Movie News
It was the ‘80s and ‘90s all over again at the weekend box office. Universal’s The Fall Guy, the Ryan Gosling starrer inspired by the 1980s TV show, kicked off the summer movie season at No. 1 with $28.5 million, while Disney’s re-release of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace surprised by coming in at No. 2 with $8.1 million.
Despite The Fall Guy’s No. 1 finish, its haul came in behind initial expectations of $30 million to $35 million, and overall the box office is down dramatically from the same frame a year ago, when Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 bowed to $118.4 million domestically. The weekend is down 53 percent from last year, and off more than 66 percent from 2022, when Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opened to $187.4 million domestically.
The Fall Guy is said to have a net budget of $130 million after tax incentives for shooting in Australia.
Despite The Fall Guy’s No. 1 finish, its haul came in behind initial expectations of $30 million to $35 million, and overall the box office is down dramatically from the same frame a year ago, when Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 bowed to $118.4 million domestically. The weekend is down 53 percent from last year, and off more than 66 percent from 2022, when Marvel’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness opened to $187.4 million domestically.
The Fall Guy is said to have a net budget of $130 million after tax incentives for shooting in Australia.
- 5/5/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sony’s animated “The Garfield Movie” scratched up $22 million in its international box office debut. It’s currently only playing in 18 markets, roughly 35% of its eventual overseas footprint, so those ticket sales represent a promising start for the family film.
“The Garfield Movie” doesn’t open in the U.S. and Canada until Memorial Day weekend on May 24. When it does land in domestic theaters, it’s projected to earn $35 million over the long weekend and will compete for first place with director George Miller’s “Mad Max” prequel “Furiosa.”
Overseas, “The Garfield Movie” enjoyed the biggest start in Spain with $3.2 million over five days, followed by Brazil with $2.2 million, Italy with $1.6 million and Peru with $1.3 million. According to the studio, revenues for the film are pacing 76% above fellow kid-friendly film “DC League of Super Pets” (which eventually earned $113 million internationally) and 41% higher than “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish...
“The Garfield Movie” doesn’t open in the U.S. and Canada until Memorial Day weekend on May 24. When it does land in domestic theaters, it’s projected to earn $35 million over the long weekend and will compete for first place with director George Miller’s “Mad Max” prequel “Furiosa.”
Overseas, “The Garfield Movie” enjoyed the biggest start in Spain with $3.2 million over five days, followed by Brazil with $2.2 million, Italy with $1.6 million and Peru with $1.3 million. According to the studio, revenues for the film are pacing 76% above fellow kid-friendly film “DC League of Super Pets” (which eventually earned $113 million internationally) and 41% higher than “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish...
- 5/5/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
Bernard Hill, the actor known for playing King Théoden in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and Captain Edward Smith in “Titanic,” has died. He was 79.
Hill died early on Sunday morning, his agent Lou Colson confirmed to Variety. He was with his fiancée Alison and his son Gabriel. No cause of death was given.
Hill first came to prominence as Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale’s 1982 miniseries “Boys From the Blackstuff”; his character was known for his “gizza job” catchphrase. That same year, he portrayed Sergeant Putnam in the Richard Attenborough-directed film “Gandhi.” Hill appeared in multiple British...
Hill died early on Sunday morning, his agent Lou Colson confirmed to Variety. He was with his fiancée Alison and his son Gabriel. No cause of death was given.
Hill first came to prominence as Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale’s 1982 miniseries “Boys From the Blackstuff”; his character was known for his “gizza job” catchphrase. That same year, he portrayed Sergeant Putnam in the Richard Attenborough-directed film “Gandhi.” Hill appeared in multiple British...
- 5/5/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - TV News
The Fall Guy is kicking off summer movie season with a No. 1 debut at the box office this weekend, but it’s coming in below initial tracking. After earning $10.4 million on Friday, the feature is now projected to open to $28 million for the weekend, down from earlier tracking that had it in the $30-$35 million range.
The film earned an A- CinemaScore from audiences, so it’s possible word of mouth could help the movie make up ground in the coming weeks. The Fall Guy is said to have a net budget of $130 million when accounting for incentives for shooting in Australia. Overseas, it is projected to take in another $25.8 million over the weekend, which would bring its global haul to $65.4 million. (It already opened in some markets last week.)
David Leitch, the stuntman who over the past decade has become an in-demand director, is behind the project. Ryan Gosling...
The film earned an A- CinemaScore from audiences, so it’s possible word of mouth could help the movie make up ground in the coming weeks. The Fall Guy is said to have a net budget of $130 million when accounting for incentives for shooting in Australia. Overseas, it is projected to take in another $25.8 million over the weekend, which would bring its global haul to $65.4 million. (It already opened in some markets last week.)
David Leitch, the stuntman who over the past decade has become an in-demand director, is behind the project. Ryan Gosling...
- 5/4/2024
- by Aaron Couch
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chris Pine reflected on how his role in “The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” changed his career — and life.
In the May 5 episode of “Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist,” Pine spoke about being cast as Nicholas Devereaux in the 2004 film, which jumpstarted his career and turned his finances around.
“It was the height of summer and I was getting off at Magnolia. I was on my little Verizon tiny little flip phone, my silver one and I got a call from my agents that I booked the job,” Pine said. “I pulled over onto the side of the freeway and they said, ‘You’re getting paid $65,000,’ and it was like they had just told me I’d made $50 million. It was absolutely Earth-shattering.”
“The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” is the sequel to 2001’s “The Princess Diaries,” starring Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis, a teen who learns she’s an heir to Genovia,...
In the May 5 episode of “Sunday Sitdown With Willie Geist,” Pine spoke about being cast as Nicholas Devereaux in the 2004 film, which jumpstarted his career and turned his finances around.
“It was the height of summer and I was getting off at Magnolia. I was on my little Verizon tiny little flip phone, my silver one and I got a call from my agents that I booked the job,” Pine said. “I pulled over onto the side of the freeway and they said, ‘You’re getting paid $65,000,’ and it was like they had just told me I’d made $50 million. It was absolutely Earth-shattering.”
“The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement” is the sequel to 2001’s “The Princess Diaries,” starring Anne Hathaway as Mia Thermopolis, a teen who learns she’s an heir to Genovia,...
- 5/5/2024
- by Lexi Carson
- Variety - Film News
More essays have been written about "Citizen Kane" than any other movie (with the possible exceptions of "The Wizard of Oz" and "Star Wars"), so it feels churlish to recount the plot here, but for the uninitiated, however, here's a brief rundown:
A vicious newspaper tycoon named Charles Foster Kane (Welles) has died in bed, locked deep in his massive, palatial mansion. He clutched a snow globe in his hand in his final moments, moved by the sight of the swirling faux weather inside. He enigmatically whispers the word "Rosebud" before perishing. The film then shifts focus to a reporter (William Alland) who spends the film interviewing Kane's associates, wives, and lovers, hoping to get a full portrait of the man. He finds that Kane was a cad ruined by wealth and power. He finds that Kane was possessed of a deep and abiding unhappiness, likely spurred by having to...
A vicious newspaper tycoon named Charles Foster Kane (Welles) has died in bed, locked deep in his massive, palatial mansion. He clutched a snow globe in his hand in his final moments, moved by the sight of the swirling faux weather inside. He enigmatically whispers the word "Rosebud" before perishing. The film then shifts focus to a reporter (William Alland) who spends the film interviewing Kane's associates, wives, and lovers, hoping to get a full portrait of the man. He finds that Kane was a cad ruined by wealth and power. He finds that Kane was possessed of a deep and abiding unhappiness, likely spurred by having to...
