Movie News
Infinity According to Florian review - mission to save Ukraine’s extraordinary modernist masterpiece
Oleksiy Radynski chronicles the visionary architect Florian Yuriev’s drive to rescue Kyiv’s Institute of Information from destruction after he was given weeks to live
The extraordinary mind of Florian Yuriev, a visionary Ukrainian architect and artist, visualises an astonishingly holistic view of the world. His abstract paintings brim with geometric colourful shapes and patterns that also carry a sonic component, as each shade has their own tonality. On his piano, whose keys are marked with their designated colours, Yuriev played out his painterly compositions, breaking down the barrier between sound and vision. Shot towards the end of Yuriev’s life, Oleksiy Radynski’s passionate documentary follows the architect’s tireless efforts to save one of his modernist masterpieces from destruction.
Once deemed impossible to build, his design for a cultural centre that later became Kyiv’s Institute of Information reflects the utopian optimism of the space age. Nicknamed...
The extraordinary mind of Florian Yuriev, a visionary Ukrainian architect and artist, visualises an astonishingly holistic view of the world. His abstract paintings brim with geometric colourful shapes and patterns that also carry a sonic component, as each shade has their own tonality. On his piano, whose keys are marked with their designated colours, Yuriev played out his painterly compositions, breaking down the barrier between sound and vision. Shot towards the end of Yuriev’s life, Oleksiy Radynski’s passionate documentary follows the architect’s tireless efforts to save one of his modernist masterpieces from destruction.
Once deemed impossible to build, his design for a cultural centre that later became Kyiv’s Institute of Information reflects the utopian optimism of the space age. Nicknamed...
- 4/29/2024
- by Phuong Le
- The Guardian - Film News
Memento International has boarded “The Ugly Stepsister,” the ambitious feature debut of Norwegian director Emilie Blichfeldt. The company will kick off sales at this year’s Cannes.
Combining comedy and horror, the film is a daring and unexpected take on the world-famous tale, seen through the eyes of the Cinderella’s stepsister, Elvira.
The gory film follows Elvira as she battles to compete with her insanely beautiful stepsister in a kingdom where beauty is a brutal business. She will go to any lengths to catch the prince’s eye.
“The Ugly Stepsister” is produced by Maria Ekerhovd in Norway for Mer Film, and is co-produced by Lizette Jonjic for Zentropa Sweden (“Another Round”), Mariusz Włodarski for Poland’s Lava Films (“The Girl with The Needle”), Theis Nørgaard for Denmark’s Motor (“The Dead Don’t Hurt”), Zefyr and Film i Väst. With support from the Norwegian Film Institute, the Polish Production...
Combining comedy and horror, the film is a daring and unexpected take on the world-famous tale, seen through the eyes of the Cinderella’s stepsister, Elvira.
The gory film follows Elvira as she battles to compete with her insanely beautiful stepsister in a kingdom where beauty is a brutal business. She will go to any lengths to catch the prince’s eye.
“The Ugly Stepsister” is produced by Maria Ekerhovd in Norway for Mer Film, and is co-produced by Lizette Jonjic for Zentropa Sweden (“Another Round”), Mariusz Włodarski for Poland’s Lava Films (“The Girl with The Needle”), Theis Nørgaard for Denmark’s Motor (“The Dead Don’t Hurt”), Zefyr and Film i Väst. With support from the Norwegian Film Institute, the Polish Production...
- 4/29/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
Greta Gerwig has her jury. This evening, the Cannes Film Festival revealed the rest of the nine-member jury filled with festival veterans and Academy members. This year’s jury includes screenwriter and director Ebru Ceylan (Turkey), actress Lily Gladstone (United States), actress Eva Green (France), director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki (Lebanon), director and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona (Spain), actor Pierfrancisco Favino (Italy), director Kore-eda Hirokazu (Japan), and actor and producer Omar Sy (France).
Continue reading Lily Gladstone, J.A. Bayona, Omar Sy, Eva Green Among 2024 Cannes Film Festival Jury at The Playlist.
Continue reading Lily Gladstone, J.A. Bayona, Omar Sy, Eva Green Among 2024 Cannes Film Festival Jury at The Playlist.
- 4/29/2024
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
Vasquez Rocks is located in the northern part of Los Angeles County about 25 minutes away from Downtown L.A. via the 14 freeway. It's close enough to the city to be easily accessed by car, but far away enough to look like a remote wilderness. The park's celebrated rock formations look eerie, ancient, and alien from certain angles, making it a popular place for film and TV productions going back to the 1930s.
Trekkies likely recognize Vasquez Rocks as an oft-reused filming location, serving as a variety of alien worlds for various "Star Trek" projects. The park was featured in the "Original Series" episodes "Shore Leave", "Arena", "The Alternative Factor", and "Friday's Child". Later, Vasquez Rocks would serve as Vulcan "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," released in 1983 and 1984 respectively.
Fans of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" would recognize Vasquez Rocks from the episode "Who Watches the Watchers?...
Trekkies likely recognize Vasquez Rocks as an oft-reused filming location, serving as a variety of alien worlds for various "Star Trek" projects. The park was featured in the "Original Series" episodes "Shore Leave", "Arena", "The Alternative Factor", and "Friday's Child". Later, Vasquez Rocks would serve as Vulcan "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home," released in 1983 and 1984 respectively.
Fans of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" would recognize Vasquez Rocks from the episode "Who Watches the Watchers?...
- 4/29/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The full Cannes Film Festival competition jury has been revealed.
Joining president Greta Gerwig to award this year’s Palme d’Or will be “Killers of the Flower Moon” Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone; “The Three Musketeers” star Eva Green; “Lupin” lead Omar Sy; Ebru Ceylan, who co-wrote the 2014 Palme d’Or winner “Winter Sleep”; director Nadine Labaki, whose “Capernaum” won the Cannes jury prize in 2018; director Juan Antonio Bayona, whose latest film “Society of the Snow” was Oscar-nominated for best international feature; Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, who will next appear in Pablo Larraìn’s “Maria” alongside Angelina Jolie; and director Kore-eda Hirokazu, director of the 2018 Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters.”
The competition lineup for the upcoming festival includes “All We Imagine as Light” by Payal Kapadia; Sean Baker’s “Anora”; Donald Trump biopic “The Apprentice” from Ali Abbasi; Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” starring Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski; “Caught by the Tides...
Joining president Greta Gerwig to award this year’s Palme d’Or will be “Killers of the Flower Moon” Oscar nominee Lily Gladstone; “The Three Musketeers” star Eva Green; “Lupin” lead Omar Sy; Ebru Ceylan, who co-wrote the 2014 Palme d’Or winner “Winter Sleep”; director Nadine Labaki, whose “Capernaum” won the Cannes jury prize in 2018; director Juan Antonio Bayona, whose latest film “Society of the Snow” was Oscar-nominated for best international feature; Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino, who will next appear in Pablo Larraìn’s “Maria” alongside Angelina Jolie; and director Kore-eda Hirokazu, director of the 2018 Palme d’Or winner “Shoplifters.”
The competition lineup for the upcoming festival includes “All We Imagine as Light” by Payal Kapadia; Sean Baker’s “Anora”; Donald Trump biopic “The Apprentice” from Ali Abbasi; Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” starring Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogowski; “Caught by the Tides...
- 4/29/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety - Film News
The Cannes Film Festival has unveiled the eight jurors who will be joining jury president Greta Gerwig for the event’s 2024 edition (May 14-25).
They are American actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green, French actor and producer Omar Sy, Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, Spanish director and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, and Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino.
The jury will award the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in competition at the closing ceremony on May 25. Anatomy Of A Fall picked up the top prize last year.
They are American actress Lily Gladstone, French actress Eva Green, French actor and producer Omar Sy, Lebanese director and screenwriter Nadine Labaki, Spanish director and screenwriter Juan Antonio Bayona, Japanese director Hirokazu Kore-eda, Turkish screenwriter and photographer Ebru Ceylan, and Italian actor Pierfrancisco Favino.
The jury will award the Palme d’Or to one of the 22 films in competition at the closing ceremony on May 25. Anatomy Of A Fall picked up the top prize last year.
