Exclusive: Level 33 Entertainment has taken domestic on H.P. Mendoza’s The Secret Art of Human Flight, which made its world premiere at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival. A July theatrical release has been set followed by a debut on digital platforms.
Pic written by Jesse Orenshein centers around a children’s book author, Ben Grady (Grant Rosenmeyer), who mourning the loss of his wife stumbles upon a self-help manifesto written by an eccentric guru calling himself “Mealworm” that promises to unlock the power to fly. The book arrives… and so does Mealworm, forcing Ben to navigate his family life, accusations of foul play, and the bizarre rituals laid before him in the hopes of healing and, just maybe, achieving flight. Pic also stars Lucy DeVito (Little Demon), Nican Robinson (Ahsoka), Rosa Arredondo (So Help Me Todd...
Pic written by Jesse Orenshein centers around a children’s book author, Ben Grady (Grant Rosenmeyer), who mourning the loss of his wife stumbles upon a self-help manifesto written by an eccentric guru calling himself “Mealworm” that promises to unlock the power to fly. The book arrives… and so does Mealworm, forcing Ben to navigate his family life, accusations of foul play, and the bizarre rituals laid before him in the hopes of healing and, just maybe, achieving flight. Pic also stars Lucy DeVito (Little Demon), Nican Robinson (Ahsoka), Rosa Arredondo (So Help Me Todd...
- 3/19/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
When Lynnette Ramirez, president of Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance’s eponymous production company, logs onto Zoom to discuss the release of “Heist 88,” the company’s first feature, with Variety, her virtual background catches the eye. It’s a black-and-white photo of two children — a little boy and a little girl — alongside the Bassett Vance Productions logo.
It doesn’t take long to recognize that the striking shot is a family photo — and the two kids are the Hollywood power couple’s now-teenage twins Bronwyn and Slater Vance.
“This company is about legacy,” Ramirez says. “And not just their family’s legacy — but it certainly feels like that’s where the heart is.”
Indeed, Bassett Vance Productions is a family business, but it’s more than that. Formally founded in 2020 as one of the partnering companies with MTV Entertainment Group’s development program for Bipoc and women filmmakers,...
It doesn’t take long to recognize that the striking shot is a family photo — and the two kids are the Hollywood power couple’s now-teenage twins Bronwyn and Slater Vance.
“This company is about legacy,” Ramirez says. “And not just their family’s legacy — but it certainly feels like that’s where the heart is.”
Indeed, Bassett Vance Productions is a family business, but it’s more than that. Formally founded in 2020 as one of the partnering companies with MTV Entertainment Group’s development program for Bipoc and women filmmakers,...
- 10/10/2023
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
Banks are not usually thought of as friends by the American public at large. Thieves usually don’t target banks anymore, as advancements in cybersecurity have made them a tough nut to crack. But that wasn’t always the case, and the new film “Heist 88” which premieres on Paramount+ with Showtime on Friday, Sept. 29 is inspired by the true events of one of the biggest bank robberies in the history of the United States. You can watch with a subscription to Paramount Plus.
How to Watch ‘Heist 88’ When: Friday, September 29, 2023 Where: Paramount Plus Stream: Watch with a subscription to Paramount Plus. Save $20 Now$5.99+ / month paramountplus.com
For a Limited Time, Get 1 Month of Paramount+ With Code: Lioness
About ‘Heist 88’
Criminal genius Jeremy Horne (Courtney Vance) is going to prison. The charismatic thief’s life has finally caught up with him, but before he’s put behind bars...
How to Watch ‘Heist 88’ When: Friday, September 29, 2023 Where: Paramount Plus Stream: Watch with a subscription to Paramount Plus. Save $20 Now$5.99+ / month paramountplus.com
For a Limited Time, Get 1 Month of Paramount+ With Code: Lioness
About ‘Heist 88’
Criminal genius Jeremy Horne (Courtney Vance) is going to prison. The charismatic thief’s life has finally caught up with him, but before he’s put behind bars...
- 9/29/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
Bank robbers tend to be fairly easy to root for in movies. After all, it’s not the audience’s money getting pocketed onscreen. They typically don’t want to kill anybody, and their schemes tend to be pretty spectacular. “Heist 88,” a new Showtime release inspired by a real-life Chicago robbery from the year 1988, doesn’t trust viewers to be so accepting, so it spends most of its time underlining the generic reasons that its aggrieved crack team have for taking on the job. It’s a crime film that finds little joy in criminality, crammed with characters who’ve been backed into a corner, hindered by an overarching morality that doesn’t match the material.