- 5/5/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Is Marvel combatting superhero fatigue by incorporating aspects of classic cinema? Not yet apparently, but Ryan Reynolds seemed very interested in doing so at one point. Speaking to Empire for a cover feature on “Deadpool & Wolverine” in next week’s issue, Reynolds told them his first pitch to Kevin Feige for the film was a “‘Rashomon’ story about Wolverine and Deadpool and something that they got into together, but told from three completely different perspectives.”
For context, “Rashomon” is a 1950 Jidaigeki drama from Akira Kurosawa that was the first Japanese film to receive international acclaim, winning the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival, as well as an Honorary Oscar in 1952. The film tells the story of how a samurai was murdered, multiple times through multiple vantage points. Its plot has been repurposed in a number of films and television series over the decades including “The Outrage”, “Courage Under Fire...
For context, “Rashomon” is a 1950 Jidaigeki drama from Akira Kurosawa that was the first Japanese film to receive international acclaim, winning the Golden Lion at the 1951 Venice Film Festival, as well as an Honorary Oscar in 1952. The film tells the story of how a samurai was murdered, multiple times through multiple vantage points. Its plot has been repurposed in a number of films and television series over the decades including “The Outrage”, “Courage Under Fire...
- 5/5/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
The news of actor Chance Perdomo's death came as a horrible shock when it was first reported several weeks ago. Perdomo was just 27 years old when he was killed in a motorcycle crash. A rising star thanks to his standout performances in "The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina" and "The Boys" spinoff "Gen V," Perdomo was reportedly returning to Toronto for the first "Gen V" season 2 table read when the accident occurred. Production was immediately put on hold to give the cast and creative team time to process the tragedy and decide how best to handle it within the show.
Now, the producers of "Gen V" have released a statement on social media confirming that Perdomo's character, Andre Anderson, will not be recast in season 2:
"As we continue to navigate the tragic loss of Chance Perdomo, everyone at 'Gen V' is determined to find the best way...
Now, the producers of "Gen V" have released a statement on social media confirming that Perdomo's character, Andre Anderson, will not be recast in season 2:
"As we continue to navigate the tragic loss of Chance Perdomo, everyone at 'Gen V' is determined to find the best way...
- 5/5/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
"The Thing" is often regarded as one of John Carpenter's best movies. A chilly, gory nightmare, Carpenter's film is based on both the John W. Campbell Jr. novella "Who Goes There?" and its 1951 film adaptation "The Thing from Another World." Using jaw-dropping, stomach-churning make-up and creature effects courtesy of Rob Bottin, Carpenter's "The Thing" follows a group of men secluded at a research center in Antarctica. When an alien lifeform that can look like anyone suddenly ends up in their midst, trust becomes a serious issue. Anyone can be The Thing, after all — and that means anyone who is still human is in serious trouble. Carpenter brings his usual deft skill to the material, crafting a scary, memorable monster movie that has stood the test of time and gone on to become a classic (even though it originally flopped at the box office).
But as it turns out, Carpenter...
But as it turns out, Carpenter...
- 5/5/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
[Editor’s note: The following story contains spoilers for “The Idea of You.”]
Don’t you hate it when Hollywood changes the ending to your favorite book when adapting it into a film? The process is sacrilege to some readers, but it can often lead to films improving upon their source material. The latest bestseller to see its ending changed is “The Idea of You” — and a recent piece by IndieWire’s Erin Strecker endorses the changes screenwriters Michael Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt made in adapting Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel.
However, it turns out these changes, well regarded as they are by some, did not receive input from Lee herself. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the author said she “was not involved at all in the adaptation.”
“I have not even spoken to [director] Michael [Showalter] yet,” Lee said. “But I’m looking forward to meeting him, so no, I haven’t spoken to him about any changes. My...
Don’t you hate it when Hollywood changes the ending to your favorite book when adapting it into a film? The process is sacrilege to some readers, but it can often lead to films improving upon their source material. The latest bestseller to see its ending changed is “The Idea of You” — and a recent piece by IndieWire’s Erin Strecker endorses the changes screenwriters Michael Showalter and Jennifer Westfeldt made in adapting Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel.
However, it turns out these changes, well regarded as they are by some, did not receive input from Lee herself. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, the author said she “was not involved at all in the adaptation.”
“I have not even spoken to [director] Michael [Showalter] yet,” Lee said. “But I’m looking forward to meeting him, so no, I haven’t spoken to him about any changes. My...
- 5/5/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Martin Scorsese (who may or may not be making a Frank Sinatra biopic soon) is our greatest living filmmaker. I don't think that's a controversial or even hyperbolic statement; it's just true. The man lives and breathes cinema, and he has one masterpiece after another to his name. But it all started with "Mean Streets." To be clear: "Mean Streets" was not Scorsese's first feature film. His debut film was 1967's "Who's That Knocking at My Door," which began as a student film before Scorsese reworked it into a feature. He followed that up in 1972 with "Boxcar Bertha," a crime flick produced by legendary B-movie auteur Roger Corman.
It was "Boxcar Bertha" that would lead directly to "Mean Streets." The story goes that when Scorsese's friend, mentor, and fellow director John Cassavetes saw "Boxcar Bertha," he told Scorsese: "You've just spent a year of your life making a piece of sh*t.
It was "Boxcar Bertha" that would lead directly to "Mean Streets." The story goes that when Scorsese's friend, mentor, and fellow director John Cassavetes saw "Boxcar Bertha," he told Scorsese: "You've just spent a year of your life making a piece of sh*t.
- 5/5/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
“Baby Reindeer” mania has already swept the U.K., and the word-of-mouth export continues to make waves across the U.S., hence our belated review about an incredibly devastating and twisting series that is so much more than you initially expected.
There’s a natural tendency in most savvy viewers to predict how events might unfold in any film or televised event. For years, Netflix established itself as a contender in the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction sweepstakes with the murder-for-hire animal park drama (“Tiger King”) or plunges into the darkest realms of internet video (“Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer”).
Continue reading ‘Baby Reindeer’ Review: A Conventional Stalking Thriller Transforms Into A Devastating & Complex Confessional About Abuse & Trauma at The Playlist.
There’s a natural tendency in most savvy viewers to predict how events might unfold in any film or televised event. For years, Netflix established itself as a contender in the truth-is-stranger-than-fiction sweepstakes with the murder-for-hire animal park drama (“Tiger King”) or plunges into the darkest realms of internet video (“Don’t F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer”).
Continue reading ‘Baby Reindeer’ Review: A Conventional Stalking Thriller Transforms Into A Devastating & Complex Confessional About Abuse & Trauma at The Playlist.
- 5/5/2024
- by Brian Farvour
- The Playlist
Mookie and Buggin’-Out back together again. We love to see it. Filmmaker, artist, tastemaker, and thespian Spike Lee has reunited with “School Daze” and “Do The Right Thing” brethren Giancarlo Esposito in a recent spot for Fiat’s new all-electric Fiat 500e. The commercial is entitled “Italy in America” and sees Esposito, whose father hails from Naples, introducing Lee to “la dolce vita”. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter marking the reunion, Lee and Esposito reflected on their friendship and collaborations, their shared appreciation for Italian culture, and various film projects on approach.
“This is a natural fit,” Lee said of working with Esposito on the project after years apart. “When you’re close, especially in this industry, there might be Spike the love, but there are schedules and delays that prevent working together again. But we have a bond. It’s been announced that I’m...
“This is a natural fit,” Lee said of working with Esposito on the project after years apart. “When you’re close, especially in this industry, there might be Spike the love, but there are schedules and delays that prevent working together again. But we have a bond. It’s been announced that I’m...
