Netflix is revealing new details about Sandra Oh‘s forthcoming college-set comedy series from Game of Thrones creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
Titled The Chair, the six-episode satire — created and co-written by Benioff’s real-life wife, actress Amanda Peet — finds the Killing Eve star playing the first female and woman of color to head up the English Department at the (fictional) Pembroke University. It’s set to premiere on Aug. 27.
More from TVLineMae Whitman Addresses Good Girls' Precarious Fate: 'We Would Like Very Much to Not Get Cancelled'Grey's Anatomy's Sandra Oh Dashes Fans' Hopes That She Will Ever...
Titled The Chair, the six-episode satire — created and co-written by Benioff’s real-life wife, actress Amanda Peet — finds the Killing Eve star playing the first female and woman of color to head up the English Department at the (fictional) Pembroke University. It’s set to premiere on Aug. 27.
More from TVLineMae Whitman Addresses Good Girls' Precarious Fate: 'We Would Like Very Much to Not Get Cancelled'Grey's Anatomy's Sandra Oh Dashes Fans' Hopes That She Will Ever...
- 5/12/2021
- by Michael Ausiello
- TVLine.com
How has Grey's Anatomy managed to survive without badass cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Cristina Yang for the last seven seasons? Well, the popular medical drama has devoted quite some time to exploring Meredith's often precarious yet devoted sisterly bonds to Maggie and Amelia. As much as we love this new dynamic, there's no one quite like Mer's unapologetic soul sister - or "person," as Mer puts it. From the pilot episode to Cristina's departure in season 10, Meredith and Cristina grow together, rising through the ranks from clueless interns to fearless attendings as they support each other through the worst of times. And we really do mean the worst of times: shootings, plane crashes, you name it.
Sandra Oh, the talented actress behind Cristina, previously sparked some hope in Grey's fans. In 2016, she tweeted a picture with her Grey's Anatomy ex-husband Kevin McKidd, who plays trauma surgeon Dr. Owen Hunt, and former Grey's Anatomy screenwriter Tony Phelan.
Sandra Oh, the talented actress behind Cristina, previously sparked some hope in Grey's fans. In 2016, she tweeted a picture with her Grey's Anatomy ex-husband Kevin McKidd, who plays trauma surgeon Dr. Owen Hunt, and former Grey's Anatomy screenwriter Tony Phelan.
- 5/11/2021
- by Stacey Nguyen
- Popsugar.com
“Come see the characters that I’m playing that are much more deeply integrated in … the Asian American experience,” she says
“Grey’s Anatomy” has welcomed back a number of former cast members this season, including Patrick Dempsey, T.R. Knight and Sarah Drew, but don’t expect to see Sandra Oh’s Cristina Yang back on the show anytime soon.
When asked about returning to the ABC medical drama on the Los Angeles Times’ “Asian Enough” podcast, Oh replied with a decisive “No.”
“This is also why I really appreciate the show … that I still get asked this,” she said.
Oh said that while she is grateful for having had the opportunity to be part of the show, she has “moved on” from the role. “I left that show, my god, seven years ago almost. So in my mind it’s gone, but for a lot of people it’s very much alive,...
“Grey’s Anatomy” has welcomed back a number of former cast members this season, including Patrick Dempsey, T.R. Knight and Sarah Drew, but don’t expect to see Sandra Oh’s Cristina Yang back on the show anytime soon.
When asked about returning to the ABC medical drama on the Los Angeles Times’ “Asian Enough” podcast, Oh replied with a decisive “No.”
“This is also why I really appreciate the show … that I still get asked this,” she said.
Oh said that while she is grateful for having had the opportunity to be part of the show, she has “moved on” from the role. “I left that show, my god, seven years ago almost. So in my mind it’s gone, but for a lot of people it’s very much alive,...
- 5/11/2021
- by Reid Nakamura
- The Wrap
The line-up for the 13th Annual New York Television Festival has been officially revealed for a choice week of screenings, educational panels, fan events, and red carpets premieres. This year, truTV will present a screening of “At Home With Amy Sedaris,” while Amy Sedaris herself makes an appearance to celebrate and discuss the launch of her new comedy series.
In addition, “The Deuce” executive producer and director Michelle MacLaren, executive producer Nina Kostoff-Noble, and VP of programming Kathleen McCaffrey will discuss the HBO’s series depiction of the rise of the porn industry in 1970s New York. Executive producer and talent Dana Gould, producer and talent John C. McGinley, and talent Janet Varney will also offer fans a behind-the-scenes look into thse second season of IFC’s comedy-horror series “Stan Against Evil.”
Other standout screenings include the Season 2 premiere of TBS’s “Search Party,” where festival-goers can catch a panel...
In addition, “The Deuce” executive producer and director Michelle MacLaren, executive producer Nina Kostoff-Noble, and VP of programming Kathleen McCaffrey will discuss the HBO’s series depiction of the rise of the porn industry in 1970s New York. Executive producer and talent Dana Gould, producer and talent John C. McGinley, and talent Janet Varney will also offer fans a behind-the-scenes look into thse second season of IFC’s comedy-horror series “Stan Against Evil.”
Other standout screenings include the Season 2 premiere of TBS’s “Search Party,” where festival-goers can catch a panel...
- 9/22/2017
- by Raelyn Giansanti
- Indiewire
Starz has greenlighted Nude, a documentary film about treats! magazine founder Steve Shaw and photographer David Bellemere’s Nu Muses project, from The Chair director-producer Anthony B. Sacco and producer Josh Shader. The feature-length docu explores modern perceptions of modeling, nude photography and body image connected to the evolving social media landscape documenting a group of women working as professional models today. Nude chronicles the casting and creation of…...
