It might be too on-the-nose to call Saved! a minor miracle of a movie, but how else would you describe Brian Dannelly’s faith-centric satire? Since it was released in arthouses and multiplexes 20 years ago this week, it’s remained one of the few teenage comedies brave enough to explore and critique the contemporary Christian high school experience without relying on broad fundamentalist humor, cheap caricatures, or treacly after-school messaging. Within modern Hollywood, it felt––and still feels––like a true outlier, a nuanced slice of religious life with a surprisingly deep roster of young indie talents that its creator still can’t believe was even made.
Set at a Christian high school, Saved! stars Jena Malone as 17-year-old Mary, a born-again believer who offers up her virginity to convert her gay boyfriend Dean (Chad Faust). The plan ultimately fails––Dean is sent to conversion therapy and Mary gets pregnant,...
Set at a Christian high school, Saved! stars Jena Malone as 17-year-old Mary, a born-again believer who offers up her virginity to convert her gay boyfriend Dean (Chad Faust). The plan ultimately fails––Dean is sent to conversion therapy and Mary gets pregnant,...
- 5/28/2024
- by Jake Kring-Schreifels
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Vice Media Group has announced a new creative structure for its global production business now dubbed Vice Studios Group, which will oversee five premium production entities: Pulse Films, UnTypical, Vice Studios LatAm, Vice Studios Canada and a news documentary unit. Vice Studios Group will be led by the newly elevated Jamie Hall in London and Danny Gabai in Los Angeles as Co-Presidents.
The new content-studio, which has a distribution catalogue of more than 1,000 hours, will work with global streamers, linear broadcasters and brands around the world to develop, finance and produce multi-genre, cutting edge content. It currently has more than 20 productions filming or in edit across the group, including scripted, non-fiction, news and music documentaries. Additionally, Gabai said that the group has “started production on a comedic but character-driven documentary about the 1994 World Cup with Jamie Crawford (Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99) attached to direct – one of the multiple projects we’re doing with Jamie.
The new content-studio, which has a distribution catalogue of more than 1,000 hours, will work with global streamers, linear broadcasters and brands around the world to develop, finance and produce multi-genre, cutting edge content. It currently has more than 20 productions filming or in edit across the group, including scripted, non-fiction, news and music documentaries. Additionally, Gabai said that the group has “started production on a comedic but character-driven documentary about the 1994 World Cup with Jamie Crawford (Trainwreck: Woodstock ’99) attached to direct – one of the multiple projects we’re doing with Jamie.
- 4/29/2024
- by Diana Lodderhose
- Deadline Film + TV
Regarding red-carpet events, certain stars never fail to deliver a jaw-dropping, fashion-forward moment that leaves everyone in awe. Among these luminaries stands Jessica Chastain.
Jessica Chastain captivates in contrasting styles, first sparkling in a purple sequined Elie Saab jumpsuit at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony, then embodying timeless elegance in a classic black strapless gown at Damiani’s centennial celebration (Credit: Faye’s Vision / Cover Images / Ipa / INSTARimages)
Whether she graces the red carpet in a shimmering ballgown or dons a daring ensemble that pushes the boundaries of fashion, her sartorial choices consistently captivate.
Her ability to command attention and exude elegance has made her a true icon. And her latest appearance on the red carpet only reaffirmed my admiration for her impeccable fashion sense.
The 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony
On Sunday, April 14, the glitz and glamour of the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony illuminated the halls of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures...
Jessica Chastain captivates in contrasting styles, first sparkling in a purple sequined Elie Saab jumpsuit at the Breakthrough Prize Ceremony, then embodying timeless elegance in a classic black strapless gown at Damiani’s centennial celebration (Credit: Faye’s Vision / Cover Images / Ipa / INSTARimages)
Whether she graces the red carpet in a shimmering ballgown or dons a daring ensemble that pushes the boundaries of fashion, her sartorial choices consistently captivate.
Her ability to command attention and exude elegance has made her a true icon. And her latest appearance on the red carpet only reaffirmed my admiration for her impeccable fashion sense.
The 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony
On Sunday, April 14, the glitz and glamour of the 10th Annual Breakthrough Prize Ceremony illuminated the halls of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures...
- 4/15/2024
- by Florie Mae Malapit
- Your Next Shoes
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” season 16 continued on March 22 with the twelfth episode in RuPaul’s quest to find “America’s next drag superstar.” Previously in episode 11, the girls were challenged by getting into their corporate gig to deliver informative sessions on “Drag Awareness.” Sapphira Cristál outshined the members of her group, earning a third maxi challenge for herself and sending Morphine Love Dion into the Lip Sync for Your Life against fellow Miami queen Mhi’ya Iman Le’Paige. In her fourth trip to the bottom, Mhi’ya was bested by Morphine and sent packing.
Seated at the judges’ dais this week for episode 12 titled “Bathroom Hunties” was Emmy winning host RuPaul Charles, longtime bestie Michelle Visage, recurring judge Carson Kressley, and Mayan Lopez as the special guest judge.
The queens still vying for the crown are: Dawn, Morphine Love Dion, Nymphia Wind, Plane Jane, Q, and Sapphira Cristál.
Check out...
Seated at the judges’ dais this week for episode 12 titled “Bathroom Hunties” was Emmy winning host RuPaul Charles, longtime bestie Michelle Visage, recurring judge Carson Kressley, and Mayan Lopez as the special guest judge.
The queens still vying for the crown are: Dawn, Morphine Love Dion, Nymphia Wind, Plane Jane, Q, and Sapphira Cristál.
Check out...
- 3/23/2024
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
Tammy Faye, the Elton John-Jake Shears-James Graham musical about televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, will open at Broadway’s newly refurbished Palace Theater this fall with Katie Brayben and Andrew Rannells reprising their acclaimed London performances, producers announced today.
The musical will begin previews at the Palace on October 19, with an official opening on November 14.
Producers Rocket Stage, Greene Light Stage, and James L. Nederlander announced the move to Broadway last November, but specific dates and initial casting were revealed today. Additional casting will be announced in the coming months.
Brayben will recreate her Olivier Award-winning performance as Tammy Faye Bakker, and Rannells will reprise his Olivier-nominated performance as Jim Bakker. Both starred in the world premiere West End Olivier-nominated production that opened at London’s Almeida Theatre in 2022.
Tammy Faye features music by John, lyrics by Scissor Sisters’ Shears, and book by Ink playwright James Graham.
The musical will begin previews at the Palace on October 19, with an official opening on November 14.
Producers Rocket Stage, Greene Light Stage, and James L. Nederlander announced the move to Broadway last November, but specific dates and initial casting were revealed today. Additional casting will be announced in the coming months.
Brayben will recreate her Olivier Award-winning performance as Tammy Faye Bakker, and Rannells will reprise his Olivier-nominated performance as Jim Bakker. Both starred in the world premiere West End Olivier-nominated production that opened at London’s Almeida Theatre in 2022.
Tammy Faye features music by John, lyrics by Scissor Sisters’ Shears, and book by Ink playwright James Graham.
- 3/22/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
In 2011, it might have seemed like Jessica Chastain emerged out of nowhere as a formidable actress, when she appeared in no less than five movies — including Best Picture nominees “The Help” and “The Tree of Life” — and scored her first-ever Oscar nomination. But Chastain worked for years to get to that point, acting in plays from a young age and attending the prestigious Juilliard School. “I struggled for so long to try to create a career,” she told the New York Times in 2017.
In the decade since her breakout year, Chastain has received acclaim for a variety of different roles — from her Oscar-nominated lead part in “Zero Dark Thirty” to her lauded supporting work in “A Most Violent Year” to even a superhero franchise with “X-Men: Dark Phoenix.” She’s worked alongside top filmmakers like Terrence Malick, Kathryn Bigelow, J.C. Chandor, Aaron Sorkin, Christopher Nolan and Ridley Scott.
But Chastain...
In the decade since her breakout year, Chastain has received acclaim for a variety of different roles — from her Oscar-nominated lead part in “Zero Dark Thirty” to her lauded supporting work in “A Most Violent Year” to even a superhero franchise with “X-Men: Dark Phoenix.” She’s worked alongside top filmmakers like Terrence Malick, Kathryn Bigelow, J.C. Chandor, Aaron Sorkin, Christopher Nolan and Ridley Scott.
