The widow of a Kentucky state lawmaker who fatally shot himself earlier this week not long after being publicly accused of molesting a 17-year-old girl continues to speak out about her husband’s death.
Appearing on The Today Show on Friday morning, Rebecca Johnson claimed husband Dan Johnson, a first-term Republican state representative, had been the victim of biased reporting that — in her view — led to his death.
“I am confident if that little greasy reporter had not done what he did, my husband would be alive right now,” Rebecca said.
On Monday, the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published...
Appearing on The Today Show on Friday morning, Rebecca Johnson claimed husband Dan Johnson, a first-term Republican state representative, had been the victim of biased reporting that — in her view — led to his death.
“I am confident if that little greasy reporter had not done what he did, my husband would be alive right now,” Rebecca said.
On Monday, the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published...
- 12/15/2017
- by Adam Carlson and Steve Helling
- PEOPLE.com
Natural Born Killers‘ Tom Sizemore, who also appears in Showtime’s “Twin Peaks” revival, has signed on to star in Global Genesis Group’s horror-thriller The Door, which will begin shooting this fall, says Deadline. “The pic, set in present-day, follows Scott (Sizemore) and Rebecca Johnson as they move into a home where, in the late 50s, […]...
- 8/10/2017
- by Brad Miska
- bloody-disgusting.com
Tom Sizemore, who appears in Showtime’s Twin Peaks revival, has signed on to star in Global Genesis Group’s horror-thriller The Door, which will begin shooting this fall. The screenplay is by Charles Morris and Harel Goldstein and producers are currently in talks with a few directors, including Corbin Timbrook. . The pic, set in present-day, follows Scott (Sizemore) and Rebecca Johnson as they move into a home where, in the late 50s, Dr. Lazarus Saint and his young son…...
- 8/10/2017
- Deadline
Joan Collins and Pauline Collins play silver-years friends on a jolly to a funeral in France, in a sentimental comedy that tests indulgence to the limits
There is a creeping and depressing awfulness to this sentimental silver-years comedy, whose silly and twee style of humour and cardboard characterisation jar with its strained moments of attempted poignancy. It stars Joan Collins as the former movie star Helen, now washed up in a retirement home, who bamboozles an unhappy grandmother (Pauline Collins) into travelling with her to France for her ex-lover’s funeral. There, they have adventures with a gallant Italian artist (Franco Nero). Pauline Collins plays a next-gen variation on her Shirley Valentine persona, just as she did in a comparably terrible Brit film called Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War, from 2002. Writer-director Roger Goldby has a great track record in television and, incidentally, executive-produced Rebecca Johnson’s tremendous urban drama Honeytrap.
There is a creeping and depressing awfulness to this sentimental silver-years comedy, whose silly and twee style of humour and cardboard characterisation jar with its strained moments of attempted poignancy. It stars Joan Collins as the former movie star Helen, now washed up in a retirement home, who bamboozles an unhappy grandmother (Pauline Collins) into travelling with her to France for her ex-lover’s funeral. There, they have adventures with a gallant Italian artist (Franco Nero). Pauline Collins plays a next-gen variation on her Shirley Valentine persona, just as she did in a comparably terrible Brit film called Mrs Caldicot’s Cabbage War, from 2002. Writer-director Roger Goldby has a great track record in television and, incidentally, executive-produced Rebecca Johnson’s tremendous urban drama Honeytrap.
- 3/9/2017
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Sneak Peek footage, images and synopsis from the new "Supergirl" episode "We Can Be Heroes", written by Caitlin Parrish, Katie Rose Rogers and directed by Rebecca Johnson, airing January 30, 2017 on The CW:
"...after 'Livewire' (Brit Morgan) breaks out of prison, 'Supergirl' (Melissa Benoist) is intent on recapturing her.
"After training 'Mon-El' (Chris Wood), Supergirl takes him with her when she sees Livewire attack the 'Ncpd' but things go awry when Mon-El puts Supergirl before the citizens of 'National City'.
"Meanwhile, 'James' (Mehcad Brooks) decides to come clean with 'Kara' and 'M'Gann' (Sharon Leal), has a psychic attack and collapses into a coma..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Supergirl: We Can Be Heroes"...
"...after 'Livewire' (Brit Morgan) breaks out of prison, 'Supergirl' (Melissa Benoist) is intent on recapturing her.
