In the mid-1990s Darren Aronofsky wrote a list of ten movies he hoped to one day pursue. His first six, from Pi to Noah, all came from it. It seems a stretch to think he had “adapt a play written in 2012” on there, but you never know. The Whale is very much a filmed play, and it makes no pretensions otherwise: the set is a Set, the acting is Acting, and monologues come quick and fast. It’s based on Samuel D. Hunter’s Obie-winning work of the same name and stars an exceptional, resurgent Brendan Fraser as a 600-pound man attempting to reconnect with his daughter. Suffice it to say this film would be quite small without him.
In theatre productions of Hunter’s text, Fraser’s character, Charlie, was often played by an actor in a fat suit—a choice that is becoming increasingly delicate, to say the least.
In theatre productions of Hunter’s text, Fraser’s character, Charlie, was often played by an actor in a fat suit—a choice that is becoming increasingly delicate, to say the least.
- 9/4/2022
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
ABC has given a pilot order to Work Wife, a single-camera comedy inspired by the real-life partnerships of co-hosts and longtime friends Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, and David Windsor and Casey Johnson, the longtime writing-producing team and The Real O’Neals co-creators. Todd Holland (The Real O’Neals) has been tapped to direct the pilot, from Seacrest’s Ryan Seacrest Productions, Ripa and Mark Consuelos’ Milojo Productions and ABC Studios, where both Ryan Seacrest Prods and Milojo Prods are based.
Written by Windsor and Johnson, Work Wife tells the story of a platonic male-female team whose professional success, personal friendship and ability to share deodorant makes their lives work. Set in the world of real estate, Dani and Scott have taken the leap to start their own team. Now feeling the stress of being the boss, they have to rely on the yin-yang of their dynamic more than ever to keep...
Written by Windsor and Johnson, Work Wife tells the story of a platonic male-female team whose professional success, personal friendship and ability to share deodorant makes their lives work. Set in the world of real estate, Dani and Scott have taken the leap to start their own team. Now feeling the stress of being the boss, they have to rely on the yin-yang of their dynamic more than ever to keep...
- 2/6/2020
- by Nellie Andreeva and Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
“The Irishman” co-stars Al Pacino and Joe Pesci are up for Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars, but this is not the first time the duo has gone head to head. They last clashed 29 years ago in the same category, and one came out on top.
Pesci prevailed for his iconic role as Tommy DeVito in “Goodfellas” (1990), defeating Pacino (“Dick Tracy”), Bruce Davison (“Longtime Companion”), Andy Garcia (“The Godfather Part III”) and Graham Greene (“Dances with Wolves”). And who can forget his equally iconic speech (watch above): “It was my privilege. Thank you.” Brevity is the soul of wit and acceptance speeches (see also: Merritt Wever‘s 2013 Emmy speech).
This was Pesci’s second and most recent nomination until now. Pacino was on his sixth bid and seeking his first win, which would come two years later in the lead category for 1922’s “Scent of a Woman” (he was...
Pesci prevailed for his iconic role as Tommy DeVito in “Goodfellas” (1990), defeating Pacino (“Dick Tracy”), Bruce Davison (“Longtime Companion”), Andy Garcia (“The Godfather Part III”) and Graham Greene (“Dances with Wolves”). And who can forget his equally iconic speech (watch above): “It was my privilege. Thank you.” Brevity is the soul of wit and acceptance speeches (see also: Merritt Wever‘s 2013 Emmy speech).
This was Pesci’s second and most recent nomination until now. Pacino was on his sixth bid and seeking his first win, which would come two years later in the lead category for 1922’s “Scent of a Woman” (he was...
- 1/26/2020
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
Dick Johnson Is Dead is one of the craftiest and funniest love letters ever composed, and it’s all the better because it’s on film and the recipient stars in it. Ace documentary maker and cinematographer Kirsten Johnson (Cameraperson) has crafted what might be called a premature or anticipatory filmed obituary of her very lovable father, who more than willingly goes along with the gag or memorialization; it’s a bit of both. Brilliantly original in every way, this Netflix venture deserves to be seen in every possible sort of venue.
Even though the subject here is death, every ...
Even though the subject here is death, every ...
- 1/26/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Top Chef and Project Runway producer Magical Elves has hired veteran TV producer and development executive Joel Zimmer as Evp Development, and promoted longtime Magical Elves casting executive Samantha Hanks to Evp, Casting and Talent Relations.
“With the addition of Joel, and the elevation of Samantha, Magical Elves has the right leadership in place to continue our growth, and further evolve our slate of quality, aspirational programming,” said Co-CEOs Casey Kriley and Jo Sharon, in making the announcement.“Samantha’s contributions to casting and attracting high-caliber talent has been a key factor in our current success, and with Joel’s added expertise and enthusiasm, both executives will play a crucial role in dreaming up and creating the next generation of hit projects for Magical Elves.”
As Evp of Development, Zimmer will lead the team responsible for all development and sales for Magical Elves. A veteran content creator and media executive,...
“With the addition of Joel, and the elevation of Samantha, Magical Elves has the right leadership in place to continue our growth, and further evolve our slate of quality, aspirational programming,” said Co-CEOs Casey Kriley and Jo Sharon, in making the announcement.“Samantha’s contributions to casting and attracting high-caliber talent has been a key factor in our current success, and with Joel’s added expertise and enthusiasm, both executives will play a crucial role in dreaming up and creating the next generation of hit projects for Magical Elves.”
As Evp of Development, Zimmer will lead the team responsible for all development and sales for Magical Elves. A veteran content creator and media executive,...
- 1/22/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Sergio Mendes is set to perform after the world premiere of “Sergio Mendes: In the Key of Joy” at the Santa Barbara Film Festival on Jan. 18. The Grammy award-winning Brazilian musician will perform three songs and participate in a Q&a at the Lobero Theater with director John Scheinfeld.
“Sergio Mendes: In the Key of Joy” includes interviews with Mendes, Herb Alpert, Carlinhos Brown, Harrison Ford, Lani Hall (lead singer of Brasil ’66), Quincy Jones, John Legend, Gracinha Mendes (Sergio’s wife and lead singer since 1971), Jerry Moss, Pele (soccer legend), Carlos Saldhana (Oscar-nominated filmmaker of Rio) and will.i. am.
Scheinfeld has made documentaries on subjects including John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, John Coltrane and many others.
****
Oscars Director Returns
Veteran Oscars director Glenn Weiss will return to direct the 92nd Oscars, producers Lynette Howell Taylor and Stephanie Allain announced Tuesday. “We are so lucky that Glenn is back as our director this year.
“Sergio Mendes: In the Key of Joy” includes interviews with Mendes, Herb Alpert, Carlinhos Brown, Harrison Ford, Lani Hall (lead singer of Brasil ’66), Quincy Jones, John Legend, Gracinha Mendes (Sergio’s wife and lead singer since 1971), Jerry Moss, Pele (soccer legend), Carlos Saldhana (Oscar-nominated filmmaker of Rio) and will.i. am.
Scheinfeld has made documentaries on subjects including John Lennon, Harry Nilsson, John Coltrane and many others.
****
Oscars Director Returns
Veteran Oscars director Glenn Weiss will return to direct the 92nd Oscars, producers Lynette Howell Taylor and Stephanie Allain announced Tuesday. “We are so lucky that Glenn is back as our director this year.
- 1/8/2020
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
Another year in the books, and another long night with Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen is in store for everyone who tunes in to CNN on New Year’s Eve.
“New Year’s Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen” will see CNN’s ubiquitous Cooper ushering in 2020 with a five-hour show talking about the year that was and chatting with correspondents around the country to see how everyone is celebrating.
And this marks Cohen’s third year co-hosting alongside Cooper, after taking over the gig from Kathy Griffin in 2017 after that whole ordeal with the mockup of President Donald Trump’s head.
The event kicks off at 8 p.m. Et on CNN and runs through 12:30 a.m., then Cooper and Cohen will throw things over to Brooke Baldwin and Don Lemon in Nashville at the Music City Midnight Celebration, where they will ring in the new year for the central time zone.
“New Year’s Eve Live With Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen” will see CNN’s ubiquitous Cooper ushering in 2020 with a five-hour show talking about the year that was and chatting with correspondents around the country to see how everyone is celebrating.
And this marks Cohen’s third year co-hosting alongside Cooper, after taking over the gig from Kathy Griffin in 2017 after that whole ordeal with the mockup of President Donald Trump’s head.
The event kicks off at 8 p.m. Et on CNN and runs through 12:30 a.m., then Cooper and Cohen will throw things over to Brooke Baldwin and Don Lemon in Nashville at the Music City Midnight Celebration, where they will ring in the new year for the central time zone.
- 12/31/2019
- by Jennifer Maas and Phil Owen
- The Wrap
Multi-platinum selling artist Post Malone (“Circles”) has been tapped to perform live from Times Square, just before the ball drops, on ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest.
Other announced performers for TV’s premiere Nye telecast include global phenomenon Bts, country music superstar Sam Hunt (“Body Like a Backroad”), and Alanis Morissette performing for the first time with the cast of the Broadway musical Jagged Little Pill.
More from TVLineWhoopi Goldberg and Meghan McCain Downplay Their Explosive View Fight: 'Calm Down, All of You' (Watch Video)Once Upon a Time Duo to Shepherd...
Other announced performers for TV’s premiere Nye telecast include global phenomenon Bts, country music superstar Sam Hunt (“Body Like a Backroad”), and Alanis Morissette performing for the first time with the cast of the Broadway musical Jagged Little Pill.
More from TVLineWhoopi Goldberg and Meghan McCain Downplay Their Explosive View Fight: 'Calm Down, All of You' (Watch Video)Once Upon a Time Duo to Shepherd...
- 12/17/2019
- TVLine.com
(Spoilers ahead for, you know, the ending of “The Man in the High Castle.” You have been warned.)
Amazon’s “The Man in the High Castle” was always kind of a weird show, with its heady sci-fi alternate universe stuff on top of its heady alternate history main plot. I’ve never quite been sure what the writers were trying to do with this pairing of concepts that it inherited from the Philip K. Dick novel, and the wild ending of the series did not offer a huge amount of clarity about that.
So as we arrive at that final scene, things are looking up in the, ah, Prime Earth of this story. The Japanese have abandoned North America, and the Black Communist Rebellion is setting up a new, presumably much better government. The east coast has autonomy from Germany, and is now being run by a guy who clearly wants the Nazis gone.