But Chastain...
- 3/15/2024
- by Christopher Rosen, Chris Beachum and Misty Holland
- Gold Derby
The 30th annual Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards recognized the best talent in film and television industry this Saturday night. As the event unfolded, veteran actress Jodie Foster got caught off guard on camera. This happened when X-Men actor Jessica Chastain credited her for being the first recipient of Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture Award.
Jodie Foster in True Detective
SAG Awards is one of the prestigious award shows in Hollywood which celebrates the potential of the best in the entertainment world from past year projects. The former shares an old link with the SAGs due to her role in 1994’s Nell. Here’s what happened when her embarrassing moment caught on camera!
Jodie Foster Was Caught Puzzled on Camera as Jessica Chastain Honored Her
Jessica Chastain in Dark Phoenix
The 46-year-old actress, Jessica Chastain is a familiar face in the TV and film industry...
Jodie Foster in True Detective
SAG Awards is one of the prestigious award shows in Hollywood which celebrates the potential of the best in the entertainment world from past year projects. The former shares an old link with the SAGs due to her role in 1994’s Nell. Here’s what happened when her embarrassing moment caught on camera!
Jodie Foster Was Caught Puzzled on Camera as Jessica Chastain Honored Her
Jessica Chastain in Dark Phoenix
The 46-year-old actress, Jessica Chastain is a familiar face in the TV and film industry...
- 2/25/2024
- by Priya Sharma
- FandomWire
Actress Jessica Chastain poses for the March 2024 issue of “Harper's Bazaar” (España) magazine, photographed by JuanKr:
“…after studying acting at the ‘Juilliard School’, Chastain was signed to a talent holding deal with television producer John Wells. She was a recurring guest star in several television series, and took on roles in several stage productions.
“After making her feature film debut in the drama ‘Jolene’ (2008), Chastain had her breakthrough in 2011 with six film releases, including the dramas ‘Take Shelter’ (2011) and The Tree of Life’ (2011).
“She received Academy Award nominations for playing an aspiring socialite in the period drama ‘The Help’ (2011) and a ‘CIA’ analyst in the thriller ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (2012).
“Greater commercial success came with the science fiction films ‘Interstellar’ (2014) , ‘The Martian’ (2015), and the horror film ‘It Chapter Two’ (2019). Chastain received further acclaim for playing strong-willed women in the dramas ‘A Most Violent Year’ (2014), ‘Miss Sloane’ (2016), ‘Molly's Game’ (2017) and the TV...
“…after studying acting at the ‘Juilliard School’, Chastain was signed to a talent holding deal with television producer John Wells. She was a recurring guest star in several television series, and took on roles in several stage productions.
“After making her feature film debut in the drama ‘Jolene’ (2008), Chastain had her breakthrough in 2011 with six film releases, including the dramas ‘Take Shelter’ (2011) and The Tree of Life’ (2011).
“She received Academy Award nominations for playing an aspiring socialite in the period drama ‘The Help’ (2011) and a ‘CIA’ analyst in the thriller ‘Zero Dark Thirty’ (2012).
“Greater commercial success came with the science fiction films ‘Interstellar’ (2014) , ‘The Martian’ (2015), and the horror film ‘It Chapter Two’ (2019). Chastain received further acclaim for playing strong-willed women in the dramas ‘A Most Violent Year’ (2014), ‘Miss Sloane’ (2016), ‘Molly's Game’ (2017) and the TV...
- 2/22/2024
- by Unknown
- SneakPeek
Raine Allen Miller’s debut feature Rye Lane, Adjani Salmon’s Dreaming Whilst Black, and Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical were among the top winners at the sixth edition of the CDG Casting Awards. Scross down for the full list of winners.
Kharmel Cochrane picked up the Best Casting in an Independent Film award for her work on Rye Lane. Dreaming Whilst Black landed the Best Casting in a TV Comedy Series award for Heather Basten, Peter Noden, and Fran Cattaneo, and Louise Kiely won Best Casting in a Film for The Banshees of Inisherin.
High-profile titles that missed out on honors include Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which was nominated for Best Casting in a Film alongside Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn. Kharmel Cochrane cast Saltburn and also popped in the noms for Best Casting in a Commercial for her work on Vanish ‘Me, My Autism & I.
The awards were...
Kharmel Cochrane picked up the Best Casting in an Independent Film award for her work on Rye Lane. Dreaming Whilst Black landed the Best Casting in a TV Comedy Series award for Heather Basten, Peter Noden, and Fran Cattaneo, and Louise Kiely won Best Casting in a Film for The Banshees of Inisherin.
High-profile titles that missed out on honors include Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, which was nominated for Best Casting in a Film alongside Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn. Kharmel Cochrane cast Saltburn and also popped in the noms for Best Casting in a Commercial for her work on Vanish ‘Me, My Autism & I.
The awards were...
- 2/22/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
The Boiling Point TV series, The Banshees of Inisherin, Rye Lane and Roald Dahl’s Matilda the Musical are among the U.K. Casting Directors’ Guild Awards winners for 2024.
The sixth CDG Casting Awards, handed out Wednesday evening in London, also honored the likes of the theater play Dear England, a TV adaptation of which Sky has just unveiled.
Competing for the awards were productions that premiered between Sept. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2023 and they were selected as nominees by members of the guild. The Casting Directors’ Guild represents casting directors in the film, television, theater and commercials industries in the U.K. and Ireland.
Its awards celebrate “the incredible work achieved by casting teams across film, television, theater and commercials,” in partnership with global casting platform Spotlight.
“Casting directors are often the unsung storytellers of the industry. Their vision and skills that help orchestrate an ensemble of characters bring a script to life in every medium,...
The sixth CDG Casting Awards, handed out Wednesday evening in London, also honored the likes of the theater play Dear England, a TV adaptation of which Sky has just unveiled.
Competing for the awards were productions that premiered between Sept. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2023 and they were selected as nominees by members of the guild. The Casting Directors’ Guild represents casting directors in the film, television, theater and commercials industries in the U.K. and Ireland.
Its awards celebrate “the incredible work achieved by casting teams across film, television, theater and commercials,” in partnership with global casting platform Spotlight.
“Casting directors are often the unsung storytellers of the industry. Their vision and skills that help orchestrate an ensemble of characters bring a script to life in every medium,...
- 2/22/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Vice Studios docs boss Alex Moore is exiting to join Banijay label Dragonfly.
The two-time Oscar winner will take up a newly-created role as Executive Vice President Documentaries and Unscripted as the Ambulance and Then Barbara Met Alan label, which is being given more funding of late, pushes into the premium space.
Reporting into MD Richard Bond when he starts next month, Moore will develop the slate with an emphasis on U.S. and international streamer commissions.
A Vice spokeswoman said the company will not replace Moore and senior non-fiction execs based in the UK will now report directly to LA-based Chief Content Officer Danny Gabai.
Moore joined Vice Studios in 2020 and his division was responsible for a string of global shows including Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Right Now (Netflix), Encounters (Netflix) and Max Verstappen: Anatomy of a Champion (Viaplay). Most recently he co-created and executive produced (with...
The two-time Oscar winner will take up a newly-created role as Executive Vice President Documentaries and Unscripted as the Ambulance and Then Barbara Met Alan label, which is being given more funding of late, pushes into the premium space.
Reporting into MD Richard Bond when he starts next month, Moore will develop the slate with an emphasis on U.S. and international streamer commissions.
A Vice spokeswoman said the company will not replace Moore and senior non-fiction execs based in the UK will now report directly to LA-based Chief Content Officer Danny Gabai.
Moore joined Vice Studios in 2020 and his division was responsible for a string of global shows including Lewis Capaldi: How I’m Feeling Right Now (Netflix), Encounters (Netflix) and Max Verstappen: Anatomy of a Champion (Viaplay). Most recently he co-created and executive produced (with...
- 2/22/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Barbie, Saltburn and The Banshees of Inisherin are among the nominees at the UK’s sixth CDG Casting Awards.
Lucy Bevan, Olivia Grant (associate), Lucy Downes (assistant) are nominated in Best Casting in a Film for Barbie, with Kharmel Cochrane (Saltburn), Louise Kiley (Banshees of Inisherin), Kahleen Crawford, Carla Morris & Eliza Heslop (All of Us Strangers) and Jessie Frost (Triangle of Sadness) providing the competition.
