David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust era will be chronicled in the new box set Rock ‘n’ Roll Star!, out June 14 via Parlophone Records.
The 5-cd, Blu-Ray audio set tracks the late rock star’s creation of the Ziggy Stardust character, the release of 1972’s The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, and the many U.K. radio sessions and TV appearances Bowie’s famous alter ego participated in.
The collection includes 29 unreleased tracks, from demos to outtakes to live performances. Highlights include a cover of...
The 5-cd, Blu-Ray audio set tracks the late rock star’s creation of the Ziggy Stardust character, the release of 1972’s The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars, and the many U.K. radio sessions and TV appearances Bowie’s famous alter ego participated in.
The collection includes 29 unreleased tracks, from demos to outtakes to live performances. Highlights include a cover of...
- 3/21/2024
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
An expansive new box set will chronicle David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust era. Dubbed Rock ‘n’ Roll Star!, the 5xCD/Blu-ray package is due out on June 14th through Parlophone Records (pre-order here).
Notably, Rock ‘n’ Roll Star! contains 29 unreleased tracks, including early songwriting demos, outtakes, alternate versions, rehearsal recordings, and more. Among the featured tracks are alternate versions of “Lady Stardust” and The Who’s “I Can’t Explain,” as well as an unheard version of “Shadow Man.” As a preview, you can stream a demo version of “Ziggy Stardust” from 1971 below.
A companion Blu-ray collects the 2012 remaster of the original Ziggy Stardust album in 96kHz/24bit Pcm stereo, plus the album and additional mixes from 2003 in DTS-hd Master Audio 5.1 as well as the singles, outtakes and alternative versions in 96kHz/24-bit Pcm stereo. It also boasts Waiting In The Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth), a version...
Notably, Rock ‘n’ Roll Star! contains 29 unreleased tracks, including early songwriting demos, outtakes, alternate versions, rehearsal recordings, and more. Among the featured tracks are alternate versions of “Lady Stardust” and The Who’s “I Can’t Explain,” as well as an unheard version of “Shadow Man.” As a preview, you can stream a demo version of “Ziggy Stardust” from 1971 below.
A companion Blu-ray collects the 2012 remaster of the original Ziggy Stardust album in 96kHz/24bit Pcm stereo, plus the album and additional mixes from 2003 in DTS-hd Master Audio 5.1 as well as the singles, outtakes and alternative versions in 96kHz/24-bit Pcm stereo. It also boasts Waiting In The Sky (Before The Starman Came To Earth), a version...
- 3/21/2024
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Music
Steve Harley, singer for the British glam rock act Cockney Rebel and their 1975 hit “Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me),” has died at the age of 73.
Harley’s family confirmed his death in Suffolk, England Sunday in a statement (via The Guardian), “We are devastated to announce that our wonderful husband and father has passed away peacefully at home, with his family by his side. The birdsong from his woodland that he loved so much was singing for him. His home has been filled with the sounds and laughter of his four grandchildren.
Harley’s family confirmed his death in Suffolk, England Sunday in a statement (via The Guardian), “We are devastated to announce that our wonderful husband and father has passed away peacefully at home, with his family by his side. The birdsong from his woodland that he loved so much was singing for him. His home has been filled with the sounds and laughter of his four grandchildren.
- 3/17/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Christian Bale transformed his looks and mannerisms to portray Patrick Bateman in American Psycho. And although he was playing an American, he was told the fact that he was English would only benefit his character work.
How Christian Bale’s English background helped him with ‘American Psycho’ Christian Bale | Eric Robert/Getty Images
Bale asserted he’d gotten the script while shooting another film, and was immediately drawn to the content.
“I was making Velvet Goldmine when I got the script, and just thought it was so well written with this amazing dialogue, and it was surprisingly funny. In the reviews of the book that I’d read, it was never mentioned that it was a satire,” Bale once told Dark Horizons.
It took a while before Bale could officially sign on for American Psycho, even though he was director Mary Harron’s first choice. At one point, there were...
How Christian Bale’s English background helped him with ‘American Psycho’ Christian Bale | Eric Robert/Getty Images
Bale asserted he’d gotten the script while shooting another film, and was immediately drawn to the content.
“I was making Velvet Goldmine when I got the script, and just thought it was so well written with this amazing dialogue, and it was surprisingly funny. In the reviews of the book that I’d read, it was never mentioned that it was a satire,” Bale once told Dark Horizons.
It took a while before Bale could officially sign on for American Psycho, even though he was director Mary Harron’s first choice. At one point, there were...
- 3/7/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Christine Vachon doesn’t mess around. She is a film professor, best-selling film book author, wife, mother of a film marketing professional, and most of all, producer of independent films. They’re often directed by her close friend and fellow Brown alumnus Todd Haynes. She launched her career at Sundance 1991 with her first feature film, Haynes’ “Poison,” which won the Grand Jury Prize.
Since 1995, she and her producing partner Pam Koffler’s company Killer Films has steadily produced hundreds of movies and television series. Many have won prizes and nominations over the years for the likes of Hilary Swank (“Boys Don’t Cry”), Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) and Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara (“Carol”), but this year’s Best Picture Oscar nomination for Celine Song’s “Past Lives” is Killer’s first.
New York-based Vachon was packing her bags for the Berlin International Film Festival when we spoke on Zoom, a...
Since 1995, she and her producing partner Pam Koffler’s company Killer Films has steadily produced hundreds of movies and television series. Many have won prizes and nominations over the years for the likes of Hilary Swank (“Boys Don’t Cry”), Julianne Moore (“Still Alice”) and Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara (“Carol”), but this year’s Best Picture Oscar nomination for Celine Song’s “Past Lives” is Killer’s first.
New York-based Vachon was packing her bags for the Berlin International Film Festival when we spoke on Zoom, a...
- 2/26/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Scottish star Ewan McGregor will receive this year’s Honorary Dragon Award, a lifetime achievement honor, at Sweden’s Göteborg Film Festival.
McGregor will attend the Göteborg event, which runs from Jan. 26 to Feb. 4, and will present the Nordic premiere screening of his latest feature, Mother, Couch. McGregor stars alongside Rhys Ifans and Lara Flynn Boyle as three siblings bought together when their eccentric mother, played by Ellen Burstyn, sits herself down on a couch in a vintage furniture store and refuses to get up. Directed by Swedish filmmaker Niclas Larsson, Mother, Couch is adapted from Swedish author Jerker Virdborg’s novel Mamma i soffa. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year.
McGregor will receive his Dragon Award following a screening of his 1996 breakthrough Trainspotting, after which he will participate in an onstage conversation.
“Ewan McGregor is an androgynous symbol of the Cool Britannia era, a...
McGregor will attend the Göteborg event, which runs from Jan. 26 to Feb. 4, and will present the Nordic premiere screening of his latest feature, Mother, Couch. McGregor stars alongside Rhys Ifans and Lara Flynn Boyle as three siblings bought together when their eccentric mother, played by Ellen Burstyn, sits herself down on a couch in a vintage furniture store and refuses to get up. Directed by Swedish filmmaker Niclas Larsson, Mother, Couch is adapted from Swedish author Jerker Virdborg’s novel Mamma i soffa. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last year.
McGregor will receive his Dragon Award following a screening of his 1996 breakthrough Trainspotting, after which he will participate in an onstage conversation.
“Ewan McGregor is an androgynous symbol of the Cool Britannia era, a...
- 1/4/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Iconoclastic filmmaker Todd Haynes has made a name for himself crafting stories dealing with sexuality, discrimination and pop culture. Let’s take a look back at all nine of his narrative feature films, ranked worst to best.
Haynes first came to the attention of art house audiences with “Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story” (1988), a 43-minute short which used Barbie dolls to create a startling poignant, eerie biopic. This led to his feature debut, “Poison” (1991), a milestone in the New Queer Cinema that told three different narratives exploring our reactions to human carnality.