"After training 'Mon-El' (Chris Wood), Supergirl takes him with her when she sees Livewire attack the 'Ncpd' but things go awry when Mon-El puts Supergirl before the citizens of 'National City'.
"Meanwhile, 'James' (Mehcad Brooks) decides to come clean with 'Kara' and 'M'Gann' (Sharon Leal), has a psychic attack and collapses into a coma..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Supergirl: We Can Be Heroes"...
- 1/30/2017
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Rebecca Johnson’s 2015 SXSW and Urbanworld Film Festival Official Selection “Honeytrap,” is a well told story of Layla, a beautiful 15 year old girl who, after living most of her life with her grandparents in Trinidad, arrives in Brixton, London, to… Continue Reading →...
- 9/21/2016
- by Wendy Okoi-Obuli
- ShadowAndAct
"Do you want to kiss me?" Array has debuted a new official trailer for an indie drama called Honeytrap, which premiered at the London Film Festival back in 2014 and is finally getting released in Us theaters this year thanks to Ava DuVernay's new distribution company. The film stars Jessica Sula as a 15-year-old girl in high school in the UK who, after a bullying incident, decides to "transform herself inside and out." She then gets caught up in various romances with older men. Also starring Lucien Laviscount, Naomi Ryan, and Ntonga Mwanza. This looks like a unique coming-of-age drama with some strong performances, but not sure if it's worth checking out in theaters or not. The music they use in this trailer is lovely. Take a look. Here's the new official trailer (+ poster) for Rebecca Johnson's Honeytrap, direct from Array's YouTube: Girlhood and gang culture collide in Rebecca Johnson...
- 9/9/2016
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Rebecca Johnson’s 2015 SXSW and Urbanworld Film Festival Official Selection “Honeytrap,” is a well told story of Layla, a beautiful 15 year old girl who, after living most of her life with her grandparents in Trinidad, arrives in Brixton, London, to… Continue Reading →...
- 9/7/2016
- by Wendy Okoi-Obuli
- ShadowAndAct
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.
– Drafthouse Films has announced that they will release Stephen Kijak’s “We Are X” in New York and Los Angeles on October 21, followed by nationwide expansion. The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, where it was awarded the Special Jury Prize for editing, and follows the enigmatic Yoshiki, leader of the Japanese band X Japan.
“You will not believe the trials and tribulations that the arena-filling, mega-band X Japan have faced in their 30 year career,” said Drafthouse Films founder Tim League of the news. “This documentary will leave you equally breathless and uplifted. It is the best music doc of the year, and we are honored to bring it to American audiences.”
– Array has announced the acquisition of “Honeytrap,...
– Drafthouse Films has announced that they will release Stephen Kijak’s “We Are X” in New York and Los Angeles on October 21, followed by nationwide expansion. The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, where it was awarded the Special Jury Prize for editing, and follows the enigmatic Yoshiki, leader of the Japanese band X Japan.
“You will not believe the trials and tribulations that the arena-filling, mega-band X Japan have faced in their 30 year career,” said Drafthouse Films founder Tim League of the news. “This documentary will leave you equally breathless and uplifted. It is the best music doc of the year, and we are honored to bring it to American audiences.”
– Array has announced the acquisition of “Honeytrap,...
- 8/5/2016
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Rebecca Johnson’s “Honeytrap” is a well told story of Layla, a beautiful 15 year old girl who, after living most of her life with her grandparents in Trinidad, arrives in Brixton, London, to live with her estranged mother. Based on… Continue Reading →...
- 8/4/2016
- by Wendy Okoi-Obuli
- ShadowAndAct
Exclusive: It's been a busy week for Ava DuVernay with the director's $100 million budgeted Disney pic A Wrinkle In Time awarded over $18 million in California tax credits and her Queen Sugar Ep'd Own series snagging an early Season 2 pick-up. Now the Selma helmer's film collective Array has acquired inner-city UK crime drama Honeytrap. Based on a real 2009 crime, the debut feature from director/writer Rebecca Johnson follows 15-year old Layla, newly transplanted from…...
- 8/4/2016
- Deadline
With the release of Captain America: Civil War less than two weeks off, Phase 3 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is about to shift into overdrive. It may be a long time before Captain Marvel sees action in 2019, but is it possible that Marvel’s already got the perfect lead actress and director in mind?
During this week’s episode of Meet The Movie Press, The Wrap’s Jeff Sneider had some interesting insight into the forthcoming Captain Marvel flick. Although cryptic, Sneider did offer up a curious possibility.
