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‘The Expanse’ Season 2 Review: Syfy’s Boldest Gamble Continues to Pay Out Richly
10 hours ago
A few weeks ago, Syfy released the below catch-up video for “The Expanse,” with one of the best conceits imaginable for getting new audiences interested in the sci-fi drama: the events of Season 1, as recreated by cats. (A “recat” video, if you will.)
This video does serve as a relatively basic reminder of the major plot arcs of the first season, but if you think that by watching this you’ll be able to dive into the second season as a new viewer, you probably won’t have much luck understanding what’s going on. “The Expanse” has little interest in easing viewers back into the sprawling and complicated universe it built over the course of Season 1 — because there’s simply too much story to tell.
Set 200 years in the future, when human colonization of Mars and the asteroid belt has opened up vast new resources, but created no shortage of political conflict, »
- Liz Shannon Miller
Melissa McCarthy Saves the Whales in Kia’s Environmentalist Super Bowl Ad — Watch
12 hours ago
The Super Bowl is this Sunday, and a number of companies are releasing their high-profile ads early. Among them is Kia, whose minute-long spot features Melissa McCarthy and takes an environmentalist approach to the noble goal of selling cars. Watch below.
Read More: Budweiser’s Cinematic Super Bowl Ad Tells an Immigrant’s Tale — Watch
It begins with our intrepid heroine receiving a call to action: “Melissa, the whales need your help.” McCarthy responds at once with both sympathy and urgency in her voice: “I love whales!” She gets to work immediately, obviously with comic results, before being informed that our ocean-dwelling friends aren’t the only ones in need of assistance. Trees, polar ice caps and even rhinos all face existential threats, and the only person who can save them is the star of “Tammy.”
Read More: Coen Brothers Enlist Peter Fonda to Star in Their ‘Wild’ Mercedes Super »
- Michael Nordine
‘Wake & Bake’ Trailer: Kevin Smith and Andy McElfresh Cook Up Gourmet Dishes in Hilarious New Web Series
13 hours ago
Kevin Smith would like to invite you to his new web series, “Wake & Bake,” the show that “takes cooking and makes it dandy!”
Created by Loot Crate and Smith, the new show stars the “Clerks” director and writer Andy McElfresh. Together, the duo create gourmet dishes made for even the most culinarily-challenged chef. Every episode Smith and McElfresh will try a new recipe, while making jokes and having a food time.
Additionally, “Wake & Bake” will not only feature delicious food, but also showcase exclusive home and kitchen products from the Marvel Gear + Goods crate.
Read More: Kevin Smith on the Future: Why He Wants to Release Other People’s Films and How He Cracked the Self-Distribution Game
Smith most recently directed the comedy “Yoga Hosers” and is in post-production on his TV movie “Hollyweed.” He also helmed two episodes of Season 2 of “Supergirl” and “The Flash,” and continues to release »
- Liz Calvario
‘Doctor Who’: David Tennant Thinks Olivia Colman Could Be the Next Doctor
13 hours ago
Having worked with her on “Broadchurch,” David Tennant is even more aware of how talented Olivia Colman is than most. (The Hollywood Foreign Press Association is onboard, having just given the actress a Golden Globe for her performance in AMC’s miniseries “The Night Manager.” Now that Peter Capaldi is stepping down as the Doctor on “Doctor Who,” Tennant — who himself played the character from 2005–2010 — is recommending his co-star for the job.
Read More: The New ‘Doctor Who’: A Plea For Diversity, and 13 Dream Doctors
“Olivia would clearly be a magnificent choice,” he told the Evening Standard in a recent interview. “If you have the right people telling the right stories then it’s absolutely a possibility.” All 12 thespians who’ve played the Doctor over the last 54 years have been men, of course, but until last year every Ghostbuster was a man, too, so anything’s possible.
