"I don't have all the answers yet." Gravitas Ventures has debuted the trailer for an indie romantic comedy titled Almost Friends, which premiered at the Austin Film Festival last year but is just now finally getting a release. Freddie Highmore stars in this as a twenty-something kid still living at home with his mom and stepfather. He falls for a local girl named Amber, but of course she already has a boyfriend and plans to move away. "Will Charlie reach his tipping point or will he finally find the path forward?" The cast includes Odeya Rush as his romantic interest, Haley Joel Osment as his best friend, plus Christopher Meloni, Jake Abel, Rita Volk, Marg Helgenberger, Taylor John Smith, and Christie McNab. Check it out. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Jake Goldberger's Almost Friends, direct from YouTube: Charlie (Freddie Highmore) is an unmotivated man in his mid...
- 10/24/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Freddie Highmore Is Having a Quarter-Life Crisis in Trailer for Rom-Com 'Almost Friends' (Exclusive)
On The Good Doctor, Freddie Highmore plays a surgeon who, despite his savant syndrome, has mostly got it together. The character he plays in the upcoming romantic comedy, Almost Friends? Not so much, considering he's a millennial who moves back in with his parents during something of a quarter-life crisis.
"I'm just dealing with some stuff right now," Charlie (Highmore) explains in the trailer for Almost Friends, debuting on Et. "Anxiety, rejection, inferiority, paralysis, character issues, moral issues. You know, life stuff."
Photo: Gravitas Ventures
In the rom-com, written and directed by Jake Goldberger, Charlie falls for the local barista (played by Lady Bird's Odeya Rush, seen above in an exclusive poster for the film), receives some sound advice from his best friend (Haley Joel Osment) and some not so great advice from his ne'er-do-well dad (Christopher Meloni).
Here is the official synopsis:
"Once a promising young chef, Charlie is now an unmotivated twenty-something who lives at...
"I'm just dealing with some stuff right now," Charlie (Highmore) explains in the trailer for Almost Friends, debuting on Et. "Anxiety, rejection, inferiority, paralysis, character issues, moral issues. You know, life stuff."
Photo: Gravitas Ventures
In the rom-com, written and directed by Jake Goldberger, Charlie falls for the local barista (played by Lady Bird's Odeya Rush, seen above in an exclusive poster for the film), receives some sound advice from his best friend (Haley Joel Osment) and some not so great advice from his ne'er-do-well dad (Christopher Meloni).
Here is the official synopsis:
"Once a promising young chef, Charlie is now an unmotivated twenty-something who lives at...
- 10/23/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
There were a couple of acquisitions announced this Am. Gravitas Ventures has partnered to acquire U.S. and Canadian rights to Almost Friends, a romantic comedy from writer-director Jake Goldberger (Life of a King). And Grasshopper Film acquired all U.S. distribution rights to Ava, the drama from debut Iranian filmmaker Sadaf Foroughi Freddie Highmore (The Good Doctor) leads the cast of Almost Friends, which will have a day-and-date release of Nov. 17 theatrically and on…...
- 10/17/2017
- Deadline
Mike Cecchini Sep 12, 2016
Lexi Alexander will direct the Chris Benoit movie, Crossface.
Lexi Alexander (Punisher: War Zone, recent episodes of Arrow and Supergirl) has signed on as director of Crossface, the story of wrestler Chris Benoit, who murdered his wife and child before taking his own life in 2007.
Jake Goldberger and Sarah Coulter are writing the screenplay for Crossface, based on Matthew Randazzo V's book Ring of Hell: The Story Of Chris Benoit & The Fall Of The Pro Wrestling Industry. Randazzo will executive produce with Ram Getz. Alex A Letz and Tony Lee are producing.
“I was pretty certain I’d stay in TV rather than returning to the feature world, because the material just seems so much better in TV, especially in drama, but then Crossface came my way,” Alexander said (via Variety). “A heartbreaking, true story about the dark side of wrestling. … I couldn’t say no to that.
Lexi Alexander will direct the Chris Benoit movie, Crossface.
Lexi Alexander (Punisher: War Zone, recent episodes of Arrow and Supergirl) has signed on as director of Crossface, the story of wrestler Chris Benoit, who murdered his wife and child before taking his own life in 2007.
Jake Goldberger and Sarah Coulter are writing the screenplay for Crossface, based on Matthew Randazzo V's book Ring of Hell: The Story Of Chris Benoit & The Fall Of The Pro Wrestling Industry. Randazzo will executive produce with Ram Getz. Alex A Letz and Tony Lee are producing.
“I was pretty certain I’d stay in TV rather than returning to the feature world, because the material just seems so much better in TV, especially in drama, but then Crossface came my way,” Alexander said (via Variety). “A heartbreaking, true story about the dark side of wrestling. … I couldn’t say no to that.
- 9/12/2016
- Den of Geek
It’s been a long time coming, but the planned biopic revolving around the death of WWE wrestler Chris Benoit is finally moving forward with Punisher: War Zone and Arrow director Lexi Alexander at the helm. Titled Crossface, the movie is based on the book Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit & the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry by Matthew Randazzo V.
One of the biggest stars in WWE at the time of his death in 2007, Benoit has since became best known not for his work in the ring, but because he murdered his wife and son before committing suicide. He was later posthumously diagnosed with Cte, a type of brain degeneration caused by multiple concussions which some doctors argued could have played a role in his actions.
In a recent press release, Alexander had this to say about taking the helm of Crossface (which is named after his finishing movie,...
One of the biggest stars in WWE at the time of his death in 2007, Benoit has since became best known not for his work in the ring, but because he murdered his wife and son before committing suicide. He was later posthumously diagnosed with Cte, a type of brain degeneration caused by multiple concussions which some doctors argued could have played a role in his actions.
