“In the next 45 minutes, we’re about to hear Gus speak more than he has in the last 40 years,” Vito Schnabel, the art world scion who is increasingly turning his head toward Hollywood, told a crowd at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival last week.
He was there to moderate a conversation with American heavyweight filmmaker Gus Van Sant, who just directed Schnabel (and a pack of actors barreling toward Emmy nominations) in “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.” That history, of a glittery New York whose underbelly was found in the bedrooms and hallways of the ruling class, took a back seat to Van Sant’s impactful career.
He has directed some of the stickiest and profound films of the past four decades, including “Drugstore Cowboy,” “My Own Private Idaho,” the Columbine shooting-inspired “Elephant,” Nicole Kidman’s “To Die For,” the Oscar winner “Milk,” and “Good Will Hunting,” which launched...
He was there to moderate a conversation with American heavyweight filmmaker Gus Van Sant, who just directed Schnabel (and a pack of actors barreling toward Emmy nominations) in “Feud: Capote vs. The Swans.” That history, of a glittery New York whose underbelly was found in the bedrooms and hallways of the ruling class, took a back seat to Van Sant’s impactful career.
He has directed some of the stickiest and profound films of the past four decades, including “Drugstore Cowboy,” “My Own Private Idaho,” the Columbine shooting-inspired “Elephant,” Nicole Kidman’s “To Die For,” the Oscar winner “Milk,” and “Good Will Hunting,” which launched...
- 6/12/2024
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
Mike Ott’s McVeigh is an immersive, chilling, meticulously paced portrait of Timothy McVeigh, played by Alfie Allen, who embodies the bleak, quiet rage of the radicalized terrorist. Entering the story months before he carries out the deadliest attack of domestic terrorism in U.S. history, McVeigh is a loner who spends his days selling bumper stickers and books at gun shows and visiting with Richard Snell (Tracy Letts), a white supremacist on death row. Bothered by the political temperature of the era and Snell’s pending execution on the anniversary of the Waco Siege, McVeigh and Terry Nichols (Brett Gelman) start stockpiling weapons and planning an attack. The details of said attack are never mentioned. Ott and co-writer Alex Gioulakis instead meditate on the man’s psychology.
McVeigh is narratively sparse by design, making certain assumptions and taking liberties, such as the character of Cindy (Ashley Benson), a waitress...
McVeigh is narratively sparse by design, making certain assumptions and taking liberties, such as the character of Cindy (Ashley Benson), a waitress...
- 6/10/2024
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
“We have to do something,” says one of the many shadowy extremists who populate the fringes of Mike Ott’s tense drama McVeigh, a condensed account of the events that led Timothy McVeigh, an Iraq war veteran, to blow up the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma on April 19, 1995, killing 168 people and injuring 680 more. His close ties to white supremacist Richard Snell, a convicted murderer put to death by lethal injection that same day, might — reasonably — lead one, and especially people of color, to wonder why this man needs the oxygen of publicity, nearly 23 years after his own execution. But Ott’s film is a rare study of the radicalization of white working-class Americans, a phenomenon that went overground in Washington DC on January 6, 2021.
Ott carefully keeps us at arm’s length from his subject at all times, and his direction makes that clear from the outset. When we’re not following McVeigh,...
Ott carefully keeps us at arm’s length from his subject at all times, and his direction makes that clear from the outset. When we’re not following McVeigh,...
- 6/8/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
“It’s just a thrill a minute,” filmmaker Chris Nash is quick to joke of his debut feature, “In a Violent Nature.”
“We made this movie with an audience of maybe five people in mind. So having anybody like it and endure the walking and just the pace of the film, it’s been a testament to the patience of an audience,” he said.
Nash cuts himself short — a metaphor made more apt when you’ve seen just how creative the filmmaker can be with a paralyzed victim and a well-placed log splitter. The extra gutsy first-time feature writer/director and his star Ry Barrett spoke with IndieWire in April at The Overlook Film Festival. That’s an annual horror event in Louisiana, where Nash’s spellbinding slasher deconstruction for IFC Films and Shudder screened for the second time after making its world premiere at Sundance. “In a Violent Nature...
“We made this movie with an audience of maybe five people in mind. So having anybody like it and endure the walking and just the pace of the film, it’s been a testament to the patience of an audience,” he said.
Nash cuts himself short — a metaphor made more apt when you’ve seen just how creative the filmmaker can be with a paralyzed victim and a well-placed log splitter. The extra gutsy first-time feature writer/director and his star Ry Barrett spoke with IndieWire in April at The Overlook Film Festival. That’s an annual horror event in Louisiana, where Nash’s spellbinding slasher deconstruction for IFC Films and Shudder screened for the second time after making its world premiere at Sundance. “In a Violent Nature...
- 6/6/2024
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
‘In a Violent Nature’ Director Reveals How His Unique Slasher Was Reshot Almost Entirely [Interview]
Writer/Director Chris Nash’s feature debut, In a Violent Nature, is set to unleash an arthouse twist on the slasher in theaters this Friday, but the journey getting there has been long and arduous. So much so that Nash reshot a large percentage of the film just to get it, and the gory practical effects, just right.
That included a recast of the film’s undead slasher villain, Johnny (Ry Barrett), who is unwittingly summoned when a locket is removed from a collapsed fire tower in the woods that entombs his rotting corpse. That spells terrible news for the campers vacationing in his territory.
Bloody Disgusting spoke with filmmaker Chris Nash and star Ry Barrett ahead of the film’s theatrical release about Johnny’s nature and the tough hurdles in making this unique indie horror film. The inspiration behind In a Violent Nature, Nash reveals, didn’t actually originate from iconic slashers,...
That included a recast of the film’s undead slasher villain, Johnny (Ry Barrett), who is unwittingly summoned when a locket is removed from a collapsed fire tower in the woods that entombs his rotting corpse. That spells terrible news for the campers vacationing in his territory.
Bloody Disgusting spoke with filmmaker Chris Nash and star Ry Barrett ahead of the film’s theatrical release about Johnny’s nature and the tough hurdles in making this unique indie horror film. The inspiration behind In a Violent Nature, Nash reveals, didn’t actually originate from iconic slashers,...
- 5/30/2024
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
The 2024 Cannes Film Festival concluded on Saturday, May 25 following two weeks packed with screenings, stars, press and parties. With the prizes having been handed out for the festival’s 77th anniversary, we can now start looking at what contenders might be in the best spot to get into the upcoming Oscar race. Let’s examine the winners from this year’s festival and see the history that each category has when it comes to the Oscars.
In recent years, we’ve seen the festival serve as a huge springboard for major players in the Oscar derby. Three of the last four winners of the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, have nabbed Best Picture nominations: “Parasite” (2019), “Triangle of Sadness” (2022) and “Anatomy of a Fall” (2023). Other big winners at recent festivals that became big Oscar players include “Drive My Car,” “The Zone of Interest” and “BlacKkKlansman.” This year’s...
In recent years, we’ve seen the festival serve as a huge springboard for major players in the Oscar derby. Three of the last four winners of the festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, have nabbed Best Picture nominations: “Parasite” (2019), “Triangle of Sadness” (2022) and “Anatomy of a Fall” (2023). Other big winners at recent festivals that became big Oscar players include “Drive My Car,” “The Zone of Interest” and “BlacKkKlansman.” This year’s...
- 5/25/2024
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
The Wiggles have released a new Edm album — yes, you read that right — called The Wiggles Soundsystem: Rave of Innocence.
Featuring 14 Wiggles classics remixed as Edm songs, The Wiggles Soundsystem: Rave of Innocence is helmed by Australian DJ and Justice Crew member Lenny Pearce — who is also the twin brother of purple Wiggle John Pearce. The remixes were also provided by DJ Dorothy, the beloved dinosaur, who appears on the album’s cover.
