Time travel movies are tricky things to pull off. You want the science in your story to make a certain amount of sense, but you don’t want to put so much effort into your timelines that you start to confound the audience. If the tale being told is compelling enough, the viewer won’t feel the need to pick apart every single detail. When it comes to Looper, a terrific example of the time travel genre, director Rian Johnson said he didn’t want the audience to feel like they were doing homework. Johnson got it just right, since Looper works on its own terms, doesn’t condescend to the viewer, and uses the time travel conceit as a clothesline upon which it hangs the really important things, like its characters and the drama they’re tangled up in.
The clock is ticking and we’re going to try...
The clock is ticking and we’re going to try...
- 5/9/2024
- by Eric Walkuski
- JoBlo.com
A middle-aged woman forced to return home after 20 years following the death of her father. A service that provides elderly call girls to socialize with lonely Japanese seniors. A grimly hilarious look at the pressures faced by Japanese women, itself a rebuttal to the post-covid social issue films that dare not flash a smile. These three films, “Yoko,” “Tea Friends” and “Ripples” are universal in their messaging while challenging taboos about Japanese culture and society.
TheWrap hosted a three-night film festival spotlighting emerging voices in Japanese cinema. “Yoko” director Kazuyoshi Kumakiri made an in-person appearance for the post-screening Q&a while “Tea Friends” director Bunji Sotoyama and “Ripples” filmmaker Naoko Ogigami participated via Zoom. All three shared, with the assistance of translator David Neptune, poignant insights and personal stories.
‘Tea Friends’ trailer Inspirations for art
The conversations around all three films began with inquiries as to what made the filmmakers...
TheWrap hosted a three-night film festival spotlighting emerging voices in Japanese cinema. “Yoko” director Kazuyoshi Kumakiri made an in-person appearance for the post-screening Q&a while “Tea Friends” director Bunji Sotoyama and “Ripples” filmmaker Naoko Ogigami participated via Zoom. All three shared, with the assistance of translator David Neptune, poignant insights and personal stories.
‘Tea Friends’ trailer Inspirations for art
The conversations around all three films began with inquiries as to what made the filmmakers...
- 9/29/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Mark Alan Ruffalo is a prominent American actor and producer. He is best known for his captivating performances as Bruce Banner and the Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a role that has rightfully earned him worldwide recognition.
Mark Ruffalo Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education
Ruffalo was born on November 22, 1967 (Mark Ruffalo age: 55) in Kenosha, Wisconsin. His father, Frank Lawrence Ruffalo Jr., was employed as a construction painter, while his mother, Marie Rose, found work as a hairdresser and stylist. Ruffalo has two sisters, Tania and Nicole, and a brother, Scott, who tragically passed away in 2008 with a bullet wound found in his head.
Ruffalo’s father is of Irish descent while his mother is of French Canadian and Italian ancestry.
Throughout his educational years, Ruffalo studied at both Catholic and progressive schools. Despite his struggles with Adhd and undiagnosed dyslexia, Ruffalo described himself as a happy child while...
Mark Ruffalo Biography: Age, Early Life, Family, Education
Ruffalo was born on November 22, 1967 (Mark Ruffalo age: 55) in Kenosha, Wisconsin. His father, Frank Lawrence Ruffalo Jr., was employed as a construction painter, while his mother, Marie Rose, found work as a hairdresser and stylist. Ruffalo has two sisters, Tania and Nicole, and a brother, Scott, who tragically passed away in 2008 with a bullet wound found in his head.
Ruffalo’s father is of Irish descent while his mother is of French Canadian and Italian ancestry.
Throughout his educational years, Ruffalo studied at both Catholic and progressive schools. Despite his struggles with Adhd and undiagnosed dyslexia, Ruffalo described himself as a happy child while...
- 8/5/2023
- by Trevor Hanuka
- Uinterview
A new month means new titles coming and old titles going for streaming services, and Tubi is no different. With fall around the corner, new shows and movies are being added to the free, ad-supported platform all month, with a big drop of titles on Aug. 1. The Fox-owned platform will welcome a wide range of shows and movies next month, including “Four Weddings And a Funeral,” “Kindergarten Cop,” and entire franchises like “Jaws.”
We are going through all of the new offerings to present the five best things to watch on Tubi in August and then down below, you can check out the feel offerings coming to the free ad-supported streaming TV (Fast) platform next month.
Watch Now $0 / month TubiTV.com What Are the Best Movies Coming to Tubi in August 2023? “My Cousin Vinny” (1992)
Starring Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield, and Marisa Tomei, “My Cousin Vinny” was a ’90s...
We are going through all of the new offerings to present the five best things to watch on Tubi in August and then down below, you can check out the feel offerings coming to the free ad-supported streaming TV (Fast) platform next month.
Watch Now $0 / month TubiTV.com What Are the Best Movies Coming to Tubi in August 2023? “My Cousin Vinny” (1992)
Starring Joe Pesci, Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield, and Marisa Tomei, “My Cousin Vinny” was a ’90s...
- 7/31/2023
- by Layne Gibbons
- The Streamable
Poker Face pulled off many things in its debut season. With its murder-mystery-of-the-week plot in a new spin on the detective genre, the Natasha Lyonne-starring Peacock series from Rian Johnson revived the concept of procedural television for streaming, saw Benjamin Bratt turn a catchy Blues Traveler song into a poetic monologue and recruited Star Wars legend Phil Tippett for one episode’s special effects. But perhaps most impressive, Poker Face assembled an eye-popping roster of guest stars.
How did they nab Nick Nolte to play opposite Cherry Jones in Hollywood saga “The Orpheus Syndrome”? Who knew that Ellen Barkin and Tim Meadows would have such fiery chemistry in theater sendup “Exit Stage Death”? How did they convince the likes of Adrien Brody, Stephanie Hsu, Ron Perlman and Tim Russ to come in for one episode just to be killed off? And, who knew that S. Epatha Merkerson and Judith Light...
How did they nab Nick Nolte to play opposite Cherry Jones in Hollywood saga “The Orpheus Syndrome”? Who knew that Ellen Barkin and Tim Meadows would have such fiery chemistry in theater sendup “Exit Stage Death”? How did they convince the likes of Adrien Brody, Stephanie Hsu, Ron Perlman and Tim Russ to come in for one episode just to be killed off? And, who knew that S. Epatha Merkerson and Judith Light...
- 6/20/2023
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In a studio overlooking Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, Rian Johnson is strapped to a lie detector machine. Next to him at the controls sits Natasha Lyonne, twiddling the device’s knobs with all the sinister intent of a supervillain. This photoshoot tableau is, of course, ripped right from the Meet the Parents Ben Stiller-Robert De Niro interrogation scene. Next, in an homage to the pithiest of TV detective tropes, Lyonne will pose at a typewriter, fake-talking into a rotary-dial phone. The visual nod this time goes to Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher in Murder, She Wrote.
In fact, the late, great Lansbury is connective tissue for Johnson and Lyonne. Lansbury and Lyonne appeared briefly together in Johnson’s film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, on a Zoom call playing the mystery game Among Us with Daniel Craig’s Detective Benoit Blanc.
Little did we know back when that film premiered,...
In fact, the late, great Lansbury is connective tissue for Johnson and Lyonne. Lansbury and Lyonne appeared briefly together in Johnson’s film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, on a Zoom call playing the mystery game Among Us with Daniel Craig’s Detective Benoit Blanc.
