Logan, Beauty and the Beast, Before I Fall and all of the movies you need to see this MarchLogan, Beauty and the Beast, Before I Fall and all of the movies you need to see this MarchAdriana Floridia3/2/2017 10:24:00 Am
It's March, and blockbuster season is officially beginning! There are a number of huge titles this month that we have been highly anticipating for ages. The new Wolverine film, Emma Watson as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and a high dose of nostalgia with Power Rangers are just a few. Get excited!
Here are 14 must-see films this March!
Logan
Release Date: March 3rd, 2017
For Fans of: Violence, Claws, A very serious Wolverine
See it With: Friends
See it In: IMAX X-Men and Wolverine fans can expect something very different with Logan. It's being said that this will be Hugh Jackman's last appearance in his most iconic role,...
It's March, and blockbuster season is officially beginning! There are a number of huge titles this month that we have been highly anticipating for ages. The new Wolverine film, Emma Watson as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and a high dose of nostalgia with Power Rangers are just a few. Get excited!
Here are 14 must-see films this March!
Logan
Release Date: March 3rd, 2017
For Fans of: Violence, Claws, A very serious Wolverine
See it With: Friends
See it In: IMAX X-Men and Wolverine fans can expect something very different with Logan. It's being said that this will be Hugh Jackman's last appearance in his most iconic role,...
- 3/2/2017
- by Adriana Floridia
- Cineplex
Of all the great many characters that Scarlett Johansson has portrayed on the big screen, Ghost in the Shell arguably heralds one of the actress’ more challenging roles yet.
To date, ScarJo has embodied psychokinetic superhumans in Lucy and smart, funny, and ultimately seductive AI (or Samantha, if we’re staying on a first-name basis) for Her, but Ghost in the Shell will stretch Johansson’s physical and emotional range like never before as the actress looks to introduce Major Motoko Kusanagi – or simply The Major – to the moviegoing masses. Engineered to be the flagship product of Hanka Robotics, The Major is a best-in-class human cyborg capable of fighting crime head on without so much as batting an eyelid. Hanka’s technological assets are under threat from the city’s ring of terrorists, leaving Johansson’s protagonist with little choice but to spearhead the elite task force known as Section...
To date, ScarJo has embodied psychokinetic superhumans in Lucy and smart, funny, and ultimately seductive AI (or Samantha, if we’re staying on a first-name basis) for Her, but Ghost in the Shell will stretch Johansson’s physical and emotional range like never before as the actress looks to introduce Major Motoko Kusanagi – or simply The Major – to the moviegoing masses. Engineered to be the flagship product of Hanka Robotics, The Major is a best-in-class human cyborg capable of fighting crime head on without so much as batting an eyelid. Hanka’s technological assets are under threat from the city’s ring of terrorists, leaving Johansson’s protagonist with little choice but to spearhead the elite task force known as Section...
- 2/22/2017
- by Michael Briers
- We Got This Covered
Ryan Phillippe was honored for his involvement and support of the Innocence Project at City Winery in New York City on Nov. 15.
The organization works to exonerate the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reform the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. The 42-year-old Shooter star explained to Et why he became an Innocence Project Ambassador.
Watch: Ryan Phillippe Opens Up About How He and Ex Reese Witherspoon Co-Parent During the Holidays
"I got involved about four or five years ago," Phillippe explained. "I reached out to them. It was on my heart after I read an article in the Texas Monthly about a man named Michael Morton, and I put myself in his shoes as I read it. I was near tears."
Getty Images
Earlier in the month, Gerard Butler looked dapper as always at the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (Fidf) Gala in Beverly Hills on Nov. 3. The non-political...
The organization works to exonerate the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reform the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. The 42-year-old Shooter star explained to Et why he became an Innocence Project Ambassador.
Watch: Ryan Phillippe Opens Up About How He and Ex Reese Witherspoon Co-Parent During the Holidays
"I got involved about four or five years ago," Phillippe explained. "I reached out to them. It was on my heart after I read an article in the Texas Monthly about a man named Michael Morton, and I put myself in his shoes as I read it. I was near tears."
Getty Images
Earlier in the month, Gerard Butler looked dapper as always at the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (Fidf) Gala in Beverly Hills on Nov. 3. The non-political...
- 11/17/2016
- Entertainment Tonight
It’s never been easy to put filmmaker Edward Zwick into a box. The multi-hyphenate has long eschewed sticking to just one genre and even one medium. He helped launch seminal television series like “Thirtysomething” (which he co-created alongside long-time partner Marshall Herskovitz) and “My So-Called Life” (which the pair executive produced) to the small screen, while also directing historical epics like “Glory” and “Defiance,” modern classics like “Courage Under Fire” and “Blood Diamond” and even the odd romantic comedy — or two: Zwick helmed “Love & Other Drugs” and the original “About Last Night…” feature.
Zwick has done it all, but with his latest film, “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back,” he’s managed to do something new: Try his hand at a bone-breaking action sequel, featuring America’s ass-kicking sweetheart in the title role. Zwick and Tom Cruise have worked together before, thanks to the 2003’s epic “The Last Samurai,” and...
Zwick has done it all, but with his latest film, “Jack Reacher: Never Go Back,” he’s managed to do something new: Try his hand at a bone-breaking action sequel, featuring America’s ass-kicking sweetheart in the title role. Zwick and Tom Cruise have worked together before, thanks to the 2003’s epic “The Last Samurai,” and...
- 10/21/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
MaryAnn’s quick take…
Jack Reacher is back. And no one seems to know why. Low stakes, a rote plot, and undistinguished action add up to a pointless and unnecessary sequel. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
I have not read the source material
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Jack Reacher is back. And no one seems to know why. The first filmic installment of the adventures of the former military investigator created by novelist Lee Child rustled up a resounding “meh” at the box office in 2012, and I cannot imagine that anyone who saw it back then could recall a single detail about it today. Other than, perhaps, the fact that star and producer Tom Cruise bears little physical or psychological resemblance to the hulking, laconic man he is in the books. (I haven’t read any of the 20 books in the series.
Jack Reacher is back. And no one seems to know why. Low stakes, a rote plot, and undistinguished action add up to a pointless and unnecessary sequel. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
I have not read the source material
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Jack Reacher is back. And no one seems to know why. The first filmic installment of the adventures of the former military investigator created by novelist Lee Child rustled up a resounding “meh” at the box office in 2012, and I cannot imagine that anyone who saw it back then could recall a single detail about it today. Other than, perhaps, the fact that star and producer Tom Cruise bears little physical or psychological resemblance to the hulking, laconic man he is in the books. (I haven’t read any of the 20 books in the series.
- 10/19/2016
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Less of a movie than it is a monotonous two-hour supercut of Tom Cruise elbowing people in the face, “Jack Reacher: Never Stop Never Reaching” (editor’s note: not the actual title) is a relentlessly generic star vehicle that’s been stripped down to nothing but an old engine and a rusty chassis. The jalopy still runs, of course — and not just because Cruise is now blatantly using Hollywood to subsidize his cardio routine — but it can be a pretty bumpy ride when you road-test it without luxuries like a coherent plot, compelling set pieces, or any clear reason to exist.
Adapted from the 18th novel in Lee Childs’ seemingly endless series of disposable paperback thrillers (and boy does it feel like it), “Never Go Back” is technically a sequel to 2012’s “Jack Reacher,” but the only thing they have in common are a brand, an icon, and a penchant for the practical,...
Adapted from the 18th novel in Lee Childs’ seemingly endless series of disposable paperback thrillers (and boy does it feel like it), “Never Go Back” is technically a sequel to 2012’s “Jack Reacher,” but the only thing they have in common are a brand, an icon, and a penchant for the practical,...
- 10/19/2016
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Murder, drugs, weapons—they’re a sordid business, though none as much as that of the Hollywood machine, insistent on thoughtlessly churning out products with recognizable names in hopes of a quick buck, all cinematic standards be damned. Such is the story of Jack Reacher: Never Go Back, which may as well be an invitation to never return to the Cineplex after watching it.
Tom Cruise is one of those resilient box office draws, but after the original in this series received tepid audience attendance despite its overall decent quality, it’s hard to figure out what exactly these execs were thinking. More so when you spend only a few moments with the underdeveloped story of his new film, which takes an eternity in action-movie minutes to materialize, an unoriginal amalgam of spy tales the world over.
Reacher is the consummate loner do-gooder, he’s Bourne, he’s Hunt, he’s Bond,...
Tom Cruise is one of those resilient box office draws, but after the original in this series received tepid audience attendance despite its overall decent quality, it’s hard to figure out what exactly these execs were thinking. More so when you spend only a few moments with the underdeveloped story of his new film, which takes an eternity in action-movie minutes to materialize, an unoriginal amalgam of spy tales the world over.
Reacher is the consummate loner do-gooder, he’s Bourne, he’s Hunt, he’s Bond,...
- 10/19/2016
- by J Don Birnam
- LRMonline.com
Wesley Mead Dec 20, 2016
Looking for some TV to fill you with festive cheer? Here are the next 20 episodes in our list of the top 100 Xmas TV episodes ever...
This article first appeared in December 2015. Read entries 100 - 81 on this list, here.
See related Alien: Covenant - its new title's meaning & other questions
Since the medium’s infancy, viewers have enjoyed sharing holidays with their favourite television characters. We grow invested in our friends on screen over the years; spending Christmas with them is a rite of passage, a chance for us to share tradition from our world with the fictional ones we see on screen. Some shows embrace the season wholeheartedly, characters in good spirits and enjoying the trappings of the season; others skew a little darker, bringing the more oppressive, burdensome side of the holidays to life. Either way, Christmas episodes tend to demonstrate the strengths of our favourite series,...
Looking for some TV to fill you with festive cheer? Here are the next 20 episodes in our list of the top 100 Xmas TV episodes ever...
This article first appeared in December 2015. Read entries 100 - 81 on this list, here.
See related Alien: Covenant - its new title's meaning & other questions
Since the medium’s infancy, viewers have enjoyed sharing holidays with their favourite television characters. We grow invested in our friends on screen over the years; spending Christmas with them is a rite of passage, a chance for us to share tradition from our world with the fictional ones we see on screen. Some shows embrace the season wholeheartedly, characters in good spirits and enjoying the trappings of the season; others skew a little darker, bringing the more oppressive, burdensome side of the holidays to life. Either way, Christmas episodes tend to demonstrate the strengths of our favourite series,...
- 12/14/2015
- Den of Geek
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Looking for some TV to fill you with festive cheer? Here are the next 20 episodes in our list of the top 100 Xmas TV episodes ever...
Read entries 100 - 81 on this list, here.
Since the medium’s infancy, viewers have enjoyed sharing holidays with their favourite television characters. We grow invested in our friends on screen over the years; spending Christmas with them is a rite of passage, a chance for us to share tradition from our world with the fictional ones we see on screen. Some shows embrace the season wholeheartedly, characters in good spirits and enjoying the trappings of the season; others skew a little darker, bringing the more oppressive, burdensome side of the holidays to life. Either way, Christmas episodes tend to demonstrate the strengths of our favourite series, and it’s long been a festive ritual of mine to wheel out old DVD sets...
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Looking for some TV to fill you with festive cheer? Here are the next 20 episodes in our list of the top 100 Xmas TV episodes ever...
Read entries 100 - 81 on this list, here.
Since the medium’s infancy, viewers have enjoyed sharing holidays with their favourite television characters. We grow invested in our friends on screen over the years; spending Christmas with them is a rite of passage, a chance for us to share tradition from our world with the fictional ones we see on screen. Some shows embrace the season wholeheartedly, characters in good spirits and enjoying the trappings of the season; others skew a little darker, bringing the more oppressive, burdensome side of the holidays to life. Either way, Christmas episodes tend to demonstrate the strengths of our favourite series, and it’s long been a festive ritual of mine to wheel out old DVD sets...
- 12/14/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
The Screen Actors Guild handed out the 21st annual SAG Awards Sunday night live from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Here is a rundown of all the nominees and winners as they are announced. And be sure to re-live our live blog of the show here! Theatrical Motion Pictures Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Steve Carell / John du Pont – "Foxcatcher" (Sony Pictures Classics) Benedict Cumberbatch / Alan Turing – "The Imitation Game" (The Weinstein Company) Jake Gyllenhaal / Louis Bloom – "Nightcrawler" (Open Road Films) Michael Keaton / Riggan – "Birdman" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) **Eddie Redmayne / Stephen Hawking – "The Theory Of Everything" (Focus Features)** - Winner Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Jennifer Aniston / Claire Bennett – "Cake" (Cinelou Films) Felicity Jones / Jane Hawking – "The Theory Of Everything" (Focus Features) **Julianne Moore / Alice Howland-Jones – "Still Alice" (Sony Pictures Classics)** - Winner Rosamund Pike / Amy Dunne – "Gone Girl...
- 1/26/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Nominees for the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards for outstanding performances in 2014 in five film and eight television categories, as well as the SAG Awards honors for outstanding action performances by film and television stunt ensembles were announced this morning in Los Angeles at the Pacific Design Center’s SilverScreen Theater in West Hollywood.
SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard introduced Ansel Elgort (“The Fault in Our Stars,” “Divergent”) and actress/director/producer and SAG Award recipient Eva Longoria, who announced the nominees for this year’s Actors. SAG Awards Committee Chair JoBeth Williams and Vice Chair Daryl Anderson announced the stunt ensemble nominees.
The 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015 at 8 p.m. (Et) / 5 p.m. (Pt) from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. An encore performance will air immediately following on TNT. The SAG Awards can...
SAG-AFTRA President Ken Howard introduced Ansel Elgort (“The Fault in Our Stars,” “Divergent”) and actress/director/producer and SAG Award recipient Eva Longoria, who announced the nominees for this year’s Actors. SAG Awards Committee Chair JoBeth Williams and Vice Chair Daryl Anderson announced the stunt ensemble nominees.
The 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast live nationally on TNT and TBS on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015 at 8 p.m. (Et) / 5 p.m. (Pt) from the Los Angeles Shrine Exposition Center. An encore performance will air immediately following on TNT. The SAG Awards can...
- 12/10/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations were revealed Wednesday morning, serving as yet another precursor on the long road to the Oscars.
In the film categories, Birdman was the big winner, scoring four nominations, including for Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Stone, as well as the collective ensemble cast. Boyhood followed right in its footsteps with three nods for Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and another ensemble nomination.
The big surprises of the morning’s nominations started with Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler, a bubble contender in a crowded Best Actor race, Jennifer Aniston for Cake, a bubble contender in a disappointingly less crowded Best Actress race, Robert Duvall in the poorly reviewed The Judge and Naomi Watts for St. Vincent (Watts was in Birdman as well, but that must’ve slipped SAG’s minds).
Rounding out the prize for Outstanding Cast, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game,...
In the film categories, Birdman was the big winner, scoring four nominations, including for Michael Keaton, Edward Norton and Emma Stone, as well as the collective ensemble cast. Boyhood followed right in its footsteps with three nods for Ethan Hawke, Patricia Arquette and another ensemble nomination.
The big surprises of the morning’s nominations started with Jake Gyllenhaal for Nightcrawler, a bubble contender in a crowded Best Actor race, Jennifer Aniston for Cake, a bubble contender in a disappointingly less crowded Best Actress race, Robert Duvall in the poorly reviewed The Judge and Naomi Watts for St. Vincent (Watts was in Birdman as well, but that must’ve slipped SAG’s minds).
Rounding out the prize for Outstanding Cast, The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Imitation Game,...
- 12/10/2014
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Birdman garnered four Screen Actors Guild nominations on December 10 for Michael Keaton, Edward Norton, Emma Stone and ensemble, while Norton and Benedict Cumberbatch earned three apiece. Fox Searchlight led the studios on six nods.
