The story of Country Music Hall of Fame duo the Louvin Brothers will be told in a new biopic starring Ethan Hawke, according to Variety. Satan Is Real, currently in development, costars Hawke and Alessandro Nivola as sibling singers Charlie and Ira Louvin.
Best known for their 1958 album Satan Is Real, with its outrageous hellscape album cover, the Louvin Brothers were a study in conflict. While delivering songs like “The Christian Life” and “The Kneeling Drunkard’s Plea,” the siblings often quarreled and lived on the edge, particularly Ira, whose...
Best known for their 1958 album Satan Is Real, with its outrageous hellscape album cover, the Louvin Brothers were a study in conflict. While delivering songs like “The Christian Life” and “The Kneeling Drunkard’s Plea,” the siblings often quarreled and lived on the edge, particularly Ira, whose...
- 5/16/2019
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Robert Earl Keen is never short on having a good story to tell, but for his latest project the gregarious Texas Country singer-songwriter is letting others do the talking. Well, mostly. On Americana Podcast: The 51st State, Keen gets behind the mic to host a new interview series with some of his fellow artists from the all-encompassing genre.
The podcast has been a labor of love between Keen and his daughter Clara, and as the subtitle suggests, their hope is to expand the footprint of Americana. First up: two episodes with Jamestown Revival and Lucero,...
The podcast has been a labor of love between Keen and his daughter Clara, and as the subtitle suggests, their hope is to expand the footprint of Americana. First up: two episodes with Jamestown Revival and Lucero,...
- 4/30/2019
- by Jeff Gage
- Rollingstone.com
Stars: Dane DeHaan, Chris Pratt, Vincent D’Onofrio, Leila George, Ethan Hawke, Adam Baldwin, Tait Fletcher, Jake Schur, Keith Jardine, Jenny Gabrielle, Ben Dickey, Howard Ferguson Jr., Stafford Douglas, Hawk D’Onofrio | Written by Andrew Lanham | Directed by Vincent D’Onofrio
The Kid, directed by Vincent D’Onofrio, is a finely formed and sturdy old-fashioned western that evokes classics within the genre such as Fred Zinnemann’s High Noon and Henry Hathaway’s True Grit. It’s not a masterpiece of the genre by any means, as it doesn’t transcend the generic material at hand. However, it’s a strong compelling rendition of the somewhat conventional revenge story we’re all accustomed towards, with an affirmative narrative that explores the ideal of loyalty, fate and ambiguity of law in an honest, almost cathartic exploration that propel this into something quite special. Resulting in nothing short of a terrifically engaging,...
The Kid, directed by Vincent D’Onofrio, is a finely formed and sturdy old-fashioned western that evokes classics within the genre such as Fred Zinnemann’s High Noon and Henry Hathaway’s True Grit. It’s not a masterpiece of the genre by any means, as it doesn’t transcend the generic material at hand. However, it’s a strong compelling rendition of the somewhat conventional revenge story we’re all accustomed towards, with an affirmative narrative that explores the ideal of loyalty, fate and ambiguity of law in an honest, almost cathartic exploration that propel this into something quite special. Resulting in nothing short of a terrifically engaging,...
- 3/25/2019
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
“We wanted to celebrate the closing of True West with something beginning,” Ethan Hawke said Saturday night at a New York City party celebrating both the closing of Hawke and Paul Dano’s performance of Sam Shepard’s drama True West and the album release party of singer-songwriter Ben Dickey.
Dickey, a longtime friend of Hawke who came to prominence in his lead role in last year’s Hawke-directed biopic Blaze and is now signed to Hawke’s label, led his five-piece band at the “Departures and Arrivals”-themed album release party through a blistering,...
Dickey, a longtime friend of Hawke who came to prominence in his lead role in last year’s Hawke-directed biopic Blaze and is now signed to Hawke’s label, led his five-piece band at the “Departures and Arrivals”-themed album release party through a blistering,...
- 3/24/2019
- by Jonathan Bernstein
- Rollingstone.com
When Ben Dickey returned home to his farm in Louisiana after spending months working on Ethan Hawke’s film Blaze, he fell into a depression. “I was still in a Blaze way,” says Dickey, who, after playing the role of Seventies country outsider Blaze Foley in his acting debut, says he began to assume some of Foley’s personal troubles even after the project ended.
“When it was over, I suffered from not knowing how to pull myself out of Blazetown,” he says. “I thought, the thing that I should do is wander.
“When it was over, I suffered from not knowing how to pull myself out of Blazetown,” he says. “I thought, the thing that I should do is wander.
- 3/11/2019
- by Jonathan Bernstein
- Rollingstone.com
There are generally two types of Westerns that a filmmaker can craft these days. One way to make them is to try and pay homage to the classics and attempt to capture that feel. It’s old fashioned, but it can often work. The other way is to try and re-invent the genre, turning it on its side. That’s far riskier, but the potential outcome can be revelatory. If you don’t take one of these patches, it’s hard to figure out what you’re trying to say with your film. Unfortunately, actor and director Vincent D’Onofrio falls into that trap with The Kid. He’s crafted a well made Western, but it has nothing to say. The result is, sadly, a disappointment. The movie is, of course, a Western, centered on the final days of the long brewing showdown between Sheriff Pat Garrett (Ethan Hawke) and...
- 3/7/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
With so many different iterations of the same exact story flooding the cinematic market every year via reboots and sequels, it’s nice when someone decides to look at a common narrative through a new lens. This is what director Vincent D’Onofrio and screenwriter Andrew Lanham hope to accomplish with The Kid—a glimpse at the oft-mythologized game played by former friends turned enemies Billy the Kid (Dane DeHaan) and Pat Garrett (Ethan Hawke) from the eyes of a fourteen-year-old boy (Jake Shur’s Rio) struggling to decide whether his destiny leads towards infamy like the former or justice like the latter. On the run with his sister Sara (Leila George) after killing their abusive father, stumbling upon these two legends will ultimately dictate whether they’ll earn absolution.
Fate finds Rio and Sara waking up in what was an abandoned barn to see Billy and his band of criminals watching with guns in-hand.
Fate finds Rio and Sara waking up in what was an abandoned barn to see Billy and his band of criminals watching with guns in-hand.
- 3/7/2019
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Lucinda Williams and her loose three-piece band have just kicked into “Right in Time,” the lead-off track to her 1998 breakthrough album Car Wheels on a Gravel Road and the venue is, quite literally, rocking. Williams is somewhere in the Atlantic onboard the fourth installment of the Outlaw Country Cruise and as the ship bounces back and forth through some choppy water, the song is proving to be well-suited to the moment, her famously woozy voice matching the vessel’s uneasy sway.
