because no matter how you slice it, this is a farewell letter.
The series returns for its now-final season on April 26.
The third season of “Vida” was filmed in Los Angeles and was written by an all Latina writers’ room and directed by Latina directors Jenée Lamarque and Tanya Saracho. You can watch the trailer above.
Also Read: Starz Pro-Wrestling Series 'Heels' Casts Former Pittsburgh Steelers Linebacker James Harrison
“Vida” stars Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda and Roberta Colindrez.
Saracho, who also serves as creator and showrunner, wrote a letter about the ending of the show, which you can read in full:
I have not been able to write this letter — every time I try my palms get sweaty, my heart does a cumbia beat and I get nauseous. It’s taken me days. Because no matter how you slice it, this is a farewell letter.
- 3/18/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Updated with Season 3 trailer: The third season of Vida will still debut on April 26, but there will be no more of the barrier-busting Latinx series from Tanya Saracho after that.
“This goodbye is too bittersweet for words,” the showrunner said in a crafted letter Wednesday as Starz made public the cancellation of series starring Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada and Ser Anzoategui. (Read the full letter from Saracho below.)
More from Deadline'Power' Spinoffs Pull The Plug Over Coronavirus Concerns, For Now'Heels': Chris Bauer, Allen Maldonado, James Harrison Join Starz's Wrestling Drama Series'Power' Prequel 'Raising Kanan' Adds London Brown, Malcolm Mays, Shanley Caswell, Toby Sandeman, Joey Bada$$
Having debuted on May 6, 2018, the Boyle Heights-set and Lgbtq-focused Vida saw estranged sisters Emma (Prada) and Lyn (Barrera) returning to their old East La neighborhood to bury their mother, sell her bar and get back to their very different lives, only to discover secrets of identity,...
“This goodbye is too bittersweet for words,” the showrunner said in a crafted letter Wednesday as Starz made public the cancellation of series starring Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada and Ser Anzoategui. (Read the full letter from Saracho below.)
More from Deadline'Power' Spinoffs Pull The Plug Over Coronavirus Concerns, For Now'Heels': Chris Bauer, Allen Maldonado, James Harrison Join Starz's Wrestling Drama Series'Power' Prequel 'Raising Kanan' Adds London Brown, Malcolm Mays, Shanley Caswell, Toby Sandeman, Joey Bada$$
Having debuted on May 6, 2018, the Boyle Heights-set and Lgbtq-focused Vida saw estranged sisters Emma (Prada) and Lyn (Barrera) returning to their old East La neighborhood to bury their mother, sell her bar and get back to their very different lives, only to discover secrets of identity,...
- 3/18/2020
- by Dominic Patten
- Deadline Film + TV
“Vida” is coming to an end with its upcoming third season, Starz announced Wednesday.
The cabler renewed the show for the third season in May 2019 and its April 26 premiere date was announced just last month, in February 2020. But now “final season” has been added as a descriptor.
Creator, showrunner and director Tanya Saracho wrote a letter to say goodbye:
“I have not been able to write this letter — every time I try my palms get sweaty, my heart does a cumbia beat and I get nauseous. It’s taken me days. Because no matter how you slice it, this is a farewell letter. So I’ll get that part out of the way: Season Three will be ‘Vida’s’ final season. Rather than dwell on the ‘hows’ and the ‘whys,’ what I’m burning to get to is the ‘thank-you’ part. That’s the part that’s making my chest ache.
The cabler renewed the show for the third season in May 2019 and its April 26 premiere date was announced just last month, in February 2020. But now “final season” has been added as a descriptor.
Creator, showrunner and director Tanya Saracho wrote a letter to say goodbye:
“I have not been able to write this letter — every time I try my palms get sweaty, my heart does a cumbia beat and I get nauseous. It’s taken me days. Because no matter how you slice it, this is a farewell letter. So I’ll get that part out of the way: Season Three will be ‘Vida’s’ final season. Rather than dwell on the ‘hows’ and the ‘whys,’ what I’m burning to get to is the ‘thank-you’ part. That’s the part that’s making my chest ache.
- 3/18/2020
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
Starz said Tuesday that Season 3 of its original series Vida will premiere on April 26 at 9 Pm. Six episodes of the East L.A.-set drama will air week-to-week on Starz in the U.S. and Canada and on StarzPlay across Europe and Latin America.
The show created by Tanya Saracho had been renewed for a third season less than a week after its Season 2 premiere in May 2019; the show has continued to boost Hispanic viewership numbers at the Lionsgate-owned network. The new season wrapped filming in Los Angeles in November, and was written by an all-Latinx writers room and helmed by Latina directors Jenée Lamarque and Saracho.
Vida stars Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda and Roberta Colindrez. The upcoming season returns with Emma (Prada) and Lyn (Barrera) riding on the heels of success. The bar is booming and their love lives are actually flourishing…...
The show created by Tanya Saracho had been renewed for a third season less than a week after its Season 2 premiere in May 2019; the show has continued to boost Hispanic viewership numbers at the Lionsgate-owned network. The new season wrapped filming in Los Angeles in November, and was written by an all-Latinx writers room and helmed by Latina directors Jenée Lamarque and Saracho.
Vida stars Melissa Barrera, Mishel Prada, Ser Anzoategui, Chelsea Rendon, Carlos Miranda and Roberta Colindrez. The upcoming season returns with Emma (Prada) and Lyn (Barrera) riding on the heels of success. The bar is booming and their love lives are actually flourishing…...
- 2/18/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Hot on the heels of Zoe Lister-Jones’ boundary-busting “Band Aid,” which features an all-female crew, Jenée Lamarque’s upcoming “The Feels” boasts some impressive numbers of its own. With an 80% female cast and a 68% female crew, the raunchy, female-driven comedy is hopefully just the next step in an ever-evolving entertainment industry.
The film, which will bow at the Seattle International Film Festival later this week, also features a decidedly lady-friendly bent, as it is set during a lesbian bachelorette weekend which takes a totally wild turn when the attendees discover one of their own has never experienced an orgasm. Hi jinks, of course, ensue.
Read More: Women Making Movies: ‘Band Aid’ Filmmaker Zoe Lister-Jones Explains How to Employ an All-Female Crew (And Why It Works)
In her director’s statement on the film’s Kickstarter page (just a little over a day to go!), Lamarque explains, “‘The Feels’ is an...
The film, which will bow at the Seattle International Film Festival later this week, also features a decidedly lady-friendly bent, as it is set during a lesbian bachelorette weekend which takes a totally wild turn when the attendees discover one of their own has never experienced an orgasm. Hi jinks, of course, ensue.
Read More: Women Making Movies: ‘Band Aid’ Filmmaker Zoe Lister-Jones Explains How to Employ an All-Female Crew (And Why It Works)
In her director’s statement on the film’s Kickstarter page (just a little over a day to go!), Lamarque explains, “‘The Feels’ is an...
- 6/7/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"Chef"
Jon Favreau wrote and directed this delicious comedy about a chef named Carl Casper, who quits the biz to start a food truck with help from fellow chef Martin (John Leguizamo) and Carl's son Percy. Sofía Vergara plays Carl's ex-wife, with Dustin Hoffman as Carl's former boss, Scarlett Johansson as the hostess of the restaurant, and Oliver Platt as a food critic whose mean tweets kicked off this whole business.
"The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology"
This Blu-ray box set includes both the theatrical version and the extended director's cut of "The Exorcist," "Exorcist II: The Heretic," "The Exorcist III," and the two prequels, "Exorcist: The Beginning" and "Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist." Although this set doesn't boast a whole lot of extras,...
