Bell has worked on My Summer of Love, Brothers of the Head and Moon.
Imogen Bell has joined Pinewood Pictures as its new head of production.
Bell (below) was previously a freelance line producer, production manager and production co-ordinator for independent film and television productions.
Her credits include My Summer Of Love and Four Last Songs, which she worked on with Chris Collins for BBC films.
Her other projects include the award-winning Moon and Brothers Of The Head, and Heartless, Better Things, Wild Target, Mr Nice and Blitz.
Recently Bell has also worked as a producer within UK advertising agencies.
In a statement, Bell said: “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work for Pinewood, a company that continues to contribute so much in our industry and a leader in pathing the future. The Pinewood Pictures portfolio is testament to the strength of the team and I look forward to being part of it; supporting and developing...
Imogen Bell has joined Pinewood Pictures as its new head of production.
Bell (below) was previously a freelance line producer, production manager and production co-ordinator for independent film and television productions.
Her credits include My Summer Of Love and Four Last Songs, which she worked on with Chris Collins for BBC films.
Her other projects include the award-winning Moon and Brothers Of The Head, and Heartless, Better Things, Wild Target, Mr Nice and Blitz.
Recently Bell has also worked as a producer within UK advertising agencies.
In a statement, Bell said: “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work for Pinewood, a company that continues to contribute so much in our industry and a leader in pathing the future. The Pinewood Pictures portfolio is testament to the strength of the team and I look forward to being part of it; supporting and developing...
- 1/25/2017
- ScreenDaily
San Diego Comic-Con attendees looking for on-site frights will find them at FX Networks' FXhibition. Taking place at the Hilton Bayfront Park, the FXhibition area will feature an American Horror Story Fearless Vr Experience and a 25-foot-tall Lady Liberty statue from The Strain:
Press Release: Los Angeles - July 8, 2016 – FX Networks is headed to the City in Motion, bringing innovative activations and live entertainment to San Diego this July. FX Networks will take center stage at Hilton Bayfront Park during San Diego Comic-Con July 21-24, 2016 with groundbreaking activations and installations of fan-favorite shows Archer, American Horror Story, The Strain, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll. FXhibition will transport guests to each FX series through a visually arresting, one-of-a-kind interactive art space featuring the riveting American Horror Story Fearless Vr Experience.
For attendees who love a thrill, American Horror Story will curate a virtual reality experience...
Press Release: Los Angeles - July 8, 2016 – FX Networks is headed to the City in Motion, bringing innovative activations and live entertainment to San Diego this July. FX Networks will take center stage at Hilton Bayfront Park during San Diego Comic-Con July 21-24, 2016 with groundbreaking activations and installations of fan-favorite shows Archer, American Horror Story, The Strain, It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll. FXhibition will transport guests to each FX series through a visually arresting, one-of-a-kind interactive art space featuring the riveting American Horror Story Fearless Vr Experience.
For attendees who love a thrill, American Horror Story will curate a virtual reality experience...
- 7/8/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
The horror. The horror. FX today announced the premiere dates for their 2016 fall line up, and the sixth season of American Horror Story is just over two months away. The cable network, with some of the most critically-acclaimed programs on TV, said that Ahs will return on September 14 at 10 p.m. While we do know that Angela Bassett, Lady Gaga and Cheyenne Jackson will be back for the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning show, it’s still not known what the premise of this season will be. The network also said that the Donald Glover-comedy Atlanta is set for a September 6 debut. The show is about two cousins working their way up in the Atlanta hip-hop scene. Atlanta also stars Brian Tyree Henry. Following are the rest of the 2016 premiere dates. Wednesday, July 6 10 p.m. Tyrant Sunday, August 28 10 p.m. The Strain Wednesday, August 31 10 p.m. You’re the Worst Tuesday,...
- 7/5/2016
- by David Eckstein
- Hitfix
FX has unveiled premiere dates for Season 6 of its anthology series American Horror Story along with a pair of freshman comedies. The return of Ahs, which last week got a teaser logo but has yet to reveal the title or theme for next season, will bow Wednesday, September 14, preceded by Atlanta on Tuesday, September 6, and Better Things on Thursday, September 8. All will air at 10 Pm. Atlanta is the story of two cousins working through the Southern capital’s music scene in…...
- 7/5/2016
- Deadline TV
Rob Leane Jul 6, 2016
FX has confirmed the start dates for American Horror Story season 6, Atlanta, and Better Things...
The American TV networks are currently prepping for the fall 2016-2017 season, which will see a huge number of geek-friendly genre shows heading to our screens. In this article, we're listing all the start dates for shows new and returning...
Nb: this article is currently full American start dates. We'll update you when we hear the UK ones.
FX
Tuesday 6th September
Atlanta (Donald Glover's new series)
Thursday 8th September
Better Things (Louis C.K's new series)
Wednesday 14th September
American Horror Story
The CW
The CW is very much the home of superhero telly right now. On top of Arrow, The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow, the youth-friendly network also now has Supergirl on its roster. Here are the start dates for the new seasons of those shows, and a few others.
FX has confirmed the start dates for American Horror Story season 6, Atlanta, and Better Things...
The American TV networks are currently prepping for the fall 2016-2017 season, which will see a huge number of geek-friendly genre shows heading to our screens. In this article, we're listing all the start dates for shows new and returning...
Nb: this article is currently full American start dates. We'll update you when we hear the UK ones.
FX
Tuesday 6th September
Atlanta (Donald Glover's new series)
Thursday 8th September
Better Things (Louis C.K's new series)
Wednesday 14th September
American Horror Story
The CW
The CW is very much the home of superhero telly right now. On top of Arrow, The Flash and Legends Of Tomorrow, the youth-friendly network also now has Supergirl on its roster. Here are the start dates for the new seasons of those shows, and a few others.
- 6/17/2016
- Den of Geek
FX has announced that The Strain Season 3 will premiere on Sunday, August 28th, giving fans plenty of time to mark their calendars and settle in for round three of the fight between the living and the bloodthirsty strigoi.
In the past, The Strain has started its seasons in mid-July, so the late August start time is a bit of a transition. This season will consist of ten episodes compared to its usual 13-episode orders, but fans can still expect a lot of action and character-driven drama following the Season 2 finale.
Along with the premiere date announcement, FX unveiled a photo from The Strain (see below), and we also have the official press release with Season 3 synopsis:
Press Release (via TheFutonCritic.com): Los Angeles, May 10, 2016 – FX Networks has set the premiere dates for the highly-anticipated third seasons of The Strain and You’re the Worst, it was announced today by Chuck Saftler,...
In the past, The Strain has started its seasons in mid-July, so the late August start time is a bit of a transition. This season will consist of ten episodes compared to its usual 13-episode orders, but fans can still expect a lot of action and character-driven drama following the Season 2 finale.
Along with the premiere date announcement, FX unveiled a photo from The Strain (see below), and we also have the official press release with Season 3 synopsis:
Press Release (via TheFutonCritic.com): Los Angeles, May 10, 2016 – FX Networks has set the premiere dates for the highly-anticipated third seasons of The Strain and You’re the Worst, it was announced today by Chuck Saftler,...
- 5/10/2016
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
There are many ways to secure a seat at the big Geek table. Young fans often start by scribbling in their sketchbooks with dreams of drawing the adventures of their favorite characters. Cosplayers create costumes and attend conventions through the year. Today’s on-ramps include drawing, writing, coloring, publishing, retailing, reporting and cosplay…there’s a myriad of ways to participate in the grand Geek tapestry.
Here’s a fan who has found a fascinating seat at the table. He talks to his favorite creators about his favorite things – and then lets us all listen in. And it’s great entertainment. The Word Balloon is an interview podcast hosted by a bright guy and with a lot of ideas named John Sinters and I wanted to find out how what drives him and how he created this podcast.
John’s a guy who loves all facets of comic culture. He...
Here’s a fan who has found a fascinating seat at the table. He talks to his favorite creators about his favorite things – and then lets us all listen in. And it’s great entertainment. The Word Balloon is an interview podcast hosted by a bright guy and with a lot of ideas named John Sinters and I wanted to find out how what drives him and how he created this podcast.
