Exclusive: HBO’s Untitled Brad Ingelsby Task Force Project (working title) has three new recurring cast members: Owen Teague (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes), Dominic Colón (Power), and Margarita Levieva (The Deuce).
Teague plays Peaches, Robbie and Cliff’s co-worker by day and henchman by night. Colón portrays Deric “Breaker,” the Vice-President of a dangerous biker gang and Jayson’s right hand. Levieva’s character is Eryn, Jayson’s tough and cunning wife.
Mark Ruffalo leads the ensemble as FBI agent Tom. Additional previously announced cast includes Tom Pelphrey as Robbie; Emilia Jones as Maeve; Thuso Mbedu as Aleah; Raúl Castillo as Cliff; Jamie McShane as Perry; Sam Keeley as Jayson; Fabien Frankel as Anthony; and Alison Oliver as Lizzie.
A crime drama based on an original idea from Mare of Easttown creator Ingelsby, the show is set in the working class suburbs outside of Philadelphia, where Ruffalo...
Teague plays Peaches, Robbie and Cliff’s co-worker by day and henchman by night. Colón portrays Deric “Breaker,” the Vice-President of a dangerous biker gang and Jayson’s right hand. Levieva’s character is Eryn, Jayson’s tough and cunning wife.
Mark Ruffalo leads the ensemble as FBI agent Tom. Additional previously announced cast includes Tom Pelphrey as Robbie; Emilia Jones as Maeve; Thuso Mbedu as Aleah; Raúl Castillo as Cliff; Jamie McShane as Perry; Sam Keeley as Jayson; Fabien Frankel as Anthony; and Alison Oliver as Lizzie.
A crime drama based on an original idea from Mare of Easttown creator Ingelsby, the show is set in the working class suburbs outside of Philadelphia, where Ruffalo...
- 3/8/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Ethan Embry (Grace and Frankie) and Margarita Levieva (The Deuce) are in production in Pittsburgh on The Gymnast, a new indie marking the narrative feature debut of writer-director Charlotte Glynn. Starring alongside them is newcomer Britney Wheeler, a gymnast from upstate New York, who was discovered after a nationwide casting search, and Will Mossek (Life & Beth).
Set in Pittsburgh, 1993, The Gymnast follows an aspiring Olympic gymnast and her single father who has dedicated himself to his daughter’s success. When the young athlete suffers a potentially career-ending injury, their relationship suffers as they fight to discover who they are without gymnastics.
Pic’s producer is Ricky Tollman. Max Mooney is co-producing, with Randy Manis, Luke Spears, Henry Simonds, Offer Egozy, Liesl Wilke and Kate Geller serving as executive producers. In addition to the Sundance Institute’s Catalyst program, the project has been...
Set in Pittsburgh, 1993, The Gymnast follows an aspiring Olympic gymnast and her single father who has dedicated himself to his daughter’s success. When the young athlete suffers a potentially career-ending injury, their relationship suffers as they fight to discover who they are without gymnastics.
Pic’s producer is Ricky Tollman. Max Mooney is co-producing, with Randy Manis, Luke Spears, Henry Simonds, Offer Egozy, Liesl Wilke and Kate Geller serving as executive producers. In addition to the Sundance Institute’s Catalyst program, the project has been...
- 12/20/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The usual prep for Sundance involves a good deal of packing (warm coats, snow-ready boots, a dozen thermals and a lot of Theraflu) and several weeks of intense physical training (wind sprints to better catch fast-moving shuttles, long stairmaster sessions for those screenings at the fourth floor Library theater, extreme-cold endurance tests for long waits to enter the Eccles). This year, the suitcases sat gathering dust in the corner and the regimen was simpler: Practice opening your laptop. Now, close it. Repeat several times a day. Press remote button on,...
- 1/28/2022
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
So Yong Kim has come on board to direct the independent drama “The Pecan Man,” based on the novel by Cassie Dandridge Selleck, Variety has learned exclusively.
Claude Dal Farra, Brice Dal Farra, and Brian Keady of Bcdf Pictures are the producers. Joseph Muszynski adapted the book and is an executive producer.
Described as “To Kill a Mockingbird” meets “The Help,” “The Pecan Man” tells the story of a small 1970s southern town after a homeless black man is hastily charged with the fatal stabbing of the police chief’s son. A white widow and her black housekeeper struggle with what they know of the crime as the tragedy creeps into their lives.
Kim’s debut feature, “In Between Days,” won the special jury prize at Sundance. Her two films, “For Ellen” and “Lovesong” also premiered in competition at Sundance. She has been nominated for four Film Independent Spirit Awards,...
Claude Dal Farra, Brice Dal Farra, and Brian Keady of Bcdf Pictures are the producers. Joseph Muszynski adapted the book and is an executive producer.
Described as “To Kill a Mockingbird” meets “The Help,” “The Pecan Man” tells the story of a small 1970s southern town after a homeless black man is hastily charged with the fatal stabbing of the police chief’s son. A white widow and her black housekeeper struggle with what they know of the crime as the tragedy creeps into their lives.
Kim’s debut feature, “In Between Days,” won the special jury prize at Sundance. Her two films, “For Ellen” and “Lovesong” also premiered in competition at Sundance. She has been nominated for four Film Independent Spirit Awards,...
- 7/19/2018
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Athletes, celebrities, spectators and donors came out to support the 31st annual Nautica Malibu Triathlon presented by Equinox which raised more than $1,142,000 for Children's Hospital Los Angeles' Pediatric Cancer Research Program.
Over 5,000 participants tested their fitness by swimming, biking and running in the waters and on the sands of Malibu to benefit this special cause.
Famous Hollywood stars who lent their support and raised money for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon presented by Equinox included Heather Tom, who finished first in the celebrity female division with a time of 1:36:35 and Conrad Ricamore, who came in first in the celebrity male division with a time of 1:42:08.24. Team For The Kids took the first place spot in the co-ed celebrity relay division with an overall time of 1:23:51.84. Other stars who competed in the celebrity division included Zac Efron, James Marsden, Luke Hemsworth, Karla Souza, Jack Falahee, Beverley Mitchell and more.
Over 5,000 participants tested their fitness by swimming, biking and running in the waters and on the sands of Malibu to benefit this special cause.
Famous Hollywood stars who lent their support and raised money for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon presented by Equinox included Heather Tom, who finished first in the celebrity female division with a time of 1:36:35 and Conrad Ricamore, who came in first in the celebrity male division with a time of 1:42:08.24. Team For The Kids took the first place spot in the co-ed celebrity relay division with an overall time of 1:23:51.84. Other stars who competed in the celebrity division included Zac Efron, James Marsden, Luke Hemsworth, Karla Souza, Jack Falahee, Beverley Mitchell and more.
- 9/21/2017
- Look to the Stars
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.
Before I Fall (Ry Russo-Young)
Harold Ramis certainly didn’t invent it, but his Groundhog Day made the narrative loop device a mainstream mainstay, lovingly aped in everything from Source Code to Edge of Tomorrow to 50 First Dates. In Before I Fall, the loop treatment is utilized rather intelligently by director Ry Russo-Young, from Maria Maggenti screenplay adapted from Lauren Oliver‘s novel. – Dan M. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon,...
Before I Fall (Ry Russo-Young)
Harold Ramis certainly didn’t invent it, but his Groundhog Day made the narrative loop device a mainstream mainstay, lovingly aped in everything from Source Code to Edge of Tomorrow to 50 First Dates. In Before I Fall, the loop treatment is utilized rather intelligently by director Ry Russo-Young, from Maria Maggenti screenplay adapted from Lauren Oliver‘s novel. – Dan M. (full review)
Where to Stream: Amazon,...
- 5/19/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior, your weekly look at the new movies hitting theaters this weekend, as well as other cool events and things to check out.
This Past Weekend:
The Lego Batman Movie won the weekend as expected, but not with nearly as much money as I had predicted, not besting the opening of The Lego Movie as expected, but instead ending up with a reasonable and not so bad $53 million. Fifty Shades Darker proved that the audience for movies based on the popular books was still great enough for it to win Friday with $21 million (to Lego Batman’s $15 million) and end up second for the weekend with a strong $46.6 million. That was still almost $40 million less than the opening of the previous movie Fifty Shades of Grey, but the sequel also didn’t have the benefits of Valentine’s Day and a four-day holiday. Coming in...
This Past Weekend:
The Lego Batman Movie won the weekend as expected, but not with nearly as much money as I had predicted, not besting the opening of The Lego Movie as expected, but instead ending up with a reasonable and not so bad $53 million. Fifty Shades Darker proved that the audience for movies based on the popular books was still great enough for it to win Friday with $21 million (to Lego Batman’s $15 million) and end up second for the weekend with a strong $46.6 million. That was still almost $40 million less than the opening of the previous movie Fifty Shades of Grey, but the sequel also didn’t have the benefits of Valentine’s Day and a four-day holiday. Coming in...
- 2/15/2017
- by Edward Douglas
- LRMonline.com
Four years after working together on “For Ellen,” So Yong Kim and Jena Malone reunited for the indie filmmaker’s latest drama “Lovesong,” a tale about two friends whose relationship deepens while on a trip of self-discovery. The film’s first trailer has been released, courtesy of Strand Releasing.
The movie follows Sarah, portrayed by Riley Keough, a woman neglected by her husband who goes on an impromptu road trip with her younger daughter and best friend, Mindy (Malone). Along the way, the friends become physically intimate until Mindy leaves abruptly. After three years of not speaking to each other, the two try to reconnect in the days before Mindy’s wedding. Brooklyn Decker, Amy Seimetz, Marshall Chapman, Ryan Eggold and Rosanna Arquette co-star.
