Movie News
Whitney Peak, one of the leads of the recent Gossip Girl reboot, has signed on to star opposite Phoebe Dynevor in Sony Pictures’ untitled shark thriller.
Tommy Wirkola, who last helmed the David Harbour-starring Christmas action movie Violent Night, is helming the feature that will begin shooting in Melbourne in July.
Plot details are being kept in the cage but it is said to revolve around a community that has to deal with shark attacks during a hurricane.
Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, who count Don’t Look Up and The Big Short, amongst their output, are producing the project via their HyperObject Industries.
On the Gossip Girl reboots, the Ugandan-born, Canadian-raised Peak played Zoya Lott, the newcomer to the machinations of the chi-chi Manhattan school at where a lot of the stories were set. She also starred opposite Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi in Hocus Pocus 2,...
Tommy Wirkola, who last helmed the David Harbour-starring Christmas action movie Violent Night, is helming the feature that will begin shooting in Melbourne in July.
Plot details are being kept in the cage but it is said to revolve around a community that has to deal with shark attacks during a hurricane.
Adam McKay and Kevin Messick, who count Don’t Look Up and The Big Short, amongst their output, are producing the project via their HyperObject Industries.
On the Gossip Girl reboots, the Ugandan-born, Canadian-raised Peak played Zoya Lott, the newcomer to the machinations of the chi-chi Manhattan school at where a lot of the stories were set. She also starred opposite Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimi in Hocus Pocus 2,...
- 6/7/2024
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Mikaela Hoover and newcomer Christopher MacDonald are the latest actors to join the cast of James Gunn’s “Superman,” which is currently in production.
The duo will be playing Daily Planet staffers Cat Grant and Ron Troupe. Earlier this week, “SNL” Alum Beck Bennet also joined the Daily Planet masthead as Sports editor Steve Lombard.
Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Jerry Ordway, Cat Grant first appeared in 1987’s “The Adventures of Superman” #424 as a gossip columnist for the Daily Planet. On the small screen Cat Grant was previously played by Tracy Scoggins in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and Calista Flockhart in the “Arrowverse” television series “Supergirl.”
Ron Troupe first debuted in 1991’s “The Adventures of Superman” #480 and was created by Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett. In the DC Comics, Troupe is best known as a straight-laced, levelheaded reporter who took over Clark Kent’s...
The duo will be playing Daily Planet staffers Cat Grant and Ron Troupe. Earlier this week, “SNL” Alum Beck Bennet also joined the Daily Planet masthead as Sports editor Steve Lombard.
Created by writer Marv Wolfman and artist Jerry Ordway, Cat Grant first appeared in 1987’s “The Adventures of Superman” #424 as a gossip columnist for the Daily Planet. On the small screen Cat Grant was previously played by Tracy Scoggins in “Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman” and Calista Flockhart in the “Arrowverse” television series “Supergirl.”
Ron Troupe first debuted in 1991’s “The Adventures of Superman” #480 and was created by Jerry Ordway and Tom Grummett. In the DC Comics, Troupe is best known as a straight-laced, levelheaded reporter who took over Clark Kent’s...
- 6/7/2024
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Things are about to get freaky for Julia Butters.
The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” standout has joined the cast of Disney’s “Freaky Friday” sequel, sources tell Variety. The project was officially confirmed in March, with Nisha Ganatra tapped to direct.
Ganatra most recently directed episodes of Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales.” Her other credits include the 2020 film “The High Note” with Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross, along with 2019’s “Late Night,” starring Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson.
Original stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are in talks to reprise their roles from the 2003 film.
For years, Curtis and Lohan have been vocal about their desire to reunite for a follow-up to their body-swapping comedy. In March, Curtis shared a photo with Lohan to Instagram, tagging Disney and captioning the snap, “Duh! Ffdeux!”
“Freaky Friday” followed Curtis as straight-laced mom Tess and Lohan as rebellious daughter Anna.
The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” standout has joined the cast of Disney’s “Freaky Friday” sequel, sources tell Variety. The project was officially confirmed in March, with Nisha Ganatra tapped to direct.
Ganatra most recently directed episodes of Hulu’s “Welcome to Chippendales.” Her other credits include the 2020 film “The High Note” with Dakota Johnson and Tracee Ellis Ross, along with 2019’s “Late Night,” starring Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson.
Original stars Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are in talks to reprise their roles from the 2003 film.
For years, Curtis and Lohan have been vocal about their desire to reunite for a follow-up to their body-swapping comedy. In March, Curtis shared a photo with Lohan to Instagram, tagging Disney and captioning the snap, “Duh! Ffdeux!”
“Freaky Friday” followed Curtis as straight-laced mom Tess and Lohan as rebellious daughter Anna.
- 6/8/2024
- by Katcy Stephan
- Variety - Film News
It might take some “Bad Boys” to save this summer’s bad box office start.
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” has made $5.875 million in Thursday previews at the box office so far.
Sony and Columbia’s fourth “Bad Boys” movie, and the follow-up to 2020’s surprise hit “Bad Boys for Life,” is expected to open between $45 million and $50 million this weekend. However, Sony has a smaller estimate at $30 million. The more conservative projection could be overly cautious due to the growing number of summer films, such as “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Fall Guy,” that have failed to connect with theatergoers.
With the summer box office far behind previous years’ grosses, theater owners are hoping for some relief sooner rather than later — and hopefully “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” is their answer. It also marks Smith’s first major film since he...
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” has made $5.875 million in Thursday previews at the box office so far.
Sony and Columbia’s fourth “Bad Boys” movie, and the follow-up to 2020’s surprise hit “Bad Boys for Life,” is expected to open between $45 million and $50 million this weekend. However, Sony has a smaller estimate at $30 million. The more conservative projection could be overly cautious due to the growing number of summer films, such as “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and “The Fall Guy,” that have failed to connect with theatergoers.
With the summer box office far behind previous years’ grosses, theater owners are hoping for some relief sooner rather than later — and hopefully “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” is their answer. It also marks Smith’s first major film since he...
- 6/7/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety - Film News
The summer movie kickoff has been a little bumpy, but the staff at IMDb have their sights set on several highly anticipated movies and shows coming out in June.
See IMDb’s June Picks
If you need something light and fun for the weekend, check out Glen Powell and Adria Arjona in ‘Hit Man’ on Netflix. Based on the true story of part-time undercover investigator Gary Johnson, director Richard Linklater's crime comedy finds Powell moonlighting as a fake hit man who starts to fall for a woman who enlists his services.
Those looking for thrills and chills can head to the theater, where Will Smith and Martin Lawrence go undercover in ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die,’ and Dakota Fanning finds herself trapped with a bunch of strangers under spooky circumstances in the directorial debut of M. Night Shyamalan's daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan.
The rest of June will keep many fans busy with new episodes of three Emmy-winning series: Season 4 of “The Boys” (6/13) on Prime Video, Season 2 of “House of the Dragon” (6/16) on Max, and Season 3 of “The Bear” (6/27) on Hulu.
There’s not a ton on the menu for families, but ‘Inside Out 2’ is expected to be one of 2024’s box office bright spots. The Pixar sequel brings back Riley’s original emotions and adds Maya Hawke (“Stranger Things”) as Anxiety and Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear’) as Ennui.
Take a look at all the staff picks for the month in our guide, where you can watch trailers, read more about what’s coming, and add movies and shows to your Watchlist....
See IMDb’s June Picks
If you need something light and fun for the weekend, check out Glen Powell and Adria Arjona in ‘Hit Man’ on Netflix. Based on the true story of part-time undercover investigator Gary Johnson, director Richard Linklater's crime comedy finds Powell moonlighting as a fake hit man who starts to fall for a woman who enlists his services.