John’s a guy who loves all facets of comic culture. He...
- 3/21/2016
- by Ed Catto
- Comicmix.com
Below, you'll find a list of recent/current/upcoming scripted TV shows on Comedy Central, DirecTV, FX, Fxx, Hallmark, and Hulu. To see a series' ratings (if they're available), click the links in the middle column.
Shows include 11.22.63, Adam Devine's House Party, American Crime Story, American Horror Story, The Americans, Anger Management, Another Period, Archer, The Art of More, The Awesomes, Axe Cop, Baskets, The Bastard Executioner, Better Things, Big Time in Hollywood Fl, Billy & Billie, Brickleberry, Broad City, Cassius and Clay, Casual, Cedar Cove, Chesapeake Shores, The Comedians, Deadbeat, Difficult People, Drunk History, East Los High, Fargo, Full Circle, Good Witch, The Half Hour, Idiotsitter, Inside Amy Schumer, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jo, Justified, Key & Peele, Kingdom, Kroll Show, The League, Louie, Lucas Bros. Moving Co., Man Seeking Woman, Married, The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, The Mindy Project, Moonbeam City, Moone Boy, The Path,...
Shows include 11.22.63, Adam Devine's House Party, American Crime Story, American Horror Story, The Americans, Anger Management, Another Period, Archer, The Art of More, The Awesomes, Axe Cop, Baskets, The Bastard Executioner, Better Things, Big Time in Hollywood Fl, Billy & Billie, Brickleberry, Broad City, Cassius and Clay, Casual, Cedar Cove, Chesapeake Shores, The Comedians, Deadbeat, Difficult People, Drunk History, East Los High, Fargo, Full Circle, Good Witch, The Half Hour, Idiotsitter, Inside Amy Schumer, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Jo, Justified, Key & Peele, Kingdom, Kroll Show, The League, Louie, Lucas Bros. Moving Co., Man Seeking Woman, Married, The Meltdown with Jonah and Kumail, The Mindy Project, Moonbeam City, Moone Boy, The Path,...
- 12/24/2015
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
Aside from championing cringe comedy and cursing the world with “that's what she said,” one of the The Office's early trademarks was its theme song, which, let's be honest, you're probably tapping out on your laptop right now. But according to Rainn Wilson's memoir The Bassoon King, the show almost went with a few other choices. “Many songs were being considered seriously, including ‘Better Things’ by the Kinks and ‘Float On’ by Modest Mouse,” the man behind Dwight Schrute writes. “The one we all wanted most of all was ‘Mr. Blue Sky’ by Electric Light Orchestra. It’s a sensational song and its jubilant, upbeat refrain would have fit perfectly over the drab video of the opening credits.” For better or for worse — let's be honest, for better — “Mr. Blue Sky” was taken by Lax, another member of NBC's 2005 TV class. The show ended up with its now-famous...
- 11/13/2015
- by Jackson McHenry
- Vulture
Hotel Cortez has been a popular destination for viewers tuning into American Horror Story: Hotel this fall, so it may come as no surprise that FX has renewed American Horror Story for a sixth season that will premiere next year:
Press Release (via TheHollywoodTimes): Los Angeles, November 10, 2015 – FX has ordered the sixth installment of the groundbreaking and award-winning anthology limited series American Horror Story, it was announced today by John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions. The as-of-yet untitled sixth installment will air on FX in 2016 with the next chapter of the Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning franchise co-created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.
“With the sixth installment coming next year,American Horror Story has unquestionably joined the ranks of television’s landmark series,” Landgraf said. “From Murder House to Hotel, Ahs has pioneered a new television form as well becoming FX’s highest rated show...
Press Release (via TheHollywoodTimes): Los Angeles, November 10, 2015 – FX has ordered the sixth installment of the groundbreaking and award-winning anthology limited series American Horror Story, it was announced today by John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks and FX Productions. The as-of-yet untitled sixth installment will air on FX in 2016 with the next chapter of the Emmy® and Golden Globe® winning franchise co-created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk.
“With the sixth installment coming next year,American Horror Story has unquestionably joined the ranks of television’s landmark series,” Landgraf said. “From Murder House to Hotel, Ahs has pioneered a new television form as well becoming FX’s highest rated show...
- 11/10/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
With one of the most successful summers on record, the book on 2015's summer tentpoles has been closed. Normally, this would worry us, as this is a stereotypical dead zone for theatrical releases. However, 2015 looks like it was so stuffed with quality releases that they've actually scheduled some of this year's better efforts in a time when your choices are limited to either a rock or a hard place. We know the multiplex looks barren right now. Better things are coming, though, and soon! Enjoy this list of 10 great-looking films that are slated to drop within the next 30 days. Pawn Sacrifice . 9/16 The story of Bobby Fischer's historic chess match against Soviet champion Boris Spassky in 1972 seems like it would be more fodder for a documentary than a narrative film. But with Tobey Maguire and Liev Schreiber playing the roles of Fischer and Spassky in Pawn Sacrifice, a story that highlights...
- 9/8/2015
- cinemablend.com
The Television Critics Association panels have been going on for the past week or so, and we’ve had plenty of great updates from Fred Topel’s interviews and coverage that you can check out right here. Today, straight from the TCA, comes some announcements from FX, which includes a renewal for a third season of The Strain, […]
The post FX Renews ‘The Strain,’ Picks Up ‘Better Things,’ Moves ‘Archer’ to Fxx appeared first on /Film.
The post FX Renews ‘The Strain,’ Picks Up ‘Better Things,’ Moves ‘Archer’ to Fxx appeared first on /Film.
- 8/7/2015
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
The battle between the strigoi and the humans will continue past Season 2, as FX has officially renewed The Strain for a third season that will premiere next summer. Though an official episode count for the third season is not yet known, it's likely that we could see a 13-episode order identical to the first two seasons.
Press Release (via TV by the Numbers): "Los Angeles, August 7, 2015 – The Strain will return for a third season next summer, taking fans even deeper into the thriller from Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse, based off of the best-selling The Strain Trilogy by del Toro and Chuck Hogan, it was announced today by Eric Schrier and Nick Grad, Presidents of Original Programming, FX Networks and FX Productions. The second season of The Strain is currently airing on FX Sundays at 10 Pm e/p.
“Guillermo and Carlton have delivered two thrilling seasons of The Strain...
Press Release (via TV by the Numbers): "Los Angeles, August 7, 2015 – The Strain will return for a third season next summer, taking fans even deeper into the thriller from Guillermo del Toro and Carlton Cuse, based off of the best-selling The Strain Trilogy by del Toro and Chuck Hogan, it was announced today by Eric Schrier and Nick Grad, Presidents of Original Programming, FX Networks and FX Productions. The second season of The Strain is currently airing on FX Sundays at 10 Pm e/p.
“Guillermo and Carlton have delivered two thrilling seasons of The Strain...
- 8/7/2015
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
A$AP Rocky has a new album out. And while it's a more mature sound for the Harlem rapper, he's catching a deserved share of heat for a lyric on the song "Better Things": "I swear that bitch Rita Ora got a big mouth / Next time I see her might curse the bitch out / Kicked the bitch out once 'cause she bitched out / Spit my kids out, jizzed up all up in her mouth and made the bitch bounce." Rocky has generally spoken kindly about his previous exes Iggy Azalea and Chanel Iman — if you ignore his "I used to be boning this chick’s back out" comment about Iggy — so why the dis on Ora? On Annie Mac's BBC 1 Radio show yesterday, Rocky elaborated on the lines: "I'm just saying that when I was in a relationship and I did things with her that I...
- 5/28/2015
- by Dee Lockett
- Vulture
In case there was ever any question, A$AP Rocky most definitely says whatever he wants to say. The rapper raised some eyebrows recently when his single "Better Things" was released, because the 26-year-old Harlem native didn't hold back one bit when he decided to go in on fellow celeb Rita Ora on the track. In case you missed the Nsfw shout-out, A$AP spit, "I swear that bitch Rita Ora got a big mouth/Next time I see her might curse the bitch out/Kicked the bitch out once cause she bitched out/Spit my kids out, j--zed up all in her mouth and made the bitch bounce." Your reaction probably went a little something like this—Daaaaaaamn, but why? Are we right? Of course we are,...