There are career-first nods for Norton — who arrived in style with an individual nomination for Fox Searchlight/New Regency’s Birdman and ensemble recognition for Birdman and Fox Searchlight’s The Grand Budapest Hotel — as well as for Jones, Keira Knightley and TV’s Uzo Aduba, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany.
Focus Features’ The Theory of Everything earned three for Redmayne, Jones and ensemble; IFC Films’ Boyhood garnered three for Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and ensemble; and The Weinstein Company/Black Bear’s The Imitation Game earned three for Cumberbatch, Knightley and ensemble.
Cumberbatch is also in contention for his individual work in Sherlock: His Last Vow, broadcast in the Us by PBS.
Spc’s Foxcatcher generated nods for Steve Carell and Marc...
There are career-first nods for Norton — who arrived in style with an individual nomination for Fox Searchlight/New Regency’s Birdman and ensemble recognition for Birdman and Fox Searchlight’s The Grand Budapest Hotel — as well as for Jones, Keira Knightley and TV’s Uzo Aduba, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany.
Focus Features’ The Theory of Everything earned three for Redmayne, Jones and ensemble; IFC Films’ Boyhood garnered three for Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke and ensemble; and The Weinstein Company/Black Bear’s The Imitation Game earned three for Cumberbatch, Knightley and ensemble.
Cumberbatch is also in contention for his individual work in Sherlock: His Last Vow, broadcast in the Us by PBS.
Spc’s Foxcatcher generated nods for Steve Carell and Marc...
- 12/10/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
As some of you may know, I'm a bit of a jack(ass) of all trades. I follow the film industry for Lr, and critique films. But I'm also an actor, I front a rock band, I'm a DJ, film editor, and director as well. Basically, when it comes to entertainment, there's nothing I don't do. For some time now, I've been mulling over bringing some of my other interests to Lr, and I'll be starting with the SAG Awards. How? Well, I've been a member of SAG for 6 years now and I also am part of the voting process. That means every year I am sent screeners of all the films being considered for awards.
Here's where a new running feature comes into play:
As I start receiving these screeners, I will write special reviews for each one and publish them here. Then, as we near the voting deadline,...
Here's where a new running feature comes into play:
As I start receiving these screeners, I will write special reviews for each one and publish them here. Then, as we near the voting deadline,...
- 12/10/2014
- by Mario-Francisco Robles
- LRMonline.com
Here is the full list of nominations for the 21st annual SAG Awards, which were announced this morning at La’s Pacific Design Center.
Fox Searchlight topped the film studios with six nominations, led by Alexander Gonzales Inarritu’s Birdman, which nabbed four total nominations: for Outstanding Cast, which is the closest thing the guild has to a Best Picture category; and for star Michael Keaton and supporting actors Edward Norton and Emma Stone. It was joined in the top cast category by IFC Films’ Boyhood, which also got nods for its co-stars Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette; Searchlight’s Wes Anderson pic The Grand Budapest Hotel; the Weinstein Co’s The Imitation Game; and Focus Features’ The Theory Of Everything. The latter two biopics landed lead noms for Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones.
On The TV side, HBO led all networks with 14 noms, thanks to multiple acting...
Fox Searchlight topped the film studios with six nominations, led by Alexander Gonzales Inarritu’s Birdman, which nabbed four total nominations: for Outstanding Cast, which is the closest thing the guild has to a Best Picture category; and for star Michael Keaton and supporting actors Edward Norton and Emma Stone. It was joined in the top cast category by IFC Films’ Boyhood, which also got nods for its co-stars Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette; Searchlight’s Wes Anderson pic The Grand Budapest Hotel; the Weinstein Co’s The Imitation Game; and Focus Features’ The Theory Of Everything. The latter two biopics landed lead noms for Benedict Cumberbatch, Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones.
On The TV side, HBO led all networks with 14 noms, thanks to multiple acting...
- 12/10/2014
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline
The Screen Actors Guild announced this year's nominees for the 2014 SAG Awards. The winners will be announced during a live telecast on TNT and TBS on Saturday, Jan. 25. The nominees are as follows... Theatrical Motion Pictures Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role Steve Carell / John du Pont – "Foxcatcher" (Sony Pictures Classics) Benedict Cumberbatch / Alan Turing – "The Imitation Game" (The Weinstein Company) Jake Gyllenhaal / Louis Bloom – "Nightcrawler" (Open Road Films) Michael Keaton / Riggan – "Birdman" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Eddie Redmayne / Stephen Hawking – "The Theory Of Everything" (Focus Features) Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Jennifer Aniston / Claire Bennett – "Cake" (Cinelou Films) Felicity Jones / Jane Hawking – "The Theory Of Everything" (Focus Features) Julianne Moore / Alice Howland-Jones – "Still Alice" (Sony Pictures Classics) Rosamund Pike / Amy Dunne – "Gone Girl" (20th Century Fox) Reese Witherspoon / Cheryl Strayed – "Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in...
- 12/10/2014
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
John Nein was not always a Senior Programmer at the Sundance Film Festival — it’s only been eight years. When he began at Sundance in 2002 he was always watching movies of course. More than that, like John Cooper said, he just didn’t shut up when he was in the room; he was opinionated and spoke his opinions. He also always liked international cinema as he was born in Ireland and grew up in The Netherlands, Belgium and London where his father worked for international companies. When he was 12 he came to the U.S.
The programmers at Sundance do not have a strict formal assignment of areas they program; they see all the films of all the sections, but like his father, international was always of great interest. The same is true for myself, although out of the 118 feature films selected out of 4,105 feature length submissions, many of the U.S. films look great to me as well. For instance, I am so happy that Matt Sobel’s “ Take Me To The River ” which won the prize at Us in Progress this past November in Wroclaw, Poland at The American Film Festival is in the Next section.
John: This year on Day One, January 22, 2015, the Festival will feature one of each type of film shown at the Festival: one shorts program, a U.S. documentary, a U.S. dramatic, an international documentary and an international dramatic which will be the first ever Lithuanian film in Competition, a lesbian love story that is stylish and smartly directed by Alanté Kavaïté with two fantastic actors, Julija Steponaitytė and Aistė Diržiūtė. Actually " The Summer of Sangaile” is a coproduction of Lithuania, France, and Holland . I think Alanté lives in France.
There ares 29 countries represented and 45 first-time filmmakers.
Sydney: I know the Chileans love Sundance. Last year Alejandro Fernández Almendras said in our interview about “To Kill a Man” that Sundance is very important for Chile. I am also a longtime fan of Sebastian Silva since “The Maid”. Two years ago he had two films, “Crystal Fairy” and “Magic, Magic” in Sundance, so why is this Chilean film not in World Competition but in Next?
John: I’m glad Alejandro said that. Yes we like Chile too. They make many good films. But “Nasty Baby” by Sebastian Silva is a U.S. film, about people living in Brooklyn.
He lives in U.S. and has spent a lot of time here. He knows Brooklyn and yet his curiosity and his view of it is that of an outsider. He knows these people because he watches and listens so well. “
Sydney: “Bridesmaids” star and co-writer Kristen Wiig stars. A short promo of “Nasty Baby” was shown to buyers while it was in post-production in Cannes and Toronto. The Chilean production company of Juan de Dios Larrain and Pablo Larrain, Fabula, produced “No” as well as Sebastian’s later films. Papi Boye and Violaine Pichon’s production and international sales agent Versatile out of France along with the film’s international sales agent Funny Balloons — also based in France – helped finance this U.S. Production.
John: World Cinema is now 10 years old. Overall, the Competition sections have evolved over the years. We have a sense of emerging directors here. We have come of age.
All our films are of emerging filmmakers. Either first time directors or highly anticipated second or third features. Of all the festivals worldwide, Sundance has the strongest program of emerging talent. Watch these filmmakers over the next years. Like “Homesick” by Anna Sewitsky. Her previous film “Happy, Happy” showed at Sundance in 2011 and took the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. “Happy, Happy” also became the Norwegian Official entry for the Academy Awards® .
Sydney: TrustNordisk sold “Happy, Happy” to more than 50 countries, so they must be poised to sell this one as well.
John: But not all the second and third films are from filmmakers whose first films were at Sundance, although Canada’s “ Chorus” director Francois Delisle showed “The Meteor” at Sundance two years ago.
And “Glassland”, was a very anticipated second film. The first film by director and screenwriter, Gerard Barrett, "Pilgrim Hill” won the Galway Film Festival and was very sought after and was signed with a U.S. agent then. “Sangaile" is also a second feature.
Look at the international films in the Premieres section and you will see some international filmmakers there, like “ Brooklyn” which is an immigrant story directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby whose film “Wild” is now playing .
Sydney: I see from IMDbPro that Hanway has already sold Middle Eastern rights to Front Row Entertainment who must have pre-bought “Brooklyn” in Cannes or Toronto.
John: Of the 12 films in World Cinema the less expected films come from Turkey, “Ivy” by the talented director Tolga Karacelik. This is his second film. His first was “Toll Booth” which Global Initiative distributed in the U.S. The Dp on this was Nuri Bilge Ceylan (“Winter’s Sleep”)’s Dp on “Winter’s Sleep”, Gökhan Tiryaki. It is about guys stuck on a freighter whose company goes bankrupt. Power dynamics play out.
Sydney: Have there been Oscar nominated films in Sundance (Aside from “Whiplash” and “Boyhood”)?
John: Yes, “Man on Wire” was not last year but it was foreign. “Ida” was in Spotlight last year and maybe Sundance increased its visibility. Three others were in Sundance last year:
“To Kill a Man” is Chile’s submission, “Difret” which won the Audience Award is Ethiopia’s submission this year and “Liar’s Dice” from India was in World Competition last year. It is a very artful film. We knew it would do well with the critics, but it did extremely well with the audience too. A couple of films in Spotlight will probably be nominated next year. Watch for them.
Sydney : We haven’t even discussed the World documentaries.
John : Are there any that stand out for you?
Sydney: Yes, “Chuck Norris vs. Communism”, from U.K., Romania and Germany. Chuck Norris?
John: How interesting it is that something like Chuck Norris means something very different to others. It is a sign of cultural differences between us. Chuck Norris shows how independent films built a community of counter culture against an authoritarian government.
Sydney: I also notice that there are six docs from the U.K. Out of 12 films.
John: Yes we noticed and discussed that. U.K. really supports documentary filmmaking. Great work is coming out of the U.K. And many of the films are about different countries, so it doesn’t fit so simply into a U.K. pigeon hole.
Sydney : Yes I see “Chuck Norris” is about Romania, “Dreamcatcher” is about teenage prostitution, “How to Change the World” is about Greenpeace, “Listen to Me Marlon” is about a famous U.S. actor, “The Russian Woodpecker” is about a Ukrainian survivor of Chernobyl.
Thank you John for your insights. I think we have a lot to look at here. Thank you for taking this time to talk with me. See you at Sundance!
For a full list thus far of Sundance films, see below.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.
The Bronze / U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) — In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women's gymnastics team. Today, she's still living in her small hometown, washed-up and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status.Cast: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong. Day One Film
The D Train / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel) — With his 20th reunion looming, Dan can’t shake his high school insecurities. In a misguided mission to prove he's changed, Dan rekindles a friendship with the popular guy from his class and is left scrambling to protect more than just his reputation when a wild night takes an unexpected turn. Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marielle Heller) — Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she's sleeping with her mother's boyfriend. Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig.
Dope / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa) — Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the Sat. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky.
I Smile Back / U.S.A. (Director: Adam Salky, Screenwriters: Amy Koppelman, Paige Dylan) — All is not right in suburbia. Laney Brooks, a wife and mother on the edge, has stopped taking her meds, substituting recreational drugs and the wrong men. With the destruction of her family looming, Laney makes a last, desperate attempt at redemption. Cast: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Terry Kinney, Chris Sarandon.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl / U.S.A. (Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews) — Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia. Cast: Thomas Mann, Rj Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon.
The Overnight / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Patrick Brice) — Alex, Emily, and their son, Rj, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family "playdate" becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on. Cast: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche.
People, Places, Things / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: James C. Strouse) — Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Gia Gadsby, Aundrea Gadsby.
Results / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski) — Two mismatched personal trainers' lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Chloé Zhao) — This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. Cast: John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Taysha Fuller, Travis Lone Hill, Eléonore Hendricks.
The Stanford Prison Experiment / U.S.A. (Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Screenwriter: Tim Talbott) — This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. Cast: Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby.
Stockholm, Pennsylvania / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nikole Beckwith) — A young woman is returned home to her biological parents after living with her abductor for 17 years. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Isaacs, David Warshofsky.
Unexpected / U.S.A. (Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier) — When Samantha Abbott begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: she's pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine, has landed in a similar situation. Unexpected follows the two women as they embark on an unlikely friendship. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern.
The Witch / U.S.A., Canada (Director and screenwriter: Robert Eggers) — New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood. Cast: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger.
Z for Zachariah / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Zobel, Screenwriter: Nissar Modi) — In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman's affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine.
U.S. Documentary Competition
Sixteen world-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.
3½ Minutes / U.S.A. (Director: Marc Silver) — On November 23, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. 3½ Minutes explores the aftermath of Jordan's tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.
Being Evel / U.S.A. (Director: Daniel Junge) — An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert "Evel" Knievel and his legacy.
Best of Enemies / U.S.A. (Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon) — Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.
Call Me Lucky / U.S.A. (Director: Bobcat Goldthwait) — Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.
Cartel Land / U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Matthew Heineman) — In this classic Western set in the 21st century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence with violence.
City of Gold / U.S.A. (Director: Laura Gabbert) — Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.
Finders Keepers / U.S.A. (Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel) — Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.
Hot Girls Wanted / U.S.A. (Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus) — Hot Girls Wanted is a first-ever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering into it.
How to Dance in Ohio / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandra Shiva) — In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage — a spring formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills at a local nightclub in preparation for the dance.
Larry Kramer in Love and Anger / U.S.A. (Director: Jean Carlomusto) — Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.
Meru / U.S.A. (Directors: Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) — Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature’s harshest elements to attempt the never-before-completed Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.
Racing Extinction / U.S.A. (Director: Louie Psihoyos) — Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) assembles a unique team to show the world never-before-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction. Whether infiltrating notorious black markets or exploring humans' effect on the environment, Racing Extinction will change the way you see the world.
(T)Error / U.S.A. (Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe) — (T)Error is the first film to document on camera a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of *******, a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government’s counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.
Welcome to Leith / U.S.A. (Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) — A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.
Western / U.S.A., Mexico (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) — For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.
The Wolfpack / U.S.A. (Director: Crystal Moselle) — Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.
