In his fourth feature “When the Light Breaks,” Icelandic director Rúnar Rúnarsson starts with a heartbreaking tragedy. Una (Elín Hall) finds out that the boy she loves was in an accident. What follows is a day full of grief — and sunlight. The film opens Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section.
As proven by “Sparrows,” you are not afraid to tells stories with younger protagonists. Is it easy for you to go back to that mindset?
Everything I write is based on my first- or second-hand experiences, which I then mix with fiction. I also had an amazing cast, which is probably one of the first things you have to have. There is a lot of talent in Iceland, but we wanted the crème de la crème. It was crucial to find the right people to portray these characters and turn them into human beings.
It’s different when you work with young adults,...
As proven by “Sparrows,” you are not afraid to tells stories with younger protagonists. Is it easy for you to go back to that mindset?
Everything I write is based on my first- or second-hand experiences, which I then mix with fiction. I also had an amazing cast, which is probably one of the first things you have to have. There is a lot of talent in Iceland, but we wanted the crème de la crème. It was crucial to find the right people to portray these characters and turn them into human beings.
It’s different when you work with young adults,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
In recent years, Scandinavian series have firmly established themselves as leaders in the detective and thriller genres. At the same time, the harsh northern nature perfectly complements the plots and adds depth to the perception of what is happening on screen.
If you've already seen all the crime shows made in the UK and the US, then it's time to go to Iceland. And your guide will be the series Trapped – a record budget for Icelandic television, an atmosphere of isolation in an icy trap, and stunning snow-covered landscapes beneath which lie sinister secrets created by human vices.
What is Trapped About?
The action takes place in the outback of northern Iceland, where a series of mysterious crimes take place. Everything is complicated by the blizzard that literally paralyzes life in the town.
After a Danish ship enters the fjord, a mutilated body appears on the shore and Police Chief...
If you've already seen all the crime shows made in the UK and the US, then it's time to go to Iceland. And your guide will be the series Trapped – a record budget for Icelandic television, an atmosphere of isolation in an icy trap, and stunning snow-covered landscapes beneath which lie sinister secrets created by human vices.
What is Trapped About?
The action takes place in the outback of northern Iceland, where a series of mysterious crimes take place. Everything is complicated by the blizzard that literally paralyzes life in the town.
After a Danish ship enters the fjord, a mutilated body appears on the shore and Police Chief...
- 5/2/2024
- by zoe-wallace@startefacts.com (Zoe Wallace)
- STartefacts.com
Streaming has forever changed the way we consume and experience movies and TV. One of the small joys (and anxieties) that has all but disappeared in the streaming era is channel surfing — the joy of discovering something new by chance, and also the pressure of not knowing when you might watch a certain title again.
Except, the essence of channel surfing is still there, in the way streaming platforms remove and add titles every month. The pressure of only having a certain amount of time before a title disappears forever is still there, only you have a month's notice. With October almost over, it is time for another round of movies and shows Netflix is taking off the platform and replacing with new ones. Like with everything streaming-related, there are a lot of soon-to-be-gone shows and movies. So I'm here to help break down the titles you do not want...
Except, the essence of channel surfing is still there, in the way streaming platforms remove and add titles every month. The pressure of only having a certain amount of time before a title disappears forever is still there, only you have a month's notice. With October almost over, it is time for another round of movies and shows Netflix is taking off the platform and replacing with new ones. Like with everything streaming-related, there are a lot of soon-to-be-gone shows and movies. So I'm here to help break down the titles you do not want...
- 10/26/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Exclusive: BAFTA winner Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire), Blue Jean breakout Rosy McEwen and Jade Croot (The Serpent Queen) are starring in under-the-radar horror movie Rabbit Trap, which recently completed filming on location in Wales.
Bankside Films and CAA Media Finance are launching the project for sales at the upcoming AFM. Producing are Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah’s SpectreVision (Mandy) and Lawrence Inglee (The Tale), along with Elisa Lleras and Alex Ashworth and Sean Marley of Mad As Birds (Poms).
Set in 1973, the film charts the story of married musicians Daphne and Darcy Davenport, who have relocated from London to an isolated cabin in Wales in order to complete their new record. When they accidentally make a field recording of a mystical sound never before heard by human ears, a strange child enters their lives who gradually untethers them from reality, and the couple soon find themselves caught between the...
Bankside Films and CAA Media Finance are launching the project for sales at the upcoming AFM. Producing are Elijah Wood and Daniel Noah’s SpectreVision (Mandy) and Lawrence Inglee (The Tale), along with Elisa Lleras and Alex Ashworth and Sean Marley of Mad As Birds (Poms).
Set in 1973, the film charts the story of married musicians Daphne and Darcy Davenport, who have relocated from London to an isolated cabin in Wales in order to complete their new record. When they accidentally make a field recording of a mystical sound never before heard by human ears, a strange child enters their lives who gradually untethers them from reality, and the couple soon find themselves caught between the...
- 10/20/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
September has arrived, and with it comes a whole host of new movies to watch on streaming. Whether you’re looking to kick Spooky Season off early with a fun horror movie, hoping to catch up on a new release you missed in theaters or just want to curl up with a cozy rom-com, there is a litany of choices below. We’ve got picks for Netflix, Max, Hulu, Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+ and Disney+, curating the very best newly streaming films on each service this month.
Check out our picks for the best new movies to stream in September 2023 below.
“The Monster Squad” TriStar Pictures
Paramount+ – Sept. 1
Kick off Spooky Season early with an 80s cult classic that should be as popular as “The Goonies.” The 1987 film “The Monster Squad” follows a group of kids whose monster knowledge comes in handy when an ancient curse brings iconic Universal Monsters to life in Los Angeles.
Check out our picks for the best new movies to stream in September 2023 below.
“The Monster Squad” TriStar Pictures
Paramount+ – Sept. 1
Kick off Spooky Season early with an 80s cult classic that should be as popular as “The Goonies.” The 1987 film “The Monster Squad” follows a group of kids whose monster knowledge comes in handy when an ancient curse brings iconic Universal Monsters to life in Los Angeles.
- 9/22/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
In just five years, A Haunting in Venice’s Hildur Gudnadóttir has become one of the industry’s most in-demand composers.
In 2018, the Icelandic musician and classically trained cellist scored her first American film, Stefano Sollima’s Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and now, she’s a Tony award away from Egot (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) status thanks to Joker (2019) and Chernobyl (2019). Gudnadóttir’s evocative strings and wind instruments return to theaters this Friday in Kenneth Branagh’s third Hercule Poirot film, A Haunting in Venice.
Like Branagh, Gudnadóttir grew up in a household that adored Agatha Christie’s crime fiction, and so she jumped at the chance to compose music for the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s latest murder mystery. Based on Christie’s Hallowe’en Party and adapted by Michael Green, Venice picks up in 1947, post-World War II, as a retired Poirot attends a séance that quickly goes awry.
The...
In 2018, the Icelandic musician and classically trained cellist scored her first American film, Stefano Sollima’s Sicario: Day of the Soldado, and now, she’s a Tony award away from Egot (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) status thanks to Joker (2019) and Chernobyl (2019). Gudnadóttir’s evocative strings and wind instruments return to theaters this Friday in Kenneth Branagh’s third Hercule Poirot film, A Haunting in Venice.