- 5/28/2015
- E! Online
★★☆☆☆ Better Things director Duane Hopkins' second feature, Bypass (2014), is a stylistically overblown tale from the lower echelons of crime and economic hardship. The first ten minutes or so follow Greg (Benjamin Dilloway), a young man whose football career was terminated by a brutal injury. All he has left are the memories and a life of breaking and entering to help support his family and sick mum. However, the police kick in his door and after a chase Greg is caught and finds himself at the receiving end of a custodial sentence. A year later and the narrative bypasses Greg to focus on younger brother Tim (George MacKay), who now must fend off the bailiffs wanting to collect for non-payment of rent.
- 4/7/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Adlon To Star In Better Things Pilot For FX. During the Television Critics Association’s winter press tour, FX announced it has picked up the pilot for Better Things, which was created by and will star Pamela Adlon and be directed by Louis C.K. . FX also used their time to share [...]
Continue reading: Better Things: Louis C.K. To Direct FX Pilot Starring Pamela Adlon...
Continue reading: Better Things: Louis C.K. To Direct FX Pilot Starring Pamela Adlon...
- 1/19/2015
- by Victor Stiff
- Film-Book
Do you miss Marcy on “Californication” like we do?Great news for Pamela Adlon fans as FX Networks has ordered the comedy pilot Better Things, created by and starring Pamela Adlon and directed by fellow Louie star Louis C.K., it was announced today by John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks and FX Productions. If you think being a parent is hard, try raising three girls by yourself. In Better Things, Adlon plays “Sam,” a working actor trying to earn a living, navigate her daughters’ lives, have fun with a friend or two, and also – just maybe – squeeze in some sex […]...
- 1/19/2015
- by April Neale
- Monsters and Critics
Just a week after FX's Fargo won big at the Golden Globes by scooping up wins in the Best Mini-Series and Best Actor in a Mini-Series (for Billy Bob Thornton) categories, FX CEO John Landgraf has offered up more details about what fans can expect from the Coen Brothers-inspired series in its upcoming second season. In addition to supplying some plot insight, Landgraf also revealed that a certain movie star-turned-President would also be a character on Season Two.
"It's a big sprawling, in some ways, more comedic [season], though at times,...
"It's a big sprawling, in some ways, more comedic [season], though at times,...
- 1/18/2015
- Rollingstone.com
At the Television Critics Association winter press tour Sunday FX announced that The Comedians starring Billy Crystal and Josh Gad will premiere with a lead-in from Louie on April 9. Louie, meanwhile, upped its originally planned seven episodes to eight. As for why there are so few episodes, FX head John Landgraf had an answer: "He wants to keep making the show, which is an intense process, and we are trying to give him as much flexibility as we can. To be honest with you, I have to admit he was a little burned out … and needed time to recharge his batteries." Indeed, C.K. has been working hard: He added a record-breaking fourth show at Madison Square Garden to end his tour, and he will also be writing, directing, and producing Pamela Adlon's new show, Better Things. FX will also air his next comedy special, Louis C.K. Live From the Comedy Store,...
- 1/18/2015
- by E. Alex Jung
- Vulture
The vast Louis C.K. empire at FX is only continuing to expand, as the cable network announced a premiere date for "Louie," but also a pair of additional projects from the prolific Emmy winner. Of paramount importance, FX announced on Sunday (January 18) that "Louie" will return for its fifth season on Thursday, April 9. The eight-episode season will be preceded by the premiere of Billy Crystal and Josh Gad in "The Comedians." Also this spring, FX has acquired the TV rights to Louis C.K.'s next comedy special, "Louis C.K. Live From the Comedy Store." Louis C.K. is currently in the midst of a tour that has seen him become the first comedian to sell out three shows for the same tour in Madison Square Garden history. A fourth Msg show, set for January 27, went on-sale yesterday. The hour-long comedy special will be made available on LouisCK.net first, but...
- 1/18/2015
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
At the Television Critics Association Winter Press Tour, John Landgraf, CEO, FX Networks and FX Productions, announced that the network has ordered the comedy pilot Better Things, created by and starring Pamela Adlon (Louie, Californiation, Bob’s Burgers) and directed by Louis C.K. In Better Things, Adlon plays an actor trying to earn a living while navigating her daughters’ lives, having fun with friends, and occasionally finding time for sex. Several other announcements, reactions, renewals, comments and more as eloquently tweeted by my fine colleagues while I was in an interview with Billy Crystal and Josh Gad (more on that later). … Continue reading →
The post TCA: FX orders Pamela Adlon comedy “Better Things” appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
The post TCA: FX orders Pamela Adlon comedy “Better Things” appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
- 1/18/2015
- by Ryan Berenz
- ChannelGuideMag
In great news for Louie fans, writer, producer, and guest-star of the show Pamela Adlon has gotten her own show, Better Things on FX. She'll write the pilot episode alongside Louis C.K., who will direct the episode. They'll produce the show alongside Blair Breard and Dave Becky. In the show Adlon plays Sam, a working actor who raises three daughters by herself. FX's description sounds like the show we would imagine for Adlon: "Her life is funny to watch, but you wouldn’t want to live it (except sometimes)." Bring on the awkward.
- 1/18/2015
- by E. Alex Jung
- Vulture
TCA 2015: “Louie” alum Pamela Adlon will star on “Better Things”
FX and Louis C.K. are partnering on a new comedy pilot titled “Better Things starring “Louie” alum Pamela Adlon. Additionally, the cable channel will air a standup special from C.K.’s current tour, FX Networks and FX Productions CEO John Landgraf announced during Sunday’s Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena.
C.K. and Adlon will executive produce and co-write the pilot with C.K. also set to direct. Blair Breard and Dave Becky are set to executive produce the pilot with 3 Arts Entertainment and FX Productions.
FX and Louis C.K. are partnering on a new comedy pilot titled “Better Things starring “Louie” alum Pamela Adlon. Additionally, the cable channel will air a standup special from C.K.’s current tour, FX Networks and FX Productions CEO John Landgraf announced during Sunday’s Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena.
C.K. and Adlon will executive produce and co-write the pilot with C.K. also set to direct. Blair Breard and Dave Becky are set to executive produce the pilot with 3 Arts Entertainment and FX Productions.
- 1/18/2015
- by Jethro Nededog
- The Wrap
Louis C.K. will be taking the stage at FX again this spring.
The cabler’s comedy Louie will return Thursday, April 9 at 10:30 pm, it was announced Sunday at the Television Critics Association press tour.
John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks, confirmed that Louie Season 5 will only span eight episodes, instead of the 13 and 14 of past seasons.
Related American Horror Story: Freak Show Recap: Better Off Dead
Preceding Louie, freshman laugher The Comedians will also debut April 9 at 10 pm.
Per FX, the 13-episode Comedians stars Billy Crystal as “a comedy legend who is reluctantly paired with Josh Gad (1600 Penn), an edgier up-and-coming star,...
The cabler’s comedy Louie will return Thursday, April 9 at 10:30 pm, it was announced Sunday at the Television Critics Association press tour.
John Landgraf, CEO of FX Networks, confirmed that Louie Season 5 will only span eight episodes, instead of the 13 and 14 of past seasons.
Related American Horror Story: Freak Show Recap: Better Off Dead
Preceding Louie, freshman laugher The Comedians will also debut April 9 at 10 pm.
Per FX, the 13-episode Comedians stars Billy Crystal as “a comedy legend who is reluctantly paired with Josh Gad (1600 Penn), an edgier up-and-coming star,...
- 1/18/2015
- TVLine.com
It is in the nature of the non-fiction film that the narrative mutates, takes a different shape, form and perspective. Wearing their colors on their parka sleeves and defending their filmmakers, naturally a progressive fest such as Sundance courts controversy. Photographed by the excellent Bradford Young (Restless City, Pariah, Middle of Nowhere, Ain’t Them Bodies Saints, A Most Violent Year and now Selma) and Lol Crawley (Ballast, Better Things, Four Lions) at this time Jamey Phillips (a Filmmaker Mag Top 25 New Faces of 2014 personality) finds herself at a crossroads or a new beginning. Will Phillips take a different path for her long into the works doc?
