Tune in for a nostalgic trip down “Memory Lane” with Ben and Erin Napier on the latest episode of “Home Town,” airing Sunday, April 14, 2024, at 9:00 Pm on HGTV. In Season 7, Episode titled “Wood, Brick and Clay,” viewers will be treated to new interviews and behind-the-scenes insights as Ben and Erin reflect on a memorable project.
The episode revisits the time when Ben and Erin took on the challenge of presenting a graphic designer with two distinct home options. Erin, known for her creative flair, was determined to infuse the chosen home with as much personality and originality as its owner.
Expect to see the couple’s trademark charm and craftsmanship as they work their magic to transform the house into a one-of-a-kind haven that perfectly reflects the homeowner’s style and spirit. Don’t miss this heartwarming journey through “Memory Lane” as Ben and Erin showcase their passion for...
The episode revisits the time when Ben and Erin took on the challenge of presenting a graphic designer with two distinct home options. Erin, known for her creative flair, was determined to infuse the chosen home with as much personality and originality as its owner.
Expect to see the couple’s trademark charm and craftsmanship as they work their magic to transform the house into a one-of-a-kind haven that perfectly reflects the homeowner’s style and spirit. Don’t miss this heartwarming journey through “Memory Lane” as Ben and Erin showcase their passion for...
- 4/7/2024
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman’s company T-Street has signed a two-picture producing deal with Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group.
Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who took over as the studio’s co-chairs and CEOs in 2022, orchestrated the deal. It marks the producers’ first collaboration with Warner Bros., having previously worked with Lionsgate on the box office hit “Knives Out,” Netflix on its sequel “Glass Onion,” Disney on “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and Focus Features on the neo-noir thriller “Brick.” It’s unclear if Johnson will direct either of the two films that he’ll be overseeing at Warner Bros.
“Mike and Pam’s renewed commitment to original storytelling and the theatrical experience make Warner Bros. Discovery an ideal place to help us bring the filmmakers we love to audiences around the world on a grand scale,” said Johnson and Bergman. “We’re thrilled to have them as partners.
Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who took over as the studio’s co-chairs and CEOs in 2022, orchestrated the deal. It marks the producers’ first collaboration with Warner Bros., having previously worked with Lionsgate on the box office hit “Knives Out,” Netflix on its sequel “Glass Onion,” Disney on “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and Focus Features on the neo-noir thriller “Brick.” It’s unclear if Johnson will direct either of the two films that he’ll be overseeing at Warner Bros.
“Mike and Pam’s renewed commitment to original storytelling and the theatrical experience make Warner Bros. Discovery an ideal place to help us bring the filmmakers we love to audiences around the world on a grand scale,” said Johnson and Bergman. “We’re thrilled to have them as partners.
- 3/18/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Rian Johnson is headed to the Warner Bros. lot.
The filmmaker’s T-Street banner, which he runs with producing partner Ram Bergman, has inked a two-picture producing pact with Warners, the studio announced Monday. It’s the latest in a series of deals Warners has inked with top talent as it shores up its relationships across Hollywood, even as it has taken some reputational hits in some creative corners for shelving several films. In recent months, Tom Cruise, Margot Robbie and Ryan Coogler have all inked deals with the studio.
As a director, Johnson is known for mind-bending features like Looper, big budget genre entry Star Wars: The Last Jedi and original who dunnit film series Knives Out, which has included sequel Glass Onion and an upcoming third installment, which is aiming to film later this year for Netflix. Johnson and Bergman’s work together dates back to Johnson’s directorial debut,...
The filmmaker’s T-Street banner, which he runs with producing partner Ram Bergman, has inked a two-picture producing pact with Warners, the studio announced Monday. It’s the latest in a series of deals Warners has inked with top talent as it shores up its relationships across Hollywood, even as it has taken some reputational hits in some creative corners for shelving several films. In recent months, Tom Cruise, Margot Robbie and Ryan Coogler have all inked deals with the studio.
As a director, Johnson is known for mind-bending features like Looper, big budget genre entry Star Wars: The Last Jedi and original who dunnit film series Knives Out, which has included sequel Glass Onion and an upcoming third installment, which is aiming to film later this year for Netflix. Johnson and Bergman’s work together dates back to Johnson’s directorial debut,...
- 3/18/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix has furthered its commitment to German production with an expanded slate of local projects.
At a showcase event in Berlin last night (March 13), Netflix announced a number of new titles, including feature Brick, which is currently being filmed and stars Matthias Schweighöfer, Ruby O. Fee and Frederick Lau.
Brick, about the residents of an apartment seeking a way out when their building is suddenly surrounded by a mysterious brick wall, is written and directed by Philip Koch and produced through Nocturna Productions and W&b Television.
Netflix’s focus on the German market is notable for coming at a time...
At a showcase event in Berlin last night (March 13), Netflix announced a number of new titles, including feature Brick, which is currently being filmed and stars Matthias Schweighöfer, Ruby O. Fee and Frederick Lau.
Brick, about the residents of an apartment seeking a way out when their building is suddenly surrounded by a mysterious brick wall, is written and directed by Philip Koch and produced through Nocturna Productions and W&b Television.
Netflix’s focus on the German market is notable for coming at a time...
- 3/14/2024
- ScreenDaily
Confirming Germany’s importance as a growth market, Netfix on Wednesday announced 17 new and returning shows and movies produced by some of the country’s leading producers, including docuseries “Kaulitz & Kaulitz,” about the Tokio Hotel popstar siblings, and sci-fi drama “Cassandra,” about an overzealous electronic household helper.
Netflix presented 17 feature films, series, documentaries and reality shows at a special event in Berlin.
“We have seen again and again how local stories can captivate viewers here and around the world,” said Katja Hofem, Netflix’s VP of content for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “We aim to continue this successful journey together with our partners, sharing a common goal of creating exceptional entertainment that moves and inspires people.”
Produced by Constantin Entertainment and premiering in June, “Kaulitz & Kaulitz” accompanies Tokio Hotel frontmen Bill and Tom Kaulitz, twin brothers from Magdeburg, Germany, on tour with their band and in their new home in Hollywood.
Netflix presented 17 feature films, series, documentaries and reality shows at a special event in Berlin.
“We have seen again and again how local stories can captivate viewers here and around the world,” said Katja Hofem, Netflix’s VP of content for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. “We aim to continue this successful journey together with our partners, sharing a common goal of creating exceptional entertainment that moves and inspires people.”
Produced by Constantin Entertainment and premiering in June, “Kaulitz & Kaulitz” accompanies Tokio Hotel frontmen Bill and Tom Kaulitz, twin brothers from Magdeburg, Germany, on tour with their band and in their new home in Hollywood.
- 3/13/2024
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Dashiell Hammett didn't invent detective fiction, he just perfected it — partially because he knew good and goddamn well of what he wrote. The high school dropout landed a gig with the Pinkerton National Detective Agency and evidently saw the worst side of the profession when his employer got fat off industrial cash by assigning their operatives to muscle, if not kill labor organizers. Years later, he laced his first published novel, "Red Harvest," with the bitter conscience of a man who witnessed evil but out of self-preservation did nothing.
Much of Hammett's work stings like a day drunk's swallow of rotgut whiskey, a belt they absorb over and over again to escape the awfulness of a world they cannot change in any meaningful way. The Continental Op eradicating a cluster of cold-blooded thugs with the 20-steps-ahead cool of a chess grandmaster in "Red Harvest" is so satisfying it's provided the foundation for several brilliant films.
Much of Hammett's work stings like a day drunk's swallow of rotgut whiskey, a belt they absorb over and over again to escape the awfulness of a world they cannot change in any meaningful way. The Continental Op eradicating a cluster of cold-blooded thugs with the 20-steps-ahead cool of a chess grandmaster in "Red Harvest" is so satisfying it's provided the foundation for several brilliant films.