New on DVD and Blu-ray
"Chef"
Jon Favreau wrote and directed this delicious comedy about a chef named Carl Casper, who quits the biz to start a food truck with help from fellow chef Martin (John Leguizamo) and Carl's son Percy. Sofía Vergara plays Carl's ex-wife, with Dustin Hoffman as Carl's former boss, Scarlett Johansson as the hostess of the restaurant, and Oliver Platt as a food critic whose mean tweets kicked off this whole business.
"The Exorcist: The Complete Anthology"
This Blu-ray box set includes both the theatrical version and the extended director's cut of "The Exorcist," "Exorcist II: The Heretic," "The Exorcist III," and the two prequels, "Exorcist: The Beginning" and "Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist." Although this set doesn't boast a whole lot of extras,...
- 9/29/2014
- by Jenni Miller
- Moviefone
Welcome to the latest entry in our brand-new feature here on Nerdly – the Review Round-Up – where we take a look at some of the weeks new releases in smaller, more succinct capsule reviews with a rating to let you know whether to Rent, Buy, or wait for Netflix and/or other streaming services…
Last Vegas
Stars: Michael Douglas, Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Jerry Ferrara, Romany Malco | Written by Dan Fogelman | Directed by Jon Turteltaub
What starts out as a seemingly geriatric take on The Hangover, Last Vegas sees wealthy and wild bachelor Billy (Douglas), grouchy grump Paddy (De Niro), lovable family man Archie (Freeman) and ladies man Sam (Kline), who have been best friends since childhood, journey to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas with a plan to stop acting their age and to relive their glory days when Billy, the group’s young at heart ladies’ man,...
Last Vegas
Stars: Michael Douglas, Robert DeNiro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Jerry Ferrara, Romany Malco | Written by Dan Fogelman | Directed by Jon Turteltaub
What starts out as a seemingly geriatric take on The Hangover, Last Vegas sees wealthy and wild bachelor Billy (Douglas), grouchy grump Paddy (De Niro), lovable family man Archie (Freeman) and ladies man Sam (Kline), who have been best friends since childhood, journey to the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas with a plan to stop acting their age and to relive their glory days when Billy, the group’s young at heart ladies’ man,...
- 6/15/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
I liked Fol Chen's album "The False Alarms," released last year. The band has a real sense of sequence, tempo and placement. They don't beat a chorus to death. (And "A Tourist Town" freaking rules.) All things that also help to make a good score and soundtrack. Julian Wass knows this. Maybe that's why the Fol Chen band member has already helmed a number of film sounds, his hands full with three scores in just a few scant months this summer. "The Pretty One" is the latest movie of these, with the film out on VOD tomorrow (June 3); Jenée Lamarque, Wass' wife, directed. For the film, Wass put together a cover of "It Might Be You," the theme from 1982's "Tootsie," an enchanting electronic re-imagining with singer Karryn on the mic. Speaking on the music for "The Pretty One," Wass said, “Around the same time as we started envisioning the score,...
- 6/3/2014
- Hitfix
Jenée Lamarque's "The Pretty One" is a film we were charmed by all the way back in 2013 when we first saw it at the Tribeca Film Festival. And of the many elements that caught our attention was the "gauzy, dreamy" score by Julian Wass. And the good news is, in addition to the film coming to VOD soon, the soundtrack will also be available shortly to spin at home too. Starring Zoe Kazan and Jake Johnson, the film follows the shy, awkward Laurel, who gets the opportunity to step into her twin sister Audrey's much more confident personality and life when Audrey is tragically killed. It's a quirky concept on the page, but one that really works when put into action, and for Wass, it was a Disney movie that served as his entry point for working on "The Pretty One." “Around the same time as we started envisioning...
- 5/30/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
The all new comedy/drama The Pretty One is in theaters now, and in support of the movie I sat down with director Jenée Lamarque and star Zoe Kazan in a small round table discussion to talk about twins, the origin of the story, and the challenge of playing two different people who have similarities. Since I am an identical twin, I was curious about the research it took for Zoe to play both twins in a rather convincing way. Check it out below.
Written and directed by Jenée Lamarque, The Pretty One is a coming of age comedy about identity and loss and a wallflower who finally learns how to break out of her shell. In a balancing act of a performance, Zoe Kazan portrays twins Laurel and Audrey, most poignantly as a relationship blooms with her new neighbor (Jake Johnson). As Laurel begins to slip into the life...
Written and directed by Jenée Lamarque, The Pretty One is a coming of age comedy about identity and loss and a wallflower who finally learns how to break out of her shell. In a balancing act of a performance, Zoe Kazan portrays twins Laurel and Audrey, most poignantly as a relationship blooms with her new neighbor (Jake Johnson). As Laurel begins to slip into the life...
- 3/1/2014
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
After winning the Best Actress Award at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival for Bradley Rust Gray’s “The Exploding Girl,” Zoe Kazan added a big-budget rom-com (“It’s Complicated”) and more indie dramas (“Meek’s Cutoff”) to her resume, starred on Broadway (“A Behanding in Spokane”) with Christopher Walken, and wrote the charming (and underrated) screenplay for “Ruby Sparks,” in which she starred with her longtime partner Paul Dano. As if that’s not enough, the 29-year-old is back, this time playing identical twin sisters in “The Pretty One.” First-time writer/director Jenée Lamarque’s quirky film also stars Jake Johnson (“New Girl,” “Safety Not Guaranteed,” “Drinking Buddies”), Ron Livingston (“Office Space,” “Swingers”), and John Carroll Lynch (“Fargo”), but the film centers around Kazan’s layered performance as Laurel and Audrey, sisters whose similarity stops at genetics. Laurel is an eccentric wallflower who has never blossomed; she lives at home, cares...
- 2/21/2014
- by Kristin McCracken
- The Playlist
Debuting writer-director Jenée Lamarque describes her indie film as a fairy-tale, and taken in that light, it’s worth a look. Lamarque’s best decision was casting the gifted Zoe Kazan in the leading role(s), as a gawky twin named Laurel who has always lived in the shadow of her popular sister Audrey. Through a deus ex machina plot twist and subsequent misunderstanding, Laurel is mistaken for her sibling and decides to see what it’s like living in her skin.The premise may be far-fetched, but it’s carried out with sincerity. If you’re willing to go along—and Kazan makes it possible to do so—the results are amusing, ironic, and thoughtful. John Carroll Lynch is touching and believable...
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- 2/21/2014
- by Leonard Maltin
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
Far too blithe and cheery, yet nowhere near madcap and comic enough, for its potentially powerful switched-twins conceit… I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
After a terrible accident, a shy homebody of a young woman, Laurel (Zoe Kazan: Ruby Sparks), is mistaken for her identical twin sister, Audrey (also Kazan), and while the mistake is honest at first, Laurel decides to jump on this opportunity to escape the smallness of her life — which mostly involves caring for her father (John Carroll Lynch: Paul) and a wrong-in-so-many-ways “romance” with a teen boy she used to babysit (Sterling Beaumon: Astro Boy) — and take over Audrey’s supposedly glamorous and exciting life in Los Angeles. Kazan is charming in a grounded, authentic way, and her sudden new relationship with Audrey’s tenant and neighbor, Basel (Jake Johnson: 21 Jump...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
After a terrible accident, a shy homebody of a young woman, Laurel (Zoe Kazan: Ruby Sparks), is mistaken for her identical twin sister, Audrey (also Kazan), and while the mistake is honest at first, Laurel decides to jump on this opportunity to escape the smallness of her life — which mostly involves caring for her father (John Carroll Lynch: Paul) and a wrong-in-so-many-ways “romance” with a teen boy she used to babysit (Sterling Beaumon: Astro Boy) — and take over Audrey’s supposedly glamorous and exciting life in Los Angeles. Kazan is charming in a grounded, authentic way, and her sudden new relationship with Audrey’s tenant and neighbor, Basel (Jake Johnson: 21 Jump...
