At 20 years old, Gaten Matarazzo is already something of a Broadway veteran. The New Jersey native was only 9 when he made his debut in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, a few years older when he appeared in Les Misérables and then, just last year, took over the role of “Jared Kleinman” in the final Broadway cast of the hit musical Dear Evan Hansen.
Still, even theatergoers who had followed his career from the beginning couldn’t help but be caught off guard by his performance in Tony Award–winning director Thomas Kail’s current revival of the Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler dark, funny and musically lush classic Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. As the young orphan Tobias, Matarazzo is on stage for about 25 minutes of the musical’s just-shy-of-three-hour running time, and even alongside Broadway heavyweights Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford, the Stranger Things star more than holds his own.
Still, even theatergoers who had followed his career from the beginning couldn’t help but be caught off guard by his performance in Tony Award–winning director Thomas Kail’s current revival of the Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler dark, funny and musically lush classic Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. As the young orphan Tobias, Matarazzo is on stage for about 25 minutes of the musical’s just-shy-of-three-hour running time, and even alongside Broadway heavyweights Josh Groban and Annaleigh Ashford, the Stranger Things star more than holds his own.
- 4/28/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Every great lead character deserves to make an entrance to a bespoke theme song. But rarely is it played on the banjo. But as audiences of Peacock’s hit mystery series “Poker Face” know, nothing else could possibly do justice to Natasha Lyonne’s Charlie Cale, a human lie detector on the run across small-town America.
“In Act 1 of each episode, we see the murder, and then at the beginning of Act 2, Charlie appears, and that’s when we hear it,” explained composer Nathan Johnson. The creative decision strayed from the convention laid out in the crime-of-the-week shows of the ’70s and ’80s that inspired the series by not dropping under the title cards. Instead, Johnson wanted to allow the audience to “land in a completely new place every time with no preconceived ideas.”
Read More: Credit Where Credit’s Due: How ‘Poker Face’ Uses a Font to Pay Homage...
“In Act 1 of each episode, we see the murder, and then at the beginning of Act 2, Charlie appears, and that’s when we hear it,” explained composer Nathan Johnson. The creative decision strayed from the convention laid out in the crime-of-the-week shows of the ’70s and ’80s that inspired the series by not dropping under the title cards. Instead, Johnson wanted to allow the audience to “land in a completely new place every time with no preconceived ideas.”
Read More: Credit Where Credit’s Due: How ‘Poker Face’ Uses a Font to Pay Homage...
- 3/3/2023
- by Simon Thompson
- Indiewire
Exclusive: A new musical based on the award-winning 2012 documentary The Queen of Versailles and the life of beauty queen, socialite and TV personality Jacqueline “Jackie” Siegel is in development, with Kristin Chenoweth attached to star and produce.
The project would reunite Chenoweth with her Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, who is on board to write the music. An industry reading is set for March 24 in New York City, in preparation for an out of town engagement with additional details to be announced.
Stephen Schwartz (Photo: Nathan Johnson)
Lauren Greenfield’s The Queen of Versailles 2012 documentary depicted the often bizarre lives of Jackie Siegel and David Siegel, owners of Westgate Resorts, as they struggled to build the largest private home in America in Orlando, Florida — a $100 million house inspired by the Palace of Versailles. Their plans – and their lives – were derailed by the Great Recession of 2008.
The stage musical will reunite Schwartz with Broadway superstar Chenoweth (who will play Jackie Siegel), and feature a book by Lindsey Ferrentino and direction by Tony nominee Michael Arden. The project is described as “a new musical exploring the true cost of fame, fortune, and family.”
The Queen of Versailles is produced by Bill Damaschke. Chenoweth will also act as producer through her production banner Diva Worldwide Entertainment.
The project would reunite Chenoweth with her Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, who is on board to write the music. An industry reading is set for March 24 in New York City, in preparation for an out of town engagement with additional details to be announced.
Stephen Schwartz (Photo: Nathan Johnson)
Lauren Greenfield’s The Queen of Versailles 2012 documentary depicted the often bizarre lives of Jackie Siegel and David Siegel, owners of Westgate Resorts, as they struggled to build the largest private home in America in Orlando, Florida — a $100 million house inspired by the Palace of Versailles. Their plans – and their lives – were derailed by the Great Recession of 2008.
The stage musical will reunite Schwartz with Broadway superstar Chenoweth (who will play Jackie Siegel), and feature a book by Lindsey Ferrentino and direction by Tony nominee Michael Arden. The project is described as “a new musical exploring the true cost of fame, fortune, and family.”
The Queen of Versailles is produced by Bill Damaschke. Chenoweth will also act as producer through her production banner Diva Worldwide Entertainment.
- 2/24/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
With a good portion of contemporary television obsessed with reboots, reimaginings, and revivals, it’s somewhat odd that that same amount of energy isn’t necessarily given to series that function more as homages and pastiches that also maintain their own singularity. But as writer-director Rian Johnson proves with his Peacock series “Poker Face,” that is arguably a more refreshing approach to the form — using a familiar structure to create a new, unique story.
Johnson has made perfectly clear just how much “Poker Face” series is an homage to classic procedurals like “Columbo,” “Murder, She Wrote,” and “Magnum P.I.,” specifically telling a new “whydunnit” story with each episode that throws back to the ’70s and ’80s but is set in modern day. And alongside series showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, Johnson absolutely succeeds, to the point that — early on — it’s sometimes jarring to even see a cellphone or a vape pen in the series.
Johnson has made perfectly clear just how much “Poker Face” series is an homage to classic procedurals like “Columbo,” “Murder, She Wrote,” and “Magnum P.I.,” specifically telling a new “whydunnit” story with each episode that throws back to the ’70s and ’80s but is set in modern day. And alongside series showrunners Nora and Lilla Zuckerman, Johnson absolutely succeeds, to the point that — early on — it’s sometimes jarring to even see a cellphone or a vape pen in the series.
- 1/25/2023
- by LaToya Ferguson
- The Wrap
The 2023 Oscar nominations might be upon us, heralding both the most celebrated and some of the more underrated movies of the last year, but we here at /Film haven't forgotten the tragically underseen gems from years past that still deserve their time in the sun. We're far from alone, however, as Mondo is teaming up with Guillermo del Toro and Searchlight Films to do justice to one of 2021's most fascinating and overlooked entries: the star-driven adaptation "Nightmare Alley," featuring the likes of Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Willem Dafoe, and more. (You can read Chris Evangelista's review here.)
In a boon for film lovers everywhere, the beloved pop culture staple Mondo has turned their gaze towards composer Nathan Johnson's fittingly moody and atmospheric work on the nightmarish noir. /Film is proud to exclusively announce Mondo's vinyl release of the "Nightmare Alley" original soundtrack in partnership with Hollywood Records and Searchlight Films.
In a boon for film lovers everywhere, the beloved pop culture staple Mondo has turned their gaze towards composer Nathan Johnson's fittingly moody and atmospheric work on the nightmarish noir. /Film is proud to exclusively announce Mondo's vinyl release of the "Nightmare Alley" original soundtrack in partnership with Hollywood Records and Searchlight Films.
- 1/23/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
To some, the awards season schedule can feel like an exhausting, soul-crushing experience. But for filmmaker Sarah Polley and Hildur Gudnadóttir, it’s simply the best.
“We’re going to all the events,” said Women Talking and Tár composer Gudnadóttir while standing next to pal Polley on the red carpet at the BAFTA Tea at Four Seasons Los Angeles in Beverly Hills on Saturday. “It’s actually really fun because we don’t see each other very often and it’s been a really great excuse to hang out with Sarah and just go to all the events with her. We’ve been pissing ourselves with laughter.”
Polley, on the circuit for her critically acclaimed Women Talking, called it “weirdly amazing” that others may complain about the demands and dizzying number of red carpets while she’s embracing the chaos. “We’re having the best time ever. We go to everything,...
