Noticias

“It literally hit me like a ton of bricks,” says Tom Francis about the moment he finally realized that he earned a Tony Award nomination for his performance in Sunset Boulevard. The feeling of recognition ebbs and flows for the actor, who plays Joe Gillis in the musical revival. He shares, “I was really overcome with joy and now it feels not real at the moment. I keep fluctuating between being confused as to how it happened and so overjoyed as to the fact that it’s happened.” Francis recently sat down with Gold Derby to discuss his leading role in the radically reimagined revival, playing to the cameras on stage, his iconic walk through Shubert Alley, and much more.

Gold Derby: I know when you auditioned for director Jamie Lloyd, you didn’t know either the original film or Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical very well. What about the...

GQ has published a fantastic new Charlie Cox profile which sees the actor reflect on his career and how landing the role of Matt Murdock in Daredevil turned things around for him. However, he wasn't initially on Marvel's radar for the Man Without Fear.

The actor auditioned for the role and was asked to test in Los Angeles. However, Marvel Television wanted Cox to play Foggy Nelson. "For whatever reason, having had this kind of empowering experience [spending time in the Scottish Highlands], I said, 'I will come, but I’m only reading for Matt. I’m only reading for the lead,'" he recalls.

Cox admits that his career didn't take off the way he expected after landing the lead role in Stardust and, while an impressive supporting turn in Boardwalk Empire followed, he knew Daredevil could be make or break for him. Then, in 2018, it all came to an end.

"I got a call late at night,...

Let’s toast actor Tom Hiddleston for his own Disney+ streaming show “Loki.” It focuses on the wily and witty adventures of his God of Mischief and Norse deity that he has played in no less than six Marvel Comic films, ranging from 2011’s “Thor” with Chris Hemsworth in the title role to 2019’s “Avengers: End Game.” The British actor initially started his career on the stage and is currently Tony-nominated for his lead role in a 2020 revival of Harold Pinter’s play “Betrayal.” In 2016, he was up for two Emmys as lead actor and as a producer of AMC’s limited series “The Night Manager.”

But Hiddleston also has a substantial list of films that don’t involve creating mayhem as Thor’s nemesis and adopted brother. Tour our photo gallery with a list of 10 of the actor’s most notable movie performances, ranked worst to best, including “Midnight in Paris,...

ABC News Studios is expanding its collection of true crime docuseries by debuting two new narrative nonfiction titles, streaming exclusively on Hulu: Wicked Game: The Devil in the Desert and The Fox Hollow Murders: Playground of a Serial Killer.

The new docuseries add to the notable lineup of popular streaming titles, such as seasons one through four of Wild Crime, seasons one and two of Betrayal, Daughters of the Cult, Little Miss Innocent: Passion. Poison. Prison. and more.

Wicked Game: The Devil in the Desert, premiering on Tuesday, February 4, is officially described as follows: “After a sheriff’s deputy found a woman zip-tied and frantic on the side of the road in the Mojave Desert in 2012, authorities discovered this may have been a grisly crime in pursuit of a suspected buried treasure.

“This discovery kicked off a years-long investigation that spanned sting operations, an international search, a prison break captured on cellphone,...

ITV has commissioned ‘Betrayal’, an intense espionage thriller set within MI5. Starring Shaun Evans, the series follows a veteran spy’s race against time to thwart a major threat while confronting personal turmoil. John Hughes, portrayed by Shaun Evans, is an MI5 agent who joined during the war on terror. Now in his mid-40s, […]

ITV Orders MI5 Thriller ‘Betrayal’ with Shaun Evans...

Eye-catching character designs with out-of-this-world hair and eyes are a staple of anime, showcasing the high emotions of the shows. Cool swords are an essential part of a hero's identity in anime, often personalized and with a long history behind their strength. Chibi style, characterized by cute and short characters with oversized heads, is a fan favorite and can be seen in fan art or bonus content in manga or anime.

The best anime tropes that fans just can’t get enough of have been lastingly popular for a reason. From character design to story elements, certain things continue to pop up in anime after anime. While they may not appeal to everybody, they appeal to enough of an audience to have developed considerable staying power.

Sometimes, a trope can be traced back to a single point from which all other examples take influence. Other times, it is present in...

