Movie News
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is stalling at the international box office with $33.3 million from 75 territories. The fifth entry in director George Miller’s post-apocalyptic series has generated $58.9 million globally in its first weekend of release, a rough start given its $168 million production budget.
Domestically, the Warner Bros. prequel “Furiosa” is closely battling Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” for first place on box office charts, with each grossing roughly $25 million over the weekend and an estimated $31 million through Memorial Day on Monday. Whichever lands at No. 1, this ranks as one of the worst Memorial Day holiday weekends in decades.
“Furiosa,” at this rate, will struggle to live up to its predecessor, 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road.” That film, starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, captured $380 million against a similarly big budget. Though the R-rated prequel, which puts the spotlight on Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, has been widely embraced by critics and audiences,...
Domestically, the Warner Bros. prequel “Furiosa” is closely battling Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” for first place on box office charts, with each grossing roughly $25 million over the weekend and an estimated $31 million through Memorial Day on Monday. Whichever lands at No. 1, this ranks as one of the worst Memorial Day holiday weekends in decades.
“Furiosa,” at this rate, will struggle to live up to its predecessor, 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road.” That film, starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, captured $380 million against a similarly big budget. Though the R-rated prequel, which puts the spotlight on Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, has been widely embraced by critics and audiences,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
It’s been a minute since we heard from director Sam Mendes and his uber-ambitious “Beatles” film plans. Known for the Oscar-winning “American Beauty” and the Bond films, “Skyfall,” and “Spectre,” Mendes isn’t just taking the bold step of making a fictional film about the Beatles, he’s making four of them, one about each member: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
Continue reading Paul Mescal Reportedly Being Eyed For Role In Sam Mendes’ ‘Beatles’ Movies at The Playlist.
Continue reading Paul Mescal Reportedly Being Eyed For Role In Sam Mendes’ ‘Beatles’ Movies at The Playlist.
- 5/24/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Mubi has doubled down on Andrea Arnold’s “Bird” — starring Barry Keoghan and Franz Rogoswki — swooping on North American and Turkish rights to the Cannes competition entry less than two weeks after it announced it had bought the film for the U.K. and Ireland.
The acquisition — which Variety understands came after a fierce bidding war — marks another buzzy U.S. deal for the arthouse distributor, production house and streaming platform as it looks to expand its theatrical presence in North America. Before Cannes kicked off, it made a major splash by picking up body-horror “The Substance” — starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley and one of the biggest talking points of Cannes — for North America, U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Latin America and Benelux, where it will release theatrically this year.
The “Bird” deal was arranged between CAA Media Finance, Cornerstone and Mubi. Further release details the film’s release in North America,...
The acquisition — which Variety understands came after a fierce bidding war — marks another buzzy U.S. deal for the arthouse distributor, production house and streaming platform as it looks to expand its theatrical presence in North America. Before Cannes kicked off, it made a major splash by picking up body-horror “The Substance” — starring Demi Moore and Margaret Qualley and one of the biggest talking points of Cannes — for North America, U.K., Ireland, Germany, Austria, Latin America and Benelux, where it will release theatrically this year.
The “Bird” deal was arranged between CAA Media Finance, Cornerstone and Mubi. Further release details the film’s release in North America,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy and Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
The home at 671 North Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka, Illinois, is iconic for one major reason: it’s where the 1990 holiday classic “Home Alone” was filmed. The 9,126 square foot house recently hit the market for a cool $5.25 million and has been “reimagined for modern-day luxury.”
The Zillow listing noted that the current homeowners, who bought the house in 2012, “took the utmost care in maintaining the architectural detail and integrity of the home’s most memorable and recognizable spaces.” As such, the foyer and entry staircase, both of which were featured heavily in the movie, have been “largely unchanged in form and structure.” Since most interior shots for the movie were actually shot at New Trier Township High School, the rest of the home is hardly recognizable to fans of the film.
The hefty price tag comes with plenty of perks, which include a “magazine-worthy gourmet kitchen,” two family rooms, an screened-in porch,...
The Zillow listing noted that the current homeowners, who bought the house in 2012, “took the utmost care in maintaining the architectural detail and integrity of the home’s most memorable and recognizable spaces.” As such, the foyer and entry staircase, both of which were featured heavily in the movie, have been “largely unchanged in form and structure.” Since most interior shots for the movie were actually shot at New Trier Township High School, the rest of the home is hardly recognizable to fans of the film.
The hefty price tag comes with plenty of perks, which include a “magazine-worthy gourmet kitchen,” two family rooms, an screened-in porch,...
- 5/25/2024
- by Stephanie Kaloi
- The Wrap
Sideshow and Janus Films scooped up another buzzy title out of Cannes, acquiring It’s Not Me from French auteur Leos Carax (Holy Motors, Annette) for North America.
An autobiographical collage of old and new footage, referencing everything from silent movies and Hollywood Golden Age classics to scenes from his own work and personal home movies, It’s Not Me pays direct homage to the late, great Jean-Luc Godard in its deconstruction of the language of cinema and the treacheries of auto-fiction.
Commenting on his cinematic “self-portrait,” Carax said: “Lots of painters have done theirs, of course. I tried to make mine without any mirror. A self-portrait seen from behind. Or, like in a dream dreamed many years ago: How come I can see myself in that mirror, even though my eyes are closed?—and when I check in the mirror, my eyes are indeed closed.”
It’s Not Me...
An autobiographical collage of old and new footage, referencing everything from silent movies and Hollywood Golden Age classics to scenes from his own work and personal home movies, It’s Not Me pays direct homage to the late, great Jean-Luc Godard in its deconstruction of the language of cinema and the treacheries of auto-fiction.
Commenting on his cinematic “self-portrait,” Carax said: “Lots of painters have done theirs, of course. I tried to make mine without any mirror. A self-portrait seen from behind. Or, like in a dream dreamed many years ago: How come I can see myself in that mirror, even though my eyes are closed?—and when I check in the mirror, my eyes are indeed closed.”
It’s Not Me...
- 5/25/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Kodak, which had a momentous 2023 with more than 60 movies shot on film has gotten off to a promising start in 2024 with Luca Guadignino’s “Challengers” and Jane Shoenbrun’s “I Saw the TV Glow, which A24 released wide May 17. Upcoming releases include Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders” and Robert Eggers’ “Nosferatu.”
Meanwhile, Kodak premiered 29 movies shot on film at Cannes. These include five features competing for the Palme d’Or: Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” Sean Baker’s “Anora,” Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Karim Aïnouz’s “Motel Destino,” and Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour.”
Additionally, four movies are featured in Un Certain Regard, and 16 titles across Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week were captured on film. Meanwhile, 16mm film continues to prove its popularity and relevance, with 23 of the on-film titles at the festival choosing it as their capture medium.
This article was first published January 27, 2024. It has been updated.
Cannes 2024 Premieres ‘Kinds...
Meanwhile, Kodak premiered 29 movies shot on film at Cannes. These include five features competing for the Palme d’Or: Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Kinds of Kindness,” Sean Baker’s “Anora,” Andrea Arnold’s “Bird,” Karim Aïnouz’s “Motel Destino,” and Miguel Gomes’ “Grand Tour.”
Additionally, four movies are featured in Un Certain Regard, and 16 titles across Directors’ Fortnight and Critics’ Week were captured on film. Meanwhile, 16mm film continues to prove its popularity and relevance, with 23 of the on-film titles at the festival choosing it as their capture medium.
This article was first published January 27, 2024. It has been updated.
Cannes 2024 Premieres ‘Kinds...