“There was a rumour about an actress being up for it; an already existing rumour, that’s not new. I’ve definitely heard there’s some truth to that rumour, and that there’s a director with the same first name who has also been eyed. I don’t think that [an announcement] is too far off. If they can make it to Comic Con,...
During this week’s episode of Meet The Movie Press, The Wrap’s Jeff Sneider had some interesting insight into the forthcoming Captain Marvel flick. Although cryptic, Sneider did offer up a curious possibility.
“There was a rumour about an actress being up for it; an already existing rumour, that’s not new. I’ve definitely heard there’s some truth to that rumour, and that there’s a director with the same first name who has also been eyed. I don’t think that [an announcement] is too far off. If they can make it to Comic Con,...
- 4/24/2016
- by Andy L. Kubai
- We Got This Covered
"Honeytrap" makes its New York Premiere at the the Urbanworld Film Festival this Saturday, September 26 at 5 Pm at AMC Empire Theater. For ticket information click here. Rebecca Johnson’s "Honeytrap" is a well told story of Layla, a beautiful 15 year old girl who, after living most of her life with her grandparents in Trinidad, arrives in Brixton, London, to live with her estranged mother. Based on the case of a real-life murder which made UK news headlines in 2008, in which a young girl is used to lure her naïve ex-boyfriend into the trap of her older ex-boyfriend and his posse, "Honeytrap" eschews the headlines and plays out the...
- 9/24/2015
- by Wendy Okoi-Obuli
- ShadowAndAct
Asif Kapadia’s Amy, Anna Muylaert’s The Second Mother, Abderrahmane Sissako’s Timbuktu, John Maclean’s Slow West and Céline Sciamma’s Girlhood are among the fiction and documentary line-up.
The fiction selections are: Chus Gutiérrez’s Ciudad Deliro (Colombia); Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court (India); Miguel Llansó’s Crumbs (Ethiopia-Spain); Girlhood (France), Mario Crespo’s Gone With The River (Venezuela); Ana V. Bojórquez, Lucía Carreras’ The Greatest House In The World (Guatemala-Mexico); Alonso Ruizpalacios’ Güeros (Mexico); Rebecca Johnson’s Honeytrap (UK); Shonali Bose’s Margarita, With A Straw (India); Jean-Paul Civeyrac’s My Friend Victoria (France); and Carolina Borrero, Pinky Mon, Luis Franco, Abner Benaim and Pituka Ortega Heilbron’s Panama Canal Stories (Panama).
The section continues with: Nagesh Kukunoor’s Rainbow (India); Debbie Tucker Green’s Second Coming (UK); The Second Mother (Brazil, pictured); Walter Tournier’s Selkirk, The Real Robinson Crusoe (Uruguay-Argentina-Chile-Spain); John Maclean’s Slow West (UK-New Zealand); Jim Chuchu’s Stories Of Our Lives (Kenya-South...
The fiction selections are: Chus Gutiérrez’s Ciudad Deliro (Colombia); Chaitanya Tamhane’s Court (India); Miguel Llansó’s Crumbs (Ethiopia-Spain); Girlhood (France), Mario Crespo’s Gone With The River (Venezuela); Ana V. Bojórquez, Lucía Carreras’ The Greatest House In The World (Guatemala-Mexico); Alonso Ruizpalacios’ Güeros (Mexico); Rebecca Johnson’s Honeytrap (UK); Shonali Bose’s Margarita, With A Straw (India); Jean-Paul Civeyrac’s My Friend Victoria (France); and Carolina Borrero, Pinky Mon, Luis Franco, Abner Benaim and Pituka Ortega Heilbron’s Panama Canal Stories (Panama).
The section continues with: Nagesh Kukunoor’s Rainbow (India); Debbie Tucker Green’s Second Coming (UK); The Second Mother (Brazil, pictured); Walter Tournier’s Selkirk, The Real Robinson Crusoe (Uruguay-Argentina-Chile-Spain); John Maclean’s Slow West (UK-New Zealand); Jim Chuchu’s Stories Of Our Lives (Kenya-South...
- 8/19/2015
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Fifteen candidates selected from 250 scheme applicants; previous mentees include Laura Hastings-Smith.
A total of 15 candidates have been selected from 250 applicants to take part in the seventh iteration of UK mentoring scheme Guiding Lights.
