"You know the best thing about road trips: you get to leave everything behind." Disney has revealed an official trailer for Crater, a sci-fi adventure rated PG mainly made for kids and young adults. This film was developed for 20th Century Studios at first, but Disney pushed it as a Disney+ streaming released instead - now launching this May. Crater is a coming-of-age story in the vein of Stand By Me, taking place on a moon colony in the year 2257. After the death of his father, a boy growing up on a lunar mining colony takes a trip to explore a mysterious crater, along with his best friends, prior to being permanently relocated to another planet. This film stars Isaiah Russell-Bailey as Caleb, Mckenna Grace, Billy Barratt, Orson Hong, Thomas Boyce, and Scott Mescudi. Made by the filmmaker Kyle Patrick Alvarez, director of C.O.G. and The Stanford Prison Experiment from...
- 4/12/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Jonathan Groff is an American actor, singer, and producer best known for his roles on stage, screen, and television. He has starred on Broadway in Hamilton and Spring Awakening, as well as in the HBO series Looking and Netflix’s Mindhunter. He is also the voice of Kristoff in Disney’s Frozen films and has been featured in several other films such as The Normal Heart, Boss Baby 2: Family Business, and Trolls World Tour.
Jonathan Groff. Depositphotos
Groff began his career performing off-Broadway productions before transitioning to Broadway shows such as In My Life: A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles (2005), Hair (2009) and Spring Awakening (2015). He won a Tony Award nomination for his performance as King George III in Hamilton (2016). After appearing on stage with Lea Michele in Spring Awakening (2015) he starred opposite her again in Fox’s Glee (2009-15). Later he went on to portray FBI Agent Holden...
Jonathan Groff. Depositphotos
Groff began his career performing off-Broadway productions before transitioning to Broadway shows such as In My Life: A Musical Theatre Tribute to the Beatles (2005), Hair (2009) and Spring Awakening (2015). He won a Tony Award nomination for his performance as King George III in Hamilton (2016). After appearing on stage with Lea Michele in Spring Awakening (2015) he starred opposite her again in Fox’s Glee (2009-15). Later he went on to portray FBI Agent Holden...
- 2/21/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Tom Hardy is an incredibly intense actor. Even if he's making something as goofily mainstream as "Venom," he throws everything he's got into the role. This can be a bit off-putting at times. His thick Brooklyn accent as Eddie Brock is a wildly heightened variation on the character he played in Michaêl R. Roskam's hugely underrated "The Drop"; it takes some getting used to, and some people just can't get there. But, hey, at least you can understand what he's saying, as opposed to his voice-modulated portrayal of Bane in "The Dark Knight Rises."
In any event, be it a comic book movie or a deathly serious Alejandro González Iñárritu drama, Hardy fully commits – even if he's not entirely sure where the film is headed. This was the case with Christopher Nolan's "Inception," a metatextual action film that unfolds on a grand, blockbuster scale. He knew he was...
In any event, be it a comic book movie or a deathly serious Alejandro González Iñárritu drama, Hardy fully commits – even if he's not entirely sure where the film is headed. This was the case with Christopher Nolan's "Inception," a metatextual action film that unfolds on a grand, blockbuster scale. He knew he was...
- 8/29/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Homecoming Kyle Patrick Alvarez has been tapped to direct the the film Crater for Disney Plus. The film will be overseen by Disney’s live-action team with hopes to shoot in the spring. Shawn Levy and Dan Levine will produce through their 21 Laps Entertainment banner.
Crater is described as a coming-of-age story in the vein of “Stand By Me,” set on a moon colony. After the death of his father, a boy growing up on a lunar mining colony takes a trip to explore a mysterious crater, along with his four best friends, prior to being permanently relocated to another planet. John Griffin penned the script.
The film was originally set up at 20th Century with Levy circling the directing chair but after it moved to Disney Levy chose to focus on producing duties as the film gained momentum.
Alvarez most recently directed and executive produced every episodes...
Crater is described as a coming-of-age story in the vein of “Stand By Me,” set on a moon colony. After the death of his father, a boy growing up on a lunar mining colony takes a trip to explore a mysterious crater, along with his four best friends, prior to being permanently relocated to another planet. John Griffin penned the script.
The film was originally set up at 20th Century with Levy circling the directing chair but after it moved to Disney Levy chose to focus on producing duties as the film gained momentum.
Alvarez most recently directed and executive produced every episodes...
- 1/12/2021
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
We’re still a couple of weeks out from The Boys returning with its second season, but based on the footage we’ve seen so far, it certainly looks as if we’re in for another wild ride. One that may even top the first run of the show, which was one of the best things that we’d seen on television in a long time.
Of course, trying to predict how something as crazy as The Boys is going to end up is a fool’s errand, but let’s not forget that it won’t be the only new thing arriving on Amazon Prime in September. Far from it, in fact.
Earlier today, the streaming service announced their entire line-up of new titles for next month and it’s a meaty list, comprising both films and television shows. And though The Boys may be the highlight for many...
Of course, trying to predict how something as crazy as The Boys is going to end up is a fool’s errand, but let’s not forget that it won’t be the only new thing arriving on Amazon Prime in September. Far from it, in fact.
Earlier today, the streaming service announced their entire line-up of new titles for next month and it’s a meaty list, comprising both films and television shows. And though The Boys may be the highlight for many...
- 8/26/2020
- by Matt Joseph
- We Got This Covered
An election season is fast-approaching in the U.S. So for its new releases in September 2020, Amazon Prime is bringing back one of its most political shows.
The Boys season 2 premieres its first three episodes on September 4. Though the show on its face is a superhero story, viewers of season 1 will know it’s really about America’s troubling embrace of entertainment with fascism. Sounds fun and not at all terrifying right before a presidential election!
That’s not the only bleak Amazon original on the schedule for September. British TV adaptation Utopia arrives on September 25. This Gillian Flynn-produced series follows fans of a comic book who believe it predicts…world-ending pandemics. Darn it. Amazon’s only original film this month is a…documentary about voter suppression from Liz Garbus called All In: The Fight for Democracy. Yikes.
For those of us who want to relax with some ‘member berries,...
The Boys season 2 premieres its first three episodes on September 4. Though the show on its face is a superhero story, viewers of season 1 will know it’s really about America’s troubling embrace of entertainment with fascism. Sounds fun and not at all terrifying right before a presidential election!
That’s not the only bleak Amazon original on the schedule for September. British TV adaptation Utopia arrives on September 25. This Gillian Flynn-produced series follows fans of a comic book who believe it predicts…world-ending pandemics. Darn it. Amazon’s only original film this month is a…documentary about voter suppression from Liz Garbus called All In: The Fight for Democracy. Yikes.
For those of us who want to relax with some ‘member berries,...
- 8/26/2020
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
We've been fans of Atypical since it aired its first season that focused on the dating life of 18-year-old autistic teenager Sam Gardner. It's one of our favorite teen dramas, and we're so glad it was renewed. The show just debuted its second season on Netflix, and the plot lines continue to push envelopes and tug at heartstrings.
