NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Film Forum
Glauber Rocha’s Black God, White Devil begins playing in a 4K restoration; “Hitchcock’s ’50s” runs through arguably the director’s greatest decade. the Farewell My Concubine restoration continues while Summer Stock plays on 35mm this Sunday.
Anthology Film Archives
Paul Vecchiali’s classic-in-waiting The Strangler is playing in a new restoration, while the films of Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project are screening.
Roxy Cinema
The Josh Safdie-presented The Gods of Times Square begins a run, while The Untouchables and The Mission show on 35mm.
IFC Center
Distant Voices, Still Lives begins a run while The Exorcist, Battle Royale, Desperado, and a print of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 play on 35mm; Oldboy screens in a new restoration.
Museum of the Moving Image
Reverse Shot celebrates its 20th anniversary with a months-long programming run,...
Film Forum
Glauber Rocha’s Black God, White Devil begins playing in a 4K restoration; “Hitchcock’s ’50s” runs through arguably the director’s greatest decade. the Farewell My Concubine restoration continues while Summer Stock plays on 35mm this Sunday.
Anthology Film Archives
Paul Vecchiali’s classic-in-waiting The Strangler is playing in a new restoration, while the films of Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project are screening.
Roxy Cinema
The Josh Safdie-presented The Gods of Times Square begins a run, while The Untouchables and The Mission show on 35mm.
IFC Center
Distant Voices, Still Lives begins a run while The Exorcist, Battle Royale, Desperado, and a print of A Nightmare on Elm Street 3 play on 35mm; Oldboy screens in a new restoration.
Museum of the Moving Image
Reverse Shot celebrates its 20th anniversary with a months-long programming run,...
- 11/16/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Strand Releasing releases the film in select theaters on Friday, August 18.
Though queer and trans visibility does have its limits, there’s no denying that trans men and transmasculine people have traditionally been sidelined in the fight for trans representation. Through no fault of queer and trans storytellers, mainstream media and the culture at large only had so much space for trans stories it found understandable and digestible. Now, coming up on almost ten years after what Time Magazine dubbed “The Transgender Tipping Point,” film and television is finally starting to tell trans stories that trans viewers and queer community can recognize as their own. Though it started long ago, it’s getting a healthy boost from this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Debuting in U.S. Dramatic Competition, “Mutt” follows a day in the life of...
Though queer and trans visibility does have its limits, there’s no denying that trans men and transmasculine people have traditionally been sidelined in the fight for trans representation. Through no fault of queer and trans storytellers, mainstream media and the culture at large only had so much space for trans stories it found understandable and digestible. Now, coming up on almost ten years after what Time Magazine dubbed “The Transgender Tipping Point,” film and television is finally starting to tell trans stories that trans viewers and queer community can recognize as their own. Though it started long ago, it’s getting a healthy boost from this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Debuting in U.S. Dramatic Competition, “Mutt” follows a day in the life of...
- 1/24/2023
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
There isn’t too much drama but there is plenty of warm group atmosphere in “Dramarama,” the autobiographical first feature from writer-director Jonathan Wysocki that’s set in 1994 at a last gathering between high-school friends.
The religious background of these teens means “Dramarama” is treading in the footsteps of Stephen Cone, whose own movies in this sort of milieu, including “The Wise Kids” and “Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party,” set a patiently humanistic and non-judgmental tone that Wysocki’s film follows to a certain extent, but with a far faster pace.
“Dramarama” begins with a slight misstep as it introduces its protagonist, Gene (Nick Pugliese), flexing in front of a mirror in his bedroom and then reacting with distaste to the sound of his mother’s voice outside the door as she asks him if he is going to church. Wysocki has Pugliese stare straight into the camera after Gene dismisses his mother for us,...
The religious background of these teens means “Dramarama” is treading in the footsteps of Stephen Cone, whose own movies in this sort of milieu, including “The Wise Kids” and “Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party,” set a patiently humanistic and non-judgmental tone that Wysocki’s film follows to a certain extent, but with a far faster pace.
“Dramarama” begins with a slight misstep as it introduces its protagonist, Gene (Nick Pugliese), flexing in front of a mirror in his bedroom and then reacting with distaste to the sound of his mother’s voice outside the door as she asks him if he is going to church. Wysocki has Pugliese stare straight into the camera after Gene dismisses his mother for us,...
- 8/12/2021
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
One Shot is a series that seeks to find an essence of cinema history in one single image of a movie. The series Awakenings: Three By Stephen Cone is playing on Mubi in many countries. Sophy Romvari's Still Processing is also playing on Mubi in many countries.Tim: Y'all gonna be alright?Tim's Sister: Probably. Tim: Probably? Tim's Sister: Yeah, probably. Tim: Just say yes. —Dialogue excerpt from The Wise KidsThere is a sense of searching within all of Stephen Cones' films that is deeply palpable, so sticky from the summer heat, it’s impossible for the viewer to not feel it. In The Wise Kids, Cone balances ever so delicately the plight of the three main characters as they begin various transformations, all of which are treated with the same level of humanity and care. The lack of judgment is profound given the levels of pain and oppression...
- 7/6/2021
- MUBI
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.
Art-House Animation
If your eyes are tired of the latest cookie-cutter animation from the Hollywood mill, Criterion is featuring quite a line-up of inventive arthouse offerings in the field. With works by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more, the series includes The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962), Belladonna of Sadness (1973), Fantastic Planet (1973), Watership Down (1978), Son of the White Mare (1981), Alice (1988), Millennium Actress (2001), Mind Game (2004), Paprika (2006), Persepolis (2007), Waltz with Bashir (2008), Mary and Max (2009), It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012), Tower (2016), The Wolf House (2018), No. 7 Cherry Lane (2019), and more.
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Neo-Noir
One of the greatest series to arrive on the Criterion Channel thus far is this selection of neo-noir offerings, including Brian De Palma’s masterpieces Blow Out and Body Double,...
Art-House Animation
If your eyes are tired of the latest cookie-cutter animation from the Hollywood mill, Criterion is featuring quite a line-up of inventive arthouse offerings in the field. With works by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more, the series includes The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962), Belladonna of Sadness (1973), Fantastic Planet (1973), Watership Down (1978), Son of the White Mare (1981), Alice (1988), Millennium Actress (2001), Mind Game (2004), Paprika (2006), Persepolis (2007), Waltz with Bashir (2008), Mary and Max (2009), It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012), Tower (2016), The Wolf House (2018), No. 7 Cherry Lane (2019), and more.
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Neo-Noir
One of the greatest series to arrive on the Criterion Channel thus far is this selection of neo-noir offerings, including Brian De Palma’s masterpieces Blow Out and Body Double,...
- 7/2/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Jenni Olson's The Royal Road and Arthur Bressan Jr.’s Gay USA are both part of Mubi's Pride Unprejudiced collection. The series Awakenings: Three By Stephen Cone is playing on Mubi in many countries.The Royal RoadThe morning after Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party screened at the Castro Theatre as a part of Frameline 39 (San Francisco LGBT Festival), I sat, severely hungover, in the rear floor section of that historic theatre and watched a matinee screening of Jenni Olson’s The Royal Road, an intimate, 65-minute “essay film” about California, unrequited love, narrative and nostalgia that I would eventually come to consider one of the greatest of all films. Sleep-deprived and heart-pounding from dehydration, I had no business being out in public, but with each serene 16mm California image accompanied by Olson’s dryly humorous, reflective voice-over, I began to feel that, in fact, I had no business being anywhere else.
