Filmmaker Brett Morgen has added Grammy winner to a list of career accomplishments that includes multiple Emmy wins and an Academy Award nomination.
His documentary Moonage Daydream, an immersive exploration of David Bowie’s creative process, won Best Music Film at the 66th Grammy Awards, a category handed out Sunday in the pre-telecast ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
In his acceptance, Morgen was effusive in his praise of the British rock star, songwriter, visual artist, and actor who died in 2016 at the age of 69.
“David Bowie,” he said as he held the gramophone trophy, “the single greatest artist who’s walked the face of this earth.”
Director Brett Morgen accepts the Grammy Award for Best Music Film.
Morgen also thanked his wife, Debra Eisenstadt — an executive producer of the film — their children and the executors of Bowie’s estate, including William “Bill” Zysblat.
“I met with David Bowie’s executors…...
His documentary Moonage Daydream, an immersive exploration of David Bowie’s creative process, won Best Music Film at the 66th Grammy Awards, a category handed out Sunday in the pre-telecast ceremony at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
In his acceptance, Morgen was effusive in his praise of the British rock star, songwriter, visual artist, and actor who died in 2016 at the age of 69.
“David Bowie,” he said as he held the gramophone trophy, “the single greatest artist who’s walked the face of this earth.”
Director Brett Morgen accepts the Grammy Award for Best Music Film.
Morgen also thanked his wife, Debra Eisenstadt — an executive producer of the film — their children and the executors of Bowie’s estate, including William “Bill” Zysblat.
“I met with David Bowie’s executors…...
- 2/5/2024
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
This story about Brett Morgen and “Moonage Daydream” first appeared in the Down to the Wire: Comedy/Variety/Reality/Nonfiction issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Three years into the editing of his challenging David Bowie film “Moonage Daydream,” Brett Morgen was pretty sure he was in big trouble. He’d run out of money for the production, and he was working toward the nebulous idea of creating what he would later call “an expression of Bowie rather than an explanation of Bowie,” which meant he could pretty much go in any direction at any time, both visually and aurally.
“I thought I was off the rails, that I was deceiving myself that this will make sense,” Morgen said. “I’m not exaggerating to say that three years into the edit, no one had seen a frame—no one in my office, no financiers, no assistant editor. It was all in my head.
Three years into the editing of his challenging David Bowie film “Moonage Daydream,” Brett Morgen was pretty sure he was in big trouble. He’d run out of money for the production, and he was working toward the nebulous idea of creating what he would later call “an expression of Bowie rather than an explanation of Bowie,” which meant he could pretty much go in any direction at any time, both visually and aurally.
“I thought I was off the rails, that I was deceiving myself that this will make sense,” Morgen said. “I’m not exaggerating to say that three years into the edit, no one had seen a frame—no one in my office, no financiers, no assistant editor. It was all in my head.
- 8/17/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
HBO Documentary Films’ Moonage Daydream, from Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy®-winning filmmaker Brett Morgen (HBO’s “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck”), debuts Saturday, April 29 (8:00-10:15 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
Moonage Daydream illuminates the life and genius of David Bowie, one of the most prolific and influential artists of our time. Guided by Bowie’s own narration and told through sublime, kaleidoscopic, never-before-seen footage, performances, and music, this feature length experiential cinematic odyssey explores his creative, musical, and spiritual journey.
In 2018, Morgen was granted unprecedented access to Bowie’s archives encompassing a lifetime of materials, including an extensive catalog of unseen footage and personal collection of his own art and poetry. He spent four years assembling the film and another 18 months designing the soundscape, animations, and color palette while working with Bowie’s long-time collaborator, friend, and...
Moonage Daydream illuminates the life and genius of David Bowie, one of the most prolific and influential artists of our time. Guided by Bowie’s own narration and told through sublime, kaleidoscopic, never-before-seen footage, performances, and music, this feature length experiential cinematic odyssey explores his creative, musical, and spiritual journey.
In 2018, Morgen was granted unprecedented access to Bowie’s archives encompassing a lifetime of materials, including an extensive catalog of unseen footage and personal collection of his own art and poetry. He spent four years assembling the film and another 18 months designing the soundscape, animations, and color palette while working with Bowie’s long-time collaborator, friend, and...
- 4/6/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
After premiering at Cannes this year, Neon’s acclaimed David Bowie documentary “Moonage Daydream” will get a one-week limited engagement on Imax when it hits theaters on September 16.
Directed by Brett Morgen, “Moonage Daydream” tells the story of the iconic rock star through his own words and music, combining never-before-seen archival footage of David Bowie’s decades-long career with kaleidoscopic imagery and new mixes of his most famous songs. Bowie’s longtime collaborator Tony Visconti also worked on the film with the sound team of Paul Massey, John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone, who won Oscars for their work on the Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Beyond the music, the film explores Bowie’s artistic and philosophical journeys, starting with the androgynous icon Ziggy Stardust and expanding into films, paintings, theatre, sculpture, and audio collages. Bowie’s estate granted Morgen unprecedented access into the archives of the star’s work, making this...