- 4/29/2024
- ScreenDaily
After altering his voice to play the king of rock and roll in "Elvis," Austin Butler made a dramatic shift by portraying the heartless Harkonnen warrior Feyd-Rautha in "Dune: Part Two." It's a choice that worked out well, as even though the star's latest performance also came with an on-screen voice that demands further examination, Butler proved he was just as adept at playing cruel and cunning as he was at transforming into iconic musical figures of the 20th century.
The nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha was a big part of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel on which the "Dune" films are based. In the book, protagonist Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet in the modern films) returns to the capital of Arrakis and faces off against Feyd-Rautha in a final battle — one which was brought to life for the big screen by director Denis Villeneuve and his production team for "Dune: Part Two.
The nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha was a big part of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel on which the "Dune" films are based. In the book, protagonist Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet in the modern films) returns to the capital of Arrakis and faces off against Feyd-Rautha in a final battle — one which was brought to life for the big screen by director Denis Villeneuve and his production team for "Dune: Part Two.
- 4/29/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Spoiler alert: the film is not "Swept Away."
Given the filmmaking tear that Guy Ritchie has been on of late, the notion of scribbling out screenplays on napkins isn't terribly wild. Since 2021, he's plopped four movies in theaters, with a fifth on the way in 2025. Okay, guys like Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen have worked at a similarly furious clip for stretches of their careers, but Ritchie's flurry of films is peculiar because they're the kinds of star-studded B-movies that Hollywood doesn't make anymore. And he seems to be having a ball making them ... though audiences aren't exactly turning out in droves to watch them.
While Ritchie, like the vast majority of screenwriters, prefers to bang out his scripts on a computer, there was a time when he employed a less conventional approach. He wasn't as prolific at this point of his career, and there was a very good reason for this.
Given the filmmaking tear that Guy Ritchie has been on of late, the notion of scribbling out screenplays on napkins isn't terribly wild. Since 2021, he's plopped four movies in theaters, with a fifth on the way in 2025. Okay, guys like Steven Spielberg and Woody Allen have worked at a similarly furious clip for stretches of their careers, but Ritchie's flurry of films is peculiar because they're the kinds of star-studded B-movies that Hollywood doesn't make anymore. And he seems to be having a ball making them ... though audiences aren't exactly turning out in droves to watch them.
While Ritchie, like the vast majority of screenwriters, prefers to bang out his scripts on a computer, there was a time when he employed a less conventional approach. He wasn't as prolific at this point of his career, and there was a very good reason for this.
- 4/29/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Nicole Kidman Shredded the ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ Script After Production Wrapped: ‘It Feels Like Baggage’
Nicole Kidman doesn’t take it with her. The stress of the characters she’s played. The panic, both subtle and glorious. The screams. All of that goes into the waste bin following the martini shot, along with her scripts apparently too. Ahead of her AFI Life Achievement Award gala, Kidman recently spoke with The Los Angeles Times and admitted to shredding all her scripts, including for “Eyes Wide Shut”.
“Well, it feels like baggage,” said Kidman. “It’s all just going to go sit in an attic or down in a basement. I’m a traveling actor and can live out of a suitcase. That’s how I approach life because I’ve always had to shove everything in a suitcase and move on.”
Impermanence seems to be a common thread in many of the roles she’s played throughout her career. Even her AMC ads aim to capture...
“Well, it feels like baggage,” said Kidman. “It’s all just going to go sit in an attic or down in a basement. I’m a traveling actor and can live out of a suitcase. That’s how I approach life because I’ve always had to shove everything in a suitcase and move on.”
Impermanence seems to be a common thread in many of the roles she’s played throughout her career. Even her AMC ads aim to capture...
- 4/28/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Clint Eastwood was already 30 years old when he landed his breakout role in the CBS Western "Rawhide." The actor had spent much of the 1950s getting by on bit parts in B movies (most notably the Jack Arnold monster duo of "Revenge of the Creature" and "Tarantula"), and guest roles on TV series like "Maverick" and "Death Valley Days," so you'd think he would've been thrilled. But Eastwood was displeased with his character Rowdy Yates, who, early on in the series' run, was a wet-behind-the-ears ramrod. At his age, he was eager to play a grown, capable man with enough years behind him to allow for a bit of mystery.
Eastwood's restlessness coincided with a shift in filmmakers' approach to the Western genre. Though maestros like John Ford, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann, and Budd Boetticher had allowed for moral ambiguity in their movies, the vast majority of Westerns were white...
Eastwood's restlessness coincided with a shift in filmmakers' approach to the Western genre. Though maestros like John Ford, Howard Hawks, Anthony Mann, and Budd Boetticher had allowed for moral ambiguity in their movies, the vast majority of Westerns were white...
- 4/28/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Spoilers for "Challengers" follow.
I wouldn't be the first writer to suggest that playing competitive sports and f***ing are similar activities. Both are physically exhaustive, both demand at least one partner and, when done right, both leave their players on an emotional high that uplifts their tired bodies. Sex isn't always a competition for dominance (though it certainly can be), but like when you're shooting hoops or boxing an opponent, you have to study the other's body language and react without a moment to spare. Actions speak louder than words, and when you play a game against someone, you reveal yourself almost as much as when you get naked.
That's the conceit of "Challengers," the new tennis romantic drama starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor as three tennis players who share a storied love triangle. Art Donaldson (Faist) and Patrick Zweig (O'Connor) are teenage best friends who fall for the same girl,...
I wouldn't be the first writer to suggest that playing competitive sports and f***ing are similar activities. Both are physically exhaustive, both demand at least one partner and, when done right, both leave their players on an emotional high that uplifts their tired bodies. Sex isn't always a competition for dominance (though it certainly can be), but like when you're shooting hoops or boxing an opponent, you have to study the other's body language and react without a moment to spare. Actions speak louder than words, and when you play a game against someone, you reveal yourself almost as much as when you get naked.
That's the conceit of "Challengers," the new tennis romantic drama starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor as three tennis players who share a storied love triangle. Art Donaldson (Faist) and Patrick Zweig (O'Connor) are teenage best friends who fall for the same girl,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
It's been six movies since Gareth Edwards' "Godzilla" in 2014, and Adam Wingard seems to have finally cracked the code. Wingard's sublimely silly "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" happily abandoned all the portent and dourness of the first MonsterVerse movie, choosing instead to celebrate shallow monster mayhem and sugared-up, Saturday-morning-ready fantasy conceits that gleefully abandon logic. Kong lives in the Hollow Earth and fights jackal monsters, while Godzilla rules the surface world where he fights crabs and naps in the Colosseum. These are the basic tenets of a skewed universe lousy with monsters. There are magical stones under the earth that control gravity and miniature wormholes that monsters use to teleport around the planet. Everything is wild and nothing makes sense. And there is an integrity to that.
It seems, however, that there was some injection of actual reality into the film's production. Wingard and his crew filmed "Godzilla x Kong" in Gold Coast,...
It seems, however, that there was some injection of actual reality into the film's production. Wingard and his crew filmed "Godzilla x Kong" in Gold Coast,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
As a Tamil Indian born in Perth, Scotland, raised partially in Tamil Nadu, then educated in Liverpool and Oxford, Charithra Chandran knows a thing or two about juggling multiple identities. In many regards, it’s become a strength as proven by her breakout role as scene-stealer Edwina Sharpe on the uniquely diverse period romance “Bridgerton”. But despite the role thrusting her into the spotlight, the role has come with some unexpected drawbacks for the actress.
In a recent interview with Deadline, Chandran opened up about the difficulties of working in what she sees as an industry that tries to box artists into being one thing and forces people of color to compete for space.
“You’re so focused on fighting your own that you become distracted from the people doing the oppressing,” Chandran said. “The oppressors have imposed the idea that there’s only one seat at the table, when...
In a recent interview with Deadline, Chandran opened up about the difficulties of working in what she sees as an industry that tries to box artists into being one thing and forces people of color to compete for space.
“You’re so focused on fighting your own that you become distracted from the people doing the oppressing,” Chandran said. “The oppressors have imposed the idea that there’s only one seat at the table, when...
