Hugh Jackman and Oscar-winner Kate Winslet were convinced to star in a very experimental film. Their star-power was used to attract other A-List stars to a project they’d later regret being in.
Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman were used to attract stars to this critically panned feature Hugh Jackman | Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
In 2013, a roster of A-list stars were seen in the comedy film Movie 43. Many directors contributed to the project, including Dumb and Dumber filmmaker Peter Farrelly. The film had several storylines focusing on actors caught in ludicrous and raunchy situations. Apart from Winslet and Jackman, Halle Berry, Emma Stone, and Gerard Butler were just a few of the stars that made an appearance.
Producer Charlie Wessler and Farrelly conceived of the project after seeing another sketch comedy movie.
“So you wanna know how this crazy movie came about? There was this movie that came out called Kentucky Fried Movie.
Kate Winslet and Hugh Jackman were used to attract stars to this critically panned feature Hugh Jackman | Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
In 2013, a roster of A-list stars were seen in the comedy film Movie 43. Many directors contributed to the project, including Dumb and Dumber filmmaker Peter Farrelly. The film had several storylines focusing on actors caught in ludicrous and raunchy situations. Apart from Winslet and Jackman, Halle Berry, Emma Stone, and Gerard Butler were just a few of the stars that made an appearance.
Producer Charlie Wessler and Farrelly conceived of the project after seeing another sketch comedy movie.
“So you wanna know how this crazy movie came about? There was this movie that came out called Kentucky Fried Movie.
- 9/30/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
If Harry Styles had actually hacked a gob of spit in Chris Pine’s lap, it may have been because he had recently watched the fellow actor’s feature directorial debut: the paranoid noir satire “Poolman.” It’s a film so abysmal in its writing and assembly that there were numerous walkouts during its premiere at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. TIFF 2023 has played host to more actor-turned-directors than usual — Michael Keaton, Anna Kendrick, Viggo Mortensen, Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and Finn Wolfhard, to name a few — and whether it’s a coincidence, or an attempt to get around the ongoing SAG strikes by having celebrity directors show face, programming “Poolman” in any capacity feels like a severe ethical breach.
There’s little point in singling out any one scene or idea. In isolation, nothing in “Poolman” is quite so offensive as to warrant outright derision on its own,...
There’s little point in singling out any one scene or idea. In isolation, nothing in “Poolman” is quite so offensive as to warrant outright derision on its own,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Siddhant Adlakha
- Indiewire
Celebrity relationships are often a point of interest for fans. This is especially the case when two stars become an item, as is the case with actors Justin Long and Kate Bosworth. Long particularly has a history of becoming romantically involved with other actors. But has the actor himself ever been engaged prior to his recent marriage proposal to Bosworth? Let’s dig in.
Justin Long and Kate Bosworth recently became engaged
Justin Long and Kate Bosworth attend the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. I Lionel Hahn/Getty Images
Long and Bosworth’s relationship reportedly dates back until at least January 2022. That’s when Us Weekly confirmed that the two actors were dating, with an unnamed source claiming they had been together for a few months at that point. But the relationship took a major step forward recently, with news Long and Bosworth reportedly became engaged in March 2023.
The actors co-starred...
Justin Long and Kate Bosworth recently became engaged
Justin Long and Kate Bosworth attend the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. I Lionel Hahn/Getty Images
Long and Bosworth’s relationship reportedly dates back until at least January 2022. That’s when Us Weekly confirmed that the two actors were dating, with an unnamed source claiming they had been together for a few months at that point. But the relationship took a major step forward recently, with news Long and Bosworth reportedly became engaged in March 2023.
The actors co-starred...
- 4/12/2023
- by Robert Yaniz Jr.
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In 2003, Jason Sudeikis, one of the many alumni of the Second City comedy troupe who went on to be involved with "Saturday Night Live," was scouted while performing in Las Vegas. He was brought on to write "SNL" sketches, and joined the cast in 2005. Sudeikis was the show's go-to George W. Bush impersonator, as well as their Mitt Romney and occasional Joe Biden. While performing on "SNL," Sudeikis' career took off in earnest, and he began appearing on "30 Rock," "The Cleveland Show," and in many, many comedy films. Sudeikis has been in the public eye pretty constantly since 2005, and his profile has only grown since his departure from "SNL" in 2013. His most recent hit is the sports dramady "Ted Lasso," which he developed and stars in. To date, "Ted Lasso" has won eight Primetime Emmys. Sudeikis may be the only performer in history to win an Emmy and also...
- 4/2/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Weekly Watchlist, a feature where we program everything you need to stream this week. In this edition: "Ted Lasso" takes center stage, along with other wholesome dramas about self-improvement that would undoubtedly receive the Lasso stamp of approval.)
The Series: "Ted Lasso"
Where You Can Stream It: Apple TV+
The Pitch: Three seasons in, this extremely hyped-up series is still everything you've been promised! The feel-good comedy-drama follows American football coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) across the ocean to London, where he's been hired to coach an English football (aka soccer) team. Instead of harsh words and a demanding training regimen, Ted goes in with an open heart, folksy charm, and so much earnest energy, that it seeps through even the thickest skin. But making the Greyhounds into a team is only one challenge — can these underdogs actually find a way to win the whole damn thing?...
The Series: "Ted Lasso"
Where You Can Stream It: Apple TV+
The Pitch: Three seasons in, this extremely hyped-up series is still everything you've been promised! The feel-good comedy-drama follows American football coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) across the ocean to London, where he's been hired to coach an English football (aka soccer) team. Instead of harsh words and a demanding training regimen, Ted goes in with an open heart, folksy charm, and so much earnest energy, that it seeps through even the thickest skin. But making the Greyhounds into a team is only one challenge — can these underdogs actually find a way to win the whole damn thing?...
- 3/13/2023
- by Shania Russell
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Weekly Watchlist, a feature where we program everything you need to stream this week. In this edition: "History of the World, Part II" takes center stage, but we also offer up some silly comedies and less-silly historical epics to stream.)
The Series: "History of the World, Part II"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: Over four decades after the original sketch comedy movie "History of the World, Part I," legendary funnyman Mel Brooks is back to pay off on the tongue-in-cheek promise of that dangling subtitle. Nobody ever really thought we'd receive a follow-up to the 1981 film -- let alone one that's a whopping 40 years later, debuting as a series on a streaming service, and spearheaded by the same director who is now a sprightly 96 years young. But if we have no choice but to muddle our way through life in the year of our lord 2023, well,...
The Series: "History of the World, Part II"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: Over four decades after the original sketch comedy movie "History of the World, Part I," legendary funnyman Mel Brooks is back to pay off on the tongue-in-cheek promise of that dangling subtitle. Nobody ever really thought we'd receive a follow-up to the 1981 film -- let alone one that's a whopping 40 years later, debuting as a series on a streaming service, and spearheaded by the same director who is now a sprightly 96 years young. But if we have no choice but to muddle our way through life in the year of our lord 2023, well,...
- 3/6/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Forbidden Zone"
Where You Can Stream It: Tubi, Kanopy, Night Flight, Plex, Flixfling
The Pitch: Back in 1972, one Richard Elfman, then only a lad of 23, founded a musical theater troupe on the streets of Los Angeles called the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. This was after performing music in Paris and being involved in numerous theater projects throughout his youth. The Mystic Knights were a massive band, consisting of 15 members, and dedicated to performing old songs from the 1920s through the 1940s. For an early glimpse of what kind of act the Mystic Knights performed, check out their appearance on "The Gong Show" in 1976. Richard is the one in the miniature rocket ship playing the train whistle.