Read More: »
- Michael Nordine
‘September 12th’ Exclusive Clip: Two Folk Enthusiasts Drive From Los Angeles to New York On 9/11
14 hours ago
Krisha Fairchild gave one of 2016’s most acclaimed performances in Trey Edward Shults’ “Krisha,” about a woman who visits her estranged family over Thanksgiving. Now she’s set to appear in a new film entitled “September 12th” about folk music amidst a national tragedy. The film follows two strangers Elliott (Joe Purdy) and Joni (Amber Rubarth) whose lives are unexpectedly thrust together after their plane from L.A. to New York is grounded on the morning of September 11, 2001. Both accept help from Joni’s family friend (Fairchild) who lends them a rusty old Chevy van and decide to drive to New York. Though the shock of 9/11 quickly threatens to derail their journey, the pair discover they share a love for old folk songs and soon the two bond over music and bear witness to a nation that lifts each other up in the wake of tragedy. Watch an exclusive clip from the film below. »
- Vikram Murthi
2017 Oscars Supercut Video Threads Together This Year’s Nominees – Watch
14 hours ago
This year, there’s a total of 47 feature films nominated for an Academy Award. While many of us may not have time to watch them all, thanks to Cineplex, we now have a way to see snippets of all of them in under three minutes.
The video is a supercut of the 2017 Oscar nominees and features scenes from critically acclaimed movies like “La La Land,” “Arrival,” “Moana,” “Elle,” “The Salesman,” “The Red Turtle” and “Toni Erdmann,” among many others.
The clip also showcases powerful performances, including Michelle Williams’ role in “Manchester by the Sea,” Denzel Washington’s in “Fences” and Mahershala Ali’s in “Moonlight.”
Read More: Full 2017 Oscar Nominations List: ‘La La Land’ Ties All-Time Record With 14 Nominations
This year, Damien Chazelle’s musical, “La La Land,” received a record-tying 14 nominations, including Best Director, Best Actress and Actor. The race is tight in some categories, including Best Picture and Actor. »
- Liz Calvario
‘Ghost Hunting’ Exclusive Clip: Berlinale Documentary Explores Pain of Political Prisoners By Recreating Their Experiences
15 hours ago
30 years ago, Palestinian filmmaker Raed Andoni was once imprisoned in Moskobiya interrogation centre in Jerusalem. Now in his new documentary “Ghost Hunting,” he comes to terms with that memory by addressing his fears head on with the help of former prisoners. In the new film, he invites a group of survivors from the same system to help recreate their experiences. Andoni and the rest of the ex-prisoners rebuild their prison cells and re-enact their interrogations from memory, all the while confronting their deepest fears and starting the path towards healing. Watch an exclusive clip from the film ahead of its premiere at Berlinale below.
Read More: Berlinale 2017 Will Premiere ‘Logan,’ ‘Trainspotting: T2,’ and Hong Sangsoo’s Latest
Andoini previously directed the 2005 documentary short “Improvisation,” which follows three young brothers who have a passion for the playing the Oud instrument. He also directed the feature-length documentary “Fix Me,” which screened at »
- Vikram Murthi
How ‘La La Land’ Cinematographer Linus Sandgren Taught His Cameras to Dance
15 hours ago
When looking for a cinematographer who could handle shooting his modern-day musical, “La La Land” director Damien Chazelle saw something in David O. Russell’s “American Hustle” that caught his attention. While Russell’s acidic worldview bears little resemblance to the candy-colored fantasy of “La La Land,” his camera is often moving, almost swirling, as it mirrors the often frenetic internal state of his characters. When Chazelle saw the film, he thought cinematographer Linus Sandgren might be someone he should meet.
“The reason Damien was interested in me was from camera movement in that film,” said Sandgren. “He knew he wanted the camera telling the story in a physical and interactive way.”
Read More: Oscars 2017: Best Actor is Now Denzel Washington vs. Casey Affleck
Sandgren and Chazelle agreed that the camera would be like a musical instrument. They wanted the camera movement to have a rhythm that would enhance »
- Chris O'Falt
Jonny Greenwood to Compose the Score for Paul Thomas Anderson’s London Fashion Drama
15 hours ago
Production for Paul Thomas Anderson’s upcoming fashion drama has officially begun, with frequent collaborator Jonny Greenwood on board to compose the score.
