The Etheria Film Festival, a showcase of new horror, science fiction, and fantasy films directed by women, turns 10 this year, and they’re celebrating accordingly. And Bloody Disgusting can exclusively unveil what’s in store for this year’s fest, along with a sneak peek trailer.
The annual festivities will kick off with a live event in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at the Screenland Armour Theater with filmmakers and special guests in person for an onstage Q and A followed by an official afterparty. If you’re not able to attend in person, don’t worry; Etheria reteams with Shudder this year, and the official festival lineup will stream exclusively on the streaming service from July 2 through July 31, 2023.
Horror actress and director Brinke Stevens will receive the 2023 Etheria Inspiration Award from special guest presenters in person at the event.
“These films are so good your eyes will melt out of your brain,...
The annual festivities will kick off with a live event in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday, July 1, 2023, at the Screenland Armour Theater with filmmakers and special guests in person for an onstage Q and A followed by an official afterparty. If you’re not able to attend in person, don’t worry; Etheria reteams with Shudder this year, and the official festival lineup will stream exclusively on the streaming service from July 2 through July 31, 2023.
Horror actress and director Brinke Stevens will receive the 2023 Etheria Inspiration Award from special guest presenters in person at the event.
“These films are so good your eyes will melt out of your brain,...
- 5/18/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Exclusive: Regina Hall (Honk for Jesus. Save your Soul.) has closed a deal to star alongside Sadie Sink, Kelvin Harrison Jr. and Murray Bartlett in O’Dessa, Searchlight Pictures‘ original rock opera from writer-director Geremy Jasper (Patti Cake$), which commences production in Croatia in May.
Set in a post-apocalyptic future, O’Dessa follows Sink’s same-name farm girl on an epic quest to recover a cherished family heirloom. Her journey leads her to a strange and dangerous city where she meets her one true love (Harrison) – but in order to save his soul, she must put the power of destiny and song to the ultimate test.
Hall’s role is under wraps, though we know the project will feature original songs penned and produced by Jasper and Jason Binnick. Michael Gottwald will produce for the Department of Motion Pictures, along with Noah Stahl, and Rodrigo Teixeira for Rt Features. Executive producers include Jonathan Montepare,...
Set in a post-apocalyptic future, O’Dessa follows Sink’s same-name farm girl on an epic quest to recover a cherished family heirloom. Her journey leads her to a strange and dangerous city where she meets her one true love (Harrison) – but in order to save his soul, she must put the power of destiny and song to the ultimate test.
Hall’s role is under wraps, though we know the project will feature original songs penned and produced by Jasper and Jason Binnick. Michael Gottwald will produce for the Department of Motion Pictures, along with Noah Stahl, and Rodrigo Teixeira for Rt Features. Executive producers include Jonathan Montepare,...
- 4/5/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Person-by-person, we’re gradually learning the names of the actors who make up the cast of director David Gordon Green’s sequel to the 1973 classic The Exorcist (watch it Here), which is scheduled to reach theatres on October 13th. We’ve previously heard that the cast includes original Exorcist star Ellen Burstyn reprising the role of Chris MacNeil; Leslie Odom Jr. (Hamilton) as a character who tracks down Chris MacNeil after his child becomes possessed; Lidya Jewett (Nightbooks), Jennifer Nettles (The Righteous Gemstones), Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale), and newcomer Olivia Marcum in unspecified roles; and Raphael Sbarge (Carnosaur) as a pastor. Now Deadline reports that Okwui Okpokwasili is also in the cast. Details on her character have not been revealed.
As Deadline informs, “Okpokwasili is a multidisciplinary artist who also recently signed on to star alongside Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza in the WandaVision spinoff series Agatha: Coven of Chaos.
As Deadline informs, “Okpokwasili is a multidisciplinary artist who also recently signed on to star alongside Kathryn Hahn and Aubrey Plaza in the WandaVision spinoff series Agatha: Coven of Chaos.
- 3/2/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Okwui Okpokwasili (Agatha: Coven of Chaos) is the newest addition to the cast of Blumhouse, Morgan Creek, Universal and Peacock‘s continuation of The Exorcist, eyed as the first film in a new franchise.
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The actress joins an ensemble that includes the original horror classic’s Ellen Burstyn as well as Leslie Odom Jr, Olivia Marcum, Ann Dowd, Lidya Jewett and Raphael Sbarge.
The first Exorcist film from director William Friedkin grossed over $441 million and won two Oscars upon its 1973 release, telling the story of Chris MacNeil’s (Burstyn) efforts to save her demon-possessed daughter Regan (Linda Blair). The upcoming continuation helmed...
Related Story Kristen Bell Stars In Erin Foster Comedy Series Ordered By Netflix With Steve Levitan As EP & 20th TV As Studio Related Story Lukita Maxwell Joins Blumhouse Sony Horror Pic 'They Listen' Related Story Blumhouse Games Launches With Zach Wood As President, Don Sechler As CFO
The actress joins an ensemble that includes the original horror classic’s Ellen Burstyn as well as Leslie Odom Jr, Olivia Marcum, Ann Dowd, Lidya Jewett and Raphael Sbarge.
The first Exorcist film from director William Friedkin grossed over $441 million and won two Oscars upon its 1973 release, telling the story of Chris MacNeil’s (Burstyn) efforts to save her demon-possessed daughter Regan (Linda Blair). The upcoming continuation helmed...
- 3/1/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The 23rd annual Black Reel Awards took place Monday, February 6th, with “The Woman King” leading the field, snagging six awards including Best Picture. BAFTA nominee Gina Prince-Bythewood‘s historical epic is inspired by true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” was close behind with five wins.
Special honorary award winners were Angela Bassett (Sidney Poitier Trailblazer Award), Effie T. Brown (Vanguard Award), Debra Martin Chase (Oscar Micheaux Impact Award) and Kerry Washington (Ruby Dee Humanitarian Award).
The Black Reel Awards, or the “Bolt”, is an annual American awards ceremony hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (Faaaf) to recognize the excellence of African-Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the African diaspora, in the global film industry, as assessed by the Foundation’s voting membership.
Special honorary award winners were Angela Bassett (Sidney Poitier Trailblazer Award), Effie T. Brown (Vanguard Award), Debra Martin Chase (Oscar Micheaux Impact Award) and Kerry Washington (Ruby Dee Humanitarian Award).
The Black Reel Awards, or the “Bolt”, is an annual American awards ceremony hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (Faaaf) to recognize the excellence of African-Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the African diaspora, in the global film industry, as assessed by the Foundation’s voting membership.
- 2/7/2023
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
A few weeks before Black History Month kicked off, IndieWire posed an admittedly quite open question to some our favorite Black filmmakers: Who are your favorite Black filmmakers?
The basic pitch was a bit more involved, asking for picks that run more toward “inspiration” and “impact,” with an eye toward the long history of Black filmmakers. We sent a batch of questions to get the creative juices flowing: Which movies did you watch as a kid that shaped your taste? Which filmmaker’s work has inspired the films you make today? Who is a filmmaker deserving of more attention from other movie lovers?