Little did we know back when that film premiered,...
- 6/1/2023
- by Antonia Blyth
- Deadline Film + TV
This post contains spoilers for Peacock's "Poker Face."
Rian Johnson's mystery series "Poker Face" is one of the best -- and most successful -- Peacock Originals yet. The series stars Natasha Lyonne, who is always good but has never been better, as Charlie Cale -- a character that only she could play. Charlie is a whip-smart gal, living life on the open road and happening across mysteries that she solves through her uncanny ability to always know when someone is lying. Her ability to build a rapport with anyone throws her into sticky situations, which Johnson uses to craft the show's kooky-yet-dramatically-intense tone.
Lyonne is great, but one of the greatest pleasures of "Poker Face" is the show's impressive roster of guest stars. In every episode, the supporting characters who populate Charlie's world are played by recognizable actors. Famous actors like Judith Light stop by for an episode and...
Rian Johnson's mystery series "Poker Face" is one of the best -- and most successful -- Peacock Originals yet. The series stars Natasha Lyonne, who is always good but has never been better, as Charlie Cale -- a character that only she could play. Charlie is a whip-smart gal, living life on the open road and happening across mysteries that she solves through her uncanny ability to always know when someone is lying. Her ability to build a rapport with anyone throws her into sticky situations, which Johnson uses to craft the show's kooky-yet-dramatically-intense tone.
Lyonne is great, but one of the greatest pleasures of "Poker Face" is the show's impressive roster of guest stars. In every episode, the supporting characters who populate Charlie's world are played by recognizable actors. Famous actors like Judith Light stop by for an episode and...
- 3/9/2023
- by Eric Langberg
- Slash Film
Fan-favorite TV series and a host of exciting films arrive on HBO and HBO Max this month. The fourth and final season of Emmy-winning drama “Succession” kicks off on March 26, so mark your calendars. Meanwhile, the long-awaited second season of “Perry Mason” is upon us with a debut on March 6, while “The Last of Us” wraps up its acclaimed first season on March 12. And the Oscar-nominated documentary “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” makes its streaming debut on March 19.
Noteworthy new library titles this month include the first two “Creed” films, the cult favorite “Speed Racer” and the Paul Rudd/Jason Segel comedy “I Love You Man.”
Check out the full list of what’s new on HBO and HBO Max in March 2023 below.
Also Read:
Where to Stream 2023’s Oscar-Nominated Movies Right Now March 1
A Dangerous Method, 2011
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, 2014 (HBO)
Basic, 2003 (HBO)
Beatriz at Dinner,...
Noteworthy new library titles this month include the first two “Creed” films, the cult favorite “Speed Racer” and the Paul Rudd/Jason Segel comedy “I Love You Man.”
Check out the full list of what’s new on HBO and HBO Max in March 2023 below.
Also Read:
Where to Stream 2023’s Oscar-Nominated Movies Right Now March 1
A Dangerous Method, 2011
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb, 2014 (HBO)
Basic, 2003 (HBO)
Beatriz at Dinner,...
- 3/3/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
[This story contains major spoilers to the penultimate episode in season one of Poker Face, “Escape From Shit Mountain.”]
After delighting audiences with his unsuspecting cameos, Joseph Gordon-Levitt finally steps back into Rian Johnson’s frame on Poker Face.
Since starring in Johnson’s directorial debut, the 2005 indie movie Brick, the actor has appeared in every movie Johnson has helmed. In addition to his starring role in 2012’s Looper, the Johnson favorite has made harder-to-spot cameos, including his secret role of Slowen-Lo in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and two voice roles in the Knives Out films — including the sound of “the Hourly Dong,” which goes off every hour in the Edward Norton-starring sequel, Glass Onion.
For the penultimate episode of Poker Face‘s first season, Gordon-Levitt was able to take on a starring guest role for the pivotal installment, “Escape From Shit Mountain,” which was written by showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman and directed by Johnson.
“Finally, the schedule worked out,...
After delighting audiences with his unsuspecting cameos, Joseph Gordon-Levitt finally steps back into Rian Johnson’s frame on Poker Face.
Since starring in Johnson’s directorial debut, the 2005 indie movie Brick, the actor has appeared in every movie Johnson has helmed. In addition to his starring role in 2012’s Looper, the Johnson favorite has made harder-to-spot cameos, including his secret role of Slowen-Lo in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and two voice roles in the Knives Out films — including the sound of “the Hourly Dong,” which goes off every hour in the Edward Norton-starring sequel, Glass Onion.
For the penultimate episode of Poker Face‘s first season, Gordon-Levitt was able to take on a starring guest role for the pivotal installment, “Escape From Shit Mountain,” which was written by showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman and directed by Johnson.
“Finally, the schedule worked out,...
- 3/2/2023
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
There’s nothing quite like when HBO is airing one of its trademark watercooler-worthy dramas weekly. Thankfully, we’ll get to it experience exactly that and more on HBO Max in March 2023.
The big ticket item on HBO Max this March is undoubtedly Succession Season 4 on March 26. Part prestige drama and part screwball comedy, Succession is about as fun a watch as they come. Season 4 of the series about egregious wealth will find the Roy siblings reeling after trying and failing to take down their father, Logan (Brian Cox).
HBO Max’s other major TV option this month is another weekly release from HBO. Matthew Rhys returns as the titular lawyer in Perry Mason Season 2 on March 6. Season 1 of this period piece reboot flexed the classic TV character’s detective skills. From the look of the trailer, it seems as though this is the year Perry makes his name in the court room.
The big ticket item on HBO Max this March is undoubtedly Succession Season 4 on March 26. Part prestige drama and part screwball comedy, Succession is about as fun a watch as they come. Season 4 of the series about egregious wealth will find the Roy siblings reeling after trying and failing to take down their father, Logan (Brian Cox).
HBO Max’s other major TV option this month is another weekly release from HBO. Matthew Rhys returns as the titular lawyer in Perry Mason Season 2 on March 6. Season 1 of this period piece reboot flexed the classic TV character’s detective skills. From the look of the trailer, it seems as though this is the year Perry makes his name in the court room.
- 3/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Most filmmakers get bit by the movie bug early in life. They walk out of "Star Wars," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," or "Jurassic Park," and, like getting off a great amusement park ride, are desperate to get back in line to relive the experience all over again. At some point, they have to go home. That's where the dreaming starts. They imagine the further adventures of their big screen heroes, and, eventually, craft whole universes of their own. Sure, they'd love to add their own chapter to the "Indiana Jones" films, but what they really want is to create their own Indiana Jones. As they get older and discover other genres like Westerns, musicals, and gangster flicks, they study their tropes and unavoidably put their own spin on them.
The best filmmakers are the ones who seek not to replicate their formative experiences, but to work within different genres on their own terms.
The best filmmakers are the ones who seek not to replicate their formative experiences, but to work within different genres on their own terms.
- 1/27/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Warning: This post contains spoilers from Thursday’s Poker Face series premiere.
Poker Face‘s Charlie Cale just solved her first case — and the man she fingered for the murder paid the ultimate price.
More from TVLinePeacock Scraps Dead Day Adaptation From Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, Despite Series OrderWhy Is Dean in Winchesters Photo? Did Last of Us Lunch Look Too Good? Why Is Barney in Himyf 'Burbs? More Qs!Poker Face Review: Natasha Lyonne's Peacock Mystery Is Charmingly Retro
Thursday’s series premiere of the Peacock detective series introduced us to Charlie (played by Natasha Lyonne), a...