The Radiohead guitarist and composer has previously worked with Anderson on three films: “There Will Be Blood,” “The Master” and most recently “Inherent Vice.” Anderson has also directed several Radiohead music videos, including “The Numbers,” “Present” and “Daydreaming.”
Greenwood will be in charge of the music for the filmmaker’s currently-untitled drama starring Daniel Day-Lewis. Set in the couture world of 1950s London, the movie will explore a distinctive milieu of the 20th century, illuminating the life behind the curtain of an uncompromising dressmaker commissioned by royalty and high society. The Oscar winner will also be joined by actresses Lesley Manville and Vicky Krieps.
Read More: Paul Thomas Anderson’s Untitled London Fashion Film: Daniel Day-Lewis Takes Center Stage in New Set Pictures
Focus Features will distribute »
- Liz Calvario
The Orchard Buys Sundance Documentary ‘Dina’
16 hours ago
The Orchard has acquired the North American distribution rights to the documentary “Dina,” which won the Sundance Film Festival’s U.S. Documentary Grand Jury Prize. The film explores the unconventional romance between Dina, a 49-year-old in suburban Philadelphia, and her fiancé Scott, a Walmart door greeter. “Dina” chronicles their evolving relationship as it develops.
Read More: Sundance 2017 Award Winners: ‘I Don’t Feel At Home in This World Anymore,’ ‘Dina’ and More Pick Up Grand Jury Prizes
Directed and produced by Dan Sickles and Antonio Santini, the film is executive produced aby Christine Vachon, Robert Fernandez, Dan Levinson, Dan Cogan, Jenny Raskin and Stephanie Choate.
“’Dina’ is a masterful film that achieves cinematic artistry — from cinematography to editing — while capturing a universal story of love, second chances, and at its core, the strength of a remarkable and unforgettable woman,” Danielle Digiacomo, vice president of acquisitions at The Orchard, said in a statement. »
- Graham Winfrey
NBCUniversal Shuts Down Crime Drama Channel ‘Cloo’ After 10 Years
16 hours ago
NBCUniversal no longer has a Cloo.
The digital cable network was quietly shut down on Wednesday, part of an ongoing streamlining of NBCUniversal’s cable portfolio. The end of Cloo follows NBCU’s previously announced plans to shut down Esquire Network this year.
Cloo’s demise also comes as NBCUniversal announced plans to rebrand Oxygen into a crime-oriented programming format. But insiders said the two weren’t necessarily related; Cloo was shuttered after it lost distribution on Charter’s Spectrum cable systems (which now includes Time Warner Cable). Cloo had already been dropped by other providers, including Dish Network.
The demise of Cloo is actually part of a larger “end of an era” story for cable: Cloo was the successor to Trio, a channel still fondly remembered for its scrappy pop culture programming (including franchises like “Brilliant But Canceled”). Much of the Trio programming ethos was later moved to Bravo, »
- Michael Schneider
‘John Wick’ Director Chad Stahelski Planning a Prequel TV Series
17 hours ago
Upon its release, “John Wick” became a critical and commercial success, earning $78 million worldwide. Its sequel, “John Wick: Chapter 2,” to be released in theaters this February, sees the return of Keanu Reeves as the legendary hitman and promises to be an even bigger adventure.
As Mr. Wick’s story continues forward, director Chad Stahelski and screenwriter Derek Kolstad have already explored the character’s backstory and life before the first film. The duo have even written bits of a prequel to possibly make it into a TV series.