Directed by Brett Morgen, “Moonage Daydream” tells the story of the iconic rock star through his own words and music, combining never-before-seen archival footage of David Bowie’s decades-long career with kaleidoscopic imagery and new mixes of his most famous songs. Bowie’s longtime collaborator Tony Visconti also worked on the film with the sound team of Paul Massey, John Warhurst and Nina Hartstone, who won Oscars for their work on the Queen biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Beyond the music, the film explores Bowie’s artistic and philosophical journeys, starting with the androgynous icon Ziggy Stardust and expanding into films, paintings, theatre, sculpture, and audio collages. Bowie’s estate granted Morgen unprecedented access into the archives of the star’s work, making this...
- 8/23/2022
- by Jeremy Fuster
- The Wrap
Neon and Universal Pictures Content Group have announced that they will release Moonage Daydream, the first-ever David Bowie doc sanctioned by his estate, following its bow in the Midnight Screenings section of the 75th Cannes Film Festival. Neon will distribute the film in the U.S., with Upcg releasing it internationally. HBO Documentary Films holds North American rights for streaming and cable in spring of 2023.
The film exploring the iconic performer’s creative, musical and spiritual journey hails from acclaimed documentarian Brett Morgen, and is just now near completion after a rigorous, five-year production and assembly process. It illuminates not only the life, but also the genius of Bowie, who worked across several disciplines, most notably music and film, but also explored art forms throughout his life, including dance, painting, sculpture, video and audio collage, screenwriting, acting and live theatre. The motion picture reveals the...
The film exploring the iconic performer’s creative, musical and spiritual journey hails from acclaimed documentarian Brett Morgen, and is just now near completion after a rigorous, five-year production and assembly process. It illuminates not only the life, but also the genius of Bowie, who worked across several disciplines, most notably music and film, but also explored art forms throughout his life, including dance, painting, sculpture, video and audio collage, screenwriting, acting and live theatre. The motion picture reveals the...
- 4/14/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“Moonage Daydream,” a David Bowie historical film featuring a bounty of previously unreleased footage and helmed by Brett Morgen, the director behind “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck,” “Jane” and “The Kid Stays in the Picture,” will be distributed in the U.S. by Neon and internationally by Universal Pictures Content Group, with a streaming premiere on HBO and HBO Max in the spring of 2023. Variety broke the news of the project last November.
While no theatrical release date has been announced for the film — the first to be officially sanctioned by Bowie’s estate — sources tell Variety that it is likely to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next month, the lineup for which is scheduled to be announced Thursday.
While the announcement sheds little light on what the film will actually be, it does note that Morgen was given “unfiltered access to Bowie’s personal archives and … unearthed hundreds...
While no theatrical release date has been announced for the film — the first to be officially sanctioned by Bowie’s estate — sources tell Variety that it is likely to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next month, the lineup for which is scheduled to be announced Thursday.
While the announcement sheds little light on what the film will actually be, it does note that Morgen was given “unfiltered access to Bowie’s personal archives and … unearthed hundreds...
- 4/13/2022
- by Jem Aswad and Sasha Urban
- Variety Film + TV
Neon has landed the rights to release “Moonage Daydream,” a new feature film, concert documentary and “experiential cinematic odyssey” that follows David Bowie’s life and musical career and is the first sanctioned by Bowie’s estate.
Brett Morgen is directing the film that is near completion and will feature Bowie’s own narration. Neon will release “Moonage Daydream” domestically, while Universal Pictures Content Group will release the film internationally, and HBO Documentary Films has North American rights for streaming and cable in spring 2023.
The film was designed from conception as a unique cinematic experience and will also be released in IMAX in select markets. The film will also be released in partnership with Public Road Productions, BMG, Live Nation Productions, and HBO Documentary Films.
“Moonage Daydream” illuminates the life and genius of David Bowie with a project that shows how Bowie himself worked across several disciplines, not just music and film but also dance,...
Brett Morgen is directing the film that is near completion and will feature Bowie’s own narration. Neon will release “Moonage Daydream” domestically, while Universal Pictures Content Group will release the film internationally, and HBO Documentary Films has North American rights for streaming and cable in spring 2023.
The film was designed from conception as a unique cinematic experience and will also be released in IMAX in select markets. The film will also be released in partnership with Public Road Productions, BMG, Live Nation Productions, and HBO Documentary Films.
“Moonage Daydream” illuminates the life and genius of David Bowie with a project that shows how Bowie himself worked across several disciplines, not just music and film but also dance,...
- 4/13/2022
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Production took five years since late musician’s estate granted access to archives in 2017.
Neon, Universal Pictures Content Group and Imax will release Brett Morgen’s David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream, which is nearing completion after five years of production.
Neon will distribute the full-length feature in the US, Universal Pictures Content Group will release the film internationally, and HBO Documentary Films has taken North American rights for streaming and cable in spring 2023. Imax will distribute the film in select market.
BMG and Live Nation Productions co-financed Moonage Daydream, which takes its name from the track on Bowie’s fifth...
Neon, Universal Pictures Content Group and Imax will release Brett Morgen’s David Bowie documentary Moonage Daydream, which is nearing completion after five years of production.
Neon will distribute the full-length feature in the US, Universal Pictures Content Group will release the film internationally, and HBO Documentary Films has taken North American rights for streaming and cable in spring 2023. Imax will distribute the film in select market.