Chlorine / Italy (Director: Lamberto Sanfelice, Screenwriters: Lamberto Sanfelice, Elisa Amoruso) — Jenny, 17, dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer. Family events turn her life upside down and she is forced move to a remote area to look after her ill father and younger brother. It won't be long before Jenny starts pursuing her dreams again. Cast: Sara Serraiocco, Ivan Franek, Giorgio Colangeli, Anatol Sassi, Piera Degli Esposti, Andrea Vergoni. World Premiere
Chorus / Canada (Director and screenwriter: François Delisle) — A separated couple meet again after 10 years when the body of their missing son is found. Amid the guilt of losing a loved one, they hesitantly move toward affirmation of life, acceptance of death, and even the possibility of reconciliation. Cast: Sébastien Ricard, Fanny Mallette, Pierre Curzi, Genevieve Bujold. World Premiere
Glassland / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: Gerard Barrett) — In a desperate attempt to reunite his broken family, a young taxi driver becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley. International Premiere
Homesick / Norway (Director: Anne Sewitsky, Screenwriters: Ragnhild Tronvoll, Anne Sewitsky) — When Charlotte, 27, meets her brother Henrik, 35, for the first time, two people who don't know what a normal family is begin an encounter without boundaries. How does sibling love manifest itself if you have never experienced it before?Cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Simon J. Berger, Anneke von der Lippe, Silje Storstein, Oddgeir Thune, Kari Onstad. World Premiere. Isa: TrustNordisk
Ivy / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Tolga Karaçelik) — Sarmasik is sailing to Egypt when the ship's owner goes bankrupt. The crew learns there is a lien on the ship, and key crew members must stay on board. Ivy is the story of these six men trapped on the ship for days. Cast: Nadir Sarıbacak, Özgür Emre Yıldırım, Hakan Karsak, Kadir Çermik, Osman Alkaş, Seyithan Özdemiroğlu. World Premiere
Partisan / Australia (Director: Ariel Kleiman, Screenwriters: Ariel Kleiman, Sarah Cyngler) — Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise, Alexander has grown up seeing the world filtered through his father, Gregori. As Alexander begins to think for himself, creeping fears take shape, and Gregori's idyllic world unravels. Cast: Vincent Cassel, Jeremy Chabriel, Florence Mezzara. World Premiere
Princess / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Tali Shalom Ezer) — While her mother is away from home, 12-year-old Adar’s role-playing games with her stepfather move into dangerous territory. Seeking an escape, Adar finds Alan, an ethereal boy that accompanies her on a dark journey between reality and fantasy. Cast: Keren Mor, Shira Haas, Ori Pfeffer, Adar Zohar Hanetz. International Premiere
The Second Mother / Brazil (Director and screenwriter: Anna Muylaert) — Having left her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives in the north of Brazil, Val works as a loving nanny in São Paulo. When Jessica arrives for a visit 13 years later, she confronts her mother's slave-like attitude and everyone in the house is affected by her unexpected behavior. Cast: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli. World Premiere
Slow West / New Zealand (Director: John Maclean, Screenwriters: John Maclean, Michael Lesslie) — Set at the end of the nineteenth century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas, a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw along the way. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Rory McCann, Ben Mendelsohn, Brooke Williams, Caren Pistorius. World Premiere
Strangerland / Australia, Ireland (Director: Kim Farrant, Screenwriters: Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons) — When Catherine and Matthew Parker's two teenage kids disappear into the remote Australian desert, the couple's relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children's fate. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown. World Premiere
The Summer of Sangaile / Lithuania, France, Holland (Director and screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté) — Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, nearby her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaitytė, Aistė Diržiūtė. World Premiere. Isa: Films Distribution.
Umrika / India (Director and screenwriter: Prashant Nair) — When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. Cast: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Prateik Babbar. World Premiere
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary international filmmakers working today.
The Amina Profile / Canada (Director: Sophie Deraspe) — During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet. World Premiere
Censored Voices / Israel, Germany (Director: Mor Loushy) — One week after the 1967 Six-Day War, renowned author Amos Oz and editor Avraham Shapira recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published. Censored Voices reveals these recordings for the first time. World Premiere
The Chinese Mayor / China (Director: Hao Zhou) — Mayor Geng Yanbo is determined to transform the coal-mining center of Datong, in China’s Shanxi province, into a tourism haven showcasing clean energy. In order to achieve that, however, he has to relocate 500,000 residences to make way for the restoration of the ancient city. World Premiere
Chuck Norris vs Communism / United Kingdom, Romania, Germany (Director: Ilinca Calugareanu) — In 1980s Romania, thousands of Western films smashed through the Iron Curtain, opening a window to the free world for those who dared to look. A black market VHS racketeer and courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the masses and sowed the seeds of a revolution. World Premiere. Producers Rep: UTA
Dark Horse / United Kingdom (Director: Louise Osmond) — Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a workingman's club who decide to take on the elite "sport of kings" and breed themselves a racehorse. World Premiere
Dreamcatcher / United Kingdom (Director: Kim Longinotto) — Dreamcatcher takes us into a hidden world seen through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none. World Premiere
How to Change the World / United Kingdom, Canada (Director: Jerry Rothwell) — In 1971, a group of friends sails into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world’s imagination. Using rare, archival footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How to Change the World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. World Premiere. Day One Film
Listen to Me Marlon / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stevan Riley, Co-writer: Peter Ettedgui) — With exclusive access to previously unheard audio archives, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, the film fully explores the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely in Marlon’s own voice. World Premiere
Pervert Park / Sweden, Denmark (Directors: Frida Barkfors, Lasse Barkfors) — Pervert Park follows the everyday lives of sex offenders in a Florida trailer park as they struggle to reintegrate into society, and try to understand who they are and how to break the cycle of sex crimes being committed. International Premiere
The Russian Woodpecker / United Kingdom (Director: Chad Gracia) — A Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life by revealing it, amid growing clouds of revolution and war. World Premiere
Sembene! / U.S.A., Senegal (Directors: Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman) — In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the “father of African cinema,” against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice. World Premiere
The Visit / Denmark, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Norway (Director: Michael Madsen) — “This film documents an event that has never taken place…” With unprecedented access to the United Nations' Office for Outer Space Affairs, leading space scientists and space agencies, The Visit explores humans' first encounter with alien intelligent life and thereby humanity itself. "Our scenario begins with the arrival. Your arrival." World Premiere
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Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a “greater” next wave in American cinema. Presented by Adobe.
Bob and the Trees / U.S.A., France (Director: Diego Ongaro, Screenwriters: Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil) — Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, is struggling to make ends meet in a changed economy. When his beloved cow is wounded and a job goes awry, Bob begins to heed the instincts of his ever-darkening self. Cast: Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Winthrop Barrett, Nathaniel Gregory. World Premiere
Christmas, Again / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Charles Poekel) — A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York, hoping to put the past year behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift, until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross, Jason Shelton, Oona Roche. North American Premiere
Cronies / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell) — Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn’t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. Cast: George Sample III, Zurich Buckner, Brian Kowalski. World Premiere
Entertainment / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington, Tim Heidecker) — En route to meeting with his estranged daughter, in an attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave Desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Amy Seimetz, Lotte Verbeek. World Premiere
H. / U.S.A., Argentina (Directors and screenwriters: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia) — Two women, each named Helen, find their lives spinning out of control after a meteor allegedly explodes over their city of Troy, New York. Cast: Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson. World Premiere
James White / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Josh Mond) — A young New Yorker struggles to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. Cast: Chris Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, David Call. World Premiere
Nasty Baby / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva) — A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigates the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt. Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O'Hare. World Premiere
The Strongest Man / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kenny Riches) — An anxiety-ridden Cuban man who fancies himself the strongest man in the world attempts to recover his most prized possession, a stolen bicycle. On his quest, he finds and loses much more. Cast: Robert Lorie, Paul Chamberlain, Ashly Burch, Patrick Fugit, Lisa Banes. World Premiere
" Take Me To The River " / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Sobel) — A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret.Cast: Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Richard Schiff, Ursula Parker, Azura Skye. World Premiere. Producer rep: Cinetic Media
Tangerine / U.S.A. (Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch) — A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan, Alla Tumanyan, James Ransone. World Premiere
Spotlight
Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.
6 Desires: Dh Lawrence and Sardinia / United Kingdom, Italy (Director: Mark Cousins) — In winter 1921, Dh Lawrence and his wife journeyed to Sardinia, and he chronicled their experiences in Sea and Sardinia. Now, Mark Cousins retraces Lawrence’s footsteps. The film is conceived partly as a letter to Lawrence — or “Bert” — a detail that’s typical of the film’s inviting sense of conversational intimacy.International Premiere
'71 / United Kingdom (Director: Yann Demange, Screenwriter: Gregory Burke) — ‘71 takes place over a single night in the life of a young British soldier accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, he must survive the night alone and find his way to safety. Cast: Jack O'Connell, Paul Anderson, Richard Dormer, Sean Harris, Barry Keoghan, Martin McCann.
99 Homes / U.S.A. (Director: Ramin Bahrani, Screenwriters: Ramin Bahrani, Amir Naderi, Bahareh Azimi) — A father struggles to get back the home that his family was evicted from by working for the greedy real-estate broker who's the source of his frustration. Cast: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Tim Guinee, Cullen Moss, J.D. Evermore.
Aloft / Spain, France, Canada (Director and screenwriter: Claudia Llosa) — Aloft tells the story of a struggling mother, Nana, and her evolution to becoming a renowned healer. When a young artist tracks down Nana's son 20 years after she abandoned him, she sets in motion an encounter between the two that will bring the meaning of their lives into question. Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent, William Shimell. North American Premiere
Eden / France (Director: Mia Hansen-løve, Screenwriters: Mia Hansen-løve, Sven Hansen-løve) — Mia Hansen-løve's electronic-dance-music epic follows the rise and fall of a DJ (based on her brother, Sven, a contemporary of Daft Punk) who gets into the rave scene in 1994 and spends the next 20 years navigating the French club scene. Cast: Félix de Givry, Pauline Etienne, Greta Gerwig, Brady Corbet, Arsinee Khanjian, Vincent Macaigne.
Girlhood / France (Director and screenwriter: Céline Sciamma) — Oppressed by her family, dead-end school prospects, and the boys law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of free-spirited girls. She changes her name and dress, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping to find a way to freedom. Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Simina Soumaré.
The Tribe / Ukraine (Director and screenwriter: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy) — Set at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf, the film’s narrative unfolds purely through sign language without the need for employing subtitles or voiceover, resulting in a unique, never-before-seen cinematic experience that engages the audience on a new level. Cast: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, Rosa Babiy, Alexander Dsiadevich.
White God / Hungary (Director: Kornél Mundruczó, Screenwriters: Kata Wéber, Kornél Mundruczó, Viktória Petrányi) — When young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog, Hagen, because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed “unfit” by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back toward each other. Cast: Zsófia Psotta, Sandor Zsótér, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Lili Monori, László Gálffi, Lili Horváth. U.S. Premiere
Wild Tales / Argentina, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Damián Szifrón) — Inequality, injustice, and the demands of the world cause stress and depression for many people. Some of them, however, explode. This is a movie about those people. Vulnerable in the face of an unpredictable reality, the characters of Wild Tales cross the thin line dividing civilization and barbarism. Cast: Ricardo Darín, Julieta Zyberberg, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Darío Grandinetti, Erica Rivas, Oscar Martínez.
Park City At Midnight
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.
Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim. World Premiere
The Hallow / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) — When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground, he unwittingly disturbs a horde of terrifying beings and must fight to protect his family. Cast: Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley. World Premiere
Hellions / Canada (Director: Bruce McDonald, Screenwriter: Pascal Trottier) — Teenage Dora Vogel must survive a Halloween night from hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door. Cast: Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha, Luke Bilyk. World Premiere
It Follows / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell) — After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her. Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe.
Knock Knock / U.S.A. (Director: Eli Roth, Screenwriters: Eli Roth, Nicolas Lopez, Guillermo Amoedo) — Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man's life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare. Cast: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Colleen Camp. World Premiere
The Nightmare / U.S.A. (Director: Rodney Ascher) — A documentary-horror film exploring the phenomenon of sleep paralysis through the eyes of eight people. They (and a surprisingly large number of others) often find themselves trapped between the sleeping and awake realms, unable to move but aware of their surroundings while subject to disturbing sights and sounds. World Premiere
Reversal / U.S.A. (Director: J.M Cravioto, Screenwriters: Rock Shaink, Keith Kjornes) — A gritty psychological thriller about a young woman chained in a basement of a sexual predator and manages to escape. However, right when she has a chance for freedom, she unravels a hard truth and decides to turn the tables on her captor. Cast: Tina Ivlev, Richard Tyson, Bianca Malinowski. World Premiere
Turbo Kid / Canada, New Zealand (Directors: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell, Screenwriters: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell) — In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, an orphaned outcast, meets a mysterious girl. They become friends until Zeus, the sadistic leader of the Wasteland, kidnaps her. The Kid must face his fears, and journey to rid the Wasteland of evil and save the girl. Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Aaron Jeffery, Edwin Wright. World Premiere
New Frontier Films
The Forbidden Room / Canada (Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk) — A submarine crew, a feared pack of forest bandits, a famous surgeon, and a battalion of child soldiers all get more than they bargained for as they wend their way toward progressive ideas on life and love. Cast: Geraldine Chaplin, Caroline Dhavernas, Roy Dupuis, Udo Kier, Charlotte Rampling, Karine Vanasse. World Premiere
Liveforever / Colombia, Mexico (Director: Carlos Moreno, Screenwriters: Alberto Ferreras, Alonso Torres, Carlos Moreno) — Driven by the music and dancing she finds along the way, a teenager leaves home willing to try anything her provocative and tolerant city has to offer, even if she burns out in the process. Inspired by the best-selling novel "Que viva la música" by Andres Caicedo. Cast: Paulina Davila, Alejandra Avila, Luis Arrieta, Juan Pablo Barragan, Nelson Camayo, Christian Tappan. World Premiere
The Royal Road / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jenni Olson) — This cinematic essay, a defense of remembering, offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock'sVertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes. Cast: Jenni Olson, Tony Kushner. World Premiere
Sam Klemke's Time Machine / Australia (Director: Matthew Bate) — Sam Klemke has filmed and narrated 50 years of his life, creating a strange and intimate portrait of what it means to be human. World Premiere
Station to Station / U.S.A. (Director: Doug Aitken) — Station to Station is composed of 60 individual one-minute films featuring different artists, musicians, places, and perspectives. This revolutionary feature-length film reveals a larger narrative about modern creativity. World Premiere
Things of the Aimless Wanderer / Rwanda, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Kivu Ruhorahoza) — A white man meets a black girl, then she disappears. The white man tries to understand what happened to her while also trying to finish a travelogue. Things of the Aimless Wanderer is a film about the sensitive topic of relations between “locals” and Westerners, about paranoia, mistrust, and misunderstandings. Cast: Justin Mullikin, Grace Nikuze, Ramadhan Bizimana, Eliane Umuhire, Wesley Ruzibiza, Matt Ray Brown. World Premiere
New Frontier Installations
1979 Revolution Game
Artists: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari
1979 Revolution Game presents an innovative approach to non-fiction storytelling. Designed to engage players with an immersive "on the ground" experience of the Iranian Revolution, the game integrates an emotionally impactful narrative with interactive moral choices and intuitive touchscreen gameplay while remaining true to history.
Assent
Artist: Oscar Raby
This immersive documentary uses virtual reality technology to put the user in the footsteps of Director Oscar Raby's father, who in 1973 was a 22-year-old army officer stationed in the north of Chile, on the day when the Caravan of Death came to his regiment.
Birdly
Artist: Max Rheiner
Flying is one of the oldest dreams of humankind. Birdly is an experiment to capture this dream, to simulate the experience of being a bird from a first-person perspective. This embodiment is conducted through a full-body virtual reality setup.
Dérive
Artist: François Quévillon
This interactive installation uses the audience’s body motions and positions to explore 3-D reconstructions of urban and natural spaces that are transformed according to live environmental data, including meteorological and astronomical phenomena.
Evolution of Verse
Artist: Chris Milk
Chris Milk, working with visual effects powerhouse Digital Domain and virtual reality production company Vrse.works, has created this photo-realistic CGI-rendered 3-D virtual reality film that takes the viewer on a journey from beginning to new beginning.
Kaiju Fury!
Artist: Ian Hunter
A dark energy experiment leads to a devastating attack by monstrous Kaiju, and you are standing at ground zero — all in 360-degree, stereoscopic 3-D cinematic virtual reality. You will "be there" as the beasts lay waste to a crumbling city and humanity makes its last stand. Cast: Susie Abromeit, Bill Lippincott, Daniel Martin, Brian Dodge, Vincient Chiantelli.
Paradise
Artist: Pleix
Paradise is certainly not paradisiacal if you look at it through our eyes. But neither is it totally devoid of humor, melancholy and absurdity. Perhaps it is first and foremost life as it is, and then a touch exaggerated in the digital overdrive.
Perspective; Chapter I: The Party
Artists: Rose Troche, Morris May
A young college woman attends a party with the intention of shedding her "shy girl" persona. At the same party, a young man is after a similar reinvention. They meet, drink, and misinterpreted signals turn into things that cannot be undone. Virtual reality simulators let viewers experience both characters. Cast: Tabitha Morella, Caleb Thomas, Zachary Zagoria, Anna Grace Barlow.
