Who says this summer is light on blockbuster fare, despite the strikes holding productions and release dates up?
Big movies coming to theaters in the next hot few months include favorite IP getting a 2024 burnish, from “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” to “Alien: Romulus” and “Twisters”. Oh, and a little movie called “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (May 24), which George Miller will first bring to the Cannes Film Festival before opening it in theaters later that month. Plus, poised to be a Netflix hit this summer is Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man” (May 24 in theaters), playing for a couple of weeks in select cities before the crime comedy starring Glen Powell hits the streaming platform.
But those bigger-ticket titles aside, summer 2024 is a time for indies to shine, from Annie Baker’s long-awaited festival hit “Janet Planet” (June 14) to India Donaldson’s wonderful Sundance premiere “Good One” (August...
Big movies coming to theaters in the next hot few months include favorite IP getting a 2024 burnish, from “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” to “Alien: Romulus” and “Twisters”. Oh, and a little movie called “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” (May 24), which George Miller will first bring to the Cannes Film Festival before opening it in theaters later that month. Plus, poised to be a Netflix hit this summer is Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man” (May 24 in theaters), playing for a couple of weeks in select cities before the crime comedy starring Glen Powell hits the streaming platform.
But those bigger-ticket titles aside, summer 2024 is a time for indies to shine, from Annie Baker’s long-awaited festival hit “Janet Planet” (June 14) to India Donaldson’s wonderful Sundance premiere “Good One” (August...
- 4/23/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio, David Ehrlich and Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
While her performance in Bottoms may have gotten the most buzz out of South by Southwest Film Festival last year, Rachel Sennott also brought a dramedy to the festival. Ally Pankiw’s debut I Used to Be Funny follows that actor as an aspiring stand-up who struggles with attempting to search for a missing teenager she used to nanny. Also starring Olga Pesta, Jason Jones, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, and Ennis Esmer, the first trailer has now arrived ahead of a June 7 release from Utopia.
Here’s the synopsis: “I Used To Be Funny is a dark dramedy that follows Sam Cowell (Rachel Sennott), an aspiring stand-up comedian and au pair struggling with Ptsd, as she decides whether or not to join the search for Brooke (Olga Petsa), a missing teenage girl she used to nanny. The story exists between the present, where Sam tries to recover from her trauma and get back on stage,...
Here’s the synopsis: “I Used To Be Funny is a dark dramedy that follows Sam Cowell (Rachel Sennott), an aspiring stand-up comedian and au pair struggling with Ptsd, as she decides whether or not to join the search for Brooke (Olga Petsa), a missing teenage girl she used to nanny. The story exists between the present, where Sam tries to recover from her trauma and get back on stage,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
I Used To Be FunnyScreenshot: Utopia/YouTube
Even though the world is still recovering from her earth-shaking delivery of “your parents are upper middle class” in Bodies Bodies Bodies, Rachel Sennott is back with yet another sardonic but personally miserable protagonist in I Used To Be Funny, the feature-length debut from director Ally Pankiw.
Even though the world is still recovering from her earth-shaking delivery of “your parents are upper middle class” in Bodies Bodies Bodies, Rachel Sennott is back with yet another sardonic but personally miserable protagonist in I Used To Be Funny, the feature-length debut from director Ally Pankiw.
- 4/11/2024
- by Emma Keates
- avclub.com
"I'm worried that you're still not leaving the house." "I showered today..." Utopia has revealed the official trailer for an indie dark comedy titled I Used to be Funny, the feature directorial debut of filmmaker Ally Pankiw. This premiered at last year's SXSW Film Festival and played at the Woodstock, Nashville, Calgary, and Stockholm Film Festivals as well. The film is about Sam, a stand-up comedian struggling with Ptsd, who weighs whether or not to join the search for a missing teenage girl she used to nanny. "Writer / director Ally Pankiw's debut feature is both funny and heartbreaking in its honest and refreshing look at trauma and recovery, and how they affect the relationships and communities that shape us." Starring Rachel Sennott as Sam, with Olga Pesta, Jason Jones, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, and Ennis Esmer. This seems a bit odd and off-beat, due to the weight of all these...