Like Branagh, Gudnadóttir grew up in a household that adored Agatha Christie’s crime fiction, and so she jumped at the chance to compose music for the Oscar-winning filmmaker’s latest murder mystery. Based on Christie’s Hallowe’en Party and adapted by Michael Green, Venice picks up in 1947, post-World War II, as a retired Poirot attends a séance that quickly goes awry.
The...
- 9/12/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
While Terrence Malick happily toils away on year five of editing his Biblical epic The Way of the Wind, he’s found a number of artistic diversions in recent years. The latest is an epic-looking interactive exhibit that finds him reuniting with his Knight of Cups, Song of Song, and Voyage of Time collaborator Cate Blanchett, while also boasting contributions from Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood.
Premiering at Australia’s Acmi and what looks to be an expanded version of the Tribeca premiere Evolver, Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature “illuminates the hidden forces surrounding us, revealing the sublime through sensory journeys beyond our everyday perception. From the roots of a majestic Amazonian tree to the unseen branches of the body and the birth of galaxies, this hypnotic, immersive experience explores the rhythm that cultivates and connects all life – breath.”
Featuring five major digital artworks, the experience features “guided meditation, large-scale screen works and interactive experiences,...
Premiering at Australia’s Acmi and what looks to be an expanded version of the Tribeca premiere Evolver, Marshmallow Laser Feast: Works of Nature “illuminates the hidden forces surrounding us, revealing the sublime through sensory journeys beyond our everyday perception. From the roots of a majestic Amazonian tree to the unseen branches of the body and the birth of galaxies, this hypnotic, immersive experience explores the rhythm that cultivates and connects all life – breath.”
Featuring five major digital artworks, the experience features “guided meditation, large-scale screen works and interactive experiences,...
- 9/7/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
September is always a bit of an ungainly transitionary period. With the youths back in school, it feels like summer is over and done, even though it technically doesn't end until three-quarters of the way into the month. It's the same situation with films and TV shows. Save for the occasional sleeper hit, most of the titles that arrive in September are stragglers with nowhere else to go. Meanwhile, the studios start gearing up for the annual awards season by bringing their best and brightest to the ritzy international film festivals in Toronto and Venice. Of course, with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers having failed to negotiate an acceptable contract with both the striking writers' and actors' guilds at the time of writing, it's anyone's guess how this fall is even going to go right now. So, in the meantime, let's look at the new films and...
- 8/25/2023
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
“Avatar: The Way of Water” and “E.T.” were just some of the films recognized at the 16th Krakow Film Music Festival in Krakow, Poland. The festival concluded on Monday, wrapping up the celebration of this year’s celestial lineup.
“Faced by the challenges posed by the pandemic, as well as the war that broke out at our doorstep, many of us have taken refuge in cinematic works – either trying to glimpse into the future or relive the amazing films from our childhood,” said Carolina Pietyra, director of the Krakow Festival office, in a statement. “The headline of this year’s edition of the Krakow Film Music Festival – Out of Space – stands for everything that takes us to other spaces and responds to our longing to explore realms unknown.”
The festival’s Space Gala featured otherworldly film scores including Jóhann Jóhannsson’s “Arrival,” Cliff Martinez’s “Solaris,” Steven Price’s “Gravity...
“Faced by the challenges posed by the pandemic, as well as the war that broke out at our doorstep, many of us have taken refuge in cinematic works – either trying to glimpse into the future or relive the amazing films from our childhood,” said Carolina Pietyra, director of the Krakow Festival office, in a statement. “The headline of this year’s edition of the Krakow Film Music Festival – Out of Space – stands for everything that takes us to other spaces and responds to our longing to explore realms unknown.”
The festival’s Space Gala featured otherworldly film scores including Jóhann Jóhannsson’s “Arrival,” Cliff Martinez’s “Solaris,” Steven Price’s “Gravity...
- 5/31/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
From "Making a Murderer," to the trend-setting "Tiger King," to the 2020 revival of "Unsolved Mysteries" (and its sometimes-questionable relationship with mental health), Netflix has become home to many a true crime documentary series. The latest, "Missing: Dead or Alive?," hit the streamer earlier this month, and it's been burning up the Netflix Top 10 recently with an approach that's more cinematic -- though whether that pays off is another question entirely.
According to Netflix's own stats, the series was watched for a total of 15.29 million hours during the week of May 15-May 21,2023. To give a bit more context to that otherwise largely useless metric, there are four episodes in total with a runtime of 3 hours, so if everyone who watched the series saw it through to the end, that means "Missing: Dead Or Alive" has been viewed by at least 5 million people.
The official synopsis for "Missing: Dead or Alive?" explains...
According to Netflix's own stats, the series was watched for a total of 15.29 million hours during the week of May 15-May 21,2023. To give a bit more context to that otherwise largely useless metric, there are four episodes in total with a runtime of 3 hours, so if everyone who watched the series saw it through to the end, that means "Missing: Dead Or Alive" has been viewed by at least 5 million people.
The official synopsis for "Missing: Dead or Alive?" explains...
- 5/28/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
Composing the score for a war film can be, apologies for the metaphor, a minefield. Go too heavy on the orchestral oomph — all soaring strings and booming base — and you can quickly swing into schmaltz. Go too small and minimalist, and the onscreen explosions can overpower your music. Plus, there’s the danger of familiarity, of echoing the grand and epic scores of war films past.
So, when director Edward Berger asked his regular composer, Volker Bertelmann, to write a score for his antiwar drama All Quiet on the Western Front, he told him to break all the rules.
“I said, ‘I want something different, something we’ve never heard before,’ ” says Berger, “then, and this is almost the most important thing: I said, ‘I want you to destroy the images onscreen. Don’t beautify or sentimentalize.’ [I wanted] a sound that feels like it’s coming from inside [lead character] Paul Bäumer’s stomach.
So, when director Edward Berger asked his regular composer, Volker Bertelmann, to write a score for his antiwar drama All Quiet on the Western Front, he told him to break all the rules.
“I said, ‘I want something different, something we’ve never heard before,’ ” says Berger, “then, and this is almost the most important thing: I said, ‘I want you to destroy the images onscreen. Don’t beautify or sentimentalize.’ [I wanted] a sound that feels like it’s coming from inside [lead character] Paul Bäumer’s stomach.
- 2/25/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
If you’re looking for new movies to watch on Netflix this month, you’ve come to the right place. The streaming service is closing out 2022 with a bang, releasing a slew of Oscar-contending features throughout the month in addition to your standard new arrivals. Below you’ll find a mix of those high-profile Netflix new releases as well as worthy library titles that might hit the sweet spot when you’re struggling to figure out what to watch. Whether it’s an action-thriller, comedic murder mystery or emotional documentary, we’ve got you covered.
Check out our list of some of the best new movies on Netflix in December 2022 below.
Also Read:
The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now Sr. Robert Downey Sr. in “Sr.” (Netflix)
Robert Downey Jr. hasn’t appeared onscreen much since his final goodbye as Iron Man in “Avengers: Endgame,” but the new Netflix documentary...
Check out our list of some of the best new movies on Netflix in December 2022 below.
Also Read:
The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now Sr. Robert Downey Sr. in “Sr.” (Netflix)
Robert Downey Jr. hasn’t appeared onscreen much since his final goodbye as Iron Man in “Avengers: Endgame,” but the new Netflix documentary...
- 12/31/2022
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Variety and Whistler Film Festival have teamed for 10 Canadians to Watch, a new program unique to Wff that celebrates top Canadian talent in the film and entertainment industry.
The 10 Canadians to Watch honorees will be celebrated at the Whistler Film Festival on Dec. 3.
