“A crying woman is a scheming woman.”
Women are supposed to be natural caregivers. Once we become mothers, we’re expected to put aside our own physical pleasures and dedicate our lives to protecting our young. But what of the mothers who can’t keep their children alive? The women who fail in the one job they were made to fulfill? Even worse, what if this death is an act of neglect? Rather than hover and dote, what if a mother indulges her own physical pleasure at the cost of her child? Would we call that woman evil? Would we call her a witch? Lars von Trier reckons with the expectations we place on women in his controversial film Antichrist. By exploring the natural urges of a grieving mother, he interrogates the patriarchal construction of evil itself.
She (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and He (Willem Dafoe) are a married couple enjoying domestic...
Women are supposed to be natural caregivers. Once we become mothers, we’re expected to put aside our own physical pleasures and dedicate our lives to protecting our young. But what of the mothers who can’t keep their children alive? The women who fail in the one job they were made to fulfill? Even worse, what if this death is an act of neglect? Rather than hover and dote, what if a mother indulges her own physical pleasure at the cost of her child? Would we call that woman evil? Would we call her a witch? Lars von Trier reckons with the expectations we place on women in his controversial film Antichrist. By exploring the natural urges of a grieving mother, he interrogates the patriarchal construction of evil itself.
She (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and He (Willem Dafoe) are a married couple enjoying domestic...
- 5/30/2024
- by Jenn Adams
- bloody-disgusting.com
[Editor’s note: This article was originally published in February 2022 and has been updated multiple times since.]
Sex on film is nothing new, and yet unsimulated intercourse in non-pornographic movies has raised eyebrows and drawn eyeballs for decades. From Vincent Gallo’s controversial directing for “The Brown Bunny” to Robert Pattinson’s masturbatory method acting in “Little Ashes,” genuine intimate encounters captured on film — however staged they may be — can pull audiences into the bigger stories their writers and directors are trying to tell.
Catherine Breillat’s first film in 1976, “A Real Young Girl,” adapts her own controversial novel about a 14-year-old exploring her newfound sexuality. Breillat’s later work, 1999’s “Romance,” tells the story of a woman desperately seeking human connection and featured similar scenes, including sadomasochistic sex play.
“Actors are prostitutes because they’re asked to play other feelings,” Breillat told IndieWire. “This prostitution is not profane; it’s a sacred act that we give them.”
John Cameron Mitchell set out to “honor” sex as a pastime for real people,...
Sex on film is nothing new, and yet unsimulated intercourse in non-pornographic movies has raised eyebrows and drawn eyeballs for decades. From Vincent Gallo’s controversial directing for “The Brown Bunny” to Robert Pattinson’s masturbatory method acting in “Little Ashes,” genuine intimate encounters captured on film — however staged they may be — can pull audiences into the bigger stories their writers and directors are trying to tell.
Catherine Breillat’s first film in 1976, “A Real Young Girl,” adapts her own controversial novel about a 14-year-old exploring her newfound sexuality. Breillat’s later work, 1999’s “Romance,” tells the story of a woman desperately seeking human connection and featured similar scenes, including sadomasochistic sex play.
“Actors are prostitutes because they’re asked to play other feelings,” Breillat told IndieWire. “This prostitution is not profane; it’s a sacred act that we give them.”
John Cameron Mitchell set out to “honor” sex as a pastime for real people,...
- 5/29/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
The Cannes Film Festival has a storied history of infamous moments. We think of Brigitte Bardot in her bikini, Spike Lee threatening Wim Wenders with a baseball bat after losing the Palme d’Or, pretty much everything Lars Von Trier has said or done…But one that really caught the media’s attention was when Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren went at it on the red carpet, with people under the impression that the Universal Soldier co-stars and European macho men were really at each other’s throats. Turns out, it was all just a gag for the press.
It’s one thing that Universal Soldier was even being represented at the Cannes Film Festival but another entirely that it wasn’t even screened! As it was, despite a minor presence on the Palais des Festivals, Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi action flick wasn’t part of any screenings because it wasn’t complete.
It’s one thing that Universal Soldier was even being represented at the Cannes Film Festival but another entirely that it wasn’t even screened! As it was, despite a minor presence on the Palais des Festivals, Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi action flick wasn’t part of any screenings because it wasn’t complete.
- 5/27/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
When Lars von Trier releases a movie, it immediately pisses off thousands of people. What is the path of a typical film by this director? A big and loud festival debut piques the viewers' curiosity, and a few years later the movie achieves cult status.
Whether it's obsession or serial killers, Trier's creations have been called controversial and divisive, yet cult classics. They are not the kind of movies you can watch in a good company or just for fun. They are difficult to recommend – they evoke different feelings in different viewers.
But one thing is for sure – von Trier's movies are a must. Even if it's hard sometimes. After all, each of his films is a work of art in its own right. He touches on topics that others are reluctant to discuss, forcing viewers to reflect on themselves and their feelings, and to look into the most secret corners of their minds.
Whether it's obsession or serial killers, Trier's creations have been called controversial and divisive, yet cult classics. They are not the kind of movies you can watch in a good company or just for fun. They are difficult to recommend – they evoke different feelings in different viewers.
But one thing is for sure – von Trier's movies are a must. Even if it's hard sometimes. After all, each of his films is a work of art in its own right. He touches on topics that others are reluctant to discuss, forcing viewers to reflect on themselves and their feelings, and to look into the most secret corners of their minds.
- 5/26/2024
- by zoe-wallace@startefacts.com (Zoe Wallace)
- STartefacts.com
The Cannes Film Festival is arguably the single most prestigious film festival in all of world cinema. Every year, hundreds descend on the French resort town for two weeks of screenings from some of the film industry’s most respected auteurs. If you want high-quality cinema, or movie star glamour, Cannes supplies all of that in abundance.
But maybe it’s because Cannes is such a shiny beacon atop the cinematic landscape that it’s also so frequently embroiled in massive controversies, in a way that American festivals like, say, Sundance don’t really manage, at least not anymore. It’s not an every year occurrence, but whenever Cannes starts up in May, putting money on something happening to make people very angry is generally the safer bet.
Sometimes, the controversy has to do with the films playing on the Croisette themselves. Take notorious projects like “The Brown Bunny,” a...
But maybe it’s because Cannes is such a shiny beacon atop the cinematic landscape that it’s also so frequently embroiled in massive controversies, in a way that American festivals like, say, Sundance don’t really manage, at least not anymore. It’s not an every year occurrence, but whenever Cannes starts up in May, putting money on something happening to make people very angry is generally the safer bet.
Sometimes, the controversy has to do with the films playing on the Croisette themselves. Take notorious projects like “The Brown Bunny,” a...
- 5/22/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
“It’s f–ing hard to make a good airplane movie,” Swedish filmmaker Ruben Östlund emphasized multiple times Saturday morning in Cannes as he spoke to international press about his plans for The Entertainment System Is Down, the latest feature he has set to direct starring a buzzy cast led by Kirsten Dunst and Daniel Brühl.
His follow-up to the Palme d’Or-winning satire Triangle of Sadness, The Entertainment System Is Down is another social satire, this time set on a long-haul flight where the entertainment systems fail, and an eclectic group of international passengers are forced to face the horror of being bored.
As we reported earlier this week, Östlund and his producer, Erik Hemmendorff, have purchased a real-life Boeing 747 where he told the press today he will mount the production over 70 days on a studio lot.
“We bought the plane and it was quite early in the process of the film.
His follow-up to the Palme d’Or-winning satire Triangle of Sadness, The Entertainment System Is Down is another social satire, this time set on a long-haul flight where the entertainment systems fail, and an eclectic group of international passengers are forced to face the horror of being bored.
As we reported earlier this week, Östlund and his producer, Erik Hemmendorff, have purchased a real-life Boeing 747 where he told the press today he will mount the production over 70 days on a studio lot.
“We bought the plane and it was quite early in the process of the film.