He reaped his first Oscar nomination for “Far From Heaven” (Best Original Screenplay in 2002), a meticulous recreation of Douglas Sirk melodramas centering on a 1950’s Connecticut housewife (Julianne Moore) who falls in love with her black gardener (Dennis Haysbert) after her husband (Dennis Quaid) comes out of the closet. In addition to Haynes’ bid, the film also competed...
Haynes first came to the attention of art house audiences with “Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story” (1988), a 43-minute short which used Barbie dolls to create a startling poignant, eerie biopic. This led to his feature debut, “Poison” (1991), a milestone in the New Queer Cinema that told three different narratives exploring our reactions to human carnality.
He reaped his first Oscar nomination for “Far From Heaven” (Best Original Screenplay in 2002), a meticulous recreation of Douglas Sirk melodramas centering on a 1950’s Connecticut housewife (Julianne Moore) who falls in love with her black gardener (Dennis Haysbert) after her husband (Dennis Quaid) comes out of the closet. In addition to Haynes’ bid, the film also competed...
- 1/3/2024
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Todd Haynes is, in this writer’s opinion, one of our greatest living filmmakers. Ever since his 1987 film, Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story, a moving examination of the singer’s battle with anorexia using Barbie dolls and created while he was at Bard College, his unique voice has enraptured audiences. Safe. Velvet Goldmine. Far From Heaven. Carol. The Velvet Underground. There are too many classics to mention.
In his latest film, May December, Haynes has reunited with his muse Julianne Moore for their fifth collaboration over nearly three decades. She plays Gracie Atherton-Yoo,...
In his latest film, May December, Haynes has reunited with his muse Julianne Moore for their fifth collaboration over nearly three decades. She plays Gracie Atherton-Yoo,...
- 12/2/2023
- by Marlow Stern
- Rollingstone.com
On December 6, the 2023 IndieWire Honors ceremony will celebrate 11 filmmakers, creators, and actors for their achievements in creative independence. We’re showcasing their work with new interviews leading up to the Los Angeles event.
From Cate Blanchett’s meet-cute hat-tip to shopgirl Rooney Mara in “Carol” and Julianne Moore’s farewell on a train platform to Dennis Haysbert at the end of “Far from Heaven” to, now, Natalie Portman’s straight-to-the-camera monologue as an actress playing an actress who is also playing another role in “May December,” Todd Haynes might not see his images as destined-to-be-iconic while on set as we do on our screens. At first.
That’s partly because, for the Oscar-nominated filmmaker upon whom IndieWire Honors will bestow the Vanguard Award on December 6 in Los Angeles, “every film has been a tremendous challenge in terms of resources and time and financing. I’ve always felt that I have...
From Cate Blanchett’s meet-cute hat-tip to shopgirl Rooney Mara in “Carol” and Julianne Moore’s farewell on a train platform to Dennis Haysbert at the end of “Far from Heaven” to, now, Natalie Portman’s straight-to-the-camera monologue as an actress playing an actress who is also playing another role in “May December,” Todd Haynes might not see his images as destined-to-be-iconic while on set as we do on our screens. At first.
That’s partly because, for the Oscar-nominated filmmaker upon whom IndieWire Honors will bestow the Vanguard Award on December 6 in Los Angeles, “every film has been a tremendous challenge in terms of resources and time and financing. I’ve always felt that I have...
- 11/29/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Since the beginning of his career, Todd Haynes has made films about two things: fame and transgression. Born in 1961 to a Los Angeles family, Haynes received his Bfa in film from Bard College, where he made a short that set the tone for his filmography. Acted out using Barbie dolls, “Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story” is an unauthorized story of the real-life pop singer and her struggles with anorexia, which is permanently out of circulation thanks to a music copyright lawsuit. Looking at it today through bootleg, the movie’s study of the crushing effects of fame — and hiding misery and suffering behind a happy, plastic façade — feels like the crucible for the artist’s later fixations.
As Haynes graduated from shorts and moved to feature filmmaking, his work began splitting into two types of films. The first type can be described as the movies about ordinary people whose unhappiness...
As Haynes graduated from shorts and moved to feature filmmaking, his work began splitting into two types of films. The first type can be described as the movies about ordinary people whose unhappiness...
- 11/17/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
First reviews out of Cannes for Todd Haynes’ poisonously witty and complex new film “May December” heralded “a heartbreakingly sincere piece of high camp,” “a camp and curious pleasure,” a “camp look at an actor’s process of transformation into a character.”
But how does “camp” figure into the context of a film starring Natalie Portman as a celebrity actress studying Julianne Moore as a Southern spin on Mary Kay Letourneau, the middle school teacher who had a sexual relationship with her 12-year-old student, was convicted of rape and imprisoned, and then married and had two children with him? Portman’s character is set to play Moore’s in a new movie. Is it by virtue of seeing these two gay-iconic actresses on a set with the director of “Carol,” “Velvet Goldmine,” and “Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story,” a 1988 documentary about the ill-fated singer stop-motion-animated with Barbie dolls? Is it...
But how does “camp” figure into the context of a film starring Natalie Portman as a celebrity actress studying Julianne Moore as a Southern spin on Mary Kay Letourneau, the middle school teacher who had a sexual relationship with her 12-year-old student, was convicted of rape and imprisoned, and then married and had two children with him? Portman’s character is set to play Moore’s in a new movie. Is it by virtue of seeing these two gay-iconic actresses on a set with the director of “Carol,” “Velvet Goldmine,” and “Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story,” a 1988 documentary about the ill-fated singer stop-motion-animated with Barbie dolls? Is it...
- 11/15/2023
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Todd Haynes doesn't target "the mainstream" with his films.The 62-year-old director has helmed movies such as 'Far from Heaven' and 'May December' and thinks that his work is diverse as it originates "from the margins".Todd told the Guardian newspaper: "People have definitely put my films into thematic through-lines: films that deal with domestic stories and female subjects in one category, and films that deal with artists and musicians in another."In both, I'm interested in places where identity is called into question by circumstances or by artistic practices."But I think the thing that all directors share is that we don't really see if it's the same movie over and over: we're trying something different each time in terms of genre, setting, language or historical moment. That's why I guess it's cool to hear somebody say my films are diverse."The filmmaker added: "Another interesting thing about my movies,...
- 11/10/2023
- by Joe Graber
- Bang Showbiz
Twenty-five years ago today, Todd Haynes’ impressionistic glam-rock fantasy Velvet Goldmine hit movie theaters, offering audiences a glimpse of a short-lived era of rock defined by artists like David Bowie, Marc Bolan, and Roxy Music. Told as a Citizen Kane-like investigation into the disappearance of fictional pop star Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), the nonlinear film captured an energy and aesthetic vibrance that remains unparalleled. Its stacked cast also included Christian Bale as glam-rock fan-turned-journalist Arthur Stuart, Ewan McGregor as Iggy Pop-esque rocker Curt Wild, and Toni Collette...
- 11/6/2023
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
Ahead of the release of her new film, Doctor Jekyll, the actor and comedian talks about running for parliament, the monarchy, orgies, and what George Clooney smells like
I loved you in [the 1998 musical drama] Velvet Goldmine; a superb and disruptive movie. Did you enjoy the shooting? GasparGarcao
There’s an orgy scene which – in this very rock’n’roll way – we shot at 10am. It was a Steadicam shot, so everyone had to be acting all the time because you don’t know where the camera is looking. It was about a six-minute take where everyone was going for it in this big room. Then they go, “Cut!”, everyone stops, then someone says: “Ok, go for another take.” I was with the wonderful Emily Woof and just had to get very intimate, very quickly. You stop, mark time and go back into it.
What does George Clooney smell like? TopTramp
George Clooney smells very George Clooneyish.