In short, what films and which filmmakers should everyone know about?
The responses, from Gina Prince-Bythewood, Mariama Diallo, Adamma Ebo, Rashaad Ernesto Green, Carey Williams, and newly minted Sundance winner A.V. Rockwell surpassed all expectations.
The filmmakers we polled took a relatively open prompt and ran with it.
The basic pitch was a bit more involved, asking for picks that run more toward “inspiration” and “impact,” with an eye toward the long history of Black filmmakers. We sent a batch of questions to get the creative juices flowing: Which movies did you watch as a kid that shaped your taste? Which filmmaker’s work has inspired the films you make today? Who is a filmmaker deserving of more attention from other movie lovers?
In short, what films and which filmmakers should everyone know about?
The responses, from Gina Prince-Bythewood, Mariama Diallo, Adamma Ebo, Rashaad Ernesto Green, Carey Williams, and newly minted Sundance winner A.V. Rockwell surpassed all expectations.
The filmmakers we polled took a relatively open prompt and ran with it.
- 2/1/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Eric Appel (Weird: The Al Yankovic Story)
Famous parody musician “Weird Al” Yankovic co-wrote the script of his own satirical biopic, which stars Daniel Radcliffe in the title role. Appel’s film charts Yankovic’s rise to fame as well as his fictionalized relationship with Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood).
Elegance Bratton (The Inspection)
Bratton’s first narrative feature (he helmed the 2019 doc Pier Kids) is an autobiographical drama chronicling the story of a gay man (Jeremy Pope) who joins the Marines when he feels he has nowhere to turn after being rejected by his homophobic mother (Gabrielle Union).
Mariama Diallo (Master)
Regina Hall leads this horror film as Gail Bishop, the first Black woman to serve as dean of students at a prestigious college. Along with two other Black women at the school, Gail soon discovers a disturbing underlying presence at the predominantly white institution.
Adamma Ebo (Honk for Jesus.
Famous parody musician “Weird Al” Yankovic co-wrote the script of his own satirical biopic, which stars Daniel Radcliffe in the title role. Appel’s film charts Yankovic’s rise to fame as well as his fictionalized relationship with Madonna (Evan Rachel Wood).
Elegance Bratton (The Inspection)
Bratton’s first narrative feature (he helmed the 2019 doc Pier Kids) is an autobiographical drama chronicling the story of a gay man (Jeremy Pope) who joins the Marines when he feels he has nowhere to turn after being rejected by his homophobic mother (Gabrielle Union).
Mariama Diallo (Master)
Regina Hall leads this horror film as Gail Bishop, the first Black woman to serve as dean of students at a prestigious college. Along with two other Black women at the school, Gail soon discovers a disturbing underlying presence at the predominantly white institution.
Adamma Ebo (Honk for Jesus.
- 1/10/2023
- by Hilton Dresden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Endless things draw us each to horror, scares ranking high among them. Luckily, fear takes many forms. The thrill of a well-crafted jump scare, visceral chills, or an atmospheric scene that instills deep-seated dread all keep us coming back for more—the year’s horror releases delivered on all fronts.
2022 offered several memorable scenes of unrelenting dread and spine-tingling chills. Scenes that stood out and sent shivers down our spines and occasionally tested our gag reflexes.
Here are the ten scariest scenes of the year.
The Black Phone – Gwen’s Whipping
(from left) Terrence Shaw (Jeremy Davies) and Gwen Shaw (Madeleine McGraw) in The Black Phone, directed by Scott Derrickson.
Ethan Hawke’s creepy turn as the Grabber, a child kidnapper and murderer, ensures Scott Derrickson’s latest is packed with dread and tension. Protagonist Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) coping with multiple interactions with the menacing Grabber and a slew...
2022 offered several memorable scenes of unrelenting dread and spine-tingling chills. Scenes that stood out and sent shivers down our spines and occasionally tested our gag reflexes.
Here are the ten scariest scenes of the year.
The Black Phone – Gwen’s Whipping
(from left) Terrence Shaw (Jeremy Davies) and Gwen Shaw (Madeleine McGraw) in The Black Phone, directed by Scott Derrickson.
Ethan Hawke’s creepy turn as the Grabber, a child kidnapper and murderer, ensures Scott Derrickson’s latest is packed with dread and tension. Protagonist Finney Shaw (Mason Thames) coping with multiple interactions with the menacing Grabber and a slew...
- 12/30/2022
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Peabody Award-winning HBO Original series returns for its second season when Random Acts Of Flyness: The Parable Of The Pirate And The King debuts the evening of Friday, December 9 at midnight (12:00 a.m. Et) with two episodes. The six-episode season continues with two episodes airing weekly, concluding December 23.
Logline: Artist, musician, and filmmaker Terence Nance returns for a long-awaited second season of the acclaimed series Random Acts Of Flyness. Exploring the metaphysics of Black life through avant-garde storytelling, the second season follows Terence (Terence Nance) and Najja (Alicia Pilgrim), a couple working towards healing generational wounds and reintroducing themselves to the ways of their ancestors. Each of the six episodes explores a different dimension while presenting a rich tapestry of audio and visuals to illustrate the spiritual practice of Black liberation.
Season 2 cast: Terence Nance (Terence), Alicia Pilgrim (Najja), Austin Smith (Xavier), and Ta’Neesha Murphy (Janaya).
Credits: Created...
Logline: Artist, musician, and filmmaker Terence Nance returns for a long-awaited second season of the acclaimed series Random Acts Of Flyness. Exploring the metaphysics of Black life through avant-garde storytelling, the second season follows Terence (Terence Nance) and Najja (Alicia Pilgrim), a couple working towards healing generational wounds and reintroducing themselves to the ways of their ancestors. Each of the six episodes explores a different dimension while presenting a rich tapestry of audio and visuals to illustrate the spiritual practice of Black liberation.
Season 2 cast: Terence Nance (Terence), Alicia Pilgrim (Najja), Austin Smith (Xavier), and Ta’Neesha Murphy (Janaya).
Credits: Created...
- 11/30/2022
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
A lot of fans like to wax poetic about what it would have been like to see the opening weekend releases of classic horror films like "Halloween" or "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre," believing that it would have bordered on a religious experience getting to see the career of a horror master beginning in real-time. Fortunately, all of us alive and able to see Nikyatu Jusu's Sundance Grand Jury Prize Winner, "Nanny," can do just that, as Jusu is undoubtedly one of the future pillars of horror filmmaking.
Jusu has been making short films for nearly 15 years, with her phenomenal vampire short film "Suicide by Sunlight" inspiring us to name her as one of the directors we'd love to see tackle the new "Blade" movie for Marvel. Now, Nikyatu Jusu is the second Black woman director to ever take home the biggest prize at Sundance (following Chinonye Chukwu's...