BMG and Live Nation Productions co-financed Moonage Daydream, which takes its name from the track on Bowie’s fifth...
- 4/13/2022
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Wendi McLendon-Covey’s bored wife Cathy endures a series of seriocomic crises but they never really lead anywhere
As the lead turn in this burb-midlife crisis dramedy, Wendi McLendon-Covey repeatedly does a facial expression which can best be called stunned-discontentment-and-incredulity. It is, if nothing else, appropriate for the very eventful script from writer-director Debra Eisenstadt, that packs in loads of ideas and situations, and brings us to a series of contrived seriocomic crises, after which the dramatic temperature is reset to normal in the succeeding scene. At one stage McLendon-Covey’s character gets hit by a car, and simply limps away with the same satirically grumpy face and a bruise to show for it. It’s not totally clear if the surreal effect is intentional.
McLendon-Covey plays Cathy, a woman who is bored and unfulfilled in her uptight marriage to Matthew and anxious about her relationship with her teen daughter...
As the lead turn in this burb-midlife crisis dramedy, Wendi McLendon-Covey repeatedly does a facial expression which can best be called stunned-discontentment-and-incredulity. It is, if nothing else, appropriate for the very eventful script from writer-director Debra Eisenstadt, that packs in loads of ideas and situations, and brings us to a series of contrived seriocomic crises, after which the dramatic temperature is reset to normal in the succeeding scene. At one stage McLendon-Covey’s character gets hit by a car, and simply limps away with the same satirically grumpy face and a bruise to show for it. It’s not totally clear if the surreal effect is intentional.
McLendon-Covey plays Cathy, a woman who is bored and unfulfilled in her uptight marriage to Matthew and anxious about her relationship with her teen daughter...
- 2/18/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Stuck at home and looking for something fresh? Just because theaters are closed due to the coronavirus doesn’t mean there aren’t new movies to be seen. Many distributors are getting creative and releasing their films directly to home platforms — including the first major studio release do so in “Trolls World Tour,” Still, it can be tough to find where they’re all hiding.
Variety presents a roundup of all the new releases, with excerpts from our reviews and links to where you can watch them.
Studio movies, straight to streaming:
Trolls World Tour
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Where to Find It: Lots of options on Universal’s website
“Trolls World Tour” … has the same delectably tactile and distinctive eye-candy look as “Trolls”; it’s set in a storybook kingdom that’s all sweetness and light and glitter and fuzz and bursting psychedelic pastels. And since a key element of...
Variety presents a roundup of all the new releases, with excerpts from our reviews and links to where you can watch them.
Studio movies, straight to streaming:
Trolls World Tour
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Where to Find It: Lots of options on Universal’s website
“Trolls World Tour” … has the same delectably tactile and distinctive eye-candy look as “Trolls”; it’s set in a storybook kingdom that’s all sweetness and light and glitter and fuzz and bursting psychedelic pastels. And since a key element of...
- 4/10/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
This weekend’s slate of specialty streaming titles is a variety pack of a crime thriller, a documentary about mindfulness, an obsessive-compulsive dark comedy and…a movie titled Butt Boy.
Sonejuhi Sinha’s feature directorial debut Stray Dolls is set debut this weekend on a multitude of VOD platforms. The crime thriller, which bowed last year at the Tribeca Film Festival, follows Riz (Geetanjali Thapa), who has left her life of petty crime in India and is now working as a housekeeper at the Tides Plaza Motel managed by Una (Cynthia Nixon).
More from DeadlineRom-Com 'Almost Love' Makes Debut, IFC Serves Horror With 'The Other Lamb' - Specialty Streaming Preview'Resistance' Pivots To Digital Release, 'Tape' Sets Virtual Premiere, Kino Lorber And Music Box Films Launch Online Exhibitions - Specialty Streaming PreviewSearchlight, A24, Focus Features Alter Release Slate; 'Dosed', 'Human Capital' And More Shift Theatrical Plans - Specialty Box...
Sonejuhi Sinha’s feature directorial debut Stray Dolls is set debut this weekend on a multitude of VOD platforms. The crime thriller, which bowed last year at the Tribeca Film Festival, follows Riz (Geetanjali Thapa), who has left her life of petty crime in India and is now working as a housekeeper at the Tides Plaza Motel managed by Una (Cynthia Nixon).
More from DeadlineRom-Com 'Almost Love' Makes Debut, IFC Serves Horror With 'The Other Lamb' - Specialty Streaming Preview'Resistance' Pivots To Digital Release, 'Tape' Sets Virtual Premiere, Kino Lorber And Music Box Films Launch Online Exhibitions - Specialty Streaming PreviewSearchlight, A24, Focus Features Alter Release Slate; 'Dosed', 'Human Capital' And More Shift Theatrical Plans - Specialty Box...
