A trio of horror from The Horror Collective is coming to Shudder this July. The uncensored director’s cut of Andrew Merrill’s Rot (July 20), which was not publicly available outside of the festival circuit. Jeff Ryan and Arielle Cimino’s Halloween-themed horror-comedy Mass Hysteria (July 20), and the anthology series of stand-alone horror episodes directed by …
The post The Horror Collective Trio of Horror Coming to Shudder appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post The Horror Collective Trio of Horror Coming to Shudder appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 7/6/2021
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
Rot The Horror Collective to Release Cronenbergian Horror/Thriller on November 19th Genre distributor The Horror Collective is excited to announce that it will be distributing Andrew Merrill’s nightmarish horror/thriller Rot. The film will be released on November 19, 2020 exclusively through Amazon, as announced this morning by Deadline. Rot on Amazon: www.amazon.com/Rot-Kris-Alexandrea/dp/B08H5GCPSP/ Hailed by Film School Rejects …
The post Rot release date announced on Deadline appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post Rot release date announced on Deadline appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 11/19/2020
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
In today's Horror Highlights: the trailer for Letters to Satan Claus, a release date for Rot, details on The Mark of the Bell Witch, and a December release for Songbird!
Letters To Satan Claus: "Letters to Satan Claus revolves around Holly who, after returning to her hometown of Ornaments as a big-city news reporter, faces off with the demon of her past following a simple typo made in her letter to Santa. It's a harmless mistake that summons Satan to kill her parents. Yikes! We guess there is a worse gift than receiving a lump of coal on Christmas."
A horror comedy parody of the Hallmark Christmas movies, Letters to Satan Claus airs on Syfy on December 19th!
---------
Release Date Announced for Rot: "Genre distributor The Horror Collective is excited to announce that it will be distributing Andrew Merrill’s nightmarish horror/thriller Rot. The film will be released on November 19, 2020 exclusively through Amazon,...
Letters To Satan Claus: "Letters to Satan Claus revolves around Holly who, after returning to her hometown of Ornaments as a big-city news reporter, faces off with the demon of her past following a simple typo made in her letter to Santa. It's a harmless mistake that summons Satan to kill her parents. Yikes! We guess there is a worse gift than receiving a lump of coal on Christmas."
A horror comedy parody of the Hallmark Christmas movies, Letters to Satan Claus airs on Syfy on December 19th!
---------
Release Date Announced for Rot: "Genre distributor The Horror Collective is excited to announce that it will be distributing Andrew Merrill’s nightmarish horror/thriller Rot. The film will be released on November 19, 2020 exclusively through Amazon,...
- 11/18/2020
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Andrew Merrill’s Indie Horror Thriller ‘Rot’ Lands Deal At The Horror Collective – Watch The Trailer
Exclusive: The Horror Collective has landed rights to Rot, the horror thriller that reps the feature directing debut of one of Deadline’s own, video producer Andrew Merrill. The film will bow via Amazon Instant Video on Thursday.
The plot: When Madison’s ex goes missing, his friends expect her to lead the search to find him. But something vile has taken over his body, and what they find is worse than any of them could have imagined. Kris Alexandrea (Gothic Springs), Johnny Kostrey, McKale Jude Bingham (Betrayed), Adam Burch (Nazis at the Center of the Earth) and Eileen Dietz star.
Check out the trailer here:
Merrill, who also penned the script, rehearsed with actors, did his rewrites, scouted locations and otherwise prepped production during the week after work, and filmed on his days off Saturday and Sunday...
The plot: When Madison’s ex goes missing, his friends expect her to lead the search to find him. But something vile has taken over his body, and what they find is worse than any of them could have imagined. Kris Alexandrea (Gothic Springs), Johnny Kostrey, McKale Jude Bingham (Betrayed), Adam Burch (Nazis at the Center of the Earth) and Eileen Dietz star.
Check out the trailer here:
Merrill, who also penned the script, rehearsed with actors, did his rewrites, scouted locations and otherwise prepped production during the week after work, and filmed on his days off Saturday and Sunday...
- 11/17/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Driving around Los Angeles the past few weeks has felt haunting. The normal bustling of traffic has been missing, restaurants are empty, shopping malls are closed and movie theaters deserted.
This week, Deadline’s video producers Andrew Merrill and David Janove along with Social Media Director Scott Shilstone took photos of some of the marquees at movie theaters and stages around Los Angeles. While many, including the Bruin, the Vista and The AMC Burbank, still displayed posters for Onward, many others were updated to display messages of hope and optimism.
More from DeadlineCoronavirus: New York & U.S. Post Worst Single-Day Death Tolls; Global Cases At 1.07 MillionPresident Donald Trump Tweetstorm - The Saturday Edition"Stay At Home" Or "You Could Kill Someone," Return of 'Real Time With Bill Maher' Told By La Mayor
The El Portal, Nuart and Hollywood Bowl’s marquees have been updated with messages such as...
This week, Deadline’s video producers Andrew Merrill and David Janove along with Social Media Director Scott Shilstone took photos of some of the marquees at movie theaters and stages around Los Angeles. While many, including the Bruin, the Vista and The AMC Burbank, still displayed posters for Onward, many others were updated to display messages of hope and optimism.
More from DeadlineCoronavirus: New York & U.S. Post Worst Single-Day Death Tolls; Global Cases At 1.07 MillionPresident Donald Trump Tweetstorm - The Saturday Edition"Stay At Home" Or "You Could Kill Someone," Return of 'Real Time With Bill Maher' Told By La Mayor
The El Portal, Nuart and Hollywood Bowl’s marquees have been updated with messages such as...