In a recent press release, Alexander had this to say about taking the helm of Crossface (which is named after his finishing movie,...
- 9/8/2016
- by Josh Wilding
- We Got This Covered
It was recently announced that Freddie Highmore ("Bates Motel"), Odeya Rush (Goosebumps) and Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense) signed on to star in the upcoming "Holding Patterns" comedy/drama. And now, Christopher Meloni (Man of Steel, "Law and Order") and Marg Helgenberger ("CSI") have joined the cast. The film follows a young man (Highmore) still living at home with his mother and stepfather who sets his sight on a girl (Rush) who works at his local coffee shop. The problem — she has a serious boyfriend. As the two become closer, the line between friendship and romance becomes blurred and they're forced to examine where their lives are going. The new movie is directed by Jake Goldberger (Don McKay, Life of a King) and produced by Alex A. Ginzburg (Hardcore) and Jim Young (The Words). It co-stars Jake Abel (The Host), Rita Volk ("Faking It") and Taylor John Smith (Wolves...
- 8/27/2015
- WorstPreviews.com
War Machine
Anthony Michael Hall ("The Dark Knight," "Foxcatcher") has been cast opposite Brad Pitt in David Michod's provocative, satirical comedy "War Machine" at Plan B Entertainment and Netflix. The story is based on the book "The Operators" by Michael Hastings.
Pitt plays a four-star general whose lethal reputation and impeccable track record vaults him to command the American war in Afghanistan. Hall will play General Hank Pulver, his second in command. Filming begins later this month. [Source: Deadline]
Holding Patterns
Odeya Rush, Freddie Highmore and Haley Joel Osment have been set to topline Jake Goldberger's coming-of-age dramedy "Holding Patterns" which is in production in Alabama.
The story centers on a man (Highmore) in his mid-20s and still living at home with his mother and stepfather who puts all his eggs in one basket: the girl (Rush) who works at his local coffee shop. Catch is she has a serious...
Anthony Michael Hall ("The Dark Knight," "Foxcatcher") has been cast opposite Brad Pitt in David Michod's provocative, satirical comedy "War Machine" at Plan B Entertainment and Netflix. The story is based on the book "The Operators" by Michael Hastings.
Pitt plays a four-star general whose lethal reputation and impeccable track record vaults him to command the American war in Afghanistan. Hall will play General Hank Pulver, his second in command. Filming begins later this month. [Source: Deadline]
Holding Patterns
Odeya Rush, Freddie Highmore and Haley Joel Osment have been set to topline Jake Goldberger's coming-of-age dramedy "Holding Patterns" which is in production in Alabama.
The story centers on a man (Highmore) in his mid-20s and still living at home with his mother and stepfather who puts all his eggs in one basket: the girl (Rush) who works at his local coffee shop. Catch is she has a serious...
- 8/19/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Freddie Highmore ("Bates Motel") and Odeya Rush (The Giver, Goosebumps) signed on for the upcoming "Holding Patterns" drama, which co-stars Haley Joel Osment (The Sixth Sense), Rita Volk ("Faking It"), Taylor John Smith (Wolves) and Jake Abel (Percy Jackson). The story centers on Charlie (Highmore), who's in his mid-20s and still living at home with his mother and stepfather. Dealing with a lack of motivation, he has put all his eggs in one basket: Amber (Rush), the girl who works at his local coffee shop. The problem is, Amber has a serious boyfriend. As Amber and Charlie become closer, the line between friendship and intimacy is blurred, and the situation forces both of them to examine where they are in their lives. The new film is written and directed by Jake Goldberger (Don McKay, Life of a King) and produced by Alex A. Ginzburg (Hardcore), Tony Lee (Geezer) and Jim Young (The Words,...
- 8/19/2015
- WorstPreviews.com
Freddie Highmore, Odeya Rush and Haley Joel Osment have been tapped to topline Jake Goldberger’s coming-of-age dramedy Holding Patterns, which is now in production in Mobile, Al. The pic centers on a man (Highmore) in his mid-20s and still living at home with his mother and stepfather who puts all his eggs in one basket: the girl (Rush) who works at his local coffee shop. The problem is, she has a serious boyfriend. As the become closer, the line between friendship and…...
- 8/18/2015
- Deadline
New young cast members include Odeya Rush and Haley Joel Osment on Animus Films’ coming-of-age film.
Holding Patterns is currently shooting on location in Mobile, Alabama, and centres on a young man living at home with his mother and stepfather who sets his heart on the girl at the local coffee shop.
Jake Goldberger directs from his screenplay and Rita Volk, Jake Abel and Taylor John Smith co-star.
Alex Ginzburg and Tony Lee produce for Let It Play alongside Jim Young for Animus Films.
The production company recently wrapped historical drama and upcoming Toronto world premiere The Man Who Knew Infinity starring Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons.
Goldberger made his feature debut on the darkly comic thriller Don McKay starring Thomas Haden Church, Elisabeth Shue and Melissa Leo and Animus Films’ Life Of A King starring Cuba Gooding Jr....
Holding Patterns is currently shooting on location in Mobile, Alabama, and centres on a young man living at home with his mother and stepfather who sets his heart on the girl at the local coffee shop.
Jake Goldberger directs from his screenplay and Rita Volk, Jake Abel and Taylor John Smith co-star.
Alex Ginzburg and Tony Lee produce for Let It Play alongside Jim Young for Animus Films.
The production company recently wrapped historical drama and upcoming Toronto world premiere The Man Who Knew Infinity starring Dev Patel and Jeremy Irons.
Goldberger made his feature debut on the darkly comic thriller Don McKay starring Thomas Haden Church, Elisabeth Shue and Melissa Leo and Animus Films’ Life Of A King starring Cuba Gooding Jr....
