A History of Unsimulated Sex Scenes in 17 Cannes Films, from ‘Mektoub’ to ‘Antichrist’ to ‘Caligula’
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published in May 2019 and has been updated several times since.
Deserved or not, French cinema has a reputation for being a little racy. From classics like “Belle de Jour” to controversial modern films like “Blue Is the Warmest Color,” French film has consistently pushed the boundaries of sexuality and sensuality onscreen. So it’s perhaps no surprise that the country’s premier film festival Cannes is such an oasis for sexually explicit films, ones that have frequently generated controversy over its history — especially when these films feature unsimulated sexual acts.
Unsimulated sex onscreen at Cannes dates back to at least 1973, when the film “Thriller — a Cruel Picture,” featuring several acts of hardcore unsimulated porn, played at the festival. In the years afterwards, particularly provocative and avant-garde works like “Sweet Movie” and “The Idiots” caused shock at Cannes by presenting audiences with real, unvarnished sexual content.
Deserved or not, French cinema has a reputation for being a little racy. From classics like “Belle de Jour” to controversial modern films like “Blue Is the Warmest Color,” French film has consistently pushed the boundaries of sexuality and sensuality onscreen. So it’s perhaps no surprise that the country’s premier film festival Cannes is such an oasis for sexually explicit films, ones that have frequently generated controversy over its history — especially when these films feature unsimulated sexual acts.
Unsimulated sex onscreen at Cannes dates back to at least 1973, when the film “Thriller — a Cruel Picture,” featuring several acts of hardcore unsimulated porn, played at the festival. In the years afterwards, particularly provocative and avant-garde works like “Sweet Movie” and “The Idiots” caused shock at Cannes by presenting audiences with real, unvarnished sexual content.
- 5/23/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
The Cannes Film Festival is arguably the single most prestigious film festival in all of world cinema. Every year, hundreds descend on the French resort town for two weeks of screenings from some of the film industry’s most respected auteurs. If you want high-quality cinema, or movie star glamour, Cannes supplies all of that in abundance.
But maybe it’s because Cannes is such a shiny beacon atop the cinematic landscape that it’s also so frequently embroiled in massive controversies, in a way that American festivals like, say, Sundance don’t really manage, at least not anymore. It’s not an every year occurrence, but whenever Cannes starts up in May, putting money on something happening to make people very angry is generally the safer bet.
Sometimes, the controversy has to do with the films playing on the Croisette themselves. Take notorious projects like “The Brown Bunny,” a...
But maybe it’s because Cannes is such a shiny beacon atop the cinematic landscape that it’s also so frequently embroiled in massive controversies, in a way that American festivals like, say, Sundance don’t really manage, at least not anymore. It’s not an every year occurrence, but whenever Cannes starts up in May, putting money on something happening to make people very angry is generally the safer bet.
Sometimes, the controversy has to do with the films playing on the Croisette themselves. Take notorious projects like “The Brown Bunny,” a...
- 5/22/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Vincent Gallo and his new film The Policeman are being scrutinized by SAG-AFTRA following the emergence of misconduct complaints against Gallo by multiple female actors, Deadline has confirmed.
“We are aware of these complaints and are investigating,” said a spokesperson for the guild. “We extensively engaged with production regarding the complaints and, while shooting has wrapped, we continue to monitor and investigate. We also reaffirm our commitment to ensuring a safe and respectful environment on set. Because our inquiry is ongoing, we cannot respond to specifics of the complaint.”
Written and directed by Jordan Gertner, and co-starring James Franco, The Policeman has Gallo playing Golden State killer Joseph James DeAngelo, a serial murderer and rapist who began terrorizing California residents all the way back in the 1970s, only being brought to justice in 2018. The complaints spotlight sexual comments allegedly made by Gallo, the controversial actor known for projects like The Brown Bunny,...
“We are aware of these complaints and are investigating,” said a spokesperson for the guild. “We extensively engaged with production regarding the complaints and, while shooting has wrapped, we continue to monitor and investigate. We also reaffirm our commitment to ensuring a safe and respectful environment on set. Because our inquiry is ongoing, we cannot respond to specifics of the complaint.”
Written and directed by Jordan Gertner, and co-starring James Franco, The Policeman has Gallo playing Golden State killer Joseph James DeAngelo, a serial murderer and rapist who began terrorizing California residents all the way back in the 1970s, only being brought to justice in 2018. The complaints spotlight sexual comments allegedly made by Gallo, the controversial actor known for projects like The Brown Bunny,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
SAG-AFTRA confirms to Variety that it’s investigating the production of Vincent Gallo’s new movie “The Policeman,” in which the controversial star of “The Brown Bunny” and “Buffalo ’66” plays the Golden State serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo. Auditions for the Jordan Gertner-directed film took place in November 2023, and it was filmed in the Portland, Oregon, area in December 2023. According to Rolling Stone, three female actors who auditioned for the film filed a formal complaint to SAG-AFTRA alleging that Gallo was inappropriate toward them.
“We are aware of these complaints and are investigating,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “We extensively engaged with production regarding the complaints and, while shooting has wrapped, we continue to monitor and investigate. We also reaffirm our commitment to ensuring a safe and respectful environment on set.”
According to the complaint, Gallo said lewd comments to the actors during the audition process. The actors...
“We are aware of these complaints and are investigating,” SAG-AFTRA said in a statement. “We extensively engaged with production regarding the complaints and, while shooting has wrapped, we continue to monitor and investigate. We also reaffirm our commitment to ensuring a safe and respectful environment on set.”
According to the complaint, Gallo said lewd comments to the actors during the audition process. The actors...
- 1/11/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
The Brown Bunny actor Vincent Gallo has been accused of making sexually explicit and threatening comments in auditions with actresses for an upcoming film in a new report in Rolling Stone.
Two actresses who auditioned to play victim roles in The Policeman, a film starring Gallo as so-called “Golden State Killer” Joseph James DeAngelo, filed complaints to actors union SAG-AFTRA after comments that Gallo allegedly made during the casting process. SAG-AFTRA responded by launching an investigation into casting for the film, which is written and directed by Spring Breakers and The Virgin Suicides producer Jordan Gertner and co-stars James Franco in one of his first roles since being accused of sexual and exploitative behavior at his acting school in 2018.
A SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said in a comment to The Hollywood Reporter, “We are aware of these complaints and are investigating. We extensively engaged with production regarding the complaints and, while shooting has wrapped,...
Two actresses who auditioned to play victim roles in The Policeman, a film starring Gallo as so-called “Golden State Killer” Joseph James DeAngelo, filed complaints to actors union SAG-AFTRA after comments that Gallo allegedly made during the casting process. SAG-AFTRA responded by launching an investigation into casting for the film, which is written and directed by Spring Breakers and The Virgin Suicides producer Jordan Gertner and co-stars James Franco in one of his first roles since being accused of sexual and exploitative behavior at his acting school in 2018.
A SAG-AFTRA spokesperson said in a comment to The Hollywood Reporter, “We are aware of these complaints and are investigating. We extensively engaged with production regarding the complaints and, while shooting has wrapped,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Katie Kilkenny
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Vincent Gallo is accused of creating a hostile work environment 20 years after his infamous unsimulated sex scenes in “The Brown Bunny” and allegations on the “Buffalo ’66” set.
Gallo, who is set to portray serial killer and rapist Joseph James DeAngelo Aka the Golden State Killer in the upcoming film “The Policeman,” was at the center of at least three formal actor complaints to the Screen Actors Guild. James Franco, who also has previously been accused of sexual misconduct, co-stars in “The Policeman,” which is written and directed by Jordan Gertner.
Rolling Stone reported that during the casting process, a trio of actresses alleged Gallo made inappropriate advances and demanded abuse scenes be “fully improvised” have authentic reactions onscreen.
