Filmmaker Edward Zwick, whose credits include About Last Night, Glory, Legends of the Fall, The Siege, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond, Defiance, Love & Other Drugs, Pawn Sacrifice, and Jack Reacher: Never Go Back (not to mention co-creating Thirtysomething), recently published a memoir called Hits, Flops, and Other Illusions: My Fortysomething Years in Hollywood (pick up a copy Here). This book contains some very interesting passages – like the one on Zwick’s Jack Reacher regrets, and another where he reveals how impressed Denzel Washington was by Matt Damon’s performance when they were on the set of Zwick’s 1996 film Courage Under Fire.
Zwick wrote, “As we finished Matt’s coverage, Denzel caught my eye and nodded approvingly. Later, he took me aside. ‘Who is that kid?’ he asked. I told him it was Matt’s first big role. ‘Damn,’ he said. ‘Better get my game on. He almost blew me off the screen.
Zwick wrote, “As we finished Matt’s coverage, Denzel caught my eye and nodded approvingly. Later, he took me aside. ‘Who is that kid?’ he asked. I told him it was Matt’s first big role. ‘Damn,’ he said. ‘Better get my game on. He almost blew me off the screen.
- 3/6/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Exclusive: Annette Bening is joining Maggie Gyllenhaal’s Frankenstein lore feature at Warner Bros; the studio making it official that this is a go-project. Cameras roll in Q1. This package with its attachments has been out there since it was at Netflix, and the deals have finally closed with everyone. Jessie Buckley is the star of the movie which follows Frankenstein’s pursuit of love.
There’s already been word out there about the cast, including Buckley, and it’s a murderers’ row with Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz, and Peter Sarsgaard. Bale and Buckley have been circling this project well before the strikes.
Logline: A lonely Frankenstein travels to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the...
There’s already been word out there about the cast, including Buckley, and it’s a murderers’ row with Christian Bale, Penélope Cruz, and Peter Sarsgaard. Bale and Buckley have been circling this project well before the strikes.
Logline: A lonely Frankenstein travels to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the...
- 1/12/2024
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Hollywood management and production company The Gotham Group has launched a new international division and appointed long-time manager and producer Justin Littman as its head.
The appointment see Littman join The Gotham Group partners roster alongside Peter McHugh, Julie Kane-Ritsch, Lindsay Williams, Jeremy Bell, Eric Robinson, Lee Stollman, Rich Green, and Matt Shichtman.
“We’re thrilled to have Justin leading The Gotham’s Group’s surging international client roster,” said The Gotham Group Founder and CEO Ellen Goldsmith-Vein.
“This initiative underscores our ability and intention to expand the boundaries of our business, to tap into the creative minds of artists around the globe to create entertainment for audiences everywhere,” said Goldsmith-Vein.
Littman said the time was ripe for such a move.
“International voices are driving a huge part of the conversation in film and TV,” he said. “The Gotham Group is excited to launch a dedicated department to focus on these artists,...
The appointment see Littman join The Gotham Group partners roster alongside Peter McHugh, Julie Kane-Ritsch, Lindsay Williams, Jeremy Bell, Eric Robinson, Lee Stollman, Rich Green, and Matt Shichtman.
“We’re thrilled to have Justin leading The Gotham’s Group’s surging international client roster,” said The Gotham Group Founder and CEO Ellen Goldsmith-Vein.
“This initiative underscores our ability and intention to expand the boundaries of our business, to tap into the creative minds of artists around the globe to create entertainment for audiences everywhere,” said Goldsmith-Vein.
Littman said the time was ripe for such a move.
“International voices are driving a huge part of the conversation in film and TV,” he said. “The Gotham Group is excited to launch a dedicated department to focus on these artists,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Two-time Emmy winner Nicole Kidman (The Undoing), nine-time Emmy nom Liev Schreiber (Ray Donovan), The White Lotus standout Meghann Fahy, two-time Critics Choice Award winner Dakota Fanning (The Alienist), and the Flora and Son duo of Eve Hewson and Jack Reynor are in various stages of negotiations to star in Netflix’s The Perfect Couple, sources tell Deadline.
The limited series, to be directed and exec produced by Emmy winner Susanne Bier (The Undoing), comes from Gail Berman’s The Jackal Group and Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps.
Netflix declined to comment.
Related Story ‘Fall’ Sequel In The Works After Vertigo-Inducing Thriller Becomes Surprise Netflix Hit Related Story 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always' Sets Trailer For Netflix Debut Related Story Netflix Unveils 2023 Polish Slate Putting Accent On Local Stars At Warsaw Event ‘The Perfect Couple’ creator Jenna Lamia
The show was previously set up at Fox, which unveiled...
The limited series, to be directed and exec produced by Emmy winner Susanne Bier (The Undoing), comes from Gail Berman’s The Jackal Group and Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps.
Netflix declined to comment.
Related Story ‘Fall’ Sequel In The Works After Vertigo-Inducing Thriller Becomes Surprise Netflix Hit Related Story 'Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always' Sets Trailer For Netflix Debut Related Story Netflix Unveils 2023 Polish Slate Putting Accent On Local Stars At Warsaw Event ‘The Perfect Couple’ creator Jenna Lamia
The show was previously set up at Fox, which unveiled...
- 3/23/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Academy Award nominee Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) has taken over as the screenwriter for Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Star Wars movie following the recently announced departure of scribes Damon Lindelof and Justin Britt-Gibson, Deadline can confirm.
Related Story ‘Grand Death Lotto’: Ayden Mayeri, Seann William Scott, Dolly De Leon & Donald Elise Watkins Join Amazon Action-Comedy Related Story Damon Lindelof & Justin Britt-Gibson Depart As Scribes For Secret 'Star Wars' Pic; Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Still Aboard As Director Related Story Work Begins On 'Peaky Blinders' Creator Steven Knight's TV & Film Studio, First Projects Will Film Later This Year
Little is known about the film, though new details should be unveiled at next month’s Star Wars Celebration in London. Sources tell us that the film will likely be one of the first out of the gate for the storied Lucasfilm franchise since 2019’s Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, if not the first.
Related Story ‘Grand Death Lotto’: Ayden Mayeri, Seann William Scott, Dolly De Leon & Donald Elise Watkins Join Amazon Action-Comedy Related Story Damon Lindelof & Justin Britt-Gibson Depart As Scribes For Secret 'Star Wars' Pic; Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy Still Aboard As Director Related Story Work Begins On 'Peaky Blinders' Creator Steven Knight's TV & Film Studio, First Projects Will Film Later This Year
Little is known about the film, though new details should be unveiled at next month’s Star Wars Celebration in London. Sources tell us that the film will likely be one of the first out of the gate for the storied Lucasfilm franchise since 2019’s Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, if not the first.
- 3/22/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Director Bill Oliver has rounded out the cast for his drama Our Son, with Andrew Rannells (Girls5eva), Robin Weigert (American Horror Story) and Kate Burton (Inventing Anna) signing on for roles, along with Phylicia Rashad (This Is Us), Cassandra Freeman (Bel-Air) and Isaac Powell (Dear Evan Hansen).
The recently-wrapped film starring Luke Evans and Billy Porter will follow a divorcing couple fighting for custody of their eight-year-old son. Oliver and Peter Nickowitz wrote the script, with Fernando Loureiro (Frances Ha) and Guilherme Coelho (Fala Tu) producing via their company Tigresa, along with Eric Binns (Lansky), Jennifer 8. Lee (The Price) and Christopher Lin. Alex Peace-Power is serving as co-producer, with CAA Media Finance representing the film’s distribution rights.