Possibilia
Artists: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
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The programmers at Sundance do not have a strict formal assignment of areas they program; they see all the films of all the sections, but like his father, international was always of great interest. The same is true for myself, although out of the 118 feature films selected out of 4,105 feature length submissions, many of the U.S. films look great to me as well. For instance, I am so happy that Matt Sobel’s “ Take Me To The River ” which won the prize at Us in Progress this past November in Wroclaw, Poland at The American Film Festival is in the Next section.
John: This year on Day One, January 22, 2015, the Festival will feature one of each type of film shown at the Festival: one shorts program, a U.S. documentary, a U.S. dramatic, an international documentary and an international dramatic which will be the first ever Lithuanian film in Competition, a lesbian love story that is stylish and smartly directed by Alanté Kavaïté with two fantastic actors, Julija Steponaitytė and Aistė Diržiūtė. Actually " The Summer of Sangaile” is a coproduction of Lithuania, France, and Holland . I think Alanté lives in France.
There ares 29 countries represented and 45 first-time filmmakers.
Sydney: I know the Chileans love Sundance. Last year Alejandro Fernández Almendras said in our interview about “To Kill a Man” that Sundance is very important for Chile. I am also a longtime fan of Sebastian Silva since “The Maid”. Two years ago he had two films, “Crystal Fairy” and “Magic, Magic” in Sundance, so why is this Chilean film not in World Competition but in Next?
John: I’m glad Alejandro said that. Yes we like Chile too. They make many good films. But “Nasty Baby” by Sebastian Silva is a U.S. film, about people living in Brooklyn.
He lives in U.S. and has spent a lot of time here. He knows Brooklyn and yet his curiosity and his view of it is that of an outsider. He knows these people because he watches and listens so well. “
Sydney: “Bridesmaids” star and co-writer Kristen Wiig stars. A short promo of “Nasty Baby” was shown to buyers while it was in post-production in Cannes and Toronto. The Chilean production company of Juan de Dios Larrain and Pablo Larrain, Fabula, produced “No” as well as Sebastian’s later films. Papi Boye and Violaine Pichon’s production and international sales agent Versatile out of France along with the film’s international sales agent Funny Balloons — also based in France – helped finance this U.S. Production.
John: World Cinema is now 10 years old. Overall, the Competition sections have evolved over the years. We have a sense of emerging directors here. We have come of age.
All our films are of emerging filmmakers. Either first time directors or highly anticipated second or third features. Of all the festivals worldwide, Sundance has the strongest program of emerging talent. Watch these filmmakers over the next years. Like “Homesick” by Anna Sewitsky. Her previous film “Happy, Happy” showed at Sundance in 2011 and took the Grand Jury Prize for World Cinema. “Happy, Happy” also became the Norwegian Official entry for the Academy Awards® .
Sydney: TrustNordisk sold “Happy, Happy” to more than 50 countries, so they must be poised to sell this one as well.
John: But not all the second and third films are from filmmakers whose first films were at Sundance, although Canada’s “ Chorus” director Francois Delisle showed “The Meteor” at Sundance two years ago.
And “Glassland”, was a very anticipated second film. The first film by director and screenwriter, Gerard Barrett, "Pilgrim Hill” won the Galway Film Festival and was very sought after and was signed with a U.S. agent then. “Sangaile" is also a second feature.
Look at the international films in the Premieres section and you will see some international filmmakers there, like “ Brooklyn” which is an immigrant story directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby whose film “Wild” is now playing .
Sydney: I see from IMDbPro that Hanway has already sold Middle Eastern rights to Front Row Entertainment who must have pre-bought “Brooklyn” in Cannes or Toronto.
John: Of the 12 films in World Cinema the less expected films come from Turkey, “Ivy” by the talented director Tolga Karacelik. This is his second film. His first was “Toll Booth” which Global Initiative distributed in the U.S. The Dp on this was Nuri Bilge Ceylan (“Winter’s Sleep”)’s Dp on “Winter’s Sleep”, Gökhan Tiryaki. It is about guys stuck on a freighter whose company goes bankrupt. Power dynamics play out.
Sydney: Have there been Oscar nominated films in Sundance (Aside from “Whiplash” and “Boyhood”)?
John: Yes, “Man on Wire” was not last year but it was foreign. “Ida” was in Spotlight last year and maybe Sundance increased its visibility. Three others were in Sundance last year:
“To Kill a Man” is Chile’s submission, “Difret” which won the Audience Award is Ethiopia’s submission this year and “Liar’s Dice” from India was in World Competition last year. It is a very artful film. We knew it would do well with the critics, but it did extremely well with the audience too. A couple of films in Spotlight will probably be nominated next year. Watch for them.
Sydney : We haven’t even discussed the World documentaries.
John : Are there any that stand out for you?
Sydney: Yes, “Chuck Norris vs. Communism”, from U.K., Romania and Germany. Chuck Norris?
John: How interesting it is that something like Chuck Norris means something very different to others. It is a sign of cultural differences between us. Chuck Norris shows how independent films built a community of counter culture against an authoritarian government.
Sydney: I also notice that there are six docs from the U.K. Out of 12 films.
John: Yes we noticed and discussed that. U.K. really supports documentary filmmaking. Great work is coming out of the U.K. And many of the films are about different countries, so it doesn’t fit so simply into a U.K. pigeon hole.
Sydney : Yes I see “Chuck Norris” is about Romania, “Dreamcatcher” is about teenage prostitution, “How to Change the World” is about Greenpeace, “Listen to Me Marlon” is about a famous U.S. actor, “The Russian Woodpecker” is about a Ukrainian survivor of Chernobyl.
Thank you John for your insights. I think we have a lot to look at here. Thank you for taking this time to talk with me. See you at Sundance!
For a full list thus far of Sundance films, see below.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.
The Bronze / U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) — In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women's gymnastics team. Today, she's still living in her small hometown, washed-up and embittered. Stuck in the past, Hope must reassess her life when a promising young gymnast threatens her local celebrity status.Cast: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong. Day One Film
The D Train / U.S.A. (Directors and screenwriters: Jarrad Paul, Andrew Mogel) — With his 20th reunion looming, Dan can’t shake his high school insecurities. In a misguided mission to prove he's changed, Dan rekindles a friendship with the popular guy from his class and is left scrambling to protect more than just his reputation when a wild night takes an unexpected turn. Cast: Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor, Mike White, Kyle Bornheimer.
The Diary of a Teenage Girl / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Marielle Heller) — Minnie Goetze is a 15-year-old aspiring comic-book artist, coming of age in the haze of the 1970s in San Francisco. Insatiably curious about the world around her, Minnie is a pretty typical teenage girl. Oh, except that she's sleeping with her mother's boyfriend. Cast: Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig.
Dope / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Rick Famuyiwa) — Malcolm is carefully surviving life in a tough neighborhood in Los Angeles while juggling college applications, academic interviews, and the Sat. A chance invitation to an underground party leads him into an adventure that could allow him to go from being a geek, to being dope, to ultimately being himself. Cast: Shameik Moore, Tony Revolori, Kiersey Clemons, Blake Anderson, Zoë Kravitz, A$AP Rocky.
I Smile Back / U.S.A. (Director: Adam Salky, Screenwriters: Amy Koppelman, Paige Dylan) — All is not right in suburbia. Laney Brooks, a wife and mother on the edge, has stopped taking her meds, substituting recreational drugs and the wrong men. With the destruction of her family looming, Laney makes a last, desperate attempt at redemption. Cast: Sarah Silverman, Josh Charles, Thomas Sadoski, Mia Barron, Terry Kinney, Chris Sarandon.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl / U.S.A. (Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Screenwriter: Jesse Andrews) — Greg is coasting through senior year of high school as anonymously as possible, avoiding social interactions like the plague while secretly making spirited, bizarre films with Earl, his only friend. But both his anonymity and friendship threaten to unravel when his mother forces him to befriend a classmate with leukemia. Cast: Thomas Mann, Rj Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman, Connie Britton, Molly Shannon.
The Overnight / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Patrick Brice) — Alex, Emily, and their son, Rj, are new to Los Angeles. A chance meeting at the park introduces them to the mysterious Kurt, Charlotte, and Max. A family "playdate" becomes increasingly interesting as the night goes on. Cast: Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman, Judith Godrèche.
People, Places, Things / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: James C. Strouse) — Will Henry is a newly single graphic novelist balancing being a parent to his young twin daughters and teaching a classroom full of college students, all the while trying to navigate the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him. Cast: Jemaine Clement, Regina Hall, Stephanie Allynne, Jessica Williams, Gia Gadsby, Aundrea Gadsby.
Results / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Andrew Bujalski) — Two mismatched personal trainers' lives are upended by the actions of a new, wealthy client. Cast: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Kevin Corrigan, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker.
Songs My Brothers Taught Me / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Chloé Zhao) — This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. Cast: John Reddy, Jashaun St. John, Irene Bedard, Taysha Fuller, Travis Lone Hill, Eléonore Hendricks.
The Stanford Prison Experiment / U.S.A. (Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez, Screenwriter: Tim Talbott) — This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time. Cast: Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, Tye Sheridan, Johnny Simmons, Olivia Thirlby.
Stockholm, Pennsylvania / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Nikole Beckwith) — A young woman is returned home to her biological parents after living with her abductor for 17 years. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Cynthia Nixon, Jason Isaacs, David Warshofsky.
Unexpected / U.S.A. (Director: Kris Swanberg, Screenwriters: Kris Swanberg, Megan Mercier) — When Samantha Abbott begins her final semester teaching science at a Chicago high school, she faces some unexpected news: she's pregnant. Soon after, Samantha learns that one of her favorite students, Jasmine, has landed in a similar situation. Unexpected follows the two women as they embark on an unlikely friendship. Cast: Cobie Smulders, Anders Holm, Gail Bean, Elizabeth McGovern.
The Witch / U.S.A., Canada (Director and screenwriter: Robert Eggers) — New England in the 1630s: William and Katherine lead a devout Christian life with five children, homesteading on the edge of an impassable wilderness. When their newborn son vanishes and crops fail, the family turns on one another. Beyond their worst fears, a supernatural evil lurks in the nearby wood. Cast: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Lucas Dawson, Ellie Grainger.
Z for Zachariah / U.S.A. (Director: Craig Zobel, Screenwriter: Nissar Modi) — In a post-apocalyptic world, a young woman who believes she is the last human on Earth meets a dying scientist searching for survivors. Their relationship becomes tenuous when another survivor appears. As the two men compete for the woman's affection, their primal urges begin to reveal their true nature. Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine.
U.S. Documentary Competition
Sixteen world-premiere American documentaries that illuminate the ideas, people, and events that shape the present day.
3½ Minutes / U.S.A. (Director: Marc Silver) — On November 23, 2012, unarmed 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis was shot at a Jacksonville gas station by Michael David Dunn. 3½ Minutes explores the aftermath of Jordan's tragic death, the latent and often unseen effects of racism, and the contradictions of the American criminal justice system.
Being Evel / U.S.A. (Director: Daniel Junge) — An unprecedented, candid portrait of American icon Robert "Evel" Knievel and his legacy.
Best of Enemies / U.S.A. (Directors: Morgan Neville, Robert Gordon) — Best of Enemies is a behind-the-scenes account of the explosive 1968 televised debates between the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr., and their rancorous disagreements about politics, God, and sex.
Call Me Lucky / U.S.A. (Director: Bobcat Goldthwait) — Barry Crimmins was a volatile but brilliant bar comic who became an honored peace activist and influential political satirist. Famous comedians and others build a picture of a man who underwent an incredible transformation.
Cartel Land / U.S.A., Mexico (Director: Matthew Heineman) — In this classic Western set in the 21st century, vigilantes on both sides of the border fight the vicious Mexican drug cartels. With unprecedented access, this character-driven film provokes deep questions about lawlessness, the breakdown of order, and whether citizens should fight violence with violence.
City of Gold / U.S.A. (Director: Laura Gabbert) — Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jonathan Gold casts his light upon a vibrant and growing cultural movement in which he plays the dual roles of high-low priest and culinary geographer of his beloved Los Angeles.
Finders Keepers / U.S.A. (Directors: Bryan Carberry, Clay Tweel) — Recovering addict and amputee John Wood finds himself in a stranger-than-fiction battle to reclaim his mummified leg from Southern entrepreneur Shannon Whisnant, who found it in a grill he bought at an auction and believes it to therefore be his rightful property.
Hot Girls Wanted / U.S.A. (Directors: Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus) — Hot Girls Wanted is a first-ever look at the realities inside the world of the amateur porn industry and the steady stream of 18- and 19-year-old girls entering into it.
How to Dance in Ohio / U.S.A. (Director: Alexandra Shiva) — In Columbus, Ohio, a group of teenagers and young adults on the autism spectrum prepare for an iconic American rite of passage — a spring formal. They spend 12 weeks practicing their social skills at a local nightclub in preparation for the dance.
Larry Kramer in Love and Anger / U.S.A. (Director: Jean Carlomusto) — Author, activist, and playwright Larry Kramer is one of the most important and controversial figures in contemporary gay America, a political firebrand who gave voice to the outrage and grief that inspired gay men and lesbians to fight for their lives. At 78, this complicated man still commands our attention.
Meru / U.S.A. (Directors: Jimmy Chin, E. Chai Vasarhelyi) — Three elite mountain climbers sacrifice everything but their friendship as they struggle through heartbreaking loss and nature’s harshest elements to attempt the never-before-completed Shark’s Fin on Mount Meru, the most coveted first ascent in the dangerous game of Himalayan big wall climbing.
Racing Extinction / U.S.A. (Director: Louie Psihoyos) — Academy Award-winner Louie Psihoyos (The Cove) assembles a unique team to show the world never-before-seen images that expose issues surrounding endangered species and mass extinction. Whether infiltrating notorious black markets or exploring humans' effect on the environment, Racing Extinction will change the way you see the world.
(T)Error / U.S.A. (Directors: Lyric R. Cabral, David Felix Sutcliffe) — (T)Error is the first film to document on camera a covert counterterrorism sting as it unfolds. Through the perspective of *******, a 63-year-old Black revolutionary turned FBI informant, viewers are given an unprecedented glimpse of the government’s counterterrorism tactics, and the murky justifications behind them.
Welcome to Leith / U.S.A. (Directors: Michael Beach Nichols, Christopher K. Walker) — A white supremacist attempts to take over a small town in North Dakota.
Western / U.S.A., Mexico (Directors: Bill Ross, Turner Ross) — For generations, all that distinguished Eagle Pass, Texas, from Piedras Negras, Mexico, was the Rio Grande. But when darkness descends upon these harmonious border towns, a cowboy and lawman face a new reality that threatens their way of life. Western portrays timeless American figures in the grip of unforgiving change.
The Wolfpack / U.S.A. (Director: Crystal Moselle) — Six bright teenage brothers have spent their entire lives locked away from society in a Manhattan housing project. All they know of the outside is gleaned from the movies they watch obsessively (and recreate meticulously). Yet as adolescence looms, they dream of escape, ever more urgently, into the beckoning world.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
Twelve films from emerging filmmaking talents around the world offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.
