It is the spring of “Baby Reindeer.” Netflix’s addictive limited series about a struggling comedian (Richard Gadd) working at a bar who makes the biggest mistake of his life when he gives a lonely woman (Jessica Gunning) a cup of tea on the house is the most watched series currently on the streamer and viewership is growing. And the fact that it’s based on a true story, makes “Baby Reindeer” even more creep and chilling. It’s a must-see voyeur thriller.
The same was true in the fall of 1987 with Adrian Lyne’s “Fatal Attraction.” Audiences flocked to the hard R-rated thriller which starred a wild-haired Glenn Close as an editor with a publishing company who has one-night stand with a happily married attorney (Michael Douglas) whose wife and daughter are out of town. Though it’s “understood” that it’s just a fling, Close’s Alex just won’t let go.
The same was true in the fall of 1987 with Adrian Lyne’s “Fatal Attraction.” Audiences flocked to the hard R-rated thriller which starred a wild-haired Glenn Close as an editor with a publishing company who has one-night stand with a happily married attorney (Michael Douglas) whose wife and daughter are out of town. Though it’s “understood” that it’s just a fling, Close’s Alex just won’t let go.
- 5/2/2024
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
What's the best Disney villain song? I love Scar's devious rallying call "Be Prepared" from "The Lion King." For the feminine villains, "Mother Knows Best" from "Tangled" (sung by Tony winner Donna Murphy as Gothel) is deliciously theatrical.
Ultimately, still, the crown can't go anywhere but to "Hellfire" from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," as Claude Frollo (the late Tony Jay) sings before a searing fireplace about his lust for Romani "witch" Esmeralda (Demi Moore). Jay's mellifluous baritone was like no other — the actor's voice was so powerful it lifted the song with its echoes.
Now, the "Hunchback" soundtrack is nothing to sneer at, but "Hellfire" is on another level of daring ambition. "Out There" (by Tom Hulce as Quasimodo) is the "yearning song" seen in many a Disney movie, a la "Part of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid" or "Belle's Reprise" from "Beauty and the Beast." Esmeralda's...
Ultimately, still, the crown can't go anywhere but to "Hellfire" from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," as Claude Frollo (the late Tony Jay) sings before a searing fireplace about his lust for Romani "witch" Esmeralda (Demi Moore). Jay's mellifluous baritone was like no other — the actor's voice was so powerful it lifted the song with its echoes.
Now, the "Hunchback" soundtrack is nothing to sneer at, but "Hellfire" is on another level of daring ambition. "Out There" (by Tom Hulce as Quasimodo) is the "yearning song" seen in many a Disney movie, a la "Part of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid" or "Belle's Reprise" from "Beauty and the Beast." Esmeralda's...
- 4/15/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Hollywood stars are known for their grace and composure, but even under the bright lights, celebrities are human after all. In one such experience, Anne Hathaway shed some light on a surprising moment with her co-star Hugh Jackman.
Anne Hathaway || Les Miserables
Suggested“The biggest robberies I’ve seen in a long time”: Fans Still Have Not Forgiven Oscars For Ignoring Hugh Jackman’s Performance in Denis Villeneuve’s Movie
The two stars worked together in 2012’s “Les Miserables”, a musical drama based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo. Known for his friendliness and professionalism, even Jackman once lost his cool while shooting the movie.
Hugh Jackman Gave a “Thousand-Mile” Stare To Anne Hathaway While Shooting Les Miserables
Hugh Jackman || Les Miserables
During the 2018 Hollywood Film Award ceremony, Hugh Jackman won the award for Best Actor for The Front Runner. He was presented the award by Anne Hathaway,...
Anne Hathaway || Les Miserables
Suggested“The biggest robberies I’ve seen in a long time”: Fans Still Have Not Forgiven Oscars For Ignoring Hugh Jackman’s Performance in Denis Villeneuve’s Movie
The two stars worked together in 2012’s “Les Miserables”, a musical drama based on the classic novel by Victor Hugo. Known for his friendliness and professionalism, even Jackman once lost his cool while shooting the movie.
Hugh Jackman Gave a “Thousand-Mile” Stare To Anne Hathaway While Shooting Les Miserables
Hugh Jackman || Les Miserables
During the 2018 Hollywood Film Award ceremony, Hugh Jackman won the award for Best Actor for The Front Runner. He was presented the award by Anne Hathaway,...
- 3/26/2024
- by Piyush Yadav
- FandomWire
When he wrote the novel more than 160 years ago, Victor Hugo never could have imagined the life that Les Miserables would have beyond its pages. Over the years, it’s been adapted into hundreds of works, including dozens of films and, of course, the famous musical, which has been running in London’s West End since 1985 and has played all over the world. Of course, the musical adaptation was, itself, transformed into a movie, the three-time Oscar-winning 2012 film starring Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, and Anne Hathaway, who won one of those Academy Awards as Best Supporting Actress. When Hathaway took the role, she was well aware of the musical’s large and enthusiastic following; when the film was released, she said she’d never been involved in a project that had been so eagerly anticipated by so many fans. (Click on the media bar below to hear Anne Hathaway) https://www.
- 2/26/2024
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Joseph Quinn is currently smashing it in Hollywood. After making a name for himself primarily on television, his upcoming movie roles include this year’s A Quiet Place: Day One and Gladiator 2.
As of Valentine’s Day this year, when the film’s whole cast was announced, he’s also been confirmed as playing Johnny Storm, Aka the Human Torch, in Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four, which is due for release in July 2025.
It’s an interesting casting, but there’s no doubt the English actor can pull it off. Here are five of Joseph Quinn’s past roles that prove he’ll make a superb Johnny Storm for the MCU’s Fantastic Four.
Dickensian Joseph Quinn as Arthur Havisham in Dickensian.
Dickensian is a 20-part British drama series aired on the BBC in 2015 and 2016. The series unites characters from several Charles Dickens novels in a Victorian London neighborhood.
As of Valentine’s Day this year, when the film’s whole cast was announced, he’s also been confirmed as playing Johnny Storm, Aka the Human Torch, in Marvel Studios’ The Fantastic Four, which is due for release in July 2025.
It’s an interesting casting, but there’s no doubt the English actor can pull it off. Here are five of Joseph Quinn’s past roles that prove he’ll make a superb Johnny Storm for the MCU’s Fantastic Four.
Dickensian Joseph Quinn as Arthur Havisham in Dickensian.
Dickensian is a 20-part British drama series aired on the BBC in 2015 and 2016. The series unites characters from several Charles Dickens novels in a Victorian London neighborhood.
- 2/15/2024
- by Kevin Stewart
- FandomWire
Studiocanal will co-produce and is handling international sales on Fred Cavayé’s adaptation of Victor Hugo’s epic novel Les Misérables.
Set to shoot at the end of 2024, Les Miserables is produced by Olivier Delbosc’s Curiosa Films, whose notable behind The Taste Of Things, and Richard Grandpierre’s Eskwad, f recent films Like A Son and Spring Blossom.
No cast is yet attached. Studiocanal will release the film in France.
Cavayé’s most recent credits include the World War II-set drama Farewell Mister Haffmann and period comedy This is the Goat! starring Dany Boon which is set for release...
Set to shoot at the end of 2024, Les Miserables is produced by Olivier Delbosc’s Curiosa Films, whose notable behind The Taste Of Things, and Richard Grandpierre’s Eskwad, f recent films Like A Son and Spring Blossom.
No cast is yet attached. Studiocanal will release the film in France.
Cavayé’s most recent credits include the World War II-set drama Farewell Mister Haffmann and period comedy This is the Goat! starring Dany Boon which is set for release...
