Click here to read the full article.
Drew Griffin, an investigative correspondent who was a familiar face on CNN’s programming for nearly two decades, died last weekend after a battle with cancer, the channel announced.
Griffin, who garnered acclaim and accolades for tackling stories related to corruption, fraud and malfeasance, specialized in challenging investigations that had an outsized impact and was known for tough interviews that didn’t hold back.
His reporting into nursing home deaths and looting by some police officers led to investigations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. His reporting into long delays for care at Veterans Affairs hospitals led to the resignation of Va Secretary Eric Shinseki and reform legislation by Congress. More recently, Griffin led investigations into election denialism in the wake of Jan. 6, 2021, including an interview challenging MyPillow founder Mike Lindell.
His investigations included deep dives into safety issues in Ford vehicles, sexual assault claims against Uber drivers,...
Drew Griffin, an investigative correspondent who was a familiar face on CNN’s programming for nearly two decades, died last weekend after a battle with cancer, the channel announced.
Griffin, who garnered acclaim and accolades for tackling stories related to corruption, fraud and malfeasance, specialized in challenging investigations that had an outsized impact and was known for tough interviews that didn’t hold back.
His reporting into nursing home deaths and looting by some police officers led to investigations in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. His reporting into long delays for care at Veterans Affairs hospitals led to the resignation of Va Secretary Eric Shinseki and reform legislation by Congress. More recently, Griffin led investigations into election denialism in the wake of Jan. 6, 2021, including an interview challenging MyPillow founder Mike Lindell.
His investigations included deep dives into safety issues in Ford vehicles, sexual assault claims against Uber drivers,...
- 12/19/2022
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Drew Griffin, CNN’s award-winning Senior Investigative Correspondent, died Saturday after a long battle with cancer, his family told the network. He was 60.
“Drew’s death is a devastating loss to CNN and our entire profession,” CNN CEO Chris Licht said in a note to staff. “A highly acclaimed investigative journalist, Drew’s work had incredible impact and embodied the mission of this organization in every way.”
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery Related Story CNN's Chris Licht: "So Much Of What Passes For News Is Name-Calling, Half-Truths And Desperation" Related Story Kim Simmonds Dies: Savoy Brown Founder, Influential UK Blues Musician Was 75
According to CNN, Griffin worked on hundreds of stories and multiple documentaries over the course of nearly two decades on the network’s CNN’s investigative team. His reporting had been honored with such awards as Emmys, Peabodys, and Murrows.
Griffin had kept his...
“Drew’s death is a devastating loss to CNN and our entire profession,” CNN CEO Chris Licht said in a note to staff. “A highly acclaimed investigative journalist, Drew’s work had incredible impact and embodied the mission of this organization in every way.”
Related Story Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery Related Story CNN's Chris Licht: "So Much Of What Passes For News Is Name-Calling, Half-Truths And Desperation" Related Story Kim Simmonds Dies: Savoy Brown Founder, Influential UK Blues Musician Was 75
According to CNN, Griffin worked on hundreds of stories and multiple documentaries over the course of nearly two decades on the network’s CNN’s investigative team. His reporting had been honored with such awards as Emmys, Peabodys, and Murrows.
Griffin had kept his...
- 12/19/2022
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Rick Lewchuk is exiting his post as senior vice president of creative marketing and brand standards for CNN Worldwide, amid cost-cutting and layoffs at the network this week.
He oversaw on-air and off-channel brand and marketing for the CNN channels, as well as CNN Go and CNN Digital and the short-lived CNN+, with responsibilities that included brand messaging, on-air promotion, design and marketing campaigns across platforms. He also served as interim head of marketing after the departure of Allison Gollust in February.
Lewchuk joined CNN in 2012 after holding a number of senior level positions at CTV, a division of Bell Media in Canada. That included a tenure as senior vice president of Bell Media Agency and Brand Strategy.
His tenure at CNN included the launch of CNN Original Series and CNN Films, including Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, as well as the first Hln Original Series. He also launched the Go...
He oversaw on-air and off-channel brand and marketing for the CNN channels, as well as CNN Go and CNN Digital and the short-lived CNN+, with responsibilities that included brand messaging, on-air promotion, design and marketing campaigns across platforms. He also served as interim head of marketing after the departure of Allison Gollust in February.
Lewchuk joined CNN in 2012 after holding a number of senior level positions at CTV, a division of Bell Media in Canada. That included a tenure as senior vice president of Bell Media Agency and Brand Strategy.
His tenure at CNN included the launch of CNN Original Series and CNN Films, including Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, as well as the first Hln Original Series. He also launched the Go...
- 12/1/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
CEO Chris Licht’s plan to take CNN back to its newsy roots has support from the Warner Bros. Discovery board, but the top-down approach has higher ups in the newsroom worried about their editorial independence.
Speaking with the Financial Times, Licht said he aims to bring journalism front-and-center, tamping down the amount of opinion talk that grew on the network during the Trump years. He has a vision to make the Og all-news cable station seem “more like a newspaper,” with less emphasis on politics and more on breaking news, lifestyle and sports content “in the hope it might keep viewers glued, even on slow days.”
The CEO, who took over for Jeff Zucker in May, believes that the network’s offerings needed to be toned down.
Also Read:
CNN Programming Chief Michael Bass to Exit at the End of the Year
“If everything is a crisis, if everything...
Speaking with the Financial Times, Licht said he aims to bring journalism front-and-center, tamping down the amount of opinion talk that grew on the network during the Trump years. He has a vision to make the Og all-news cable station seem “more like a newspaper,” with less emphasis on politics and more on breaking news, lifestyle and sports content “in the hope it might keep viewers glued, even on slow days.”
The CEO, who took over for Jeff Zucker in May, believes that the network’s offerings needed to be toned down.
Also Read:
CNN Programming Chief Michael Bass to Exit at the End of the Year
“If everything is a crisis, if everything...
- 11/22/2022
- by Eileen AJ Connelly
- The Wrap
CNN hired Alex Charalambides, most recently chief technology officer at digital media firm Insider Inc., as its new Cto.
Charalambides officially starts at CNN on Monday, Nov. 28. He reports to Patty Hirsch, global EVP of consumer digital for Warner Bros. Discovery.
CNN, like other properties under the former WarnerMedia, has seen a high amount of turnover following Discovery’s acquisition to form Warner Bros. Discovery. Charalambides will assume the Cto role after the departure of CNN Digital Cto Robyn Peterson in June, when interim head of CNN Digital Alex MacCallum also exited. Those staffing changes came under CNN CEO Chris Licht, who came on board after Warner Bros. Discovery closed the WarnerMedia deal and quickly shuttered the CNN+ subscription service.