Chlorine / Italy (Director: Lamberto Sanfelice, Screenwriters: Lamberto Sanfelice, Elisa Amoruso) — Jenny, 17, dreams of becoming a synchronized swimmer. Family events turn her life upside down and she is forced move to a remote area to look after her ill father and younger brother. It won't be long before Jenny starts pursuing her dreams again. Cast: Sara Serraiocco, Ivan Franek, Giorgio Colangeli, Anatol Sassi, Piera Degli Esposti, Andrea Vergoni. World Premiere
Chorus / Canada (Director and screenwriter: François Delisle) — A separated couple meet again after 10 years when the body of their missing son is found. Amid the guilt of losing a loved one, they hesitantly move toward affirmation of life, acceptance of death, and even the possibility of reconciliation. Cast: Sébastien Ricard, Fanny Mallette, Pierre Curzi, Genevieve Bujold. World Premiere
Glassland / Ireland (Director and screenwriter: Gerard Barrett) — In a desperate attempt to reunite his broken family, a young taxi driver becomes entangled in the criminal underworld. Cast: Jack Reynor, Toni Collette, Will Poulter, Michael Smiley. International Premiere
Homesick / Norway (Director: Anne Sewitsky, Screenwriters: Ragnhild Tronvoll, Anne Sewitsky) — When Charlotte, 27, meets her brother Henrik, 35, for the first time, two people who don't know what a normal family is begin an encounter without boundaries. How does sibling love manifest itself if you have never experienced it before?Cast: Ine Marie Wilmann, Simon J. Berger, Anneke von der Lippe, Silje Storstein, Oddgeir Thune, Kari Onstad. World Premiere. Isa: TrustNordisk
Ivy / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Tolga Karaçelik) — Sarmasik is sailing to Egypt when the ship's owner goes bankrupt. The crew learns there is a lien on the ship, and key crew members must stay on board. Ivy is the story of these six men trapped on the ship for days. Cast: Nadir Sarıbacak, Özgür Emre Yıldırım, Hakan Karsak, Kadir Çermik, Osman Alkaş, Seyithan Özdemiroğlu. World Premiere
Partisan / Australia (Director: Ariel Kleiman, Screenwriters: Ariel Kleiman, Sarah Cyngler) — Alexander is like any other kid: playful, curious and naive. He is also a trained assassin. Raised in a hidden paradise, Alexander has grown up seeing the world filtered through his father, Gregori. As Alexander begins to think for himself, creeping fears take shape, and Gregori's idyllic world unravels. Cast: Vincent Cassel, Jeremy Chabriel, Florence Mezzara. World Premiere
Princess / Israel (Director and screenwriter: Tali Shalom Ezer) — While her mother is away from home, 12-year-old Adar’s role-playing games with her stepfather move into dangerous territory. Seeking an escape, Adar finds Alan, an ethereal boy that accompanies her on a dark journey between reality and fantasy. Cast: Keren Mor, Shira Haas, Ori Pfeffer, Adar Zohar Hanetz. International Premiere
The Second Mother / Brazil (Director and screenwriter: Anna Muylaert) — Having left her daughter, Jessica, to be raised by relatives in the north of Brazil, Val works as a loving nanny in São Paulo. When Jessica arrives for a visit 13 years later, she confronts her mother's slave-like attitude and everyone in the house is affected by her unexpected behavior. Cast: Regina Casé, Michel Joelsas, Camila Márdila, Karine Teles, Lourenço Mutarelli. World Premiere
Slow West / New Zealand (Director: John Maclean, Screenwriters: John Maclean, Michael Lesslie) — Set at the end of the nineteenth century, 16-year-old Jay Cavendish journeys across the American frontier in search of the woman he loves. He is joined by Silas, a mysterious traveler, and hotly pursued by an outlaw along the way. Cast: Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Rory McCann, Ben Mendelsohn, Brooke Williams, Caren Pistorius. World Premiere
Strangerland / Australia, Ireland (Director: Kim Farrant, Screenwriters: Fiona Seres, Michael Kinirons) — When Catherine and Matthew Parker's two teenage kids disappear into the remote Australian desert, the couple's relationship is pushed to the brink as they confront the mystery of their children's fate. Cast: Nicole Kidman, Joseph Fiennes, Hugo Weaving, Lisa Flanagan, Meyne Wyatt, Maddison Brown. World Premiere
The Summer of Sangaile / Lithuania, France, Holland (Director and screenwriter: Alanté Kavaïté) — Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. She meets a girl her age at the summer aeronautical show, nearby her parents’ lakeside villa. Sangaile allows Auste to discover her most intimate secret and in the process finds in her teenage love, the only person that truly encourages her to fly. Cast: Julija Steponaitytė, Aistė Diržiūtė. World Premiere. Isa: Films Distribution.
Umrika / India (Director and screenwriter: Prashant Nair) — When a young village boy discovers that his brother, long believed to be in America, has actually gone missing, he begins to invent letters on his behalf to save their mother from heartbreak, all the while searching for him. Cast: Suraj Sharma, Tony Revolori, Smita Tambe, Adil Hussain, Rajesh Tailang, Prateik Babbar. World Premiere
World Cinema Documentary Competition
Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary international filmmakers working today.
The Amina Profile / Canada (Director: Sophie Deraspe) — During the Arab revolution, a love story between two women — a Canadian and a Syrian American — turns into an international sociopolitical thriller spotlighting media excesses and the thin line between truth and falsehood on the Internet. World Premiere
Censored Voices / Israel, Germany (Director: Mor Loushy) — One week after the 1967 Six-Day War, renowned author Amos Oz and editor Avraham Shapira recorded intimate conversations with soldiers returning from the battlefield. The Israeli army censored the recordings, allowing only a fragment of the conversations to be published. Censored Voices reveals these recordings for the first time. World Premiere
The Chinese Mayor / China (Director: Hao Zhou) — Mayor Geng Yanbo is determined to transform the coal-mining center of Datong, in China’s Shanxi province, into a tourism haven showcasing clean energy. In order to achieve that, however, he has to relocate 500,000 residences to make way for the restoration of the ancient city. World Premiere
Chuck Norris vs Communism / United Kingdom, Romania, Germany (Director: Ilinca Calugareanu) — In 1980s Romania, thousands of Western films smashed through the Iron Curtain, opening a window to the free world for those who dared to look. A black market VHS racketeer and courageous female translator brought the magic of film to the masses and sowed the seeds of a revolution. World Premiere. Producers Rep: UTA
Dark Horse / United Kingdom (Director: Louise Osmond) — Dark Horse is the inspirational true story of a group of friends from a workingman's club who decide to take on the elite "sport of kings" and breed themselves a racehorse. World Premiere
Dreamcatcher / United Kingdom (Director: Kim Longinotto) — Dreamcatcher takes us into a hidden world seen through the eyes of one of its survivors, Brenda Myers-Powell. A former teenage prostitute, Brenda defied the odds to become a powerful advocate for change in her community. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none. World Premiere
How to Change the World / United Kingdom, Canada (Director: Jerry Rothwell) — In 1971, a group of friends sails into a nuclear test zone, and their protest captures the world’s imagination. Using rare, archival footage that brings their extraordinary world to life, How to Change the World is the story of the pioneers who founded Greenpeace and defined the modern green movement. World Premiere. Day One Film
Listen to Me Marlon / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Stevan Riley, Co-writer: Peter Ettedgui) — With exclusive access to previously unheard audio archives, this is the definitive Marlon Brando cinema documentary. Charting his exceptional career and extraordinary life away from the stage and screen, the film fully explores the complexities of the man by telling the story uniquely in Marlon’s own voice. World Premiere
Pervert Park / Sweden, Denmark (Directors: Frida Barkfors, Lasse Barkfors) — Pervert Park follows the everyday lives of sex offenders in a Florida trailer park as they struggle to reintegrate into society, and try to understand who they are and how to break the cycle of sex crimes being committed. International Premiere
The Russian Woodpecker / United Kingdom (Director: Chad Gracia) — A Ukrainian victim of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster discovers a dark secret and must decide whether to risk his life by revealing it, amid growing clouds of revolution and war. World Premiere
Sembene! / U.S.A., Senegal (Directors: Samba Gadjigo, Jason Silverman) — In 1952, Ousmane Sembene, a Senegalese dockworker and fifth-grade dropout, began dreaming an impossible dream: to become the storyteller for a new Africa. This true story celebrates how the “father of African cinema,” against enormous odds, fought a monumental, 50-year-long battle to give Africans a voice. World Premiere
The Visit / Denmark, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Norway (Director: Michael Madsen) — “This film documents an event that has never taken place…” With unprecedented access to the United Nations' Office for Outer Space Affairs, leading space scientists and space agencies, The Visit explores humans' first encounter with alien intelligent life and thereby humanity itself. "Our scenario begins with the arrival. Your arrival." World Premiere
Next <=>
Pure, bold works distinguished by an innovative, forward-thinking approach to storytelling populate this program. Digital technology paired with unfettered creativity promises that the films in this section will shape a “greater” next wave in American cinema. Presented by Adobe.
Bob and the Trees / U.S.A., France (Director: Diego Ongaro, Screenwriters: Diego Ongaro, Courtney Maum, Sasha Statman-Weil) — Bob, a 50-year-old logger in rural Massachusetts with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap, is struggling to make ends meet in a changed economy. When his beloved cow is wounded and a job goes awry, Bob begins to heed the instincts of his ever-darkening self. Cast: Bob Tarasuk, Matt Gallagher, Polly MacIntyre, Winthrop Barrett, Nathaniel Gregory. World Premiere
Christmas, Again / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Charles Poekel) — A heartbroken Christmas tree salesman returns to New York, hoping to put the past year behind him. He spends the season living in a trailer and working the night shift, until a mysterious woman and some colorful customers rescue him from self-destruction. Cast: Kentucker Audley, Hannah Gross, Jason Shelton, Oona Roche. North American Premiere
Cronies / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Michael Larnell) — Twenty-two-year-old Louis doesn’t know whether his childhood friendship with Jack will last beyond today. Cast: George Sample III, Zurich Buckner, Brian Kowalski. World Premiere
Entertainment / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Gregg Turkington, Tim Heidecker) — En route to meeting with his estranged daughter, in an attempt to revive his dwindling career, a broken, aging comedian plays a string of dead-end shows in the Mojave Desert. Cast: Gregg Turkington, John C. Reilly, Tye Sheridan, Michael Cera, Amy Seimetz, Lotte Verbeek. World Premiere
H. / U.S.A., Argentina (Directors and screenwriters: Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia) — Two women, each named Helen, find their lives spinning out of control after a meteor allegedly explodes over their city of Troy, New York. Cast: Robin Bartlett, Rebecca Dayan, Will Janowitz, Julian Gamble, Roger Robinson. World Premiere
James White / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Josh Mond) — A young New Yorker struggles to take control of his reckless, self-destructive behavior in the face of momentous family challenges. Cast: Chris Abbott, Cynthia Nixon, Scott Mescudi, Makenzie Leigh, David Call. World Premiere
Nasty Baby / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Sebastian Silva) — A gay couple try to have a baby with the help of their best friend, Polly. The trio navigates the idea of creating life while confronted by unexpected harassment from a neighborhood man called The Bishop. As their clashes grow increasingly aggressive, odds are someone is getting hurt. Cast: Sebastian Silva, Tunde Adebimpe, Kristin Wiig, Reg E. Cathey, Mark Margolis, Denis O'Hare. World Premiere
The Strongest Man / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Kenny Riches) — An anxiety-ridden Cuban man who fancies himself the strongest man in the world attempts to recover his most prized possession, a stolen bicycle. On his quest, he finds and loses much more. Cast: Robert Lorie, Paul Chamberlain, Ashly Burch, Patrick Fugit, Lisa Banes. World Premiere
" Take Me To The River " / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Matt Sobel) — A naive California teen plans to remain above the fray at his Nebraskan family reunion, but a strange encounter places him at the center of a long-buried family secret.Cast: Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Richard Schiff, Ursula Parker, Azura Skye. World Premiere. Producer rep: Cinetic Media
Tangerine / U.S.A. (Director: Sean Baker, Screenwriters: Sean Baker, Chris Bergoch) — A working girl tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart. Cast: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan, Alla Tumanyan, James Ransone. World Premiere
Spotlight
Regardless of where these films have played throughout the world, the Spotlight program is a tribute to the cinema we love.
6 Desires: Dh Lawrence and Sardinia / United Kingdom, Italy (Director: Mark Cousins) — In winter 1921, Dh Lawrence and his wife journeyed to Sardinia, and he chronicled their experiences in Sea and Sardinia. Now, Mark Cousins retraces Lawrence’s footsteps. The film is conceived partly as a letter to Lawrence — or “Bert” — a detail that’s typical of the film’s inviting sense of conversational intimacy.International Premiere
'71 / United Kingdom (Director: Yann Demange, Screenwriter: Gregory Burke) — ‘71 takes place over a single night in the life of a young British soldier accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, he must survive the night alone and find his way to safety. Cast: Jack O'Connell, Paul Anderson, Richard Dormer, Sean Harris, Barry Keoghan, Martin McCann.
99 Homes / U.S.A. (Director: Ramin Bahrani, Screenwriters: Ramin Bahrani, Amir Naderi, Bahareh Azimi) — A father struggles to get back the home that his family was evicted from by working for the greedy real-estate broker who's the source of his frustration. Cast: Andrew Garfield, Michael Shannon, Laura Dern, Tim Guinee, Cullen Moss, J.D. Evermore.
Aloft / Spain, France, Canada (Director and screenwriter: Claudia Llosa) — Aloft tells the story of a struggling mother, Nana, and her evolution to becoming a renowned healer. When a young artist tracks down Nana's son 20 years after she abandoned him, she sets in motion an encounter between the two that will bring the meaning of their lives into question. Cast: Jennifer Connelly, Cillian Murphy, Mélanie Laurent, William Shimell. North American Premiere
Eden / France (Director: Mia Hansen-løve, Screenwriters: Mia Hansen-løve, Sven Hansen-løve) — Mia Hansen-løve's electronic-dance-music epic follows the rise and fall of a DJ (based on her brother, Sven, a contemporary of Daft Punk) who gets into the rave scene in 1994 and spends the next 20 years navigating the French club scene. Cast: Félix de Givry, Pauline Etienne, Greta Gerwig, Brady Corbet, Arsinee Khanjian, Vincent Macaigne.
Girlhood / France (Director and screenwriter: Céline Sciamma) — Oppressed by her family, dead-end school prospects, and the boys law in the neighborhood, Marieme starts a new life after meeting a group of free-spirited girls. She changes her name and dress, and quits school to be accepted in the gang, hoping to find a way to freedom. Cast: Karidja Touré, Assa Sylla, Lindsay Karamoh, Mariétou Touré, Idrissa Diabaté, Simina Soumaré.
The Tribe / Ukraine (Director and screenwriter: Myroslav Slaboshpytskiy) — Set at a Ukrainian boarding school for the deaf, the film’s narrative unfolds purely through sign language without the need for employing subtitles or voiceover, resulting in a unique, never-before-seen cinematic experience that engages the audience on a new level. Cast: Grigoriy Fesenko, Yana Novikova, Rosa Babiy, Alexander Dsiadevich.
White God / Hungary (Director: Kornél Mundruczó, Screenwriters: Kata Wéber, Kornél Mundruczó, Viktória Petrányi) — When young Lili is forced to give up her beloved dog, Hagen, because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed “unfit” by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back toward each other. Cast: Zsófia Psotta, Sandor Zsótér, Szabolcs Thuróczy, Lili Monori, László Gálffi, Lili Horváth. U.S. Premiere
Wild Tales / Argentina, Spain (Director and screenwriter: Damián Szifrón) — Inequality, injustice, and the demands of the world cause stress and depression for many people. Some of them, however, explode. This is a movie about those people. Vulnerable in the face of an unpredictable reality, the characters of Wild Tales cross the thin line dividing civilization and barbarism. Cast: Ricardo Darín, Julieta Zyberberg, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Darío Grandinetti, Erica Rivas, Oscar Martínez.
Park City At Midnight
From horror flicks to comedies to works that defy any genre, these unruly films will keep you edge-seated and wide awake.