The Movie: "Forbidden Zone"
Where You Can Stream It: Tubi, Kanopy, Night Flight, Plex, Flixfling
The Pitch: Back in 1972, one Richard Elfman, then only a lad of 23, founded a musical theater troupe on the streets of Los Angeles called the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. This was after performing music in Paris and being involved in numerous theater projects throughout his youth. The Mystic Knights were a massive band, consisting of 15 members, and dedicated to performing old songs from the 1920s through the 1940s. For an early glimpse of what kind of act the Mystic Knights performed, check out their appearance on "The Gong Show" in 1976. Richard is the one in the miniature rocket ship playing the train whistle.
- 3/5/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movies: "The Godfather," "The Godfather Part II," "The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone"
Where You Can Stream Them: Peacock
The Pitch: For my 56th and final entry in /Film's Daily Stream series, I thought, "Screw it. I'm gonna write about 'The Godfather.'"
When's the last time you did a full 9-hour marathon with all three movies? If asked to articulate why the first two are such masterworks, what would you say?
Until recently, I never had a good answer for that beyond the requisite plaudits for the cast and crew's artistry. It had been years since I revisited "The Godfather" trilogy, and the last time, I remember thinking it really is true that "The Godfather Part III...
The Movies: "The Godfather," "The Godfather Part II," "The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone"
Where You Can Stream Them: Peacock
The Pitch: For my 56th and final entry in /Film's Daily Stream series, I thought, "Screw it. I'm gonna write about 'The Godfather.'"
When's the last time you did a full 9-hour marathon with all three movies? If asked to articulate why the first two are such masterworks, what would you say?
Until recently, I never had a good answer for that beyond the requisite plaudits for the cast and crew's artistry. It had been years since I revisited "The Godfather" trilogy, and the last time, I remember thinking it really is true that "The Godfather Part III...
- 3/4/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "The World Between Us"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: Two years after an infamous movie theater shooting, ordinary people grapple with the aftermath of the violence. Li Hsiao-wen, the sister of the shooter Li Hsiao-ming, changed her name to Li Ta-chih to avoid public abuse. Her overworked boss, Sung Chiao-an, is tormented by the death of her son in the shooting. She turns to drink and lashes out at her husband and daughter. Meanwhile, Hsiao-ming's defense lawyer Wang She fights to uncover the truth of his client's actions so as to rectify the systemic problems that create shootings in the first place. His willingness to defend society's outcasts confuses his wife, who is still...
The Series: "The World Between Us"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: Two years after an infamous movie theater shooting, ordinary people grapple with the aftermath of the violence. Li Hsiao-wen, the sister of the shooter Li Hsiao-ming, changed her name to Li Ta-chih to avoid public abuse. Her overworked boss, Sung Chiao-an, is tormented by the death of her son in the shooting. She turns to drink and lashes out at her husband and daughter. Meanwhile, Hsiao-ming's defense lawyer Wang She fights to uncover the truth of his client's actions so as to rectify the systemic problems that create shootings in the first place. His willingness to defend society's outcasts confuses his wife, who is still...
- 3/3/2023
- by Adam Wescott
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "Next Level Chef"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: I write about many cooking shows for The Daily Stream. They're perfect reality competitions for me. This isn't about dating or sabotaging each other. These people with real-life skills (which I do not possess) are trying their hardest to create fleeting art designed to make people happy. I'm sure there are tricks here and things we don't see, but the talents these contestants have and the things they learn on the show can actually be used for a real career. The latest of these entries is "Next Level Chef," from one of my favorite hosts, Gordon Ramsay. Sure, he's got this reputation for being a jerk, but he's not.
The Series: "Next Level Chef"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: I write about many cooking shows for The Daily Stream. They're perfect reality competitions for me. This isn't about dating or sabotaging each other. These people with real-life skills (which I do not possess) are trying their hardest to create fleeting art designed to make people happy. I'm sure there are tricks here and things we don't see, but the talents these contestants have and the things they learn on the show can actually be used for a real career. The latest of these entries is "Next Level Chef," from one of my favorite hosts, Gordon Ramsay. Sure, he's got this reputation for being a jerk, but he's not.
- 3/1/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: True crime media is something I am both engaged in and heavily critical of. If you have been reading my work here at /Film, you'll come to see that it's become a beat of mine, usually highlighting the negative aspects of the subgenre. Despite all the exploitation that the subgenre is known for, I believe that, like all other genres, it has the ability to tell empowering and enlightening stories of survival in an empathetic way. This is why it's unfortunate that so many creatives choose the lazier approach by favoring a more shocking and insensitive route.
This is probably why I...
The Series: "Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: True crime media is something I am both engaged in and heavily critical of. If you have been reading my work here at /Film, you'll come to see that it's become a beat of mine, usually highlighting the negative aspects of the subgenre. Despite all the exploitation that the subgenre is known for, I believe that, like all other genres, it has the ability to tell empowering and enlightening stories of survival in an empathetic way. This is why it's unfortunate that so many creatives choose the lazier approach by favoring a more shocking and insensitive route.
This is probably why I...
- 2/28/2023
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Basket Case"
Where You Can Stream It: The Criterion Channel, Tubi, Kanopy, Screambox, Arrow
The Pitch: Backed by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, a group of scattered New York artists gathered in a room sometime in 1974 to talk. Their goal was to assemble a loosely organized art collective that would remain in artistic control of its own exhibitions and its own cable TV station. The resulting collective was called Collaborative Projects, or Colab for short. Colab proceeded to put on public variety performances with names like "Income and Wealth Show," "The Batman Show," and "Just Another A**hole Show." The Colab also sponsored a series of feature films that came to be known as the No Wave movement.
The Movie: "Basket Case"
Where You Can Stream It: The Criterion Channel, Tubi, Kanopy, Screambox, Arrow
The Pitch: Backed by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, a group of scattered New York artists gathered in a room sometime in 1974 to talk. Their goal was to assemble a loosely organized art collective that would remain in artistic control of its own exhibitions and its own cable TV station. The resulting collective was called Collaborative Projects, or Colab for short. Colab proceeded to put on public variety performances with names like "Income and Wealth Show," "The Batman Show," and "Just Another A**hole Show." The Colab also sponsored a series of feature films that came to be known as the No Wave movement.
- 2/25/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Doa: Dead or Alive"
Where You Can Stream It: Tubi, Vudu, Redbox, Freevee, Plex
The Pitch: Based on the hit fighting game franchise, "Doa: Dead or Alive" tells the story of a group of fighters from all over the world who convene to win $10 million dollars or, potentially, die trying.
The cast is vast, but taking center stage are the professional wrestling Tina (Jaime Pressly), her overbearing father Bass (Kevin Nash), the ninja princess Kasumi (Devon Aoki), the sultry super thief Christie (Holly Valance), the girl next door Helena (Sarah Carter), and the mysterious Donovan (Eric Roberts), who runs the fighting tournament and eventually downloads everyone's fighting skills into nanobots controlled by super sunglasses. Along the way they fight,...
The Movie: "Doa: Dead or Alive"
Where You Can Stream It: Tubi, Vudu, Redbox, Freevee, Plex
The Pitch: Based on the hit fighting game franchise, "Doa: Dead or Alive" tells the story of a group of fighters from all over the world who convene to win $10 million dollars or, potentially, die trying.
The cast is vast, but taking center stage are the professional wrestling Tina (Jaime Pressly), her overbearing father Bass (Kevin Nash), the ninja princess Kasumi (Devon Aoki), the sultry super thief Christie (Holly Valance), the girl next door Helena (Sarah Carter), and the mysterious Donovan (Eric Roberts), who runs the fighting tournament and eventually downloads everyone's fighting skills into nanobots controlled by super sunglasses. Along the way they fight,...
- 2/23/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Episode: "Black Mirror," season 1, episode 2, "Fifteen Million Merits"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: The official Netflix synopsis of "Fifteen Million Merits" is:
"After failing to impress the judges on a singing competition show, a woman must perform degrading acts or return to a slave-like existence."