Last month, CNN named Athan Stephanopolous, previously president of Group Nine Media’s NowThis, as the head of CNN Digital. In a memo to staff, Stephanopolous called Charalambides “a seasoned...
Charalambides officially starts at CNN on Monday, Nov. 28. He reports to Patty Hirsch, global EVP of consumer digital for Warner Bros. Discovery.
CNN, like other properties under the former WarnerMedia, has seen a high amount of turnover following Discovery’s acquisition to form Warner Bros. Discovery. Charalambides will assume the Cto role after the departure of CNN Digital Cto Robyn Peterson in June, when interim head of CNN Digital Alex MacCallum also exited. Those staffing changes came under CNN CEO Chris Licht, who came on board after Warner Bros. Discovery closed the WarnerMedia deal and quickly shuttered the CNN+ subscription service.
Last month, CNN named Athan Stephanopolous, previously president of Group Nine Media’s NowThis, as the head of CNN Digital. In a memo to staff, Stephanopolous called Charalambides “a seasoned...
- 11/21/2022
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Michael Bass, EVP of programming at CNN, is leaving the network at the end of the year.
News of his departure was shared with employees this morning by CNN CEO Chris Licht, who is in the midst of an extensive effort to reorganize and reorient the news network. A network rep confirmed the move to Deadline. (Read Licht’s memo to staff below.)
Licht arrived in the top job soon after the close of WarnerMedia’s 43 billion merger with Discovery, with the combined company needing to cut cost and streamline in order to pay down its sizable debt. In addition to sorting out the headcount and budget of the retooled network, Licht is charting a different course than his predecessor, Jeff Zucker, who drove CNN’s leftward direction and frequent clashes with former President Donald Trump. Ratings have flagged since the inauguration of President Joe Biden and CNN has also...
News of his departure was shared with employees this morning by CNN CEO Chris Licht, who is in the midst of an extensive effort to reorganize and reorient the news network. A network rep confirmed the move to Deadline. (Read Licht’s memo to staff below.)
Licht arrived in the top job soon after the close of WarnerMedia’s 43 billion merger with Discovery, with the combined company needing to cut cost and streamline in order to pay down its sizable debt. In addition to sorting out the headcount and budget of the retooled network, Licht is charting a different course than his predecessor, Jeff Zucker, who drove CNN’s leftward direction and frequent clashes with former President Donald Trump. Ratings have flagged since the inauguration of President Joe Biden and CNN has also...
- 11/21/2022
- by Dade Hayes
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
CNN’s top programming executive, Michael Bass, is leaving the cable news channel.
CNN CEO Chris Licht announced the decision to staff at the channel Monday morning, writing in a memo that Bass “made the decision to leave CNN at the end of this year” and noting that “he has been a steady hand during some of the most turbulent times this network has faced.”
Licht added that CNN is “launching a search for Michael’s replacement, and we will communicate an interim plan in the coming days.”
Bass was one of the executives who ran CNN (the others were talent and content development chief Amy Entelis and operations and production executive Ken Jautz) on an interim basis after Jeff Zucker left the channel earlier this year. Licht officially named Bass to his team in July.
Bass was a long time deputy to Zucker,...
CNN’s top programming executive, Michael Bass, is leaving the cable news channel.
CNN CEO Chris Licht announced the decision to staff at the channel Monday morning, writing in a memo that Bass “made the decision to leave CNN at the end of this year” and noting that “he has been a steady hand during some of the most turbulent times this network has faced.”
Licht added that CNN is “launching a search for Michael’s replacement, and we will communicate an interim plan in the coming days.”
Bass was one of the executives who ran CNN (the others were talent and content development chief Amy Entelis and operations and production executive Ken Jautz) on an interim basis after Jeff Zucker left the channel earlier this year. Licht officially named Bass to his team in July.
Bass was a long time deputy to Zucker,...
- 11/21/2022
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Michael Bass, CNN’s longtime programming chief known for his work through former president Donald Trump’s political career, will exit the network at the end of this year, TheWrap has confirmed.
CEO Chris Licht announced the news Monday morning, saying “Michael has demonstrated incredible leadership and perseverance” in his nearly decade-long tenure at CNN.
Bass was part of a group of executives tapped to help lead the network on an interim basis after Jeff Zucker left earlier this year. In July, Bass was officially named to Licht’s team, along with CNN Worldwide’s executive vice president for talent and content development Amy Entelis and CNN U.S.’ executive vice president Ken Jautz.
“He has been a steady hand during some of the most turbulent times this network has faced,” Licht wrote in a memo to staff, “Along with a brilliant and courageous team, Michael kept CNN live and...
CEO Chris Licht announced the news Monday morning, saying “Michael has demonstrated incredible leadership and perseverance” in his nearly decade-long tenure at CNN.
Bass was part of a group of executives tapped to help lead the network on an interim basis after Jeff Zucker left earlier this year. In July, Bass was officially named to Licht’s team, along with CNN Worldwide’s executive vice president for talent and content development Amy Entelis and CNN U.S.’ executive vice president Ken Jautz.
“He has been a steady hand during some of the most turbulent times this network has faced,” Licht wrote in a memo to staff, “Along with a brilliant and courageous team, Michael kept CNN live and...
- 11/21/2022
- by Benjamin Lindsay and Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Michael Bass, the longtime CNN programming chief who played a role in devising the network’s more passionate demeanor during the Trump era, is leaving the outlet.
His departure was revealed to staffers at the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed outlet’s daily news meeting Monday, according to people familiar with the discussions. Bass, an executive vice president , was a key lieutenant and longtime colleague of Jeff Zucker, CNN’s former leader, and one of a troika of senior executives who led CNN for an interim period after Zucker’s abrupt ouster earlier this year. Bass will leave the company at the end of 2022.
In a note to employees, CNN CEO Chris Licht said the decision to leave was Bass’. Internally, however, there is widespread acknowledgment that the network, which has been suffering in the ratings since the 2021 inauguration of President Biden, has grappled with finding content that is more competitive with that of its peers.
His departure was revealed to staffers at the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed outlet’s daily news meeting Monday, according to people familiar with the discussions. Bass, an executive vice president , was a key lieutenant and longtime colleague of Jeff Zucker, CNN’s former leader, and one of a troika of senior executives who led CNN for an interim period after Zucker’s abrupt ouster earlier this year. Bass will leave the company at the end of 2022.