This year’s line up includes directing pair James Spinney and Peter Middleton, who have begun production on their feature film Notes on Blindness, as well as Aneil Karia, Emily Greenwood, Mahdi Fleifel, director of A World Not Ours, and Billy Lumby, whose short won the Pears Short Film prize.
Writers include Jennifer Majka, who wrote the screenplay for BAFTA-winning short The Bigger Picture, Matthew Orton, and Hannah Patterson.
Brian Falconer, producer of Oscar-nominated Boogaloo and Graham, made the cut alongside producers Daisy Allsop, Michael Ford, and Chi Thai.
The final two candidates were exhibitors Sophie Easterbrook, who programmed Farnham Maltings, a creative arts centre in the South East, and Carmen Slijpen, who is developing a new community cinema in East Sussex.
Mentors for the...
A total of 15 candidates have been selected from 250 applicants to take part in the seventh iteration of UK mentoring scheme Guiding Lights.
This year’s line up includes directing pair James Spinney and Peter Middleton, who have begun production on their feature film Notes on Blindness, as well as Aneil Karia, Emily Greenwood, Mahdi Fleifel, director of A World Not Ours, and Billy Lumby, whose short won the Pears Short Film prize.
Writers include Jennifer Majka, who wrote the screenplay for BAFTA-winning short The Bigger Picture, Matthew Orton, and Hannah Patterson.
Brian Falconer, producer of Oscar-nominated Boogaloo and Graham, made the cut alongside producers Daisy Allsop, Michael Ford, and Chi Thai.
The final two candidates were exhibitors Sophie Easterbrook, who programmed Farnham Maltings, a creative arts centre in the South East, and Carmen Slijpen, who is developing a new community cinema in East Sussex.
Mentors for the...
- 7/8/2015
- by mantus@masonlive.gmu.edu (Madison Antus)
- ScreenDaily
★★★★☆ Cinema has recently been gifted with not one but two vital films on contemporary black girlhood. Both probe deep into the confines of class, race and gender construction to tease out the finely-tuned truths of what it means to come of age in today's urban landscapes. From France comes Céline Sciamma's Girlhood (2014) and, in reply, England has delivered the quietly stunning Honeytrap (2014). Director Rebecca Johnson's first foray in the feature-length format is at equal times tender, tense, hopeful and heartbreaking. After being raised by her grandparents in Trinidad, 15-year-old Layla (Jessica Sula) is back in Brixton to live with her distant and often distracted mother, Shiree (Naomi Ryan).
- 5/12/2015
- by CineVue UK
- CineVue
Two films about poor black teen girls offer harrowing — and very universal — portraits of how our culture tries to crush the spirit out of all girls. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m desperate for stories about girls and women
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
You want to know what it feels like to be a teenaged girl? The opening sequence of Girlhood nails it in a way I promise you have never seen before on film. A group of rowdy, rambunctious girls is walking home from their sporting match — American football, of all things, with all its rough and tumble — chatting and laughing among themselves. Until they come upon a gang of teenaged boys just hanging out… and then they shut up in an instant as they scurry past. The boys don’t do or say anything to them; they don’t have to.
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
You want to know what it feels like to be a teenaged girl? The opening sequence of Girlhood nails it in a way I promise you have never seen before on film. A group of rowdy, rambunctious girls is walking home from their sporting match — American football, of all things, with all its rough and tumble — chatting and laughing among themselves. Until they come upon a gang of teenaged boys just hanging out… and then they shut up in an instant as they scurry past. The boys don’t do or say anything to them; they don’t have to.
- 5/8/2015
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Rebecca Johnson's Honeytrap tells the story of Layla (Skins star Jessica Sula), a 15-year-old from Brixton, south London, who is persuaded by a gang leader on whom she has a crush to lure a boy into a violent confrontation. Honeytrap works in broad strokes, but it's a promising debut, says Peter Bradshaw. The film is released in the UK on 8 May Continue reading...
- 5/8/2015
- by Peter Bradshaw and Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Jessica Sula is outstanding in a story based on the 2009 case of a teenage girl who lures a lovestruck admirer in a brutal trap set by gang members
A quietly excellent lead performance from Jessica Sula (a graduate of TV’s Skins) carries this raw, powerful movie from feature newcomer Rebecca Johnson – comparable to Girlhood. It is based on the notorious “Honeytrap” case from 2009, when a teenage girl in Brixton, south London, lured a lovestruck admirer into a brutal trap set by gang members. Johnson paints a picture of abuse, machismo and paranoia, mixing true-crime, urban-realist melodrama with a photolove nightmare.
