BlondePhoto: Netflix
Young Adam (2003): A young drifter working on a river barge disrupts his employers’ lives while hiding the fact that he knows more about a dead woman found in the river than he admits. Starring: Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Peter Mullan, Emily Mortimer.
Bad Education (2004): An examination...
Young Adam (2003): A young drifter working on a river barge disrupts his employers’ lives while hiding the fact that he knows more about a dead woman found in the river than he admits. Starring: Ewan McGregor, Tilda Swinton, Peter Mullan, Emily Mortimer.
Bad Education (2004): An examination...
- 8/7/2023
- by The A.V. Club Bot
- avclub.com
The "showbiz satire" movie is almost as old as the cinematic medium itself. From "Sullivan's Travels" to "The Player" and most recently "Babylon," a look at the darker, goofier, unglamorous, seedier side of moviemaking has become a perennial for Hollywood in more ways than one.
Yet most of these films utilize an exaggerated effect to make their commentary on show business that much more biting, whether it's surrealism (as in Federico Fellini's "8 1/2"), a musical (like "Singin' in the Rain"), or horror (such as "Wes Craven's New Nightmare"). It's rare for such showbiz films to not be satirized in some fashion, yet David Cronenberg's "Maps to the Stars" is just such a movie.
Of course, that depends on who you ask. Most people would see the uncomfortable and darkly hilarious "Maps to the Stars" as unequivocal satire, seeing as how it brings together an ensemble of bizarrely...
Yet most of these films utilize an exaggerated effect to make their commentary on show business that much more biting, whether it's surrealism (as in Federico Fellini's "8 1/2"), a musical (like "Singin' in the Rain"), or horror (such as "Wes Craven's New Nightmare"). It's rare for such showbiz films to not be satirized in some fashion, yet David Cronenberg's "Maps to the Stars" is just such a movie.
Of course, that depends on who you ask. Most people would see the uncomfortable and darkly hilarious "Maps to the Stars" as unequivocal satire, seeing as how it brings together an ensemble of bizarrely...
- 2/1/2023
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
Jason Isbell may the quintessential Americana artist — introspective, deliberate, never a wasted lyric or note — but on Saturday night at the penultimate show of his six-show Ryman Auditorium residency, he embraced his inner go-for-broke guitar-shredder, both as headliner and as surprise guest of his hand-picked opening act, Diarrhea Planet.
The longtime Nashville power-punkers called it quits in September, playing a string of farewell shows at the club Exit/In, but at Isbell’s request, they agreed to perform one more gig at the Ryman. It was the right move, as...
The longtime Nashville power-punkers called it quits in September, playing a string of farewell shows at the club Exit/In, but at Isbell’s request, they agreed to perform one more gig at the Ryman. It was the right move, as...
- 10/28/2018
- by Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Beloved Nashville power-punk band Diarrhea Planet had already booked their farewell shows when Jason Isbell’s camp called offering an item on every Music City musician’s bucket list: a gig at the Ryman.
“Being [from] Nashville, if somebody calls you and asks you to play at the Ryman, you can’t really pass it up,” frontman Jordan Smith tells Rolling Stone of what’s slated to be the serious band with the infamously shitty name’s last hurrah, opening the fifth show of Isbell’s six-night run next month at...
“Being [from] Nashville, if somebody calls you and asks you to play at the Ryman, you can’t really pass it up,” frontman Jordan Smith tells Rolling Stone of what’s slated to be the serious band with the infamously shitty name’s last hurrah, opening the fifth show of Isbell’s six-night run next month at...
- 9/18/2018
- by Adam Gold
- Rollingstone.com
Generally we have come to learn that studio releases that hit theaters in the first few months of the year are usually not their best offers. They use the first trimester as dumping ground for projects that were never meant to become hits, but with which they hope to make a quick buck. Clichéd horror flicks, bad romantic comedies, and dismally mediocre animated features that could never compete with summer blockbusters. Yet, for all the terrible films slated by industry giants there is an equal abundance of great independent and international productions that manage to get a space in the crowded marketplace.
This year, the films that stood out among these numerous, smaller options have been mostly dark comedies, which push the boundaries in all sorts of unique directions for the audience repulsion and delight. Although the films below have already opened, it’s never too late to let you know about them in case they slipped through the cracks. Believe me, any of them will leave you thinking, “What did I just watch?” in the best possible way.
"Buzzard"
Opened March 6th
Directed by Joel Potrykus
Brace yourself for one of the strangest, most infuriating, hilarious, and boldest cinematic experiences of the year. Absolute slacker Marty Jackitansky (He will remind you the last name is not Polish!) survives by playing the system in any way possible. Cashing other people’s checks, returning stolen goods from his job for cash, or complaining to the big corporations in order to get coupons. His petty scheme soon catches up with him, but with every successful deceit he exposes the dangerous complacency we all accept. Marty’s other hobbies include manufacturing a glove that resembles Freddy Krueger’s claws and hanging out with his friend Derek (played by Potrykus himself) in the “party zone,” which is what the latter has baptize his basement. It’s as deranged as it sounds, and it’s great.
*Playing in select theaters now and also available on VOD
Read More: Interview with Filmmaker Joel Potrykus on "Buzzard"
"Maps to the Stars"
Opened February 27th
Directed by David Cronenberg
Hollywood is a fickle place and Cronenberg has a brilliantly maniacal way of portraying this world in his latest work. Recent Oscar-winner Julianne Moore stars as Havana Segrand, a washed up actress whose only wish is to play the same role her mother did in a remake of a movie from decades ago. Moore won the Best Actress Award at last year's Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her work here. In the Canadian director’s collection of fame-hungry misfits there is also Benjie Weiss (Evan Bird) a prepubescent, spoiled actor who hasn’t even finished junior high but has already been to rehab more than once; Jerome (Robert Pattinson), a limousine driver who, of course, is also an aspiring actor and screenwriter; Dr. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack), a wellness guru and author with more internal issues than he can help heal; and Agatha Weiss (Mia Wasikowska), Havana’s disfigured new assistant who has come to Los Angeles with ulterior motives. The acid humor, unapologetic observations, and its absurdly self-absorbed characters make of “Maps to the Stars” a spot-on parody of the worst qualities of the film industry.
*Playing in theaters now across the U.S
"The Voices"
Opened February 6th
Directed by Marjane Satrapi
Playing Jerry, the most charming serial killer you’ll ever meet, Ryan Reynolds gives the best performance of his career in Marjane Satrapi’s wonderfully insane horror comedy. The timid factory worker has a history of mental health issues that are hidden under a façade of kindness. At home, Jerry talks to his pets: Mr. Whiskers, a devilishly cheeky cat, and Bosco, his good-natured dog. What’s particular about the ordeal is that they talk back and discuss with him his murderous intentions. Adding to his already outstanding work as the lovable, if unstable young man, Reynolds also voices both of animals as well. Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver, and Gemma Arterton are among the targets of Jerry’s madness in a disturbingly comedic fashion. Stay tuned after the film for one of the most ridiculous credit sequences ever.
*Available on VOD and still playing in a few theaters across the country
Read More: Interview: Marjane Satrapi on her murderous comedy "The Voices"
"What We Do in the Shadows"
Opened February 13th
Directed by Jemaine Clement & Taika Waititi
Get ready to die of laughter with this masterful mockumentary that capitalizes on the general public’s obsession with reality shows and the allure of vampirism and its promise of eternal life. Four ancient bloodsuckers share a house in Wellington, New Zealand and decide to let a crew film their day-to-day routines as vampires living in the modern world. What ensues are a series of intelligently written occurrences that transform every known convention about these creatures of the night into hysterical gags. Everything from their hunting tactics, to their feuds with the local pack of werewolves, and even their endearing relationship with a human they do not wish to devour. “Flight of the Conchords” creator Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi co-wrote, co-directed, and star in the film as Vladislav and Viago respectively. This has to be the funniest film of the year hands down.
