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Opening her masterclass at doc film festival Visions du Réel in Switzerland, cinematographer and filmmaker Kirsten Johnson – an Emmy and Sundance award winner for “Dick Johnson Is Dead” – started by naming each and every member of the technical crew on set.

“What I often find upsetting with cinema is that we forget to acknowledge all the people it takes to make these moments together. I learnt that through being a cameraperson, and I’m interested in understanding why we want to reduce it to just one person, because there’s something beautiful about the fact that all of these humans, collectively, help us be here today,” she said, employing her favorite word to describe her work, “Cameraperson,” which is also the title of second feature film.

Over three decades, Johnson has worked on some 60 films as a cinematographer, for the likes of Michael Moore and Laura Poitras, made a couple

The actor and musician on his first kiss, a treasured watch and the truth about fame and money

Born in South Africa, Johnny Flynn, 39, studied at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art. He played the lead in Netflix’s Lovesick, went on to appear in TV adaptations of Vanity Fair and Les Misérables and was Olivier-nominated for his role in the play Jerusalem. His film credits include Emma, Stardust, Operation Mincemeat and The Outfit. Last year, he released an album with nature writer Robert Macfarlane, Lost in the Cedar Wood; the pair embark on a five-date tour from 26 April. He is married with three children and lives in London.

When were you happiest?

When I was about eight, by a river waiting for my dad to finish fishing, eating a Mars bar, drinking a can of Coke and listening to Beat It by Michael Jackson on my Walkman. I remember

Roger Michell’s delightful art-theft romp starring Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren joins robbery classics from The Lavender Hill Mob to Rififi and Widows

When it comes to the heist film genre, “based on a true story” isn’t an obvious selling point: knotty crime capers tend to be better the more elaborately and imaginatively concocted they are. The Duke (Amazon) is an exception. The last feature directed by the late Roger Michell, it has a daft underdog story that could have been plucked straight from the brain of Richard Curtis, but just happens to be rooted in fact. Even the name of its true-life protagonist sounds fanciful: Kempton Bunton, a working-class pensioner who, in protest against the TV licence fee imposed by the British government, set out to steal Goya’s painting Portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery.

The reasoning, like many of the plot mechanics here,

Nicolas Cage is feeling the unbearable weight of his own massive talent — or maybe that's just the weight of him playing himself in "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent." Cage has had his ups and downs over his career, especially in the 21st century as he has grown more prolific in his output and his self-proclaimed "Nouveau Shamanic" acting style has blossomed. In 2019 alone, Cage appeared in six movies, five of them direct-to-video, and that's not even counting the documentary he narrated.

Cage cited last year's "Pig" as one of his three favorite performances that he's ever given, and...

The post The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is the 'Scariest Thing' Nicolas Cage Has Ever Done appeared first on /Film.

All aboard the Ke Huy Quan-aissance. It's been almost 40 years since Quan made his auspicious debut as a child actor (credited as Jonathan Ke Quan) in "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom." Quan was 13 years old when the movie hit theaters, and he was living the dream of any '80s kid: playing Harrison Ford's sidekick in a Steven Spielberg film.

When we first meet Quan's character, Short Round, in "Temple of Doom," he's behind the wheel of a getaway cab, but his legs aren't even long enough to reach the pedals so he has to wear elevator shoes. Now,...

The post Harrison Ford Wanted a Character like Short Round in Star Wars, According to Ke Huy Quan appeared first on /Film.

Back in 2010, Aaron Paul ("Breaking Bad") starred in a Funny Or Die sketch written by Eric Appel that was a fake trailer for a film called "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story." It was really funny, with Olivia Wilde as Madonna, Gary Cole and Mary Steenburgeon as Al's parents, and Patton Oswalt as Dr. Demento. 

Years later, we're actually getting that film from Roku, directed by Appel, who co-wrote the script with Yankovic himself. Daniel Radcliffe is set to star, and considering the comedy work from his series "Miracle Workers" alone, this casting is absolutely perfect. And according to an interview Aaron Paul did with...

The post Aaron Paul was Originally Supposed to Cameo in the Weird Al Biopic appeared first on /Film.

It may be a little uncouth to press a filmmaker about returning to one of their past projects, but in the case of Richard Linklater's "Before Trilogy," I'm sure the writer/director will understand why he keeps getting pestered about a fourth installment. I mean, it's only fair to want more when you've been invested in a single love story between two characters that spans almost 30 years.

Linklater was recently asked about another "Before" film, which would be the fourth in the series behind 1995's "Before Sunrise," 2004's "Before Sunset," and 2013's "Before Midnight," and his answer may or may not surprise you.

