Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie directors! Not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones that they made in between.
Today we speak to Nancy Savoca, the great filmmaker whose sophomore feature Dogfight is now available via Criterion. The digitally-restored, director-approved Blu-Ray includes new commentary from Savoca and producer Richard Guay, a new interview with Savoca and actor Lili Taylor conducted by filmmaker Mary Harron, and a great essay by film critic Christina Newland, among other features.
We speak with Savoca about Missing Movies, her mentors John Sayles and Maggie Renzi, her first film True Love, directing singular performers like River Phoenix and Lili Taylor, and the HBO creativity boom of the mid-to-late ‘90s (including Carl Franklin’s Laurel Avenue and Cher and Savoca’s If These Walls Could Talk), and lesser-seen gems of Savoca’s that...
Today we speak to Nancy Savoca, the great filmmaker whose sophomore feature Dogfight is now available via Criterion. The digitally-restored, director-approved Blu-Ray includes new commentary from Savoca and producer Richard Guay, a new interview with Savoca and actor Lili Taylor conducted by filmmaker Mary Harron, and a great essay by film critic Christina Newland, among other features.
We speak with Savoca about Missing Movies, her mentors John Sayles and Maggie Renzi, her first film True Love, directing singular performers like River Phoenix and Lili Taylor, and the HBO creativity boom of the mid-to-late ‘90s (including Carl Franklin’s Laurel Avenue and Cher and Savoca’s If These Walls Could Talk), and lesser-seen gems of Savoca’s that...
- 5/2/2024
- by Dan Mecca
- The Film Stage
A glimpse at upcoming UK DVD and Blu-ray release dates until the end of 2024: here’s what’s coming to disc and when.
Here, then, are a few of the upcoming dates for new movies on DVD and Blu-ray that may not yet have been officially announced. Note that all dates are for the UK.
Also: We’ve started adding affiliate links. If you click on those, we benefit, and can spend more money paying more people to write more things for this website. No pressure, just hugely obliged.
Obviously in the current climate everything is subject to change, of course…
Just released
First Time On UK Blu-ray: No Way Out (Film Stories Blu-ray #2)
First Time On UK Blu-ray: Bull Durham (Film Stories Blu-ray #3)
Here, then, are a few of the upcoming dates for new movies on DVD and Blu-ray that may not yet have been officially announced. Note...
Here, then, are a few of the upcoming dates for new movies on DVD and Blu-ray that may not yet have been officially announced. Note that all dates are for the UK.
Also: We’ve started adding affiliate links. If you click on those, we benefit, and can spend more money paying more people to write more things for this website. No pressure, just hugely obliged.
Obviously in the current climate everything is subject to change, of course…
Just released
First Time On UK Blu-ray: No Way Out (Film Stories Blu-ray #2)
First Time On UK Blu-ray: Bull Durham (Film Stories Blu-ray #3)
Here, then, are a few of the upcoming dates for new movies on DVD and Blu-ray that may not yet have been officially announced. Note...
- 4/29/2024
- by Simon Brew
- Film Stories
Through the lens of 2024, “Dogfight” plays like a subtle, personal film you would expect from indie director Nancy Savoca (“Household Saints”), but that’s not what Warner Bros. thought they were making.
“They were thinking ‘Porky’s.’ They thought it was a comedy,” said director Nancy Savoca while on IndieWire’s Toolkit podcast to discuss “Dogfight,” which is entering the Criterion Collection on April 30.
At the end of the 1980s headed into the early ’90s, when Warners was developing Bob Comfort’s “Dogfight” screenplay, teen comedies were big business for the studios. Alongside the wild success of the classic slate of teen comedies John Hughes wrote, directed, or produced, the “Porky’s” trilogy came to define the sex comedies of the era. It’s through this lens the studio saw the dogfight competition in Comfort’s script: A group of young soldiers pick up the “ugliest” woman they can find, bring her to a bar,...
“They were thinking ‘Porky’s.’ They thought it was a comedy,” said director Nancy Savoca while on IndieWire’s Toolkit podcast to discuss “Dogfight,” which is entering the Criterion Collection on April 30.
At the end of the 1980s headed into the early ’90s, when Warners was developing Bob Comfort’s “Dogfight” screenplay, teen comedies were big business for the studios. Alongside the wild success of the classic slate of teen comedies John Hughes wrote, directed, or produced, the “Porky’s” trilogy came to define the sex comedies of the era. It’s through this lens the studio saw the dogfight competition in Comfort’s script: A group of young soldiers pick up the “ugliest” woman they can find, bring her to a bar,...
- 4/18/2024
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
The Criterion Collection reaches out to encompass more radical works of cinema in April 2024, led by Mathieu Kassovitz's completely unsettling La Haine (1995); the seminal Werckmeister Harmonies (2000), described by Criterion as "a hypnotic parable of societal collapse from auteur Béla Tarr and codirector-editor Ágnes Hranitzky;" the remarkable I Am Cuba (1964) from director Mikhail Kalatozov; Nancy Savoca's under-appreciated Dogfight, starring Lili Taylor and River Phoenix; and Peter Weir's dreamy and mysterious Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), available in 4K. La Haine, Werckmeister Harmonies, and I Am Cuba are also being issued in 4K, so it's a splendid time for world cinema fans to dust off their wallets and indulge. (I say that knowing that April 15 is also looming as an important date...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 1/16/2024
- Screen Anarchy
While the year remains young, Criterion’s already looking to Q2 2024. April’s a notable month for its 4K haul: Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky’s Werckmeister Harmonies, having played in a dazzling restoration last year, will be the filmmakers’ first time in the collection (and come packaged with Tarr’s debut feature Family Nest). Mikhail Kalatozov’s less of a stranger, but his I Am Cuba continues the much-welcomed growth of Latin American cinema (notwithstanding its Soviet connections) on physical media.