One complaint alleged that Gallo said, “If I say to suck my dick or I will kill you, I want you, you the person, not you the character, not you the actor,...
Gallo, who is set to portray serial killer and rapist Joseph James DeAngelo Aka the Golden State Killer in the upcoming film “The Policeman,” was at the center of at least three formal actor complaints to the Screen Actors Guild. James Franco, who also has previously been accused of sexual misconduct, co-stars in “The Policeman,” which is written and directed by Jordan Gertner.
Rolling Stone reported that during the casting process, a trio of actresses alleged Gallo made inappropriate advances and demanded abuse scenes be “fully improvised” have authentic reactions onscreen.
One complaint alleged that Gallo said, “If I say to suck my dick or I will kill you, I want you, you the person, not you the character, not you the actor,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Sex on film is nothing new, and yet unsimulated intercourse in non-pornographic movies continues to raise eyebrows and draw eyeballs. From Vincent Gallo’s controversial directing for “Brown Bunny” to Robert Pattinson’s masturbatory method acting in”Little Ashes,” genuine intimate encounters captured on film — however staged they may be — can pull audiences into the bigger stories their writers and directors are trying to tell.
Catherine Breillat’s first film in 1976, “A Real Young Girl,” adapts her own controversial novel about a 14-year-old exploring her newfound sexuality. Breillat’s later work, 1999’s “Romance,” tells the story of a woman desperately seeking human connection and featured similar scenes, including sadomasochistic sex play.
“Actors are prostitutes because they’re asked to play other feelings,” Breillat told IndieWire. “This prostitution is not profane; it’s a sacred act that we give them.”
John Cameron Mitchell set out to “honor” sex as a pastime for real people,...
Catherine Breillat’s first film in 1976, “A Real Young Girl,” adapts her own controversial novel about a 14-year-old exploring her newfound sexuality. Breillat’s later work, 1999’s “Romance,” tells the story of a woman desperately seeking human connection and featured similar scenes, including sadomasochistic sex play.
“Actors are prostitutes because they’re asked to play other feelings,” Breillat told IndieWire. “This prostitution is not profane; it’s a sacred act that we give them.”
John Cameron Mitchell set out to “honor” sex as a pastime for real people,...
- 8/12/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson and Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
Actress Chloë Sevigny ("Poker Face") poses for "Evening Standard" magazine, photographed by Petra Collins:
Sevigny first appeared in music videos for 'Sonic Youth' and 'The Lemonheads'. In 1995, she made her feature film debut in "Kids" with roles in small-scale features including "Trees Lounge" (1996).
Sevigny played 'Lana Tisdel' in the drama film "Boys Don't Cry" (1999), earning an Oscar nomination for 'Best Supporting Actress'.
Sevigny then appeared in numerous independent films, including "American Psycho" (2000), "Demonlover" (2002), "Party Monster" (2003), "Dogville" (2003) and "The Brown Bunny" (2004).
From 2006 to 2011, Sevigny portrayed 'Nicolette Grant' on the HBO series "Big Love", winning a Golden Globe Award for 'Best Supporting Actress' in 2010. She also appeared in mainstream films including "Zodiac (2007) and the biopic "Mr. Nice" (2010).
Sevigny went on to appear in TV projects "Hit & Miss" (2012), "Portlandia" (2013), two seasons of "American Horror Story" (2015) and Netflix series "Bloodline" (2017). She also played 'Lizzie Borden' in the thriller "Lizzie:...
Sevigny first appeared in music videos for 'Sonic Youth' and 'The Lemonheads'. In 1995, she made her feature film debut in "Kids" with roles in small-scale features including "Trees Lounge" (1996).
Sevigny played 'Lana Tisdel' in the drama film "Boys Don't Cry" (1999), earning an Oscar nomination for 'Best Supporting Actress'.
Sevigny then appeared in numerous independent films, including "American Psycho" (2000), "Demonlover" (2002), "Party Monster" (2003), "Dogville" (2003) and "The Brown Bunny" (2004).
From 2006 to 2011, Sevigny portrayed 'Nicolette Grant' on the HBO series "Big Love", winning a Golden Globe Award for 'Best Supporting Actress' in 2010. She also appeared in mainstream films including "Zodiac (2007) and the biopic "Mr. Nice" (2010).
Sevigny went on to appear in TV projects "Hit & Miss" (2012), "Portlandia" (2013), two seasons of "American Horror Story" (2015) and Netflix series "Bloodline" (2017). She also played 'Lizzie Borden' in the thriller "Lizzie:...
- 1/13/2023
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Actress Chloë Sevigny ("Boys Don't Cry") poses for the latest issue of "Evening Standard" magazine, photographed by Petra Collins:
Sevigny first appeared in music videos for 'Sonic Youth' and 'The Lemonheads'. In 1995, she made her feature film debut in "Kids" with roles in small-scale features including "Trees Lounge" (1996).
Sevigny played 'Lana Tisdel' in the drama film "Boys Don't Cry" (1999), earning an Oscar nomination for 'Best Supporting Actress'.
Sevigny then appeared in numerous independent films, including "American Psycho" (2000), "Demonlover" (2002), "Party Monster" (2003), "Dogville" (2003) and "The Brown Bunny" (2004).
From 2006 to 2011, Sevigny portrayed 'Nicolette Grant' on the HBO series "Big Love", winning a Golden Globe Award for 'Best Supporting Actress' in 2010. She also appeared in mainstream films including "Zodiac (2007) and the biopic "Mr. Nice" (2010).
Sevigny went on to appear in TV projects "Hit & Miss" (2012), "Portlandia" (2013), two seasons of "American Horror Story" (2015) and Netflix series "Bloodline" (2017). She also played 'Lizzie Borden...
Sevigny first appeared in music videos for 'Sonic Youth' and 'The Lemonheads'. In 1995, she made her feature film debut in "Kids" with roles in small-scale features including "Trees Lounge" (1996).
Sevigny played 'Lana Tisdel' in the drama film "Boys Don't Cry" (1999), earning an Oscar nomination for 'Best Supporting Actress'.
Sevigny then appeared in numerous independent films, including "American Psycho" (2000), "Demonlover" (2002), "Party Monster" (2003), "Dogville" (2003) and "The Brown Bunny" (2004).
From 2006 to 2011, Sevigny portrayed 'Nicolette Grant' on the HBO series "Big Love", winning a Golden Globe Award for 'Best Supporting Actress' in 2010. She also appeared in mainstream films including "Zodiac (2007) and the biopic "Mr. Nice" (2010).
Sevigny went on to appear in TV projects "Hit & Miss" (2012), "Portlandia" (2013), two seasons of "American Horror Story" (2015) and Netflix series "Bloodline" (2017). She also played 'Lizzie Borden...
- 11/26/2022
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Fans have been waiting a long while for “Shortbus” to become available on a streaming platform. Yet even 15 years after its initial release and a new 4K restoration, John Cameron Mitchell’s provocative, exuberantly sex-positive 2006 movie has been rejected five times by Amazon Prime Video when submitted by Oscilloscope Laboratories.
The official Prime Video reasoning is that the “captions are out of sync” for the feature, as well as it containing “offensive content.” The subtitle captions reportedly work on every other platform. The formal Prime Video publishing error response reads: “We aren’t making your title available on Prime Video as it violates our Content Policy Guidelines.”
However, there seems to be a double standard afoot for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
“There’s no shortage of dicks readily available on Amazon, and apparently, there are plenty behind the scenes too,” “Shortbus” distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories president Dan Berger told IndieWire. “The...
The official Prime Video reasoning is that the “captions are out of sync” for the feature, as well as it containing “offensive content.” The subtitle captions reportedly work on every other platform. The formal Prime Video publishing error response reads: “We aren’t making your title available on Prime Video as it violates our Content Policy Guidelines.”