- 4/3/2020
- by David Janove, Andrew Merrill and Scott Shilstone
- Deadline Film + TV
Are the four Oscar races for acting already locked and loaded? Will the recent winners at the SAG Awards and Golden Globes be rubber-stamped by academy members? What are possible upsets?
Watch four top Experts track their Oscar predictions in the video above: Anne Thompson (Indiewire), Pete Hammond (Deadline), Tom O’Neil (Gold Derby) and Tim Gray (Variety). Or listen to the audio podcast version below.
Thompson, O’Neil and Gray currently bet on the frontrunners. See their Oscar predictions here. Use the drop-down menu to view other categories. Beware: both Thompson and O’Neil warn of a possible upset by Scarlett Johansson (“Jojo Rabbit”).
SEELatest Oscar rankings in 24 races based upon predictions by 6,541 Gold Derby users
Separately, watch this video of our pundit quartet tracking the state of the Oscar races for Best Picture, Director and Original and Adapted Screenplay.
Do you disagree? Make your predictions at Gold Derby...
Watch four top Experts track their Oscar predictions in the video above: Anne Thompson (Indiewire), Pete Hammond (Deadline), Tom O’Neil (Gold Derby) and Tim Gray (Variety). Or listen to the audio podcast version below.
Thompson, O’Neil and Gray currently bet on the frontrunners. See their Oscar predictions here. Use the drop-down menu to view other categories. Beware: both Thompson and O’Neil warn of a possible upset by Scarlett Johansson (“Jojo Rabbit”).
SEELatest Oscar rankings in 24 races based upon predictions by 6,541 Gold Derby users
Separately, watch this video of our pundit quartet tracking the state of the Oscar races for Best Picture, Director and Original and Adapted Screenplay.
Do you disagree? Make your predictions at Gold Derby...
- 2/1/2020
- by Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
Pete Hammond (Deadline), Anne Thompson (Indiewire), Tim Gray (Variety) and Tom O’Neil (Gold Derby) agree on one thing about the Oscar races for Best Picture and Director: “1917” and “Parasite” are out front. Which one will win? Or will they split the top Academy Awards? Or will upsets occur?
Watch the pundits’ lively discussion in the video above or listen to the audio podcast below. See their current predictions for Best Picture ranked at Gold Derby: Anne Thompson predicts ‘1917,’ Tom O’Neil backs ‘Parasite,’ Tim Gray foresees an upset by “The Irishman.” In the Best Director contest, Thompson and O’Neil back Sam Mendes (“1917”), Gray bets on Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”).
SEELatest Oscar predictions in all 24 races by 6,500 Gold Derby Users
What are your predictions? Be sure to make your picks at Gold Derby so that you prove that you really are the best Oscar expert and prognosticator on the entertainment biz.
Watch the pundits’ lively discussion in the video above or listen to the audio podcast below. See their current predictions for Best Picture ranked at Gold Derby: Anne Thompson predicts ‘1917,’ Tom O’Neil backs ‘Parasite,’ Tim Gray foresees an upset by “The Irishman.” In the Best Director contest, Thompson and O’Neil back Sam Mendes (“1917”), Gray bets on Bong Joon Ho (“Parasite”).
SEELatest Oscar predictions in all 24 races by 6,500 Gold Derby Users
What are your predictions? Be sure to make your picks at Gold Derby so that you prove that you really are the best Oscar expert and prognosticator on the entertainment biz.
- 1/31/2020
- by Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
Costume design could start with sketches or mood boards or research or shopping, among other things, but for our three panelists at our Meet the Experts: Costume Design panel — Julian Day (“Rocketman”), Paul Tazewell (“Harriet”) and Deborah Cook (“Missing Link”) — none have a precise process they carry out every time on each project.
“I love shopping,” Day shared. “I think it’s a combination of all of those things. Take ‘Rocketman,’ for instance, I do illustrations, do research. I got to go to the archives to see Elton [John]’s real clothes and internet research, fabric shopping. I got to go to Paris and vintage stores to go buy fabrics [and] I found this original 1930s fireworks fabric.”
Added Tazewell: “It comes down the most effective way to communicate whatever the idea is. When you’re developing the design, how can you pull out of the director what their point of view is?...
“I love shopping,” Day shared. “I think it’s a combination of all of those things. Take ‘Rocketman,’ for instance, I do illustrations, do research. I got to go to the archives to see Elton [John]’s real clothes and internet research, fabric shopping. I got to go to Paris and vintage stores to go buy fabrics [and] I found this original 1930s fireworks fabric.”
Added Tazewell: “It comes down the most effective way to communicate whatever the idea is. When you’re developing the design, how can you pull out of the director what their point of view is?...
- 11/14/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Deborah Cook has a job that most people probably don’t know exist — or at least don’t think about when they’re watching one of her films: stop-motion animation costume designer.
Cook has crafted costumes for all five of Laika’s films so far, most recently “Missing Link,” which was released in April. A sculpture student in college, working with installations and armatures, Cook soon found herself fielding requests in London to do props on films and in theater. Eventually, Laika came calling.
“I didn’t really know at that time that [stop-motion animation] was even a medium I could work in. It was a very happy accident,” Cook told Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Costume Design panel, moderated by this writer (watch above). “I really enjoy the scale, I enjoy that level of detail and being able to invest my time and space, and then seeing it very...
Cook has crafted costumes for all five of Laika’s films so far, most recently “Missing Link,” which was released in April. A sculpture student in college, working with installations and armatures, Cook soon found herself fielding requests in London to do props on films and in theater. Eventually, Laika came calling.
“I didn’t really know at that time that [stop-motion animation] was even a medium I could work in. It was a very happy accident,” Cook told Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Costume Design panel, moderated by this writer (watch above). “I really enjoy the scale, I enjoy that level of detail and being able to invest my time and space, and then seeing it very...