- 4/11/2024
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Rachel Sennott always has her finger on the pulse of indie films, and her latest feature “I Used to Be Funny” is no exception.
The “Shiva Baby,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” and “Bottoms” star leads highly anticipated dark dramedy “I Used To Be Funny,” directed by rising talent Ally Pankiw who has helmed episodes of “Black Mirror” and “The Great,” plus a recent short film titled “Decades of Confusion” for fashion brand Loewe.
Sennott stars as aspiring stand-up comedian Sam Cowell who works as an au pair by day. Yet after the disappearance of Brooke (Olga Petsa), a teen girl she used to nanny, Sam begins to struggle with Ptsd and grapples with whether or not to join the search. The film is split between two timelines as Sam tries to recover from her past trauma and get back on stage while also reliving memories of Brooke.
Writer/director Pankiw marks...
The “Shiva Baby,” “Bodies Bodies Bodies,” and “Bottoms” star leads highly anticipated dark dramedy “I Used To Be Funny,” directed by rising talent Ally Pankiw who has helmed episodes of “Black Mirror” and “The Great,” plus a recent short film titled “Decades of Confusion” for fashion brand Loewe.
Sennott stars as aspiring stand-up comedian Sam Cowell who works as an au pair by day. Yet after the disappearance of Brooke (Olga Petsa), a teen girl she used to nanny, Sam begins to struggle with Ptsd and grapples with whether or not to join the search. The film is split between two timelines as Sam tries to recover from her past trauma and get back on stage while also reliving memories of Brooke.
Writer/director Pankiw marks...
- 4/11/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Is anyone’s star rising faster right now than Rachel Sennott‘s? Thanks to the success of “Shiva Baby” and “Bottoms,” the comedic actress is attached to several buzzy projects, including “SNL 1975” and Mimi Cave‘s sophomore feature “Holland, Michigan.” But before those, Sennott stars in what could be a star-making vehicle for her, or at least a movie that showcases her singular range and versatility.
Continue reading ‘I Used To Be Funny’ Trailer: Rachel Sennott Is A Comic Grappling With Trauma In New Indie at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘I Used To Be Funny’ Trailer: Rachel Sennott Is A Comic Grappling With Trauma In New Indie at The Playlist.
- 4/11/2024
- by Ned Booth
- The Playlist
It's difficult to encapsulate the importance of Lana and Lilly Wachowski as directors. While the queer crime thriller "Bound" marked the sisters' directorial debut, it was their 1999 hit "The Matrix" that completely changed the landscape of science-fiction cinema forever. In 2021, the franchise's fourth installment, "The Maxtrix Resurrections" was released, but the film was a solo directorial venture from Lana Wachowski. Lilly has not directed a film since 2015's "Jupiter Ascending," but spent time directing season 1 of "Sense 8" and serving as the showrunner for "Work in Progress." The former was yet another sci-fi epic, but the latter is a sweet, semi-autobiographical queer dramedy starring Abby McEnany. It seems that working on this series must have inspired Lilly to continue similar creative ventures because according to a report from Collider, her next feature film is "Trash Mountain" starring Caleb Hearon.
Hearon co-wrote the film with Ruby Caster ("Bleeding Love"), and the...
Hearon co-wrote the film with Ruby Caster ("Bleeding Love"), and the...
- 2/12/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Michel Gondry’s Partizan and Rtg Features have tapped Christopher Makoto Yogi (I Was a Simple Man) to direct Merv and the Miracles, a feature-length doc that explores the legendary college basketball game between Chaminade and number-one ranked Virginia in 1982.
The film, currently in the early stages of production, is being co-produced and co-financed by Partizan and Rtg Features, with Julie Fong (Dave Chappelle’s Block Party), Brian Yang (Linsanity), and Justin R. Ching (Ritual) producing.