- 8/18/2015
- ScreenDaily
Just when cities like San Francisco are banning public displays of chess, Jake Goldberger's Life of a King tells the true story of a man who used the game to help disadvantaged kids, albeit in a way that's almost too movie-ish to feel true.
After 18 years in prison for robbing a bank, Eugene Brown (Cuba Gooding Jr., gaining some gravitas in his late 40s) lightly fibs his way into a janitorial job in a tough Washington, D.C., high school, where he helps the students avoid a life of crime by teaching them to play chess, and to embrace its attendant metaphors of strategy and discipline.
Even if the story is faithful to the way the events played out in real life — and the official description is that the picture is a "dramatic retelling" — Life of a Kin...
After 18 years in prison for robbing a bank, Eugene Brown (Cuba Gooding Jr., gaining some gravitas in his late 40s) lightly fibs his way into a janitorial job in a tough Washington, D.C., high school, where he helps the students avoid a life of crime by teaching them to play chess, and to embrace its attendant metaphors of strategy and discipline.
Even if the story is faithful to the way the events played out in real life — and the official description is that the picture is a "dramatic retelling" — Life of a Kin...
- 1/15/2014
- Village Voice
Watch the trailer for Millennium Entertainment's Life of a King, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. The drama directed by Jake Goldberger who also writes alongside Dan Wetzel and David Scott, finds release both in theaters and VOD on January 17th, 2014. Also on board the cast are Malcolm Mays, Richard T. Jones, Paula Jai Parker, Carlton Byrd, LisaGay Hamilton, Dennis Haysbert, Kevin Hendricks, Pepi Sonuga, Jordan Calloway and Rachel Thomas. Watch the trailer for Millennium Entertainment's Life of a King, starring Cuba Gooding, Jr. The drama is directed by Jake Goldberger who also writes alongside Dan Wetzel and David Scott, finds release both in theaters and VOD on January 17th, 2014. Also on board the cast are Malcolm Mays, Richard T. Jones, Paula Jai Parker, Carlton Byrd, LisaGay Hamilton, Dennis Haysbert, Kevin Hendricks, Pepi Sonuga, Jordan Calloway and Rachel Thomas. Life of a King is the unlikely true story of Eugene Brown and...
- 12/11/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Millennium Entertainment will release the drama Life of a King starring Cuba Gooding Jr., in theaters on January 17, 2014. Directed by Jake Goldberger from a script penned by Goldberger, David Scott and Dan Wetzel, the film is based on the true story of Eugene Brown, who, after being incarcerated for eighteen years, established the Big Chair Chess Club for black youth in the Washington, DC area. The film tells his inspirational story. The official synopsis reads: Life of a King is the unlikely true story of Eugene Brown and his one-man mission to give inner-city kids of Washington D.C. something he never had – a future. He discovered a multitude of life lessons...
- 12/10/2013
- by Natasha Greeves
- ShadowAndAct
Jake Goldberger's Life of a King has a new poster up which features star Cuba Gooding Jr. The film, also scripted by Goldberger as well as David Scott and Dan Wetzel, includes Malcolm Mays, Richard T. Jones, Paula Jai Parker, Carlton Byrd, LisaGay Hamilton, Dennis Haysbert, Kevin Hendricks, Pepi Sonuga, Jordan Calloway and Rachel Thomas. Life of a King is the unlikely true story of Eugene Brown and his one-man mission to give inner-city kids of Washington D.C. something he never had – a future. He discovered a multitude of life lessons through the game of chess during his 18-year incarceration for bank robbery. After his release and reentry into the workforce...
- 12/6/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Earlier this year, Millennium Entertainment acquired all Us rights to the drama Life of a King starring Cuba Gooding Jr., directed by Jake Goldberger from a script penned by Goldberger, David Scott and Dan Wetzel. The film is based on the true story of Eugene Brown, who, after being incarcerated for eighteen years, established the Big Chair Chess Club for black youth in the Washington, DC area. The film tells his inspirational story. The official synopsis reads: Life of a King is the unlikely true story of Eugene Brown and his one-man mission to give inner-city kids of Washington D.C. something he never had – a future. He discovered a multitude of life lessons...
- 12/5/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Millennium Entertainment has acquired all Us rights to the drama Life Of A King starring Cuba Gooding Jr., directed by Jake Goldberger from a script penned by David Scott and Dan Wetzel. The film is based on the true story of Eugene Brown, who, after being incarcerated for eighteen years, established the Big Chair Chess Club for black youth in the Washington, DC area. The film tells his inspirational story. Gooding stars as Brown, and he's joined by Malcolm Mays, Richard T. Jones, Paula Jai Parker, Carlton Byrd, LisaGay Hamilton, Dennis Haysbert, Kevin Hendricks, Pepi Sonuga, Jordan Calloway and Rachel Thomas. The film premiered at the Los Angeles Film...
- 9/30/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Millennium Entertainment has acquired all Us rights to the uplifting drama Life Of A King starring Cuba Gooding Jr.
Director Jake Goldberger co-wrote the script with David Scott and Dan Wetzel based on the true story of Eugene Brown, an ex-con who founded the Big Chair Chess Club for inner city teenagers in Washington DC.
Serena Films’ Tatiana Kelly and Animus Films’ Jim Young serve as producers. Millennium plans on an early 2014 release following the acquisition deal with CAA.
IFC Films has picked up North American rights from Cinetic Media to Zach Clark’s White Reindeer and will release in theatres and digitally on December 6. Anna Margaret Hollyman, Laura Lemar-Goldsborough, Lydia Johnson, Joe Swanberg and Chris Doubek star in the story of a real estate agent dealing with personal tragedy.