- 11/29/2016
- Deadline TV
Starz’s filmmaking reality series The Chair might return for a second season. “We're working on it,” Starz CEO Chris Albrecht said at TCA on Friday. “There have been discussions with (producer) Chris Moore,” Albrecht added, noting that the series will have a different concept should it go to Season 2. Albrecht was upbeat talking about upcoming series American Gods as well as the second season of Ash Vs. Evil Dead. He noted that the network is happy with the scripts for Ame…...
- 1/9/2016
- Deadline TV
David speaks with producers Chris Moore (American Pie, Good Will Hunting) and Josh Shader about what it was like to make the Starz original series The Chair. They discuss advice for first-time filmmakers, what it’s like to feel Zachary Quinto’s wrath, the difficulty of getting indie films seen, and how they might approach The Chair: Season 2 differently. You […]
The post The /Filmcast: Bonus Ep. – Making a Reality Show About Filmmaking (Guests: Chris Moore and Josh Shader from The Chair) appeared first on /Film.
The post The /Filmcast: Bonus Ep. – Making a Reality Show About Filmmaking (Guests: Chris Moore and Josh Shader from The Chair) appeared first on /Film.
- 9/20/2015
- by David Chen
- Slash Film
The thing about bad movies (and bad TV shows, for that matter) is that almost all of them are the product of just as much sweat as the good ones. Few people set out to make a bad film, nor do most creative people (at least, those not involved with the "Entourage" franchise) decide to put in the minimal amount of effort to get it done. When you talk to writers and directors about their failures, they'll often tell you that they worked even harder on those than on the successes. In its original three seasons (two on HBO, one on Bravo) back in the early days of the century — and the reality TV boom that came with it — "Project Greenlight" was responsible for three bad movies. ("Feast," the horror film made for the Bravo season, has its defenders; the other two do not.) But in demonstrating how good intentions...
- 9/10/2015
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
“The premise for The Chair came out of my experience as a movie producer,” reveals Chris Moore, executive producer and creator of the Starz reality series. The Chair, which is being submitted in the reality competition category at this year's Emmys, follows two first-time directors as they embark on the cinematic journey of creating a feature using the same original screenplay. "The experiment is to document the journey," says co-ep Zachary Quinto. Moore adds, "The point…...
- 6/19/2015
- Deadline TV
Zachary Quinto is a busy man with a diverse portfolio. In the first half of 2015, he starred in the miniseries “The Slap” and guest-starred in “Girls” and “Hannibal.” By the end of the year, he will have appeared in four films and filmed three more. “I just weigh my options and if I don’t have any, then I start to ask myself what I want to experience and then I try to pursue that and make it manifest,” he explains in our recent webcam chat (watch below). -Break- Will Starz's riveting "The Chair" shake up Reality-Competition race at Emmys? In addition to his acting, Quinto has been honing his craft as a producer, with his production company Before the Door Pictures responsible this year for the documentary-competition series “The Chair” and the upcoming thriller film “You Were Never Here.” He has generally kept his acting and producing separate, but hopes t.
- 6/18/2015
- Gold Derby
I think it's a cool idea.
Chris Moore, the producer of Good Will Hunting (1997) and many other major films, had an idea to make a television show following two directors who create a film from the same original script. In a world of many disgusting "reality" premises, this one promises to be genuinely interesting and informative of the creative process. And so, for the most part, The Chair (2014) delivers on that promise. They choose Shane Dawson, a YouTube grinder who makes daily, whacky videos for his 10 million subscribers, and Anna Martemucci, a screenwriter with whom the show's producers have made films in the past. So, the show brings a level of meta-realism in the two paths to the director's chair: popular band-wagoning and semi-justified favoritism. Incidentally, at the end of the series they "America" vote for their favorite and the winner gets $250,000.
Read more...
Chris Moore, the producer of Good Will Hunting (1997) and many other major films, had an idea to make a television show following two directors who create a film from the same original script. In a world of many disgusting "reality" premises, this one promises to be genuinely interesting and informative of the creative process. And so, for the most part, The Chair (2014) delivers on that promise. They choose Shane Dawson, a YouTube grinder who makes daily, whacky videos for his 10 million subscribers, and Anna Martemucci, a screenwriter with whom the show's producers have made films in the past. So, the show brings a level of meta-realism in the two paths to the director's chair: popular band-wagoning and semi-justified favoritism. Incidentally, at the end of the series they "America" vote for their favorite and the winner gets $250,000.
Read more...
- 6/13/2015
- by Jason Ratigan
- JustPressPlay.net
How do you decide whether a reality show is high quality or not? How should we rate and evaluate reality TV when considering shows for awards, such as Emmys? This seems simple: you just watch and decide! But it's not that easy, because so many of reality TV's elements are hidden from our view--or are at least not things we automatically consider and judge. Most often, we end up judging the content, which is to say, we judge the behavior of the people on the show. That's worthy of discussion, absolutely, though it might not reflect reality at all. Scripted TV shows are more straightforward to evaluate. All shows, from multi-camera sitcom to HBO mini-series, share the same basic elements: acting, writing, and directing. There's also technical work that's more behind-the-scenes, such as the score, set design, and costumes. Reality television has some of that, yes, but it's not as clear.
