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Review: Well-Meaning, Respectful, But Bland 'Still Alice' Starring Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart And More
3 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
There are serious maladies that will leave you weak, physically diminished and at your worst, a shell of your former self, but there are few diseases as cruel as Alzheimer's. An unstoppable attack on memory, it gradually strips away the accomplishments, life events, family members, loved ones and more from the mind until nothing is left. It removes a lifetime of knowledge and independence. It's heartbreaking and vicious, reducing sufferers into ghosts of who they were, both to themselves and to their family. And so, it's potent stuff for a family drama, and while "Still Alice" is respectful about the subject matter it tackles, it's to such a degree that the earnest film never lands with greater impact than a well-meaning informational pamphlet. Julianne Moore plays the titular character, who is hardly the face of what many would associate with an "Alzheimer's sufferer." A professor at Columbia, respected academic, devoted »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Watch: Saul Goodman Meets Mike Ehrmantraut In New Clip From 'Better Call Saul'
4 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
"Breaking Bad" may be over, but there are still more stories to tell, and "Better Call Saul" is going to give us all we need to know about the slick, small time lawyer who becomes the go-to guy for a certain drug kingpin in a jam. And AMC continues their brief teases with yet another look at the upcoming series, this time showing us how Saul Goodman (Bob Odenkirk) and fixer extraordinaire Mike Ehrmantraut (Jonathan Banks) first cross paths. The minute-long look finds a dust-up at a parking garage, where Mike apparently works (though we assume there's more to it than that), ending with Saul on the ground and hoping his arm doesn't break. It's amusing stuff, though it seems that either a) the pair didn't meet too long before the events of "Breaking Bad" took place (Banks looks pretty much the same) or b) no one is bothering with »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Daily | Haneke, Korine, Benning
4 hours ago | Keyframe | See recent Keyframe news »
John Waters and Edgar Wright have listed their top ten films of 2014 and the avalanche of nominations and awards has begun to rumble. Also in today's roundup of news and views: Interviews with Michael Haneke, Barry Gifford (Wild at Heart), Harmony Korine, Marion Cotillard and Chris Rock. Reviews of James Benning's Farocki and Shirley Clarke's Portrait of Jason and Ornette: Made in America. And Arte programmer Olivier Père reports on a visit he paid this summer to the set of Philippe Garrel's L’Ombre des femmes. » - David Hudson »
Review: Jean-Marc Vallée's 'Wild' Starring Reese Witherspoon Has Lots Of Dirt, Little Depth
4 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
In the summer of 1995, 26-year-old Cheryl Strayed decided to walk the entire length of the Pacific Crest Trail by herself without ever having attempted a serious hike in her life. Following the death of her mother and after years of dissolute self-destructive behavior, Strayed found herself divorced, alone, lost and filled with despair. Desperately trying to find her humanity and reclaim her ideal self, she impulsively set out on an unpredictable and grueling odyssey from the Mojave desert through California to Oregon over the course of over 150 days. A fascinating story, to be sure, but as re-imagined by screenwriter Nick Hornsby and director Jean-Marc Vallée (“Dallas Buyers Club”), “Wild,” starring Reese Witherspoon, is a well-intentioned but misguided and occasionally even garish adaptation of Strayed's memoir of the same name. Problematically for a story of spiritual redemption, the film never connects to authentic meaning. Beginning in media res —Strayed, played »
- Rodrigo Perez
Jean-Claude Van Damme Joins Remake Of 'Kickboxer'
5 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
We're sure there's a precedent for this somewhere, but it's rare for actors to join remakes of films they previously starred in. But then again, Jean-Claude Van Damme is no regular actor. The martial artist and thespian is replacing Tony Jaa in the currently lensing remake of his breakout hit film "Kickboxer." The actor is taking the role of "Master Chow" which should be....interesting. Dave Baustista, former Ufc champ Georges St. Pierre and some guy named Alain Moussi lead the movie, and with Jcvd involved, we just got more interested. Full press release below. ---------- December 1, 2014 - Ted Field from Radar Films, has announced that Jean-Claude Van-Damme (Jcvd) joined the Kickboxer cast, taking over the role of Master Chow replacing Tony Jaa. The film is produced by Ted Field of Radar Films, Dimitri Logothetis and Nick Celozzi. Mike Weber and Peter Meyer will executive produce. The Exchange is selling Kickboxer worldwide. »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Chris Rock Says Dramas Are Easier To Direct Than Comedies