Director Jake Goldberger co-wrote the script with David Scott and Dan Wetzel based on the true story of Eugene Brown, an ex-con who founded the Big Chair Chess Club for inner city teenagers in Washington DC.
Serena Films’ Tatiana Kelly and Animus Films’ Jim Young serve as producers. Millennium plans on an early 2014 release following the acquisition deal with CAA.
IFC Films has picked up North American rights from Cinetic Media to Zach Clark’s White Reindeer and will release in theatres and digitally on December 6. Anna Margaret Hollyman, Laura Lemar-Goldsborough, Lydia Johnson, Joe Swanberg and Chris Doubek star in the story of a real estate agent dealing with personal tragedy.
- 9/30/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Millennium Entertainment acquired U.S. rights to Life Of A King from writer-director Jake Goldberger. Cuba Gooding, Jr. stars. Co-written by Goldberger along with David Scott and Dan Wetzel, the film is based on the true story of Eugene Brown (Gooding, Jr.), an ex-con who founded the Big Chair Chess Club for inner city teenagers in Washington, D.C. The film also stars Malcolm Mays, Richard T. Jones, Paula Jai Parker, Carlton Byrd, LisaGay Hamilton, Dennis Haysbert, Kevin Hendricks, Pepi Sonuga, Jordan Calloway and Rachae Thomas. Serena Films’ Tatiana Kelly and Animus Films’ Jim Young serve as producers. Steak House, Valerie Stadler, and Mary Vernieu serve as co-producers. The company plans on an early 2014 release. After 18 years of incarceration, Brown (Gooding, Jr.) established the Big Chair Chess Club to get kids off the streets and working towards lives they never believed they were capable of.
- 9/30/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Chicago – The Duplass Brothers recently told me that they avoid making movies blatantly modeled after the work of other filmmakers because they often end up “derivative and bad.” Jake Goldberger’s debut feature “Don McKay” is living proof of this principle. It is a monumentally awkward rip-off of the debut feature from the most well-known filmmaking team of brothers in modern cinema.
I’m referring to “Blood Simple,” the 1985 neo-noir by Joel and Ethan Coen that is not merely a great film, but the type of picture guaranteed to generate excitement about the art form. The structure of the movie is so meticulous and the diabolical dark humor is so infectious that film lovers can’t help hanging on every last frame. One of the most memorable aspects of the picture is its utilization of the Motown hit, “It’s the Same Old Song,” which first emanates from a jukebox,...
I’m referring to “Blood Simple,” the 1985 neo-noir by Joel and Ethan Coen that is not merely a great film, but the type of picture guaranteed to generate excitement about the art form. The structure of the movie is so meticulous and the diabolical dark humor is so infectious that film lovers can’t help hanging on every last frame. One of the most memorable aspects of the picture is its utilization of the Motown hit, “It’s the Same Old Song,” which first emanates from a jukebox,...
- 7/6/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
“Some secrets are better left buried,” the film’s tagline reads. Perhaps Don McKay (Thomas Haden Church) should’ve been warned of this. But then there wouldn’t have been a movie, eh? Don McKay, the noir thriller from first-time director Jake Goldberger, has hit Blu-Ray and DVD. The film never got a wide release in theaters, leaving cinephiles wondering just what this Thomas Haden Church-driven vehicle was all about? It offered an intriguing premise, some well-known actors but little interest. Now that it is on DVD and Blu-Ray, people will finally have the chance to see for themselves just who Don McKay is.
In short, McKay is a high school janitor living a lonely and solitary life. One day he receives a letter from his high school sweetheart Sonny (Elisabeth Shue). She wants Don to come back home, a place he hasn’t been back to in 25 years.
In short, McKay is a high school janitor living a lonely and solitary life. One day he receives a letter from his high school sweetheart Sonny (Elisabeth Shue). She wants Don to come back home, a place he hasn’t been back to in 25 years.
- 6/29/2010
- by Mathew Tyler
- The Film Stage
DVD release alert for an excellent noir dramedy starring Thomas Haden Church, Elisabeth Shue, Melissa Leo and M. Emmet Walsh. Image entertainment is relasing "Don McKay" - a solid debut for director Jake Goldberger and a fascinating showcase for Church, Leo, Shue and legendary character actor M. Emmet Walsh. Secrets, intrigue and noir dramedy surface on DVD, Blu-ray. and Digital Download June 29. courtesy of Image Ent. The past can keep us in its grip. From Image: "On June 29, Image Entertainment looks to the past, present and future with the dark comedy Don McKay, executive produced by and starring Thomas Haden Church. Fresh from creating a buzz at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival and a Us...
- 6/14/2010
- by April MacIntyre
- Monsters and Critics
With his movie finally in theaters, writer-director Jake Goldberger can look back at the struggle to make his film, Don McKay, and laugh - a little. Still, much of the mirth is reserved for himself and his naïve belief that landing the actor of his dreams meant his film was on the fast track. Seven years later, well, the fast track seems like a relative concept. "The day he was nominated for an Oscar for Sideways, my phone rings and it's Thomas (Haden Church), saying he had read my script and wanted to do it," Goldberg, 32, recalls. "In my naïve thinking, I thought we'd be making it in three months. It actually took another four-and-a-half years until we actually got the money. I had to move back in with my parents when I ran out of money." Still,...
- 4/2/2010
- by Marshall Fine
- Huffington Post
Thomas Haden Church is stranded in a mystery that's way too mysterious.
Thomas Haden Church and Elisabeth Shue in "Don McKay"
Photo: Image Entertainment
As a neo-noir mystery, "Don McKay" isn't a lot more than the sum of the sources it seeks to honor: vintage Billy Wilder, a bit of Hitchcock, the Coen brothers' "Blood Simple." The mystery itself is so laboriously convoluted that by the time we learn what's going on, we've long since ceased to care.
