Bank robbers tend to be fairly easy to root for in movies. After all, it’s not the audience’s money getting pocketed onscreen. They typically don’t want to kill anybody, and their schemes tend to be pretty spectacular. “Heist 88,” a new Showtime release inspired by a real-life Chicago robbery from the year 1988, doesn’t trust viewers to be so accepting, so it spends most of its time underlining the generic reasons that its aggrieved crack team have for taking on the job. It’s a crime film that finds little joy in criminality, crammed with characters who’ve been backed into a corner, hindered by an overarching morality that doesn’t match the material.
Courtney B. Vance leads the feature as Jeremy Horne, an over-the-hill thief about to head back to prison. At a celebration of life for his brother, remembered as a Black community leader, Horne...
Courtney B. Vance leads the feature as Jeremy Horne, an over-the-hill thief about to head back to prison. At a celebration of life for his brother, remembered as a Black community leader, Horne...
- 9/29/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
When medical resident James (Namir Smallwood) is assigned an acting class to improve his bedside manner, he bristles at the idea, describing it as “dishonest.” The teacher (David Cromer) gently pushes back. “Don’t your patients lie sometimes?” he asks. “They might,” James replies. “Their bodies usually don’t.”
The irony is that James will spend the bulk of Rounding obsessed with the idea that one specific body might be, if not lying, at least telling less than a complete truth — all while his own body betrays the fictions he tells himself, namely that he’s totally fine and in control. Those tensions make for a tense, occasionally terrifying thriller that’s hard to look away from, though what it’s ultimately trying to accomplish with all that energy isn’t always so clear.
Rounding opens with what will turn out to be...
When medical resident James (Namir Smallwood) is assigned an acting class to improve his bedside manner, he bristles at the idea, describing it as “dishonest.” The teacher (David Cromer) gently pushes back. “Don’t your patients lie sometimes?” he asks. “They might,” James replies. “Their bodies usually don’t.”
The irony is that James will spend the bulk of Rounding obsessed with the idea that one specific body might be, if not lying, at least telling less than a complete truth — all while his own body betrays the fictions he tells himself, namely that he’s totally fine and in control. Those tensions make for a tense, occasionally terrifying thriller that’s hard to look away from, though what it’s ultimately trying to accomplish with all that energy isn’t always so clear.
Rounding opens with what will turn out to be...
- 6/17/2022
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Not many filmmakers can boast a 99 Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes for their small-scale debut, as Alex Thompson earned with 2019’s “Saint Frances.” Fewer still follow up with an even stronger second act.
Thompson co-wrote “Rounding” with his physician brother Christopher, and their psychological freakout is possessed of an almost visionary intensity. He’s described this film as inspired by the B-movie thrillers he watched on TV as a kid, but that significantly undersells its lingering power.
Indeed, the B-movie moments — ominous threats, manifested demons — are the weaker spots in an otherwise taut and terrifying emotional nightmare.
Also Read:
‘Saint Frances’ Film Review: Unhappy Millennial Matures While Caring for Kindergartner in Festival Fave
Namir Smallwood (“American Rust”) is exceptional as James, an ambitious medical resident who falls off the fast track when one of his patients dies. Though his sympathetic mentor urges him to push on, a shell-shocked James insists...
Thompson co-wrote “Rounding” with his physician brother Christopher, and their psychological freakout is possessed of an almost visionary intensity. He’s described this film as inspired by the B-movie thrillers he watched on TV as a kid, but that significantly undersells its lingering power.
Indeed, the B-movie moments — ominous threats, manifested demons — are the weaker spots in an otherwise taut and terrifying emotional nightmare.
Also Read:
‘Saint Frances’ Film Review: Unhappy Millennial Matures While Caring for Kindergartner in Festival Fave
Namir Smallwood (“American Rust”) is exceptional as James, an ambitious medical resident who falls off the fast track when one of his patients dies. Though his sympathetic mentor urges him to push on, a shell-shocked James insists...
- 6/9/2022
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
Stars: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Tony Todd, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, Brian King, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Rebecca Spence, Kyle Kaminsky, Vanessa Estelle Williams | Written by Nia DaCosta, Jordan Peele, Win Rosenfeld | Directed by Nia DaCosta
Director Nia DaCosta and producer Jordan Peele resurrect the Candyman in this part-sequel, part-reboot of the 1992 cult classic. Taking several cues from the original film, it’s an intelligent and provocative horror, though straight-up slasher fans may be a little disappointed.
Bernard Rose’s 1992 film was an adaptation of a Clive Barker short story (The Forbidden), which cleverly relocated the action from London to Chicago. It also turned Tony Todd’s titular villain into a terrifying figure of vengeful violence, who could be summoned by uttering his name five times while standing in front of a mirror.
The new film essentially treats the 1992 movie as a source of urban legend. Set in the now gentrified...
Director Nia DaCosta and producer Jordan Peele resurrect the Candyman in this part-sequel, part-reboot of the 1992 cult classic. Taking several cues from the original film, it’s an intelligent and provocative horror, though straight-up slasher fans may be a little disappointed.
Bernard Rose’s 1992 film was an adaptation of a Clive Barker short story (The Forbidden), which cleverly relocated the action from London to Chicago. It also turned Tony Todd’s titular villain into a terrifying figure of vengeful violence, who could be summoned by uttering his name five times while standing in front of a mirror.
The new film essentially treats the 1992 movie as a source of urban legend. Set in the now gentrified...
- 8/27/2021
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
Candyman Review — Candyman (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Nia DaCosta and starring Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, Kyle Kaminsky, Vanessa Williams, Brian King, Miriam Moss, Rebecca Spence, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Christiana Clark, Michael Hargrove, Rodney L Jones III, Heidi Grace Engerman, Ireon Roach, Breanna Lind and Tony Todd. Director [...]
Continue reading: Film Review: Candyman (2021): Plenty of Scares and Fine Acting in Adequate Reboot...
Continue reading: Film Review: Candyman (2021): Plenty of Scares and Fine Acting in Adequate Reboot...
- 8/27/2021
- by Thomas Duffy
- Film-Book
Michael Hargrove as Sherman Fields in Candyman, directed by Nia DaCosta.
Hey, is this the end of August and near the end of Summer), or is it October, around mid-Fall? Just wondering since this is the third weekend in a row with the release of a new horror flick to theatres. Hmm, maybe the studios are getting a bit of a “head start” in case our health situation goes ‘sideways” (as if that thought’s not scary enough). Last week’s release was an original idea, while the 8/13 premiere was a sequel to a flick from five years previous. Now the roots for this week’s big shocker go back nearly thirty years, but it’s not really a reboot, remake, or a “re-imagining”. The marketeers are dubbing this a “spiritual sequel” as it harkens back to that 1992 original and ignores its sequels (much as the 2018 Halloween only references the...
Hey, is this the end of August and near the end of Summer), or is it October, around mid-Fall? Just wondering since this is the third weekend in a row with the release of a new horror flick to theatres. Hmm, maybe the studios are getting a bit of a “head start” in case our health situation goes ‘sideways” (as if that thought’s not scary enough). Last week’s release was an original idea, while the 8/13 premiere was a sequel to a flick from five years previous. Now the roots for this week’s big shocker go back nearly thirty years, but it’s not really a reboot, remake, or a “re-imagining”. The marketeers are dubbing this a “spiritual sequel” as it harkens back to that 1992 original and ignores its sequels (much as the 2018 Halloween only references the...
- 8/27/2021
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Candyman,” the 1992 slasher movie starring Tony Todd as a vengeful specter in a floor-length fur-lined coat, with a hook for a left hand and a devoted swarm of killer bees, was an urban-legend horror film that was ahead of its time but also, just maybe, a little too much of its time. Todd’s scowling ripper started off as an enslaved person’s son, Daniel Robitaille, who in the late 1800s was a successful artist. But then he had a relationship (and fathered a child) with a wealthy white ingenue whose portrait he’d been commissioned to paint. Her father hired a lynch mob to go after him. The mob tore off his hand and covered him in honey, and a swarm of bees stung him to death. Candyman is the violent ghost he became.
That’s a potentially incendiary premise, but in 1992, amid a swarm of boilerplate sequels featuring Freddy Krueger,...
