If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Variety may receive an affiliate commission.
In this digital-dominated era, the allure of physical media like DVDs and Blu-rays remains robust, transcending mere nostalgia. These formats offer a tangible, personal connection to the artistry of film and television—a curated collection that one can physically handle, showcase, and possess.
As the industry increasingly veers towards streaming as its primary mode of distribution, collecting physical media is becoming a niche yet cherished pastime. It remains the most reliable method to ensure access to a broad spectrum of titles, often in the highest possible quality. A 4K Blu-ray on your shelf guarantees immediate, uninterrupted viewing—free from buffering or service outages—of your favorite films and TV shows in stunning resolution. Moreover, these discs frequently include a wealth of bonus content, ranging from archival gems to freshly...
In this digital-dominated era, the allure of physical media like DVDs and Blu-rays remains robust, transcending mere nostalgia. These formats offer a tangible, personal connection to the artistry of film and television—a curated collection that one can physically handle, showcase, and possess.
As the industry increasingly veers towards streaming as its primary mode of distribution, collecting physical media is becoming a niche yet cherished pastime. It remains the most reliable method to ensure access to a broad spectrum of titles, often in the highest possible quality. A 4K Blu-ray on your shelf guarantees immediate, uninterrupted viewing—free from buffering or service outages—of your favorite films and TV shows in stunning resolution. Moreover, these discs frequently include a wealth of bonus content, ranging from archival gems to freshly...
- 4/29/2024
- by Clayton Davis and Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
Stars: Nicole Kidman, Toby Kebbell, Tatiana Maslany, Sebastian Stan, Scoot McNairy, Bradley Whitford, Toby Huss, James Jordan, Beau Knapp, Jade Pettyjohn, Shamier Anderson, Zach Villa, Natalia Cordova-Buckley, Colby French, Kelvin Han Yee | Written by Phil Hay, Matt Manfredi | Directed by Karyn Kusama
Destroyer is director Karyn Kusama’s first cinematic venture in four years after her well-received feature The Invitation finding success on the streaming service Netflix in 2015. Kusama, famed for Aeon Flux and Jennifer’s Body in 2005 and 2009 respectively, has been in box office stagnation with the films stated above performing to mixed to disastrous results. Even with the latter teenage sadistic comedy having more and more of a cultural re-evaluation of sorts in recent years, it still wasn’t enough for Kusama to reignite her career.
A seasoned stint in television and a patient waiting in the wings outlook for her next cinematic project has Kusama bring her...
Destroyer is director Karyn Kusama’s first cinematic venture in four years after her well-received feature The Invitation finding success on the streaming service Netflix in 2015. Kusama, famed for Aeon Flux and Jennifer’s Body in 2005 and 2009 respectively, has been in box office stagnation with the films stated above performing to mixed to disastrous results. Even with the latter teenage sadistic comedy having more and more of a cultural re-evaluation of sorts in recent years, it still wasn’t enough for Kusama to reignite her career.
A seasoned stint in television and a patient waiting in the wings outlook for her next cinematic project has Kusama bring her...
- 3/6/2019
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
Chicago – Sometimes a film is so good that it casts a shadow over all the other pictures that have the misfortune of sharing striking similarities. HBO’s star-studded adaptation of Andrew Ross Sorkin’s book, “Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System—and Themselves” does its titular subject matter justice—but not nearly as well as J.C. Chandor’s “Margin Call.”
Both films came out in 2011 and were largely ignored, though writer/director Chandor deservedly earned critical accolades for his astonishingly assured debut feature. Despite its lengthier running time, “Margin Call” feels considerably shorter than “Too Big to Fail.” That’s because it views the impending financial crisis through the agonized eyes of workers at a single, fictionalized bank. By confining the story to a single 24-hour period, the film perfectly encapsulated the origins of the crisis...
Both films came out in 2011 and were largely ignored, though writer/director Chandor deservedly earned critical accolades for his astonishingly assured debut feature. Despite its lengthier running time, “Margin Call” feels considerably shorter than “Too Big to Fail.” That’s because it views the impending financial crisis through the agonized eyes of workers at a single, fictionalized bank. By confining the story to a single 24-hour period, the film perfectly encapsulated the origins of the crisis...
