Reel Works has revealed the full lineup for its 2023 film festival, which celebrates the work of young, emerging filmmakers.
Taking place Nov. 18-19 at New York’s Sva Theater, this year’s festival will feature 42 narrative and doc projects, with over 85 percent of films presented from Bipoc and or LGBTQ+ filmmakers.
The festival’s second annual iteration will once again consist of projects from filmmakers ages 14 to 24 in the Reel Works community. That includes original projects produced through the nonprofit’s Documentary and Narrative Lab programming, alongside the premiere of movies from the inaugural Supported Summer Lab, a workshop that supports neurodivergent teens in developing their own original films.
The event will also mark the first time the Reel Works Film Festival features the work of external creatives with screenings of selected titles.
The festival is part of Reel Works larger mission to inspire, mentor and train diverse generations of...
Taking place Nov. 18-19 at New York’s Sva Theater, this year’s festival will feature 42 narrative and doc projects, with over 85 percent of films presented from Bipoc and or LGBTQ+ filmmakers.
The festival’s second annual iteration will once again consist of projects from filmmakers ages 14 to 24 in the Reel Works community. That includes original projects produced through the nonprofit’s Documentary and Narrative Lab programming, alongside the premiere of movies from the inaugural Supported Summer Lab, a workshop that supports neurodivergent teens in developing their own original films.
The event will also mark the first time the Reel Works Film Festival features the work of external creatives with screenings of selected titles.
The festival is part of Reel Works larger mission to inspire, mentor and train diverse generations of...
- 11/13/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
On February 6, 2006 — just a little over three months after the release of "Saw II" — critic David Edelstein published an op-ed in New York Magazine entitled "Now Playing at Your Local Multiplex: Torture Porn." It's one of those catch-all "state of the cinema" pieces that critics, journalists, and other culture commentators love to write every so often, attempting to point out a media trend as it's happening; I myself have written several such pieces during my career.
Sometimes these articles are thoughtful observations on what the medium is doing and where it may be heading. Sadly, more often than not, they act as glorified dog whistles, seeking to stir up controversy and public opinion against the oh-so-scary New Thing We Don't Like. As such, it almost doesn't matter that Edelstein spends the bulk of the piece attempting to reconcile with post-9/11 horror films, gliding over and seemingly missing the point of...
Sometimes these articles are thoughtful observations on what the medium is doing and where it may be heading. Sadly, more often than not, they act as glorified dog whistles, seeking to stir up controversy and public opinion against the oh-so-scary New Thing We Don't Like. As such, it almost doesn't matter that Edelstein spends the bulk of the piece attempting to reconcile with post-9/11 horror films, gliding over and seemingly missing the point of...
- 10/3/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
It may be difficult for anyone under 30 to imagine, but humanity once went 16 years without a new "Star Wars" movie. Yes, there were books and comic books and video games, but the series' official canon basically ended in 1983 with "Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi." Why the long gap? The franchise's creator, George Lucas, was determined to wait until CGI advanced to a level where he could seamlessly blend visual effects with practical sets and locations. Once that time arrived, he began pre-production on "Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace." And it wasn't long before word got out that he was creating a 100 percent CG character that would interact with the film's flesh-and-blood actors.
That character was, of course, Jar Jar Binks, who would go on to become the lightning rod for everything "Star Wars" fans found lacking in the 1999 blockbuster. Some folks hated the character so much,...
That character was, of course, Jar Jar Binks, who would go on to become the lightning rod for everything "Star Wars" fans found lacking in the 1999 blockbuster. Some folks hated the character so much,...
- 8/27/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Arrow Video has just announced an all-new remastered 4K Uhd release of Al Pacino‘s gritty crime drama with his former Scarface director Brian De Palma. Carlito’s Way is scheduled to hit the streets with this new special edition on September 26. The details for product are listed below.
Arrow Video description:
Academy Award winner Al Pacino reunites with his Scarface director Brian De Palma for this tough-minded thriller about a gangster looking for salvation down the mean streets of 1970s New York City. Gangster Carlito Brigante (Pacino) gets released early from prison thanks to the work of his lawyer, Kleinfeld. Vowing to go straight, Carlito nonetheless finds dangers waiting for him in the outside world. As Carlito works toward redemption, Kleinfeld sinks into cocaine-fuelled corruption. When Kleinfeld crosses the mob, Carlito gets caught in the crossfire and has to face a hard choice: remain loyal to the friend who...
Arrow Video description:
Academy Award winner Al Pacino reunites with his Scarface director Brian De Palma for this tough-minded thriller about a gangster looking for salvation down the mean streets of 1970s New York City. Gangster Carlito Brigante (Pacino) gets released early from prison thanks to the work of his lawyer, Kleinfeld. Vowing to go straight, Carlito nonetheless finds dangers waiting for him in the outside world. As Carlito works toward redemption, Kleinfeld sinks into cocaine-fuelled corruption. When Kleinfeld crosses the mob, Carlito gets caught in the crossfire and has to face a hard choice: remain loyal to the friend who...
- 6/30/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
A film critic for the Minneapolis Star Tribune has resigned from his post after editors discovered that he had plagiarized the work of other critics from as far back as 2009 and as recently as Nov. 1.
Colin Covert, who had been a staff writer with the paper for over 30 years, was found in an investigation to have used the unique language of other critics in his own movie reviews, Star Tribune editor Rene Sanchez and managing editor Suki Dardarian wrote in a statement.
Covert’s plagiarism came to the attention of the Star Tribune when a reader pointed out that the phrase “self-glorifying masochistic mush” was used in both Covert’s 2009 review of the musical “Nine” but also first appeared in a review from Pauline Kael in 1974. Editors then noticed that several other Kael expressions from her other reviews also appeared in Covert’s review of “Nine,” including “archaic big-musical circus,...
Colin Covert, who had been a staff writer with the paper for over 30 years, was found in an investigation to have used the unique language of other critics in his own movie reviews, Star Tribune editor Rene Sanchez and managing editor Suki Dardarian wrote in a statement.
Covert’s plagiarism came to the attention of the Star Tribune when a reader pointed out that the phrase “self-glorifying masochistic mush” was used in both Covert’s 2009 review of the musical “Nine” but also first appeared in a review from Pauline Kael in 1974. Editors then noticed that several other Kael expressions from her other reviews also appeared in Covert’s review of “Nine,” including “archaic big-musical circus,...
- 12/11/2018
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
National Public Radio CEO Jarl Mohn will step down in June at the conclusion of his five-year term leading the company, NPR revealed in a press release Tuesday. Mohn plans to move on to the newly created position of “president emeritus” and lead NPR’s fundraising efforts in advance of the 50th anniversary of its launch in 2020.
In a note to staff, Mohn said that he and his wife plan to make a $10 million contribution to that effort themselves.
“My wife Pam and I are more committed than ever to helping NPR and public radio achieve long-term financial stability, particularly at a time when journalism is under economic and political pressures,” he said.
