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Review: Warm And Charming 'The Lunchbox' An Easy Decision At The Cinematic Takeout Counter
9 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
The staple of any good rom-com is an original, clever meet-cute, and writer/director Ritesh Batra certainly has a good one for his feature debut "The Lunchbox." The missed connection in this picture that winds up bringing two strangers into each other's orbit is a mix-up involving the delivery of the titular lunchbox. It's a familiar practice in India, with housewives (and restaurants) preparing hot meals in the morning, and through a rather impressive system of trains and rickshaws, they get delivered to their husbands at the office, with nary a mistake. At least until Ila's (Nimrat Kaur) steel, segmented canister of naan and curry winds up on the desk of Saajan (Irrfan Khan). And while you might think you can predict what happens next, Batra takes this rather charming set-up and quietly unfolds a film that is by turns both funny and moving, and a potent reflection on life's »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Watch: Teaser Trailer For Kanye West's Concert Film 'Yeezus'
9 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Yes, he's got a big mouth, bigger ego and can let himself get in the way of his undeniable talent, but Kanye West knows how to put on a show. His current Yeezus tour is certainly a sensation, a massive spectacle, with costumes, lights and yes, great songs. And if you think it's positively cinematic, well, there's some good news for you. The rapper has dropped the teaser trailer for "Yeezus," a concert film of the same name that will be hitting theaters at some point in the near future. There's no other details yet, other than it was directed by music video veteran Hype Williams (who has helmed "Diamonds From Sierra Leone," "Gold Digger," "Drive Slow," "Stronger," "Can't Tell Me Nothing," "Homecoming," "Heartless" and "Runaway" for West). And in case you're wondering, no, this isn't the project Kanye is working on with Bret Easton Ellis. @VanityFair it isn't based on yeezus. »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Adam McKay Says There Will Be No 'Anchorman 3'
9 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
With "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues' arriving in theaters on a wave of hype, endless advertising, countless personal appearances by Ron Burgundy and much more, Paramount is likely satisfied that the long awaited sequel bested its predecessor at the box office, though it wasn't a knockout punch. "Anchorman: The Legend Continues" notched $95 million worldwide, and the sequel (to date), $169 million. Respectable, but even "Elf" and "Talladega Nights: The Ballad Of Ricky Bobby" did better at the domestic box office. All this to say: Ron Burgundy is hanging up his jacket. Speaking with Empire, director Adam McKay revealed that the adventures of the Channel 4 news team are over. “It’s done,” he said. “I think that’s it. It was great to do it and it was so fun to work with those guys again, but I think that’s it for Ron Burgundy.” “No, that’s the last sequel we’re gonna do, »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Can SundanceTV's New Drama 'The Red Road' Live Up To Its Impressive Pedigree?
10 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
"The Red Road," the SundanceTV original drama premiering tonight, February 27th at 9pm, is the creation of Aaron Guzikowski, the writer of Denis Villeneuve's deft "Prisoners." Like that film, the series is the story of two men engaged in a kind of competition in which, it feels, there can be no winners. In "Prisoners," the race was to find out what had happened to two kidnapped girls, with the father of one, played by Hugh Jackman, electing to torture his suspect of choice while the detective on the case, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, took more conventional routes. There's a cop in "The Red Road" too, Sheriff Harold Jensen (Martin Henderson) of Walpole, NJ, who ends up under the thumb of ex-con and current criminal Phillip Kopus (Jason Momoa) after an incident involving Harold's wife, Jean (Julianne Nicholson). Their uneasy partnership, based around an acknowledgment mutual self-destruction, seems destined to end in tragedy. »
- Alison Willmore
Fourth annual New Voices in Black Cinema festival at BAMcinématek Announces Lineup
10 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
Black independent films have become much more prominent in recent years, and credit is partially due to the New Voices in Black Cinema festival, presented by BAMcinématek and now entering into its fourth year. The festival, co-presented by the Fort Greene-based ActNow Foundation, will run from Thursday, March 27 through Sunday, March 30. Reflecting the wide spectrum of views and themes within the African communities in Brooklyn and beyond, the series features three New York premieres, one world premiere, and special guests at most screenings, aiming to provides a showcase for new and established voices in black independent cinema. Martin Majeske, managing director for ActNow Foundation, said of the partnership with BAMcinématek, "ActNow is extremely excited to be moving into its fourth year with New Voices in Black Cinema. This year’s lineup features fantastic narrative and documentary films that showcase the depth and diversity of the African-American »