- 6/19/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Editfest, a weekend seminar focusing on the craft and business of editing, which first took place last year in Los Angeles, is expanding to New York, where it will take place Friday and Saturday, June 12 and 13 at the Directors Guild of America at 110 W. 57th Street.
American Cinema Editors and Manhattan Edit Workshop are co-producing the two-day event.
"One of Ace's highest priorities is to help educate and mentor the next generation of editors," Ace president Randy Roberts said. "Editfest is a unique opportunity for attendees to spend time with some of the most accomplished editors working in film and television today."
Confirmed panelists include: Michael Berenbaum; Scott Brock; Robert Eisenhardt; Ken Eluto; Alexander Hall; Tom Haneke; Brian Kates; Anne McCabe; Craig McKay; Bill Pankow; Lee Percy; Sam Pollard; Jay Rabinowitz; Meg Reticker; Stephen Rotter; Kate Sanford; Karen Schmeer; Larry Silk; Tim Squyres; Kate Sanford; Thelma Schoonmaker; Troy Takaki; Chris...
American Cinema Editors and Manhattan Edit Workshop are co-producing the two-day event.
"One of Ace's highest priorities is to help educate and mentor the next generation of editors," Ace president Randy Roberts said. "Editfest is a unique opportunity for attendees to spend time with some of the most accomplished editors working in film and television today."
Confirmed panelists include: Michael Berenbaum; Scott Brock; Robert Eisenhardt; Ken Eluto; Alexander Hall; Tom Haneke; Brian Kates; Anne McCabe; Craig McKay; Bill Pankow; Lee Percy; Sam Pollard; Jay Rabinowitz; Meg Reticker; Stephen Rotter; Kate Sanford; Karen Schmeer; Larry Silk; Tim Squyres; Kate Sanford; Thelma Schoonmaker; Troy Takaki; Chris...
Looks like Lara Croft has no reason to sweat it.
Joining that seemingly limitless lineup of failed live action adaptations of video game/comic book/TV animated action hero vehicles, "Aeon Flux", sharing its name with the '90s MTV series created by Peter Chung, is simultaneously silly, ostentatious and terribly boring.
A misguided sophomore effort by "Girlfight" director Karyn Kusama, along with about a million f/x people, this lifeless sci-fi caper has the lovely, Oscar-winning Charlize Theron donning the futuristic body suits, but it proves to be an uncomfortable fit.
While Paramount wisely prevented critics from getting a sneak peek, the targeted young male, MTV-viewing demo will unlikely be hanging around beyond "Aeon"'s moderate first frame after word gets out, foreshadowing a treacherous second week plunge.
Set in the year 2415, a time when "Barbarella" apparently still proves to be a considerable stylistic influence, the film concerns the efforts of Theron's rebel operative title character to avenge the death of her family at the hands of government agents.
But when she receives her latest assignment from the impressively backlit The Handler (a waste of Frances McDormand) to assassinate Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas), the ruler of the walled city of Bregna that contains Earth's remaining survivors, she uncovers a deep dark secret about her past as well as Bregna's nasty blueprint for the future.
Or some clunky thing...
Director Kusama, whose indie first film received considerable critical attention, seemed like an odd choice to be handed a reasonably big-budgeted special effects thriller, and there's little that she brings to the finished project that would suggest otherwise.
Of course, the creatively vacant Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi ("Crazy/Beautiful") script, which coincidentally has several thematic elements in common with last summer's "The Island", doesn't help matters, especially with its roster of vapid characters speaking wispy sentence fragments subbing for dialogue.
That doesn't give Theron a lot to work with, so she lets her post-"Monster" freshly buffed body do most of the talking, accentuated by Beatrix Aruna Pasztor's outre frocks.
Supporting cast members, including Oscar nominees Sophie Okonedo as Aeon's four-handed pal Sithandra and Pete Postlethwaite as the Yoda-esque The Keeper, see their considerable talents go criminally underutilized here, while behind the scenes, even the efforts of three different editors fail to keep the lax "Flux" flowing.