- 4/28/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
This post contains spoilers for "Tenet."
Time inversions, palindromes, and temporal pincer movements — these are just some of the concepts that contribute to the wonderfully confusing narrative of "Tenet," which is an experience that benefits the most from repeat viewings. The moment a story defies linear comprehension and flits between different points in time, things get a bit tricky, especially within the context of a mission to preserve the past from the future, where time is being reversed for people to move backward. The events in "Tenet" are palindromic, where moments that move forward and backward in time eventually meet to form a closed temporal loop, where every character is seen participating in multiple timelines until the loop is closed.
The key to understanding "Tenet" is inversion, a process achieved when entropy is reversed, allowing a person or object to move backward in time, as opposed to traditional forward progression.
Time inversions, palindromes, and temporal pincer movements — these are just some of the concepts that contribute to the wonderfully confusing narrative of "Tenet," which is an experience that benefits the most from repeat viewings. The moment a story defies linear comprehension and flits between different points in time, things get a bit tricky, especially within the context of a mission to preserve the past from the future, where time is being reversed for people to move backward. The events in "Tenet" are palindromic, where moments that move forward and backward in time eventually meet to form a closed temporal loop, where every character is seen participating in multiple timelines until the loop is closed.
The key to understanding "Tenet" is inversion, a process achieved when entropy is reversed, allowing a person or object to move backward in time, as opposed to traditional forward progression.
- 4/28/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Does darkness run in the family? Caitlin Cronenberg isn’t quite sure, but with her new horror drama “Humane”, she earns her place in the pantheon of the macabre like her father David and brother Brandon before her. Starring Jay Baruchel, Emily Hampshire, and Peter Gallagher, the film centers on a post-ecological disaster future and a family whose patriarch has decided to enlist in a new euthanasia program designed to deplete the population of the planet.
“I enjoyed the fact that it was a family drama set within this strange and chaotic world,” Cronenberg said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I thought that it was an interesting way to tell a family story, and that’s the thing that struck me the most, especially with a very unique premise. I hadn’t come across anything even close to this premise. The characters were also these very detailed...
“I enjoyed the fact that it was a family drama set within this strange and chaotic world,” Cronenberg said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “I thought that it was an interesting way to tell a family story, and that’s the thing that struck me the most, especially with a very unique premise. I hadn’t come across anything even close to this premise. The characters were also these very detailed...
- 4/28/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
This post contains spoilers for "The After Hours."
The innate human fear of being lost in an unknown, empty space can never be properly explained or quantified. This fear that makes us acutely aware of our fragility, and the foreignness of the space, be it inside an abandoned building or out under the vast night sky, adds to the anxiety of being alone without ever knowing if we are truly alone. In "The After Hours," the 34th episode of "The Twilight Zone," a woman suddenly finds herself in an empty departmental store after dark, its bustling daytime charm and security evaporating and molding into deathlike silence once night falls. As a woman trapped in an indoor space with seemingly no exits, this woman, Marsha, experiences horrors beyond her comprehension, as this unwitting trip to the Twilight Zone is the key to unlocking her sense of identity and the fears attached to it.
The innate human fear of being lost in an unknown, empty space can never be properly explained or quantified. This fear that makes us acutely aware of our fragility, and the foreignness of the space, be it inside an abandoned building or out under the vast night sky, adds to the anxiety of being alone without ever knowing if we are truly alone. In "The After Hours," the 34th episode of "The Twilight Zone," a woman suddenly finds herself in an empty departmental store after dark, its bustling daytime charm and security evaporating and molding into deathlike silence once night falls. As a woman trapped in an indoor space with seemingly no exits, this woman, Marsha, experiences horrors beyond her comprehension, as this unwitting trip to the Twilight Zone is the key to unlocking her sense of identity and the fears attached to it.
- 4/28/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
Despite the parallels between both films, screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes did not mine much from his own life to write “Challengers” in the same way his wife Celine Song did for her Oscar-nominated film “Past Lives.”
“‘Challengers’ is a pure fantasy for me,” Kuritzkes recently told IndieWire over Zoom. Having gotten hooked into obsessively watching tennis after the infamous 2018 U.S. Open match between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, he added that “‘Challengers’ really came out of this desire to have information about the matches I was watching. It was really something that I think a lot of people who watch tennis do, which is that you transpose a personality onto the player from these little crumbs that you’re given. It’s what tennis commentators do all the time. They see somebody make a little motion or something, and they go, ‘Here’s what he’s thinking. Here’s what...
“‘Challengers’ is a pure fantasy for me,” Kuritzkes recently told IndieWire over Zoom. Having gotten hooked into obsessively watching tennis after the infamous 2018 U.S. Open match between Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka, he added that “‘Challengers’ really came out of this desire to have information about the matches I was watching. It was really something that I think a lot of people who watch tennis do, which is that you transpose a personality onto the player from these little crumbs that you’re given. It’s what tennis commentators do all the time. They see somebody make a little motion or something, and they go, ‘Here’s what he’s thinking. Here’s what...
- 4/28/2024
- by Marcus Jones
- Indiewire
This post contains spoilers for both "Challengers" and "Y Tu Mama Tambien."
It's only its first weekend in theaters, but "Challengers" has already gotten everyone talking. There's just something captivating about a love triangle where all sides touch, and it's even more captivating when all that lust and jealousy get boiled down to a single heated match of tennis. There is no greater upping-the-ante movie moment than when Patrick (Josh O'Connor) subtly signals to Art (Mike Faist) during the game that he's recently slept with his wife Tashi (Zendaya). There've been plenty of fictional sports matches where a mid-game twist got everyone on the edge of their seats, but "Challengers" casually outdid them all.
What made "Challengers" truly special is Art's reaction to Patrick's reveal: he simply says, "F**k off." It's a line that could easily have been delivered with straightforward rage, but Faist throws some bemusement into the mix,...
It's only its first weekend in theaters, but "Challengers" has already gotten everyone talking. There's just something captivating about a love triangle where all sides touch, and it's even more captivating when all that lust and jealousy get boiled down to a single heated match of tennis. There is no greater upping-the-ante movie moment than when Patrick (Josh O'Connor) subtly signals to Art (Mike Faist) during the game that he's recently slept with his wife Tashi (Zendaya). There've been plenty of fictional sports matches where a mid-game twist got everyone on the edge of their seats, but "Challengers" casually outdid them all.
What made "Challengers" truly special is Art's reaction to Patrick's reveal: he simply says, "F**k off." It's a line that could easily have been delivered with straightforward rage, but Faist throws some bemusement into the mix,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
Solitary confinement, theoretically used only when a prisoner is at high risk of harm to or from others, has long been regarded as a severe punitive measure best applied in small doses. The United Nations’ “Mandela Rules” recommend inmates be placed in such conditions for no more than 15 days, to avoid significant damage to physical or psychological health. Yet “The Strike” spotlights one U.S. correctional facility where until recently convicts were held in solitary for decades on end. JoeBill Munoz and Lucas Guilkey’s documentary, premiering at Hot Docs, provides a polished, informative overview of protests — both in and outside the prison — that eventually succeeded in changing abusive policies.
When California opened the Pelican Bay State Prison in 1989, it was considered a model of its “supermax” type, designed as a maximum security institution for “the worst of the worst.” At the time, the “War on Drugs” (then “three-strikes” laws) had greatly increased prison populations,...
When California opened the Pelican Bay State Prison in 1989, it was considered a model of its “supermax” type, designed as a maximum security institution for “the worst of the worst.” At the time, the “War on Drugs” (then “three-strikes” laws) had greatly increased prison populations,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety - Film News
In the "Star Trek" episode "Metamorphosis", an important dignitary named Commissioner Nancy Hedford (Elinor Donohue) is being transported to the U.S.S. Enterprise to undergo a complex medical procedure that can only be performed on the ship. She is afflicted with a fast-moving condition called Sukaro's Disease which, if not treated, could prove fatal within a few days, even though Commissioner Hedford has no discernible symptoms. Unfortunately for her, Hedford's shuttle is randomly attacked by a shape-shifting blob of energy and pulled down to the surface of a nearby planet. Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) have to find a way to repair the shuttle and get the Commissioner back to the Enterprise before her condition worsens.
