Matt Damon would somewhat reunite with his Good Will Hunting and Ocean’s series co-star Casey Affleck in Oppenheimer. However, they would not share a scene together in Christopher Nolan’s historical epic. The two are set to star in an action-comedy-heist movie that brings them back to their native Boston in The Instigators. The heist film is co-written by Affleck, but will be directed by the Road House remake‘s Doug Liman. Affleck says, “The inspiration for this was definitely Midnight Run and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” He also stated that he’s always “wanted to do a buddy action comedy.”
Entertainment Weekly has the first look at The Instigators, which features images with the co-leads and their co-star Hong Chau, who recently worked with Damon in the critically and audience-panned Downsizing. The plot, according to EW says, “Damon costars as Rory, a desperate father who reluctantly...
Entertainment Weekly has the first look at The Instigators, which features images with the co-leads and their co-star Hong Chau, who recently worked with Damon in the critically and audience-panned Downsizing. The plot, according to EW says, “Damon costars as Rory, a desperate father who reluctantly...
- 4/29/2024
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Stars: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner, Ian Dolley, Jim Kaplan, Michael Provost, Tate Donovan | Written by David Hemingson | Directed by Alexander Payne
Having not released a film since 2017’s Downsizing, director Alexander Payne follows up what is considered the weakest film of his career with an absolutely wonderful work. At the Barton boarding school, bad-tempered professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is forced to remain on campus during the Christmas break to look after a handful of students with nowhere to go – collectively known as The Holdovers. Across the break, he forms a bond with student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) and head cook Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
From the opening moments where the studio logos and ratings title card appear in retro styles, Payne recreates the feel of a ‘70s feature throughout his latest work. The combination of aesthetic and story brings to mind a Hal Ashby film,...
Having not released a film since 2017’s Downsizing, director Alexander Payne follows up what is considered the weakest film of his career with an absolutely wonderful work. At the Barton boarding school, bad-tempered professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is forced to remain on campus during the Christmas break to look after a handful of students with nowhere to go – collectively known as The Holdovers. Across the break, he forms a bond with student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) and head cook Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
From the opening moments where the studio logos and ratings title card appear in retro styles, Payne recreates the feel of a ‘70s feature throughout his latest work. The combination of aesthetic and story brings to mind a Hal Ashby film,...
- 4/23/2024
- by James Rodrigues
- Nerdly
Having directed the brilliant Arrival (2015), Blade Runner 2049 (2017) and the two Dune movies (2021 and 2024), Denis Villeneuve has already inscribed his name in cinematic history as the acclaimed sci-fi filmmaker.
Here are 7 movies, recommended by the director and available for watching on Prime Video, that guarantee a superior sci-fi experience.
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
It comes as no surprise that this iconic Old Hollywood masterpiece is in Villeneuve’s list. According to his own admission, Kubrick’s epic space opera was his first "cinematic shock" that became his most favorite movie, inspiring him for his own science fiction works.
2. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Steven Spielberg’s classic drama movie affected not only the 1980’s genre’s features, but also the Dune director’s cinema taste, entering him the world of the French New Wave by assembling Francois Truffaut in its cast, and, obviously, his love for sci-fi films.
3. Blade Runner...
Here are 7 movies, recommended by the director and available for watching on Prime Video, that guarantee a superior sci-fi experience.
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
It comes as no surprise that this iconic Old Hollywood masterpiece is in Villeneuve’s list. According to his own admission, Kubrick’s epic space opera was his first "cinematic shock" that became his most favorite movie, inspiring him for his own science fiction works.
2. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Steven Spielberg’s classic drama movie affected not only the 1980’s genre’s features, but also the Dune director’s cinema taste, entering him the world of the French New Wave by assembling Francois Truffaut in its cast, and, obviously, his love for sci-fi films.
3. Blade Runner...
- 4/21/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Ava Raxa)
- STartefacts.com
Campaign poster Paul Metzler You BET-zler!! in Alexander Payne’s Election, starring Reese Witherspoon and Matthew Broderick, designed by Nate Carlson
In the second instalment with Alexander Payne’s longtime 'secret weapon' graphic designer Nate Carlson, we discuss their latest multiple award-winning collaboration The Holdovers’ stained glass windows and memorial inscriptions in the school chapel, a running theme of pharmacies and prescription bottles, the mastery of punctuation humour from Election to Marcus Aurelius, the art of combining the pre-existing with the new, and the family polaroid.
Nate Carlson on Alexander Payne: “He always likes to put those little hidden gems in there and I am certainly open to accommodate.”
The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson), stars Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti, Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph and BAFTA Best Supporting Actor nominee Dominic Sessa and has a terrific supporting cast led by Carrie Preston with Brady Hepner,...
In the second instalment with Alexander Payne’s longtime 'secret weapon' graphic designer Nate Carlson, we discuss their latest multiple award-winning collaboration The Holdovers’ stained glass windows and memorial inscriptions in the school chapel, a running theme of pharmacies and prescription bottles, the mastery of punctuation humour from Election to Marcus Aurelius, the art of combining the pre-existing with the new, and the family polaroid.
Nate Carlson on Alexander Payne: “He always likes to put those little hidden gems in there and I am certainly open to accommodate.”
The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson), stars Golden Globe winner Paul Giamatti, Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA winner Da'Vine Joy Randolph and BAFTA Best Supporting Actor nominee Dominic Sessa and has a terrific supporting cast led by Carrie Preston with Brady Hepner,...
- 4/21/2024
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The Oscars will air on ABC on March 10, 2024.
2023 was a great year for cinema and that’s certainly made clear by the 2024 Oscar nominees for Best Picture. All ten of the nominees have their strengths, and all ten have earned their spot in the lineup. But which is the best-of-the-best? Let’s dive into the nominees with a ranking!
10. The Holdovers
Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers
Also Read: The Holdovers BFI London Film Festival Review
Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph are both nominated for their performances in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers. It’s a solid return to form for the filmmaker following his last effort, Downsizing, which was not very well received by audiences or critics. The film is heartfelt, beautifully written and filled with top-notch performances.
9. American Fiction
Jeffrey Wright in his Oscar-nominated role as Monk in American Fiction
Also Read: American Fiction TIFF Review
Jeffrey...
2023 was a great year for cinema and that’s certainly made clear by the 2024 Oscar nominees for Best Picture. All ten of the nominees have their strengths, and all ten have earned their spot in the lineup. But which is the best-of-the-best? Let’s dive into the nominees with a ranking!
10. The Holdovers
Paul Giamatti in The Holdovers
Also Read: The Holdovers BFI London Film Festival Review
Paul Giamatti and Da’Vine Joy Randolph are both nominated for their performances in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers. It’s a solid return to form for the filmmaker following his last effort, Downsizing, which was not very well received by audiences or critics. The film is heartfelt, beautifully written and filled with top-notch performances.
9. American Fiction
Jeffrey Wright in his Oscar-nominated role as Monk in American Fiction
Also Read: American Fiction TIFF Review
Jeffrey...
- 3/4/2024
- by Joshua Ryan
- FandomWire
Mark Johnson is a veteran producer who won a best picture Oscar in 1989 for Rain Man, one of many collaborations with director Barry Levinson (the pair earned a second best picture nom in 1992 for Bugsy). Just over three decades later, Johnson earned his third Oscar nomination for Focus Features’ The Holdovers, his second film with director Alexander Payne following 2017’s Downsizing.
Set in 1970 over Christmas break at a tony New England boarding school, The Holdovers stars Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti as history teacher Paul Hunnam, who must look after the angsty Angus (newcomer Dominic Sessa) as he cannot travel home to be with family for the holiday. Added to the lonely trio is Oscar nominee Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s Mary Lamb, the school’s grieving cook who recently lost her son in Vietnam.