*Playing in theaters now across the U.S
"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)
Opened February 20th
Directed by Damián Szifrón
In this Argentine deranged and inventive ode to madness we are confronted with the animal instincts that we so desperately try to hide - until we can’t. Betrayal, injustice, and even the need to avenge a loved one, drive Szifron’s characters into losing control. With pitch black comedy that is as universal as the situations it explores, his film is a hilarious and smart vehicle for sharp social commentary. Besides being a complete riot that packs in uproarious humor, the film demonstrates the director’s ability to create a cohesive film out of diverse vignettes united by the dark side of human nature. From start to finish “Wild Tales” is truly a savagely fun trip. The film premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film this yea.
*Playing in select theaters now across the U.S and expanding in upcoming weeks
Read More: Sydney Levine on "Wild Tales," Business and Pleasure
Read More: Interview: Damian Szifron on the Oscar-nominated "Wild Tales"...
This year, the films that stood out among these numerous, smaller options have been mostly dark comedies, which push the boundaries in all sorts of unique directions for the audience repulsion and delight. Although the films below have already opened, it’s never too late to let you know about them in case they slipped through the cracks. Believe me, any of them will leave you thinking, “What did I just watch?” in the best possible way.
"Buzzard"
Opened March 6th
Directed by Joel Potrykus
Brace yourself for one of the strangest, most infuriating, hilarious, and boldest cinematic experiences of the year. Absolute slacker Marty Jackitansky (He will remind you the last name is not Polish!) survives by playing the system in any way possible. Cashing other people’s checks, returning stolen goods from his job for cash, or complaining to the big corporations in order to get coupons. His petty scheme soon catches up with him, but with every successful deceit he exposes the dangerous complacency we all accept. Marty’s other hobbies include manufacturing a glove that resembles Freddy Krueger’s claws and hanging out with his friend Derek (played by Potrykus himself) in the “party zone,” which is what the latter has baptize his basement. It’s as deranged as it sounds, and it’s great.
*Playing in select theaters now and also available on VOD
Read More: Interview with Filmmaker Joel Potrykus on "Buzzard"
"Maps to the Stars"
Opened February 27th
Directed by David Cronenberg
Hollywood is a fickle place and Cronenberg has a brilliantly maniacal way of portraying this world in his latest work. Recent Oscar-winner Julianne Moore stars as Havana Segrand, a washed up actress whose only wish is to play the same role her mother did in a remake of a movie from decades ago. Moore won the Best Actress Award at last year's Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her work here. In the Canadian director’s collection of fame-hungry misfits there is also Benjie Weiss (Evan Bird) a prepubescent, spoiled actor who hasn’t even finished junior high but has already been to rehab more than once; Jerome (Robert Pattinson), a limousine driver who, of course, is also an aspiring actor and screenwriter; Dr. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack), a wellness guru and author with more internal issues than he can help heal; and Agatha Weiss (Mia Wasikowska), Havana’s disfigured new assistant who has come to Los Angeles with ulterior motives. The acid humor, unapologetic observations, and its absurdly self-absorbed characters make of “Maps to the Stars” a spot-on parody of the worst qualities of the film industry.
*Playing in theaters now across the U.S
"The Voices"
Opened February 6th
Directed by Marjane Satrapi
Playing Jerry, the most charming serial killer you’ll ever meet, Ryan Reynolds gives the best performance of his career in Marjane Satrapi’s wonderfully insane horror comedy. The timid factory worker has a history of mental health issues that are hidden under a façade of kindness. At home, Jerry talks to his pets: Mr. Whiskers, a devilishly cheeky cat, and Bosco, his good-natured dog. What’s particular about the ordeal is that they talk back and discuss with him his murderous intentions. Adding to his already outstanding work as the lovable, if unstable young man, Reynolds also voices both of animals as well. Anna Kendrick, Jacki Weaver, and Gemma Arterton are among the targets of Jerry’s madness in a disturbingly comedic fashion. Stay tuned after the film for one of the most ridiculous credit sequences ever.
*Available on VOD and still playing in a few theaters across the country
Read More: Interview: Marjane Satrapi on her murderous comedy "The Voices"
"What We Do in the Shadows"
Opened February 13th
Directed by Jemaine Clement & Taika Waititi
Get ready to die of laughter with this masterful mockumentary that capitalizes on the general public’s obsession with reality shows and the allure of vampirism and its promise of eternal life. Four ancient bloodsuckers share a house in Wellington, New Zealand and decide to let a crew film their day-to-day routines as vampires living in the modern world. What ensues are a series of intelligently written occurrences that transform every known convention about these creatures of the night into hysterical gags. Everything from their hunting tactics, to their feuds with the local pack of werewolves, and even their endearing relationship with a human they do not wish to devour. “Flight of the Conchords” creator Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi co-wrote, co-directed, and star in the film as Vladislav and Viago respectively. This has to be the funniest film of the year hands down.
*Playing in theaters now across the U.S
"Wild Tales" (Relatos Salvajes)
Opened February 20th
Directed by Damián Szifrón
In this Argentine deranged and inventive ode to madness we are confronted with the animal instincts that we so desperately try to hide - until we can’t. Betrayal, injustice, and even the need to avenge a loved one, drive Szifron’s characters into losing control. With pitch black comedy that is as universal as the situations it explores, his film is a hilarious and smart vehicle for sharp social commentary. Besides being a complete riot that packs in uproarious humor, the film demonstrates the director’s ability to create a cohesive film out of diverse vignettes united by the dark side of human nature. From start to finish “Wild Tales” is truly a savagely fun trip. The film premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Foreign Language Film this yea.
*Playing in select theaters now across the U.S and expanding in upcoming weeks
Read More: Sydney Levine on "Wild Tales," Business and Pleasure
Read More: Interview: Damian Szifron on the Oscar-nominated "Wild Tales"...
- 3/13/2015
- by Carlos Aguilar
- Sydney's Buzz
Chicago – There is a moral darkness in director David Cronenberg’s “Maps to the Stars” that is hard to shake. It is filled with circumstance and souls right at the edge of insanity, polluted by an atmosphere that doesn’t give them much of a chance. The apocalypse is now, and living in Los Angeles.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Julianne Moore is following up her Oscar winning turn in “Still Alice” with another memorable performance, this time as an aging and insecure movie star that has never found the proper nurturing in her life. The rest of the story includes charlatans, rejects, recovering addict child stars and hallucinations – just another day in L.A. There is no exit to these situations, and each of the characters are looking through the wrong end of the telescope. The film is a fascinating insight – the original screenplay is by Bruce Wagner – of lost connections and the resulting hopelessness,...
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Julianne Moore is following up her Oscar winning turn in “Still Alice” with another memorable performance, this time as an aging and insecure movie star that has never found the proper nurturing in her life. The rest of the story includes charlatans, rejects, recovering addict child stars and hallucinations – just another day in L.A. There is no exit to these situations, and each of the characters are looking through the wrong end of the telescope. The film is a fascinating insight – the original screenplay is by Bruce Wagner – of lost connections and the resulting hopelessness,...
- 3/11/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
'Still Alice' and 'Maps to the Stars' box office: Julianne Moore Oscar helps only one movie (photo: Kristen Stewart and Julianne Moore in 'Still Alice') (See previous post: "'The Lazarus Effect' Box Office: Olivia Wilde Horror Movie Arrives Comatose.") The Oscars do matter. As mentioned in the previous post, Alejandro González Iñárritu's Birdman was up an estimated 125 percent this weekend, Feb. 27-March 1, 2015, following its four Academy Award wins – including Best Picture. Also up a hefty 24 percent – after adding 553 locations – is Sony Pictures Classics' Still Alice, which earned Julianne Moore the year's Best Actress Oscar for her performance as a woman in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. True, an Oscar win – or key nominations – may not create mammoth blockbusters like Francis Lawrence's The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, Sam Taylor-Johnson's Fifty Shades of Grey, or Clint Eastwood's American Sniper. For that,...