Those looking for thrills and chills can head to the theater, where Will Smith and Martin Lawrence go undercover in ‘Bad Boys: Ride or Die,’ and Dakota Fanning finds herself trapped with a bunch of strangers under spooky circumstances in the directorial debut of M. Night Shyamalan's daughter, Ishana Night Shyamalan.
The rest of June will keep many fans busy with new episodes of three Emmy-winning series: Season 4 of “The Boys” (6/13) on Prime Video, Season 2 of “House of the Dragon” (6/16) on Max, and Season 3 of “The Bear” (6/27) on Hulu.
There’s not a ton on the menu for families, but ‘Inside Out 2’ is expected to be one of 2024’s box office bright spots. The Pixar sequel brings back Riley’s original emotions and adds Maya Hawke (“Stranger Things”) as Anxiety and Ayo Edebiri (“The Bear’) as Ennui.
Take a look at all the staff picks for the month in our guide, where you can watch trailers, read more about what’s coming, and add movies and shows to your Watchlist....
- 6/7/2024
- by IMDb Editors
- IMDb News
The boys are back in town. Sony and Columbia’s “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” got off to a solid start at the box office with $21.6 million from 3,885 locations across Friday and preview screenings. The movie also gets a revenue boost from Imax and other premium large format auditoriums.
The action sequel, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, is now looking at an opening of $53 million through the three-day frame in North America. Sony had initially projected a debut of $30 million heading into the weekend, going way below industry estimates of $45 million to $50 million. The studio seems to have made a cautious lowball, considering “The Fall Guy” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” have given the summer box office a run of high-profile titles debuting below expectations.
“Ride or Die” will likely come in short of the $62.5 million domestic debut earned by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s series predecessor,...
The action sequel, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, is now looking at an opening of $53 million through the three-day frame in North America. Sony had initially projected a debut of $30 million heading into the weekend, going way below industry estimates of $45 million to $50 million. The studio seems to have made a cautious lowball, considering “The Fall Guy” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” have given the summer box office a run of high-profile titles debuting below expectations.
“Ride or Die” will likely come in short of the $62.5 million domestic debut earned by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s series predecessor,...
- 6/8/2024
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety - Film News
Before Wes Anderson skipped this year’s Oscars to film “The Phoenician Scheme” in Germany, fans already knew which actors would be at the heart of the director’s latest ensemble. Benecio del Toro and Mia Threapleton star as a father and daughter whose family business leads them into a dark espionage tale, with Michael Cera, Riz Ahmed, and Anderson regular Bill Murray also starring.
Continue reading ‘The Phoenician Scheme’: Wes Anderson’s Espionage Flick Reportedly Also Stars Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Willem Dafoe & More at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Phoenician Scheme’: Wes Anderson’s Espionage Flick Reportedly Also Stars Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Willem Dafoe & More at The Playlist.
- 6/6/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
Film financier, producer and distributor Sky Original Film has acquired U.K. rights to upcoming action-thriller “Mutiny,” starring Jason Statham.
“Mutiny” follows Statham as Cole, an ex-Special Forces and New York cop who was kicked off the force and now works in private security for Thai shipping tycoon and friend, Tibu. Cole is framed for the murder of Tibu at the hands of corrupt cops, forcing him to escape through Tibu’s freight ships, where Cole discovers that the corruption is deeper and more sinister than ever expected.
Principal photography on the film, directed by Jean-Francois Richet, will commence at U.K. locations in September. The film is written by J.P. Davis (“Plane”) and Lindsay Michel (“Sandpiper”).
Statham will produce “Mutiny” under his production company Punch Palace Productions alongside Marc Butan for MadRiver Pictures. Sky Original Film will release “Mutiny” on Sky Cinema and theatrically, alongside Lionsgate which recently picked up North American rights.
“Mutiny” follows Statham as Cole, an ex-Special Forces and New York cop who was kicked off the force and now works in private security for Thai shipping tycoon and friend, Tibu. Cole is framed for the murder of Tibu at the hands of corrupt cops, forcing him to escape through Tibu’s freight ships, where Cole discovers that the corruption is deeper and more sinister than ever expected.
Principal photography on the film, directed by Jean-Francois Richet, will commence at U.K. locations in September. The film is written by J.P. Davis (“Plane”) and Lindsay Michel (“Sandpiper”).
Statham will produce “Mutiny” under his production company Punch Palace Productions alongside Marc Butan for MadRiver Pictures. Sky Original Film will release “Mutiny” on Sky Cinema and theatrically, alongside Lionsgate which recently picked up North American rights.
- 6/6/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Feathers McGraw is back!
The dastardly penguin supervillain is following in the stop-motion footsteps of fellow animation antagonist Mrs. Tweedy and making a grand return to screens, this time in the latest “Wallace and Gromit” feature. Whereas Tweedy, arch-nemesis in Aardman’s 2000 hit “Chicken Run” came back for last year’s sequel “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” McGraw is returning almost 40 years after he was seen in 1993’s Oscar-winning short “Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trouser” for “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.”
Details of the new Aardman film — which was first announced in 2022 — have now been revealed, as has a teaser showing McGraw in all his evil glory.
“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” will premiere this Christmas on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Outside of the U.K., the film will be available globally on Netflix.
Landing 16 years after the last Wallace and Gromit movie, “A Matter of Loaf and Death,...
The dastardly penguin supervillain is following in the stop-motion footsteps of fellow animation antagonist Mrs. Tweedy and making a grand return to screens, this time in the latest “Wallace and Gromit” feature. Whereas Tweedy, arch-nemesis in Aardman’s 2000 hit “Chicken Run” came back for last year’s sequel “Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget,” McGraw is returning almost 40 years after he was seen in 1993’s Oscar-winning short “Wallace & Gromit: The Wrong Trouser” for “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl.”
Details of the new Aardman film — which was first announced in 2022 — have now been revealed, as has a teaser showing McGraw in all his evil glory.
“Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl” will premiere this Christmas on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. Outside of the U.K., the film will be available globally on Netflix.
Landing 16 years after the last Wallace and Gromit movie, “A Matter of Loaf and Death,...
- 6/6/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
Vulcanizadora, the latest film from Grand Rapids-based guerilla filmmaker Joel Potrykus, is predicated on a conceit that’s faithful to his overarching artistic interests. Two volatile buddies (Potrykus muse Joshua Burge and Potrykus himself) embark on an extended hike to a remote beach, where they plan to execute a plan fit for a Faces of Deathsequel. While the complicated lives they’ve seemingly fled—a pending jail sentence and the crushing weight of having lost child custody—suggest warranted comeuppance, the men nevertheless retreat into childishness. They set off snake fireworks, gorge themselves on convenience […]
The post “We Had a Real Permit For Once in Our Lives”: Joel Potrykus on His Tribeca-Premiering Vulcanizadora first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “We Had a Real Permit For Once in Our Lives”: Joel Potrykus on His Tribeca-Premiering Vulcanizadora first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/8/2024
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
It would seem that were one to gaze into the future of sci-fi filmmaking, society will never see an end to the concept of UFOs as a plot device, with “They’re Here” the latest, but far from greatest, contender for the spot of genre-defining piece presumably meant to spark a conversation about whether or not we remain alone in the vastness of space. While this particular outing may indeed be rich in onscreen conversation regarding the possibility of interstellar visitors between whoever might be occupying the film at any given moment, it’s far from eye-opening and, it would seem, purposely aimless.
Continue reading ‘They’re Here’ Review: A Small Group Of UFO Believers Don’t Make For A Captivating Film [Tribeca] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘They’re Here’ Review: A Small Group Of UFO Believers Don’t Make For A Captivating Film [Tribeca] at The Playlist.