“I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had anything have the same reverberations as this,” says Johnson,...
Set in 1970 over Christmas break at a tony New England boarding school, The Holdovers stars Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti as history teacher Paul Hunnam, who must look after the angsty Angus (newcomer Dominic Sessa) as he cannot travel home to be with family for the holiday. Added to the lonely trio is Oscar nominee Da’Vine Joy Randolph’s Mary Lamb, the school’s grieving cook who recently lost her son in Vietnam.
“I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had anything have the same reverberations as this,” says Johnson,...
- 2/24/2024
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Adding to his awards season accolades, Paul Giamatti was honored with the Cinema Vanguard Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Wednesday, where he sat down for a conversation about his long career and journey to The Holdovers.
In a 75-minute chat moderated by The Hollywood Reporter‘s Scott Feinberg, Giamatti walked the Santa Barbara audience through his pivot from wanting to study primate anthropology to pursuing acting after his father died. He reflected on early roles in Private Parts, Planet of the Apes (“I was really disappointed I couldn’t play a gorilla. I was like, ‘I can’t be a gorilla, why not?’ They’re like, ‘You look more like an orangutan'”) and eventually American Splendor, where he said, “I remember at the time thinking, this is probably the first and last time I’m gonna lead [a movie] like this.”
Despite the critical success of that film,...
In a 75-minute chat moderated by The Hollywood Reporter‘s Scott Feinberg, Giamatti walked the Santa Barbara audience through his pivot from wanting to study primate anthropology to pursuing acting after his father died. He reflected on early roles in Private Parts, Planet of the Apes (“I was really disappointed I couldn’t play a gorilla. I was like, ‘I can’t be a gorilla, why not?’ They’re like, ‘You look more like an orangutan'”) and eventually American Splendor, where he said, “I remember at the time thinking, this is probably the first and last time I’m gonna lead [a movie] like this.”
Despite the critical success of that film,...
- 2/15/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Film editor Kevin Tent takes pride in the fact that he and Alexander Payne grew up in the film business together. The two men have collaborated on all eight of the features Payne has directed going back to “Citizen Ruth” in 1996 and subsequently teamed up on “Election,” “About Schmidt,” “Sideways,” “Nebraska,” “The Descendants” (for which Tent scored his first Oscar nomination) and “Downsizing.” Their most recent movie together, “The Holdovers,” has found Tent honored with his second Academy Award bid for editing. “Alexander is a very loyal guy and super collaborative,” Tent observes. “We kind of clicked from the beginning. Neither of us gets super wrapped up in the drama or takes things too seriously. He often will just go, ‘What’s everyone getting worked up about? It’s just a movie.’ And that’s kind of my attitude, too.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
SEEAlexander Payne interview: ‘The...
SEEAlexander Payne interview: ‘The...
- 2/6/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Stars: Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner, Ian Dolley, Jim Kaplan, Michael Provost, Tate Donovan | Written by David Hemingson | Directed by Alexander Payne
Having not released a film since 2017’s Downsizing, director Alexander Payne follows up what is considered the weakest film of his career with an absolutely wonderful work. At the Barton boarding school, bad-tempered professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is forced to remain on campus during the Christmas break to look after a handful of students with nowhere to go – collectively known as The Holdovers. Across the break, he forms a bond with student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) and head cook Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
From the opening moments where the studio logos and ratings title card appear in retro styles, Payne recreates the feel of a ‘70s feature throughout his latest work. The combination of aesthetic and story brings to mind a Hal Ashby film,...
Having not released a film since 2017’s Downsizing, director Alexander Payne follows up what is considered the weakest film of his career with an absolutely wonderful work. At the Barton boarding school, bad-tempered professor Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) is forced to remain on campus during the Christmas break to look after a handful of students with nowhere to go – collectively known as The Holdovers. Across the break, he forms a bond with student Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) and head cook Mary (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
From the opening moments where the studio logos and ratings title card appear in retro styles, Payne recreates the feel of a ‘70s feature throughout his latest work. The combination of aesthetic and story brings to mind a Hal Ashby film,...
- 2/1/2024
- by James Rodrigues
- Nerdly
Paul Giamatti and Da'Vine Joy Randolph won Golden Globes for their performances in Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, spot-on costumes by Wendy Chuck
On Sunday night, two of the stars of Alexander Payne’s intricately layered The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson) won Golden Globes. The first award of the night, Best Supporting Actress in any Motion Picture, was presented by Jared Leto and Angela Bassett to Da'Vine Joy Randolph. The Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy was presented by the clowning duo of Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell (a Barbie producer) to Paul Giamatti.
Reese Witherspoon wearing the necklace as Tracy Flick in Election, collection Wendy Chuck
In the second installment with Wendy Chuck, Alexander Payne’s longtime, brilliant costume designer, we discuss the Virgin Mary colours for Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), connecting with shades of...
On Sunday night, two of the stars of Alexander Payne’s intricately layered The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson) won Golden Globes. The first award of the night, Best Supporting Actress in any Motion Picture, was presented by Jared Leto and Angela Bassett to Da'Vine Joy Randolph. The Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy was presented by the clowning duo of Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell (a Barbie producer) to Paul Giamatti.
Reese Witherspoon wearing the necklace as Tracy Flick in Election, collection Wendy Chuck
In the second installment with Wendy Chuck, Alexander Payne’s longtime, brilliant costume designer, we discuss the Virgin Mary colours for Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph), connecting with shades of...
- 1/9/2024
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Cannes, Venice, Telluride, Sundance premieres each supply two films in top 10 PTA chart for year to date.
Prize-winners and buzzy titles from Cannes, Venice, Telluride and Sundance performed solidly at the arthouse and specialty North American box office in 2023, with particularly strong per theatre averages (PTA).
Data provided by ComScore through December 20 confirm the value of high-profile festival berths as a way of creating audience awareness and engagement.
Cannes selections account for one of the top 10 and one quarter of the top 20 opening weekend PTA scores, led by Wes Anderson’s Competition selection Asteroid City. The ensemble drama opened over...
Prize-winners and buzzy titles from Cannes, Venice, Telluride and Sundance performed solidly at the arthouse and specialty North American box office in 2023, with particularly strong per theatre averages (PTA).
Data provided by ComScore through December 20 confirm the value of high-profile festival berths as a way of creating audience awareness and engagement.
Cannes selections account for one of the top 10 and one quarter of the top 20 opening weekend PTA scores, led by Wes Anderson’s Competition selection Asteroid City. The ensemble drama opened over...
- 12/26/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
Cannes, Venice, Telluride, Sundance premieres each supply two films in top 10 PTA chart for year to date.
Prize-winners and buzzy titles from Cannes, Venice and Berlin performed solidly at the arthouse and specialty North American box office in 2023, with particularly strong per theatre averages (PTA).
Data provided by ComScore through December 20 confirm the value of high-profile festival berths as a way of creating audience awareness and engagement.
Cannes selections account for one of the top 10 and one quarter of the top 20 opening weekend PTA scores, led by Wes Anderson’s Competition selection Asteroid City. The ensemble drama opened over the...
Prize-winners and buzzy titles from Cannes, Venice and Berlin performed solidly at the arthouse and specialty North American box office in 2023, with particularly strong per theatre averages (PTA).
Data provided by ComScore through December 20 confirm the value of high-profile festival berths as a way of creating audience awareness and engagement.
Cannes selections account for one of the top 10 and one quarter of the top 20 opening weekend PTA scores, led by Wes Anderson’s Competition selection Asteroid City. The ensemble drama opened over the...
- 12/26/2023
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
The Holdovers director Alexander Payne (in Nirvana T-shirt) with Anne-Katrin Titze on Westward The Women: “It’s as though Jean Renoir and Akira Kurosawa got together to make a Western.”