Rannells is a Grammy winner and Tony Award nominee whose recent credits include Peacock’s Girls5eva and Showtime’s Black Monday, along with such films as The Boys in the Band and The Prom.
The recently-wrapped film starring Luke Evans and Billy Porter will follow a divorcing couple fighting for custody of their eight-year-old son. Oliver and Peter Nickowitz wrote the script, with Fernando Loureiro (Frances Ha) and Guilherme Coelho (Fala Tu) producing via their company Tigresa, along with Eric Binns (Lansky), Jennifer 8. Lee (The Price) and Christopher Lin. Alex Peace-Power is serving as co-producer, with CAA Media Finance representing the film’s distribution rights.
Rannells is a Grammy winner and Tony Award nominee whose recent credits include Peacock’s Girls5eva and Showtime’s Black Monday, along with such films as The Boys in the Band and The Prom.
- 8/10/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Damien Chazelle has fleshed out the cast of his Old Hollywood period drama “Babylon” with an impressive group that includes Olivia Wilde, Spike Jonze, Phoebe Tonkin and Tobey Maguire.
They all join a cast that’s led by Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and Diego Calva. The film is set to go into production next week.
“La La Land” director Chazelle wrote the script and is directing the film at Paramount, which is described as an ensemble film set in late 1920s Hollywood. No character details for any of the new cast or the previously announced cast have been revealed, and it’s unclear whether any or all of them are playing fictional characters or historical figures.
Also among the “Babylon” cast are Max Minghella, Lukas Haas, Flea, Rory Scovel, Samara Weaving, Eric Roberts, P.J. Byrne and Damon Gupton.
Olivia Hamilton, Matt Plouffe, and Marc Platt are producing the film, with Tobey Maguire,...
They all join a cast that’s led by Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt and Diego Calva. The film is set to go into production next week.
“La La Land” director Chazelle wrote the script and is directing the film at Paramount, which is described as an ensemble film set in late 1920s Hollywood. No character details for any of the new cast or the previously announced cast have been revealed, and it’s unclear whether any or all of them are playing fictional characters or historical figures.
Also among the “Babylon” cast are Max Minghella, Lukas Haas, Flea, Rory Scovel, Samara Weaving, Eric Roberts, P.J. Byrne and Damon Gupton.
Olivia Hamilton, Matt Plouffe, and Marc Platt are producing the film, with Tobey Maguire,...
- 6/24/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Lily Rabe is an actress from a different era — or at least that’s how it feels in watching one of her textured, layered, surprising performances. Whether it’s playing an Upper East Side mother in HBO’s “The Undoing” or the mysterious Karen in Amazon Prime Video’s “Tell Me Your Secrets,” Rabe has shown that she’s a true chameleon.
But Rabe, 38, has an added sense of mystery that often feels at odds in the world of incessant Instagram openness. In a way, she’s like an actress of the 1940s, one who is very deliberate about what she reveals both on screen and off.
“I’m quite introverted,” Rabe told IndieWire. “I love being alone. Staying home for a long period of time [for me] is not [difficult]. My work has always been my way to be social.” Part of it comes from her parents, actress Jill Clayburgh and playwright...
But Rabe, 38, has an added sense of mystery that often feels at odds in the world of incessant Instagram openness. In a way, she’s like an actress of the 1940s, one who is very deliberate about what she reveals both on screen and off.
“I’m quite introverted,” Rabe told IndieWire. “I love being alone. Staying home for a long period of time [for me] is not [difficult]. My work has always been my way to be social.” Part of it comes from her parents, actress Jill Clayburgh and playwright...
- 5/5/2021
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
When Jamie Foxx’s Electro and Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange were added to the cast of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Spider-Man 3 to signal that the web-slinging sequel was set to use the multiverse as the driving force behind the narrative, fans instantly began dreaming up every conceivable scenario in their heads, 99% of which involved the returns of Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.
Yesterday brought the massive news that Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus has been confirmed for the movie, before the reveal was swiftly blown out of the water by the game-changer that Kirsten Dunst and Emma Stone were also in talks to reprise their roles as Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy from the two previous Spidey franchises, with Garfield as good as signed as well.
Of course, throughout the whirlwind of Spider-Man 3 speculation, it always felt as though Marvel would find Tobey Maguire the most difficult to convince.
Yesterday brought the massive news that Alfred Molina’s Doctor Octopus has been confirmed for the movie, before the reveal was swiftly blown out of the water by the game-changer that Kirsten Dunst and Emma Stone were also in talks to reprise their roles as Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy from the two previous Spidey franchises, with Garfield as good as signed as well.
Of course, throughout the whirlwind of Spider-Man 3 speculation, it always felt as though Marvel would find Tobey Maguire the most difficult to convince.
- 12/9/2020
- by Scott Campbell
- We Got This Covered
As a most unusual holiday season begins, it’s going to be harder for streaming services to demand our attention. With its new releases for December 2020, Amazon Prime is trying its best anyway.
This is actually an uncommonly jam-packed and intriguing roster of content for Bezos’s outfit. The list this month is highlighted by the release of The Expanse season 5 on Dec. 16. The beloved sci-fi series made the jump from Syfy to Amazon last year and things went well enough that it’s coming back for more. That returning show is complemented by another new genre series. The Wilds premieres on Dec. 11 and will follows a group of teenage girls lost (or Lost) on a deserted island.
Amazon’s original movies in December are just as intriguing. Riz Ahmed plays a heavy metal drummer losing his hearing in Sound of Metal on Dec. 4. Rachel Brosnahan stars as a mother...
This is actually an uncommonly jam-packed and intriguing roster of content for Bezos’s outfit. The list this month is highlighted by the release of The Expanse season 5 on Dec. 16. The beloved sci-fi series made the jump from Syfy to Amazon last year and things went well enough that it’s coming back for more. That returning show is complemented by another new genre series. The Wilds premieres on Dec. 11 and will follows a group of teenage girls lost (or Lost) on a deserted island.
Amazon’s original movies in December are just as intriguing. Riz Ahmed plays a heavy metal drummer losing his hearing in Sound of Metal on Dec. 4. Rachel Brosnahan stars as a mother...
- 11/30/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Hard as it is to believe with everything going on right now, but Christmas is only about five weeks away, and the streaming market is already looking crowded. Although Netflix can probably expect to continue their dominance over subscribers through the end of 2020, Amazon Prime are releasing some notable titles for the last month of the year, including original films like I’m Your Woman and new episodes of The Expanse.
In terms of the former, it stars Rachel Brosnahan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in a picture about a woman who has to go on the run after her husband gets into trouble with his business partner. We’ll also be seeing the much-anticipated Sound of Metal, which features Riz Ahmed as a heavy metal drummer who develops hearing loss. This one will receive a limited theatrical release before heading to Amazon on December 4th. And elsewhere, viewers can expect...
In terms of the former, it stars Rachel Brosnahan of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel in a picture about a woman who has to go on the run after her husband gets into trouble with his business partner. We’ll also be seeing the much-anticipated Sound of Metal, which features Riz Ahmed as a heavy metal drummer who develops hearing loss. This one will receive a limited theatrical release before heading to Amazon on December 4th. And elsewhere, viewers can expect...
