For the last round of horror and sci-fi home media releases for the month of November, we have an eclectic array of titles coming home this week. Vinegar Syndrome is keeping busy with a handful of titles being released on Tuesday, including Deadly Games (aka Dial Code Santa Claus), Cemetery of Terror, Blood Games, Rest in Pieces, The Severed Arm, and Whodunit? (aka Island of Blood). Arrow Video has put together He Came from the Swamp: The William Grefé Collection, which exploitation fans will undoubtedly want to pick up, and if you missed it when it hit limited theaters earlier this year, now you can catch up with Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula.
Other releases for November 24th include Blood Craft, Lycanimator, Haunting of the Mary Celeste, and Tourist Trap: VHS Retro Big Box Collection.
Blood Games
It all started as a simple game of softball... When a women's...
Other releases for November 24th include Blood Craft, Lycanimator, Haunting of the Mary Celeste, and Tourist Trap: VHS Retro Big Box Collection.
Blood Games
It all started as a simple game of softball... When a women's...
- 11/23/2020
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern star in an account of the notorious case of a supposedly reclusive author which pulls its punches
This movie returns us to the strangely unrewarding story of the “Jt LeRoy” literary hoax, recently discussed in Jeff Feuerzeig’s 2016 documentary Author: The Jt LeRoy Story.
“Jt LeRoy” was the pen name, or avatar, or bogus persona created by American author Laura Albert who wrote avowedly autobiographical fiction about a young boy’s experiences of homelessness and sexual abuse – but Albert compulsively posed as the supposedly reclusive and charismatic author on the phone to a growing number of journalists and celebrity fans.
This movie returns us to the strangely unrewarding story of the “Jt LeRoy” literary hoax, recently discussed in Jeff Feuerzeig’s 2016 documentary Author: The Jt LeRoy Story.
“Jt LeRoy” was the pen name, or avatar, or bogus persona created by American author Laura Albert who wrote avowedly autobiographical fiction about a young boy’s experiences of homelessness and sexual abuse – but Albert compulsively posed as the supposedly reclusive and charismatic author on the phone to a growing number of journalists and celebrity fans.
- 8/14/2019
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Three years after Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern both starred in Kelly Reichardt’s elegant 2016 drama “Certain Women,” the powerhouse actresses have reunited, and this time they actually share scenes — quite a few. Unfortunately, their new collaboration, “Jt LeRoy,” is uneven, heavy-handed, and entirely one sided in its point of view. Regardless of what went wrong, these two are very good together. The underlying story, with all of its fascinating questions of identity and who gets to tell what story, clearly struck a nerve for both of these thoughtful talents.
Named for the fictional persona at the center of the literary scandal that ensnared everyone from Winona Ryder to Courtney Love, “Jt LeRoy” tells the story of Laura Albert’s invention of an HIV-positive, transgender sex worker as her literary avatar, told from the perspective of the androgynous young person she enlisted to play him in public. Based on the memoir by Savannah Knoop,...
Named for the fictional persona at the center of the literary scandal that ensnared everyone from Winona Ryder to Courtney Love, “Jt LeRoy” tells the story of Laura Albert’s invention of an HIV-positive, transgender sex worker as her literary avatar, told from the perspective of the androgynous young person she enlisted to play him in public. Based on the memoir by Savannah Knoop,...
- 4/26/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
It is a truth universally acknowledged that everyone loves a good scam. From Elizabeth Holmes to Fyre Fest to ersatz German heiress Anna Delvey, grifters have had us all in their thrall. Yet in our zeal to find a new, juicy con-artist tale, we often forget about the scammers who paved the way, those who successfully lied and cheated their way to the top, so that morally compromised and ambitious members of future generations could follow suit. I am speaking, of course, of Jt LeRoy, the enigmatic former teenage hustler...
- 4/26/2019
- by EJ Dickson
- Rollingstone.com
When news broke of the true identity of author Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy folks threw around the word “hoax,” but the person behind the avatar, Laura Albert, hated that her creation was described that way.For her, Jt LeRoy was just as real as she was. Other authors over the course of history have long-used pen-names or fake identities to get further in publishing or to be taken more seriously, especially women, so what made Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy different than the Bronte sisters? The line in the sand moment—and this is where the story gets a little weird—is that Albert eventually hired someone to pose as Jt LeRoy, which gave him flesh. The person she hired was Savannah Knoop, her sister-in-law. Knoop went on to pose as LeRoy for six years and chronicled the experience in the fascinating 2008 memoir Girl, Boy, Girl: How I Became Jt Leroy. Before Jt...
- 4/26/2019
- MUBI
Kristen Stewart says her new film Jt LeRoy, which is out Friday, can help teach about the journey of gender identity.
The film, based on a true story, follows author Laura Albert (played by Laura Dern) who writes books under the pen name Jt LeRoy, the son of a truck stop hooker. When the popularity of the books grows, Laura enlists her sister-in-law Savannah Knoop (Stewart) to pretend to be the male persona and make public appearances. (Knoop, who uses they/them pronouns, released their memoir in 2008 titled Girl Boy Girl: How I Became Jt Leroy, which is the basis for the film)....
The film, based on a true story, follows author Laura Albert (played by Laura Dern) who writes books under the pen name Jt LeRoy, the son of a truck stop hooker. When the popularity of the books grows, Laura enlists her sister-in-law Savannah Knoop (Stewart) to pretend to be the male persona and make public appearances. (Knoop, who uses they/them pronouns, released their memoir in 2008 titled Girl Boy Girl: How I Became Jt Leroy, which is the basis for the film)....
