“The Sweet East” is on the road again, this time heading across the pond for a theatrical release via Utopia, which has acquired the drama’s U.K. rights.
Marking celebrated cinematographer Sean Price Williams’ feature debut, “The Sweet East” stars Talia Ryder, Ayo Edebiri, Jacob Elordi, Simon Rex and Jeremy O. Harris as they embark on a road trip across the U.S. Utopia purchased the North American rights to the film last year following its Director’s Fortnight premiere at Cannes Film Festival, and has since shepherded it around the continent to play in theaters in New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Toronto, Montreal, Atlanta, D.C. and more.
In addition to acquiring the U.K. rights for the film, Utopia is teaming up with Gotham Photochemical to produce new 35mm prints for “The Sweet East’s” continued theatrical expansion in North America and the U.K. The first 35mm...
Marking celebrated cinematographer Sean Price Williams’ feature debut, “The Sweet East” stars Talia Ryder, Ayo Edebiri, Jacob Elordi, Simon Rex and Jeremy O. Harris as they embark on a road trip across the U.S. Utopia purchased the North American rights to the film last year following its Director’s Fortnight premiere at Cannes Film Festival, and has since shepherded it around the continent to play in theaters in New York, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Toronto, Montreal, Atlanta, D.C. and more.
In addition to acquiring the U.K. rights for the film, Utopia is teaming up with Gotham Photochemical to produce new 35mm prints for “The Sweet East’s” continued theatrical expansion in North America and the U.K. The first 35mm...
- 2/7/2024
- by Ellise Shafer
- Variety Film + TV
Ridley Scott’s epic Napoleon hits theaters Nov. 22, but the review embargo for the film broke Tuesday night, and the early reaction from critics has been largely positive.
Written by David Scarpa, the lavish period film, which clocks in at a meaty two hours and 38 minutes, stars Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix as the French military commander and later despot Napoleon Bonaparte, with Vanessa Kirby as his consort, Empress Joséphine. The movie charts Bonaparte’s meteoric rise from lowly artillery commander to Napoleon I, emperor of France, and takes in notable military engagements such as the battles of Austerlitz and Waterloo.
Among the early reviews, Napoleon has been praised for its epic scale, particularly the set-piece battle scenes that make the film a worthy theatrical experience. Critics also praised Scott for his ambition in telling Bonaparte’s disparate story. There was praise, too, for Phoenix and Kirby’s performances. Some critics...
Written by David Scarpa, the lavish period film, which clocks in at a meaty two hours and 38 minutes, stars Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix as the French military commander and later despot Napoleon Bonaparte, with Vanessa Kirby as his consort, Empress Joséphine. The movie charts Bonaparte’s meteoric rise from lowly artillery commander to Napoleon I, emperor of France, and takes in notable military engagements such as the battles of Austerlitz and Waterloo.
Among the early reviews, Napoleon has been praised for its epic scale, particularly the set-piece battle scenes that make the film a worthy theatrical experience. Critics also praised Scott for his ambition in telling Bonaparte’s disparate story. There was praise, too, for Phoenix and Kirby’s performances. Some critics...
- 11/15/2023
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sofia Exarchou’s “Animal” won the Golden Alexander at the 64th Thessaloniki Film Festival on Sunday, marking the first time in 30 years that a Greek film took home the top honors at the country’s longest-running film event.
Exarchou’s sophomore feature, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, was praised by Variety’s Jessica Kiang as “a poignant portrait of life amid the sequins and the seediness of a Greek resort.” The film follows a group of entertainers at an all-inclusive island resort preparing for the busy tourist season who are forced to wrestle with the dark reality that the show must go on as the sultry Mediterranean nights turn violent.
Lead actor Dimitra Vlagopoulou, who won the acting award at the prestigious Swiss fest for what Kiang called a “riveting” performance, also shared the award for best actress in Thessaloniki. The awards were handed out by a jury comprised of producer Diana Elbaum,...
Exarchou’s sophomore feature, which premiered at the Locarno Film Festival, was praised by Variety’s Jessica Kiang as “a poignant portrait of life amid the sequins and the seediness of a Greek resort.” The film follows a group of entertainers at an all-inclusive island resort preparing for the busy tourist season who are forced to wrestle with the dark reality that the show must go on as the sultry Mediterranean nights turn violent.
Lead actor Dimitra Vlagopoulou, who won the acting award at the prestigious Swiss fest for what Kiang called a “riveting” performance, also shared the award for best actress in Thessaloniki. The awards were handed out by a jury comprised of producer Diana Elbaum,...
- 11/12/2023
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The event was held at Home House, London on July 5
Screen celebrated the launch of the UK & Ireland Stars of Tomorrow 2023 with a party at Home House, London on Wednesday, July 5.
Most of this year’s Stars were in attendance, including Kit Connor, Ruby Stokes, Leo Woodall, Ronke Adekoluejo, Rory Fleck Byrne and Mia McKenna-Bruce.
Other guests included producers Emily Morgan, Duncan Kenworthy and Tolu Stedford; British Council’s Catherine Bray and Briony Hanson; BBC Films’ Eva Yates; Amazon Prime Video’s Dan Grabiner, and ScreenSkill’s Emma Turner.
Prime Video returned as the headline sponsor for the fourth consecutive year,...
Screen celebrated the launch of the UK & Ireland Stars of Tomorrow 2023 with a party at Home House, London on Wednesday, July 5.
Most of this year’s Stars were in attendance, including Kit Connor, Ruby Stokes, Leo Woodall, Ronke Adekoluejo, Rory Fleck Byrne and Mia McKenna-Bruce.
