Reese Witherspoon as Tracy FlickScreenshot: Paramount Pictures
This May, Glee turns 15. For better or worse—often both, within the same episode—the series is singular. It ushered in a wave of musical TV shows, and with it a new era of merchandising. Its young cast might not have become Euphoria famous,...
This May, Glee turns 15. For better or worse—often both, within the same episode—the series is singular. It ushered in a wave of musical TV shows, and with it a new era of merchandising. Its young cast might not have become Euphoria famous,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Drew Gillis
- avclub.com
There were many memorable cinematic performances that came from actresses in 1999 (Annette Bening in American Beauty, Samantha Morton in Sweet and Lowdown, Julianne Moore in Magnolia). And then there was a truly iconic turn from Reese Witherspoon as Tracy Flick, the terrifying antagonist in Alexander Payne’s sharp political satire, Election.
A cunning, ambitious and oh-so-annoying foil to her teacher and would-be mentor, Omaha-area social studies instructor Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), Tracy is at times the worst — for example, when her affair with Mr. McAllister’s best friend is discovered, the teenager has no qualms about abandoning him entirely — and in other moments, Tracy can be the absolute best. At least, she insists on that top slot, no matter what: having the highest grades, getting into the best college, winning a high school election — she’s destined for greatness, which in the time Election takes place means winning the office...
A cunning, ambitious and oh-so-annoying foil to her teacher and would-be mentor, Omaha-area social studies instructor Jim McAllister (Matthew Broderick), Tracy is at times the worst — for example, when her affair with Mr. McAllister’s best friend is discovered, the teenager has no qualms about abandoning him entirely — and in other moments, Tracy can be the absolute best. At least, she insists on that top slot, no matter what: having the highest grades, getting into the best college, winning a high school election — she’s destined for greatness, which in the time Election takes place means winning the office...
- 4/24/2024
- by Kevin Dolak
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Campaign poster Paul Metzler You BET-zler!! in Alexander Payne’s Election, starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick, designed by Nate Carlson
In the second instalment with Alexander Payne’s longtime 'secret weapon' graphic designer Nate Carlson, we discuss their latest multiple award-winning collaboration The Holdovers’ stained glass windows and memorial inscriptions in the school chapel, a running theme of pharmacies and prescription bottles, the mastery of punctuation humour from Election to Marcus Aurelius, the art of combining the pre-existing with the new, and the family polaroid.
Nate Carlson on Alexander Payne: “He always likes to put those little hidden gems in there and I am certainly open to accommodate.”
The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson), stars Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti, Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph and BAFTA Best Supporting Actor nominee Dominic Sessa and has a terrific supporting cast led by Carrie Preston with Brady Hepner,...
In the second instalment with Alexander Payne’s longtime 'secret weapon' graphic designer Nate Carlson, we discuss their latest multiple award-winning collaboration The Holdovers’ stained glass windows and memorial inscriptions in the school chapel, a running theme of pharmacies and prescription bottles, the mastery of punctuation humour from Election to Marcus Aurelius, the art of combining the pre-existing with the new, and the family polaroid.
Nate Carlson on Alexander Payne: “He always likes to put those little hidden gems in there and I am certainly open to accommodate.”
The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson), stars Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti, Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph and BAFTA Best Supporting Actor nominee Dominic Sessa and has a terrific supporting cast led by Carrie Preston with Brady Hepner,...
- 4/21/2024
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Exclusive: Alloy Entertainment has promoted Elysa Koplovitz Dutton to the role of Executive Vice President of Theatrical Film Production, the company’s President and Chief Creative Officer Leslie Morgenstein announced on Monday.
A leader in creating and producing youth-oriented content in books, television and film, Alloy has fallen under the umbrella of Warner Bros. Television Studios since its acquisition by WarnerMedia in 2012. Dutton most recently served as the company’s Head of Film, having now worked there for over a decade. On the producing front, her most recent credit is the comedy You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, starring Adam Sandler and Idina Menzel, which sat atop Netflix’s charts for multiple weeks upon its debut last summer. Prior to that, she produced Netflix’s smash hit romance Purple Hearts, starring Sofia Carson and Nicholas Galatzine — the streamer’s third-biggest movie of 2022 — as well as its dance comedy Work It,...
A leader in creating and producing youth-oriented content in books, television and film, Alloy has fallen under the umbrella of Warner Bros. Television Studios since its acquisition by WarnerMedia in 2012. Dutton most recently served as the company’s Head of Film, having now worked there for over a decade. On the producing front, her most recent credit is the comedy You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, starring Adam Sandler and Idina Menzel, which sat atop Netflix’s charts for multiple weeks upon its debut last summer. Prior to that, she produced Netflix’s smash hit romance Purple Hearts, starring Sofia Carson and Nicholas Galatzine — the streamer’s third-biggest movie of 2022 — as well as its dance comedy Work It,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Matthew Broderick is a true star of stage, screen and television who first came to moviegoers’ attention over four decades ago in the thriller “WarGames.” He then triumphed in comedies, dramas and musicals both on stage and in film. Add to that his long-term marriage to Sarah Jessica Parker, and there’s a lot for him to celebrate.
For his stage work, Broderick has won two Tony Awards (as Best Featured Actor for 1983’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and as Best Actor for the 1995 revival of the musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”), as well as an additional Best Actor nom for 2001’s “The Producers” for a performance that he brought to the screen in the 2005 film. In 1993, he was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his supporting performance in “A Life in the Theatre.” And for his film work, Broderick earned a Golden Globe nomination for 1986’s “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,...
For his stage work, Broderick has won two Tony Awards (as Best Featured Actor for 1983’s “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and as Best Actor for the 1995 revival of the musical “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying”), as well as an additional Best Actor nom for 2001’s “The Producers” for a performance that he brought to the screen in the 2005 film. In 1993, he was also nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his supporting performance in “A Life in the Theatre.” And for his film work, Broderick earned a Golden Globe nomination for 1986’s “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,...
- 3/15/2024
- by Tom O'Brien, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
A New Orleans native who was raised in Tennessee, Reese Witherspoon is the very definition of good things coming in petite 5-foot-1 packages. She made her film debut at age 14 in 1991’s “The Man in the Moon,” a bittersweet Southern coming-of-age tale of first love and loss. From then on, she was pegged as a young actress to watch. She would soon gravitate towards edgier fare such as the underwhelming 1994 comedy “S.F.W.” and 1996’s “Freeway,” a rancid take on a Little Red Riding Hood on the run. She then scored a signature role as the rabidly ruthless high-school over-achiever Tracy Flick in 1999’s political satire “Election.” That was followed by her first major box-office hit, 2001’s “Legally Blonde,” as a perky Harvard student with a penchant for pink, feathered pens and cute Chihuahuas.
Ever since, Witherspoon has proven to be a incredibly likable and laudable presence on the big screen and,...
Ever since, Witherspoon has proven to be a incredibly likable and laudable presence on the big screen and,...
- 3/15/2024
- by Susan Wloszczyna, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
[Editor’s note: this list was originally published in November 2022. We’re recirculating it to coincide with the release of “The Girls on the Bus.”]
It’s an election year in the United States. So, uh, how you doing, buddy?
Even in a world as spectacularly screwed up as ours [insert long list of alarming, urgent problems we have no practical solutions for, ending with some half-assed joke about the planet being on fire that you’ve definitely heard before!], the American political landscape is especially rocky terrain. In a post-Trump-presidency U.S., democracy is on the ballot and faith in both our electoral system and fellow humans is at an all-time low.
But, you knew that. And as we gear up for a 2020 election repeat showdown between Trump and Biden, it’s difficult not to feel fatigued by the circular nature of our political landscape and the lack of real progress made on a number of major crises boiling over at this very moment. Even international bystanders are probably dreading the death march to Election Day this year, and the sea to shining shit storm it will likely be. So to keep your head above water as we head into election season,...
