Unless you've been living under a rock recently, you're aware that movie theaters have been in a tough spot for nearly half a decade now, if not longer. Various factors have contributed to this, of course -- everything from the Covid-19 pandemic to the economy itself contributing to higher prices for a night out at the movies (especially for a family). Yet perhaps the biggest point of contention for those not fully inducted into the church of moviegoing is that old chestnut coined by Jean-Paul Sartre: Hell is other people.
Due to being at the tail end of several decades' worth of manufacturers and big box stores pushing home theater technology, the average living room theater setup tends to rival most generic movie theater screens in terms of picture and sound quality, with the convenience of the setup already being in one's home, away from loud talking randos and teens on their bright smartphones,...
Due to being at the tail end of several decades' worth of manufacturers and big box stores pushing home theater technology, the average living room theater setup tends to rival most generic movie theater screens in terms of picture and sound quality, with the convenience of the setup already being in one's home, away from loud talking randos and teens on their bright smartphones,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the movies, TV shows, and live sports that will be available on the Max streaming service in May. The Max May 2024 lineup includes season three of the comedy series Hacks, the drama series Pretty Little Liars: Summer School, and the unscripted series Thirst with Shay Mitchell.
The May schedule also includes the comedy special Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die, as well as the original documentaries Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A. and MoviePass, MovieCrash. Turtles All the Way Down, Stop Making Sense, and The Iron Claw are some of the films coming to the service.
Featured Programming
Hacks Season 3 (Max Original Comedy Series)
The nine-episode season debuts with two episodes on May 2, followed by two new episodes each week, concluding with the season finale on May 30.
Logline: A year after parting, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is riding high off the success of her standup special...
The May schedule also includes the comedy special Nikki Glaser: Someday You’ll Die, as well as the original documentaries Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A. and MoviePass, MovieCrash. Turtles All the Way Down, Stop Making Sense, and The Iron Claw are some of the films coming to the service.
Featured Programming
Hacks Season 3 (Max Original Comedy Series)
The nine-episode season debuts with two episodes on May 2, followed by two new episodes each week, concluding with the season finale on May 30.
Logline: A year after parting, Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) is riding high off the success of her standup special...
- 4/24/2024
- by Mirko Parlevliet
- Vital Thrills
“If you hear a fire alarm, take it seriously,” the woman at the podium announced. “Proceed calmly, but exit swiftly.
This was a step beyond the standard “put away your cell phones” introduction, but this was no ordinary movie––we were seated to watch an original nitrate print of George Sidney’s rousing 1950 musical Annie Get Your Gun. Thankfully, Netflix––in their three-year, gorgeous renovation of the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood––retained its ability to screen nitrate, but if Inglourious Basterds taught us anything, it’s that you can trap and kill a hell of a lot of people with ultra-flammable nitrate stock if things go wrong.
It was the most danger I’ve ever been in while watching Howard Keel romance a woman under disreputable circumstances, and he did that often enough. The risk was plenty worthwhile to see the colors of this ostentatious, gaudy, not-a-little-bit-wacky musical really pop...
This was a step beyond the standard “put away your cell phones” introduction, but this was no ordinary movie––we were seated to watch an original nitrate print of George Sidney’s rousing 1950 musical Annie Get Your Gun. Thankfully, Netflix––in their three-year, gorgeous renovation of the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood––retained its ability to screen nitrate, but if Inglourious Basterds taught us anything, it’s that you can trap and kill a hell of a lot of people with ultra-flammable nitrate stock if things go wrong.
It was the most danger I’ve ever been in while watching Howard Keel romance a woman under disreputable circumstances, and he did that often enough. The risk was plenty worthwhile to see the colors of this ostentatious, gaudy, not-a-little-bit-wacky musical really pop...
- 4/23/2024
- by Scott Nye
- The Film Stage
When it comes to psychological horror films, few have achieved the chilling impact and critical acclaim of Anthony Hopkins‘ The Silence of the Lambs. With its gripping narrative and spine-tingling atmosphere, the film has rightfully earned its place among the greatest in cinematic history, earning five Oscars and widespread acclaim.
Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs
Yet, amidst the crowd of horror classics, there exists a film that goes beyond mere scares, into the realm of controversy and legal turmoil that few filmmakers dare to tread. Released in 1980, Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust seemed too realistic and authentic when it came to the gory scenes that the filmmaker would end up being arrested and charged with murder.
The Controversial Legacy of Cannibal Holocaust
The 1980 Italian film Cannibal Holocaust follows an anthropologist Harold Monroe, who comes across a lost film as he leads a rescue team into the Amazon...
Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs
Yet, amidst the crowd of horror classics, there exists a film that goes beyond mere scares, into the realm of controversy and legal turmoil that few filmmakers dare to tread. Released in 1980, Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust seemed too realistic and authentic when it came to the gory scenes that the filmmaker would end up being arrested and charged with murder.
The Controversial Legacy of Cannibal Holocaust
The 1980 Italian film Cannibal Holocaust follows an anthropologist Harold Monroe, who comes across a lost film as he leads a rescue team into the Amazon...
- 3/31/2024
- by Laxmi Rajput
- FandomWire
While Sydney Sweeney is basking in the success of her recent horror film Immaculate, she seems to have gotten on the wrong side of the Internet again. The Madame Web star faced intense backlash from fans after reports of her starring with Johnny Depp in a new supernatural thriller made the rounds.
Depp has also been receiving backlash ever since his Blow co-star Lola Glaudini reportedly accused him of verbal abuse on the film sets. An insider reported that Sweeney and Depp would be starring in Marc Webb’s new film Day Drinker. However, representatives of the Euphoria star have now confirmed that she would not be starring in the film.
Sydney Sweeney’s Rumored Next Project With Johnny Depp Sydney Sweeney in Immaculate
Sydney Sweeney seems to be the ‘it girl’ of Hollywood at the moment as she dabbles in multiple projects. The actress recently tasted success with her rom-com with Glen Powell,...
Depp has also been receiving backlash ever since his Blow co-star Lola Glaudini reportedly accused him of verbal abuse on the film sets. An insider reported that Sweeney and Depp would be starring in Marc Webb’s new film Day Drinker. However, representatives of the Euphoria star have now confirmed that she would not be starring in the film.
Sydney Sweeney’s Rumored Next Project With Johnny Depp Sydney Sweeney in Immaculate
Sydney Sweeney seems to be the ‘it girl’ of Hollywood at the moment as she dabbles in multiple projects. The actress recently tasted success with her rom-com with Glen Powell,...
- 3/30/2024
- by Nishanth A
- FandomWire
Prepare to feast. Or dance. This week’s streaming debuts include two visually sumptuous films that will whet your Easter-weekend appetite.
The contender to watch this week: “The Taste of Things“
France lost out on an Oscar nomination when the country’s selection committee chose Trần Anh Hùng‘s savory romance about a venerable chef (Benoît Magimel) and a gifted cook (Juliette Binoche) instead of eventual Best Picture nominee “Anatomy of a Fall.” But even if the movie didn’t make the Best International Feature Film category, it earned an immediate spot in the culinary canon. Like the documentary “Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros,” last year’s other great food movie, “The Taste of Things” is kitchen porn. In the warmly lit countryside, the gourmands prepare veal loins, roasted vegetables, baked Alaska, and the creamiest omelet you’ve ever seen. Select theaters are still showing the film, but it’s newly available on VOD.
The contender to watch this week: “The Taste of Things“
France lost out on an Oscar nomination when the country’s selection committee chose Trần Anh Hùng‘s savory romance about a venerable chef (Benoît Magimel) and a gifted cook (Juliette Binoche) instead of eventual Best Picture nominee “Anatomy of a Fall.” But even if the movie didn’t make the Best International Feature Film category, it earned an immediate spot in the culinary canon. Like the documentary “Menus-Plaisirs — Les Troisgros,” last year’s other great food movie, “The Taste of Things” is kitchen porn. In the warmly lit countryside, the gourmands prepare veal loins, roasted vegetables, baked Alaska, and the creamiest omelet you’ve ever seen. Select theaters are still showing the film, but it’s newly available on VOD.