Thomas Haden Church gives a near-catatonic performance as the title character, a man whose life hasn't gone the way he'd hoped, and who now works as a janitor in a Boston prep school. When he receives a letter from his old high-school girlfriend, still resident in the hometown he hasn't seen in 25 years and now, she says, dying of cancer, he gets right on a plane to go be by her side.
Thomas Haden Church and Elisabeth Shue in "Don McKay"
Photo: Image Entertainment
As a neo-noir mystery, "Don McKay" isn't a lot more than the sum of the sources it seeks to honor: vintage Billy Wilder, a bit of Hitchcock, the Coen brothers' "Blood Simple." The mystery itself is so laboriously convoluted that by the time we learn what's going on, we've long since ceased to care.
Thomas Haden Church gives a near-catatonic performance as the title character, a man whose life hasn't gone the way he'd hoped, and who now works as a janitor in a Boston prep school. When he receives a letter from his old high-school girlfriend, still resident in the hometown he hasn't seen in 25 years and now, she says, dying of cancer, he gets right on a plane to go be by her side.
- 4/2/2010
- MTV Movie News
Expect to see a few new sides of Thomas Haden Church as the title character of Don McKay, a wildly genre-hopping indie featuring the actor as a Boston janitor summoned home after 25 years by his high-school sweetheart Sonny (Elisabeth Shue). Terminally ill and under the care of a brusque, officious nurse (Melissa Leo), Sonny wants to spent the rest of her short life with Don -- who wouldn't mind that himself if not for the mounting levels of suspicion and secrets towering around them. Rookie writer-director Jake Goldberger cites Blood Simple as a seminal influence, but the film draws its primary energy from Church's strapping, coiled reticence -- not to mention the star's leadership behind the scenes, where he labored for four years in the afterglow of his Oscar-nominated Sideways role to help bring Don McKay to fruition.
Church recently spoke with Movieline about building McKay from scratch, wearing his producer hat,...
Church recently spoke with Movieline about building McKay from scratch, wearing his producer hat,...
- 4/2/2010
- Movieline
The past few years have certainly been eventful for independent producer Jim Young. Since forming his production company Animus Films three years ago, Young has worked tirelessly to make his mark in the industry. An alumnus of Film Independent's Producers Lab (2008), where he received the Alfred P. Sloan Producers Grant, Young has served as producer and executive producer for projects at Showtime, HBO, and Fox Sports; has projects in development with companies including Benderspink, Relativity, National Geographic, and Untitled; and has two fully produced features, Homecoming (2009) starring Mischa Barton and the upcoming Don McKay, a comic-thriller about a high school janitor who returns to his hometown after twenty-five years to rekindle a romance with his dying ex-girlfriend only to discover that his trip home had more in store for him than he thought, starring Thomas Haden Church, Elizabeth Shue, and Melissa Leo.
Jim shared his experience on Don McKay...
Jim shared his experience on Don McKay...
- 4/1/2010
- Film Independent
Thomas Haden Church is one of those under-utilized treasures of cinema who only recently has started to get the kinds of roles he deserves. Even then, with the exception of his role in Smart People and the TV mini-series Broken Trail, since Sideways put him back on the map, Church still hasn't had any roles as juicy as the title character of Don McKay. While Jake Goldberger's debut as a writer-director isn't perfect, it's an always-interesting, squirmy-funny exercise in oddness that happily takes its time getting to the truth of these characters' reality. Even devotees of the Coen brothers (whose Blood Simple was an inspiration for Goldberger) won't be able to predict where this story will zig or zag next. Church plays Don, as sad a sack as ever pushed a broom as a high-school janitor. Then one day he gets a...
- 3/30/2010
- by Marshall Fine
- Huffington Post
Today we have the official trailer for the upcoming"Don McKay" thriller, starring Thomas Haden Church (Spider-Man 3) and Elizabeth Shue (The Saint). Check it out below. Plot: Don McKay (Church) flees his hometown after a horrendous tragedy and vows never to return. But 25 years later he comes back to find a dark menace looming over the town. As he attempts to rekindle his romance with an old high school girlfriend (Shue), Don is pulled into a malevolent world from which he may never escape. The new film is directed by Jake Goldberger, who is making his helming debut. It has already appeared in three different film festivals, including Tribeca, and is currently scheduled to hit theaters on April 2nd. Trailer: If you cannot see the player, click here.
- 3/1/2010
- WorstPreviews.com
We had put the sales trailer up for Jake Goldberger's great looking black comedy starring Thomas Haden Church and Elisabeth Shue a few months ago, but were asked to remove it. We've just been given a heads up that the first official trailer has arrived, which is much better than the first one anyway.
Synopsis:
Twenty-five years after abandoning his hometown, Don McKay (Thomas Haden Church) gets a letter from his ex-girlfriend (Elisabeth Shue) saying that she is dying and wants him to come see her. When Don returns home, Sonny doesn't seem quite like he remembers her and everything seems a little bit off. In this darkly comic debut thriller, Moment Of Truth, writer/director Jake Goldberger tells a story where no one is who they seem and everyone appears to be hiding something.
Incidentally, the film is called Moment of Truth stateside.
Watch the trailer at Apple.
Synopsis:
Twenty-five years after abandoning his hometown, Don McKay (Thomas Haden Church) gets a letter from his ex-girlfriend (Elisabeth Shue) saying that she is dying and wants him to come see her. When Don returns home, Sonny doesn't seem quite like he remembers her and everything seems a little bit off. In this darkly comic debut thriller, Moment Of Truth, writer/director Jake Goldberger tells a story where no one is who they seem and everyone appears to be hiding something.