That’s a potentially incendiary premise, but in 1992, amid a swarm of boilerplate sequels featuring Freddy Krueger,...
- 8/25/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
“You can really make the story your own. But some of the specifics should be consistent.” So says William Burke (Colman Domingo), the aging keeper of the Candyman legend. And so say writer-director Nia DaCosta (“Little Woods”) and co-writers Jordan Peele and Win Rosenfeld (“The Twilight Zone”), the inventive re-creators of the “Candyman” franchise.
The filmmakers built their movie by deconstructing another one: Bernard Rose’s 1992 original, which was in turn based on Clive Barker’s short story “The Forbidden.” Though it was embraced by genre fans at the time (including a teenage Peele), Rose’s version is long overdue for a contemporary revision. It’s hard to imagine one with more searing impact than this.
The pandemic pushed the movie’s release date back a year, so the story opens in 2019 Chicago, long after the Cabrini-Green housing project of the original was razed to make way for gentrification.
The filmmakers built their movie by deconstructing another one: Bernard Rose’s 1992 original, which was in turn based on Clive Barker’s short story “The Forbidden.” Though it was embraced by genre fans at the time (including a teenage Peele), Rose’s version is long overdue for a contemporary revision. It’s hard to imagine one with more searing impact than this.
The pandemic pushed the movie’s release date back a year, so the story opens in 2019 Chicago, long after the Cabrini-Green housing project of the original was razed to make way for gentrification.
- 8/25/2021
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Art-House Animation
If your eyes are tired of the latest cookie-cutter animation from the Hollywood mill, Criterion is featuring quite a line-up of inventive arthouse offerings in the field. With works by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more, the series includes The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962), Belladonna of Sadness (1973), Fantastic Planet (1973), Watership Down (1978), Son of the White Mare (1981), Alice (1988), Millennium Actress (2001), Mind Game (2004), Paprika (2006), Persepolis (2007), Waltz with Bashir (2008), Mary and Max (2009), It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012), Tower (2016), The Wolf House (2018), No. 7 Cherry Lane (2019), and more.
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Neo-Noir
One of the greatest series to arrive on the Criterion Channel thus far is this selection of neo-noir offerings, including Brian De Palma’s masterpieces Blow Out and Body Double,...
Art-House Animation
If your eyes are tired of the latest cookie-cutter animation from the Hollywood mill, Criterion is featuring quite a line-up of inventive arthouse offerings in the field. With works by Marcell Jankovics, Satoshi Kon, Ari Folman, Don Hertzfeldt, Karel Zeman, and more, the series includes The Fabulous Baron Munchausen (1962), Belladonna of Sadness (1973), Fantastic Planet (1973), Watership Down (1978), Son of the White Mare (1981), Alice (1988), Millennium Actress (2001), Mind Game (2004), Paprika (2006), Persepolis (2007), Waltz with Bashir (2008), Mary and Max (2009), It’s Such a Beautiful Day (2012), Tower (2016), The Wolf House (2018), No. 7 Cherry Lane (2019), and more.
Where to Stream: The Criterion Channel
Neo-Noir
One of the greatest series to arrive on the Criterion Channel thus far is this selection of neo-noir offerings, including Brian De Palma’s masterpieces Blow Out and Body Double,...
- 7/2/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Candyman Trailer 2 — Universal Pictures has released the second movie trailer for Candyman (2021). View here the first Candyman film trailer. Cast and crew Nia DaCosta‘s Candyman, produced by Jordan Peele, stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Teyonah Parris, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Colman Domingo, Tony Todd, Vanessa Williams, Rebecca Spence, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Rodney L Jones [...]
Continue reading: Candyman (2021) Movie Trailer 2: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Says His Name in the Jordan Peele-produced Horror Film...
Continue reading: Candyman (2021) Movie Trailer 2: Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Says His Name in the Jordan Peele-produced Horror Film...
- 6/24/2021
- by Rollo Tomasi
- Film-Book
Don’t say his name.
Universal and MGM released a terrifying new trailer for Nia DaCosta’s supernatural slasher film, hitting theaters on Aug. 27, 2021.
The trailer gives a backstory to the classic Candyman character, who is said to be an innocent man killed by police after being suspected of putting razor blades in kids’ candy.
“Candyman ain’t a ‘he.’ Candyman is the whole damn hive,” Colman Domingo says in haunting narration in the trailer.
Serving as a “spiritual sequel” to the 1992 horror pic of the same name, “Candyman” follows visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his girlfriend, art gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris), as they move into the newly gentrified Cabrini-Green neighborhood of Chicago. When McCoy learns about the tragic true story of Candyman, he begins incorporating the vengeful spirit — summoned if someone says his name into a mirror five times — into his art, unlocking a...
Universal and MGM released a terrifying new trailer for Nia DaCosta’s supernatural slasher film, hitting theaters on Aug. 27, 2021.
The trailer gives a backstory to the classic Candyman character, who is said to be an innocent man killed by police after being suspected of putting razor blades in kids’ candy.
“Candyman ain’t a ‘he.’ Candyman is the whole damn hive,” Colman Domingo says in haunting narration in the trailer.
Serving as a “spiritual sequel” to the 1992 horror pic of the same name, “Candyman” follows visual artist Anthony McCoy (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) and his girlfriend, art gallery director Brianna Cartwright (Teyonah Parris), as they move into the newly gentrified Cabrini-Green neighborhood of Chicago. When McCoy learns about the tragic true story of Candyman, he begins incorporating the vengeful spirit — summoned if someone says his name into a mirror five times — into his art, unlocking a...
- 6/23/2021
- by Ethan Shanfeld
- Variety Film + TV
Namir Smallwood and Sidney Flanigan will star in “Rounding,” a new dramatic thriller from “Saint Frances” director Alex Thompson. “Rounding” follows a driven young medical resident (Smallwood) who transfers to a rural hospital for a fresh start. There, the demons of his past start to catch up to him when he becomes consumed by the case of a young asthma patient (Flanigan). The film was shot in secret in Chicago and just wrapped production.
Smallwood is an ensemble member at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He has also appeared in the television shows “Rust” and “Chicago Fire.” This is his feature film debut. Flanigan had critics raving with her work in “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” a drama about a young woman’s efforts to obtain an abortion. She was nominated for an Independent Spirit nomination for best female lead and won prizes from the Boston Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle.
Smallwood is an ensemble member at the Steppenwolf Theatre Company. He has also appeared in the television shows “Rust” and “Chicago Fire.” This is his feature film debut. Flanigan had critics raving with her work in “Never Rarely Sometimes Always,” a drama about a young woman’s efforts to obtain an abortion. She was nominated for an Independent Spirit nomination for best female lead and won prizes from the Boston Society of Film Critics and the New York Film Critics Circle.
- 3/5/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
It’s been over 20 years since Hollywood evoked the vengeance-fueled specter of horror franchise Candyman, but the hiatus is coming to an end. With Hollywood’s reboot/remake epoch showing no signs of slowing down, and the buzz surrounding Blumhouse’s recent Halloween sequel/reboot, it appears that the Candyman’s cinematic rebirth is nigh.
Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions have conjured a new Candyman manifestation. Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) directed the film off a screenplay by Peele and Win Rosenfeld. The film is a “spiritual sequel” that “returns to the neighborhood where the legend began: the now-gentrified section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood.”
The project arose after the rights—originally held by the now-defunct PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and distributed by Tri-Star—recently became available. MGM will produce with Monkeypaw, with Universal Pictures set to distribute.
Candyman Remake Release Date
Candyman is now set to...
Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions have conjured a new Candyman manifestation. Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) directed the film off a screenplay by Peele and Win Rosenfeld. The film is a “spiritual sequel” that “returns to the neighborhood where the legend began: the now-gentrified section of Chicago where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood.”
The project arose after the rights—originally held by the now-defunct PolyGram Filmed Entertainment and distributed by Tri-Star—recently became available. MGM will produce with Monkeypaw, with Universal Pictures set to distribute.
Candyman Remake Release Date
Candyman is now set to...