- 11/14/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Dexter Fletcher and costume designer Julian Day weren’t even done with “Bohemian Rhapsody” yet when the director brought up another music biopic as their next project.
“We were actually working on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ together and he was just like, ‘We’re gonna do this film.’ Even when we were shooting that, we were talking about ‘Rocketman,’” Day told Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Costume Design panel, moderated by this writer (watch above). “So we finished that off and carried on talking and it was just so natural that were going to do it. It was an exciting project and we had such fun doing it and chatting about it.”
Going from one film about a music icon to another did not faze Day, who received BAFTA and Costume Design Guild nominations for his work on “Bohemian Rhapsody.” As a massive Sir Elton John fan, he couldn’t...
“We were actually working on ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ together and he was just like, ‘We’re gonna do this film.’ Even when we were shooting that, we were talking about ‘Rocketman,’” Day told Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Costume Design panel, moderated by this writer (watch above). “So we finished that off and carried on talking and it was just so natural that were going to do it. It was an exciting project and we had such fun doing it and chatting about it.”
Going from one film about a music icon to another did not faze Day, who received BAFTA and Costume Design Guild nominations for his work on “Bohemian Rhapsody.” As a massive Sir Elton John fan, he couldn’t...
- 11/14/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Paul Tazewell is no stranger to historical period pieces, having won a Tony for his costumes in “Hamilton.” When he joined “Harriet,” he buried himself in research of a bygone era when photography was in its nascent years and ended up finding a recently unearthed new photo of Harriet Tubman.
“There are maybe four [photographs] of her of when she was a little older, more mature … that most of us, that I’m familiar with from high school or junior high. There was a newly found photograph that now resides at the Smithsonian of her actually at the age that we were focusing on in the story of Harriet when she was in her 20s,” Tazewell told Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Costume Design panel, moderated by this writer (watch above). “It’s a lovely photograph. [She’s] very elegantly dressed in a way, simply but elegantly dressed. And it’s...
“There are maybe four [photographs] of her of when she was a little older, more mature … that most of us, that I’m familiar with from high school or junior high. There was a newly found photograph that now resides at the Smithsonian of her actually at the age that we were focusing on in the story of Harriet when she was in her 20s,” Tazewell told Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Costume Design panel, moderated by this writer (watch above). “It’s a lovely photograph. [She’s] very elegantly dressed in a way, simply but elegantly dressed. And it’s...
- 11/14/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Is a movie ever complete without music?
“F— no,” Justin Tranter (“Klaus”) declared at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above), which also featured Diane Warren (“Breakthrough”), H. Scott Salinas (“The Banker”) and Alex Somers (“Honey Boy”). “Music is everywhere. You can’t even go to the grocery store without music, so I feel like there are amazing examples of films without music. … [But] it’s the universal language. It can enhance emotion, I think, better than almost anything. That’s why music’s everywhere.”
Added Warren: “I think Quincy [Jones] said something about that one time: Watch a movie with no music and see how that affects you. It’s so important; it’s like another character.”
Of course, there have been films sans music, like “Mother” (2017), which Somers dubbed “creatively absent of score,” and “No Country for Old Men” (2007), which featured very minimal music.
“F— no,” Justin Tranter (“Klaus”) declared at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above), which also featured Diane Warren (“Breakthrough”), H. Scott Salinas (“The Banker”) and Alex Somers (“Honey Boy”). “Music is everywhere. You can’t even go to the grocery store without music, so I feel like there are amazing examples of films without music. … [But] it’s the universal language. It can enhance emotion, I think, better than almost anything. That’s why music’s everywhere.”
Added Warren: “I think Quincy [Jones] said something about that one time: Watch a movie with no music and see how that affects you. It’s so important; it’s like another character.”
Of course, there have been films sans music, like “Mother” (2017), which Somers dubbed “creatively absent of score,” and “No Country for Old Men” (2007), which featured very minimal music.
- 11/9/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Justin Tranter has written songs for animated films before, including “The Lego Batman Movie” and “Ferdinand,” but “Klaus,” Netflix’s first original animated film, marked the first time the Golden Globe nominee joined a project before it was completed.
“Half of it was fully animated and half of it was storyboarded, which was really cool for me to see because the other animated films I’ve worked on in the past were done,” Tranter told Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “And this was somewhere in between, so that was really inspiring for me to see because as a fan of animated movies, it was like pretty powerful to see that happening.”
Directed by Sergio Pablos, “Klaus” tells the origin story of Santa Claus. Jesper (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), a spoiled postal academy student, is dispatched to Smeerensburg, an island above the Arctic Circle,...
“Half of it was fully animated and half of it was storyboarded, which was really cool for me to see because the other animated films I’ve worked on in the past were done,” Tranter told Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “And this was somewhere in between, so that was really inspiring for me to see because as a fan of animated movies, it was like pretty powerful to see that happening.”
Directed by Sergio Pablos, “Klaus” tells the origin story of Santa Claus. Jesper (voiced by Jason Schwartzman), a spoiled postal academy student, is dispatched to Smeerensburg, an island above the Arctic Circle,...
- 11/8/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Like probably most people, H. Scott Salinas had never heard of the true story at the center of Apple TV+’s new film “The Banker” when he joined as the composer.
The drama follows entrepreneurs Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), who in the 1950s had their white friend Matt (Nicholas Hoult) pose as the front man of their real estate empire. In turn, they became two of the wealthiest African-American real estate owners at the time.
“Nobody knows this story. It’s one of those lost stories in history,” Salinas stated at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “It’s absolutely phenomenal. These guys — yes, they used a white guy to front for them — but also just the fact that they were multi-millionaires, and I think, at one point, they owned 150 properties in L.A. They had...