5 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Chris Rock is getting ready to go hard on the press circuit for his upcoming comedy "Top Five," and his first major interview is over at Vulture. The extensive piece has been making the rounds for the comedian's observations about politics, race relations and more, but he does actually talk about movies as well, and one of the most intriguing insights we get is his argument that drama is actually easier to make than comedy. And he's not equivocating. "It’s not may. It is easier," he says, before using one of the fall's most acclaimed films as an example. "It just is. Hey, man, I loved 'Gone Girl.' Loved it. But you could probably get other directors — I’m not saying they’d make it as good as Fincher, but you could get it from beginning to end and get a reaction out of it, where you can »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Exclusive: Tony Danza Threatens Chris Penn In Clip From Thriller 'Aftermath'
6 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
All it takes is one misunderstanding for things to spiral out of control, and that simple idea is the basis of the upcoming darkly comic thriller "Aftermath." Today we have an exclusive clip that gives you a sense how those two tones are balanced in this unique genre exercise. Starring Anthony Michael Hall, the late Chris Penn (in his final performance), Tony Danza, Elisabeth Rohm, Lily Rabe, Frank Whaley, and written and directed by Thomas Farone, the movie tells the story of Thomas Fiorini, a successful developer who seems to have it all, only to have things come a screeching halt when Tom’s lead foreman Matt and subcontractor Tony start to compete for top position in the company. And when Matt disappears and Tom gets fired, the tension rises in the scene below. "Aftermath" is now playing in New York City and opens in Los Angeles on December 5th. »
- Edward Davis
Daily | Duncan Campbell wins the 2014 Turner Prize
6 hours ago | Keyframe | See recent Keyframe news »
"A 54-minute 'essay film' that refers to Ira martyrdom, Marxist theory and anthropomorphic ketchup dispensers as it explores the value of art won its maker Duncan Campbell the 2014 Turner prize," reports Mark Brown for the Guardian. "It was by no means a surprise." What was a surprise about this year's shortlist, as I noted in May, is that three out of this year’s group of four artists are filmmakers—or at the very least, they incorporate filmmaking into their work. Besides Campbell, we had James Richards and Tris Vonna-Michell—and printmaker Ciara Phillips. Campbell's winning work is inspired by Chris Marker and Alain Resnais. » - David Hudson »
Interview: Marion Cotillard Talks ‘Two Days, One Night,' Grueling Amount Of Takes, ‘The Immigrant,' ‘Macbeth’ & More
6 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
The awards narrative for Marion Cotillard this year been strange. Almost everyone agrees that she delivered two spectacular performances in 2014: one for James Gray’s “The Immigrant” earlier this year and another for the Dardenne brothers’ “Two Days, One Night” which hits U.S. theaters on Christmas Eve. But many pundits think both films are too obscure for Oscar voters. While that's hopefully not the case, Cotillard received some galvanizing news today: she was awarded the New York Film Critics Circle prize for Best Actress for her work in both aforementioned films. That’s quite a feat. In “Two Days, One Night,” Cotillard plays Sandra, a depressive mother just returning to her factory job from a leave of absence who discovers that her position is in peril. The company has decided they can function with one less employee and so Sandra is on the outs. But eventually, it’s »
- Rodrigo Perez
Watch: Every Lightsaber Ignition & Retraction In 'Star Wars' Movies, Plus Lego 'The Force Awakens' Trailer And More
7 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Last Friday, you likely felt the disturbance in the universe when the first trailer for "Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens" arrived online. The internet exploded, there was much shaking and crying, and lots of talk about who exactly was narrating the thing (it's Andy Serkis, in case you're wondering). There was also some head scratching over one of the new lightsaber designs (see above), which makes the weapon seemingly just as dangerous for the user as for whoever is on the receiving end. But making tweaks and adjustments has long been a hallmark of the franchise. You may have seen this already a few years back, but this supercut of every lightsaber ignition and retraction from the first six "Star Wars" films is a really good reminder that overkilling the weapon with multiple sabres, or just stuffing as many as possible into once scene, destroys the elegant simplicity of the initial design. »
