XYZ Films has acquired U.S. rights to the classic Cannes Directors’ Fortnight title “The World is Yours” directed by Romain Gavras from StudioCanal and to the TIFF hit film “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” directed by Simon Hawkins and Zeke Hawkins. The hyper-stylized films are the first titles in a new XYZ initiative to introduce audiences to classic festival hits that cater to cinema fans.
“The World is Yours” premiered at Cannes in 2018 and stars Karim Leklou, Isabelle Adjani, Vincent Cassel and Oulaya Amamra and was co-written by Gavras, Karim Boukercha and Noe Debre. In the film, a mid-level drug dealer (Leklou) dreams of having a new life, but his mother (Adjani) has gambled away his savings. He must take one last job in Spain, but his entourage gets involved: his mother, his ex-con friend, his crush, and possibly The Illuminati.
Meanwhile, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place...
“The World is Yours” premiered at Cannes in 2018 and stars Karim Leklou, Isabelle Adjani, Vincent Cassel and Oulaya Amamra and was co-written by Gavras, Karim Boukercha and Noe Debre. In the film, a mid-level drug dealer (Leklou) dreams of having a new life, but his mother (Adjani) has gambled away his savings. He must take one last job in Spain, but his entourage gets involved: his mother, his ex-con friend, his crush, and possibly The Illuminati.
Meanwhile, “We Gotta Get Out of This Place...
- 5/22/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
It is the spring of “Baby Reindeer.” Netflix’s addictive limited series about a struggling comedian (Richard Gadd) working at a bar who makes the biggest mistake of his life when he gives a lonely woman (Jessica Gunning) a cup of tea on the house is the most watched series currently on the streamer and viewership is growing. And the fact that it’s based on a true story, makes “Baby Reindeer” even more creep and chilling. It’s a must-see voyeur thriller.
The same was true in the fall of 1987 with Adrian Lyne’s “Fatal Attraction.” Audiences flocked to the hard R-rated thriller which starred a wild-haired Glenn Close as an editor with a publishing company who has one-night stand with a happily married attorney (Michael Douglas) whose wife and daughter are out of town. Though it’s “understood” that it’s just a fling, Close’s Alex just won’t let go.
The same was true in the fall of 1987 with Adrian Lyne’s “Fatal Attraction.” Audiences flocked to the hard R-rated thriller which starred a wild-haired Glenn Close as an editor with a publishing company who has one-night stand with a happily married attorney (Michael Douglas) whose wife and daughter are out of town. Though it’s “understood” that it’s just a fling, Close’s Alex just won’t let go.
- 5/2/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
In what feels like a (brief) return of twin films — two movies with very similar plots released at the same time, like "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon" — we now have "The First Omen" and "Immaculate" bringing Catholic horror and nunsploitation back to the big screen.
"The First Omen" takes us back to a sweet time in the '70s when everyone was obsessed with religious horror, thanks in no small part to the monumental success of "The Exorcist" and "Rosemary's Baby." The film is a prequel to Richard Donner's 1976 film "The Omen," about the coming of the Antichrist that also plays very much like a Catholic take on "Final Destination" — with photos that show the order and the gruesome manner in which several characters in the film will die.
"The First Omen" is a fantastic film, one that recontextualizes the events of the original and brings an air of mystery back to the franchise,...
"The First Omen" takes us back to a sweet time in the '70s when everyone was obsessed with religious horror, thanks in no small part to the monumental success of "The Exorcist" and "Rosemary's Baby." The film is a prequel to Richard Donner's 1976 film "The Omen," about the coming of the Antichrist that also plays very much like a Catholic take on "Final Destination" — with photos that show the order and the gruesome manner in which several characters in the film will die.
"The First Omen" is a fantastic film, one that recontextualizes the events of the original and brings an air of mystery back to the franchise,...
- 4/4/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
‘The First Omen’ Director Arkasha Stevenson Says Classic Horror Franchise Has Plenty of Stories Left
In her feature directorial debut, The First Omen filmmaker Arkasha Stevenson has pulled off the delicate balance between homage and invention. Prequels are always tricky in this regard, but it’s especially difficult when it involves Richard Donner’s horror classic, The Omen (1976). Stevenson’s assignment, in conjunction with her co-writer and producer Tim Smith, was to tell the origin story of how Damien Thorn came into the world and who gave birth to the franchise’s indelible Antichrist character.