Courtney B. Vance leads the feature as Jeremy Horne, an over-the-hill thief about to head back to prison. At a celebration of life for his brother, remembered as a Black community leader, Horne...
Courtney B. Vance leads the feature as Jeremy Horne, an over-the-hill thief about to head back to prison. At a celebration of life for his brother, remembered as a Black community leader, Horne...
- 9/29/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix Releases “Rustin” Trailer
Netflix has released the trailer of the highly anticipated “Rustin,” starring Colman Domingo.
The biopic tells the story of Bayard Rustin, the architect of 1963’s historic March on Washington, serving alongside giants such as Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and Ella Baker as they dared to dream a better world. Per the logline, “He challenged authority, never apologized for who he was, what he believed, or who he desired. And he did not back down. He made history, and in turn, he was forgotten.”
Watch the “Rustin” trailer below:
Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe (“Ma Rainey's Black Bottom”) returns to the streamer to direct the biopic written by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black. The film features an all-star cast including Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, Cch Pounder, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Johnny Ramey, Michael Potts, Jeffrey Wright, and Audra McDonald.
Netflix has released the trailer of the highly anticipated “Rustin,” starring Colman Domingo.
The biopic tells the story of Bayard Rustin, the architect of 1963’s historic March on Washington, serving alongside giants such as Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and Ella Baker as they dared to dream a better world. Per the logline, “He challenged authority, never apologized for who he was, what he believed, or who he desired. And he did not back down. He made history, and in turn, he was forgotten.”
Watch the “Rustin” trailer below:
Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe (“Ma Rainey's Black Bottom”) returns to the streamer to direct the biopic written by Julian Breece and Dustin Lance Black. The film features an all-star cast including Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, Cch Pounder, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Johnny Ramey, Michael Potts, Jeffrey Wright, and Audra McDonald.
- 8/30/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
The Courtney B. Vance-fronted Showtime original film “Heist 88” will debut next month on Paramount+, followed by a premiere on the linear pay cable channel. The story chronicles a master criminal who arranges an $80 million bank job prior to beginning a prison sentence. The film, produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, Bassett Vance Productions and Gunpowder & Sky, will debut on Paramount+ with Showtime beginning Sept. 29. It’ll make its linear debut on Showtime on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 9:00 p.m.
Written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran and directed by Menhaj Huda, “Heist 88” is inspired by true events. The film features Vance as Jeremy Horne who can convince anyone to do anything. He recruits four bank employees to partake in a mega-bucks heist. Taking place before the advent of modern computerization and cybersecurity, it reunites Vance with Keesha Sharp. She portrayed Dale Cochran in “The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
Written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran and directed by Menhaj Huda, “Heist 88” is inspired by true events. The film features Vance as Jeremy Horne who can convince anyone to do anything. He recruits four bank employees to partake in a mega-bucks heist. Taking place before the advent of modern computerization and cybersecurity, it reunites Vance with Keesha Sharp. She portrayed Dale Cochran in “The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
- 8/28/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Showtime has an exciting new original movie, and the cast is impressive.
Heist 88 is headlined by two-time Emmy Award-winning actor Courtney B. Vance and produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, Bassett Vance Productions, and Gunpowder & Sky.
Inspired by one of the largest bank robberies in U.S. history, the film will stream exclusively on Paramount+ with Showtime starting on Friday, September 29, and on Showtime on Sunday, October 1 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt.
"Inspired by true events, Heist 88 is the unbelievable story centered on Jeremy Horne (Vance), a criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything, who decides to pull one last job before going to prison," the cabler's official description teases.
"He recruits four young bank employees to steal close to $80 million dollars in a daring and brazen assault on the U.S. banking system."
"The film takes place in a time before widespread...
Heist 88 is headlined by two-time Emmy Award-winning actor Courtney B. Vance and produced by MTV Entertainment Studios, Bassett Vance Productions, and Gunpowder & Sky.
Inspired by one of the largest bank robberies in U.S. history, the film will stream exclusively on Paramount+ with Showtime starting on Friday, September 29, and on Showtime on Sunday, October 1 at 9 p.m. Et/Pt.
"Inspired by true events, Heist 88 is the unbelievable story centered on Jeremy Horne (Vance), a criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything, who decides to pull one last job before going to prison," the cabler's official description teases.
"He recruits four young bank employees to steal close to $80 million dollars in a daring and brazen assault on the U.S. banking system."