Jusu has been making short films for nearly 15 years, with her phenomenal vampire short film "Suicide by Sunlight" inspiring us to name her as one of the directors we'd love to see tackle the new "Blade" movie for Marvel. Now, Nikyatu Jusu is the second Black woman director to ever take home the biggest prize at Sundance (following Chinonye Chukwu's...
- 11/17/2022
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Horror was the name of the game at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, with genre flicks like Nikyatu Jusu’s “Nanny” and Mariama Diallo’s “Master” proving that scary movies are more than capable of competing with the standard festival fare. A cornucopia of those titles premiering in January always means that indie horror fans are in for a treat when the fall rolls around, and this year is no exception.
One of the first big Sundance horror films that fans will get to see this fall is “Speak No Evil,” Christian Tafdrup’s eerie Danish film about a vacation between two families going horribly awry. The movie was a critical darling in Park City and is certain to terrify the general public when it comes out next month.
Per the official synopsis, on a vacation in Tuscany, two families – one Danish, one Dutch – meet and become fast friends. Months later,...
One of the first big Sundance horror films that fans will get to see this fall is “Speak No Evil,” Christian Tafdrup’s eerie Danish film about a vacation between two families going horribly awry. The movie was a critical darling in Park City and is certain to terrify the general public when it comes out next month.
Per the official synopsis, on a vacation in Tuscany, two families – one Danish, one Dutch – meet and become fast friends. Months later,...
- 8/17/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Key programming continues for the 20th annual Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival (Mvaaff) taking place August 5th – 13th.
The festival continues its slate of programming with featured content celebrating Black voices, with documentaries and the signature Q&a series, Color of Conversation from Run & Shoot Filmworks, and Festival Co-Founders Floyd and Stephanie Rance.
“Prime Video hosts Visionary Women: A Conversation with the New Wave of Filmmaking Voices,” featuring writer/director Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny) and writer/director Mariama Diallo (Master) at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center. The moderated discussion will be led by acclaimed actress, producer and 2022 Harvard graduate, Yara Shahidi. Through the lens of horror, the conversation between these three remarkable women will dive deep into Nikyatu Jusu and Mariama Diallo’s journey to the director’s chair, pushing genre boundaries, and the cultural discourse illustrated in their storytelling.
Disney’s Onyx Collective continues...
The festival continues its slate of programming with featured content celebrating Black voices, with documentaries and the signature Q&a series, Color of Conversation from Run & Shoot Filmworks, and Festival Co-Founders Floyd and Stephanie Rance.
“Prime Video hosts Visionary Women: A Conversation with the New Wave of Filmmaking Voices,” featuring writer/director Nikyatu Jusu (Nanny) and writer/director Mariama Diallo (Master) at the Martha’s Vineyard Performing Arts Center. The moderated discussion will be led by acclaimed actress, producer and 2022 Harvard graduate, Yara Shahidi. Through the lens of horror, the conversation between these three remarkable women will dive deep into Nikyatu Jusu and Mariama Diallo’s journey to the director’s chair, pushing genre boundaries, and the cultural discourse illustrated in their storytelling.
Disney’s Onyx Collective continues...
- 7/28/2022
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Karen Gillan (Thor: Love and Thunder) will star opposite Margaret Sophie Stein (Bullets Over Broadway), Jermaine Fowler (Sorry to Bother You), Kevin Nealon (SNL) and Talia Balsam (Divorce) in the Lisa Steen-directed comedy Late Bloomers from We’re Doin’ Great and Park Pictures, which has wrapped production in Brooklyn, NY.
The film written by Anna Greenfield is loosely based on her experience living in Brooklyn in her 20s. It centers on Louise (Gillan), an aimless millennial who drunkenly breaks her hip, landing her in physical therapy. There, she makes an elderly Polish Bff (Stein) who speaks no English. And it’s this unlikely friendship that gives her the courage to face what she’s been running from all along: Her mother’s early-onset Alzheimer’s. Fowler plays Louise’s Craigslist roommate/landlord Brick, with Nealon and Balsam as her parents.
Late Bloomers marks the feature directorial debut of Greenfield’s frequent collaborator,...
The film written by Anna Greenfield is loosely based on her experience living in Brooklyn in her 20s. It centers on Louise (Gillan), an aimless millennial who drunkenly breaks her hip, landing her in physical therapy. There, she makes an elderly Polish Bff (Stein) who speaks no English. And it’s this unlikely friendship that gives her the courage to face what she’s been running from all along: Her mother’s early-onset Alzheimer’s. Fowler plays Louise’s Craigslist roommate/landlord Brick, with Nealon and Balsam as her parents.
Late Bloomers marks the feature directorial debut of Greenfield’s frequent collaborator,...
- 7/14/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Master, Black Monday and Girls Trip star Regina Hall has revealed how honing her acting and writing skills helped her overcome a period when the roles she landed felt “stagnant and didn’t show my range.”
The actress and producer was speaking at a panel at ad market Cannes Lions exploring the impact of women on storytelling, alongside Amazon’s Global Chief Marketing Officer, Ukonwa Ojo.
Hall said: “I always want to do things that are interesting and complex, and show a range of what it is to be human. There was a point the opportunities weren’t there to play those roles. They were stagnant and didn’t show the range.”
She recalled often playing ‘the friend’ or other “marginalized” roles, adding: “You couldn’t perform or showcase the things you have inside.”
She said that only once studios realized there was money to be made out of films...
The actress and producer was speaking at a panel at ad market Cannes Lions exploring the impact of women on storytelling, alongside Amazon’s Global Chief Marketing Officer, Ukonwa Ojo.
Hall said: “I always want to do things that are interesting and complex, and show a range of what it is to be human. There was a point the opportunities weren’t there to play those roles. They were stagnant and didn’t show the range.”
She recalled often playing ‘the friend’ or other “marginalized” roles, adding: “You couldn’t perform or showcase the things you have inside.”
She said that only once studios realized there was money to be made out of films...
- 6/22/2022
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Master Review Video — Master (2022) Video Movie Review, a movie directed by Mariama Diallo, written by Mariama Diallo, and starring Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Talia Ryder, Talia Balsam, and Amber Gray. Crew Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe created the music for the film. Charlotte Hornsby crafted the cinematography for the film. Joshua Astrachan, Brad Becker-Parton, and Andrea Roa [...]
Continue reading: Video Movie Review: Master (2022): Destined to be the most Controversial Film Set on a College since Higher Learning...
Continue reading: Video Movie Review: Master (2022): Destined to be the most Controversial Film Set on a College since Higher Learning...
- 4/25/2022
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
The thriller film Master, written and directed by Mariama Diallo in her directorial debut, premiered on Amazon Prime Video last March 18, 2022. The film stars Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, and Amber Gray. Three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university that may disguise something sinister. It centers on the shared experiences of three women in a predominantly white elite university in New England with a sinister history. The Guardian reviewed the film praising the film’s visual elements saying, “Diallo utilizes the visual language of horror – red lighting, empty shower stalls, a gnarled hand
Five Movies To Watch When You’re Done With “Master”...