The woman in question is Abi, played by Jessica Brown Findlay, who later co-starred in the Peacock adaptation of Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World," one of the great dystopian novels. Yet in some ways, Abi functions as more of an ideal for Bing, who gives an impassioned speech in "Fifteen Million Merits" where he refers to Abi and her singing talent as "the one thing I ever came close to anything real about.
The Episode: "Black Mirror," season 1, episode 2, "Fifteen Million Merits"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: The official Netflix synopsis of "Fifteen Million Merits" is:
"After failing to impress the judges on a singing competition show, a woman must perform degrading acts or return to a slave-like existence."
The woman in question is Abi, played by Jessica Brown Findlay, who later co-starred in the Peacock adaptation of Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World," one of the great dystopian novels. Yet in some ways, Abi functions as more of an ideal for Bing, who gives an impassioned speech in "Fifteen Million Merits" where he refers to Abi and her singing talent as "the one thing I ever came close to anything real about.
- 2/22/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" (1974)
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max, Tubi
The Pitch: Four criminals board a downtown 6 train in New York City. They all use monikers based on different colors and are led by a former British Army Colonel with the pseudonym Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw). They round up the 18 passengers on the train and hold them, hostage, in the first car. Their demand? A million dollars to be delivered to the train within one hour. If the money does not make it to them in that time, they will execute one hostage every minute until they get it. Their only communication to the outside is the train radio that patches them to...
The Movie: "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three" (1974)
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max, Tubi
The Pitch: Four criminals board a downtown 6 train in New York City. They all use monikers based on different colors and are led by a former British Army Colonel with the pseudonym Mr. Blue (Robert Shaw). They round up the 18 passengers on the train and hold them, hostage, in the first car. Their demand? A million dollars to be delivered to the train within one hour. If the money does not make it to them in that time, they will execute one hostage every minute until they get it. Their only communication to the outside is the train radio that patches them to...
- 2/21/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Show: "Physical 100"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch:
Are you tired of the same old reality competition shows? Do you think endless shows where people scheme, cheat, and backstab their way to victory are just tiring and dull? Is the lack of originality of bonkers-factor in physical competition shows like "American Ninja Warrior" that all have the same course becoming too much? Well, then I have the right reality competition show for you.
"Physical: 100" is a reality competition show from Korea where one hundred contestants, each in absolute peak physical shape, compete in different challenges to claim a hefty cash reward, and prove they have the best physique in the country.
This show deserves to be...
The Show: "Physical 100"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch:
Are you tired of the same old reality competition shows? Do you think endless shows where people scheme, cheat, and backstab their way to victory are just tiring and dull? Is the lack of originality of bonkers-factor in physical competition shows like "American Ninja Warrior" that all have the same course becoming too much? Well, then I have the right reality competition show for you.
"Physical: 100" is a reality competition show from Korea where one hundred contestants, each in absolute peak physical shape, compete in different challenges to claim a hefty cash reward, and prove they have the best physique in the country.
This show deserves to be...
- 2/18/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Sex Appeal"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: High school senior Avery Hansen-White (Mika Abdalla) excels in every area of academics. With a laundry list of extracurricular activities, philanthropy efforts, and a 5.00 Gpa, she's ready to take MIT by storm next year. But first, rather than focusing on the time-honored tradition of the senior prom, she chooses to conquer her "nerd prom" instead: a scientific competition that offers the winner a fellowship that sets them up for life.
Thanks to this year's STEMcon prompt, Avery must create an app that solves a problem in her personal life, which is something that she hasn't cultivated since she's preoccupied with academic milestones instead of "superfluous" ones. After finding...
The Movie: "Sex Appeal"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: High school senior Avery Hansen-White (Mika Abdalla) excels in every area of academics. With a laundry list of extracurricular activities, philanthropy efforts, and a 5.00 Gpa, she's ready to take MIT by storm next year. But first, rather than focusing on the time-honored tradition of the senior prom, she chooses to conquer her "nerd prom" instead: a scientific competition that offers the winner a fellowship that sets them up for life.
Thanks to this year's STEMcon prompt, Avery must create an app that solves a problem in her personal life, which is something that she hasn't cultivated since she's preoccupied with academic milestones instead of "superfluous" ones. After finding...
- 2/14/2023
- by Ben F. Silverio
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "The Invitation"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: Unfortunately for her, Evie Jackson (Nathalie Emmanuel) is a classic horror movie protagonist: incapable of perceiving obvious danger. Recently orphaned by her mother's death and struggling to cope with loneliness, Evie kicks off the movie by sending her saliva to a DNA testing service that reveals she is distantly related to English aristocrats. When they invite her overseas for a wedding, she agrees to attend and despite the many red flags begging to be acknowledged when she arrives, she ends up falling for the mysterious lord of the manor, Walter DeVille (Thomas Doherty). And then s*** gets weird.
Sometimes, it doesn't matter that you have great chemistry with...
The Series: "The Invitation"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: Unfortunately for her, Evie Jackson (Nathalie Emmanuel) is a classic horror movie protagonist: incapable of perceiving obvious danger. Recently orphaned by her mother's death and struggling to cope with loneliness, Evie kicks off the movie by sending her saliva to a DNA testing service that reveals she is distantly related to English aristocrats. When they invite her overseas for a wedding, she agrees to attend and despite the many red flags begging to be acknowledged when she arrives, she ends up falling for the mysterious lord of the manor, Walter DeVille (Thomas Doherty). And then s*** gets weird.
Sometimes, it doesn't matter that you have great chemistry with...
- 2/13/2023
- by Shania Russell
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it)
The Movie: "The Comedy"
Where You Can Stream It: Peacock
The Pitch: Rick Alverson is known for eschewing traditional modes of storytelling and narrative, and his filmography is basically one extended effort to subvert audience expectations and supply an alternative to mainstream cinema. His most recent film, "The Mountain," continues that project. But for me, the high point came in 2012 with "The Comedy" — a movie "about movies," according to Alverson. And when it debuted to the Sundance crowds that year, some folks were, shall we say, less than impressed.
The movie focuses on Swanson, played by alt comedy legend Tim Heidecker. The 30-something Brooklynite is completely disconnected from the world around him. He drifts through New York City in a...
The Movie: "The Comedy"
Where You Can Stream It: Peacock
The Pitch: Rick Alverson is known for eschewing traditional modes of storytelling and narrative, and his filmography is basically one extended effort to subvert audience expectations and supply an alternative to mainstream cinema. His most recent film, "The Mountain," continues that project. But for me, the high point came in 2012 with "The Comedy" — a movie "about movies," according to Alverson. And when it debuted to the Sundance crowds that year, some folks were, shall we say, less than impressed.
The movie focuses on Swanson, played by alt comedy legend Tim Heidecker. The 30-something Brooklynite is completely disconnected from the world around him. He drifts through New York City in a...
- 2/8/2023
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "The Owl House"
Where You Can Stream It: Disney+, DisneyNow, YouTube
The Pitch: Do you like "Halloween Town"? Of course you do, you're clearly a connoisseur of quality cinema. Now, imagine if "Halloween Town" was written by one of those fan-fiction authors who crams every crevice of their story with the kind of detail that would make even J. R. R. Tolkien drool. Now, stop imagining "Halloween Town" because, frankly, you've been holding onto that franchise for too long. It's time to let go. Instead, turn your mind to "The Owl House," an animated series created by Dana Terrace. The story follows Luz Noceda (Sarah Nichole-Robles) after she stumbles into the Demon Realm, a dimension apart from our...