Amrit (Lakshya) admits near the beginning of Nikhil Nagesh Bhat’s no-holds-barred action extravaganza Kill that the only reason Fani (Raghav Juyal) and his extended family of dacoit train robbers are still alive is because they aren’t on a battlefield. Had he and his Commando Captain partner Viresh met them in combat, they probably wouldn’t have even seen them coming. So be glad for a few broken bones and lacerations. Things could be so much worse. I just never quite imagined how much worse.

Because a switch gets flipped around the midway point. What starts as Amrit desperately trying to protect Tulika (Tanya Maniktala), the woman he loves, and her powerful family soon becomes a gorefest devoid of prisoners. It’s not even like Fani and his gang were intentionally targeting them, either; they were simply looking for an easy score lasting the thirty minutes between train stops...

Toronto Film Festival Midnight Madness world premiere “Kill” is a confluence of three stellar Indian talents.

Producer Guneet Monga Kapoor is an Oscar winner for “The Elephant Whisperers”; fellow producer and filmmaker Karan Johar is a Bollywood A-lister who has just delivered massive hit “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani”; and director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat is known for Netflix film “Long Live Brij Mohan” and Prime Video series “Rasbhari.”

“Kill” belongs to the extreme action genre, a rarity in Indian cinema. Set entirely on an express train to New Delhi, the film follows Indian army commandos Amrit and Viresh, who are on a mission to rescue Amrit’s girlfriend Tulika. She is betrothed to someone else against her wishes. Matters go awry when more than 40 bandits (known as dacoits in India) belonging to an extended family board the train with a view to looting and kidnapping. Amrit and Viresh try...

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,...

Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning's reunion in "Equalizer 3" has sparked speculation about a possible "Man On Fire 2" after 20 years. "Man On Fire" received mixed reviews in 2004, but its recent popularity on Netflix suggests a potential audience for a sequel. While "Man On Fire 2" is not confirmed, a Netflix series based on the novels is in development, and Washington's character could potentially return alongside Fanning's grown-up character.

In 2004 Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning starred in the movie Man On Fire, and their reunion in the movie Equalizer 3 prompts the question of whether they could appear in Man On Fire 2 20 years later. Man On Fire is inspired by the novel of the same name by A.J. Quinnell (the pen name of Philip Nicholson). In it, a man seeks revenge on members of an organized crime syndicate when they kidnap a girl that he’s been employed to guard.

In the buildup to its release, there was an expectation "The Meg" would be a Sharksploitation B-movie wrought on a big budget, like "Deep Blue Sea" only painted on a larger canvas and even more ridiculous. What we got, however, was a shockingly earnest PG-13 thriller that, yes, had its moments of unapologetic nonsense (of course Jason Statham stabs a gigantic megalodon shark in the eye during the climax). Yet, it was also very sincere in the scenes where characters grieve the deaths of their friends or mourn the fact that, in the face of the miraculous discovery that a prehistoric species of shark is still around in the present-day, all humanity can do is cause more harm and destruction.

While this contributed to the film's middling reception, it didn't prevent "The Meg" from becoming a massive box office hit and earning a sequel. Titled "Meg 2: The Trench," the...

The Toronto Film Festival pulled the curtain off its lineup for this year’s Discovery and Midnight Madness sections with notable titles respectively teeing off both programs’ opening nights: Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl and Borat director Larry Charles’ Dicks: The Musical from A24.

The Midnight Madness section counts 10 features, seven of which are world premieres. The Discovery lineup, which primarily boasts world and international premieres, includes 26 titles. Notably, 13 female filmmakers representing 50% of the total program are featured in this year’s Discovery; that lineup is known for being a window to contemporary world cinema with first and second movies from frosh filmmakers. With Midnight Madness films, it’s anything goes.

“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness programs for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.

Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl and Larry Charles’ Dicks: The Musical open the sections.

The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the titles in its Discovery and Midnight Madness programmes, with the line-ups including Harmony Korine’s Aggro Dr1ft, Patricia Arquette’s Gonzo Girl and Molly Manning Walker’s How To Have Sex.

The Discovery line-up, designed to open a window on contemporary international cinema with first and second features from new filmmakers, comprises 26 titles from 25 countries, most of them world or international premieres.

As well as Arquette’s directing debut Gonzo Girl, with the actor also starring alongside Willem Dafoe,...