It’s an election year in the United States. So, uh, how you doing, buddy?
Even in a world as spectacularly screwed up as ours [insert long list of alarming, urgent problems we have no practical solutions for, ending with some half-assed joke about the planet being on fire that you’ve definitely heard before!], the American political landscape is especially rocky terrain. In a post-Trump-presidency U.S., democracy is on the ballot and faith in both our electoral system and fellow humans is at an all-time low.
But, you knew that. And as we gear up for a 2020 election repeat showdown between Trump and Biden, it’s difficult not to feel fatigued by the circular nature of our political landscape and the lack of real progress made on a number of major crises boiling over at this very moment. Even international bystanders are probably dreading the death march to Election Day this year, and the sea to shining shit storm it will likely be. So to keep your head above water as we head into election season,...
- 3/14/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Alexander Payne movies always do well in two areas come the Oscar nominations: writing and acting. Five of Payne’s movies have been nominated for writing while five of his flicks have also snagged acting bids. However, while “Sideways” and “The Descendants” both took home Oscars for their writing (both for Best Adapted Screenplay), no Payne movie has ever won for acting. Here’s the record.
“About Schmidt” procured a Best Actor nomination in 2003 for Jack Nicholson. He was in a two-horse race for the Best Actor gong with “Gangs of New York” star Daniel Day-Lewis but it was Adrien Brody (“The Pianist”) who ended up winning by splitting the votes. Kathy Bates was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress for “About Schmidt” but she lost to Catherine Zeta-Jones (“Chicago”).
Paul Giamatti was cruelly snubbed for a Best Actor bid for “Sideways” in 2005 but two of his costars were nominated.
“About Schmidt” procured a Best Actor nomination in 2003 for Jack Nicholson. He was in a two-horse race for the Best Actor gong with “Gangs of New York” star Daniel Day-Lewis but it was Adrien Brody (“The Pianist”) who ended up winning by splitting the votes. Kathy Bates was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress for “About Schmidt” but she lost to Catherine Zeta-Jones (“Chicago”).
Paul Giamatti was cruelly snubbed for a Best Actor bid for “Sideways” in 2005 but two of his costars were nominated.
- 3/6/2024
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Film editor Kevin Tent takes pride in the fact that he and Alexander Payne grew up in the film business together. The two men have collaborated on all eight of the features Payne has directed going back to “Citizen Ruth” in 1996 and subsequently teamed up on “Election,” “About Schmidt,” “Sideways,” “Nebraska,” “The Descendants” (for which Tent scored his first Oscar nomination) and “Downsizing.” Their most recent movie together, “The Holdovers,” has found Tent honored with his second Academy Award bid for editing. “Alexander is a very loyal guy and super collaborative,” Tent observes. “We kind of clicked from the beginning. Neither of us gets super wrapped up in the drama or takes things too seriously. He often will just go, ‘What’s everyone getting worked up about? It’s just a movie.’ And that’s kind of my attitude, too.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
SEEAlexander Payne interview: ‘The...
SEEAlexander Payne interview: ‘The...
- 2/6/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Clockwise from top left: Jeff, Who Lives At Home (Screenshot); The Farewell (Photo: A24); igby Goes Down (Screenshot); Election (Screenshot); Young Adult (Screenshot); Friends With Kids (Screenshot); Ghost World (Screenshot)Graphic: The A.V. Club
Streaming libraries expand and contract. Algorithms are imperfect. Those damn thumbnail images are always changing. But...
Streaming libraries expand and contract. Algorithms are imperfect. Those damn thumbnail images are always changing. But...
- 1/30/2024
- by The A.V. Club
- avclub.com
In January of 1999, two teen movies opened back to back and kicked off what would be one of the most extraordinary years for youth-oriented movies in the history of Hollywood. Both were No. 1 at the box office their first weekend. Both boasted remarkable casts of rising stars — they even shared a star in Paul Walker. And both whipped ancient genre conventions into new combinations that made them fresh and new. Yet for all their similarities, “Varsity Blues” and “She’s All That” couldn’t have been more different: one an R-rated sports drama that tempered its inspirational coming-of-age drama with surprisingly harsh depictions of misogyny and physical and mental abuse, the other a sweet, good-natured romantic comedy nearly as innocent as a Mickey Rooney-Judy Garland vehicle from the 1940s. In their similarities and differences lies the key to why 1999 was such a great year for movies of their type — the 1939 of teen movies.
- 1/30/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Each January brings high hopes and bitter disappointments, surprises and snubs. This Tuesday morning was no different when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced their nominations for the best films of 2023. There were some obvious frontrunners who were always going to get in, be it Oppenheimer or The Holdovers, and some that always seemed like at least a strong possibility.
Still, there were plenty on the bubble, so it’s a relief to see Anatomy of a Fall and Past Lives get in. Be that as it may, as an audience member who couldn’t afford to go to the movie theater every weekend, it might be understandable if you feel daunted at seeing so many films just added to your watch list. So if you are trying to get caught up in time for the Academy Awards telecast in March—or just want to know where...
Still, there were plenty on the bubble, so it’s a relief to see Anatomy of a Fall and Past Lives get in. Be that as it may, as an audience member who couldn’t afford to go to the movie theater every weekend, it might be understandable if you feel daunted at seeing so many films just added to your watch list. So if you are trying to get caught up in time for the Academy Awards telecast in March—or just want to know where...
- 1/23/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
As of this writing the frontrunner to win this year’s Oscar for Best Original Screenplay is “The Holdovers” with 69/20 odds based on the combined predictions of Gold Derby users. What was previously behind it in second place was “Barbie,” yet the Academy recently declared that script to be adapted despite Warner Bros. campaigning it as original. With “Barbie” out of the way, “Past Lives” is now in second place in this category with 4/1 odds. But I think it actually has a shot of taking down “The Holdovers” for the win.
When it comes to Alexander Payne movies at the Oscars, they’ve so far gone one of two ways. They’ve either only won one award for screenplay (as was the case for “Sideways” and “The Descendants”), or they’ve gone home empty-handed. Many are currently predicting “The Holdovers” will fall into that first category, though it’s also...
When it comes to Alexander Payne movies at the Oscars, they’ve so far gone one of two ways. They’ve either only won one award for screenplay (as was the case for “Sideways” and “The Descendants”), or they’ve gone home empty-handed. Many are currently predicting “The Holdovers” will fall into that first category, though it’s also...
- 1/17/2024
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
A chance audition – and a broken femur – led to a role in Alexander Payne’s boarding school drama The Holdovers, and the debut of a lifetime. Its star’s next ambition? To be in movies without becoming famous
Dominic Sessa wasn’t thinking about the movies when he entered his senior year of high school at Deerfield Academy in western Massachusetts. The original plan was hockey – Sessa, a scholarship student from southern New Jersey, knew that New England prep schools are a launchpad for college careers. But a broken femur and the school’s winter activity requirement landed him in theatre, which he took to like a fish to water. So, new plan: maybe drama school. But in autumn 2021, when Sessa was starring in a student production of Neil Simon’s Rumors, his drama teacher asked him to audition for a Hollywood casting director who was scouting Deerfield as a potential filming location.
Dominic Sessa wasn’t thinking about the movies when he entered his senior year of high school at Deerfield Academy in western Massachusetts. The original plan was hockey – Sessa, a scholarship student from southern New Jersey, knew that New England prep schools are a launchpad for college careers. But a broken femur and the school’s winter activity requirement landed him in theatre, which he took to like a fish to water. So, new plan: maybe drama school. But in autumn 2021, when Sessa was starring in a student production of Neil Simon’s Rumors, his drama teacher asked him to audition for a Hollywood casting director who was scouting Deerfield as a potential filming location.