"The film takes place in a time before widespread...
- 8/28/2023
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
When we meet Ben Grady (Grant Rosenmeyer), he can barely lift himself out of the living room chair. By the end of this lo-fi indie drama, he’s soaring among the clouds like some kind of schlubby superhero — or one of those kids from “Chronicle” — having mastered what “The Secret Art of Human Flight” calls … well, you heard the title. Maybe not “mastered” exactly, but Ben’s finally getting the hang of it, and that’s exhilarating, since flying couldn’t be farther from the state we found him in earlier, wallowing in melancholy after the unexpected death of his wife Sarah (Reina Hardesty).
As presented by director H.P. Mendoza, Ben and Sarah were practically the cutest couple you could imagine. They published children’s books together and made video diaries for their followers on TikTok, which Ben insisted they turn into a kind of insurance policy so that each...
As presented by director H.P. Mendoza, Ben and Sarah were practically the cutest couple you could imagine. They published children’s books together and made video diaries for their followers on TikTok, which Ben insisted they turn into a kind of insurance policy so that each...
- 6/9/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
San Francisco microbudget filmmaker H.P Mendoza is bringing his Bay Area sensibilities to Tribeca.
The filmmaker best known for “Colma: The Musical” about the small town in San Mateo County, California is now turning his camera on a subject less musical but still as likely to become weirdly contagious: the pursuit of self-help. “The Secret Art of Human Flight” premieres at the Tribeca Festival this month, and IndieWire below shares the exclusive first trailer of the movie.
The cast includes Paul Raci, Oscar-nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2021 for his starring role in “Sound of Metal,” and he’s joined by cast members including Grant Rosenmeyer, Lucy DeVito, Nican Robinson, Reina Hardesty, Maggie Grace, and Sendhil Ramamurthy.
Mendoza directs the film from a screenplay by Jesse Orenshein. Mendoza shot the film with “I Think You Should Leave” cinematographer Markus Mentzer.
Per the festival synopsis, “After the sudden and tragic loss of his wife,...
The filmmaker best known for “Colma: The Musical” about the small town in San Mateo County, California is now turning his camera on a subject less musical but still as likely to become weirdly contagious: the pursuit of self-help. “The Secret Art of Human Flight” premieres at the Tribeca Festival this month, and IndieWire below shares the exclusive first trailer of the movie.
The cast includes Paul Raci, Oscar-nominated for Best Supporting Actor in 2021 for his starring role in “Sound of Metal,” and he’s joined by cast members including Grant Rosenmeyer, Lucy DeVito, Nican Robinson, Reina Hardesty, Maggie Grace, and Sendhil Ramamurthy.
Mendoza directs the film from a screenplay by Jesse Orenshein. Mendoza shot the film with “I Think You Should Leave” cinematographer Markus Mentzer.
Per the festival synopsis, “After the sudden and tragic loss of his wife,...
- 6/7/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
A series of changes have taken place at Showtime. Variety has confirmed the network has canceled “Ziwe” after just two seasons and has picked up Mandy Patinkin’s “Seasoned” to series, delivering a six-episode order.
Hosted and executive produced by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, the talk show focused on presenting trending hot topics concerning race, politics and other cultural issues as well as musical numbers, interviews, guest stars and comedic sketches. Guests on Season 2 included Drew Barrymore, Rowan Blanchard, Blake Griffin, Emily Ratajkowski and Mia Khalifa, among others. The series first debuted in 2021.
With the loss, that leaves Showtime without a current late night talk show following the cancellation of “Desus & Mero” (which Ziwe also served as a writer on before moving to her own show). The changes come as part of Showtime’s reevaluation of the programming slate after MTV Entertainment Group president and CEO Chris McCarthy stepped in...
Hosted and executive produced by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, the talk show focused on presenting trending hot topics concerning race, politics and other cultural issues as well as musical numbers, interviews, guest stars and comedic sketches. Guests on Season 2 included Drew Barrymore, Rowan Blanchard, Blake Griffin, Emily Ratajkowski and Mia Khalifa, among others. The series first debuted in 2021.
With the loss, that leaves Showtime without a current late night talk show following the cancellation of “Desus & Mero” (which Ziwe also served as a writer on before moving to her own show). The changes come as part of Showtime’s reevaluation of the programming slate after MTV Entertainment Group president and CEO Chris McCarthy stepped in...