Poker Face‘s Charlie Cale just solved her first case — and the man she fingered for the murder paid the ultimate price.
More from TVLinePeacock Scraps Dead Day Adaptation From Kevin Williamson and Julie Plec, Despite Series OrderWhy Is Dean in Winchesters Photo? Did Last of Us Lunch Look Too Good? Why Is Barney in Himyf 'Burbs? More Qs!Poker Face Review: Natasha Lyonne's Peacock Mystery Is Charmingly Retro
Thursday’s series premiere of the Peacock detective series introduced us to Charlie (played by Natasha Lyonne), a...
- 1/27/2023
- by Dave Nemetz
- TVLine.com
It didn’t take much for Rian Johnson to pitch Natasha Lyonne on the series that would become “Poker Face.” As the writer and director recalls, he said something to the effect of “What about a show in this mode, starring you?” Lyonne was in.
“The show is made for her like a bespoke suit,” Johnson told IndieWire via Zoom. “She’s not just the star of it, she’s a collaborator from the very, very beginning. She also co-wrote and directed one of the episodes and she’s very, very much… she is the show with me. The two of us really built the house together.”
The Peacock series stars Lyonne as Charlie, a woman who innately knows when someone is lying. After a mysterious discovery leads to the death of her best friend (Dascha Polanco) in Las Vegas, Charlie ends up on the run from casino boss Sterling...
“The show is made for her like a bespoke suit,” Johnson told IndieWire via Zoom. “She’s not just the star of it, she’s a collaborator from the very, very beginning. She also co-wrote and directed one of the episodes and she’s very, very much… she is the show with me. The two of us really built the house together.”
The Peacock series stars Lyonne as Charlie, a woman who innately knows when someone is lying. After a mysterious discovery leads to the death of her best friend (Dascha Polanco) in Las Vegas, Charlie ends up on the run from casino boss Sterling...
- 1/26/2023
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
Talk about a plan that even Benoit Blanc himself would have to sit back and admire. After emerging as one of the most creative and talented up-and-coming artists with a number of original films, starting with "Brick" and continuing with "The Brothers Bloom" and "Looper," Rian Johnson leveraged his experiences on both "Breaking Bad" (where he directed two of the best episodes in the entire series) and "Star Wars" to firmly establish himself as one of the most exciting filmmakers in the business right now. With both "Knives Out" and its sequel "Glass Onion" under his belt, Johnson's hold on pop culture is about to continue with the Natasha Lyonne-starring series "Poker Face."
But what about the storyteller's next big-screen outing? To nobody's surprise, the break-out success of the Benoit Blanc series has ensured that audiences will receive a steady diet of murder-mysteries starring Daniel Craig's rambunctious detective for years to come.
But what about the storyteller's next big-screen outing? To nobody's surprise, the break-out success of the Benoit Blanc series has ensured that audiences will receive a steady diet of murder-mysteries starring Daniel Craig's rambunctious detective for years to come.
- 1/18/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
When Rian Johnson’s Brick arrived at Sundance in 2005, it was a bit like its namesake being thrown through a window. Here was a first-time feature, from a guy barely out of his 20s, talking about the high school experience. That wasn’t the unusual part for a Sundance indie though; the strange bit is that Johnson had made the high school experience look indistinguishable from a Dashiell Hammett novel. Brick was a full-throated, grizzled-to-the-bone noir about characters barely old enough to shave!
This has of course been the fascinating paradox of Johnson’s career as it’s unfolded over the last several decades: one of the most excitingly new, modern filmmakers cheekily and eagerly relies on the cinematic vernacular of nearly a century ago. These sometimes jarring sensibilities have found surprising harmony, too, across the writer-director’s six feature films to date. Along the way, he’s masterminded an...
This has of course been the fascinating paradox of Johnson’s career as it’s unfolded over the last several decades: one of the most excitingly new, modern filmmakers cheekily and eagerly relies on the cinematic vernacular of nearly a century ago. These sometimes jarring sensibilities have found surprising harmony, too, across the writer-director’s six feature films to date. Along the way, he’s masterminded an...
- 1/14/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
A new murder-mystery every episode on a weekly basis? What a concept!
Rian Johnson is currently enjoying an impossibly hot hand, turning everything he touches into gold (if you'll excuse the mixed metaphor) between his three-film run that includes "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," 2019's "Knives Out," and the highly-anticipated follow-up "Glass Onion." In all honesty, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that the Daniel Craig-starring Benoit Blanc franchise has singlehandedly invigorated audience interest in murder-mysteries in general. While the rest of the industry is still working on making up for lost time, Johnson continues to spearhead these efforts with yet another story ripped from the classic genre. This time, he's taking his talents from the big screen back to television -- which, lest we forget, is where he found such great success directing two of the most acclaimed episodes of "Breaking Bad."
"Poker Face" was announced to great fanfare,...
Rian Johnson is currently enjoying an impossibly hot hand, turning everything he touches into gold (if you'll excuse the mixed metaphor) between his three-film run that includes "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," 2019's "Knives Out," and the highly-anticipated follow-up "Glass Onion." In all honesty, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to say that the Daniel Craig-starring Benoit Blanc franchise has singlehandedly invigorated audience interest in murder-mysteries in general. While the rest of the industry is still working on making up for lost time, Johnson continues to spearhead these efforts with yet another story ripped from the classic genre. This time, he's taking his talents from the big screen back to television -- which, lest we forget, is where he found such great success directing two of the most acclaimed episodes of "Breaking Bad."
"Poker Face" was announced to great fanfare,...
- 1/5/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Glass Onion, the sequel to Rian Johnson’s hit 2019 murder mystery film Knives Out, has finally arrived on Netflix.
Glass Onion has been warmly received by critics, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey describing it as “populist entertainment with its head screwed on right”.
It’s fair to say not everyone agrees, however.
The film sees Daniel Craig return as the ace sleuth Benoit Blanc, surrounded by a host of new characters played by Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline.
In addition to the core cast, however, Glass Onion also featured a number of high-profile celebrity cameos.
While most of these were hard to miss, there was one secret cameo that only came to light after the filmmakers gave it away.
Here’s a rundown of all the celebrity cameos in the film...
Yo-Yo Ma
Revered classical cellist...
Glass Onion has been warmly received by critics, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey describing it as “populist entertainment with its head screwed on right”.
It’s fair to say not everyone agrees, however.
The film sees Daniel Craig return as the ace sleuth Benoit Blanc, surrounded by a host of new characters played by Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline.
In addition to the core cast, however, Glass Onion also featured a number of high-profile celebrity cameos.
While most of these were hard to miss, there was one secret cameo that only came to light after the filmmakers gave it away.
Here’s a rundown of all the celebrity cameos in the film...
Yo-Yo Ma
Revered classical cellist...
- 12/28/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
Glass Onion, the sequel to Rian Johnson’s hit 2019 murder mystery film Knives Out, has finally arrived on Netflix.
Glass Onion has been warmly received by critics, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey describing it as “populist entertainment with its head screwed on right”.
It’s fair to say not everyone agrees, however.
The film sees Daniel Craig return as the ace sleuth Benoit Blanc, surrounded by a host of new characters played by Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline.
In addition to the core cast, however, Glass Onion also featured a number of high-profile celebrity cameos.