Cop Car / U.S.A. (Director: Jon Watts, Screenwriters: Christopher D. Ford, Jon Watts) — Two 10-year-old boys steal an abandoned cop car. Cast: Kevin Bacon, James Freedson-Jackson, Hays Wellford, Shea Whigham, Camryn Manheim. World Premiere
The Hallow / Ireland, United Kingdom (Director: Corin Hardy, Screenwriters: Corin Hardy, Felipe Marino) — When a London-based conservationist is sent to Ireland to survey an area of ancient forest believed by the superstitious locals to be hallowed ground, he unwittingly disturbs a horde of terrifying beings and must fight to protect his family. Cast: Joseph Mawle, Bojana Novakovic, Michael McElhatton, Michael Smiley. World Premiere
Hellions / Canada (Director: Bruce McDonald, Screenwriter: Pascal Trottier) — Teenage Dora Vogel must survive a Halloween night from hell when malevolent trick-or-treaters come knocking at her door. Cast: Chloe Rose, Robert Patrick, Rossif Sutherland, Rachel Wilson, Peter DaCunha, Luke Bilyk. World Premiere
It Follows / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: David Robert Mitchell) — After a strange sexual encounter, a teenager finds herself haunted by nightmarish visions and the inescapable sense that something is after her. Cast: Maika Monroe, Keir Gilchrist, Daniel Zovatto, Jake Weary, Olivia Luccardi, Lili Sepe.
Knock Knock / U.S.A. (Director: Eli Roth, Screenwriters: Eli Roth, Nicolas Lopez, Guillermo Amoedo) — Two beautiful young girls walk into a married man's life and turn a wild fantasy into his worst nightmare. Cast: Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, Ana De Armas, Aaron Burns, Ignacia Allamand, Colleen Camp. World Premiere
The Nightmare / U.S.A. (Director: Rodney Ascher) — A documentary-horror film exploring the phenomenon of sleep paralysis through the eyes of eight people. They (and a surprisingly large number of others) often find themselves trapped between the sleeping and awake realms, unable to move but aware of their surroundings while subject to disturbing sights and sounds. World Premiere
Reversal / U.S.A. (Director: J.M Cravioto, Screenwriters: Rock Shaink, Keith Kjornes) — A gritty psychological thriller about a young woman chained in a basement of a sexual predator and manages to escape. However, right when she has a chance for freedom, she unravels a hard truth and decides to turn the tables on her captor. Cast: Tina Ivlev, Richard Tyson, Bianca Malinowski. World Premiere
Turbo Kid / Canada, New Zealand (Directors: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell, Screenwriters: Anouk Whissell, Francois Simard, Yoann-Karl Whissell) — In a post-apocalyptic future, The Kid, an orphaned outcast, meets a mysterious girl. They become friends until Zeus, the sadistic leader of the Wasteland, kidnaps her. The Kid must face his fears, and journey to rid the Wasteland of evil and save the girl. Cast: Munro Chambers, Laurence Leboeuf, Michael Ironside, Aaron Jeffery, Edwin Wright. World Premiere
New Frontier Films
The Forbidden Room / Canada (Directors: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Screenwriters: Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Robert Kotyk) — A submarine crew, a feared pack of forest bandits, a famous surgeon, and a battalion of child soldiers all get more than they bargained for as they wend their way toward progressive ideas on life and love. Cast: Geraldine Chaplin, Caroline Dhavernas, Roy Dupuis, Udo Kier, Charlotte Rampling, Karine Vanasse. World Premiere
Liveforever / Colombia, Mexico (Director: Carlos Moreno, Screenwriters: Alberto Ferreras, Alonso Torres, Carlos Moreno) — Driven by the music and dancing she finds along the way, a teenager leaves home willing to try anything her provocative and tolerant city has to offer, even if she burns out in the process. Inspired by the best-selling novel "Que viva la música" by Andres Caicedo. Cast: Paulina Davila, Alejandra Avila, Luis Arrieta, Juan Pablo Barragan, Nelson Camayo, Christian Tappan. World Premiere
The Royal Road / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jenni Olson) — This cinematic essay, a defense of remembering, offers up a primer on the Spanish colonization of California and the Mexican American War alongside intimate reflections on nostalgia, butch identity and Alfred Hitchcock'sVertigo — all against a contemplative backdrop of 16mm urban California landscapes. Cast: Jenni Olson, Tony Kushner. World Premiere
Sam Klemke's Time Machine / Australia (Director: Matthew Bate) — Sam Klemke has filmed and narrated 50 years of his life, creating a strange and intimate portrait of what it means to be human. World Premiere
Station to Station / U.S.A. (Director: Doug Aitken) — Station to Station is composed of 60 individual one-minute films featuring different artists, musicians, places, and perspectives. This revolutionary feature-length film reveals a larger narrative about modern creativity. World Premiere
Things of the Aimless Wanderer / Rwanda, United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Kivu Ruhorahoza) — A white man meets a black girl, then she disappears. The white man tries to understand what happened to her while also trying to finish a travelogue. Things of the Aimless Wanderer is a film about the sensitive topic of relations between “locals” and Westerners, about paranoia, mistrust, and misunderstandings. Cast: Justin Mullikin, Grace Nikuze, Ramadhan Bizimana, Eliane Umuhire, Wesley Ruzibiza, Matt Ray Brown. World Premiere
New Frontier Installations
1979 Revolution Game
Artists: Navid Khonsari, Vassiliki Khonsari
1979 Revolution Game presents an innovative approach to non-fiction storytelling. Designed to engage players with an immersive "on the ground" experience of the Iranian Revolution, the game integrates an emotionally impactful narrative with interactive moral choices and intuitive touchscreen gameplay while remaining true to history.
Assent
Artist: Oscar Raby
This immersive documentary uses virtual reality technology to put the user in the footsteps of Director Oscar Raby's father, who in 1973 was a 22-year-old army officer stationed in the north of Chile, on the day when the Caravan of Death came to his regiment.
Birdly
Artist: Max Rheiner
Flying is one of the oldest dreams of humankind. Birdly is an experiment to capture this dream, to simulate the experience of being a bird from a first-person perspective. This embodiment is conducted through a full-body virtual reality setup.
Dérive
Artist: François Quévillon
This interactive installation uses the audience’s body motions and positions to explore 3-D reconstructions of urban and natural spaces that are transformed according to live environmental data, including meteorological and astronomical phenomena.
Evolution of Verse
Artist: Chris Milk
Chris Milk, working with visual effects powerhouse Digital Domain and virtual reality production company Vrse.works, has created this photo-realistic CGI-rendered 3-D virtual reality film that takes the viewer on a journey from beginning to new beginning.
Kaiju Fury!
Artist: Ian Hunter
A dark energy experiment leads to a devastating attack by monstrous Kaiju, and you are standing at ground zero — all in 360-degree, stereoscopic 3-D cinematic virtual reality. You will "be there" as the beasts lay waste to a crumbling city and humanity makes its last stand. Cast: Susie Abromeit, Bill Lippincott, Daniel Martin, Brian Dodge, Vincient Chiantelli.
Paradise
Artist: Pleix
Paradise is certainly not paradisiacal if you look at it through our eyes. But neither is it totally devoid of humor, melancholy and absurdity. Perhaps it is first and foremost life as it is, and then a touch exaggerated in the digital overdrive.
Perspective; Chapter I: The Party
Artists: Rose Troche, Morris May
A young college woman attends a party with the intention of shedding her "shy girl" persona. At the same party, a young man is after a similar reinvention. They meet, drink, and misinterpreted signals turn into things that cannot be undone. Virtual reality simulators let viewers experience both characters. Cast: Tabitha Morella, Caleb Thomas, Zachary Zagoria, Anna Grace Barlow.
Possibilia
Artists: Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert
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- 12/6/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The competition movie line-up has been revealed for the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, which runs from January 22nd to February 1st 2015. Below the announcement video you'll find the U.S. and World Competition categories, as well as the Next section.
Out of the 12,166 submissions that the festival received this year only 185 were selected. It looks like there are going to be a lot of great films this year. I always enjoy going to Sundance because you never know what film gems are just waiting to be seen.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Presenting the world premieres of 16 narrative feature films, the Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at groundbreaking new voices in American independent film.
Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy,...
Out of the 12,166 submissions that the festival received this year only 185 were selected. It looks like there are going to be a lot of great films this year. I always enjoy going to Sundance because you never know what film gems are just waiting to be seen.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Presenting the world premieres of 16 narrative feature films, the Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at groundbreaking new voices in American independent film.
Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy,...
- 12/4/2014
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Today the first wave of titles playing at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival were announced and while the majority of the titles are new to me the names in front of the camera most certainly are not as you'll see the likes of Michael Fassbender, Nicole Kidman, Saoirse Ronan, Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine, Kristen Wiig, Jack Black, James Marsden, Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Jemaine Clement, Sarah Silverman, Toni Collette, Vincent Cassell and many, many more among the titles featured. I have collected several photos from many of the films playing the festival, which will take place from January 22 - February 1 in Utah next year. Today's selection includes the U.S. Dramatic Competition, U.S. Documentary Competition, World Cinema Dramatic Competition, World Cinema Documentary Competition and Next program. I'll be adding a few more pictures soon enough, but for now, have a look and see what stands out.
- 12/3/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
America’s hottest and most eagerly anticipated film festival is nearly upon us! Running January 22 to February 1, 2015 in Park City, Utah, the annual Sundance Film Festival has launched its initial lineup of in-competition films in the Dramatic, World Cinema, Documentary and Next slates. In all, 66 films were announced in this initial lineup, with the Premieres and Documentary Premieres arriving December 8 and the Short Film slate arriving December 9.
Among the lineup, as always, are some intriguing prospects. The Us Dramatic Competition features films starring stars such as Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine (Z for Zachariah), Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor (The D Train), Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig (The Diary of a Teenage Girl), Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman (The Overnight), and Sarah Silverman (I Smile Back), among many others, and new films from recently hot directors including Alfonso-Gomez Rejon, Andrew Bujalski, and Craig Zobel.
Among the lineup, as always, are some intriguing prospects. The Us Dramatic Competition features films starring stars such as Chiwetel Ejiofor, Margot Robbie, Chris Pine (Z for Zachariah), Jack Black, James Marsden, Kathryn Hahn, Jeffrey Tambor (The D Train), Bel Powley, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni, Kristen Wiig (The Diary of a Teenage Girl), Adam Scott, Taylor Schilling, Jason Schwartzman (The Overnight), and Sarah Silverman (I Smile Back), among many others, and new films from recently hot directors including Alfonso-Gomez Rejon, Andrew Bujalski, and Craig Zobel.
- 12/3/2014
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Last year, it was Damien Chazelle’s richly texturized, foot-tapping, finger-snapping sophomore pic Whiplash that instantly became the “it” film to beat in the sixteen competition offerings. In 2015, we have Sundance habituals in James C. Strouse, Craig Zobel and Andrew Bujalski measuring up against Park City feature film first-timers in Marielle Heller, Patrick Brice, Chloé Zhao, Nikole Beckwith and Kris Swanberg. Here are the sixteen offerings in the 2015 U.S. Dramatic Competition:
Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.
The Bronze / U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) — In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero...
Advantageous / U.S.A. (Director: Jennifer Phang, Screenwriters: Jacqueline Kim, Jennifer Phang) — In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world. Cast: Jacqueline Kim, James Urbaniak, Freya Adams, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Kim.
The Bronze / U.S.A. (Director: Bryan Buckley, Screenwriters: Melissa Rauch, Winston Rauch) — In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero...
- 12/3/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
New films from Nicole Kidman, Michael Fassbender, Louie Psihoyos and Sebastian Silva are featured in the festival’s line-up of Us and world competition strands and the Next programme.
Sundance Film Festival director John Cooper and head of programming Trevor Groth have unleashed their first volley of films in what will be a 118-strong line-up overall culled from 12,166 submissions. Of these, 103 features are world premieres. The festival will run January 22 to February 1.
Us Dramatic Competition includes Craig Zobel’s post-apocalytpic tale Z For Zachariah starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine; Jack Black in comedy The D Train; and Kristen Wiig in the 1970s San Francisco-set coming-of-age story The Diary Of A Teenage Girl.
Other likely highlights are Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s The Stanford Prison Experiment starring Billy Crudup and Ezra Miller; and Saoirse Ronan in Stockholm, Pennsylvania, about a young woman who returns to live with her parents after she is freed from her abductor of 17 years...
Sundance Film Festival director John Cooper and head of programming Trevor Groth have unleashed their first volley of films in what will be a 118-strong line-up overall culled from 12,166 submissions. Of these, 103 features are world premieres. The festival will run January 22 to February 1.
Us Dramatic Competition includes Craig Zobel’s post-apocalytpic tale Z For Zachariah starring Chiwetel Ejiofor and Chris Pine; Jack Black in comedy The D Train; and Kristen Wiig in the 1970s San Francisco-set coming-of-age story The Diary Of A Teenage Girl.
Other likely highlights are Kyle Patrick Alvarez’s The Stanford Prison Experiment starring Billy Crudup and Ezra Miller; and Saoirse Ronan in Stockholm, Pennsylvania, about a young woman who returns to live with her parents after she is freed from her abductor of 17 years...
- 12/3/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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
Netflix streaming is upping the ante this December, adding enough high-profile TV shows and movies to more than make up for last month's lackluster offerings.
On the movie side, highlights include Will Ferrell and gang in "Anchorman 2," the Heath Ledger-starring "A Knight's Tale," Cameron Crowe classic "Almost Famous," Oscar-winning "American Beauty," and horror hits "Oculus" and "Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones." Oh, and let's not forget '80s classic "Troop Beverly Hills," '90s cult favorite "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion," or Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Wolf of Wall Street."
And there's plenty to love about what's coming on the TV front: "American Horror Story: Coven" finally gets its day on Netflix, "Sharknado 2" storms its way to streaming, and Brit hit "Broadchurch" finally lands stateside. Oh, and December sees the premiere of the hotly anticipated Netflix Original series "Marco Polo" on the 12th.
Here's a much...
On the movie side, highlights include Will Ferrell and gang in "Anchorman 2," the Heath Ledger-starring "A Knight's Tale," Cameron Crowe classic "Almost Famous," Oscar-winning "American Beauty," and horror hits "Oculus" and "Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones." Oh, and let's not forget '80s classic "Troop Beverly Hills," '90s cult favorite "Romy and Michelle's High School Reunion," or Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Wolf of Wall Street."
And there's plenty to love about what's coming on the TV front: "American Horror Story: Coven" finally gets its day on Netflix, "Sharknado 2" storms its way to streaming, and Brit hit "Broadchurch" finally lands stateside. Oh, and December sees the premiere of the hotly anticipated Netflix Original series "Marco Polo" on the 12th.
Here's a much...
- 11/25/2014
- by Tim Hayne
- Moviefone
Odd List Ryan Lambie Simon Brew 27 Feb 2014 - 05:54
Our series of lists devoted to underappreciated films brings us to the year 2010, and another 25 overlooked gems...
By 2010, Hollywood’s obsession with 3D movies was in full swing. James Cameron’s Avatar may have given audiences a taste of what the cutting edge of stereoscope could look like, but it has to be said that the movies ushered into cinemas in its wake were a decidedly mixed bunch. Toy Story 3's 3D was extraordinarily effective, yet Clash Of The Titans looked like a blurry mess. How To Train Your Dragon came to life in its flying sequences, but the less said about the horribly murky Last Airbender, the better.
Unless we’re mistaken, none of the movies on this list were shot or released in 3D, and few of them did particularly stellar business. A few got a certain amount of critical acclaim,...
Our series of lists devoted to underappreciated films brings us to the year 2010, and another 25 overlooked gems...
By 2010, Hollywood’s obsession with 3D movies was in full swing. James Cameron’s Avatar may have given audiences a taste of what the cutting edge of stereoscope could look like, but it has to be said that the movies ushered into cinemas in its wake were a decidedly mixed bunch. Toy Story 3's 3D was extraordinarily effective, yet Clash Of The Titans looked like a blurry mess. How To Train Your Dragon came to life in its flying sequences, but the less said about the horribly murky Last Airbender, the better.