- 5/18/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
The legendary body horror director David Cronenberg’s new film 'The Shrouds' or 'Les Inceuls' pat the lauded Cannes Film Festival shortly. Longtime Cronenberg fans and newcomers alike are excited to catch the first official reviews of Cronenberg’s cinema. However, Cronenberg himself does not quite match the same level of enthusiasm as some of his fans for the upcoming festival screening of his new film. Cronenberg himself is no stranger to walkouts at the Cannes Film Festival. In 1996, Cronenberg’s now-cult classic ‘Crash’ premiered at the premier festival and was hailed not with the applause it very well might have deserved but instead with walkouts as people were disgusted with the rampant sex and nudity present throughout the film. This is also not a problem that Cronenberg alone has faced. Many icons in the film community, including the likes of David Lynch and Lars von Trier with their films...
- 5/16/2024
- by Nathaniel Lee
- Hollywood Insider - Substance & Meaningful Entertainment
Is there a harder-working actor in the movie business than Willem Dafoe? The 68-year-old, who splits his time between Los Angeles, New York and Rome, has appeared in more than 150 films, co-starring in everything from superhero features to dozens of movie-buff favorites from David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Lars von Trier, Paul Schrader, Oliver Stone, Julian Schnabel, Wes Anderson, Sean Baker, Spike Lee, Robert Eggers and so many more.
Fresh from his acclaimed performance in Yorgos Lanthimos‘ recent awards season favorite Poor Things, Dafoe is already returning to Cannes this month in the Greek director’s much-buzzed-about follow-up, Kinds of Kindness. Described as a surrealist fable set in the present day, the new project is an anthology film told in three parts, reuniting Lanthimos with the provocative screenwriting partner of his early career, Efthymis Filippou (Dogtooth, The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer). The film’s multi-Oscar-feted key cast — Dafoe,...
Fresh from his acclaimed performance in Yorgos Lanthimos‘ recent awards season favorite Poor Things, Dafoe is already returning to Cannes this month in the Greek director’s much-buzzed-about follow-up, Kinds of Kindness. Described as a surrealist fable set in the present day, the new project is an anthology film told in three parts, reuniting Lanthimos with the provocative screenwriting partner of his early career, Efthymis Filippou (Dogtooth, The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer). The film’s multi-Oscar-feted key cast — Dafoe,...
- 5/15/2024
- by Patrick Brzeski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Is anyone really ready to get married, let alone commit?
Tayarisha Poe’s new film, “The Young Wife,” asks and answers the age-old question and more, with Kiersey Clemons starring as a young woman whose “non-wedding” to her elusive partner (Leon Bridges) brings out all the pressures of a traditional union. The chaos and expectations of family and friends heighten the not-quite-bride’s spiraling panic, and all seems poised to unravel just before the party meant to celebrate their love.
Sheryl Lee Ralph, Judith Light, Kelly Marie Tran, Aya Cash, and Michaela Watkins co-star. Poe writes and directs her follow-up to 2019 Sundance debut “Selah and the Spades.”
“The Young Wife” premiered at SXSW 2023, where it was picked up by distributor Republic Pictures, a Paramount Pictures label. “I’m excited to share the work of our wonderful cast and crew,” Poe told IndieWire. “For me this is a story of color and chaos,...
Tayarisha Poe’s new film, “The Young Wife,” asks and answers the age-old question and more, with Kiersey Clemons starring as a young woman whose “non-wedding” to her elusive partner (Leon Bridges) brings out all the pressures of a traditional union. The chaos and expectations of family and friends heighten the not-quite-bride’s spiraling panic, and all seems poised to unravel just before the party meant to celebrate their love.
Sheryl Lee Ralph, Judith Light, Kelly Marie Tran, Aya Cash, and Michaela Watkins co-star. Poe writes and directs her follow-up to 2019 Sundance debut “Selah and the Spades.”
“The Young Wife” premiered at SXSW 2023, where it was picked up by distributor Republic Pictures, a Paramount Pictures label. “I’m excited to share the work of our wonderful cast and crew,” Poe told IndieWire. “For me this is a story of color and chaos,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Quentin Tarantino‘s movies are wildly different from Disney movies. They’re violent, transgressive, and narratively complex. Despite this, one Disney film had a huge impact on him as a child. The Pulp Fiction director said an infamous scene from the movie scared him as much as a horror film by Wes Craven.
2 scenes from a Disney movie disturbed Quentin Tarantino
In his 2022 book Cinema Speculation, the Kill Bill director recalled watching a number of violent and sexually explicit movies as a child. He rhetorically asked if there was a film he couldn’t handle as a kid. The movie that came to mind was Walt Disney’s Bambi.
“Bambi getting lost from his mother, her being shot by the hunter, and that horrifying forest fire upset me like nothing else I saw in the movies,” he said. “It wasn’t until 1974 when I saw Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left...
2 scenes from a Disney movie disturbed Quentin Tarantino
In his 2022 book Cinema Speculation, the Kill Bill director recalled watching a number of violent and sexually explicit movies as a child. He rhetorically asked if there was a film he couldn’t handle as a kid. The movie that came to mind was Walt Disney’s Bambi.
“Bambi getting lost from his mother, her being shot by the hunter, and that horrifying forest fire upset me like nothing else I saw in the movies,” he said. “It wasn’t until 1974 when I saw Wes Craven’s The Last House on the Left...
- 5/14/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Quentin Tarantino is undoubtedly one of the finest filmmakers of our time. But as much as he is a passionate filmmaker, he is also a passionate cinephile: having absorbed the best that contemporary cinema has to offer since childhood, Tarantino bases his work on the most recognizable tropes and directorial styles, creating a refined pop culture mishmash. And as a huge film buff, Tarantino shared a list of the 20 films he 'admires the most' in a conversation with Sky Movies in 2009.
20 Must-Watch Movies According to Tarantino
Before we get to the list itself, it's important to note that it's not in order of importance, but in alphabetical order. Except for the number one, because for Tarantino it is 'favorite movie that has come out in the last 17 years.' Besides, as he pointed out, this is one of the few movies he would personally dream of directing.
But without further ado,...
20 Must-Watch Movies According to Tarantino
Before we get to the list itself, it's important to note that it's not in order of importance, but in alphabetical order. Except for the number one, because for Tarantino it is 'favorite movie that has come out in the last 17 years.' Besides, as he pointed out, this is one of the few movies he would personally dream of directing.
But without further ado,...
- 5/13/2024
- by louise.everitt@startefacts.com (Louise Everitt)
- STartefacts.com
Take a look at actress Kirsten Dunst, aka 'Mary Jane Watson' in director Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy and the star of the new feature “Civil War”, posing for the Spring 2024 edition of “S” magazine, photographed by Danielle Levitt:
"I live in pieces that make me feel good," said the former child actress (“Interview With The Vampire”).
At the age of twelve, Dunst gained widespread recognition as vampire 'Claudia' in 'Interview with the Vampire' (1994), a role for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. She appeared in "Little Women" the same year and in "Jumanji" the following year.
After a recurring role in the NBC medical drama "ER" (1996–97) as 'Charlie Chemingo' and co-starring in films such as "Wag the Dog" (1997), "Small Soldiers" (1998) and "The Virgin Suicides" (1999), Dunst transitioned into romantic comedies and comedy-dramas, starring in "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999), "Bring It On...
"I live in pieces that make me feel good," said the former child actress (“Interview With The Vampire”).
At the age of twelve, Dunst gained widespread recognition as vampire 'Claudia' in 'Interview with the Vampire' (1994), a role for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. She appeared in "Little Women" the same year and in "Jumanji" the following year.
After a recurring role in the NBC medical drama "ER" (1996–97) as 'Charlie Chemingo' and co-starring in films such as "Wag the Dog" (1997), "Small Soldiers" (1998) and "The Virgin Suicides" (1999), Dunst transitioned into romantic comedies and comedy-dramas, starring in "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999), "Bring It On...
- 5/8/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Comprising 1994’s The Kingdom, 1997’s The Kingdom II, and 2022’s much belated The Kingdom: Exodus, Lars von Trier’s television miniseries trilogy plays like the unholy love child of St. Elsewhere and Twin Peaks, the latter an acknowledged influence on the director. The trilogy works brilliantly as a blackly comic piss take on running a hospital, with all its attendant frustrations and absurdities, as well as a blast of surreal weirdness that seeks to expose the dark underbelly of its titular locale.
But the parallels between The Kingdom series and its forebears are even more specific. The final episode of Exodus dramatically hinges on a snow globe containing a miniature of the hospital, just as St. Elsewhere famously ended on a similar image. As with Twin Peaks: The Return, over two decades passed between the second and third season of The Kingdom, allowing for some intriguing narrative resets and retakes.
