Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Drift (Anthony Chen)
Singaporean director Anthony Chen’s English-language debut follows a West African refugee, Jacqueline (Cynthia Erivo), who washes up on a Greek island homeless, cashless, and friendless. She doesn’t speak until ten minutes into Drift, taking in her surroundings, plagued by a fear that’s nestled deep within her. Understandably, she’s scared of everyone and everything, living in a cave, eating whatever she can find, making money by washing tourists’ feet on the beach. – Michael F. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
A Drifting Up (Jacob Lee)
Coming off antidepressants for the first time, young London-based filmmaker Jacob Lee decided to dance his way through it and record the process. This BAFTA-nominated short documentary captures his joyful interactions...
Drift (Anthony Chen)
Singaporean director Anthony Chen’s English-language debut follows a West African refugee, Jacqueline (Cynthia Erivo), who washes up on a Greek island homeless, cashless, and friendless. She doesn’t speak until ten minutes into Drift, taking in her surroundings, plagued by a fear that’s nestled deep within her. Understandably, she’s scared of everyone and everything, living in a cave, eating whatever she can find, making money by washing tourists’ feet on the beach. – Michael F. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
A Drifting Up (Jacob Lee)
Coming off antidepressants for the first time, young London-based filmmaker Jacob Lee decided to dance his way through it and record the process. This BAFTA-nominated short documentary captures his joyful interactions...
- 3/29/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
The Boys in the Boat (George Clooney)
This is, from start to finish, an underdog sports picture. Edgerton puts a welcome spin on the gruff-but-caring coach archetype, and Turner does the same with his lead character. Soft-spoken, stern, and handsome, this is a role someone like Ronald Reagan would have excelled at bringing to the screen some 80 years ago; Turner, luckily, is more interesting to look at and a better actor. Alexandre Desplat’s score is maybe the most playful thing about this film, and it works when it needs to. The race sequences are unquestionably Boys‘ highlight, Clooney making use of zoom lenses and well-placed cameras to capture the speed and fluidity of each competition. There is a real tension mined in these scenes,...
The Boys in the Boat (George Clooney)
This is, from start to finish, an underdog sports picture. Edgerton puts a welcome spin on the gruff-but-caring coach archetype, and Turner does the same with his lead character. Soft-spoken, stern, and handsome, this is a role someone like Ronald Reagan would have excelled at bringing to the screen some 80 years ago; Turner, luckily, is more interesting to look at and a better actor. Alexandre Desplat’s score is maybe the most playful thing about this film, and it works when it needs to. The race sequences are unquestionably Boys‘ highlight, Clooney making use of zoom lenses and well-placed cameras to capture the speed and fluidity of each competition. There is a real tension mined in these scenes,...
- 1/19/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Beyond Utopia (Madeleine Gavin)
A harrowing, brave account of what it’s like to defect from North Korea, Madeleine Gavin’s Beyond Utopia follows a heroic pastor and the people he helps. Perhaps most unforgettable is a multigenerational family whose escape is shown through furtive, horror-movie-like handheld camera and revealing interviews. As Gavin offers a rundown of North Korean politics, we see this family slowly reckon with their own brainwashing and realize the world outside North Korea is not what their upbringing taught them to believe. – Lena W.
Where to Stream: PBS
The Florida Project (Sean Baker)
How, exactly, did Sean Baker do it? How did the director of Tangerine make this story of a mother and daughter living at a rundown...
Beyond Utopia (Madeleine Gavin)
A harrowing, brave account of what it’s like to defect from North Korea, Madeleine Gavin’s Beyond Utopia follows a heroic pastor and the people he helps. Perhaps most unforgettable is a multigenerational family whose escape is shown through furtive, horror-movie-like handheld camera and revealing interviews. As Gavin offers a rundown of North Korean politics, we see this family slowly reckon with their own brainwashing and realize the world outside North Korea is not what their upbringing taught them to believe. – Lena W.
Where to Stream: PBS
The Florida Project (Sean Baker)
How, exactly, did Sean Baker do it? How did the director of Tangerine make this story of a mother and daughter living at a rundown...
- 1/12/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
After Yang (kogonada)
I had the pleasure to speak with filmmaker kogonada about his stirring treatise on mortality, After Yang, and the moment from that conversation I return to most is him saying that “what makes art so invigorating is that you’re pursuing the ineffable.” This is a notion seeded throughout his gentle, transcendent sophomore feature. We can never truly know another person. In some ways, we will never fully know ourselves or our relationship with the world. But the search for it, the mystery, the endless pursuit—that’s the beauty of life. – Mitchell B.
Where to Stream: Prime Video
A Disturbance in the Force (Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak)
The question asked back in the ’80s and ’90s was never,...
After Yang (kogonada)
I had the pleasure to speak with filmmaker kogonada about his stirring treatise on mortality, After Yang, and the moment from that conversation I return to most is him saying that “what makes art so invigorating is that you’re pursuing the ineffable.” This is a notion seeded throughout his gentle, transcendent sophomore feature. We can never truly know another person. In some ways, we will never fully know ourselves or our relationship with the world. But the search for it, the mystery, the endless pursuit—that’s the beauty of life. – Mitchell B.
