Acclaimed documentarian Amy Berg has signed an exclusive first-look agreement with Fremantle.
The Oscar and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker behind projects like “The Case Against Adnan Syed,” “Deliver Us From Evil” and “West of Memphis” will work with Fremantle’s Global Head of Documentaries, Mandy Chang, to create an internationally focused slate of nonfiction films.
Berg’s company, Disarming Films, has been producing long-form documentary features and docuseries for over a decade. “The Case Against Adnan Syed” was released in April of 2019 on HBO, and she is currently working on a special follow-up episode set to premiere in late 2023. Other projects include Netflix’s “We Are: The Brooklyn Saints,” Netflix’s “Dogs” and Freeform’s “Keep This Between Us.” Her latest film, the Evan Rachel Wood-centric doc “Phoenix Rising,” premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and on HBO and HBO Max in March of last year.
“We are delighted to...
The Oscar and Emmy-nominated documentary filmmaker behind projects like “The Case Against Adnan Syed,” “Deliver Us From Evil” and “West of Memphis” will work with Fremantle’s Global Head of Documentaries, Mandy Chang, to create an internationally focused slate of nonfiction films.
Berg’s company, Disarming Films, has been producing long-form documentary features and docuseries for over a decade. “The Case Against Adnan Syed” was released in April of 2019 on HBO, and she is currently working on a special follow-up episode set to premiere in late 2023. Other projects include Netflix’s “We Are: The Brooklyn Saints,” Netflix’s “Dogs” and Freeform’s “Keep This Between Us.” Her latest film, the Evan Rachel Wood-centric doc “Phoenix Rising,” premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and on HBO and HBO Max in March of last year.
“We are delighted to...
- 3/15/2023
- by Scott Mendelson
- The Wrap
Evan Rachel Wood accuses Marilyn Manson of driving her into a paranoic state by allegedly monitoring her and reading her emails in a clip from the second part of the upcoming doc, Phoenix Rising. The two-part HBO documentary debuts on HBO on Tuesday, with both parts available to stream on HBO Max the same day.
“Manson had hacked into my emails,” the Westworld actress says. “He was watching me, and he had people watching me, again under the guise of ‘This is for your own good.'”
Dan Cleary, one of the musicians’ former assistants,...
“Manson had hacked into my emails,” the Westworld actress says. “He was watching me, and he had people watching me, again under the guise of ‘This is for your own good.'”
Dan Cleary, one of the musicians’ former assistants,...
- 3/14/2022
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Sure, this is a TV Watch List, but this week the emphasis is on the movies, with seemingly more must-watch features than the last few months in the theater combined. From a steamy new thriller with Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, to a movie where renegade ice skaters transport goods across a frozen body of water to a thriller starring Jesse Plemons, Lily Collins and Jason Segel, this week really does have a stellar line-up of new movies. Plus shows starring Jared Leto, Rosario Dawson and Jake Johnson.
On with the television!
Apple TV+
“WeCrashed”
Friday, March 18, AppleTV+
If you haven’t had your fill of starry prestige dramas based on real-life con artists, then have we got a starry prestige drama based on a real-life con artist! In this case, it’s “WeCrashed,” focusing on Adam Neumann (played by Jared Leto) and his wife Rebekah (Anne Hathaway), a...
On with the television!
Apple TV+
“WeCrashed”
Friday, March 18, AppleTV+
If you haven’t had your fill of starry prestige dramas based on real-life con artists, then have we got a starry prestige drama based on a real-life con artist! In this case, it’s “WeCrashed,” focusing on Adam Neumann (played by Jared Leto) and his wife Rebekah (Anne Hathaway), a...
- 3/11/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
In the last several years, following terrific docs like “An Open Secret” “Prophet’s Prey,” and “West Of Memphis,” filmmaker Amy Berg has quickly become one of the premier documentarians in the field of abuse cases and injustices, often centering around stories of female exploitation and abuse. Her latest is HBO’s “Phoenix Rising,” a two-part documentary produced and directed by Amy Berg (“The Case Against Adnan Syed”), follows actress and activist Evan Rachel Wood (“Westworld”) as she takes her experience as a survivor of domestic violence to pursue justice, heal generational wounds, and reclaim her story.
Continue reading ‘Rising Phoenix’ Trailer: HBO’s Two-Part Abuse Doc Featuring Evan Rachel Wood Debuts March 15 at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Rising Phoenix’ Trailer: HBO’s Two-Part Abuse Doc Featuring Evan Rachel Wood Debuts March 15 at The Playlist.
- 2/22/2022
- by Christopher Marc
- The Playlist
Dark Star Pictures and Uncork'd Entertainment have provided us with the exclusive trailer debut for the new horror thriller "Time Now." Besides looking like a taut, suspenseful tangled tale of mystery and murder, the new flick serves as the first starring role for Eleanor Lambert, daughter of Diane Lane and "Highlander" swordmaster Christopher Lambert. But Eleanor is not the only legacy involved, as the film is also written and directed by Spencer King, son of Oscar-nominated "Deliver Us From Evil" and "West of Memphis" documentarian Amy Berg, who also serves as executive producer. Check out the trailer below!
Following its...
The post Time Now Trailer: Thriller Gives Diane Lane's Daughter Eleanor Lambert Her Big Debut [Exclusive] appeared first on /Film.
Following its...
The post Time Now Trailer: Thriller Gives Diane Lane's Daughter Eleanor Lambert Her Big Debut [Exclusive] appeared first on /Film.
- 9/27/2021
- by Max Evry
- Slash Film
The legendary punk god joins us to talk about movies he finds unforgettable. Special appearance by his cat, Moon Unit.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Tapeheads (1988)
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979) – Eli Roth’s trailer commentary
A Face In The Crowd (1957) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Meet John Doe (1941)
Bob Roberts (1992)
Bachelor Party (1984)
Dangerously Close (1986)
Videodrome (1983) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
F/X (1986)
Hot Rods To Hell (1967)
Riot On Sunset Strip (1967)
While The City Sleeps (1956) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Spider-Man (2002)
The Killing (1956) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary
Serpent’s Egg (1977)
The Thin Man (1934)
Meet Nero Wolfe (1936)
The Hidden Eye (1945)
Eyes In The Night (1942)
Sudden Impact (1983) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary
Red Dawn (1984)
Warlock (1989)
The Dead Zone (1983) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
Secret Honor (1984)
The Player (1992) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary,...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Tapeheads (1988)
Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979) – Eli Roth’s trailer commentary
A Face In The Crowd (1957) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Meet John Doe (1941)
Bob Roberts (1992)
Bachelor Party (1984)
Dangerously Close (1986)
Videodrome (1983) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
F/X (1986)
Hot Rods To Hell (1967)
Riot On Sunset Strip (1967)
While The City Sleeps (1956) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Spider-Man (2002)
The Killing (1956) – Michael Lehmann’s trailer commentary
Serpent’s Egg (1977)
The Thin Man (1934)
Meet Nero Wolfe (1936)
The Hidden Eye (1945)
Eyes In The Night (1942)
Sudden Impact (1983) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary
Red Dawn (1984)
Warlock (1989)
The Dead Zone (1983) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary
Secret Honor (1984)
The Player (1992) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary,...
