One of the most anticipated and hottest films of 2024 is finally here. We are talking about Zendaya‘s Challengers which was memed to death for a threesome scene that was shown in the trailer but if you have seen the film then you know that the brilliance of the film is much more than that one scene. Directed by Call Me By Your Name‘s Luca Guadagnino from a screenplay by Justin Kuritzkes, the sports romantic drama follows the story of a talented tennis player Tashi, and her twisted relationship with two tennis players, one of whom is her husband now. Challengers stars Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O’Connor in the lead role with Jordan Thompson, Faith Fay, Hailey Gates, and Tierre Diaz starring in supporting roles. So, if you loved the story of ambition and toxic relationships in Challengers you should check out these films with similar themes next.
- 4/29/2024
- by Kulwant Singh
- Cinema Blind
Showtime’s satirical thriller “The Curse,” created by stars Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie and also starring Emma Stone, has exclusively shared its Emmy submission plans with Variety.
The three multi-hyphenates will have more than one chance at recognition across various categories for producing, acting, directing, writing and editing.
“The Curse” explores the tumultuous lives of a married couple (Fielder and Stone), who encounter a string of misfortunes while filming an HGTV series in New Mexico. Their challenges are compounded by a dubious “curse” and a manipulative producer (Safdie), which together threaten both the show and their relationship.
Stone, fresh off her second best actress Oscar win for her role in Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” is eyeing her first Emmy nod. She seeks recognition for her portrayal of Whitney, the co-host of the couple’s show about eco-friendly homes. Additionally, Stone is vying for a guest comedy actress nod for...
The three multi-hyphenates will have more than one chance at recognition across various categories for producing, acting, directing, writing and editing.
“The Curse” explores the tumultuous lives of a married couple (Fielder and Stone), who encounter a string of misfortunes while filming an HGTV series in New Mexico. Their challenges are compounded by a dubious “curse” and a manipulative producer (Safdie), which together threaten both the show and their relationship.
Stone, fresh off her second best actress Oscar win for her role in Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” is eyeing her first Emmy nod. She seeks recognition for her portrayal of Whitney, the co-host of the couple’s show about eco-friendly homes. Additionally, Stone is vying for a guest comedy actress nod for...
- 4/24/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The HBO Original three-part documentary series Love Has Won: The Cult Of Mother God, directed by Hannah Olson (HBO’s “Baby God” and “The Last Cruise”), debuts Monday, November 13 at 9:00 p.m. Et/Pt on HBO and will be available to stream on Max, followed by episodes two and three airing subsequent Mondays at the same time.
Synopsis: Love Has Won: The Cult Of Mother God chronicles the life and death of Amy Carlson, also known as “Mother God,” a self-proclaimed spiritual savior who promised an escape from the “3D” world via her online manifestos and live-streaming sessions. As her most fervent acolytes came to live with Amy, they cared for “Mother God,” whose health gradually declined. Amy’s followers joined her in believing that her physical demise was the result of her taking on the pain of the world, and that her deterioration would ultimately lead to her...
Synopsis: Love Has Won: The Cult Of Mother God chronicles the life and death of Amy Carlson, also known as “Mother God,” a self-proclaimed spiritual savior who promised an escape from the “3D” world via her online manifestos and live-streaming sessions. As her most fervent acolytes came to live with Amy, they cared for “Mother God,” whose health gradually declined. Amy’s followers joined her in believing that her physical demise was the result of her taking on the pain of the world, and that her deterioration would ultimately lead to her...
- 11/8/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
Benny Safdie says that firing former collaborator Sebastian Bear-McClard following “disgusting” misconduct allegations against the Uncut Gems producer was about taking control and helped him learn that you “have to be much more careful.”
In an interview with GQ magazine to promote his role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the Elara Pictures co-founder and writer-director addressed the multiple allegations made against Bear-McClard by those who worked on Uncut Gems and Good Time. The interview marks one of the first public comments by the filmmaker other than a brief statement from him and brother Josh Safdie clarifying that they had terminated Bear-McClard from his role with the studio he co-founded.
That decision came after multiple women — including a 24-year-old whom the producer hired on Good Time in 2016 and began a sexual relationship with while she was 17 — disclosed that Bear-McClard had reached out to them through platforms like Instagram, and began engaging in inappropriate and harassing behavior,...
In an interview with GQ magazine to promote his role in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, the Elara Pictures co-founder and writer-director addressed the multiple allegations made against Bear-McClard by those who worked on Uncut Gems and Good Time. The interview marks one of the first public comments by the filmmaker other than a brief statement from him and brother Josh Safdie clarifying that they had terminated Bear-McClard from his role with the studio he co-founded.
That decision came after multiple women — including a 24-year-old whom the producer hired on Good Time in 2016 and began a sexual relationship with while she was 17 — disclosed that Bear-McClard had reached out to them through platforms like Instagram, and began engaging in inappropriate and harassing behavior,...
- 7/19/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Benny Safdie has confirmed that he will not co-direct the next Safdies movie with Josh, who will direct solo.
The “Oppenheimer” star shared the news with GQ, marking the first Safdie-directed feature not to be helmed by both brothers. The yet-untitled film reteams the Safdies with Adam Sandler and is set for a Netflix release under Sandler’s production deal with the streamer. The film is set in the world of sports memorabilia collectors and also stars Megan Thee Stallion.
“Elara is still there. We work on a lot of documentaries and there’s just a constant flow of ideas,” Benny Safdie said. “It just felt like, Ok, there’s things that I want to explore that don’t necessarily align right now with Josh. So it’s a divide and conquer mentality. He wants to tell this story, he can go and do that. I’m going to go...
The “Oppenheimer” star shared the news with GQ, marking the first Safdie-directed feature not to be helmed by both brothers. The yet-untitled film reteams the Safdies with Adam Sandler and is set for a Netflix release under Sandler’s production deal with the streamer. The film is set in the world of sports memorabilia collectors and also stars Megan Thee Stallion.
“Elara is still there. We work on a lot of documentaries and there’s just a constant flow of ideas,” Benny Safdie said. “It just felt like, Ok, there’s things that I want to explore that don’t necessarily align right now with Josh. So it’s a divide and conquer mentality. He wants to tell this story, he can go and do that. I’m going to go...
- 7/18/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
More than a dozen years (plus some change) since she premiered her feature debut Yeast (a 2008 SXSW Film Festival selection), Mary Bronstein is set to direct her sophomore feature If I Had Legs I’d Kick You. A project that first hit our radar back in 2021 is slowly simmering and moving into a possible August production start date. Casting news should trickle in via the trades shortly. Naturally we have Elara Pictures Safdie Bros. producing alongside Sara Murphy and Ryan Zacarias‘ new shingle, Fat City. A24 will distribute.
We could probably insert Ronald Bronstein (who saw his only feature Frownland hit Criterion last year) in some capacity here and possibly see cinematographer Sean Price Williams re-team with Bronstein.…...
We could probably insert Ronald Bronstein (who saw his only feature Frownland hit Criterion last year) in some capacity here and possibly see cinematographer Sean Price Williams re-team with Bronstein.…...
- 6/9/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
When you think of modern film award season snubs, "Uncut Gems" is likely one of the first films to cross your mind. Besides, Benny and Josh Safdie's crime thriller stood out for its breakneck pacing and Adam Sandler's transformative lead performance. While the actor had impressed in recent films like "The Meyerowitz Stories," it was his portrayal of jeweler Howard "Howie" Ratner that was considered his true comeback after a lengthy string of flops. Needless to say, he's gotten some pretty good roles ever since, with him even being floated around for awards contention once again for "Hustle."
To the Safdies, there was no other option to play Howie other than Sandler. In an interview with Complex, the duo said that the role needed someone who could still be rooted for despite their flaws or the increasingly difficult situations he gets put in. Going off of that, they...
To the Safdies, there was no other option to play Howie other than Sandler. In an interview with Complex, the duo said that the role needed someone who could still be rooted for despite their flaws or the increasingly difficult situations he gets put in. Going off of that, they...