Also Read: NPR Fires David Edelstein Over 'Last Tango in Paris' Butter-Rape Joke
“We are so confident in the future of this organization that we are announcing our personal donation of $10 million to NPR as...
In a note to staff, Mohn said that he and his wife plan to make a $10 million contribution to that effort themselves.
“My wife Pam and I are more committed than ever to helping NPR and public radio achieve long-term financial stability, particularly at a time when journalism is under economic and political pressures,” he said.
Also Read: NPR Fires David Edelstein Over 'Last Tango in Paris' Butter-Rape Joke
“We are so confident in the future of this organization that we are announcing our personal donation of $10 million to NPR as...
- 12/4/2018
- by Jon Levine
- The Wrap
Bryan Cranston opened up about his process as an actor in a talk at this year's Tribeca TV Festival.
The majority of his hourlong conversation with New York magazine film critic David Edelstein on Saturday revolved around how the Emmy-winner decided that performing was right for him, with Cranston sharing previously told anecdotes about how he envisioned his own daughter's face when he was watching Jane (Krysten Ritter) die in a memorable Breaking Bad scene and how the scene was originally written to have Cranston's Walter White kill Jane before the network and studio deemed the act "too soon" in ...
The majority of his hourlong conversation with New York magazine film critic David Edelstein on Saturday revolved around how the Emmy-winner decided that performing was right for him, with Cranston sharing previously told anecdotes about how he envisioned his own daughter's face when he was watching Jane (Krysten Ritter) die in a memorable Breaking Bad scene and how the scene was originally written to have Cranston's Walter White kill Jane before the network and studio deemed the act "too soon" in ...
- 9/24/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Bryan Cranston opened up about his process as an actor in a talk at this year's Tribeca TV Festival.
The majority of his hourlong conversation with New York magazine film critic David Edelstein on Saturday revolved around how the Emmy-winner decided that performing was right for him, with Cranston sharing previously told anecdotes about how he envisioned his own daughter's face when he was watching Jane (Krysten Ritter) die in a memorable Breaking Bad scene and how the scene was originally written to have Cranston's Walter White kill Jane before the network and studio deemed the act "too soon" in ...
The majority of his hourlong conversation with New York magazine film critic David Edelstein on Saturday revolved around how the Emmy-winner decided that performing was right for him, with Cranston sharing previously told anecdotes about how he envisioned his own daughter's face when he was watching Jane (Krysten Ritter) die in a memorable Breaking Bad scene and how the scene was originally written to have Cranston's Walter White kill Jane before the network and studio deemed the act "too soon" in ...
- 9/24/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Season 2 death of Jesse’s girlfriend Jane (Krysten Ritter), choking on her own vomit as Walter White watches, is one of the most memorable and devastating scenes ever shot for “Breaking Bad” — and filming it nearly broke Bryan Cranston.
Speaking as part of Tribeca TV’s Tribeca Talks series, Cranston revealed to the crowd and moderator David Edelstein that as an actor, there can be real emotional risk to performing some of the extremely heavy scenes he’s been tasked with over his career. “There are times when you’re acting and you get caught in a spiral of emotions. It’s like an eddy and you keep swirling and swirling,” he said.
And Jane’s death was just one such example. According to Cranston, the original version of the scene written by series creator Vince Gilligan was far darker than what was filmed — in the first draft, he said,...
Speaking as part of Tribeca TV’s Tribeca Talks series, Cranston revealed to the crowd and moderator David Edelstein that as an actor, there can be real emotional risk to performing some of the extremely heavy scenes he’s been tasked with over his career. “There are times when you’re acting and you get caught in a spiral of emotions. It’s like an eddy and you keep swirling and swirling,” he said.
And Jane’s death was just one such example. According to Cranston, the original version of the scene written by series creator Vince Gilligan was far darker than what was filmed — in the first draft, he said,...
- 9/22/2018
- by Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
Early reviews are officially in for the 19th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Avengers: Infinity War.” The film premiered at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood Monday night, while the film’s wide release is slated for this Friday.
The latest film from Marvel is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, who are no strangers to the franchise, having directed both the Captain America sequels following “The First Avenger” — “Winter Solder” and “Civil War.” “Infinity War” also rides on the coattails of the monumental box office success of “Black Panther.”
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman likens “Infinity War” to “What If Marvel Threw a Superhero Party and Everyone Came?” And despite the fact that the film is “knowingly overstuffed,” Gleiberman further notes that “it’s the first to push to the wall, to the max, to the ultron the notion that the McU really is a universe: a vast intermeshed thicket of comic-book icons,...
The latest film from Marvel is directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, who are no strangers to the franchise, having directed both the Captain America sequels following “The First Avenger” — “Winter Solder” and “Civil War.” “Infinity War” also rides on the coattails of the monumental box office success of “Black Panther.”
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman likens “Infinity War” to “What If Marvel Threw a Superhero Party and Everyone Came?” And despite the fact that the film is “knowingly overstuffed,” Gleiberman further notes that “it’s the first to push to the wall, to the max, to the ultron the notion that the McU really is a universe: a vast intermeshed thicket of comic-book icons,...
- 4/24/2018
- by Tara Bitran
- Variety Film + TV
It feels a little bit like Christmas morning around the house this morning, even though we’ve still got a week and change to go before the actual day, and that’s undoubtedly because all the women here are rousing themselves a bit early to get ready for what amounts to Christmas 2017, Hollywood style. (The cats have been up for some time already, and they too are very excited, but you know, that’s just their way.) You see, in a couple hours we’re all piling into the car and making the pilgrimage up the hill to Universal City to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi. When it comes to buying advance tickets for a big movie for the whole family to see together my dear wife knows no restraints, and if the movie is prefixed with the words “Star Wars,” then all bets are most assuredly off.
- 12/16/2017
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
I’d imagine every one of us, despite our individual life situations, however privileged or difficult they may be, wouldn’t have too much trouble coming up with a pretty long list of people and circumstances for which to be grateful, during the upcoming week traditionally reserved for the expression of thanks as well as throughout the entirety of the year.
Even in our brave new world, where gratitude and humility and generosity of spirit often seem to be in short supply, at the mercy of greed, abuse of power, disregard for the rule of law, and megalomaniac self-interest cynically masquerading as an aggressive strain of nationalist, populist passion, there are good, everyday reasons to look around and take stock of blessings in one’s immediate surroundings.
And speaking specifically as one who has the privilege and opportunity to occasionally write about matters concerning the movies, and even a (very...
Even in our brave new world, where gratitude and humility and generosity of spirit often seem to be in short supply, at the mercy of greed, abuse of power, disregard for the rule of law, and megalomaniac self-interest cynically masquerading as an aggressive strain of nationalist, populist passion, there are good, everyday reasons to look around and take stock of blessings in one’s immediate surroundings.
And speaking specifically as one who has the privilege and opportunity to occasionally write about matters concerning the movies, and even a (very...