“The Whistler Film Festival has proven to be a wonderful destination for Variety, first with a focus on screenwriters and now with the 10 Canadians to Watch,” says Steven Gaydos, Variety executive VP of content. “It’s inspiring to be able to celebrate the diverse talent in this convivial atmosphere where international film professionals gather to experience the best in the screen industry.”
Meet the honorees:
Bilal Baig
Credit: Tyler J. Sloane
Bilal Baig
Playwright, Performer, Showrunner, Producer
In 2018, not long after the well-received premiere of their first full-length play, “Acha Bacha,” at a prestigious alternative theater, Baig was making ends meet by working as a nanny. That fall,...
The 10 Canadians to Watch honorees will be celebrated at the Whistler Film Festival on Dec. 3.
“The Whistler Film Festival has proven to be a wonderful destination for Variety, first with a focus on screenwriters and now with the 10 Canadians to Watch,” says Steven Gaydos, Variety executive VP of content. “It’s inspiring to be able to celebrate the diverse talent in this convivial atmosphere where international film professionals gather to experience the best in the screen industry.”
Meet the honorees:
Bilal Baig
Credit: Tyler J. Sloane
Bilal Baig
Playwright, Performer, Showrunner, Producer
In 2018, not long after the well-received premiere of their first full-length play, “Acha Bacha,” at a prestigious alternative theater, Baig was making ends meet by working as a nanny. That fall,...
- 11/22/2022
- by Jennie Punter and Katherine Brodsky
- Variety Film + TV
A return to form for the "Predator" franchise, "Prey" did a tremendous job of elevating the original concept to new and improved heights. The subversive prequel manages to be a bloody ode to the first film while packing a ferocious punch that sets itself apart from other entries in the franchise. Moreover, "Prey" blends horror and action through its gruesome visuals and bone-chilling sound, bound together with an epic, adventurous musical score by Sarah Schachner. The composition is not only a deviation from other creature features in the genre, but it came about after director Dan Trachtenberg and composer Schachner realized the "Prey" needed to move away from contemporary movie scores.
One film in particular served as the initial inspiration for musical bits of the latest "Predator" flick. According to the director, Jóhann Jóhannsson's score for Denis Villeneuve's "Sicario" was used as temporary music during the editing process for "Prey.
One film in particular served as the initial inspiration for musical bits of the latest "Predator" flick. According to the director, Jóhann Jóhannsson's score for Denis Villeneuve's "Sicario" was used as temporary music during the editing process for "Prey.
- 8/29/2022
- by Marcos Melendez
- Slash Film
The Toronto Film Festival will honor composer Hildur Guðnadóttir with the Variety Artisan Award at this year’s Tribute Awards.
Along with Guðnadóttir, Welsh Egyptian filmmaker and screenwriter Sally El Hosaini will receive the TIFF Emerging Talent Award presented by MGM at the annual TIFF Tribute Awards.
This awards season, Guðnadóttir composed the scores for two films, Todd Field’s “Tár” and Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking.”
Guðnadóttir cemented her place in Oscar history when she became only the fourth woman to win an Academy Award for original score for “Joker.”
She has been composing film music for over 20 years. Guðnadóttir released a solo album in 2006, “Mount A,” and scored her first feature film, “The Bleeding House,” in 2011. She went on to work with fellow Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, playing the cello on “Prisoners” and “Sicario.”
She also worked on the HBO miniseries “Chernobyl,” which earned her an Emmy Award.
Along with Guðnadóttir, Welsh Egyptian filmmaker and screenwriter Sally El Hosaini will receive the TIFF Emerging Talent Award presented by MGM at the annual TIFF Tribute Awards.
This awards season, Guðnadóttir composed the scores for two films, Todd Field’s “Tár” and Sarah Polley’s “Women Talking.”
Guðnadóttir cemented her place in Oscar history when she became only the fourth woman to win an Academy Award for original score for “Joker.”
She has been composing film music for over 20 years. Guðnadóttir released a solo album in 2006, “Mount A,” and scored her first feature film, “The Bleeding House,” in 2011. She went on to work with fellow Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, playing the cello on “Prisoners” and “Sicario.”
She also worked on the HBO miniseries “Chernobyl,” which earned her an Emmy Award.
- 8/25/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Filmmaker Tom Gormican discusses his favorite films featuring… Nicolas Cage.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Mandy (2018)
Pig (2021)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Lord of War (2005)
The Weather Man (2005)
Moonstruck (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Vampire’s Kiss (1988)
Con Air (1997)
Face/Off (1997)
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Adaptation (2002)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Wild At Heart (1990) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
The Wizard Of Oz (1939) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)
The Wicker Man (1973) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
The Wicker Man (2006)
Being John Malkovich (1999) – Marshall Harvey’s trailer commentary
The Family Man (2000)
Joe (2013)
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The Rock (1996) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
Operation Mad Ball (1957)
Bell, Book and Candle (1958) – Sam Hamm’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Valley Girl (1983) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Mandy (2018)
Pig (2021)
A History Of Violence (2005)
Lord of War (2005)
The Weather Man (2005)
Moonstruck (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review
Vampire’s Kiss (1988)
Con Air (1997)
Face/Off (1997)
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
Jerry Maguire (1996)
Adaptation (2002)
Raising Arizona (1987)
Wild At Heart (1990) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
The Wizard Of Oz (1939) – John Badham’s trailer commentary
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover (1989)
The Wicker Man (1973) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
The Wicker Man (2006)
Being John Malkovich (1999) – Marshall Harvey’s trailer commentary
The Family Man (2000)
Joe (2013)
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The Rock (1996) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s review
Operation Mad Ball (1957)
Bell, Book and Candle (1958) – Sam Hamm’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Valley Girl (1983) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review...
- 5/3/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
In any given year there are so many fantastic scores by talented composers that end up just outside the five Academy Award nominations. This year was a particularly competitive year with five movies making it into the nominations, cut down from a stacked shortlist of 15.
Gold Derby odds-makers have Hans Zimmer’s score for Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” in the lead, but not winning by a landslide, because there’s also support for Jonny Greenwood’s “Power of the Dog” score, and for first-time nominee Germaine Franco for Disney’s “Encanto.” But this piece is more about listening to each of the five contenders and analyzing why they were indeed worthy of nominations.
See‘Don’t Look Up’ writer/director Adam McKay on the ‘heated’ debate about his film [Complete Interview Transcript] Nicholas Britell – “Don’t Look Up”
Having already won an Emmy for his music on HBO’s “Succession,” Nicholas Britell received his...
Gold Derby odds-makers have Hans Zimmer’s score for Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” in the lead, but not winning by a landslide, because there’s also support for Jonny Greenwood’s “Power of the Dog” score, and for first-time nominee Germaine Franco for Disney’s “Encanto.” But this piece is more about listening to each of the five contenders and analyzing why they were indeed worthy of nominations.
See‘Don’t Look Up’ writer/director Adam McKay on the ‘heated’ debate about his film [Complete Interview Transcript] Nicholas Britell – “Don’t Look Up”
Having already won an Emmy for his music on HBO’s “Succession,” Nicholas Britell received his...
- 3/21/2022
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
As Martin Scorsese once said, “Music and cinema fit together naturally. Because there’s a kind of intrinsic musicality to the way moving images work when they’re put together. It’s been said that cinema and music are very close as art forms, and I think that’s true.” Indeed, the right piece of music–whether it’s an original score or a carefully selected song–can do wonders for a sequence, and today we’re looking at the 25+ films that best expressed this notion this year.