Continue reading...
A quietly excellent lead performance from Jessica Sula (a graduate of TV’s Skins) carries this raw, powerful movie from feature newcomer Rebecca Johnson – comparable to Girlhood. It is based on the notorious “Honeytrap” case from 2009, when a teenage girl in Brixton, south London, lured a lovestruck admirer into a brutal trap set by gang members. Johnson paints a picture of abuse, machismo and paranoia, mixing true-crime, urban-realist melodrama with a photolove nightmare.
Continue reading...
- 5/7/2015
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
"Honeytrap" opens in UK cinemas tomorrow, Friday, May 8. No word of a USA pickup yet. Rebecca Johnson’s "Honeytrap" is a well told story of Layla, a beautiful 15 year old girl who, after living most of her life with her grandparents in Trinidad, arrives in Brixton, London, to live with her estranged mother. Based on the case of a real-life murder which made UK news headlines in 2008, in which a young girl is used to lure her naïve ex-boyfriend into the trap of her older ex-boyfriend and his posse, "Honeytrap" eschews the headlines and plays out the classic fish out of water trope to a devastatingly tragic conclusion. With Layla initially sticking out like...
- 5/7/2015
- by Wendy Okoi-Obuli
- ShadowAndAct
Anyone who saw it will know that Celine Sciamma’s “Girlhood,” released back in January, is one of the best films of 2015 so far. Are we about to get a British-set companion piece for it? This week sees the UK release of drama “Honeytrap,” and the film looks to be playing in similar territory as Sciamma’s picture, though it’s actually based on real events. Read More: The 25 Best Films Of 2015 We've Already Seen Directed by Rebecca Johnson (who was nominated for Best Newcomer at the BFI London Film Festival, where the film debuted), it’s a fictionalized retelling of the story of Samantha Joseph, who in 2008, led a boy who was enamoured with her into an ambush set-up by her boyfriend, resulting in his murder. A gritty drama examining the unfamiliar world of women in London gangs, it seems to be a major launchpad not just for Johnson,...
- 5/6/2015
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
A new trailer for gritty urban drama Honeytrap has launched exclusively on Digital Spy.
Written and directed by Rebecca Johnson, the film stars Skins actress Jessica Sula in her movie debut as 15-year-old Layla, a girl who sets up the murder of a boy who is in love with her.
"Jess stood out for her intensity - a sort of understated intensity, which was always there, even when she was doing very little," said Johnson .
"She understood both sides of Layla and how important it would be to balance them - the vulnerability and the shield of hardness she is trying to create for herself.
"She was absolutely committed; I could tell that immediately even though she was so young, and I knew I could trust her."
Sula said: "I think Honeytrap will surprise people because it's a very different film than we're used to seeing in terms of urban films.
Written and directed by Rebecca Johnson, the film stars Skins actress Jessica Sula in her movie debut as 15-year-old Layla, a girl who sets up the murder of a boy who is in love with her.
"Jess stood out for her intensity - a sort of understated intensity, which was always there, even when she was doing very little," said Johnson .
"She understood both sides of Layla and how important it would be to balance them - the vulnerability and the shield of hardness she is trying to create for herself.
"She was absolutely committed; I could tell that immediately even though she was so young, and I knew I could trust her."
Sula said: "I think Honeytrap will surprise people because it's a very different film than we're used to seeing in terms of urban films.
- 5/1/2015
- Digital Spy
Honeytrap, written and directed by BFI Best British Newcomer nominee Rebecca Johnson, stars Jessica Sula as Layla, a teenager from Brixton, south London, who gets embroiled in a plot to ambush a man who's fallen in love with her. After critical acclaim at the London film festival and SXSW, Honeytrap is released in the UK on Friday 8 May Continue reading...
- 4/29/2015
- by Guardian Staff
- The Guardian - Film News
Honeytrap
Written and directed by Rebecca Johnson
UK, 2014
As Honeytrap opens, 15-year-old Layla (Jessica Sula) arrives in London, having traveled from her native Trinidad to live with her mother. With her doe eyes and cherubic face, she looks displaced on the gritty streets of South London. Over the course of Honeytrap, Layla’s innocence is slowly dismantled by this harsh environment, and director Rebecca Johnson depicts this process with broad strokes and heavy-handed characterization.