Amazon’s “The Man in the High Castle” was always kind of a weird show, with its heady sci-fi alternate universe stuff on top of its heady alternate history main plot. I’ve never quite been sure what the writers were trying to do with this pairing of concepts that it inherited from the Philip K. Dick novel, and the wild ending of the series did not offer a huge amount of clarity about that.
So as we arrive at that final scene, things are looking up in the, ah, Prime Earth of this story. The Japanese have abandoned North America, and the Black Communist Rebellion is setting up a new, presumably much better government. The east coast has autonomy from Germany, and is now being run by a guy who clearly wants the Nazis gone.
- 12/12/2019
- by Phil Owen
- The Wrap
Ciara has been named to host the West Coast party for the third year for Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2020.
The singer will be joined by Paula Abdul, Kelsea Ballerini, Blanco Brown, Dan + Shay, Green Day, Dua Lipa, Ava Max, Megan Thee Stallion, Anthony Ramos, Salt-n-Pepa and Shaed as performers at the event.
YouTube returns as the presenting sponsor and will produce special content featuring top YouTube trends and stories from 2019 during the live broadcast. Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2020 will broadcast live on Tuesday, December 31, 2019 beginning at 8:00 Pm Est on the ABC Television Network.
“Hosting ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest’ has become something I look forward to every year, and now my friend Lucy Hale and Billy Porter have joined the family, so the party just leveled up!” said Ciara. “I am...
The singer will be joined by Paula Abdul, Kelsea Ballerini, Blanco Brown, Dan + Shay, Green Day, Dua Lipa, Ava Max, Megan Thee Stallion, Anthony Ramos, Salt-n-Pepa and Shaed as performers at the event.
YouTube returns as the presenting sponsor and will produce special content featuring top YouTube trends and stories from 2019 during the live broadcast. Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2020 will broadcast live on Tuesday, December 31, 2019 beginning at 8:00 Pm Est on the ABC Television Network.
“Hosting ‘New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest’ has become something I look forward to every year, and now my friend Lucy Hale and Billy Porter have joined the family, so the party just leveled up!” said Ciara. “I am...
- 12/6/2019
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest 2020 has added a couple of names to their hosting roster. Lucy Hale will usher in 2020 in Times Square as Seacrest’s co-host while Billy Porter and Ciara will join in on the celebration in other parts of the country.
Emmy-winning Pose actor Porter will lead the party in the central time zone as host of the New Orleans countdown. This marks Porter’s debut as host of the annual special. Ciara will join the show for her third year and oversee the Los Angeles festivities.
Hale, who previously hosted the New Orleans celebration, will welcome 2020 with Seacrest who will return as the host for his 15th year. The countdown to midnight will be live from New York City on December 31 beginning at 8 pm Est on ABC.
“As we ring in a new decade and my 15th year hosting the show,...
Emmy-winning Pose actor Porter will lead the party in the central time zone as host of the New Orleans countdown. This marks Porter’s debut as host of the annual special. Ciara will join the show for her third year and oversee the Los Angeles festivities.
Hale, who previously hosted the New Orleans celebration, will welcome 2020 with Seacrest who will return as the host for his 15th year. The countdown to midnight will be live from New York City on December 31 beginning at 8 pm Est on ABC.
“As we ring in a new decade and my 15th year hosting the show,...
- 11/26/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Sneak Peek new footage, plus images from the "Titans" Season 2 episode "Rose', showcasing the character 'Rose Wilson' aka 'Ravager' (Chelsea T. Zhang), streaming exclusively September 13, 2019 on DC Universe:
...three months have passed since the team's encounter with 'Trigon' and 'Dick' is hard at work training 'Rachel', 'Gar' and 'Jason' in 'Titans Tower'. Meanwhile, the rest of the heroes have embarked on the next phase of their lives, with 'Hank' and 'Dawn' retreating to Wyoming. 'Donna' and 'Kory' track down a rogue 'metahuman'.
"However, everyone's search for a new normal is soon enough disrupted by old threats from the past...
"...and the emergence of mysterious young runaway, 'Rose Wilson', the daughter of 'Deathstroke'..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Titans: Rose"...
...three months have passed since the team's encounter with 'Trigon' and 'Dick' is hard at work training 'Rachel', 'Gar' and 'Jason' in 'Titans Tower'. Meanwhile, the rest of the heroes have embarked on the next phase of their lives, with 'Hank' and 'Dawn' retreating to Wyoming. 'Donna' and 'Kory' track down a rogue 'metahuman'.
"However, everyone's search for a new normal is soon enough disrupted by old threats from the past...
"...and the emergence of mysterious young runaway, 'Rose Wilson', the daughter of 'Deathstroke'..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Titans: Rose"...
- 9/12/2019
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
From TorontoCatwoman. Com, Sneak Peek new footage, plus images from the upcoming "Titans" episode "Together", directed by John Fawcett, streaming November 9, 2018 on "DC Universe" and Netflix internationally:
"...when the 'Nuclear Family' tracks them down...
"...'Dick', 'Kory', 'Rachel' and 'Gar' decide to stop running and work together...
"...and the team that will be known as 'The Titans' is formed..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Titans: Together"...
"...when the 'Nuclear Family' tracks them down...
"...'Dick', 'Kory', 'Rachel' and 'Gar' decide to stop running and work together...
"...and the team that will be known as 'The Titans' is formed..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Titans: Together"...
- 11/4/2018
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
From TorontoFilm.Net, Sneak Peek the "Doom Patrol" team of 'misfit' superheroes, in the fourth episode of "Titans" first season, written by executive producer Geoff Johns, featuring 'Elasti-Woman', 'Robotman' and 'Negative Man' sitting down to what is supposed to be a 'normal' dinner, streaming November 2, 2018 on "DC Universe":
"...now aware of Rachel’s power, 'Dick' and 'Kory' unite to find her. Escaped from the convent that sought to imprison her, 'Rachel 'puts her trust in 'Gar' who reveals his own transformative powers.
"Seeking refuge, Gar brings Rachel home to his 'family' – a group of misfit medical experiments we will come to know as 'The Doom Patrol'...
"...including 'Cliff Steele' aka 'Robotman', 'Larry Trainor' aka 'Negative Man' and 'Rita Farr' aka 'Elastiwoman' – in hopes of helping the girl.
"But what starts as a place of comfort for Rachel, soon turns dark under the scientific curiosity of The Doom Patrol’s leader 'Dr.
"...now aware of Rachel’s power, 'Dick' and 'Kory' unite to find her. Escaped from the convent that sought to imprison her, 'Rachel 'puts her trust in 'Gar' who reveals his own transformative powers.
"Seeking refuge, Gar brings Rachel home to his 'family' – a group of misfit medical experiments we will come to know as 'The Doom Patrol'...
"...including 'Cliff Steele' aka 'Robotman', 'Larry Trainor' aka 'Negative Man' and 'Rita Farr' aka 'Elastiwoman' – in hopes of helping the girl.
"But what starts as a place of comfort for Rachel, soon turns dark under the scientific curiosity of The Doom Patrol’s leader 'Dr.
- 11/1/2018
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
On the occasion of Ryan Reynolds’ 42nd birthday on October 23, Gold Derby takes a look back at the actor’s film career and chooses his greatest 15 film performances. Tour our photo gallery above to see how they are ranked from worst to best.
Born in Canada the actor started acting at a young age when he landed a role on a Canadian television teenage soap opera. He then proceeded to work in both Canadian and American television, ultimately finding minor fame on the moderately successful sitcom “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place.”
Reynolds managed to pull off the unthinkable in 2016 when he managed to get a Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy/Musical Actor for “Deadpool.” That is a bit of a rare achievement since superhero films and awards rarely go together.
While his career has had its ups and downs and he hasn’t always been able...
Born in Canada the actor started acting at a young age when he landed a role on a Canadian television teenage soap opera. He then proceeded to work in both Canadian and American television, ultimately finding minor fame on the moderately successful sitcom “Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place.”
Reynolds managed to pull off the unthinkable in 2016 when he managed to get a Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy/Musical Actor for “Deadpool.” That is a bit of a rare achievement since superhero films and awards rarely go together.
While his career has had its ups and downs and he hasn’t always been able...
- 10/23/2018
- by Robert Pius and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Writer-director Andrew Fleming is one of the best and most underrated makers of comedies today, and his new film “Ideal Home” is delightful in spite of a premise that sounds un-promising.
Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd play Erasmus and Paul, a gay couple who are saddled with Erasmus’s grandson after Erasmus’ ne’er-do-well son Beau is arrested. Trying to evade the police in the first scene, Beau gets stuck in a window, and Fleming lingers on a shot of his behind in tighty-whities in a way that somehow feels more kindly than lecherous; certainly there are worse ways to enliven a basically expository sequence.
Erasmus is a popular and snobby TV food show host based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Paul is his producer; they have been together for ten years and they bicker near-constantly. “Part of me wants to stick around just to watch him die,” Paul tells one of their crew,...
Steve Coogan and Paul Rudd play Erasmus and Paul, a gay couple who are saddled with Erasmus’s grandson after Erasmus’ ne’er-do-well son Beau is arrested. Trying to evade the police in the first scene, Beau gets stuck in a window, and Fleming lingers on a shot of his behind in tighty-whities in a way that somehow feels more kindly than lecherous; certainly there are worse ways to enliven a basically expository sequence.
Erasmus is a popular and snobby TV food show host based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Paul is his producer; they have been together for ten years and they bicker near-constantly. “Part of me wants to stick around just to watch him die,” Paul tells one of their crew,...
- 6/26/2018
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
First-time Academy Award nominee Dee Rees isn’t resting on her laurels. On Oscar Sunday, the “Mudbound” filmmaker will not only be readying for the announcement of four award categories in which her Netflix period drama is nominated, she’ll also be finishing up her latest project — a sci-fi short film entitled “The Box” that will premiere as a commercial during the show. The minute-long short will air during the Oscars telecast as part an ongoing partnership between Walmart and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The program launched last year, and while Walmart was lambasted for using its platform designed to bolster “Hollywood’s brightest creators” with shorts only directed by male directors (Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Antoine Fuqua, and Marc Forster), this year sees a trio of shorts only directed by women: Rees, Nancy Meyers, and Melissa McCarthy.
It also has a philanthropic bent, as...