Where to Stream: Prime Video
A Disturbance in the Force (Jeremy Coon and Steve Kozak)
The question asked back in the ’80s and ’90s was never,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Afire (Christian Petzold)
Writing recently about the introduction of video umpires in baseball, of all things, Zach Helfand was skeptical: “accuracy is not the same as enjoyment,” he wrote, “baseball is meant to kill time, not maximize it.” The best films of German director Christian Petzold do both, though you sense his heart might belong to the latter. Petzold’s latest, Afire, unfurls with all the page-turning seduction of a gripping novella. It stars Thomas Schubert as a struggling writer who travels with a friend to a secluded house near the Baltic Sea. Their car breaks down. They encounter a beautiful woman. Somewhere in the distance, a forest fire rages. Soon, inevitably, another burns inside. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream:...
Afire (Christian Petzold)
Writing recently about the introduction of video umpires in baseball, of all things, Zach Helfand was skeptical: “accuracy is not the same as enjoyment,” he wrote, “baseball is meant to kill time, not maximize it.” The best films of German director Christian Petzold do both, though you sense his heart might belong to the latter. Petzold’s latest, Afire, unfurls with all the page-turning seduction of a gripping novella. It stars Thomas Schubert as a struggling writer who travels with a friend to a secluded house near the Baltic Sea. Their car breaks down. They encounter a beautiful woman. Somewhere in the distance, a forest fire rages. Soon, inevitably, another burns inside. – Rory O. (full review)
Where to Stream:...
- 11/24/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Asteroid City (Wes Anderson)
Wes Anderson has done it all: India by train, Rhode Island by foot, the Mediterranean by sub, France by bike, faux-Germany by hotel, apple-orchard America by fox, animated Japan by dog, motel Texas by friends, New York City by family. But––despite the feeling that this couldn’t possibly be true––he’s never told a story in western America. In setting he hasn’t gone further west than Houston. Until Asteroid City: Arizona desert by quarantine. – Luke H. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Chile ’76 (Manuela Martelli)
Manuela Martelli’s debut film opens with a sequence that perfectly captures the tone and themes Chile ‘76 will explore. Carmen (played by Aline Kuppenheim) is at a paint shop,...
Asteroid City (Wes Anderson)
Wes Anderson has done it all: India by train, Rhode Island by foot, the Mediterranean by sub, France by bike, faux-Germany by hotel, apple-orchard America by fox, animated Japan by dog, motel Texas by friends, New York City by family. But––despite the feeling that this couldn’t possibly be true––he’s never told a story in western America. In setting he hasn’t gone further west than Houston. Until Asteroid City: Arizona desert by quarantine. – Luke H. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Chile ’76 (Manuela Martelli)
Manuela Martelli’s debut film opens with a sequence that perfectly captures the tone and themes Chile ‘76 will explore. Carmen (played by Aline Kuppenheim) is at a paint shop,...
- 7/14/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Behind the Scenes with Jane Campion (Prisca Bouchet & Nick Mayow)
In the wide-open spaces of Montana, a glimpse of the set of Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, which earned her an Academy Award for best directing after a decade-long hiatus. Narrated by Campion herself, it also features her sketches, notes, and visual inspirations.
Where to Stream: Le Cinéma Club
Enys Men and Bait (Mark Jenkin)
Perched on the cliff of a windswept island off the coast of Cornwall is a shock of white flowers. Every day a woman studies their petals in religious silence before heading home and jotting notes in a diary. Date. Daily temperature. Observations. The year is 1973, the month April, and that’s about as much...
Behind the Scenes with Jane Campion (Prisca Bouchet & Nick Mayow)
In the wide-open spaces of Montana, a glimpse of the set of Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, which earned her an Academy Award for best directing after a decade-long hiatus. Narrated by Campion herself, it also features her sketches, notes, and visual inspirations.
Where to Stream: Le Cinéma Club
Enys Men and Bait (Mark Jenkin)
Perched on the cliff of a windswept island off the coast of Cornwall is a shock of white flowers. Every day a woman studies their petals in religious silence before heading home and jotting notes in a diary. Date. Daily temperature. Observations. The year is 1973, the month April, and that’s about as much...
- 4/21/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Country Gold (Mickey Reece)
The cost of fame sits in the living room wondering aloud whether dad will be home for Christmas. Why these two young boys’ voices have been deepened to sound like they’re 40-year-old drunks slurring through a bender is beyond me (an assumption of it being a dream or game is squashed once mom enters without the effect being called out), but their words have meaning. Troyal’s (Mickey Reece channeling Garth Brooks) star has risen to unimaginable heights and he’s embraced it to the point where his “good ol’ boy” demeanor can’t quite hide the growing ego beneath a cowboy hat. While Jamie (Leah N.H. Philpott) tries toeing the line of admiring his accomplishments and...
Country Gold (Mickey Reece)
The cost of fame sits in the living room wondering aloud whether dad will be home for Christmas. Why these two young boys’ voices have been deepened to sound like they’re 40-year-old drunks slurring through a bender is beyond me (an assumption of it being a dream or game is squashed once mom enters without the effect being called out), but their words have meaning. Troyal’s (Mickey Reece channeling Garth Brooks) star has risen to unimaginable heights and he’s embraced it to the point where his “good ol’ boy” demeanor can’t quite hide the growing ego beneath a cowboy hat. While Jamie (Leah N.H. Philpott) tries toeing the line of admiring his accomplishments and...
- 4/14/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Aftersun (Charlotte Wells)
One of the year’s most resonant films, Aftersun looks at the scratchy dynamics between a father and daughter while on vacation. It’s about memory, the finite nature of the relationships in our lives, and the difficulties of a parent’s diminishing mental health. Charlotte Wells knows where to put the camera in her debut—undeterred from taking risks, from placing her characters outside of the frame, from looking at shadows instead of the people themselves. Aftersun is a rare, tremendous first film, full of heart and focused melancholy; it breaks you down and fills you up simultaneously. The consistent inclusion of camcorder footage, and the fact that it enhances the story rather than becoming a distraction, further...