- 3/1/2015
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
David Cronenberg’s Maps To The Stars is an easy film to watch but a hard one to decipher. It’s full of eclectic surface pleasures, but when you bite into the meat, you strike bone. After viewing it three times, I remain as dumbfounded as I was after the first viewing. The issue is not that I can’t piece together Cronenberg’s riddle wrapped inside an enigma, it’s that the answers either seem too plain for the film’s grand embellishments or too subjective to any viewer’s personal interpretation. It’s like asking, “Why did the chicken cross the road?” Nobody’s inside the chicken’s head, so any motive could be assigned. Otherwise, it’s easy to say that it was just to get to the other side.
Maps to the Stars has five intersecting stories: a young woman (Mia Wasikowska) with a burn mark...
Maps to the Stars has five intersecting stories: a young woman (Mia Wasikowska) with a burn mark...
- 2/27/2015
- by Josh Cabrita
- We Got This Covered
How about that Julianne Moore? The red-headed actress followed up her Best Actress win at last year’s Cannes Film Festival with a win for the big one at The Oscars. But the two wins were for different films! Maps To The Stars was the film she won at Cannes for. We Are Movie Geeks has not seen this latest thriller from cult director David Cronenberg, but we won’t miss it when it plays in St. Louis starting Friday exclusively at The Chase Park Plaza Cinema (212 N. Kingshighway in the Central West End)
Maps To The Stars is about the Weiss family, who are making their way in Hollywood rife with money, fame, envy, and relentless hauntings. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a famed TV self-help therapist with an A-list celebrity clientele. Meanwhile, Cristina Weiss (Olivia Williams) has her work cut out managing the career of their disaffected child-star son,...
Maps To The Stars is about the Weiss family, who are making their way in Hollywood rife with money, fame, envy, and relentless hauntings. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a famed TV self-help therapist with an A-list celebrity clientele. Meanwhile, Cristina Weiss (Olivia Williams) has her work cut out managing the career of their disaffected child-star son,...
- 2/25/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
What’s the Matter with Havana?: Cronenberg’s L.A. Story a Hot Mess of Tangled Ideas
Couched within its episodic instances of harpooning Hollywood stereotypes, there is a rather interesting tale in Maps to the Stars contending as a wobbly family saga of vacuous types tainted by their desperate attempts to maintain a certain visibility within celebrity culture. But it’s an idea lost in its own maddening attempt at actually engaging in the mythos pointedly laid out in its own subtext as pertains to provocative motifs like incest, nepotism, and (literally) ghosts from the past. The result is a maudlin brew of wacky circumstances and over-the-top flourishes that sometimes work, but, more often than not, fall flat the longer running the time wears on. While it very much feels like a Cronenbergian endeavor, its pointed critique of a particular empty headed culture ends up feeling like a series of wink-wink potshots,...
Couched within its episodic instances of harpooning Hollywood stereotypes, there is a rather interesting tale in Maps to the Stars contending as a wobbly family saga of vacuous types tainted by their desperate attempts to maintain a certain visibility within celebrity culture. But it’s an idea lost in its own maddening attempt at actually engaging in the mythos pointedly laid out in its own subtext as pertains to provocative motifs like incest, nepotism, and (literally) ghosts from the past. The result is a maudlin brew of wacky circumstances and over-the-top flourishes that sometimes work, but, more often than not, fall flat the longer running the time wears on. While it very much feels like a Cronenbergian endeavor, its pointed critique of a particular empty headed culture ends up feeling like a series of wink-wink potshots,...
- 2/25/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Maps To The Stars Focusworld Reviewed for Shockya by Harvey Karten. Data-based on Rotten Tomatoes. Grade: B Director: David Cronenberg Screenwriter: Bruce Wagner Cast: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Robert Pattinson, Olivia Williams, Evan Bird Screened at: Universal, NYC, 1/14/15 Opens: February 27, 2014 Though the audience for annual film awards is diminishing, there is still a great deal of excitement to the shows put on by the Golden Globes, the Academy, Critics’ Choice, and others. In fact far more people watch the celebrities than attend the movies, which means that we are more interested stars, noting what they wear, perhaps gossiping about the scandals. As for scandals, you [ Read More ]
The post Maps to the Stars Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Maps to the Stars Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 2/23/2015
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
Title: Maps to the Stars Director: David Cronenberg Starring: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Evan Bird, Olivia Williams and Robert Pattinson The Hollywood and celebrity lifestyle is often presented as a desirable ambition for American society to strive for, as it offers fame and wealth to the most deserving and talented people who are determined to reach their goals. But the high-society lifestyle isn’t as glamorous and enticing as many people may believe-the select few who do obtain it have to contend with such issues as relentlessly struggling with the mistakes of their past, the fading opportunities once they reach a certain age and no longer fitting into the [ Read More ]
The post Maps to the Stars Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Maps to the Stars Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 2/21/2015
- by Karen Benardello
- ShockYa
David Cronenberg’s oft-copied but rarely bettered visual techniques are what enabled his shift from body horror expert to twisted auteur, and his eye for the unusual is front and center in the the latest trailer for Maps To The Stars. An expose on the bizarre inner workings of Hollywood, it’s garnered a wealth of strong advance reviews since it debuted at last year’s Tiff. With this, its Sixth trailer in the space of a year, is there really anything else new we need to see in order to be convinced of its madness?
This latest preview completely harnesses the tedious idea of a blow-by-blow story breakdown. Instead, some staccato editing and pushy soundtrack choices elevate this into a jarring glimpse at the crazy underbelly of the industry.
For those who don’t know, the movie stars Mia Wasikowska as a young ingenue who arrives in Hollywood eager to make it in Tinseltown.
This latest preview completely harnesses the tedious idea of a blow-by-blow story breakdown. Instead, some staccato editing and pushy soundtrack choices elevate this into a jarring glimpse at the crazy underbelly of the industry.
For those who don’t know, the movie stars Mia Wasikowska as a young ingenue who arrives in Hollywood eager to make it in Tinseltown.
- 2/20/2015
- by Gem Seddon
- We Got This Covered
Stars: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson, John Cusack, Evan Bird, Olivia Williams, Sarah Gadon, Kiara Glasco, Dawn Greenhalgh, Jonathan Watton, Jennifer Gibson, Gord Rand, Justin Kelly, Niamh Wilson, Clara Pasieka | Written by Bruce Wagner | Directed by David Cronenberg
Maps to the Stars is a film which explores the effect of our celebrity-obsessed society. Following a variety of famous characters who are trying to hide their secrets from the lime light, worlds come crashing down around them as Agatha Weiss comes to town. Recently freed from a psychiatric hospital she has arrived to search for her family who abandoned her a long time ago.
Well. Yes. I am not really sure how to start with Maps to the Stars. So let’s start with the obvious. Julianne Moore is crazy. In this film I mean, I couldn’t describe her sanity in real life because I don’t know her.
Maps to the Stars is a film which explores the effect of our celebrity-obsessed society. Following a variety of famous characters who are trying to hide their secrets from the lime light, worlds come crashing down around them as Agatha Weiss comes to town. Recently freed from a psychiatric hospital she has arrived to search for her family who abandoned her a long time ago.
Well. Yes. I am not really sure how to start with Maps to the Stars. So let’s start with the obvious. Julianne Moore is crazy. In this film I mean, I couldn’t describe her sanity in real life because I don’t know her.
- 2/18/2015
- by Richard Axtell
- Nerdly
Recently, Focus World dropped this new featurette/movie clip (below) for their upcoming "Maps To The Stars" drama/thriller flick, and offers up a couple of new clips from the movie, along with some interview action with director, David Cronenberg in a limousine. One of the clips gives a new glimpse at Twilight Saga main man, Robert Pattinson, doing his limo driving thing with Julianne Moore's character, and more. Check it out,below. The movie stars: John Cusack, Robert Pattinson, Julianne Moore, Olivia Williams, Sarah Gadon, Mia Wasikowska and Evan Bird. The official plotline for the movie, reads like this: "Meet the Weiss family, who are making their way in Hollywood rife with money, fame, envy, and relentless hauntings. Stafford Weiss is a famed TV self-help therapist with an A-list celebrity clientele. Meanwhile, Cristina Weiss has her work cut out managing the career of their disaffected child-star son, Benjie,...