- 11/19/2020
- by Jessica James
- We Got This Covered
“The Queen’s Gambit” is quite the risky proposition in itself. The seven-part Netflix limited series features an emerging star in Anya Taylor-Joy; the breakout best known for her work in horror hits like “The Witch” and “Split” is already a favorite of critics and youths alike. And yet if her captivating performance is already a given, the surrounding story’s allure is anything but. Scott Frank’s adaptation of Walter Tevis’ 1983 novel focuses on a subject typically deployed in film and television as a metaphor, usually by mature writers and aimed at a similarly senior audience. Chess, after all, is rarely described as a young person’s game.
Nor is it particularly compelling to watch. Small wooden pieces being slowly slid around a tabletop doesn’t easily lend itself to absorbing cinema, especially given the challenging nature of the game itself. “Pawn Sacrifice,” “Computer Chess,” and even the Pixar short...
Nor is it particularly compelling to watch. Small wooden pieces being slowly slid around a tabletop doesn’t easily lend itself to absorbing cinema, especially given the challenging nature of the game itself. “Pawn Sacrifice,” “Computer Chess,” and even the Pixar short...
- 10/23/2020
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
It’s an unwritten rule in Hollywood: every few years, a major studio must – must! – make a movie about a chess prodigy. I’m not sure why: maybe the film industry has been in the pocket of Big Chess for decades. But Bleeker Street made Pawn Sacrifice in 2014, Disney made Queen of Katwe in […]
The post ‘The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah Producing Movie About an 8-Year-Old Chess Champion appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘The Daily Show’s Trevor Noah Producing Movie About an 8-Year-Old Chess Champion appeared first on /Film.
- 4/24/2020
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
76 documentaries and animations were screened at the 24th edition of the Bulgarian gathering. Following the Golden Rose Film Festival, organised every October in the city of Varna, the Bulgarian National Film Center has presented this year’s crop of documentaries and animations at the Golden Rhyton Documentary and Animation Film Festival, traditionally hosted by the city of Plovdiv. The awards of the 24th edition (29 November–6 December) were announced during a gala on Friday evening. The centre provided funding to most of the films shown at this edition. Assen Vladimirov’s Pawn Sacrifice, a film about the peculiar destiny of Marko Markov, an anatomical pathologist involved in the German investigation of the Katyn massacre, won the Best Documentary Award, while the Best Animation Award went to Andrey Tsvetkov’s A Tree of Iron. The jury of this year’s edition was led by director Svetoslav Stoyanov, whose documentary The Last Black Sea Pirates.
Hulu is providing some action-packed options next month for those looking for a switch-up on holiday cheer.
The streaming service will debut “Reprisal,” a hyper-noir story that follows a relentless femme fatale (Abigail Spencer) who, after being left for dead, sets out to take revenge against her brother and his bombastic gang of gearheads. It also launches Season 3 of “Marvel’s Runaways” on Dec. 13. If that wasn’t enough, several movies from the “Fast & Furious” franchise are hitting Hulu, plus both “Kill Bill: Volume 1” and “Kill Bill: Volume 2.”
Those dedicated to consuming holiday-only content can watch NBC’s “Holidays With the Houghs” with Julianne and Derek Hough, a song-and-dance performance show featuring special guest artist performances. Ellen DeGeneres will also be giving gifts with the help of celebrity friends on her “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways” special.
See more movies and TV shows coming to Hulu on December 2019 below.
The streaming service will debut “Reprisal,” a hyper-noir story that follows a relentless femme fatale (Abigail Spencer) who, after being left for dead, sets out to take revenge against her brother and his bombastic gang of gearheads. It also launches Season 3 of “Marvel’s Runaways” on Dec. 13. If that wasn’t enough, several movies from the “Fast & Furious” franchise are hitting Hulu, plus both “Kill Bill: Volume 1” and “Kill Bill: Volume 2.”
Those dedicated to consuming holiday-only content can watch NBC’s “Holidays With the Houghs” with Julianne and Derek Hough, a song-and-dance performance show featuring special guest artist performances. Ellen DeGeneres will also be giving gifts with the help of celebrity friends on her “Ellen’s Greatest Night of Giveaways” special.
See more movies and TV shows coming to Hulu on December 2019 below.
- 11/27/2019
- by Lorraine Wheat
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar, Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Juliette Lewis (Camping) and Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Christina Ricci (Z: The Beginning of Everything) are set as series regulars in Showtime drama pilot Yellowjackets, from writers Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson (Narcos), Entertainment One and studio-based producer Drew Comins.
Rounding out the cast are regulars Ella Purnell (Sweetbitter), Sammi Hanratty (Shameless), Sophie Thatcher (Prospect), Sophie Nélisse (The Book Thief), Steven Krueger (The Originals) and Amy Okuda (Atypical). They join previously announced Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress and Jasmin Savoy Brown.
Karyn Kusama (Destroyer) will direct and executive produce the pilot, a co-production of Showtime and Entertainment One. Comins of Creative Engine also serves as executive producer.
Written by Lyle and Nickerson, Yellowjackets is equal parts survival epic, horror story and coming-of-age drama and tells the narrative of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors...
Rounding out the cast are regulars Ella Purnell (Sweetbitter), Sammi Hanratty (Shameless), Sophie Thatcher (Prospect), Sophie Nélisse (The Book Thief), Steven Krueger (The Originals) and Amy Okuda (Atypical). They join previously announced Melanie Lynskey, Tawny Cypress and Jasmin Savoy Brown.
Karyn Kusama (Destroyer) will direct and executive produce the pilot, a co-production of Showtime and Entertainment One. Comins of Creative Engine also serves as executive producer.
Written by Lyle and Nickerson, Yellowjackets is equal parts survival epic, horror story and coming-of-age drama and tells the narrative of a team of wildly talented high school girls soccer players who become the (un)lucky survivors...
- 11/19/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Director Edward Zwick’s acclaimed career includes epic filmmaking and incisive personal dramas (Love & Other Drugs, Pawn Sacrifice. What binds his diverse set of films, along with their non-pandering approach to story, is the strength of their actors.
Trial By Fire is the true story of death row [...]
The post Edward Zwick’s Cinematic Journey With ‘Trial By Fire’ Bolstered By Acting Leads appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
Trial By Fire is the true story of death row [...]
The post Edward Zwick’s Cinematic Journey With ‘Trial By Fire’ Bolstered By Acting Leads appeared first on Hollywood Outbreak.
- 5/16/2019
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Over the past thirty years, Edward Zwick has directed several movies that were based on true stories – Glory, Defiance, Pawn Sacrifice – and now he’s adding one more to his resume. Trial By Fire is his latest drama, and this one stars Laura Dern (Jurassic Park, Blue Velvet, Big Little Lies) as a Texas woman […]
The post ‘Trial By Fire’ Trailer: Laura Dern Fights for a Convicted Man’s Freedom in This True Story appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘Trial By Fire’ Trailer: Laura Dern Fights for a Convicted Man’s Freedom in This True Story appeared first on /Film.
- 4/7/2019
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
Don Kaye Jan 24, 2019
Writer and director Steven Knight delves into the origins and production of his tricky crime drama Serenity.
Serenity is the kind of movie that you can’t talk too much about without getting into heavy spoiler territory, so suffice to say that the movie starts out as a sort of sun-bleached noir set on a beautiful, remote rock known as Plymouth Island. It is there that we meet Baker Dill (Matthew McConaughey), a charter fisherman obsessed with catching one fish -- even at the expense of driving away customers -- and just as haunted by the past that always seems to hang around the necks of guys like this.