However, there seems to be a double standard afoot for Amazon Prime Video subscribers.
“There’s no shortage of dicks readily available on Amazon, and apparently, there are plenty behind the scenes too,” “Shortbus” distributor Oscilloscope Laboratories president Dan Berger told IndieWire. “The...
- 5/5/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
After a hiatus as theaters in New York City and beyond closed their doors during the pandemic, we’re delighted to announce the return of NYC Weekend Watch, our weekly round-up of repertory offerings. While many theaters are still focused on a selection of new releases, there’s a handful of worthwhile repertory screenings taking place.
IFC Center
The films of Catherine Breillat are highlighted in an extensive retrospective, while Solaris screens for its 50th anniversary.
Film Forum
A massive Toshiro Mifune retrospective has begun, while the new 35mm print of The Conversation continues its run and Girl Shy plays Sunday.
Roxy Cinema
The truly, absolutely inimitable Vincent Gallo is paid tribute with 35mm screenings of Buffalo ’66, The Brown Bunny, and Trouble Every Day.
Anthology Film Archives
“Homecoming Films” offers work by Lang, Welles, Buñuel, Mekas and more.
Metrograph
Films by Minelli, Lubitsch, Renoir, and Powell & Pressburger screen in “Technicolor Romance.
IFC Center
The films of Catherine Breillat are highlighted in an extensive retrospective, while Solaris screens for its 50th anniversary.
Film Forum
A massive Toshiro Mifune retrospective has begun, while the new 35mm print of The Conversation continues its run and Girl Shy plays Sunday.
Roxy Cinema
The truly, absolutely inimitable Vincent Gallo is paid tribute with 35mm screenings of Buffalo ’66, The Brown Bunny, and Trouble Every Day.
Anthology Film Archives
“Homecoming Films” offers work by Lang, Welles, Buñuel, Mekas and more.
Metrograph
Films by Minelli, Lubitsch, Renoir, and Powell & Pressburger screen in “Technicolor Romance.
- 2/11/2022
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Remember Vincent Gallo? After a steady career acting, Gallo really broke out in 1998 with the release of his indie darling, “Buffalo ‘66.” Five years later, he returned with another directorial effort, the controversial drama, “The Brown Bunny.” But since then, he’s been a bit under the radar, with smaller acting roles and lesser-known directorial gigs. Well, it appears the actor-filmmaker is set to star in his most high-profile film in a decade, “Shut In,” but the feature is already bound to be controversial, well before it hits theaters.
Continue reading Vincent Gallo To Star In Daily Wire’s First Feature Film ‘Shut In’ From Director D.J. Caruso at The Playlist.
Continue reading Vincent Gallo To Star In Daily Wire’s First Feature Film ‘Shut In’ From Director D.J. Caruso at The Playlist.
- 12/2/2021
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Cult and controversial actor-director Vincent Gallo is returning to acting after a near decade-long absence from features.
Quietly, Gallo took on one of the lead roles in D.J. Caruso’s movie thriller Shut In, which is the first original movie from conservative media outlet-turned film producer The Daily Wire, which just revealed the casting.
The project marks Gallo’s first feature acting role since 2013 film The Human Trust. The actor-filmmaker, now 60, is best known for directing controversial indie movie The Brown Bunny (2003) with Chloe Sevigny and Christina Ricci starrer Buffalo 66 (1998). In 2010 he won the best actor prize at the Venice Film Festival for his turn in Jerzy Skolimowski’s well-received movie Essential Killing.
Gallo is also known for making incendiary and provocative comments. His website — described by The Daily Wire as “satirical” — has come under fire for discriminatory passages. As an avowed Trump fan and a political conservative,...
Quietly, Gallo took on one of the lead roles in D.J. Caruso’s movie thriller Shut In, which is the first original movie from conservative media outlet-turned film producer The Daily Wire, which just revealed the casting.
The project marks Gallo’s first feature acting role since 2013 film The Human Trust. The actor-filmmaker, now 60, is best known for directing controversial indie movie The Brown Bunny (2003) with Chloe Sevigny and Christina Ricci starrer Buffalo 66 (1998). In 2010 he won the best actor prize at the Venice Film Festival for his turn in Jerzy Skolimowski’s well-received movie Essential Killing.
Gallo is also known for making incendiary and provocative comments. His website — described by The Daily Wire as “satirical” — has come under fire for discriminatory passages. As an avowed Trump fan and a political conservative,...
- 12/1/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Not to be confused with Eugene O’Neill’s play or any of its subsequent screen adaptations, Chinese box office phenomenon “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” is a mesmerizing hallucination of a film, a journey through one man’s memories for a truth that may not exist. Tang Wei and Huang Jue play a doomed romantic pair in Bi Gan’s languid thriller, which owes a tremendous debt to the likes of Tarkovsky, Malick and Wong Kar-wai even as it forges its own indelible, impressionistic path.
Huang (“The Hidden Sword”) plays Luo Hongwu, a man returning to his hometown of Kaili after the death of his father. Besieged by memories of his past — including a relationship with gangster’s moll Wan Qiwen, who disappeared many years ago on the eve of them running away together — Luo revisits old acquaintances and reflects on the impact of the people he has lost.
Huang (“The Hidden Sword”) plays Luo Hongwu, a man returning to his hometown of Kaili after the death of his father. Besieged by memories of his past — including a relationship with gangster’s moll Wan Qiwen, who disappeared many years ago on the eve of them running away together — Luo revisits old acquaintances and reflects on the impact of the people he has lost.
- 4/18/2019
- by Todd Gilchrist
- The Wrap
At the Telluride Film Festival, one familiar face was nowhere to be found: Errol Morris, a member of Telluride’s board, whose documentaries tend to screen at the Colorado festival like clockwork. Morris’ latest project will instead premiere on Wednesday at the Venice International Film Festival, where it’s creating a bit of a stir. In “American Dharma,” the filmmaker confronts Steve Bannon, and the former Trump senior advisor is expected to attend the festival for the first public screening.
The news of Bannon’s arrival in Venice came on the heels of a controversy surrounding his scheduled appearance at the New Yorker Festival, which dropped a public conversation with Bannon after other participants threatened to pull out. However, Variety reports that Bannon arrived at Venice on his own, and was not a part of the festival’s official delegation. It remains unclear if he’ll attend the Toronto or New York film festivals,...
The news of Bannon’s arrival in Venice came on the heels of a controversy surrounding his scheduled appearance at the New Yorker Festival, which dropped a public conversation with Bannon after other participants threatened to pull out. However, Variety reports that Bannon arrived at Venice on his own, and was not a part of the festival’s official delegation. It remains unclear if he’ll attend the Toronto or New York film festivals,...
- 9/4/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
On Friday morning, with little fanfare, A24 announced that David Robert Mitchell’s sprawling film noir, “Under the Silver Lake,” would no longer be released June 22. Instead, it’s been pushed to December 7. Nor was the company interested in discussing the six-month time shift. A24 spokeswoman Nicolette Aizenberg only responded to our query with a cryptic email: “Indeed we moved the date.”
However, in a company known for smart and radical moves, this appears to be another one. Here’s why.
1. Cool Cannes reception
Mitchell had plenty of reasons to be grateful to the festival for supporting his first two films, “The Myth of the American Sleepover” and “It Follows,” which both played Critics Week. Positive reaction for his debut gave Mitchell the confidence to quit his editing job and focus on getting “It Follows” made. The festival “helped to make that happen,” he told me at an American Pavilion panel at Cannes.
However, in a company known for smart and radical moves, this appears to be another one. Here’s why.
1. Cool Cannes reception
Mitchell had plenty of reasons to be grateful to the festival for supporting his first two films, “The Myth of the American Sleepover” and “It Follows,” which both played Critics Week. Positive reaction for his debut gave Mitchell the confidence to quit his editing job and focus on getting “It Follows” made. The festival “helped to make that happen,” he told me at an American Pavilion panel at Cannes.