Five Movies To Watch When You’re Done With “Master”...
- 3/28/2022
- by A.E. Oats
- TVovermind.com
The experiences of the Black community across America, both currently and historically, are well-suited to fit the conventions of horror storytelling in movies, particularly when they’re told from a woman’s perspective. Led by a strong female-led cast and crew, the new thriller, ‘Master,’ powerfully investigates the country’s treatment of its Black citizens in an emotional […]
The post SXSW 2022 Video Interview: Mariama Diallo, Zoe Renee and Noa Fisher Talk Master (Exclusive) appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post SXSW 2022 Video Interview: Mariama Diallo, Zoe Renee and Noa Fisher Talk Master (Exclusive) appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 3/27/2022
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
Inspiration can be incidental. For filmmaker Mariama Diallo, the writer and director of the new allegorical horror movie, Master, it could be described as faintly insidious. That’s at least one way to think about the larger social implications of her chance encounter with an old professor from her days at Yale University.
“I ran into my master out on the streets of New York a few years after I graduated,” Diallo explains now, referring to how faculty who live in the residential dormitories with Yale undergraduates are called ‘masters’ of their charges.
“And I greeted him the way I always had,” Diallo continues, “which starts with the title ‘Master.’ And in the streets of New York City that’s a weird thing to call an older white man, and it became immediately clear to me that I had unknowingly taken on this very, very strange dynamic, this kind of...
“I ran into my master out on the streets of New York a few years after I graduated,” Diallo explains now, referring to how faculty who live in the residential dormitories with Yale undergraduates are called ‘masters’ of their charges.
“And I greeted him the way I always had,” Diallo continues, “which starts with the title ‘Master.’ And in the streets of New York City that’s a weird thing to call an older white man, and it became immediately clear to me that I had unknowingly taken on this very, very strange dynamic, this kind of...
- 3/20/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
This review of “Master” was first published on Jan. 21, 2022, following its premiere at Sundance.
Writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature “Master” doesn’t just blur the lines between the horror genre and institutionalized racism; it convincingly argues that there’s no meaningful difference.
If ghost stories are all about people forced to live with a traumatic past, then surely every inch of America is haunted. Racism isn’t a specter hiding in our attic; it’s a malevolent force that infects every surface in the country, and it seems to flourish the most in monuments to white power.
“Master” tells the story of two women at Ancaster College, a fictional institute of higher learning that’s as old as the United States itself. Regina Hall stars as Gail Bishop, the first woman of color to become the “master” of a residence hall, but her home is haunted by ghosts of...
Writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature “Master” doesn’t just blur the lines between the horror genre and institutionalized racism; it convincingly argues that there’s no meaningful difference.
If ghost stories are all about people forced to live with a traumatic past, then surely every inch of America is haunted. Racism isn’t a specter hiding in our attic; it’s a malevolent force that infects every surface in the country, and it seems to flourish the most in monuments to white power.
“Master” tells the story of two women at Ancaster College, a fictional institute of higher learning that’s as old as the United States itself. Regina Hall stars as Gail Bishop, the first woman of color to become the “master” of a residence hall, but her home is haunted by ghosts of...
- 3/18/2022
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
Horror films employ scare tactics for shrills and thrills. But unlike most, Prime Video's "Master" weaves a thought-provoking message into a new tale about a college campus with a scary, racist history. The film, which premiered at this year's Sundance and SXSW Film Festivals, follows three Black women trying to find their place at an old-fashioned, predominantly white university, Ancaster College.
Hall stars as Professor Gail Bishop, the first Black woman at Ancaster promoted to "Master" of a residence hall. Renee plays optimistic freshman Jasmine Moore, who's assigned to live in a haunted dorm room, and Gray stars as Liv Beckman, a professor in the middle of a grueling tenure review. All three characters fight their own battles at the college, but they're linked by the overarching racism and elitism that haunt the campus.
"I definitely wanted to throw some curveballs, take some risks, try something, and not necessarily do something easy.
Hall stars as Professor Gail Bishop, the first Black woman at Ancaster promoted to "Master" of a residence hall. Renee plays optimistic freshman Jasmine Moore, who's assigned to live in a haunted dorm room, and Gray stars as Liv Beckman, a professor in the middle of a grueling tenure review. All three characters fight their own battles at the college, but they're linked by the overarching racism and elitism that haunt the campus.
"I definitely wanted to throw some curveballs, take some risks, try something, and not necessarily do something easy.
- 3/18/2022
- by Njera Perkins
- Popsugar.com
This is one of the best weekends for new indie releases in some time — a bit of space in theaters to run and audiences slowly, but increasingly, willing to return.
Focus Features’ The Outfit – the directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriter Graham Moore (The Imitation Game) — opens nationally on over 1,200 screens with Mark Rylance starring as a bespoke British tailor from London’s Savile Row. After a personal tragedy, he ends up running a tailor shop in a rough Chicago neighborhood making suits for the only people around who can afford them, a family of vicious gangsters.
The script is by Moore and Johnathan McClain. Also starring Zoey Deutch, Johnny Flynn, Dylan O’Brien, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Simon Russell Beale. It premiered in Berlin last month. Deadline review here.
Initially set for release Feb. 25, The Outfit occupies the slot vacated by Downtown Abbey: A New Era. In January, in the shadow of Omicron,...
Focus Features’ The Outfit – the directorial debut of Oscar-winning screenwriter Graham Moore (The Imitation Game) — opens nationally on over 1,200 screens with Mark Rylance starring as a bespoke British tailor from London’s Savile Row. After a personal tragedy, he ends up running a tailor shop in a rough Chicago neighborhood making suits for the only people around who can afford them, a family of vicious gangsters.
The script is by Moore and Johnathan McClain. Also starring Zoey Deutch, Johnny Flynn, Dylan O’Brien, Nikki Amuka-Bird and Simon Russell Beale. It premiered in Berlin last month. Deadline review here.
Initially set for release Feb. 25, The Outfit occupies the slot vacated by Downtown Abbey: A New Era. In January, in the shadow of Omicron,...
- 3/18/2022
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Teetering between tense drama and full-blown horror, the genius of Mariama Diallo’s “Master” is how it gaslights the audience as much its characters. A stark social satire wrapped in chilling horror, the film keeps everyone guessing who is seeing things and who is just blind to reality.
Set at an elite academic institution in Massachusetts, “Master” — now streaming on Prime Video after a very well-received premiere at Sundance in January — follows three Black women in different positions of power. From the jump, the specter of institutional racism pervades every scene, whether in not-so-subtle micro-aggressions or dusty racist memorabilia. Much like it must feel for Black people to exist in a racist society, these markers of white supremacy can pop up at any time and any place.
The film centers on a professor named Gail Bishop (Regina Hall), who has recently been promoted to the college’s top honor of “House Master.