- 3/30/2024
- by Matthew Jacobs
- Gold Derby
Turning down a job can sometimes come back to haunt you, especially if you're an actor who passed up a role in an acclaimed horror movie and later regretted the decision. This scenario may be difficult to imagine. After all, who would pass up the chance to be in a movie or TV show, right? As fans, though, it can be easy to forget that the movie business -- for all its glory, fanfare, legacy, and importance -- is, at the end of the day, just that: a business. A person in any industry may decline a job that doesn't feel like good fit, doesn't align with their schedule, or maybe would have them working with a filmmaker or co-star they unsure of for one reason or another.
Casting is a crucial component to any project's pre-production. In fact, come 2026, "Best Casting" will be an Oscar category. With the exact same material,...
Casting is a crucial component to any project's pre-production. In fact, come 2026, "Best Casting" will be an Oscar category. With the exact same material,...
- 3/25/2024
- by Blake Taylor
- Slash Film
Mark Wahlberg has admitted he wasn’t entirely happy while filming Martin Scorsese’s 2006 film The Departed.
Wahlberg played Sergeant Dignam, who worked in the Special Investigation Unit of the Massachusetts State Police Department, in the Boston-set film, which also starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and Vera Farmiga, among others.
“I was a little pissed about a couple things but look, it all worked out in the end, I think,” Wahlberg said on the March 14 episode of Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast.
“Originally I was supposed to play another part. Originally, I was supposed to get paid,” he said, without elaborating. “And then even when we kind of agreed that I would play Dignam and I saw the advantages of playing that part and how I would approach the situation with everybody else playing opposite me, I then had another movie after.
Wahlberg played Sergeant Dignam, who worked in the Special Investigation Unit of the Massachusetts State Police Department, in the Boston-set film, which also starred Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Matt Damon, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin and Vera Farmiga, among others.
“I was a little pissed about a couple things but look, it all worked out in the end, I think,” Wahlberg said on the March 14 episode of Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast.
“Originally I was supposed to play another part. Originally, I was supposed to get paid,” he said, without elaborating. “And then even when we kind of agreed that I would play Dignam and I saw the advantages of playing that part and how I would approach the situation with everybody else playing opposite me, I then had another movie after.
- 3/25/2024
- by Kimberly Nordyke
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 1982, Jonathan Demme directed a lovely TV movie called “Who Am I This Time?” about a shy actor (Christopher Walken) who can only reveal himself on stage in a variety of disparate roles. It’s an emblematic title and idea for Demme himself, a director whose fascination for the viewer lies in the fact that he’s paradoxically both an auteur with a clear signature and a director who tried on different artistic personalities throughout his career. There’s the exploitation guerrilla of the early ’70s; the humanist drama specialist who made “Melvin and Howard,” “Philadelphia,” and “Rachel Getting Married”; the off-beat hipster comedian; the sensitive documentarian; the live performance specialist; and the steward of well resourced, star-driven literary adaptations and remakes that became Demme’s specialty after his blockbuster success with “The Silence of the Lambs” in 1991.
While the subject matter and scale may vary, the point of view...
While the subject matter and scale may vary, the point of view...
- 3/20/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
Griffin Dunne and Rosanna Arquette’s night of farce and coincidence is a tale in which strangeness and anxiety loom large, leading to a woozy punchline
Martin Scorsese’s 1985 screwball noir is now on rerelease. It felt at the time – and feels now – like an atypical Scorsese movie, a more generic and less auteurist project he accepted from its producer-star Griffin Dunne while progress on his Last Temptation of Christ had temporarily stalled. Maybe he thought of it as “road work”, but time has lent interest to After Hours; the obviously comic and farcical aspect has receded and its strangeness and anxiety loom larger, in a string of unsexy encounters and chilling coincidences culminating in a desolate close-dance scene to the accompaniment of Peggy Lee’s Is That All There Is? It’s a shaggy dog story leading to a punchline, of sorts, but one that feels woozy and illusory...
Martin Scorsese’s 1985 screwball noir is now on rerelease. It felt at the time – and feels now – like an atypical Scorsese movie, a more generic and less auteurist project he accepted from its producer-star Griffin Dunne while progress on his Last Temptation of Christ had temporarily stalled. Maybe he thought of it as “road work”, but time has lent interest to After Hours; the obviously comic and farcical aspect has receded and its strangeness and anxiety loom larger, in a string of unsexy encounters and chilling coincidences culminating in a desolate close-dance scene to the accompaniment of Peggy Lee’s Is That All There Is? It’s a shaggy dog story leading to a punchline, of sorts, but one that feels woozy and illusory...
- 3/20/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Actor Denzel Washington famously collaborated with Tom Hanks for the critically and commercially successful Philadelphia. Washington pulled from many sources to inspire his character, including from a few famous lawyers.
How Denzel Washington created his ‘Philadelphia’ character Denzel Washington | Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Washington put a lot of thought in his Philadelphia performance with Hanks. He played attorney Joe Miller, who’d end up defending Hanks’ character after the latter was fired for being gay and having AIDs.
The Oscar-winner did what he’s used to doing for movie roles and dove head first into research.
“The acting coach Stanislavsky talks about cutting 90 percent. So you do research, research, research, then you drop it and listen when you’re in the scene and know who you are,” Washington once told Cigar Aficionado. “You never know how it’s gonna come around. That’s why you go out there and find out.
How Denzel Washington created his ‘Philadelphia’ character Denzel Washington | Gregg DeGuire/WireImage
Washington put a lot of thought in his Philadelphia performance with Hanks. He played attorney Joe Miller, who’d end up defending Hanks’ character after the latter was fired for being gay and having AIDs.
The Oscar-winner did what he’s used to doing for movie roles and dove head first into research.
“The acting coach Stanislavsky talks about cutting 90 percent. So you do research, research, research, then you drop it and listen when you’re in the scene and know who you are,” Washington once told Cigar Aficionado. “You never know how it’s gonna come around. That’s why you go out there and find out.
- 3/18/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Following the success of Jonathan Demme's "The Silence of the Lambs" in 1991, Hollywood released an eight-year-long tidal wave of serial killer thrillers, each one pulpier than the last. This was the era of "Seven," "Copycat," "Along Came a Spider," "Jennifer 8," "See No Evil," "Eye of the Beholder," "Sliver," "Knight Moves," and any number of others. Right at the end of the decade came Phillip Noyce's 1999 thriller "The Bone Collector," based on the airport novel by Jeffery Deaver. Deaver's original novel was the first of the long-running Lincoln Rhyme series, a series that saw its 16th installment published in 2023. Lincoln Rhyme, thanks to a spinal accident, could not move his body below his neck, and fought crime from his bed, deducting details, looking at pictures, and relying on his team.
In the film adaptation, Denzel Washington played Lincoln Rhyme and Angelina Jolie played his plucky crime fighting partner Amelia Donaghy.
In the film adaptation, Denzel Washington played Lincoln Rhyme and Angelina Jolie played his plucky crime fighting partner Amelia Donaghy.
- 3/17/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
The Animal Kingdom (Thomas Cailley)
In The Animal Kingdom, an Un Certain Regard-selected science-fiction romp from France, human-animal mutations are the new norm. Director Thomas Cailley begins things in media res with a familiar disaster-movie scene: François (Romain Duris) and Émile (Paul Kircher)––father and son, respectively––are stuck in traffic, making chit-chat, when something slowly begins capturing the attention of other drivers. An ambulance across the way begins to rumble. Then a man with a large winged arm bursts out, causing some damage before scurrying down a tunnel. Only mildly ruffled, François exchanges a jaded aphorism with another driver over: “Strange times.” – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli)
The ever-evolving nature of fame and infamy gets examined in Dream Scenario,...
