If it’s true that comedy equals tragedy plus time, Paul Scheer has a serious advantage. While audiences may recognize him as the earnestly delusional Andre from The League or as the satirical action star of Ntsf:sd:suv::, Scheer’s past isn’t as funny as his work — as evidenced by his new memoir, Joyful Recollections of Trauma. In the book, the actor, comedian, podcaster, and writer/director uncovers a layer of darkness he’s previously only hinted at, reflecting on his childhood, including abuse from his stepfather, and his longtime obsession with Hollywood.
- 5/24/2024
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
The Current Debate is a column that connects the dots between great writing about a topic in the wider film conversation.Civil War.Every now and then there comes a film so in tune with our pestilential zeitgeist as to earn that most dangerous of descriptors: important. I can’t think of many words more vacuous, not only because of all the questions it leaves unanswered, but also because of the argument it peddles: that a film’s ability to sponge the mood of our times should count as an artistic merit. A film is important because it deals with important topics, or so the logic goes; it is necessary because these are things we all should care about, lessons we ought to treasure, and warnings we must heed. In this Neanderthal worldview, art is reduced to propaganda, and audiences to crowds who must be educated and pandered to. But...
- 5/8/2024
- MUBI
Hulu is aiming to shake up this year’s Best TV Movie Emmy race with the new Searchlight Pictures horror-comedy “Fresh.” Daisy Edgar-Jones stars as Noa, who goes on a weekend getaway with her new boyfriend Steve, played by Sebastian Stan, only to be drugged and kidnapped by him. Steve, whose real name is Brendan, soon reveals himself to be a butcher who harvests “fresh” human meat and sells it for a profit. Edgar-Jones, Stan, director Mimi Cave and writer Lauryn Kahn recently discussed the film during an Emmys FYC panel moderated by Amy Nicholson. Watch the video Q&a above.
Kahn, who’s worked on various comedy shorts and Adam McKay films, thought it would be a “challenge” to write a horror movie since she’s always been a fan of the genre. She asked herself, “Can I make it the kind of horror movie that I would want to see,...
Kahn, who’s worked on various comedy shorts and Adam McKay films, thought it would be a “challenge” to write a horror movie since she’s always been a fan of the genre. She asked herself, “Can I make it the kind of horror movie that I would want to see,...
- 6/11/2022
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Click here to read the full article.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that an artist who famously goes fishing for material beneath the surface of his conscious mind (via meditation) would frequently “catch ideas” with bits of childhood memories stuck to them, hard as barnacles. For David Lynch, whose films conjure some of the most disturbing psychological states in mainstream cinema, one might expect those memories to be of something less wholesome than The Wizard of Oz. Yet the 1939 classic echoes throughout Lynch’s work, and not just in things as obvious as red shoes and heavy, important curtains.
In Lynch/Oz, Alexandre O. Philippe gathers a handful of gifted filmmakers and writers to, among other things, guess at what all those allusions mean. Though frustratingly unfocused and sometimes overreaching (even compared to Philippe’s other docs, which are never what you’d call precision-crafted), the film is consistently enjoyable,...
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that an artist who famously goes fishing for material beneath the surface of his conscious mind (via meditation) would frequently “catch ideas” with bits of childhood memories stuck to them, hard as barnacles. For David Lynch, whose films conjure some of the most disturbing psychological states in mainstream cinema, one might expect those memories to be of something less wholesome than The Wizard of Oz. Yet the 1939 classic echoes throughout Lynch’s work, and not just in things as obvious as red shoes and heavy, important curtains.
In Lynch/Oz, Alexandre O. Philippe gathers a handful of gifted filmmakers and writers to, among other things, guess at what all those allusions mean. Though frustratingly unfocused and sometimes overreaching (even compared to Philippe’s other docs, which are never what you’d call precision-crafted), the film is consistently enjoyable,...
- 6/9/2022
- by John DeFore
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It is famously useless (if also occasionally fun) to ask David Lynch about the meaning behind his art, which is why his interviews tend to offer more color than insight, and his panel appearances often prove to be exercises in frustration. It’s also why “Jennifer’s Body” director Karyn Kusama has such a vivid memory of what happened during the Q&a that followed the NYFF screening of “Mulholland Drive” in 2001, when Lynch’s usual elusiveness was suddenly interrupted by a question that seemed to pierce his armor and pull back the curtains of his mind.
The question was simple: “Can you talk about the influence of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ on your work?” Lynch’s answer was even simpler, but also intoxicatingly mysterious in the way that simple things often are in his films: “There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about ‘The Wizard of Oz....
The question was simple: “Can you talk about the influence of ‘The Wizard of Oz’ on your work?” Lynch’s answer was even simpler, but also intoxicatingly mysterious in the way that simple things often are in his films: “There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about ‘The Wizard of Oz....
- 6/9/2022
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
For better and worse, the 109-minute essay doc “Lynch/Oz” often feels like an anthology of thematically-connected shorts, all of which concern American filmmaker David Lynch and his recurring fascination with the classic 1939 movie adaptation of “The Wizard of Oz.”
Thankfully, the awkward presentation and inconsistent tone of each segment, divided into chapters with distinct themes, only slightly dampen the general effect of watching a few intelligent, articulate talking-head interview subjects (including filmmakers John Waters and Rodney Ascher) dig deep as they talk over footage from Lynch’s movies.
Some talking heads understandably struggle with adapting their natural speaking voice into voiceover narration. But some awkward phrasing and unnecessary throat-clearing only negligibly diminish writer-director Alexandre O. Philippe’s compelling juxtaposition of footage from “The Wizard of Oz” with Lynch projects like “Wild at Heart,” “Blue Velvet,” and “Twin Peaks.” So while some talking points tend to be belabored and others...
Thankfully, the awkward presentation and inconsistent tone of each segment, divided into chapters with distinct themes, only slightly dampen the general effect of watching a few intelligent, articulate talking-head interview subjects (including filmmakers John Waters and Rodney Ascher) dig deep as they talk over footage from Lynch’s movies.
Some talking heads understandably struggle with adapting their natural speaking voice into voiceover narration. But some awkward phrasing and unnecessary throat-clearing only negligibly diminish writer-director Alexandre O. Philippe’s compelling juxtaposition of footage from “The Wizard of Oz” with Lynch projects like “Wild at Heart,” “Blue Velvet,” and “Twin Peaks.” So while some talking points tend to be belabored and others...
- 6/9/2022
- by Simon Abrams
- The Wrap
Tribeca is back and looking almost like it did before Covid hit the scene and upended film festivals around the world.
The 2022 edition will have indoor screenings, something that last year’s all-outdoor version eschewed. It will also offer up a steady stream of splashy premieres, performances, concerts and talks featuring A-listers such as Jennifer Lopez, as well as new offerings from the likes of Jon Hamm, Jessica Chastain, Ray Romano, Bryan Cranston and more. That’s the kind of sizzle that New York City could use as it tries to regain its stride after coronavirus knocked it for a loop.
But some pandemic-era innovations remain. Film lovers who still prefer to avoid crowds during Covid can access many of the movies and events digitally with the Tribeca At Home platform, a sign that going forward festivals are going to continue embracing a hybrid model.
As Tribeca kicks off its 12-day run on Wednesday,...