Enter his ex-wife Karen (Anne Hathaway), who arrives on the island with her brutish current spouse Frank and asks Baker -- of course -- to kill him, dangling millions of dollars and a somewhat more intimate reward in...
Writer and director Steven Knight delves into the origins and production of his tricky crime drama Serenity.
Serenity is the kind of movie that you can’t talk too much about without getting into heavy spoiler territory, so suffice to say that the movie starts out as a sort of sun-bleached noir set on a beautiful, remote rock known as Plymouth Island. It is there that we meet Baker Dill (Matthew McConaughey), a charter fisherman obsessed with catching one fish -- even at the expense of driving away customers -- and just as haunted by the past that always seems to hang around the necks of guys like this.
Enter his ex-wife Karen (Anne Hathaway), who arrives on the island with her brutish current spouse Frank and asks Baker -- of course -- to kill him, dangling millions of dollars and a somewhat more intimate reward in...
- 1/24/2019
- Den of Geek
Exclusive: As his Showtime series Ray Donovan moves to New York for its sixth season, Liev Schreiber has joined up with Matthew Stillman to launch Illuminated Content, a Gotham-based venture to develop, produce and finance TV and movie projects. Former Maven Pictures producer Hardy Justice will head up development and production at the company’s offices in New York. The aim is to generate three to four projects per year across various platforms, with Illuminated Content producing and co-financing.
The company will allow Schreiber and Stillman to accelerate the entrepreneurial ambitions they have built on separate tracks. Operating around his Ray Donovan schedule — where he is producer and has directed several pivotal episodes — Schreiber has methodically been broadening his canvas. Schreiber made his feature directorial debut on an adaptation of the Jonathan Safran Foer bestseller Everything is Illuminated and most recently starred, co-wrote, and produced Chuck, the indie drama about the life of Chuck Wepner,...
The company will allow Schreiber and Stillman to accelerate the entrepreneurial ambitions they have built on separate tracks. Operating around his Ray Donovan schedule — where he is producer and has directed several pivotal episodes — Schreiber has methodically been broadening his canvas. Schreiber made his feature directorial debut on an adaptation of the Jonathan Safran Foer bestseller Everything is Illuminated and most recently starred, co-wrote, and produced Chuck, the indie drama about the life of Chuck Wepner,...
- 9/5/2018
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Werner Herzog is coming to television as the director and executive producer of “Fordlandia,” a new series set in the 1920s and based on Henry Ford’s attempt to built a Utopian society in the heart of the Amazon. The series is being developed by Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment Group, which acquired the rights to Greg Grandin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. Deadline first reported the news.
“Fordlandia” is being written by Christopher Wilkinson, best known as the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind “Nixon.” Wilkinson’s other credits include “Pawn Sacrifice,” “Ali,” and “Miles Ahead.” Rights to the novel were purchased with plans of developing the story into a television series. Wilkinson will serve as an executive producer along with Herzog.
The book is based on the true story of Henry Ford, one of the richest men in the world during the 1920s. Ford envisioned bringing the...
“Fordlandia” is being written by Christopher Wilkinson, best known as the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind “Nixon.” Wilkinson’s other credits include “Pawn Sacrifice,” “Ali,” and “Miles Ahead.” Rights to the novel were purchased with plans of developing the story into a television series. Wilkinson will serve as an executive producer along with Herzog.
The book is based on the true story of Henry Ford, one of the richest men in the world during the 1920s. Ford envisioned bringing the...
- 6/14/2018
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment Group has acquired the rights to Greg Grandin’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Fordlandia to develop as a potential television series, with acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog attached to direct. Oscar-nominated Christopher Wilkinson is writing the series adaptation and will executive produce.
Fordlandia tells the extraordinary true story of the richest man in the world in the 1920s, Henry Ford, and his attempt to recreate small-town America deep in the heart of the Amazon. Amritraj and Herzog are also serving as executive producers, with Addison Mehr and Priya Amritraj co-producing the project. Grandin’s book was published by Macmillan in 2009.
“Fordlandia is an incredible true story and we are thrilled to be working with Werner, one of the world’s most iconic filmmakers, and Chris, a truly exceptional writer,” Amritraj said. “The story of a tycoon with absolute power imposing his vision...
Fordlandia tells the extraordinary true story of the richest man in the world in the 1920s, Henry Ford, and his attempt to recreate small-town America deep in the heart of the Amazon. Amritraj and Herzog are also serving as executive producers, with Addison Mehr and Priya Amritraj co-producing the project. Grandin’s book was published by Macmillan in 2009.
“Fordlandia is an incredible true story and we are thrilled to be working with Werner, one of the world’s most iconic filmmakers, and Chris, a truly exceptional writer,” Amritraj said. “The story of a tycoon with absolute power imposing his vision...
- 6/14/2018
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
In the age of nonstop studio blockbusters, a composer is never out of work. And no composer works harder than James Newton Howard. The brains behind more than 150 scores for film and TV, Howard has been nominated for eight Oscars across a career spanning more than four decades. His work includes the “Hunger Games” series; “Pretty Woman”; and every M. Night Shyamalan movie.
And music from all those films was on display at the 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, where Howard was honored during the June 30 opening ceremony with the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema.
“I’m very lucky,” Howard told IndieWire at the festival the next day. “I do seem to be in demand.”
Read More: How Hollywood’s Latest Tech Tool Enhanced Oscar-Winning ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ (Video)
Fittingly, after receiving his award,...
And music from all those films was on display at the 52nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic, where Howard was honored during the June 30 opening ceremony with the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema.
“I’m very lucky,” Howard told IndieWire at the festival the next day. “I do seem to be in demand.”
Read More: How Hollywood’s Latest Tech Tool Enhanced Oscar-Winning ‘The Jungle Book’ and ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ (Video)
Fittingly, after receiving his award,...
- 7/3/2017
- by Andrew Lapin
- Indiewire
Hollywood’s love affair with boxing, underdog stories, and the struggles of the common man continues with Chuck, a true story which manages to breathe some fresh life into the well-worn genre. Liev Schreiber stars as Chuck Wepner, a New Jersey boxing hero in the early ‘70s, who’d earned the nicknamed ‘The Bayonne Bleeder’ (the film’s original, better title) because of the copious amounts of blood he’d lose during an average fight. In 1975 legendary boxing promoter Don King informed Chuck’s manager Al Braverman (Ron Perlman) that Muhammed Ali was looking to fight a white heavyweight after the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ and Wepner happened to be the highest ranking one around. Ali was expected to make quick work of Wepner, but The Bleeder surprised everyone by going the distance and even knocking The Champ down (the fight was called in Ali’s favor 19 seconds before the...
- 5/19/2017
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Over the years, producer Tobey Maguire has been busy. He’s produced The Fifth Wave, Z for Zachariariah, Pawn Sacrifice, and Rock of Ages. In the eight years since Brothers, he’s produced more than acted, although he did very recently provide his voice for the #1 movie in America, Boss Baby. He doesn’t have any acting gigs coming up that we know of, […]
The post Tobey Maguire Will Make His Directorial Debut With Jo Nesbo’s ‘Blood on Snow’ appeared first on /Film.
