While in recent years we’ve seen plenty of crossover between the film and television worlds, there have been a number of film directors whose engagement with this quasi-new medium has been truly groundbreaking, as they’ve found TV to be a far more creatively satisfying place than film. Thus, while they still may actively work in film from time to time, their TV efforts have proved unforgettable.
For the record, because we limited this to the 21st century, directors Nicole Holocenfer, Mimi Leder, David Lynch, and Tommy Schlamme were ineligible. But their accomplishments cannot be undersold.
Susanne Bier
Oscar winner Susanne Bier made her American television debut with the stylish and sexy John le Carré miniseries “The Night Manager.” Unlike Tomas Alfredson’s barren aesthetic for the Carré film “Tinker Tailor Solider Spy,” Bier opted instead to bring a golden-hued sensuality to nearly every frame of her Carré vision.
For the record, because we limited this to the 21st century, directors Nicole Holocenfer, Mimi Leder, David Lynch, and Tommy Schlamme were ineligible. But their accomplishments cannot be undersold.
Susanne Bier
Oscar winner Susanne Bier made her American television debut with the stylish and sexy John le Carré miniseries “The Night Manager.” Unlike Tomas Alfredson’s barren aesthetic for the Carré film “Tinker Tailor Solider Spy,” Bier opted instead to bring a golden-hued sensuality to nearly every frame of her Carré vision.
- 11/20/2017
- by Liz Shannon Miller and Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Looking back on this still-young century makes clear that 2007 was a major time for cinematic happenings — and, on the basis of this retrospective, one we’re not quite through with ten years on. One’s mind might quickly flash to a few big titles that will be represented, but it is the plurality of both festival and theatrical premieres that truly surprises: late works from old masters, debuts from filmmakers who’ve since become some of our most-respected artists, and mid-career turning points that didn’t necessarily announce themselves as such at the time. Join us as an assembled team, many of whom were coming of age that year, takes on their favorites.
Declaring 2007 to be the year mumblecore came of age would be equally as fair as labeling it the year mumblecore collapsed. The signs of ascendance and coalescence—group coverage in high-profile publications, series programmed at art houses,...
Declaring 2007 to be the year mumblecore came of age would be equally as fair as labeling it the year mumblecore collapsed. The signs of ascendance and coalescence—group coverage in high-profile publications, series programmed at art houses,...
- 8/22/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Ava DuVernay, “Queen Sugar”
The acclaimed “Selma” and “Middle of Nowhere” director is a storyteller first, and what better medium to delve deep into a story than television? In her first foray on the small screen, DuVernay allied herself with Oprah’s Own network for “Queen Sugar,” in which she examines the lives of the Bordelon siblings in Louisiana after the passing of their father who leaves them a sugarcane farm.
DuVernay has always been a champion of being the change she wants to see, and her work on “Queen Sugar” is no different. Beginning with adapting a novel from a woman of color, about black siblings, DuVernay also made a point to hire an all-female roster of directors for every episode. She even directed two herself, and the pilot shows that the same appreciation for a gorgeous, almost dreamy palette that “Selma” had, despite some rough subject matter. While...
The acclaimed “Selma” and “Middle of Nowhere” director is a storyteller first, and what better medium to delve deep into a story than television? In her first foray on the small screen, DuVernay allied herself with Oprah’s Own network for “Queen Sugar,” in which she examines the lives of the Bordelon siblings in Louisiana after the passing of their father who leaves them a sugarcane farm.
DuVernay has always been a champion of being the change she wants to see, and her work on “Queen Sugar” is no different. Beginning with adapting a novel from a woman of color, about black siblings, DuVernay also made a point to hire an all-female roster of directors for every episode. She even directed two herself, and the pilot shows that the same appreciation for a gorgeous, almost dreamy palette that “Selma” had, despite some rough subject matter. While...