- 4/5/2023
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance’s film Heist 88, which had been earmarked for Paramount+, will be moving to Showtime, Deadline has learned. Additionally, I hear the network has made decisions on two of its three comedy pilots, handing a six-episode series order to Seasoned, starring Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody, and passing on The Wood, based on the 1999 feature film. Showtime also has opted not to renew Ziwe, hosted and executive produced by comedian Ziwe Fumudoh, for a third season.
Paramount Television Studios, which produces The Wood, will be shopping it elsewhere.
Original movies were a staple on Showtime in the 1980s, 90s and 2000s until the network shifted to original series. The network recently returned to the genre after a14-year break with Ray Donovan: The Movie. Heist 88, which stars Vance, falls into one of the three new programming lanes for Showtime recently outlined by Chris McCarthy,...
Paramount Television Studios, which produces The Wood, will be shopping it elsewhere.
Original movies were a staple on Showtime in the 1980s, 90s and 2000s until the network shifted to original series. The network recently returned to the genre after a14-year break with Ray Donovan: The Movie. Heist 88, which stars Vance, falls into one of the three new programming lanes for Showtime recently outlined by Chris McCarthy,...
- 4/5/2023
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Courtney B. Vance and Angela Bassett have renewed their overall deal with MTV Entertainment Studios through their production banner Bassett Vance Productions.
Along with the renewal news, Paramount also announced that the pair’s first feature film from their overall deal, “Heist 88,” is currently in production. The film tells the story of one of the largest bank heists ever to occur in the United States.
Here’s a description: Jeremy Horne (Vance), a criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything, decides to pull one last job before going to prison. He recruits four young bank employees to steal close to 80 million dollars in a daring and brazen assault on the US banking system. “Heist 88” takes place in a time before widespread computerization and the vast cybersecurity of today.
Also Read:
‘Batgirl’ Actress Ivory Aquino Begs David Zaslav to Reconsider Releasing the...
Along with the renewal news, Paramount also announced that the pair’s first feature film from their overall deal, “Heist 88,” is currently in production. The film tells the story of one of the largest bank heists ever to occur in the United States.
Here’s a description: Jeremy Horne (Vance), a criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything, decides to pull one last job before going to prison. He recruits four young bank employees to steal close to 80 million dollars in a daring and brazen assault on the US banking system. “Heist 88” takes place in a time before widespread computerization and the vast cybersecurity of today.
Also Read:
‘Batgirl’ Actress Ivory Aquino Begs David Zaslav to Reconsider Releasing the...
- 8/25/2022
- by Katie Campione
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance have renewed the overall deal with MTV Entertainment Studios for their Bassett Vance Productions, and have set Heist 88, starring Vance, as the first feature under the new pact.
Directed by Menhaj Huda (Kidulthood),the film, which is currently shooting in Chicago, reunites two-time Emmy winner Vance with his The People vs Oj Simpson: American Crime Story co-star Keesha Sharp and Bentley Green, who recently starred alongside him in AMC’s 61st Street.
In addition to Vance, Sharp and Green, Keith David, Xavier Clyde, Nican Robinson and Precious Way also star in Heist 88, which is inspired by true events and tells the unbelievable story of one of the largest bank heists ever to occur in the United States.
In the film, written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran, Vance portrays Jeremy Horne, a criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything,...
Directed by Menhaj Huda (Kidulthood),the film, which is currently shooting in Chicago, reunites two-time Emmy winner Vance with his The People vs Oj Simpson: American Crime Story co-star Keesha Sharp and Bentley Green, who recently starred alongside him in AMC’s 61st Street.
In addition to Vance, Sharp and Green, Keith David, Xavier Clyde, Nican Robinson and Precious Way also star in Heist 88, which is inspired by true events and tells the unbelievable story of one of the largest bank heists ever to occur in the United States.
In the film, written by Dwayne Johnson-Cochran, Vance portrays Jeremy Horne, a criminal mastermind with an innate ability to convince anyone to do just about anything,...
- 8/25/2022
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
No Man of God Review — No Man of God (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Amber Sealey and starring Elijah Wood, Luke Kirby, Robert Patrick, Aleksa Palladino, Christian Clemenson, Mac Brandt, Hugo Armstrong, Emily Berry, Will Harris, Gilbert Owuor, Jessica Lynn Skinner, Nican Robinson, Allison Baver, John Wilcox, Kate Adams, Richard Blackmon, [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: No Man Of God (2021): Elijah Wood is Dynamite as FBI Agent in Dramatic Film About Ted Bundy...