Gist: This ventures back to Bill Cosby’s years in the civil rights movement, footage that connects Cosby’s more recent activism with his childhood and early work.
Production Co./Producers: Steve Golin
Prediction: Documentary Premieres.
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available. Tbd (domestic...
Gist: This ventures back to Bill Cosby’s years in the civil rights movement, footage that connects Cosby’s more recent activism with his childhood and early work.
Production Co./Producers: Steve Golin
Prediction: Documentary Premieres.
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available. Tbd (domestic...
- 11/14/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
"The youth of Britain is green and dying in Bypass, Duane Hopkins's overwrought yet convincing tale of a nauseous petty criminal torn between the hospital appointment and the lock-up garage," writes the Guardian's Xan Brooks in a dispatch from Venice. "Hopkins, some may recall, made an eye-catching debut with 2008's Better Things, a film that rustled up a keen portrait of marginalized, alienated middle England. If Bypass hardly heads in search of fresh terrain, it at least provides a brooding, increasingly potent spin around the familiar sights." We've got more reviews, all singling out George MacKay's performance, and three clips. » - David Hudson...
- 9/4/2014
- Fandor: Keyframe
"The youth of Britain is green and dying in Bypass, Duane Hopkins's overwrought yet convincing tale of a nauseous petty criminal torn between the hospital appointment and the lock-up garage," writes the Guardian's Xan Brooks in a dispatch from Venice. "Hopkins, some may recall, made an eye-catching debut with 2008's Better Things, a film that rustled up a keen portrait of marginalized, alienated middle England. If Bypass hardly heads in search of fresh terrain, it at least provides a brooding, increasingly potent spin around the familiar sights." We've got more reviews, all singling out George MacKay's performance, and three clips. » - David Hudson...
- 9/4/2014
- Keyframe
Venice — Looking scrawny and sallow compared to his 2013 appearances in Kevin Macdonald’s underrated Ya novel adaptation “How I Live Now” and Proclaimers musical “Sunshine on Leith,” George MacKay is the standout in Duane Hopkins’ UK Horizons entry “Bypass” here at Venice. “Bypass” sees Brit-on-the-rise MacKay in loosely similar territory to his other 2013 release, Paul Wright’s dour, artful “For Those In Peril,” in which he also played an almost completely friendless and increasingly desperate youth isolated from his family, though there the similarities between the two films end. MackKay is a compelling presence as the lead here. In fact, we should really start referring to him as reliably compelling, given his current hit rate. The aforementioned three 2013 releases (plus sports comedy “Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson”) saw him nominated for the British Academy and London Film Critics’ Circle’s Rising Star awards, but the young actor is yet to really break through in America,...
- 9/4/2014
- by Catherine Bray
- Hitfix
It has been a rather long, almost interminable wait, but finally, Duane Hopkins’ sophomore feature will finally be making its world premiere debut at the Venice Film Festival. A visually engulfing multi-pov portrait that tapped into the motivations and behaviors of a teenage wasteland, while the nouveau British cinematic wave Cannes’ Critics’ Week selected Better Things showcased Hopkins’ skill set, the cloud formations were perhaps layers of blue, but the actual tone of the film was shades of dark sky grey. Calling his debut film “bleak” is an understatement.
Named as United Kingdom’s Shooting Star for 2013 (his range was on full display at last year’s Tiff — we highlighted his double dose), George MacKay has been padding his filmography with versatile roles including the seminal perf in Paul Wright’s For Those in Peril. Set in a dichotomous world where those with an already handcuffed future are further punished...
Named as United Kingdom’s Shooting Star for 2013 (his range was on full display at last year’s Tiff — we highlighted his double dose), George MacKay has been padding his filmography with versatile roles including the seminal perf in Paul Wright’s For Those in Peril. Set in a dichotomous world where those with an already handcuffed future are further punished...
- 9/2/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Once again the publicist/ producer Richard Lormand has made his picks for the Venice Film Festival. His choices invariably are top-notch and his notes on the films show a deep love for his work. I always gravitate toward his films, as I often gravitate toward others’, both publicists and critics, whom I know to be the best. Why? Because we tend to like the same films.
By Richard Lormand
Greetings Venice-bound (or not) Film Lovers!
Here’s what’s going on with us at this year’s Mostra del Cinema on the Venice Lido…
"Dearest"(Qui’ Ai De) is a powerhouse of emotion. The ensemble cast represents some of China’s finest acting talents – leading actresses Zhao Wei and Hao Lei and actors Huang Bo, Tong Dawei and Zhang Yi all give knockout performances. Director Peter Ho-Sun Chan has made such an intriguing film from newspaper headlines – children gone missing, searching for them, dealing with the loss and sometimes dealing with finding them again. These incidents might not be new, but "Dearest" fascinated me because of thevery original and respectful treatment of this material by its astute writer-director. I really didn’t know where I was being taken. But I liked each new path in this heartbreaking journey of a movie. I felt every one of this film’s thousands of carefully constructed emotional moments. And Zhao Wei’s performance as the foster mother:wow!
"Ich Seh Ich Seh" ("Goodnight Mommy") is a real discovery. It’s clever, playful and it’s really good filmmaking. It’s horror, it’s European art house, it’s Austrian. And produced by bad boy director himself Ulrich Seidl. And it’s a first feature co-directed by sort of an odd pairing – not really related, not a romantic couple. But Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala definitely got something going (talent, intelligence and a passion for cinema) with their mix because the results are all over the screen. I won’t pitch you the horror scenes, but they are real fun and mean like they should be. But what really struck me about this film is that it is so amazingly gorgeous. Such a consistent impeccable taste in all that is beautiful, even the ugly. Oh, the cornfields, the forest. Mom’s bruised and bandaged face and head. Those mischievous twin boys. (By the way, “Ich Seh” is the child’s game “I Spy.” "Ich Seh Ich Seh" because of the twin boys. "Goodnight Mommy" because… Well, you’ll see.)
"The Cut" is Fatih Akin’s much anticipated new feature. It was destined to be controversial in some way or another because of the material, Fatih himself, so many possible reasons. And here it is finally. It’s without a doubt an epic – a big topic, big crowd scenes, wide open spaces, world travels. But "The Cut" is a very intimate epic about a man alone. A man who cheats the Armenian genocide, but sometimes survival is simply not enough. He will only live again through the search for his twin daughters. I admire how Fatih Akin courageously focused on the human side – the blood, sweat and tears - of this potent political subject matter. Fatih’s hero is Nazaret, a sort of Armenian “Everyman”, incarnated by Tahar Rahim whose face tells so many stories without words. Equally remarkable are "The Cut’s" production values. I was especially moved by the haunting beauty of the Armenian shanty town, backdrop for one of Fatih’s boldest scenes, one of many. Still flashing in my mind’s eye: Nazaret watching Chaplin on screen is such a fine Fatih Akin moment of cinema. And the title reference scene in the desert is Fatih Akin intensity like no one else’s.
"Altman" is such an enjoyable and informative documentary about the career of late great Robert Altman. I was very surprised. I see a lot of short, medium and feature-length films about directors, and sadly, I am usually disappointed by something. But Ron Mann’s "Altman" satisfied my bio-doc needs: strong linear structure, interesting archival footage, good interviews and narration and no abuse of movie excerpts. "Altman" actually relies on its own solid research and editorial savvy to remain captivating for 95 minutes. Altman’s wife, Kathryn Reed Altman, served as a consultant on the production and her intermittent narration add both credibility and heart to the film. Not only did I learn some things about Robert Altman, the film made me feel like I even got to know him a bit personally. And it’s a great feeling to think about his films: "Mash," "Short Cuts", "Nashville" "The Player"… "Altman" actually made me want to go back and see all of his movies again. Now that’s what I call an homage to a filmmaker.