Other guests included producers Emily Morgan, Duncan Kenworthy and Tolu Stedford; British Council’s Catherine Bray and Briony Hanson; BBC Films’ Eva Yates; Amazon Prime Video’s Dan Grabiner, and ScreenSkill’s Emma Turner.
Prime Video returned as the headline sponsor for the fourth consecutive year,...
- 7/7/2023
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Pan Distribution has acquired French rights to Joanna Arnow’s dark comedy “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” following its Cannes Film Festival debut. Loco Films is handling international sales on the title. The film is a major breakthrough for Arnow, who not only makes her narrative feature directing debut, but also wrote, edited and stars in the picture.
Critics liked her vision, with Variety‘s Catherine Bray praising “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” as “brilliantly sardonic” and adding that “you would hope that this is the kind of film that would lead to fame and fortune for Arnow.” The film follows the life of a thirtysomething woman named Ann, as she engages in a casual Bdsm relationship, grapples with her low-level corporate job, and deals with her bickering family.
Arnow previously directed shorts including “Bad at Dancing,” “Laying Out,” and...
Critics liked her vision, with Variety‘s Catherine Bray praising “The Feeling That the Time for Doing Something Has Passed” as “brilliantly sardonic” and adding that “you would hope that this is the kind of film that would lead to fame and fortune for Arnow.” The film follows the life of a thirtysomething woman named Ann, as she engages in a casual Bdsm relationship, grapples with her low-level corporate job, and deals with her bickering family.
Arnow previously directed shorts including “Bad at Dancing,” “Laying Out,” and...
- 5/27/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Glasgow Film Festival ran from March 1-12, screening 123 features.
A joy-filled Glasgow Film Festival (Gff) drew to a close last night (March 12) with the UK premiere of Nida Manzoor’s Polite Society, while Riceboy Sleeps scooped the festival’s only prize, the audience award, in what co-director Allan Hunter described as the “tightest” voting race in Gff’s audience award history.
Riceboy Sleeps is directed by Anthony Shim, and premiered at Toronto last year. It follows a South Korean family’s attempts to adapt to a new life in Canada, produced by Shim, Rebecca Steele and Bryan Demore. The family...
A joy-filled Glasgow Film Festival (Gff) drew to a close last night (March 12) with the UK premiere of Nida Manzoor’s Polite Society, while Riceboy Sleeps scooped the festival’s only prize, the audience award, in what co-director Allan Hunter described as the “tightest” voting race in Gff’s audience award history.
Riceboy Sleeps is directed by Anthony Shim, and premiered at Toronto last year. It follows a South Korean family’s attempts to adapt to a new life in Canada, produced by Shim, Rebecca Steele and Bryan Demore. The family...
- 3/13/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Glasgow Film Festival ran from March 1-12, screening 123 features.
A joy-filled Glasgow Film Festival (Gff) drew to a close last night (March 12) with the UK premiere of Nida Manzoor’s Polite Society, while Riceboy Sleeps scooped the festival’s only prize, the audience award, in what co-director Allan Hunter described as the “tightest” voting race in Gff’s audience award history.
Riceboy Sleeps is directed by Anthony Shim, and premiered at Toronto last year. It follows a South Korean family’s attempts to adapt to a new life in Canada, produced by Shim, Rebecca Steele and Bryan Demore. The family...
A joy-filled Glasgow Film Festival (Gff) drew to a close last night (March 12) with the UK premiere of Nida Manzoor’s Polite Society, while Riceboy Sleeps scooped the festival’s only prize, the audience award, in what co-director Allan Hunter described as the “tightest” voting race in Gff’s audience award history.
Riceboy Sleeps is directed by Anthony Shim, and premiered at Toronto last year. It follows a South Korean family’s attempts to adapt to a new life in Canada, produced by Shim, Rebecca Steele and Bryan Demore. The family...
- 3/13/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Charlie Shackleton’s film exists as a single 35mm print.
Charlie Shackleton’s non-fiction feature The Afterlight, which exists on a single 35mm print, has set a 12-date UK-Ireland tour, self-distributed by production company Loop.
The film will play locations around the territory from June 29th with in-person introductions and Q&As from UK filmmaker Shackleton.
Only one copy of the film exists, meaning it erodes every time it screens. It is described by the filmmakers as “a living document of its life in circulation. Eventually it will disappear entirely.”
The Afterlight is currently touring North America, having had its...
Charlie Shackleton’s non-fiction feature The Afterlight, which exists on a single 35mm print, has set a 12-date UK-Ireland tour, self-distributed by production company Loop.
The film will play locations around the territory from June 29th with in-person introductions and Q&As from UK filmmaker Shackleton.
Only one copy of the film exists, meaning it erodes every time it screens. It is described by the filmmakers as “a living document of its life in circulation. Eventually it will disappear entirely.”
The Afterlight is currently touring North America, having had its...
- 5/11/2022
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Big-screen highlights, from a magnificent montage in The Royal Tenenbaums to an all-time high in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay
Catherine Bray on cinema’s long-awaited return
It is so difficult to pin down a “happiest” moment in the cinema, as opposed to the clearer spikes of fear, amusement or euphoria, maybe because the happy feeling can bubble along more or less unobtrusively all the way through a good film. But for pure directionless, laid-back, sunlit happiness that I remember coursing through me and the entire cinema audience like a wave, I want to nominate the Me and Julio montage in Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums.