- 5/5/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Kurt Russell and John Carpenter make a great team. The two first worked together on the TV movie "Elvis," and then went on to make "Escape From New York," "Escape From L.A.," "The Thing," and of course, "Big Trouble in Little China." "Big Trouble" isn't a horror movie or even your typical John Carpenter flick. It's a pulpy action-comedy that sees Russell playing buffoonish truck driver Jack Burton, who gets roped into becoming a very clumsy hero to fight a trio of ancient gods and an evil sorcerer. The movie is an absolute blast from beginning to end, and Russell is clearly having a lot of fun playing Burton, a character who thinks he's the hero when he's really more like a glorified sidekick to his friend Wang Chi (Dennis Dun).
Russell and Carpenter worked together well over the years, with Russell seemingly bringing out the best in Carpenter and vice versa.
Russell and Carpenter worked together well over the years, with Russell seemingly bringing out the best in Carpenter and vice versa.
- 5/5/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
Recording artist Dua Lipa just released her latest album this past week, so there's no better time for the pop star to pull double duty as the host and musical guest of "Saturday Night Live." Of course, her first time taking on the honor unfortunately comes after Ryan Gosling hosted a banger of an episode, packed with viral gems like the Beavis and Butt-Head sketch. But if your expectations were firmly in check, then you probably enjoyed this lukewarm, fairly amusing but not raucously hilarious episode of "SNL."
Thankfully, Dua Lipa turned out to be a solid host alongside her musical guest duties. She was game to jump into a variety of characters, didn't severely derail any sketches with subpar performances, and she was even willing to make jokes at her own expense during the monologue. However, the sketches were not exactly of the highest quality, and though Dua Lipa did her best,...
Thankfully, Dua Lipa turned out to be a solid host alongside her musical guest duties. She was game to jump into a variety of characters, didn't severely derail any sketches with subpar performances, and she was even willing to make jokes at her own expense during the monologue. However, the sketches were not exactly of the highest quality, and though Dua Lipa did her best,...
- 5/5/2024
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
With ”The Fall Guy” (Universal), summer 2024 box office didn’t kick off; it just sort of happened. It opened to $28.5 million, a 52 percent drop from last year with “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.” Hopefully, that will be the last precipitous weekend drop (aside from the inevitable “Barbie”/”Oppenheimer” July weekend of $310 million).
This $76 million domestic weekend is bad, but “The Fall Guy” shortfall is worse. Estimates were broad, but worst-case scenarios predicted $30 million. The Ryan Gosling action rom-com had all the earmarks of audience appeal. Whatever its possible limitations — and a $130 million budget — that’s a terrible look to start the summer.
Despite good reviews, Gosling’s momentum, director David Leitch’s proven box office success, the usually lucrative playdate, and a decent A- Cinemascore, “The Fall Guy” opened to only a little more than $3 million above “Civil War” (A24), April’s best opener.
“The Kingdom of the Planet...
This $76 million domestic weekend is bad, but “The Fall Guy” shortfall is worse. Estimates were broad, but worst-case scenarios predicted $30 million. The Ryan Gosling action rom-com had all the earmarks of audience appeal. Whatever its possible limitations — and a $130 million budget — that’s a terrible look to start the summer.
Despite good reviews, Gosling’s momentum, director David Leitch’s proven box office success, the usually lucrative playdate, and a decent A- Cinemascore, “The Fall Guy” opened to only a little more than $3 million above “Civil War” (A24), April’s best opener.
“The Kingdom of the Planet...
- 5/5/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
The Fall Guy, Universal’s romantic action comedy starring Ryan Gosling as a stunt man and Emily Blunt as a tentpole director, kicked off summer slightly below expectations on an estimated $28.5m to lead North American box office.
The film had been forecast to open in the low $30m range and Universal executives are looking at the long play and will hope it gathers momentum powered by word of mouth and an A- CinemaScore result.
Costing a reported $130m, it will need to pick up speed, just as director and former stuntman David Leitch’s previous film Bullet Train did...
The film had been forecast to open in the low $30m range and Universal executives are looking at the long play and will hope it gathers momentum powered by word of mouth and an A- CinemaScore result.
Costing a reported $130m, it will need to pick up speed, just as director and former stuntman David Leitch’s previous film Bullet Train did...
- 5/5/2024
- ScreenDaily
Dua Lipa knows how to bring the party. And apparently it runs in the genes. While making her “Saturday Night Live” hosting debut last night, the award-winning pop star acknowledged how she’d made her television debut in the same building eight years ago and gave a special shoutout to her parents — who were in the audience cheering her on — telling a story about an unlikely run-in she had with her folks one night.
“As you can see,” she said, “they’re kind of cool. They love to party. One night, I was out with my friends and we ended up at the club at three o’clock in the morning and who do I bump into but my parents. Which is embarrassing, cause the last thing you want to see when you’re super high and drunk-off-your-ass is your daughter.”
The punchline got a huge laugh, particularly from her parents up in the balcony.
“As you can see,” she said, “they’re kind of cool. They love to party. One night, I was out with my friends and we ended up at the club at three o’clock in the morning and who do I bump into but my parents. Which is embarrassing, cause the last thing you want to see when you’re super high and drunk-off-your-ass is your daughter.”
The punchline got a huge laugh, particularly from her parents up in the balcony.
- 5/5/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
When Donald Cammell's techno-horror "Demon Seed" crept into theaters in 1977, critics were not impressed. From being described as utterly nonsensical to being viciously torn apart as a film with no right to exist, "Demon Seed" was mostly reviled as unwatchable garbage that relied on flagrant shock value to capture audience attention.
Today, the film's critical reappraisal does not quite elevate "Demon Seed" into a cult classic but does approach it with a more balanced lens, where there is some value to be found in its social commentary about technological singularity and the uprooting of female autonomy. Cammell's film is an uncomfortable look into the extent to which those in power wish to control bodily autonomy — a theme that feels especially poignant now. Apart from this, "Demon Seed" also underlines the horrifying extremes of unchecked artificial intelligence, and how it preys on those it perceives as easily exploitable.
Despite being...
Today, the film's critical reappraisal does not quite elevate "Demon Seed" into a cult classic but does approach it with a more balanced lens, where there is some value to be found in its social commentary about technological singularity and the uprooting of female autonomy. Cammell's film is an uncomfortable look into the extent to which those in power wish to control bodily autonomy — a theme that feels especially poignant now. Apart from this, "Demon Seed" also underlines the horrifying extremes of unchecked artificial intelligence, and how it preys on those it perceives as easily exploitable.
Despite being...
- 5/5/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
"Jujutsu Kaisen" is not just a popular anime, it is Guinness World Records' most in-demand anime series in the world, and it's easy to see why. The anime adaptation of Gege Akutami's manga of the same name is full of memorable characters, a great sense of humor, stunning horror-inspired imagery, and some phenomenal action and animation by Studio Mappa. It doesn't hurt that the first season had one of the best opening sequences and theme songs of the past decade, as well as a fantastic and eclectic soundtrack that even takes inspiration from Billie Eilish.
The show takes place in a world of sorcerers and Curses, spirits caused by negative emotions that haunt humanity. The main story follows Yuji, who joins a secret organization of Jujutsu Sorcerers after he inadvertently becomes the host of the world's most powerful Curse, named Sukuna.
Though at first glance this looks like a straightforward show to watch,...
The show takes place in a world of sorcerers and Curses, spirits caused by negative emotions that haunt humanity. The main story follows Yuji, who joins a secret organization of Jujutsu Sorcerers after he inadvertently becomes the host of the world's most powerful Curse, named Sukuna.