During the opening weekend of the 43rd annual Hawai’i Film Festival, Artistic Director Anderson Le will give attendees an early first look at the film during a panel conversation with Yogi, who is himself an Hiff alum. Pic will be one of two Hawaiian indies spotlighted during the 90-minute program taking place on Saturday, October 14th at Entrepreneurs Sandbox in Honolulu.
Merv and the Miracles picks up on December 23, 1982 with Coach Merv...
The film, currently in the early stages of production, is being co-produced and co-financed by Partizan and Rtg Features, with Julie Fong (Dave Chappelle’s Block Party), Brian Yang (Linsanity), and Justin R. Ching (Ritual) producing.
During the opening weekend of the 43rd annual Hawai’i Film Festival, Artistic Director Anderson Le will give attendees an early first look at the film during a panel conversation with Yogi, who is himself an Hiff alum. Pic will be one of two Hawaiian indies spotlighted during the 90-minute program taking place on Saturday, October 14th at Entrepreneurs Sandbox in Honolulu.
Merv and the Miracles picks up on December 23, 1982 with Coach Merv...
- 9/21/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Image Source: HBO
In her short career, Rachel Sennott has already done it all. She has dabbled in comedy, written and produced feature films, and starred in several projects, including movies and TV shows. After graduating from NYU's esteemed Tisch School of the Arts (known for its extensive pool of celebrity alums ranging from Martin Scorsese to Adam Sandler), Sennott began doing comedy performances at open mic nights, which led to her doing her own shows online like "Puke Fest" and "Ur Gonna Slp Rlly Well Tonight."
"I like juggling multiple projects," Sennott told Forbes in 2020 about balancing comedy and her movie and television projects. "It makes me feel less stuck. If I am frustrated in one area, I can always push myself in another."
The success of Sennott's comedy opened up opportunities for her to act in larger-scale television shows and movies, including an episode of HBO's "High Maintenance" in 2018. From there,...
In her short career, Rachel Sennott has already done it all. She has dabbled in comedy, written and produced feature films, and starred in several projects, including movies and TV shows. After graduating from NYU's esteemed Tisch School of the Arts (known for its extensive pool of celebrity alums ranging from Martin Scorsese to Adam Sandler), Sennott began doing comedy performances at open mic nights, which led to her doing her own shows online like "Puke Fest" and "Ur Gonna Slp Rlly Well Tonight."
"I like juggling multiple projects," Sennott told Forbes in 2020 about balancing comedy and her movie and television projects. "It makes me feel less stuck. If I am frustrated in one area, I can always push myself in another."
The success of Sennott's comedy opened up opportunities for her to act in larger-scale television shows and movies, including an episode of HBO's "High Maintenance" in 2018. From there,...
- 8/18/2023
- by Alicia Geigel
- Popsugar.com
Magnolia Pictures International has acquired worldwide sales rights – including U.S. sales rights – to suspense-drama “Hesitation Wound” from Turkish writer-director Selman Nacar. The film will world premiere in the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons section.
The film follows Canan (Tülin Özen), a criminal lawyer who divides her time between the courthouse and her mother’s hospital bed at night, who has to make a moral choice that will affect the lives of her mother, the judge, and her murder suspect client – whose defense is turning in his favor.
The cast also includes Ogulcan Arman Uslu, Gülçin Kültür Şahin, Vedat Erincin and Erdem Senocak. The film is produced by Burak Cevik (Fol Sinema), Diloy Gülün (Karma Films), Selman Nacar (Kuyu Film), and co-produced by Trt (Turkey), Bkm Mutfak (Turkey), Sev Yapim (Turkey), Nephilim Producciones (Spain), Point Film (Romania) and Arizona Films (France).
Lorna Lee Torres, head of international sales at Magnolia and Austin Kennedy,...
The film follows Canan (Tülin Özen), a criminal lawyer who divides her time between the courthouse and her mother’s hospital bed at night, who has to make a moral choice that will affect the lives of her mother, the judge, and her murder suspect client – whose defense is turning in his favor.
