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Lorne Michaels on ‘SNL’s’ Future, Seth Meyers’ Partisanship, Recruiting Larry David and Not Apologizing for Trump
5 hours ago
Lorne Michaels is ready to get away from it all.
Not permanently, of course. Michaels has never been more powerful in television, as he oversees NBC’s late night crown jewels and produces buzzy comedies like IFC’s “Portlandia.” But after overseeing six episodes of NBC’s “Maya and Marty,” which came straight off the “Saturday Night Live” finale, he’s ready to take a two-week vacation. Then it’s back to scouting for new “Saturday Night Live” talent and prepping for the show’s 42nd season.
But before he hit the road, Michaels talked with IndieWire about the state of his ever-growing empire, which is gearing up to take on a historic election season.
Among the highlights: “Saturday Night Live” will likely produce several live primetime “Weekend Update” editions during the lead-up to the November election, just as it did in 2008 and 2012. Also: Michaels agrees that NBC’s “The Apprentice »
- Michael Schneider
Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival Unveils Historic 2016 Lineup
8 hours ago
Michael Moore’s 12th annual Traverse City Film Festival is right around the corner. This year the celebration will run from July 26 -31 in Michigan and boast over 200 film screenings. Unlike any other, the historical events will feature productions like “The 33,” “Citizen Kane,” “Dope,” “Hell or High Water,” “Here Alone,” “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” “Mustang” and many more critically acclaimed films.
Some of this year’s special events also include Michiganders Make Movies, a selection of films made by people from Michigan, free morning filmmaker panels, Kids Fest, midnight movie interruptions with comedian Doug Benson, The Sidebar: Food on Film and Open Space, an outdoor cinema under the stars.
Read More: Review: Has Michael Moore Gone Soft? With ‘Where to Invade Next,’ He Changes His Tune
Traverse City Film Festival will also include films centering around the Presidential election and a worldwide live screening event of Moore’s new picture, »
- Liz Calvario
‘Lights Out’ Trailer: Terrifying Spirit Feeds Off Fear When Lights Go Off
8 hours ago
The latest trailer for the horror film “Lights Out” reminds you that everyone is afraid of the dark and that evil spirits feed on that fear. Produced by James Wan, the mastermind behind “The Conjuring 2” and “Insidious,” Teresa Palmer stars as Rebecca, a woman haunted by a creature that only appears when the lights go out.
In the new teaser, viewers get more of the backstory of the woman living in the shadows, Diana. When Rebecca’s little brother experiences the same unexplained and terrifying events as she did, both their safety gets threatened. They soon find out that the mysterious spirit is their mother’s past friend who reemerges after being dead.
Read More: ‘The Conjuring 2’: James Wan’s Prank Is Utterly Terrifying — Watch
The film is helmed by David F. Sandberg, who is making his feature directorial debut. Additional cast members include Gabriel Bateman, Alexander Dipersia, »
- Liz Calvario
Studio Ghibli Animator Makiko Futaki: A Tribute
9 hours ago
After Studio Ghibli veteran Makiko Futaki died in May, Pixar’s animator-director Peter Sohn (“The Good Dinosaur”) agreed to write a tribute and discovered a personal style in re-examining her work.
Makiko Futaki lived a life of animation. She worked on films from Katsuhiro Otomo’s “Akira” to Hayao Miyazaki’s “Howl’s Moving Castle.”
To be honest, I did not know her work until I had heard of her unfortunate passing in May at the young age of 57. Her list of film credits were jaw dropping. She had injected her talent into many of the greatest films of all time.
Animation can be an invisible art form because it is so collaborative. It is sometimes hard to discern which animator animated what scene in a particular film, but after watching several films an animator drew moments for, one can begin to see a personal style.
In Miyazaki’s “Laputa, »
- Bill Desowitz
IndieWire’s Movie Podcast: Screen Talk (Episode 103): ‘Neon Demon’ Showcases Amazon Studios’ Big Goals
9 hours ago
Amazon Studios has been generating headlines for a while now, but with this week’s release of two movies — “Neon Demon” and “Wiener-Dog” — the company’s lofty goals are being put into practice. Or, at least, some of its lofty goals. But what are those goals, anyway? In this week’s episode of Screen Talk, Eric Kohn and Anne Thompson discuss Amazon’s current track record as well as some of the bigger ambitions it has further down the line, including its plans for Oscar season. The pair also touch on summer movie season and salute the career of the late Anton Yelchin.
Listen to the full episode above.