In the Best Casting in a TV Drama Series category, Nina Gold is nominated three times, for Andor and Slow Horses Seasons 2 and 3, competing against Shaheen Baig, Jonny Boutwood and Carolyn McLeod for Boiling Point and Robert Sterne and Kate Bone for The Crown.
In the TV Comedy category, Heather Basten, casting execs for Dreaming Whilst Black, Extraordinary, Motherland, Sex Education Season 4 and Ted Lasso Season 3 are up for awards. In the Limited or Single Series race are casting execs from A Small Light, Black Mirror Season 6, Somewhere Boy,...
Lucy Bevan, Olivia Grant (associate), Lucy Downes (assistant) are nominated in Best Casting in a Film for Barbie, with Kharmel Cochrane (Saltburn), Louise Kiley (Banshees of Inisherin), Kahleen Crawford, Carla Morris & Eliza Heslop (All of Us Strangers) and Jessie Frost (Triangle of Sadness) providing the competition.
In the Best Casting in a TV Drama Series category, Nina Gold is nominated three times, for Andor and Slow Horses Seasons 2 and 3, competing against Shaheen Baig, Jonny Boutwood and Carolyn McLeod for Boiling Point and Robert Sterne and Kate Bone for The Crown.
In the TV Comedy category, Heather Basten, casting execs for Dreaming Whilst Black, Extraordinary, Motherland, Sex Education Season 4 and Ted Lasso Season 3 are up for awards. In the Limited or Single Series race are casting execs from A Small Light, Black Mirror Season 6, Somewhere Boy,...
- 1/30/2024
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Barbie, Saltburn, Sex Education and Ted Lasso are among the U.K. Casting Directors’ Guild Awards nominees for the 2024 edition of its honors.
The list of nominees for the CDG Casting Awards, now in its sixth year, also includes the likes of The Crown, Andor, Slow Horses and All of Us Strangers.
Nominated productions premiered between Sept. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2023 and have been selected by members of the guild. The Casting Directors’ Guild represents casting directors in the film, television, theater and commercials industries in the U.K. and Ireland.
“We are delighted to be celebrating the sixth edition of our CDG Awards, recognizing the outstanding contributions of our members,” said CDG co-chairs Jessica Ronane and Rebecca Wright.
Celebrating “the incredible work achieved by casting teams across film, television, theater and commercials, the awards will be held on Feb. 21 in London in partnership with global casting platform Spotlight.
Check out the full list of nominees below.
The list of nominees for the CDG Casting Awards, now in its sixth year, also includes the likes of The Crown, Andor, Slow Horses and All of Us Strangers.
Nominated productions premiered between Sept. 1, 2022 and Dec. 31, 2023 and have been selected by members of the guild. The Casting Directors’ Guild represents casting directors in the film, television, theater and commercials industries in the U.K. and Ireland.
“We are delighted to be celebrating the sixth edition of our CDG Awards, recognizing the outstanding contributions of our members,” said CDG co-chairs Jessica Ronane and Rebecca Wright.
Celebrating “the incredible work achieved by casting teams across film, television, theater and commercials, the awards will be held on Feb. 21 in London in partnership with global casting platform Spotlight.
Check out the full list of nominees below.
- 1/30/2024
- by Georg Szalai
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Given the current dismal political and cultural climate as well as streaming services’ massive appetite for celebrity driven content, it comes as no surprise that the 40th edition of the Sundance Film Festival is chock full of portrait documentaries. Frida Kahlo, Christopher Reeve, Luther Vandross and Tammy Faye are just a few of the boldface names that are being examined in various docus featured in the Sundance nonfiction lineup.
The festival is no stranger to star-driven docus. In recent years, films about Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“Rbg”), Fred Rogers (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”), Harvey Weinstein (“Untouchable”), Michael Jackson (“Leaving Neverland”), Kanye West (“jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy”), Bill Cosby (“We Need to Talk About Cosby”) and most recently Judy Blume (“Judy Blume Forever”) and Michael J. Fox (“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”) had world premieres in Park City.
But unlike films self-produced by their star subjects, the profile docus selected...
The festival is no stranger to star-driven docus. In recent years, films about Ruth Bader Ginsburg (“Rbg”), Fred Rogers (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”), Harvey Weinstein (“Untouchable”), Michael Jackson (“Leaving Neverland”), Kanye West (“jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy”), Bill Cosby (“We Need to Talk About Cosby”) and most recently Judy Blume (“Judy Blume Forever”) and Michael J. Fox (“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”) had world premieres in Park City.
But unlike films self-produced by their star subjects, the profile docus selected...
- 1/17/2024
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
Jon Ronson has forged a second series of his Things Fell Apart podcast, this time around focusing on conspiracy theories in the Covid 19 era.
The second season of the hit BBC Sounds show will launch next week, with eight stories focusing on “new battle lines in the culture wars which ignited during lockdown.”
“From covid conspiracies and Antifa hysteria, to racial and gender identity politics, free speech and protests against lockdown that spiralled out of control,” adds the logline.
Ronson said: “Recent months have shown that we’re living in post truth times where all sorts of lies are allowed to flourish for all sorts of reasons, and many people are guilty of that from across the political spectrum. What the podcast is about in the end is that we have to hold on to truth like driftwood or else we’ll drown.”
Things Fell Apart Season 1 won a Broadcasting Press Guild Award,...
The second season of the hit BBC Sounds show will launch next week, with eight stories focusing on “new battle lines in the culture wars which ignited during lockdown.”
“From covid conspiracies and Antifa hysteria, to racial and gender identity politics, free speech and protests against lockdown that spiralled out of control,” adds the logline.
Ronson said: “Recent months have shown that we’re living in post truth times where all sorts of lies are allowed to flourish for all sorts of reasons, and many people are guilty of that from across the political spectrum. What the podcast is about in the end is that we have to hold on to truth like driftwood or else we’ll drown.”
Things Fell Apart Season 1 won a Broadcasting Press Guild Award,...
- 1/3/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Michelle Yeoh won Best Actress last year for “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” a dazzling fictional tale of a woman trying to save the multiverse. However, when we think of typical Best Actress winners, we do think of performers portraying real-life people. Sally Field in “Norma Rae” comes to mind, so, too, do Julia Roberts in “Erin Brockovich,” Sandra Bullock in “The Blind Side,” and Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady.”
But is this an old-fashioned way of thinking? Or is it still a relevant metric with which to measure to potential Best Actress winners. Lily Gladstone portrays a real person in “Killers of the Flower Moon” but Emma Stone is the Oscar favorite for “Poor Things,” in which she plays a fictional character. So, let’s take a look a closer look at this category and what sort of roles Best Actress winners typically win for. Below is a...
But is this an old-fashioned way of thinking? Or is it still a relevant metric with which to measure to potential Best Actress winners. Lily Gladstone portrays a real person in “Killers of the Flower Moon” but Emma Stone is the Oscar favorite for “Poor Things,” in which she plays a fictional character. So, let’s take a look a closer look at this category and what sort of roles Best Actress winners typically win for. Below is a...
- 12/20/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Documentary lovers are digesting the announcement of the Sundance nonfiction lineup, a slate of films certain to factor in awards conversation into next Oscar season.
“I think there’s a lot of discoveries in there,” Sundance Senior Nonfiction Programmer Basil Tsiokos says of the lineup revealed on Wednesday. “It’s a nice blend of new filmmakers and alumni, lots of different kinds of approaches to filmmaking… There’s biodocs, but there’s also films that are political. There’s films that are dealing with the environment. There’s lots of other things happening, so it’s a nice mix we think.”
Will Ferrell and Harper Steele ‘in Will & Harper’
Among the most eye-popping titles are Will & Harper, Josh Greenbaum’s nonfiction road movie about comedian Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, his close friend of 30 years who came out as trans. “The two decide to embark on a cross-country...
“I think there’s a lot of discoveries in there,” Sundance Senior Nonfiction Programmer Basil Tsiokos says of the lineup revealed on Wednesday. “It’s a nice blend of new filmmakers and alumni, lots of different kinds of approaches to filmmaking… There’s biodocs, but there’s also films that are political. There’s films that are dealing with the environment. There’s lots of other things happening, so it’s a nice mix we think.”