Unless we’re mistaken, none of the movies on this list were shot or released in 3D, and few of them did particularly stellar business. A few got a certain amount of critical acclaim,...
- 2/26/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
The 2013 RopeofSilicon Movie Awards I was hesitant to actually do a sixth year of the RopeofSilicon Awards for a variety of reasons, but most of all due to the deluge of awards handed out for movies at this point in our culture. As it turns out, I'm glad I waited and I'm glad I decided to go forward with the Awards. As we've moved into 2014 it became clear there were not only films and performances from 2013 that were still resonating with audiences, but there were some that hadn't gotten the attention I felt they deserved. Therefore, these awards afforded me the opportunity to highlight some of those films and performances. Looking back, 2013 was something of a strange year for movies. It was a year dominated by big budget features, but while many of those blockbusters made lots of money, they fell quite flat in terms of overall audience reception. Films...
- 1/29/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Erik Lundegaard on lipsyching w/ talent via Joseph Gordon-Levitt on Jimmy Fallon
Guardian Kevin Smith talks about Ben Affleck's Bat Cave. errrrrr....
Empire The Help reunion! Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer will co-star in a James Brown biopic for Tate Taylor. Unfortunately neither won of them is playing James Brown (This aint no I'm Not There)
THR Hugh Jackman will play a supporting role in Chappie, the next sci-fi epic from Neil Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium)
Towleroad James Franco's Sal Mineo biopic Sal which seems like it was completed many years ago finally gets a trailer
Deadline good grief. They put up and then removed a Diana poster from the Princess's crash site in Paris?
NY Times Magazine talks to director Kimberly Peirce about her stop and start career, from Boys Don't Cry to Carrie
Today's Must Read
Interview Magazine is featuring a conversation between Darren Aronofsky and...
Guardian Kevin Smith talks about Ben Affleck's Bat Cave. errrrrr....
Empire The Help reunion! Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer will co-star in a James Brown biopic for Tate Taylor. Unfortunately neither won of them is playing James Brown (This aint no I'm Not There)
THR Hugh Jackman will play a supporting role in Chappie, the next sci-fi epic from Neil Blomkamp (District 9, Elysium)
Towleroad James Franco's Sal Mineo biopic Sal which seems like it was completed many years ago finally gets a trailer
Deadline good grief. They put up and then removed a Diana poster from the Princess's crash site in Paris?
NY Times Magazine talks to director Kimberly Peirce about her stop and start career, from Boys Don't Cry to Carrie
Today's Must Read
Interview Magazine is featuring a conversation between Darren Aronofsky and...
- 10/1/2013
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Taking care of her daily duties, AnnaSophia Robb headed over to the New York City set of “The Carrie Diaries” on Thursday afternoon (September 5).
Joined by her hunky costar Chris Wood, the “Bridge to Terabithia” babe looked sexy in an orange animal print dress as she filmed scenes outdoors.
As for the introduction of Lindsey Gort as Samantha, Ms. Robb told press, “I think [Samantha] will be [a bad influence on Carrie].”
“Season Two is already starting out to be a bit more risque, but it’s still a lot of fun. Lindsey Gort plays the new Samantha and she’s awesome. Boys will always be involved. They’re going to be getting into mischief throughout the city and sort of figuring out their friendship, getting to know each other and their different backgrounds.”...
Joined by her hunky costar Chris Wood, the “Bridge to Terabithia” babe looked sexy in an orange animal print dress as she filmed scenes outdoors.
As for the introduction of Lindsey Gort as Samantha, Ms. Robb told press, “I think [Samantha] will be [a bad influence on Carrie].”
“Season Two is already starting out to be a bit more risque, but it’s still a lot of fun. Lindsey Gort plays the new Samantha and she’s awesome. Boys will always be involved. They’re going to be getting into mischief throughout the city and sort of figuring out their friendship, getting to know each other and their different backgrounds.”...
- 9/6/2013
- GossipCenter
The dog days of August are almost over, which means blockbusters are taking a backseat to all those lovely prestige pictures the studios trot out when the leaves change and Meryl Streep gets her thirst for gold like the Oscar vampire she is.
Heavy hitters like Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence, George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Michael Fassbender, Tom Hanks, Kristen Wiig, Chris Hemsworth and the ubiquitous Benedict Cumberbatch all pop up in multiple movies on our annual list of the Fall's best and brightest. Fan favs like Thor (as in "The Mighty"), Ron Burgundy, Katniss Everdeen, Jack Ryan and Machete chop their way back to the big screen with much fanfare, but this time of year is all about the Oscar bait — a Golden Globe simply won't do.
Prepare accordingly for the season below. (And also check out Film.com's Ultimate Fall Movie Preview, plus all kinds of good stuff on MTV's Fall Preview hub.
Heavy hitters like Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence, George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Michael Fassbender, Tom Hanks, Kristen Wiig, Chris Hemsworth and the ubiquitous Benedict Cumberbatch all pop up in multiple movies on our annual list of the Fall's best and brightest. Fan favs like Thor (as in "The Mighty"), Ron Burgundy, Katniss Everdeen, Jack Ryan and Machete chop their way back to the big screen with much fanfare, but this time of year is all about the Oscar bait — a Golden Globe simply won't do.
Prepare accordingly for the season below. (And also check out Film.com's Ultimate Fall Movie Preview, plus all kinds of good stuff on MTV's Fall Preview hub.
- 8/26/2013
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
Dust off your knock-off Manolos and stock up on virgin Cosmo ingredients: your new baby Carrie Bradshaw is here! Deadline reports that Soul Surfer star AnnaSophia Robb will portray the high school version of Sarah Jessica Parker‘s classic Sex and The City role in CW’s Carrie Diaries pilot. They had just better remember to give her Carrie’s massive six-inch roots. That’s all we’re saying!
If the show sticks to the details of author Candace Bushnell‘s prequel novel, the series will follow a teenage Carrie as she navigates life and love in the ’80s. Seeing as how actresses like Blake Lively and Emma Roberts were also allegedly in the running for the part, we’re interested to see how the sweetheart star of Bridge to Terabithia will mature into the sassy sex column we all know and love and watch for six hours every time...
If the show sticks to the details of author Candace Bushnell‘s prequel novel, the series will follow a teenage Carrie as she navigates life and love in the ’80s. Seeing as how actresses like Blake Lively and Emma Roberts were also allegedly in the running for the part, we’re interested to see how the sweetheart star of Bridge to Terabithia will mature into the sassy sex column we all know and love and watch for six hours every time...
- 2/27/2012
- by Halle Kiefer
- TheFabLife - Movies
Decapitations have been a horror movie staple for decades. To celebrate this fact, here’s Phil’s list of cinema’s finest choppings, loppings and beheadings…
In onscreen depictions of violence or combat, when it comes to delivering a coup de grace, nothing is quite so effective or final as a decapitation. It’s the death stroke that can illicit applause, gasps, cheers, screams, or make you feel a bit queasy, but no matter what the effect, it seems that you never have to wait too long for another one to come along in the crazy, wacky, world of on-screen carnage.
However, as this list shows, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, and movie beheadings have proved endlessly inventive, a fact that explains why something as mundane and straightforward as a guillotine will find no place in this top 10. This list is an attempt to celebrate the most shocking,...
In onscreen depictions of violence or combat, when it comes to delivering a coup de grace, nothing is quite so effective or final as a decapitation. It’s the death stroke that can illicit applause, gasps, cheers, screams, or make you feel a bit queasy, but no matter what the effect, it seems that you never have to wait too long for another one to come along in the crazy, wacky, world of on-screen carnage.
However, as this list shows, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, and movie beheadings have proved endlessly inventive, a fact that explains why something as mundane and straightforward as a guillotine will find no place in this top 10. This list is an attempt to celebrate the most shocking,...
- 11/1/2011
- Den of Geek
It’s got martians, action, and lots of great alien architecture. It’s the first trailer for Andrew Stanton’s forthcoming John Carter...
There are several reasons to look forward to John Carter, due out next year. For one thing, it’s the first proper, big-budget treatment for Edgar Rice Burroughs’ literary hero, having been stuck on Hollywood’s drawing boards for the best part of 80 years. (For a slightly more detailed look at John Carter’s protracted journey from page to screen, why not take a look at our preview from last month?)
Another reason to get excited about John Carter: it’s the live-action debut of Andrew Stanton, previously known for his excellent Pixar movies such as Finding Nemo and Wall-e. Stanton’s assembled a sterling cast for Carter, including James Purefoy, Mark Strong, Samantha Morten and Willem Dafoe, and he’s brought all his creative talents to bear on this exotic,...
There are several reasons to look forward to John Carter, due out next year. For one thing, it’s the first proper, big-budget treatment for Edgar Rice Burroughs’ literary hero, having been stuck on Hollywood’s drawing boards for the best part of 80 years. (For a slightly more detailed look at John Carter’s protracted journey from page to screen, why not take a look at our preview from last month?)
Another reason to get excited about John Carter: it’s the live-action debut of Andrew Stanton, previously known for his excellent Pixar movies such as Finding Nemo and Wall-e. Stanton’s assembled a sterling cast for Carter, including James Purefoy, Mark Strong, Samantha Morten and Willem Dafoe, and he’s brought all his creative talents to bear on this exotic,...
- 7/14/2011
- Den of Geek
Credit: Dominic/Lipinski/Getty Images Prince William spoke to his bride, Catherine, as she held the hand of her father as the ceremony began.
Speakeasy live-blogged the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The Wall Street Journal had reporters covering the event across London, and monitored reactions in the U.S., India, Australia, and elsewhere.
Among the members of the team: Cassell Bryan-Low and David Enrich outside Westminster Abbey; Paul Sonne and Sara Munoz on the parade route...
Speakeasy live-blogged the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
The Wall Street Journal had reporters covering the event across London, and monitored reactions in the U.S., India, Australia, and elsewhere.
Among the members of the team: Cassell Bryan-Low and David Enrich outside Westminster Abbey; Paul Sonne and Sara Munoz on the parade route...
- 4/29/2011
- by WSJ Staff
- Speakeasy/Wall Street Journal
Chicago – It is truly wonderful to see a great genre flick get the HD treatment that it deserves not based on box office gross but on quality of the film itself and the sure-to-be-massive cult audience that will eventually find “Monsters,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD. This is one of the best science fiction films of the last several years. Most of you didn’t see it in theaters. Check it out on Blu-ray.
Not unlike “District 9” but with different dramatic goals, “Monsters” is a low-budget creature feature. It’s a piece that’s more interested in the people below than the aliens above and could easily be read as a commentary on an increasingly-dangerous, post-9/11 world or even a piece on our nation’s growing problem with immigration. It is an intellectually captivating film that also works on an emotional level, developing into something more genuinely touching...
Not unlike “District 9” but with different dramatic goals, “Monsters” is a low-budget creature feature. It’s a piece that’s more interested in the people below than the aliens above and could easily be read as a commentary on an increasingly-dangerous, post-9/11 world or even a piece on our nation’s growing problem with immigration. It is an intellectually captivating film that also works on an emotional level, developing into something more genuinely touching...
- 2/8/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The most common mistake made by first-time directors is to cram every film school trick and cutting edge idea into that debut film. A bloated, pretentious, insufferable and flashy effort is often the result. On the other hand, a great director’s first film is rarely representative of his/her full repertoire of skills and ideas. Even a master like Orson Welles, who’s debut film is hailed in most scholarly circles as the greatest film ever made, was still producing exciting cinema bursting with new ideas three decades later with experiments like “F for Fake” (1974).
If “Monsters” is any indication, first-time director, Gareth Edwards, will be dazzling audiences for years to come. Shot on less than a shoestring budget, with a cast and crew totaling only five, Edwards managed to create a fully realized post-alien invasion world more believable than the one in “District 9,” and more emotionally mature...
If “Monsters” is any indication, first-time director, Gareth Edwards, will be dazzling audiences for years to come. Shot on less than a shoestring budget, with a cast and crew totaling only five, Edwards managed to create a fully realized post-alien invasion world more believable than the one in “District 9,” and more emotionally mature...
- 1/21/2011
- by Eric M. Armstrong
- The Moving Arts Journal
American Girl Samantha Parkington is busy empowering little girls and Walt Disney and the El Grupo are too busy fighting the war. With all that going on, we'll leave the fluff to the Care Bears and the animated Duke Brothers. Here are some titles you may have missed recently.
• • •
The Dukes
by Lex Walker
{amazon}B004GF9W0O{/amazon}
It's rather unfortunate that it took until 1983 for The Dukes of Hazzard to get the cartoon adaptation treatment. Not because it deserved its ink sooner, but because at that point in the live-action series Luke (Tom Wopat) and Bo (John Schneider) had moved on (albeit briefly) leaving their "cousins" Vance (Christopher Mayer) and Coy (Byron Cherry) to engage in the show's misadventures for a year. So when Hanna Barbera adapted the show into a cartoon, instead of just making the main characters Bo and Luke (who were the obvious choice...
• • •
The Dukes
by Lex Walker
{amazon}B004GF9W0O{/amazon}
It's rather unfortunate that it took until 1983 for The Dukes of Hazzard to get the cartoon adaptation treatment. Not because it deserved its ink sooner, but because at that point in the live-action series Luke (Tom Wopat) and Bo (John Schneider) had moved on (albeit briefly) leaving their "cousins" Vance (Christopher Mayer) and Coy (Byron Cherry) to engage in the show's misadventures for a year. So when Hanna Barbera adapted the show into a cartoon, instead of just making the main characters Bo and Luke (who were the obvious choice...
- 12/21/2010
- by Arya Ponto
- JustPressPlay.net
As 2010 draws to a close and the year’s films are placed into Top Tens and Best Of lists, it’s always good to take an alternative perspective on a year in cinema.
To this end HeyUGuys presents for your edification our movie awards – The Truffles. We asked our writers to sift through the movie mayhem of the past twelve months and come up with the awards they would want to see handed out.
We posted Part 1 of The Truffles last Friday and today we are pleased to present Part 2 of the HeyUGuys movie awards – The Truffles.
Alex Digiovanna
The most degrading film of 2010: The Tooth Fairy
Please tell me what The Rock was smoking when he decided to say yes to this film. The Rock becoming the Tooth Fairy is almost as bad as Vin Diesel becoming the Pacifier. Not much more to say than way to degrade your image.
To this end HeyUGuys presents for your edification our movie awards – The Truffles. We asked our writers to sift through the movie mayhem of the past twelve months and come up with the awards they would want to see handed out.
We posted Part 1 of The Truffles last Friday and today we are pleased to present Part 2 of the HeyUGuys movie awards – The Truffles.
Alex Digiovanna
The most degrading film of 2010: The Tooth Fairy
Please tell me what The Rock was smoking when he decided to say yes to this film. The Rock becoming the Tooth Fairy is almost as bad as Vin Diesel becoming the Pacifier. Not much more to say than way to degrade your image.
- 12/20/2010
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
We start the Top 7. You finish the Top 10.
Everyone, including yours truly, is uber-excited about the long overdue sequel to Tron, Tron: Legacy. When Bayer requested that I do a Top 7 Movies That Need Sequels, I was intrigued and excited. When Bayer also gave Calhoun that same assignment I was somewhat less intrigued and excited; and when Calhoun hogged up all the movies I was going to pick and ran off giggling, the romance was over.
Kersten’s Top 7 Movies (20 yrs+) That Deserve Sequels
In desperately searching for movies that should have a sequel that aren’t on Calhoun’s list, I’ve amassed a list of sequel abominations, sequels that would mean a desecration of the art of film and make us all feel like dirty wh*res. These are the sequels that would improve upon celluloid the way the Visigoths tidied up Rome.
Yes, folks. It’s the...