Incidentally, the film is called Moment of Truth stateside.
Watch the trailer at Apple.
- 2/27/2010
- QuietEarth.us
Dinner for Schmucks
Opens: July 23rd 2010
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood, David Walliams
Director: Jay Roach
Summary: A renowned publisher encourages his friends to invite the most pathetic guests possible for their weekly dinner party. Just as they find the most pathetic man yet, the host is injured and ends up trapped with the man all night long.
Analysis: A remake of director Francis Veber's 1998 César award-winning "Le Diner des cons", 'Schmucks' is one of the highest profile comedies of next year with one of the strongest casts for the genre in recent memory. It also marks the return of "Austin Powers" and "Meet the Parents" helmer Jay Roach who has produced several films in recent years but hasn't directed since 2004's "Meet the Fockers".
The question now lies not in the performers or director but the material itself and whether a Gallic comedy can...
Opens: July 23rd 2010
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood, David Walliams
Director: Jay Roach
Summary: A renowned publisher encourages his friends to invite the most pathetic guests possible for their weekly dinner party. Just as they find the most pathetic man yet, the host is injured and ends up trapped with the man all night long.
Analysis: A remake of director Francis Veber's 1998 César award-winning "Le Diner des cons", 'Schmucks' is one of the highest profile comedies of next year with one of the strongest casts for the genre in recent memory. It also marks the return of "Austin Powers" and "Meet the Parents" helmer Jay Roach who has produced several films in recent years but hasn't directed since 2004's "Meet the Fockers".
The question now lies not in the performers or director but the material itself and whether a Gallic comedy can...
- 12/18/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Dinner for Schmucks
Opens: July 23rd 2010
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood, David Walliams
Director: Jay Roach
Summary: A renowned publisher encourages his friends to invite the most pathetic guests possible for their weekly dinner party. Just as they find the most pathetic man yet, the host is injured and ends up trapped with the man all night long.
Analysis: A remake of director Francis Veber's 1998 César award-winning "Le Diner des cons", 'Schmucks' is one of the highest profile comedies of next year with one of the strongest casts for the genre in recent memory. It also marks the return of "Austin Powers" and "Meet the Parents" helmer Jay Roach who has produced several films in recent years but hasn't directed since 2004's "Meet the Fockers".
The question now lies not in the performers or director but the material itself and whether a Gallic comedy can...
Opens: July 23rd 2010
Cast: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Zach Galifianakis, Bruce Greenwood, David Walliams
Director: Jay Roach
Summary: A renowned publisher encourages his friends to invite the most pathetic guests possible for their weekly dinner party. Just as they find the most pathetic man yet, the host is injured and ends up trapped with the man all night long.
Analysis: A remake of director Francis Veber's 1998 César award-winning "Le Diner des cons", 'Schmucks' is one of the highest profile comedies of next year with one of the strongest casts for the genre in recent memory. It also marks the return of "Austin Powers" and "Meet the Parents" helmer Jay Roach who has produced several films in recent years but hasn't directed since 2004's "Meet the Fockers".
The question now lies not in the performers or director but the material itself and whether a Gallic comedy can...
- 12/18/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
A few weeks ago when we ran an abysmal trailer for the Tribeca movie Don McKay, director Jake Goldberger e-mailed me himself to ask that we take it down, and promised we'd have something to show soon enough, along with an American release date. Now his promise has come true-- at least the release part. Variety is reporting that Image Entertainment has picked up all the North American rights to the film, with a release planned for April, exactly a year after its Tribeca Film Festival debut. Thomas Haden Church stars in the film as the titular Don McKay, a janitor who returns to his hometown at the behest of his high school sweetheart Sunny (Elisabeth Shue), and winds up in a whole mess of trouble from there. Melissa Leo is also part of the film, but really, the less you know about her role, the better. Many critic friends...
- 12/10/2009
- cinemablend.com
Image Entertainment and Animus Films have picked up all North American rights to Jake Goldberger's comedic thriller "Don McKay" and is planning a release in April says Variety.
The story follows a former high school janitor who returns to his hometown to rekindle a romance with his old flame, who says she's dying of cancer.
Thomas Haden Church, Elisabeth Shue and Melissa Leo star in the film which debut at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The story follows a former high school janitor who returns to his hometown to rekindle a romance with his old flame, who says she's dying of cancer.
Thomas Haden Church, Elisabeth Shue and Melissa Leo star in the film which debut at the Tribeca Film Festival.
- 12/10/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Image Entertainment and Animus Films have picked up all North American rights to Jake Goldberger's comedic thriller "Don McKay" and is planning a release in April says Variety.
The story follows a former high school janitor who returns to his hometown to rekindle a romance with his old flame, who says she's dying of cancer.
Thomas Haden Church, Elisabeth Shue and Melissa Leo star in the film which debut at the Tribeca Film Festival.
The story follows a former high school janitor who returns to his hometown to rekindle a romance with his old flame, who says she's dying of cancer.
Thomas Haden Church, Elisabeth Shue and Melissa Leo star in the film which debut at the Tribeca Film Festival.
- 12/10/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Update: At the behest of the movie's director Jake Goldberger, we've removed the trailer, which was not intended to be seen by any of you. Hopefully we'll soon have a real trailer to show you, particularly one that doesn't spoil some of the best parts of the movie. Also worth noting: the title is still Don McKay, at least in the United States. I caught Don McKay at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, where it got a lot of discussion amongst critics and audiences, even though I found it a little too tonally uneven and long to be totally successful. The movie hasn't yet found distribution, but for some reason there's a new trailer for it at Quiet Earth. (via JoBlo). Also, the generic-sounding title Don McKay has been changed to the even more anonymous Moment of Truth. What on earth is going on here? Though the movie is pretty...