“We’re going to all the events,” said Women Talking and Tár composer Gudnadóttir while standing next to pal Polley on the red carpet at the BAFTA Tea at Four Seasons Los Angeles in Beverly Hills on Saturday. “It’s actually really fun because we don’t see each other very often and it’s been a really great excuse to hang out with Sarah and just go to all the events with her. We’ve been pissing ourselves with laughter.”
Polley, on the circuit for her critically acclaimed Women Talking, called it “weirdly amazing” that others may complain about the demands and dizzying number of red carpets while she’s embracing the chaos. “We’re having the best time ever. We go to everything,...
- 1/16/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Three of the composers who made it onto the 2023 Oscars shortlist for Best Score recently sat down with Gold Derby to talk about their films: Volker Bertelmann (Netflix’s “All Quiet on the Western Front”), Simon Franglen (Disney’s “Avatar: The Way of Water”) and Nathan Johnson (Netflix’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”). Among other topics, the men reveal what iconic movie scores from their childhoods helped influence their decisions to become composers, what film genres they would love to work on in the future, and how the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on their production schedules.
We talked with Bertelmann, Franglen and Johnson as a part of Gold Derby’s Film Composers Oscar Shortlist Panel Q&a event. Watch our exclusive video interview above. Click on each name above to watch that person’s individual chat.
SEEWatch hundreds of Gold Derby interviews with 2023 awards contenders
Bertelmann grew up...
We talked with Bertelmann, Franglen and Johnson as a part of Gold Derby’s Film Composers Oscar Shortlist Panel Q&a event. Watch our exclusive video interview above. Click on each name above to watch that person’s individual chat.
SEEWatch hundreds of Gold Derby interviews with 2023 awards contenders
Bertelmann grew up...
- 1/13/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
“We’ve been working on this movie for the last couple years and it’d kind of a giddy feeling to finally get it out in the wild and to let people start responding to it,” reveals Nathan Johnson, the composer of “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” on Netflix. His soundtrack is one of only 15 that made it onto the Oscar shortlist for Best Score, which means he’s one step closer to a potential nomination. He continues on, “In a way, just seeing people’s response to the movie kind of feels like when [director Rian Johnson] first sent me the script and I just read it by myself here. I was so excited about it, so it’s really fun to see other people responding in that way as well.”
We talked with Johnson as a part of Gold Derby’s Film Composers Oscar Shortlist Panel Q&a event.
We talked with Johnson as a part of Gold Derby’s Film Composers Oscar Shortlist Panel Q&a event.
- 1/13/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
Like its film, Glass Onion’s score understands the power of characters.
Inspired by Italian composers like Nino Rota and the work of famed author Agatha Christie — with easter eggs to the fugue technique tucked in for eagled-eared listeners — Nathan Johnson’s score represents a type of composing he says has gone out of style, but that helped him unfold the film’s mystery and, more significantly, its equally mysterious characters.
Themes for Andi (Janelle Monáe), Birdie (Kate Hudson) and Miles (Edward Norton) lay bare what’s underneath the duplicity among a tech billionaire’s group of barely friends, as pieces like “Dinner Is Served,” “Snoop,” and “The Puzzle Box” engage in a careful tip-toe as musical embodiments of curiousity and intrigue. Meanwhile, tracks like “Ransacking,” “The Center of the Onion” and “Lights Out!” capture the increasing tension, stakes and danger of Rian Johnson’s latest Knives Out mystery.
It...
Inspired by Italian composers like Nino Rota and the work of famed author Agatha Christie — with easter eggs to the fugue technique tucked in for eagled-eared listeners — Nathan Johnson’s score represents a type of composing he says has gone out of style, but that helped him unfold the film’s mystery and, more significantly, its equally mysterious characters.
Themes for Andi (Janelle Monáe), Birdie (Kate Hudson) and Miles (Edward Norton) lay bare what’s underneath the duplicity among a tech billionaire’s group of barely friends, as pieces like “Dinner Is Served,” “Snoop,” and “The Puzzle Box” engage in a careful tip-toe as musical embodiments of curiousity and intrigue. Meanwhile, tracks like “Ransacking,” “The Center of the Onion” and “Lights Out!” capture the increasing tension, stakes and danger of Rian Johnson’s latest Knives Out mystery.
It...
- 1/13/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Three top film composers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2023 awards contenders. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Thursday, January 12, at 4:00 p.m. Pt; 7:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Marcus Dixon and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following Oscar contenders on the 2023 shortlist:
All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix)
Synopsis: A young German soldier’s terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.
Bio: Volker Bertelmann (aka Hauschka) was an Oscar nominee for “Lion.” Other...
RSVP today to our entire ongoing contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following Oscar contenders on the 2023 shortlist:
All Quiet on the Western Front (Netflix)
Synopsis: A young German soldier’s terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.
Bio: Volker Bertelmann (aka Hauschka) was an Oscar nominee for “Lion.” Other...
- 1/9/2023
- by Chris Beachum and Marcus James Dixon
- Gold Derby
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” was conceived by writer-director-producer Rian Johnson as “a whodunit that’s set in modern day that very openly engages with America right here and right now.” The second installment in the comically suspenseful “Knives Out” series (and sixth feature film on Johnson’s resume) finds Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) interacting with a new set of hoity-toity murder suspects on a private Greek island. Watch Johnson, Craig and more members of the “Glass Onion” cast and crew explain how the movie strikes “a completely different tone” from its predecessor in the exclusive video feature above.
After receiving a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination for “Knives Out,” Johnson applied “a whole new narrative gambit” to the “Glass Onion” script that actresses Kate Hudson (Birdie Jay) and Janelle Monae (Andi Brand) respectively refer to as “brilliant” and “deep.” Monae adds that the story’s “energy allowed...
After receiving a Best Original Screenplay Oscar nomination for “Knives Out,” Johnson applied “a whole new narrative gambit” to the “Glass Onion” script that actresses Kate Hudson (Birdie Jay) and Janelle Monae (Andi Brand) respectively refer to as “brilliant” and “deep.” Monae adds that the story’s “energy allowed...
- 12/27/2022
- by Matthew Stewart
- Gold Derby
Killer Collectibles highlights five of the most exciting new horror products released each and every week, from toys and apparel to artwork, records, and much more.
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Inland Empire Blu-ray from Criterion
Inland Empire will join The Criterion Collection with a Blu-ray release on March 21. David Lynch’s 2006 experimental horror film stars Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, Justin Theroux, Harry Dean Stanton, Karolina Gruszka, Peter J. Lucas. Krzysztof Majchrzak, and Julia Ormond.
It has received a new HD digital master from a 4K restoration supervised by Lynch, with 5.1 surround DTS-hd Master Audio and uncompressed stereo soundtracks newly remastered by Lynch and original rerecording mixers Dean Hurley and Ron Eng.
The two-disc set includes the 2007 documentaries Lynch (one) and LYNCH2, a new conversation between Dern and Kyle MacLachlan, 75 minutes of extra scenes, Lynch’s 2007 short film Ballerina, and more.
E.T. Sneakers from Zavvi...
Here are the coolest horror collectibles unveiled this week!
Inland Empire Blu-ray from Criterion
Inland Empire will join The Criterion Collection with a Blu-ray release on March 21. David Lynch’s 2006 experimental horror film stars Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, Justin Theroux, Harry Dean Stanton, Karolina Gruszka, Peter J. Lucas. Krzysztof Majchrzak, and Julia Ormond.
It has received a new HD digital master from a 4K restoration supervised by Lynch, with 5.1 surround DTS-hd Master Audio and uncompressed stereo soundtracks newly remastered by Lynch and original rerecording mixers Dean Hurley and Ron Eng.