Layla’s purity comes under attack in almost no time at all. She starts hanging out with a couple of delinquents from her school, shoplifting for them as a form of ingratiation. It is through these friends that Layla is introduced to Troy (Lucien Laviscount), a local musician whom Layla immediately falls for. Troy is the film’s namesake. His good looks and charm lure Layla into his arms, and it is only when she resides...
Written and directed by Rebecca Johnson
UK, 2014
As Honeytrap opens, 15-year-old Layla (Jessica Sula) arrives in London, having traveled from her native Trinidad to live with her mother. With her doe eyes and cherubic face, she looks displaced on the gritty streets of South London. Over the course of Honeytrap, Layla’s innocence is slowly dismantled by this harsh environment, and director Rebecca Johnson depicts this process with broad strokes and heavy-handed characterization.
Layla’s purity comes under attack in almost no time at all. She starts hanging out with a couple of delinquents from her school, shoplifting for them as a form of ingratiation. It is through these friends that Layla is introduced to Troy (Lucien Laviscount), a local musician whom Layla immediately falls for. Troy is the film’s namesake. His good looks and charm lure Layla into his arms, and it is only when she resides...
- 3/19/2015
- by Jacob Carter
- SoundOnSight
Amy Schumer and Bill Hader in TrainwreckPhoto: Universal Pictures With Sundance just wrapping up and Berlin starting up in a few days, we are now immersed in the year-long barrage of film festivals. One such festival in South By Southwest. A few weeks back they announced the first seven films of their program, including the opening night film Brand: A Second Coming. Today, they have revealed the rest of the features to be shown in March (except for the midnight program), and some of it has me very excited. The bigger titles announced do not do much for me. Paul Feig's Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy, and the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart starrer Get Hard leave a lot to be desired in terms of anticipation, as does a work in progress cut of Judd Apatow's latest film Trainwreck. I'm guessing an Apatow work in progress is probably around three and a half hours.
- 2/3/2015
- by Mike Shutt
- Rope of Silicon
South by Southwest, the multi-faceted film, music and technology festival held annually in Austin, TX will feature such upcoming films as Paul Feig’s Spy, David Gordon Green’s Manglehorn, Alex Gibney’s documentary Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, and Ondi Timoner’s Russell Brand profile Brand: A Second Coming as headliners in this year’s film festival lineup.
SXSW runs from March 13 to 21 in Austin and is now in its 22nd year. Variety has details of the 145 films and 100 world premieres bowing at this year’s festival. Brand, as previously reported, will be the festival’s opening night film.
Other notable titles on the list are the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard, a rough cut of Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, the directorial debut of 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina, and a new comedy by Michael Showalter, Hello, My Name is Doris.
On the small screen,...
SXSW runs from March 13 to 21 in Austin and is now in its 22nd year. Variety has details of the 145 films and 100 world premieres bowing at this year’s festival. Brand, as previously reported, will be the festival’s opening night film.
Other notable titles on the list are the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart comedy Get Hard, a rough cut of Judd Apatow’s Trainwreck, the directorial debut of 28 Days Later screenwriter Alex Garland, Ex Machina, and a new comedy by Michael Showalter, Hello, My Name is Doris.
On the small screen,...
- 2/3/2015
- by Brian Welk
- SoundOnSight
Her current work, which is also her feature film directorial debut, titled "Honeytrap" - previously highlighted on this blog - made its world premiere at the BFI London Film Festival last month (read our review of it here), as it begins its worldwide tour. But before it crosses the pond, check out her 2010 award-winning short film, "Top Girl," which the filmmaker has made available online. A 10-year industry veteran, writer/director Rebecca Johnson's "trademark style" includes utilizing drama workshops with non-actors from the communities in which her films are set, to generate material and elicit incredibly naturalistic performances...
- 11/24/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Rebecca Johnson’s "Honeytrap" is a well told story of Layla, a beautiful 15 year old girl who, after living most of her life with her grandparents in Trinidad, arrives in Brixton, London, to live with her estranged mother. Based on the case of a real-life murder which made UK news headlines in 2008, in which a young girl is used to lure her naïve ex-boyfriend into the trap of her older ex-boyfriend and his posse, "Honeytrap" eschews the headlines and plays out the classic fish out of water trope to a devastatingly tragic conclusion. With Layla initially sticking out like a sore thumb and keen fit in with her peers, she is lead down paths that seem unlikely she’d...