Read More: ‘John Wick Two’ Teaser Trailer: Keanu Reeves Straps Up for Battle
Speaking with Stahelski, the director told SlashFilm that they’ve wanted to make a prequel but “it just didn’t fit quite” where they’re at. “We basically almost have a prequel written, but we’d save that for other aspects of the property,” he explained, adding that »
- Liz Calvario
Emma Stone and Jonah Hill’s New Netflix Series ‘Maniac’ Gets Production Start Date
17 hours ago
Since the release of his film “Beasts of No Nation” in 2015, director Cary Fukunaga has been attached to a few different projects but all of them haven’t quite worked out. He was set to write and direct the new film version of Stephen King’s “It,” but Fukunaga left the project three weeks before production was supposed to begin citing creative differences. He was then going to direct the TNT series “The Alienist,” based upon Caleb Carr’s best selling novel, but was replaced by Jakob Verbruggen due to scheduling conflicts. But now, Fukunaga’s next project for Netflix “Maniac” has a definitive start date for this fall.
Read More: Emma Stone, Jonah Hill and Cary Fukunaga Bring ‘Maniac’ to Netflix
Based on a 2014 Norwegian series by the same name, “Maniac” follows two characters in a mental hospital who escape into their own fantasy worlds. The 10-episode series will »
- Vikram Murthi
‘Superior Donuts’ Star Jermaine Fowler Delivers This Deep Fried Treat with Biting Social Commentary – IndieWire’s Turn It On Podcast
17 hours ago
Last Week’S Podcast: ‘Full Frontal with Samantha Bee’ Producers on Adjusting to the Trump Era — IndieWire’s Turn It On Podcast
CBS’ new comedy “Superior Donuts” is part of a new wave of multi-camera sitcoms with something to say.
Comedian Jermaine Fowler and executive producer Bob Daily are taking advantage of that mandate, infusing their new show with biting commentary on everything, including gentrification, police brutality, Muslims in America, and the Trump era.
“Superior Donuts” began life as a stage play in 2008, written by playwright and actor Tracy Letts. The story, about an Arthur, an aging donut shop owner, and his new assistant, a young African-American man worried about his neighborhood’s fast gentrification, eventually moved to Broadway. The New York Times compared the play to a 1970s comedy, so it only makes sense that CBS decided to adapt the show.
Comedy directing legend Jimmy Burrows is behind the lens on “Superior Donuts, »
- Michael Schneider
‘Rings’: Watch the First Three Terrorizing Minutes of the Horror Film
18 hours ago
No matter where you are, you can’t escape her. Fans of “The Ring” have been waiting 12 years since the 2005 sequel to reunite with Samara Morgan, and now they will with “Rings,” the third installment in the horror film franchise.
Before it arrives in theaters this Friday, February 3, audiences can get a sneak peek at the first three minutes of the film. The clip, titled “Extended Plane,” features Zach Roerig telling Laura Wiggins about the mysterious videotape said to kill the watcher seven days after he views it. Things take a turn for the worse when Samara’s video starts playing on the airplane seats and all hell breaks loose.
Read More: ‘Rings’ Trailer and Poster: Samara Is Back, Even if Naomi Watts Isn’t
“Rings” is directed by F. Javier Gutierrez and stars Matilda Lutz, Alex Roe, Johnny Galecki, Aimee Teegarden, Bonnie Morgan and Vincent D’Onofrio.
The third »
- Liz Calvario
‘A Man Called Ove’ Co-Star Bahar Pars May Not Be Allowed to Attend the Oscars Due to Muslim Ban
18 hours ago
In addition to “The Salesman” and “The White Helmets,” it now looks as though yet another Academy Award–nominated movie has been affected by Donald Trump’s Muslim ban: “A Man Called Ove,” whose co-star Bahar Pars may not be allowed to enter the United States and attend the ceremony. Deadline first broke the news.