The Animal Kingdom (Thomas Cailley)
In The Animal Kingdom, an Un Certain Regard-selected science-fiction romp from France, human-animal mutations are the new norm. Director Thomas Cailley begins things in media res with a familiar disaster-movie scene: François (Romain Duris) and Émile (Paul Kircher)––father and son, respectively––are stuck in traffic, making chit-chat, when something slowly begins capturing the attention of other drivers. An ambulance across the way begins to rumble. Then a man with a large winged arm bursts out, causing some damage before scurrying down a tunnel. Only mildly ruffled, François exchanges a jaded aphorism with another driver over: “Strange times.” – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli)
The ever-evolving nature of fame and infamy gets examined in Dream Scenario,...
- 3/15/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Ron Nyswaner will soon be traveling to New York to reunite with his Writers Guild of America East fellows for a grand occasion. The Oscar-nominated screenwriter, producer and showrunner has been selected to receive the Walter Bernstein Award at the 76th Writers Guild Awards at New York’s Edison Ballroom on April 14.
The honor — named after the late screenwriter who was blacklisted for his political views only to persevere and get his career back on track with such credits as Fail-Safe, Semi-Tough and Yanks — is presented to writers “who have demonstrated with creativity, grace and bravery a willingness to confront social injustice in the face of adversity,” per the organization.
Nyswaner has been doing that for pretty much his entire career. A prime example is Jonathan Demme’s 1993 film Philadelphia. Penned by Nyswaner, the Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington-starrer was the first major Hollywood film to dramatize the real-world...
The honor — named after the late screenwriter who was blacklisted for his political views only to persevere and get his career back on track with such credits as Fail-Safe, Semi-Tough and Yanks — is presented to writers “who have demonstrated with creativity, grace and bravery a willingness to confront social injustice in the face of adversity,” per the organization.
Nyswaner has been doing that for pretty much his entire career. A prime example is Jonathan Demme’s 1993 film Philadelphia. Penned by Nyswaner, the Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington-starrer was the first major Hollywood film to dramatize the real-world...
- 3/14/2024
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ron Nyswaner, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind films including Philadelphia and The Painted Veil and most recently the Matt Bomer-starring Showtime miniseries Fellow Travelers, is receiving this year’s Walter Bernstein Award from the Writers Guild of America East.
The honor will be bestowed April 14 at the WGA Awards’ East Coast ceremony in New York, which takes place concurrently with the WGA’s West Coast ceremony in Los Angeles.
The Bernstein award goes to writers “who have demonstrated with creativity, grace and bravery a willingness to confront social injustice in the face of adversity.” Nyswaner becomes the second person to win the award, after Jelani Cobb won in 2017 for his Frontline documentary Policing the Police.
Nyswaner penned the original screenplay for Philadelphia, which was groundbreaking when the Jonathan Demme-directed film starring Tom Hanks debuted in 1993; it was the first major motion picture to focus on the discrimination suffered by people with AIDS,...
The honor will be bestowed April 14 at the WGA Awards’ East Coast ceremony in New York, which takes place concurrently with the WGA’s West Coast ceremony in Los Angeles.
The Bernstein award goes to writers “who have demonstrated with creativity, grace and bravery a willingness to confront social injustice in the face of adversity.” Nyswaner becomes the second person to win the award, after Jelani Cobb won in 2017 for his Frontline documentary Policing the Police.
Nyswaner penned the original screenplay for Philadelphia, which was groundbreaking when the Jonathan Demme-directed film starring Tom Hanks debuted in 1993; it was the first major motion picture to focus on the discrimination suffered by people with AIDS,...
- 3/14/2024
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
Anthony Hopkins stands as one of Hollywood’s finest actors, his illustrious career serving as a testament to his remarkable talent. Even now, over three decades later, his 1991 masterpiece The Silence of the Lambs remains a cornerstone of his legacy. The film garnered widespread critical acclaim, solidifying Hopkins’ status as a cinematic icon and earning him his inaugural Academy Award for Best Actor.
The Silence of the Lambs
Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter truly made fans feel they were in danger while staring into his cold, blue eyes. Hopkins’ dedication to method acting won him tons of acclaim, but it also resulted in Martha Stewart ending her relationship with him as she was far too terrified.
Martha Stewart Broke Up With Anthony Hopkins After She Became Scared of His Hannibal Lecter Character Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs
Martha Stewart decided to end her brief relationship with Anthony Hopkins...
The Silence of the Lambs
Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal Lecter truly made fans feel they were in danger while staring into his cold, blue eyes. Hopkins’ dedication to method acting won him tons of acclaim, but it also resulted in Martha Stewart ending her relationship with him as she was far too terrified.
Martha Stewart Broke Up With Anthony Hopkins After She Became Scared of His Hannibal Lecter Character Anthony Hopkins in The Silence of the Lambs
Martha Stewart decided to end her brief relationship with Anthony Hopkins...
- 3/13/2024
- by Subhojeet Mookherjee
- FandomWire
Kurt Russell was born on March 17, 1951, in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks. He started acting at the age of 12 on various television programs. In the 1960s he was signed to a 10-year contract with Walt Disney, which led to his appearance in many of the Disney films of the era. According to the late Robert Osborne of TCM (via Wikipedia), he became the studio’s top star of the 1970s.
Those Disney appearances did typecast Russell a bit and he would be stuck playing many roles that were somewhat wholesome in nature. He would turn that image around when director John Carpenter (fresh from the surprise blockbuster success of “Halloween”) cast him in the lead role of Elvis Presley in a TV movie called “Elvis!” That television film was really the first time Russell was taken seriously as an actor and it earned him an Emmy nomination. Carpenter...
Those Disney appearances did typecast Russell a bit and he would be stuck playing many roles that were somewhat wholesome in nature. He would turn that image around when director John Carpenter (fresh from the surprise blockbuster success of “Halloween”) cast him in the lead role of Elvis Presley in a TV movie called “Elvis!” That television film was really the first time Russell was taken seriously as an actor and it earned him an Emmy nomination. Carpenter...
- 3/9/2024
- by Robert Pius, Misty Holland and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
A hit song by Bananarama in the ’80s told us that Robert De Niro’s Waiting. Tonight, on Real Time with Bill Maher, he finally got the chance to get a few things off his chest.
Maher tried to balance things between show business chat and trying to draw out De Niro on a few political topics. He acknowledged the actor’s greatness by reading off a laundry list of films enhanced by De Niro’s work, and asked what goes into deciding which film to work with.
“I see the possibility,” he said. “Some I’ve been involved with from the inception. They’re movies I’ve felt were worthy. I think I have a pretty good average. I just pick certain things, that I feel are good, well-written, or smart, or the director’s good. Scorsese, I just go with him no matter what’s he going to do.
Maher tried to balance things between show business chat and trying to draw out De Niro on a few political topics. He acknowledged the actor’s greatness by reading off a laundry list of films enhanced by De Niro’s work, and asked what goes into deciding which film to work with.
“I see the possibility,” he said. “Some I’ve been involved with from the inception. They’re movies I’ve felt were worthy. I think I have a pretty good average. I just pick certain things, that I feel are good, well-written, or smart, or the director’s good. Scorsese, I just go with him no matter what’s he going to do.
- 3/9/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
“Road House” is an infectiously stylish piece of slumming. It’s a remake of the 1989 Patrick Swayze cheeseball action cult film, and it’s staged with a verve and wit and dynamic grittiness that make the original film look even more rickety than it once did. Doug Liman, the director of the new “Road House,” has always been a gifted maverick, but I still like his earliest films the best. For years now, he has worked hard to make interesting and responsible dramas, but watching “Road House” you can taste how good it must have felt for him to be irresponsible — to give in to his savage B-movie id.
The action in “Road House” is beyond brutal; at moments, it’s vicious. Yet if the movie is far more violent than your average action film, in its slightly crackpot bare-knuckle way it’s also more humane. Liman stages the pulp...
The action in “Road House” is beyond brutal; at moments, it’s vicious. Yet if the movie is far more violent than your average action film, in its slightly crackpot bare-knuckle way it’s also more humane. Liman stages the pulp...