The Series: "The Owl House"
Where You Can Stream It: Disney+, DisneyNow, YouTube
The Pitch: Do you like "Halloween Town"? Of course you do, you're clearly a connoisseur of quality cinema. Now, imagine if "Halloween Town" was written by one of those fan-fiction authors who crams every crevice of their story with the kind of detail that would make even J. R. R. Tolkien drool. Now, stop imagining "Halloween Town" because, frankly, you've been holding onto that franchise for too long. It's time to let go. Instead, turn your mind to "The Owl House," an animated series created by Dana Terrace. The story follows Luz Noceda (Sarah Nichole-Robles) after she stumbles into the Demon Realm, a dimension apart from our...
- 2/6/2023
- by Cameron Roy Hall
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "The Happening"
Where You Can Watch It: Hulu
The Pitch: When you think of divisive filmmakers, M. Night Shyamalan might come to mind. Sure, many of his movies have been critically and commercially successful, but the mid-career lull he experienced in the late 2000s and early 2010s cast a negative light on his reputation for a while. Thankfully, he's back in the good graces of Hollywood, and just recently unleashed "Knock at the Cabin" into theaters.
However, it's time that we turn back the clock to 2008. Many might attribute this period as being the turning point of Shyamalan's career due to a little movie called "The Happening." This sci-fi horror flick certainly had an intriguing premise: the world...
The Movie: "The Happening"
Where You Can Watch It: Hulu
The Pitch: When you think of divisive filmmakers, M. Night Shyamalan might come to mind. Sure, many of his movies have been critically and commercially successful, but the mid-career lull he experienced in the late 2000s and early 2010s cast a negative light on his reputation for a while. Thankfully, he's back in the good graces of Hollywood, and just recently unleashed "Knock at the Cabin" into theaters.
However, it's time that we turn back the clock to 2008. Many might attribute this period as being the turning point of Shyamalan's career due to a little movie called "The Happening." This sci-fi horror flick certainly had an intriguing premise: the world...
- 2/4/2023
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.
The Movie: "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993)
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max, DirecTV
The Pitch: Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Henry V," the filmmaker's first feature, was a massive success when it was released in 1989. Branagh was nominated for Best Actor and Best Director, and Phyllis Dalton won the Oscar for Best Costumes. The film caused a great deal of buzz around Branagh, and audiences kept a close eye on him. In 1989, he married actress Emma Thompson (who played Katherine in "Henry V"), and the two of them would proceed to work together incredibly well on several notable films. Thompson co-starred with Branagh in the excellent reincarnation thriller "Dead Again" in 1991, and she appeared as...
The Movie: "Much Ado About Nothing" (1993)
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max, DirecTV
The Pitch: Kenneth Branagh's film adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Henry V," the filmmaker's first feature, was a massive success when it was released in 1989. Branagh was nominated for Best Actor and Best Director, and Phyllis Dalton won the Oscar for Best Costumes. The film caused a great deal of buzz around Branagh, and audiences kept a close eye on him. In 1989, he married actress Emma Thompson (who played Katherine in "Henry V"), and the two of them would proceed to work together incredibly well on several notable films. Thompson co-starred with Branagh in the excellent reincarnation thriller "Dead Again" in 1991, and she appeared as...
- 2/2/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Sole Survivor"
Where You Can Stream It: Shudder
The Pitch: Among the five installments (soon to be six) of the celebrated "Final Destination" franchise, one maxim sits at the core of every elaborate death contained therein, summed up by Tony Todd's Bludworth: "In death, there are no accidents, no coincidences, no mishaps, and no escapes." When someone escapes death -- say, a plane crash that kills everyone else on board -- the resident Reaper figure of the franchise explains that near-death experiences are something like bugs in a system that, in the end, always gets their man. Death as an active enforcer was a hit concept for these movies, but "Sole Survivor" was playing in the same sandbox decades ago.
The Movie: "Sole Survivor"
Where You Can Stream It: Shudder
The Pitch: Among the five installments (soon to be six) of the celebrated "Final Destination" franchise, one maxim sits at the core of every elaborate death contained therein, summed up by Tony Todd's Bludworth: "In death, there are no accidents, no coincidences, no mishaps, and no escapes." When someone escapes death -- say, a plane crash that kills everyone else on board -- the resident Reaper figure of the franchise explains that near-death experiences are something like bugs in a system that, in the end, always gets their man. Death as an active enforcer was a hit concept for these movies, but "Sole Survivor" was playing in the same sandbox decades ago.
- 2/1/2023
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Show: "Mad Men"
Where You Can Stream It: AMC+, Freevee
The Pitch: Madison Avenue, 1960. Don Draper (Jon Hamm) is the creative director for one of the more successful advertising agencies in New York. He's handsome, knows exactly what to say at every turn, and is something of a savant in his field. With a gorgeous wife (January Jones) and two kids at home, he looks to be the embodiment of the American Dream. He also happens to be a serial cheater, an alcoholic, severely depressed, and harbors some deep, terrible secrets from his traumatizing past that he won't let anyone know about.
In the first episode, Don is assigned a new secretary, Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss). Fresh out of secretarial school,...
The Show: "Mad Men"
Where You Can Stream It: AMC+, Freevee
The Pitch: Madison Avenue, 1960. Don Draper (Jon Hamm) is the creative director for one of the more successful advertising agencies in New York. He's handsome, knows exactly what to say at every turn, and is something of a savant in his field. With a gorgeous wife (January Jones) and two kids at home, he looks to be the embodiment of the American Dream. He also happens to be a serial cheater, an alcoholic, severely depressed, and harbors some deep, terrible secrets from his traumatizing past that he won't let anyone know about.
In the first episode, Don is assigned a new secretary, Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss). Fresh out of secretarial school,...
- 1/31/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Wall-e"
Where You Can Stream It: Disney+
The Pitch: The debate about the dangers of artificial intelligence rages on, with bots that become racist and sexist on social media and the Boston Dynamics videos that scare the crap out of most of us. From "The Matrix" to "The Terminator," we're all preparing ourselves for the inevitable singularity when robots take over the world. We don't treat them well, and it wouldn't be surprising if, down the line, we get a Disney+ show about the "Star Wars" droids getting sick of being treated like crap by everyone but a few people in a galaxy far, far away and revolt. It's terrifying, and it's probably going to happen sooner or later.
The Movie: "Wall-e"
Where You Can Stream It: Disney+
The Pitch: The debate about the dangers of artificial intelligence rages on, with bots that become racist and sexist on social media and the Boston Dynamics videos that scare the crap out of most of us. From "The Matrix" to "The Terminator," we're all preparing ourselves for the inevitable singularity when robots take over the world. We don't treat them well, and it wouldn't be surprising if, down the line, we get a Disney+ show about the "Star Wars" droids getting sick of being treated like crap by everyone but a few people in a galaxy far, far away and revolt. It's terrifying, and it's probably going to happen sooner or later.
- 1/27/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer"
Where You Can Stream It: Crunchyroll, RetroCrush
The Pitch: Ataru is a horny teenage boy who wants to make out with every pretty woman he meets. Lum is a beautiful alien from outer space with lightning powers. Lum loves Ataru, but Ataru thinks Lum is annoying. So goes "Urusei Yatsura," one of the most popular anime series of the 1980s. Based on a comic by the queen of romantic comedy, Rumiko Takahashi, it ran for 194 episodes and launched the careers of many young animators and directors. The chief director of its first 106 episodes, Mamoru Oshii, would go on to direct such films as "Ghost in the Shell" and "Patlabor 2."
The strangest work...
The Movie: "Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer"
Where You Can Stream It: Crunchyroll, RetroCrush
The Pitch: Ataru is a horny teenage boy who wants to make out with every pretty woman he meets. Lum is a beautiful alien from outer space with lightning powers. Lum loves Ataru, but Ataru thinks Lum is annoying. So goes "Urusei Yatsura," one of the most popular anime series of the 1980s. Based on a comic by the queen of romantic comedy, Rumiko Takahashi, it ran for 194 episodes and launched the careers of many young animators and directors. The chief director of its first 106 episodes, Mamoru Oshii, would go on to direct such films as "Ghost in the Shell" and "Patlabor 2."