- 2/6/2024
- ScreenDaily
Hallmark Channel is celebrating the most romantic month of the year with a full slate of new movies. For 2024, the network’s “Loveuary” lineup has a special theme, with four movies inspired by the work of Jane Austen, including a new adaptation of Sense and Sensibility. Keep reading for our rundown of the Hallmark movie schedule for February 2024.
‘Paging Mr. Darcy’
Professor Eloise Cavendish (Mallory Jansen) is a Jane Austen scholar invited to give a talk at an annual conference about the famous author. But the event combines serious scholarship with fandom, and Eloise isn’t sure how her work – which focuses on the role of money, not love in Austen’s novels – will be received. Nor is she impressed when she meets Sam (Will Kemp), the event’s official Mr. Darcy. But Eloise and Sam soon discover that they have more in common than they first thought.
Paging Mr.
‘Paging Mr. Darcy’
Professor Eloise Cavendish (Mallory Jansen) is a Jane Austen scholar invited to give a talk at an annual conference about the famous author. But the event combines serious scholarship with fandom, and Eloise isn’t sure how her work – which focuses on the role of money, not love in Austen’s novels – will be received. Nor is she impressed when she meets Sam (Will Kemp), the event’s official Mr. Darcy. But Eloise and Sam soon discover that they have more in common than they first thought.
Paging Mr.
- 1/31/2024
- by Megan Elliott
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Liam Neeson in The GreyImage: Open Road Films
The winter movie season is often a time of treasure to trash. It begins with a progressively lavish banquet of prestigious awards hopefuls and holiday event films, then peters out as January approaches and the studios offload their castoffs and leftovers into...
The winter movie season is often a time of treasure to trash. It begins with a progressively lavish banquet of prestigious awards hopefuls and holiday event films, then peters out as January approaches and the studios offload their castoffs and leftovers into...
- 1/30/2024
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Sandrine Kiberlain stars as the French icon in the film that is now in production in France.
Memento International is launching sales of Guillaume Nicloux’s The Divine Sarah Bernhardt starring Sandrine Kiberlain as the titular French stage actresss at Unifrance’s upcoming Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in Paris (January 16-23).
The film is now shooting in France. Produced by Les Films du Kiosque with Bac Films, the romantic biopic will portray the artist and actress renowned for her audacious personality and stage performances. It is based on a script by Nathalie Leuthreau.
TF1 Films Production and Belgium’s Umedia are also co-producing.
Memento International is launching sales of Guillaume Nicloux’s The Divine Sarah Bernhardt starring Sandrine Kiberlain as the titular French stage actresss at Unifrance’s upcoming Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in Paris (January 16-23).
The film is now shooting in France. Produced by Les Films du Kiosque with Bac Films, the romantic biopic will portray the artist and actress renowned for her audacious personality and stage performances. It is based on a script by Nathalie Leuthreau.
TF1 Films Production and Belgium’s Umedia are also co-producing.
- 1/11/2024
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
There are a lot of hype moments in Ridley Scott's new film "Napoleon," but perhaps the biggest is in the final act when we get the reveal that the battle Napoleon's preparing for is none other than the showdown at Waterloo. All the Abba fans in the audience leaned forward at that point, as did anyone unlucky enough to have read through the entirety of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel "Les Misérables" without skimming through that 50-page tangent about the battle in question. It's one of the most famous battles in world history, to the point where the name rings familiar even to those with only a vague recollection of 19th century France. This was the moment when Napoleon fell, after all. It's when the most important man in Europe for the past 20 years was finally forced into exile, for good this time.
But in the movie itself, the battle isn't conveyed particularly well.
But in the movie itself, the battle isn't conveyed particularly well.
- 11/28/2023
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
Spoiler Alert: The following review contains mild spoilers.
Amusing ourselves to death. That’s what media critic Neil Postman called the phenomenon that “The Hunger Games” author Suzanne Collins took to its natural extreme, penning a dystopian YA trilogy whose four-film adaptation minted Lionsgate nearly $3 billion at the global box office. Much like “Harry Potter,” the book series whose Hollywood success made this franchise possible, the big-screen adaptations took a few false steps before hitting their stride with a single director — in this case, Francis Lawrence — who now returns to helm a prequel (far better than the “Fantastic Beasts” movies) that impressively expands the canon while honoring its key themes.
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” feels like a natural extension of the saga, balancing blood sport, endangered young love and a heightened level of political commentary that respects the intelligence of young audiences as only Collins can.
Amusing ourselves to death. That’s what media critic Neil Postman called the phenomenon that “The Hunger Games” author Suzanne Collins took to its natural extreme, penning a dystopian YA trilogy whose four-film adaptation minted Lionsgate nearly $3 billion at the global box office. Much like “Harry Potter,” the book series whose Hollywood success made this franchise possible, the big-screen adaptations took a few false steps before hitting their stride with a single director — in this case, Francis Lawrence — who now returns to helm a prequel (far better than the “Fantastic Beasts” movies) that impressively expands the canon while honoring its key themes.
“The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” feels like a natural extension of the saga, balancing blood sport, endangered young love and a heightened level of political commentary that respects the intelligence of young audiences as only Collins can.
- 11/9/2023
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
Asia Argento (“The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things”), Frances Barber (“A Bird Flew In”), Tamer Hassan (“The Football Factory”), Laura Whitmore (“Sadhbh”) and child actor Erin Ainsworth have joined the cast of “A Mother for an Hour.”
The film, which is being directed by Giga Agladze, follows the story of a woman who poses as the lost mother of a dying child and discovers through this act a world of deceit and violence.
Agladze’s most recent movie is surrealistic drama “The Other Me” (2022), starring Jim Sturgess and Andrea Pejic, executive produced by David Lynch.
“A Mother for an Hour” is being produced by Kirsty Bell, Goldfinch CEO and co-founder of The Number 44, and Ben Charles Edwards, also a co-founder of The Number 44. The executive producers are Phil McKenzie and David Kereselidze. It is shooting in the North of England, predominantly in Newcastle, Hartlepool and surrounding areas.
Production...
The film, which is being directed by Giga Agladze, follows the story of a woman who poses as the lost mother of a dying child and discovers through this act a world of deceit and violence.
Agladze’s most recent movie is surrealistic drama “The Other Me” (2022), starring Jim Sturgess and Andrea Pejic, executive produced by David Lynch.
“A Mother for an Hour” is being produced by Kirsty Bell, Goldfinch CEO and co-founder of The Number 44, and Ben Charles Edwards, also a co-founder of The Number 44. The executive producers are Phil McKenzie and David Kereselidze. It is shooting in the North of England, predominantly in Newcastle, Hartlepool and surrounding areas.
Production...
- 11/6/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
It’s been virtually 100 years to the day since Walt Disney’s animated mouse took the wheel of a steamship and steered himself into immortality. But for anyone who grew up watching Disney movies that might seem surprisingly recent. Since near its very inception, Walt Disney Animation Studios has evoked a timeless sensibility which seems eternal and everlasting. With likely your parents and grandparents growing up on Disney movies, the studio’s brand of hand-drawn magic has always been there in the background of living memory. But every magic has its dark side… and the shadows cast by the House of Mouse have always been faintly more sinister than parents remember until they put a little one in front of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Fantasia. You show a child Chernabog for the first time, and I’ll show you a week of nightmares.
Going back to the days of Walt,...
Going back to the days of Walt,...
- 11/4/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Among the titans of the Indian film industry, his forte was the grand epic that brought various phases of the subcontinent’s history – ancient, medieval, and early modern – to vivid life and enabled him to use his booming baritone, which even drew blind people to cinema theatres just to hear his grandiloquence.
