Having achieved the unprecedented feat of having a film in our top 20 of last year and the same film in our top five of this year with his astounding Pacifiction, expectations are certainly high for the next feature from Albert Serra.
It’s now been announced Serra will begin production this summer on his next film Out of This World, with a 2025 premiere in store. The project will find him tackling modern international relations head-on, as the synopsis reveals: “An American delegation travels to Russia in the midst of the Ukrainian war to try to find a solution to an economic dispute linked to sanctions. Out Of This World explores the eternal rivalry between Russia and the USA.”
“As is often the case, one of the year’s most compelling films comes in the form of one of its most unrelatable stories: the lonesome, lingering descent of a seasoned French...
It’s now been announced Serra will begin production this summer on his next film Out of This World, with a 2025 premiere in store. The project will find him tackling modern international relations head-on, as the synopsis reveals: “An American delegation travels to Russia in the midst of the Ukrainian war to try to find a solution to an economic dispute linked to sanctions. Out Of This World explores the eternal rivalry between Russia and the USA.”
“As is often the case, one of the year’s most compelling films comes in the form of one of its most unrelatable stories: the lonesome, lingering descent of a seasoned French...
- 12/20/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The power of Lou Reed’s “Perfect Day” stems from its restraint: a piano’s torch song, nearly Sinatra-like; the singer’s nasal-mush baritone, divinely. Strings with schmaltz and a gentle tension at the close: “you’re going to reap just what you sow.” Especially after its inclusion in Trainspotting, critics have read it as an ode to the rapture-wash of heroin as much as the accounting of a love affair. Obtuse even at his most generous, Reed denied the double-meaning: “That’s a lovely song,” he told NME in 1973. “A description of a very straightforward affair.” Of course it’s both; the regular is always sublime, and vice-versa.
Reed’s song once again finds itself informing the moving image, lending sentiment and name to Wim Wenders’ newest narrative feature, Perfect Days. With Neon releasing the film in December, a trailer is now available.
Following its premiere at Cannes...
Reed’s song once again finds itself informing the moving image, lending sentiment and name to Wim Wenders’ newest narrative feature, Perfect Days. With Neon releasing the film in December, a trailer is now available.
Following its premiere at Cannes...
- 11/9/2023
- by Frank Falisi
- The Film Stage
As we enter the final months of the year, we’ll soon be unveiling our favorite cinema in a variety of distinctions and categories, leading up to our best films of the year list. In the meantime, it’s time to play catch up. Along with our updated lists of the best films playing in theaters and weekly streaming picks, we’re taking a look at the offerings of November: historical epics, riveting documentaries, impressive debuts, and the return of one of the most imaginative filmmakers to ever contribute to the craft.
15. Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli; Nov. 10 limited)
In a rare feat, Kristoffer Borgli premiered his second U.S. release of the year after the jet-black Norwegian comedy Sick of Myself. Teaming him with Nicolas Cage, the Ari Aster-produced Dream Scenario premiered at TIFF and I found at least the first half to be quite an entertaining, sharp Kaufman-esque psychological character study.
15. Dream Scenario (Kristoffer Borgli; Nov. 10 limited)
In a rare feat, Kristoffer Borgli premiered his second U.S. release of the year after the jet-black Norwegian comedy Sick of Myself. Teaming him with Nicolas Cage, the Ari Aster-produced Dream Scenario premiered at TIFF and I found at least the first half to be quite an entertaining, sharp Kaufman-esque psychological character study.
- 11/1/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
With Michael Mann finally returning to feature filmmaking this fall with Ferrari, which is enjoying a festival run ahead of its Christmas debut, the filmmaker is eying what to do next. It seems like an Adam Driver-led Heat 2 is very much in the cards––though one wonders if WB’s greenlit status will be dependent on the success of Ferrari. In the meantime, the director is also developing another project.
Variety reports the Miami Vice helmer is working on an adaptation of Ryoo Seung-wan’s 2015 crime thriller Veteran, a massive hit in South Korea as it is currently the 5th-highest-grossing film in the country. The crowd-pleaser follows a detective who is tracking down a young, wealthy, and privileged business owner who is running his own crime syndicate.
Currently in the development stage, it’s not decided yet if Mann will just produce and script or direct the project himself.