But the parallels between The Kingdom series and its forebears are even more specific. The final episode of Exodus dramatically hinges on a snow globe containing a miniature of the hospital, just as St. Elsewhere famously ended on a similar image. As with Twin Peaks: The Return, over two decades passed between the second and third season of The Kingdom, allowing for some intriguing narrative resets and retakes.
- 5/7/2024
- by Budd Wilkins
- Slant Magazine
Nicole Kidman may find that even heartbreak feels good in a movie theater, but the Oscar-winning actress is not going to find herself directing one of those films for the silver screen.
Kidman told The Hollywood Reporter while being honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award that she is aware of the fact that she “would be a terrible director” — in part due to her indecisiveness. Kidman has produced a slew of TV series such as “Big Little Lies,” “Nine Perfect Strangers,” “The Undoing,” “Love & Death,” “Special Ops: Lioness,” and “Expats” through her Blossom Films banner. She’s pretty good at that.
“I feel like I would be a terrible director because I always have so many ideas. A director has to make choices, and that’s not my strong suit,” Kidman said. “I’m very good at being passionate and supporting the voices and reading a script and going,...
Kidman told The Hollywood Reporter while being honored with the AFI Life Achievement Award that she is aware of the fact that she “would be a terrible director” — in part due to her indecisiveness. Kidman has produced a slew of TV series such as “Big Little Lies,” “Nine Perfect Strangers,” “The Undoing,” “Love & Death,” “Special Ops: Lioness,” and “Expats” through her Blossom Films banner. She’s pretty good at that.
“I feel like I would be a terrible director because I always have so many ideas. A director has to make choices, and that’s not my strong suit,” Kidman said. “I’m very good at being passionate and supporting the voices and reading a script and going,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Traditionally, movie theater walkouts are usually associated with the horror genre, with infamous cases ranging from 1973’s The Exorcist (particularly during the crucifix masturbation scene) and even Lars Von Trier’s controversial serial killer memoir, The House That Jack Built.
That being said, there are exceptions to this rule, as some movies manage to terrorize audiences into leaving the theater regardless of genre. One memorable example of this is Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2013 revenge thriller Only God Forgives, a film so brutal and inaccessible that quite a few critics ended up treating it like a snuff film from hell back when it was first released. However, I’ve come to learn that horror fans have a knack for seeing beyond the blood and guts when judging the value of a story, and that’s why I’d like to make a case for Winding’s near-impenetrable experiment as an excellent horror-adjacent experience.
That being said, there are exceptions to this rule, as some movies manage to terrorize audiences into leaving the theater regardless of genre. One memorable example of this is Nicolas Winding Refn’s 2013 revenge thriller Only God Forgives, a film so brutal and inaccessible that quite a few critics ended up treating it like a snuff film from hell back when it was first released. However, I’ve come to learn that horror fans have a knack for seeing beyond the blood and guts when judging the value of a story, and that’s why I’d like to make a case for Winding’s near-impenetrable experiment as an excellent horror-adjacent experience.
- 4/29/2024
- by Luiz H. C.
- bloody-disgusting.com
“Film is forever.”
Nicole Kidman, the 49th recipient of the prestigious AFI Life Achievement Award, made her acceptance speech on the Dolby Theatre stage on Saturday, April 27 about the filmmakers who’ve shaped her career — and her love for movies and storytelling.
The Academy Award-winning actress was joined by presenters including her “Big Little Lies” co-stars Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep, a past AFI recipient who handed Kidman the honors at the night’s end. “Can I just say, Meryl Streep? I just loved you. I always loved you. I don’t know what it is. You’re a beacon of excellence and warmth and generosity, and you’ve been my guiding light. To see this from you, you have no idea. My husband can attest, my parents can attest, it’s always been you, and no one can touch you.”
Kidman’s opening remarks set the tone for a...
Nicole Kidman, the 49th recipient of the prestigious AFI Life Achievement Award, made her acceptance speech on the Dolby Theatre stage on Saturday, April 27 about the filmmakers who’ve shaped her career — and her love for movies and storytelling.
The Academy Award-winning actress was joined by presenters including her “Big Little Lies” co-stars Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep, a past AFI recipient who handed Kidman the honors at the night’s end. “Can I just say, Meryl Streep? I just loved you. I always loved you. I don’t know what it is. You’re a beacon of excellence and warmth and generosity, and you’ve been my guiding light. To see this from you, you have no idea. My husband can attest, my parents can attest, it’s always been you, and no one can touch you.”
Kidman’s opening remarks set the tone for a...
- 4/28/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Nicole Kidman has captivated audiences with her spellbinding acting for over 40 years and has excelled in theatre, film, and television. Not only is she an accomplished producer but a five-time Academy Award nominee. Her role as Virginia Woolf in The Hours (2002) earned her the Oscar for Best Actress in 2002.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1967, she began her career in Australia as a teenager with roles in Bush Christmas (1983) and BMX Bandits (1983). Her performance in Dead Calm (1989) would grab the attention of Hollywood, and Tom Cruise, casting her in her breakout role as neurologist Dr. Claire Lewicki, in Days of Thunder (1990).
Her trajectory to establishing herself among Hollywood’s A-List continued as she starred alongside Cruise again in Far and Away (1992), mastered her comedic acting chops as an aspiring television personality in Gus Van Sant’s black comedy, To Die For (1995), and portrayed another doctor in the superhero film Batman Forever (1995), opposite Val Kilmer.
Born in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1967, she began her career in Australia as a teenager with roles in Bush Christmas (1983) and BMX Bandits (1983). Her performance in Dead Calm (1989) would grab the attention of Hollywood, and Tom Cruise, casting her in her breakout role as neurologist Dr. Claire Lewicki, in Days of Thunder (1990).
Her trajectory to establishing herself among Hollywood’s A-List continued as she starred alongside Cruise again in Far and Away (1992), mastered her comedic acting chops as an aspiring television personality in Gus Van Sant’s black comedy, To Die For (1995), and portrayed another doctor in the superhero film Batman Forever (1995), opposite Val Kilmer.
- 4/28/2024
- by Robert Lang
- Deadline Film + TV
Nicole Kidman is the rare actress in the 21st century who, like the stars of Hollywood’s golden years, doesn’t disappear into roles so much as elevate films by her mere presence.
She’s certainly swung big at mainstream blockbusters (think: the “Aquaman” films) that might feel out of her step with her character-driven work elsewhere (like most of the films on the list that follows). But that’s because the Australian icon is unafraid of any role, whether stripping down her post-Oscar, A-lister veneer to film Lars von Trier’s Brechtian “Dogville” in Sweden, slipping into a bathtub with the 10-year-old possible reincarnation of her dead husband in Jonathan Glazer’s “Birth,” or, yes, donning a fake nose to play a suicidal Virginia Woolf for her Oscar-winning turn in “The Hours.”
On April 27 in Los Angeles, Nicole Kidman will receive the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award, joining the ranks of Jane Fonda,...
She’s certainly swung big at mainstream blockbusters (think: the “Aquaman” films) that might feel out of her step with her character-driven work elsewhere (like most of the films on the list that follows). But that’s because the Australian icon is unafraid of any role, whether stripping down her post-Oscar, A-lister veneer to film Lars von Trier’s Brechtian “Dogville” in Sweden, slipping into a bathtub with the 10-year-old possible reincarnation of her dead husband in Jonathan Glazer’s “Birth,” or, yes, donning a fake nose to play a suicidal Virginia Woolf for her Oscar-winning turn in “The Hours.”
On April 27 in Los Angeles, Nicole Kidman will receive the 49th AFI Life Achievement Award, joining the ranks of Jane Fonda,...
- 4/26/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
“Civil War,” the new acclaimed drama from director Alex Garland, is dominating theaters everywhere, and the film’s star Kirsten Dunst gives one of her best performances in her long and varied career. In honor of her latest movie, let’s revisit her many awards races, including her first Oscar nomination for “The Power of the Dog.”