- 6/1/2015
- by Andy Dehnart
- Hitfix
Hey, Emmy voters: Isn't it time for a makeover in the Best Reality-Competition Program race? What better way to shake up this stale category than to nominate Starz's riveting new "The Chair"? The premise pits two aspiring filmmakers against each other by forcing them to direct two separate movies from the same script. The contestant/directors -- Shane Dawson and Anna Martemucci -- are given creative freedom with an indie budget, all the while being filmed by a TV documentary crew. -Break- Let's peek inside Starz's Fyc Emmy campaign mailer: 'Outlander,' 'The Missing' ... At the end of the season, the competition aspect comes into play as fans must watch both films and vote for their favorite. We won't spoil who wins the $250,000 prize, but the two films couldn't be more different from each other. Dawson takes a riotous teen-com approach with his version, titled "Not Cool," while Martemucc...
- 5/4/2015
- Gold Derby
From Anchor Bay Entertainment and the producer of "American Pie", Sneak Peek footage from the 'coming-of-age' comedy feature "Not Cool", directed by and starring Shane Dawson, available on DVD February 17, 2015:
"...former prom king and college freshman 'Scott' (Dawson) returns home for Thanksgiving break only to be dumped by his eccentric, long-term girlfriend. With his world turned upside down, Scott strikes an unlikely friendship with former classmate 'Tori', regarded as an 'ugly duckling' who blossomed in her first semester of college.
"Together, the two embark on an outrageous adventure through their hometown. But when Scott and Tori find their friendship turning into something deeper, they realize that a few months away may have changed them more than they realized..."
"Not Cool" was documented on "The Chair", the Starz original TV series that follows two directors as they compete to adapt separate movies from the same screenplay.
Click the images to...
"...former prom king and college freshman 'Scott' (Dawson) returns home for Thanksgiving break only to be dumped by his eccentric, long-term girlfriend. With his world turned upside down, Scott strikes an unlikely friendship with former classmate 'Tori', regarded as an 'ugly duckling' who blossomed in her first semester of college.
"Together, the two embark on an outrageous adventure through their hometown. But when Scott and Tori find their friendship turning into something deeper, they realize that a few months away may have changed them more than they realized..."
"Not Cool" was documented on "The Chair", the Starz original TV series that follows two directors as they compete to adapt separate movies from the same screenplay.
Click the images to...
- 2/11/2015
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
From Anchor Bay Entertainment, Sneak Peek the Starz Original Filmmaking Experiment, "The Chair", a followup to Project Greenlight', available on a 5-disc DVD Set, containing all 10 episodes and 2 feature films, February 17, 2015:
"...'The Chair' charts the path of two directors through the process of bringing their first feature to the screen - each armed with the same script. The series documents - with an unflinching eye - the creation, marketing and theatrical release of the two adaptations. Both directors are given the same budget, and both versions use locations in the same city. Through online voting, the audience determines which director will be awarded $250,000.
"The screenplay itself is a coming-of-age feature length comedy that chronicles the first homecoming on Thanksgiving weekend by a handful of college freshman who are fumbling towards adulthood, written by Dan Schoffer.
With actor Zachary Quinto ('Star Trek') and his producing partners,...
"...'The Chair' charts the path of two directors through the process of bringing their first feature to the screen - each armed with the same script. The series documents - with an unflinching eye - the creation, marketing and theatrical release of the two adaptations. Both directors are given the same budget, and both versions use locations in the same city. Through online voting, the audience determines which director will be awarded $250,000.
"The screenplay itself is a coming-of-age feature length comedy that chronicles the first homecoming on Thanksgiving weekend by a handful of college freshman who are fumbling towards adulthood, written by Dan Schoffer.
With actor Zachary Quinto ('Star Trek') and his producing partners,...
- 2/11/2015
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
From BAFTA to DGA, the Latest Winners this Awards Season
With the Oscars upon us, the awards season is almost over! But the last trek to the Academy Awards include many guild awards and of course, BAFTA! So here.s the latest congratulatory awards list of the winners from BAFTA to DGA, from Annie to Ace and everything in between!
Your full BAFTA winners (winners are highlighted):
Best Film
Birdman Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, James W. Skotchdopole
Boyhood Richard Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland
The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson
The Imitation Game Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, Teddy Schwarzman
The Theory Of Everything Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten
Director
Birdman Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Boyhood Richard Linklater
The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson
The Theory Of Everything James Marsh
Whiplash Damien Chazelle
Leading Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch The Imitation Game
Eddie Redmayne The Theory of Everything...
With the Oscars upon us, the awards season is almost over! But the last trek to the Academy Awards include many guild awards and of course, BAFTA! So here.s the latest congratulatory awards list of the winners from BAFTA to DGA, from Annie to Ace and everything in between!
Your full BAFTA winners (winners are highlighted):
Best Film
Birdman Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, James W. Skotchdopole
Boyhood Richard Linklater, Cathleen Sutherland
The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson, Scott Rudin, Steven Rales, Jeremy Dawson
The Imitation Game Nora Grossman, Ido Ostrowsky, Teddy Schwarzman
The Theory Of Everything Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten
Director
Birdman Alejandro G. Iñárritu
Boyhood Richard Linklater
The Grand Budapest Hotel Wes Anderson
The Theory Of Everything James Marsh
Whiplash Damien Chazelle
Leading Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch The Imitation Game
Eddie Redmayne The Theory of Everything...
- 2/9/2015
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
"Birdman" helmer Alejandro González Iñárritu won the Directors Guild of America's (DGA) award for best direction of a motion picture Saturday night, effectively firming up his film's march into the Oscars later this month. The Michael Keaton comedy also took top honors from both the Producers Guild and the Screen Actors Guild. With the DGA prize it joins films like "Argo," "The King's Speech," "Slumdog Millionaire," "No Country for Old Men," "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King," "Chicago," "American Beauty" and "Apollo 13" as the only films to pull off the hat trick. Only one of those, "Apollo 13," failed to win the Best Picture Oscar. So it's more or less settled, right? I confess, coming into the industry awards phase of the season, I didn't expect "Birdman" to dominate like this. And maybe that was ultimately its secret weapon. Everyone had their eyes on "Boyhood.