- 11/23/2017
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
The New York Film Critics Circle announced today that 8 new members will join the group, bringing the total number of members to 42, the largest membership since the group was founded in 1935. The new members include The Ringer’s Kameron Austin Collins, IndieWire’s own David Ehrlich, The National Catholic Register’s Steven Greydanus, BBC’s Caryn James, Film Comment’s Violet Lucca, RogerEbert.com’s Sheila O’Malley, The Atlantic’s David Sims and Vox’s Alissa Wilkinson. Additionally, the group formally voted in Alison Willmore from Buzzfeed as their Vice Chair.
“We are thrilled to welcome so many strong voices from a variety of publications into the group this year,” said Nyfcc Chair Eric Kohn of IndieWire. “Our group is now at its largest number in history, illustrating the ongoing vitality of film criticism in New York and the range of voices keeping it relevant. While we plan to...
“We are thrilled to welcome so many strong voices from a variety of publications into the group this year,” said Nyfcc Chair Eric Kohn of IndieWire. “Our group is now at its largest number in history, illustrating the ongoing vitality of film criticism in New York and the range of voices keeping it relevant. While we plan to...
- 10/27/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Jigsaw is back. Has anyone missed him?
In the mid 2000s, the Saw franchise swiftly rose to become Hollywood’s preeminent scare machine. Over the course of seven films — each released during the Halloween season — the series raked in a total of $870 million in worldwide box office and spawned an entire wave of gore-soaked horror films that critic David Edelstein famously dubbed “torture porn.” Hostel, Turistas, Captivity, and remakes of not one but two Wes Craven cult classics (The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes) attempted to capitalize on the trend, with varying...
In the mid 2000s, the Saw franchise swiftly rose to become Hollywood’s preeminent scare machine. Over the course of seven films — each released during the Halloween season — the series raked in a total of $870 million in worldwide box office and spawned an entire wave of gore-soaked horror films that critic David Edelstein famously dubbed “torture porn.” Hostel, Turistas, Captivity, and remakes of not one but two Wes Craven cult classics (The Last House on the Left and The Hills Have Eyes) attempted to capitalize on the trend, with varying...
- 10/27/2017
- by Chris Eggertsen
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
How often have you heard someone (usually a blurb whore, but sometimes someone you actually know) describe a movie as being “indescribable” or “unlike anything you’ve ever seen before”? And then you go see the alleged one-of-a-kind work and not only is it quite describable, it’s usually describable in terms of many things have come before or since. Not so Nobukhi Obayashi’s House (Hausu) (1977), a spirited, schlocky horror comedy that is so in tune with its own inexplicable wavelength of bizarre, cutie-pie and sometimes strangely lovely images as to make David Lynch look calculated and schematic in comparison. (The frightening images that are packed into Hausu’s bulging skin are as likely to inspire peals of laughter as fear, but laughter that may after a while begin to acquaint you with genuine madness.) Obayashi’s slapdash sensibility is firmly rooted in the explosively playful attitude of Japanese pop culture,...
- 10/21/2017
- by Dennis Cozzalio
- Trailers from Hell
Steven Spielberg is a director who likes to push himself, but doesn’t like to be pushed. The Oscar-winning helmer says as much himself in Susan Lacy’s new documentary, “Spielberg.”
When discussing “The Color Purple,” Spielberg mentions how he “got in trouble” from film critics for not taking the romantic relationship between Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) and Shug (Margaret Avery) far enough. His explanation: “I might’ve done that had I made the move 10 years later. I was just timid,” he says. “I was a little embarrassed. I just wasn’t the right guy to do that.”
Later, while examining “Schindler’s List,” Steven’s sister Anne Spielberg said, “He had the book for over 10 years, and if anyone pushed him on it, he said, ‘I’ll know when it’s time.’ And then the time came.”
To be fair, he was right — he knew the right time to make...
When discussing “The Color Purple,” Spielberg mentions how he “got in trouble” from film critics for not taking the romantic relationship between Celie (Whoopi Goldberg) and Shug (Margaret Avery) far enough. His explanation: “I might’ve done that had I made the move 10 years later. I was just timid,” he says. “I was a little embarrassed. I just wasn’t the right guy to do that.”
Later, while examining “Schindler’s List,” Steven’s sister Anne Spielberg said, “He had the book for over 10 years, and if anyone pushed him on it, he said, ‘I’ll know when it’s time.’ And then the time came.”
To be fair, he was right — he knew the right time to make...
- 10/6/2017
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Susan Lacy's documentary Spielberg debuts October 7th on HBO, trots out an all-star team of interviewees – from film critics to famous friends, the Toms (Cruise and Hanks) to God herself, a.k.a. Oprah Winfrey. The voices film buffs will undoubtedly want to hear from the most, however, belong to his fellow "movie brats": Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma, George Lucas and Martin Scorsese, who all talk at length about their heady New Hollywood days alongside Spielberg in the early Seventies. All of them partied together, bounced...
- 10/6/2017
- Rollingstone.com
The New York Film Critics Circle has announced the date for its annual vote on the best films and performances of the year, taking place this year on Thursday, November 30, 2017, followed by its annual Gala Awards dinner on Wednesday, January 3, 2018. As is the organization’s tradition, winners will be announced on Twitter during the annual meeting. New members will be announced in October, after their annual meeting on October 20.
Only a handful of other voting bodies go before the Nyfcc, including the Gotham Awards (November 27) and the National Board of Review (November 28). The Nyfcc is typically the first critics-led organization to announce its winners, getting a major jump on the season and helping set the stage for the weeks to come. IndieWire’s own Deputy Editor and Chief Critic Eric Kohn serves as this year’s Chairman, with Buzzfeed’s Alison Wilmore serving as Vice Chair and Marshall Fine continuing on as General Manager.
Only a handful of other voting bodies go before the Nyfcc, including the Gotham Awards (November 27) and the National Board of Review (November 28). The Nyfcc is typically the first critics-led organization to announce its winners, getting a major jump on the season and helping set the stage for the weeks to come. IndieWire’s own Deputy Editor and Chief Critic Eric Kohn serves as this year’s Chairman, with Buzzfeed’s Alison Wilmore serving as Vice Chair and Marshall Fine continuing on as General Manager.
- 9/18/2017
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The Onion Film Standard, the ongoing series of movie reviews from the internet’s preeminent source for news satire, isn’t like other criticism shows. But the section’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” puts some effort into looking a bit more like some of them.
Delivered with the straightforward production value of previous installments like “Sully” and “La La Land,” in-house critic Peter K. Rosenthal’s opinions of the latest Marvel movie revolve around Peter Parker as an unexpected object of desire.
The male-dominated field of film criticism certainly has a history of backlash over ogling starlets, and “The Film Standard” seems to be turning that trend on its ear. Rosenthal never addresses “Spider-Man” star Tom Holland by name, directing all of his lusty language specifically toward Peter Parker as a character. (It’s safe to assume that this is the only “Spider-Man: Homecoming” review to use the term “spider-minx.”)