Meanwhile, La Haine and Picnic at Hanging Rock get upgrades, and Nancy Savoca’s lesser-seen Dogfight enters on Blu-ray.
See artwork below and more details at Criterion:
The post The Criterion Collection’s April Lineup Includes Werckmeister Harmonies and I Am Cuba on 4K first appeared on The Film Stage.
Meanwhile, La Haine and Picnic at Hanging Rock get upgrades, and Nancy Savoca’s lesser-seen Dogfight enters on Blu-ray.
See artwork below and more details at Criterion:
The post The Criterion Collection’s April Lineup Includes Werckmeister Harmonies and I Am Cuba on 4K first appeared on The Film Stage.
- 1/16/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Carole Rothman, co-founder of the renowned New York theater company Second Stage responsible for such acclaimed productions as Dear Evan Hansen, Next To Normal, This Is Our Youth and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, is leaving the company she started in 1979.
“For 45 years, I have had the great honor of working with countless incredible artists and playwrights, many at the beginning of their careers, who are now among the brightest stars in the industry,” said Rothman in a statement. “The shows we have brought to life have been award-winners, conversation-starters, and groundbreakers. I’m forever grateful to all the people who have helped make Second Stage the creative springboard it is today. I’m so proud of what we have accomplished together.”
Rothman’s announcement did not state a specific reason for her departure or her immediate plans.
Since its founding by Rothman and Robyn Goodman (who left...
“For 45 years, I have had the great honor of working with countless incredible artists and playwrights, many at the beginning of their careers, who are now among the brightest stars in the industry,” said Rothman in a statement. “The shows we have brought to life have been award-winners, conversation-starters, and groundbreakers. I’m forever grateful to all the people who have helped make Second Stage the creative springboard it is today. I’m so proud of what we have accomplished together.”
Rothman’s announcement did not state a specific reason for her departure or her immediate plans.
Since its founding by Rothman and Robyn Goodman (who left...
- 9/20/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
While we weren't looking, "Scream" newcomer Josh Segarra has slowly been infiltrating every corner of the entertainment industry. Comic-book TV fans might know him as Adrian Chase/Vigilante in the now defunct CW "Arrowverse," or the show-stealing supporting character, Pug in "She-Hulk: Attorney at Law." When he's not fighting alongside superheroes, he's exuding wonderful "golden retriever" energy as Lance on HBO Max's "The Other Two."
In "Scream VI," the newest reinvention of the meta-horror slasher franchise, Segarra plays Danny, the handsome, supportive neighbor to protagonist Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera). Though it's a small role in a stacked ensemble full of likable, fresh faces, his charisma goes a long way. At this point of the franchise, we know better than to trust the love interest. And yet, Segarra's effortless and disarming charm makes it a little difficult -- not just for Sam, but for the audience too.
Last week, Josh Segarra was profiled by Inverse,...
In "Scream VI," the newest reinvention of the meta-horror slasher franchise, Segarra plays Danny, the handsome, supportive neighbor to protagonist Sam Carpenter (Melissa Barrera). Though it's a small role in a stacked ensemble full of likable, fresh faces, his charisma goes a long way. At this point of the franchise, we know better than to trust the love interest. And yet, Segarra's effortless and disarming charm makes it a little difficult -- not just for Sam, but for the audience too.
Last week, Josh Segarra was profiled by Inverse,...
- 3/16/2023
- by Tyler Llewyn Taing
- Slash Film
A number of great movies are leaving HBO Max at the end of March, so it’s time to prioritize these titles in your queue. Filmmaker James Gunn’s sequel/soft reboot “The Suicide Squad” will depart the streaming service on March 22 after first hitting HBO Max the same day it was released in theaters back in 2021. Similarly, “Space Jam: A New Legacy” was whisked away on March 1 after also getting a day-and-date release in 2021 (sorry/not sorry if you missed it).
You also only have until March 7 to stream “Just a Boy From Tupelo: Bringing Elvis to the Big Screen,” a short documentary on the making of the Oscar-nominated biopic “Elvis.”
Other noteworthy films leaving HBO Max this month include “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” “Contagion,” the extended version of “Dances with Wolves,” “Ghostbusters,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Love & Basketball” and “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.
You also only have until March 7 to stream “Just a Boy From Tupelo: Bringing Elvis to the Big Screen,” a short documentary on the making of the Oscar-nominated biopic “Elvis.”
Other noteworthy films leaving HBO Max this month include “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” “Contagion,” the extended version of “Dances with Wolves,” “Ghostbusters,” “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Love & Basketball” and “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.
- 3/3/2023
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
There’s nothing quite like when HBO is airing one of its trademark watercooler-worthy dramas weekly. Thankfully, we’ll get to it experience exactly that and more on HBO Max in March 2023.
The big ticket item on HBO Max this March is undoubtedly Succession Season 4 on March 26. Part prestige drama and part screwball comedy, Succession is about as fun a watch as they come. Season 4 of the series about egregious wealth will find the Roy siblings reeling after trying and failing to take down their father, Logan (Brian Cox).