- 2/8/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Tonight, the final major guild, The Directors Guild of America, announced their awards for 2014, giving their top prize to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for his brilliant direction of Birdman. This means that the film has won the “Triple Crown” (PGA, DGA, and SAG), making it an unstoppable force as we head into the Oscars.
No film since Apollo 13 has won all three of these awards and lost the Best Picture Oscar, but that film had failed to get a Best Director nod, showing that it wasn’t quite as strong with the Academy. Birdman, on the other hand, has nominations in every major category except Film Editing (which is probably due to the Editors’ Branch thinking that there wasn’t much editing there), so its path to the Oscars should be pretty smooth.
This completes what we could rightly call the “King’s Speech Coup,” named after the film that,...
No film since Apollo 13 has won all three of these awards and lost the Best Picture Oscar, but that film had failed to get a Best Director nod, showing that it wasn’t quite as strong with the Academy. Birdman, on the other hand, has nominations in every major category except Film Editing (which is probably due to the Editors’ Branch thinking that there wasn’t much editing there), so its path to the Oscars should be pretty smooth.
This completes what we could rightly call the “King’s Speech Coup,” named after the film that,...
- 2/8/2015
- by Jeff Beck
- We Got This Covered
Directors Guild President Paris Barclay has announced the TV, documentary and commercial nominees for this year's DGA Awards. “The spectrum of directorial excellence across today's nine television and documentary categories is revelatory for the breadth and depth in what each of these women and men have directed – from 30-second commercials to multi-hour miniseries,” said Barclay in a statement. “As fellow filmmakers, we’re inspired by the quality, imagination and creativity demonstrated by these impressive nominees; as audience members, we’re incredibly fortunate to enjoy the fruits of their labors. Our congratulations to all of the nominees.” First-time nominees include Jodie Foster ("House of Cards," "Orange is the New Black"), Cary Fukunaga ("True Detective"), Mike Judge ("Silicon Valley"), Lisa Cholodenko ("Olive Kitteridge"), Michael Wilson ("The Trip to Bountiful") and Jill Soloway ("Transparent"). Winners will be announced Saturday, February 7, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza in Los Angeles at a ceremony hosted by Jane Lynch.
- 1/14/2015
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
The Directors Guild of America announced its television, commercial and documentary nominations on Wednesday, with Jodie Foster receiving a pair of nods for directing episodes of the drama series “House of Cards” and the comedy series “Orange Is the New Black.”
The Oscar-winning actress is the only director to be nominated in both the drama and comedy categories. In drama, she will be competing with Dan Attias and Lesli Linka Glatter for two different episodes of “Homeland,” Cary Joji Fukunaga for “True Detective” and Alex Graves for “Game of Thrones.”
See photos: Golden Globe Awards: Winners Gallery (Photos)
In comedy,...
The Oscar-winning actress is the only director to be nominated in both the drama and comedy categories. In drama, she will be competing with Dan Attias and Lesli Linka Glatter for two different episodes of “Homeland,” Cary Joji Fukunaga for “True Detective” and Alex Graves for “Game of Thrones.”
See photos: Golden Globe Awards: Winners Gallery (Photos)
In comedy,...
- 1/14/2015
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
The Fine Bros may be best known for their short-form React series on YouTube (and soon to be on television), but the two fraternal partners are now taking their creative talents to the big screen. Benny and Rafi Fine (who boast over 13.8 million subscribers across three YouTube channels) will write, produce, and direct a currently-unnamed film in partnership with Big Block Entertainment Group. The upcoming movie is set to be a teen comedy filled with a premise of high school growing pains and angst. Here's the logline from the release: Comedic feature film that takes an over the top look at the clique filled world of high school and how the people you grew up with, and even used to be friends with, often become the same people who torment you by the time you graduate....and now it's time for the outcasts to change all of that. Big Block...
- 12/4/2014
- by Bree Brouwer
- Tubefilter.com
Shane Dawson has quite a bit to thank his fans for. The insanely popular YouTuber (he boasts over 12.6 million subscribers across three channels) won $250,000 after his fans voted his film Not Cool as the winner of Starz’s reality TV series The Chair. The ten-episode series documented the independent filmmaking progress of its two contestants -- Dawson and filmmaker Anna Martemucci -- as they produced their own versions of the same script penned by Dan Schoffer. Starz released the episodes online to its subscribers, and asked viewers to vote on their favorite film. Martemucci’s film Hollidaysburg and Dawson’s Not Cool debuted on digital platforms, with Dawson’s creative vision hitting the #5 spot on iTunes within hours of its release on September 23, 2014. Starz announced Dawson the winner after the voting was tallied on Saturday, November 8, 2014. And that’s when the criticism started coming in. According to Variety, New York...
- 11/10/2014
- by Bree Brouwer
- Tubefilter.com
Starz's "The Chair" competition yielded two completed films, "Hollidaysburg" and "Not Cool," that were released a week apart by Starz in theaters and reviewed by The New York Times. It was utterly predictable which rookie director would make the better low budget movie. Producer Chris Moore chose two wildly different contestants, YouTube sensation Shane Dawson and Nyu screenwriter Anna Martemucci ("Breakup at a Wedding"). The ten-part one hour unscripted original documentary series, which started airing on September 6, finally reached its reality show finale, with $250,000 going to the winner. More material will eventually post online at The Chair Channel on Vimeo, on Starz.com and via social media. The measure here was a panel of professionals who watched the two movies and voted on the best film but it also mattered who scored the best with a preview audience filling out surveys; and how many bought tickets at...