Read More: ‘American Honey’ Exclusive Featurette: Sasha Lane and Riley Keough Discuss Working With Andrea Arnold
Co-written by Kim and Bradley Rust Gray, the feature made...
The movie follows Sarah, portrayed by Riley Keough, a woman neglected by her husband who goes on an impromptu road trip with her younger daughter and best friend, Mindy (Malone). Along the way, the friends become physically intimate until Mindy leaves abruptly. After three years of not speaking to each other, the two try to reconnect in the days before Mindy’s wedding. Brooklyn Decker, Amy Seimetz, Marshall Chapman, Ryan Eggold and Rosanna Arquette co-star.
Read More: ‘American Honey’ Exclusive Featurette: Sasha Lane and Riley Keough Discuss Working With Andrea Arnold
Co-written by Kim and Bradley Rust Gray, the feature made...
- 1/7/2017
- by Liz Calvario
- Indiewire
While Sundance Film Festival 2017 is right around the corner, there’s still a handful of favorites from last year’s festival awaiting a release. One of the most acclaimed is So Yong Kim’s tender drama Lovesong, recently named one of the 50 best films from 2017 we’ve already seen. Starring Jena Malone (The Neon Demon) and Riley Keough (American Honey) as friends who reunite years later, Strand Releasing has now debuted the first trailer, which features a quote from our Sundance review.
We said in our review, “Tender and haunting, So Yong Kim’s Lovesong is a carefully observed, nuanced character study beautifully written, directed and edited. Much of the action, like in her pervious features In Between Days, Treeless Mountain and For Ellen occurs at the edge of the frame. Exploring the bounds of motherhood, childhood and maturity, Lovesong is an impressive and observant feature in which Kim allows...
We said in our review, “Tender and haunting, So Yong Kim’s Lovesong is a carefully observed, nuanced character study beautifully written, directed and edited. Much of the action, like in her pervious features In Between Days, Treeless Mountain and For Ellen occurs at the edge of the frame. Exploring the bounds of motherhood, childhood and maturity, Lovesong is an impressive and observant feature in which Kim allows...
- 1/4/2017
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
It’s always good to have a best friend to lean on, and in indie director So Yong Kim‘s “Lovesong,” that bond develops into something much more, with the relationship drama detailing the complexities that unite two women.
Read More: The 25 Best Performances Of 2016
Starring Riley Keough and Jena Malone, the latest effort the from the filmmaker behind “Treeless Mountain” and “For Ellen” is an intimate look at friends who hit the road and discover that a tighter than expected bond brings them together.
Continue reading Riley Keough & Jena Malone Have No Regrets In New Trailer For So Yong Kim’s ‘Lovesong’ at The Playlist.
Read More: The 25 Best Performances Of 2016
Starring Riley Keough and Jena Malone, the latest effort the from the filmmaker behind “Treeless Mountain” and “For Ellen” is an intimate look at friends who hit the road and discover that a tighter than expected bond brings them together.
Continue reading Riley Keough & Jena Malone Have No Regrets In New Trailer For So Yong Kim’s ‘Lovesong’ at The Playlist.
- 1/4/2017
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
All caught up with our top 50 films of 2016? It’s now time to look to the new year, and, ahead of our 100 most-anticipated films, we’re highlighting 50 titles we’ve enjoyed on the festival circuit this last year (and beyond) that will likely see a release in 2016. While the first batch have confirmed dates all the way through the summer, we’ve also included a handful that are awaiting a date and some we’re hopeful will get a release by year’s end pending acquisition. U.S. distributors: take note!
Staying Vertical (Alain Guiraudie; Jan. 20)
Those only familiar with Alain Guiraudie’s sublime Stranger By the Lake, which finally brought the gifted French director to a (relatively) wider audience following a laureled Un Certain Regard premiere in 2013, will likely find themselves confounded by its follow-up, Staying Vertical. With his first entry in Cannes’ main competition, Guiraudie returns to the...
Staying Vertical (Alain Guiraudie; Jan. 20)
Those only familiar with Alain Guiraudie’s sublime Stranger By the Lake, which finally brought the gifted French director to a (relatively) wider audience following a laureled Un Certain Regard premiere in 2013, will likely find themselves confounded by its follow-up, Staying Vertical. With his first entry in Cannes’ main competition, Guiraudie returns to the...
- 1/4/2017
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Rihanna and George Clooney Play Never Have I Ever, Would Also Like You to Please Define ‘Hooking Up’
It's true, the world still lacks a universally accepted definition for hooking up. It can mean so many things! You could be hooking up your Wi-Fi with someone. If you're, you know, 13, then maybe hooking up to you means so much less than it will at, say, 18. Rihanna and George Clooney demand answers, especially as they pertain to questions posed about their own sex lives by the world's nosiest person, Ellen DeGeneres, in a scandalous round of Never Have I Ever. Texting nudes? Clooney would never. Seeing naked rappers? "Totally," for both Rih and Clooney (after some convincing). But hooking up in the back of a car? Someone get the dictionary before we can proceed! For Ellen, it's an easy yes, so we can't be thinking too risqué, right? Nope! Oh yeah, she means "licking the envelope and seal it" (one of Rih's definitions, of course). You know...
- 2/4/2016
- by Dee Lockett
- Vulture
Tender and haunting, So Yong Kim’s Lovesong is a carefully observed, nuanced character study beautifully written, directed and edited. Much of the action, like in her pervious features In Between Days, Treeless Mountain and For Ellen occurs at the edge of the frame. Exploring the bounds of motherhood, childhood and maturity, Lovesong is an impressive and observant feature in which Kim allows the relationships the breathing room they require for authenticity.
Riley Keough stars as Sarah, a young mother who married too young. The director’s own daughters Jessie Ok Gray and Sky Ok Gray, play daughter Jessie at ages 3 and 6, respectively. Lonely and transplanted to the suburbs from the city by her absent husband Dean (played by filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga in a Skype cameo), she finds herself on the edge of depression. An old college friend Mindy (Jena Malone) re-enters her life and the three go on...
Riley Keough stars as Sarah, a young mother who married too young. The director’s own daughters Jessie Ok Gray and Sky Ok Gray, play daughter Jessie at ages 3 and 6, respectively. Lonely and transplanted to the suburbs from the city by her absent husband Dean (played by filmmaker Cary Joji Fukunaga in a Skype cameo), she finds herself on the edge of depression. An old college friend Mindy (Jena Malone) re-enters her life and the three go on...
- 1/30/2016
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
Continuing their support for women directors, Horizon Award co-founding producers Cassian Elwes, Lynette Howell Taylor, and Christine Vachon, announced the winners of the second annual Horizon Award. Academy Award nominee Chloë Sevigny will bestow up-and-coming filmmakers Macarena Gaona, Juliette Gosselin, Shanice Malakai Johnson, and Florence Pelletier with the Horizon Award at a reception in Park City, Utah, with creative talent, producers, entertainment executives and media in attendance to celebrate these rising women directors and their achievements in independent filmmaking.
The Horizon Award ceremony and reception will take place on Sunday, January 24th, 2016 at 6:30 pm at the WireImage Portrait Studio at Village at the Lift (825 Main Street, Park City), co-hosted by Jeff Vespa.
The Horizon Award is an annual award that seeks to identify and mentor talented, up-and-coming female directors – the primary goal being to support women directors early enough in their development to help them overcome the hurdles in advancing their learning curve and careers.
In addition to the Horizon Award, the four winners will receive grants from the Adrienne Shelly Foundation. The Foundation supports the artistic achievements of female filmmakers through a series of grants that reflect Adrienne Shelly’s dedication to the art of filmmaking and her own successful transition from actress to filmmaker.
This year’s winners are:
Horizon Award First Place
Juliette Gosselin (University of Quebec in Montreal) & Florence Pelletier (Concordia University, Montreal)
Co-directors of "Mes Anges à Tête Noire"
Horizon Award Runners-Up
Macarena (Macqui) Gaona (New York University) Director of "Channel 999 and Channel 1000"
Shanice Malakai Johnson (Scottsdale Community College) Director of "End to the Suffering"
On making the announcement, Cassian Elwes said: “I’m so excited to announce the winners of the second annual Horizon Award. This year’s overwhelming number of submissions and caliber of work made it very hard indeed to pick just one winner – the jury identified one grand prize winner, and two runners-up. Additionally, we have added new partners to our already formidable team – proving that not only is the move towards gender equality in the zeitgeist, but that there are very real advocates amongst our peers. After the recent summit for systemic change (hosted by Sundance and Women in Film), I am more convinced than ever that we can make a difference and that history is on our side. I remain steadfastly committed to the idea that, one day soon, women will have exactly the same opportunities as men to direct movies.”
Franklin Leonard, Founder and CEO of The Black List and one of the award’s original advocates added: “We are passionate supporters of this award that recognizes fresh voices and perspectives in storytelling. This effort mirrors our own effort – the Black List's 500 Feminist Films project, created by our Director of Community, Kate Hagen. We look forward to mentoring the winners in the year to come.”
The jury was comprised of 38 influential directors, producers, and executives from the filmmaking community who viewed 483 short film submissions from over 200 colleges and universities world-wide, including the U.S., Canada, England, Australia, India, China, South Africa, Scotland, France, Mexico, Portugal, Columbia, Brazil, Russia, Serbia, the Ukraine, and more. This year, submissions increased by over one hundred from last year, with additional countries and universities participating. Submissions were received from Nyu, USC, UCLA, Chapman, Emerson, Penn State, Loyola Marymount, University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, Syracuse, Tcu, Ryerson (Toronto), Oxford, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, University of Delhi, and more.