The Wiggles Soundsystem: Rave of Innocence features bumping, techno remixes of Wiggles favorites “Fruit Salad,” “Bouncing Balls,” “Hot Potato,” and more. There’s also a fascinating rework of “Baby Shark,” which, well, you’ll just have to hear it for yourself.
Marking the debut of The Wiggles Sound System, a press release describes the album as “an electrifying fusion of nostalgia and party-starting techno beats,” and “a pulsating musical journey that’s part wild dancefloor party, part toddler tantrum tamer.
Featuring 14 Wiggles classics remixed as Edm songs, The Wiggles Soundsystem: Rave of Innocence is helmed by Australian DJ and Justice Crew member Lenny Pearce — who is also the twin brother of purple Wiggle John Pearce. The remixes were also provided by DJ Dorothy, the beloved dinosaur, who appears on the album’s cover.
The Wiggles Soundsystem: Rave of Innocence features bumping, techno remixes of Wiggles favorites “Fruit Salad,” “Bouncing Balls,” “Hot Potato,” and more. There’s also a fascinating rework of “Baby Shark,” which, well, you’ll just have to hear it for yourself.
Marking the debut of The Wiggles Sound System, a press release describes the album as “an electrifying fusion of nostalgia and party-starting techno beats,” and “a pulsating musical journey that’s part wild dancefloor party, part toddler tantrum tamer.
- 4/19/2024
- by Paolo Ragusa
- Consequence - Music
A ballooning number of repertory groups dedicated to cinema in its original medium are springing up across the UK. They explain its uphill thrills
As staff read out fire safety precautions and evacuation procedures before a 35mm nitrate print screening of Black Narcissus at the BFI, the packed crowd titter in excitement and anticipation. How often do you go to the cinema with an awareness that the film you are watching is being physically unspooled, live, with a possibility of actual combustion due to the ultra-flammable material it contains?
The desire to watch films projected on film is on the rise across the UK – and the number of repertory film clubs dedicated to analogue screenings is ballooning. Sheffield-based Reel Steel seek out rare gems – “doing the detective work to find 35mm prints in a screen-worthy condition can be a year-round task”, says founder Joseph Harris. Manchester-based Certificate X Cult Film...
As staff read out fire safety precautions and evacuation procedures before a 35mm nitrate print screening of Black Narcissus at the BFI, the packed crowd titter in excitement and anticipation. How often do you go to the cinema with an awareness that the film you are watching is being physically unspooled, live, with a possibility of actual combustion due to the ultra-flammable material it contains?
The desire to watch films projected on film is on the rise across the UK – and the number of repertory film clubs dedicated to analogue screenings is ballooning. Sheffield-based Reel Steel seek out rare gems – “doing the detective work to find 35mm prints in a screen-worthy condition can be a year-round task”, says founder Joseph Harris. Manchester-based Certificate X Cult Film...
- 4/18/2024
- by Steph Green
- The Guardian - Film News
“We are so excited to have you here and are blown away this is even happening,” I signed off on a hasty call to Coop Vidéo de Montréal, setting up an interview with Robert Morin, a French-Canadian director who had taken on mythic proportions to myself and co-programmer Sean Price Williams. Coop is the illustrious production company Robert Morin established in the late ’70s to spearhead the production of his unique, beyond-characterization catalogue of films.
Morin, 74, has directed 15 feature films (that I know of) and over 50 shorts, all of which have stunning power and humor and trace the journeys of outsiders who revel in their own independence.
A fierce defender of individuality and pure expression, Morin remains a staunch representative of his Quebecois heritage, one of those artists that eschew all attempts of categorization as “not enough” or “too meager.” This is a man so capable of expressing his identity...
Morin, 74, has directed 15 feature films (that I know of) and over 50 shorts, all of which have stunning power and humor and trace the journeys of outsiders who revel in their own independence.
A fierce defender of individuality and pure expression, Morin remains a staunch representative of his Quebecois heritage, one of those artists that eschew all attempts of categorization as “not enough” or “too meager.” This is a man so capable of expressing his identity...
- 4/5/2024
- by Luke Rathborne
- The Film Stage
Seriesmakers, a joint initiative of Series Mania, Europe’s biggest TV festival, and European film-tv powerhouse Beta Group, has revealed the 10 top-notch project lineup of the second edition of its novel and high-powered mentoring program for filmmakers making their TV creator debut.
This year’s Seriesmakers features in development drama series from Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald (“George Blake”), behind “The Last King Of Scotland,” and from Finnish director Mikko Myllylahti, who burst onto the scene co-writing with Juho Kuosmanen the latter’s “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Makki,” a 2016 Cannes Un Certain Regard winner.
Also in the mix is the highly courted Kaouther Ben Hania, a double Oscar nominee for the “compelling, ambitious hybrid” “Four Daughters,” said Variety, in the doc category and the “The Man Who Sold His Skin” (2020), Tunisia’s entry in international feature.
In all, however, nine of the ten directors winning berths this...
This year’s Seriesmakers features in development drama series from Oscar winner Kevin Macdonald (“George Blake”), behind “The Last King Of Scotland,” and from Finnish director Mikko Myllylahti, who burst onto the scene co-writing with Juho Kuosmanen the latter’s “The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Makki,” a 2016 Cannes Un Certain Regard winner.
Also in the mix is the highly courted Kaouther Ben Hania, a double Oscar nominee for the “compelling, ambitious hybrid” “Four Daughters,” said Variety, in the doc category and the “The Man Who Sold His Skin” (2020), Tunisia’s entry in international feature.
In all, however, nine of the ten directors winning berths this...
- 3/4/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Gus Van Sant has one of the more interesting filmmaking careers in modern Hollywood. From his breakout film, “Drugstore Cowboy,” he would go on to direct some of the most beloved films to some of the most polarizing. Basically, you can’t really pin him down as an artist.
Continue reading Gus Van Sant Says He Was Offered ‘G.I. Joe’ In The ‘90s & Almost Cast Matt Damon In ‘To Die For’ at The Playlist.
Continue reading Gus Van Sant Says He Was Offered ‘G.I. Joe’ In The ‘90s & Almost Cast Matt Damon In ‘To Die For’ at The Playlist.
- 1/30/2024
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
A slow-cinema spin on well-burnished tropes, In a Violent Nature largely strips the artifice of the slasher formula, which dictates a deformed man must hunt down attractive teens or young adults in either the woods or suburbia. A film built around a mythology that comes to life, as our killer rises from a grave, Chris Nash’s picture could almost be the kind of film Kelly Reichardt might make if her current patron A24 asked her to make a slasher flick.
The result is a deconstruction of all of the clichés that never quite comes into its own, suffering from the same shortcomings as David Gordon Green’s more traditional slasher character study Halloween Ends. The story is told largely from the perspective of a masked killer who may or may not be the son of a rural logging town figure who was executed due to a vendetta. Like László...
The result is a deconstruction of all of the clichés that never quite comes into its own, suffering from the same shortcomings as David Gordon Green’s more traditional slasher character study Halloween Ends. The story is told largely from the perspective of a masked killer who may or may not be the son of a rural logging town figure who was executed due to a vendetta. Like László...
- 1/25/2024
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
llker Çatak, the director of Germany’s Oscar shortlisted The Teachers’ Lounge with Anne-Katrin Titze on Wim Wenders, the director of Japan’s Oscar shortlisted Perfect Days: “Wim is such a nice guy! He’s not my competitor, he’s one of my teachers.”
Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed), Laurent Cantet’s The Class (Entre Les Murs), Stéphane Brizé’s The Measure Of A Man, starring the unforgettable Vincent Lindon, and Gus Van Sant’s Elephant are four of the films that inspired llker Çatak’s outstanding The Teachers’ Lounge. Shot by Judith Kaufmann, edited by Gesa Jäger (Jakob Lass’s Love Steaks with Lana Cooper and Franz Rogowski; Anna Winger's Transatlantic and Maria Schrader's Unorthodox series with Shira Haas), stars a terrific Leonie Benesch (Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon).