Aftersun (Charlotte Wells)
One of the year’s most resonant films, Aftersun looks at the scratchy dynamics between a father and daughter while on vacation. It’s about memory, the finite nature of the relationships in our lives, and the difficulties of a parent’s diminishing mental health. Charlotte Wells knows where to put the camera in her debut—undeterred from taking risks, from placing her characters outside of the frame, from looking at shadows instead of the people themselves. Aftersun is a rare, tremendous first film, full of heart and focused melancholy; it breaks you down and fills you up simultaneously. The consistent inclusion of camcorder footage, and the fact that it enhances the story rather than becoming a distraction, further...
- 12/23/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
After a fairly quiet summer––outside of a few gems––the fall movie season is near and there’s much to anticipate. As we do each year, after highlighting the best films offered thus far, we’ve set out to provide an overview of the titles that should be on your radar––and while some dates will certainly shift and some films added, it’s quite a promising lineup.
Featuring 40 films, the below preview includes both the best we’ve already seen (with full reviews where available) and the anticipated with (mostly) confirmed release dates over the next four months. A good amount will premiere over the next few weeks at Telluride, Venice, TIFF, and NYFF, so check back for our reviews.
The Cathedral (Ricky D’Ambrose; Sept. 2)
What makes the fabric of our upbringing? The memories we’ll reflect on after those years have passed are often not what we...
Featuring 40 films, the below preview includes both the best we’ve already seen (with full reviews where available) and the anticipated with (mostly) confirmed release dates over the next four months. A good amount will premiere over the next few weeks at Telluride, Venice, TIFF, and NYFF, so check back for our reviews.
The Cathedral (Ricky D’Ambrose; Sept. 2)
What makes the fabric of our upbringing? The memories we’ll reflect on after those years have passed are often not what we...
- 8/25/2022
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Elvis (Baz Luhrmann)
Few filmmakers embrace artistic dichotomy like Baz Luhrmann. The Australian writer-director known for epic, ornate, long-gestating projects has become synonymous with both extravagant innovation and chaotic fluff. He is a walking, talking, directing state of creative contrast. “Six films into his career” might make it seem like he’s a relative newcomer, but Luhrmann’s been helming giant features since his 1996 tropical Ed Hardy rendition of Romeo + Juliet, which pales in scintillation to Elvis. – Luke H. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
I Love My Dad (James Morosini)
Inspired by actual events, I Love My Dad contains a cringe-worthy premise that should easily fall apart, as Franklin (James Morosini), a young-ish man, should have grown up with an awareness of the term “catfishing.
Elvis (Baz Luhrmann)
Few filmmakers embrace artistic dichotomy like Baz Luhrmann. The Australian writer-director known for epic, ornate, long-gestating projects has become synonymous with both extravagant innovation and chaotic fluff. He is a walking, talking, directing state of creative contrast. “Six films into his career” might make it seem like he’s a relative newcomer, but Luhrmann’s been helming giant features since his 1996 tropical Ed Hardy rendition of Romeo + Juliet, which pales in scintillation to Elvis. – Luke H. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
I Love My Dad (James Morosini)
Inspired by actual events, I Love My Dad contains a cringe-worthy premise that should easily fall apart, as Franklin (James Morosini), a young-ish man, should have grown up with an awareness of the term “catfishing.
- 8/12/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Atomic Blonde (David Leitch)
There’s a bargain underlying the whole of Atomic Blonde, wherein director David Leitch wavers between its more cheeky qualities and its adherence to the conventions of generic spy fare. The film is, by definition, “cool” in every sense. Despite some wonky plotting best described as Diet John le Carré and a heavy-handed soundtrack that occasionally gets in its own way, Charlize Theron plows full...
Atomic Blonde (David Leitch)
There’s a bargain underlying the whole of Atomic Blonde, wherein director David Leitch wavers between its more cheeky qualities and its adherence to the conventions of generic spy fare. The film is, by definition, “cool” in every sense. Despite some wonky plotting best described as Diet John le Carré and a heavy-handed soundtrack that occasionally gets in its own way, Charlize Theron plows full...
- 10/27/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Bottle Rocket (Wes Anderson)
Wes Anderson’s feature debut, the slyly comedic Bottle Rocket, positions its heroes, three young wannabe criminals with an eye for small-scale robberies, as blind innocents, lost in the unfamiliar world of adulthood. As part of his 75-year plan, Dignan (Owen Wilson) forms a gang, consisting of himself, Anthony (Luke Wilson) who’s fresh out of a voluntary psychiatric hospital, and Bob (Robert Musgrave) who...
Bottle Rocket (Wes Anderson)
Wes Anderson’s feature debut, the slyly comedic Bottle Rocket, positions its heroes, three young wannabe criminals with an eye for small-scale robberies, as blind innocents, lost in the unfamiliar world of adulthood. As part of his 75-year plan, Dignan (Owen Wilson) forms a gang, consisting of himself, Anthony (Luke Wilson) who’s fresh out of a voluntary psychiatric hospital, and Bob (Robert Musgrave) who...