Now in its second year, the Horizon Award provides an all-expense-paid trip for the winning female college students to the Sundance Film Festival, where they will have the opportunity to present their films to some of the industry’s most influential names. The winners receive mentorship, festival access, and important introductions by Elwes, Howell, and Vachon to agents, producers, executives, festival staff, and other influencers throughout the Sundance Film Festival.
The Horizon Award was founded by producer, Cassian Elwes ("Margin Call," "All is Lost," "Dallas Buyers Club"), and Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, in response to a Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles study that revealed that only 4.2% of the top 100 films each year from 2002-2013 were directed by women. Elwes partnered with Howell ("Captain Fantastic," "Mississippi Grind," "Big Eyes," "The Place Beyond the Pines:), and Vachon ( "Goat," "Carol," "Boys Don’t Cry," "One Hour Photo," "Far From Heaven"), to create the award as an opportunity for young female directors to have mentorship and networking opportunities in conjunction with Sundance, the home of American Independent film.
You can see links for more info on the study:
Phase I and II
Phase III
Sponsors and Partners for the 2016 Horizon Award are: The Black List, CreativeFuture, The Creative Mind Group, Done To Your Taste Catering, FilmLA, Indiegogo, Mprm Communications, the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, Sundance Institute, Twitter, Verge, Vimeo, WireImage, Adina Design, and Women in Film. This impressive group has come together to support an award that they hope will continue to identify, nurture, and launch the careers of future female directors for years to come.
Full List of Jurors:
Stephanie Allain Producer ("Dear White People," "Hustle & Flow")
Dori Begley Magnolia Pictures (Svp, Acquisitions)
Amy Berg Director ("Janis: Little Girl Blue," "Deliver Us From Evil," "Prophet’s Prey")
Arianna Bocco IFC Films (Svp, Acquisitions & Co-Productions)
Robbie Brenner The Firm (Partner, President of Film)
Susan Carter Hall Painter
Amal ElWardi Zeal Media Company (Producer)
Cassian Elwes Producer ("Margin Call," "All is Lost," "Dallas Buyers Club")
Janet Grillo Director ("Jack of the Red Hearts," "Fly Away")
Poppy Hanks Macro Venture (Svp, Development & Production)
Catherine Hardwicke Director ("Miss You Already," "Red Riding Hood," "Twilight")
Lynette Howell Taylor Producer ("Captain Fantastic," "Mississippi Grind," "Big Eyes")
Liza Johnson Director ("Elvis & Nixon," "Return," "Hateship Loveship," "In the Air")
Eda Kowan Lionsgate (Svp, Acquisitions & Co-Productions)
Gina Kwon Amazon Studios (Executive, Comedy)
Helen Lee-Kim Good Universe (Partner, Head of International)
Laura Lewis CAA (Agent, Film Finance)
Alix Madigan Broad Green Pictures (Head, Creative)
Marianna Palka Actress/Director ("I’m the Same,""Always Worthy," "Good Dick")
Bruna Papandrea Pacific Standard (Producer/Partner)
Keri Putnam Sundance Institute (Executive Director)
Dee Rees Director ("Bessie," “Empire”)
Laura Rister Untitled Entertainment (Head of Production)
Rena Ronson UTA (Partner)
Michelle Satter Sundance Institute (Director, Feature Film Program)
Cathy Schulman Stx Entertainment (President & Chief Content Officer)
Lauren Selig Shake and Bake Productions (Executive Producer)
Mary Jane Skalski Producer ("The Visitor," "Mysterious Skin," "The Station Agent")
Lara Thompson E1 Entertainment (Svp, Worldwide Acquisitions)
Christine Vachon Producer ("Goat," "Carol," "Boys Don’t Cry")
Ruth Vitale CreativeFuture (CEO)
Angie Wang Director ("Cardinal X")
Hanna Weg Producer ("Septembers of Shiraz")
Tanya Wexler Director ("Hysteria," "Finding North," "Ball in the House")
Joanne Wiles ICM (Partner/Agent, Motion Picture Talent)
Pam Williams Pam Williams Productions ("Lee Daniels’ The Butler," "Fail Safe")
Lisa Wilson The Solution Entertainment (Co-Founder/Partner)
So Yong Kim Director ("Love Song," "For Ellen," "In Between Days")...
The Horizon Award ceremony and reception will take place on Sunday, January 24th, 2016 at 6:30 pm at the WireImage Portrait Studio at Village at the Lift (825 Main Street, Park City), co-hosted by Jeff Vespa.
The Horizon Award is an annual award that seeks to identify and mentor talented, up-and-coming female directors – the primary goal being to support women directors early enough in their development to help them overcome the hurdles in advancing their learning curve and careers.
In addition to the Horizon Award, the four winners will receive grants from the Adrienne Shelly Foundation. The Foundation supports the artistic achievements of female filmmakers through a series of grants that reflect Adrienne Shelly’s dedication to the art of filmmaking and her own successful transition from actress to filmmaker.
This year’s winners are:
Horizon Award First Place
Juliette Gosselin (University of Quebec in Montreal) & Florence Pelletier (Concordia University, Montreal)
Co-directors of "Mes Anges à Tête Noire"
Horizon Award Runners-Up
Macarena (Macqui) Gaona (New York University) Director of "Channel 999 and Channel 1000"
Shanice Malakai Johnson (Scottsdale Community College) Director of "End to the Suffering"
On making the announcement, Cassian Elwes said: “I’m so excited to announce the winners of the second annual Horizon Award. This year’s overwhelming number of submissions and caliber of work made it very hard indeed to pick just one winner – the jury identified one grand prize winner, and two runners-up. Additionally, we have added new partners to our already formidable team – proving that not only is the move towards gender equality in the zeitgeist, but that there are very real advocates amongst our peers. After the recent summit for systemic change (hosted by Sundance and Women in Film), I am more convinced than ever that we can make a difference and that history is on our side. I remain steadfastly committed to the idea that, one day soon, women will have exactly the same opportunities as men to direct movies.”
Franklin Leonard, Founder and CEO of The Black List and one of the award’s original advocates added: “We are passionate supporters of this award that recognizes fresh voices and perspectives in storytelling. This effort mirrors our own effort – the Black List's 500 Feminist Films project, created by our Director of Community, Kate Hagen. We look forward to mentoring the winners in the year to come.”
The jury was comprised of 38 influential directors, producers, and executives from the filmmaking community who viewed 483 short film submissions from over 200 colleges and universities world-wide, including the U.S., Canada, England, Australia, India, China, South Africa, Scotland, France, Mexico, Portugal, Columbia, Brazil, Russia, Serbia, the Ukraine, and more. This year, submissions increased by over one hundred from last year, with additional countries and universities participating. Submissions were received from Nyu, USC, UCLA, Chapman, Emerson, Penn State, Loyola Marymount, University of Wisconsin, University of Washington, Syracuse, Tcu, Ryerson (Toronto), Oxford, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, University of Delhi, and more.
Now in its second year, the Horizon Award provides an all-expense-paid trip for the winning female college students to the Sundance Film Festival, where they will have the opportunity to present their films to some of the industry’s most influential names. The winners receive mentorship, festival access, and important introductions by Elwes, Howell, and Vachon to agents, producers, executives, festival staff, and other influencers throughout the Sundance Film Festival.
The Horizon Award was founded by producer, Cassian Elwes ("Margin Call," "All is Lost," "Dallas Buyers Club"), and Michelle Satter, Founding Director, Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program, in response to a Sundance Institute and Women In Film Los Angeles study that revealed that only 4.2% of the top 100 films each year from 2002-2013 were directed by women. Elwes partnered with Howell ("Captain Fantastic," "Mississippi Grind," "Big Eyes," "The Place Beyond the Pines:), and Vachon ( "Goat," "Carol," "Boys Don’t Cry," "One Hour Photo," "Far From Heaven"), to create the award as an opportunity for young female directors to have mentorship and networking opportunities in conjunction with Sundance, the home of American Independent film.
You can see links for more info on the study:
Phase I and II
Phase III
Sponsors and Partners for the 2016 Horizon Award are: The Black List, CreativeFuture, The Creative Mind Group, Done To Your Taste Catering, FilmLA, Indiegogo, Mprm Communications, the Adrienne Shelly Foundation, Sundance Institute, Twitter, Verge, Vimeo, WireImage, Adina Design, and Women in Film. This impressive group has come together to support an award that they hope will continue to identify, nurture, and launch the careers of future female directors for years to come.