- 5/27/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
"Star Wars" trilogies are a flat circle, and George Lucas was right when he said "it's like poetry, it rhymes." Much like the prequel trilogy, the sequel trilogy created incredible excitement and anticipation, with "The Force Awakens" trailer breaking viewership records and fans everywhere obsessing over every detail, every character, every quote. And much like the prequel trilogy, things went downhill quick, with the movies disappointing a lot of people, and fandom going nuts and bullying the cast and crew incessantly until they drove some of them off public appearances and the internet, and until they all but swear off the franchise they were once huge fans of.
Still, for a little while, the excitement was palpable and infectious, not just among fans but even press. For example: people only asked Andy Serkis, who played the "Star Wars" villain Snoke, about "The Force Awakens" when all he wanted was to talk about apes.
Still, for a little while, the excitement was palpable and infectious, not just among fans but even press. For example: people only asked Andy Serkis, who played the "Star Wars" villain Snoke, about "The Force Awakens" when all he wanted was to talk about apes.
- 5/27/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Having received a rapturous reception a week earlier in Cannes George Miller’s “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” grabbed a more muted win at the South Korean box office.
“Furiosa” opened with $3.35 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That represented a 39.5% share of the weekend’s total cinema-going market.
The film opened in Korea on Wednesday and topped the daily chart for each of its five days on release. Its cumulative total at the end of its five-day opening period was a solid, but unremarkable, $4.38 million, earned from 564,000 admissions.
The weekend box office total weighed in at $8.48 million, which is close to the median so far this year.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world before the events of “Fury Road,” “Furiosa” stars Anya Taylor-Joy, taking over in the title role from Charlize Theron. Early in the film,...
“Furiosa” opened with $3.35 million between Friday and Sunday, according to data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic). That represented a 39.5% share of the weekend’s total cinema-going market.
The film opened in Korea on Wednesday and topped the daily chart for each of its five days on release. Its cumulative total at the end of its five-day opening period was a solid, but unremarkable, $4.38 million, earned from 564,000 admissions.
The weekend box office total weighed in at $8.48 million, which is close to the median so far this year.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world before the events of “Fury Road,” “Furiosa” stars Anya Taylor-Joy, taking over in the title role from Charlize Theron. Early in the film,...
- 5/27/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
Every anthology TV show has high points and low points, and that includes the best one ever made. Rod Serling's seminal 1959 series "The Twilight Zone" broke new ground in small screen storytelling week after week, delivering sci-fi tinged homilies about the human condition. The show looked to the future frequently and to the past more often than you might remember, but its best stories still feel timeless in their acute understanding of fear, loneliness, love, hatred, and mortality. While most shows have a small handful of standout episodes, "The Twilight Zone" has dozens.
And yet, it's not perfect. Any total watchthrough of the series reveals a few distinct flaws, including repetitive plot points and the show's profound inability to pull off more humorous outings. "The Twilight Zone" is a monument in television history, one that's as daring and imaginative as the medium has ever been, but some seasons of...
And yet, it's not perfect. Any total watchthrough of the series reveals a few distinct flaws, including repetitive plot points and the show's profound inability to pull off more humorous outings. "The Twilight Zone" is a monument in television history, one that's as daring and imaginative as the medium has ever been, but some seasons of...
- 5/27/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos said in a recent New York Times interview that the 2023 blockbusters “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” would’ve “enjoyed just as big an audience” on the streamer as they did in theaters.
While discussing what type of content isn’t right for Netflix, Sarandos said, “I don’t think that there’s a clean answer because the best version of something may work really well for Netflix but just hasn’t worked to date. There’s some obvious ones, like we don’t do breaking news and that kind of thing, because I think there’s a lot of other outlets for it. People aren’t looking to us for that.”
The Nyt reporter then pointed out the theatrical releases of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” which both had impressive box office runs and spawned the cultural phenomenon “Barbenheimer.”
“Are there things that just don’t feel like they’re in your wheelhouse right now?...
While discussing what type of content isn’t right for Netflix, Sarandos said, “I don’t think that there’s a clean answer because the best version of something may work really well for Netflix but just hasn’t worked to date. There’s some obvious ones, like we don’t do breaking news and that kind of thing, because I think there’s a lot of other outlets for it. People aren’t looking to us for that.”
The Nyt reporter then pointed out the theatrical releases of “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” which both had impressive box office runs and spawned the cultural phenomenon “Barbenheimer.”
“Are there things that just don’t feel like they’re in your wheelhouse right now?...
- 5/27/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
At 29 years old, Quentin Tarantino made his directorial debut with "Reservoir Dogs." With its punchy pacing and electric performances, it was a brash, violent film that put him on the map as an audacious new storyteller. From his humble beginnings as a Video Archives store clerk to the script landing in Harvey Keitel's hands, Tarantino was able to raise $1.5 million to make the movie and debut it at the Sundance Film Festival.
Duane Byrge from The Hollywood Reporter covered the overwhelming audience response to the searing film: "[T]his plug gutter is wiping out audiences here at the Sundance Film Festival. Those who survive it emerge in a shell-shocked euphoria — so good and so blunt is the writing." Miramax won the subsequent bidding war, but although distribution was secured, the road to release was rocky. Producer Harvey Weinstein wanted to remove what is now considered the film's seminal moment: the...
Duane Byrge from The Hollywood Reporter covered the overwhelming audience response to the searing film: "[T]his plug gutter is wiping out audiences here at the Sundance Film Festival. Those who survive it emerge in a shell-shocked euphoria — so good and so blunt is the writing." Miramax won the subsequent bidding war, but although distribution was secured, the road to release was rocky. Producer Harvey Weinstein wanted to remove what is now considered the film's seminal moment: the...
- 5/27/2024
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
If Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer on most Americans’ calendars, then it makes sense that the real tentpole kicking off tent season for a lot of people is not “Furiosa” or “Garfield” but “The Beach Boys,” a streaming documentary devoted to the least wintery group of all time.
The Disney+ film, co-directed by music-doc stalwarts Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny, focuses on the first decade and a half, in the 1960s and ’70s, of the career of the rock band that still might rightfully be considered America’s greatest all-time group. It starts with their unusual, pre-Beatles melding of complex Four Freshmen harmonies with surf music and themes; continues on through the ground-breaking work of the “Pet Sounds” era that led to a friendly rivalry with the Beatles; covers the complicated years when musical architect Brian Wilson physically and psychologically retreated, leaving the group to seek...
The Disney+ film, co-directed by music-doc stalwarts Frank Marshall and Thom Zimny, focuses on the first decade and a half, in the 1960s and ’70s, of the career of the rock band that still might rightfully be considered America’s greatest all-time group. It starts with their unusual, pre-Beatles melding of complex Four Freshmen harmonies with surf music and themes; continues on through the ground-breaking work of the “Pet Sounds” era that led to a friendly rivalry with the Beatles; covers the complicated years when musical architect Brian Wilson physically and psychologically retreated, leaving the group to seek...
- 5/26/2024
- by Chris Willman
- Variety - Film News
The last four years in Hollywood have been a wake-up call for an industry that had spent the previous decade as a boomtown of creative ambition. With the Covid-19 pandemic, production costs increased, theater attendance went down, and the bubble finally burst. Feeling the squeeze, both the writers and actors went on strike last year, and the studios drastically cut spending. Streaming’s entrance into the film and television economy had inexorably altered the way for all parties to make money. A deal did eventually come to pass, one that heavily focused on safeguards surrounding AI.