Though “Film...
Delivered with the straightforward production value of previous installments like “Sully” and “La La Land,” in-house critic Peter K. Rosenthal’s opinions of the latest Marvel movie revolve around Peter Parker as an unexpected object of desire.
The male-dominated field of film criticism certainly has a history of backlash over ogling starlets, and “The Film Standard” seems to be turning that trend on its ear. Rosenthal never addresses “Spider-Man” star Tom Holland by name, directing all of his lusty language specifically toward Peter Parker as a character. (It’s safe to assume that this is the only “Spider-Man: Homecoming” review to use the term “spider-minx.”)
Though “Film...
- 7/5/2017
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Looking back on this still-young century makes clear that 2007 was a major time for cinematic happenings — and, on the basis of this retrospective, one we’re not quite through with ten years on. One’s mind might quickly flash to a few big titles that will be represented, but it is the plurality of both festival and theatrical premieres that truly surprises: late works from old masters, debuts from filmmakers who’ve since become some of our most-respected artists, and mid-career turning points that didn’t necessarily announce themselves as such at the time. Join us as an assembled team, many of whom were coming of age that year, takes on their favorites.
The torture scenes in writer-director Eli Roth’s Hostel openly evoked the 2003 Abu Ghraib photographs, which depicted United States military and Central Intelligence Agency personnel subjecting Iraqi prisoners to acts of profound cruelty and abuse. The film also addressed post-9/11 U.
The torture scenes in writer-director Eli Roth’s Hostel openly evoked the 2003 Abu Ghraib photographs, which depicted United States military and Central Intelligence Agency personnel subjecting Iraqi prisoners to acts of profound cruelty and abuse. The film also addressed post-9/11 U.
- 6/8/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
“Wonder Woman” is a fantasy, and not only because it’s a superhero movie. The fictional Amazonian island of Themyscira where our hero grows up is a paradise, beautifully rendered with breathtaking cliffs and roiling waterfalls, but the real pillars of this utopia are the Amazons themselves — a race completely made up of women.
Read More: GLAAD Report Finds Lgbtq Characters Are Either Invisible Or Used As Punchlines In Studio Movies
However, while the brass bodices and leather gladiator skirts suggest a high-fashion update on Lucy Lawless’ Xena, what’s missing from this feminist utopia is one lick of Sapphic subtext. In her book “The Secret History of Wonder Woman,” Jill Lepore turned up the character’s rather queer origin story. Her original creator, William Moulton Marston, was an outspoken feminist, swinger, S&M practitioner, and firm believer in the superiority of women. In the early comics, Wonder Woman often...
Read More: GLAAD Report Finds Lgbtq Characters Are Either Invisible Or Used As Punchlines In Studio Movies
However, while the brass bodices and leather gladiator skirts suggest a high-fashion update on Lucy Lawless’ Xena, what’s missing from this feminist utopia is one lick of Sapphic subtext. In her book “The Secret History of Wonder Woman,” Jill Lepore turned up the character’s rather queer origin story. Her original creator, William Moulton Marston, was an outspoken feminist, swinger, S&M practitioner, and firm believer in the superiority of women. In the early comics, Wonder Woman often...
- 6/7/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The Ninth Annual Robert Classic French Film Festival — co-presented by Cinema St. Louis and the Webster University Film Series started last Friday and continues the next two weekends — The Classic French Film Festival celebrates St. Louis’ Gallic heritage and France’s cinematic legacy. The featured films span the decades from the 1920s through the mid-1990s, offering a revealing overview of French cinema.
All films are screened at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood).
The fest is annually highlighted by significant restorations, which this year includes films by two New Wave masters: Jacques Rivette’s first feature, “Paris Belongs to Us,” and François Truffaut’s cinephilic love letter, “Day for Night.” The fest also provides one of the few opportunities available in St. Louis to see films projected the old-school, time-honored way, with both Alain Resnais’ “Last Year at Marienbad” and Robert Bresson’s “Au hasard Balthazar” screening from 35mm prints.
All films are screened at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood).
The fest is annually highlighted by significant restorations, which this year includes films by two New Wave masters: Jacques Rivette’s first feature, “Paris Belongs to Us,” and François Truffaut’s cinephilic love letter, “Day for Night.” The fest also provides one of the few opportunities available in St. Louis to see films projected the old-school, time-honored way, with both Alain Resnais’ “Last Year at Marienbad” and Robert Bresson’s “Au hasard Balthazar” screening from 35mm prints.
- 3/21/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Ninth Annual Robert Classic French Film Festival — co-presented by Cinema St. Louis and the Webster University Film Series — celebrates St. Louis’ Gallic heritage and France’s cinematic legacy. The featured films span the decades from the 1920s through the mid-1990s, offering a revealing overview of French cinema.
The fest is annually highlighted by significant restorations, which this year includes films by two New Wave masters: Jacques Rivette’s first feature, “Paris Belongs to Us,” and François Truffaut’s cinephilic love letter, “Day for Night.” The fest also provides one of the few opportunities available in St. Louis to see films projected the old-school, time-honored way, with both Alain Resnais’ “Last Year at Marienbad” and Robert Bresson’s “Au hasard Balthazar” screening from 35mm prints. Even more traditional, we also offer a silent film with live music, and audiences are sure to delight in the Poor People of Paris...
The fest is annually highlighted by significant restorations, which this year includes films by two New Wave masters: Jacques Rivette’s first feature, “Paris Belongs to Us,” and François Truffaut’s cinephilic love letter, “Day for Night.” The fest also provides one of the few opportunities available in St. Louis to see films projected the old-school, time-honored way, with both Alain Resnais’ “Last Year at Marienbad” and Robert Bresson’s “Au hasard Balthazar” screening from 35mm prints. Even more traditional, we also offer a silent film with live music, and audiences are sure to delight in the Poor People of Paris...
- 1/31/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“I see dead people.”
It was the plot twist heard around the world when writer-director-producer M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense hit theaters in 1999 and surprised everyone with one of the most shocking reveals in cinematic history. The film, starring Bruce Willis and newcomer Haley Joel Osment, earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Shyamalan. It was also a monster success at the box office, grossing over $672 million worldwide on a $40 million budget, and turned Shyamalan into a household name.
Born in India, raised in Pennsylvania and a graduate of New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, Shyamalan followed the success of The Sixth Sense with even more twists and turns over the next two decades. 2000’s Unbreakable -- also starring Willis -- 2002’s Signs with Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix and 2004’s The Village -- also with Phoenix -- saw the director reach new heights...
It was the plot twist heard around the world when writer-director-producer M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense hit theaters in 1999 and surprised everyone with one of the most shocking reveals in cinematic history. The film, starring Bruce Willis and newcomer Haley Joel Osment, earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay for Shyamalan. It was also a monster success at the box office, grossing over $672 million worldwide on a $40 million budget, and turned Shyamalan into a household name.