HBO Max’s other major TV option this month is another weekly release from HBO. Matthew Rhys returns as the titular lawyer in Perry Mason Season 2 on March 6. Season 1 of this period piece reboot flexed the classic TV character’s detective skills. From the look of the trailer, it seems as though this is the year Perry makes his name in the court room.
The big ticket item on HBO Max this March is undoubtedly Succession Season 4 on March 26. Part prestige drama and part screwball comedy, Succession is about as fun a watch as they come. Season 4 of the series about egregious wealth will find the Roy siblings reeling after trying and failing to take down their father, Logan (Brian Cox).
HBO Max’s other major TV option this month is another weekly release from HBO. Matthew Rhys returns as the titular lawyer in Perry Mason Season 2 on March 6. Season 1 of this period piece reboot flexed the classic TV character’s detective skills. From the look of the trailer, it seems as though this is the year Perry makes his name in the court room.
- 3/1/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
The Hangover meets Horror! The Day After Halloween It’s The Hangover meets Horror when Gravitas Ventures and Kamikaze Dogfight invite you to witness The Day after Halloween. Directed by Chad Ostrom, and written by Danny Schluck, this frighteningly fun genre treat sees two lifelong buddies forced to unravel the circumstances that led to a corpse …
The post Official Trailer & Poster ** The Day After Halloween appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
The post Official Trailer & Poster ** The Day After Halloween appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.
- 8/11/2022
- by Adrian Halen
- Horror News
Behind The Shadows Podcast with Harvey Guillén: "Podcast network Straw Hut Media has teamed up with What We Do in the Shadows star Harvey Guillén for a companion podcast that looks behind the scenes of the hit FX series now in its fourth season. Each episode focuses on stories and insights about the latest episode of the show.
Host Harvey Guillén is the perfect guide for fans that crave the inside stories and jokes that only the cast of such a hilarious show can share. A foundational character, Harvey plays Guillermo de la Cruz, the bodyguard and former human familiar with the vampire Nandor.
As of this week, the first three episodes of the show have been released by Hulu & Fx, and the podcast followed suit with an amazing lineup of guests. Kristen Schaal plays The Floating Woman on the show, and she joins Harvey to talk about the season premiere.
Host Harvey Guillén is the perfect guide for fans that crave the inside stories and jokes that only the cast of such a hilarious show can share. A foundational character, Harvey plays Guillermo de la Cruz, the bodyguard and former human familiar with the vampire Nandor.
As of this week, the first three episodes of the show have been released by Hulu & Fx, and the podcast followed suit with an amazing lineup of guests. Kristen Schaal plays The Floating Woman on the show, and she joins Harvey to talk about the season premiere.
- 8/4/2022
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Shudder Acquires Official Fantasia Festival Selection Moloch: "Shudder, AMC Network’s premium streaming service for horror, thriller and the supernatural, has acquired rights to Dutch director Nico van den Brink’s directorial debut Moloch. The film, an official selection of the Fantasia International Film Festival, will be available exclusively on Shudder in the US, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, July 21.
“Moloch is a bold and thrilling new folk horror that is sure to chill Shudder members this summer,” said Shudder general manager Craig Engler.
Added Nico van den Brink, ”I’m extremely excited to be working with Shudder in bringing Moloch to horror-lovers worldwide. The film will have a wonderful home there. I know we have some very creepy stories to tell in the Netherlands and I'm really looking forward to inviting Shudder's diverse and international audience into the unique world of local Dutch folklore.
“Moloch is a bold and thrilling new folk horror that is sure to chill Shudder members this summer,” said Shudder general manager Craig Engler.
Added Nico van den Brink, ”I’m extremely excited to be working with Shudder in bringing Moloch to horror-lovers worldwide. The film will have a wonderful home there. I know we have some very creepy stories to tell in the Netherlands and I'm really looking forward to inviting Shudder's diverse and international audience into the unique world of local Dutch folklore.
- 5/19/2022
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
Described as “The Craft meets Blue My Mind,” Kamikaze Dogfight and Gravitas Ventures are getting set to unleash Christine Chen’s Erzulie, a brand new mermaid horror movie. In the film, “A reunion between four friends quickly goes awry when they find themselves face to face with Erzulie: the swamp mermaid goddess.” Here’s the release plan […]
The post ‘Erzulie’ Trailer Brings a Swamp Mermaid Up from the Depths [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
The post ‘Erzulie’ Trailer Brings a Swamp Mermaid Up from the Depths [Exclusive] appeared first on Bloody Disgusting!.
- 5/16/2022
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
"They were there. And then they were gone..." Kamikaze Dogfight has debuted an official trailer for an indie psychological thriller titled Go/Don't Go, made by, starring and directed by filmmaker Alex Knapp. This premiered at the San Francisco Independent Film Festival earlier this year, and drops on VOD in January. Caught between a lost love story and inescapable paranoia, Knapp's Go/Don't Go is a "genre-bending" slow burn thriller that follows Adam, a wallflower who happens to be the last person left alive – or so he thinks. Starring Alex Knapp, Nore Davis, Olivia Luccardi, Thomas Essig, and Bettina Skye. Described as a "post-apocalyptic psychological thriller, oscillating between a forgotten love story & inescapable paranoia." This looks like a mesmerizing mental breakdown film with some slick cinematography. Curious to see more. Here's the new official trailer (+ posters) for Alex Knapp's Go/Don't Go, direct from Kd's YouTube: After an unknown cataclysm, Adam (Alex Knapp) is alone.