I loved you in [the 1998 musical drama] Velvet Goldmine; a superb and disruptive movie. Did you enjoy the shooting? GasparGarcao
There’s an orgy scene which – in this very rock’n’roll way – we shot at 10am. It was a Steadicam shot, so everyone had to be acting all the time because you don’t know where the camera is looking. It was about a six-minute take where everyone was going for it in this big room. Then they go, “Cut!”, everyone stops, then someone says: “Ok, go for another take.” I was with the wonderful Emily Woof and just had to get very intimate, very quickly. You stop, mark time and go back into it.
What does George Clooney smell like? TopTramp
George Clooney smells very George Clooneyish.
- 10/26/2023
- by As told to Rich Pelley
- The Guardian - Film News
This story about Christine Vachon first appeared in the College Issue of TheWrap’s magazine.
Over the course of more than 30 years and 100 films, Christine Vachon has become one of the most impactful producers of independent film — and as the artistic director of the Mfa program at Stony Brook Manhattan, one of the most intriguing film educators as well. She founded her company, Killer Films, with fellow New York-based producer Pamela Koffler in 1996, five years into a career that had begun with Todd Haynes’ feature debut, “Poison,” and would go on to include every one of Haynes’ movies, among them “Velvet Goldmine,” “Far From Heaven,” “Carol” and the upcoming “May December.”
Vachon’s other films include Larry Clark’s “Kids,” Todd Solondz’s “Happiness,” John Cameron Mitchell’s “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” Kimberly Peirce’s “Boys Don’t Cry” and Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed.” She’s known for working with young and first-time directors,...
Over the course of more than 30 years and 100 films, Christine Vachon has become one of the most impactful producers of independent film — and as the artistic director of the Mfa program at Stony Brook Manhattan, one of the most intriguing film educators as well. She founded her company, Killer Films, with fellow New York-based producer Pamela Koffler in 1996, five years into a career that had begun with Todd Haynes’ feature debut, “Poison,” and would go on to include every one of Haynes’ movies, among them “Velvet Goldmine,” “Far From Heaven,” “Carol” and the upcoming “May December.”
Vachon’s other films include Larry Clark’s “Kids,” Todd Solondz’s “Happiness,” John Cameron Mitchell’s “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” Kimberly Peirce’s “Boys Don’t Cry” and Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed.” She’s known for working with young and first-time directors,...
- 10/25/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Todd Haynes says LGBTQ people in the U.S. are currently living in a “culture that just seems to be becoming more infantile in every conceivable way” and that has resulted in an “open season on queer and trans bodies, identities and youth.”
Haynes spoke about the current political and cultural climate for LGBTQ people while accepting the NewFest35 Queer Visionary Award last Thursday at New York’s Sva Theater. As the May December director sat down for a brief, career-spanning discussion ahead of the screening of his new film, he addressed his work on Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story and Velvet Goldmine; making art — especially queer-centric art — across several challenging decades; and his longstanding relationships with collaborators like Julianne Moore, Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon.
At one point, Haynes reflected on his decades-long career in filmmaking, starting when the LGBTQ community was “under attack” in the ’70s and ’80s to now,...
Haynes spoke about the current political and cultural climate for LGBTQ people while accepting the NewFest35 Queer Visionary Award last Thursday at New York’s Sva Theater. As the May December director sat down for a brief, career-spanning discussion ahead of the screening of his new film, he addressed his work on Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story and Velvet Goldmine; making art — especially queer-centric art — across several challenging decades; and his longstanding relationships with collaborators like Julianne Moore, Pamela Koffler and Christine Vachon.
At one point, Haynes reflected on his decades-long career in filmmaking, starting when the LGBTQ community was “under attack” in the ’70s and ’80s to now,...
- 10/23/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sound Unseen, the music documentary festival held in Minneapolis, is returning with a slew of rock docs including Alison Ellwood’s Cyndi Lauper film Let the Canary Sing and the North American premiere of Peter Doherty: Stranger In My Own Skin about the Libertines co-founder.
The 24th iteration of the festival runs between November 8-12.
Let The Canary Sing will open the festival on Wednesday November 8 and Katia de Vidas’s Doherty film closes the festival on Sunday November 12.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing some of the best and most buzzed about music documentaries and fiction films of the year to Minneapolis”, said Sound Unseen Festival Director Jim Brunzell. “The entire team has done an incredible job and after the success of last year’s festival, we hope the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota audiences will bring the same energy and excitement to Sound Unseen more than ever.”
Federation...
The 24th iteration of the festival runs between November 8-12.
Let The Canary Sing will open the festival on Wednesday November 8 and Katia de Vidas’s Doherty film closes the festival on Sunday November 12.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing some of the best and most buzzed about music documentaries and fiction films of the year to Minneapolis”, said Sound Unseen Festival Director Jim Brunzell. “The entire team has done an incredible job and after the success of last year’s festival, we hope the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota audiences will bring the same energy and excitement to Sound Unseen more than ever.”
Federation...
- 10/4/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
May December director Todd Haynes with screenwriter Samy Burch, and his producers Christine Vachon, Pamela Koffler, Jessica Elbaum and Sophie Mas Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
Todd Haynes’s May December, screenplay by Samy Burch, shot by Christopher Blauvelt and starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton opened the 61st New York Film Festival on Friday. Todd’s previous films screening at the New York Film Festival were Velvet Goldmine (NYFF 36), I’m Not There (NYFF 45), Carol (NYFF 53), Wonderstruck (NYFF 55 - Centerpiece Selection), and The Velvet Underground (NYFF 59).
Todd Haynes responding to Anne-Katrin Titze’s comment and question: “I did not create the lisp! There are some people who are missing today who could speak so beautifully about how they built these characters.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
At the press conference Todd Haynes spoke about connecting his composer Marcelo Zarvos to Michel Legrand’s score for Joseph Losey’s The Go-Between (Harold Pinter...
Todd Haynes’s May December, screenplay by Samy Burch, shot by Christopher Blauvelt and starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton opened the 61st New York Film Festival on Friday. Todd’s previous films screening at the New York Film Festival were Velvet Goldmine (NYFF 36), I’m Not There (NYFF 45), Carol (NYFF 53), Wonderstruck (NYFF 55 - Centerpiece Selection), and The Velvet Underground (NYFF 59).
Todd Haynes responding to Anne-Katrin Titze’s comment and question: “I did not create the lisp! There are some people who are missing today who could speak so beautifully about how they built these characters.” Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
At the press conference Todd Haynes spoke about connecting his composer Marcelo Zarvos to Michel Legrand’s score for Joseph Losey’s The Go-Between (Harold Pinter...
- 10/2/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Speaking to the press after a screening of May December, Todd Haynes identified himself primarily as an interpreter, both of cinematic forms of the past and of the pre-existing material from which his work is often adapted. That characterization certainly tracks through his filmography, from metacinematic homages to kaleidoscopic renderings of pop idols to his contemporary readings on midcentury fiction.
Loosely based on the ’90s tabloid scandal of Mary Kay Letourneau, who at age 35 served a prison sentence for rape when her sexual relationship with a 12-year-old boy was made public, May December is perhaps the slipperiest entry in that interpretive project to date. Written by Samy Burch, the film examines real-world events through the lens of mass media with a wry humor that masks profoundly complex and painful undercurrents of emotion.
May December centers on two star turns that complement each other with a rare sensitivity: Julianne Moore as LeTourneau stand-in Gracie Atherton-Yoo,...
Loosely based on the ’90s tabloid scandal of Mary Kay Letourneau, who at age 35 served a prison sentence for rape when her sexual relationship with a 12-year-old boy was made public, May December is perhaps the slipperiest entry in that interpretive project to date. Written by Samy Burch, the film examines real-world events through the lens of mass media with a wry humor that masks profoundly complex and painful undercurrents of emotion.
May December centers on two star turns that complement each other with a rare sensitivity: Julianne Moore as LeTourneau stand-in Gracie Atherton-Yoo,...