Variety reports the Miami Vice helmer is working on an adaptation of Ryoo Seung-wan’s 2015 crime thriller Veteran, a massive hit in South Korea as it is currently the 5th-highest-grossing film in the country. The crowd-pleaser follows a detective who is tracking down a young, wealthy, and privileged business owner who is running his own crime syndicate.
Currently in the development stage, it’s not decided yet if Mann will just produce and script or direct the project himself.
- 11/1/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Did you know a new David Fincher film opens today? It’s the first time in nearly a decade––November 2020 release Mank sure wasn’t a viable theatrical entity––but as a Netflix joint, The Killer gets a limited (albeit bigger-than-usual) release; unless you live in a major city or have a canny local programmer, it’s another two weeks of waiting until streaming.
To remind you one stage of release begins today and another in a fortnight, Netflix have released a new trailer––one I won’t watch after making it this far without seeing a full second of footage and because I’m lucky enough to have a nearby theater playing it. And especially when we recommend the Michael Fassbender-led, globe-hopping assassin story, with Luke Hicks writing out of Venice, “It’s the latest chapter in Fincher’s long history with Netflix, and while easily suited to...
To remind you one stage of release begins today and another in a fortnight, Netflix have released a new trailer––one I won’t watch after making it this far without seeing a full second of footage and because I’m lucky enough to have a nearby theater playing it. And especially when we recommend the Michael Fassbender-led, globe-hopping assassin story, with Luke Hicks writing out of Venice, “It’s the latest chapter in Fincher’s long history with Netflix, and while easily suited to...
- 10/27/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
In a busy festival season, one’s forgiven for not noticing Steve McQueen made a four-and-a-half-hour documentary about the city of Amsterdam vis-a-vis dueling histories: the Nazi occupation and its precarious place amidst pandemic life. Not quite the crowd-pleaser of May December, nor even an epic with Killers of the Flower Moon‘s entertainment value. A24, however, are putting their weight behind Occupied City, releasing it on December 25 and giving us our first look today.
Although I’m hugely intrigued by what already seems a glut of gorgeous footage and views, our own Luke Hicks was a bit underwhelmed out of Cannes. As he said, “McQueen is one of the best directors working, so it should come as no surprise that expectations were high. Even an hour in, understanding the concept and recognizing its limitations, I expected him to reveal something to us that he’d discovered in the process...
Although I’m hugely intrigued by what already seems a glut of gorgeous footage and views, our own Luke Hicks was a bit underwhelmed out of Cannes. As he said, “McQueen is one of the best directors working, so it should come as no surprise that expectations were high. Even an hour in, understanding the concept and recognizing its limitations, I expected him to reveal something to us that he’d discovered in the process...
- 10/24/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
After years of rumors, confirmations, production, post-production, waiting for release news, a Cannes premiere, and two-week theatrical delay, we might abstain from watching any more of Killers of the Flower Moon before its (IMAX) opening on October 20. Apple and Paramount, however, would perhaps like to recoup the $200 million (minimum) they’ve spent and are accordingly marketing Martin Scorsese’s latest forwards and backwards, today releasing a “final trailer” (though no harm and no foul if something else falls from their pockets).
As is, we have it on good authority the movie’s great. (I’m also happy to use the photo of Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in those huge fucking hats.) As Luke Hicks said in his review, “Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon makes no mistake about who is at the center of its tragedy: the Osage Nation. Shot primarily on location on the reservation in Oklahoma,...
As is, we have it on good authority the movie’s great. (I’m also happy to use the photo of Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in those huge fucking hats.) As Luke Hicks said in his review, “Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon makes no mistake about who is at the center of its tragedy: the Osage Nation. Shot primarily on location on the reservation in Oklahoma,...
- 9/13/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
While Riley Keough was working on Andrea Arnold’s American Honey in South Dakota she connected with a pair of extras, Bill Reddy and Franklin Sioux Bob, and after becoming friends, decided to make her directorial debut inspired by their lives on Pine Ridge Reservation. Co-directed with Gina Gammell—co-founder of their production company, Felix Culpa––the drama premiered at Cannes Film Festival last fall and will now arrive in theaters and on VOD on July 28. Ahead of the release, the first trailer has now been released.