While most of these were hard to miss, there was one secret cameo that only came to light after the filmmakers gave it away.
Here’s a rundown of all the celebrity cameos in the film...
Yo-Yo Ma
Revered classical cellist...
Glass Onion has been warmly received by critics, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey describing it as “populist entertainment with its head screwed on right”.
It’s fair to say not everyone agrees, however.
The film sees Daniel Craig return as the ace sleuth Benoit Blanc, surrounded by a host of new characters played by Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline.
In addition to the core cast, however, Glass Onion also featured a number of high-profile celebrity cameos.
While most of these were hard to miss, there was one secret cameo that only came to light after the filmmakers gave it away.
Here’s a rundown of all the celebrity cameos in the film...
Yo-Yo Ma
Revered classical cellist...
- 12/28/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
Rian Johnson is a man who knows what genres he wants to work in and sticks with them. Barring his second movie, the con caper "The Brothers Bloom," all of his feature films have been mysteries or science-fiction.
"Looper" is a bit of a combination of his favorite genres. On the sci-fi end, the movie is centered around time travel and there are other genre hallmarks like hover-bikes and telekinetic superpowers. While its story doesn't involve a murder mystery, the future of "Looper" does have some film noir flavor. Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) lives in a grungy metropolis and is a hitman, killing mob targets from the future sent back in time. Like any criminal protagonist, Joe is looking to get out of the game, but first he has to do one last job: killing his future self (Bruce Willis). "Old Joe" did manage to find a normal life, but his past caught up to him.
"Looper" is a bit of a combination of his favorite genres. On the sci-fi end, the movie is centered around time travel and there are other genre hallmarks like hover-bikes and telekinetic superpowers. While its story doesn't involve a murder mystery, the future of "Looper" does have some film noir flavor. Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) lives in a grungy metropolis and is a hitman, killing mob targets from the future sent back in time. Like any criminal protagonist, Joe is looking to get out of the game, but first he has to do one last job: killing his future self (Bruce Willis). "Old Joe" did manage to find a normal life, but his past caught up to him.
- 12/10/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Five movies into his career as a director, it's clear Rian Johnson thrives on taking risks. His debut film, 2005's "Brick," is a quirky high school murder-mystery where the teenagers all talk like characters out of a hard-boiled noir detective story in the vein of "The Maltese Falcon." In his next two movies after that, "The Brothers Bloom" and "Looper," Johnson took on a pair of well-tested genre films and did his very best to flip them on their heads.
Then came 2017's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," Johnson's sequel to "The Force Awakens," and a movie that aspires to upend the very tenets of what a "Star Wars" sequel even is. Far from being discouraged by the divisive response to the film, Johnson followed up his trip to a galaxy far, far away with "Knives Out." The smash-hit 2019 murder-mystery comedy breathed fresh life into the whodunnit genre and gave...
Then came 2017's "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," Johnson's sequel to "The Force Awakens," and a movie that aspires to upend the very tenets of what a "Star Wars" sequel even is. Far from being discouraged by the divisive response to the film, Johnson followed up his trip to a galaxy far, far away with "Knives Out." The smash-hit 2019 murder-mystery comedy breathed fresh life into the whodunnit genre and gave...
- 9/16/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
There was really only one way for Rian Johnson to proceed with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. The sequel to his 2019 whodunnit smash that introduced the esteemed Southern-fried detective Benoit Blanc had to be bigger in every way. There is indeed a larger canvas, as the film is set mainly on a private island in Greece. There is a more expansive mystery, featuring a diverse group of “disruptors”—or, as one character describes them, “shitheads”—with shared connections. There are multiple big-name cameos, one of them a cultural icon who passed away some months ago. And then, of course, there is the budget. Since the release of Knives Out, Johnson jumped to Netflix for a large payday.
The evidence of that payday is visible in nearly every shot. And why shouldn’t it be? After the success of his first film, Johnson has earned the right to strut. In addition to Knives,...
The evidence of that payday is visible in nearly every shot. And why shouldn’t it be? After the success of his first film, Johnson has earned the right to strut. In addition to Knives,...
- 9/11/2022
- by Christopher Schobert
- The Film Stage
Agatha Christie may have been the best and worst thing to happen to whodunits. Her works were the blueprint for the crime genre — so much so that her name has become synonymous with that particular brand of detective fiction. But we've come to the point as readers, and audiences, that we know what to expect in an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery: The murder is committed, the suspects are gathered, and the eccentric detective slowly pieces together the clues. So in the age of the post-"Knives Out," post-post Agatha Christie era, how does one put a fresh twist on the whodunit? Well, by killing Agatha Christie.
No, that's not exactly what happens in "See How They Run," the twisty, breezy caper directed by Tom George and written by Mark Chappell. But the latest whodunit knows exactly how much it owes to the celebrated author, and as such, props Agatha Christie...
No, that's not exactly what happens in "See How They Run," the twisty, breezy caper directed by Tom George and written by Mark Chappell. But the latest whodunit knows exactly how much it owes to the celebrated author, and as such, props Agatha Christie...
- 9/7/2022
- by Hoai-Tran Bui
- Slash Film
In "The Boys," Karen Fukuhara's role as the regenerative, super-strong Kimiko initially drew some criticism for how it seemed to relegate another Japanese actress to a non-speaking part, rendering her non-verbal in the manner of Rinko Kikuchi's character in both "Babel" and "The Brothers Bloom." This was not helped by scenes like the one where a white guy (Simon Pegg's Hugh Sr.) turns to another white guy (Jack Quaid's Hugh Jr.) and says, "Does the Oriental girl not talk?" (leading Jr. to correct Sr. and say "Dad ... Asian.")
Kimiko first appears in "The Boys," season 1, episode 4, "The Female of the Species," where she prefers to communicate with her hands: gouging...
The post The Boys Created a Brand-New Language to Let Kimiko Communicate appeared first on /Film.
Kimiko first appears in "The Boys," season 1, episode 4, "The Female of the Species," where she prefers to communicate with her hands: gouging...
The post The Boys Created a Brand-New Language to Let Kimiko Communicate appeared first on /Film.
- 5/23/2022
- by Joshua Meyer
- Slash Film
From the old school ‘50s-era opening titles, you can feel what tone Charlie McDowell’s Windfall is going for. The director’s third feature plays up the Hitchcock aesthetic big time in its marketing, but tonally it feels even more adjacent to Rian Johnson’s bouncy recent works of mystery thrills, The Brothers Bloom and, especially, Knives Out. A three-hander confined to a single location, the film stars Jesse Plemons and Lily Collins as a tech CEO and his wife heading to their vacation home in Ojai, only to find Jason Segel’s character in the middle of robbing it. Knowing that his identity is blown thanks to a hidden camera he spots, Segel demands enough cash to be able to start a new life, and the unnamed trio enter into a tense period of waiting for the money delivery to be arranged.
It’s a quick and easy set-up for a film,...
It’s a quick and easy set-up for a film,...
- 3/18/2022
- by Mitchell Beaupre
- The Film Stage
Heist movies transcend genre. You can have frivolous, fun heist movies like "The Italian Job," or heartfelt, straight-faced ones like "Point Break." The heist itself can be meticulously planned and meditative, like the one in "Inside Man," or fall apart before it's even begun, as in "Good Time."
To be clear, this is a list of heist films, not movies about con artists. "The Sting," "The Brothers Bloom," and "Gambit" are all brilliant, but the heist tropes -- planning the mission, gathering the team, and so on -- are missing. They feel more like a magic trick than an actual heist. Similarly, the heist needs to...