The strangest work...
- 1/24/2023
- by Adam Wescott
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Ghostbusters"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: Friends, we've hit that part of the year when the December festivities are over, guilt commercials for taxes and the gym have begun, and it's still too cold to do anything much outside other than shovel snow. We've got weeks until the next holiday, and everything seems pretty grey and bleak. When you're feeling miserable and down in the dumps, who ya gonna call? "Ghostbusters!"
The film, one of my all-time favorite comedies, came up over the holiday. I learned that a lot of people who were born after the Ivan Reitman film came out in 1984 have seen clips and heard of it — they may have even seen...
The Movie: "Ghostbusters"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: Friends, we've hit that part of the year when the December festivities are over, guilt commercials for taxes and the gym have begun, and it's still too cold to do anything much outside other than shovel snow. We've got weeks until the next holiday, and everything seems pretty grey and bleak. When you're feeling miserable and down in the dumps, who ya gonna call? "Ghostbusters!"
The film, one of my all-time favorite comedies, came up over the holiday. I learned that a lot of people who were born after the Ivan Reitman film came out in 1984 have seen clips and heard of it — they may have even seen...
- 1/23/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "The Simpsons
Where You Can Stream It: Disney+
The Pitch: We all know "The Simpsons," arguably the greatest American animated show of all time, and one of the best American sitcoms ever. Virtually every modern adult animated show made in the U.S. owes something to this series, which not only is a masterclass in comedy writing, and in how to build a believable and lived-in world with colorful characters, but also a masterclass in using diverse camera angles and interesting filmmaking in animation.
Of course, after four decades, the quality is bound to vary a bit. The accepted consensus is that "The Simpsons" stopped being good or important after its initial 10 seasons, with viewership declining and its cultural relevancy going down too.
The Series: "The Simpsons
Where You Can Stream It: Disney+
The Pitch: We all know "The Simpsons," arguably the greatest American animated show of all time, and one of the best American sitcoms ever. Virtually every modern adult animated show made in the U.S. owes something to this series, which not only is a masterclass in comedy writing, and in how to build a believable and lived-in world with colorful characters, but also a masterclass in using diverse camera angles and interesting filmmaking in animation.
Of course, after four decades, the quality is bound to vary a bit. The accepted consensus is that "The Simpsons" stopped being good or important after its initial 10 seasons, with viewership declining and its cultural relevancy going down too.
- 1/22/2023
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.
The Series: "Ginny & Georgia"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: If "Gilmore Girls" and "Big Little Lies" had a snarky little baby, it would be "Ginny & Georgia." Strap in and don't let the idyllic New England town fool you — this mother-daughter dramedy has blood on its hands, PTA meetings to attend, and lots of emotional turmoil to unpack. The series follows free-spirited single mother Georgia Miller (Brianne Howey) as she relocates her family (for the millionth time in their lives) to a small Massachusetts town where they can do something they've never tried before: put down roots. But the road to new beginnings is a lot bumpier than expected, especially with a colorful past like Georgia's.
The Series: "Ginny & Georgia"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: If "Gilmore Girls" and "Big Little Lies" had a snarky little baby, it would be "Ginny & Georgia." Strap in and don't let the idyllic New England town fool you — this mother-daughter dramedy has blood on its hands, PTA meetings to attend, and lots of emotional turmoil to unpack. The series follows free-spirited single mother Georgia Miller (Brianne Howey) as she relocates her family (for the millionth time in their lives) to a small Massachusetts town where they can do something they've never tried before: put down roots. But the road to new beginnings is a lot bumpier than expected, especially with a colorful past like Georgia's.
- 1/17/2023
- by Shania Russell
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Star Wars: A New Hope"
Where You Can Stream It: Disney+
The Pitch: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a young man gazed at twin suns on a planet called Tatooine. A young princess passed a message to a droid that would have ramifications for the future. A rogue pilot joined an old "wizard," that young man, and some bickering droids on a mission, despite his world-weary philosophy. It was the start of a franchise that would take over pop culture for decades to come with no sign of stopping. I was far too little to see the first "Star Wars" film in the theater, but I do remember watching it at home. It...
The Movie: "Star Wars: A New Hope"
Where You Can Stream It: Disney+
The Pitch: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a young man gazed at twin suns on a planet called Tatooine. A young princess passed a message to a droid that would have ramifications for the future. A rogue pilot joined an old "wizard," that young man, and some bickering droids on a mission, despite his world-weary philosophy. It was the start of a franchise that would take over pop culture for decades to come with no sign of stopping. I was far too little to see the first "Star Wars" film in the theater, but I do remember watching it at home. It...
- 1/16/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Woman in the Dunes"
Where You Can Stream It: The Criterion Channel
The Pitch: A bug-hunting schoolteacher finds himself stranded in a sandpit with a woman, at the mercy of demented villagers, and forced into a life of shoveling sand.
In Japan, where rural population decline is an ongoing problem, there are places in the countryside that will actually pay people to live there. As 2023 began, the BBC and CNN reported that the government has upped its incentive program to 1 million yen per child for families willing to move away from the crowded capital of Tokyo to less thriving towns.
The villagers in "Woman in the Dunes" have devised a different scheme. They prey on solo travelers like...
The Movie: "Woman in the Dunes"
Where You Can Stream It: The Criterion Channel
The Pitch: A bug-hunting schoolteacher finds himself stranded in a sandpit with a woman, at the mercy of demented villagers, and forced into a life of shoveling sand.
In Japan, where rural population decline is an ongoing problem, there are places in the countryside that will actually pay people to live there. As 2023 began, the BBC and CNN reported that the government has upped its incentive program to 1 million yen per child for families willing to move away from the crowded capital of Tokyo to less thriving towns.
The villagers in "Woman in the Dunes" have devised a different scheme. They prey on solo travelers like...
- 1/14/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Adaptation"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: Charlie Kaufman, played by Nicolas Cage, writes himself and his fictional twin Donald into his screenplay as he adapts Susan Orlean's nonfiction book "The Orchid Thief."
"The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" isn't the first time we've seen Nicolas Cage play a real person or act opposite himself. A new 4K Ultra HD release of "Adaptation" came to Blu-ray and DVD last month as the Oscar-winning 2002 film was celebrating its 20th anniversary. That's as good an excuse as any to revisit director Spike Jonze and real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's pivotal follow-up to "Being John Malkovich."
"Adaptation" is a dramedy so dense and meta that some scenes even take...
The Movie: "Adaptation"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: Charlie Kaufman, played by Nicolas Cage, writes himself and his fictional twin Donald into his screenplay as he adapts Susan Orlean's nonfiction book "The Orchid Thief."
"The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" isn't the first time we've seen Nicolas Cage play a real person or act opposite himself. A new 4K Ultra HD release of "Adaptation" came to Blu-ray and DVD last month as the Oscar-winning 2002 film was celebrating its 20th anniversary. That's as good an excuse as any to revisit director Spike Jonze and real-life screenwriter Charlie Kaufman's pivotal follow-up to "Being John Malkovich."
"Adaptation" is a dramedy so dense and meta that some scenes even take...
- 1/13/2023
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Segment: "This House Has People In It" (2016)
The Show: "Infomercials"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max, YouTube, Adult Swim
The Pitch: You'll notice I added a section to our usual "Daily Stream" set-up for this one, so allow me to explain. Adult Swim — a network that is now reflexively mentioned when anyone brings up exciting surreal horror in 2022 — has an ongoing shorts series in which they give filmmakers free rein to reinterpret the infomercial style however they see fit. It's not always how you'd picture it — some of the shorts don't even resemble a conventional infomercial. But the series saw many experiments in the concept with varying results.