- 7/8/2020
- by Joseph Baxter
- Den of Geek
Hey, fellow "Empire" fans. We hope you guys enjoyed tonight's episode 15. Now that it's officially in the history books, it's time to see what the next week's new episode 16 will throw at you guys. The folks over at Fox served up a new press release for episode 16, and it looks like it's pretty packed with a lot of teaser intel. So, that's what we'll certainly be using for this spoiler session. To get everything started, Fox's press release revealed that this 16th episode is labeled, "Never Doubt I Love." Episode 16 sounds like it will feature some very dramatic and interesting scenes as that very intense investigator lady ,Meghan Conway, continues her pursuit of taking down the Lyons! Damon tries to expose Cookie! Beautiful Teri has a secret to unleash. Andre seeks more help from Lucious and more. We'll go ahead and start off this spoiler session with the Meghan Conway situation.
- 4/17/2019
- by Andre Braddox
- OnTheFlix
Stars: Zazie Beetz, Joe Keery, Hannibal Buress, Katherine Cunningham, Chris Parnell, Y’lan Noel, Paul Scheer, Rae Gray, Austin Vesely, Chance the Rapper, Rebecca Spence, Will Brill, Kelli Simpkins, Lakin Valdez, Gary Houston | Written and Directed by Austin Vesely
Slice posits itself as A24′s 80′s horror throwback in the same vein as John Carpenters eerie methodical camp aesthetic in The Fog, combined with his comedic prowess of Big Trouble Little China, albeit threaded together on a very, very bad day at the office.
In a spooky small town, when a slew of pizza delivery boys are slain on the job, two daring survivors (Zazie Beetz and Chance the Rapper) set out to catch the culprits behind the cryptic crime spree. Slice is director Austin Vesely’s first feature film after helming music videos for Chance’s “Sunday Candy” and “Angels.” Somehow, this mystery involves both a werewolf and a...
Slice posits itself as A24′s 80′s horror throwback in the same vein as John Carpenters eerie methodical camp aesthetic in The Fog, combined with his comedic prowess of Big Trouble Little China, albeit threaded together on a very, very bad day at the office.
In a spooky small town, when a slew of pizza delivery boys are slain on the job, two daring survivors (Zazie Beetz and Chance the Rapper) set out to catch the culprits behind the cryptic crime spree. Slice is director Austin Vesely’s first feature film after helming music videos for Chance’s “Sunday Candy” and “Angels.” Somehow, this mystery involves both a werewolf and a...
- 10/1/2018
- by Jak-Luke Sharp
- Nerdly
Joseph Baxter Feb 27, 2020
Classic 1990s horror franchise Candyman is back thanks to Jordan Peele, and they have the bloody good trailer to prove it....
It’s been more than two decades since Hollywood evoked the vengeance-fueled specter of horror franchise Candyman, but the hiatus is coming to an end. With Hollywood’s reboot/remake epoch showing no signs of stopping, and so much good will about Blumhouse's Halloween sequel/reboot resurgence, Candyman’s cinematic rebirth is nigh. And a little bit like that Halloween reboot, this appears to be more of a sequel and belated continuation on the earliest film in the franchise. They both even have that confusing trick of sharing the same title!
The new Candyman is being conjured by Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions. Further Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) will direct from a screenplay by Peele and Win Rosenfeld. The film is a “spiritual sequel” that...
Classic 1990s horror franchise Candyman is back thanks to Jordan Peele, and they have the bloody good trailer to prove it....
It’s been more than two decades since Hollywood evoked the vengeance-fueled specter of horror franchise Candyman, but the hiatus is coming to an end. With Hollywood’s reboot/remake epoch showing no signs of stopping, and so much good will about Blumhouse's Halloween sequel/reboot resurgence, Candyman’s cinematic rebirth is nigh. And a little bit like that Halloween reboot, this appears to be more of a sequel and belated continuation on the earliest film in the franchise. They both even have that confusing trick of sharing the same title!
The new Candyman is being conjured by Jordan Peele and his Monkeypaw Productions. Further Nia DaCosta (Little Woods) will direct from a screenplay by Peele and Win Rosenfeld. The film is a “spiritual sequel” that...
- 9/10/2018
- Den of Geek
Betty Dodson has made a career out of teaching women to masturbate, but she’s only one woman. “You first have to be self-sexual, and then you can have sex with other people,” Dodson said recently, summarizing a life philosophy that has crowned her the grand dame of radical sex positivity. “The love affair — the sex affair — that we have with ourselves is the primary one. It should be ongoing throughout our life, and we should honor it.”
Dodson’s ideas reached a wider audience last fall, when “Broad City” sent Ilana to a sex therapist named Betty in search of her lost orgasm. (The culprit: Donald Trump.) Titled “Witches,” the episode spawned countless think pieces and was a standout in a series that has promoted sex positivity from the beginning. But “Broad City” is a comedy, and while its impact is vast, it is largely felt by a self-selecting...
Dodson’s ideas reached a wider audience last fall, when “Broad City” sent Ilana to a sex therapist named Betty in search of her lost orgasm. (The culprit: Donald Trump.) Titled “Witches,” the episode spawned countless think pieces and was a standout in a series that has promoted sex positivity from the beginning. But “Broad City” is a comedy, and while its impact is vast, it is largely felt by a self-selecting...
- 2/12/2018
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.
The Cloverfield Paradox (Julius Onah)
When miniscule-budget films like Coherence can deal with multiple dimensions in endlessly fascinating ways and mid-budget Hollywood films like Life have the guts to get impressively nasty while riffing on the sci-fi classics that came before it, there’s no excuse for The Cloverfield Paradox to fall as blandly down the middle of the road as it does. The most memorable aspect of the...
The Cloverfield Paradox (Julius Onah)
When miniscule-budget films like Coherence can deal with multiple dimensions in endlessly fascinating ways and mid-budget Hollywood films like Life have the guts to get impressively nasty while riffing on the sci-fi classics that came before it, there’s no excuse for The Cloverfield Paradox to fall as blandly down the middle of the road as it does. The most memorable aspect of the...
- 2/9/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
In 2017 many of us went to the movies to try and find what we feared we would lose in real life. I found myself particularly drawn to films led by women and people of color that would reassure me that there was something worth staying alive and fighting for when it seemed the world was on fire. By the third time I found myself sitting down to watch Wonder Woman on the big screen, popcorn and candy in hand, I realized I kept coming back because its powerful message compelled me to return. When Amazon princess Diana explains, “Only love can save this world. So I stay. I fight, and I give,” it was as if the movies were giving me a mission: go out and be the best person you can be, help others, and come back to us when you need to refuel. So, here’s what I...
- 1/3/2018
- by Jose Solís
- The Film Stage
A year of uncertainty–to put it lightly–at every waking moment, 2017 won’t be remembered fondly. Offering brief moments of solace, the best cinema of the year included both escapism and a glimpse of humanity that was undetectable when looking at headlines. It was also the rare year that didn’t ramp up in quality in latter months; in fact, only one film in my top 10 actually premiered in the fall, with a trio of others getting theatrical releases during that time.
It hurt to leave off Lady Bird, The Untamed, The Other Side of Hope, Ex Libris – The New York Public Library, and the year’s best blockbuster, Okja, but when all is said and done, here are the 15 films that most resonated with me this year. Along with the below feature, one can see a vague ranking of all ~150 films I’ve viewed here, as well as...
It hurt to leave off Lady Bird, The Untamed, The Other Side of Hope, Ex Libris – The New York Public Library, and the year’s best blockbuster, Okja, but when all is said and done, here are the 15 films that most resonated with me this year. Along with the below feature, one can see a vague ranking of all ~150 films I’ve viewed here, as well as...
- 1/2/2018
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Coming-of-age story Princess Cyd is a last-minute addition to best-of-the-year lists, while even Daniel Craig enjoys himself in Steven Soderbergh’s crime caper
It’s the last day of 2017, all the “best of the year” lists have been compiled, read and discarded, yet a few hours remain for me to champion a last-minute highlight, silently shuffled off to an online-only premiere in the UK after touring American art houses to strong notices. Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd (on iTunes and Amazon) is a soft-treading beauty, warm, light and perceptive on fragile questions of feminine sexuality, gender identity and finding your place in your skin.
It’s a coming-of-age story, though the two women on whom it focuses – motherless, 16-year-old Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) and her middle-aged writer aunt, Miranda (Rebecca Spence) – are equally undefined in certain ways: what exact number does “coming of age” refer to anyway?
Continue reading...