The drama follows entrepreneurs Bernard Garrett (Anthony Mackie) and Joe Morris (Samuel L. Jackson), who in the 1950s had their white friend Matt (Nicholas Hoult) pose as the front man of their real estate empire. In turn, they became two of the wealthiest African-American real estate owners at the time.
“Nobody knows this story. It’s one of those lost stories in history,” Salinas stated at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “It’s absolutely phenomenal. These guys — yes, they used a white guy to front for them — but also just the fact that they were multi-millionaires, and I think, at one point, they owned 150 properties in L.A. They had...
- 11/8/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Alex Somers was under a major time crunch when Alma Har’el asked him to score her narrative feature debut, “Honey Boy.”
“I think Alma was searching for a composer for a really long time,” Somers revealed at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “They were getting down to the wire, and I think some of my music reached her ears. I’m not sure how, to be honest; I’ve never asked. And she called me when she realized it was me. Because she just knew me as Alex and I just knew her as Alma. She really dug my stuff and she was like, ‘Oh my God! It’s you! You have to do this! You have six weeks.’ So I did it.”
“Honey Boy” was written by Shia Labeouf while he was in rehab and is based on his...
“I think Alma was searching for a composer for a really long time,” Somers revealed at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “They were getting down to the wire, and I think some of my music reached her ears. I’m not sure how, to be honest; I’ve never asked. And she called me when she realized it was me. Because she just knew me as Alex and I just knew her as Alma. She really dug my stuff and she was like, ‘Oh my God! It’s you! You have to do this! You have six weeks.’ So I did it.”
“Honey Boy” was written by Shia Labeouf while he was in rehab and is based on his...
- 11/8/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Diane Warren has been collaborating with Chrissy Metz on the actress’ upcoming album, but their working relationship didn’t exactly get off on the most auspicious foot. The legendary songwriter penned “I’m Standing with You” from Metz’s film “Breakthrough.” The “This Is Us” star sings the tune, but Warren initially didn’t want Metz near it.
“I did not want Chrissy at all to sing the song because I thought, ‘Oh, man, another actress wants to sing,’” Warren quipped at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “And I’ve never seen her show, I’ve never seen ‘This Is Us.’ I was like, ‘Can we get Carrie Underwood?’ who’s under Universal Nashville. ‘Can we get whatever’ — I went through their whole roster. And they were like, ‘No, it has to be Chrissy. Can you just try her?’ I was like,...
“I did not want Chrissy at all to sing the song because I thought, ‘Oh, man, another actress wants to sing,’” Warren quipped at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “And I’ve never seen her show, I’ve never seen ‘This Is Us.’ I was like, ‘Can we get Carrie Underwood?’ who’s under Universal Nashville. ‘Can we get whatever’ — I went through their whole roster. And they were like, ‘No, it has to be Chrissy. Can you just try her?’ I was like,...
- 11/8/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Documentaries can give voice to the powerless, focus on issues people have never heard of, and perhaps most importantly, create empathy.
“When I was watching everyone’s films here, I was thinking about how documentary filmmaking is so much about creating empathy,” “The Edge of Democracy” director Petra Costa said at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Documentary panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “We’re empathy machines, the film as a device of creating empathy. … I think documentaries take us back to that place of turning things that happened back into experience because otherwise they just lose themselves in the [repetitiveness] of the events and you don’t have time to digest them and to feel empathy for them.”
Creating empathy was one of Victoria Stone’s goals when she made “The Elephant Queen” with her partner Mark Deeble. The film follows an elephant matriarch, Athena, leading her herd in search of water.
“When I was watching everyone’s films here, I was thinking about how documentary filmmaking is so much about creating empathy,” “The Edge of Democracy” director Petra Costa said at Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Documentary panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “We’re empathy machines, the film as a device of creating empathy. … I think documentaries take us back to that place of turning things that happened back into experience because otherwise they just lose themselves in the [repetitiveness] of the events and you don’t have time to digest them and to feel empathy for them.”
Creating empathy was one of Victoria Stone’s goals when she made “The Elephant Queen” with her partner Mark Deeble. The film follows an elephant matriarch, Athena, leading her herd in search of water.
- 11/8/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Victoria Stone and her partner Mark Deeble went through a pretty long casting process – a year and a half, to be exact – to find the pachyderm star of their Apple TV+ documentary “The Elephant Queen.”
“We started working outside the national park [in Africa] and everything’s going fine until price of ivory rose [and] the elephants became extremely scared [of poachers],” Stone revealed during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Documentary panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “She really found us rather than us finding her. We came back one day to camp … and there was this little group of elephants under a tree behind the kitchen tent area, and the matriarch just turned her head and she had these amazingly long, even beautiful tusks, and a very calm manner and a family of youngsters in it and about the size we were looking for. Then we just started following them and she became the subject.
“We started working outside the national park [in Africa] and everything’s going fine until price of ivory rose [and] the elephants became extremely scared [of poachers],” Stone revealed during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Documentary panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “She really found us rather than us finding her. We came back one day to camp … and there was this little group of elephants under a tree behind the kitchen tent area, and the matriarch just turned her head and she had these amazingly long, even beautiful tusks, and a very calm manner and a family of youngsters in it and about the size we were looking for. Then we just started following them and she became the subject.
- 11/7/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
National Geographic’s new documentary “Sea of Shadows,” which will premiere commercial-free on Saturday at 9/8c, is about an endangered animal you’ve probably never heard of: the vaquita. But this is not a simple story of impending extinction. The world’s smallest whale, the vaquita has become collateral damage in an illicit trade between Mexican cartels and the Chinese mob for the swim bladder — aka the “cocaine of the sea” — of another fish, the totoaba, which also resides in the Sea of Cortez with the vaquita off of Baja California.