Catherine Bray on cinema’s long-awaited return
It is so difficult to pin down a “happiest” moment in the cinema, as opposed to the clearer spikes of fear, amusement or euphoria, maybe because the happy feeling can bubble along more or less unobtrusively all the way through a good film. But for pure directionless, laid-back, sunlit happiness that I remember coursing through me and the entire cinema audience like a wave, I want to nominate the Me and Julio montage in Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums.
- 5/8/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw; Kathryn Bromwich; Ryan Gilbey; Joel Golby; Simran Hans; Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAbove: George Segal and Elliot Gould in California Split (1974). Actor George Segal, a "defining face of 1970s Hollywood" known for his roles in films like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Robert Altman's California Split, has died. The 2021 Jury and Special Award winners of the 28th SXSW Film Festival have been announced, with winners including Megan Park's The Fallout and Jeremy Workman's Lily Topples the World. Recommended VIEWINGFor the series A One-Woman Confessional: Eight Films by Cecilia Mangini, Another Gaze's streaming project Another Screen has also made available a video of Mangini and Agnès Varda's first meeting in 2011. Metrograph's official trailer for Claire Denis' L'Intrus, her 2004 adaptation of an essay by philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy. The film will be available at the cimema's virtual theatre from March 26 to April 8. A fan-made...
- 3/28/2021
- MUBI
The latest horror flick filled with immense badassery to be added to Shudder's library is the fifth sequel in the Phantasm franchise, Phantasm: Ravager. Also in today's Highlights: details on the Clive Barker Reel Fear Contest, Portland International Film Festival's After Dark program, release details for Slasher.com and The Eyes, a new poster for Atomica, and production news and photos for A Haunting at Silver Falls II.
Phantasm: Ravager Comes to Shudder: "Joining Shudder is Phantasm: Ravager- the final installment of the long-running Phantasm series.
In addition to Phantasm: Ravager, streaming exclusively on Shudder is the remaster of Don Coscarelli’s 1979 classic Phantasm, as well as its sequels Phantasm III and Phantasm IV.
Phantasm was recently restored by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Coscarelli, and given both a new 4K remaster and a 5.1 surround sound mix, which will be the version presented exclusively on Shudder."
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Clive Barker Reel...
Phantasm: Ravager Comes to Shudder: "Joining Shudder is Phantasm: Ravager- the final installment of the long-running Phantasm series.
In addition to Phantasm: Ravager, streaming exclusively on Shudder is the remaster of Don Coscarelli’s 1979 classic Phantasm, as well as its sequels Phantasm III and Phantasm IV.
Phantasm was recently restored by J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Coscarelli, and given both a new 4K remaster and a 5.1 surround sound mix, which will be the version presented exclusively on Shudder."
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Clive Barker Reel...
- 2/15/2017
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Julia Ducournau’s feature film debut, “Raw,” has caused quite a stir with viewers for its graphic and gruesome scenes, but has no doubt left an impression on critics.
The cannibal horror film follows a 16-year-old vegetarian who is forced to eat a raw rabbit liver during her school’s humiliating hazing ritual. After devouring the meat, she starts to crave more flesh. The movie made its premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival where it won the Fipresci Prize and was recently screened at the Toronto Film Festival. Here’s what critics are saying.
Variety’s Catherine Bray saw the film at Cannes and stated that the jurors would have to reach for the barf bag.
“‘Raw’ is a deliciously fevered stew of nightmare fuel that hangs together with a breezily confident sense of superior craft. Genre-led distribs will be slavering for a taste, while crossover to a...
The cannibal horror film follows a 16-year-old vegetarian who is forced to eat a raw rabbit liver during her school’s humiliating hazing ritual. After devouring the meat, she starts to crave more flesh. The movie made its premiere at this year’s Cannes Film Festival where it won the Fipresci Prize and was recently screened at the Toronto Film Festival. Here’s what critics are saying.
Variety’s Catherine Bray saw the film at Cannes and stated that the jurors would have to reach for the barf bag.
“‘Raw’ is a deliciously fevered stew of nightmare fuel that hangs together with a breezily confident sense of superior craft. Genre-led distribs will be slavering for a taste, while crossover to a...
- 9/14/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
You know it's a good horror movie -- or at least a properly revolting one -- when people faint while watching it, and that's just what happened at the Toronto Film Festival last night when "multiple audience members" passed out during the film's premiere screening (via The Hollywood Reporter). "An ambulance had to be called to the scene as the film became too much for a couple patrons," said the film's marketer Ryan Werner, who is having a great day. Lest you think this is merely a clever publicity ploy on the part of distributor Focus World, more than one attendee at last night's screening -- including Girls on Film co-host Alicia Malone -- corroborated the account on Twitter: Raw: super cool, grisly, fun, fresh, gross French horror by badass female filmmaker. Not for weak stomachs! #TIFF16 pic.twitter.com/IwndOPiO9t — Alicia Malone (@aliciamalone) September 13, 2016 Raw: the paramedics had to come to the theater,...
- 9/13/2016
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
Bridge is back, 12 years later, and she’s going to be a mom. While “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason,” the first follow-up to the beloved book-based rom-com “Bridget Jones’s Diary” (which earned Renée Zellweger a 2002 Oscar nod) was generally considered a disappointment, things seem to be looking up for installment number three, “Bridget Jones’s Baby.”
Kevin P. Sullivan at Entertainment Weekly finds charm and gut-laughs despite the film’s predictable tone:
“The proceedings may be typical for Bridget and the series, but it’s all played so earnestly that it’s difficult to hold a grudge.”