Ms Nowak (Leonie Benesch) in the classroom with her students...
Luc Dardenne and Jean-Pierre Dardenne’s Young Ahmed (Le Jeune Ahmed), Laurent Cantet’s The Class (Entre Les Murs), Stéphane Brizé’s The Measure Of A Man, starring the unforgettable Vincent Lindon, and Gus Van Sant’s Elephant are four of the films that inspired llker Çatak’s outstanding The Teachers’ Lounge. Shot by Judith Kaufmann, edited by Gesa Jäger (Jakob Lass’s Love Steaks with Lana Cooper and Franz Rogowski; Anna Winger's Transatlantic and Maria Schrader's Unorthodox series with Shira Haas), stars a terrific Leonie Benesch (Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon).
Ms Nowak (Leonie Benesch) in the classroom with her students...
- 12/31/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Exclusive: Just ahead of the 20th anniversary of Elephant, the Palme d’Or-winning Gus Van Sant pic that marked his breakout role, actor Alex Frost has signed with Brave Artists Management for representation. He’ll be repped by Luna Wise, who came over to Bam at the start of the year.
In Van Sant’s critically acclaimed psychological thriller released in October 2003, Frost portrayed teenage pianist and sketch artist Alex, who with his friend Eric (Eric Deulen), moves to orchestrate a school shooting. He’s otherwise perhaps best known for starring alongside Owen Wilson, Josh Peck and more in the Steven Brill-helmed coming-of-age comedy Drillbit Taylor, which Paramount released in 2008. Kristofor Brown and Seth Rogen scripted that title, which hailed from Judd Apatow’s Apatow Productions.
Frost has also been seen over the years in such notable features as Kimberly Peirce’s Iraq War drama Stop-Loss, Lee Toland Krieger...
In Van Sant’s critically acclaimed psychological thriller released in October 2003, Frost portrayed teenage pianist and sketch artist Alex, who with his friend Eric (Eric Deulen), moves to orchestrate a school shooting. He’s otherwise perhaps best known for starring alongside Owen Wilson, Josh Peck and more in the Steven Brill-helmed coming-of-age comedy Drillbit Taylor, which Paramount released in 2008. Kristofor Brown and Seth Rogen scripted that title, which hailed from Judd Apatow’s Apatow Productions.
Frost has also been seen over the years in such notable features as Kimberly Peirce’s Iraq War drama Stop-Loss, Lee Toland Krieger...
- 9/27/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Thomas Hardiman's Medusa Deluxe is now showing exclusively on Mubi in many countries—including the United Kingdom, India, Turkey, Brazil, and Mexico—from August 4, 2023, in the series Debuts.Medusa Deluxe.In the midst of navigating the drama that ensnares all of Medusa Deluxe’s characters, Claire Perkins’s Cleve looks at a fellow hairdresser and explains, “There is some serious history in this hairstyle, do you know that? A story.” The hairstyle in question is initially shown as an unfinished work of art (or travesty if you’re a competitor hoping for a fellow stylist’s downfall): a mess of strands that’s easy to see through and hard to make sense of. But as the film progresses, Cleve creates a truly beautiful and engrossing design out of what was once incoherent webbing: a glowing ship upon a wave of hair, meant to be a recreation of the Orient,...
- 8/31/2023
- MUBI
Author Douglas Coupland once wrote in his seminal 1991 slacker work, “Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture,” that “nostalgia is a deadly weapon,” and one supposes those words can be cautionary tales about our youth, what we romanticize and what potentially holds us back from growing because we can’t move on past it. I’m not exactly sure what that has to do with the new documentary, “‘The Elephant 6 Recording Co.,” about the late ‘90s recording collective The Elephant 6, mostly comprised of lo-fi indie bands from in and around Athens, Georgie, other than to say after watching this appropriately chaotic, shaggy and baggy documentary, Coupland’s quote immediately flashed back into my memory.
Continue reading ‘The Elephant 6 Recording Co.’ Review: Rock Doc Celebrates The Brief Life Of An Explosively Creative Indie Rock Collective at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The Elephant 6 Recording Co.’ Review: Rock Doc Celebrates The Brief Life Of An Explosively Creative Indie Rock Collective at The Playlist.
- 8/25/2023
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Jason Isbell will mark the 10th anniversary of his commercial breakthrough, Southeastern, this fall with an expanded deluxe edition of the record, including demos and live recordings. The three-cd or four-lp package, out Sept. 29, also includes a remastered version of the original album — and a new album cover that depicts an older, leaner Isbell than the 34-year-old photographed on the original.
Southeastern, which contains several reflective songs that have become set-list staples for him — “Cover Me Up,” “Traveling Alone,” and “Super 8” — helped establish Isbell as a unique voice in country,...
Southeastern, which contains several reflective songs that have become set-list staples for him — “Cover Me Up,” “Traveling Alone,” and “Super 8” — helped establish Isbell as a unique voice in country,...
- 8/8/2023
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Jason Isbell is celebrating the 10th anniversary of his fourth studio album, Southeastern, with a vinyl reissue. Out on September 29th via Southeastern Records/Thirty Tigers, it will include a remastered version of the LP along with demos and live versions of songs from the album.
In addition to a remastering of Southeastern from the original master tapes, the 4xLP and 3xCD deluxe box sets will include previously unreleased original demos and a live recording of the album that was captured at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee in December 2022.
The 10th anniversary reissue will also be available as a standard black vinyl solely containing the remastered album. See the artwork and tracklist below; pre-orders are ongoing.
Isbell is currently on tour with his band The 400 Unit through October; grab your tickets here.
Last month, Isbell challenged Jason Aldean to write his own music in response to the latter’s...
In addition to a remastering of Southeastern from the original master tapes, the 4xLP and 3xCD deluxe box sets will include previously unreleased original demos and a live recording of the album that was captured at the Bijou Theatre in Knoxville, Tennessee in December 2022.
The 10th anniversary reissue will also be available as a standard black vinyl solely containing the remastered album. See the artwork and tracklist below; pre-orders are ongoing.
Isbell is currently on tour with his band The 400 Unit through October; grab your tickets here.
Last month, Isbell challenged Jason Aldean to write his own music in response to the latter’s...
- 8/8/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
If cratering polling and campaign finance woes weren’t enough, the Florida governor’s run for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination was also marred in recent weeks by two instances of poorly thought-out posting. Leaked chat messages obtained by Semafor have revealed members of Ron DeSantis’ campaign staff discussing the creation and distribution of controversial videos to social media “anons” unaffiliated with the campaign.
In late June, the campaign’s rapid-response X (the social media company formerly known as Twitter) account posted a bizarre video attacking former President Donald Trump as...
In late June, the campaign’s rapid-response X (the social media company formerly known as Twitter) account posted a bizarre video attacking former President Donald Trump as...
- 8/1/2023
- by Nikki McCann Ramirez and Asawin Suebsaeng
- Rollingstone.com
UTA has boarded world sales on Mark H. Rapaport’s Fantasia premiere “Hippo.”
“We are very excited for this one,” said UTA’s Billy Offer, admitting a number of distributors have already expressed interest.
“It’s so oddly relatable and so singular in its approach, and vision, that we really wanted to help make sure it got the right platform to shine. Fantasia is a perfect launchpad for this type of film.”
Produced by Kinematics in association with Rough House Pictures, it counts Danny McBride and David Gordon Green among its executive producers.
“Hippo’s’ strange and dark humor is quintessential viewing and a wonderful reminder of why we all got into indie filmmaking in the first place,” Gordon Green told Variety, calling it “a brilliant feature debut.”
In the film, Hippo and his adopted sister Buttercup (Lilla Kizlinger) live in complete isolation with their unstable mother. But Buttercup keeps...
“We are very excited for this one,” said UTA’s Billy Offer, admitting a number of distributors have already expressed interest.