- 1/12/2023
- by Erin Brady
- Slash Film
Netflix has boarded the Safdie Brothers’ upcoming feature film starring Adam Sandler, Variety has confirmed. While little is known about the untitled “Uncut Gems” followup, Josh and Benny Safdie are set to develop the project.
Last week, Sandler told Vanity Fair that the project is set to shoot in late winter, and he expects the experience will be just as intense as making “Uncut Gems.”
“Once that Safdie Brothers movie starts — and I love those guys, I know we’re going to dedicate ourselves into working our asses off and making sure it’s as good as it can be, and I know that takes a lot of time,” Sandler said.
He added: “I see how hard [Josh and Benny Safdie] work, and just like when I’m working on my comedies with my friends, it means a lot to us. Every joke means a lot. The Safdie boys, every word means a lot to them,...
Last week, Sandler told Vanity Fair that the project is set to shoot in late winter, and he expects the experience will be just as intense as making “Uncut Gems.”
“Once that Safdie Brothers movie starts — and I love those guys, I know we’re going to dedicate ourselves into working our asses off and making sure it’s as good as it can be, and I know that takes a lot of time,” Sandler said.
He added: “I see how hard [Josh and Benny Safdie] work, and just like when I’m working on my comedies with my friends, it means a lot to us. Every joke means a lot. The Safdie boys, every word means a lot to them,...
- 10/20/2022
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Sheltered, creative adolescents tend to romanticize the fucked-up lives of their artistic heroes. Many of them believe it’s necessary to live like them in order to emulate their work. Raw truth, the stuff of art, doesn’t exist in public school hallways and nicely decorated living rooms. It lives “out there” where the “real people” live, with all their unsexy poverty and well-earned misery. This myth neatly frames a relatively safe home life as an oppositional force. If rebellion naturally demands having enemies, then there are no better ones for suburban white kids than a comfortable middle-class existence and supportive parents.
This is the epiphany Robert (Daniel Zolghadri), the budding cartoonist at the heart of Owen Kline’s debut feature “Funny Pages,” reaches when his art teacher and mentor Mr. Katano (Stephen Adly Guirgis) dies in a freak car accident. After getting arrested for breaking into his high school...
This is the epiphany Robert (Daniel Zolghadri), the budding cartoonist at the heart of Owen Kline’s debut feature “Funny Pages,” reaches when his art teacher and mentor Mr. Katano (Stephen Adly Guirgis) dies in a freak car accident. After getting arrested for breaking into his high school...
- 8/23/2022
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
The coming-of-age comedy is produced by the Safdie brothers.
Curzon has acquired UK and Ireland distribution rights to Safdie-produced coming-of-age comedy Funny Pages which recently screened in the Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight selection earlier this year.
Owen Kline’s directorial debut will be released on September 16 in cinemas and Curzon’s streaming service Curzon Home Cinema.
Funny Pages tells the story of a teenage cartoonist who ditches his suburban comforts to follow his dreams and ends up meeting some quirky characters along the way.
It is produced by the Safdie brothers, of Good Time and Uncut Gems, as well as Sebastian Bear-McClard,...
Curzon has acquired UK and Ireland distribution rights to Safdie-produced coming-of-age comedy Funny Pages which recently screened in the Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight selection earlier this year.
Owen Kline’s directorial debut will be released on September 16 in cinemas and Curzon’s streaming service Curzon Home Cinema.
Funny Pages tells the story of a teenage cartoonist who ditches his suburban comforts to follow his dreams and ends up meeting some quirky characters along the way.
It is produced by the Safdie brothers, of Good Time and Uncut Gems, as well as Sebastian Bear-McClard,...
- 7/20/2022
- by Ellie Calnan
- ScreenDaily
With apologies to our friends in the Southern Hemisphere, the last thing I want to be doing in August is sweltering through another summer heatwave. The Criterion Collection to the rescue! Their August 2022 lineup is epic in its weirdness, leading off with Daddy Longlegs, by directors Josh and Benny Safdie, featuring Ronald Bronstein as a father struggling to care for his kids for a couple weeks, then continuing with Frownland, directed by the aforementioned Bronstein, described as "a nightmare transmission from the grungiest depths of the New York indie underground," which I couldn't even sit through when I tried to watch it at SXSW -- but that's me and my mainstream tastes -- and then swinging back to the present in Faya Dayi, a...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 5/17/2022
- Screen Anarchy
Following one of their better months of late, Criterion ring in the second half of 2022 (I know) with a pendulum swing between recent cult favorites and pre-war noir, with a Sidney Poitier western in-between for good measure. A little “oh wow” escaped me seeing they’ll release Ronald Bronstein’s Frownland, a new entry in the feel-bad canon and fine companion to Josh and Benny Safdie’s Daddy Longlegs; at least both have fittingly off-putting cover art.
Sidney Poitier’s Buck and the Preacher gets a well-stocked disc to nicely boost a film I rarely (probably for no good reason) hear word of, while last year’s Faya dayi gets its own canonization with a disc emphasizing director Jessica Beshir’s career to date. And Marcel Carné’s Hôtel du Nord? Unseen by me, but come on—look at that cover. Of course I’m going to love it.
See...
Sidney Poitier’s Buck and the Preacher gets a well-stocked disc to nicely boost a film I rarely (probably for no good reason) hear word of, while last year’s Faya dayi gets its own canonization with a disc emphasizing director Jessica Beshir’s career to date. And Marcel Carné’s Hôtel du Nord? Unseen by me, but come on—look at that cover. Of course I’m going to love it.
See...
- 5/16/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
“They say you can see the whole universe in opals, that’s how old they are.”
Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems will be available on 4k and Blu-ray November 23rd as part of The Criterion Collection
This jolt of pure cinematic adrenaline affirmed directors Josh and Benny Safdie as heirs to the gritty, heightened realism of Martin Scorsese and John Cassavetes. Adam Sandler delivers an almost maniacally embodied performance as Howard Ratner, a fast-talking New York jeweler and gambler in relentless pursuit of the next big score. When he comes into possession of a rare opal, it seems Howard’s ship has finally come in—as long as he can stay one step ahead of a wife (Idina Menzel) who hates him, a mistress (Julia Fox) who can’t quit him, and a frenzy of loan sharks and hit men closing in on him. Wrapping a vivid look at the...
Adam Sandler in Uncut Gems will be available on 4k and Blu-ray November 23rd as part of The Criterion Collection
This jolt of pure cinematic adrenaline affirmed directors Josh and Benny Safdie as heirs to the gritty, heightened realism of Martin Scorsese and John Cassavetes. Adam Sandler delivers an almost maniacally embodied performance as Howard Ratner, a fast-talking New York jeweler and gambler in relentless pursuit of the next big score. When he comes into possession of a rare opal, it seems Howard’s ship has finally come in—as long as he can stay one step ahead of a wife (Idina Menzel) who hates him, a mistress (Julia Fox) who can’t quit him, and a frenzy of loan sharks and hit men closing in on him. Wrapping a vivid look at the...
- 9/6/2021
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Sundance Film Festival has always been one of the premiere places for discovery, providing a launching pad for breakout films en route to mainstream acclaim and awards. But oftentimes, the best of Sundance — films that are truly original, fresh, and worthy — go on to smaller victory laps. These are the festival’s hidden gems, and though they might not be getting Oscar nods, they’re just as deserving of our attention. In advance of this year’s virtual fest, we’ve partnered with AMC+ to assemble a varied list of past Sundance stunners. Featuring early films from the likes of Miranda July and the Safdie’s to Spike Lee’s adaptation of a hit Broadway musical, all of these gems are available via AMC+ streaming platform.
“Daddy Longlegs”
The brothers Safdie are, by now, an indie household name — but a decade ago, they burst onto the map with this captivating dramedy.
“Daddy Longlegs”
The brothers Safdie are, by now, an indie household name — but a decade ago, they burst onto the map with this captivating dramedy.