The post The 20 best heist movies of all time appeared first on /Film.
To be clear, this is a list of heist films, not movies about con artists. "The Sting," "The Brothers Bloom," and "Gambit" are all brilliant, but the heist tropes -- planning the mission, gathering the team, and so on -- are missing. They feel more like a magic trick than an actual heist. Similarly, the heist needs to...
The post The 20 best heist movies of all time appeared first on /Film.
- 8/29/2021
- by Nick Bartlett
- Slash Film
The opening shot of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s 10-part “Mr. Corman,” which debuted on Apple TV+ with its first two episodes last week, finds the creator/producer/director/writer/star beating out a rhythm on his chest with his hands, a harbinger of the musical piece he will have completed by the season’s close. The eclectic soundtrack album, featuring Nathan Johnson’s jagged, instrumental score and several original songs, has been released by Kobalt Music Group’s Awal label, and is now available on major DSPs.
Music is at the heart of the multitalented star’s new series, in which he plays a thirtysomething fifth grade teacher in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley who feels like a failure because his dreams of performing in a rock band with his now ex-girlfriend have been put on hold.
From those opening moments, when the title character returns to finish his uncompleted opus,...
Music is at the heart of the multitalented star’s new series, in which he plays a thirtysomething fifth grade teacher in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley who feels like a failure because his dreams of performing in a rock band with his now ex-girlfriend have been put on hold.
From those opening moments, when the title character returns to finish his uncompleted opus,...
- 8/13/2021
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
Next month’s Mubi lineup has been unveiled and if you can’t make it to Cannes Film Festival, they are spotlighting recent favorites from the event. As part of a Cannes Takeover series, they will show Lisandro Alonso’s Viggo Mortensen-led Jauja, the Zambian drama I Am Not a Witch, Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s The Wild Pear Tree, and Hirokazu Kore-eda’s After the Storm, plus two films from directors who have new films in this year’s lineup, Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Asako I & II and Nanni Moretti’s Mia Madre, plus more.
Also in the lineup will be the Mubi debut of Magnus van Horn’s Sweat, which opens in theaters today, plus series on Jean-Claude Carriére and Luis Buñuel’s collaboration and a trio of films by the prolific Chilean master Raúl Ruiz. There will also be some recent festival favorites, including Arab Blues starring Golshifteh Farahani...
Also in the lineup will be the Mubi debut of Magnus van Horn’s Sweat, which opens in theaters today, plus series on Jean-Claude Carriére and Luis Buñuel’s collaboration and a trio of films by the prolific Chilean master Raúl Ruiz. There will also be some recent festival favorites, including Arab Blues starring Golshifteh Farahani...
- 6/18/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
The fourth season of “One Day at a Time” has no problem telling its ex-network, Netflix, how it feels about them. The family sitcom that became the first Netflix-based television show to leave the streaming service and find a second life on a network starts its premiere on Pop TV with young Alex Alvarez (Marcel Ruiz) declaring, “It’s like there’s nothing good on Netflix anymore.” And for a series that has looked at tough issues like Ptsd and alcoholism, and even put on a self-financed campaign for Emmy consideration, this shot across the bow kickstarts a new world for the Alvarez family, one where there is a little more appreciation for those efforts.
Whether you’ve watched the series from the beginning — either the 1975 original conceived by Norman Lear or when this reboot premiered in 2017 — or are popping in for the first time, the premiere has you covered,...
Whether you’ve watched the series from the beginning — either the 1975 original conceived by Norman Lear or when this reboot premiered in 2017 — or are popping in for the first time, the premiere has you covered,...
- 3/24/2020
- by Kristen Lopez
- Indiewire
So, getting tired of the frigid ole’ February (of course you sufferin’ folks in the southern states might have to dig out a windbreaker or sweater). Here in the Midwest, it’s still more than a bit nippy, with some occasional falling flakes. What better time for a multiplex getaway to…Pyeongchang, South Korea. And while we’re at it, how about a quick jump in the “Wayback” machine and get there (almost two years ago to the day) just in time for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games? But this is not a sports documentary, but rather a two-person romantic “dramedy” with the games as a backdrop. Now, filmmakers have done this for years, shooting a story “on the fly” using a big gathering. A few flicks from the past come to mind. Elvis Presley romanced and sang his way through 1962 Seattle for It Happened At The World Fair. As for sports,...
- 2/20/2020
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Whiplash Oscar winner J.K. Simmons is attached to star in director Mark Palansky’s dark comedy/heist thriller My Only Sunshine from Circle of Confusion and Patriot Pictures. John Cusack is also in talks to join.
In the film, written by J.T. Petty and K. Reed Petty, Cusack plays one half of a passionately dysfunctional couple, who orchestrate a bank robbery as an unconventional act of bloodthirsty marriage counseling. Trying to make peace with the shocking mystery of their relationship throughout a violent hostage situation, is a cop hostage negotiator (Simmons), who previously investigated a past related murder.
Circle of Confusion‘s Matt Smith and Lawrence Mattis, and Michael Mendelsohn from Patriot Pictures are producing. Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital Management, LLC is fully financing the project. J.T. Petty, Natalie Perrotta, and Jim Steele will be executive producing. Xyz Films and Patriot are handling global sales now at Berlin.
In the film, written by J.T. Petty and K. Reed Petty, Cusack plays one half of a passionately dysfunctional couple, who orchestrate a bank robbery as an unconventional act of bloodthirsty marriage counseling. Trying to make peace with the shocking mystery of their relationship throughout a violent hostage situation, is a cop hostage negotiator (Simmons), who previously investigated a past related murder.
Circle of Confusion‘s Matt Smith and Lawrence Mattis, and Michael Mendelsohn from Patriot Pictures are producing. Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital Management, LLC is fully financing the project. J.T. Petty, Natalie Perrotta, and Jim Steele will be executive producing. Xyz Films and Patriot are handling global sales now at Berlin.
- 2/20/2020
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
John Cusack is in talks to star alongside J.K. Simmons in director Mark Palansky’s dark comic heist thriller “My Only Sunshine.” Xyz Films will handle worldwide sales at the Berlin Film Festival.
In the film, Cusack plays one half of a passionately dysfunctional couple, who orchestrate a bank robbery as an unconventional act of bloodthirsty marriage counseling. Trying to make peace with the shocking mystery of their relationship throughout a violent hostage situation is a cop hostage negotiator (Simmons), who previously investigated a past related murder.
The film was written by J.T. Petty and K. Reed Petty, and is produced by Circle of Confusion‘s Matt Smith and Lawrence Mattis, and Michael Mendelsohn from Patriot Pictures. Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital Management is fully financing.
Petty, Natalie Perrotta, and Jim Steele will be executive producing. Production is scheduled to start spring/summer 2020.
Palansky is known for directing “Penelope,” starring Christina Ricci,...
In the film, Cusack plays one half of a passionately dysfunctional couple, who orchestrate a bank robbery as an unconventional act of bloodthirsty marriage counseling. Trying to make peace with the shocking mystery of their relationship throughout a violent hostage situation is a cop hostage negotiator (Simmons), who previously investigated a past related murder.
The film was written by J.T. Petty and K. Reed Petty, and is produced by Circle of Confusion‘s Matt Smith and Lawrence Mattis, and Michael Mendelsohn from Patriot Pictures. Mendelsohn’s Union Patriot Capital Management is fully financing.