The program launched last year, and while Walmart was lambasted for using its platform designed to bolster “Hollywood’s brightest creators” with shorts only directed by male directors (Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Antoine Fuqua, and Marc Forster), this year sees a trio of shorts only directed by women: Rees, Nancy Meyers, and Melissa McCarthy.
It also has a philanthropic bent, as...
- 2/27/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Saturday Night Live alums and the apocalypse — two great tastes that go great together.
Fred Armisen is the latest SNL vet headed to Last Man on Earth for an arc, TVLine has learned exclusively. He’ll appear in a handful of Season 4 episodes as Karl, a survivor with an interesting past. (Our totally spitball guess: He’s Carol’s brother.)
Related2018 Renewal Scorecard: What’s Coming Back? What’s Getting Cancelled? What’s on the Bubble?
The gig reunites Armisen with fellow Studio 8H vet Will Forte, aka Last Man‘s creator and titular leading man.
The Portlandia star is...
Fred Armisen is the latest SNL vet headed to Last Man on Earth for an arc, TVLine has learned exclusively. He’ll appear in a handful of Season 4 episodes as Karl, a survivor with an interesting past. (Our totally spitball guess: He’s Carol’s brother.)
Related2018 Renewal Scorecard: What’s Coming Back? What’s Getting Cancelled? What’s on the Bubble?
The gig reunites Armisen with fellow Studio 8H vet Will Forte, aka Last Man‘s creator and titular leading man.
The Portlandia star is...
- 10/27/2017
- TVLine.com
Ryan Lambie Oct 25, 2017
A new 350-page book will celebrate classic sci-fi art from more than a century of books and magazines. But it needs your help...
Such writers as Hg Wells, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein defined the way we thought about technology and the future, but in many cases, it was the work of an army of cover artists who got us to pick up their books in the first place.
See related Preacher season 2 episode 13 review: The End Of The Road Preacher season 2: Dominic Cooper interview 50 upcoming comic book TV shows, and when to expect them
Whether their work graced the front of a first edition dust jacket or a pulp magazine, these illustrators - often working in relative obscurity - gave colour and shape to the author's future visions. Not all readers will be familiar with Chris Foss, say, but they'll more than likely recognise the exotic,...
A new 350-page book will celebrate classic sci-fi art from more than a century of books and magazines. But it needs your help...
Such writers as Hg Wells, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein defined the way we thought about technology and the future, but in many cases, it was the work of an army of cover artists who got us to pick up their books in the first place.
See related Preacher season 2 episode 13 review: The End Of The Road Preacher season 2: Dominic Cooper interview 50 upcoming comic book TV shows, and when to expect them
Whether their work graced the front of a first edition dust jacket or a pulp magazine, these illustrators - often working in relative obscurity - gave colour and shape to the author's future visions. Not all readers will be familiar with Chris Foss, say, but they'll more than likely recognise the exotic,...
- 10/25/2017
- Den of Geek
Coming to America 2: The sequel to the hit 1988 comedy Coming to America is moving forward with original star Eddie Murphy expected to reprise his role as Prince Akeem of Zamunda. The first movie's screenwriters, Barry Blaustein and David Sheffield, wrote a new script, but that will now be rewritten by Black-ish creator Kenya Barris. Snatched director Jonathan Levine has been tapped by Paramount to helm the follow-up. [THR] Venom: First we saw Kirsten Dunst play Spider-Man's girlfriend, now we could see her Dick co-star Michelle Williams as the love interest of Spidey's greatest nemesis. The Oscar-nominated actress is in talks to star in Sony's Spidey-less Venom opposite Tom Hardy, who has the...
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- 9/28/2017
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
Rob Leane Sep 15, 2017
Game Of Thrones' Richard Madden chats to us about C4’s new sci-fi series, Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams, starting this Sunday...
Richard Madden (Game Of Thrones, Cinderella, Bastille Day) is starring in one episode of Amazon and Channel 4’s sci-fi anthology series Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams.
See related Twin Peaks season 3: Kyle MacLachlan chats about the finale Looking back at Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
He’ll play Agent Ross in The Hood Maker, an adaptation of Dick’s short story of the same name, which is set in a dark future where the government uses telepathic individuals (known as ‘Teeps’) to monitor the minds of the masses. Madden’s Ross is on the side of the government.
We joined Madden and a group of other journalists for a roundtable interview in London, long after his filming was finished,...
Game Of Thrones' Richard Madden chats to us about C4’s new sci-fi series, Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams, starting this Sunday...
Richard Madden (Game Of Thrones, Cinderella, Bastille Day) is starring in one episode of Amazon and Channel 4’s sci-fi anthology series Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams.
See related Twin Peaks season 3: Kyle MacLachlan chats about the finale Looking back at Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me
He’ll play Agent Ross in The Hood Maker, an adaptation of Dick’s short story of the same name, which is set in a dark future where the government uses telepathic individuals (known as ‘Teeps’) to monitor the minds of the masses. Madden’s Ross is on the side of the government.
We joined Madden and a group of other journalists for a roundtable interview in London, long after his filming was finished,...
- 9/9/2017
- Den of Geek
With Together Again, Jesse Hassenger looks at actors and directors who have worked together on at least three films, analyzing the nature of their collaborations.
For a long time, it seemed as if Kirsten Dunst might be hell-bent on becoming America’s sweetheart at any applicable age. In her younger days, she appeared as the girl hero of two different movies, Jumanji and Small Soldiers, that were essentially about toys coming to life and wreaking adorable havoc on picturesque towns. She has also played bubbly teenagers (Bring It On, Dick, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Get Over It), the beloved crush of Spider-Man, and the original Manic Pixie Dream Girl, among others, usually falling somewhere on a spectrum between cheerleader type and girl next door.
Yet there has long been a river of melancholy rushing below Dunst’s shiny, oft-blond exterior—an unarticulated sadness that creeps in past her warm, sometimes heavy-lidded...
For a long time, it seemed as if Kirsten Dunst might be hell-bent on becoming America’s sweetheart at any applicable age. In her younger days, she appeared as the girl hero of two different movies, Jumanji and Small Soldiers, that were essentially about toys coming to life and wreaking adorable havoc on picturesque towns. She has also played bubbly teenagers (Bring It On, Dick, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Get Over It), the beloved crush of Spider-Man, and the original Manic Pixie Dream Girl, among others, usually falling somewhere on a spectrum between cheerleader type and girl next door.
Yet there has long been a river of melancholy rushing below Dunst’s shiny, oft-blond exterior—an unarticulated sadness that creeps in past her warm, sometimes heavy-lidded...
- 8/22/2017
- by Jesse Hassenger
- avclub.com
2017 marks Big Brothers Big Sisters' 90th Anniversary of serving the children of Dallas.
This landmark occasion will be celebrated and commemorated at the organization’s Big Black Tie Ball on October 6, 2017 at the Hilton Anatole Dallas located at 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas. The evening will pay tribute to Big Brothers Big Sisters’ past and look to a future of creating new and inspiring mentoring relationships for the at-risk children who need it most in the Dallas area. The funds raised will directly support the 1,973 children the organization will impact through mentoring in 2017.
Find tickets here.
Over 600 guests will take part in the festivities and enjoy a gourmet dinner, luxury live and silent auction, and an exclusive performance by Broadway powerhouse, Matthew Morrison. Morrison has been nominated for Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe Awards, and is most widely recognized for his starring role as “Mr. Schuester” on Fox’s musical comedy series,...
This landmark occasion will be celebrated and commemorated at the organization’s Big Black Tie Ball on October 6, 2017 at the Hilton Anatole Dallas located at 2201 N. Stemmons Freeway, Dallas. The evening will pay tribute to Big Brothers Big Sisters’ past and look to a future of creating new and inspiring mentoring relationships for the at-risk children who need it most in the Dallas area. The funds raised will directly support the 1,973 children the organization will impact through mentoring in 2017.
Find tickets here.
Over 600 guests will take part in the festivities and enjoy a gourmet dinner, luxury live and silent auction, and an exclusive performance by Broadway powerhouse, Matthew Morrison. Morrison has been nominated for Tony, Emmy and Golden Globe Awards, and is most widely recognized for his starring role as “Mr. Schuester” on Fox’s musical comedy series,...
- 8/4/2017
- Look to the Stars
Dozens of movies are hitting Netflix during the dog days of summer (click here for a complete list), but the sheer variety of new titles can be daunting. Movies are long, time is short, and indecision is brutal, so — in the hopes of helping you out — here are the seven best films that are coming to Netflix in August.
7. “Practical Magic” (1998)
Okay, so “Practical Magic” isn’t a “good movie” in the traditional sense…or in any other sense, for that matter. But it’s a perfect Netflix movie, which is another beast entirely. An incredible time capsule — and bottomless gif resource — from an ancient epoch that historians refer to as “1998,” this essential relic tells the story of sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) Owens, twin witches who are effectively cursed to remain single forever.
Did I mention that it was directed by Griffin Dunne? Did I mention that it was nominated for a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for including a Faith Hill song on the soundtrack? Did I mention that it features a scene in which Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing use their secret powers to blend alcoholic drinks in order to lubricate a singalong set to Harry Nilsson’s “Put the Lime in the Coconut”? “Practical Magic” was kind of a blip when it first opened, but it would shake our culture to its skeleton if it came out today. A remake feels inevitable, but in the meantime, the original makes for perfect streaming on a lazy August afternoon. Better yet, add it to your queue and swing back once Halloween rolls around.
Begins streaming August 1st.
6. “The Bomb” (2016)
“the bomb” was one of the most exciting, unclassifiable experiences on the festival circuit last year, but the sheer magnitude of the project made it unclear where it might live once it had finished traveling the world, or if it would be possible for the public to see it. Fortunately, the answers to those questions turned out to be “everywhere” and “very.” Here’s IndieWire’s Steve Greene on the 59-minute film into which this enormous piece of experimental art has been newly reshaped:
Read More‘the bomb’ Review: New Doc on Netflix Is a Surreal Music Video About the End of the World
Directed by Kevin Ford, Smriti Keshari, and Eric Schlosser, this experimental, sensory history of the nuclear bomb is a staggering look at the world’s most destructive weapon and the lessons of almost eight decades that some still choose to ignore. Threading together modern-day news footage, Cold War era safety videos and grainy archival peeks into the construction process, “the bomb” looks at nuclear weapons in their myriad historic forms. Foregoing the usual talking head interviews or explanatory narration, the one piece of connective tissue throughout the film, besides the subject itself, is the film’s score, from Los Angeles electronic minimalist outfit The Acid. Throughout a harrowing parade of images and fleeting moments of whimsy, the droning, pulsating music underneath brings an alternating sense of dread and power.