- 12/27/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
"Didn't you ever hear those old stories?" Who hasn't? Kamikaze Dogfight has released an official trailer for an indie horror film titled Backwoods, from filmmaker Thomas Smith. This sounds like old school escape-from-the-deranged-killer-in-theforest horror. High school cheerleader Molly woke bound and gagged in the trunk of her boyfriend's car. That was the high point of her night. After escaping her abductor and fleeing into the nearby forest, she comes face-to-face with the town urban legend: The Hangman, a deformed zealot said to hang male trespassers and keep the women as "brides". The film stars Isabella Alberti, Jeremy Sande, Tahj Vaughans, Micahel Anthony Bagozzi, Erin Liley, and Scott Alan Warner. This looks like a wannabe-slasher film, but I don't think this man-in-suit bad guy is going to become a new horror icon. Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Thomas Smith's Backwoods, direct from YouTube: High school cheerleader Molly (Isabella Alberti...
- 11/23/2020
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Gravitas Ventures has set multi-picture output deal with Kamikaze Dogfight to release up to two horror/thriller genre titles per month in an effort to bolster its film slate. Kamikaze Dogfight, led by Andrew van den Houten and Han Soto, was spawned on the heels of van den Houten and Soto’s recently produced revenge thriller, Don’t Look Back, the feature directorial debut from genre veteran Jeffrey Reddick (Final Destination creator-writer). “Horror fans are the most loyal and supportive out there,” said van den Houten. “Giving new and established filmmakers a platform to elevate their film’s release with the strongest key art, trailers and positioning is most important to us. Whether a film is a theatrical or digital release, through our trusted partnership with Gravitas, our curation will be able to reach over a hundred million viewers at any given time.” Added Soto, “It’s exciting to be partnering...
- 5/27/2020
- by Amanda N'Duka
- Deadline Film + TV
Featured on the Black List in 2013 for her screenplay “Dogfight” and invited to participate in the Sundance Screenwriters Lab the following year to develop a script she wrote about American Pow Jessica Lynch, Riegel has been channeling her personal experience — former U.S. military and Midwest small-town escapee — to tell authentic stories missing from the U.S. film scene.
That’s especially true of her feature debut, the upcoming “Holler” (executive produced by Paul Feig), a genuine depiction of a resourceful working-class teen trapped in a Rust Belt town that positions the UCLA graduate as the Debra Granik of her generation.
“I didn’t really see my coming-of-age story onscreen, and I really wanted to put a film out into the world for girls from towns that you can’t escape, but you want to,” Riegel says. “It’s hard to leave those places because they’re home. They shaped you and they made you.
That’s especially true of her feature debut, the upcoming “Holler” (executive produced by Paul Feig), a genuine depiction of a resourceful working-class teen trapped in a Rust Belt town that positions the UCLA graduate as the Debra Granik of her generation.
“I didn’t really see my coming-of-age story onscreen, and I really wanted to put a film out into the world for girls from towns that you can’t escape, but you want to,” Riegel says. “It’s hard to leave those places because they’re home. They shaped you and they made you.
- 1/3/2020
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
On September 6th, stage favorites Bonnie Milligan and Natalie Walkerrealized their long-held intention to headline 54 Below together with a cabaret show, thrilling audiences with its careful planning and at least one whole week of hard work. In case you missed all of the fun, we have a look at the duo's performing songs from Rent, Dogfight, and more at their show. Check it all out...
- 9/12/2019
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
A lusty bar owner, a vengeful hooker, a teenage wallflower, a doomed secretary, and a sexually liberated suffragette made up the Best Supporting Actress quintet for 1960.
That shortlist found room for two established Hollywood stars (Glynis Johns and Janet Leigh), both overdue for their first nominations, two rising starlets named Shirley (Jones & Knight) and an acclaimed Scottish import (Mary Ure). They all caught Oscar's attention and it didn't hurt that their films were so popular. This resulted in one of the most homogenous lineups ever -- all blondes (though Glynis was a redhead for her role) and from their early 20s to mid 30s (average age: 29).
This Month's Panelists
Here to talk about these five nominated turns and the movies that housed them are writer/director Leslye Headland (Russian Doll, Bachelorette), theater and screenwriter Peter Duchan (Dogfight), freelance critic Kyle Turner, and your Film Experience co-hosts Murtada Elfadl and Nathaniel...
That shortlist found room for two established Hollywood stars (Glynis Johns and Janet Leigh), both overdue for their first nominations, two rising starlets named Shirley (Jones & Knight) and an acclaimed Scottish import (Mary Ure). They all caught Oscar's attention and it didn't hurt that their films were so popular. This resulted in one of the most homogenous lineups ever -- all blondes (though Glynis was a redhead for her role) and from their early 20s to mid 30s (average age: 29).
This Month's Panelists
Here to talk about these five nominated turns and the movies that housed them are writer/director Leslye Headland (Russian Doll, Bachelorette), theater and screenwriter Peter Duchan (Dogfight), freelance critic Kyle Turner, and your Film Experience co-hosts Murtada Elfadl and Nathaniel...
- 7/21/2019
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
Broadway favorite Derek Klena brings his solo show to Feinstein's54 Below on February 18 at 7pm Join Derek as he takes a look back on the roles, moments, and people that have shaped his life and career during his eight years in New York City. Audiences can expect stories from his childhood in Southern California, from his early experiences on reality television as well as backstage tales and beloved songs from his star turns in Anastasia, Dogfight, Wicked, and the upcoming Jagged Little Pill.