In the first instalment with Alexander Payne on his intricately layered Golden Globe-nominated The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson with an Oscar-shortlisted score by Mark Orton) we started out discussing a film he recommended, William A Wellman’s Westward The Women (screenplay by Frank Capra and Charles Schnee), starring Robert Taylor and Denise Darcel with a formidable supporting cast of women, led by Hope Emerson.
Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) and Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) with Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph)
From there we touched upon his longtime collaborators, Wendy Chuck and Nathan Carlson, production designer Ryan Warren Smith, a scene between (Golden Globe-nominated) Paul Giamatti and Carrie Preston leading to Slavoj Žižek’s comment in Sophie Fiennes’s The Pervert’s Guide To Ideology...
In the first instalment with Alexander Payne on his intricately layered Golden Globe-nominated The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson with an Oscar-shortlisted score by Mark Orton) we started out discussing a film he recommended, William A Wellman’s Westward The Women (screenplay by Frank Capra and Charles Schnee), starring Robert Taylor and Denise Darcel with a formidable supporting cast of women, led by Hope Emerson.
Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa) and Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti) with Mary Lamb (Da'Vine Joy Randolph)
From there we touched upon his longtime collaborators, Wendy Chuck and Nathan Carlson, production designer Ryan Warren Smith, a scene between (Golden Globe-nominated) Paul Giamatti and Carrie Preston leading to Slavoj Žižek’s comment in Sophie Fiennes’s The Pervert’s Guide To Ideology...
- 12/24/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Alexander Payne's 2017 sci-fi film "Downsizing" is one of the more notorious bombs in recent memory. Made on a budget of about $68 million, the film only earned $55 million worldwide. Its December 22 release date, as well as the pedigree of its director, dictated that "Downsizing" was meant to be a heady prestige picture, an Oscar darling for its studio Paramount. Only supporting actress Hong Chau generated any buzz, and the flick was widely panned for its inability to fully explore its unusual premise.
And the premise was indeed unusual. In the near future, technology has been invented that can permanently shrink human beings to about four inches in height. This is seen as a boon for the health of the planet, as a four-inch person is going to necessarily consume fewer resources than a six-foot person. Also, because a dollhouse uses less raw materials than an ordinary one, those of modest...
And the premise was indeed unusual. In the near future, technology has been invented that can permanently shrink human beings to about four inches in height. This is seen as a boon for the health of the planet, as a four-inch person is going to necessarily consume fewer resources than a six-foot person. Also, because a dollhouse uses less raw materials than an ordinary one, those of modest...
- 12/23/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
While there are plenty of movies to catch up with during the holiday break, I recommend you make time for The Holdovers. The Alexander Payne-directed comedic drama stars Paul Giamatti in one of his most outstanding roles, with Da’Vine Joy Randolph and Dominic Sessa in his feature film debut. The Holdovers is already available on PVOD, but it’s coming to Peacock on December 29.
Some people enjoy spending holidays alone, but for others, it’s a painful reminder of having no one else to share the merriment and make new memories. In Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, Paul Giamatti’s Paul Hunham learns the value of opening his heart to a troubled student during a lonely Christmas break. The feature marks a welcomed return for Payne, whose previous directorial effort was for the social satire Downsizing, starring Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, and Hong Chau.
Here is the official synopsis for The Holdovers,...
Some people enjoy spending holidays alone, but for others, it’s a painful reminder of having no one else to share the merriment and make new memories. In Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, Paul Giamatti’s Paul Hunham learns the value of opening his heart to a troubled student during a lonely Christmas break. The feature marks a welcomed return for Payne, whose previous directorial effort was for the social satire Downsizing, starring Matt Damon, Christoph Waltz, and Hong Chau.
Here is the official synopsis for The Holdovers,...
- 12/22/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Alexander Payne’s Golden Globe-nominated The Holdovers, costumes by Wendy Chuck, stars Dominic Sessa, Paul Giamatti (Golden Globe nomination), and Da'Vine Joy Randolph (Golden Globe nomination)
In the first installment with Wendy Chuck, Alexander Payne’s longtime, brilliant costume designer, we discussed her most recent Payne film, the intricately layered The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson), dressing the stars Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph and the terrific supporting cast of Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner, Ian Dolley, Jim Kaplan, Michael Provost, Naheem Garcia, Darby Lee-Stack, Andrew Garman, Stephen Thorne, and Gillian Vigman.
Wendy Chuck with Anne-Katrin Titze on Alexander Payne: “You know Alexander, he wants everything as authentic as it possibly can be.”
We started out with the costumes for Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon (Jacqueline West), Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things (Holly Waddington), and Bradley Cooper’s Maestro (Mark Bridges). We also touched upon.
In the first installment with Wendy Chuck, Alexander Payne’s longtime, brilliant costume designer, we discussed her most recent Payne film, the intricately layered The Holdovers (screenplay by David Hemingson), dressing the stars Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph and the terrific supporting cast of Carrie Preston, Brady Hepner, Ian Dolley, Jim Kaplan, Michael Provost, Naheem Garcia, Darby Lee-Stack, Andrew Garman, Stephen Thorne, and Gillian Vigman.
Wendy Chuck with Anne-Katrin Titze on Alexander Payne: “You know Alexander, he wants everything as authentic as it possibly can be.”
We started out with the costumes for Martin Scorsese’s Killers Of The Flower Moon (Jacqueline West), Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things (Holly Waddington), and Bradley Cooper’s Maestro (Mark Bridges). We also touched upon.
- 12/17/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
One of the best-reviewed movies of the fall is coming home just in time for the holidays. Director Alexander Payne's "The Holdovers" was released in theaters a month ago and there's been much buzz surrounding the film (read our review here). This is in no small part because it reunites the filmmaker with Paul Giamatti for the first time since "Sideways" nearly 20 years ago. Now, for those who didn't get the chance to see the film in theaters, Universal Pictures has announced that Focus Features' latest is available to rent or purchase on Digital.
"The Holdovers" is currently available through digital retailers such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, or any number of other places. Take your pick! As of this writing, viewers can rent the film for $19.99, or purchase the film for a little extra. This is what is known as premium VOD, which sprang up during the pandemic.
"The Holdovers" is currently available through digital retailers such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu, or any number of other places. Take your pick! As of this writing, viewers can rent the film for $19.99, or purchase the film for a little extra. This is what is known as premium VOD, which sprang up during the pandemic.
- 11/28/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
It was nice while it lasted: David Fincher’s “The Killer” opened to #1 on the Netflix Top 10 last week and it’s now #3. Another high-profile Netflix Original took its place with Mary Lambert’s “Best. Christmas. Ever!” Trivia ensues: Much earlier in their careers, Fincher and Lambert each directed high-profile Madonna videos.
We’re still waiting on the PVOD releases of October titles “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (already streaming on Peacock), and “Killers of the Flower Moon” (soon to be streaming on Apple TV+). That left a sweet spot for Disney to debut Gareth Edwards’ “The Creator” at $19.99 — a rare film that’s not part of a franchise, and budgeted under $100 million.
The sci-fi thriller was a modest box office performer (just over $100 million worldwide), so its post-theatrical earnings are critical for potential profit. It is #1 at Vudu, which ranks by revenue. It was #1 during the week at iTunes,...
We’re still waiting on the PVOD releases of October titles “Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour,” “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (already streaming on Peacock), and “Killers of the Flower Moon” (soon to be streaming on Apple TV+). That left a sweet spot for Disney to debut Gareth Edwards’ “The Creator” at $19.99 — a rare film that’s not part of a franchise, and budgeted under $100 million.
The sci-fi thriller was a modest box office performer (just over $100 million worldwide), so its post-theatrical earnings are critical for potential profit. It is #1 at Vudu, which ranks by revenue. It was #1 during the week at iTunes,...