The stellar cast is nothing short of impressive, with Keir Gilchrist starring as Sam, '80s icon Jennifer Jason Leigh (Fast Times of Ridgemont High) starring as Sam's mother, and Michael Rapaport (Friends) playing Sam's father. But while we were marathon-watching the latest season, we couldn't help but notice a familiar face playing new character Ms. Whitaker. Casey Wilson has been in the film and television game for years now, so even if you couldn't place her face, you've likely been a fan of her work for quite some time.
Wilson grew up in Virginia,...
The stellar cast is nothing short of impressive, with Keir Gilchrist starring as Sam, '80s icon Jennifer Jason Leigh (Fast Times of Ridgemont High) starring as Sam's mother, and Michael Rapaport (Friends) playing Sam's father. But while we were marathon-watching the latest season, we couldn't help but notice a familiar face playing new character Ms. Whitaker. Casey Wilson has been in the film and television game for years now, so even if you couldn't place her face, you've likely been a fan of her work for quite some time.
Wilson grew up in Virginia,...
- 9/12/2018
- by Hannah Abrams
- Popsugar.com
River of No Return: Sobel Brings Scent of Southern Gothic to the Mid-West with Stellar Debut
Family reunions have tremendous potential as battlefields for dysfunctional reparations, and provide easy arenas for comedy or drama to flourish. Director Matt Sobel draws upon the decidedly uncomfortable sort with his debut, Take Me to the River, an astute collision of adolescent anguish, coming-out suppression, and rural redneck nightmare all rolled into a flammable powder keg that leaks incendiary fumes but never builds to explosive relief. Age old juxtapositions, such as the sinful worldliness of Californians vs. corn-fed Midwestern white values, are enhanced by the dramatic charge of queer tensions Sobel compellingly conjures. Sure to make you squirm thanks to a reservoir of debauched sexuality lurking underneath the thin veneer of respectable propriety, Sobel culls a handful of startlingly realistic performances from a fine cast.
17-year-old Ryder (Logan Miller) is on his way...
Family reunions have tremendous potential as battlefields for dysfunctional reparations, and provide easy arenas for comedy or drama to flourish. Director Matt Sobel draws upon the decidedly uncomfortable sort with his debut, Take Me to the River, an astute collision of adolescent anguish, coming-out suppression, and rural redneck nightmare all rolled into a flammable powder keg that leaks incendiary fumes but never builds to explosive relief. Age old juxtapositions, such as the sinful worldliness of Californians vs. corn-fed Midwestern white values, are enhanced by the dramatic charge of queer tensions Sobel compellingly conjures. Sure to make you squirm thanks to a reservoir of debauched sexuality lurking underneath the thin veneer of respectable propriety, Sobel culls a handful of startlingly realistic performances from a fine cast.
17-year-old Ryder (Logan Miller) is on his way...
- 3/14/2016
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
In the above video from ShareGrid, the peer-to-peer camera rental service, director Kyle Patrick Alvarez ("The Stanford Prison Experiment") talks about "the digital era." Though the debate over film vs. digital is an old one and will likely never be fully resolved (so to speak), Alvarez says it's not much of an issue for him. He shot both "C.O.G." and his most recent film, "The Stanford Prison Experiment," digitally, and he says "audiences have become more adjusted to the digital feeling." On both films, he used a Red camera, though he said he did investigate the cost of shooting on film and decided it wasn't worth it. Read More: Kyle Patrick Alvarez Brings to Life the Infamous "Stanford Prison Experiment" "I would love to shoot on film," said Alvarez. "Of course, I would, but there isn't the financial viability behind it that warrants the good that comes from it." With "Stanford,...
- 8/20/2015
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
Run, Hide, Die gives you three choices on Sept. 1st!
Rlj Entertainment, under it’s Image Entertainment brand, brings you Run, Hide, Die. Directed by Collin Joseph Neal (Altered), the film stars Alison Monda (Shadowed), Tabitha Bastien (The Anatomy of Monsters), Keiko Green (C.O.G.) and Gail Harvey (The Off Hours). Run, Hide, Die. is available on DVD, VOD and Digital HD on Sept. 1, 2015. A ...
Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...
Rlj Entertainment, under it’s Image Entertainment brand, brings you Run, Hide, Die. Directed by Collin Joseph Neal (Altered), the film stars Alison Monda (Shadowed), Tabitha Bastien (The Anatomy of Monsters), Keiko Green (C.O.G.) and Gail Harvey (The Off Hours). Run, Hide, Die. is available on DVD, VOD and Digital HD on Sept. 1, 2015. A ...
Hnn | Horrornews.net - Official News Site...
- 8/9/2015
- by The Black Saint
- Horror News
A new trailer has arrived for Harbinger Down ahead of the film's release tomorrow. Also in this round-up: a new teaser trailer for Cherry Tree, The Barn Indiegogo campaign, and DVD release details for horror-thriller Run, Hide, Die.
Harbinger Down: "A group of grad students have booked passage on the fishing trawler Harbinger to study the effects of global warming on a pod of Orcas in the Bering Sea. When the ship’s crew dredges up a recently thawed piece of old Soviet space wreckage, things get downright deadly. It seems that the Russians experimented with tardigrades, tiny resilient animals able to withstand the extremes of space radiation. The creatures survived, but not without a mutation. Now the crew is exposed to aggressively mutating organisms. And after being locked in ice for three decades, the creatures aren’t about to give up the warmth of human companionship.
Starring: Lance Henriksen,...
Harbinger Down: "A group of grad students have booked passage on the fishing trawler Harbinger to study the effects of global warming on a pod of Orcas in the Bering Sea. When the ship’s crew dredges up a recently thawed piece of old Soviet space wreckage, things get downright deadly. It seems that the Russians experimented with tardigrades, tiny resilient animals able to withstand the extremes of space radiation. The creatures survived, but not without a mutation. Now the crew is exposed to aggressively mutating organisms. And after being locked in ice for three decades, the creatures aren’t about to give up the warmth of human companionship.
Starring: Lance Henriksen,...
- 8/6/2015
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
When I saw writer-director Kyle Patrick Alvarez's first feature Easier with Practice, based on a short story, I knew to keep this guy on my radar. For a first film on a shoestring budget, the film looks something born out of Hollywood. Smart move. Alvarez's next film, C.O.G., was also based on a short story, this one by David Sedaris. A fun and large fact about Alvarez: this young filmmaker is the first and only to get Sedaris' full blessing to adapt one of his stories into a feature film. Sedaris has given the green light to other filmmakers a few times before but changed his mind. Not for Alvarez. C.O.G. had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. I was there -- not important...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 8/4/2015
- Screen Anarchy
One of the more intense films to emerge from the Sundance Film Festival, Kyle Patrick Alvarez's gripping "The Stanford Prison Experiment" (read our review) is a dramatization of a notorious 1971 psychology experiment that went very, very wrong. It's a potent piece of work, featuring a terrific ensemble cast (Michael Angarano, Ezra Miller, Logan Miller, Keir Gilchrist, Tye Sheridan, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Mann, Moises Arias, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby and Billy Crudup), and which takes the filmmaker into different territory following his first two pictures, "Easier With Practice" and "C.O.G." Like any filmmaker who can easily switch gears, Alvarez's cinematic tastes are wide ranging. In the latest entry in our series Movies That Changed My Life, Alvarez discloses how films as diverse as "Vertigo," "Showgirls" and "Terminator 2: Judgement Day" left an impression. "The Stanford Prison Experiment"...