The 2022 edition will have indoor screenings, something that last year’s all-outdoor version eschewed. It will also offer up a steady stream of splashy premieres, performances, concerts and talks featuring A-listers such as Jennifer Lopez, as well as new offerings from the likes of Jon Hamm, Jessica Chastain, Ray Romano, Bryan Cranston and more. That’s the kind of sizzle that New York City could use as it tries to regain its stride after coronavirus knocked it for a loop.
But some pandemic-era innovations remain. Film lovers who still prefer to avoid crowds during Covid can access many of the movies and events digitally with the Tribeca At Home platform, a sign that going forward festivals are going to continue embracing a hybrid model.
As Tribeca kicks off its 12-day run on Wednesday,...
- 6/8/2022
- by Brent Lang and Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Never mind the fact that Netflix original films traffic quite heavily in well-worn tropes — the streaming service has launched the first trailer for a new comedy special called “Attack of the Hollywood Clichés!” that finds celebrities discussing, dissecting, and having fun with familiar plot beats in your favorite movies. Hosted by Rob Lowe, the one-off special features a wide range of celebrities weighing in on everything from the Meet-Cute to the Ticking Time Bomb to the Jump Scare, using iconic films like “Forrest Gump” and “Out of the Past” as examples.
“Stock characters, familiar story beats, and convenient plot devices have crept in over time,” Lowe says in the trailer. “Tonight, we celebrate the clichés that have made cinema what it is today,” Lowe adds, as Netflix is pegging the special as something between a comedy special and a celebration of cinema history. It’s not quite the full-on roasting...
“Stock characters, familiar story beats, and convenient plot devices have crept in over time,” Lowe says in the trailer. “Tonight, we celebrate the clichés that have made cinema what it is today,” Lowe adds, as Netflix is pegging the special as something between a comedy special and a celebration of cinema history. It’s not quite the full-on roasting...
- 9/24/2021
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
It’s really hard to make a documentary about movie nudity. Even with the best of intentions, one can really easily fall into exploitation and titillation, as opposed to information. Luckily, filmmaker Danny Wolf is up to the challenge, as his doc Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies, is thoroughly entertaining, full of interesting stories, and looks at the naked body on celluloid as a piece of cinematic history, never going for the pure visual aesthetic. The result is a look at part of the industry’s past, present, and future, that’s a great view for anyone who loves the movie industry. Hitting on Tuesday, it’s well worth seeking out! The film is a documentary about, quite literally, the history of movie nudity. Starting off with the silent movie era and going all the way to the present day, the focus is on the how and the why of it all.
- 8/15/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
In what’s shaping up to be the strangest weekend yet since the coronavirus outbreak forced American theaters to close, the biggest release is Beyoncé’s visual album, “Black Is King,” a visionary feature-length companion to her 2019 album, in the tradition of “Lemonade.”
A number of studio movies — including Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” — had tentatively planted their flag on July 31, only to delay amid the latest spike of infections. But the strategy is changing lately, as Russell Crowe road-rage thriller “Unhinged” moves forward with its release … abroad. Now “Tenet” and other titles are weighing a similar international-first strategy.
That leaves U.S. audiences with two very different options: Buy a ticket and fly abroad to see the tentpoles you’re missing (assuming foreign nations let Americans enter the country), or make do with the virtual releases that remain. In some cases, films are still pushing for limited theatrical releases among...
A number of studio movies — including Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” — had tentatively planted their flag on July 31, only to delay amid the latest spike of infections. But the strategy is changing lately, as Russell Crowe road-rage thriller “Unhinged” moves forward with its release … abroad. Now “Tenet” and other titles are weighing a similar international-first strategy.
That leaves U.S. audiences with two very different options: Buy a ticket and fly abroad to see the tentpoles you’re missing (assuming foreign nations let Americans enter the country), or make do with the virtual releases that remain. In some cases, films are still pushing for limited theatrical releases among...
- 7/31/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Kerry Washington will be joined by attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union for a virtual discussion following the release of “The Fight,” a timely documentary focusing on ACLU lawyers as they battle for abortion, immigrant, LGBTQ and voting rights.
“The Fight,” produced by Washington, is being released through virtual cinemas and in select movie theaters on Friday, and the discussion will play exclusively after these engagements. In the discussion, which was filmed last week, Washington converses with Brigitte Amiri, Lee Gelernt, Dale Ho, Joshua Block and Chase Strangio — five attorneys featured in the doc — in a wide-ranging conversation about themes that emerge in “The Fight.”
In a clip from the Q&a, provided exclusively to Variety, ACLU attorney Dale Ho discusses filing a federal lawsuit on behalf of immigrants’ rights associations to challenge President Donald Trump’s attempts to block undocumented citizens from being counted in the census. In the constitution,...
“The Fight,” produced by Washington, is being released through virtual cinemas and in select movie theaters on Friday, and the discussion will play exclusively after these engagements. In the discussion, which was filmed last week, Washington converses with Brigitte Amiri, Lee Gelernt, Dale Ho, Joshua Block and Chase Strangio — five attorneys featured in the doc — in a wide-ranging conversation about themes that emerge in “The Fight.”
In a clip from the Q&a, provided exclusively to Variety, ACLU attorney Dale Ho discusses filing a federal lawsuit on behalf of immigrants’ rights associations to challenge President Donald Trump’s attempts to block undocumented citizens from being counted in the census. In the constitution,...
- 7/30/2020
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
This unusual summer movie season continues this weekend with a particularly diverse batch of high profile releases hitting a variety of streaming platforms, along with the flow of independent and foreign films continuing to premiere on video-on-demand services.
The romantic comedy “Palm Springs” made headlines when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Hulu and Neon purchased rights to the comedy for $17,500,000.69, breaking the record for the biggest sale at the festival by just $0.69. Though Neon had originally planned a theatrical release, the movie will only be at a few drive-in theaters nationwide. However, it is available to stream for anyone with a Hulu subscription. Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti star as two wedding guests caught in a time loop, repeating the same day again and again.
Tom Hanks has also veered into the streaming realm with “Greyhound,” a WWII naval thriller which Hanks wrote and stars in.
The romantic comedy “Palm Springs” made headlines when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Hulu and Neon purchased rights to the comedy for $17,500,000.69, breaking the record for the biggest sale at the festival by just $0.69. Though Neon had originally planned a theatrical release, the movie will only be at a few drive-in theaters nationwide. However, it is available to stream for anyone with a Hulu subscription. Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti star as two wedding guests caught in a time loop, repeating the same day again and again.
Tom Hanks has also veered into the streaming realm with “Greyhound,” a WWII naval thriller which Hanks wrote and stars in.
- 7/10/2020
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Theaters have been closed long enough now due to Covid-19 that distributors are starting to figure out how to launch their limited-release movies via streaming services instead. May 8 brings more than two dozen new releases, including a handful that can be seen on drive-in screens, and a high-profile Netflix original in the form of Michelle Obama documentary “Becoming.” Here are the week’s new releases, with excerpts from reviews and links to where you can watch them.
Playing in extremely limited release, and widely on demand:
How to Build a Girl (Coky Giedroyc)
Distributor: IFC Films
Where to Find It: Select drive-in theaters, or rent via digital and on-demand platforms.
Playing a budding rock critic, today’s go-to cannonball Beanie Feldstein rampages through high school hallways and nightclubs like she’s terrified that if she stops moving, she’ll be stuck. The film races at her pace, leaving the audience frantic to keep up.
Playing in extremely limited release, and widely on demand:
How to Build a Girl (Coky Giedroyc)
Distributor: IFC Films
Where to Find It: Select drive-in theaters, or rent via digital and on-demand platforms.