- 6/22/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Rosie Fletcher Mar 6, 2019
HBO's four part documentary, The Case Against Adnan Syed, revisits the murder of Hae Min Lee, explored in podcast Serial.
True crime documentaries, particularly those about cold cases and miscarriages of justice are coming at us thick and fast. Few are as anticipated, though, as HBO’s The Case Against Adnan Syed, a four part doc recapping and expanding on the story told by Sarah Koenig in 2014 podcast Serial. While podcasting itself wasn’t exactly new at the time, Serial became a phenomenon and was for many something of a ‘gateway podcast’ converting the uninitiated to the medium as the story unfolded week by week. Did Adnan do it? Was Don's alibi legit? What's up with Jay? And what the hell was going on with The Nisha Call?
If you have no idea what any of those questions mean, don't worry - The Case Against Adnan...
HBO's four part documentary, The Case Against Adnan Syed, revisits the murder of Hae Min Lee, explored in podcast Serial.
True crime documentaries, particularly those about cold cases and miscarriages of justice are coming at us thick and fast. Few are as anticipated, though, as HBO’s The Case Against Adnan Syed, a four part doc recapping and expanding on the story told by Sarah Koenig in 2014 podcast Serial. While podcasting itself wasn’t exactly new at the time, Serial became a phenomenon and was for many something of a ‘gateway podcast’ converting the uninitiated to the medium as the story unfolded week by week. Did Adnan do it? Was Don's alibi legit? What's up with Jay? And what the hell was going on with The Nisha Call?
If you have no idea what any of those questions mean, don't worry - The Case Against Adnan...
- 3/6/2019
- Den of Geek
Back in 2014 we all got a little obsessed with the podcast Serial, which was spending its first season reinvestigating the 1999 murder of a teenager named Hae Min Lee, hoping to find proof that would exonerate her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed. The podcast reignited interest in the case, fans spun theories out of the unchecked alibis and inconsistent stories of people on the periphery of the case, and ultimately, Adnan Syed was granted a new trial.
While I think that Serial was an honest attempt to get to the truth of the case, the project began after Sarah Koenig was approached by Adnan’s friend’s sister, Rabia Chaudry, who believed that Syed was innocent, and the podcast is seen as being very sympathetic to Adnan. Now there is a new four part documentary series coming to HBO, and it is less so. It’s called The Case Against Adnan Syed, and...
While I think that Serial was an honest attempt to get to the truth of the case, the project began after Sarah Koenig was approached by Adnan’s friend’s sister, Rabia Chaudry, who believed that Syed was innocent, and the podcast is seen as being very sympathetic to Adnan. Now there is a new four part documentary series coming to HBO, and it is less so. It’s called The Case Against Adnan Syed, and...
- 2/22/2019
- by Mily Dunbar
- GeekTyrant
You may remember the name Lauren Greenfield from her amazingly successful #LikeAGirl ad campaign for the brand Always that made its’ debut during the Super Bowl, or perhaps you have seen some of her amazing photography and documentary work captured in “Thin”, wherever you know her from, Greenfield is once again paving the way for women and other diverse voices with the launch of her new production company Girl Culture Films.
The idea behind Girl Culture Films is to showcase the lack of diversity and women behind the camera in all areas of film and television, especially throughout the advertising industry. Women make up the largest market of consumers worldwide, however, the advertising world is made up of roughly 80% men, so essentially it is men telling the women of the world what we should buy! Kind of silly if you really think about it!
Girl Culture’s roster features filmmakers across genres,...
The idea behind Girl Culture Films is to showcase the lack of diversity and women behind the camera in all areas of film and television, especially throughout the advertising industry. Women make up the largest market of consumers worldwide, however, the advertising world is made up of roughly 80% men, so essentially it is men telling the women of the world what we should buy! Kind of silly if you really think about it!
Girl Culture’s roster features filmmakers across genres,...
- 2/4/2019
- by Kristyn Clarke
- Age of the Nerd
Documentarian and director Lauren Greenfield has launched a production company, Girl Culture Films, to address the lack of diversity behind the camera in the advertising industry.
Greenfield, who directed the documentary “The Queen of Versailles” and Always’ #LikeAGirl Campaign, created the company with her partners Frank Evers to represent directors for commercial projects and branded content opportunities to amplify female and diverse voices in the advertising world.
Girl Culture’s roster features filmmakers across genres, such as Catherine Hardwicke (“Miss Bala”), Karyn Kusama (“Destroyer”), and Amy Berg (“West of Memphis”).
“After the experience of the #LikeAGirl campaign, I started Girl Culture Films to ensure that women have a bigger voice in the cultural conversation — in which advertising is a driving force,” Greenfield said in a statement. “I knew it was crucial to appeal to audiences through storytelling, so our roster is comprised of incredible directors with varied styles that can...
Greenfield, who directed the documentary “The Queen of Versailles” and Always’ #LikeAGirl Campaign, created the company with her partners Frank Evers to represent directors for commercial projects and branded content opportunities to amplify female and diverse voices in the advertising world.
Girl Culture’s roster features filmmakers across genres, such as Catherine Hardwicke (“Miss Bala”), Karyn Kusama (“Destroyer”), and Amy Berg (“West of Memphis”).
“After the experience of the #LikeAGirl campaign, I started Girl Culture Films to ensure that women have a bigger voice in the cultural conversation — in which advertising is a driving force,” Greenfield said in a statement. “I knew it was crucial to appeal to audiences through storytelling, so our roster is comprised of incredible directors with varied styles that can...
- 1/29/2019
- by Rachel Yang
- Variety Film + TV
When the Sundance Film Festival announced that Amy Berg’s documentary about the Women’s March movement and two of its most visible leaders would join the lineup as a Special Event, it was known as “Til Everybody’s Free.” However, when the film from the “West of Memphis” and “Prophet’s Prey” director made its debut, it had a different title: “This Is Personal.” It’s a choice that partially skirts a major issue raised about the March’s leadership.
Shortly after Sundance announced the premiere of Berg’s documentary, a December Tablet Magazine story alleged anti-Semitism at the highest level of leadership within the growing organization founded in 2016. March founder Theresa Shook called for the resignation of March co-chairs Tamika Mallory, Bob Bland, Linda Sarsour, and Carmen Perez.