"Tsili" is Amos Gitai’s latest exploration of cinematographic language, another manifestation of his passion for cinema. Inspired by an Aharon Appelfield novel in Yiddish, "Tsili" is one of the rare instances when Yiddish is heard in a movie. Young Jewish woman Tsili, hiding out in a Central European forest with the sounds of WWII not so far away, is actually played by three different women in Gitai’s film. Once again, actress Sarah Adler ("Jellyfish" proves that she’s got one of the most beguiling screen presences around today. I loved the visual and emotional treatment of Tsili’s nest. For such sad and lonely subject matter, "Tsili" actually feels quite celebratory. A celebration of life and cinema. "Tsili" is another fine example that Amos Gitai is both an innovator who breaks the rules and a fierce defender of the traditions of pure cinema. He has played not only an essential role in Israeli cinema history, but also in European and international cinema.
"Bypass" is UK writer-director Duane Hopkins’ second film. He previously made the acclaimed "Better Things" (Cannes 2008 – Critics Week). Similarly in "Bypass," this young filmmaker continues to show a real talent for balancing bleakness and hope. I was particularly struck by the aesthetics of "Bypass," as I’m quite sure you will be too. "Bypass" is simply gorgeous to look at. It’s a true example of artistry applied to film. But Duane doesn’t sacrifice his love of the characters for the sake of the film’s beauty. Everything is centered around the outstanding leading performance by George MacKay as troubled Tim who works part-time as a criminal to keep his family afloat. MacKay’s Tim is calmly tense and fascinating to watch. As Tim’s situation becomes more dangerous, Duane shows a knack for crime genre. But just as important – perhaps even more – is Tim’s love for Lilly. It’s as if lovely actress Charlotte Spencer actually incarnated love and hope on the screen.
Quick note: I return to the Toronto Film Festival this year with four films: Christian Petzold’s "Phoenix", Ole Christian Madsen’s "Itsi Bitsi," Bent Hamer’s "1001 Grams" and Danis Tanovic’s "Tigers." More on these Toronto world premieres soon.
By Richard Lormand
Greetings Venice-bound (or not) Film Lovers!
Here’s what’s going on with us at this year’s Mostra del Cinema on the Venice Lido…
"Dearest"(Qui’ Ai De) is a powerhouse of emotion. The ensemble cast represents some of China’s finest acting talents – leading actresses Zhao Wei and Hao Lei and actors Huang Bo, Tong Dawei and Zhang Yi all give knockout performances. Director Peter Ho-Sun Chan has made such an intriguing film from newspaper headlines – children gone missing, searching for them, dealing with the loss and sometimes dealing with finding them again. These incidents might not be new, but "Dearest" fascinated me because of thevery original and respectful treatment of this material by its astute writer-director. I really didn’t know where I was being taken. But I liked each new path in this heartbreaking journey of a movie. I felt every one of this film’s thousands of carefully constructed emotional moments. And Zhao Wei’s performance as the foster mother:wow!
"Ich Seh Ich Seh" ("Goodnight Mommy") is a real discovery. It’s clever, playful and it’s really good filmmaking. It’s horror, it’s European art house, it’s Austrian. And produced by bad boy director himself Ulrich Seidl. And it’s a first feature co-directed by sort of an odd pairing – not really related, not a romantic couple. But Veronika Franz and Severin Fiala definitely got something going (talent, intelligence and a passion for cinema) with their mix because the results are all over the screen. I won’t pitch you the horror scenes, but they are real fun and mean like they should be. But what really struck me about this film is that it is so amazingly gorgeous. Such a consistent impeccable taste in all that is beautiful, even the ugly. Oh, the cornfields, the forest. Mom’s bruised and bandaged face and head. Those mischievous twin boys. (By the way, “Ich Seh” is the child’s game “I Spy.” "Ich Seh Ich Seh" because of the twin boys. "Goodnight Mommy" because… Well, you’ll see.)
"The Cut" is Fatih Akin’s much anticipated new feature. It was destined to be controversial in some way or another because of the material, Fatih himself, so many possible reasons. And here it is finally. It’s without a doubt an epic – a big topic, big crowd scenes, wide open spaces, world travels. But "The Cut" is a very intimate epic about a man alone. A man who cheats the Armenian genocide, but sometimes survival is simply not enough. He will only live again through the search for his twin daughters. I admire how Fatih Akin courageously focused on the human side – the blood, sweat and tears - of this potent political subject matter. Fatih’s hero is Nazaret, a sort of Armenian “Everyman”, incarnated by Tahar Rahim whose face tells so many stories without words. Equally remarkable are "The Cut’s" production values. I was especially moved by the haunting beauty of the Armenian shanty town, backdrop for one of Fatih’s boldest scenes, one of many. Still flashing in my mind’s eye: Nazaret watching Chaplin on screen is such a fine Fatih Akin moment of cinema. And the title reference scene in the desert is Fatih Akin intensity like no one else’s.
"Altman" is such an enjoyable and informative documentary about the career of late great Robert Altman. I was very surprised. I see a lot of short, medium and feature-length films about directors, and sadly, I am usually disappointed by something. But Ron Mann’s "Altman" satisfied my bio-doc needs: strong linear structure, interesting archival footage, good interviews and narration and no abuse of movie excerpts. "Altman" actually relies on its own solid research and editorial savvy to remain captivating for 95 minutes. Altman’s wife, Kathryn Reed Altman, served as a consultant on the production and her intermittent narration add both credibility and heart to the film. Not only did I learn some things about Robert Altman, the film made me feel like I even got to know him a bit personally. And it’s a great feeling to think about his films: "Mash," "Short Cuts", "Nashville" "The Player"… "Altman" actually made me want to go back and see all of his movies again. Now that’s what I call an homage to a filmmaker.
"Tsili" is Amos Gitai’s latest exploration of cinematographic language, another manifestation of his passion for cinema. Inspired by an Aharon Appelfield novel in Yiddish, "Tsili" is one of the rare instances when Yiddish is heard in a movie. Young Jewish woman Tsili, hiding out in a Central European forest with the sounds of WWII not so far away, is actually played by three different women in Gitai’s film. Once again, actress Sarah Adler ("Jellyfish" proves that she’s got one of the most beguiling screen presences around today. I loved the visual and emotional treatment of Tsili’s nest. For such sad and lonely subject matter, "Tsili" actually feels quite celebratory. A celebration of life and cinema. "Tsili" is another fine example that Amos Gitai is both an innovator who breaks the rules and a fierce defender of the traditions of pure cinema. He has played not only an essential role in Israeli cinema history, but also in European and international cinema.
"Bypass" is UK writer-director Duane Hopkins’ second film. He previously made the acclaimed "Better Things" (Cannes 2008 – Critics Week). Similarly in "Bypass," this young filmmaker continues to show a real talent for balancing bleakness and hope. I was particularly struck by the aesthetics of "Bypass," as I’m quite sure you will be too. "Bypass" is simply gorgeous to look at. It’s a true example of artistry applied to film. But Duane doesn’t sacrifice his love of the characters for the sake of the film’s beauty. Everything is centered around the outstanding leading performance by George MacKay as troubled Tim who works part-time as a criminal to keep his family afloat. MacKay’s Tim is calmly tense and fascinating to watch. As Tim’s situation becomes more dangerous, Duane shows a knack for crime genre. But just as important – perhaps even more – is Tim’s love for Lilly. It’s as if lovely actress Charlotte Spencer actually incarnated love and hope on the screen.
Quick note: I return to the Toronto Film Festival this year with four films: Christian Petzold’s "Phoenix", Ole Christian Madsen’s "Itsi Bitsi," Bent Hamer’s "1001 Grams" and Danis Tanovic’s "Tigers." More on these Toronto world premieres soon.
- 8/26/2014
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
As previously reported by my HitFix colleagues, 2014’s fall festivals represent something of a battle royale for various heavyweight Oscar hopefuls. The oldest fest in the big four, venerable Venice, is up against younger North American counterparts Toronto, Telluride and New York in the perennial fight to deliver a truly memorable Competition. Which films will be left standing once the critics have had their way with them? Contenders hoping to emerge victorious from La Biennale’s royal rumble include Alejandro González Iñárritu’s opening nighter "Birdman" starring Michael Keaton, David Gordon Green’s Al Pacino vehicle "Manglehorn" and Andrew Garfield vs Michael Shannon in Ramin Bahrani’s real estate showdown "99 Homes." As far as awards season goes, for me the big hitter to beat from Cannes is "Foxcatcher," an extraordinary and illuminating piece of filmmaking from Bennett Miller, a director I’ve not been personally persuaded by before now. In the documentary category,...