Be it as the Rajput nobleman Sangram Singh in “Pukar” (1931) set in the times of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Raja Porus in “Sikandar” (1941), in the title role of the Parmar king in “Prithvi Vallabh” (1943), as the Rajguru of Rani Lakkshmibai in “Jhansi ki Rani” (1952), or the bitter persecuted Jew Ezra in “Yahudi” (1958), Sohrab Modi strode the silver screen with his imposing presence, boundless histrionic abilities, and thunderous voice.
He delivered a trailblasing performance as a kind and rational man turned domestic tyrant – and twice over- in “Jailor”, made first in 1938 and remade in 1958, with totally different casts save him in the title role.
Be it as the Rajput nobleman Sangram Singh in “Pukar” (1931) set in the times of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Raja Porus in “Sikandar” (1941), in the title role of the Parmar king in “Prithvi Vallabh” (1943), as the Rajguru of Rani Lakkshmibai in “Jhansi ki Rani” (1952), or the bitter persecuted Jew Ezra in “Yahudi” (1958), Sohrab Modi strode the silver screen with his imposing presence, boundless histrionic abilities, and thunderous voice.
He delivered a trailblasing performance as a kind and rational man turned domestic tyrant – and twice over- in “Jailor”, made first in 1938 and remade in 1958, with totally different casts save him in the title role.
- 11/2/2023
- by Agency News Desk
Among the titans of the Indian film industry, his forte was the grand epic that brought various phases of the subcontinent’s history – ancient, medieval, and early modern – to vivid life and enabled him to use his booming baritone, which even drew blind people to cinema theatres just to hear his grandiloquence.
Be it as the Rajput nobleman Sangram Singh in “Pukar” (1931) set in the times of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Raja Porus in “Sikandar” (1941), in the title role of the Parmar king in “Prithvi Vallabh” (1943), as the Rajguru of Rani Lakkshmibai in “Jhansi ki Rani” (1952), or the bitter persecuted Jew Ezra in “Yahudi” (1958), Sohrab Modi strode the silver screen with his imposing presence, boundless histrionic abilities, and thunderous voice.
He delivered a trailblasing performance as a kind and rational man turned domestic tyrant – and twice over- in “Jailor”, made first in 1938 and remade in 1958, with totally different casts save him in the title role.
Be it as the Rajput nobleman Sangram Singh in “Pukar” (1931) set in the times of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, Raja Porus in “Sikandar” (1941), in the title role of the Parmar king in “Prithvi Vallabh” (1943), as the Rajguru of Rani Lakkshmibai in “Jhansi ki Rani” (1952), or the bitter persecuted Jew Ezra in “Yahudi” (1958), Sohrab Modi strode the silver screen with his imposing presence, boundless histrionic abilities, and thunderous voice.
He delivered a trailblasing performance as a kind and rational man turned domestic tyrant – and twice over- in “Jailor”, made first in 1938 and remade in 1958, with totally different casts save him in the title role.
- 11/2/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
French filmmaker Ladj Ly has returned to his home turf of Paris with Les Indésirables, a searing portrait of police violence and political injustice in angry suburbs that has a world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this week.
On Saturday, Ly told a TIFF panel that little has changed for the better for the marginalized communities depicted in his follow-up to Les Misérables, which earned the Jury Prize in Cannes. “There’s absolutely no political volition to make anything better,” Ly said during an informal conversation with The Hollywood Reporter‘s Scott Roxborough, which was presented as part of the Visionaries series.
“The problems that touched the suburbs have now extended to the rest of France,” Ly added, as he pointed to the police crackdown of Yellow Vests protests countrywide against economic injustice, which included grassroots protests earlier this year against pension reforms.
“The police have a free pass to kill Blacks and Arabs,...
On Saturday, Ly told a TIFF panel that little has changed for the better for the marginalized communities depicted in his follow-up to Les Misérables, which earned the Jury Prize in Cannes. “There’s absolutely no political volition to make anything better,” Ly said during an informal conversation with The Hollywood Reporter‘s Scott Roxborough, which was presented as part of the Visionaries series.
“The problems that touched the suburbs have now extended to the rest of France,” Ly added, as he pointed to the police crackdown of Yellow Vests protests countrywide against economic injustice, which included grassroots protests earlier this year against pension reforms.
“The police have a free pass to kill Blacks and Arabs,...
- 9/10/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Hollywood Reporter arts and culture critic Lovia Gyarkye shares her list of the 10 must-see films at this month’s Toronto Film Festival.
The Boy and the Heron The Boy and the Heron
How lucky for us that Hayao Miyazaki, the animation master with a gift for enchanting world-building, didn’t stay retired? The prolific Japanese filmmaker makes an exciting return with The Boy and the Heron, which opened in Japan earlier this summer. Inspired by Genzaburo Yoshino’s novel How Do You Live?, The Boy and the Heron chronicles the adventures of a young, bereft boy who discovers an abandoned tower and a persistent grey heron while exploring his new town.
Dicks: The Musical
A24’s first musical feature is a ride that, for better or worse, I’m ready to get on. Comedians Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp play two businessmen who find out they are twins and try to reunite their parents.
The Boy and the Heron The Boy and the Heron
How lucky for us that Hayao Miyazaki, the animation master with a gift for enchanting world-building, didn’t stay retired? The prolific Japanese filmmaker makes an exciting return with The Boy and the Heron, which opened in Japan earlier this summer. Inspired by Genzaburo Yoshino’s novel How Do You Live?, The Boy and the Heron chronicles the adventures of a young, bereft boy who discovers an abandoned tower and a persistent grey heron while exploring his new town.
Dicks: The Musical
A24’s first musical feature is a ride that, for better or worse, I’m ready to get on. Comedians Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp play two businessmen who find out they are twins and try to reunite their parents.
- 9/7/2023
- by Lovia Gyarkye
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When Is The Netflix Series The Fall Of The House Of Usher Coming? Well, in the early days when Hollywood was nothing but vast expanses of orange groves, and the cinematic industry found its epicenter in Fort Lee, New Jersey, they were already turning books into movies.
In 1899, they made the first movie based on a play by Shakespeare (called King John), and in 1909, they turned Victor Hugo’s book Les Misérables into the first long movie.
Some directors, like Alfred Hitchcock, mainly used stories from books to make their movies.
People like the idea because books have detailed stories and interesting characters, and when they see these on screen, it feels like the book is coming to life. But there’s a problem: people often say, “The book was better than the movie.”
A horror director named Mike Flanagan doesn’t worry too much about making the movie exactly like the book.
In 1899, they made the first movie based on a play by Shakespeare (called King John), and in 1909, they turned Victor Hugo’s book Les Misérables into the first long movie.
Some directors, like Alfred Hitchcock, mainly used stories from books to make their movies.
People like the idea because books have detailed stories and interesting characters, and when they see these on screen, it feels like the book is coming to life. But there’s a problem: people often say, “The book was better than the movie.”
A horror director named Mike Flanagan doesn’t worry too much about making the movie exactly like the book.
- 8/16/2023
- by Om Prakash Kaushal
- https://dailyresearchplot.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/new-sam
The Fugitive was not the movie audiences expected when they walked into their local cinemas 30 years ago. Designed to be a splashy star vehicle for Harrison Ford that summer, the film was an action-thriller, obviously, and one that even back then was banking on name recognition and brand familiarity—in this case for a 1960s television series that aired on ABC. Still, few moviegoers or critics expected it to wind up on end of year lists, or for it to be included in conversations about the best movies of 1993. But it was, including when it was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars (it lost out to Schindler’s List).