Williams, who turned 66 on Saturday, has been celebrating the...
Williams, who turned 66 on Saturday, has been celebrating the...
- 1/29/2019
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’re highlighting the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.
Blaze (Ethan Hawke)
Not unlike its main subject, Ethan Hawke’s Blaze is likeable, long-winded and a little all over the place. Starring musician Ben Dickey as the titular Blaze Foley, this indie biopic feels like a natural follow-up to Hawke’s last directorial effort, Seymour: An Introduction. That documentary examined the life of Seymour Bernstein, a piano teacher with wise life lessons as curated by failure and regret. This film concerns Foley, an Arkansas-born but Texas-raised singer-songwriter who was killed at the young age of 39. Both are ultimately optimistic, though Hawke does well in finding the sour with the sweet. – Dan M. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon,...
Blaze (Ethan Hawke)
Not unlike its main subject, Ethan Hawke’s Blaze is likeable, long-winded and a little all over the place. Starring musician Ben Dickey as the titular Blaze Foley, this indie biopic feels like a natural follow-up to Hawke’s last directorial effort, Seymour: An Introduction. That documentary examined the life of Seymour Bernstein, a piano teacher with wise life lessons as curated by failure and regret. This film concerns Foley, an Arkansas-born but Texas-raised singer-songwriter who was killed at the young age of 39. Both are ultimately optimistic, though Hawke does well in finding the sour with the sweet. – Dan M. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon,...
- 1/25/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Ben Dickey, the musician and actor who inhabited the role of mercurial singer-songwriter Blaze Foley in the biopic Blaze last year, is set to release his full-length LP A Glimmer on the Outskirts for SexHawkeBlack Records on March 8th. The boutique Americana label based in Austin is a joint venture with Nashville’s Dualtone Records and was co-founded by filmmaker Ethan Hawke, Austin businessman Louis Black and musician-actor Charlie Sexton, who portrayed Townes Van Zandt in the film.
Produced by Sexton, Glimmer is the follow-up to the Blaze soundtrack, which...
Produced by Sexton, Glimmer is the follow-up to the Blaze soundtrack, which...
- 1/17/2019
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences currently sit with ballots at the ready, a stack of screener stragglers waiting to be watched and plenty of choices to make regarding the 2018 film year. Voting concludes on Monday, Jan. 14. Here are a few personal pleas for consideration as phase one enters the home stretch this weekend.
Don’t sleep on Brian Tyree Henry in “If Beale Street Could Talk.”
Somewhere along the way, Barry Jenkins’ soulful portrait of black love got a little lost. Where is the urgency around a best picture-winning filmmaker’s sublime follow-up? There are so many elements to consider here, from Regina King’s critically acclaimed performance (she popped on the Golden Globes just in time) to rich costume and production design to lush photography that easily ranks among the best of the year (the Asc dropped the ball here) to a score that settles in your bones.
Don’t sleep on Brian Tyree Henry in “If Beale Street Could Talk.”
Somewhere along the way, Barry Jenkins’ soulful portrait of black love got a little lost. Where is the urgency around a best picture-winning filmmaker’s sublime follow-up? There are so many elements to consider here, from Regina King’s critically acclaimed performance (she popped on the Golden Globes just in time) to rich costume and production design to lush photography that easily ranks among the best of the year (the Asc dropped the ball here) to a score that settles in your bones.
- 1/11/2019
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
So far the film awards season has largely been shaped by box office dollars from the moviegoing public and assessments from committees of critics, journalists and other professionals. The actual industry has only just begun to weigh in, starting with last week’s Annie Awards nominations announcement.
The Screen Actors Guild will add its collective voice Wednesday with a list of performance nominations, and next week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will narrow the field in nine categories with a bundle of shortlists. After the new year, other guilds and organizations representing various disciplines will join the party. But before that whirlwind takes hold, it’s high time for a stab at predicting the nominees in the Academy’s 21 feature film categories.
At the moment — and remember, all of this is fluid — In Contention has music-heavy studio releases “A Star Is Born” and “Mary Poppins Returns” leading...
The Screen Actors Guild will add its collective voice Wednesday with a list of performance nominations, and next week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will narrow the field in nine categories with a bundle of shortlists. After the new year, other guilds and organizations representing various disciplines will join the party. But before that whirlwind takes hold, it’s high time for a stab at predicting the nominees in the Academy’s 21 feature film categories.
At the moment — and remember, all of this is fluid — In Contention has music-heavy studio releases “A Star Is Born” and “Mary Poppins Returns” leading...
- 12/11/2018
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
Filmmaker and actor Ethan Hawke, musician-actor Charlie Sexton and Louis Black, co-founder of the Austin Chronicle and South by Southwest festival, have announced the launch of SexHawkeBlack, a label based in Austin and an imprint of the Nashville-based music company Dualtone.
As their first artist, the founders have signed actor and musician Ben Dickey, who portrayed singer Blaze Foley in Blaze, the critically acclaimed, Hawke-directed biopic released earlier this year. Black served as an executive producer on the film and Sexton appeared as another Texas music legend, Townes Van Zandt.
As their first artist, the founders have signed actor and musician Ben Dickey, who portrayed singer Blaze Foley in Blaze, the critically acclaimed, Hawke-directed biopic released earlier this year. Black served as an executive producer on the film and Sexton appeared as another Texas music legend, Townes Van Zandt.
- 10/23/2018
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
The 2018 Americana Music Festival and Conference brought hundreds of artists to Nashville for six days of sweaty showcases, elbow-to-elbow day parties and probing panels. Powerful new solo voices emerged, rock bands proved their place in the genre, and the old Americana guard reinforced their legend status. Here’s the best things we saw.
Best Speak Your Mind: Tyler Childers
If it were a just world, Tyler Childers would have already won a new artist award at either (or both) the Cma Awards or the ACMs. Instead, the Kentucky songwriter was...
Best Speak Your Mind: Tyler Childers
If it were a just world, Tyler Childers would have already won a new artist award at either (or both) the Cma Awards or the ACMs. Instead, the Kentucky songwriter was...