Continue reading: Film Review: No Man Of God (2021): Elijah Wood is Dynamite as FBI Agent in Dramatic Film About Ted Bundy...
- 9/6/2021
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
"Just go talk to her, man, she's cool..." Trust the nice guy, they say. Toxic is an intriguing, suspenseful short film about toxic masculinity made by up-and-coming filmmaker Mike Manning. Now available to watch online - and it's worth a look. The film plays on insecurities and the confusion of expectations vs reality, but also shows us how one fragile male ego cracks after being rejected by a woman at a party. Toxic stars John Bain as Darren, Keisha Castle-Hughes (Academy Award nominee for her performance in 2002's Whale Rider) as Irene, and Nican Robinson as his friend Erik. The production value of this short is excellent, and there's a very eerie atmosphere to the whole thing. Toxic masculinity is an important topic to address in film, though I think this falls a bit short without extra context. But that's the point - ambiguity and intrigue. Thanks to Mike for...
- 12/2/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
As with most festivals in a pandemic world, Slamdance Film Festival is changing things up with their 2021 edition. Moving a few weeks back to February 12-25, no longer directly competing with Sundance Film Festival, the festival will be taking place primarily virtually. In quite a feat of accessibility, a full festival pass is also now available for free––if you secure yours by December 31st. After that, they are going up to $10, which is still a steal.
The festival has also announced its full lineup, with 25 features along with 107 shorts and episodic. Films, Q&As, and panels will be available on Slamdance.com, AppleTV, Roku, Firestick, and YouTube, while in-person events will take place in Joshua Tree with drive-ins open to the public on February 13th and 14th as well as the closing night screening at a Los Angeles drive-in on February 25.
Check out the lineup below and reserve your festival pass here.
The festival has also announced its full lineup, with 25 features along with 107 shorts and episodic. Films, Q&As, and panels will be available on Slamdance.com, AppleTV, Roku, Firestick, and YouTube, while in-person events will take place in Joshua Tree with drive-ins open to the public on February 13th and 14th as well as the closing night screening at a Los Angeles drive-in on February 25.
Check out the lineup below and reserve your festival pass here.
- 12/1/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The film is about a Texan police officer struggling to raise his daughter.
Distributor Vertigo Releasing has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Jim Cumming’s debut feature Thunder Road.
The Us indie title premiered at SXSW in March, where it won the feature film Grand Jury award. It then screened in the Acid showcase at Cannes.
Thunder Road is based on Cummings’ short of the same name - which won the short film Grand Jury prize at Sundance Film Festival in 2016 - about a Texan police officer struggling to raise his daughter.
Cummings also wrote and stars in the feature,...
Distributor Vertigo Releasing has acquired UK and Ireland rights to Jim Cumming’s debut feature Thunder Road.
The Us indie title premiered at SXSW in March, where it won the feature film Grand Jury award. It then screened in the Acid showcase at Cannes.
Thunder Road is based on Cummings’ short of the same name - which won the short film Grand Jury prize at Sundance Film Festival in 2016 - about a Texan police officer struggling to raise his daughter.
Cummings also wrote and stars in the feature,...
- 11/14/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Thunder Road begins with a bizarre, funny yet strangely affecting 10-minute eulogy by grieving police officer Jim Arnaud (Jim Cummings) at his mother’s funeral. Jim pays tribute to his dead mother in a sobbing, stuttering and downright weird speech which goes off on a number of wild tangents and culminates in a hilariously awkward dance routine to the titular Bruce Springsteen song. It’s a ballsy way to start a film, plunging the audience straight into an uncomfortable and striking melding of comedy and tragedy. It encapsulates what’s to come as Cummings brilliantly maintains a balance between laughs and poignancy throughout this thrillingly unique exploration of grief.
Adapted from Cummings’ award-winning 2016 short film of the same name, Thunder Road follows Jim in the aftermath of his loss. After the funeral, Jim goes out to work with his well-meaning partner Nate (Nican Robinson) only to be told he must...
Adapted from Cummings’ award-winning 2016 short film of the same name, Thunder Road follows Jim in the aftermath of his loss. After the funeral, Jim goes out to work with his well-meaning partner Nate (Nican Robinson) only to be told he must...
- 10/17/2018
- by Luke Channell
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
“My mom didn’t believe in any of this,” says the man in the police uniform, standing in front of the open casket. His name is Jim Arnaud. Even if he wasn’t in his work clothes, you’d sense he was a cop: the ramrod posture, the alpha-aggressive politeness, that mustache. His mother has just passed away and he’s listing off her accomplishments, thanking the friends and family who’ve shown up to her funeral. Then he mentions Mom’s lack of faith, gesturing around the church, and...