The post Tobey Maguire Will Make His Directorial Debut With Jo Nesbo’s ‘Blood on Snow’ appeared first on /Film.
- 4/5/2017
- by Jack Giroux
- Slash Film
Not to be outdone by all the recent “Spider-Man: Homecoming” news, Tobey Maguire is set to make his directorial debut with a literary adaptation. Deadline reports that the former web-slinger will helm the silver-screen version of Jo Nesbo’s novella “Blood on Snow,” to which Maguire’s production company Material has acquired the rights alongside Lawrence Grey’s Grey Matter Productions.
Read More: Review: ‘Pawn Sacrifice’ Starring Tobey Maguire, Is A Satisfying And Engaging Chess Drama
Nesbo will adapt the book himself. “Blood on Snow” tells of Olav, a fixer working for a powerful crime syndicate in Oslo; he’s eventually tasked with killing the wife of his boss, naturally leading to what in the real world would be considered an unlikely romance. Nesbo also wrote “The Snowman,” an adaptation of which is due in theaters this October. Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Val Kilmer and J.K. Simmons star in that one.
Read More: Review: ‘Pawn Sacrifice’ Starring Tobey Maguire, Is A Satisfying And Engaging Chess Drama
Nesbo will adapt the book himself. “Blood on Snow” tells of Olav, a fixer working for a powerful crime syndicate in Oslo; he’s eventually tasked with killing the wife of his boss, naturally leading to what in the real world would be considered an unlikely romance. Nesbo also wrote “The Snowman,” an adaptation of which is due in theaters this October. Michael Fassbender, Rebecca Ferguson, Val Kilmer and J.K. Simmons star in that one.
- 4/4/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Tobey Maguire… now there’s a name we haven’t heard in a while. The actor was last seen on the big screen two years ago in the underrated “Pawn Sacrifice,” though he can be heard in multiplexes across the land in the latest animated smash, “The Boss Baby.” But overall, he’s been keeping a low profile, without much seeming on the horizon. However, it looks like he’s ready to change up his career a bit.
Continue reading Tobey Maguire Making Directorial Debut With Former Daniel Espinosa/Leonardo DiCaprio Project ‘Blood On Snow’ at The Playlist.
Continue reading Tobey Maguire Making Directorial Debut With Former Daniel Espinosa/Leonardo DiCaprio Project ‘Blood On Snow’ at The Playlist.
- 4/4/2017
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
MaryAnn’s quick take… Tepid teen romance turned implausible thriller is just about saved by a powerful, and unusually disturbing, performance from Bill Paxton (one of his last). I’m “biast” (pro): love Bill Paxton
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Alas that the most interesting thing about Mean Dreams is that it is the second-to-last performance from Bill Paxton that we will ever get, and a doozy of a performance at that. (Paxton will also appear in The Circle, opening wide in the Us in April, which I have not yet seen; I don’t think any critics have.) Alas for Paxton fans (I am a huge one); alas for The Movies, which will no longer enjoy the understated appeal of his solid presence; and alas for this particular movie, that he makes the rest of it look just...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Alas that the most interesting thing about Mean Dreams is that it is the second-to-last performance from Bill Paxton that we will ever get, and a doozy of a performance at that. (Paxton will also appear in The Circle, opening wide in the Us in April, which I have not yet seen; I don’t think any critics have.) Alas for Paxton fans (I am a huge one); alas for The Movies, which will no longer enjoy the understated appeal of his solid presence; and alas for this particular movie, that he makes the rest of it look just...
- 3/19/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
On this day in history as it relates to showbiz...
1930 Taina Elg is born in Finland. Briefly becomes a star in Hollywood with Les Girls (1957) winning a Golden Globe
1940 Much missed Puerto Rican actor Raul Julia was born on this day. "Oh Gomez..." ♥︎
1943 Chess genius Bobby Fischer is born. He was recently biopic'ed via Tobey Maguire in Pawn Sacrifice.
1963 Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée is born in Montreal. He's really been cranking out the hits lately: Dallas Buyers Club, Wild, and the juicy actress-bliss of Big Little Lies
1964 Oscar winner Juliette Binoche, one of the greatest actresses in the world, is born in Paris...
1930 Taina Elg is born in Finland. Briefly becomes a star in Hollywood with Les Girls (1957) winning a Golden Globe
1940 Much missed Puerto Rican actor Raul Julia was born on this day. "Oh Gomez..." ♥︎
1943 Chess genius Bobby Fischer is born. He was recently biopic'ed via Tobey Maguire in Pawn Sacrifice.
1963 Canadian director Jean-Marc Vallée is born in Montreal. He's really been cranking out the hits lately: Dallas Buyers Club, Wild, and the juicy actress-bliss of Big Little Lies
1964 Oscar winner Juliette Binoche, one of the greatest actresses in the world, is born in Paris...
- 3/9/2017
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
After being overlooked for his stunning work on “Selma,” cinematographer Bradford Young will have another opportunity for an Oscar nomination with Denis Villeneuve’s sublime “Arrival.” If he were to land one, he’d join Remi Adefarasin (“Elizabeth”) as the only other black honored in the category.
Indeed, Young’s poetic imagery helps transcend the sci-fi trappings, enveloping Amy Adams’ remarkable linguist Dr. Louise Banks in a strange, ethereal atmosphere in this alien contact movie about time, memory and mortality — and what it means to be human. The timing couldn’t be better for such a hopeful parable.
“I was free to be more imaginative and use all 360 degrees of the environment,” Young told IndieWire, referring to the fact that “Arrival” marks his first contemporary movie after three successive period pieces (“Pawn Sacrifice,” “A Most Violent Year” and “Selma”).
See more Why ‘Arrival’ Could Never Be Made by a Studio...
Indeed, Young’s poetic imagery helps transcend the sci-fi trappings, enveloping Amy Adams’ remarkable linguist Dr. Louise Banks in a strange, ethereal atmosphere in this alien contact movie about time, memory and mortality — and what it means to be human. The timing couldn’t be better for such a hopeful parable.
“I was free to be more imaginative and use all 360 degrees of the environment,” Young told IndieWire, referring to the fact that “Arrival” marks his first contemporary movie after three successive period pieces (“Pawn Sacrifice,” “A Most Violent Year” and “Selma”).
See more Why ‘Arrival’ Could Never Be Made by a Studio...
- 11/11/2016
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Wil Jones Oct 24, 2016
We chat to Edward Zwick, director of Jack Reacher 2, about modern cinema, the erosion of mid-budget cinema and more...
Tom Cruise returns this week as Jack Reacher, the ex-military badass from Lee Child’s popular series of novels. The first Jack Reacher was a great throwback to classic 90s action movies, that felt like a return to an era before superheroes and CGI overloads dominated blockbusters, and Tom Cruise running away from things and punching people was all we needed. And the sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back thankfully keeps that tradition.
Stepping into the director’s chair this time is Ed Zwick (replacing Christopher McQuarrie, who moved over to the Mission Impossible franchise). Zwick is the sort of Hollywood journeyman who’s name on a film is alway a good sign. He’s made movies like Courage Under Fire, The Siege, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond,...
We chat to Edward Zwick, director of Jack Reacher 2, about modern cinema, the erosion of mid-budget cinema and more...
Tom Cruise returns this week as Jack Reacher, the ex-military badass from Lee Child’s popular series of novels. The first Jack Reacher was a great throwback to classic 90s action movies, that felt like a return to an era before superheroes and CGI overloads dominated blockbusters, and Tom Cruise running away from things and punching people was all we needed. And the sequel Jack Reacher: Never Go Back thankfully keeps that tradition.