- 10/1/2023
- by Brad Hanford
- Slant Magazine
The show must go on! New York Film Festival opened its 61st edition with “May December” as planned, despite a massive rainstorm that’s left streets and subways flooded across the five boroughs.
“Thank you all for braving the weather and making it here tonight,” director Todd Haynes told the mostly full theater. “We didn’t know what to expect.”
On one of the wettest N.Y. days in recent years, Haynes walked the red carpet at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and sat for a post-screening Q&a. The stars of the soapy drama, Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, weren’t able to attend in accordance with SAG-AFTRA strike rules.
Haynes expressed his disappointment that the cast couldn’t celebrate at the premiere. “We miss you guys,” he said, referring to Portman, Moore and Melton. “We stand by you. We want it to get resolved.”
NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim added,...
“Thank you all for braving the weather and making it here tonight,” director Todd Haynes told the mostly full theater. “We didn’t know what to expect.”
On one of the wettest N.Y. days in recent years, Haynes walked the red carpet at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall and sat for a post-screening Q&a. The stars of the soapy drama, Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, weren’t able to attend in accordance with SAG-AFTRA strike rules.
Haynes expressed his disappointment that the cast couldn’t celebrate at the premiere. “We miss you guys,” he said, referring to Portman, Moore and Melton. “We stand by you. We want it to get resolved.”
NYFF artistic director Dennis Lim added,...
- 9/30/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore Turn Tabloid Spectacle Into High Melodrama in ‘May December’ Trailer
Filmmaker Todd Haynes is back in his loosely-inspired-by bag for his new movie May December. Where 1998’s Velvet Goldmine excavated and toyed with the life and legacy of David Bowie, Haynes’ next film appears to draw inspiration from the seedy tabloid story of Mary Kay Letourneau, a teacher who had an affair with — and then married — her adolescent student, Vili Fualaau.
To be clear, May December — like Velvet Goldmine — is not an outright biopic, though biopics are used as a clever device in the new movie. Julianne Moore and Charles Melton play the couple,...
To be clear, May December — like Velvet Goldmine — is not an outright biopic, though biopics are used as a clever device in the new movie. Julianne Moore and Charles Melton play the couple,...
- 9/26/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Todd Haynes’ May December will open the New York Film Festival on Friday, but Netflix is giving an intriguing sneak peek via the first official trailer for the film that was the talk of Cannes this year.
Starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, the film picks up 20 years after an affair between an adult woman (Moore) and a much (much) younger man (Melton) – think Mary Kay Letourneau – made tabloid headlines. In the present day, famous TV star Elizabeth (Portman) visits the now-married couple while researching a film that will be based on the old scandal.
As the official logline puts it, “as Elizabeth attempts to get closer to the family, the uncomfortable facts of their scandal unfurl, causing difficult, long-dormant emotions to resurface.”
Directed by Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch and story by Burch and Alex Mechanik, the film had its world premiere in Cannes, with...
Starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, the film picks up 20 years after an affair between an adult woman (Moore) and a much (much) younger man (Melton) – think Mary Kay Letourneau – made tabloid headlines. In the present day, famous TV star Elizabeth (Portman) visits the now-married couple while researching a film that will be based on the old scandal.
As the official logline puts it, “as Elizabeth attempts to get closer to the family, the uncomfortable facts of their scandal unfurl, causing difficult, long-dormant emotions to resurface.”
Directed by Haynes from a screenplay by Samy Burch and story by Burch and Alex Mechanik, the film had its world premiere in Cannes, with...
- 9/26/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore are splitting up their Oscar campaigns for awards season.
Although Todd Haynes’ delicious drama “May December” is interpreted by many as a two-hander, Netflix confirms to Variety exclusively that Portman will be submitted for lead actress consideration, while Moore will vie for supporting actress.
Co-leads from awards contenders are seldom campaigned alongside one another. One of Haynes’ most beloved films, the love story “Carol” (2015) starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, was famously criticized for separating its two presumed leading performers for its respective awards season. Blanchett was nominated in lead with Mara in supporting. While it can be debated for awards enthusiasts, there are only five instances of two women being nominated for the same movie in the Oscars’ 95-year history. The last was Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon for “Thelma & Louise” (1991).
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
Although Todd Haynes’ delicious drama “May December” is interpreted by many as a two-hander, Netflix confirms to Variety exclusively that Portman will be submitted for lead actress consideration, while Moore will vie for supporting actress.
Co-leads from awards contenders are seldom campaigned alongside one another. One of Haynes’ most beloved films, the love story “Carol” (2015) starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara, was famously criticized for separating its two presumed leading performers for its respective awards season. Blanchett was nominated in lead with Mara in supporting. While it can be debated for awards enthusiasts, there are only five instances of two women being nominated for the same movie in the Oscars’ 95-year history. The last was Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon for “Thelma & Louise” (1991).
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
- 9/20/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Todd Haynes’s May December, starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore and Charles Melton, will be the Opening Night selection
Film at Lincoln Center has announced that Todd Haynes’s May December, starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton will be the Opening Night selection of the 61st New York Film Festival. Todd’s previous films screening at the New York Film Festival were Velvet Goldmine (NYFF 36), I’m Not There (NYFF 45), Carol (NYFF 53), Wonderstruck (NYFF 55 - Centerpiece Selection), and The Velvet Underground (NYFF 59).
Todd Haynes’s longtime producer Christine Vachon Photo: Ed Bahlman
“We are all so proud and moved to have been invited to open the New York Film Festival with the North American première of May December,” said director Todd Haynes. “It is a festival that plays a role in my work and life like no other in the world, since it enshrines...
Film at Lincoln Center has announced that Todd Haynes’s May December, starring Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, and Charles Melton will be the Opening Night selection of the 61st New York Film Festival. Todd’s previous films screening at the New York Film Festival were Velvet Goldmine (NYFF 36), I’m Not There (NYFF 45), Carol (NYFF 53), Wonderstruck (NYFF 55 - Centerpiece Selection), and The Velvet Underground (NYFF 59).
Todd Haynes’s longtime producer Christine Vachon Photo: Ed Bahlman
“We are all so proud and moved to have been invited to open the New York Film Festival with the North American première of May December,” said director Todd Haynes. “It is a festival that plays a role in my work and life like no other in the world, since it enshrines...
- 7/13/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
One of the most exciting parts of a new Oscars season is seeing which over-due artists may finally land their first wins or bids. Last year, Todd Field (“Tár”) and Martin McDonagh (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), two revered filmmakers who have had plenty of acclaimed pictures in the past, finally received the first Best Director nominations of their careers. This year, there are several more filmmakers who are on the lookout for their first bids. So, here’s a rundown of five renowned helmers who could be first-time Best Director nominees this year.
Ben Affleck — “Air” (Amazon Studios/Universal)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis
Release Date: April 5, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
“Follows the history of sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro, and how he led Nike in its pursuit of the greatest athlete in the history of basketball, Michael Jordan.”
Affleck won Best Picture in his directorial debut...
Ben Affleck — “Air” (Amazon Studios/Universal)
Starring: Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Jason Bateman, Viola Davis
Release Date: April 5, 2023
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 92%
“Follows the history of sports marketing executive Sonny Vaccaro, and how he led Nike in its pursuit of the greatest athlete in the history of basketball, Michael Jordan.”
Affleck won Best Picture in his directorial debut...
- 7/13/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
This year’s New York Film Festival will open with the North American premiere of Todd Haynes’s new film “May December,” festival organizers announced on Tuesday.
“‘May December’ is a tour-de-force of writing, acting, and directing: a film built on moment-to-moment surprise, as thought-provoking as it is purely pleasurable,” said Dennis Lim, the artistic director at the New York Film Festival, in a press release. “It cements Todd Haynes’s place as one of American cinema’s most brilliant mischief-makers and as an all-time great director of actors. Todd has been a consistent presence at the New York Film Festival for almost his entire career, and we are very excited to open this edition with one of his most dazzling achievements.”