Will Ferrell and Harper Steele ‘in Will & Harper’
Among the most eye-popping titles are Will & Harper, Josh Greenbaum’s nonfiction road movie about comedian Will Ferrell and Harper Steele, his close friend of 30 years who came out as trans. “The two decide to embark on a cross-country...
- 12/8/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Hozefa Lokhandwala will step down as co-ceo of Vice Media Group to start “a new endeavor,” he said in a memo to staff Thursday. Bruce Dixon, formerly co-ceo alongside Lokhandwala, will now be the sole CEO.
Lokhandwala’s exit comes after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and in July 2023 closed a $350 million sale to a group of its former lenders, Fortress Investment Group, Soros Fund Management and Monroe Capital. Last month, Vice Media announced another round of layoffs, after several Vice News shows failed to get renewed, and consolidated its five operating divisions down to two. The latest layoffs eliminated fewer than 100 jobs. Vice Media most recently had just over 1,000 staffers worldwide; at one point, it counted about 3,000 employees.
Lokhandwala has been at the company since 2018, formerly serving as chief strategy officer. Before joining Vice Media, he worked at Jp Morgan, most recently as managing director, head of content and entertainment investment banking.
Lokhandwala’s exit comes after the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and in July 2023 closed a $350 million sale to a group of its former lenders, Fortress Investment Group, Soros Fund Management and Monroe Capital. Last month, Vice Media announced another round of layoffs, after several Vice News shows failed to get renewed, and consolidated its five operating divisions down to two. The latest layoffs eliminated fewer than 100 jobs. Vice Media most recently had just over 1,000 staffers worldwide; at one point, it counted about 3,000 employees.
Lokhandwala has been at the company since 2018, formerly serving as chief strategy officer. Before joining Vice Media, he worked at Jp Morgan, most recently as managing director, head of content and entertainment investment banking.
- 12/7/2023
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Jessica Chastain doesn’t want to be constrained.
“I’m quite rebellious,” she says from the Marrakech Film Festival, where the star is serving as jury president. “[Whenever] the industry and the world starts seeing me as one kind of actress, I will push against it. [I need] to show that no one’s in charge of me except for me.”
And so, once 2011’s one-two-three punch of Jeff Nichols’ “Take Shelter,” Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” and Tate Taylor’s “The Help” launched the actress into sudden, megawatt stardom – shining on her a glow of festival and auterist prestige, with an Oscar nomination to boot – Chastain immediately signed on to Andy Muschietti’s “Mama,” a horror gem that was never destined for the festival and awards circuit.
Such was her thinking a decade later, when, fresh off her best actress Oscar win for 2021’s “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Chastain...
“I’m quite rebellious,” she says from the Marrakech Film Festival, where the star is serving as jury president. “[Whenever] the industry and the world starts seeing me as one kind of actress, I will push against it. [I need] to show that no one’s in charge of me except for me.”
And so, once 2011’s one-two-three punch of Jeff Nichols’ “Take Shelter,” Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” and Tate Taylor’s “The Help” launched the actress into sudden, megawatt stardom – shining on her a glow of festival and auterist prestige, with an Oscar nomination to boot – Chastain immediately signed on to Andy Muschietti’s “Mama,” a horror gem that was never destined for the festival and awards circuit.
Such was her thinking a decade later, when, fresh off her best actress Oscar win for 2021’s “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” Chastain...
- 11/29/2023
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Andrew Scott, Nicole Scherzinger and writer Jack Thorne were among the winners at last night’s Evening Standard Theatre Awards in London.
Scott’s performance in Vanya landed him a second Best Actor Awards after his 2019 win for Present Laughter. The play, billed as a “radical new version of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya,” saw Scott portray numerous characters. It ran at the Duke of York’s Theatre.
The Sherlock actor wasn’t on hand to collect his prize, so Jenna Coleman, who announced his win, collected it on his behalf.
Former Pussycat Doll singer and reality TV judge Scherzinger took home Best Musical Performance for her role in Sunset Boulevard, which began in September at the Savoy Theatre. The play also landed a Best Director win for Jamie Lloyd.
His Dark Materials writer Thorne’s The Motive and the Cure, about the off-stage happenings of Sir JohN Gieldgud’s...
Scott’s performance in Vanya landed him a second Best Actor Awards after his 2019 win for Present Laughter. The play, billed as a “radical new version of Anton Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya,” saw Scott portray numerous characters. It ran at the Duke of York’s Theatre.
The Sherlock actor wasn’t on hand to collect his prize, so Jenna Coleman, who announced his win, collected it on his behalf.
Former Pussycat Doll singer and reality TV judge Scherzinger took home Best Musical Performance for her role in Sunset Boulevard, which began in September at the Savoy Theatre. The play also landed a Best Director win for Jamie Lloyd.
His Dark Materials writer Thorne’s The Motive and the Cure, about the off-stage happenings of Sir JohN Gieldgud’s...
- 11/20/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Elton John’s successful musical about Tammy Faye Bakker is heading to Broadway. Producers announced Friday that Tammy Faye will make its way to New York City after a successful run in London for the 2024-2025 season.
During the England run, Katie Brayben played Bakker while Andrew Rannells played her first husband Jim Bakkar. Casting, venue, and production dates for the Broadway edition have not been announced yet.
The musical features music by John, lyrics by Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, and a book by playwright James Graham. Ruper Goold will...
During the England run, Katie Brayben played Bakker while Andrew Rannells played her first husband Jim Bakkar. Casting, venue, and production dates for the Broadway edition have not been announced yet.
The musical features music by John, lyrics by Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, and a book by playwright James Graham. Ruper Goold will...
- 11/17/2023
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
A musical about televangelist Tammy Faye, featuring music by Elton John, is slated to come to Broadway in the 2024-2025 season.
In addition to music by John, the musical, Tammy Faye, features lyrics by Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, and a book by James Graham, the playwright of Ink, which followed Rupert Murdoch’s rise to power in the U.K. Rupert Goold, who helmed Ink and King Charles III, directs.
The musical comes to Broadway after making its world premiere at London’s Almeida Theatre in fall 2022, with Katie Brayben starring as Faye and Andrew Rannells starring as her husband and television co-host, Jim Bakker.
Casting, exact dates for the Broadway run and a theater have not yet been announced, but the production says it will appear in a Nederlander theater.
This production adds to John’s several other compositions for the stage, which have included The Lion King, Aida,...
In addition to music by John, the musical, Tammy Faye, features lyrics by Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears, and a book by James Graham, the playwright of Ink, which followed Rupert Murdoch’s rise to power in the U.K. Rupert Goold, who helmed Ink and King Charles III, directs.
The musical comes to Broadway after making its world premiere at London’s Almeida Theatre in fall 2022, with Katie Brayben starring as Faye and Andrew Rannells starring as her husband and television co-host, Jim Bakker.
Casting, exact dates for the Broadway run and a theater have not yet been announced, but the production says it will appear in a Nederlander theater.
This production adds to John’s several other compositions for the stage, which have included The Lion King, Aida,...
- 11/17/2023
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Almost every year, there is at least one performer who finally takes home that elusive Oscar. In 2022, Jessica Chastain won for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” after two prior nominations, and, in 2020, Joaquin Phoenix prevailed for “Joker” after three previous bids. Expect this year to be no different — we have a whole crew searching for their first Oscar wins after years of nominations, near-misses, or just plain being snubbed. Here are a so far unlucky seven contenders who could break that curse this year and win long overdue Oscars. (We’ve updated this post to include Ryan Gosling after his absence was pointed out by several readers.)
Annette Bening — “Nyad” (Netflix)
Dir: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
Co-Starring: Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans
Release Date: October 20 in theaters, November 3 on Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
“64-year-old marathon swimmer, Diana Nyad, attempts to become the first person ever to swim from Cuba to Florida.
Annette Bening — “Nyad” (Netflix)
Dir: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
Co-Starring: Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans
Release Date: October 20 in theaters, November 3 on Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
“64-year-old marathon swimmer, Diana Nyad, attempts to become the first person ever to swim from Cuba to Florida.
- 11/15/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
With three competition titles across the last four editions, no contemporary filmmaker has been more present on the Venice Lido than director Michel Franco.
The Mexican auteur returned to the Venice competition last night with his latest title, Memory, a taut New York City-set drama with scorching performances from Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard.
In the pic, Chastain plays Sylvia, a social worker who leads a simple and structured life: her daughter, her job, and her AA meetings. But all is blown open when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.