Dunst’s first role that brought the actress lots of awards attention arrived in 1994 in Neil Jordan’s “Interview with the Vampire,” starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Dunst’s performance as the young outspoken vampire Claudia earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress, up against Sophia Loren in “Prét-à-Porter,” Robin Wright Penn in “Forrest Gump,” Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction” and Dianne Wiest, who won the trophy for “Bullets over Broadway.”
Occasionally the academy will reward a great child performance with an Oscar nomination, the way they did with...
Dunst’s first role that brought the actress lots of awards attention arrived in 1994 in Neil Jordan’s “Interview with the Vampire,” starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Dunst’s performance as the young outspoken vampire Claudia earned her a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actress, up against Sophia Loren in “Prét-à-Porter,” Robin Wright Penn in “Forrest Gump,” Uma Thurman in “Pulp Fiction” and Dianne Wiest, who won the trophy for “Bullets over Broadway.”
Occasionally the academy will reward a great child performance with an Oscar nomination, the way they did with...
- 4/20/2024
- by Brian Rowe
- Gold Derby
Documentarian Chris Wilcha is stepping back through time for his latest feature “Flipside.”
Wilcha revisits his own shelved past projects including capturing “This American Life” icon Ira Glass in the midst of a creative rebirth, an origin story of David Bowie’s ode to a local New Jersey cable television hero, and an unlikely connection between jazz photographer Herman Leonard and TV writer David Milch.
The film is the product of Wilcha returning to the record store where he worked as a teenager in New Jersey and realizing that the staple of his youth is now out of touch with the times. Per the official synopsis, “Flipside” documents Wilcha’s “tragicomic attempt to revive the store while revisiting other documentary projects he has abandoned over the years. This disparate collection of stories coheres into something strange and expansive — a moving meditation on music, work, and the sacrifices and satisfaction of...
Wilcha revisits his own shelved past projects including capturing “This American Life” icon Ira Glass in the midst of a creative rebirth, an origin story of David Bowie’s ode to a local New Jersey cable television hero, and an unlikely connection between jazz photographer Herman Leonard and TV writer David Milch.
The film is the product of Wilcha returning to the record store where he worked as a teenager in New Jersey and realizing that the staple of his youth is now out of touch with the times. Per the official synopsis, “Flipside” documents Wilcha’s “tragicomic attempt to revive the store while revisiting other documentary projects he has abandoned over the years. This disparate collection of stories coheres into something strange and expansive — a moving meditation on music, work, and the sacrifices and satisfaction of...
- 4/18/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The dinosaur-chasing actor will take your questions on her extraordinary range of stage, film and TV roles from Shakespeare to Black Mirror to Rocketman
The actor Bryce Dallas Howard may be best known to cinema audiences for walloping genetically modified dinosaurs, but she began in experimental theatre, then broke through on Broadway, playing Rosalind in a production of As You Like It. It was this which alerted M Night Shyalaman to her talent – he then cast her, without an audition, as the lead in 2004’s The Village, as a blind woman who lives as part of a curious sect in a remote community.
Ambitious choices continued, with a role in Lars von Trier’s Manderlay, playing the part originated by Nicole Kidman in Dogville, as an ally to slaves in rural Alabama. Then followed a reunion with Shyalaman for Lady in the Water, and a return to her roots, playing...
The actor Bryce Dallas Howard may be best known to cinema audiences for walloping genetically modified dinosaurs, but she began in experimental theatre, then broke through on Broadway, playing Rosalind in a production of As You Like It. It was this which alerted M Night Shyalaman to her talent – he then cast her, without an audition, as the lead in 2004’s The Village, as a blind woman who lives as part of a curious sect in a remote community.
Ambitious choices continued, with a role in Lars von Trier’s Manderlay, playing the part originated by Nicole Kidman in Dogville, as an ally to slaves in rural Alabama. Then followed a reunion with Shyalaman for Lady in the Water, and a return to her roots, playing...
- 4/16/2024
- by Guardian Film
- The Guardian - Film News
Civil War is an extremely powerful, effective movie that thrusts you into the middle of an American civil war seen through the eyes of a war photographer. It’s brutal. It’s extraordinarily violent. The sound design is bordering on abusive. And if you watch it in IMAX you can reasonably expect to leave the theater with more than a little motion sickness. It is, however, excellent, with great performances from Kirsten Dunst as the older, jaded photographer and Cailee Spaeny as the reckless youngster new to the game. So see it. But we’d be very surprised if you decide to rush back for a second viewing.
Here’s our celebration of the wonderful, must-see movies where once is quite enough, thank you very much.
Hereditary
To no one’s surprise, Ari Aster’s harrowing debut immediately makes the top of this list. You might think the early, shocking...
Here’s our celebration of the wonderful, must-see movies where once is quite enough, thank you very much.
Hereditary
To no one’s surprise, Ari Aster’s harrowing debut immediately makes the top of this list. You might think the early, shocking...
- 4/15/2024
- by Rosie Fletcher
- Den of Geek
Actress Kristen Dunst is all set to return to the big screen with Alex Garland’s dystopian war drama Civil War. The actress has been making the rounds on the Internet due to her honest and matter-of-fact tone of answering questions during the press tour, where she has been lauded for having these qualities that are rarely seen during interviews.
Dunst gained worldwide fame for her role as Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. She shared screen space with Tobey Maguire, who played Peter Parker a.k.a Spider-Man in the acclaimed trilogy. While fans are excited for another Spider-Man film from Raimi and Maguire ever since their return to the MCU, Dunst reportedly opined that good things need to be left alone.
Kirsten Dunst Wants The Spider-Man Trilogy to Be Left Alone A still from Spider-Man
For many, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man films were the defining...
Dunst gained worldwide fame for her role as Mary Jane Watson in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy. She shared screen space with Tobey Maguire, who played Peter Parker a.k.a Spider-Man in the acclaimed trilogy. While fans are excited for another Spider-Man film from Raimi and Maguire ever since their return to the MCU, Dunst reportedly opined that good things need to be left alone.
Kirsten Dunst Wants The Spider-Man Trilogy to Be Left Alone A still from Spider-Man
For many, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man films were the defining...
- 4/12/2024
- by Nishanth A
- FandomWire
The Killing star Sofie Gråbøl has reflected on how her Danish breakout series redefined “national and linguistic borders” when it came to TV viewing.
Gråbøl spoke with Deadline in the midst of her time leading the Canneseries jury, for which she is judging shows from the likes of China, Brazil and Sweden.
The Killing, which was a smash hit both locally in Denmark and around the world, airing for three seasons between 2007 and 2012 and spawning a U.S. remake, “was a defining moment and a visceral way of showing how TV series can be accessible for all of us,” she said.
“It was something we couldn’t imagine [at the time],” added Gråbøl. “That something so local from this small country could have such interest across the border. We had been so used to importing culture from other countries but suddenly those national and linguistic borders weren’t defined anymore.”
The BAFTA-winning series...
Gråbøl spoke with Deadline in the midst of her time leading the Canneseries jury, for which she is judging shows from the likes of China, Brazil and Sweden.
The Killing, which was a smash hit both locally in Denmark and around the world, airing for three seasons between 2007 and 2012 and spawning a U.S. remake, “was a defining moment and a visceral way of showing how TV series can be accessible for all of us,” she said.
“It was something we couldn’t imagine [at the time],” added Gråbøl. “That something so local from this small country could have such interest across the border. We had been so used to importing culture from other countries but suddenly those national and linguistic borders weren’t defined anymore.”
The BAFTA-winning series...
- 4/9/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
A24 released the trailer for “Maxxxine” early Monday, the third part of a genre trilogy from Mia Goth and director Ti West. Whereas “X” focused on a porno shoot in 1979 and “Pearl” took the action way back to 1918 (with Goth mugging with a frozen smile for insane lengths of time), “Maxxxine” is set in Los Angeles during its sleaze nadir of 1985, with Goth’s Maxine Minx ready to make the transition from adult entertainer to horror movie star. Alas, a serial killer (“The Night Stalker”) is on the loose, causing trouble.
Set to “My Obsession” by Animotion and “Self Control” by Laura Branigan, Maxxine and hear blown-out hairstyle zoom around L.A., meeting Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Halsey, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon along the way.
Even though “Maxxxine” looks like a splashy, fun ride with 1980s makeup, Debicki in an ascot, and some shots on VHS,...