- 9/17/2018
- by Jon Freeman, Jeff Gage, Adam Gold, Joseph Hudak, Brittney McKenna and Marissa R. Moss
- Rollingstone.com
Before he was getting excellent reviews for his starring role in Blaze, Ben Dickey was really nervous. His indie music career had hit a wall, and he was working as a chef in Philadelphia when his friend Ethan Hawke suggested he star in a film about Blaze Foley, the outlaw singer who wrote classics like “If I Could Only Fly” before he was shot dead at age 39 in 1989. Hawke and Dickey had hatched the plan for during a drunken New Years Eve party. ” “I said, ‘It’d be a lot of work.
- 9/17/2018
- by Patrick Doyle
- Rollingstone.com
Weekend debuts are minimal as the film industry’s gravity heads north to the Toronto International Film Festival, though some roll outs hope to fill a narrow vacuum of new specialties in the marketplace ahead of the coming fall onslaught. Sundance premiere, Hal, about Oscar-nominated filmmaker Hal Ashby boasts an impressive roster of stars talking about the director behind classics such as Harold and Maude, Shampoo and Being There. Oscilloscope opens the doc exclusively in New York today before heading to L.A. next weekend. Music Box Films is rolling out French drama-mystery The Apparition, which it first viewed in the European Film Market coinciding with the Berlinale in February. And Uncork’d Entertainment is spearheading the stateside launch of South Africa’s Five Fingers for Marseilles, which it picked up out of Toronto last year, heading out Friday in a day and date release.
Also notable is that Ethan Hawke...
Also notable is that Ethan Hawke...
- 9/7/2018
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
Ethan Hawke and Jimmy Fallon channeled Willie Nelson on Tuesday’s “Tonight Show,” performing “On the Road Again” in an elaborate spoof of the legendary country supergroup the Highwaymen. The skit also also featured “Blaze” costars Charlie Sexton as Kris Kristofferson and Ben Dickey as Waylon Jennings.
The skit was a typically lighthearted Fallon affair in which Hawke-as-Nelson takes on the 1979 song’s love of life on the road and all that comes with it, while Fallon-as-Cash plays contrarian, wanting to stay home and play games and drink.
The pair then try to get their companions to play tie-breaker, but they demur. “But hold on a sec/ If we stay here we can get trashed and play Fortnite,” Fallon sings.
“Wait, what is Fortnite?” Hawke offered back as Sexton and Dickey feigned confusion.
“Fortnite is an online, multi-player game where a flyin’ bus drops you off onto an island,” Fallon sang.
The skit was a typically lighthearted Fallon affair in which Hawke-as-Nelson takes on the 1979 song’s love of life on the road and all that comes with it, while Fallon-as-Cash plays contrarian, wanting to stay home and play games and drink.
The pair then try to get their companions to play tie-breaker, but they demur. “But hold on a sec/ If we stay here we can get trashed and play Fortnite,” Fallon sings.
“Wait, what is Fortnite?” Hawke offered back as Sexton and Dickey feigned confusion.
“Fortnite is an online, multi-player game where a flyin’ bus drops you off onto an island,” Fallon sang.
- 9/5/2018
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Ethan Hawke donned a pair of blonde braids to embody Willie Nelson on Tuesday’s Tonight Show, performing a parody of his signature track “On The Road Again.” Host Jimmy Fallon, aping Johnny Cash, joined Hawke and his Blaze co-stars Charlie Sexton (as Kris Kristofferson) and Ben Dickey (Waylon Jennings).
The track, originally featured on Nelson’s 1979 album, Honeysuckle Rose, took on a new tone when the group switched the lyrics to discuss online gaming and drinking with friends. “But hold on a sec/ If we stay here we can get trashed and play Fortnite,...
The track, originally featured on Nelson’s 1979 album, Honeysuckle Rose, took on a new tone when the group switched the lyrics to discuss online gaming and drinking with friends. “But hold on a sec/ If we stay here we can get trashed and play Fortnite,...
- 9/5/2018
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
Never heard of Blaze Foley? You’re not alone. So why would Ethan Hawke decide to direct a film about a country singer and songwriter who died at 39 after a flirtation with fame that went nowhere? Maybe for just that very reason. Right up until that day in 1989 when he took a fatal gunshot to the chest from the son of a friend, Foley was making his own kind of music, this time in a dive bar in Austin, Texas called the Outhouse. Hawke keeps coming back to that recording,...
- 9/4/2018
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
A quintessential Americana artist before such a thing existed, Blaze Foley’s songs were, at various turns, plaintive, hilarious and darkly intense. Merle Haggard, Lyle Lovett and John Prine were among those who recorded his songs, while Lucinda Williams and Townes Van Zandt wrote odes to Foley. And future Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich once reportedly referred to him as his “own Bob Dylan.” Yet, between two indisputable facts there is little about Foley that hasn’t been shrouded in mystery and duct-taped together in mythical fashion. These are...
- 8/31/2018
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
To see Ben Dickey at all is to spot him from a country mile away. The 41-year-old musician is milling about something called the Gibson Showroom in Austin, a sort of multi-purpose space decorated in vigorous 21st-century guitar chic, and clocking in well over six feet tall, the Little Rock, Arkansas, native dominates whatever square footage he is in. The dude is big, and a little husky. But you wouldn’t call him intimidating. In fact, when you watch Dickey in Blaze, Ethan Hawke’s semi-biopic about singer-songwriter Blaze Foley...
- 8/25/2018
- by Joe Gross
- Rollingstone.com
Ethan Hawke is a notorious multi-tasker. He writes articles, books, and scripts — both “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight” (with Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater) were nominated for Adapted Screenplay Oscars. He’s a gifted theater director (“A Lie of the Mind”), musician, and songwriter.
His day job has yielded a couple of Supporting Actor Oscar nominations (Antoine Fuqua’s “Training Day” and Linklater’s “Boyhood”). He can do everything from action westerns (“The Magnificent Seven” and the upcoming “The Kid”) to heist movies (Robert Budreau’s upcoming “Stockholm”) and sincere romance. And he’s having a good year: He’s in the running for a Best Actor nod for his performance as an angst-ridden priest in the Paul Schrader drama “First Reformed.”
Like fellow multi-taskers Mark Duplass, David Lowery, Amy Seimetz and Jeff Bridges, Hawke feeds his creative mojo with rich nutrients. That’s why, at age 47, he’s already...
His day job has yielded a couple of Supporting Actor Oscar nominations (Antoine Fuqua’s “Training Day” and Linklater’s “Boyhood”). He can do everything from action westerns (“The Magnificent Seven” and the upcoming “The Kid”) to heist movies (Robert Budreau’s upcoming “Stockholm”) and sincere romance. And he’s having a good year: He’s in the running for a Best Actor nod for his performance as an angst-ridden priest in the Paul Schrader drama “First Reformed.”