- 10/11/2018
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
"You don't want me to talk?! I got dirt on all ya'll!" An official trailer has arrived for an indie dramedy titled Thunder Road - written, directed by, and performed by Jim Cummings. Adapted from Cummings' own award-winning Sundance short film of the same name, Thunder Road is about a southern police officer who must come to grips with a death of his mom when giving a heartfelt eulogy at her funeral, while trying to raise his young daughter. The cast includes Kendal Farr, Nican Robinson, Jocelyn Deboer, Chelsea Edmundson, Macon Blair, Ammie Leonards, and Bill Wise. This looks like a worthwhile film, quite heartbreaking, but also an intriguing comedic take on grief and the struggle to live a good life. Watch below. Here's the official Us trailer (+ poster) for Jim Cummings' Thunder Road, direct from YouTube: Based on the Sundance-winning short film, Thunder Road follows a Texan police officer who loses his Mother,...
- 9/12/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Uncompromisingly challenging at times, Jim Cummings’ feature-length adaptation of his award-winning 2016 short film Thunder Road offers a unique portrait of a tightly wound lawman on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Cummings stars as Patrolman Jim Arnaud, a mild-mannered professional who’s broken after the passing of his mother. Beginning with a jarring, unbroken long take, Arnaud offers a eulogy by way of an awkward dance for his mother inspired by Bruce Springsteen’s “Thunder Road” and recorded by a co-worker Nate (Nican Robinson). Despite the direct reference, that scene is largely where the worship of New Jersey’s poet laureate stops.
Rather, Thunder Road is largely a one-man performance, written, directed, and performed by Cummings. And the subsequent film has the trappings (and limitations) of a stage play, including long takes where officer Arnaud monologues in scenes that feel reminiscent of Jim Carrey’s performance in Me, Myself, & Irene.
Rather, Thunder Road is largely a one-man performance, written, directed, and performed by Cummings. And the subsequent film has the trappings (and limitations) of a stage play, including long takes where officer Arnaud monologues in scenes that feel reminiscent of Jim Carrey’s performance in Me, Myself, & Irene.
- 3/16/2018
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
“Thunder Road” tests the limits of how long one can sit with the unflinching portrait of an angry, broken man whose life is falling apart in every direction, and it turns out it’s about 91 minutes. Writer-director-star Jim Cummings’ adaptation of his acclaimed 2016 short focuses on a wayward police officer who can’t manage to put his life together, largely due to his own simmering rage and sloppy mistakes. Cummings’ unruly performance as the mustachioed anti-hero engenders a paradoxical character study, in which the filmmaker takes to both sides of the camera to beg the audience for empathy, but doesn’t make it easy.
The Grand Jury prize winner at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival is most impressive for its uncompromising magnification of despair, with Cummings as a man who can’t stop traipsing through a trail of banana peels, and while that approach can grow weary it’s also an...
The Grand Jury prize winner at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival is most impressive for its uncompromising magnification of despair, with Cummings as a man who can’t stop traipsing through a trail of banana peels, and while that approach can grow weary it’s also an...
- 3/14/2018
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
With Sundance 2018 wrapped up, the next major American festival is South by Southwest Film Festival and today they’ve announced their lineup. Opening with John Krasinski’s horror film A Quiet Place, it also includes some of our most-anticipated films of the year: Jody Hill’s Observe & Report follow-up The Legacy of a Whitetail Deer Hunter (which Netflix has announced they’ll release), Andrew Bujalski’s Support the Girls, and Julia Hart’s Miss Stevens follow-up, the sci-fi film Fast Color (pictured above) starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw.
Check out the lineup below for the festival that takes place March 9-18 in Austin. It also includes many Sundance 2018 titles, and you can see our reviews of those here.
Narrative Feature Competition
Ten world premieres; ten unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling. Selected from 1,408 narrative feature submissions in 2018.
Family
Director/Screenwriter: Laura Steinel
When an emotionally stunted 30 year-old woman is tasked...
Check out the lineup below for the festival that takes place March 9-18 in Austin. It also includes many Sundance 2018 titles, and you can see our reviews of those here.
Narrative Feature Competition
Ten world premieres; ten unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling. Selected from 1,408 narrative feature submissions in 2018.
Family
Director/Screenwriter: Laura Steinel
When an emotionally stunted 30 year-old woman is tasked...
- 2/1/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
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