There’s a reason the film made such a visceral impact in its heyday, though, and why even three decades on it remains one of the finest action movies ever produced. And it may very well come down to one...
There’s a reason the film made such a visceral impact in its heyday, though, and why even three decades on it remains one of the finest action movies ever produced. And it may very well come down to one...
- 8/10/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Paris has been the backdrop to many a great romance, and in Heartstopper, that’s no different. A school trip to the French capital in season two is the site of an instant connection between boy…. and bookshop. When Isaac Henderson sees Shakespeare and Co. on the banks of the River Seine, it’s love at first sight. He’s punch-drunk in its aisles, wandering around with wide eyes, balancing an ever-growing stack of titles in his arms and basking in the literary sunshine.
It’s not as though Isaac didn’t come to Paris pre-stocked with books (it’s a good job the schools travelled by coach and not air – you could hardly ask this teen to load up a Kindle). The boy’s never seen without a paperback. Reading is part-obsession, part comfort-blanket to him. Books, as they are for a lot of us, are his shield against the world.
It’s not as though Isaac didn’t come to Paris pre-stocked with books (it’s a good job the schools travelled by coach and not air – you could hardly ask this teen to load up a Kindle). The boy’s never seen without a paperback. Reading is part-obsession, part comfort-blanket to him. Books, as they are for a lot of us, are his shield against the world.
- 8/4/2023
- by Louisa Mellor
- Den of Geek
Ladj Ly’s “Les Indésirables” is set to make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, making it the first international title to debut at TIFF 2023.
“We are honored to showcase Ladj Ly’s remarkable talent once again with the World Premiere of his latest work, ‘Les Indésirables,’” Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, said. “This deeply personal film beautifully captures the struggles and aspirations of a community, reflecting Ly’s unparalleled storytelling skills.”
The film – whose title is a nod to the Victor Hugo novel – is set in the suburbs of Paris and follows a young doctor (Alexis Manenti) who is appointed to replace the mayor after the politican’s sudden death. As he tries to continue the plans of his predecessor, which involve rehabilitating a working-class neighborhood, he comes face-to-face with a local French woman (Anta Diaw) of Malian origin who refuses to let her family lose their home.
“We are honored to showcase Ladj Ly’s remarkable talent once again with the World Premiere of his latest work, ‘Les Indésirables,’” Cameron Bailey, CEO of TIFF, said. “This deeply personal film beautifully captures the struggles and aspirations of a community, reflecting Ly’s unparalleled storytelling skills.”
The film – whose title is a nod to the Victor Hugo novel – is set in the suburbs of Paris and follows a young doctor (Alexis Manenti) who is appointed to replace the mayor after the politican’s sudden death. As he tries to continue the plans of his predecessor, which involve rehabilitating a working-class neighborhood, he comes face-to-face with a local French woman (Anta Diaw) of Malian origin who refuses to let her family lose their home.
- 7/5/2023
- by Kayla Cobb
- The Wrap
Ladj Ly, whose debut feature Les Miserables won the Jury Prize in Cannes and became a box office hit in France, is bringing his follow-up feature Les Indesirables to the Toronto International Film Festival for a world premiere.
The French filmmaker will return to Toronto with Les Indésirables after his debut feature, Les Misérables, had a North American premiere at TIFF in 2019, received the Jury Prize at Cannes and earned an Oscar nomination for best international feature at the 2020 Oscars, where it lost out to Parasite.
Ly skipped Cannes with Les Indésirables and Venice was also under consideration for a world premiere ahead of a Nov. 22 commercial release. Set in the suburbs of Paris, Les Indésirables stars Alexis Manenti, Jeanne Balibar, Steve Tientcheu, Anta Diaw, and Aristote Luyindula.
After the sudden death of a town’s mayor, Pierre (Manenti), an idealistic young doctor, is appointed to replace him. He intends...
The French filmmaker will return to Toronto with Les Indésirables after his debut feature, Les Misérables, had a North American premiere at TIFF in 2019, received the Jury Prize at Cannes and earned an Oscar nomination for best international feature at the 2020 Oscars, where it lost out to Parasite.
Ly skipped Cannes with Les Indésirables and Venice was also under consideration for a world premiere ahead of a Nov. 22 commercial release. Set in the suburbs of Paris, Les Indésirables stars Alexis Manenti, Jeanne Balibar, Steve Tientcheu, Anta Diaw, and Aristote Luyindula.
After the sudden death of a town’s mayor, Pierre (Manenti), an idealistic young doctor, is appointed to replace him. He intends...
- 7/5/2023
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Keita Matsuda (Harajuku – Tenshi ga Kureta Nanoka Kan) directs a dark fantasy based on Victor Hugo's novel “The Story of the Bold Pecopin”.
Set in modern Japan and medieval Europe, this is a love story between high school students as well as Pecopin, lord of the castle, who left his fiancée to go hunting. Nichika Akutsu and AKB48 Team 8 member, Miu Shitao, play dual characters in each of the two worlds.
Theatrical release in Japan will be on June 2, 2023.
Set in modern Japan and medieval Europe, this is a love story between high school students as well as Pecopin, lord of the castle, who left his fiancée to go hunting. Nichika Akutsu and AKB48 Team 8 member, Miu Shitao, play dual characters in each of the two worlds.
Theatrical release in Japan will be on June 2, 2023.
- 6/4/2023
- by Suzie Cho
- AsianMoviePulse
Disney animation is famous for producing movies that are sweet, magical, romantic, and have uplifting happy endings that the whole family can enjoy. But if you go back to the source material they generally ignored, it turns out a lot of those childhood favorites should have had endings that were… different. Darker. Sadder. Sometimes even murder-y.
Like these…
The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is based on a story by 19th century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. A lot of the details are pretty similar. A little mermaid who loves human things rescues and then falls in love with a human prince. She asks a sea witch to give her legs while sacrificing her voice to the witch in order to become human. However, the prince thinks another woman rescued him and agrees to marry her instead of the former mermaid. It is a relatively faithful adaptation for the most part.
Like these…
The Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid is based on a story by 19th century Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. A lot of the details are pretty similar. A little mermaid who loves human things rescues and then falls in love with a human prince. She asks a sea witch to give her legs while sacrificing her voice to the witch in order to become human. However, the prince thinks another woman rescued him and agrees to marry her instead of the former mermaid. It is a relatively faithful adaptation for the most part.
- 5/30/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Based on the true story of a young Jewish boy kidnapped by papal authorities, this is a full-tilt melodrama that lays bare tyranny, bigotry and the abuse of power in the Catholic church
Cannes is this year becoming a counterblast to ageism. Italian director Marco Bellocchio, at the age of 83 – and almost 60 years after he first came to prominence with his 1965 movie Fists in the Pocket – has created a gripping, heartbreaking true-political crime story from the pages of history. It is a full-tilt melodrama with the passionate vehemence of Victor Hugo or Charles Dickens, which lays bare an ugly formative episode of Europe’s Catholic church: an affair of antisemitism and child abuse.
It is based on the true story of Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish child in Bologna who, in 1858, when he was six, was taken away from his family by the papal authorities. This was done because Edgardo...
Cannes is this year becoming a counterblast to ageism. Italian director Marco Bellocchio, at the age of 83 – and almost 60 years after he first came to prominence with his 1965 movie Fists in the Pocket – has created a gripping, heartbreaking true-political crime story from the pages of history. It is a full-tilt melodrama with the passionate vehemence of Victor Hugo or Charles Dickens, which lays bare an ugly formative episode of Europe’s Catholic church: an affair of antisemitism and child abuse.