- 4/25/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Kristen Stewart says her new film Jt LeRoy, which is out Friday, can help teach about the journey of gender identity.
The film, based on a true story, follows author Laura Albert (played by Laura Dern) who writes books under the pen name Jt LeRoy, the son of a truck stop hooker. When the popularity of the books grows, Laura enlists her sister-in-law Savannah Knoop (Stewart) to pretend to be the male persona and make public appearances. (Knoop, who uses they/them pronouns, released their memoir in 2008 titled Girl Boy Girl: How I Became Jt Leroy, which is the basis for the film)....
The film, based on a true story, follows author Laura Albert (played by Laura Dern) who writes books under the pen name Jt LeRoy, the son of a truck stop hooker. When the popularity of the books grows, Laura enlists her sister-in-law Savannah Knoop (Stewart) to pretend to be the male persona and make public appearances. (Knoop, who uses they/them pronouns, released their memoir in 2008 titled Girl Boy Girl: How I Became Jt Leroy, which is the basis for the film)....
- 4/25/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Following closing night festival screenings at Toronto and BFI Flare, director Justin Kelly’s Jt LeRoy opens in select Us cinemas, on demand and digital this Friday 26th April 2019. The compelling film chronicles the fascinating real life events that saw Savannah Knoop take on the public persona of celebrated author Jt Leroy, who was eventually revealed to be the creation and nom de plume of writer Laura Albert.
Whereas the 2016 documentary Author: The Jt Leroy Story focused largely on Albert, Kelly’s Jt LeRoy is based on the memoir Girl Boy Girl: How I Became Jt LeRoy by Savannah Knoop, who also co-wrote the screenplay, and recounts how events unfolded largely from their perspective. The film stars Laura Dern as Laura Albert and Kristen Stewart as Savannah Knoop, while the cast also features Courtney Love, Jim Sturgess and Diane Kruger.
James Kleinmann spoke exclusively to Justin Kelly and Savannah Knoop for HeyUGuys.
Whereas the 2016 documentary Author: The Jt Leroy Story focused largely on Albert, Kelly’s Jt LeRoy is based on the memoir Girl Boy Girl: How I Became Jt LeRoy by Savannah Knoop, who also co-wrote the screenplay, and recounts how events unfolded largely from their perspective. The film stars Laura Dern as Laura Albert and Kristen Stewart as Savannah Knoop, while the cast also features Courtney Love, Jim Sturgess and Diane Kruger.
James Kleinmann spoke exclusively to Justin Kelly and Savannah Knoop for HeyUGuys.
- 4/23/2019
- by James Kleinmann
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Anyone who thinks Kristen Stewart isn’t one of the under-sung actresses of her generation just isn’t paying attention. For years now, Stewart has been doing incredibly interesting work in films that fly largely under the radar. One of these days, it’s going to turn into an Academy Award nomination. Last year, she was buzzed about for Oscar attention with the biopic Jt LeRoy. A somewhat mixed reception at the Toronto International Film Festival pushed it back into 2019, erasing the buzz in the process. Well, opening this week, I can vouch for Stewart being excellent in it, with a tremendous turn from Laura Dern as well. The Tiff reviews got this one wrong, plain and simple. The movie is a biopic of Savannah Knoop (Stewart), who would spend about six years pretending to be a celebrated author by the name of Jt LeRoy. The write was merely the...
- 4/22/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Kristen Stewart is about to get roped into a major scam.
In a People exclusive clip of Justin Kelly’s upcoming film Jt LeRoy, Stewart, 29, portrays Savannah Knoop, a young woman who poses as a popular author while her sister-in-law writes the material.
In the clip, Savannah visits her brother Geoffrey (Jim Sturgess) and his wife Laura Albert (Laura Dern). Bombastic and eccentric, Laura overwhelms Savannah when she greets her.
“Savannah, Geoffrey’s baby sister! Look at this creature. Just as you said,” Laura tells Geoffrey as she cradles Savannah’s face in her hands.
Looking uncomfortable, Savannah remains silent...
In a People exclusive clip of Justin Kelly’s upcoming film Jt LeRoy, Stewart, 29, portrays Savannah Knoop, a young woman who poses as a popular author while her sister-in-law writes the material.
In the clip, Savannah visits her brother Geoffrey (Jim Sturgess) and his wife Laura Albert (Laura Dern). Bombastic and eccentric, Laura overwhelms Savannah when she greets her.
“Savannah, Geoffrey’s baby sister! Look at this creature. Just as you said,” Laura tells Geoffrey as she cradles Savannah’s face in her hands.
Looking uncomfortable, Savannah remains silent...
- 4/18/2019
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.com
Courtney Love plays a skeptical Hollywood producer in an exclusive clip for the upcoming film J.T. LeRoy, which premieres in theaters on April 26th.
The film stars Kristen Stewart stars Savannah Knoop, who spends six years posing as burgeoning author J.T. LeRoy, a male character entirely fabricated by her zany sister-in-law Laura Albert (Laura Dern). As J.T. rises to fame, Knoop and Albert do their best to disguise her gender—from telling a producer (Love) that she’s a deaf mute to sardonically reciprocating questions in a press conference,...
The film stars Kristen Stewart stars Savannah Knoop, who spends six years posing as burgeoning author J.T. LeRoy, a male character entirely fabricated by her zany sister-in-law Laura Albert (Laura Dern). As J.T. rises to fame, Knoop and Albert do their best to disguise her gender—from telling a producer (Love) that she’s a deaf mute to sardonically reciprocating questions in a press conference,...