Full List of Jurors:
Stephanie Allain Producer ("Dear White People," "Hustle & Flow")
Dori Begley Magnolia Pictures (Svp, Acquisitions)
Amy Berg Director ("Janis: Little Girl Blue," "Deliver Us From Evil," "Prophet’s Prey")
Arianna Bocco IFC Films (Svp, Acquisitions & Co-Productions)
Robbie Brenner The Firm (Partner, President of Film)
Susan Carter Hall Painter
Amal ElWardi Zeal Media Company (Producer)
Cassian Elwes Producer ("Margin Call," "All is Lost," "Dallas Buyers Club")
Janet Grillo Director ("Jack of the Red Hearts," "Fly Away")
Poppy Hanks Macro Venture (Svp, Development & Production)
Catherine Hardwicke Director ("Miss You Already," "Red Riding Hood," "Twilight")
Lynette Howell Taylor Producer ("Captain Fantastic," "Mississippi Grind," "Big Eyes")
Liza Johnson Director ("Elvis & Nixon," "Return," "Hateship Loveship," "In the Air")
Eda Kowan Lionsgate (Svp, Acquisitions & Co-Productions)
Gina Kwon Amazon Studios (Executive, Comedy)
Helen Lee-Kim Good Universe (Partner, Head of International)
Laura Lewis CAA (Agent, Film Finance)
Alix Madigan Broad Green Pictures (Head, Creative)
Marianna Palka Actress/Director ("I’m the Same,""Always Worthy," "Good Dick")
Bruna Papandrea Pacific Standard (Producer/Partner)
Keri Putnam Sundance Institute (Executive Director)
Dee Rees Director ("Bessie," “Empire”)
Laura Rister Untitled Entertainment (Head of Production)
Rena Ronson UTA (Partner)
Michelle Satter Sundance Institute (Director, Feature Film Program)
Cathy Schulman Stx Entertainment (President & Chief Content Officer)
Lauren Selig Shake and Bake Productions (Executive Producer)
Mary Jane Skalski Producer ("The Visitor," "Mysterious Skin," "The Station Agent")
Lara Thompson E1 Entertainment (Svp, Worldwide Acquisitions)
Christine Vachon Producer ("Goat," "Carol," "Boys Don’t Cry")
Ruth Vitale CreativeFuture (CEO)
Angie Wang Director ("Cardinal X")
Hanna Weg Producer ("Septembers of Shiraz")
Tanya Wexler Director ("Hysteria," "Finding North," "Ball in the House")
Joanne Wiles ICM (Partner/Agent, Motion Picture Talent)
Pam Williams Pam Williams Productions ("Lee Daniels’ The Butler," "Fail Safe")
Lisa Wilson The Solution Entertainment (Co-Founder/Partner)
So Yong Kim Director ("Love Song," "For Ellen," "In Between Days")...
- 1/22/2016
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Exclusive: Charlotte Mickie and her team have come on board to represent international sales on Sundance regular So Yong Kim’s Us Dramatic Competition entry ahead of its world premiere in Park City.
Lovesong will debut on Monday and stars Jena Malone, Riley Keough and Rosanna Arquette. Autumn Productions and Gamechanger Films produced in association with Monofonus Press
The film follows Sarah, a neglected wife, who embarks on a road trip with her daughter and her best friend Mindy, only to have a dramatic falling out with her friend.
Three years later Sarah is forced to come to terms with her feelings for Mindy in the run-up to her friend’s wedding.
The cast includes Brooklyn Decker, Amy Seimetz, Marshall Chapman and Ryan Eggold.
Cassian Elwes of Elevated Film Sales and Kevin Iwashina of Preferred Content jointly represent North America.
Kim wrote Lovesong with her partner Bradley Rust Gray and has produced Gray’s features Jack And Diane and The Exploding Girl...
Lovesong will debut on Monday and stars Jena Malone, Riley Keough and Rosanna Arquette. Autumn Productions and Gamechanger Films produced in association with Monofonus Press
The film follows Sarah, a neglected wife, who embarks on a road trip with her daughter and her best friend Mindy, only to have a dramatic falling out with her friend.
Three years later Sarah is forced to come to terms with her feelings for Mindy in the run-up to her friend’s wedding.
The cast includes Brooklyn Decker, Amy Seimetz, Marshall Chapman and Ryan Eggold.
Cassian Elwes of Elevated Film Sales and Kevin Iwashina of Preferred Content jointly represent North America.
Kim wrote Lovesong with her partner Bradley Rust Gray and has produced Gray’s features Jack And Diane and The Exploding Girl...
- 1/18/2016
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
It's going to be a long time before any of us to get see the movies that will unspool at the Sundance Film Festival in January, so for now, the images will have to sustain us. So here's couple more from the movies headed to Park City next month. "For Ellen" director So Yong Kim is back with "Lovesong," and it might be her starriest effort yet. Jena Malone, Riley Keough, Brooklyn Decker, Amy Seimetz, Ryan Eggold, and Rosanna Arquette star in the road trip tale. Here's the official synopsis: Neglected by her husband, Sarah embarks on an impromptu road trip with her young daughter and her best friend, Mindy. Along the way, the dynamic between the two friends intensifies before circumstances force them apart. Years later, Sarah attempts to rebuild their intimate connection in the days before Mindy’s wedding. Read More: 2016 Sundance Film Festival Adds New Films Meanwhile,...
- 12/2/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Southside With You, about Barack and Michelle Obama’s first date in 1980s Chicago, joins Page’s Tallulah in competition, alongside two films about a TV reporter who killed herself on air in 1974
Following the announcement of its Midnight horror-themed section, the Sundance film festival has unveiled the lineup for its competitions, in both dramatic and documentary formats, as well as its non-competitive Next selection, of promising experimental work. Some 65 films have got the nod from the programmers of the influential festival, which is designed to showcase independent and unconventional film-making.
The Us dramatic competition has settled on 16 films, with the most attention-grabbing projects including The Birth of a Nation, an ironically titled account of the early-19th century slave rebellion led by Nat Turner; Goat, a fraternity-pledge drama featuring musician Nick Jonas; and Southside With You, a chronicle of Barack and Michelle Obama’s first date in 1980s Chicago.
Following the announcement of its Midnight horror-themed section, the Sundance film festival has unveiled the lineup for its competitions, in both dramatic and documentary formats, as well as its non-competitive Next selection, of promising experimental work. Some 65 films have got the nod from the programmers of the influential festival, which is designed to showcase independent and unconventional film-making.
The Us dramatic competition has settled on 16 films, with the most attention-grabbing projects including The Birth of a Nation, an ironically titled account of the early-19th century slave rebellion led by Nat Turner; Goat, a fraternity-pledge drama featuring musician Nick Jonas; and Southside With You, a chronicle of Barack and Michelle Obama’s first date in 1980s Chicago.
- 12/2/2015
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Sundance, Berlin, Venice and Toronto film fest programmers would all agree — there is a refined and fertile cinema chez So Yong Kim. In Between Days, Treeless Mountain and For Ellen yield high-end return on subtle emotional footprints. Joining forces with regular collaborators Jena Malone and Riley Keough, production on her fourth feature film began in December of 2014. So one full year to work on Lovesong conceivablely means that a return to Park City – same lieu where she won the Special Jury Prize at Sundance for In Between Days, and premiered For Ellen. is a strong possibility. Set in Tennessee, this is film that looks to be split into two chapters, this stars Jena Malone and Riley Keough in the leads with a supporting cast consisting of Brooklyn Decker, Ryan Eggold, Rosanna Arquette and Amy Seimetz.
Gist: This tells the story of Sarah (Keough) who, with her young daughter in tow,...
Gist: This tells the story of Sarah (Keough) who, with her young daughter in tow,...
- 11/25/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Ioncinema.com’s Ioncinephile of the Month feature focuses on an emerging filmmaker from the world of cinema….but we would be disingenuous in categorizing this month’s spotlighted artist as a “new” arrival on the scene as this person as added a significant of contributions to the American independent film landscape.
This October, we feature Reed Morano, an award-winning cinematographer who’s deft craftsmanship can be found in works dating back to Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River and So Yong Kim’s For Ellen to more recent oeuvres in John Krokidas’ Kill Your Darlings and Mark Jackson’s War Story. Morano made the transition to directing, wearing not one but two hats on Meadowland, a soberingly thoughtful examination on loss, grief and an eschewing type of salvation starring Olivia Wilde in a performance that several are calling both fearless and ferocious.
Premiering this past April at the Tribeca Film...
This October, we feature Reed Morano, an award-winning cinematographer who’s deft craftsmanship can be found in works dating back to Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River and So Yong Kim’s For Ellen to more recent oeuvres in John Krokidas’ Kill Your Darlings and Mark Jackson’s War Story. Morano made the transition to directing, wearing not one but two hats on Meadowland, a soberingly thoughtful examination on loss, grief and an eschewing type of salvation starring Olivia Wilde in a performance that several are calling both fearless and ferocious.
Premiering this past April at the Tribeca Film...
- 10/8/2015
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
While Jóhann Jóhannsson leaped to his widest recognition yet for his Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning score for last year's "The Theory Of Everything," those with a keener ear were already acutely aware of his immense talent. He provided the compositions for So Yong Kim's "For Ellen," as well as the terrifically moody sonic backdrop for Denis Villeneuve's "Prisoners." He has once again collaborated with the latter director on "Sicario," and today we have the exclusive visual preview of Jóhann Jóhannsson's score. Read More: Gunfire Is Unleashed In Latest Clip From Denis Villeneuve's 'Sicario' Starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio del Toro, "Sicario" follows an FBI agent who is invited to join an inter-agency task force. But when the group leaves their jurisdiction and crosses over into Juárez, the agent is given a wake up call about the reality of the war on.
- 8/28/2015
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Varèse Sarabande will release the Sicario – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack digitally and on CD September 18, 2015, the same day that the Lionsgate film premieres in limited release, before opening wide on September 25.
The album features original music by Academy Award nominated composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (The Theory Of Everything, Prisoners).
Sicario debuted at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, earning rave reviews for both the film and the score. Vanity Fair Magazine called the score “rumbling, evocative” and “he (Jóhannsson) has a wonderful knack for balancing eye-popping technical flourishes with more organic texture and mood.”
Sicario is Jóhannsson’s second collaboration with director Denis Villeneuve, for whom he scored the 2013 film Prisoners.
“Denis didn’t use temp music while editing, so I began writing the music with a completely blank slate. This was both daunting and exhilarating,” said Jóhannsson. “Like Prisoners, it’s quite tense and has a certain sense of dread,...
The album features original music by Academy Award nominated composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (The Theory Of Everything, Prisoners).
Sicario debuted at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, earning rave reviews for both the film and the score. Vanity Fair Magazine called the score “rumbling, evocative” and “he (Jóhannsson) has a wonderful knack for balancing eye-popping technical flourishes with more organic texture and mood.”
Sicario is Jóhannsson’s second collaboration with director Denis Villeneuve, for whom he scored the 2013 film Prisoners.