Here’s the synopsis: “War Pony follows the interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. At 23, Bill just wants to make something of himself. Whether it’s delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined to hustle his way to the “American Dream”. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho can’t wait to become a man. Desperate for approval from his young father,...
Here’s the synopsis: “War Pony follows the interlocking stories of two young Oglala Lakota men growing up on the Pine Ridge Reservation. At 23, Bill just wants to make something of himself. Whether it’s delivering goods or breeding Poodles, he is determined to hustle his way to the “American Dream”. Meanwhile, 12-year-old Matho can’t wait to become a man. Desperate for approval from his young father,...
- 7/12/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
We are now three months away from a new film by Martin Scorsese. The long-awaited Killers of the Flower Moon, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, and Jesse Plemons, premiered to much acclaim at Cannes Film Festival last May and now Apple and Paramount have unveiled a new trailer. The adaptation of the David Grann book by Scorsese and Eric Roth depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror.
Luke Hicks said in his review, “Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon makes no mistake about who is at the center of its tragedy: the Osage Nation. Shot primarily on location on the reservation in Oklahoma, the film opens and closes with Osage ceremonies, one mourning death and the other celebrating life, in that order. The story in-between,...
Luke Hicks said in his review, “Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon makes no mistake about who is at the center of its tragedy: the Osage Nation. Shot primarily on location on the reservation in Oklahoma, the film opens and closes with Osage ceremonies, one mourning death and the other celebrating life, in that order. The story in-between,...
- 7/5/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
While July is a bit of a lighter month for worthwhile cinematic offerings, it’s only because a trio of blockbuster hopefuls, while anticipated, are taking up so much oxygen. Thankfully, there’s still room for my favorite film of the year, a few worthwhile directorial debuts, and more. Check out my picks to see below and catch up with the best films from the first half of the year.
9. Talk to Me (Danny and Michael Philippou; July 28)
A horror hit at Sundance that was quickly snatched up by A24. John Fink said in his review, “Featuring a great premise from which to build a franchise, YouTube creators Danny and Michael Philippou’s directorial debut Talk To Me is a refreshing retread, imagining tantalizing “micro-possessions” that get stronger the more you use them. The premise is simple enough: a possessed hand that seems to have been passed down for generations...
9. Talk to Me (Danny and Michael Philippou; July 28)
A horror hit at Sundance that was quickly snatched up by A24. John Fink said in his review, “Featuring a great premise from which to build a franchise, YouTube creators Danny and Michael Philippou’s directorial debut Talk To Me is a refreshing retread, imagining tantalizing “micro-possessions” that get stronger the more you use them. The premise is simple enough: a possessed hand that seems to have been passed down for generations...
- 7/3/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Two of the best films of the year also happen to feature two of the best soundtracks of the year and as each enters a wide release today, the scores are now available to stream in full. Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City boasts an epic soundtrack of 25 songs amounting to over 70 minutes, featuring Alexandre Desplat, Jarvis Cocker, Big Crosby, Les Paul, Burl Ives, Tex Ritter, Les Baxter, and many more.
Then, Grizzly Bear’s Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen reunited to score Celine Song’s debut Past Lives, clocking in at 16 tracks around 40 minutes, also including the end credits track “Quiet Eyes” by Sharon Van Etten and Zachary Dawes. “What a pleasure it was to score this film with [Rossen] and make music I feel very connected with,” said Bear. “Celine Song is a force and had such incredible vision and execution.”
Luke Hicks said in his Cannes review of Asteroid City,...
Then, Grizzly Bear’s Christopher Bear and Daniel Rossen reunited to score Celine Song’s debut Past Lives, clocking in at 16 tracks around 40 minutes, also including the end credits track “Quiet Eyes” by Sharon Van Etten and Zachary Dawes. “What a pleasure it was to score this film with [Rossen] and make music I feel very connected with,” said Bear. “Celine Song is a force and had such incredible vision and execution.”
Luke Hicks said in his Cannes review of Asteroid City,...
- 6/23/2023
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
As we enter the final month of the year, much of our focus will be on wrapping up 2022 in cinema with a number of features. In terms of new releases, there are a number of notable offerings sneaking in at the end of the year and we’ve rounded up the essentials.