- 8/21/2014
- by Catherine Bray
- Hitfix
WWE.com
Whilst the WWE have gifted us with great stables in recent years, the tag team division has seen better days. It is painstakingly obvious that WWE creative devotes very little time to tag wrestling anymore; subjecting fans to an extremely thin division, with very few storylines and undesirable, makeshift title matches that lack any form of build up or rivalry.
Put it this way, The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian, offered us potentially the greatest tag match of all time in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs thriller at WrestleMania X-Seven. Yet, if you closed your eyes and pictured RybAxel, Los Matadores and The Usos competing in the same bout, you’d probably struggle to reopen them.
It is a great shame that the tag division is in such a sad state, because it was a style of wrestling that once had a variety of huge benefits.
Whilst the WWE have gifted us with great stables in recent years, the tag team division has seen better days. It is painstakingly obvious that WWE creative devotes very little time to tag wrestling anymore; subjecting fans to an extremely thin division, with very few storylines and undesirable, makeshift title matches that lack any form of build up or rivalry.
Put it this way, The Hardy Boyz, The Dudley Boyz and Edge & Christian, offered us potentially the greatest tag match of all time in a Tables, Ladders & Chairs thriller at WrestleMania X-Seven. Yet, if you closed your eyes and pictured RybAxel, Los Matadores and The Usos competing in the same bout, you’d probably struggle to reopen them.
It is a great shame that the tag division is in such a sad state, because it was a style of wrestling that once had a variety of huge benefits.
- 5/17/2014
- by Danny Parker
- Obsessed with Film
Hovering around the twenty-one to twenty-four feature film mark with at least a quarter of those films belonging to first time filmmakers, the Quinzaine des Realisateurs (a.k.a Directors’ Fortnight) has in the past couple of years, counted on a healthy supply of French, Spanish and Belgium produced film items, and has been geared towards the offbeat genre items as with last year’s edition curated by Edouard Waintrop and co. To be unveiled on the 22nd, as we attempted with our Critics’ Week predix, Blake Williams, Nicholas Bell and I (Eric Lavallee) are thinking out loud and hedging our bets on what the section might look like or what the programmers might be looking at for 2014. Here is our predictions overview:
Alleluia
Six years after presenting Vinyan at the Venice Film Festival, Fabrice Du Welz finally returns with potentially not one, but a pair of works for the ’14 campaign.
Alleluia
Six years after presenting Vinyan at the Venice Film Festival, Fabrice Du Welz finally returns with potentially not one, but a pair of works for the ’14 campaign.
- 4/16/2014
- by IONCINEMA.com Contributing Writers
- IONCINEMA.com
Bypass
Director: Duane Hopkins
Writer: Duane Hopkins
Producer: Samm Haillay
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: George MacKay, Donald Sumpter, Felicity Gilbert
Steve McQueen, Ben Wheatley and Andrea Arnold might be leading the charge of new British filmmaker talents and are already well-established internationally with more than three features in, but filmmaker Duane Hopkins (2008′s Better Things) will surely become a household name member of the clique. Hopkins revisits a shipwrecked youth generation featuring George MacKay (who recently shined in another new filmmaking talent in Paul Wright’s For Those in Peril) and Felicity Gilbert (appears in Lars Von Trier’s Nymphomaniac: Volume I as the dissed secretary). Worth mentioning: Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans also collaborated on the project.
Gist: This shows in graphic detail the life of Tim (MacKay). His habits, his hustle, his family, his responsibilities, his conflicts, his hopes, his fears, his character, his existence. Through this we understand his present,...
Director: Duane Hopkins
Writer: Duane Hopkins
Producer: Samm Haillay
U.S. Distributor: Rights Available
Cast: George MacKay, Donald Sumpter, Felicity Gilbert
Steve McQueen, Ben Wheatley and Andrea Arnold might be leading the charge of new British filmmaker talents and are already well-established internationally with more than three features in, but filmmaker Duane Hopkins (2008′s Better Things) will surely become a household name member of the clique. Hopkins revisits a shipwrecked youth generation featuring George MacKay (who recently shined in another new filmmaking talent in Paul Wright’s For Those in Peril) and Felicity Gilbert (appears in Lars Von Trier’s Nymphomaniac: Volume I as the dissed secretary). Worth mentioning: Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans also collaborated on the project.
Gist: This shows in graphic detail the life of Tim (MacKay). His habits, his hustle, his family, his responsibilities, his conflicts, his hopes, his fears, his character, his existence. Through this we understand his present,...
- 3/4/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Elizabeth Wurtzel’s The Bachelor Recap: Better Things to Do All is fair in love and war. Which really means: nothing is fair at all. By Elizabeth Wurtzel It’s time for another episode of The Bachelor, America’s pre-eminent reality show for romantic group dates, high-profile rejections, crying pharmaceutical saleswomen, and rendering the phrase “true love” utterly meaningless through ceaseless repetition. This season, we have asked Elizabeth Wurtzel, author of Prozac Nation and Bitch, to confront our favorite national circus nightmare. Join Elizabeth each Tuesday for all of her opinions on the squabbling and hot-tubbing that’s fit to air on ABC. All is fair in love and war. Which really means: nothing is fair at all. Or as Snoops said on The Wire, after killing at least twenty-two people for no reason: Deserve got nothing to do with it. This week on The Bachelor, Sharleen denied reality [...]...
- 2/18/2014
- by Elizabeth Wurtzel
- Nerve
President Obama — you’ve got much more pressing things to do than to revoke Justin Bieber’s American visa, even though 136,000 people have signed a petition asking you to send him back to his native Canada. Do you agree, HollywoodLifers?
President Obama – it’s quite clear after listening to the State of the Union address last night, Jan. 28, that you’ve got a lot better things to do with your time than to waste it ordering Justin Bieber to be deported.
Justin Bieber Deportation Petition — Should Obama Deport The Biebs?
Nevertheless, you apparently will have to review a petition on The White House’s We The People site, which has garnered more than 136,000 signatures from people who are begging to have Justin Bieber deported.
Justin Bieber Charged With Assault Take Our Poll
The petition reads:
We the people of the United States feel that we are being wrongly represented in the world of pop culture.
President Obama – it’s quite clear after listening to the State of the Union address last night, Jan. 28, that you’ve got a lot better things to do with your time than to waste it ordering Justin Bieber to be deported.
Justin Bieber Deportation Petition — Should Obama Deport The Biebs?
Nevertheless, you apparently will have to review a petition on The White House’s We The People site, which has garnered more than 136,000 signatures from people who are begging to have Justin Bieber deported.
Justin Bieber Charged With Assault Take Our Poll
The petition reads:
We the people of the United States feel that we are being wrongly represented in the world of pop culture.
- 1/30/2014
- by Bonnie Fuller
- HollywoodLife
Thrills, spills and – hopefully – not too much bellyaching about our pick of 2014's upcoming thrillers
• 2014 preview: comedy
• 2014 preview: Oscar hopefuls
• 2014 preview: science fiction
• 2014 preview: romance
• 2014 preview: drama
Monuments Men
George Clooney gets the gang (Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray) back together for the greatest of capers – protecting works of art from the Nazis. Based loosely on Robert Edsel's book about the real life Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives programme, the trailer suggests the director/star has gone all Boys' Own on this one. Funny old gang of recruits mind – we can buy Clooney and Damon as rogues on a mission, but Murray and Goodman look more Dad's Army than Dirty Dozen. 1 January
Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn's best-seller gets a big-screen adaptation. Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, a struggling journalist implicated in the disappearance of his wife (Rosamund Pike), who went missing on the day of their fifth wedding anniversary.