- 2/16/2015
- by Andre Braddox
- OnTheFlix
#1. "Maps to the Stars" (Feb 27)(Film Page) Director: David Cronenberg Cast: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, John Cusack, Evan Bird, Robert Pattinson, Olivia Williams Distributor: Focus World Criticwire Average: B Why is it a "Must See"? Cronenberg's followup to 2012's "Cosmopolis" (and the first project by the Canadian director shot in the United States) does a far better job of skewing capitalism's discontents by exploring their manifestations in the American movie business. Every missive hits its target hard with a comedy-horror combo aimed squarely at the kind of commercial stupidity that Cronenberg has avoided throughout his 45-year career. Now we know why. #2. "Wild Tales" (Feb 20) (Film Page) Director: Damian Szifron Cast: Ricardo Darin, Oscar Martinez, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Erica Rivas, Rita Cortese, Julieta Zylberberg, Dario Grandinetti Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics Criticwire Average: A- Why is it a "Must See"?...
- 2/2/2015
- by Indiewire
- Indiewire
He’s been a Hollywood star since his teens, when he starred in Class, Sixteen Candles and The Sure Thing, but thankfully John Cusack was never like the characters in David Cronenberg’s Maps To The Stars. A brutal satire about the players, wannabes and has-beens of Hollywood, Cusack plays Stafford Weiss, a self-help guru who peddles his therapies to the weak-minded. Father to the foul Benjie (Evan Bird), a rehab-hopping teen star of the ‘Bad Babysitter’ franchise, Stafford is just one of the soulless ghouls that haunts the Hollywood Hills in what is the Canadian Cronenberg’s first real foray into Tinseltown terrain.
For Cusack, it represents yet another impressive notch in a career that’s seen him work with Stephen Frears (The Grifters, High Fidelity), Woody Allen (Shadows and Fog, Bullets Over Broadway), Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich), Terence Malick (The Thin Red Line) and Clint Eastwood (Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil...
For Cusack, it represents yet another impressive notch in a career that’s seen him work with Stephen Frears (The Grifters, High Fidelity), Woody Allen (Shadows and Fog, Bullets Over Broadway), Spike Jonze (Being John Malkovich), Terence Malick (The Thin Red Line) and Clint Eastwood (Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil...
- 2/2/2015
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
The Canadian Screen Awards – our answer to the Golden Globes – revealed their nominations for the best in film and television in a press conference in Toronto this morning.
It’s the third annual awards which united the former Genie and Gemini awards into one main event which recognizes film, television, and digital content in French and English languages.
As was expected, Xavier Dolan’s Mommy was the talk of the nominations earning a whopping 13 nods across the film category. Following closely behind Mommy is David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars which earned acting nods for a good portion of its cast including Julianne Moore, John Cusack, Evan Bird, Robert Pattinson, andMia Wasikowska.
Check out this sizzle reel featuring some of the nominees in the film and television categories:...
It’s the third annual awards which united the former Genie and Gemini awards into one main event which recognizes film, television, and digital content in French and English languages.
As was expected, Xavier Dolan’s Mommy was the talk of the nominations earning a whopping 13 nods across the film category. Following closely behind Mommy is David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars which earned acting nods for a good portion of its cast including Julianne Moore, John Cusack, Evan Bird, Robert Pattinson, andMia Wasikowska.
Check out this sizzle reel featuring some of the nominees in the film and television categories:...
- 1/13/2015
- by Rachel West
- Cineplex
Xavier Dolan may have been miffed that his "Mommy" was left off the list of finalists for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar, but he's surely pleased today that his film led the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television's film slate. It picked up 13 nominations total. David Cronenberg's "Maps to the Stars" was also strong. Check out the full list of nominees below. Winners will be revealed on March 1. And catch the rest at The Circuit! Best Motion Picture "Cast No Shadow" "Fall" "In Her Place" "Maps to the Stars" "Mommy" "Tu dors Nicole" Achievement in Direction Atom Egoyan, "Captive" Albert Shin, "In Her Place" David Cronenberg, "Maps to the Stars" Xavier Dolan, "Mommy" Stéphane Lafleur, "Tu dors Nicole" Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role Ryan Reynolds, "The Captive" Bruce Greenwood, "Elephant Song" Michael Murphy, "Fall" Evan Bird, "Maps to the Stars" Antoine Olivier-Pilon, "Mommy" Performance by an...
- 1/13/2015
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Hitfix
1. Dead Ringers
Two Jeremy Irons doing anything would be scary: his turn in 1988’s Dead Ringers as good gynaecologist, bad gynaecologist is truly terrifying. Irons plays identical twin doctors Beverly and Eliot Mantle with dizzying ease and effect: you give up looking for the special effects, because you forget there are any. Genevieve Bujold’s Claire gets far more than she bargained for: sinister is heaped upon tragic when she goes to their clinic because of her infertility and is drawn darkly downhill into the brothers’ world of women-sharing, paranoid delusions, assault against patients and an abundance of prescription drugs. Beverly and Eliot’s souls are so close that they have grown interdependent and tangled, like the branches of trees planted too close together. Body horror is given a stark slant when Beverly attacks a patient with a specially-made medical tool, and the spectre of partly hidden female genitalia hangs...
Two Jeremy Irons doing anything would be scary: his turn in 1988’s Dead Ringers as good gynaecologist, bad gynaecologist is truly terrifying. Irons plays identical twin doctors Beverly and Eliot Mantle with dizzying ease and effect: you give up looking for the special effects, because you forget there are any. Genevieve Bujold’s Claire gets far more than she bargained for: sinister is heaped upon tragic when she goes to their clinic because of her infertility and is drawn darkly downhill into the brothers’ world of women-sharing, paranoid delusions, assault against patients and an abundance of prescription drugs. Beverly and Eliot’s souls are so close that they have grown interdependent and tangled, like the branches of trees planted too close together. Body horror is given a stark slant when Beverly attacks a patient with a specially-made medical tool, and the spectre of partly hidden female genitalia hangs...
- 1/13/2015
- by Juliette Jones
- SoundOnSight
Sneak Peek a new trailer revealing more footage from director David Cronenberg's "Maps to the Stars", starring Mia Wasikowska, Julianne Moore, John Cusack, Olivia Williams, Robert Pattinson, Sarah Gadon and Evan Bird:
"...'Stafford Weiss' (Cusack) is a famed TV self-help therapist with an A-list celebrity clientele. 'Cristina Weiss' (Olivia Williams) has her work cut out for her managing the career of their disaffected child-star son, 'Benjie' (Bird), a fresh graduate of rehab at age 13.
"Unknown to them, another member of the Weiss family has arrived in town – mysteriously scarred and tormented 'Agatha' (Wasikowska), just released from a psych ward and ready to start again.
"She soon works her way into a friendship with a limo driver (Pattinson) and becomes personal assistant to unraveling actress 'Havana Segrand' (Moore), who is beset by the ghost of her legendary mother, 'Clarice' (Gadon). But Agatha is on a quest for redemption – and...
"...'Stafford Weiss' (Cusack) is a famed TV self-help therapist with an A-list celebrity clientele. 'Cristina Weiss' (Olivia Williams) has her work cut out for her managing the career of their disaffected child-star son, 'Benjie' (Bird), a fresh graduate of rehab at age 13.
"Unknown to them, another member of the Weiss family has arrived in town – mysteriously scarred and tormented 'Agatha' (Wasikowska), just released from a psych ward and ready to start again.
"She soon works her way into a friendship with a limo driver (Pattinson) and becomes personal assistant to unraveling actress 'Havana Segrand' (Moore), who is beset by the ghost of her legendary mother, 'Clarice' (Gadon). But Agatha is on a quest for redemption – and...