Begins streaming August 1st.
5. “Cloud Atlas” (2012)
It’s easy to make fun of “Cloud Atlas,” and not just because one of the six characters that Tom Hanks plays is pretty much a live-action Jar Jar Binks. Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis’ cosmically ambitious sci-fi epic is — in its own delirious way — one of the most earnest movies ever made. Adapted from David Mitchell’s novel of the same name, and now something of an obvious precursor to the Wachowskis’ Netflix series “Sense 8,” this symphonic story of spiritual connection spans from 1849 to 2321 in a go-for-broke attempt to crystallize the effects that one life can have on countless others.
Controversially casting individual actors in multiple roles (with many of the film’s most famous stars disguising themselves as different races and genders), “Cloud Atlas” fearlessly envisions our world as a place where bodies are temporary, but love is eternal. It’s a lot to swallow, but our collective cynicism only makes the movie more valuable, and more important to have on hand.
Begins streaming August 1st.
4. “Donald Cried” (2016)
Kris Avedisian flew under the radar when “Donald Cried” made the rounds last year — his self-directed turn as the most deeply committed man-child since “Clifford” may have been just a bit too raw and cringe-inducing for any major traction — but it’s only a matter of time before people discover one of the most fearless performances in recent memory. Here’s IndieWire’s Eric Kohn on a future dark comedy classic:
The obnoxious man-child is a common trope in American comedies, but few recent examples can match the hilariously unsettling presence of Donald Treebeck, the obnoxious central figure played by writer-director Kris Avedisian in his effective black comedy “Donald Cried.” While the story technically unfolds from the perspective of his old teen pal Peter (Jesse Wakeman), who returns to their Rhode Island suburbs from his Wall Street career after his grandmother dies, Donald welcomes his reluctant friend back to their world and won’t leave him alone. Avedisian gives Danny McBride a run for his money in this pitch-perfect embodiment of a wannabe charmer all too eager to remain the center of attention. Hardly reinventing the wheel, “Donald Cried” nevertheless spins it faster than usual, taking cues from its memorably irritating protagonist. Beneath its entertainment value, the movie also hints at the tragedy of aimless adulthood.
Begins streaming August 15th.
3. “The Matrix” (1999)
At this point, “The Matrix” has effectively become immune to any sort of qualitative criticism; there’s no use arguing that it’s “good” or “bad” or somewhere in between, it simply is. Less a movie than a cornerstone of contemporary pop culture (for better or worse), the Wachowskis’ absurdly influential orgy of mind-blowing action and high school philosophy arrived at the tail end of the 20th century in order to help define the 21st. Its aesthetic impact on the current breed of blockbusters is self-evident, but its more profound contributions have been largely off-screen, as the film brought futurism to the masses in a way that’s only possible to trace through its most unfortunate side effects (e.g. the diseased misogyny of “red pill” thinking).
Of course, “No can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.” Now that it’s on Netflix, it couldn’t be easier to do just that.
Begins streaming August 1st.
2. “Jackie Brown” (1997)
Every hardcore Tarantino fan’s favorite Tarantino film, “Jackie Brown” is more than just an homage to blaxploitation or the best Elmore Leonard adaptation ever made (sorry, “Out of Sight”), it’s also something of a tribute to all of the crime writer’s work and the scuzzy but soulful ethos that bound it together. To this day, “Jackie Brown” remains a major outlier for Qt. For one thing, it’s based on pre-existing material. For another, it’s got a bonafide sex scene. Last but not least, it’s about recognizably human characters who have genuine depth, who have real lives that feel as though they continue beyond the confines of a movie screen (no disrespect to the cartoonish avatars who populate Tarantino’s later, more solipsistic work — they serve their purpose to perfection).
Pam Grier is spectacular in the title role of a flight attendant with a drug smuggling side hustle. Robert Forster is heartbreaking as lovelorn bondsman Max Cherry. Hell, even Robert De Niro is phenomenal, the iconic actor beautifully playing against his legend by inhabiting the film’s most pathetic and disposable character. For anyone put off by the blockbuster scale of Tarantino’s recent work, “Jackie Brown” is a rock-solid reminder of his genius for elevating fevered pastiche into singular pathos. And the soundtrack owns.
Begins streaming August 1st.
1. “All These Sleepless Nights” (2016)
It would be reductive and unfair to say that Michal Marczak’s “All These Sleepless Nights” is the film that Terrence Malick has been trying to make for the last 10 years, but it certainly feels that way while you’re watching it. A mesmeric, free-floating odyssey that wends its way through a hazy year in the molten lives of two Polish twentysomethings, this unclassifiable wonder obscures the divide between fiction and documentary until the distinction is ultimately irrelevant.
Read MoreReview: ‘All These Sleepless Nights’ Is the Movie That Terrence Malick Has Been Trying to Make
Unfolding like a plotless reality show that was shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, this lucid dream of a movie paints an unmoored portrait of a city in the throes of an orgastic reawakening. From the opening images of fireworks exploding over downtown Warsaw, to the stunning final glimpse of Marczak’s main subject — Krzysztof Baginski (playing himself, as everyone does), who looks and moves like a young Baryshnikov — twirling between an endless row of stopped cars during the middle of a massive traffic jam, the film is high on the spirit of liberation. More than just a hypnotically hyper-real distillation of what it means to be young, “All These Sleepless Nights” is a haunted vision of what it means to have been young.
Begins streaming August 15th.
Sign Up Stay on top of the latest film and TV news! Sign up for our film and TV email newsletter here.
Related stories'American Vandal' Trailer: Netflix's Dick Joke Docuseries is Either Their Best Idea Ever or Their Worst'Narcos' Trailer: Season 3 Swaps Out One Drug Kingpin for Four More'First They Killed My Father' Trailer: Angelina Jolie Remembers the Horrors of the Cambodian Genocide...
7. “Practical Magic” (1998)
Okay, so “Practical Magic” isn’t a “good movie” in the traditional sense…or in any other sense, for that matter. But it’s a perfect Netflix movie, which is another beast entirely. An incredible time capsule — and bottomless gif resource — from an ancient epoch that historians refer to as “1998,” this essential relic tells the story of sisters Sally (Sandra Bullock) and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) Owens, twin witches who are effectively cursed to remain single forever.
Did I mention that it was directed by Griffin Dunne? Did I mention that it was nominated for a Blockbuster Entertainment Award for including a Faith Hill song on the soundtrack? Did I mention that it features a scene in which Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing use their secret powers to blend alcoholic drinks in order to lubricate a singalong set to Harry Nilsson’s “Put the Lime in the Coconut”? “Practical Magic” was kind of a blip when it first opened, but it would shake our culture to its skeleton if it came out today. A remake feels inevitable, but in the meantime, the original makes for perfect streaming on a lazy August afternoon. Better yet, add it to your queue and swing back once Halloween rolls around.
Begins streaming August 1st.
6. “The Bomb” (2016)
“the bomb” was one of the most exciting, unclassifiable experiences on the festival circuit last year, but the sheer magnitude of the project made it unclear where it might live once it had finished traveling the world, or if it would be possible for the public to see it. Fortunately, the answers to those questions turned out to be “everywhere” and “very.” Here’s IndieWire’s Steve Greene on the 59-minute film into which this enormous piece of experimental art has been newly reshaped:
Read More‘the bomb’ Review: New Doc on Netflix Is a Surreal Music Video About the End of the World
Directed by Kevin Ford, Smriti Keshari, and Eric Schlosser, this experimental, sensory history of the nuclear bomb is a staggering look at the world’s most destructive weapon and the lessons of almost eight decades that some still choose to ignore. Threading together modern-day news footage, Cold War era safety videos and grainy archival peeks into the construction process, “the bomb” looks at nuclear weapons in their myriad historic forms. Foregoing the usual talking head interviews or explanatory narration, the one piece of connective tissue throughout the film, besides the subject itself, is the film’s score, from Los Angeles electronic minimalist outfit The Acid. Throughout a harrowing parade of images and fleeting moments of whimsy, the droning, pulsating music underneath brings an alternating sense of dread and power.
Begins streaming August 1st.
5. “Cloud Atlas” (2012)
It’s easy to make fun of “Cloud Atlas,” and not just because one of the six characters that Tom Hanks plays is pretty much a live-action Jar Jar Binks. Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis’ cosmically ambitious sci-fi epic is — in its own delirious way — one of the most earnest movies ever made. Adapted from David Mitchell’s novel of the same name, and now something of an obvious precursor to the Wachowskis’ Netflix series “Sense 8,” this symphonic story of spiritual connection spans from 1849 to 2321 in a go-for-broke attempt to crystallize the effects that one life can have on countless others.
Controversially casting individual actors in multiple roles (with many of the film’s most famous stars disguising themselves as different races and genders), “Cloud Atlas” fearlessly envisions our world as a place where bodies are temporary, but love is eternal. It’s a lot to swallow, but our collective cynicism only makes the movie more valuable, and more important to have on hand.
Begins streaming August 1st.
4. “Donald Cried” (2016)
Kris Avedisian flew under the radar when “Donald Cried” made the rounds last year — his self-directed turn as the most deeply committed man-child since “Clifford” may have been just a bit too raw and cringe-inducing for any major traction — but it’s only a matter of time before people discover one of the most fearless performances in recent memory. Here’s IndieWire’s Eric Kohn on a future dark comedy classic:
The obnoxious man-child is a common trope in American comedies, but few recent examples can match the hilariously unsettling presence of Donald Treebeck, the obnoxious central figure played by writer-director Kris Avedisian in his effective black comedy “Donald Cried.” While the story technically unfolds from the perspective of his old teen pal Peter (Jesse Wakeman), who returns to their Rhode Island suburbs from his Wall Street career after his grandmother dies, Donald welcomes his reluctant friend back to their world and won’t leave him alone. Avedisian gives Danny McBride a run for his money in this pitch-perfect embodiment of a wannabe charmer all too eager to remain the center of attention. Hardly reinventing the wheel, “Donald Cried” nevertheless spins it faster than usual, taking cues from its memorably irritating protagonist. Beneath its entertainment value, the movie also hints at the tragedy of aimless adulthood.
Begins streaming August 15th.