Playing a budding rock critic, today’s go-to cannonball Beanie Feldstein rampages through high school hallways and nightclubs like she’s terrified that if she stops moving, she’ll be stuck. The film races at her pace, leaving the audience frantic to keep up.
- 5/8/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Horror fans living in the Los Angeles area might want to clear some calendar space, because Alamo Drafthouse is scaring up plenty of horror-themed screenings in March, including partnering with the Overlook Film Festival for very special Terror Tuesday screenings.
Including their Bong Joon Ho retrospective screenings and "Remakes and Hot Takes" series, Alamo Drafthouse is teaming up with Overlook Film Festival to present an eclectic lineup of horror movies with special guest hosts, including Near Dark (in 35mm) with Karyn Kusama, Carnival of Souls with Alicia Malone, StageFright with Ryan Turek, and more.
We have the press release with additional details below, and to learn more, visit:
https://drafthouse.com/los-angeles
Press Release: Los Angeles, CA The iconic Alamo Drafthouse in Los Angeles has jam packed its March programming full of incredible events like celebrating the genius that is Bong Joon Ho. The downtown location is hosting an eight-film...
Including their Bong Joon Ho retrospective screenings and "Remakes and Hot Takes" series, Alamo Drafthouse is teaming up with Overlook Film Festival to present an eclectic lineup of horror movies with special guest hosts, including Near Dark (in 35mm) with Karyn Kusama, Carnival of Souls with Alicia Malone, StageFright with Ryan Turek, and more.
We have the press release with additional details below, and to learn more, visit:
https://drafthouse.com/los-angeles
Press Release: Los Angeles, CA The iconic Alamo Drafthouse in Los Angeles has jam packed its March programming full of incredible events like celebrating the genius that is Bong Joon Ho. The downtown location is hosting an eight-film...
- 3/9/2020
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
The road to the Oscars is full of shoo-ins like Renée Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Lopez. They, and many others, have consistently received nominations and awards as well as recognition from critics groups. But falling through the cracks are plenty of films and individual performances that I hope Academy voters will pay more attention to.
Alfre Woodard in “Clemency”
The veteran actor started gaining awards season buzz as soon as the drama premiered at Sundance. Woodard plays a warden grappling with the responsibility of overseeing death row inmates as her marriage is crumbling. “If Woodard is hoping for her overdue second Oscar nomination after 1983’s ‘Cross Creek,’ she’s got a decent shot with this excruciating character arc,” critic Amy Nicholson wrote in her review for Variety.
“Just Mercy”
The story of real-life civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson fighting to free wrongfully convicted death row inmate...
Alfre Woodard in “Clemency”
The veteran actor started gaining awards season buzz as soon as the drama premiered at Sundance. Woodard plays a warden grappling with the responsibility of overseeing death row inmates as her marriage is crumbling. “If Woodard is hoping for her overdue second Oscar nomination after 1983’s ‘Cross Creek,’ she’s got a decent shot with this excruciating character arc,” critic Amy Nicholson wrote in her review for Variety.
“Just Mercy”
The story of real-life civil rights defense attorney Bryan Stevenson fighting to free wrongfully convicted death row inmate...
- 12/18/2019
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety Film + TV
An official selection at Tiff, the first trailer has now been unveiled for Ordinary Love, from the directing team Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn (Good Vibrations). Mike Leigh favorite and Phantom Thread star Lesley Manville plays Joan, the seemingly contented wife of Liam Neeson’s Tom as they exercise, follow a strict healthy diet, and converse as seemingly ordinary couples do. Their lives are upended by the sudden breast cancer diagnoses of Joan and the eventual fall out of their health-conscious livelihood and marriage tested. The film questions if a couple truly can be together through every struggle each partner faces, which is on full display in the somber first trailer.
Amy Nicholson writes her review for Variety, “ Yet, they’re plenty of company for themselves, two people whose mouths are always in motion, delighted to mock-bicker over buying Brussels sprouts or going out for a beer. Tom...
Amy Nicholson writes her review for Variety, “ Yet, they’re plenty of company for themselves, two people whose mouths are always in motion, delighted to mock-bicker over buying Brussels sprouts or going out for a beer. Tom...
- 9/25/2019
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Bleecker Street has won domestic rights to “Military Wives,” a feel-good comedy with Kristin Scott Thomas, Variety has confirmed.
The pact is one of the first to emerge from a slow market at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. “The Full Monty” filmmaker Peter Cattaneo directed “Military Wives,” the true story of a group of women who form a choir while their husbands are serving in Afghanistan. What starts as a diversion to distract themselves from negative thoughts about their spouses soon propels them to the center of a media frenzy and global movement.
In her review for Variety, Amy Nicholson called the film a “ballad to female unity,” adding, “though their husbands are on a dangerous six-month deployment, the women of this charmer about a camp choir find a reason to sing.”
Acquisitions out of Toronto are coming in dribs and drabs, with no megawatt sales of note...
The pact is one of the first to emerge from a slow market at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. “The Full Monty” filmmaker Peter Cattaneo directed “Military Wives,” the true story of a group of women who form a choir while their husbands are serving in Afghanistan. What starts as a diversion to distract themselves from negative thoughts about their spouses soon propels them to the center of a media frenzy and global movement.
In her review for Variety, Amy Nicholson called the film a “ballad to female unity,” adding, “though their husbands are on a dangerous six-month deployment, the women of this charmer about a camp choir find a reason to sing.”
Acquisitions out of Toronto are coming in dribs and drabs, with no megawatt sales of note...
- 9/9/2019
- by Brent Lang and Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSThe word is out: Mubi has acquired the worldwide rights for Luca Guadagnino's luminous short film The Staggering Girl, starring Julianne Moore, Mia Goth, KiKi Layne, Kyle MacLachlan and more. Deadline has the full report.We're very saddened that due to Ontario's arts funding cuts, the essential feminist film magazine cléo has announced their immediate closure. At The Globe & Mail, the magazine's editors and contributors reflect upon their run and the tangible community it fostered.The wait for Apichatpong Weerasethakul's long gestating project with Tilda Swinton, entitled Memoria, is nearly over. The film has finally gone to camera, and Variety provides a glimpse of the set.Recommended Viewing With The Laundromat, it looks like Soderbergh returns to his (welcomed!) comedic register alongside a stellar cast—Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman, and Sharon Stone...
- 8/28/2019
- MUBI
Do you need to know the history of the Manson family and Sharon Tate’s murder to fully appreciate Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood”? That’s one question on our latest “Low Key” podcast, which you can check out on your favorite podcast platform or right here:
Every week on “Low Key,” Aaron Lanton, Keith Dennie and I talk about pop culture moments we think others may have missed. This week is special, because “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” is wide open to interpretation.
I think of myself as someone who knows a lot about the Manson killings. I’ve read a lot about the night the Manson family killed Sharon Tate, her unborn child, and her friends at her home on Cielo Drive, 50 years ago this month.
But Aaron and Keith weren’t very interested in the case prior to Tarantino’s film — and...
Every week on “Low Key,” Aaron Lanton, Keith Dennie and I talk about pop culture moments we think others may have missed. This week is special, because “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” is wide open to interpretation.
I think of myself as someone who knows a lot about the Manson killings. I’ve read a lot about the night the Manson family killed Sharon Tate, her unborn child, and her friends at her home on Cielo Drive, 50 years ago this month.
But Aaron and Keith weren’t very interested in the case prior to Tarantino’s film — and...