- 4/10/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
"He is not allowed in this house!" Gravitas Ventures has debuted the official trailer for an indie dramedy titled Blush, which is the new name for the film that premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival under the original title Imaginary Order. From writer/director Debra Eisenstadt, this is the story of the sexual, psychological, and moral unraveling of an obsessive-compulsive suburban mom. Comedian/actress Wendi McLendon-Covey stars as Cathy, a mother and wife who has given up her career to be the perfect stay-at-home mom, but as her daughter begins to push her away and her husband seems to no longer connect with her, she becomes enthralled and involved with the messy lives of a neighboring family, causing the order in her life to collapse. Also starring Christine Woods, Max Burkholder, Steve Little, Catherine Curtin, Kate Alberts, and Graham Sibley. This all seems a bit too obvious and cliche to stand out.
- 3/15/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
In the first trailer for “Blush” (formerly “Imaginary Order”), Wendi McLendon-Covey plays a woman whose seemingly tidy suburban life begins to unravel as she becomes enmeshed with a neighboring family.
The film stars McLendon-Covey as Cathy, a mother and wife who has given up her career to be the perfect stay-at-home mom, but as her daughter begins to push her away and her husband seems to no longer connect with her, she becomes enthralled and involved with the messy lives of a neighboring family, causing the order in her life to collapse.
Written and directed by Debra Eisenstadt, “Imaginary Order” premiered at Sundance in 2019 in the U.S. Drama category of the festival. Eisenstadt drew on her experiences and fears as a mother for the film.
Also Read: Wendi McLendon-Covey Says People With the Tidiest Lives 'Are All a Bunch of Freaks' (Video)
“My takeaway was, the people who have...
The film stars McLendon-Covey as Cathy, a mother and wife who has given up her career to be the perfect stay-at-home mom, but as her daughter begins to push her away and her husband seems to no longer connect with her, she becomes enthralled and involved with the messy lives of a neighboring family, causing the order in her life to collapse.
Written and directed by Debra Eisenstadt, “Imaginary Order” premiered at Sundance in 2019 in the U.S. Drama category of the festival. Eisenstadt drew on her experiences and fears as a mother for the film.
Also Read: Wendi McLendon-Covey Says People With the Tidiest Lives 'Are All a Bunch of Freaks' (Video)
“My takeaway was, the people who have...
- 3/12/2020
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has secured the North American distribution rights to Blush, the drama written and directed by Debra Eisenstadt. Formally titled Imaginary Order, the pic, which premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, will get a day-and-date release on April 10.
Bridesmaids and The Goldbergs standout Wendi McLendon-Covey stars as Cathy, an obsessive-compulsive, middle-aged woman, struggling to maintain control and significance amid fears her husband is having an affair and her thirteen-year-old daughter is becoming estranged. Cathy retreats to her sister’s home where she cat-sits, compulsively cleans and spies on a neighboring family. One by one these neighbors lure Cathy into their lives, inspire her rebellion and threaten to unravel everything; from her precarious marriage to her daughter’s innocence to her own wavering sanity.
Eisenstadt produced the pic with Cosmos Kiindarius, Timur Bekbosunov, and Peter Wong for Ace Pictures. Tony Piantedosi, VP of acquisitions at Gravitas, negotiated the deal with ICM Partners and Cinetic.
Bridesmaids and The Goldbergs standout Wendi McLendon-Covey stars as Cathy, an obsessive-compulsive, middle-aged woman, struggling to maintain control and significance amid fears her husband is having an affair and her thirteen-year-old daughter is becoming estranged. Cathy retreats to her sister’s home where she cat-sits, compulsively cleans and spies on a neighboring family. One by one these neighbors lure Cathy into their lives, inspire her rebellion and threaten to unravel everything; from her precarious marriage to her daughter’s innocence to her own wavering sanity.
Eisenstadt produced the pic with Cosmos Kiindarius, Timur Bekbosunov, and Peter Wong for Ace Pictures. Tony Piantedosi, VP of acquisitions at Gravitas, negotiated the deal with ICM Partners and Cinetic.
- 1/16/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Since its inception in 1994, the Indie Spirits’ “Someone to Watch” Award has singled out such rising filmmakers as Larry Fessenden, Marc Forster, Debra Eisenstadt, Lynn Shelton (with Barry Jenkins also nominated that same year), Anna Rose Holmer, and Justin Chon. Earlier this year, Brazilian first-time filmmaker Alexandre Moratto joined those rarified ranks with his micro-budgeted “Socrates.”
The film, made for just $20,000 with a group of mostly brand-new talents at the Querô Institute in Brazil, also picked up nods for the John Cassavetes Award and Best Male Lead, pitting star Christian Malheiros against such heavy-hitters as Ethan Hawke, Joaquin Phoenix, John Cho, and Daveed Diggs. Now, the film is gearing up for its North American release.
Per the film’s official synopsis: “After his mother’s sudden death, Socrates, a 15-year-old living on the margins of São Paulo’s coast, must survive on his own. As he faces isolation because of his sexuality,...
The film, made for just $20,000 with a group of mostly brand-new talents at the Querô Institute in Brazil, also picked up nods for the John Cassavetes Award and Best Male Lead, pitting star Christian Malheiros against such heavy-hitters as Ethan Hawke, Joaquin Phoenix, John Cho, and Daveed Diggs. Now, the film is gearing up for its North American release.