“We have, in this case, organized crime attacking planet Earth. Very few people know that the wildlife trade is the fourth biggest industry in the world in the black market,” “Sea of Shadows” director Richard Ladkani told Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Documentary panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “These organized syndicates around the world are feeding off our precious animals,...
“We have, in this case, organized crime attacking planet Earth. Very few people know that the wildlife trade is the fourth biggest industry in the world in the black market,” “Sea of Shadows” director Richard Ladkani told Gold Derby at our Meet the Experts: Documentary panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “These organized syndicates around the world are feeding off our precious animals,...
- 11/7/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
The heroine of Feras Fayyad’s new National Geographic documentary “The Cave” could never be seen. Dr. Amani Ballor is a pediatrician and the first female manager of a hospital in Syria — except her hospital was subterranean. The titular cave is an underground makeshift hospital that Dr. Amani and other doctors created in the midst of Syria’s civil war to treat civilians, as bombs and gunfire and chemical attacks — captured in the film — break out above them.
Fayyad, who became the first Syrian director to be nominated for an Oscar when his 2017 doc “Last Man in Aleppo” was up for Best Documentary, shared during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Documentary panel, moderated by this author (watch above), that he actually started filming footage for what would become “The Cave” — there are cave hospitals all over Syria — before he made “Last Man in Aleppo,” which followed the search-and-rescue team the White Helmets.
Fayyad, who became the first Syrian director to be nominated for an Oscar when his 2017 doc “Last Man in Aleppo” was up for Best Documentary, shared during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Documentary panel, moderated by this author (watch above), that he actually started filming footage for what would become “The Cave” — there are cave hospitals all over Syria — before he made “Last Man in Aleppo,” which followed the search-and-rescue team the White Helmets.
- 11/7/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
For Petra Costa, the personal is political and the political is personal in her latest documentary “The Edge of Democracy.” Currently streaming on Netflix, the film chronicles the rise and fall of democracy in her native Brazil as the country has backslid into authoritarianism with the 2018 election of President Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right, pro-torture former military officer. That followed the imprisonment and impeachment of his two democratic predecessors, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff, respectively, revealed in the film to have been engineered by shady government officials.
As Costa, 36, notes in the doc, she and Brazilian democracy are almost the same age, and the past three years have made her realize how she — and others — have taken democracy for granted.
“I grew up believing democracy was my birthright, achieved from a lifetime of my parents fighting against the military dictatorship in Brazil that lasted from ’64 to the mid-80s,...
As Costa, 36, notes in the doc, she and Brazilian democracy are almost the same age, and the past three years have made her realize how she — and others — have taken democracy for granted.
“I grew up believing democracy was my birthright, achieved from a lifetime of my parents fighting against the military dictatorship in Brazil that lasted from ’64 to the mid-80s,...
- 11/7/2019
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Can glitter pop queen Lady Gaga (“A Star Is Born”) really be taken seriously enough by those notorious snobs in the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to win the Oscar for Best Actress? Watch veteran Oscarologists Anne Thompson (Indiewire), Pete Hammond (Deadline Hollywood) and I track that top race in video (above) or listen to the audio podcast version below.
“She’s so incredible in this movie,” Anne asserts about Gaga. “She’s not this made-up pop star we see every other day. Bradley Cooper got an amazing performance out of her. Very authentic.”
But Gaga competes against Glenn Close (“The Wife”), who is ridiculously overdue to win. (Six defeats. That ties the record for most losses among actresses.) Also strong in this category is Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”), but which category does Colman really belong in? Lead or supporting? Anne, Pete and I tackle all of these Oscar...
“She’s so incredible in this movie,” Anne asserts about Gaga. “She’s not this made-up pop star we see every other day. Bradley Cooper got an amazing performance out of her. Very authentic.”
But Gaga competes against Glenn Close (“The Wife”), who is ridiculously overdue to win. (Six defeats. That ties the record for most losses among actresses.) Also strong in this category is Olivia Colman (“The Favourite”), but which category does Colman really belong in? Lead or supporting? Anne, Pete and I tackle all of these Oscar...
- 10/11/2018
- by Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
The Oscar race for Best Actor is wide open: that’s all that Pete Hammond (Deadline Hollywood), Anne Thompson (Indiewire) and I can agree upon in our predictions battle. Watch above or listen to the audio podcast version below.
It’s not like last year when Gary Oldman (“Darkest Hour”) was out front early on and all smart Oscarologists knew he could stay there, if only he could stave off a slowly rising threat from Timothee Chalamet (“Call Me By Your Name”). And we knew that Oldman would do so. This year, as Pete, Anne and I note: there are a lot of strong rivals, including early faves Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”), Ryan Gosling (“First Man”) and Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”) plus new surging ponies Viggo Mortensen (“Green Book”) and Christian Bale (“Vice”).
See Anne’s and my current predictions for Best Actor, stacked up against our other Experts.
It’s not like last year when Gary Oldman (“Darkest Hour”) was out front early on and all smart Oscarologists knew he could stay there, if only he could stave off a slowly rising threat from Timothee Chalamet (“Call Me By Your Name”). And we knew that Oldman would do so. This year, as Pete, Anne and I note: there are a lot of strong rivals, including early faves Bradley Cooper (“A Star Is Born”), Ryan Gosling (“First Man”) and Willem Dafoe (“At Eternity’s Gate”) plus new surging ponies Viggo Mortensen (“Green Book”) and Christian Bale (“Vice”).
See Anne’s and my current predictions for Best Actor, stacked up against our other Experts.