- 2/12/2014
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
In The Pretty One, Zoe Kazan stars as identical twins Audrey and Laurel. Audrey is the more glamorous of the two while Laurel’s outward appearance speaks to her discomfort with her own identity. Regardless of their difference, Audrey and Laurel care for each other very much, to the point where Audrey is even willing to take Laurel away from her home and give her a complete makeover. But while traveling back to Audrey’s house, the twins end up getting in a serious car accident which injures Laurel and kills Audrey. The problem is, however, that everybody thinks that Laurel was the one that died, so despite some hesitation, Laurel decides to take on her twin sister’s persona to see what life is like in her shoes, and in the process she comes to understand herself better as an individual.
The Pretty One marks the directorial debut of Jenée Lamarque,...
The Pretty One marks the directorial debut of Jenée Lamarque,...
- 2/7/2014
- by Ben Kenber
- We Got This Covered
There are no evil twins in Jenée Lamarque’s clever and creative The Pretty One. There are no good twins in the film, either, no such black and white distinctions between siblings split from the same egg. There’s not even really a pretty one (because there’s certainly no ugly one), there are just two very different girls from the same place. (And a haircut and a car accident and a mix-up and a plan, but we’ll get to that in a bit.) Laurel (Zoe Kazan) hasn’t progressed much beyond her younger years – after the death of her mother, she’s stayed nearly housebound, painting high class copies (read: forgeries you can hang in your own home) alongside her beloved father (John Carroll Lynch), sporting her mom’s duds, and bedding a high school student she used to help babysit (Laurel’s childish spirit helps this thorny subplot seem at least a hair less...
- 2/6/2014
- by Kate Erbland
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
There are movies about twins and there are movies about switching identities and there is “The Pretty One,” which uses both conceits for its tale of self and lack thereof. And to be fair, the premise of this comedic drama—which is ultimately much more affecting and genuinely melancholy than you’d expect—is a little cutesy and cloying on the surface. And admittedly, the picture takes some time to find its bearings. Written and directed by first-time feature-length filmmaker Jenée Lamarque, actress Zoe Kazan (“Ruby Sparks,” "Meek's Cutoff") performs double duty in “The Pretty One” as two twins, Laurel and Audrey. Laurel, the sweet one, is painfully shy and awkward. Neglectful of her appearance, the 20-something has no sense of style and her hair borders on unkempt. On the flip side of the coin there’s Audrey, the fabulous, sexy and outgoing twin, who’s successful, confident and doesn...
- 2/6/2014
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
When a screen actor takes on the dual part of twins — a stunt that has played in diverse registers from parent-trap comedy to dead-ringers perversity, and frequently with some mistaken-identity plot point — we tend to scan for the performance variations and visual seams between the look-alikes.
Such viewing is at first encouraged by Jenée Lamarque's darkly charming, unfussily polished debut, as a birthday reunion brings home extroverted city-dweller Audrey (Zoe Kazan) to her awkward wallflower sister, Laurel (also Kazan), who laughs alike and walks alike, but otherwise shares very little of her model sibling's presumed fabulousness.
But just before the lightweight limitations of the high-concept twinning become wearying, Audrey -- seated next to her si...
Such viewing is at first encouraged by Jenée Lamarque's darkly charming, unfussily polished debut, as a birthday reunion brings home extroverted city-dweller Audrey (Zoe Kazan) to her awkward wallflower sister, Laurel (also Kazan), who laughs alike and walks alike, but otherwise shares very little of her model sibling's presumed fabulousness.
But just before the lightweight limitations of the high-concept twinning become wearying, Audrey -- seated next to her si...
- 2/5/2014
- Village Voice
The Pretty One is a tragic tale of death, self acceptance, and teaching young girls that identity fraud will find you the love of your life – a tonally confusing story from first time feature creator Jenée Lamarque. Enlisting such phenomenal acting talents as Zoe Kazan, Jake Johnson, and John Carroll Lynch, Lamarque shows extreme promise as a future director, squeezing memorable performances from her cast, but with a story attempting to delicately balance both light and dark material – something seems amiss. Tragic, yes, but tragically depressing, tragically constricting, and tragically, well, awkward – a total shame considering Zoe Kazan’s enlightening characterization.
Laurel and Audrey (Zoe Kazan) are identical twins living polar opposite lifestyles. Laurel stays home and cares for her father (John Carroll Lynch) in the wake of her mother’s death, still sleeping in the same twin bed from her early childhood, while Audrey’s ambitions turned her into...
Laurel and Audrey (Zoe Kazan) are identical twins living polar opposite lifestyles. Laurel stays home and cares for her father (John Carroll Lynch) in the wake of her mother’s death, still sleeping in the same twin bed from her early childhood, while Audrey’s ambitions turned her into...
- 2/4/2014
- by Matt Donato
- We Got This Covered
While the visual trick of watching the same actor play different roles on screen at the same time is the one that usually wows audiences, it can be easy forget the skill such a performance requires. Creating one complete character for a film is a challenge enough, but developing two — and then acting "opposite" those creations — requires deft talents. But Zoe Kazan is more than up to the task in "The Pretty One." Written and directed by Jenée Lamarque, and co-starring "New Girl" star Jake Johnson, the coming of age comedy centers on twin sisters Laurel and Audrey (played by Kazan). But after the "prettier" twin Audrey dies, Laurel assumes her life, moving into her apartment and striking up a relationship with her next door neighbor. It's everything she's wanted, but can she continue to pretend to be someone she's not? It's a high wire concept, but one that's pulled off successfully,...
- 2/4/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Title: The Pretty One Director: Jenée Lamarque Starring: Zoe Kazan, Jake Johnson, John Carroll Lynch, Sterling Beaumon, Ron Livingston. In an elaborate performance act, Tribeca Film Festival award winner Zoe Kazan, granddaughter of the great Elia Kazan, portrays a duelling mixture of loss and awakening, interpreting sister twins Laurel and Audrey, who are physically impossible to tell apart, but have very distinguished personalities. Audrey has all of the qualities that her identical twin sister Laurel wishes she possessed: confidence, style, independence. Alternately, Laurel, sweet but painfully awkward, feels stuck in her life, still living at home, coddling their father and obsessed with the boy next door, for whom she used [ Read More ]
The post The Pretty One Movie Review 2 appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post The Pretty One Movie Review 2 appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 2/2/2014
- by Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
- ShockYa
With the already-announced The Double, starring Jesse Eisenberg, and a chance for everyone to get what they’ve always dreamed of (two Jake Gyllenhaals) with Enemy, 2014 is already shaping up to be the year of the doppelganger. Two more films are turning doubles into a trend by giving us Zoe Kazan and Ed Harris duplicates. You know, if you’re into that sort of thing. The first up is Jenée Lamarque‘s The Pretty One, a mildly depressing concept of a film in which Kazan stars as identical twins who get in a tragic car accident. When her “prettier,” more likeable sister Audrey dies in the crash and everyone assumes it was the twin they didn’t like (rude), Laurel assumes her identity and begins living out a better life. It’s a life of red lipstick, cuter clothes, a good job, a big city apartment and a Jake Johnson love interest, so...