Like fellow multi-taskers Mark Duplass, David Lowery, Amy Seimetz and Jeff Bridges, Hawke feeds his creative mojo with rich nutrients. That’s why, at age 47, he’s already...
- 8/20/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Ethan Hawke is a notorious multi-tasker. He writes articles, books, and scripts — both “Before Sunset” and “Before Midnight” (with Julie Delpy and Richard Linklater) were nominated for Adapted Screenplay Oscars. He’s a gifted theater director (“A Lie of the Mind”), musician, and songwriter.
His day job has yielded a couple of Supporting Actor Oscar nominations (Antoine Fuqua’s “Training Day” and Linklater’s “Boyhood”). He can do everything from action westerns (“The Magnificent Seven” and the upcoming “The Kid”) to heist movies (Robert Budreau’s upcoming “Stockholm”) and sincere romance. And he’s having a good year: He’s in the running for a Best Actor nod for his performance as an angst-ridden priest in the Paul Schrader drama “First Reformed.”
Like fellow multi-taskers Mark Duplass, David Lowery, Amy Seimetz and Jeff Bridges, Hawke feeds his creative mojo with rich nutrients. That’s why, at age 47, he’s already...
His day job has yielded a couple of Supporting Actor Oscar nominations (Antoine Fuqua’s “Training Day” and Linklater’s “Boyhood”). He can do everything from action westerns (“The Magnificent Seven” and the upcoming “The Kid”) to heist movies (Robert Budreau’s upcoming “Stockholm”) and sincere romance. And he’s having a good year: He’s in the running for a Best Actor nod for his performance as an angst-ridden priest in the Paul Schrader drama “First Reformed.”
Like fellow multi-taskers Mark Duplass, David Lowery, Amy Seimetz and Jeff Bridges, Hawke feeds his creative mojo with rich nutrients. That’s why, at age 47, he’s already...
- 8/20/2018
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Among the many actors who also step behind the camera to direct, few are more underrated than Ethan Hawke. You can write whole articles on his acting prowess (and we have), but he’s also quite a filmmaker as well. This week, his best narrative feature to date is hitting screens in Blaze, an unconventional biopic of a criminally unknown Austin based musician. You can feel the passion that Hawke has for the topic, as it’s engrained in the film from start to finish. With a tremendous performance by Ben Dickey in the title role, there’s a lot to like here. Blaze, rather quietly, is one of the better independent outings of the summer. The movie is a look at the life of Blaze Foley (Dickey), adapted from his partner Sybil Rosen’s book Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze. Here, the official film synopsis...
- 8/13/2018
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Even Blaze Foley’s closest friends didn’t know much about him. The eccentric, burly Texas songwriter – who wrote country classics such as “If I Could Only Fly” and “Clay Pigeons” before he was shot dead at 39 years old in 1989 – was known to embellish the story of his background, and his death was clouded in mystery. “I heard he got shot at the unemployment office taking a bullet for another homeless guy,” says Ethan Hawke. “I remember waxing poetic about that one night. . . . Then we found out that’s actually not true.
- 8/1/2018
- by Patrick Doyle
- Rollingstone.com
In the upcoming Ethan Hawke-directed film Blaze, musician and first-time actor Ben Dickey pulls off nothing short of an astonishing feat as he inhabits the lead role of singer-songwriter Blaze Foley. A character steeped in myth and legend long before a blast from a .22 rifle ended his life at just 39 years old on January 31st, 1989, Foley has been paid posthumous tribute in song (Lucinda Williams’ “Drunken Angel”), and his songs, including “If I Could Only Fly” and “Clay Pigeons” have been covered, respectively, by Merle Haggard and John Prine,...
- 7/25/2018
- by Stephen L. Betts
- Rollingstone.com
Opening in Austin, Texas on August 17th is Blaze. Sundance Selects has released the brand new poster for the upcoming film.
Directed by Ethan Hawke, Blaze stars newcomer Ben Dickey as Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.
The film weaves together three different periods of time, braiding re-imagined versions of Blaze’s past, present and future. The different strands explore his love affair with Sybil Rosen (Alia Shawkat); his last, dark night on earth; and the impact of his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes. The storyline terminates in a bittersweet ending that acknowledges Blaze’s profound highs and lows, as well as the impressions he made on the people who shared his journey.
Ben Dickey and Ethan Hawke on the set of Ethan Hawke’s Blaze. Courtesy of IFC Films.
Directed by Ethan Hawke, Blaze stars newcomer Ben Dickey as Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.
The film weaves together three different periods of time, braiding re-imagined versions of Blaze’s past, present and future. The different strands explore his love affair with Sybil Rosen (Alia Shawkat); his last, dark night on earth; and the impact of his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes. The storyline terminates in a bittersweet ending that acknowledges Blaze’s profound highs and lows, as well as the impressions he made on the people who shared his journey.
Ben Dickey and Ethan Hawke on the set of Ethan Hawke’s Blaze. Courtesy of IFC Films.
- 7/10/2018
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Ethan Hawke directed an outstanding little indie film called Blaze which I had a chance to see at Sundance this year. He did an incredible job telling this story which is based on the life of Blaze Foley, "the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson."
The film weaves together three different periods of time, braiding re-imagined versions of Blaze’s past, present and future. The different strands explore his love affair with Sybil Rosen; his last, dark night on earth; and the impact of his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes. The braided storyline terminates in a bittersweet ending that acknowledges Blaze's profound highs and lows, as well as the impressions he made on the people who shared his journey.
Ben Dickey stars as Blaze Foley and he did an incredible job in the role.
The film weaves together three different periods of time, braiding re-imagined versions of Blaze’s past, present and future. The different strands explore his love affair with Sybil Rosen; his last, dark night on earth; and the impact of his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes. The braided storyline terminates in a bittersweet ending that acknowledges Blaze's profound highs and lows, as well as the impressions he made on the people who shared his journey.
Ben Dickey stars as Blaze Foley and he did an incredible job in the role.
- 6/25/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
With the release of First Reformed earlier this year, we were reminded of Ethan Hawke’s dedication to visceral storytelling, and the inherent artistry involved throughout the creative process. Considering this, its no surprise that his commitment is once again on display in his latest directorial outing Blaze. Following its initial premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, as well as its subsequent screenings at South by Southwest, Louisiana International, and Montclair Film Festivals, Sundance Selects has now released the first trailer for the film.