- 11/9/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Starz competition “The Chair” would seem like a lucky leap for contenders Shane Dawson and Anna Martemucci over the challenges aspiring filmmakers must deal with before getting a film financed. But as the process was shot and televised, the two had to deal with an incredible amount of public scrutiny. Dawson was named “The Chair's” winner during Saturday's finale episode. But, things had become especially contentious as the show's fans clashed on social media and the show's executive producers Zachary Quinto and Neal Dodson publicly shared their dislike of Dawson's movie “Not Cool,” on the show and in a guest blog on.
- 11/9/2014
- by Jethro Nededog
- The Wrap
Starz's terrific reality series "The Chair" — in which two first-time filmmakers are picked to direct their own take on the same script — just concluded, with an hour looking at the premieres of both films and with the winner of the $250,000 prize being announced. I spoke with Chris Moore — the "Project Greenlight" alum who dreamed up the series and served as a backer and producer of both the show and the films — about the results of the contest, the transparency of the project, Zachary Quinto (whose production company helped fund both films) hating one movie so much that he took his name off it, and more, coming up just as soon as I identify all the TCA members shown on camera... So, as pretty much everyone — with the possible exception of Chris Moore himself — figured going in, Shane Dawson's gross-out comedy "Not Cool" ended up beating Anna Martemucci's "Hollidaysburg" for the grand prize.
- 11/9/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
“The Chair” contender and YouTube star Shane Dawson feels that comments made by executive producers of the Starz competition, Zachary Quinto and Neal Dodson, and supporters of his competitor Anna Martemucci and her film “Hollidaysburg” were unfair and unprofessional. “I knew this was going to happen,” Dawson told TheWrap of Team “Hollidaysburg's” “hate campaign,” as he described it. Last week, TheWrap posted a guest blog from Dodson which detailed his extreme dislike for Dawson's movie “Not Cool” and why he felt that “Hollidaysburg” should win the competition. And last Saturday's episode showed Quinto's disgust with Dawson's film. He and Dodson ultimately.
- 11/8/2014
- by Jethro Nededog
- The Wrap
Objectively, subjectively, and critically, “Hollidaysburg” is the better film and deserving winner of “The Chair.” Read on. And bear with me. I'm not a man of few words. I'm working on that. My producing partners Zachary Quinto, Corey Moosa, and I produce a documentary television series for Starz called “The Chair,” created by Chris Moore. Two directors were given the same script, the same budget, and the same city, and each had to go make a feature film. Every other decision was theirs, including “final cut.” The show wraps up in two more episodes and has been compelling. The two.
- 10/31/2014
- by Neal Dodson
- The Wrap
With an overwhelming number of interesting scripted TV shows to choose from, I make almost no time for reality television anymore. The one exception of late has been Starz's "The Chair," which follows two directors — YouTube comedy star Shane Dawson and New York indie screenwriter Anna Martemucci — as they each attempt to make their first film, using the same script. Chris Moore, the central figure of the terrific "Project Greenlight," is the man behind this filmmaking experiment (even as old buddies Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are producing a "Greenlight" revival for HBO), and one of the most interesting things about the series is how transparent it is about the process. There's been talk about how Anna got her spot because she and her husband are tight with some of the projects financiers, how the entire show (which was produced on spec, with Starz getting involved later) is often short...
- 10/10/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Starz's first reality series, "The Chair," is halfway through its terrific first season. Shot documentary style, the visually striking show follows two directors, Shane Dawson and Anna Martemucci, who produced theatrical films based on the same script. When it was first announced, the show seemed like a revival of HBO and Bravo's exceptional "Project Greenlight," which lasted three seasons and followed first-time directors making movies while being mentored by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. The show made a star out of their "Good Will Hunting" producer, Chris Moore, thanks to his acerbic but genuine demeanor, and his forthright but honest criticism. Moore created "The Chair," and shortly after Starz announced the show last spring, HBO revealed that it would revive "Project Greenlight" with Affleck and Damon. As it turns out, Moore told me that he actually tried to resurrect "Project Greenlight." "That whole thing fell apart and didn't happen because of lawyers,...
- 10/6/2014
- by Andy Denhart
- Hitfix
The line-up for the 10th annual New York Television Festival was unveiled Wednesday. Also read: ‘Lost's’ Josh Holloway to Reunite With Carlton Cuse on USA's ‘Colony’ The highlights of the Oct. 20-25 event include conversations with top showrunners Carlton Cuse (“The Strain”), Jenni Konner (“Girls”) and Beau Willimon (“House of Cards”) as well as the U.S. premiere of “The Game,” which is an upcoming BBC spy drama about America's involvement in the Cold War. Other festival events include a pilot competition, screenings of over 60 different shows, and celebrity guests such as Zachary Quinto (from Starz’ “The Chair”) and...
- 10/1/2014
- by Travis Reilly
- The Wrap
Even with another flood of specialty film debuts, The Skeleton Twins, the dramedy starring Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, had another impressive box office showing in its third weekend. Meanwhile, another dozen films tried to elbow past last week’s 14 newcomers and numerous others already in the market, to middling success among those reporting.