The two-disc set includes the 2007 documentaries Lynch (one) and LYNCH2, a new conversation between Dern and Kyle MacLachlan, 75 minutes of extra scenes, Lynch’s 2007 short film Ballerina, and more.
E.T. Sneakers from Zavvi...
- 12/16/2022
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Jon M. Chu, who directed “In the Heights” and is currently working on a two-part “Wicked” adaptation for Universal, is bringing his special sauce to another beloved musical property: Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.”
“Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Anniversary,” combines original footage from the animated masterpiece (the first animated feature ever to be nominated for Best Picture) with new live-action performances and Chu, as producer, as assembled an all-star line-up. H.E.R. and Josh Groban star as Belle and the Beast, with Rita Moreno as the narrator, Joshua Henry as Gaston, Martin Short as Lumière, David Alan Grier as Cogsworth, Rizwan Manji as LeFou, Jon Jon Briones as Maurice, Leo Abelo Perry as Chip and Shania Twain as Mrs. Potts.
But what is this 30th anniversary celebration all about? And why was Chu so compelled to remake “Beauty and the Beast” yet again? Read on to find out.
“Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Anniversary,” combines original footage from the animated masterpiece (the first animated feature ever to be nominated for Best Picture) with new live-action performances and Chu, as producer, as assembled an all-star line-up. H.E.R. and Josh Groban star as Belle and the Beast, with Rita Moreno as the narrator, Joshua Henry as Gaston, Martin Short as Lumière, David Alan Grier as Cogsworth, Rizwan Manji as LeFou, Jon Jon Briones as Maurice, Leo Abelo Perry as Chip and Shania Twain as Mrs. Potts.
But what is this 30th anniversary celebration all about? And why was Chu so compelled to remake “Beauty and the Beast” yet again? Read on to find out.
- 12/14/2022
- by Drew Taylor
- The Wrap
Having worked together for literal decades (they are cousins after all), composer Nathan Johnson and filmmaker Rian Johnson have forged a fruitful working relationship, and Nathan says the “Glass Onion” director’s secret is in his methodical approach to storytelling.
“Honestly, the secret to Rian’s movies is that he’s never asking the music to fix something,” Nathan Johnson told TheWrap during a recent interview. “Rian scripts are so tight that thankfully he’s never coming to me and saying, ‘We didn’t quite get it in the scene, can you help us across the line with the music?’”
When it came to tackling the score for the “Knives Out” sequel “Glass Onion,” Nathan (who has scored all of Rian’s films aside from “The Last Jedi”) says his early conversations with Rian were about leaning into the “fun, romantic nature” of the follow-up film, pointing to Nino Rota...
“Honestly, the secret to Rian’s movies is that he’s never asking the music to fix something,” Nathan Johnson told TheWrap during a recent interview. “Rian scripts are so tight that thankfully he’s never coming to me and saying, ‘We didn’t quite get it in the scene, can you help us across the line with the music?’”
When it came to tackling the score for the “Knives Out” sequel “Glass Onion,” Nathan (who has scored all of Rian’s films aside from “The Last Jedi”) says his early conversations with Rian were about leaning into the “fun, romantic nature” of the follow-up film, pointing to Nino Rota...
- 12/13/2022
- by Adam Chitwood
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for M3GAN, Pinocchio, 1923, The Best Man: The Final Chapters and The Recruit.
People’s Choice Awards
Kenan Thompson hosted the awards show live from Santa Monica on Tuesday, where Ryan Reynolds accepted the People’s Icon Award, Shania Twain received the Music Icon Award, Lizzo accepted the People’s Champion Award and Ellen Pompeo and the cast of Grey’s Anatomy reunited onstage to accept the drama show of 2022 award.
Ryan Reynolds Lizzo and James Corden James Pickens Jr., Kelly McCreary, Ellen Pompeo, Caterina Scorsone, Chandra Wilson, Jake Borelli and Camilla Luddington
Pinocchio NY premiere
On Tuesday, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio celebrated its New York premiere at the Museum of Modern Art with stars Finn Wolfhard and Gregory Mann.
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for M3GAN, Pinocchio, 1923, The Best Man: The Final Chapters and The Recruit.
People’s Choice Awards
Kenan Thompson hosted the awards show live from Santa Monica on Tuesday, where Ryan Reynolds accepted the People’s Icon Award, Shania Twain received the Music Icon Award, Lizzo accepted the People’s Champion Award and Ellen Pompeo and the cast of Grey’s Anatomy reunited onstage to accept the drama show of 2022 award.
Ryan Reynolds Lizzo and James Corden James Pickens Jr., Kelly McCreary, Ellen Pompeo, Caterina Scorsone, Chandra Wilson, Jake Borelli and Camilla Luddington
Pinocchio NY premiere
On Tuesday, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio celebrated its New York premiere at the Museum of Modern Art with stars Finn Wolfhard and Gregory Mann.
- 12/9/2022
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
For the score of “Glass Onion,” Rian Johnson’s hotly anticipated follow-up to his 2019 whodunnit “Knives Out,” composer Nathan Johnson took inspiration from “Death on the Nile” — not this year’s Kenneth Branagh remake, but the original 1978 version with a score from “The Godfather” composer Nino Rota.
“I love Nino Rota so much, and me and Rian grew up loving all his work,” Johnson told IndieWire Crafts and Animation Editor Bill Desowitz at IndieWire’s Consider This FYC Brunch. “Rian really wanted to lean into the fun, and lean into that romantic lyricism which I am such a fan of and Rota was so amazing at. So obviously there’s the suspense and the character moments, but right up front for the main titles, we kind of wanted to say, ‘We’re going to Europe, come along with us on this grand adventure.'”
At the brunch, Desowitz spoke with...
“I love Nino Rota so much, and me and Rian grew up loving all his work,” Johnson told IndieWire Crafts and Animation Editor Bill Desowitz at IndieWire’s Consider This FYC Brunch. “Rian really wanted to lean into the fun, and lean into that romantic lyricism which I am such a fan of and Rota was so amazing at. So obviously there’s the suspense and the character moments, but right up front for the main titles, we kind of wanted to say, ‘We’re going to Europe, come along with us on this grand adventure.'”
At the brunch, Desowitz spoke with...
- 11/23/2022
- by Bill Desowitz and Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Turning a completely original movie idea into a box office phenomenon is no small feat in today’s IP-driven marketplace, but that’s exactly what Rian Johnson did when “Knives Out” hit theaters in 2019. It’s even harder to make a sequel that surpasses the original, but many think Johnson has done that as well with “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”
Johnson’s latest film brings his whodunnit franchise to Netflix, with Daniel Craig reprising his role as masterful southern-fried detective Benoit Blanc. But everything else about the film is new, as Blanc travels to Greece to solve a new case featuring a murderer’s row of suspects that includes Edward Norton, Ethan Hawke, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, and Kathryn Hahn.
At IndieWire’s FYC Consider This Brunch in Hollywood November 18, the film’s producer, Ram Bergman, editor Bob Ducsay, and composer Nathan Johnson...
Johnson’s latest film brings his whodunnit franchise to Netflix, with Daniel Craig reprising his role as masterful southern-fried detective Benoit Blanc. But everything else about the film is new, as Blanc travels to Greece to solve a new case featuring a murderer’s row of suspects that includes Edward Norton, Ethan Hawke, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, and Kathryn Hahn.
At IndieWire’s FYC Consider This Brunch in Hollywood November 18, the film’s producer, Ram Bergman, editor Bob Ducsay, and composer Nathan Johnson...
- 11/18/2022
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Click here to read the full article.
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Disenchanted, Glass Onion, Wednesday, Devotion and The Menu.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story premiere
Netflix hosted the U.S. premiere of the Knives Out sequel on Monday at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, with writer-director Rian Johnson, producer Ram Bergman and stars Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline and Kate Hudson. Original Knives Out castmembers Jamie Lee Curtis, Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell also made an appearance.