The Toronto International Film Festival announced the 2023 selections for the Discovery and Midnight Madness program this morning. The Midnight Madness lineup features 10 titles, seven of which are World Premieres. The Discovery lineup, which primarily boasts World and International Premieres, includes 26 titles. Notably, 13 female filmmakers representing 50% of the total are featured in this year’s Discovery program.

Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favorite, iconoclastic program highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery program offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.

“We’re excited to be showcasing new voices, audacious vision, and genre-bending cinema,” said Anita Lee, TIFF Chief Programming Officer. “TIFF’s Discovery and Midnight Madness program for 2023 will once again prove to be the ultimate destination for tastemakers and experience seekers.”

Midnight...

New films from Patricia Arquette, Larry Charles, Harmony Korine and Finn Wolfhard will screen in the Midnight Madness and Discovery sections of the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival, TIFF organizers announced on Thursday.

Korine’s “Aggro DR1FT” and Charles’ “Dicks: The Musical” will screen in the Midnight Madness section, along with eight other films that also include Jason Yu’s “Sleep” and Wolfhard and Billy Bryk’s “Hell of a Summer.”

“Dicks: The Musical,” which TIFF Midnight Madness programmer Peter Kuplowsky called “bonkers and bawdy” in the press release announcing the lineups, will open the Midnight Madness section, while Weston Razooli’s “Riddle of Fire” will be the closing-night attraction.

The Discovery section will showcase 26 films from up-and-coming directors around the world. It will open with Arquette’s “Gonzo Girl,” which stars Willem Dafoe and Camilla Morrone (“Daisy Jones & the Six”) and is one of many TIFF titles from actors who have turned to directing.

The Toronto International Film Festival has today announced the lineup for two of its more unpredictable and interesting sections: Discovery and Midnight Madness. Billed as “the infamous,” this year’s Midnight Madness lineup features 10 titles, seven of which are world premieres. The Discovery lineup, which primarily includes world and international premieres, includes 26 titles.

Per TIFF, both “Midnight Madness and Discovery provide a cornucopia of original and unexpected work. Midnight Madness is a fan favorite, iconoclastic program highlighting the weird and the wicked, while the Discovery program offers a window to contemporary international cinema and introduces the public to first and second feature films from gifted new filmmakers.” The festival’s announcement also notes that 13 female filmmakers, representing 50 percent of the total program, are featured in this year’s Discovery lineup.

Those films include new offerings from Harmony Korine and Larry Charles, plus — as Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International Programmer, Midnight Madness,...

The Toronto Film Festival’s Midnight Madness sidebar will open with Borat director Larry Charles’ latest movie Dicks: The Musical getting a world premiere.

Charles’ latest film, from A24 and in theaters from Sept. 29, stars Megan Mullally, Megan Thee Stallion, Bowen Yang as God and Nathan Lane, as the comedy duo of Aaron Jackson and Josh Sharp (who also wrote the film’s script) play self-obsessed businessmen who discover they’re long-lost identical twins and come together to plot the reunion of their eccentric and divorced parents.

“This year’s madness infectiously ignites with 11 o’clock numbers that go all the way to midnight courtesy of Larry Charles’ bonkers and bawdy Dicks: The Musical. A menagerie of tastes will be sated, so bottoms up!” Peter Kuplowsky, TIFF International programmer of Midnight Madness, said in a statement on Thursday.

The latest additions to the Toronto Film Festival also include the lineup...

Exclusive: Shout! Studios has set a September 28th nationwide theatrical release date for The Kill Room, the darkly comedic thriller from Yale Entertainment that marks the first reteam for Pulp Fiction stars Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson in decades.

Joe Manganiello (Magic Mike) also stars in the pic directed by Nicol Paone from Jonathan Jacobson’s script. Pic tells the story of an art dealer (Thurman) who teams with a hitman (Manganiello) and his boss (Jackson) for a money laundering scheme that accidentally turns the hitman into an overnight Avant-Garde sensation, forcing the dealer to play the art world against the underworld. Among those rounding out the cast are Debi Mazar (Younger), Dree Hemingway (The Unicorn), Amy Keum (Honor Society), Candy Buckley (Bachelorette), Larry Pine (Succession), Jennifer Kim (Mozart in the Jungle), Matthew Maher (Air), Tom Pecinka (The Survivalist) and Alexander Sokovikov (For All...