- 10/6/2018
- by Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
Just based upon the fierce clashing views in our video chat (watch above), it may seem like Pete Hammond (Deadline), Anne Thompson (Indiewire) and I don’t agree on much, but we actually do concur on which ponies are the early Oscar frontrunners for Best Picture. We just don’t agree on which ones are ahead of each other.
Anne is passionate about “Roma” and she’s not alone. She’s among the eight Experts who pick it to win. That’s the most, followed by six for “A Star Is Born” and four for “First Man.”
See all of Anne’s Oscar predictions here. Mine here. See the rankings generated by combing our picks with those of other Experts, too.
Below: Audio podcast version. Or listen at iTunes, Spotify, Libsyn, Google Play or Stitcher where you can subscribe to our channel.
Video by David Janove and Andrew Merrill...
Anne is passionate about “Roma” and she’s not alone. She’s among the eight Experts who pick it to win. That’s the most, followed by six for “A Star Is Born” and four for “First Man.”
See all of Anne’s Oscar predictions here. Mine here. See the rankings generated by combing our picks with those of other Experts, too.
Below: Audio podcast version. Or listen at iTunes, Spotify, Libsyn, Google Play or Stitcher where you can subscribe to our channel.
Video by David Janove and Andrew Merrill...
- 10/2/2018
- by Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
The Emmy race for Best Drama Series is a truly dramatic showdown this year since “we have two former winners going head-to-head for the first time,” notes Pete Hammond (Deadline) in our webcam chat. (Watch above or listen to audio podcast version below.) Last year’s champ “The Handmaid’s Tale” didn’t have to compete against 2015 and 2016 victor “Game of Thrones” because it wasn’t eligible, but now the HBO cult hit is back.
“’Handmaid’s’ has the momentum,” Pete insists, since the Hulu program recently aired new episodes while “Game of Thrones” may seem like a distant memory to voters because the final installment of its seventh season unspooled last August. However, “Thrones” conquered the top series prize the last two times it competed and it now reigns as the bigger total winner of Emmys among all TV drama and comedy series ever (38).
SEESee Tom vs. Pete on...
“’Handmaid’s’ has the momentum,” Pete insists, since the Hulu program recently aired new episodes while “Game of Thrones” may seem like a distant memory to voters because the final installment of its seventh season unspooled last August. However, “Thrones” conquered the top series prize the last two times it competed and it now reigns as the bigger total winner of Emmys among all TV drama and comedy series ever (38).
SEESee Tom vs. Pete on...
- 7/2/2018
- by Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
Pete Hammond (Deadline) and I agree that Elisabeth Moss (“The Handmaid’s Tale”) will win the Emmy Award for Best Drama Actress for a second year in a row after a string of losses earlier in her career for “Mad Men” (6) and “Top of the Lake” (1).
“Now I think she’s in line for a second Emmy after she sat there in the audience for so many years” as a gracious loser, Pete says in our pundit discussion of the top acting races for TV drama series: both lead and supporting. Watch above or listen to the audio podcast version below.
I remind Pete that Claire Foy (“The Crown”) beat Moss last year for the Screen Actors Guild Award, which, like the Emmy, is a peer-group trophy. Now Foy could have sentiment on her side at the Emmys since it was her final season in the role of Queen Elizabeth II on Netflix.
“Now I think she’s in line for a second Emmy after she sat there in the audience for so many years” as a gracious loser, Pete says in our pundit discussion of the top acting races for TV drama series: both lead and supporting. Watch above or listen to the audio podcast version below.
I remind Pete that Claire Foy (“The Crown”) beat Moss last year for the Screen Actors Guild Award, which, like the Emmy, is a peer-group trophy. Now Foy could have sentiment on her side at the Emmys since it was her final season in the role of Queen Elizabeth II on Netflix.
- 6/26/2018
- by Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
“Rachel Brosnahan is the one to beat!” Pete Hammond (Deadline) insists about the star of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” in the Emmy Award race for Best Comedy Actress. “If she doesn’t win, there’s something wrong.”
But I disagree. Yes, Brosnahan is seemingly way out front, according to our Experts’ predictions and racetrack odds, but I argue with Pete in our pundit smackdown about the threats posed by Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish) and Allison Janney (“Mom”). Watch our video above, listen to audio podcast version below.
In Janney’s case, I remind Pete: “She won twice in supporting for ‘Mom.’ She couldn’t get around Julia Louis-Dreyfus last year in the lead race, but that’s possible now thanks to her Oscar bump” from winning Best Supporting Actress for “I, Tonya.” Also, Louis-Dreyfus isn’t in the current race because “Veep” didn’t air episodes during the Emmy eligibility period,...
But I disagree. Yes, Brosnahan is seemingly way out front, according to our Experts’ predictions and racetrack odds, but I argue with Pete in our pundit smackdown about the threats posed by Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish) and Allison Janney (“Mom”). Watch our video above, listen to audio podcast version below.
In Janney’s case, I remind Pete: “She won twice in supporting for ‘Mom.’ She couldn’t get around Julia Louis-Dreyfus last year in the lead race, but that’s possible now thanks to her Oscar bump” from winning Best Supporting Actress for “I, Tonya.” Also, Louis-Dreyfus isn’t in the current race because “Veep” didn’t air episodes during the Emmy eligibility period,...
- 6/22/2018
- by Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
Music is one of the final elements added to a film or television show, and for the four panelists on Gold Derby’s Meet the Btl Experts: Music panel, they all had various starting points when it came time to craft the sound of their projects.
As a co-producer as well on her series, music supervisor Lyah Beth LeFlore (“Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.”) got her hands on scripts and outlines in advance, which helped her visually map out where she wanted to incorporate music. “I love being able to get the script or get the outline and really be able to sit with the characters and sit with the scene and pick from there,” she said during the Q&A, moderated by this author (watch above).