“Denis didn’t use temp music while editing, so I began writing the music with a completely blank slate. This was both daunting and exhilarating,” said Jóhannsson. “Like Prisoners, it’s quite tense and has a certain sense of dread,...
- 8/6/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Sneak Peek new images of actress Dakota Johnson ("Fifty Shades Of Grey"), in the February 2015 issue of "Vogue" fashion magazine, photographed by Mario Testino, plus take a look @ Johnson in the Nsfw short film "In a Relationship":
Born in the year of the Snake (1989), Johnson made her film debut in "Crazy", playing daughter to her real-life mother actress Melanie Griffith "Body Double").
She appeared in "The Social Network", followed by the films "Beastly; "Theo" and "For Ellen".
In 2012, she had roles in the films "Goats", "The Five-Year Engagement" and "21 Jump Street".
Johnson also played the female lead in the film "Date and Switch".
In March 2012, she was cast as 'Kate' in the Fox comedy series "Ben and Kate", then followed up with more film roles "Need for Speed" (2014) and "Anarchy". In 2014, she also co-starred in "Black Mass", to be followed by "I Am Love".
Click the images to enlarge...
Born in the year of the Snake (1989), Johnson made her film debut in "Crazy", playing daughter to her real-life mother actress Melanie Griffith "Body Double").
She appeared in "The Social Network", followed by the films "Beastly; "Theo" and "For Ellen".
In 2012, she had roles in the films "Goats", "The Five-Year Engagement" and "21 Jump Street".
Johnson also played the female lead in the film "Date and Switch".
In March 2012, she was cast as 'Kate' in the Fox comedy series "Ben and Kate", then followed up with more film roles "Need for Speed" (2014) and "Anarchy". In 2014, she also co-starred in "Black Mass", to be followed by "I Am Love".
Click the images to enlarge...
- 1/26/2015
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Actresses Riley Keough, Jena Malone and a supporting cast comprised of Brooklyn Decker, Amy Seimetz, Marshall Chapman, Ryan Eggold and Rosanna Arquette have all boarded Lovesong, So Yong Kim’s fourth feature film. Deadline reports the road trip romance will film in Tennessee, and will be produced by Alex Lipschultz, Bradley Rust Gray, David Hansen, and Johnny Mac. Mynette Louie, Laura Rister, and Gamechanger Films’ Julie Parker Benello, Dan Cogan, Geralyn Dreyfous, and Wendy Ettinger will executive produce.
Gist: Co-written by Kim and hubby Bradley Rust Gray, this is the tale of best friends Sarah (Keough) and Mindy (Malone) who take off on an impromptu road trip with Sarah’s young daughter in tow and see their deep BFFship develop into a surprising romance – despite the fact that Mindy is about to get married.
Worth Noting: Keough and Malone have previously worked with the Bradley Rust Gray and So Yong Kim team.
Gist: Co-written by Kim and hubby Bradley Rust Gray, this is the tale of best friends Sarah (Keough) and Mindy (Malone) who take off on an impromptu road trip with Sarah’s young daughter in tow and see their deep BFFship develop into a surprising romance – despite the fact that Mindy is about to get married.
Worth Noting: Keough and Malone have previously worked with the Bradley Rust Gray and So Yong Kim team.
- 12/22/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Exclusive: For Ellen helmer So Yong Kim has set Jena Malone and Riley Keough to lead Lovesong, the tale of best friends Sarah (Keough) and Mindy (Malone) who take off on an impromptu road trip with Sarah’s young daughter in tow and see their deep BFFship develop into a surprising romance – despite the fact that Mindy is about to get married.
Kim wrote Lovesong with frequent collaborator Bradley Rust Gray, whose own features Jack and Diane and The Exploding Girl were produced by Kim. Lovesong reunites the duo with Keough, who starred in Gray’s Jack and Diane and also starred in a short film Kim directed for designer Miu Miu earlier this year, Spark and Light. Malone appeared in both Jack and Diane and For Ellen.
Also cast in the indie, which is backed by Autumn Productions and Gamechanger Films in association with The Monofonus Press, are Brooklyn Decker (Just Go With It,...
Kim wrote Lovesong with frequent collaborator Bradley Rust Gray, whose own features Jack and Diane and The Exploding Girl were produced by Kim. Lovesong reunites the duo with Keough, who starred in Gray’s Jack and Diane and also starred in a short film Kim directed for designer Miu Miu earlier this year, Spark and Light. Malone appeared in both Jack and Diane and For Ellen.
Also cast in the indie, which is backed by Autumn Productions and Gamechanger Films in association with The Monofonus Press, are Brooklyn Decker (Just Go With It,...
- 12/22/2014
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
A staple of the Sundance Film Festival since Courtney Hunt’s Frozen River in ’08, her Park City premiered filmography as a cinematographer was followed by Little Birds, Shut Up And Play The Hits, For Ellen, Kill Your Darlings, The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, and last year’s The Skeleton Twins and War Story. Late this summer, Reed Morano took an all-encompassing approach to visual storytelling, taking on double duties as director first, cinematographer second. Olivia Wilde toplines Meadowland and the hard-hitting drama includes the likes of Luke Wilson, John Leguizamo, Elisabeth Moss, Giovanni Ribisi, Juno Temple, Kevin Corrigan, Scott Mescudi and Ty Simpkins. The ideal kind of auteur theory should be more inclusive. Add cinematographers. Case in point.
Gist: Written by Chris Rossi, this follows a couple, David and Sarah, dealing with their son’s disappearance. David finds solace in a traditional form of healing, only to lose his moral compass.
Gist: Written by Chris Rossi, this follows a couple, David and Sarah, dealing with their son’s disappearance. David finds solace in a traditional form of healing, only to lose his moral compass.
- 11/13/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
From Focus Features comes the inspirational drama The Theory Of Everything. Starring Eddie Redmayne & Felicity Jones, the opens in select cities this Friday, November 7th.
Starring Eddie Redmayne (“Les Misérables”) and Felicity Jones (“The Amazing Spider-Man 2″), this is the extraordinary story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde.
Once a healthy, active young man, Hawking received an earth-shattering diagnosis at 21 years of age. With Jane fighting tirelessly by his side, Stephen embarks on his most ambitious scientific work, studying the very thing he now has precious little of – time. Together, they defy impossible odds, breaking new ground in medicine and science, and achieving more than they could ever have dreamed.
Based on the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, director James Marsh went with Icelandic composer and musician Jóhann Jóhannsson...
Starring Eddie Redmayne (“Les Misérables”) and Felicity Jones (“The Amazing Spider-Man 2″), this is the extraordinary story of one of the world’s greatest living minds, the renowned astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, who falls deeply in love with fellow Cambridge student Jane Wilde.
Once a healthy, active young man, Hawking received an earth-shattering diagnosis at 21 years of age. With Jane fighting tirelessly by his side, Stephen embarks on his most ambitious scientific work, studying the very thing he now has precious little of – time. Together, they defy impossible odds, breaking new ground in medicine and science, and achieving more than they could ever have dreamed.
Based on the memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen, director James Marsh went with Icelandic composer and musician Jóhann Jóhannsson...
- 11/7/2014
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
He slayed international auds with I Am Love, and now it would appear that Luca Guadagnino is finally moving back into feature films (docs and shorts preoccupied his output during this time) with A Bigger Splash. Joining the set troop of Tilda Swinton and Ralph Fiennes is Dakota Johnson, who obviously brings some sales wattage to the project due to not her bit part beginnings a la For Ellen, but because of her Fifty Shades of Grey office girl. The actress will take over the seductress role that would have been assigned to Margot Robbie // technically the part that Jane Birkin played in the original 1969 Jacques Deray film. Shooting starts next month in Italy.
Gist: Written by David Kajganich and based on the 1969 title La Piscine, the story revolves around an uneasy triangle that forms between a couple and a younger woman during the couple’s vacation, leading to a sinister end.
Gist: Written by David Kajganich and based on the 1969 title La Piscine, the story revolves around an uneasy triangle that forms between a couple and a younger woman during the couple’s vacation, leading to a sinister end.
- 7/31/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Elisabeth Moss and Nathasha Lyonne are joining the already cast Olivia Wilde as the principle female players and Luke Wilson is re-teaming with The Skeleton Twins (a brilliant Sundance dramedy - see trailer below) dp Reed Morano in the cinematographer’s directorial debut. Produced by Wilde, Matt Tauber (Autumn Blood), Bron Studios’ Aaron L. Gilbert (upcoming The Driftless Area), Margot Hand and executive produced by Jennifer Levine and Jason Cloth, Meadowland will commence shooting in New York City next month.
Gist: Written by Chris Rossi, this follows a couple, Sarah (Wilde) and David (Wilson) who deal with the unthinkable in the wake of their son’s disappearance. David, a New York City policeman, attempts a more traditional form of healing, only to lose his moral compass. Sarah goes down an unexpected path towards acceptance as she places herself in increasingly dangerous situations.
Worth Noting: Perhaps taking a page from Elisabeth Moss,...
Gist: Written by Chris Rossi, this follows a couple, Sarah (Wilde) and David (Wilson) who deal with the unthinkable in the wake of their son’s disappearance. David, a New York City policeman, attempts a more traditional form of healing, only to lose his moral compass. Sarah goes down an unexpected path towards acceptance as she places herself in increasingly dangerous situations.
Worth Noting: Perhaps taking a page from Elisabeth Moss,...