Variety‘s Catherine Bray gives props to a female storyline not typically depicted in mainstream comedies:
“‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’ is not a comedy for the ages, but it’s interesting to see a rom-com starring a middle-aged woman grappling with irrelevance in the workplace.”
Read More: ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby...
Kevin P. Sullivan at Entertainment Weekly finds charm and gut-laughs despite the film’s predictable tone:
“The proceedings may be typical for Bridget and the series, but it’s all played so earnestly that it’s difficult to hold a grudge.”
Variety‘s Catherine Bray gives props to a female storyline not typically depicted in mainstream comedies:
“‘Bridget Jones’s Baby’ is not a comedy for the ages, but it’s interesting to see a rom-com starring a middle-aged woman grappling with irrelevance in the workplace.”
Read More: ‘Bridget Jones’s Baby...
- 9/6/2016
- by Annakeara Stinson
- Indiewire
It’s been more than a decade since audiences became obsessed with Ricky Gervais’ “The Office” character, David Brent. Now, the former paper salesman returns in the new film “David Brent: Life on the Road,” about the worst boss ever’s efforts to go on a self-funded tour with his band Foregone Conclusion, all the while still a traveling salesman. But are critics excited for the return of Gervais’ most iconic character? Here’s what they’re saying.
Variety’s Catherine Bray wrote, “Ricky Gervais’ most enduring creation hits the road for one last attempt at cracking showbiz, in a funny if meandering big-screen adventure.” She adds, “It’s a recipe for humor and conflict which, judging by the home-turf success of other recent theatrical transplants of U.K. sitcoms should have no trouble connecting with the original show’s sizable fanbase.”
Stephen Dalton of The Hollywood Reporter wasn’t...
Variety’s Catherine Bray wrote, “Ricky Gervais’ most enduring creation hits the road for one last attempt at cracking showbiz, in a funny if meandering big-screen adventure.” She adds, “It’s a recipe for humor and conflict which, judging by the home-turf success of other recent theatrical transplants of U.K. sitcoms should have no trouble connecting with the original show’s sizable fanbase.”
Stephen Dalton of The Hollywood Reporter wasn’t...
- 8/11/2016
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
What do Barbara Crampton, Rick Wakeman, James Cosmo, Toyah Willcox, Neil Marshall and Bernard Rose have in common? They’re all set to make an appearance at this years London Film4 Frightfest!
Scream Queen legend Barbara Crampton (pictured above) is Film4 FrightFest’s special guest icon, appearing in no less than four films in this year’s line-up. She stars in We Are Still Here, Road Games and Sun Choke plus makes a cameo appearance in Tales of Halloween. Not only will Barbara be introducing all her films, she’ll also be talking about her amazing career during a special interview event, hosted by Alan Jones, on Sun 30th August at 9.15pm.
Says the legend herself:
To say that I am overjoyed, excited and eager to attend FrightFest as a guest is putting it mildly. This festival has been on my radar for some time and to be included and...
Scream Queen legend Barbara Crampton (pictured above) is Film4 FrightFest’s special guest icon, appearing in no less than four films in this year’s line-up. She stars in We Are Still Here, Road Games and Sun Choke plus makes a cameo appearance in Tales of Halloween. Not only will Barbara be introducing all her films, she’ll also be talking about her amazing career during a special interview event, hosted by Alan Jones, on Sun 30th August at 9.15pm.
Says the legend herself:
To say that I am overjoyed, excited and eager to attend FrightFest as a guest is putting it mildly. This festival has been on my radar for some time and to be included and...
- 7/27/2015
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Raven Banner has acquired worldwide rights to El Gigante, a film about one Luchador you don't want to mess with. A new Queen of Earth trailer and the guest list for Film4 FrightFest 2015 are also featured in this morning's round-up.
El Gigante: Press Release: "Raven Banner has boarded Luchagore Productions, El Gigante, directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero for worldwide rights, which was featured in the current edition of The Frontieres International Co-Production Market. They will also serve as Executive Producers.
The film tells the story of a deranged maniac in a Luchador mask named El Gigante who wrestles his prey to the mat in a grisly entertainment ritual of thrill-packed culinary prep for his cannibalistic family.
The deal was negotiated by Luchagore's Raynor Shima and Raven Banner's James Fler and Michael Paszt.
"The team of Gigi, Raynor, and Luke at Luchagore is one of the most exciting new genre...
El Gigante: Press Release: "Raven Banner has boarded Luchagore Productions, El Gigante, directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero for worldwide rights, which was featured in the current edition of The Frontieres International Co-Production Market. They will also serve as Executive Producers.
The film tells the story of a deranged maniac in a Luchador mask named El Gigante who wrestles his prey to the mat in a grisly entertainment ritual of thrill-packed culinary prep for his cannibalistic family.
The deal was negotiated by Luchagore's Raynor Shima and Raven Banner's James Fler and Michael Paszt.
"The team of Gigi, Raynor, and Luke at Luchagore is one of the most exciting new genre...
- 7/25/2015
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
Films include a collaboration between Sing Sing prison inmates and a leading contemporary dance company from Turner Prize nominated visual artist Phil Collins.
Scroll down for full list of projects
Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 5-10) has revealed the titles that will pitch for funding at its MeetMarket initiative, celebrating 10 years in 2015.
A total of 64 filmmaker teams from 19 countries will pitch to international and UK decision makers for research, development and production funding
At Crossover Market, which includes digital titles, a further 26 interactive projects from 12 countries will pitch in one-to-one meetings to a range of specialist decision makers.