Per the film’s official synopsis: “After his mother’s sudden death, Socrates, a 15-year-old living on the margins of São Paulo’s coast, must survive on his own. As he faces isolation because of his sexuality,...
- 7/17/2019
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Platform will screen features The Elephant Queen, Hala at Sicilian festival.
The Taormina Film Festival (June 30-July 6) in Sicily will celebrate the first TV series in its 65-year history when Octavia Spencer flies in on behalf of Apple TV+’s forthcoming true-crime drama Truth Be Told.
The series will debut on the Apple TV app this autumn. Series executive producer/star Spencer will attend the Italian festival, where she will receive the Taormina Arte Award and highlight the series, which is inspired by a true-crime novel by Katherine Barber.
Apple will screen two of its films at the festival. Mark Deeble...
The Taormina Film Festival (June 30-July 6) in Sicily will celebrate the first TV series in its 65-year history when Octavia Spencer flies in on behalf of Apple TV+’s forthcoming true-crime drama Truth Be Told.
The series will debut on the Apple TV app this autumn. Series executive producer/star Spencer will attend the Italian festival, where she will receive the Taormina Arte Award and highlight the series, which is inspired by a true-crime novel by Katherine Barber.
Apple will screen two of its films at the festival. Mark Deeble...
- 6/14/2019
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Platform will screen features The Elephant Queen, Hala at Sicilian festival.
The Taormina Film Festival (June 30-July 6) in Sicily will celebrate the first TV series in its 65-year history when Octavia Spencer flies in to discuss Apple TV+’s forthcoming true-crime drama Truth Be Told.
The series will debut on the Apple TV app this autumn. Series creator and executive producer/star Spencer will attend the Italian festival, where she will receive the Taormina Arte Award and talk about the series, which is inspired by a true-crime novel by Katherine Barber.
The Taormina Film Festival (June 30-July 6) in Sicily will celebrate the first TV series in its 65-year history when Octavia Spencer flies in to discuss Apple TV+’s forthcoming true-crime drama Truth Be Told.
The series will debut on the Apple TV app this autumn. Series creator and executive producer/star Spencer will attend the Italian festival, where she will receive the Taormina Arte Award and talk about the series, which is inspired by a true-crime novel by Katherine Barber.
- 6/14/2019
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
Sicilian festival will screen the first TV series in its 65-year history.
The Taormina Film Festival (June 30-July 6) in Sicily will screen the first TV series in its 65-year history, Apple TV+’s forthcoming drama Truth Be Told.
Apple will offer a first-look at the series, which will debut on the Apple TV app this autumn. Series creator and executive producer/star Octavia Spencer will come to Taormina to present the series, which is inspired by a true-crime novel by Katherine Barber.
Apple will also show preview footage of See starring Alfre Woodard, and The Morning Show starring Jennifer Aniston,...
The Taormina Film Festival (June 30-July 6) in Sicily will screen the first TV series in its 65-year history, Apple TV+’s forthcoming drama Truth Be Told.
Apple will offer a first-look at the series, which will debut on the Apple TV app this autumn. Series creator and executive producer/star Octavia Spencer will come to Taormina to present the series, which is inspired by a true-crime novel by Katherine Barber.
Apple will also show preview footage of See starring Alfre Woodard, and The Morning Show starring Jennifer Aniston,...
- 6/14/2019
- by Wendy Mitchell
- ScreenDaily
The Goldbergs’ mom Wendi McLendon-Covey had a movie at Sundance. Imaginary Order is a comedy but not the same kind of TV comedy as The Goldbergs. McLendon-Covey plays Cathy, a mom unraveling. She unravels even further when her friend’s teenage son (Max Burkholder) starts coming onto her. Add that to trying to mother her own daughter and mange her marriage. Monsters and Critics spoke to McLendon-Covey and writer/director Debra Eisenstadt at the Sundance Film Festival. They filmed Imaginary Order in 15 days. There are 200 scenes in the film. Look for Imaginary Order later this year. Monsters & Critics: Is […]
The post Sundance interview: Wendi McLendon-Covey and Debra Eisenstadt on Imaginary Order appeared first on Monsters and Critics.
The post Sundance interview: Wendi McLendon-Covey and Debra Eisenstadt on Imaginary Order appeared first on Monsters and Critics.
- 2/20/2019
- by Fred Topel
- Monsters and Critics
“Imaginary Order” is a film about a woman whose seemingly tidy suburban life begins to unravel as she becomes enmeshed with a neighboring family.
The film stars Wendi McLendon-Covey as Cathy, a mother and wife who has given up her career to be the perfect stay-at-home mom, but as her daughter begins to push her away and her husband seems to no longer connect with her, she becomes enthralled and involved with the messy lives of a neighboring family, causing the order in her life to collapse.
“I thought, ‘this is going to be so much fun to play, I hope I can do it justice,'” McLendon-Covey said during a visit to TheWrap Studios during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. “Something that struck me is, I see a lot of people unraveling like this and they create imaginary order around themselves to give the facade of ‘Look, everything’s great.
The film stars Wendi McLendon-Covey as Cathy, a mother and wife who has given up her career to be the perfect stay-at-home mom, but as her daughter begins to push her away and her husband seems to no longer connect with her, she becomes enthralled and involved with the messy lives of a neighboring family, causing the order in her life to collapse.