The cast also includes Ogulcan Arman Uslu, Gülçin Kültür Şahin, Vedat Erincin and Erdem Senocak. The film is produced by Burak Cevik (Fol Sinema), Diloy Gülün (Karma Films), Selman Nacar (Kuyu Film), and co-produced by Trt (Turkey), Bkm Mutfak (Turkey), Sev Yapim (Turkey), Nephilim Producciones (Spain), Point Film (Romania) and Arizona Films (France).
Lorna Lee Torres, head of international sales at Magnolia and Austin Kennedy,...
- 8/16/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
After distributing Rachel Sennot’s breakout movie Shiva Baby, Utopia has landed the U.S. rights to the SXSW feature I Used to Be Funny starring The Idol actress.
The comedy-drama follows Sam (Sennott), an aspiring stand-up comedian struggling with Ptsd, as she decides whether or not to join the search for a missing teenage girl she used to nanny. Jason Jones, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, Olga Petsa, and Ennis Esmer round out the cast
Ally Pankiw, whose credits include The Great and Black Mirror, made her feature directorial debut on the film, which was produced by James Weyman, Jason Aita and Breann Smordin of Barn 12. Li-Wei Chu of Partizan, Judy Holm of Markham Street Films and Alcina Pictures’ Paul Barkin executive produced, along with Pankiw.
“It was so fulfilling to see how I Used to Be Funny and its honest portrayal of recovery from trauma resonated with audiences at...
The comedy-drama follows Sam (Sennott), an aspiring stand-up comedian struggling with Ptsd, as she decides whether or not to join the search for a missing teenage girl she used to nanny. Jason Jones, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, Olga Petsa, and Ennis Esmer round out the cast
Ally Pankiw, whose credits include The Great and Black Mirror, made her feature directorial debut on the film, which was produced by James Weyman, Jason Aita and Breann Smordin of Barn 12. Li-Wei Chu of Partizan, Judy Holm of Markham Street Films and Alcina Pictures’ Paul Barkin executive produced, along with Pankiw.
“It was so fulfilling to see how I Used to Be Funny and its honest portrayal of recovery from trauma resonated with audiences at...
- 8/10/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Ally Pankiw is a Canadian writer and director who has made a name for herself in the entertainment industry. She is best known for directing the entire first season of the Netflix series “Feel Good,” as well as directing episodes for TV shows like “Shrill” and “The Great” on Hulu. Pankiw has also worked as a writer on the popular TV show “Schitt’s Creek” and is currently developing a new original series for Hulu and 20th Century Fox Animation with the show’s star and creator, Dan Levy.
In addition to her work in television, Pankiw has also directed and written an indie feature film called “I Used To Be Funny,” a dramedy that premiered at SXSW film festival in 2023. The film was produced with support from Telefilm, Ontario Creates, and WME Independent. Pankiw has also directed music videos for top artists such as Ariana Grande, Janelle Monae, and Phoebe Bridgers,...
In addition to her work in television, Pankiw has also directed and written an indie feature film called “I Used To Be Funny,” a dramedy that premiered at SXSW film festival in 2023. The film was produced with support from Telefilm, Ontario Creates, and WME Independent. Pankiw has also directed music videos for top artists such as Ariana Grande, Janelle Monae, and Phoebe Bridgers,...
- 6/16/2023
- by Movies Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Best Canadian Feature winner Supporting Our Selves Photo: courtesy of Inside Out
There was great news for Argentinian filmmaker Juan Sebastián Torales last night as his semi-autobiographical blending of drama and folklore Almamula won the International Jury Prize for Best First Feature at Inside Out in Toronto. The jury also gave a special mention to Something You Said Last Night, directed by Luis De Filippis.
Inside Out has a special commitment to supporting the voices of Canadian filmmakers, and this year's Canadian Jury favourite was Lulu Wei's Supporting Our Selves, a documentary exploring networks of support and advocacy within Toronto's queer community. Meanwhile, the Audience Awards went to Ally Pankiw's tale of a traumatised stand-up comedian on a mission, I Used To Be Funny.
Those awards in full:
Canadian Juried Awards
The jurors for the 2023 Canadian jury were filmmakers Odu Adamu, Dylan Glynn, and Alice Wang
Best Canadian...