- 7/30/2015
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
You'll be kicking yourself if you don't see "The Stanford Prison Experiment" in theaters. Seriously. And, no, I'm not just saying that because I happen to know director Kyle Patrick Alvarez socially or that it's a Sundance Jury Award-winning movie or that it depicts one of the most shocking events to occur at one of America's greatest Universities over the past fifty years.* The real reason is that besides the questions it raises about the human condition and our ability to descend to abject cruelty, "Stanford" features a once in a life time cast that will dominate Hollywood for the next 15 to 20 years.* *It also has earned strong reviews to date including a 71 grade on Metacritic and 78% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Based on true events, the new drama chronicles the 1971 psychological experiment that found Stanford University students sorted into the roles of prison guard or a generic prisoner. In theory,...
- 7/18/2015
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
This is a reprint of our review from the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the primal impulses of humanity are revealed with chilling and ugly clarity in psychodrama “The Stanford Prison Experiment.” This year’s “Compliance”—aka the confrontational, abrasive picture at Sundance that polarizes audiences to the point of inspiring screaming matches—‘Stanford’ is even more provocative, as well as more accomplished and thought-provoking. Director Kyle Patrick Alvarez take a quantum leap into left field (his last film was the David Sedaris comic adaptation “C.O.G.”) with this examination of a disturbing true story. In 1971, psychologist Dr. Philip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup) begins the Stanford prison experiment,a landmark study of psychological incarceration examining the effects of authority, power and control as they apply to basic human behavior. With the assistance of his colleagues (James Wolk, Gaius Charles, Matt Bennett) and a real-life San...
- 7/13/2015
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Read More: How I Shot That: Dp Jas Shelton on Capturing the Claustrophobia of 'The Stanford Prison Experiment' From director Kyle Patrick Alvarez ("C.O.G."), "The Stanford Prison Experiment" promises to reenact the horrifying 1971 project that put innocent students behind bars and their untrained peers in control of them as guards. Led by Dr. Philip Zimbardo, the infamous psychology experiment had unintentionally detrimental results as the students embodied their roles as guards and became increasingly violent. The film, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, appears to be just as chilling and intense as the experiment itself. The unsettling trailer -- filled with all of the scary signs that made the science that justified the project seem dubious at best -- is sure to make you quite uneasy. The ensemble includes Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Tye Sheridan, Olivia Thirlby and Michael Angarano. "The Stanford Prison Experiment...
- 6/15/2015
- by Meredith Mattlin
- Indiewire
Back in August of 1971 on Stanford University’s campus, 18 young men were selected for a psychological experiment simulating the effects of a prison environment on both prisoners and guards. The results were famously shocking and controversial, and the study became a case study of psychology courses everywhere.
For years a version of this story has been trying to get off the ground, and director Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G.) finally made it happen this year at Sundance. The Stanford Prison Experiment is a scarily accurate recreation of the events, with even the film’s set built to a near perfect model of the actual dimensions the “prisoners” were held in. Lane Scarberry said in her Sundance review that the film is, “a claustrophobic tale of ego and wits under duress that retains suspense not in the outcome but in its execution.” Here’s the full synopsis:
What happens when a college psych study goes shockingly wrong?...
For years a version of this story has been trying to get off the ground, and director Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G.) finally made it happen this year at Sundance. The Stanford Prison Experiment is a scarily accurate recreation of the events, with even the film’s set built to a near perfect model of the actual dimensions the “prisoners” were held in. Lane Scarberry said in her Sundance review that the film is, “a claustrophobic tale of ego and wits under duress that retains suspense not in the outcome but in its execution.” Here’s the full synopsis:
What happens when a college psych study goes shockingly wrong?...
- 6/15/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Way back in 2006, Christopher McQuarrie was announced as the writer and director of The Stanford Prison Experiment. Nine years later the film is finally complete, but in rather different form than originally planned. McQuarrie is now listed only among the producers, with the screenplay credit going to Tim Talbott (South Park, Medium), and Kyle Patrick Alvarez (C.O.G.) in the director's chair. Ezra Miller, Thomas Mann, Billy Crudup and Olivia Thirlby head up the cast, and here's a trailer.The film, of course, is based on the infamous human behaviour study conducted in the early 1970s. The experiment saw a group of Us college students taking on the roles of prisoners and guards to study the effects of incarceration. Within a day, the “guards” resorted to psychological torture and humiliation and the “prisoners” began to riot.It’s been a cultural touchstone for years – and several films based on the subject...
- 6/15/2015
- EmpireOnline
The May 1 release of Avengers: Age of Ultron marks the "official" start of the 2015 Summer Movie Season and with that in mind, it's only appropriate to offer up a look forward at what's ahead over the next four months. What is ahead over the next four monthsc Well, a lot of movies that cost a lot of money with a few smaller features mixed in for good measure, and as much as some of us may lament the fact studios have become so franchise focused, it's hard not to admit a desire to see some of these bigger features. As a means of whittling down the flock of films arriving over the next several months I've chosen to take a look at my 20 most anticipated, which does mean there are bound to be some titles I probably ought to mention, but didn't make the list for a variety of reasons.
- 4/29/2015
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s “The Stanford Prison Experiment” Image Courtesy of the Sundance Institute
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Written by Tim Talbott
USA, 2015
Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s The Stanford Prison Experiment is a darkly comedic dramatization of a frightening real life experiment conducted in 1971 by Dr. Phillip Zimbardo. It spun wildly out of control over the course of just 5 days. Two dozen Ivy league men are drawn to the experiment for money. Screened for good mental health and randomly assigned positions as guards or prisoners, conformity is set to be examined under the the microscope in the basement of prestigious Stanford. The experiment starts out informally as they are given uniforms and plopped into their cells and guard rooms. It soon spirals into degrading mental abuse and physical deprivation. That this happened is not in question but how systematic torture ensued couldn’t have been anticipated.
The Stanford Prison Experiment
Directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Written by Tim Talbott
USA, 2015
Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s The Stanford Prison Experiment is a darkly comedic dramatization of a frightening real life experiment conducted in 1971 by Dr. Phillip Zimbardo. It spun wildly out of control over the course of just 5 days. Two dozen Ivy league men are drawn to the experiment for money. Screened for good mental health and randomly assigned positions as guards or prisoners, conformity is set to be examined under the the microscope in the basement of prestigious Stanford. The experiment starts out informally as they are given uniforms and plopped into their cells and guard rooms. It soon spirals into degrading mental abuse and physical deprivation. That this happened is not in question but how systematic torture ensued couldn’t have been anticipated.
- 2/7/2015
- by Lane Scarberry
- SoundOnSight
The Stanford Prison Experiment, which premiered this week at Sundance to mostly positive reviews, is not always an easy film to watch.