From seasoned composers to accomplished musicians, as well as a smattering of soundtracks, each musical example perfectly transported us to the world of the film. Check out our rundown of the top 25, which includes streams to each soundtrack in full.
25. The World to Come (Daniel Blumberg)
24. Little Fish (Keegan DeWitt)
23. Crestone (Animal Collective)
22. Shiva Baby (Ariel Marx)
21. Summer of 85 (Jb Dunckel...
From seasoned composers to accomplished musicians, as well as a smattering of soundtracks, each musical example perfectly transported us to the world of the film. Check out our rundown of the top 25, which includes streams to each soundtrack in full.
25. The World to Come (Daniel Blumberg)
24. Little Fish (Keegan DeWitt)
23. Crestone (Animal Collective)
22. Shiva Baby (Ariel Marx)
21. Summer of 85 (Jb Dunckel...
- 12/30/2021
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
"We can help you... and we need your help." Metrograph has unveiled the official US trailer for Last and First Men, an experimental documentary made by the late composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. This initially premiered at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival just before the pandemic took over, and has been waiting to be released ever since. It's the only feature film directed by iconic Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, who made this before he died in 2018. Featuring narration by Tilda Swinton. This feature is a repackaged version of the video Jóhannsson made for his concerts, inspired by Dutch photographer Jan Kempenaers' 2010 art book "Spomenik" about these oddly shaped war monuments. It was shot on 16mm B&w film by the Norwegian cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grøvlen. The Tilda narration is based on text from Olaf Stapledon's book "Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future". I flipped for this...
- 12/1/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
It’s now the final month of 2021 and, as is the case every year, one can see some of the theatrical offerings are a bit all over the place. Some of last month’s selections will be available to a wider audience this month (namely Licorice Pizza and The Power of the Dog), some below won’t actually get wider releases until next month, and others are getting one-week, awards-qualifying releases, making them 2021 films despite not receiving proper releases until 2022. Nonetheless, there’s still plenty to check out this month and you can see our top picks below.
15. The Scary of Sixty-First (Dasha Nekrasova; Dec. 2 in theaters and Dec. 24 on VOD)
Well-timed to her current run in Succession, Dasha Nekrasova’s directorial debut The Scary of Sixty-First will arrive this month following a Berlinale premiere in February. Joshua Encinias said in his review, “Scary’s cinematographer Hunter Zimny makes visual...
15. The Scary of Sixty-First (Dasha Nekrasova; Dec. 2 in theaters and Dec. 24 on VOD)
Well-timed to her current run in Succession, Dasha Nekrasova’s directorial debut The Scary of Sixty-First will arrive this month following a Berlinale premiere in February. Joshua Encinias said in his review, “Scary’s cinematographer Hunter Zimny makes visual...
- 12/1/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
With his scores for Arrival, Sicario, and Mandy, Jóhann Jóhannsson was shaping up to be one of the leading composers of this young century thus far. Sadly, his life was cut short in 2018 and, as a towering final work, he left behind his sole directorial effort, Last and First Men. Narrated by Tilda Swinton with 16mm black and white cinematography, the film captures an apocalyptic future two billion years from now. Following a premiere at Berlinale last year, the film was picked up by Metrograph Pictures for a theatrical and digital release beginning next week and now we’re pleased to debut the exclusive U.S. trailer.
Ed Frankl said in his review, “If any film composer of the last decade defined the period best, it might’ve been Jóhann Jóhannsson, whose synthy, epic tones captured the turbulent, globalized environment of the new century. His work with Denis Villeneuve turned him into a Hollywood name,...
Ed Frankl said in his review, “If any film composer of the last decade defined the period best, it might’ve been Jóhann Jóhannsson, whose synthy, epic tones captured the turbulent, globalized environment of the new century. His work with Denis Villeneuve turned him into a Hollywood name,...
- 11/30/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
It is hard to overstate how important Bill Morrison’s work is to the language and history of cinema. As much a historian as he is a filmmaker, Morrison seeks out long-lost work and brings them back to life. In often merging these rescued images with beautiful, cerebral music, a new piece of art is built atop the old, offering both a celebration of what’s been found and what is still to come.
Morrison’s new feature The Village Detective: A Song Cycle is a slight departure, though no less effective. This time around the discovered film is one that was never lost. In fact, it’s a movie rather well-known in its native country of Russia. In 2016, the late, great composer Jóhann Jóhannsson reached out to Morrison about some film canisters that a fishing boat had caught in their net off the coast of Iceland. The four reels...
Morrison’s new feature The Village Detective: A Song Cycle is a slight departure, though no less effective. This time around the discovered film is one that was never lost. In fact, it’s a movie rather well-known in its native country of Russia. In 2016, the late, great composer Jóhann Jóhannsson reached out to Morrison about some film canisters that a fishing boat had caught in their net off the coast of Iceland. The four reels...
- 9/20/2021
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Credit: Desdemona DallasIn a 1948 article, The Slow Motion of Sound, Jean Epstein envisions a radical path for the future of film sound. With the fire of a manifesto, he diagnoses that since its inception, the soundtrack had been bound to “old forms of speech and music,” and “would reveal nothing to us of the acoustic world but what the ear had itself been used to hearing for as long as one could remember.” But the essay comes at a turning point. Epstein cites improving recording technology as heralding the potential for a “deeper and more accurate realism,” one that might puncture toward and reveal inner worlds and other occulted currents—“The voices of consciousness, the old repeated melodies of memory, the screams of nightmares and the words no one ever uttered.” He advocates a sonic magnification through slowing time to a granular, microscopic scale: one that would reveal in a thunderstorm an “apocalypse of screams,...
- 9/3/2021
- MUBI
Nia DaCosta’s “Candyman” update required an unconventional score — and Black composer and co-sound designer Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe delivered a visceral soundscape in tune with the movie’s urban legend about racist violence perpetrated against Black men throughout history.
The horrifying legacy of Black trauma continues when artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) becomes obsessed with the legend of Candyman, who still haunts the gentrified community of Chicago’s Cabrini Green.
“The work that I created needed to live in the world of this new film, while still understanding that there was a legacy that needed to be addressed in some way [concerning Philip Glass’ iconic score to the original 1992 film],” Lowe said. He eventually carved out his own unique musical space while reimagining the Glass composition “The Music Box,” which the film uses during backstory exposition and over the end credits.
The Candyman mythology provided plenty of inspiration for Lowe, whose unconventional process consists of recording his...
The horrifying legacy of Black trauma continues when artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) becomes obsessed with the legend of Candyman, who still haunts the gentrified community of Chicago’s Cabrini Green.
“The work that I created needed to live in the world of this new film, while still understanding that there was a legacy that needed to be addressed in some way [concerning Philip Glass’ iconic score to the original 1992 film],” Lowe said. He eventually carved out his own unique musical space while reimagining the Glass composition “The Music Box,” which the film uses during backstory exposition and over the end credits.
The Candyman mythology provided plenty of inspiration for Lowe, whose unconventional process consists of recording his...
- 9/1/2021
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
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By Darren Allison
Cineploit records have announced their two latest releases for 2020; Lawa “The Parallax View“ (Cine 23) and Pan/Scan “Kosmonauter” (Cine 24).