- 4/15/2019
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Trailer-wise this week, we saw: Twitter go batshit over the ‘Joker’ teaser, featuring Joaquin Phoenix as the world’s most famous supervillain; a first look at Jim Jarmusch’s all-star zombie movie; clips for two returning series; more Zac Efron as Ted Bundy; and Kristen Stewart as one half of the most notorious literary hoax of the 21st century. Check it out.
Cobra Kai, Season 2
Because you can never sweep too many legs, Johnny. The Karate Kid spin-off/franchise extension/YouTube original returns on April 24th. “Cobra Kai … never dies!
Cobra Kai, Season 2
Because you can never sweep too many legs, Johnny. The Karate Kid spin-off/franchise extension/YouTube original returns on April 24th. “Cobra Kai … never dies!
- 4/6/2019
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
It was a shocking deception and one of the most significant literary hoaxes of the century. The short version of the true-life story: A troubled author (Laura Albert) masqueraded as a fictional teenage boy from a broken home and got the sister of her boyfriend, to appear as said novelist in public appearances. In some circles, the name Jt LeRoy was ubiquitous, especially when the true identity was revealed and the media controversy exploded.
The shocking narrative of infamous literary figure Jt LeRoy is one at least the savvy, culturally-aware public is intimately familiar with not only through the author’s works and their subsequent revelations, but the various cinematic treatments.
Continue reading ‘Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy’ Trailer: Kristen Stewart Takes On A Famous Hoax at The Playlist.
The shocking narrative of infamous literary figure Jt LeRoy is one at least the savvy, culturally-aware public is intimately familiar with not only through the author’s works and their subsequent revelations, but the various cinematic treatments.
Continue reading ‘Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy’ Trailer: Kristen Stewart Takes On A Famous Hoax at The Playlist.
- 4/4/2019
- by Ciaran Rooney-Cespedes
- The Playlist
Universal Pictures has released the trailer for “Jt LeRoy,” writer-director Justin Kelly’s take on one of the most infamous literary scandals of the last 20 years. Formerly known as “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” it stars Laura Dern as the writer who made up the pseudonymous persona and Kristen Stewart as the sister-in-law who portrayed LeRoy in public — and if that sounds confusing, just imagine how everyone who bought the books felt. Avail yourself of the trailer below.
Here’s the synopsis: “Laura Albert (Dern) writes tough, insightful fiction under a pseudonym, Jt LeRoy. Her Jt is not just a pen name but a whole persona, a teenage boy from West Virginia living a dangerous life as a truck stop sex worker. Laura was born in Brooklyn a generation earlier, and grew up in New York’s punk scene. Writing books such as ‘The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things’ as Jt...
Here’s the synopsis: “Laura Albert (Dern) writes tough, insightful fiction under a pseudonym, Jt LeRoy. Her Jt is not just a pen name but a whole persona, a teenage boy from West Virginia living a dangerous life as a truck stop sex worker. Laura was born in Brooklyn a generation earlier, and grew up in New York’s punk scene. Writing books such as ‘The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things’ as Jt...
- 4/4/2019
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Premiering last fall at the Toronto International Film Festival, J.T. Leroy (then titled Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy) tells the true story as captured in Savannah Knoop’s 2008 memoir Girl Boy Girl: How I Became Jt LeRoy. Starring Kristen Stewart as the author who conned her way through the literary world under the titular fake persona, the film is directed by Justin Kelly (I Am Michael). Also starring Laura Dern, Jim Sturgess, Courtney Love, and Diane Kruger, the film will now arrive later this month and now the first trailer has landed.
Christopher Schobert praised Stewart, saying in his review, “It’s a stunning performance, one matched by the wondrous Laura Dern as Laura Albert, the author who created LeRoy and wrote his works. Jeremiah is bouncy and pleasing, if overfamiliar and never as insightful as one would hope. That is not necessarily the fault of director Justin Kelly, who co-wrote the film with Koop herself.
Christopher Schobert praised Stewart, saying in his review, “It’s a stunning performance, one matched by the wondrous Laura Dern as Laura Albert, the author who created LeRoy and wrote his works. Jeremiah is bouncy and pleasing, if overfamiliar and never as insightful as one would hope. That is not necessarily the fault of director Justin Kelly, who co-wrote the film with Koop herself.
- 4/4/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
In J.T. Leroy, Savannah Knoop (Kristen Stewart) is very excited to be moving to a big city, where she can finally start her life as an adult. She experiences new, great things and is happy to meet new, cool people through her brother Geoffrey (Jim Sturgess). Most notably, she becomes close to Geoffrey's charismatic wife, Laura Albert (Laura Dern), who convinces Savannah to take on a whole new persona. Laura has written a book under the pen name J.T. Leroy and, for her own purposes, wants...
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- 4/3/2019
- by affiliates@fandango.com
- Fandango
Sneak Peek writer/director Justin Kelly's romantic drama feature "Jt LeRoy", based on the memoir "Girl Boy Girl: How I Became Jt Leroy" by Savannah Knoop starring Kristen Stewart, opening April 26, 2019:
"...'Savannah Knoop' (Stewart) spends six years masquerading as 'Laura Albert' and her literary persona 'Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy'.
"In 2006, The New York Times sent shockwaves through the literary world when it unmasked 'it boy' wunderkind 'Jt LeRoy', whose tough prose about a sordid childhood had captivated icons and luminaries internationally.