There was great news for Argentinian filmmaker Juan Sebastián Torales last night as his semi-autobiographical blending of drama and folklore Almamula won the International Jury Prize for Best First Feature at Inside Out in Toronto. The jury also gave a special mention to Something You Said Last Night, directed by Luis De Filippis.
Inside Out has a special commitment to supporting the voices of Canadian filmmakers, and this year's Canadian Jury favourite was Lulu Wei's Supporting Our Selves, a documentary exploring networks of support and advocacy within Toronto's queer community. Meanwhile, the Audience Awards went to Ally Pankiw's tale of a traumatised stand-up comedian on a mission, I Used To Be Funny.
Those awards in full:
Canadian Juried Awards
The jurors for the 2023 Canadian jury were filmmakers Odu Adamu, Dylan Glynn, and Alice Wang
Best Canadian...
- 6/7/2023
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The winners of the 2023 Inside Out 2Slgbtq+ Film Festival Awards were announced this weekend in Toronto where $32,000 in prizes were handed out to various 2Slgbtq+ filmmakers. Top honours went to Juan Sebastián Torales’ Almamula (Best First Feature), Lulu Wei’s Supporting Our Selves (Best Canadian Feature), Beth Warrian’s Adore (Best Canadian Short), and Karimah Zakia Issa with Scaring Women At Night (Emerging Canadian Artist).
The Audience Award winners are Ally Pankiw’s I Used To Be Funny for Best Narrative Feature, Loveleen Kaur’s Leilani’s Fortune for Best Documentary Feature, and Zeppelin Zeerip’s Apayauq for Best Short Film.
The festival is also proud to announce director Judith Schuyler’s upcoming project There Is Light won the annual “Pitch, Please!” contest. The “Pitch, Please!” competition took place in person on June 3, 2023, with competitors from across the globe presenting a short, two-minute pitch to a jury and audience. Prizes...
The Audience Award winners are Ally Pankiw’s I Used To Be Funny for Best Narrative Feature, Loveleen Kaur’s Leilani’s Fortune for Best Documentary Feature, and Zeppelin Zeerip’s Apayauq for Best Short Film.
The festival is also proud to announce director Judith Schuyler’s upcoming project There Is Light won the annual “Pitch, Please!” contest. The “Pitch, Please!” competition took place in person on June 3, 2023, with competitors from across the globe presenting a short, two-minute pitch to a jury and audience. Prizes...
- 6/7/2023
- by Valerie Complex
- Deadline Film + TV
Fest runs May 25-June 4 in-person and online.
The 33rd annual Inside Out Toronto 2Slgbtq+ Film Festival will open with Ira Sachs’ love triangle drama Passages and close with Tom Gustafson’s musical summer romance Glitter & Doom featuring the Indigo Girls and Missi Pyle.
The festival runs May 25-June 4 in-person and online and will showcase 107 films from 30 countries including 33 feature films and seven world premieres.
This year’s Re:Focus Gala selection is the Sundance Next Audience Award and Berlin Panorama Audience Award winner Kokomo City by D. Smith.
The Centerpiece Gala will host the world premiere of Lulu Wei’s Canadian documentary Supporting Our Selves,...
The 33rd annual Inside Out Toronto 2Slgbtq+ Film Festival will open with Ira Sachs’ love triangle drama Passages and close with Tom Gustafson’s musical summer romance Glitter & Doom featuring the Indigo Girls and Missi Pyle.
The festival runs May 25-June 4 in-person and online and will showcase 107 films from 30 countries including 33 feature films and seven world premieres.
This year’s Re:Focus Gala selection is the Sundance Next Audience Award and Berlin Panorama Audience Award winner Kokomo City by D. Smith.
The Centerpiece Gala will host the world premiere of Lulu Wei’s Canadian documentary Supporting Our Selves,...
- 5/5/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The Ira Sachs film Passages is set to open the Inside Out 2Slgbtq+ Film Festival after screening at Sundance.