Everyone, including yours truly, is uber-excited about the long overdue sequel to Tron, Tron: Legacy. When Bayer requested that I do a Top 7 Movies That Need Sequels, I was intrigued and excited. When Bayer also gave Calhoun that same assignment I was somewhat less intrigued and excited; and when Calhoun hogged up all the movies I was going to pick and ran off giggling, the romance was over.
Kersten’s Top 7 Movies (20 yrs+) That Deserve Sequels
In desperately searching for movies that should have a sequel that aren’t on Calhoun’s list, I’ve amassed a list of sequel abominations, sequels that would mean a desecration of the art of film and make us all feel like dirty wh*res. These are the sequels that would improve upon celluloid the way the Visigoths tidied up Rome.
Yes, folks. It’s the...
- 12/18/2010
- by Morrow McLaughlin
- The Scorecard Review
Yes, it is Christmas time once again, and even though I know it seems like only yesterday, we find ourselves panicking over what to give as gifts this year. Well, panic no more my friends. Here are some of the year’s best movies, and a few great older titles too, sure to please the movie lovers on your list.
For the Guys On Your List
The Town (2010)
It’s been a while since I saw a really good bank robber movie, or for that matter, a really great movie with Ben Affleck at the helm. This movie has both rolled into one, it’s got an ace story line and some serious suspense, and there is some Oscar buzz surrounding this movie. Ben Affleck also directed the film, and I have to say he did a darn fine job of it. It also boasts an A list cast (a cast which I might add,...
For the Guys On Your List
The Town (2010)
It’s been a while since I saw a really good bank robber movie, or for that matter, a really great movie with Ben Affleck at the helm. This movie has both rolled into one, it’s got an ace story line and some serious suspense, and there is some Oscar buzz surrounding this movie. Ben Affleck also directed the film, and I have to say he did a darn fine job of it. It also boasts an A list cast (a cast which I might add,...
- 12/17/2010
- Cinelinx
British director and SFX wiz Gareth Edwards gives us a thrilling postmodern sci-fi film, says Peter Bradshaw
Where once the point of CGI in cinema might have been to produce images of crystalline, almost architecturally detailed clarity, now its future seems to lie in smudging, smearing and making indistinct. This terrifically exciting sci-fi movie from smart young British film-maker Gareth Edwards is a case in point. His digitally created beasts, and the exotically wrecked landscape they inhabit, seem to have been created from a kind of social-realist grime. It's strictly 2D: Edwards is the anti-James-Cameron. The effects don't draw attention to themselves: tentacle-waving aliens are all part of the general, grubby absence of law and order.
Monsters has been widely, and with good reason, compared to Neill Blomkamp's apartheid satire District 9, which also imagined extra-terrestrials in a post-awe spirit. These dirty, ramshackle creatures were just another species of the dispossessed,...
Where once the point of CGI in cinema might have been to produce images of crystalline, almost architecturally detailed clarity, now its future seems to lie in smudging, smearing and making indistinct. This terrifically exciting sci-fi movie from smart young British film-maker Gareth Edwards is a case in point. His digitally created beasts, and the exotically wrecked landscape they inhabit, seem to have been created from a kind of social-realist grime. It's strictly 2D: Edwards is the anti-James-Cameron. The effects don't draw attention to themselves: tentacle-waving aliens are all part of the general, grubby absence of law and order.
Monsters has been widely, and with good reason, compared to Neill Blomkamp's apartheid satire District 9, which also imagined extra-terrestrials in a post-awe spirit. These dirty, ramshackle creatures were just another species of the dispossessed,...
- 12/3/2010
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
British director and SFX wiz Gareth Edwards gives us a thrilling postmodern sci-fi film, says Peter Bradshaw
Where once the point of CGI in cinema might have been to produce images of crystalline, almost architecturally detailed clarity, now its future seems to lie in smudging, smearing and making indistinct. This terrifically exciting sci-fi movie from smart young British film-maker Gareth Edwards is a case in point. His digitally created beasts, and the exotically wrecked landscape they inhabit, seem to have been created from a kind of social-realist grime. It's strictly 2D: Edwards is the anti-James-Cameron. The effects don't draw attention to themselves: tentacle-waving aliens are all part of the general, grubby absence of law and order.
Monsters has been widely, and with good reason, compared to Neill Blomkamp's apartheid satire District 9, which also imagined extra-terrestrials in a post-awe spirit. These dirty, ramshackle creatures were just another species of the dispossessed,...
Where once the point of CGI in cinema might have been to produce images of crystalline, almost architecturally detailed clarity, now its future seems to lie in smudging, smearing and making indistinct. This terrifically exciting sci-fi movie from smart young British film-maker Gareth Edwards is a case in point. His digitally created beasts, and the exotically wrecked landscape they inhabit, seem to have been created from a kind of social-realist grime. It's strictly 2D: Edwards is the anti-James-Cameron. The effects don't draw attention to themselves: tentacle-waving aliens are all part of the general, grubby absence of law and order.
Monsters has been widely, and with good reason, compared to Neill Blomkamp's apartheid satire District 9, which also imagined extra-terrestrials in a post-awe spirit. These dirty, ramshackle creatures were just another species of the dispossessed,...
- 12/2/2010
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Chicago – “Monsters” is a unique take on the giant creature genre that focuses more on the people below than the aliens above. Gareth Edwards’ highly-buzzed film could easily be read as a parable for life in an increasingly-dangerous, post-9/11 world and that ambitious subtext alone makes it one of the more intellectually captivating genre films of the year but it’s also shockingly-touching. With two strong central performances, a wonderfully genuine style, and some daring filmmaking decisions, “Monsters” will have a Godzilla-sized following develop over the next few years. See it in theaters or On Demand before all of your friends tell you to rent it.
Edwards’ drama – and it really is more of a drama than any other genre – conceives a world years after our planet was unexpectedly visited by aliens. And not your cute little E.T. aliens nor easily-subdued aliens like those in “District 9.” No,...
Chicago – “Monsters” is a unique take on the giant creature genre that focuses more on the people below than the aliens above. Gareth Edwards’ highly-buzzed film could easily be read as a parable for life in an increasingly-dangerous, post-9/11 world and that ambitious subtext alone makes it one of the more intellectually captivating genre films of the year but it’s also shockingly-touching. With two strong central performances, a wonderfully genuine style, and some daring filmmaking decisions, “Monsters” will have a Godzilla-sized following develop over the next few years. See it in theaters or On Demand before all of your friends tell you to rent it.
Edwards’ drama – and it really is more of a drama than any other genre – conceives a world years after our planet was unexpectedly visited by aliens. And not your cute little E.T. aliens nor easily-subdued aliens like those in “District 9.” No,...
- 11/19/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
We start the Top 7. You finish the Top 10.
It was back in early high school when my final Dungeons & Dragons campaign faded out — a newfound interest in the opposite sex helped to snuff out that particular fire. I suppose that’s a healthy transition for a 15-year old, but as it turned out, all I’d really accomplished was to trade in a “lifetime” of fictional success for a strong dose of real-life failure, after failure, after failure. But I’m not discouraged. With the success of the Harry Potter novels and films, it’s gotten at least a little more hip to admit to liking fantasy tales, and I can now openly take part in this fictional assembly of my cinematic spell-casting dream team, while still somehow managing to keep my head held high. So with that said, let’s get to it. Here are the Top 7 Movie Wizards...
It was back in early high school when my final Dungeons & Dragons campaign faded out — a newfound interest in the opposite sex helped to snuff out that particular fire. I suppose that’s a healthy transition for a 15-year old, but as it turned out, all I’d really accomplished was to trade in a “lifetime” of fictional success for a strong dose of real-life failure, after failure, after failure. But I’m not discouraged. With the success of the Harry Potter novels and films, it’s gotten at least a little more hip to admit to liking fantasy tales, and I can now openly take part in this fictional assembly of my cinematic spell-casting dream team, while still somehow managing to keep my head held high. So with that said, let’s get to it. Here are the Top 7 Movie Wizards...
- 11/18/2010
- by Aaron Ruffcorn
- The Scorecard Review
Scoot McNairy in Monsters
Photo: Magnet Releasing I've been searching for a way to best describe Gareth Edwards's low budget sci-fi feature Monsters. Made on a half-million dollar budget, it's impressive to see what can be done compared to the big budget films that seem to use their budgets to excess. But the limits are evident early, such as the opening night vision scene that feels as if it was pulled directly out of the early moments of Cloverfield as attacking aliens are hidden amongst the blackness. These aliens have started inhabiting the Earth and a peaceful relationship is yet to be attained. Of course, considering Edwards's aliens look like giant, electrically-charged, translucent octopi and don't seem to have a useful method of communication it's no surprise satisfactory terms for cohabitation have yet to be reached.
We immediately learn the earth reached its current situation after a Nasa probe...
Photo: Magnet Releasing I've been searching for a way to best describe Gareth Edwards's low budget sci-fi feature Monsters. Made on a half-million dollar budget, it's impressive to see what can be done compared to the big budget films that seem to use their budgets to excess. But the limits are evident early, such as the opening night vision scene that feels as if it was pulled directly out of the early moments of Cloverfield as attacking aliens are hidden amongst the blackness. These aliens have started inhabiting the Earth and a peaceful relationship is yet to be attained. Of course, considering Edwards's aliens look like giant, electrically-charged, translucent octopi and don't seem to have a useful method of communication it's no surprise satisfactory terms for cohabitation have yet to be reached.
We immediately learn the earth reached its current situation after a Nasa probe...
- 10/29/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
There's been quiet buzz building about Gareth Edwards' Monsters. Rumors abound about its budget, with some estimating it to be as low as $15,000. The cast is made up of either unknowns or little-knowns. It's being described as "the Latin American District 9," meaning that it's made by a heretofore unknown film maker on a limited budget and it involves aliens. Though there are some similar thematic and allegorical elements, the comparison is inapt and oversimplified. The truth is, none of that really matters. Monsters is an outstanding film all on its own, a statement I'd freely make whether it cost $15,000 or $150,000,000.
Brief title cards in the beginning quickly set the scene for Monsters -- a Nasa probe has crashed in Mexico, and whatever it was carrying has led to the birth of gigantic, mysterious monsters that cause massive amounts of damage. Northern Mexico is effectively quarantined on both sides of its border,...
Brief title cards in the beginning quickly set the scene for Monsters -- a Nasa probe has crashed in Mexico, and whatever it was carrying has led to the birth of gigantic, mysterious monsters that cause massive amounts of damage. Northern Mexico is effectively quarantined on both sides of its border,...
- 10/14/2010
- by TK
For a first-time filmmaker, there are worse things that could happen than the fear of getting kidnapped. At least, this is what I surmised when Gareth Edwards gave me a roll of the eyes when he thought I was about to ask about the budget of "Monsters," the micro-budget sci-fi film that has become one of the year's most talked-about debuts after premiering in March at SXSW amidst rumors that it cost a mere $15,000.
Not that Edwards would be reluctant to talk about it. Right now, he appears ready to talk about nearly anything, brimming with an enthusiasm that's hard to come by -- even by the standards of those who know they've pulled off their first magic trick -- but money was hardly what was on Edwards' mind as he backpacked across Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico and Texas with actors Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy, a boom operator and a camera.
Not that Edwards would be reluctant to talk about it. Right now, he appears ready to talk about nearly anything, brimming with an enthusiasm that's hard to come by -- even by the standards of those who know they've pulled off their first magic trick -- but money was hardly what was on Edwards' mind as he backpacked across Costa Rica, Guatemala, Belize, Mexico and Texas with actors Whitney Able and Scoot McNairy, a boom operator and a camera.
- 10/4/2010
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
When I first heard of Gareth Edward’s film, Monsters, I wondered what all the fuss was about. It seemed like just another District 9, minus the hokie accents and documentary style look in parts of the film. I was dead wrong and not ashamed to admit it. Monsters is a visually-haunting film with characters that are real and intriguing. The movie itself is inspiring filmmaking for any young kid with a camera and iMovie.
Sometimes a movie is likeable for what it is, according to our pal Neil Miller, Monsters is exactly that, a movie that you will (should) like for what it is. I can’t disagree with that. Monsters is as inspiring as it is haunting of a tale. There are no allusions that this movie is the next Alien or something we have never seen before, because sadly it’s not. What this film is, is...
Sometimes a movie is likeable for what it is, according to our pal Neil Miller, Monsters is exactly that, a movie that you will (should) like for what it is. I can’t disagree with that. Monsters is as inspiring as it is haunting of a tale. There are no allusions that this movie is the next Alien or something we have never seen before, because sadly it’s not. What this film is, is...
- 9/25/2010
- by Kevin Coll
- FusedFilm
Playwright Tony Kushner, producer Marcy Carsey, and casting director Ellen Chenoweth will be honored by the Casting Society of America at this year's Artios Awards. The nominees for this year's awards—to be presented Nov. 1 in dual ceremonies at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles and the American Airlines Theatre in New York—were announced today. Kushner, Carsey, and Chenoweth will be presented with special awards. The complete list of nominees follows.Big budget feature, drama"Avatar," Margery Simkin and Mali Finn (initial casting)"Inglourious Basterds," Johanna Ray and Jenny Jue"Nine," Francine Maisler"Sherlock Holmes," Reg Poerscout-Edgerton"Shutter Island," Ellen Lewis and Carolyn Pickman (location casting)Big budget feature, comedy"Couples Retreat," Sarah Halley Finn and Randi Hiller"Date Night," Donna Isaacson"Julie and Julia," Francine Maisler"The Proposal," Amanda Mackey Johnson, Cathy Sandrich Gelfond, and Angela Peri (location casting)"Valentine's Day," Deborah Aquila and Tricia WoodFeature,...
- 9/15/2010
- backstage.com
With the success of recent sci-fi films like District 9 and Avatar, there has been a trend with filmmakers to humanize (no pun intended) an alien invasion. From newcomer, Gareth Edwards, Monsters is a clever and very ambitious film that embarks on a journey of character introspection and social commentary. But despite its ambition, Monsters falls short of accomplishing what it sets out to do. Namely, create deep, interesting and believable characters that an audience would care about in a sci-fi character study especially when the film depends on it.
Monsters is set six years after an alien invasion where the aliens didn’t come to Earth in flying saucers to conquer humanity but rather in a strange organism. This organism has quickly spread through rivers to evolve into large transparent monsters. Set in central Mexico, a photo journalist is assigned to deliver his boss’ daughter from a chaotic landscape to the American borders.
Monsters is set six years after an alien invasion where the aliens didn’t come to Earth in flying saucers to conquer humanity but rather in a strange organism. This organism has quickly spread through rivers to evolve into large transparent monsters. Set in central Mexico, a photo journalist is assigned to deliver his boss’ daughter from a chaotic landscape to the American borders.
- 9/14/2010
- by Rudie Obias
- CriterionCast
Gareth Edwards' Monsters is a low-budget science fiction production with big ideas, shot in some of the poorest parts of the world, and a story that revolves around a catalysmic event that's changed the planet as we know it. At the risk of incurring the director's displeasure, you can certainly draw parallels between it and Neil Blomkamp's District 9.
But Edward's film more than stands up by itself. It's a few steps short of perfect, limited by the practical realities of guerilla filmmaking, character development that doesn't always ring true and one or two effects shots that betray their origins on the director's laptop. Beyond that, it's a wildly entertaining piece of work and one of the most astonishing debut features in years.
Loosely based on real scientific theories about the places extraterrestrial life might exist in our solar system, and an actual Nasa probe planned to collect samples from these places,...
But Edward's film more than stands up by itself. It's a few steps short of perfect, limited by the practical realities of guerilla filmmaking, character development that doesn't always ring true and one or two effects shots that betray their origins on the director's laptop. Beyond that, it's a wildly entertaining piece of work and one of the most astonishing debut features in years.
Loosely based on real scientific theories about the places extraterrestrial life might exist in our solar system, and an actual Nasa probe planned to collect samples from these places,...
- 9/13/2010
- Screen Anarchy
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