Submissions Now Open for Short Film Competition

AlUla – 25 July, 2023: Film AlUla, the Royal Commission for AlUla's film agency, today launches ‘AlUla Creates' short film competition, joined by acclaimed production company Vertigo Films (Monsters, Britannia, Bronson), award-winning Saudi Filmmaker Haifaa Al Mansour (The Perfect Candidate, Wadjda) and internationally renowned director, producer and actor Katie Holmes (Rare Objects, Alone Together, Batman Begins). Vertigo Films and Film AlUla will helm the competition to support and establish three Saudi women directors in the international marketplace.

Vertigo Films has a longstanding history of discovering and supporting new talent since launching in 2002, with a number of their films and Hetv productions kick-starting the international careers of leading names, including Tom Hardy (Bronson), Gareth Edwards (Monsters), Vanessa Kirby (Kill Command), Sofia Boutella (StreetDance 2), Tom Shankland (The Children), Nicholas Winding Refn (Bronson) and Issa Lopez (Britannia).

Haifaa Al Mansour is the first female filmmaker in Saudi...

Anime is never without its plot twists, and here are 10 of the biggest ones that changed their series forever. It’s one thing to change the current direction of a series, but some of the best plot twists in stories are the ones that completely change the kind of story being told. A change on that level essentially creates a brand-new story for people to get invested in, and when it's pulled off seamlessly, it elevates the story in question to a new level of quality that helps define it for the rest of its run and beyond.

Some of the twists listed here happen near the end of their respective anime, but others happen relatively early, even at the very beginning of their series, in some cases. Whatever the case, each of these plot twists had a massive impact on their stories, and it’s hard to imagine how...

Pom Klementieff’s character Paris isn’t to be trifled with in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. True, Klementieff might not have as much screentime as other newcomers like Hayley Atwell or Esai Morales in the new Mission: Impossible sequel, but she makes the most of it. She’s not a Guardian of the Galaxy anymore. No, Paris is trying to run roughshod over Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise). And two of Hollywood’s most well-known martial artists, Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, inspired Klementieff's performance in the film.

Klementieff said in an interview with Variety:

I watched movies with Bruce Lee, with Jackie Chan and some French movies as well, because it was not just about the fight and the physicality — it was also the way the character walks.

Klementieff also told Variety that Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill duology inspired the character of Paris in Mission: Impossible 7.

Kathleen Hanna will look back on her turbulent formative years and success as the singer for Bikini Kill and Le Tigre in a new memoir, Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk, out May 14.

The book will chronicle the tumult that surrounded Hanna’s childhood, as well as her epiphanies at Olympia, Washington’s Evergreen College where she launched a fanzine called Bikini Kill and later a like-named band with drummer Tobi Vail and bassist-singer Kathi Wilcox. She’ll also recall how hard it was to tour, especially when,...

After 19 years of teasing, Quentin Tarantino has finally ruled out chances of a third Kill Bill happening, and the movie's official shutdown is actually a good thing. Ever since the release of the first movie in 2003 and its second chapter the following year, Kill Bill has cemented itself as one of the most recognizable cinematic series in modern movie history. Tarantino's occasional comments on the possibility of a third installment have kept hopes for Kill Bill 3 alive, but his latest remark appears to put an end to them altogether.

Infused with Tarantino's trademark style, Kill Bill recounts the revenge story of Beatrix "the Bride" Kiddo (Uma Thurman) as she embarks on a mission to eliminate all members of her former assassination squad after they leave her in a coma, with their leader, Bill (David Carradine), being her ultimate, most coveted target. Theories about a threequel mainly revolved around retaliations...

The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde Photo: Courtesy of Eiff Edinburgh International Film Festival has announced its line-up this year will feature five world premiere features, including The Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde, documentary Choose Irvine Welsh and Welsh-set romantic drama Chuck Chuck Baby.

The slate of 24 films - which is abbreviated due to the event being hosted by the International Festival after the collapse of Eiff's parent organisation The Centre for the Moving Image last year - also features the already announced premiere of Silent Roar as the opening night film and Scottish thriller Kill.