“It’s so oddly relatable and so singular in its approach, and vision, that we really wanted to help make sure it got the right platform to shine. Fantasia is a perfect launchpad for this type of film.”
Produced by Kinematics in association with Rough House Pictures, it counts Danny McBride and David Gordon Green among its executive producers.
“Hippo’s’ strange and dark humor is quintessential viewing and a wonderful reminder of why we all got into indie filmmaking in the first place,” Gordon Green told Variety, calling it “a brilliant feature debut.”
In the film, Hippo and his adopted sister Buttercup (Lilla Kizlinger) live in complete isolation with their unstable mother. But Buttercup keeps...
- 7/24/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Gus Van Sant is a fiercely individual voice with one foot in the independent world and another in the studio system, Van Sant’s filmography varies wildly from mainstream entertainments to peculiar experiments, from sublime highs to extreme lows. Let’s take a look at all 17 of his films, ranked worst to best.
Born in 1952 in Louisville, Kentucky, Van Sant kicked off his filmmaking career with the micro-budget, black-and-white “Mala Noche” (1985), a major preamble to the New Queer Cinema. His next feature, “Drugstore Cowboy” (1989), firmly established him as an indie maverick, a reputation he would fulfill with his followup, the River Phoenix/Keanu Reeves road movie “My Own Private Idaho” (1991). He dipped his toes into studio filmmaking with the gleefully dark satire “To Die For” (1995), which won Nicole Kidman a Golden Globe as Best Comedy/Musical Actress.
He hit the Oscar jackpot for the first time with the inspirational drama...
Born in 1952 in Louisville, Kentucky, Van Sant kicked off his filmmaking career with the micro-budget, black-and-white “Mala Noche” (1985), a major preamble to the New Queer Cinema. His next feature, “Drugstore Cowboy” (1989), firmly established him as an indie maverick, a reputation he would fulfill with his followup, the River Phoenix/Keanu Reeves road movie “My Own Private Idaho” (1991). He dipped his toes into studio filmmaking with the gleefully dark satire “To Die For” (1995), which won Nicole Kidman a Golden Globe as Best Comedy/Musical Actress.
He hit the Oscar jackpot for the first time with the inspirational drama...
- 7/21/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
While the royal family has made headlines following events like Trooping the Colour and their appearances at the Royal Ascot, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have also been in the news but not for reasons they would have liked.
In June, Spotify declined to renew the duchess’s Archetypes podcast for a second season. Spotify executive Bill Simmons then publicly called Harry and Meghan “f****** grifters.” On top of that, their ideas for Netflix were labeled as “sub-par” prompting reports that the streaming giant will end its contract with the pair when it’s up in 2025. The royal family hasn’t commented on any news related to the Sussexes but according to a biographer, they’re laughing about it now.
Members of the royal family standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Trooping the Colour | Victoria Jones/Pa Images via Getty Images Expert says the Sussexes ‘might be...
In June, Spotify declined to renew the duchess’s Archetypes podcast for a second season. Spotify executive Bill Simmons then publicly called Harry and Meghan “f****** grifters.” On top of that, their ideas for Netflix were labeled as “sub-par” prompting reports that the streaming giant will end its contract with the pair when it’s up in 2025. The royal family hasn’t commented on any news related to the Sussexes but according to a biographer, they’re laughing about it now.
Members of the royal family standing on the balcony of Buckingham Palace following the Trooping the Colour | Victoria Jones/Pa Images via Getty Images Expert says the Sussexes ‘might be...
- 6/27/2023
- by Michelle Kapusta
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Puppet Arms
We bounced all over the place in May, starting with Fred Dekker’s genre mash-up Night of the Creeps before getting deadly serious with Gus Van Sant’s pseudo-Columbine film Elephant, trippy with Alex Garland’s surreal Annihilation. Now we’re back in ultra campy territory with the silly and heartfelt Tammy and the T-Rex (1994).
In writer/director Stewart Raffill‘s low-budget horror comedy, high schooler Tammy (Denise Richards) is in love with Michael (Paul Walker) but her jealous ex Billy (George Pilgrim) won’t let her go. After a near-deadly prank, Michael’s comatose body is stolen by mad scientists Dr. Wachenstein (Terry Kiser) and his assistant Helga (Ellen Dubin) who want to use the boy’s brain to pilot an animatronic dinosaur.
But true love can’t be denied! Tammy, Michael and her gay best friend, Byron (Theo Forsett) will stop at nothing to find a...
We bounced all over the place in May, starting with Fred Dekker’s genre mash-up Night of the Creeps before getting deadly serious with Gus Van Sant’s pseudo-Columbine film Elephant, trippy with Alex Garland’s surreal Annihilation. Now we’re back in ultra campy territory with the silly and heartfelt Tammy and the T-Rex (1994).
In writer/director Stewart Raffill‘s low-budget horror comedy, high schooler Tammy (Denise Richards) is in love with Michael (Paul Walker) but her jealous ex Billy (George Pilgrim) won’t let her go. After a near-deadly prank, Michael’s comatose body is stolen by mad scientists Dr. Wachenstein (Terry Kiser) and his assistant Helga (Ellen Dubin) who want to use the boy’s brain to pilot an animatronic dinosaur.
But true love can’t be denied! Tammy, Michael and her gay best friend, Byron (Theo Forsett) will stop at nothing to find a...
- 6/5/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Jason Isbell seems to have intended the self-produced Weathervanes as a long-overdue showcase for the 400 Unit as an ensemble. Freed from the strictures of longtime producer Dave Cobb’s trademark warm-and-mellow style, the band covers more ground than ever on their sixth studio album, from the moody ’80s-style jangle-pop of “Save the World” to the hushed folk of “Cast Iron Skillet” to the Crazy Horse-meets-neo-psychedelia of “Miles.”
The musicianship is sparkling throughout, with keyboardist Derry deBorja supplying a dizzying range of background textures while Isbell and guitarist Sadler Vaden similarly flaunt their chops on tracks like “Vestavia Hills.” On “This Ain’t It,” the band struts its way through an upbeat, funky, early-’70s-style classic-rock groove, bongos and all, with effortlessness. What’s more, Isbell himself is in the finest voice of his career, his soulful, husky bellow betraying a new level of desperation and grit on “Death Wish” and...
The musicianship is sparkling throughout, with keyboardist Derry deBorja supplying a dizzying range of background textures while Isbell and guitarist Sadler Vaden similarly flaunt their chops on tracks like “Vestavia Hills.” On “This Ain’t It,” the band struts its way through an upbeat, funky, early-’70s-style classic-rock groove, bongos and all, with effortlessness. What’s more, Isbell himself is in the finest voice of his career, his soulful, husky bellow betraying a new level of desperation and grit on “Death Wish” and...
- 6/4/2023
- by Jeremy Winograd
- Slant Magazine
Cage the Elephant lead singer Matt Shultz has taken a no-jail plea deal after being arrested with two loaded guns in January.
According to The New York Post, Shultz pleaded guilty to three charges of attempted criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon in exchange for avoiding jail time.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Cori Weston explained to Shultz on Friday that he must “stay out of trouble for one year” and show up for all his court dates under the terms of the deal. Then, he can withdraw the guilty pleas for the two felony counts and receive a one-year conditional release for a misdemeanor charge.
However, if Shultz doesn’t follow the terms, he will face up to seven years behind bars.
Shultz was arrested at New York City’s Bowery Hotel on January 5th, one day after an employee...
According to The New York Post, Shultz pleaded guilty to three charges of attempted criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a firearm, and criminal possession of a weapon in exchange for avoiding jail time.
Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Cori Weston explained to Shultz on Friday that he must “stay out of trouble for one year” and show up for all his court dates under the terms of the deal. Then, he can withdraw the guilty pleas for the two felony counts and receive a one-year conditional release for a misdemeanor charge.