- 9/9/2016
- by Ben Travers, Hanh Nguyen and Liz Shannon Miller
- Indiewire
"Pollywogs," the semi-autobiographical improvisational comedy that premiered at last year's Los Angeles Film Festival, is being released by Godigital beginning today on various VOD platforms, including Amazon Instant Video, Google Play, iTunes, PlayStation and Xbox. But there's one scene from the film that you can only see here -- because it was cut from the final version of the film. "Pollywogs" marks actor ("The Roost," "Young American Bodies") and producer ("Happy New Year") Karl Jacob's directorial debut (he co-directed with T. Arthur Cottam). Jacob also wrote the film and plays the lead character, Dylan, who, on the heels of a bitter breakup, returns home to Minnesota for a family reunion where he runs into his childhood sweetheart, Sarah (Kate Lyn Sheil, soon to be seen in season two of "House of Cards"). The deleted scene features "Girls" actor Alex Karpovsky as Dylan's friend who recently embraced his Judaism. Jacob...
- 2/11/2014
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
Chicago – The wider range of films critics see during a single year, the less susceptible they are to the inevitable onslaught of expensive awards campaigns. Just because a studio can bark the loudest doesn’t mean its product has any bite. The majority of Oscar bait I’ve witnessed during the final months of 2012 have been wildly overrated behemoths weighed down in self-importance and executed with all the calculated precision of a undergrad aiming to score an A on the final. What’s lacking from many of these pictures is the spontaneity and imagination of true artistry, and that is precisely what the films on this list have in spades. From the most criminally overlooked blockbusters to the most invaluable indie gems available online, here are the Top Ten Most Overlooked Films of 2012.
10. “Cloud Atlas”
Cloud Atlas
I’ll be the first to admit that Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski...
10. “Cloud Atlas”
Cloud Atlas
I’ll be the first to admit that Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski...
- 12/26/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
“V/H/S” has been one of the more talked about horror films of late, and one which has been enjoying rare mainstream success, going down well at a variety of festivals, most notably Sundance, and having been called ‘The Scariest Film Of The Year’ by Rolling Stone. The film is an anthology piece, bringing together a gang of the most promising talents in modern indie horror – Adam Wingard (“A Horrible Way to Die”), Glenn McQuaid (“I Sell the Dead”), David Bruckner (“The Signal”), Joe Swanberg (“Young American Bodies”), Ti West (“The Inkeepers”) and the collective Radio Silence, known for their internet viral videos. The fun kicks off with a framing device revolving around a group of thuggish dropouts being hired to steal a mysterious VHS tape, without being told why or what’s on it, simply that they’ll know it when they see it. Things get weird when they arrive at the house,...
- 11/16/2012
- by James Mudge
- Beyond Hollywood
Chicago – Nothing forms the basis of a friendship quite like a shared understanding. When the hearts and minds of two people are compatible. everything else falls into place. It doesn’t matter if one happens to be a 52-year-old woman and the other is a 19-year-old man. That’s one of the simple truths that “Nate & Margaret” illuminates without drawing too much attention to it.
The ages of Margaret (Natalie West) and Nate (Tyler Ross) are irrelevant. When they’re first seen browsing through a thrift store with a mixture of curiosity and amusement, their chemistry is immediately apparent. It’s clear that they provide each other with a sense of comfort and completeness that they haven’t found with anyone else. Yet as both friends reach pivotal transitional points in their lives, their tight-knit relationship threatens to stunt their growth. Only on their own can Nate and Margaret truly explore their identities as individuals.
The ages of Margaret (Natalie West) and Nate (Tyler Ross) are irrelevant. When they’re first seen browsing through a thrift store with a mixture of curiosity and amusement, their chemistry is immediately apparent. It’s clear that they provide each other with a sense of comfort and completeness that they haven’t found with anyone else. Yet as both friends reach pivotal transitional points in their lives, their tight-knit relationship threatens to stunt their growth. Only on their own can Nate and Margaret truly explore their identities as individuals.
- 8/31/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The characters in a Lynn Shelton movie live relatively content lives until an unexpected event ruptures their sense of self. A self-absorbed writer awakens to the fact that he’s been a terrible friend in “My Effortless Brilliance.” Two heterosexual buddies test the boundaries of their relationship by attempting to film a porno together in “Humpday.”