One of the most strangely successful of these experiments is...
The Segment: "This House Has People In It" (2016)
The Show: "Infomercials"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max, YouTube, Adult Swim
The Pitch: You'll notice I added a section to our usual "Daily Stream" set-up for this one, so allow me to explain. Adult Swim — a network that is now reflexively mentioned when anyone brings up exciting surreal horror in 2022 — has an ongoing shorts series in which they give filmmakers free rein to reinterpret the infomercial style however they see fit. It's not always how you'd picture it — some of the shorts don't even resemble a conventional infomercial. But the series saw many experiments in the concept with varying results.
One of the most strangely successful of these experiments is...
- 1/10/2023
- by Lex Briscuso
- Slash Film
Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.
The Movie: "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!"
Where You Can Stream It: The Roku Channel, Plex
The Pitch: John Waters was once quoted as saying that Russ Meyer's 1965 violence epic, "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!," was "beyond a doubt, the best movie ever made. It is possibly better than any film that will be made in the future." It's difficult to argue with him. "Pussycat" is, in many ways, the purest distillation of cinema. On what might be its most basic level, films serve as a reflection of our own prurient desires reflected back at us. They exist to indulge our appetites for life's simplest, most lascivious things. We want to see violence. We want salacious, soap opera-like stories and brazen,...
The Movie: "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!"
Where You Can Stream It: The Roku Channel, Plex
The Pitch: John Waters was once quoted as saying that Russ Meyer's 1965 violence epic, "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!," was "beyond a doubt, the best movie ever made. It is possibly better than any film that will be made in the future." It's difficult to argue with him. "Pussycat" is, in many ways, the purest distillation of cinema. On what might be its most basic level, films serve as a reflection of our own prurient desires reflected back at us. They exist to indulge our appetites for life's simplest, most lascivious things. We want to see violence. We want salacious, soap opera-like stories and brazen,...
- 1/7/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Show: "Trigun"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu, Crunchyroll, Funimation
The Pitch: "Trigun" is a western space manga created by Yasuhiro Nightow. It originally ran for three volumes from 1995 to 1997, then was quickly revived as "Trigun: Maximum," running for another 14 volumes until 2008. "Trigun: Stampede," the second anime adaptation, is set to premiere this January. Why wait, though? The first 26-episode anime, which first aired in 1998, is available to watch (and still holds up).
"Trigun" is set in the far future on the planet Gunsmoke, which is like Arrakis from "Dune" mixed with the old American west. Our Pov characters are Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, two agents from the Bernardelli Insurance Society. The pair has been assigned to track...
The Show: "Trigun"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu, Crunchyroll, Funimation
The Pitch: "Trigun" is a western space manga created by Yasuhiro Nightow. It originally ran for three volumes from 1995 to 1997, then was quickly revived as "Trigun: Maximum," running for another 14 volumes until 2008. "Trigun: Stampede," the second anime adaptation, is set to premiere this January. Why wait, though? The first 26-episode anime, which first aired in 1998, is available to watch (and still holds up).
"Trigun" is set in the far future on the planet Gunsmoke, which is like Arrakis from "Dune" mixed with the old American west. Our Pov characters are Meryl Stryfe and Milly Thompson, two agents from the Bernardelli Insurance Society. The pair has been assigned to track...
- 1/3/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Small Soldiers"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: Two iterations of toy lines that reigned over the 1980s — G.I. Joe and Masters of the Universe — go head-to-head in a battle for American dominance in "Small Soldiers," Joe Dante's 1998 skewering of an American public obsessed with make-believe fantasies of war. Its Everytown, USA is filled with characters concerned more with might and supremacy than community; Manifest Destiny materializes in neighbors' lopped-off tree limbs that block satellite reception. Leavened with Stan Winston-crafted animatronics and the dark comedy of "Gremlins," Dante's "Small Soldiers" contains one of the most acerbic portraits of gung-ho America to be found in the decade's cinema.
Denis Leary injects his signature cynicism into Gil Mars,...
The Movie: "Small Soldiers"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: Two iterations of toy lines that reigned over the 1980s — G.I. Joe and Masters of the Universe — go head-to-head in a battle for American dominance in "Small Soldiers," Joe Dante's 1998 skewering of an American public obsessed with make-believe fantasies of war. Its Everytown, USA is filled with characters concerned more with might and supremacy than community; Manifest Destiny materializes in neighbors' lopped-off tree limbs that block satellite reception. Leavened with Stan Winston-crafted animatronics and the dark comedy of "Gremlins," Dante's "Small Soldiers" contains one of the most acerbic portraits of gung-ho America to be found in the decade's cinema.
Denis Leary injects his signature cynicism into Gil Mars,...
- 1/2/2023
- by Anya Stanley
- Slash Film
Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Breathing Happy"
Where You Can Stream It: Fandor
The Pitch: There are a lot, and I mean a lot of films about people dealing with addiction. Some instances, like "Requiem for a Dream," border on exploitation, while others, like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," highlight the shift in drug culture from feeling free and flying high to becoming broken and completely under the spell of illicit substances. Recovery is often portrayed through Oscar-bait dramas with weepy supporting casts, and seldom told through the perspective of the person actually pursuing sobriety. Rustic Films, the folks that gave us the films "Resolution," "Spring," "The Endless," "Something in the Dirt," "She Dies Tomorrow," and plenty of other independent favorites, have...
The Movie: "Breathing Happy"
Where You Can Stream It: Fandor
The Pitch: There are a lot, and I mean a lot of films about people dealing with addiction. Some instances, like "Requiem for a Dream," border on exploitation, while others, like "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," highlight the shift in drug culture from feeling free and flying high to becoming broken and completely under the spell of illicit substances. Recovery is often portrayed through Oscar-bait dramas with weepy supporting casts, and seldom told through the perspective of the person actually pursuing sobriety. Rustic Films, the folks that gave us the films "Resolution," "Spring," "The Endless," "Something in the Dirt," "She Dies Tomorrow," and plenty of other independent favorites, have...
- 12/30/2022
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "Bad Sisters"
Where You Can Stream It: Apple TV+
The Pitch: Meet the Garvey sisters, your new favorite TV family. These five women are bound by two things: the premature death of their parents and a lifelong promise to always protect one another. So what happens when someone terrible worms his way into their lives and spreads misery throughout the family? A murder, of course!
Four of the sisters — Eva (Sharon Horgan), Ursula (Eva Birthistle), Bibi (Sarah Greene), and Becka (Eve Hewson) — are bound by a third fact: their hatred of John Paul (Claes Bang), the toxic misogynist who has married their sister Grace (Anne-Marie Duff). Not only has Jp proved himself to be an absolute, unrepentant a...
The Series: "Bad Sisters"
Where You Can Stream It: Apple TV+
The Pitch: Meet the Garvey sisters, your new favorite TV family. These five women are bound by two things: the premature death of their parents and a lifelong promise to always protect one another. So what happens when someone terrible worms his way into their lives and spreads misery throughout the family? A murder, of course!
Four of the sisters — Eva (Sharon Horgan), Ursula (Eva Birthistle), Bibi (Sarah Greene), and Becka (Eve Hewson) — are bound by a third fact: their hatred of John Paul (Claes Bang), the toxic misogynist who has married their sister Grace (Anne-Marie Duff). Not only has Jp proved himself to be an absolute, unrepentant a...
- 12/4/2022
- by Shania Russell
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Mad God"
Where You Can Stream It: Shudder/AMC+
The Pitch: Phil Tippett is the maker of cinematic dreams. An expert in the field of stop-motion, Tippett was hired by George Lucas in the late 1970s to design the Holochess scene for 1977's "Star Wars: A New Hope." Tippett would go on to spend the next 45 years bringing all sorts of entities to life on film, including the flesh-eating stars of Joe Dante's "Piranha," the fire-breathing Vermithrax Pejorative in Matthew Robbins's "Dragonslayer," and the murderous Ed-209 in Paul Verhoeven's "RoboCop."