- 9/1/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
The Handmaiden (Park Chan-wook)
The Handmaiden is pure cinema — a tender, moving, utterly believable love story. It’s also a tense, unsettling, erotic masterpiece. There’s a palpable exhilaration that comes from watching this latest film from Park Chan-wook. From its four central performances and twisty script to the cinematography of Chung Chung-hoon and feverish, haunting score by Cho Young-wuk, The Handmaiden is crafted to take your breath away.
The Handmaiden (Park Chan-wook)
The Handmaiden is pure cinema — a tender, moving, utterly believable love story. It’s also a tense, unsettling, erotic masterpiece. There’s a palpable exhilaration that comes from watching this latest film from Park Chan-wook. From its four central performances and twisty script to the cinematography of Chung Chung-hoon and feverish, haunting score by Cho Young-wuk, The Handmaiden is crafted to take your breath away.
- 4/14/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Every week we dive into the cream of the crop when it comes to home releases, including Blu-ray and DVDs, as well as recommended deals of the week. Check out our rundown below and return every Tuesday for the best (or most interesting) films one can take home. Note that if you’re looking to support the site, every purchase you make through the links below helps us and is greatly appreciated.
20th Century Women (Mike Mills)
That emotional profundity most directors try to build to across an entire film? Mike Mills achieves it in every scene of 20th Century Women. There’s such a debilitating warmness to both the vibrant aesthetic and construction of its dynamic characters as Mills quickly soothes one into his story that you’re all the more caught off-guard as the flurry of emotional wallops are presented. Without ever hitting a tonal misstep, Mills’ latest...
20th Century Women (Mike Mills)
That emotional profundity most directors try to build to across an entire film? Mike Mills achieves it in every scene of 20th Century Women. There’s such a debilitating warmness to both the vibrant aesthetic and construction of its dynamic characters as Mills quickly soothes one into his story that you’re all the more caught off-guard as the flurry of emotional wallops are presented. Without ever hitting a tonal misstep, Mills’ latest...
- 3/28/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Every week we dive into the cream of the crop when it comes to home releases, including Blu-ray and DVDs, as well as recommended deals of the week. Check out our rundown below and return every Tuesday for the best (or most interesting) films one can take home. Note that if you’re looking to support the site, every purchase you make through the links below helps us and is greatly appreciated.
45 Years (Andrew Haigh)
Andrew Haigh’s third feature as a director, 45 Years, is an excellent companion piece to its 2011 predecessor, Weekend. The latter examined the inception of a potential relationship between two men over the course of a weekend, whereas its successor considers the opposite extreme. Again sticking to a tight timeframe, the film chronicles the six days leading up to a couple’s 45th wedding anniversary. Though highly accomplished, Weekend nevertheless suffered from a tendency towards commenting...
45 Years (Andrew Haigh)
Andrew Haigh’s third feature as a director, 45 Years, is an excellent companion piece to its 2011 predecessor, Weekend. The latter examined the inception of a potential relationship between two men over the course of a weekend, whereas its successor considers the opposite extreme. Again sticking to a tight timeframe, the film chronicles the six days leading up to a couple’s 45th wedding anniversary. Though highly accomplished, Weekend nevertheless suffered from a tendency towards commenting...
- 3/7/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
10 Cloverfield Lane (Dan Trachtenberg)
Forget the Cloverfield connection. The actors who were in this film didn’t even know what the title was until moments before the first trailer dropped. Producer J.J. Abrams used that branding as part of the wrapping for its promotional mystery box, but the movie stands perfectly alone from 2008’s found-footage monster picture. Hell, 10 Cloverfield Lane perhaps doesn’t even take place within the same...
10 Cloverfield Lane (Dan Trachtenberg)
Forget the Cloverfield connection. The actors who were in this film didn’t even know what the title was until moments before the first trailer dropped. Producer J.J. Abrams used that branding as part of the wrapping for its promotional mystery box, but the movie stands perfectly alone from 2008’s found-footage monster picture. Hell, 10 Cloverfield Lane perhaps doesn’t even take place within the same...
- 2/24/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
American Pastoral (Ewan McGregor)
If my limited experience with Philip Roth adaptations is any indication, his novels deal in emotion. There are existential crises concerning identity involved, each a character study about life’s impact beyond the surface experiences propelling them forward. This isn’t something easily translated from page to screen when so much consists of internalized motivation. You must really look into the text, ignoring plot to...
American Pastoral (Ewan McGregor)
If my limited experience with Philip Roth adaptations is any indication, his novels deal in emotion. There are existential crises concerning identity involved, each a character study about life’s impact beyond the surface experiences propelling them forward. This isn’t something easily translated from page to screen when so much consists of internalized motivation. You must really look into the text, ignoring plot to...
- 1/27/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
“NY84” will have a gala opening and theatrical release this October 14 at the Arena Theater in Hollywood.
A unique venue for a unique film written and directed by Cyril Morin and starring Sam Quartin, Chris Schellenger and Davy J. Marr, “NY84” follows the adventures of three young artists in the downtown New York art scene in the early 1980s. Young and carefree, Kate, Anton, and Keith party, photograph, paint, sing, and play their way through the clubs and lofts of Alphabet City.
The party ends in 1984 when Anton and Keith contract a mysterious illness known as the “gay cancer.” We gain an intimate glimpse into their creative and emotional lives as the three lose their youth and innocence.
Cyril Morin
This is a lyrical poetic paen to those times some of us were lucky enough to have lived through. The sexual revolution and its sexual freedom in effect then for the newly liberated homosexual community, also opened the way for Kate to express herself. And it opened a door for transexuals, women and the whole diversity of humanity to assert itself today.