Speaking to The New York Times for an extensive interview, Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos likened the adjustment to working with AI to how his world-beating streamer handled shifting its business away from DVD rentals. He said, “In periods of radical change in any industry, the legacy players generally have a challenge, which is they...
Speaking to The New York Times for an extensive interview, Netflix co-ceo Ted Sarandos likened the adjustment to working with AI to how his world-beating streamer handled shifting its business away from DVD rentals. He said, “In periods of radical change in any industry, the legacy players generally have a challenge, which is they...
- 5/26/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
In the "Star Trek: Voyager" episode "Once Upon a Time", the Delta Flyer — manned by Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill), Tuvok (Tim Russ), and Ensign Wildman (Nancy Hower) — crash lands on a remote, uninhabited planet and gets buried under three kilometers of rock. Wildman is grievously injured, and it's only a matter of time before she succumbs to her injuries, lest she return to sickbay back on board the Voyager. However, thanks to an ion storm, the Voyager cannot immediately locate the Flyer. The clock is ticking.
On board the Voyager, no one seems equipped to tell Wildman's young daughter Naomi (Scarlett Pomers) about the danger her mother is in. Neelix (Ethan Phillips), the ship's ineffectual morale officer, decides that the best way to tell Naomi is to ... not tell her. Neelix takes Naomi to the ship's holodeck to enact a weird-ass children's book program called "The Adventures of Flotter,...
On board the Voyager, no one seems equipped to tell Wildman's young daughter Naomi (Scarlett Pomers) about the danger her mother is in. Neelix (Ethan Phillips), the ship's ineffectual morale officer, decides that the best way to tell Naomi is to ... not tell her. Neelix takes Naomi to the ship's holodeck to enact a weird-ass children's book program called "The Adventures of Flotter,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Walton Goggins Says Making ‘The White Lotus’ Is ‘Meta on Every Level’: ‘We’re Guests…Playing Guests’
Walton Goggins has been around for a while. His first credited acting roles date back to 1992, when he would’ve only been 21, and his supporting turns on FX’s “The Shield” and “Justified” helped him craft an image that appealed to the likes of big-name directors like Quintin Tarantino and Steven Spielberg. Goggins, now 52, is taking on roles he never would’ve dreamed of, like his standout performance as The Ghoul in Amazon Prime’s television adaptation of the “Fallout” video-game series and an upcoming role in the highly anticipated third season of HBO’s “The White Lotus.” However, in a recent interview with the LA Times, Goggins remembered a time in his career where his success wasn’t looking like a certainty.
“I was talking to my agent,” Goggins said, reflecting on a lull in work, “and asked him, ‘Why is it so hard?’ And he said, ‘It isn’t hard,...
“I was talking to my agent,” Goggins said, reflecting on a lull in work, “and asked him, ‘Why is it so hard?’ And he said, ‘It isn’t hard,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
On February 14, 2024, Pedro Pascal was confirmed to be playing Reed Richards in Marvel Studios' upcoming "Fantastic Four" movie (/Film broke this fantastic scoop early).
More recently, reporting has claimed that before Pascal was locked in, British actor Rahul Kohli was in the running to play Reed. Kohli had been a popular fancasting choice for Reed Richards -- much like John Krasinski, who ended up playing a Reed variant in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." /Film even named Kohli as one of the actors we'd prefer to see play Mister Fantastic more than Krasinski. So, the idea that he came close to getting the part created intrigue.
But it's not true; Kohli was not in the running to play Mister Fantastic (at least outside fans' hearts and minds). The news sparked after a recent interview between Kohli and Salaam Nerds. During said interview, Kohli acknowledged the fancasts of him...
More recently, reporting has claimed that before Pascal was locked in, British actor Rahul Kohli was in the running to play Reed. Kohli had been a popular fancasting choice for Reed Richards -- much like John Krasinski, who ended up playing a Reed variant in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." /Film even named Kohli as one of the actors we'd prefer to see play Mister Fantastic more than Krasinski. So, the idea that he came close to getting the part created intrigue.
But it's not true; Kohli was not in the running to play Mister Fantastic (at least outside fans' hearts and minds). The news sparked after a recent interview between Kohli and Salaam Nerds. During said interview, Kohli acknowledged the fancasts of him...
- 5/26/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Hey, do you remember "Poseidon"? The 2006 action pic from director Wolfgang Petersen is a remake of the 1972 disaster epic "The Poseidon Adventure," as well as an adaptation of Paul Gallico's 1969 "The Poseidon Adventure" novel. The story focuses on a cruise ship that gets hit by a tidal wave and flips upside down. The survivors have to then claw their way to the bottom of the ship, which is now the top. Lots of characters die horribly along the way. It's fun for the whole family!
The star-studded remake cast includes Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Richard Dreyfuss, and the late, great Andre Braugher. Russell is probably the biggest name of the bunch, and the actor plays Robert Ramsey, a character who is both an ex-firefighter and the former Mayor of New York City. His history allows him to sort of take command of the situation, although he's really mostly concerned...
The star-studded remake cast includes Kurt Russell, Josh Lucas, Richard Dreyfuss, and the late, great Andre Braugher. Russell is probably the biggest name of the bunch, and the actor plays Robert Ramsey, a character who is both an ex-firefighter and the former Mayor of New York City. His history allows him to sort of take command of the situation, although he's really mostly concerned...
- 5/26/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Edgar Wright's "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy is not your standard movie trilogy. The three films aren't sequels to each other — they don't share characters. But they do share cast members and similar themes, particularly themes of relationships and the dangers of being trapped in perpetual adolescence. They also share ice cream. Specifically Cornetto brand ice cream, which pops up in some form in all three films. Cornetto was mentioned in the first film, "Shaun of the Dead," as a throwaway joke — a cure for a hangover. However, when the joke resulted in Wright and co-writer/star Simon Pegg landing free Cornetto ice cream cones at the "Shaun of the Dead" wrap-party, they decided to keep the gag going. It took off, and resulted in Wright nicknaming the three films the "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy as a parody of Krzysztof Kieślowski's "Three Colours" trilogy.
You might now be wondering...
You might now be wondering...
- 5/26/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Missing out on making (even more) Oscars history is ancient history to Lily Gladstone.
The “Killers of the Flower Moon” breakout could have been the first Native-American actress to win the Best Actress Academy Award — if not for Emma Stone’s physical and soul-baring turn as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.” For now, being the first Native-American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award will have to do, but with all the projects and opportunities Gladstone’s got on her plate after “Killers” — including being a recent part of Greta Gerwig’s jury at Cannes — it’s easy to imagine more awards are on the way.
“I mean, regardless of how things turned out, I have work coming out and I have work lined up,” Gladstone said of her Oscar loss in a recent interview with Empire Magazine. “And I have this beautiful film ‘Fancy Dance’ queued up. I...
The “Killers of the Flower Moon” breakout could have been the first Native-American actress to win the Best Actress Academy Award — if not for Emma Stone’s physical and soul-baring turn as Bella Baxter in “Poor Things.” For now, being the first Native-American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award will have to do, but with all the projects and opportunities Gladstone’s got on her plate after “Killers” — including being a recent part of Greta Gerwig’s jury at Cannes — it’s easy to imagine more awards are on the way.
“I mean, regardless of how things turned out, I have work coming out and I have work lined up,” Gladstone said of her Oscar loss in a recent interview with Empire Magazine. “And I have this beautiful film ‘Fancy Dance’ queued up. I...