- 1/11/2015
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Yesterday, Focus World dropped this new, 2nd movie trailer (below) for their upcoming thriller flick, "Maps To The Stars," featuring former Twilight Saga main man, Robert Pattinson, in action as a limo driver, Jerome Fontana. It also looks insanely intense as a lot of these people are just overflowing with issues that bubble over into crazy violence, and more. Check it out,below. The movie stars: John Cusack, Robert Pattinson, Julianne Moore, Olivia Williams, Sarah Gadon, Mia Wasikowska and Evan Bird. The official plot summary for the movie, reads like this: " Meet the Weiss family, who are making their way in Hollywood rife with money, fame, envy, and relentless hauntings. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a famed TV self-help therapist with an A-list celebrity clientele. Meanwhile, Cristina Weiss (Olivia Williams) has her work cut out managing the career of their disaffected child-star son, Benjie (Evan Bird), a fresh graduate of...
- 1/9/2015
- by Eric
- OnTheFlix
Today we have a new trailer for "Maps to the Stars," which is directed by David Cronenberg (The Fly, Eastern Promises, a History of Violence) and stars John Cusack, Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, and Sarah Gadon. It's set to be released on VOD and in select theaters on February 27th. Check out the trailer below. Plot: The Weiss family is the archetypical Hollywood dynasty: father Sanford (Cusack) is an analyst and coach, who has made a fortune with his self-help manuals; mother Christina (Olivia Williams) mostly looks after the career of their son Benjie (Evan Bird), 13, a child star. One of Sanford's clients, Havana (Moore), is an actress who dreams of shooting a remake of the movie that made her mother, Clarice (Gadon), a star in the '60s. Clarice is dead now and visions of her come to haunt Havana at night. Adding to the toxic mix,...
- 1/9/2015
- WorstPreviews.com
You’d think that if a David Cronenberg film with Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson, John Cusack, and Olivia Williams were about to come out, you’d have heard people talking almost endlessly about it for months. Well, that may not be true at all. I would think that I would have heard people though, because everyone who has to talk about movies, and everyone who listens to those people, ought to have been bombarded to the point of annoyance by now.
Not that you haven’t heard about the movie, perhaps, but this film ought to be a huge deal, and ought to have people excited.
Well, let’s see if we can change that.
First, this is one of the cooler trailers you’re going to run into, and it shows off the entire cast. Especially strong in the film is Mia Wasikowska, who doesn’t get nearly enough credit in general,...
Not that you haven’t heard about the movie, perhaps, but this film ought to be a huge deal, and ought to have people excited.
Well, let’s see if we can change that.
First, this is one of the cooler trailers you’re going to run into, and it shows off the entire cast. Especially strong in the film is Mia Wasikowska, who doesn’t get nearly enough credit in general,...
- 1/9/2015
- by Marc Eastman
- AreYouScreening.com
Since April last year, four different trailers for David Cronenberg’s skewed Hollywood riff, Maps To The Stars, have hit the web. It’s safe to say the deranged awe which has surrounded most of its advance critical spin has been heavily hinted at across those teasers, as well as various clips. Still, its official theatrical release will be upon us soon, and in the run up to its widespread debut a final full-length trailer and new one-sheet poster have arrived online (via Collider).
Storywise, the film explores the seedy world of Hollywood via Mia Wasikowska’s eager youngster, Agatha who earns her keep as personal assistant to Julianne Moore’s unhinged fading actress. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s also a stream of interwoven narrative threads starring Robert Pattinson, John Cusack, and Olivia Williams, who each have a part to play in this ambitious tale.
Storywise, the film explores the seedy world of Hollywood via Mia Wasikowska’s eager youngster, Agatha who earns her keep as personal assistant to Julianne Moore’s unhinged fading actress. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s also a stream of interwoven narrative threads starring Robert Pattinson, John Cusack, and Olivia Williams, who each have a part to play in this ambitious tale.
- 1/8/2015
- by Gem Seddon
- We Got This Covered
Focus World has released the brand new U.S. theatrical trailer & poster for Maps To The Stars, directed by David Cronenberg & starring Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska with John Cusack and Robert Pattinson.
Cronenberg is equally known for not flinching from any subject, and for making films that are as challenging and substantial as they are suspenseful and visually compelling. Early in his career, he made a series of vivid, fantastical thrillers including Scanners, Videodrome, The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, eXistenZ and Spider. More recently, his filmmaking has become even more expansive with the high-style crime thrillers A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, the psychological, sex- infused historical drama about Freud and Jung, A Dangerous Method, and his adaptation of Cosmopolis which takes place almost entirely in a billionaire’s limousine on one fateful trip through the city.
For Cronenberg, Maps To The Stars was another chance to switch...
Cronenberg is equally known for not flinching from any subject, and for making films that are as challenging and substantial as they are suspenseful and visually compelling. Early in his career, he made a series of vivid, fantastical thrillers including Scanners, Videodrome, The Fly, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch, eXistenZ and Spider. More recently, his filmmaking has become even more expansive with the high-style crime thrillers A History of Violence and Eastern Promises, the psychological, sex- infused historical drama about Freud and Jung, A Dangerous Method, and his adaptation of Cosmopolis which takes place almost entirely in a billionaire’s limousine on one fateful trip through the city.
For Cronenberg, Maps To The Stars was another chance to switch...
- 1/8/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Say what you will about the films of David Cronenberg, but the man has a unique vision and the talent necessary to translate that vision to the big screen. The man behind The Fly, Videodrome, Eastern Promises, and more has a new film slated for release this year called Maps to the Stars, and it looks like a searing critique of Hollywood. Cronenberg isn't afraid to pull any punches, and it looks like this may be one of his most aggressive, interesting features in years. I'm getting a strong All About Eve vibe from this trailer, and that final scream from Julianne Moore is chilling.
Check out the official synopsis, and then watch the new trailer below.
Meet the Weiss family, who are making their way in Hollywood rife with money, fame, envy, and relentless hauntings. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a famed TV self-help therapist with an A-list celebrity clientele.
Check out the official synopsis, and then watch the new trailer below.
Meet the Weiss family, who are making their way in Hollywood rife with money, fame, envy, and relentless hauntings. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a famed TV self-help therapist with an A-list celebrity clientele.
- 1/8/2015
- by Ben Pearson
- GeekTyrant
Focus World dropped a new trailer for David Cronenberg's "Maps to the Stars," which debuted at the Cannes Film Festival last May and is up for a Golden Globe at this Sunday's awards ceremony. Read More: Cannes Review: 'Maps to the Stars' is David Cronenberg's Angriest Movie Being a Cronenberg film, "Maps to the Stars" is, of course, steeped in decadence. At its center: the Weiss family. Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a self-help therapist with a long list of celebrity clients, including Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore), a fading starlet haunted by the ghost of her late mother, who was also a famous actress. As if one member of the family working with Hollywood wasn't enough, Stafford's wife, Cristina (Olivia Williams), manages the acting career of their troubled 13-year-old son, Benje (Evan Bird). When Stafford and Cristina's psychologically unstable estranged daughter reappears in Los Angeles at...
- 1/8/2015
- by Shipra Gupta
- Indiewire
David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis really rubbed me the wrong way, so much so that I do not really care what he has to offer next. That is a shame because I generally really like his filmography. But... I just cannot get interested in Maps to the Stars. It has been even more polarizing than Cosmopolis, and Brad's review certainly does not help its case. Well, for those of you eagerly awaiting it, still undecided about it, or that just like trailers, a new domestic trailer is below for you to watch, along with a new poster for the film. I will admit, the new poster is pretty awesome. I am fully prepared to call this a good film if it ends up being one. I know Cronenberg is capable of that, and with a cast that includes Julianne Moore (who won Best Actress at Cannes for this film), Mia Wasikowska,...
- 1/8/2015
- by Mike Shutt
- Rope of Silicon
The latest edition of The Hunger Games franchise predictably dominated ticket sales at Australian cinemas last weekend although the opening was fractionally below the previous edition.
Still, let.s not quibble as The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 racked up nearly $11.9 million, just 5.6% below Catching Fire.s $12.5 million debut a year ago.
The action thriller starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth accounted for a whopping 68% of the entire national B.O. of $17.4 million which, by sheer co-incidence, was up 68% on the previous weekend, according to Rentrak.