- 8/3/2019
- by Tim Molloy
- The Wrap
Gathering some of the most inspiring and influential producers, writers, and directors who help bring nightmares to life on the big screen, the “Bold Voices of Contemporary Horror” panel will be taking place this Saturday night at the 50th annual Comic-Con, and as a special treat, attendees will also see the world premiere of the trailer for Adam Egypt Mortimer's Daniel Isn't Real.
Taking place at 7:00pm Pst in Room 23ABC, the “Bold Voices of Contemporary Horror” panel will feature "Ryan Turek, Mali Elfman, Akela Cooper Gigi Saul Guerrero, and Adam Egypt Mortimer."
The panel will also include the first reveal of the trailer for Adam Egypt Mortimer's Daniel Isn't Real, ahead of the film's theatrical, VOD, and Digital release on December 6th.
Stay tuned to Daily Dead for more updates on Daniel Isn't Real, read on for full details on the panel, and visit our online hub...
Taking place at 7:00pm Pst in Room 23ABC, the “Bold Voices of Contemporary Horror” panel will feature "Ryan Turek, Mali Elfman, Akela Cooper Gigi Saul Guerrero, and Adam Egypt Mortimer."
The panel will also include the first reveal of the trailer for Adam Egypt Mortimer's Daniel Isn't Real, ahead of the film's theatrical, VOD, and Digital release on December 6th.
Stay tuned to Daily Dead for more updates on Daniel Isn't Real, read on for full details on the panel, and visit our online hub...
- 7/20/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Amazon Studios has acquired worldwide rights to “Selah and the Spades,” a gripping look at a prep school drug dealer, Variety has learned.
The film marks the feature debut of writer and director Tayarisha Poe and had its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival where it was a favorite with critics. Amazon has big plans for the project and is in the process of developing an original series based on the teen drama. Poe will write, direct and produce the original series, along with Lauren McBride who also produced the film.
“I’m thrilled that ‘Selah and The Spades’ has found a home with Amazon Studios, and doubly excited to see the world of The Haldwell School expand and develop in the serial format,” said Poe in a statement. “I’d always hoped to work with a company that realized the multi-format potential of this fictional world,...
The film marks the feature debut of writer and director Tayarisha Poe and had its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival where it was a favorite with critics. Amazon has big plans for the project and is in the process of developing an original series based on the teen drama. Poe will write, direct and produce the original series, along with Lauren McBride who also produced the film.
“I’m thrilled that ‘Selah and The Spades’ has found a home with Amazon Studios, and doubly excited to see the world of The Haldwell School expand and develop in the serial format,” said Poe in a statement. “I’d always hoped to work with a company that realized the multi-format potential of this fictional world,...
- 7/17/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Warner Bros. has hired “I Am Mother” director Grant Sputore to helm the science-fiction thriller “Augmented” which Margot Robbie is producing, Variety has learned exclusively.
Michael Lloyd Green is rewriting an original script by Mark Townend. Denise Di Novi and Tom Ackerley are also producing. Production companies are Robbie’s LuckyChap and Di Novi’s eponymous Di Novi Pictures. Executive producers are Margaret French Isaac for Di Novi and Josey McNamara for LuckyChap.
The studio acquired the rights to Townsend’s spec script in 2017 and announced Robbie’s attachment to produce that same year. No actors are attached to “Augmented” at this point.
Sputore and Green teamed on the sci-fi thriller “I Am Mother,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year. Luke Hawker, Clara Rugaard, Rose Byrne and Hilary Swank star in the story of a robot raising a little girl after a mass extinction.
The film, recently released by Netflix,...
Michael Lloyd Green is rewriting an original script by Mark Townend. Denise Di Novi and Tom Ackerley are also producing. Production companies are Robbie’s LuckyChap and Di Novi’s eponymous Di Novi Pictures. Executive producers are Margaret French Isaac for Di Novi and Josey McNamara for LuckyChap.
The studio acquired the rights to Townsend’s spec script in 2017 and announced Robbie’s attachment to produce that same year. No actors are attached to “Augmented” at this point.
Sputore and Green teamed on the sci-fi thriller “I Am Mother,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year. Luke Hawker, Clara Rugaard, Rose Byrne and Hilary Swank star in the story of a robot raising a little girl after a mass extinction.
The film, recently released by Netflix,...
- 6/26/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Last year, Daily Dead was proud to once again sponsor and experience The Overlook Film Festival, which took place in the historic (and quite possibly haunted) confines of New Orleans. We're looking forward to sponsoring the third Overlook Film Festival, which is returning to The Big Easy May 30th–June 2nd for another round of immersive events, essential screenings, and live performances, and this year's killer lineup has now been announced!
Featuring The Dead Don't Die as the opening night film and The Lodge as the closing night movie, with plenty of must-see screenings and events in between, including episode two of Swamp Thing, a master class presentation by Robert Rodriguez, two live presentations by author Grady Hendrix, a live recording of Post Mortem With Mick Garris, The Pumpkin Pie Show one-on-ones by Clay McLeod Chapman, and the world premiere of Fangoria's Satanic Panic (directed by Chelsea Stardust).
The third...
Featuring The Dead Don't Die as the opening night film and The Lodge as the closing night movie, with plenty of must-see screenings and events in between, including episode two of Swamp Thing, a master class presentation by Robert Rodriguez, two live presentations by author Grady Hendrix, a live recording of Post Mortem With Mick Garris, The Pumpkin Pie Show one-on-ones by Clay McLeod Chapman, and the world premiere of Fangoria's Satanic Panic (directed by Chelsea Stardust).
The third...
- 4/26/2019
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Neon has acquired the U.S. rights to Alfre Woodard’s drama “Clemency,” which won the grand jury prize at the Sundance Film Festival.
The distributor made the deal with Ace Pictures Entertainment. Chinonye Chukwu directed “Clemency.” Woodard plays a prison warden whose worn down by years of carrying out death-row executions. As she prepares to execute another inmate, she must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.
Amy Nicholson praised the performance in her Sundance review for Variety: “If Woodard is hoping for her overdue second Oscar nomination after 1983’s ‘Cross Creek,’ she’s got a decent shot with this excruciating character arc.”
“Clemency” also stars Aldis Hodge, Richard Schiff, and Wendell Pierce. The film was produced by Ace Pictures Entertainment, Bronwyn Cornelius Productions, and Julian Cautherley.
“Making ‘Clemency’ has been a life-changing soul journey, and...
The distributor made the deal with Ace Pictures Entertainment. Chinonye Chukwu directed “Clemency.” Woodard plays a prison warden whose worn down by years of carrying out death-row executions. As she prepares to execute another inmate, she must confront the psychological and emotional demons her job creates, ultimately connecting her to the man she is sanctioned to kill.
Amy Nicholson praised the performance in her Sundance review for Variety: “If Woodard is hoping for her overdue second Oscar nomination after 1983’s ‘Cross Creek,’ she’s got a decent shot with this excruciating character arc.”
“Clemency” also stars Aldis Hodge, Richard Schiff, and Wendell Pierce. The film was produced by Ace Pictures Entertainment, Bronwyn Cornelius Productions, and Julian Cautherley.
“Making ‘Clemency’ has been a life-changing soul journey, and...
- 2/27/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
‘Little Monsters.’ (Photo credit: Ben King)
Neon and Hulu have jointly acquired Us rights to Abe Forsythe’s Little Monsters in the first major deal for the Australian films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
The dark comedy starring Lupita Nyong’o, Alexander England and Josh Gad sparked an overnight bidding war resulting in the deal worth mid-seven figures, Deadline.com reported.