- 5/26/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
American independent filmmaker Sean Baker was, for us at Filmmaker, the thrilling winner of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival Palme d’Or for his forthcoming Neon release, Anora, a comedy about a sex worker, played by Mickey Madison, and her relationship with a Russian oligarch’s son. “This literally has been my singular goal as a filmmaker for the past 30 years,” Baker said on accepting the award from the Greta Gerwig-led jury, “so I’m not really sure what I’m going to do with the rest of my life. But I do know that I will continue to fight for cinema because right […]
The post Watch: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech for Anora first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Watch: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or Acceptance Speech for Anora first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/26/2024
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Everyone loves a good bottle episode, which is when the characters of a TV show spend the entire episode (or almost the entire episode) in one setting. The practical point of this is to save money, and perhaps used that saved money to help make another episode that's expected to be way more expensive. But what about when a show seems to be doing a bottle episode, only to throw the premise upside down and give us something that looks even more expensive than a typical episode? Such was the case with "The Gang Saves the Day," the season 9 episode of "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" that technically takes place entirely in a convenience store. The gang finds themselves witnessing a burglary, and they spend the entire story trying to figure out how to handle this.
From the first scene, you'd think it'd be easy to imagine how this will all play out.
From the first scene, you'd think it'd be easy to imagine how this will all play out.
- 5/26/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
This weekend, the box office looked more like a Wasteland than the fruitful Green Place of Many Mothers.
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” underperformed in its box office debut with $25.6 million between Friday and Sunday and an estimated $31 million through Memorial Day on Monday. Instead of ruling the box office as expected, it’s in a shockingly close race for first place with Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie,” which collected $24.8 million over the weekend and an estimated $31 million through the four days. Neither could salvage the holiday weekend, which is the worst it’s been in nearly three decades.
It wasn’t just domestic audiences that failed to show up for “Furiosa.” The fifth entry in director George Miller’s post-apocalyptic series, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, is stalling at the international box office with $33.3 million from 75 territories, bringing its worldwide tally to $58.9 million. It’s a tough...
“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” underperformed in its box office debut with $25.6 million between Friday and Sunday and an estimated $31 million through Memorial Day on Monday. Instead of ruling the box office as expected, it’s in a shockingly close race for first place with Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie,” which collected $24.8 million over the weekend and an estimated $31 million through the four days. Neither could salvage the holiday weekend, which is the worst it’s been in nearly three decades.
It wasn’t just domestic audiences that failed to show up for “Furiosa.” The fifth entry in director George Miller’s post-apocalyptic series, starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth, is stalling at the international box office with $33.3 million from 75 territories, bringing its worldwide tally to $58.9 million. It’s a tough...
- 5/26/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
Tom Burke knows how to play a toxic character, as proven by his work in films like “The Souvenir” and “Mank.” One might think playing a nice guy would come as an enjoyable change of pace for him, but when that nice guy is in a film like “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” keeping up with the pace can be its own separate challenge. In a recent interview with GQ, Burke recalls how, despite excitement around the possibility, he initially thought the role of Praetorian Jack — mentor to Furiosa — wouldn’t be one that fit him all that well.
“I thought, I’m not going to get that job,” said Burke, “but wow, that sounds amazing. Cut to my manager saying, ‘George Miller wants to have a chat with you.’ And I was like, ‘When? What’s he seen? ‘Souvenir?’’ I mean look, I’m proud of ‘Souvenir,’ I’m proud of ‘Mank,...
“I thought, I’m not going to get that job,” said Burke, “but wow, that sounds amazing. Cut to my manager saying, ‘George Miller wants to have a chat with you.’ And I was like, ‘When? What’s he seen? ‘Souvenir?’’ I mean look, I’m proud of ‘Souvenir,’ I’m proud of ‘Mank,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Few might remember John McTiernan's 2003 military thriller "Basic," a film that was, at the time, touted as a grand reunion between "Pulp Fiction" stars John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson. Because of its star power, "Basic" cost $50 million to make, but raked in a paltry $43 million at the box office. It currently sits at a 21% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and I recall reading Roger Ebert's scathing one-star review with a wince; Ebert said that "Basic" was "was not a film that could be understood," stating that it was so twisty and full of trickery that is might be better called a "jerk-around movie." To elucidate on Ebert's point, the plot description for "Basic" on Wikipedia runs eleven paragraphs. The film is only 98 minutes long.
The plot can, however, be explained (kind of), and we shall now, dear readers, endeavor to unpack this forgotten 2003 thriller for all future generations.
The plot can, however, be explained (kind of), and we shall now, dear readers, endeavor to unpack this forgotten 2003 thriller for all future generations.
- 5/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Animated filmmaker John Musker — who directed such Disney films as “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin” and “Hercules” — called out the Walt Disney Company for prioritizing political messaging over story in its recent films.
“I think they need to do a course correction a bit in terms of putting the message secondary, behind entertainment and compelling story and engaging characters,” Musker told Spanish outlet El País at this year’s Animayo International Summit in Gran Canaria, Spain.
“The classic Disney films didn’t start out trying to have a message. They wanted you to get involved in the characters and the story and the world, and I think that’s still the heart of it,” Musker added. “You don’t have to exclude agendas, but you have to first create characters who you sympathize with and who are compelling.”
Musker has collaborated with fellow director Ron Clements on several Disney animated features,...
“I think they need to do a course correction a bit in terms of putting the message secondary, behind entertainment and compelling story and engaging characters,” Musker told Spanish outlet El País at this year’s Animayo International Summit in Gran Canaria, Spain.
“The classic Disney films didn’t start out trying to have a message. They wanted you to get involved in the characters and the story and the world, and I think that’s still the heart of it,” Musker added. “You don’t have to exclude agendas, but you have to first create characters who you sympathize with and who are compelling.”
Musker has collaborated with fellow director Ron Clements on several Disney animated features,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
The Memorial Day Weekend we’d all like to forget: Any claims to #1 are premature. “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (Warner Bros.) and “The Garfield Movie” (Sony) are in a battle for #1 for the four-day holiday, but each only estimates around $25 million for Friday to Sunday. (“Furiosa” is ahead.)
This is a holiday release date often chosen for a film that’s expected to be among the top three of the year. Unadjusted, neither “Furiosa” nor “Garfield” would be among the top 50 openers for this weekend;. adjusting to current ticket prices, not even the top 100.
Current estimates for the four-day weekend are $101 million, but the crisis lies in the whole month. May is supposed to kick off summer and it has failed. It confirms that post- “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” box-office depression has no end in sight.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’Courtesy of Paramount / Everett Collection
Like last year’s “Top Gun: Maverick,...
This is a holiday release date often chosen for a film that’s expected to be among the top three of the year. Unadjusted, neither “Furiosa” nor “Garfield” would be among the top 50 openers for this weekend;. adjusting to current ticket prices, not even the top 100.
Current estimates for the four-day weekend are $101 million, but the crisis lies in the whole month. May is supposed to kick off summer and it has failed. It confirms that post- “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” box-office depression has no end in sight.
‘Top Gun: Maverick’Courtesy of Paramount / Everett Collection
Like last year’s “Top Gun: Maverick,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
You’d think being part of franchises like “The Matrix” and Marvel’s “Jessica Jones” means Carrie-Ann Moss is naturally suited for action material, but she actually appreciates the metaphysical more than the physical. For her, no matter the job, it’s the process of inhabiting a character that feeds her soul, so when she got the offer to play a Jedi Master in the new “Star Wars” Disney+ television series “The Acolyte,” she knew merging herself with the role would mean reigniting her love of combat.