- 6/28/2021
- MUBI
Mubi has unveiled their lineup for next month, featuring the exclusive streaming premiere of Frederick Wiseman’s masterful documentary City Hall, the late Monte Hellman’s final film Road to Nowhere, a trio of works by Stephen Cone, two films by Alain Resnais, the multi-month series Sex, Truth, and Videotape: French Feminist Activism, and Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant.
As a special addition in addition to the regular programming listed below, the new restoration of Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris will be available as a free presentation celebrating Juneteenth, from June 18-19. Timed with the release of his latest gem Undine, a Christian Petzold retrospective continues with his earlier, essential films Yella, Barbara, Ostwärts, and The Warm Money.
Check out the lineup below, with links to reviews where available, and get 30 days of Mubi for free here. One can also check back for our new streaming picks every Friday here.
As a special addition in addition to the regular programming listed below, the new restoration of Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris will be available as a free presentation celebrating Juneteenth, from June 18-19. Timed with the release of his latest gem Undine, a Christian Petzold retrospective continues with his earlier, essential films Yella, Barbara, Ostwärts, and The Warm Money.
Check out the lineup below, with links to reviews where available, and get 30 days of Mubi for free here. One can also check back for our new streaming picks every Friday here.
- 5/19/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Daniel Kyri, who has been heavily recurring on Chicago Fire since Season 7 as rookie firefighter Darren Ritter, has been promoted to series regular for the upcoming ninth season.
Kyri has appeared almost every episode of Chicago Fire since he made his debut in the second episode of Season 7 for a total of 36 episodes to date.
“Very excited Daniel is going to be a series regular this year,” said series co-creator/executive producer Derek Haas. “Ritter has become a big part of Firehouse 51, and Daniel plays him with a sincerity and depth that always makes the room excited to write for him. Expect to see some big Ritter action in Season 9.”
Kyri’s character came out on the NBC drama last season, and Kyri, who is openly gay, spoke with People’s World at the time about the episode’s significance. “You go into something like this and try not to have expectations,...
Kyri has appeared almost every episode of Chicago Fire since he made his debut in the second episode of Season 7 for a total of 36 episodes to date.
“Very excited Daniel is going to be a series regular this year,” said series co-creator/executive producer Derek Haas. “Ritter has become a big part of Firehouse 51, and Daniel plays him with a sincerity and depth that always makes the room excited to write for him. Expect to see some big Ritter action in Season 9.”
Kyri’s character came out on the NBC drama last season, and Kyri, who is openly gay, spoke with People’s World at the time about the episode’s significance. “You go into something like this and try not to have expectations,...
- 8/31/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Linda Manz, the actress best known for her role in “Days in Heaven” as well as “Out of the Blue” and “Gummo,” died August 14 at the age of 58. Manz had been battling lung cancer and pneumonia. She leaves behind her husband, camera operator Bobby Guthrie, as well as two sons and three grandchildren.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by her son, Michael Guthrie, to cover funeral expenses. “Linda was a loving wife, a caring mom, a wonderful grandma and a great friend who was loved by many,” Guthrie said on the GoFundMe. See what others from the film community had to say on social media below.
Manz, who was born in 1961, provided the groundbreaking, improvised narration for Terrence Malick’s “Days of Heaven,” starring in the film at the age of 15. She also starred in Philip Kaufman’s 1979 “The Wanderers,” and many years later, had a small role...
A GoFundMe page has been set up by her son, Michael Guthrie, to cover funeral expenses. “Linda was a loving wife, a caring mom, a wonderful grandma and a great friend who was loved by many,” Guthrie said on the GoFundMe. See what others from the film community had to say on social media below.
Manz, who was born in 1961, provided the groundbreaking, improvised narration for Terrence Malick’s “Days of Heaven,” starring in the film at the age of 15. She also starred in Philip Kaufman’s 1979 “The Wanderers,” and many years later, had a small role...
- 8/15/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
If you’re looking to dive into the best of independent and foreign filmmaking, The Criterion Channel has announced their August 2020 lineup. The impressive slate includes retrospectives dedicated to Mia Hansen-Løve, Bill Gunn, Stephen Cone, Terry Gilliam, Wim Wenders, Alain Delon, Bill Plympton, Les Blank, and more.
In terms of new releases, they also have Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles’ Bacurau, the fascinating documentary John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection, the Kenyan LGBTQ drama Rafiki, and more. There’s also a series on Australian New Wave with films by Gillian Armstrong, Bruce Beresford, David Gulpilil, and Peter Weir, as well as one on bad vacations with Joanna Hogg’s Unrelated, Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, and more.
See the lineup below and explore more on their platform. One can also see our weekly streaming picks here.
25 Ways to Quit Smoking, Bill Plympton, 1989
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, Roy Rowland,...
In terms of new releases, they also have Kleber Mendonça Filho and Juliano Dornelles’ Bacurau, the fascinating documentary John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection, the Kenyan LGBTQ drama Rafiki, and more. There’s also a series on Australian New Wave with films by Gillian Armstrong, Bruce Beresford, David Gulpilil, and Peter Weir, as well as one on bad vacations with Joanna Hogg’s Unrelated, Ben Wheatley’s Sightseers, and more.
See the lineup below and explore more on their platform. One can also see our weekly streaming picks here.
25 Ways to Quit Smoking, Bill Plympton, 1989
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, Roy Rowland,...
- 7/24/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Netflix may get most of the attention, but it’s hardly a one-stop shop for cinephiles who are looking to stream essential classic and contemporary films. Each of the prominent streaming platforms caters to its own niche of film obsessives.
From chilling horror fare on Shudder, to the boundless wonders of the Criterion Channel, and esoteric (but unmissable) festival hits on Film Movement Plus and Ovid.tv, IndieWire’s monthly guide highlights the best of what’s coming to every major streaming site, with an eye towards exclusive titles that may help readers decide which of these services is right for them.
Here’s the best of the best for February 2020.
“Close-Up”
The Criterion Channel invariably offers the deepest and most compelling slate of any streaming service, but this month’s additions almost border on overkill; how is anyone supposed to choose where to start? The programming lineup kicks off...
From chilling horror fare on Shudder, to the boundless wonders of the Criterion Channel, and esoteric (but unmissable) festival hits on Film Movement Plus and Ovid.tv, IndieWire’s monthly guide highlights the best of what’s coming to every major streaming site, with an eye towards exclusive titles that may help readers decide which of these services is right for them.
Here’s the best of the best for February 2020.
“Close-Up”
The Criterion Channel invariably offers the deepest and most compelling slate of any streaming service, but this month’s additions almost border on overkill; how is anyone supposed to choose where to start? The programming lineup kicks off...
- 2/10/2020
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Since any New York City cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.
Metrograph
The director’s cut of Woodstock plays on 35mm this Saturday.
The Pasolini retrospective continues.
The restorations of A Bigger Splash and Audition still screen.
A series on documentarian Kevin Rafferty runs this weekend.
Whale Rider and Max Mon Amour play at opposite ends of the day.
Museum of the Moving Image
“See It Big!
Metrograph
The director’s cut of Woodstock plays on 35mm this Saturday.
The Pasolini retrospective continues.
The restorations of A Bigger Splash and Audition still screen.
A series on documentarian Kevin Rafferty runs this weekend.