Both vital and almost instantly outdated, Berg’s film featured a revelatory section that focuses on early concerns regarding Mallory in particular.
Shortly after Sundance announced the premiere of Berg’s documentary, a December Tablet Magazine story alleged anti-Semitism at the highest level of leadership within the growing organization founded in 2016. March founder Theresa Shook called for the resignation of March co-chairs Tamika Mallory, Bob Bland, Linda Sarsour, and Carmen Perez.
Both vital and almost instantly outdated, Berg’s film featured a revelatory section that focuses on early concerns regarding Mallory in particular.
- 1/29/2019
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Tony Sokol Jan 14, 2019
While nothing has been established, bike stealing teens on True Detective season 3 might be a nod to the West Memphis Three.
True Detective Season 3 has only just begun and the suspects in the Purcell missing children case are piling up. Series creator and writer Nic Pizzolatto has been known to dig deep into the criminal underground for inspiration, and the state of Arkansas has more than a few skeletons buried in its mountainous woods. The kids who disappeared at the beginning of True Detective were spotted by quite a few of their neighbors on the afternoon they were last seen and we don't know who are witnesses and who might be the abductor. We see a scrapper, several people on the block and a gang of teenagers in a purple Volkswagen Beetle. If the kids look guilty perhaps it’s because they might be a nod to the West Memphis Three.
While nothing has been established, bike stealing teens on True Detective season 3 might be a nod to the West Memphis Three.
True Detective Season 3 has only just begun and the suspects in the Purcell missing children case are piling up. Series creator and writer Nic Pizzolatto has been known to dig deep into the criminal underground for inspiration, and the state of Arkansas has more than a few skeletons buried in its mountainous woods. The kids who disappeared at the beginning of True Detective were spotted by quite a few of their neighbors on the afternoon they were last seen and we don't know who are witnesses and who might be the abductor. We see a scrapper, several people on the block and a gang of teenagers in a purple Volkswagen Beetle. If the kids look guilty perhaps it’s because they might be a nod to the West Memphis Three.
- 1/13/2019
- Den of Geek
HBO and Sky today announced The Case Against Adnan Syed, a four-hour documentary series directed by Academy Award® nominee Amy Berg. The series will explore the 1999 disappearance and murder of 18-year-old Baltimore County high school student Hae Min Lee, and the subsequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed, a case brought to global attention by the hugely popular “Serial” podcast. Working Title TV and Instinct Productions are producing and NBCUniversal International Studios are distributing the follow-up to the case, which will debut on HBO in the U.S. and on Sky Atlantic in Europe.
In production since 2015, The Case Against Adnan Syed closely re-examines the events leading up to Hae Min Lee’s disappearance, from high school romance, forbidden love and cultural conflict, to the aftermath of her disappearance, the original police investigation and the present day, when Syed awaits a new trial. Presenting new discoveries, as well as groundbreaking...
In production since 2015, The Case Against Adnan Syed closely re-examines the events leading up to Hae Min Lee’s disappearance, from high school romance, forbidden love and cultural conflict, to the aftermath of her disappearance, the original police investigation and the present day, when Syed awaits a new trial. Presenting new discoveries, as well as groundbreaking...
- 5/20/2018
- by Sean McAloon
- Age of the Nerd
During the fall of 2014, it seemed nearly impossible to go anywhere without falling into a conversation about the enthralling podcast “Serial,” which debuted in October of that year to a seemingly immediate (and obsessed) audience. Now the series is getting a small screen followup, thanks to HBO and Sky. The cable giants have now announced “The Case Against Adnan Syed,” a four-hour documentary series directed by Academy Award nominee Amy Berg (best known for her other crime documentaries “Deliver Us from Evil” and “West of Memphis”).
The new series will reportedly include “new discoveries, as well as groundbreaking revelations that challenge the state’s case.”
Per its official synopsis, the series “will offer a cinematic look at the life and 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee and conviction of Adnan Syed, from the genesis of their high school relationship, to the original police investigation and trial, through to the current day,...
The new series will reportedly include “new discoveries, as well as groundbreaking revelations that challenge the state’s case.”
Per its official synopsis, the series “will offer a cinematic look at the life and 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee and conviction of Adnan Syed, from the genesis of their high school relationship, to the original police investigation and trial, through to the current day,...
- 5/16/2018
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Serial is finally coming to TV… HBO and Sky have partnered on a four-part documentary – The Case Against Adnan Syed about the disappearance of high school student Hae Min Lee and the subsequent conviction of her ex-boyfriend, Adnan Syed.
The series will be directed by Deliver Us From Evil and West of Memphis director Amy Berg and will explore the case that prompted the podcast phenomenon.
It will be produced by Jemima Khan’s production company Instinct Productions, which she runs with former Princess chief Henrietta Conrad, and Working Title TV. Nick Cave will provide original music and it will be exec produced by Khan, Conrad, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan and Andrew Stearn.
It is the latest co-pro between the two companies following nuclear drama Chernobyl and Julia David comedy Sally4Ever.
Director of Programming, Sky Entertainment UK & Ireland, Zai Bennett said, “We’re excited to partner with our friends...
The series will be directed by Deliver Us From Evil and West of Memphis director Amy Berg and will explore the case that prompted the podcast phenomenon.
It will be produced by Jemima Khan’s production company Instinct Productions, which she runs with former Princess chief Henrietta Conrad, and Working Title TV. Nick Cave will provide original music and it will be exec produced by Khan, Conrad, Eric Fellner, Tim Bevan and Andrew Stearn.
It is the latest co-pro between the two companies following nuclear drama Chernobyl and Julia David comedy Sally4Ever.
Director of Programming, Sky Entertainment UK & Ireland, Zai Bennett said, “We’re excited to partner with our friends...
- 5/16/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Bryan Singer has had a ruinous week. On December 4, 20th Century Fox fired Singer from the Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody” for abandoning the London set; on December 6, the studio announced Dexter Fletcher as his replacement. In a statement, Singer ascribed his absence on “Bohemian Rhapsody” to caring for an ailing parent, but Fox also declined to renew its long-term deal with Singer’s production company, while his longtime publicist cut ties a few months ago.
Read More:Fox Fired Bryan Singer, but It Won’t Be Able to Remove Him as the Director of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
And then, on December 7, Singer hit the news cycle again: In a lawsuit filed by attorney Jeff Herman, Cesar Sanchez-Guzman accused Singer of sexually assaulting him in 2003, when Sanchez-Guzman was 17.
All of this represents a tremendous comedown for Singer, a blockbuster director whose films have made over $1 billion in domestic release alone.
Read More:Fox Fired Bryan Singer, but It Won’t Be Able to Remove Him as the Director of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’
And then, on December 7, Singer hit the news cycle again: In a lawsuit filed by attorney Jeff Herman, Cesar Sanchez-Guzman accused Singer of sexually assaulting him in 2003, when Sanchez-Guzman was 17.