There are also a few caveats: we didn’t include a handful of stellar films that have qualifying runs and will be properly released in 2023—including One Fine Morning, Return to Seoul, and Saint Omer. And a number of Netflix titles will arrive on their platform this month, but received theatrical releases beginning last month, so they were featured on our November list.
Check out our December picks to see below.
12. The Whale (Darren Aronofsky; Dec. 9)
After wildly divisive reactions since its Venice premiere, A24’s tepid marketing for The Whale suggests they hope awards voters recognize Brendan Fraser...
There are also a few caveats: we didn’t include a handful of stellar films that have qualifying runs and will be properly released in 2023—including One Fine Morning, Return to Seoul, and Saint Omer. And a number of Netflix titles will arrive on their platform this month, but received theatrical releases beginning last month, so they were featured on our November list.
Check out our December picks to see below.
12. The Whale (Darren Aronofsky; Dec. 9)
After wildly divisive reactions since its Venice premiere, A24’s tepid marketing for The Whale suggests they hope awards voters recognize Brendan Fraser...
- 12/2/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Teaming with the great Song Kang Ho and Bae Doona, Hirokazu Kore-eda’s latest finds him heading to South Korea. Returning to Cannes Film festival earlier this year, the Japanese director’s latest work centers on baby boxes, in which parents who aren’t able to provide for their babies anonymously give them. Shot by cinematographer Hong Kyung-pyo, the first U.S. trailer has now arrived ahead of a release at the end of the month from Neon.
Luke Hicks said in his review, “Every focal character in Broker, detectives included, is without traditional family. Those who saw Kore-eda’s Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters are on familiar ground. Child-trafficking isn’t new territory for the Japanese auteur. Broker marks a thematic continuation of career-length fascination with alternative families and the legal, social, and philosophical values that paint such complicated ethical portraits of them. The director still has plenty to say,...
Luke Hicks said in his review, “Every focal character in Broker, detectives included, is without traditional family. Those who saw Kore-eda’s Palme d’Or-winning Shoplifters are on familiar ground. Child-trafficking isn’t new territory for the Japanese auteur. Broker marks a thematic continuation of career-length fascination with alternative families and the legal, social, and philosophical values that paint such complicated ethical portraits of them. The director still has plenty to say,...
- 12/2/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
If you spent much of October delving into a horror-movie marathon, November presents the perfect opportunity to catch up on new releases from last month you may have missed and are now expanding or in wider circulation—including Decision to Leave, Aftersun, TÁR, All That Breathes, Armageddon Time, The Banshees of Inisherin, and The Novelist’s Film. This month has its own formidable slate, from late-period auteur offerings to ambitious gambles to striking first-time features. Check out our picks to see below.
15. Causeway (Lila Neugebauer; Nov. 4)
Jennifer Lawrence’s sole outing this year is Causeway, which comes from first-time director Lila Neugebauer. As C.J. Prince said in his review, “It comes as a bit of a surprise to see how jarring Jennifer Lawrence’s presence is in Causeway, her new film directed by first-time filmmaker Lila Neugebauer. A subdued character drama about a soldier recovering back home after suffering a brain injury in Afghanistan,...
15. Causeway (Lila Neugebauer; Nov. 4)
Jennifer Lawrence’s sole outing this year is Causeway, which comes from first-time director Lila Neugebauer. As C.J. Prince said in his review, “It comes as a bit of a surprise to see how jarring Jennifer Lawrence’s presence is in Causeway, her new film directed by first-time filmmaker Lila Neugebauer. A subdued character drama about a soldier recovering back home after suffering a brain injury in Afghanistan,...
- 11/1/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
While it’s not the first time she’s played double duty (or beyond), having done so in Hail, Caesar!, Suspiria, and Okja, The Eternal Daughter marks the most emotionally profound and impressive use of multiple Tilda Swintons. Reteaming with Joanna Hogg once again, Swinton plays both daughter and mother in this captivating, haunting tale. Following stops at Venice, TIFF, NYFF, and BFI London, A24 will thankfully give it a release before the end of the year and now the first trailer has arrived.