"It turned out LeRoy didn't actually exist. He was the creative expression of 40-year-old San Francisco housewife, 'Laura Albert' (Laura Dern) whose epic and entertaining account plunges us into a glittery world of rock shows and fashion events, ultimately revealing that channeling her brilliant fiction through another identity was her only possible path to self-expression..."
Cast also includes Diane Kruger as 'Eva', Jim Sturgess as 'Geoffrey Knoop',...
"...'Savannah Knoop' (Stewart) spends six years masquerading as 'Laura Albert' and her literary persona 'Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy'.
"In 2006, The New York Times sent shockwaves through the literary world when it unmasked 'it boy' wunderkind 'Jt LeRoy', whose tough prose about a sordid childhood had captivated icons and luminaries internationally.
"It turned out LeRoy didn't actually exist. He was the creative expression of 40-year-old San Francisco housewife, 'Laura Albert' (Laura Dern) whose epic and entertaining account plunges us into a glittery world of rock shows and fashion events, ultimately revealing that channeling her brilliant fiction through another identity was her only possible path to self-expression..."
Cast also includes Diane Kruger as 'Eva', Jim Sturgess as 'Geoffrey Knoop',...
- 3/28/2019
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Exclusive: ICM Partners has signed filmmaker Justin Kelly, whose upcoming film Jt LeRoy starring Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern hits theaters in April.
Early on in his career, Kelly cut his teeth directing and editing music videos for artists such as Gossip, Hunx and his Punx and Tiny Hearts and working as an editor.
Kelly’s feature directorial debut I Am Michael, which he adapted from Benoit Denizet-Lewis’ New York Times Magazine article “My Ex-Gay Friend” followed the true-life story of Michael Glatze, a gay activist who became a Christian pastor after identifying himself as a heterosexual. Gus Van Sant executive produced the feature which starred James Franco, Zachary Quinto and Emma Roberts. The film went on to premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and Berlinale.
Kelly continued on to write and direct IFC’s King Cobra about veteran gay pornography producer Stephen who battles two rival producers over the...
Early on in his career, Kelly cut his teeth directing and editing music videos for artists such as Gossip, Hunx and his Punx and Tiny Hearts and working as an editor.
Kelly’s feature directorial debut I Am Michael, which he adapted from Benoit Denizet-Lewis’ New York Times Magazine article “My Ex-Gay Friend” followed the true-life story of Michael Glatze, a gay activist who became a Christian pastor after identifying himself as a heterosexual. Gus Van Sant executive produced the feature which starred James Franco, Zachary Quinto and Emma Roberts. The film went on to premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and Berlinale.
Kelly continued on to write and direct IFC’s King Cobra about veteran gay pornography producer Stephen who battles two rival producers over the...
- 2/26/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Stars: Charles Klausmeyer, Mark Kinsey Stephenson, Alexandra Durrell, Laura Albert, Eben Ham, Blane Wheatley, Mark Parra, Delbert Spain, Colin Cox, Paul Farmer, Katrin Alexandre | Written and Directed by Jean-Paul Oullette
Written and directed by Jean-Paul Ouellette, based on the story from legendary horror author H.P. Lovecraft, The Unnamable is one of those films that passed me by growing up. I knew about the film, mainly thanks to the 1992 sequel – released in the UK as The Unnamable Returns – which was heavily, and I do mean heavily, promoted upon it’s release. Hell, it seemed like every movie magazine I read (remember those days?) had ads for The Unnamable Returns and every VHS rental had a trailer for the movie. But at the time I could never track down the original film and I never caught the film on DVD… So this Blu-ray release, from Unearthed Films, is a first-time watch for me.
Written and directed by Jean-Paul Ouellette, based on the story from legendary horror author H.P. Lovecraft, The Unnamable is one of those films that passed me by growing up. I knew about the film, mainly thanks to the 1992 sequel – released in the UK as The Unnamable Returns – which was heavily, and I do mean heavily, promoted upon it’s release. Hell, it seemed like every movie magazine I read (remember those days?) had ads for The Unnamable Returns and every VHS rental had a trailer for the movie. But at the time I could never track down the original film and I never caught the film on DVD… So this Blu-ray release, from Unearthed Films, is a first-time watch for me.
- 11/26/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Written and directed by Jean-Paul Ouellette, based on the story from legendary horror author H.P. Lovecraft, The Unnamable is finally making its way to Blu-ray and DVD October 23rd from Unearthed Films, whose output is mostly known for being on the more “extreme” side (check out our reviews of some of Unearthed’s previous releases here), but who are moving into more mainstream fare via their new Unearthed Classics imprint.
College students from Miskatonic University who retreat to an early 18th-century mansion for a weekend of lust are stalked by a fatalistic female. The demon delights in tearing the limbs off her human victims to carry out a centuries-old family curse.
Bloody graphic violence and nudity is combined with some campy comedy in this stone-cold classic of the Dtv era, which has now been restored as a beautiful 4k scan and color corrected from the original negative, the 1st 2,000 units...
College students from Miskatonic University who retreat to an early 18th-century mansion for a weekend of lust are stalked by a fatalistic female. The demon delights in tearing the limbs off her human victims to carry out a centuries-old family curse.
Bloody graphic violence and nudity is combined with some campy comedy in this stone-cold classic of the Dtv era, which has now been restored as a beautiful 4k scan and color corrected from the original negative, the 1st 2,000 units...