Blaze recounts the life and career of the Arkansas-born country singer-songwriter Blaze Foley, who made his name in Texas. Born in 1949, Foley grew up in a family of musicians. He spent the majority of his youth in a band named The Singing Fuller Family with his mother, father, brothers, and sisters. As a young adult, Foley began to expand his ventures when he met artistic companion Sybil Rosen.
Blaze recounts the life and career of the Arkansas-born country singer-songwriter Blaze Foley, who made his name in Texas. Born in 1949, Foley grew up in a family of musicians. He spent the majority of his youth in a band named The Singing Fuller Family with his mother, father, brothers, and sisters. As a young adult, Foley began to expand his ventures when he met artistic companion Sybil Rosen.
- 6/24/2018
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Ethan Hawke previews the tragic life and unsung legacy of outlaw country artist Blaze Foley in the new trailer for his upcoming film Blaze.
The clip opens with an optimistic Foley (Ben Dickey) starting a love affair with Sybil Rosen (Search Party's Alia Shawkat) and traveling around the U.S. in hopes of launching a music career. "I don't want to be a star," he tells Rosen. "I wants to be a legend."
But Foley's career disintegrates through repeated arrests and struggles with alcoholism. In one scene, the songwriter flails...
The clip opens with an optimistic Foley (Ben Dickey) starting a love affair with Sybil Rosen (Search Party's Alia Shawkat) and traveling around the U.S. in hopes of launching a music career. "I don't want to be a star," he tells Rosen. "I wants to be a legend."
But Foley's career disintegrates through repeated arrests and struggles with alcoholism. In one scene, the songwriter flails...
- 6/22/2018
- Rollingstone.com
"You really should know who Blaze was..." IFC Films has debuted an official trailer for an indie musician biopic titled Blaze, telling the story of folk musicians Blaze Foley. The film is directed by Ethan Hawke and it first premiered at the Sundance Film Festival this year in competition. Ben Dickey stars as Blaze Foley, a musician originally from Arkansas, who is described as "the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson." The full cast includes Alia Shawkat, Josh Hamilton, Laura Costine, and Charlie Sexton. The film won a Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting at Sundance for Dickey's performance, which looks quite impressive. This is definitely worth a watch. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Ethan Hawke's Blaze, direct from IFC's YouTube: Blaze is inspired by the life of Blaze ...
- 6/22/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Ethan Hawke has already delivered one of the year’s great performances thanks to his turn in Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed,” and now we get to see his skills behind the camera with his latest directorial effort, “Blaze.” The country music drama premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, where it earned strong reviews and actor Ben Dickey a Special Jury Prize for Achievement in Acting.
“Blaze” tells the story of country musician Blaze Foley, a singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas who found success in the late 1970s and 1980s and ended being murdered in a tragic shooting. Hawke co-wrote the film with Foley’s romantic partner Sybil Rosen, played in the movie by Alia Shawkat. Sam Rockwell, Wyatt Russell, and Steve Zahn appear in supporting performances.
Hawke’s directorial career has been dominated by music-centric features, including 2006’s “The Hottest State,” which makes “Blaze” a natural fit for four-time Oscar nominee.
“Blaze” tells the story of country musician Blaze Foley, a singer-songwriter from Austin, Texas who found success in the late 1970s and 1980s and ended being murdered in a tragic shooting. Hawke co-wrote the film with Foley’s romantic partner Sybil Rosen, played in the movie by Alia Shawkat. Sam Rockwell, Wyatt Russell, and Steve Zahn appear in supporting performances.
Hawke’s directorial career has been dominated by music-centric features, including 2006’s “The Hottest State,” which makes “Blaze” a natural fit for four-time Oscar nominee.
- 6/22/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
In his new film “First Reformed,” Ethan Hawke stars as Reverend Toller, an ailing former military chaplain, who counsels an expectant father so disturbed by climate change that he wants his wife to get an abortion. As the narrative — from writer/director Paul Schrader — progresses, Toller learns that one of the nation’s biggest polluters paid for the upgrades to his church, yet nonetheless assumes the young man’s environmentalist mantle.
A clergyman is “not a role that you often see fully explored in movies,” Hawke told IndieWire during a recent interview. “You see people dressed up as priests and they’re robbing a bank, or they’re in ‘Cannonball Run,’ or you see evil priests in horror movies, and things like that…I really was grateful for not the opportunity to play a [pastor], but this one.”
Meanwhile, Hawke concedes, “There’s about 80 million cop movies,” including his own “Brooklyn...
A clergyman is “not a role that you often see fully explored in movies,” Hawke told IndieWire during a recent interview. “You see people dressed up as priests and they’re robbing a bank, or they’re in ‘Cannonball Run,’ or you see evil priests in horror movies, and things like that…I really was grateful for not the opportunity to play a [pastor], but this one.”
Meanwhile, Hawke concedes, “There’s about 80 million cop movies,” including his own “Brooklyn...
- 5/16/2018
- by Jenna Marotta
- Indiewire
Welcome to “Playback,” a Variety / iHeartRadio podcast bringing you exclusive conversations with the talents behind many of today’s hottest films.
Oscar-nominated actor Ethan Hawke is as prolific as ever. He sauntered into Sundance in January with two films in tow — the Blaze Foley biopic “Blaze” (a directorial effort) and the Nick Hornby adaptation “Juliet, Naked” (a starring one). Releasing amid the summer blockbuster fireworks will be writer-director Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed,” the portrait of a pastor haunted by grief and heavier thoughts, a Bressonian figure that made for one of the ripest opportunities of Hawke’s career.
Listen to this week’s episode of “Playback” below. New episodes air every Thursday.
Click here for more episodes of “Playback.”
“I spend my life waiting for moments like that to happen again,” Hawke says of his first read of the script. “Paul Schrader is such a meticulous writer that the job of doing difficult things,...
Oscar-nominated actor Ethan Hawke is as prolific as ever. He sauntered into Sundance in January with two films in tow — the Blaze Foley biopic “Blaze” (a directorial effort) and the Nick Hornby adaptation “Juliet, Naked” (a starring one). Releasing amid the summer blockbuster fireworks will be writer-director Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed,” the portrait of a pastor haunted by grief and heavier thoughts, a Bressonian figure that made for one of the ripest opportunities of Hawke’s career.
Listen to this week’s episode of “Playback” below. New episodes air every Thursday.