“Within my soul and my spirit, to get to play this Jedi Master and train for the fight was [an] amazing experience,” Moss said in a recent interview with Empire. “I really awakened, actually, a part of me that forgot how much I love action. I love it. I personally love being challenged. It’s a physical challenge, but it’s a mental challenge too.
“Within my soul and my spirit, to get to play this Jedi Master and train for the fight was [an] amazing experience,” Moss said in a recent interview with Empire. “I really awakened, actually, a part of me that forgot how much I love action. I love it. I personally love being challenged. It’s a physical challenge, but it’s a mental challenge too.
- 5/26/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Jesse Eisenberg has applied for Polish citizenship. In a recent interview with the Polish publication “Głos Wielkopolski,” he said he applied for it nine months ago and is now “waiting for the final signature.”
“My family is from the southeast, from Krasnystaw, my wife’s [Anna Strout] family is from Łódź. We wanted to have a greater connection to Poland. I would like to work here more,” he said.
“Growing up, I’ve heard stories of the Polish relationship with my Jewish family and all the stories were great: we were best friends with the Poles. My family lived in Krasnystaw up until the war, one person survived the war and moved to Szczecin. Unfortunately, she passed away from Covid, so it was quite recent.”
Variety has reached out to Eisenberg’s representatives for comment.
The “Social Network” star was in Poland as a guest of Impact’24 congress. Previously, he...
“My family is from the southeast, from Krasnystaw, my wife’s [Anna Strout] family is from Łódź. We wanted to have a greater connection to Poland. I would like to work here more,” he said.
“Growing up, I’ve heard stories of the Polish relationship with my Jewish family and all the stories were great: we were best friends with the Poles. My family lived in Krasnystaw up until the war, one person survived the war and moved to Szczecin. Unfortunately, she passed away from Covid, so it was quite recent.”
Variety has reached out to Eisenberg’s representatives for comment.
The “Social Network” star was in Poland as a guest of Impact’24 congress. Previously, he...
- 5/26/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety - Film News
Everything about the making of 1954's "Godzilla" feels miraculous. The movie is a feat of filmmaking on every level, from its now aged yet still impressive practical effects to its bold nuclear threat story set in post-war Japan. The film utilized every trick in the book to bring its eponymous kaiju to life, from building a monster costume out of plastic and concrete to creating Godzilla's infamous roar by rubbing the loosened strings of a double bass.
The team behind the original "Godzilla" movie, which included director Ishirō Honda, special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, and the team at Toho Studios, got creative with their moviemaking at every opportunity. Still, no amount of creative problem-solving could save the cast and crew from the forces of nature, which apparently conspired against the production during some especially sweltering days in Japan's Mie prefecture.
In the 2019 Life magazine special edition "Life: Godzilla," the...
The team behind the original "Godzilla" movie, which included director Ishirō Honda, special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, and the team at Toho Studios, got creative with their moviemaking at every opportunity. Still, no amount of creative problem-solving could save the cast and crew from the forces of nature, which apparently conspired against the production during some especially sweltering days in Japan's Mie prefecture.
In the 2019 Life magazine special edition "Life: Godzilla," the...
- 5/26/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Cannes awards have become hugely influential in subsequent awards races, especially the Oscars. The top honor, the Palme d’Or, confers prestige and a stamp of approval — this year from the Competition jury led by multi hyphenate Greta Gerwig — that awards voters take seriously.
Palme winners “Parasite,” “Triangle of Sadness,” and “Anatomy of a Fall” were all Best Picture Oscar contenders and won Oscars. And they were all picked up by specialty distributor Neon before they won their Cannes prize. Neon did not break its streak. It acquired two eventual prize-winners before the closing ceremony: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner “Anora,” the first American film to win the prize since Terence Malick’s “Tree of Life” in 2011, and Iranian dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” which took home a special award.
Thus “Anora,” from veteran indie filmmaker Baker (Cannes entry “The Florida Project...
Palme winners “Parasite,” “Triangle of Sadness,” and “Anatomy of a Fall” were all Best Picture Oscar contenders and won Oscars. And they were all picked up by specialty distributor Neon before they won their Cannes prize. Neon did not break its streak. It acquired two eventual prize-winners before the closing ceremony: Sean Baker’s Palme d’Or winner “Anora,” the first American film to win the prize since Terence Malick’s “Tree of Life” in 2011, and Iranian dissident filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” which took home a special award.
Thus “Anora,” from veteran indie filmmaker Baker (Cannes entry “The Florida Project...
- 5/26/2024
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
As Cannes nears its end, some major contenders have already found homes, while many more buzzy titles are awaiting buyers after Saturday’s awards ceremony. This year’s market hasn’t been weighed down by the writers or actors strikes in the same way as last year, meaning companies like A24, Neon, Apple, and more have jumped in on exciting packages of possibly future contenders.
Below we’re tracking everything that gets bought throughout the festival and beyond.
Films Acquired During the Festival “Bird”
Section: Competition
Director: Andrea Arnold
Buyer: Mubi
Date Acquired: May 26
Cast: Barry Keoghan, Nykiya Adams, Franz Rogowski, Jasmine Jobson, James Nelson-Joyce
Buzz: Mubi’s third buy out of the competition after “The Substance” and “The Girl with the Needle,” Andrea Arnold’s latest coming-of-age story follows a 12-year-old girl’s (Nykiya Adams) journey to self-acceptance in northern Kent. She copes with a tense relationship with her father,...
Below we’re tracking everything that gets bought throughout the festival and beyond.
Films Acquired During the Festival “Bird”
Section: Competition
Director: Andrea Arnold
Buyer: Mubi
Date Acquired: May 26
Cast: Barry Keoghan, Nykiya Adams, Franz Rogowski, Jasmine Jobson, James Nelson-Joyce
Buzz: Mubi’s third buy out of the competition after “The Substance” and “The Girl with the Needle,” Andrea Arnold’s latest coming-of-age story follows a 12-year-old girl’s (Nykiya Adams) journey to self-acceptance in northern Kent. She copes with a tense relationship with her father,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
If you’ve seen “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and noticed an uncanny resemblance between child actor Alyla Browne, who plays the titular character as a child, and Anya Taylor-Joy, who assumes the role as the story skips ahead several years, you’re not alone.
The reason, it seems, involved more than its skillful casting. Director George Miller additionally employed artificial intelligence in the making of his post-apocalyptic prequel to 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which Warner Bros. opened in the U.S. on Friday.
“George Miller had the idea very early on,” explained Taylor-Joy in an interview on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” “The audience was already getting used to a new Furiosa [Charlize Theron in ‘Fury Road’]. He wanted the transition from both actors [Browne and Taylor-Joy] playing her to be seamless. And so I did two days of the craziest things you could ever possibly imagine. And they mixed our faces together.
The reason, it seems, involved more than its skillful casting. Director George Miller additionally employed artificial intelligence in the making of his post-apocalyptic prequel to 2015’s “Mad Max: Fury Road,” which Warner Bros. opened in the U.S. on Friday.
“George Miller had the idea very early on,” explained Taylor-Joy in an interview on “The Kelly Clarkson Show.” “The audience was already getting used to a new Furiosa [Charlize Theron in ‘Fury Road’]. He wanted the transition from both actors [Browne and Taylor-Joy] playing her to be seamless. And so I did two days of the craziest things you could ever possibly imagine. And they mixed our faces together.