In a note to employees, CNN CEO Chris Licht said the decision to leave was Bass’. Internally, however, there is widespread acknowledgment that the network, which has been suffering in the ratings since the 2021 inauguration of President Biden, has grappled with finding content that is more competitive with that of its peers.
- 11/21/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Jake Tapper, Laura Coates and Alisyn Camerota will take on temporary assignments on CNN’s primetime schedule as the Warner Bros. Discovery-backed network prepares to cover the run-up to the 2022 midterm elections.
Tapper, CNN’s chief Washington correspondent, will host the network’s 9 p.m. from Washington, while Camerota and Laura Coates will share anchor responsibilities between 10 p.m. and midnight. Tapper is the first anchor to get a semi-regular perch at 9 since the much-scrutinized departure of the time slot’s previous occupant, Chris Cuomo. Camerota. who has held down slots in both the morning and the afternoon, and Coates, a legal analyst who has in the past been under consideration for a primetime assignment, will take over a time period that has been led by Don Lemon, who is moving soon to work on a new CNN morning program.
Lemon, who will co-anchor a new morning show with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins,...
Tapper, CNN’s chief Washington correspondent, will host the network’s 9 p.m. from Washington, while Camerota and Laura Coates will share anchor responsibilities between 10 p.m. and midnight. Tapper is the first anchor to get a semi-regular perch at 9 since the much-scrutinized departure of the time slot’s previous occupant, Chris Cuomo. Camerota. who has held down slots in both the morning and the afternoon, and Coates, a legal analyst who has in the past been under consideration for a primetime assignment, will take over a time period that has been led by Don Lemon, who is moving soon to work on a new CNN morning program.
Lemon, who will co-anchor a new morning show with Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins,...
- 9/22/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
CNN’s new chief hopes primetime anchor Don Lemon can help the network gain ground in some of TV news’ toughest terrain.
Chris Licht, who has vowed to tone down some of the more aggressive commentary at the network since taking its reins earlier this year, has enjoyed an eyebrow-raising streak in morning news. He launched the durable MSNBC franchise “Morning Joe” in 2007 and then helped CBS gain new momentum in the a.m. in 2012 by starting “CBS This Morning.” Neither program was the most-watched of its brethren, but Licht gained new viewership for the networks that backed him by providing more substantial conversation among anchors and ignoring some of the frillier elements of the time period, like cooking demonstrations or street interviews with passersby.
Now he’s betting he can do the same for CNN, even as TV networks are seeing new challenges to their sunrise efforts.
“People are...
Chris Licht, who has vowed to tone down some of the more aggressive commentary at the network since taking its reins earlier this year, has enjoyed an eyebrow-raising streak in morning news. He launched the durable MSNBC franchise “Morning Joe” in 2007 and then helped CBS gain new momentum in the a.m. in 2012 by starting “CBS This Morning.” Neither program was the most-watched of its brethren, but Licht gained new viewership for the networks that backed him by providing more substantial conversation among anchors and ignoring some of the frillier elements of the time period, like cooking demonstrations or street interviews with passersby.
Now he’s betting he can do the same for CNN, even as TV networks are seeing new challenges to their sunrise efforts.
“People are...
- 9/20/2022
- by Brian Steinberg
- Variety Film + TV
Don Lemon, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins will anchor CNN’s new morning show, set to debut later this year with a new name, format and set.
The retooled show has been a top priority of CNN’s chairman and CEO Chris Licht, who started in May.
Lemon will end his nightly Don Lemon Tonight to host the new morning show. Harlow will switch from her 9-11 a.m. slot to join the show, and Collins, who has been the network’s chief White House correspondent, will serve as co-anchor and chief correspondent on the program. Collins will leave her role and move to New York, with more details on the White House team to be announced.
Fall Premiere Dates For New & Returning TV Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming
John Berman and Brianna Keilar, who have been anchoring the current show New Day, will take on new roles at the network,...
The retooled show has been a top priority of CNN’s chairman and CEO Chris Licht, who started in May.
Lemon will end his nightly Don Lemon Tonight to host the new morning show. Harlow will switch from her 9-11 a.m. slot to join the show, and Collins, who has been the network’s chief White House correspondent, will serve as co-anchor and chief correspondent on the program. Collins will leave her role and move to New York, with more details on the White House team to be announced.
Fall Premiere Dates For New & Returning TV Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming
John Berman and Brianna Keilar, who have been anchoring the current show New Day, will take on new roles at the network,...
- 9/15/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
On Friday morning, CNN CEO Chris Licht addressed the decision to cancel the Sunday show Reliable Sources, and told staff on the news channel’s 9 a.m. editorial call that there will be more changes to come.
“I want to acknowledge that this is a time of significant change, and I know that many of you are unsettled,” Licht said, according to multiple people on the call. “There will be more changes, and you might not understand it or like it.”
CNN’s decision to cancel Brian Stelter’s show brought renewed anxiety to the halls of 30 Hudson Yards, according to multiple CNN staffers.
While Licht has made it clear since he began that there would be changes coming to CNN’s lineup, and not just to its streaming strategy, those plans “hadn’t really sunk in yet,” said one of the staffers.
On Friday morning, CNN CEO Chris Licht addressed the decision to cancel the Sunday show Reliable Sources, and told staff on the news channel’s 9 a.m. editorial call that there will be more changes to come.
“I want to acknowledge that this is a time of significant change, and I know that many of you are unsettled,” Licht said, according to multiple people on the call. “There will be more changes, and you might not understand it or like it.”
CNN’s decision to cancel Brian Stelter’s show brought renewed anxiety to the halls of 30 Hudson Yards, according to multiple CNN staffers.
While Licht has made it clear since he began that there would be changes coming to CNN’s lineup, and not just to its streaming strategy, those plans “hadn’t really sunk in yet,” said one of the staffers.
- 8/19/2022
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ryan Kadro is joining CNN as SVP Content Strategy and Development, a role that is expected to include a new or revamped morning show, according to a source familiar with the plans.
Kadro joins the network from The Recount, which he left in May after serving as its chief content officer. He also served as executive producer of CBS This Morning from 2016-19, having succeeded Chris Licht, now chairman and CEO of CNN. Kadro also worked at Quibi as head of news programming.
Licht, who started at CNN in May, has been filling out his leadership team. Last month he announced a series of appointments, including Kris Coratti Kelly to lead global communications. He also tapped Michael Bass to continue to serve as EVP Programming for CNN, while Virginia Moseley would serve as EVP Editorial for CNN U.S., an expanded role that includes the digital news team.
Kadro will report to Amy Entelis,...