“We are all so proud and moved to have been invited to open the New York Film Festival with the North American premiere of ‘May December,’” Haynes said...
“‘May December’ is a tour-de-force of writing, acting, and directing: a film built on moment-to-moment surprise, as thought-provoking as it is purely pleasurable,” said Dennis Lim, the artistic director at the New York Film Festival, in a press release. “It cements Todd Haynes’s place as one of American cinema’s most brilliant mischief-makers and as an all-time great director of actors. Todd has been a consistent presence at the New York Film Festival for almost his entire career, and we are very excited to open this edition with one of his most dazzling achievements.”
“We are all so proud and moved to have been invited to open the New York Film Festival with the North American premiere of ‘May December,’” Haynes said...
- 7/11/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Netflix sets November 17 theatrical release ahead of December 1 platform debut.
The North American premiere of Todd Haynes’s May December will open the 61st New York Film Festival on September 29.
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore star in the drama about a TV star who ruffles feathers when she begins research for a role involving a couple whose origins called tabloid furore two decades prior.
Charles Melton also stars in the film, which premiered in Cannes Competition and finished joint second on Screen’s jury grid.
Netflix acquired May December in a reported $11m North American deal following the world premiere...
The North American premiere of Todd Haynes’s May December will open the 61st New York Film Festival on September 29.
Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore star in the drama about a TV star who ruffles feathers when she begins research for a role involving a couple whose origins called tabloid furore two decades prior.
Charles Melton also stars in the film, which premiered in Cannes Competition and finished joint second on Screen’s jury grid.
Netflix acquired May December in a reported $11m North American deal following the world premiere...
- 7/11/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Superheroes, making moviegoing a bigger event and the Hollywood writers strike were among the topics of a Monday masterclass featuring legendary independent film producer Christine Vachon that was part of the second day of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s Eastern Promises Industry Day program.
One of the questions Vachon received was whether cinemas are doing enough to cultivate the moviegoing experience and audience. “What the theaters are trying to do is create a bigger experience,” she said. “It’s about creating environments that make the experience feel more like an event.”
She added: “I know in Europe this is an old hat, but in America, the idea of eating a meal or having a drink in a movie theater is still relatively new and creating an event where your seat is extraordinarily comfortable with the projections actually decent.” Vachon then joked that “I don’t know if in...
One of the questions Vachon received was whether cinemas are doing enough to cultivate the moviegoing experience and audience. “What the theaters are trying to do is create a bigger experience,” she said. “It’s about creating environments that make the experience feel more like an event.”
She added: “I know in Europe this is an old hat, but in America, the idea of eating a meal or having a drink in a movie theater is still relatively new and creating an event where your seat is extraordinarily comfortable with the projections actually decent.” Vachon then joked that “I don’t know if in...
- 7/3/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ewan McGregor not only received a lifetime achievement award, but also much love and adoration during a brief, but emotional ceremony at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on Saturday night.
During the event at the big cinema celebration in the Czech spa town, organizers and fans feted the Scottish actor, director and producer as the President’s Award for lifetime achievement was bestowed upon him. On Friday’s opening night of the fest, Alicia Vikander received the same award, while Russell Crowe was honored with the festival’s Crystal Globe.
A warm welcome to McGregor by a host was followed by a particularly well-received career highlights reel that repeatedly drew laughs and cheers for scenes from the likes of the Star Wars universe, I Love You Phillip Morris and, of course, Trainspotting.
“This is like a dream to see that,” McGregor told the audience at the Hotel Thermal, the...
During the event at the big cinema celebration in the Czech spa town, organizers and fans feted the Scottish actor, director and producer as the President’s Award for lifetime achievement was bestowed upon him. On Friday’s opening night of the fest, Alicia Vikander received the same award, while Russell Crowe was honored with the festival’s Crystal Globe.
A warm welcome to McGregor by a host was followed by a particularly well-received career highlights reel that repeatedly drew laughs and cheers for scenes from the likes of the Star Wars universe, I Love You Phillip Morris and, of course, Trainspotting.
“This is like a dream to see that,” McGregor told the audience at the Hotel Thermal, the...
- 7/1/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
What’s it like to play Dracula? And Henry VIII and Elvis? And play tennis for Woody Allen? Only one man can say, and he’s waiting to tell all about his versatile career
Jonathan Rhys Meyers has played everyone from Elvis (in 2005 miniseries Elvis) to Dracula (in 2013 TV series Dracula) and Henry VIII in The Tudors (the latter earning him two Golden Globe nominations.) On film, he’s helped out Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible III, played bisexual glam rocker Brian Slade in Velvet Goldmine and, of course, coached football to Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra in Bend It Like Beckham. And let’s not forget Woody Allen’s Match Point, in which he plays social climbing tennis pro Chris Wilton who has the hots for Scarlett Johansson.
Now Rhys Meyers embraces his inner Jack Bauer in high-octane thriller 97 Minutes, playing an Interpol agent embedded deep in a terrorist cell,...
Jonathan Rhys Meyers has played everyone from Elvis (in 2005 miniseries Elvis) to Dracula (in 2013 TV series Dracula) and Henry VIII in The Tudors (the latter earning him two Golden Globe nominations.) On film, he’s helped out Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible III, played bisexual glam rocker Brian Slade in Velvet Goldmine and, of course, coached football to Keira Knightley and Parminder Nagra in Bend It Like Beckham. And let’s not forget Woody Allen’s Match Point, in which he plays social climbing tennis pro Chris Wilton who has the hots for Scarlett Johansson.
Now Rhys Meyers embraces his inner Jack Bauer in high-octane thriller 97 Minutes, playing an Interpol agent embedded deep in a terrorist cell,...
- 6/20/2023
- by Rich Pelley
- The Guardian - Film News
U.S. actor Robin Wright will be awarded the President’s Award at the 57th Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s closing ceremony. In honor of Wright, it will screen “The Princess Bride.”
Wright is best known for her performance in Netflix series “House of Cards.” She earned three Golden Globe nominations and a win in 2014. She earned five Screen Actors Guild award nominations for the show, and received five consecutive Emmy nominations.
In 2017, Wright played Lieutenant Joshi in “Blade Runner 2049,” and Amazon warrior General Antiope in “Justice League” and Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman.” The following year, she reprised her role as Antiope in “Wonder Woman 1984.” She will be seen this Fall starring opposite Millie Bobby Brown in the fantasy film “Damsel,” and co-starring with Tom Hanks in “Here,” directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Her first two nominations, a Golden Globe and a SAG, came as early as 1995 for her...
Wright is best known for her performance in Netflix series “House of Cards.” She earned three Golden Globe nominations and a win in 2014. She earned five Screen Actors Guild award nominations for the show, and received five consecutive Emmy nominations.
In 2017, Wright played Lieutenant Joshi in “Blade Runner 2049,” and Amazon warrior General Antiope in “Justice League” and Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman.” The following year, she reprised her role as Antiope in “Wonder Woman 1984.” She will be seen this Fall starring opposite Millie Bobby Brown in the fantasy film “Damsel,” and co-starring with Tom Hanks in “Here,” directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Her first two nominations, a Golden Globe and a SAG, came as early as 1995 for her...
- 6/20/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Actress and director Robin Wright will be honored with the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s President’s Award, a lifetime achievement honor, during the event’s closing ceremony next month, organizers said on Tuesday. They also unveiled that Bobby Farrelly’s Champions, starring Woody Harrelson, would close the festival’s 57th edition and that it would pay homage to legendary independent film producer Christine Vachon.
This year’s edition of the Czech festival runs Friday, June 30-Saturday, July 8.