- 1/15/2024
- by Adrian Horton
- The Guardian - Film News
In some ways the musical format suits Mean Girls better than the original movie version, with Angourie Rice in the role once occupied by Lindsay Lohan
The high school comedy of status-sadism now reaches the same third life-cycle stage already achieved by Hairspray, The Producers and The Color Purple: the movie, the stage musical version and then the movie version of that. My own dissident reaction to the 2004 original was a mean review based on feeling it was inferior to Clueless, Election and 10 Things I Hate About You, and that it had its cake and ate it on the prettiness-fascism issue.
But I could have paid more attention to the showstopping individually funny lines; screenwriter Tina Fey after all went on to create an authentic masterpiece with TV’s 30 Rock, in which she could more successfully represent in her own person the eternal Mean Girls themes of reconciling success with kindness.
The high school comedy of status-sadism now reaches the same third life-cycle stage already achieved by Hairspray, The Producers and The Color Purple: the movie, the stage musical version and then the movie version of that. My own dissident reaction to the 2004 original was a mean review based on feeling it was inferior to Clueless, Election and 10 Things I Hate About You, and that it had its cake and ate it on the prettiness-fascism issue.
But I could have paid more attention to the showstopping individually funny lines; screenwriter Tina Fey after all went on to create an authentic masterpiece with TV’s 30 Rock, in which she could more successfully represent in her own person the eternal Mean Girls themes of reconciling success with kindness.
- 1/10/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Paul Giamatti and Da'Vine Joy Randolph won Golden Globes for their performances in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, spot-on costumes by Wendy Chuck
On Sunday night, two of the stars of Alexander Payne’s intricately layered The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson) won Golden Globes. The first award of the night, Best Supporting Actress in any Motion Picture, was presented by Jared Leto and Angela Bassett to Da'Vine Joy Randolph. The Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy was presented by the clowning duo of Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell (a Barbie producer) to Paul Giamatti.
Reese Witherspoon wearing the necklace as Tracy Flick in Election, collection Wendy Chuck
In the second installment with Wendy Chuck, Alexander Payne’s longtime, brilliant costume designer, we discuss the Virgin Mary colours for Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), connecting with shades of...
On Sunday night, two of the stars of Alexander Payne’s intricately layered The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson) won Golden Globes. The first award of the night, Best Supporting Actress in any Motion Picture, was presented by Jared Leto and Angela Bassett to Da'Vine Joy Randolph. The Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy was presented by the clowning duo of Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell (a Barbie producer) to Paul Giamatti.
Reese Witherspoon wearing the necklace as Tracy Flick in Election, collection Wendy Chuck
In the second installment with Wendy Chuck, Alexander Payne’s longtime, brilliant costume designer, we discuss the Virgin Mary colours for Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), connecting with shades of...
- 1/9/2024
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Holdovers director Alexander Payne (in Nirvana T-shirt) with Anne-Katrin Titze on Westward The Women: “It’s as though Jean Renoir and Akira Kurosawa got together to make a Western.”
In the first instalment with Alexander Payne on his intricately layered Golden Globe-nominated The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson with an Oscar-shortlisted score by Mark Orton) we started out discussing a film he recommended, William A Wellman’s Westward The Women (screenplay by Frank Capra and Charles Schnee), starring Robert Taylor and Denise Darcel with a formidable supporting cast of women, led by Hope Emerson.
Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) and Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) with Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph)
From there we touched upon his longtime collaborators, Wendy Chuck and Nathan Carlson, production designer Ryan Warren Smith, a scene between (Golden Globe-nominated) Paul Giamatti and Carrie Preston leading to Slavoj Žižek’s comment in Sophie Fiennes’s The Pervert’s Guide To Ideology...
In the first instalment with Alexander Payne on his intricately layered Golden Globe-nominated The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson with an Oscar-shortlisted score by Mark Orton) we started out discussing a film he recommended, William A Wellman’s Westward The Women (screenplay by Frank Capra and Charles Schnee), starring Robert Taylor and Denise Darcel with a formidable supporting cast of women, led by Hope Emerson.
Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) and Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) with Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph)
From there we touched upon his longtime collaborators, Wendy Chuck and Nathan Carlson, production designer Ryan Warren Smith, a scene between (Golden Globe-nominated) Paul Giamatti and Carrie Preston leading to Slavoj Žižek’s comment in Sophie Fiennes’s The Pervert’s Guide To Ideology...
- 12/24/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Focus Features’ “The Holdovers” is one of the sweetest movies of the year and is set to become a new Christmas classic. Written by David Hemingson and directed by Alexander Payne, the 1970s-set story follows Paul Giamatti as a school professor tasked with staying behind on campus to look after students not going home for Christmas. What follows is a charming, touching tale about two foes who learn to become friends. Giamatti gives a knockout performance while Da’Vine Joy Randolph is a hot contender for Best Supporting Actress for her role as a cook mourning the death of her son. The movie’s strongest point, however, is its writing.
“Whiskey Cavalier” creator and “Black-Ish” and “American Dad!” scribe David Hemingson crafted the script. He has never been nominated for an Oscar before but we expect that that he’ll win one this year. We’re predicting he will take home...
“Whiskey Cavalier” creator and “Black-Ish” and “American Dad!” scribe David Hemingson crafted the script. He has never been nominated for an Oscar before but we expect that that he’ll win one this year. We’re predicting he will take home...
- 12/20/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Alexander Payne’s Golden Globe-nominated The Holdovers, costumes by Wendy Chuck, stars Dominic Sessa, Paul Giamatti (Golden Globe nomination), and Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Golden Globe nomination)
In the first installment with Wendy Chuck, Alexander Payne’s longtime, brilliant costume designer, we discussed her most recent Payne film, the intricately layered The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson), dressing the stars Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph and the terrific supporting cast of Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner, Ian Dolley, Jim Kaplan, Michael Provost, Naheem Garcia, Darby Lee-Stack, Andrew Garman, Stephen Thorne, and Gillian Vigman.
Wendy Chuck with Anne-Katrin Titze on Alexander Payne: “You know Alexander, he wants everything as authentic as it possibly can be.”
We started out with the costumes for Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon (Jacqueline West), Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things (Holly Waddington), and Bradley Cooper’s Maestro (Mark Bridges). We also touched upon.
In the first installment with Wendy Chuck, Alexander Payne’s longtime, brilliant costume designer, we discussed her most recent Payne film, the intricately layered The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson), dressing the stars Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph and the terrific supporting cast of Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner, Ian Dolley, Jim Kaplan, Michael Provost, Naheem Garcia, Darby Lee-Stack, Andrew Garman, Stephen Thorne, and Gillian Vigman.
Wendy Chuck with Anne-Katrin Titze on Alexander Payne: “You know Alexander, he wants everything as authentic as it possibly can be.”
We started out with the costumes for Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon (Jacqueline West), Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things (Holly Waddington), and Bradley Cooper’s Maestro (Mark Bridges). We also touched upon.
- 12/17/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI) is celebrating the cinematic contributions of Oscar winner Alexander Payne, including his latest film, “The Holdovers.”
The Queens-based MoMI is curating a special Payne retrospective, culminating in a screening of “The Holdovers” with Payne in attendance on January 10. The exhibit kicks off January 5 with Payne’s feature debut “Citizen Ruth,” which was released in 1996. The independent dark comedy stars Laura Dern as a pregnant woman being used on opposing ends of the abortion debate.
“Alexander Payne has always put this country’s cultural, political, and emotional realities under a microscope — while never forgetting to also make viewers laugh,” the official MoMI press statement reads. “This rare talent, coupled with an enormous skill directing actors, many of whom give career performances under his watchful eye, has carried him through all his films, psychologically acute and often poignant inquiries into the lives of taciturn American...