Afire Photo: Courtesy of Sideshow and Janus Films Hope Dickson Leach's Jekyll and Hyde has been created as a live hybrid performance with the National Theatre of Scotland. Ian Jefferies' Choose Irvine Welsh looks at the career of the Trainspotting author, while Janis Pugh's Chuck Chuck Baby...

A total of 24 feature films, including five world premieres, make up this year’s programme.

Edinburgh International Film Festival has unveiled a 24-title programme for 2023, featuring the world premiere of Janis Pugh’s feature debut Chuck Chuck Baby, and international titles spanning Europe, China, India and Japan.

There are five world premieres, plus five retrospective titles, five short films and an outdoor screening weekend of seven features.

Chuck Chuck Baby unfurls in a chicken factory in north Wales, and stars Louise Brealey, Annabel Scholey, Sorcha Cusack, Celyn Jones and Emily Fairn. It’s set in the present day, with a...

“The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and “Choose Irvine Welsh” are among the world premieres at the 2023 Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff), the full program for which was unveiled on Thursday.

As previously announced, “Silent Roar” and “Fremont” will bookend the festival, which includes 24 feature films, five retrospective titles, five short film programs and an outdoor screening weekend with seven features.

A hybrid adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s iconic novella “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” Hope Dickson Leach’s film transposes the action from London to Victorian Edinburgh. Ian Jefferies’ “Choose Irvine Welsh” is a documentary about the renowned “Trainspotting” author and features his admirers including Iggy Pop, Martin Compston, Danny Boyle, Bobbie Gillespie, Gail Porter, Rowetta and Andrew Macdonald.

Other world premieres include debutant Janice Pugh’s Lgbtqia+ romance “Chuck Chuck Baby,” starring Louise Brealey (“Sherlock”) and Annabel Scholey (“The Split...

Anime waifus are beloved for their charm and heroic spirits. They are usually the most kind-hearted characters in any show. However, there are just as many waifus who show their strength through their cutthroat actions. These ruthless waifus do not give people second chances and do not hesitate to defeat their enemies.

Related: 15 Most Compassionate Anime Waifus

Ruthless waifus can be compassionate in their own way. Yet, anyone who crosses these female characters or the ones they love is unceremoniously brought down. There is no mercy in these waifus' actions. Their only goals in the heat of battle are to destroy their enemies.

Taiga Aisaka (Toradora!)

Taiga Aisaka is known in Toradora! as the Palm-Top Tiger due to her explosive personality. She is easily angered and violently lashes out when she is provoked. Taiga also practices kendo, which makes her especially dangerous to her bullies.

Throughout Toradora!, Taiga works to quell her anger,...

The controversial 1981 horror movie Nightmare – also known as Nightmares in a Damaged Brain – is coming back to life on 4K Uhd from Severin Films, Bloody Disgusting can exclusively report this afternoon. The film has been scanned from the internegative and various foreign print sources to create the most complete version ever assembled!

Severin is also publishing a 193 page novelization of the film, written by Rue Morgue’s Michael Gingold, based on the original screenplay by Romano Scavolini.

It’s been called “graphic and unapologetic” (SexGoreMutants), “brutally effective” (Screen Rant) and “a forgotten classic” (Horror News). It remains the most reviled, controversial and misunderstood genre film of the ‘80s. Now “the most repulsive, degrading and horrifying movie ever made” (NY Daily News) can be experienced like never before.

When a homicidal mental patient (an enduringly disturbing performance by Baird Stafford) flees an experimental drug program, he’ll leave a 5-day trail...

The following article contains discussions of racially motivated violence and police brutality.

The 2021 reboot of the classic horror movie Candyman ​​​​​​​was smartly written, carefully directed, and powerfully acted, including a memorable supporting turn by Rodney L. Jones III. Acting as a direct sequel to the original 1992 movie, 2021’s Candyman revolves around an artist whose latest piece, inspired by the eponymous urban legend, ends up reawakening some sinister spirits. The reboot was produced by Jordan Peele, after he revitalized the social thriller genre with his debut feature Get Out, and directed by The Marvels’ Nia DaCosta. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Teyonah Parris star as the couple who unwittingly contend with the ghosts of Candymen past.

The supporting cast of the Candyman reboot features such terrific actors as Vanessa Williams, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, and Tony Todd reprising his iconic role as the original Candyman. Virginia Madsen also appears in her role from the original movie – Helen Lyle,...