- 1/29/2021
- by IndieWire Staff
- Indiewire
Say goodbye to your brain, and prepare to be melted into a tripped-out stupor with the latest collaboration between filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie and electronic multi-hyphenate Oneohtrix Point Never. The creative mind meld has unleashed the new video for “Lost but Never Alone,” a track off the electronic musician also known as Daniel Lopatin’s new album, “Magic Oneohtrix Point Never.” Check it out below.
The Safdies and Lopatin have established themselves as one of the most visceral director/composer partnerships in contemporary cinema, as Lopatin provided the synth-heavy, nerve-rattling scores for the Safdies’ critically acclaimed films “Good Time” and “Uncut Gems.” Meanwhile, the filmmakers previously helmed the video for Oneohtrix Point Never’s 2017 “The Pure and the Damned.”
“Nostalgia is both warming and deeply depressing,” Josh Safdie said. “It’s a love/hate relationship. Emotions themselves are haunting. ‘Lost but Never Alone’ is a haunted piece of surfing...
The Safdies and Lopatin have established themselves as one of the most visceral director/composer partnerships in contemporary cinema, as Lopatin provided the synth-heavy, nerve-rattling scores for the Safdies’ critically acclaimed films “Good Time” and “Uncut Gems.” Meanwhile, the filmmakers previously helmed the video for Oneohtrix Point Never’s 2017 “The Pure and the Damned.”
“Nostalgia is both warming and deeply depressing,” Josh Safdie said. “It’s a love/hate relationship. Emotions themselves are haunting. ‘Lost but Never Alone’ is a haunted piece of surfing...
- 11/12/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Mubi's series Shooting the Hip: The Cinematography of Sean Price Williams is showing June and July in many countries.Above: The Color WheelThe work of cinematographer Sean Price Williams has become synonymous with contemporary American independent cinema. What separates his filmography from his peers is his ability to shape shift with his various collaborators whether in different film frameworks of fiction and non-fiction, different genres, or just different aesthetics altogether. He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Josh and Ben Safdie (Heaven Knows What and Good Time), but his credits include over ninety feature-length films and shorts— a body of work that when investigating further yields some of the most impressive images in the medium. With his versatile camera Williams brings an electric personal energy to wildly different films, making his name in the credits an enticement to any project.Often the stories about Williams start with...
- 7/22/2020
- MUBI
I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry, a forgotten movie starring Adam Sandler, has been in the Netflix top 10 films list for almost an entire week at this point, currently sitting in the #8 spot on the chart.
Originally released in 2007, the pic stars Sandler alongside Kevin James and Jessica Biel. Directed by Dennis Dugan and written by Barry Fanaro and Alexander Payne, it tells the story of two Brooklyn men who pretend to be a gay couple in an effort to receive domestic partner benefits.
Although the subject matter may be a little bit tasteless by today’s political standards, the film still offers a somewhat decent performance from Sandler, who’s starred in numerous comedies throughout his career that follow a very similar formula as this one does. Most of those efforts, however, were not well-received.
From The Ridiculous 6 to Jack & Jill and even Grown Ups 2,...
Originally released in 2007, the pic stars Sandler alongside Kevin James and Jessica Biel. Directed by Dennis Dugan and written by Barry Fanaro and Alexander Payne, it tells the story of two Brooklyn men who pretend to be a gay couple in an effort to receive domestic partner benefits.
Although the subject matter may be a little bit tasteless by today’s political standards, the film still offers a somewhat decent performance from Sandler, who’s starred in numerous comedies throughout his career that follow a very similar formula as this one does. Most of those efforts, however, were not well-received.
From The Ridiculous 6 to Jack & Jill and even Grown Ups 2,...
- 7/12/2020
- by Tim Brinkhof
- We Got This Covered
With readers turning to their home viewing options more than ever, this daily feature provides one new movie each day worth checking out on a major streaming platform. Parts of this article were published when “Good Time” premiered at Cannes.
Filmmaking duo Josh and Benny Safdie are quickly becoming some of the most celebrated American directors out there: “Uncut Gems” was the surprise hit of 2019, a dark and gritty Adam Sandler vehicle that transformed his oddball humor into a cinematic odyssey through the streets of New York’s diamond district. Now, with the movie continuing to raise its profile as one of Netflix’s most popular new releases, the Safdie brand has never been stronger: As with Robert Pattinson in “Good Time,” the Safdies have once again proven they can transform stars into naturalistic puddles of exasperation, real human faces for these anxiety-riddled times.
However, Safdie completists know that the...
Filmmaking duo Josh and Benny Safdie are quickly becoming some of the most celebrated American directors out there: “Uncut Gems” was the surprise hit of 2019, a dark and gritty Adam Sandler vehicle that transformed his oddball humor into a cinematic odyssey through the streets of New York’s diamond district. Now, with the movie continuing to raise its profile as one of Netflix’s most popular new releases, the Safdie brand has never been stronger: As with Robert Pattinson in “Good Time,” the Safdies have once again proven they can transform stars into naturalistic puddles of exasperation, real human faces for these anxiety-riddled times.
However, Safdie completists know that the...
- 5/29/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
This is how HBO wins: The network has signed a two-year first look deal with “Uncut Gems” writer-directors Josh and Benny Safdie.
Variety reported that duo and Elara Pictures, which the brothers co-founded with Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein in 2014, will produce film and television projects for the platform. A24, which produced the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time,” as well as acclaimed films such as “Midsommar,” will executive produce all projects under the deal and will partner with Elara on certain projects outside the deal. A24 has partnered with HBO on several past television projects, most recently drama series “Euphoria” starring Zendaya, which has been renewed for a second season.
Terms of the Safdie brothers’ HBO deal were not disclosed.
The deal could result in the Safdie brothers’ first television project. The duo’s filmography has been widely praised and last year’s Adam Sandler-led “Uncut Gems...
Variety reported that duo and Elara Pictures, which the brothers co-founded with Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein in 2014, will produce film and television projects for the platform. A24, which produced the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time,” as well as acclaimed films such as “Midsommar,” will executive produce all projects under the deal and will partner with Elara on certain projects outside the deal. A24 has partnered with HBO on several past television projects, most recently drama series “Euphoria” starring Zendaya, which has been renewed for a second season.
Terms of the Safdie brothers’ HBO deal were not disclosed.
The deal could result in the Safdie brothers’ first television project. The duo’s filmography has been widely praised and last year’s Adam Sandler-led “Uncut Gems...
- 5/27/2020
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Josh and Benny Safdie have signed a two-year first-look TV deal with HBO, which will have A24 on board as an executive producer for all series under the agreement.
A24 partnered with the Safdie brothers and their Elara Pictures banner on the duo’s breakout film “Uncut Gems” and their previous film “Good Time.” A24 will also partner with Elara on select productions outside the deal.
The deal marks the brothers’ first foray into television.
Also Read: Here's How You Can Get HBO Max if You Already Pay for HBO
A24, meanwhile, is the studio behind HBO’s teen drama “Euphoria,” as well as Hulu’s “Ramy,” the Netflix special “John Mulaney and the Sack Bunch Lunch” and the upcoming the Apple TV+ series “Mr. Corman” from Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The Safdie brothers formed Elara with long time collaborators Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein. Dani Bernfeld is joining the company as...
A24 partnered with the Safdie brothers and their Elara Pictures banner on the duo’s breakout film “Uncut Gems” and their previous film “Good Time.” A24 will also partner with Elara on select productions outside the deal.
The deal marks the brothers’ first foray into television.
Also Read: Here's How You Can Get HBO Max if You Already Pay for HBO
A24, meanwhile, is the studio behind HBO’s teen drama “Euphoria,” as well as Hulu’s “Ramy,” the Netflix special “John Mulaney and the Sack Bunch Lunch” and the upcoming the Apple TV+ series “Mr. Corman” from Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The Safdie brothers formed Elara with long time collaborators Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein. Dani Bernfeld is joining the company as...