It’s the last day of 2017, all the “best of the year” lists have been compiled, read and discarded, yet a few hours remain for me to champion a last-minute highlight, silently shuffled off to an online-only premiere in the UK after touring American art houses to strong notices. Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd (on iTunes and Amazon) is a soft-treading beauty, warm, light and perceptive on fragile questions of feminine sexuality, gender identity and finding your place in your skin.
It’s a coming-of-age story, though the two women on whom it focuses – motherless, 16-year-old Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) and her middle-aged writer aunt, Miranda (Rebecca Spence) – are equally undefined in certain ways: what exact number does “coming of age” refer to anyway?
Continue reading...
- 12/31/2017
- by Guy Lodge
- The Guardian - Film News
Princess CydStephen Cone has been making movies at a steady clip for over a decade and yet remains largely unknown. It is a momentous and wholly deserved occasion then for him to receive a retrospective at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York. Despite mixed receptions and even more erratic distribution patterns, his collection of films isn’t as motley as one might think. While each might tiptoe in a different direction, they maintain a hand in the Stephen Cone universe, imprinted by the same particular humanistic insight. In one of his earliest films, In Memoriam (2011), a young man so subsumed with the sudden death of a couple, fallen from a roof during the throes of pleasure, conducts his own investigation into their ill-fated demise. Innocuous curiosity masks what is essentially an existential inquiry and takes a self-referential pivot when he decides to recreate and film the events,...
- 11/7/2017
- MUBI
As we gear up for an awards season ripe with many quality queer films, it’s important to remember smaller successes who may get lost in the shuffle. Lgbt-themed film festivals Outfest and Frameline kicked off the summer, while New York’s own NewFest wrapped up last week. It’s always thrilling to see a gay film get awards attention, like the kind lavished on Luca Guadagnino’s “Call Me By Your Name” and foreign language contender “Bpm (Beats Per Minute).” But it’s been a banner year for nuanced queer films across the board, and especially ones from queer-identified filmmakers.
From up-and-comers making splashy debuts, to longtime favorites who have stepped up their game, the filmmakers on this list represent a varied swath of not only the Lgbt spectrum, but vastly different artistic styles. That means they have the potential to reach different audiences — and open up perspectives across demographics.
From up-and-comers making splashy debuts, to longtime favorites who have stepped up their game, the filmmakers on this list represent a varied swath of not only the Lgbt spectrum, but vastly different artistic styles. That means they have the potential to reach different audiences — and open up perspectives across demographics.
- 11/3/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Stephen Cone has the tenacity of first-time director, yet he has eight feature films and dozens of shorts to show for it. His vision for filmmaking, grit in self-fundraising, and ability to collaborate with fresh faces (like Joe Keery of Stranger Things fame) and veteran actors alike results in nimble productions with a quick turn-around.
The Film Stage’s Jose Solís reviewed Cone’s newest film Princess Cyd, which opens today in NY and Chicago, saying: “With this, Cone also continues to be one of the few directors who has chosen to contextualize faith rather than demonize it. He shows greater interest in the places where we are like each other, all while celebrating what makes us different.”
Offering a look into his still-young career, Eric Hynes, Associate Curator of Film at the Museum of the Moving Image, programmed Talk About the Passion: Stephen Cone’s First Act, going from...
The Film Stage’s Jose Solís reviewed Cone’s newest film Princess Cyd, which opens today in NY and Chicago, saying: “With this, Cone also continues to be one of the few directors who has chosen to contextualize faith rather than demonize it. He shows greater interest in the places where we are like each other, all while celebrating what makes us different.”
Offering a look into his still-young career, Eric Hynes, Associate Curator of Film at the Museum of the Moving Image, programmed Talk About the Passion: Stephen Cone’s First Act, going from...
- 11/3/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
In brief—this interview is long as is—Stephen Cone’s new feature Princess Cyd begins with what’s almost a feint: a phone call to 911 reporting trouble next door and a potentially helpless young girl, heard before we actually see now-grown protagonist Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) on the soccer field. 16-year-old Cyd comes to Chicago to spend some time away from her father, crashing with her writer aunt Miranda (Rebecca Spence). They’re opposites: Cyd’s all body and bluntly atheist, Miranda is cerebral and Christian. The question of what happened to Cyd fades away over the course of a seemingly low-key movie in which Cyd […]...
- 11/2/2017
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Too often, the nuances of female desire and exploration are painted with broad strokes by filmmakers of all stripes, but especially male ones. Which is why Stephen Cone’s beautifully rendered portrait of one teen’s innocent romantic experiments comes as such a delightful surprise. But there is more at play in “Princess Cyd,” which also explores a middle-aged woman’s relationship to her sexuality in equally delicate measures. The relationship between the two women is the film’s major driving force, which is apparent in the first trailer for the engaging and understated film.
“Princess Cyd” follows 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin (Jessie Pinnick) over a summer visit to her novelist aunt (Rebecca Spence) in Chicago. Estranged since the death of Cyd’s mother, Miranda and Cyd gently dance around each other as they re-establish an adult relationship. Meanwhile, Cyd seeks guidance during her dalliance with cute neighborhood barista Katie...
“Princess Cyd” follows 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin (Jessie Pinnick) over a summer visit to her novelist aunt (Rebecca Spence) in Chicago. Estranged since the death of Cyd’s mother, Miranda and Cyd gently dance around each other as they re-establish an adult relationship. Meanwhile, Cyd seeks guidance during her dalliance with cute neighborhood barista Katie...
- 10/19/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
"It is not a handicap to have one thing, but not another..." Wolfe Releasing has debuted the first official trailer for Stephen Cone's latest film Princess Cyd, a light coming-of-age comedy set mostly in Chicago. The story follows a young 16-year-old woman who goes to spend the summer with her novelist aunt at her home in Chicago's suburbs, discovering her sexual attraction to another girl in the neighborhood. Newcomer Jessie Pinnick stars as Cyd, and the cast includes Rebecca Spence, Malic White, James Vincent Meredith, Tyler Ross, and Matthew Quattrocki. I caught this just recently at the London Film Festival, and while it is solid overall, none of it really impressed me and it doesn't have anything unique to say at the end. There's so many other better films exactly like this, but it's also not that bad either. Take a look below. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster...
- 10/19/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
There are few directors working today that love their characters more than Stephen Cone. After reaching a wider audience with one of 2015’s best films, Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party, he’s returning this year with Princess Cyd. Following a 16-year-old’s summer in Chicago, where she clashes and connects with her aunt and learns more about her own sexuality and faith, the first trailer has landed. Also, if you’re in NYC and have yet to see Cone’s film, a retrospective will be held at the Museum of Moving Image from November 3-12.
In a rare A-grade review for Princess Cyd, we said, “Watching his films, one gets a sense that he doesn’t use the medium simply to tell stories but to exercise his curiosity and discover the things that make us human. In the hands of another filmmaker, Princess Cyd‘s two leads would’ve been...
In a rare A-grade review for Princess Cyd, we said, “Watching his films, one gets a sense that he doesn’t use the medium simply to tell stories but to exercise his curiosity and discover the things that make us human. In the hands of another filmmaker, Princess Cyd‘s two leads would’ve been...
- 10/18/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Last year was a windfall year for Lgbtq cinema, thanks to a historic Best Picture win for “Moonlight” and Park Chan-wook’s exquisite “The Handmaiden” both receiving critical and commercial acclaim. While these highly deserving queer stories rose to the top, many smaller Lgbt films were either forgotten or simply nowhere to be found.
Read More: Lgbt Superheroes: Why ‘Wonder Woman’ Couldn’t Be The Lesbian Avenger We Need
Hollywood studios have begun to shoehorn blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gay stories into an endless stream of remakes and TV adaptations, and there is a wide range of indies exploring the breadth of queer stories with ever-expanding joy and nuance. While it’s still difficult to get a gay film made (or any film, for that matter), it’s wonderful that, only halfway through 2017, there are already so many queer films on the horizon. Which is why we think it’s important to celebrate them now,...
Read More: Lgbt Superheroes: Why ‘Wonder Woman’ Couldn’t Be The Lesbian Avenger We Need
Hollywood studios have begun to shoehorn blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gay stories into an endless stream of remakes and TV adaptations, and there is a wide range of indies exploring the breadth of queer stories with ever-expanding joy and nuance. While it’s still difficult to get a gay film made (or any film, for that matter), it’s wonderful that, only halfway through 2017, there are already so many queer films on the horizon. Which is why we think it’s important to celebrate them now,...