Set to “My Obsession” by Animotion and “Self Control” by Laura Branigan, Maxxine and hear blown-out hairstyle zoom around L.A., meeting Elizabeth Debicki, Moses Sumney, Michelle Monaghan, Bobby Cannavale, Lily Collins, Halsey, Giancarlo Esposito, and Kevin Bacon along the way.
Even though “Maxxxine” looks like a splashy, fun ride with 1980s makeup, Debicki in an ascot, and some shots on VHS,...
- 4/8/2024
- by Jordan Hoffman
- Gold Derby
In Hollywood, actors often find themselves trapped in a loop of similar characters. But Kirsten Dunst isn’t one to be confined by expectations. She’s not afraid to break away from what people expect of her, and that’s what makes her stand out in the film industry.
Kirsten Dunst in a still from Hidden Figures
After years of battling typecasting, particularly following a critically acclaimed performance, Dunst took control of her career. The actress, who started her career at just the mere age of six, stepped away from the “depressed girl” roles and jumped into all sorts of different projects.
Kirsten Dunst Shunned Depressed Roles After Melancholia
Kirsten Dunst as Justine in Melancholia (2011)
Kirsten Dunst‘s career skyrocketed after her haunting performance as a child vampire in Interview with the Vampire (1994). However, her critically acclaimed role in Lars von Trier’s Melancholia (2011) seemed to pigeonhole her into playing melancholic characters.
Kirsten Dunst in a still from Hidden Figures
After years of battling typecasting, particularly following a critically acclaimed performance, Dunst took control of her career. The actress, who started her career at just the mere age of six, stepped away from the “depressed girl” roles and jumped into all sorts of different projects.
Kirsten Dunst Shunned Depressed Roles After Melancholia
Kirsten Dunst as Justine in Melancholia (2011)
Kirsten Dunst‘s career skyrocketed after her haunting performance as a child vampire in Interview with the Vampire (1994). However, her critically acclaimed role in Lars von Trier’s Melancholia (2011) seemed to pigeonhole her into playing melancholic characters.
- 4/3/2024
- by Shreya Jha
- FandomWire
Judd Apatow is warning against the rise of rewatching and the implications it has for streamers not to greenlight new series.
The writer/director/producer told Vulture that Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO licensing shows like “Sex and the City” to Netflix is just a recent example of limiting audiences’ “content” options, which is no doubt “cheaper than making new ones.”
“I’m of two minds,” Apatow said of the rise of viewers rediscovering older series. “There’s a part of me that’s an audience member: I’ll go back and rewatch ‘Deadwood’ or ‘NYPD Blue’ or any of the David Milch shows. I understand why people like the comfort food of television. But it’s a scary thing as a creator of television, because of all the streamers going, ‘Wait a second. We don’t need to spend $200 million on a new show. We can just bring back “Barnaby Jones.
The writer/director/producer told Vulture that Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO licensing shows like “Sex and the City” to Netflix is just a recent example of limiting audiences’ “content” options, which is no doubt “cheaper than making new ones.”
“I’m of two minds,” Apatow said of the rise of viewers rediscovering older series. “There’s a part of me that’s an audience member: I’ll go back and rewatch ‘Deadwood’ or ‘NYPD Blue’ or any of the David Milch shows. I understand why people like the comfort food of television. But it’s a scary thing as a creator of television, because of all the streamers going, ‘Wait a second. We don’t need to spend $200 million on a new show. We can just bring back “Barnaby Jones.
- 3/22/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
The scariest part of writer-director Alex Garland’s Civil War is how normal it all feels. Hoteliers warn their guests that power outages caused by a suicide bombing down the block may make climbing 10 flights a safer option than taking the elevator. Stopping for gas is a game with a 50/50 chance of leaving with a full tank or losing your life. Small-town dress shops conduct business as usual in the shadows of rooftop-perched snipers.
Best known for high-concept science fiction and horror, this isn’t the film that anyone would have expected Garland to make. The writer-director of Ex Machina, Annihilation, and Men, Garland eschews the mind-bending big ideas of his previous work, including the FX series Devs, for an urgent, breathless immediacy: placing war correspondents as the “heroes” at the center of a blisteringly real American apocalypse. Frightening, even-tempered, and disarmingly humane, Civil War is intelligent precision filmmaking trained on an impossible subject.
Best known for high-concept science fiction and horror, this isn’t the film that anyone would have expected Garland to make. The writer-director of Ex Machina, Annihilation, and Men, Garland eschews the mind-bending big ideas of his previous work, including the FX series Devs, for an urgent, breathless immediacy: placing war correspondents as the “heroes” at the center of a blisteringly real American apocalypse. Frightening, even-tempered, and disarmingly humane, Civil War is intelligent precision filmmaking trained on an impossible subject.
- 3/16/2024
- by Rocco T. Thompson
- Slant Magazine
“All and Eva,” starring “Annihilation’s” Tuva Novotny, has been acquired by Australia’s Sbs, Eitb, the Basque Country public broadcaster in Spain, and Vodafone TV in Greece, ahead of its SeriesMania premiere.
“We are extremely excited about the fast-growing global buzz around this charming dramedy and thrilled for many more markets to come on board, once they see this fresh and captivating take,” noted Vanda Rapti, Viaplay Group EVP, Viaplay Select & Content Distribution.
The new series – created, written and directed by Johanna Runevad – accompanies Eva (Novotny) on her way to Copenhagen to obtain sperm from a donor. Just before insemination, she decides to find him. Luckily, Mads (Joachim Fjelstrup) seems perfectly normal. But then, clueless that Eva is already pregnant with his child, he knocks on her door in Stockholm.
“I would call it a romantic comedy with a twist,” laughed Runevad.
“I do love the genre and I...
“We are extremely excited about the fast-growing global buzz around this charming dramedy and thrilled for many more markets to come on board, once they see this fresh and captivating take,” noted Vanda Rapti, Viaplay Group EVP, Viaplay Select & Content Distribution.
The new series – created, written and directed by Johanna Runevad – accompanies Eva (Novotny) on her way to Copenhagen to obtain sperm from a donor. Just before insemination, she decides to find him. Luckily, Mads (Joachim Fjelstrup) seems perfectly normal. But then, clueless that Eva is already pregnant with his child, he knocks on her door in Stockholm.
“I would call it a romantic comedy with a twist,” laughed Runevad.
“I do love the genre and I...
- 3/15/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Ahmed El-Shenawi, the Egyptian-born actor whose character delightfully announces that a slithering helping of “snake surprise” is about to be served in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, has died. He was 75.
El-Shenawi died Feb. 1 in Chelsea, London, his daughter, Eman El-Shenawi, told The Hollywood Reporter. He had been in the hospital for an operation to repair a fracture and developed an infection that led to sepsis, she said.
El-Shenawi also portrayed a prisoner who inherits a radio in Alan Parker’s harrowing Midnight Express (1978), starring Brad Davis, and he had the pivotal role of the therapist who hypnotizes the detective (Michael Elphick) in The Element of Crime (1984) — Lars von Trier’s first feature and the first in his Europa trilogy. Both movies played at Cannes.
“I believe his brief but impactful moments of fame resonated so much among many,” his daughter said.
In Steven Spielberg’s Temple of Doom (1984), the extremely large El-Shenawi,...
El-Shenawi died Feb. 1 in Chelsea, London, his daughter, Eman El-Shenawi, told The Hollywood Reporter. He had been in the hospital for an operation to repair a fracture and developed an infection that led to sepsis, she said.
El-Shenawi also portrayed a prisoner who inherits a radio in Alan Parker’s harrowing Midnight Express (1978), starring Brad Davis, and he had the pivotal role of the therapist who hypnotizes the detective (Michael Elphick) in The Element of Crime (1984) — Lars von Trier’s first feature and the first in his Europa trilogy. Both movies played at Cannes.
“I believe his brief but impactful moments of fame resonated so much among many,” his daughter said.
In Steven Spielberg’s Temple of Doom (1984), the extremely large El-Shenawi,...
- 3/9/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actress Kirsten Dunst, aka 'Mary Jane Watson' in director Sam Raimi's "Spider-Man" trilogy and the star of the new feature “Civil War”, poses for the latest issue of “Marie Claire” magazine, photographed by Jonny Marlow:
"I live in pieces that make me feel good," said the former child actress (“Interview With The Vampire”).