Among the Crossover projects being pitched are the latest from Oscar Raby who won last year’s Interactive Audience Award with Assent; and Ram Devineni who attracted funding at last year’s Crossover Market and Tribeca New Media Fund for Priya’s Shakti.
New pitch opportunities this year include a BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra Stories commission for young filmmakers, the Guardian...
Scroll down for full list of projects
Sheffield Doc/Fest (June 5-10) has revealed the titles that will pitch for funding at its MeetMarket initiative, celebrating 10 years in 2015.
A total of 64 filmmaker teams from 19 countries will pitch to international and UK decision makers for research, development and production funding
At Crossover Market, which includes digital titles, a further 26 interactive projects from 12 countries will pitch in one-to-one meetings to a range of specialist decision makers.
Among the Crossover projects being pitched are the latest from Oscar Raby who won last year’s Interactive Audience Award with Assent; and Ram Devineni who attracted funding at last year’s Crossover Market and Tribeca New Media Fund for Priya’s Shakti.
New pitch opportunities this year include a BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra Stories commission for young filmmakers, the Guardian...
- 4/27/2015
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
The Look Of Silence is Joshua Oppenheimer’s powerful companion piece to the Oscar-nominated The Act Of Killing.
“The Look Of Silence represents a tough but essential counterpoint to the more obviously extraordinary first film,” wrote Catherine Bray (HitFix) in her review.
Through Oppenheimer’s footage of perpetrators of the 1965 Indonesian genocide, a family of survivors discovers how their son was murdered, as well as the identities of the killers.
The documentary focuses on the youngest son, an optometrist named Adi, who decides to break the suffocating spell of submission and terror by doing something unimaginable in a society where the murderers remain in power: he confronts the men who killed his brother and, while testing their eyesight, asks them to accept responsibility for their actions.
This unprecedented film initiates and bears witness to the collapse of fifty years of silence.
Oppenheimer said, ” the film is a monument to silence...
“The Look Of Silence represents a tough but essential counterpoint to the more obviously extraordinary first film,” wrote Catherine Bray (HitFix) in her review.
Through Oppenheimer’s footage of perpetrators of the 1965 Indonesian genocide, a family of survivors discovers how their son was murdered, as well as the identities of the killers.
The documentary focuses on the youngest son, an optometrist named Adi, who decides to break the suffocating spell of submission and terror by doing something unimaginable in a society where the murderers remain in power: he confronts the men who killed his brother and, while testing their eyesight, asks them to accept responsibility for their actions.
This unprecedented film initiates and bears witness to the collapse of fifty years of silence.
Oppenheimer said, ” the film is a monument to silence...
- 3/31/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Earlier today (December 4), the 24th James Bond movie was revealed to be titled Spectre.
Director Sam Mendes also unveiled the leading cast of the spy thriller, including returning stars Daniel Craig and Naomie Harris and new members such as Christoph Waltz and Andrew Scott.
Bond fans around the world - including a few familiar faces - reacted with excitement over the big announcement, ahead of its release on November 6, 2015.
I've been expecting you Mr Bond. pic.twitter.com/SyuxERAR0I
— Danny Baker (@prodnose) December 4, 2014
So Blofeld is back!
— Sir Roger Moore (@sirrogermoore) December 4, 2014
Just found out that Monica Bellucci and Christolph Waltz are in the new Bond? It's called Spectre. I'm saying best Bond ever ..right now
— David Campbell (@DavidCampbell73) December 4, 2014
There is a Furious discussion in the @digitalspy office about whether Spectre should have caps or not (it should fyi)
— Catriona Wightman (@catrionaw890) December 4, 2014
Idea for new Bond theme: ♫♫♫ R.
Director Sam Mendes also unveiled the leading cast of the spy thriller, including returning stars Daniel Craig and Naomie Harris and new members such as Christoph Waltz and Andrew Scott.
Bond fans around the world - including a few familiar faces - reacted with excitement over the big announcement, ahead of its release on November 6, 2015.
I've been expecting you Mr Bond. pic.twitter.com/SyuxERAR0I
— Danny Baker (@prodnose) December 4, 2014
So Blofeld is back!
— Sir Roger Moore (@sirrogermoore) December 4, 2014
Just found out that Monica Bellucci and Christolph Waltz are in the new Bond? It's called Spectre. I'm saying best Bond ever ..right now
— David Campbell (@DavidCampbell73) December 4, 2014
There is a Furious discussion in the @digitalspy office about whether Spectre should have caps or not (it should fyi)
— Catriona Wightman (@catrionaw890) December 4, 2014
Idea for new Bond theme: ♫♫♫ R.
- 12/4/2014
- Digital Spy
Clash of the twitter threads. I recently started muting words on twitter on subjects I just had no interest in hearing about anymore and in some cases never did despite the rest of the world's inexplicably insatiable interest (my timeline is blessedly "Kardashian" free - you should try it! I'm missing nothing) and I've been so much happier.
Twitter is still a colossal time sucker in some ways but it keeps the pop culture conversation lively and my favorite thing about it is hearing smart people say amusing things that I didn't think to say - that I felt but never put into words (like the first tweet below). Anyway, here are a dozen or so tweets that amused or edified. Just because it's fun to share them.
Really enjoyed A Most Violent Year. First film I've seen in ages where guns are actually treated as guns i.e. Incredibly Dangerous.
Twitter is still a colossal time sucker in some ways but it keeps the pop culture conversation lively and my favorite thing about it is hearing smart people say amusing things that I didn't think to say - that I felt but never put into words (like the first tweet below). Anyway, here are a dozen or so tweets that amused or edified. Just because it's fun to share them.