Screen Talk is available on iTunes. You can subscribe here or via RSS. Share your feedback with Thompson and Kohn on Twitter or sound off in the comments. Browse previous installments here, review the show on and be sure to let »
- Indiewire Staff
Kanye West’s ‘Famous’ Music Video Debut Live Stream: Watch The Event For Free Here
9 hours ago
Kanye West is pulling all the stops for the release of his latest music video, “Famous.” Today, the rapper is throwing a special event at The Forum in Inglewood, California to debut the visual for his newest single, and you can be a part of it too!
The Kanye extravaganza will be live streamed globally on Tidal, much like the launch of his album “The Life Of Pablo,” only this time it will be available to subscribers and non-subscribers. Thereafter, the video will remain exclusively on the platform for a week.
Read More: The Imperfect Male Artist: From Pablo Picasso to Kanye West, We’re Still Fascinated by Jerks
The premiere begins at 10pm Et/7pm Pt on Friday night. You can watch it by clicking here, or clicking on the link in the Tidal tweet below.
The livestream of @kanyewest's Famous premiere is at 7pm Pt. https://t.co/7th0RlStdG pic. »
- Liz Calvario
Ricky Gervais, Hugh Laurie & More of Hollywood’s British Community Shocked About Brexit Vote
10 hours ago
Many of Britain’s notable entertainment figures were shocked upon hearing that the country had decided to pull itself from the European Union. Thursday’s vote on Brexit – the name given to the decision if the United Kingdom should remain a member of the E.U. – resulted in 52 percent in favor of departing and 48 percent wanting to stay.
The bitterly divided nation’s choice could leave the county’s economy and government in disarray and unleash unforeseen consequences that have many in Hollywood worried. The results of the referendum resulted in a slew of negative feelings from the entertainment industry’s well-known players. Ricky Gervais posted various comments on Twitter, even joking about Donald Trump.
The UK may be in economic crisis but at least Donald Trump has turned up.
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) June 24, 2016
Terrible day for Britain. Great day for Twitter though. So, every cloud.
— Ricky Gervais (@rickygervais) June 24, 2016
Joking aside, »
- Liz Calvario
Review: ‘Three’ Is Another Dazzling Formal Exercise From Action Master Johnnie To
10 hours ago
God bless Johnnie To. A prolific formalist whose lyrical flair for stories of cops and robbers regularly embarrasses the work of his Western contemporaries, the maverick Hong Kong auteur behind the likes of “Election” and “Running on Karma” is 36 years (and almost 70 features) into his career and he’s still making movies without a safety net.
“Three” is decidedly minor stuff for such a major filmmaker, but there’s nevertheless something remarkable about watching a master like To reverse-engineer an entire thriller from a single idea that he just had to try — in this case, a climactic shootout unlike anything you’ve seen before.
The raison d’être for To’s latest doesn’t become apparent until the final movements of this meticulously arranged 87-minute chamber piece, but the patient build-up to it is part of the fun. Confining the action to the crowded guts of a big Hong Kong hospital, »
- David Ehrlich
Box Office Preview: ‘Finding Dory’ Will Drown Out ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’
11 hours ago
$200-million sequel “Independence Day: Resurgence” (20th Century Fox), among the most expensive summer 2016 releases, will test the idea that the public demands something new in a sequel in order to rush out to see it.
With the studio largely skipping pre-release screenings for domestic critics (London reviews were mixed), Fox is banking that two-decade-plus memories of the first film (whose star Will Smith did not return) and selling a surplus of action, effects and 3D beyond what was available in 1996 would give it life.
The first version was the biggest film of 1996, with an adjusted domestic gross of $594 million off a $97 million opening. That made it the fifth-ranked gross of the 90s, and until now was one of the few live-action blockbusters of recent years to lack a sequel.
Director Roland Emmerich went on to further success: six films with domestic grosses, again adjusted, over $100 million, led by “The Day After Tomorrow” and “Godzilla. »
- Tom Brueggemann
‘Showgirls’ Behind The Scenes: Paul Verhoeven On Why He Created An Erotic Cult Classic
11 hours ago
Back in 1995 when the Paul Verhoeven-directed film “Showgirls” was released, it didn’t fare well with audiences and critics. The overly-sexualized film starring Elizabeth Berkley was supposed to be the most iconic Nc-17 movie of all time and ended up being a major flop. The actress was even distraught after the initial reaction to the film, adding that she quit dancing for a while because of it.
Twenty-one years later, “Showgirls” is now a cult classic with fans, and even Berkley, embracing the sensual drama.