At the age of twelve, Dunst gained widespread recognition as vampire 'Claudia' in 'Interview with the Vampire' (1994), a role for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. She appeared in "Little Women" the same year and in "Jumanji" the following year.
After a recurring role in the NBC medical drama "ER" (1996–97) as 'Charlie Chemingo' and co-starring in films such as "Wag the Dog" (1997), "Small Soldiers" (1998) and "The Virgin Suicides" (1999), Dunst transitioned into romantic comedies and comedy-dramas, starring in "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999), "Bring It On" (2000), "Get Over It...
"I live in pieces that make me feel good," said the former child actress (“Interview With The Vampire”).
At the age of twelve, Dunst gained widespread recognition as vampire 'Claudia' in 'Interview with the Vampire' (1994), a role for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress. She appeared in "Little Women" the same year and in "Jumanji" the following year.
After a recurring role in the NBC medical drama "ER" (1996–97) as 'Charlie Chemingo' and co-starring in films such as "Wag the Dog" (1997), "Small Soldiers" (1998) and "The Virgin Suicides" (1999), Dunst transitioned into romantic comedies and comedy-dramas, starring in "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999), "Bring It On" (2000), "Get Over It...
- 3/7/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Kirsten Dunst said in a new interview with Marie Claire that she’s finally at a stage in her career where she no longer feels “nervous” speaking her mind, adding: “I feel at home sharing everything on set now.” It’s a big change from Dunst’s experience on the “Spider-Man” set decades ago. As a young actor, Dunst didn’t have the confidence to speak up when things bothered her. Case in point: Being repeatedly called a “girly-girl” on the Marvel set.
“It was a joke, but on ‘Spider-Man,’ they would call me ‘girly-girl’ sometimes on the walkie-talkie. ‘We need girly-girl.’ But I never said anything,” Dunst said. “Like, don’t call me that!”
Dunst added that “you didn’t say anything” on sets at that time, especially before the #MeToo movement, and “you just took it.” She also said that it was a conscious choice not to...
“It was a joke, but on ‘Spider-Man,’ they would call me ‘girly-girl’ sometimes on the walkie-talkie. ‘We need girly-girl.’ But I never said anything,” Dunst said. “Like, don’t call me that!”
Dunst added that “you didn’t say anything” on sets at that time, especially before the #MeToo movement, and “you just took it.” She also said that it was a conscious choice not to...
- 3/5/2024
- by Zack Sharf
- Variety Film + TV
Denis Villeneuve's new hit film "Dune: Part Two" sees the rise of a villain not glimpsed in "Dune: Part One." In the film, the evil Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), having lost faith in his nephew Rabban (Dave Bautista) and his ability to exterminate the Fremen on Arrakis, turns to his far more sociopathic, aggressive nephew Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), a young man with no remorse and a murderous streak a mile wide. A large section of "Dune: Part Two" is devoted to describing Feyd's horrible evil, with several Bene Gesserit witches noting that he can only be controlled through flattery and sexuality, not conscience. Feyd is a violent, walking id, and the film ultimately culminates in a knife fight between him and the Messianic Paul Atreaides (Timothée Chalamet).
In David Lynch's eccentric 1984 "Dune" adaptation, rock star Sting played Feyd, and there is a notorious scene wherein Sting emerges from a bizarre,...
In David Lynch's eccentric 1984 "Dune" adaptation, rock star Sting played Feyd, and there is a notorious scene wherein Sting emerges from a bizarre,...
- 3/5/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Fantasporto, the Oporto Intl. Film Festival, kicked off Friday in Portugal’s Porto — a city famed for its elegant Romanesque cathedral, a bookstore that inspired “Harry Potter,” and the heady alcoholic drink — with an eclectic mix of titles but an emphasis on fantasy films.
Typifying the broad tastes of the festival chiefs, film critics Beatriz Pacheco Pereira and Mário Dorminsky, Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand’s satire “Testament” opened the event’s 44th edition at Batalha Centro de Cinema, and Chinese fantasy epic “Creation of Gods I: Kingdom of Storms,” directed by Wuershan, closes it.
Although Pacheco Pereira and Dorminsky, who compete with the Brussels Intl. Fantastic Film Festival and Sitges for fantasy films in Europe, know they can’t please everyone in Porto with their selection “what is really important to us is whether the audiences applaud the films,” Dorminsky says. “This is not a job for us. It is a pleasure.
Typifying the broad tastes of the festival chiefs, film critics Beatriz Pacheco Pereira and Mário Dorminsky, Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand’s satire “Testament” opened the event’s 44th edition at Batalha Centro de Cinema, and Chinese fantasy epic “Creation of Gods I: Kingdom of Storms,” directed by Wuershan, closes it.
Although Pacheco Pereira and Dorminsky, who compete with the Brussels Intl. Fantastic Film Festival and Sitges for fantasy films in Europe, know they can’t please everyone in Porto with their selection “what is really important to us is whether the audiences applaud the films,” Dorminsky says. “This is not a job for us. It is a pleasure.
- 3/2/2024
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Stellan Skarsgård is a Swedish actor who has been working since he was a teenager. He started with Swedish TV shows, moving to films, before finally transitioning to Hollywood projects. Now, Skarsgård is one of the most talented actors in the industry, with an impressive filmography to his name.
Currently, he is playing the menacing Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two, and fans have been praising his work in the movie.
Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two
Skarsgård made his entry to the American film industry in 1985 with Noon Wine. But before that, he had already made a name for himself in Swedish and Danish movies. Having worked with prolific filmmakers in his career like Lars von Trier and Hans Petter Moland, his movies have top-notch storytelling and performances. And that has won the actor numerous awards throughout his career. But his first foray into...
Currently, he is playing the menacing Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two, and fans have been praising his work in the movie.
Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two
Skarsgård made his entry to the American film industry in 1985 with Noon Wine. But before that, he had already made a name for himself in Swedish and Danish movies. Having worked with prolific filmmakers in his career like Lars von Trier and Hans Petter Moland, his movies have top-notch storytelling and performances. And that has won the actor numerous awards throughout his career. But his first foray into...
- 3/2/2024
- by Swagata Das
- FandomWire
Nearly three decades ago, Stephen King stumbled upon a copy of Lars von Trier‘s Danish miniseries The Kingdom in a dusty Colorado video store. Roughly seven years later, ABC premiered Kingdom Hospital, the author’s own take on von Trier’s haunted hospital. While conceived as a miniseries, King was so excited about the project — developed alongside his Storm of the Century and Rose Red collaborators — that he was ready to start work on a second season. The series premiered strong, but ratings dwindled and ABC pulled the plug just months later.
Join The Losers’ Club as they unpack both the 13-episode series and King’s candid thoughts about the adaptation and its swift cancellation, which he detailed in a 2004 EW column. Was it ahead of its time? Are the Twin Peaks comparisons warranted? And just how much did it inspire season 2 of American Horror Story? These questions and...
Join The Losers’ Club as they unpack both the 13-episode series and King’s candid thoughts about the adaptation and its swift cancellation, which he detailed in a 2004 EW column. Was it ahead of its time? Are the Twin Peaks comparisons warranted? And just how much did it inspire season 2 of American Horror Story? These questions and...
- 2/23/2024
- by Randall Colburn
- bloody-disgusting.com
Emerald Fennell is sharing one of her favorite “complicated” sexy onscreen relationships ever, and it’s none other than the dark, obsessive dynamic found in Martin Scorsese’s “Cape Fear.” During Turner Classic Movie’s “Talking Pictures: A Movie Memories Podcast,” hosted by Ben Mankiewicz, “Saltburn” filmmaker Fennell revealed her twisted love for Robert De Niro and Juliette Lewis’ onscreen relationship in Scorsese’s 1991 film.
While Fennell noted that the 1962 original starring Robert Mitchum is her preferred iteration of the story (both films were adaptations of 1957 book “The Executioners” by John D. Macdonald), she cited the scene in Scorsese’s feature in which De Niro’s character stalks Lewis at her high school as a favorite.
“I was obsessed with the remake, because the scene where Robert De Niro comes to the high school to seduce Juliette Lewis, it’s one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen, which is very complicated,...