The Queens-based MoMI is curating a special Payne retrospective, culminating in a screening of “The Holdovers” with Payne in attendance on January 10. The exhibit kicks off January 5 with Payne’s feature debut “Citizen Ruth,” which was released in 1996. The independent dark comedy stars Laura Dern as a pregnant woman being used on opposing ends of the abortion debate.
“Alexander Payne has always put this country’s cultural, political, and emotional realities under a microscope — while never forgetting to also make viewers laugh,” the official MoMI press statement reads. “This rare talent, coupled with an enormous skill directing actors, many of whom give career performances under his watchful eye, has carried him through all his films, psychologically acute and often poignant inquiries into the lives of taciturn American...
- 11/29/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Alexander Payne‘s movies often fare well in the writing categories at the Oscars with four of his films so far nominated for either Best Original Screenplay or Best Adapted Screenplay.
His second movie, “Election,” was nominated for only Adapted Screenplay in 2000 after it turned Tom Perrotta’s 1998 novel of the same name into a film. Payne was nominated with his writing partner Jim Taylor, although they lost to John Irving for “The Cider House Rules.” “Sideways” then picked up five nominations in 2005 including an Adapted Screenplay bid for Payne and Taylor after they turned Rex Pickett’s 2004 novel of the same name into a hit movie. Payne and Taylor won this time around.
In 2012, “The Descendants” repeated the record of “Sideways,” matching five nominations and one Adapted Screenplay victory. This time, Payne won alongside Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. They adapted the 2007 novel of the same name from Kaui Hart Hemmings.
His second movie, “Election,” was nominated for only Adapted Screenplay in 2000 after it turned Tom Perrotta’s 1998 novel of the same name into a film. Payne was nominated with his writing partner Jim Taylor, although they lost to John Irving for “The Cider House Rules.” “Sideways” then picked up five nominations in 2005 including an Adapted Screenplay bid for Payne and Taylor after they turned Rex Pickett’s 2004 novel of the same name into a hit movie. Payne and Taylor won this time around.
In 2012, “The Descendants” repeated the record of “Sideways,” matching five nominations and one Adapted Screenplay victory. This time, Payne won alongside Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. They adapted the 2007 novel of the same name from Kaui Hart Hemmings.
- 11/24/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
This article has been corrected to include Alexander Payne’s first feature film, “Citizen Ruth.”
Alexander Payne has a near-perfect record when it comes to his movies being nominated for Academy Awards. The acclaimed writer, director, and producer — one of our very best — has made eight movies so far including his latest flick “The Holdovers” and five of them have been nominated for Oscars. Here’s the breakdown.
Payne’s debut feature film was “Citizen Ruth” (“The Passion of Martin” was only 49 minutes), which follows Laura Dern as a drug-addicted pregnant woman who finds herself in the middle of an abortion debate as she weighs up her choices regarding the pregnancy. This 1996 movie was not nominated for any Oscars.
His next movie was “Election,” which stars Matthew Broderick as a high school teacher who meets his match with Reese Witherspoon‘s over-achieving student. In 2000, the film was nominated for Best...
Alexander Payne has a near-perfect record when it comes to his movies being nominated for Academy Awards. The acclaimed writer, director, and producer — one of our very best — has made eight movies so far including his latest flick “The Holdovers” and five of them have been nominated for Oscars. Here’s the breakdown.
Payne’s debut feature film was “Citizen Ruth” (“The Passion of Martin” was only 49 minutes), which follows Laura Dern as a drug-addicted pregnant woman who finds herself in the middle of an abortion debate as she weighs up her choices regarding the pregnancy. This 1996 movie was not nominated for any Oscars.
His next movie was “Election,” which stars Matthew Broderick as a high school teacher who meets his match with Reese Witherspoon‘s over-achieving student. In 2000, the film was nominated for Best...
- 11/22/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
As you probably have heard by now, writer Tom Perrota, the author of 1998’s novel “Election,” which was adapted into a very successful feature film by filmmaker Alexander Payne, has written the sequel, 2022’s book “Tracy Flick Can’t Win.” And some years back, it was announced that Payne and Reese Witherspoon would reunite to adapt that book into a movie.
Read More: ‘The Holdovers’ Review: Alexander Payne & Paul Giamatti Reunite For A ’70s Nostalgia Dramedy [Telluride]
Some thought it would be Payne’s next movie.
Continue reading ‘Election’ Sequel: Alexander Payne Says He Wants Matthew Broderick Back & To “Loosely” Adapt The Book That Doesn’t Include His Character at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘The Holdovers’ Review: Alexander Payne & Paul Giamatti Reunite For A ’70s Nostalgia Dramedy [Telluride]
Some thought it would be Payne’s next movie.
Continue reading ‘Election’ Sequel: Alexander Payne Says He Wants Matthew Broderick Back & To “Loosely” Adapt The Book That Doesn’t Include His Character at The Playlist.
- 11/9/2023
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
"I hope audiences feel it's a successful and unforced, lived in sense of period and time." Focus Features has revealed a brief behind-the-scenes featurette for The Holdovers, the latest film by filmmaker Alexander Payne. It already started playing in limited theaters this past weekend, expanding in wide release throughout November. This featurette focuses on making the film feel like it was made in and takes place in the 1970s, which is not as easy anymore in the 2020s. With no family and nowhere to go over the Christmas holiday in 1970, Paul remains at school to supervise students unable to journey home. After a few days, only one student holdover remains -- a trouble-making 15-year-old named Angus. Joining Paul & Angus is head cook Mary, an African American woman whose own son was recently lost in Vietnam. These very different people form an unlikely Christmas family sharing comic misadventures during two snowy weeks.
- 11/1/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
In Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, his first film since the perplexingly underwhelming Downsizing six years ago, the liminal state between semesters at an elite, private educational institution, the fictional Barton Academy in New England, proves incredibly ripe for an enlightening, poignant comedy-drama of errors, misunderstandings, and hard-won life lessons for a trio of outsiders. The Holdovers just might be Payne’s best all-around cinematic endeavor since his first — and until now only — collaboration with Paul Giamatti, Sideways, almost two decades ago. When we first meet Giamatti’s curmudgeonly character, Paul Hunham, an unpopular senior lecturer in ancient history in the year of our Lord 1970, he’s haranguing the bored, disinterested students under his charge for their laziness, their disengagement with the world,...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/26/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Reese Witherspoon in Election (Paramount Pictures), Paul Giamatti in Sideways (Searchlight Pictures), George Clooney in The Descendants (Searchlight Pictures), Matt Damon in Downsizing (Paramount Pictures)Graphic: The A.V. Club
It’s been six years since Alexander Payne released his last film, Downsizing, to mixed reviews. Now he’s back with The Holdovers,...
It’s been six years since Alexander Payne released his last film, Downsizing, to mixed reviews. Now he’s back with The Holdovers,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Alexander Payne agrees: Some movies today are simply “too damn long.”
The Sideways director was speaking at the Middleburg Film Festival on Saturday to promote his new film, The Holdovers, when he criticized overly long runtimes.
“You want your movie to be as short as possible,” Payne said, according to IndieWire. “There are too many damn long movies these days.”
Payne added that a movie can successfully pull off a long runtime: But “if your movie is three and a half hours, at least let it be the shortest possible version of a three-and-a-half-hour movie. Like The Godfather Part II [and] Seven Samurai are super tight, three-and-a-half-hour movies and they go by like that. So there’s no ipso facto judgment about length.”
Payne didn’t cite any particular offender, but his comments came on the opening weekend of Martin Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour drama Killers of the Flower Moon. While the...
The Sideways director was speaking at the Middleburg Film Festival on Saturday to promote his new film, The Holdovers, when he criticized overly long runtimes.
“You want your movie to be as short as possible,” Payne said, according to IndieWire. “There are too many damn long movies these days.”