Luke Hicks said in his review, “Hogg layers the horror elements in like Halloween decoration, dressing for a genealogical drama unconcerned with genre tropes outside their bearing on reality. That’s not to say there isn’t a tangible fear or dread baked in, but it’s of an existential nature—the kind that takes hold when you hear yourself organically repeating something your mother said...
Luke Hicks said in his review, “Hogg layers the horror elements in like Halloween decoration, dressing for a genealogical drama unconcerned with genre tropes outside their bearing on reality. That’s not to say there isn’t a tangible fear or dread baked in, but it’s of an existential nature—the kind that takes hold when you hear yourself organically repeating something your mother said...
- 11/1/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
While Park Chan-wook’s masterful cinematic trickery has a great deal to do with the in-camera feats he pulls off, the director also weaves in visual effects quite seamlessly. Thanks to a new VFX breakdown (courtesy of 4th Creative Party) for his new romantic mystery thriller Decision to Leave, we can get an inside look at the process.
The four-minute reel showcases how a number of locations and setpieces integrate visual effects, from the stunts on the mountaintop peak to creating a specific mood on the beach of the climactic finale. In between we can see a handful of inventive, VFX-supported camera set-ups, notably during the interrogation sequences.
Luke Hicks said in his Cannes Film Festival review, “Decision to Leave isn’t the kind of movie that benefits from too much plot description. Not for fear of spoilers. If anything it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, giving plotless...
The four-minute reel showcases how a number of locations and setpieces integrate visual effects, from the stunts on the mountaintop peak to creating a specific mood on the beach of the climactic finale. In between we can see a handful of inventive, VFX-supported camera set-ups, notably during the interrogation sequences.
Luke Hicks said in his Cannes Film Festival review, “Decision to Leave isn’t the kind of movie that benefits from too much plot description. Not for fear of spoilers. If anything it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing, giving plotless...
- 10/24/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
With about 20 minutes trimmed out, Alejandro G. Iñarritu’s first film in seven years, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, is now ready for its proper release, coming to theaters next month followed by a Netflix bow in December. Following the journey of a renowned Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker living in Los Angeles, who returns to his native country, a new trailer has now arrived for the Darius Khondji-shot drama.
Luke Hicks said in his review, “When it’s all said and done—the technical marvels elucidated, the stylistic flare appreciated, the wide-eyed self-reflection given a fair shake in retaliation to the all-too-easy critique of self-indulgence—I can’t help but wince a little at the thought of a second watch. If it’ll be great to revisit certain sequences, the thought of stomaching all three hours again so soon is grueling. In time, sure. But...
Luke Hicks said in his review, “When it’s all said and done—the technical marvels elucidated, the stylistic flare appreciated, the wide-eyed self-reflection given a fair shake in retaliation to the all-too-easy critique of self-indulgence—I can’t help but wince a little at the thought of a second watch. If it’ll be great to revisit certain sequences, the thought of stomaching all three hours again so soon is grueling. In time, sure. But...
- 10/24/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Luca Guadagnino’s first narrative feature since Suspiria, Bones and All brings together Timothée Chalamet, Taylor Russell, Michael Stuhlbarg, Mark Rylance, André Holland, Jessica Harper, Chloe Sevigny, Francesca Scorsese, and David Gordon Green for a tale of love and blood. The adaptation of Camille DeAngelis’ novel by A Bigger Splash writer Dave Kajganich follows cannibal lovers on a cross-country trip across America in the 1980s and ahead of a stop at NYFF and November release, the first trailer has arrived.
Luke Hicks said in his review, “The last narrative feature Luca Guadagnino directed was a 2018 remake of Suspiria, and his angle was vicious—a dark, mangled body horror so carnal it leaves the original looking like an episode of Sesame Street. The year before that he exploded onto the scene with Call Me by Your Name, the heartwrenching gay Italian countryside romance that thrust Timothée Chalamet into a peach and,...
Luke Hicks said in his review, “The last narrative feature Luca Guadagnino directed was a 2018 remake of Suspiria, and his angle was vicious—a dark, mangled body horror so carnal it leaves the original looking like an episode of Sesame Street. The year before that he exploded onto the scene with Call Me by Your Name, the heartwrenching gay Italian countryside romance that thrust Timothée Chalamet into a peach and,...