Set at an elite academic institution in Massachusetts, “Master” — now streaming on Prime Video after a very well-received premiere at Sundance in January — follows three Black women in different positions of power. From the jump, the specter of institutional racism pervades every scene, whether in not-so-subtle micro-aggressions or dusty racist memorabilia. Much like it must feel for Black people to exist in a racist society, these markers of white supremacy can pop up at any time and any place.
The film centers on a professor named Gail Bishop (Regina Hall), who has recently been promoted to the college’s top honor of “House Master.
- 3/18/2022
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Mariama Diallo’s feature debut Master, starring Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, and Amber Gray, will premiere globally March 18 on Prime Video. In the film, three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. The film’s title is in reference to Regina Hall’s role as Professor Gail Bishop, who […]
The post ‘Master’ Interview – Director Mariama Diallo on Layering the Supernatural With the Real Horrors of Academia appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post ‘Master’ Interview – Director Mariama Diallo on Layering the Supernatural With the Real Horrors of Academia appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 3/18/2022
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Regina Hall as Prof. Gail Bishop in Master. Courtesy of Amazon Studios.
A tale of a hanged witch and much more haunt an ancient private university in New England, in Mariama Diallo’s debut feature Master, where three Black women struggle against a college’s long racial history as they try to find their place in academia.
Master is the latest entry in the category of Black horror, a genre opened up by Get Out and Candyman, in a tale of New England college haunted by a legend of a witch hanged and by its own racist history. Three Black women, two professors and a new student, struggle to navigate academia at a college older than the country itself, one that seems eager to embrace diversity but is hampered by its past and old habits. Writer-director Mariama Diallo’s Master starts out very scary, with strong supernatural elements but by its end,...
A tale of a hanged witch and much more haunt an ancient private university in New England, in Mariama Diallo’s debut feature Master, where three Black women struggle against a college’s long racial history as they try to find their place in academia.
Master is the latest entry in the category of Black horror, a genre opened up by Get Out and Candyman, in a tale of New England college haunted by a legend of a witch hanged and by its own racist history. Three Black women, two professors and a new student, struggle to navigate academia at a college older than the country itself, one that seems eager to embrace diversity but is hampered by its past and old habits. Writer-director Mariama Diallo’s Master starts out very scary, with strong supernatural elements but by its end,...
- 3/18/2022
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Politics, privilege and the darkness of history overshadow the attempts of three women to find a place in an elite New England university in Mariama Diallo’s directorial debut, Master, which lands in selected cinemas and on Prime Video this week.
The film, which had its premiere at Sundance in January, is a psychological horror which taps into the past to reflect on present day racism. It stars Support The Girls’Regina Hall as the master of the title and who, together with a first-year student and a newly appointed professor, finds herself in an unwelcoming environment, as well as seeing visions of the university’s haunted past.
Freda Cooper sat down with both Regina Hall and Mariama Diallo, and discovered why Hall felt very much at home in the film’s academic setting. The actor also gave a few hints of what to expect – or what not to expect...
The film, which had its premiere at Sundance in January, is a psychological horror which taps into the past to reflect on present day racism. It stars Support The Girls’Regina Hall as the master of the title and who, together with a first-year student and a newly appointed professor, finds herself in an unwelcoming environment, as well as seeing visions of the university’s haunted past.
Freda Cooper sat down with both Regina Hall and Mariama Diallo, and discovered why Hall felt very much at home in the film’s academic setting. The actor also gave a few hints of what to expect – or what not to expect...
- 3/16/2022
- by Freda Cooper
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Mariama Diallo’s debut feature in a fictional Ivy League school combines campus politics and horror-satire to chilling effect
There’s a lot going on in this movie from first-time feature director Mariama Diallo – a pointed and intensely pessimistic horror-satire on racism and identity politics on the American campus. It could be that its material isn’t fully absorbed into the screenplay, but there is real claustrophobia and unease in each insidious microaggression.
The setting is an imaginary Ivy League school in New England which now shrilly prides itself on its diversity, where Jasmine (Zoe Renee), a new student and young woman of colour, is unnerved to hear rumours that the room she has been assigned was where the university’s first black female student took her own life in the 1960s. Meanwhile, in a kind of generational-anxiety parallel, Gail Bishop (Regina Hall), a distinguished scholar with a respected publication record,...
There’s a lot going on in this movie from first-time feature director Mariama Diallo – a pointed and intensely pessimistic horror-satire on racism and identity politics on the American campus. It could be that its material isn’t fully absorbed into the screenplay, but there is real claustrophobia and unease in each insidious microaggression.
The setting is an imaginary Ivy League school in New England which now shrilly prides itself on its diversity, where Jasmine (Zoe Renee), a new student and young woman of colour, is unnerved to hear rumours that the room she has been assigned was where the university’s first black female student took her own life in the 1960s. Meanwhile, in a kind of generational-anxiety parallel, Gail Bishop (Regina Hall), a distinguished scholar with a respected publication record,...
- 3/16/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Warner Bros.’ “The Batman” continued its sway over the U.K. and Ireland box office for the second weekend in a row with £7.4 million ($9.6 million), according to numbers released by Comscore. The dark brooder starring Robert Pattinson and Zoë Kravitz now has a total of £26.5 million.
In second place, Sony’s “Uncharted” collected £1.05 million on its fifth weekend and has a total of £21.7 million.
Trafalgar Releasing’s concert film “BTS Permission to Dance on Stage – Seoul,” featuring K-pop sensation BTS, debuted in third place with £899,127. In fourth position, on its seventh weekend, was Universal’s animated sequel “Sing 2” with £819,153. The film now has a robust total of £31.3 million.
Rounding off the top five was Warner Bros.’ “The Duke” with £500,749, which now has £3.8 million after three weekends.
In its 13th weekend, Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” collected £203,906. With a total of £95.7 million, is fourth on the all time U.
In second place, Sony’s “Uncharted” collected £1.05 million on its fifth weekend and has a total of £21.7 million.
Trafalgar Releasing’s concert film “BTS Permission to Dance on Stage – Seoul,” featuring K-pop sensation BTS, debuted in third place with £899,127. In fourth position, on its seventh weekend, was Universal’s animated sequel “Sing 2” with £819,153. The film now has a robust total of £31.3 million.
Rounding off the top five was Warner Bros.’ “The Duke” with £500,749, which now has £3.8 million after three weekends.
In its 13th weekend, Sony’s “Spider-Man: No Way Home” collected £203,906. With a total of £95.7 million, is fourth on the all time U.
- 3/15/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
“It’s really trying to bring the show together, to keep the show moving, so that people are entertained.”
That’s part of Regina Hall and her co-hosts m.o. this year in hosting the Oscar ceremony; the actress speaking with Deadline at our SXSW studio in Austin, TX.
Hall made a pitstop at SXSW during her busy March to promote her new horror movie, Master, which hits Prime Video and select theaters this Friday. The Mariama Diallo directed movie made its world premiere at Sundance.