Payne added that a movie can successfully pull off a long runtime: But “if your movie is three and a half hours, at least let it be the shortest possible version of a three-and-a-half-hour movie. Like The Godfather Part II [and] Seven Samurai are super tight, three-and-a-half-hour movies and they go by like that. So there’s no ipso facto judgment about length.”
Payne didn’t cite any particular offender, but his comments came on the opening weekend of Martin Scorsese’s three-and-a-half-hour drama Killers of the Flower Moon. While the...
- 10/23/2023
- by James Hibberd
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Oscar-winning filmmaker Alexander Payne is also feeling fatigue from the trend of ballooning running times for theatrical releases the past couple years. “You want your movie to be as short as possible. There are too many damn long movies these days,” said “The Holdovers” director in conversation at Middleburg Film Festival on Saturday, October 21.
To clarify, Payne is not saying he is against any film that takes up an eighth of one’s day, but “if your movie’s three and a half hours at least let it be the shortest possible version of a three half hour movie,” he said. “Like ‘The Godfather Part II’ [and] ‘Seven Samurai’ are super tight three and a half hour movies and they go by like that. So there’s no ipso facto judgment about length.”
Speaking more to his personal philosophy on filmmaking, Payne said, “Film is a constant search for economy. You...
To clarify, Payne is not saying he is against any film that takes up an eighth of one’s day, but “if your movie’s three and a half hours at least let it be the shortest possible version of a three half hour movie,” he said. “Like ‘The Godfather Part II’ [and] ‘Seven Samurai’ are super tight three and a half hour movies and they go by like that. So there’s no ipso facto judgment about length.”
Speaking more to his personal philosophy on filmmaking, Payne said, “Film is a constant search for economy. You...
- 10/22/2023
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
“The Morning Show” is back for Season 3 on Apple TV+, introducing new faces to its star-studded cast. Co-produced by Michael Ellenberg’s Media Res and Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, the drama series promises new frontiers for the harrowed Uba news network, which has struggled from the stains of its past with Mitch Kessler (Steve Carell) and the toxic culture he promoted. Returning power players include Witherspoon’s Bradley Jackson, Jennifer Aniston’s Alex Levy, Billy Crudup’s Cory Ellison, Karen Pittman’s Mia Jordan and more.
One new face is tech titan Paul Marks (Jon Hamm), who promises all kinds of shakeups and challenges for Uba. Mark Duplass’ Chip Black, Nestor Carbonell’s Yanko Flores, Greta Lee’s Stella Bak and other staple characters at Uba will experience their own microcosmic shifts as a result of Ellison’s bromance with Paul Marks.
Here are the cast and characters of...
One new face is tech titan Paul Marks (Jon Hamm), who promises all kinds of shakeups and challenges for Uba. Mark Duplass’ Chip Black, Nestor Carbonell’s Yanko Flores, Greta Lee’s Stella Bak and other staple characters at Uba will experience their own microcosmic shifts as a result of Ellison’s bromance with Paul Marks.
Here are the cast and characters of...
- 10/3/2023
- by Dessi Gomez
- The Wrap
Paramount+ has greenlit a new documentary that will shine a spotlight on the boy bands that dominated pop culture and the music industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s, including Nsync, the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block.
The documentary will feature new interviews and material, along with archival concert footage, unaired interviews and candid clips that feature original members, songwriters, producers, managers, family members and fans.
The project is produced by music manager Johnny Wright and Gunpower & Sky CEO Van Toffler and directed by Tamra Davis.
Gunpowder & Sky is producing in partnership with MTV Entertainment Studios.
“The ’90s boy band era was an extraordinary chapter in music where harmonies and beats came together, along with talented vocal artists who captivated the hearts of millions worldwide,” Wright said in a statement. “Their music spoke to the dreams, aspirations and emotions of the fans, creating a bond that transcended borders and language.
The documentary will feature new interviews and material, along with archival concert footage, unaired interviews and candid clips that feature original members, songwriters, producers, managers, family members and fans.
The project is produced by music manager Johnny Wright and Gunpower & Sky CEO Van Toffler and directed by Tamra Davis.
Gunpowder & Sky is producing in partnership with MTV Entertainment Studios.
“The ’90s boy band era was an extraordinary chapter in music where harmonies and beats came together, along with talented vocal artists who captivated the hearts of millions worldwide,” Wright said in a statement. “Their music spoke to the dreams, aspirations and emotions of the fans, creating a bond that transcended borders and language.
- 10/2/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
With Alexander Payne‘s latest “The Holdovers” making the festival rounds before it hits theaters in October, fans of the director wonder what he’ll start work on next. Will it be the long-gestating sequel to his 1999 film “Election,” titled “Tracy Flick Can’t Win“? Payne’s short answer about that project: don’t hold your breath.
Read More: ‘Tracy Flick Can’t Win’: An ‘Election’ Sequel Is In The Works At Paramount+ With Reese Witherspoon & Director Alexander Payne Returning
World Of Reel (via a Collider interview) provides a status report on the Payne project.
Continue reading ‘Tracy Flick Can’t Win’: Alexander Payne Says He Has “A Couple Things To Do Before” He Makes His ‘Election’ Sequel at The Playlist.
Read More: ‘Tracy Flick Can’t Win’: An ‘Election’ Sequel Is In The Works At Paramount+ With Reese Witherspoon & Director Alexander Payne Returning
World Of Reel (via a Collider interview) provides a status report on the Payne project.
Continue reading ‘Tracy Flick Can’t Win’: Alexander Payne Says He Has “A Couple Things To Do Before” He Makes His ‘Election’ Sequel at The Playlist.
- 9/21/2023
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
In the midst of a festival setting, catching up with all the best of world cinema and the contemporary avant-garde, you basically hope––sometimes even luckily have––your notion of the moving image genuinely challenged. So you might forget what it’s like to engage with a well-made “nice and normal” movie that frankly works. Basically exactly what you would expect, Alexander Payne’s newest film The Holdovers, directed from a script not written by him––the signs of a good-behavior assignment to make up the critical and commercial failure of his ambitious passion project Downsizing––lives up that notion.
A heavily nostalgic project scored to non-stop Cat Stevens and featuring retro production logos, it blatantly positions itself in the “they don’t make movies like this anymore” camp, recalling Hal Ashby and his ilk’s character-driven dramedies of the ’70s. In fact, its retro appeal went so far I...
A heavily nostalgic project scored to non-stop Cat Stevens and featuring retro production logos, it blatantly positions itself in the “they don’t make movies like this anymore” camp, recalling Hal Ashby and his ilk’s character-driven dramedies of the ’70s. In fact, its retro appeal went so far I...
- 9/11/2023
- by Ethan Vestby
- The Film Stage
Virginia’s Middleburg Film Festival, now in its 11th year, is set to open this October with Netflix’s Bayard Rustin biopic “Rustin” starring Colman Domingo. Director George C. Wolfe will receive the festival’s Impact Award for his work in bringing the vital civil and LGBTQ rights story to the screen.
Also coming to the festival is Alexander Payne’s much-anticipated Christmas (break) film “The Holdovers” as the Saturday night Centerpiece film. Payne will be honored with the Mff Director Spotlight Award for his eighth feature film following his previous projects which include “Nebraska,” “The Descendants” and “Election.”
Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn” will also screen at Mff while the director receives this year’s Agnès Varda Trailblazing Film Artist award and grant. “Saltburn” premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in August and stars Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Ewan Mitchell and Rosamund Pike.
Composer Michael Giacchino will be recognized at...
Also coming to the festival is Alexander Payne’s much-anticipated Christmas (break) film “The Holdovers” as the Saturday night Centerpiece film. Payne will be honored with the Mff Director Spotlight Award for his eighth feature film following his previous projects which include “Nebraska,” “The Descendants” and “Election.”
Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn” will also screen at Mff while the director receives this year’s Agnès Varda Trailblazing Film Artist award and grant. “Saltburn” premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in August and stars Barry Keoghan, Jacob Elordi, Ewan Mitchell and Rosamund Pike.
Composer Michael Giacchino will be recognized at...
- 9/6/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Spin up some margaritas and call over your gals, “Sweet Magnolias” Season 3 is here. Based on the book series by Sherryl Woods, Netflix’s sweet small-town drama follows the intertwined lives of three life-long best friends — Maddie Townsend, Dana Sue Sullivan and Helen Decatur — who call themselves the “Sweet Magnolias.”
Raised together in the idyllic yet gossip-hungry town of Serenity, the trio has been through it all, together. The series follows the stories of the Sweet Magnolias and their families, from the messy first loves and heartbreaks of their kids at Serenity High School to the (even messier) adult trials of romance, parenting and pursuing your dreams.
If you’re wondering who’s who in “Sweet Magnolias,” or who plays them, here’s a handy guide to the residents of Serenity and their tangled family ties.
Netflix
JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Maddie Townsend
Recently divorced and rebuilding her life, Maddie...
Raised together in the idyllic yet gossip-hungry town of Serenity, the trio has been through it all, together. The series follows the stories of the Sweet Magnolias and their families, from the messy first loves and heartbreaks of their kids at Serenity High School to the (even messier) adult trials of romance, parenting and pursuing your dreams.
If you’re wondering who’s who in “Sweet Magnolias,” or who plays them, here’s a handy guide to the residents of Serenity and their tangled family ties.
Netflix
JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Maddie Townsend
Recently divorced and rebuilding her life, Maddie...
- 7/21/2023
- by Haleigh Foutch
- The Wrap
‘The Holdovers’ Trailer: Alexander Payne Reunites with Paul Giamatti in a Role ‘Tailor-Made for Him’
Alexander Payne is going back in time for his first film in six years.
Following 2017’s critically panned “Downsizing,” Payne returns to the big screen with “The Holdovers” starring “Sideways” alum Paul Giamatti almost exactly 20 years later. Payne’s eighth feature will be distributed by Focus Features.
“The Holdovers” follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them, a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa), and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (“The Idol” breakout Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
Payne directs the film from a screenplay by David Hemingson, who previously penned episodes of “Black-ish” and “Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23.” Focus Features handles the film’s U.
Following 2017’s critically panned “Downsizing,” Payne returns to the big screen with “The Holdovers” starring “Sideways” alum Paul Giamatti almost exactly 20 years later. Payne’s eighth feature will be distributed by Focus Features.
“The Holdovers” follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them, a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa), and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (“The Idol” breakout Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
Payne directs the film from a screenplay by David Hemingson, who previously penned episodes of “Black-ish” and “Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23.” Focus Features handles the film’s U.
- 7/17/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Summer is heating up on Max.
Back in May, Max added programming from TLC, HGTV and Food Network. That means Discovery’s popular Shark Week will be available to stream when it kicks off on July 23, with programming to be announced soon.
For fans of unscripted series, Season 3 or “90 Day Fiancé: Love in Paradise: Pillow Talk” (July 4) and Season 5 of “90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way” (July 10) are both streaming, as well as the series premiere of “90 Day Fiancé: UK.”
Home renovation fans will want to catch Season 16 of “Barnwood Builders” (July 6) and the special “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge” (July 16), hosted by Ashley Graham, just in time for the feature film.
Also Read:
Here’s What’s New on Amazon Prime Video in July 2023
“Project Greenlight” (July 13) returns, with executive producer Issa Rae along with Kumail Nanjiani and Gina Prince-Bythewood serve as mentors throughout the season.
Finally, the six-episode Max Original limited series “Full Circle,...
Back in May, Max added programming from TLC, HGTV and Food Network. That means Discovery’s popular Shark Week will be available to stream when it kicks off on July 23, with programming to be announced soon.
For fans of unscripted series, Season 3 or “90 Day Fiancé: Love in Paradise: Pillow Talk” (July 4) and Season 5 of “90 Day Fiancé: The Other Way” (July 10) are both streaming, as well as the series premiere of “90 Day Fiancé: UK.”
Home renovation fans will want to catch Season 16 of “Barnwood Builders” (July 6) and the special “Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge” (July 16), hosted by Ashley Graham, just in time for the feature film.
Also Read:
Here’s What’s New on Amazon Prime Video in July 2023
“Project Greenlight” (July 13) returns, with executive producer Issa Rae along with Kumail Nanjiani and Gina Prince-Bythewood serve as mentors throughout the season.
Finally, the six-episode Max Original limited series “Full Circle,...
- 7/2/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
Max is following DC’s lead with its list of new releases for July 2023.
The two big ticket items this month are of the superhero variety. My Adventures with Superman arrives to Max on July 7 after making its Adult Swim premiere the night before. The end of the month sees Harley Quinn season 4 making its long-awaited debut on July 27. Other original TV titles of note are the Steven Soderbergh-directed Full Circle (July 13) and the third and final season of How To With John Wilson on July 28.
On the movie side of things, documentary Glitch: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia premieres on July 20. Before that on July 13 is both a fresh reboot of filmmaking competition Project Greenlight and the movie that came of it, Gray Matter. Library movies in July include Pulp Fiction, V for Vendetta, Lethal Weapon, and more on July 1.
Here is everything else coming to HBO and Max this month.
The two big ticket items this month are of the superhero variety. My Adventures with Superman arrives to Max on July 7 after making its Adult Swim premiere the night before. The end of the month sees Harley Quinn season 4 making its long-awaited debut on July 27. Other original TV titles of note are the Steven Soderbergh-directed Full Circle (July 13) and the third and final season of How To With John Wilson on July 28.
On the movie side of things, documentary Glitch: The Rise and Fall of HQ Trivia premieres on July 20. Before that on July 13 is both a fresh reboot of filmmaking competition Project Greenlight and the movie that came of it, Gray Matter. Library movies in July include Pulp Fiction, V for Vendetta, Lethal Weapon, and more on July 1.
Here is everything else coming to HBO and Max this month.
- 7/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
The original Max series “Full Circle” debuts on July 13. Directed by Steven Soderbergh, the new drama investigates a kidnapping gone wrong in New York, revealing the secrets and lies of multiple characters. Or as the trailer warns: “Everything is connected.” The six-episode limited series stars Zazie Beetz, Claire Danes, Jim Gaffigan, Jharrel Jerome, Timothy Olyphant, and Dennis Quaid.
Watch the “Full Circle” trailer:
The four-part documentary “Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” is set in the early 1990s as the AIDS crisis worsens. The media’s distorted coverage of the gay victims, coupled with the homophobic biases of the criminal justice system, undermine the investigation. The docuseries — which premieres on Max on July 9 — illustrates how the LGBTQ+ community fought to solve the murders and demand attention for those murdered.
Preview “Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York”:
Arriving on the platform on...
Watch the “Full Circle” trailer:
The four-part documentary “Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York” is set in the early 1990s as the AIDS crisis worsens. The media’s distorted coverage of the gay victims, coupled with the homophobic biases of the criminal justice system, undermine the investigation. The docuseries — which premieres on Max on July 9 — illustrates how the LGBTQ+ community fought to solve the murders and demand attention for those murdered.
Preview “Last Call: When A Serial Killer Stalked Queer New York”:
Arriving on the platform on...
- 6/29/2023
- by Fern Siegel
- The Streamable
Timothy Olyphant, Claire Danes, and Dennis Quaid in ‘Full Circle’ (Photograph by Sarah Shatz)
Max’s July 2023 schedule includes the premiere of the drama Full Circle and the return of Shark Week. The hot summer month’s lineup also includes the final season of How To With John Wilson, the premiere of Project Greenlight, and the final episodes of the popular comedy The Righteous Gemstones.