- 1/15/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Everyone has their private list of actors who they think should be in more movies. Jessica Henwick is on my list.
The only feeling I can remember from watching "The Defenders" is being charmed by her performance as Colleen Wing. So much so that I was half-tempted to go back and watch "Iron Fist" (emphasis on half). Thankfully, I've had more options since then.
Henwick's plucky charisma carries her through both comedy and action hero roles, and it pains me when she's stuck in uninspired movies like "Underwater" or "The Gray Man." That said, she is a scene-stealer in "The Matrix Resurrections" as Bugs (as in Bunny), the blue-haired hacker who reawakens Neo (Keanu Reeves).
She's even got some directing chops; in 2022, she made and starred in her own short film, "Bus Girl," about June, an aspiring chef working in a restaurant. Shot on a Xiaomi 11 phone, Henwick uses sweeping...
The only feeling I can remember from watching "The Defenders" is being charmed by her performance as Colleen Wing. So much so that I was half-tempted to go back and watch "Iron Fist" (emphasis on half). Thankfully, I've had more options since then.
Henwick's plucky charisma carries her through both comedy and action hero roles, and it pains me when she's stuck in uninspired movies like "Underwater" or "The Gray Man." That said, she is a scene-stealer in "The Matrix Resurrections" as Bugs (as in Bunny), the blue-haired hacker who reawakens Neo (Keanu Reeves).
She's even got some directing chops; in 2022, she made and starred in her own short film, "Bus Girl," about June, an aspiring chef working in a restaurant. Shot on a Xiaomi 11 phone, Henwick uses sweeping...
- 1/13/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Tonight on “Lego Masters,” call the fashion police because we’ve got an emergency! Teams have only eight hours to build luxurious bags that are both functional and runway-worthy by showcasing their creations in a photoshoot. Show-stopping bags will secure a coveted magazine cover and the fashion fails are at risk of elimination in the all-new “Brick Chic” episode of Lego Masters airing Thursday, November 9 (9:01-10:00 Pm Et/Pt) on Fox.
With an infinite amount of Lego bricks, the realm of possibilities is endless. These ambitious teams of two will battle it out for the chance to win a $100,000 cash prize, the ultimate Lego trophy, the title of Lego Masters and for the first time ever, the winning build will be turned into an actual Lego set. Actor and executive producer Will Arnett hosts with Brickmasters Amy Corbett and Jamie Berard back as judges.
See ‘Lego Masters’:...
With an infinite amount of Lego bricks, the realm of possibilities is endless. These ambitious teams of two will battle it out for the chance to win a $100,000 cash prize, the ultimate Lego trophy, the title of Lego Masters and for the first time ever, the winning build will be turned into an actual Lego set. Actor and executive producer Will Arnett hosts with Brickmasters Amy Corbett and Jamie Berard back as judges.
See ‘Lego Masters’:...
- 11/10/2023
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
Richard Roundtree, an icon of Blaxploitation film who starred as detective John Shaft in Gordon Parks’ 1971 action thriller, died Tuesday afternoon after a short battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 81 years old.
His death was confirmed by Patrick McMinn, his manager since 1987.
“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film,” McMinn said in his statement. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”
Roundtree was a leading man from the very start of his lifetime in screen acting. After beginning his career in modeling, he secured “Shaft” at the age of 28, marking his feature debut. The MGM release earned $12 million in ticket sales off of a $500,000 production budget, helping to save the studio from bankruptcy. A breakthrough hit, “Shaft” set the tone for a prolific decade of Blaxploitation filmmaking and demonstrated Hollywood’s historical failure to consider Black talent...
His death was confirmed by Patrick McMinn, his manager since 1987.
“Richard’s work and career served as a turning point for African American leading men in film,” McMinn said in his statement. “The impact he had on the industry cannot be overstated.”
Roundtree was a leading man from the very start of his lifetime in screen acting. After beginning his career in modeling, he secured “Shaft” at the age of 28, marking his feature debut. The MGM release earned $12 million in ticket sales off of a $500,000 production budget, helping to save the studio from bankruptcy. A breakthrough hit, “Shaft” set the tone for a prolific decade of Blaxploitation filmmaking and demonstrated Hollywood’s historical failure to consider Black talent...
- 10/25/2023
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Consider this: you’ve made an acclaimed “Star Wars” sequel, reinvigorated the whodunit genre, scored an Oscar nomination and spawned an unlikely franchise. What do you do next? If you’re Rian Johnson, you turn around and offer a helping hand to young filmmakers coming up behind you, nurturing one of the buzziest movies of the fall in the process: “Fair Play.”
Writer/director Chloe Domont’s debut feature, a steamy erotic thriller about the power dynamics between two young people (Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor) who both work as financial analysts for the same cutthroat hedge fund, is an unmitigated success. After a bidding war at Sundance, the film was snatched up by Netflix for a cool $20 million, and it’s now currently one of the most-watched new titles on the platform following its release earlier this month.
Johnson and Bergman met in 2002. “I had been trying to get...
Writer/director Chloe Domont’s debut feature, a steamy erotic thriller about the power dynamics between two young people (Alden Ehrenreich and Phoebe Dynevor) who both work as financial analysts for the same cutthroat hedge fund, is an unmitigated success. After a bidding war at Sundance, the film was snatched up by Netflix for a cool $20 million, and it’s now currently one of the most-watched new titles on the platform following its release earlier this month.
Johnson and Bergman met in 2002. “I had been trying to get...
- 10/13/2023
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
‘Lego Masters’ season 4 episode 3 recap: Who was eliminated in ‘Volcanic Brick-Ruption’? [Live Blog]
Tonight on “Lego Masters,” grab your goggles because this week’s challenge calls for teams to embrace the fury of a volcanic eruption in their builds. In only 12 hours, the builders must skillfully construct a scene that weaves a captivating tale inspired by their chosen biome. It is crucial for each duo to execute an explosion and create a compelling narrative in their build to stay in the competition in the all-new “Volcanic Brickruptions” episode of “Lego Masters” airing Thursday, October 12 (9:00-10:00 Pm Et/Pt) on Fox. Follow our live blog below.
With an infinite amount of Lego bricks, the realm of possibilities is endless. These ambitious teams of two will battle it out for the chance to win a $100,000 cash prize, the ultimate Lego trophy, the title of Lego Masters and for the first time ever, the winning build will be turned into an actual Lego set.
With an infinite amount of Lego bricks, the realm of possibilities is endless. These ambitious teams of two will battle it out for the chance to win a $100,000 cash prize, the ultimate Lego trophy, the title of Lego Masters and for the first time ever, the winning build will be turned into an actual Lego set.
- 10/13/2023
- by Denton Davidson
- Gold Derby
Clockwork from top left: Clue (Screenshot: Paramount Pictures/Youtube), Death On The Nile (Screenshot: 20th Century Studios/YouTube), Gosford Park (Screenshot: Focus Features/YouTube), Bad Times At The El Royale (Screenshot: 20th Century Studios/YouTube)
This weekend sees the release of A Haunting In Venice, director Kenneth Branagh’s third...
This weekend sees the release of A Haunting In Venice, director Kenneth Branagh’s third...
- 9/15/2023
- by Jorge Molina
- avclub.com
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Anthology Film Archives
Eight films by Nagisa Ōshima, one of the greatest Japanese directors, are subject of a retrospective.
Film at Lincoln Center
As The Mother and the Whore continues in a 4K restoration, the full Jean Eustache retrospective gets underway; Out of Sight plays for free this Friday night on Governors Island.
Roxy Cinema
35mm prints of Casino and Visconti’s The Damned screen, while Party Girl and Brick and Mirror show in 4K restorations.