Other than Twins, the holdovers that look like they’re gaining some autumnal momentum include IFC Films‘ The Trip To Italy with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, and more niche-oriented films such as American Experience/PBS Films’ doc Last Days In Vietnam and Oscilloscope’s Art And Craft. Starz Media also scored a robust gross for the second week of Not Cool, featuring YouTube star Shane Dawson, as it migrated east to New York and was also profiled on a Starz channel doc series.
CBS Films’ Pride can be proud of scoring the weekend’s highest average among new titles.
Other than Twins, the holdovers that look like they’re gaining some autumnal momentum include IFC Films‘ The Trip To Italy with Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon, and more niche-oriented films such as American Experience/PBS Films’ doc Last Days In Vietnam and Oscilloscope’s Art And Craft. Starz Media also scored a robust gross for the second week of Not Cool, featuring YouTube star Shane Dawson, as it migrated east to New York and was also profiled on a Starz channel doc series.
CBS Films’ Pride can be proud of scoring the weekend’s highest average among new titles.
- 9/28/2014
- by Brian Brooks
- Deadline
On September 23rd, Shane Dawson's first feature-length film, Not Cool, arrived on iTunes. As soon as the film became available, Dawson told his followers to go buy it, and off they went. Within hours of its release, Not Cool has zoomed up the iTunes movie charts, reaching the #5 position. Not Cool tells the story of a former prom king, played by Dawson, who returns home for his first Thanksgiving break since leaving high school. During his break, he is reunited with a former classmate (Cherami Leigh), who has little love left for her hometown. Lisa Schwartz, Dawson's real-life girlfriend and a fellow YouTuber, co-stars. Not Cool was created by Dawson as part of The Chair, an unscripted Starz TV series about the independent filmmaking process. Dawson and filmmaker Anna Martemucci were given the same script and each asked to adapt it into a feature film. Martemucci's version, Hollidaysburg, is also set to debut.
- 9/24/2014
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
The existence of Not Cool can be blamed on the Starz reality show The Chair, where two first-time feature directors took the same original screenplay, about a group of high school friends reconnecting while home on Thanksgiving break, to create two very different films -- this one helmed by YouTube personality Shane Dawson (and the other being Anna Martemucci’s not-bad Hollidaysburg).
Unsurprisingly, Dawson sticks with what he knows: outlandish, cheap gimmicks that capture our attention for all the wrong reasons. It’s shock value (drugs, sex, bodily fluids, and a lot of yelling) over any semblance of cleverness.
Its shout-outs to social media (Twitter! Facebook!) and trending topics (hashtag! selfie!) are geared to appeal to the millenni...
Unsurprisingly, Dawson sticks with what he knows: outlandish, cheap gimmicks that capture our attention for all the wrong reasons. It’s shock value (drugs, sex, bodily fluids, and a lot of yelling) over any semblance of cleverness.
Its shout-outs to social media (Twitter! Facebook!) and trending topics (hashtag! selfie!) are geared to appeal to the millenni...
- 9/24/2014
- Village Voice
Project Greenlight, a competition that gave first-time filmmakers a shot at making a feature film, was simply a great show for movie fans. Even if the movies that came out of the program weren't the single greatest achievements in cinema ever made, the process of watching newbies go through the filmmaking grinder was an illuminating one. Well now Chris Moore, one of the creators of Project Greenlight, is back with a similar behind-the-scenes filmmaking show called The Chair on Starz. This time around two first-time filmmakers, Shane Dawson and Anna Martemucci, are given the chance of making it big, only the twist is that they both have to direct their versions of the same original screenplay, Dan Schoffer's How Soon Is Now. If that sounds a bit confusing, don't...
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- 9/20/2014
- by Peter Hall
- Movies.com
Starz's reality program “The Chair” might as well be called “Auteur Theory.” The cable network's first reality show, from “Project Greenlight” producer Chris Moore, features two filmmakers working to make their own movies using the same budget, same location, and the same script — a coming-of-age comedy called “How Soon Is Now.” Also read: Ben Affleck and Matt Damon Now Accepting Submissions for ‘Project Greenlight’ The first, from a young filmmaker named Anna Martemucci, became a sweet comedy called “Hollidaysburg.” A clip of it is above; here's the synopsis: ‘Hollidaysburg’ is a coming-of-age comedy about finding love, and the thrilling first moments of adulthood.
- 9/15/2014
- by Jordan Zakarin
- The Wrap
We’ve talked a bunch about the return of Project Greenlight to HBO, but we haven’t really featured the new filmmaking series coming soon on Starz. The Chair is a new docuseries created by Chris Moore, the Executive Producer of Project Greenlight and Co-Producer of Good Will Hunting. The Starz “original filmmaking experiment” follows two first-time […]
The post ‘The Chair’ Trailer: Starz New Filmmaking Docuseries appeared first on /Film.
The post ‘The Chair’ Trailer: Starz New Filmmaking Docuseries appeared first on /Film.
- 9/9/2014
- by Peter Sciretta
- Slash Film
This past Saturday, Starz premiered The Chair, a new series from Project Greenlight producer Chris Moore. The ten-episode competition takes the formula that helped make the 2001–2005 show a reality hit (having Ben Affleck and Matt Damon involved also helped, of course) and adds in a great twist: Two aspiring directors go head-to-head making their first films from the same script. And the directors couldn’t be more different. He’s a YouTube star; she’s a screenwriter who has come up through the indie film trenches. Serving as producer and mentor is actor Zachary Quinto, whose production company produced the Oscar-nominated Robert Redford film All Is Lost. We caught up with Quinto earlier this summer during the Television Critics Association press tour to talk about his new show and getting to hang with the cool kids on HBO’s Girls. (Unfortunately, this chat took place before Lena Dunham hinted he...