Talking about the challenges in hosting the Oscars on March 27, Hall expounds, that the big complaint with the Oscars is the length of the show (and you want to) keep everything concise and really fun.”
“You want to celebrate, and roast a couple of people here and there,” she adds, “We want to make sure it’s a really incredible night because it’s...
That’s part of Regina Hall and her co-hosts m.o. this year in hosting the Oscar ceremony; the actress speaking with Deadline at our SXSW studio in Austin, TX.
Hall made a pitstop at SXSW during her busy March to promote her new horror movie, Master, which hits Prime Video and select theaters this Friday. The Mariama Diallo directed movie made its world premiere at Sundance.
Talking about the challenges in hosting the Oscars on March 27, Hall expounds, that the big complaint with the Oscars is the length of the show (and you want to) keep everything concise and really fun.”
“You want to celebrate, and roast a couple of people here and there,” she adds, “We want to make sure it’s a really incredible night because it’s...
- 3/14/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Following its well-received world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Master is coming to Prime Video via Amazon Studios on March 18th, and we've been provided with an exclusive clip to share with Daily Dead readers!
Below, you can watch Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) make a disturbing discovery in our exclusive clip from Master, and keep an eye out for the film on Prime Video beginning this Friday, March 18th!
"In writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature, Master, three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations...
Below, you can watch Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) make a disturbing discovery in our exclusive clip from Master, and keep an eye out for the film on Prime Video beginning this Friday, March 18th!
"In writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature, Master, three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations...
- 3/14/2022
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Master Trailer — Mariama Diallo‘s Master (2022) movie trailer has been released by Prime Video. The Master trailer stars Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Talia Ryder, Talia Balsam, and Amber Gray. Crew Mariama Diallo wrote the screenplay for Master. Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe created the music for the film. Charlotte Hornsby crafted the cinematography for the film. [...]
Continue reading: Master (2022) Movie Trailer: Regina Hall in promoted to “Master” of a residence hall at a Haunted University...
Continue reading: Master (2022) Movie Trailer: Regina Hall in promoted to “Master” of a residence hall at a Haunted University...
- 3/12/2022
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
The Sun Valley Film Festival, which will be returning in-person for its 11th annual event from March 30 to April 3, has announced additional awards and films that will be screened this year.
Variety will present this year’s Pioneer Award to Danny Strong on April 1. As a writer, director, actor and producer, Strong has earned two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two WGA awards, a PGA Award and a Peabody Award — with credits ranging from both parts of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” to “Dopesick.” Previous Pioneer Award winners include Shaka King, Aaron Paul, Eliza Hittman and Mark Duplass.
Also on April 1, the Rising Star Award will be given to Netflix’s “Outer Banks” cast members Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow, Austin North, Drew Starkey and Carlacia Grant. Recipients of the Rising Star Award in the past include Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Winston Duke, Eliza Hittman, Alex Ross Perry and Allison Williams.
Variety will present this year’s Pioneer Award to Danny Strong on April 1. As a writer, director, actor and producer, Strong has earned two Emmys, a Golden Globe, two WGA awards, a PGA Award and a Peabody Award — with credits ranging from both parts of “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay” to “Dopesick.” Previous Pioneer Award winners include Shaka King, Aaron Paul, Eliza Hittman and Mark Duplass.
Also on April 1, the Rising Star Award will be given to Netflix’s “Outer Banks” cast members Chase Stokes, Madelyn Cline, Madison Bailey, Jonathan Daviss, Rudy Pankow, Austin North, Drew Starkey and Carlacia Grant. Recipients of the Rising Star Award in the past include Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Winston Duke, Eliza Hittman, Alex Ross Perry and Allison Williams.
- 3/10/2022
- by Wyatte Grantham-Philips
- Variety Film + TV
After a strong festival run, Mariama Diallo’s feature debut Master is set to premiere globally March 18 on Prime Video. Ahead of next week’s premiere, Bloody has the first clip in which both Regina Hall and Amber Gray have a run-in with the local Amish. Diallo’s Sundance horror movie blends horror and social commentary in equal measure… In Master, “Three women […]
The post ‘Master’ Clip – Regina Hall Has a Run-In With Some Amish [Video] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post ‘Master’ Clip – Regina Hall Has a Run-In With Some Amish [Video] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 3/9/2022
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Every year, IndieWire compiles a list of top female filmmakers to watch over the next 12 months.
While the 2022 Oscars has already broken barriers with two history-making nominations for women — Jane Campion is the first woman nominated twice for Best Director, and “The Power of the Dog” cinematographer Ari Wegner is only the second female director of photography to be recognized at the Academy Awards — it’s clear that 2022 is another banner year for women filmmakers.
Nikyatu Jusu‘s first feature, “Nanny,” won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, making her the second Black woman director to win the top prize and the first horror filmmaker to do so. The festival also recognized Mariama Diallo’s “Master,” Adamma Ebo’s “Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul,” and documentarian Tonya Lee Lewis’ “Aftershock,” as each filmmaker exclusively discussed representation onscreen and behind the scenes during IndieWire’s Sundance Studio presented by Adobe.
While the 2022 Oscars has already broken barriers with two history-making nominations for women — Jane Campion is the first woman nominated twice for Best Director, and “The Power of the Dog” cinematographer Ari Wegner is only the second female director of photography to be recognized at the Academy Awards — it’s clear that 2022 is another banner year for women filmmakers.
Nikyatu Jusu‘s first feature, “Nanny,” won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival, making her the second Black woman director to win the top prize and the first horror filmmaker to do so. The festival also recognized Mariama Diallo’s “Master,” Adamma Ebo’s “Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul,” and documentarian Tonya Lee Lewis’ “Aftershock,” as each filmmaker exclusively discussed representation onscreen and behind the scenes during IndieWire’s Sundance Studio presented by Adobe.
- 3/8/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Prime Video has debuted a new trailer for the upcoming horror/thriller ‘Master’ starring Regina Hall.
Tree women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister.
Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), an energetic and optimistic Black freshman.
Jasmine’s time at Ancaster hits a snag early on when she’s assigned a dorm room that is rumoured to be haunted. Things get worse when Jasmine clashes in the classroom with Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), a professor in the middle of her own racially charged tenure review. As Gail tries...
Tree women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister.
Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), an energetic and optimistic Black freshman.
Jasmine’s time at Ancaster hits a snag early on when she’s assigned a dorm room that is rumoured to be haunted. Things get worse when Jasmine clashes in the classroom with Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), a professor in the middle of her own racially charged tenure review. As Gail tries...
- 3/3/2022
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Being American means that horrors sit behind our most prestigious institutions. Dig deep enough and you'll find that the statue in your town square honors a slaveholder, some schools are named after KKK Grand Wizards, and plenty of our most time-honored traditions are often rooted in the subjugation or exploitation of others. When the public seeks to right these wrongs, they are met with volatile reactions from people who seek to maintain the status quo. "Tradition" and "heritage" have become cultural cudgels, but it's not white citizens who suffer their blows. In her directorial debut "Master," Mariama Diallo eyes the situation through the...