- 5/26/2024
- by Carolyn Giardina
- Variety - Film News
Joe Dante's 1981 werewolf flick "The Howling" boasts one of the most impressive werewolf transformation scenes in the genre's history. A vicious serial killer named Eddie Quist (Robert Picardo) confront's the film's protagonist, Karen (Dee Wallace), an investigative reporter recovering from a previous attack at a woods-bound therapy camp. Lit through the slits in Venetian blinds, Quist's face extends and mutates, his mouth ripping into a terrifying wolf grin, his eyes bulging. Karen witnesses the entire transformation and is, naturally, terrified. Quist was already known for his penchant for murder, but learning that he is a werewolf makes him that much more monstrous. The effects were provided by the amazing Rob Bottin.
"The Howling," while a corker of a monster movie, is also a clever satire of then-modern therapy. A certain kind of "touchy-feely" language had come into vogue in the late '70s and early '80s, and...
"The Howling," while a corker of a monster movie, is also a clever satire of then-modern therapy. A certain kind of "touchy-feely" language had come into vogue in the late '70s and early '80s, and...
- 5/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
When I last interviewed Estonian filmmaker Anna Hints it was to discuss her Sundance 2023-premiering Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, which would go on to win the World Cinema Documentary Competition Directing Award. (It also nabbed Best Documentary at the 36th European Film Awards on its way to becoming Estonia’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars.) The film offers quite a unique peek into a Unesco-designated tradition that for centuries has allowed women like those the director (and contemporary artist and experimental folk musician) respectfully lenses to bond, heal and reveal in a safe space of smoke and sweat. And […]
The post “In Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, the Women are Voicing Out Their Deepest Feelings and Thoughts, But Here in Sauna Day the Focus is On the Unsaid”: Anna Hints and Tushar Prakash on their Cannes-Debuting short Sauna Day first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “In Smoke Sauna Sisterhood, the Women are Voicing Out Their Deepest Feelings and Thoughts, But Here in Sauna Day the Focus is On the Unsaid”: Anna Hints and Tushar Prakash on their Cannes-Debuting short Sauna Day first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/26/2024
- by Lauren Wissot
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Ari Katcher is a comedy writer. He’s an expert in story structure and instrumental in helping comedians like Ramy Youssef turn their autobiographical stand-up into a scripted series (“Ramy”). He did the same for his close friend and longtime collaborator Jerrod Carmichael as co-creator of the NBC sitcom “The Carmichael Show” and screenwriter of the comedian’s directorial debut “On the Count of Three.”
Katcher is also the co-creator and director of the unscripted “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show,” in which the standup turned the cameras on his personal life. The show is revelatory in its unbridled honesty that spares no one, least of all Carmichael himself. It also demanded that Katcher be both concerned friend and a goal-driven storyteller, often at the same time.
“I was kind of writing the stories as they go,” he said. “[I was] having to balance what is good for him versus what is good for the story,...
Katcher is also the co-creator and director of the unscripted “Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show,” in which the standup turned the cameras on his personal life. The show is revelatory in its unbridled honesty that spares no one, least of all Carmichael himself. It also demanded that Katcher be both concerned friend and a goal-driven storyteller, often at the same time.
“I was kind of writing the stories as they go,” he said. “[I was] having to balance what is good for him versus what is good for the story,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Two decades and countless rewatches later, I'm still not sure if "Love, Actually" is a good Christmas movies or if it's just the most interesting one to talk about. If you've seen the movie — or even just been online around Christmastime in the past decade — you'll know all the familiar talking points. Fans can't believe that little kid ended up in "Game of Thrones," or that anyone could call Natalie fat. They think Laura Linney's character deserved better, but also, it's good to see a movie admitting that the holidays can be heartbreaking. The Colin Firth plot still makes romantics swoon (even though it has its faults), but Alan Rickman's character is a total snake.
Every subplot of Richard Curtis' ensemble film is worth talking about, but 21 years on, it seems clear that one gets discussed more than any other: the limply written love triangle between Andrew Lincoln's Mark,...
Every subplot of Richard Curtis' ensemble film is worth talking about, but 21 years on, it seems clear that one gets discussed more than any other: the limply written love triangle between Andrew Lincoln's Mark,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
Co-writer with his brother of some of the great film musical songs including classics for Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book
Richard Sherman, who has died aged 95, often said that he never realised his youthful ambition to write “the great American symphony”. However, with his brother, Robert Sherman, he co-wrote songs that provided the soundtrack for a generation’s childhood – upbeat numbers with a homespun philosophy typified by lines such as “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”.
Those words were written for the brothers’ greatest triumph, the Oscar-winning Mary Poppins (1964), for which they created a score of staggering brilliance: haunting ballads, lilting lullabies, roistering marches, energetic dance numbers and knockabout vaudeville tunes. Half of the songs instantly became standards – not just the Oscar-winning Chim Chim Cher-ee but also A Spoonful of Sugar, Feed the Birds, Jolly Holiday and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
Richard Sherman, who has died aged 95, often said that he never realised his youthful ambition to write “the great American symphony”. However, with his brother, Robert Sherman, he co-wrote songs that provided the soundtrack for a generation’s childhood – upbeat numbers with a homespun philosophy typified by lines such as “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”.
Those words were written for the brothers’ greatest triumph, the Oscar-winning Mary Poppins (1964), for which they created a score of staggering brilliance: haunting ballads, lilting lullabies, roistering marches, energetic dance numbers and knockabout vaudeville tunes. Half of the songs instantly became standards – not just the Oscar-winning Chim Chim Cher-ee but also A Spoonful of Sugar, Feed the Birds, Jolly Holiday and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
- 5/26/2024
- by Brian Sibley
- The Guardian - Film News
Imperator Furiosa has battled ruthless kidnappers, raider attacks and maniacal warlords as she traverses a lawless Wasteland. And yet her fiercest adversary, at least today, seems to be a lazy cat who loves lasagna.
The Warner Bros. high-octane prequel “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is facing off against Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” for first place on box office charts over Memorial Day weekend. Each movie has generated roughly $25 million over the weekend and an estimated $31 million through Monday. Both studios are reporting that its own movie has ranked No. 1. Whichever pulls ahead, it’ll be the worst Memorial Day opening weekend in nearly three decades.
For movie theaters, it’s yet another sparkless weekend at the summer box office — with recent would-be blockbusters ranging from just fine (“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” with a $58 million debut) to disappointing (“The Fall Guy” with a $27 million debut; “If...
The Warner Bros. high-octane prequel “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is facing off against Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” for first place on box office charts over Memorial Day weekend. Each movie has generated roughly $25 million over the weekend and an estimated $31 million through Monday. Both studios are reporting that its own movie has ranked No. 1. Whichever pulls ahead, it’ll be the worst Memorial Day opening weekend in nearly three decades.
For movie theaters, it’s yet another sparkless weekend at the summer box office — with recent would-be blockbusters ranging from just fine (“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” with a $58 million debut) to disappointing (“The Fall Guy” with a $27 million debut; “If...
- 5/26/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
When "Memento" arrived in 2000, it was a big deal. This small indie film that cost $9 million to make became a big hit, spurned on by strong word of mouth that kept talking up the movie's narrative trick: it moved backwards. Rather than tell a straightforward story, Christopher Nolan's mystery-thriller runs in reverse, with each new scene giving us insight into a scene we just watched. Little by little, we piece together the mystery, just like the film's main character, played by Guy Pearce.
If you need a refresher, here's the gist: Pearce's character, Leonard "Lenny" Shelby, has anterograde amnesia — he's unable to retain new memories. The condition arose when he was injured during an attack that resulted in his wife's murder. Now, Lenny uses clues he pieces together in order to find (and kill) the man who murdered his wife. But of course, nothing is quite as it seems,...