Christopher Nolan.s Interstellar plunged by 42% to $2.18 million in its third orbit, collecting $13 million so far, but looks unlikely to reach $20 million.
Mature folks who were not interested in either blockbuster turned up to see Maggie Smith and Kevin Kline bicker and banter in My Old Lady, which fetched $380,000 in its second weekend on 94 screens, dropping by 22%, bringing its tally to $1.12 million.
Still, let.s not quibble as The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 racked up nearly $11.9 million, just 5.6% below Catching Fire.s $12.5 million debut a year ago.
The action thriller starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth accounted for a whopping 68% of the entire national B.O. of $17.4 million which, by sheer co-incidence, was up 68% on the previous weekend, according to Rentrak.
Christopher Nolan.s Interstellar plunged by 42% to $2.18 million in its third orbit, collecting $13 million so far, but looks unlikely to reach $20 million.
Mature folks who were not interested in either blockbuster turned up to see Maggie Smith and Kevin Kline bicker and banter in My Old Lady, which fetched $380,000 in its second weekend on 94 screens, dropping by 22%, bringing its tally to $1.12 million.
- 11/24/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
David Cronenberg’s latest venture takes us, quite literally, into the heart of Hollywood. Maps to the Stars is Cronenberg’s critical look at celebrity culture and its many pitfalls, and the director shot outside of Canada for the first time to achieve the authentic backdrop of Los Angeles.
The story is a web of interconnected stories that follows a wide-eyed Mia Wasikowska as a mysterious visitor-turned-personal assistant, Julianne Moore as a washed-up actress attempting to make her comeback, John Cusack as a self-help motivator and cheerleader to his tween son, Evan Bird, a child actor fresh from rehab. AndRobert Pattinson rounds out the cast as a taxi driver and aspiring actor, on the outside looking in.
In Maps, Cronenberg constructs a world that is dark and uncomfortable, yet his characters live comfortably within it. Each character’s actions create much shock and awe, and it’s the type of...
The story is a web of interconnected stories that follows a wide-eyed Mia Wasikowska as a mysterious visitor-turned-personal assistant, Julianne Moore as a washed-up actress attempting to make her comeback, John Cusack as a self-help motivator and cheerleader to his tween son, Evan Bird, a child actor fresh from rehab. AndRobert Pattinson rounds out the cast as a taxi driver and aspiring actor, on the outside looking in.
In Maps, Cronenberg constructs a world that is dark and uncomfortable, yet his characters live comfortably within it. Each character’s actions create much shock and awe, and it’s the type of...
- 10/30/2014
- by Tiffany Wong
- Cineplex
John Cusack broke out young in phenomenally successful John Hughes projects and has managed to sustain a successful career since, more than 30 years. He’s learned a lot of lessons about Hollywood. And that’s why he lives in Chicago. We spoke with Cusack during the Toronto International Film Festival about early fame and movie stars in light of his latest role in David Cronenberg’s black comedy Maps to the Stars. Working with young actor Evan Bird who plays a spoiled young actor in the Justin Bieber mould took him back to his own bittersweet experiences. Evan Bird and […]...
- 10/26/2014
- by Anne Brodie
- Monsters and Critics
At least outwardly, David Fincher’s Gone Girl is a film defined by its knife-edge turnabouts, orchestrated with an elaborate tangle of dread brought upon by a thrilling script, masterful direction, as well as an equally noteworthy score. If not for David Fincher’s sway, however, Gillian Flynn’s tale of passionate, domestic misanthropy could have easily atrophied to pulp. Is a film so gravely reliant on its many twists and turns worthy of ubiquity in praise, or is there simply more to Fincher’s Gone Girl, perchance subtler but more sizable than gender roles and suspense?
At this point in his career, Fincher is only outmatched by Alfred Hitchcock in his ardent championing of pulp. The two directors are particularly matchless in their ability to rework sensationalism and masterfully emphasize its underlying pathos instead. In the wake of Zodiac and The Social Network, Fincher no longer needs to attest...
At this point in his career, Fincher is only outmatched by Alfred Hitchcock in his ardent championing of pulp. The two directors are particularly matchless in their ability to rework sensationalism and masterfully emphasize its underlying pathos instead. In the wake of Zodiac and The Social Network, Fincher no longer needs to attest...
- 10/17/2014
- by Morad Moazami
- SoundOnSight
He may be an acquired taste for some, but you’re always guaranteed an experience with a David Cronenberg movie. And yes, some of those experiences can leave alot to be desired. However, with Maps To The Stars, the director is firing on nearly all cylinders. Centralised around two main plots, which interweave with each other and a secondary story line that also manages to connect in when required, Maps To The Stars is quite the rollercoaster. The movie delves into the heart of Hollywood, as Havana Segrand (Julianne Moore) desperately tries to remain current while Benjie Weiss (Evan Bird), a huge child star, starts battling his demons. That’s the core of the story, but the real heart of it all lies around Mia Wasikowska’s character, Agatha as she turns up and after befriending Carrie Fisher (playing herself here) becomes Havana’s personal assistant. In a nutshell, everybody...
- 9/26/2014
- by noreply@blogger.com (Vic Barry)
- www.themoviebit.com
Director: David Cronenberg; Screenwriter: Bruce Wagner; Starring: Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Evan Bird, Robert Pattinson, John Cusack, Olivia Williams, Carrie Fisher; Running time: 111 mins; Certificate: 18
David Cronenberg movies rarely fail to provoke strong and conflicting feelings from the viewer, whether it be the compelling alienation of Cosmopolis or the involving revulsion of Eastern Promises. His latest offering Maps To The Stars is no exception, offering a scintillating study of the repercussions of suppressing traumatic episodes and boasting engrossing portrayals from Julianne Moore and Mia Wasikowska.
Famed for his venereal 'body horror' movies, Cronenberg positions Hollywood as a diseased, festering and parasitic entity. Alongside the celebrity culture it promotes, it bears a sickly yet addictive quality to the fascinating array of characters we encounter, especially those seemingly inspired by real-life famous figures.
There's hysterical Lohan-esque actress Havana (Moore), desperate to portray her famous deceased mother in a movie, and Benjie (Evan Bird...
David Cronenberg movies rarely fail to provoke strong and conflicting feelings from the viewer, whether it be the compelling alienation of Cosmopolis or the involving revulsion of Eastern Promises. His latest offering Maps To The Stars is no exception, offering a scintillating study of the repercussions of suppressing traumatic episodes and boasting engrossing portrayals from Julianne Moore and Mia Wasikowska.
Famed for his venereal 'body horror' movies, Cronenberg positions Hollywood as a diseased, festering and parasitic entity. Alongside the celebrity culture it promotes, it bears a sickly yet addictive quality to the fascinating array of characters we encounter, especially those seemingly inspired by real-life famous figures.
There's hysterical Lohan-esque actress Havana (Moore), desperate to portray her famous deceased mother in a movie, and Benjie (Evan Bird...
- 9/26/2014
- Digital Spy
The dark heart of Hollywood is ripped open by director David Cronenberg in a blackly comic cinematic strike. Julianne Moore delivers a bravura performance as a fading star whose desperation to to stay in the spotlight lays bare the toxic dynamic of those around her, including a Bieber-esque celebrity brat (Evan Bird), his charlatan life-coach father (John Cusack) and a discarded teen (Mia Wasikowska) who returns to Tinseltown to wreak a terrible revenge.
- 9/25/2014
- Sky Movies
This new trailer for David Cronenberg’s Maps to the Stars is a showcase of great performances and weird Cronenberg. Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Julianne Moore looks to be at her very best here; other than that, I don’t know what’s going on! That’s usually a good thing though, so take in whatever you can here and enjoy! The film also stars Mia Wasikowska, Olivia Williams, Evan Bird, Sarah Gadon, John Cusack and Robert Pattinson.
Here’s the official synopsis :
In Maps to the Stars, Stafford Weiss (played by Mr. Cusack) is an L.A. psychotherapist and life coach who has made his fortune with self-help books promising happiness. His wife Cristina (Ms. Williams) is the overbearing manager of their 13-year-old son, Benjie (Mr. Bird), a TV star and recent drug rehab grad. Their estranged daughter, Agatha (Ms. Wasikowska), has just been released from a...