The French romantic drama, which stars Ben Whishaw, Franz Rogowski and Adèle Exarchopoulos, will receive a gala treatment in Toronto. And the 33rd edition of Inside Out will close with Tom Gustafson’s Glitter & Doom, a musical love story based on the song lyrics by the Indigo Girls and featuring Alex Diaz, Missy Pyle and Tig Notario.
The festival’s lineup, unveiled Friday, also includes screenings for Supporting Our Selves, a documentary about AIDs activists by Lulu Wei that will receive a world premiere, and director Ally Pankiw’s I Used to be Funny, a dramedy about a stand-up comedian struggling with Ptsd who consider joining the search for a missing teenage girl she used to nanny.
There’s also a gala screening for D. Smith’s Kokomo City after it played at Sundance and Berlin.
The French romantic drama, which stars Ben Whishaw, Franz Rogowski and Adèle Exarchopoulos, will receive a gala treatment in Toronto. And the 33rd edition of Inside Out will close with Tom Gustafson’s Glitter & Doom, a musical love story based on the song lyrics by the Indigo Girls and featuring Alex Diaz, Missy Pyle and Tig Notario.
The festival’s lineup, unveiled Friday, also includes screenings for Supporting Our Selves, a documentary about AIDs activists by Lulu Wei that will receive a world premiere, and director Ally Pankiw’s I Used to be Funny, a dramedy about a stand-up comedian struggling with Ptsd who consider joining the search for a missing teenage girl she used to nanny.
There’s also a gala screening for D. Smith’s Kokomo City after it played at Sundance and Berlin.
- 5/5/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Titles join Cannes Un Certain Regard selection The Delinquents, others.
Magnolia Pictures International has bulked up its Cannes sales slate by adding international sales rights to SXSW selections I Used To Be Funny and Cora Bora.
Ally Pankiw wrote and directed the dramedy I Used To Be Funny which follows an aspiring stand-up comedian and au pair grappling with Ptsd from an experience that is revealed gradually.
Rachel Sennott from Shiva Baby stars with newcomer Olga Petsa, Jason Jones, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, Ennis Esmer, and Dani Kind.
Pankiw makes her feature directorial debut. She previously directed and served as...
Magnolia Pictures International has bulked up its Cannes sales slate by adding international sales rights to SXSW selections I Used To Be Funny and Cora Bora.
Ally Pankiw wrote and directed the dramedy I Used To Be Funny which follows an aspiring stand-up comedian and au pair grappling with Ptsd from an experience that is revealed gradually.
Rachel Sennott from Shiva Baby stars with newcomer Olga Petsa, Jason Jones, Sabrina Jalees, Caleb Hearon, Ennis Esmer, and Dani Kind.
Pankiw makes her feature directorial debut. She previously directed and served as...
- 4/28/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
To paraphrase dear Hannah Horvath from “Girls,” Rachel Sennott may not be the voice of her generation, but she certainly is a voice of a generation.
And oh, what a voice. Smart, vulnerable, slightly neurotic, frequently ironic, always compelling. It’s a delicious style of comedy honed on Twitter, Instagram and other platforms, where the 27-year-old Sennott first developed a following with her wry observations on dating and personal finance. Then crystalized in starring roles in “Shiva Baby” (a masterclass in awkward humor) and the horror film “Bodies Bodies Bodies” (surprisingly amusing despite the gore). But with the one-two punch of “Bottoms” and “I Used to Be Funny,” both of which premiered at this year’s SXSW, Sennott has further demonstrated how rich and malleable her comic persona can be.
“I’m guided by my gut,” Sennott says of her process for choosing projects. “When I’m reading something and...
And oh, what a voice. Smart, vulnerable, slightly neurotic, frequently ironic, always compelling. It’s a delicious style of comedy honed on Twitter, Instagram and other platforms, where the 27-year-old Sennott first developed a following with her wry observations on dating and personal finance. Then crystalized in starring roles in “Shiva Baby” (a masterclass in awkward humor) and the horror film “Bodies Bodies Bodies” (surprisingly amusing despite the gore). But with the one-two punch of “Bottoms” and “I Used to Be Funny,” both of which premiered at this year’s SXSW, Sennott has further demonstrated how rich and malleable her comic persona can be.