It’s particularly good to have Lawa back. On “The Parallax View” (not related to the 1970s conspiracy movie classic), they take a ride through French and Italian cinema score of the 70s and 80s from the works of Michel Colombier, Michel Legrand and Jacques Revaux to Alessandro Alessandroni, Daniele Patucchi, Nico Catanese, G & M de Angelis and the master of them all, Ennio Morricone. There are also some original compositions and concepts from Lawa which fit seamlessly into the impressive playlist. Once again they are honouring the world of film music in their idiosyncratic, very personal way. After their first Cineploit release, "Omaggio a Lucio Fulci and Fabio Frizzi“ and the follow up, "Omaggio a Riz Ortolani“, these latest very...
By Darren Allison
Cineploit records have announced their two latest releases for 2020; Lawa “The Parallax View“ (Cine 23) and Pan/Scan “Kosmonauter” (Cine 24).
It’s particularly good to have Lawa back. On “The Parallax View” (not related to the 1970s conspiracy movie classic), they take a ride through French and Italian cinema score of the 70s and 80s from the works of Michel Colombier, Michel Legrand and Jacques Revaux to Alessandro Alessandroni, Daniele Patucchi, Nico Catanese, G & M de Angelis and the master of them all, Ennio Morricone. There are also some original compositions and concepts from Lawa which fit seamlessly into the impressive playlist. Once again they are honouring the world of film music in their idiosyncratic, very personal way. After their first Cineploit release, "Omaggio a Lucio Fulci and Fabio Frizzi“ and the follow up, "Omaggio a Riz Ortolani“, these latest very...
- 12/28/2020
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Whether a viewer in 1896 or 2020, cinema has always been a dynamic and variable experience. Cinema as an event—as a manifestation of a meeting point between the art of moving images and an audience, big or small—has never fit any one definition, and this last year, so severely disrupted by a global pandemic, has deeply underscored the versatility and resilience of our great love.Our viewing this year, like that of so many, has been strange: compromised, confrontational, escapist, euphoric, painful, revelatory—encompassing all of the reactions one can have to film. How we encountered our favorite movies and most meaningful cinematic experiences of the year was hardly new: A by-now-normal mix of festivals, theatres, various subscription and transactional streaming services, as well as private screener links and gems buried on over-stuffed hard drives. But for most of the year, the communal experience shrunk to living rooms and glowing screens.
- 12/23/2020
- MUBI
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAbove: Jean-Luc Godard at the 2018 press conference for The Image Book.From longtime collaborator Fabrice Aragno on Facebook comes word of a new Jean-Luc Godard project. We don't know much, but it appears that the movie will be shot on film, perhaps Godard's first since Notre Musique in 2004 and a shift from his 2018 digital essay film, The Image Book. Park Chan-wook's new film will be a romantic murder mystery starring Tang Wei and Park Hae-il (who previously starred in The Host), entitled Decision to Leave. The film is said to be the story of a police officer who suspects a dead man's wife of his murder. Recommended VIEWINGThe Wexner Center for the Arts' series Cinetracts '20 is now available for free online. Artists from around the world including Charles Burnett, Cauleen Smith, Tony Buba,...
- 10/14/2020
- MUBI
Jóhann Jóhannsson's End of Summer is exclusively showing on Mubi from September 30 - October 30, 2020.End of SummerIn the only two movies he directed and scored himself, Jóhann Jóhannsson gave us a vision of human otherness, a sense of people without people. End of Summer (2014) and Last and First Men (2019) both present landscapes riven with energy but fresh out of humans. Last and First Men was filmed all around the former Yugoslavia, using 16mm anamorphic camera lenses. The only subjects before the lens are “spomenik,” enormous statues built after World War II to commemorate sites of violence. The figures are based on ancient, unfamiliar shapes and seem far from any common experience of Earth. Tilda Swinton’s narration, taken from a 1930s sci-fi novel, describes a dying race from the future talking to the dying race of the present—us. Jóhannsson’s music blends with field recordings and flows under...
- 10/12/2020
- MUBI
Benjamin Ree’s “The Painter and the Thief,” Jóhann Johánsson’s “Last and First Men,” Oliver Hermanus’ “Moffie” and Amanda Kernell’s “Charter” are some of the titles announced for the upcoming 10th Atlàntida Film Fest, the largest online film festival in Europe, organized by Spain’s Filmin platform.
The event will take a double format –one on-site in Palma de Mallorca from July 27 to Aug. 2, and another longer online version from July 27 through Aug. 27.
Mainly focused on Europe, final selection will see about 95 titles online –including TV series,– and 4o titles will be screened in theaters in Mallorca, where the Atlàntida Film Fest has been taking place for the past five years.
Benjamin Ree’s “The Painter and the Thief” will open the festival. Premiered in Sundance this year, it won the world cinema documentary special jury prize for creative storytelling. Neon-distributed, it is “a stranger-than-fiction friendship story in...
The event will take a double format –one on-site in Palma de Mallorca from July 27 to Aug. 2, and another longer online version from July 27 through Aug. 27.
Mainly focused on Europe, final selection will see about 95 titles online –including TV series,– and 4o titles will be screened in theaters in Mallorca, where the Atlàntida Film Fest has been taking place for the past five years.
Benjamin Ree’s “The Painter and the Thief” will open the festival. Premiered in Sundance this year, it won the world cinema documentary special jury prize for creative storytelling. Neon-distributed, it is “a stranger-than-fiction friendship story in...
- 6/23/2020
- by Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
Narrated by Tilda Swinton, ‘Last And First Men’ debuted at the Berlinale earlier this year.
BFI Distribution has secured UK and Ireland rights to Last And First Men, directed by late Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, in a deal with Films Boutique.
The fiction-documentary hybrid, narrated by Tilda Swinton, was completed posthumously following the death of the Arrival and Sicario composer in 2018.
As cinemas remain closed in the UK due to the Covid-19 lockdown, Last And First Men will launch on streaming platform BFI Player on July 30 and will be made available to other digital platforms as a transactional title.
The...
BFI Distribution has secured UK and Ireland rights to Last And First Men, directed by late Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, in a deal with Films Boutique.
The fiction-documentary hybrid, narrated by Tilda Swinton, was completed posthumously following the death of the Arrival and Sicario composer in 2018.
As cinemas remain closed in the UK due to the Covid-19 lockdown, Last And First Men will launch on streaming platform BFI Player on July 30 and will be made available to other digital platforms as a transactional title.
The...
- 6/18/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
Films Boutique has sold Mohammad Rasoulof’s Berlinale Golden Bear winning “There Is No Evil” nearly worldwide in the run-up to the movie’s screening at Cannes’ virtual Marché du Film.
Acquired by Kino Lorber in the U.S. and Pyramide in France following its world premiere at Berlin, “There Is No Evil” charts the ordeal of four men who are put in front of an unthinkable but simple choice that, whatever they decide, will directly or indirectly affect themselves, their relationships and their entire lives.
The Berlin-based sales company has now sold “There Is No Evil” in Australia (Madman), in Austria (Stadtkino), Baltics (Kino Pavasaris), in Benelux (September Films), in Bulgaria (Beta Film), in Canada (Acéphale), in China (Time-In-Portrait), in Russia and the Cis (Kinofon), in Czech Republic and Slovakia (Film Europe), in Denmark (Camera Film), in Germany (Grand Film), in Hong Kong (Edko), in Latin America (Impacto), in...
Acquired by Kino Lorber in the U.S. and Pyramide in France following its world premiere at Berlin, “There Is No Evil” charts the ordeal of four men who are put in front of an unthinkable but simple choice that, whatever they decide, will directly or indirectly affect themselves, their relationships and their entire lives.