However, if Shultz doesn’t follow the terms, he will face up to seven years behind bars.
Shultz was arrested at New York City’s Bowery Hotel on January 5th, one day after an employee...
- 6/2/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
Refraction action.
After closing out April with a look at the hagsploitation classic What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, we kicked off May with a deathly serious look at Gus Van Sant’s pseudo-Columbine adaptation Elephant. Now we continue the month with a look at Alex Garland’s dense and trippy 2018 film Annihilation.
Annihilation sees Lena (Natalie Portman), a biologist and former soldier, join a mission to uncover what happened to her husband (Oscar Isaac) inside Area X — a sinister and mysterious phenomenon that is expanding across the American coastline. Alongside a team of four other women comprised of paramedic Anya (Gina Rodriguez), physicist Josie (Tessa Thompson), psychologist Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and geomorphologist Cass (Tuva Novotny), Lena discovers a world of mutated landscapes and creatures, as dangerous as it is beautiful, that threatens both their lives and their sanity.
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday.
After closing out April with a look at the hagsploitation classic What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, we kicked off May with a deathly serious look at Gus Van Sant’s pseudo-Columbine adaptation Elephant. Now we continue the month with a look at Alex Garland’s dense and trippy 2018 film Annihilation.
Annihilation sees Lena (Natalie Portman), a biologist and former soldier, join a mission to uncover what happened to her husband (Oscar Isaac) inside Area X — a sinister and mysterious phenomenon that is expanding across the American coastline. Alongside a team of four other women comprised of paramedic Anya (Gina Rodriguez), physicist Josie (Tessa Thompson), psychologist Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and geomorphologist Cass (Tuva Novotny), Lena discovers a world of mutated landscapes and creatures, as dangerous as it is beautiful, that threatens both their lives and their sanity.
Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get a new episode every Wednesday.
- 5/29/2023
- by Trace Thurman
- bloody-disgusting.com
The Columbine Movie
It’s been a month of vampires, slugs, and biddies with episodes on The Hunger, Night of the Creeps and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? This week, however, Trace and I are getting serious as we tackle gun violence, school shootings, and queerness in gay director Gus Van Sant‘s enthralling film, Elephant (2003).
The second film in Van Sant’s so-called “Death Trilogy,” Elephant is “the Columbine movie”: it’s a loose recreation of the 1999 school shooting that claimed the lives of 13 people. Van Sant adopts a pseudo-documentary filming style and the cast is almost exclusively composed of non-professional teen actors who improvised their scenes and characterizations.
The slice of life film is quiet, filmed primarily in long takes and is presented in a non-linear fashion. It’s also a powerful, under seen film that encourages discussion due to its staunch refusal to offer answers or solutions.
It’s been a month of vampires, slugs, and biddies with episodes on The Hunger, Night of the Creeps and What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? This week, however, Trace and I are getting serious as we tackle gun violence, school shootings, and queerness in gay director Gus Van Sant‘s enthralling film, Elephant (2003).
The second film in Van Sant’s so-called “Death Trilogy,” Elephant is “the Columbine movie”: it’s a loose recreation of the 1999 school shooting that claimed the lives of 13 people. Van Sant adopts a pseudo-documentary filming style and the cast is almost exclusively composed of non-professional teen actors who improvised their scenes and characterizations.
The slice of life film is quiet, filmed primarily in long takes and is presented in a non-linear fashion. It’s also a powerful, under seen film that encourages discussion due to its staunch refusal to offer answers or solutions.
- 5/22/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Cloche
Following the double bill of vampire films with The Hunger and Ganja & Hess, Trace and I jumped into genre hodge podge last week with Fred Dekker’s delightful sci-fi homage, Night of the Creeps.
This week we’re veering gently into camp territory with the birth of hagsploitation in Robert Aldrich‘s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? The film follows Blanche and Jane as sisters and former vaudeville stars, played by real-life rivals Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. The sisters live together and Jane takes care of (read: abuses) her older sister Blanche after she lost her ability to walk following a car accident.
As Blanche plots to escape her sister’s torment, Jane hires pianist Edwin Flagg (gay actor Victor Buono) to assist with her delusional plans to mount a comeback. As Jane spirals, she directs her madness toward her sister in increasingly malicious and dangerous ways.
Following the double bill of vampire films with The Hunger and Ganja & Hess, Trace and I jumped into genre hodge podge last week with Fred Dekker’s delightful sci-fi homage, Night of the Creeps.
This week we’re veering gently into camp territory with the birth of hagsploitation in Robert Aldrich‘s What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? The film follows Blanche and Jane as sisters and former vaudeville stars, played by real-life rivals Joan Crawford and Bette Davis. The sisters live together and Jane takes care of (read: abuses) her older sister Blanche after she lost her ability to walk following a car accident.
As Blanche plots to escape her sister’s torment, Jane hires pianist Edwin Flagg (gay actor Victor Buono) to assist with her delusional plans to mount a comeback. As Jane spirals, she directs her madness toward her sister in increasingly malicious and dangerous ways.
- 5/15/2023
- by Joe Lipsett
- bloody-disgusting.com
Author Mo Willems, Stampede Ventures And RedBird Capital Unite In New Content Company, Hidden Pigeon
Author Mo Willems, Stampede Ventures, and RedBird Capital Partners have formed Hidden Pigeon Company, a multiplatform kids and family content venture that will leverage Willems’ best-selling catalogue of children’s books and intellectual property across all entertainment platforms.
Willems is a an award-winning author and illustrator. His work includes the Elephant and Piggie book series, as well as The Pigeon, star of his own book series, including the recently-published The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster! (September 2022). Willems has been awarded three Caldecott Honors for his books Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity.
He was the inaugural Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence (2019-2022) and continues to collaborate in classical music, opera, comedy concerts, dance, and digital works with the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, Ben Folds, Renée Fleming, and others.
He began his...
Willems is a an award-winning author and illustrator. His work includes the Elephant and Piggie book series, as well as The Pigeon, star of his own book series, including the recently-published The Pigeon Will Ride the Roller Coaster! (September 2022). Willems has been awarded three Caldecott Honors for his books Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity.
He was the inaugural Kennedy Center Education Artist-in-Residence (2019-2022) and continues to collaborate in classical music, opera, comedy concerts, dance, and digital works with the National Symphony Orchestra, Washington National Opera, Ben Folds, Renée Fleming, and others.
He began his...
- 5/10/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
The White Stripes are releasing a book complete with the lyrics principal songwriter Jack White wrote from the duo’s debut in 1997 to the band’s final album, 2007’s Icky Thump. The White Stripes Complete Lyrics will be in stores October 3rd, and pre-orders are ongoing via Third Man Books.
Also included in the over 300-page hardcover are never-before-seen rough drafts of songs, rare photographs, and alternate lyrics to some of their biggest hits, along with essays from poets Caroline Randall Williams and Hanif Abdurraqib, as well as official White Stripes archivist and Third Man Records co-founder Ben Blackwell. A limited edition with a signed bookplate by Jack White will also be available directly from Third Man Books. See a trailer for the book and its cover below.
Earlier this year, the duo celebrated the 20th anniversary of Elephant with a deluxe reissue, which featured an HD audio remaster of...
Also included in the over 300-page hardcover are never-before-seen rough drafts of songs, rare photographs, and alternate lyrics to some of their biggest hits, along with essays from poets Caroline Randall Williams and Hanif Abdurraqib, as well as official White Stripes archivist and Third Man Records co-founder Ben Blackwell. A limited edition with a signed bookplate by Jack White will also be available directly from Third Man Books. See a trailer for the book and its cover below.
Earlier this year, the duo celebrated the 20th anniversary of Elephant with a deluxe reissue, which featured an HD audio remaster of...
- 5/2/2023
- by Cervanté Pope
- Consequence - Music
The White Stripes are marking the 20th anniversary of their seminal fourth album, Elephant, by releasing a deluxe reissue through Jack White’s Third Man Records on Friday, March 31st. Stream it below.