- 1/24/2019
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Projects include ‘I Am Spartakiade’ featuring footage of mass gymnastic events in communist Czechoslovakia.
Single Project, the Creative Europe funding programme for independent European production companies, has awarded grants to six UK companies for their documentary, fiction and animation projects.
The projects selected include Fight from Hot Property Films, an adaptation of William Gibson and Michael Swanwick’s sci-fi boxing short story Dogfight; Two Step Films’ I Am Spartakiade, a documentary featuring footage of Czechoslovakia’s mass gymnastic events; and Banyak Films’ Into The Wild, a doc that takes in an Iranian animal trainer trying to release a performing Bengali tiger back into the wild.
Single Project, the Creative Europe funding programme for independent European production companies, has awarded grants to six UK companies for their documentary, fiction and animation projects.
The projects selected include Fight from Hot Property Films, an adaptation of William Gibson and Michael Swanwick’s sci-fi boxing short story Dogfight; Two Step Films’ I Am Spartakiade, a documentary featuring footage of Czechoslovakia’s mass gymnastic events; and Banyak Films’ Into The Wild, a doc that takes in an Iranian animal trainer trying to release a performing Bengali tiger back into the wild.
- 6/8/2018
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
“In the Envelope: An Awards Podcast” features interviews with award-winning actors and other creatives. Join host and Awards Editor Jack Smart for a front row seat to the industry’s biggest awards races! Tony Awards season is upon us, and Backstage’s “In the Envelope” is getting in on the action! We’re kicking off a series of podcast episodes featuring interviews with some of the most exciting performers working on Broadway today. Lindsay Mendez just received her first Tony nomination for her irresistible turn as Carrie Pipperidge in the current revival of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Carousel,” directed by Jack O’Brien (a part that launched Audra McDonald to stardom in an earlier Broadway revival). A true triple threat, she got her big break in the Off-Broadway musical from Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, “Dogfight,” directed by Joe Mantello. Years of hard work and finding her niche...
- 5/16/2018
- backstage.com
In the last four months of the 2017-18 Broadway season, six productions of musicals (four new, two revivals) will open. Could we be seeing any of them contend at this year’s Tony Awards? (Read our preview of the nine plays coming to Broadway this spring.)
Below, we recap the plot of each musical as well as the awards history of its author, cast and creative types and the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.
“Escape to Margaritaville” (previews begin February 16; opens March 15)
In this new jukebox musical consisting of Jimmy Buffett songs, Tully, a part-time bartender, part-time singer, and full-time charmer thinks he’s got life all figured out. Until a beautiful career-minded tourist steals his heart and makes him question everything.
With a book by Emmy winner Greg Garcia (“My Name is Earl”, 2006) and Emmy nominated actor Mike O’Malley (“Glee”, 2010), this production stars Drama Desk nominee Paul Alexander Nolan...
Below, we recap the plot of each musical as well as the awards history of its author, cast and creative types and the opening and (where applicable) closing dates.
“Escape to Margaritaville” (previews begin February 16; opens March 15)
In this new jukebox musical consisting of Jimmy Buffett songs, Tully, a part-time bartender, part-time singer, and full-time charmer thinks he’s got life all figured out. Until a beautiful career-minded tourist steals his heart and makes him question everything.
With a book by Emmy winner Greg Garcia (“My Name is Earl”, 2006) and Emmy nominated actor Mike O’Malley (“Glee”, 2010), this production stars Drama Desk nominee Paul Alexander Nolan...
- 1/31/2018
- by Jeffrey Kare
- Gold Derby
It has not been an easy week. At the start of the week, we had our editorial meeting here at HitFix, as we do every Monday, to talk about both the week ahead and longer-term projects as well. For fairly obvious reasons, there was a fair amount of talk about Valentine's Day content, and I mentioned a few different ideas that I might write about, including one that I'll end up publishing at some point about Steve Martin. But even as I pitched a few ideas, I found myself uncomfortable with the entire idea of writing about romantic films right now. Honestly, I was hoping to spend this week with my head down and then just sail right through this weekend without writing about love at all, because for the first time in my adult life, I am no longer sure what I think about it. After all, I was with my wife for 14 years.
- 2/14/2015
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
View Photo Gallery
It was 20 years ago today that River Phoenix died on a dirty sidewalk in Hollywood. If that sentence sounds a bit harsh, well, it’s supposed to. That’s the unfortunate reality of the what happened on October 31, 1993. One of the most promising actors of his generation had just been inside of Johnny Depp‘s notoriously hedonistic rock club, the Viper Room, hoping to join his buddy Flea (from the Red Hot Chili Peppers) on-stage, but instead decided to ingest a cocktail—a literal cocktail!—that contained heroin and cocaine. Just a few minutes later, he was convulsing near a parking meter on Sunset Boulevard; he never regained consciousness. He was 23 years old.
Sadly, we’ll never get to know whether or not River Phoenix would’ve been able to successfully traverse that very fine tightrope that popular child actors must cross to carry them into the realm of successful adult actors.