The theatrical release will be accompanied by a massive cross promotion on Hulu’s streaming platform, which has an estimated 23 million subscribers.
The Screen Actors Guild award to the cast of Black Panther, which features Nyong’o, is said to have piqued buyers’ interest in the film which premiered in the Midnight section.
Produced by Snoot Entertainment’s Keith and Jess Calder with Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea, Jodie Matterson and Steve Hutensky and funded by Screen Australia and Create Nsw, the film stars England as Dave,...
Neon and Hulu have jointly acquired Us rights to Abe Forsythe’s Little Monsters in the first major deal for the Australian films that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
The dark comedy starring Lupita Nyong’o, Alexander England and Josh Gad sparked an overnight bidding war resulting in the deal worth mid-seven figures, Deadline.com reported.
The theatrical release will be accompanied by a massive cross promotion on Hulu’s streaming platform, which has an estimated 23 million subscribers.
The Screen Actors Guild award to the cast of Black Panther, which features Nyong’o, is said to have piqued buyers’ interest in the film which premiered in the Midnight section.
Produced by Snoot Entertainment’s Keith and Jess Calder with Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea, Jodie Matterson and Steve Hutensky and funded by Screen Australia and Create Nsw, the film stars England as Dave,...
- 1/28/2019
- by The IF Team
- IF.com.au
Every Friday, we’re recommending an older movie available to stream or download and worth seeing again through the lens of our current moment. We’re calling the series “Revisiting Hours” — consider this Rolling Stone’s unofficial film club. This week: Amy Nicholson on Gus Van Sant’s media-saturation satire To Die For.
Three years ago, news anchor Gretchen Carlson asked Fox CEO Roger Ailes why her career had stalled. Her boss offered her a deal: “I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time...
Three years ago, news anchor Gretchen Carlson asked Fox CEO Roger Ailes why her career had stalled. Her boss offered her a deal: “I think you and I should have had a sexual relationship a long time...
- 1/18/2019
- by Amy Nicholson
- Rollingstone.com
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSThe awards season marches on—this morning's BAFTA's nominations highlight more of the usual suspects, meanwhile the Golden Globes embraced mediocrity full-stop this weekend with their crowning of Bohemian Rhapsody as best "Dramatic Motion Picture." You can find the rest of the Hollywood Foreign Press' frequently specious choices here.Recommended VIEWINGNow the good stuff: the trailer for Christian Petzold's latest bold interrogation of history and present, Transit. We also interviewed Petzold about the film and its unique transposition of World War II to modern day Marseille earlier this year.Jafar Panahi is back with a new mosaic of reality and fiction, 3 Faces, a portrait of three actresses personal worlds. Last October, Naomi Keenan O'Shea wrote about how "serves as an exemplary piece from which to reflect upon the continued political pertinence...
- 1/11/2019
- MUBI
Following the Golden Globe nominations last week, the 2018-19 awards season continues today in a big way with the announcement of the 2018 Los Angeles Film Critics Association winners. Lafca, as the group is known, is set to honor the year in film by awarding prizes to the best performances and features of 2018.
Lafca’s east coast counterpart, the New York Film Critics Circle (Nyfcc), announced its winners on November 29, with Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” winning three prizes: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. The drama is expected to have another strong showing with Lafca, although the group is known to make surprising choices every now and then.
Recent Lafca winners for Best Film include “Call Me By Your Name,” “Moonlight,” “Spotlight,” “Boyhood,” and “Her.” All of these films went on to earn Oscar nominations for Best Picture, with “Moonlight” and “Spotlight” winning the top honor. Last year’s Lafca...
Lafca’s east coast counterpart, the New York Film Critics Circle (Nyfcc), announced its winners on November 29, with Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” winning three prizes: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Cinematography. The drama is expected to have another strong showing with Lafca, although the group is known to make surprising choices every now and then.
Recent Lafca winners for Best Film include “Call Me By Your Name,” “Moonlight,” “Spotlight,” “Boyhood,” and “Her.” All of these films went on to earn Oscar nominations for Best Picture, with “Moonlight” and “Spotlight” winning the top honor. Last year’s Lafca...
- 12/9/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
John Carpenter’s immortal 1978 Halloween was never built to have one sequel, let alone eight (plus two movies in a remake series). Though it left us with Michael Myers still on the loose, an omnipresent, almost metaphysical boogeyman, in a lot of respects, the movie is utterly self-contained. The immediate threat of Myers has been quelled by Dr. Sam Loomis shooting him, point-blank, six times! Laurie Strode has protected her pint-sized babysitting charges, and basically fought Michael to a draw.
The first film’s narrative is not a cog in a grander storytelling machine. The tale is simplicity itself. A faceless, fundamentally unknowable lunatic goes crazy on the titular night in 1963, in the fictitious every-suburb of Haddonfield, Illinois, killing his teen sister. After being locked away for 15 years, he escapes the confines of Smith’s Grove Hospital, steals a nurse’s station wagon, and wreaks havoc on a small group...
The first film’s narrative is not a cog in a grander storytelling machine. The tale is simplicity itself. A faceless, fundamentally unknowable lunatic goes crazy on the titular night in 1963, in the fictitious every-suburb of Haddonfield, Illinois, killing his teen sister. After being locked away for 15 years, he escapes the confines of Smith’s Grove Hospital, steals a nurse’s station wagon, and wreaks havoc on a small group...
- 11/1/2018
- by Alex Kirschenbaum
- Trailers from Hell
The opening lines of the documentary “Half the Picture” say it all: “Over the past 17 years, the number of female directors has actually declined. Our study makes it clear, Hollywood is a straight boys club. Research has found that Hollywood directors are overwhelmingly white and overwhelmingly male.” These simple statements sum up a slew of shocking statistics.
Filmmaker Amy Adrion deftly documents the standing of women in Hollywood through a series of compelling interviews with many female filmmakers, industry insiders and academics. Her debut film has played at many of the leading festivals, including Sundance, SXSW and Hot Docs. And it is set to screen on Starz starting in late October.
Hollywood likes to pat itself on the back and always take an opportunity to say ‘look how far we’ve come.’ Like when Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director at the Oscars for “The Hurt Locker...
Filmmaker Amy Adrion deftly documents the standing of women in Hollywood through a series of compelling interviews with many female filmmakers, industry insiders and academics. Her debut film has played at many of the leading festivals, including Sundance, SXSW and Hot Docs. And it is set to screen on Starz starting in late October.
Hollywood likes to pat itself on the back and always take an opportunity to say ‘look how far we’ve come.’ Like when Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win Best Director at the Oscars for “The Hurt Locker...
- 10/11/2018
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Halloween season is officially here, and so is a new podcast from Bill Simmons' The Ringer.
Halloween: Unmasked, the first serialized podcast from The Ringer, will explore the making of John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic Halloween. It will be available Oct. 1 on all platforms.
Hosted by MTV News and The Washington Post journalist Amy Nicholson, Halloween: Unmasked will feature interviews with some of the original Halloween filmmakers, as well as critics and fans, to provide a deeper look into the film and its legacy on the horror genre. Additionally, the podcast will preview the franchise's upcoming reboot of the same name,...
Halloween: Unmasked, the first serialized podcast from The Ringer, will explore the making of John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic Halloween. It will be available Oct. 1 on all platforms.