Festival to also honour French cinematographer Caroline Champetier with honorary Berlinale Camera.

The Berlinale has added the world premiere of documentary Love To Love You, Donna Summer and a tribute to a century of Disney animation to its upcoming 73rd edition.

The additions complete the lineup for the Berlinale Special sidebar at the festival, set to run February 16-26.

Love To Love You, Donna Summer is co-directed by Roger Ross Williams, Oscar nominated in 2016 for Life, Animated, and US actress Brooklyn Sudano, who is the daughter of Summer and makes her directorial debut with the film.

The documentary will explore...

Executives will be based in Los Angeles.

Heading into TIFF with a slate of rom-coms and thrillers Msr Media International has hired Ariel Veneziano and Robby Amar to spearhead sales.

Both executives are named co-vice presidents of international distribution and sales and report to Msr Media International CEO Karinne Behr.

They will be on the ground in Toronto where Msr will be talking to buyers about rom-coms Christmas In The Caribbean starring Elizabeth Hurley, Caroline Quentin, Nathalie Cox and Downtown Julie Brown; A Week In Paradise with Malin Akerman, Connie Nielsen, Philip Winchester and Jack Donnelly; and One Year Off featuring Ray Fearon,...

Dir: Baltasar Kormákur. Starring: Idris Elba, Iyana Halley, Leah Sava Jeffries, Sharlto Copley. 15, 93 minutes.

A shot of Idris Elba socking a lion in the face isn’t just the dramatic denouement of Beast – it’s the film’s entire raison d’etre. No one’s here for the scenes of Elba’s well-intentioned patriarch attempting to heal his fractured family, or the vague sentiments about nature’s karmic vengeance. Audiences will turn up because a trailer promised to show them one of our most charismatic A-listers in a boxing match with a roided-out kitty cat. Everything that comes before is just the warm-up for the main event.

In that sense, it’s impossible to argue that Beast doesn’t live up to its promise, because the only promise was another piece of recyclable pop-culture imagery. Beast is the latest entry in the man vs arbitrary animal Hall of Fame, filed...

While the chambara genre is generally associated with the likes of Akira Kurosawa and many others, the name of director Kihachi Okamoto is mentioned only occasionally, even though he probably made some of the most important entries into the genre. With titles such as “Seven Samurai” and “Rashomon” being associated with the samurai film, Okamoto would add a unique spin to the genre with often acidic and laconic humor or a world view which reflects the dark times his home country had to go through at the time his features were made. Some of his most influential works include “The Sword of Doom”, “The Human Bullet” and “Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo”, his entry into the popular “Zatoichi”-franchise, whereas his 1968 feature “Kill!” perhaps best sums up what constitutes Okamoto’s cinema.

Kill! is screening at Japan Society

In 1833 two men, Genta (Tatsuya Nakadai) and Hanjiro (Etsushi Takahashi) arrive in the town of Joshu.

Dir: Gaston Duprat, Mariano Cohn. Starring: Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Oscar Martinez, Jose Luis Gomez, Irene Escolar, Manolo Solo. 15, 114 minutes.

Is the film industry’s obsession with poking fun at its own excesses just another form of vanity? After the hundredth comedy about conceited artists and their many gluttonies (see: Judd Apatow’s painfully unfunny The Bubble), it all starts to feel a little like the dirtbag boyfriend who loves to apologise for how “messed up” he is, but never makes the slightest attempt to fix his behaviour. Gaston Duprat and Mariano Cohn’s Official Competition may be yet another satire on filmmaking, but it’s the rare iteration that’s nuanced enough to understand that self-awareness does not equal absolution.

The Argentinian directors have, admittedly, corralled exactly the sort of headline-grabbing cast that normally populates these indulgent meta-comedies. Official Competition marks the first time Pedro Almodovar’s two most recognisable collaborators,...

Orphan: First Kill — the nutty, enjoyable prequel to 2009’s Orphan — begins and ends with bloodbaths. As is only fair. In the 2009 movie, an orphaned girl named Esther (played by Isabelle Fuhrman) is taken in by a family that doesn’t know (yet) that she is in fact a 30-year-old escaped criminal from Estonia, not the 9-year-old they thought she was. Esther’s said to be afflicted with hypopituitarism, a hormone disorder that stunts her growth. But that’s not why she kills people; it doesn’t explain being a stabby...