Though at first glance this looks like a straightforward show to watch,...
- 5/5/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
As soon as "Challengers" hit theaters last week, we had a feeling "Saturday Night Live" would be planning some sort of parody around it. Although not a major box office hit, the movie is huge on social media thanks to how absurdly horny and chaotic its love triangle is. It's a conversation-starter for sure, not to mention it's filled with some memorable churro-based phallic imagery.
Although "SNL" sadly couldn't get the movie's lead stars Zendaya, Mike Faist, or Josh O'Connor to host an episode, they have given us the next best thing with a "Challengers"-themed sketch. Only this time, the love triangle's based around Sonny Angel dolls instead of tennis, and Bowen Yang is one of the dolls. Using some charmingly clumsy practical effects and the movie's "stressful but horny" soundtrack, the live sketch lets us watch as Yang's tiny character flirts and argues with Hernández's boyfriend character,...
Although "SNL" sadly couldn't get the movie's lead stars Zendaya, Mike Faist, or Josh O'Connor to host an episode, they have given us the next best thing with a "Challengers"-themed sketch. Only this time, the love triangle's based around Sonny Angel dolls instead of tennis, and Bowen Yang is one of the dolls. Using some charmingly clumsy practical effects and the movie's "stressful but horny" soundtrack, the live sketch lets us watch as Yang's tiny character flirts and argues with Hernández's boyfriend character,...
- 5/5/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
“Arise, arise, riders of Rohan! Spears shall be shaken! Shields shall be splintered! A sword-day…a red day…ere the sun rises!”
So begins The Battle of Pelennor Fields, a centerpiece in Peter Jackson’s Best Picture-winning adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”. It’s a visually triumphant scene, with thousands of fighters on horseback and the horns of Howard Shore’s score lifting the sequence off the screen, but it’s Bernard Hill and his character King Theóden’s rousing speech to his troops that pulls the audience in and makes us a part of the action. That was Bernard Hill’s gift. He made things real. He offered a level of authenticity and commitment that transcends the screen and made movie-going a holy experience. Sadly, it was confirmed by his agent, Lou Coulson, that Hill died early this morning...
So begins The Battle of Pelennor Fields, a centerpiece in Peter Jackson’s Best Picture-winning adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King”. It’s a visually triumphant scene, with thousands of fighters on horseback and the horns of Howard Shore’s score lifting the sequence off the screen, but it’s Bernard Hill and his character King Theóden’s rousing speech to his troops that pulls the audience in and makes us a part of the action. That was Bernard Hill’s gift. He made things real. He offered a level of authenticity and commitment that transcends the screen and made movie-going a holy experience. Sadly, it was confirmed by his agent, Lou Coulson, that Hill died early this morning...
- 5/5/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Locally-produced crime action thriller “The Roundup: Punishment” dominated the South Korea box office for a second weekend. In contrast, Hollywood’s “The Fall Guy” opened softly in third place.
Data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic), showed “The Roundup: Punishment” grossed $13.8 million between Friday and Sunday, earned from 1.92 million ticket sales.
That represented a huge 83% market share over the weekend, albeit down from 92% a week earlier. The second weekend score also represented a 33% week-on-week decline. The film has earned $55.8 million, including earnings from a smattering of previews a weekend earlier. The running total came from an aggregate 7.96 million spectators.
That makes “The Roundup Punishment” the second highest-scoring film this year and, after just 12 days play, it is already the seventh best performing film in Korea since the beginning for the pandemic era. Two of the titles currently ahead of “Punishment” are its franchise predecessors...
Data from Kobis, the tracking service operated by the Korean Film Council (Kofic), showed “The Roundup: Punishment” grossed $13.8 million between Friday and Sunday, earned from 1.92 million ticket sales.
That represented a huge 83% market share over the weekend, albeit down from 92% a week earlier. The second weekend score also represented a 33% week-on-week decline. The film has earned $55.8 million, including earnings from a smattering of previews a weekend earlier. The running total came from an aggregate 7.96 million spectators.
That makes “The Roundup Punishment” the second highest-scoring film this year and, after just 12 days play, it is already the seventh best performing film in Korea since the beginning for the pandemic era. Two of the titles currently ahead of “Punishment” are its franchise predecessors...
- 5/5/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety - Film News
We recently ranked the movies of the late, great Patrick Swayze, and the film that came in at number 1 was Kathryn Bigelow's high-octane action pic "Point Break." It's hard to argue with that result: "Point Break" absolutely rules from beginning to end. In Bigelow's 1991 classic, Keanu Reeves plays an FBI agent who goes undercover as a surfer. Sounds silly, right? Well, stick with me. There's a gang of thrill-seeking surfers who moonlight as bank robbers, and Reeves figures he can get close to them by learning to surf. Okay, yes, it does sound silly. And yet, the movie absolutely rules and rips and rocks.
Patrick Swayze plays Bodhi, the very zen leader of the bank robbers who forms a bond with Reeves' character. There's a lot to love about the film, and Swayze's performance is at the top of the list. As it turns out, filming the stunt-heavy "Point Break...
Patrick Swayze plays Bodhi, the very zen leader of the bank robbers who forms a bond with Reeves' character. There's a lot to love about the film, and Swayze's performance is at the top of the list. As it turns out, filming the stunt-heavy "Point Break...
- 5/5/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
‘Furiosa’ Composer Tom Holkenberg aka JunkieXL Teases Score with First Single, ‘Dementus Is Gaining’
We can already feel our theater seats shaking. This past Friday, “Furiosa” composer Tom Holkenberg (aka Junkie Xl) dropped a taste of his upcoming score for the film with the single, “Dementus Is Gaining”. The propulsive electronica track features a familiar trance-like beat that incorporates the sound of revving engines, but also has a noticeably more haunting quality than that of the score for “Mad Max: Fury Road”, implying a prequel that may have more of an emotional bite than its predecessor.
“My collaboration with the incredible George Miller began over a decade ago with our work on ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ a project that marked a pivotal moment in my career as a film composer,” says Holkenberg. “Returning to this world to score the odyssey of ‘Furiosa,’ an epic tale of survival, resilience and revenge has been just as eye-opening and gratifying. ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ is a...
“My collaboration with the incredible George Miller began over a decade ago with our work on ‘Mad Max: Fury Road,’ a project that marked a pivotal moment in my career as a film composer,” says Holkenberg. “Returning to this world to score the odyssey of ‘Furiosa,’ an epic tale of survival, resilience and revenge has been just as eye-opening and gratifying. ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga’ is a...
- 5/5/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
English actor Bernard Hill, best known for his performances as Captain Edward Smith in James Cameron's "Titanic" and King Théoden in the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, has died this morning at the age of 79. The news was confirmed to the BBC by Hill's agent, Lou Coulson. Hill had been set to appear at Comic Con Liverpool this weekend, but had to cancel at the last minute.
Born to a mining family in Blackley, Manchester, in 1944, Hill belonged to a disappearing breed of British actors from working class backgrounds. Early on in his career he became the voice of a generation through his character Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale's drama series "Boys from the Blackstuff." A Liverpudlian father who becomes broken by his struggle to find work and the threat of having his children taken away, Yosser was emblematic of the sharply rising unemployment rates and brutal welfare...
Born to a mining family in Blackley, Manchester, in 1944, Hill belonged to a disappearing breed of British actors from working class backgrounds. Early on in his career he became the voice of a generation through his character Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale's drama series "Boys from the Blackstuff." A Liverpudlian father who becomes broken by his struggle to find work and the threat of having his children taken away, Yosser was emblematic of the sharply rising unemployment rates and brutal welfare...