- 6/8/2024
- by Brian Farvour
- The Playlist
Nicholas Meyer's 1982 sci-fi flick "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" was the first major acting gig for Kirstie Alley. Up to that point, Alley had only appeared on the sci-fi sitcom "Quark" as well as a few game shows like "Match Game." Alley wasn't even wholly devoted to acting at that stage, treating it more like a side-hustle than a career. It wouldn't be until she started auditioning for "Star Trek II" that she decided to focus on acting exclusively.
The circumstances surrounding Alley's audition are rather tragic, sadly. In the middle of the process, her mom was killed in a car accident and her father was left seriously injured. She stayed next to her father's bedside and Paramount, rather surprisingly, let her take all the time she needed. She spoke to her comatose father every day, telling him all about how she wanted to be an actor now,...
The circumstances surrounding Alley's audition are rather tragic, sadly. In the middle of the process, her mom was killed in a car accident and her father was left seriously injured. She stayed next to her father's bedside and Paramount, rather surprisingly, let her take all the time she needed. She spoke to her comatose father every day, telling him all about how she wanted to be an actor now,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Jude Law has been teasing audiences for decades now. His looks, charm, tenacity, and willingness to channel that success in interesting, unexpected directions have always been admirable. But one of his riskier pivots — perhaps only in retrospect — was David O. Russell’s 2004 ensemble black comedy, “I Heart Huckabees.” Co-starring Dustin Hoffman, Lily Tomlin, Jason Schwartzman, Mark Wahlberg, Naomi Watts, and many others, the film follows a group of interconnected lives all being investigated by “existential detectives.” Law had admired Russell and, unlike some of Russell’s past players, continues a relationship with the auteur to this day, but knows the film and the process of making it can be viewed with a negative light.
“The experience of making that film was bizarre,” said Law in a recent interview with Vanity Fair. “We were all there doing it for nothing, just loving being in each other’s company and playing. I remember fantasizing,...
“The experience of making that film was bizarre,” said Law in a recent interview with Vanity Fair. “We were all there doing it for nothing, just loving being in each other’s company and playing. I remember fantasizing,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
From its very first moments, “Antidote” unspools like a propulsive thriller. An off-camera voice asks Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev, “Did you ever think you’d be investigating an assassination plot against yourself?” From that startling introduction, director James Jones’ galvanizing documentary moves at a fast speed to tell its high-stakes story about Vladimir Putin’s Russia, contemporary investigative journalism and the people who put their lives in jeopardy for what they believe in.
In addition to Grozev, the film follows two other activists. The first is an unnamed scientist who participated in Russia’s poison-making program. After finding out that the poison he developed was being used to terminate Putin’s enemies, he turned whistleblower. The film chronicles how Grozev, who published his testimonies, attempts to help him and his family flee Russia into the European Union. His facial features have been digitally altered by the filmmakers to maintain his anonymity.
In addition to Grozev, the film follows two other activists. The first is an unnamed scientist who participated in Russia’s poison-making program. After finding out that the poison he developed was being used to terminate Putin’s enemies, he turned whistleblower. The film chronicles how Grozev, who published his testimonies, attempts to help him and his family flee Russia into the European Union. His facial features have been digitally altered by the filmmakers to maintain his anonymity.
- 6/8/2024
- by Murtada Elfadl
- Variety - Film News
In case you hadn't heard, the summer 2024 box office has been bad. Really, really, really, ridiculously bad. And when a situation is this bad, you need some bad boys to ride in and fix it -- or die trying. As luck would have it, "Bad Boys: Ride or Die" arrived in theaters this weekend, bringing with it the oxygen mask of an estimated $53 million opening weekend. The fourth movie in the action-comedy series starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence brought in $21.6 million on Friday, including $5.9 million from Thursday previews, which puts it on track to slightly outperform early projections (per The Hollywood Reporter).
That number isn't far behind the $61 million debut of "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" during this same weekend a year ago. Under ordinary circumstances, a $53 million opening weekend wouldn't be considered one of the high points of the summer box office, where movies will frequently open north of the $100 million mark.
That number isn't far behind the $61 million debut of "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts" during this same weekend a year ago. Under ordinary circumstances, a $53 million opening weekend wouldn't be considered one of the high points of the summer box office, where movies will frequently open north of the $100 million mark.
- 6/8/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
Woo Films, one of Mexico’s most successful indie companies behind such hit titles as Manolo Caro’s Netflix series “The House of Flowers” and lauded dramas “The Good Girls” (“Las Niñas Bien”) and “Los Adioses,” has teamed up with film collective Colectivo Colmena, to develop and produce three pics. Two of them are based on original ideas from Colmena and the third an adaptation of a Mexican novel.
Woo Films is taking “The Ballad of the Phoenix” (“La balada del fénix”), the first stop-motion animation feature by Cinema Fantasma (“Frankelda’s Book of Spooks”), to participate in the Guadalajara Film Festival’s co-production forum. This is one of three stop motion animation projects from Cinema Fantasma that Woo Films boarded last year.
“It is essential to support the growth of new voices in Mexican cinema to boost their visibility at a time when resources for independent film production and exhibition opportunities are scarce,...
Woo Films is taking “The Ballad of the Phoenix” (“La balada del fénix”), the first stop-motion animation feature by Cinema Fantasma (“Frankelda’s Book of Spooks”), to participate in the Guadalajara Film Festival’s co-production forum. This is one of three stop motion animation projects from Cinema Fantasma that Woo Films boarded last year.
“It is essential to support the growth of new voices in Mexican cinema to boost their visibility at a time when resources for independent film production and exhibition opportunities are scarce,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety - Film News
Everyone has their own unique choice for the best Stephen King movie — but what's the worst?
Before Stephen King became a best selling millionaire novelist, he scratched by a meager living selling short stories on the side. Some of those early short stories appeared in the University of Maine literary journal "Ubris," but King finally made one of his first professional sales with "Graveyard Shift," a horror story purchased and published by the magazine "Cavalier" in 1970. The story would later end up in King's well-loved short story collection "Night Shift," a book that served as a kind of gateway drug to budding King fans. And as long as there have been Stephen King books there have been Stephen King movies — his 1974 debut novel "Carrie" was adapted to the screen by 1976. From there, Hollywood was off and running, bring King's work to the movies left and right.
When 1990 rolled around, it...
Before Stephen King became a best selling millionaire novelist, he scratched by a meager living selling short stories on the side. Some of those early short stories appeared in the University of Maine literary journal "Ubris," but King finally made one of his first professional sales with "Graveyard Shift," a horror story purchased and published by the magazine "Cavalier" in 1970. The story would later end up in King's well-loved short story collection "Night Shift," a book that served as a kind of gateway drug to budding King fans. And as long as there have been Stephen King books there have been Stephen King movies — his 1974 debut novel "Carrie" was adapted to the screen by 1976. From there, Hollywood was off and running, bring King's work to the movies left and right.
When 1990 rolled around, it...
- 6/8/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Kerry Washington no longer plays the fictional Olivia Pope on “Scandal,” but she still suits up like a gladiator when it comes to expressing her opinions about Washington, D.C. and Hollywood.
The actress, producer, and director told Variety on the red carpet at the annual Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program luncheon that she is “sometimes reluctant” to tell people who they should support in politics, but she does believe in ‘”voting up and down the ballot for candidates that really support humanity and inclusivity.”
“I am voting for Biden, but part of the reason why I am is because it’s so important for us to hold our elected officials accountable,” she revealed during the event. “And I’m voting for the person who I think I can do that with – the person who I can engage with, have conversations with; the person who...