- 10/4/2018
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
The Jt LeRoy story - or hoax, as some would prefer to call it - all comes down to how one chooses to perceive it. Those who say “nay”, scoff it off as the story of a malicious literary swindler who only garnered international acclaim on account of her fraudulently extravagant backstory and her attention-addict patsy. For yaysayers, the multifaceted Laura Albert and Savannah Knoop story is extravagantly fraudulent and thus full of scintillating appeal. At its best, the Jt LeRoy story is the ultimate Dadaist, situationist, ‘prank’ on pop-culture, that not-entirely intentionally lampooned the high society art scene, while raising fascinating talking points around identity manipulation, displacement in performance art, and the liberation of permission as an essential excuse for expression. Through the avatar,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 9/20/2018
- Screen Anarchy
Closing night in Toronto brought Justin Kelly’s low-budget indie labor of love, “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” which lured two bankable actresses with its twisted but true tale of mistaken author/avatar identity. Dern flew to Toronto from filming “Little Women” and Stewart from the set of “Charlie’s Angels” to help Kelly sell the movie in Toronto. The filmmakers wanted to screen “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy” to friendly Tiff fans in order to land some upbeat reactions. (Metascore: 63.)
“This is as independent as it can get,” said Dern on the phone from the Tiff press day. “If a distributor gives Justin the time and love he needs to shape it, it’s about being able to finesse a thing we made on a shoestring.”
Clearly, both actresses rolled up their sleeves on set. When extras didn’t arrive in late ’90s-early ’00s period clothing, Dern and Stewart threw T-shirts on them...
“This is as independent as it can get,” said Dern on the phone from the Tiff press day. “If a distributor gives Justin the time and love he needs to shape it, it’s about being able to finesse a thing we made on a shoestring.”
Clearly, both actresses rolled up their sleeves on set. When extras didn’t arrive in late ’90s-early ’00s period clothing, Dern and Stewart threw T-shirts on them...
- 9/17/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Closing night in Toronto brought Justin Kelly’s low-budget indie labor of love, “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” which lured two bankable actresses with its twisted but true tale of mistaken author/avatar identity. Dern flew to Toronto from filming “Little Women” and Stewart from the set of “Charlie’s Angels” to help Kelly sell the movie in Toronto. The filmmakers wanted to screen “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy” to friendly Tiff fans in order to land some upbeat reactions. (Metascore: 63.)
“This is as independent as it can get,” said Dern on the phone from the Tiff press day. “If a distributor gives Justin the time and love he needs to shape it, it’s about being able to finesse a thing we made on a shoestring.”
Clearly, both actresses rolled up their sleeves on set. When extras didn’t arrive in late ’90s-early ’00s period clothing, Dern and Stewart threw T-shirts on them...
“This is as independent as it can get,” said Dern on the phone from the Tiff press day. “If a distributor gives Justin the time and love he needs to shape it, it’s about being able to finesse a thing we made on a shoestring.”
Clearly, both actresses rolled up their sleeves on set. When extras didn’t arrive in late ’90s-early ’00s period clothing, Dern and Stewart threw T-shirts on them...
- 9/17/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
By any reasonable expectation, the casting of Kristen Stewart in the role of Savannah Knoop, the young woman who impersonated the fictional literary sensation Jt LeRoy, which was created by her brother’s unstable girlfriend Laura Albert (Laura Dern), should have been enough of a coup. Stewart’s own prickly relationship with celebrity, her androgynous beauty and embrace of queer identity, would by itself have added more than enough layers of metatextual intrigue to the story of a bisexual woman who pretended to be a bisexual man who was entirely the creation of another woman.
But the timing of Justin Kelly’s film about a literary hoax that exposed the hypocrisy surrounding the idea of authenticity in the publishing world has repercussions that far outstrip the original plan. Uncomfortably thrust into close proximity to the allegations of sexual abuse leveled against #MeToo pioneer Asia Argento, as enjoyable as the film...
But the timing of Justin Kelly’s film about a literary hoax that exposed the hypocrisy surrounding the idea of authenticity in the publishing world has repercussions that far outstrip the original plan. Uncomfortably thrust into close proximity to the allegations of sexual abuse leveled against #MeToo pioneer Asia Argento, as enjoyable as the film...
- 9/16/2018
- by Jessica Kiang
- Variety Film + TV
by Chris Feil
The newest from King Cobra director Justin Kelly, Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy, opens with Laura Dern’s gruff, heavy twang voiceover echoing through a dark theatre. Even though the film charts the wild rise of the famous alias author before inevitable and controversial decline, the shock of her accented voice is about as gasp inducing as the film gets. Dern stars as Laura Albert, the artist that created the LeRoy illusion and wrote several successful novels in his voice. The film also stars Kristen Stewart as Savannah Knoop, the woman that Albert convinced to portray Jt in public and helped shape him in non-binary Warhol-ish mode. “Jt” claims that fiction can be more true than truth (or... something), but Kelly’s film is far from making that case.
The newest from King Cobra director Justin Kelly, Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy, opens with Laura Dern’s gruff, heavy twang voiceover echoing through a dark theatre. Even though the film charts the wild rise of the famous alias author before inevitable and controversial decline, the shock of her accented voice is about as gasp inducing as the film gets. Dern stars as Laura Albert, the artist that created the LeRoy illusion and wrote several successful novels in his voice. The film also stars Kristen Stewart as Savannah Knoop, the woman that Albert convinced to portray Jt in public and helped shape him in non-binary Warhol-ish mode. “Jt” claims that fiction can be more true than truth (or... something), but Kelly’s film is far from making that case.