- 10/14/2009
- cinemablend.com
We're pleased to be the first to bring you the trailer for Jake Goldberger's darkly comic thriller, Don McKay today. The film was a hit at this year's Tribeca Film Festival and stars a pretty stellar cast headed up by Thomas Haden Church and Elisabeth Shue (man, haven't seen her in a while). Personally I like these kinds of small town, nothing-is-as-it-seems thrillers and I can't wait to check it out.
Synopsis:
Twenty-five years after abandoning his hometown, Don McKay (Thomas Haden Church) gets a letter from his ex-girlfriend (Elisabeth Shue) saying that she is dying and wants him to come see her. When Don returns home, Sonny doesn't seem quite like he remembers her and everything seems a little bit off. In this darkly comic debut thriller, Moment Of Truth, writer/director Jake Goldberger tells a story where no one is who they seem and everyone appears to be hiding something.
Synopsis:
Twenty-five years after abandoning his hometown, Don McKay (Thomas Haden Church) gets a letter from his ex-girlfriend (Elisabeth Shue) saying that she is dying and wants him to come see her. When Don returns home, Sonny doesn't seem quite like he remembers her and everything seems a little bit off. In this darkly comic debut thriller, Moment Of Truth, writer/director Jake Goldberger tells a story where no one is who they seem and everyone appears to be hiding something.
- 10/13/2009
- QuietEarth.us
Jake Goldberger makes his directorial debut with Don McKay, a darkly comic thriller with a stellar cast that was a hit at this year's Tribeca Film Festival. Even though we've seen the film's trailer we're not yet permitted to share it with you which is why we've opted to share this clip from the film. while it doesn't show much by way of plot, it's great to watch two vets like Thomas Haden Church and Elisabeth Shue face off and create some palpable tension.
Synopsis:
Twenty-five years after abandoning his hometown, Don McKay gets a letter from his ex-girlfriend saying that she is dying and wants him to come see her. When Don returns home, Sonny doesn't seem quite like he remembers her and everything seems a little bit off. In this darkly comic debut thriller, writer/director Jake Goldberger tells a story where no one is who they seem...
Synopsis:
Twenty-five years after abandoning his hometown, Don McKay gets a letter from his ex-girlfriend saying that she is dying and wants him to come see her. When Don returns home, Sonny doesn't seem quite like he remembers her and everything seems a little bit off. In this darkly comic debut thriller, writer/director Jake Goldberger tells a story where no one is who they seem...
- 10/7/2009
- QuietEarth.us
A day after he traveled home from the sound of thunderous applause at the Tribeca Film Festival, Thomas Haden Church was driving through the pouring rain outside his ranch in Texas when he called to discuss "Don McKay." Church left knowing the darkly comic film about a janitor who rekindles a relationship with a high school sweetheart after hitting a dead end 25 years after the fact was "not going to be for everybody," but that writer/director Jake Goldberger's unexpectedly twisty take on why most reunions after that much time don't work was working for the audience. Much of the credit belongs to Church, who's long brought the pathos to his most bitingly funny performances. Church was all smiles at the film's premiere, which as an executive producer on marked his second effort behind the camera in a creative capacity, following his directorial debut on the underseen and underappreciated 2003 pot comedy "Rolling Kansas.
- 5/6/2009
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
Written and directed by Jake Goldberger Rating: 3 stars Don McKay marks the debut of writer/director Jake Goldberger. As a screenwriter, Goldberger shows promise, but, as a director, he does little else than mimic his influences; however, the weaknesses of McKay are only apparent because of their proximity to its brilliance. Goldberger's screenplay manages to replace the casualness of a character portrait with the cumulative, torsional narrative of a thriller, while surreptitiously maintaining its priority of detail the entire time. For that alone, it is worth watching. McKay, a soppy, lumbering man, leads an uneventful adult life as a high school janitor; the last twenty-five years of his life need no more explanation than a single shot of him buffing a linoleum floor; that is, until a letter from his ailing high school girlfriend sends him back home for the first time...
- 5/6/2009
- by Dylan Eckman
- Huffington Post
There were plenty of murders and mysteries among the selections at this year's Tribeca Film Festival, but none of them came with quite the same amount of humor as Don McKay. Featuring stellar performances from Thomas Haden Church, Melissa Leo and Elisabeth Shue, Don McKay is Jake Goldberger's directorial debut, a black comedy about a guy who returns to his hometown and his high school sweetheart, only to find out that pretty much nothing in her world is as it seems. I interviewed Goldberger and his cast during the festival, and we talked about the challenges of working in pretty confined conditions, every day, all together, as well as Shue and Leo's excitement at getting to play the great female characters in the film. Watch it all unfold in the interview below.
- 5/6/2009
- cinemablend.com
What's been happening at the Tribeca Film Festival the past couple of days?
Deals. Discussions are underway on several titles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Distribution executives were spotted at Conor McPherson's drama The Eclipse, a title that jumped out at me when the lineup was first announced. The great Ciaran Hinds (Rome, Munich) stars in an "atmospheric drama about a widower who sees and hears strange things in his house." Aidan Quinn and Iben Hjejle (High Fidelity) also star. Other titles "in play" include Cheryl Hines' comedy Serious Midnight, written by the late Adrienne Shelly, starring Kristen Bell, Justin Long, and Meg Ryan; Jake Goldberger's drama Don McKay, starring Thomas Haden Church and Elisabeth Shue; and Marshall Curry's Racing Dreams, a documentary about Go-Kart racing.
Our Coverage. Kirby Dick's "engrossing, revelatory" doc Outrage makes its message clear, wrote Eric D. Snider: "If you're a...