It is based on the true story of Edgardo Mortara, a young Jewish child in Bologna who, in 1858, when he was six, was taken away from his family by the papal authorities. This was done because Edgardo...
- 5/23/2023
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
One of these days, you’re going to find yourself scrolling through the countless options to find a ridiculous comedy to watch with your friends on a mellow afternoon, and that would be your cue to give a shot to “Quasi.” Owing nothing to a grander scheme of things, any deep socio-political message, or even the Victor Hugo novel it’s a loose adaptation of, for that matter, the film is unapologetic about its wildly lame and ludicrous sense of humor that is likely to fill up your sack of jokes for a year at least. And if you’re like me and nothing makes you crack up loud like dad jokes, cringy puns, and intentionally bad French, this Broken Lizard satire might just be the film for you.
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Film?
Brian Cox’s baritone gets us acquainted with the wild-wild 13th-century France...
Spoilers Ahead
Plot Synopsis: What Happens In The Film?
Brian Cox’s baritone gets us acquainted with the wild-wild 13th-century France...
- 4/22/2023
- by Lopamudra Mukherjee
- Film Fugitives
The immense success of the Netflix series “Emily in Paris” has transformed a quiet, untouched square in the French capital into a tourist magnet.
In the historic Latin Quarter and just a short walk from the magnificent, domed Pantheon, tucked so deeply away that you could easily miss it, lies the Place de l’Estrapade. For diehard, beret-wearing fans of the show, this sliver of a neighborhood has become a landmark of its own.
That’s because this is where the fictional character Emily Cooper, a 20-something American portrayed by Lily Collins, lives, dines and savors French pastries from the local bakery.
The newfound attention can be disruptive for the real people who live and work here, but the show is also igniting a new passion for Paris — and even anti-Emily graffiti has become part of the attraction.
The romantic comedy, whose third season was released in December, traces Emily...
In the historic Latin Quarter and just a short walk from the magnificent, domed Pantheon, tucked so deeply away that you could easily miss it, lies the Place de l’Estrapade. For diehard, beret-wearing fans of the show, this sliver of a neighborhood has become a landmark of its own.
That’s because this is where the fictional character Emily Cooper, a 20-something American portrayed by Lily Collins, lives, dines and savors French pastries from the local bakery.
The newfound attention can be disruptive for the real people who live and work here, but the show is also igniting a new passion for Paris — and even anti-Emily graffiti has become part of the attraction.
The romantic comedy, whose third season was released in December, traces Emily...
- 4/22/2023
- by Emerson Pearson
- ET Canada
In most versions of the classic 1831 Victor Hugo tale, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, the female protagonist is Esmeralda, a French Romani girl who is so beautiful that every major male character in the story either wants to marry her or seduce her. (She’s also only 16 in the novel—a book from over 200 years ago). For all her kindness and compassion, Esmeralda is basically treated terribly throughout the story and finally ends up hanged for a crime she didn’t commit, just as she reunites with her long-lost birth mother.
Quasi, a satirical new take on the story from the Broken Lizard crew (Super Troopers), has a decidedly different view of its female lead. Directed by Broken Lizard’s Kevin Heffernan and written by him and the rest of the team—Steve Lemme, Jay Chandrasekhar, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske—the film dispenses with the tragic Esmeralda in favor of...
Quasi, a satirical new take on the story from the Broken Lizard crew (Super Troopers), has a decidedly different view of its female lead. Directed by Broken Lizard’s Kevin Heffernan and written by him and the rest of the team—Steve Lemme, Jay Chandrasekhar, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske—the film dispenses with the tragic Esmeralda in favor of...
- 4/20/2023
- by Don Kaye
- Den of Geek
Broken Lizard, the five-man comedy troupe which formed in 1990 at a fraternity on the upstate New York campus of preppy Colgate University, have been stoner icons since the very first scene of their 2001 breakout hit “Super Troopers.” That’s when Jay Chandrasekhar’s mustachioed Vermont cop Lieutenant Arcot “Thorny” Ramathorn pulls over a car full of potheads and proceeds to terrorize and freak them out.
Like they did in 2018 with “Super Troopers 2,” their newest film, “Quasi,” a reimagining of Victor Hugo’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” is a no-holds-barred, scatological combination of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” crossed with Mel Brooks’ “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.” It premieres today — April 20 — as a Hulu Original through Fox Searchlight.
Boasting their own cannabis brand, Smokin’ Lizard, Chandrasekhar notes, “When we get high with friends like Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg, they take it seriously enough to try to smoke us...
Like they did in 2018 with “Super Troopers 2,” their newest film, “Quasi,” a reimagining of Victor Hugo’s “Hunchback of Notre Dame,” is a no-holds-barred, scatological combination of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” crossed with Mel Brooks’ “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.” It premieres today — April 20 — as a Hulu Original through Fox Searchlight.
Boasting their own cannabis brand, Smokin’ Lizard, Chandrasekhar notes, “When we get high with friends like Willie Nelson and Snoop Dogg, they take it seriously enough to try to smoke us...
- 4/20/2023
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
A colleague of mine, Marc Edward Heuck, once compared the films of the Broken Lizard comedy troupe to 7-Eleven hot dogs. The comparison was meant to be favorable. In both cases, the thinking went, the artisans in question know full well that they are not offering haute cuisine. Instead, the consumer is getting something efficiently constructed, barely flavorful enough, and perfect for a night when the edibles hit a little harder than expected. Broken Lizard's films have never elevated beyond the realm of raunchy, frat boy-style chuckle-fests, but have possessed just enough zingers, oddball gags, and precision-strike profanity to entrench themselves in the friendly cult trench inside the human brain. They possess an affable, thrown-off quality that makes them weirdly appealing, even as the jokes periodically fall flat.
Their newest film, "Quasi," directed by Kevin Heffernan, and written by the entire troupe is a "Carry On"-style sendup of Victor Hugo...
Their newest film, "Quasi," directed by Kevin Heffernan, and written by the entire troupe is a "Carry On"-style sendup of Victor Hugo...
- 4/17/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Not to be confused with an adaptation of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” comedy troupe Broken Lizard’s “Quasi” tells a story that’s truer to the Oxford definition of its title than the 1831 Victor Hugo novel that inspired it. Kevin Heffernan settles uneasily into the director’s seat usually occupied by colleague Jay Chandrasekhar for an underdog story more interested in leveraging funny pronunciations of French words for underwhelming laughs than in creating real characters — much less a visual backdrop that doesn’t look like a second-rate Renaissance Faire.
Set in a 13th Century France that narrator and sometime Broken Lizard collaborator Brian Cox helpfully informs us “sucked,” the film centers on Quasimodo (Steve Lemme), a social outcast who works in the torture chambers of King Guy (Chandrasekhar). There, in a search for a cure to his own physical deformity, he develops the hottest, most pain-inducing device on the market,...
Set in a 13th Century France that narrator and sometime Broken Lizard collaborator Brian Cox helpfully informs us “sucked,” the film centers on Quasimodo (Steve Lemme), a social outcast who works in the torture chambers of King Guy (Chandrasekhar). There, in a search for a cure to his own physical deformity, he develops the hottest, most pain-inducing device on the market,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
"In a tale of love, betrayal, and scandal – everyone plays a part, or two." Hulu has revealed the official trailer for Quasi, the latest Broken Lizard comedy created by all five members of the troupe. Produced by Searchlight Pictures, they're dropping this direct to streaming, skipping theaters - but it should be good to grab a bunch of friends for a fun night to watch anyway. Quasi is the story of a hapless hunchback who only yearns for love, who then finds himself in the middle of a murderous feud between the Pope and the King of France when each orders the hunchback to kill the other. The satirical take on Victor Hugo's classic novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame will debut on their usual stoner day, 4/20, next month. The film stars Bl's: Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme (as Quasi), Jay Chandrasekhar, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske, along with Adrianne Palicki and Michael Yurchak.