(Back) Madelyn Cline, Jessica Henwick, Kathryn Hahn, Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr., Noah Segan, (front) Netflix chief marketing officer content acquisition Marian Lee, Kate Hudson, Netflix global film content acquisition vp Scott Stuber, Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, Netflix studio film content acquisition director Nick Nesbitt,...
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for Disenchanted, Glass Onion, Wednesday, Devotion and The Menu.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story premiere
Netflix hosted the U.S. premiere of the Knives Out sequel on Monday at the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, with writer-director Rian Johnson, producer Ram Bergman and stars Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline and Kate Hudson. Original Knives Out castmembers Jamie Lee Curtis, Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell also made an appearance.
(Back) Madelyn Cline, Jessica Henwick, Kathryn Hahn, Edward Norton, Leslie Odom Jr., Noah Segan, (front) Netflix chief marketing officer content acquisition Marian Lee, Kate Hudson, Netflix global film content acquisition vp Scott Stuber, Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman, Netflix studio film content acquisition director Nick Nesbitt,...
- 11/18/2022
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Laura Osnes, who received a Tony Award nomination for her performance as Bonnie Parker in the 2011 Broadway musical Bonnie & Clyde, has been replaced by West End actor Frances Mayli McCann in London’s nearly sold-out upcoming Bonnie & Clyde In Concert event that was intended to reteam Osnes with her original Clyde, actor Jeremy Jordan.
Producer Fourth Wall Live announced the new casting in a statement today but didn’t disclose the reason for the replacement, noting only that “The previously announced Laura Osnes is no longer performing in Bonnie and Clyde in Concert.”
Osnes made news several months ago when she departed the upcoming Disney Princess – The Concert tour after declining to comply with the production’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for performers. In an August message on Instagram, Osnes defended her vaccine refusal by saying, “I stand by the decision my husband and I, with input from our physician,...
Producer Fourth Wall Live announced the new casting in a statement today but didn’t disclose the reason for the replacement, noting only that “The previously announced Laura Osnes is no longer performing in Bonnie and Clyde in Concert.”
Osnes made news several months ago when she departed the upcoming Disney Princess – The Concert tour after declining to comply with the production’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate for performers. In an August message on Instagram, Osnes defended her vaccine refusal by saying, “I stand by the decision my husband and I, with input from our physician,...
- 11/5/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s impossible to guess, some three months away from the nominations, what might be up for Oscar in the music categories. But we can’t resist trying.
The only sure thing seems to be that English composer Jonny Greenwood will be nominated for at least one Oscar and maybe two. The Radiohead guitarist has been nominated just once (for 2017’s “Phantom Thread”) but has lately stepped up his film score output and has no fewer than three talked-about films in contention: “Spencer,” the Princess Diana movie, for director Pablo Larrain; “The Power of the Dog” (pictured), the Benedict Cumberbatch western for director Jane Campion; and “Licorice Pizza,” for his frequent collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson.
Eleven-time nominee (and winner for the original “Lion King” in 1994) Hans Zimmer seems a likely entrant for his moody, evocative, choral-based score for the sci-fi epic “Dune.” Another 11-time nominee, Alexandre Desplat, may be a...
The only sure thing seems to be that English composer Jonny Greenwood will be nominated for at least one Oscar and maybe two. The Radiohead guitarist has been nominated just once (for 2017’s “Phantom Thread”) but has lately stepped up his film score output and has no fewer than three talked-about films in contention: “Spencer,” the Princess Diana movie, for director Pablo Larrain; “The Power of the Dog” (pictured), the Benedict Cumberbatch western for director Jane Campion; and “Licorice Pizza,” for his frequent collaborator Paul Thomas Anderson.
Eleven-time nominee (and winner for the original “Lion King” in 1994) Hans Zimmer seems a likely entrant for his moody, evocative, choral-based score for the sci-fi epic “Dune.” Another 11-time nominee, Alexandre Desplat, may be a...
- 11/5/2021
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Best original song Oscar contenders Beyoncé and Van Morrison are among those who received nominations in the visual media categories at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards (Hmma). Composers Hans Zimmer and Nicholas Britell were included among the familiar names picking up nods in the score categories.
The awards will be presented Nov. 17. The HMMAs honor composers, songwriters, and music supervisors for their work in music for film, television, and videogames.
Nominations here have historically been a harbinger or guide for what nominees and winners will pop up in the Golden Globes, Oscars, Grammys and Emmys that occur later in awards season, although there is a much wider field in the HMMAs, since there are separate divisions for sci-fi, animation, documentary and independent films in the score categories. The Hollywood Music in Media Awards will feature music performances, celebrity presenters, tributes to music industry icons, awards for composers, songwriters and...
The awards will be presented Nov. 17. The HMMAs honor composers, songwriters, and music supervisors for their work in music for film, television, and videogames.
Nominations here have historically been a harbinger or guide for what nominees and winners will pop up in the Golden Globes, Oscars, Grammys and Emmys that occur later in awards season, although there is a much wider field in the HMMAs, since there are separate divisions for sci-fi, animation, documentary and independent films in the score categories. The Hollywood Music in Media Awards will feature music performances, celebrity presenters, tributes to music industry icons, awards for composers, songwriters and...
- 11/4/2021
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Whether you’re on the “Belfast” train or believe another film will steal the Oscars’ attention, being the front-runner too early can affect a movie’s awards chances. But playing catch-up can be even more challenging.
Films dropping into the Oscar conversation late have proven effective for past best picture winners like “Million Dollar Baby” (2004). Still, since that time, Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” (2017) has been the only December release that has taken the top prize, with most others releasing within an October time frame.
With the official phase one awards period less than a month away, several unseen and unknown entities have yet to screen. At the top of the list is del Toro’s remake of the 1947 classic, “Nightmare Alley.” This dark adaptation of the novel, which differs from the original, has a sprawling ensemble led by Bradley Cooper, and there are high hopes for it.
Films dropping into the Oscar conversation late have proven effective for past best picture winners like “Million Dollar Baby” (2004). Still, since that time, Guillermo del Toro’s “The Shape of Water” (2017) has been the only December release that has taken the top prize, with most others releasing within an October time frame.
With the official phase one awards period less than a month away, several unseen and unknown entities have yet to screen. At the top of the list is del Toro’s remake of the 1947 classic, “Nightmare Alley.” This dark adaptation of the novel, which differs from the original, has a sprawling ensemble led by Bradley Cooper, and there are high hopes for it.
- 10/21/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Laura Osnes, Broadway’s former Cinderella who left an upcoming Hamptons concert event rather than get a Covid vaccine, is no longer a Princess: A Disney concert tour set to begin this fall has replaced Osnes with Christy Altomare, star of Broadway’s Anastasia.
The new casting was confirmed to Deadline by a spokesperson for the Disney Princess – The Concert tour. According to the rep, the multi-city concert tour “will follow Disney Concerts’ Covid-19 safety policy, requiring cast and touring crew to be fully vaccinated, and will adhere to all local health protocols at each tour stop in an effort to maintain a safe concert experience for our patrons, local crews, and the entire touring company.”
The 85-city U.S. tour was announced in May, with the first leg of the tour then set to star Osnes alongside Susan Egan (‘Belle’ from Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast), Courtney Reed...
The new casting was confirmed to Deadline by a spokesperson for the Disney Princess – The Concert tour. According to the rep, the multi-city concert tour “will follow Disney Concerts’ Covid-19 safety policy, requiring cast and touring crew to be fully vaccinated, and will adhere to all local health protocols at each tour stop in an effort to maintain a safe concert experience for our patrons, local crews, and the entire touring company.”
The 85-city U.S. tour was announced in May, with the first leg of the tour then set to star Osnes alongside Susan Egan (‘Belle’ from Broadway’s Beauty and the Beast), Courtney Reed...