- 11/20/2023
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
The latest feature from David Fincher, a big-budget drama series from Steven Knight and Shawn Levy, and an Oscar hopeful starring Annette Bening and Jodie Foster are among the standout new additions hitting Netflix in November.
With The Killer, Fincher reteams with Seven writer Andrew Kevin Walker to adapt the graphic novel written by Alexis Nolent. The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival this year and debuts on Netflix on Nov. 10, stars Michael Fassbender as a shadowy unnamed assassin and features a cast that includes Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Gabriel Polanco, Kerry O’Malley, Emiliano Pernía, Sala Baker, Sophie Charlotte and Tilda Swinton.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s review of The Killer described the film as “a satisfyingly retro, location-hopping genre exercise with fisticuffs, gadgets (albeit ones bought from Amazon) and smooth-talking antagonists that all plays like a tongue-in-cheek spoof of James Bond movies.”
All the Light We Cannot See...
With The Killer, Fincher reteams with Seven writer Andrew Kevin Walker to adapt the graphic novel written by Alexis Nolent. The film, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival this year and debuts on Netflix on Nov. 10, stars Michael Fassbender as a shadowy unnamed assassin and features a cast that includes Arliss Howard, Charles Parnell, Gabriel Polanco, Kerry O’Malley, Emiliano Pernía, Sala Baker, Sophie Charlotte and Tilda Swinton.
The Hollywood Reporter‘s review of The Killer described the film as “a satisfyingly retro, location-hopping genre exercise with fisticuffs, gadgets (albeit ones bought from Amazon) and smooth-talking antagonists that all plays like a tongue-in-cheek spoof of James Bond movies.”
All the Light We Cannot See...
- 11/2/2023
- by Abid Rahman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
November on Netflix is peppered with curiosities for just about everyone. This month will see the long-awaited adaptation of Anthony Doerr’s award-winning novel All the Light We Cannot See hit the streamer. Directed by Shawn Levy (The Adam Project) and starring Mark Ruffalo, the limited series will tell the emotional story of a blind French girl who meets a German soldier in the final days of WWII.
Elsewhere, Netflix will unveil its first expansion of its planned Squid Game universe with an actual competition show that will challenge 456 players to be the final winner of no less than $4.56 million. Squid Game: The Challenge will feature games recreated from the hit 2021 show, hopefully with a comparatively zero chance of death for the contestants!
For those who are awaiting the return of their favorite Netflix shows in a more fictional capacity, however, we can confirm that Selling Sunset season seven, The Tailor season three,...
Elsewhere, Netflix will unveil its first expansion of its planned Squid Game universe with an actual competition show that will challenge 456 players to be the final winner of no less than $4.56 million. Squid Game: The Challenge will feature games recreated from the hit 2021 show, hopefully with a comparatively zero chance of death for the contestants!
For those who are awaiting the return of their favorite Netflix shows in a more fictional capacity, however, we can confirm that Selling Sunset season seven, The Tailor season three,...
- 11/1/2023
- by Kirsten Howard
- Den of Geek
Choose your own adventure this November on Netflix! With its latest collection of well-knowns and well-loveds like “The Big Lebowski” or HBO’s dark dramedy “Six Feet Under,” the streamer will add dozens of new originals, documentaries, animes, family films, and more.
Catch up on your reading list with a miniseries adaptation of a Pulitzer winner, David Fincher’s take on a French graphic novel series, or an anime entry into the “Scott Pilgrim” franchise. Or, if reality is strange enough, journey through history— from American civil rights leaders with the Colman Domingo-led “Rustin” to British monarchs in the final season of Netflix’s jewel “The Crown.”
Check out The Streamable’s top picks for what’s new in November on Netflix, and then continue below to see the full list of everything that’s getting added to the platform this month!
Sign Up $6.99+ / month netflix.com What are...
Catch up on your reading list with a miniseries adaptation of a Pulitzer winner, David Fincher’s take on a French graphic novel series, or an anime entry into the “Scott Pilgrim” franchise. Or, if reality is strange enough, journey through history— from American civil rights leaders with the Colman Domingo-led “Rustin” to British monarchs in the final season of Netflix’s jewel “The Crown.”
Check out The Streamable’s top picks for what’s new in November on Netflix, and then continue below to see the full list of everything that’s getting added to the platform this month!
Sign Up $6.99+ / month netflix.com What are...
- 10/31/2023
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Elizabeth Debicki in ‘The Crown’ Season 6 (Photo Credit: Netflix)
Netflix’s November 2023 lineup of new films and TV series includes the premiere of the sixth season of the critically acclaimed drama The Crown and the debut of the wild action comedy Obliterated. Also joining the November lineup are All the Light We Cannot See, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and directed by Shawn Levy, as well as the streaming service’s first-ever live sports event.
Additional November highlights include Virgin River season five part two, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, The Killer, Rustin, and Blue Eye Samurai.
Netflix’s November 2023 Lineup:
11/1/23
Hurricane Season (Film) – When a group of kids finds a corpse floating in a canal, the brutal reality behind the perverse crime unravels a town’s hidden secrets.
Locked In (Film) – A kindly nurse tries to unlock the secrets of a coma patient’s injuries — and discovers the bitter rivalry,...
Netflix’s November 2023 lineup of new films and TV series includes the premiere of the sixth season of the critically acclaimed drama The Crown and the debut of the wild action comedy Obliterated. Also joining the November lineup are All the Light We Cannot See, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and directed by Shawn Levy, as well as the streaming service’s first-ever live sports event.
Additional November highlights include Virgin River season five part two, Scott Pilgrim Takes Off, The Killer, Rustin, and Blue Eye Samurai.
Netflix’s November 2023 Lineup:
11/1/23
Hurricane Season (Film) – When a group of kids finds a corpse floating in a canal, the brutal reality behind the perverse crime unravels a town’s hidden secrets.
Locked In (Film) – A kindly nurse tries to unlock the secrets of a coma patient’s injuries — and discovers the bitter rivalry,...
- 10/29/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
In Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers, his first film since the perplexingly underwhelming Downsizing six years ago, the liminal state between semesters at an elite, private educational institution, the fictional Barton Academy in New England, proves incredibly ripe for an enlightening, poignant comedy-drama of errors, misunderstandings, and hard-won life lessons for a trio of outsiders. The Holdovers just might be Payne’s best all-around cinematic endeavor since his first — and until now only — collaboration with Paul Giamatti, Sideways, almost two decades ago. When we first meet Giamatti’s curmudgeonly character, Paul Hunham, an unpopular senior lecturer in ancient history in the year of our Lord 1970, he’s haranguing the bored, disinterested students under his charge for their laziness, their disengagement with the world,...
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[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/26/2023
- Screen Anarchy
Reese Witherspoon in Election (Paramount Pictures), Paul Giamatti in Sideways (Searchlight Pictures), George Clooney in The Descendants (Searchlight Pictures), Matt Damon in Downsizing (Paramount Pictures)Graphic: The A.V. Club
It’s been six years since Alexander Payne released his last film, Downsizing, to mixed reviews. Now he’s back with The Holdovers,...
It’s been six years since Alexander Payne released his last film, Downsizing, to mixed reviews. Now he’s back with The Holdovers,...
- 10/24/2023
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Alexander Payne shared his passion for film and his thoughts on contemporary American cinema with the audience at the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon where he is premiering his eighth feature film, “The Holdovers,” under the French title “Winter Break,” on October 15th.
In a conversation skilfully led and translated by Los Angeles-based French film journalist Didier Allouch, Payne drew laughs from the Lumière crowd when he explained that the secret to making good films was “keeping your budgets low.”