“Robin Wright is an award-winning actress and philanthropist who is carving an indelible mark in Hollywood,” the festival said. “She recently directed, and starred in, her first feature film, Land, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Shortly after the release of Land, she directed several episodes of the award-winning drama series Ozark and Tell Me Lies. Wright found her love of directing on the hit Netflix series House of Cards,...
This year’s edition of the Czech festival runs Friday, June 30-Saturday, July 8.
“Robin Wright is an award-winning actress and philanthropist who is carving an indelible mark in Hollywood,” the festival said. “She recently directed, and starred in, her first feature film, Land, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Shortly after the release of Land, she directed several episodes of the award-winning drama series Ozark and Tell Me Lies. Wright found her love of directing on the hit Netflix series House of Cards,...
- 6/20/2023
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The American Psycho episode of Wtf Happened to This Adaptation? was Written and Narrated by Andrew Hatfield, Edited by Mike Conway, Produced by Lance Vlcek and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian. Here is the text of Hatfield’s script:
Horror can take many forms and its high time we talked about something firmly in the psychological realm. Author Brett Easton Ellis is known to broach subjects that are uncomfortable or outright horrifying, but it is with his 3rd book that he went for the throat so to speak and tackle a more traditional genre topic in a thoroughly nontraditional way. American Psycho was quite controversial upon its release in 1991 and the film based on it in 2000 (watch it Here) was divisive then and it’s divisive now.
Take a look at the craftsmanship on that card as we find out what the f*ck happened to this adaptation.
Horror can take many forms and its high time we talked about something firmly in the psychological realm. Author Brett Easton Ellis is known to broach subjects that are uncomfortable or outright horrifying, but it is with his 3rd book that he went for the throat so to speak and tackle a more traditional genre topic in a thoroughly nontraditional way. American Psycho was quite controversial upon its release in 1991 and the film based on it in 2000 (watch it Here) was divisive then and it’s divisive now.
Take a look at the craftsmanship on that card as we find out what the f*ck happened to this adaptation.
- 6/2/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
This Barbie is part film programmer.
Hari Nef makes history at Mubi with the Hand-Picked by Hari Nef curated series, the first of its kind for the streaming and distribution platform.
The “Barbie” and “And Just Like That” actress selected Todd Haynes’ “Safe” and “Velvet Goldmine,” Alex Ross Perry’s “Listen Up Philip,” the fashion documentary “Martin Margiela: In His Own Words,” Jean-Luc Godard’s “La Chinoise,” the coming-of-age day-in-the-life “The African Desperate,” Maurice Pialata’s “Loulou” with Isabelle Huppert, Robert Greene’s “Actress,” Shirley Clarke’s documentary “Portrait of Jason,” and cult classic “Center Stage” from the Mubi vault for the inaugural program.
Check out Nef’s full selection, ready to stream, here.
“I was thinking about what resonates with me in film, and it starts with ideas of spectacle, performance, and queerness,” Nef said in a press statement. “I love films about performers, and the confrontation that happens between a person,...
Hari Nef makes history at Mubi with the Hand-Picked by Hari Nef curated series, the first of its kind for the streaming and distribution platform.
The “Barbie” and “And Just Like That” actress selected Todd Haynes’ “Safe” and “Velvet Goldmine,” Alex Ross Perry’s “Listen Up Philip,” the fashion documentary “Martin Margiela: In His Own Words,” Jean-Luc Godard’s “La Chinoise,” the coming-of-age day-in-the-life “The African Desperate,” Maurice Pialata’s “Loulou” with Isabelle Huppert, Robert Greene’s “Actress,” Shirley Clarke’s documentary “Portrait of Jason,” and cult classic “Center Stage” from the Mubi vault for the inaugural program.
Check out Nef’s full selection, ready to stream, here.
“I was thinking about what resonates with me in film, and it starts with ideas of spectacle, performance, and queerness,” Nef said in a press statement. “I love films about performers, and the confrontation that happens between a person,...
- 5/31/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
If anyone was going to dramatize the scandalous Mary Kay Letourneau story, it makes sense that it would be "Carol" director Todd Haynes. There's something about the way the filmmaker approaches the stories he is compelled to tell that uniquely positions him to decipher and reinvent what has always felt stranger than fiction. Haynes expertly capitalizes on that strangeness and turns it on its ear, employing it for demented laughs as much as he does for crushing awareness. In his hands, "May December" is all at once an exploration of the human condition and a tightrope line of boundaries uncrossable. Haynes' work positions this new film to be a high-drama Trojan horse filled with self-actualizing horrors, and it's safe to say that the playful yet sobering style the filmmaker uses this time will stick with audiences long past awards season.
"May December" chronicles the aftermath of a tabloid scandal romance...
"May December" chronicles the aftermath of a tabloid scandal romance...
- 5/30/2023
- by Lex Briscuso
- Slash Film
Mubi has announced its lineup of streaming offerings for next month, including the exclusive streaming premiere of Albert Serra’s extraordinary Pacifiction, a trio of films by Todd Haynes, two by Michael Haneke (Caché and Amour), plus works by David Cronenberg, Shin’ya Tsukamoto, and Derek Jarman.
Additional selections include Alice Rohrwacher’s Corpo Celeste, Luchino Visconti’s Rocco and His Brothers, Sean Baker’s early film Starlet, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s short Mekong Hotel.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
June 1 – Is This Fate?, directed by Helga Reidemeister | What Sets Us Free? German Feminist Cinema
June 2 – Safe, directed by Todd Haynes | I Really Love You: Three by Todd Hayne
June 3 – Caché, directed by Michael Haneke | Close-Up on Michael Haneke
June 4 – Amour, directed by Michael Haneke | Close-Up on Michael Haneke
June 5 – Topology of Sirens, directed by Jonathan Davies
June 6 – Tetsuo, the Iron Man, directed by Shin’ya...
Additional selections include Alice Rohrwacher’s Corpo Celeste, Luchino Visconti’s Rocco and His Brothers, Sean Baker’s early film Starlet, and Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s short Mekong Hotel.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
June 1 – Is This Fate?, directed by Helga Reidemeister | What Sets Us Free? German Feminist Cinema
June 2 – Safe, directed by Todd Haynes | I Really Love You: Three by Todd Hayne
June 3 – Caché, directed by Michael Haneke | Close-Up on Michael Haneke
June 4 – Amour, directed by Michael Haneke | Close-Up on Michael Haneke
June 5 – Topology of Sirens, directed by Jonathan Davies
June 6 – Tetsuo, the Iron Man, directed by Shin’ya...
- 5/23/2023
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Netflix took out its big red checkbook at the Cannes Film Festival, and bested the competition during what Deadline has referred to as an “old-style, all-night auction.” The prize was “May December,” the new drama from director Todd Haynes.
The film stars Natalie Portman as an actress visiting a woman upon whose life her next character is based. That person is played by Julianne Moore who achieved some tabloid notoriety after going to prison for seducing a 13-year-old boy when she was a grown woman. Now it is 20 years later, and she and the boy (now played as a man by Charles Melton) are still together, raising a family in Maine. (Sounds like a prestige version of the Adam Sandler flick “That’s My Boy.”)
The project was received with great praise at Cannes (it currently boasts a 93 percent score on ye olde Tomatometer) with many critics highlighting its comedic side.
The film stars Natalie Portman as an actress visiting a woman upon whose life her next character is based. That person is played by Julianne Moore who achieved some tabloid notoriety after going to prison for seducing a 13-year-old boy when she was a grown woman. Now it is 20 years later, and she and the boy (now played as a man by Charles Melton) are still together, raising a family in Maine. (Sounds like a prestige version of the Adam Sandler flick “That’s My Boy.”)
The project was received with great praise at Cannes (it currently boasts a 93 percent score on ye olde Tomatometer) with many critics highlighting its comedic side.