- 1/18/2014
- by Samantha Wilson
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
"I just don't really feel like myself..." Put two up-and-coming young actors together, toss Ron Livingston into the mix, with a comedic plot about loss and mistaken identity, and this is what you get. The trailer for The Pretty One (not to be confused with indie horror The Quiet Ones) has debuted online, featuring Zoe Kazan (seen in Ruby Sparks, The F Word) and Jake Johnson (seen in Safety Not Guaranteed, Drinking Buddies, "New Girl") as the two leads. I'm surprised that they turned a rather morbid plot into something so quirky, but it looks like it might be okay, at the least to see these two talented actors playing off each other. Here's the first official trailer for Jenée Lamarque's The Pretty One, found via SlashFilm: The Pretty One is a coming of age comedy about identity and loss and a wallflower who finally learns how to break out of her shell.
- 1/16/2014
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
2014 is going to be the year of the doubles, it seems. Jake Gyllenhaal will met himself in "Enemy," and so too will Jesse Eisenberg in "The Double," but first up will be "The Pretty One" in which Zoe Kazan's duplicate isn't a doppelganger, but her sister. Co-starring Jake Johnson, and written and directed by Jenée Lamarque, the story follows Laurel, who assumes the identity of her “prettier” twin Audrey after she dies in an accident, and moves into her apartment in the big city. Her neighbour happens to Jake Johnson, and of course she winds up falling for him, but it will force her to want to reveal the truth about who she really is. And while that might sound a bit hokey and contrived on paper, in execution it's something we called "engaging and sweet" with "some amazing performances" and "a real sense for mood, tone and style,...
- 1/16/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Following its debut at the Tribeca Film Festival last year, the long wait is almost over for Jenée Lamarque’s romantic comedy-drama The Pretty One, with the film heading into Us cinemas early next month.
The first trailer has debuted over on Apple, giving a very promising first look at the film, led by Zoe Kazan in a dual role as twin sisters Laurel and Audrey.
The Pretty One is a coming of age comedy about identity and loss and a wallflower who finally learns how to break out of her shell. In a balancing act of a performance, Zoe Kazan portrays a dueling mixture of loss and awakening as twins Laurel and Audrey, most poignantly as a relationship blooms with her new neighbor (Jake Johnson). As Laurel begins to slip into the life she has always wanted but never thought was possible, she must decide between continuing her life...
The first trailer has debuted over on Apple, giving a very promising first look at the film, led by Zoe Kazan in a dual role as twin sisters Laurel and Audrey.
The Pretty One is a coming of age comedy about identity and loss and a wallflower who finally learns how to break out of her shell. In a balancing act of a performance, Zoe Kazan portrays a dueling mixture of loss and awakening as twins Laurel and Audrey, most poignantly as a relationship blooms with her new neighbor (Jake Johnson). As Laurel begins to slip into the life she has always wanted but never thought was possible, she must decide between continuing her life...
- 1/16/2014
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Latido Films has acquired international rights at Ventana Sur to Colombian director Felipe Cano Ibañez’s upcoming debut La Semila Del Silencio (The Seed Of Silence).
The $750,000 Chapinero Films project is scheduled to shoot in January in Bogota.
Camilo de la Cruz wrote the screenplay about a detective who attempts to unravel a mystery surrounding the death of a human rights attorney.
Netflix will premiere Greg Whiteley’s Mitt Romney documentary Mitt exclusively on January 24 2014 following its world premiere in Sundance in the Documentary Premieres section. The Netflix original documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at the former presidential candidate and will be available to stream in all territories where Netflix is available: the Us, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Latin America, Scandinavia and the Netherlands.Dada Films/required viewing will release The Pretty One theatrically in the Us on February 7 2014 in New York and Los Angeles followed by expansion. Zoe Kazan, Jake Johnson, [link...
The $750,000 Chapinero Films project is scheduled to shoot in January in Bogota.
Camilo de la Cruz wrote the screenplay about a detective who attempts to unravel a mystery surrounding the death of a human rights attorney.
Netflix will premiere Greg Whiteley’s Mitt Romney documentary Mitt exclusively on January 24 2014 following its world premiere in Sundance in the Documentary Premieres section. The Netflix original documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at the former presidential candidate and will be available to stream in all territories where Netflix is available: the Us, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Latin America, Scandinavia and the Netherlands.Dada Films/required viewing will release The Pretty One theatrically in the Us on February 7 2014 in New York and Los Angeles followed by expansion. Zoe Kazan, Jake Johnson, [link...
- 12/9/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
When we asked the 2013 Tribeca filmmakers what schools they went to, we were not expecting such a diverse crop of responses. While a fair number did not attend film school, Nyu was heartily represented. Boston University, Tel Avivi University and the program at University of Florida (now at Wake Forest) all were fairly well represented. Compare this list to the Sundance filmmakers from earlier this year. Academy of Film and Television in Warsaw Tomasz Wasilewski ("Floating Skyscrapers") AFI Kat Coiro ("A Case of You") Jenée Lamarque ("The Pretty One") Boston University Chiemi Karasawa ("Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me") Ben Safdie ("Lenny Cooke") Josh Safdie ("Lenny Cooke") California College of the Arts Banker White ("The Genius of Marian") Carnegie Mellon University Kat Coiro ("A Case of You") Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia Claudio Giovannesi ("Alì Blue Eyes") Danish Film School Michael Noer ("Northwest") Interlochen Arts Academy Kat Coiro ("A...
- 5/29/2013
- by Bryce J. Renninger
- Indiewire
Actress Zoe Kazan (The Exploding Girl, Ruby Sparks) shines in a dual role as twin sisters in Jenée Lamarque's debut feature The Pretty One, receiving its world premiere at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Unfortunately, the film Kazan is in (whose screenplay was on the 2011 Black List) is pretty much a tonal mess, veering so wildly from offbeat comedy to melodramatic intensity - sometimes even within the same scene - that the whole endeavor is ultimately a letdown.Kazan plays twin sisters Laurel and Audrey whose personalities and demeanor are polar opposites. Audrey is the titular "pretty one," an outgoing and stylish young woman with a high-powered job selling boutique real estate properties. Laurel, on the other hand is a dowdy, wallflower type who is...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 4/25/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Zoe Kazan, who may be best known to audiences for her role in Ruby Sparks, is taking on another quirky character for her latest project, The Pretty One. The film, which also stars New Girl's Jake Johnson, follows a young woman, played by Zoe, who deals with her twin sister's death by assuming her identity. We caught up with Zoe at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC last week to chat about the new movie and how she worked with Jake and first-time director Jenée Lamarque on set. Watch the clip for more from Zoe about The Pretty One!
- 4/25/2013
- by Maria Mercedes Lara
- Popsugar.com
There are movies about twins and there are movies about switching identities and there is “The Pretty One,” which uses both conceits for its tale of self and lack thereof. And to be fair, the premise of this quirky Tribeca comedic drama -- that’s ultimately much more affecting and genuinely melancholy than you’d expect -- is a little cutesy and cloying on the surface. And admittedly, the picture takes some time to find its bearings. Written and directed by first-time feature-length filmmaker Jenée Lamarque, actress Zoe Kazan (“Ruby Sparks,” "Meek's Cutoff") performs double duty in “The Pretty One” as two twins, Laurel and Audrey. Laurel, the sweet one, is painfully shy and awkward. Neglectful of her appearance, the 20-something has no sense of style and her hair borders on unkempt. On the flipside of the coin there’s Audrey, the fabulous, sexy and outgoing version of Audrey who’s successful,...