• 2014 preview: comedy
• 2014 preview: Oscar hopefuls
• 2014 preview: science fiction
• 2014 preview: romance
• 2014 preview: drama
Monuments Men
George Clooney gets the gang (Matt Damon, John Goodman, Bill Murray) back together for the greatest of capers – protecting works of art from the Nazis. Based loosely on Robert Edsel's book about the real life Monuments, Fine Arts, and Archives programme, the trailer suggests the director/star has gone all Boys' Own on this one. Funny old gang of recruits mind – we can buy Clooney and Damon as rogues on a mission, but Murray and Goodman look more Dad's Army than Dirty Dozen. 1 January
Gone Girl
Gillian Flynn's best-seller gets a big-screen adaptation. Ben Affleck plays Nick Dunne, a struggling journalist implicated in the disappearance of his wife (Rosamund Pike), who went missing on the day of their fifth wedding anniversary.
- 12/30/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
No less than a week ago, English actor George MacKay walked away from the Scottish BAFTAs with the Best Actor award to his name, for his spine-chilling performance in For Those In Peril. He now returns in something a little more light-hearted, in Simon Sprackling’s Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson – and we had the pleasure of speaking to the gifted young actor.
Based on Chris England’s stage play, Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson takes place on the morning England were victorious in the Rugby World Cup final, beating Australia narrowly. MacKay recalls his own memories of the day, who his own sporting idols are – and he also discusses his future, and whether Hollywood may be on the cards…
Well I’ll start by saying congratulations on the BAFTA, you must have been thrilled?
Yeah thank you very much, I was chuffed, really chuffed. It’s cool. For Those in Peril got Best Feature Film too,...
Based on Chris England’s stage play, Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson takes place on the morning England were victorious in the Rugby World Cup final, beating Australia narrowly. MacKay recalls his own memories of the day, who his own sporting idols are – and he also discusses his future, and whether Hollywood may be on the cards…
Well I’ll start by saying congratulations on the BAFTA, you must have been thrilled?
Yeah thank you very much, I was chuffed, really chuffed. It’s cool. For Those in Peril got Best Feature Film too,...
- 11/22/2013
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Welcome return to commercial form for actor Gerard Butler, but overall audience figures are down thanks to the spring sunshine
The winner: sunshine
The weekend before a big blockbuster is often quiet at the box office, as distributors are reluctant to release a major film, only to see it get clobbered seven days later. Consequently, with the summer blockbuster season officially kicking off this Thursday with Iron Man 3, the market is relatively becalmed. Even so, cinema owners could have done without the spring sunshine that finally arrived across much of the country on Saturday and Sunday, reducing audience numbers especially for matinees and early evening showtimes.
Including Wednesday/Thursday previews totalling £652,000, Olympus Has Fallen opened at the chart summit with £2.25m. Ignoring the previews, top title remains Tom Cruise sci-fi Oblivion, with £1.66m. For Gerard Butler, Olympus represents a welcome return to commercial form after his last film Playing for Keeps...
The winner: sunshine
The weekend before a big blockbuster is often quiet at the box office, as distributors are reluctant to release a major film, only to see it get clobbered seven days later. Consequently, with the summer blockbuster season officially kicking off this Thursday with Iron Man 3, the market is relatively becalmed. Even so, cinema owners could have done without the spring sunshine that finally arrived across much of the country on Saturday and Sunday, reducing audience numbers especially for matinees and early evening showtimes.
Including Wednesday/Thursday previews totalling £652,000, Olympus Has Fallen opened at the chart summit with £2.25m. Ignoring the previews, top title remains Tom Cruise sci-fi Oblivion, with £1.66m. For Gerard Butler, Olympus represents a welcome return to commercial form after his last film Playing for Keeps...
- 4/23/2013
- by Charles Gant
- The Guardian - Film News
Duane Hopkins has found his lead and principle photography has began on Bypass, the auteur’s much-anticipated sophomore film. George MacKay who has been growing up on-screen since P.J. Hogan Peter Pan, will topline alongside Ben Dilloway, Charlotte Spencer (Les Misérables) and veteran actor Donald Sumpter (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). The production is actually a UK-Swedish venture – Match Factory have got the sales rights so we expect to hear progress reports in Cannes next month.
Gist: We’ve got scrap pieces for now with a description about this being a “character-driven thriller set against the economic backdrop of contemporary Britain”, but Third Films’ producer Samm Haillay does a great job at making us salivate for the project calling the film “a morality tale of society’s feared and forsaken. These characters struggle to balance their personal morality with the reality of the world in which they inhabit. We aim to create an visceral,...
Gist: We’ve got scrap pieces for now with a description about this being a “character-driven thriller set against the economic backdrop of contemporary Britain”, but Third Films’ producer Samm Haillay does a great job at making us salivate for the project calling the film “a morality tale of society’s feared and forsaken. These characters struggle to balance their personal morality with the reality of the world in which they inhabit. We aim to create an visceral,...
- 4/2/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Rihanna’s looking ahead to better days, as her new tweet proclaims! Does this mean that her relationship with Chris is getting more serious?
Rihanna and Chris Brown‘s relationship is finally back on solid ground, and it seems as though the pop princess expects the situation to only get better! On Jan. 24, she took to her Instagram account to share a burst of optimism with her followers!
Rihanna, 24, shared a photo of what looks like a peaceful lake at sunset, with bold text over the image that reads, “Better things are coming.” Knowing how in love she and Chris, 23, are, could she be hinting that their relationship will be growing even more serious?
Chris Brown Defends Rihanna On Instagram
Chris recently used social media to defend his on-again girlfriend. After an image appeared on Instagram of Tyler Perry‘s popular Madea character holding a handgun with the words: “Call...
Rihanna and Chris Brown‘s relationship is finally back on solid ground, and it seems as though the pop princess expects the situation to only get better! On Jan. 24, she took to her Instagram account to share a burst of optimism with her followers!
Rihanna, 24, shared a photo of what looks like a peaceful lake at sunset, with bold text over the image that reads, “Better things are coming.” Knowing how in love she and Chris, 23, are, could she be hinting that their relationship will be growing even more serious?
Chris Brown Defends Rihanna On Instagram
Chris recently used social media to defend his on-again girlfriend. After an image appeared on Instagram of Tyler Perry‘s popular Madea character holding a handgun with the words: “Call...
- 1/25/2013
- by Billy Nilles
- HollywoodLife
Bravery For Andrews Doesn’t Lead To Better Things
Every time Pixar releases a film, animation fans euphorically rejoice, as they know John Lasseter and the gang would never steer us wrong. Well, that was until our beloved production studio dropped Cars with a resounding thud that echoed with the sound of toy store cash registers world wide ringing with glee. But following up with a string of four undeniable masterpieces in a row (Ratatouille, Wall-e, Up, and Toy Story 3), fan faith was restored and cranked to an all time high, that is, until Lasseter and friends went for another low class cash grab with Cars 2. As some critics predicting the end of an era as the best and brightest of Pixar’s creative team move on to bigger (but not better) projects (Brad Bird with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and Andrew Stanton with John Carter), things are looking a bit shaky,...
Every time Pixar releases a film, animation fans euphorically rejoice, as they know John Lasseter and the gang would never steer us wrong. Well, that was until our beloved production studio dropped Cars with a resounding thud that echoed with the sound of toy store cash registers world wide ringing with glee. But following up with a string of four undeniable masterpieces in a row (Ratatouille, Wall-e, Up, and Toy Story 3), fan faith was restored and cranked to an all time high, that is, until Lasseter and friends went for another low class cash grab with Cars 2. As some critics predicting the end of an era as the best and brightest of Pixar’s creative team move on to bigger (but not better) projects (Brad Bird with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, and Andrew Stanton with John Carter), things are looking a bit shaky,...
- 6/19/2012
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Ten steps brands need to take to discover their own story and tell it to their customers is the next curated session topic to be revealed for Mumbrella360.
In a session titled “If you must talk, tell me a story – entertain me, inspire me, Omg you’re boring me!”, Richard Parker, head of digital, at branded content creation agency Edge will explore ways that marketers and agencies can tell brand stories in entertaining ways.
According to Parker’s curated session proposal:
Today’s marketing landscape is a tough slog. It’s shifting under our feet. Audiences are increasingly fragmented and cynical.