In Shelton’s latest film, “You Sister’s Sister,” three close friends threaten to destroy their close bond when the truth proves to be difficult to accept. As in “Brilliance,” “Sister” takes place in a remote location. Jack (Mark Duplass) is still reeling from the death of his brother when he’s invited by his best friend, Iris (Emily Blunt), to stay at her family’s remote cabin. There he meets Iris’ half-sister, Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt), a lesbian who isn’t above experimenting beyond her sexual boundaries, especially after a few drinks.
Just...
In Shelton’s latest film, “You Sister’s Sister,” three close friends threaten to destroy their close bond when the truth proves to be difficult to accept. As in “Brilliance,” “Sister” takes place in a remote location. Jack (Mark Duplass) is still reeling from the death of his brother when he’s invited by his best friend, Iris (Emily Blunt), to stay at her family’s remote cabin. There he meets Iris’ half-sister, Hannah (Rosemarie DeWitt), a lesbian who isn’t above experimenting beyond her sexual boundaries, especially after a few drinks.
Just...
- 6/11/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Some films never get a fair shot with audiences. They open in a handful of art house theaters scattered throughout the country before inconspicuously landing on DVD. Passionate movie lovers are left with the task of championing these unjustly obscure titles and helping them to acquire the audience they deserve.
Before I reveal my picks for the top ten Best Overlooked Films of 2011, here are the ten runners-up:
“Autoerotic”
Autoerotic
While Steve McQueen’s magnificent art film, “Shame,” plunges into the dark depths of sexual addiction, Joe Swanberg and Adam Wingard’s “Autoerotic” takes a decidedly more playful approach to similar material. Though Swanberg has made a series of uncommonly intimate films about the sex lives of twentysomething Chicagoans, he’s never attempted a film as overtly comic as this one, and Wingard proves to be an ideal collaborator. “Autoerotic” is easily Swanberg’s most accessible film to date,...
Before I reveal my picks for the top ten Best Overlooked Films of 2011, here are the ten runners-up:
“Autoerotic”
Autoerotic
While Steve McQueen’s magnificent art film, “Shame,” plunges into the dark depths of sexual addiction, Joe Swanberg and Adam Wingard’s “Autoerotic” takes a decidedly more playful approach to similar material. Though Swanberg has made a series of uncommonly intimate films about the sex lives of twentysomething Chicagoans, he’s never attempted a film as overtly comic as this one, and Wingard proves to be an ideal collaborator. “Autoerotic” is easily Swanberg’s most accessible film to date,...
- 12/28/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Few filmmakers have proven to be as effortlessly prolific as Chicago-based writer/director/producer/actor Joe Swanberg. Since 2005, he’s released one directorial feature per year, with the exception of 2010. This year, he could potentially release seven pictures (three of them have already made the festival rounds). “Uncle Kent” played at Sundance, while “Silver Bullets” and “Art History” were screened at Berlinale.
“Kent,” which opens April 29 at the Gene Siskel Film Center, stars Kent Osborne (of “Hannah Takes the Stairs”) as a fortysomething animator who falls for the woman (Jennifer Prediger) he met on Chatroulette. It’s Swanberg’s latest exploration of relationships enhanced and hindered by technology, as well as one of the filmmaker’s most singular character portraits. Both “Bullets” and “History” are about the creative process of filmmaking, with Swanberg and his crew playing semi-fictionalized versions of themselves. Hollywood Chicago spoke with Swanberg about his various new projects,...
“Kent,” which opens April 29 at the Gene Siskel Film Center, stars Kent Osborne (of “Hannah Takes the Stairs”) as a fortysomething animator who falls for the woman (Jennifer Prediger) he met on Chatroulette. It’s Swanberg’s latest exploration of relationships enhanced and hindered by technology, as well as one of the filmmaker’s most singular character portraits. Both “Bullets” and “History” are about the creative process of filmmaking, with Swanberg and his crew playing semi-fictionalized versions of themselves. Hollywood Chicago spoke with Swanberg about his various new projects,...