- 6/29/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
It takes an incredible amount of restraint not to tie your film up with a neat little bow, but nothing could be more fitting for a filmmaker as committed to truth-telling as Stephen Cone is. In his latest film, “Princess Cyd,” the Chicago-based writer-director renders his deeply human characters so precisely, it’s as if they stepped right off the screen and into your living room. The two central women are equal parts charming, awkward, yearning and lost. In short, they’re real. Their complexity is all the more impressive coming from a male filmmaker — Cone proves it’s possible for men to write sexually liberated, empowered, autonomous women.
Though billed as a coming-of-age story, “Princess Cyd” is much more about relationships between women, across generations and through layers of grief. Specifically, it’s the story of sixteen-year-old Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) and her Aunt, a well-known novelist named Miranda Ruth (Rebecca Spence). Cyd’s mother died when she was young, and she’s been living with her father in South Carolina. When Miranda agrees to host the rambunctious teen for the summer, the two relatives find themselves thrust into familial intimacy despite not knowing much about each other.
Read More: ‘Paris Can Wait’ Review: Eleanor Coppola and Diane Lane Bring Mature Charm to a Road Trip Romantic Comedy
Cyd, for instance, is about the only person in Chicago (certain circles, anyhow) who doesn’t know her Aunt’s work. When Miranda offers her a book, she casually replies: “I don’t really read.” Cyd would rather sunbathe on Miranda’s manicured lawn than talk about “books ‘n stuff,” and Miranda bravely digs up her old swimsuit to join. She’s a cool Aunt, offering Cyd beer and encouraging her various summer flings, but she’s less prepared for Cyd’s prying about her own romantic life. “Do you ever have sex?” Cyd asks bluntly, and Miranda sheepishly admits it’s been a while.
Exchanges like that give the film its restrained friction, while avoiding the predictable traps. Miranda doesn’t balk, but she’s clearly taken aback. Cyd might be an obnoxious snoop, but she’s also genuinely curious. It’s a keen illustration of Miranda’s discomfort with her newfound maternal role. Earlier, she hesitates awkwardly before spreading sunscreen on Cyd’s back. It’s one of those masterfully subtle moments that calls up every other time Cyd has not had a mother to rub her back or brush her hair. Miranda has invested in her work over her family, and we see what that sacrifice entails through her interactions with Cyd.
Cyd’s casual sexual exploration is a breath of fresh air. She is as interested in the cute gardener neighbor as she is in the cute barista, Katie (Malic White). Katie sports a throwback mullet/mohawk combination, and when Cyd tells Miranda that she kind of looks like a boy, she replies, “Maybe she is a boy.” “Yeah, maybe so,” Cyd says, shrugging. It’s a casual handling of gender and sexuality that more movies should emulate. The same goes for the understated sex scenes; the most explicit shot is of Cyd masturbating. (Masturbation scenes should be required in any coming-of-age about female sexuality).
Miranda’s sexuality, or lack thereof, is also something of a revelation. With a premise that begs for lessons learned, and a film landscape that loves to make everything about sex, Miranda’s self-satisfied celibacy is nothing short of radical. “It is not a handicap to be one way and not the other,” Miranda tells Cyd in an inspired monologue. Standing over a kitchen full of dirty dishes, finally dishing it back to the saucy teenager she is trying desperately to love, Miranda is the very picture of modern motherhood.
Read More: 20 New Movies That Will Define This Year in Indie Cinema, From ‘The Big Sick’ to ‘A Ghost Story’
Spence is entirely captivating as Miranda — resolute and warm at the same time. A seasoned Chicago actress, she commands the screen with a graceful strength like a cross between Diane Lane and Amy Brenneman. If show business made any sense, her star would be on the rise.
Cone packs a lot into 90 minutes, and as such there are a few loose ends. Cyd and Miranda rarely discuss the deep void between them, their shared loss. Cyd’s questions about heaven seem a little childish compared to her refreshing sexual maturity, and Miranda’s religious beliefs seem unnecessarily shoehorned into a story with plenty to explore. Miranda’s artist salon is a spirited group scene in the film’s second half, but reads like a play for literary references and a missed opportunity for Cone to poke fun at Miranda (and maybe himself). Cyd’s gossip session with two older lesbians is a highlight, however.
Loose ends are to be expected in a film more interested in life as it is than some over-stimulating fantasy. “Princess Cyd” is a triumphant little film — little in the detailed moments it creates, not the content of its character. Anchored by complicated, smart, funny women, “Princess Cyd” is a rare delight of a film and a model for others to follow.
Grade: A-
“Princess Cyd” premiered at the Maryland Film Festival in May. It is being distributed by Wolfe Releasing.
Related stories'And Then I Go' Review: We Need to Talk About This Disturbing Coming-of-Age Drama'Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press' Review: Hulk Hogan's Gawker Trial Gets a Big, Scary Context'Transformers: The Last Knight' Review: Here's the Most Ridiculous Hollywood Movie of the Year...
Though billed as a coming-of-age story, “Princess Cyd” is much more about relationships between women, across generations and through layers of grief. Specifically, it’s the story of sixteen-year-old Cyd (Jessie Pinnick) and her Aunt, a well-known novelist named Miranda Ruth (Rebecca Spence). Cyd’s mother died when she was young, and she’s been living with her father in South Carolina. When Miranda agrees to host the rambunctious teen for the summer, the two relatives find themselves thrust into familial intimacy despite not knowing much about each other.
Read More: ‘Paris Can Wait’ Review: Eleanor Coppola and Diane Lane Bring Mature Charm to a Road Trip Romantic Comedy
Cyd, for instance, is about the only person in Chicago (certain circles, anyhow) who doesn’t know her Aunt’s work. When Miranda offers her a book, she casually replies: “I don’t really read.” Cyd would rather sunbathe on Miranda’s manicured lawn than talk about “books ‘n stuff,” and Miranda bravely digs up her old swimsuit to join. She’s a cool Aunt, offering Cyd beer and encouraging her various summer flings, but she’s less prepared for Cyd’s prying about her own romantic life. “Do you ever have sex?” Cyd asks bluntly, and Miranda sheepishly admits it’s been a while.
Exchanges like that give the film its restrained friction, while avoiding the predictable traps. Miranda doesn’t balk, but she’s clearly taken aback. Cyd might be an obnoxious snoop, but she’s also genuinely curious. It’s a keen illustration of Miranda’s discomfort with her newfound maternal role. Earlier, she hesitates awkwardly before spreading sunscreen on Cyd’s back. It’s one of those masterfully subtle moments that calls up every other time Cyd has not had a mother to rub her back or brush her hair. Miranda has invested in her work over her family, and we see what that sacrifice entails through her interactions with Cyd.
Cyd’s casual sexual exploration is a breath of fresh air. She is as interested in the cute gardener neighbor as she is in the cute barista, Katie (Malic White). Katie sports a throwback mullet/mohawk combination, and when Cyd tells Miranda that she kind of looks like a boy, she replies, “Maybe she is a boy.” “Yeah, maybe so,” Cyd says, shrugging. It’s a casual handling of gender and sexuality that more movies should emulate. The same goes for the understated sex scenes; the most explicit shot is of Cyd masturbating. (Masturbation scenes should be required in any coming-of-age about female sexuality).
Miranda’s sexuality, or lack thereof, is also something of a revelation. With a premise that begs for lessons learned, and a film landscape that loves to make everything about sex, Miranda’s self-satisfied celibacy is nothing short of radical. “It is not a handicap to be one way and not the other,” Miranda tells Cyd in an inspired monologue. Standing over a kitchen full of dirty dishes, finally dishing it back to the saucy teenager she is trying desperately to love, Miranda is the very picture of modern motherhood.
Read More: 20 New Movies That Will Define This Year in Indie Cinema, From ‘The Big Sick’ to ‘A Ghost Story’
Spence is entirely captivating as Miranda — resolute and warm at the same time. A seasoned Chicago actress, she commands the screen with a graceful strength like a cross between Diane Lane and Amy Brenneman. If show business made any sense, her star would be on the rise.