- Ziyad Saadi
“I Wanted to Live in That World From Morning to Evening”: Fyodor Bondarchuk on Stalingrad`
10 hours ago | Filmmaker Magazine - Blog | See recent Filmmaker Magazine news »
Fyodor Bondarchuk’s father Sergei made the 1967 War And Peace, a famously profligate Soviet production with thousands of army soldiers as extras and the biggest budget in the Ussr’s history. His son came up through music videos and advertisements, making a splash with 2005’s Afghan War drama The 9th Company. The lavish Stalingrad was shot in two parts, as much as possible in 3D; if nothing else, it’ll go down in a sub-section of film history as Russia’s first IMAX film. It’s a tremendously odd film, the kind of overtly nationalistic take on the WWII battle you’d expect from an […] »
- Vadim Rizov
Review: Charming And Playful 'Chlorine' Paints A Harmless, Enjoyable Picture Of Upstate America
10 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
“America is not a young land; it is old and dirty and evil before the settlers, before the Indians. The evil is there waiting.” That's the William S. Burroughs quote that opens Jay Alaimo's “Chlorine” but not before we get a close-up of a moustached nose taking a bump of coke to the sounds of uplifting violins on the soundtrack. Quick flashes of some of the major characters clearly hating their lives appear in rapid succession and everything fades to white to reveal Burroughs' quote on evil. But thanks to what precedes and follows those ominously serious words, it's clear that the quote is only an additional ingredient to the stir-fry of energy that Alaimo's message is part of. As Vincent D'Onofrio's Roger bumbles around in a bookstore looking at a nudie magazine, Tijuana Panther's “Redheaded Girl” kicks in as a reminder that you're about to watch an »
- Nikola Grozdanovic
Watch: Seth Rogen Speaks To Congress About Alzheimer's Disease
10 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Seth Rogen took some time out from signing up for a zillion projects and generally being his usually goofy self, to head to Washington to speak to Congress about research for Alzheimer's disease. Yes, this is Rogen being serious for a moment and it's worth a watch. The actor generally doesn't overshare about his personal life, but he does so here, telling politicians about watching his mother-in-law succumb to the disease, with the signs first showing in her mid-fifties. It was an education for the actor on Alzheimer's and how the disease can leave people unable to care for themselves or identify the loved ones around them. And he wants awareness and research to go into the battle to find a cure. He's doing his part setting up the organization Hilarity For Charity, and he wants the government to do theirs. "I've personally seen the massive amount of financial strain this disease causes, »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Participant Media and FilmBuff Nab 'The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz'
10 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
Sundance 2014 has long passed, but Sundance Acquisitions 2014 are still going strong. Participant Media and FilmBuff have acquired Brian Knappenberger's documentary "The Internet's Own Boy: The Story of Aaron Swartz." The film, which played in the U.S. Documentary Competition at Sundance and will screen at SXSW 2014, follows internet activist and programmer Swartz from his involvement in RSS and Reddit to his increased activism and controversial downloading of nearly four million academic articles form the online service Jstor, which led to Swartz's arrest, trial, and eventual suicide. The film was directed, written, and produced by Knappeberger ("We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists") and executive produced by Charles Annenberg Weingarten, Zach Braff and Mason Fink. "From the moment I started filming, I wanted to find a way to both bring Aaron's story to the widest possible audience and to use the film to advance the principles he cared about, »
- Max O'Connell
Robert Rodriguez's El Rey Network Will Air An 'Inside the Actors Studio' for Directors
10 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
Robert Rodriguez is a busy man. So busy, in fact, he doesn't have time to sit down and think up a new series. He just creates one from whatever he's already doing. To promote his new television network, El Rey, Rodriguez hosted a press breakfast yesterday to discuss the pilot for "From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series" among other projects in development. The cable channel, which launched in December, also airs Rodriguez-approved films and TV series like "Starsky & Hutch" and "The X-Files." "Some of the movies we're showing, I wanted to get introductions from the directors themselves to help curate it," Rodriguez said. "John Carpenter had some movies like 'The Fog,' 'The Thing,' and 'Escape from New York,' that were going to play, so I went to go film his introductions, and I thought, 'While I'm here, might as well knock out a show. »