- 5/26/2020
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Josh and Benny Safdie and Elara Pictures have signed a two year first look deal with HBO, Variety has learned.
The Safdies formed Elara with their long time collaborators Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein in 2014. Dani Bernfeld is joining the company as partner to produce across film and TV.
A24 will executive produce all projects under the deal and partner with Elara on select projects outside the deal. A24 previously partnered with the Safdies on their critically-acclaimed films “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time.” The company also currently produces the HBO series “Euphoria,” which has been renewed for a second season.
Should anything be produced under the deal, it would mark the Safdies’ first TV project, though they both appeared onscreen in the same episode of the HBO series “Togetherness” in 2016. The brothers are known for their film work, most recently “Uncut Gems.” The film, which starred Adam Sandler as a...
The Safdies formed Elara with their long time collaborators Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein in 2014. Dani Bernfeld is joining the company as partner to produce across film and TV.
A24 will executive produce all projects under the deal and partner with Elara on select projects outside the deal. A24 previously partnered with the Safdies on their critically-acclaimed films “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time.” The company also currently produces the HBO series “Euphoria,” which has been renewed for a second season.
Should anything be produced under the deal, it would mark the Safdies’ first TV project, though they both appeared onscreen in the same episode of the HBO series “Togetherness” in 2016. The brothers are known for their film work, most recently “Uncut Gems.” The film, which starred Adam Sandler as a...
- 5/26/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Uncut Gems directors/co-writers Josh and Benny Safdie have signed a two-year, first-look television deal with HBO via their Elara Pictures production company. Additionally, the company, formed with long-time collaborators Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein, has brought on former Paramount and Chernin Entertainment executive Dani Bernfeld as Partner to produce across film & TV.
A24, co-producer and distributor of Uncut Gems, will executive produce all HBO Elara projects and partner with Elara on select projects outside of the HBO first look. Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler, became A24’s highest-grossing film, earning more than $50 million domestically at the box office. The Safdies won the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Director and were nominated for Best Screenplay for the film. A24 previously partnered with Elara on the Robert Pattinson crime thriller Good Time.
A24 has partnered with HBO on several past television projects, most recently drama series Euphoria starring Zendaya, which...
A24, co-producer and distributor of Uncut Gems, will executive produce all HBO Elara projects and partner with Elara on select projects outside of the HBO first look. Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler, became A24’s highest-grossing film, earning more than $50 million domestically at the box office. The Safdies won the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Director and were nominated for Best Screenplay for the film. A24 previously partnered with Elara on the Robert Pattinson crime thriller Good Time.
A24 has partnered with HBO on several past television projects, most recently drama series Euphoria starring Zendaya, which...
- 5/26/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
The Safdie Brothers are turning their attention to television.
Filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie have entered into a two-year first-look deal with HBO. They will create new projects for the platform under their production company Elara Pictures, which they formed with longtime collaborators Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein. Former Paramount and Chernin exec Dani Bernfeld is joining the outfit as partner to produce film and TV projects.
A24 will executive produce all of HBO's Elara projects and partner with Elara on select projects outside of the HBO first-look. A24 previously released last year's Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler,...
Filmmakers Josh and Benny Safdie have entered into a two-year first-look deal with HBO. They will create new projects for the platform under their production company Elara Pictures, which they formed with longtime collaborators Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein. Former Paramount and Chernin exec Dani Bernfeld is joining the outfit as partner to produce film and TV projects.
A24 will executive produce all of HBO's Elara projects and partner with Elara on select projects outside of the HBO first-look. A24 previously released last year's Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler,...
- 5/26/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Uncut Gems wins best lead actor, directing, editing.
Lulu Wang’s The Farewell was named best feature at the Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday (8) in a night that recognised female directing talent in stark contrast to tomorrow’s Oscars.
Olivia Wilde won best first film for Booksmart, and American Factory, co-directed by Julia Reichert, (alongside Steven Bognar), won best documentary.
Renée Zellweger won best actress for Judy and has virtually swept the boards this awards season ahead of Sunday’s expected win at the Academy Awards.
Adam Sandler was a popular winner for Uncut Gems, which took home...
Lulu Wang’s The Farewell was named best feature at the Spirit Awards in Santa Monica on Saturday (8) in a night that recognised female directing talent in stark contrast to tomorrow’s Oscars.
Olivia Wilde won best first film for Booksmart, and American Factory, co-directed by Julia Reichert, (alongside Steven Bognar), won best documentary.
Renée Zellweger won best actress for Judy and has virtually swept the boards this awards season ahead of Sunday’s expected win at the Academy Awards.
Adam Sandler was a popular winner for Uncut Gems, which took home...
- 2/9/2020
- by 36¦Jeremy Kay¦54¦
- ScreenDaily
This year, in the chilly tent in Santa Monica the day before the Oscars, the Independent Spirit Awards went really indie. That meant that several high-profile contenders who did not land Oscar nominations scored Spirit sympathy votes. A24 dominated the field with seven Spirit Awards over three films, making up for their light showing at the Oscars.
“The Lighthouse” started off winning two awards for mustachioed veteran Willem Dafoe and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, followed by three for the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems,” for Directing, and Editing and Adam Sandler — who scored two big standing ovations and brought down the house with his hilarious speech. “The Indie Spirits are the Best Personality award,” he said.
“Being an editor I am going to try and cut this short,” said Benny Safdie. “The two of us working together we always try to stay in sync.” Editor Ronald Bronstein said that working with the...
“The Lighthouse” started off winning two awards for mustachioed veteran Willem Dafoe and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, followed by three for the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems,” for Directing, and Editing and Adam Sandler — who scored two big standing ovations and brought down the house with his hilarious speech. “The Indie Spirits are the Best Personality award,” he said.
“Being an editor I am going to try and cut this short,” said Benny Safdie. “The two of us working together we always try to stay in sync.” Editor Ronald Bronstein said that working with the...
- 2/9/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
This year, in the chilly tent in Santa Monica the day before the Oscars, the Independent Spirit Awards went really indie. That meant that several high-profile contenders who did not land Oscar nominations scored Spirit sympathy votes. A24 dominated the field with seven Spirit Awards over three films, making up for their light showing at the Oscars.
“The Lighthouse” started off winning two awards for mustachioed veteran Willem Dafoe and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, followed by three for the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems,” for Directing, and Editing and Adam Sandler — who scored two big standing ovations and brought down the house with his hilarious speech. “The Indie Spirits are the Best Personality award,” he said.
“Being an editor I am going to try and cut this short,” said Benny Safdie. “The two of us working together we always try to stay in sync.” Editor Ronald Bronstein said that working with the...
“The Lighthouse” started off winning two awards for mustachioed veteran Willem Dafoe and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, followed by three for the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems,” for Directing, and Editing and Adam Sandler — who scored two big standing ovations and brought down the house with his hilarious speech. “The Indie Spirits are the Best Personality award,” he said.
“Being an editor I am going to try and cut this short,” said Benny Safdie. “The two of us working together we always try to stay in sync.” Editor Ronald Bronstein said that working with the...
- 2/9/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
As you’re reading this, the 35th Independent Spirit Awards are being held. Oscar will have their say tomorrow evening, but today, it’s the indie films getting their turn! Will this awards show honor the likes of The Farewell, The Lighthouse, Marriage Story, or Uncut Gems? Maybe some combination of them all? We’ll know in a few hours, that’s for sure. What this space for the Spirit Award results once the show is over. A number of deserving movies and performances are about to have one last moment in the sun, before the Academy Awards suck up the last bit of awards season oxygen. If nothing else, it’s a fun, more casual moment, before the pomp and circumstance of the Oscars… Leading the way was Uncut Gems, which took home Best Actor for Adam Sandler, Best Director for Josh Safdieand Benny Safdie, Best Editing for Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie.
- 2/8/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
The 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards were handed out Saturday in recognition of the best in indie films from 2019.
Willem Dafoe won the first award, Best Supporting Male, for his role in “The Lighthouse.” “Uncut Gems” won Best Editing, while the Best Documentary award went to “American Factory.” Best Cinematography went to Jarin Blaschke for “The Lighthouse.”