“I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of it,” Chastain said of her response after reading Franco’s screenplay.
Brooke Timber, Merritt Wever, Elsie Fisher, Jessica Harper, and Josh Charles also star in the pic, which is...
The Mexican auteur returned to the Venice competition last night with his latest title, Memory, a taut New York City-set drama with scorching performances from Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard.
In the pic, Chastain plays Sylvia, a social worker who leads a simple and structured life: her daughter, her job, and her AA meetings. But all is blown open when Saul (Sarsgaard) follows her home from their high school reunion. Their surprise encounter will profoundly impact both of them as they open the door to the past.
“I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of it,” Chastain said of her response after reading Franco’s screenplay.
Brooke Timber, Merritt Wever, Elsie Fisher, Jessica Harper, and Josh Charles also star in the pic, which is...
- 9/9/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Emmy-nominated costume designer Mitchell Travers didn’t have the luxury to simply re-create the real suits and gowns worn by country music legends George Jones and Tammy Wynette for Showtime’s limited series George & Tammy. In fact, the stature of actor Michael Shannon, who has earned an Emmy nom for his performance as Jones, was an immediate obstacle for the designer.
“Michael Shannon is a brilliant actor, but he’s also six feet, four inches [tall],” Travers tells THR, adding that the real-life Jones was seven inches shorter. “Trying to create costumes for a much shorter man was a major part of the transformation for him.”
Speaking with THR at an FYC event for George & Tammy, held Monday at the 71 Studio Bar at Hollywood’s Grandmaster Recorders, Travers recalls the massive volume of period costumes needed for the limited series — not just for Shannon and his Emmy-nominated co-star Jessica Chastain,...
“Michael Shannon is a brilliant actor, but he’s also six feet, four inches [tall],” Travers tells THR, adding that the real-life Jones was seven inches shorter. “Trying to create costumes for a much shorter man was a major part of the transformation for him.”
Speaking with THR at an FYC event for George & Tammy, held Monday at the 71 Studio Bar at Hollywood’s Grandmaster Recorders, Travers recalls the massive volume of period costumes needed for the limited series — not just for Shannon and his Emmy-nominated co-star Jessica Chastain,...
- 8/24/2023
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
[Editor’s note: The following interview was conducted before the SAG-AFTRA strike began on July 14, 2023.]
Jessica Chastain is not easily shaken. She faces her fears and whittles them down to something she can handle. And takes a shot of whiskey if need be. She landed an Oscar for daring to become the mascara-loving title character in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” Actors understood that she had to love the outlandish TV evangelist, who was a joke in many quarters, in order to understand her.
And the same is true of Tammy Wynette. However, “George & Tammy” (Showtime) presented another order of high-diving-board difficulty. It was one thing to sing like Tammy Faye. It was another to take on live-performing, opposite musician-actor Michael Shannon as country icon George Jones, as an all-too-familiar country superstar.
That was never the plan. Chastain was first approached back in 2011 at the Golden Globes by Josh Brolin, who was developing the story of Jones and Wynette. “I had never been in...
Jessica Chastain is not easily shaken. She faces her fears and whittles them down to something she can handle. And takes a shot of whiskey if need be. She landed an Oscar for daring to become the mascara-loving title character in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye.” Actors understood that she had to love the outlandish TV evangelist, who was a joke in many quarters, in order to understand her.
And the same is true of Tammy Wynette. However, “George & Tammy” (Showtime) presented another order of high-diving-board difficulty. It was one thing to sing like Tammy Faye. It was another to take on live-performing, opposite musician-actor Michael Shannon as country icon George Jones, as an all-too-familiar country superstar.
That was never the plan. Chastain was first approached back in 2011 at the Golden Globes by Josh Brolin, who was developing the story of Jones and Wynette. “I had never been in...
- 7/31/2023
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
[These interviews were conducted before the actors strike.]
Jessica Chastain (George & Tammy, Showtime)
Best Actress in a Limited Series
Jessica Chastain as Tammy Wynette in Showtime’s George & Tammy.
The first time Chastain went to an awards ceremony — the 2012 Golden Globes, where she was nominated for The Help — Josh Brolin approached her and suggested she play country singer Tammy Wynette in a movie project he was also interested in joining. Over the next decade, that film morphed into a limited series, and Brolin segued from co-star to executive producer — but Brolin’s vision of Chastain as the country music legend was realized in Showtime’s George & Tammy, and now she is nominated for her first Emmy for her portrayal.
“Getting it made felt like the grand feat, but now, to have it be recognized the way that it is, feels like such a privilege,” Chastain told THR shortly after the nominations were announced. “I’m so ecstatic.
Jessica Chastain (George & Tammy, Showtime)
Best Actress in a Limited Series
Jessica Chastain as Tammy Wynette in Showtime’s George & Tammy.
The first time Chastain went to an awards ceremony — the 2012 Golden Globes, where she was nominated for The Help — Josh Brolin approached her and suggested she play country singer Tammy Wynette in a movie project he was also interested in joining. Over the next decade, that film morphed into a limited series, and Brolin segued from co-star to executive producer — but Brolin’s vision of Chastain as the country music legend was realized in Showtime’s George & Tammy, and now she is nominated for her first Emmy for her portrayal.
“Getting it made felt like the grand feat, but now, to have it be recognized the way that it is, feels like such a privilege,” Chastain told THR shortly after the nominations were announced. “I’m so ecstatic.
- 7/28/2023
- by THR Magazine
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Every year, there are one or two performers who finally land the Oscar wins that they have been long overdue. Last year, Michelle Yeoh and Jamie Lee Curtis both won for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” after years of never quite getting the attention they deserved. In 2022, Jessica Chastain won for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” after two prior nominations, and, in 2020, Joaquin Phoenix won for “Joker” after three previous bids. Expect this year to be no different — we have a whole crew of actors all searching for their first Oscar wins after years of nominations, near-misses, or just plain being snubbed. Here are eight actors who could break that curse this year.
Annette Bening — “Nyad” (Netflix)
Dir: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
Co-Starring: Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans
Release Date: October 20 in theaters, November 3 on Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
“64-year-old marathon swimmer, Diana Nyad, attempts to become the first...
Annette Bening — “Nyad” (Netflix)
Dir: Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin
Co-Starring: Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans
Release Date: October 20 in theaters, November 3 on Netflix
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 85%
“64-year-old marathon swimmer, Diana Nyad, attempts to become the first...
- 7/19/2023
- by Jacob Sarkisian
- Gold Derby
Rev. Dr. A. Stephen Pieters, the AIDS activist and longtime HIV survivor known informally and widely as Steve Pieters following his groundbreaking 1985 interview by televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker, died July 8 in Los Angeles after a two-week hospitalization with an infection. He was 70.
His death was announced by spokesperson Harlan Boll.
The historic Bakker-Pieters interview, one of the earliest sympathetic presentations of a gay man with AIDS made all the more remarkable by Bakker’s then-elevated status in the evangelical community, was depicted in the 2021 feature film The Eyes of Tammy Faye starring Jessica Chastain as Bakker and featuring Randy Havens of Stranger Things as Pieters.
In a statement, Chastain, who won an Oscar for her performance, said, “Steve Pieters was an inspiration and advocate for those living with HIV/AIDS for over 35 years. He was a constant reminder that God is Love. Rest in Peace sweet angel Steve. You made...
His death was announced by spokesperson Harlan Boll.
The historic Bakker-Pieters interview, one of the earliest sympathetic presentations of a gay man with AIDS made all the more remarkable by Bakker’s then-elevated status in the evangelical community, was depicted in the 2021 feature film The Eyes of Tammy Faye starring Jessica Chastain as Bakker and featuring Randy Havens of Stranger Things as Pieters.
In a statement, Chastain, who won an Oscar for her performance, said, “Steve Pieters was an inspiration and advocate for those living with HIV/AIDS for over 35 years. He was a constant reminder that God is Love. Rest in Peace sweet angel Steve. You made...
- 7/10/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Rev. Stephen Pieters, the influential HIV/AIDS activist and survivor whose televised interview with Tammy Faye Bakker in 1985 transformed him into a national spokesperson in the battle against the disease, has died. He was 70.
Pieters died Saturday in Los Angeles after being hospitalized two weeks earlier with an infection, publicist Harlan Boll announced.