Set in 1971, Stevenson’s story begins with the arrival of novitiate Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free) at a Rome-based orphanage, and she soon discovers a sinister plot to birth the Antichrist in order for the Catholic Church to regain its grip on the counterculture society of the ’60s and ’70s. But, before she’s knee deep in the conspiracy, Margaret witnesses a pregnant mother giving birth to something that causes...
Set in 1971, Stevenson’s story begins with the arrival of novitiate Margaret Daino (Nell Tiger Free) at a Rome-based orphanage, and she soon discovers a sinister plot to birth the Antichrist in order for the Catholic Church to regain its grip on the counterculture society of the ’60s and ’70s. But, before she’s knee deep in the conspiracy, Margaret witnesses a pregnant mother giving birth to something that causes...
- 4/3/2024
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix on Tuesday unveiled two new European series with A-list stars, announcing the Dutch crime drama Amsterdam Empire to star X-Men alum Famke Janssen and an unnamed French thriller series toplined by gallic veteran Isabelle Adjani (Camille Claudel, The Story of Adele H.).
Janssen will star and executive produce Amsterdam Empire, about a big-time cannabis dealer whose personal betrayal of his wife threatens the future of his pot imperium. Nico Moolenaar, Bart Uytdenhouwen and Piet Matthys, creators of Netflix Dutch crime series Undercover, created the new show, which Jonas Govaerts (H4Z4RD) will direct. The plot follows Jack van Doorn, the rich and notorious founder of the Jackal coffee shop empire in Amsterdam, who has an affair with a well-known journalist, drawing the ire of his wife Betty, who is looking for payback and knows all Jack’s dirty secrets. Pupkin Film will produce Amsterdam Empire together with A Team Productions.
Janssen will star and executive produce Amsterdam Empire, about a big-time cannabis dealer whose personal betrayal of his wife threatens the future of his pot imperium. Nico Moolenaar, Bart Uytdenhouwen and Piet Matthys, creators of Netflix Dutch crime series Undercover, created the new show, which Jonas Govaerts (H4Z4RD) will direct. The plot follows Jack van Doorn, the rich and notorious founder of the Jackal coffee shop empire in Amsterdam, who has an affair with a well-known journalist, drawing the ire of his wife Betty, who is looking for payback and knows all Jack’s dirty secrets. Pupkin Film will produce Amsterdam Empire together with A Team Productions.
- 3/19/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Everyone has done jobs they're not particularly proud of in their past. For actors, any of these past works are in the public eye, even if some go on to be largely forgotten. This includes the fan-favorite horror genre, from cheap, grindhouse and direct-to-video schlock to big-budget misfires. Beyond the quality of the movies, some actors just didn't have particularly pleasant experiences behind-the-scenes, leading them to distance themselves from their projects after completion. Every actor has a handful of films that they wish they hadn't signed on for, and with the benefit of hindsight, several have gone public with their regrets.
From established genre icons disappointed at their respective franchise returns to newcomers trying to get their start, horror has no shortage of movies Hollywood stars want off their resume. In a particular instance, one actor's horror movie experience led them to not only regret their participation, but quit acting altogether.
From established genre icons disappointed at their respective franchise returns to newcomers trying to get their start, horror has no shortage of movies Hollywood stars want off their resume. In a particular instance, one actor's horror movie experience led them to not only regret their participation, but quit acting altogether.
- 3/18/2024
- by Samuel Stone
- Slash Film
This week’s streaming picks will have you seeing double. Doppelgangers are inherently terrifying, or at the very least alarming, for a variety of reasons. In mythology, a doppelganger often acts as a foreboding harbinger of bad news or luck. On a biological level, there’s something unsettling about the discovery of an unrelated person or entity sharing your face.
Then there’s the matter of identity theft, something horror exploits when it comes to doppelgangers. It’s eerie enough to see what appears to be your clone in the wild, but it’s a whole new level of scary when they attempt to take over your entire existence as their own.
This week’s streaming picks highlight the perils of doppelgangers.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Body Snatchers – Criterion Channel
Abel Ferrara’s Invasion of the...
Then there’s the matter of identity theft, something horror exploits when it comes to doppelgangers. It’s eerie enough to see what appears to be your clone in the wild, but it’s a whole new level of scary when they attempt to take over your entire existence as their own.
This week’s streaming picks highlight the perils of doppelgangers.
Here’s where you can stream them this week.
