Movie News
Disney and 20th Century’s “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” climbed to $72.5 million at the international box office in its first weekend of release.
The newest film in the long-running “Apes” series also notched No. 1 in North America with $56.5 million, bringing its initial global tally to a promising $129 million. Like its predecessors, the $160 million-budgeted “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is projected to earn the bulk of its revenues at the international box office.
Overseas, the movie enjoyed the biggest start in China with $11.4 million (a lackluster debut for the territory), France with $7.1 million, Mexico with $6.4 million and the United Kingdom with $4.8 million. Other top markets were Korea ($3.2 million), Australia ($2.7 million), Brazil ($2.6 million), Germany (2.2 million) and Spain ($2.2 million).
Audiences opted to watch the film in the best possible quality as premium formats represented 41% of global box office revenues. In Imax alone, “Kingdom” earned $13.2 million worldwide, including $6.2 million from foreign territories.
The newest film in the long-running “Apes” series also notched No. 1 in North America with $56.5 million, bringing its initial global tally to a promising $129 million. Like its predecessors, the $160 million-budgeted “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is projected to earn the bulk of its revenues at the international box office.
Overseas, the movie enjoyed the biggest start in China with $11.4 million (a lackluster debut for the territory), France with $7.1 million, Mexico with $6.4 million and the United Kingdom with $4.8 million. Other top markets were Korea ($3.2 million), Australia ($2.7 million), Brazil ($2.6 million), Germany (2.2 million) and Spain ($2.2 million).
Audiences opted to watch the film in the best possible quality as premium formats represented 41% of global box office revenues. In Imax alone, “Kingdom” earned $13.2 million worldwide, including $6.2 million from foreign territories.
- 5/12/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
Legendary B-movie king Roger Corman, who directed and produced hundreds of low-budget films and discovered such future industry stars as Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, has died. He was 98.
Corman died May 9 at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., surrounded by family members, the family confirmed to Variety.
“His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic, and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, ‘I was a filmmaker, just that,'” the family said in a statement.
Corman’s empire, which existed in several incarnations, including New World Pictures,...
Corman died May 9 at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., surrounded by family members, the family confirmed to Variety.
“His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic, and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, ‘I was a filmmaker, just that,'” the family said in a statement.
Corman’s empire, which existed in several incarnations, including New World Pictures,...
- 5/12/2024
- by Richard Natale and Tim Gray
- Variety - TV News
“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” isn’t monkeying around.
The latest “Apes” entry from 20th Century Studios earned $22.2 million from 4,075 theaters on its opening day, a figure that includes $6.6 million in previews. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is estimated to make between $52 million and $56 million in its debut, which about the same as the last three installments.
The series’ second movie, 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” holds the opening-weekend record with $72 million; followed by “War for the Planet of the Apes” with its $56.2 million opening; and then “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” with a $54.8 million opening.
“Kingdom” has gotten mixed reactions from critics and audiences, earning an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and “B” grade on CinemaScore.
Director Wes Ball (“The Maze Runner” trilogy) helms “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which is tipped to kick off a new trilogy of films.
The latest “Apes” entry from 20th Century Studios earned $22.2 million from 4,075 theaters on its opening day, a figure that includes $6.6 million in previews. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is estimated to make between $52 million and $56 million in its debut, which about the same as the last three installments.
The series’ second movie, 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes,” holds the opening-weekend record with $72 million; followed by “War for the Planet of the Apes” with its $56.2 million opening; and then “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” with a $54.8 million opening.
“Kingdom” has gotten mixed reactions from critics and audiences, earning an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and “B” grade on CinemaScore.
Director Wes Ball (“The Maze Runner” trilogy) helms “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” which is tipped to kick off a new trilogy of films.
- 5/11/2024
- by Jordan Moreau and Michaela Zee
- Variety - Film News
The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge awarded prizes in several categories at a Thursday event on the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Culver City.
The Disability Film Challenge is celebrating 11 years of advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion in the entertainment industry.
Presenters and attendees included “Ricky Stanicky” writer, producer and director Peter Farrelly, comedian Nate Bargatze, “Coda” director Siân Heder, Caterina Scorsone of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Sheaun McKinney of “The Neighborhood,” Rick Glassman of “Not Dead Yet,” Jillian Mercado of “The L Word: Generation Q” and Heather Morris of “Glee.”
The winners were selected from 135 submitted from around the world. They include:
Best Film – “Audio Description” – Lee Pugsley;
Best Director – “The Case of the Obsidian Muskrat”- Chase Chambers
Best Actor – “Emergency Contact” – Kiersten Kelly
Best Writer – “Call the A.D.A.” – David Radcliff
Best Editor – “The Case of the Obsidian Muskrat” – Chase Chambers
Best Awareness Campaign – “Out of Reach” – Sawsan Zakaria...
The Disability Film Challenge is celebrating 11 years of advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion in the entertainment industry.