Whale Rider and Max Mon Amour play at opposite ends of the day.
Museum of the Moving Image
“See It Big!
- 7/12/2019
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Chicago – The recent limited series “The Red Line” on CBS-tv was notable for a couple elements – it was set in Chicago and it featured Chicago actors in major roles. Creators Caitlin Parrish and Erica Weiss (from here), cast their Chi-town colleague Elizabeth Laidlaw, who portrayed police officer “Vic” Renna.
Elizabeth Laidlaw of ‘The Red Line’
Photo credit: Elizabeth Laidlaw
Laidlaw is also based in Chicago. Born in North Carolina and raised in the Windy City, she graduated Illinois Wesleyan University with a Bfa in Performance and Directing. Counter to many of her fellow actors, she anchored herself back in Chicago and established herself as a top performer on stages like Steppenwolf, The Goodman and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
She branched out in 2003, when she founded Lakeside Shakespeare Theatre, a classical company of Chicago-based talent that travel to Northern Michigan to perform the Bard outdoors and free during summer. She also does voiceover,...
Elizabeth Laidlaw of ‘The Red Line’
Photo credit: Elizabeth Laidlaw
Laidlaw is also based in Chicago. Born in North Carolina and raised in the Windy City, she graduated Illinois Wesleyan University with a Bfa in Performance and Directing. Counter to many of her fellow actors, she anchored herself back in Chicago and established herself as a top performer on stages like Steppenwolf, The Goodman and Chicago Shakespeare Theatre.
She branched out in 2003, when she founded Lakeside Shakespeare Theatre, a classical company of Chicago-based talent that travel to Northern Michigan to perform the Bard outdoors and free during summer. She also does voiceover,...
- 6/10/2019
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Unlikely bonds that blossom across the age divide have long been a staple of big-screen storytelling, prompting plenty of cringes and eye rolls along the way. But the really good movies about intergenerational friendship — Sean Baker’s Starlet and Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd are semi-recent examples — don’t clobber you with the warm-and-fuzzy joy of a younger and an older person connecting. Their emotional pull comes from how fragile the ties binding the two characters are — how tenuous and tentative and awkward.
One of the strengths of Bull, a modest, plaintively lovely debut feature from writer-director Annie Silverstein, is ...
One of the strengths of Bull, a modest, plaintively lovely debut feature from writer-director Annie Silverstein, is ...
- 5/15/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Unlikely bonds that blossom across the age divide have long been a staple of big-screen storytelling, prompting plenty of cringes and eye rolls along the way. But the really good movies about intergenerational friendship — Sean Baker’s Starlet and Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd are semi-recent examples — don’t clobber you with the warm-and-fuzzy joy of a younger and an older person connecting. Their emotional pull comes from how fragile the ties binding the two characters are — how tenuous and tentative and awkward.
One of the strengths of Bull, a modest, plaintively lovely debut feature from writer-director Annie Silverstein, is ...
One of the strengths of Bull, a modest, plaintively lovely debut feature from writer-director Annie Silverstein, is ...
- 5/15/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.Newsa remarkable artistic unison is upon us: Argentine auteur Lucrecia Martel (Zama) and musician Björk are set to team on a theatrical concert production, to be directed by Martel. Recommended VIEWINGThe International Film Festival Rotterdam has concluded, meanwhile they’ve thankfully shared a host of essential masterclasses, all of which are viewable from the festival's YouTube channel: Nicole Brenez, Claire Denis, Roberto Minervini, Carlos Reygadas, and Jia Zhangke.Almodóvar reunites with his beloved muses Penélope Cruz and Antonio Banderas—here’s the lovely, colorful trailer for Pain & Glory (sans English subtitles).AlWe somehow missed this last week: Jia Zhangke teamed up with Apple on this cheerful short film-advertisement for their new iPhone Xs.modovar reunites with his beloved muses Penelope Cruz and Antonio Banderas—here’s the lovely, colourful trailer for Pain & Glory.
- 2/21/2019
- MUBI
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSWith Jean-Paul Belmondo and Anna Karina in Pierrot le fou on the official poster for the 71st Cannes Film Festival, all signs point to Jean-Luc Godard's new film, Le livre d'image, premiering there this May.Isao Takahata—the master filmmaker, animator, and co-founder of Studio Ghibli—has sadly left us. Jasper Sharp has penned a thoughtful, thorough obituary for The Guardian.The Czech New Wave director Juraj Herz has also died, reports Czech Journal.Hirokazu Kore-eda's highly productive filmmaking pace continues with a new project, and The Playlist reports that Juliette Binoche, Catherine Deneuve, and perhaps even Ethan Hawke, are aboard.Recommended VIEWINGTerry Gilliam's decades-in-the-making dream project, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote, is finally near. Above is the raucous first trailer led by the aptly paired duo of Jonathan Pryce and Adam Driver.
- 4/11/2018
- MUBI
Betty Dodson has made a career out of teaching women to masturbate, but she’s only one woman. “You first have to be self-sexual, and then you can have sex with other people,” Dodson said recently, summarizing a life philosophy that has crowned her the grand dame of radical sex positivity. “The love affair — the sex affair — that we have with ourselves is the primary one. It should be ongoing throughout our life, and we should honor it.”
Dodson’s ideas reached a wider audience last fall, when “Broad City” sent Ilana to a sex therapist named Betty in search of her lost orgasm. (The culprit: Donald Trump.) Titled “Witches,” the episode spawned countless think pieces and was a standout in a series that has promoted sex positivity from the beginning. But “Broad City” is a comedy, and while its impact is vast, it is largely felt by a self-selecting...
Dodson’s ideas reached a wider audience last fall, when “Broad City” sent Ilana to a sex therapist named Betty in search of her lost orgasm. (The culprit: Donald Trump.) Titled “Witches,” the episode spawned countless think pieces and was a standout in a series that has promoted sex positivity from the beginning. But “Broad City” is a comedy, and while its impact is vast, it is largely felt by a self-selecting...
- 2/12/2018
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
The Cloverfield Paradox (Julius Onah)
When miniscule-budget films like Coherence can deal with multiple dimensions in endlessly fascinating ways and mid-budget Hollywood films like Life have the guts to get impressively nasty while riffing on the sci-fi classics that came before it, there’s no excuse for The Cloverfield Paradox to fall as blandly down the middle of the road as it does. The most memorable aspect of the...
The Cloverfield Paradox (Julius Onah)
When miniscule-budget films like Coherence can deal with multiple dimensions in endlessly fascinating ways and mid-budget Hollywood films like Life have the guts to get impressively nasty while riffing on the sci-fi classics that came before it, there’s no excuse for The Cloverfield Paradox to fall as blandly down the middle of the road as it does. The most memorable aspect of the...
- 2/9/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Welcome, one and all, to the latest installment of The Film Stage Show! Today, Michael Snydel, Bill Graham, and I talk about the only film that made all three of our Top Ten lists: Princess Cyd by writer/director Stephen Cone, which is now available to stream on Netflix.
Subscribe on iTunes or see below to stream/download. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
M4A: The Film Stage Show Ep. 282 – Princess Cyd
The Film Stage is supported by Mubi, a curated online cinema streaming a selection of exceptional independent, classic, and award-winning films from around the world. Each day, Mubi hand-picks a new gem and you have one month to watch it. Try it for free at mubi.com/filmstage.
Subscribe below:
Support The Film Stage Show on Patreon. E-mail us or follow on Twitter and...