For more Stay Home, Watch Horror picks, click here.
Body Snatchers – Criterion Channel
Abel Ferrara’s Invasion of the...
- 12/18/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
Isabelle Adjani has been found guilty of tax fraud in Paris courts.
The “Possession” actress was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and fined €250,000, as Variety reported. IndieWire has reached out for comment.
The court found that Adjani set up her permanent residency in Portugal between 2016 and 2017 to avoid paying €236,000 in taxes. Additionally, the star did not declare €120,000 when depositing the funds into a U.S. bank account, and also disguised a €2 million donation into a loan. The investigation was opened in 2016, with a case of alleged fraud in business expenses leading to a second investigation in October 2020. A business associate had filed a complaint against Adjani in 2015 leading to the case.
Adjani’s attorney Olivier Pardo told Variety that they will be filing an appeal after the courts “relentlessly” prosecuted the actress. In October 2023, financial prosecutors had requested a suspended sentence of 18 months as well as a €250,000 fine; the...
The “Possession” actress was given a two-year suspended prison sentence and fined €250,000, as Variety reported. IndieWire has reached out for comment.
The court found that Adjani set up her permanent residency in Portugal between 2016 and 2017 to avoid paying €236,000 in taxes. Additionally, the star did not declare €120,000 when depositing the funds into a U.S. bank account, and also disguised a €2 million donation into a loan. The investigation was opened in 2016, with a case of alleged fraud in business expenses leading to a second investigation in October 2020. A business associate had filed a complaint against Adjani in 2015 leading to the case.
Adjani’s attorney Olivier Pardo told Variety that they will be filing an appeal after the courts “relentlessly” prosecuted the actress. In October 2023, financial prosecutors had requested a suspended sentence of 18 months as well as a €250,000 fine; the...
- 12/14/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Isabelle Adjani received a two-year suspended prison sentence and was fined €250,000 for tax fraud in a Paris court on Thursday, Variety has confirmed.
Adjani, one of France’s most revered female actors, was found guilty of setting up her permanent residency in Portugal between 2016 and 2017 to avoid paying €236,000 in taxes, depositing €120,000 into a U.S. account without declaring it and disguising a €2 million donation into a loan, per the Afp.
Adjani, who was Oscar-nominated for “Camille Claudel” and “The Story of Adele H.,” has denied these claims and will be filing an appeal, her lawyer, Olivier Pardo, told Variety.
Back in October, the financial prosecutors had requested a suspended sentence of 18 months on top of a €250,000 fine, but the judges gave Adjani a bigger sentence.
“We are dismayed by this ruling,” Pardo said. “Isabelle Adjani couldn’t attend the trial, and we had asked to reschedule it so that she...
Adjani, one of France’s most revered female actors, was found guilty of setting up her permanent residency in Portugal between 2016 and 2017 to avoid paying €236,000 in taxes, depositing €120,000 into a U.S. account without declaring it and disguising a €2 million donation into a loan, per the Afp.
Adjani, who was Oscar-nominated for “Camille Claudel” and “The Story of Adele H.,” has denied these claims and will be filing an appeal, her lawyer, Olivier Pardo, told Variety.
Back in October, the financial prosecutors had requested a suspended sentence of 18 months on top of a €250,000 fine, but the judges gave Adjani a bigger sentence.
“We are dismayed by this ruling,” Pardo said. “Isabelle Adjani couldn’t attend the trial, and we had asked to reschedule it so that she...
- 12/14/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Isabelle Adjani on the ‘Great Violence’ of ‘Possession’: ‘It’s Something I Could Never Accept Again’
Isabelle Adjani considers herself a “survivor” after controversial thriller “Possession.”
The film, which places among IndieWire’s list of top ’80s films, was directed by Andrzej Żuławski and stars Adjani as a woman who decides into madness after running away from her marriage, causing her husband (Sam Neill) to discover the sinister nature of her infidelities. Adjani won the Best Actress award at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival but allegedly attempted suicide following the film’s release due to the extreme emotional and psychic demands of her performance.
Adjani revisited the legacy of “Possession” during an Interview magazine discussion alongside “Passages” and “Blue Is the Warmest Color” star Adèle Exarchopoulos.
“I often wonder, when a person is an actress, if they’re capable of overcoming everything that’s inflicted on them,” Adjani said. “I remember — if you’ll allow me to offer a comparison from my own career and some situations...