- 9/8/2014
- by Denise Martin
- Vulture
Whether it’s a small indie flick or a summer blockbuster, making a movie isn’t easy. First you need an idea, then a script, money, and lots and lots of people to fill all the roles—both on camera and off. In its first original unscripted series, Starz gives viewers a front-row seat to this complicated world in The Chair.
The premise is simple enough: Two aspiring filmmakers are given the chance to make their first feature film with the help of executive producer Chris Moore, who you might remember also produced the late Project Greenlight. What makes The Chair...
The premise is simple enough: Two aspiring filmmakers are given the chance to make their first feature film with the help of executive producer Chris Moore, who you might remember also produced the late Project Greenlight. What makes The Chair...
- 9/7/2014
- by Jake Perlman
- EW - Inside TV
Starz's experimental docu-series “The Chair” dared two first-time feature filmmakers to create individual movies using the same script. A risky venture, it took Chris Moore — whose many producing credits include “Good Will Hunting,” “American Pie” and HBO filmmaker competition “Project Greenlight” – three years to get someone to make “The Chair.” “I'm still very grateful to Starz and Chris Albrecht for letting me do it,” Moore told TheWrap. Also read: ‘The Chair’ Producer Zachary Quinto Talks ‘Skepticism’ About Unscripted TV “We don't want it to look like a reality show, we don't want it to look like anything you've seen before,...
- 9/6/2014
- by Jethro Nededog
- The Wrap
Billed as “an original filmmaking experiment,” Starz’s engrossing new docuseries The Chair, from Project Greenlight’s Chris Moore, examines what happens when two aspiring young filmmakers are each given the same shoestring budget, the same script and the same Pittsburgh location and asked to make wholly original theatrical releases. Mentored by the amiable Moore, his co-executive producer actor/producer Zachary Quinto and others, excitable YouTube superstar Shane Dawson and sensitive indie filmmaker/actor Anna Martemucci display fascinatingly disparate constitutions and sensibilities on their way to creating works that will, through multiplatform viewer voting after each film debuts, earn one a $250,000 prize. “What … Continue reading →
The post Zachary Quinto and Chris Moore talk The Chair on Starz appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
The post Zachary Quinto and Chris Moore talk The Chair on Starz appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
- 9/5/2014
- by Lori Acken
- ChannelGuideMag
Have you ever wondered how a movie would have turned out if it had a different director? Starz's new documentary reality show, The Chair, answers that question through a contest worth $250,000. Instead of using well-known or established directors, the series follows two first-time directors as they bring to the same script to life for the big screen.
The Chair was created by Chris Moore who previously produced another film contest series, Project Greenlight, for HBO. He selected two directors with almost as opposite of experience as possible for this project, Shane Dawson and Anna Martemucci.
The Chair was created by Chris Moore who previously produced another film contest series, Project Greenlight, for HBO. He selected two directors with almost as opposite of experience as possible for this project, Shane Dawson and Anna Martemucci.
- 9/5/2014
- by editor@buddytv.com
- buddytv.com
As reality TV approaches its 15th year of post-Real World maturity, the genre has a wide range of programs, from the stupid and scripted to the artful and insightful. Amid the clutter--this fall will see many new and returning reality TV shows on cable and broadcast--there are many highlights. Here are six things worth watching. Survivor and Amazing Race swap players and twists "Survivor" (Sept. 24) is on a streak: there's been season after season of solid, unpredictable game play along with a continued commitment to high-quality storytelling and production. Executive producer and host Jeff Probst, and the network, will try to keep that streak going by returning to last fall's Blood vs. Water format, which worked well, and by ditching the mostly loathed Redemption Island and replacing it with Exile Island. But they've also made some questionable casting decisions. John Rocker, the former baseball player best known for his bigoted ranting,...
- 9/2/2014
- by Andy Dehnart
- Hitfix
September 6th, Starz will debut The Chair, an unscripted TV series co-starring YouTuber Shane Dawson. The first episode of The Chair will air at 11 Pm Est, but for fans who can't wait that long to see Dawson in his new role, Starz will go online to offer the first five episodes of its new show earlier that day. The Chair will follow Dawson and filmmaker Anna Martemucci as they both attempt to direct their own adaptations of the same script. The ten-episode series will chronicle this filmmaking process through its two stars, with fan voting ultimately determining whether Dawson or Martemucci takes home the $250,000 prize. In order to watch the first five episodes online, viewers will need a Starz account, which will allow them to access The Chair via Starz Play and Starz On Demand. According to August 2013 data, Starz has approximately 29 million subscribers in the United States. This "online...
- 8/29/2014
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Starz is going behind the scenes of filmmaking with its first unscripted competition series The Chair.
The 10-part documentary project follows two first-time feature-film directors as they separately attempt to craft a movie from the same original script. The competitors are Shane Dawson, who's built a huge online following via Twitter and his three YouTube comedy channels, and Anna Martemucci, an Nyu film school graduate and independent filmmaker.
Read More >...
The 10-part documentary project follows two first-time feature-film directors as they separately attempt to craft a movie from the same original script. The competitors are Shane Dawson, who's built a huge online following via Twitter and his three YouTube comedy channels, and Anna Martemucci, an Nyu film school graduate and independent filmmaker.
Read More >...