- 3/9/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Roxy Cinema
The Bridges of Madison County, Bette Gordon’s Variety, and Secretary play on 35mm this weekend.
Anthology Film Archives
Works about the Palestinian film archive screen this weekend while films by Raul Ruiz, Yvonne Rainer, Michael Snow, and more play in Afterimage.
Museum of Modern Art
Max Fleischer’s cartoons play in a new retrospective.
Museum of the Moving Image
A retrospective of snubbed performances brings films by Elaine May, Jonathan Demme, and Mike Leigh.
Film Forum
As the Japanese horror series continues, the American horror film Freaky Friday plays on Sunday.
Bam
Raoul Peck’s Lumumba: Death of a Prophet continues.
IFC Center
A Brian Yuzna retrospective is underway; Starship Troopers, Fight Club, Mondo New York, and The Shining play late.
The post NYC Weekend Watch: The Bridges of Madison County, Palestinian Film Archive, Max Fleischer & More...
Roxy Cinema
The Bridges of Madison County, Bette Gordon’s Variety, and Secretary play on 35mm this weekend.
Anthology Film Archives
Works about the Palestinian film archive screen this weekend while films by Raul Ruiz, Yvonne Rainer, Michael Snow, and more play in Afterimage.
Museum of Modern Art
Max Fleischer’s cartoons play in a new retrospective.
Museum of the Moving Image
A retrospective of snubbed performances brings films by Elaine May, Jonathan Demme, and Mike Leigh.
Film Forum
As the Japanese horror series continues, the American horror film Freaky Friday plays on Sunday.
Bam
Raoul Peck’s Lumumba: Death of a Prophet continues.
IFC Center
A Brian Yuzna retrospective is underway; Starship Troopers, Fight Club, Mondo New York, and The Shining play late.
The post NYC Weekend Watch: The Bridges of Madison County, Palestinian Film Archive, Max Fleischer & More...
- 3/8/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
As attention turns to the Oscars around this time every year, it’s easy to get caught up remembering some of the big winners. One of the most notable champs was The Silence of the Lambs, which took home the “Big Five” awards in 1992: Best Picture, Best Actor (Anthony Hopkins), Best Actress (Jodie Foster), Best Director (Jonathan Demme), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Ted Tally), as well as Best Sound Mixing and Best Film Editing to round it out.
And despite owning the film rights to works of author Thomas Harris, super-producer Dino De Laurentiis saw none of that windfall, be it Oscar gold or box office riches. How could a savvy Hollywood player, responsible for making some of the most important movies of all time, make such a wild mistake?
It’s all Michael Mann’s fault.
Hannibal and the Italian
In 1981, author Thomas Harris published Red Dragon, a...
And despite owning the film rights to works of author Thomas Harris, super-producer Dino De Laurentiis saw none of that windfall, be it Oscar gold or box office riches. How could a savvy Hollywood player, responsible for making some of the most important movies of all time, make such a wild mistake?
It’s all Michael Mann’s fault.
Hannibal and the Italian
In 1981, author Thomas Harris published Red Dragon, a...
- 2/19/2024
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Yesterday on the blog we announced the Fellows participating in the 2024 Film Independent Episodic Lab. Today, we’re drawing your attention to the fact that applications for next year’s cohort are currently open, with the regular deadline of February 26.
We asked 2020 Episodic Lab Fellow Katherine Ruppe to share her experience in the Lab developing her Sloan-supported series project Liftoff, about the lives and careers of NASA’s first class of female astronauts. Follow Katherine online at @RuppeVerse on Instagram and X.
***
It’s the grand finale of our 2020 Film Independent Episodic Lab. I’m facing a zoom screen of half a dozen Netflix executives, about to pitch Liftoff, my TV project centered around America’s first six female astronauts as they break through the brotherhood of spaceflight. My stomach has so many butterflies it’s ready to rocket into orbit. I take in the encouraging faces of the other...
We asked 2020 Episodic Lab Fellow Katherine Ruppe to share her experience in the Lab developing her Sloan-supported series project Liftoff, about the lives and careers of NASA’s first class of female astronauts. Follow Katherine online at @RuppeVerse on Instagram and X.
***
It’s the grand finale of our 2020 Film Independent Episodic Lab. I’m facing a zoom screen of half a dozen Netflix executives, about to pitch Liftoff, my TV project centered around America’s first six female astronauts as they break through the brotherhood of spaceflight. My stomach has so many butterflies it’s ready to rocket into orbit. I take in the encouraging faces of the other...
- 2/16/2024
- by Katherine Ruppe
- Film Independent News & More
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Film at Lincoln Center
A retrospective of Denis Villeneuve’s work also brings the director’s programming choices, among them films by Godard, Resnais, Cassavetes, and Wong Kar-wai.
Roxy Cinema
Bob Fosse’s Star 80, The Piano Teacher, The Pillow Book, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and End of Night all play on 35mm.
Anthology Film Archives
As retrospective of Haitian cinema continues, films by Hollis Frampton and Ernie Gehr play Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Film Forum
“Sapph-o-rama” continues with films by Nicholas Ray, Jonathan Demme, Lizzie Borden, and more; a 4K restoration of Pandora’s Box has begun a run; a print of The Third Man continues, while the Harold Lloyd film Hot Water shows on 35mm this Sunday.
Museum of the Moving Image
A retrospective of snubbed performances brings films by Scorsese, Elaine May, Jonathan Demme, and Gus Van Sant...
Film at Lincoln Center
A retrospective of Denis Villeneuve’s work also brings the director’s programming choices, among them films by Godard, Resnais, Cassavetes, and Wong Kar-wai.
Roxy Cinema
Bob Fosse’s Star 80, The Piano Teacher, The Pillow Book, Looking for Mr. Goodbar, and End of Night all play on 35mm.
Anthology Film Archives
As retrospective of Haitian cinema continues, films by Hollis Frampton and Ernie Gehr play Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Film Forum
“Sapph-o-rama” continues with films by Nicholas Ray, Jonathan Demme, Lizzie Borden, and more; a 4K restoration of Pandora’s Box has begun a run; a print of The Third Man continues, while the Harold Lloyd film Hot Water shows on 35mm this Sunday.
Museum of the Moving Image
A retrospective of snubbed performances brings films by Scorsese, Elaine May, Jonathan Demme, and Gus Van Sant...
- 2/16/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
When movies come out, we grade them with reviews, define them by box office returns or eyeballs on streaming services, and maybe trophies down the line. But every successful, ambitious film starts with a dream, followed by compromise and adversity. Here begins Deadline’s occasional peek into the creative aspirations, and the sweat and blood that propels ambitious films.
The Movie
Bob Marley: One Love
In today’s challenged theatrical marketplace, it’s particularly pleasing when a plan works out. Slotted against an underperforming Madame Web for President’s Day weekend, Paramount Pictures’ Bob Marley: One Love on Wednesday set the Valentine’s Day opening record with a $14 million gross, and the film has a nice chance to eclipse the initial $30 million long weekend projections. Per Rotten Tomatoes, the Paramount film has pleased audiences (95% approval) more than critics (44%), but Reinaldo Marcus Green’s skillfully made biopic of an iconic artist...
The Movie
Bob Marley: One Love
In today’s challenged theatrical marketplace, it’s particularly pleasing when a plan works out. Slotted against an underperforming Madame Web for President’s Day weekend, Paramount Pictures’ Bob Marley: One Love on Wednesday set the Valentine’s Day opening record with a $14 million gross, and the film has a nice chance to eclipse the initial $30 million long weekend projections. Per Rotten Tomatoes, the Paramount film has pleased audiences (95% approval) more than critics (44%), but Reinaldo Marcus Green’s skillfully made biopic of an iconic artist...
