
Sometimes sequels outdo their predecessors, but there is also the occasional surprise sequel that is a bigger hit than anyone ever anticipated. Making a successful follow-up to a popular movie often as hard as the original was in the first place. Still, with the right story in place and a proper understanding of what made the original connect, a sequel is fully capable of being worthy of its predecessor or even outdoing it.
Not all beloved sequels are expected to be popular or successful, though. Sometimes, a sequel comes along that either has little buzz going for it, is outright expected to fail, or ends up surpassing even the built-in expectations it carries. However, these kinds of sequels are the most fun as they often come with a the degree of surprise and enduring impact.
Related: 17 Iconic Movie Franchises Where The Best Film Is A Sequel
Terrifier 2
Art the Clown...
Not all beloved sequels are expected to be popular or successful, though. Sometimes, a sequel comes along that either has little buzz going for it, is outright expected to fail, or ends up surpassing even the built-in expectations it carries. However, these kinds of sequels are the most fun as they often come with a the degree of surprise and enduring impact.
Related: 17 Iconic Movie Franchises Where The Best Film Is A Sequel
Terrifier 2
Art the Clown...
- 8/5/2023
- by Brad Curran
- ScreenRant

New Direction
One Direction star Niall Horan is set to cameo on rail-themed Channel 4 digital series, “Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois.”
Produced by Untold Studios, the series sees TikTok creator Bourgeois introduce celebrities to the obscure hobby.
Horan will join Bourgeois for a “day of locomotive escapades” starting at Liverpool Street Station in London – but will a series of train cancelations and delays scupper their plans?
During the episode, which is available from June 14 on Channel 4’s YouTube, Horan reveals a very personal connection to trains, telling Bourgeois that his grandfather was a train driver. Movie buffs will also be thrilled to discover Horan’s grandfather drove the train in “The Great Train Robbery.”
Series Lab Dana Blankstein-Cohen
The second edition of the Sam Spiegel Series Lab, which was established last year by the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film School, with the support of Netflix, and artistic consultancy of Hagai Levi...
One Direction star Niall Horan is set to cameo on rail-themed Channel 4 digital series, “Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois.”
Produced by Untold Studios, the series sees TikTok creator Bourgeois introduce celebrities to the obscure hobby.
Horan will join Bourgeois for a “day of locomotive escapades” starting at Liverpool Street Station in London – but will a series of train cancelations and delays scupper their plans?
During the episode, which is available from June 14 on Channel 4’s YouTube, Horan reveals a very personal connection to trains, telling Bourgeois that his grandfather was a train driver. Movie buffs will also be thrilled to discover Horan’s grandfather drove the train in “The Great Train Robbery.”
Series Lab Dana Blankstein-Cohen
The second edition of the Sam Spiegel Series Lab, which was established last year by the Jerusalem Sam Spiegel Film School, with the support of Netflix, and artistic consultancy of Hagai Levi...
- 6/12/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV


Now that’s dedication in marriage: Paul Newman’s first directed feature film is a drama showcase for his spouse Joanne Woodward, one likely to garner critical attention. A small-town teacher deals with boredom, isolation, repression, and dwindling hope; the carefully measured conflicts allow good input from actors Kate Harrington, Estelle Parsons, and James Olson as the lover with the right approach at just the right time. It’s a picture of sensitive emotions: is Rachel Cameron really becoming a spinster? Does she have any choice in the matter? Middle age does tend to sneak up on a person . . .
Rachel, Rachel
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1968 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 101 min. / Available at Wac-Amazon / Street Date September 6, 2022 / 21.99
Starring: Joanne Woodward, James Olson, Kate Harrington, Estelle Parsons, Donald Moffat, Frank Corsaro, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Bernard Barrow, Nell Potts.
Cinematography: Gayne Rescher
Art Director: Robert Gundlach
Film Editor: Dede Allen
Original Music: Jerome Moross...
Rachel, Rachel
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1968 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 101 min. / Available at Wac-Amazon / Street Date September 6, 2022 / 21.99
Starring: Joanne Woodward, James Olson, Kate Harrington, Estelle Parsons, Donald Moffat, Frank Corsaro, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Bernard Barrow, Nell Potts.
Cinematography: Gayne Rescher
Art Director: Robert Gundlach
Film Editor: Dede Allen
Original Music: Jerome Moross...
- 8/30/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell


Directed by Chloe Okuno, Jennifer Reeder, Ryan Prows, Shudder, Simon Barrett, Timo Tjahjanto
I don’t think there’s too many bigger fans of the V/H/S horror anthology franchise than myself. I’ve loved all three that have come before V/H/S/94 – they feature a range of brilliant directors and actors in original and gory short films. I loved that this newest movie would be hitting Shudder in time for Halloween.
We start with what is the wraparound segment ‘Holy Hell’ directed by Knives and Skin director Jennifer Reed. It shows a S.W.A.T. team slowly working their way through a building which is showing on various monitors or TVs, the videotapes that lead to each other segment.
And the first segment is ‘Storm Drain’ directed by newcomer Chloe Okuno. Shown as a TV news reporter and her single camera guy following up on a local mythical creature. There’s...
I don’t think there’s too many bigger fans of the V/H/S horror anthology franchise than myself. I’ve loved all three that have come before V/H/S/94 – they feature a range of brilliant directors and actors in original and gory short films. I loved that this newest movie would be hitting Shudder in time for Halloween.
We start with what is the wraparound segment ‘Holy Hell’ directed by Knives and Skin director Jennifer Reed. It shows a S.W.A.T. team slowly working their way through a building which is showing on various monitors or TVs, the videotapes that lead to each other segment.
And the first segment is ‘Storm Drain’ directed by newcomer Chloe Okuno. Shown as a TV news reporter and her single camera guy following up on a local mythical creature. There’s...
- 4/19/2022
- by Alain Elliott
- Nerdly

“Belfast,” “Coda,” “King Richard,” “House of Gucci,” “West Side Story” and “The Power of the Dog” are among the films nominated for the 37th Annual Artios Awards, presented by the Casting Society of America.
The awards honor casting directors’ contribution to film, television and theatre. Winners will be revealed on March 17 via a virtual ceremony.
Among the animated features nominated are “Encanto,” “Luca,” “The Mitchells Vs. The Machines,” “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Vivo.”
Lucy Bevan, Avy Kaufman, Carmen Cuba, Nina Gold and Cindy Tolan are just some of the casting directors who landed nominations. While the Academy has had a casting branch for the past eight years, it has yet to establish an Oscar for casting.
View the nominations in full below:
Animation
“Encanto” – Jamie Sparer Roberts, Grace C. Kim (Associate)
“Luca” – Kevin Reher, Natalie Lyon, Kate Hansen-birnbaum (Associate)
“The Mitchells Vs The Machines” – Tamara Hunter
“Raya And The Last Dragon...
The awards honor casting directors’ contribution to film, television and theatre. Winners will be revealed on March 17 via a virtual ceremony.
Among the animated features nominated are “Encanto,” “Luca,” “The Mitchells Vs. The Machines,” “Raya and the Last Dragon” and “Vivo.”
Lucy Bevan, Avy Kaufman, Carmen Cuba, Nina Gold and Cindy Tolan are just some of the casting directors who landed nominations. While the Academy has had a casting branch for the past eight years, it has yet to establish an Oscar for casting.
View the nominations in full below:
Animation
“Encanto” – Jamie Sparer Roberts, Grace C. Kim (Associate)
“Luca” – Kevin Reher, Natalie Lyon, Kate Hansen-birnbaum (Associate)
“The Mitchells Vs The Machines” – Tamara Hunter
“Raya And The Last Dragon...
- 2/1/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV


The casting branch of the academy is only eight years old and doesn’t have an Oscar category of its own. However, the Casting Society of America has been handing out the Artios Awards for 37 years (“Artios” is from the ancient Greek meaning “perfectly fitted.”).
Nominees for feature films were announced on February 1 (the last day of Oscar nominations voting). Many of the leading Academy Awards contenders reaped bids across the various categories according to production cost. Winners will be revealed a virtual ceremony on March 17, which is the first day of final Oscar voting.
Last year’s big budget winners were the comedy “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” and the drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7 ” while “The Forty-Year-Old Version” and “One Night in Miami” took the equivalent prizes in the independent division. “Minari” won the low budget and “The Surrogate” the micro budget prizes while “Soul” claimed the animation award.
Nominees for feature films were announced on February 1 (the last day of Oscar nominations voting). Many of the leading Academy Awards contenders reaped bids across the various categories according to production cost. Winners will be revealed a virtual ceremony on March 17, which is the first day of final Oscar voting.
Last year’s big budget winners were the comedy “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” and the drama “The Trial of the Chicago 7 ” while “The Forty-Year-Old Version” and “One Night in Miami” took the equivalent prizes in the independent division. “Minari” won the low budget and “The Surrogate” the micro budget prizes while “Soul” claimed the animation award.
- 2/1/2022
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby

The premise of The Subject sounds promising enough. A white documentarian, ravenous for authentic stories, makes a Black teenager from Harlem the subject of his film project. For months, he follows the slick-tongued, baby-faced young man with the easy smile, capturing his interactions with his family, friends and neighbors, pestering him with questions and eventually relaxing into a routine. This white filmmaker — his name is Phil Waterhouse, and he is played somewhat gawkily by Jason Biggs (American Pie) — is no saint, but he thinks of himself as a good person. That is, until he watches his subject, Malcolm Barnes (Nile ...
- 10/21/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV

Not the only Halloween-ready franchise being resuscitated this month, “V/H/S/94” puts back in action the omnibus series that was last seen seven years ago with disappointing third entry “V/H/S: Viral.” This belated return lands closer in quality to the 2012 kickoff feature than the following year’s superior “V/H/S/2,” as a mixed bag of entertainingly diverse if variably successful horror shorts. Going straight to genre streaming platform Shudder on Oct. 6, it should provide fans with a satisfying enough, seasonally apt new package of macabre tales still linked by a faux-found-footage concept.
That style does not seem a natural fit for Jennifer Reeder, who made the very mannered, David Lynchian feature “Knives and Skin” two years ago. That divisive movie certainly had a firm grip on its aesthetics, and she seems divested of both inspiration and conviction having to go with a hand-held video look here. An underwhelming wraparound frame for the other segments,...
That style does not seem a natural fit for Jennifer Reeder, who made the very mannered, David Lynchian feature “Knives and Skin” two years ago. That divisive movie certainly had a firm grip on its aesthetics, and she seems divested of both inspiration and conviction having to go with a hand-held video look here. An underwhelming wraparound frame for the other segments,...
- 10/6/2021
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV

Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures, a Red Arrow Studios company, has acquired rights to Lanie Zipoy’s film The Subject, starring Jason Biggs, Aunjanue Ellis, Anabelle Acosta and more, with plans to release it in select theaters across the U.S., as well as on Tvod and digital platforms across North America, on October 22.
Zipoy’s feature directorial debut follows Phil Waterhouse (Biggs), a successful white documentary filmmaker dealing with the fallout from his previous film, which caught the murder of a Black teen on tape.
Its ensemble also includes Carra Patterson (Straight Outta Compton), Nile Bullock (Ray Donovan), and Caleb Eberhardt (Judas and the Black Messiah).
Chisa Hutchinson wrote the script.
Zipoy produced the film with Megan Kingery Gahlia Eden (You Can’t Do That) and Jess Weiss (American Insurrection).
Jason Biggs,...
Zipoy’s feature directorial debut follows Phil Waterhouse (Biggs), a successful white documentary filmmaker dealing with the fallout from his previous film, which caught the murder of a Black teen on tape.
Its ensemble also includes Carra Patterson (Straight Outta Compton), Nile Bullock (Ray Donovan), and Caleb Eberhardt (Judas and the Black Messiah).
Chisa Hutchinson wrote the script.
Zipoy produced the film with Megan Kingery Gahlia Eden (You Can’t Do That) and Jess Weiss (American Insurrection).
Jason Biggs,...
- 8/25/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV

The Lighthouse International Film Festival in New Jersey has announced it has become the world’s first film festival to segue into a fully drive-in format in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The festival will run from June 16 through June 20 at a variety of locations around Long Beach Island. It announced its lineup of 10 features on Friday.
“The twelfth edition of The Lighthouse International Film Festival is a tribute to the incredible people of Long Beach Island and the film industry it loves,” festival organizers said. “While the island slowly reopens with limited businesses and restaurant activity, the festival strives to continue celebrating film while providing special, memorable, and safe viewing experiences.
The pandemic has been highlighted by dozens of drive-ins continuing to operate while most of the nation’s brick-and-mortar theaters were shut down. As of Friday, there were 460 locations open, including 220 drive-ins, according to Comscore. Most movie...
The festival will run from June 16 through June 20 at a variety of locations around Long Beach Island. It announced its lineup of 10 features on Friday.
“The twelfth edition of The Lighthouse International Film Festival is a tribute to the incredible people of Long Beach Island and the film industry it loves,” festival organizers said. “While the island slowly reopens with limited businesses and restaurant activity, the festival strives to continue celebrating film while providing special, memorable, and safe viewing experiences.
The pandemic has been highlighted by dozens of drive-ins continuing to operate while most of the nation’s brick-and-mortar theaters were shut down. As of Friday, there were 460 locations open, including 220 drive-ins, according to Comscore. Most movie...
- 5/29/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
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