Kadro joins the network from The Recount, which he left in May after serving as its chief content officer. He also served as executive producer of CBS This Morning from 2016-19, having succeeded Chris Licht, now chairman and CEO of CNN. Kadro also worked at Quibi as head of news programming.
Licht, who started at CNN in May, has been filling out his leadership team. Last month he announced a series of appointments, including Kris Coratti Kelly to lead global communications. He also tapped Michael Bass to continue to serve as EVP Programming for CNN, while Virginia Moseley would serve as EVP Editorial for CNN U.S., an expanded role that includes the digital news team.
Kadro will report to Amy Entelis,...
- 8/18/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
After promising to “reimagine” the morning show and advising staff to pull back on usage of the “Breaking News” banner, new CNN boss Chris Licht has made another change to the cable news channel’s operations by putting a new leadership team in place.
Virginia Moseley, who previously oversaw TV news gathering, is being elevated to EVP of editorial and will oversee CNN’s TV and digital news, according to a memo Licht sent to staff Wednesday. Kristine Coratti Kelly, who is best known for her work at the Washington Post, joins CNN as lead global communications.
Also Read:
CNN Taps Washington Post Vet Kristine Coratti Kelly as EVP and Head of Global Communications
Chris Marlin will serve as group EVP of strategy and business operations as he seeks out new revenue and optimization opportunities across the business. Johnita Due will now serve as EVP of integrity and inclusion, a...
Virginia Moseley, who previously oversaw TV news gathering, is being elevated to EVP of editorial and will oversee CNN’s TV and digital news, according to a memo Licht sent to staff Wednesday. Kristine Coratti Kelly, who is best known for her work at the Washington Post, joins CNN as lead global communications.
Also Read:
CNN Taps Washington Post Vet Kristine Coratti Kelly as EVP and Head of Global Communications
Chris Marlin will serve as group EVP of strategy and business operations as he seeks out new revenue and optimization opportunities across the business. Johnita Due will now serve as EVP of integrity and inclusion, a...
- 7/20/2022
- by Brandon Katz
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
CNN CEO Chris Licht has set his executive team, firming up the direct reports who will help run the cable news channel’s global operations.
Licht’s appointments are mostly longtime CNN staffers, reflecting a desire to shift CNN’s focus toward hard news, rather than a desire to make dramatic change.
“With this strong team now in place, the real work begins,” Licht wrote in a memo to staff Wednesday afternoon. “I have no doubt that these leaders will individually and collectively tackle the challenges that lie ahead and create new opportunities for CNN in the ever-evolving media landscape. These key executives will now be developing plans for their leadership teams, and we will share those decisions in the coming months. I am tremendously bullish about the future of CNN and this team — and I’m eager to move forward and roll up our sleeves,...
CNN CEO Chris Licht has set his executive team, firming up the direct reports who will help run the cable news channel’s global operations.
Licht’s appointments are mostly longtime CNN staffers, reflecting a desire to shift CNN’s focus toward hard news, rather than a desire to make dramatic change.
“With this strong team now in place, the real work begins,” Licht wrote in a memo to staff Wednesday afternoon. “I have no doubt that these leaders will individually and collectively tackle the challenges that lie ahead and create new opportunities for CNN in the ever-evolving media landscape. These key executives will now be developing plans for their leadership teams, and we will share those decisions in the coming months. I am tremendously bullish about the future of CNN and this team — and I’m eager to move forward and roll up our sleeves,...
- 7/20/2022
- by Alex Weprin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chris Licht Announces CNN Leadership Team; Kris Coratti Kelly to Head Global Communications — Update
Updated: Kris Coratti Kelly’s hiring as CNN’s new head of global communications was among a serious of announcements made by CNN chairman and CEO Chris Licht as he filled out his leadership team.
In a memo to staffers, Licht said that Michael Bass would continue to serve as executive vice president of programming for CNN, while Virginia Moseley would serve as executive vice president for editorial for CNN U.S. Amy Entelis will continue as executive vice president of talent and content development, and Ken Jautz will stay as executive vice president of news. San Feist will continue as senior vice president and Washington bureau chief.
Licht also announced Johnita Due as executive vice president of integrity and inclusion, a newly created position.
He also wrote that they are undertaking a worldwide search for chief digital officer, after the departure of Andrew Morse in April. Wendy Brundige is...
In a memo to staffers, Licht said that Michael Bass would continue to serve as executive vice president of programming for CNN, while Virginia Moseley would serve as executive vice president for editorial for CNN U.S. Amy Entelis will continue as executive vice president of talent and content development, and Ken Jautz will stay as executive vice president of news. San Feist will continue as senior vice president and Washington bureau chief.
Licht also announced Johnita Due as executive vice president of integrity and inclusion, a newly created position.
He also wrote that they are undertaking a worldwide search for chief digital officer, after the departure of Andrew Morse in April. Wendy Brundige is...
- 7/20/2022
- by Ted Johnson
- Deadline Film + TV
They were going to make history on that day in September, 1991. The eight members of Biosphere 2, a closed-system laboratory filled with both living environments (rain forests, desert landscapes, deep-sea coral gardens) and living quarters, were entering the elaborate research facility in Oracle, Arizona. Amidst a lot of media fanfare, they were about to embark on a two-year journey inside the biomes and away from the outside world. The glass windows surrounding the buildings would allow them to see out and let visitors, tourists and other lookie-loos to peer in. But...
- 5/8/2020
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
The battle between Alec Baldwin and producer Dana Brunetti continues as the two engaged in a full-on Twitter war over Baldwin’s claims in his new memoir. “You lied, face it, admit it and move on. I’m not afraid of bullies like you,” Brunetti tweeted Wednesday, which prompted Baldwin to ask for the release of “scenes involving physical contact with minors.” In Baldwin’s new memoir “Nevertheless,” the actor claimed he didn’t know his co-star Nikki Reed was under age when he filmed the indie movie “Mini’s First Time” with her in 2006. The movie’s producers include Kevin Spacey,...
- 4/6/2017
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Not unlike Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s rapport with the festival, Sundance has become a place where James Franco/RabbitBandini Productions gets to both test-drive and showcase his creative output. Last year’s fest saw him showcase both Interior. Leather Bar. and kink, and while we fully expect to see the filmmaker there for Bukowski, with Holy Land as a possible outside shot, there potentially might be room in the New Frontier section for an anthology of films that were ultimately “patched” together by Nyu graduate students. Closer to Tar than the previous pair of mentioned titles, shooting on Black Dog, Red Dog began in early 2012 with a tally of ten, mostly inexperienced filmmakers that for at least nine of them had to win a contest to be part of the “larger” project.