Jeff Russo (“Star Trek: Discovery”) also likes working immediately from the outline stage, usually discussing with producers and directors...
As a co-producer as well on her series, music supervisor Lyah Beth LeFlore (“Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.”) got her hands on scripts and outlines in advance, which helped her visually map out where she wanted to incorporate music. “I love being able to get the script or get the outline and really be able to sit with the characters and sit with the scene and pick from there,” she said during the Q&A, moderated by this author (watch above).
Jeff Russo (“Star Trek: Discovery”) also likes working immediately from the outline stage, usually discussing with producers and directors...
- 6/18/2018
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
When Lyah Beth LeFlore joined USA’s anthology series “Unsolved: The Murders of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G.” as a co-producer and music supervisor, she anticipated one big obstacle: not getting the rights to their music. The estates of both rappers are famously restrictive when it comes to licensing their songs, but LeFlore, who came up in the ‘90s hip-hop scene and knew the rappers personally, already had a plan to work around that.
“Having known and watched their relationship as friends, I didn’t expect to be able to get the music and sort of had the foresight to say, ‘Ok, if we can’t get it, and out of respect for the estates, what do I do?’” LeFlore said during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “And I knew that it had to have an authentic sound, it had to connect to their legacies,...
“Having known and watched their relationship as friends, I didn’t expect to be able to get the music and sort of had the foresight to say, ‘Ok, if we can’t get it, and out of respect for the estates, what do I do?’” LeFlore said during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “And I knew that it had to have an authentic sound, it had to connect to their legacies,...
- 6/15/2018
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
For the second season of Netflix’s hit series “13 Reasons Why,” composer Brendan “Eskmo” Angelides wanted to up the ante a bit. Season 1’s score had a gentle piano motif, but Season 2’s music palette features a throbbing, drum-based pulse, capturing the dread and threat of the “Who’s leaving these Polaroids?” mystery. And the genesis for that sound was none other than a member of Genesis.
“Peter Gabriel was a big inspiration in terms of the drums,” Angelides said during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “There’s like chords on all the drums and everything. It was having essentially a general idea of, ‘Ok, it’s Round 2, up the ante, make it a bit more intense.’ And the idea of the Polaroids having a particular kind of energy to them … something that would pull you into it a bit,...
“Peter Gabriel was a big inspiration in terms of the drums,” Angelides said during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). “There’s like chords on all the drums and everything. It was having essentially a general idea of, ‘Ok, it’s Round 2, up the ante, make it a bit more intense.’ And the idea of the Polaroids having a particular kind of energy to them … something that would pull you into it a bit,...
- 6/15/2018
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Ryan Murphy is one of the busiest people in Hollywood and his composer is just as prolific. Since 2014, Mac Quayle has been Murphy’s go-to guy for hypnotic, absorbing scores for his programs. He’s worked on every “American Horror Story” season since “Freak Show,” both seasons of “American Crime Story,” “The Normal Heart,” “Scream Queens,” “Feud: Bette and Joan,” “9-1-1” and the just-premiered “Pose.”
“Fortunately it’s never more than three at a time and usually less,” Quayle said during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). When he is working on multiple shows at once, Quayle “tries to keep them separate.” “It’s like I put these walls up in between the shows, starting with the sounds.”
Currently, Quayle is just working on one show, which “is really, really nice,” he said. “It’s kind of gentle. I have some help.
“Fortunately it’s never more than three at a time and usually less,” Quayle said during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch above). When he is working on multiple shows at once, Quayle “tries to keep them separate.” “It’s like I put these walls up in between the shows, starting with the sounds.”
Currently, Quayle is just working on one show, which “is really, really nice,” he said. “It’s kind of gentle. I have some help.
- 6/14/2018
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
“Star Trek: Discovery” composer Jeff Russo grew up watching “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” so you can imagine his reaction when he got tapped to score CBS All Access’ new TV iteration of the franchise. “When the opportunity even arose, it was like, ‘Well, no way, they’re not gonna want me, they’re gonna want somebody else,’” Russo said during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Music panel, moderated by this author (watch the exclusive interview above). “And then it happened and I pretty much lost my mind.”
Taking on such a beloved property was “terrifying,” Russo said. He had to serve two masters: being faithful to the sonic palette of “Star Trek” while creating something entirely new. For the theme, Russo, who won an Emmy last year for scoring “Fargo,” wanted it to have a more modern sound before adding the iconic Alexander Courage fanfare at the end.
Taking on such a beloved property was “terrifying,” Russo said. He had to serve two masters: being faithful to the sonic palette of “Star Trek” while creating something entirely new. For the theme, Russo, who won an Emmy last year for scoring “Fargo,” wanted it to have a more modern sound before adding the iconic Alexander Courage fanfare at the end.
- 6/14/2018
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Costume design isn’t all fancy designer clothes and period outfits. Sometimes the costume designers themselves have to give the clothes off their backs.
“I took my bra off for Lisa Bonet. She forgot her bra,” Michelle Cole said during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Costume Designers panel featuring four top Emmy contenders, moderated by this author (watch above). Cole was working as a customer under the late Palmer Brown on “A Different World” at the time. “I had to take my bra off for her and give it to her. She had no choice.”
See How ‘Black-ish’ costume designer Michelle Cole made the Johnsons the most stylish family on TV [Exclusive Video Interview]
At least she only had to donate one piece of clothing, unlike “This Is Us” costume designer Hala Bahmet. “I’m not going to name names, but once, literally the actress and I looked at each other and...