Metrograph
Documentary filmmaker Tom Palazzolo is subject of a rare retrospective.
Film Forum
Godard’s Contempt and Midnight Cowboy play in 4K restorations.
Museum of the Moving Image
The original Star Wars trilogy, Roger Rabbit, and An American Werewolf in London play in a summer movie series, while a print of The Royal Tenenbaums screens on Saturday and Sunday; The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms also shows.
Anthology Film Archives
Eight films by Nagisa Ōshima, one of the greatest Japanese directors, are subject of a retrospective.
Film at Lincoln Center
As The Mother and the Whore continues in a 4K restoration, the full Jean Eustache retrospective gets underway; Out of Sight plays for free this Friday night on Governors Island.
Roxy Cinema
35mm prints of Casino and Visconti’s The Damned screen, while Party Girl and Brick and Mirror show in 4K restorations.
Metrograph
Documentary filmmaker Tom Palazzolo is subject of a rare retrospective.
Film Forum
Godard’s Contempt and Midnight Cowboy play in 4K restorations.
Museum of the Moving Image
The original Star Wars trilogy, Roger Rabbit, and An American Werewolf in London play in a summer movie series, while a print of The Royal Tenenbaums screens on Saturday and Sunday; The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms also shows.
- 7/6/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Ever since his debut feature “Brick,” writer-director Rian Johnson has been a reliable creator of intricately structured thrillers that skillfully weave plot, theme, and character into perfectly calibrated pieces of smart and satisfying entertainment. Johnson’s Peacock show “Poker Face,” a mystery series that follows eccentric fugitive Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) as she solves crimes using a unique gift (she can tell whenever someone is lying), is no different, but in telling its story over the course of 10 episodes, it adds a whole new dimension to Johnson’s form of storytelling.
“Poker Face” has many remarkable qualities, but perhaps the most impressive is the combination of standalone episodes with the serialization of Charlie’s story — it’s the closest any show has come to Johnson’s beloved “Columbo” since that series went off the air and a treat for fans who got essentially a new Natasha Lyonne movie every week.
The...
“Poker Face” has many remarkable qualities, but perhaps the most impressive is the combination of standalone episodes with the serialization of Charlie’s story — it’s the closest any show has come to Johnson’s beloved “Columbo” since that series went off the air and a treat for fans who got essentially a new Natasha Lyonne movie every week.
The...
- 6/6/2023
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
The Lego Racers series made itself distinct from other racing games, namely Mario Kart, by embracing open-world adventure gameplay alongside racing. And it’s easy to understand the simple pleasure of this series: Take the build-anything ethos of the popular toy brand and apply it to an automobile assembled by the player, which can then be driven around a world composed entirely of Lego blocks and raced against other similarly imaginative cars.
A spiritual sequel to the original Lego Racers, Lego 2K Drive has you starting a new racing career in Bricklandia and taking on rivals to earn access to Grand Brick Arena races, each set in one of four uniquely themed environments, which, in turn, have their own unique hazards, such as alien invasions in the desert world of Big Butte County and car-sized spiders in the haunted world of Hauntsborough. Progression involves winning events to obtain flags, ranging...
A spiritual sequel to the original Lego Racers, Lego 2K Drive has you starting a new racing career in Bricklandia and taking on rivals to earn access to Grand Brick Arena races, each set in one of four uniquely themed environments, which, in turn, have their own unique hazards, such as alien invasions in the desert world of Big Butte County and car-sized spiders in the haunted world of Hauntsborough. Progression involves winning events to obtain flags, ranging...
- 5/18/2023
- by Ryan Aston
- Slant Magazine
Stars: Henry Golding, Sam Neill, Noomi Rapace, Daniela Melchior, Claudio Del Falco, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Anastasia Doaga | Written by Thomas Dunn | Directed by Camille Delamarre
Henry Golding and Noomi Rapace headline this hitman mystery thriller from director Camille Delamarre. Sadly, Assassin Club isn’t going to do either of them any favours and the only mystery about it is how it got made in the first place.
Golding plays Morgan, one of those international assassins who’s quite happy to murder for a living, as long as his targets are certifiable bad guys like drug lords or sex traffickers. He receives his orders from Caldwell (Sam Neill), his handler-slash-mentor, and otherwise enjoys a quiet life with his girlfriend Sophie (Daniela Melchior), a primary school teacher who remains blissfully ignorant of his extra-curricular activities. However, all that changes when Morgan accepts a contract to take out seven international assassins, only to discover...
Henry Golding and Noomi Rapace headline this hitman mystery thriller from director Camille Delamarre. Sadly, Assassin Club isn’t going to do either of them any favours and the only mystery about it is how it got made in the first place.
Golding plays Morgan, one of those international assassins who’s quite happy to murder for a living, as long as his targets are certifiable bad guys like drug lords or sex traffickers. He receives his orders from Caldwell (Sam Neill), his handler-slash-mentor, and otherwise enjoys a quiet life with his girlfriend Sophie (Daniela Melchior), a primary school teacher who remains blissfully ignorant of his extra-curricular activities. However, all that changes when Morgan accepts a contract to take out seven international assassins, only to discover...
- 4/14/2023
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
Back when I worked a desk job, I always looked forward to my business trips to the UK. It was great to have a little jolly on the company's tab and a few days off from regular dad duty. I couldn't wait for that big comfy hotel bed all to myself and get some solid sleep without kids waking me up in the middle of the night.
That was the theory, anyway. When I actually got into that big comfy hotel bed, I couldn't sleep at all. It was just too uncannily quiet and it felt so weird being the only person in the room. So instead of catching up on some sleep, I'd return to my family even more knackered than before.
I faced a similar problem when I separated from my partner and moved out last October. Sleeping by myself again proved a bit tricky after 18 years of living with someone.
That was the theory, anyway. When I actually got into that big comfy hotel bed, I couldn't sleep at all. It was just too uncannily quiet and it felt so weird being the only person in the room. So instead of catching up on some sleep, I'd return to my family even more knackered than before.
I faced a similar problem when I separated from my partner and moved out last October. Sleeping by myself again proved a bit tricky after 18 years of living with someone.
- 3/7/2023
- by Lee Adams
- Slash Film
This article contains spoilers for "Poker Face."
The penultimate episode of "Poker Face" season 1, "Escape From S*** Mountain," saw our favorite lie-detector Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) avenge three murders and narrowly escape an early grave herself.
This episode is also the third and final episode that creator Rian Johnson personally directed this season. Johnson wears his filmmaking influences on his sleeve, like how "The Last Jedi" includes a casino-set crane shot homaging 1927 silent classic "Wings." Johnson is also the first director to get a "Vertigo" dolly-zoom into a "Star Wars" movie. "Brick" and The Benoit Blanc series are loving homages to mystery fiction of all sorts, and eagle-eyed viewers of "Knives Out" might have noticed a sly reference to Anthony Shaffer's "Sleuth."
Johnson's directing "Escape from S*** Mountain" demonstrates the same overflowing, omnivorous love for cinema that his film work does. That love again manifests in homage, both in...
The penultimate episode of "Poker Face" season 1, "Escape From S*** Mountain," saw our favorite lie-detector Charlie Cale (Natasha Lyonne) avenge three murders and narrowly escape an early grave herself.
This episode is also the third and final episode that creator Rian Johnson personally directed this season. Johnson wears his filmmaking influences on his sleeve, like how "The Last Jedi" includes a casino-set crane shot homaging 1927 silent classic "Wings." Johnson is also the first director to get a "Vertigo" dolly-zoom into a "Star Wars" movie. "Brick" and The Benoit Blanc series are loving homages to mystery fiction of all sorts, and eagle-eyed viewers of "Knives Out" might have noticed a sly reference to Anthony Shaffer's "Sleuth."