It was 20 years ago today that River Phoenix died on a dirty sidewalk in Hollywood. If that sentence sounds a bit harsh, well, it’s supposed to. That’s the unfortunate reality of the what happened on October 31, 1993. One of the most promising actors of his generation had just been inside of Johnny Depp‘s notoriously hedonistic rock club, the Viper Room, hoping to join his buddy Flea (from the Red Hot Chili Peppers) on-stage, but instead decided to ingest a cocktail—a literal cocktail!—that contained heroin and cocaine. Just a few minutes later, he was convulsing near a parking meter on Sunset Boulevard; he never regained consciousness. He was 23 years old.
Sadly, we’ll never get to know whether or not River Phoenix would’ve been able to successfully traverse that very fine tightrope that popular child actors must cross to carry them into the realm of successful adult actors.
- 10/31/2013
- by Mark Graham
- TheFabLife - Movies
Director James Wan has assembled a fantastic core cast for "The Conjuring," not filled with movie stars but with Class-a character actors like Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga as The Warrens. Their counterparts are Ron Livingston and Lili Taylor as the heads of the large Perron family, who move into a farmhouse in Rhode Island that's haunted up the ass.
Of these four leads perhaps the most physically/emotionally challenging role went to Lili Taylor as Carolyn Perron, who begins to disintegrate under the stress of ghostly bombardment. Taylor's career spans decades, from early roles in "Say Anything…" and "Mystic Pizza" to ensemble pieces like "Short Cuts" and "Public Enemies." We sat down 1-on-1 with the actress for a lively chat about possessing Republicans, being underrated and throwing 1999's "The Haunting" under the bus.
In this movie you have a lot of kids, like five whole children. You grew up...
Of these four leads perhaps the most physically/emotionally challenging role went to Lili Taylor as Carolyn Perron, who begins to disintegrate under the stress of ghostly bombardment. Taylor's career spans decades, from early roles in "Say Anything…" and "Mystic Pizza" to ensemble pieces like "Short Cuts" and "Public Enemies." We sat down 1-on-1 with the actress for a lively chat about possessing Republicans, being underrated and throwing 1999's "The Haunting" under the bus.
In this movie you have a lot of kids, like five whole children. You grew up...
- 7/18/2013
- by Max Evry
- NextMovie
So is it just me, or are straight weddings, like, Really hard to sit through?
This week’s Game of Thrones started with Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) giving her son Robbbb (Richard Madden) advice about his military tactics. This is just the first of many subtle ironies that will come into play this episode – so many, in fact, that it essentially becomes the bloodiest episode of Arrested Development ever even Before someone remarks, “I’ve made a terrible mistake.”
Oh – in that same scene over the Risk board, Cate advises Robb to teach the Lannisters a lesson by “showing them what it feels like to lose what they love.” It’s a lesson that she’ll force Robb to learn, and she’ll learn herself all over again. The moral of this story? Violence is never the answer on The Ricki Lake Show.
Robb and co. do eventually make it to The Twins,...
This week’s Game of Thrones started with Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley) giving her son Robbbb (Richard Madden) advice about his military tactics. This is just the first of many subtle ironies that will come into play this episode – so many, in fact, that it essentially becomes the bloodiest episode of Arrested Development ever even Before someone remarks, “I’ve made a terrible mistake.”
Oh – in that same scene over the Risk board, Cate advises Robb to teach the Lannisters a lesson by “showing them what it feels like to lose what they love.” It’s a lesson that she’ll force Robb to learn, and she’ll learn herself all over again. The moral of this story? Violence is never the answer on The Ricki Lake Show.
Robb and co. do eventually make it to The Twins,...
- 6/3/2013
- by Brian Juergens
- The Backlot
Ghostlight Records will present the Original Cast Recording of the musical Dogfight with a digital release today, April 30 and the CD in stores on May 21. The show - which debuted Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre last year - features music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul A Christmas Story, a book by Peter Duchan IFC Films' Breaking Upwards and directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello Wicked, Glengarry Glen Ross. Dogfight is based on the Warner Bros. film and screenplay by Bob Comfort.
- 4/30/2013
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Ghostlight Records will present the Original Cast Recording of the musical Dogfight with a digital release on April 30 and the CD in stores on May 21. The show - which debuted Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre last year - features music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul A Christmas Story, a book by Peter Duchan IFC Films' Breaking Upwards and directed by two-time Tony Award winner Joe Mantello Wicked, Glengarry Glen Ross. Dogfight is based on the Warner Bros. film and screenplay by Bob Comfort. To pre-order the album, please visit www.sh-k-boom.comdogfight.html.
- 4/15/2013
- by BWW News Desk
- BroadwayWorld.com
Director Nancy Savoca (Union Square, Dogfight) has joined Secret Magdalene, a $7 million biblical period drama based on the novel of the same name by Ki Longfellow. Jack Lechner (Blue Valentine) is on board to executive produce the feature together with Richard Guay. New Toronto-based international sales venture Double Dutch Media is handling international sales for the project at Afm. Story: 12 Major Film Markets Impacting Afm This Year Pitched as an alternative to traditional religious films with a more literal interpretation of the Bible, Secret Magdalene is more a "what if" tale re-imagining the life of Mary
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- 10/31/2012
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The ABCs of Death
Directors:
Banjong Pisanthanakun
Angela Bettis
Adrian Garcia Bogliano
Jason Eisener
Ernesto Diaz Espinoza
Bruno Forzani and Héléne Cattet
Xavier Gens
Lee Hardcastle
Thomas Malling
Yoshihiro Nishimura
Simon Rumley
Marcel Sarmiento
Jon Schnepp
Srdjan Spasojevic
Timo Tjahjanto
Andrew Traucki
Nacho Vigalondo
Jake West
Ti West
Ben Wheatley
Adam Wingard
Yûdai Yamaguchi
2012, USA
Right from the start, the anthology horror film The ABCs of Death, produced by Ant Timpson and Tim League, comes with one major handicap: The film is divided into twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director (spanning fifteen countries), and each assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were given carte blanche to indulge in their most grotesque impulses. Each letter is presented sequentially, and the director’s chosen word is revealed only at the end of each short – sometimes as a punch line or a revelation, and often to underscore or enlighten the segment’s theme.