- 7/30/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
If you've been a reader of this site, you'll know that one composer who has caught our ear in a big way is Jóhann Jóhannsson. Over the past few years, his profile has risen with work on several films including So Yong Kim's "For Ellen" and Lou Ye's "Mystery," before landing last year in multiplexes across the country with his haunting, gorgeous work on Denis Villeneuve's "Prisoners." And with 2014 upon us, Jóhannsson is back with more music to capture our attention. The Icelandic composer has tuned up the forthcoming drama "McCanick" from director John C. Waller, editor Brett Bachman and cinematographer Martin Ahlgren. Featuring "Glee" star Cory Monteith in his last role along with David Morse, Ciarin Hinds and Mike Vogel, the film tells the story of a narcotics detective and a seemingly harmless ex-prisoner who clash over the course of one long, hot summer day. You...
- 3/5/2014
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Our rundown of the top 10 films of 2013 continues with Quentin Tarantino's "southern", the hip, flashy revenge fantasy that dared to tackle slavery
• The 10 best films of 2013, No 6: Before Midnight
• The 10 best films of 2013, No 7: For Ellen
• More from the 10 best films of 2013
When Django Unchained was released back in January, Spike Lee did what he does best: took umbrage. "American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western," the director tweeted. "It Was A Holocaust".
Lee hadn't seen the film, but he had a point. Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino's action fantasy about a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) enacting bloody revenge on plantation owners across the southern states, does make pre-civil war America look cool. It's loaded with style, plugged into a killer soundtrack, shot with a confidence that we hadn't seen from Tarantino since Jackie Brown. The script – for which Tarantino won an Oscar – is funny,...
• The 10 best films of 2013, No 6: Before Midnight
• The 10 best films of 2013, No 7: For Ellen
• More from the 10 best films of 2013
When Django Unchained was released back in January, Spike Lee did what he does best: took umbrage. "American Slavery Was Not A Sergio Leone Spaghetti Western," the director tweeted. "It Was A Holocaust".
Lee hadn't seen the film, but he had a point. Django Unchained, Quentin Tarantino's action fantasy about a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) enacting bloody revenge on plantation owners across the southern states, does make pre-civil war America look cool. It's loaded with style, plugged into a killer soundtrack, shot with a confidence that we hadn't seen from Tarantino since Jackie Brown. The script – for which Tarantino won an Oscar – is funny,...
- 12/16/2013
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Our countdown continues with a third installment in the saga of Jesse and Celine, now married with children and on holiday in Greece
• 10 best films of 2013, No 7 - For Ellen
• 10 best films of 2013, No 8 - Only God Forgives
• More from the 10 best films of 2013
Another year, another sequel, another shameless attempt to cash in on prior brand recognition and to exploit fans desperate for another hit of their favourite franchise. So why was Richard Linklater's second sequel to Before Sunrise greeted with a loving embrace, rather than the spitting backlash that awaits most reboots?
It's because the Before trilogy (actually, I'm holding out for an octet) has most in common with something like the Up documentary series, which traces the progress of a group of people at seven year intervals. The three Before films, spaced with nine years between them, are so brilliantly constructed, so seamlessly blended with the...
• 10 best films of 2013, No 7 - For Ellen
• 10 best films of 2013, No 8 - Only God Forgives
• More from the 10 best films of 2013
Another year, another sequel, another shameless attempt to cash in on prior brand recognition and to exploit fans desperate for another hit of their favourite franchise. So why was Richard Linklater's second sequel to Before Sunrise greeted with a loving embrace, rather than the spitting backlash that awaits most reboots?
It's because the Before trilogy (actually, I'm holding out for an octet) has most in common with something like the Up documentary series, which traces the progress of a group of people at seven year intervals. The three Before films, spaced with nine years between them, are so brilliantly constructed, so seamlessly blended with the...
- 12/16/2013
- by Catherine Shoard
- The Guardian - Film News
So Yong Kim's story about a vulnerable rocker and his daughter is music to Andrew Pulver's ears, as we continue our list of this year's top 10 films
• The 10 best films of 2013: Have your say
For Ellen arrived somewhat unheralded in cinemas, a product of the 2012 Sundance film festival; unheralded, perhaps, because of its opaque title and director So Yong Kim's track record of wispy meditations on Korean-American identity. But what a pleasure it turned out to be. It's never easy to create a plausible musician on screen – Spinal Tap has seen to that – and particularly a nail-varnish-wearing, soul patch-sporting rocker of the type that Paul Dano impersonates here.
But instead of attempting to distil a hard-partying, cooler-than-thou muso, Dano's Joby Taylor is an intensely vulnerable, childlike figure, as ineffectual as a 10-year-old. We first see him as he drives chaotically through the snow into a small American town (naturally,...
• The 10 best films of 2013: Have your say
For Ellen arrived somewhat unheralded in cinemas, a product of the 2012 Sundance film festival; unheralded, perhaps, because of its opaque title and director So Yong Kim's track record of wispy meditations on Korean-American identity. But what a pleasure it turned out to be. It's never easy to create a plausible musician on screen – Spinal Tap has seen to that – and particularly a nail-varnish-wearing, soul patch-sporting rocker of the type that Paul Dano impersonates here.
But instead of attempting to distil a hard-partying, cooler-than-thou muso, Dano's Joby Taylor is an intensely vulnerable, childlike figure, as ineffectual as a 10-year-old. We first see him as he drives chaotically through the snow into a small American town (naturally,...
- 12/12/2013
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
HBO's released a full-length trailer for "Looking," its upcoming comedy drama about a group of gay men living in San Francisco. created by Michael Lannan and directed by Andrew Haigh ("Weekend"). The series, which premieres January 19th and will be fittingly paired with season three of "Girls," HBO's other show about young city life, stars Jonathan Groff, Frankie J. Alvarez and Murray Bartlett and is being touted as a grounded, realistic depiction of contemporary gay life and relationships. The trailer's set to St. Lucia's "All Eyes On You" and certainly looks lovely -- Reed Morano ("Kill Your Darlings," "For Ellen") is the series' cinematographer. Weigh in with your impressions in the comments.
- 11/25/2013
- by Alison Willmore
- Indiewire
When are people going to learn to stop underestimating smart women?
That's the main takeaway from Monday's (Oct. 7) episode of "Hostages." Well, that and some true leaps of faith the show asks of viewers.
Dr. Ellen Sanders (Toni Collette) is exceptionally smart, calm and calculating. So why don't people recognize that?
Why doesn't FBI Agent Duncan Carlisle (Dylan McDermott) realize she is way smarter than he? Sure, he is better armed, and is holding her family hostage. But never is her brain sharper than when she is cornered.
Carlisle and the people he works for spent ages devising a plot to kill President Kincaid (James Naughton). Sanders foils them at every turn.
Since this episode begins by referencing online conspiracy theories about the nurse who allegedly committed suicide in the last episode, we have a few of our own questions to ask.
Is Carlisle a rogue FBI agent as he's...
That's the main takeaway from Monday's (Oct. 7) episode of "Hostages." Well, that and some true leaps of faith the show asks of viewers.
Dr. Ellen Sanders (Toni Collette) is exceptionally smart, calm and calculating. So why don't people recognize that?
Why doesn't FBI Agent Duncan Carlisle (Dylan McDermott) realize she is way smarter than he? Sure, he is better armed, and is holding her family hostage. But never is her brain sharper than when she is cornered.
Carlisle and the people he works for spent ages devising a plot to kill President Kincaid (James Naughton). Sanders foils them at every turn.
Since this episode begins by referencing online conspiracy theories about the nurse who allegedly committed suicide in the last episode, we have a few of our own questions to ask.
Is Carlisle a rogue FBI agent as he's...
- 10/8/2013
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Zero Dark Thirty; Lincoln; A Good Day to Die Hard; For Ellen
From the moment columnist Naomi Wolf compared Kathryn Bigelow (the first woman to win the Academy award for best director) to Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl (no, really), it was clear that Zero Dark Thirty (2012, Universal, 15) was never going to get a sensible hearing. Claims that this gripping account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden somehow justified or endorsed torture were fuelled by stories of CIA co-operation, stories that the intelligence agency promptly debunked in an attempt to distance itself from harrowing scenes of water-boarding, humiliation and worse.
Yet, as Bigelow and writer Mark Boal point out, if you watch the film (rather than read the hysterical press), you'll find no evidence that "harsh tactics" produce anything other than rotten results. Indeed, the great irony of Zdt's complex narrative is that the CIA is too busy putting the...
From the moment columnist Naomi Wolf compared Kathryn Bigelow (the first woman to win the Academy award for best director) to Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahl (no, really), it was clear that Zero Dark Thirty (2012, Universal, 15) was never going to get a sensible hearing. Claims that this gripping account of the hunt for Osama bin Laden somehow justified or endorsed torture were fuelled by stories of CIA co-operation, stories that the intelligence agency promptly debunked in an attempt to distance itself from harrowing scenes of water-boarding, humiliation and worse.
Yet, as Bigelow and writer Mark Boal point out, if you watch the film (rather than read the hysterical press), you'll find no evidence that "harsh tactics" produce anything other than rotten results. Indeed, the great irony of Zdt's complex narrative is that the CIA is too busy putting the...
- 6/8/2013
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Worlds collided on April 24 when Kate, the best Ellen DeGeneres impersonator around, actually met Ellen — and it was amazingly funny. Watch the hilarious video below!
Kate McKinnon’s brightest moment as a cast member on Saturday Night Live has definitely been her impression of Ellen DeGeneres, so when Ellen had Kate on the show on April 24, we all knew something amazing was going to happen.
Kate McKinnon Breaks Out Her Ellen DeGeneres Impression
And we were not disappointed. Ellen, who clearly was not afraid of poking fun at herself, surprised Kate by giving her an identical outfit and begging her to put it on. Kate was totally game, changing out of her sexy dress (“I don’t dress like that too often anymore,” Ellen said) and going full Ellen.
The SNL star came out in the Ellen regalia, dancing (obviously) across the stage as the audience laughed and cheered. She...