- 3/21/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Long ago, before the Marvel Cinematic Universe's gargantuan interconnecting list of films and Disney+ shows, there existed Universal Television's "The Incredible Hulk" series. Although it seems quaint in comparison to today's mega-budget superhero fare, Kenneth Johnson's science-fiction drama hybrid was a major ratings hit and was one of the earliest success stories regarding a live-action comic book adaptation. The popularity of the series, as well as the strange legal tension between Marvel Comics and its licensing partners, is why Stan Lee rushed to create a She-Hulk before Johnson could.
In the '70s, Marvel Comics had sold the rights to a handful of its characters to the separate company of Universal Television. Besides the Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Namor, and the Human Torch were also on the studio's bracket. Johnson, who had already found success with Universal's "The Bionic Woman," initially wasn't interested in adapting any of these...
In the '70s, Marvel Comics had sold the rights to a handful of its characters to the separate company of Universal Television. Besides the Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Namor, and the Human Torch were also on the studio's bracket. Johnson, who had already found success with Universal's "The Bionic Woman," initially wasn't interested in adapting any of these...
- 2/25/2023
- by Andrew Housman
- Slash Film
Actors Amanda Seyfried and Eddie Redmayne both had starring roles in the hit film Les Miserables. But Seyfried made a certain mistake while singing that might have created an awkward situation for her co-stars.
Eddie Redmayne called his ‘Les Misérables’ audition an ‘American Idol’ style nightmare Amanda Seyfried | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Les Misérables was a 2012 period piece and musical starring the likes of Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. It was one of several adaptations over the years of the 1862 French novel written by Victor Hugo. Redmayne and Seyfried would both find themselves cast in the acclaimed project as Marius Pontmercy and Cosette respectively.
Seyfried was ecstatic after being recruited for the feature. She was an avid fan of a past Les Misérables adaptation she grew up on, and always dreamed of being in the musical. So much so she might have unknowingly been preparing for the feature since she was a child.
Eddie Redmayne called his ‘Les Misérables’ audition an ‘American Idol’ style nightmare Amanda Seyfried | Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Les Misérables was a 2012 period piece and musical starring the likes of Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. It was one of several adaptations over the years of the 1862 French novel written by Victor Hugo. Redmayne and Seyfried would both find themselves cast in the acclaimed project as Marius Pontmercy and Cosette respectively.
Seyfried was ecstatic after being recruited for the feature. She was an avid fan of a past Les Misérables adaptation she grew up on, and always dreamed of being in the musical. So much so she might have unknowingly been preparing for the feature since she was a child.
- 2/21/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Films and television shows based on comic books are ubiquitous nowadays. In the 1970s, however, superhero fare wasn't exactly the drama mine it is now. We had the light and entertaining "Wonder Woman" TV series with Lynda Carter, and the campy and comedic "Batman" series with Adam West was in the rearview mirror. Comics were still mostly for kids, and we were years away from seeing Michael Keaton dramatically don the Batsuit. The genre wasn't taken particularly seriously.
In the mid-1970s, Universal got the rights to some of Stan Lee's Marvel comic book characters, including the Hulk. Though the resulting TV series "The Incredible Hulk" produced a two-hour pilot and had five subsequent seasons, not everyone was on board with the idea of a show about a man who gets mad and turns into a hulking green dude. Series writer, producer, and creator Kenneth Johnson wasn't interested at all at first,...
In the mid-1970s, Universal got the rights to some of Stan Lee's Marvel comic book characters, including the Hulk. Though the resulting TV series "The Incredible Hulk" produced a two-hour pilot and had five subsequent seasons, not everyone was on board with the idea of a show about a man who gets mad and turns into a hulking green dude. Series writer, producer, and creator Kenneth Johnson wasn't interested at all at first,...
- 2/7/2023
- by Jenna Busch
- Slash Film
Les Films du Losange will also kick off sales on Nicolas Philibert’s ’On the Adamant’ and Patric Chiha’s ’The Beast In The Jungle’ at the Rendez-Vous in Paris.
Screen can reveal the first English-language trailer for Benoit Jacquot’s By Heart (Par Coeurs) that will market premiere at Unifrance’s upcoming January Rendez-Vous in Paris.
The documentary follows Isabelle Huppert and Fabrice Luchini learning their lines as they prepare to take the stage at the 2021 famous Festival d’Avignon theatre festival in Southern France. Jacquot’s camera follows them behind-the-scenes, in rehearsals and during their performances as they...
Screen can reveal the first English-language trailer for Benoit Jacquot’s By Heart (Par Coeurs) that will market premiere at Unifrance’s upcoming January Rendez-Vous in Paris.
The documentary follows Isabelle Huppert and Fabrice Luchini learning their lines as they prepare to take the stage at the 2021 famous Festival d’Avignon theatre festival in Southern France. Jacquot’s camera follows them behind-the-scenes, in rehearsals and during their performances as they...
- 1/5/2023
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Alibi Media has snapped up film rights to Juan Gabriel Vásquez’s acclaimed 2014 novel The Sound of Things Falling, tapping House of Gucci screenwriter Roberto Bentivegna to direct the project as his first feature, from his own script.
The novel published by Penguin Group imprint Riverhead Books follows Antonio Yammara, who after being injured in a shootout and witnessing the murder of the mysterious Ricardo Laverde, decides to find out who his friend really was, beginning a journey into the dark heart of Colombia’s drug trade. What follows is an investigation into a dead man’s past, and a pilgrimage to unlock that most elusive thing: the truth.
Widely considered one of the most important Latin American novels of the century, The Sound of Things Falling won Spain’s prestigious Premio Alfaguara in 2011 before going on to win prizes including Italy’s Premio Gregor von Rezzori-Città di Firenze...
The novel published by Penguin Group imprint Riverhead Books follows Antonio Yammara, who after being injured in a shootout and witnessing the murder of the mysterious Ricardo Laverde, decides to find out who his friend really was, beginning a journey into the dark heart of Colombia’s drug trade. What follows is an investigation into a dead man’s past, and a pilgrimage to unlock that most elusive thing: the truth.
Widely considered one of the most important Latin American novels of the century, The Sound of Things Falling won Spain’s prestigious Premio Alfaguara in 2011 before going on to win prizes including Italy’s Premio Gregor von Rezzori-Città di Firenze...
- 1/3/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Based on Victor Hugo’s 19th century novel, Paul Leni’s The Man Who Laughs is one of the most influential achievements in film history, if for no other reason than as the inspiration for The Joker. A soulful Conrad Veidt stars as Gwynplaine, a circus clown whose permanent grimace is a mocking reminder of his miserable fate. Mary Philbin plays his beloved Dea, a blind girl with the ability to “see” the real Gwynplaine. Olga Baclanova, villainess of 1932’s Freaks, co-stars, and Jack Pierce, the make-up genius behind Frankenstein’s monster and The Mummy, created Veidt’s nightmare smile.
A high quality print of Leni’s film can be seen here: The Man Who Laughs.
The post The Man Who Laughs appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
A high quality print of Leni’s film can be seen here: The Man Who Laughs.
The post The Man Who Laughs appeared first on Trailers From Hell.