Cone packs a lot into 90 minutes, and as such there are a few loose ends. Cyd and Miranda rarely discuss the deep void between them, their shared loss. Cyd’s questions about heaven seem a little childish compared to her refreshing sexual maturity, and Miranda’s religious beliefs seem unnecessarily shoehorned into a story with plenty to explore. Miranda’s artist salon is a spirited group scene in the film’s second half, but reads like a play for literary references and a missed opportunity for Cone to poke fun at Miranda (and maybe himself). Cyd’s gossip session with two older lesbians is a highlight, however.
Loose ends are to be expected in a film more interested in life as it is than some over-stimulating fantasy. “Princess Cyd” is a triumphant little film — little in the detailed moments it creates, not the content of its character. Anchored by complicated, smart, funny women, “Princess Cyd” is a rare delight of a film and a model for others to follow.
Grade: A-
“Princess Cyd” premiered at the Maryland Film Festival in May. It is being distributed by Wolfe Releasing.
Related stories'And Then I Go' Review: We Need to Talk About This Disturbing Coming-of-Age Drama'Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press' Review: Hulk Hogan's Gawker Trial Gets a Big, Scary Context'Transformers: The Last Knight' Review: Here's the Most Ridiculous Hollywood Movie of the Year...
- 6/23/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Is there a director more generous to his characters than Stephen Cone? Watching his films, one gets a sense that he doesn’t use the medium simply to tell stories but to exercise his curiosity and discover the things that make us human. In the hands of another filmmaker, Princess Cyd‘s two leads would’ve been pitted against each other and engaged in battle until a facile discovery in the denouement made them realize how much they had in common and led to a warm reconciliation. But not in Cone’s film, perhaps for the very notion that no one else is interested in telling the stories of characters such as these — perhaps because no one else can.
We first hear of Cyd through an emergency call, where we learn two people have died in a shooting that leaves only a little girl behind as the survivor. When we...
We first hear of Cyd through an emergency call, where we learn two people have died in a shooting that leaves only a little girl behind as the survivor. When we...
- 6/17/2017
- by Jose Solís
- The Film Stage
Princess CydNow in its ninth season, BAMcinemaFest has become New York’s premiere festival for gems of American indie cinema, expertly culled from the best of the fests thus far this year. While hosting works from numerous local Brooklynites like Alex Ross Perry, whose Golden Exits will close the event, the intimate festival also boasts an exceptional assortment of films from across the country, this year no short on mysteries, overt and clandestine. The selection’s varying styles are all a testament to the diversity of independent filmmaking that is alive and well in America today.Director Aaron Katz returns with Gemini, a lo-fi L.A.-set noir circling around a movie starlet Heather (Zoe Kravitz) and her devoted assistant Jill (Lola Kirke). Always the expert examiner of relationships in miniature, Katz plumbs beyond the quandary of the employer-employee transactional one here to capture the fragile peculiarities and tender idiosyncrasies of a female friendship.
- 6/14/2017
- MUBI
Keep up with the wild and wooly world of indie film acquisitions with our weekly Rundown of everything that’s been picked up around the globe. Check out last week’s Rundown here.
– Focus Features has acquired the North American and select international rights to Jason Reitman’s “Tully.” Written by Diablo Cody, the comedy stars Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass and Ron Livingston.
“Tully” tells the story of Marlo (Theron), a mother of three who is gifted a night nanny by her brother (Duplass). Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully (Davis). The film will premiere in U.S. theaters on April 20, 2018.
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: Oscilloscope Picks Up ‘November,’ The Orchard Buys ‘Flower’ and More
– Electric Entertainment has acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights to Rob Reiner’s “Lbj,...
– Focus Features has acquired the North American and select international rights to Jason Reitman’s “Tully.” Written by Diablo Cody, the comedy stars Charlize Theron, Mackenzie Davis, Mark Duplass and Ron Livingston.
“Tully” tells the story of Marlo (Theron), a mother of three who is gifted a night nanny by her brother (Duplass). Hesitant to the extravagance at first, Marlo comes to form a unique bond with the thoughtful, surprising, and sometimes challenging young nanny named Tully (Davis). The film will premiere in U.S. theaters on April 20, 2018.
Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: Oscilloscope Picks Up ‘November,’ The Orchard Buys ‘Flower’ and More
– Electric Entertainment has acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights to Rob Reiner’s “Lbj,...
- 5/5/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
Coming-of-age drama to screen at BAMcinemaFest in New York in June.
Wolfe Releasing has acquired director Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd, which receives its world premiere at the Maryland Film Festival on Thursday.
The specialist Lgbtq distributor will screen the coming-of-age drama at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s BAMcinemaFest in June, followed by a theatrical and digital release later this year.
The drama starring Rebecca Spence and Jessie Pinnick centres on 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin who pays a visit to her novellist aunt in Chicago over the summer.
Eager to escape life with her depressive single father, Cyd falls for a girl in the neighbourhood while she and her aunt gently challenge each other in the realms of sex and spirit. Grace Hahn, Madison Ginsberg and Cone produced.
Princess Cyd marks Wolfe Releasing’s third collaboration with Cone after Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party and The Wise Kids.
“It is impossible to overstate how important the faith...
Wolfe Releasing has acquired director Stephen Cone’s Princess Cyd, which receives its world premiere at the Maryland Film Festival on Thursday.
The specialist Lgbtq distributor will screen the coming-of-age drama at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s BAMcinemaFest in June, followed by a theatrical and digital release later this year.
The drama starring Rebecca Spence and Jessie Pinnick centres on 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin who pays a visit to her novellist aunt in Chicago over the summer.
Eager to escape life with her depressive single father, Cyd falls for a girl in the neighbourhood while she and her aunt gently challenge each other in the realms of sex and spirit. Grace Hahn, Madison Ginsberg and Cone produced.
Princess Cyd marks Wolfe Releasing’s third collaboration with Cone after Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party and The Wise Kids.
“It is impossible to overstate how important the faith...
- 5/4/2017
- ScreenDaily
Wolfe Releasing has acquired Princess Cyd, the coming-of-age drama from director Stephen Cone starring Rebecca Spence and Jessie Pinnick. The distributor made the deal ahead of the pic’s world premiere tomorrow at the Maryland Film Festival. A theatrical and digital release later this year is planned. The pic follows 16-year-old athlete Cyd Loughlin (Pinnick) while visiting her novelist aunt (Spence) in Chicago over the summer. Eager to escape life with her depressive…...
- 5/4/2017
- Deadline
The weekend is chalk full of new Specialty releases, though most will likely be low performers in terms of dollars at the box office. Entertainment One is opening Nicolas Cage and Hayden Christensen starrer Outcast with limited runs and will likely find tepid returns at the theatrical box office, though it may shine in the digital/on-demand space where it will also bow this weekend. Documentary Ballet 422 (Magnolia Pictures), meanwhile, has had solid buzz heading into the weekend and should score well in its niche market. Monterey Media is hoping to have traction with stars Wes Bentley, Vincent Piazza and Amber Tamblyn as it opens 3 Nights In The Desert in theaters and on-demand, while Freestyle Releasing is targeting the rom-com crowd for its debut, One Small Hitch. Other Specialty openers this weekend include First Run Features’ doc The Other Man: F.W. de Klerk And The End Of Apartheid In South Africa,...
- 2/6/2015
- by Brian Brooks
- Deadline
Chicago – New York filmmaker Ry Russo-Young gave an exclusive interview to Indie Outlook, the independent film blog and podcast created by HollywoodChicago.com writer Matt Fagerholm. The conversation, published this week, details Russo-Young’s fascinating work, from her experimental shorts to her star-studded feature, “Nobody Walks,” which she co-wrote with “Girls” creator Lena Dunham.
Fagerholm will chat about the latest independent films on Vocalo 89.5Fm at 9:20am on Friday, January 25th. One of the titles he’ll be highlighting is “Tiger Tail in Blue,” an acclaimed drama from local filmmaker Frank V. Ross, which screens Saturday, January 26th and Wednesday, January 30th at the Gene Siskel Film Center. The film explores the fractured relationship of a young married couple (deftly played by Ross and Rebecca Spence) whose conflicting work schedules have caused them to grow distant. Mike Gibisser’s excellent cinematography blurs the line between past and present with remarkable subtlety.