- 6/1/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
On Friday morning, with little fanfare, A24 announced that David Robert Mitchell’s sprawling film noir, “Under the Silver Lake,” would no longer be released June 22. Instead, it’s been pushed to December 7. Nor was the company interested in discussing the six-month time shift. A24 spokeswoman Nicolette Aizenberg only responded to our query with a cryptic email: “Indeed we moved the date.”
However, in a company known for smart and radical moves, this appears to be another one. Here’s why.
1. Cool Cannes reception
Mitchell had plenty of reasons to be grateful to the festival for supporting his first two films, “The Myth of the American Sleepover” and “It Follows,” which both played Critics Week. Positive reaction for his debut gave Mitchell the confidence to quit his editing job and focus on getting “It Follows” made. The festival “helped to make that happen,” he told me at an American Pavilion panel at Cannes.
However, in a company known for smart and radical moves, this appears to be another one. Here’s why.
1. Cool Cannes reception
Mitchell had plenty of reasons to be grateful to the festival for supporting his first two films, “The Myth of the American Sleepover” and “It Follows,” which both played Critics Week. Positive reaction for his debut gave Mitchell the confidence to quit his editing job and focus on getting “It Follows” made. The festival “helped to make that happen,” he told me at an American Pavilion panel at Cannes.
- 6/1/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Vincent Gallo's Nc-17 The Brown Bunny debuted 15 years ago in Cannes, shocking some with an oral sex scene featuring the filmmaker and 2018 Cannes Critics’ Week jury member Chloe Sevigny. In an interview to commemorate the anniversary, Cheryl Tiegs, 70, tells THR that she knew all about the graphic display but agreed to be in the movie anyway.
“I got a message that Vincent wanted to talk to me about a movie. I didn’t call him back right away because I didn’t know who he was,” explains the former supermodel. “But after a month, I ...
“I got a message that Vincent wanted to talk to me about a movie. I didn’t call him back right away because I didn’t know who he was,” explains the former supermodel. “But after a month, I ...
- 5/17/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Vincent Gallo's Nc-17 The Brown Bunny debuted 15 years ago in Cannes, shocking some with an oral sex scene featuring the filmmaker and 2018 Cannes Critics’ Week jury member Chloe Sevigny. In an interview to commemorate the anniversary, Cheryl Tiegs, 70, tells THR that she knew all about the graphic display but agreed to be in the movie anyway.
“I got a message that Vincent wanted to talk to me about a movie. I didn’t call him back right away because I didn’t know who he was,” explains the former supermodel. “But after a month, I ...
“I got a message that Vincent wanted to talk to me about a movie. I didn’t call him back right away because I didn’t know who he was,” explains the former supermodel. “But after a month, I ...
- 5/17/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Above: 1986 Japanese poster for She’s Gotta Have It (Spike Lee, USA, 1986).In the ten months since I last did a round-up of the most popular posters on Movie Poster of the Day, two things have happened. I’ve slacked off a bit: after running the site since November 2011 and posting one poster every single day for years, in the past year I’ve let my self-appointed task slide a little and have been posting more sporadically. And at the same time it seems that Tumblr is starting to atrophy. At its height my site had over 300,000 followers—it still does officially, but I would guess that a large percentage of those people are no longer still on Tumblr or rarely check their feed. I’m often asked why I don’t up sticks and move to Instagram instead, but while I love Instagram for personal stuff, Tumblr is still...
- 4/12/2018
- MUBI
Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux isn’t bothered if audiences express their disapproval, and admits he sometimes makes mistakes in his selection. “I don’t care about people booing. It is part of the game,” he says, speaking at r7al, an event in Lausanne, Switzerland that is devoted to classic movies.
Fremaux and his team receive about 1,800 feature film submissions a year, of which 300-400 are “good” or “very good,” he says. From these, only 20 films can enter competition. The Cannes team have to accept “responsibility for our choices,” he says. “I know we make two or three mistakes a year.”
Cannes is dependent on the quality of the films available to it, and that varies from year to year. “You have good years, and bad years, like wine. If you have good sun in spring, you have good wine in October. It’s the same with films,...
Fremaux and his team receive about 1,800 feature film submissions a year, of which 300-400 are “good” or “very good,” he says. From these, only 20 films can enter competition. The Cannes team have to accept “responsibility for our choices,” he says. “I know we make two or three mistakes a year.”
Cannes is dependent on the quality of the films available to it, and that varies from year to year. “You have good years, and bad years, like wine. If you have good sun in spring, you have good wine in October. It’s the same with films,...
- 3/29/2018
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
To say filmmaker Vincent Gallo is a controversial figure in the industry is a vast understatement. As an actor, he appeared in many films. However, it’s his work as a writer-director that really got his name in the conversation. After a successful debut film, “Buffalo ’66,” Hollywood was ready for the emergence of Gallo as a great filmmaker. Then, in 2004, Gallo released “The Brown Bunny.” That’s when everything started to go downhill for him.
- 3/22/2018
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
The upcoming Cannes Film Festival will mark the 15th anniversary of the infamous world premiere of Vincent Gallo’s “The Brown Bunny.” The arthouse drama, starring Gallo opposite Chloë Sevigny, competed for the Palme d’Or in 2003 and caused outrage for an explicit sex scene between the actors. Roger Ebert notoriously panned the movie and called it the “worst film in the history of Cannes,” and now Gallo is bashing Ebert in a personal essay written for Another Man.
According to Gallo, the inappropriate way Ebert behaved during the Cannes screening affected the entire festival reaction to “The Brown Bunny.” Ebert allegedly started “ranting” aloud in the screening room within the first 20 minutes of the movie and never gave it the chance to win him over.
“It is outrageous that a single critic disrupted a press screening for a film chosen in main competition at such a high profile festival...
According to Gallo, the inappropriate way Ebert behaved during the Cannes screening affected the entire festival reaction to “The Brown Bunny.” Ebert allegedly started “ranting” aloud in the screening room within the first 20 minutes of the movie and never gave it the chance to win him over.
“It is outrageous that a single critic disrupted a press screening for a film chosen in main competition at such a high profile festival...
- 3/22/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
As Lars Von Trier's controversial and explicit sex odyssey opens in cinemas this weekend, we ask actors what they think about being asked to perform in increasingly graphic sex scenes
The script, Christophe Paou says, was even more sexually explicit, so the French actor knew what he was getting himself into when he signed up for Alain Guiraudie's film, Stranger By the Lake. Paou plays Michel, a handsome and charismatic man – with an extremely sinister side – who meets Franck, a younger man, at a cruising spot. Stranger By the Lake is one of two sexually-explicit films released this weekend, the other being Lars von Trier's much-hyped Nymphomaniac, in which Charlotte Gainsbourg plays Joe, a sex addict. Both films use body doubles for the genital close-ups and the explicit scenes.
Nymphomaniac's producer Louise Vesth said: "We shot the actors pretending to have sex and then had the body doubles,...
The script, Christophe Paou says, was even more sexually explicit, so the French actor knew what he was getting himself into when he signed up for Alain Guiraudie's film, Stranger By the Lake. Paou plays Michel, a handsome and charismatic man – with an extremely sinister side – who meets Franck, a younger man, at a cruising spot. Stranger By the Lake is one of two sexually-explicit films released this weekend, the other being Lars von Trier's much-hyped Nymphomaniac, in which Charlotte Gainsbourg plays Joe, a sex addict. Both films use body doubles for the genital close-ups and the explicit scenes.
Nymphomaniac's producer Louise Vesth said: "We shot the actors pretending to have sex and then had the body doubles,...