Talking with Collider while...

The post Richard Linklater Leaves the Door Open for A Before Midnight Follow-Up appeared first on /Film.

In 2009, James Cameron's CGI epic "Avatar" was lauded as a monumental big-screen achievement. The film was heralded as a leap forward in motion capture technology, and it went on to make more money than any other movie in history. Among its many accolades, critics praised the film's expansive world-building. But even in the film's early days, when the whole world seemed to be watching it through rose-colored glasses, some viewers were already caught up on a couple of inexplicable aspects of the "Avatar" mythology. Namely: what's the deal with sex on Pandora?

Before diving into the tail-twisting love scene that's still capturing audiences' imagination over...

The post The Avatar Love Scene We're Still Thinking About appeared first on /Film.

(Welcome to Scariest Scene Ever, a column dedicated to the most pulse-pounding moments in horror with your tour guides, horror experts Matt Donato and Ariel Fisher. In this edition, Ariel has some fun with Annabelle and Matt agrees.)

We like to have fun here, in case you couldn't already tell. So this week, I decided to go with a contemporary creature feature that keeps the frights coming and your pulse pumping. Easily the best in the franchise, "Annabelle Comes Home" is a no-nonsense chiller that capitalizes on what makes the Warren's cabinet of morbid curiosities so fascinating — it's...

The post The Scariest Scene in Annabelle Comes Home Jumps Out of a Creepy Cabinet of Curiosities appeared first on /Film.

Bryce Dallas Howard’s connection to “Star Wars” goes back years.

The daughter of director-producer Ron Howard and former summer camp bestie with “Phantom Menace” star Natalie Portman, Howard even shocked herself with how much “Star Wars” lore she accumulated just by knowing George Lucas as a family friend.

“Every single year for Christmas, we would get ‘Star Wars’ figurines,” Howard recalled to Romper. “Before I was even old enough to know who the characters were and what the stories were, I was getting these little figurines, and I was very curious about it, and I was really into it. I learned about ‘Star Wars’ first through the toys.”

Howard went on to helm episodes of Disney+ series “The Mandalorian,” and joked that she “didn’t realize” how familiar she was with “Star Wars,” though she points out her knowledge can never rival that of Dave Filoni, who has been

Actor and club owner Rio Del Valle Hackford, who appeared in films and TV shows including “Jonah Hex,” “Swingers,” “Treme” and “The Mandalorian,” died Thursday in Huntington Beach, Calif. He was 52.

His brother Alex Hackford said he died after an illness.

Rio Hackford, who was the son of director Taylor Hackford, was remembered by friends for being a “connector of all sorts of people,” said his friend, screenwriter D.V. DeVincentis.

“Not simply obsessed with movies and how they mirrored and compelled, he was something more: a superfan of innumerable scenes, of particular gestures of unsung actors, weird career turns, roaring comebacks, cinema swan songs,” DeVincentis wrote on Instagram.

Hackford was known for his joie de vivre and generous embrace of artists at his clubs including Matador and One-Eyed Jacks in New Orleans, where he also owned Pal’s Lounge. One-Eyed Jacks was a popular venue for alternative acts, and reopened

David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel "Dune" was weird. It's campy and shoves way too much into the runtime, and I love every second of it. Denis Villeneuve's 2021 version of the first half of the classic sci-fi novel is brilliant and beyond stunning, and I love that in a very different way, but there is something just so Lynchian about the first "Dune" that you cannot watch it without joy. Perhaps also with a few head tilts like a dog hearing a weird sound, but joy nonetheless. 

Lynch's "Dune" starred Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides in his...

The post David Lynch Now Wants a Director's Cut of Dune, But Doubts One Will Actually Happen appeared first on /Film.

The Williams family’s story obviously doesn’t just stop at “King Richard.” The Warner Bros. Oscar-winning film captures Venus and Serena Williams’ rise to tennis stardom, and Serena Williams already has an idea for a trilogy.

“‘King Richard’ had a perfect ending with Venus on the tennis court,” producer Williams told Insider in a cover story, but there is definitely room for a Williams family cinematic universe, with both sisters having their stories told in spin-off films.

“Venus goes in her direction and I go in my direction,” Williams said. “It’s two completely different stories.”

She continued, “I had a rough journey. I didn’t do well and then I did. It’s a lot of drama. It’s a telenovela. I don’t think I recognize my accomplishments enough. I’m one of those people that’s like, ‘If it’s done, it’s done, I’ve moved on.