A unique venue for a unique film written and directed by Cyril Morin and starring Sam Quartin, Chris Schellenger and Davy J. Marr, “NY84” follows the adventures of three young artists in the downtown New York art scene in the early 1980s. Young and carefree, Kate, Anton, and Keith party, photograph, paint, sing, and play their way through the clubs and lofts of Alphabet City.
The party ends in 1984 when Anton and Keith contract a mysterious illness known as the “gay cancer.” We gain an intimate glimpse into their creative and emotional lives as the three lose their youth and innocence.
Cyril Morin
This is a lyrical poetic paen to those times some of us were lucky enough to have lived through. The sexual revolution and its sexual freedom in effect then for the newly liberated homosexual community, also opened the way for Kate to express herself. And it opened a door for transexuals, women and the whole diversity of humanity to assert itself today.
- 9/30/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Every week we dive into the cream of the crop when it comes to home releases, including Blu-ray and DVDs, as well as recommended deals of the week. Check out our rundown below and return every Tuesday for the best (or most interesting) films one can take home. Note that if you’re looking to support the site, every purchase you make through the links below helps us and is greatly appreciated.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Marielle Heller)
Writer-director Marie Heller paints an accurate, honest, and vibrant portrait of her young protagonist, Minnie (Bel Powley), in The Diary of a Teenage Girl. With the use of some beautiful hand-drawn animation, an enlightening and funny narration, and Powley’s versatile performance, this is about as intimate as a subjective picture gets. We experience the world as this young girl does. What’s exciting for Minnie feels truly exciting, and...
The Diary of a Teenage Girl (Marielle Heller)
Writer-director Marie Heller paints an accurate, honest, and vibrant portrait of her young protagonist, Minnie (Bel Powley), in The Diary of a Teenage Girl. With the use of some beautiful hand-drawn animation, an enlightening and funny narration, and Powley’s versatile performance, this is about as intimate as a subjective picture gets. We experience the world as this young girl does. What’s exciting for Minnie feels truly exciting, and...
- 1/19/2016
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
After discussing the year’s breakthrough directors, it’s time to traverse to the other side of the camera. Whether it’s their very first performances or a talent who’s been seen in a variety of features yet, for whatever reason, hadn’t been allowed to command the screen, this year’s breakthrough actors are an eclectic group. Ranging from some of the highest-grossing features of the year to minuscule independent dramas, check out our rundown of a dozen breakthrough actors that left the biggest impression on us in 2015.
Christopher Abbott (James White)
In the five months found within James White, our title character is at the most difficult chapter of his life thus far. Grieving the loss of his father and attempting to assist his ailing mother, the drama authentically depicts the brutality of the process. Commanding every scene of the film — and in most sequences, nearly all...
Christopher Abbott (James White)
In the five months found within James White, our title character is at the most difficult chapter of his life thus far. Grieving the loss of his father and attempting to assist his ailing mother, the drama authentically depicts the brutality of the process. Commanding every scene of the film — and in most sequences, nearly all...
- 12/21/2015
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
Kaitlyn Bristowe is the Bachelorette! She charmed her way into the hearts of the Bachelor Nation – and nearly the Bachelor himself, Chris Soules, on season 19 of The Bachelor. Now Kaitlyn has begun her own journey to love.
There You Have It!!! I can finally say that I, Kaitlyn Bristowe, am the Bachelorette. What a whirlwind. When Chris Harrison told me the news, of course I was excited. But the first thing that came to mind was, 'How is Britt?' I wanted to run to her and give her a huge hug and make sure she was okay. Britt is a strong woman,...
There You Have It!!! I can finally say that I, Kaitlyn Bristowe, am the Bachelorette. What a whirlwind. When Chris Harrison told me the news, of course I was excited. But the first thing that came to mind was, 'How is Britt?' I wanted to run to her and give her a huge hug and make sure she was okay. Britt is a strong woman,...
- 5/20/2015
- by Kaitlyn Bristowe, @kaitlynbristowe
- People.com - TV Watch
Kaitlyn Bristowe charmed her way into the hearts of the Bachelor Nation – and nearly the Bachelor himself, Chris Soules, on season 19 of The Bachelor. Now Kaitlyn hopes to begin her own journey to love as the next Bachelorette.
Well … if you would have told this edgy little gal a year ago that I would be writing a blog for People as one of two Bachelorettes duking it out against each other for love, I would have done my fat man laugh. I would think you were nuts, but here I am!
When I was approached with the idea of two Bachelorettes,...
Well … if you would have told this edgy little gal a year ago that I would be writing a blog for People as one of two Bachelorettes duking it out against each other for love, I would have done my fat man laugh. I would think you were nuts, but here I am!
When I was approached with the idea of two Bachelorettes,...
- 5/19/2015
- by Kaitlyn Bristowe, @kaitlynbristowe
- People.com - TV Watch
Now that "Mad Men" is over, "The Bachelorette" is ready to take its place as the best show on television. And by best we clearly mean most shamelessly Iq-reducing. But we're not here to judge, we're here to be the jury and pass stiff sentences against the clowns (that means you, Ryan M.) who showed up on Season 11's premiere to try and date Kaitlyn Bristowe, Britt Nilsson or whoever else showed up. We find most of them guilty of cringe-inducing silliness (not you, Joshua, Ian, Ben Z, Joe, Shawn B....) and sentence them to loving ridicule in this list. The official Bachelorette -- either Kaitlyn or Britt -- will be revealed Tuesday night in another hour special, but here are 13 highlights/lowlights from May 18's drunken, *dramatic,* and painfully awkward first episode.