All of this represents a tremendous comedown for Singer, a blockbuster director whose films have made over $1 billion in domestic release alone.
- 12/8/2017
- by Jenna Marotta and Dana Harris
- Indiewire
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question: In honor of “The Trip to Spain,” what is the best movie trilogy?
Richard Brody (@tnyfrontrow), The New Yorker
Far be it from me to choose between Antonioni’s non-trilogy “L’Avventura,” “La Notte,” and “L’Eclisse” and Kiarostami’s explicitly-denied “Koker” trilogy of “Where Is the Friend’s Home?,” “Life and Nothing More,” and “Through the Olive Trees” (and I’m tempted to make a trilogy of trilogies with Carl Theodor Dreyer’s “Day of Wrath,” “Ordet,” and “Gertrud”), but if I put Kiarostami’s films first, it’s because he puts their very creation into the action. Reflexivity isn’t a...
This week’s question: In honor of “The Trip to Spain,” what is the best movie trilogy?
Richard Brody (@tnyfrontrow), The New Yorker
Far be it from me to choose between Antonioni’s non-trilogy “L’Avventura,” “La Notte,” and “L’Eclisse” and Kiarostami’s explicitly-denied “Koker” trilogy of “Where Is the Friend’s Home?,” “Life and Nothing More,” and “Through the Olive Trees” (and I’m tempted to make a trilogy of trilogies with Carl Theodor Dreyer’s “Day of Wrath,” “Ordet,” and “Gertrud”), but if I put Kiarostami’s films first, it’s because he puts their very creation into the action. Reflexivity isn’t a...
- 8/14/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
As the Summer slowly dissolves into Fall, film goers have been regularly bombarded, on an almost weekly basis, with follow-ups and franchise entries. But here’s something unique, a documentary sequel (hey, the “s-word” is even in the title). Well, fairly unique considering the acclaimed Paradise Lost: The Child Murders At Robin Hood Hills inspired several follow-ups, spin-offs (West Of Memphis) and a docudrama. But this new film is rare in its original’s influence on the culture, becoming a fertile source of satire while actually making a splash at the box office, and later garnering not one, but two Academy Awards (Best Song and Best Documentary Feature…a double play). So ten years has passed since the original and former vice-president Al Gore is still fighting the good fight in An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth To Power.
Yes like the last film, Gore is the main focus, a true action...
Yes like the last film, Gore is the main focus, a true action...
- 8/4/2017
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior, your weekly look at the new movies hitting theaters this weekend, as well as other cool events and things to check out.
Two Very Different Movies Look to Divide Up the Weekend Box Office Business
With Disney’s Beauty and the Beast continuing to dominate at the box office with $90 million this past weekend, and Saban’s Power Rangers (Lionsgate) also doing exceedingly well with $40 million in second place, you wouldn’t think anyone would try to release a movie that might get overshadowed by those two blockbusters.
That said, what’s interesting about this weekend is the fact there are two very different movies that are competing very heavily for second place with DreamWorks Animation’s latest animated family film, The Boss Baby (20th Century Fox), taking on the live action English remake of Ghost In The Shell (Paramount), starring Scarlett Johansson. In most cases,...
Two Very Different Movies Look to Divide Up the Weekend Box Office Business
With Disney’s Beauty and the Beast continuing to dominate at the box office with $90 million this past weekend, and Saban’s Power Rangers (Lionsgate) also doing exceedingly well with $40 million in second place, you wouldn’t think anyone would try to release a movie that might get overshadowed by those two blockbusters.
That said, what’s interesting about this weekend is the fact there are two very different movies that are competing very heavily for second place with DreamWorks Animation’s latest animated family film, The Boss Baby (20th Century Fox), taking on the live action English remake of Ghost In The Shell (Paramount), starring Scarlett Johansson. In most cases,...
- 3/31/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
Following its world premiere last year at the SXSW Film Festival, Johnny Frank Garrett’s Last Word is now out on home media (including DVD and VOD platforms) from Momentum Pictures, and to commemorate the film's release, we caught up with director Simon Rumley in our latest Q&A feature to discuss adapting the tragic real-life story, the film's shooting schedule, what initially drew him to the project, and more.
Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us, Simon. What drew you to the real-life story of Johnny Frank Garrett?
Simon Rumley: My pleasure! I first watched the documentary called The Last Word by Jesse Quackenbush, which is an amazing viewing experience. Jesse’s an attorney, so it dealt much more with the legalese of the situation and thus the unfairness of the trial and the multiple inconsistencies that were put forward by the prosecution. I...
Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us, Simon. What drew you to the real-life story of Johnny Frank Garrett?
Simon Rumley: My pleasure! I first watched the documentary called The Last Word by Jesse Quackenbush, which is an amazing viewing experience. Jesse’s an attorney, so it dealt much more with the legalese of the situation and thus the unfairness of the trial and the multiple inconsistencies that were put forward by the prosecution. I...
- 3/14/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Catherine Pearson Feb 22, 2017
Documentary fans are well served by these 11 great documentary series and features, currently available on Netflix UK...
In recent years, even months, Netflix has upped its game. No longer just a site to instantly stream an old title you might have once picked up in Blockbuster, it's become a hub of quality new and original film and television and this is by no means limited to its vast selection of fiction.
See related The world of the Peaky Blinders
With the scope of possibility in visual effects and the boundlessness of imagination there are very few places we cannot explore in fiction nowadays… that is unless we explore stories that are stranger than fiction. There is a tangible thirst for the real; the overwhelming response to recent Netflix documentary Making A Murderer in the news and social media, as just one example, exposes the desire for and...
Documentary fans are well served by these 11 great documentary series and features, currently available on Netflix UK...
In recent years, even months, Netflix has upped its game. No longer just a site to instantly stream an old title you might have once picked up in Blockbuster, it's become a hub of quality new and original film and television and this is by no means limited to its vast selection of fiction.
See related The world of the Peaky Blinders
With the scope of possibility in visual effects and the boundlessness of imagination there are very few places we cannot explore in fiction nowadays… that is unless we explore stories that are stranger than fiction. There is a tangible thirst for the real; the overwhelming response to recent Netflix documentary Making A Murderer in the news and social media, as just one example, exposes the desire for and...
- 2/19/2017
- Den of Geek
The idea behind the Local Voices ad campaign is to capture the concerns that everyday Americans have about presidential hopeful Donald Trump in unscripted, personal commentaries that later air as one-minute ads in the same swing state communities where they were filmed. The key is to find voices who belong to community leaders who aren’t normal Hillary Clinton supporters, may they be conservatives or generally apolitical figures.
Read More about Local Voices: How Filmmakers Are Making a Difference in Swing States
In swing states where the voters have been confronted with constant barrage of political ads, the other key ingredient is authenticity, so they are not dismissed as just another manufactured political message.