Really enjoyed A Most Violent Year. First film I've seen in ages where guns are actually treated as guns i.e. Incredibly Dangerous.
- 11/22/2014
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Do not take "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" at face value. What sounds like a horrifically arty student film is the latest from Roy Andersson, wry sociological observer and "Swedish master," as he's correctly touted in a press release announcing the film's acquisition. In "Pigeon," Andersson confronts the mundanity of life, humanity's strangest impulses, and the absolutes of death in Monty Python-like vignettes, realized with a painterly quality. With a distributor in place, audiences now have a deadline for digesting Andersson's previous work in preparation for this trilogy-capping "Pigeon," a true tragicomedy triumph. After making waves on the festival circuit, Magnolia Pictures announced they acquired and will distribute "A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence" sometime in 2015. The film had its world premiere in Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Golden Lion, the fest's top prize. The film made its North American...
- 10/15/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
The first trailer for Barry Levinson's "The Humbling" teases so much that could — should? — go right. There's Levinson, whose never let his eclectic career hit an easy groove; There's star Al Pacino, a legend everyone's gunning for no matter how many "Righteous Kill"-like duds come along; There's the esteemed Philip Roth providing source material with Buck Henry adapting; And there's Greta Gerwig, one of the strongest young actresses in the business. Throwing Dianne Wiest, Charles Grodin, and Dan Hedaya on top is like a sundae with three cherries. And yet "The Humbling" arrives tattered and scarred, patrons of the Venice and Toronto Film Festivals underwhelmed by the dramatic vehicle. But could a drop of glory from the once-great Pacino all it takes for a movie like "The Humbling" to transcend itself? Let's hope. In "The Humbling," Pacino plays Simon Axler, a Shakespearean thespian whose reality and stage life...
- 10/9/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
Reviews of Barry Levinson's "The Humbling" out of the Venice Film Festival, where the Philip Roth adaptation premiered in competition, seemed mixed at best. Our own Catherine Bray dumped pretty hard on it, mostly bewildered about the choice of source material and the neutering of its gratuitousness. The "watering down" of "Roth's smut," she surmised, leaves the viewer with "just some mumbling from Pacino about how he don't get no respect." Others were kinder, still others not, but no matter, as a newly configured Millennium Entertainment has picked up the film with an eye toward insinuating it into the Oscar conversation. To be fair, Pacino did get his share of praise for the performance, which would have to pull off a miracle to really compete in this year's impenetrable Best Actor field. The New York Post's Lou Lumenick called it maybe the best thing the actor has done this century.
- 9/24/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
And Andrew Garfield and Michael Shannon to the Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor races as Ramin Bahrani's "99 Homes" has landed domestic distribution after playing the Venice, Telluride and Toronto film festivals. Indie upstart Broad Green Pictures has landed the film stateside with an aim to release in the spring of 2015. The film will not, however, be competing for Oscars consideration this year, despite early reports to the contrary. I missed "99 Homes" in the four-day Telluride sprint, but HitFix's Greg Ellwood caught up to it and was highly impressed. "At first, Ramin Bahrani's drama feels like it might be slightly preachy, but it soon turns into a gripping drama that succeeds partially thanks to the amazing work from Garfield and Shannon," he wrote, before going on to declare the actors' performances to be two of the very best of their careers. Prior to that, at Venice, Catherine Bray was slightly less convinced,...
- 9/16/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
The race for Oscar is akin to a political campaign, and the first three Fall film festivals have made a significant impact on all the major races. Consider that Venice, Telluride and Toronto take place within three weeks of each other and you have a huge indicator of how the season will progress. With that in mind, here are eight major takeaways that are still buzzing in our heads as the Oscar race begins. "The Imitation Game" just got a huge head start. Harvey's had a tough year at the box office. He isn't going to have a tough year with Oscar. "The Imitation Game" was the hit of Telluride and took the People's Choice Award at Toronto (something The Weinstein Company movies seem to have an awful amount of luck with). It's not quite the slam dunk that "The King's Speech" or "The Artist" were because it "appears...
- 9/15/2014
- by Gregory Ellwood
- Hitfix
Beverly Hills — Laika's "The Boxtrolls" saw its world premiere over the weekend at the Venice Film Festival, the third in a line of movies from the Portland-based animation studio that have aimed to push the medium at every step. Directed by Anthony Stacchi and Graham Annable, the film is, like all Laika product, its own world, a dank, cockney yarn that, as ever, serves as a showcase for the company's craft prowess. I recently sat down with Stacchi, Annable and Laika CEO Travis Knight to discuss adapting Alan Snow's mammoth book "Here Be Monsters!," the use of increasingly sophisticated computer tools to aid stop motion animation and the vision for the company going forward. You can read through the back and forth below, and don't forget to check out Catherine Bray's glowing review from the Lido. "The Boxtrolls" opens in theaters Sept. 26. *** HitFix: Anthony, we met briefly at...
- 9/1/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
Some are already trying to figure out the "Birdman" backlash after the film dropped to raves in Venice, but sometimes the hype is justified, and make no mistake about it: Alejandro González Iñárritu's manic dissection of an artist desperate for fulfillment outside of commercial success is an out-and-out masterpiece. We wrote some time ago about how the film would be constructed to resemble a single take, and watching things unfold at the Werner Herzog Theater Saturday night, I was definitely paying close attention to that. I counted maybe 12 or 13 cuts that were obvious, but there are surely a number of invisible digital edits throughout (much like how the great "single-take" car scene from Alfonso Cuarón's "Children of Men" was assembled, though you'd never know it). The first shot of the film, honest to God, feels like a 30 minute single tracking shot, but there had to be a digital cut in there somewhere.