Well, I was not expecting this: Orphan: First Kill, a prequel to 2009’s horror mystery Orphan, is better than its progenitor. No, scratch that: First Kill is, rather, not quite as bad as the previous movie. Still, this is a rare cinematic occurrence, and one to be commended, no matter how qualified.

The thing about the 2009 movie is that it played like a parody of horror movies, and, alas, not a knowing one. It had little beyond overbaked tropes of the genre: the “scary” music, the “menacing” camera angles, the telegraphing of every boo. Its big twist — look away now if you don’t want a 13-year-old movie spoiled — is that its central “sinister child,” the orphan of the title, is not, in fact, nine years old but actually an adult with a pituitary disorder that leaves her perpetually childlike in body. Though not childlike in mind: she’s cunning and devious,...

Thirteen years after Orphan was released, audiences will finally get to know the story behind the childlike woman who would kill for a family. Orphan: First Kill is finally coming to screens, with Esther wrapped in velvet ribbons and spattered with blood as she practices her role as the dutiful daughter of unsuspecting parents. The first Orphan film raised many questions amongst audience members who wanted to know more about the murderous 33-year-old masquerading as a minor, and how she came into impersonating children, and brutally murdering her adoptive families.

A supernatural lesbian love story that marries "Romeo and Juliet" with the cheesy teen dramas of the 2010s was always too good to be true. But that doesn't make the recent cancellation of Netflix's "First Kill" any less painful for fans of the series. 

Adapted by V. E. Schwab from her short story of the same name, the series centered on the complicated story of vampire Juliette and monster hunter Calliope, whose star-crossed romance kicks off a war between the two rival factions. Despite debuting to mixed reviews from critics, "First Kill" quickly developed a dedicated and passionate fanbase, who frequently made their love...

The post Here's Why First Kill Was Canceled, According to the Showrunner appeared first on /Film.

Another Netflix series' chances of seeing a second season have been staked. The streaming service has cancelled its First Kill TV show after one season of eight episodes.

A supernatural teen drama series, the First Kill TV show was created by Victoria Schwab and is based on her short story of the same name. It stars Imani Lewis, Sarah Catherine Hook, Elizabeth Mitchell, Will Swenson, Aubion Wise, Jason Robert Moore, Gracie Dzienny, Dylan McNamara, Dominic Goodman, Phillip Mullings Jr., Mk xyz, Jonas Dylan Allen, and Roberto Mendez. The story revolves around Juliette (Hook), a teenage vampire about to make her first kill so that she can take her place among a powerful vampire family. She sets her sights on a new girl in town named Calliope (Lewis). However, much to Juliette's surprise, Calliope is a vampire hunter and comes from...

Netflix unceremoniously canceled its teen vampire drama “First Kill” Tuesday, after the show aired just one season on the streamer.

The decision was met with outright confusion by diehard fans, who couldn’t help but wonder why “Heartstopper,” another teen show focused on a young LGBTQ couple, got a two-season renewal – especially considering it pulled weaker viewing numbers.

Within the first week of its release on June 10, “First Kill” sunk its teeth in as one of Netflix’s top TV shows. It peaked at No. 3, sitting only behind “Stranger Things” and “Peaky Blinders,” with 48.8 million hours viewed in its first full week. It remained in the streamer’s top 10 shows for its first two weeks of availability, and it flirted with 100 million hours viewed in that time.

Also Read:

‘Heartstopper’ Cast and Character Guide: Who Plays Who in the Netflix Show? (Photos)

Meanwhile, “Heartstopper” saw 14.5 million hours viewed in its first week,...

Principal photography on the film began June 6.

Rodger Griffiths’ feature directorial debut Kill, produced by Clare Mundell’s Scotland-based Synchronicity Films and Lee Brazier’s Mr B Films, has started shooting in the UK.

The UK-us feature stars 2015 Screen Star of Tomorrow Brian Vernel, with Daniel Portman, Calum Ross and Paul Higgins.

CAA Media Finance is handling worldwide sales. Los Angeles-based Wild Sheep Content has joined as co-producer, with financing from Los Angeles outfit Library Pictures International and the UK’s Great Point Media.

It is supported by Screen Scotland and Northern Ireland Screen.

Kill centres on three brothers who...