Here’s the official synopsis :
In Maps to the Stars, Stafford Weiss (played by Mr. Cusack) is an L.A. psychotherapist and life coach who has made his fortune with self-help books promising happiness. His wife Cristina (Ms. Williams) is the overbearing manager of their 13-year-old son, Benjie (Mr. Bird), a TV star and recent drug rehab grad. Their estranged daughter, Agatha (Ms. Wasikowska), has just been released from a...
- 9/12/2014
- by Graham McMorrow
- City of Films
eOnefilms has released a new trailer for David Cronenberg's upcoming thriller "Map to the Stars" starring Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Olivia Williams, Evan Bird, Sarah Gadon, John Cusack, and Robert Pattinson.
In "Maps to the Stars," Stafford Weiss (Cusack) is an L.A. psychotherapist and life coach who has made his fortune with self-help books promising happiness. His wife Cristina (Williams) is the overbearing manager of their 13-year-old son, Benjie (Bird), a TV star and recent drug rehab grad. Their estranged daughter, Agatha (Wasikowska), has just been released from a psychiatric hospital and befriends limo driver and aspiring actor Jerome (Pattinson). Among Stafford’s celebrity clients is Havana Segrand (Moore), a fading star who dreams of reprising her late mother Clarice's (Gadon) starring role. Ambitions, ghosts, death, and all manner of vices bedevil the cast of characters.
Have a look at the trailer by using the player below.
Source:...
In "Maps to the Stars," Stafford Weiss (Cusack) is an L.A. psychotherapist and life coach who has made his fortune with self-help books promising happiness. His wife Cristina (Williams) is the overbearing manager of their 13-year-old son, Benjie (Bird), a TV star and recent drug rehab grad. Their estranged daughter, Agatha (Wasikowska), has just been released from a psychiatric hospital and befriends limo driver and aspiring actor Jerome (Pattinson). Among Stafford’s celebrity clients is Havana Segrand (Moore), a fading star who dreams of reprising her late mother Clarice's (Gadon) starring role. Ambitions, ghosts, death, and all manner of vices bedevil the cast of characters.
Have a look at the trailer by using the player below.
Source:...
- 9/10/2014
- by Kellvin Chavez
- LRMonline.com
Stop me if you've heard this one before... Hollywood is an incestuous town and those that dwell there are morally bankrupt. This is the concept that is drilled into the ground throughout David Cronenberg's lifeless satire, Maps to the Stars. Written by Bruce Wagner (A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors), Cronenberg defended the film at the Cannes Film Festival saying, "You could set this in Silicon Valley or on Wall Street -- anyplace people are desperate and fearful. You could set it anywhere and have the same ring ofctruth." Perhaps so, but it's not set in Silicon Valley or Wall Street (neither of which would be new concepts either), it's set in Hollywood and it's a tired story from start to finish and it was all I could do to keep from leaving the theater. Julianne Moore plays Havana, an aging actress on the brink of a breakdown,...
- 9/5/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
For a stretch in the mid-aughts, it looked as though Canadian provocateur David Cronenberg had gone a bit Hollywood, despite never shooting any of his films there. Having built a career on the psychologically and visually grotesque, the three-peat of A History of Violence, Eastern Promises and A Dangerous Method saw Cronenberg attracting big names to awards-buzz material that, while still beholden to his darker impulses, played well with critics. Then 2012’s Cosmopolis started him down a slippery slope leading back to material as confounding as it was disturbing. His latest, Maps to the Stars, marks Cronenberg’s full-blown relapse into misanthropic weirdness, but with more expensive drugs at his disposal.
The first of his pictures to actually shoot in America is just as much concerned with atrophying empire as Cosmopolis was, but centers on the sunny Hollywood rot of the entertainment industry, instead of New York’s well-tailored economic sociopathy.
The first of his pictures to actually shoot in America is just as much concerned with atrophying empire as Cosmopolis was, but centers on the sunny Hollywood rot of the entertainment industry, instead of New York’s well-tailored economic sociopathy.
- 9/4/2014
- by Sam Woolf
- We Got This Covered
Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe team up for the Shane Black-directed detective thriller "Nice Guys" which Warner Bros. Pictures has set for a release on June 17th 2016.
Set in the 1970s in Los Angeles, Gosling plays a private eye and Crowe a hired leg-breaker who must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star.
Black and Anthony Bagarozzi wrote the screenplay for the project which begins shooting this Fall. Joel Silver is producing.
Meanwhile, Focus World has picked up U.S. distribution rights to David Cronenberg's "Maps to the Stars" and is eyeing an early 2015 release.
Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson, John Cusack, Olivia Williams, Evan Bird, and Sarah Gadon star in the film which looks at a slowly collapsing family that has made its fortunes working in Hollywood.
Source: THR...
Set in the 1970s in Los Angeles, Gosling plays a private eye and Crowe a hired leg-breaker who must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star.
Black and Anthony Bagarozzi wrote the screenplay for the project which begins shooting this Fall. Joel Silver is producing.
Meanwhile, Focus World has picked up U.S. distribution rights to David Cronenberg's "Maps to the Stars" and is eyeing an early 2015 release.
Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson, John Cusack, Olivia Williams, Evan Bird, and Sarah Gadon star in the film which looks at a slowly collapsing family that has made its fortunes working in Hollywood.
Source: THR...
- 9/2/2014
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Focus World announced yesterday they'd picked up David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars for domestic distribution with the intention of releasing it in 2015. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival to somewhat mixed reviews, though specific attention was garnered for Julianne Moore who took home the fest's Best Actress award. It will next screen at the Toronto Film Festival followed by a New York Film Festival presentation. Naturally, when I first heard the news Focus World would give it a 2015 release I assumed that would come with a limited awards run in late 2014 along with a campaign for, at the very least, Moore, an actress long-thought overdue for an Oscar win, but it seems that might not be the case. Variety spoke with an individual that says an awards run "could" happen, but perhaps the buzz surrounding what is said to be a bit of a non-Academy character is scaring Focus off.
- 9/2/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Focus World has picked up U.S. distribution rights to Maps to the Stars. The film, directed by David Cronenberg, stars Julianne Moore as an aging leading lady and Mia Wasikowska as a mysterious young woman who becomes her assistant. The film also stars Robert Pattinson, John Cusack, Olivia Williams, Evan Bird, and Sarah Gadon. Focus World is eyeing an early 2015 release for Maps to the Stars, which earned Moore best actress honors at the Cannes International Film Festival in May. Entertainment One and Prospero Pictures co-financed the film, with producers including Prospero’s Martin Katz, Sbs Productions’ Said
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- 9/2/2014
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As we look in the rearview mirror of the summer blockbusters, September heralds the start of the fall movie season. Filled with Hollywood heavyweights and A-listers, here’s our Big list of the most anticipated movies coming to cinemas this autumn and during the holidays.
Our exhaustive list includes films that are playing at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival as well the ones that already have a theatrical release date. With the awards season on the horizon, we also added a few bonus films at the end to keep your eye out for in the months ahead.
Pull up a chair, grab a pen and paper and get ready for Wamg’s Guide to the 100+ Films This Fall And Holiday Season.
We kick it off with what’s showing in Toronto at the film festival that runs September 4 – 14.
Maps To The Stars – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival; UK & Ireland September...
Our exhaustive list includes films that are playing at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival as well the ones that already have a theatrical release date. With the awards season on the horizon, we also added a few bonus films at the end to keep your eye out for in the months ahead.
Pull up a chair, grab a pen and paper and get ready for Wamg’s Guide to the 100+ Films This Fall And Holiday Season.
We kick it off with what’s showing in Toronto at the film festival that runs September 4 – 14.
Maps To The Stars – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival; UK & Ireland September...