Read More: The American Film Institute Releases Statement in Support of ‘Salesman’ Director Asghar Farhadi
Pars, who was born in Iran (one of the seven countries listed in last week’s executive order), has lived in Sweden for the last 18 years. She tells Deadline that, despite calling the Scandinavian her home for nearly two decades, “it’s about where you are born. They took away my identity. In one night, I’m not Swedish anymore.” Though an exemption has now been made for those who, like her, hold dual citizenship, things are moving and changing »
- Michael Nordine
‘Girls Trip’ Trailer: Four Lifelong Friends Make a Pilgrimage to the Essence Music Festival
19 hours ago
Since 1994, New Orleans has hosted the Essence Music Festival, the largest event celebrating African-American culture and music in the United States, featuring prominent artists and entertainers every year. The new film “Girls Trip” prominently features the Essence Festival as a destination spot and a symbol of unity. The film follows four lifelong friends who travel to New Orleans to explore their respective wild sides and also rekindle their friendships. It stars Queen Latifah (“Chicago”), Jada Pinkett Smith (“Magic Mike Xxl”), Regina Hall (“Scary Movie”) and Tiffany Haddish (“Keanu”). Watch a sneak peak trailer for the film below.
Read More: Review: ‘The Best Man Holiday’ Is Overlong & Overstuffed But Features A Whacked Out Terrence Howard Performance
The film is directed by Malcolm D. Lee, cousin of filmmaker Spike Lee. He previously directed the 1999 film “The Best Man” as well as its sequel “The Best Man Holiday.” He also directed the Eddie Griffin vehicle “Undercover Brother, »
- Vikram Murthi
‘Serial’ Announces New Production Company and First Series ‘S-Town’
19 hours ago
“Serial,” a spin-off of the public-radio show “This American Life,” became an internet sensation in late 2014, topping the iTunes charts and gaining a strong following. The podcast, hosted by Sarah Koenig, tells one true story over the course of a season using investigative journalism.
Now, per Vulture, the “Serial” team announced that they have formed a new production company called Serial Productions and unveiled its first project: “S-Town.”
Read More: Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast: ‘Beach Rats’ Director Eliza Hittman on Why a Director’s Sophmore Sundance Film Can Be More Difficult Than the First (Episode 19)
Hosted by “This American Life” producer Brian Reed, “S-Town” is a non-fiction limited series that is set in a small, rural town in Alabama. Production for the podcast began when a man reached out complaining about his small town and wanted a reporter to investigate the son of a wealthy family who had allegedly been bragging »
- Liz Calvario
Oscars 2017: Best Actor is Now Denzel Washington vs. Casey Affleck
19 hours ago
By now, the Best Actor Oscar race usually has settled on an anointed frontrunner. And that was the case — until Sunday’s SAG Awards. Not anymore. It’s a two-way race.
Here are my Best Actor picks in order of likelihood to win:
Casey Affleck: Throughout the awards season, the “Manchester By the Sea” star has been steady as he goes. He won awards at the Gothams, National Board of Review, New York Film Critics Circle, Critics Choice, and Golden Globes for carrying Amazon Studios’ $10-million Sundance pickup “Manchester by the Sea” (Roadside Attractions) as Lee, a capable Boston janitor weighed down by sadness, anger, and depression. What happened to make him this way? That is what writer-director Kenneth Lonergan’s precisely crafted movie reveals.
While Affleck has delivered many fine performances, often supporting, and was nominated eight years ago for “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, »
- Anne Thompson
‘Pear Cider and Cigarettes’: How an Imperfect Life Became an Oscar Contender
19 hours ago
For animator/illustrator Robert Valley, the imperfections of life and art magnificently come together in his Oscar-nominated short, “Pear Cider and Cigarettes,” about his friendship with a self-destructive daredevil, who died despite reaching out to the filmmaker for help to get a liver transplant in China.
Valley first wrote about his childhood friend, Techno, in two self-published graphic novels. He was a gifted athlete but, even at a young age, drawn to danger like a moth to the flame. It’s a dark, tragic, passionate account of the American Dream gone bad and the idealism of loyalty and hero worship.
Read More: ‘Beauty and the Beast’ Video Compares the Trailers for the 1991 Animated Film and New Live-Action Version – Watch
Yet even after the graphic novels, the Vancouver filmmaker (best known for “Aeon Flux,” “Wonder Woman” shorts, and Gorillaz music videos) was compelled to make a short about Techno. He set »
- Bill Desowitz
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