- Ben Travers
Marc Webb To Direct Non-'Spider-Man' Spy Flick, Andrzej Wajda Preps Biopic & More
10 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
At one time, Marc Webb was the guy who directed some music videos and the charming rom-com "(500) Days Of Summer." And the next thing he knew, he was caught in the web of "The Amazing Spider-Man," directing two films of the franchise so far, and recently confirmed for the third. But it looks like he's getting an exit strategy together. Fox has snapped up the rights to the upcoming book "Cold Comfort (aka How To Catch A Russian Spy)" co-written by journalist Ellis Henican, with the material being developed for Webb to direct. The comedy, which is said to have a lead role perfect for a Jonah Hill type, tells the story of a self-taught spy who works with the FBI to track down a Russian agent in the United States. Sounds cool bro, but with Webb tied up through 2016 with Spidey, this is a long way off. [Deadline] Polish filmmaking »
- Kevin Jagernauth
True/False Review: Robert Greene's Mesmerizing 'Actress' Features a Disgruntled Actress-Turned-Housewife Facing Life After 'The Wire'
11 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
"Brandy Burre is Actress," reads the opening credit of Robert Greene’s aptly titled documentary "Actress," setting the stage for a movie wholly consumed by that single, hypnotizing presence. A once-promising thespian who abandoned a role on HBO’s “The Wire” to start a family in upstate New York, Burre invites a tantalizing mixture of fascination and pity. Less nonfiction portrait than a poetic framing of domestic frustrations, "Actress" is about a lot more than flailing show business aspirations. On the surface, Burre's hardships aren't unique; it's swiftly established that she abandoned her profession to take care of her children. But Greene -- whose lyrical focus on alienated lives included "Fake It So Real" (amateur wrestlers) and "Kati With an I" (a Southern teen faces the onset of adulthood) -- makes it clear that Burre faces a perilous identity crisis. First seen with her back to the camera and facing a sea of dirty dishes, »
- Eric Kohn
Patrick Wilson Joins Edgar Wright's 'Ant-Man,' Marvel Plans 'Avengers: Age Of Ultron' Teaser In March
11 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Patrick Wilson doesn't do the blockbuster thing very often, and when he has—"Watchmen," "The A-Team"—the results have been mixed to say the least. But he's going to give it another shot, because when Marvel comes calling, you pick up the phone. The actor has joined Edgar Wright's "Ant-Man," according to Deadline, getting set up alongside a cast that includes Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas and Michael Pena. His role? It's not being revealed just yet, and in fact, not much is known about the plot except that it will be a "heist movie" (though we'd advise not to take that phrase too literally). But with the movie just over a year away, set for July 17, 2015, and filming to begin soon, we'd wager more intel will be coming soon. And speaking of 2015, Marvel is getting ready to tease their big sequel "The Avengers: Age Of Ultron" next month. Joss Whedon »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Watch: Mirrored Masks and Cloaked Figures in Kanye West's 'Yeezus' Trailer
11 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
Kanye West dropped the trailer for "Yeezus" last night, during an appearance on "Late Night with Seth Meyers." Vulture speculates that "Yeezus" is separate from the film that West is writing with Bret Easton Ellis -- a notion that has yet to be confirmed. The trailer, which can be viewed on West's website, consists of footage from the tour. Although West's combination of religious motifs with pop culture likens him to a god, his imagery actually resembles Lady Gaga's work on "The Fame" and "The Fame Monster." Specifically, the figured cloaked in white and the mask made of mirrors that we see in West's trailer, appear to be re-appropriations of Gaga's white nun outfit in the "Bad Romance" video and the famous disco bra she sports in the video for "Just Dance." Perhaps West isn't a god after all. »
- Shipra Gupta
The Diamond Brothers Dissect the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K
12 hours ago | Filmmaker Magazine - Blog | See recent Filmmaker Magazine news »
Award-winning producer/directors Josh and Jason Diamond, aka The Diamond Brothers, reviewed the Blackmagic Production Camera 4K yesterday at an event hosted by Adorama Rental Company in downtown Manhattan. The co-directors of 2012 documentary Bring on the Mountain and executive producers of features including Light and the Sufferer, starring Paul Dano, and Exploding Girl, starring Zoe Kazan, talked about some of the pros and cons of using the Production Camera 4K, which is available now for preorder for the reduced price of $2,995. Josh and Jason, who recently completed a 13-part series for Fila and a launch spot for Sony’s PS4, […] »
- Graham Winfrey
Jonathan Levine To Direct Feature Film Version Of Acclaimed Documentary 'Brooklyn Castle'