The film, which places among IndieWire’s list of top ’80s films, was directed by Andrzej Żuławski and stars Adjani as a woman who decides into madness after running away from her marriage, causing her husband (Sam Neill) to discover the sinister nature of her infidelities. Adjani won the Best Actress award at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival but allegedly attempted suicide following the film’s release due to the extreme emotional and psychic demands of her performance.
Adjani revisited the legacy of “Possession” during an Interview magazine discussion alongside “Passages” and “Blue Is the Warmest Color” star Adèle Exarchopoulos.
“I often wonder, when a person is an actress, if they’re capable of overcoming everything that’s inflicted on them,” Adjani said. “I remember — if you’ll allow me to offer a comparison from my own career and some situations...
- 8/14/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Showtime has picked up the BBC’s BAFTA-winning buzzy breakout comedy Dreaming Whilst Black from Big Deal Films and A24.
The move is the latest step in the show’s ascent, having started life as a web series before moving to BBC pilot, then series and subsequently being picked up by A24 for distribution in the space of several years.
Adjani Salmon’s comedy launched last week on BBC Three and has garnered highly favorable reviews. It follows Kwabena, played by Salmon, an aspiring filmmaker stuck in a dead-end recruitment job who takes the first step to achieving his dream of creating a TV show. However, he is quickly confronted with the tribulations of balancing finances, love and his own sense of reality, while the show deals with themes including racism, microaggressions and elitism.
The series will launch on Paramount+ with Showtime on September 8 and premiere two days later on linear,...
The move is the latest step in the show’s ascent, having started life as a web series before moving to BBC pilot, then series and subsequently being picked up by A24 for distribution in the space of several years.
Adjani Salmon’s comedy launched last week on BBC Three and has garnered highly favorable reviews. It follows Kwabena, played by Salmon, an aspiring filmmaker stuck in a dead-end recruitment job who takes the first step to achieving his dream of creating a TV show. However, he is quickly confronted with the tribulations of balancing finances, love and his own sense of reality, while the show deals with themes including racism, microaggressions and elitism.
The series will launch on Paramount+ with Showtime on September 8 and premiere two days later on linear,...
- 8/2/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Mélanie Laurent, who broke through in Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglourious Basterds” and has since made a name for herself as a filmmaker, is back in the director’s chair with “Wingwomen,” coming to Netflix Nov. 1.
The movie, in which Laurent stars alongside Adèle Exarchopoulos, Manon Bresch and Isabelle Adjani, is a rare breed of action-comedy driven by fearless female characters. Laurent and Exarchopoulos star as high-profile thieves and best friends who decide to retire from their life on the run. They recruit Sam, a young and feisty car racer (Bresch) to assist them with one last job, but quickly clash with their godmother’s will (Adjani).
“Wingwomen” could be mistaken as a French twist on “Charlie’s Angels,” but the film boasts timely themes of female empowerment and sisterhood that are reminiscent of Laurent’s previous films, in particular 2021’s “The Mad Women’s Ball.”
Below, Variety talks with Laurent about “Wingwomen’s” feminist themes,...
The movie, in which Laurent stars alongside Adèle Exarchopoulos, Manon Bresch and Isabelle Adjani, is a rare breed of action-comedy driven by fearless female characters. Laurent and Exarchopoulos star as high-profile thieves and best friends who decide to retire from their life on the run. They recruit Sam, a young and feisty car racer (Bresch) to assist them with one last job, but quickly clash with their godmother’s will (Adjani).
“Wingwomen” could be mistaken as a French twist on “Charlie’s Angels,” but the film boasts timely themes of female empowerment and sisterhood that are reminiscent of Laurent’s previous films, in particular 2021’s “The Mad Women’s Ball.”
Below, Variety talks with Laurent about “Wingwomen’s” feminist themes,...
- 7/11/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
France TV Distribution has scored a raft of deals across its slate of flagship shows, notably Noé Debré’s political satire “Parliament,” whose second season was picked up by Topic in the U.S.
“Parliament,” produced by Paris-based Cinétévé, was created by Debré, whose screenwriting include Jacques Audiard’s Palme d’Or winning “Dheepan.” The series is set at the European parliament in Strasbourg and follows a young assistant working for a newly elected member, juggling his ethics, job and love life. The 10-episode series features a young cast from across Europe, including Xavier Lacaille, Liz Kingsman and Philippe Duquesne. The daring show shot partly on location in both French and English languages.