If you need a refresher, here's the gist: Pearce's character, Leonard "Lenny" Shelby, has anterograde amnesia — he's unable to retain new memories. The condition arose when he was injured during an attack that resulted in his wife's murder. Now, Lenny uses clues he pieces together in order to find (and kill) the man who murdered his wife. But of course, nothing is quite as it seems,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Even if "Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania" is arguably the lowest point in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and marked the beginning of what seems to be the end of its dominance in pop culture and box office, there is no denying that the first two "Ant-Man" movies are fantastic. They serve important roles in balancing out rather bleak and dense chapters in the Infinity Saga with some light fun that also grounds the universe and shows how regular people live outside of the big world-ending events.
A big part of the fun is Scott Lang's group of friends turned co-workers in his X-Con Security crew, which includes David Dastmalchian's Kurt — who delivers the best bit in either of the two movies. The bit begins when the crew hears about the second film ("Ant-Man and The Wasp")'s villain, Ghost, who has the ability to turn invisible. Kurt wastes...
A big part of the fun is Scott Lang's group of friends turned co-workers in his X-Con Security crew, which includes David Dastmalchian's Kurt — who delivers the best bit in either of the two movies. The bit begins when the crew hears about the second film ("Ant-Man and The Wasp")'s villain, Ghost, who has the ability to turn invisible. Kurt wastes...
- 5/26/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Hollywood is bursting with "what if" scenarios -- "Sliding Doors" moments where actors, writers, directors, and craftspeople almost made a certain project, or almost walked away from a job that would become huge for their careers. With the benefit of hindsight, these situations are often fun to think about -- especially if, as in the case in today's example, A) the two people competing for a part were vying for a memorable role in a well-known movie, and B) they both went on to have great careers, so the thought exercise doesn't feel mean-spirited or just plain sad.
In an oral history of "Zoolander" published by Vanity Fair in 2021, "Zoolander" writer, producer, director, and star Ben Stiller explained how Owen Wilson nearly didn't end up playing Hansel, Derek Zoolander's rival-male-model-turned-friend, and identified the surprising actor who almost took the role instead:
"We wrote Hansel for Owen Wilson. But at a certain point,...
In an oral history of "Zoolander" published by Vanity Fair in 2021, "Zoolander" writer, producer, director, and star Ben Stiller explained how Owen Wilson nearly didn't end up playing Hansel, Derek Zoolander's rival-male-model-turned-friend, and identified the surprising actor who almost took the role instead:
"We wrote Hansel for Owen Wilson. But at a certain point,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
"Moonrise Kingdom" was the film that made me fall in love with Wes Anderson's work. It's not that I disliked his earlier stuff; ironically, one of his least well-received films, "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou," was also the one that started turning me onto his movies in the first place. Yet, it was 2012's "Moonrise Kingdom" that solidified me as a Fanderson or Westie or whatever you call those who can't get enough of the quirky cineaste's funny, melancholic, meticulously curated art.
The movie centers on a pair of eccentric 12-year-olds -- orphan and devoted Khaki Scout Sam (Jared Gilman) and rebellious Suzy (Kara Hayward) -- who develop a romantic attraction to one another and, feeling alienated from the rest of their community on the small fictional island of New Penzance, conspire to run away together. Meanwhile, the adults in their lives scramble to bring them home, yet...
The movie centers on a pair of eccentric 12-year-olds -- orphan and devoted Khaki Scout Sam (Jared Gilman) and rebellious Suzy (Kara Hayward) -- who develop a romantic attraction to one another and, feeling alienated from the rest of their community on the small fictional island of New Penzance, conspire to run away together. Meanwhile, the adults in their lives scramble to bring them home, yet...
- 5/26/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
The Krites -- the titular "Critters" from the eponymous film series -- are small, furry, extraterrestrial eating machines that are essentially dry-land piranhas. Krites only have impulses toward consumption and chaos. They have human intelligence, but are far more interested in eating than philosophy. The first "Critters" movie, directed by Stephen Herek (of "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" and "Mr. Holland's Opus" fame) is one of the world's only Easter-themed horror movies, centering on a small Iowa town that discovers Krite eggs and paints them for the Sunday festivities. Naturally, the eggs hatch and the hungry Krites begin wreaking mayhem. Only a pair of alien bounty hunters named Ug (Terrence Mann) and Lee can help in stopping the alien threat.
The Krites can roll up into balls like hedgehogs and trundle quickly from place to place. They can also fire poisonous quills from their backs. They're mean little mothers.
The...
The Krites can roll up into balls like hedgehogs and trundle quickly from place to place. They can also fire poisonous quills from their backs. They're mean little mothers.
The...
- 5/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Throughout "Star Trek," actor Jeffrey Combs has played ten different characters, counting his voice work in the "Elite Force II" video game, a relative of Shran in "Star Trek Online," and his quick cameo as a holographic human in the final episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." More famously, Combs had three notable recurring roles throughout the franchise, playing the Vorta Weyoun and the Ferengi Brunt on "Deep Space Nine," and the militant Andorian Shran on "Star Trek: Enterprise." Most recently, he played an evil computer intelligence Agimus in three episodes of "Star Trek: Lower Decks."
The number of Combs characters increases greatly when one takes into account that Weyoun was cloned multiple times, and that audiences once saw the Mirror Universe version of Brunt. Also, hologram versions of characters count separately, right? If one wants to split hairs -- and we Trekkies live to split hairs -- then Combs has played 23 characters.
The number of Combs characters increases greatly when one takes into account that Weyoun was cloned multiple times, and that audiences once saw the Mirror Universe version of Brunt. Also, hologram versions of characters count separately, right? If one wants to split hairs -- and we Trekkies live to split hairs -- then Combs has played 23 characters.
- 5/26/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Throughout history, horror films have always been social activities -- manageable mini-adventures to be experienced in kinship with a friend, a group, a date, a significant other. There's something perennially appealing about sharing a scary and disturbing movie with someone you love, seeing them react alongside you, feeling bound by a collective sense of dread, encouraging each other to shrug off the fight-or-flight instinct, and ride it out when a scene gets too horrifying. A good horror film can even bring people closer. But horror films are seldomly family events.
To be sure, there is a certain logic to watching specific horror movies with family members. The urgency of a survival adventure like "Train to Busan" or "A Quiet Place," the simmering intensity of a creature thriller like "Jaws" or "Alien," the roller-coaster-ride excitement of a game transformed into an exercise in terror in "The Conjuring," or the unspooling mysteries...
To be sure, there is a certain logic to watching specific horror movies with family members. The urgency of a survival adventure like "Train to Busan" or "A Quiet Place," the simmering intensity of a creature thriller like "Jaws" or "Alien," the roller-coaster-ride excitement of a game transformed into an exercise in terror in "The Conjuring," or the unspooling mysteries...
- 5/26/2024
- by Leo Noboru Lima
- Slash Film
Holy cow, May is almost over! That means June is almost here, bringing with it summer. While there are plenty of summer activities one can do outdoors, let's not forget the ultimate summer vibe: sitting inside watching TV. Hey, it gets hot out there! You could go outside and sweat a lot, or you could sit on your couch with the air conditioner blasting, watching Netflix. As is their custom, Netflix will be kicking several titles to the curb as the month rolls over, which means you better act fast to watch some of these films and TV shows. Below, we're highlighting some of best titles leaving Netflix in June 2024.
Read more: Famous Characters Who Never Actually Appear On Screen
A Nightmare On Elm Street
Wes Craven solidified himself as a master of horror with "A Nightmare on Elm Street," a slasher with an ingenious hook: the killer targets teens in their dreams.