Born in India, raised in Pennsylvania and a graduate of New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, Shyamalan followed the success of The Sixth Sense with even more twists and turns over the next two decades. 2000’s Unbreakable -- also starring Willis -- 2002’s Signs with Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix and 2004’s The Village -- also with Phoenix -- saw the director reach new heights...
- 1/18/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
Barry Jenkins and Damien Chazelle (Courtesy: Mike Coppola/Getty Images, Jamie McCarthy/WireImage)
By: Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
Throughout the 82nd New York Film Critics Circle Awards, which took place Tuesday night at the Tao Downtown restaurant, the most frequent subject of critical ire was President-elect Donald J. Trump. David Edelstein of New York magazine, who chairs the critics’ group, opened the evening by saying its aim was to celebrate “a few of the good things that happened during the shit-show of a year we just had.” Later, The Daily Show host Trevor Noah, while presenting the best documentary award to O.J.: Made in America, cracked that he thought we’d learned from the O.J. Simpson trial — until Trump’s election in November, which he called “another bad decision based on fame and race.” And other presenters like Robert Klein, Jonathan Demme and Baz Luhrmann, as well as some...
By: Scott Feinberg
The Hollywood Reporter
Throughout the 82nd New York Film Critics Circle Awards, which took place Tuesday night at the Tao Downtown restaurant, the most frequent subject of critical ire was President-elect Donald J. Trump. David Edelstein of New York magazine, who chairs the critics’ group, opened the evening by saying its aim was to celebrate “a few of the good things that happened during the shit-show of a year we just had.” Later, The Daily Show host Trevor Noah, while presenting the best documentary award to O.J.: Made in America, cracked that he thought we’d learned from the O.J. Simpson trial — until Trump’s election in November, which he called “another bad decision based on fame and race.” And other presenters like Robert Klein, Jonathan Demme and Baz Luhrmann, as well as some...
- 1/4/2017
- by Carson Blackwelder
- Scott Feinberg
The 82nd New York Film Critics Circle Awards dinner still managed to be full of surprises, despite the fact that the winners were announced more than a month ago. The ceremony, held at downtown Manhattan’s clubby Tao restaurant on Tuesday night, handed out 13 awards and featured several special guests, including the eight foot-tall Bulgarian folk monster from the film “Toni Erdmann,” who helped introduce director Maren Ade before she received the award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Read More: Gotham Awards 2016: Kenneth Lonergan, Isabelle Huppert, Ezra Edelman and More on Why Independent Film Is Healthy
One of the highlights from the evening was Best Actor winner Casey Affleck’s speech, in which he read aloud some of the harshest words ever written about him by New York Magazine critic David Edelstein, also the chairman of the Nyfcc and the evening’s host.
“Affleck, though likable, doesn’t have...
Read More: Gotham Awards 2016: Kenneth Lonergan, Isabelle Huppert, Ezra Edelman and More on Why Independent Film Is Healthy
One of the highlights from the evening was Best Actor winner Casey Affleck’s speech, in which he read aloud some of the harshest words ever written about him by New York Magazine critic David Edelstein, also the chairman of the Nyfcc and the evening’s host.
“Affleck, though likable, doesn’t have...
- 1/4/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Throughout the 82nd New York Film Critics Circle Awards, which took place Tuesday night at the Tao Downtown restaurant, the most frequent subject of critical ire was President-elect Donald J. Trump. David Edelstein of New York magazine, who chairs the critics' group, opened the evening by saying its aim was to celebrate "a few of the good things that happened during the shit-show of a year we just had." Later, The Daily Show host Trevor Noah, while presenting the best documentary award to O.J.: Made in America, cracked that he thought we'd learned from the O.J. Simpson trial — until Trump's election in November, which...
- 1/4/2017
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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Comics Alliance Pixar's Coco gets concept art and a voice cast - Gael García Bernal!
Sydney Morning Herald Australia's own version of the Oscars goes big for Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge with 9 wins from its 13 nominations.
The New Yorker "the fate of cinephilia in the age of streaming"
Awards Daily interviews the production design team on Loving
EW Ryan Reynolds as Entertainer of the Year
Boy Culture Hunky Van Williams, discovered by Liz Taylor of people, who came to fame on TV's The Green Hornet has died at 82. His last movie role was as homage to his friend and co-star Bruce Lee in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)
The Wrap Madonna raises $7 million for Malawi with a little help from Sean Penn who she offers to marry again
THR Harsh words for Amazon with...
Comics Alliance Pixar's Coco gets concept art and a voice cast - Gael García Bernal!
Sydney Morning Herald Australia's own version of the Oscars goes big for Mel Gibson's Hacksaw Ridge with 9 wins from its 13 nominations.
The New Yorker "the fate of cinephilia in the age of streaming"
Awards Daily interviews the production design team on Loving
EW Ryan Reynolds as Entertainer of the Year
Boy Culture Hunky Van Williams, discovered by Liz Taylor of people, who came to fame on TV's The Green Hornet has died at 82. His last movie role was as homage to his friend and co-star Bruce Lee in Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)
The Wrap Madonna raises $7 million for Malawi with a little help from Sean Penn who she offers to marry again
THR Harsh words for Amazon with...
- 12/7/2016
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday morning. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?” can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: What is the best horror film of the 21st century?
Charles Bramesco (@intothecrevasse), Freelancer for Rolling Stone, The Verge, Vulture
Everyone knows that the greatest Halloween film of all time is the 1962 nudie-cutie “House on Bare Mountain,” and my slavish devotion to giallo means that personal favorite horror movie of the new century is “Berberian Sound Studio”, but those are both answers to questions nobody asked. The finest horror film of the new millennium is “Cabin in the Woods”, both a dissertation on the history of the American scary movie and a chilling piece of work in its own right. With a fiendishly clever narrative hook,...
This week’s question: What is the best horror film of the 21st century?
Charles Bramesco (@intothecrevasse), Freelancer for Rolling Stone, The Verge, Vulture
Everyone knows that the greatest Halloween film of all time is the 1962 nudie-cutie “House on Bare Mountain,” and my slavish devotion to giallo means that personal favorite horror movie of the new century is “Berberian Sound Studio”, but those are both answers to questions nobody asked. The finest horror film of the new millennium is “Cabin in the Woods”, both a dissertation on the history of the American scary movie and a chilling piece of work in its own right. With a fiendishly clever narrative hook,...
- 10/31/2016
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
The prestigious New York Film Critics Circle, founded in 1935, is always a force in the early awards conversation.
But there is often some debate about how early they can reasonably vote for the year’s best films. Traditionally, they like to set the tone for the awards season (while protesting that it has no bearing on how they vote). Will they be able to see all the late-breaking entries by their voting date December 1? They’ve insisted on voting around the same time for the last five years.