Sky Italia, meanwhile, has acquired “The King’s Favorite” starring Isabelle Adjani, as well as season 1 and 2 of the detective series “Criminal Games.”
“The King’s Favorite” is a prestige period series starring Adjani as Diane de Poitiers, King Henri II’s favorite.
“Parliament,” produced by Paris-based Cinétévé, was created by Debré, whose screenwriting include Jacques Audiard’s Palme d’Or winning “Dheepan.” The series is set at the European parliament in Strasbourg and follows a young assistant working for a newly elected member, juggling his ethics, job and love life. The 10-episode series features a young cast from across Europe, including Xavier Lacaille, Liz Kingsman and Philippe Duquesne. The daring show shot partly on location in both French and English languages.
Sky Italia, meanwhile, has acquired “The King’s Favorite” starring Isabelle Adjani, as well as season 1 and 2 of the detective series “Criminal Games.”
“The King’s Favorite” is a prestige period series starring Adjani as Diane de Poitiers, King Henri II’s favorite.
- 4/4/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has found the main cast for the limited series adaptation of the Elin Hilderbrand novel “The Perfect Couple.”
Variety has learned that Nicole Kidman has officially signed on to star in the series, as has Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson, Billy Howle, Dakota Fanning, Meghann Fahy, Ishaan Khattar, Jack Reynor, Sam Nivola, Mia Isac, Donna Lynne Champlin, and Isabelle Adjani.
The show originally received its six-episode order at Netflix in August 2022. The official logline states, “Amelia Sacks (Hewson) is about to marry into one of the wealthiest families on Nantucket. Her disapproving future mother-in-law, famous novelist Greer Garrison Winbury (Kidman), has spared no expense in planning what promises to be the premiere wedding of the season — until a body turns up on the beach. As secrets come to light, the stage is set for a real-life investigation that feels plucked from the pages of one of Greer’s novels. Suddenly,...
Variety has learned that Nicole Kidman has officially signed on to star in the series, as has Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson, Billy Howle, Dakota Fanning, Meghann Fahy, Ishaan Khattar, Jack Reynor, Sam Nivola, Mia Isac, Donna Lynne Champlin, and Isabelle Adjani.
The show originally received its six-episode order at Netflix in August 2022. The official logline states, “Amelia Sacks (Hewson) is about to marry into one of the wealthiest families on Nantucket. Her disapproving future mother-in-law, famous novelist Greer Garrison Winbury (Kidman), has spared no expense in planning what promises to be the premiere wedding of the season — until a body turns up on the beach. As secrets come to light, the stage is set for a real-life investigation that feels plucked from the pages of one of Greer’s novels. Suddenly,...
- 3/31/2023
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Sam Neill is detailing the controversial making of “Possession.”
The cult classic 1981 divorce thriller was central to Neill’s upcoming memoir “Did I Ever Tell You This?” with the actor calling it “one of the best films I was lucky to be in.”
However, Neill noted, “This is by no means a universal view. Not many people have ever seen it and, of those who have, it is true that many loathe it. I myself regard it as a masterpiece, albeit a very flawed masterpiece. I am not alone in that view.”
Neill wrote that director Andrzej Żuławski was a “handsome, charismatic, and wild filmmaker” whose practices would not be condoned in modern cinema.
“I didn’t like him much; what he saw as direction often was just downright bullying. But he had vision, he was a true cineaste. And they are rare,” Neill penned. “Żuławski asked more...
The cult classic 1981 divorce thriller was central to Neill’s upcoming memoir “Did I Ever Tell You This?” with the actor calling it “one of the best films I was lucky to be in.”
However, Neill noted, “This is by no means a universal view. Not many people have ever seen it and, of those who have, it is true that many loathe it. I myself regard it as a masterpiece, albeit a very flawed masterpiece. I am not alone in that view.”
Neill wrote that director Andrzej Żuławski was a “handsome, charismatic, and wild filmmaker” whose practices would not be condoned in modern cinema.
“I didn’t like him much; what he saw as direction often was just downright bullying. But he had vision, he was a true cineaste. And they are rare,” Neill penned. “Żuławski asked more...