- Kevin Jagernauth
15 Films To See in December
7 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
December at the movies is not unlike a log jam. Distributors squeeze any film that has even the slimmest of Oscar potential onto at least a screen or two in New York and L.A. for a qualifying run. So please forgive for us for being curt, but we have a lot of titles to go through this month. The only other context you need is as follows: the smaller, more adult, and typically indie and foreign films on this list are in need of far more attention than the others, so if any of them sound of interest, we recommend you not waste time in seeing them if that's a possibility where you live. They won't last long in cinemas. It’s looking like a solid finish for an already strong year cinematically. There’s but only a few titles left to be screened for critics before 2014 is put to bed, »
- Erik McClanahan
Daily | New York Film Critics Circle: Boyhood
8 hours ago | Keyframe | See recent Keyframe news »
The New York Film Critics Circle, founded in 1935, is the first major association of critics to announce its awards this year. And they've given Boyhood three of their top honors: Best film, director (Richard Linklater) and supporting actress (Patricia Arquette). Nice to see two going to James Gray's The Immigrant as well: Best cinematography (Darius Khondji) and Best actress (Marion Cotillard, taking the honor for her performance in Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne's Two Days, One Night). Best actor goes to Timothy Spall for Mike Leigh's Mr. Turner. »
New York Film Critics Circle Name 'Boyhood' Best Film Of 2014 Plus Full List Of Awards
8 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
The New York Film Critics Circle always likes to be first out of the gate with its awards, and things are no different in 2014. Once again taking to Twitter to slowly reveal each award as they are voted on, the final tallies are in, all the categories are covered, and one of the most talked about movies of the year is on top. In 2013, it was David O. Russell's "American Hustle" walking away with a trifecta of awards, and this year Richard Linklater's "Boyhood" performs similarly, nabbing top honors for Best Film, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress. In the acting categories, four different films are represented, including James Gray's "The Immigrant" which picked up two awards. But remember, the taste of critics and Academy voters don't always align, so don't hold this as an augur for the Oscars too closely. Check out the full list of winners below. »
- Kevin Jagernauth
'The Boxtrolls,' 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' & 'The Lego Movie' Lead Annual Annie Nominations
8 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
The world of stop-motion animation might be slowly going away, but don’t tell that to Laika Studios. They received heartening news today as their picture “The Boxtrolls" is the most nominated film at the 42nd Annual Annie Awards. With thirteen nominations including Best Animated feature, Laika's signature film leads the pack and is followed by DreamWorks Animation’s “How To Train Your Dragon 2” which earned ten nominations. Not far behind is Disney’s “Big Hero 6” with seven nominations, Warner Bros.’ “The Lego Movie” with six, five for 20th Century Fox’s “The Book Of Life” and three for Studio Ghibli’s “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya.” Want to know what films will be the animation frontrunners for the Academy Awards this year? The Annies are always your best bet. Full nominees below. Best Animated Feature "Big Hero 6" "Cheatin’" "How to Train Your Dragon 2" "Song of the Sea »
- Edward Davis
Top 10 Round-Up: John Waters, Cahiers du Cinéma, Sight and Sound
9 hours ago | Filmmaker Magazine - Blog | See recent Filmmaker Magazine news »
Year end top 10 lists are, for some reason, an inflammatory exercise. There are those who balk at the notion of reducing 365-ish days of output to tiers, others who seem to pride themselves on plucking unreleased titles from obscurity, along with the underlying question of authority — as though a given arrangement must be the chosen one. In any event, I just think they’re fun, and few, year after year, are as pithy as John Waters’ list for Artforum. Unsurprisingly, Maps to the Stars and Nymphomaniac make the cut, but he also gives a shout-out to the more middle of the road charmer Gloria, […] »
- Sarah Salovaara