- 2/23/2014
- by Emine Saner
- The Guardian - Film News
In this extract from his forthcoming book, the Observer's new film critic, Mark Kermode, examines how the internet has changed the role of the professional reviewer. When everyone has an opinion, what value does the critic retain?
"Forrest Gump on a tractor." Those five words are probably my favourite film review ever. More importantly, they constitute the most damaging hatchet job I ever encountered, managing to do something I had often argued was impossible – to kill a movie stone dead. I didn't read them in a newspaper or on a blog, I didn't hear them on the radio or television; rather, they were whispered in my ear by a trusted friend and colleague, David Cox, as the house lights went down on a screening of David Lynch's The Straight Story.
I'd been really looking forward to that movie. I've been a huge Lynch fan ever since being blindsided by...
"Forrest Gump on a tractor." Those five words are probably my favourite film review ever. More importantly, they constitute the most damaging hatchet job I ever encountered, managing to do something I had often argued was impossible – to kill a movie stone dead. I didn't read them in a newspaper or on a blog, I didn't hear them on the radio or television; rather, they were whispered in my ear by a trusted friend and colleague, David Cox, as the house lights went down on a screening of David Lynch's The Straight Story.
I'd been really looking forward to that movie. I've been a huge Lynch fan ever since being blindsided by...
- 9/30/2013
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Yikes, talk about an over share! In a candid new interview, Rob admits that for his self loving scene in his 2008 film ‘Little Ashes,’ he wasn’t exactly acting…
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart may have had many groundbreaking sex scenes in Breaking Dawn, but Rob’s best on screen sex partner was in fact, himself. In a bizarre and totally over revealing interview, Rob revealed that when playing Salvador Dali in Little Ashes, he “pleasured” himself in front of the camera, so his sex scene would look authentic! Read on for all the details.
Robert Pattinson Masturbated In ‘Little Ashes’
Rob, 27, starred in the little watched film in 2008, right around the time that Twilight exploded onto our screens, and he took method acting a little too seriously.
Speaking about how he feels overexposed, Rob revealed a surprising secret.
“If you Google something about long enough you will know everything...
Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart may have had many groundbreaking sex scenes in Breaking Dawn, but Rob’s best on screen sex partner was in fact, himself. In a bizarre and totally over revealing interview, Rob revealed that when playing Salvador Dali in Little Ashes, he “pleasured” himself in front of the camera, so his sex scene would look authentic! Read on for all the details.
Robert Pattinson Masturbated In ‘Little Ashes’
Rob, 27, starred in the little watched film in 2008, right around the time that Twilight exploded onto our screens, and he took method acting a little too seriously.
Speaking about how he feels overexposed, Rob revealed a surprising secret.
“If you Google something about long enough you will know everything...
- 8/28/2013
- by Eleanore Hutch
- HollywoodLife
“We’re all gonna win Oscars.” Linda Lovelace’s life is ripe fruit for the biopic plucking, and with this first trailer for Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman’s Lovelace, it looks like Amanda Seyfried truly owns the role and the spotlight as the porn star turned icon turned anti-porn advocate. You see, Lovelace’s life is filled with some truly heinous stuff (including films called Peeverted and Dog Fucker), that could be brutal on screen given the context of her relationship with the abusive Chuck Traynor (played by Peter Sarsgaard). The problem is that if the cut is the same as it was at Sundance, it could still be a pretty bland affair. Seyfried looks kind of adorably stupid here, but there’s no doubt her Lovelace will wise up once the flash bulbs are all thrown away. The question is how well this particular take will portray a story so full of potential. Check...
- 7/8/2013
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
News of Roger Ebert's death prompted an outpouring of emotion, tributes and fond memories from some of Hollywood's finest. Ebert may never have been an above-the-line movie star himself, but his importance to the film industry cannot be underestimated.
In a five-decade career spanning newspapers, TV and the internet, Ebert mastered every medium he turned his hand to with reviews of wit, intelligence and eloquence. In short, he was the master where most other film critics were mere apprentices.
Digital Spy takes a look at 10 great Ebert reviews below.
Apocalypse Now
"Years and years from now, when Coppola's budget and his problems have long been forgotten, Apocalypse will still stand, I think, as a grand and grave and insanely inspired gesture of filmmaking - of moments that are operatic in their style and scope, and of other moments so silent we can almost hear the director thinking to himself.
In a five-decade career spanning newspapers, TV and the internet, Ebert mastered every medium he turned his hand to with reviews of wit, intelligence and eloquence. In short, he was the master where most other film critics were mere apprentices.
Digital Spy takes a look at 10 great Ebert reviews below.
Apocalypse Now
"Years and years from now, when Coppola's budget and his problems have long been forgotten, Apocalypse will still stand, I think, as a grand and grave and insanely inspired gesture of filmmaking - of moments that are operatic in their style and scope, and of other moments so silent we can almost hear the director thinking to himself.
- 4/5/2013
- Digital Spy
The film world was left in mourning today with the loss of Roger Ebert, easily the planet’s most respected and well-known film critic, passing away after a long battle with cancer at the age of 70.
He was a figure of inspiration for many journalists wanting to get into the industry (myself included; from a young age I’d read his reviews every week without fail), and had that uncanny ability to completely enthrall you with his reasoned wit even when you didn’t agree with his opinions.
That is the sign of a great critic, and unsurprisingly as a result, Ebert is distinguished as the first film critic to win a Pullitzer Prize. The respect held for him is evident from the outpour of tributes from figures as prominent as Steven Spielberg and Barack Obama.
It’s a testament to the man’s stature and talent that we’d...
He was a figure of inspiration for many journalists wanting to get into the industry (myself included; from a young age I’d read his reviews every week without fail), and had that uncanny ability to completely enthrall you with his reasoned wit even when you didn’t agree with his opinions.
That is the sign of a great critic, and unsurprisingly as a result, Ebert is distinguished as the first film critic to win a Pullitzer Prize. The respect held for him is evident from the outpour of tributes from figures as prominent as Steven Spielberg and Barack Obama.
It’s a testament to the man’s stature and talent that we’d...
- 4/5/2013
- by Shaun Munro
- Obsessed with Film
Twitter is abuzz with recollections and thanks as president, peers and the movie world pay tribute
Actors, directors, fellow critics and the Us president have paid tribute to the eminent American film reviewer Roger Ebert, who has died aged 70.
Ebert, who began writing for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967 and became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize eight years later, died early on Thursday afternoon at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago after revealing a day earlier that he was undergoing radiation treatment for a recurrence of cancer. Many tributes mentioned the critic's famous "thumbs up, thumbs down" verdicts or the familiar "the balcony is closed" sign-off from the long-running Us television film review show At the Movies, which Ebert presented for many years.
Us president Barack Obama said in a statement: "Roger was the movies. When he didn't like a film, he was honest; when he did, he...
Actors, directors, fellow critics and the Us president have paid tribute to the eminent American film reviewer Roger Ebert, who has died aged 70.
Ebert, who began writing for the Chicago Sun-Times in 1967 and became the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize eight years later, died early on Thursday afternoon at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago after revealing a day earlier that he was undergoing radiation treatment for a recurrence of cancer. Many tributes mentioned the critic's famous "thumbs up, thumbs down" verdicts or the familiar "the balcony is closed" sign-off from the long-running Us television film review show At the Movies, which Ebert presented for many years.
Us president Barack Obama said in a statement: "Roger was the movies. When he didn't like a film, he was honest; when he did, he...
- 4/5/2013
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Tell us your favourite lines and reviews from the much-loved film critic, who died this week
To say that film Roger Ebert, who has died from cancer aged 70, had a way with words would be an understatement. In a career spanning five decades, the Chicago Sun-Times film reviewer won a huge international following thanks to his brilliant, often acerbic, but always engaging criticism. Admirers have been sharing some of their favourite lines of his on Twitter with the hashtag #EbertQuotes – below are a few highlights, but what else would you add? Are there any Ebert film reviews that stand out for you as favourites?