The expanded set includes an HD audio remaster of Elephant along with a 27-song live performance taken from the band’s tour supporting the album in 2003.
A limited edition 2xLP version of Elephant will also be released on Friday, April 21st.
Previously, The White Stripes announced Elephant Xx, a companion release featuring a new mono mix of the album plus previously unheard material, which was available exclusively to members of Third Man Records’ Vault subscription service.
The White Stripes are also among the finalists for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023.
Elephant (Deluxe) Artwork:
Elephant (Deluxe) Tracklist:
Disc 1
01. Seven Nation Army
02. Black Math
03. There’s No Home For You Here
04. I Just Don...
The expanded set includes an HD audio remaster of Elephant along with a 27-song live performance taken from the band’s tour supporting the album in 2003.
A limited edition 2xLP version of Elephant will also be released on Friday, April 21st.
Previously, The White Stripes announced Elephant Xx, a companion release featuring a new mono mix of the album plus previously unheard material, which was available exclusively to members of Third Man Records’ Vault subscription service.
The White Stripes are also among the finalists for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023.
Elephant (Deluxe) Artwork:
Elephant (Deluxe) Tracklist:
Disc 1
01. Seven Nation Army
02. Black Math
03. There’s No Home For You Here
04. I Just Don...
- 3/31/2023
- by Alex Young
- Consequence - Music
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI, and sign up for our weekly email newsletter by clicking here.NEWSKillers of the Flower Moon.Amid brewing Cannes selection rumors, a US theatrical release date has been announced for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon, which is being co-distributed by Apple and Paramount. The film will open in limited release on October 6 before expanding nationwide on October 21. This speaks to Apple’s new strategy to spend $1 billion a year on theatrical releases, geared toward raising its profile in the film industry.Unions representing screenwriters in the US are currently negotiating for better working conditions and equitable wages in a new three-year contract. The New York Times looks at whether or not a strike might be likely after the current agreement expires on May 1.Recommended VIEWINGWe’re thrilled to exclusively premiere Mdff...
- 3/29/2023
- MUBI
With ‘Naatu Naatu’ notching up India’s first entertainment win at the Oscars, good wishes are pouring in. Ntr Jr who is also attending the Awards event at Los Angeles reacted happily to the ‘Rrr’ feat at the Oscars.
“I cannot find the words to express my elation right now. This is not just a win for Rrr but for India as a country. I believe this is just the beginning. Showing us how far Indian cinema can go. Congratulations to Keeravaani garu and Chandrabose garu. Of course none of this would have been possible without a master storyteller called Rajamouli and the audiences who showered us with all the love.”
Ntr Jr also complimented the ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ team, also from India, winning in the Short Documentary category.
“I would also like to congratulate the team of ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ on their win today bringing another Oscar to India.
“I cannot find the words to express my elation right now. This is not just a win for Rrr but for India as a country. I believe this is just the beginning. Showing us how far Indian cinema can go. Congratulations to Keeravaani garu and Chandrabose garu. Of course none of this would have been possible without a master storyteller called Rajamouli and the audiences who showered us with all the love.”
Ntr Jr also complimented the ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ team, also from India, winning in the Short Documentary category.
“I would also like to congratulate the team of ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ on their win today bringing another Oscar to India.
- 3/13/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Despite recently fracturing his hip and undergoing surgery, Kevin Parker took the stage with Tame Impala in Mexico City on Friday night.
Ahead of Friday’s show, Parker revealed that he fractured his hip while running a half marathon. However, he announced that the band’s shows in Mexico and Latin America would go ahead as planned: “I’m not quitting on you guys,” he vowed.
The Tame Impala frontman performed both seated and standing with the assistance of crutches. The band ran through a full 18-song set, playing songs like “Borderline,” “Elephant,” “Let It Happen,” and “The Less I Know the Better.” Watch fan-captured footage below.
Tame Impala are back on the stage Saturday night, playing the second of two shows in Mexico City. They’ll then head to South America for festival appearances in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia, and Brasil. Tickets to the band’s upcoming shows are available via Viagogo.
Ahead of Friday’s show, Parker revealed that he fractured his hip while running a half marathon. However, he announced that the band’s shows in Mexico and Latin America would go ahead as planned: “I’m not quitting on you guys,” he vowed.
The Tame Impala frontman performed both seated and standing with the assistance of crutches. The band ran through a full 18-song set, playing songs like “Borderline,” “Elephant,” “Let It Happen,” and “The Less I Know the Better.” Watch fan-captured footage below.
Tame Impala are back on the stage Saturday night, playing the second of two shows in Mexico City. They’ll then head to South America for festival appearances in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Colombia, and Brasil. Tickets to the band’s upcoming shows are available via Viagogo.
- 3/11/2023
- by Alex Young
- Consequence - Music
This article contains spoilers for The Consultant.
Prime Video’s new horror/satire/workplace comedy-drama The Consultant is based on the novel of the same name by Bentley Little. It stars Oscar-winning actor Christoph Waltz in the role of Regus Patoff, a mysterious new boss of a video game development company called CompWare. It becomes clear quite quickly that something is very off about the way he runs the firm.
The show has many different mystery and thriller undertones that kept us interested in what was to come next, but the ending of the finale may be hard to understand if you weren’t paying full attention to specific plot points earlier in the season. That’s where we come in! What was the point of Regus’ takeover of CompWare? And what are the fates of the two employees we followed all season, Craig and Elaine (Nat Wolff and Brittany O’Grady)? Let’s find out!
Prime Video’s new horror/satire/workplace comedy-drama The Consultant is based on the novel of the same name by Bentley Little. It stars Oscar-winning actor Christoph Waltz in the role of Regus Patoff, a mysterious new boss of a video game development company called CompWare. It becomes clear quite quickly that something is very off about the way he runs the firm.
The show has many different mystery and thriller undertones that kept us interested in what was to come next, but the ending of the finale may be hard to understand if you weren’t paying full attention to specific plot points earlier in the season. That’s where we come in! What was the point of Regus’ takeover of CompWare? And what are the fates of the two employees we followed all season, Craig and Elaine (Nat Wolff and Brittany O’Grady)? Let’s find out!
- 2/24/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
The last year has been a chastening one for television, with budgets nosediving and streamers pulling back on the mega-spending of yesteryear to offset financial disappointments. But the investment in eye-catching doc series has continued despite the threat of global recession, and the unscripted market now finds itself at a crossroads as it splinters into expensive, premium fare and low-budget, high-volume returners.
“There’s still big appetite from commissioners,” says one prominent UK doc maker, while a German-based factual producer adds, “What’s being sold are very commercial projects – bankable names and directors.”
Dogwoof Head of Sales Cleo Veger believes there’s a bigger divide than ever between the sales of lower-budget festival docs and premium projects. “There’s a drive towards IP and buyers are talking about ‘fewer, bigger swings’,” she adds.
Projects with big names attached are commanding big bucks – Veger points to Davis Guggenheim’s Apple TV...
“There’s still big appetite from commissioners,” says one prominent UK doc maker, while a German-based factual producer adds, “What’s being sold are very commercial projects – bankable names and directors.”
Dogwoof Head of Sales Cleo Veger believes there’s a bigger divide than ever between the sales of lower-budget festival docs and premium projects. “There’s a drive towards IP and buyers are talking about ‘fewer, bigger swings’,” she adds.
Projects with big names attached are commanding big bucks – Veger points to Davis Guggenheim’s Apple TV...
- 2/23/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Weeks after helping his Kansas City Chiefs team win the Super Bowl in Arizona, tight end Travis Kelce will travel to New York to host “Saturday Night Live” on March 4. A week later followed by breakout “Wednesday” star Jenna Ortega on March 11. But first up, as previously announced, Woody Harrelson will return to the “Saturday Night Live” stage to host for a fifth time on Feb. 25. He leads the next batch of hosts as “SNL” returns at the end of the month for three consecutive weeks.