Petty, Natalie Perrotta, and Jim Steele will be executive producing. Production is scheduled to start spring/summer 2020.
Palansky is known for directing “Penelope,” starring Christina Ricci,...
- 2/20/2020
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
What can one say about a comedy that just limps along, even when an attractive cast does fine work every step of the way? Even the bit parts are creatively cast in this odd romp infected with a really bad case of The Cutes. Natalie Wood is at her best, but in service of dumb gags: let’s blow bubble gum bubbles! The result so upset Natalie that she ditched her studio contract. The roster of engaging talent includes Peter Falk (in suave leading man mode!), Dick Shawn (less grating than usual), Lila Kedrova & Lou Jacobi (showing real style), Jonathan Winters (wasted) and, of all people, Ian Bannen as Natalie Wood’s uncomprehending husband. Bannen is so good, he drags a real laugh or two from the material. The show has been beautifully remastered.
Penelope
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 97 min. / Street Date January 26, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Natalie Wood,...
Penelope
Blu-ray
Warner Archive Collection
1966 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 97 min. / Street Date January 26, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99
Starring: Natalie Wood,...
- 1/25/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The Paramount film has received widespread publicity this week.
Rian Johnson’s ensemble whodunnit Knives Out and Elizabeth Banks’ action reboot Charlie’s Angels lead the openers at the UK box office this weekend, as Rapman’s Blue Story heads into its second weekend following a controversial week.
Entering cinemas as Lionsgate’s widest-ever UK release in 637 locations, Knives Out is Johnson’s fifth feature, and first since 2017 blockbuster Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. It sees a detective investigate the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family. A stellar cast includes Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans,...
Rian Johnson’s ensemble whodunnit Knives Out and Elizabeth Banks’ action reboot Charlie’s Angels lead the openers at the UK box office this weekend, as Rapman’s Blue Story heads into its second weekend following a controversial week.
Entering cinemas as Lionsgate’s widest-ever UK release in 637 locations, Knives Out is Johnson’s fifth feature, and first since 2017 blockbuster Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi. It sees a detective investigate the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family. A stellar cast includes Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans,...
- 11/29/2019
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
Writer-director Rian Johnson assembles the makings of a great whodunnit for “Knives Out” and winds up making a good one. It’s a perfectly entertaining film, but its attributes and apparent ambitions make the results just a bit disappointing.
Johnson has always been a filmmaker whose love of genre somewhat exceeds his results, and so in the same way that “The Brothers Bloom” is about the idea of screwball comedy more than it’s a great example of one, “Knives Out” celebrates the twisty, all-star murder mystery without ever outshining films like “Sleuth” and “The Last of Sheila” that clearly inspired it.
That’s not to say “Knives Out” isn’t entertaining; there’s a lot to love here, from the twists and feints of Johnson’s screenplay to the all-star cast’s relish of their devious dialogue to the massive mansion to the insouciance with which Chris Evans’ rancid...
Johnson has always been a filmmaker whose love of genre somewhat exceeds his results, and so in the same way that “The Brothers Bloom” is about the idea of screwball comedy more than it’s a great example of one, “Knives Out” celebrates the twisty, all-star murder mystery without ever outshining films like “Sleuth” and “The Last of Sheila” that clearly inspired it.
That’s not to say “Knives Out” isn’t entertaining; there’s a lot to love here, from the twists and feints of Johnson’s screenplay to the all-star cast’s relish of their devious dialogue to the massive mansion to the insouciance with which Chris Evans’ rancid...
- 11/26/2019
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Rian Johnson became an indie hotshot with 2005’s neo-noir “Brick,” but the director, according to a recent IndieWire interview, said he managed to keep a low profile after making the film. However, he said that wouldn’t be the case today.
It’s now the trend that studios chase indie filmmakers after a big breakout. But Johnson said, “Personally I’m grateful that environment didn’t exist when I made ‘Brick’ because I would’ve jumped into it. I’m glad I paved my own path where I made my own films. Today if I had put ‘Brick’ out and I was 30, I’m sure the calls would’ve come in.”
Johnson waited three years after “Brick” to release his follow-up project, “The Brothers Bloom,” a $20 million indie that flopped hard at the box office but nonetheless remains a cult favorite. Johnson added that it wasn’t until his 2012 time-hopping science-fiction film “Looper,...
It’s now the trend that studios chase indie filmmakers after a big breakout. But Johnson said, “Personally I’m grateful that environment didn’t exist when I made ‘Brick’ because I would’ve jumped into it. I’m glad I paved my own path where I made my own films. Today if I had put ‘Brick’ out and I was 30, I’m sure the calls would’ve come in.”
Johnson waited three years after “Brick” to release his follow-up project, “The Brothers Bloom,” a $20 million indie that flopped hard at the box office but nonetheless remains a cult favorite. Johnson added that it wasn’t until his 2012 time-hopping science-fiction film “Looper,...
- 11/23/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Perhaps best known as the writer & director of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, filmmaker Rian Johnson got his big start in 2005 with the neo-noir mystery Brick. A hard-boiled detective story in the vein of The Maltese Falcon, Brick won a Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and paved the way for his sophomore effort, 2008's The Brothers Bloom. The caper comedy-drama, about two sibling con artists, was inspired by Bogdanovich's Paper Moon and David Mamet's heist-thriller, House of Games. For his third film, Johnson continued taking innovative approaches to familiar genres with the twisty, multi-layered 2012 sci-fi Looper. Now, the filmmaker is paying homage to the works of Agatha Christie with Knives Out, a black comedy whodunnit influenced by classic mystery films like Murder on the Orient Express and The Mirror Crack'd. When the distinguished crime novelist and family patriarch Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at...
- 11/22/2019
- by Adam Frazier
- firstshowing.net
Acclaimed writer and director Rian Johnson pays tribute to mystery mastermind Agatha Christie in Knives Out, a fresh, modern-day murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death.
With an all-star ensemble cast that also includes Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell, Knives Out is a fun, witty and stylish whodunit guaranteed to keep audiences guessing until the very end.
Knives Out opens in St. Louis on November 27th
Enter for your chance to win...
With an all-star ensemble cast that also includes Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell, Knives Out is a fun, witty and stylish whodunit guaranteed to keep audiences guessing until the very end.
Knives Out opens in St. Louis on November 27th
Enter for your chance to win...
- 11/14/2019
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
I know there are some Star Wars fans out there that aren’t big fans of Rian Johnson, but regardless, the guy is a talented filmmaker who has made several other unique and original films that are super entertaining. Brick, Looper, and The Brothers Bloom are all great films and I’m excited to see his upcoming murder mystery project Knives Out.
The film looks like it’s going to be a ton of fun and I can’t help but be impressed by the incredible cast he brought on to star in the movie! Knives Out pays tribute to mystery mastermind Agatha Christie and is described as “a fun, modern-day murder mystery where everyone is a suspect.” We’ve got three new TV spots for the film to share with you today that teases the big unexpected reveal of the story:
The synopsis for the film reads:
When renowned...
The film looks like it’s going to be a ton of fun and I can’t help but be impressed by the incredible cast he brought on to star in the movie! Knives Out pays tribute to mystery mastermind Agatha Christie and is described as “a fun, modern-day murder mystery where everyone is a suspect.” We’ve got three new TV spots for the film to share with you today that teases the big unexpected reveal of the story:
The synopsis for the film reads:
When renowned...