The actress, producer, and director told Variety on the red carpet at the annual Through Her Lens: The Tribeca Chanel Women’s Filmmaker Program luncheon that she is “sometimes reluctant” to tell people who they should support in politics, but she does believe in ‘”voting up and down the ballot for candidates that really support humanity and inclusivity.”
“I am voting for Biden, but part of the reason why I am is because it’s so important for us to hold our elected officials accountable,” she revealed during the event. “And I’m voting for the person who I think I can do that with – the person who I can engage with, have conversations with; the person who...
- 6/8/2024
- by Elizabeth Taylor
- Variety - Film News
We’ve all heard of the concept of “Save the Cat,” but before Lupita Nyong’o could do that, she first had to be able to face one. In her upcoming film, “A Quiet Place: Day One” — a prequel within the “Quiet Place” franchise — one of Nyong’o’s main companions throughout surviving the terrifying experience of alien invasion is a little furry friend. In a recent interview with Glamour, Nyong’o confessed her initial apprehension towards felines, but how undergoing “cat therapy” and making the film changed her attitude and her affection for the animal.
“I asked the director Michael Sarnoski if there was any way that we could change the animal. I suggested an armadillo; he was not having it,” Nyong’o said, later adding, “I had to learn a lot about myself, about the animal, before I was comfortable to do it.”
Nyong’o also found comfort in her human scene partner,...
“I asked the director Michael Sarnoski if there was any way that we could change the animal. I suggested an armadillo; he was not having it,” Nyong’o said, later adding, “I had to learn a lot about myself, about the animal, before I was comfortable to do it.”
Nyong’o also found comfort in her human scene partner,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ career has been defined by Hall of Fame sitcom roles in “Seinfeld” and “Veep” (not to mention her Emmy-winning turn in “The New Adventures of Old Christine”). But in her years since dominating the small screen, she’s gravitated toward a diverse array of film projects.
She played an oblivious Brentwood mom in Kenya Barris’ race relations comedy “You People,” a writer betrayed by her husband in Nicole Holofcener’s Sundance dramedy “You Hurt My Feelings” and the conniving CIA director in a handful of Marvel projects, including the upcoming “Thunderbolts.”
But perhaps her boldest project to date is A24’s “Tuesday,” the debut film from writer-director Daina O. Pusić in which Louis-Dreyfus stars as a mother forced to confront the fact that her terminally ill teenage daughter is dying. Death is a character, too, in the form of a talking parrot who delivers fate and, in one scene,...
She played an oblivious Brentwood mom in Kenya Barris’ race relations comedy “You People,” a writer betrayed by her husband in Nicole Holofcener’s Sundance dramedy “You Hurt My Feelings” and the conniving CIA director in a handful of Marvel projects, including the upcoming “Thunderbolts.”
But perhaps her boldest project to date is A24’s “Tuesday,” the debut film from writer-director Daina O. Pusić in which Louis-Dreyfus stars as a mother forced to confront the fact that her terminally ill teenage daughter is dying. Death is a character, too, in the form of a talking parrot who delivers fate and, in one scene,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety - Film News
Over two decades after its initial release, "Six Feet Under" is a uniquely of-its-time television show. The series about a family-owned funeral home and the dysfunctional constellation of people whose lives are shaped by it is often as emotional and riveting now as it was upon release, but it's also aged in interesting key ways. With "American Beauty" scribe Alan Ball and future "Transparent" creator Joey Soloway working behind the scenes, the series also builds in space for existential contemplation, playful and shocking transgression, and mistakes. Lots and lots of mistakes.
As the show wears on, how frequently — and how believably — the Fisher family screws up is at times directly correlated to how well the show's story succeeds. The writers of "Six Feet Under" put their characters through the wringer again and again in a move that makes the series' weakest seasons feel redundant, while its high points mine the mess-ups for heartfelt emotion,...
As the show wears on, how frequently — and how believably — the Fisher family screws up is at times directly correlated to how well the show's story succeeds. The writers of "Six Feet Under" put their characters through the wringer again and again in a move that makes the series' weakest seasons feel redundant, while its high points mine the mess-ups for heartfelt emotion,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Tom Hanks was a television star in 1982 and, 42 years ago, if what you really wanted was to be a movie star, that was a problem.
Actors had made the transition from small-screen success to big-screen stardom before, but Hanks' claim to fame was as one-half of the cross-dressing duo living in an all-women's apartment building on the ABC sitcom "Bosom Buddies." Though the show was initially a hit, the gimmick quickly wore thin, and Hanks found himself back on the casting market.
Post-"Bosom Buddies," Hanks' sole film credit was in the 1980 slasher flick "He Knows You're Alone," and, to his credit, he was so charismatic that the filmmakers opted not to kill him off onscreen. Still, that's not much to hang your hat on, nor was, unfortunately, two years of mild television notoriety. The biggest sitcom stars of the 1970s roughly in Hanks' age range were getting star vehicle...
Actors had made the transition from small-screen success to big-screen stardom before, but Hanks' claim to fame was as one-half of the cross-dressing duo living in an all-women's apartment building on the ABC sitcom "Bosom Buddies." Though the show was initially a hit, the gimmick quickly wore thin, and Hanks found himself back on the casting market.
Post-"Bosom Buddies," Hanks' sole film credit was in the 1980 slasher flick "He Knows You're Alone," and, to his credit, he was so charismatic that the filmmakers opted not to kill him off onscreen. Still, that's not much to hang your hat on, nor was, unfortunately, two years of mild television notoriety. The biggest sitcom stars of the 1970s roughly in Hanks' age range were getting star vehicle...
- 6/8/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
“I hope everyone gets to work with their best friend at least once in their lifetime. I know I can’t wait to finally do it,” Ryan Reynolds says sarcastically in the text for the new “Deadpool & Wolverine” teaser released today on National Best Friends Day.
What’s new in this trailer for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” given we’ve already seen a few teasers now? Well, Reynolds always said that his original pitch for a team-up with Hugh Jackman was a road trip movie, and certainly, this new teaser suggests that that’s still the case.
Continue reading Watch The New ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Teaser For Best Friends Day & The Stfu Silence Your Phones PSA at The Playlist.
What’s new in this trailer for “Deadpool & Wolverine,” given we’ve already seen a few teasers now? Well, Reynolds always said that his original pitch for a team-up with Hugh Jackman was a road trip movie, and certainly, this new teaser suggests that that’s still the case.
Continue reading Watch The New ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ Teaser For Best Friends Day & The Stfu Silence Your Phones PSA at The Playlist.
- 6/8/2024
- by The Playlist
- The Playlist
A new month is here, which gives us an excuse to showcase a whole new set of streaming horror movies. This month, we're looking at creature features! Monsters, insects, animas run amok — they're all here, ready to make mincemeat of unsuspecting humans who dare cross their paths. The creatures here come in all shapes and sizes, from normal-sized (killer) dogs to mutant sharks to city-leveling behemoths. They're mean, they're scary, they're not to be trifled with. Many of these beasts spring forth from nature, as if nature itself is fighting back against us puny, worthless human beings. Who will survive and what will be left of them? Let's find out.
Read more: The 50 Scariest Horror Movie Monsters Ranked
Godzilla Minus One
Streaming on Netflix.
In a surprise move, Netflix dropped the acclaimed, Oscar-winning "Godzilla Minus One" onto its platform with no warning on June 1. That's great news for those of...
Read more: The 50 Scariest Horror Movie Monsters Ranked
Godzilla Minus One
Streaming on Netflix.
In a surprise move, Netflix dropped the acclaimed, Oscar-winning "Godzilla Minus One" onto its platform with no warning on June 1. That's great news for those of...