- 2/15/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
The episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? covering Hannibal was Written by Mike Holtz, Narrated by Travis Hopson, Edited by Joseph Wilson, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
When The Silence of the Lambs was released upon the world in 1991 and not only became a financial and critical success but also the third film in history to win all five of the big awards at the Oscars, you knew it meant one thing… Tostito’s Pizza Rolls! Because that’s the best way to celebrate any achievement. No, it meant a sequel. Thank God it released in the 90s and not today! Forget a sequel, Disney would have purchased the rights and farmed out an entire cinematic universe. I can see it now… (trailer voice) “You’ve seen Hannibal Lecter behind bars. But have you ever seen him… in the classroom?...
When The Silence of the Lambs was released upon the world in 1991 and not only became a financial and critical success but also the third film in history to win all five of the big awards at the Oscars, you knew it meant one thing… Tostito’s Pizza Rolls! Because that’s the best way to celebrate any achievement. No, it meant a sequel. Thank God it released in the 90s and not today! Forget a sequel, Disney would have purchased the rights and farmed out an entire cinematic universe. I can see it now… (trailer voice) “You’ve seen Hannibal Lecter behind bars. But have you ever seen him… in the classroom?...
- 2/12/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Film Forum
“Sapph-o-rama” highlights lesbian cinema with films by Chantal Akerman, Nicholas Ray, Ulrike Ottinger, and more; a 4K restoration of The Pianist and The Third Man on 35mm continue; A Hard Day’s Night plays on Sunday.
Museum of the Moving Image
A retrospective of snubbed performances brings films by Cassavetes, Jonathan Demme, and more; The Gods of Times Square and a print of Prince’s vastly underrated Under the Cherry Moon both play on Sunday.
Metrograph
The series “Dreamlike Visions” puts modern master Alain Gomis front-and-center.
Roxy Cinema
Carpenter’s Christine, Almodóvar’s Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, and Secretary all play on 35mm.
Museum of Modern Art
As the massive run of Luis Buñuel’s Mexican films continues, a retrospective of Finnish filmmaker Ilkka Järvi-Laturi begins.
IFC Center
A Dario Argento series continues; Audition, Basket Case 3,...
Film Forum
“Sapph-o-rama” highlights lesbian cinema with films by Chantal Akerman, Nicholas Ray, Ulrike Ottinger, and more; a 4K restoration of The Pianist and The Third Man on 35mm continue; A Hard Day’s Night plays on Sunday.
Museum of the Moving Image
A retrospective of snubbed performances brings films by Cassavetes, Jonathan Demme, and more; The Gods of Times Square and a print of Prince’s vastly underrated Under the Cherry Moon both play on Sunday.
Metrograph
The series “Dreamlike Visions” puts modern master Alain Gomis front-and-center.
Roxy Cinema
Carpenter’s Christine, Almodóvar’s Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, and Secretary all play on 35mm.
Museum of Modern Art
As the massive run of Luis Buñuel’s Mexican films continues, a retrospective of Finnish filmmaker Ilkka Järvi-Laturi begins.
IFC Center
A Dario Argento series continues; Audition, Basket Case 3,...
- 2/9/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
The episode of Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie? covering The Silence of the Lambs was Written by Mike Holtz, Narrated by Adam Walton, Edited by Victoria Verduzco, Produced by Andrew Hatfield and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.
A serial killer who has excellent taste in music but happens to skin women alive. Another serial killer who eats his victims and sometimes wears their faces. A prison inmate who throws his bodily fluids in the face of passers-by and freaking Bugs. Welcome to the 1992 Academy Awards Ceremony. Wait, what? That’s right kids! Do you enjoy listening to Primus and want to see Hannibal Lecter make potato chips out of each one of your eyelids? Once upon a time, horror put on its best face; Literally, and was the belle of the fanciest ball of them all. And every little girl deserves to go to the ball.
A serial killer who has excellent taste in music but happens to skin women alive. Another serial killer who eats his victims and sometimes wears their faces. A prison inmate who throws his bodily fluids in the face of passers-by and freaking Bugs. Welcome to the 1992 Academy Awards Ceremony. Wait, what? That’s right kids! Do you enjoy listening to Primus and want to see Hannibal Lecter make potato chips out of each one of your eyelids? Once upon a time, horror put on its best face; Literally, and was the belle of the fanciest ball of them all. And every little girl deserves to go to the ball.
- 2/7/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Metrograph is expanding its theatrical distribution business and has hired former A24 executive David Laub as head of Metrograph Pictures.
Laub will reported to CEO Christian Grass and will assemble a team to build a slate of prestige theatrical releases covering independent, international, and documentary.
The company aims to acquire completed films and board projects at earlier stages to potentially provide financing, and is looking at projects with an aim to get up to 10 “robustly supported” releases per year.
Laub will attend Berlin next week to scour the festival and market for potential acquisitions.
Until Tuesday’s announcement the company,...
Laub will reported to CEO Christian Grass and will assemble a team to build a slate of prestige theatrical releases covering independent, international, and documentary.
The company aims to acquire completed films and board projects at earlier stages to potentially provide financing, and is looking at projects with an aim to get up to 10 “robustly supported” releases per year.
Laub will attend Berlin next week to scour the festival and market for potential acquisitions.
Until Tuesday’s announcement the company,...
- 2/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive:f David Laub, a longtime distribution executive at A24, is joining Metrograph to build a new slate of theatrical releases as head of Metrograph Pictures, a label that’s been focused mainly on restorations of classic films.
Laub will consider American independent, international and documentary features, both finished films and earlier stage projects to potentially provide financing. The company is aiming to get to 10 releases a year.
“We are excited to work with a wide range of films and filmmakers, and be a robust new presence in the distribution landscape,” said Laub, who will hit the ground for Metrograph at the upcoming Berlinale and European Film Market next week.
It’s not an easy time for indie film distribution. Metrograph in is announcement said the industry “in dire need of fresh thinking and inventive distribution options.”
Laub will report to and work closely with Metrograph CEO Christian Grass, who joined...
Laub will consider American independent, international and documentary features, both finished films and earlier stage projects to potentially provide financing. The company is aiming to get to 10 releases a year.
“We are excited to work with a wide range of films and filmmakers, and be a robust new presence in the distribution landscape,” said Laub, who will hit the ground for Metrograph at the upcoming Berlinale and European Film Market next week.
It’s not an easy time for indie film distribution. Metrograph in is announcement said the industry “in dire need of fresh thinking and inventive distribution options.”
Laub will report to and work closely with Metrograph CEO Christian Grass, who joined...
- 2/6/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Anthony Hopkins’ signature role will always be that of Hannibal Lecter in 1991’s The Silence of the Lambs, a performance which nabbed him his first Oscar. There was definitely some category fraud going on there, as he should have won for Best Supporting Actor, but the way Hopkins plays him cast such a mood over the entire film that we believe he has more than just 16 minutes of screen time. Now more than 30 years – and another Best Actor Oscar – later, Hopkins admits that he knew right away that Hannibal the cannibal was one of the best parts he had ever read.
Speaking with People, Hopkins recalled his agent telling him about a script called The Silence of the Lambs, which already had Jodie Foster attached. Initially Hopkins thought it was a children’s story, which must have been well before opening the pages (although there is a cute dog). “So I opened it.
Speaking with People, Hopkins recalled his agent telling him about a script called The Silence of the Lambs, which already had Jodie Foster attached. Initially Hopkins thought it was a children’s story, which must have been well before opening the pages (although there is a cute dog). “So I opened it.
- 1/21/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Anthony Hopkins still considers the role of Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs to be “one of the best parts” he’s ever read.
The Oscar-winning actor recently opened up to People magazine about his time on the film and recalled when he first got the script from his agent while doing the play M. Butterfly in London. Originally, Hopkins thought the film was a children’s story because of its name.
“[My agent] said, ‘I want you to read this,'” he shared. “I said, ‘Is it an offer?’ He said, ‘It’s a film with Jodie Foster called The Silence of the Lambs.‘”
The actor began reading the script in the dressing room of the theater he was in and again asked if it was an offer. If it wasn’t, he didn’t want to keep reading, he told his agent, “because this is one of the...
The Oscar-winning actor recently opened up to People magazine about his time on the film and recalled when he first got the script from his agent while doing the play M. Butterfly in London. Originally, Hopkins thought the film was a children’s story because of its name.