Johnson's directing "Escape from S*** Mountain" demonstrates the same overflowing, omnivorous love for cinema that his film work does. That love again manifests in homage, both in...
- 3/7/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Spoiler Alert: This interview contains spoilers from “Poker Face” Episode 9, “Escape From Shit Mountain,” now streaming on Peacock.
A week before the “Poker Face” Season 1 finale, Thursday’s episode featured one of series creator Rian Johnson’s favorite collaborators — Joseph Gordon-Levitt. And with “Poker Face” being the show it is, if you aren’t Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale, you’re either a murder victim, the murderer or an innocent bystander who gets caught in the crossfire.
Lucky for Gordon-Levitt, who says he was thrilled to learn that “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion” filmmaker Johnson had assigned him a ultimate “total dick” role. Gordon-Levitt was not just the murderer in this installment, “Escape From Shit Mountain,” but the most prolific murderer of the first season — someone who actually attempts to kill Charlie herself.
“I would have done anything, I would have done any role,” says Gordon-Levitt, who has done voice...
A week before the “Poker Face” Season 1 finale, Thursday’s episode featured one of series creator Rian Johnson’s favorite collaborators — Joseph Gordon-Levitt. And with “Poker Face” being the show it is, if you aren’t Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale, you’re either a murder victim, the murderer or an innocent bystander who gets caught in the crossfire.
Lucky for Gordon-Levitt, who says he was thrilled to learn that “Knives Out” and “Glass Onion” filmmaker Johnson had assigned him a ultimate “total dick” role. Gordon-Levitt was not just the murderer in this installment, “Escape From Shit Mountain,” but the most prolific murderer of the first season — someone who actually attempts to kill Charlie herself.
“I would have done anything, I would have done any role,” says Gordon-Levitt, who has done voice...
- 3/2/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
[This story contains major spoilers to the penultimate episode in season one of Poker Face, “Escape From Shit Mountain.”]
After delighting audiences with his unsuspecting cameos, Joseph Gordon-Levitt finally steps back into Rian Johnson’s frame on Poker Face.
Since starring in Johnson’s directorial debut, the 2005 indie movie Brick, the actor has appeared in every movie Johnson has helmed. In addition to his starring role in 2012’s Looper, the Johnson favorite has made harder-to-spot cameos, including his secret role of Slowen-Lo in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and two voice roles in the Knives Out films — including the sound of “the Hourly Dong,” which goes off every hour in the Edward Norton-starring sequel, Glass Onion.
For the penultimate episode of Poker Face‘s first season, Gordon-Levitt was able to take on a starring guest role for the pivotal installment, “Escape From Shit Mountain,” which was written by showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman and directed by Johnson.
“Finally, the schedule worked out,...
After delighting audiences with his unsuspecting cameos, Joseph Gordon-Levitt finally steps back into Rian Johnson’s frame on Poker Face.
Since starring in Johnson’s directorial debut, the 2005 indie movie Brick, the actor has appeared in every movie Johnson has helmed. In addition to his starring role in 2012’s Looper, the Johnson favorite has made harder-to-spot cameos, including his secret role of Slowen-Lo in Star Wars: The Last Jedi and two voice roles in the Knives Out films — including the sound of “the Hourly Dong,” which goes off every hour in the Edward Norton-starring sequel, Glass Onion.
For the penultimate episode of Poker Face‘s first season, Gordon-Levitt was able to take on a starring guest role for the pivotal installment, “Escape From Shit Mountain,” which was written by showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman and directed by Johnson.
“Finally, the schedule worked out,...
- 3/2/2023
- by Jackie Strause
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Three years after his PGA Awards nomination for outstanding producer of theatrical motion pictures for Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, Ram Bergman has pulled off another one for its sequel, Glass Onion.
Bergman and Johnson first worked together on the director’s 2005 debut Brick, and two decades later — after hits like Looper and Star Wars: The Last Jedi made them highly sought after — they are now producing titles from other emerging filmmakers under a joint venture with their T-Street banner and studio MRC.
The partnership’s first feature, Fair Play, a romantic thriller about two competing hedge fund employees, became the breakout at Sundance this year, selling to Netflix for $20 million despite little pre-fest buzz. Ahead of the 34th Producers Guild of America Awards on Feb. 25, where the guild also will hand out special honors to Tom Cruise, Mindy Kaling and Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, Bergman spoke with...
Bergman and Johnson first worked together on the director’s 2005 debut Brick, and two decades later — after hits like Looper and Star Wars: The Last Jedi made them highly sought after — they are now producing titles from other emerging filmmakers under a joint venture with their T-Street banner and studio MRC.
The partnership’s first feature, Fair Play, a romantic thriller about two competing hedge fund employees, became the breakout at Sundance this year, selling to Netflix for $20 million despite little pre-fest buzz. Ahead of the 34th Producers Guild of America Awards on Feb. 25, where the guild also will hand out special honors to Tom Cruise, Mindy Kaling and Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, Bergman spoke with...
- 2/24/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Most filmmakers get bit by the movie bug early in life. They walk out of "Star Wars," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," or "Jurassic Park," and, like getting off a great amusement park ride, are desperate to get back in line to relive the experience all over again. At some point, they have to go home. That's where the dreaming starts. They imagine the further adventures of their big screen heroes, and, eventually, craft whole universes of their own. Sure, they'd love to add their own chapter to the "Indiana Jones" films, but what they really want is to create their own Indiana Jones. As they get older and discover other genres like Westerns, musicals, and gangster flicks, they study their tropes and unavoidably put their own spin on them.
The best filmmakers are the ones who seek not to replicate their formative experiences, but to work within different genres on their own terms.
The best filmmakers are the ones who seek not to replicate their formative experiences, but to work within different genres on their own terms.
- 1/27/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Midway through the “Poker Face” premiere, Adrien Brody’s smarmy casino boss recounts the legend behind Natasha Lyonne’s card-playing prowess. “She played straight,” Sterling Frost Jr. says. “And yet she played with an almost unnatural infallibility.” Soon, we find out why: Lyonne’s Charlie Cale always knows when someone’s lying. Whether it’s her best friend promising she’s fine after a fight with her husband or a stranger trying to bluff his way to the pot, Charlie sniffs out bullshit every time it drifts her way. “Just that something is off,” she says by way of explanation. “I can just tell.”
Charlie’s miraculous modus operandi — the ace up her sleeve, if you will — isn’t just a savvy twist for a TV detective; it also doubles as an explanation for how great storytellers should present a mystery. Even when watching a con, audiences don’t want...
Charlie’s miraculous modus operandi — the ace up her sleeve, if you will — isn’t just a savvy twist for a TV detective; it also doubles as an explanation for how great storytellers should present a mystery. Even when watching a con, audiences don’t want...
- 1/25/2023
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Talk to anyone involved with Peacock detective series Poker Face long enough and they’ll eventually, invariably invoke the name of one of television’s most iconic characters: Columbo.
Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo (first name unknown but probably Frank) first appeared in the 1968 pilot episode of what would become the beloved long-running gumshoe series bearing his name. As portrayed by veteran actor Peter Falk, Columbo continued the Sherlock Holmes tradition of intensely idiosyncratic problem-solvers. Unapologetically blue collar with his wrinkly beige raincoat and perpetually-lit cigar, the detective would drop into crime scenes like an unassuming transient. Then he would lull murderers into a false sense of security with his benign presence only to then lay down the hammer with a well-placed “just one more thing … ” and ask the question that will close the case for good.
Structurally, Columbo was refreshingly revelatory for its medium. The series...