Much of the action takes place in barren 6-foot-wide hallway. The characters--seemingly normal and well-adjusted Stanford students recruited to participate in a landmark 1971 study about the psychology of imprisonment--take their role-playing as prisoner and guard to extremes, turning power-hungry, violent and occasionally sadistic. The "grown-ups," led by researcher Philip Zimbardo (played by Billy Crudup), watch a live feed of the action from a nearby office and fail to stop the abuse--fueled by their own power trips and unchecked ambition.
None of the men or boys come off looking very good in the film, though director Kyle Patrick Alvarez does a masterful job humanizing them. And it’s impossible to watch without wondering how you’d react if parachuted into Zimbardo’s simulated prison. Would you stand up for yourself--or for the humanity of others? And can...
Much of the action takes place in barren 6-foot-wide hallway. The characters--seemingly normal and well-adjusted Stanford students recruited to participate in a landmark 1971 study about the psychology of imprisonment--take their role-playing as prisoner and guard to extremes, turning power-hungry, violent and occasionally sadistic. The "grown-ups," led by researcher Philip Zimbardo (played by Billy Crudup), watch a live feed of the action from a nearby office and fail to stop the abuse--fueled by their own power trips and unchecked ambition.
None of the men or boys come off looking very good in the film, though director Kyle Patrick Alvarez does a masterful job humanizing them. And it’s impossible to watch without wondering how you’d react if parachuted into Zimbardo’s simulated prison. Would you stand up for yourself--or for the humanity of others? And can...
- 1/30/2015
- Entertainment Tonight
Would you be a better guard or a better prisoner? How would you act? Most of us are inherently familiar with the "Stanford Prison Experiment", the infamously legendary psychology experiment conducted in the 1970s involving a mock prison testing the limits of prisoners against the guards. Many have been trying to adapt this for years, and we finally have a take on it - literally called The Stanford Prison Experiment. Director Kyle Patrick Alvarez (of C.O.G. from Sundance 2013) along with screenwriter Tim Talbott bring to life the intense, brutal mock prison setup in the basement of a Stanford building. It's riveting to watch, and will be divisive just based on how crazy it gets. But we all knew it would go this far, right? Right? The setup for the Stanford Prison Experiment is fairly basic - they recruit 18 different students for a study, each to be paid $15 per day for two weeks.
- 1/30/2015
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
The Stanford Prison Experiment might be the most jacked-up movie that I've seen at Sundance this year. The thing that makes the film so compelling and disturbing is the fact that it's based on a true story. I wasn't aware that this ever happened, but it did, and it was pretty messed up.
The story is set in 1971, when a Stanford psychology professor named Dr. Philip Zimbardo puts together a prison experiment in which he recruits a group of young students to study the psychology of imprisonment. With the flip of a coin the professor decides which of the students will be prison guards, and which ones will be inmates. In the process we see how these people react and adapt to this situation. When you first meet everyone, they all seem like nice guys who would never really do anything too crazy — they seem like they all have good heads on their shoulders.
The story is set in 1971, when a Stanford psychology professor named Dr. Philip Zimbardo puts together a prison experiment in which he recruits a group of young students to study the psychology of imprisonment. With the flip of a coin the professor decides which of the students will be prison guards, and which ones will be inmates. In the process we see how these people react and adapt to this situation. When you first meet everyone, they all seem like nice guys who would never really do anything too crazy — they seem like they all have good heads on their shoulders.
- 1/29/2015
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and the primal impulses of humanity are revealed with chilling and ugly clarity in psychodrama “The Stanford Prison Experiment.” This year’s “Compliance” —aka the confrontational, abrasive picture at Sundance that polarizes audiences to the point of inspiring screaming matches— ‘Stanford’ is even more provocative, as well as more accomplished and thought-provoking. Director Kyle Patrick Alvarez take a quantum leap into left field (his last film was the David Sedaris comic adaptation “C.O.G.”) with this examination of a disturbing true story. In 1971, psychologist Dr. Philip Zimbardo (Billy Crudup) begins the Stanford prison experiment, a landmark study of psychological incarceration examining the effects of authority, power and control as they apply to basic human behavior. With the assistance of his colleagues (James Wolk, Gaius Charles, Matt Bennett) and a real-life San Quentin convict employed to legitimize the...
- 1/29/2015
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
As part of our "How I Shot That" series, Indiewire asked cinematographer Jas Shelton about his work on Kyle Patrick Alvarez's "The Stanford Prison Experiment," which recreates Phillip Zimbardo's infamous 1971 study into the psychology of power. The film, which premiered recently at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, marks Shelton's second collaboration with Alvarez after "C.O.G." He has shot Mark and Jay Duplass' "Cyrus," "Jeff Who Lives at Home," and most recently, their HBO show "Togetherness." What camera and lens did you use? Red Dragon, first-generation Leitz lenses (we totally fell in love with the lens and thought it was perfect for the movie). How did you decide which camera to use? I'm very agnostic when it comes to cameras. I don't have one particular camera I like. I kind of think of digital cameras as like film stocks, so each project dictates which camera we'll use. On my previous films with Kyle.
- 1/29/2015
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
Not many actors can say that they’ve voiced a character in the most successful animated Disney film of all time and then had sex against a tree on TV. But for Jonathan Groff that’s exactly where his career has gone, from voicing Kristoff in 2013’s Frozen to the gay world of San Francisco on HBO’s Looking.
News: Jonathan Groff Takes the Lead
The show, currently three episodes into a sex-filled second season, follows three gay men as they navigate friendships, love and lust. As Patrick, Groff acts as the show’s center, trying to keep his love life in order while supporting his friends, Agustin and Dom, along the way.
In an interview with ETonline, Groff looks back on his early days on Broadway, reflects on the controversy surrounding his guest role on Glee, and chats candidly about Looking’s sex scenes.
ETonline: It’s been six years since you appeared in Spring Awakening...
News: Jonathan Groff Takes the Lead
The show, currently three episodes into a sex-filled second season, follows three gay men as they navigate friendships, love and lust. As Patrick, Groff acts as the show’s center, trying to keep his love life in order while supporting his friends, Agustin and Dom, along the way.
In an interview with ETonline, Groff looks back on his early days on Broadway, reflects on the controversy surrounding his guest role on Glee, and chats candidly about Looking’s sex scenes.
ETonline: It’s been six years since you appeared in Spring Awakening...
- 1/26/2015
- Entertainment Tonight
“Bachelorette” filmmaker Leslye Headland returns to Sundance with a higher profile this time
Filmmaking careers are born at Sundance, as evidenced by directors Kevin Smith (“Clerks”), J.C. Chandor (“Margin Call”) and Damien Chazelle (“Whiplash”). This year’s festival features plenty of returning artists as well as new voices with something fresh to say. TheWrap talked to buyers and sellers before whittling down this list of 10 buzzworthy filmmakers on the eve of Sundance. Something tells us we’ll be hearing about them for years to come.
Also Read: 10 Hottest Sundance Sales Titles: J. Lo, Robert Redford, Keanu Reeves, David Foster Wallace
Nikole Beckwith,...