3. “The Matrix” (1999)
At this point, “The Matrix” has effectively become immune to any sort of qualitative criticism; there’s no use arguing that it’s “good” or “bad” or somewhere in between, it simply is. Less a movie than a cornerstone of contemporary pop culture (for better or worse), the Wachowskis’ absurdly influential orgy of mind-blowing action and high school philosophy arrived at the tail end of the 20th century in order to help define the 21st. Its aesthetic impact on the current breed of blockbusters is self-evident, but its more profound contributions have been largely off-screen, as the film brought futurism to the masses in a way that’s only possible to trace through its most unfortunate side effects (e.g. the diseased misogyny of “red pill” thinking).
Of course, “No can be told what the Matrix is. You have to see it for yourself.” Now that it’s on Netflix, it couldn’t be easier to do just that.
Begins streaming August 1st.
2. “Jackie Brown” (1997)
Every hardcore Tarantino fan’s favorite Tarantino film, “Jackie Brown” is more than just an homage to blaxploitation or the best Elmore Leonard adaptation ever made (sorry, “Out of Sight”), it’s also something of a tribute to all of the crime writer’s work and the scuzzy but soulful ethos that bound it together. To this day, “Jackie Brown” remains a major outlier for Qt. For one thing, it’s based on pre-existing material. For another, it’s got a bonafide sex scene. Last but not least, it’s about recognizably human characters who have genuine depth, who have real lives that feel as though they continue beyond the confines of a movie screen (no disrespect to the cartoonish avatars who populate Tarantino’s later, more solipsistic work — they serve their purpose to perfection).
Pam Grier is spectacular in the title role of a flight attendant with a drug smuggling side hustle. Robert Forster is heartbreaking as lovelorn bondsman Max Cherry. Hell, even Robert De Niro is phenomenal, the iconic actor beautifully playing against his legend by inhabiting the film’s most pathetic and disposable character. For anyone put off by the blockbuster scale of Tarantino’s recent work, “Jackie Brown” is a rock-solid reminder of his genius for elevating fevered pastiche into singular pathos. And the soundtrack owns.
Begins streaming August 1st.
1. “All These Sleepless Nights” (2016)
It would be reductive and unfair to say that Michal Marczak’s “All These Sleepless Nights” is the film that Terrence Malick has been trying to make for the last 10 years, but it certainly feels that way while you’re watching it. A mesmeric, free-floating odyssey that wends its way through a hazy year in the molten lives of two Polish twentysomethings, this unclassifiable wonder obscures the divide between fiction and documentary until the distinction is ultimately irrelevant.
Read MoreReview: ‘All These Sleepless Nights’ Is the Movie That Terrence Malick Has Been Trying to Make
Unfolding like a plotless reality show that was shot by Emmanuel Lubezki, this lucid dream of a movie paints an unmoored portrait of a city in the throes of an orgastic reawakening. From the opening images of fireworks exploding over downtown Warsaw, to the stunning final glimpse of Marczak’s main subject — Krzysztof Baginski (playing himself, as everyone does), who looks and moves like a young Baryshnikov — twirling between an endless row of stopped cars during the middle of a massive traffic jam, the film is high on the spirit of liberation. More than just a hypnotically hyper-real distillation of what it means to be young, “All These Sleepless Nights” is a haunted vision of what it means to have been young.
Begins streaming August 15th.
Sign Up Stay on top of the latest film and TV news! Sign up for our film and TV email newsletter here.
Related stories'American Vandal' Trailer: Netflix's Dick Joke Docuseries is Either Their Best Idea Ever or Their Worst'Narcos' Trailer: Season 3 Swaps Out One Drug Kingpin for Four More'First They Killed My Father' Trailer: Angelina Jolie Remembers the Horrors of the Cambodian Genocide...
- 8/3/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Welcome to Career Watch, a vocational checkup of top actors and directors, and those who hope to get there. In this edition we take on Kirsten Dunst, who steals the show from Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell in Cannes director-winner Sofia Coppola’s Civil War potboiler “The Beguiled” (June 23, Focus Features). It’s her fourth collaboration with Coppola.
Bottom Line: Dunst steered toward playing strong women from an early age, with films that include political comedy “Dick” with Michelle Williams, John Stockwell’s “Crazy/Beautiful” with Jay Hernandez, and Peyton Reed and Jessica Bendinger’s cheerleader sleeper “Bring It On,” shot the year she graduated from Los Angeles’ Catholic high school Notre Dame. She has never settled for The Girlfriend or romantic lead, although she made a memorable Mary Jane Watson in the “Spider-Man” franchise. “Looking back, I’m proud of the choices that I’ve made,” she said. “A...
Bottom Line: Dunst steered toward playing strong women from an early age, with films that include political comedy “Dick” with Michelle Williams, John Stockwell’s “Crazy/Beautiful” with Jay Hernandez, and Peyton Reed and Jessica Bendinger’s cheerleader sleeper “Bring It On,” shot the year she graduated from Los Angeles’ Catholic high school Notre Dame. She has never settled for The Girlfriend or romantic lead, although she made a memorable Mary Jane Watson in the “Spider-Man” franchise. “Looking back, I’m proud of the choices that I’ve made,” she said. “A...
- 6/22/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Welcome to Career Watch, a vocational checkup of top actors and directors, and those who hope to get there. In this edition we take on Kirsten Dunst, who steals the show from Nicole Kidman and Colin Farrell in Cannes director-winner Sofia Coppola’s Civil War potboiler “The Beguiled” (June 23, Focus Features). It’s her fourth collaboration with Coppola.
Bottom Line: Dunst steered toward playing strong women from an early age, with films that include political comedy “Dick” with Michelle Williams, John Stockwell’s “Crazy/Beautiful” with Jay Hernandez, and Peyton Reed and Jessica Bendinger’s cheerleader sleeper “Bring It On,” shot the year she graduated from Los Angeles’ Catholic high school Notre Dame. She has never settled for The Girlfriend or romantic lead, although she made a memorable Mary Jane Watson in the “Spider-Man” franchise. “Looking back, I’m proud of the choices that I’ve made,” she said. “A long career is up to you. It’s your barometer of taste and the choices you make as an actress inform how other people look at you and if they want you in their movies. So you have to be wise.”
Career Peaks: A model from the age of three, the child actress shot out of a cannon when she won a worldwide search for 11-year-old Claudia, starring opposite Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in “Interview with the Vampire,” Neil Jordan’s fabulously kinky 1994 take on the Anne Rice classic. Dunst has long leaned into women’s subjects and directors, from Gillian Armstrong and Robin Swicord’s “Little Women” and Leslye Hedland’s raucous “Bachelorette,” to Coppola’s Cannes breakout “The Virgin Suicides,” shot when she was 16.
That film marked her segue to more adult roles. “I was sexualized,” Dunst told me, “but through her lens, which was such a wonderful way to be transitioned. There was nothing grotesque, even though I was doing things in that film that I was uncomfortable doing. I’d stress out about ‘Oh, I have to make out with that boy on the roof,’ but Sofia would just have me nuzzle into the side of their face. Even though I was blossoming, it was not something I was comfortable with yet. She really opened that door for me.”
Dunst went on to star for Coppola as a coquettish queen in the title role “Marie Antoinette,” and cameoed in “The Bling Ring.”
Assets: Beyond sexual allure, Dunst brings depth and mystery. She can play the girl next door (“Spider-Man”), a drunk bride peeing on the lawn in the moonlight in her wedding dress (“Melancholia”), an imperious 18th-century queen (“Marie Antoinette”), or a racist Nasa administrator (“Hidden Figures”). She has a steely edge, as well as a wicked sense of humor. Her career pivot came before 2010 Ryan Gosling two-hander “All Good Things,” when she started to meet with acting coach/therapist Greta Seacat (who also works with Coppola).
While Dunst always picks projects based on directors, she credits Seacat with a total game change “in terms of acting and how I approach things,” said Dunst. “And now it’s all about me. It’s cathartic for me. It’s my thing, it’s my experience, it’s nothing about pleasing anyone else but myself. And it all comes from me, so I have so much more control than anybody else; it’s all about my own inner life. By the time I get to set, I’m so prepared no one needs to direct me. No one needs to tell me anything. I feel so powerful with what I have to bring, that making movies is for myself now and it’s like getting rid of poisons. Like if you went to a therapist all the time, but I get to do it by acting out anything I want to, so that’s a powerful tool.”
She draws the line at too much nudity, and turned down a sexy role in another Lars von Trier movie. “I would work with him again,” she said. “It just depends on the part because he loves exposing… like Charlotte Gainsbourg, she has a less curvaceous body, so it’s less assaulting to see than if someone with larger breasts and more womanly-shaped did some of the things she did in movies.”
Biggest Problem: As she has come into a strong sense of her own identity, Dunst is making career choices for herself, not her fans. She’s not looking to please anyone else or playing the movie-star game, as evidenced by her maverick choices, from “Melancholia” to “Fargo.” “Only Lars and Pedro Almodovar write these incredible, messy roles for women,” she has said.
Awards Attention: She won Best Actress at Cannes for her hilariously depressed bride in Lars von Trier’s comedic end-of-the-world tragedy, “Melancholia,” after being quick enough on her feet to survive a disastrous Cannes press conference when her director went off the rails. While she earned plaudits and a Golden Globe nomination for Season Two of “Fargo” as the deeply flawed murderess Peggy Blumquist, she’s never earned an Oscar nomination. “The Beguiled” could be her first — she’s earning raves across the board.
Next page: Dunst scribes her character in “The Beguiled”: “Edwina would be me at my worst, working on a film that I don’t want to be on.”
Related storiesHow Controversies Can Hurt Movies Before They're Released -- IndieWire's Movie Podcast (Screen Talk Episode 154)'The Beguiled' Exclusive: Here's What It's Like to Work On A Sofia Coppola Set -- WatchSofia Coppola Explains Why She Left Her Ambitious Take on 'The Little Mermaid'...
Bottom Line: Dunst steered toward playing strong women from an early age, with films that include political comedy “Dick” with Michelle Williams, John Stockwell’s “Crazy/Beautiful” with Jay Hernandez, and Peyton Reed and Jessica Bendinger’s cheerleader sleeper “Bring It On,” shot the year she graduated from Los Angeles’ Catholic high school Notre Dame. She has never settled for The Girlfriend or romantic lead, although she made a memorable Mary Jane Watson in the “Spider-Man” franchise. “Looking back, I’m proud of the choices that I’ve made,” she said. “A long career is up to you. It’s your barometer of taste and the choices you make as an actress inform how other people look at you and if they want you in their movies. So you have to be wise.”