They are not alone on the planet. Zefram Cochrane (Glenn Corbett) is living there. This is unusual, as Zefram Cochrane -- the inventor of faster-than-light travel...
They are not alone on the planet. Zefram Cochrane (Glenn Corbett) is living there. This is unusual, as Zefram Cochrane -- the inventor of faster-than-light travel...
- 4/28/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Luca Guadagnino’s “Challengers” (Amazon MGM) nearly doubled any other gross in its opening weekend, taking an easy #1 with an estimated $15 million. That’s respectable for the Zendaya-starring erotic tennis drama.
However, another week with this level of a #1 film isn’t what theaters need. After a month of intriguing new releases, none of them are likely to gross as much as $75 million in the U.S./Canada. Theaters faced a double burden — too few films released, and too few perform — but May could be different: It starts the summer season next week with “The Fall Guy” (Universal).
“Challengers” was not an automatic sell. It has Zendaya and excellent reviews (83 Metacritic score). Recent R-rated, sexually charged dramas are unusual these days. “Saltburn,” also from Amazon MGM, grossed $11 million in its release — $4 million less than the “Challengers” opening. “No Hard Feelings” with Jennifer Lawrence had the same opening gross last summer.
However, another week with this level of a #1 film isn’t what theaters need. After a month of intriguing new releases, none of them are likely to gross as much as $75 million in the U.S./Canada. Theaters faced a double burden — too few films released, and too few perform — but May could be different: It starts the summer season next week with “The Fall Guy” (Universal).
“Challengers” was not an automatic sell. It has Zendaya and excellent reviews (83 Metacritic score). Recent R-rated, sexually charged dramas are unusual these days. “Saltburn,” also from Amazon MGM, grossed $11 million in its release — $4 million less than the “Challengers” opening. “No Hard Feelings” with Jennifer Lawrence had the same opening gross last summer.
- 4/28/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
[Editor’s note: The following article contains some spoilers for “Shōgun”]
There’s a scene in Episode 5 of FX’s hit show “Shōgun”, smack dab in the middle of the TV series, that acts as a microcosm for the larger narrative. The horrified English Protestant sailor, Blackthorne, wishes to give up on his mission and leave Japan and the show’s central figure of whom he’s asking permission, Toranaga, actually considers it. Then an earthquake happens. Toranaga is buried by a landslide and it’s Blackthorne who finds and pulls him out. It’s in this moment Toranaga — staring at Blackthorne who’s ripped him from death’s clutch — realizes the way towards peace despite the forces against him.
“If people know the history, they already know what Toranaga creates,” “Shōgun” star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “That was the most important thing for me about this story: Toranaga ended [the Warring States period] and...
There’s a scene in Episode 5 of FX’s hit show “Shōgun”, smack dab in the middle of the TV series, that acts as a microcosm for the larger narrative. The horrified English Protestant sailor, Blackthorne, wishes to give up on his mission and leave Japan and the show’s central figure of whom he’s asking permission, Toranaga, actually considers it. Then an earthquake happens. Toranaga is buried by a landslide and it’s Blackthorne who finds and pulls him out. It’s in this moment Toranaga — staring at Blackthorne who’s ripped him from death’s clutch — realizes the way towards peace despite the forces against him.
“If people know the history, they already know what Toranaga creates,” “Shōgun” star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada said in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. “That was the most important thing for me about this story: Toranaga ended [the Warring States period] and...
- 4/28/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
This post contains spoilers for "Primer."
It is tempting to describe "Primer" as a time travel film — which it very much is — but the sheer headiness of the subject matter morphs it into something undefinable and elusive, eclipsing the metaphor of a puzzle box by the time the credits roll. Crafted with a shoestring budget of roughly $7,000, Shane Carruth's debut feature demands a certain sense of discipline and meticulous attention to detail, where seemingly innocuous dialogue or subtle character expressions often prove crucial to unraveling its wildly complicated plot. To call "Primer" confusing is an understatement: it is a film that absolutely requires repeat viewings simply to be understood, but engaging intimately with it does not guarantee comprehension of every facet.
Although Carruth peppers enough clues and red herrings to help us arrive at a sound conclusion, "Primer" does not encourage the tying up of every loose end, or...
It is tempting to describe "Primer" as a time travel film — which it very much is — but the sheer headiness of the subject matter morphs it into something undefinable and elusive, eclipsing the metaphor of a puzzle box by the time the credits roll. Crafted with a shoestring budget of roughly $7,000, Shane Carruth's debut feature demands a certain sense of discipline and meticulous attention to detail, where seemingly innocuous dialogue or subtle character expressions often prove crucial to unraveling its wildly complicated plot. To call "Primer" confusing is an understatement: it is a film that absolutely requires repeat viewings simply to be understood, but engaging intimately with it does not guarantee comprehension of every facet.
Although Carruth peppers enough clues and red herrings to help us arrive at a sound conclusion, "Primer" does not encourage the tying up of every loose end, or...
- 4/28/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
“Film is forever.”
Nicole Kidman, the 49th recipient of the prestigious AFI Life Achievement Award, made her acceptance speech on the Dolby Theatre stage on Saturday, April 27 about the filmmakers who’ve shaped her career — and her love for movies and storytelling.
The Academy Award-winning actress was joined by presenters including her “Big Little Lies” co-stars Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep, a past AFI recipient who handed Kidman the honors at the night’s end. “Can I just say, Meryl Streep? I just loved you. I always loved you. I don’t know what it is. You’re a beacon of excellence and warmth and generosity, and you’ve been my guiding light. To see this from you, you have no idea. My husband can attest, my parents can attest, it’s always been you, and no one can touch you.”
Kidman’s opening remarks set the tone for a...
Nicole Kidman, the 49th recipient of the prestigious AFI Life Achievement Award, made her acceptance speech on the Dolby Theatre stage on Saturday, April 27 about the filmmakers who’ve shaped her career — and her love for movies and storytelling.
The Academy Award-winning actress was joined by presenters including her “Big Little Lies” co-stars Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep, a past AFI recipient who handed Kidman the honors at the night’s end. “Can I just say, Meryl Streep? I just loved you. I always loved you. I don’t know what it is. You’re a beacon of excellence and warmth and generosity, and you’ve been my guiding light. To see this from you, you have no idea. My husband can attest, my parents can attest, it’s always been you, and no one can touch you.”
Kidman’s opening remarks set the tone for a...
- 4/28/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
John Carpenter is a filmmaker who boasts several stone-cold classics to his resume. Not only did he more or less invent the modern slasher movie with "Halloween," but he's also responsible for titles such as "Escape From New York," "The Thing," "They Live," "Prince of Darkness," "Big Trouble in Little China," and many more. Carpenter is pretty much retired from feature filmmaking at this point, and his as-of-now final film, "The Ward," isn't so great. However, there's one later-period Carpenter movie that I consider to be one of his best works: "In the Mouth of Madness." It received mixed reviews when it opened in 1994, and it wasn't much of a box office hit, but in my humble opinion, it's pretty damn great — and scary, too.
The film tells the story of famous horror author Sutter Cane, who is like a mash-up of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft. When Cane goes...
The film tells the story of famous horror author Sutter Cane, who is like a mash-up of Stephen King and H.P. Lovecraft. When Cane goes...
- 4/28/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Is the nepo-baby conversation over or have we just landed in a place of acceptance? Ethan Hawke understands the challenge of perception in regards to this identifier and his upcoming collaboration with daughter, Maya Hawke, in the film “Wildcat” — but he’s still pushing audiences to give this Flannery O’Connor biopic a chance. On a recent episode of CNN’s “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace?”, Hawke explores different aspects of his career that led him to this moment and why he hopes “Wildcat” will play as more than just a “home movie.”
“The biggest challenge is releasing the movie, giving it to the public, because I knew the dad daughter act is not cute,” the elder Hawke said of his decision to cast his daughter in the biopic, which he directs. “I love working with my daughter. That doesn’t mean somebody should pay money to spend a minute of their time watching.