Even after the CGI boom of the early '90s, Tippett adapted to the times. This began with "Jurassic Park," on which Tippett is cheekily...
The Movie: "Mad God"
Where You Can Stream It: Shudder/AMC+
The Pitch: Phil Tippett is the maker of cinematic dreams. An expert in the field of stop-motion, Tippett was hired by George Lucas in the late 1970s to design the Holochess scene for 1977's "Star Wars: A New Hope." Tippett would go on to spend the next 45 years bringing all sorts of entities to life on film, including the flesh-eating stars of Joe Dante's "Piranha," the fire-breathing Vermithrax Pejorative in Matthew Robbins's "Dragonslayer," and the murderous Ed-209 in Paul Verhoeven's "RoboCop."
Even after the CGI boom of the early '90s, Tippett adapted to the times. This began with "Jurassic Park," on which Tippett is cheekily...
- 12/1/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Show: "Vinland Saga"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix and Amazon Prime.
The Pitch: Based on the manga by Makoto Yukimura, "Vinland Saga" is named for 12th-century Icelandic epics. These tales chronicle Viking voyages to Vinland, the continent that would become North America. While still set during the Viking Age, the "Vinland Saga" anime starts much differently.
It begins in the early 11th century when the Danish invasion of England is in full gear. From there, it mixes history and myth. The lead is Thorfinn Karlsefni, who was a real explorer during this time period. However, the life story of the anime's Thorfinn is closer to the Norse myth of Amleth (adapted this year by Robert Eggers in "The Northman").
Thorfinn's father,...
The Show: "Vinland Saga"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix and Amazon Prime.
The Pitch: Based on the manga by Makoto Yukimura, "Vinland Saga" is named for 12th-century Icelandic epics. These tales chronicle Viking voyages to Vinland, the continent that would become North America. While still set during the Viking Age, the "Vinland Saga" anime starts much differently.
It begins in the early 11th century when the Danish invasion of England is in full gear. From there, it mixes history and myth. The lead is Thorfinn Karlsefni, who was a real explorer during this time period. However, the life story of the anime's Thorfinn is closer to the Norse myth of Amleth (adapted this year by Robert Eggers in "The Northman").
Thorfinn's father,...
- 11/29/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "Superstore"
Where You Can Stream It: Peacock
The Pitch: The elevator pitch for NBC's sitcom "Superstore" is simple: at a Walmart-like big box store in Missouri, a group of employees work, squabble, dream, goof off, fall in love, and fight for their rights. But across its six seasons, the series made by Justin Spitzer never stopped getting funnier, or more romantic, or bolder in its portrayal of the class struggle in America. By the time it bowed out gracefully last year, "Superstore" had become one of the best workplace sitcoms of the 21st century so far, despite never entering the zeitgeist as fully as comparable favorites like "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation."
Along the way,...
The Series: "Superstore"
Where You Can Stream It: Peacock
The Pitch: The elevator pitch for NBC's sitcom "Superstore" is simple: at a Walmart-like big box store in Missouri, a group of employees work, squabble, dream, goof off, fall in love, and fight for their rights. But across its six seasons, the series made by Justin Spitzer never stopped getting funnier, or more romantic, or bolder in its portrayal of the class struggle in America. By the time it bowed out gracefully last year, "Superstore" had become one of the best workplace sitcoms of the 21st century so far, despite never entering the zeitgeist as fully as comparable favorites like "The Office" and "Parks and Recreation."
Along the way,...
- 11/20/2022
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "Rome"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: Ah, what could and should have been. Back in 2005, which is exactly 1000 years ago in the post-pandemic reckoning, HBO pretty much began the era of very expensive, prestige television with the TV series "Rome." This was before streaming and the rise (and fall) of many services with a whole lot of money to burn. "Rome" was incredibly expensive, but it was so good that fans clamored for more. There were supposed to be five seasons, though we only got the first wonderful one and a second, very rushed (but still good) season. Think of it this way; "Rome" had to walk (and get canceled early) so that "House of the Dragon...
The Series: "Rome"
Where You Can Stream It: HBO Max
The Pitch: Ah, what could and should have been. Back in 2005, which is exactly 1000 years ago in the post-pandemic reckoning, HBO pretty much began the era of very expensive, prestige television with the TV series "Rome." This was before streaming and the rise (and fall) of many services with a whole lot of money to burn. "Rome" was incredibly expensive, but it was so good that fans clamored for more. There were supposed to be five seasons, though we only got the first wonderful one and a second, very rushed (but still good) season. Think of it this way; "Rome" had to walk (and get canceled early) so that "House of the Dragon...
- 11/19/2022
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: In addition to being the final Coen Brothers film, "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" is the most charming anthology Western about death you're ever likely to see. It's not only about death, but the specter of human mortality looms over all six segments of this film, which unfolds like a collection of short stories, complete with an actual book and the turning of pages onscreen.
In each story, a character meets their match in some way, whether it be through a musically inclined gunslinger or a math-inclined chicken. The sum total is a masterful, Oscar-nominated anthology where each tale holds its own pleasures yet also...
The Movie: "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs"
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix
The Pitch: In addition to being the final Coen Brothers film, "The Ballad of Buster Scruggs" is the most charming anthology Western about death you're ever likely to see. It's not only about death, but the specter of human mortality looms over all six segments of this film, which unfolds like a collection of short stories, complete with an actual book and the turning of pages onscreen.
In each story, a character meets their match in some way, whether it be through a musically inclined gunslinger or a math-inclined chicken. The sum total is a masterful, Oscar-nominated anthology where each tale holds its own pleasures yet also...
- 11/18/2022
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
Hallmark will premiere its highly anticipated drama The Way Home early next year.
The cable network revealed the Andie MacDowell-Chyler Leigh drama series will debut Sunday, January 15, at 9 p.m. Et.
We also got our first glimpse at the series, and it looks like another winner for the network.
MacDowell plays Del, the matriarch of the Landry family and a pillar of the close-knit community of her small, Canadian farm town.
Del and her daughter, Kat, have been estranged from each other following harrowing events that changed their family forever and prompted Kat to move away.
"The Way Home is a family drama following the lives of three generations of women - Kat Landry (Leigh), her 15-year-old daughter Alice (Laflamme-Snow) and Kat's mother Del (MacDowell), who are all strong, willful and independent," Hallmark teases.
"More than 20 years prior, lifechanging events prompted Kat to move away from her small, Canadian farm...
The cable network revealed the Andie MacDowell-Chyler Leigh drama series will debut Sunday, January 15, at 9 p.m. Et.
We also got our first glimpse at the series, and it looks like another winner for the network.
MacDowell plays Del, the matriarch of the Landry family and a pillar of the close-knit community of her small, Canadian farm town.
Del and her daughter, Kat, have been estranged from each other following harrowing events that changed their family forever and prompted Kat to move away.
"The Way Home is a family drama following the lives of three generations of women - Kat Landry (Leigh), her 15-year-old daughter Alice (Laflamme-Snow) and Kat's mother Del (MacDowell), who are all strong, willful and independent," Hallmark teases.
"More than 20 years prior, lifechanging events prompted Kat to move away from her small, Canadian farm...
- 11/17/2022
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
Exclusive: The Way Home has a debut date. Hallmark Channel’s new, original primetime series that stars Andie MacDowell (Maid) and Chyler Leigh (Grey’s Anatomy) will premiere Sunday, January 15 at 9 p.m. Et.
Evan Williams (Blonde) and Sadie Laflamme-Snow (The Apprentice) also star in the multigenerational drama, along with Alex Hook (I Am Frankie), Al Mukadam (Pretty Hard Cases), Jefferson Brown (Masters of Romance), David Webster (Luckiest Girl Alive) and Siddarth Sharma (Homeschooled).