Kelly Reichardt was awarded The Bonnie Award, which recognizes a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant. The John Cassavetes Award, given to the best feature made for under $500,000, was given to “Give Me Liberty.”
Also Read: Independent Spirit Awards 2020: Aubrey Plaza's Best Jokes (So Far)
“Parasite” won Best International Film. Zhao Shuzhen won Best Supporting Female for her role in “The Farewell.” “Marriage Story” won Best Screenplay. Adam Sandler won Best Male Lead for his performance in “Uncut Gems” and Renée Zellweger received the Best Female Lead for her role in “Judy.
Willem Dafoe won the first award, Best Supporting Male, for his role in “The Lighthouse.” “Uncut Gems” won Best Editing, while the Best Documentary award went to “American Factory.” Best Cinematography went to Jarin Blaschke for “The Lighthouse.”
Kelly Reichardt was awarded The Bonnie Award, which recognizes a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant. The John Cassavetes Award, given to the best feature made for under $500,000, was given to “Give Me Liberty.”
Also Read: Independent Spirit Awards 2020: Aubrey Plaza's Best Jokes (So Far)
“Parasite” won Best International Film. Zhao Shuzhen won Best Supporting Female for her role in “The Farewell.” “Marriage Story” won Best Screenplay. Adam Sandler won Best Male Lead for his performance in “Uncut Gems” and Renée Zellweger received the Best Female Lead for her role in “Judy.
- 2/8/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
The winners of the 2020 Independent Spirit Awards are being announced live during today’s ceremony, hosted for the second year in a row by Aubrey Plaza (fresh off rave reviews from Sundance for her performance in the indie “Black Bear”). Unlike the Oscars where Netflix is the most-nominated studio, the Spirit Awards are dominated in 2020 by A24. The indie distributor boats 18 nominations across four movies: “The Lighthouse,” “Waves,” “The Farewell,” “Uncut Gems,” and “The Last Black Man in San Francisco.” The Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems” and Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse” lead all movies with five nominations each. Both of these films are nominated for Best Feature along with Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life,” Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell,” Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story,” and Chinonye Chukwu’s “Clemency.”
Last year’s big Spirit Award winner was Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk,” which won prizes for Best Feature,...
Last year’s big Spirit Award winner was Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk,” which won prizes for Best Feature,...
- 2/8/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
The 35th Film Independent Spirit Awards aired live coast-to-coast Saturday, February 8 on IFC, aka the day before the Oscars. If you missed the ceremony on TV, worry not — Gold Derby has you covered with our informative play-by-play. Below, follow along with our updating live blog as we reveal all of the 2020 Spirit Awards winners as they happen. Funny lady Aubrey Plaza returned as host for the second consecutive year.
The main feature category included one Oscar nominee for Best Picture, “Marriage Story,” as well as “A Hidden Life,” “Clemency,” “The Farewell” and “Uncut Gems.” The director race recognized these handful of auteurs: Robert Eggers (“The Lighthouse”), Alma Har’el (“Honey Boy”), Julius Onah (“Luce”), Safdie Brothers (“Uncut Gems”) and Lorene Scafaria (“Hustlers”).
SEEThis is how he wins: Adam Sandler will shine at Spirit Awards with a victory for ‘Uncut Gems’
As for the lead acting races, the Best Actor lineup consisted...
The main feature category included one Oscar nominee for Best Picture, “Marriage Story,” as well as “A Hidden Life,” “Clemency,” “The Farewell” and “Uncut Gems.” The director race recognized these handful of auteurs: Robert Eggers (“The Lighthouse”), Alma Har’el (“Honey Boy”), Julius Onah (“Luce”), Safdie Brothers (“Uncut Gems”) and Lorene Scafaria (“Hustlers”).
SEEThis is how he wins: Adam Sandler will shine at Spirit Awards with a victory for ‘Uncut Gems’
As for the lead acting races, the Best Actor lineup consisted...
- 2/8/2020
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
The 35th annual Spirit Awards, honoring the best in independent cinema, took place Saturday in Santa Monica.
Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” won best picture, while Adam Sandler and Renee Zellweger took home the top acting prizes.
Full list of winners.
Best Feature
A Hidden Life
Clemency
The Farewell (Winner)
Marriage Story
Uncut Gems
Best Director
Robert Eggers – The Lighthouse
Alma Har’el – Honey Boy
Julius Onah – Luce
Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie – Uncut Gems (Winner)
Lorene Scafaria – Hustlers
Best First Feature
Booksmart (Winner)
The Climb
Diane
The Last Black Man In San Francisco
The Mustang
See You Yesterday
Best Female Lead
Karen Allen – Colewell
Hong Chau – Driveways
Elisabeth Moss – Her Smell
Mary Kay Place – Diane
Alfre Woodard – Clemency
Renée Zellweger – Judy (Winner)
Best Male Lead
Chris Galust – Give Me Liberty
Kelvin Harrison Jr. – Luce
Robert Pattinson – The Lighthouse
Adam Sandler – Uncut Gems (Winner)
Matthias Schoenaerts – The Mustang
Best Supporting Female
Jennifer Lopez...
Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” won best picture, while Adam Sandler and Renee Zellweger took home the top acting prizes.
Full list of winners.
Best Feature
A Hidden Life
Clemency
The Farewell (Winner)
Marriage Story
Uncut Gems
Best Director
Robert Eggers – The Lighthouse
Alma Har’el – Honey Boy
Julius Onah – Luce
Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie – Uncut Gems (Winner)
Lorene Scafaria – Hustlers
Best First Feature
Booksmart (Winner)
The Climb
Diane
The Last Black Man In San Francisco
The Mustang
See You Yesterday
Best Female Lead
Karen Allen – Colewell
Hong Chau – Driveways
Elisabeth Moss – Her Smell
Mary Kay Place – Diane
Alfre Woodard – Clemency
Renée Zellweger – Judy (Winner)
Best Male Lead
Chris Galust – Give Me Liberty
Kelvin Harrison Jr. – Luce
Robert Pattinson – The Lighthouse
Adam Sandler – Uncut Gems (Winner)
Matthias Schoenaerts – The Mustang
Best Supporting Female
Jennifer Lopez...
- 2/8/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Aubrey Plaza will return to host the Independent Spirit Awards on Saturday in Santa Monica.
The 35th annual Spirit Awards are set to air live on the IFC Channel beginning at 5 p.m. Et/2 p.m. Pt. The network will live stream the ceremony on its website, though audiences will need a cable login to watch. TV subscribers can also watch the show live on IFC app’s, available on iOS and Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Xbox, and Android TV devices.
This year’s top Spirit Award nominees include Robert Pattinson’s “The Lighthouse” and Adam Sandler’s “Uncut Gems,” with five nods each. Shia Labeouf’s “Honey Boy” and Kirill Mikhanovsky’s scored four nominations.
“Uncut Gems,” Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life,” Chinonye Chukwu’s “Clemency,” Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” and Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” are up for best feature.
Here’s the full...
The 35th annual Spirit Awards are set to air live on the IFC Channel beginning at 5 p.m. Et/2 p.m. Pt. The network will live stream the ceremony on its website, though audiences will need a cable login to watch. TV subscribers can also watch the show live on IFC app’s, available on iOS and Android, Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV, Xbox, and Android TV devices.
This year’s top Spirit Award nominees include Robert Pattinson’s “The Lighthouse” and Adam Sandler’s “Uncut Gems,” with five nods each. Shia Labeouf’s “Honey Boy” and Kirill Mikhanovsky’s scored four nominations.
“Uncut Gems,” Terrence Malick’s “A Hidden Life,” Chinonye Chukwu’s “Clemency,” Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” and Noah Baumbach’s “Marriage Story” are up for best feature.
Here’s the full...