1. Ryan Gets Drunk, Says Dumb Stuff
Ryan M. both won and lost the night for the same reason: He was That Guy.
1. Ryan Gets Drunk, Says Dumb Stuff
Ryan M. both won and lost the night for the same reason: He was That Guy.
- 5/19/2015
- by Gina Carbone
- Moviefone
Directed by French composer turned filmmakers Cyril Morin, this unique romance had it's market debut in Berlin at the European Film Market. The film was produced by Paris-based company Media in Sync. Rights for all territories are still available.
Here is the official synopsis:
“Hacker’s Game” is a love story between two hackers, Soyan and Loise. Like many other hackers, Soyan works for a company he previously hacked. This “online security” firm runs covert activities for high-profile clients around the world.
Loise is a cyber-detective who investigates war crimes for a human rights organization. Obsessed with the truth, she also has spent years searching for an unknown person. The two hackers meet on a rooftop and bond together through a virtual chess game. But Soyan’s employer, Russell Belial, has asked him to protect the same arms-dealer that Loise is determined to help to capture.
Who will call the game now? What is Soyan’s real goal? The pair embarks upon an intense but dangerous romance, playing an elaborate game of deception. After being in a virtual world, will Soyan and Loise risk everything for true love?
Here is a recent interview with director Cyril Morin
How did you develop the story for "Hacker’s Game"?
After I shot my first feature film, The Activist, which took place in 1973, I wanted to direct a contemporary story with young people trying to connect emotionally in the wired world of Internet and smartphones. I wanted to do something with timely significance just a couple years in the future.
I also was following how the media depicts hackers. The most common news story revolves around whether they are heroes or traitors. However, I was more interested in their motivations. What drives an intelligent young person to spend all his time hacking into a top-secret database to reveal something to the public? Why have several young hackers died just before they planned to release information?
Is the film a techno-thriller or a love story?
The film is a love story at first. The “techno thriller” is more the background of the film. However, technology plays a big part in the love story. It is the only means for Loise and Soyan to come together. They have difficulty expressing their feelings directly because computers mediate everything they do.
So they use technology as a shield to hide behind, staying on the Internet to avoid the real world. Their relationship begins as a sort of game as they court each other through a virtual chess simulator. Real love is a new feeling for them. Soyan and Loise eventually break through into reality and discover themselves. But it might be too late…
How does your view of the Internet shape the film?
As with many people, the Internet has become a basic part of my life. However, I am not unaware of how it can distort reality. Online information can be faked and manipulated. How do we believe what we are reading? I am suspicious of anything I can’t confirm from multiple reliable sources.
Nowadays, there is a lot of controversy about how big companies like Google or Facebook spy on their users and this is quite an important theme in the movie.
I am scared about a future where facts can be changed for political gain or to manipulate people. We already know how leaders rewrite history quite willingly.
Tell us about the look of the movie.
I decided from the very beginning never to put a computer display on screen. By not providing that visual aid, the viewer is forced to focus on the characters and everything that is happening offline. Visually, I represent the Internet with sequences in the film in which terabytes of data flow through cables. We also have graphics that represent data clouds when text messages are sent. These elements show how technology has become more virtual than ever.
I experimented with black light during certain sequences where Loise and Soyan put on these virtual reality cyber-glasses. I wanted to set apart these scenes in a tangible way for the audience. We don’t know what they are seeing through the glasses. It could be a battlefield, an erotic game, or both.
The look is styled like a comic book with a more digital, futuristic edge. With Pitof, we experienced with a lot of innovative visual textures for the movie during post-production.
How did you work with the actors?
It was a very interesting process. Though I wanted to work again with actors I worked with before, the biggest challenge was finding the leads for Soyan and Loise. After completing the script, I found Soyan among 2500 headshots. With Chris Schellenger (from Paul Schrader’s "The Canyons"), we did a lot of workshopping to develop the character of Soyan.
For Loise’s character, I looked at some French actresses in Los Angeles but none of them quite worked for various reasons. It drove me crazy. Then, by chance, I met Pom Klementieff (Old Boy, Spike Lee) at a friend’s dinner party. It took only a few days for me to come back and cast her. Then I discovered her own biography was very close to that of Loise’s character. When I put Chris and Pom together to rehearse a scene, I knew I had my couple.
I spent three months on pre-production so we could do a lot of rehearsals. Then I rewrote a lot of the script based on it. Actually, that was a benefit for the crew on the shoot because we already figured out the scene through the rehearsal process.
Tell us about shooting "Hacker’s Game. "
I feel I didn’t shoot a movie as much as I hacked a movie. Movies usually involve a heavy footprint. But digital technology is changing everything. We had a small crew that took on an ambitious shooting schedule. Mobility was key because we had such a crazy schedule (we shot around seven scenes a day). Besides an efficient team, the Canon C300 camera helped a great deal. It works in low light so we didn’t need a lot of huge lighting gear.
How did you work with the crew?
Romain Wilhelm is a young talented Dp. Hacker’s Game was his first feature film. It was important to me to have a lot of young people in the crew so they could be on the same wavelength with the story. It was a bit of a “rock’n’roll” set and we had a lot of laughs as well as some tense moments.