- 6/8/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
In genre television series fandom, there isn't a more reliable argument starter than "What is the best episode of X show?" Devotees of "Star Trek" The Original Series will fight to their dying breath defending the likes of "The City on the Edge of Forever," "The Enemy Within," and "Amok Time". As for the original "The Twilight Zone," it could be "The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street," "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet," "To Serve Man," or just about any other episode because the series had very few duds. And then, of course, there's "Airwolf." Where to start with "Airwolf?" The winning move is not to start, because we'll never stop!
This topic becomes especially fraught when you're dealing with a long-running show like "Bones." Hart Hanson's amiable forensics procedural driven by the romantic chemistry between Emily Deschanel's brainy Temperance "Bones" Brennan and David Boreanaz's impulsive FBI Agent...
This topic becomes especially fraught when you're dealing with a long-running show like "Bones." Hart Hanson's amiable forensics procedural driven by the romantic chemistry between Emily Deschanel's brainy Temperance "Bones" Brennan and David Boreanaz's impulsive FBI Agent...
- 6/8/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
When Michael Angarano was trying to get “Sacramento,” his indie buddy comedy about two friends who go on a road trip to a certain state capital off the ground, the question he’d get was always the same. Does it really need to be set in Sacramento?
“At one point we were ready to shoot the movie in Atlanta — we had the financing and everything,” remembers Angarano, who directed the film, as well as co-wrote it. “And this was for a movie called ‘Sacramento.’ But it’s like why try to cheat it? Maybe, we should we just call it ‘Athens’ or ‘Savannah’?”
And even though Angarano and his co-writer Chris Smith weren’t that familiar with the city that inspired their film, its appearance on a highway sign, informing them of the California city’s distance from Los Angeles, was foundational. For them, Sacramento wasn’t just a destination,...
“At one point we were ready to shoot the movie in Atlanta — we had the financing and everything,” remembers Angarano, who directed the film, as well as co-wrote it. “And this was for a movie called ‘Sacramento.’ But it’s like why try to cheat it? Maybe, we should we just call it ‘Athens’ or ‘Savannah’?”
And even though Angarano and his co-writer Chris Smith weren’t that familiar with the city that inspired their film, its appearance on a highway sign, informing them of the California city’s distance from Los Angeles, was foundational. For them, Sacramento wasn’t just a destination,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
The life of a long-haul truck driver isn’t for everyone, nor could it be considered easy even for those years deep in the job; weeks/months away from home, the majority of any given 24-hour time period spent manipulating the steering wheel of a fully loaded 80,000-pound semi, sleep deprivation, the only meaningful social contact coming from the briefest of moments at a truck stop or over the chatter of a Cb radio, and the list goes on.
Continue reading ‘Driver’ Review: Documentary Explores The Trials And Tribulations Of Female Trucking [Tribeca] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Driver’ Review: Documentary Explores The Trials And Tribulations Of Female Trucking [Tribeca] at The Playlist.
- 6/8/2024
- by Brian Farvour
- The Playlist
Movies and television have often had a push-pull relationship. When brands and intellectual properties became king near the start of the 21st century, TV became the place to go for creatives who wanted to tell bold and original stories to a mainstream audience. In contrast, the social revolutions of the 1960s saw networks burying their heads in the sand, serving up a buffet of conservative-leaning sitcoms where just about everybody was white, straight, and Christian, nobody had sex or cursed, and things like the Civil Rights Movement or the Vietnam War might as well be happening on Neptune. Meanwhile, the pictures swung in the opposite direction; the rise of New Hollywood meant that the escapist studio fare of yore was no longer fashionable.
It was in this climate that Norman Lear came up with the idea for "All in the Family," inspired by the British dramedy series "Till Death Do Us Part...
It was in this climate that Norman Lear came up with the idea for "All in the Family," inspired by the British dramedy series "Till Death Do Us Part...
- 6/8/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
In the wake of a slow return to production post WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, industry contraction, and an extended M&a deal for a major studio that has kept the whole town on pins and needles, Hollywood really needs a break. Creatives and executives alike were hoping for a boost in the form of a strong summer box office, but after almost every blockbuster released in the last month failed to meet expectations, a panic that’s been in place for a while now refuses to relent. As the traditional process of producing and distributing film and television hurdles towards oblivion, the best thing one can do is take a step back and gain some perspective. Ironically enough, I believe the best place to do this is actually… at a movie theater. Just not the kind you’re probably thinking of.
While first-run mega-chains like AMC and Regal struggle through the...
While first-run mega-chains like AMC and Regal struggle through the...
- 6/8/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
It's practically impossible to talk about Mimi Leder's 1998 comet-based disaster film "Deep Impact" without also cursorily mentioning Michael Bay's 1998 comet-based disaster film "Armageddon." Leder's film was released on May 8, and was presented as a stern and realistic view of what might happen to the Earth if a massive, Mount Everest-sized comet struck. Bay's film was released on July 1, and presented a much more cartoony, ultra-macho version of the same story, this time with a comet the size of Texas. The former was about somber politicians planning for the worst, the latter was about muscular, blue-collar miners flying into space. Curiously, both films were hits; "Deep Impact" made $350 million on a budget of $80 million, and "Armageddon" made over $550 million on a budget of $140 million.
Of the two, "Deep Impact" is the "classy" choice, featuring a wide ensemble of recognizable actors, each doing their best to prepare for -- and...
Of the two, "Deep Impact" is the "classy" choice, featuring a wide ensemble of recognizable actors, each doing their best to prepare for -- and...
- 6/8/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)
1984 was a downright magical year at the movies. The number of titles released in that fateful year that have become classics is downright staggering. Wes Craven's influential horror classic "A Nightmare on Elm Street," Kevin Bacon's breakout hit "Footloose," James Cameron's masterwork "The Terminator," Steven Spielgerg's second Indiana Jones adventure "Temple of Doom," and Eddie Murphy's ridiculously huge blockbuster "Beverly Hills Cop." That's truly just scratching the surface. But 40 years ago in the summer of '84, two all-time cinematic classics premiered on the very same weekend.
While it's difficult to imagine now, director Joe Dante's "Gremlins" was released against director Ivan Reitman's "Ghostbusters." It was Warner Bros. vs. Columbia Pictures, with audiences left to choose between...
1984 was a downright magical year at the movies. The number of titles released in that fateful year that have become classics is downright staggering. Wes Craven's influential horror classic "A Nightmare on Elm Street," Kevin Bacon's breakout hit "Footloose," James Cameron's masterwork "The Terminator," Steven Spielgerg's second Indiana Jones adventure "Temple of Doom," and Eddie Murphy's ridiculously huge blockbuster "Beverly Hills Cop." That's truly just scratching the surface. But 40 years ago in the summer of '84, two all-time cinematic classics premiered on the very same weekend.
While it's difficult to imagine now, director Joe Dante's "Gremlins" was released against director Ivan Reitman's "Ghostbusters." It was Warner Bros. vs. Columbia Pictures, with audiences left to choose between...
- 6/8/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Curtis Hanson's crime drama "L.A. Confidential," based on the novel by James Ellroy, takes place in 1953 right after real-life crime boss Mickey Cohen had been arrested, creating a power vacuum in L.A.'s underworld. A mysterious and brutal massacre at a local diner -- a massacre that took the lives of several allegedly corrupt cops -- reveals a series of equally mysterious plots throughout the city, each of them being individually investigated by one of three cops. There is Edmund Exley (Guy Pearce), the by-the-book Boy Scout no one likes. There is Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), the celebrity cop who offer consultations to the hottest cop show on TV. And there is Bud White (Russell Crowe), a human fist who instinctively beats up criminals who piss him off or who dare to threaten women in his presence.