“[My agent] said, ‘I want you to read this,'” he shared. “I said, ‘Is it an offer?’ He said, ‘It’s a film with Jodie Foster called The Silence of the Lambs.‘”
The actor began reading the script in the dressing room of the theater he was in and again asked if it was an offer. If it wasn’t, he didn’t want to keep reading, he told his agent, “because this is one of the...
- 1/20/2024
- by Christy Piña
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Exclusive: Producers Peter Saraf and Eddie Rubin, who are in Park City to premiere the Sundance buzz titles Out of My Mind and Winner, have joined forces to create Optimistic Pictures, to develop and produce film and TV properties with an independent sensibility.
Saraf is the co-founder of Big Beach, the producer/financier responsible for one of the greatest successes to break at Sundance, the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine. After a massive bidding battle that was won by Fox Searchlight ($10.5 million and 10% gross), the film got four Oscar noms including Best Picture, won two Oscars and grossed $101 million, on an $8 million production budget.
After their first teaming on The Farewell, Saraf and Rubin are reuniting with that indie hit’s star Awkwafina. She’ll produce and star in an adaptation of G, the Ling Ma short story which is included in her National Book Critics Circle Award winning collection, Bliss Montage.
Saraf is the co-founder of Big Beach, the producer/financier responsible for one of the greatest successes to break at Sundance, the 2006 film Little Miss Sunshine. After a massive bidding battle that was won by Fox Searchlight ($10.5 million and 10% gross), the film got four Oscar noms including Best Picture, won two Oscars and grossed $101 million, on an $8 million production budget.
After their first teaming on The Farewell, Saraf and Rubin are reuniting with that indie hit’s star Awkwafina. She’ll produce and star in an adaptation of G, the Ling Ma short story which is included in her National Book Critics Circle Award winning collection, Bliss Montage.
- 1/19/2024
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
If you’re eager to see “Stop Making Sense” on the big screen again, well, watch out … you might get what you’re after.
Starting Jan. 27, the beloved Talking Heads concert film will return to movie theaters across the U.S., Canada and the U.K. via A24, in honor of the movie’s 40th anniversary this summer.
“Stop Making Sense” will have residencies in cities including Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and more. Tickets will be available to purchase here.
A24 will also release a special collection of merchandise available to purchase at selected theaters. A preorder for a collector’s edition 4K and Blu-ray release of the film will open Jan. 27. And considering Talking Heads reunited to celebrate the film last year at Toronto International Film Festival, perhaps members of the band will make surprise cameos at theaters throughout the theatrical tour.
Starting Jan. 27, the beloved Talking Heads concert film will return to movie theaters across the U.S., Canada and the U.K. via A24, in honor of the movie’s 40th anniversary this summer.
“Stop Making Sense” will have residencies in cities including Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, London, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York, Portland, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto and more. Tickets will be available to purchase here.
A24 will also release a special collection of merchandise available to purchase at selected theaters. A preorder for a collector’s edition 4K and Blu-ray release of the film will open Jan. 27. And considering Talking Heads reunited to celebrate the film last year at Toronto International Film Festival, perhaps members of the band will make surprise cameos at theaters throughout the theatrical tour.
- 1/17/2024
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Julianne Moore is possibly one of the best actresses of her generation, so her casting in Ridley Scott's 2001 horror film "Hannibal" was a little frustrating. "Hannibal" was a decade-later sequel to Jonathan Demme's Academy Award-winning horror powerhouse "The Silence of the Lambs" which starred Anthony Hopkins as the insane cannibal psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter and Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling, the FBI rookie who needed to interrogate him. Foster and Hopkins are both excellent, and both won Oscars for their performances. "Hannibal" catches up with the "Lmabs" characters after Dr. Lecter has been on the lam for a number of years and Agent Starling is blamed for a disastrous botched drug raid. The plot involves one of Hannibal's surviving victims (Gary Oldman) as he plots revenge.
For "Hannibal," Hopkins agreed to return, but Foster didn't, leaving the role of Agent Starling in the hands of Moore. Moore is fine in the role,...
For "Hannibal," Hopkins agreed to return, but Foster didn't, leaving the role of Agent Starling in the hands of Moore. Moore is fine in the role,...
- 1/13/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Paramore eyes some oversized outerwear in the first teaser for A24’s forthcoming album paying tribute to the Talking Heads’ classic performance film Stop Making Sense.
A24 and Paramore took to social media Wednesday to share a video announcing the album, set to feature 16 artists each covering a different track from the 1984 movie. The video includes a snippet of Paramore’s version of “Burning Down the House,” which is teased as the first track for the project that has yet to announce a release date.
In the video, Paramore singer Hayley Williams receives a box at her doorstep and pulls out a gray suit jacket reminiscent of one that Talking Heads singer David Byrne famously dons in Jonathan Demme’s original movie. Filmed over four nights at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles the year prior, Stop Making Sense features hits including “Once in a Lifetime” and “Psycho Killer” and...
A24 and Paramore took to social media Wednesday to share a video announcing the album, set to feature 16 artists each covering a different track from the 1984 movie. The video includes a snippet of Paramore’s version of “Burning Down the House,” which is teased as the first track for the project that has yet to announce a release date.
In the video, Paramore singer Hayley Williams receives a box at her doorstep and pulls out a gray suit jacket reminiscent of one that Talking Heads singer David Byrne famously dons in Jonathan Demme’s original movie. Filmed over four nights at the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles the year prior, Stop Making Sense features hits including “Once in a Lifetime” and “Psycho Killer” and...
- 1/10/2024
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Hayley Williams and her Paramore band members have a tape they’d like to play for you. Not long after parting ways with Atlantic Records to become an independent rock band, Paramore is teasing a partnership with A24 to release a 16-track Stop Making Sense tribute album inspired by the life-altering album and concert performance by the Talking Heads. While details remain a mystery, the project teases “16 tracks from 16 artists.”
Paramore is singer Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro. Recently, the band created a panic among its fanbase when rumors about them breaking up circulated online. The nail-biting occurred when the band removed its website and scrubbed its social media platforms. However, the band has no intention of parting ways—quite the opposite. In addition to announcing the Stop Making Sense tribute album, Paramore will support Taylor Swift on her sold-out Eras arena tour in 2024.
In a...
Paramore is singer Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro. Recently, the band created a panic among its fanbase when rumors about them breaking up circulated online. The nail-biting occurred when the band removed its website and scrubbed its social media platforms. However, the band has no intention of parting ways—quite the opposite. In addition to announcing the Stop Making Sense tribute album, Paramore will support Taylor Swift on her sold-out Eras arena tour in 2024.
In a...
- 1/10/2024
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
The indie box office busted out this year, hitting is stride post-Covid with an eclectic string of releases that made a splash artistically and financially.
Independents and mini-majors saw $1.47 billion in box office receipts as of Dec. 27, up from $811.7 million in 2022, according to Comscore.
Focus Features had the biggest limited opening of the year with Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City (gross $28 million). Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers with Paul Giamatti ($17.9 million) drew older demos, picky, yes, but finally comfortable back in theaters. Ditto for MGM’s Air, a film Amazon originally slated to go directly to Prime Video, that hit a core 45+ audience and a $52 million cume.
A24’s Past Lives, the much-nominated first film by Celine Song, made $10.9 million and its low-budget horror Talk to Me cleared $48 million. Emma Seligman’s raunchy teen comedy Bottoms from MGM topped $12 million.
That led into a fall bonanza heading into awards season with Anatomy Of A Fall,...
Independents and mini-majors saw $1.47 billion in box office receipts as of Dec. 27, up from $811.7 million in 2022, according to Comscore.
Focus Features had the biggest limited opening of the year with Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City (gross $28 million). Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers with Paul Giamatti ($17.9 million) drew older demos, picky, yes, but finally comfortable back in theaters. Ditto for MGM’s Air, a film Amazon originally slated to go directly to Prime Video, that hit a core 45+ audience and a $52 million cume.