“The biggest challenge is releasing the movie, giving it to the public, because I knew the dad daughter act is not cute,” the elder Hawke said of his decision to cast his daughter in the biopic, which he directs. “I love working with my daughter. That doesn’t mean somebody should pay money to spend a minute of their time watching.
- 4/28/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
European powerhouse Mediawan has acquired Leonine, a leading production and distribution group active in German-speaking markets.
With the acquisition of Leonine, Mediawan will boast a portfolio of 85 labels, a catalogue spanning 30,000 hours of premium content and revenues exceeding €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion). Mediawan’s worth is now believed to be in the $2-billion range. The deal is an all-stock transaction; both companies have the same shareholder, the U.S. private equity fund Kkr whose stake in Mediawan will still be below 50%, according to a source close to the company.
Mediawan now has a significant footprint in all major European markets, including German-speaking territories which represent the continent’s second largest TV market. The pact positions Mediawan as one of the world’s biggest super indies with a large proportion of scripted business across prestige series and movies. Mediawan now spans 13 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Benelux and the U.K.
With the acquisition of Leonine, Mediawan will boast a portfolio of 85 labels, a catalogue spanning 30,000 hours of premium content and revenues exceeding €1.3 billion ($1.4 billion). Mediawan’s worth is now believed to be in the $2-billion range. The deal is an all-stock transaction; both companies have the same shareholder, the U.S. private equity fund Kkr whose stake in Mediawan will still be below 50%, according to a source close to the company.
Mediawan now has a significant footprint in all major European markets, including German-speaking territories which represent the continent’s second largest TV market. The pact positions Mediawan as one of the world’s biggest super indies with a large proportion of scripted business across prestige series and movies. Mediawan now spans 13 countries including France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Scandinavia, Benelux and the U.K.
- 4/28/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety - Film News
“The Roundup: Punishment,” the fourth film in the Don Lee-starring crime action franchise, earned $20.8 million between Friday and Sunday and punched out all competition at the South Korean box office.
“Challengers,” which headed the box office this weekend in North America, with $15 million, opened fourth in Korea a 0.5% market share.
“Punishment” accounted for a crushing 94% market share and collected its weekend haul from 2.92 million ticket sales, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).
The film opened officially on Wednesday, when it scored $4.92 million, and followed that with a $3.25 million Thursday. Including the weekday takings and a smattering of previews from the previous weekend, the film finished Sunday with a cumulative of $29.3 million, earned from 4.25 million spectators.
The stellar performance was the biggest opening this year, ahead of February’s “Exhuma,” a spooky drama that earned $14.5 million on its February first weekend...
“Challengers,” which headed the box office this weekend in North America, with $15 million, opened fourth in Korea a 0.5% market share.
“Punishment” accounted for a crushing 94% market share and collected its weekend haul from 2.92 million ticket sales, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic).
The film opened officially on Wednesday, when it scored $4.92 million, and followed that with a $3.25 million Thursday. Including the weekday takings and a smattering of previews from the previous weekend, the film finished Sunday with a cumulative of $29.3 million, earned from 4.25 million spectators.
The stellar performance was the biggest opening this year, ahead of February’s “Exhuma,” a spooky drama that earned $14.5 million on its February first weekend...
- 4/28/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Spoiler Alert: This article contains plot details for “Challengers,” now playing in theaters.
Josh O’Connor never had a churro until he shot “Challengers.”
The British actor and his co-star Mike Faist enjoy the fried doughy treat in one of the film’s most suggestive scenes. In short, Patrick (O’Connor) is visiting his girlfriend Tashi (Zendaya) and his best friend Art (Faist) at Stanford when the two young men catch up in a cafeteria. They’re sitting face-to-face as they devour the churros.
“We actually only did two takes of that scene,” O’Connor says at the drama’s Los Angeles premiere. “They were delicious. My first churro was that day.”
So why churros? As if that even needs to be asked. “Because they’re a delicious snack,” screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes says, while grinning. “They’re very popular in California – that’s why.”
Kuritzkes says O’Connor and Faist enhanced...
Josh O’Connor never had a churro until he shot “Challengers.”
The British actor and his co-star Mike Faist enjoy the fried doughy treat in one of the film’s most suggestive scenes. In short, Patrick (O’Connor) is visiting his girlfriend Tashi (Zendaya) and his best friend Art (Faist) at Stanford when the two young men catch up in a cafeteria. They’re sitting face-to-face as they devour the churros.
“We actually only did two takes of that scene,” O’Connor says at the drama’s Los Angeles premiere. “They were delicious. My first churro was that day.”
So why churros? As if that even needs to be asked. “Because they’re a delicious snack,” screenwriter Justin Kuritzkes says, while grinning. “They’re very popular in California – that’s why.”
Kuritzkes says O’Connor and Faist enhanced...
- 4/28/2024
- by Marc Malkin
- Variety - Film News
"Futurama" is no stranger to out-there stories, but sometimes, even this show needs an excuse to break the rules. That's where the anthology episodes come in: installments featuring three seven-or-so-minute-long themed segments where the status quo of the show doesn't apply.
"Futurama" inherited this formula from co-creator Matt Groening's previous series, "The Simpsons." However, "The Simpsons" developed a consistent formula for its anthology episodes: "Treehouse of Horror," where the Simpsons family (and friends) are put through parodies of horror/sci-fi stories (from "The Twilight Zone" to "Death Note"). "Treehouse of Horror" has been an annual "Simpsons" tradition since season 2, but the series isn't constrained by this. A handful of "Simpsons" episodes are anthologies of a different flavor (see "Simpsons Bible Stories" in season 10 or "Tales from the Public Domain" in season 13).
"Futurama," though? The sci-fi show doesn't have an equivalent tradition, perhaps as part of the show's efforts to not compete with "The Simpsons.
"Futurama" inherited this formula from co-creator Matt Groening's previous series, "The Simpsons." However, "The Simpsons" developed a consistent formula for its anthology episodes: "Treehouse of Horror," where the Simpsons family (and friends) are put through parodies of horror/sci-fi stories (from "The Twilight Zone" to "Death Note"). "Treehouse of Horror" has been an annual "Simpsons" tradition since season 2, but the series isn't constrained by this. A handful of "Simpsons" episodes are anthologies of a different flavor (see "Simpsons Bible Stories" in season 10 or "Tales from the Public Domain" in season 13).
"Futurama," though? The sci-fi show doesn't have an equivalent tradition, perhaps as part of the show's efforts to not compete with "The Simpsons.
- 4/28/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Oscar-winner is first Australian actor to receive honour as Meryl Streep says it is ‘impossible not to be in awe of her’
Nicole Kidman has been honoured with an American Film Institute life achievement award at a ceremony in which stars shared stories of “quite simply one of the greatest actresses”.
The Oscar-winner became the first Australian actor to receive the highest honour for a career in film at AFI, during a ceremony that featured speeches from Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Reese Witherspoon, and Kidman’s husband, Keith Urban.
Nicole Kidman has been honoured with an American Film Institute life achievement award at a ceremony in which stars shared stories of “quite simply one of the greatest actresses”.
The Oscar-winner became the first Australian actor to receive the highest honour for a career in film at AFI, during a ceremony that featured speeches from Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Reese Witherspoon, and Kidman’s husband, Keith Urban.
- 4/28/2024
- by PA Media
- The Guardian - Film News
Game, set, now what to make of this match?
“Challengers,” a sexy, subversive, R-rated drama set in the world of tennis, easily took first place at a sluggish domestic box office this weekend with $15 million from 3,477 locations. On one hand, it’s a respectable result for an artsy movie aimed at discerning, adult audiences, but what keeps it from being a championship performance is that “Challengers” has a hefty $55 million budget (to say nothing of its marketing costs). The Amazon MGM Studios release will need strong word-of-mouth if it’s going to keep rallying — and next week brings Universal’s “The Fall Guy,” a Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-comedy that marks the start of summer blockbuster season. The competition only stands to get fiercer from here.