To accomplish this, founder Lee Hirsch (“Bully”) turned to fellow documentary filmmakers and recruited some of the top filmmakers working in nonfiction, including Amir Bar-Lev, Amy Berg (“West of Memphis”), Marshall Curry, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady...
Read More about Local Voices: How Filmmakers Are Making a Difference in Swing States
In swing states where the voters have been confronted with constant barrage of political ads, the other key ingredient is authenticity, so they are not dismissed as just another manufactured political message.
To accomplish this, founder Lee Hirsch (“Bully”) turned to fellow documentary filmmakers and recruited some of the top filmmakers working in nonfiction, including Amir Bar-Lev, Amy Berg (“West of Memphis”), Marshall Curry, Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady...
- 11/7/2016
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
The idea behind the Local Voices ad campaign is to capture the concerns that everyday Americans have about presidential hopeful Donald Trump in unscripted, personal commentaries that later air as one-minute ads in the same swing state communities where they were filmed. The key is to find voices who belong to community leaders who aren’t normal Hillary Clinton supporters, may they be conservatives or generally apolitical figures.
Read More about Local Voices: How Filmmakers Are Making a Difference in Swing States
In swing states where the voters have been confronted with constant barrage of political ads, the other key ingredient is authenticity, so they are not dismissed as just another manufactured political message.
To accomplish this, founder Lee Hirsch (“Bully”) turned to fellow documentary filmmakers and recruited some of the top filmmakers working in nonfiction, including Amir Bar-Lev (“Happy Valley, “The Tillman Story”), Amy Berg (“West of Memphis”), Marshall Curry (“Street Fight,...
Read More about Local Voices: How Filmmakers Are Making a Difference in Swing States
In swing states where the voters have been confronted with constant barrage of political ads, the other key ingredient is authenticity, so they are not dismissed as just another manufactured political message.
To accomplish this, founder Lee Hirsch (“Bully”) turned to fellow documentary filmmakers and recruited some of the top filmmakers working in nonfiction, including Amir Bar-Lev (“Happy Valley, “The Tillman Story”), Amy Berg (“West of Memphis”), Marshall Curry (“Street Fight,...
- 11/7/2016
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
The idea behind the Local Voices neighbor-to-neighbor campaign is simple: use a documentary approach to capture the concerns every day Americans have about Donald Trump in unscripted, personal commentaries and then air them as one-minute ads in the same swing state communities where they were filmed.
Filmmaker Lee Hirsch (“Bully”), who started the Local Voices Democratic Super Pac in 2008, has spent the last three election cycles studying and experimenting with how best to engage and motivate voters.
Read More: The Presidential Debate ‘Late Night’ Helped Prove That Seth Meyers is the Host Network TV Needs
“I’ve seen the same thing over and over again,” Hirsch wrote IndieWire, “election season is intense, and perceived community norms lead to an almost palpable intimidation that suppresses an honest public dialogue about the presidential candidates, and has the deepest affect on those who might be leaning towards the democratic ticket.”
See More Local...
Filmmaker Lee Hirsch (“Bully”), who started the Local Voices Democratic Super Pac in 2008, has spent the last three election cycles studying and experimenting with how best to engage and motivate voters.
Read More: The Presidential Debate ‘Late Night’ Helped Prove That Seth Meyers is the Host Network TV Needs
“I’ve seen the same thing over and over again,” Hirsch wrote IndieWire, “election season is intense, and perceived community norms lead to an almost palpable intimidation that suppresses an honest public dialogue about the presidential candidates, and has the deepest affect on those who might be leaning towards the democratic ticket.”
See More Local...
- 9/27/2016
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Glenn here. Each Tuesday bringing you reviews of documentaries from theatres, festivals and on demand.
The title of Deborah Esquenazi’s film Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four is not an accident. It has been done to deliberately reference both West of Memphis and The Central Park Five. Those two films were also true crime documentaries that focused on cases in which the wrong people – bundled together under one umbrella with a numerical media savvy nickname – were convicted of a heinous crime. The mistrials of justice in both of those cases were so monumental that multiple films, non-fiction and dramatic, exist about each.
It’s doubtful the same will become true of the San Antonio Four given the crimes for which the four women at the centre of its terribly heartbreaking story were charged and found guilty of were not as sensationally savage as those other stories.
The title of Deborah Esquenazi’s film Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four is not an accident. It has been done to deliberately reference both West of Memphis and The Central Park Five. Those two films were also true crime documentaries that focused on cases in which the wrong people – bundled together under one umbrella with a numerical media savvy nickname – were convicted of a heinous crime. The mistrials of justice in both of those cases were so monumental that multiple films, non-fiction and dramatic, exist about each.
It’s doubtful the same will become true of the San Antonio Four given the crimes for which the four women at the centre of its terribly heartbreaking story were charged and found guilty of were not as sensationally savage as those other stories.
- 9/13/2016
- by Glenn Dunks
- FilmExperience
Susan Solomon-Shapiro, who has spent the last seven years at Principato-Young, has just left to join management and production firm Circle of Confusion where she will work with directors and writers. All clients will come with her. They include: Rebecca Thomas (Little Mermaid), Deiderik van Rooijen (Cadaver), Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil, West Of Memphis), Natalie Chaidez, (Twelve Monkeys, Hunters), Ashley Miller (Thor, Black Sails), Zack Stentz (The Flash, Booster Gold…...
- 7/20/2016
- Deadline
Best selling author, artist and unjustly convicted death row survivor Damien Echols joins new art collective. If you’ve seen the nightmarish Paradise Lost HBO documentaries or the Peter Jackson theatrical doc West Of Memphis (or even the tepid Atom Egoyan feature Devil’S Knot), you know the name Damien Echols. Echols was one of the unfortunate…
The post Author and Artist Damien Echols and Others Launch ‘Salem’ Exhibition appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post Author and Artist Damien Echols and Others Launch ‘Salem’ Exhibition appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 3/1/2016
- by Chris Alexander
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Making a Murderer, Netflix's original true-crime series captivated the country this Christmas, with critics hailing it as the next Serial-esque obsession.
Online sleuths are already positing their own theories as to who killed young photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005. We'll leave the question of whether Steven Avery – a man who already served prison time once before for a gruesome crime he didn't commit – to the meticulous Redditors poring over the infamous case. Though Making a Murder has already been compared to HBO's Robert Durst miniseries The Jinx, here are three more true tales dealing with police corruption, wrongful convictions and crimes...
Online sleuths are already positing their own theories as to who killed young photographer Teresa Halbach in 2005. We'll leave the question of whether Steven Avery – a man who already served prison time once before for a gruesome crime he didn't commit – to the meticulous Redditors poring over the infamous case. Though Making a Murder has already been compared to HBO's Robert Durst miniseries The Jinx, here are three more true tales dealing with police corruption, wrongful convictions and crimes...