Kate McKinnon’s brightest moment as a cast member on Saturday Night Live has definitely been her impression of Ellen DeGeneres, so when Ellen had Kate on the show on April 24, we all knew something amazing was going to happen.
Kate McKinnon Breaks Out Her Ellen DeGeneres Impression
And we were not disappointed. Ellen, who clearly was not afraid of poking fun at herself, surprised Kate by giving her an identical outfit and begging her to put it on. Kate was totally game, changing out of her sexy dress (“I don’t dress like that too often anymore,” Ellen said) and going full Ellen.
The SNL star came out in the Ellen regalia, dancing (obviously) across the stage as the audience laughed and cheered. She...
- 4/25/2013
- by Andrew Gruttadaro
- HollywoodLife
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
A towering figure departed the scene last week: said their long goodbye, dropped into the big sleep. No, we don't mean Margaret Thatcher, though her decease prompted ruminations about her cinematic era and the effect it's had since. Roger Ebert, the avuncular critic of the Chicago Sun Times – famous for all that two-thumbs up stuff, but also a lucid, always-readable reviewer of the highest calibre – died aged 70, shortly after announcing a "leave of presence". The great and good – all the way up to President Obama – paid tribute, while our own critic Peter Bradshaw offered the respect of a direct peer to his critical abilities.
In the news
Meryl Streep praises Margaret Thatcher as 'figure of awe'
Oliver Stone meets Julian Assange and criticises new Wikileaks films
Liam Neeson and Woody Harrelson on tail of Bonnie and Clyde...
The big story
A towering figure departed the scene last week: said their long goodbye, dropped into the big sleep. No, we don't mean Margaret Thatcher, though her decease prompted ruminations about her cinematic era and the effect it's had since. Roger Ebert, the avuncular critic of the Chicago Sun Times – famous for all that two-thumbs up stuff, but also a lucid, always-readable reviewer of the highest calibre – died aged 70, shortly after announcing a "leave of presence". The great and good – all the way up to President Obama – paid tribute, while our own critic Peter Bradshaw offered the respect of a direct peer to his critical abilities.
In the news
Meryl Streep praises Margaret Thatcher as 'figure of awe'
Oliver Stone meets Julian Assange and criticises new Wikileaks films
Liam Neeson and Woody Harrelson on tail of Bonnie and Clyde...
- 4/11/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
Us opponents of gun control have a new whipping boy in the shape of Jim Carrey. The star found himself in the pro-gun lobby's sights this week after the release of a sketch on comedy website Funny or Die, in which he appeared as Charlton Heston and riffed on the former NRA chief's famous "cold dead hands" speech.
Ebay got caught up in the ensuing row after it removed (and later reinstated) a listing for an autographed photo of Carrey, which seller "astrobuzz" said he was auctioning to raise money for a gun.
The right wing media has also been taking pot shots at the actor in response to the Heston sketch, with Fox News host Greg Gutfeld calling him "the most pathetic tool on the face of the earth."
Carrey responded with a statement last Friday,...
The big story
Us opponents of gun control have a new whipping boy in the shape of Jim Carrey. The star found himself in the pro-gun lobby's sights this week after the release of a sketch on comedy website Funny or Die, in which he appeared as Charlton Heston and riffed on the former NRA chief's famous "cold dead hands" speech.
Ebay got caught up in the ensuing row after it removed (and later reinstated) a listing for an autographed photo of Carrey, which seller "astrobuzz" said he was auctioning to raise money for a gun.
The right wing media has also been taking pot shots at the actor in response to the Heston sketch, with Fox News host Greg Gutfeld calling him "the most pathetic tool on the face of the earth."
Carrey responded with a statement last Friday,...
- 4/4/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
He dazzled the nation with the opening ceremony for the Olympics, is widely acclaimed as one of the nicest men in showbusiness, but now it's back to the day job for Danny Boyle. His new film, Trance, is released this week, and the smiley Boltonian embarked on the usual round of publicity. We got a very nice video interview even if our critic Peter Bradshaw was not too enthralled with the film itself. But the new heights of public profile that Boyle has scaled were revealed through the worldwide interest in a chance remark be made about 3D technology - Roger Ebert tweeted it and everyone went nuts. The perils of being a national treasure....
In the news
Will Smith rejected Django Unchained role because it wasn't big enough
James Cameron donates Deepsea Challenger submarine...
The big story
He dazzled the nation with the opening ceremony for the Olympics, is widely acclaimed as one of the nicest men in showbusiness, but now it's back to the day job for Danny Boyle. His new film, Trance, is released this week, and the smiley Boltonian embarked on the usual round of publicity. We got a very nice video interview even if our critic Peter Bradshaw was not too enthralled with the film itself. But the new heights of public profile that Boyle has scaled were revealed through the worldwide interest in a chance remark be made about 3D technology - Roger Ebert tweeted it and everyone went nuts. The perils of being a national treasure....
In the news
Will Smith rejected Django Unchained role because it wasn't big enough
James Cameron donates Deepsea Challenger submarine...
- 3/28/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
It perhaps doesn't rate up there with Disney buys Star Wars or Skyfall slays box office, but in these parts we're all big admirers of We Need to Talk About Kevin director Lynne Ramsay, whose career appeared to be on the up after Kevin's successful translation to the big screen following a long period – almost ten years in fact – of fallowness, since her previous film, 2002's Morvern Callar. Which is why it's set us, and the film world, in a spin to hear that Ramsay abruptly left the production of her new project, indie western Jane's Got a Gun, before a frame had been shot.
There's undoubtedly more to this than meets the eye, and we have to be careful what we say as this is a proper breaking news story, but Jane isn't some...
The big story
It perhaps doesn't rate up there with Disney buys Star Wars or Skyfall slays box office, but in these parts we're all big admirers of We Need to Talk About Kevin director Lynne Ramsay, whose career appeared to be on the up after Kevin's successful translation to the big screen following a long period – almost ten years in fact – of fallowness, since her previous film, 2002's Morvern Callar. Which is why it's set us, and the film world, in a spin to hear that Ramsay abruptly left the production of her new project, indie western Jane's Got a Gun, before a frame had been shot.
There's undoubtedly more to this than meets the eye, and we have to be careful what we say as this is a proper breaking news story, but Jane isn't some...
- 3/21/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
There's no denying it, things have got a bit quiet on the film front. So quiet that we have to give houseroom to film-not-happening stories
(24, if you're interested) or pointless propaganda (Iran to sue Argo - how does that work?) In fact, any crumb of comfort is gratefully appreciated, so when Slumdog Millionaire director and all-round national treasure Danny Boyle let slip there might be a Trainspotting sequel ready to go in the near future, everyone got very excited.
Now, the Iggy Pop-scored junkie comedy was a big hit back in 1996, and the follow up – adapted from writer Irvine Welsh's own novel-sequel, Porno – is taking aim at its 20th
anniversary, in 2016. It may be just a tiny conincidence that Boyle has got a new film out, the hypnotherapy art heist yarn Trance, but...
The big story
There's no denying it, things have got a bit quiet on the film front. So quiet that we have to give houseroom to film-not-happening stories
(24, if you're interested) or pointless propaganda (Iran to sue Argo - how does that work?) In fact, any crumb of comfort is gratefully appreciated, so when Slumdog Millionaire director and all-round national treasure Danny Boyle let slip there might be a Trainspotting sequel ready to go in the near future, everyone got very excited.
Now, the Iggy Pop-scored junkie comedy was a big hit back in 1996, and the follow up – adapted from writer Irvine Welsh's own novel-sequel, Porno – is taking aim at its 20th
anniversary, in 2016. It may be just a tiny conincidence that Boyle has got a new film out, the hypnotherapy art heist yarn Trance, but...
- 3/14/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
The Oscars have been handed out, the awards race is done, studios are dumping their flops and failures on the market: March is cinema's dead zone, so the thinking goes. Time to look ahead once more… and what's this? A superhero movie? Whatever will they think of next? Perhaps one where superheroes, like, team up? No? This could catch on!
And so we come to the Justice League film, which has been in the pipeline since, ooh, 2007; and will see Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and some other crimefighting nobodies, get together to smash evildoers (we assume).
Now, the Justice League movie was no one's idea of a priority until The Avengers came along last year and pretty much smashed all other superhero movies out of the park, a key plank of a brilliant wheeze by...
The big story
The Oscars have been handed out, the awards race is done, studios are dumping their flops and failures on the market: March is cinema's dead zone, so the thinking goes. Time to look ahead once more… and what's this? A superhero movie? Whatever will they think of next? Perhaps one where superheroes, like, team up? No? This could catch on!
And so we come to the Justice League film, which has been in the pipeline since, ooh, 2007; and will see Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and some other crimefighting nobodies, get together to smash evildoers (we assume).
Now, the Justice League movie was no one's idea of a priority until The Avengers came along last year and pretty much smashed all other superhero movies out of the park, a key plank of a brilliant wheeze by...
- 3/7/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
So that's the Oscars over and done with for another year, although the post-awards analysis is likely to carry on for a little while yet. Sunday night's biggest winner was Life of Pi, which scooped four awards including best director for Ang Lee. However, the film's triumph might have been slightly marred by protests from VFX workers facing job cuts, some of who were particularly affronted at being apparently overlooked in Lee's acceptance speech.
Other winners on the night included best actress-winner Jennifer Lawrence, who in recent days has managed to charm just about everybody, best actor Daniel Day Lewis, who's gravitas-laden performances are like catnip for Academy voters, and Argo, which beat Lincoln to the best picture prize despite Ben Affleck having been overlooked in the best director nominations.
Possibly the biggest post-awards talking...