Musical guests for those nights include Jack White (Feb. 25), Kelsea Ballerini (March 4) and The 1975 (March 11).
Harrelson will host while promoting the new film “Champions,” in theaters March 10. In the film, from Bobby Farrelly, Harrelson plays a minor-league basketball coach who gets fired and then winds up in legal trouble. As part of a community service requirement, he coaches a Special Olympics basketball team.
As...
Musical guests for those nights include Jack White (Feb. 25), Kelsea Ballerini (March 4) and The 1975 (March 11).
Harrelson will host while promoting the new film “Champions,” in theaters March 10. In the film, from Bobby Farrelly, Harrelson plays a minor-league basketball coach who gets fired and then winds up in legal trouble. As part of a community service requirement, he coaches a Special Olympics basketball team.
As...
- 2/17/2023
- by Michael Schneider
- Variety Film + TV
Those living in Los Angeles in 1990 may remember hearing Courtney Love's voice blasting from radios tuned to Kroq as she belted aggressive punk-ish lyrics as the frontwoman of her band Hole. Legendary local DJ Rodney Bingenheimer was reportedly hounded by a young Love at the restaurant where he had breakfast, and she eventually convinced him to air Hole's debut single, a song with a decidedly inappropriate title. Hole's first record "Pretty on the Inside" was released in 1991, and Love became a celebrity in the growing grunge scene. In 1992, Love married superstar Kurt Cobain, frontman of Nirvana, and the couple instantly became icons of anti-commercial 1990s disaffected youth. Their celebrity, however, paired with unfair public images and a tragic addiction to heroin, affected the couple's mental health, and Cobain died by suicide in 1994.
Love continued to work, however. Hole's 1995 record "Live Through This" was widely acclaimed, and the rocker moved...
Love continued to work, however. Hole's 1995 record "Live Through This" was widely acclaimed, and the rocker moved...
- 12/29/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
“The Journey” is a rather unique title in the field of anime. Co-produced by Toei Animation and Saudi Arabian Manga Productions, the movie had a production team of more than 330 individuals from Saudi talent and professionals in the field from Japan, where Saudi talents were trained and worked side by side with experts to enhance their skill set further. Kobun Shizuno of “Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle” fame directed a story that is distinctly Arabic, as it is inspired by a local folklore that tells the story of Aws, a potter in Makkah who takes up arms to protect his city against ruthless invaders who threaten to destroy the Kaaba. The film was initially planned to premiere in Southeast Asia in 2021 but was delayed due to the covid-19 pandemic.
The particular story is a retelling of an event in Arabian history generally known as “The Year of the Elephant”, when Abraha,...
The particular story is a retelling of an event in Arabian history generally known as “The Year of the Elephant”, when Abraha,...
- 12/15/2022
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s new Netflix documentary, Harry & Meghan, is fast becoming one of the most talked-about TV events of the year.
The series, which will drop its first three episodes on Thursday 8 December, is expected to be the couple’s most revealing TV appearance since their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.
In the trailer for the new series, Prince Harry can be heard suggesting that there were stories “planted” against Markle during their time as senior members of the royal institution.
Here’s a rundown of Markle’s career in TV and film.
Markle made her acting debut in an episode of US soap opera General Hospital in 2002.
Her work throughout much of the next decade was characterised by short, one-episode appearances on TV series such as CSI: NY, 90210, and The League, also appearing in a two-episode arc on Fox’s sci-fi drama Fringe in...
The series, which will drop its first three episodes on Thursday 8 December, is expected to be the couple’s most revealing TV appearance since their bombshell interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2021.
In the trailer for the new series, Prince Harry can be heard suggesting that there were stories “planted” against Markle during their time as senior members of the royal institution.
Here’s a rundown of Markle’s career in TV and film.
Markle made her acting debut in an episode of US soap opera General Hospital in 2002.
Her work throughout much of the next decade was characterised by short, one-episode appearances on TV series such as CSI: NY, 90210, and The League, also appearing in a two-episode arc on Fox’s sci-fi drama Fringe in...
- 12/7/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - TV
“It’s amazing because I never expected the festival to grow like this,” says Antoine Khalife, director of Arab programs and film classics at the Red Sea Film Festival, which kicked off its sophomore edition this week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. “We are only on our second edition and have done great research to create different sections and bring great films to the festival, so it’s very exciting. I am quite surprised about what we managed to do in two years.”
Khalife, who has been with the festival since its inception in 2020 when the inaugural edition had to be delayed due to Covid-19, emphasizes the importance of believing in the films he brings to the Red Sea. “I was so very proud of the program last year, and wanted to sustain the same level for 2022. When we had our criteria meeting, we had certain countries and themes in mind,...
Khalife, who has been with the festival since its inception in 2020 when the inaugural edition had to be delayed due to Covid-19, emphasizes the importance of believing in the films he brings to the Red Sea. “I was so very proud of the program last year, and wanted to sustain the same level for 2022. When we had our criteria meeting, we had certain countries and themes in mind,...
- 12/3/2022
- by Rafa Sales Ross
- Variety Film + TV
Based on a singular childhood event from the sixth grade, Chinwe Okorie’s short drama Elephant! tells the story of Amara, a young black girl who befriends a wealthy student at her school. But when Amara learns that her friend is poetically suicidal, a tale of privilege, mental health and identity ensues. Whilst Okorie’s story is specific in its recollection, it asks universal questions about how our place in society affects how others see us and how we can look to tackle issues of mental health in acknowledging and supportive ways. It’s a film brought together by beautiful performances from actors young and old and uses the format of a quiet drama to get into some thorny, thought-provoking questions. Dn is excited to present the premiere of Elephant! online and caught up with Okorie below for a discussion on how she mined the past in order to ask questions of the present.
- 11/7/2022
- by James Maitre
- Directors Notes
Kevin Parker discovered a new sense of purpose during the recording process for Lonerism, his sophomore album as Tame Impala. The psychedelic rock musician took to social media this week to celebrate the album’s 10th anniversary and reveal some little-known facts about how the record was created.
“Lonerism is 10 years old today. Difficult to sum up what the album means to me at this point,” Parker wrote. “It was a pretty special time for me making the music. In a way it’s when I truly discovered myself as an artist.
“Lonerism is 10 years old today. Difficult to sum up what the album means to me at this point,” Parker wrote. “It was a pretty special time for me making the music. In a way it’s when I truly discovered myself as an artist.
- 10/6/2022
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
David Lynch's 1977 debut feature "Eraserhead" is a dank, horrifying picture, replete with surrealist imagery and themes of urban blight, suicidal ideation, and parental resentment. There are dreams within dreams, and even pleasant things are craggy and ugly. It's a smoky, messy film full of squirting bodily fluids and clumps of earth. It's one of the best films of its decade.
His 1980 follow-up film, "The Elephant Man," appears on paper to be one of the least likely sophomore efforts imaginable. Produced by Mel Brooks, "The Elephant Man" was a biographical prestige picture about the real-life Joseph Merrick (named John in the film), a man afflicted with, some have conjectured, Proteus syndrome. Merrick had an enlarged head, an outside right arm, and loose, tumor-ridden skin. He was a performer in circus sideshows and was assumed to be mentally infirm by his cruel "handlers." An English doctor named Frederick Treves discovered Merrick,...
His 1980 follow-up film, "The Elephant Man," appears on paper to be one of the least likely sophomore efforts imaginable. Produced by Mel Brooks, "The Elephant Man" was a biographical prestige picture about the real-life Joseph Merrick (named John in the film), a man afflicted with, some have conjectured, Proteus syndrome. Merrick had an enlarged head, an outside right arm, and loose, tumor-ridden skin. He was a performer in circus sideshows and was assumed to be mentally infirm by his cruel "handlers." An English doctor named Frederick Treves discovered Merrick,...