- 8/20/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Laura Osnes, who has starred in such Broadway musicals as Bandstand, South Pacific and Bonnie and Clyde, is disputing reports that she was fired from a one-night benefit concert in East Hampton, NY, for her refusal to get a Covid-19 vaccine.
Osnes had been scheduled to perform at East Hampton’s Guild Hall in the August 29 production of song selections from a planned Broadway revival of the musical Crazy for You directed by Susan Stroman. Last week, the New York Post reported that Osnes had been fired from the show for refusing to get vaccinated.
The actress says the report was inaccurate. In an Instagram post, Osnes claims she withdrew from the production after being informed that safety “protocols had changed.”
“I was disappointed but responded that I would have to withdraw, as I have not yet gotten the vaccine,” Osnes writes. (See the full post below.)
Osnes also denied...
Osnes had been scheduled to perform at East Hampton’s Guild Hall in the August 29 production of song selections from a planned Broadway revival of the musical Crazy for You directed by Susan Stroman. Last week, the New York Post reported that Osnes had been fired from the show for refusing to get vaccinated.
The actress says the report was inaccurate. In an Instagram post, Osnes claims she withdrew from the production after being informed that safety “protocols had changed.”
“I was disappointed but responded that I would have to withdraw, as I have not yet gotten the vaccine,” Osnes writes. (See the full post below.)
Osnes also denied...
- 8/17/2021
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The opening shot of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s 10-part “Mr. Corman,” which debuted on Apple TV+ with its first two episodes last week, finds the creator/producer/director/writer/star beating out a rhythm on his chest with his hands, a harbinger of the musical piece he will have completed by the season’s close. The eclectic soundtrack album, featuring Nathan Johnson’s jagged, instrumental score and several original songs, has been released by Kobalt Music Group’s Awal label, and is now available on major DSPs.
Music is at the heart of the multitalented star’s new series, in which he plays a thirtysomething fifth grade teacher in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley who feels like a failure because his dreams of performing in a rock band with his now ex-girlfriend have been put on hold.
From those opening moments, when the title character returns to finish his uncompleted opus,...
Music is at the heart of the multitalented star’s new series, in which he plays a thirtysomething fifth grade teacher in L.A.’s San Fernando Valley who feels like a failure because his dreams of performing in a rock band with his now ex-girlfriend have been put on hold.
From those opening moments, when the title character returns to finish his uncompleted opus,...
- 8/13/2021
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
One of the most common aspects of the human condition is also one of the most difficult to consistently and compellingly depict on TV: boredom. Typically, movies or series that open on a character who’s frustrated with the redundancies of their day-to-day life soon give way to an extraordinary and eye-opening adventure, where the subject (and audience) learns to appreciate what they have and/or step out of their comfort zone a little more often (off the top of my head: “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”). But if there is no adventure — if, instead, there’s just the struggling, stagnant lead going through his typical, unchanging life — those stories run the risk of trapping their audience in a headspace both limited and unwelcoming.
Enter “Mr. Corman.” Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the creator, executive producer, and writer-director on multiple episodes, plays Josh Corman, a thirtysomething ex-musician who hung up his guitar...
Enter “Mr. Corman.” Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the creator, executive producer, and writer-director on multiple episodes, plays Josh Corman, a thirtysomething ex-musician who hung up his guitar...
- 8/6/2021
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Denis Villeneuve is the most recent high profile director to surprise students at the United Kingdom’s National Film and Television School with a video masterclass on directing. The “Sicario” and “Blade Runner 2049” filmmaker video chatted with quarantined film students on Monday, April 27 through Zoom while taking a break from post-production on his upcoming “Dune” adaptation. John Wardle, the school’s director, shared the news on social media, writing, “I love this man. Denis Villeneuve just spent the last hour talking with real poetry about his work and giving students a massive lift in the process. Thank you Denis!”
David Fincher kicked off the National Film and Television School’s quarantined masterclasses at the end of March, surprising nearly 450 students who registered online to take part in the video chat discussion. Over the last several weeks, Wardle has brought on an impressive roster of top talent to give online discussions to quarantined film students,...
David Fincher kicked off the National Film and Television School’s quarantined masterclasses at the end of March, surprising nearly 450 students who registered online to take part in the video chat discussion. Over the last several weeks, Wardle has brought on an impressive roster of top talent to give online discussions to quarantined film students,...
- 4/28/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
We made it, everyone! Today is the final day of Daily Dead’s 2019 Holiday Gift Guide, and to wrap things up, we’re celebrating all the great vinyl soundtrack and film score releases from this year, as well as featuring some last-minute gift ideas that have either hit my radar over the last few weeks, or didn’t quite fit into the other Hgg categories.
Enjoy and Happy Holidays, readers!
Ghost Girl Greetings
If you’re still on the lookout for some horror-fied Christmas cards, you cannot beat the absolutely adorable creations at Ghost Girl Greetings. Be sure to check out their site Asap to get those holiday orders in before it’s too late!
Death Wish Coffee
As someone who pretty much exists on coffee from when I wake up until I go to sleep, I can say with authority that not only does Death Wish Coffee taste great,...
Enjoy and Happy Holidays, readers!
Ghost Girl Greetings
If you’re still on the lookout for some horror-fied Christmas cards, you cannot beat the absolutely adorable creations at Ghost Girl Greetings. Be sure to check out their site Asap to get those holiday orders in before it’s too late!
Death Wish Coffee
As someone who pretty much exists on coffee from when I wake up until I go to sleep, I can say with authority that not only does Death Wish Coffee taste great,...
- 12/14/2019
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
As the Academy prepares for its rush of Oscar shortlist announcements coming on Monday, December 16, a handful of contenders in the Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories have already been eliminated.
Trade publication Variety got an early look at the eligibility lists for these categories. On the list of 170 eligible scores, missing are “Captain Marvel” from composer Pinar Toprak, “The Irishman” from Robbie Robertson, “The Two Popes” from Bryce Dessner, “Knives Out” from Nathan Johnson (whom IndieWire highlighted at the recent Consider This Fyc Brunch), “A Hidden Life” from James Newton Howard, and “Ad Astra” from Max Richter and Lorne Balfe. Notably missing from the list of 75 Best Original Song contenders is Regina Spektor’s “One Little Soldier” from “Bombshell.”
Sources told Variety that an “administrative mixup” was the cause of “Knives Out” no-show status on the list, as was the case for “One Little Soldier.” And it turns out that “Captain Marvel,...
Trade publication Variety got an early look at the eligibility lists for these categories. On the list of 170 eligible scores, missing are “Captain Marvel” from composer Pinar Toprak, “The Irishman” from Robbie Robertson, “The Two Popes” from Bryce Dessner, “Knives Out” from Nathan Johnson (whom IndieWire highlighted at the recent Consider This Fyc Brunch), “A Hidden Life” from James Newton Howard, and “Ad Astra” from Max Richter and Lorne Balfe. Notably missing from the list of 75 Best Original Song contenders is Regina Spektor’s “One Little Soldier” from “Bombshell.”
Sources told Variety that an “administrative mixup” was the cause of “Knives Out” no-show status on the list, as was the case for “One Little Soldier.” And it turns out that “Captain Marvel,...
- 12/10/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The Regina Spektor song from “Bombshell” and at least six major scores including “The Two Popes” and “The Irishman” won’t be on Oscar’s music shortlists when they are announced next week.
That’s because none of them are on the official Academy eligibility lists from which music-branch members are now voting. Preliminary voting ends tomorrow afternoon, and the song and score shortlists — from which the final five nominees will be chosen in each category — will be announced Dec. 16.
Variety got a look at the eligibility lists, which are available only to Academy music-branch members during the shortlist voting process.