Filmmaking careers are born at Sundance, as evidenced by directors Kevin Smith (“Clerks”), J.C. Chandor (“Margin Call”) and Damien Chazelle (“Whiplash”). This year’s festival features plenty of returning artists as well as new voices with something fresh to say. TheWrap talked to buyers and sellers before whittling down this list of 10 buzzworthy filmmakers on the eve of Sundance. Something tells us we’ll be hearing about them for years to come.
Also Read: 10 Hottest Sundance Sales Titles: J. Lo, Robert Redford, Keanu Reeves, David Foster Wallace
Nikole Beckwith,...
- 1/21/2015
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
CAA is “Sleeping With Other People,” UTA is taking “The D Train,” Alicia Van Couvering is “Digging for Fire” and WME will award “The Bronze”...
Buyers will be out in full force this week in Park City but with so many options to choose from, it helps to have a cheat sheet to prioritize the must-see acquisition titles at Sundance. After talking to buyers and sellers alike, here are the 10 most promising titles with the loudest buzz heading into this year’s festival.
The Bronze (WME)
What’s the Deal?: The highlight of Sundance’s opening night lineup is this raunchy comedy from director Bryan Buckley featuring co-writer Melissa Rauch in what could prove to be a star-making performance. The “Big Bang Theory” actress plays a washed-up Olympic gymnast whose local celebrity is threatened by the arrival of a promising young gymnast seeking a mentor. Sundance describes the foul-mouthed protagonist as “a lovably loathsome character who makes Tonya Harding look like Grace Kelly,” so perhaps this will be the next “Bad Words?”
First Screening: Thursday, Jan. 22, 9:30 p.m. – Eccles
Digging for Fire (Alicia Van Couvering)
What’s the Deal?: Jake Johnson and Rosemarie DeWitt play East L.A. parents on the verge of a nervous breakdown as they juggle marital and parenting duties. Things get weird when she enjoys a night on the town with her girls and he takes the opportunity to invite his buddies over for smoking, drinking and carousing. Joe Swanberg’s latest may be his most commercial film yet, and it certainly features his most high-profile cast. Between Anna Kendrick, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, Chris Messina, Jenny Slate, Melanie Lynskey, Timothy Simons, Ron Livington, comedian Mike Birbiglia and veterans Sam Elliott and Judith Light, there’s someone for everyone.
First Screening: Monday, Jan. 26, 9:45 p.m. – Eccles...
Buyers will be out in full force this week in Park City but with so many options to choose from, it helps to have a cheat sheet to prioritize the must-see acquisition titles at Sundance. After talking to buyers and sellers alike, here are the 10 most promising titles with the loudest buzz heading into this year’s festival.
The Bronze (WME)
What’s the Deal?: The highlight of Sundance’s opening night lineup is this raunchy comedy from director Bryan Buckley featuring co-writer Melissa Rauch in what could prove to be a star-making performance. The “Big Bang Theory” actress plays a washed-up Olympic gymnast whose local celebrity is threatened by the arrival of a promising young gymnast seeking a mentor. Sundance describes the foul-mouthed protagonist as “a lovably loathsome character who makes Tonya Harding look like Grace Kelly,” so perhaps this will be the next “Bad Words?”
First Screening: Thursday, Jan. 22, 9:30 p.m. – Eccles
Digging for Fire (Alicia Van Couvering)
What’s the Deal?: Jake Johnson and Rosemarie DeWitt play East L.A. parents on the verge of a nervous breakdown as they juggle marital and parenting duties. Things get weird when she enjoys a night on the town with her girls and he takes the opportunity to invite his buddies over for smoking, drinking and carousing. Joe Swanberg’s latest may be his most commercial film yet, and it certainly features his most high-profile cast. Between Anna Kendrick, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell, Chris Messina, Jenny Slate, Melanie Lynskey, Timothy Simons, Ron Livington, comedian Mike Birbiglia and veterans Sam Elliott and Judith Light, there’s someone for everyone.
First Screening: Monday, Jan. 26, 9:45 p.m. – Eccles...
- 1/20/2015
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
One of the most exciting days on the indie film calendar is here at last. The competition slates for next month's Sundance Film Festival have just been announced, and there are plenty of interesting developments to pour through. The main event is the Us Dramatic Competition and this year's selection includes films starring Jack Black, Sarah Silverman, Guy Pearce, Taylor Schilling, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Notable directors in the section include Craig Zobel bringing his follow-up to Compliance in Z Is For Zachariah, Kyle Patrick Alvarez's much anticipated C.O.G. follow-up The Stanford Prison Experiment, and Andrew Bujalski's Results which follows his wildly popular Computer Chess. We'll also be treated to directorial debuts from Kris Swanberg (wife of Joe) and actress Marielle Heller. The Us Documentary Competition...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 12/3/2014
- Screen Anarchy
The Sundance Film Institute announced the U.S. dramatic, world dramatic, U.S. documentary, world documentary and Next selections for the 2015 Sundance Film Festival today. The premier film festival in the United States, Sundance is coming off a banner 2014 edition that brought films earning year-end kudos such as "Whiplash," "Boyhood," "Dear White People," "Obvious Child" and "The Skeleton Twins" into the world. The 2015 slate just looks just as intriguing and, according to the festival, perhaps more emotional and challenging. In a statement from the Institute, the festival's director, John Cooper, remarked, "The selections for our 2015 Festival will take audiences on a wild ride of emotional extremes. With approaches ranging from comedic to dramatic, genre to documentary, experimental to short, independent filmmakers are bravely illuminating new opportunities for understanding and empathy.” Festival founder and cinema icon Robert Redford added, "The work of independent artists inevitably reflects the state of our culture...
- 12/3/2014
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
Exclusive: Olivia Thirlby (Juno, Dredd) and Nelsan Ellis (True Blood) have joined the ensemble cast of The Stanford Prison Experiment, about the infamous 1971 psychological exercise in which college students exhibited shocking cruel and sadistic behavior when divided into camps of prisoners and prison guards.
Helmed by Kyle Alvarez (C.O.G.), the Tim Talbott-scripted film stars Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, and Billy Crudup as Dr. Philip Zimbardo, the Stanford professor who would later write the book on the psychology of good and evil behavior. Thirlby will play Christina Zimbardo, Professor Zimbardo’s wife and fellow academic. She’s currently starring in O.P.C. at the American Repertory Theater with Melissa Leo and next appears onscreen in The Wedding Ringer in January. Ellis, who had a beloved run as Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s True Blood, will play Jesse Fletcher in Stanford. He appeared as Martin Luther King, Jr. in Lee Daniels...
Helmed by Kyle Alvarez (C.O.G.), the Tim Talbott-scripted film stars Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, and Billy Crudup as Dr. Philip Zimbardo, the Stanford professor who would later write the book on the psychology of good and evil behavior. Thirlby will play Christina Zimbardo, Professor Zimbardo’s wife and fellow academic. She’s currently starring in O.P.C. at the American Repertory Theater with Melissa Leo and next appears onscreen in The Wedding Ringer in January. Ellis, who had a beloved run as Lafayette Reynolds on HBO’s True Blood, will play Jesse Fletcher in Stanford. He appeared as Martin Luther King, Jr. in Lee Daniels...