For the uninitiated, there's a wealth of Roger Ebert quotes here and here, and for a mnore comprehensive look at his work visit rogerebert.suntimes.com.
"To say that George Lucas cannot write a love scene is an understatement; greeting cards have expressed more passion." #EbertQuotes
— Lo!
To say that film Roger Ebert, who has died from cancer aged 70, had a way with words would be an understatement. In a career spanning five decades, the Chicago Sun-Times film reviewer won a huge international following thanks to his brilliant, often acerbic, but always engaging criticism. Admirers have been sharing some of their favourite lines of his on Twitter with the hashtag #EbertQuotes – below are a few highlights, but what else would you add? Are there any Ebert film reviews that stand out for you as favourites?
For the uninitiated, there's a wealth of Roger Ebert quotes here and here, and for a mnore comprehensive look at his work visit rogerebert.suntimes.com.
"To say that George Lucas cannot write a love scene is an understatement; greeting cards have expressed more passion." #EbertQuotes
— Lo!
- 4/5/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
No one loved movies like Roger Ebert. But perhaps more importantly, no one panned movies like Roger Ebert. He turned taking the piss out of a reprehensible film into an art form, leaving you giggling days later.
While we're heartbroken at his passing, we'll always remember him for his big heart, his humanity, his passion, his fortitude, and, most of all, his incredible wit in the face of so many terrible, terrible cinematic train wrecks.
Here are a few of the funniest Ebert take downs of movies. Let us know which one's your favorite.
North, 1994
"I hated this movie. Hated, hated, hated, hated, hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it."
Stargate, 1994
"The movie Ed Wood, about the worst director of all time,...
While we're heartbroken at his passing, we'll always remember him for his big heart, his humanity, his passion, his fortitude, and, most of all, his incredible wit in the face of so many terrible, terrible cinematic train wrecks.
Here are a few of the funniest Ebert take downs of movies. Let us know which one's your favorite.
North, 1994
"I hated this movie. Hated, hated, hated, hated, hated this movie. Hated it. Hated every simpering stupid vacant audience-insulting moment of it. Hated the sensibility that thought anyone would like it. Hated the implied insult to the audience by its belief that anyone would be entertained by it."
Stargate, 1994
"The movie Ed Wood, about the worst director of all time,...
- 4/4/2013
- by Carol Hartsell
- Huffington Post
Deep Throat’s Journey: Epstein & Friedman’s Porn Star Biopic By-the-Numbers
In their first outing not placing significant focus on the recuperation of queer subjects or thematics, filmmaking duo Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman turn to one of the most salacious historical moments concerning heteronormative sex with Lovelace, a biopic on the star of the infamous Deep Throat. While this sophomore feature effort from the documentarians feels far less experimentally pieced together than their 2010 Allan Ginsberg piece, Howl, their approach feels a tad static this time round and, perhaps in effort to be tasteful, almost too sterile. Despite its trappings of the generic biopic dressing, some engaging lead performances tend to outshine its standardized format.
Linda Lovelace (Amanda Seyfried), born Linda Boreman, became the first pornographic celebrity superstar with her one and only film, Deep Throat in 1972. A kind of good girl, an unexpected pregnancy as a teen caused her working class parents (Sharon Stone,...
In their first outing not placing significant focus on the recuperation of queer subjects or thematics, filmmaking duo Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman turn to one of the most salacious historical moments concerning heteronormative sex with Lovelace, a biopic on the star of the infamous Deep Throat. While this sophomore feature effort from the documentarians feels far less experimentally pieced together than their 2010 Allan Ginsberg piece, Howl, their approach feels a tad static this time round and, perhaps in effort to be tasteful, almost too sterile. Despite its trappings of the generic biopic dressing, some engaging lead performances tend to outshine its standardized format.
Linda Lovelace (Amanda Seyfried), born Linda Boreman, became the first pornographic celebrity superstar with her one and only film, Deep Throat in 1972. A kind of good girl, an unexpected pregnancy as a teen caused her working class parents (Sharon Stone,...
- 2/5/2013
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Clip
Directed by Maja Milos
Serbia, 2012
Contemporary Serbian cinema gives the rest of the world a run for its money in terms of shock value: Pushing boundaries and breaking taboos, most recent films from the country that have been making the festival circuit have developed a rather scandalous reputation. A Serbian Film, a torture porn film evoking (not particularly well) the horrors of genocide and war, was banned in multiple countries for its depictions of incest, extreme violence and child rape (newborn porn finds its origins here). In comparison, the newest Serbian movie to shock audience, Clip is perhaps tame. However, it’s graphic depiction of sex, especially among its teen characters, will sure to ruffle some feathers.
Clip mixes first person camera work with a third person narrative, and explores the excessive life of a beautiful teenager, Jasna. The difficult life of Serbia seems to colour all aspects of...
Directed by Maja Milos
Serbia, 2012
Contemporary Serbian cinema gives the rest of the world a run for its money in terms of shock value: Pushing boundaries and breaking taboos, most recent films from the country that have been making the festival circuit have developed a rather scandalous reputation. A Serbian Film, a torture porn film evoking (not particularly well) the horrors of genocide and war, was banned in multiple countries for its depictions of incest, extreme violence and child rape (newborn porn finds its origins here). In comparison, the newest Serbian movie to shock audience, Clip is perhaps tame. However, it’s graphic depiction of sex, especially among its teen characters, will sure to ruffle some feathers.
Clip mixes first person camera work with a third person narrative, and explores the excessive life of a beautiful teenager, Jasna. The difficult life of Serbia seems to colour all aspects of...
- 10/23/2012
- by Justine
- SoundOnSight
Actor Josh Radnor is mostly known as hopeless romantic Ted Mosby on the hit show, "How I Met Your Mother," though he garnered much more deserved attention for his first feature, "HappyThankYou-MorePlease" (not a typo, I promise), which won the Audience Award for Drama at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. The central theme in "Htymp" is the hardships of falling in love as an adult. Life would certainly be so much more pleasant if finding "the one" was as easy as movies make it seem to be, no?
Echoing "Htymp," Radnor carries on the "love sucks" theme in his second feature, "Liberal Arts." He plays Jesse Fisher, an admissions officer at what appears to be a community college in New York; we know it's a small school because every prospective student he meets to discuss their educational direction seems to care nothing about it. The only exciting thing in Fisher's current...
Echoing "Htymp," Radnor carries on the "love sucks" theme in his second feature, "Liberal Arts." He plays Jesse Fisher, an admissions officer at what appears to be a community college in New York; we know it's a small school because every prospective student he meets to discuss their educational direction seems to care nothing about it. The only exciting thing in Fisher's current...
- 9/14/2012
- by Chase Whale
- NextMovie
Shia Labeouf already proved he’s not afraid to bare all for the sake of art when he recently went full-frontal for a Sigur Ros music video. So when he signed on two weeks ago for an unspecified role in Nymphomaniac — director Lars von Trier’s latest cinematic provocation about a sexually voracious woman (Charlotte Gainsbourg), which will reportedly be shot in two versions, both explicit and R-rated — eyebrows went up all over Hollywood. Did this mean the Transformers and Indiana Jones 4 star would be performing un-simulated sex on screen?
In a word: Probably. In an interview with MTV News...
In a word: Probably. In an interview with MTV News...
- 8/20/2012
- by Adam B. Vary
- EW.com - PopWatch
Gawker is reporting that Shia Labeouf, who recently joined Lars von Trier‘s Nymphomaniac, may be having real sex in the film. The young actor’s involvement in the project may be surprising to some, but considering he appeared completely nude in a recent music video not too long ago, this career choice doesn’t shock me.