- 3/22/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
No other movie operates at the same frequency as Andrzej Żuławski's 1981 psychological horror film "Possession." Extreme is not even a fitting enough word to describe it — madness is really the only description that makes sense. This story about the dissolution of a marriage boils over with a pure, raw madness that could only manifest as you look at a person you once loved with nothing but venom. "Possession" stars Isabelle Adjani and Sam Neill barely reflect natural human beings, operating at an intensity for two hours that most people wouldn't even last one second at in their lives. "Possession" is a unique experience, and if you are not able to tap into the wavelength of its madness, it may be tough sit for you.
For such an extreme film, it makes sense that the production was not totally smooth sailing. In an interview with The Playlist back in 2016, Adjani said of the experience,...
For such an extreme film, it makes sense that the production was not totally smooth sailing. In an interview with The Playlist back in 2016, Adjani said of the experience,...
- 2/18/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
Sam Neill is reflecting on the shock of working with “crazed” director Andrzej Żuławski for 1981 divorce thriller “Possession.”
The cult classic film stars Neill as a husband whose wife (Isabelle Adjani) decides to leave him amid her infidelity, but a surreal and sinister reason is behind her multiple affairs. Adjani won the Best Actress award at Cannes upon release but allegedly had a suicide attempt soon after.
“It was a crazy motherfucking surreal time, we were in Berlin in the height of the Cold War. It was bizarre,” Neill told The Independent of the production, calling director Żuławski, who died in 2016, a “genius, but crazed.”
Neill added, “He asked so much more of you than you could possibly give. He asked much more than a director should.”
Among those requests included Żuławski requiring Neill to actually slap co-star Adjani across the face in a scene.
“I said: ‘Look, Andrzej, I have to say no.
The cult classic film stars Neill as a husband whose wife (Isabelle Adjani) decides to leave him amid her infidelity, but a surreal and sinister reason is behind her multiple affairs. Adjani won the Best Actress award at Cannes upon release but allegedly had a suicide attempt soon after.
“It was a crazy motherfucking surreal time, we were in Berlin in the height of the Cold War. It was bizarre,” Neill told The Independent of the production, calling director Żuławski, who died in 2016, a “genius, but crazed.”
Neill added, “He asked so much more of you than you could possibly give. He asked much more than a director should.”
Among those requests included Żuławski requiring Neill to actually slap co-star Adjani across the face in a scene.
“I said: ‘Look, Andrzej, I have to say no.
- 2/16/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Michael Fassbender is such an idiot,” sighs Sam Neill. “Honestly, he’s soooo slow. I’ve got these demon pullets [young hens] at the moment and they just rip the food right out of his mouth. Poor Michael Fassbender, he just stands there…”
To be clear, Neill isn’t talking about the actor with whom he shared a screen way back in 2007. No. It amuses him to name the animals on his farm and vineyard after his co-stars. Living on the 12-acre spread in New Zealand’s Central Otago region, he has a “lovely” cow called Helena Bonham Carter, a retired ram called Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, 1993) and a pig called Anjelica Huston. Michael Fassbender is his dozy cockerel. The German-Irish actor, who starred with Neill in Francois Ozon’s historical romance Angel, is the only celebrity reported to have taken offence, which makes hearing Neill bemoan the bird’s stupidity even funnier.
To be clear, Neill isn’t talking about the actor with whom he shared a screen way back in 2007. No. It amuses him to name the animals on his farm and vineyard after his co-stars. Living on the 12-acre spread in New Zealand’s Central Otago region, he has a “lovely” cow called Helena Bonham Carter, a retired ram called Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park, 1993) and a pig called Anjelica Huston. Michael Fassbender is his dozy cockerel. The German-Irish actor, who starred with Neill in Francois Ozon’s historical romance Angel, is the only celebrity reported to have taken offence, which makes hearing Neill bemoan the bird’s stupidity even funnier.
- 2/16/2023
- by Helen Brown
- The Independent - TV
Plot: The marriage of Mark and Anna crumbles, leading to a series of intense arguments, gross-out body horror, brutal murders, and possibly an apocalyptic scenario.
Review: Director Andrzej Żuławski’s 1981 horror film Possession was never a movie that was destined to be embraced by mainstream audiences, but there has always been an audience out there for the film – it has just had difficulty reaching the viewers that would get the most out of watching it. In the United Kingdom, the film was banned as a video nasty. For the U.S. release, forty minutes were whittled out of its 124 minute running time. Home video releases have come along and then gone out of print, and the DVDs and Blu-rays are going for prices some collectors probably aren’t willing to pay for something they’re not familiar with. But now Possession is streaming on the Shudder service, which may be...