Read more: Famous Characters Who Never Actually Appear On Screen
A Nightmare On Elm Street
Wes Craven solidified himself as a master of horror with "A Nightmare on Elm Street," a slasher with an ingenious hook: the killer targets teens in their dreams.
- 5/26/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
"The Mist" has arguably one of the bleakest horror movie endings of all time, and that's saying something. Adapting the Stephen King novella of the same name, writer-director Frank Darabont created a finale that feels utterly cruel and overwhelmingly dark. It's worth noting that this is an ending Darabont created himself — King's novella ends on a dark but potentially hopeful note, whereas Darabont's ending seems to be saying there's no hope to be found anywhere. It's designed to make you feel bad.
Darabont, for his part, says he merely seized on a suggestion from King's story itself. "I thought, 'If we're gonna make a horror movie based on a Stephen King story, let's take Steve's most horrible, dour, and darkest thought and follow it out to its logical conclusion," Darabont said. "It really is from Stephen King, although he himself didn't realize it until I read that line back to him.
Darabont, for his part, says he merely seized on a suggestion from King's story itself. "I thought, 'If we're gonna make a horror movie based on a Stephen King story, let's take Steve's most horrible, dour, and darkest thought and follow it out to its logical conclusion," Darabont said. "It really is from Stephen King, although he himself didn't realize it until I read that line back to him.
- 5/26/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Screen is running this regularly updated page with the latest film festival and market dates from across the world.
To submit details of or alter your festival dates, please contact us here with the name, dates, country and website for the event. Screen is also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dates here.
Ongoing
Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival Part 2, US - May 11-26
Docaviv, Israel - May 23-June 1
IndieLisboa International Film Festival, Portugal - May 23-June 2
Inside Out Toronto 2Slgbtq+ Film Festival, Canada - May 24-June 1
Romford Film Festival, UK - May 24-28
Krakow Film Festival,...
To submit details of or alter your festival dates, please contact us here with the name, dates, country and website for the event. Screen is also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dates here.
Ongoing
Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival Part 2, US - May 11-26
Docaviv, Israel - May 23-June 1
IndieLisboa International Film Festival, Portugal - May 23-June 2
Inside Out Toronto 2Slgbtq+ Film Festival, Canada - May 24-June 1
Romford Film Festival, UK - May 24-28
Krakow Film Festival,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Cinephiles romanticize the New Hollywood era of the late 1960s and most of the 1970s as a time of artistic rebellion during which a batch of young directors and experienced helmers saved Hollywood by connecting with Baby Boomer moviegoers bored with formula Westerns, backlot musicals, and all the other fusty stuff their parents dragged them to throughout their childhood. These artists toyed with genre conventions and film technique to reignite a jaded generation's excitement for the medium at a time when television was becoming an increasingly appealing entertainment option.
It was an incredibly exciting time for movies, but audiences of all ages still had an appetite for good ol' cinematic spectacle. They might've tired of sword-and-sandal epics and widescreen adaptations of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, but there was nothing wrong with studios spending loads of money to fill the big screen with eye-popping imagery.
And for most of the 1970s,...
It was an incredibly exciting time for movies, but audiences of all ages still had an appetite for good ol' cinematic spectacle. They might've tired of sword-and-sandal epics and widescreen adaptations of Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals, but there was nothing wrong with studios spending loads of money to fill the big screen with eye-popping imagery.
And for most of the 1970s,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
George Miller’s world-building spectacle is an assault on the senses that’s given a human heart by its remarkable star
“The question is: do you have it in you to make it epic?” Garrulous and utterly deranged despot Dr. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) is making small talk with Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy), who is in no mood for idle chatter. The moment comes towards the end of the movie; by this point in the film, Furiosa is a single-minded, flint-eyed avenger with a customised power tool for an arm. It’s a great line, which Hemsworth delivers with a lip-smacking relish. But given the barnstorming action onslaught that has preceded the exchange, it’s a question that is probably redundant. This is a George Miller picture, after all. Epic is all part of a day’s work. But even by the standards of the previous films in the Mad Max series,...
“The question is: do you have it in you to make it epic?” Garrulous and utterly deranged despot Dr. Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) is making small talk with Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy), who is in no mood for idle chatter. The moment comes towards the end of the movie; by this point in the film, Furiosa is a single-minded, flint-eyed avenger with a customised power tool for an arm. It’s a great line, which Hemsworth delivers with a lip-smacking relish. But given the barnstorming action onslaught that has preceded the exchange, it’s a question that is probably redundant. This is a George Miller picture, after all. Epic is all part of a day’s work. But even by the standards of the previous films in the Mad Max series,...
- 5/26/2024
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.
More to explore
Johnny Wactor, General Hospital Actor, Dead at 37
- 5/26/2024
- by Claire Franken
- TVLine.com
Global Box Office: ‘Furiosa’ Stalls With $58 Million, ‘The Garfield Movie’ Nears $100 Million
- 5/26/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
US Box Office: ‘Furiosa’ and ‘The Garfield Movie’ Tie for No. 1 With $31 Million in Bleak Memorial Day Weekend Battle
- 5/26/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
Cannes Film Festival Winners Announced
- 5/25/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety - Film News
Luminate Streaming Ratings: All Three ‘Bridgerton’ Seasons Were the Most-Watched Titles May 17-23
- 5/25/2024
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety - TV News
Johnny Wactor, General Hospital Actor, Dead at 37
- 5/26/2024
- by Claire Franken
- TVLine.com
Richard Sherman, Oscar-Winning Songwriter on ‘Mary Poppins,’ Dies at 95
- 5/25/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Nicki Minaj Detained in Amsterdam After She Was Found to Be Allegedly “Carrying Drugs” (Reports)
- 5/25/2024
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sia Ends Near-Decade Tradition of Dispensing ‘Survivor’ Cash Bonuses to Her Favorite Contestants
- 5/25/2024
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Paul Mescal Reportedly Being Eyed For Role In Sam Mendes’ ‘Beatles’ Movies
- 5/24/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Mubi Swoops on Andrea Arnold’s Cannes Competition Entry ‘Bird’ for North America (Exclusive)
- 5/26/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy and Alex Ritman
- Variety - Film News
Jane Schoenbrun Talks Future Plans on A24 Podcast: ‘I Want to Make a Stoner Comedy for Reals’
- 5/24/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Sideshow, Janus Films Take Leos Carax’s ‘It’s Not Me’ for North America (Exclusive)
- 5/25/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
2024 Movies Shot on Film: From ‘Challengers’ to ‘Nosferatu’
- 5/27/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Ted Sarandos to Creatives: AI Won’t ‘Take Your Job,’ but a ‘Person Who Uses AI Well Might’
- 5/26/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
DC’s Green Lantern Series Taps Damon Lindelof, ‘Ozark’ Showrunner Chris Mundy as Writers
- 5/26/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - TV News
Luminate Streaming Ratings: All Three ‘Bridgerton’ Seasons Were the Most-Watched Titles May 17-23
- 5/25/2024
- by Selome Hailu
- Variety - TV News
Susan Lucci Says She Was Offered ‘The Golden Bachelorette’: ‘It Wasn’t for Me’
- 5/25/2024
- TV Insider
TVLine Items: Cristin Milioti Joins Hulu’s Hit-Monkey, Death by Lighting Adds Bradley Whitford and More
- 5/25/2024
- by Keisha Hatchett
- TVLine.com
How ‘Shogun’ Is Shaking Up the Emmy Race
- 5/25/2024
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News