- 5/5/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
The original 1964 Broadway production of "Hello, Dolly!" was considered a showcase for its star, Carol Channing, and little else. At the time, critics were not entirely kind, saying the show had "unnecessary vulgar and frenzied touches," and that they "wouldn't say that Jerry Herman's score is memorable." Despite the middling reviews, "Hello, Dolly!" won 10 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Leading Actress (for Channing), Best Direction, Best Choreography, and Best Original Score.
The mid-'60s were a weirdly fraught time for major Hollywood musicals, as the genre provided some of the era's biggest hits, but also some of its biggest bombs. In 1964, Disney had a big hit with "Mary Poppins" and Warner Bros. made bank with "My Fair Lady," so musicals were suddenly on the rise. In 1965, Fox released "The Sound of Music," adapted from the stage production by Rodgers and Hammerstein, and it proved to be one of...
The mid-'60s were a weirdly fraught time for major Hollywood musicals, as the genre provided some of the era's biggest hits, but also some of its biggest bombs. In 1964, Disney had a big hit with "Mary Poppins" and Warner Bros. made bank with "My Fair Lady," so musicals were suddenly on the rise. In 1965, Fox released "The Sound of Music," adapted from the stage production by Rodgers and Hammerstein, and it proved to be one of...
- 5/5/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Bernard Hill, the actor known for playing King Théoden in the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and Captain Edward Smith in “Titanic,” has died. He was 79.
Hill died early on Sunday morning, his agent Lou Colson confirmed to Variety. He was with his fiancée Alison and his son Gabriel. No cause of death was given.
Hill first came to prominence as Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale’s 1982 miniseries “Boys From the Blackstuff”; his character was known for his “gizza job” catchphrase. That same year, he portrayed Sergeant Putnam in the Richard Attenborough-directed film “Gandhi.” Hill appeared in multiple British television series between the ’70s and ’80s, including “I, Claudius,” “Crown Court,” “Rooms,” “Fox” and “Jackanory.”
In 1997, Hill played Captain Smith in James Cameron’s “Titanic,” which won 11 Oscars. He then joined Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” franchise as King Théoden, appearing in 2002’s “The Two Towers” and...
Hill died early on Sunday morning, his agent Lou Colson confirmed to Variety. He was with his fiancée Alison and his son Gabriel. No cause of death was given.
Hill first came to prominence as Yosser Hughes in Alan Bleasdale’s 1982 miniseries “Boys From the Blackstuff”; his character was known for his “gizza job” catchphrase. That same year, he portrayed Sergeant Putnam in the Richard Attenborough-directed film “Gandhi.” Hill appeared in multiple British television series between the ’70s and ’80s, including “I, Claudius,” “Crown Court,” “Rooms,” “Fox” and “Jackanory.”
In 1997, Hill played Captain Smith in James Cameron’s “Titanic,” which won 11 Oscars. He then joined Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings” franchise as King Théoden, appearing in 2002’s “The Two Towers” and...
- 5/5/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
Adopting the iconography of DC comics, Vera Drew’s subversive and kitschy “The People’s Joker” often feels like a revelation. Transfiguring a genre that, recently, has been oversaturated with rote storytelling and narratives, Drew’s film is something remarkable in the age of constant IP. It’s personal and more than a bit bewildering. It’s also incredibly rough, fusing together various aesthetics to create a collage-like approach to a trans-coming-of-age story.
Continue reading ‘The People’s Joker’ Is A Kitschy, Subversive & Queer Coming Of Age Story [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘The People’s Joker’ Is A Kitschy, Subversive & Queer Coming Of Age Story [Review] at The Playlist.
- 5/5/2024
- by Christian Gallichio
- The Playlist
In February, global luxury leader Lvmh (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy) launched 22 Montaigne Entertainment, signaling its intent to explore film, TV and audio for the brands. At its helm is Anish Melwani, chairman and CEO for North America, who sees a powerful connection between culture and entertainment, more so with the rise of streaming services.
Since his appointment in 2016, Melwani has integrated Tiffany & Co. into the company’s portfolio, driven the brands’ sustainable efforts, and overseen acquisitions and projects. Melwani will be honored May 11 at the Gold House Gala as an A1 honoree in Fashion & Lifestyle.
What does the A1 honor by Gold House mean to you?
I hope that the platform A1 provides for representation of Asian Pacific leaders and helps not only to highlight their work but also inspire talent in this community to seize opportunities.
What are some goals of 22 Montaigne Entertainment?
Culture and entertainment are inextricably...
Since his appointment in 2016, Melwani has integrated Tiffany & Co. into the company’s portfolio, driven the brands’ sustainable efforts, and overseen acquisitions and projects. Melwani will be honored May 11 at the Gold House Gala as an A1 honoree in Fashion & Lifestyle.
What does the A1 honor by Gold House mean to you?
I hope that the platform A1 provides for representation of Asian Pacific leaders and helps not only to highlight their work but also inspire talent in this community to seize opportunities.
What are some goals of 22 Montaigne Entertainment?
Culture and entertainment are inextricably...
- 5/5/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety - Film News
“The Fall Guy,” an action-comedy starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, kicked off the summer movie season without much sizzle.
The film, backed by Universal and directed by David Leitch, fell just short of expectations with $28.5 million from 4,002 North American venues in its debut. Heading into the weekend, “The Fall Guy” was projected to earn at least $30 million to $40 million. The trouble is that the movie cost $140 million to produce, so it needs strong word of mouth and interest at the international box office to recoup its budget during its theatrical run. “The Fall Guy” opened to $25.4 million overseas, bringing its global total to $65.4 million.
“This is a fair opening for a big action-comedy,” says David A. Gross of movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “Action comedies are solid performers overseas, and with this cast, foreign business should be good. At [its] cost, ‘The Fall Guy’ is going to need a long run.
The film, backed by Universal and directed by David Leitch, fell just short of expectations with $28.5 million from 4,002 North American venues in its debut. Heading into the weekend, “The Fall Guy” was projected to earn at least $30 million to $40 million. The trouble is that the movie cost $140 million to produce, so it needs strong word of mouth and interest at the international box office to recoup its budget during its theatrical run. “The Fall Guy” opened to $25.4 million overseas, bringing its global total to $65.4 million.
“This is a fair opening for a big action-comedy,” says David A. Gross of movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “Action comedies are solid performers overseas, and with this cast, foreign business should be good. At [its] cost, ‘The Fall Guy’ is going to need a long run.
- 5/5/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
The line between reality and fiction in television hasn't always been obvious to people. Be it "Gilligan's Island" viewers badgering the Coast Guard to rescue the S.S. Minnow's poor shipwrecked crew or grown-up "Sesame Street" fans believing that Sonia Manzano and Emilio Delgado (who played married couple Maria and Luis for four decades) were actually hitched, history is littered with anecdotes of audiences assuming what they're seeing on their TV screen is actually happening. Despite the leaps and gains in the masses' media literacy over time, folks still need help understanding how even docuseries and so-called reality shows can easily manipulate the truth (as creators Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie satirized with "The Curse").
When Sally Struthers was cast as Gloria Stivic (née Bunker) in "All in the Family," she was, for all intents and purposes, a nobody. Save for her stint on "The Tim Conway Comedy Hour" the...
When Sally Struthers was cast as Gloria Stivic (née Bunker) in "All in the Family," she was, for all intents and purposes, a nobody. Save for her stint on "The Tim Conway Comedy Hour" the...
- 5/5/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
For director, co-writer and star Jerry Seinfeld, “Unfrosted” was an opportunity to bring something a little less serious to the entertainment zeitgeist. A humorless life without the ability to make fun of ourselves, he postured, doesn’t make for “good living.”