- 10/28/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
After a smashing Tiff premiere, we still have more than two months to go before we can see Rian Johnson’s murder mystery-comedy Knives Out, but a new trailer has arrived to help with the wait. Starring Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Lakeith Stanfield, Michael Shannon, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, and Christopher Plummer, the film follows the investigation into the murder of a well-off patriarch and the family surrounding him.
Jared Mobarak said in his review, “No stranger to a good mystery—noir (Brick) or comedy (The Brothers Bloom)—Knives Out sees Rian Johnson back to a wholly original property before returning to the world of Star Wars. From the stellar cast to its Clue-esque estate (even he couldn’t resist that joke), this whodunit has looked impeccably positioned to deliver exactly what the genre demands while also dissecting and subverting it for good measure.
Jared Mobarak said in his review, “No stranger to a good mystery—noir (Brick) or comedy (The Brothers Bloom)—Knives Out sees Rian Johnson back to a wholly original property before returning to the world of Star Wars. From the stellar cast to its Clue-esque estate (even he couldn’t resist that joke), this whodunit has looked impeccably positioned to deliver exactly what the genre demands while also dissecting and subverting it for good measure.
- 9/18/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
No stranger to a good mystery—noir (Brick) or comedy (The Brothers Bloom)—Knives Out sees Rian Johnson back to a wholly original property before returning to the world of Star Wars. From the stellar cast to its Clue-esque estate (even he couldn’t resist that joke), this whodunit has looked impeccably positioned to deliver exactly what the genre demands while also dissecting and subverting it for good measure. That the final result might go even further than that only makes it more intriguing. Why? Well the mystery surrounding Harlan Thrombey’s (Christopher Plummer) death is rather matter-of-factly solved within the first thirty minutes. Its truth, however, possesses enough layers to blur the line between culpability and intent as the game moves beyond just discovering a smoking gun.
In order to peel back those layers, Lieutenant Elliott (Lakeith Stanfield) and Trooper Wagner (Noah Segan) must bring the Thrombey clan back...
In order to peel back those layers, Lieutenant Elliott (Lakeith Stanfield) and Trooper Wagner (Noah Segan) must bring the Thrombey clan back...
- 9/11/2019
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Now here’s a mystery worth solving: Why doesn’t Hollywood give us more ridiculously complicated, gratuitously eccentric whodunits? You know, the kind of all-star affairs where a colorful assortment of highly suspicious characters gather in a remote manor, or at an old castle, or on the Orient Express, in order to be confronted by a corpse and the prospect that a murderer lurks among them. It’s not that audiences have lost their appetite for such tales. Au contraire, ’twas television that killed the old-fashioned detective story. Over the years, “Murder She Wrote” and “Masterpiece Mystery!” have rendered such movies redundant — on the big screen at least — by solving procedurals on the small screen each week.
With “Knives Out,” writer-director Rian Johnson shows that there’s life left in the genre, paying . Taking a break between “Star Wars” sequels to knock off something a little less far, far away...
With “Knives Out,” writer-director Rian Johnson shows that there’s life left in the genre, paying . Taking a break between “Star Wars” sequels to knock off something a little less far, far away...
- 9/8/2019
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Welcome to The B-Side, a podcast from The Film Stage. Here we explore movies featuring established stars that flopped at the box office, have been forgotten by time, or remain hidden gems. These aren’t the films that made them famous or kept them famous. These are the other ones. So strap in and listen close as we dive into the big swings and big misses from some of the most well-known names in the business.
Specifically, we pick out the original six Avengers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and talk about some of their B-Sides. After discussing the B-Sides of Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Evans on Part I, this week we turn to Mark Ruffalo (The Brothers Bloom), Jeremy Renner (Kill the Messenger), and Chris Hemsworth (In the Heart of the Sea and a dash of Rush). We also discuss Avengers: Endgame and what we hope...
Specifically, we pick out the original six Avengers of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and talk about some of their B-Sides. After discussing the B-Sides of Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Evans on Part I, this week we turn to Mark Ruffalo (The Brothers Bloom), Jeremy Renner (Kill the Messenger), and Chris Hemsworth (In the Heart of the Sea and a dash of Rush). We also discuss Avengers: Endgame and what we hope...
- 5/2/2019
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
New Indie
Filmmakers have made the case that, instead of going to film school, young would-be directors might be better off just listening to director commentaries. And if that’s the educational route you’ve chosen, two of today’s most interesting directors are telling all on new Blu-ray releases. Want to know more about how Barry Jenkins brought James Baldwin’s powerful novel “If Beale Street Could Talk” (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) to the big screen, or how Karyn Kusama crafted the bleak neo-noir “Destroyer” (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)? They tell all on these essential new releases.
Also available: S. Craig Zahler is at it again with “Dragged Across Concrete” (Lionsgate), a cops-gone-rogue heist saga starring Vince Vaughn and Mel Gibson.
See Photo: See Nicole Kidman's Extreme Transformation for Karyn Kusama's Cop Thriller 'Destroyer'
New Foreign
Few directors in the history of cinema have...
Filmmakers have made the case that, instead of going to film school, young would-be directors might be better off just listening to director commentaries. And if that’s the educational route you’ve chosen, two of today’s most interesting directors are telling all on new Blu-ray releases. Want to know more about how Barry Jenkins brought James Baldwin’s powerful novel “If Beale Street Could Talk” (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment) to the big screen, or how Karyn Kusama crafted the bleak neo-noir “Destroyer” (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment)? They tell all on these essential new releases.
Also available: S. Craig Zahler is at it again with “Dragged Across Concrete” (Lionsgate), a cops-gone-rogue heist saga starring Vince Vaughn and Mel Gibson.
See Photo: See Nicole Kidman's Extreme Transformation for Karyn Kusama's Cop Thriller 'Destroyer'
New Foreign
Few directors in the history of cinema have...
- 4/26/2019
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Over the past quarter century, the Slamdance Film Festival has served as a launchpad for a number of now high profile filmmakers at the very start of their careers. Here is a baker’s dozen of some of the festival’s greatest discoveries.
Marc Forster
“Loungers”
Forster premiered his $10,000 debut in 1995 and grabbed the Audience Award, and has become one of the most versatile directors working, with other credits including “Monster’s Ball,” “Finding Neverland,” “Stay,” “The Kite Runner,” “Stranger Than Fiction,” “Quantum of Solace,” “World War Z” and “Christopher Robin.”
Rian Johnson
“Evil Demon Golfball from Hell!!!”
Johnson’s irreverent short film played the festival in 1996, launching a career that has dabbled in artistic indies and big-budget franchise blockbusters (“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”).
Greg Mottola
“The Daytrippers”
The writer-director’s 1996 feature debut was produced by Steven Soderbergh and got Mottola work on cult-classic television series “Undeclared,” “Arrested Development,...
Marc Forster
“Loungers”
Forster premiered his $10,000 debut in 1995 and grabbed the Audience Award, and has become one of the most versatile directors working, with other credits including “Monster’s Ball,” “Finding Neverland,” “Stay,” “The Kite Runner,” “Stranger Than Fiction,” “Quantum of Solace,” “World War Z” and “Christopher Robin.”
Rian Johnson
“Evil Demon Golfball from Hell!!!”
Johnson’s irreverent short film played the festival in 1996, launching a career that has dabbled in artistic indies and big-budget franchise blockbusters (“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”).
