The ’70s were the perfect time to be paranoid: rumors of government-sanctioned assassinations here and abroad, second-gunman theories around dead presidents, whispers of elite secret societies pulling strings, that whole Watergate thing. It wafted in the air like yesterday’s tear gas. The movies picked up the vibe and amplified it. Buy a ticket and you could see Warren Beatty discover an assassin-recruitment corporation (The Parallax View), Robert Redford as a CIA analyst on the run from agency goons (Three Days of the Condor), Gene Hackman get tripped up over...
- 8/12/2023
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Mafia-related murders. An improbable constellation of 20th-century icons. Belated accessibility to the public after decades of obscurity. Are we talking about the JFK assassination or Winter Kills, William Richert’s 1979 film inspired by it?
Adapted from Richard Condon’s 1974 novel, the film flamed out on its initial release for many of the usual reasons: a troubled production, the short-sightedness of critics, and a willingness on the part of the filmmakers to potentially confuse, alienate, or offend audiences of the day. But even if you don’t go in with a conspiratorial mindset, one viewing of this riotously entertaining, chillingly perceptive film could leave you wondering if some larger force is at play, protecting the targets of this should-be New Hollywood classic by keeping it in the dark after all this time.
The history of Winter Kills is nearly as lurid and tangled as the conspiracy it depicts. Unable to secure...
Adapted from Richard Condon’s 1974 novel, the film flamed out on its initial release for many of the usual reasons: a troubled production, the short-sightedness of critics, and a willingness on the part of the filmmakers to potentially confuse, alienate, or offend audiences of the day. But even if you don’t go in with a conspiratorial mindset, one viewing of this riotously entertaining, chillingly perceptive film could leave you wondering if some larger force is at play, protecting the targets of this should-be New Hollywood classic by keeping it in the dark after all this time.
The history of Winter Kills is nearly as lurid and tangled as the conspiracy it depicts. Unable to secure...
- 8/8/2023
- by Brad Hanford
- Slant Magazine
Every month brings a new slate of entertainment to streaming services everywhere, but each turn of the calendar also brings the tragic removal of a list of movies and television shows. While Netflix is debuting a bevy of releases in May 2023, the streaming service is losing some treasured titles. Good thing you have this guide to make sure you catch everything that may have been sitting in your Netflix queue before they mysteriously disappear.
Unfortunately, juggling distribution rights in the ongoing proliferation of streaming services makes it a headache to keep up with who owns what. HBO Max is the biggest offender of losing its own original content, as the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery and the induction of CEO David Zaslav has wiped a chunk of HBO Max exclusives from the platform. Netflix has a better grasp on its properties, but even the longest-running streaming service has lost some of its licensing,...
Unfortunately, juggling distribution rights in the ongoing proliferation of streaming services makes it a headache to keep up with who owns what. HBO Max is the biggest offender of losing its own original content, as the merger between Warner Bros. and Discovery and the induction of CEO David Zaslav has wiped a chunk of HBO Max exclusives from the platform. Netflix has a better grasp on its properties, but even the longest-running streaming service has lost some of its licensing,...
- 4/26/2023
- by Andrew Housman
- Slash Film
To quote the evil Noah Cross in Chinatown, “Politicians, ugly buildings and whores all get respectable if they last long enough.” The same can be said of Adam Sandler, who spent years as a piñata for critics as a result of such mindless comedies as Billy Madison and Happy Gilmore. Now he’s an acclaimed actor, his name floated by Oscar prognosticators for such superb performances as the ones he gave in Uncut Gems and Hustle. He’s even joined the ranks of such illustrious comedic talents as Richard Pryor and George Carlin in winning the Mark Twain Prize.
But Sandler’s ultimately gotta be Sandler, and that huge deal with Netflix has to be fulfilled. Hence the arrival of Murder Mystery 2, the sequel to the critically panned 2019 comedy co-starring Jennifer Aniston that became the streamer’s biggest hit that year. This film brings back the goofy, doofus Sandler...
But Sandler’s ultimately gotta be Sandler, and that huge deal with Netflix has to be fulfilled. Hence the arrival of Murder Mystery 2, the sequel to the critically panned 2019 comedy co-starring Jennifer Aniston that became the streamer’s biggest hit that year. This film brings back the goofy, doofus Sandler...
- 3/31/2023
- by Frank Scheck
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There isn't a chance "Chinatown," written by Robert Towne and directed by Roman Polanski, would get made as a feature film today. Its detail-dense narrative about water rights in Southern California, intertwined with the vile dealings of incestuous industrialist Noah Cross (John Huston), would likely be expanded into a series or not made at all. It's a terrific neo-noir, and it works spectacularly for viewers with attention spans, but Towne's slow-burn narrative feels like the kind of material that gets meted out over twelve too-long episodes nowadays.
Interestingly, Towne and star Jack Nicholson did have a long-term plan for nosy private detective Jake Gittes. Unfortunately, it blew apart spectacularly when Jack Nicholson muscled through the production of the "Chinatown" sequel, "The Two Jakes." After numerous delays, Nicholson directed and rewrote portions of Towne's script, infuriating his former collaborator to the point where they did not speak for many years. None...
Interestingly, Towne and star Jack Nicholson did have a long-term plan for nosy private detective Jake Gittes. Unfortunately, it blew apart spectacularly when Jack Nicholson muscled through the production of the "Chinatown" sequel, "The Two Jakes." After numerous delays, Nicholson directed and rewrote portions of Towne's script, infuriating his former collaborator to the point where they did not speak for many years. None...
- 8/20/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
The ending of Chinatown is an iconic one that’s hard to forget. In a time when endings were usually more upbeat and happier, Roman Polanski went against the grain and delivered a tragic climax. The ending sees Evelyn Mulray die while trying to flee as her illegitimate daughter Katherine screams in horror. The evil Noah Cross takes the young girl away and who could forget that iconic line, “Forget it, Jake. It’s Chinatown.” However, that wasn’t the original ending for the classic neo-noir film. Originally, Robert Towne had Evelyn fatally shoot her father, but ultimately goes to prison. Somewhat more
Would A Happy Ending Make Chinatown A Better Film?...
Would A Happy Ending Make Chinatown A Better Film?...
- 5/12/2022
- by Jeffrey Bowie Jr.
- TVovermind.com
This article contains massive The Batman spoilers.
The cops don’t look at him like other Batmans. When Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader enters a crime scene that wouldn’t be out of place in a David Fincher movie, the Gotham City Police Department neither assess this interloper with the kind of relief we see from civilians’ reactions to The Avengers, nor even the type of awe and hope glimpsed in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.
They look at the Batman like a freak—just one who happens to be surprisingly good at solving crimes. That’s one of the more amusing innovations in Matt Reeves and Pattinson’s interpretation of the Batman mythology. At its heart, this isn’t necessarily a superhero movie or even an action adventure—despite a few nominal action sequences. It’s a downbeat detective story, far more influenced by the second wave of...
The cops don’t look at him like other Batmans. When Robert Pattinson’s Caped Crusader enters a crime scene that wouldn’t be out of place in a David Fincher movie, the Gotham City Police Department neither assess this interloper with the kind of relief we see from civilians’ reactions to The Avengers, nor even the type of awe and hope glimpsed in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight.
They look at the Batman like a freak—just one who happens to be surprisingly good at solving crimes. That’s one of the more amusing innovations in Matt Reeves and Pattinson’s interpretation of the Batman mythology. At its heart, this isn’t necessarily a superhero movie or even an action adventure—despite a few nominal action sequences. It’s a downbeat detective story, far more influenced by the second wave of...
- 3/8/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
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