"Aeon Flux"
Paramount
Paramount Pictures and Lakeshore Entertainment present a Valhalla Motion Pictures and MTV Films production
Credits: Director: Karyn Kusama; Screenwriters: Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi; Based upon characters created by: Peter Chung; Producers: Gale Anne Hurd, David Gale, Gary Lucchesi, Greg Goodman, Martha Griffin; Executive producers: Tom Rosenberg, Van Toffler; Director of photography: Stuart Dryburgh; Production designer: Andrew McAlpine; Editors: Peter Honess, Plummy Tucker, Jeff Gullo; Costume designer: Beatrix Aruna Pasztor; Music by: Graeme Revell. Cast: Aeon Flux: Charlize Theron; Trevor Goodchild: Marton Csokas; Oren Goodchild: Jonny Lee Miller; Sithandra: Sophie Okonedo; The Keeper: Pete Postlethwaite; Una Flux: Amelia Warner; The Handler: Frances McDormand.
MPAA rating PG-13, running time 88 minutes.
Joining that seemingly limitless lineup of failed live action adaptations of video game/comic book/TV animated action hero vehicles, "Aeon Flux", sharing its name with the '90s MTV series created by Peter Chung, is simultaneously silly, ostentatious and terribly boring.
A misguided sophomore effort by "Girlfight" director Karyn Kusama, along with about a million f/x people, this lifeless sci-fi caper has the lovely, Oscar-winning Charlize Theron donning the futuristic body suits, but it proves to be an uncomfortable fit.
While Paramount wisely prevented critics from getting a sneak peek, the targeted young male, MTV-viewing demo will unlikely be hanging around beyond "Aeon"'s moderate first frame after word gets out, foreshadowing a treacherous second week plunge.
Set in the year 2415, a time when "Barbarella" apparently still proves to be a considerable stylistic influence, the film concerns the efforts of Theron's rebel operative title character to avenge the death of her family at the hands of government agents.
But when she receives her latest assignment from the impressively backlit The Handler (a waste of Frances McDormand) to assassinate Trevor Goodchild (Marton Csokas), the ruler of the walled city of Bregna that contains Earth's remaining survivors, she uncovers a deep dark secret about her past as well as Bregna's nasty blueprint for the future.
Or some clunky thing...
Director Kusama, whose indie first film received considerable critical attention, seemed like an odd choice to be handed a reasonably big-budgeted special effects thriller, and there's little that she brings to the finished project that would suggest otherwise.
Of course, the creatively vacant Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi ("Crazy/Beautiful") script, which coincidentally has several thematic elements in common with last summer's "The Island", doesn't help matters, especially with its roster of vapid characters speaking wispy sentence fragments subbing for dialogue.
That doesn't give Theron a lot to work with, so she lets her post-"Monster" freshly buffed body do most of the talking, accentuated by Beatrix Aruna Pasztor's outre frocks.
Supporting cast members, including Oscar nominees Sophie Okonedo as Aeon's four-handed pal Sithandra and Pete Postlethwaite as the Yoda-esque The Keeper, see their considerable talents go criminally underutilized here, while behind the scenes, even the efforts of three different editors fail to keep the lax "Flux" flowing.
"Aeon Flux"
Paramount
Paramount Pictures and Lakeshore Entertainment present a Valhalla Motion Pictures and MTV Films production
Credits: Director: Karyn Kusama; Screenwriters: Phil Hay & Matt Manfredi; Based upon characters created by: Peter Chung; Producers: Gale Anne Hurd, David Gale, Gary Lucchesi, Greg Goodman, Martha Griffin; Executive producers: Tom Rosenberg, Van Toffler; Director of photography: Stuart Dryburgh; Production designer: Andrew McAlpine; Editors: Peter Honess, Plummy Tucker, Jeff Gullo; Costume designer: Beatrix Aruna Pasztor; Music by: Graeme Revell. Cast: Aeon Flux: Charlize Theron; Trevor Goodchild: Marton Csokas; Oren Goodchild: Jonny Lee Miller; Sithandra: Sophie Okonedo; The Keeper: Pete Postlethwaite; Una Flux: Amelia Warner; The Handler: Frances McDormand.
MPAA rating PG-13, running time 88 minutes.
- 12/20/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.