Stepping into the director’s chair this time is Ed Zwick (replacing Christopher McQuarrie, who moved over to the Mission Impossible franchise). Zwick is the sort of Hollywood journeyman who’s name on a film is alway a good sign. He’s made movies like Courage Under Fire, The Siege, The Last Samurai, Blood Diamond,...
- 10/23/2016
- Den of Geek
MaryAnn’s quick take…
Jack Reacher is back. And no one seems to know why. Low stakes, a rote plot, and undistinguished action add up to a pointless and unnecessary sequel. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
I have not read the source material
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Jack Reacher is back. And no one seems to know why. The first filmic installment of the adventures of the former military investigator created by novelist Lee Child rustled up a resounding “meh” at the box office in 2012, and I cannot imagine that anyone who saw it back then could recall a single detail about it today. Other than, perhaps, the fact that star and producer Tom Cruise bears little physical or psychological resemblance to the hulking, laconic man he is in the books. (I haven’t read any of the 20 books in the series.
Jack Reacher is back. And no one seems to know why. Low stakes, a rote plot, and undistinguished action add up to a pointless and unnecessary sequel. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
I have not read the source material
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Jack Reacher is back. And no one seems to know why. The first filmic installment of the adventures of the former military investigator created by novelist Lee Child rustled up a resounding “meh” at the box office in 2012, and I cannot imagine that anyone who saw it back then could recall a single detail about it today. Other than, perhaps, the fact that star and producer Tom Cruise bears little physical or psychological resemblance to the hulking, laconic man he is in the books. (I haven’t read any of the 20 books in the series.
- 10/19/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong’o deliver nuanced performances in a movie which threatens to back itself into a corner but has enough zest and intelligence to carry through
Making a chess movie is a tricky move. Your first stumbling block is that, of all sports, this must be one of the most uncinematic – as well as the most baffling for the novice. Even those familiar with the queen’s gambit need a little while to take a look at a board in an apparently tense setup and assess its import for both players.
Plus, on the big screen at least, the dramatis personae are rarely appealing. Traditionally, movie chess is the recourse of the brilliant but socially awkward male, who uses it to communicate when more common methods prove elusive. Such folk can be a struggle to root for, their victories and defeats wrapped up in psychological trauma and solitary childhoods.
Making a chess movie is a tricky move. Your first stumbling block is that, of all sports, this must be one of the most uncinematic – as well as the most baffling for the novice. Even those familiar with the queen’s gambit need a little while to take a look at a board in an apparently tense setup and assess its import for both players.
Plus, on the big screen at least, the dramatis personae are rarely appealing. Traditionally, movie chess is the recourse of the brilliant but socially awkward male, who uses it to communicate when more common methods prove elusive. Such folk can be a struggle to root for, their victories and defeats wrapped up in psychological trauma and solitary childhoods.
- 9/11/2016
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
“Miss Stevens” was one of the more-talked about films to emerge from this year’s edition of South by Southwest, where Lily Rabe won a Special Jury Recognition prize for her lead performance. Ahead of the drama’s release next month, the Orchard has released the film’s first trailer. Watch it below.
Read More: Exclusive ‘Miss Stevens’ Poster Lends Old School Charm to a New SXSW Breakout
Rabe (“Pawn Sacrifice”) stars as a high-school English teacher who chaperones a group of students (one of whom clearly has a crush on her) to a drama competition, with Timothée Chalamet, Rob Huebel and Oscar Nuñez in supporting roles. Ellen Page was originally attached to make her directorial debut with “Miss Stevens”; when she dropped out, co-writer Julia Hart stepped in to make her own behind-the-camera debut. Hart also wrote last year’s “The Keeping Room.”
Read More: Ellen Page Gets Behind The Camera...
Read More: Exclusive ‘Miss Stevens’ Poster Lends Old School Charm to a New SXSW Breakout
Rabe (“Pawn Sacrifice”) stars as a high-school English teacher who chaperones a group of students (one of whom clearly has a crush on her) to a drama competition, with Timothée Chalamet, Rob Huebel and Oscar Nuñez in supporting roles. Ellen Page was originally attached to make her directorial debut with “Miss Stevens”; when she dropped out, co-writer Julia Hart stepped in to make her own behind-the-camera debut. Hart also wrote last year’s “The Keeping Room.”
Read More: Ellen Page Gets Behind The Camera...
- 8/23/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
All this week, IndieWire will be rolling out our annual Fall Preview, including offerings that span genres, a close examination of some of the year’s biggest breakouts, all the awards contenders you need to know about now and special attention to all the new movies you need to get through a jam-packed fall movie-going season. Check back every day for a new look at the best the season has to offer, and clear your schedule, because we’re going to fill it right up.
“White Girl,” September 2
Writer-director Elizabeth Wood exploded onto the filmmaking scene when her controversial debut “White Girl” shocked audiences at the Sundance Film Festival. A fearless portrait of young female sexuality, the film stars “Homeland’s” Morgan Saylor as Leah, a college student who becomes involved with a young drug dealer during the last two weeks of summer in New York City. When the cops...
“White Girl,” September 2
Writer-director Elizabeth Wood exploded onto the filmmaking scene when her controversial debut “White Girl” shocked audiences at the Sundance Film Festival. A fearless portrait of young female sexuality, the film stars “Homeland’s” Morgan Saylor as Leah, a college student who becomes involved with a young drug dealer during the last two weeks of summer in New York City. When the cops...
- 8/17/2016
- by Kate Erbland, David Ehrlich, Graham Winfrey, Steve Greene, Chris O'Falt and Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Nude scenes are often thought of as one of the more difficult, trying experiences actors endure while on the job. That’s doubly true of Embeth Davidtz, a breast-cancer survivor who exposed her partially reconstructed right breast on last night’s episode of “Ray Donovan” alongside Liev Schreiber. The actress describes the experience in a Vulture interview, calling the visible signs of her double mastectomy “a battle scar” and speaking about the difficult process of preparing for the role.
Read More: Showtime’s a la Carte Streaming Service Hits in July
Davidtz, who plays Sonia Kovitzky on the Showtime drama and previously appeared in films like “Matilda,” “Schindler’s List” and “The Amazing Spider-Man,” adds that after shooting the scene she “couldn’t move for two days afterwards. I felt like I’d been hit by a truck. It does have an impact, and I’m curious to see when I put the phone down,...
Read More: Showtime’s a la Carte Streaming Service Hits in July
Davidtz, who plays Sonia Kovitzky on the Showtime drama and previously appeared in films like “Matilda,” “Schindler’s List” and “The Amazing Spider-Man,” adds that after shooting the scene she “couldn’t move for two days afterwards. I felt like I’d been hit by a truck. It does have an impact, and I’m curious to see when I put the phone down,...
- 8/1/2016
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
The second trailer for Marvel's 'Doctor Strange' has appeared at comic con and can now be seen below. Directed by Scott Derrickson the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the Sorcerer Supreme along with Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) as Baron Mordo, Benedict Wong as Wong, Tilda Swinton (Only Lovers Left Alive) as The Ancient One and, in undisclosed roles, Rachel McAdams (The Vow), Michael Stuhlbarg (Pawn Sacrifice), Scott Adkins (The Bourne Ultimatum), Amy Landecker (“Transparent”), and Mads Mikkelsen (“Hannibal”).