- 8/18/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Kamil Krawczycki’s debut feature world premiered this week at New Horizons International Film Festival.
Polish LGBT distributor Tongariro Releasing has secured all-rights deals for North America, the UK, France and German-speaking Europe for Kamil Krawczycki’s Elephant.
Elephant world premiered as a special screening at New Horizons International Film Festival in Wroclaw on Wednesday (July 27).
The film has sold to Tla Releasing for the USA, Canada and the UK, Optimale for France, and to Berlin-based Salzgeber Medien for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Elephant was inspired by Krawczycki’s own experiences growing up in his home town in the mountains of Southern Poland.
Polish LGBT distributor Tongariro Releasing has secured all-rights deals for North America, the UK, France and German-speaking Europe for Kamil Krawczycki’s Elephant.
Elephant world premiered as a special screening at New Horizons International Film Festival in Wroclaw on Wednesday (July 27).
The film has sold to Tla Releasing for the USA, Canada and the UK, Optimale for France, and to Berlin-based Salzgeber Medien for Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Elephant was inspired by Krawczycki’s own experiences growing up in his home town in the mountains of Southern Poland.
- 7/29/2022
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
Slovak director Robert Kirchhoff is in postproduction with his documentary “All Men Become Brothers,” which follows the life of Czechoslovak politician Alexander Dubček (1921-1992), Film New Europe reports.
Dubček was leader of Czechoslovakia from January 1968 to April 1969. He attempted to reform the communist government during the Prague Spring, but was forced to resign following the Warsaw Pact invasion in August 1968.
The film is produced by Kirchhoff’s Atelier.doc and coproduced by Radio and Television Slovakia, Czech Republic’s Endorfilm and Czech Television.
Kirchhoff’s past titles include “Normalization,” which received a Special Mention from the Between the Seas jury at Jihlava Intl. Documentary Film Festival.
Production took place from 2018 to 2021 on locations in Kyrgyzstan, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Turkey and Slovakia. Well-known figures from Czechoslovak and international politics and culture, such as Italian politician Romano Prodi, Italian novelist Umberto Eco, Czech novelist and playwright Pavel Kohout, and Czech director...
Dubček was leader of Czechoslovakia from January 1968 to April 1969. He attempted to reform the communist government during the Prague Spring, but was forced to resign following the Warsaw Pact invasion in August 1968.
The film is produced by Kirchhoff’s Atelier.doc and coproduced by Radio and Television Slovakia, Czech Republic’s Endorfilm and Czech Television.
Kirchhoff’s past titles include “Normalization,” which received a Special Mention from the Between the Seas jury at Jihlava Intl. Documentary Film Festival.
Production took place from 2018 to 2021 on locations in Kyrgyzstan, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, Turkey and Slovakia. Well-known figures from Czechoslovak and international politics and culture, such as Italian politician Romano Prodi, Italian novelist Umberto Eco, Czech novelist and playwright Pavel Kohout, and Czech director...
- 7/10/2022
- by Zuzana Točíková Vojteková
- Variety Film + TV
Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s industry section Eastern Promises wrapped Tuesday, with Yemeni abortion drama “The Burdened” winning the top prize in the Works in Progress section. This followed a presentation of the projects on Monday, where a diverse lineup was on show.
Ten projects, in late stages of production or post-production, vied for the post-production service package and two cash awards of €5,000, given out by jurors Dennis Ruh, director of European Film Market, Beta Cinema’s Cosima Finkbeiner, Trt Cinema’s Esra Demirkiran, sound designer Michaela Patríková, and Ewa Puszczyńska, one of the producers of Oscar winner “Ida,” and also behind Karlovy Vary festival title “Fools.”
“I want to welcome you all after talking to you online for two years. Which was fun for us, but I am not sure how fun it was for you,” noted industry head Hugo Rosák, kickstarting the presentations, which included the likes of Poland’s “Elephant,...
Ten projects, in late stages of production or post-production, vied for the post-production service package and two cash awards of €5,000, given out by jurors Dennis Ruh, director of European Film Market, Beta Cinema’s Cosima Finkbeiner, Trt Cinema’s Esra Demirkiran, sound designer Michaela Patríková, and Ewa Puszczyńska, one of the producers of Oscar winner “Ida,” and also behind Karlovy Vary festival title “Fools.”
“I want to welcome you all after talking to you online for two years. Which was fun for us, but I am not sure how fun it was for you,” noted industry head Hugo Rosák, kickstarting the presentations, which included the likes of Poland’s “Elephant,...
- 7/8/2022
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Industry event to showcase four completed films, eight works in progress and 10 pitches.
New feature projects by Piotr Domalewski, Jan Holoubek and Daria Woszek are among 22 films being presented at the 10th edition of industry event Polish Days, which will run from July 24 – 26.
Polish Days takes place during the New Horizons International Film Festival in Wrocław, presenting new projects to festival programmers, sales agents, producers and distributors.
This year’s event will feature closed screenings of four completed films, the pitching of 10 projects in development and eight works in progress.
The closed screenings section will offer sneak previews of Łukasz Machowski...
New feature projects by Piotr Domalewski, Jan Holoubek and Daria Woszek are among 22 films being presented at the 10th edition of industry event Polish Days, which will run from July 24 – 26.
Polish Days takes place during the New Horizons International Film Festival in Wrocław, presenting new projects to festival programmers, sales agents, producers and distributors.
This year’s event will feature closed screenings of four completed films, the pitching of 10 projects in development and eight works in progress.
The closed screenings section will offer sneak previews of Łukasz Machowski...
- 7/4/2022
- ScreenDaily
Tame Impala will celebrate the 10th anniversary of Lonerism with a full-album performance of the 2012 LP at this year’s Desert Daze festival.
Iggy Pop will also stage his only North American gig of 2022 at this year’s fest, invading Lake Perris, California from September 30 to October 2.
Other artists on the bill for Desert Daze’s 10th annual festival include King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Sky Ferreira, Chicano Batman, the Marías, Nilüfer Yanya, Perfume Genius, funk greats Cymande, Reggie Watts, Badbadnotgood, Duster, Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen, Viagra Boys and many more.
Iggy Pop will also stage his only North American gig of 2022 at this year’s fest, invading Lake Perris, California from September 30 to October 2.
Other artists on the bill for Desert Daze’s 10th annual festival include King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Sky Ferreira, Chicano Batman, the Marías, Nilüfer Yanya, Perfume Genius, funk greats Cymande, Reggie Watts, Badbadnotgood, Duster, Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen, Viagra Boys and many more.
- 6/13/2022
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
The prestigious Bulgarian event showcases work by filmmakers from south-eastern Europe.
Debut features by filmmakers from Ukraine, Israel, Bulgaria and Georgia are among more than 30 film and TV projects being pitched to potential backers at the Sofia Meetings in Bulgaria from June 9 – 12.
Producer Andriy Kornienko of Kyiv-based Good Morning Films and director Ivan Orlenko will be participating online from Ukraine to present the dystopian drama Madagaskarplan.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian-born editor-director Svitlana Topor and producer Vasyl Malko of Warsaw-based Emily Production will be onsite in Sofia to pitch the debut No Smoking At The Border which is described as “a drama with...
Debut features by filmmakers from Ukraine, Israel, Bulgaria and Georgia are among more than 30 film and TV projects being pitched to potential backers at the Sofia Meetings in Bulgaria from June 9 – 12.
Producer Andriy Kornienko of Kyiv-based Good Morning Films and director Ivan Orlenko will be participating online from Ukraine to present the dystopian drama Madagaskarplan.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian-born editor-director Svitlana Topor and producer Vasyl Malko of Warsaw-based Emily Production will be onsite in Sofia to pitch the debut No Smoking At The Border which is described as “a drama with...
- 6/6/2022
- by Martin Blaney
- ScreenDaily
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