Subscribe on iTunes or see below to stream/download. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
M4A: The Film Stage Show Ep. 282 – Princess Cyd
The Film Stage is supported by Mubi, a curated online cinema streaming a selection of exceptional independent, classic, and award-winning films from around the world. Each day, Mubi hand-picks a new gem and you have one month to watch it. Try it for free at mubi.com/filmstage.
Subscribe below:
Support The Film Stage Show on Patreon. E-mail us or follow on Twitter and...
- 2/4/2018
- by Brian Roan
- The Film Stage
Zoë White has Dp’d more than 30 features and shorts since 2004, including Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd and Onur Tukel’s Catfight. Her latest work, Nancy, marks the feature debut of Christina Choe, a writer/director whose shorts have screened at Telluride and SXSW. Nancy tells the story of a struggling writer (Andrea Riseborough) who tells elaborate lies on the Internet to compensate for her creative failures. The film co-stars Steve Buscemi, Ann Dowd and John Leguizamo. Below, White discusses how she and Choe arrived at the film’s visual design. Nancy screens in competition at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Filmmaker: How and why did you […]...
- 1/20/2018
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
While Chicago is known to host large Hollywood productions, if one peers deeper into its filmmaking scene, there is no shortage of independent riches. We recently named Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd one of 2017’s best films, and now another promising drama from the area is around the corner. Michael Glover Smith’s Mercury in Retrograde tells the story of a trio of couples who venture out of Chicago for a weekend getaway in remote Michigan cabin. Ahead of a theatrical premiere at the Siskel Center starting February 16, we’re pleased to premiere the trailer, which previews these relationships in flux and shows off the striking cinematography by Jason Chiu (Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party).
“In Mercury in Retrograde, I wanted to explore how men and women communicate (and miscommunicate) with each other in the modern world,” says the director. “In this respect, it continues and deepens the themes of my previous feature Cool Apocalypse,...
“In Mercury in Retrograde, I wanted to explore how men and women communicate (and miscommunicate) with each other in the modern world,” says the director. “In this respect, it continues and deepens the themes of my previous feature Cool Apocalypse,...
- 1/9/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
In 2017 many of us went to the movies to try and find what we feared we would lose in real life. I found myself particularly drawn to films led by women and people of color that would reassure me that there was something worth staying alive and fighting for when it seemed the world was on fire. By the third time I found myself sitting down to watch Wonder Woman on the big screen, popcorn and candy in hand, I realized I kept coming back because its powerful message compelled me to return. When Amazon princess Diana explains, “Only love can save this world. So I stay. I fight, and I give,” it was as if the movies were giving me a mission: go out and be the best person you can be, help others, and come back to us when you need to refuel. So, here’s what I...
- 1/3/2018
- by Jose Solís
- The Film Stage
A year of uncertainty–to put it lightly–at every waking moment, 2017 won’t be remembered fondly. Offering brief moments of solace, the best cinema of the year included both escapism and a glimpse of humanity that was undetectable when looking at headlines. It was also the rare year that didn’t ramp up in quality in latter months; in fact, only one film in my top 10 actually premiered in the fall, with a trio of others getting theatrical releases during that time.
It hurt to leave off Lady Bird, The Untamed, The Other Side of Hope, Ex Libris – The New York Public Library, and the year’s best blockbuster, Okja, but when all is said and done, here are the 15 films that most resonated with me this year. Along with the below feature, one can see a vague ranking of all ~150 films I’ve viewed here, as well as...
It hurt to leave off Lady Bird, The Untamed, The Other Side of Hope, Ex Libris – The New York Public Library, and the year’s best blockbuster, Okja, but when all is said and done, here are the 15 films that most resonated with me this year. Along with the below feature, one can see a vague ranking of all ~150 films I’ve viewed here, as well as...
- 1/2/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Coming-of-age story Princess Cyd is a last-minute addition to best-of-the-year lists, while even Daniel Craig enjoys himself in Steven Soderbergh’s crime caper
It’s the last day of 2017, all the “best of the year” lists have been compiled, read and discarded, yet a few hours remain for me to champion a last-minute highlight, silently shuffled off to an online-only premiere in the UK after touring American art houses to strong notices. Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd (on iTunes and Amazon) is a soft-treading beauty, warm, light and perceptive on fragile questions of feminine sexuality, gender identity and finding your place in your skin.
It’s a coming-of-age story, though the two women on whom it focuses – motherless, 16-year-old Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) and her middle-aged writer aunt, Miranda (Rebecca Spence) – are equally undefined in certain ways: what exact number does “coming of age” refer to anyway?
Continue reading...
It’s the last day of 2017, all the “best of the year” lists have been compiled, read and discarded, yet a few hours remain for me to champion a last-minute highlight, silently shuffled off to an online-only premiere in the UK after touring American art houses to strong notices. Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd (on iTunes and Amazon) is a soft-treading beauty, warm, light and perceptive on fragile questions of feminine sexuality, gender identity and finding your place in your skin.
It’s a coming-of-age story, though the two women on whom it focuses – motherless, 16-year-old Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) and her middle-aged writer aunt, Miranda (Rebecca Spence) – are equally undefined in certain ways: what exact number does “coming of age” refer to anyway?
Continue reading...
- 12/31/2017
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Few things are more sublime than finding back-to-back features that hit some specific thematic sweet spot. Drive-in theaters may not be the popular viewing spot they once were, but with the overwhelming accessibility we now have, one can program their own personal double bill. Today, we’ve run through the gamut of 2017 films to select the finest pairings and tried to sway from the most obvious (i.e. a combination of Dunkirk, Darkest Hour and The Finest Hour). Check out list the below, and we’d love to hear your own picks, which can be left in the comments.
Lady Bird and Princess Cyd
On paper, too easy a pairing: coming-of-age stories that are too intelligent to propose that this, here, is the end of a journey; characters (titular characters, no less) whose impulsiveness, close-mindedness, and selfishness are, of course, part of what makes them so empathetic; portraits in miniature...
Lady Bird and Princess Cyd
On paper, too easy a pairing: coming-of-age stories that are too intelligent to propose that this, here, is the end of a journey; characters (titular characters, no less) whose impulsiveness, close-mindedness, and selfishness are, of course, part of what makes them so empathetic; portraits in miniature...
- 12/15/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
The Adventures of Tintin (Steven Spielberg)
Leave it to Steven Spielberg to eke more thrills out of an animated feature than most directors could with every live-action tool at their disposal. The Adventures of Tintin is colored and paced like a child’s fantastical imagining of how Hergé’s comics might play in motion, and the extent to which viewers buy it depends largely on their willingness to give...
The Adventures of Tintin (Steven Spielberg)
Leave it to Steven Spielberg to eke more thrills out of an animated feature than most directors could with every live-action tool at their disposal. The Adventures of Tintin is colored and paced like a child’s fantastical imagining of how Hergé’s comics might play in motion, and the extent to which viewers buy it depends largely on their willingness to give...
- 12/8/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (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:
Dee Rees’ “Mudbound” is now streaming on Netflix (in addition to playing in a few theaters), and the Oscar-tipped Sundance favorite is as high-profile a film as the streaming giant has ever premiered. It’s another landmark moment in the ongoing shift towards novel distribution patterns — once upon a time it was easy enough to divide things into theatrical releases and films that went straight-to-video, but now there are at least 50 shades of gray.