Career Peaks: A model from the age of three, the child actress shot out of a cannon when she won a worldwide search for 11-year-old Claudia, starring opposite Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in “Interview with the Vampire,” Neil Jordan’s fabulously kinky 1994 take on the Anne Rice classic. Dunst has long leaned into women’s subjects and directors, from Gillian Armstrong and Robin Swicord’s “Little Women” and Leslye Hedland’s raucous “Bachelorette,” to Coppola’s Cannes breakout “The Virgin Suicides,” shot when she was 16.
That film marked her segue to more adult roles. “I was sexualized,” Dunst told me, “but through her lens, which was such a wonderful way to be transitioned. There was nothing grotesque, even though I was doing things in that film that I was uncomfortable doing. I’d stress out about ‘Oh, I have to make out with that boy on the roof,’ but Sofia would just have me nuzzle into the side of their face. Even though I was blossoming, it was not something I was comfortable with yet. She really opened that door for me.”
Dunst went on to star for Coppola as a coquettish queen in the title role “Marie Antoinette,” and cameoed in “The Bling Ring.”
Assets: Beyond sexual allure, Dunst brings depth and mystery. She can play the girl next door (“Spider-Man”), a drunk bride peeing on the lawn in the moonlight in her wedding dress (“Melancholia”), an imperious 18th-century queen (“Marie Antoinette”), or a racist Nasa administrator (“Hidden Figures”). She has a steely edge, as well as a wicked sense of humor. Her career pivot came before 2010 Ryan Gosling two-hander “All Good Things,” when she started to meet with acting coach/therapist Greta Seacat (who also works with Coppola).
While Dunst always picks projects based on directors, she credits Seacat with a total game change “in terms of acting and how I approach things,” said Dunst. “And now it’s all about me. It’s cathartic for me. It’s my thing, it’s my experience, it’s nothing about pleasing anyone else but myself. And it all comes from me, so I have so much more control than anybody else; it’s all about my own inner life. By the time I get to set, I’m so prepared no one needs to direct me. No one needs to tell me anything. I feel so powerful with what I have to bring, that making movies is for myself now and it’s like getting rid of poisons. Like if you went to a therapist all the time, but I get to do it by acting out anything I want to, so that’s a powerful tool.”
She draws the line at too much nudity, and turned down a sexy role in another Lars von Trier movie. “I would work with him again,” she said. “It just depends on the part because he loves exposing… like Charlotte Gainsbourg, she has a less curvaceous body, so it’s less assaulting to see than if someone with larger breasts and more womanly-shaped did some of the things she did in movies.”
Biggest Problem: As she has come into a strong sense of her own identity, Dunst is making career choices for herself, not her fans. She’s not looking to please anyone else or playing the movie-star game, as evidenced by her maverick choices, from “Melancholia” to “Fargo.” “Only Lars and Pedro Almodovar write these incredible, messy roles for women,” she has said.
Awards Attention: She won Best Actress at Cannes for her hilariously depressed bride in Lars von Trier’s comedic end-of-the-world tragedy, “Melancholia,” after being quick enough on her feet to survive a disastrous Cannes press conference when her director went off the rails. While she earned plaudits and a Golden Globe nomination for Season Two of “Fargo” as the deeply flawed murderess Peggy Blumquist, she’s never earned an Oscar nomination. “The Beguiled” could be her first — she’s earning raves across the board.
Next page: Dunst scribes her character in “The Beguiled”: “Edwina would be me at my worst, working on a film that I don’t want to be on.”
Related storiesHow Controversies Can Hurt Movies Before They're Released -- IndieWire's Movie Podcast (Screen Talk Episode 154)'The Beguiled' Exclusive: Here's What It's Like to Work On A Sofia Coppola Set -- WatchSofia Coppola Explains Why She Left Her Ambitious Take on 'The Little Mermaid'...
- 6/22/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Sometimes the heart wants what it wants – even when the brain knows the heart is a lust-drunk idiot. Jil Soloway's brilliant new Amazon series I Love Dick is a darkly comic parable about the crossroads of art and sex, based on Chris Krauss' beloved 1997 cerebral cult novel. Kathryn Hahn is Chris, a struggling indie filmmaker who finds herself at an artists' retreat in Marfa, Texas, where she falls under the spell of local artist Dick, played by Kevin Bacon. Chris was just planning on passing through town to drop off...
- 5/18/2017
- Rollingstone.com
It's a battleground month, people, as streaming platforms bust out the big guns to keep viewers glued to their sofas while temperatures climb back into clemency. Three of Netflix's more notable original programs trot out new seasons; Amazon brings one of 2016's finest films to couch potatoes, as well as what may be the most radical show of 2017; and Hulu unveils a pair of documentaries shedding some well-deserved light on obscure corners of pop culture. And hey, Acorn's getting in the mix as well, importing a BBC gem for stateside viewing pleasure.
- 5/1/2017
- Rollingstone.com
It was the jump that did it.
You know the one. It happens roughly a third of the way in to Fast & Furious 6. We're already deep into a chase scene, one involving a mustache-twirling British bad guy, Michelle Rodriguez's back-from-the-dead female badass Letty (she was never really dead, just had amnesia, but never mind that), Vin Diesel's Dom Toretto, his crew, a load of cars and, of course, a tank. As this high-pursuit cat-and-mouse game whizzes down the road, Dom and the tank find themselves on parallel...
You know the one. It happens roughly a third of the way in to Fast & Furious 6. We're already deep into a chase scene, one involving a mustache-twirling British bad guy, Michelle Rodriguez's back-from-the-dead female badass Letty (she was never really dead, just had amnesia, but never mind that), Vin Diesel's Dom Toretto, his crew, a load of cars and, of course, a tank. As this high-pursuit cat-and-mouse game whizzes down the road, Dom and the tank find themselves on parallel...
- 4/21/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Gem Wheeler Jan 12, 2017
Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone are comedy trio The Lonely Island. Here are just some of their finest songs and sketches...
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping was – yep, it’s time to call it - the funniest film of 2016. For those who blinked a little too long and didn’t catch it on its brief appearance in UK cinemas, the DVD release is your chance to find out what you’ve missed: a hilarious parody of current pop music’s excesses that blends acerbic criticism of predatory gossip shows and social media mobs with a sweet story of three feuding rappers struggling to mend their friendship. The fact that this touching tale also features Seal fending off a pack of wolves, Justin Timberlake dressed as a fish, and a bagpiper playing a lament at a beloved pet turtle’s Viking-inspired funeral comes as no surprise...
Andy Samberg, Akiva Schaffer and Jorma Taccone are comedy trio The Lonely Island. Here are just some of their finest songs and sketches...
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping was – yep, it’s time to call it - the funniest film of 2016. For those who blinked a little too long and didn’t catch it on its brief appearance in UK cinemas, the DVD release is your chance to find out what you’ve missed: a hilarious parody of current pop music’s excesses that blends acerbic criticism of predatory gossip shows and social media mobs with a sweet story of three feuding rappers struggling to mend their friendship. The fact that this touching tale also features Seal fending off a pack of wolves, Justin Timberlake dressed as a fish, and a bagpiper playing a lament at a beloved pet turtle’s Viking-inspired funeral comes as no surprise...
- 1/11/2017
- Den of Geek
Hollywood is full of fashion ris-takers. Some of the bold gowns they slip into look fantastic on the red carpet, but others fall furiously flat. And when the stage is as big as the Golden Globes, that means the worst of them are pretty much D.O.A.
However, you've got to give some credit to the stars who took a chance.
Photos: 9 Biggest Fashion Flubs at the 2016 Golden Globes
Fashion darling Michelle Williams rarely takes a misstep, but the daisy-covered Valentino she wore to the awards show in 2011 had a lackluster hue and looked like it would've fit better in her 1999 period flick Dick than on a red carpet.
Getty Images
Jane Fonda also usually brings it to big events, but last year, this cream-colored Yves Saint Laurent dress overwhelmed her tiny frame and just felt too stuffy.
Getty Images
Related: Olivia Wilde Is the Queen of Golden Globes Fashion -- See Who Else Slays the Gown...
However, you've got to give some credit to the stars who took a chance.
Photos: 9 Biggest Fashion Flubs at the 2016 Golden Globes
Fashion darling Michelle Williams rarely takes a misstep, but the daisy-covered Valentino she wore to the awards show in 2011 had a lackluster hue and looked like it would've fit better in her 1999 period flick Dick than on a red carpet.
Getty Images
Jane Fonda also usually brings it to big events, but last year, this cream-colored Yves Saint Laurent dress overwhelmed her tiny frame and just felt too stuffy.
Getty Images
Related: Olivia Wilde Is the Queen of Golden Globes Fashion -- See Who Else Slays the Gown...
- 1/7/2017
- Entertainment Tonight
The Weinstein Company has moved up the qualifying run of its Michael Keaton starrer.
The Founder opened in Los Angeles on December 7 for one week ahead of nationwide roll-out on January 20.
John Lee Hancock directed the story of McDonald’s entrepreneur Ray Kroc and will take part with the cast in a week-long series of Q&A’s as Harvey Weinstein pushes for awards.
The film also stars Laura Dern as Kroc’s first wife Ethel; Linda Cardellini as his second wife Joan Smith; John Carroll Lynch as Mac McDonald and Nick Offerman as Dick McDonald.
The 16th annual Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival will run from January 13-26 at Tiff Bell Lightbox in Toronto before touring select cities. The line-up showcases the best Canadian features, shorts and student shorts in 2016 selected by a panel of seven filmmakers and industry professionals. Zacharias Kunuk’s Maliglutit (Searchers) opens the programme, which includes...
The Founder opened in Los Angeles on December 7 for one week ahead of nationwide roll-out on January 20.
John Lee Hancock directed the story of McDonald’s entrepreneur Ray Kroc and will take part with the cast in a week-long series of Q&A’s as Harvey Weinstein pushes for awards.
The film also stars Laura Dern as Kroc’s first wife Ethel; Linda Cardellini as his second wife Joan Smith; John Carroll Lynch as Mac McDonald and Nick Offerman as Dick McDonald.
The 16th annual Canada’s Top Ten Film Festival will run from January 13-26 at Tiff Bell Lightbox in Toronto before touring select cities. The line-up showcases the best Canadian features, shorts and student shorts in 2016 selected by a panel of seven filmmakers and industry professionals. Zacharias Kunuk’s Maliglutit (Searchers) opens the programme, which includes...