Los Angeles Police Department homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo (first name unknown but probably Frank) first appeared in the 1968 pilot episode of what would become the beloved long-running gumshoe series bearing his name. As portrayed by veteran actor Peter Falk, Columbo continued the Sherlock Holmes tradition of intensely idiosyncratic problem-solvers. Unapologetically blue collar with his wrinkly beige raincoat and perpetually-lit cigar, the detective would drop into crime scenes like an unassuming transient. Then he would lull murderers into a false sense of security with his benign presence only to then lay down the hammer with a well-placed “just one more thing … ” and ask the question that will close the case for good.
Structurally, Columbo was refreshingly revelatory for its medium. The series...
- 1/25/2023
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
Talk about a plan that even Benoit Blanc himself would have to sit back and admire. After emerging as one of the most creative and talented up-and-coming artists with a number of original films, starting with "Brick" and continuing with "The Brothers Bloom" and "Looper," Rian Johnson leveraged his experiences on both "Breaking Bad" (where he directed two of the best episodes in the entire series) and "Star Wars" to firmly establish himself as one of the most exciting filmmakers in the business right now. With both "Knives Out" and its sequel "Glass Onion" under his belt, Johnson's hold on pop culture is about to continue with the Natasha Lyonne-starring series "Poker Face."
But what about the storyteller's next big-screen outing? To nobody's surprise, the break-out success of the Benoit Blanc series has ensured that audiences will receive a steady diet of murder-mysteries starring Daniel Craig's rambunctious detective for years to come.
But what about the storyteller's next big-screen outing? To nobody's surprise, the break-out success of the Benoit Blanc series has ensured that audiences will receive a steady diet of murder-mysteries starring Daniel Craig's rambunctious detective for years to come.
- 1/18/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Now that Rian Johnson has discovered television, the future of the “Knives Out” franchise is in big trouble.
Ok, so not really. But the red-hot “Glass Onion” writer-director told a gathering of TV critics on Sunday that his experience creating and writing the upcoming Peacock series “Poker Face” was “much more fun” than penning feature-length screenplays, like “Looper,” “Brick,” and presumably the “Star Wars” stuff.
Johnson has directed television before, notably the classic “Ozymandias” episode of “Breaking Bad” Season 5, but he had never created a series before “Poker Face” — so he never really spent time in a writers room. The collaborative experience beat the hell out of the solitude that came with his movie work.
“I honestly had a blast,” Johnson said at NBCUniversal’s Television Critics Association winter press tour day. “Writing in terms of my own features where I just sit in a room and eat horribly and...
Ok, so not really. But the red-hot “Glass Onion” writer-director told a gathering of TV critics on Sunday that his experience creating and writing the upcoming Peacock series “Poker Face” was “much more fun” than penning feature-length screenplays, like “Looper,” “Brick,” and presumably the “Star Wars” stuff.
Johnson has directed television before, notably the classic “Ozymandias” episode of “Breaking Bad” Season 5, but he had never created a series before “Poker Face” — so he never really spent time in a writers room. The collaborative experience beat the hell out of the solitude that came with his movie work.
“I honestly had a blast,” Johnson said at NBCUniversal’s Television Critics Association winter press tour day. “Writing in terms of my own features where I just sit in a room and eat horribly and...
- 1/15/2023
- by Tony Maglio
- Indiewire
When Rian Johnson’s Brick arrived at Sundance in 2005, it was a bit like its namesake being thrown through a window. Here was a first-time feature, from a guy barely out of his 20s, talking about the high school experience. That wasn’t the unusual part for a Sundance indie though; the strange bit is that Johnson had made the high school experience look indistinguishable from a Dashiell Hammett novel. Brick was a full-throated, grizzled-to-the-bone noir about characters barely old enough to shave!
This has of course been the fascinating paradox of Johnson’s career as it’s unfolded over the last several decades: one of the most excitingly new, modern filmmakers cheekily and eagerly relies on the cinematic vernacular of nearly a century ago. These sometimes jarring sensibilities have found surprising harmony, too, across the writer-director’s six feature films to date. Along the way, he’s masterminded an...
This has of course been the fascinating paradox of Johnson’s career as it’s unfolded over the last several decades: one of the most excitingly new, modern filmmakers cheekily and eagerly relies on the cinematic vernacular of nearly a century ago. These sometimes jarring sensibilities have found surprising harmony, too, across the writer-director’s six feature films to date. Along the way, he’s masterminded an...
- 1/14/2023
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Poker Face is the upcoming series directed by Rian Johnson, and starring Natasha Lyonne with Adrien Brody, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Nick Nolte and Ron Perlman. The script is based on a story by Charlie Peppers.
Streaming this January on Peacock.
Premise
This mystery-of-the-week series follows Charlie Cale, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.
Release Date
January 26, 2023
Where to Watch Poker Face
Peacock
Poker Face (2023-) Director
Rian Craig Johnson is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film Brick (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly 4 million on a 450,000 budget. Transitioning to higher-profile films, Johnson achieved mainstream recognition for writing and directing the science-fiction thriller Looper (2012) to critical and commercial success. Johnson landed his...
Streaming this January on Peacock.
Premise
This mystery-of-the-week series follows Charlie Cale, who has an extraordinary ability to determine when someone is lying. She hits the road with her Plymouth Barracuda and with every stop encounters a new cast of characters and strange crimes she can’t help but solve.
Release Date
January 26, 2023
Where to Watch Poker Face
Peacock
Poker Face (2023-) Director
Rian Craig Johnson is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film Brick (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly 4 million on a 450,000 budget. Transitioning to higher-profile films, Johnson achieved mainstream recognition for writing and directing the science-fiction thriller Looper (2012) to critical and commercial success. Johnson landed his...
- 1/7/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
In a film featuring a (in some cases literal) murderer’s row of movie-star performances, the “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” character that has received the most ink since its Netflix premiere on December 23 is Derol, the Corona-toting slacker who briefly appears in only a handful of scenes — but steals every one of them. Played by Noah Segan, who has appeared in every one of Rian Johnson’s films to date, Derol has taken on a life of his own, becoming a favorite even on the periphery of the murder-mystery action, and perhaps because of that, a meme.
my brother in christ has mastered the art of minding your gd business. #GlassOnion pic.twitter.com/mcSzYfMtI4
— Brittani Warrick (@BrittaniWarrick) December 27, 2022
Give us the Derol Cut!https://t.co/4DD1bODTuH
— Ronn Dech (@RHDech) January 3, 2023
As unimportant as the character may be to the machinery of the film’s tightly-wound plotting,...
my brother in christ has mastered the art of minding your gd business. #GlassOnion pic.twitter.com/mcSzYfMtI4
— Brittani Warrick (@BrittaniWarrick) December 27, 2022
Give us the Derol Cut!https://t.co/4DD1bODTuH
— Ronn Dech (@RHDech) January 3, 2023
As unimportant as the character may be to the machinery of the film’s tightly-wound plotting,...
- 1/6/2023
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
It's (another) Rian Johnson whodunnit! The news that Johnson was teaming up with Natasha Lyonne for a puzzle-of-the-week series for Peacock called "Poker Face" was exciting enough when we only had the success of his mysteries "Brick" and "Knives Out" to go off of, but after the hilarious delights of "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," Johnson may have carved himself a little niche as Hollywood's go-to director for stories of mystery and intrigue. "Poker Face" marks Johnson's return to the small screen, after having directed some all-time great episodes of "Breaking Bad," but this is his first project where he's got full creative control.
Lyonne plays an accidental detective named Charlie Cale, who has been gifted with the innate ability to tell if someone is lying. A sleuth with the ability to sniff out fibbing is one hell of an advantage in the line of duty but poses a...
Lyonne plays an accidental detective named Charlie Cale, who has been gifted with the innate ability to tell if someone is lying. A sleuth with the ability to sniff out fibbing is one hell of an advantage in the line of duty but poses a...