“Don’t give up laughing and humor and comedy in your life. It’s the best way to get through life,” Seinfeld said. “We all want to not hurt each other’s feelings. But if we go too far, and nobody can make fun of anybody, that’s not good living.”
“Unfrosted” is a fictionalized account of the creation of the Kellogg’s staple Pop-Tarts. The plot takes a “space race” approach, with Post Cereal as the other heavyweight in the fight to be the first to craft the toasted pastry treat.
It costars a kaleidoscope of Hollywood funny people, including Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, Jim Gaffigan, Hugh Grant,...
“Don’t give up laughing and humor and comedy in your life. It’s the best way to get through life,” Seinfeld said. “We all want to not hurt each other’s feelings. But if we go too far, and nobody can make fun of anybody, that’s not good living.”
“Unfrosted” is a fictionalized account of the creation of the Kellogg’s staple Pop-Tarts. The plot takes a “space race” approach, with Post Cereal as the other heavyweight in the fight to be the first to craft the toasted pastry treat.
It costars a kaleidoscope of Hollywood funny people, including Melissa McCarthy, Amy Schumer, Jim Gaffigan, Hugh Grant,...
- 5/5/2024
- by Rance Collins
- Variety - Film News
There will be spoilers for the "Star Wars: Tales of the Empire," episode "The Path of Anger," so beware.
In "Star Wars Rebels" we were introduced to a new prototype Tie Fighter that was far superior to the standard Tie Fighter in use by the Imperial fleet. Unlike the common Tie Fighters seen across "Star Wars" media, Tie Defenders had shields and hyperdrives, and they were deadly and far less disposable than the usual fleet. Grand Admiral Thrawn spent time lobbying the Empire to allocate resources to further develop the Tie Defender program and put them in use for battlefield superiority.
Unfortunately, Grand Moff Tarkin and Director Krennic worked to funnel every credit they could into developing the Death Star, putting all of their eggs in one basket. As the crew of the Ghost found out on "Star Wars Rebels", Tie Defenders were some of the most deadly ships the...
In "Star Wars Rebels" we were introduced to a new prototype Tie Fighter that was far superior to the standard Tie Fighter in use by the Imperial fleet. Unlike the common Tie Fighters seen across "Star Wars" media, Tie Defenders had shields and hyperdrives, and they were deadly and far less disposable than the usual fleet. Grand Admiral Thrawn spent time lobbying the Empire to allocate resources to further develop the Tie Defender program and put them in use for battlefield superiority.
Unfortunately, Grand Moff Tarkin and Director Krennic worked to funnel every credit they could into developing the Death Star, putting all of their eggs in one basket. As the crew of the Ghost found out on "Star Wars Rebels", Tie Defenders were some of the most deadly ships the...
- 5/5/2024
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
In the 1920s, Hollywood was the Wild West. There were few unions protecting film workers, apart from the International Association of Theater and Stage Employees, or IATSE, which was formed in 1893. It wouldn't be until 1933 that the Screen Writers Guild -- later the WGA -- would come together, followed shortly by the founding of the Screen Actors Guild. The Teamsters Local 399 started up at about the same time; these unions were, of course, a direct result of the New Deal.
Before 1933, Hollywood could exploit workers openly. The Wild West cowboys were actually millionaire executives, and the Big Five studios -- Rko, 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Bros., and Paramount -- along with the Little Three -- Universal, United Artists, and Columbia -- kept actors under strict contracts and bought up all the competition. Indeed, in what might seem like a pretty wild exploitation of market power, the Big Five...
Before 1933, Hollywood could exploit workers openly. The Wild West cowboys were actually millionaire executives, and the Big Five studios -- Rko, 20th Century Fox, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Warner Bros., and Paramount -- along with the Little Three -- Universal, United Artists, and Columbia -- kept actors under strict contracts and bought up all the competition. Indeed, in what might seem like a pretty wild exploitation of market power, the Big Five...
- 5/5/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Being an independent film fan is full of surprises, as each slate of festival releases brings a new wave of emerging filmmakers, breakout stars, and established actors playing against type in bold films. But it’s hard to imagine that even the biggest cultural omnivore could have predicted that 2024 would spark a renaissance in Fred Durst’s acting career.
The Limp Bizkit frontman, who helped pioneer the nu metal genre throughout the ’90s by combining hip-hop and rock on albums with poetic titles like “Three Dollar Bill, Y’all,” and “Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water,” has been a sporadic presence in movies for the past quarter century. Aside from a handful of small roles in the 2000s, he’s best known to cinephiles as the director of “The Fanatic,” the infamous 2019 stalker thriller starring John Travolta as an autistic man named Moose that somehow manages to be more offensive than it sounds.
The Limp Bizkit frontman, who helped pioneer the nu metal genre throughout the ’90s by combining hip-hop and rock on albums with poetic titles like “Three Dollar Bill, Y’all,” and “Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water,” has been a sporadic presence in movies for the past quarter century. Aside from a handful of small roles in the 2000s, he’s best known to cinephiles as the director of “The Fanatic,” the infamous 2019 stalker thriller starring John Travolta as an autistic man named Moose that somehow manages to be more offensive than it sounds.
- 5/5/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
Norman Lear knew what he was getting into with "All in the Family." The late TV giant was warned from the outset that Americans would revolt against a sitcom that talked about the hot political topics of the day and didn't try to sugarcoat the country's history of racism and using religion to justify its bigotry and hatreds towards those deemed "the other." Nor, for that matter, did his doubters buy into the concept that audiences wanted to see an honest reflection of how families behave in the comfort of their homes.
Hindsight being 20/20, it's worth noting that Lear's skeptics had valid reasons for believing what they did. Despite being based on the British comedy series "Till Death Us Do Part," there was nothing quite like "All in the Family" on the U.S. airwaves when it premiered in 1971 on CBS. American sitcom dads were upstanding, tolerant members of their...
Hindsight being 20/20, it's worth noting that Lear's skeptics had valid reasons for believing what they did. Despite being based on the British comedy series "Till Death Us Do Part," there was nothing quite like "All in the Family" on the U.S. airwaves when it premiered in 1971 on CBS. American sitcom dads were upstanding, tolerant members of their...
- 5/5/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
In American animation, talking animal movies are a dime-a-dozen, but the "Kung Fu Panda" series is a gem. A big part of the appeal comes from the charming lead performance of Jack Black as Dragon Warrior Po (read /Film's interview with Black on the "Kung Fu Panda" circuit here). Another reason is the Wuxia-inspired action, where the bouncy CGI complements the characters' acrobatics and allows filmmakers to execute "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" style wire-fu with no need for actual wires.
Then there's the other secret ingredient: the villains. In each of the four films made so far (with the "Kung Fu Panda 4" box office making it likely another chapter won't be far behind), Po faces a new adversary, one with a new power he must overcome while also advancing on his own spiritual journey. Pretty typical hero's journey stuff, but like in martial arts, it's all about the proper execution.
Then there's the other secret ingredient: the villains. In each of the four films made so far (with the "Kung Fu Panda 4" box office making it likely another chapter won't be far behind), Po faces a new adversary, one with a new power he must overcome while also advancing on his own spiritual journey. Pretty typical hero's journey stuff, but like in martial arts, it's all about the proper execution.
- 5/5/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Groundskeeper Willie, the aggressively Scottish handyman who works for Springfield Elementary School on "The Simpsons," first appeared in the episode "Principal Charming", the one where Principal Skinner (Harry Shearer) attempted to seduce and marry Aunt Patty (Julie Kavner). Skinner and Patty bond over their mutual grumpiness, as he is a stern taskmaster with his students and she is a general misanthrope. Groundskeeper Willie doesn't play a major part in the story, except when Bart (Nancy Cartwright) breaks into his supply shed to steal grass killer. Skinner will pull a similar prank later in the episode. Willie has two lines in the episode: "You'll be back" and "I told you you'd be back."