“One Little Soldier,” written and sung by Spektor for “Bombshell,” is not among the 75 eligible songs. Missing from the list of 170 eligible scores are “Captain Marvel,” “The Irishman,” “The Two Popes,” “Knives Out,” “A Hidden Life” and “Ad Astra.”
Reasons for the omissions vary, sources tell Variety. “An administrative...
That’s because none of them are on the official Academy eligibility lists from which music-branch members are now voting. Preliminary voting ends tomorrow afternoon, and the song and score shortlists — from which the final five nominees will be chosen in each category — will be announced Dec. 16.
Variety got a look at the eligibility lists, which are available only to Academy music-branch members during the shortlist voting process.
“One Little Soldier,” written and sung by Spektor for “Bombshell,” is not among the 75 eligible songs. Missing from the list of 170 eligible scores are “Captain Marvel,” “The Irishman,” “The Two Popes,” “Knives Out,” “A Hidden Life” and “Ad Astra.”
Reasons for the omissions vary, sources tell Variety. “An administrative...
- 12/9/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
It’s no secret that murder mysteries are one of my very favorite subgenres of storytelling—whether it’s on the written page or on the big screen—so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Rian Johnson’s Knives Out is amongst my very favorite films of 2019. A perfectly blended tale of intrigue, murder, familial strife as well as biting social commentary on the haves and the have-nots, Knives Out is easily one of the most entertaining theatrical experiences I’ve had this year, one that will have you playing along as it unravels all of its narrative’s secrets to boot.
With a pitch-perfect cast, a wickedly fun sense of humor, and a story that continuously surprises from start to finish, I can’t help but think that Agatha Christie herself would cackle with delight at all of Knives Out’s amusing reveals and intricately conceived plotting.
With a pitch-perfect cast, a wickedly fun sense of humor, and a story that continuously surprises from start to finish, I can’t help but think that Agatha Christie herself would cackle with delight at all of Knives Out’s amusing reveals and intricately conceived plotting.
- 11/26/2019
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Old fashioned murder mysteries clearly appeal to Rian Johnson. The filmmaker has an affinity for those long time entertainment staples, and it’s that affection that helps him so deftly sharpen and update the tropes in Knives Out, his fiendishly clever whodunit. With a star studded ensemble cast, strong writing, a total sense of play, and third act that truly comes alive, this movie has a lot going in its favor. For a while, you may wonder what all of the fuss is about, but by the time the credits roll, you’ll understand. It hits theaters tomorrow and is a fantastic option for any dysfunctional family on Thanksgiving. The film is a crime dramedy/murder mystery, deftly mixing old school whodunit elements with a real new school approach. When famous crime novelist and family patriarch Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead following his 85th birthday party, the entire Thrombey clan is a suspect.
- 11/26/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
IndieWire hosted its first-ever Consider This Fyc Brunch in honor of the 2019-2020 film awards season Tuesday, where over two dozen filmmakers, craftspeople, and producers discussed their work on the year’s best films in front of an audience of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters and guild members.
The event at Liaison Restaurant + Lounge in Hollywood was hosted by comedian and actor Sasheer Zamata. IndieWire staff moderated six intimate conversations with the editors, designers, directors, and others behind such films as the Gotham Award-nominated “Marriage Story,” Marvel hit “Avengers: Endgame,” the soon-to-launch Apple TV+’s inaugural film projects “The Elephant Queen” and “The Banker,” four National Geographic documentaries, and more.
“We’re here to celebrate the best films of the year,” IndieWire Editor-in-Chief Dana Harris-Bridson said. “In particular to celebrate the people who make those films possible — and that is the crafts.”
A panel moderated by Toolkit...
The event at Liaison Restaurant + Lounge in Hollywood was hosted by comedian and actor Sasheer Zamata. IndieWire staff moderated six intimate conversations with the editors, designers, directors, and others behind such films as the Gotham Award-nominated “Marriage Story,” Marvel hit “Avengers: Endgame,” the soon-to-launch Apple TV+’s inaugural film projects “The Elephant Queen” and “The Banker,” four National Geographic documentaries, and more.
“We’re here to celebrate the best films of the year,” IndieWire Editor-in-Chief Dana Harris-Bridson said. “In particular to celebrate the people who make those films possible — and that is the crafts.”
A panel moderated by Toolkit...
- 11/6/2019
- by Chris Lindahl
- Indiewire
IndieWire is pleased to announce its first-ever Consider This Fyc Brunch in honor of the 2019-2020 film awards season. Hosted by comedian and actor Sasheer Zamata, the invitation-only brunch will take place on Tuesday, November 5, in Los Angeles. IndieWire will welcome attendees comprised of Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences members, as well as guild members and select press, for a program that will present panels with this year’s awards-season contenders across both fiction and nonfiction films.
With additional panelists to be announced soon, the IndieWire Consider This Fyc Brunch program will present intimate conversations with the artists behind such films as the Gotham Award-nominated “Marriage Story,” Marvel hit “Avengers: Endgame,” the soon-to-launch Apple TV+’s inaugural film projects “The Elephant Queen” and “The Banker,” four National Geographic documentaries, and more.
Craft Panel Discussion
Jade Healy, production designer, Netflix’s “Marriage Story”
Deborah Cook, costume designer, United Artists Releasing...
With additional panelists to be announced soon, the IndieWire Consider This Fyc Brunch program will present intimate conversations with the artists behind such films as the Gotham Award-nominated “Marriage Story,” Marvel hit “Avengers: Endgame,” the soon-to-launch Apple TV+’s inaugural film projects “The Elephant Queen” and “The Banker,” four National Geographic documentaries, and more.
Craft Panel Discussion
Jade Healy, production designer, Netflix’s “Marriage Story”
Deborah Cook, costume designer, United Artists Releasing...
- 10/26/2019
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
After a five year hiatus from creating film scores, Nathan Johnson is returning to the art form to compose the score for Rian Johnson‘s upcoming murder mystery Knives Out. Nathan, who happens to be Rian’s cousin, has been responsible for the music in all of Rian’s movies save for Star Wars: The Last Jedi (which, […]
The post Rian Johnson’s ‘Knives Out’ Will Reunite Him With ‘Brick’ Composer Nathan Johnson appeared first on /Film.
The post Rian Johnson’s ‘Knives Out’ Will Reunite Him With ‘Brick’ Composer Nathan Johnson appeared first on /Film.
- 3/14/2019
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
Composer Nathan Johnson on Scoring ‘Young Ones,’ ‘Kill the Messenger,’ and Vinyl Release of ‘Looper’
Composer Nathan Johnson is a master at making off-beat and imperfect instruments sound distant yet accessible on a number of vastly different narratives (see: Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper). His latest work is a pair of scores for films that were both released this month, Jake Paltrow‘s neo-western Young Ones and the journalistic thriller Kill the Messenger starring Jeremy Renner. Johnson has also been producing a couple albums and […]...
- 10/21/2014
- by Marc Ciafardini
- The Film Stage
Jake Paltrow's Young Ones is a dustbowl western with a sci-fi twist. It looks and sounds like the past: The plains are barren, the people wear cheap cotton, and the score, by Nathan Johnson -- all vibrating, beautiful melancholy -- could be layered over any John Ford flick. But when their donkey snaps a limb, peddlers Ernest (Michael Shannon) and his son Jerome (Kodi Smit-McPhee) shoot the animal and replace it with a robot, a high-stepping, spindly machine that looks like a pickup truck on legs.
That robot is easier to love than most of the humans, who've grown hard in this savage imagining of the West where water is more precious than oil. The earth is parched. Everything from the brush to the hills is tumbleweed-beige, as is Shannon's face and hair and funny car...
That robot is easier to love than most of the humans, who've grown hard in this savage imagining of the West where water is more precious than oil. The earth is parched. Everything from the brush to the hills is tumbleweed-beige, as is Shannon's face and hair and funny car...