Amazon MGM would probably argue that “Challengers” doesn’t need to be a box office phenomenon in order to be successful. The higher...
“Challengers,” a sexy, subversive, R-rated drama set in the world of tennis, easily took first place at a sluggish domestic box office this weekend with $15 million from 3,477 locations. On one hand, it’s a respectable result for an artsy movie aimed at discerning, adult audiences, but what keeps it from being a championship performance is that “Challengers” has a hefty $55 million budget (to say nothing of its marketing costs). The Amazon MGM Studios release will need strong word-of-mouth if it’s going to keep rallying — and next week brings Universal’s “The Fall Guy,” a Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt action-comedy that marks the start of summer blockbuster season. The competition only stands to get fiercer from here.
Amazon MGM would probably argue that “Challengers” doesn’t need to be a box office phenomenon in order to be successful. The higher...
- 4/28/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
"Leprechaun" is one of those horror franchises that keeps on keepin' on. It's not very good, and yet, we, the movie-watching public, return to these movies again and again, even as they grow progressively more ridiculous. One recurring element in all of the "Leprechaun" movies is a sense of humor, particularly from the titular Leprechaun, played in the majority of the movies by Warwick Davis. Like Freddy Krueger in the "Nightmare on Elm Street" sequels, the Leprechaun is a jokester; he likes to quip when he's killing.
But as silly as the series has grown, there was a point in time when the original film was going to be much different. Specifically, it was going to be something darker and more horror-forward. Things changed, and a sense of humor prevailed. But imagine an alternate timeline when the first "Leprechaun" movie was a full-blown serious horror picture designed to scare the hell out of you.
But as silly as the series has grown, there was a point in time when the original film was going to be much different. Specifically, it was going to be something darker and more horror-forward. Things changed, and a sense of humor prevailed. But imagine an alternate timeline when the first "Leprechaun" movie was a full-blown serious horror picture designed to scare the hell out of you.
- 4/28/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
It's a good thing that "Sicario" is often cited as the best Denis Villeneuve movies, seeing as the director, cast, and crew apparently risked their lives to make it. Imagine putting yourself through life-threatening situations just to witness the poor reviews roll in and the almighty Tomatometer bestow an abject splat upon your film. Thankfully, "Sicario" currently stands at a muscular 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, making it the third highest-rated of Villeneuve's films on the website, behind "Arrival" and "Dune: Part Two."
But without "Sicario," those other two blockbusters arguably wouldn't exist. This was the movie that established Villeneuve as a director capable of balancing human drama with large-scale action and set him on a course to shepherd the big-budget movies he's now known for. As "Dune: Part Two" crosses box office milestone after box office milestone, "Sicario" still stands as the movie that made it all possible.
As such,...
But without "Sicario," those other two blockbusters arguably wouldn't exist. This was the movie that established Villeneuve as a director capable of balancing human drama with large-scale action and set him on a course to shepherd the big-budget movies he's now known for. As "Dune: Part Two" crosses box office milestone after box office milestone, "Sicario" still stands as the movie that made it all possible.
As such,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Colman Domingo never imagined he would be “a 100 of anything.”
“The fact that I’m one of the 100 most influential people in the world feels like I have a lot to live up to, and I want to because I don’t take that lightly,” Domingo told Variety on the red carpet at the Time100 Gala Thursday night. “The fact that someone in some committee believed that I’m impacting many people on this planet, I feel like now the work begins even more so. I know that I have to be even more mindful and thoughtful about how I create and the work that I do.”
Hosted by Taraji P. Henson at Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City, the Time100 Gala celebrated this year’s most influential figures across film, sports, music and more, including Domingo, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, 21 Savage, Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson, Fantasia Barrino and Henson herself.
“The fact that I’m one of the 100 most influential people in the world feels like I have a lot to live up to, and I want to because I don’t take that lightly,” Domingo told Variety on the red carpet at the Time100 Gala Thursday night. “The fact that someone in some committee believed that I’m impacting many people on this planet, I feel like now the work begins even more so. I know that I have to be even more mindful and thoughtful about how I create and the work that I do.”
Hosted by Taraji P. Henson at Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City, the Time100 Gala celebrated this year’s most influential figures across film, sports, music and more, including Domingo, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, 21 Savage, Human Rights Campaign president Kelley Robinson, Fantasia Barrino and Henson herself.
- 4/28/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
Watch just about any media from the mid-20th century and you'll quickly notice something: people smoked a lot more onscreen back then -- like, a lot more. Those born in the current century would no doubt be shocked to learn that even beloved cartoon icons like Donald Duck would light up a pipe or puff away on a stogie when the occasion merited (and that's to say nothing of commercials like the jaw-dropping marketing campaign where Fred Flinstone gets his buddy Barney and his wife Wilma hooked on Winston cigarettes).
Smoking was a useful visual shorthand for a variety of things. When Cruella De Vil spewed a wreath of putrid yellow smoke from her infamous cigarette holder in Disney's animated "101 Dalmatians," you just knew she was trouble, even before dog-napping entered the equation. Alternatively, when Cary Grant carefully lit Eva Marie Saint's cigarette in perhaps the ultimate Alfred Hitchcock picture,...
Smoking was a useful visual shorthand for a variety of things. When Cruella De Vil spewed a wreath of putrid yellow smoke from her infamous cigarette holder in Disney's animated "101 Dalmatians," you just knew she was trouble, even before dog-napping entered the equation. Alternatively, when Cary Grant carefully lit Eva Marie Saint's cigarette in perhaps the ultimate Alfred Hitchcock picture,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Francis Ford Coppola's miraculous 1970s run of "The Godfather," "The Conversation," "The Godfather Part II" and "Apocalypse Now" came crashing to a hubristic halt in 1982 when his backlot musical "One from the Heart," produced at his recently purchased Zoetrope Studios in the heart of Hollywood, bombed upon release. Poor reviews and audience indifference resulted in a paltry $637,000 gross against a $26 million budget, thus killing his dream of an artist-driven mini-community.
The magnitude of the film's failure meant Coppola would have to lower his sights for the time being, and make films with more straightforward commercial appeal as a means of paying off his debts. It was a shockingly precipitous fall, one that left his many admirers worried that he'd become more of a paycheck-to-paycheck director. This happened eventually, but for a time he was able to stoke his creative fire even if he was making movies that weren't as...
The magnitude of the film's failure meant Coppola would have to lower his sights for the time being, and make films with more straightforward commercial appeal as a means of paying off his debts. It was a shockingly precipitous fall, one that left his many admirers worried that he'd become more of a paycheck-to-paycheck director. This happened eventually, but for a time he was able to stoke his creative fire even if he was making movies that weren't as...
- 4/28/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
A pair of Warner Bros. releases have achieved some important box office milestones.
“Dune: Part Two,” the acclaimed adaptation of Frank Herbert’s monumental sci-fi novel, has passed $700 million worldwide, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” the latest installment in the long-running monster franchise, eclipsed $500 million at the global box office. Both films were produced in partnership with Legendary Entertainment.
“We congratulate our partners at Legendary, [‘Dune’ director] Denis Villeneuve, [‘Godzilla x Kong’ director] Adam Wingard, and their casts and crews for bringing these amazing projects to life and to audiences around the world,” Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs and CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, said in a statement. “We are also very proud of the work our global marketing and distribution teams have undertaken on behalf of ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Godzilla x Kong’ – these box office milestones are a testament to their tremendous efforts.”
As of Friday,...
“Dune: Part Two,” the acclaimed adaptation of Frank Herbert’s monumental sci-fi novel, has passed $700 million worldwide, while “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” the latest installment in the long-running monster franchise, eclipsed $500 million at the global box office. Both films were produced in partnership with Legendary Entertainment.
“We congratulate our partners at Legendary, [‘Dune’ director] Denis Villeneuve, [‘Godzilla x Kong’ director] Adam Wingard, and their casts and crews for bringing these amazing projects to life and to audiences around the world,” Pam Abdy and Mike De Luca, co-chairs and CEOs of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, said in a statement. “We are also very proud of the work our global marketing and distribution teams have undertaken on behalf of ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Godzilla x Kong’ – these box office milestones are a testament to their tremendous efforts.”