Deals. Discussions are underway on several titles, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Distribution executives were spotted at Conor McPherson's drama The Eclipse, a title that jumped out at me when the lineup was first announced. The great Ciaran Hinds (Rome, Munich) stars in an "atmospheric drama about a widower who sees and hears strange things in his house." Aidan Quinn and Iben Hjejle (High Fidelity) also star. Other titles "in play" include Cheryl Hines' comedy Serious Midnight, written by the late Adrienne Shelly, starring Kristen Bell, Justin Long, and Meg Ryan; Jake Goldberger's drama Don McKay, starring Thomas Haden Church and Elisabeth Shue; and Marshall Curry's Racing Dreams, a documentary about Go-Kart racing.
Our Coverage. Kirby Dick's "engrossing, revelatory" doc Outrage makes its message clear, wrote Eric D. Snider: "If you're a...
- 4/28/2009
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
Tomorrow I'll be seeing the dark comedy Don McKay and barely an hour later, chatting with director Jake Goldberger and stars Thomas Haden Church, Elisabeth Shue and Melissa Leo. But last night I caught up with them early on the red carpet, asking Goldberger about the guts it took to make his first movie inspired by the Coen Brothers, Shue about taking roles in two comedies in a row (the other being Hamlet 2, of course), and Thomas Haden Church about his decision to produce the movie. Check out our video interviews below, and the photos in the photo gallery. We'll have plenty more coverage of Don McKay, and the rest of the Tribeca festival, coming soon. Look especially for the image in the photo gallery of Thomas Haden Church's shoes-- beat-up work boots that suggest a guy who can't get too worked up over red carpet fashion .
- 4/25/2009
- cinemablend.com
- Apart from the world premiere of Michael Cuesta's Tell-Tale and one more festival screening and chance to shine for Hirokazu Kore-eda's Still Walking, the selections are comprised of unknown projects, New York-based film productions that were completed in the last year, a bunch of films that receive a May theatrical release anyways and a batch of better than average films that were showcased at Sundance. Below you'll find the feature film selections for the Encounters, Spotlight, Showcase, Restored/Rediscovered and Midnight sections. EncountersBlank City, directed by Celine Danhier. (USA) - World Premiere, Documentary. Celine Danhier’s kinetic doc mirrors the urgent, anything-goes energy of her subject: the Diy independent film movement that emerged in tandem with punk rock in late ‘70s downtown New York. New interviews with a impressive array of artists including Amos Poe, Bette Gordon, Debbie Harry, Eric Mitchell, Jim Jarmusch, Lydia Lunch, Steve Buscemi,
- 3/11/2009
- IONCINEMA.com
Actress Melissa Leo has joined James Gandolfini and Kristen Stewart in Jake Scott’s indie drama “Welcome to the Rileys,” according to Variety.
The trade says the story revolves around a couple (Gandolfini, Leo) driven apart by the death of their daughter but brought back together when they meet a troubled young woman (Stewart).
Scott is directing a script by Ken Hixon, writer of “City by the Sea.” “Rileys” heads into production this month.
Leo most recently starred in “Frozen River” and “Righteous Kill.” She’s currently filming Jake Goldberger’s “Don McKay,” about a man (Thomas Haden Church) who returns to his hometown only to find his long-lost love on the verge of death.
Stewart will next be seen in Catherine Hardwicke’s anticipated vampire romance “Twilight.” As for Gandolfini, watch out for him in Tony Scott’s remake of “The Taking of Pelham 123.”...
The trade says the story revolves around a couple (Gandolfini, Leo) driven apart by the death of their daughter but brought back together when they meet a troubled young woman (Stewart).
Scott is directing a script by Ken Hixon, writer of “City by the Sea.” “Rileys” heads into production this month.
Leo most recently starred in “Frozen River” and “Righteous Kill.” She’s currently filming Jake Goldberger’s “Don McKay,” about a man (Thomas Haden Church) who returns to his hometown only to find his long-lost love on the verge of death.
Stewart will next be seen in Catherine Hardwicke’s anticipated vampire romance “Twilight.” As for Gandolfini, watch out for him in Tony Scott’s remake of “The Taking of Pelham 123.”...
- 10/2/2008
- by Franck Tabouring
- screeninglog.com
Thomas Haden Church is currently filming Jake Goldberger's upcoming indie drama "Don McKay" for Animus Films, according to Variety. Elisabeth Sue, Melissa Leo, Keith David and M. Emmet Walsh are also on board.
Written by Goldberger, the film centers on a man who left his hometown after suffering from a tragedy. When he returns home 25 years later, he finds his long-lost love on the verge of death and is consequently thrust into a bunch of troubles.
"McKay" is produced on a modest budget and is currently shooting in the Boston area.
Church's acting credits include "Sideways" and "Spider-Man 3." He most recently starred alongside Dennis Quaid and Ellen Page in "Smart People." Future projects of his include "Big Eyes," a drama in which he co-stars with Kate Hudson.
Goldberger recently penned the teen horror flick "Homecoming," which stars Mischa Barton and Jessica Stroup.
Written by Goldberger, the film centers on a man who left his hometown after suffering from a tragedy. When he returns home 25 years later, he finds his long-lost love on the verge of death and is consequently thrust into a bunch of troubles.
"McKay" is produced on a modest budget and is currently shooting in the Boston area.
Church's acting credits include "Sideways" and "Spider-Man 3." He most recently starred alongside Dennis Quaid and Ellen Page in "Smart People." Future projects of his include "Big Eyes," a drama in which he co-stars with Kate Hudson.
Goldberger recently penned the teen horror flick "Homecoming," which stars Mischa Barton and Jessica Stroup.
- 8/20/2008
- by Franck Tabouring
- screeninglog.com
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