While they will likely catch Ben Affleck’s “Live By Night” and Denzel Washington’s “Fences” in time, the film they are most likely to miss is Martin Scorsese’s “Silence.” He’s working with Paramount on a last-minute marketing campaign for the period film set in Japan, but there are concerns about when that movie starring Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson...
But there is often some debate about how early they can reasonably vote for the year’s best films. Traditionally, they like to set the tone for the awards season (while protesting that it has no bearing on how they vote). Will they be able to see all the late-breaking entries by their voting date December 1? They’ve insisted on voting around the same time for the last five years.
While they will likely catch Ben Affleck’s “Live By Night” and Denzel Washington’s “Fences” in time, the film they are most likely to miss is Martin Scorsese’s “Silence.” He’s working with Paramount on a last-minute marketing campaign for the period film set in Japan, but there are concerns about when that movie starring Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson...
- 10/27/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
The prestigious New York Film Critics Circle, founded in 1935, is always a force in the early awards conversation.
But there is always some debate about how early they can reasonably vote for the year’s best films. Traditionally, they like to set the tone for the awards season (while protesting that it has no bearing on how they vote). Will they be able to see all the late-breaking entries by their voting date December 1? They’ve insisted on voting around the same time for the last five years.
While they will likely catch Ben Affleck’s “Live By Night” and Denzel Washington’s “Fences” in time, the film they are most likely to miss is Martin Scorsese’s “Silence.” He’s working with Paramount on a last-minute marketing campaign for the period film set in Japan, but there are concerns about when that movie starring Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson...
But there is always some debate about how early they can reasonably vote for the year’s best films. Traditionally, they like to set the tone for the awards season (while protesting that it has no bearing on how they vote). Will they be able to see all the late-breaking entries by their voting date December 1? They’ve insisted on voting around the same time for the last five years.
While they will likely catch Ben Affleck’s “Live By Night” and Denzel Washington’s “Fences” in time, the film they are most likely to miss is Martin Scorsese’s “Silence.” He’s working with Paramount on a last-minute marketing campaign for the period film set in Japan, but there are concerns about when that movie starring Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson...
- 10/27/2016
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Anyone watching movies for the last 20-plus years knows the work of Edward Norton: Whether it’s his Oscar-nominated turns in “American History X” and “Birdman,” his iconic turn in “Fight Club,” or fan favorites “The Illusionist” and “The 25th Hour,” Norton’s ubiquity has made him a fixture in American cinema.
Needless to say, the actor has spent the last two decades building up one hell of a resume, which is exactly why he was honored for a career achievement award at this year’s Hamptons International Film Festival. Luckily for everyone at the festival, Norton made some time to talk with storied New York film critic David Edelstein to a crowd of 500 or so people, where he dug into some of his influences and brought up some academic criticisms of acting as an art form today.
Read More: Edward Norton Discusses the Collaborative Process in Highlights from...
Needless to say, the actor has spent the last two decades building up one hell of a resume, which is exactly why he was honored for a career achievement award at this year’s Hamptons International Film Festival. Luckily for everyone at the festival, Norton made some time to talk with storied New York film critic David Edelstein to a crowd of 500 or so people, where he dug into some of his influences and brought up some academic criticisms of acting as an art form today.
Read More: Edward Norton Discusses the Collaborative Process in Highlights from...
- 10/12/2016
- by Bryn Gelbart
- Indiewire
In 2005, Australian director Greg McLean released his horror film “Wolf Creek,” about three backpackers who find themselves hunted down by deranged serial killer Mick Taylor (John Jarratt). The film was a box office success and garnered acclaim and controversy upon release; Roger Ebert said that the film’s purpose was to “establish the commercial credentials of its director by showing his skill at depicting the brutal tracking, torture and mutilation of screaming young women,” while critics David Edelstein and Bilge Ebiri placed it on their 25 Best Horror Films Since “The Shining” list.
Read More: ‘Wolf Creek’ TV Adaptation Draws From ‘Unforgiven,’ But Gives a Woman the Gun
Now, after a successful sequel, a “Wolf Creek” TV series will hit small screens in the U.S. next week on Pop TV. In the series, 19-year-old American college student Eve Thorogood (Lucy Fry) survives the massacre of her parents and little brother...
Read More: ‘Wolf Creek’ TV Adaptation Draws From ‘Unforgiven,’ But Gives a Woman the Gun
Now, after a successful sequel, a “Wolf Creek” TV series will hit small screens in the U.S. next week on Pop TV. In the series, 19-year-old American college student Eve Thorogood (Lucy Fry) survives the massacre of her parents and little brother...
- 10/4/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Before I get into any of this, please know that I get no pleasure in reporting this to you. Despite my well-documented reservations surrounding this film, I wanted badly to be proven wrong about Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice. At the end of the day, I'm a huge Superman nerd and- as discussed in the latest Los Fanboys podcast-- I woke up on Monday feeling downright excited about the impending release of the film. So as we get into what the final critical consensus has turned out to be, just know that this stuff pains me.
With 146 critics having officially chimed in on Rotten Tomatoes, it's finally time to look at what the consensus is on Batman V Superman. Of those who've submitted their reviews, only 48 of them deemed the film to be good, or "Fresh." The other 98 have deemed the film "Rotten." Since the film now stands at a 33% rating on the site,...
With 146 critics having officially chimed in on Rotten Tomatoes, it's finally time to look at what the consensus is on Batman V Superman. Of those who've submitted their reviews, only 48 of them deemed the film to be good, or "Fresh." The other 98 have deemed the film "Rotten." Since the film now stands at a 33% rating on the site,...
- 3/24/2016
- by Mario-Francisco Robles
- LRMonline.com
At the beginning of (and during) every month, Amazon Prime and Amazon Instant Video add new movies and TV shows to their libraries. We figure you might want to know about them. For more comprehensive coverage of the best titles available on Amazon and elsewhere, check out Vulture’s What to Stream Now hub, which is updated throughout the month.Back to black: Amy (2015) Pieced together in a large part from recordings of Amy Winehouse in concert, at work in the studio, and on and off the wagon, Asif Kapadia’s heartwrenching documentary is both tragic and, in some ways, simply gross. As Vulture’s David Edelstein wrote: “Amy raises a question that’s common to downward-spiral docs: Is it a profile or an autopsy?” Available February 1. Bzzz: The Fifth Element (1997) Luc Besson is hard at work on a sci-fi film with Rihanna, which means there’s no better time...
- 2/1/2016
- by Jackson McHenry
- Vulture
The superhero-comics industry is a strange beast. We live in a world where licensed properties based on superhero comics are some of the most consistent, reliable blue-chip entertainment products around: As our David Edelstein once pointed out, too much money is at stake for a studio to allow any major superhero movie (well, excluding Fantastic Four) to be a true disaster. Even the much-delayed and director-swapping Ant-Man ended up as a smooth, easily understandable bit of filmmaking that fit seamlessly into Disney's totalitarian master plans for franchise-wide continuity. But the source material those movies are based on is more ambitiously crazy and disastrously overcomplicated than anything else in the artistic landscape — both in terms of the stories they tell and the business model their publishers use to tell them. There's been no better example of comics' capacity for uniquely insane storytelling and convoluted business missteps than Marvel Comics' much-hyped...