"L.A. Confidential" is one of the best films of the 1990s,...
"L.A. Confidential" is one of the best films of the 1990s,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Idris Elba is no stranger to playing darker roles, but sometimes the actor worries about just what a screenwriter was thinking when penning certain villains.
Elba told the Wall Street Journal that he finds playing “bad guy” characters to be a form of “therapy,” to some extent. Though it is the writers of such antagonists who perhaps need the real therapy. Or maybe just “a hug.”
“These people get to say things that we only think in the deepest, darkest recesses of our brains,” Elba said of certain roles. “They say horrible things and scream horrible things and get to be completely socially unacceptable. As an actor, that’s sometimes a gift, sometimes a bit of therapy. These characters tend to be well-written.”
He added, “When you see a really interesting bad guy, you’re going to think about the actor, but think about the writer. It’s the writer who’s dark.
Elba told the Wall Street Journal that he finds playing “bad guy” characters to be a form of “therapy,” to some extent. Though it is the writers of such antagonists who perhaps need the real therapy. Or maybe just “a hug.”
“These people get to say things that we only think in the deepest, darkest recesses of our brains,” Elba said of certain roles. “They say horrible things and scream horrible things and get to be completely socially unacceptable. As an actor, that’s sometimes a gift, sometimes a bit of therapy. These characters tend to be well-written.”
He added, “When you see a really interesting bad guy, you’re going to think about the actor, but think about the writer. It’s the writer who’s dark.
- 6/8/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The history of film is teeming with alternate endings that never saw the light of day, whether it's because of production troubles, executive meddling, or writers and directors simply changing their minds. In franchise-oriented blockbuster cinema, the practice of studying, testing, and even shooting different endings is especially prevalent, as those movies have to weather a host of artistic and commercial ambitions that the ending must facilitate simultaneously.
Superhero movies, with their precise storytelling geometry and enormous cultural presence, are particularly susceptible to having their endings reconsidered or reshot. There is an enormous pressure for superhero movie endings to work, to resolve the plot efficiently, to send viewers home buzzing for the right reasons. While that sometimes leads to great, refreshingly thoughtful storytelling decisions, it can also lead to conformity, blandness, and incongruence just as often -- especially when the ending has been changed out of sheer executive pressure.
This...
Superhero movies, with their precise storytelling geometry and enormous cultural presence, are particularly susceptible to having their endings reconsidered or reshot. There is an enormous pressure for superhero movie endings to work, to resolve the plot efficiently, to send viewers home buzzing for the right reasons. While that sometimes leads to great, refreshingly thoughtful storytelling decisions, it can also lead to conformity, blandness, and incongruence just as often -- especially when the ending has been changed out of sheer executive pressure.
This...
- 6/8/2024
- by Leo Noboru Lima
- Slash Film
Before he was crossing box office milestones with his blockbuster "Dune" duology, Denis Villeneuve was trying to make a name for himself with smaller-scale psychological thrillers. His 2013 English-language debut, "Prisoners," went a long way to establishing the French-Canadian filmmaker as a directorial force outside of his homeland — a status which was cemented after one of Villeneuve's best films, "Sicario," arrived in 2015. But while "Sicario" is often cited as the film that put the director on the map, there are many, this writer included, who consider "Prisoners" to be just as good a film, and perhaps an even more immersive and haunting experience.
The film's appeal endures even now, with "Prisoners" topping the Netflix charts in 2023 and reintroducing itself to a generation that may have missed some of Villeneuve's pre-blockbuster films. There's good reason for that. Villeneuve's 2013 effort works on multiple levels, as both a taut thriller with plenty of...
The film's appeal endures even now, with "Prisoners" topping the Netflix charts in 2023 and reintroducing itself to a generation that may have missed some of Villeneuve's pre-blockbuster films. There's good reason for that. Villeneuve's 2013 effort works on multiple levels, as both a taut thriller with plenty of...
- 6/8/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Many of the recurring faces on "The Simpsons" have the same voice: Harry Shearer. Alongside Hank Azaria, Shearer does more than double duty in playing the series' supporting cast. As a testament to his range, his roles run the gamut from nice guy Ned Flanders to milquetoast Principal Skinner (don't say Armin Tamzarian) to evil Mr. Charles Montgomery Burns, owner of the Springfield Nuclear Plant and Homer Simpson's boss.
Shearer is the definitive voice of Mr. Burns (he's been doing it for 30+ seasons), but he wasn't the first actor to voice the character. That would be the late Christopher Collins, who was briefly part of the "Simpsons" cast during its first season, which aired from 1989 to 1990. Collins voiced Burns in the following episodes: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire," "Homer's Odyssey," "There's No Disgrace Like Home," and "The Telltale Head."
Shearer took over in the season 1 episode "Homer's Night Out.
Shearer is the definitive voice of Mr. Burns (he's been doing it for 30+ seasons), but he wasn't the first actor to voice the character. That would be the late Christopher Collins, who was briefly part of the "Simpsons" cast during its first season, which aired from 1989 to 1990. Collins voiced Burns in the following episodes: "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire," "Homer's Odyssey," "There's No Disgrace Like Home," and "The Telltale Head."
Shearer took over in the season 1 episode "Homer's Night Out.
- 6/8/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
By the time Matt Groening began to develop "Futurama," his previous show, "The Simpsons," had already attained legendary status. As such, you might think his follow-up would have been treated with nothing but reverence and support. However, it seems Fox, who had been lampooned by "The Simpsons" on multiple occasions throughout its run, weren't all that excited for the debut of "Futurama." As "Futurama" voice actor Phil Lamarr, once put it during a panel:
"'The Simpsons' had basically launched the Fox network, so the executives at Fox at that time [that 'Futurama' launched] were not the people who launched the Fox network. So Matt Groening was way more important than them. They could not give him notes on 'The Simpsons,' but they could on 'Futurama.' 'Futurama' was his redheaded stepchild [mimicking a Fox exec] 'Oh, let's kick that one's a**. Yeah, we have some notes, Matt.'"
Those...
"'The Simpsons' had basically launched the Fox network, so the executives at Fox at that time [that 'Futurama' launched] were not the people who launched the Fox network. So Matt Groening was way more important than them. They could not give him notes on 'The Simpsons,' but they could on 'Futurama.' 'Futurama' was his redheaded stepchild [mimicking a Fox exec] 'Oh, let's kick that one's a**. Yeah, we have some notes, Matt.'"
Those...
- 6/8/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
“Diane von Furstenberg: Woman in Charge” makes the case for artistic simplicity, for better or worse. The story of an iconic 20th-century fashionista, it takes the form of a traditional talking-head documentary while exploring its eponymous subject: the Belgian designer and princess best known for bringing the wrap dress to prominence in the early 1970s. However, the distinction between von Furstenberg’s sleek, form-fitting design and the movie’s run-of-the-mill aesthetic is that while both approaches are in wider conversation with their respective art forms, von Fustenberg’s (re)invention went against society’s grain in its reclamation of femininity, while the visual approach from directors Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy and Trish Dalton remains shackled to age-old ideas of what a documentary ought to be.
The film is often informative, but makes for a passively entertaining watch despite the sheer of breadth of life von Furstenberg has lived. She speaks, softly but with conviction,...