“I’m guided by my gut,” Sennott says of her process for choosing projects. “When I’m reading something and...
- 4/19/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The problems with Rare Objects, Katie Holmes’ limp third directorial feature, aren’t immediately apparent. The film, which the actress also co-wrote and stars in, lures you with the potential of the biographical details revealed in the first scene. Benita, played by Julia Mayorga, sits before an attending doctor (Matthew Lawler) at the unnamed hospital from which she is being discharged. He recounts a mix of mundane and distressing facts: Benita was previously a student at the City University of New York; she had an abortion; and she checked herself into the hospital for Ptsd and anxiety. These notes do not define a life, but they do promise a story far more involving than what Rare Objects ultimately offers.
Holmes and her co-writer Phaedon A. Papadopoulos adapted their screenplay from Kathleen Tessaro’s novel of the same name. Tessaro’s Rare Objects takes place in Depression-era Boston, where its main character,...
Holmes and her co-writer Phaedon A. Papadopoulos adapted their screenplay from Kathleen Tessaro’s novel of the same name. Tessaro’s Rare Objects takes place in Depression-era Boston, where its main character,...
- 4/12/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rachel Sennott continued her impressive run as a quick-witted, creatively vulgar comic in Bottoms, which premiered during South By Southwest’s second night. But she does something more impressive in Ally Pankiw’s I Used to Be Funny, her second starring turn in this festival that highlights her full dimensionality. Though she still gets to show off her standup skills here––Sennott garners laughs in a series of scenes performing in comedy clubs, something movies and television are rarely able to achieve––this character study about trauma’s unpredictable ripple effects doesn’t foreground too many jokes. As the title implies, this is a movie about losing (and attempting to regain) a defining characteristic due to circumstances out of one’s control.
When the movie opens, Sam (Sennott) has just discovered and become distressed over a 14-year-old (Olga Petsa) who’s gone missing. The significance of their relationship is unclear...
When the movie opens, Sam (Sennott) has just discovered and become distressed over a 14-year-old (Olga Petsa) who’s gone missing. The significance of their relationship is unclear...
- 3/22/2023
- by Jake Kring-Schreifels
- The Film Stage
Rachel Sennott is ideally cast in the leading role of Ally Pankiw’s “I Used to Be Funny” because this is a character who sort of can’t help but make you laugh, even without trying, even in tremendously difficult situations. Her name is Sam, and she’s a stand-up comedienne, and you see why. The bone-dry wit and killer-diller timing Sennott displayed in “Shiva Baby” and “Bodies Bodies Bodies” means that even her littlest throwaway lines and deliveries are giggle-worthy, while her insults land like body blows (“I feel like his hair somehow got more incel-y”).
Continue reading ‘I Used To Be Funny’ Review: Rachel Sennott Shines In A Narratively Tricky Seriocomic Drama [SXSW] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘I Used To Be Funny’ Review: Rachel Sennott Shines In A Narratively Tricky Seriocomic Drama [SXSW] at The Playlist.
- 3/14/2023
- by Jason Bailey
- The Playlist
For over 30 years South by Southwest – styled SXSW, or “South By” for short – has been serving up films of a certain flavor: out-there, original, a bit of everything, everywhere, all at once.
Starting on Friday, hundreds of thousands will flock to Austin for 10 days of film, television, music, comedy, technology, exhibitions, interactive media, and conferences.
“There can be this great cross-pollination between [events] that makes what we program, and how [SXSW] feels, a little bit different,” Director of Film & TV Claudette Godfrey said in an interview with TheWrap. “It’s the audience from a normal film festival, plus a bunch of people who would maybe never have gone to a film festival only.”
The Film & TV program reflects both its local roots and international scope. Music, technology, pop culture and genre films are all well-represented in this year’s lineup of 250 projects.
Also Read:
‘Tetris’ Trailer: Taron Egerton Takes on Cold War...
Starting on Friday, hundreds of thousands will flock to Austin for 10 days of film, television, music, comedy, technology, exhibitions, interactive media, and conferences.