“I thought, ‘this is going to be so much fun to play, I hope I can do it justice,'” McLendon-Covey said during a visit to TheWrap Studios during the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. “Something that struck me is, I see a lot of people unraveling like this and they create imaginary order around themselves to give the facade of ‘Look, everything’s great.
- 2/6/2019
- by Trey Williams
- The Wrap
Imagine a bingo card of Sundance-y indie movie clichés: adults engaging in illicit affairs with teenagers, middle-class matriarchs hiding dark secrets, tinkling piano scores to signal emotional gravity. Debra Eisenstadt’s suburban drama “Imaginary Order” would undoubtedly check off the boxes on the surface and have you declaring your victory, a neat row of squares exed through. And yet, despite the film’s reliance on some of the film festivals most tired tropes, “Imaginary Order” manages to reignite the world of housewives gone rogue regardless.
Continue reading ‘Imaginary Order’: Wendi McLendon-Covey Delivers A Gutting Performance In An Familiar Indie Drama [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Imaginary Order’: Wendi McLendon-Covey Delivers A Gutting Performance In An Familiar Indie Drama [Sundance Review] at The Playlist.
- 2/2/2019
- by Lena Wilson
- The Playlist
Exclusive: Debra Eisenstadt, the writer, co-producer, co-editor and director of Imaginary Order, the drama that just premiered in the U.S. Dramatic Competition at the Sundance Film Festival, has signed with Gersh. Wendi McLendon-Covey, Christine Woods and Max Burkholder star in the pic, which bowed Saturday at the Library Center Theatre.
Imaginary Order centers on Cathy (McLendon-Covey), who struggles to maintain control and significance amidst fears her husband’s having an affair and her 13-year-old daughter is becoming estranged. She retreats to her sister’s home where she cat-sits, compulsively cleans and spies on a neighboring family. When Cathy eventually becomes the object of the teenage neighbor’s obsession, he threatens to unravel everything, from her precarious marriage to her daughter’s innocence to her own wavering sanity.
Eisenstadt’s credits include the 2016 SXSW film Before the Sun Explodes; 2006’s The Limbo Room starring Melissa Leo and Peter Dinklege; and Daydream Believer,...
Imaginary Order centers on Cathy (McLendon-Covey), who struggles to maintain control and significance amidst fears her husband’s having an affair and her 13-year-old daughter is becoming estranged. She retreats to her sister’s home where she cat-sits, compulsively cleans and spies on a neighboring family. When Cathy eventually becomes the object of the teenage neighbor’s obsession, he threatens to unravel everything, from her precarious marriage to her daughter’s innocence to her own wavering sanity.
Eisenstadt’s credits include the 2016 SXSW film Before the Sun Explodes; 2006’s The Limbo Room starring Melissa Leo and Peter Dinklege; and Daydream Believer,...
- 1/29/2019
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
“Imaginary Order” director Debra Eisenstadt sat down to discuss her new film at the Variety Studio at Sundance presented by At&T and revealed that the production was effected by the sexism she experienced on set.
“I was battling a lot of sexism when I made this,” Eisenstadt said. “I don’t want to get into it, but it’s just like, I give a direction, if I was a man, if I’m giving a sound person a direction and they look at me and they question it, you know, don’t question me. If I were a man, they wouldn’t be questioning me. So it was like that kind of thing.”
Eisenstadt gave the example of potentially having to fire an assistant director for his behavior.
“The Ad’s talking over me or having separate conversations and I have to fire him because he’s disrespecting my role,...
“I was battling a lot of sexism when I made this,” Eisenstadt said. “I don’t want to get into it, but it’s just like, I give a direction, if I was a man, if I’m giving a sound person a direction and they look at me and they question it, you know, don’t question me. If I were a man, they wouldn’t be questioning me. So it was like that kind of thing.”
Eisenstadt gave the example of potentially having to fire an assistant director for his behavior.
“The Ad’s talking over me or having separate conversations and I have to fire him because he’s disrespecting my role,...
- 1/27/2019
- by Erin Nyren
- Variety Film + TV
Plenty of films great and small have gone spelunking in the quiet desperation of middle-class suburban motherhood, but few have plumbed the milieu with more consistently uncomfortable results than writer-director Debra Eisenstadt’s “Imaginary Order.” Abrasive and often bleakly funny, the film is anchored by an unrestrained lead performance from Wendi McLendon-Covey as a Type A PTA mom who engineers her own absurd downfall, one well-intentioned decision at a time. Admirably acted and powered by a loopy internal rhythm, the film nonetheless wears out its welcome long before it’s done inflicting indignities on its heroine, arriving at its main point early and then repeating it again and again.
Cathy (McLendon-Covey) is a stay-at-home mom whose loneliness and sublimated regret at giving up her career are obvious from virtually the first frame. After quick-cut montages of her arduous morning ablutions set to Chopin sonatas, we watch Cathy as she helicopter-parents...
Cathy (McLendon-Covey) is a stay-at-home mom whose loneliness and sublimated regret at giving up her career are obvious from virtually the first frame. After quick-cut montages of her arduous morning ablutions set to Chopin sonatas, we watch Cathy as she helicopter-parents...