“John Huston approached Luis Buñuel one day and asked him, ‘How is it that you make these wonderful films, like “Viridiana” and “The Exterminating Angel”?’ And Buñuel replied, ‘How much money do you make and how much money do you think I make?’” said Payne with a smile.
While he made no secret of his distaste for Hollywood blockbusters and said it was still possible to make movies like “Sideways,...
In a conversation skilfully led and translated by Los Angeles-based French film journalist Didier Allouch, Payne drew laughs from the Lumière crowd when he explained that the secret to making good films was “keeping your budgets low.”
“John Huston approached Luis Buñuel one day and asked him, ‘How is it that you make these wonderful films, like “Viridiana” and “The Exterminating Angel”?’ And Buñuel replied, ‘How much money do you make and how much money do you think I make?’” said Payne with a smile.
While he made no secret of his distaste for Hollywood blockbusters and said it was still possible to make movies like “Sideways,...
- 10/16/2023
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
By Christopher James
A student, teacher and cafeteria manager are stuck together for Christmas in Alexander Payne's new film, "The Holdovers."
Alexander Payne has added another lovable misanthrope to his Avengers collection of curmudgeons. The Holdovers packages a lot of familiar tropes, both from Payne’s filmography and broader genre conventions. Luckily that doesn’t stifle the film’s wit and charm. After having an ambitious flop with Downsizing, Payne has returned to form with his eighth feature.
Mixing Goodbye Mr. Chips with Rushmore, The Holdovers is, like its protagonist, gruff yet sweet. For those looking for a Holiday coming-of-age comedy with a spike of melancholy, it'll be the feel-good, feel-bad movie of the fall season...
A student, teacher and cafeteria manager are stuck together for Christmas in Alexander Payne's new film, "The Holdovers."
Alexander Payne has added another lovable misanthrope to his Avengers collection of curmudgeons. The Holdovers packages a lot of familiar tropes, both from Payne’s filmography and broader genre conventions. Luckily that doesn’t stifle the film’s wit and charm. After having an ambitious flop with Downsizing, Payne has returned to form with his eighth feature.
Mixing Goodbye Mr. Chips with Rushmore, The Holdovers is, like its protagonist, gruff yet sweet. For those looking for a Holiday coming-of-age comedy with a spike of melancholy, it'll be the feel-good, feel-bad movie of the fall season...
- 9/28/2023
- by Christopher James
- FilmExperience
While many thought this year’s edition of the Toronto International Film Festival would be quiet due to the SAG/AFTRA/WGA strikes, even if the red carpets were empty, TIFF’s lineup was as strong as ever. With American Fiction having nabbed the People’s Choice Award and many of the entries generating some serious Oscar buzz, as a way of wrapping up our coverage of the fest, here are some of our picks for the best movies that played at the festival. While they can’t all be winners (a double bill of Chris Pine’s Poolman and Harmony Korine’s Aggro Dr1ft just about killed me), there were way more good movies than bad, and many of the titles below should be coming out relatively soon.
The Holdovers:
Alexander Payne makes a welcome return with his first movie since Downsizing back in 2017. He’s ditched the high-concept,...
The Holdovers:
Alexander Payne makes a welcome return with his first movie since Downsizing back in 2017. He’s ditched the high-concept,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
In terms of acquisitions, the most financially significant screening of last year’s TIFF was an industry-only one of The Holdovers, a Miramax-developed title whose worldwide rights promptly sold for $30 million to Focus Features; this year, it returned for press and public inspection following its Telluride premiere. It is, as previously announced, a crowdpleaser directed by Alexander Payne, designed for career rejuvenation after the ambitious, unwieldy and expensive commercial failure of 2017’s Downsizing, and effectively written under his instruction by sitcom writer-producer David Hemingson. He cannibalized what was initially written as a prep school-set pilot by, among other things, following Payne’s directive to […]
The post TIFF 2023: The Holdovers, Hit Man first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post TIFF 2023: The Holdovers, Hit Man first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 9/12/2023
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
In terms of acquisitions, the most financially significant screening of last year’s TIFF was an industry-only one of The Holdovers, a Miramax-developed title whose worldwide rights promptly sold for $30 million to Focus Features; this year, it returned for press and public inspection following its Telluride premiere. It is, as previously announced, a crowdpleaser directed by Alexander Payne, designed for career rejuvenation after the ambitious, unwieldy and expensive commercial failure of 2017’s Downsizing, and effectively written under his instruction by sitcom writer-producer David Hemingson. He cannibalized what was initially written as a prep school-set pilot by, among other things, following Payne’s directive to […]
The post TIFF 2023: The Holdovers, Hit Man first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post TIFF 2023: The Holdovers, Hit Man first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 9/12/2023
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
The Holdovers Review: Alexander Payne And Paul Giamatti Reunite For This Marvellous Film [TIFF 2023]
Alexander Payne has long been one of the most respected American directors, tapping into unique stories of the human condition. From high school elections ("Election"), the abortion debate ("Citizen Ruth"), or even wine tasting ("Sideways"), Payne has a way of finding humor and heart in everything he directs. His work never really faltered until his last directorial effort "Downsizing" in 2017. While I was higher on it than most, it lacked much of Payne's signature charm that makes his movies, often about unbearable people, so irresistible.
Speaking of unbearable, one of his most prickly and obnoxious characters yet takes the lead in "The Holdovers." Paul Dunham (Paul Giamatti) teaches ancient civilizations at Barton Academy, a top-tier boarding school in the 1970s. His course is the greatest love in his life -- Hunham references various points in ancient history more than he blinks, bringing an immense knowledge of his subject matter that's unrivaled.
Speaking of unbearable, one of his most prickly and obnoxious characters yet takes the lead in "The Holdovers." Paul Dunham (Paul Giamatti) teaches ancient civilizations at Barton Academy, a top-tier boarding school in the 1970s. His course is the greatest love in his life -- Hunham references various points in ancient history more than he blinks, bringing an immense knowledge of his subject matter that's unrivaled.
- 9/11/2023
- by Barry Levitt
- Slash Film
The time has come again for the Toronto International Film Festival. I’ve been attending the festival for fourteen years straight (although I attended remotely during the 2020 Covid-19 edition), and I’m psyched to be heading to TIFF this week to send back reviews of all the great movies I’ll be seeing. Of course, this year’s TIFF is happening under the shadow of the dual SAG-AFTRA/ WGA strikes, meaning very few stars will be walking the red carpet, and some big movies will be waiting to make their debuts until the strike is (eventually) settled.
Nevertheless, tons of big movies are still playing at the festival this year. Here are ten of my most anticipated films:
Boy Kills World:
This one wasn’t on my radar until a sales trailer leaked onto the net a few weeks ago and offered us a glimpse at director Mortiz Mohr’s dystopian action epic,...
Nevertheless, tons of big movies are still playing at the festival this year. Here are ten of my most anticipated films:
Boy Kills World:
This one wasn’t on my radar until a sales trailer leaked onto the net a few weeks ago and offered us a glimpse at director Mortiz Mohr’s dystopian action epic,...
- 9/6/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
It’s the holiday season in Alexander Payne’s sweet, good-looking yet occasionally schmaltzy throwback “The Holdovers” and Paul Giamatti’s grumpy Paul Hunham has stolen the Christmas of 1970. Well, not quite, as his character—an Ancient History teacher at the fictional New England school Barton Academy—isn’t exactly the Grinch despite being severely disliked by his students and fellow educators alike.
Sure, he gives stingy grades like F+, is uncompromisingly prickly and calls his students things like “snarling Visigoths” in his amusingly embellished figure of speech full of insults and outdated language—one of the many low-key delights of David Hemingson’s script. But it isn’t exactly his doing that several kids who can’t go home for the holidays are held over at the academy under his supervision.