“There can be this great cross-pollination between [events] that makes what we program, and how [SXSW] feels, a little bit different,” Director of Film & TV Claudette Godfrey said in an interview with TheWrap. “It’s the audience from a normal film festival, plus a bunch of people who would maybe never have gone to a film festival only.”
The Film & TV program reflects both its local roots and international scope. Music, technology, pop culture and genre films are all well-represented in this year’s lineup of 250 projects.
Also Read:
‘Tetris’ Trailer: Taron Egerton Takes on Cold War...
- 3/10/2023
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Festival runs March 10-19 in Austin, Texas.
SXSW opens on Friday with the world premiere of all-star fantasy romp Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, kicking off what is expected to be a rambunctious 10 days of screenings of films both spoken for and available for worldwide distribution.
Over the years the festival has proved itself to be a valuable launchpad for studio titles and the most recent evidence of that was last year’s edition, where A24 premiered Oscar frontrunner Everything Everywhere All At Once in 2022 as well as Ti West’s horror X, Lionsgate brought The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent...
SXSW opens on Friday with the world premiere of all-star fantasy romp Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, kicking off what is expected to be a rambunctious 10 days of screenings of films both spoken for and available for worldwide distribution.
Over the years the festival has proved itself to be a valuable launchpad for studio titles and the most recent evidence of that was last year’s edition, where A24 premiered Oscar frontrunner Everything Everywhere All At Once in 2022 as well as Ti West’s horror X, Lionsgate brought The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent...
- 3/10/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
IMDb (www.imdb.com), the world’s most popular and authoritative source for information on movies, TV shows, and celebrities, will showcase exclusive, on-the-ground coverage of the 2023 SXSW® Film & TV Festival across the IMDb site, apps, and social channels, offering hundreds of millions of entertainment fans around the world an inside peek at the biggest news, titles, and stars in Austin, Texas. As an official festival sponsor, IMDb will produce exclusive celebrity portraits and interviews with leading actors, writers, and directors of titles including I Used to Be Funny, Late Bloomers, Love & Death, Parachute, Swarm, and Yellowjackets, at The IMDb Studio at SXSW from March 10-12. IMDbPro (http://www.imdbpro.com/), the essential resource for entertainment industry professionals, is sponsoring the lineup of short films across seven competitive sections. The SXSW 2023 Short Film Programs presented by IMDbPro include a selection of original, well-crafted films that take advantage of the short...
- 3/7/2023
- by Thomas Miller
- Seat42F
Exclusive: Prime Video’s Hitchcockian thriller Holland, Michigan continues to round out its cast with the addition of Rachel Sennott (Bodies Bodies Bodies), Lennon Parham (Minx), Isaac Krasner (Power Book III: Raising Kanan) and Jeff Pope (Interview with the Vampire).
The quartet joins an ensemble that also includes Nicole Kidman, Gael García Bernal, Matthew Macfadyen and Jude Hill, as we told you first.
The film helmed by Mimi Cave (Fresh) stems from a script by Andrew Sodroski which topped the Black List in 2013. It tells the story of a Midwestern housewife who uncovers a dark secret on the part of her husband, after coming to suspect that he’s having an affair.
Kidman and Per Saari are producing for Blossom Films, alongside 42’s Peter Dealbert, and Churchill Films’ Kate Churchill. The forthcoming film will stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Sennott broke out with her...
The quartet joins an ensemble that also includes Nicole Kidman, Gael García Bernal, Matthew Macfadyen and Jude Hill, as we told you first.
The film helmed by Mimi Cave (Fresh) stems from a script by Andrew Sodroski which topped the Black List in 2013. It tells the story of a Midwestern housewife who uncovers a dark secret on the part of her husband, after coming to suspect that he’s having an affair.
Kidman and Per Saari are producing for Blossom Films, alongside 42’s Peter Dealbert, and Churchill Films’ Kate Churchill. The forthcoming film will stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories worldwide.
Sennott broke out with her...
- 2/16/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
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