Hosted by MTV News and The Washington Post journalist Amy Nicholson, Halloween: Unmasked will feature interviews with some of the original Halloween filmmakers, as well as critics and fans, to provide a deeper look into the film and its legacy on the horror genre. Additionally, the podcast will preview the franchise's upcoming reboot of the same name,...
- 9/20/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Halloween season is officially here, and so is a new podcast from Bill Simmons' The Ringer.
Halloween: Unmasked, the first serialized podcast from The Ringer, will explore the making of John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic Halloween. It will be available Oct. 1 on all platforms.
Hosted by MTV News and The Washington Post journalist Amy Nicholson, Halloween: Unmasked will feature interviews with some of the original Halloween filmmakers, as well as critics and fans, to provide a deeper look into the film and its legacy on the horror genre. Additionally, the podcast will preview the franchise's upcoming reboot of the same name,...
Halloween: Unmasked, the first serialized podcast from The Ringer, will explore the making of John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic Halloween. It will be available Oct. 1 on all platforms.
Hosted by MTV News and The Washington Post journalist Amy Nicholson, Halloween: Unmasked will feature interviews with some of the original Halloween filmmakers, as well as critics and fans, to provide a deeper look into the film and its legacy on the horror genre. Additionally, the podcast will preview the franchise's upcoming reboot of the same name,...
- 9/20/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Every Friday, we’re recommending an older movie that’s available to stream or download and worth seeing again through the lens of our current moment. We’re calling the series “Revisiting Hours” — consider this Rolling Stone’s unofficial film club. This week: Amy Nicholson on Will Forte’s 2010 SNL-sketch-turned-cult-classic MacGruber.
Will Forte dreaded playing George W. Bush on Saturday Night Live. The Commander-in-Chief had been Will Ferrell’s job until he’d left the show to make movies, and Forte, the wiry weirdo who’d interrupt his castmates at...
Will Forte dreaded playing George W. Bush on Saturday Night Live. The Commander-in-Chief had been Will Ferrell’s job until he’d left the show to make movies, and Forte, the wiry weirdo who’d interrupt his castmates at...
- 9/14/2018
- by Amy Nicholson
- Rollingstone.com
Orion Classics has acquired all North American and Latin American rights to the coming-of-age drama “Jinn,” which won the Special Jury Award for writing at the SXSW Festival in March.
Orion Classics will release the drama in theaters on Nov. 15 and on VOD and Digital HD on Nov. 16.
Written and directed by Nijla Mu’min, the film stars Zoe Renee, Simone Missick, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Dorian Missick, Hisham Tawfiq and Kelly Jenrette (“The Handmaid’s Tale”). The film also won awards at the American Black Film Festival for best screenplay and best actor for Renee, the Blackstar Film Festival for best feature narrative and audience award and at the Roxbury Film Festival for best narrative feature.
“’Jinn’ is a coming of age film that deals with the struggles to find one’s true identity amidst familial and religious influences,” said Mu’min. “As our media landscape becomes more inclusive and nuanced,...
Orion Classics will release the drama in theaters on Nov. 15 and on VOD and Digital HD on Nov. 16.
Written and directed by Nijla Mu’min, the film stars Zoe Renee, Simone Missick, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Dorian Missick, Hisham Tawfiq and Kelly Jenrette (“The Handmaid’s Tale”). The film also won awards at the American Black Film Festival for best screenplay and best actor for Renee, the Blackstar Film Festival for best feature narrative and audience award and at the Roxbury Film Festival for best narrative feature.
“’Jinn’ is a coming of age film that deals with the struggles to find one’s true identity amidst familial and religious influences,” said Mu’min. “As our media landscape becomes more inclusive and nuanced,...
- 8/14/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced earlier today the creation of a brand new Oscars category: Outstanding achievement in popular film. The new category’s eligibility requirements won’t be revealed until a later date, but the decision is already being widely mocked and criticized by film critics, writers, and reporters on social media.
IndieWire’s awards editor Anne Thompson slammed the category creation as a “desperate ratings attempt.” Many film journalists view the decision to add a popular film category as a way for the Academy to acknowledge blockbuster movies and studio tentpoles that often don’t make the cut for best picture. The problem here, as many writers pointed out on social media, stems from the fact that putting studio blockbusters in a “popular” category suggests they aren’t as artistic as the indie movies that get nominated for best picture.
“As for a ‘popular film’ award,...
IndieWire’s awards editor Anne Thompson slammed the category creation as a “desperate ratings attempt.” Many film journalists view the decision to add a popular film category as a way for the Academy to acknowledge blockbuster movies and studio tentpoles that often don’t make the cut for best picture. The problem here, as many writers pointed out on social media, stems from the fact that putting studio blockbusters in a “popular” category suggests they aren’t as artistic as the indie movies that get nominated for best picture.
“As for a ‘popular film’ award,...
- 8/8/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Arianna Bocco, David Magdael among mentors.
The Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) has announced the filmmakers for the 2018 New Works-in-Progress Forum supporting emerging talent, including four feature projects, two documentaries and two narratives from three countries.
The projects in the Forum, now in its second year, are: Bijon Imtiaz’s Paradise (pictured), a documentary from Bangladesh; Sarah Brennen Kolb’s Good Ol Girl, a documentary from the Us; and from Israel, Yona Rozenkier’s The Dive, and Limor Shmila’s Hanging.
This year’s documentary industry mentors include publicity veteran David Magdael, film journalist Amy Nicholson, and Hot Docs Canadian...
The Seattle International Film Festival (Siff) has announced the filmmakers for the 2018 New Works-in-Progress Forum supporting emerging talent, including four feature projects, two documentaries and two narratives from three countries.
The projects in the Forum, now in its second year, are: Bijon Imtiaz’s Paradise (pictured), a documentary from Bangladesh; Sarah Brennen Kolb’s Good Ol Girl, a documentary from the Us; and from Israel, Yona Rozenkier’s The Dive, and Limor Shmila’s Hanging.
This year’s documentary industry mentors include publicity veteran David Magdael, film journalist Amy Nicholson, and Hot Docs Canadian...
- 5/9/2018
- by Jenn Sherman
- ScreenDaily
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Content Group has purchased North American rights to Hannah Fidell’s road trip comedy “The Long Dumb Road,” starring Jason Mantzoukas and Tony Revolori.
The film made its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Fidell and co-written by Fidell and Carson Mell, the film also stars Taissa Farmiga, Grace Gummer, and Ron Livingston.
Revolori plays a college-bound teenager who offers an itinerant 30-something mechanic (Mantzoukas) a ride during a stop-over in small-town Texas. As they travel through the American Southwest, both passengers come alive through the myriad possibilities of the open road as they find connection, comfort and chaos in their shared journey.
In her review for Variety, Amy Nicholson said, “Fidell’s third film after her darker dramas ‘A Teacher’ and ‘6 Years’ is a light-fingered diversion. She keeps an eye on class. People continually offer each other small amounts of cash...
The film made its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Fidell and co-written by Fidell and Carson Mell, the film also stars Taissa Farmiga, Grace Gummer, and Ron Livingston.
Revolori plays a college-bound teenager who offers an itinerant 30-something mechanic (Mantzoukas) a ride during a stop-over in small-town Texas. As they travel through the American Southwest, both passengers come alive through the myriad possibilities of the open road as they find connection, comfort and chaos in their shared journey.