Marvel’s Doctor Strange follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts...
Marvel’s Doctor Strange follows the story of the talented neurosurgeon Doctor Stephen Strange who, after a tragic car accident, must put ego aside and learn the secrets of a hidden world of mysticism and alternate dimensions. Based in New York City’s Greenwich Village, Doctor Strange must act as an intermediary between the real world and what lies beyond, utilizing a vast array of metaphysical abilities and artifacts...
- 7/24/2016
- by noreply@blogger.com (Flicks News)
- FlicksNews.net
Tom Cruise first collaborated with director Edward Zwick more than a dozen years ago on The Last Samurai. Set in the late 19th century, the movie followed a traumatized former soldier (Cruise) who travels to Japan to train an army in Western-style warfare. In the process, he rediscovers his soul. The Last Samurai became a hit around the world and earned four Academy Award nominations. Cruise moved on to Michael Mann's Collateral and Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds. Zwick, though he's known for historical epics like Glory and Legends of the Fall, has continued to tackle a variety of movies, including most recently the romantic drama Love & Other Drugs and the real-life drama Pawn Sacrifice, the latter based on the legendary 1972 chess matches...
Read More...
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- 6/15/2016
- by Peter Martin
- Movies.com
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit the interwebs. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon (Douglas Tirola)
While the last few decades or so of National Lampoon’s output has been less than stellar, their influence through their humor magazine and films such as the original Vacation and Animal House can still be felt today. For those curious about the formation of the group and their rise to ubiquitous status, a...
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Story of the National Lampoon (Douglas Tirola)
While the last few decades or so of National Lampoon’s output has been less than stellar, their influence through their humor magazine and films such as the original Vacation and Animal House can still be felt today. For those curious about the formation of the group and their rise to ubiquitous status, a...
- 4/22/2016
- by TFS Staff
- The Film Stage
A fantasy about Miles Davis’s life and music; loose, free-flowing, a kind of cinematic jazz. An astonishingly assured directorial debut from Don Cheadle. I’m “biast” (pro): love Don Cheadle
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Don’t call it jazz… it’s social music.” Miles Davis really did say that about his work. But he didn’t say it to Rolling Stone journalist Dave Braden, because Dave Braden doesn’t exist. Though one may readily imagine that the real Miles Davis would have been just as testy with journalists as the Miles we see onscreen in Miles Ahead is with the fictional Braden. It’s a testiness — and an accompanying desire to craft his own story to his own liking, to tell his story his own way — that informs everything about this ingeniously seductive film.
We could say,...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Don’t call it jazz… it’s social music.” Miles Davis really did say that about his work. But he didn’t say it to Rolling Stone journalist Dave Braden, because Dave Braden doesn’t exist. Though one may readily imagine that the real Miles Davis would have been just as testy with journalists as the Miles we see onscreen in Miles Ahead is with the fictional Braden. It’s a testiness — and an accompanying desire to craft his own story to his own liking, to tell his story his own way — that informs everything about this ingeniously seductive film.
We could say,...
- 4/22/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
It was inevitable that Hollywood would remake Jacques Audiard’s stylish gangster classic A Prophet, but at least there’s considerable talent gathering behind the scenes. It’s been reported that famed crime novelist and The Drop scribe Dennis Lehane will pen the script, while Sam Raimi has eyed the director’s chair. Raimi’s late filmography has been spotty, but his last foray into crime, A Simple Plan, fit like a glove. Audiard’s original film follows a man in prison who’s taken under the tutelage of a crime boss. [Deadline]
After co-writing credits on Noah Baumbach efforts Frances Ha and Mistress America, Greta Gerwig is finally stepping behind the camera herself. Gerwig will direct fellow “it girl” and Best Actress nominee Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird. The film will follow a high school senior spending her last year at home in Sacramento. [Deadline]
Darius Marder isn’t a well-known name,...
After co-writing credits on Noah Baumbach efforts Frances Ha and Mistress America, Greta Gerwig is finally stepping behind the camera herself. Gerwig will direct fellow “it girl” and Best Actress nominee Saoirse Ronan in Lady Bird. The film will follow a high school senior spending her last year at home in Sacramento. [Deadline]
Darius Marder isn’t a well-known name,...
- 1/25/2016
- by Michael Snydel
- The Film Stage
It's pretty clear where I got the first name of my first son, Toshiro, and he's well aware of the legacy of the artist who inspired that name. While he hasn't seen Seven Samurai yet, he knows who Toshiro Mifune was and that he is an actor I hold in very high regard. What's less immediately clear is that my younger son is also named after one of my artistic heroes, because it's his middle name. He is Allen Miles McWeeny, and sure enough, he is named after one of the greatest musicians of the 20th century, a towering figure whose music has meant more to me than I can ever fully express. Don Cheadle must share some of that same reverence for Miles Davis, and it's certainly clear from his new film as a star and as a writer/director that he embraces the full complexity of Miles, flaws and all.
- 1/24/2016
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Just in case you missed it, Miramax and Broad Green Pictures announced on January 11, 2015 that principal photography has started in Montréal, Québec, Canada, on Bad Santa 2, the follow-up to the raucous comedy hit Bad Santa.
As was previously reported, the film boasts an all-star cast led by Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Christina Hendricks, Tony Cox, and Brett Kelly. Joining the already announced cast are Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars, 2 Broke Girls), comedian Jenny Zigrino (50 Shades of Black), and Jeff Skowron (The Good Shepherd). Hansen will play Regent Hastings, who runs a charitable organization with his wife Diane (Hendricks). Zigrino and Skowron play security guards Gina and Dorfman, respectively. The trio joins Thornton (television series Fargo, Sling Blade, Simple Plan, Bandits) reprising his Golden Globe-nominated role as Willy Soke, and Bates (Misery, Titanic, Dolores Claiborne) who plays Willy’s tough-as-nails mom Sunny Soke, as well as original cast members Cox...
As was previously reported, the film boasts an all-star cast led by Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates, Christina Hendricks, Tony Cox, and Brett Kelly. Joining the already announced cast are Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars, 2 Broke Girls), comedian Jenny Zigrino (50 Shades of Black), and Jeff Skowron (The Good Shepherd). Hansen will play Regent Hastings, who runs a charitable organization with his wife Diane (Hendricks). Zigrino and Skowron play security guards Gina and Dorfman, respectively. The trio joins Thornton (television series Fargo, Sling Blade, Simple Plan, Bandits) reprising his Golden Globe-nominated role as Willy Soke, and Bates (Misery, Titanic, Dolores Claiborne) who plays Willy’s tough-as-nails mom Sunny Soke, as well as original cast members Cox...
- 1/19/2016
- by Mike Tyrkus
- CinemaNerdz
In a shocking turn of events, Deadline is reporting that due to scheduling conflicts, director Juan Antonio Bayona (The Impossible) has exited Paramount Pictures' & Plan B Entertainment's upcoming World War Z sequel, which stars Academy Award-winner Brad Pitt and has a script from Steven Knight (Pawn Sacrifice) & Dennis Kelly (Black Sea). Paramount is eagerly trying to kick off production on World War Z 2 this summer in order to get it ready for its wide release in Summer 2017. Bayona is currently deep into post-production on his latest directorial venture A Monster Calls, which stars Liam Neeson (Taken) & Felicity Jones (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), and felt that he couldn't finish his commitments on that film before this summer when he would have had to shift gears to World War Z 2. The studio released this statement to confirm his departure: “Bayona is no longer able to make...