Read More: Elizabeth Berkley Finally Owns ‘Showgirls’ With Fabulous Intro at Cinespia (Video)
In this behind the scenes video, the “Saved by the Bell” star and director give viewers a taste of the dance rehearsals. “I didn’t know anything about Vegas, I thought it was feathers and stuff,” explains Verhoeven. “But when I heard dancing and showgirls, I thought it would be fun »
- Liz Calvario
Michael Sheen To Direct First Film with ‘Green River Killer’
12 hours ago
Michael Sheen is set to both star in and make his directorial debut with “Green River Killer.” The film will follow Tom Jensen, a detective who dedicated 20 years of his life searching for and eventually catching the Green River Killer — a serial killer who took 49 lives in Seattle during the ’80s and ’90s.
Sheen will play the killer, Gary Ridgway. He also wrote the script for the film, which was adapted from the Dark Horse Entertainment graphic novel by Tom Jensen’s son “Green River Killer: A True Detective Story” and had placed amongst the best on the Black List in 2015.
Read More: ‘Masters of Sex’ Creator Michelle Ashford on Season 4 Plans and Beyond
The film will be produced and financed by QC Entertainment. Producers Sean McKittrick and Ray Mansfield said, “Michael has written an elegant script which brings his sophisticated vision to subverting the typical serial killer movie. Jensen »
- Kyle Kizu
‘Free State of Jones’ Review Roundup: Matthew McConaughey-Starring Historical Epic Isn’t For Everybody
12 hours ago
The McConnaissance is…not entirely back. “Free State of Jones,” which features Matthew McConaughey’s first major role since “Interstellar,” stars the Oscar winner in a role that should be tailormade for more awards glory: As the often overlooked and frequently forgotten Newton Knight, who launched his own insurrection during the Civil War, alongside free men and slaves alike. The film has been a long time passion project for director Gary Ross, but the final product has been labeled a misfire of a historical epic, one that goes for by-the-numbers miniseries plotting over actual passion, a film that can’t even capitalize fully on its stellar cast, which also includes Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Keri Russell.
Most critics aren’t big fans of the film, and even the ones who liked it — or at least gave it a positive review to warrant a “Fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes — don’t sound entirely »
- Kate Erbland
Kartemquin Turns 50: How the Production Company’s Homemade Camera Shaped the History of Documentaries — Watch
12 hours ago
The “direct cinema” and “cinéma vérité” movement pioneered by non-fiction filmmakers like Robert Drew and the Maysles was in part fueled by advances in camera technology. Similar to how the digital technology has forever altered our current documentary landscape, in the 1950’s and 1960’s, the big advancement was faster film stock (which needed less light for exposure) and portable 16mm cameras with a crystal sync — which allowed sound to be recorded independently and later synchronized in post-production. That gave tremendous freedom to filmmakers to follow subjects and capture everyday life.
Read More: How the Footage of Bernie Sanders Being Arrested in 1963 Was Discovered By Kartemquin Films
The intimacy and fluidity of these films that spawned from the new equipment inspired three aspiring documentarians from University of Chicago: Stan Karter, Jerry Temaner, and Gordon Quinn, who founded Kartemquin Films (the company’s name came from a combination of letters »
- Chris O'Falt
What It Takes to Write ‘The Tonight Show’ (And The Writers’ 5 Favorite Sketches)
12 hours ago
To appreciate how much work goes into writing a show like “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon,” ask a writer how many jokes they must write on any given day for any given segment. The answer is easily dozens, and that doesn’t include comedy pitches for celebrity guests and big sketch ideas like the show’s famed TV show parodies.
Gerard Bradford, a supervising writer for “Tonight Show,” broke down for IndieWire just how intense the production process can be. He also revealed some of his favorite sketches from the past year, and their more unusual inspirations.
What does having a regular schedule for specific desk bits like “Thank You Notes” mean for the rhythm of writing the show?
It definitely helps – especially on a show like ours where we’re doing five hour-long shows a week, and each show can be very different content-wise on any given day. »
- Liz Shannon Miller
Nicolas Winding Refn On A ‘Drive’ Sequel: Same Studios That Didn’t Want The First One Were Begging For A Second
13 hours ago
For years, people have been asking Nicolas Winding Refn about the possibility of having a sequel to his 2011 hit film “Drive,” starring Ryan Gosling. Back in 2012, he got many people’s hopes up when he revealed that he was considering a spin-off, “The character of The Driver might return in another film. We’re playing with that idea. We’ll see what happens,” he told The Evening Standard at the time.
But now, years later, he sets the record straight on a potential “Drive 2.”
“No, there will never be a second ‘Drive’ movie,” the helmer told Inverse. When asked if it was because of the “perfect” ending he replied, “No, it ends too imperfectly. And that’s why it works.”