- 12/20/2022
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
After the "Star Wars" prequels ended, the franchise was all but dead. There was no more story to tell, and you were either too angry to care, or happy enough with how the trilogy ended to not care. After all, what was left? The gaps in the story were filled, and even the post-"Return of the Jedi" events were covered in the expanded universe, canon or not.
That changed at the fan convention Star Wars Celebration III in 2005. During a panel with George Lucas himself, it was announced that "Star Wars" would enter the TV world. Not only did they announce the 3D, half-hour version of "The Clone Wars," but also a live-action show titled "Star Wars: Underworld."
Though we don't know much about what that show would have looked like, we know that the aim was to make something more serious and unlike anything in the franchise up to that point.
That changed at the fan convention Star Wars Celebration III in 2005. During a panel with George Lucas himself, it was announced that "Star Wars" would enter the TV world. Not only did they announce the 3D, half-hour version of "The Clone Wars," but also a live-action show titled "Star Wars: Underworld."
Though we don't know much about what that show would have looked like, we know that the aim was to make something more serious and unlike anything in the franchise up to that point.
- 11/3/2022
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
Paramount’s Smile, in theaters Sept. 30, is the latest fright flick to benefit from a sinister grin. But the granddaddy of all scary smile films dates back to 1928, when Universal Pictures released The Man Who Laughs, an adaptation of the 1869 Victor Hugo novel.
The studio had success with another Hugo novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which it had adapted into a Lon Chaney showcase in 1923. Chaney would physically transform once again into a deformed gothic antihero — this time, Gwynplaine, a nobleman’s son who is hideously disfigured when the king orders a permanent smile carved into his face. But the project was sidelined because of a rights issue, and Chaney instead made 1925’s The Phantom of the Opera, based on the 1910 Gaston Leroux novel. That film was a hit, too, so Universal chief Carl Laemmle resurrected Laughs for its next “super-production.”
To direct,...
Paramount’s Smile, in theaters Sept. 30, is the latest fright flick to benefit from a sinister grin. But the granddaddy of all scary smile films dates back to 1928, when Universal Pictures released The Man Who Laughs, an adaptation of the 1869 Victor Hugo novel.
The studio had success with another Hugo novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, which it had adapted into a Lon Chaney showcase in 1923. Chaney would physically transform once again into a deformed gothic antihero — this time, Gwynplaine, a nobleman’s son who is hideously disfigured when the king orders a permanent smile carved into his face. But the project was sidelined because of a rights issue, and Chaney instead made 1925’s The Phantom of the Opera, based on the 1910 Gaston Leroux novel. That film was a hit, too, so Universal chief Carl Laemmle resurrected Laughs for its next “super-production.”
To direct,...
- 9/30/2022
- by Seth Abramovitch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Director/Tfh Guru Mick Garris discusses his favorite year in film, 1986, with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Stir of Echoes (1999)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Fly (1958) – Jesus Treviño’s trailer commentary
*The Fly (1986) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
The Fly II (1989)
Fuzzbucket (1986)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness
Alien (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
*Aliens (1986) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Terminator (1984) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary
The Brood (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Scanners (1981) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
Fast Company (1979)
Rabid (1977) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Shivers (1975)
Crimes of the Future (1970)
Crimes of the Future (2022)
Stereo (1969)
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary
Stand By Me...
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Stir of Echoes (1999)
The Sixth Sense (1999)
The Fly (1958) – Jesus Treviño’s trailer commentary
*The Fly (1986) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
The Fly II (1989)
Fuzzbucket (1986)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness
Alien (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings
*Aliens (1986) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Terminator (1984) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary
The Brood (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Scanners (1981) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
Fast Company (1979)
Rabid (1977) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Shivers (1975)
Crimes of the Future (1970)
Crimes of the Future (2022)
Stereo (1969)
Rambo: First Blood Part II (1985) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary
Stand By Me...
- 9/27/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
This review originally ran in conjunction with the film’s world premiere at the 2022 Venice Film Festival.
For those still under the erroneous impression that police brutality against Black people and other communities of color exists as an exclusively American form of racially motivated violence, “Athena,” an explosive drama (figuratively and literally) from French director Romain Gavras, son of legendary auteur Costa-Gavras, disproves it.
Over the course of one fateful day in the aftermath of the brutal killing of a boy of Middle Eastern descent at the hands of a group of white men — either comprised of cops, members of a far-right clan, or perhaps one and the same — chaos erupts in the disenfranchised Parisian neighborhood of Athena, as young people revolt in response to such injustice.
Almost immediately dropping us into the action, Gavras opens “Athena” with one of cinematographer Matias Boucard’s incredibly impressive one takes that carry...
For those still under the erroneous impression that police brutality against Black people and other communities of color exists as an exclusively American form of racially motivated violence, “Athena,” an explosive drama (figuratively and literally) from French director Romain Gavras, son of legendary auteur Costa-Gavras, disproves it.
Over the course of one fateful day in the aftermath of the brutal killing of a boy of Middle Eastern descent at the hands of a group of white men — either comprised of cops, members of a far-right clan, or perhaps one and the same — chaos erupts in the disenfranchised Parisian neighborhood of Athena, as young people revolt in response to such injustice.
Almost immediately dropping us into the action, Gavras opens “Athena” with one of cinematographer Matias Boucard’s incredibly impressive one takes that carry...
- 9/23/2022
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Wrap
It's not an exaggeration to say that "Andor" has been a project years in the making. The series was first announced back in 2018 — which feels like a lifetime ago — and the intervening years have been filled with enough hype, anticipation, and Vanity Fair features to excite even the most skeptical "Star Wars" fans. But even before "Andor" was a twinkle in Lucasfilm's eye, it felt like we'd been waiting forever for such a radical take on "Star Wars."
From the beginning, "Andor" was teased as a dramatically different "Star Wars" story, one that benefitted greatly from the big swing that "Rogue One" took back in 2016. Showrunner Tony Gilroy has been especially keen on managing expectations for the series: "Andor" is not the kind of "Star Wars" project that regurgitates everything we already know through cameos and Easter eggs. It's a series about a world on the brink of revolution,...
From the beginning, "Andor" was teased as a dramatically different "Star Wars" story, one that benefitted greatly from the big swing that "Rogue One" took back in 2016. Showrunner Tony Gilroy has been especially keen on managing expectations for the series: "Andor" is not the kind of "Star Wars" project that regurgitates everything we already know through cameos and Easter eggs. It's a series about a world on the brink of revolution,...
- 9/21/2022
- by Lyvie Scott
- Slash Film
Throughout his career, the recently departed actor James Caan took on a number of roles that would've stumped lesser actors than he: a hotheaded and doomed mob boss' son in "The Godfather," a crippled and subdued author in "Misery," and a cold-hearted cynic who denies the existence of Santa Claus in "Elf."
Yet, all of those characters were relative walks in the park for the tough guy performer, especially since Caan was more than comfortable with playing complicated, tragic and unlikeable people — as his work in "Brian's Song" and "The Gambler" proved early on in his career.
One of Caan's greatest challenges was instead playing a man who's outwardly competent, fair, motivated, and decent, but inwardly is dealing with a raging turmoil of frustration and a sense of lost time: the professional safecracker Frank in Michael Mann's feature debut, "Thief." The complexities of the part combined with Mann's insistence...
Yet, all of those characters were relative walks in the park for the tough guy performer, especially since Caan was more than comfortable with playing complicated, tragic and unlikeable people — as his work in "Brian's Song" and "The Gambler" proved early on in his career.
One of Caan's greatest challenges was instead playing a man who's outwardly competent, fair, motivated, and decent, but inwardly is dealing with a raging turmoil of frustration and a sense of lost time: the professional safecracker Frank in Michael Mann's feature debut, "Thief." The complexities of the part combined with Mann's insistence...