Review: Director Andrzej Żuławski’s 1981 horror film Possession was never a movie that was destined to be embraced by mainstream audiences, but there has always been an audience out there for the film – it has just had difficulty reaching the viewers that would get the most out of watching it. In the United Kingdom, the film was banned as a video nasty. For the U.S. release, forty minutes were whittled out of its 124 minute running time. Home video releases have come along and then gone out of print, and the DVDs and Blu-rays are going for prices some collectors probably aren’t willing to pay for something they’re not familiar with. But now Possession is streaming on the Shudder service, which may be...
- 1/10/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it)
The Movie: "Possession"
Where You Can Stream It: Shudder
The Pitch: "Possession" is a wild, piercing shriek of a film. Andrzej Żuławski's long-unavailable 1981 film follows a spy named Mark (Sam Neill) who grows increasingly desperate and disturbed when his wife, Anna (Isabelle Adjani), asks for a divorce. Anna herself isn't exactly acting normal; she's evasive and erratic and alludes to a relationship with someone else, plus there's a teacher at their child's school who looks just like her. All of this, though, is an extreme understatement compared to what we see on screen, because "Possession" is a frantic, shocking, logic-defying, funny, and fantastic film that defies nearly any explanation.
The movie is composed in large part of explosive scenes between Adjani and Neill,...
The Movie: "Possession"
Where You Can Stream It: Shudder
The Pitch: "Possession" is a wild, piercing shriek of a film. Andrzej Żuławski's long-unavailable 1981 film follows a spy named Mark (Sam Neill) who grows increasingly desperate and disturbed when his wife, Anna (Isabelle Adjani), asks for a divorce. Anna herself isn't exactly acting normal; she's evasive and erratic and alludes to a relationship with someone else, plus there's a teacher at their child's school who looks just like her. All of this, though, is an extreme understatement compared to what we see on screen, because "Possession" is a frantic, shocking, logic-defying, funny, and fantastic film that defies nearly any explanation.
The movie is composed in large part of explosive scenes between Adjani and Neill,...
- 1/8/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
When Polish filmmaker Andrzej Żuławski released his disruptive second feature "The Devil" in 1972, the film was promptly banned in Poland due to its treatment of taboo subjects and its layered political subtext. Determined to fight against government repression, Żuławski spent the following years making his epic science fiction film "On the Silver Globe," which remained unfinished due to further state intervention. Although the Polish government ordered all materials be destroyed, they were eventually preserved and the film premiered at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. After Żuławski moved to France to be able to create art more freely, he made a string of renegade arthouse films that were deemed extreme and controversial, as they challenged notions of "normalcy."
Among them was 1981's "Possession," Żuławski's only English-language horror offering that contained autobiographical elements, starring Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani. While "Possession" has garnered cult status as the years passed, it received lukewarm reviews...
Among them was 1981's "Possession," Żuławski's only English-language horror offering that contained autobiographical elements, starring Sam Neill and Isabelle Adjani. While "Possession" has garnered cult status as the years passed, it received lukewarm reviews...
- 1/7/2023
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Happy New Year! 2023 hits the ground running with rare horror gems, brand-new releases, and catchup titles from last year. If this is a sign of what’s to come, we might be in for another stellar year of horror. As always, we’ll be on the front lines each and every day.
Here are ten noteworthy horror titles available for streaming in January 2023 on some of the most popular streaming services, along with when/where you can watch them.
The Menu – HBO Max
Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy in the film The Menu. Photo by Eric Zachanowich. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
An ensemble of affluent patrons gathers at the exclusive Hawthorne Island for a dining experience run by prestigious Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). The guests soon realize what devious, deadly dishes the Chef intends to serve. The Menu may have gathered a fine cast for this delectable culinary nightmare,...
Here are ten noteworthy horror titles available for streaming in January 2023 on some of the most popular streaming services, along with when/where you can watch them.
The Menu – HBO Max
Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy in the film The Menu. Photo by Eric Zachanowich. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2022 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved
An ensemble of affluent patrons gathers at the exclusive Hawthorne Island for a dining experience run by prestigious Chef Slowik (Ralph Fiennes). The guests soon realize what devious, deadly dishes the Chef intends to serve. The Menu may have gathered a fine cast for this delectable culinary nightmare,...
- 1/3/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
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