- 4/25/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The nominees for the 2010 Streamys were announced today. The Streamys celebrate online television programming and this year they have a fantastic line up of nominees. Last year was the Streamys debut year and the winners included high profile shows such as Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog and the exceptional Battlestar Galactica web series The Face of the Enemy.
This year there is even more competition with some really interesting content now being released on the web rather than through more traditional media routes. Two of my favourites from this year’s nominee list are the excellent Interview Project which is presented by davidlynch.com and the slightly flawed but thoroughly enjoyable Angel of Death, created by Ed Brubaker and starring Zoe Bell, which also received a DVD release last year.
The awards ceremony takes place on April 11th 2010 and the full list of nominees is listed below with handy links...
This year there is even more competition with some really interesting content now being released on the web rather than through more traditional media routes. Two of my favourites from this year’s nominee list are the excellent Interview Project which is presented by davidlynch.com and the slightly flawed but thoroughly enjoyable Angel of Death, created by Ed Brubaker and starring Zoe Bell, which also received a DVD release last year.
The awards ceremony takes place on April 11th 2010 and the full list of nominees is listed below with handy links...
- 3/1/2010
- by Craig Skinner
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Now in the middle of its fourth season, Young American Bodies is a web show following the romantic and sexual relationships between modern twenty-somethings in Chicago whose lives—and limbs—intertwine with one another. Created, written, starring and run by the husband-and-wife team of Joe and Kris Swanberg; it revolves around a theme that the two curiously investigates: sex.
How is it that something so prevalent in mainstream modern culture is still largely treated as an exotic taboo? How does it figure into people’s lives? For Joe Swanberg, it’s something that he brings up again and again in feature films like Hannah Takes the Stairs and Nights and Weekends , in a stubbornly realistic and often explicit way. I spoke with Joe last week to discuss not only the show, but also sexuality in today’s youth, his appreciation for Kieslowski, and what he thinks about the new model of online film distribution.
How is it that something so prevalent in mainstream modern culture is still largely treated as an exotic taboo? How does it figure into people’s lives? For Joe Swanberg, it’s something that he brings up again and again in feature films like Hannah Takes the Stairs and Nights and Weekends , in a stubbornly realistic and often explicit way. I spoke with Joe last week to discuss not only the show, but also sexuality in today’s youth, his appreciation for Kieslowski, and what he thinks about the new model of online film distribution.
- 11/19/2009
- by Arya Ponto
- JustPressPlay.net
Indie Roundup is your guide to what's new and cool in the indie film world.
On-Demand / Online Viewing. Love him or find him irritating, he's practically a category unto himself now. Joe Swanberg continues to explore the endlessly fascinating topic of twenty-something romantic relationships in Young American Bodies, a web series now on IFC.com. Season 4 debuted on Monday at IFC.com, and future episodes of the five-part series will premiere on a weekly basis. If you're a Swanberg fan, you'll want to check it out: it expands on his vision of sex and everything that leads up to it and follows afterward: elusive, kinda real, kinda fake, pretty messy.
In honor of Veterans Day, SnagFilms presents a selection of films appropriate for the occasion, covering a national shrine in Arlington: Field of Honor, dangerous missions in Baghdad Bound: Devil Dog Diaries, remembering the Battle for Midway, and so one.
On-Demand / Online Viewing. Love him or find him irritating, he's practically a category unto himself now. Joe Swanberg continues to explore the endlessly fascinating topic of twenty-something romantic relationships in Young American Bodies, a web series now on IFC.com. Season 4 debuted on Monday at IFC.com, and future episodes of the five-part series will premiere on a weekly basis. If you're a Swanberg fan, you'll want to check it out: it expands on his vision of sex and everything that leads up to it and follows afterward: elusive, kinda real, kinda fake, pretty messy.
In honor of Veterans Day, SnagFilms presents a selection of films appropriate for the occasion, covering a national shrine in Arlington: Field of Honor, dangerous missions in Baghdad Bound: Devil Dog Diaries, remembering the Battle for Midway, and so one.
- 11/11/2009
- by Peter Martin
- Cinematical
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