Gist: Featuring Franco, Olivia Wilde, Chloë Sevigny, Logan Marshall-Green, this is based on Stephen Dobyns‘ book of poetry.
Production Co.
Gist: Featuring Franco, Olivia Wilde, Chloë Sevigny, Logan Marshall-Green, this is based on Stephen Dobyns‘ book of poetry.
Production Co.
- 11/18/2013
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
2012 is already shaping up to be Abigail Spencer's breakthrough year. The supporting actress, who has scored small roles in Cowboys and Aliens and This Means War, was just signed to star in Joss Whedon's soon-to-shoot supernatural romance In Your Eyes. And now THR has uncovered the will-be leading lady has also made the leap to screenwriter. Spencer, who is most often recognized for her work as Don Draper's mistress on Mad Men, has penned a romantic comedy called Wrong Number about a couple whose meet-cute happens during a misdialed call. The film, which will be AnnaRose King's feature-length directorial debut, is the first of six co-productions between James Franco's Rabbit Bandini Productions, Victorino Noval Productions, and Edward Bass Films. Spencer will act as a producer as well as star, playing a married woman who is driven by grief over her father's death to recklessly pursue the...
- 1/21/2012
- cinemablend.com
"Mad Men" actress Abigail Spencer has penned the script for and will star in the AnnaRose King-directed rom-com "Wrong Number" for Victorino Noval Productions, Edward Bass Films and Rabbit Bandini Productions says The Hollywood Reporter.
The story follows two people who meet on a wrong number phone call at a pivotal moment in their lives - one is a wife dealing with the loss of her father.
The pair strike up an unlikely friendship, which turns romantic, revealing the often mixed signals in intimate friendships amongst men and women.
Andrew Leeds, Matt Gould, Griffin Matthews, Camille Chen and Eric Roberts star while James Franco will produce. Shooting will kick off in April in New York City.
The story follows two people who meet on a wrong number phone call at a pivotal moment in their lives - one is a wife dealing with the loss of her father.
The pair strike up an unlikely friendship, which turns romantic, revealing the often mixed signals in intimate friendships amongst men and women.
Andrew Leeds, Matt Gould, Griffin Matthews, Camille Chen and Eric Roberts star while James Franco will produce. Shooting will kick off in April in New York City.
- 1/21/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
In the same week where we learned that Abigail Spencer will lead Joss Whedon‘s next, THR informs us that the actress’ screenplay, Wrong Number, is gaining its own momentum. They’ve got a cast — Andrew Leeds, Matt Gould, Griffin Matthews, Camille Chen, and Eric Roberts, in this case — and director, Anne Rose King, all ready to go; getting James Franco on board as a producer is playing in the big leagues, though. And, as it turns out, Number is the first project in a six-picture deal between Victorino Noval Productions, Edward Bass Films and Franco‘s Rabbit Bandini Productions; Spencer will also be on board as a producer.
As they tell us, the romantic comedy centers on “two people who ‘meet’ on a wrong number phone call at a pivotal moment in their lives.” Our two leads are “a wife dealing with the loss of her father and the stranger she pursues,...
As they tell us, the romantic comedy centers on “two people who ‘meet’ on a wrong number phone call at a pivotal moment in their lives.” Our two leads are “a wife dealing with the loss of her father and the stranger she pursues,...
- 1/20/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Actress Abigail Spencer, best known for her work on Mad Men, has stealthily spread her wings into screenwriting, with her script Wrong Number now set for a spring shoot with James Franco as a producer. Spencer will also star in the movie, leading a cast that includes Andrew Leeds, Matt Gould, Griffin Matthews, Camille Chen and Eric Roberts. Photos: Hollywood's New Leading Ladies The movie is the first to come from a partnership between Victorino Noval Productions, Edward Bass Films and Franco and his Rabbit Bandini Productions. A slate of six films is planned. Franco is producing with his Bandini
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- 1/20/2012
- by Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As Good As Dead PosterA full theatrical trailer is now live for Jonathan Mossek's thriller As Good As Dead. The clip shows Cary Elwes as a man terrorized by Andie McDowell's character Helen and the Shulzstaffel tattooed Aaron (Frank Whaley). The trailer follows a revenge plotline, as two kidnappers try to identify Ethan's (Elwes) true identity. Or is he just an innocent victim? Fans will have to see the film for the finale and for the answer to this question, but in the meantime enjoy two minutes of suspense and tension in this As Good As Dead official trailer.
The synopsis for As Good As Dead here:
"In this psychological thriller full of shocking twists starring Andie MacDowell and Cary Elwes, what begins as an average day for Ethan (Elwes) takes a dangerous turn when he’s kidnapped and held hostage in his New York apartment by three assailants.
The synopsis for As Good As Dead here:
"In this psychological thriller full of shocking twists starring Andie MacDowell and Cary Elwes, what begins as an average day for Ethan (Elwes) takes a dangerous turn when he’s kidnapped and held hostage in his New York apartment by three assailants.
- 9/15/2010
- by 28DaysLaterAnalysis@gmail.com (Michael Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
As Good As Dead PosterFirst Look Studios is set to release another "psychological thriller" October 12th entitled As Good As Dead. The film and synopsis show a theme of torture and bloody mayhem. The story itself involves revenge for the death of a cult leader; except, these followers interrogate the wrong man. Have a look at the first poster art for the picture left, which stars Cary Elwes, Brian Cox, and Andie MacDowell, then get set to watch the bloody excitement below with the film's official trailer.
The synopsis for As Good As Dead here:
"In this psychological thriller full of shocking twists starring Andie MacDowell and Cary Elwes, what begins as an average day for Ethan (Elwes) takes a dangerous turn when he’s kidnapped and held hostage in his New York apartment by three assailants. The home invaders aren’t looking to rob him; instead they are looking...
The synopsis for As Good As Dead here:
"In this psychological thriller full of shocking twists starring Andie MacDowell and Cary Elwes, what begins as an average day for Ethan (Elwes) takes a dangerous turn when he’s kidnapped and held hostage in his New York apartment by three assailants. The home invaders aren’t looking to rob him; instead they are looking...
- 7/14/2010
- by 28DaysLaterAnalysis@gmail.com (Michael Ross Allen)
- 28 Days Later Analysis
According to the Hr, Belle is the story of Belle Gunness, America's most prolific female serial killer, to be directed by Ed Bass from a script by him and Eva Mayer.