- 9/29/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
One of the best films we saw at Cannes earlier this year, Brett Morgen’s David Bowie spectacle Moonage Daydream takes a hypnotic journey through the late artist’s life. Featuring Bowie’s own voice and 48 songs from his vast library, Morgen was given complete access to the artist’s personal archives and master recordings. Ahead of a September release from Neon, a new trailer has now arrived.
Luke Hicks said in his review, “Morgen accordingly takes a more surreal, hallucinatory approach to the icon, leaning into the chaos of life Bowie implores us to embrace, not flee. He employs a flurry of pop-culture imagery, animation, and clips from Bowie’s favorite works. More important is footage from Bowie’s performances, films, music videos, paintings, Broadway stint, et al. in concert with interviews (no talking heads), sound bites, and quote cards to flesh out his foundational philosophies. The idea is...
Luke Hicks said in his review, “Morgen accordingly takes a more surreal, hallucinatory approach to the icon, leaning into the chaos of life Bowie implores us to embrace, not flee. He employs a flurry of pop-culture imagery, animation, and clips from Bowie’s favorite works. More important is footage from Bowie’s performances, films, music videos, paintings, Broadway stint, et al. in concert with interviews (no talking heads), sound bites, and quote cards to flesh out his foundational philosophies. The idea is...
- 7/27/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
With Cannes Film Festival now wrapped up, next comes the most pressing related update: when we can actually see the films in theaters. Aside from the likes of David Cronenberg and George Miller, it looks like most are waiting until the fall to roll out and now confirmation has come in when Mubi will be releasing Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave. The distributor has announced an October 14, 2022 theatrical bow in the U.S. and U.K. for the romantic noir thriller, followed by a late 2022 streaming release on Mubi. As the film rolls out in South Korea at the end of this month, a new international trailer has now arrived.
Luke Hicks said in his Cannes Film Festival review, “Decision to Leave isn’t the kind of movie that benefits from too much plot description. Not for fear of spoilers. If anything it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing,...
Luke Hicks said in his Cannes Film Festival review, “Decision to Leave isn’t the kind of movie that benefits from too much plot description. Not for fear of spoilers. If anything it’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing,...
- 6/13/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Returning to its standard May slot for the first time in two years, the 75th edition of the Cannes Film Festival has now concluded, with a familiar Swede taking home top honors. While our coverage will continue over the next week or so—and far beyond as we provide updates on the journey of these selections—we’ve asked our contributors on the ground to share favorites.
See their picks below, and explore all of our coverage here.
Leonardo Goi (@LeonardoGoi)
1. Pacifiction (Albert Serra)
2. Showing Up (Kelly Reichardt)
3. One Fine Morning (Mia Hansen-Løve)
4. Enys Men (Mark Jenkin)
5. Decision to Leave (Park Chan-wook)
6. The Fabric of the Human Body (Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel)
7. Eo (Jerzy Skolimowski)
8. Triangle of Sadness (Ruben Östlund)
9. Scarlet (Pietro Marcello)
10. Funny Pages (Owen Kline)
Luke Hicks (@lou_hicks)
1. Moonage Daydream (Brett Morgen)
2. Pacifiction (Albert Serra)
3. Eo (Jerzy Skolimowski)
4. Triangle of Sadness (Ruben Östlund)
5. Aftersun (Charlotte Wells...
See their picks below, and explore all of our coverage here.
Leonardo Goi (@LeonardoGoi)
1. Pacifiction (Albert Serra)
2. Showing Up (Kelly Reichardt)
3. One Fine Morning (Mia Hansen-Løve)
4. Enys Men (Mark Jenkin)
5. Decision to Leave (Park Chan-wook)
6. The Fabric of the Human Body (Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel)
7. Eo (Jerzy Skolimowski)
8. Triangle of Sadness (Ruben Östlund)
9. Scarlet (Pietro Marcello)
10. Funny Pages (Owen Kline)
Luke Hicks (@lou_hicks)
1. Moonage Daydream (Brett Morgen)
2. Pacifiction (Albert Serra)
3. Eo (Jerzy Skolimowski)
4. Triangle of Sadness (Ruben Östlund)
5. Aftersun (Charlotte Wells...
- 5/31/2022
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.