As of Friday,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Brent Lang
- Variety - Film News
There wasn't a more capable director of massive, widescreen Westerns working in Hollywood during the 1950s and '60s than John Sturges. Whether classical ("Gunfight at the O.K. Corral") or somewhat unconventional ("Bad Day at Black Rock"), Sturges could frame a mountainous expanse or stage a gunfight with the best of them. He thrived when working with big casts and specialized in discovering stirring nuances in characters that would've been walking cliches in more typical genre flicks.
Sturges was also efficient, which came in handy when managing expensive studio productions populated with big egos. His biggest challenge in this department might've been "The Magnificent Seven," the 1960 remake of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece "Seven Samurai." Yul Brynner, then a hugely popular movie star (largely on the strength of his Academy Award-winning performance in "The King and I" and his portrayal of Ramses in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments"), controlled...
Sturges was also efficient, which came in handy when managing expensive studio productions populated with big egos. His biggest challenge in this department might've been "The Magnificent Seven," the 1960 remake of Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece "Seven Samurai." Yul Brynner, then a hugely popular movie star (largely on the strength of his Academy Award-winning performance in "The King and I" and his portrayal of Ramses in Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments"), controlled...
- 4/28/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
[Editor’s Note: The following article contains spoilers for “Challengers”]
Despite the implications of this story’s headline, these two films are not alike. Well, they are. Kind of. In some regards. Mainly in the sense that the focal point of each is centered around the clashes that come as a result of non-monogamy and specifically the challenges of maintaining civility within a ménage-à-trois relationship. There’s also a connection between the two leads of each film, Zendaya and Jean-Pierre Léaud, in that both began their careers as children and used these roles to expand audiences’ perceptions of them as adults. Perhaps most tangentially, the two films cover time periods of great social ignorance — Post-’60s France and Pre-2020 America (as well as Pre-Housing and Financial Crisis America) — and are aimed at sparking the public’s curiosities, albeit in completely different ways. Thankfully, this piece does not aim to strictly draw comparisons between the two films, but rather convince readers...
Despite the implications of this story’s headline, these two films are not alike. Well, they are. Kind of. In some regards. Mainly in the sense that the focal point of each is centered around the clashes that come as a result of non-monogamy and specifically the challenges of maintaining civility within a ménage-à-trois relationship. There’s also a connection between the two leads of each film, Zendaya and Jean-Pierre Léaud, in that both began their careers as children and used these roles to expand audiences’ perceptions of them as adults. Perhaps most tangentially, the two films cover time periods of great social ignorance — Post-’60s France and Pre-2020 America (as well as Pre-Housing and Financial Crisis America) — and are aimed at sparking the public’s curiosities, albeit in completely different ways. Thankfully, this piece does not aim to strictly draw comparisons between the two films, but rather convince readers...
- 4/28/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Is there any actor who casually oozes coolness like Kurt Russell?
As with anyone in Hollywood, the young Russell had to earn his stripes. Upon signing a contract with the Mouse House, he started out anchoring a collection of zany Disney comedies in the '60s and '70s, including "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes," "The Strongest Man in the World," and "The Barefoot Executive," a movie that paired him opposite a chimpanzee. Beginning with their 1979 made-for-tv "Elvis" biopic, however, Russell and director John Carpenter collaborated on a series of highly efficient yet firmly modest genre films, many of which became cult hits and cemented their too-cool-for-school reputation.
Russell has only continued to evolve his legacy in the 21st century, starring in everything from cult favorites as worlds apart as "Sky High" and "Bone Tomahawk" to Quentin Tarantino joints and blockbuster franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Fast...
As with anyone in Hollywood, the young Russell had to earn his stripes. Upon signing a contract with the Mouse House, he started out anchoring a collection of zany Disney comedies in the '60s and '70s, including "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes," "The Strongest Man in the World," and "The Barefoot Executive," a movie that paired him opposite a chimpanzee. Beginning with their 1979 made-for-tv "Elvis" biopic, however, Russell and director John Carpenter collaborated on a series of highly efficient yet firmly modest genre films, many of which became cult hits and cemented their too-cool-for-school reputation.
Russell has only continued to evolve his legacy in the 21st century, starring in everything from cult favorites as worlds apart as "Sky High" and "Bone Tomahawk" to Quentin Tarantino joints and blockbuster franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and The Fast...
- 4/28/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
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To the uninitiated, the "Halloween" franchise is just a slasher series. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. A masked maniac with a big knife wandering around different settings, cutting down anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way. Sure, while that might be true for John Carpenter's classic original, the series would grow increasingly odd and incredulous as the years went on.
As of this writing, there are four different "Halloween" timelines featuring Michael Myers. It starts with the original timeline, including the orignal "Halloween" from 1978, its sequel "Halloween II," the legacy sequel "Halloween H20," and "Halloween: Resurrection." Then, of course, is the colloquial Cult of Thorn timeline, which also includes those first two movies, followed by then "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers," "Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers," and "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.
To the uninitiated, the "Halloween" franchise is just a slasher series. If you've seen one, you've seen them all. A masked maniac with a big knife wandering around different settings, cutting down anyone unfortunate enough to get in their way. Sure, while that might be true for John Carpenter's classic original, the series would grow increasingly odd and incredulous as the years went on.
As of this writing, there are four different "Halloween" timelines featuring Michael Myers. It starts with the original timeline, including the orignal "Halloween" from 1978, its sequel "Halloween II," the legacy sequel "Halloween H20," and "Halloween: Resurrection." Then, of course, is the colloquial Cult of Thorn timeline, which also includes those first two movies, followed by then "Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers," "Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers," and "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers.
- 4/28/2024
- by Chad Collins
- Slash Film
Anyone who has seen "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" — and going by the film's impressive box-office numbers, that oughta be most of you out there — knows that Dan Stevens is an absolute delight in it. To be fair, this isn't a huge surprise, as anyone who's been following Stevens' on-screen career knows that the actor is routinely a highlight of everything he appears in, whether he's the lead in something like FX's "Legion" and "GxK" director Adam Wingard's "The Guest" or (and sometimes especially) when he's appearing as a supporting character in films like "Colossal" or this month's "Abigail."
His role of Trapper in "GxK" seems particularly special, however, given that Stevens isn't merely playing a comic relief character. Instead, he's some unique combination of a wonder-filled adventurer, an animal-loving veterinarian, and a laid-back hippie dude. That's just one way of describing Trapper, however — Stevens himself has...
His role of Trapper in "GxK" seems particularly special, however, given that Stevens isn't merely playing a comic relief character. Instead, he's some unique combination of a wonder-filled adventurer, an animal-loving veterinarian, and a laid-back hippie dude. That's just one way of describing Trapper, however — Stevens himself has...
- 4/28/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Now that "Dune: Part Two" has arrived and passed multiple box office milestones, director Denis Villeneuve can claim to have done the impossible and successfully adapted Frank Herbert's "unfilmable" 1965 novel. 2021's "Dune" and the sequel's critical and commercial triumphs are well-earned, too, with Villeneuve and his team delivering a truly epic sci-fi two-parter that immerses viewers in a world that feels at once alien and believably real.
The Oscar-winning effects in "Dune" and its sequel create an impressive sense of scale, but they're also remarkable for achieving such a feat without making the films feel akin to the blockbuster CGI-fests we're used to in the modern age. Villeneuve, cinematographer Greig Fraser, and production designer Patrice Vermette managed to craft a world that feels visceral and convincing throughout, despite the heavy use of visual effects. Of course, filming on location in the deserts of Jordan and Abu Dhabi helped a lot in that regard,...
The Oscar-winning effects in "Dune" and its sequel create an impressive sense of scale, but they're also remarkable for achieving such a feat without making the films feel akin to the blockbuster CGI-fests we're used to in the modern age. Villeneuve, cinematographer Greig Fraser, and production designer Patrice Vermette managed to craft a world that feels visceral and convincing throughout, despite the heavy use of visual effects. Of course, filming on location in the deserts of Jordan and Abu Dhabi helped a lot in that regard,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
The famous twist at the end of Irvin Kershner's 1980 sci-fi epic "The Empire Strikes Back" — that the evil Darth Vader (James Earl Jones/David Prowse) was actually the father of the heroic Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) — was shocking enough to send seismic ripples through the future of pop culture. Young prospective filmmakers reared in 1980 were so shocked by the famed "Empire" revelation that the "hero was secretly related to the villain this whole time" twist would eventually become a common screenwriting trope.