Working mainly from her farm base in La Porte County, Ind., around the turn of the 20th century, Gunness left a trail of buried bodies as she allegedly killed two husbands and dozens of suitors to whom she wrote love letters and who arrived at her farm with fat wallets. Several of her stepchildren mysteriously disappeared as well...
read more...
Working mainly from her farm base in La Porte County, Ind., around the turn of the 20th century, Gunness left a trail of buried bodies as she allegedly killed two husbands and dozens of suitors to whom she wrote love letters and who arrived at her farm with fat wallets. Several of her stepchildren mysteriously disappeared as well...
read more...
- 5/14/2009
- by Superheidi
- Planet Fury
Never mind Freddy, Jason, and Michael. The story of Belle Gunness is the stuff of real nightmares. Way back at the turn of the 20th Century, she went on a rampage and a half, and to this very day old Belle's known as one of the most prolific female serial killers of all time. Now that, folks, is what we call perfect horror movie fodder!
THR reports tonight that producer Ed Bass is all set to make his directorial debut with Belle, the story of Belle Gunness, for First Line Media.
Gunness would lure wealthy suitors via letters and such to her farm with promises of love and sex only to murder and bury the suckers so she could keep their cash and move on to the next. Just look at her picture! Who could resist such a vixen!?! Times sure have changed. Coincidentally several of her stepchildren mysteriously disappeared as well.
THR reports tonight that producer Ed Bass is all set to make his directorial debut with Belle, the story of Belle Gunness, for First Line Media.
Gunness would lure wealthy suitors via letters and such to her farm with promises of love and sex only to murder and bury the suckers so she could keep their cash and move on to the next. Just look at her picture! Who could resist such a vixen!?! Times sure have changed. Coincidentally several of her stepchildren mysteriously disappeared as well.
- 5/13/2009
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Producer Ed Bass is making his directorial debut with "Belle," the story of Belle Gunness, America's most prolific female serial killer, which is being produced and financed by First Line Media.
Working mainly from her farm base in La Porte County, Ind., around the turn of the 20th century, Gunness left a trail of buried bodies as she allegedly killed two husbands and dozens of suitors to whom she wrote love letters and who arrived at her farm with fat wallets. Several of her stepchildren mysteriously disappeared as well.
Bass co-wrote the script with Eva Mayer, whose family purchased the farmland and discovered some of the love letters.
"It's classic theme: a woman looking for love and never quite finding it," Bass said. "And when she finally does find love, it eludes her."
Producing are First Line chairman Hubert Gibbs and Christopher Beatty.
Bjorn Johnson and George Hamilton are set to co-produce,...
Working mainly from her farm base in La Porte County, Ind., around the turn of the 20th century, Gunness left a trail of buried bodies as she allegedly killed two husbands and dozens of suitors to whom she wrote love letters and who arrived at her farm with fat wallets. Several of her stepchildren mysteriously disappeared as well.
Bass co-wrote the script with Eva Mayer, whose family purchased the farmland and discovered some of the love letters.
"It's classic theme: a woman looking for love and never quite finding it," Bass said. "And when she finally does find love, it eludes her."
Producing are First Line chairman Hubert Gibbs and Christopher Beatty.
Bjorn Johnson and George Hamilton are set to co-produce,...
- 5/12/2009
- by By Borys Kit
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New York -- First Line Entertainment and producer Edward Bass are partnering to launch three features, including the thriller "As Good as Dead," starring Andie MacDowell, Cary Elwes and Brian Cox.
The other projects are Nick Stagliano's modern-day Western "Good Day for It" and "The Shadow of the Shah," a biopic about the Shah of Iran's twin sister.
"Dead" stars Elwes as Ethan, a left-wing extremist who goes on the run after killing the reverend (Cox) behind a white supremacist group. MacDowell plays the widow who hunts him down with two redneck accomplices (Frank Whaley, Matt Dallas). Jess Wexler plays Ethan's estranged wife, and Laura Harring plays his neighbor.
Jonathan Mossek is directing the feature, which he wrote with Erez Mossek and Eve Pomerance. Hubert Gibbs and Bass are producing, and Jonathan Pillot and Heidi Jo Markel are exec producing. Principal photography is under way in New York.
"Dead...
The other projects are Nick Stagliano's modern-day Western "Good Day for It" and "The Shadow of the Shah," a biopic about the Shah of Iran's twin sister.
"Dead" stars Elwes as Ethan, a left-wing extremist who goes on the run after killing the reverend (Cox) behind a white supremacist group. MacDowell plays the widow who hunts him down with two redneck accomplices (Frank Whaley, Matt Dallas). Jess Wexler plays Ethan's estranged wife, and Laura Harring plays his neighbor.
Jonathan Mossek is directing the feature, which he wrote with Erez Mossek and Eve Pomerance. Hubert Gibbs and Bass are producing, and Jonathan Pillot and Heidi Jo Markel are exec producing. Principal photography is under way in New York.
"Dead...
- 9/16/2008
- by By Gregg Goldstein
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World just got a little madder.
Ed Bass, one of the producers behind Bobby, and Karen Sharpe Kramer, the widow of Mad World director Stanley Kramer, have teamed to make a sequel to the comedy classic.
Titled "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD World," the film would be, like the 1963 film, a large ensemble movie mixing comics and dramatic actors. The story follows the descendants of the characters from the first movie who are thrust into another madcap chase to find a cache of money after it is revealed that the money found in the first movie was counterfeit.
Bass' relationship with the sequel began in 1991 when he produced the Mad World documentary Something a Little Less Serious with Stanley Kramer. The two began planning a sequel, but Kramer became ill, and the project was put on hold. Kramer died in 2001.
A sequel was further derailed when Paramount released 2001's Rat Race, which had a similar concept.
Bass reconnected last year with Karen Sharpe Kramer -- who held the rights and had produced a TV remake of her husband's Western classic High Noon -- when making Bobby.
Ed Bass, one of the producers behind Bobby, and Karen Sharpe Kramer, the widow of Mad World director Stanley Kramer, have teamed to make a sequel to the comedy classic.
Titled "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, MAD World," the film would be, like the 1963 film, a large ensemble movie mixing comics and dramatic actors. The story follows the descendants of the characters from the first movie who are thrust into another madcap chase to find a cache of money after it is revealed that the money found in the first movie was counterfeit.
Bass' relationship with the sequel began in 1991 when he produced the Mad World documentary Something a Little Less Serious with Stanley Kramer. The two began planning a sequel, but Kramer became ill, and the project was put on hold. Kramer died in 2001.
A sequel was further derailed when Paramount released 2001's Rat Race, which had a similar concept.