Click here for more episodes of “Playback.”
“I spend my life waiting for moments like that to happen again,” Hawke says of his first read of the script. “Paul Schrader is such a meticulous writer that the job of doing difficult things,...
- 5/10/2018
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
Ben Dickey
For an event that’s only in its 6th edition, the Louisiana International Film Festival (April 18–22) already seems to have dramatically changed the film landscape of the city of Baton Rouge and nearby towns. Fostering the development of a cinephile community and supporting local creators through its mentorship program, this regional outfit thrives thanks to its carefully selected slate and engaged audiences.
Program Director Ian Birnie, who was has been involved with Liff since its inception in 2013, has consistently assembled a selection of films comprised of accessible crowd-pleasers (this year with Streaker), unexpected foreign language gems (Double Lover), well-crafted American indies (American Animals), and Louisiana-made productions highlighting homegrown talent (Cut Off). Well-attended screenings, even for the more obscure titles, confirmed the notion that people are interested in watching what the fest has to offer beyond the galas and parties.
Choosing Ethan Hawke’s Blaze as the Opening Night...
For an event that’s only in its 6th edition, the Louisiana International Film Festival (April 18–22) already seems to have dramatically changed the film landscape of the city of Baton Rouge and nearby towns. Fostering the development of a cinephile community and supporting local creators through its mentorship program, this regional outfit thrives thanks to its carefully selected slate and engaged audiences.
Program Director Ian Birnie, who was has been involved with Liff since its inception in 2013, has consistently assembled a selection of films comprised of accessible crowd-pleasers (this year with Streaker), unexpected foreign language gems (Double Lover), well-crafted American indies (American Animals), and Louisiana-made productions highlighting homegrown talent (Cut Off). Well-attended screenings, even for the more obscure titles, confirmed the notion that people are interested in watching what the fest has to offer beyond the galas and parties.
Choosing Ethan Hawke’s Blaze as the Opening Night...
- 4/28/2018
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Sundance Selects has acquired U.S. rights to the music biopic “Blaze,” co-written, produced, and directed by Ethan Hawke.
The film held its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, where newcomer Ben Dickey won the Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting for his portrayal of Blaze Foley. “Blaze” is inspired by the life of Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. “Blaze” explores his love affair with Sybil Rosen; his final performance in a near-empty honky-tonk; his last, dark night on earth; and the impact that his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes.
Rosen co-wrote the film with Hawke based on her memoir “Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley.” Jake Seal, John Sloss, and Ryan Hawke produced alongside Hawke.
Dickey, a musician in his own right,...
The film held its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, where newcomer Ben Dickey won the Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting for his portrayal of Blaze Foley. “Blaze” is inspired by the life of Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. “Blaze” explores his love affair with Sybil Rosen; his final performance in a near-empty honky-tonk; his last, dark night on earth; and the impact that his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes.
Rosen co-wrote the film with Hawke based on her memoir “Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley.” Jake Seal, John Sloss, and Ryan Hawke produced alongside Hawke.
Dickey, a musician in his own right,...
- 4/3/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance Selects has nabbed U.S. distribution rights to the Ethan Hawke-directed biopic, Blaze, which had its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. The pic is inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.
Written by Hawk and Sybil Rosen, Hawke based on her memoir Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley, the film explores his love affair with Rosen; his final performance in a near-empty honky-tonk; his last, dark night on earth; and the impact that his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes.
It stars newcomer Ben Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Josh Hamilton, Charlie Sexton, Richard Linklater, Sam Rockwell, Steve Zahn, and Alynda Segarra.
Sundance Selects’ Arianna Bocco negotiated the deal with Eric Sloss of Cinetic on behalf of the filmmakers.
Written by Hawk and Sybil Rosen, Hawke based on her memoir Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley, the film explores his love affair with Rosen; his final performance in a near-empty honky-tonk; his last, dark night on earth; and the impact that his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes.
It stars newcomer Ben Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Josh Hamilton, Charlie Sexton, Richard Linklater, Sam Rockwell, Steve Zahn, and Alynda Segarra.
Sundance Selects’ Arianna Bocco negotiated the deal with Eric Sloss of Cinetic on behalf of the filmmakers.
- 4/3/2018
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Tuesday, April 3
– Sundance Selects announced that it has acquired U.S. rights to the film “Blaze,” co-written, produced and directed by Ethan Hawke. Sybil Rosen co-wrote the film with Hawke based on her memoir “Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley.” Jake Seal, John Sloss and Ryan Hawke produced alongside Ethan Hawke.
The film held its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival where newcomer Ben Dickey won the Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting for his portrayal of Blaze Foley. The is inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The film weaves together three different periods of time, braiding re-imagined versions of Blaze’s past, present and future. The different strands explore his love affair with Sybil Rosen; his final performance in a near-empty honky-tonk; his last,...
– Sundance Selects announced that it has acquired U.S. rights to the film “Blaze,” co-written, produced and directed by Ethan Hawke. Sybil Rosen co-wrote the film with Hawke based on her memoir “Living in the Woods in a Tree: Remembering Blaze Foley.” Jake Seal, John Sloss and Ryan Hawke produced alongside Ethan Hawke.
The film held its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival where newcomer Ben Dickey won the Special Jury Award for Achievement in Acting for his portrayal of Blaze Foley. The is inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The film weaves together three different periods of time, braiding re-imagined versions of Blaze’s past, present and future. The different strands explore his love affair with Sybil Rosen; his final performance in a near-empty honky-tonk; his last,...
- 4/2/2018
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
‘We are focusing our resources on continuing to bring to market independent American films of the highest quality.’
The Exchange CEO Brian O’Shea announced on Thursday (March 22) the company has acquired international rights to Sundance hits We The Animals and Blaze and will launch sales in Cannes.
Jeremiah Zagar directed We The Animals, which Cinereach and Public Record produced and will screen at the Tribeca Film Festival next month following its world premiere in Park City in January, where it won the Next Innovator Award.
Raúl Castillo, Sheila Vand, Evan Rosado, Isaiah Kristian, and Josiah Gabriel star in the...
The Exchange CEO Brian O’Shea announced on Thursday (March 22) the company has acquired international rights to Sundance hits We The Animals and Blaze and will launch sales in Cannes.
Jeremiah Zagar directed We The Animals, which Cinereach and Public Record produced and will screen at the Tribeca Film Festival next month following its world premiere in Park City in January, where it won the Next Innovator Award.
Raúl Castillo, Sheila Vand, Evan Rosado, Isaiah Kristian, and Josiah Gabriel star in the...