The film is often informative, but makes for a passively entertaining watch despite the sheer of breadth of life von Furstenberg has lived. She speaks, softly but with conviction,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Variety - Film News
Even in the less conventional summer of 1984, the Spielberg-produced comedy horror was a gleeful rule-breaker
There’s no character in Joe Dante’s Gremlins more beloved than Randall Peltzer (Hoyt Axton), a struggling inventor from small-town Kingston Falls who travels the country bearing a great sales pitch (“I make the illogical logical”) and a bunch of products that keep backfiring on him. His Bathroom Buddy, a combination shaving mirror/toothbrush/toothpick/nail file/dental mirror, could be a Swiss army knife for overnighters were it not for a misfiring toothpaste button. His coffee machine makes sludge. His peeler-juicer is a kitchen-wide pulp explosion. And his egg-cracker is much more successful at breaking eggs than it’s designed to be.
Yet when Randall comes home for Christmas, he’s greeted to a hero’s welcome from his son, Billy (Zach Galligan), and his wife, Lynn (Frances Lee McCain), who laments...
There’s no character in Joe Dante’s Gremlins more beloved than Randall Peltzer (Hoyt Axton), a struggling inventor from small-town Kingston Falls who travels the country bearing a great sales pitch (“I make the illogical logical”) and a bunch of products that keep backfiring on him. His Bathroom Buddy, a combination shaving mirror/toothbrush/toothpick/nail file/dental mirror, could be a Swiss army knife for overnighters were it not for a misfiring toothpaste button. His coffee machine makes sludge. His peeler-juicer is a kitchen-wide pulp explosion. And his egg-cracker is much more successful at breaking eggs than it’s designed to be.
Yet when Randall comes home for Christmas, he’s greeted to a hero’s welcome from his son, Billy (Zach Galligan), and his wife, Lynn (Frances Lee McCain), who laments...
- 6/8/2024
- by Scott Tobias
- The Guardian - Film News
Indian cinema acting legend Amitabh Bachchan has shot a cameo in upcoming sequel “Fakt Purusho Maate.”
The Gujarati-language film is a sequel to 2022 hit “Fakt Mahilao Maate,” where he had a leading role. In that film, a young man finds himself able to read the thoughts of all women and he decides to use this power to help others with their relationship problems.
The sequel is a family drama that focuses on gender equality and conflicts between two generations. Bachchan, who is revered in the Indian film industry, will play God in the film. This is not the first time Bachchan has played God – he previously played the role in “God Tussi Great Ho” (2008).
“Fakt Purusho Maate” is produced by Anand Pandit and Vaishal Shah and is written and directed by Jay Bodas and Parth Trivedi. The cast also includes Yash Soni, Mitra Gadhvi, Esha Kansara and Darshan Jariwala.
Pandit...
The Gujarati-language film is a sequel to 2022 hit “Fakt Mahilao Maate,” where he had a leading role. In that film, a young man finds himself able to read the thoughts of all women and he decides to use this power to help others with their relationship problems.
The sequel is a family drama that focuses on gender equality and conflicts between two generations. Bachchan, who is revered in the Indian film industry, will play God in the film. This is not the first time Bachchan has played God – he previously played the role in “God Tussi Great Ho” (2008).
“Fakt Purusho Maate” is produced by Anand Pandit and Vaishal Shah and is written and directed by Jay Bodas and Parth Trivedi. The cast also includes Yash Soni, Mitra Gadhvi, Esha Kansara and Darshan Jariwala.
Pandit...
- 6/8/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
Gracie Otto’s documentary about her father – the legendary actor Barry Otto – blooms into a melancholy portrait of artistry and its burdens
All documentaries celebrating artistic geniuses face the challenge of how to recognise their talent without coming across as pure puffery. The dynamic is different in the rare event that the film-maker is personally related to the subject, as is the case in Revealed: Otto by Otto – a portrait of the great Australian actor Barry Otto directed by his daughter Gracie. She flips a potential downside – being so close to the person documented – into a virtue by crafting an emotionally rich film that truly could not have been made by anybody else. It is filled, like Otto’s performances, with light and shade.
Otto by Otto (which premiered at this year’s Sydney film festival and arrives on Stan on 16 June) begins unassumingly, with grainy home videos and footage...
All documentaries celebrating artistic geniuses face the challenge of how to recognise their talent without coming across as pure puffery. The dynamic is different in the rare event that the film-maker is personally related to the subject, as is the case in Revealed: Otto by Otto – a portrait of the great Australian actor Barry Otto directed by his daughter Gracie. She flips a potential downside – being so close to the person documented – into a virtue by crafting an emotionally rich film that truly could not have been made by anybody else. It is filled, like Otto’s performances, with light and shade.
Otto by Otto (which premiered at this year’s Sydney film festival and arrives on Stan on 16 June) begins unassumingly, with grainy home videos and footage...
- 6/8/2024
- by Luke Buckmaster
- The Guardian - Film News
On Friday nights, IndieWire After Dark takes a feature-length beat to honor fringe cinema in the streaming age.
First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.
Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The Pitch: Bikers and Beatniks and Bisexuals, Oh My!
Last month, the internet — or, at the very least, my queer film-obsessed corner of the internet — broke with the announcement of “Pillion,” a romance film starring Harry Melling as a stick-in-the-mud who becomes the submissive boy toy of a leather-clad biker hottie. The prospect of watching Melling, an underrated actor best known for his childhood role of the bratty Dudley Dursley, under the thumb of Alexander Skarsgård in fetish gear is no doubt enticing. But the hubbub over the film also served as...
First, the spoiler-free pitch for one editor’s midnight movie pick — something weird and wonderful from any age of film that deserves our memorializing.
Then, the spoiler-filled aftermath as experienced by the unwitting editor attacked by this week’s recommendation.
The Pitch: Bikers and Beatniks and Bisexuals, Oh My!
Last month, the internet — or, at the very least, my queer film-obsessed corner of the internet — broke with the announcement of “Pillion,” a romance film starring Harry Melling as a stick-in-the-mud who becomes the submissive boy toy of a leather-clad biker hottie. The prospect of watching Melling, an underrated actor best known for his childhood role of the bratty Dudley Dursley, under the thumb of Alexander Skarsgård in fetish gear is no doubt enticing. But the hubbub over the film also served as...
- 6/8/2024
- by Wilson Chapman and Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
While television had been a part of each past IndieWire Honors celebration, the medium took center stage on the evening of Thursday, June 6, with an event that celebrated the creators and stars of such well-regarded shows as “Abbott Elementary,” “Expats,” “Fellow Travelers,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” and “True Detective: Night Country.”
Even before the awards ceremony began, as talent started filing into the Citizen News venue in the heart of Hollywood, it was a marvel to see “Palm Royale” star and Vanguard Award recipient Carol Burnett hold court as fellow honorees like “Under the Bridge” producer/star Riley Keough, recipient of the Maverick Award, and “Abbott Elementary” creator/star Quinta Brunson, recipient of the Visionary Award (and whom Burnett presented an Emmy to in January), came to greet the comedy legend.
Serving as host was comedian Alex Edelman, of HBO special “Just For Us,” who teased that among the “13 incredible...
Even before the awards ceremony began, as talent started filing into the Citizen News venue in the heart of Hollywood, it was a marvel to see “Palm Royale” star and Vanguard Award recipient Carol Burnett hold court as fellow honorees like “Under the Bridge” producer/star Riley Keough, recipient of the Maverick Award, and “Abbott Elementary” creator/star Quinta Brunson, recipient of the Visionary Award (and whom Burnett presented an Emmy to in January), came to greet the comedy legend.
Serving as host was comedian Alex Edelman, of HBO special “Just For Us,” who teased that among the “13 incredible...