In her review for Variety, Amy Nicholson said, “Fidell’s third film after her darker dramas ‘A Teacher’ and ‘6 Years’ is a light-fingered diversion. She keeps an eye on class. People continually offer each other small amounts of cash...
- 4/17/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Daily Dead was proud to sponsor and attend the first-ever Overlook Film Festival in 2017, and we're excited to be a sponsor once again for this year's festival, which will take place next week at the historic Bourbon Orleans Hotel in New Orleans. Some new live events have been announced, and if you're thinking about going to the 2nd annual Overlook Film Festival, but you haven't purchased a pass yet, then Friday the 13th is your lucky day, because the festival has opened up discounted all-access passes that are only available until 11:59pm Est tonight!
Taking place April 19th–22nd at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel in the festive French Quarter of The Big Easy (with screenings being held at Regal Cinemas Cinebarre Canal Place 9 Movie Theater), the 2018 Overlook Film Festival will showcase 23 feature-length films from around the world, including the buzzed-about Hereditary, Upgrade, Unfriended: Dark Web, and the world premiere...
Taking place April 19th–22nd at the Bourbon Orleans Hotel in the festive French Quarter of The Big Easy (with screenings being held at Regal Cinemas Cinebarre Canal Place 9 Movie Theater), the 2018 Overlook Film Festival will showcase 23 feature-length films from around the world, including the buzzed-about Hereditary, Upgrade, Unfriended: Dark Web, and the world premiere...
- 4/13/2018
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
A Wrinkle in Time is an important moment for women of colour but the incessant fanfare undermines its significance
Ava DuVernay, director of A Wrinkle In Time, spoke on the red carpet at the London premiere about how important the film was because of the diversity of the cast and crew, because the main protagonist is female and because it is part of the desire to bring a more diverse range of storytellers to the fore. Mindy Kaling, who is in the film, described DuVernay as a “movement”, and Time magazine wrote about how the movie will change Hollywood.
Reviews suggest the film is dreadful. It has a 40% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Guardian’s Amy Nicholson gave it two stars, and one of those stars was purely for what Oprah did to her eyebrows. I can feel you getting annoyed with me. “What’s the matter, Romesh, are you against diversity?...
Ava DuVernay, director of A Wrinkle In Time, spoke on the red carpet at the London premiere about how important the film was because of the diversity of the cast and crew, because the main protagonist is female and because it is part of the desire to bring a more diverse range of storytellers to the fore. Mindy Kaling, who is in the film, described DuVernay as a “movement”, and Time magazine wrote about how the movie will change Hollywood.
Reviews suggest the film is dreadful. It has a 40% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The Guardian’s Amy Nicholson gave it two stars, and one of those stars was purely for what Oprah did to her eyebrows. I can feel you getting annoyed with me. “What’s the matter, Romesh, are you against diversity?...
- 3/24/2018
- by Romesh Ranganathan
- The Guardian - Film News
Nearly 70 percent of L.A. Weekly’s editorial staff — including film critic April Wolfe — was laid off on November 29, the day the beloved alternative newspaper was officially purchased by Semanal Media. The Los Angeles Times reported nine members from the 13-person editorial team were dismissed, among them all top editors (even editor-in-chief Mara Shalhoup); publisher Matt Cooperstein was also terminated. On Twitter, Shalhoup likened the layoff to a “Game of Thrones” bloodbath.
We were expecting there to be some pain with the sale of @LAWeekly. But we weren’t expecting the Red Wedding. That’s how deep the cuts are. 1/
— Mara Shalhoup (@mshalhoup) November 29, 2017
The impending sale was confirmed on October 18 by the La Times, which dubbed the now-owner “a mysterious new company” in its headline. Semanal Media was formed explicitly to buy L.A. Weekly from dwindling Voice Media, the publishing entity that has unloaded S.F. Weekly, O.
We were expecting there to be some pain with the sale of @LAWeekly. But we weren’t expecting the Red Wedding. That’s how deep the cuts are. 1/
— Mara Shalhoup (@mshalhoup) November 29, 2017
The impending sale was confirmed on October 18 by the La Times, which dubbed the now-owner “a mysterious new company” in its headline. Semanal Media was formed explicitly to buy L.A. Weekly from dwindling Voice Media, the publishing entity that has unloaded S.F. Weekly, O.
- 11/30/2017
- by Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSNicolas Winding Refn, the provocateur known for sleekly mixing art-house and genre cinema in such films as Drive and The Neon Demon, has announced a new initiative: A new online cinema showcasing "restored films and other content with the aim of inspiring a new generation of cinephiles." Mubi is partnering with the Danish director to premiere these newly restored movies on our platform before they are available on byNWR.com, which officially launches in February, 2018.Recommended VIEWINGThe first trailer for a project we're very excited for, Spike Lee's expansive remake of his sophomore feature She's Gotta Have It (1986).Critics Cristina Álvarez López and Adrian Martin also have a new video essay on the nuances in gesture and expression in the cinema of Rainer Werner Fassbinder for Queensland Gallery of Modern Art. For Filmkrant,...
- 10/18/2017
- MUBI
“All the films in this book share an air of disreputability… I have tried to avoid using the word art about the movies in this book, not just because I didn’t want to inflate my claims for them, but because the word is used far too often to shut down discussion rather than open it up. If something has been acclaimed as art, it’s not just beyond criticism but often seen as above the mere mortals for whom its presumably been made. It’s a sealed artifact that offers no way in. It is as much a lie to claim we can be moved only by what has been given the imprimatur of art as it would be to deny that there are, in these scruffy movies, the very things we expect from art: avenues into human emotion and psychology, or into the character and texture of the time the films were made,...
- 8/6/2017
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
Patty Jenkins’ Wonder Woman has received a much warmer critical reception than its predecessors in the “DC Extended Universe” series, which began last year with Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad. Unlike those films, which seemed to wallow in one-note gloom, Wonder Woman proves to be far more adept at mixing commonplace human emotion with the epic stakes of its superhero story. As Tasha Robinson writes at The Verge, the new film effectively balances the mythic and the mundane:Wonder Woman represents a number of delicate balancing acts: between humor and gravitas; angst and adventure; full-blown, unvarnished superhero fantasy and the Dceu's usual unpacking of what those fantasies mean. But its most impressive balancing routine may be the one that plays out between Steve and Diana over whether the Ares myth is real, and whether the histories of gods, Amazons, and magical hidden islands have any place in the modern world.
- 6/7/2017
- MUBI
One thing that’s easy for podcast fans to forget: There are people who don’t listen to podcasts. For the newly initiated, it’s hard to figure out where to look first. No fear: we’ve gathered a few of our favorite film-related shows. Some are hundreds of episodes deep into their runs, so we’ve also provided some good places to start. Enjoy.
Read More: 13 Must-Listen Podcast Episodes for March 2017
Black List Table Reads
Scripted podcasts come in all kinds; sci-fi, alternate history, period piece, and superhero shows only beginning to crack the list. Franklin Leonard and the team behind the Black List Table Reads have found a way to combine the appeal of those shows with the script-based hook of the site that gives the show its name. Producing feature-length scripts with an impressive roster of actors, the show has evolved to become something more than...
Read More: 13 Must-Listen Podcast Episodes for March 2017
Black List Table Reads
Scripted podcasts come in all kinds; sci-fi, alternate history, period piece, and superhero shows only beginning to crack the list. Franklin Leonard and the team behind the Black List Table Reads have found a way to combine the appeal of those shows with the script-based hook of the site that gives the show its name. Producing feature-length scripts with an impressive roster of actors, the show has evolved to become something more than...