- 12/7/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
From Deadline comes the news that Adam McKay is currently casting a biopic of America’s most powerful and least popular vice president, Dick Cheney, McKay—who recently made the leap from improv-heavy Will Ferrell movies to Oscar-winning live-action Vox explainers with The Big Short—also has a project called Bad Blood lined up with Jennifer Lawrence, but it’s unclear whether that’s going on the back burner while he readies the as-of-yet-untitled project. (Unfortunately, Dick is already taken.)
Really, he’s just trying to keep ahead of the curve as America begins to pine for the simpler times of the George W. Bush administration. Sure, the presidency was effectively controlled by a secretive wannabe autocrat with business-related conflicts of interest, but at least nobody liked him—except, apparently, the appointed senior counselor of the President-elect.
Per Deadline, Paramount Pictures is hoping to start filming in the spring ...
Really, he’s just trying to keep ahead of the curve as America begins to pine for the simpler times of the George W. Bush administration. Sure, the presidency was effectively controlled by a secretive wannabe autocrat with business-related conflicts of interest, but at least nobody liked him—except, apparently, the appointed senior counselor of the President-elect.
Per Deadline, Paramount Pictures is hoping to start filming in the spring ...
- 11/22/2016
- by Ignatiy Vishnevetsky
- avclub.com
Presented by Deadhouse Films, The 10th annual A Night of Horror International Film Festival, and Fantastic Planet: Sydney Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival, screen simultaneously at Dendy Cinemas Newtown from November 24 to December 4, 2016. Says festival director Dean Bertram:
The 10th annual festival is going to be our biggest event yet. Featuring over 100 films, several international filmmaker guests, multiple parties and a horror filmmaking master class; Sydney’s genre fans and filmmaking community are going to be treated to eleven days of the best and freshest horror, sci-fi, and fantasy from around the globe.
The festival opens on Thursday November 24, with the Australian premiere of the international festival hit Peelers, plus a Q&A with special international guest: Canadian director Sevé Schelenz. And in keeping with the spirit of the bloody hilarious film, the screening will be followed by a “zombie and strippers” themed after party.
The closing night film,...
The 10th annual festival is going to be our biggest event yet. Featuring over 100 films, several international filmmaker guests, multiple parties and a horror filmmaking master class; Sydney’s genre fans and filmmaking community are going to be treated to eleven days of the best and freshest horror, sci-fi, and fantasy from around the globe.
The festival opens on Thursday November 24, with the Australian premiere of the international festival hit Peelers, plus a Q&A with special international guest: Canadian director Sevé Schelenz. And in keeping with the spirit of the bloody hilarious film, the screening will be followed by a “zombie and strippers” themed after party.
The closing night film,...
- 11/8/2016
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Influence Film Club and Mubi are partnering to show Kirby Dick's The Invisible War (2012) online in the United States from November 1 - 30, 2016 in the United States. This interview was conducted by and first appeared at the Influence Film Club.The Invisible WarWhat can we say? Kirby Dick is a director truly after our heart. Not only does he make incredibly powerful films about challenging topics that matter, he is a champion of discussion as a tool for change-making. It is for these reasons that we are proud to present his films The Invisible War—in collaboration with Mubi—and The Hunting Ground as our films of the month for November. —Influence Film ClubINFLUENCE Film Club: What is it that draws you to documentary film?Kirby Dick: I find the unpredictability of the process very stimulating.Influence: What is your history with documentary? Is there a red thread that...
- 11/8/2016
- MUBI
While Amazon has had a successful year with its original programming, including acclaimed returning series “Transparent” and the debuts of “One Mississippi” and “Fleabag,” there’s one returning series that will send its audience back to the hazy summer days of the 1980s. The half-hour comedy-drama “Red Oaks” follows David Meyers (Craig Roberts), an aspiring filmmaker and Nyu undergraduate who spends his summers working as a tennis pro at the prestigious Red Oaks Country Club. At the end of last season, his parents (Jennifer Grey and Richard Kind) are separating, he broke up with his girlfriend Karen (Gage Golightly), and has fallen for Skye (Alexandra Socha), the daughter of Getty (Paul Reiser), the country club’s president. Watch the trailer for the second season below.
Read More: ‘Red Oaks’ Season 2 First Look: ‘Caddyshack’ Meets ‘The Graduate’ and Steven Soderbergh’s Brilliant Idea
The series is co-created and executive produced by...
Read More: ‘Red Oaks’ Season 2 First Look: ‘Caddyshack’ Meets ‘The Graduate’ and Steven Soderbergh’s Brilliant Idea
The series is co-created and executive produced by...
- 10/10/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Consider the game changed. The People/Entertainment Weekly Network (Pen) is a whole new way to experience two of the most iconic brands in pop culture. A free streaming channel available on devices through the Pen app and at people.com/Pen, this ambitious network is bringing you closer than ever to our most intriguing stories. To help you navigate the latest platform for can't-miss content, we've made a guide to some of the most essential viewing Pen has to offer: A Year in Space Want to experience life inside of the International Space Station? Then tune into this Emmy-nominated 12-part series from Time.
- 9/15/2016
- by Lydia Price, @lydsprice
- PEOPLE.com
Consider the game changed. The People/Entertainment Weekly Network (Pen) is a whole new way to experience two of the most iconic brands in pop culture. A free streaming channel available on devices through the Pen app and at people.com/Pen, this ambitious network is bringing you closer than ever to our most intriguing stories. To help you navigate the latest platform for can't-miss content, we've made a guide to some of the most essential viewing Pen has to offer: A Year in Space Want to experience life inside of the International Space Station? Then tune into this Emmy-nominated 12-part series from Time.
- 9/15/2016
- by Lydia Price, @lydsprice
- PEOPLE.com
Every day, Watch This offers staff recommendations inspired by a new movie coming out that week. This week: With the election almost upon us and the Obama drama Southside With You coming soon to theaters, we tweak an old Watch This topic and hail some of our favorite films about real U.S. Presidents.
Dick (1999)
Oliver Stone’s excellent 1995 film Nixon brought depth and empathy to a controversial U.S. president, which in a way made it easier for Dick to circle back around to mockery. Its portrayal of Richard Nixon (Dan Hedaya) during the Watergate break-in and subsequent investigation might have come across as a cheap caricature, but the movie gleefully turns other key players in the scandal into goofs, too. Director and co-writer Andrew Fleming does a particularly savage number on intrepid reporting team Woodward and Bernstein, implicitly spoofing All The President’s Men by ...
Dick (1999)
Oliver Stone’s excellent 1995 film Nixon brought depth and empathy to a controversial U.S. president, which in a way made it easier for Dick to circle back around to mockery. Its portrayal of Richard Nixon (Dan Hedaya) during the Watergate break-in and subsequent investigation might have come across as a cheap caricature, but the movie gleefully turns other key players in the scandal into goofs, too. Director and co-writer Andrew Fleming does a particularly savage number on intrepid reporting team Woodward and Bernstein, implicitly spoofing All The President’s Men by ...
- 8/23/2016
- by Jesse Hassenger
- avclub.com
Though latest superhero film “Suicide Squad” has garnered mostly mixed-to-negative reviews, it’s nevertheless sweeping the nation as well as the Internet. But while fans of the film or the DC Comics Universe might be sharing memes to express their adoration or displeasure, one actress in particular shared a clever meme that harkened back to a film that was released 20 years ago.
On her Instagram, Kirsten Dunst shared a picture of herself and the cast of Sofia Coppola’s “The Virgin Suicides,” and proclaimed that there’s “only one Real Suicide Squad.” The meme was originally created by Twitter user Carter Nixon. Check it out below.
Read More: Kirsten Dunst’s 13 Best Performances, From Child Vampire to Manic Pixie Dream Girl
????????
A photo posted by Kirsten Dunst (@kirstendunst) on Aug 9, 2016 at 6:42am Pdt
Kirsten Dunst first rose to prominence in her role as Claudia in the 1994 film “Interview with the Vampire.
On her Instagram, Kirsten Dunst shared a picture of herself and the cast of Sofia Coppola’s “The Virgin Suicides,” and proclaimed that there’s “only one Real Suicide Squad.” The meme was originally created by Twitter user Carter Nixon. Check it out below.
Read More: Kirsten Dunst’s 13 Best Performances, From Child Vampire to Manic Pixie Dream Girl
????????
A photo posted by Kirsten Dunst (@kirstendunst) on Aug 9, 2016 at 6:42am Pdt
Kirsten Dunst first rose to prominence in her role as Claudia in the 1994 film “Interview with the Vampire.
- 8/11/2016
- by Vikram Murthi
- Indiewire
Comic Book Reviews: DC Round Up Week 08-03-2016
When I first started writing reviews for Lrm I stated I would stick with all the DC Rebirth Issues until at least issue 6 before considering any to drop. So far, I’ve pleasantly been surprised by my complete interest in All the Rebirth Titles thus far! We are approaching issue 4 for most of the newly revamped series, with still many more trickling in that show promise. As the first “wave” of books get closer to issue 6, I’ll do a quick rundown on those series and try to help new readers choose which books might be best for them. Until then, be sure to sound off in the comments on how you’re liking (or disliking) the DC Rebirth!
Aquaman #4
Story: Dan Abnett Art: Philippe Briones Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Review: Aquaman has become a sort of love hate series for me in this DC Rebirth.
When I first started writing reviews for Lrm I stated I would stick with all the DC Rebirth Issues until at least issue 6 before considering any to drop. So far, I’ve pleasantly been surprised by my complete interest in All the Rebirth Titles thus far! We are approaching issue 4 for most of the newly revamped series, with still many more trickling in that show promise. As the first “wave” of books get closer to issue 6, I’ll do a quick rundown on those series and try to help new readers choose which books might be best for them. Until then, be sure to sound off in the comments on how you’re liking (or disliking) the DC Rebirth!
Aquaman #4
Story: Dan Abnett Art: Philippe Briones Colors: Gabe Eltaeb
Review: Aquaman has become a sort of love hate series for me in this DC Rebirth.