- 4/21/2013
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Inspired by the tone of "Lars and the Real Girl," first-time writer, director Jenée Lamarque examines the discovery of oneself in the wake of a tragedy in "The Pretty One." Starring Zoe Kazan in double roles as identical twin sisters, "The Pretty One" follows Laurel, jealous of her sister who embodies everything she wants to be. When the two sisters reuinite, Laurel suddenly gets the chance to reinvent herself in what Lamarque describes as an uplifting comedy-drama. What it's about: It's a universal feel-good story about a wallflower who breaks out of her shell for the first time, and begins to come into her own. About the filmmaker: "The Pretty One" is my first feature and I'm so excited that it's premiering at Tribeca. The screenplay for "The Pretty One" was on the 2011 Black List. I also wrote and directed a short film called "Spoonful" that played at last year's Sundance Film Festival.
- 4/17/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
Tribeca’s 12th annual festival, running from April 17-28, recently announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Midnight sections. According to Tribeca’s website, “The Spotlight section features 33 films — 21 narratives and 12 documentaries — that blur the lines of independent and mainstream filmmaking. Twenty-three films in the selection will have their world premieres at the Festival, a record number for the section.” See below for the official press release of this year’s lineup in all four categories.
2013 Tribeca Film Festival Announces Selections
For Spotlight, Midnight And New Storyscapes Sections, And Special Screenings
First-ever Storyscapes Section Showcases Innovative New Media Projects with Cross-platform Approaches to Storytelling
The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff) announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Midnight sections, projects in the new Storyscapes section and Special Screenings. The 12th edition of the Festival will take place from April 17 to April 28 in New York City.
The Spotlight...
2013 Tribeca Film Festival Announces Selections
For Spotlight, Midnight And New Storyscapes Sections, And Special Screenings
First-ever Storyscapes Section Showcases Innovative New Media Projects with Cross-platform Approaches to Storytelling
The Tribeca Film Festival (Tff) announced its feature film selections in the Spotlight and Midnight sections, projects in the new Storyscapes section and Special Screenings. The 12th edition of the Festival will take place from April 17 to April 28 in New York City.
The Spotlight...
- 3/28/2013
- by Christopher Clemente
- SoundOnSight
If you've read my last two Wtf is Latino posts on Sundance and SXSW, you know I do my best to embody a manic optimist and find a silver lining when it comes to magnifying the limited representation of Latino stories and writer/directors at mainstream film festivals. I do that by expanding and deconstructing the broad term, hoping to educate myself and the masses on what 'qualifies' as Latino. However, the relative dearth of Latinos and Latin America at this year's 2013 Tribeca Film Festival program has seriously challenged me to find a positive spin on this woeful slate of brown in the world's most celluloid famous, multi-culti metropolis. It is especially stupefying considering the number of electrifying premiere film submissions there are to choose from at this moment.
I worked as an Industry Coordinator for the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival under Director of Programming David Kwok and Festival Director Nancy Schaefer. Back then Latin America was not only well represented in the program but Tribeca was at the forefront of showing bourgeoning film renaissances taking place in countries such as Panama, Peru and Colombia. No doubt this sensibility and charge came from the legendary jet-setting of one such Peter Scarlet, the cognoscente Artistic Director beloved by many Latin American festivals. At 8 years old, the Festival was fast outgrowing its post 9/11 birthmark and has since stubbornly and desperately struggled to position itself as a blank World Cinema festival. This is a strategy I find puzzling, given it is way out of league and under the heavy shadow cast from uptown by the auteur and discovery art house Lincoln Film Society. One would think it an ideal and very NY synergy thing to do would be to carve out your own identity in specializing in the kaleidoscopic, fertile microcosm of Us immigrant odyssey found in every corner from Manhattan to the five boroughs. Not only is there a lack of Us Latino stories this year, nowhere to be found are films from Latin America. Seriously. Click on the online film guide's search by country scroll down menu and visibly absent are Chile, Mexico and Argentina - three of Latin America's most renowned and heralded world cinema incubators. The closest we get is one feature from Brazil by veteran director, Bruno Baretto, and two shorts from Spain. Its plain to see that the Festival's new Artistic Director, Fredric Boyer (who headed bougie prestige fests, Cannes' Directors Fortnight and then Locarno Film Festival) is seriously 'Euro-cizing' the Triangle Below Canal.
So, what's my silver lining? Well, its based on the Short Term 12 lesson I just experienced at SXSW. I did not target the indie film as a Latino film but being familiar and a fan of Hawaiian filmmaker, Daniel Cretton's work, I went to see it and was immediately absorbed by the effortless kid-adult social psychological narrative. A detail that resonated with me was that one of the main juvy instructors was a foster kid who was raised and adopted into a big loving home by Mexican parents. He's as white as they come, yet he cooks a mean Mexican dish and expresses his emotions outwardly, attributes of Latino culture that informed his personhood. Maybe that's how subtle, relative yet impactful Latino culture is seeping into all of our lives. Maybe my barely passing grade on the Latino at Tribeca diagnosis is premature having not seen all of the films. Maybe where we least expect it, beyond cast and loglines, there are films buried in here with deeper social undertones of brown representation. I'm willing to excavate. All that big picture stuff aside, I am quite excited about the six films (out of some 168) I highlight here which offers a diverse albeit thin slice of Latino - whether its the narrative's themes, up and coming actors, and real life Americans - who knows how many times removed from their Latin roots - and how cool that looks like.
Without further ado, here it is; Wtf is Latino at Tribeca Film Festival.
World Narrative Competition
Stand Clear of the Closing Doors directed by Sam Fleischner and written by Rose Lichter-Marck, Micah Bloomberg
Logline: When autistic teen Ricky is scolded for skipping class, he escapes into the subway for a days-long odyssey among the subway’s disparate denizens. Meanwhile, his mother wages an escalating search effort above ground. Based on a true story and set in Far Rockaway, Queens, in the days leading up to Hurricane Sandy, these parallel stories of mother and son take the viewer on a touching journey of community and connection in and below New York City. Cast Andrea Suarez, Jesus Valez, Azul Rodriguez, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Marsha Stephanie Blake
Sam Fleischner's first film, Wah Do Dem was about a broken hearted hipster who goes on a cruise and gets stuck in the dangerous wild of Jamaica - just as President Obama is being sworn into office for the first time. The filmmaking felt so fresh, real, tense and engrossing. Just like you were on the adventure with him. Sam and his co-director Ben Chase won the $50,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival. I'm so happy he is premiering this NY based film which features a Latino cast including Tenoch Huerta (Dias de Gracia), and half of the film is spoken in Spanish. No, Sam is not a Latino but a native New Yorker and I love his take and thematic weaving in this story. His statement and inspiration behind the film demonstrates his sensibility and vision, surpassing and waiving any requirement or notion that says you have to be Latino to tell authentic Latino stories. This is what Sam was able to tell me over email:
"I am not Latino but this story is inspired by true events that happened to a Mexican family. I was attracted to the parallel between people on the autism spectrum and people living as illegal immigrants in the Us. Both instances are people wading through systems that aren't designed for them, interesting to think about the term 'alien'. "
Narrative Spotlight
The Pretty One, written and directed by Jenee Lamarque
Logline: Audrey has all of the qualities that her twin sister Laurel wishes she possessed: confidence, style, independence. When tragedy strikes, Laurel has the opportunity to reinvent herself. In a complex performance, Zoe Kazan poignantly captures Laurel’s complex mix of loss and awakening, especially as she begins a new relationship with her neighbor (Jake Johnson). Jenée Lamarque’s first feature film is a quirky, lovely tale of identity and the eternal bond between two sisters. Cast Zoe Kazan, Jake Johnson, John Carroll Lynch, Shae D'lyn, Frankie Shaw, Ron Livingston
I first met Jenee with her edgy girls short film Spoonful, a ridiculous real life scenario in which friends help out their lactating friend, which played the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. She was also kind enough to email me amid the crunch of finishing her first feature for its world premiere. I'm so grateful she responded because she truly personifies what I'm trying to convey about Latino identity (its American and expansive and our creativity relates to it vastly different ways). She says, "As for my Latina origin: my dad is Mexican, born and raised in Chino, CA. His mother's family is Mexican and has been in CA for a long time. His father's family is from Mexico City...we have a French last name, presumably because of the French who came to Mexico during the 19th century but I really don't know anything about my French-Mexican origins. My grandfather came to CA during WWII with the Bracero program. My Mom is Danish, Norwegian and French. I do identify as Mexican, as Latina, but I also identify as American and as white. I really wish that I had more of a connection to my Mexican heritage but unfortunately, my dad didn't speak Spanish to us growing up (even thought he's fluent) and he really identifies as American. It's funny, because I'm mixed, I don't feel I'm fully one thing or another, I feel like my identity is sort of slippery because of it. I think that my mixed heritage plays a central role in my voice as a storyteller; one of the themes of The Pretty One is identity (a struggle with identity) and I also find myself drawn to this theme again in again in my other work. "
Documentary Spotlight
The Motivation by Adam Bhala Lough
Logline: Go inside the lives and training regimes of eight of the world’s gutsiest professional skateboarders. These fearless stars face unique obstacles on the way to the Street League Championship and the coveted title of best street skateboarder in the world. Adam Bhala Lough, creator of the independent hit Bomb the System (Tff 2003), directs this fresh, energetic documentary search for that elusive quality that separates winners from the pack.