The Berlin-based sales company has now sold “There Is No Evil” in Australia (Madman), in Austria (Stadtkino), Baltics (Kino Pavasaris), in Benelux (September Films), in Bulgaria (Beta Film), in Canada (Acéphale), in China (Time-In-Portrait), in Russia and the Cis (Kinofon), in Czech Republic and Slovakia (Film Europe), in Denmark (Camera Film), in Germany (Grand Film), in Hong Kong (Edko), in Latin America (Impacto), in...
- 6/17/2020
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Staged, the lockdown comedy series written and directed by Simon Evans which debuts on BBC One on Wednesday, has been boarded by the newly-launched Rainmaker Content for international distribution. David Tennant and Michael Sheen lead the cast of the six-episode show, which chronicles the cast of a play as they try to keep rehearsals on track after being furloughed. The project is produced by Infinity Hill and Gcb Films.
VFX and animation studio Cinesite has made two new hires and a key promotion to its offices in London and Montreal. Melissa Taylor joins from Framestore as General Manager in London, Siobhan Bentley joins from Mpc as Head of Production VFX in London, and Tamara Boutcher is bumped up to Global Head of Production for feature animation from the company’s Montreal HQ. Recent credits for Cinesite include No Time To Die and Netflix series The Witcher.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival,...
VFX and animation studio Cinesite has made two new hires and a key promotion to its offices in London and Montreal. Melissa Taylor joins from Framestore as General Manager in London, Siobhan Bentley joins from Mpc as Head of Production VFX in London, and Tamara Boutcher is bumped up to Global Head of Production for feature animation from the company’s Montreal HQ. Recent credits for Cinesite include No Time To Die and Netflix series The Witcher.
The Edinburgh International Film Festival,...
- 6/10/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
The Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff) has unveiled its line up of features for this year’s edition, which is taking place online due to the coronavirus crisis.
The festival, which was due to take place in Scotland this month, has partnered with Curzon Home Cinema to present an online festival instead.
The line up includes the U.K. premieres of Ron Howard’s documentary “Rebuilding Paradise,” Susanne Regina Meures’s doc “Saudi Runaway,” Alex Thomson directed U.S. comedy drama “Saint Frances,” Jóhann Jóhannsson’s “Last and First Men,” narrated by Tilda Swinton, Sebastian Lifshitz’s “Little Girl,” and “Perfumes,” by Grégory Magne.
A film will be presented each day of the 12 day festival, with films playing for between two and 12 days, each priced at £9.99 ($12.80). Alongside the films there will be live Q&As with special guests.
Rod White, Eiff director of drogramming said: “We want to give our...
The festival, which was due to take place in Scotland this month, has partnered with Curzon Home Cinema to present an online festival instead.
The line up includes the U.K. premieres of Ron Howard’s documentary “Rebuilding Paradise,” Susanne Regina Meures’s doc “Saudi Runaway,” Alex Thomson directed U.S. comedy drama “Saint Frances,” Jóhann Jóhannsson’s “Last and First Men,” narrated by Tilda Swinton, Sebastian Lifshitz’s “Little Girl,” and “Perfumes,” by Grégory Magne.
A film will be presented each day of the 12 day festival, with films playing for between two and 12 days, each priced at £9.99 ($12.80). Alongside the films there will be live Q&As with special guests.
Rod White, Eiff director of drogramming said: “We want to give our...
- 6/10/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
The star and the writer/director of Sea Fever talk about a diverse array of influential films in a double episode.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Sea Fever (2020)
Soldier (1998)
Unforgiven (1992)
Blade Runner (1982)
Gladiator (2000)
The Ice Harvest (2005)
Wonder Woman (2017)
Ordet (1955)
Ditte, Child of Man (1946)
Frances (1982)
The Accused (1988)
The Deer Hunter (1978)
My American Uncle (1980)
8 ½ (1963)
Ikiru (1952)
Heaven’s Gate (1980)
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
Europa (1991)
Diva (1981)
The Sacrifice (1986)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
The Party (1968)
Westworld (1973)
The Searchers (1956)
Alien (1979)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
The Exterminating Angel (1962)
Contagion (2011)
Idiocracy (2006)
The Company of Wolves (1984)
Mona Lisa (1986)
King Kong (1933)
Arrival (2016)
In The Cut (2003)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Mandy (2018)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Dune (1984)
Dune (2020… maybe)
Bright Star (2009)
Basic Instinct (1992)
Innerspace (1987)
American Gigolo (1980)
Thelma and Louise (1991)
Wild Things (1998)
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Life of Pi (2012)
Hulk (2003)
Die Hard (1988)
The Hurt Locker (2009)
Psycho (1960)
1917 (2019)
Shane (1953)
Other Notable Items
Brendan McCarthy
David Peoples
Kurt Russell
Lars Von Trier
Carl Theodor Dreyer
Bjarne Henning-Jensen...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Sea Fever (2020)
Soldier (1998)
Unforgiven (1992)
Blade Runner (1982)
Gladiator (2000)
The Ice Harvest (2005)
Wonder Woman (2017)
Ordet (1955)
Ditte, Child of Man (1946)
Frances (1982)
The Accused (1988)
The Deer Hunter (1978)
My American Uncle (1980)
8 ½ (1963)
Ikiru (1952)
Heaven’s Gate (1980)
Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974)
Europa (1991)
Diva (1981)
The Sacrifice (1986)
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
The Party (1968)
Westworld (1973)
The Searchers (1956)
Alien (1979)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
The Exterminating Angel (1962)
Contagion (2011)
Idiocracy (2006)
The Company of Wolves (1984)
Mona Lisa (1986)
King Kong (1933)
Arrival (2016)
In The Cut (2003)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
Mandy (2018)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Dune (1984)
Dune (2020… maybe)
Bright Star (2009)
Basic Instinct (1992)
Innerspace (1987)
American Gigolo (1980)
Thelma and Louise (1991)
Wild Things (1998)
Ginger Snaps (2000)
Life of Pi (2012)
Hulk (2003)
Die Hard (1988)
The Hurt Locker (2009)
Psycho (1960)
1917 (2019)
Shane (1953)
Other Notable Items
Brendan McCarthy
David Peoples
Kurt Russell
Lars Von Trier
Carl Theodor Dreyer
Bjarne Henning-Jensen...
- 4/28/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
In “Last and First Men,” Tilda Swinton is the literal voice of the future: a disembodied narrator from the hyper-evolved “eighteenth species” of humanity, calmly but desolately reaching out to us from a world some way past 2,000,000,000 A.D. Given that we always suspected as much about Tilda Swinton, it’s a comforting choice: the one expected, knowably strange detail in an otherwise amorphous, disorienting sci-fi meditation. The last and first film directed by the late, revered Iceland composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, “Last and First Men” is loosely adapted from British author Olaf Stapledon’s influential 1930 novel of the same title, though its expansive, era-leaping narrative has been refashioned as a ravishing 70-minute audiovisual essay on human mortality, extinction and legacy — all the more poignant for being its maker’s final creative statement.
Ostensibly a narrative fiction but easier to pitch and program as an experimental multimedia piece or quasi-documentary, Jóhannsson...
Ostensibly a narrative fiction but easier to pitch and program as an experimental multimedia piece or quasi-documentary, Jóhannsson...