This unwelcome winter break gig is a punishment of sorts for Hunham—if you fail the wrong kid...
Sure, he gives stingy grades like F+, is uncompromisingly prickly and calls his students things like “snarling Visigoths” in his amusingly embellished figure of speech full of insults and outdated language—one of the many low-key delights of David Hemingson’s script. But it isn’t exactly his doing that several kids who can’t go home for the holidays are held over at the academy under his supervision.
This unwelcome winter break gig is a punishment of sorts for Hunham—if you fail the wrong kid...
- 9/1/2023
- by Tomris Laffly
- The Wrap
“The Holdovers,” director Alexander Payne’s first film since his 2017 flop “Downsizing,” scored strong reviews as a return to form for the two-time Oscar winner following its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival on Thursday.
“We’ve all seen our share of stories about inspirational teachers. ‘The Holdovers’ is dedicated to the opposite sort: a hard-ass named Paul Hunham whom everyone hates,” Variety critic Peter Debruge wrote in his positive notice. “The feeling is mutual, as Mr. Hunham considers most of the kids enrolled at Barton Academy to be entitled little monsters, and the administration to be even more corrupt. Judging by the evidence director Alexander Payne provides, Mr. Hunham’s not wrong. But he is uncharitable, and on that count, the movie couldn’t be more different: It’s a generous drama about three wounded souls stranded at Barton over Christmas break, during which this coldhearted private school...
“We’ve all seen our share of stories about inspirational teachers. ‘The Holdovers’ is dedicated to the opposite sort: a hard-ass named Paul Hunham whom everyone hates,” Variety critic Peter Debruge wrote in his positive notice. “The feeling is mutual, as Mr. Hunham considers most of the kids enrolled at Barton Academy to be entitled little monsters, and the administration to be even more corrupt. Judging by the evidence director Alexander Payne provides, Mr. Hunham’s not wrong. But he is uncharitable, and on that count, the movie couldn’t be more different: It’s a generous drama about three wounded souls stranded at Barton over Christmas break, during which this coldhearted private school...
- 9/1/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
It has been six years since Alexander Payne directed his last film, Downsizing, so to watch his new movie is something of an event. The Holdovers — which Focus Features will release later this fall — marks Payne’s reunion with Paul Giamatti, the star of Sideways, and once again the two spark each other in a rewarding way. This new movie is not without its flaws, but it is an engaging and often touching comic drama that builds power as it moves toward its immensely satisfying conclusion.
David Hemingson (best known for writing TV series like Kitchen Confidential) has crafted an incisive screenplay for Payne. The time is Christmas of 1970, and the setting is a hidebound New England prep school preparing for the holidays. Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, a curmudgeonly classics instructor who wins the unenviable job of staying at school over the holidays to look after the boys who are...
David Hemingson (best known for writing TV series like Kitchen Confidential) has crafted an incisive screenplay for Payne. The time is Christmas of 1970, and the setting is a hidebound New England prep school preparing for the holidays. Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, a curmudgeonly classics instructor who wins the unenviable job of staying at school over the holidays to look after the boys who are...
- 9/1/2023
- by Stephen Farber
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 50th edition of the Telluride Film Festival will include the world premieres of Emerald Fennell’s “Saltburn,” Jeff Nichols’ “The Bikeriders,” George C. Wolfe’s “Rustin,” Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin’s “Nyad,” and Alexander Payne’s “The Holdovers,” among other top awards hopefuls, festival organizers announced on Wednesday.
In keeping with tradition, the 2023 Telluride lineup was kept under wraps until 24 hours before the annual festival begins – although sharp-eyed pundits and awards experts were able to accurately speculate about many of the titles in this year’s lineup due to premiere designations at other festivals in Toronto, Venice, and New York.
“Saltburn” is Fennell’s second film after 2020’s “Promising Young Woman,” which landed the budding auteur a trio of Oscar nominations. The film stars recent Best Supporting Actor nominee Barry Keoghan, as well as Jacob Elordi of “Euphoria” fame, former Oscar nominees Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant,...
In keeping with tradition, the 2023 Telluride lineup was kept under wraps until 24 hours before the annual festival begins – although sharp-eyed pundits and awards experts were able to accurately speculate about many of the titles in this year’s lineup due to premiere designations at other festivals in Toronto, Venice, and New York.
“Saltburn” is Fennell’s second film after 2020’s “Promising Young Woman,” which landed the budding auteur a trio of Oscar nominations. The film stars recent Best Supporting Actor nominee Barry Keoghan, as well as Jacob Elordi of “Euphoria” fame, former Oscar nominees Rosamund Pike and Richard E. Grant,...
- 8/30/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
The last time Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti worked together the result was “Sideways,” the 2004 drama that won Payne an Oscar for adapted screenplay and left Giamatti on the list of egregious Best Actor snubs after the academy shunned the star for his performance. (Giamatti was nominated the following year in the Best Supporting Actor category for “Cinderella Man.”)
Now the two are back together for the upcoming Focus Features comedy-drama “The Holdovers,” a potential return to form for Payne after the mixed response to his 2017 movie “Downsizing.”
Focus released the first trailer for “The Holdovers” on Monday, a throwback piece of marketing that looks like it could have been put together in the 1980s or 1990s. Here’s the logline for the film, which also stars Da’Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa: “A curmudgeonly instructor (Giamatti) at a New England prep school is forced to remain on...
Now the two are back together for the upcoming Focus Features comedy-drama “The Holdovers,” a potential return to form for Payne after the mixed response to his 2017 movie “Downsizing.”
Focus released the first trailer for “The Holdovers” on Monday, a throwback piece of marketing that looks like it could have been put together in the 1980s or 1990s. Here’s the logline for the film, which also stars Da’Vine Joy Randolph and newcomer Dominic Sessa: “A curmudgeonly instructor (Giamatti) at a New England prep school is forced to remain on...
- 7/17/2023
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
‘The Holdovers’ Trailer: Alexander Payne Reunites with Paul Giamatti in a Role ‘Tailor-Made for Him’
Alexander Payne is going back in time for his first film in six years.
Following 2017’s critically panned “Downsizing,” Payne returns to the big screen with “The Holdovers” starring “Sideways” alum Paul Giamatti almost exactly 20 years later. Payne’s eighth feature will be distributed by Focus Features.
“The Holdovers” follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them, a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa), and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (“The Idol” breakout Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
Payne directs the film from a screenplay by David Hemingson, who previously penned episodes of “Black-ish” and “Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23.” Focus Features handles the film’s U.
Following 2017’s critically panned “Downsizing,” Payne returns to the big screen with “The Holdovers” starring “Sideways” alum Paul Giamatti almost exactly 20 years later. Payne’s eighth feature will be distributed by Focus Features.
“The Holdovers” follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually, he forms an unlikely bond with one of them, a damaged, brainy troublemaker (newcomer Dominic Sessa), and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (“The Idol” breakout Da’Vine Joy Randolph).
Payne directs the film from a screenplay by David Hemingson, who previously penned episodes of “Black-ish” and “Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23.” Focus Features handles the film’s U.
- 7/17/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
In his 2017 film “Downsizing” two-time Oscar winner Alexander Payne presents an unbelievable antidote to the world’s growing population: the downsizing of the average human being. On Tuesday, the film opened the Evia Film Project, which focuses on green issues. “It didn’t start with the ecological element,” the director tells Variety at the event, which takes place on the Greek island of Evia, which was devastated by fires two years ago.
Although six years old, the film is ageing well. It is still relevant and even mentions the pandemic in a scary foreboding, but he is not optimistic. “Things are getting worse,” he says.