- 2/8/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar weekend begins with the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Awards, hosted by Aubrey Plaza. The awards ceremony is celebrating its 35th year in 2020 and as always the show will be broadcast live from the beach in Santa Monica, California. Plaza is returning as Spirit Awards host after her successful stint emceeing the 2019 show, in which Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk” dominated with wins for Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actress. The ceremony will once again be broadcast on IFC channel starting at 5:00pm Et/2pm Pt. IFC will offer up various ways for moviegoers to live stream both the red carpet and the awards ceremony online.
The official 2020 Spirit Awards red carpet arrivals show, hosted by Catt Sadler, will be presented live exclusively on Twitter (@filmindependent) starting at 3:00pm Et/12:00pm Pt. The awards ceremony can be live streamed online at IFC.com for cable and satellite subscribers.
The official 2020 Spirit Awards red carpet arrivals show, hosted by Catt Sadler, will be presented live exclusively on Twitter (@filmindependent) starting at 3:00pm Et/12:00pm Pt. The awards ceremony can be live streamed online at IFC.com for cable and satellite subscribers.
- 2/8/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like either Noah Baumbach or Greta Gerwig will take home a screenplay Oscar on Sunday. Baumbach is in third place in our Best Original Screenplay predictions for “Marriage Story,” while Gerwig’s “Little Women” was just dethroned by Taika Waititi‘s “Jojo Rabbit” in Best Adapted Screenplay following the latter’s Writers Guild of America Award and BAFTA triumphs. But the couple could still be part of a different winners’ circle.
The writer-director is predicted to win Best Screenplay for “Marriage Story” at Saturday’s Independent Spirit Awards — aka the same award that his longtime partner Gerwig won two years ago for “Lady Bird” (2017). He leads with 82/25 odds, backed by 12 Experts and 10 of our Editors.
Baumbach is the only Oscar nominee of the group, which ought to give him an edge. The last time a non-Oscar nominee won was 10 years ago, when “(500) Days of Summer...
The writer-director is predicted to win Best Screenplay for “Marriage Story” at Saturday’s Independent Spirit Awards — aka the same award that his longtime partner Gerwig won two years ago for “Lady Bird” (2017). He leads with 82/25 odds, backed by 12 Experts and 10 of our Editors.
Baumbach is the only Oscar nominee of the group, which ought to give him an edge. The last time a non-Oscar nominee won was 10 years ago, when “(500) Days of Summer...
- 2/7/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
The International Cinephile Society is known for going its own way with its annual awards, and its latest edition is no exception. Leading the field for its 17th awards was Pedro Almodóvar’s semi-autobiographical “Pain and Glory,” which won best picture, and best actor for Antonio Banderas.
The Ics is made up of more than 100 accredited journalists, film scholars, historians and other industry professionals. Led by Ics president Cédric Succivalli, each year the Ics honors the finest in American and international cinema.
Best director went to Céline Sciamma for her 18th-century story of obsession “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” while the film’s Adèle Haenel earned the supporting actress prize.
Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” – which is up for six Oscars this weekend – was another hot Ics favorite, winning original screenplay, ensemble and production design awards.
Vitalina Varela won the lead actress prize for her role as a Cape...
The Ics is made up of more than 100 accredited journalists, film scholars, historians and other industry professionals. Led by Ics president Cédric Succivalli, each year the Ics honors the finest in American and international cinema.
Best director went to Céline Sciamma for her 18th-century story of obsession “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” while the film’s Adèle Haenel earned the supporting actress prize.
Bong Joon Ho’s “Parasite” – which is up for six Oscars this weekend – was another hot Ics favorite, winning original screenplay, ensemble and production design awards.
Vitalina Varela won the lead actress prize for her role as a Cape...
- 2/7/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
This year, the Independent Spirit Awards are really indie. A24 dominates the field with 18 Spirit Award nominations over five films. Of that group, only “The Lighthouse” scored an Oscar nod, for Best Cinematography.
That means several high-profile contenders who did not land Oscar nominations will get strong Spirit sympathy votes. “The Lighthouse” and “Uncut Gems” have five nominations each, so Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, and Adam Sandler are strong acting contenders. In the Supporting Female race, there’s no way Jennifer Lopez doesn’t win the Spirit for Oscar-snubbed “Hustlers,” fresh from her Super Bowl triumph.
“Uncut Gems” goes up against Netflix’s Best Picture Oscar nominee “Marriage Story” for Best Feature, which is already taking home the Robert Altman Ensemble Award for Noah Baumbach’s high-wattage cast. That’s why the movie has only three nomination, and could lose Best Feature to the Safdie brothers’ popular thriller.
On the other hand,...
That means several high-profile contenders who did not land Oscar nominations will get strong Spirit sympathy votes. “The Lighthouse” and “Uncut Gems” have five nominations each, so Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, and Adam Sandler are strong acting contenders. In the Supporting Female race, there’s no way Jennifer Lopez doesn’t win the Spirit for Oscar-snubbed “Hustlers,” fresh from her Super Bowl triumph.
“Uncut Gems” goes up against Netflix’s Best Picture Oscar nominee “Marriage Story” for Best Feature, which is already taking home the Robert Altman Ensemble Award for Noah Baumbach’s high-wattage cast. That’s why the movie has only three nomination, and could lose Best Feature to the Safdie brothers’ popular thriller.
On the other hand,...
- 2/5/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
This year, the Independent Spirit Awards are really indie. A24 dominates the field with 18 Spirit Award nominations over five films. Of that group, only “The Lighthouse” scored an Oscar nod, for Best Cinematography.
That means several high-profile contenders who did not land Oscar nominations will get strong Spirit sympathy votes. “The Lighthouse” and “Uncut Gems” have five nominations each, so Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, and Adam Sandler are strong acting contenders. In the Supporting Female race, there’s no way Jennifer Lopez doesn’t win the Spirit for Oscar-snubbed “Hustlers,” fresh from her Super Bowl triumph.
“Uncut Gems” goes up against Netflix’s Best Picture Oscar nominee “Marriage Story” for Best Feature, which is already taking home the Robert Altman Ensemble Award for Noah Baumbach’s high-wattage cast. That’s why the movie has only three nomination, and could lose Best Feature to the Safdie brothers’ popular thriller.
On the other hand,...
That means several high-profile contenders who did not land Oscar nominations will get strong Spirit sympathy votes. “The Lighthouse” and “Uncut Gems” have five nominations each, so Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, and Adam Sandler are strong acting contenders. In the Supporting Female race, there’s no way Jennifer Lopez doesn’t win the Spirit for Oscar-snubbed “Hustlers,” fresh from her Super Bowl triumph.
“Uncut Gems” goes up against Netflix’s Best Picture Oscar nominee “Marriage Story” for Best Feature, which is already taking home the Robert Altman Ensemble Award for Noah Baumbach’s high-wattage cast. That’s why the movie has only three nomination, and could lose Best Feature to the Safdie brothers’ popular thriller.
On the other hand,...
- 2/5/2020
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
It's taken a couple of indie mavericks with a Martin Scorsese inspiration to bring out the essence of Adam Sandler's histrionic talent. Forever crushed by his image as a star of crass slapstick hits, Sandler finally finds a reason to surprise all in this film, with the most remarkable act yet in his career of three decades.
American indie wizards Josh and Benny Safdie have created a sparkling winner with "Uncut Gems", a crime drama that technically bears street-savvy edge even as it reveals intelligent storytelling relish to unfold a gritty suspense drama. The impact is slowburn as the crime thriller grows on you with every passing minute. A tautly executed narrative, brought to life by Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie's crisp editing, renders importance to every second of the film's 135-minute runtime.
The genius of the Safdies is at work here again, after their 2017 Robert Pattinson-starrer "Good Time", you realise,...
American indie wizards Josh and Benny Safdie have created a sparkling winner with "Uncut Gems", a crime drama that technically bears street-savvy edge even as it reveals intelligent storytelling relish to unfold a gritty suspense drama. The impact is slowburn as the crime thriller grows on you with every passing minute. A tautly executed narrative, brought to life by Ronald Bronstein and Benny Safdie's crisp editing, renders importance to every second of the film's 135-minute runtime.