- 8/31/2014
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
The 71st Venice Film Festival opened earlier today with the world premiere of Alejandro G. Iñárritu's newest film, "Birdman." Naturally, accompanying the screening was a red carpet and a photocall featuring Iñárritu as well as the cast of "Birdman" along with other celebrities. In the gallery below then you will find the likes of Michael Keaton, who leads the cast, along with pictures of Edward Norton, Emma Stone, Andrea Riseborough, Amy Ryan, and more. Certainly, everyone appears to be having an enjoyable time at the festivities. Check them out for yourself and see what you think. As for the film itself, in the HitFix review of "Birdman," Catherine Bray gives the movie an "A-" rating. She writes that it "offers several sure bets come Oscar season," and that while it may not win the Oscar for Best Picture, she would "be genuinely shocked if it wasn't nominated." The Venice Film...
- 8/27/2014
- by Josh Lasser
- Hitfix
The first reviews are out for "Birdman," Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's film starring Michael Keaton as a washed up movie star who achieved his greatest fame playing a superhero and is now trying to mount a vanity project on Broadway. The single take film just had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival where reviews have been gushing. Here's just a sample:
"A quarter-century after 'Batman' ushered in the era of Hollywood mega-tentpoles - hollow comicbook pictures manufactured to enthrall teens and hustle merch - a penitent Michael Keaton returns with the comeback of the century, 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),' a blisteringly hot-blooded, defiantly anti-formulaic look at a has-been movie star’s attempts to resuscitate his career by mounting a vanity project on Broadway. In a year overloaded with self-aware showbiz satires, Alejandro G. Inarritu’s fifth and best feature provides the delirious coup...
"A quarter-century after 'Batman' ushered in the era of Hollywood mega-tentpoles - hollow comicbook pictures manufactured to enthrall teens and hustle merch - a penitent Michael Keaton returns with the comeback of the century, 'Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance),' a blisteringly hot-blooded, defiantly anti-formulaic look at a has-been movie star’s attempts to resuscitate his career by mounting a vanity project on Broadway. In a year overloaded with self-aware showbiz satires, Alejandro G. Inarritu’s fifth and best feature provides the delirious coup...
- 8/27/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Earth is facing a new threat! It's insidious and its viral power means no one is safe. Yes, beware the online teaser campaign
Gather round, kids, and make sure you're wearing a special ocular truss to guard against eyeball-socket exodus, because here's a startling exclusive: yes, a seven-second "teaser trailer" for Untitled Robot Franchise Part One, coming 2015. These fleeting frames, with state-of-the-art computerised recreations of buildings falling down, have got us so excited we punched a wall, hiccuped and broke wind. The only way we could possibly be more feverish was if we had 20 seconds of footage! Which, by the way, we will have next week.
The month after that, we've got new "character art", showing what all the actors look like if you moodily Photoshop a picture of them looking dead-eyed in an outfit. Then we'll have a "sneak peek" of a chap who is either the hero's best...
Gather round, kids, and make sure you're wearing a special ocular truss to guard against eyeball-socket exodus, because here's a startling exclusive: yes, a seven-second "teaser trailer" for Untitled Robot Franchise Part One, coming 2015. These fleeting frames, with state-of-the-art computerised recreations of buildings falling down, have got us so excited we punched a wall, hiccuped and broke wind. The only way we could possibly be more feverish was if we had 20 seconds of footage! Which, by the way, we will have next week.
The month after that, we've got new "character art", showing what all the actors look like if you moodily Photoshop a picture of them looking dead-eyed in an outfit. Then we'll have a "sneak peek" of a chap who is either the hero's best...
- 7/9/2013
- by Catherine Bray
- The Guardian - Film News
The film industry usually only has eyes for younger actresses, but a new report indicates that nine out of 10 top earners are over the age of 37
In 1962, a 21-year-old named Nora Ephron interviewed for a job at Newsweek. She said she wanted to be a writer. She was quickly assured that women did not become writers at Newsweek, and was offered a job sorting the mail for $55 a week. How things have changed.
In 1990, Ephron was Oscar-nominated for writing When Harry Met Sally. In it, Meg Ryan's Sally has an existential freak out. "And I'm gonna be Forty!" she wails. "When?" asks Billy Crystal's Harry, baffled. Through her sobs, she manages to articulate: "Some day!" For Sally, 40 is a bleak deadline, the end of all promise. How things have changed.
This week, the Hollywood Reporter magazine has run a cover story trumpeting the "revenge of the over-40 actress...
In 1962, a 21-year-old named Nora Ephron interviewed for a job at Newsweek. She said she wanted to be a writer. She was quickly assured that women did not become writers at Newsweek, and was offered a job sorting the mail for $55 a week. How things have changed.
In 1990, Ephron was Oscar-nominated for writing When Harry Met Sally. In it, Meg Ryan's Sally has an existential freak out. "And I'm gonna be Forty!" she wails. "When?" asks Billy Crystal's Harry, baffled. Through her sobs, she manages to articulate: "Some day!" For Sally, 40 is a bleak deadline, the end of all promise. How things have changed.
This week, the Hollywood Reporter magazine has run a cover story trumpeting the "revenge of the over-40 actress...