- 1/15/2016
- by Abraham Riesman
- Vulture
Each month, several films and TV shows leave Showtime Anytime’s catalogue. We provide a list of titles bidding adieu. For more comprehensive coverage of the best titles available on Showtime Anytime and elsewhere, check out Vulture’s "What to Stream Now," which is updated throughout the month. Note that unlike Netflix, you have the entire month of January to watch these movies — but why not put your Christmas break to good use and take a few down? It takes a lot to make a stew: Lee Daniels' The Butler (2013) Every celebrity and their prosthetic-nosed cousin makes an appearance in Lee Daniels’s chronicle of the life of Cecil Gaines (Forest Whitaker), butler to the presidents. "Broadly speaking,” David Edelstein wrote in his review of the film, “Lee Daniels’ The Butler is like Driving Miss Daisy intercut with Do the Right Thing.” The result is a big, messy survey of...
- 12/24/2015
- by Jackson McHenry
- Vulture
How did Force Awakens have the biggest opening weekend in history? Part of it comes down to J.J. Abrams fulfilling fans' biggest hope for the film: that it would avoid the pitfalls of the prequel trilogy and simply provide the sort of Star Wars experience that fans have come to expect. Even its harshest critics would agree that Force Awakens certainly feels like a Star Wars film — in fact, it often feels like every Star Wars film. As our own David Edelstein put it, "Abrams is so intuitively unoriginal that he’s almost mystical," and his film is a skillful remix of all the most beloved elements of the original trilogy. Here's a beat-by-beat guide to the ways the new film borrows from the old, keeping in mind that some characters draw inspiration from multiple places in the original trilogy. (Finn is mostly Han Solo, but like Luke, he's also...
- 12/21/2015
- by Nate Jones
- Vulture
Gothamist Good Morning America tries to interview Carrie Fisher. She is not as cooperative as they're used to. Hilarious. She mostly wants to talk about her dog Gary. Also...
Carrie Fisher's Dog is on twitter
/Film best and worst of Ryan Gosling on SNL
Variety Shailene Woodley, to whom I am mostly allergic, will unfortunately co-star with Nicole Kidman in Big Little Lies
Boy Culture Warhol superstar Holly Woodlawn has died at 69
i09 in case you can't wait until Christmas, they've released 8 clips from The Hateful Eight to tide you over
Pajiba 8 sets of celebrity dopplegangers
Today's Watch
Director Ryan Coogler talks about Creed's amazing continuous shot boxing match. So gutsy that this bravura bit comes so early in the movie and he still manages to top it later on.
List Mania
Vulture David Edelstein's top ten list is quite adventurous as it zigzags from Room to...
Carrie Fisher's Dog is on twitter
/Film best and worst of Ryan Gosling on SNL
Variety Shailene Woodley, to whom I am mostly allergic, will unfortunately co-star with Nicole Kidman in Big Little Lies
Boy Culture Warhol superstar Holly Woodlawn has died at 69
i09 in case you can't wait until Christmas, they've released 8 clips from The Hateful Eight to tide you over
Pajiba 8 sets of celebrity dopplegangers
Today's Watch
Director Ryan Coogler talks about Creed's amazing continuous shot boxing match. So gutsy that this bravura bit comes so early in the movie and he still manages to top it later on.
List Mania
Vulture David Edelstein's top ten list is quite adventurous as it zigzags from Room to...
- 12/7/2015
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
The New York Film Critics Circle voted today at the Film Society of Lincoln Center for their 2015 awards winners. The awards will be handed out during their annual ceremony on Monday, January 4th at Tao Downtown.
Carol was awarded Best Picture and Todd Haynes was named Best Director. Saoirse Ronan was selected as Best Actress for her role in Brooklyn, and Michael Keaton was chosen as Best Actor for Spotlight.
Carol
Two Special Awards were given, honoring the legacy of William Becker and Janus Films and Ennio Morricone for his extraordinary contribution to the language of cinema. Full list of winners below.
Says 2015 Nyfcc Chairman, Star Magazine’s Marshall Fine, “This group is known for inserting films into the awards conversation and this year was no different. I’m particularly pleased at how New York-centric so many of the films are, representing many parts of the city, as well as several different eras.
Carol was awarded Best Picture and Todd Haynes was named Best Director. Saoirse Ronan was selected as Best Actress for her role in Brooklyn, and Michael Keaton was chosen as Best Actor for Spotlight.
Carol
Two Special Awards were given, honoring the legacy of William Becker and Janus Films and Ennio Morricone for his extraordinary contribution to the language of cinema. Full list of winners below.
Says 2015 Nyfcc Chairman, Star Magazine’s Marshall Fine, “This group is known for inserting films into the awards conversation and this year was no different. I’m particularly pleased at how New York-centric so many of the films are, representing many parts of the city, as well as several different eras.
- 12/2/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
"Bridge of Spies" arrives in theaters next Friday (Oct. 16) with inevitably high expectations, coming as it does from director Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Hanks, who are teaming up for the first time since "The Terminal" in 2004. They have five Oscars between them – not to mention another four for Joel and Ethan Coen, who co-wrote the screenplay. Does this film live up to their collective reputations? -Break- Dish the Oscars with Hollywood insiders in our red-hot forums It certainly won over the crowd at the New York Film Festival where it world premiered on Sunday and was greeted with a prolonged standing ovation. And critics are cheering too. The Hollywood Reporter's Todd McCarthy calls it "An absorbing true-life espionage tale very smoothly handled by old pros who know what they're doing." Vulture's David Edelstein finds it "sober but stirring." And Variety's Peter Debruge proclaims ...
- 10/6/2015
- Gold Derby
MoviesThe films David Edelstein can’t wait to see. Experimenter Oct. 9Peter Sarsgaard as Stanley Milgram, the Yale researcher who ordered test subjects to deliver shocks to a stranger, their semi-blind obedience suggesting the worst in human nature — as depicted by indie stalwart Michael Almereyda (Hamlet). Our Brand Is CrisisOct. 30 David Gordon Green directs a fictionalized version of one of the most penetrating docs of the aughts, Rachel Boynton’s tragicomedy of a South American election warped by newfangled Yankee image manipulation. BrooklynNov. 6Saoirse Ronan as an Irish immigrant in what’s rumored to be an emotionally transporting portrait of a time and place — the Brooklyn of the ’50s. Snowden Dec. 25 Visionary-thug-maverick-iconoclast Oliver Stone will likely make up his own rules in telling the story of Edward Snowden (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the traitor/savior who showed us the inner workings of our modern surveillance state. Joy Dec. 25The title is the...