Directors:
Banjong Pisanthanakun
Angela Bettis
Adrian Garcia Bogliano
Jason Eisener
Ernesto Diaz Espinoza
Bruno Forzani and Héléne Cattet
Xavier Gens
Lee Hardcastle
Thomas Malling
Yoshihiro Nishimura
Simon Rumley
Marcel Sarmiento
Jon Schnepp
Srdjan Spasojevic
Timo Tjahjanto
Andrew Traucki
Nacho Vigalondo
Jake West
Ti West
Ben Wheatley
Adam Wingard
Yûdai Yamaguchi
2012, USA
Right from the start, the anthology horror film The ABCs of Death, produced by Ant Timpson and Tim League, comes with one major handicap: The film is divided into twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director (spanning fifteen countries), and each assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were given carte blanche to indulge in their most grotesque impulses. Each letter is presented sequentially, and the director’s chosen word is revealed only at the end of each short – sometimes as a punch line or a revelation, and often to underscore or enlighten the segment’s theme.
- 10/29/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
The ABCs of Death
Directors:
Banjong Pisanthanakun
Angela Bettis
Adrian Garcia Bogliano
Jason Eisener
Ernesto Diaz Espinoza
Bruno Forzani and Héléne Cattet
Xavier Gens
Lee Hardcastle
Thomas Malling
Yoshihiro Nishimura
Simon Rumley
Marcel Sarmiento
Jon Schnepp
Srdjan Spasojevic
Timo Tjahjanto
Andrew Traucki
Nacho Vigalondo
Jake West
Ti West
Ben Wheatley
Adam Wingard
Yûdai Yamaguchi
2012, USA
Right from the start, the anthology horror film The ABCs of Death, produced by Ant Timpson and Tim League, comes with one major handicap: The film is divided into twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director (spanning fifteen countries), and each assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were given carte blanche to indulge in their most grotesque impulses. Each letter is presented sequentially, and the director’s chosen word is revealed only at the end of each short – sometimes as a punch line or a revelation, and often to underscore or enlighten the segment’s theme.
Directors:
Banjong Pisanthanakun
Angela Bettis
Adrian Garcia Bogliano
Jason Eisener
Ernesto Diaz Espinoza
Bruno Forzani and Héléne Cattet
Xavier Gens
Lee Hardcastle
Thomas Malling
Yoshihiro Nishimura
Simon Rumley
Marcel Sarmiento
Jon Schnepp
Srdjan Spasojevic
Timo Tjahjanto
Andrew Traucki
Nacho Vigalondo
Jake West
Ti West
Ben Wheatley
Adam Wingard
Yûdai Yamaguchi
2012, USA
Right from the start, the anthology horror film The ABCs of Death, produced by Ant Timpson and Tim League, comes with one major handicap: The film is divided into twenty-six individual chapters, each helmed by a different director (spanning fifteen countries), and each assigned a letter of the alphabet. The directors were given carte blanche to indulge in their most grotesque impulses. Each letter is presented sequentially, and the director’s chosen word is revealed only at the end of each short – sometimes as a punch line or a revelation, and often to underscore or enlighten the segment’s theme.
- 9/16/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Let’s face it: There are a whole lot of new stage productions opening in New York City this fall. Some shows boast legendary veterans like Al Pacino (left) and Sigourney Weaver. Others promise young stars like Jessica Chastain and Jake Gyllenhaal. For still others, the title alone (a 50th anniversary revival of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, anyone?) may be the biggest draw. Here are the 10 that have us most eager to line up for tickets.
Annie
(Broadway) This tale of the world’s most optimistic orphan girl searching for a family is one of our greatest musicals.
Annie
(Broadway) This tale of the world’s most optimistic orphan girl searching for a family is one of our greatest musicals.
- 8/27/2012
- by Josh Stillman
- EW.com - PopWatch
New York – Nancy Savoca’s underappreciated 1991 film Dogfight was an imperfect but poignant romance distinguished by achingly tender performances from Lili Taylor and River Phoenix. With help from ace director Joe Mantello (Wicked, Other Desert Cities) and a talented cast, the young writers have crafted a touching small-scale musical that mirrors many of the movie’s minor-key virtues. Further workshops or perhaps a regional production might be useful to smooth some nagging flaws, particularly in the uneven second act. But the potential is there. Photos: Broadway Musicals That Have Sung Their Way to the Big Screen Like Savoca’s
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- 7/16/2012
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
This week on Dead Air Jeff Konopka is joined by Kristy Jett to tackle Chernobyl Diaries. Shawn Savage was on location in Russia sampling soil samples for a planned giveaway to celebrate this Geiger counter splitting new release. While I have not as of yet seen this movie it has been described to me by horror fans as a Hills Have Eyes with a different location and sans the superfluous gore. From what our beloved hosts have to say about the film I might just wait for it to come on Blu-Ray, but best to listen in and make that determination with all the facts.