David Cronenberg's 'Maps To The Stars' Tops John Waters' 10 Best Films Of 2014
9 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
...and they keep on coming. It seems the holiday break has fuelled numerous year-end, best-of lists (check the running tally here) and now the always entertaining John Waters has weighed in with his typically far left-of-center selections. Leading the way on the filmmakers' 10 Best Films Of 2014 is David Cronenberg's Hollywood satire, "Maps To The Stars." And his description of it, no matter where you stand on the movie, is perfect: “Hilariously funny and, dare I say it, yes, pernicious. I love this film more than I love my own mustache.” Awesome. Elsewhere his choices veer from forgotten indies like "Charlie Victor Romeo," entries from fellow provocateurs like Lars von Trier's two-volume "Nymphomaniac" to acclaimed foreign films "Gloria" and Bruno Dumont's "L'il Quinquin." So, a little something for everyone. Check out the full list below. [Artforum] John Waters’ Top 10 Films Of 2014 1. Maps To The Stars 2. Charlie »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Watch: New Clip From 'Exodus,' Rupert Murdoch Weighs In On Casting Controversy
9 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
The first reviews for Ridley Scott's "Exodus: Gods And Kings" are rolling in (here's ours), but there is something surrounding the production that is bigger than the CGI special effects, parting of the Red Sea, and the numerous plagues found in the movie: the controversy over the Hollywood casting of the ancient-Egypt-set story. The director didn't help matters with his somewhat blasé response citing economic reasons, while Christian Bale defended the filmmaker's right to cast who he wants, and his own decision to take the lead part. Now, 20th Century Fox honcho Rupert Murdoch has waded into the debate on the most eloquent of platforms: Twitter. The executive hit the social media site over the Thanksgiving holiday to tell everyone to "calm down" and then share his own views that everyone he knows in Egypt is white, so therefore, case closed when it comes to 'Exodus.' Clearly, someone »
- Kevin Jagernauth
2015 Slamdance Film Festival Lineup Revealed
9 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
It's that time of year when not only do we say goodbye to 2014, we look ahead to 2015. And January is not that far away, with the Sundance Film Festival set to bring the movies we'll be talking about all next year. And while we wait for the first wave of Sundance titles to be announced later this week, the festival's smaller cousin Slamdance is getting things rolling first. Slamdance organizers have revealed their slate of Wold Premiere Narrative and Documentary movies coming to Park City. And these are truly indie films, featuring directors from around the world who are still very much on the rise, and actors who are still working to get name recognition. It's the kind of lineup that's exciting because these movies are exactly the kind that could feature the next Richard Linklater or Philip Seymour Hoffman — simply, there's lots of talent here waiting to be discovered. »
- Kevin Jagernauth
Slamdance Announces its 2015 Narrative and Documentary Slates
10 hours ago | Filmmaker Magazine - Blog | See recent Filmmaker Magazine news »
The initial lineups for the 21st edition of the Slamdance Film Festival are here via Variety‘s Dave McNary. This year’s edition sports 13 world premieres, two North American premieres and three Us premieres; their statuses are noted below. For trailers and links to more information as available, turn to Fandor’s David Hudson. Narrative Features Program Across the Sea. Directors & Screenwriters: Nisan Dağ, Esra Saydam. (Turkey/USA). North American Premiere. Young, beautiful and pregnant, Damla has to confront her first love in a Turkish summer town before she can fully embrace her new life in New York. Cast: Damla Sönmez, Jacob Fishel, Ahmet Rıfat Şungar, Hakan […] »
- Filmmaker Staff
Daily | Angelina Jolie’s Unbroken
10 hours ago | Keyframe | See recent Keyframe news »
"For her second film as a director," begins the Guardian's Andrew Pulver, "Angelina Jolie has elected to go down the old-school Hollywood route: an inspirational war picture about athlete-turned-soldier Louis Zamperini, who survived weeks adrift in an open boat after his plane was shot down over the Pacific during the second world war, then endured a horrific period in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. Though high-minded and well-intentioned—as well as being conceived on an epic scale—there’s something faintly stodgy and safety-first about the endeavor." We've got more reviews and the trailer for Unbroken starring Jack O’Connell, Domhnall Gleeson and Garrett Hedlund. » - David Hudson »
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