- 10/17/2014
- by Wendy Okoi-Obuli
- ShadowAndAct
This October the London Film Festival brings a wonderful, eclectic mix of films, shorts and events to the capital once again. Firmly establishing itself as a people’s festival (it being the best of the other festivals, Clare Stewart and her team acknowledging they can’t compete on world premieres), it will look to build on last year’s impressive new direction.
From the opening night fun with The Imitation Game to the final push of Brad Pitt’s Fury there will be a number of essential films to catch. The HeyUGuys team have chosen their favourites from among the hundreds playing.
You can find everything you need to book tickets and find out more information right here.
Here are the films you need to see next month.
The Tribe
There is nothing more exciting than a filmmaker attempting to push the boundaries; to shatter audiences expectations of what is...
From the opening night fun with The Imitation Game to the final push of Brad Pitt’s Fury there will be a number of essential films to catch. The HeyUGuys team have chosen their favourites from among the hundreds playing.
You can find everything you need to book tickets and find out more information right here.
Here are the films you need to see next month.
The Tribe
There is nothing more exciting than a filmmaker attempting to push the boundaries; to shatter audiences expectations of what is...
- 9/5/2014
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Fury (David Ayer)
[via the BFI]
The programme for the 58th BFI London Film Festival launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. The lineup includes highly anticipated fall titles including David Ayer’s Fury, Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, the Sundance smash Whiplash, Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye to Language 3D, The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner, Jason Reitman’s Men, Women and Children and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild.
As Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals, it introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience, offering a compelling combination of red carpet glamour, engaged audiences and vibrant exchange. The Festival provides an essential profiling opportunity for films seeking global success at the start of the Awards season, promotes the careers of British and...
[via the BFI]
The programme for the 58th BFI London Film Festival launched today, with Festival Director Clare Stewart presenting this year’s rich and diverse selection of films and events. The lineup includes highly anticipated fall titles including David Ayer’s Fury, Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, the Sundance smash Whiplash, Jean-Luc Godard’s Goodbye to Language 3D, The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Mike Leigh’s Mr. Turner, Jason Reitman’s Men, Women and Children and Jean-Marc Vallee’s Wild.
As Britain’s leading film event and one of the world’s oldest film festivals, it introduces the finest new British and international films to an expanding London and UK-wide audience, offering a compelling combination of red carpet glamour, engaged audiences and vibrant exchange. The Festival provides an essential profiling opportunity for films seeking global success at the start of the Awards season, promotes the careers of British and...
- 9/3/2014
- by John
- SoundOnSight
World premieres include Wwi drama Testament of Youth, Carol Morley’s The Falling and sci-fi sequel Monsters: Dark Continent.
The line-up for the 58th London Film Festival (Oct 8-19) has been revealed this morning and it is packed with awards contenders and the best of this year’s festivals.
Click here for full line-up
Titles already generating awards buzz that will receive gala screenings at Lff include Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo, and Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, which proved the breakout hit at Sundance.
Other galas will give European premieres to Jason Reitman’s Men, Women & Children, starring Adam Sandler and Ansel Elgort with a racy voiceover by Emma Thompson, and biopic Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon and directed by Jean-Marc Vallee.
Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner will also feature among the main gala screenings as will the world premiere of Testament of Youth, a First World...
The line-up for the 58th London Film Festival (Oct 8-19) has been revealed this morning and it is packed with awards contenders and the best of this year’s festivals.
Click here for full line-up
Titles already generating awards buzz that will receive gala screenings at Lff include Bennett Miller’s Foxcatcher, starring Steve Carell, Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo, and Damien Chazelle’s Whiplash, which proved the breakout hit at Sundance.
Other galas will give European premieres to Jason Reitman’s Men, Women & Children, starring Adam Sandler and Ansel Elgort with a racy voiceover by Emma Thompson, and biopic Wild, starring Reese Witherspoon and directed by Jean-Marc Vallee.
Mike Leigh’s Mr Turner will also feature among the main gala screenings as will the world premiere of Testament of Youth, a First World...
- 9/3/2014
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Franco Nero, lyricist Tim Rice, designer Eve Stewart also attached to Roger Goldby project.
Joan Collins, Pauline Collins and Franco Nero are attached to star in UK road movie The Time of Their Lives, from The Waiting Room writer-director Roger Goldby.