- 8/26/2015
- by Justin Davidson,David Edelstein,Jesse Green,Christian Lorentzen,Jerry Saltz,Matt Zoller Seitz,Lindsay Zoladz
- Vulture
If you happened upon a grimy, abandoned barrel sitting on the street, your first thoughts might run to, Ew, or even, How many spiders does that probably contain? In this very important way, you are different from deliriously privileged hipsters Harper (Bridey Elliott) and Allie (Clare McNulty), whom we follow in the new comedy Fort Tilden (out this Friday in New York). These two Brooklynites spy that street barrel and immediately respond to its "wear" — how authentic! — and start making an overpriced deal with the dude who just happens to be sitting next to it. Their hilariously blinkered perspective led our critic David Edelstein to call Fort Tilden a "cheerfully caustic comic odyssey," even if satirizing hipsters is a little bit like shooting fish in a ... well, you know.
- 8/11/2015
- by Kyle Buchanan
- Vulture
When news broke that Jason Segel would be playing author David Foster Wallace in the film The End of the Tour, there was some disbelief — even from Segel himself. “I asked James Ponsoldt when he offered me the part, ‘Why me?’ Because I'm self-aware, and I know that I'm not the first choice when that script comes across someone's desk,” Segel said during a panel luncheon hosted by Peggy Siegal in honor of the film. "He said, ‘No, ever since Freaks and Geeks, even when you're being funny, I see something very sad behind your eyes.’ And I thought to myself, Shit, I didn't know people could see that. I've been revealed.”The reviews for Segel's performance as the famously neurotic writer have been glowing since the film premiered at Sundance. New York’s film critic David Edelstein writes that Segel “had [him]” from the moment he lumbered in. “You feel...
- 8/5/2015
- by Kat Ward
- Vulture
Vulture's David Edelstein and Bilge Ebiri share the weight of picking this year's best films so far (here's their full feature), mixing it up with sexy arthouse fare ("Eden"), a fabulously scary indie sleeper ("It Follows"), an arty auteur outing only a critic could love ("Jauja"), documentaries ("Amy" and "The Wolfpack"), the requisite Michael Mann inclusion ("Blackhat") and the two big studio movies everyone's gunning for in 2015 ("Inside Out," "Mad Max: Fury Road"). Three 2015 foreign Oscar submissions made the grade. Bertrand Bonello's shaggy Ysl biopic "Saint Laurent," a film I quite like, has not been well-appreciated stateside since its Cannes 2014 premiere. Nice to see it here. "Timbuktu," which was a nominee, and "White God" also have their praises sung by the Vulture critics. Read More: The Best Films of 2015 So Far Will these films still be in the conversation at...
- 7/23/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
This week, Vulture is looking back on the best entertainment from the past half-year. In today's edition of (So Far), film critics David Edelstein and Bilge Ebiri reflect on a handful of movies from 2015 that have stayed with them. Also see our TV and books lists; tomorrow we wrap things up with music. We're just past the halfway point of the calendar, and we can confidently say that we have absolutely no idea if 2015 is shaping up to be a great year for cinema or not. There's always a bit of smoke and mirrors in that kind of blanket assessment, anyway; as usual, many of the best films of 2015 had their festival and/or international premieres in previous years. But we can say that the year thus far has given us a diverse range of high points. A Pixar movie for the ages. A summer action blockbuster that will...
- 7/23/2015
- by Bilge Ebiri,David Edelstein
- Vulture
This post first ran last week, when the reviews of the movie just started to come in. It has been updated in anticipation of the film's opening this weekend. Da da da da da da da da — Ant-Man? The latest film in Marvel’s ever-expanding universe, Ant-Man, starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, and Corey Stoll, will hit cinemas this weekend. The reviews have rolled in, and the opinions on the superhero-heist extravaganza are mixed, although generally skewed more toward the positive “good, campy fun” side. Vulture’s David Edelstein writes, "The best thing about Marvel’s Ant-Man is that despite a computer-effects team larger than the population of Scandinavia, it plays like a charmingly tacky jet-suit robot picture for kids, the kind Japan used to churn out every week for a couple of thousand yen. It doesn’t have that familiar Marvel bloat." Some constants that seem to have made...
- 7/17/2015
- by Devon Ivie
- Vulture
Our critic David Edelstein called the new film Tangerine "everything an entertaining, old-fashioned, mainstream Hollywood comedy should be but no longer is," and that rave is all the more remarkable being that Tangerine couldn't be more contemporary. Shot solely on an iPhone 5s (with a Steadicam and lenses employed to help give it a glossier look), Tangerine follows two trans sex workers in Los Angeles, Sin-Dee (Kitana "Kiki" Rodriguez) and Alexandra (Mya Taylor), whose sweet and modest birthday celebration at Donut Time kicks off a raucous mission of revenge after Sin-Dee finds out her boyfriend has been cheating. We talked to director Sean Baker — who previously made Take Out (about a Chinese takeout deliveryman) and the acclaimed Starlet — about how it all came together.Many people have focused on the actual technical approach to the film rather than the content itself. Do you find that people are more curious...
- 7/13/2015
- by Benjamin Lindsay
- Vulture
One of the best-reviewed films out this summer is The Wolfpack, a documentary so one-of-a-kind that our own David Edelstein called it a "rare, transcendent work of art." And if you haven't yet gotten to see the movie — which follows six film-obsessed brothers who are rarely allowed to leave their New York apartment — now's your chance, as The Wolfpack just went up on iTunes today. Vulture's got an exclusive pivotal scene from the movie that ought to move the needle even further: In it, you'll get a glimpse of how the brothers dress as their favorite film characters and re-create scenes (here, from The Dark Knight), a pursuit that allows them temporary relief from the stifling semi-captivity imposed by their father. Take a look!
- 7/10/2015
- by Kyle Buchanan
- Vulture
We’re huge fans of the Roger Ebert documentary Life Itself, but now we could be getting a movie based on the life of a critic who inspired even him. What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael is a documentary based on the life of New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael, and you can help the documentary get made by donating to a Kickstarter for the film.
Director Rob Garver has made a number of shorts and TV projects, and for the purpose of this documentary he’s gathered together an A-list assortment of directors, actors, and film critics, all of whom were either inspired or scorned her work. The list of names is long, but here’s a short list via their Kickstarter: Quentin Tarantino, David O. Russell, Paul Schrader, Robert Towne, Greil Marcus, Francis Ford Coppola, David Edelstein, Molly Haskell, and Alec Baldwin.
Kael wrote for the...
Director Rob Garver has made a number of shorts and TV projects, and for the purpose of this documentary he’s gathered together an A-list assortment of directors, actors, and film critics, all of whom were either inspired or scorned her work. The list of names is long, but here’s a short list via their Kickstarter: Quentin Tarantino, David O. Russell, Paul Schrader, Robert Towne, Greil Marcus, Francis Ford Coppola, David Edelstein, Molly Haskell, and Alec Baldwin.
Kael wrote for the...
- 7/10/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
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