- 3/22/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The films are Abacus: Small Enough To Jail by Steve James, Love Cecil by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, and Ethan Hawke’s Blaze.
Cinetic International has licensed three titles at the Efm to Scandinavian distributor NonStop – Abacus: Small Enough To Jail by Steve James, Love Cecil by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, and Ethan Hawke’s Blaze, which screened at the market on Friday.
Cinetic’s head of international Jason Ishikawa negotiated the deals with NonStop CEO Jakob Abrahamsson.
Blaze premiered in Sundance last month and earned the special jury acting prize for newcomer Ben Dickey as musician Blaze Foley. A Us deal is expected shortly.
Financial crisis documentary Abacus earned an Oscar nomination last month and has also sold to Dogwoof in the UK.
Costume designer Cecil Beaton documentary Love, Cecil premiered at Telluride and was released by StudioCanal in the UK and Germany.
Jason Ishikawa said of the deal, “NonStop Entertainment has been a great partner who is attracted...
Cinetic International has licensed three titles at the Efm to Scandinavian distributor NonStop – Abacus: Small Enough To Jail by Steve James, Love Cecil by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, and Ethan Hawke’s Blaze, which screened at the market on Friday.
Cinetic’s head of international Jason Ishikawa negotiated the deals with NonStop CEO Jakob Abrahamsson.
Blaze premiered in Sundance last month and earned the special jury acting prize for newcomer Ben Dickey as musician Blaze Foley. A Us deal is expected shortly.
Financial crisis documentary Abacus earned an Oscar nomination last month and has also sold to Dogwoof in the UK.
Costume designer Cecil Beaton documentary Love, Cecil premiered at Telluride and was released by StudioCanal in the UK and Germany.
Jason Ishikawa said of the deal, “NonStop Entertainment has been a great partner who is attracted...
- 2/19/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The films are Abacus: Small Enough To Jail by Steve James, Love Cecil by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, and Ethan Hawke’s Blaze.
Cinetic International has licensed three titles at the Efm to Scandinavian distributor NonStop – Abacus: Small Enough To Jail by Steve James, Love Cecil by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, and Ethan Hawke’s Blaze, which screened at the market on Friday.
Cinetic’s head of international Jason Ishikawa negotiated the deals with NonStop CEO Jakob Abrahamsson.
Blaze premiered in Sundance last month and earned the special jury acting prize for newcomer Ben Dickey as musician Blaze Foley. A Us deal is expected shortly.
Financial crisis documentary Abacus earned an Oscar nomination last month and has also sold to Dogwoof in the UK.
Costume designer Cecil Beaton documentary Love, Cecil premiered at Telluride and was released by StudioCanal in the UK and Germany.
Jason Ishikawa said of the deal, “NonStop Entertainment has been a great partner who is attracted...
Cinetic International has licensed three titles at the Efm to Scandinavian distributor NonStop – Abacus: Small Enough To Jail by Steve James, Love Cecil by Lisa Immordino Vreeland, and Ethan Hawke’s Blaze, which screened at the market on Friday.
Cinetic’s head of international Jason Ishikawa negotiated the deals with NonStop CEO Jakob Abrahamsson.
Blaze premiered in Sundance last month and earned the special jury acting prize for newcomer Ben Dickey as musician Blaze Foley. A Us deal is expected shortly.
Financial crisis documentary Abacus earned an Oscar nomination last month and has also sold to Dogwoof in the UK.
Costume designer Cecil Beaton documentary Love, Cecil premiered at Telluride and was released by StudioCanal in the UK and Germany.
Jason Ishikawa said of the deal, “NonStop Entertainment has been a great partner who is attracted...
- 2/19/2018
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
By most estimations, this year’s Sundance was not a big marketplace. While Neon picked up the midnight movie “Assassination Nation” for $10 million, and breakouts like “Sorry to Bother You” (Annapurna), “Puzzle” (Sony Pictures Classics) and “Colette” (Bleecker Street) are all coming to theaters at some point, a number of highlights from this year’s program ended it without homes. Of course, it goes without saying that obvious commercial plays like “Juliet, Naked” and star-driven dramas like “Wildlife,” both of which didn’t end Sundance with distribution plans in place, will eventually find them. But they aren’t alone. As the dealmakers continue to sift through their options, here are the festival standouts we’d like to see at the top of every buyer’s list.
See More:The 2018 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview, and News Item Posted During the Festival “306 Hollywood”
When people occupies the same household for decades,...
See More:The 2018 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview, and News Item Posted During the Festival “306 Hollywood”
When people occupies the same household for decades,...
- 1/30/2018
- by Eric Kohn, Kate Erbland, Anne Thompson and David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Not unlike its main subject, Ethan Hawke’s Blaze is likeable, long-winded and a little all over the place. Starring musician Ben Dickey as the titular Blaze Foley, this indie biopic feels like a natural follow-up to Hawke’s last directorial effort, Seymour: An Introduction. That documentary examined the life of Seymour Bernstein, a piano teacher with wise life lessons as curated by failure and regret. This film concerns Foley, an Arkansas-born but Texas-raised singer-songwriter who was killed at the young age of 39. Both are ultimately optimistic, though Hawke does well in finding the sour with the sweet.
Beginning at the end, a radio DJ (Hawke, in a cameo) speaks to Townes Van Zandt (Charlie Sexton) and a fellow friend/musician (Josh Hamilton) about Blaze. From here, the film jumps from moment to moment with a confident fluidity. Never linear, always moving. The core relationship quickly reveals itself to be...
Beginning at the end, a radio DJ (Hawke, in a cameo) speaks to Townes Van Zandt (Charlie Sexton) and a fellow friend/musician (Josh Hamilton) about Blaze. From here, the film jumps from moment to moment with a confident fluidity. Never linear, always moving. The core relationship quickly reveals itself to be...
- 1/26/2018
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
Ethan Hawke didn’t want his latest film to feel like something made on a whim. Making “Blaze,” a biopic of the late country singer Blaze Foley, Hawke realized that directing a movie is only worthwhile if it feels like it’s something you need to do.
“It means so much to me. A ‘labor of love’ sounds like something you do as a hobby to me,” Hawke said, speaking at the IndieWire Sundance Studio presented by Dropbox. Of making films (of which this is his fourth) he added, “It’s what I want to be alive for.”