- 12/28/2022
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Glass Onion, the sequel to Rian Johnson’s hit 2019 murder mystery film Knives Out, has finally arrived on Netflix.
Glass Onion has been warmly received by critics, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey describing it as “populist entertainment with its head screwed on right”.
It’s fair to say not everyone agrees, however.
The film sees Daniel Craig return as the ace sleuth Benoit Blanc, surrounded by a host of new characters played by Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline.
In addition to the core cast, however, Glass Onion also featured a number of high-profile celebrity cameos.
While most of these were hard to miss, there was one secret cameo that only came to light after the filmmakers gave it away.
Here’s a rundown of all the celebrity cameos in the film...
Yo-Yo Ma
Revered classical cellist...
Glass Onion has been warmly received by critics, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey describing it as “populist entertainment with its head screwed on right”.
It’s fair to say not everyone agrees, however.
The film sees Daniel Craig return as the ace sleuth Benoit Blanc, surrounded by a host of new characters played by Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline.
In addition to the core cast, however, Glass Onion also featured a number of high-profile celebrity cameos.
While most of these were hard to miss, there was one secret cameo that only came to light after the filmmakers gave it away.
Here’s a rundown of all the celebrity cameos in the film...
Yo-Yo Ma
Revered classical cellist...
- 12/28/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
Glass Onion, the sequel to Rian Johnson’s hit 2019 murder mystery film Knives Out, has finally arrived on Netflix.
Glass Onion has been warmly received by critics, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey describing it as “populist entertainment with its head screwed on right”.
It’s fair to say not everyone agrees, however.
The film sees Daniel Craig return as the ace sleuth Benoit Blanc, surrounded by a host of new characters played by Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline.
In addition to the core cast, however, Glass Onion also featured a number of high-profile celebrity cameos.
While most of these were hard to miss, there was one secret cameo that only came to light after the filmmakers gave it away.
Here’s a rundown of all the celebrity cameos in the film...
Yo-Yo Ma
Revered classical cellist...
Glass Onion has been warmly received by critics, with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey describing it as “populist entertainment with its head screwed on right”.
It’s fair to say not everyone agrees, however.
The film sees Daniel Craig return as the ace sleuth Benoit Blanc, surrounded by a host of new characters played by Edward Norton, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline.
In addition to the core cast, however, Glass Onion also featured a number of high-profile celebrity cameos.
While most of these were hard to miss, there was one secret cameo that only came to light after the filmmakers gave it away.
Here’s a rundown of all the celebrity cameos in the film...
Yo-Yo Ma
Revered classical cellist...
- 12/28/2022
- by Louis Chilton
- The Independent - Film
Rian Johnson creates films that are almost guaranteed to cause a stir, and his latest, "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," which follows detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) once more after his successful first outing in "Knives Out," has already gotten quite a few people upset. Many are from the same crowd that was furious about Johnson's "Star Wars" entry, "The Last Jedi," and it got me wondering — what is it about Rian Johnson's films that get people so riled up, for better and worse? Johnson's fans are as fervent as his haters, but why? At a glance, he makes referential throwback films paying homage to the cinema he grew up with, like a cozier, cuddlier Quentin Tarantino. When you look deeper, however, there's a thread of rebellion and subversion throughout Johnson's work. His films are incredibly nostalgic, but they also force their characters and audiences to reconcile with some of the more challenging elements.
- 12/28/2022
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
With the exception of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," every Rian Johnson film released thus far has been scored by composer Nathan Johnson. As cousins, the two have collaborated on movies since they were children, giving Rian's films an extra personal touch. From the found instrument-fueled sounds on their first feature-length collaboration, "Brick," to the futuristic noir score for "Looper," Nathan Johnson has helped to make the director's films even more distinct than they already are. The composer got a chance to work with an orchestra for the first time when creating the score for Rian's 2019 whodunnit "Knives Out," and the result was a movie that had the most classical feel of any of their collaborations. Aside from Rian's movies, Nathan has also worked on films like Guillermo del Toro's "Nightmare Alley" and video games like "inFamous: Second Son."
Nathan has teamed up with Rian once again for a follow-up to "Knives Out,...
Nathan has teamed up with Rian once again for a follow-up to "Knives Out,...
- 12/23/2022
- by Ernesto Valenzuela
- Slash Film
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a murder mystery movie written and directed by Rian Johnson starring Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc, with Edward Norton, Kate Hudson and Janelle Monáe. It is now streaming on Netflix.
Premise
Multi-billionaire Miles Brun invites his closest, nearest and dearest friends to a weekend getaway to his mansion, The glass Onion, “a Commune for Creativity”, on a Greek island for a murder mystery game. World-famous detective Benoit Blanc is also invited, despite not being part of the inner circle of friends. He is there to peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding a tech billionaire and his eclectic crew of friends.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) Movie Review
What better than a good old murder mystery that counts on a prime ensemble cast to spend a couple of hours massively entertained? A delight for mystery fans.
Glass Onion: A Knives...
Premise
Multi-billionaire Miles Brun invites his closest, nearest and dearest friends to a weekend getaway to his mansion, The glass Onion, “a Commune for Creativity”, on a Greek island for a murder mystery game. World-famous detective Benoit Blanc is also invited, despite not being part of the inner circle of friends. He is there to peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding a tech billionaire and his eclectic crew of friends.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) Movie Review
What better than a good old murder mystery that counts on a prime ensemble cast to spend a couple of hours massively entertained? A delight for mystery fans.
Glass Onion: A Knives...
- 12/23/2022
- by Veronica Loop
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
Johnson talks shooting ’Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ during the pandemic and the film’s groundbreaking release strategy.
For the latest episode of The Screen Podcast we speak to filmmaker Rian Johnson about Netflix whodunnit Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
Listen below, or scroll down to download The Screen International Podcast · Rian Johnson on why theatrical and streaming should join hands
The film received an unusual week-long theatrical release in the US, UK and other select territories, ahead of its worldwide streaming bow on December 23. In a breakthrough deal, the release marked the first time a Netflix film...
For the latest episode of The Screen Podcast we speak to filmmaker Rian Johnson about Netflix whodunnit Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
Listen below, or scroll down to download The Screen International Podcast · Rian Johnson on why theatrical and streaming should join hands
The film received an unusual week-long theatrical release in the US, UK and other select territories, ahead of its worldwide streaming bow on December 23. In a breakthrough deal, the release marked the first time a Netflix film...
- 12/21/2022
- by Screen staff
- ScreenDaily
Between Brick, Knives Out, and Glass Onion, it’s pretty clear that Rian Johnson to create new series Poker Face, a case-of-the-week detective drama. With several episodes written and directed by Johnson himself (and one helmed by Lyonne), the 10-episode series is about to introduce an all-new Rian Johnson detective: meet Charlie Cale, a sleuth with an uncanny ability to detect when someone is lying to her.
For Johnson, making that ability a key part of Charlie’s character upped the challenge of penning Poker Face’s mysteries. “It presented an interesting obstruction in the writing process: how is it not over in the first five minutes of talking to the person?” he tells Empire. But as ever, it’s not only about what people say when they’re fibbing. “[Charlie] gives this monologue in the pilot about how people are constantly lying,” he says. “You have to pay attention to...
For Johnson, making that ability a key part of Charlie’s character upped the challenge of penning Poker Face’s mysteries. “It presented an interesting obstruction in the writing process: how is it not over in the first five minutes of talking to the person?” he tells Empire. But as ever, it’s not only about what people say when they’re fibbing. “[Charlie] gives this monologue in the pilot about how people are constantly lying,” he says. “You have to pay attention to...
- 12/20/2022
- by Ben Travis
- Empire - TV
Click here to read the full article.