- 1/27/2019
- by Andrew Barker
- Variety Film + TV
Native SonThe lineup for the 2019 Sundance Film Festival, taking place from January 24 to February 3, 2019, has been announced.U.S. Dramatic COMPETITIONBefore You Know It (Hannah Pearl Utt, USA): A long-kept family secret thrusts codependent, thirty-something sisters Rachel and Jackie Gurner into a literal soap opera. A journey that proves that you really can come of age, at any age. Cast: Hannah Pearl Utt, Jen Tullock, Judith Light, Mandy Patinkin, Mike Colter, Alec Baldwin. Big Time Adolescence (Jason Orley, USA): A suburban teenager comes of age under the destructive guidance of his best friend, a charismatic college dropout. Cast: Pete Davidson, Griffin Gluck, Jon Cryer, Sydney Sweeney, Emily Arlook, Colson Baker. Brittany Runs A Marathon: A woman living in New York takes control of her life – one city block at a time. Cast: Jillian Bell, Michaela Watkins, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Lil Rel Howery, Micah Stock, Alice Lee. Clemency: Years of...
- 11/30/2018
- MUBI
It’s time to get a peek at the major films of next year. The 2019 Sundance Film Festival have unveiled their lineup today, which can be seen below along with stills where available. Check back in January for our coverage from the festival.
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Presenting the world premieres of 16 narrative feature films, the Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at groundbreaking new voices in American independent film. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Wildlife, Eighth Grade, Sorry to Bother You, The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Swiss Army Man. 53% of the directors in this year’s U.S. Dramatic Competition are women; 41% are people of color; 18% identify as Lgbtqia+.
Before You Know It / U.S.A. — A long-kept family secret thrusts codependent, thirty-something sisters Rachel and Jackie Gurner into a literal soap opera. A journey that proves that you really can come of age,...
U.S. Dramatic Competition
Presenting the world premieres of 16 narrative feature films, the Dramatic Competition offers Festivalgoers a first look at groundbreaking new voices in American independent film. Films that have premiered in this category in recent years include Wildlife, Eighth Grade, Sorry to Bother You, The Miseducation of Cameron Post and Swiss Army Man. 53% of the directors in this year’s U.S. Dramatic Competition are women; 41% are people of color; 18% identify as Lgbtqia+.
Before You Know It / U.S.A. — A long-kept family secret thrusts codependent, thirty-something sisters Rachel and Jackie Gurner into a literal soap opera. A journey that proves that you really can come of age,...
- 11/28/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
For the first time in the history of Sundance’s U.S. dramatic competition, more than half of the films in the category this year will have a female director.
Nine of the 16 films had a woman directing. One of the nine was co-directed by a man and a woman. The U.S. dramatic competition is widely considered the most prestigious category at the festival.
Last year, only 31 percent of the films in the category were directed by women. That was in the months after the Harvey Weinstein scandal that inspired a women’s march in the snow of Park City, Utah.
Also Read: Study: Male Indie Filmmakers Outnumber Women 2 to 1 at Major Us Film Festivals
“These films and artists tell the truth: whether documentaries that illuminate hidden histories or fiction features that spotlight diverse, human experiences, this year’s slate is layered, intense and authentic,” Sundance Film Festival director...
Nine of the 16 films had a woman directing. One of the nine was co-directed by a man and a woman. The U.S. dramatic competition is widely considered the most prestigious category at the festival.
Last year, only 31 percent of the films in the category were directed by women. That was in the months after the Harvey Weinstein scandal that inspired a women’s march in the snow of Park City, Utah.
Also Read: Study: Male Indie Filmmakers Outnumber Women 2 to 1 at Major Us Film Festivals
“These films and artists tell the truth: whether documentaries that illuminate hidden histories or fiction features that spotlight diverse, human experiences, this year’s slate is layered, intense and authentic,” Sundance Film Festival director...
- 11/28/2018
- by Trey Williams
- The Wrap
Philip Laverty Nov 10, 2016
From The Edge and The Untouchables, to the mighty Glengarry Glen Ross: a salute to the movie writing of David Mamet.
Spoilers ahead for The Untouchables, The Spanish Prisoner, and House Of Games
There's a moment in 1992’s Glengarry Glen Ross when Alec Baldwin, sent from head office on what he calls a “mission of mercy”, opens his motivational speech to an office of real estate salesmen by turning on Jack Lemmon’s Shelley 'The Machine' Levene.
“Put that coffee down,” he demands as Lemmon pours himself what he, probably reasonably, considers to be a well-earned cup of Joe.
“Coffee’s for closers only,” Baldwin points out, using the term for someone who can make a successful sale. The person who can close it.
“Your name’s Levene?” he asks a few moments later. “You call yourself a salesman, you son of a bitch?”
The callous disdain of this moment,...
From The Edge and The Untouchables, to the mighty Glengarry Glen Ross: a salute to the movie writing of David Mamet.
Spoilers ahead for The Untouchables, The Spanish Prisoner, and House Of Games
There's a moment in 1992’s Glengarry Glen Ross when Alec Baldwin, sent from head office on what he calls a “mission of mercy”, opens his motivational speech to an office of real estate salesmen by turning on Jack Lemmon’s Shelley 'The Machine' Levene.