Payne is known to use laughter to alleviate the weight of the topics he is satirizing in his films. “Oscar Wilde used to say, ‘When you tell people the truth, you have to make them laugh at the same time or else they kill you…...
Although six years old, the film is ageing well. It is still relevant and even mentions the pandemic in a scary foreboding, but he is not optimistic. “Things are getting worse,” he says.
Payne is known to use laughter to alleviate the weight of the topics he is satirizing in his films. “Oscar Wilde used to say, ‘When you tell people the truth, you have to make them laugh at the same time or else they kill you…...
- 6/22/2023
- by Tara Karajica
- Variety Film + TV
On Tuesday, Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing” opened the 2nd Evia Film Project, in the presence of the two-time Oscar-winning director.
The green initiative was launched by the Thessaloniki Film Festival last year to offer support to Northern Evia following the devastating 2021 wildfires. The event runs to June 24 with an enhanced program.
The films of this year’s edition are a mix of both classics and recent hits, feature films and documentaries. They have been selected to raise awareness, inform, incite to action, bring to light the repercussions of human-driven activities and mankind’s relation to the environment and, last but not least, praise nature’s magic.
Ten films play at this year’s Evia Film Project, which are as follows:
The previously mentioned “Downsizing”; “We Come as Friends” by Hubert Sauper; Dimitris Trompoukis’ “Roots”; “White Plastic Sky” by Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó; Juliana Penaranda-Loftus, Brad Allgood and Graham Townsley...
The green initiative was launched by the Thessaloniki Film Festival last year to offer support to Northern Evia following the devastating 2021 wildfires. The event runs to June 24 with an enhanced program.
The films of this year’s edition are a mix of both classics and recent hits, feature films and documentaries. They have been selected to raise awareness, inform, incite to action, bring to light the repercussions of human-driven activities and mankind’s relation to the environment and, last but not least, praise nature’s magic.
Ten films play at this year’s Evia Film Project, which are as follows:
The previously mentioned “Downsizing”; “We Come as Friends” by Hubert Sauper; Dimitris Trompoukis’ “Roots”; “White Plastic Sky” by Tibor Bánóczki and Sarolta Szabó; Juliana Penaranda-Loftus, Brad Allgood and Graham Townsley...
- 6/21/2023
- by Tara Karajica
- Variety Film + TV
For many around the United States, summer break is here at last. To some, that means more time spent camping, playing sports, or just enjoying the great outdoors. For others, it’s time to head inside until the heat breaks and ride out the hottest months of the year while enjoying some A/C.
If you belong to the latter category of person, or if you just love watching free movies, Pluto TV has the announcement of the summer for you. Paramount is bringing its Popcorn Summer Movies promotion back to its free streaming service, which means Pluto TV users will be able to watch hundreds of hit movies on the service at zero cost over the next few months.
Watch Now $0 / month Pluto.TV
Pluto carries more than 350 streaming channels, in addition to its growing library of on-demand films and series. It has hundreds of classic TV episodes from shows...
If you belong to the latter category of person, or if you just love watching free movies, Pluto TV has the announcement of the summer for you. Paramount is bringing its Popcorn Summer Movies promotion back to its free streaming service, which means Pluto TV users will be able to watch hundreds of hit movies on the service at zero cost over the next few months.
Watch Now $0 / month Pluto.TV
Pluto carries more than 350 streaming channels, in addition to its growing library of on-demand films and series. It has hundreds of classic TV episodes from shows...
- 6/8/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
For the past 20 years, Jason Sudeikis has been one of the most prominent voices in American comedy. The actor and comedian came into the world with at least one showbiz connection -- his uncle is George Wendt of "Cheers" fame -- but he has carved out his own unique space in film and television, outwardly the clean-cut straight man, but with deep reserves of cynicism hidden underneath a bright smile. Sudeikis got his start with the Second City improv troupe before eventually being hired by "Saturday Night Live," where his career really took off. Since working on the show for a decade, he has developed a thriving career that encompasses television, independent dramedies, and big-budget blockbusters.
His filmography showcases a keen eye for both interesting characters with unexpected facets to their personality and projects that capitalize on his strengths as a performer. Over the years, Sudeikis has earned rave reviews from both audiences and critics,...
His filmography showcases a keen eye for both interesting characters with unexpected facets to their personality and projects that capitalize on his strengths as a performer. Over the years, Sudeikis has earned rave reviews from both audiences and critics,...
- 5/20/2023
- by Audrey Fox
- Slash Film
Director Alexander Payne has delivered some true gems in his career, including "The Descendants" and "Nebraska." But Payne's last step up to the plate, "Downsizing," was admittedly a bit of a mixed bag. Now though, he's reuniting with Paul Giamatti, who he previously collaborated with nearly 20 years ago on "Sideways" for a brand new film, "The Holdovers." The first look at the much-anticipated film was recently showcased at CinemaCon.
The industry showcase is currently taking place in Las Vegas, and /Film's very own Ben Pearson is on the ground taking in all of the footage as it comes in. In this case, he got an early look at "The Holdovers," which centers on a misanthropic teacher (Giamatti) at an elite prep school in New England who must live his worst nightmare: taking in the kids who don't have anywhere to go over Christmas break. Despite himself, he ends up...
The industry showcase is currently taking place in Las Vegas, and /Film's very own Ben Pearson is on the ground taking in all of the footage as it comes in. In this case, he got an early look at "The Holdovers," which centers on a misanthropic teacher (Giamatti) at an elite prep school in New England who must live his worst nightmare: taking in the kids who don't have anywhere to go over Christmas break. Despite himself, he ends up...
- 4/27/2023
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Darren Aronofsky's 2022 film "The Whale" has been described as "problematic" by many of its critics. "Problematic" is a word that is more or less the same as "offensive," only amended with smaller, positive qualities lurking therein. Overall, the film's treatment of obesity is badly handled, and its themes are misguided; it's clearly a story of depression and homophobia, but Aronofsky seems to think it's about obesity. Perhaps there is a great, compassionate version of "The Whale" in a parallel universe somewhere, but we certainly didn't get it in ours.
The above-mentioned positive qualities come from the film's performances. Brendan Fraser won an Academy Award for playing the self-hating writing teacher Charlie, and Hong Chau was nominated for her role as Liz, Charlie's nurse and one of his only friends. Indeed, Liz is the only person in Charlie's life that seems to like him, including Charlie. Chau's performance lends...
The above-mentioned positive qualities come from the film's performances. Brendan Fraser won an Academy Award for playing the self-hating writing teacher Charlie, and Hong Chau was nominated for her role as Liz, Charlie's nurse and one of his only friends. Indeed, Liz is the only person in Charlie's life that seems to like him, including Charlie. Chau's performance lends...
- 4/2/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Hong Chau — the Oscar-nominated actor, who’s appeared in “The Whale,” “The Menu,” and “Downsizing” — is an interesting element on Netflix’s new series “The Night Agent,” and a revealing one. To cast Chau, a gifted and hardworking performer who’s been elevating projects for years, is to announce a certain ambition. Here, she’s playing the determined White House Chief of Staff, a figure close to the heart of various intrigues on a political thriller with schlock in its DNA. And yet she does it so elegantly, so excellently that she elevates the whole thing.
So it is with “The Night Agent,” created by Shawn Ryan of “The Shield,” and based on a novel by Matthew Quirk. Here, Gabriel Basso (who played the future U.S. Senator J.D. Vance in the film “Hillbilly Elegy”) stars as Peter Sutherland, whose employment at the FBI is at such a low level that...
So it is with “The Night Agent,” created by Shawn Ryan of “The Shield,” and based on a novel by Matthew Quirk. Here, Gabriel Basso (who played the future U.S. Senator J.D. Vance in the film “Hillbilly Elegy”) stars as Peter Sutherland, whose employment at the FBI is at such a low level that...