This skateboarding shred competish doc about the sheer intensity and will to defy the terror of cracked bones features some of the youngest, most successfully branded and competitive skaters in the game like Nyjah Huston (Puerto Rican father), Paul Rodriguez known as P-Rod, and Chaz Ortiz. I can't wait to meet these guys and get to know them. Adam is good like that. His last film, The Carter, about autodidactic and auto-real voiced rapper Lil Wayne impressed me for its gloss and floss but also by its covert way of infiltrating the hyped up insular world and mind of a subculture pop king. His flashy aesthetic and sneak transparency is bound to capture the badass jaw dropping leaps and outrageous rail tricks along with distilling the high intensity pressure and rush of winning in The Motivation.
Midnight
Frankenstein's Army (Netherlands, Czech Republic) directed by Richard Raaphorst and written by Miguel Tejada Flores
Logline: In the waning days of World War II, a team of Russian soldiers finds itself on a mysterious mission to the lab of one Dr. Victor Frankenstein. They unearth a terrifying Nazi plan to resurrect fallen soldiers as an army of unstoppable freaks and are soon trapped in a veritable haunted house of cobbled-together monstrosities. Frankenstein’s Army is the wild steampunk Nazi found-footage zombie mad scientist film you’ve always wanted.
Veteran Hollywood screenwriter, Miguel Tejada Flores has written such horror reboots as Beyond Reanimator and family classics as The Lion King but notably this is the guy who gets story credit for Revenge of the Nerds back in '84. His next film is the upcoming I Brake for Gringos starring Camilla Belle directed by Mexican filmmaker Fernando Lebrija. A frequent mentor over the years at Nalip's screenwriting and producing labs, it sounds like this guy is accessible and interested in nurturing the younger generation of Latino talent. A California native, his family is from Bolivia. Read his wordpress blog here
V/H/S/2 - Eduardo Sanchez is one of the seven filmmakers of the second found footage horror anthology which has screened at Sundance, SXSW and now Tribeca (that might be a record), and most famously directed The Blair Witch Project. Cuban born filmmaker.
Short Film Competition
Close Your Eyes written and directed by Sonia Malfa
Logline: Thirteen-year-old Imani Cortes is a gifted photographer longing to experience her first kiss. She has a crush on a quiet artist, Junito, with whom she has a natural connection, but she also faces an enormous challenge: she is slowly losing her sight to retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye disease. Will Imani let her disease stop her or be the path to independence? Cast Kimberly Lora, Julian Fernandez-Kemp, Sara Contreras, Victor Cruz, Rhina Valentina, Mia Ysabel
I'm looking forward to seeing this short set in Spanish Harlem. I don't know much about the filmmaker except that she raised 10k off Kickstarter for this, her directorial debut. And she looks Boricua. Check out her website which shows a number of her photos and videos that show off her 'eye'.
The Tribeca Film Festival starts April 17-28. Ticket info here...
I worked as an Industry Coordinator for the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival under Director of Programming David Kwok and Festival Director Nancy Schaefer. Back then Latin America was not only well represented in the program but Tribeca was at the forefront of showing bourgeoning film renaissances taking place in countries such as Panama, Peru and Colombia. No doubt this sensibility and charge came from the legendary jet-setting of one such Peter Scarlet, the cognoscente Artistic Director beloved by many Latin American festivals. At 8 years old, the Festival was fast outgrowing its post 9/11 birthmark and has since stubbornly and desperately struggled to position itself as a blank World Cinema festival. This is a strategy I find puzzling, given it is way out of league and under the heavy shadow cast from uptown by the auteur and discovery art house Lincoln Film Society. One would think it an ideal and very NY synergy thing to do would be to carve out your own identity in specializing in the kaleidoscopic, fertile microcosm of Us immigrant odyssey found in every corner from Manhattan to the five boroughs. Not only is there a lack of Us Latino stories this year, nowhere to be found are films from Latin America. Seriously. Click on the online film guide's search by country scroll down menu and visibly absent are Chile, Mexico and Argentina - three of Latin America's most renowned and heralded world cinema incubators. The closest we get is one feature from Brazil by veteran director, Bruno Baretto, and two shorts from Spain. Its plain to see that the Festival's new Artistic Director, Fredric Boyer (who headed bougie prestige fests, Cannes' Directors Fortnight and then Locarno Film Festival) is seriously 'Euro-cizing' the Triangle Below Canal.
So, what's my silver lining? Well, its based on the Short Term 12 lesson I just experienced at SXSW. I did not target the indie film as a Latino film but being familiar and a fan of Hawaiian filmmaker, Daniel Cretton's work, I went to see it and was immediately absorbed by the effortless kid-adult social psychological narrative. A detail that resonated with me was that one of the main juvy instructors was a foster kid who was raised and adopted into a big loving home by Mexican parents. He's as white as they come, yet he cooks a mean Mexican dish and expresses his emotions outwardly, attributes of Latino culture that informed his personhood. Maybe that's how subtle, relative yet impactful Latino culture is seeping into all of our lives. Maybe my barely passing grade on the Latino at Tribeca diagnosis is premature having not seen all of the films. Maybe where we least expect it, beyond cast and loglines, there are films buried in here with deeper social undertones of brown representation. I'm willing to excavate. All that big picture stuff aside, I am quite excited about the six films (out of some 168) I highlight here which offers a diverse albeit thin slice of Latino - whether its the narrative's themes, up and coming actors, and real life Americans - who knows how many times removed from their Latin roots - and how cool that looks like.
Without further ado, here it is; Wtf is Latino at Tribeca Film Festival.