Read More:‘Mudbound’: Dee Rees, Faith, and the Long Path She Took to Make Her Epic Oscar Contender
As a result of this sea change, a number of major films...
This week’s question:
Dee Rees’ “Mudbound” is now streaming on Netflix (in addition to playing in a few theaters), and the Oscar-tipped Sundance favorite is as high-profile a film as the streaming giant has ever premiered. It’s another landmark moment in the ongoing shift towards novel distribution patterns — once upon a time it was easy enough to divide things into theatrical releases and films that went straight-to-video, but now there are at least 50 shades of gray.
Read More:‘Mudbound’: Dee Rees, Faith, and the Long Path She Took to Make Her Epic Oscar Contender
As a result of this sea change, a number of major films...
- 11/20/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
“Princess Cyd” is a delightful gem of a film, a delicate piece of naturalism centered around not one, but two, fully realized women characters. While it may technically be Stephen Cone’s eighth feature, the Chicago-based filmmaker has never seen a film play at Sundance, SXSW, Tiff, or any other major film festival. That’s about to change: With “Princess Cyd” receiving glowing reviews, earning Cone comparisons to the late Jonathan Demme, and an early career retrospective at New York’s Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), Cone won’t be an outsider much longer.
“I’ve gotten used to the rejections,” Cone told IndieWire during a recent interview. “I’ve learned to be patient. But, I won’t lie, it’s been extremely unusual to fall through what feels like a very special crack in the floor.” Though the major American festivals have so far shut him out, Cone...
“I’ve gotten used to the rejections,” Cone told IndieWire during a recent interview. “I’ve learned to be patient. But, I won’t lie, it’s been extremely unusual to fall through what feels like a very special crack in the floor.” Though the major American festivals have so far shut him out, Cone...
- 11/11/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Since any New York City cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.
Metrograph
Garrel, Miike (x4), Marker, Roeg, Fuller, Lubitsch, and Maigret.
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Classics from the likes of Chaplin and Miyazaki play alongside newcomers in “My First Film Fest 2.”
Museum of the Moving Image
The Stephen Cone retrospective wraps up.
Anthology Film Archives
Adaptations of Stanisław Lem and the Strugatsky Brothers are underway.
Metrograph
Garrel, Miike (x4), Marker, Roeg, Fuller, Lubitsch, and Maigret.
Film Society of Lincoln Center
Classics from the likes of Chaplin and Miyazaki play alongside newcomers in “My First Film Fest 2.”
Museum of the Moving Image
The Stephen Cone retrospective wraps up.
Anthology Film Archives
Adaptations of Stanisław Lem and the Strugatsky Brothers are underway.
- 11/10/2017
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.Recommended Viewinga stunning trailer for the 4k restoration and re-release of Legend of the Mountain (1979), an under-seen, contemplative action masterpiece by Come Drink with Me and A Touch of Zen director King Hu.Hong Sang-soo's On the Beach at Night Alone gets a wry and incisive new trailer for its imminent U.S. release. We wrote on the film in February, and later interviewed the director about it.For De Filmkrant, Notebook contributors Cristina Álvarez López and Adrian Martin investigate in a new video essay the virtuous modulation to be found in Howard Hawks' and Barbara Stanwyck's talents in Ball of Fire.Commissioned by Renzo, Le CiNéMa Club has premiered three inspired short films from Mati Diop, Eduardo Williams, and Baptist Penetticobra all loosely interpreting the theme "Inhabit the earth".Recommended READINGIn...
- 11/8/2017
- MUBI
Princess CydStephen Cone has been making movies at a steady clip for over a decade and yet remains largely unknown. It is a momentous and wholly deserved occasion then for him to receive a retrospective at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. Despite mixed receptions and even more erratic distribution patterns, his collection of films isn’t as motley as one might think. While each might tiptoe in a different direction, they maintain a hand in the Stephen Cone universe, imprinted by the same particular humanistic insight. In one of his earliest films, In Memoriam (2011), a young man so subsumed with the sudden death of a couple, fallen from a roof during the throes of pleasure, conducts his own investigation into their ill-fated demise. Innocuous curiosity masks what is essentially an existential inquiry and takes a self-referential pivot when he decides to recreate and film the events,...
- 11/7/2017
- MUBI
by Glenn Dunks
In some ways, Stephen Cone is an unlikely name to warrant a retrospective. And yet in other ways, he’s a perfect choice. Those who already know this writer-director likely typify him, not incorrectly, by the way he infuses queer-leaning narratives with themes of religion and faith. But considering Cone’s films – of which he is likely best known for Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party from 2015 – have rarely ventured out of the queer film festival circuit and his earlier works remain virtually unseen, Talk About the Passion: Stephen Cone’s First Act is actually a well-timed way to learn about a filmmaker who is clearly doing enough right to stick around for a little while yet.
His debut as a feature direct after several short and medium-length titles was In Memoriam, a film that sits rather out of place among Cone’s filmography. Following a man who...
In some ways, Stephen Cone is an unlikely name to warrant a retrospective. And yet in other ways, he’s a perfect choice. Those who already know this writer-director likely typify him, not incorrectly, by the way he infuses queer-leaning narratives with themes of religion and faith. But considering Cone’s films – of which he is likely best known for Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party from 2015 – have rarely ventured out of the queer film festival circuit and his earlier works remain virtually unseen, Talk About the Passion: Stephen Cone’s First Act is actually a well-timed way to learn about a filmmaker who is clearly doing enough right to stick around for a little while yet.
His debut as a feature direct after several short and medium-length titles was In Memoriam, a film that sits rather out of place among Cone’s filmography. Following a man who...
- 11/4/2017
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
Sitting down to watch a lesbian coming-of-age film can be like entering a game of Russian roulette, if you’re the kind of woman who doesn’t like seeing iterations of herself murdered, raped, converted, or preyed upon. Sitting down to watch a movie about a woman over 40 can be similarly daunting, in that very few of these movies even exist. Director Stephen Cone seeks to right these wrongs with his eighth feature, “Princess Cyd.” All told, he does a pretty good job — and makes a charming little film in the process.
Continue reading Effervescent ‘Princess Cyd’ Will Leave You Feeling Loved & Lovely [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading Effervescent ‘Princess Cyd’ Will Leave You Feeling Loved & Lovely [Review] at The Playlist.
- 11/3/2017
- by Lena Wilson
- The Playlist
As we gear up for an awards season ripe with many quality queer films, it’s important to remember smaller successes who may get lost in the shuffle. Lgbt-themed film festivals Outfest and Frameline kicked off the summer, while New York’s own NewFest wrapped up last week. It’s always thrilling to see a gay film get awards attention, like the kind lavished on Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name” and foreign language contender “Bpm (Beats Per Minute).” But it’s been a banner year for nuanced queer films across the board, and especially ones from queer-identified filmmakers.
From up-and-comers making splashy debuts, to longtime favorites who have stepped up their game, the filmmakers on this list represent a varied swath of not only the Lgbt spectrum, but vastly different artistic styles. That means they have the potential to reach different audiences — and open up perspectives across demographics.
From up-and-comers making splashy debuts, to longtime favorites who have stepped up their game, the filmmakers on this list represent a varied swath of not only the Lgbt spectrum, but vastly different artistic styles. That means they have the potential to reach different audiences — and open up perspectives across demographics.