Furthermore, von Trier is no stranger to extremes. He’s known for some very shocking films and somehow manages to get most of his actors to partake in some very “uncomfortable” scenes. After all, Kirsten Dunst did her first nude scene for the director in Melancholia and both Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg went to some dark places in Antichrist.
As for Nymphomaniac, no word yet on what the scenes will depict and in fact, it’s not even certain that Labeouf will be featured in the more explicit scenes. All we do...
Furthermore, von Trier is no stranger to extremes. He’s known for some very shocking films and somehow manages to get most of his actors to partake in some very “uncomfortable” scenes. After all, Kirsten Dunst did her first nude scene for the director in Melancholia and both Willem Dafoe and Charlotte Gainsbourg went to some dark places in Antichrist.
As for Nymphomaniac, no word yet on what the scenes will depict and in fact, it’s not even certain that Labeouf will be featured in the more explicit scenes. All we do...
- 8/19/2012
- by Matt Joseph
- We Got This Covered
We scour the interwebs for the coolest movie news and more so you don't have to ...
You know, Adam Sandler has made some good movies. He's also made some really, really bad ones. Upon the release of "That's My Boy," Film.com lists the top five best ("Punch-Drunk Love," yes please!) and top five worst ("Jack and Jill," no thank you!) Sandler adventures.
It's summer — what better time to get hot and sweaty than with these 10 films that go where few other Hollywood films have gone? From "Shame" to "The Brown Bunny," The Wrap combed the movie archives for scenes that match the summer's heat.
It's time to mingle with "Savages." Watch as director Oliver Stone cross-examines the five principal characters from the film: Elena (Salma Hayek), Lado (Benicio Del Toro), Chon (Taylor Kitsch), Ben (Aaron Johnson) and O (Blake Lively).
"How did they ever make a movie of 'Lolita'?...
You know, Adam Sandler has made some good movies. He's also made some really, really bad ones. Upon the release of "That's My Boy," Film.com lists the top five best ("Punch-Drunk Love," yes please!) and top five worst ("Jack and Jill," no thank you!) Sandler adventures.
It's summer — what better time to get hot and sweaty than with these 10 films that go where few other Hollywood films have gone? From "Shame" to "The Brown Bunny," The Wrap combed the movie archives for scenes that match the summer's heat.
It's time to mingle with "Savages." Watch as director Oliver Stone cross-examines the five principal characters from the film: Elena (Salma Hayek), Lado (Benicio Del Toro), Chon (Taylor Kitsch), Ben (Aaron Johnson) and O (Blake Lively).
"How did they ever make a movie of 'Lolita'?...
- 6/14/2012
- by Bryan Enk
- NextMovie
Certainly, Chloe Sevigny -- who has movies like "Kids" and "The Brown Bunny" on her resumé -- has never shied away from risky or challenging roles, but unlike those aforementioned films, this latest endeavor might be for her most mainstream audience yet.
The actress will star in this summer's ambitious and somewhat odd "Hit & Miss" where she'll be playing a hitman who also happens to be a pre-op trans woman. Okay, then. Written by Sean Conway and directed by Hettie Macdolany, the story revolves around a transgender assassin who suddenly finds out that in her previous life, she has fathered several children. The show includes people who were behind the original U.K. versions of "Shameless" and "Skins," so they have a firm handle on how to be provocative, but "Hit & Miss," despite the somewhat out there premise, will apparently have much more accessible core about family and love.
Either way,...
The actress will star in this summer's ambitious and somewhat odd "Hit & Miss" where she'll be playing a hitman who also happens to be a pre-op trans woman. Okay, then. Written by Sean Conway and directed by Hettie Macdolany, the story revolves around a transgender assassin who suddenly finds out that in her previous life, she has fathered several children. The show includes people who were behind the original U.K. versions of "Shameless" and "Skins," so they have a firm handle on how to be provocative, but "Hit & Miss," despite the somewhat out there premise, will apparently have much more accessible core about family and love.
Either way,...
- 6/4/2012
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Carlos Reygadas‘ Post Tenebras Lux How did Mads Mikkelsen know he had a chance of winning the Best Actor Award at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival? In fact, how did Mikkelsen most likely know he had won the Best Actor Award? Simple: the day before, festival organizers asked him to represent Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt at the awards ceremony. Of course, that makes one wonder. Since movies in the Official Competition were screened the day before the awards ceremony, how long does it take the jury to deliberate and decide who’ll win what? [List of Cannes 2012 winners; Amour, Reality, Cristian Mungiu: Cannes Winners; Mads Mikkelsen, Carlos Reygadas: Cannes Winners.] The Mads Mikkelsen info comes courtesy of Accréds’ Twitter account, which also offers several curious tidbits from the press room at the Cannes awards ceremony. Carlos Reygadas’ Objective: Self-Expression For instance, Best Director winner Carlos Reygadas (for Post Tenebras Lux) told the press that he had "watched Ulrich Seidl’s film, which I liked a lot.
- 5/28/2012
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Perplexing new film from director Leos Carax has been greeted by boos, cheers and tweets declaring love, hate or mystification
Once in a while, a film comes along at the Cannes film festival that utterly divides the critics, that is despised by some and adored by others – and that absolutely no one can stop talking about.
It happened last year with Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life – hailed as a masterpiece by some, derided as pretentious rubbish by others.
In 2000 it was Dancer in the Dark, Lars von Trier's Cannes sensation in which a singing Björk is dragged to the gallows.
This year, that film is Holy Motors from French director Leos Carax. Its first screening was greeted by boos drowned out by cheers, by volleys of ecstatic and furious tweets and by one big question: what the hell was it all about?
Asked that very question, the...
Once in a while, a film comes along at the Cannes film festival that utterly divides the critics, that is despised by some and adored by others – and that absolutely no one can stop talking about.
It happened last year with Terrence Malick's The Tree of Life – hailed as a masterpiece by some, derided as pretentious rubbish by others.
In 2000 it was Dancer in the Dark, Lars von Trier's Cannes sensation in which a singing Björk is dragged to the gallows.
This year, that film is Holy Motors from French director Leos Carax. Its first screening was greeted by boos drowned out by cheers, by volleys of ecstatic and furious tweets and by one big question: what the hell was it all about?
Asked that very question, the...
- 5/23/2012
- by Charlotte Higgins
- The Guardian - Film News
Video Time Machine, free this weekend on the App Store for both iPhone and iPad, is one of the most entertaining apps I’ve played with in a while. Like all good video viewing apps, it’s based around one simple curatorial concept. In the case of Vtm that concept is — yep, you guessed it — time. Dial up a year and the app pulls from YouTube videos produced during that year. You can further drill down by category, browsing TV, movies, music, sports, news and advertisements. And, there’s a curatorial element: the videos are “hand-picked” and always seem to strike a nostalgic sweet spot. The app is tremendously fun to play with, but it’s also of use to writers, directors, art departments and other researchers looking for quick visual reference points for their scripts and films. And, of course, you can tweet and Facebook your results.
Check out their commercial.
Check out their commercial.
- 5/6/2012
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Oscar-nominated actress Chloe Sevigny has blasted rumours her controversial explicit sex scene in The Brown Bunny damaged her career.
The Boys Don't Cry star attracted a barrage of criticism after she was shown performing unsimulated oral sex on Vincent Gallo in the 2003 drama.
It sparked speculation her standing with Hollywood bosses would nosedive and she was no longer "marketable" as an actress - but Sevigny is adamant the furore did not harm her career.
She tells Britain's The Independent, "There were all these rumours, like getting fired from my agency, which is not true. And they said things about me not being marketable, but was I marketable beforehand? No. I mean, I've always been this indie, outside-the-box girl. Afterwards I got cast in a Woody Allen film, and Zodiac and then a big show on HBO. So people can say what they like."...