Read More:The 2018 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview, and News Item Posted During the Festival
As an artist, Foley (played in the film by Benjamin Dickey) has gained a growing amount of respect and fame since his untimely passing in 1989. “Blaze” looks to tell the full story of the “Clay Pigeons” singer...
“It means so much to me. A ‘labor of love’ sounds like something you do as a hobby to me,” Hawke said, speaking at the IndieWire Sundance Studio presented by Dropbox. Of making films (of which this is his fourth) he added, “It’s what I want to be alive for.”
Read More:The 2018 IndieWire Sundance Bible: Every Review, Interview, and News Item Posted During the Festival
As an artist, Foley (played in the film by Benjamin Dickey) has gained a growing amount of respect and fame since his untimely passing in 1989. “Blaze” looks to tell the full story of the “Clay Pigeons” singer...
- 1/22/2018
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
A belated but heartfelt eulogy for a songwriter who didn't live long enough to drink himself to death like his most famous friend, Ethan Hawke's Blaze will be the first introduction most viewers have to Blaze Foley. A contemporary of Willie Nelson and the other "Outlaw" country artists, Foley was troublesome even by their standard — belligerent and (at least according to the film) frequently kicked out of clubs for performing drunk. Hawke goes in search of his tender side and finds it in a big way, thanks in large part to a charismatic lead performance by musician Ben Dickey, a...
- 1/22/2018
- by John DeFore
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The fall is often perceived as the launch pad for awards season, as numerous prestige films compete for attention in the final weeks of the year. For much of the film community, however, it’s also the first major window into movies worth talking about next year. That’s because the Sundance Film Festival lineup typically drops in the middle of November, shaking up the holiday season with a mixture of familiar faces and newcomers who could make an impact in Park City this January. With programmers working in overdrive to complete the lineup in the coming weeks, and filmmakers praying to break through as the deadlines loom, we’ve cobbled together as much intel as we can for this extensive preview featuring dozens of promising titles that stand a good chance at making their way to Sundance this year. As usual, we’ve tried to avoid projects that are...
- 11/20/2017
- by Eric Kohn, Jude Dry, Chris O'Falt, Kate Erbland, Jenna Marotta, David Ehrlich and Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The bond of male friendship is examined – and tested – in Folk Hero & Funny Guy, a short and sweet dramedy from multi-hyphenate Jeff Grace, who writes and directs. We meet comedian Paul (Alex Karpovsky) at the end of a tired stand-up routine in a beer-stained comedy club. Meanwhile, Paul’s childhood friend Jason (Wyatt Russell) has built a successful career for himself as a folk music star. Inspired over the course of a drunken reunion, Jason gets the idea to take Paul on tour with him. We had the opportunity to speak with Russell about the film, and one can read the full conversation below.
How did this all come together?
I came back from doing a film and I just read this movie that I thought was really good. And it had a musical element to it which is something I’d wanting to do. Because I play guitar, and...
How did this all come together?
I came back from doing a film and I just read this movie that I thought was really good. And it had a musical element to it which is something I’d wanting to do. Because I play guitar, and...
- 5/10/2017
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
With four films likely premiering (or already set for a release) this year, Jake Gyllenhaal has now found his next role. The Enemy star is set to join Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly for The Sisters Brothers, according to Variety. The latest film from Palme d’Or-winner Jacques Audiard (Dheepan, A Prophet, Rust and Bone), the neo-noir western is an adaptation of the novel by the same name from Patrick DeWitt, which centers on two brothers (Riley and Phoenix) who are hired to kill a man. This will be Audiard’s first full English-language film and as for Gyllenhaal, following last fall’s Nocturnal Animals, he’ll have Life, Stronger, Wildlife, and Okja all arriving this year.
Meanwhile, another top Hollywood star, Oscar Isaac, has joined the cast of a new World War II thriller titled The Garbo Network. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the espionage tale penned by...
Meanwhile, another top Hollywood star, Oscar Isaac, has joined the cast of a new World War II thriller titled The Garbo Network. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the espionage tale penned by...
- 2/13/2017
- by Mike Mazzanti
- The Film Stage
Ethan Hawke’s upcoming film, “Blaze,” has just added a number of actors to its already impressive lineup, including “Boyhood” director himself Richard Linklater. Sam Rockwell, Steve Zahn, Wyatt Russell, Kris Kristofferson and Hawke will be joining Ben Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Sybil Rosen, Charlie Sexton, and Josh Hamilton in the music biopic based on singer and songwriter Blaze Foley.
Co-written, produced and directed by Hawke, the film is based on Sybil Rosen’s memoir ‘Living in the Woods in a Tree.’ It follows the life of the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas Outlaw Music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. Dickey will star as the musician, Shawkat plays Rosen and Rosen portrays her own mother.
Rosen, who co-wrote the film with Hawke, was Blaze’s real, life-long love and their passionate affair is said to form the narrative spine of the film.
Read More:...
Co-written, produced and directed by Hawke, the film is based on Sybil Rosen’s memoir ‘Living in the Woods in a Tree.’ It follows the life of the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas Outlaw Music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. Dickey will star as the musician, Shawkat plays Rosen and Rosen portrays her own mother.
Rosen, who co-wrote the film with Hawke, was Blaze’s real, life-long love and their passionate affair is said to form the narrative spine of the film.
Read More:...
- 2/10/2017
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
Additional cast of the country & western drama Blaze include Steve Zahn, Wyatt Russell, Kris Kristofferson and Hawke himself.
The previously announced line-up on Blaze includes newcomer Ben Dickey in the title role alongside Alia Shawkat, Sybil Rosen, Charlie Sexton and Josh Hamilton.
Hawke co-wrote, produced and recently wrapped principal photography in Louisiana and Mississippi on the feature.
Blaze is based on Sybil Rosen’s memoir Living In The Woods In A Tree about Blaze Foley, a song-writing legend of the Texas Outlaw Music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.
Hawke and his wife Ryan produce via their Under The Influence label with Jake Seal and John Sloss forCinetic Media.
The previously announced line-up on Blaze includes newcomer Ben Dickey in the title role alongside Alia Shawkat, Sybil Rosen, Charlie Sexton and Josh Hamilton.
Hawke co-wrote, produced and recently wrapped principal photography in Louisiana and Mississippi on the feature.
Blaze is based on Sybil Rosen’s memoir Living In The Woods In A Tree about Blaze Foley, a song-writing legend of the Texas Outlaw Music movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.
Hawke and his wife Ryan produce via their Under The Influence label with Jake Seal and John Sloss forCinetic Media.
- 2/10/2017
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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