- 1/12/2016
- ComicBookMovie.com
An elegy for old-school reportage and the people who pursue it, and a journalistic procedural with a snappy rush of urgent discovery and consequence. I’m “biast” (pro): partial to stories about journalists, love the cast
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
For me, this kind of story is why we do this.” So says Liev Schreiber as Marty Baron, the editor of the Boston Globe newspaper on the eve of the publication, in January 2002, of a story the team of investigative journalists in the paper’s Spotlight department had been working on for months. It would crack open the coverup of pedophile priests in the Catholic Church in Boston, led to the revelations of similar coverups around the U.S. and across the planet, and would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize in 2003. But “this kind of story...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
For me, this kind of story is why we do this.” So says Liev Schreiber as Marty Baron, the editor of the Boston Globe newspaper on the eve of the publication, in January 2002, of a story the team of investigative journalists in the paper’s Spotlight department had been working on for months. It would crack open the coverup of pedophile priests in the Catholic Church in Boston, led to the revelations of similar coverups around the U.S. and across the planet, and would go on to win a Pulitzer Prize in 2003. But “this kind of story...
- 1/6/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
'The Peanuts Movie': 2016 Best Original Score Oscar contender along with 111 other titles. Oscar 2016: Best Original Score contenders range from 'Mad Max: Fury Road' to 'The Peanuts Movie' Earlier this month (Dec. '15), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made public the list of 112 film scores eligible for the 2016 Oscar in the Best Original Score category. As found in the Academy's press release, “a Reminder List of works submitted in the Original Score category will be made available with a nominations ballot to all members of the Music Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.” The release adds that “to be eligible, the original score must be a substantial body of music that serves as original dramatic underscoring, and must...
- 12/24/2015
- by Mont. Steve
- Alt Film Guide
Yawningly dull Cold War chess drama squanders the charms and talents of Tobey Maguire (as Bobby Fischer) and Liev Schreiber (as Boris Spassky). Desperately wants competitive chess to be seen as exciting, inspiring, and metaphoric in all sorts of directions, from the political to the personal, and fails miserably. I’m “biast” (pro): like the cast
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
(My Ratings posts are a quick way for me to share my reaction to a film. This post will be updated if/when I ever write a review. Feel free to discuss the movie in depth in the comments section.)
See also my #WhereAreTheWomen rating of Pawn Sacrifice for its representation of girls and women.
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
(My Ratings posts are a quick way for me to share my reaction to a film. This post will be updated if/when I ever write a review. Feel free to discuss the movie in depth in the comments section.)
See also my #WhereAreTheWomen rating of Pawn Sacrifice for its representation of girls and women.
- 12/23/2015
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Our resident VOD expert tells you what's new to rent and/or own this week via various Digital HD providers such as cable Movies On Demand, Amazon, iTunes, Vudu, Google Play and, of course, Netflix. Cable Movies On Demand: Same-day-as-disc releases, older titles and pretheatrical exclusives for rent, priced from $3-$10, in 24- or 48-hour periods Pan (family fantasy-adventure; Hugh Jackman, Garrett Hedlund, Rooney Mara, Levi Miller, Amanda Seyfried, Cara Delevingne; rated PG) War Room (faith-based drama; Priscilla C. Shirer, T.C. Stallings, Beth Moore, Karen Abercrombie; rated PG) Pawn Sacrifice (drama-thriller; Tobey Maguire, Peter Sarsgaard, Liev Schreiber, Lily Rabe; rated PG-13) Sleeping with other People (comedy; Alison Brie, Jason Sudeikis, Natasha Lyonne...
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- 12/22/2015
- by Robert B. DeSalvo
- Movies.com
At a loss for what to watch this week? From new DVDs and Blu-rays, to what's streaming on Netflix, we've got you covered.
New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only
"The Martian"
You can bring Matt Damon home -- at least through digital download -- just in time to meet your family for the holidays. "The Martian," based on the best-selling novel by Andy Weir, is arriving on Digital HD on December 22, with the Blu-ray and DVD releases to follow on January 12. The 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and Digital HD releases have more than 90 minutes of special features, including an exclusive in-world retrospective starring Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Sean Bean, covering the "true" story behind the daring rescue seven years after the events of the film. There are also two making-of documentaries, a gag reel, and more.
"Hotel Transylvania 2"
The adorable "Hotel Transylvania" sequel reunites the "Drac's...
New Video on Demand, Rental Streaming, and Digital Only
"The Martian"
You can bring Matt Damon home -- at least through digital download -- just in time to meet your family for the holidays. "The Martian," based on the best-selling novel by Andy Weir, is arriving on Digital HD on December 22, with the Blu-ray and DVD releases to follow on January 12. The 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and Digital HD releases have more than 90 minutes of special features, including an exclusive in-world retrospective starring Jeff Daniels, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Sean Bean, covering the "true" story behind the daring rescue seven years after the events of the film. There are also two making-of documentaries, a gag reel, and more.
"Hotel Transylvania 2"
The adorable "Hotel Transylvania" sequel reunites the "Drac's...
- 12/21/2015
- by Gina Carbone
- Moviefone
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences today announced that 112 scores from eligible feature-length motion pictures released in 2015 are in contention for nominations in the Original Score category for the 88th Academy Awards.
The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title:
“Adult Beginners,” Marcelo Zarvos, composer
“The Age of Adaline,” Rob Simonsen, composer
“Altered Minds,” Edmund Choi, composer
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
“Anomalisa,” Carter Burwell, composer
“Ant-Man,” Christophe Beck, composer
“Beasts of No Nation,” Dan Romer, composer
“The Big Short,” Nicholas Britell, composer
“Black Mass,” Tom Holkenborg, composer
“Bridge of Spies,” Thomas Newman, composer
“Brooklyn,” Michael Brook, composer
“Burnt,” Rob Simonsen, composer
“By the Sea,” Gabriel Yared, composer
“Carol,” Carter Burwell, composer
“Cartel Land,” H. Scott Salinas and Jackson Greenberg, composers
“Chi-Raq,” Terence Blanchard, composer
“Cinderella,” Patrick Doyle, composer
“Coming Home,” Qigang Chen, composer
“Concussion,...
The eligible scores along with their composers are listed below, in alphabetical order by film title:
“Adult Beginners,” Marcelo Zarvos, composer
“The Age of Adaline,” Rob Simonsen, composer
“Altered Minds,” Edmund Choi, composer
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip,” Mark Mothersbaugh, composer
“Anomalisa,” Carter Burwell, composer
“Ant-Man,” Christophe Beck, composer
“Beasts of No Nation,” Dan Romer, composer
“The Big Short,” Nicholas Britell, composer
“Black Mass,” Tom Holkenborg, composer
“Bridge of Spies,” Thomas Newman, composer
“Brooklyn,” Michael Brook, composer
“Burnt,” Rob Simonsen, composer
“By the Sea,” Gabriel Yared, composer
“Carol,” Carter Burwell, composer
“Cartel Land,” H. Scott Salinas and Jackson Greenberg, composers
“Chi-Raq,” Terence Blanchard, composer
“Cinderella,” Patrick Doyle, composer
“Coming Home,” Qigang Chen, composer
“Concussion,...
- 12/17/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
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