- 5/23/2023
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
Netflix landed North American rights for “May December,” a soapy romantic-drama directed by Todd Haynes and starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore, which debuted at Cannes Film Festival. It sold for $11 million, marking the first big sale of this year’s festival.
Several bidders, including Neon, were in the mix before Netflix emerged victorious. The asking price for the domestic deal was initially $6 million, but the price tag ballooned as the bidding went on. The streamer hopes to position “May December” as an Oscar contender in the fall.
A scandalous age-gap relationship plays out at the center of “May December,” which debuted on Saturday to raves and earned a six-minute standing ovation. Moore plays the “December” to Charles Melton’s much-younger “May,” who was just 13 when the two fell in love. Given their 20-year age gap, their marriage inspired a national tabloid scandal. Decades later, their relationship is put to...
Several bidders, including Neon, were in the mix before Netflix emerged victorious. The asking price for the domestic deal was initially $6 million, but the price tag ballooned as the bidding went on. The streamer hopes to position “May December” as an Oscar contender in the fall.
A scandalous age-gap relationship plays out at the center of “May December,” which debuted on Saturday to raves and earned a six-minute standing ovation. Moore plays the “December” to Charles Melton’s much-younger “May,” who was just 13 when the two fell in love. Given their 20-year age gap, their marriage inspired a national tabloid scandal. Decades later, their relationship is put to...
- 5/23/2023
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Joaquin Phoenix is set to star in a new Nc-17-rated gay romance movie.The 'Beau is Afraid' actor will star in 'Far From Heaven' director Todd Haynes' upcoming new project, which the filmmaker has described as a "gay love story" set in Los Angeles in the 1930s.Speaking during Cannes Film Festival, he told IndieWire: "The next film is a feature that’s an original script that I developed with Joaquin Phoenix based on some thoughts and ideas he brought to me.“We basically wrote with him as a story writer. Me and Jon Raymond and Joaquin share the story credit."And we hope to be shooting it beginning early next year. It’s a gay love story set in 1930s L.A.”Haynes explained how Phoenix has been constantly looking to push the boundaries with the movie, which helped lead to its Nc-17 rating in the United States.
- 5/23/2023
- by Alistair McGeorge
- Bang Showbiz
Los Angeles, May 23 (Ians) Hollywood star Joaquin Phoenix is taking it up another notch after Ari Aster’s ‘Beau Is Afraid’, teaming up with Todd Haynes for an Nc-17-rated gay romance film.
Haynes spoke to IndieWire at the Cannes Film Festival following the Saturday premiere of his romantic drama ‘May December’, starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. In the interview, Haynes teased an upcoming project he co-developed with Phoenix, reports ‘Variety’.
“The next film is a feature that’s an original script that I developed with Joaquin Phoenix based on some thoughts and ideas he brought to me,” Haynes told IndieWire. “We basically wrote with him as a story writer. Me and Jon Raymond and Joaquin share the story credit. And we hope to be shooting it beginning early next year. It’s a gay love story set in 1930s L.A.”
Haynes added, “Joaquin was pushing me further and going,...
Haynes spoke to IndieWire at the Cannes Film Festival following the Saturday premiere of his romantic drama ‘May December’, starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. In the interview, Haynes teased an upcoming project he co-developed with Phoenix, reports ‘Variety’.
“The next film is a feature that’s an original script that I developed with Joaquin Phoenix based on some thoughts and ideas he brought to me,” Haynes told IndieWire. “We basically wrote with him as a story writer. Me and Jon Raymond and Joaquin share the story credit. And we hope to be shooting it beginning early next year. It’s a gay love story set in 1930s L.A.”
Haynes added, “Joaquin was pushing me further and going,...
- 5/23/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Joaquin Phoenix is taking it up another notch after Ari Aster’s “Beau Is Afraid,” teaming up with Todd Haynes for an Nc-17-rated gay romance film.
Haynes spoke to IndieWire at the Cannes Film Festival following the Saturday premiere of his romantic drama “May December,” starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. In the interview, Haynes teased an upcoming project he co-developed with Phoenix.
“The next film is a feature that’s an original script that I developed with Joaquin Phoenix based on some thoughts and ideas he brought to me,” Haynes told IndieWire. “We basically wrote with him as a story writer. Me and Jon Raymond and Joaquin share the story credit. And we hope to be shooting it beginning early next year. It’s a gay love story set in 1930s L.A.”
Haynes added, “Joaquin was pushing me further and going, ‘No, let’s go further.’ This will be an Nc-17 film.
Haynes spoke to IndieWire at the Cannes Film Festival following the Saturday premiere of his romantic drama “May December,” starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. In the interview, Haynes teased an upcoming project he co-developed with Phoenix.
“The next film is a feature that’s an original script that I developed with Joaquin Phoenix based on some thoughts and ideas he brought to me,” Haynes told IndieWire. “We basically wrote with him as a story writer. Me and Jon Raymond and Joaquin share the story credit. And we hope to be shooting it beginning early next year. It’s a gay love story set in 1930s L.A.”
Haynes added, “Joaquin was pushing me further and going, ‘No, let’s go further.’ This will be an Nc-17 film.
- 5/22/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Joaquin Phoenix’s apparent mission to work with all the best contemporary independent filmmakers is about to continue. Following his highly acclaimed Ari Aster collaboration “Beau Is Afraid,” the Oscar winner is teaming up with Todd Haynes on a new original love story.
Speaking to IndieWire’s Eric Kohn during a conversation at the American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival, Haynes teased that he is plotting a variety of upcoming projects in the film and television spaces. Notably, the auteur revealed that he and Phoenix co-developed a period gay romance with frequent Kelly Reichardt collaborator Jonathan Raymond that Haynes plans to shoot as his next film.
“All I can do is just keep hunkering down and committing to each project,” Haynes said when asked about the differences between working in film and television. “I have more features planned. I have also episodic projects coming that are planned, that are really exciting.
Speaking to IndieWire’s Eric Kohn during a conversation at the American Pavilion at the Cannes Film Festival, Haynes teased that he is plotting a variety of upcoming projects in the film and television spaces. Notably, the auteur revealed that he and Phoenix co-developed a period gay romance with frequent Kelly Reichardt collaborator Jonathan Raymond that Haynes plans to shoot as his next film.
“All I can do is just keep hunkering down and committing to each project,” Haynes said when asked about the differences between working in film and television. “I have more features planned. I have also episodic projects coming that are planned, that are really exciting.
- 5/22/2023
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
After a quick trip to Paris for a retrospective of his career at the Centre Pompidou, Todd Haynes comes back to Cannes for his sixth trip. Masterwork Safe was in the Directors’ Fortnight back in 1995, and then he received comp invites for Velvet Goldmine (1998), Carol (2015) and Wonderstruck (2017) for competition films. The Velvet Underground was an out-of-competition selection in 2021. May December‘s main trio includes Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry, Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo and Charles Melton as Joe Yoo — the man-boy character who is slightly stunted in his emotional maturity.
Written by Samy Burch and based on a story Burch wrote with Alex Mechanik, twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under the pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.…...
Written by Samy Burch and based on a story Burch wrote with Alex Mechanik, twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under the pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.…...
- 5/22/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Todd Haynes returned to the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday night with his latest, May December, playing in competition. The complex melodrama starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore scored an eight-minute standing ovation inside the Grand Theatre Lumière.
The screening started late after an almost 40-minute delay due to the late start of the movie that premiered before Haynes’, that being Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. It was a bit of a tired crowd that finally entered the venue to see Haynes’ latest.
The enthusiastic response in Cannes’ biggest venue was at least matched by a simultaneous press screening at the adjacent Debussy Theatre, where there was huge applause — a rare feat for the press core here.
Related: Cannes Film Festival 2023 In Photos
Said Haynes in addressing the Lumière audience while standing between Portman and Moore: “The making of this film was such a joy…we shot...