“I took my bra off for Lisa Bonet. She forgot her bra,” Michelle Cole said during Gold Derby’s Meet the Experts: Costume Designers panel featuring four top Emmy contenders, moderated by this author (watch above). Cole was working as a customer under the late Palmer Brown on “A Different World” at the time. “I had to take my bra off for her and give it to her. She had no choice.”
See How ‘Black-ish’ costume designer Michelle Cole made the Johnsons the most stylish family on TV [Exclusive Video Interview]
At least she only had to donate one piece of clothing, unlike “This Is Us” costume designer Hala Bahmet. “I’m not going to name names, but once, literally the actress and I looked at each other and...
- 6/12/2018
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Oscar experts Pete Hammond (Deadline Hollywood), Anne Thompson (Indiewire), Tim Gray (Variety) and I agree on who’s ahead to win three acting races: Best Actor (Gary Oldman, “Darkest Hour”), Actress (Frances McDormand, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”) and Supporting Actor (Sam Rockwell, “Three Billboards”), but we differ over the contest for Best Supporting Actress. Pete, Tim and I pick Allison Janney (“I, Tonya”), but Anne opts for Laurie Metcalf (“Lady Bird”).
“Voters are going to want to give ‘Lady Bird’ a win,” Anne explains. Watch our video above or listen to the audio podcast below.
While Pete backs Janney, he concedes, “I agree that this is one category where voters may want to differ from the SAG Awards.”
Click these links to view our rankings in these categories: Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress.
Listen to the audio podcast version of our chat below. Do a search...
“Voters are going to want to give ‘Lady Bird’ a win,” Anne explains. Watch our video above or listen to the audio podcast below.
While Pete backs Janney, he concedes, “I agree that this is one category where voters may want to differ from the SAG Awards.”
Click these links to view our rankings in these categories: Best Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress.
Listen to the audio podcast version of our chat below. Do a search...
- 2/7/2018
- by Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
In the epic Oscar showdown between Timothee Chalamet (“Call Me By Your Name”) and Gary Oldman (“Darkest Hour”), could the 22-year-old newbie take down the 59-year-old veteran? Chalamet “has been campaigning aggressively,” says Gold Derby editor-in-chief Tom O’Neil in our latest 2018 Oscar predictions slugfest about the four acting races. Watch the video above or listen to the audio podcast version below.
Senior editor Marcus James Dixon agrees that an upset is possible, citing that Chalamet could become “the youngest winner of all time.” However, managing editor Chris Beachum makes the case for Oldman by stating, “He’s really going for it, and he has the transformation.”
We also debate the race for Best Actress, where “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” star Frances McDormand is out front to take home her second statue after “Fargo” (1996). Tom reminds us, “She won her first Oscar years ago for giving us a kind of snarky defiance,...
Senior editor Marcus James Dixon agrees that an upset is possible, citing that Chalamet could become “the youngest winner of all time.” However, managing editor Chris Beachum makes the case for Oldman by stating, “He’s really going for it, and he has the transformation.”
We also debate the race for Best Actress, where “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” star Frances McDormand is out front to take home her second statue after “Fargo” (1996). Tom reminds us, “She won her first Oscar years ago for giving us a kind of snarky defiance,...
- 2/6/2018
- by Marcus James Dixon, Tom O'Neil and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
In our latest 2018 Oscar predictions slugfest, Gold Derby editor-in-chief Tom O’Neil defends his Best Picture prediction of “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri” against managing editor Chris Beachum and senior editor Marcus James Dixon, who both currently pick “The Shape of Water.” Which editor do You think is right? Watch the video above or listen to the audio podcast version below.
“I have had five or six different movies in the #1 position throughout the year,” Marcus confesses. “Currently I have ‘Shape of Water’ because it got more nominations than anything else [and] it has a lot of the precursors that you need. I am worried about SAG ensemble. It did not get in there which we learned last year is really, really telling.”
“Every movie is missing something,” cites Chris. “It concerns me more that Martin McDonagh could not get in for directing [‘Three Billboards’] at the Oscars. That’s critical. We have...
“I have had five or six different movies in the #1 position throughout the year,” Marcus confesses. “Currently I have ‘Shape of Water’ because it got more nominations than anything else [and] it has a lot of the precursors that you need. I am worried about SAG ensemble. It did not get in there which we learned last year is really, really telling.”
“Every movie is missing something,” cites Chris. “It concerns me more that Martin McDonagh could not get in for directing [‘Three Billboards’] at the Oscars. That’s critical. We have...
- 2/5/2018
- by Marcus James Dixon, Tom O'Neil and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
In our Oscar predictions smackdown, Pete Hammond (Deadline Hollywood), Anne Thompson (Indiewire) and Tim Gray (Variety) agree “The Shape of Water” will win Best picture, but I dare to disagree, opting for “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” Watch video above or listen to the audio podcast version below.
Anne says she’s picking “Shape” because “It’s the PGA winner, it has 13 Oscar nominations and I think Guillermo Del Toro is an auteur who they give a lot of credit for creating an original world. All of the crafts are going to go for it and all of the actors and all of the writers.”
Pete adds, “I think ‘Shape of Water’ is going to pull it out and win because if it’s not a number 1 choice, it’s number 2. The preferential ballot can really help the number 2 movie even more than the number 1 vote because it shows how well liked you are.
Anne says she’s picking “Shape” because “It’s the PGA winner, it has 13 Oscar nominations and I think Guillermo Del Toro is an auteur who they give a lot of credit for creating an original world. All of the crafts are going to go for it and all of the actors and all of the writers.”
Pete adds, “I think ‘Shape of Water’ is going to pull it out and win because if it’s not a number 1 choice, it’s number 2. The preferential ballot can really help the number 2 movie even more than the number 1 vote because it shows how well liked you are.
- 2/2/2018
- by Tom O'Neil
- Gold Derby
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.