- 11/3/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Stephen Cone has the tenacity of first-time director, yet he has eight feature films and dozens of shorts to show for it. His vision for filmmaking, grit in self-fundraising, and ability to collaborate with fresh faces (like Joe Keery of Stranger Things fame) and veteran actors alike results in nimble productions with a quick turn-around.
The Film Stage’s Jose Solís reviewed Cone’s newest film Princess Cyd, which opens today in NY and Chicago, saying: “With this, Cone also continues to be one of the few directors who has chosen to contextualize faith rather than demonize it. He shows greater interest in the places where we are like each other, all while celebrating what makes us different.”
Offering a look into his still-young career, Eric Hynes, Associate Curator of Film at the Museum of the Moving Image, programmed Talk About the Passion: Stephen Cone’s First Act, going from...
The Film Stage’s Jose Solís reviewed Cone’s newest film Princess Cyd, which opens today in NY and Chicago, saying: “With this, Cone also continues to be one of the few directors who has chosen to contextualize faith rather than demonize it. He shows greater interest in the places where we are like each other, all while celebrating what makes us different.”
Offering a look into his still-young career, Eric Hynes, Associate Curator of Film at the Museum of the Moving Image, programmed Talk About the Passion: Stephen Cone’s First Act, going from...
- 11/3/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Since any New York City cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.
Museum of the Moving Image
The warm and wise films of Stephen Cone are given a retrospective, overlapping with the theatrical release of his new film, Princess Cyd.
Metrograph
Dennis Hopper, Philippe Garrel, Samuel Fuller, and Forman & Passer all have films screening.
Quad Cinema
The likes of Truffaut, Akerman, Lucas, De Palma, and Fellini screen...
Museum of the Moving Image
The warm and wise films of Stephen Cone are given a retrospective, overlapping with the theatrical release of his new film, Princess Cyd.
Metrograph
Dennis Hopper, Philippe Garrel, Samuel Fuller, and Forman & Passer all have films screening.
Quad Cinema
The likes of Truffaut, Akerman, Lucas, De Palma, and Fellini screen...
- 11/2/2017
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
In brief—this interview is long as is—Stephen Cone’s new feature Princess Cyd begins with what’s almost a feint: a phone call to 911 reporting trouble next door and a potentially helpless young girl, heard before we actually see now-grown protagonist Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) on the soccer field. 16-year-old Cyd comes to Chicago to spend some time away from her father, crashing with her writer aunt Miranda (Rebecca Spence). They’re opposites: Cyd’s all body and bluntly atheist, Miranda is cerebral and Christian. The question of what happened to Cyd fades away over the course of a seemingly low-key movie in which Cyd […]...
- 11/2/2017
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Welcome, one and all, to the latest installment of The Film Stage Show! Today, Michael Snydel, Bill Graham and I are joined by Stephen Cone (director of the excellent Princess Cyd, which opens in New York/Chicago this Friday) to talk Noah Baumbach’s The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected), starring Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, and more, which is now streaming on Netflix.
Subscribe on iTunes or see below to stream/download. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
M4A: The Film Stage Show Ep. 269 – The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
00:00 – 05:44 – Introductions
05:45 – 01:25:11 – The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) review
Bonus: Listen to Baumbach’s recent discussion of the film with Brian De Palma at the DGA.
The Film Stage is supported by Mubi, a curated online cinema streaming a selection of exceptional independent,...
Subscribe on iTunes or see below to stream/download. Enter our giveaways, get access to our private Slack channel, and support new episodes by becoming a Patreon contributor.
M4A: The Film Stage Show Ep. 269 – The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
00:00 – 05:44 – Introductions
05:45 – 01:25:11 – The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) review
Bonus: Listen to Baumbach’s recent discussion of the film with Brian De Palma at the DGA.
The Film Stage is supported by Mubi, a curated online cinema streaming a selection of exceptional independent,...
- 11/2/2017
- by Brian Roan
- The Film Stage
Too often, the nuances of female desire and exploration are painted with broad strokes by filmmakers of all stripes, but especially male ones. Which is why Stephen Cone’s beautifully rendered portrait of one teen’s innocent romantic experiments comes as such a delightful surprise. But there is more at play in “Princess Cyd,” which also explores a middle-aged woman’s relationship to her sexuality in equally delicate measures. The relationship between the two women is the film’s major driving force, which is apparent in the first trailer for the engaging and understated film.
“Princess Cyd” follows 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin (Jessie Pinnick) over a summer visit to her novelist aunt (Rebecca Spence) in Chicago. Estranged since the death of Cyd’s mother, Miranda and Cyd gently dance around each other as they re-establish an adult relationship. Meanwhile, Cyd seeks guidance during her dalliance with cute neighborhood barista Katie...
“Princess Cyd” follows 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin (Jessie Pinnick) over a summer visit to her novelist aunt (Rebecca Spence) in Chicago. Estranged since the death of Cyd’s mother, Miranda and Cyd gently dance around each other as they re-establish an adult relationship. Meanwhile, Cyd seeks guidance during her dalliance with cute neighborhood barista Katie...
- 10/19/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
"It is not a handicap to have one thing, but not another..." Wolfe Releasing has debuted the first official trailer for Stephen Cone's latest film Princess Cyd, a light coming-of-age comedy set mostly in Chicago. The story follows a young 16-year-old woman who goes to spend the summer with her novelist aunt at her home in Chicago's suburbs, discovering her sexual attraction to another girl in the neighborhood. Newcomer Jessie Pinnick stars as Cyd, and the cast includes Rebecca Spence, Malic White, James Vincent Meredith, Tyler Ross, and Matthew Quattrocki. I caught this just recently at the London Film Festival, and while it is solid overall, none of it really impressed me and it doesn't have anything unique to say at the end. There's so many other better films exactly like this, but it's also not that bad either. Take a look below. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster...
- 10/19/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
There are few directors working today that love their characters more than Stephen Cone. After reaching a wider audience with one of 2015’s best films, Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, he’s returning this year with Princess Cyd. Following a 16-year-old’s summer in Chicago, where she clashes and connects with her aunt and learns more about her own sexuality and faith, the first trailer has landed. Also, if you’re in NYC and have yet to see Cone’s film, a retrospective will be held at the Museum of Moving Image from November 3-12.
In a rare A-grade review for Princess Cyd, we said, “Watching his films, one gets a sense that he doesn’t use the medium simply to tell stories but to exercise his curiosity and discover the things that make us human. In the hands of another filmmaker, Princess Cyd‘s two leads would’ve been...
In a rare A-grade review for Princess Cyd, we said, “Watching his films, one gets a sense that he doesn’t use the medium simply to tell stories but to exercise his curiosity and discover the things that make us human. In the hands of another filmmaker, Princess Cyd‘s two leads would’ve been...
- 10/18/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Last year was a windfall year for Lgbtq cinema, thanks to a historic Best Picture win for “Moonlight” and Park Chan-wook’s exquisite “The Handmaiden” both receiving critical and commercial acclaim. While these highly deserving queer stories rose to the top, many smaller Lgbt films were either forgotten or simply nowhere to be found.
Read More: Lgbt Superheroes: Why ‘Wonder Woman’ Couldn’t Be The Lesbian Avenger We Need
Hollywood studios have begun to shoehorn blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gay stories into an endless stream of remakes and TV adaptations, and there is a wide range of indies exploring the breadth of queer stories with ever-expanding joy and nuance. While it’s still difficult to get a gay film made (or any film, for that matter), it’s wonderful that, only halfway through 2017, there are already so many queer films on the horizon. Which is why we think it’s important to celebrate them now,...