World Narrative Competition
Stand Clear of the Closing Doors directed by Sam Fleischner and written by Rose Lichter-Marck, Micah Bloomberg
Logline: When autistic teen Ricky is scolded for skipping class, he escapes into the subway for a days-long odyssey among the subway’s disparate denizens. Meanwhile, his mother wages an escalating search effort above ground. Based on a true story and set in Far Rockaway, Queens, in the days leading up to Hurricane Sandy, these parallel stories of mother and son take the viewer on a touching journey of community and connection in and below New York City. Cast Andrea Suarez, Jesus Valez, Azul Rodriguez, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Marsha Stephanie Blake
Sam Fleischner's first film, Wah Do Dem was about a broken hearted hipster who goes on a cruise and gets stuck in the dangerous wild of Jamaica - just as President Obama is being sworn into office for the first time. The filmmaking felt so fresh, real, tense and engrossing. Just like you were on the adventure with him. Sam and his co-director Ben Chase won the $50,000 Target Filmmaker Award for Best Narrative at the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival. I'm so happy he is premiering this NY based film which features a Latino cast including Tenoch Huerta (Dias de Gracia), and half of the film is spoken in Spanish. No, Sam is not a Latino but a native New Yorker and I love his take and thematic weaving in this story. His statement and inspiration behind the film demonstrates his sensibility and vision, surpassing and waiving any requirement or notion that says you have to be Latino to tell authentic Latino stories. This is what Sam was able to tell me over email:
"I am not Latino but this story is inspired by true events that happened to a Mexican family. I was attracted to the parallel between people on the autism spectrum and people living as illegal immigrants in the Us. Both instances are people wading through systems that aren't designed for them, interesting to think about the term 'alien'. "
Narrative Spotlight
The Pretty One, written and directed by Jenee Lamarque
Logline: Audrey has all of the qualities that her twin sister Laurel wishes she possessed: confidence, style, independence. When tragedy strikes, Laurel has the opportunity to reinvent herself. In a complex performance, Zoe Kazan poignantly captures Laurel’s complex mix of loss and awakening, especially as she begins a new relationship with her neighbor (Jake Johnson). Jenée Lamarque’s first feature film is a quirky, lovely tale of identity and the eternal bond between two sisters. Cast Zoe Kazan, Jake Johnson, John Carroll Lynch, Shae D'lyn, Frankie Shaw, Ron Livingston
I first met Jenee with her edgy girls short film Spoonful, a ridiculous real life scenario in which friends help out their lactating friend, which played the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. She was also kind enough to email me amid the crunch of finishing her first feature for its world premiere. I'm so grateful she responded because she truly personifies what I'm trying to convey about Latino identity (its American and expansive and our creativity relates to it vastly different ways). She says, "As for my Latina origin: my dad is Mexican, born and raised in Chino, CA. His mother's family is Mexican and has been in CA for a long time. His father's family is from Mexico City...we have a French last name, presumably because of the French who came to Mexico during the 19th century but I really don't know anything about my French-Mexican origins. My grandfather came to CA during WWII with the Bracero program. My Mom is Danish, Norwegian and French. I do identify as Mexican, as Latina, but I also identify as American and as white. I really wish that I had more of a connection to my Mexican heritage but unfortunately, my dad didn't speak Spanish to us growing up (even thought he's fluent) and he really identifies as American. It's funny, because I'm mixed, I don't feel I'm fully one thing or another, I feel like my identity is sort of slippery because of it. I think that my mixed heritage plays a central role in my voice as a storyteller; one of the themes of The Pretty One is identity (a struggle with identity) and I also find myself drawn to this theme again in again in my other work. "
Documentary Spotlight
The Motivation by Adam Bhala Lough
Logline: Go inside the lives and training regimes of eight of the world’s gutsiest professional skateboarders. These fearless stars face unique obstacles on the way to the Street League Championship and the coveted title of best street skateboarder in the world. Adam Bhala Lough, creator of the independent hit Bomb the System (Tff 2003), directs this fresh, energetic documentary search for that elusive quality that separates winners from the pack.
This skateboarding shred competish doc about the sheer intensity and will to defy the terror of cracked bones features some of the youngest, most successfully branded and competitive skaters in the game like Nyjah Huston (Puerto Rican father), Paul Rodriguez known as P-Rod, and Chaz Ortiz. I can't wait to meet these guys and get to know them. Adam is good like that. His last film, The Carter, about autodidactic and auto-real voiced rapper Lil Wayne impressed me for its gloss and floss but also by its covert way of infiltrating the hyped up insular world and mind of a subculture pop king. His flashy aesthetic and sneak transparency is bound to capture the badass jaw dropping leaps and outrageous rail tricks along with distilling the high intensity pressure and rush of winning in The Motivation.
Midnight
Frankenstein's Army (Netherlands, Czech Republic) directed by Richard Raaphorst and written by Miguel Tejada Flores
Logline: In the waning days of World War II, a team of Russian soldiers finds itself on a mysterious mission to the lab of one Dr. Victor Frankenstein. They unearth a terrifying Nazi plan to resurrect fallen soldiers as an army of unstoppable freaks and are soon trapped in a veritable haunted house of cobbled-together monstrosities. Frankenstein’s Army is the wild steampunk Nazi found-footage zombie mad scientist film you’ve always wanted.
Veteran Hollywood screenwriter, Miguel Tejada Flores has written such horror reboots as Beyond Reanimator and family classics as The Lion King but notably this is the guy who gets story credit for Revenge of the Nerds back in '84. His next film is the upcoming I Brake for Gringos starring Camilla Belle directed by Mexican filmmaker Fernando Lebrija. A frequent mentor over the years at Nalip's screenwriting and producing labs, it sounds like this guy is accessible and interested in nurturing the younger generation of Latino talent. A California native, his family is from Bolivia. Read his wordpress blog here
V/H/S/2 - Eduardo Sanchez is one of the seven filmmakers of the second found footage horror anthology which has screened at Sundance, SXSW and now Tribeca (that might be a record), and most famously directed The Blair Witch Project. Cuban born filmmaker.
Short Film Competition
Close Your Eyes written and directed by Sonia Malfa
Logline: Thirteen-year-old Imani Cortes is a gifted photographer longing to experience her first kiss. She has a crush on a quiet artist, Junito, with whom she has a natural connection, but she also faces an enormous challenge: she is slowly losing her sight to retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye disease. Will Imani let her disease stop her or be the path to independence? Cast Kimberly Lora, Julian Fernandez-Kemp, Sara Contreras, Victor Cruz, Rhina Valentina, Mia Ysabel
I'm looking forward to seeing this short set in Spanish Harlem. I don't know much about the filmmaker except that she raised 10k off Kickstarter for this, her directorial debut. And she looks Boricua. Check out her website which shows a number of her photos and videos that show off her 'eye'.
The Tribeca Film Festival starts April 17-28. Ticket info here...
- 3/27/2013
- by Christine Davila
- Sydney's Buzz
Yesterday the Tribeca Film Festival announced their feature film selections for their Spotlight and Midnight sections which include 21 narrative and 12 documentary projects.
This year’s choices bring us films featuring a bevy of top Hollywood talent including Paul Rudd, Paul Giamatti, John Cusack,, Gemma Arterton and Zoe Kazan.
In a press release that accompanied the roster, Genna Terranova, Director of Programming for the festival said: “The documentary films in the Spotlight section this year highlight several famous individuals (including one very cute cat) who use their wit and bold personas to make us think and laugh. A mix of established filmmakers and rising talent top off the rest of the section with features exploring some fresh takes on unconventional relationships.”