A24’s Past Lives, the much-nominated first film by Celine Song, made $10.9 million and its low-budget horror Talk to Me cleared $48 million. Emma Seligman’s raunchy teen comedy Bottoms from MGM topped $12 million.
That led into a fall bonanza heading into awards season with Anatomy Of A Fall,...
- 1/1/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Two-time Academy Award winner Denzel Washington is clearly one of our finest actors (he’s been nominated ten times in total for various Best Acting and Best Supporting Actor turns). The actor, who has worked with many of the greats, Spike Lee, Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Jonathan Demme, etc. is also a very fine director. Washington has directed four feature-length efforts, “Antoine Fisher” (2002), “The Great Debaters” (2007), the critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated “Fences”—arguably his biggest of all of them, nominated for Best Picture and winning Viola Davis the award for Best Supporting Actress—(2016) and “A Journal With Jordan,” a movie that kind of came and went in 2021.
Continue reading Spike Lee Tells Bradley Cooper Says Denzel Washington Is “Done” Directing In New 46 Minute Filmmaker Talk at The Playlist.
Continue reading Spike Lee Tells Bradley Cooper Says Denzel Washington Is “Done” Directing In New 46 Minute Filmmaker Talk at The Playlist.
- 12/20/2023
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
One of the great restorations of the last year––in the sense that not only is it of pristine quality, but that it invites an underseen gem back into the conversation––is that of Nancy Savoca’s 1993 drama Household Saints, which was executive-produced by Jonathan Demme. Led by Tracey Ullman, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lili Taylor, Judith Malina, Illeana Douglas, and Michael Imperioli, the ambitious, carefully observed drama follows the courtship of an Italian-American family before expanding into a tale of religious conviction. Scripted by Savoca and Richard Guay based on Francine Prose’s novel, the new 4K restoration premiered at New York Film Festival and now Kino Lorber and Milestone Films will open it theatrically on January 12 at the IFC Center. Ahead of the release, we’re pleased to exclusively premiere the new trailer.
Here’s the synopsis: “Based on Francine Prose’s fifth novel, Nancy Savoca’s comic chronicle of...
Here’s the synopsis: “Based on Francine Prose’s fifth novel, Nancy Savoca’s comic chronicle of...
- 12/18/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
This year’s Golden Globe nominees for Best Film Supporting Actress are Emily Blunt (“Oppenheimer”), Danielle Brooks (“The Color Purple”), Jodie Foster (“Nyad”), Julianne Moore (“May December”), Rosamund Pike (“Saltburn”), and Da’Vine Joy Randolph (“The Holdovers”). Two of them in particular, Foster and Moore, happen to have something in common. It’s not just the fact that they’re both previous Oscar winners contending for Netflix releases this year. It’s actually the fact that they’ve both taken on the role of Clarice Starling in separate films adapted from novelist Thomas Harris‘s Hannibal Lecter series.
In 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” directed by Jonathan Demme, Foster played Clarice, who was assigned by the FBI to interview and profile deranged killer Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). The film was a huge critical and commercial hit upon release that February, so much so that 13 months later it won five Academy Awards including Best Picture.
In 1991’s “The Silence of the Lambs” directed by Jonathan Demme, Foster played Clarice, who was assigned by the FBI to interview and profile deranged killer Lecter (Anthony Hopkins). The film was a huge critical and commercial hit upon release that February, so much so that 13 months later it won five Academy Awards including Best Picture.
- 12/14/2023
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
Detective thrillers have always had one foot in the horror genre, often starring morally complex investigators forced to confront the nastiest facets of the human condition while hunting down rogue killers. Naturally, these hard-boiled yarns are as common as they are popular, and it takes a special kind of storyteller to extract a meaningful experience from such familiar tropes.
While he’s mostly known for his multi-million dollar epics, I’d argue that Christopher Nolan is one of these rare talents, with the British director starting out his career with a compelling trio of down-to-earth thrillers that culminated in 2002’s Insomnia – arguably the filmmaker’s most underrated film. And with Nolan back in the spotlight after miraculously turning an R-rated biopic into a bona fide blockbuster event, I thought that this might be a great opportunity to look back on the filmmaker’s first studio-backed project.
A remake of a...
While he’s mostly known for his multi-million dollar epics, I’d argue that Christopher Nolan is one of these rare talents, with the British director starting out his career with a compelling trio of down-to-earth thrillers that culminated in 2002’s Insomnia – arguably the filmmaker’s most underrated film. And with Nolan back in the spotlight after miraculously turning an R-rated biopic into a bona fide blockbuster event, I thought that this might be a great opportunity to look back on the filmmaker’s first studio-backed project.
A remake of a...
- 12/13/2023
- by Luiz H. C.
- bloody-disgusting.com
After directing a trifecta of progressively weirder genre films — "Ex Machina," "Annihilation," and "Men" — Alex Garland is delivering another vision of a possible future with his upcoming sci-fi film "Civil War." Produced by acclaimed indie studio A24, "Civil War" has been described by Garland as a "companion piece to 'Men' in some ways." The cast includes Kirsten Dunst ("The Power of the Dog"), Wagner Moura ("Narcos"), Sonoya Mizuno ("House of the Dragon"), Cailee Spaeny ("Priscilla"), and Stephen McKinley Henderson ("Dune").
Though Garland has been cagey with plot details in the lead-up to this trailer release, he did reveal that "Civil War" is "set at an indeterminate point in the future — just far enough ahead for me to add a conceit." He also told The Telegraph that the film is a sci-fi allegory for the increasingly sharp political divides in society, and warned that it's "going to wind some people up.
Though Garland has been cagey with plot details in the lead-up to this trailer release, he did reveal that "Civil War" is "set at an indeterminate point in the future — just far enough ahead for me to add a conceit." He also told The Telegraph that the film is a sci-fi allegory for the increasingly sharp political divides in society, and warned that it's "going to wind some people up.
- 12/13/2023
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
It's been four years since we dipped into the moral morass of "True Detective," and this season promises to be, literally, the darkest yet.
Set in the fictional small town of Ennis, Alaska, the show's fourth season, subtitled "Night Country," is going to use the region's punishingly long nights to evoke a deep sense of dread -- and it's going to do so without extensive story input from series creator Nic Pizzolatto. Though he will receive an executive producer credit, this season belongs to writer-director Issa López, who made a startlingly creepy impression in 2017 with her clever crime-horror flick "Tigers Are Not Afraid."
López is a particularly inspired choice because she values the importance of atmosphere in conveying a pervasive feeling of foreboding that sticks to you long after the film or episode is over. She also understands what made the first and best season of "True Detective" so effective...
Set in the fictional small town of Ennis, Alaska, the show's fourth season, subtitled "Night Country," is going to use the region's punishingly long nights to evoke a deep sense of dread -- and it's going to do so without extensive story input from series creator Nic Pizzolatto. Though he will receive an executive producer credit, this season belongs to writer-director Issa López, who made a startlingly creepy impression in 2017 with her clever crime-horror flick "Tigers Are Not Afraid."
López is a particularly inspired choice because she values the importance of atmosphere in conveying a pervasive feeling of foreboding that sticks to you long after the film or episode is over. She also understands what made the first and best season of "True Detective" so effective...
- 12/10/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
A24, an entertainment company that is quite popular with fans of both horror and arthouse dramas these days, has just secured a Pay 1 output streaming deal with Warner Bros. Discovery that will see all of their new releases heading to HBO, Max, and Cinemax after their theatrical runs. In addition to this, The Verge reports that A24’s entire existing movie library, a list of over 100 titles, will also be available to watch through HBO, Max, and Cinemax. A24 previously had a similar deal with Showtime.
Royce Battleman, executive vice president of content acquisitions at Wbd, provided the following statement: “Continuing our relationship with A24 to bring award-winning movies alongside recent fan-favorites to subscribers adds incredible value to the HBO and Max value proposition. The diverse range of stories that come from the A24 pipeline make this partnership so impactful for our audience.“
Some A24 films were already available on Max and HBO before this,...