While Fennell noted that the 1962 original starring Robert Mitchum is her preferred iteration of the story (both films were adaptations of 1957 book “The Executioners” by John D. Macdonald), she cited the scene in Scorsese’s feature in which De Niro’s character stalks Lewis at her high school as a favorite.
“I was obsessed with the remake, because the scene where Robert De Niro comes to the high school to seduce Juliette Lewis, it’s one of the sexiest things I’ve ever seen, which is very complicated,...
- 2/9/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Peter Garde, European film financing vet and frequent collaborator of filmmakers like Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg, has died aged 67 in Fakse, Denmark, after a long battle with cancer. Garde’s wife, Nanna, confirmed the news to Deadline alongside his close associates, Peter Aalbæk Jensen and Anders Kjærhauge.
Garde began his education in finance in the small town of Store Heddinge in Denmark, where he was a student set to become a banker. He ultimately went on to start his own financial exchange company.
After the success of Lars Von Trier’s Breaking The Waves, Garde was convinced by his close friend producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen to join Zentropa and help manage all the money that was pouring into the studio, which ultimately became the beginning of Garde’s long career with Lars Von Trier and Zentropa Studios’ films. He joined the company in 1997.
Garde was responsible for piecing...
Garde began his education in finance in the small town of Store Heddinge in Denmark, where he was a student set to become a banker. He ultimately went on to start his own financial exchange company.
After the success of Lars Von Trier’s Breaking The Waves, Garde was convinced by his close friend producer Peter Aalbæk Jensen to join Zentropa and help manage all the money that was pouring into the studio, which ultimately became the beginning of Garde’s long career with Lars Von Trier and Zentropa Studios’ films. He joined the company in 1997.
Garde was responsible for piecing...
- 2/8/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
'Historical horror' is not a term that's been especially popularized, but it's most effective when describing the delicious combination of historical events and fictional horror. This subgenre has been quietly enjoying a great run during the last decade or so: not only have there been several movies that brilliantly mix detail-heavy period settings with creepy goings-on but there have been a number of TV shows delving into historical horror with much success, such as Showtime's "Penny Dreadful."
Latest on the scene is AMC's "The Terror," a series that so far has been able to vary its period setting, themes, and even tone thanks to being anthologized season to season. After the first season, which was based on author Dan Simmons' novel "The Terror" (hence the series' name), the second season went on to tell an original tale set in and around the Japanese internment camps in America during WWII.
Latest on the scene is AMC's "The Terror," a series that so far has been able to vary its period setting, themes, and even tone thanks to being anthologized season to season. After the first season, which was based on author Dan Simmons' novel "The Terror" (hence the series' name), the second season went on to tell an original tale set in and around the Japanese internment camps in America during WWII.
- 2/7/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Exclusive: Cannes Marché du Film has unveiled the four film industry professionals who will select the projects for the second edition of its Investors Circle initiative.
The one-day event – taking place within the framework of this year’s market, running from May 14 to 22 – is aimed at connecting elevated, international feature film projects with film financiers and high-net worth individuals with a desire to invest in cinema.
This year’s selection committee comprises Arte France Cinéma CEO Remi Burah; French film and TV biz entrepreneur Serge Hayat; Georgian cinema professional Tamara Tatishvili, who is currently head of the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s Hubert Bals Fund, and Korean co-production expert Wonsun Shin.
The projects are gathered through a combination of networking and scouting as well as direct submissions to the Cannes Marché du Film up until February 29. The Selection Committee will meet throughout March to decide the final line-up.
Aleksandra Zakharchenko,...
The one-day event – taking place within the framework of this year’s market, running from May 14 to 22 – is aimed at connecting elevated, international feature film projects with film financiers and high-net worth individuals with a desire to invest in cinema.
This year’s selection committee comprises Arte France Cinéma CEO Remi Burah; French film and TV biz entrepreneur Serge Hayat; Georgian cinema professional Tamara Tatishvili, who is currently head of the International Film Festival Rotterdam’s Hubert Bals Fund, and Korean co-production expert Wonsun Shin.
The projects are gathered through a combination of networking and scouting as well as direct submissions to the Cannes Marché du Film up until February 29. The Selection Committee will meet throughout March to decide the final line-up.
Aleksandra Zakharchenko,...
- 2/6/2024
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
If you’ve ever wondered what it feels like to have your soul put through the emotional equivalent of a meat grinder, then boy, do we have a list for you! Thanks to the collective masochism of the internet, we’ve scoured a popular Reddit thread where the biggest horror fans shared the films that left them feeling like they need a hug… or ten. From existential dread to narratives so bleak they’d make a goth smile, these movies are guaranteed to mess you up in the best way possible.
So, let’s dive into the abyss with these soul-crushing cinematic experiences that are anything but your typical jump-scare fest, and come with the horror-fan seal of approval! Or.. warning.
Dimension Films 1. The Mist (2007)
First up, The Mist blankets its audience in a thick fog of existential terror and human fragility. Directed by Frank Darabont and based on Stephen King’s novella,...
So, let’s dive into the abyss with these soul-crushing cinematic experiences that are anything but your typical jump-scare fest, and come with the horror-fan seal of approval! Or.. warning.
Dimension Films 1. The Mist (2007)
First up, The Mist blankets its audience in a thick fog of existential terror and human fragility. Directed by Frank Darabont and based on Stephen King’s novella,...
- 2/5/2024
- by Jonathan Dehaan
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
The Beekeeper (David Ayer)
It’s the time of year for smooth-brained relaxation. Moviegoers can recover from the holidays with the comfort of knowing Gerard Butler, Liam Neeson, or Jason Statham will be here to satisfy their mid-budget, action-programmer needs. Is it really the new year if one of those cherished Kings of January doesn’t appear on the release slate? There’s no Gerry or Liam, but the ever-reliable Statham dons a trucker hat and blue jeans to grit his way through David Ayer’s The Beekeeper, an overall valiant, occasionally fun attempt to take us out of Q1 doldrums. – Conor O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Brawl in Cell Block 99 (S. Craig Zahler)
S. Craig Zahler is the...
The Beekeeper (David Ayer)
It’s the time of year for smooth-brained relaxation. Moviegoers can recover from the holidays with the comfort of knowing Gerard Butler, Liam Neeson, or Jason Statham will be here to satisfy their mid-budget, action-programmer needs. Is it really the new year if one of those cherished Kings of January doesn’t appear on the release slate? There’s no Gerry or Liam, but the ever-reliable Statham dons a trucker hat and blue jeans to grit his way through David Ayer’s The Beekeeper, an overall valiant, occasionally fun attempt to take us out of Q1 doldrums. – Conor O. (full review)
Where to Stream: VOD
Brawl in Cell Block 99 (S. Craig Zahler)
S. Craig Zahler is the...
- 2/2/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Denmark-based sales outfit LevelK has boarded Charlotte Sieling’s Way Home, ahead of its presentation in the work-in-progress sessions at Goteborg Film Festival today.
Written by Danish filmmaker Sieling with Nagieb Khaja and Jesper Fink based on Khaja’s original idea, Way Home follows a man smuggled into Syria on a desperate search for his son; the man must sacrifice everything he believes in to be reunited with his child. The film is currently in post-production.
Nikolaj Lie Kaas plays the lead role, and learned Arabic for the part. Lie Kaas recently appeared in Anders Thomas Jensen’s Riders Of Justice...
Written by Danish filmmaker Sieling with Nagieb Khaja and Jesper Fink based on Khaja’s original idea, Way Home follows a man smuggled into Syria on a desperate search for his son; the man must sacrifice everything he believes in to be reunited with his child. The film is currently in post-production.
Nikolaj Lie Kaas plays the lead role, and learned Arabic for the part. Lie Kaas recently appeared in Anders Thomas Jensen’s Riders Of Justice...
- 2/1/2024
- ScreenDaily
Highly active Copenhagen-based sales outfit REinvent has acquired rights to the Danish pic “Rome,” officially selected as the Göteborg Film Festival’s closing movie.
The life-affirming romantic drama marks the sophomore feature from established Danish choreographer Niclas Bendixen, behind Mads Mikkelsen’s famous dance scene in the Oscar-winning “Another Round.” Toplining the cast are Rolf Lassgård (“A Man Called Ove”), Bodil Jørgensen (“The Kingdom”), and Kristian Halken (“A Perfectly Normal Family”), who shares the writing credits with Bendixen and Christian Torpe (“Silent Heart”).