Keith Beauchamp (Till) Till and Keith Beauchamp
The struggle to make United Artists’ Till began, for producer Beauchamp, decades before the cameras started rolling. The film chronicles the life of Mamie Till-Mobley, mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy who was brutally tortured and murdered by white supremacists in 1955 Mississippi. After his killers went unpunished, Till-Mobley became a major voice of the civil rights movement.
“[She] was my mentor and friend,” explains Beauchamp, who directed the 2005 documentary The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. “My whole career is literally based off of my work with Emmett Till. This whole struggle, for 29 years of my life, to get this story to the big screen, was the challenge. I’m resurrecting someone that I knew. Understandably, I had this high bar of what this film should look like. For 67 years, people have tried to make...
Keith Beauchamp (Till) Till and Keith Beauchamp
The struggle to make United Artists’ Till began, for producer Beauchamp, decades before the cameras started rolling. The film chronicles the life of Mamie Till-Mobley, mother of Emmett Till, the 14-year-old Black boy who was brutally tortured and murdered by white supremacists in 1955 Mississippi. After his killers went unpunished, Till-Mobley became a major voice of the civil rights movement.
“[She] was my mentor and friend,” explains Beauchamp, who directed the 2005 documentary The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till. “My whole career is literally based off of my work with Emmett Till. This whole struggle, for 29 years of my life, to get this story to the big screen, was the challenge. I’m resurrecting someone that I knew. Understandably, I had this high bar of what this film should look like. For 67 years, people have tried to make...
- 12/13/2022
- by Hilton Dresden
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Rian Johnson will be honored by Variety with the Creative Impact in Screenwriting Award at the upcoming Palm Springs International Film Festival.
“The promise of Rian Johnson’s breakthrough neo-noir thriller ‘Brick’ was realized with Johnson’s wickedly smart sci-fi hit ‘Looper’ and breakthrough mainstream success followed with his joining the hallowed ‘Star Wars’ franchise team,” Steven Gaydos, Variety’s executive vice president of content, said in an announcement. “But it’s Johnson’s creation and direction of the sensational ‘Knives Out’ comic crime film series that makes him one of world cinema’s most elegantly accomplished cinema stylists and a worthy heir to Agatha Christie and all the other greats of the ‘whodunit’ genre.”
Johnson is currently promoting his new sequel, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” a follow-up to his 2019 breakout hit “Knives Out” that features the return of his leading man, Daniel Craig, as the Southern sleuth Benoit Blanc.
“The promise of Rian Johnson’s breakthrough neo-noir thriller ‘Brick’ was realized with Johnson’s wickedly smart sci-fi hit ‘Looper’ and breakthrough mainstream success followed with his joining the hallowed ‘Star Wars’ franchise team,” Steven Gaydos, Variety’s executive vice president of content, said in an announcement. “But it’s Johnson’s creation and direction of the sensational ‘Knives Out’ comic crime film series that makes him one of world cinema’s most elegantly accomplished cinema stylists and a worthy heir to Agatha Christie and all the other greats of the ‘whodunit’ genre.”
Johnson is currently promoting his new sequel, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” a follow-up to his 2019 breakout hit “Knives Out” that features the return of his leading man, Daniel Craig, as the Southern sleuth Benoit Blanc.
- 12/13/2022
- by J. Kim Murphy
- Variety Film + TV
Director Rian Johnson's diverse filmography certainly speaks to his career's success (and uniqueness). First entering the scene with his high school neo-noir made on a shoestring budget, Johnson would go on to direct the grifting movie "The Brothers Bloom." The time-travel-centered "Looper" would follow after this. These directorial efforts would be done all while stepping into the realm of television, directing two of the more famous "Breaking Bad" episodes, "Fly" and "Ozymandias." Johnson would eventually enter a bigger spotlight when he signed on to direct the second film in Disney's "Star Wars" sequel trilogy. The middle installment, titled "Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi," received acclaim from critics but divided the "Star Wars" fanbase.
Fast forward five years and Rian Johnson has reinvigorated murder mysteries with "Knives Out," receiving a deal from Netflix to produce two more Benoit Blanc stories. This brings us to the director's latest film,...
Fast forward five years and Rian Johnson has reinvigorated murder mysteries with "Knives Out," receiving a deal from Netflix to produce two more Benoit Blanc stories. This brings us to the director's latest film,...
- 11/30/2022
- by Ernesto Valenzuela
- Slash Film
28 years ago, it was hard to get a handle on exactly what Quentin Tarantino was up to with his first two movies.
I was a freshman in college when "Reservoir Dogs" wended its way through art houses and campus theaters across the United States, and, in the mostly pre-internet era of the early '90s, it was rare to see a movie acquire a devoted cult following so rapidly sans home video release. Though Tarantino wasn't the first screenwriter of the video store generation to sprinkle pop culture references throughout his dialogue (Shane Black and Daniel Waters beat him to that particular punch), his bracingly meta take on the gangster movie was the most exciting thing to happen to the genre since Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless."
Gen X Cinephiles were still gorging themselves on "Reservoir Dogs" rewatches when "Pulp Fiction" hit theaters with a seismic impact equal to that of...
I was a freshman in college when "Reservoir Dogs" wended its way through art houses and campus theaters across the United States, and, in the mostly pre-internet era of the early '90s, it was rare to see a movie acquire a devoted cult following so rapidly sans home video release. Though Tarantino wasn't the first screenwriter of the video store generation to sprinkle pop culture references throughout his dialogue (Shane Black and Daniel Waters beat him to that particular punch), his bracingly meta take on the gangster movie was the most exciting thing to happen to the genre since Jean-Luc Godard's "Breathless."
Gen X Cinephiles were still gorging themselves on "Reservoir Dogs" rewatches when "Pulp Fiction" hit theaters with a seismic impact equal to that of...
- 11/30/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)
Rian Johnson probably could have done a great many things in the wake of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." While I'm more aware than most as to the divisive nature of the filmmaker's entry into a galaxy far, far away, at more than 1.3 billion worldwide, it's one of the 20 highest-grossing movies of all time. In the wake of that blockbuster success, Johnson decided to take a step back and do something much smaller (but not too small) in the form of 2019's "Knives Out."
Not that a filmmaker making a smaller movie after a big success is anything new, as Joss Whedon made "Much Ado About Nothing" after making "The Avengers," for example. But rarely do those smaller films themselves go on to become gigantic,...
Rian Johnson probably could have done a great many things in the wake of "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." While I'm more aware than most as to the divisive nature of the filmmaker's entry into a galaxy far, far away, at more than 1.3 billion worldwide, it's one of the 20 highest-grossing movies of all time. In the wake of that blockbuster success, Johnson decided to take a step back and do something much smaller (but not too small) in the form of 2019's "Knives Out."
Not that a filmmaker making a smaller movie after a big success is anything new, as Joss Whedon made "Much Ado About Nothing" after making "The Avengers," for example. But rarely do those smaller films themselves go on to become gigantic,...
- 11/26/2022
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
The most reassuring thing about "Glass Onion," Rian Johnson's superb follow-up to "Knives Out," is that it's subtitled "A Knives Out Mystery." Johnson's first Benoit Blanc film felt like lightning in a bottle, a non-ip movie with a big, star-studded cast that produced blockbuster box-office numbers. Even better, it was brilliant. Movies like "Knives Out" don't come around very often, although with "Glass Onion" vaulting over the lofty bar set by its predecessor, it sort of feels like they might.
In reality, a number of intimate murder mysteries have been released in the three years since "Knives Out" hit theaters. Some are classically lavish; others are quirky and comedic. Like "Knives Out," however, each one feels like a nod to Hollywood history, which is full of classic mystery films. Every one should satiate a viewer whose appetite has been whetted for tricky cases and singular detectives. So, while there...