The crew also was geographically diverse. Besides Americans, we had people from France, Japan, Romania, Belgium, Israel, Korea, etc... Just like the Internet, there were no borders. Amza Moglan, the second unit camera on the film, finished the edit after some difficulties with the first cut. Amza got all the emotional textures I wanted in the film and knew all the shots perfectly since he was on set for the entire shoot.
What about the music? You are also a film composer.
From the very beginning I planned to use music from a Los Angeles band “Seven Saturday.” I needed a fresh sound and real songs to go to with the love story. I remixed their songs to fit with the soundtrack and I did the rest of the score myself. It took me a long time to find the right feeling for the soundtrack. You know what an orchestra will sound like but you have to invent all the sounds with electronic music. I had a very precise idea how to mix those sounds with electric guitars. But there is no code and no rules. I had to reinvent my own music.
“I feel I didn’t shoot a movie as much as I hacked a movie”.
About the Director
Cyril Morin became a director on the side of a successful international career as a film composer with almost 100 soundtracks to his name. His music has won awards at numerous festivals and received acclaim from the international press. Among many honors, he was a nominee at the European Film Awards, the World Soundtrack Award and recently at the Jerry Goldsmith Awards.
He naturally became familiar with how films are produced and directed. He produced music videos before proceeding to direct his first short film Homere (1995) with footage from film archives. He also co-wrote and produced a documentary The Spirit of the Water (1995), a tribute to the Surfrider Foundation.
In 2011, he directed the short film The Application Cafe. Shot in the Californian desert, the sci-fi drama is a mythological interpretation of America.
In 2012, he wrote and directed The Activist, a thriller about political unrest by Native Americans at Wounded Knee. With nods to Brando, Nixon, and Vietnam, the film recreates the paranoid culture of the 1970s. This movie has already screened at festivals in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Stuttgart, Sedona and Byron Bay, Australia.
He recently completed his second feature film, "Hacker’s Game" (2013), a love story between two cyber-adventurers, starring Pom Klementieff (Spike Lee’s "Old Boy") , Chris Schellenger (Paul Schrader’s "The Canyons") and King Orba ("3:10 to Yuma").
Filmography:
"Hacker’s Game" / Feature Film, 2014, France/U.S.A. (Director, Writer, Producer)
"The Activist" / Feature Film, 2013, France/ U.S.A. (Director, Writer, Producer)
Festivals: American Indian Film Festival/ USA (Best feature film & Two Best Actor Nominations) - Valley Film Festival, North Hollywood/ USA - Das Nordamerika Film Festival - Stuttgart/ Germany (Best feature film nomination) - Sedona Film Festival, USA - Byron Bay Film Festival, Australia
"The Application Cafe" / Short Film, 2012, U.S.A. (Director, Writer, Producer)
Festivals: USA Film Awards, Dallas (Finalist) - Holly shorts Film Festival, Los Angeles - Short Film Corner, Cannes Film Festival -...
Here is the official synopsis:
“Hacker’s Game” is a love story between two hackers, Soyan and Loise. Like many other hackers, Soyan works for a company he previously hacked. This “online security” firm runs covert activities for high-profile clients around the world.
Loise is a cyber-detective who investigates war crimes for a human rights organization. Obsessed with the truth, she also has spent years searching for an unknown person. The two hackers meet on a rooftop and bond together through a virtual chess game. But Soyan’s employer, Russell Belial, has asked him to protect the same arms-dealer that Loise is determined to help to capture.
Who will call the game now? What is Soyan’s real goal? The pair embarks upon an intense but dangerous romance, playing an elaborate game of deception. After being in a virtual world, will Soyan and Loise risk everything for true love?
Here is a recent interview with director Cyril Morin
How did you develop the story for "Hacker’s Game"?
After I shot my first feature film, The Activist, which took place in 1973, I wanted to direct a contemporary story with young people trying to connect emotionally in the wired world of Internet and smartphones. I wanted to do something with timely significance just a couple years in the future.
I also was following how the media depicts hackers. The most common news story revolves around whether they are heroes or traitors. However, I was more interested in their motivations. What drives an intelligent young person to spend all his time hacking into a top-secret database to reveal something to the public? Why have several young hackers died just before they planned to release information?
Is the film a techno-thriller or a love story?
The film is a love story at first. The “techno thriller” is more the background of the film. However, technology plays a big part in the love story. It is the only means for Loise and Soyan to come together. They have difficulty expressing their feelings directly because computers mediate everything they do.
So they use technology as a shield to hide behind, staying on the Internet to avoid the real world. Their relationship begins as a sort of game as they court each other through a virtual chess simulator. Real love is a new feeling for them. Soyan and Loise eventually break through into reality and discover themselves. But it might be too late…
How does your view of the Internet shape the film?
As with many people, the Internet has become a basic part of my life. However, I am not unaware of how it can distort reality. Online information can be faked and manipulated. How do we believe what we are reading? I am suspicious of anything I can’t confirm from multiple reliable sources.
Nowadays, there is a lot of controversy about how big companies like Google or Facebook spy on their users and this is quite an important theme in the movie.
I am scared about a future where facts can be changed for political gain or to manipulate people. We already know how leaders rewrite history quite willingly.
Tell us about the look of the movie.
I decided from the very beginning never to put a computer display on screen. By not providing that visual aid, the viewer is forced to focus on the characters and everything that is happening offline. Visually, I represent the Internet with sequences in the film in which terabytes of data flow through cables. We also have graphics that represent data clouds when text messages are sent. These elements show how technology has become more virtual than ever.