Bass reconnected last year with Karen Sharpe Kramer -- who held the rights and had produced a TV remake of her husband's Western classic High Noon -- when making Bobby.
VENICE, Italy -- Set among the guests and staff at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on the day in 1968 when presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was murdered, "Bobby" is a sentimental love letter from writer-director Emilio Estevez to his hometown and the slain politician. A well-crafted piece with a large ensemble cast featuring some big names, the film's success will depend on whether audiences respond to its rose-tinted view of Los Angeles in the late 1960s and its clear belief that RFK was a saint.
With its strong liberal bias, the picture will appeal to nostalgic left-leaning audiences in the U.S. It might well prosper internationally as it presents a very different face of American politics from the one on offer from the current administration.
Estevez obviously is one of the many who believe that Bobby Kennedy traveled from his bullying younger days via the Damascus road, picking up an epiphany along the way that made him America's last great hope following the death of Martin Luther King Jr.
"Bobby" features many clips showing RFK addressing campaign audiences and by the time he ran for president, he was certainly talking the talk. Its preamble also uses real footage to set the scene showing bombs falling in Vietnam, the march on Selma and the Cesar Chavez protests.
Estevez focuses, however, on the people at the Ambassador who include hotel fixture John Casey (Anthony Hopkins), who will reminisce about its glamorous history at every opportunity and always has time for a chess game in the lobby with his old pal Nelson (Harry Belafonte).
There's also hotel manager Paul (William H. Macy), who is married to Miriam Sharon Stone) but having an affair with Angela (Heather Graham), one of the switchboard operators. Well liked and a committed Democrat, Paul fires the hotel's racist catering manager, Timmons (Christian Slater), after he declines to let his staff of blacks and Latinos off work to vote.
Estevez does a good job of cutting between many story elements that cover Kennedy's political team at work. In the kitchen, blacks and Latinos strive to get along. Guests include a businessman (Martin Sheen) and his self-conscious younger wife (Helen Hunt); a drunken singer (Demi Moore) and her unhappy husband (Estevez); a young woman (Lindsay Lohan), getting married to save her groom (Elijah Wood) from Vietnam; and a would-be actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who works in the coffee shop and tries to help two very stoned Kennedy volunteers (Brian Geraghty and Shia LaBeouf), high on LSD purchased from a whacked-out dealer played by Ashton Kutcher.
The dialogue is heavy with aspiration and regret. Laurence Fishburn has a good scene lecturing on racial pragmatism. Hopkins and Belafonte reflect wryly on growing old, and so do Stone and Moore, though in a very different way.
Cultural references are used cleverly with Los Angeles Dodger Don Drysdale's effort to achieve six straight shutouts on everybody's mind, and people talking about such films as "The Graduate" and "Planet of the Apes".
Cinematographer Michael Barrett captures Patti Podesta's production design in expert fashion. Editor Richard Chew helps Estevez keep all the identities clear as the events of the day gather pace. Mark Isham's score is as expert as usual.
As the climax nears, Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" plays. Whether or not Bobby Kennedy was the man his supporters believed him to be, the film makes a persuasive case that something important in America was silenced when he was gunned down.
BOBBY
MGM
Bold Films/The Weinstein Co./Arclight Films
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Emilio Estevez
Producers: Edward Bass, Michael Litvak, Holly Wiersma
Executive producers: Daniel Grodnik, Gary Michael Walters, Anthony Hopkins
Cinematographer: Michael Barrett
Production designer: Patti Podesta
Music: Mark Isham
Editor: Richard Chew
Cast:
Nelson: Harry Belafonte
Patricia: Joy Bryant
Dwayne: Nick Cannon
Tim Fallon: Emilio Estevez
Edward Robinson: Laurence Fishburne
Cooper: Brian Geraghty
Angela: Heather Graham
John Casey: Anthony Hopkins
Samantha: Helen Hunt
Wade Buckley: Joshua Jackson
Jimmy: Shia LaBeouf
Diane: Lindsay Lohan
Paul: William H. Macy
Lenka Janacek: Svetlana Metkina
Virginia Fallon: Demi Moore
Jose: Freddy Rodriguez
Jack: Martin Sheen
Timmons: Christian Slater
Miriam: Sharon Stone
Miguel: Jacob Vargas
Susan Taylor: Mary Elizabeth Winstead
William: Elijah Wood
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 120 minutes...
With its strong liberal bias, the picture will appeal to nostalgic left-leaning audiences in the U.S. It might well prosper internationally as it presents a very different face of American politics from the one on offer from the current administration.
Estevez obviously is one of the many who believe that Bobby Kennedy traveled from his bullying younger days via the Damascus road, picking up an epiphany along the way that made him America's last great hope following the death of Martin Luther King Jr.
"Bobby" features many clips showing RFK addressing campaign audiences and by the time he ran for president, he was certainly talking the talk. Its preamble also uses real footage to set the scene showing bombs falling in Vietnam, the march on Selma and the Cesar Chavez protests.
Estevez focuses, however, on the people at the Ambassador who include hotel fixture John Casey (Anthony Hopkins), who will reminisce about its glamorous history at every opportunity and always has time for a chess game in the lobby with his old pal Nelson (Harry Belafonte).
There's also hotel manager Paul (William H. Macy), who is married to Miriam Sharon Stone) but having an affair with Angela (Heather Graham), one of the switchboard operators. Well liked and a committed Democrat, Paul fires the hotel's racist catering manager, Timmons (Christian Slater), after he declines to let his staff of blacks and Latinos off work to vote.
Estevez does a good job of cutting between many story elements that cover Kennedy's political team at work. In the kitchen, blacks and Latinos strive to get along. Guests include a businessman (Martin Sheen) and his self-conscious younger wife (Helen Hunt); a drunken singer (Demi Moore) and her unhappy husband (Estevez); a young woman (Lindsay Lohan), getting married to save her groom (Elijah Wood) from Vietnam; and a would-be actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who works in the coffee shop and tries to help two very stoned Kennedy volunteers (Brian Geraghty and Shia LaBeouf), high on LSD purchased from a whacked-out dealer played by Ashton Kutcher.
The dialogue is heavy with aspiration and regret. Laurence Fishburn has a good scene lecturing on racial pragmatism. Hopkins and Belafonte reflect wryly on growing old, and so do Stone and Moore, though in a very different way.
Cultural references are used cleverly with Los Angeles Dodger Don Drysdale's effort to achieve six straight shutouts on everybody's mind, and people talking about such films as "The Graduate" and "Planet of the Apes".