Former Dynasty star Collins is set to play Helen, a former Hollywood siren determined to gatecrash her ex-husband’s funeral at a glamorous French hideaway. Helen escapes her London retirement home with the help of Priscilla (Pauline Collins), a repressed English housewife stuck in a bad marriage.
Nero, whose prolific career includes the starring role in 1966 Western Django, will play a famous French recluse who becomes part of an uneasy love triangle with the two women.
Sarah Sulick produces for Bright Pictures, the company she set up with Roger Goldby to make his debut feature The Waiting Room, which premiered at Edinburgh and sold to Lionsgate in the UK, IFC Films in the...
Joan Collins, Pauline Collins and Franco Nero are attached to star in UK road movie The Time of Their Lives, from The Waiting Room writer-director Roger Goldby.
Former Dynasty star Collins is set to play Helen, a former Hollywood siren determined to gatecrash her ex-husband’s funeral at a glamorous French hideaway. Helen escapes her London retirement home with the help of Priscilla (Pauline Collins), a repressed English housewife stuck in a bad marriage.
Nero, whose prolific career includes the starring role in 1966 Western Django, will play a famous French recluse who becomes part of an uneasy love triangle with the two women.
Sarah Sulick produces for Bright Pictures, the company she set up with Roger Goldby to make his debut feature The Waiting Room, which premiered at Edinburgh and sold to Lionsgate in the UK, IFC Films in the...
- 12/9/2013
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Actress Laurie Holden has visited Brixton in support of new movie Honeytrap, on which she is executive producer.
The X Files and Walking Dead star posed with writer/director Rebecca Johnson at the famous 'I Love Brixton' sign outside TX Maxx and also at the district's Lounge café.
"I loved my visit to Brixton - such a vibrant and diverse corner of London!" said Holden.
"And I'm very proud to be supporting Honeytrap, a film of vital importance in which young people from this community will be trained and mentored during production."
As part of the Training and Mentoring scheme funded by The Walcot Foundation and the Trusthouse Charitable Foundation, between 15 and 20 young people from Brixton will join the production team and shadow the crew.
Honeytrap features Jessica Sula in the lead role of Layla.
The actress - best known for playing Grace Blood in the fifth and sixth series...
The X Files and Walking Dead star posed with writer/director Rebecca Johnson at the famous 'I Love Brixton' sign outside TX Maxx and also at the district's Lounge café.
"I loved my visit to Brixton - such a vibrant and diverse corner of London!" said Holden.
"And I'm very proud to be supporting Honeytrap, a film of vital importance in which young people from this community will be trained and mentored during production."
As part of the Training and Mentoring scheme funded by The Walcot Foundation and the Trusthouse Charitable Foundation, between 15 and 20 young people from Brixton will join the production team and shadow the crew.
Honeytrap features Jessica Sula in the lead role of Layla.
The actress - best known for playing Grace Blood in the fifth and sixth series...
- 8/19/2013
- Digital Spy
Jessica Sula has been cast in the lead role in new movie Honeytrap.
The actress - best known for playing Grace Blood in the fifth and sixth series of Skins - will play 15-year-old Layla, a girl who sets up the murder of a boy who is in love with her.
Writer/director Rebecca Johnson said: "The urban genre has not been explored from the female perspective before, and it's time this side of the story was told.
"Jessica is a rare talent who will bring Layla to searing life. I'm very excited to have found her."
The film, which is Johnson's debut feature after her award-winning short Top Girl, is based on true events.
Producer Sarah Sulick added of the casting: "Our casting director did an exhaustive search and we saw many talented actresses, but Jessica really stood out.
"The fact that she is of Trinidadian descent - like...
The actress - best known for playing Grace Blood in the fifth and sixth series of Skins - will play 15-year-old Layla, a girl who sets up the murder of a boy who is in love with her.
Writer/director Rebecca Johnson said: "The urban genre has not been explored from the female perspective before, and it's time this side of the story was told.
"Jessica is a rare talent who will bring Layla to searing life. I'm very excited to have found her."
The film, which is Johnson's debut feature after her award-winning short Top Girl, is based on true events.
Producer Sarah Sulick added of the casting: "Our casting director did an exhaustive search and we saw many talented actresses, but Jessica really stood out.
"The fact that she is of Trinidadian descent - like...
- 8/12/2013
- Digital Spy
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