The two-part documentary The Golden Boy about the life and career of Oscar De La Hoya joins the streaming service’s lineup on July 24th. Shaun White: The Last Run, a docuseries about the Olympian, is set to premiere on July 6th.
Series & Films Arriving On Max In July 2023:
July 1
300 (2006)
17 Again (2009)
20th Century Women (2016)
A Life Less Ordinary (1997)
A Walk in the Woods (2015)
American Sniper (2014)
Angels Sing (2013)
Ballet 422 (2014)
Barbershop (2002)
Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004)
Beauty Shop (2005)
Because of Winn-Dixie (2005)
Brandi Carlile: In the...
Max’s July 2023 schedule includes the premiere of the drama Full Circle and the return of Shark Week. The hot summer month’s lineup also includes the final season of How To With John Wilson, the premiere of Project Greenlight, and the final episodes of the popular comedy The Righteous Gemstones.
The two-part documentary The Golden Boy about the life and career of Oscar De La Hoya joins the streaming service’s lineup on July 24th. Shaun White: The Last Run, a docuseries about the Olympian, is set to premiere on July 6th.
Series & Films Arriving On Max In July 2023:
July 1
300 (2006)
17 Again (2009)
20th Century Women (2016)
A Life Less Ordinary (1997)
A Walk in the Woods (2015)
American Sniper (2014)
Angels Sing (2013)
Ballet 422 (2014)
Barbershop (2002)
Barbershop 2: Back in Business (2004)
Beauty Shop (2005)
Because of Winn-Dixie (2005)
Brandi Carlile: In the...
- 6/26/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Exclusive: Daniel Zolghadri (Y2K), Shane Paul McGhie (Poker Face), Jessica Barden (The End of the F***ing World) and Michael Imperioli (The White Lotus) are attached to star in Last Days of Basic Cable, a new film from renowned, rising director Max Winkler (Flower).
Written by Adam Wilson and Justin Taylor, the indie set toward the end of the 1990s watches as four twenty-somethings navigate romance and life in a small New England college town. Zolghadri will play aspiring writer Aaron, with McGhie as his roommate Jason, Barden as Jason’s girlfriend Jessica, and Imperioli as Bob, a drugged out taxi driver who befriends Aaron.
Ron Yerxa and Albert Berger will produce the film via their Bona Fide Productions banner. No word yet on when production might kick off.
Best known for his starring role in the A24 coming-of-age film Funny Pages, produced by Josh and Benny Safdie,...
Written by Adam Wilson and Justin Taylor, the indie set toward the end of the 1990s watches as four twenty-somethings navigate romance and life in a small New England college town. Zolghadri will play aspiring writer Aaron, with McGhie as his roommate Jason, Barden as Jason’s girlfriend Jessica, and Imperioli as Bob, a drugged out taxi driver who befriends Aaron.
Ron Yerxa and Albert Berger will produce the film via their Bona Fide Productions banner. No word yet on when production might kick off.
Best known for his starring role in the A24 coming-of-age film Funny Pages, produced by Josh and Benny Safdie,...
- 6/14/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix has just released an exclusive first look at the new limited series drama that’s due to hit the service later this summer. Painkiller features an all-star cast and deals with one of the many crises that currently plagues our world — the opioid epidemic. The series will feature six episodes that clock in at an hour an episode. It stars an ensemble that includes Uzo Aduba, Matthew Broderick, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi, West Duchovny, and John Rothman.
The official synopsis from Netflix reads,
“A fictionalized retelling of events, Painkiller is a scripted limited series that explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin. An examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans, Painkiller is based on the...
The official synopsis from Netflix reads,
“A fictionalized retelling of events, Painkiller is a scripted limited series that explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America, highlighting the stories of the perpetrators, victims, and truth-seekers whose lives are forever altered by the invention of OxyContin. An examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans, Painkiller is based on the...
- 5/8/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Film rights to Rebecca Serle’s novel “One Italian Summer” have sold to Paramount Pictures.
The Brian Robbins-led studio won a competitive auction for the bestseller, published by Simon & Schuster’s Atria label. Temple Hill will produce a feature adaptation and Serle is executive producing with David Stone of Tfc Productions.
“One Italian Summer” follows Katy, a young woman reeling from the recent loss of her mom and best friend Carol. Katy embarks on the trip of a lifetime, meant to be spent as mother and daughter, over two weeks in Positano. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliff sides, delightful residents and delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life. Things take a supernatural turn when suddenly her mother appears in the flesh — healthy, sun-tanned and thirty years old. Over the course of the summer, Katy not only discovers Carol as a young woman, but more about herself than she expected.
The Brian Robbins-led studio won a competitive auction for the bestseller, published by Simon & Schuster’s Atria label. Temple Hill will produce a feature adaptation and Serle is executive producing with David Stone of Tfc Productions.
“One Italian Summer” follows Katy, a young woman reeling from the recent loss of her mom and best friend Carol. Katy embarks on the trip of a lifetime, meant to be spent as mother and daughter, over two weeks in Positano. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliff sides, delightful residents and delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life. Things take a supernatural turn when suddenly her mother appears in the flesh — healthy, sun-tanned and thirty years old. Over the course of the summer, Katy not only discovers Carol as a young woman, but more about herself than she expected.
- 3/30/2023
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Reese Witherspoon is one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood. From her iconic roles in films like Legally Blonde and Walk the Line, the actor isn’t known to shy away from playing challenging characters. Most recently, her fans and followers have been gushing about Witherspoon’s new role in Netflix‘s Your Place or Mine.
However, some might find it hard to believe there was a time was Witherspoon was having difficulty landing any part. Surprisingly, it was due to playing one particular character early in her career.
Reese Witherspoon in ‘Election’
Witherspoon’s acting debut came in 1991 when she took on the part of Dani Trant, and slowly but surely the movie star built momentum. One of the many movies she appeared in throughout the 1990s was Election.
Election premiered in April 1999. Molly Hagan and Chris Klein were a few of the other talented actors who starred alongside Witherspoon in this film.
However, some might find it hard to believe there was a time was Witherspoon was having difficulty landing any part. Surprisingly, it was due to playing one particular character early in her career.
Reese Witherspoon in ‘Election’
Witherspoon’s acting debut came in 1991 when she took on the part of Dani Trant, and slowly but surely the movie star built momentum. One of the many movies she appeared in throughout the 1990s was Election.
Election premiered in April 1999. Molly Hagan and Chris Klein were a few of the other talented actors who starred alongside Witherspoon in this film.
- 3/4/2023
- by Ashley Swallow
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Reese Witherspoon has been a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood for decades. Known for her peppy charm, her blonde good looks, and her ability to dish out a smart quip, Witherspoon has appeared in a wide variety of projects over the years. Still, to many of her fans, her work in the romantic comedy genre is her true claim to fame — and these days, the actor is back in the game, with a brand-new Netflix movie that has fans and critics buzzing.
Witherspoon has never held back, telling many amusing stories over the years. In a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Witherspoon opened up about one role that she did not get, admitting that her own nerves kept her from getting a role in the critically-acclaimed film.
What is Reese Witherspoon best known for? Reese Witherspoon attends the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Barker Hangar on February 27, 2022 in Santa Monica,...
Witherspoon has never held back, telling many amusing stories over the years. In a recent interview with Jimmy Kimmel, Witherspoon opened up about one role that she did not get, admitting that her own nerves kept her from getting a role in the critically-acclaimed film.
What is Reese Witherspoon best known for? Reese Witherspoon attends the 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at Barker Hangar on February 27, 2022 in Santa Monica,...