I experimented with black light during certain sequences where Loise and Soyan put on these virtual reality cyber-glasses. I wanted to set apart these scenes in a tangible way for the audience. We don’t know what they are seeing through the glasses. It could be a battlefield, an erotic game, or both.
The look is styled like a comic book with a more digital, futuristic edge. With Pitof, we experienced with a lot of innovative visual textures for the movie during post-production.
How did you work with the actors?
It was a very interesting process. Though I wanted to work again with actors I worked with before, the biggest challenge was finding the leads for Soyan and Loise. After completing the script, I found Soyan among 2500 headshots. With Chris Schellenger (from Paul Schrader’s "The Canyons"), we did a lot of workshopping to develop the character of Soyan.
For Loise’s character, I looked at some French actresses in Los Angeles but none of them quite worked for various reasons. It drove me crazy. Then, by chance, I met Pom Klementieff (Old Boy, Spike Lee) at a friend’s dinner party. It took only a few days for me to come back and cast her. Then I discovered her own biography was very close to that of Loise’s character. When I put Chris and Pom together to rehearse a scene, I knew I had my couple.
I spent three months on pre-production so we could do a lot of rehearsals. Then I rewrote a lot of the script based on it. Actually, that was a benefit for the crew on the shoot because we already figured out the scene through the rehearsal process.
Tell us about shooting "Hacker’s Game. "
I feel I didn’t shoot a movie as much as I hacked a movie. Movies usually involve a heavy footprint. But digital technology is changing everything. We had a small crew that took on an ambitious shooting schedule. Mobility was key because we had such a crazy schedule (we shot around seven scenes a day). Besides an efficient team, the Canon C300 camera helped a great deal. It works in low light so we didn’t need a lot of huge lighting gear.
How did you work with the crew?
Romain Wilhelm is a young talented Dp. Hacker’s Game was his first feature film. It was important to me to have a lot of young people in the crew so they could be on the same wavelength with the story. It was a bit of a “rock’n’roll” set and we had a lot of laughs as well as some tense moments.
The crew also was geographically diverse. Besides Americans, we had people from France, Japan, Romania, Belgium, Israel, Korea, etc... Just like the Internet, there were no borders. Amza Moglan, the second unit camera on the film, finished the edit after some difficulties with the first cut. Amza got all the emotional textures I wanted in the film and knew all the shots perfectly since he was on set for the entire shoot.
What about the music? You are also a film composer.
From the very beginning I planned to use music from a Los Angeles band “Seven Saturday.” I needed a fresh sound and real songs to go to with the love story. I remixed their songs to fit with the soundtrack and I did the rest of the score myself. It took me a long time to find the right feeling for the soundtrack. You know what an orchestra will sound like but you have to invent all the sounds with electronic music. I had a very precise idea how to mix those sounds with electric guitars. But there is no code and no rules. I had to reinvent my own music.
“I feel I didn’t shoot a movie as much as I hacked a movie”.
About the Director
Cyril Morin became a director on the side of a successful international career as a film composer with almost 100 soundtracks to his name. His music has won awards at numerous festivals and received acclaim from the international press. Among many honors, he was a nominee at the European Film Awards, the World Soundtrack Award and recently at the Jerry Goldsmith Awards.
He naturally became familiar with how films are produced and directed. He produced music videos before proceeding to direct his first short film Homere (1995) with footage from film archives. He also co-wrote and produced a documentary The Spirit of the Water (1995), a tribute to the Surfrider Foundation.
In 2011, he directed the short film The Application Cafe. Shot in the Californian desert, the sci-fi drama is a mythological interpretation of America.
In 2012, he wrote and directed The Activist, a thriller about political unrest by Native Americans at Wounded Knee. With nods to Brando, Nixon, and Vietnam, the film recreates the paranoid culture of the 1970s. This movie has already screened at festivals in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Stuttgart, Sedona and Byron Bay, Australia.
He recently completed his second feature film, "Hacker’s Game" (2013), a love story between two cyber-adventurers, starring Pom Klementieff (Spike Lee’s "Old Boy") , Chris Schellenger (Paul Schrader’s "The Canyons") and King Orba ("3:10 to Yuma").
Filmography:
"Hacker’s Game" / Feature Film, 2014, France/U.S.A. (Director, Writer, Producer)
"The Activist" / Feature Film, 2013, France/ U.S.A. (Director, Writer, Producer)
Festivals: American Indian Film Festival/ USA (Best feature film & Two Best Actor Nominations) - Valley Film Festival, North Hollywood/ USA - Das Nordamerika Film Festival - Stuttgart/ Germany (Best feature film nomination) - Sedona Film Festival, USA - Byron Bay Film Festival, Australia
"The Application Cafe" / Short Film, 2012, U.S.A. (Director, Writer, Producer)
Festivals: USA Film Awards, Dallas (Finalist) - Holly shorts Film Festival, Los Angeles - Short Film Corner, Cannes Film Festival -...
- 3/5/2015
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Could the next Bachelor be one of these three guys? Maybe! Though Andi Dorfman's season of The Bachelorette has been "tame" compared to previous seasons, at least according to host Chris Harrison, a few of her former suitors have definitely captured the attention of Bachelor Nation, with many fans rooting for them to become ABC's next Bachelor. E! News chatted with three of the most popular picks, Marquel, Marcus and Chris S., at the taping of tonight's Men Tell All special, and found out if they'd be interested in being the one to hand out roses next season... "Am I opposed to it? Absolutely not," Marquel, who will next be seen on Bachelor in Paradise, said to us...
- 7/21/2014
- E! Online
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