- 8/29/2014
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Opening Night – World Premiere
Gone Girl
David Fincher, USA, 2014, Dcp, 150m
David Fincher’s film version of Gillian Flynn’s phenomenally successful best seller (adapted by the author) is one wild cinematic ride, a perfectly cast and intensely compressed portrait of a recession-era marriage contained within a devastating depiction of celebrity/media culture, shifting gears as smoothly as a Maserati 250F. Ben Affleck is Nick Dunne, whose wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) goes missing on the day of their fifth anniversary. Neil Patrick Harris is Amy’s old boyfriend Desi, Carrie Coon (who played Honey in Tracy Letts’s acclaimed production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) is Nick’s sister Margo, Kim Dickens (Treme, Friday Night Lights) is Detective Rhonda Boney, and Tyler Perry is Nick’s superstar lawyer Tanner Bolt. At once a grand panoramic vision of middle America, a uniquely disturbing exploration of the fault lines in a marriage,...
Gone Girl
David Fincher, USA, 2014, Dcp, 150m
David Fincher’s film version of Gillian Flynn’s phenomenally successful best seller (adapted by the author) is one wild cinematic ride, a perfectly cast and intensely compressed portrait of a recession-era marriage contained within a devastating depiction of celebrity/media culture, shifting gears as smoothly as a Maserati 250F. Ben Affleck is Nick Dunne, whose wife Amy (Rosamund Pike) goes missing on the day of their fifth anniversary. Neil Patrick Harris is Amy’s old boyfriend Desi, Carrie Coon (who played Honey in Tracy Letts’s acclaimed production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?) is Nick’s sister Margo, Kim Dickens (Treme, Friday Night Lights) is Detective Rhonda Boney, and Tyler Perry is Nick’s superstar lawyer Tanner Bolt. At once a grand panoramic vision of middle America, a uniquely disturbing exploration of the fault lines in a marriage,...
- 8/20/2014
- by Notebook
- MUBI
Welcome to the latest (the twentieth!) installment of Trailer Park, our regular look at the latest trailers to hit the interwebs. This weeks line-up features a bevy of the latest movie trailers including: Big Hero 6, Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Birdman, Interstellar, Wish I Was Here, Lets Be Cops, Evil Feed, Map to the Stars, Skeleton Twins, The Calling, Mortdecai, and The Pact 2.
Big Hero 6
With all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Big Hero 6” is an action-packed comedy-adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a...
Big Hero 6
With all the heart and humor audiences expect from Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Big Hero 6” is an action-packed comedy-adventure about robotics prodigy Hiro Hamada, who learns to harness his genius—thanks to his brilliant brother Tadashi and their like-minded friends: adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago, neatnik Wasabi, chemistry whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred. When a devastating turn of events catapults them into the midst of a dangerous plot unfolding in the streets of San Fransokyo, Hiro turns to his closest companion—a...
- 8/14/2014
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Here’s a look at the trailer for David Cronenberg’s Maps To The Stars featuring Julianne Moore, Mia Wasikowska and Robert Pattinson.
The film will screen in September at the Toronto International Film Festival.
In May 2014 at the Cannes Film Festival, Moore won Best Actress while Cronenberg was nominated for the Palme d’Or.
The Weiss family are an archetypical Hollywood dynasty – Dr Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a psychotherapist whose self-help books have made him a fortune. His wife Cristina (Olivia Williams) is the overbearing mom-ager of their thirteen-year old son, Benjie (Evan Bird), a prodigious child star fresh out of drug rehab and their estranged daughter Agatha (Mia Wasikowska) has recently been released from a psychiatric hospital. Agatha is now back in Hollywood making friends with a wannabe actor/writer limo driver named Jerome (Robert Pattinson) and with a new job as Pa to one of Stafford...
The film will screen in September at the Toronto International Film Festival.
In May 2014 at the Cannes Film Festival, Moore won Best Actress while Cronenberg was nominated for the Palme d’Or.
The Weiss family are an archetypical Hollywood dynasty – Dr Stafford Weiss (John Cusack) is a psychotherapist whose self-help books have made him a fortune. His wife Cristina (Olivia Williams) is the overbearing mom-ager of their thirteen-year old son, Benjie (Evan Bird), a prodigious child star fresh out of drug rehab and their estranged daughter Agatha (Mia Wasikowska) has recently been released from a psychiatric hospital. Agatha is now back in Hollywood making friends with a wannabe actor/writer limo driver named Jerome (Robert Pattinson) and with a new job as Pa to one of Stafford...
- 8/13/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
David Cronenberg's Maps to the Stars has been on our radar for a while now, and with its September 26th UK/Ireland release date approaching, finally a new trailer has arrived!
Additionally, the film will have its North American premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival (September 4-14) as part of its Gala Presentations and will also screen during the Sitges Film Festival in October.
Look for a Stateside release date hopefully soon!
The film, which explores the demons of our celebrity-obsessed society, stars John Cusack, Olivia Williams, Evan Bird, Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson, and Julianne Moore. Directed by Cronenberg and written by Bruce Wagner, it also stars Sarah Gadon and Carrie Fisher.
Synopsis:
The Weiss family are an archetypical Hollywood dynasty: Dr. Stafford Weiss (Cusack) is a psychotherapist whose self-help books have made him a fortune. His wife, Cristina (Williams), is the overbearing mom-ager of their thirteen-year-old son,...
Additionally, the film will have its North American premiere during the Toronto International Film Festival (September 4-14) as part of its Gala Presentations and will also screen during the Sitges Film Festival in October.
Look for a Stateside release date hopefully soon!
The film, which explores the demons of our celebrity-obsessed society, stars John Cusack, Olivia Williams, Evan Bird, Mia Wasikowska, Robert Pattinson, and Julianne Moore. Directed by Cronenberg and written by Bruce Wagner, it also stars Sarah Gadon and Carrie Fisher.
Synopsis:
The Weiss family are an archetypical Hollywood dynasty: Dr. Stafford Weiss (Cusack) is a psychotherapist whose self-help books have made him a fortune. His wife, Cristina (Williams), is the overbearing mom-ager of their thirteen-year-old son,...
- 8/12/2014
- by Debi Moore
- DreadCentral.com
Today we have an international trailer for "Maps to the Stars," which is directed by David Cronenberg (The Fly, Eastern Promises, a History of Violence) and stars John Cusack, Julianne Moore, Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, and Sarah Gadon. Check it out below. Plot: The Weiss family is the archetypical Hollywood dynasty: father Sanford (Cusack) is an analyst and coach, who has made a fortune with his self-help manuals; mother Christina (Olivia Williams) mostly looks after the career of their son Benjie (Evan Bird), 13, a child star. One of Sanford's clients, Havana (Moore), is an actress who dreams of shooting a remake of the movie that made her mother, Clarice (Gadon), a star in the '60s. Clarice is dead now and visions of her come to haunt Havana at night. Adding to the toxic mix, Benjie has just come off a rehab program he joined when he was 9 and his sister,...
- 8/12/2014
- WorstPreviews.com
We still don’t know exactly when David Cronenberg’s Hollywood satire Maps to the Stars will be landing stateside, but it’s still very high on our list of films to see. Boasting a stellar cast in addition to a script by Bruce Wagner (a writer renowned for his biting views on the entertainment industry), it has the potential to be one of Cronenberg’s most exciting films in years. Now, a UK trailer for Maps to the Stars has popped up online, giving us another look at the movie.
John Cusack, Olivia Williams, Evan Bird and Mia Wasikowska star as members of a powerful Hollywood family whose demons pit them against both themselves and one another. Robert Pattinson also toplines as a limo driver who comes into contact both with the family’s estranged daughter (Wasikowska) and with a neurotic, aging actress (Julianne Moore). Maps to the Stars looks equal parts transfixing,...
John Cusack, Olivia Williams, Evan Bird and Mia Wasikowska star as members of a powerful Hollywood family whose demons pit them against both themselves and one another. Robert Pattinson also toplines as a limo driver who comes into contact both with the family’s estranged daughter (Wasikowska) and with a neurotic, aging actress (Julianne Moore). Maps to the Stars looks equal parts transfixing,...
- 8/11/2014
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
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