Groundskeeper Willie (Dan Castellaneta) went on to appear in at least 53 additional episodes of the series, a number that will only continue to grow. He has been greased up by Lunchlady Doris (Doris Grau), fallen in love with his tractor,...
Groundskeeper Willie (Dan Castellaneta) went on to appear in at least 53 additional episodes of the series, a number that will only continue to grow. He has been greased up by Lunchlady Doris (Doris Grau), fallen in love with his tractor,...
- 5/5/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Movie fans love to discover behind-the-scenes tidbits about their favorite films, and there are few movie facts more exciting than an improvised line or scene. Stories of improvisation remind us that filmmaking is a collaborative, creative process, and that sometimes the most unexpected ideas make the biggest impact.
Writers and directors lay the foundation and set the scene, while it's up to actors to make the characters their own. Take one of the most classic lines in "The Godfather," a perfect example of improvisation upon a strong foundation. The phrase "leave the gun," was written in the script, but actor Richard Castellano added the line "take the cannoli," turning it into the iconic catchphrase it is today. Clearly, Francis Ford Coppola's decision to keep that ad-lib in the final cut was the right one.
We now turn our attention to the world of science fiction, where actors are often...
Writers and directors lay the foundation and set the scene, while it's up to actors to make the characters their own. Take one of the most classic lines in "The Godfather," a perfect example of improvisation upon a strong foundation. The phrase "leave the gun," was written in the script, but actor Richard Castellano added the line "take the cannoli," turning it into the iconic catchphrase it is today. Clearly, Francis Ford Coppola's decision to keep that ad-lib in the final cut was the right one.
We now turn our attention to the world of science fiction, where actors are often...
- 5/5/2024
- by Kira Deshler
- Slash Film
There will be spoilers for the "Star Wars: Tales of the Empire" episode "The Path of Hate," so beware.
"Star Wars: Tales of the Empire" brings us to many locations across its six episodes, new and old, familiar and alien. One planet in particular, first introduced in "The Mandalorian" during its second season, gets the spotlight in the third episode of this series, "Path of Hate." Corvus was the setting for the 13th chapter of "The Mandalorian", showing us a blackened forest and a city named Calodan under the direct control of a magistrate named Morgan Elsbeth. Since this episode was our first introduction to Elsbeth, we didn't know who she was or how she took control of the planet, only that she was still aligned with the Imperials and had some connection to Grand Admiral Thrawn.
"The Path of Hate" gives us all of that vital backstory and shows...
"Star Wars: Tales of the Empire" brings us to many locations across its six episodes, new and old, familiar and alien. One planet in particular, first introduced in "The Mandalorian" during its second season, gets the spotlight in the third episode of this series, "Path of Hate." Corvus was the setting for the 13th chapter of "The Mandalorian", showing us a blackened forest and a city named Calodan under the direct control of a magistrate named Morgan Elsbeth. Since this episode was our first introduction to Elsbeth, we didn't know who she was or how she took control of the planet, only that she was still aligned with the Imperials and had some connection to Grand Admiral Thrawn.
"The Path of Hate" gives us all of that vital backstory and shows...
- 5/5/2024
- by Bryan Young
- Slash Film
The Kathy Bates-led reboot of "Matlock" may not hit TV screens for a while longer, but in the meantime, fans of the much-loved legal drama can still catch old episodes of the original run, well, pretty much everywhere. For cable-watchers, the show airs reruns in syndication, while home media junkies can get a DVD box set and those who prefer to stream can catch all nine seasons on Prime Video or PlutoTV.
"Matlock" aired for nine years, moving from NBC to ABC partway through its run and switching up its cast list throughout. Though several actors played more than one character throughout the series' run, only a handful appeared in more than 30 episodes of the series, most of them as Ben Matlock's legal associates. Of the main cast, Andy Griffith, Clarence Gilyard Jr., David Froman, and Richard Newton have all since passed away. Several remaining cast members continue...
"Matlock" aired for nine years, moving from NBC to ABC partway through its run and switching up its cast list throughout. Though several actors played more than one character throughout the series' run, only a handful appeared in more than 30 episodes of the series, most of them as Ben Matlock's legal associates. Of the main cast, Andy Griffith, Clarence Gilyard Jr., David Froman, and Richard Newton have all since passed away. Several remaining cast members continue...
- 5/5/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
This post contains spoilers for "Peaky Blinders."
The world of "Peaky Blinders" is often unsurprisingly violent and shockingly visceral, and the characters who inhabit it tend to be haunted by their own demons. Among the Shelbys, Arthur (Paul Anderson) is the most volatile, oscillating between rabid outbursts and complex vulnerability — the very complexity that draws us to the character. Over the course of the show, Arthur reaches many emotional extremes, his inner conflicts externalized in the most brutal ways, as opposed to Thomas (Cillian Murphy), who tends to direct his doubts and scrutiny inward. Anderson brings these excesses to life with incredible flair, and there's also a certain sense of restraint in how Arthur conveys unspoken emotions, at least when he is not indulging in ultraviolence to feel a little less empty on the inside.
One such instance of the character expressing subtle moral conflict is during season 3, episode 5, when Thomas,...
The world of "Peaky Blinders" is often unsurprisingly violent and shockingly visceral, and the characters who inhabit it tend to be haunted by their own demons. Among the Shelbys, Arthur (Paul Anderson) is the most volatile, oscillating between rabid outbursts and complex vulnerability — the very complexity that draws us to the character. Over the course of the show, Arthur reaches many emotional extremes, his inner conflicts externalized in the most brutal ways, as opposed to Thomas (Cillian Murphy), who tends to direct his doubts and scrutiny inward. Anderson brings these excesses to life with incredible flair, and there's also a certain sense of restraint in how Arthur conveys unspoken emotions, at least when he is not indulging in ultraviolence to feel a little less empty on the inside.
One such instance of the character expressing subtle moral conflict is during season 3, episode 5, when Thomas,...
- 5/5/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
The actor on catching the theatre bug playing Sally Bowles in Cabaret, being a football fan, and dealing with a fire that destroyed her home in LA
London-born Cara Delevingne, 31, began modelling in her teens and was twice model of the year at the British fashion awards. She started her acting career in Joe Wright’s 2012 film adaptation of Anna Karenina. Subsequent big screen roles include Paper Towns, Suicide Squad, Tulip Fever and London Fields. On TV, she has starred in Carnival Row, Only Murders in the Building and American Horror Story. She is now making her stage debut in the West End production of Cabaret.
We’re speaking the morning after you went to a Chelsea match. Are you a big fan?
I definitely was in childhood, so it was a treat to return. I grew up going to Stamford Bridge with my uncle. Gianfranco Zola was my favourite player.
London-born Cara Delevingne, 31, began modelling in her teens and was twice model of the year at the British fashion awards. She started her acting career in Joe Wright’s 2012 film adaptation of Anna Karenina. Subsequent big screen roles include Paper Towns, Suicide Squad, Tulip Fever and London Fields. On TV, she has starred in Carnival Row, Only Murders in the Building and American Horror Story. She is now making her stage debut in the West End production of Cabaret.
We’re speaking the morning after you went to a Chelsea match. Are you a big fan?
I definitely was in childhood, so it was a treat to return. I grew up going to Stamford Bridge with my uncle. Gianfranco Zola was my favourite player.