Beyond our feature the crew discussed their recent viewing selection and some news which include:
- Jeff’s Starship Troopers annual Memorial Day viewing experience. This conversation always leads to a mention of Show Girls so please stay tuned.
- Jeff watched the Heckler which...
Beyond our feature the crew discussed their recent viewing selection and some news which include:
- Jeff’s Starship Troopers annual Memorial Day viewing experience. This conversation always leads to a mention of Show Girls so please stay tuned.
- Jeff watched the Heckler which...
- 6/12/2012
- by Jimmy Terror
- The Liberal Dead
On Halloween night 1993, a real-life horror shook the streets of Hollywood when River Phoenix, one of the most gifted young actors of our time, collapsed and died outside a nightclub. Now comes the news that his final, previously unreleased film may finally see the light of day. Director George Sluizer is making plans to release Dark Blood, a drama that also stars Judy Davis.
Like many teen girls during River's heyday, I absolutely adored this gifted, gorgeous young actor — not only for the films that my friends enjoyed him in, such as the iconic Stand By Me and Running On Empty, but for the ones I usually ended up watching alone: My Own Private Idaho, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon and (my absolute favorite) Dogfight with Lili Taylor.
Not content to be a Hollywood heartthrob, he chose roles that were edgy, controversial, indie, and often sexually...
Like many teen girls during River's heyday, I absolutely adored this gifted, gorgeous young actor — not only for the films that my friends enjoyed him in, such as the iconic Stand By Me and Running On Empty, but for the ones I usually ended up watching alone: My Own Private Idaho, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon and (my absolute favorite) Dogfight with Lili Taylor.
Not content to be a Hollywood heartthrob, he chose roles that were edgy, controversial, indie, and often sexually...
- 10/30/2011
- by Megan Hussey
- Planet Fury
Austin Film Festival has just announced its opening-night, centerpiece, and closing-night films for the 2011 fest. The previously announced feature Jeff Who Lives at Home, directed by former Austinites Jay and Mark Duplass, will serve as the anchoring centerpiece selection, with Jay Duplass in attendance. Two newly announced titles will bookend eight days of films, starting in just two weeks.
The comedy Butter (pictured above) will open the fest on Thursday, October 20 at the Paramount. The feature film takes place in the "cutthroat" world of competitive butter sculpting, and stars Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Ty Burrell and Olivia Wilde.
Aff's closing-night movie is Union Square, with actress Mira Sorvino in attendance. Union Square is the story of a reluctant reunion between estranged sisters. It's directed and co-written by Nancy Savoca (Dogfight, Dirt), and the cast includes Sorvino and Daphne Rubin-Vega (nominated for a Spirit Award for her performance in Jack Goes Boating...
The comedy Butter (pictured above) will open the fest on Thursday, October 20 at the Paramount. The feature film takes place in the "cutthroat" world of competitive butter sculpting, and stars Jennifer Garner, Hugh Jackman, Ty Burrell and Olivia Wilde.
Aff's closing-night movie is Union Square, with actress Mira Sorvino in attendance. Union Square is the story of a reluctant reunion between estranged sisters. It's directed and co-written by Nancy Savoca (Dogfight, Dirt), and the cast includes Sorvino and Daphne Rubin-Vega (nominated for a Spirit Award for her performance in Jack Goes Boating...
- 10/5/2011
- by Jenn Brown
- Slackerwood
Mira Sorvino continued her commitment to the independent world agreeing to headline the drama about estranged sisters, “Union Square,” from veteran director Nancy Savoca. According to “Deadline,” Sorvino signed on to co-star opposite Tammy Blanchard as two estranged sisters who reunite with one about to get married and the other about to experience a nervous breakdown. Bronx native Savoca, who directed landmark indie melodramas like “Dogfight,” “Household Saints” and “The 24 Hour Woman,” co-wrote the script with Mary Tobler.
- 11/25/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Mira Sorvino continued her commitment to the independent world agreeing to headline the drama about estranged sisters, “Union Square,” from veteran director Nancy Savoca. According to “Deadline,” Sorvino signed on to co-star opposite Tammy Blanchard as two estranged sisters who reunite with one about to get married and the other about to experience a nervous breakdown. Bronx native Savoca, who directed landmark indie melodramas like “Dogfight,” “Household Saints” and “The 24 Hour Woman,” co-wrote the script with Mary Tobler.
- 11/25/2010
- Upcoming-Movies.com
He would have turned 40 today. Unfortunately, River Phoenix died in 1993 of a drug overdose outside La's Viper Room as Johnny Depp performed on stage inside. Not just because it's his birthday, and a significant one at that, we are missing the forever-young actor this August and wondering what he might have been doing lately had he lived. Would he have any involvement with brother Joaquin's enigmatic retirement and subsequent rap career, or at least appear in the (faux?) documentary I'm Still Here? What would he have thought of Dinner with Schmucks, which reminds me of his underrated drama Dogfight? Might he have been able to take over the Indiana Jones franchise so we didn't get the old-man version we're currently stuck with?
And if not that, what other series would he be starring in now? You know he would have been another Depp or Robert Downey Jr., putting more talent...
And if not that, what other series would he be starring in now? You know he would have been another Depp or Robert Downey Jr., putting more talent...
- 8/24/2010
- by Christopher Campbell
- Cinematical
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