Greg Mottola
“The Daytrippers”
The writer-director’s 1996 feature debut was produced by Steven Soderbergh and got Mottola work on cult-classic television series “Undeclared,” “Arrested Development,...
- 1/24/2019
- by Nick Clement
- Variety Film + TV
Coroners of comic failure will find much to uncover in the corpse of “Holmes & Watson,” a thoroughly tedious and never-amusing spoof of Arthur Conan Doyle’s legendary detective.
Does the fault lie in the fact that current iterations of Holmes — the Benedict Cumberbatch BBC series, the Guy Ritchie movies, even CBS’ “Elementary” — aren’t all that faithful to the material, so satirizing it seems irrelevant? Could it be that the script by director Etan Cohen (“Get Hard”) never had a second draft? Or did Cohen not worry that everything on the page was not particularly funny because stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly would somehow will this painful material into amusement merely by showing up on set?
The results are singularly awful, but there are three people who can emerge unscathed from this fiasco: Rebecca Hall, who elicits mild chuckles (the closest this film gets to laughter) as...
Does the fault lie in the fact that current iterations of Holmes — the Benedict Cumberbatch BBC series, the Guy Ritchie movies, even CBS’ “Elementary” — aren’t all that faithful to the material, so satirizing it seems irrelevant? Could it be that the script by director Etan Cohen (“Get Hard”) never had a second draft? Or did Cohen not worry that everything on the page was not particularly funny because stars Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly would somehow will this painful material into amusement merely by showing up on set?
The results are singularly awful, but there are three people who can emerge unscathed from this fiasco: Rebecca Hall, who elicits mild chuckles (the closest this film gets to laughter) as...
- 12/26/2018
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Sherlock Holmes might be the greatest detective in history, but he couldn’t find any laughs in the new Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly buddy comedy and Holmes parody “Holmes & Watson.”
Though the film from Columbia Pictures didn’t screen for critics before opening on Christmas Day, a few intrepid reviewers tracked it down, and after careful deduction, their findings were not good.
“If there are any new jokes left to tell about Holmes, they’re nowhere to be found in the abysmal ‘Holmes & Watson,’ which might be the worst feature-length film ever made about the ‘consulting detective’ from Baker Street,” Ignatiy Vishnevetsky writes in The A.V. Club.
Also Read: How John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan Became Brothers Filming 'Stan & Ollie'
Critics have said that while it had potential, it’s a far cry from the previous Ferrell and Reilly pairings, including “Talladega Nights” and most notably,...
Though the film from Columbia Pictures didn’t screen for critics before opening on Christmas Day, a few intrepid reviewers tracked it down, and after careful deduction, their findings were not good.
“If there are any new jokes left to tell about Holmes, they’re nowhere to be found in the abysmal ‘Holmes & Watson,’ which might be the worst feature-length film ever made about the ‘consulting detective’ from Baker Street,” Ignatiy Vishnevetsky writes in The A.V. Club.
Also Read: How John C. Reilly and Steve Coogan Became Brothers Filming 'Stan & Ollie'
Critics have said that while it had potential, it’s a far cry from the previous Ferrell and Reilly pairings, including “Talladega Nights” and most notably,...
- 12/26/2018
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Director Rian Johnson continues to build an impressive ensemble cast for his new film project, Knives Out. Michael Shannon and Lakeith Stanfield are both going to join the project, which also stars Daniel Craig and Chris Evans.
There aren’t many details on the project, but it has been described as a modern-day murder mystery in the classic Agatha Christie whodunit style, infused with Johnson’s original voice that informed films from Brick to Looper.
Craig will play a detective in the story who is assigned to solve a crime. We have no idea who any of the other actors are playing.
I’m a big fan of Johnson and his original film projects such as Brick, The Brothers Bloom, and Looper, and I’m excited to see what he’s got planned for this next movie. After he’s done with Knives Out, he’ll jump back into developing his new Star Wars trilogy.
There aren’t many details on the project, but it has been described as a modern-day murder mystery in the classic Agatha Christie whodunit style, infused with Johnson’s original voice that informed films from Brick to Looper.
Craig will play a detective in the story who is assigned to solve a crime. We have no idea who any of the other actors are playing.
I’m a big fan of Johnson and his original film projects such as Brick, The Brothers Bloom, and Looper, and I’m excited to see what he’s got planned for this next movie. After he’s done with Knives Out, he’ll jump back into developing his new Star Wars trilogy.
- 10/9/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
"Please wake me, For my love lies patiently..." Need something to cleanse your palette inbetween trailers? Watch this fantastic short film music video for LCD Soundsystem's song "oh baby". Even though this video has been out for a few weeks, you can still enjoy it, especially if you haven't seen it yet. The music video is directed by Rian Johnson, yes, Rian – director of The Last Jedi – Johnson who went off and made this in the midst Star Wars work. The music video plays as a short film, about a couple who invent a teleportation device. Starring Sissy Spacek and David Strathairn. This is really wonderful but quite tragic, I must say. Thanks to Short of the Week for the tip. From YouTube: music video for "oh baby" off LCD Soundsystem's album "american dream". The album is already out now. The music video is directed by filmmaker Rian Johnson,...
- 10/9/2018
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
After creating one of the best films in the Star Wars universe and before he re-enters a galaxy far, far away for his own trilogy, Rian Johnson is getting a much-deserved break from all things Jedi-related for his next project. He’ll next be directing a modern-day murder mystery starring Daniel Craig, titled Knives Out.
We can thank Danny Boyle for making the project happen as his exit from Bond 25 caused an opening in Craig’s schedule to shoot this next project, starting this November. The actor will star as a detective, and he’ll be joined by six-to-eight others in the main cast, but not many more details are available beyond that at this stage. According to the director, he told Deadline he “has been an Agatha Christie nut since his teens, sparking to her richly drawn characters and the twists and turns that drove her whodunits. For a decade,...
We can thank Danny Boyle for making the project happen as his exit from Bond 25 caused an opening in Craig’s schedule to shoot this next project, starting this November. The actor will star as a detective, and he’ll be joined by six-to-eight others in the main cast, but not many more details are available beyond that at this stage. According to the director, he told Deadline he “has been an Agatha Christie nut since his teens, sparking to her richly drawn characters and the twists and turns that drove her whodunits. For a decade,...
- 9/5/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Star Wars: The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson has signed on to direct Daniel Craig in a film project called Knives Out. The film is described as a contemporary murder mystery and Craig will play detective assigned to solve the crime. The movie will feature a "classic whodunit style, infused with Johnson’s original voice that informed films from Brick to Looper."
Johnson will direct the movie before he dives into production on his original Star Wars trilogy and Craig will make it before he returns to the role of James Bond in Bond 25.
Johnson talked to Deadline a bit about the film and says it was inspired by his love of Agatha Christie. "He has been an Agatha Christie nut since his teens, sparking to her richly drawn characters and the twists and turns that drove her whodunits. For a decade, he has been framing in his mind...
Johnson will direct the movie before he dives into production on his original Star Wars trilogy and Craig will make it before he returns to the role of James Bond in Bond 25.
Johnson talked to Deadline a bit about the film and says it was inspired by his love of Agatha Christie. "He has been an Agatha Christie nut since his teens, sparking to her richly drawn characters and the twists and turns that drove her whodunits. For a decade, he has been framing in his mind...
- 9/4/2018
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
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