The genius of the Safdies is at work here again, after their 2017 Robert Pattinson-starrer "Good Time", you realise,...
- 2/3/2020
- GlamSham
Stars: Adam Sandler, Keith Williams Richards, Tommy Kominik, Lakeith Stanfield, Pom Klementieff, Julia Fox, Paloma Elsesser, Mike Francesa, Maksud Agadjani, Andrea Linsky, Roman Persits | Written by Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein | Directed by Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
A whirlwind of stress induced panic attacks that seem like they will never end. When they finally do end your knuckles will be white, your blood pressure will be high and the most stressful experience you’ll ever have in a cinema will be over.
The Safdie brothers first came onto the scene with Heaven Knows What and Good Times, and if they were the blueprints of what was to come then this is surely the accumulation of those movies turned up to 11. There’s a desperate nature that the Safdie brothers are becoming known for, and the desperation fuelled nature of Uncut Gems creates one of the most exciting and stressful...
A whirlwind of stress induced panic attacks that seem like they will never end. When they finally do end your knuckles will be white, your blood pressure will be high and the most stressful experience you’ll ever have in a cinema will be over.
The Safdie brothers first came onto the scene with Heaven Knows What and Good Times, and if they were the blueprints of what was to come then this is surely the accumulation of those movies turned up to 11. There’s a desperate nature that the Safdie brothers are becoming known for, and the desperation fuelled nature of Uncut Gems creates one of the most exciting and stressful...
- 1/17/2020
- by Alex Ginnelly
- Nerdly
Note: This piece contains spoilers for Uncut Gems.
The transcendent central performance by Adam Sandler, the masterful cacophony of synths and percussion on Daniel Lopatin’s score, the incredible ways it builds and amplifies tension; much has been made of the latest film from Josh and Benny Safdie. A focal point of cultural discourse for months before its general release, it’s easy to forget there’s a beating heart at the center of Uncut Gems underneath the widespread fixation on Sandler’s instantly viral jeweled Furby and the layered aesthetics of the Safdies’ vision of New York. It’s this core that ties everything together and helps the film ascend to true greatness. Bolstered by an unrelenting tension and endless formal pleasures, the film never loses sight of a bigger thesis.
Each element of the film comes together in harmony to create one of the definitive portrayals of an autistic meltdown in recent memory.
The transcendent central performance by Adam Sandler, the masterful cacophony of synths and percussion on Daniel Lopatin’s score, the incredible ways it builds and amplifies tension; much has been made of the latest film from Josh and Benny Safdie. A focal point of cultural discourse for months before its general release, it’s easy to forget there’s a beating heart at the center of Uncut Gems underneath the widespread fixation on Sandler’s instantly viral jeweled Furby and the layered aesthetics of the Safdies’ vision of New York. It’s this core that ties everything together and helps the film ascend to true greatness. Bolstered by an unrelenting tension and endless formal pleasures, the film never loses sight of a bigger thesis.
Each element of the film comes together in harmony to create one of the definitive portrayals of an autistic meltdown in recent memory.
- 1/14/2020
- by Logan Kenny
- The Film Stage
The 2020 Critics’ Choice Awards rewarded many of the best television shows and films of 2019 in a ceremony Sunday night in Santa Monica, California that saw Renée Zellweger, Joaquin Phoenix and many more win big.
Martin Scorsese‘s The Irishman came into the night with 14 nominations, while Quentin Tarantino‘s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood followed with 12 overall nods.
Scroll down for the complete list of winners.
Film Best Picture
1917
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite
Uncut Gems
Best Actor
Antonio Banderas — Pain and Glory
Robert De Niro...
Martin Scorsese‘s The Irishman came into the night with 14 nominations, while Quentin Tarantino‘s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood followed with 12 overall nods.
Scroll down for the complete list of winners.
Film Best Picture
1917
Ford v Ferrari
The Irishman
Jojo Rabbit
Joker
Little Women
Marriage Story
Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood
Parasite
Uncut Gems
Best Actor
Antonio Banderas — Pain and Glory
Robert De Niro...
- 1/13/2020
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.com
With the shortened awards timeline, ceremonies hit hard and fast. Sunday night marks the 25th annual Critics’ Choice Awards, airing on The CW beginning at 7pm Est/7pm Pst. Taye Diggs returns as host the proceedings, which take place in the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association. On the film side, this year’s nominations are led by Netflix’s “The Irishman,” with 14 nods. However, Martin Scorsese’s film came home empty-handed at the Golden Globes last Sunday. Netflix also leads on the television side, with six nominations for Ava DuVernay’s true-crime miniseries “When They See Us.”
Follow along below for IndieWire’s live and updating winners list, and stay tuned for further analysis. See the nominations below, with winners bolded.
Best Picture
“1917”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“Once Upon a Time…...
Follow along below for IndieWire’s live and updating winners list, and stay tuned for further analysis. See the nominations below, with winners bolded.
Best Picture
“1917”
“Ford v Ferrari”
“The Irishman”
“Jojo Rabbit”
“Joker”
“Little Women”
“Marriage Story”
“Once Upon a Time…...
- 1/13/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The 25th annual Critics’ Choice Awards gala, hosted by Taye Diggs, was broadcast live on The CW on Sunday night.
It was a good night for both Netflix and HBO, with the studios taking home trophies for movies and shows like “The Irishman,” “Marriage Story,” “When They See Us,” “Watchmen” and “Succession.”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” won the ceremony’s biggest movie prize, best picture, as well as three more awards: best supporting actor for Brad Pitt, best original screenplay for Quentin Tarantino and best production design for Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh.
On the TV side, “Fleabag” continued its awards dominance, winning best comedy series, best actress in a comedy series for Phoebe Waller-Bridge and best supporting actor in a comedy series for Andrew Scott. It’s the latest successful awards outing for “Fleabag,” which won best series — musical or comedy at the Golden Globes last weekend,...
It was a good night for both Netflix and HBO, with the studios taking home trophies for movies and shows like “The Irishman,” “Marriage Story,” “When They See Us,” “Watchmen” and “Succession.”
“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” won the ceremony’s biggest movie prize, best picture, as well as three more awards: best supporting actor for Brad Pitt, best original screenplay for Quentin Tarantino and best production design for Barbara Ling and Nancy Haigh.
On the TV side, “Fleabag” continued its awards dominance, winning best comedy series, best actress in a comedy series for Phoebe Waller-Bridge and best supporting actor in a comedy series for Andrew Scott. It’s the latest successful awards outing for “Fleabag,” which won best series — musical or comedy at the Golden Globes last weekend,...
- 1/12/2020
- by Angelique Jackson
- Variety Film + TV
The 2020 Critics’ Choice Awards were handed out on Sunday (January 12), during a three-hour ceremony at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California that aired on the CW Network. This marked the 25th year that the 350 plus members of the Broadcast Film Critics Assn. have awarded prizes while it is the 10th time that their counterparts in the Broadcast Television Journalists Assn. have done so. Scroll down to see the full list of winners (and nominees) in every one of the 42 categories.
On the film front, “The Irishman” leads with a whopping 14 nominations. Close behind with 12 bids is “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” “Little Women” follows with nine, and then “1917” and “Marriage Story” at eight eacn. Three films — “Jojo Rabbit,” “Joker” and “Parasite” — reaped a lucky seven bids apiece.
Over on the TV side, awards powerhouse Netflix is in first among networks with 61 nominations. HBO has 33, Amazon is at...
On the film front, “The Irishman” leads with a whopping 14 nominations. Close behind with 12 bids is “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” “Little Women” follows with nine, and then “1917” and “Marriage Story” at eight eacn. Three films — “Jojo Rabbit,” “Joker” and “Parasite” — reaped a lucky seven bids apiece.
Over on the TV side, awards powerhouse Netflix is in first among networks with 61 nominations. HBO has 33, Amazon is at...