The festival will feature the world premieres of several highly-anticipated film projects from indie mainstays like Neil Labute and Richard Linklater, as well as new projects from veteran directors like...
This year’s choices bring us films featuring a bevy of top Hollywood talent including Paul Rudd, Paul Giamatti, John Cusack,, Gemma Arterton and Zoe Kazan.
In a press release that accompanied the roster, Genna Terranova, Director of Programming for the festival said: “The documentary films in the Spotlight section this year highlight several famous individuals (including one very cute cat) who use their wit and bold personas to make us think and laugh. A mix of established filmmakers and rising talent top off the rest of the section with features exploring some fresh takes on unconventional relationships.”
The festival will feature the world premieres of several highly-anticipated film projects from indie mainstays like Neil Labute and Richard Linklater, as well as new projects from veteran directors like...
- 3/7/2013
- by Damen Norton
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Tribeca Film Festival organizers announced on Wednesday 33 films ticketed for the Spotlight section of the April fest, including new movies starring John Cusack, Ethan Hawke, Zoe Kazan and Melissa Leo.
“A mix of established filmmakers and rising talent top off the rest of the section with features exploring some fresh takes on unconventional relationships,” said Tribeca director of programming Genna Terranova in a press release. The Tribeca Film Festival had previously announced "Mistaken For Strangers," a documentary about The National, as the opening night film, plus a full slate of documentary and feature films in competition.
Some highlights from the Spotlight roster include the world premieres of "Adult World" (with Emma Roberts and John Cusack), "Almost Christmas" (with Paul Rudd and Paul Giamatti), "A Case of You" (with Justin Long), "Some Velvet Morning" (with Stanley Tucci and Evan Rachel Wood), "Trust Me" (with Sam Rockwell, William H. Macy and more...
“A mix of established filmmakers and rising talent top off the rest of the section with features exploring some fresh takes on unconventional relationships,” said Tribeca director of programming Genna Terranova in a press release. The Tribeca Film Festival had previously announced "Mistaken For Strangers," a documentary about The National, as the opening night film, plus a full slate of documentary and feature films in competition.
Some highlights from the Spotlight roster include the world premieres of "Adult World" (with Emma Roberts and John Cusack), "Almost Christmas" (with Paul Rudd and Paul Giamatti), "A Case of You" (with Justin Long), "Some Velvet Morning" (with Stanley Tucci and Evan Rachel Wood), "Trust Me" (with Sam Rockwell, William H. Macy and more...
- 3/6/2013
- by Christopher Rosen
- Huffington Post
The Tribeca Film Festival announced the second half of its movie slate today with a lineup that includes Emma Roberts in Adult World, Zac Efron in racing-cum-farming drama At Any Price, and Richard Linklater’s Before Midnight. The releases are in the following categories, which make up the second half of the festival’s feature list: Spotlight, Midnight, Special Screenings, and Storyscapes, a new category this year to recognize work in transmedia — films the incorporate web-based and cross-platform elements.
The Spotlight selection — 33 films: 21 narratives and 12 documentaries — stands out for its range of titles, including premieres from indie darlings (Junebug director Phil Morrison,...
The Spotlight selection — 33 films: 21 narratives and 12 documentaries — stands out for its range of titles, including premieres from indie darlings (Junebug director Phil Morrison,...
- 3/6/2013
- by Adam Carlson
- EW - Inside Movies
• Angela Bassett and Aaron Eckhart have joined Olympus Has Fallen, a thriller from director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) starring Gerard Butler as a Secret Service agent who must save the president (Eckhart) after the White House is overrun by North Korean terrorists. Bassett will play the head of the Secret Service. If this plot sounds familiar, it is — another thriller, White House Down, has practically the same premise, with Channing Tatum as the Secret Service agent, Jamie Foxx as the president, and Roland Emmerich directing. [Variety, Variety]
• Derek Luke (Captain America: The First Avenger) will costar with Paula Patton in Baggage Claim,...
• Derek Luke (Captain America: The First Avenger) will costar with Paula Patton in Baggage Claim,...
- 6/26/2012
- by Adam B. Vary
- EW - Inside Movies
Ron Livingston has been cast in The Pretty One. The actor will join previously announced Zoe Kazan and Jake Johnson, reports Deadline. The upcoming dramedy follows a shy young woman who assumes the identity of her deceased twin sister. Jenée Lamarque serves as the writer and director for the film, which will shoot in Los Angeles. Livingston was recently seen in Game Change, the (more)...
- 6/23/2012
- by By Kristina Bustos
- Digital Spy
If I can take one positive thing from his work on True Blood, it’s that Christopher Meloni knows how to have some fun with a performance. (Should the role actually be comedic; the two minutes I’ve seen leave me unsure, to be honest.) Years of running down rapists on Law and Order: Svu notwithstanding, the Harold & Kumar series and, most pertinently, Wet Hot American Summer show talent that extends far beyond smoldering over an interrogation table.
Great news, then, that he’ll reunite with Wet Hot‘s David Wain when, as THR informs us, Meloni is seen in his new film, They Came Together. Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler star in this heavy, (supposedly) layered parody of atypical studio romantic comedies centered on two unlikely lovers who, for lack of a better term, come together.
Here, Meloni will be seen as Rudd‘s boss, himself the CEO of CorporateCo Corporation and Co.
Great news, then, that he’ll reunite with Wet Hot‘s David Wain when, as THR informs us, Meloni is seen in his new film, They Came Together. Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler star in this heavy, (supposedly) layered parody of atypical studio romantic comedies centered on two unlikely lovers who, for lack of a better term, come together.
Here, Meloni will be seen as Rudd‘s boss, himself the CEO of CorporateCo Corporation and Co.
- 6/23/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
I have some hope for a Shawn Levy comedy. Odd, I know, but all we’ve heard about his next behind-the-camera effort, The Internship, makes the thing sound wholly tolerable — even if it’s mostly due to the presence of Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. But there’s more reason to be optimistic, since Variety has pegged Max Minghella (The Social Network) as being in early talks; Tiya Sircar (Friends with Benefits), Josh Brener, and unknown Tobit Raphael have already signed.
The Vaughn-scripted film revolves around two middle-aged company employees (he and Wilson) who, after being laid off, start working for an up-and-coming website. While, overall, a good job, the presence of “wily, fresh-faced 22 year olds” creates some office tension; Minghella fits in as “a ruthlessly competitive intern” with the drive to play dirty in order to get ahead. Sircar and Brener will be seen as other employees, with the...
The Vaughn-scripted film revolves around two middle-aged company employees (he and Wilson) who, after being laid off, start working for an up-and-coming website. While, overall, a good job, the presence of “wily, fresh-faced 22 year olds” creates some office tension; Minghella fits in as “a ruthlessly competitive intern” with the drive to play dirty in order to get ahead. Sircar and Brener will be seen as other employees, with the...
- 6/21/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
“Tracking Shot” is a monthly featurette here on Ioncinema.com that looks at a dozen or so projects that are moments away from lensing and with June being a major production month we’ve got a slew of projects that we feel are worth signaling out. Music appears to be a common narrative theme surrounding several items – we find it infused in Once‘s John Carney’s U.S. production debut – a 10 million dollar production about a dejected music business executive forms a bond with a young singer-songwriter new to Manhattan. Scarlett Johansson was formerly attached to Can a Song Save Your Life?, now Knightley appears to be on board. Rock documentary filmmaker Stephen Kijak (Stones in Exile) is looking to make his second fictional feature based on the true story of a The Smiths fans who lost his bearings when the group announced its break-up. Shoplifters of the World...
- 6/5/2012
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
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