- 8/28/2014
- by Robyn Ross
- TVGuide - Breaking News
Fall means a new batch of reality TV; check out descriptions of new reality series. The Chair Starz Premieres: Sept. 6 Airs: Saturdays at 11pm Billed as “an original filmmaking experiment,” two aspiring young filmmakers are each given the same shoestring budget, the same script and the same location and asked to make wholly original theatrical releases. Mentored by Moore, actor/producer Zachary Quinto and others, excitable YouTube superstar Shane Dawson and sensitive indie filmmaker/actor Anna Martemucci display fascinatingly disparate constitutions and sensibilities on their way to creating works that will, through multiplatform viewer voting, earn one a $250,000 prize. Fake … Continue reading →
The post Fall TV shows 2014: New reality series premiere dates, times and previews appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
The post Fall TV shows 2014: New reality series premiere dates, times and previews appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
- 8/27/2014
- by Kellie Freeze
- ChannelGuideMag
The top stories of the week from Toh! Box Office: 'Expendables 3' Sinks at Friday Box Office, 'Ninja Turtles' and 'Guardians' Still Lead Features: Career Watch: From Instagram to Broadway to Movies – When Will James Franco Fatigue Strike? From Meryl Streep to Expendables Mel Gibson and Harrison Ford, Big Stars in Small Roles Boost Summer Blockbusters Festivals: 'Fury' Starring Brad Pitt Closes London Film Festival in Bid for Oscar Contention New York Film Festival Cherry Picks World Fests for Slate of 30 --What's Missing? Toronto Fest Adds to Sprawling Program: Highlights Interviews: Chris Moore Creates "The Chair" Film Competition (Exclusive Trailer) Isabelle Huppert on Embracing the Darkness in Breillat's 'Abuse of Weakness,' Genet's 'The Maids' with Blanchett Screen Talk: Remembering Robin Williams and Lauren Bacall, New Director/TV Paradigm, Festival Update, Emmys, Week's Picks Reviews: 'Frank,' Starring Michael Fassbender...
- 8/16/2014
- by TOH!
- Thompson on Hollywood
"The Chair" is many things. Dreamed up by producer Chris Moore, it's two indie movies directed by rookies, YouTube sensation Shane Dawson and Nyu screenwriter Anna Martemucci ("Breakup at a Wedding"), which will be released in theaters by Starz. It's also a ten-part one hour unscripted original documentary series, which starts airing on Starz September 6. And it's a reality show competition with $250,000 going to the winner. And more material will eventually post online at The Chair Channel on Vimeo, on Starz.com and via social media. Remember "Project Greenlight"? The HBO reality TV series, produced by Miramax, Sean Bailey and "Good Will Hunting" producers Ben Affleck, Matt Damon and Chris Moore, showed audiences the nuts and bolts of indie filmmaking. A decade later Moore dreamed up another idea. "The Chair," more than a gladiator event for directors, he says on the phone, is part of his continuing quest "to show people how.
- 8/15/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
NBC is clearly trying to get the gang back together again for “Heroes Reborn.” We already know that Jack Coleman will reprise his role, but who else will creator Tim Kring lure back? Zachary Quinto, who played Sylar, the super villain (and fan favorite despite the evil things he did) who could absorb others’ powers, isn't sure he can be a part of the return. Also read: Jack Coleman to Return for NBC's ‘Heroes Reborn’ “I've been talking to Tim and I'm really excited that they're doing that show,” Quinto told TheWrap while promoting Starz's “The Chair.” “I don't really see the room for.
- 7/17/2014
- by Jethro Nededog
- The Wrap
As the most expensive art form, it’s difficult to experiment with filmmaking in the way that the new Starz show The Chair does. Produced by Zachary Quinto, Neal Dodson and Corey Moosa, the program obsessively watches as two aspiring filmmakers turn the same script into different films. The closest cousin to this kind of semi-scientific meddling might be Michael Haneke remaking his own Funny Games. Or maybe Lars von Trier forcing Jorgen Leth to remake one of his short films in The Five Obstructions. Or maybe we can consider this as another in a long list of remakes that just so happens to take place simultaneously so that we can’t say which film is the “original.” Maybe I’m overthinking this (I am), but it’s exciting. Tinkering and deconstructing cinema is almost always fun, or at the very least interesting, for the audience — especially when the filmmakers themselves look to be losing their minds...
- 7/15/2014
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Birthday shoutouts go to Matthew Fox (above), who is 48, Jackie Earle Haley is 53, and Jane Lynch is 54.
We thought it was dead, but could Enlisted actually get a second chance on Yahoo?
American Psycho: The Musical is headed to The States, specifically Off-Broadway, but there’s no word on whether Matt Smith will make the move with it.
Cory Monteith’s Friends & Glee Co-Stars Remember Him One Year After His Tragic Death
As a follow-up to the post last night about NBC straight-washing Constantine, it turns out that the reporter who asked the original question was our own Jim Halterman, and Jim sent over the full transcript. Turns out David Goyer was probably expecting to be asked about it.
Question (Jim Halterman): I wanted to ask you guys, Constantine was bisexual in the comic books. Will that be touched upon in the show? And Matt, how would you...
We thought it was dead, but could Enlisted actually get a second chance on Yahoo?
American Psycho: The Musical is headed to The States, specifically Off-Broadway, but there’s no word on whether Matt Smith will make the move with it.
Cory Monteith’s Friends & Glee Co-Stars Remember Him One Year After His Tragic Death
As a follow-up to the post last night about NBC straight-washing Constantine, it turns out that the reporter who asked the original question was our own Jim Halterman, and Jim sent over the full transcript. Turns out David Goyer was probably expecting to be asked about it.
Question (Jim Halterman): I wanted to ask you guys, Constantine was bisexual in the comic books. Will that be touched upon in the show? And Matt, how would you...
- 7/14/2014
- by snicks
- The Backlot
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