The screening started late after an almost 40-minute delay due to the late start of the movie that premiered before Haynes’, that being Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. It was a bit of a tired crowd that finally entered the venue to see Haynes’ latest.
The enthusiastic response in Cannes’ biggest venue was at least matched by a simultaneous press screening at the adjacent Debussy Theatre, where there was huge applause — a rare feat for the press core here.
Related: Cannes Film Festival 2023 In Photos
Said Haynes in addressing the Lumière audience while standing between Portman and Moore: “The making of this film was such a joy…we shot...
- 5/20/2023
- by Baz Bamigboye and Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Todd Haynes brought delicious psychodrama to the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday, with the world premiere of his “May December” starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore. Captivating the Cannes crowd the film earned a 6-minute standing ovation at the festival’s Grand Palais.
As a TV star looking to up her indie cred with a film role playing Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman’s relentless method acting and probing for secrets delighted the black tie screening. Moore, as an unraveling town pariah who gave birth to her first child while behind bars for statutory rape, scored big laughs for her bristling over a celebrity going through her dirty laundry.
A breakout dramatic turn by “Riverdale” star Charles Melton — as well as an unexpectedly effective score that borders on something out of a horror film— made the late night screening the perfect antidote to the heavy premiere that preceded it: Martin Scorsese...
As a TV star looking to up her indie cred with a film role playing Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman’s relentless method acting and probing for secrets delighted the black tie screening. Moore, as an unraveling town pariah who gave birth to her first child while behind bars for statutory rape, scored big laughs for her bristling over a celebrity going through her dirty laundry.
A breakout dramatic turn by “Riverdale” star Charles Melton — as well as an unexpectedly effective score that borders on something out of a horror film— made the late night screening the perfect antidote to the heavy premiere that preceded it: Martin Scorsese...
- 5/20/2023
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
In this week’s “Yellowjackets” episode, which hit Showtime streaming on Friday, Tony-winning singer and actor John Cameron Mitchell makes a surprise cameo as part of Misty (Christina Ricci)’s out-of-body experience in a sensory deprivation tank. [Spoilers for episode 2.07, “Burial” follow]
“I’m the go-to one-off singer/guest star for shows now,” Mitchell quipped in a Zoom interview with TheWrap. Mitchell, who rose to fame for writing and starring in the stage musical and subsequent film “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” has appeared recently in “The Sandman” and costars in Apple TV+’s “City on Fire,” which premieres Sunday.
In previous “Yellowjackets”episodes, we learned that Misty and her fellow Citizen Detective Walter (Elijah Wood) both love showtunes, so a Broadway-style fantasy sequence isn’t entirely out of left field. It unfolds in a theatrically heightened mode with Mitchell against an empty black stage with a few props while wearing a fabulous...
“I’m the go-to one-off singer/guest star for shows now,” Mitchell quipped in a Zoom interview with TheWrap. Mitchell, who rose to fame for writing and starring in the stage musical and subsequent film “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” has appeared recently in “The Sandman” and costars in Apple TV+’s “City on Fire,” which premieres Sunday.
In previous “Yellowjackets”episodes, we learned that Misty and her fellow Citizen Detective Walter (Elijah Wood) both love showtunes, so a Broadway-style fantasy sequence isn’t entirely out of left field. It unfolds in a theatrically heightened mode with Mitchell against an empty black stage with a few props while wearing a fabulous...
- 5/12/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Mafia Mamma is a film directed by Catherine Hardwicke starring the “almost” always great Toni Collette and Monica Bellucci, and this time, as great and wonderful as they are, they don’t manage to save a comedy with jokes that don’t end up being funny.
Bad start for a comedy, don’t you think?
Mafia Mamma Movie Review
Mafia Mamma is a parody crime thriller that without wanting to go anywhere and aware of this circumstance, limits itself to overflow with clichés (it was obvious), to drop more or less funny jokes and that relies on the two stars’ performances (especially Toni Collette’s) to save the movie from sinking.
And no matter how great he or she could be, no actor can save a bad script nor, dare we say, a bad editing at the level of rhythm. Thus, Mafia Mamma is sometimes placed in almost separate scenes without a common nexus that,...
Bad start for a comedy, don’t you think?
Mafia Mamma Movie Review
Mafia Mamma is a parody crime thriller that without wanting to go anywhere and aware of this circumstance, limits itself to overflow with clichés (it was obvious), to drop more or less funny jokes and that relies on the two stars’ performances (especially Toni Collette’s) to save the movie from sinking.
And no matter how great he or she could be, no actor can save a bad script nor, dare we say, a bad editing at the level of rhythm. Thus, Mafia Mamma is sometimes placed in almost separate scenes without a common nexus that,...
- 5/5/2023
- by Martin Cid
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Suffering from many of the same issues as Kasi Lemmons’ Witney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Spinning Gold contains too rich of a life for its 137-minute runtime. The brilliance of both Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and Todd Haynes’ fictional glam rock epic Velvet Goldmine is that they understood there’s only so much you can bite off, starting with the official record and working with those in closest proximity to their subject.
Directed by Timothy Scott Bogart––son of its subject, Neil Bogart––and told from the first-person perspective of the record executive (played by Jeremy Jordan), Spinning Gold takes the colorful story of an entrepreneur who died at age 39 and races through several highlights. These include discovering and packaging Kiss, figuring out that Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby” needed to be 17 minutes long so people can make love to it, and working with the Isley Brothers,...
Directed by Timothy Scott Bogart––son of its subject, Neil Bogart––and told from the first-person perspective of the record executive (played by Jeremy Jordan), Spinning Gold takes the colorful story of an entrepreneur who died at age 39 and races through several highlights. These include discovering and packaging Kiss, figuring out that Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby” needed to be 17 minutes long so people can make love to it, and working with the Isley Brothers,...
- 4/3/2023
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
Toni Collette is an Australian actress and musician who has been widely acclaimed for her performances in both dramatic and comedic roles. She began her acting career in the early 1990s on the Australian television show “Police Rescue.” She then went on to appear in a variety of theater productions, such as “The Boys,” “Cosi,” “Velvet Goldmine” and “Muriel’s Wedding,” before making her U.S. film debut with “Emma”. Her impressive body of work includes memorable roles in cult classics like “The Sixth Sense,” dark comedies such as “Little Miss Sunshine” and critically-acclaimed turns in dramas such as “United States of Tara” and “Hereditary”. In addition to her acting ability, Collette is also known for her singing skills, having recorded two albums with fellow bandmate Glenn Richards. She has won numerous accolades throughout her career including Golden Globe Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, Aacta Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.
- 3/1/2023
- by Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Ewan McGregor has had a prolific career on screen since his feature-film debut in 1994. The actor rose to fame following his gritty portrayal of Mark Renton in the 1996 film "Trainspotting" and continued to rise in Hollywood after appearing in films like "Emma" and "Velvet Goldmine." Arguably, the actor became universally popular as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the 1997 film "Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace," which helped pave the way for roles in other blockbuster films like "Moulin Rouge!" and "Black Hawk Down" in the early 2000s.
Most recently, McGregor played Danny Torrance in "Doctor Sleep" and reprised his Obi-Wan Kenobi character in the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" miniseries, which concluded in June 2022.
Outside of his packed work schedule over the years, McGregor is also a father to his five children, four of whom he shares with ex-wife Eve Mavrakis. After the "Birds of Prey" actor split from Mavrakis in 2017, he started...
Most recently, McGregor played Danny Torrance in "Doctor Sleep" and reprised his Obi-Wan Kenobi character in the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" miniseries, which concluded in June 2022.
Outside of his packed work schedule over the years, McGregor is also a father to his five children, four of whom he shares with ex-wife Eve Mavrakis. After the "Birds of Prey" actor split from Mavrakis in 2017, he started...
- 2/27/2023
- by Alicia Geigel
- Popsugar.com
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