In reality, a number of intimate murder mysteries have been released in the three years since "Knives Out" hit theaters. Some are classically lavish; others are quirky and comedic. Like "Knives Out," however, each one feels like a nod to Hollywood history, which is full of classic mystery films. Every one should satiate a viewer whose appetite has been whetted for tricky cases and singular detectives. So, while there...
- 11/23/2022
- by Scott Thomas
- Slash Film
While original adult films haven’t been faring well at the box office of late in the shadow of tentpoles, the one week Thanksgiving sneak preview of Netflix’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery looks to change the tide in its short run before hitting the service on Dec. 23.
On Crew Call today, we talk with filmmaker Rian Johnson’s cousin, Nathan Johnson, who has composed on the former’s entire big screen canon sans Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Related Story ‘Glass Onion’: Rian Johnson, Daniel Craig, Janelle Monáe & Edward Norton Reveal The Secrets Of The ‘Knives Out’ Franchise & Tease Part 3 Related Story Disregard The Corporate Noise: Disney Will Dominate Thanksgiving Box Office With 'Wakanda Forever' & 'Strange World' Related Story 'Glass Onion' Director Rian Johnson, Stars Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson & Kathryn Hahn...
On Crew Call today, we talk with filmmaker Rian Johnson’s cousin, Nathan Johnson, who has composed on the former’s entire big screen canon sans Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Related Story ‘Glass Onion’: Rian Johnson, Daniel Craig, Janelle Monáe & Edward Norton Reveal The Secrets Of The ‘Knives Out’ Franchise & Tease Part 3 Related Story Disregard The Corporate Noise: Disney Will Dominate Thanksgiving Box Office With 'Wakanda Forever' & 'Strange World' Related Story 'Glass Onion' Director Rian Johnson, Stars Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson & Kathryn Hahn...
- 11/23/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Noah Segan is very much one of those, "Hey, I know that guy" actors. For years, he has been a staple of Rian Johnson's filmography, appearing in everything from "Brick" to "Knives Out." Heck, he even had a little cameo in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." Segan has also been quite the genre mainstay, popping up in films such as "Starry Eyes" and "The Pale Door." But now, Segan has decided to step behind the camera (as well as in front of it) for his feature directorial debut, "Blood Relatives."
Segan's film, now streaming on Shudder, is a vampire comedy that co-stars Victoria Morales ("Teen Wolf"), serving as part road trip film, part coming of age movie. It centers on Francis, a 115-year-old Yiddish vampire, who still looks like his young self. He's been roaming American backroads in his beat-up muscle car for decades, trying to keep to himself.
Segan's film, now streaming on Shudder, is a vampire comedy that co-stars Victoria Morales ("Teen Wolf"), serving as part road trip film, part coming of age movie. It centers on Francis, a 115-year-old Yiddish vampire, who still looks like his young self. He's been roaming American backroads in his beat-up muscle car for decades, trying to keep to himself.
- 11/22/2022
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Rian Johnson is one of the most promising filmmakers to emerge in recent decades, with an energetic storytelling style and a penchant for narratives that capture the feel of familiar genres while subverting his audience’s expectations at nearly every turn. With a film career that — so far — almost exclusively spans the mystery and sci-fi genres, he has become one of the most intriguing contemporary pulp filmmakers we’ve got. But sometimes his cleverness can overwhelm his films and undermine what he seems to be trying to accomplish. So let’s explore his impressively creative and eccentric filmography, and rank his films from the least effective to the most.
6. “Looper” (2012)
The first half of Rian Johnson’s first sci-fi film is so intricately realized that you might not even notice it doesn’t make sense. “Looper” takes place in a world where assassins like Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are hired to...
6. “Looper” (2012)
The first half of Rian Johnson’s first sci-fi film is so intricately realized that you might not even notice it doesn’t make sense. “Looper” takes place in a world where assassins like Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) are hired to...
- 11/22/2022
- by William Bibbiani
- The Wrap
Exclusive: 93-year-old Oscar nominee June Squibb (Nebraska) has found her first, long overdue leading role in Thelma, an upcoming “action” comedy written and directed by Josh Margolin, which has wrapped production. The actress is joined in the ensemble by Fred Hechinger (The White Lotus), Richard Roundtree (Shaft), Parker Posey (The Staircase), Clark Gregg (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Malcolm McDowell (A Clockwork Orange).
Margolin’s first feature, based on a real-life experience involving his grandmother, is (half-jokingly) billed as Nebraska meets Mission: Impossible. It centers on 90-year-old grandmother Thelma Post (Squibb), who gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson and sets out on a uniquely treacherous quest to reclaim what was taken from her.
Zoë Worth, a longtime collaborator of Margolin’s, and producing partner Chris Kaye started developing Thelma after reading an early draft in their writer’s group, Rock & Roll Universe. The film will be their first produced together.
Margolin’s first feature, based on a real-life experience involving his grandmother, is (half-jokingly) billed as Nebraska meets Mission: Impossible. It centers on 90-year-old grandmother Thelma Post (Squibb), who gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson and sets out on a uniquely treacherous quest to reclaim what was taken from her.
Zoë Worth, a longtime collaborator of Margolin’s, and producing partner Chris Kaye started developing Thelma after reading an early draft in their writer’s group, Rock & Roll Universe. The film will be their first produced together.
- 11/21/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
It might sound silly to claim that a filmmaker has moved on to bigger and better things after having played in the "Star Wars" sandbox, but that's exactly what Rian Johnson has done. After guiding "The Last Jedi" to box office success and critical acclaim, the writer/director didn't miss a step as he moved on to his own original story with the 2019 murder mystery "Knives Out." Thanks in no small part to Daniel Craig's hilarious turn as the detective Benoit Blanc, audiences singlehandedly turned this one whodunnit into a 400 million franchise in the making — not bad for someone who angry fanboys predicted would be drummed out of the business altogether for daring to put his own spin on their favorite franchise. Meanwhile, "Star Wars" hasn't released a single feature film since 2019's "The Rise of Skywalker" and may not do so again for quite some time.
But that...
But that...
- 11/21/2022
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
In “Glass Onion,” the sequel to the 2019 murder mystery “Knives Out,” Rian Johnson has once again assembled an ensemble cast packed with talent and star wattage. This time out, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Edward Norton, and Leslie Odom Jr. are just some of the potential murder victims and suspects whose actions fall under the scrutiny of Daniel Craig’s ace detective Benoit Blanc. While the performances are exceptional and the writer-director’s dialogue is as fast and funny as it’s ever been, the ace up the film’s sleeve is composer Nathan Johnson’s lush, expressive score, which consistently expresses the emotions the secretive characters are trying to keep hidden.
Johnson has worked with his cousin Rian on several features, including “Brick,” “Looper,” and “Knives Out,” and the close relationship affords the composer opportunities that not many in his field get. “Usually composers are brought in at the last minute,...
Johnson has worked with his cousin Rian on several features, including “Brick,” “Looper,” and “Knives Out,” and the close relationship affords the composer opportunities that not many in his field get. “Usually composers are brought in at the last minute,...
- 11/21/2022
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
In the article series Sound and Vision we take a look at music videos from notable directors. This week we look at The Mountain Goats' Woke Up New, directed by Rian Johnson. In honor of Rian Johnson's new film Glass Onion, in theaters this Thanksgiving, let's look at the career-long love-affair between Rian Johnson and The Mountain Goats. It all started with Brick. On the soundtrack of Brick there is a song called Brain Hammer, ostensibly written and sung by a band called The Hospital Bomber Experience. That band doesn't exist, but was made up for the film. John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats immediately recognized the bandname as a reference to a fictional band in one of his songs, 'The Best Ever Death Metal...
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[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 11/21/2022
- Screen Anarchy
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