- 3/7/2020
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
The 70th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival is now in the books. The jury, featuring Jeremy Irons, Bérénice Bejo, Bettina Brokemper, Annemarie Jacir, Kenneth Lonergan, Luca Marinelli, and Kleber Mendonça Filho, shared their award winners–and now here’s a look at what we admired the most during the festival.
Featuring a fair bit of cross-over, check out our favorites below and return for more coverage (including reviews and interviews). Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter for updates as these films get distribution and release dates.
Dau. Natasha
It is no use of hyperbole to suggest that Dau. Natasha already looks like one of the most provocative art films ever made. The first strictly theatrical feature to be released from Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s gargantuan, unprecedented Dau project (12 other films were shown at an immersive exhibition in Paris last year), it offers the viewer a kind of...
Featuring a fair bit of cross-over, check out our favorites below and return for more coverage (including reviews and interviews). Also, be sure to follow us on Twitter for updates as these films get distribution and release dates.
Dau. Natasha
It is no use of hyperbole to suggest that Dau. Natasha already looks like one of the most provocative art films ever made. The first strictly theatrical feature to be released from Ilya Khrzhanovsky’s gargantuan, unprecedented Dau project (12 other films were shown at an immersive exhibition in Paris last year), it offers the viewer a kind of...
- 3/5/2020
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
If any film composer of the last decade defined the period best, it might’ve been Jóhann Jóhannsson, whose synthy, epic tones captured the turbulent, globalized environment of the new century. His work with Denis Villeneuve turned him into a Hollywood name, but the Icelandic instrumentalist was also a musician in his own right who toured the world and released his own records. I’m writing in the past tense, of course, because Jóhannsson died in 2018, though not before he completed his final work, an installation with orchestra combining film and music–with narration by Tilda Swinton–from where this extraordinary cinematic odyssey emerges in its apparently intended final form. Its vision of an apocalyptic extinction inevitably garners interpretations as something of an epitaph to his life and career.
Just as Jóhannsson’s music seems to fit sweeping, epic cinema, so was the inspiration behind the 80-minute tone poem Last and First Men.
Just as Jóhannsson’s music seems to fit sweeping, epic cinema, so was the inspiration behind the 80-minute tone poem Last and First Men.
- 2/27/2020
- by Ed Frankl
- The Film Stage
The iconic Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson passed away with a few years ago, but he has left us with something timeless and extraordinary – an awe-inspiring work of cinematic brilliance, both aurally and visually. Last and First Men is a 70-minute documentary feature that Jóhannsson originally created as a visual piece to accompany his live concerts. The finished "documentary" film was put together by Icelandic producer Thor Sigurjonsson and Norwegian cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grøvlen, and it has just premiered at the Berlin Film Festival – two years after his death. Maybe it helped that I was deliriously tired (film fest exhaustion) when I watched this but... This is one of the most entrancing cinematic experiences I have ever had. I feel like I stopped caring about time and was completely lost in the footage and the music and the words. My mind melded with the screen on this journey. I loved every last second of this experience.
- 2/26/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Jóhann Jóhannsson’s work as a film composer transcended expectations of the craft, not only supporting a filmmaker’s vision but clarifying its appeal. His dynamic, soul-churning music for “Sicario,” “Arrival” and “Mandy” reached for a visceral depth that suggested he might become one of the all-time greats. Sadly, the Icelandic talent died in 2018 at the age of 48, but not before completing one final achievement that elevated his artistry to a whole new level.
“Last and First Men,” which Jóhannsson directed as a live multimedia performance prior to his death, has been finally completed as a singular 70-minute cinematic event. Guided by Jóhannsson’s ethereal score, this dazzling apocalyptic immersion blends cosmic 16mm black-and-white images of Yugoslavian architecture with a deadpan Tilda Swinton voiceover, resulting in a profound lyrical rumination on the end of days.
It’s also one of the most original science fiction movies in recent memory. “Last and First Men...
“Last and First Men,” which Jóhannsson directed as a live multimedia performance prior to his death, has been finally completed as a singular 70-minute cinematic event. Guided by Jóhannsson’s ethereal score, this dazzling apocalyptic immersion blends cosmic 16mm black-and-white images of Yugoslavian architecture with a deadpan Tilda Swinton voiceover, resulting in a profound lyrical rumination on the end of days.
It’s also one of the most original science fiction movies in recent memory. “Last and First Men...
- 2/26/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
There are few shots in the pantheon of cinema as iconic as that of the Monolith in “2001: A Space Odyssey.” It’s a haunting image that, combined with its shrill score—a whirlwind of strings and wails, tearing away at your very soul—breaks you into vulnerability. In the Monolith lies the universe: To look at it is to witness both the swathing cosmos and the birth of humankind. It serves as the manifest muse for “Last And First Men,” a meditative and altogether awe-inspiring visual poem directed and scored by the late Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson.
Continue reading ‘Last And First Men’: Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Directorial Debut Is An Awe-Inspiring Experience [Berlin Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Last And First Men’: Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Directorial Debut Is An Awe-Inspiring Experience [Berlin Review] at The Playlist.
- 2/25/2020
- by Jack King
- The Playlist
This month is bittersweet for fans of film composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. February not only marks the two year anniversary of the sudden, unexpected death of the Oscar-nominated composer but this month also sees the festival debut of his feature film directorial debut, “Last and First Men” in Berlin. And in a recent Deadline interview, several of Jóhannsson’s collaborators spoke about their time working with the composer.
Read More: Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Directorial Debut Film To Premiere At Berlin 2020, Two Years After His Death
For many film fans, Jóhannsson’s career is highlighted by his three collaborations with filmmaker Denis Villeneuve.
Continue reading Denis Villeneuve & Darren Aronofsky Remember Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson Two Years After His Death at The Playlist.
Read More: Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Directorial Debut Film To Premiere At Berlin 2020, Two Years After His Death
For many film fans, Jóhannsson’s career is highlighted by his three collaborations with filmmaker Denis Villeneuve.
Continue reading Denis Villeneuve & Darren Aronofsky Remember Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson Two Years After His Death at The Playlist.
- 2/24/2020
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Last and First Men is a film directed by the late Icelandic musician / composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, who passed away in 2018.
The project is inspired by Olaf Stapledon's 1930 sci-fi novel "Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future", and also on Dutch photographer Jan Kempenaers' 2010 art book "Spomenik".
The film features narration by Tilda Swinton.
Synopsis:
Two billion years ahead of us, a future race of humans finds itself on the verge of extinction. Almost all that is left in the world are lone and surreal monuments, beaming their messa...
The project is inspired by Olaf Stapledon's 1930 sci-fi novel "Last and First Men: A Story of the Near and Far Future", and also on Dutch photographer Jan Kempenaers' 2010 art book "Spomenik".
The film features narration by Tilda Swinton.
Synopsis:
Two billion years ahead of us, a future race of humans finds itself on the verge of extinction. Almost all that is left in the world are lone and surreal monuments, beaming their messa...
- 2/24/2020
- QuietEarth.us
Denis Villeneuve has emerged as one of the best directors working today, and one person moviegoers can thank for that is Jóhann Jóhannsson. The Icelandic composer was one of Villeneuve’s most important collaborators, starting with “Prisoners” and continuing to shape the tone of Villeneuve’s work in “Sicario” and “Arrival.” Jóhannsson even worked on “Blade Runner 2049” before the pair decided a different sound was needed and Jóhannsson’s work was scrapped. Jóhannsson passed away in February 2018, tragically cutting short one of the most exciting director-composer collaborations of the last decade. Just over two years after Jóhannsson’s passing, Villeneuve has spoken to Deadline to both mark the anniversary of his friend’s passing and honor his creative genius.