- 12/30/2015
- by Michele Corriston, @mcorriston
- People.com - TV Watch
A compassionate, intimate unpacking of the legend of Janis Joplin that reveals the troubled influences on the force-of-nature singer she willed into being. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Janis Joplin! She was the Amy Winehouse of her day… except without all the vampiric media attention and the constant stalking by paparazzi. Joplin was at least able to die of her substance abuse in peace and privacy. We’re used to thinking that women have it so much better today, but before Joplin died in 1970 — at age 27, the same age at which Winehouse died in 2011 — the focus of the press coverage of her had been on her work: “Janis should dump her band, they’re not as good as she is and they’re dragging her down”; “Janis shouldn’t have dumped her band, these...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Janis Joplin! She was the Amy Winehouse of her day… except without all the vampiric media attention and the constant stalking by paparazzi. Joplin was at least able to die of her substance abuse in peace and privacy. We’re used to thinking that women have it so much better today, but before Joplin died in 1970 — at age 27, the same age at which Winehouse died in 2011 — the focus of the press coverage of her had been on her work: “Janis should dump her band, they’re not as good as she is and they’re dragging her down”; “Janis shouldn’t have dumped her band, these...
- 12/3/2015
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
A singer who, decades after her tragic passing, has been challenged by few singers in terms of sheer power, Janis Joplin did more a lot more than burn bright and fade away. Director Amy Berg ("West Of Memphis," "An Open Secret") paints a fascinating, layered portrait of the blues-rock icon in "Janis: Little Girl Blue," and today we have an exclusive clip from the documentary. Narrated by Cat Power and produced by Alex Gibney, 'Little Girl Blue' presents an intimate, insightful look at a complicated, driven, often beleaguered artist. Joplin’s own words tell much of the film’s story through a series of letters she wrote to her parents over the years, many of them made public in the documentary for the first time. The picture also features numerous interviews, as you'll see in the scene below, with a fellow musician recounting his first meeting with Joplin.
- 11/24/2015
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
Oscar-nominated for her Catholic sex abuse doc "Deliver Us From Evil" (2006) and acclaimed for "West of Memphis" (2012), her deep-dive into Arkansas' imprisonment of the teenage West Memphis Three, prolific filmmaker Amy Berg has had a busy year. She debuted at Sundance 2015 her Mormon expose "Prophet's Prey" (September 18, Showtime) and at Doc NYC the controversial Hollywood sex abuse doc "An Open Secret," (June 5, Rocky Mountain Pictures), as well as debuting her first feature, psychological thriller "Every Secret Thing" (April 20, Starz), written by Nicole Holofcener and starring Diane Lane, which was buried in the scrum of indie features these days. It's easier in many ways to get attention for docs like her latest, the official Janis Joplin documentary "Janis: Little Girl Blue" (FilmRise, November 27) which Berg produced with Alex Gibney. I sat down in Toronto with Berg to discuss her...
- 11/18/2015
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
This fall marks the 45th anniversary of Janis Joplin's death from an overdose in a Hollywood hotel room. Since then, she's been the subject of books, reissues, a boxed set, an off-Broadway show, and a still-in-development biopic, possibly starring Amy Adams. Everyone from Kim Gordon to Pink has given Joplin props for paving the way as a woman in a male-dominated rock climate, and the singer's raw delivery continues to resonate. "Even when I was 10 or 12 years old and first heard her sing," recalls Chan Marshall, a.k.a.
- 11/17/2015
- Rollingstone.com
"As it gets closer and more probable, being a star is really losing its meaning, but whatever it means - I'm ready." The first official trailer has debuted for the new documentary from Amy Berg (Deliver Us from Evil, West of Memphis) titled Janis: Little Girl Blue. The film received raves out of Tiff and is about the story of rock & roll singer Janis Joplin. This trailer only shows glimpses of the archival footage they've dug up of Joplin singing and laughing and being eccentric and fun. One review says, "Berg is able to craft a much deeper look into the woman behind the myth and the result is unexpected, to say the least." Give this a look. Here's the official trailer for Amy Berg's doc Janis: Little Girl Blue, found via The Film Stage: Janis Joplin is one of the most revered and iconic rock & roll singers of all time,...
- 10/12/2015
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Director Amy Berg has taken on Hollywood sex abuse, the West Memphis drama, scandals involving Catholic Church as well as Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but for her next project, she will be rocking out. While the story of the late Janis Joplin is ultimately a tragic one, Janis: Little Girl Blue takes a deep look at her music that touched the world. Following screenings at Venice, Tiff, and more, it’ll now come to theaters next month and we have the first trailer.
We said in our review out of Venice, “Credit to the director, Joplin’s latter years are handled with a tremendous degree of delicacy. Neither drugs nor death are exploited for cheap emotional response. The tragedy is laid out evidently and clear. Up until this point you could have played Janis and Kapadia’s Amy side-by-side and found little narrative difference. Fame took...
We said in our review out of Venice, “Credit to the director, Joplin’s latter years are handled with a tremendous degree of delicacy. Neither drugs nor death are exploited for cheap emotional response. The tragedy is laid out evidently and clear. Up until this point you could have played Janis and Kapadia’s Amy side-by-side and found little narrative difference. Fame took...
- 10/12/2015
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Chicago the film may not make money or win mainstream attention, it could challenge traditional filmmaking without being constrained to fatigued formulas. That many scrutinizing eyes can see something special that Hollywood suits might nix.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Straightforwardly selling you its soul as “a real-life ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding,’” the new documentary “Meet the Patels” sucks you in with self-deprecating humor. Ravi Patel’s directorial debut offers full disclosure that it’ll look low-budget. It’ll even break the fourth wall by accidentally showing an overhead mic. Although that’s shot unintentionally and then highlighted in post, unusually it never happens again after the film’s low-expectation setup.
Indeed, its cinematography does look low-budget, blurry, shaky and certainly not HD, but it’s not trying to be a found-footage film. “Meet the Patels” cares most about its story and one character who evolves it. Ravi teaches you about a culture...
Rating: 4.0/5.0
Straightforwardly selling you its soul as “a real-life ‘My Big Fat Greek Wedding,’” the new documentary “Meet the Patels” sucks you in with self-deprecating humor. Ravi Patel’s directorial debut offers full disclosure that it’ll look low-budget. It’ll even break the fourth wall by accidentally showing an overhead mic. Although that’s shot unintentionally and then highlighted in post, unusually it never happens again after the film’s low-expectation setup.
Indeed, its cinematography does look low-budget, blurry, shaky and certainly not HD, but it’s not trying to be a found-footage film. “Meet the Patels” cares most about its story and one character who evolves it. Ravi teaches you about a culture...