The big story
So that's the Oscars over and done with for another year, although the post-awards analysis is likely to carry on for a little while yet. Sunday night's biggest winner was Life of Pi, which scooped four awards including best director for Ang Lee. However, the film's triumph might have been slightly marred by protests from VFX workers facing job cuts, some of who were particularly affronted at being apparently overlooked in Lee's acceptance speech.
Other winners on the night included best actress-winner Jennifer Lawrence, who in recent days has managed to charm just about everybody, best actor Daniel Day Lewis, who's gravitas-laden performances are like catnip for Academy voters, and Argo, which beat Lincoln to the best picture prize despite Ben Affleck having been overlooked in the best director nominations.
Possibly the biggest post-awards talking...
- 2/28/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Catch up with the last seven days in the world of film
The big story
You may have noticed, something called the Oscars is happening this weekend. What a feast for the eyes and ears it will be; the diamonds, the tiaras, the screaming fits of hyperventilation. And that's just us doing the liveblog. Here at Guardian Towers we've been gearing up for the big night by going video crazy: each one of the best picture nominees has got its own booster in our Oscar hustings series, while our critics settled down with a glass of the amber nectar for a session of football style punditry: who will win the biggies, and why.
Meanwhile, every little detail of the Oscar race has been exhaustively covered: the "rebranding" of the ceremony; the fun that is the acceptance speech; how Argo looks like its regained the initiative; what will go down in the animation section.
The big story
You may have noticed, something called the Oscars is happening this weekend. What a feast for the eyes and ears it will be; the diamonds, the tiaras, the screaming fits of hyperventilation. And that's just us doing the liveblog. Here at Guardian Towers we've been gearing up for the big night by going video crazy: each one of the best picture nominees has got its own booster in our Oscar hustings series, while our critics settled down with a glass of the amber nectar for a session of football style punditry: who will win the biggies, and why.
Meanwhile, every little detail of the Oscar race has been exhaustively covered: the "rebranding" of the ceremony; the fun that is the acceptance speech; how Argo looks like its regained the initiative; what will go down in the animation section.
- 2/21/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
A Good Day to Die Hard is top of the pops, the Valentine's Day battle is won by This Is 40, and Run for Your Wife – why?
The winner
Critics may have questioned the need for a fifth Die Hard movie, but audiences signalled their sustained interest in the franchise, powering the latest instalment to an opening of £4.55m. That was enough for A Good Day to Die Hard to elbow Wreck-It Ralph aside, claiming the chart crown. On closer inspection, however, the Bruce Willis flick saw its takings inflated by Valentine's Day previews totaling £1.28m. Strip those out, and A Good Day's debut falls to £3.27m, below Wreck-It's second-weekend takings of £3.43m. It's actually doing better in the UK than the Us, going by the accepted rule of thumb. The Us four-day opening of $37.54m would typically yield a UK equivalent of £3.8m, but the actual achieved result...
The winner
Critics may have questioned the need for a fifth Die Hard movie, but audiences signalled their sustained interest in the franchise, powering the latest instalment to an opening of £4.55m. That was enough for A Good Day to Die Hard to elbow Wreck-It Ralph aside, claiming the chart crown. On closer inspection, however, the Bruce Willis flick saw its takings inflated by Valentine's Day previews totaling £1.28m. Strip those out, and A Good Day's debut falls to £3.27m, below Wreck-It's second-weekend takings of £3.43m. It's actually doing better in the UK than the Us, going by the accepted rule of thumb. The Us four-day opening of $37.54m would typically yield a UK equivalent of £3.8m, but the actual achieved result...
- 2/20/2013
- by Charles Gant
- The Guardian - Film News
Put a quarter in the jukebox and the rocker Joby Taylor (Paul Dano) transforms. His loping gait diffuses into trance, a manic, writhing riff on his stage persona. It's a conversion experience of sorts, fittingly enough: "For Ellen" is a tale of many metamorphoses. Fitting, too, for Dano, an actor whose embodiment of sanctimonious preachers ("There Will Be Blood"), unspeaking teens ("Little Miss Sunshine"), and struggling novelists ("Ruby Sparks") means not just a change of occupation, but of affect. With a tumult of hair, cheeks rounding into an ovoid chin, Dano is too distinctive to "disappear" into his roles — unlike, say, his "Blood" costar and uncanny Lincoln interpreter Daniel Day-Lewis — but his nuances of movement convey a thousand possible characters nonetheless. That's why Joby's jukebox moment is so arresting. The bodily change of key comes not between roles but between beats,...
- 2/19/2013
- by Matt Brennan
- Thompson on Hollywood
Tell us about the films you've seen in the past few days – and read what our critics made of them
Have you seen any good films in the last week or two? We'd like to hear about what you've been watching, and whether you'd recommend them to others – although we wouldn't mind also hearing about the turkeys you'd suggest others avoid.
Here's what our critics had to say about some recent releases – if you've seen any of these over the weekend, or something else entirely let us know what you thought of it:
This Is 40
Peter Bradshaw said: "A very enjoyable, smart, fluent comedy with wittily managed moments of sadness and bittersweet regret … This is terrifically assured work from Judd Apatow. And most importantly, funny." Read more
A Good Day to Die Hard
Philip French said: "The poorest in the series, just one long, loud, violent, at times stupefyingly silly chase around Moscow.
Have you seen any good films in the last week or two? We'd like to hear about what you've been watching, and whether you'd recommend them to others – although we wouldn't mind also hearing about the turkeys you'd suggest others avoid.
Here's what our critics had to say about some recent releases – if you've seen any of these over the weekend, or something else entirely let us know what you thought of it:
This Is 40
Peter Bradshaw said: "A very enjoyable, smart, fluent comedy with wittily managed moments of sadness and bittersweet regret … This is terrifically assured work from Judd Apatow. And most importantly, funny." Read more
A Good Day to Die Hard
Philip French said: "The poorest in the series, just one long, loud, violent, at times stupefyingly silly chase around Moscow.
- 2/18/2013
- by Adam Boult
- The Guardian - Film News
Xan Brooks presents our weekly round-up of the big film releases, in which Paul Rudd ages disgracefully in This is 40; Bruce Willis triggers some father-son bonding over bullets in A Good Day to Die Hard; Paul Dano plays bad dad in For Ellen; and Keanu Reeves sends celluloid film to the nursing home in the documentary Side By Side. With Catherine Shoard and Henry Barnes
Xan BrooksCatherine ShoardHenry BarnesElliot SmithPhil Maynard...
Xan BrooksCatherine ShoardHenry BarnesElliot SmithPhil Maynard...
- 2/18/2013
- by Xan Brooks, Catherine Shoard, Henry Barnes, Elliot Smith, Phil Maynard
- The Guardian - Film News
The latest in the Guardian's watch on demand films is a brilliantly observed story about a musician – played by Paul Dano – who tries to connect with his small daughter during a custody battle
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
It's time to pull on the filthy jeans, chip the black nail varnish and find a large mirror to prance in front of: For Ellen has arrived. As tattooed rocker Joby Taylor, Paul Dano is a revelation: self-absorbed, vulnerable, idiotic, charismatic. This is no ordinary rock'n'roll movie though: For Ellen is really about a young man growing up quickly into fatherhood.
Taylor turns up in a small American town to sign divorce papers with an understandably embittered wife; but he groggily realises, in the nick of time, that he would have to give up custody of his 6-year-old daughter. Watching their relationship develop is one of the pleasures...
Reading this on mobile? Click here to view video
It's time to pull on the filthy jeans, chip the black nail varnish and find a large mirror to prance in front of: For Ellen has arrived. As tattooed rocker Joby Taylor, Paul Dano is a revelation: self-absorbed, vulnerable, idiotic, charismatic. This is no ordinary rock'n'roll movie though: For Ellen is really about a young man growing up quickly into fatherhood.
Taylor turns up in a small American town to sign divorce papers with an understandably embittered wife; but he groggily realises, in the nick of time, that he would have to give up custody of his 6-year-old daughter. Watching their relationship develop is one of the pleasures...
- 2/16/2013
- by Andrew Pulver
- The Guardian - Film News
Side By Side | A Good Day To Die Hard | Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God | Beautiful Creatures | This Is 40 | For Ellen | Run For Your Wife | Reign Of Assassins | Sammy's Great Escape | Andrea Bocelli: Love In Portofino | Madame De… | Murder 3
Side By Side (15)
(Christopher Kenneally, 2012, Us) 99 mins
Celluloid versus digital film-making – hardly a blockbuster proposition, but this surprisingly fascinating documentary makes you think twice about how movies are made, and seen. It also gives you a rare audience with the top technicians and film-makers out there (Scorsese, Cameron, Lucas, Nolan, Von Trier, Lynch, etc), while host Keanu Reeves keeps things informal and accessible.
A Good Day To Die Hard (12A)
(John Moore, 2013, Us) Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney. 98 mins.
Old dog Willis does no new tricks in this tiresomely cacophonous action movie, which brings in new pup Courtney for a father-son ass-kicking.
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God...
Side By Side (15)
(Christopher Kenneally, 2012, Us) 99 mins
Celluloid versus digital film-making – hardly a blockbuster proposition, but this surprisingly fascinating documentary makes you think twice about how movies are made, and seen. It also gives you a rare audience with the top technicians and film-makers out there (Scorsese, Cameron, Lucas, Nolan, Von Trier, Lynch, etc), while host Keanu Reeves keeps things informal and accessible.
A Good Day To Die Hard (12A)
(John Moore, 2013, Us) Bruce Willis, Jai Courtney. 98 mins.
Old dog Willis does no new tricks in this tiresomely cacophonous action movie, which brings in new pup Courtney for a father-son ass-kicking.
Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence In The House Of God...
- 2/16/2013
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
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