Pieters had been diagnosed with AIDS-related complex in 1982 and Kaposi sarcoma and Stage 4 lymphoma in 1984 when he appeared via satellite on the Bakker-hosted Tammy’s House Party, seen by millions of evangelical Christians throughout the southeastern U.S. on the Ptl Network.
“She wanted to be the first televangelist to interview a gay man with AIDS,” Pieters told People magazine two years ago. “It was a very scary time, and there was still a lot of fear about AIDS and about being around a person with AIDS. And I thought the opportunity to reach an audience that...
Pieters died Saturday in Los Angeles after being hospitalized two weeks earlier with an infection, publicist Harlan Boll announced.
Pieters had been diagnosed with AIDS-related complex in 1982 and Kaposi sarcoma and Stage 4 lymphoma in 1984 when he appeared via satellite on the Bakker-hosted Tammy’s House Party, seen by millions of evangelical Christians throughout the southeastern U.S. on the Ptl Network.
“She wanted to be the first televangelist to interview a gay man with AIDS,” Pieters told People magazine two years ago. “It was a very scary time, and there was still a lot of fear about AIDS and about being around a person with AIDS. And I thought the opportunity to reach an audience that...
- 7/10/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Vice Studios had a new hit on its hands with the late May launch of “Bama Rush,” which the studio’s co-founder and chief content officer Danny Gabai says was Max’s most-streamed doc feature debut.
But with that large viewership also came a significant discourse surrounding the extent to which “Bama Rush” director Rachel Fleit is present in her own doc about college students “rushing” to get into the sororities at the University of Alabama. That choice didn’t sit well with people who avidly followed the #BamaRush phenomenon that first swept TikTok in the summer of 2021 and again last “season” and would have preferred more behind-the-scenes content about the rush process, rather than portions devoted to Fleit’s reaction to the situation.
“In making any content, you have to make directorial and authorial choices,” Gabai told Variety. “And very early on, we saw young women were revealing that...
But with that large viewership also came a significant discourse surrounding the extent to which “Bama Rush” director Rachel Fleit is present in her own doc about college students “rushing” to get into the sororities at the University of Alabama. That choice didn’t sit well with people who avidly followed the #BamaRush phenomenon that first swept TikTok in the summer of 2021 and again last “season” and would have preferred more behind-the-scenes content about the rush process, rather than portions devoted to Fleit’s reaction to the situation.
“In making any content, you have to make directorial and authorial choices,” Gabai told Variety. “And very early on, we saw young women were revealing that...
- 6/23/2023
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
There’s this theory out there that annoys most Trekkies, being that, of the films, only the even-numbered entries are good. This stems mainly from the fact that everyone remembers Star Trek V: The Final Frontier as being the worst movie of the series and ignores that Star Trek: The Motion Picture – while divisive – was a hit, and so was The Search for Spock. However, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is indeed a bad Star Trek movie, and in this episode of Revisited, we’re going to look at exactly what went wrong with something that was clearly a passion project for its star and director, William Shatner.
Jump back to 1986, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was a significant hit. It was the highest-grossing movie in the franchise and earned critical raves. People that didn’t even like Star Trek were down with this earth-bound adventure of the crew of the U.
Jump back to 1986, and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home was a significant hit. It was the highest-grossing movie in the franchise and earned critical raves. People that didn’t even like Star Trek were down with this earth-bound adventure of the crew of the U.
- 6/11/2023
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
As we inch toward the Emmy nomination announcement on July 12, one category that has been interesting to try to predict is Movie/Limited Actress. As there is no division within this category pertaining specifically to genre, we end up with quite the diversity of performances. There are 35 actresses listed on Gold Derby’s combined odds and rankings. Of those, at least a dozen of them have a legit shot at scoring a nomination.
The reigning champion of this category is Amanda Seyfried for her performance in 2022’s “The Dropout” (Hulu). Seyfried also won the Golden Globe earlier this year. So, who is in contention to pick up the baton for 2023?
Some of this year’s top contenders and their current combined odds include:
SEEJessica Chastain predicted to follow her ‘George and Tammy’ SAG Award with her first Emmy Jessica Chastain (“George and Tammy”): 37/10 – Chastain has been having herself a Year.
The reigning champion of this category is Amanda Seyfried for her performance in 2022’s “The Dropout” (Hulu). Seyfried also won the Golden Globe earlier this year. So, who is in contention to pick up the baton for 2023?
Some of this year’s top contenders and their current combined odds include:
SEEJessica Chastain predicted to follow her ‘George and Tammy’ SAG Award with her first Emmy Jessica Chastain (“George and Tammy”): 37/10 – Chastain has been having herself a Year.
- 5/11/2023
- by Stacy Henry
- Gold Derby
There has long been a grave misunderstanding of the spoof movie, a genre that takes one movie or cinematic trend and recreates it while mocking it mercilessly. It's easy to write off comedy staples like "Airplane!" and "Spaceballs" as delivery systems for silly non-stop gags, and sure enough, they absolutely are. But at its best, the spoof genre is much more insidious.
Most great spoof movies don't just mock something popular, they mock something serious. "Top Gun" is a self-serious motion picture, one that's seemingly unaware or at least uncritical of its own artificiality and jingoism. Fans of "Top Gun" may laugh at the film's funnier moments but the film itself is not to be laughed at. That's why a film like "Hot Shots!" is such a delight. The jokes are absurd and rapid-fire, but they're all aimed at taking a movie that set itself on a pedestal down a...
Most great spoof movies don't just mock something popular, they mock something serious. "Top Gun" is a self-serious motion picture, one that's seemingly unaware or at least uncritical of its own artificiality and jingoism. Fans of "Top Gun" may laugh at the film's funnier moments but the film itself is not to be laughed at. That's why a film like "Hot Shots!" is such a delight. The jokes are absurd and rapid-fire, but they're all aimed at taking a movie that set itself on a pedestal down a...
- 4/15/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
The top honorees at the 2023 Laurence Olivier Awards were plays that focused on cultures outside of London. “My Neighbour Totoro,” which is based on the beloved Japanese film of the same name from Studio Ghibli, won six trophies, the most of the night, including Best New Comedy, Director, and four craft categories. A revival of the American classic “A Streetcar Named Desire” by Tennessee Williams claimed three: Best Play Revival and for lead Paul Mescal and featured player Anjana Vasan. Meanwhile, the British-based “Prima Facie,” which is set to bow on Broadway this month and will thus compete at the Tony Awards, took home two prizes for Best Play and for star Jodie Comer.
The only other productions to win more than one trophy were all musicals. “Standing at the Sky’s Edge” won two of the top prizes: Best Musical and Best Original Score or New Orchestrations. “Tammy Faye,...
The only other productions to win more than one trophy were all musicals. “Standing at the Sky’s Edge” won two of the top prizes: Best Musical and Best Original Score or New Orchestrations. “Tammy Faye,...
- 4/3/2023
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
With a still relatively fresh Oscar nomination, Paul Mescal has added to his fast-growing haul of accolades by winning his first Olivier Award.
On the biggest night for the British stage, the Aftersun star won the best actor honor for his portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in Rebecca Frecknall’s adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, his West End debut. The production also won best actress in a supporting role for Anjana Vasan, and best revival. Killing Eve star Jodie Comer, meanwhile, won best actress for her West End debut, the solo drama Prima Facie, which was named best new play.
Elsewhere, Will Keen won the best supporting actor award for his performance in Patriots, and Tammy Faye garnered two acting awards: Katie Brayben for best actress in a musical and Zubin Varla for best actor in a supporting role in a musical.
But it was the Royal Shakespeare Company...
On the biggest night for the British stage, the Aftersun star won the best actor honor for his portrayal of Stanley Kowalski in Rebecca Frecknall’s adaptation of Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire, his West End debut. The production also won best actress in a supporting role for Anjana Vasan, and best revival. Killing Eve star Jodie Comer, meanwhile, won best actress for her West End debut, the solo drama Prima Facie, which was named best new play.
Elsewhere, Will Keen won the best supporting actor award for his performance in Patriots, and Tammy Faye garnered two acting awards: Katie Brayben for best actress in a musical and Zubin Varla for best actor in a supporting role in a musical.
But it was the Royal Shakespeare Company...