As many Starwoids will be able to tell you, the "I am your father" twist famously contradicts dialogue from George Lucas' "Star Wars" from three years earlier. In that film, the trustworthy Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) revealed that he was friends with Luke's father, who was, by Obi-Wan's own description, definitely not Darth Vader. Indeed, Darth Vader was said to have murdered Luke's father. So when...
As many Starwoids will be able to tell you, the "I am your father" twist famously contradicts dialogue from George Lucas' "Star Wars" from three years earlier. In that film, the trustworthy Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness) revealed that he was friends with Luke's father, who was, by Obi-Wan's own description, definitely not Darth Vader. Indeed, Darth Vader was said to have murdered Luke's father. So when...
- 4/28/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
As Luca Guadagnino’s acclaimed tennis film Challengers makes its case for sporting immortality, critic Guy Lodge chooses 20 of the genre’s undisputed heavyweights
Challengers reviewed by Wendy Ide
Analogies of life as sport have been exhausted by every Pe teacher in existence. In the movies, however, they’re eternally renewable. Take Challengers, Luca Guadagnino’s sleek, sexy, sweat-drenched new film, which hits every metaphor you might expect in its story of three tennis pros locked in a tense love triangle: games are won and lost, points scored, doubles partners swapped, and so on. Shot and paced with the ricocheting energy of a great tennis match, it’s a sports movie that, like many a classic of the genre, understands the parallels between sport and cinema as two great crowd-pleasing pastimes.
The sports movie is pretty much as old as movies themselves: for early silent-cinema pioneers at the turn of the 20th century,...
Challengers reviewed by Wendy Ide
Analogies of life as sport have been exhausted by every Pe teacher in existence. In the movies, however, they’re eternally renewable. Take Challengers, Luca Guadagnino’s sleek, sexy, sweat-drenched new film, which hits every metaphor you might expect in its story of three tennis pros locked in a tense love triangle: games are won and lost, points scored, doubles partners swapped, and so on. Shot and paced with the ricocheting energy of a great tennis match, it’s a sports movie that, like many a classic of the genre, understands the parallels between sport and cinema as two great crowd-pleasing pastimes.
The sports movie is pretty much as old as movies themselves: for early silent-cinema pioneers at the turn of the 20th century,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Luca Guadagnino’s sizzling, sharply scripted drama, co-starring Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, is such fun it’s almost indecent
Nobody harnesses horniness quite like Luca Guadagnino. With his lavish, luxurious portrait of forbidden lust, the Tilda Swinton-starring I Am Love, Guadagnino embraced one of cinema’s most cliched symbolic sensual devices, filling the frame with come-hither shots of delectable food. But somehow, in his hands, this hackneyed metaphor feels fresh, and the film is a skin-tingling exploration of erotic tension. Then there’s Call Me By Your Name, with its scenes of peach-grappling and languid yearning, in which even the spaces between the characters are charged with longing. And Bones and All, which virtually rebrands cannibalism as a legitimate kink. But even by Guadagnino’s highly charged standards, Challengers is an absurdly sexy movie. With its power plays and exquisite cruelty, the shimmering beauty of its three leads and their tantalising interlocking desires,...
Nobody harnesses horniness quite like Luca Guadagnino. With his lavish, luxurious portrait of forbidden lust, the Tilda Swinton-starring I Am Love, Guadagnino embraced one of cinema’s most cliched symbolic sensual devices, filling the frame with come-hither shots of delectable food. But somehow, in his hands, this hackneyed metaphor feels fresh, and the film is a skin-tingling exploration of erotic tension. Then there’s Call Me By Your Name, with its scenes of peach-grappling and languid yearning, in which even the spaces between the characters are charged with longing. And Bones and All, which virtually rebrands cannibalism as a legitimate kink. But even by Guadagnino’s highly charged standards, Challengers is an absurdly sexy movie. With its power plays and exquisite cruelty, the shimmering beauty of its three leads and their tantalising interlocking desires,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
Hollywood legends gathered Saturday night to celebrate Nicole Kidman as she received the prestigious AFI Life Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed by the American Film Institute.
The ceremony featured tributes from Kidman’s esteemed peers and collaborators, including Meryl Streep, Zoe Saldaña, Naomi Watts, Zac Efron, David E. Kelley, Morgan Freeman, Keith Urban, Aaron Sorkin and Reese Witherspoon. The audience also included Lee Daniels, Mimi Leder and “Expats” creator and director Lulu Wang along with Kidman’s co-stars Ji-young and Sarayu Blue. The 56-year-old Oscar-winning actress expressed her deep gratitude for her distinguished career.
Kidman was visibly moved by the accolades from numerous distinguished colleagues, including Miles Teller, who was personally cast by Kidman in his first-ever film role “Rabbit Hole ” which was also her first produced feature. However, her husband, Keith Urban, shared intimate details about their life together, highlighting when he entered rehabilitation for substance abuse five months into their marriage,...
The ceremony featured tributes from Kidman’s esteemed peers and collaborators, including Meryl Streep, Zoe Saldaña, Naomi Watts, Zac Efron, David E. Kelley, Morgan Freeman, Keith Urban, Aaron Sorkin and Reese Witherspoon. The audience also included Lee Daniels, Mimi Leder and “Expats” creator and director Lulu Wang along with Kidman’s co-stars Ji-young and Sarayu Blue. The 56-year-old Oscar-winning actress expressed her deep gratitude for her distinguished career.
Kidman was visibly moved by the accolades from numerous distinguished colleagues, including Miles Teller, who was personally cast by Kidman in his first-ever film role “Rabbit Hole ” which was also her first produced feature. However, her husband, Keith Urban, shared intimate details about their life together, highlighting when he entered rehabilitation for substance abuse five months into their marriage,...
- 4/28/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety - Film News
Showtime has a tendency, even more so than most networks, to drag its shows on for way too long. From "Dexter" to "Weeds" to "Californication," their shows just can't quite seem to learn how to end on a high note. Whereas HBO tends to leave its audience wanting more, Showtime series stick around until the audience begs them to go away.
Such is the case with "Shameless," a show that could've gone down as one of the greats of the 2010s if only it hadn't tried to drag things out a solid four or five seasons past its natural expiration date. By season 11 it was in full zombie mode, with one of its leads gone with the wind and the others acting like shells of their former selves. Of course, not all of the latter seasons were terrible, just as not all of the early seasons were perfect. Here's our...
Such is the case with "Shameless," a show that could've gone down as one of the greats of the 2010s if only it hadn't tried to drag things out a solid four or five seasons past its natural expiration date. By season 11 it was in full zombie mode, with one of its leads gone with the wind and the others acting like shells of their former selves. Of course, not all of the latter seasons were terrible, just as not all of the early seasons were perfect. Here's our...
- 4/28/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
J.J. Abrams' 2009 "Star Trek" feature film wasn't so much an adaptation of the 1966 TV series as it was a film version of how non-Trekkies view the franchise. To explain: on the TV series, Captain Kirk (William Shatner) is typically depicted as being judicious, stern, and decisive. Because of the few times Kirk solved problems with his fists, however, he has gained a (perhaps unfair) reputation for being a reckless cowboy, an insufferable lothario, and a flippant charmer. Abrams' version of Kirk (Chris Pine) rolled with those misconceptions, making a "high-octane" version of the character. Indeed, all the characters are now broader, more passionate versions of themselves. This is in addition to each of them being secret super-geniuses, deeply expert in at least one field of science, language, medicine, or engineering.
Case in point, Chekov (Anton Yelchin) knows how to operate a transporter in such a way that he can...
Case in point, Chekov (Anton Yelchin) knows how to operate a transporter in such a way that he can...
- 4/28/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
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