- 9/16/2018
- by Chris Feil
- FilmExperience
Kristen Stewart’s young career is peppered with highs–most notably, Olivier Assayas’s Clouds of Sils Maria and Personal Shopper–but the actress has never been more natural, more unaffected, or as legitimately fascinating onscreen as she is in Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy. As Savannah Koop, the infamous “body” of nonexistent author Jt LeRoy, Stewart is vulnerable, funny, and wounded. Yet she’s also nonchalantly charismatic, showing how and why the sight of the quiet, bewigged LeRoy was so utterly enticing to a world craving for mystery.
It’s a stunning performance, one matched by the wondrous Laura Dern as Laura Albert, the author who created LeRoy and wrote his works. Jeremiah is bouncy and pleasing, if overfamiliar and never as insightful as one would hope. That is not necessarily the fault of director Justin Kelly, who co-wrote the film with Koop herself. It has far more to do with...
It’s a stunning performance, one matched by the wondrous Laura Dern as Laura Albert, the author who created LeRoy and wrote his works. Jeremiah is bouncy and pleasing, if overfamiliar and never as insightful as one would hope. That is not necessarily the fault of director Justin Kelly, who co-wrote the film with Koop herself. It has far more to do with...
- 9/12/2018
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
The true story of Jt LeRoy, an invented persona that fooled the books world, has powerful parallels with the actor’s own scrutinised personal life
Of the actors slated to star in Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy when Justin Kelly first got the production’s wheels turning in 2016, only Kristen Stewart saw it through to shooting. She plays Savannah Knoop, a young woman who posed as the invented literary persona Jt LeRoy in the early 2000s, and thank the gods of cinema she stuck around. A fascinating synergy runs both ways between Stewart and the unlikely story of Leroy’s ascent to stardom in the publishing world. The actor’s intensively documented public life adds one more layer to a film that already has a lot on its mind regarding celebrity, constructed identity, gender and authenticity.
Both Stewart and LeRoy, a 19-year-old street kid created by Knoop’s sister-in-law Laura Albert (Laura Dern...
Of the actors slated to star in Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy when Justin Kelly first got the production’s wheels turning in 2016, only Kristen Stewart saw it through to shooting. She plays Savannah Knoop, a young woman who posed as the invented literary persona Jt LeRoy in the early 2000s, and thank the gods of cinema she stuck around. A fascinating synergy runs both ways between Stewart and the unlikely story of Leroy’s ascent to stardom in the publishing world. The actor’s intensively documented public life adds one more layer to a film that already has a lot on its mind regarding celebrity, constructed identity, gender and authenticity.
Both Stewart and LeRoy, a 19-year-old street kid created by Knoop’s sister-in-law Laura Albert (Laura Dern...
- 9/11/2018
- by Charles Bramesco
- The Guardian - Film News
Justin Kelly’s “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” the closing-night film at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, occupies a difficult slot at the mammoth festival. Tiff’s closing-night films typically don’t go on to enjoy significant commercial or critical success, more often destined for quick obscurity in the U.S. market.
Last year’s closing film, for instance, was the French comedy “C’est La Vie!” Before that, “The Edge of Seventeen” and “Mr. Right” at least made a little noise at the box office, “A Little Chaos” and “Life of Crime” less so.
But there’s good news and bad news for “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” which stars Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart and had its first press screening on Monday in advance of Saturday’s closing-night gala.
Also Read: 'If Beale Street Could Talk' Review: Barry Jenkins Delivers Stunning Romance With Aftertaste of Injustice
The good news is that current...
Last year’s closing film, for instance, was the French comedy “C’est La Vie!” Before that, “The Edge of Seventeen” and “Mr. Right” at least made a little noise at the box office, “A Little Chaos” and “Life of Crime” less so.
But there’s good news and bad news for “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” which stars Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart and had its first press screening on Monday in advance of Saturday’s closing-night gala.
Also Read: 'If Beale Street Could Talk' Review: Barry Jenkins Delivers Stunning Romance With Aftertaste of Injustice
The good news is that current...
- 9/10/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Jt Leroy saga is readymade for the movies, and two years ago it gave birth to Jeff Feuerzeig’s documentary “Author: The Jt Leroy Story.” That provided a fascinating overview of extensive scheme by Bay Area author Laura Albert, who wrote under the nom de plume of the fictional Leroy and gave him a backstory, hoodwinking fans all over the world by pretending that (s)he was a former teen prostitute with prodigal talent.
Albert pulled it off for years, pretending to be Leroy on the phone while sending her androgynous sister-in-law Savannah Knoop to play the character in public. But while “Author” explores the eccentric Albert’s identity crisis in her own words, it relegated Knoop to a supporting character. Writer-director Justin Kelly’s “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy” puts her front and center, bringing an intriguing new angle on the bizarre literary con as we see Knoop being forced...
Albert pulled it off for years, pretending to be Leroy on the phone while sending her androgynous sister-in-law Savannah Knoop to play the character in public. But while “Author” explores the eccentric Albert’s identity crisis in her own words, it relegated Knoop to a supporting character. Writer-director Justin Kelly’s “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy” puts her front and center, bringing an intriguing new angle on the bizarre literary con as we see Knoop being forced...
- 9/10/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
While the Toronto International Film Festival doesn’t boast a market as robust as Sundance or Cannes, there are always big deals; buyers like to see how movies wow Tiff critics and crowds. Most of all, the massive lineup of 300-plus films means that there’s the possibility of identifying a film that others overlook. “Nobody knew that movie was going to be what it was,” said Focus Features’ distribution chief Lisa Bunnell, remembering a little movie by Kathryn Bigelow, “The Hurt Locker.” “The real surprise is nothing you can predict.”