The Way Home follows the lives of three generations of women – Kat Landry (Leigh), her 15-year-old daughter Alice (Laflamme-Snow) and Kat’s mother Del (MacDowell), who are all strong, willful and independent. More than 20 years prior, lifechanging events prompted Kat to move away from her small, Canadian farm town of Port Haven and she remains estranged from Del to this day. Alice has never met her grandmother and is unaware of the reasons for their fractured family.
Evan Williams (Blonde) and Sadie Laflamme-Snow (The Apprentice) also star in the multigenerational drama, along with Alex Hook (I Am Frankie), Al Mukadam (Pretty Hard Cases), Jefferson Brown (Masters of Romance), David Webster (Luckiest Girl Alive) and Siddarth Sharma (Homeschooled).
The Way Home follows the lives of three generations of women – Kat Landry (Leigh), her 15-year-old daughter Alice (Laflamme-Snow) and Kat’s mother Del (MacDowell), who are all strong, willful and independent. More than 20 years prior, lifechanging events prompted Kat to move away from her small, Canadian farm town of Port Haven and she remains estranged from Del to this day. Alice has never met her grandmother and is unaware of the reasons for their fractured family.
- 11/17/2022
- by Lynette Rice
- Deadline Film + TV
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Dinner in America"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: Kyle Gallner has been a utility player in genre films for over 20 years, appearing in films like "The Haunting in Connecticut," "Jennifer's Body," the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" remake, and Kevin Smith's "Red State." He had a small-but-mighty role in the most recent "Scream" film, and is currently spooking up audiences in the smash-hit "Smile." However, it was the 2020 festival darling, "Dinner in America," that gave Gallner the space to turn out a career-best (so far) performance. He stars as a reckless, on-the-lam punk rock singer named Simon with a penchant for pyromania, who takes solace at the family home of an awkward young woman...
The Movie: "Dinner in America"
Where You Can Stream It: Hulu
The Pitch: Kyle Gallner has been a utility player in genre films for over 20 years, appearing in films like "The Haunting in Connecticut," "Jennifer's Body," the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" remake, and Kevin Smith's "Red State." He had a small-but-mighty role in the most recent "Scream" film, and is currently spooking up audiences in the smash-hit "Smile." However, it was the 2020 festival darling, "Dinner in America," that gave Gallner the space to turn out a career-best (so far) performance. He stars as a reckless, on-the-lam punk rock singer named Simon with a penchant for pyromania, who takes solace at the family home of an awkward young woman...
- 11/16/2022
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Brick" (2005)
Where You Can Stream It: Starz; available to rent on other digital platforms
The Pitch: It was May 2006. After -- wisely, I might add -- deciding to pass on the newly-released "X-Men: The Last Stand" on the advice of others, some friends and I visited our closest arthouse theater to see "Brick." All that we really knew about the film going in was that it was some kind of noir-style murder mystery set in high school. That and it starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who we hadn't seen on the big screen since he was still a wee dorky cutie in "10 Things I Hate About You" (a touchstone movie for anyone who came of age in the 1990s).
"Brick,...
The Movie: "Brick" (2005)
Where You Can Stream It: Starz; available to rent on other digital platforms
The Pitch: It was May 2006. After -- wisely, I might add -- deciding to pass on the newly-released "X-Men: The Last Stand" on the advice of others, some friends and I visited our closest arthouse theater to see "Brick." All that we really knew about the film going in was that it was some kind of noir-style murder mystery set in high school. That and it starred Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who we hadn't seen on the big screen since he was still a wee dorky cutie in "10 Things I Hate About You" (a touchstone movie for anyone who came of age in the 1990s).
"Brick,...
- 11/14/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
The Pitch, a business podcast formerly under Spotify’s Gimlet Media that went independent this summer, has struck a partnership deal with Vox Media that will see the media company handling ad sales, marketing and distribution for the show.
The Pitch, where entrepreneurs make Shark Tank–style pitches to a panel of investors, has cycled through different ownership since initially launching as an independent podcast in 2015. In 2017, the show — led by host and Pitch co-founder Josh Muccio — was sold to Gimlet Media and was later absorbed by Spotify after the audio giant acquired Gimlet in 2019.
But earlier this summer, Muccio was able to purchase The Pitch back from Spotify for an undisclosed amount and return the podcast back to its independent roots. With the Vox Media deal, The Pitch will remain independently owned and produced by a small team that includes Muccio and...
The Pitch, a business podcast formerly under Spotify’s Gimlet Media that went independent this summer, has struck a partnership deal with Vox Media that will see the media company handling ad sales, marketing and distribution for the show.
The Pitch, where entrepreneurs make Shark Tank–style pitches to a panel of investors, has cycled through different ownership since initially launching as an independent podcast in 2015. In 2017, the show — led by host and Pitch co-founder Josh Muccio — was sold to Gimlet Media and was later absorbed by Spotify after the audio giant acquired Gimlet in 2019.
But earlier this summer, Muccio was able to purchase The Pitch back from Spotify for an undisclosed amount and return the podcast back to its independent roots. With the Vox Media deal, The Pitch will remain independently owned and produced by a small team that includes Muccio and...
- 11/14/2022
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Series: "Tales of the Jedi"
Where You Can Stream It: Disney+
The Pitch: It has come to this author's attention that "Tales of the Jedi" -- an animated six-part miniseries that Bryan Young reviewed for /Film -- is being propped up by certain individuals as "Star Wars" done "correctly." Those same people are also taking umbrage with the live-action series "Andor," arguing that it strays too far from George Lucas' original vision of a galaxy far, far away.
There is, of course, nothing wrong with preferring "Tales of the Jedi" to "Andor." Nor is it wrong to argue the former is better executed than the latter in terms of its writing and craft. But to insist that "Star Wars...
The Series: "Tales of the Jedi"
Where You Can Stream It: Disney+
The Pitch: It has come to this author's attention that "Tales of the Jedi" -- an animated six-part miniseries that Bryan Young reviewed for /Film -- is being propped up by certain individuals as "Star Wars" done "correctly." Those same people are also taking umbrage with the live-action series "Andor," arguing that it strays too far from George Lucas' original vision of a galaxy far, far away.
There is, of course, nothing wrong with preferring "Tales of the Jedi" to "Andor." Nor is it wrong to argue the former is better executed than the latter in terms of its writing and craft. But to insist that "Star Wars...
- 11/10/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: "Skyfall."
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix, Prime Video
The Pitch: The "James Bond" series got a shot of life when Daniel Craig took over and "Casino Royale" hit theaters in 2006, making 007 cool again in the eyes of the masses. But what happens when you hit a speed bump like 2008's "Quantum of Solace?" What happens when the series has to step back and reassess direction before risking irrelevance again? What happens when mainstream, blockbuster cinema begins trending dark and gritty in the wake of massive hits like "The Dark Knight?" You get "Skyfall," arguably one of the greatest and most crowd-pleasing blockbusters to come along in the last 20 years, and easily one of the greatest "Bond...
The Movie: "Skyfall."
Where You Can Stream It: Netflix, Prime Video
The Pitch: The "James Bond" series got a shot of life when Daniel Craig took over and "Casino Royale" hit theaters in 2006, making 007 cool again in the eyes of the masses. But what happens when you hit a speed bump like 2008's "Quantum of Solace?" What happens when the series has to step back and reassess direction before risking irrelevance again? What happens when mainstream, blockbuster cinema begins trending dark and gritty in the wake of massive hits like "The Dark Knight?" You get "Skyfall," arguably one of the greatest and most crowd-pleasing blockbusters to come along in the last 20 years, and easily one of the greatest "Bond...
- 11/9/2022
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
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