- 1/12/2020
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
With the shortened awards timeline, ceremonies hit hard and fast. Sunday night marks the 25th annual Critics’ Choice Awards, airing on The CW beginning at 7pm Est/7pm Pst. Taye Diggs returns as host the proceedings, which take place in the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, presented by the Broadcast Film Critics Association and the Broadcast Television Journalists Association.
On the film side, this year’s nominations are led by Netflix’s “The Irishman,” with 14 nods. However, Martin Scorsese’s film came home empty-handed at the Golden Globes last Sunday. Netflix also leads on the television side, with six nominations for Ava DuVernay’s true-crime miniseries “When They See Us.”
The CW website allows you to find your local channel listing, and the website will also host a live stream. You can also use YouTube TV, Hulu With Live TV, or AT&T TV Now.
If none of those work for you,...
On the film side, this year’s nominations are led by Netflix’s “The Irishman,” with 14 nods. However, Martin Scorsese’s film came home empty-handed at the Golden Globes last Sunday. Netflix also leads on the television side, with six nominations for Ava DuVernay’s true-crime miniseries “When They See Us.”
The CW website allows you to find your local channel listing, and the website will also host a live stream. You can also use YouTube TV, Hulu With Live TV, or AT&T TV Now.
If none of those work for you,...
- 1/12/2020
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
It took some time for the good-natured ribbing to begin at Wednesday evening’s National Board of Review Awards, held in Manhattan at Cipriani’s Midtown location, an impressive high-ceilinged former bank well-suited to hosting dozens of stars. But it was clear early on that the jittery charms of Josh and Benny Safdies’ “Uncut Gems” were poised to dominate the evening, thanks to an energetic introduction from actor Timothée Chalamet.
Though the filmmaking brothers, along with co-writer Ronald Bronstein, accepted the Best Original Screenplay award from the bonafide Safdie enthusiast in the first half of the evening, it wasn’t until their star Adam Sandler made his way to the stage that the real fun began.
Sandler, comedian king and star of such dramatic-leaning gems as “Punch-Drunk Love” and “The Meyerowitz Stories,” has appeared to relish this year’s packed awards season, thanks to a film that’s earned him...
Though the filmmaking brothers, along with co-writer Ronald Bronstein, accepted the Best Original Screenplay award from the bonafide Safdie enthusiast in the first half of the evening, it wasn’t until their star Adam Sandler made his way to the stage that the real fun began.
Sandler, comedian king and star of such dramatic-leaning gems as “Punch-Drunk Love” and “The Meyerowitz Stories,” has appeared to relish this year’s packed awards season, thanks to a film that’s earned him...
- 1/9/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
The star-studded National Board of Review gala, held Wednesday at midtown Manhattan’s Cipriani 42nd, honored A-listers like Brad Pitt for best supporting actor (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”), Renee Zellweger for best actress (“Judy”), Quentin Tarantino for best director (“Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) and Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino for best film (“The Irishman”).
But the toast of the evening was arguably the team behind “Uncut Gems”: Directors Josh and Benny Safdie and their star Adam Sandler, drawing praise from the likes of Pitt and Drew Barrymore, who presented Sandler with his best actor trophy.
Even Sandler, who received one of the night’s few standing ovations, might admit he was surprised to take home an acting statute from an awards ceremony that’s not the Razzies.
“If you are one of the wise few who took the three-million-to-one odds that Vegas...
But the toast of the evening was arguably the team behind “Uncut Gems”: Directors Josh and Benny Safdie and their star Adam Sandler, drawing praise from the likes of Pitt and Drew Barrymore, who presented Sandler with his best actor trophy.
Even Sandler, who received one of the night’s few standing ovations, might admit he was surprised to take home an acting statute from an awards ceremony that’s not the Razzies.
“If you are one of the wise few who took the three-million-to-one odds that Vegas...
- 1/9/2020
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Adam Sandler gives a terrific, career-best performance as a Manhattan jeweller with a perilous gambling habit in a rollicking, high-energy thriller
This sensationally good New York crime drama is rocket-fuelled with greed and crack-fumed with fear. It is directed by the Safdie brothers, Benny and Josh, who create something deliciously horrible, working with their longtime screenwriter-collaborator Ronald Bronstein. It conjures up the work of James Toback and John Cassavetes – and indeed early Martin Scorsese, who is an executive producer here. There is a consistency of purpose that their earlier film, Good Time, lacked. In its unforced, gripping, black-comic chaos, Uncut Gems resembles nothing so much as a super-violent, feature-length episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
The Safdies have cast as their leading man Adam Sandler who gives a glorious, career-best turn as a fast-talking Manhattan diamond dealer called Howard Ratner (dare we hope for a cheeky reference to the British jeweller Gerald?...
This sensationally good New York crime drama is rocket-fuelled with greed and crack-fumed with fear. It is directed by the Safdie brothers, Benny and Josh, who create something deliciously horrible, working with their longtime screenwriter-collaborator Ronald Bronstein. It conjures up the work of James Toback and John Cassavetes – and indeed early Martin Scorsese, who is an executive producer here. There is a consistency of purpose that their earlier film, Good Time, lacked. In its unforced, gripping, black-comic chaos, Uncut Gems resembles nothing so much as a super-violent, feature-length episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm.
The Safdies have cast as their leading man Adam Sandler who gives a glorious, career-best turn as a fast-talking Manhattan diamond dealer called Howard Ratner (dare we hope for a cheeky reference to the British jeweller Gerald?...
- 1/9/2020
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
The National Board of Review lavished love on The Irishman at its annual gala Wednesday, marking the second straight night for the Martin Scorsese epic to soak up awards-season adulation in New York.
The Netflix title was honored as Best Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, and also got the Nbr Icon Award, presented to Scorsese and lead actors Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. The night was once again a relaxed affair, with no broadcast deal and no stopwatch on speeches and the winners having been announced weeks ago.
Springsteen, unspooling a deeply felt meditation on The Irishman that wouldn’t have been out of place in his Broadway solo show, recalled decades watching Pacino, Scorsese and De Niro work. The film’s themes hit home because he is now 70, he added. “If you’ve been with them on this whole journey,...
The Netflix title was honored as Best Film, Best Adapted Screenplay, and also got the Nbr Icon Award, presented to Scorsese and lead actors Al Pacino and Robert De Niro. The night was once again a relaxed affair, with no broadcast deal and no stopwatch on speeches and the winners having been announced weeks ago.
Springsteen, unspooling a deeply felt meditation on The Irishman that wouldn’t have been out of place in his Broadway solo show, recalled decades watching Pacino, Scorsese and De Niro work. The film’s themes hit home because he is now 70, he added. “If you’ve been with them on this whole journey,...
- 1/9/2020
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Adam Sandler is already getting critical acclaim and Oscar buzz for his Uncut Gems role as Howard Ratner, a Furby-flaunting Manhattanite jeweler with a gambling addiction. This part is certainly one of his rare departures from comedy (think Punch-Drunk Love or The Meyerowitz Stories), but is it based on a true story? Well, kind of.
How the Safdie Brothers Put Together Uncut Gems
Directed by brothers Josh and Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems has been a decade in the making. The brothers cowrote the screenplay with long-time collaborator Ronald Bronstein, going through 160 different drafts. For a long time, they referred to this passion project as the "diamond district movie" as they worked on films such as Lenny Cooke and Good Time. The Safdies had long tried to get Sandler for their film, but it wasn't until Sandler saw 2017's Good Time that he agreed to meet with them.
Who Is Howard Based On?...
How the Safdie Brothers Put Together Uncut Gems
Directed by brothers Josh and Benny Safdie, Uncut Gems has been a decade in the making. The brothers cowrote the screenplay with long-time collaborator Ronald Bronstein, going through 160 different drafts. For a long time, they referred to this passion project as the "diamond district movie" as they worked on films such as Lenny Cooke and Good Time. The Safdies had long tried to get Sandler for their film, but it wasn't until Sandler saw 2017's Good Time that he agreed to meet with them.
Who Is Howard Based On?...
- 12/27/2019
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
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