“‘Rome’ stands out as a heart-warming film which makes you think about life, love and values. We are proud to represent and showcase ‘Rome’ to an international audience in Göteborg. I am confident that the film will find a home in the hearts of distributors in countries worldwide,” said Helene Aurø, REinvent’s sales and marketing director.
Based on Halken’s idea, the pic turns on Gerda...
The life-affirming romantic drama marks the sophomore feature from established Danish choreographer Niclas Bendixen, behind Mads Mikkelsen’s famous dance scene in the Oscar-winning “Another Round.” Toplining the cast are Rolf Lassgård (“A Man Called Ove”), Bodil Jørgensen (“The Kingdom”), and Kristian Halken (“A Perfectly Normal Family”), who shares the writing credits with Bendixen and Christian Torpe (“Silent Heart”).
“‘Rome’ stands out as a heart-warming film which makes you think about life, love and values. We are proud to represent and showcase ‘Rome’ to an international audience in Göteborg. I am confident that the film will find a home in the hearts of distributors in countries worldwide,” said Helene Aurø, REinvent’s sales and marketing director.
Based on Halken’s idea, the pic turns on Gerda...
- 1/19/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
Directorial duo Kit & Arran, whose darkly comedic satire “King Baby” premieres at International Film Festival Rotterdam, are lining up two further film projects, “How Dare You” and “Jericho,” the directors, whose full names are Kit Redstone and Arran Shearing, tell Variety.
Selected for the Bright Future section and initially developed as a play, “King Baby” sees a King and a Servant (Graham Dickson and Neil Chinneck) living alone in the ruins of a castle. When their daily routine is disturbed by a Queen, they start succumbing to their worst instincts. Even though she is a wooden mannequin.
Variety debuts the trailer here:
The film was produced by Franck Priot, Ye Shu, the directors and Marc Petey for Ghosts City and Chimples Pictures.
“We felt there was something deliciously promising about this stripped-down world,” says Kit. But despite its comedic set-up, “King Baby” quickly turns more disturbing, exploring “different nuances of patriarchal brutality.
Selected for the Bright Future section and initially developed as a play, “King Baby” sees a King and a Servant (Graham Dickson and Neil Chinneck) living alone in the ruins of a castle. When their daily routine is disturbed by a Queen, they start succumbing to their worst instincts. Even though she is a wooden mannequin.
Variety debuts the trailer here:
The film was produced by Franck Priot, Ye Shu, the directors and Marc Petey for Ghosts City and Chimples Pictures.
“We felt there was something deliciously promising about this stripped-down world,” says Kit. But despite its comedic set-up, “King Baby” quickly turns more disturbing, exploring “different nuances of patriarchal brutality.
- 1/15/2024
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Willem Dafoe has a face made for film. When the sixty-something actor appears on screen, his prominent cheekbones, wide eyes, and toothy grin are difficult to take your gaze off. Combined with his slender frame and his raspy, gravely, deep voice, the actor’s portrayal of Jesus Christ allegedly prompted Sergio Leone to opine “This is not the face of our Lord, this is the face of Satan!”
Dafoe hasn’t played Satan at all over the course of his career, but he’s certainly played his share of villains, bringing his signature menace to dozens of cinematic crooks and psychopaths. After his first lead role, in Kathryn Bigelow’s 1982 biker drama “The Loveless,” his early parts were largely antagonists to the lead heroes, such as the alluring but frightening criminals in “Streets of Fire” and “To Live and Die in L.A.” The part that arguably brought him the most widespread,...
Dafoe hasn’t played Satan at all over the course of his career, but he’s certainly played his share of villains, bringing his signature menace to dozens of cinematic crooks and psychopaths. After his first lead role, in Kathryn Bigelow’s 1982 biker drama “The Loveless,” his early parts were largely antagonists to the lead heroes, such as the alluring but frightening criminals in “Streets of Fire” and “To Live and Die in L.A.” The part that arguably brought him the most widespread,...
- 1/11/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
When Willem Dafoe receives his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Jan. 8, the distinction will commemorate more than just a four-time Oscar nominee, but an actor so versatile that he has embodied everything from a conflicted messiah in “The Last Temptation of Christ” to the tortured father figure of “Antichrist.” Is there an actor working today with greater range?
With his deep-set eyes, sharp nose and broad smile, Dafoe has depicted his share of devils, from creepy “Nosferatu” star Max Schreck in “Shadow of the Vampire” to comic-book villain the Green Goblin in “Spider-Man 2.” But he also excels at the other end of the spectrum, as when he plays God in Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” a Frankensteinian surgeon charitably committed to reanimating dead creatures, like Emma Stone’s Bella.
“My character has this beautiful predicament, because he adores her so much and she adores him, but what she needs,...
With his deep-set eyes, sharp nose and broad smile, Dafoe has depicted his share of devils, from creepy “Nosferatu” star Max Schreck in “Shadow of the Vampire” to comic-book villain the Green Goblin in “Spider-Man 2.” But he also excels at the other end of the spectrum, as when he plays God in Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things,” a Frankensteinian surgeon charitably committed to reanimating dead creatures, like Emma Stone’s Bella.
“My character has this beautiful predicament, because he adores her so much and she adores him, but what she needs,...
- 1/8/2024
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
An interesting phenomenon for Blu-ray collectors became apparent this year: every few months we got a stellar Blu-ray boxset by British distributor Curzon. They pick a director, get as many films together from that person as they can and go crazy, it seems. Back in October we got a fantastic boxset of films by Lars Von Trier, prior to that it was Ruben Östlund, and their latest target is Wim Wenders. And it's a massive set. The shape and size differs from its predecessors, and the reason for that is simple: it has a staggering 22 discs in it. Basically the only film missing is Wenders' newest, Perfect Days (reviewed here) but all the others are there. And once again the set does Not look...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 12/28/2023
- Screen Anarchy
[This story contains spoilers for Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire]
Rebel Moon star Ed Skrein has created his most memorable villain yet in Admirable Atticus Noble, and he found inspiration from the unlikeliest source: Olivia Colman.
Alongside Sofia Boutella’s Kora, the English actor is the de facto co-lead of Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon ensemble, as his Admiral Noble commandeers the Veldt farming village that Kora, a former Imperium soldier turned fugitive, now calls home. This hostile takeover prompts Kora to put together a team to combat Noble and his vast army, and so it quickly becomes apparent that the two-part Netflix film series will center on Noble and Kora’s blood feud. And considering that Noble’s body has android-like modifications, their surface-level dynamic is somewhat similar to Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, but instead of going to that obvious place for inspiration, Skrein took a major left turn.
“I adopted this sing-songy, almost thespian voice. So I...
Rebel Moon star Ed Skrein has created his most memorable villain yet in Admirable Atticus Noble, and he found inspiration from the unlikeliest source: Olivia Colman.
Alongside Sofia Boutella’s Kora, the English actor is the de facto co-lead of Zack Snyder’s Rebel Moon ensemble, as his Admiral Noble commandeers the Veldt farming village that Kora, a former Imperium soldier turned fugitive, now calls home. This hostile takeover prompts Kora to put together a team to combat Noble and his vast army, and so it quickly becomes apparent that the two-part Netflix film series will center on Noble and Kora’s blood feud. And considering that Noble’s body has android-like modifications, their surface-level dynamic is somewhat similar to Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, but instead of going to that obvious place for inspiration, Skrein took a major left turn.
“I adopted this sing-songy, almost thespian voice. So I...
- 12/27/2023
- by Brian Davids
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the article series Sound and Vision we take a look at music videos from notable directors. This week we look at Leon of Athens' Baby Asteroid directed by Yorgos Lanthimos. Sometimes the raison d'etre of Sound and Vision is that I find a music video that is counter to what we know the director for, like when we saw Lars von Trier directing a droll skydive music video for a dance group. Other times the music video is used to bring an aspect to their work in focus, like with Bernard Rose, for instance. But sometimes a music video is so much in the voice of its director that it feels cut from very much the same cloth as their films. This is...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 12/25/2023
- Screen Anarchy
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