Most Tiff slates are packed with Oscar contenders. Fox Searchlight has “The Favourite” and “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”; for Sony Pictures Classics it’s foreign-language titles “Capernaum,” “Sunset,” and “Never Look Away.” Annapurna has Barry Jenkins’ Tiff world premiere, “If Beale Street Could Talk,” and Jacques Audiard’s “The Sister Brothers,” while Focus brings “Boy Erased.”
However, it...
Most Tiff slates are packed with Oscar contenders. Fox Searchlight has “The Favourite” and “Can You Ever Forgive Me?”; for Sony Pictures Classics it’s foreign-language titles “Capernaum,” “Sunset,” and “Never Look Away.” Annapurna has Barry Jenkins’ Tiff world premiere, “If Beale Street Could Talk,” and Jacques Audiard’s “The Sister Brothers,” while Focus brings “Boy Erased.”
However, it...
- 9/6/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The Toronto Film Festival announced today that the World Premiere of Outlaw King, David Mackenzie’s period drama chronicling the rise of 14th-century Scottish hero Robert the Bruce, will be the Opening Night Gala Presentation for the 43rd Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday, September 6, at Roy Thomson Hall.
This epic David-versus-Goliath tale reunites award-winning director David Mackenzie with his Hell or High Water actor Chris Pine, who takes on the starring role of the legendary Scottish king who leads a band of outlaws to reclaim the throne from the clutches of the English crown and its army. The film also stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Florence Pugh, and Billy Howle.
“Tiff’s Opening Night Film, Outlaw King, tells a powerful story that is rich in drama, excitement, romance, and adventure,” said Piers Handling, Director & CEO of Tiff. “Audiences are promised a thrilling journey back in time, as...
This epic David-versus-Goliath tale reunites award-winning director David Mackenzie with his Hell or High Water actor Chris Pine, who takes on the starring role of the legendary Scottish king who leads a band of outlaws to reclaim the throne from the clutches of the English crown and its army. The film also stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Florence Pugh, and Billy Howle.
“Tiff’s Opening Night Film, Outlaw King, tells a powerful story that is rich in drama, excitement, romance, and adventure,” said Piers Handling, Director & CEO of Tiff. “Audiences are promised a thrilling journey back in time, as...
- 8/14/2018
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
“Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy” is not the first movie to star indie darlings Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern, but it is the first one to feature them sharing the screen together. The two actresses appeared in different segments of Kelly Reichardt’s 2016 drama “Certain Women,” which became the filmmaker’s highest grossing movie to date thanks to their star power. Now Dern and Stewart have teamed up for “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” world premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival next month.
“Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy” is the latest from writer-director Justin Kelly, the filmmaker behind “King Cobra” and “I Am Michael.” The film is a true story drama featuring Dern as Laura Albert, who became a literary sensation under the name Jt Leroy. Albert recruited her sister-in-law Savannah Knoop (Stewart) to play Leroy in public appearances.
The film is based on Knoop’s 2008 tell-all memoir “Girl Boy Girl: How I Became Jt Leroy.
“Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy” is the latest from writer-director Justin Kelly, the filmmaker behind “King Cobra” and “I Am Michael.” The film is a true story drama featuring Dern as Laura Albert, who became a literary sensation under the name Jt Leroy. Albert recruited her sister-in-law Savannah Knoop (Stewart) to play Leroy in public appearances.
The film is based on Knoop’s 2008 tell-all memoir “Girl Boy Girl: How I Became Jt Leroy.
- 8/14/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The Toronto International Film Festival has announced both of its bookending premiere events, with David Mackenzie’s historical drama “Outlaw King” set to open the festival and Justin Kelly’s fact-based “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy” on deck to close out the event. Mackenzie’s period drama stars Chris Pine, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Florence Pugh, and Billy Howle and chronicles the rise of 14th-century Scottish hero Robert the Bruce.
The festival will close with another historical drama, but one of a very different stripe and with a wholly different message. Kelly’s take on Savannah Knoop’s memoir ”Girl Boy Girl: How I Became Jt LeRoy” stars Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern.
The world premiere of “Outlaw King” will open the festival on Thursday, September 6, at Roy Thomson Hall. The film tells the “untold, true story of Robert the Bruce, who transforms from defeated nobleman to outlaw hero during the oppressive occupation of...
The festival will close with another historical drama, but one of a very different stripe and with a wholly different message. Kelly’s take on Savannah Knoop’s memoir ”Girl Boy Girl: How I Became Jt LeRoy” stars Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern.
The world premiere of “Outlaw King” will open the festival on Thursday, September 6, at Roy Thomson Hall. The film tells the “untold, true story of Robert the Bruce, who transforms from defeated nobleman to outlaw hero during the oppressive occupation of...
- 8/14/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
“Outlaw King,” a historical drama starring Chris Pine and directed by “Hell or High Water” director David Mackenzie, will serve as the opening-night film of the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, Tiff organizers announced on Tuesday.
Pine stars as Robert the Bruce, the 14th century Scottish hero who led a group of outlaws to reclaim the Scottish throne from English rule. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Florence Pugh and Billy Howle also appear in the film, which will premiere at the Roy Thompson Hall on Thursday, Sept. 6.
Netflix will release the “Outlaw King” in November.
Also Read: 'Hell or High Water' Stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster Reunite With Director for Netflix's 'Outlaw King'
Tiff also announced that “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” a film from director Justin Kelly about the Jt LeRoy literary hoax, will be the festival’s closing-night attraction. The film stars Laura Dern as real-life author Laura Albert,...