- 4/3/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jodie Comer and Paul Mescal were among the big winners at the 2023 Olivier Awards, which were revealed this evening at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Scroll down for the full list of winners.
Comer picked up the Best Actress gong for her West End debut in the well-received legal thriller Prima Facie, which had five nominations overall, including Best New Play and Best Director. The play was penned by Australian-British writer Suzie Miller. On the night, the play took two awards, Comer’s win and Best New Play.
Mescal landed the Best Actor award for his reincarnation of Stanley Kowalski in Rebecca Frecknall’s buzzy adaptation of the classic Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire. The play, which picked up a total of three awards this evening, opened at the Almeida Theatre in North London but has since transferred to the West End.
Accepting the award, Mescal paid tribute to Frecknall,...
Comer picked up the Best Actress gong for her West End debut in the well-received legal thriller Prima Facie, which had five nominations overall, including Best New Play and Best Director. The play was penned by Australian-British writer Suzie Miller. On the night, the play took two awards, Comer’s win and Best New Play.
Mescal landed the Best Actor award for his reincarnation of Stanley Kowalski in Rebecca Frecknall’s buzzy adaptation of the classic Tennessee Williams play A Streetcar Named Desire. The play, which picked up a total of three awards this evening, opened at the Almeida Theatre in North London but has since transferred to the West End.
Accepting the award, Mescal paid tribute to Frecknall,...
- 4/2/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
During his Saturday Night Live run in the ‘80s and ‘90s, Dana Carvey created a lot of characters. He did impeccable celebrity impressions of Johnny Carson, George H.W. Bush, Ross Perot, and more. He created several recurring characters that became pop culture phenomena.
L-r: Kevin Nealon, Phil Hartman, and Dana Carvey | Alan Singer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Carvey had too many roles on Saturday Night Live to list them all. But, here are our six favorites, including his most famous and some of his delightfully obscure ones.
Buddy Precisely had catch phrases you’ll remember
Dana Carvey had so many Saturday Night Live characters, Buddy Precisely may not be one many people immediately remember. But you knew him when he showed up for a sketch. The maitre’d of an exclusive restaurant, Buddy would only seat the biggest stars.
If you weren’t famous enough, he told...
L-r: Kevin Nealon, Phil Hartman, and Dana Carvey | Alan Singer/NBC/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty Images
Carvey had too many roles on Saturday Night Live to list them all. But, here are our six favorites, including his most famous and some of his delightfully obscure ones.
Buddy Precisely had catch phrases you’ll remember
Dana Carvey had so many Saturday Night Live characters, Buddy Precisely may not be one many people immediately remember. But you knew him when he showed up for a sketch. The maitre’d of an exclusive restaurant, Buddy would only seat the biggest stars.
If you weren’t famous enough, he told...
- 4/1/2023
- by Fred Topel
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” has had many memorable guest judges for its season premiere: Lady Gaga in Season 9, Christina Aguilera in Season 10, Nicki Minaj in Season 12 and Ariana Grande in the currently airing Season 15, to name a few.
But Britney Spears — whose discography has been a lip sync mainstay on the reality competition series (four times in Season 13 alone!) — has yet to make an appearance on the show, despite numerous efforts.
“Of course,” replied “Drag Race” creator and executive producer Fenton Bailey when asked if Spears has been invited to judge. “Many stars are approached for ‘Drag Race.’ And it hasn’t been possible – whether her schedule or people or her own desires, you know?”
Also Read:
Rip Logo? Inside the Slow Death of Paramount’s LGBTQ Brand
Bailey has a special relationship with Spears. Prior to “Drag Race” and its many iterations, Bailey and business partner (and World of Wonder...
But Britney Spears — whose discography has been a lip sync mainstay on the reality competition series (four times in Season 13 alone!) — has yet to make an appearance on the show, despite numerous efforts.
“Of course,” replied “Drag Race” creator and executive producer Fenton Bailey when asked if Spears has been invited to judge. “Many stars are approached for ‘Drag Race.’ And it hasn’t been possible – whether her schedule or people or her own desires, you know?”
Also Read:
Rip Logo? Inside the Slow Death of Paramount’s LGBTQ Brand
Bailey has a special relationship with Spears. Prior to “Drag Race” and its many iterations, Bailey and business partner (and World of Wonder...
- 3/29/2023
- by Lawrence Yee
- The Wrap
In the time since Olivia Colman won the 2019 Best Actress Oscar for appearing in 49 minutes and 48 seconds of “The Favourite,” the academy has consistently given the same award to women with much higher amounts of screen time. All of the category’s last three champions delivered performances that are over 80 minutes in length and rank among the 22 longest ever honored here. Since four of the five current Best Actress nominees hit the 93-minute mark, this trend is practically bound to continue.
Reigning Best Actress victor Jessica Chastain earned the prize for her one hour, 36 minutes, and 42 seconds of work as Tammy Faye Bakker in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” which amounts to 76.45% of the film. Hers is the fifth longest of the 97 performances that have won this award, after those of Vivien Leigh (“Gone with the Wind”), Barbra Streisand (“Funny Girl”), Meryl Streep (“Sophie’s Choice”), and Olivia de Havilland (“To Each His Own...
Reigning Best Actress victor Jessica Chastain earned the prize for her one hour, 36 minutes, and 42 seconds of work as Tammy Faye Bakker in “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” which amounts to 76.45% of the film. Hers is the fifth longest of the 97 performances that have won this award, after those of Vivien Leigh (“Gone with the Wind”), Barbra Streisand (“Funny Girl”), Meryl Streep (“Sophie’s Choice”), and Olivia de Havilland (“To Each His Own...
- 3/8/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
One of the largest surprises on Oscar nomination morning was the inclusion of Andrea Riseborough in the Best Actress lineup for her performance as the disgraced lottery winner and alcoholic Leslie Rowlands in “To Leslie.” Precious few awards pundits thought she was a serious contender for a bid, despite a well-publicized social media campaign from her various friends and colleagues in the industry. Can Riseborough now pull a last-minute Best Actress Oscar upset?
Academy voters who may not have sought out “To Leslie” prior to the noms suddenly have a valid reason to watch the film, which puts her performance firmly in their mind’s eye. Her main competition, front-runners Cate Blanchett (playing the titular Lydia Tár in “Tár”) and Michelle Yeoh (portraying the universe hopping Evelyn Wang in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”) premiered several months ago, along with the others in the category (Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe...
Academy voters who may not have sought out “To Leslie” prior to the noms suddenly have a valid reason to watch the film, which puts her performance firmly in their mind’s eye. Her main competition, front-runners Cate Blanchett (playing the titular Lydia Tár in “Tár”) and Michelle Yeoh (portraying the universe hopping Evelyn Wang in “Everything Everywhere All at Once”) premiered several months ago, along with the others in the category (Ana de Armas as Marilyn Monroe...
- 3/7/2023
- by Hunter K. Taylor
- Gold Derby
Since the enormous popularity surrounding Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe has never waned in the seven decades since they both rocketed to superstardom, it’s no wonder that Austin Butler and Ana de Armas sailed to Oscar nominations for portraying them in the 2022 films “Elvis” and “Blonde.” What is odd, however, is that the respective Best Actor and Best Actress hopefuls are the only ones nominated in any of this year’s acting categories for playing real people. While this 90 percent fictional character rate is far from unprecedented, it does stand in stark contrast to the preceding decade’s average of 59 percent and thus raises questions as to why academy voters chose to veer in the opposite direction.
The last instance of two or fewer portrayals of real people leading to Oscar nominations in the same year involved 2003 Best Actress champ Charlize Theron, whose “Monster” character, Aileen Wuornos, stood completely...
The last instance of two or fewer portrayals of real people leading to Oscar nominations in the same year involved 2003 Best Actress champ Charlize Theron, whose “Monster” character, Aileen Wuornos, stood completely...
- 3/6/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Two new works based on existing material dominated the nominations for the 2023 Olivier Awards, the top theatre honor in Britain. “My Neighbour Totoro” and “Standing at the Sky’s Edge” lead the play and musical fields with nine and eight bids apiece. The former is a stage adaptation of the Studio Ghibli film of the same name, brought to life in a visually stunning production featuring impressive puppetry by Basil Twist. “Standing at the Sky’s Edge” uses songs from the Richard Hawley album and new material to tell the story of three families in a Sheffield housing complex.