- 10/10/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Following a pair of breakthrough performances from Ezra Miller in We Need to Talk About Kevin and The Perks of Being A Wallflower, we haven't seen the actor get nearly as much work as we want him to. But now he's lined up what could be a promising indie project with Billy Crudup and Michael Angarano in the Stanford Prison Experiment. Based on the social study of the same name, the film has been in development for over a decade and The Wrap reports it's coming together with C.O.G. director Kyle Patrick Alvarez at the helm. This certainly seems like timely subject matter considering what's going on in Ferguson, Missouri. For those who don't know the Stanford Prison Experiment was a study conducted at the university back in 1971 where randomly-chosen 19 and 20-year-old students were divided into camps of either prison guards or prisoners and left conduct themselves as they would in a jail.
- 8/20/2014
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Benedict Samuel has started shooting a Us indie thriller in Los Angeles, his third Us film in the past 12 months.
The Nida graduate is among the ensemble cast of The Stanford Prison Experiment, the saga of 20 undergraduate volunteers who are offered a cash incentive to assume the role of either guard or prisoner for two weeks in a mock jail, all in the name of scientific research.
Things quickly escalate beyond the boundaries of reason and humanity. Based on Dr. Philip Zimbardo.s notorious 1971 psychological study at Stanford University, the screenplay is by Tim Talbott and P.W. Hopsidor.
Kyle Patrick Alvarez (whose film C.O.G. premiered in competition at the Sundance festival) is directing for producers Lizzie Friedman, Brent Emery, Brian Geraghty, Karen Lauder and Greg Little.
The cast includes Billy Crudup as Zimbardo, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Johnny Simmons, Thomas Mann, Nick Braun and Gaius Charles.
Represented in Australia by...
The Nida graduate is among the ensemble cast of The Stanford Prison Experiment, the saga of 20 undergraduate volunteers who are offered a cash incentive to assume the role of either guard or prisoner for two weeks in a mock jail, all in the name of scientific research.
Things quickly escalate beyond the boundaries of reason and humanity. Based on Dr. Philip Zimbardo.s notorious 1971 psychological study at Stanford University, the screenplay is by Tim Talbott and P.W. Hopsidor.
Kyle Patrick Alvarez (whose film C.O.G. premiered in competition at the Sundance festival) is directing for producers Lizzie Friedman, Brent Emery, Brian Geraghty, Karen Lauder and Greg Little.
The cast includes Billy Crudup as Zimbardo, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Johnny Simmons, Thomas Mann, Nick Braun and Gaius Charles.
Represented in Australia by...
- 8/20/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
• Mark Wahlberg may star in the Bp oil rig explosion film Deepwater Horizon from All Is Lost director J.C. Chandor. The movie is adapted from The New York Times article “Deepwater Horizon’s Final Hour” and is based on the true story of the men who worked on the rig in the Gulf of Mexico when it exploded in 2010, causing one of the worst oil spills in history. Wahlberg would play the No. 2 manager on site. Matthew Michael Carnahan (World War Z) has adapted the latest draft based on an original version written by Matthew Sand. [Deadline]
• Warner Bros. has acquired...
• Warner Bros. has acquired...
- 8/19/2014
- by Jake Perlman
- EW - Inside Movies
After more than a decade in development, a movie about the infamous “Stanford Prison Experiment” is finally moving forward with Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller and Michael Angarano set to star and “C.O.G.” filmmaker Kyle Patrick Alvarez (“C.O.G.”) directing, TheWrap has learned. Sandbar Pictures and Abandon Features are financing the indie project, which Brent Emery and Lizzie Friedman are producing with Greg Little, Lauren Bratman and “The Hurt Locker” star Brian Geraghty. The film is based on the landmark experiment conducted at Stanford University in the summer of 1971, in which randomly-chosen 19 and 20-year-old students were divided into camps of either...
- 8/19/2014
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
One of the pleasures of working for TheBacklot is watching as young out performers blossom, and then following the trajectory as their stars ascend. That’s certainly the case with Jonathan Groff.
We first got to know him with his Tony-nominated performance in Broadway’s Spring Awakening, and we’ve been there as he’s moved on to TV roles in Glee, Boss, and Looking (which will return next year), movies (Taking Woodstock, C.O.G. and the megasmash Frozen), and he makes regular returns to the stage.
Today is his 29th birthday, and while we await his next big role, in HBO’s The Normal Heart, let’s take a pictorial look at this favorite of TheBacklot Hot 100.
The post Birthday Gallery: Jonathan Groff Turns 29 appeared first on thebacklot.com.
We first got to know him with his Tony-nominated performance in Broadway’s Spring Awakening, and we’ve been there as he’s moved on to TV roles in Glee, Boss, and Looking (which will return next year), movies (Taking Woodstock, C.O.G. and the megasmash Frozen), and he makes regular returns to the stage.
Today is his 29th birthday, and while we await his next big role, in HBO’s The Normal Heart, let’s take a pictorial look at this favorite of TheBacklot Hot 100.
The post Birthday Gallery: Jonathan Groff Turns 29 appeared first on thebacklot.com.
- 3/26/2014
- by snicks
- The Backlot
This weekend, as you search for a movie to watch, you can either head to the theater for Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit or pick one of approximately 14 billion options available on streaming over a variety of services, be it Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, On Demand, or other sites. Every Friday, Vulture tries to make life easier by narrowing it down to a handful of heartily recommended options. This week, as Sundance 2014 kicks into gear, jump in the wayback machine to revisit the buzzy movies from last year's fest.C.O.G.The first film adapted from a David Sedaris short story is as neurotic, awkward, and poignant as fans of the writer's memoirs would hope. Star Jonathan Groff, as the Sedaris proxy, embodies the author's literary voice, playing a wayward twenty-something whose likability is in constant battle with a pseudo-intellectual, skeptical core. C.O.G. picks up with David as he embarks on...
- 1/17/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Vulture
Jonathan Groff received a Tony nomination for his performance as Melchior Gabor in the Broadway musical "Spring Awakening," a role he originated, but if you don't know him from his continuing work on the stage, you might from his playing of fan favorite Jesse St. James on "Glee," his starring turn in David Sedaris adaptation "C.O.G." or his recent voice work on Disney's "Frozen." The hard-working 28-year-old actor is about to be seen in his most ambitious role yet, as one of the leads of "Looking," HBO's hotly anticipated new series about a trio of gay men in San Francisco that was created by Michael Lannan and is executive produced by "Weekend" filmmaker Andrew Haigh, who directed the first three episodes. The series, which premieres this Sunday, January 19th at 10:30pm, presents a warm, naturalistic and very contemporary look at gay life as it really hasn't before been put on the small screen.
- 1/16/2014
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
Many of us tend to think the start of the New Year means the start of another year of getting older. Life catches up to us in one way or another, and sometimes we focus on the negative before we can see the positive. This New Year, someone told me they weren't sure they believed that a new year necessarily meant that you could start over. I had to kindly disagree with them.
A New Year might just seem like another notch on the belt, but it really is a chance to set new goals for yourself. Not just the usual "lose weight/exercise every day" sort of goals, but a chance to do something different and new with your year. We never realize how much time we have left until it's too late; why not take advantage of that realization in 2014?