- 6/11/2013
- by Catherine Bray
- The Guardian - Film News
If, as Time Out suggests, this Will Ferrell vehicle is the funniest movie of the year, then 2010 is an annus horribilis for comedy
The basics
Pitched by a number of critics as one of the funniest movies of the year so far, The Other Guys is the latest collaboration from Will Ferrell and writer-director Adam McKay, who also brought us the magnificent Anchorman, the mildly amusing Talladega Nights, and the pretty execrable Step Brothers. It's not so much a spoof of the buddy cop movie as a comedic spin on that most tried and tested of formulas, starring Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as two New York cops who spend most of their time in the office doing paperwork while someone else displays all the guts, and takes all the glory. But all that changes when star partnership Danson and Highsmith, played in wildly over-the-top cameos by Samuel L Jackson and The Rock,...
The basics
Pitched by a number of critics as one of the funniest movies of the year so far, The Other Guys is the latest collaboration from Will Ferrell and writer-director Adam McKay, who also brought us the magnificent Anchorman, the mildly amusing Talladega Nights, and the pretty execrable Step Brothers. It's not so much a spoof of the buddy cop movie as a comedic spin on that most tried and tested of formulas, starring Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg as two New York cops who spend most of their time in the office doing paperwork while someone else displays all the guts, and takes all the glory. But all that changes when star partnership Danson and Highsmith, played in wildly over-the-top cameos by Samuel L Jackson and The Rock,...
- 9/20/2010
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
The critics have spoken, the people have tweeted, and the box office receipts are coming in. Ben Child assesses the fallout from the release of Sex and the City 2
The basics
For those living on planet Bergman for the past decade or so, Sex and the City 2 is the sequel to 2008's Sex and the City, itself a spin-off from the hugely successful TV series. Starring regular quartet Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall as Manhattan gal pals Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha, it cost an estimated $100m and sees the awesome foursome jetting off to Abu Dhabi for an all-expenses-paid jolly, courtesy of one of Samantha's PR clients.
The stakes
Parker has said that the chances of a third instalment being made will depend on whether or not the fans take to SATC2. In terms of cinema careers, only she and Cattrall really have them any more.
The basics
For those living on planet Bergman for the past decade or so, Sex and the City 2 is the sequel to 2008's Sex and the City, itself a spin-off from the hugely successful TV series. Starring regular quartet Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall as Manhattan gal pals Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha, it cost an estimated $100m and sees the awesome foursome jetting off to Abu Dhabi for an all-expenses-paid jolly, courtesy of one of Samantha's PR clients.
The stakes
Parker has said that the chances of a third instalment being made will depend on whether or not the fans take to SATC2. In terms of cinema careers, only she and Cattrall really have them any more.
- 6/1/2010
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Tim Burton's 3D extravaganza had an even bigger opening weekend than Avatar – but left the critics cold. What did you think of it?
Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland may have wowed audiences – it opened to a spectacular $210.3m global haul at the weekend – but the critics are divided over whether this latest reimagining of Lewis Carroll's famous stories is a worthy addition to the canon. Some suggest this is Alice seen through a disconcerting Hollywood action movie filter, with weak characterisation and tepid dialogue. Others are bowled over by the vivid imagery and a terrific performance by Helena Bonham Carter as the sinister, sickly sweet Red Queen. Meanwhile, Johnny Depp's performance as the Mad Hatter seems to delight and annoy in equal measure.
Burton's film sees Alice returning to Wonderland (now known, for some obscure reason, as Underland) as a 19-year-old, having almost forgotten her previous...
Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland may have wowed audiences – it opened to a spectacular $210.3m global haul at the weekend – but the critics are divided over whether this latest reimagining of Lewis Carroll's famous stories is a worthy addition to the canon. Some suggest this is Alice seen through a disconcerting Hollywood action movie filter, with weak characterisation and tepid dialogue. Others are bowled over by the vivid imagery and a terrific performance by Helena Bonham Carter as the sinister, sickly sweet Red Queen. Meanwhile, Johnny Depp's performance as the Mad Hatter seems to delight and annoy in equal measure.
Burton's film sees Alice returning to Wonderland (now known, for some obscure reason, as Underland) as a 19-year-old, having almost forgotten her previous...
- 3/8/2010
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
Neither a Diablo Cody script or a vampiric Megan Fox have sold critics on Jennifer's Body. Did the feminist subtext convince you, or did the high-school horror outing just drain your patience?
It ought to have been a snappy subversion of the horror genre with a feminist subtext and dialogue to die for. But the critics are not convinced that Jennifer's Body, Diablo Cody's first screenplay since the Oscar-winning Juno, is quite as hot as it thinks it is.
All the ingredients are there: a decent enough body count, an on-form Megan Fox as the sublimely beautiful, enjoyably vapid Jennifer, and an oh-so-super-ridiculous plotline in which she is transformed into a flesh-eating succubus by eyeliner-sporting indie rockers who feel they need a helping hand from the Devil. Yet not everyone reckons the whole thing hangs together – there's a sense that Jennifer's Body might be lacking a soul.
Channel 4 Film's...
It ought to have been a snappy subversion of the horror genre with a feminist subtext and dialogue to die for. But the critics are not convinced that Jennifer's Body, Diablo Cody's first screenplay since the Oscar-winning Juno, is quite as hot as it thinks it is.
All the ingredients are there: a decent enough body count, an on-form Megan Fox as the sublimely beautiful, enjoyably vapid Jennifer, and an oh-so-super-ridiculous plotline in which she is transformed into a flesh-eating succubus by eyeliner-sporting indie rockers who feel they need a helping hand from the Devil. Yet not everyone reckons the whole thing hangs together – there's a sense that Jennifer's Body might be lacking a soul.
Channel 4 Film's...
- 11/9/2009
- by Ben Child
- The Guardian - Film News
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