Revivals had strong showings, too. Director Daniel Fish’s remounting of “Rodger & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!” and the Paul Mescal-led “A Streetcar Named Desire” netted seven and six nominations, respectively. This production of “Oklahoma!” previously played Broadway and received eight Tony Award nominations, including wins for Best Revival and Featured Actress...
Revivals had strong showings, too. Director Daniel Fish’s remounting of “Rodger & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!” and the Paul Mescal-led “A Streetcar Named Desire” netted seven and six nominations, respectively. This production of “Oklahoma!” previously played Broadway and received eight Tony Award nominations, including wins for Best Revival and Featured Actress...
- 3/1/2023
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
One might think that the only path to winning an Oscar is to do good enough work to be respected and appreciated by your academy member peers – or just have the right friends in the academy’s actors branch, huh? But there’s something that’s almost as important in getting through the months and months of awards campaigning, and that’s a narrative.
Narratives are something that are often mentioned as we get closer to Oscar night, but it’s something that runs throughout the life of a movie from whenever or wherever it debuts through whatever junkets or interviews are done over the course of a movie’s life on the way to Oscar night.
For instance, how many times had we heard the story of “The King’s Speech” screenwriter David Seidler on the way to that movie’s four Oscar wins, including for Best Picture? Born in...
Narratives are something that are often mentioned as we get closer to Oscar night, but it’s something that runs throughout the life of a movie from whenever or wherever it debuts through whatever junkets or interviews are done over the course of a movie’s life on the way to Oscar night.
For instance, how many times had we heard the story of “The King’s Speech” screenwriter David Seidler on the way to that movie’s four Oscar wins, including for Best Picture? Born in...
- 2/13/2023
- by Edward Douglas
- Gold Derby
Although Marilyn Monroe never got the chance to achieve Screen Actors Guild Awards recognition, her legacy has been honored by the organization in the form of multiple Best Actress notices for women who have embodied her on the big screen. 11 years after Michelle Williams was nominated for playing Monroe in “My Week with Marilyn,” Ana de Armas has earned a spot in the current lead female lineup for her take on the classic movie star in “Blonde.” Since SAG voters have feted several portrayals of iconic actors before, she stands a good chance of going all the way.
De Armas, Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”), and Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) make up a first-time nominee majority in this year’s Best Film Actress SAG Award lineup, although Yeoh is a past ensemble contender for “Crazy Rich Asians” (2019). The other two lead female slots are filled by Cate Blanchett (“Tar...
De Armas, Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”), and Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) make up a first-time nominee majority in this year’s Best Film Actress SAG Award lineup, although Yeoh is a past ensemble contender for “Crazy Rich Asians” (2019). The other two lead female slots are filled by Cate Blanchett (“Tar...
- 2/7/2023
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
The Oscar for Best Makeup and Hairstyling is particularly tough to predict early on because of the complicated system by which the nominees are determined in two stages. First, upwards of 15 members of the branch who attend special screenings cast preferential ballots with the top 10 vote-getters moving on to the second stage (it was a lucky seven till 2021). Those members from the first stage and any other members who either attend screenings of excerpts from these semi-finalists or attest that they have seen them cast preferential ballots and the top five films are nominated; that is up from three in years past. (Scroll down for the most up-to-date 2023 Oscars Best Makeup and Hairstyling predictions.).
As a result of being well-received at these screenings, titles that had not been part of the conversation in the first few months of awards season end up as nominees. For example, the Swedish films “A Man Called Ove...
As a result of being well-received at these screenings, titles that had not been part of the conversation in the first few months of awards season end up as nominees. For example, the Swedish films “A Man Called Ove...
- 2/6/2023
- by Paul Sheehan
- Gold Derby
Today it is our pleasure to ask John Swab, director of Little Dixie, some questions before the movie premieres in a few days. Firstly, thank you for your time to be interviewed and, first things first: What sensations do you have on the premiere of Little Dixie?
A: We are very excited to premiere this in Rotterdam, then share with the rest of the world. All of these are labors of love. Little Dixie we are especially proud of.
Q: You team up again with Frank Grillo after Ida Red (2021) and Body Brokers (2021). What is your relationship with the star? Was Frank Grillo the inspiration for Little? What does John Swab bring to it and what does Grillo bring to the movie?
A: Frank has become a dear friend and collaborator to myself and producer, Jeremy. We think of him as our modern-day Charles Bronson. With a film like this,...
A: We are very excited to premiere this in Rotterdam, then share with the rest of the world. All of these are labors of love. Little Dixie we are especially proud of.
Q: You team up again with Frank Grillo after Ida Red (2021) and Body Brokers (2021). What is your relationship with the star? Was Frank Grillo the inspiration for Little? What does John Swab bring to it and what does Grillo bring to the movie?
A: Frank has become a dear friend and collaborator to myself and producer, Jeremy. We think of him as our modern-day Charles Bronson. With a film like this,...
- 1/30/2023
- by Martin Cid
- Martin Cid Magazine - Movies
[Warning: The below contains Major spoilers for George & Tammy Season 1, Episodes 1-6.] Jessica Chastain‘s been a household name for little more than a decade with critically acclaimed performances in buzzy films like Zero Dark Thirty, and it’s been nearly as long as her latest project George & Tammy was in the works. Debuting in December 2022 and concluding in January 2023, it was roughly a ten-year journey to the small screen for the flawless limited series led by Chastain (who has already been nominated for a Golden Globe Award and SAG Award) and costar Michael Shannon who together portrays one of country music’s most famous couples — George Jones and Tammy Wynette. The Oscar-winner who has had awards luck in the past for playing another famous Tammy in The Eyes of Tammy Faye has been preparing for this big country break since the idea was floated by her at another awards show by executive producer Josh Brolin.
- 1/24/2023
- TV Insider
It’s happened five times in the last 11 years (including three years in a row) that an acting winner has has also carried along the hair/makeup team for triumphs at the Academy Awards, a trend that Brendan Fraser and the makeup/prosthetics team from “The Whale” (headed by Judy Chin) hope to continue this year. To be sure, the transformation of Fraser into a 600-pound man proved a visually stunning on-camera masterwork, and it would surprise few if the actor and the team in charge of his radically altered appearance were both to be honored with Oscar hardware.
Most recently, Jessica Chastain won the lead actress prize for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” at last year’s Oscars, while the makeup/hairstyling trophy went to that film’s Stephanie Ingram, Linda Dowds and Justin Raleigh for helping transform Chastain into Tammy Faye Bakker.
SEEOscar spotlight: Brendan Fraser should still...
Most recently, Jessica Chastain won the lead actress prize for “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” at last year’s Oscars, while the makeup/hairstyling trophy went to that film’s Stephanie Ingram, Linda Dowds and Justin Raleigh for helping transform Chastain into Tammy Faye Bakker.
SEEOscar spotlight: Brendan Fraser should still...
- 1/23/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Comedian Dana Carvey appeared as a regular cast member on "Saturday Night Live" from 1986 to 1993, and it could be argued those were some of the best years of the long-running sketch comedy show. And many of the accolades from that era go to Carvey. The list of his memorable characters is long and led to two successful "SNL"-inspired films, "Wayne's World" and "Wayne's World 2." Party on, Garth!
But Garth Algar is just the tip of the iceberg for Carvey's "SNL" career. President George Bush Sr., presidential candidate Ross Perot, Johnny Carson, and Tom Brokaw (Brokaw's pre-tapes remain one of my favorite "SNL" skits) were some of his memorable impersonations. Original characters included Hans from the weightlifting Hans and Franz duo, The Grumpy Old Man, and singer/songwriter Derek Stevens (you know you sang along about "Choppin' Broccoli").
But Church Lady ... oh, Church Lady. The indelible host of the fictional...
But Garth Algar is just the tip of the iceberg for Carvey's "SNL" career. President George Bush Sr., presidential candidate Ross Perot, Johnny Carson, and Tom Brokaw (Brokaw's pre-tapes remain one of my favorite "SNL" skits) were some of his memorable impersonations. Original characters included Hans from the weightlifting Hans and Franz duo, The Grumpy Old Man, and singer/songwriter Derek Stevens (you know you sang along about "Choppin' Broccoli").
But Church Lady ... oh, Church Lady. The indelible host of the fictional...
- 1/10/2023
- by Travis Yates
- Slash Film
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