Technology advances relentlessly. Start-ups appear [and disappear] in the space of months. The next-big-thing is weekly affair.
Today’s black is tomorrow’s beige. Feeling excited, or a tad overwhelmed?
Q. How must we speak to our consumers to engage them to take an action? Inspire them to aspire us?
A.
In a session titled “If you must talk, tell me a story – entertain me, inspire me, Omg you’re boring me!”, Richard Parker, head of digital, at branded content creation agency Edge will explore ways that marketers and agencies can tell brand stories in entertaining ways.
According to Parker’s curated session proposal:
Today’s marketing landscape is a tough slog. It’s shifting under our feet. Audiences are increasingly fragmented and cynical.
Technology advances relentlessly. Start-ups appear [and disappear] in the space of months. The next-big-thing is weekly affair.
Today’s black is tomorrow’s beige. Feeling excited, or a tad overwhelmed?
Q. How must we speak to our consumers to engage them to take an action? Inspire them to aspire us?
A.
- 3/30/2012
- by mumbrella
- Encore Magazine
It was slammed by Us film fans and initially hidden from UK critics, but The Devil Inside's tale of exorcism has proved an instant hit at the box office
The winner
It enjoys a measly 7% Fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, and scored 18/100 at Metacritic. When it opened in the Us, it suffered the rare ignominy of being rated F by film fans measured by market research firm CinemaScore. In the UK, it avoided the slings and arrows of newspaper critics by the simple expedient of not screening to them until the day of release. But none of this mattered too much at the box office, with exorcism horror The Devil Inside (rumoured production budget: £630,000) dethroning John Carter (rumoured production budget: £158m) from the chart summit. With a decent £1.99m opening, this was enough to land it more than £400,000 ahead of action comedy 21 Jump Street.
Genre films traditionally see a front-loaded skew,...
The winner
It enjoys a measly 7% Fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes, and scored 18/100 at Metacritic. When it opened in the Us, it suffered the rare ignominy of being rated F by film fans measured by market research firm CinemaScore. In the UK, it avoided the slings and arrows of newspaper critics by the simple expedient of not screening to them until the day of release. But none of this mattered too much at the box office, with exorcism horror The Devil Inside (rumoured production budget: £630,000) dethroning John Carter (rumoured production budget: £158m) from the chart summit. With a decent £1.99m opening, this was enough to land it more than £400,000 ahead of action comedy 21 Jump Street.
Genre films traditionally see a front-loaded skew,...
- 3/20/2012
- by Charles Gant
- The Guardian - Film News
Hit List is a handful of items that we find noteworthy, shared with you daily on our homepage. Enjoy!
Ten Actors and Actresses to Watch in 2012 from IFC.com
In Defense of Discs and the Desire for Better Things from AVClub.com
The Post-Apocalyptic Morality of “The Walking Dead” from TheAtlantic.com
A Video Store’s Classy Farewell from Buzzfeed.com
New Film Term Alert! “The Cubic Zirconia Era of Hollywood” from Criticwire
Have an item you’d like to see featured on Hit List? Submit it here.
Ten Actors and Actresses to Watch in 2012 from IFC.com
In Defense of Discs and the Desire for Better Things from AVClub.com
The Post-Apocalyptic Morality of “The Walking Dead” from TheAtlantic.com
A Video Store’s Classy Farewell from Buzzfeed.com
New Film Term Alert! “The Cubic Zirconia Era of Hollywood” from Criticwire
Have an item you’d like to see featured on Hit List? Submit it here.
- 3/7/2012
- by Heather Campbell
- IMDb Blog - All the Latest
Established figures in the industry are getting together in Newcastle-upon-Tyne to run workshops for our future Spielbergs
BBC Salford job opportunities have been massively over-subscribed, but here is another opportunity for creative northern talent. Northern Film and Media in Newcastle upon Tyne has partnered-up with Channel 4 in a pilot programme for would-be creators of TV programmes and/or films.
They're calling it The Artist's Cut and acknowledge that the success of films by directors such as Gillian Wearing, Sam Taylor-Wood and Steve McQueen (namesake of the legend) has influenced the idea. The plan is to run workshops aimed at producing two pieces of work which could go on for filming; these will cover pretty much everything the would-be Spielberg needs to know, from storytelling through cinematography, casting, directing and distribution to marketing methods.
Wearing, who won the 1997 Turner Prize, received investment from Nfm for Self Made, her directorial debut...
BBC Salford job opportunities have been massively over-subscribed, but here is another opportunity for creative northern talent. Northern Film and Media in Newcastle upon Tyne has partnered-up with Channel 4 in a pilot programme for would-be creators of TV programmes and/or films.
They're calling it The Artist's Cut and acknowledge that the success of films by directors such as Gillian Wearing, Sam Taylor-Wood and Steve McQueen (namesake of the legend) has influenced the idea. The plan is to run workshops aimed at producing two pieces of work which could go on for filming; these will cover pretty much everything the would-be Spielberg needs to know, from storytelling through cinematography, casting, directing and distribution to marketing methods.
Wearing, who won the 1997 Turner Prize, received investment from Nfm for Self Made, her directorial debut...
- 2/8/2012
- by Martin Wainwright
- The Guardian - Film News
#80. Hyde Park on Hudson Director: Roger MichellWriter: Richard NelsonProducers: David Aukin and Kevin Loader (Wuthering Heights)Distributor: Focus Features The Gist: Based on Richard Nelson's own radio play, in June 1939, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Bill Murray) and his wife Eleanor (Olivia Williams) host the King and Queen of England (Samuel West and Olivia Colman) for a weekend at the Roosevelt home at Hyde Park on Hudson, in upstate New York – the first-ever visit of a reigning English monarch to America. With Britain facing imminent war with Germany, the Royals are desperately looking to Fdr for support...(more) Cast: Bill Murray, Laura Linney, Olivia Williams, Olivia Colman and Samuel West List Worthy Reasons...: While Roger Michell has a spotty record (The Mother and the first 8 minutes of Enduring Love are his best in the past decade) we are stoked about seeing Bill Murray toplining as Fdr, it should be...
- 1/5/2012
- IONCINEMA.com
Future Projections is a program of moving-image artworks which will be on view throughout the city during the Toronto International Film Festival (September 9 through 18). Below is the festival's announcement of the program's lineup; it follows entries laying out the lineups for Visions, Wavelengths, Contemporary World Cinema and Galas and Special Presentations.
Mr. Brainwash: Mr. Brainwash in Toronto (2011). Made famous by the film Exit through the Gift Shop as legendary street-artist Banksy's alter ego, Thierry Guetta , aka Mr. Brainwash, has continued to produce provocative and playful Pop art. His work hungrily appropriates contemporary visual-art masters and cheekily tweaks the nose of gallery-based convention. He will be engaged in multiple projects during the Festival, including a significant, multiple-piece exhibition at Gallery One. His presence will also be felt outside Roy Thomson Hall, with his spray cans towering over the red carpet, providing emergency assistance for evenings requiring additional glamour and pomp.
Mr. Brainwash: Mr. Brainwash in Toronto (2011). Made famous by the film Exit through the Gift Shop as legendary street-artist Banksy's alter ego, Thierry Guetta , aka Mr. Brainwash, has continued to produce provocative and playful Pop art. His work hungrily appropriates contemporary visual-art masters and cheekily tweaks the nose of gallery-based convention. He will be engaged in multiple projects during the Festival, including a significant, multiple-piece exhibition at Gallery One. His presence will also be felt outside Roy Thomson Hall, with his spray cans towering over the red carpet, providing emergency assistance for evenings requiring additional glamour and pomp.
- 8/16/2011
- MUBI
Jet Li Apparently Has Better Things To Do With a director now in place in the shape of Simon West, the man behind “Con Air” and a bunch of movies that offered greatly diminished returns, and with a release date now set for just over a year from now, "The Expendables 2" will presumably start casting up hard soon, but the rumors continue to fly. The last comes from a more legitimate source--kind of--as CEO of Bulgaria-based Nu Boyana studios (where the project will film) David Varod, in an interview with Novinite (via Collider) dropped a whole bunch of names.…...
- 7/29/2011
- The Playlist
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