Fagerholm will chat about the latest independent films on Vocalo 89.5Fm at 9:20am on Friday, January 25th. One of the titles he’ll be highlighting is “Tiger Tail in Blue,” an acclaimed drama from local filmmaker Frank V. Ross, which screens Saturday, January 26th and Wednesday, January 30th at the Gene Siskel Film Center. The film explores the fractured relationship of a young married couple (deftly played by Ross and Rebecca Spence) whose conflicting work schedules have caused them to grow distant. Mike Gibisser’s excellent cinematography blurs the line between past and present with remarkable subtlety.
- 1/24/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – The wider range of films critics see during a single year, the less susceptible they are to the inevitable onslaught of expensive awards campaigns. Just because a studio can bark the loudest doesn’t mean its product has any bite. The majority of Oscar bait I’ve witnessed during the final months of 2012 have been wildly overrated behemoths weighed down in self-importance and executed with all the calculated precision of a undergrad aiming to score an A on the final. What’s lacking from many of these pictures is the spontaneity and imagination of true artistry, and that is precisely what the films on this list have in spades. From the most criminally overlooked blockbusters to the most invaluable indie gems available online, here are the Top Ten Most Overlooked Films of 2012.
10. “Cloud Atlas”
Cloud Atlas
I’ll be the first to admit that Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski...
10. “Cloud Atlas”
Cloud Atlas
I’ll be the first to admit that Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski...
- 12/26/2012
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Right now on Kentucker Audley’s No Budge website, it’s Frank V. Ross week. If that name elicits a blank response, it’s not an uncommon reaction. Though Chicago-based Ross is one of the original class of mumblecore directors, he never received the attention that was given to so many of his Diy peers, such as Andrew Bujalski, the Duplass brothers or Joe Swanberg (a fellow Chicagoan with whom Ross has collaborated numerous times). Nevertheless, his recent films Present Company (2008) and Audrey the Trainwreck (2010) have gained him a number of champions within the indie community, and those two films have been featured this week on No Budge, along with Tiger Tail in Blue, his sixth feature, which makes its debut online tonight on the site.
A low-key naturalistic drama, Tiger Tail focuses on a recently married couple, Chris (Ross himself), a writer who waits tables at night, and Melody...
A low-key naturalistic drama, Tiger Tail focuses on a recently married couple, Chris (Ross himself), a writer who waits tables at night, and Melody...
- 7/11/2012
- by Nick Dawson
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Director: Frank V. Ross Starring: Frank V. Ross, Rebecca Spence, Megan Mercier Chris (Frank V. Ross) and Melody (Rebecca Spence) are a young married couple with conflicting work schedules. During the day, while Melody is teaching at a local high school, Chris stays at home to write; then, during the evenings, Chris waits tables at a local restaurant. As you can probably guess, Chris and Melody never get to spend quality time together; instead, they are growing more and more disconnected. Time passes faster and faster, all the while nothing seems to improve...
- 7/8/2012
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
If you are looking for a heady mix of Nicolas Roeg sci-fi (The Man Who Fell To Earth) combined with David Cronenberg-style body horror, be on the lookout for writer/director Clay Liford’s upcoming bizarro genre flick Earthling. The movie, which stars The Dilemma’s Rebecca Spence, Pulp Fiction’s Peter Greene and Carrie’s William Katt, goes on tour this spring/summer. For trailer, dates, plot info and exclusive pics, read below the jump.
- 4/25/2011
- by allan.dart@starloggroup.com (Samantha Fox)
- Fangoria
Charlie Sheen received a muted reception from critics as his 'My Violent Torpedo of Truth' tour reached Toronto. The former Two and a Half Men star toasted the ashes of an audience member's deceased husband with non-alcoholic apple cider and lit up an electronic cigarette during his performance at Massey Hall. Rebecca Spence, reviewing the production for The National Post, said that Sheen's show "wasn't awful, but... certainly wasn't amazing". She praised Russell Peters, a Canadian stand-up comedian who served as co-host and moderator during the Q&A session, saying that she thought he "kept things running smoothly". Spence also noted that the amount of audience (more)...
- 4/15/2011
- by By Kate Goodacre
- Digital Spy
Chicago – After a 12-year hiatus from comedy (his last was “Edtv” in 1999), the legendary (and typically dramatic) director Ron Howard is back to crack you up with “The Dilemma”.
Kevin James and Vince Vaughn in “The Dilemma”.
Photo credit: Universal Pictures
The Chicago-filmed dramedy is part comedy (with the well-cast chemistry of Vince Vaughn and Kevin James) and part drama (with Winona Ryder and Jennifer Connelly). Queen “Lady Wood” Latifah supports with Channing “Tatoo” Tatum and Chicago stage actor Amy Morton. “The Dilemma” opens everywhere on Jan. 14, 2011.
Much like “The Dark Knight” features Chicago as one of its primary stars, “The Dilemma” clearly looks like Chicago both with its sweeping metropolitan shots and its intimate scenes only locals would recognize. The film also stars Chelcie Ross, Grace Rex, January Stern, Debbi Burns, Rebecca Spence, Heidi Johanningmeier and Talulah Riley from director Ron Howard, writer Allan Loeb and producer Brian Grazer.
Kevin James and Vince Vaughn in “The Dilemma”.
Photo credit: Universal Pictures
The Chicago-filmed dramedy is part comedy (with the well-cast chemistry of Vince Vaughn and Kevin James) and part drama (with Winona Ryder and Jennifer Connelly). Queen “Lady Wood” Latifah supports with Channing “Tatoo” Tatum and Chicago stage actor Amy Morton. “The Dilemma” opens everywhere on Jan. 14, 2011.
Much like “The Dark Knight” features Chicago as one of its primary stars, “The Dilemma” clearly looks like Chicago both with its sweeping metropolitan shots and its intimate scenes only locals would recognize. The film also stars Chelcie Ross, Grace Rex, January Stern, Debbi Burns, Rebecca Spence, Heidi Johanningmeier and Talulah Riley from director Ron Howard, writer Allan Loeb and producer Brian Grazer.
- 1/12/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Red-Carpet Slideshow: ‘The Dilemma’ Stars Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly
Chicago – The world premiere of the new Chicago-filmed dramedy “The Dilemma” was shown in Chicago on Thursday following a red carpet with stars Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder, Jennifer Connelly, Channing Tatum, Amy Morton and Chelcie Ross.
Director Ron Howard, writer Allan Loeb, producer Brian Grazer and composer Hans Zimmer also walked the Chicago red carpet along with sports stars Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams and Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks. “The Dilemma” hits theaters on Jan. 14, 2011.
Other celebrity guests walking the red carpet included Jerry Azumah, Peter Billingsley, Dave Bolland, Nick Boynton, Caleb Hanie, Greg Olsen, Joel Quenneville, Tom Ricketts and Rocky Wirtz. “The Dilemma” also stars Queen Latifah, Grace Rex, January Stern, Debbi Burns, Rebecca Spence, Heidi Johanningmeier and Talulah Riley. The synopsis for “The Dilemma” is below.
Vince Vaughn and Kevin James headline an all-star comedy from director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer...
Director Ron Howard, writer Allan Loeb, producer Brian Grazer and composer Hans Zimmer also walked the Chicago red carpet along with sports stars Kurt Warner of the St. Louis Rams and Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks. “The Dilemma” hits theaters on Jan. 14, 2011.
Other celebrity guests walking the red carpet included Jerry Azumah, Peter Billingsley, Dave Bolland, Nick Boynton, Caleb Hanie, Greg Olsen, Joel Quenneville, Tom Ricketts and Rocky Wirtz. “The Dilemma” also stars Queen Latifah, Grace Rex, January Stern, Debbi Burns, Rebecca Spence, Heidi Johanningmeier and Talulah Riley. The synopsis for “The Dilemma” is below.
Vince Vaughn and Kevin James headline an all-star comedy from director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer...
- 1/8/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – In our latest comedy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 15 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the highly anticipated new film “The Dilemma” with Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder and Jennifer Connelly!