Royce Battleman, executive vice president of content acquisitions at Wbd, provided the following statement: “Continuing our relationship with A24 to bring award-winning movies alongside recent fan-favorites to subscribers adds incredible value to the HBO and Max value proposition. The diverse range of stories that come from the A24 pipeline make this partnership so impactful for our audience.“
Some A24 films were already available on Max and HBO before this,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
When The Silence of the Lambs was released in 1991, the consensus among audiences was that the film had been cast perfectly: Anthony Hopkins was Dr. Hannibal Lecter, and Jodie Foster was Clarice Starling. Academy Award voters agreed, as both Hopkins and Foster won Oscars for their performances, while the film won Best Picture and Jonathan Demme won Best Director. Of course, Foster — even at age 27, when Silence was filmed — was already a Hollywood veteran, having made her first movie when she was just 9 years old. Then again, it’s a rare thing when a child actor grows up to become an acclaimed adult actor. But Hopkins, speaking at the time of the film’s release, told us that working with Foster was one of the best — and easiest — collaborations he’d ever had. (Click on the media bar below to hear Anthony Hopkins ) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Anthony...
- 12/6/2023
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Warner Bros. Discovery inked a multiyear U.S. output deal with A24 bringing the entertainment company’s slate of films exclusively to HBO, Max and Cinemax after their theatrical runs.
A24’s output agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery comes after the expiration of A24’s deal earlier this year with Paramount Global’s Showtime, originally struck in 2019.
Among the films to be available under the new deal are Sofia Coppola’s biopic “Priscilla” starring Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley and Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla Presley; Sean Durkin’s upcoming “The Iron Claw” starring Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White as the real-life Von Erich brothers, who made history in the world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s; and Kristoffer Borgli’s comedy “Dream Scenario” starring Nicolas Cage.
Other movies included in the pay-1 output agreement include “Dicks: The Musical,” from comedian Larry Charles; “The Zone of Interest”; the 2023 rerelease of “Stop Making Sense,...
A24’s output agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery comes after the expiration of A24’s deal earlier this year with Paramount Global’s Showtime, originally struck in 2019.
Among the films to be available under the new deal are Sofia Coppola’s biopic “Priscilla” starring Jacob Elordi as Elvis Presley and Cailee Spaeny as Priscilla Presley; Sean Durkin’s upcoming “The Iron Claw” starring Zac Efron and Jeremy Allen White as the real-life Von Erich brothers, who made history in the world of professional wrestling in the early 1980s; and Kristoffer Borgli’s comedy “Dream Scenario” starring Nicolas Cage.
Other movies included in the pay-1 output agreement include “Dicks: The Musical,” from comedian Larry Charles; “The Zone of Interest”; the 2023 rerelease of “Stop Making Sense,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
In a super weekend for specialty, Saltburn had a lofty open on seven screens and The Holdovers a nice $2.7 million in a major week-three expansion that put it at no. 6 at the domestic box office. Actors are once again out promoting their films and indie/original fare continues to benefit from fewer studio releases in the aftermath of the SAG-AFTRA strike.
The specialty market has been on a rollercoaster with box office hard to predict — stellar reviews notwithstanding. So it’s nice to see The Holdovers — Alexander Payne’s comedy-drama starring Paul Giamatti as a cranky professor in a New England prep school circa 1970, drawing audiences, especially older demos that have been hard to coax back.
The pic from Focus Features launched Oct. 27 on six screens, moved to 64 in week two, 778 last weekend and 1,478 Friday in a traditional platform rollout that caught a great break with timing as the SAG-AFTRA strike settled Nov.
The specialty market has been on a rollercoaster with box office hard to predict — stellar reviews notwithstanding. So it’s nice to see The Holdovers — Alexander Payne’s comedy-drama starring Paul Giamatti as a cranky professor in a New England prep school circa 1970, drawing audiences, especially older demos that have been hard to coax back.
The pic from Focus Features launched Oct. 27 on six screens, moved to 64 in week two, 778 last weekend and 1,478 Friday in a traditional platform rollout that caught a great break with timing as the SAG-AFTRA strike settled Nov.
- 11/19/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Genres films are often overlooked by academy voters and none more so than horror. Horror films have been a cornerstone of cinema since the inception of the format with George Méliès‘ “Le Manoir du Diable” often considered the first horror movie. Since then, we’ve had hundreds of important horror movies including “Nosferatu,” “Psycho,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” “Halloween,” and “The Shining.” These have all influenced not only the horror genre but the film industry at large in one way or another. Yet, we’ve only had six films nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars in Academy Awards history. Let’s take a look at them.
The first horror film ever nominated for Best Picture was William Friedkin‘s “The Exorcist,” which follows Max von Sydow‘s priest trying to rid a 12-year-old girl of the entity possessing her. The film made a big, bloody splash at the 1974 Academy Awards,...
The first horror film ever nominated for Best Picture was William Friedkin‘s “The Exorcist,” which follows Max von Sydow‘s priest trying to rid a 12-year-old girl of the entity possessing her. The film made a big, bloody splash at the 1974 Academy Awards,...
- 11/19/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
The classic Talking Heads concert film “Stop Making Sense” has generated $5 million at the box office since returning to theaters in the fall.
With this benchmark, the “Stop Making Sense” re-release has generated more coinage than the film’s entire initial 41-week run ($4.95 million) in 1984. Of course, this milestone comes with a massive caveat: Ticket sales aren’t adjusted for inflation, and prices were significantly less expensive four decades ago. So, attendance was higher during the original release.
Still, it’s an impressive turnout for a 40-year-old documentary about a band whose members are currently in their 70s. (Concert films don’t need to sell at the level of Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” to be successful.) According to its distributor A24, it’s not just old fans of Talking Heads who are returning to the big screen. More than 60% of audience members were not alive when the film was originally released,...
With this benchmark, the “Stop Making Sense” re-release has generated more coinage than the film’s entire initial 41-week run ($4.95 million) in 1984. Of course, this milestone comes with a massive caveat: Ticket sales aren’t adjusted for inflation, and prices were significantly less expensive four decades ago. So, attendance was higher during the original release.
Still, it’s an impressive turnout for a 40-year-old documentary about a band whose members are currently in their 70s. (Concert films don’t need to sell at the level of Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” to be successful.) According to its distributor A24, it’s not just old fans of Talking Heads who are returning to the big screen. More than 60% of audience members were not alive when the film was originally released,...
- 11/14/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
He’s won prizes from the Golden Globes, Cannes, and the Directors Guild, but Ridley Scott has never won a little gold man.
The 85-year-old filmmaker, readying to unleash his Joaquin Phoenix-starring epic “Napoleon” on the world November 22, gave a characteristically gloves-off interview in The New Yorker this week. (One delightful quote? The director of the likes of “The Counselor” and “Thelma and Louise” and “Robin Hood” said “my choices tend to be random” in terms of what projects he likes to pursue.)
But the topic of how the four-time Academy Award-nominated English director feels about consistently being shunned by the Oscars came up with New Yorker writer Michael Schulman. Scott’s swords-and-sandals saga “Gladiator” won Best Picture in 2001 and revived his career, but as Scott wasn’t a credited producer on the now-classic, the win wasn’t his to take. He lost Best Director that year, as well...
The 85-year-old filmmaker, readying to unleash his Joaquin Phoenix-starring epic “Napoleon” on the world November 22, gave a characteristically gloves-off interview in The New Yorker this week. (One delightful quote? The director of the likes of “The Counselor” and “Thelma and Louise” and “Robin Hood” said “my choices tend to be random” in terms of what projects he likes to pursue.)
But the topic of how the four-time Academy Award-nominated English director feels about consistently being shunned by the Oscars came up with New Yorker writer Michael Schulman. Scott’s swords-and-sandals saga “Gladiator” won Best Picture in 2001 and revived his career, but as Scott wasn’t a credited producer on the now-classic, the win wasn’t his to take. He lost Best Director that year, as well...
- 11/7/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
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