“I fell in love with Johann’s music instantly,” Villeneuve says. “In his work there is a solemn melancholia. For me, at its deepest core, all Johann’s music is...
“I fell in love with Johann’s music instantly,” Villeneuve says. “In his work there is a solemn melancholia. For me, at its deepest core, all Johann’s music is...
- 2/24/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
In his latest interview/podcast, host and screenwriter Stuart Wright talks to cinematographer Sturla Brandth GRØVLEN about the making of and World Premiere of Last and First Men directed by acclaimed (and sadly gone) composer JÓHANN JÓHANNSSON (Rip) at Berlinale Special 2020
Two billion years ahead of us, a future race of humans finds itself on the verge of extinction. Almost all that is left in the world are lone and surreal monuments, beaming their message into the wilderness.
World Premiere is 25 February 15:00 at Haus der Berliner Festspiele Second screening is 26 February 15:00 at Cubix 6
Ticket and other details for Last and First Men here: www.berlinale.de/en/programme/pro…?film_id=2020070...
Two billion years ahead of us, a future race of humans finds itself on the verge of extinction. Almost all that is left in the world are lone and surreal monuments, beaming their message into the wilderness.
World Premiere is 25 February 15:00 at Haus der Berliner Festspiele Second screening is 26 February 15:00 at Cubix 6
Ticket and other details for Last and First Men here: www.berlinale.de/en/programme/pro…?film_id=2020070...
- 2/24/2020
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
"Listen patiently... We, who are the last men, earnestly desire to communicate with you." Films Boutique has released the first promo teaser for the experimental feature Last and First Men, which is premiering at the Berlin Film Festival this month. This is the only feature film directed by iconic Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, who made this before he died in 2018. Featuring narration by Tilda Swinton. This feature is a repackaged version of the video Jóhannsson made for his touring concerts, inspired by Dutch photographer Jan Kempenaers' 2010 art book "Spomenik" about oddly shaped war monuments. It was shot on 16mm B&w film by acclaimed Norwegian cinematographer Sturla Brandth Grøvlen. Indiewire describes this as "Jóhannsson’s own artistic riff on the avant-garde style of Koyaanisqatsi," although it seems to be something else quite unique. There's not much to this teaser so far, but have a look anyway. I am certainly curious...
- 2/19/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Berlin-based sales agent Films Boutique expands their slate for the upcoming Berlin Film Festival with global sales rights on “Last and First Men,” from the late Icelandic-born filmmaker-composer Jóhann Jóhannsson, which will world premiere in the Berlinale Special section.
With narration by Tilda Swinton, “Last and First Men” juxtaposes a science-fiction story written in 1930 by Olaf Stapledon, and a haunting musical score with filmed images of the “Spomenik,” futuristic, abstract stone monuments erected during the communist era in the former Yugoslav republics. The narrator describes the life and society of a dying race of humans, while taking us through a landscape of surreal and phantasmagorical monuments filmed in 16mm black and white.
The deal was negotiated between producer Thor Sigurjonsson of Zik Zak Film and Films Boutique’s COO Gabor Greiner.
Sigurjonsson said: “Jóhann Jóhannsson first discussed this project with me back in 2012 when he was about to embark on...
With narration by Tilda Swinton, “Last and First Men” juxtaposes a science-fiction story written in 1930 by Olaf Stapledon, and a haunting musical score with filmed images of the “Spomenik,” futuristic, abstract stone monuments erected during the communist era in the former Yugoslav republics. The narrator describes the life and society of a dying race of humans, while taking us through a landscape of surreal and phantasmagorical monuments filmed in 16mm black and white.
The deal was negotiated between producer Thor Sigurjonsson of Zik Zak Film and Films Boutique’s COO Gabor Greiner.
Sigurjonsson said: “Jóhann Jóhannsson first discussed this project with me back in 2012 when he was about to embark on...
- 2/6/2020
- by Alissa Simon
- Variety Film + TV
Though Sundance is just around the corner, and SXSW just recently announced its first wave of programming, there’s another big festival with big announcements of its own. The Berlin Film Festival is expected to announce its full lineup later this month, but for the time being we are getting a hint of what’s to come, in the form of a newly announced programming section “Encounters.”
Read More: Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Directorial Debut Film To Premiere At Berlin 2020, Two Years After His Death
Created to support
new voices in cinema and to give more room to diverse narrative and documentary
films in the program, the new section will run alongside the Competition and
Berlinale Shorts sections, which award the Golden and Silver Bears
respectively.
Continue reading New Films By Cristi Puiu And Tim Sutton Among New ‘Encounters’ Competition At Berlin Film Festival at The Playlist.
Read More: Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Directorial Debut Film To Premiere At Berlin 2020, Two Years After His Death
Created to support
new voices in cinema and to give more room to diverse narrative and documentary
films in the program, the new section will run alongside the Competition and
Berlinale Shorts sections, which award the Golden and Silver Bears
respectively.
Continue reading New Films By Cristi Puiu And Tim Sutton Among New ‘Encounters’ Competition At Berlin Film Festival at The Playlist.
- 1/20/2020
- by Rafael Motamayor
- The Playlist
Jóhann Jóhannson died in 2018, but as one of the most celebrated composers in Hollywood, he left behind a legacy and a body of work that included scores for Prisoners, The Theory of Everything, Sicario, Arrival, Mandy, Mary Magdalene, and more. Now there’s one more element being added to that legacy: Jóhansson’s feature directorial debut, […]
The post Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Posthumous Directing Debut Will Play at This Year’s Berlin Film Festival appeared first on /Film.
The post Composer Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Posthumous Directing Debut Will Play at This Year’s Berlin Film Festival appeared first on /Film.
- 1/18/2020
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
Oscar and Bafta-winning actress to be honoured at BFI Chairman’s dinner.
Oscar and Bafta-winning UK actress Tilda Swinton is to receive a BFI Fellowship.
She will be honoured at the BFI Chairman’s dinner in London, hosted by BFI chair Josh Berger on March 2.
The London-born actress is known for roles in both independent and studio features, and won the Oscar and Bafta for best supporting actress for Michael Clayton in 2008.
Swinton began her career in experimental films such as 1986’s Caravaggio, directed by the late Derek Jarman, who was made a BFI Fellow in 1990.
She has gone on...
Oscar and Bafta-winning UK actress Tilda Swinton is to receive a BFI Fellowship.
She will be honoured at the BFI Chairman’s dinner in London, hosted by BFI chair Josh Berger on March 2.
The London-born actress is known for roles in both independent and studio features, and won the Oscar and Bafta for best supporting actress for Michael Clayton in 2008.
Swinton began her career in experimental films such as 1986’s Caravaggio, directed by the late Derek Jarman, who was made a BFI Fellow in 1990.
She has gone on...
- 1/15/2020
- by 1100453¦Michael Rosser¦9¦
- ScreenDaily
We are approaching two years since the untimely death of composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. And yet, even this long after his passing, we are still being graced by new work from the artist. Even well after his death, we were given a beautiful, haunting score for “Mandy.” And now, years later, the musical genius’ first attempt at directing will be released for audiences at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.
Continue reading Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Directorial Debut Film To Premiere At Berlin 2020, Two Years After His Death at The Playlist.
Continue reading Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Directorial Debut Film To Premiere At Berlin 2020, Two Years After His Death at The Playlist.
- 1/14/2020
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
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