- 5/5/2024
- by Michael Hogan
- The Guardian - Film News
Rose Glass’s follow-up to her acclaimed Saint Maud is a scorchingly sexy, darkly violent tale of a gym manager’s love affair with a bodybuilder
This may seem an unexpected point to make about an actor who is arguably one of the coolest people on the planet, but the key to Kristen Stewart’s mesmerising screen presence is her ordinariness. I don’t mean her looks, although as Lou, the manager of a bodybuilding gym in an insalubrious New Mexico backwater, Stewart’s natural magnetism is somewhat muted behind a whey powder pallor, an air of defeated weariness and hair that looks as if it’s been deep-fried rather than washed.
Rather, it’s the unstudied, naturalistic quality of her performances, which are seeded with little glitchy details and gestures – the way she rakes her fingers through her fringe; the moment when she nervously wipes her nose on the sleeve of her T-shirt.
This may seem an unexpected point to make about an actor who is arguably one of the coolest people on the planet, but the key to Kristen Stewart’s mesmerising screen presence is her ordinariness. I don’t mean her looks, although as Lou, the manager of a bodybuilding gym in an insalubrious New Mexico backwater, Stewart’s natural magnetism is somewhat muted behind a whey powder pallor, an air of defeated weariness and hair that looks as if it’s been deep-fried rather than washed.
Rather, it’s the unstudied, naturalistic quality of her performances, which are seeded with little glitchy details and gestures – the way she rakes her fingers through her fringe; the moment when she nervously wipes her nose on the sleeve of her T-shirt.
- 5/5/2024
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
Growing up on set put Oscar-winning actor Jennifer Connelly on the fast track to Hollywood fame. But despite her success, one of her lasting regrets was not finishing college – and, she says, it’s still on her to-do list…
Jennifer Connelly is on a Zoom call from her home in Brooklyn, jetlagged after attending Louis Vuitton’s pre-fall 2024 show in Shanghai, which does not bode well: she is known to have been reticent in past interviews, and sometimes while working. When she made A Beautiful Mind, the 2001 movie for which she won an Oscar for playing the wife of schizophrenic mathematician John Nash, the co-producer Brian Grazer was unnerved by her reserve. “It was hard for me to get to know her on the set because I’m so emotional,” he told a writer in 2001. “She’s very serious. She’s not silly. She doesn’t have that buoyancy.”
It is a relief,...
Jennifer Connelly is on a Zoom call from her home in Brooklyn, jetlagged after attending Louis Vuitton’s pre-fall 2024 show in Shanghai, which does not bode well: she is known to have been reticent in past interviews, and sometimes while working. When she made A Beautiful Mind, the 2001 movie for which she won an Oscar for playing the wife of schizophrenic mathematician John Nash, the co-producer Brian Grazer was unnerved by her reserve. “It was hard for me to get to know her on the set because I’m so emotional,” he told a writer in 2001. “She’s very serious. She’s not silly. She doesn’t have that buoyancy.”
It is a relief,...
- 5/5/2024
- by Aaron Hicklin
- The Guardian - Film News
How’s this for a swoon-worthy romantic moment? Aza (Isabela Merced), darkly beautiful and shy, find herself alone with Davis (Felix Mallard), a rich-kid dreamboat, at his family’s woodside mansion. They’re having a gentle conversation; the sparks are flying. As the music swells, you feel the time arrive for them to kiss. At which point we hear Aza’s worried voice on the soundtrack saying, “You’ll get his bacteria in your mouth. His bacteria will make you sick.” Or as she puts it a little later to her psychiatrist (Poorna Jagannathan), “How can I have a boyfriend if I hate the idea of kissing him?”
Obsessive-compulsive disorder can take many forms, and in “Turtles All the Way Down,” based on the hugely popular young-adult novel by John Green (“The Fault in Our Stars”), it takes a rather classic one: Aza spends her entire existence terrified of germs — of contamination and infection.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder can take many forms, and in “Turtles All the Way Down,” based on the hugely popular young-adult novel by John Green (“The Fault in Our Stars”), it takes a rather classic one: Aza spends her entire existence terrified of germs — of contamination and infection.
- 5/5/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety - Film News
Formerly best known as The Crown’s Prince Charles, the British actor is starring as a cocky US tennis pro in Guadagnino’s new hit film. But, he says, he was happiest living off grid in a van for his next film, La Chimera
What makes a movie star? Josh O’Connor, the 33-year-old British actor best known until, well, last week as the thin-skinned, tight-lipped Prince Charles in seasons three and four of The Crown, has been mulling over this question of late. Earlier this year he completed a drama set in the first world war called The History of Sound, with Paul Mescal. “Paul’s a friend, and to watch him work was amazing,” says O’Connor. “I really can’t underplay how brilliant he is. Paul has that movie-star quality, whatever that is. I wish I could articulate it, but he’s just graceful about it all.”
Zendaya is another one.
What makes a movie star? Josh O’Connor, the 33-year-old British actor best known until, well, last week as the thin-skinned, tight-lipped Prince Charles in seasons three and four of The Crown, has been mulling over this question of late. Earlier this year he completed a drama set in the first world war called The History of Sound, with Paul Mescal. “Paul’s a friend, and to watch him work was amazing,” says O’Connor. “I really can’t underplay how brilliant he is. Paul has that movie-star quality, whatever that is. I wish I could articulate it, but he’s just graceful about it all.”
Zendaya is another one.
- 5/5/2024
- by Tim Lewis
- The Guardian - Film News
Sex!!! Now that I have your attention, let's talk about "Dune: Part Two" (you can read our review of the bleak blockbuster right here). You may have watched Denis Villeneuve's massive sci-fi epic and come away with a few, uh, Nsfw questions about the Fremen and their ways. Luckily for you, someone went ahead and asked Villeneuve some hard-hitting (and risque!) questions, like: how does sex work on Arrakis, where seemingly every fluid is sacred and in high demand? To his credit, Villeneuve took the questions seriously and didn't shut the interview down. Instead, he seems to have genuinely put some thought into this, suggesting he really has every inch of this world mapped out in his noggin. So if you have questions about kissing and beyond in the world of "Dune," read on.
Read more: 20 Critically-Panned Sci-Fi Movies That Are Actually Worth Your Time
Kissing And Other Fluids...
Read more: 20 Critically-Panned Sci-Fi Movies That Are Actually Worth Your Time
Kissing And Other Fluids...
- 5/5/2024
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
What makes a great lightsaber fight? The three-way rumpus between the young Obi-Wan Kenobi, his mentor Qui Gon-Jinn, and their horned -- not horny, important difference that -- opponent Darth Maul in "The Phantom Menace" is unrivaled for sheer athletic grace. Yet, for emotional stakes, it's got nothing on Obi-Wan clashing with his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker, in "Revenge of the Sith" and especially Anakin/Darth Vader's bouts with his son Luke from the original trilogy.
If we're talking about scuffles that merge fluid choreography with emotion-driven storytelling, though, it's hard to top "Star Wars Rebels." Being animated not only makes it easier for the series to construct visually dynamic lightsaber duels but also to do so in a way that serves a myriad of purposes. Those can be as simple as establishing that a mysterious villain like the Grand Inquisitor is not to be trifled with, or exploring the...
If we're talking about scuffles that merge fluid choreography with emotion-driven storytelling, though, it's hard to top "Star Wars Rebels." Being animated not only makes it easier for the series to construct visually dynamic lightsaber duels but also to do so in a way that serves a myriad of purposes. Those can be as simple as establishing that a mysterious villain like the Grand Inquisitor is not to be trifled with, or exploring the...
- 5/5/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
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