Cinematographer Michael Barrett captures Patti Podesta's production design in expert fashion. Editor Richard Chew helps Estevez keep all the identities clear as the events of the day gather pace. Mark Isham's score is as expert as usual.
As the climax nears, Simon and Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence" plays. Whether or not Bobby Kennedy was the man his supporters believed him to be, the film makes a persuasive case that something important in America was silenced when he was gunned down.
BOBBY
MGM
Bold Films/The Weinstein Co./Arclight Films
Credits:
Screenwriter-director: Emilio Estevez
Producers: Edward Bass, Michael Litvak, Holly Wiersma
Executive producers: Daniel Grodnik, Gary Michael Walters, Anthony Hopkins
Cinematographer: Michael Barrett
Production designer: Patti Podesta
Music: Mark Isham
Editor: Richard Chew
Cast:
Nelson: Harry Belafonte
Patricia: Joy Bryant
Dwayne: Nick Cannon
Tim Fallon: Emilio Estevez
Edward Robinson: Laurence Fishburne
Cooper: Brian Geraghty
Angela: Heather Graham
John Casey: Anthony Hopkins
Samantha: Helen Hunt
Wade Buckley: Joshua Jackson
Jimmy: Shia LaBeouf
Diane: Lindsay Lohan
Paul: William H. Macy
Lenka Janacek: Svetlana Metkina
Virginia Fallon: Demi Moore
Jose: Freddy Rodriguez
Jack: Martin Sheen
Timmons: Christian Slater
Miriam: Sharon Stone
Miguel: Jacob Vargas
Susan Taylor: Mary Elizabeth Winstead
William: Elijah Wood
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 120 minutes...
Beginning promisingly as a darkly comic and witty social satire a la American Beauty, Nick Guthe's Mini's First Time unfortunately degenerates into a sexed-up version of a Law & Order episode. This modern-day film noir about a sultry teen teaming with her stepfather to get rid of her mother boasts an uncommon stylization and some first-rate comic performances. But its provocative setup is undercut by its lengthy depiction of an all-too-familiar game of cat and mouse between the culprits and a dogged detective.
The film recently had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it was picked up for theatrical distribution.
Nikki Reed ("thirteen") plays the title role of Mini, a hot high-schooler who has devoted herself to pursuing new experiences or, as she puts it, "firsts." She has plenty of time and money to accomplish this, as she has little in the way of parental attention from her sex- and drug-obsessed mother, Diane (Carrie-Anne Moss), or her neglectful stepfather, Martin (Alec Baldwin).
Things become a bit more complicated when Mini decides as a lark to try her hand at high-class hooking. In the process, she winds up servicing the oblivious Martin, who is horrified when he learns who she is shortly thereafter. But not so horrified that he doesn't wind up having a torrid affair with his stepdaughter under his wife's nose.
Mini begins playing mind games on her increasingly distraught mother in the hopes of driving her to a mental institution. But things soon get out of hand, and the mother winds up dead. While attempting to dodge the ever increasing suspicions of the investigating detective (a nicely underplaying Luke Wilson), the pair's relationship begins to unravel.
There is a lot to appreciate in the film, from the screenplay's wittily provocative dialogue and situations to the visual stylization with which the filmmaker infuses the proceedings. The first-rate cast delivers some of their best work in ages: Moss is a comic revelation as the high-strung mother; Baldwin provides surprisingly complex emotional shadings to what could have been a stock character; and Reed, in addition to being devastatingly alluring, displays a strong presence as the precocious Mini. In a smaller role as a too-nosy neighbor, Jeff Goldblum uses his smarmy persona to hilarious effect.
Too bad, then, that the film eventually succumbs to the sort of cliched plotting that wouldn't be out of place in any of the police procedurals dominating the television lineup.
Mini's First Time
Bold Films/Trigger Street Prods.
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Nick Guthe
Producers: Edward Bass, Evan Astrowsky, Kevin Spacey, Dana Brunetti
Executive producers: Michel Litvak, Gary Michael Walters, Dan Grodnik
Cinematographer: Dan Stoloff
Editor: Michael Ruscio
Production designer: Linda Burton
Costume designer: Johanna Argan
Music: Cato
Cast:
Martin: Alec Baldwin
Mini: Nikki Reed
John Garson: Luke Wilson
Diane: Carrie-Anne Moss
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 91 minutes...
The film recently had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, where it was picked up for theatrical distribution.
Nikki Reed ("thirteen") plays the title role of Mini, a hot high-schooler who has devoted herself to pursuing new experiences or, as she puts it, "firsts." She has plenty of time and money to accomplish this, as she has little in the way of parental attention from her sex- and drug-obsessed mother, Diane (Carrie-Anne Moss), or her neglectful stepfather, Martin (Alec Baldwin).
Things become a bit more complicated when Mini decides as a lark to try her hand at high-class hooking. In the process, she winds up servicing the oblivious Martin, who is horrified when he learns who she is shortly thereafter. But not so horrified that he doesn't wind up having a torrid affair with his stepdaughter under his wife's nose.
Mini begins playing mind games on her increasingly distraught mother in the hopes of driving her to a mental institution. But things soon get out of hand, and the mother winds up dead. While attempting to dodge the ever increasing suspicions of the investigating detective (a nicely underplaying Luke Wilson), the pair's relationship begins to unravel.
There is a lot to appreciate in the film, from the screenplay's wittily provocative dialogue and situations to the visual stylization with which the filmmaker infuses the proceedings. The first-rate cast delivers some of their best work in ages: Moss is a comic revelation as the high-strung mother; Baldwin provides surprisingly complex emotional shadings to what could have been a stock character; and Reed, in addition to being devastatingly alluring, displays a strong presence as the precocious Mini. In a smaller role as a too-nosy neighbor, Jeff Goldblum uses his smarmy persona to hilarious effect.
Too bad, then, that the film eventually succumbs to the sort of cliched plotting that wouldn't be out of place in any of the police procedurals dominating the television lineup.
Mini's First Time
Bold Films/Trigger Street Prods.
Credits:
Director-screenwriter: Nick Guthe
Producers: Edward Bass, Evan Astrowsky, Kevin Spacey, Dana Brunetti
Executive producers: Michel Litvak, Gary Michael Walters, Dan Grodnik
Cinematographer: Dan Stoloff
Editor: Michael Ruscio
Production designer: Linda Burton
Costume designer: Johanna Argan
Music: Cato
Cast:
Martin: Alec Baldwin
Mini: Nikki Reed
John Garson: Luke Wilson
Diane: Carrie-Anne Moss
No MPAA rating
Running time -- 91 minutes...
- 5/12/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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