- 9/15/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Along with Sandi Sissel, Ellen Kuras, Lisa Rinzler and Nancy Schreiber, Maryse Alberti was a groundbreaking female cinematographer at a time when the field was overwhelmingly male (more so than today). Even as more women have steadily entered the field, Alberti still stands out for her versatility and inventiveness. Since starting out in the late 1980s working on a short film with Christine Vachon, Alberti has worked steadily with some of the boldest directors of our time. She's shot a wide range of films, alternating between nonfiction and fiction, with directors including Todd Haynes ("Velvet Goldmine," "Poison"), Darren Aronofsky ("The Wrestler"), Terry Zwigoff ("Crumb"), Michael Apted ("Moving the Mountain," "Incident at Oglala") and Liz Garbus ("Love, Marilyn") and Amy Berg ("West of Memphis"), among others. She received Sundance Film Festival Best Cinematography honors for documentaries...
- 9/15/2015
- by Paula Bernstein
- Indiewire
Title: Janis Director: Amy J. Berg Genre: Documentary Janis Joplin is one of the most revered and iconic rock ‘n’ roll singers of all time, a tragic and misunderstood figure who thrilled millions of listeners and blazed new creative trails before her death in 1971 at age 27. Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg (‘Deliver Us from Evil,’ ‘West of Memphis’) examines Joplin’s story in depth for the first time on film, presenting an intimate and insightful portrait of a complicated, driven, often beleaguered artist. Her massive hits – such as “Me and Bobby McGee” and “Piece of My Heart” – intertwine with the persecution she felt as a social outcast during [ Read More ]
The post Janis Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Janis Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 9/8/2015
- by Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
- ShockYa
Read More: Meet the 2015 Sundance Filmmakers #4: Amy Berg Explores Brainwashing and Fear in 'Prophet's Prey' Chan Marshall, better known as Cat Power, will narrate director Amy Berg's upcoming Janis Joplin documentary, "Janis." Oscar-nominated Berg, who stunned audiences with "Deliver Us From Evil" and "West of Memphis," explores the rock star's life and stage persona through her own personal letters to her family and lovers and interviews with those who knew her. Cat Power gained popularity as a singer-songwriter for infusing a variety of sounds into her music. Some of her albums include "You Are Free," "The Greatest" and her most recent, "Sun." She has also had small acting roles, including Katya in "My Blueberry Nights" alongside Jude Law and Norah Jones. "After attempting to get this film off the ground for 7 years, I am ecstatic that the film is finally ready to be seen," said...
- 7/29/2015
- by Kaeli Van Cott
- Indiewire
Oscar-nominated for her Catholic sex abuse doc "Deliver Us From Evil" (2006) and acclaimed for "West of Memphis" (2012), her deep-dive into Arkansas' imprisonment of the teenage West Memphis Three, Berg debuted at Sundance 2015 her Mormon expose "Prophet's Prey" (September 18, Showtime) and at Doc NYC the controversial Hollywood sex abuse doc "An Open Secret," (June 5, Rocky Mountain Pictures). Authoritative and whip-smart, Berg had no trouble setting up her first feature "Every Secret Thing," which is in theaters now. Actress Frances McDormand wanted her to direct the Nicole Holofcener script about two hardscrabble teenage girls who wind up on the wrong side of the law when they kidnap a baby. When they return from prison to their parents and try to reestablish their lives, the young adults become suspects in another child disappearance. Berg thoroughly enjoyed...
- 5/28/2015
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
A slow burn mystery in which the secrets aren’t so much about the crimes it explores but truths of women’s emotional lives that are too often ignored. I’m “biast” (pro): I’m desperate for movies about women
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
I have not read the source material
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Mere weeks after two teenaged girls are released after seven years in juvenile detention for the horrific kidnap and killing of a baby, another little girl — one who bears a striking resemblance to the dead child — goes missing. Did they commit another murder? (Did they even both commit the first crime? Each is still placing all the blame entirely on the other.) Or does their small upstate New York town merely want this new kidnapping to be their doing?
With Every Secret Thing, documentarian Amy Berg makes...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
I have not read the source material
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Mere weeks after two teenaged girls are released after seven years in juvenile detention for the horrific kidnap and killing of a baby, another little girl — one who bears a striking resemblance to the dead child — goes missing. Did they commit another murder? (Did they even both commit the first crime? Each is still placing all the blame entirely on the other.) Or does their small upstate New York town merely want this new kidnapping to be their doing?
With Every Secret Thing, documentarian Amy Berg makes...
- 5/17/2015
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
The crime happened in a place called Orangetown, yet in its aftermath, the town was shaded with grey. An infant rocking in her stroller outside on a balmy day was snatched, randomly. The culprits were two pre-teen girls who then tried to raise the child in secret. The baby was the granddaughter of the town’s first African-American judge. The young thieves didn’t last long and authorities promptly arrested them. However, mere weeks after the suspects – the heavy-set Alice (Danielle Macdonald) and the introverted Ronnie (Dakota Fanning) – are both 18 and out of juvenile detention, a toddler that is a near mirror image of the infant snatched years earlier disappears.
This is the set-up for Every Secret Thing, an adaptation from Laura Lippmann’s 2004 paperback bestseller. The mystery is notable for boasting a terrific collection of actresses in front of the camera – many of whom play autonomous, intriguing, flawed women – and behind the scenes.
This is the set-up for Every Secret Thing, an adaptation from Laura Lippmann’s 2004 paperback bestseller. The mystery is notable for boasting a terrific collection of actresses in front of the camera – many of whom play autonomous, intriguing, flawed women – and behind the scenes.
- 5/16/2015
- by Jordan Adler
- We Got This Covered
Eight years ago, a baby went missing and two young girls Ronnie and Alice (Dakota Fanning and Danielle Macdonald) were convicted of the crime and placed in juvenile detention. They’re now both 18 and are trying to move on with their lives after having served their time. Detective Nancy Porter (Elizabeth Banks) thinks history is repeating itself when another young girl goes missing in the same town. Of course the two main suspects are Ronnie and Alice. But as Porter begins to investigate the girls and their families, especially Alice’s mother (Diane Lane), they unearth a web of secrets and deceptions that calls everything into question.
What begins as a slow and meditative character piece – showing how traumatic events from your past can affect your day-to-day life – evolves into a police procedural mystery without much intrigue. In fact, it doesn’t take long for the film to completely flat-line,...
What begins as a slow and meditative character piece – showing how traumatic events from your past can affect your day-to-day life – evolves into a police procedural mystery without much intrigue. In fact, it doesn’t take long for the film to completely flat-line,...