Pine stars as Robert the Bruce, the 14th century Scottish hero who led a group of outlaws to reclaim the Scottish throne from English rule. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Florence Pugh and Billy Howle also appear in the film, which will premiere at the Roy Thompson Hall on Thursday, Sept. 6.
Netflix will release the “Outlaw King” in November.
Also Read: 'Hell or High Water' Stars Chris Pine and Ben Foster Reunite With Director for Netflix's 'Outlaw King'
Tiff also announced that “Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy,” a film from director Justin Kelly about the Jt LeRoy literary hoax, will be the festival’s closing-night attraction. The film stars Laura Dern as real-life author Laura Albert,...
- 8/14/2018
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Gala presentations unveiled on Tuesday.
The world premieres of David Mackenzie’s Outlaw King starring Chris Pine as Robert The Bruce, and Justin Kelly’s Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy with Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart will bookend the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) which will take place from September 6-16.
Netflix’s Outlaw King chronicles the rise of 14th-century Scottish hero Robert the Bruce and will kick off the festival at Roy Thomson Hall. Pine previously starred for Mackenzie in Hell Or High Water and reunites as the Scottish warrior who leads a band of outlaws to reclaim the throne from...
The world premieres of David Mackenzie’s Outlaw King starring Chris Pine as Robert The Bruce, and Justin Kelly’s Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy with Laura Dern and Kristen Stewart will bookend the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival (Tiff) which will take place from September 6-16.
Netflix’s Outlaw King chronicles the rise of 14th-century Scottish hero Robert the Bruce and will kick off the festival at Roy Thomson Hall. Pine previously starred for Mackenzie in Hell Or High Water and reunites as the Scottish warrior who leads a band of outlaws to reclaim the throne from...
- 8/14/2018
- ScreenDaily
Jt LeRoy was a literary prodigy, wowing readers with his autobiographical works about growing up as a former homeless, HIV-positive, heroin-addicted transgendered prostitute. But all was not as it seemed. LeRoy was actually a fictitious persona created by American writer Laura Albert — but it took years for Jt’s true identity to be revealed. Thoughout the 1990s, the reclusive Jt had never been seen in public but in the early 2000s he began making appearances. By 2002, a then 21-year-old Jt was supposedly writing the lyrics for a San Francisco band named Thistle, which was led by Emily “Speedie” Frasier...read more...
- 2/12/2018
- by Julian Cheatle
- Monsters and Critics
Arnold Schwarzenegger has weighed in on Eliza Dushku’s revelation that she was sexually assaulted by stunt coordinator Joel Kramer on the set of James Cameron’s “True Lies” when she 12 years old. Dushku described the assault in a lengthy Facebook post published January 13. In addition to the abuse, the actress said that she was physically injured during a stunt gone wrong after her friend confronted Kramer about the incident.
Read More:Jamie Lee Curtis: Eliza Dushku’s ‘True Lies’ Sexual Assault ‘Has Awakened Us to a Horrific Reality’
Schwarzenegger reacted to the assault claims on Twitter, responding to a comment from Tom Arnold by saying he would’ve absolutely done something if he had known about the abuse during the production. “You bet your ass all of us would have done something,” Schwarzenegger wrote, referring to Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, and himself.
“I’m shocked and saddened for...
Read More:Jamie Lee Curtis: Eliza Dushku’s ‘True Lies’ Sexual Assault ‘Has Awakened Us to a Horrific Reality’
Schwarzenegger reacted to the assault claims on Twitter, responding to a comment from Tom Arnold by saying he would’ve absolutely done something if he had known about the abuse during the production. “You bet your ass all of us would have done something,” Schwarzenegger wrote, referring to Cameron, Jamie Lee Curtis, and himself.
“I’m shocked and saddened for...
- 1/16/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
After Eliza Dushku accused Joel Kramer of sexually molesting her when she was 12—an allegation he repeatedly denies—two more women have accused the stunt coordinator of sexual misconduct. According to Deadline, which broke the story, Laura Albert was working as a stuntwoman for Kramer when she invited her sister and her sister's friend to visit the set of Virus back in 1997. After touring the set, Albert allegedly invited her sister and her friend—who were 15 and 16 years old at the time and in the 10th grade—to go go-karting with the stunt personnel. Once the stunt department finished go-karting, Kramer allegedly "lured" the girls to go swimming at his hotel pool. Albert...
- 1/16/2018
- E! Online
Stunt Coordinator Joel Kramer Accused of Additional Sexual Assault Following Eliza Dushku Allegation
Stunt coordinator Joel Kramer has been accused of additional acts of sexual misconduct following an initial allegation from actress Eliza Dushku. Dushku posted a statement on Facebook alleging Kramer sexually assaulted her on the set of “True Lies” when she was 12 years old. Now stunt woman Laura Albert has told Deadline that Kramer was sexually inappropriate with her 15-year-old sister and her 16-year-old friend on the 1997 set of “Virus.”
“I invited my younger sister to the set as she resided there,” Albert said to Deadline in a written statement. “I wanted her to come to the set in an effort to mentor her, to show her the motion picture industry from the inside, as she had desired to become a makeup artist. One day after we finished work, I had my sister and her friend,...
“I invited my younger sister to the set as she resided there,” Albert said to Deadline in a written statement. “I wanted her to come to the set in an effort to mentor her, to show her the motion picture industry from the inside, as she had desired to become a makeup artist. One day after we finished work, I had my sister and her friend,...
- 1/15/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
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