Since her feature film debut in "V for Vendetta" in 2005, Imogen Poots has starred alongside a number of veteran actors, such as Robert Carlyle in "28 Weeks Later," Patrick Stewart in "Green Room," and Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman in "The Father." In the new Prime Video series, "Outer Range," Poots plays Autumn, a backpacker and would-be camper who shows up on a Wyoming ranch, owned by Josh Brolin's character, the impressively named Royal Abbott. Autumn finds a strange symbol on a rock formation on the ranch, one that she's been drawing for years, as well as a hole that opens up in the ground,...

The post Josh Brolin's Advice For Outer Range Helped Imogen Poots Become Unhinged appeared first on /Film.

Back in 2004, "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" was my first introduction to the wondrous filmmaking of Wes Anderson. A "Moby Dick"-style revenge tale inspired by the life of Jacques Cousteau, "The Life Aquatic" was as thrilling to me as it was poignant. It wasn't long before I watched as many Wes Anderson films as I could lay my hands on.

"The Life Aquatic" tells the story of washed-up oceanographer Steve Zissou (Bill Murray), who sets off on what will likely be his final voyage to find and kill the mysterious sea creature which previously ate his best friend. It's a whimsical tour de...

The post Jeff Goldblum Had an Interesting Perspective On His Life Aquatic Character appeared first on /Film.

Some of the greatest artists almost seem like they can foretell the future, and renowned filmmaker Martin Scorsese has bordered on prophetic more than once. The "Taxi Driver" director has predicted the stardom of several huge names in show business, including household names like Laura Dern (via Indiewire). Actor Steven Bauer, known for his performance in Brian De Palma's "Scarface," recently revealed yet another of Scorsese's prescient forecasts in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Bauer says that the two shared an unforgettable conversation at the premiere of "Scarface," in which the Hollywood legend displayed just how insightful he can be. Scorsese anticipated that critics would give the...

The post Martin Scorsese Knew Scarface Would Never Fly With Film Critics appeared first on /Film.

Yesterday it was announced that the cast of Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" movie was adding Michael Cera, Issa Rae, and Hari Nef to the already stacked cast featuring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Kate McKinnon, Emma Mackey, America Ferrera, Simu Liu, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Ncuti Gatwa, Oscar winner Emerald Fennell, Sharon Rooney, Scott Evans, Ana Cruz Kayne, Connor Swindells, Ritu Arya, Jamie Demetriou, and Ariana Greenblatt.

There's plenty to be excited about with so many A-listers joining forces to bring to life a pop culture icon from a script written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, and as someone with an unhealthy amount of...

The post From Assassination Nation to Barbie, This Is Hari Nef appeared first on /Film.

Paramount+ is about to make you an offer you can’t refuse. The streaming service announced back in 2020 that, along with their rebranding from CBS All Access to Paramount, that they would be bringing audiences a limited series about the making of “The Godfather” titled “The Offer.” The move was met with some raised eyebrows as it seemed like a push for the burgeoning streamer to mine from its extensive, existing intellectual property.

In an ironic twist, similar to production of the film it is discussing, “The Offer” has had a rough road to completion. In 2021, “Top Gun: Maverick” star Miles Teller was brought in to replace Armie Hammer as Albert Ruddy. After that, the series had to pause production after one of the cast tested positive for Covid-19. But, thankfully, the show did go on and now audiences are just a week away from seeing what is on tap with “The Offer.

Now here's a real high-class cartoon! Based on the beloved and bestselling 2017 video game, "The Cuphead Show!" is Netflix's latest animated adaptation from the interactive medium, following previous outstanding efforts like "Castlevania'' and last year's "Arcane." But unlike those shows, the ceramic superstar's series is aimed at a much younger audience, embodying the 1930s rubber-hose art style of its source material while playing out like a modern iteration on the shows that defined Saturday mornings in decades past.

Three years after the announcement for the animated series, "The Cuphead Show!" finally arrived with a 12-episode debut season (with a second season due this summer). Despite a...

The post The Cuphead Show Season 1 Episodes Ranked appeared first on /Film.

Columbia’s Digital Storytelling Lab announced its “Digital Dozen” earlier this week—its annual list of the most innovative examples of digitally enabled storytelling. Unlike other awards programs, this one has no categories, so what you saw was a typically eclectic mix of Xr, immersive theater and interactive installations, this time with some NFTs thrown in as well. But the Breakthroughs in Storytelling Awards, as they’re officially known, always come with a few surprises, and this year was no exception. The Dsl’s top honor, the 2022 Breakthrough Award, went to “Life After Bob: The Chalice Study,” a narrative animation by the New […]

The post Columbia’s Digital Storytelling Lab Announces its Annual Digital Dozen first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.