- 3/23/2023
- by Daniel D'Addario
- Variety Film + TV
Image Source: Everett Collection
Jason Sudeikis is arguably most recognized now for his award-winning work in the acclaimed Apple TV+ series "Ted Lasso," but the actor had a strong start in the entertainment industry before that. In 2003, he started working as a writer for "Saturday Night Live," and he went on to work on the beloved live comedy show as both an actor and writer for the next 10 years before his departure in 2013. After he gained popularity on "SNL," Sudeikis appeared in other shows, including "30 Rock" from 2007 to 2010 and "The Cleveland Show," which he voice acted for from 2009 to 2013.
Following his success on TV, Sudeikis turned his attention to movies, notably starring in comedies like "Horrible Bosses" alongside Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, "The Campaign," and "We're the Millers" in the early 2010s. Along with his comedic performances, the actor also has taken on roles in indie films like "Sleeping With Other People,...
Jason Sudeikis is arguably most recognized now for his award-winning work in the acclaimed Apple TV+ series "Ted Lasso," but the actor had a strong start in the entertainment industry before that. In 2003, he started working as a writer for "Saturday Night Live," and he went on to work on the beloved live comedy show as both an actor and writer for the next 10 years before his departure in 2013. After he gained popularity on "SNL," Sudeikis appeared in other shows, including "30 Rock" from 2007 to 2010 and "The Cleveland Show," which he voice acted for from 2009 to 2013.
Following his success on TV, Sudeikis turned his attention to movies, notably starring in comedies like "Horrible Bosses" alongside Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman, "The Campaign," and "We're the Millers" in the early 2010s. Along with his comedic performances, the actor also has taken on roles in indie films like "Sleeping With Other People,...
- 3/14/2023
- by Alicia Geigel
- Popsugar.com
Hong Chau knows the awards season grind. In 2017, her turn in Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing” catapulted her into the awards season fray, rocketing her to the top of the list for a presumed Best Supporting Actress Oscar nom. It didn’t happen.
“People were saying, ‘You’re going to get nominated. You’re going to get nominated.’ I think I heard that for six months,” she said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “It was my first big role. It was my first time doing press. I just didn’t know how to process any of it. Obviously, I did not get nominated. The calls and messages I was getting from people [afterward], it was as if there had been a death in the family. That experience completely sobered me up to awards and all of the hoopla around it. I just did not want to go through that again.”
This time,...
“People were saying, ‘You’re going to get nominated. You’re going to get nominated.’ I think I heard that for six months,” she said in a recent interview with IndieWire. “It was my first big role. It was my first time doing press. I just didn’t know how to process any of it. Obviously, I did not get nominated. The calls and messages I was getting from people [afterward], it was as if there had been a death in the family. That experience completely sobered me up to awards and all of the hoopla around it. I just did not want to go through that again.”
This time,...
- 3/2/2023
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Alexander Payne’s newest film is heading to theaters this fall. “The Holdovers,” a new comedy from the “Election” and “Descendants” director, will open in limited release on November 10, Focus Features announced Thursday. After two weeks, the film will expand into wide release on November 22, ahead of Thanksgiving Day.
Payne’s eighth directorial effort, “The Holdovers” stars Paul Giamatti, “Dolemite Is My Name” breakout Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and newcomer Dominic Sessa. Per the logline, the film is a period piece set in the middle of the Vietnam War that focuses on a curmudgeonly New England prep school instructor Paul Hunham (Giamatti) who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to look after the handful of students remaining at school during the holiday. Initially bitter over the assignment, Paul forms an unexpected bond with the rebellious but brilliant student Angus (Sessa) and with Mary (Randolph), the school’s head...
Payne’s eighth directorial effort, “The Holdovers” stars Paul Giamatti, “Dolemite Is My Name” breakout Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and newcomer Dominic Sessa. Per the logline, the film is a period piece set in the middle of the Vietnam War that focuses on a curmudgeonly New England prep school instructor Paul Hunham (Giamatti) who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to look after the handful of students remaining at school during the holiday. Initially bitter over the assignment, Paul forms an unexpected bond with the rebellious but brilliant student Angus (Sessa) and with Mary (Randolph), the school’s head...
- 2/23/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Hong Chau says that her past experiences with awards runs have left her feeling “nothing” about her 2023 Oscars nomination for best supporting actress.
In an interview with The Independent, The Whale and Downsizing actress opened up about the pressures and promises of awards season, as well as the criticisms that have faced both of the big screen awards contenders.
Chau says that in the case of Downsizing, the 2017 Paramount Pictures film in which she co-stars with Matt Damon, the awards buzz around her performance was incredibly strong — with people on set even describing an Oscars honor as a sure thing. But the nomination “didn’t happen” and instead she spent much of the film’s press run tackling criticisms around the movie’s Vietnamese representation.
“I said to myself, ‘I don’t ever want to go through this again,'” she recalls. “So now, when people ask how it feels to be nominated,...
In an interview with The Independent, The Whale and Downsizing actress opened up about the pressures and promises of awards season, as well as the criticisms that have faced both of the big screen awards contenders.
Chau says that in the case of Downsizing, the 2017 Paramount Pictures film in which she co-stars with Matt Damon, the awards buzz around her performance was incredibly strong — with people on set even describing an Oscars honor as a sure thing. But the nomination “didn’t happen” and instead she spent much of the film’s press run tackling criticisms around the movie’s Vietnamese representation.
“I said to myself, ‘I don’t ever want to go through this again,'” she recalls. “So now, when people ask how it feels to be nominated,...
- 2/14/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The 2023 Screen Actors Guild Award nominations were announced on January 11 in film and television, as voted on by members of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. Who will prevail in the category of Best Film Supporting Actress during Netflix’s YouTube ceremony on Sunday, February 26? This year’s five nominees are Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”), Hong Chau (“The Whale”), Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) and Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”).
Scroll down to see Gold Derby’s 2023 SAG Awards predictions for Best Film Supporting Actress, listed in order of their racetrack odds. Our SAG Awards odds are based on the combined forecasts of thousands of readers, including Experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, Editors who cover awards year-round for this website, Top 24 Users who did the best predicting the winners last time, All-Star Users who had the best...
Scroll down to see Gold Derby’s 2023 SAG Awards predictions for Best Film Supporting Actress, listed in order of their racetrack odds. Our SAG Awards odds are based on the combined forecasts of thousands of readers, including Experts we’ve polled from major media outlets, Editors who cover awards year-round for this website, Top 24 Users who did the best predicting the winners last time, All-Star Users who had the best...
- 2/13/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
While filming The Whale, Darren Aronofsky’s divisive new drama about a morbidly obese man, Hong Chau did something many would consider unforgivable: she smacked Brendan Fraser. Playing the caregiver to Fraser’s ailing Charlie – a man so stricken with grief that he’s eating himself to death – Chau wanted to convey someone at the very end of her tether. In a moment of improvisation, she slapped Fraser’s arm. It made Aronofsky wince. He cut the cameras and took Chau aside.
“That was the one time he objected to an instinct I had,” the 43-year-old star of The Menu and Downsizing says today. “He was like, ‘No, I don’t think we want to be hitting him on screen – that’s really a terrible thing to do’. And I was like, ‘I agree. It is a terrible thing to do’.”
For Chau, it didn’t just demonstrate her willingness to go to difficult,...
“That was the one time he objected to an instinct I had,” the 43-year-old star of The Menu and Downsizing says today. “He was like, ‘No, I don’t think we want to be hitting him on screen – that’s really a terrible thing to do’. And I was like, ‘I agree. It is a terrible thing to do’.”
For Chau, it didn’t just demonstrate her willingness to go to difficult,...
- 2/13/2023
- by Adam White
- The Independent - Film
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