- 5/15/2015
- by Michael Haffner
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
With just two feature-length documentaries under her belt, 2006’s "Deliver Us from Evil," an exploration of a Catholic priest sex abuse cover up and 2021’s "West Of Memphis," an examination of failed justice in the case against the West Memphis Three, director Amy Berg has quickly risen to the top of the names working in the field. And if you add two not-yet-released, but equally superb documentaries — “An Open Secret” and “Prophet's Prey,” both coming out later this year — a portrait emerges: one of the best documentary filmmakers working today, period. And she’s branching out, too. Berg’s first narrative effort, “Every Secret Thing,” is a reworking of Laura Lippman’s crime novel of the same name. Adapted to the screen by celebrated filmmaker Nicole Holofcener ("Enough Said," "Please Give"), the thriller is a complex and dense police procedural about how crime impacts a community and offers myriad points of view.
- 5/14/2015
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Director Amy J. Berg's (West Of Memphis, Deliver Us From Evil) first foray into the world of fiction, Every Secret Thing evolves into a confounding rat's nest of differing perspectives. Adapted from Laura Lippman's 2004 novel by Nicole Holofcener, the film closely analyzes Alice and Ronnie's personalities, providing us with subtle clues about their motivations. While the "truth" is a bit too blurred to allow for much sense to be made of the meandering narrative, Every Secret Thing works best as an examination of the intense competition between the two girls, and how Alice's mother harmfully exasperates the situation.
- 5/11/2015
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
If HBO's Scientology documentary "Going Clear" is any indication, the American public is hungry for damning exposés on the Hollywood establishment. Enter "An Open Secret," a new documentary by Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg ("Deliver Us from Evil," "West of Memphis") that shines a light on the sexual exploitation of young boys in the entertainment industry. The film features interviews with such former child stars as Corey Feldman and Todd Bridges as well as Michael Egan III, the man who accused "X-Men" director Bryan Singer and several other high-ranking Hollywood figures of drugging and raping him when he was a teenager in the late 1990s (Egan's lawsuits were later dropped due to inconsistencies in his story). Coinciding with the trailer's release, the film's producers -- clearly anticipating that Egan's recent conviction for fraud and the withdrawal of his numerous lawsuits could potentially damage the film's credibility -- have released a statement...
- 5/7/2015
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
"We're absolutely talking about the tip of the iceberg." Ahead of its premiere in the Cannes Market, the first trailer for Amy Berg's documentary An Open Secret has debuted, profiling the controversy about sexual assault allegations involving children working in Hollywood. This is the doc that we've been hearing about ever since the Bryan Singer story made headlines, and he's one of the cases discussed. Amy Berg is a very talented filmmaker (West of Memphis about the West Memphis Three riled me up) and I am very curious to see what she has uncovered in this. The trailer is a nice tease, with hints at all the shocking details included within, so give it a look and check it out in theaters. "The Film That Hollywood Doesn’t Want You to See"! Here's the first trailer for Amy Berg's documentary An Open Secret, direct from YouTube: An Open Secret,...
- 5/6/2015
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Amy Berg, the Oscar-nominated director of Deliver Us from Evil and West of Memphis, has a couple new films this year, one the thriller Every Secret Thing starring Dakota Fanning and the other An Open Secret, a documentary investigating accusations of teenagers being sexually abused within the film industry. Today the first trailer for the latter has dropped and it looks like a stunner. The film first screened at Doc NYC last November to high marks as it profiles the stories of five men, Evan H., Nick S., James G., Chris T. and Michael Egan, whose name you'll recognize as he accused Bryan Singer (X-Men: Apocalypse) of sexual abuse last April, charges that were eventually dropped in August. I'd be shocked to see this one among the contenders for Best Documentary at next year's Oscars, but, if it lives up to the hype, I'd be ecstatic to see it make the list.
- 5/6/2015
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Academy Award-nominated director Amy Berg is no stranger to tackling tough or controversial subjects. She investigated the case of the West Memphis Three in "West of Memphis," and took the Catholic Church to task in "Deliver Us From Evil." Now she returns and points the camera and bright lights on Hollywood itself with "An Open Secret," and the first trailer for the documentary is here. The project is one that had people talking even before it screened at Doc NYC last fall. Many wondered who would be shamed in the movie that delves into the sexual abuse of children in the industry. Instead, the overarching sentiment is that the industry has known this has been going but chosen to ignore it. "An Open Secret" profiles five men Evan H., Nick S., James G., Chris T., and Michael Egan (who accused “X-Men” filmmaker Bryan Singer and other Hollywood figures of abuse...
- 5/6/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
When "An Open Secret" premiered at Doc NYC, audiences and critics worried that no distributor would touch it. But the film has finally been picked up, by Rocky Mountain Pictures, for a 20-city Us theatrical release beginning June 5. The film will also play exclusively at the Cannes Market in an invite-only screening on May 19. Read More: Critics React to "An Open Secret" Championed by veteran documentary programmer Thom Powers, director Amy Berg's doc points at several industry figures involved in the sexual exploitation of male would-be child stars, including Marc Collins-Rector, founder of the youth-aimed web channel Digital Entertainment Network (Den), and child-actor manager Martin Weiss. Watch the trailer below. Read More: "West of Memphis" Director Amy Berg Talks New Evidence in Arkansas Case...
- 5/6/2015
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Thompson on Hollywood
Dakota Fanning, Elizabeth Banks and Diane Lane find themselves caught up in a kidnapping investigation in the Every Secret Thing trailer.
The adaptation of author Laura Lippman's crime novel centres on two teenagers, Ronnie and Alice (Fanning and Australian actress Danielle Macdonald), who were sentenced with jail time for kidnapping a child when they were younger.
Dakota Fanning: 'I'm not going to flaunt my private life'
Shortly after their release from prison, another kidnapping takes place in their town, leaving the newly-freed Ronnie and Alice under suspicion once again.
Banks has been cast as the detective investigating the new kidnapping case, while Lane portrays Ronnie's over-protective mother.
Enough Said scribe Nicole Holofcener has adapted Every Secret Thing for director Amy J Berg (West of Memphis).
Every Secret Thing opens on May 15 in the Us and July 22 in the UK.
The adaptation of author Laura Lippman's crime novel centres on two teenagers, Ronnie and Alice (Fanning and Australian actress Danielle Macdonald), who were sentenced with jail time for kidnapping a child when they were younger.
Dakota Fanning: 'I'm not going to flaunt my private life'
Shortly after their release from prison, another kidnapping takes place in their town, leaving the newly-freed Ronnie and Alice under suspicion once again.
Banks has been cast as the detective investigating the new kidnapping case, while Lane portrays Ronnie's over-protective mother.
Enough Said scribe Nicole Holofcener has adapted Every Secret Thing for director Amy J Berg (West of Memphis).
Every Secret Thing opens on May 15 in the Us and July 22 in the UK.
- 4/18/2015
- Digital Spy
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