This month's selection of films feature characters and...
A New Year might just seem like another notch on the belt, but it really is a chance to set new goals for yourself. Not just the usual "lose weight/exercise every day" sort of goals, but a chance to do something different and new with your year. We never realize how much time we have left until it's too late; why not take advantage of that realization in 2014?
This month's selection of films feature characters and...
- 1/8/2014
- by Marcelena Mayhorn
- Slackerwood
Welcome to 2014! It’s freezing in most of the United States. It’s almost the weekend. You Need a full Netflix queue! This is one of our favorite “New to Netflix” columns to date with an even 5x5 — 5 new films that you may have missed and 5 old films that you might not have seen yet. Add all ten. Now with previews!
3 Women
“3 Women”
Netflix Description:
Seemingly meek Pinky gets a job at a nursing home and befriends the loquacious Millie. Their unusual friendship turns strangely eerie when they decide to be roommates and begin to change in surprising and unexpected ways.
Why:
Because Robert Altman. You’ve probably seen the most well-known works of one of the best directors of all time — “Nashville,” “The Player,” “Gosford Park” — but this little gem from 1977 might have slipped under your radar. Moody, atmospheric, strange, and with two of my favorite performances from Shelley Duvall and Sissy Spacek,...
3 Women
“3 Women”
Netflix Description:
Seemingly meek Pinky gets a job at a nursing home and befriends the loquacious Millie. Their unusual friendship turns strangely eerie when they decide to be roommates and begin to change in surprising and unexpected ways.
Why:
Because Robert Altman. You’ve probably seen the most well-known works of one of the best directors of all time — “Nashville,” “The Player,” “Gosford Park” — but this little gem from 1977 might have slipped under your radar. Moody, atmospheric, strange, and with two of my favorite performances from Shelley Duvall and Sissy Spacek,...
- 1/3/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Curious to know what movies and TV shows are coming to Netflix Watch Instantly over the next few weeks? Get a head start and mark your calendars using the list below, just released to us by Netflix. Film Avail 12/5 Lovelace (2013) Amanda Seyfried, Peter Sarsgaard, Hank Azaria, Sharon Stone, Adam Brody, Juno Temple, James Franco Amanda Seyfried stars as adult film icon Linda Lovelace, a woman coerced into and abused by the porn industry before taking charge of her life. The supporting cast includes all manner of Hollywood A-listers stepping into meaty roles. Avail 12/9 C.O.G. (2013) Jonathan Groff, Denis O'Hare, Corey Stoll, Dean Stockwell, Casey Wilson, Troian Bellisario, Dale Dickey Based on a short story by David Sedaris...
Read More...
Read More...
- 12/3/2013
- by Movies.com
- Movies.com
Moviefone's Top DVD of the Week:
"The World's End"
What's It About? The third installment of Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy, following 2004's "Shaun of the Dead" and 2007's "Hot Fuzz," "The World's End" features a group of five reuniting friends. They embark on an epic drinking marathon in an effort to top their pub crawl from 20 years prior, only this time an unexpected alien invasion strikes.
Why We're In: A refreshing blend of comedy and sci-fi, "The World's End" is the perfectly charming film to spoof the apocalypse genre and keep you endlessly entertained. Plus, it features hilarious (as always) performances from Wright staples Nick Frost and Simon Pegg.
Watch: Go behind-the-scenes on "The World's End" (Video)
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week:
"Tokyo Story" (Criterion Collection)
What's It About? Yasujirô Ozu's ("Late Spring") 1953 classic, "Tokyo Story," tells the sad story of elderly couple Shukichi (Chishu Ryu) and...
"The World's End"
What's It About? The third installment of Edgar Wright's Cornetto Trilogy, following 2004's "Shaun of the Dead" and 2007's "Hot Fuzz," "The World's End" features a group of five reuniting friends. They embark on an epic drinking marathon in an effort to top their pub crawl from 20 years prior, only this time an unexpected alien invasion strikes.
Why We're In: A refreshing blend of comedy and sci-fi, "The World's End" is the perfectly charming film to spoof the apocalypse genre and keep you endlessly entertained. Plus, it features hilarious (as always) performances from Wright staples Nick Frost and Simon Pegg.
Watch: Go behind-the-scenes on "The World's End" (Video)
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week:
"Tokyo Story" (Criterion Collection)
What's It About? Yasujirô Ozu's ("Late Spring") 1953 classic, "Tokyo Story," tells the sad story of elderly couple Shukichi (Chishu Ryu) and...
- 11/20/2013
- by Erin Whitney
- Moviefone
Jonathan Groff engages in dildo photography, Brietbart.com comes out for marriage equality, Will burrows deeper into the closet on Nashville
Nathan Lane is set to costar opposite Brendan Gleeson in the HBO pilot Money. The show is about a wealthy mogul who uses his wealth and power to ruthlessly expand his empire. Lane will be playing a newspaper reporter barely hanging onto his job and in need of a scoop.
The Pentagon has responded to states like Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Oklahoma refusing to issue ID cards for same-sex spouses on Guard bases by basically folding and saying that our soldiers will just have to drive to the nearest military base to get their benefits. I really can’t speak to the legal issues involved, but this is not how we’re supposed to treat those who serve.
Entertainment Weekly has a bunch of loose spoilers for the new season of Nashville,...
Nathan Lane is set to costar opposite Brendan Gleeson in the HBO pilot Money. The show is about a wealthy mogul who uses his wealth and power to ruthlessly expand his empire. Lane will be playing a newspaper reporter barely hanging onto his job and in need of a scoop.
The Pentagon has responded to states like Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Oklahoma refusing to issue ID cards for same-sex spouses on Guard bases by basically folding and saying that our soldiers will just have to drive to the nearest military base to get their benefits. I really can’t speak to the legal issues involved, but this is not how we’re supposed to treat those who serve.
Entertainment Weekly has a bunch of loose spoilers for the new season of Nashville,...
- 9/26/2013
- by Ed Kennedy
- The Backlot
Jonathan Groff plays a hilariously clueless and overprivileged version of David Sedaris in his new comedy C.O.G. — which stands for “Child of God,” based on Sedaris’s essay from 1997’s Naked about the post-college summer he spent migrating by bus to Oregon, working as a rural apple picker and apple-factory worker, and struggling with his sexuality and religion. But it wasn’t until the movie’s premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January that Groff, who actually grew up on a horse farm in Pennsylvania and is best known for Glee and Broadway’s Spring Awakening, met the famous neurotic. (“It was painful to be reminded of how pretentious and horrible I was,” Sedaris reacted at the time.) The movie, written and directed by Kyle Patrick Alvarez (Easier With Practice), not only marks Groff’s first lead movie role, but is also, surprisingly, the first-ever film adaptation of Sedaris’s work.
- 9/25/2013
- by Jada Yuan
- Vulture
Chicago – Finding identity, especially in the post-collegiate twentysomething time of life, is often fraught with accidental circumstance and heartache. The new film “C.O.G.,” adapted from a short essay from author David Sedaris, is a beautifully sensitive comedy about that rocky identity road, portrayed through a youthful and somewhat clueless preppy from Yale.