Read More: Lgbt Superheroes: Why ‘Wonder Woman’ Couldn’t Be The Lesbian Avenger We Need
Hollywood studios have begun to shoehorn blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gay stories into an endless stream of remakes and TV adaptations, and there is a wide range of indies exploring the breadth of queer stories with ever-expanding joy and nuance. While it’s still difficult to get a gay film made (or any film, for that matter), it’s wonderful that, only halfway through 2017, there are already so many queer films on the horizon. Which is why we think it’s important to celebrate them now,...
- 6/29/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
It takes an incredible amount of restraint not to tie your film up with a neat little bow, but nothing could be more fitting for a filmmaker as committed to truth-telling as Stephen Cone is. In his latest film, “Princess Cyd,” the Chicago-based writer-director renders his deeply human characters so precisely, it’s as if they stepped right off the screen and into your living room. The two central women are equal parts charming, awkward, yearning and lost. In short, they’re real. Their complexity is all the more impressive coming from a male filmmaker — Cone proves it’s possible for men to write sexually liberated, empowered, autonomous women.
Though billed as a coming-of-age story, “Princess Cyd” is much more about relationships between women, across generations and through layers of grief. Specifically, it’s the story of sixteen-year-old Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) and her Aunt, a well-known novelist named Miranda Ruth (Rebecca Spence). Cyd’s mother died when she was young, and she’s been living with her father in South Carolina. When Miranda agrees to host the rambunctious teen for the summer, the two relatives find themselves thrust into familial intimacy despite not knowing much about each other.
Read More: ‘Paris Can Wait’ Review: Eleanor Coppola and Diane Lane Bring Mature Charm to a Road Trip Romantic Comedy
Cyd, for instance, is about the only person in Chicago (certain circles, anyhow) who doesn’t know her Aunt’s work. When Miranda offers her a book, she casually replies: “I don’t really read.” Cyd would rather sunbathe on Miranda’s manicured lawn than talk about “books ‘n stuff,” and Miranda bravely digs up her old swimsuit to join. She’s a cool Aunt, offering Cyd beer and encouraging her various summer flings, but she’s less prepared for Cyd’s prying about her own romantic life. “Do you ever have sex?” Cyd asks bluntly, and Miranda sheepishly admits it’s been a while.
Exchanges like that give the film its restrained friction, while avoiding the predictable traps. Miranda doesn’t balk, but she’s clearly taken aback. Cyd might be an obnoxious snoop, but she’s also genuinely curious. It’s a keen illustration of Miranda’s discomfort with her newfound maternal role. Earlier, she hesitates awkwardly before spreading sunscreen on Cyd’s back. It’s one of those masterfully subtle moments that calls up every other time Cyd has not had a mother to rub her back or brush her hair. Miranda has invested in her work over her family, and we see what that sacrifice entails through her interactions with Cyd.
Cyd’s casual sexual exploration is a breath of fresh air. She is as interested in the cute gardener neighbor as she is in the cute barista, Katie (Malic White). Katie sports a throwback mullet/mohawk combination, and when Cyd tells Miranda that she kind of looks like a boy, she replies, “Maybe she is a boy.” “Yeah, maybe so,” Cyd says, shrugging. It’s a casual handling of gender and sexuality that more movies should emulate. The same goes for the understated sex scenes; the most explicit shot is of Cyd masturbating. (Masturbation scenes should be required in any coming-of-age about female sexuality).
Miranda’s sexuality, or lack thereof, is also something of a revelation. With a premise that begs for lessons learned, and a film landscape that loves to make everything about sex, Miranda’s self-satisfied celibacy is nothing short of radical. “It is not a handicap to be one way and not the other,” Miranda tells Cyd in an inspired monologue. Standing over a kitchen full of dirty dishes, finally dishing it back to the saucy teenager she is trying desperately to love, Miranda is the very picture of modern motherhood.
Read More: 20 New Movies That Will Define This Year in Indie Cinema, From ‘The Big Sick’ to ‘A Ghost Story’
Spence is entirely captivating as Miranda — resolute and warm at the same time. A seasoned Chicago actress, she commands the screen with a graceful strength like a cross between Diane Lane and Amy Brenneman. If show business made any sense, her star would be on the rise.
Cone packs a lot into 90 minutes, and as such there are a few loose ends. Cyd and Miranda rarely discuss the deep void between them, their shared loss. Cyd’s questions about heaven seem a little childish compared to her refreshing sexual maturity, and Miranda’s religious beliefs seem unnecessarily shoehorned into a story with plenty to explore. Miranda’s artist salon is a spirited group scene in the film’s second half, but reads like a play for literary references and a missed opportunity for Cone to poke fun at Miranda (and maybe himself). Cyd’s gossip session with two older lesbians is a highlight, however.
Loose ends are to be expected in a film more interested in life as it is than some over-stimulating fantasy. “Princess Cyd” is a triumphant little film — little in the detailed moments it creates, not the content of its character. Anchored by complicated, smart, funny women, “Princess Cyd” is a rare delight of a film and a model for others to follow.
Grade: A-
“Princess Cyd” premiered at the Maryland Film Festival in May. It is being distributed by Wolfe Releasing.
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Though billed as a coming-of-age story, “Princess Cyd” is much more about relationships between women, across generations and through layers of grief. Specifically, it’s the story of sixteen-year-old Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) and her Aunt, a well-known novelist named Miranda Ruth (Rebecca Spence). Cyd’s mother died when she was young, and she’s been living with her father in South Carolina. When Miranda agrees to host the rambunctious teen for the summer, the two relatives find themselves thrust into familial intimacy despite not knowing much about each other.
Read More: ‘Paris Can Wait’ Review: Eleanor Coppola and Diane Lane Bring Mature Charm to a Road Trip Romantic Comedy
Cyd, for instance, is about the only person in Chicago (certain circles, anyhow) who doesn’t know her Aunt’s work. When Miranda offers her a book, she casually replies: “I don’t really read.” Cyd would rather sunbathe on Miranda’s manicured lawn than talk about “books ‘n stuff,” and Miranda bravely digs up her old swimsuit to join. She’s a cool Aunt, offering Cyd beer and encouraging her various summer flings, but she’s less prepared for Cyd’s prying about her own romantic life. “Do you ever have sex?” Cyd asks bluntly, and Miranda sheepishly admits it’s been a while.
Exchanges like that give the film its restrained friction, while avoiding the predictable traps. Miranda doesn’t balk, but she’s clearly taken aback. Cyd might be an obnoxious snoop, but she’s also genuinely curious. It’s a keen illustration of Miranda’s discomfort with her newfound maternal role. Earlier, she hesitates awkwardly before spreading sunscreen on Cyd’s back. It’s one of those masterfully subtle moments that calls up every other time Cyd has not had a mother to rub her back or brush her hair. Miranda has invested in her work over her family, and we see what that sacrifice entails through her interactions with Cyd.
Cyd’s casual sexual exploration is a breath of fresh air. She is as interested in the cute gardener neighbor as she is in the cute barista, Katie (Malic White). Katie sports a throwback mullet/mohawk combination, and when Cyd tells Miranda that she kind of looks like a boy, she replies, “Maybe she is a boy.” “Yeah, maybe so,” Cyd says, shrugging. It’s a casual handling of gender and sexuality that more movies should emulate. The same goes for the understated sex scenes; the most explicit shot is of Cyd masturbating. (Masturbation scenes should be required in any coming-of-age about female sexuality).