- 9/5/2022
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
The Disney Renaissance was a time of great experimentation for the Mouse House — one that saw its animation division tackling all sorts of challenging material, from ancient legends spanning cultures around the world to decidedly dark and mature literary classics by Victor Hugo and Edgar Rice Burroughs. But with great daring comes the risk of committing equal-sized blunders, and that's just what the studio did when it decided to turn the tale of the real-life Indigenous American woman Pocahontas (a nickname passed down by her father) into an animated musical extravaganza.
That's not just the hindsight talking. "Pocahontas" earned a lackluster critical reception upon its theatrical release in 1995, with reviews arguing it was stunningly animated but otherwise lacking in personality. The film's reputation has only worsened over the decades thanks to its soft-peddling of the violence perpetuated by European colonialism, along with its rehashing of Indigenous American stereotypes. Adding insult to injury,...
That's not just the hindsight talking. "Pocahontas" earned a lackluster critical reception upon its theatrical release in 1995, with reviews arguing it was stunningly animated but otherwise lacking in personality. The film's reputation has only worsened over the decades thanks to its soft-peddling of the violence perpetuated by European colonialism, along with its rehashing of Indigenous American stereotypes. Adding insult to injury,...
- 8/22/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
In the mid-1970s Andy Warhol began keeping a diary–of sorts. It started out as a dry accounting of expenses–a tube of paint here, a quart of milk there—dictated to his collaborator Pat Hackett. But over time the entries shifted from the strictly mundane to something deeper and more personal.
“I’ve got these desperate feelings,” he noted in a 1981 entry, for instance, “that nothing means anything.”
Andy Warhol’s diaries were published posthumously in 1989, Hackett having edited the raw 20,000 pages to a more manageable, if not inconsiderable, 807. But it was not until this year that The Andy Warhol Diaries were transformed into a documentary series for Netflix, and an acclaimed one at that. It has earned four Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series and individual recognition for Andrew Rossi for writing and directing the series.
“The diaries when they were published were seen as...
“I’ve got these desperate feelings,” he noted in a 1981 entry, for instance, “that nothing means anything.”
Andy Warhol’s diaries were published posthumously in 1989, Hackett having edited the raw 20,000 pages to a more manageable, if not inconsiderable, 807. But it was not until this year that The Andy Warhol Diaries were transformed into a documentary series for Netflix, and an acclaimed one at that. It has earned four Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series and individual recognition for Andrew Rossi for writing and directing the series.
“The diaries when they were published were seen as...
- 8/8/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
It's hard not to float into the clouds when Gian Marco Schiaretti, as the poet Gringoire, bellows the stratospheric "Le temps des cathédrales". Debuting in 1998 in Paris, the sung-through "Notre Dame de Paris" French musical catapulted into meteoric international fame. So much hype was kindled around the long-awaited NYC premiere and limited run. Composer Richard Cocciante's score and Luc Plamondon's songwriting is transportive, not so much for situating you in medieval Paris of this Victor Hugo-adapted tale, but rather a vibe. The river...
The post Notre Dame de Paris Review: This French Musical Goes Hard on Showy Spectacle appeared first on /Film.
The post Notre Dame de Paris Review: This French Musical Goes Hard on Showy Spectacle appeared first on /Film.
- 7/29/2022
- by Caroline Cao
- Slash Film
Thomas Astruc, the creator and director of the globally successful youth franchise “Miraculous – Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir,” is set to reboot “Astroboy,” one of the best-selling manga series of all time.
Method Animation, the prestigious Mediawan Kids & Family banner behind “Miraculous” and “The Little Prince,” is joining forces with Shibuya to produce this ambitious new series.
The original animated TV series came out in 1963 and became a global sensation, especially in Japan and France, as well as in the U.S. where it was the first anime to air. Based on the manga collection created by Osamu Tezuka which sold over 100 million copies worldwide, the series paved the way for other Japanese TV animation series. “Astroboy” was also a huge seller in merchandising, turning the little child-like robot character into a pop-culture icon and best-known superhero of Tezuka’s work.
Astruc is set to direct this new CGI-3D...
Method Animation, the prestigious Mediawan Kids & Family banner behind “Miraculous” and “The Little Prince,” is joining forces with Shibuya to produce this ambitious new series.
The original animated TV series came out in 1963 and became a global sensation, especially in Japan and France, as well as in the U.S. where it was the first anime to air. Based on the manga collection created by Osamu Tezuka which sold over 100 million copies worldwide, the series paved the way for other Japanese TV animation series. “Astroboy” was also a huge seller in merchandising, turning the little child-like robot character into a pop-culture icon and best-known superhero of Tezuka’s work.
Astruc is set to direct this new CGI-3D...
- 6/16/2022
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Bresson’s 1959 film about a misfit who dreams of rising above conventional morals is a brilliant example of the cinema of ideas
Robert Bresson’s hypnotically intense and lucid movie-novella from 1959 is now revived as part of a director’s retrospective at London’s BFI Southbank, and whatever creakiness I thought I saw in this masterly film for its last UK re-release has vanished. The andante pace of Pickpocket is part of its brilliance, part of its seriousness and its status as a cinema of ideas: a movie with something of Dostoevsky or Camus, or even Victor Hugo.
The then non-professional actor Martin Lasalle was cast by Bresson as Michel, a gloomy young man who spends his days writing his journal in a seedy bedsit: a precursor for the prison cell for which he is destined. Michel is plagued with nameless guilt about his elderly, unwell mother whom he cannot bring himself to visit,...
Robert Bresson’s hypnotically intense and lucid movie-novella from 1959 is now revived as part of a director’s retrospective at London’s BFI Southbank, and whatever creakiness I thought I saw in this masterly film for its last UK re-release has vanished. The andante pace of Pickpocket is part of its brilliance, part of its seriousness and its status as a cinema of ideas: a movie with something of Dostoevsky or Camus, or even Victor Hugo.
The then non-professional actor Martin Lasalle was cast by Bresson as Michel, a gloomy young man who spends his days writing his journal in a seedy bedsit: a precursor for the prison cell for which he is destined. Michel is plagued with nameless guilt about his elderly, unwell mother whom he cannot bring himself to visit,...
- 5/31/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Nestled in a former theater whose facade was sculpted by Auguste Renoir, the Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé is dedicated to the preservation, restoration and promotion of film heritage belonging to historical French production company and exhibitor Pathé.
Named after the company’s co-chairman, Jérôme Seydoux, the institution is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006. Designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, the shell-shaped building opened to the public in 2014 and is home to the only cinema theater in France dedicated to silent movies. Two films are screened there every day to live music.
“When we received Pathé’s silent movie catalog in 2015, my husband and I decided to show these movies from around the world because we believe very strongly in the transmission of film heritage,” says the foundation’s president, Sophie Seydoux, the wife of Jérôme.
The foundation also houses 125 years of historical archives, including thousands of posters, catalogs and movie scripts,...
Named after the company’s co-chairman, Jérôme Seydoux, the institution is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006. Designed by renowned Italian architect Renzo Piano, the shell-shaped building opened to the public in 2014 and is home to the only cinema theater in France dedicated to silent movies. Two films are screened there every day to live music.
“When we received Pathé’s silent movie catalog in 2015, my husband and I decided to show these movies from around the world because we believe very strongly in the transmission of film heritage,” says the foundation’s president, Sophie Seydoux, the wife of Jérôme.
The foundation also houses 125 years of historical archives, including thousands of posters, catalogs and movie scripts,...
- 5/10/2022
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
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