Read More: ‘The Neon Demon’ Director Nicolas Winding Refn Says Nobody Liked ‘Drive’ At First
When “Drive” was in the works, financiers and studios originally weren’t too thrilled about it. »
- Liz Calvario
‘Neon Demon’ Dp Natasha Braier: How She Turned Bright Color Schemes Into A Nicolas Winding Refn Nightmare
13 hours ago
When cinematographer Natasha Braier first read “Neon Demon,” she didn’t particularly like writer-director Nicolas Winding Refn’s script.
“When we met at his house he asked what I thought of the script and I was honest about what wasn’t working for me,” Braier told IndieWire in a recent interview. “Nicolas smiled, ‘Oh, you got the fake script.’ Apparently he is very cautious about sending his real scripts out into the world.”
On her drive home from Refn’s, Braier’s agent called saying she’d been offered job.
Read More: In ‘The Neon Demon,’ The Real Villain Is Female Competition – Girl Talk
“I said that I’d love to work with him, but I don’t really know what the movie is about,” Braier recalled with a laugh. Her agent asked if she wanted to wait for Refn to send her the real script. Feeling she had made »
- Chris O'Falt
‘My King’ Exclusive Trailer: Emmanuelle Bercot Goes Wild In Cannes-Winning Performance
13 hours ago
Last year’s Cannes Film Festival was a banner event for beloved French actress and filmmaker Emmanuelle Bercot, as her “Standing Tall” (which she both wrote and directed) opened the festival and then she walked away from the fest with the Best Actress prize for her stunning turn in Maïwenn’s “My King” (“Mon Roi”).
Read More: ‘Mon roi’ Trailer: Vincent Cassel and Emmanuelle Bercot Fall Apart in Maïwenn’s Cannes-Winning Drama
It’s easy to see why Bercot picked up the award for her work in the film, a daring new take on France’s many tales of amour fou, and one that hinges on her all-timer of a performance, bolstered by a wonderful turn by her co-star Vincent Cassel. The film went on to be nominated for eight César Awards including Best Picture, Actress and Actor, and will soon open in the States.
The film follows Bercot’s Tony, »
- Kate Erbland
How ‘Gravity’ Inspired This Summer’s Crazy Shark Movie
13 hours ago
Identity crisis. Airplane hijinks. Killer sharks. Is there a common thread here? “All my movies have a concept,” director Jaume Collet-Serra recently explained to IndieWire when asked about how his latest film, “The Shallows,” fits into his oeuvre of thrillers like “Non-Stop” and “Unknown.”
This time around, however, the Catalan filmmaker had much bigger fish to fry than “it takes place all in one night” or “everything happens on a plane,” as the Blake Lively-starring nail-biter features a single beach-set location, a compressed timeline and a giant, very angry shark.
Set entirely on a secluded beach in Mexico, “The Shallows” stars Blake Lively as the resourceful Nancy, who has sought out the isolated surf spot because it’s the place that her recently deceased mother loved when she was younger. What starts as a personal pilgrimage swiftly becomes a bloody fight for survival when a rogue shark attacks Nancy, »
- Kate Erbland
‘Les Cowboys’ Review: This Contemporary Remake Of ‘The Searchers’ Is Shooting Blanks
13 hours ago
It’s hard to blame Thomas Bidegain for thinking that a contemporary remake of “The Searchers” might be a good idea. After all, the same virulent otherness that pumped through John Ford’s classic Western is at the heart of the Islamophobia that plagues modern Europe, and has percolated beneath the surface of its cinema since at least “The Battle of Algiers.” The recent attacks in Paris and Belgium, neither of which occurred until long after “Les Cowboys” was in the can, only serve to add a greater sense of urgency to Bidegain’s film, a vigilante tale whose wayward white hero is stymied by the same cultural divide that terrorists sacrifice their lives in order to deepen and expand.
But Bidegain’s update, however clever and opportunistic it might be, inevitably runs into a problem that didn’t affect the original: It’s not directed by John Ford.
Which »
- David Ehrlich
Review: ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ Will Make You Wish Humanity Would Just Give Up
13 hours ago
On July 2nd, they arrive. On July 3rd, they strike. On July 4th, we fight back. On June 24th, 2016, we…wish they had won.
In the summer of 1996, Roland Emmerich’s “Independence Day” reinvented the alien invasion genre for the blockbuster era, using newfangled digital technology to make a B-movie big enough to bring the whole world together. Its reputation may be overinflated by millennials who subsist on a steady diet of their own petrified kitsch, but Emmerich’s war of the worlds has nevertheless come to represent a type of full-bodied studio spectacle for which we all ought to be nostalgic. In fact, the self-described “master of disaster” seems really pissed at the people who aren’t. His lazy insult of a sequel — threatened since the day the first movie first cast its long shadow over America’s multiplexes — is ultimately nothing more than a giant middle finger to »
- David Ehrlich
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