- 6/8/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
Witches, the sophomore feature from English filmmaker Elizabeth Sankey, poses an interesting hypothesis concerning the link between the English witch trials and maternal mental health. Sankey illustrates this correlation by utilizing filmic portrayals of sorceresses (from Häxan to The Craft) and “psychotic women” (from Rosemary’s Baby to Unsane), their historical accuracy and cultural relevance buttressed by insight from doctors, historians and those who’ve been diagnosed with postpartum mental illnesses. Sankey is perfectly poised to tackle the topic given that she spent several months in a mother and baby psychiatric unit after experiencing severe postpartum anxiety and depression that made her […]
The post “I Was Trying to Illustrate What It Was Like to Lose My Mind”: Elizabeth Sankey on Her Tribeca-Premiering Essay Doc Witches first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Was Trying to Illustrate What It Was Like to Lose My Mind”: Elizabeth Sankey on Her Tribeca-Premiering Essay Doc Witches first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 6/7/2024
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Logan “Stan” Garner, a train coordinator for movie and TV productions who often played a train conductor on film, died May 20 in Arizona. He was 83.
Born in Pasadena, he lived in Southern California until moving to Arizona in 2007. Garner was a founding partner with Short Line Enterprises, where he restored and operated 19th century steam locomotives and passenger cars for museums and excursion trains.
After film and TV producers began requesting trains, the company created a movie railroad backlot, which was used for productions until the late 1980s. As owner of the Train Source, he became a sought-out train coordinator, assembling locomotives, providing passenger and freight cars, creating sets for train crossings, tracks and stations and providing personnel for TV productions.
He became a SAG member and was often cast as a train conductor or railroad worker in productions.
Garner worked on over 300 feature films, TV episodes, movies of the week and music videos.
Born in Pasadena, he lived in Southern California until moving to Arizona in 2007. Garner was a founding partner with Short Line Enterprises, where he restored and operated 19th century steam locomotives and passenger cars for museums and excursion trains.
After film and TV producers began requesting trains, the company created a movie railroad backlot, which was used for productions until the late 1980s. As owner of the Train Source, he became a sought-out train coordinator, assembling locomotives, providing passenger and freight cars, creating sets for train crossings, tracks and stations and providing personnel for TV productions.
He became a SAG member and was often cast as a train conductor or railroad worker in productions.
Garner worked on over 300 feature films, TV episodes, movies of the week and music videos.
- 6/7/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety - Film News
Despite a copious amount of violence, multiple deaths, and slimy, goopy scenes wherein little monsters get blended, torched, melted, and otherwise horribly mutilated, Joe Dante's Frank Capra spoof "Gremlins" was released on June 8, 1984, with a PG rating from the Motion Picture Association of America. Producer Steven Spielberg recognized that "Gremlins," in being so tonally whimsical, wasn't quite raw enough to warrant an R-rating, yet also realized that it might be a little too terrifying for the kids who were allowed to see PG-rated movies. Spielberg suggested to the MPAA that it introduce a PG-13 rating to cover films like "Gremlins." It should also be noted that, in 1984, a PG rating was similarly given to Spielberg's violent adventure film "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," so it was high time a stop-gap be included.
The PG-13 rating was introduced on July 1, less than a month after "Gremlins" opened. Weirdly,...
The PG-13 rating was introduced on July 1, less than a month after "Gremlins" opened. Weirdly,...
- 6/7/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
“Do you have any idea how expensive it is to hire a twink?” Zach Cregger asked with mock exasperation during a recent Zoom call with IndieWire. “We have like nine twinks in our movie! That’s crazy! You couldn’t do that in the real world.”
The twink-filled topic of discussion was “Mars,” the new animated film that sees the cult sketch troupe “The Whitest Kids U’Know” reuniting one final time. Over the course of their eponymous show’s five-season run on IFC from 2007-2011, Cregger, Sam Brown, Trevor Moore, Timmy Williams, and Darren Trumeter built a passionate fanbase with their darkly absurd sketches, many of which centered around ill-advised advertising pitches like “The Grapist,” convoluted schemes, or lengthy debates between straight men about whether their homoerotic behavior was technically “gay.” Fans will be quick to tell you that the show’s lo-fi production value was part of its charm,...
The twink-filled topic of discussion was “Mars,” the new animated film that sees the cult sketch troupe “The Whitest Kids U’Know” reuniting one final time. Over the course of their eponymous show’s five-season run on IFC from 2007-2011, Cregger, Sam Brown, Trevor Moore, Timmy Williams, and Darren Trumeter built a passionate fanbase with their darkly absurd sketches, many of which centered around ill-advised advertising pitches like “The Grapist,” convoluted schemes, or lengthy debates between straight men about whether their homoerotic behavior was technically “gay.” Fans will be quick to tell you that the show’s lo-fi production value was part of its charm,...
- 6/7/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Joe Dante's "Gremlins" is a one-of-a-kind blockbuster from an era when studios hadn't quite yet developed the formula for producing hit movies. In the early 1980s, executives under pressure to find projects capable of breaking the coveted $100 million domestic mark relied heavily on movie stars or bestselling books, but to strike gold you needed vision. That meant finding a visionary.
There were two 30-something film brats who fit this profile during that period: George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. And since Lucas was, at the moment, a two-franchise man with "Star Wars" and the just-taking-off Indiana Jones series, Spielberg, who'd just set up his production company Amblin Entertainment at Universal Pictures, was the closest thing to a Walt Disney alive and unfrozen in Hollywood.
After scoring a one-two box-office knockout in 1982 with "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and "Poltergeist," Spielberg was eager to expand his burgeoning showbiz empire. For his first official,...
There were two 30-something film brats who fit this profile during that period: George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. And since Lucas was, at the moment, a two-franchise man with "Star Wars" and the just-taking-off Indiana Jones series, Spielberg, who'd just set up his production company Amblin Entertainment at Universal Pictures, was the closest thing to a Walt Disney alive and unfrozen in Hollywood.
After scoring a one-two box-office knockout in 1982 with "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" and "Poltergeist," Spielberg was eager to expand his burgeoning showbiz empire. For his first official,...
- 6/7/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Distribution veteran Wendy Lidell will depart Kino Lorber as SVP of theatrical acquisitions and distribution at the end of June after eight years to pursue a new, undisclosed, chapter.
Kino Lorber chairman and CEO Richard Lorber made the announcement on Friday and hailed Lidell as “the rarest amalgam of smart cinephile and canny business executive”.
Kino Lorber chief revenue officer Lisa Schwartz will oversee theatrical distribution and acquisitions in the interim and continue to report to Klmg president Ed Carroll.
Lidell joined the company in 2016. During her tenure she shepherded three documentaries to Oscar nominations – Gianfranco Rosi’s Fire At Sea,...
Kino Lorber chairman and CEO Richard Lorber made the announcement on Friday and hailed Lidell as “the rarest amalgam of smart cinephile and canny business executive”.
Kino Lorber chief revenue officer Lisa Schwartz will oversee theatrical distribution and acquisitions in the interim and continue to report to Klmg president Ed Carroll.
Lidell joined the company in 2016. During her tenure she shepherded three documentaries to Oscar nominations – Gianfranco Rosi’s Fire At Sea,...
- 6/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
Though many of our most popular films about astronauts are about men, like the true stories behind "Apollo 13" and "The Right Stuff," there are some incredible women who have explored the cosmos, chief among them Sally Ride. Ride was the first American woman in space as one of the crew of a Challenger expedition to launch new satellites in 1983, and she went into space a second time on the Challenger in 1984, spending a total of around 14 days in orbit. She was a trailblazer who not only broke barriers in space travel but was an incredible mind, earning four different degrees from Stanford University, including a doctorate in physics. Though she retired from NASA in 1989 to pursue a career in academia, Ride held the unique distinction of being the only person to serve on the investigation boards for both NASA shuttle accidents, including the 1986 Challenger explosion. Sadly, Ride died in 2012 at...
- 6/7/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
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