The Boys Don't Cry star attracted a barrage of criticism after she was shown performing unsimulated oral sex on Vincent Gallo in the 2003 drama.
It sparked speculation her standing with Hollywood bosses would nosedive and she was no longer "marketable" as an actress - but Sevigny is adamant the furore did not harm her career.
She tells Britain's The Independent, "There were all these rumours, like getting fired from my agency, which is not true. And they said things about me not being marketable, but was I marketable beforehand? No. I mean, I've always been this indie, outside-the-box girl. Afterwards I got cast in a Woody Allen film, and Zodiac and then a big show on HBO. So people can say what they like."...
- 4/30/2012
- WENN
“Glee” creator Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story” is certainly more in the vein of his early FX hit “Nip/Tuck” in its absurdity-to-oddness ratio, acting as a horror soap opera that isn’t afraid to toy with both its characters and audience. In fact, the second season will see some of the original cast return, including Jessica Lange, Zachary Quinto, Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson, but will see them playing different characters than the ones they’ve become known for. Now, a new talent will also be joining, and apparently it will be a rather passionate entity.
EW has word that “Big Love” actress Chloë Sevigny is in final talks to join the second season, which will begin production this summer. If anyone knows Sevigny’s past on films like – oh, we don’t know – “The Brown Bunny,” you won’t be surprised to learn that the actress will...
EW has word that “Big Love” actress Chloë Sevigny is in final talks to join the second season, which will begin production this summer. If anyone knows Sevigny’s past on films like – oh, we don’t know – “The Brown Bunny,” you won’t be surprised to learn that the actress will...
- 4/27/2012
- by Benjamin Wright
- The Playlist
If there is one constant in the television and film industry it’s that sex sells, a constant that essentially requires at least one character in every series to be some type of nympho. American Horror Story’s creator, Ryan Murphy, knows just how important sex can be to a series, especially one devoted to exploring horror clichés and motifs, so it comes as no surprise Ahs’s second season is introducing a new sex-driven character to simultaneously entice and disturb its viewers. The first season of the horror anthology series had Moira the maid to serve as the series’ first sex deviant, but who will take over the reigns for Season 2?
EW.com reports Big Love’s Chloe Sevigny has been cast as Shelly the Nymphomaniac, a name I’m sure she’s earned. Because most of the plot of Season 2 is being kept tightly under wraps, all we...
EW.com reports Big Love’s Chloe Sevigny has been cast as Shelly the Nymphomaniac, a name I’m sure she’s earned. Because most of the plot of Season 2 is being kept tightly under wraps, all we...
- 4/27/2012
- by Brody Gibson
- Boomtron
Cannes, which has announced its 2012 line-up, has some serious competition. As Tribeca begins and ahead of Sundance London, our critics examine the big hitters on the film festival circuit
It has been a quiet few months on the film festival front. The last two biggies, Sundance and Berlin, were back in the depths of winter; but now things are suddenly getting interesting. Tribeca, the New York trendoid-magnet, has just started, and Cannes, the swanky Cote d'Azur schmoozathon, has reared its finely contoured head on the horizon. The UK is even getting in on the action, with the much-anticipated arrival next week of Sundance London, an offshoot of Robert Redford's indie-maven event in Park City, Utah.
Sundance London is an example of that industry buzzword "diffusion", whereby name events set up franchises overseas. Tribeca has been doing it since 2009 in Qatar, co-organising the Doha film festival. It's a byproduct of...
It has been a quiet few months on the film festival front. The last two biggies, Sundance and Berlin, were back in the depths of winter; but now things are suddenly getting interesting. Tribeca, the New York trendoid-magnet, has just started, and Cannes, the swanky Cote d'Azur schmoozathon, has reared its finely contoured head on the horizon. The UK is even getting in on the action, with the much-anticipated arrival next week of Sundance London, an offshoot of Robert Redford's indie-maven event in Park City, Utah.
Sundance London is an example of that industry buzzword "diffusion", whereby name events set up franchises overseas. Tribeca has been doing it since 2009 in Qatar, co-organising the Doha film festival. It's a byproduct of...
- 4/19/2012
- by Peter Bradshaw, Henry Barnes, Catherine Shoard, Andrew Pulver, Wim Wenders
- The Guardian - Film News
Buffalo 66 director claims a privately run programme to keep La's downtown arts district clean provides 'no benefit'
If you've ever paid to see a Vincent Gallo movie and wanted to ask for your money back, the maverick actor and film-maker knows exactly how you feel. Gossip website TMZ reports that he is to sue the city of Los Angeles for wasting his tax dollars on a privately run programme to keep the metropolis' downtown arts district clean, tidy and secure.
Gallo, best known for his films Buffalo 66 and the infamous The Brown Bunny, says the La Arts District Business Improvement District (Bid) simply does not do its job and provides "no benefit". In his suit, he claims the private company which runs it is only maintaining the programme as a facade to keep receiving public funds. These totalled $1.3m ($860,000 in the last year alone), which Gallo, who lives in the district,...
If you've ever paid to see a Vincent Gallo movie and wanted to ask for your money back, the maverick actor and film-maker knows exactly how you feel. Gossip website TMZ reports that he is to sue the city of Los Angeles for wasting his tax dollars on a privately run programme to keep the metropolis' downtown arts district clean, tidy and secure.
Gallo, best known for his films Buffalo 66 and the infamous The Brown Bunny, says the La Arts District Business Improvement District (Bid) simply does not do its job and provides "no benefit". In his suit, he claims the private company which runs it is only maintaining the programme as a facade to keep receiving public funds. These totalled $1.3m ($860,000 in the last year alone), which Gallo, who lives in the district,...
- 4/18/2012
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Actor/director Vincent Gallo has filed a lawsuit against city officials in Los Angeles over allegations they have been squandering taxpayers' money.
The Brown Bunny filmmaker claims the city-funded Arts District Business Improvement District (sic) organisation, which is said to provide trash removal, security and cleaning in the L.A. Arts District, is wasting cash as it provides "no benefit" to residents, according to TMZ.com.
The website reports Gallo is suing to have the program shut down and force a return of all the money it has brought in since its inception.
The Brown Bunny filmmaker claims the city-funded Arts District Business Improvement District (sic) organisation, which is said to provide trash removal, security and cleaning in the L.A. Arts District, is wasting cash as it provides "no benefit" to residents, according to TMZ.com.
The website reports Gallo is suing to have the program shut down and force a return of all the money it has brought in since its inception.
- 4/16/2012
- WENN
"Goodfellas" actor Vincent Gallo -- also known for his infamous oral sex scene with Chloe Sevigny in "The Brown Bunny" -- is tired of paying for useless government programs ... and now, he's actually suing the City of L.A. to put a stop to wasteful spending.Gallo filed the lawsuit against L.A. -- taking issue with a City organization called the Arts District Business Improvement District, which purportedly uses taxpayer dollars to provide trash clean-up,...
- 4/16/2012
- by TMZ Staff
- TMZ
Demi Moore has left the cast of Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman's Lovelace, a biopic about Deep Throat porn star-turned-anti-porn Born-Again Christian Linda Lovelace that began shooting in Los Angeles last December. But you lose one, you win one. Moore has exited just as Chloë Sevigny has joined the Lovelace ensemble. According to Deadline.com, Moore, who was to have a small role as radical anti-porn feminist Gloria Steinem, exited Lovelace "because of the stresses in her life right now" that have forced her "to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health." Also as per Deadline, Sevigny has joined Lovelace to play "a feminist journalist assigned to write a story about Lovelace." Now, at this stage it remains unclear whether this "feminist journalist" is Steinem herself. Reports vary on the matter. Sevigny is best known for three roles: her Oscar-nominated performance as Hilary Swank...
- 1/26/2012
- by Anna Robinson
- Alt Film Guide
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