“The Dilemma,” which was filmed in Chicago, also stars Channing Tatum, Queen Latifah, Amy Morton, Grace Rex, January Stern, Debbi Burns, Rebecca Spence, Heidi Johanningmeier, Chelcie Ross and Talulah Riley from director Ron Howard, writer Allan Loeb and producer Brian Grazer. The film opens on Jan. 14, 2011.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “The Dilemma” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for “The Dilemma” with Vince Vaughn from director Ron Howard.
“The Dilemma,” which was filmed in Chicago, also stars Channing Tatum, Queen Latifah, Amy Morton, Grace Rex, January Stern, Debbi Burns, Rebecca Spence, Heidi Johanningmeier, Chelcie Ross and Talulah Riley from director Ron Howard, writer Allan Loeb and producer Brian Grazer. The film opens on Jan. 14, 2011.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “The Dilemma” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011 at 7 p.m. in downtown Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and immediately win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for “The Dilemma” with Vince Vaughn from director Ron Howard.
- 1/4/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Universal Pictures on Wednesday released new production stills for the new film “The Dilemma,” which was filmed in Chicago. The film, which stars Vince Vaughn, Kevin James, Winona Ryder and Jennifer Connelly from director Ron Howard, opens on Jan. 14, 2011.
“The Dilemma” also stars Channing Tatum, Queen Latifah, Amy Morton, Grace Rex, January Stern, Debbi Burns, Rebecca Spence, Heidi Johanningmeier, Chelcie Ross and Talulah Riley from director Ron Howard, writer Allan Loeb and producer Brian Grazer. The synopsis for “The Dilemma” is below.
Vince Vaughn and Kevin James headline an all-star comedy from director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer about a man who finds out that what you don’t say to a friend is just as important as what you do. Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum and Queen Latifah join them in “The Dilemma”: a story of how far you can bend a brotherly bond before it snaps.
“The Dilemma” also stars Channing Tatum, Queen Latifah, Amy Morton, Grace Rex, January Stern, Debbi Burns, Rebecca Spence, Heidi Johanningmeier, Chelcie Ross and Talulah Riley from director Ron Howard, writer Allan Loeb and producer Brian Grazer. The synopsis for “The Dilemma” is below.
Vince Vaughn and Kevin James headline an all-star comedy from director Ron Howard and producer Brian Grazer about a man who finds out that what you don’t say to a friend is just as important as what you do. Jennifer Connelly, Winona Ryder, Channing Tatum and Queen Latifah join them in “The Dilemma”: a story of how far you can bend a brotherly bond before it snaps.
- 12/30/2010
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Jane Lynch (top); Clay Liford‘s Earthling (upper middle); Jan Krüger‘s Light Gradient (lower middle); "Boy Shorts": Juan Chappa, Martin Deus‘ Amor crudo / Raw Love (bottom) Plan B, Children Of God, Sasha: Outfest 2010 (July 10) More Outfest 2010 highlights on Saturday, July 10: Clay Liford‘s Earthling, Jan Krüger‘s Ruckenwind / Light Gradient, Fernanda Cardoso‘s Bloomington, the "Boys Shorts" and "Cherry Bombs" short compilations, and "A Conversation with Jane Lynch." In the sci-fi/thriller Earthling, a schoolteacher (lots of teachers in those Outfest movies) — played by Rebecca Spence — finds out there’s more to her student/girlfriend than she could possibly have imagined. "A film for anyone who ever felt like they were on the wrong planet," explains the Outfest website. Sounds like a must-see. In Light Gradient, "two young lovers, Johann and Robin [Sebastian Schlecht, Eric Golub], embark on a mini road-trip on bikes to explore the mysteries of the deep woods...
- 7/9/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Genre: Sci-Fi
Director: Clay Liford
Writer: Clay Liford
Cast: Rebecca Spence, Peter Greene, Amelia Turner, Matt Socia, William Katt
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Summary: After a mysterious atmospheric event, a small group of people wake up to realize that their entire lives have been a lie. They are in fact aliens disguised as humans. Now they have to make a choice. Live amongst men, or try to find a way back home
Run Time: 114 minutes
View the Trailer Here
The independent sci-fi film Earthling opens an alien connection between an unlikely group of characters and reflexively changes the trajectory of their lives. I had the opportunity to see Earthling in competition at the Dallas International Film Festival and was delighted to be able to support an independent sci-fi film made locally in Texas.
Earthling’s artfully woven premise lays out an intriguing situation that tests the humanity of this band of characters.
Director: Clay Liford
Writer: Clay Liford
Cast: Rebecca Spence, Peter Greene, Amelia Turner, Matt Socia, William Katt
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Summary: After a mysterious atmospheric event, a small group of people wake up to realize that their entire lives have been a lie. They are in fact aliens disguised as humans. Now they have to make a choice. Live amongst men, or try to find a way back home
Run Time: 114 minutes
View the Trailer Here
The independent sci-fi film Earthling opens an alien connection between an unlikely group of characters and reflexively changes the trajectory of their lives. I had the opportunity to see Earthling in competition at the Dallas International Film Festival and was delighted to be able to support an independent sci-fi film made locally in Texas.
Earthling’s artfully woven premise lays out an intriguing situation that tests the humanity of this band of characters.
- 7/7/2010
- by Lillian 'zenbitch' Standefer
- ScifiMafia
After its debut at the Austin Film Festival last fall, Texan filmmaker Clay Liford’s sci-fi film “Earthling” is rocking the festival circuit. “Earthling” recently screened at SXSW and the Dallas International Film Festival to sold out crowds. An additional screening was added to the Diff run to accommodate the large demand for this film.
There’s been significant buzz surrounding this film. What is the film about, you ask? Check out the official synopsis and trailer below and stay tuned for SciFi Mafia’s review and exclusive interview with the filmmaker, Clay Liford (“My Mom Smokes Weed”).
Trailer: Earthling
Official Synopsis:
After a mysterious atmospheric event, a small group of people wake up to realize that their entire lives have been a lie. They are in fact aliens disguised as humans. Now they have to make a choice. Live amongst men, or try to find a way back home.
There’s been significant buzz surrounding this film. What is the film about, you ask? Check out the official synopsis and trailer below and stay tuned for SciFi Mafia’s review and exclusive interview with the filmmaker, Clay Liford (“My Mom Smokes Weed”).
Trailer: Earthling
Official Synopsis:
After a mysterious atmospheric event, a small group of people wake up to realize that their entire lives have been a lie. They are in fact aliens disguised as humans. Now they have to make a choice. Live amongst men, or try to find a way back home.
- 5/27/2010
- by Lillian 'zenbitch' Standefer
- ScifiMafia
Earthling
Director: Clay Liford
Showtimes: Saturday 8th, 6:30 pm at the Usb Student Center; Sunday 9th, 4:30 pm at The Charles Theater
Starring:Rebecca Spence, Peter Greene, Amelia Turner, William Katt, Matt Socia, Savanna Sears, Jennifer Sipes, Chris Doubek
AP Rating:
The opening shots of Clay Liford’s Earthling hold a mysterious, tantalizing splendor; a foreboding, spiked meteor hurtles through space like an intergalactic seed pod, comes in contact with a space station just outside of our planet’s atmosphere.
These initial scenes aboard the American space station have a dingy, lived-in feel and they instantly evoke Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris and set the tone for the rest of the pic. Traditionalist sci-fi fans have been warned; this isn’t a glossy pulp monster…
Click to continue reading Mff Movie Review: Clay Liford’s ‘Earthling’...
Director: Clay Liford
Showtimes: Saturday 8th, 6:30 pm at the Usb Student Center; Sunday 9th, 4:30 pm at The Charles Theater
Starring:Rebecca Spence, Peter Greene, Amelia Turner, William Katt, Matt Socia, Savanna Sears, Jennifer Sipes, Chris Doubek
AP Rating:
The opening shots of Clay Liford’s Earthling hold a mysterious, tantalizing splendor; a foreboding, spiked meteor hurtles through space like an intergalactic seed pod, comes in contact with a space station just outside of our planet’s atmosphere.
These initial scenes aboard the American space station have a dingy, lived-in feel and they instantly evoke Andrei Tarkovsky’s Solaris and set the tone for the rest of the pic. Traditionalist sci-fi fans have been warned; this isn’t a glossy pulp monster…
Click to continue reading Mff Movie Review: Clay Liford’s ‘Earthling’...
- 5/8/2010
- by Nathan Bartlebaugh
- Atomic Popcorn
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