Miranda’s sexuality, or lack thereof, is also something of a revelation. With a premise that begs for lessons learned, and a film landscape that loves to make everything about sex, Miranda’s self-satisfied celibacy is nothing short of radical. “It is not a handicap to be one way and not the other,” Miranda tells Cyd in an inspired monologue. Standing over a kitchen full of dirty dishes, finally dishing it back to the saucy teenager she is trying desperately to love, Miranda is the very picture of modern motherhood.
Read More: 20 New Movies That Will Define This Year in Indie Cinema, From ‘The Big Sick’ to ‘A Ghost Story’
Spence is entirely captivating as Miranda — resolute and warm at the same time. A seasoned Chicago actress, she commands the screen with a graceful strength like a cross between Diane Lane and Amy Brenneman. If show business made any sense, her star would be on the rise.
Cone packs a lot into 90 minutes, and as such there are a few loose ends. Cyd and Miranda rarely discuss the deep void between them, their shared loss. Cyd’s questions about heaven seem a little childish compared to her refreshing sexual maturity, and Miranda’s religious beliefs seem unnecessarily shoehorned into a story with plenty to explore. Miranda’s artist salon is a spirited group scene in the film’s second half, but reads like a play for literary references and a missed opportunity for Cone to poke fun at Miranda (and maybe himself). Cyd’s gossip session with two older lesbians is a highlight, however.
Loose ends are to be expected in a film more interested in life as it is than some over-stimulating fantasy. “Princess Cyd” is a triumphant little film — little in the detailed moments it creates, not the content of its character. Anchored by complicated, smart, funny women, “Princess Cyd” is a rare delight of a film and a model for others to follow.
Grade: A-
“Princess Cyd” premiered at the Maryland Film Festival in May. It is being distributed by Wolfe Releasing.
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- 6/23/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Is there a director more generous to his characters than Stephen Cone? Watching his films, one gets a sense that he doesn’t use the medium simply to tell stories but to exercise his curiosity and discover the things that make us human. In the hands of another filmmaker, Princess Cyd‘s two leads would’ve been pitted against each other and engaged in battle until a facile discovery in the denouement made them realize how much they had in common and led to a warm reconciliation. But not in Cone’s film, perhaps for the very notion that no one else is interested in telling the stories of characters such as these — perhaps because no one else can.
We first hear of Cyd through an emergency call, where we learn two people have died in a shooting that leaves only a little girl behind as the survivor. When we...
We first hear of Cyd through an emergency call, where we learn two people have died in a shooting that leaves only a little girl behind as the survivor. When we...
- 6/17/2017
- by Jose Solís
- The Film Stage
BAMcinemafest, the Brooklyn presenting organization’s annual festival of top new American independent films, kicked off last night with Aaron Katz’s stylish L.A. murder mystery Gemini and runs through the 24th, with Alex Ross Perry’s Golden Exits as closing night film. The festival, which gains stature and momentum every year, mixes a fair swatch of local NYC auteurs with out-of-towners whose work strikes allied notes of idiosyncratic auteurism. Below, from myself and Vadim Rizov, are a series of picks and capsule reviews for recommended films in this year’s edition. Princess Cyd. Stephen Cone’s fifth feature is his first not grounded in […]...
- 6/15/2017
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Princess CydNow in its ninth season, BAMcinemaFest has become New York’s premiere festival for gems of American indie cinema, expertly culled from the best of the fests thus far this year. While hosting works from numerous local Brooklynites like Alex Ross Perry, whose Golden Exits will close the event, the intimate festival also boasts an exceptional assortment of films from across the country, this year no short on mysteries, overt and clandestine. The selection’s varying styles are all a testament to the diversity of independent filmmaking that is alive and well in America today.Director Aaron Katz returns with Gemini, a lo-fi L.A.-set noir circling around a movie starlet Heather (Zoe Kravitz) and her devoted assistant Jill (Lola Kirke). Always the expert examiner of relationships in miniature, Katz plumbs beyond the quandary of the employer-employee transactional one here to capture the fragile peculiarities and tender idiosyncrasies of a female friendship.
- 6/14/2017
- MUBI
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.
– Focus Features has acquired the North American and select international rights to Jason Reitman’s “Tully.” Written by Diablo Cody, the comedy stars Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass and Ron Livingston.
“Tully” tells the story of Marlo (Theron), a mother of three who is gifted a night nanny by her brother (Duplass). Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully (Davis). The film will premiere in U.S. theaters on April 20, 2018.
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: Oscilloscope Picks Up ‘November,’ The Orchard Buys ‘Flower’ and More
– Electric Entertainment has acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights to Rob Reiner’s “Lbj,...
– Focus Features has acquired the North American and select international rights to Jason Reitman’s “Tully.” Written by Diablo Cody, the comedy stars Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass and Ron Livingston.
“Tully” tells the story of Marlo (Theron), a mother of three who is gifted a night nanny by her brother (Duplass). Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully (Davis). The film will premiere in U.S. theaters on April 20, 2018.
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: Oscilloscope Picks Up ‘November,’ The Orchard Buys ‘Flower’ and More
– Electric Entertainment has acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights to Rob Reiner’s “Lbj,...
- 5/5/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Coming-of-age drama to screen at BAMcinemaFest in New York in June.
Wolfe Releasing has acquired director Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd, which receives its world premiere at the Maryland Film Festival on Thursday.
The specialist Lgbtq distributor will screen the coming-of-age drama at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s BAMcinemaFest in June, followed by a theatrical and digital release later this year.
The drama starring Rebecca Spence and Jessie Pinnick centres on 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin who pays a visit to her novellist aunt in Chicago over the summer.
Eager to escape life with her depressive single father, Cyd falls for a girl in the neighbourhood while she and her aunt gently challenge each other in the realms of sex and spirit. Grace Hahn, Madison Ginsberg and Cone produced.
Princess Cyd marks Wolfe Releasing’s third collaboration with Cone after Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party and The Wise Kids.
“It is impossible to overstate how important the faith...
Wolfe Releasing has acquired director Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd, which receives its world premiere at the Maryland Film Festival on Thursday.
The specialist Lgbtq distributor will screen the coming-of-age drama at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s BAMcinemaFest in June, followed by a theatrical and digital release later this year.
The drama starring Rebecca Spence and Jessie Pinnick centres on 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin who pays a visit to her novellist aunt in Chicago over the summer.
Eager to escape life with her depressive single father, Cyd falls for a girl in the neighbourhood while she and her aunt gently challenge each other in the realms of sex and spirit. Grace Hahn, Madison Ginsberg and Cone produced.
Princess Cyd marks Wolfe Releasing’s third collaboration with Cone after Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party and The Wise Kids.
“It is impossible to overstate how important the faith...
- 5/4/2017
- ScreenDaily
Wolfe Releasing has acquired Princess Cyd, the coming-of-age drama from director Stephen Cone starring Rebecca Spence and Jessie Pinnick. The distributor made the deal ahead of the pic’s world premiere tomorrow at the Maryland Film Festival. A theatrical and digital release later this year is planned. The pic follows 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin (Pinnick) while visiting her novelist aunt (Spence) in Chicago over the summer. Eager to escape life with her depressive…...
- 5/4/2017
- Deadline
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