12 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Jonathan Levine is spending February lining up project after project. This summer, he's reteaming with his "50/50" stars Seth Rogen and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to shoot a Christmas comedy, he's got a TV series based on the life of Nas called "Street Dreams" cooking, and he's also in the mix to direct Marvel's "Doctor Strange." (And don't forget he's also got "Bad Romance" with Channing Tatum in there as well). And yet another project has crossed Levine's desk which he'll be taking on. Deadline reports that Levine will turn Katie Dellamaggiore's winning 2012 documentary "Brooklyn Castle" (our review) into a feature film. And it's not hard to see the cinema in the story. The doc follows a handful of kids of I.S. 318 in Brooklyn, who are part of one of the best chess programs in the country, with the school delivering championship after championship. It's the major silver lining for the students, »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Watch: Brad Pitt Wears A Gimp Costume, Makes Out With A Dolphin In Forgotten Film Debut
12 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Sometimes it seems like Brad Pitt emerged from the womb this handsome and talented. Not so, it turns out, as pop culture archeologist and La Weekly film critic Amy Nicholson recently discovered by unearthing footage from the actor's little seen 1988 debut "The Dark Side of the Sun." We imagine these materials were located in a vast warehouse like at the end of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." While the article is worth reading (and watching) in full, the basics are this: a 24-year-old Pitt, looking fresh-faced and acting as awkwardly as Pitt is ever likely to act (that voice over! Egads!), signed on to this barely-watched Yugoslavian drama. It's got everything—Pitt in a gimp costume not unlike the one in "Pulp Fiction" (something that muffles his trademark voice into an indistinguishable purr), Pitt kissing a dolphin, and a weird romance involving Pitt and his leather-bound alter ego. It sounds amazing. »
- Drew Taylor
Film Society of Lincoln Center Presents 'Nymphomaniac,' 'Only Lovers Left Alive,' and 9 Other First Run Films
12 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
Spring is coming, and with it the end of the winter film doldrums. Appropriately, the Film Society of Lincoln Center plans to present 11 first run films over the next three months. The new series kicks off February 28 with "Fatal Assistance," Haitian-born filmmaker Raoul Peck's look at the challenge of rebuilding post-earthquake Haiti. The run will continue in March with the Valeria Golino's Cannes (Un Certain Regard) film "Honey," about a woman who smuggles a powerful barbiturate from Mexico to assist the suicide of the terminally ill; Japanese director Sion Sono's films "Guilty of Romance" and "Himizu;" Freida Mock's Anita Hill documentary "Anita;" and Lars von Trier's much-anticipated "Nymphomaniac, Vol I." "Nymphomaniac, Vol II" will follow in April, along with Singapore's Foreign Language Film submission "Ilo Ilo" and Jim Jarmusch's vampire movie, "Only Lovers Left Alive," which will also be part of a retrospective including all 11 of Jarmusch's features. »
- Max O'Connell
Zach Braff's Kickstarter-Funded Feature 'Wish I Was Here' Gets July 18 Release from Focus Features
12 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
"Wish I Was Here" will be here on July 18, if "here" means New York or Los Angeles. Focus Features announced today Zach Braff's Kickstarter-funded project will see its first public screenings this summer with initial engagements on the coasts before expanding the following two weekends. Focus Features committed to a theatrical rollout of 500 theaters or more when it purchased distribution rights in January after "Wish I Was Here" premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Indiewire's Chief Film Critic Eric Kohn gave the film a "C" grade following its debut, saying "Braff hasn't made another generational statement, but rather a regurgitation of tropes that got old a long time ago." Given the mixed reviews, Braff's film seems destined to be known for its contentious Kickstarter campaign rather than whatever actually happens in the film. Will you be attending in July, dear readers, or has all the attention tired you out? »
- Ben Travers
Liam Neeson Is 'Non-Stop': 12 Action Stars Who Still Kicked Butt After 60
12 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
This week, Liam Neeson can be seen in “Non Stop,” the latest in a surprisingly active career as an action star. While Neeson has a history peppered with prestige films here and there, make no mistake, his most recent resumé consists of kicking ass and taking names. What no one mentions is that Neeson, who is soon scheduled to show up in a third “Taken” film, is actually a spectacular 61 years old, which is impressive considering the leaping, punching, and growling he’s done in recent years. Have you seen your parents lately? They can barely open the door and hoodies terrify them. Neeson, however, isn’t the first: there’s a legion of cinematic legends who merely used 60 as a guidepost, not an excuse to hang it up. Neeson has famously said he’ll keep doing this until they ask him not to, and that’s a philosophy that »
- Gabe Toro
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