“Put that coffee down,” he demands as Lemmon pours himself what he, probably reasonably, considers to be a well-earned cup of Joe.
“Coffee’s for closers only,” Baldwin points out, using the term for someone who can make a successful sale. The person who can close it.
“Your name’s Levene?” he asks a few moments later. “You call yourself a salesman, you son of a bitch?”
The callous disdain of this moment,...
- 10/31/2016
- Den of Geek
While the plot of Debra Eisenstadt's Before the Sun Explodes may sound familiar, its execution is refreshingly novel. Eisenstadt develops Ken into a very sympathetic character. He is a good parent who has suffered a lot of bad luck in his career; if anything, his current lack of financial responsibility is based on the fact that he is family-oriented, while his wife is career-oriented.
- 3/18/2016
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Simply put, the SXSW Film, Music and Interactive Festival is one of the biggest, most prestigious events in the media calendar. Taking place annually in Austin, Texas, it is beloved by film fans and filmmakers from all over the world, and has reached such heights by building a reputation for showcasing excellent content. This results in a high level of competition, with the Narrative Feature category alone having received 1442 submissions this year, and the documentary feature category having received 1,013.
The 2016 event looks to be particularly exciting, with many world premieres and feature debuts already announced. The Narrative Feature category will include Julia Hart’s Miss Stevens, Debra Eisenstadt’s Before The Sun Explodes, Joey Klein’s The Other Half, and Musa Syeed’s A Stray, among others, while the Headliner category will feature Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some.
The Narrative Spotlight category includes 9 Rides by Matthew A. Cherry; The Waiting...
The 2016 event looks to be particularly exciting, with many world premieres and feature debuts already announced. The Narrative Feature category will include Julia Hart’s Miss Stevens, Debra Eisenstadt’s Before The Sun Explodes, Joey Klein’s The Other Half, and Musa Syeed’s A Stray, among others, while the Headliner category will feature Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some.
The Narrative Spotlight category includes 9 Rides by Matthew A. Cherry; The Waiting...
- 2/10/2016
- by Sarah Myles
- We Got This Covered
Sundance has only just wrapped up, and already we’re thinking abut the next big film festival on our horizon. SXSW 2016 runs March 11th through the 19th in Austin, TX, and while there are still a few more titles to come — including my personal favorite section, the Midnighters — the bulk of the titles playing this year’s fest have just been announced. My own most-anticipated of the festival is John Michael McDonagh’s War on Everyone (pictured above) as his last film, Calvary, was my favorite of 2014. Other highlights include Mike Birbiglia’s Don’t Think Twice, Ti West’s In a Valley of Violence, and Jeff Nichols’ Midnight Special. Narrative Feature Competition Ten world premieres; ten unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling. Selected from 1,442 narrative feature submissions in 2016. The Arbalest Director/Screenwriter: Adam Pinney The inventor of the world’s greatest toy reflects on his decade-long obsession with a woman who hates him. Cast:...
- 2/4/2016
- by Rob Hunter
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Top brass at the festival announced on Tuesday several sections of the features line-up for the 23rd edition, set to run from March 11-19, 2016 in Austin, Texas.
SXSW will screen 139 features of which 89 are world premieres, 13 are North American Premieres and 8 are Us premieres selected from 2,456 feature submissions (1,467 Us and 990 international). Fifty-two films hail from debutants.
Narrative Feature Competition selections are: The Arbalest by Adam Pinney; Before The Sun Explodes by Debra Eisenstadt; Claire In Motion by Lisa Robinson and Annie J. Howell; collective:unconscious by collective:unconscious (Lily Baldwin, Frances Bodomo, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Josephine Decker, Lauren Wolkstein); Donald Cried by Kris Avedisian; Hunter Gatherer by Josh Locy; Miss Stevens by Julia Hart; The Other Half by Joey Klein; A Stray by Musa Syeed; and Transpecos by Greg Kwedar.
Documentary Feature Competition entries are: Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America by Matt Ornstein; Alive And Kicking by Susan Glatzer; Best And Most Beautiful Things directed by Garrett Zevgetis; Goodnight...
SXSW will screen 139 features of which 89 are world premieres, 13 are North American Premieres and 8 are Us premieres selected from 2,456 feature submissions (1,467 Us and 990 international). Fifty-two films hail from debutants.
Narrative Feature Competition selections are: The Arbalest by Adam Pinney; Before The Sun Explodes by Debra Eisenstadt; Claire In Motion by Lisa Robinson and Annie J. Howell; collective:unconscious by collective:unconscious (Lily Baldwin, Frances Bodomo, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Josephine Decker, Lauren Wolkstein); Donald Cried by Kris Avedisian; Hunter Gatherer by Josh Locy; Miss Stevens by Julia Hart; The Other Half by Joey Klein; A Stray by Musa Syeed; and Transpecos by Greg Kwedar.
Documentary Feature Competition entries are: Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America by Matt Ornstein; Alive And Kicking by Susan Glatzer; Best And Most Beautiful Things directed by Garrett Zevgetis; Goodnight...
- 2/2/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
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