Rating: 4.5/5.0
“C.O.G.” is perfectly adapted by writer/director Kyle Patrick Alvarez, and exquisitely portrayed by an ensemble cast anchored by Jonathan Groff. It never overplays the narrative hand regarding Groff’s persona, and the transition that occurs within him in the film is discovered simultaneously by the character and the audience – especially if there is no knowledge of the source essay by David Sedaris. This is a nice snapshot of America as well, the part of the country that is considered either “flyover” or “backwards,” and it’s refreshing to see the Eastern elitist more of a fish-out-of-water...
Rating: 4.5/5.0
“C.O.G.” is perfectly adapted by writer/director Kyle Patrick Alvarez, and exquisitely portrayed by an ensemble cast anchored by Jonathan Groff. It never overplays the narrative hand regarding Groff’s persona, and the transition that occurs within him in the film is discovered simultaneously by the character and the audience – especially if there is no knowledge of the source essay by David Sedaris. This is a nice snapshot of America as well, the part of the country that is considered either “flyover” or “backwards,” and it’s refreshing to see the Eastern elitist more of a fish-out-of-water...
- 9/22/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
C.O.G. makes a magnificent case-study in the perils of converting prose to cinema. This adaptation of an essay by David Sedaris sets out to tell a great writer’s story without the great writer’s voice. In a way it’s admirable—writer/director Kyle Patrick Alvarez declines to plaster Sedaris’s words onto the voice-over at all times, instead working with subtle quietude, punctuated by disconcerting bits of percussion. But in the end, it doesn’t quite come off. The characters demand a precise treatment that the film simply doesn’t have....
- 9/20/2013
- Pastemagazine.com
Here is last week’s caption pic winner. This week’s caption pic is at the bottom of the page.
Thanks to everyone for participating! The winner is …
“She used to be Snow White, but she drifted.”
Thanks to John for this week’s winning caption!
(source)
Weekend Birthdays! Mark Patton (above) is 53, Chuck Panozzo is 65, Dan Gillespie Sells is 34, Ricki Lake is 45, Allison Scagliatti is 23, Joan Jett is 55, and Toni Basil is 70.
Speaking of Dan Sells: “Gay Stars Shouldn’t Be Ashamed Of Sexuality”
God Hates Gays Who Own Chandeliers?
Rosie O’Donnell Sounds Off On The Fosters‘ Role, Doma, Russia’s Gay Law And Miley Cyrus
There’s a new trailer for Jonathan Groff in C.O.G.
Russian Group Issues Virulently Homophobic Video. Be warned. This is horrific.
Peter Dinklage is Simon Says.
Nph talks about The Emmys and channeling Billy Zapka in the new Seth MacFarlane western. Dance!
Thanks to everyone for participating! The winner is …
“She used to be Snow White, but she drifted.”
Thanks to John for this week’s winning caption!
(source)
Weekend Birthdays! Mark Patton (above) is 53, Chuck Panozzo is 65, Dan Gillespie Sells is 34, Ricki Lake is 45, Allison Scagliatti is 23, Joan Jett is 55, and Toni Basil is 70.
Speaking of Dan Sells: “Gay Stars Shouldn’t Be Ashamed Of Sexuality”
God Hates Gays Who Own Chandeliers?
Rosie O’Donnell Sounds Off On The Fosters‘ Role, Doma, Russia’s Gay Law And Miley Cyrus
There’s a new trailer for Jonathan Groff in C.O.G.
Russian Group Issues Virulently Homophobic Video. Be warned. This is horrific.
Peter Dinklage is Simon Says.
Nph talks about The Emmys and channeling Billy Zapka in the new Seth MacFarlane western. Dance!
- 9/20/2013
- by snicks
- The Backlot
David Sedaris is one of the most popular American humorists and writers out there today. And, finally, we have an adaptation of his work. The film is focused solely on the essay “C.O.G.” from his popular memoir Naked. It tracks Sedaris’ Kerouacian life on the road, escaping from his east coast life to pick apples in Oregon. But C.O.G. is not a particularly funny film, coming off as a hollow interpretation of Sedaris’ writing.
Of course, if you’re unfamiliar with the source material, you would hardly even know that the main character is based on Sedaris. From the beginning, we’re introduced to the character David (Jonathan Groff) who is going by the name Samuel, just one of the many affectations of this precocious young adult (and the film only obliquely implies his real name). He hides inside of his Yale sweater, flaunting his intelligence and education (he’s...
Of course, if you’re unfamiliar with the source material, you would hardly even know that the main character is based on Sedaris. From the beginning, we’re introduced to the character David (Jonathan Groff) who is going by the name Samuel, just one of the many affectations of this precocious young adult (and the film only obliquely implies his real name). He hides inside of his Yale sweater, flaunting his intelligence and education (he’s...
- 9/20/2013
- by John Keith
- JustPressPlay.net
For the first time ever, a David Sedaris short story has been turned into a movie. Said movie, "C.O.G.," opens in select theaters today and is currently available to watch on VOD. In the video interview below, theater and TV star Jonathan Groff ("Glee") tells us what it was like to make the leap to movies. "C.O.G." is based on one of Sedaris' autobiographical short stories included in his 1997 anthology, "Naked," and carries a quirkier tone than the 1999 John Irving adaptation. Indiewire Chief Film Critic Eric Kohn said the film "is like a collage of Americana from the perspective of someone incapable of comprehending its value," when he reviewed it at Sundance in January. And watch the trailer below:...
- 9/20/2013
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
This weekend, a father takes justice into his own hands in "Prisoners," dancers battle it out for world supremacy in "Battle of the Year," and "The Wizard of Oz" gets three dimensional.
In Denis Villeneuve's highly praised thriller "Prisoners," two young girls go missing, propelling one father, played by Hugh Jackman, to spring into action, doing what the police won't. While Jake Gyllenhaal's Detective Loki pursues an array of leads, Jackman's Keller Dover pushes the boundaries of the law to find the kidnapper. After Villeneuve's shocking 2012 thriller "Incendies," expect the tension to get insanely high in "Prisoners" -- and watch out for a crazy twist.
Josh Holloway, from ABC's "Lost," plays former basketball coach Jason Blake, who helps prep a team of b-boys for the upcoming breakdancing world championship in "Battle of the Year." Among the dancers intent on winning back the trophy are hip-hop artist Chris Brown and Josh Peck,...
In Denis Villeneuve's highly praised thriller "Prisoners," two young girls go missing, propelling one father, played by Hugh Jackman, to spring into action, doing what the police won't. While Jake Gyllenhaal's Detective Loki pursues an array of leads, Jackman's Keller Dover pushes the boundaries of the law to find the kidnapper. After Villeneuve's shocking 2012 thriller "Incendies," expect the tension to get insanely high in "Prisoners" -- and watch out for a crazy twist.
Josh Holloway, from ABC's "Lost," plays former basketball coach Jason Blake, who helps prep a team of b-boys for the upcoming breakdancing world championship in "Battle of the Year." Among the dancers intent on winning back the trophy are hip-hop artist Chris Brown and Josh Peck,...
- 9/19/2013
- by Erin Whitney
- Moviefone
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.