- 8/9/2016
- by Jeremy Scully
- LRMonline.com
Comic Book Reviews: DC Round-up Week 07-27-2016
DC’s Rebirth is going strong, as the company gives us some fantastic books with great creative teams. Geoff Johns begin given more power and helping craft this road for the company was definitely the smart choice here. So with all the praise being given, there are a few areas I’d like to see some improvement. The most important is being “continuity”. Part of what brought about this change was getting the characters back to basics, back to remnants of their pre-new52 personas which so many readers were drawn too. That’s great, and I think it’s starting to show through the writers the company has on each title (thus far). However, there are some aspects that make feel like these books exist in their own self-contained worlds, which is fine, but then at other points some series try to reference other series,...
DC’s Rebirth is going strong, as the company gives us some fantastic books with great creative teams. Geoff Johns begin given more power and helping craft this road for the company was definitely the smart choice here. So with all the praise being given, there are a few areas I’d like to see some improvement. The most important is being “continuity”. Part of what brought about this change was getting the characters back to basics, back to remnants of their pre-new52 personas which so many readers were drawn too. That’s great, and I think it’s starting to show through the writers the company has on each title (thus far). However, there are some aspects that make feel like these books exist in their own self-contained worlds, which is fine, but then at other points some series try to reference other series,...
- 7/29/2016
- by Jeremy Scully
- LRMonline.com
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Sometimes funny, often poignant, narration can be hugely effective when deployed successfully. Ryan picks a few great examples...
“God help you if you use voice-over in your work my friends! God help you. That’s flaccid, sloppy writing. Any idiot can use narration to explain the thoughts of a character.”
So says screenwriting coach Robert McKee in Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman’s 2002 film, Adaptation. Well, not the real screenwriting coach Robert Mckee, but the one played in superbly aggressive style by actor Brian Cox, who stomps about on stage at a writing seminar like an angry bull. Brilliantly, McKee’s condemnation of voice-overs interrupts the interior thoughts, as narrated by Nicolas Cage’s fictionalised version of Charlie Kaufman - a terminally anxious screenwriter with an Everest-sized case of writer’s block.
It’s an example of the quirky, hall-of-mirrors kind of humour that courses through Adaptation,...
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Sometimes funny, often poignant, narration can be hugely effective when deployed successfully. Ryan picks a few great examples...
“God help you if you use voice-over in your work my friends! God help you. That’s flaccid, sloppy writing. Any idiot can use narration to explain the thoughts of a character.”
So says screenwriting coach Robert McKee in Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman’s 2002 film, Adaptation. Well, not the real screenwriting coach Robert Mckee, but the one played in superbly aggressive style by actor Brian Cox, who stomps about on stage at a writing seminar like an angry bull. Brilliantly, McKee’s condemnation of voice-overs interrupts the interior thoughts, as narrated by Nicolas Cage’s fictionalised version of Charlie Kaufman - a terminally anxious screenwriter with an Everest-sized case of writer’s block.
It’s an example of the quirky, hall-of-mirrors kind of humour that courses through Adaptation,...
- 6/7/2016
- Den of Geek
15 years ago today, Star Trek: Voyager concluded its run on UPN. The series had launched the network (which has since merged with The WB to become The CW) with a two-hour pilot episode in 1995, while Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was still airing new episodes in syndication. It was the first Star Trek series to feature a female commanding officer in the lead role, with Kate Mulgrew playing Captain Kathryn Janeway before she went on to get TV attention again for Orange Is the New Black. Mulgrew reprised her role as Janeway in the 2002 feature film Star Trek: Nemesis. Voyager never garnered the adoration that fans had for the original series and The Next Generation, but it lasted for seven seasons on Upn from 1995 to 2001. Other notable May 23 happenings in pop culture history: • 1950: The Asphalt Jungle, one of Marilyn Monroe’s earliest films, opened in theaters. • 1964: Ella Fitzgerald...
- 5/23/2016
- by Emily Rome
- Hitfix
Before Scream turned the genre world on its head, there was another ’90s teen-centric horror movie revitalizing youth-oriented cinema. Featuring a cast of rising stars, killer effects, and a now iconic soundtrack, Andrew Fleming’s The Craft thoughtfully explored issues like high school politics, female empowerment, suicide, and the dangers of witchcraft when left in less-experienced hands.
More importantly, The Craft spoke out on the behalf of a generation of teenagers struggling to find their identity, and it continues to have an impact on new audiences. Over the years, the film has attracted a huge cult following and maintained its popularity amongst genre fans.
It may seem surprising that the decision to move forward on making The Craft wasn’t an easy sell for writer/director Fleming (Bad Dreams, Dick). “When we began prepping The Craft, the teen movie was dead,” explained Fleming. “Studios were under the impression that teens...
More importantly, The Craft spoke out on the behalf of a generation of teenagers struggling to find their identity, and it continues to have an impact on new audiences. Over the years, the film has attracted a huge cult following and maintained its popularity amongst genre fans.
It may seem surprising that the decision to move forward on making The Craft wasn’t an easy sell for writer/director Fleming (Bad Dreams, Dick). “When we began prepping The Craft, the teen movie was dead,” explained Fleming. “Studios were under the impression that teens...
- 5/3/2016
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
"We are the weirdos, mister." More than any other line of dialogue fromThe Craft, this quote captures the lasting appeal of the seminal teen classic. Released on May 3, 1996, writer-director Andrew Fleming's ode to teenage pariahdom finished No 1. at the box office in its opening weekend, surprising industry onlookers and beating out the heavily-hyped Pamela Anderson starring vehicle Barb Wire. Though both films featured woman protagonists, they couldn't have been more different; while Anderson's outsized brand of femininity was designed to service the male gaze, The Craft was a film about teenage girls, for teenage girls. Unlike Amy Heckerling's candy-coated Clueless -- the standard-bearer of mid-1990s teen cinema -- it dove headfirst into the darker undercurrents of the young female psyche. While not a hit on the level of Heckerling's film, The Craft made a decent return at the box office and found even more success in its post-theatrical run,...
- 5/3/2016
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
Twenty years ago this week, four teenage girls dabbled in magic powers and unleashed forces more powerful than they could have imagined. We're not just talking about the plot of "The Craft" (released on May 3, 1996), but also the wave it launched of pretty-young-magical-gal stories on the big and small screens (from "Practical Magic" to "Charmed").
For all its influence and popularity, there's still much you may not know about "The Craft." Here are some of the secrets behind the beloved teen-witch cautionary tale.
1. Star Robin Tunney (center), who plays Sarah, wore a wig throughout the film, having recently shaved her head for her role in "Empire Records."
2. How did director Andrew Fleming do so well in understanding the mindset of his teen-girl heroines -- not only in "The Craft," but also in "Dick" and "Nancy Drew"? According to Fleming, "Dick" co-star Michelle Williams figured out the answer. "Michelle said that,...
For all its influence and popularity, there's still much you may not know about "The Craft." Here are some of the secrets behind the beloved teen-witch cautionary tale.
1. Star Robin Tunney (center), who plays Sarah, wore a wig throughout the film, having recently shaved her head for her role in "Empire Records."
2. How did director Andrew Fleming do so well in understanding the mindset of his teen-girl heroines -- not only in "The Craft," but also in "Dick" and "Nancy Drew"? According to Fleming, "Dick" co-star Michelle Williams figured out the answer. "Michelle said that,...
- 5/2/2016
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Will Ferrell will play President Ronald Reagan in “Reagan,” a political satire written by Mike Rosolio, whose script was voted to the 2015 Black List of Hollywood’s best unproduced screenplays. Ferrell will produce under his Gary Sanchez Productions banner. The funnyman is no stranger to political comedies, having starred in “The Campaign” and “Dick.” He also played President George W. Bush on “Saturday Night Live” and the Broadway show “You’re Welcome America.” There’s no director attached to “Reagan” yet, but the project has become a priority for Gary Sanchez. Also Read: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg to Star in 'Daddy's Home 2' Set at.
- 4/27/2016
- by Jeff Sneider
- The Wrap
Team Experience is at the Tribeca Film Festival. Here's Jason on 'Elvis & Nixon.'
We get a "Thank you, thank you very much" fairly early into Elvis & Nixon, the new comic bio-pic detailing that legendarily bizarre photograph of the musician and the politician shaking hands in 1970, and that tips the movie's hat toward its will to please - this is a genial little thing, a bejeweled trifle, that leaves these two men's storm-clouds mostly off-screen at the horizon, opting instead for a light-hearted clash of Fame and Power and the Great Men who wield either/or. At times the Jack Benny score wouldn't feel out of place.
Not that not taking itself overly serious is a demerit by any means - Michael Shannon is The King of taking himself awfully seriously, so it's a relief to see him relax here under a different crown. He never really looks the part,...
We get a "Thank you, thank you very much" fairly early into Elvis & Nixon, the new comic bio-pic detailing that legendarily bizarre photograph of the musician and the politician shaking hands in 1970, and that tips the movie's hat toward its will to please - this is a genial little thing, a bejeweled trifle, that leaves these two men's storm-clouds mostly off-screen at the horizon, opting instead for a light-hearted clash of Fame and Power and the Great Men who wield either/or. At times the Jack Benny score wouldn't feel out of place.
Not that not taking itself overly serious is a demerit by any means - Michael Shannon is The King of taking himself awfully seriously, so it's a relief to see him relax here under a different crown. He never really looks the part,...
- 4/24/2016
- by JA
- FilmExperience
Ant-Man and Alan Partridge are set to join forces for a second time in An Ideal Home – a new comedy drama, written and directed by Andrew Fleming (Hamlet 2, Dick). Marvel’s newest star, Paul Rudd, and British star Steve Coogan already starred opposite each other in 2011’s Our Idiot Brother, but this latest collaboration will see the pair united in marriage.
Coogan will play a famous celebrity, while Rudd will play his more reclusive, shy spouse. Their extravagant, public lifestyle places their relationship under considerable strain, which is amplified by the unexpected arrival of a young man claiming to be the grandson Coogan never realized he had. With his grandson in dire straits, with nowhere else to go, the couple agree to welcome him into their home, in the secret hope that his presence will heal the rifts forming in their marriage.
The film is currently being packaged for sale by Fortitude International,...
Coogan will play a famous celebrity, while Rudd will play his more reclusive, shy spouse. Their extravagant, public lifestyle places their relationship under considerable strain, which is amplified by the unexpected arrival of a young man claiming to be the grandson Coogan never realized he had. With his grandson in dire straits, with nowhere else to go, the couple agree to welcome him into their home, in the secret hope that his presence will heal the rifts forming in their marriage.
The film is currently being packaged for sale by Fortitude International,...
- 2/16/2016
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
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