- 2/25/2023
- by Christina Nunn
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Alexander Payne’s newest film is heading to theaters this fall. “The Holdovers,” a new comedy from the “Election” and “Descendants” director, will open in limited release on November 10, Focus Features announced Thursday. After two weeks, the film will expand into wide release on November 22, ahead of Thanksgiving Day.
Payne’s eighth directorial effort, “The Holdovers” stars Paul Giamatti, “Dolemite Is My Name” breakout Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and newcomer Dominic Sessa. Per the logline, the film is a period piece set in the middle of the Vietnam War that focuses on a curmudgeonly New England prep school instructor Paul Hunham (Giamatti) who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to look after the handful of students remaining at school during the holiday. Initially bitter over the assignment, Paul forms an unexpected bond with the rebellious but brilliant student Angus (Sessa) and with Mary (Randolph), the school’s head...
Payne’s eighth directorial effort, “The Holdovers” stars Paul Giamatti, “Dolemite Is My Name” breakout Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and newcomer Dominic Sessa. Per the logline, the film is a period piece set in the middle of the Vietnam War that focuses on a curmudgeonly New England prep school instructor Paul Hunham (Giamatti) who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to look after the handful of students remaining at school during the holiday. Initially bitter over the assignment, Paul forms an unexpected bond with the rebellious but brilliant student Angus (Sessa) and with Mary (Randolph), the school’s head...
- 2/23/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Jen Psaki is about to test whether MSNBC viewers are ready to embrace another political aide who hopes to make a jump from the White House to their house.
MSNBC plans to launch “Inside With Jen Psaki,” a new program led by the former White House Press Secretary, on Sundays at noon, starting on March 19. The program will stream on the NBCUniversal Peacock hub a day later. Psaki is also developing “a new original streaming and social show, both set to launch this spring,” MSNBC said in a statement Monday. Psaki’s program will replace an hour that has long been anchored by weekend veteran Alex Witt, who will continue to hold forth Saturdays from noon to 2 p.m. and Sundays between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
In “Inside,” Psaki will use her inside knowledge of how public policy discussions are shaped to break down big issues. She will also devote a new recurring segment,...
MSNBC plans to launch “Inside With Jen Psaki,” a new program led by the former White House Press Secretary, on Sundays at noon, starting on March 19. The program will stream on the NBCUniversal Peacock hub a day later. Psaki is also developing “a new original streaming and social show, both set to launch this spring,” MSNBC said in a statement Monday. Psaki’s program will replace an hour that has long been anchored by weekend veteran Alex Witt, who will continue to hold forth Saturdays from noon to 2 p.m. and Sundays between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m.
In “Inside,” Psaki will use her inside knowledge of how public policy discussions are shaped to break down big issues. She will also devote a new recurring segment,...
- 2/21/2023
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
The Berlin International Film Festival’s jury press conference, headed by Hollywood star Kristen Stewart, concluded on Thursday, but remarks made by legendary Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To at the event are still reverberating a world away.
When the festival juror were asked by a journalist in the crowd to share their views on why cinema remains important in today’s world, To, considered on the greatest filmmakers Hong Kong has produced, responded: “For me, cinema has always been in the vanguard. When totalitarian rule emerges, when people lose their freedoms, cinema is the first to take the hit. In most cases, cultural production will be forcefully suspended, since the cinema speaks directly to the audience. That’s why dictators always target the cinema. I think Hong Kong… No, sorry. I think all the countries and peoples fighting for freedom across the globe should support the cinema. Because the cinema...
When the festival juror were asked by a journalist in the crowd to share their views on why cinema remains important in today’s world, To, considered on the greatest filmmakers Hong Kong has produced, responded: “For me, cinema has always been in the vanguard. When totalitarian rule emerges, when people lose their freedoms, cinema is the first to take the hit. In most cases, cultural production will be forcefully suspended, since the cinema speaks directly to the audience. That’s why dictators always target the cinema. I think Hong Kong… No, sorry. I think all the countries and peoples fighting for freedom across the globe should support the cinema. Because the cinema...
- 2/19/2023
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director Sabrina Jaglom follows in the tradition of Heathers and Election by tapping into a particular species of female neurosis turned toxic, but in a refreshingly authentic way
Olivia is a senior at an exclusive all-girls high school in an unidentified but posh-looking US suburb. Clearly hothoused from a young age by her bougie parents, Olivia’s one burning, all-consuming ambition is to get into Stanford University. To that end, she has turned herself into hard-working, top-stream student, captain of the debating society and all that jazz. She has even bought sweatshirts with the name Stanford emblazoned across the chest. But she has checked the numbers and knows that the admissions board will probably only take two or three students from her school, so there is a lot of unspoken tension between her and other students who want to attend this vastly expensive west coast university.
That produces horrible pressure for these young minds,...
Olivia is a senior at an exclusive all-girls high school in an unidentified but posh-looking US suburb. Clearly hothoused from a young age by her bougie parents, Olivia’s one burning, all-consuming ambition is to get into Stanford University. To that end, she has turned herself into hard-working, top-stream student, captain of the debating society and all that jazz. She has even bought sweatshirts with the name Stanford emblazoned across the chest. But she has checked the numbers and knows that the admissions board will probably only take two or three students from her school, so there is a lot of unspoken tension between her and other students who want to attend this vastly expensive west coast university.
That produces horrible pressure for these young minds,...
- 2/7/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Guardian - Film News
“The Morning Show” is going to be heating up in season 3. Reese Witherspoon is hinting at some new storylines and possible love interest angles for the coming episodes.
Witherspoon walked the carpet at the season three premiere of the Apple TV+ drama “Truth Be Told” — which Witherspoon executive produces — and she spoke with Et’s Nischelle Turner while teasing her other hit drama, “The Morning Show”.
“We’re nearly done shooting season 3. It’s so good,” she marveled. “We obviously added Jon Hamm, which has been so fun. We have all these new cast members who have just upped the game.”
While she wasn’t able to share too many details, Witherspoon gleefully teased, “I will say, there is lots of romance this year.”
While Hamm is a newcomer on the third season of “The Morning Show”, “Truth Be Told” is adding some new star power to their third season as well — Gabrielle Union.
Witherspoon walked the carpet at the season three premiere of the Apple TV+ drama “Truth Be Told” — which Witherspoon executive produces — and she spoke with Et’s Nischelle Turner while teasing her other hit drama, “The Morning Show”.
“We’re nearly done shooting season 3. It’s so good,” she marveled. “We obviously added Jon Hamm, which has been so fun. We have all these new cast members who have just upped the game.”
While she wasn’t able to share too many details, Witherspoon gleefully teased, “I will say, there is lots of romance this year.”
While Hamm is a newcomer on the third season of “The Morning Show”, “Truth Be Told” is adding some new star power to their third season as well — Gabrielle Union.
- 1/20/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
A major 2003 Oscars contender two decades ago was Alexander Payne’s “About Schmidt,” starring Jack Nicholson, Kathy Bates, Hope Davis and Dermot Mulroney. It was Payne’s first film since 1999’s “Election,” which earned him and his writing partner Jim Taylor their breakthrough Oscar nominations, and it was Nicholson’s first major Oscar player since his third Best Actor win in 1998 for “As Good As It Gets.” In addition, Bates was going for her third Oscar nom after her Best Actress win for “Misery” in 1991 and Best Supporting Actress nomination for “Primary Colors” in 1999. Going into wide release on January 3, 2003, in 816 theaters, “About Schmidt” made more than eight million dollars in its opening weekend, an excellent 10,784 per screen, before earning a strong 105 million dollars worldwide by the end of its theatrical run.
“About Schmidt,” about a recently retired man (Nicholson) who embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter’s wedding,...
“About Schmidt,” about a recently retired man (Nicholson) who embarks on a journey to his estranged daughter’s wedding,...
- 1/14/2023
- by Brian Rowe
- Gold Derby
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