- 4/13/2017
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Our 22 Favorite Movies Directed by Women in 2016Looking to support great female-directed films? Start here.
Over the years, we’ve heard from our readers that one of the most important things we can do is to help you discover movies that may have slipped by mainstream audiences. And often just as important, our readers ask that we highlight voices that are in the minority in Hollywood. While we’re known for not taking ourselves very seriously, we take this part of our work seriously. Because as many studies have shown, there are some voices that aren’t as well-represented as others. Them’s the facts.
Beyond that, our team has a passion for seeking out and celebrating films directed by women. This is where we often find, as you’re about to see in this list, some of the most unique and interesting stories in the whole of cinema. Another thing we hear often from readers is...
Over the years, we’ve heard from our readers that one of the most important things we can do is to help you discover movies that may have slipped by mainstream audiences. And often just as important, our readers ask that we highlight voices that are in the minority in Hollywood. While we’re known for not taking ourselves very seriously, we take this part of our work seriously. Because as many studies have shown, there are some voices that aren’t as well-represented as others. Them’s the facts.
Beyond that, our team has a passion for seeking out and celebrating films directed by women. This is where we often find, as you’re about to see in this list, some of the most unique and interesting stories in the whole of cinema. Another thing we hear often from readers is...
- 1/18/2017
- by Film School Rejects
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
I have been thrilled to bring readers to the Remedial Film School at Film School Rejects.
Here are a select few of the films that notable film personalities and critics have had me watch…
Drew McWeeny chooses Dead Man.
Drew McWeeny of Hitfix.com is our first guest, and he chose Dead Man, saying it somehow is connected to the Dreamworks animated film Home, which opens March 27.
It’s time to get things started.
McWeeny explains: So why Dead Man?
When I have the entire sum total of every movie Jeff Bayer has not seen to choose from, and I choose Dead Man, it’s a fair question. What makes that movie special? Why should that film be seen by everyone, much less by Bayer specifically?
For one thing, when I bitch in public about feeling let down by Johnny Depp’s choices for the last decade, Dead Man is...
Here are a select few of the films that notable film personalities and critics have had me watch…
Drew McWeeny chooses Dead Man.
Drew McWeeny of Hitfix.com is our first guest, and he chose Dead Man, saying it somehow is connected to the Dreamworks animated film Home, which opens March 27.
It’s time to get things started.
McWeeny explains: So why Dead Man?
When I have the entire sum total of every movie Jeff Bayer has not seen to choose from, and I choose Dead Man, it’s a fair question. What makes that movie special? Why should that film be seen by everyone, much less by Bayer specifically?
For one thing, when I bitch in public about feeling let down by Johnny Depp’s choices for the last decade, Dead Man is...
- 1/7/2017
- by Jeff Bayer
- The Scorecard Review
Pickle is a peculiar, amusing, quirky, entertaining short unlike anything else you've seen before. Made by Amy Nicholson, a New York-based filmmaker of docs and other projects, the short features her parents, Tom & Debbie Nicholson, who are dedicated caretakers of various odd creatures that "suffer from unusual medical conditions". The short film explores the "human capacity to care for all creatures throughout their sometimes greatly protracted lives until their occasionally sudden and unfortunate deaths." Pickle was a fish that couldn't swim; they also cared for an obese chicken, a cat with a heart condition, a non-buoyant goose, and a paraplegic possum. This unusual but heartfelt short deserves a small piece of your time. Watch below. Official description: "Pickle is an ode to man's capacity to care for all creatures throughout their sometimes greatly protracted existence until their occasionally sudden and unfortunate demise." Spanning 25 years of marriage, the short doc is...
- 12/7/2016
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday morning. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In the wake of the election, Filmmaker Magazine published a piece about the intrinsically political nature of movies, in which the writer argued: “For the next four years (and long afterwards), every time someone leaves a movie theater feeling contented, feeling set in their values, feeling numbed and entertained and nothing else, that’s a problem.”
How does filmmaking — and film criticism — need to adapt in the age of Trump?
Richard Brody (@tnyfrontrow), The New Yorker
Filmmakers need to make films and film critics need to write about them. None of them need instruction; the hardest thing in good and bad times...
This week’s question: In the wake of the election, Filmmaker Magazine published a piece about the intrinsically political nature of movies, in which the writer argued: “For the next four years (and long afterwards), every time someone leaves a movie theater feeling contented, feeling set in their values, feeling numbed and entertained and nothing else, that’s a problem.”
How does filmmaking — and film criticism — need to adapt in the age of Trump?
Richard Brody (@tnyfrontrow), The New Yorker
Filmmakers need to make films and film critics need to write about them. None of them need instruction; the hardest thing in good and bad times...
- 11/14/2016
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
The 5th Annual Key West Film Festival has announced its official 2016 lineup, including the opening night film, “20th Century Women,” directed by Mike Mills and starring Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig and Billy Crudup. As part of the festival’s signature Critics Focus program, MTV’s Chief Film Critic Amy Nicholson will present and lead a conversation around the film, alongside David Fear, Senior Film/TV Editor of Rolling Stone.
Director of Programming Michael Tuckman said of Nicholson’s pick, “I could not be more thrilled with Amy Nicholson’s choice of ’20th Century Women’ to kick off our 5th Anniversary edition of festival. Annette Bening’s performance is Oscar-deserving and the rich depth of the balance of the leading cast is Altman-esque in its quality. Amy’s discussion after the film will bring a cunning critic’s eye to this fabulous film for audiences.”
Read More: ’20th Century...
Director of Programming Michael Tuckman said of Nicholson’s pick, “I could not be more thrilled with Amy Nicholson’s choice of ’20th Century Women’ to kick off our 5th Anniversary edition of festival. Annette Bening’s performance is Oscar-deserving and the rich depth of the balance of the leading cast is Altman-esque in its quality. Amy’s discussion after the film will bring a cunning critic’s eye to this fabulous film for audiences.”
Read More: ’20th Century...
- 10/19/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Film journalist Devin Faraci has stepped down as editor in chief of Birth.Movies. Death. following sexual assault allegations that became widely known on Twitter over the weekend.
“I’m here to assure you that the site and magazine will continue, with a team of smart, passionate writers dedicated to bringing you the best in pop culture news and conversation today,” wrote B.M.D.’s managing editor, Meredith Borders, in a note posted to the site today. “Devin built this site into something we’re proud to continue and grow in his absence. We are a community, and you are a crucial part of that community. We’re eager to move forward, together, with all of you.”
Faraci is also co-host with Amy Nicholson of the podcast “The Canon.” We’ve reached out to Nicholson to confirm his continuing involvement.
In the entertainment industry, “rape culture” is as old as the casting couch,...
“I’m here to assure you that the site and magazine will continue, with a team of smart, passionate writers dedicated to bringing you the best in pop culture news and conversation today,” wrote B.M.D.’s managing editor, Meredith Borders, in a note posted to the site today. “Devin built this site into something we’re proud to continue and grow in his absence. We are a community, and you are a crucial part of that community. We’re eager to move forward, together, with all of you.”
Faraci is also co-host with Amy Nicholson of the podcast “The Canon.” We’ve reached out to Nicholson to confirm his continuing involvement.
In the entertainment industry, “rape culture” is as old as the casting couch,...
- 10/11/2016
- by Dana Harris
- Indiewire
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.