The post Master Trailer: Regina Hall Finds The Darkest Depths of Higher Learning appeared first on /Film.
The post Master Trailer: Regina Hall Finds The Darkest Depths of Higher Learning appeared first on /Film.
- 3/2/2022
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
Written and directed by Mariama Diallo and coming to theaters and Prime Video on March 18th, we have the official trailer for Master:
"In writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature, Master, three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), an energetic and optimistic Black freshman. Jasmine’s time at Ancaster hits a snag early on when she’s assigned a dorm room that is rumored to be haunted. Things get worse when Jasmine clashes in the classroom with Liv Beckman (Amber Gray...
"In writer-director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature, Master, three women strive to find their place at a prestigious New England university whose frosty elitism may disguise something more sinister. Professor Gail Bishop (Regina Hall) has recently been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, the first time at storied Ancaster College that a Black woman has held the post. Determined to breathe new life into a centuries-old tradition, Gail soon finds herself wrapped up in the trials and tribulations of Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), an energetic and optimistic Black freshman. Jasmine’s time at Ancaster hits a snag early on when she’s assigned a dorm room that is rumored to be haunted. Things get worse when Jasmine clashes in the classroom with Liv Beckman (Amber Gray...
- 3/2/2022
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
"You can't get away from it, Jasmine. It'll follow you... It's everywhere." Amazon has revealed an official trailer for the indie horror thriller titled Master, marking the feature debut of filmmaker Mariama Diallo. We just posted her excellent short film Hair Wolf a few weeks ago and now her feature is ready to be seen. It premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and is on Prime Video later this March. Two African American women begin to share disturbing experiences at a predominantly white university in New England. Regina Hall stars as a professor who has recently been promoted to "Master" of a residence hall. The arrival of a new Black student sets off a chain of events that makes them all confront systemic racism. "After a career spent fighting to make it into Ancaster's inner circle, Gail is confronted with the horrifying prospect of what lies beneath,...
- 3/2/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Jordan Peele’s “Get Out” seems to be the new yardstick for measuring the quality of social commentary in horror. We’ve seen many filmmakers since Peele try to emulate that same sort of level of fright and intelligence, with few reaching that level. But judging by early reviews out of Sundance, Mariama Diallo’s “Master” might have actually done it.
Read More: ‘Master’ Review: Regina Hall Is Stellar In A Haunting Jordan Peele-Esque Social Horror [Sundance]
As seen in the trailer for “Master,” Diallo’s film follows three Black women struggling with various issues happening at a largely white university campus.
Continue reading ‘Master’ Trailer: Regina Hall Stars In Mariama Diallo’s Acclaimed Horror Film Coming To Amazon at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Master’ Review: Regina Hall Is Stellar In A Haunting Jordan Peele-Esque Social Horror [Sundance]
As seen in the trailer for “Master,” Diallo’s film follows three Black women struggling with various issues happening at a largely white university campus.
Continue reading ‘Master’ Trailer: Regina Hall Stars In Mariama Diallo’s Acclaimed Horror Film Coming To Amazon at The Playlist.
- 3/2/2022
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Mariama Diallo wants us to confront our ghosts.
The writer-director marked her feature debut with “Master,” a story about three women who try to find their place at a prestigious (i.e. stuffy) New England university, amid its racially charged past. Regina Hall stars as Professor Gail Bishop, who has been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, making history as the first Black woman at the school to do so.
Gail finds herself drawn to freshman Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee) after she experiences supernatural activity in her haunted dorm room. Jasmine also clashes with Professor Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), who is entangled in her own racially charged tenure review.
As Gail tries to maintain order and fulfill the duties of a Master, the cracks begin to show in the elite university’s once-immaculate facade — hinting at the darkness under it all. Is the school really haunted, and if so,...
The writer-director marked her feature debut with “Master,” a story about three women who try to find their place at a prestigious (i.e. stuffy) New England university, amid its racially charged past. Regina Hall stars as Professor Gail Bishop, who has been promoted to “Master” of a residence hall, making history as the first Black woman at the school to do so.
Gail finds herself drawn to freshman Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee) after she experiences supernatural activity in her haunted dorm room. Jasmine also clashes with Professor Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), who is entangled in her own racially charged tenure review.
As Gail tries to maintain order and fulfill the duties of a Master, the cracks begin to show in the elite university’s once-immaculate facade — hinting at the darkness under it all. Is the school really haunted, and if so,...
- 3/2/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Mariama Diallo’s feature debut Master, starring Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, and Amber Gray, will premiere globally March 18 on Prime Video, and the trailer has arrived today. Diallo’s Sundance horror movie blends horror and social commentary in equal measure, and the official trailer from Amazon today begins to peel back those layers of social terror. […]
The post ‘Master’ Trailer – A College Campus Is Cursed in Amazon Horror Movie Starring Regina Hall appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post ‘Master’ Trailer – A College Campus Is Cursed in Amazon Horror Movie Starring Regina Hall appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 3/2/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
With a brand new month kicking off tomorrow, we’re back with a rundown of all the fun horror and sci-fi films headed to VOD and various digital platforms throughout March 2022. For those of you who haven’t had a chance to see it in theaters, you’ll finally get a chance to check out Scream (2022) as it makes its digital debut tomorrow, and we have a ton of great indie horror headed to both Shudder and Arrow in March as well. Mariama Diallo’s Master arrives on Amazon Prime on the 18th after celebrating its world premiere at Sundance back in January, and we also have a few other festival favorites from 2021—Offseason and Ultrasound—hitting digital platforms in March, too.
Check out our full rundown of all the great genre films hitting the small screen throughout March 2022 below. And happy streaming, dear readers!
After the Pandemic (Uncork’d Entertainment...
Check out our full rundown of all the great genre films hitting the small screen throughout March 2022 below. And happy streaming, dear readers!
After the Pandemic (Uncork’d Entertainment...
- 2/28/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
"Janice - why you out here looking like My Little Pony, girl?" There is nothing like a scary white girl. This short first premiered at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival (and hit BAMcinemaFest) and it's finally showing on the web this year after the director's first feature just played at the 2022 festival. Hair Wolf is a horror comedy short written & directed by filmmaker Mariama Diallo, and it's a must see stylish horror creation. Diallo's debut feature is called Master and just premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival last month - I really enjoyed it and can't wait for everyone to get a look at it. This short shows how talented she is and I'm glad she's working on more film projects. And don't miss Master. Hair Wolf stars Kara Young, Taliah Webster, Trae Harris, Madeline Weinstein, and Jermaine Crawford. Highly recommend watching. Thanks to Vimeo Staff Picks for the tip on this one.