And today we talk about Handsome Hawke himself – Ethan Hawke! The multi-hyphenate has made a career out of B-Sides, and today we choose four: Great Expectations, Snow Falling on Cedars, Tape, and Predestination. Conor and I are lucky to have the great Luke Hicks along for the ride.
We discuss the early films of Hawke, the hotness of “Shark Hunter Hawke” in Great Expectations, his movie star run in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, and his diverse pivot into character work up to and including the present.
There’s also talk of Hawke’s directorial career, some debate over is the deliberate pace of Snow Falling on Cedars actually works, and this in-depth piece on Predestination.
For more from The B-Side,...
And today we talk about Handsome Hawke himself – Ethan Hawke! The multi-hyphenate has made a career out of B-Sides, and today we choose four: Great Expectations, Snow Falling on Cedars, Tape, and Predestination. Conor and I are lucky to have the great Luke Hicks along for the ride.
We discuss the early films of Hawke, the hotness of “Shark Hunter Hawke” in Great Expectations, his movie star run in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s, and his diverse pivot into character work up to and including the present.
There’s also talk of Hawke’s directorial career, some debate over is the deliberate pace of Snow Falling on Cedars actually works, and this in-depth piece on Predestination.
For more from The B-Side,...
- 4/8/2022
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
While our massive, 50-film fall preview will give you an overview of what we’re looking forward to for the next four months, we’ll still be diving deeper in our monthly previews. While much of September is dedicated to coverage from Venice, TIFF, and NYFF, there’s still plenty of worthwhile new releases to check––including a few from the aforementioned festivals.
14. The Mad Women’s Ball (Mélanie Laurent; Sept. 17 on Amazon Prime)
Along with her impressive acting career, Mélanie Laurent has proven to be a formidable force behind the camera, particularly with Breathe. She’s now back with two features over the next two years and first up is this TIFF premiere. Set in Paris at the end of the 1800s, it concerns an independent woman who is deemed mentally unwell and institutionalized. Once inside, she desperately attempts to escape. The title refers to a year-end ball in...
14. The Mad Women’s Ball (Mélanie Laurent; Sept. 17 on Amazon Prime)
Along with her impressive acting career, Mélanie Laurent has proven to be a formidable force behind the camera, particularly with Breathe. She’s now back with two features over the next two years and first up is this TIFF premiere. Set in Paris at the end of the 1800s, it concerns an independent woman who is deemed mentally unwell and institutionalized. Once inside, she desperately attempts to escape. The title refers to a year-end ball in...
- 9/1/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.
Even before “Us” enjoyed a record-shattering opening weekend, Jordan Peele’s latest horror movie had already reignited a familiar debate among critics and cinephiles: Is “elevated horror” a real thing, or is it just a reductive way of forcing a high/low hierarchy onto a genre that has always struggled to be taken seriously? Below, 17 film critics weigh in on one of the more contentious questions of contemporary cinema.
Ken Bakely (@kbake_99), Freelance for Film Pulse
In my experience, the term “elevated horror” usually confuses far more than it clarifies. There’s no single definition of what it means, thus causing obfuscation from the start, and it automatically adds an asterisk to an entire genre of movies; that is, implying that there needs to be a qualifying term for a horror movie...
Even before “Us” enjoyed a record-shattering opening weekend, Jordan Peele’s latest horror movie had already reignited a familiar debate among critics and cinephiles: Is “elevated horror” a real thing, or is it just a reductive way of forcing a high/low hierarchy onto a genre that has always struggled to be taken seriously? Below, 17 film critics weigh in on one of the more contentious questions of contemporary cinema.
Ken Bakely (@kbake_99), Freelance for Film Pulse
In my experience, the term “elevated horror” usually confuses far more than it clarifies. There’s no single definition of what it means, thus causing obfuscation from the start, and it automatically adds an asterisk to an entire genre of movies; that is, implying that there needs to be a qualifying term for a horror movie...
- 3/25/2019
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.
This week’s question: What is the best documentary about the American political system?