- 10/15/2014
- Village Voice
Last week, I reviewed Aut?mata, which was a post-apocalyptic science fiction film that presented nothing new in terms of ideas or themes. It treaded on familiar territory and made it a bore to watch. Science fiction films need to reflect human nature in an interesting way to be successful, otherwise they become very easy to tune out. In comes Young Ones, a film that uses a near future of a massive water shortage to explore man's pride, greed, and struggle for survival. The film is not wholly successful in its ambitions, shifting away from its themes midway through into a more traditional revenge film, but with the help of a quartet of terrific performances, the film is never something Aut?mata was: boring. A rather subdued Michael Shannon plays Ernest Holm, the patriarch of a family who is clinging onto a 20-acre farm, despite a drought that has dried...
- 10/14/2014
- by Mike Shutt
- Rope of Silicon
Young at Heart: Paltrow’s Sci-Fi Western is All Dried Up
Dystopic draught heralds the end of times for the parable that serves as Jake Paltrow’s sophomore effort, Young Ones. A mash-up of classic Western and ambitious sci-fi, the whole is not the sum of its parts, fluctuating between flashes of stylized visual flourishes in the midst of a quickly withering narrative, Paltrow seems to squander the abundant opportunities laid out by the promising set-up. It’s this kernel of potential that makes the film seem even more of a disappointment, methodically churning into a stagnant trench of recycled Greek tragedy themes, a familial saga of vengeance, murder, and inheritance never coalescing into a comfortable stride.
In a world gone dry, surviving members of the human race do the best they can to eke out an existence. The oceans having evaporated long ago, families of farmers do what...
Dystopic draught heralds the end of times for the parable that serves as Jake Paltrow’s sophomore effort, Young Ones. A mash-up of classic Western and ambitious sci-fi, the whole is not the sum of its parts, fluctuating between flashes of stylized visual flourishes in the midst of a quickly withering narrative, Paltrow seems to squander the abundant opportunities laid out by the promising set-up. It’s this kernel of potential that makes the film seem even more of a disappointment, methodically churning into a stagnant trench of recycled Greek tragedy themes, a familial saga of vengeance, murder, and inheritance never coalescing into a comfortable stride.
In a world gone dry, surviving members of the human race do the best they can to eke out an existence. The oceans having evaporated long ago, families of farmers do what...
- 10/13/2014
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Exclusive: Fledgling Canadian distributor boards Sundance premiere.
Fledgling Canadian distributor Elevation has acquired rights from 6 Sales and The Exchange to Jake Paltrow’s Young Ones.
In other deals on the Sundance premiere, Potemkine Films has taken rights for France and Signature will distribute in the UK. Screen Media previously acquired Us rights.
Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning and Kodi Smit-McPhee star in the dystopian-future epic about a youngster struggling to protect his family in a future ravaged by water scarcity.
“We are excited to be involved with this film, with this great director, stellar cast and engaging storyline,” said Elevation co-presidents Laurie May and Noah Segal.
Tristan Orpen Lynch and Michael Auret produced the film and the executive producers are Daniel Wagner, Robert Ogden Barnum, Marina Fuentes Arredonda, James Atherton, Peter Garde, Nathan Johnson, Tara Moross, Brian O’Shea and Jan Pace.
Subotica, Spier Films and Saint Shadow financed Young Ones in association with BiFrost Pictures, [link...
Fledgling Canadian distributor Elevation has acquired rights from 6 Sales and The Exchange to Jake Paltrow’s Young Ones.
In other deals on the Sundance premiere, Potemkine Films has taken rights for France and Signature will distribute in the UK. Screen Media previously acquired Us rights.
Michael Shannon, Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning and Kodi Smit-McPhee star in the dystopian-future epic about a youngster struggling to protect his family in a future ravaged by water scarcity.
“We are excited to be involved with this film, with this great director, stellar cast and engaging storyline,” said Elevation co-presidents Laurie May and Noah Segal.
Tristan Orpen Lynch and Michael Auret produced the film and the executive producers are Daniel Wagner, Robert Ogden Barnum, Marina Fuentes Arredonda, James Atherton, Peter Garde, Nathan Johnson, Tara Moross, Brian O’Shea and Jan Pace.
Subotica, Spier Films and Saint Shadow financed Young Ones in association with BiFrost Pictures, [link...
- 5/17/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
The distributor has picked up Us rights to Jake Paltrow’s acclaimed Sundance selection, which 6 Sales and The Exchange represent for international sales on the Croisette.
Screen Media plans an October release for the future-set drama about a boy striving to take care of his family at a time of global water scarcity.
Michael Shannon (pictured), Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning and Kodi Smit-McPhee star in Young Ones.
“We were blown away by Jake’s vision and execution when we saw his film at Sundance this year,” said Screen Media president Suzanne Blech. “We’re very excited to work with him to bring this amazing and unique accomplishment to audiences nationwide.”
Tristan Orpen Lynch and Michael Auret produced, while Daniel Wagner, Robert Ogden Barnum, Marina Fuentes Arredonda, James Atherton, Peter Garde, Nathan Johnson, Tara Moross, Brian O’Shea and Jan Pace served as executive producers.
Subotica, Spier Films and Saint Shadow financed the sci-fi drama in association with BiFrost Pictures...
Screen Media plans an October release for the future-set drama about a boy striving to take care of his family at a time of global water scarcity.
Michael Shannon (pictured), Nicholas Hoult, Elle Fanning and Kodi Smit-McPhee star in Young Ones.
“We were blown away by Jake’s vision and execution when we saw his film at Sundance this year,” said Screen Media president Suzanne Blech. “We’re very excited to work with him to bring this amazing and unique accomplishment to audiences nationwide.”
Tristan Orpen Lynch and Michael Auret produced, while Daniel Wagner, Robert Ogden Barnum, Marina Fuentes Arredonda, James Atherton, Peter Garde, Nathan Johnson, Tara Moross, Brian O’Shea and Jan Pace served as executive producers.
Subotica, Spier Films and Saint Shadow financed the sci-fi drama in association with BiFrost Pictures...
- 5/14/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
By Terence Johnson
Managing Editor
A film as lost as it’s characters, Young Ones is what happens when big ideas meet terrible execution and a lackluster script, combining for a film that’s a chore to watch.
Young Ones is an epic film, a neowestern sci-fi film, spilt into chapters to show what happens when scarce resources force people to the breaking point. Ernest Holm (Michael Shannon) lives and works on the harsh frontier, delivering supplies to the workers on the water line with his son Jerome (Kodi Smit McPhee). Meanwhile at home his daughter Mary (Elle Fanning) is tired of the struggles and wants a better life, something presented to her in the form of Flem Lever (Nicholas Hoult). Unbeknownst to the clan, Lever has bigger designs than just Mary and longs to have Ernrest’s land for himself and to return it to it’s former glory.
Managing Editor
A film as lost as it’s characters, Young Ones is what happens when big ideas meet terrible execution and a lackluster script, combining for a film that’s a chore to watch.
Young Ones is an epic film, a neowestern sci-fi film, spilt into chapters to show what happens when scarce resources force people to the breaking point. Ernest Holm (Michael Shannon) lives and works on the harsh frontier, delivering supplies to the workers on the water line with his son Jerome (Kodi Smit McPhee). Meanwhile at home his daughter Mary (Elle Fanning) is tired of the struggles and wants a better life, something presented to her in the form of Flem Lever (Nicholas Hoult). Unbeknownst to the clan, Lever has bigger designs than just Mary and longs to have Ernrest’s land for himself and to return it to it’s former glory.
- 1/25/2014
- by Terence Johnson
- Scott Feinberg
Don Jon shows us that he is all grown up in the Don Jon blu-ray, and satisfaction is guaranteed.
Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a handsome, good old-fashioned guy known as Don Jon for his ability to bed beautiful women at will. But ironically, even the finest fling doesn’t compare to the bliss Jon finds alone—watching porn on his computer. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a gorgeous, good old-fashioned girl raised on romantic movies, and she’s determined to find her Prince Charming. Wrestling with expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against false fantasies to find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The Review:
I really enjoyed seeing this film in theaters, and it was just as enjoyable for home viewing. The 1080p/Avc Mpeg-4 transfer is crisp, and the English DTS-hd Master Audio 5.1 is clear, and impressive. The...
Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a handsome, good old-fashioned guy known as Don Jon for his ability to bed beautiful women at will. But ironically, even the finest fling doesn’t compare to the bliss Jon finds alone—watching porn on his computer. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a gorgeous, good old-fashioned girl raised on romantic movies, and she’s determined to find her Prince Charming. Wrestling with expectations of the opposite sex, Jon and Barbara struggle against false fantasies to find true intimacy in this unexpected comedy written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
The Review:
I really enjoyed seeing this film in theaters, and it was just as enjoyable for home viewing. The 1080p/Avc Mpeg-4 transfer is crisp, and the English DTS-hd Master Audio 5.1 is clear, and impressive. The...
- 1/9/2014
- by Melissa Howland
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Review Ivan Radford 18 Nov 2013 - 06:39
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut finally makes it to the UK. Here's our review...
Walking the dog. Jerking the gherkin. Saying hello to Mr Johnson. Watching porn and flogging the log is one of those topics people are more comfortable talking about under the cover of euphemism. Don Jon drags it out into the New Jersey daylight. Mostly.
"There's only a few things I really care about in life. My body. My pad. My ride. My family. My church. My boys. My girls. My porn."
That's Jon Martello Jr. (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) - or 'Don Jon' to his friends, on account of his skills with the ladies. Oh yes, Jon is quite the ladies man: he spends his nights going out on the tiles, jumping into bed with them, then slipping back out so he can hop online and spank the monkey. He does a lot of that.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt's directorial debut finally makes it to the UK. Here's our review...
Walking the dog. Jerking the gherkin. Saying hello to Mr Johnson. Watching porn and flogging the log is one of those topics people are more comfortable talking about under the cover of euphemism. Don Jon drags it out into the New Jersey daylight. Mostly.
"There's only a few things I really care about in life. My body. My pad. My ride. My family. My church. My boys. My girls. My porn."
That's Jon Martello Jr. (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) - or 'Don Jon' to his friends, on account of his skills with the ladies. Oh yes, Jon is quite the ladies man: he spends his nights going out on the tiles, jumping into bed with them, then slipping back out so he can hop online and spank the monkey. He does a lot of that.
- 11/18/2013
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
When it comes to creating a score for a specific film, the music normally needs to stay within a specific genre to reflect the film’s mood and reinforce its emotional core. You can expect an action film to have a driving sound that keeps pace with the momentum on screen, a drama will be full of soaring strings, and a horror film will build the tension and accent the inevitable scares. But lately, certain scores have been breaking the rules and incorporating multiple musical genres into a single film, and doing so with surprisingly successful results. Don Jon and The Counselor are two films that may not seem like they have much in common, but the scores for each featured different musical genres and proved these unusual combinations actually can work. Don Jon is told from three different perspectives – the playboy, the romantic, and the realist. To create the music for such a story, Don Jon...
- 10/31/2013
- by Allison Loring
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
After screening at both Sundance and South by Southwest, this weekend sees Don Jon hitting theaters. It is a well-crafted and confident debut for Joseph Gordon-Levitt who stars, directs, and writes. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Scarlett Johansson, and Tony Danza; it follows a man and his addictions as they bleed into various parts of his life, revealing the various ways objectification stunts our relationships. Here are 10 things you may not have known about the film that made waves at festivals and is now unleashed on theaters nationwide.
The original title for the film was Don Jon’s Addiction, but was later changed to simply Don Jon because the latter was short, sweet, and punchy. It also took less emphasis off of pornography which although acts as the main symbolic crux of the film, is not the sole focus. Joseph Gordon-Levitt not only stars but makes his written and directorial debut.
The original title for the film was Don Jon’s Addiction, but was later changed to simply Don Jon because the latter was short, sweet, and punchy. It also took less emphasis off of pornography which although acts as the main symbolic crux of the film, is not the sole focus. Joseph Gordon-Levitt not only stars but makes his written and directorial debut.
- 9/29/2013
- by David Tran
- SoundOnSight
I wasn’t eager to see a film about a guy addicted to internet porn, but I should have had more faith in its gifted writer, director and star, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This is a remarkably mature and thoughtful film—and a solid feature debut behind the camera for an actor who has consistently made intelligent and daring career choices. Every detail of his modest film is well thought out and executed, from the spot-on casting to his canny use of sound and music (for which he turned to Nathan Johnson, the brother and collaborator of Rian Johnson, Gordon-Levitt’s director on Brick and Looper). Gordon-Levitt plays the title character, a macho Italian-American who hangs out with his pals in...
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- 9/27/2013
- by Leonard Maltin
- Leonard Maltin's Movie Crazy
Last night at his home Tommy Tunehosted a cocktail party the one and only Carol Channing welcoming her back to NYC. Ms. Channing was toasted and honored by guests including Tyne Daly, Donna McKechnie, Lucie Arnaz, Lorna Luft, Brooke Shields, Liliane Montevecchi, Robert Klein, Michael Riedel, Frank Dilella, Arlene Dahl, Peter Glebo, Wayne Gmitter, Jim Caruso, Bruce Vilanch, Chris Dilella Jamie deRoy, Richard Skipper and more. Cinderella's Laure Osnes and her husband Nathan Johnson serenaded Ms. Channing with Before the Parade Passes By.
- 8/26/2013
- by Stephen Sorokoff
- BroadwayWorld.com
Joseph Gordon-Levitt took his directorial debut, Don Jon, to Sundance this April, and came away with very strong early reviews, cementing the film’s status as one of the most anticipated of the year.
With the film about to return to the festival circuit in the coming weeks, Relativity have launched a new trailer, via Yahoo Movies, teasing another 60-second look at the upcoming comedy.
Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a strong, handsome, good old fashioned guy. His buddies call him Don Jon due to his ability to “pull” a different woman every weekend, but even the finest fling doesn’t compare to the bliss he finds alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a bright, beautiful, good old fashioned girl. Raised on romantic Hollywood movies, she’s determined to find her Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset. Wrestling with good old...
With the film about to return to the festival circuit in the coming weeks, Relativity have launched a new trailer, via Yahoo Movies, teasing another 60-second look at the upcoming comedy.
Jon Martello (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a strong, handsome, good old fashioned guy. His buddies call him Don Jon due to his ability to “pull” a different woman every weekend, but even the finest fling doesn’t compare to the bliss he finds alone in front of the computer watching pornography. Barbara Sugarman (Scarlett Johansson) is a bright, beautiful, good old fashioned girl. Raised on romantic Hollywood movies, she’s determined to find her Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset. Wrestling with good old...
- 8/15/2013
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
One of the most intriguing projects of the year has to be the Jessica Chastain and James McAvoy-anchored two-parter “The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: His/Hers.” Although details are relatively scarce on the double feature, we at least now know who will be scoring the dissolution of Chastain and McAvoy’s marriage. Film Music Reporter is reporting that Son Lux, aka Ryan Lott, has been tapped to score both parts of Ned Benson’s feature-length directorial debut. Son Lux has released two albums on his own -- falling somewhere in between the categories of post-rock and hip-hop, for lack of a better description. He collaborated with Serengeti and Sufjan Stevens in S / S / S (the group released their first Ep last year) and also worked with Nathan Johnson on the orchestrations and instrument designs for the “Looper” score. We’re guessing his score for 'Eleanor Rigby' will probably be in a similar,...
- 4/11/2013
- by Cain Rodriguez
- The Playlist
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