- 2/16/2022
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Master Review — Master (2022) Film Review from the 44th Annual Sundance Film Festival, a movie directed by Mariama Diallo and starring Regina Hall, Zoe Renee, Julia Nightingale, Talia Ryder, Ella Hunt, Noa Fisher, Anna Van Patten, D.C. Anderson, Angela Grovey, Will Hochman, John Kroft, Amber Gray, Bruce Altman, Talia Balsam, Kara Young, Emmett [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Master: Regina Hall Excels in a Heavy Horror Film with a College Setting [Sundance 2022]...
Continue reading: Film Review: Master: Regina Hall Excels in a Heavy Horror Film with a College Setting [Sundance 2022]...
- 2/3/2022
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
When “Nanny” won the 2022 Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival this week, director Nikyatu Jusu became only the second woman in the history of the festival to take home the top prize. But “Nanny” was historic for another reason, too: It was the first outright horror movie to win the most coveted award in independent film, one that has anointed breakouts of the past decade ranging from Ryan Coogler to Damien Chazelle.
And it wasn’t alone. Horror and psychological thrillers made themselves known across the Sundance lineup this year, well beyond the insular Midnight section, and many of the filmmakers behind these highlights are available for hire. The industry — and all those soul-searching directors out there — should pay close attention, because this crop of newcomers points to an ideal happy medium between commercial opportunity and artistic growth.
This year’s Sundance had the usual big sale...
And it wasn’t alone. Horror and psychological thrillers made themselves known across the Sundance lineup this year, well beyond the insular Midnight section, and many of the filmmakers behind these highlights are available for hire. The industry — and all those soul-searching directors out there — should pay close attention, because this crop of newcomers points to an ideal happy medium between commercial opportunity and artistic growth.
This year’s Sundance had the usual big sale...
- 1/29/2022
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
In 2018, Mariama Diallo shared her short film Hair Wolf with audiences at that year’s Sundance Film Festival, and this year, she returned to the fest with her debut feature film, Master, Starring Regina Hall and Zoe Renee, Master’s story is centered around the horrifying experiences of two different Black women navigating their way through an academic space steeped in the traditions of racism and founded in white supremacy, and the harm that these ideals can have when they’re not properly addressed and destroyed.
Daily Dead recently had the opportunity to speak with Diallo about the project, and during our conversation, she discussed how her own personal experiences, as well as her mother’s, helped shape the story of Master. Diallo also talked about taking on harmful tropes that have been a part of Hollywood’s legacy of storytelling over the years in her first feature, her experiences...
Daily Dead recently had the opportunity to speak with Diallo about the project, and during our conversation, she discussed how her own personal experiences, as well as her mother’s, helped shape the story of Master. Diallo also talked about taking on harmful tropes that have been a part of Hollywood’s legacy of storytelling over the years in her first feature, her experiences...
- 1/29/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Let’s start here: Master, written and directed by Mariama Diallo, is a film with ambitious scope and intention. That it does not quite succeed in its endeavors is certainly a disappointment. My goodness, is there a lot going on here. At an elite New England university, Gail (Regina Hall) accepts a new position as “master” (dean) of students. Meanwhile, freshman student Jasmine (Zoe Renee) does her best acclimating to a new setting and roommate. Meanwhile, a politically minded literature professor (Amber Gray) who tells students to “just call me Liv” is being reviewed for tenure. All three are Black women wrestling with being ostracized, prejudiced against, and patronized to. Sometimes all at once by those who “would’ve voted Obama for a third term.”
The tone Diallo attempts striking in Master is purposely fluid. At first glance a horror picture, it often settles into something more like a social drama,...
The tone Diallo attempts striking in Master is purposely fluid. At first glance a horror picture, it often settles into something more like a social drama,...
- 1/27/2022
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
by Matt St Clair
Mariama Diallo’s feature debut Master is a horror film about the anxieties of being a Black woman in a predominantly white space. Diallo stresses such perturbations by blending paranormal elements with real-world institutional prejudice and the all-too-petrifying feeling of being an outsider. Although certain story elements outweigh others, Master thrives on its slow-burn execution and sheer demonstration of danger lingering around every corner...
Mariama Diallo’s feature debut Master is a horror film about the anxieties of being a Black woman in a predominantly white space. Diallo stresses such perturbations by blending paranormal elements with real-world institutional prejudice and the all-too-petrifying feeling of being an outsider. Although certain story elements outweigh others, Master thrives on its slow-burn execution and sheer demonstration of danger lingering around every corner...
- 1/26/2022
- by Matt St.Clair
- FilmExperience
The racist roots of Ivy League academia are molded into an intangible boogeywoman in writer/director Mariama Diallo’s feature debut Master. While the film takes place on the fictional campus of Ancaster—located in the greater Boston area—much of the film’s insights on matters of race and gender stem from Diallo’s own undergraduate experience at Yale. In fact, the titular term “master” refers to what would more commonly be known as “head of house,” or the senior member of a college within a wider university system. If this term still seems convoluted and archaic, it’s likely because it’s largely a British custom, […]
The post “I Would Love for Horror to Be My Home, But I Want to Be Bi-Coastal”: Mariama Diallo on Master first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Would Love for Horror to Be My Home, But I Want to Be Bi-Coastal”: Mariama Diallo on Master first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/25/2022
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
The racist roots of Ivy League academia are molded into an intangible boogeywoman in writer/director Mariama Diallo’s feature debut Master. While the film takes place on the fictional campus of Ancaster—located in the greater Boston area—much of the film’s insights on matters of race and gender stem from Diallo’s own undergraduate experience at Yale. In fact, the titular term “master” refers to what would more commonly be known as “head of house,” or the senior member of a college within a wider university system. If this term still seems convoluted and archaic, it’s likely because it’s largely a British custom, […]
The post “I Would Love for Horror to Be My Home, But I Want to Be Bi-Coastal”: Mariama Diallo on Master first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “I Would Love for Horror to Be My Home, But I Want to Be Bi-Coastal”: Mariama Diallo on Master first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/25/2022
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Centuries-old grandiose red brick, white-trimmed buildings fill the frame at the start of Mariama Diallo’s striking debut feature film “Master.” Ivy-clad collegiate walls are a staple in the horror genre; the grounds are confined, and there’s something inherently creepy about old buildings. But here, Diallo uses this setting not just for aesthetic frights but because it is these very venerated walls from which the terror at the center of her story finds its origin.
Gail Bishop (a stellar Regina Hall) is the first Black Master, a term that will take on many meanings as the film progresses at the fictional New England college Ancaster.
Continue reading ‘Master’ Review: Regina Hall Is Stellar In A Haunting Jordan Peele-Esque Social Horror [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Gail Bishop (a stellar Regina Hall) is the first Black Master, a term that will take on many meanings as the film progresses at the fictional New England college Ancaster.
Continue reading ‘Master’ Review: Regina Hall Is Stellar In A Haunting Jordan Peele-Esque Social Horror [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/22/2022
- by Marya E. Gates
- The Playlist
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