“13th”
Anne McCarthy (@annemitchmcc), Teen Vogue, Ms. Magazine, Bonjour Paris
Although “13th” is, in effect – at face value – about the U.S. prison system, that’s not entirely what it’s about. Ava DuVernay’s Oscar-nominated 2016 documentary illustrates with poise and punch just how the U.S. political system and the government directly contributed to the highly problematic American prison system as we know it today. From President Clinton’s “3 Strikes” rule, President Reagan’s crack-down on crack cocaine, and more, we see the correlations between political acts and overcrowded jails, wrongly convicted inmates, and young lives lost at the hands of the people who are supposed to protect them. In an ideal world, every American would see this film.
This week’s question: What is the best documentary about the American political system?
“13th”
Anne McCarthy (@annemitchmcc), Teen Vogue, Ms. Magazine, Bonjour Paris
Although “13th” is, in effect – at face value – about the U.S. prison system, that’s not entirely what it’s about. Ava DuVernay’s Oscar-nominated 2016 documentary illustrates with poise and punch just how the U.S. political system and the government directly contributed to the highly problematic American prison system as we know it today. From President Clinton’s “3 Strikes” rule, President Reagan’s crack-down on crack cocaine, and more, we see the correlations between political acts and overcrowded jails, wrongly convicted inmates, and young lives lost at the hands of the people who are supposed to protect them. In an ideal world, every American would see this film.
- 3/18/2019
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday.
This week’s question: What are your hopes for the movies of 2019?
Ken Bakely (@kbake_99), Freelance for Film Pulse
2018 was a year when movies like “Black Panther” and “Crazy Rich Asians” were deeply beloved and widely seen, genuinely making their marks as among the most prominent cultural touchstones of the year; and even smaller titles like “Love, Simon” and “To All the Boys I Loved Before” made strides for a cinematic future that’s more diverse and representative, all while being warmly embraced by audiences. In 2019, I hope that far more movies like these are made by the major studios, and that viewers continue to embrace them with great enthusiasm.
Robert Daniels (@812filmreviews), 812filmreviews, Freelance
The return of mid-budget adult filmmaking to a prominent cultural perch would be welcomed. 2018 saw exceptional films like “Annihilation,...
This week’s question: What are your hopes for the movies of 2019?
Ken Bakely (@kbake_99), Freelance for Film Pulse
2018 was a year when movies like “Black Panther” and “Crazy Rich Asians” were deeply beloved and widely seen, genuinely making their marks as among the most prominent cultural touchstones of the year; and even smaller titles like “Love, Simon” and “To All the Boys I Loved Before” made strides for a cinematic future that’s more diverse and representative, all while being warmly embraced by audiences. In 2019, I hope that far more movies like these are made by the major studios, and that viewers continue to embrace them with great enthusiasm.
Robert Daniels (@812filmreviews), 812filmreviews, Freelance
The return of mid-budget adult filmmaking to a prominent cultural perch would be welcomed. 2018 saw exceptional films like “Annihilation,...
- 1/7/2019
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
(Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film critics a question pertaining to the contemporary movie landscape.)
July 27th will see the release of “Mission: Impossible — Fallout,” a movie that Tom Cruise has improbably survived to promote. Of course, this is hardly the first time that a performer has put their life on the line for our amusement.
This week’s question: What is the best stunt you’ve ever seen in a film?
Luke Hicks (@lou_kicks), Film School Rejects, Birth.Movies.Death., Chicago Reader
It’s difficult to award the most incredible stunt to anyone but the master of all stunts: Jackie Chan. And when it comes to narrowing down the best of his best, why wouldn’t we listen to Chan himself? He is the expert after all. In his 1998 memoir “I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action,” he cites what he believes to be his best/most impressive stunt.
July 27th will see the release of “Mission: Impossible — Fallout,” a movie that Tom Cruise has improbably survived to promote. Of course, this is hardly the first time that a performer has put their life on the line for our amusement.
This week’s question: What is the best stunt you’ve ever seen in a film?
Luke Hicks (@lou_kicks), Film School Rejects, Birth.Movies.Death., Chicago Reader
It’s difficult to award the most incredible stunt to anyone but the master of all stunts: Jackie Chan. And when it comes to narrowing down the best of his best, why wouldn’t we listen to Chan himself? He is the expert after all. In his 1998 memoir “I Am Jackie Chan: My Life in Action,” he cites what he believes to be his best/most impressive stunt.
- 7/16/2018
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
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