Presenters and attendees included “Ricky Stanicky” writer, producer and director Peter Farrelly, comedian Nate Bargatze, “Coda” director Siân Heder, Caterina Scorsone of “Grey’s Anatomy,” Sheaun McKinney of “The Neighborhood,” Rick Glassman of “Not Dead Yet,” Jillian Mercado of “The L Word: Generation Q” and Heather Morris of “Glee.”
The winners were selected from 135 submitted from around the world. They include:
Best Film – “Audio Description” – Lee Pugsley;
Best Director – “The Case of the Obsidian Muskrat”- Chase Chambers
Best Actor – “Emergency Contact” – Kiersten Kelly
Best Writer – “Call the A.D.A.” – David Radcliff
Best Editor – “The Case of the Obsidian Muskrat” – Chase Chambers
Best Awareness Campaign – “Out of Reach” – Sawsan Zakaria...
- 5/10/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety - Film News
This post contains spoilers for "Blue Velvet."
David Lynch's cinematic world tiptoes between stark reality and nightmarish dreams, where quaint, perfect lives and locales often hide Boschian hells. While some Lynchian small towns are infused with poetic romanticism despite harboring great evils (such as Twin Peaks), others, like Lumberton, weave an insincere facade with its aura of suburban bliss: a sentiment that forms the crux of Lynch's sensational, oft-misunderstood "Blue Velvet." Most of Lynch's work defies objective analysis, as the foundational ideas he embeds into his stories feel abstract and elusive, but are always tethered to reality in essential and terrifying ways. Although "Blue Velvet" helms one of the most straightforward narratives in Lynch's oeuvre — it is neither as labyrinthine nor heady as "Inland Empire" or "Mulholland Drive" — the film's graphic depictions of psychosexual impulses tend to confuse and alienate, with the merging of the real and the...
David Lynch's cinematic world tiptoes between stark reality and nightmarish dreams, where quaint, perfect lives and locales often hide Boschian hells. While some Lynchian small towns are infused with poetic romanticism despite harboring great evils (such as Twin Peaks), others, like Lumberton, weave an insincere facade with its aura of suburban bliss: a sentiment that forms the crux of Lynch's sensational, oft-misunderstood "Blue Velvet." Most of Lynch's work defies objective analysis, as the foundational ideas he embeds into his stories feel abstract and elusive, but are always tethered to reality in essential and terrifying ways. Although "Blue Velvet" helms one of the most straightforward narratives in Lynch's oeuvre — it is neither as labyrinthine nor heady as "Inland Empire" or "Mulholland Drive" — the film's graphic depictions of psychosexual impulses tend to confuse and alienate, with the merging of the real and the...
- 5/12/2024
- by Debopriyaa Dutta
- Slash Film
The wasteland can be a brutal place. Diegetically within the world of George Miller’s “Mad Max” film series and physically for the actors who have to inhabit it. Speaking with Variety for an interview on her upcoming role in “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” star of the much-hyped prequel Anya Taylor-Joy discussed the challenges of taking on this role and how leaning into it was the only way through it.
“I had the earliest call time of my life: 1:45 a.m.,” Taylor-Joy said. “I’d be like, ‘I just wrapped! What do you mean?! It’s a mistake!’”
Part of that early call time involved Taylor-Joy getting into makeup, a process that required she be covered head-to-toe in the sand and sweat of Miller’s world.
“You will not believe how dirty I had to be for it to read on camera,” she said to Variety. “The first...
“I had the earliest call time of my life: 1:45 a.m.,” Taylor-Joy said. “I’d be like, ‘I just wrapped! What do you mean?! It’s a mistake!’”
Part of that early call time involved Taylor-Joy getting into makeup, a process that required she be covered head-to-toe in the sand and sweat of Miller’s world.
“You will not believe how dirty I had to be for it to read on camera,” she said to Variety. “The first...
- 5/12/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Roger Corman, who died Saturday at 98, was famously involved with many of the greats of filmmaking at the start of their careers. In the case of Ron Howard, he helped the young actor transition from being a child star into a versatile director, giving him his first directing job with the action comedy “Grand Theft Auto” in 1977.
Howard noted that Corman was also known for giving women more opportunities than they typically had in the film industry at that time, including Penelope Spheeris and Gale Ann Hurd.
Howard paid tribute to Corman Sunday morning in a heartfelt message, writing, “Roger not only mentored a couple of generations of high profile filmmakers, but he also opened doors to many on the production side who were struggling to find career paths in the industry. When I was working for Roger, he had far more women in positions of authority throughout his company...
Howard noted that Corman was also known for giving women more opportunities than they typically had in the film industry at that time, including Penelope Spheeris and Gale Ann Hurd.
Howard paid tribute to Corman Sunday morning in a heartfelt message, writing, “Roger not only mentored a couple of generations of high profile filmmakers, but he also opened doors to many on the production side who were struggling to find career paths in the industry. When I was working for Roger, he had far more women in positions of authority throughout his company...
- 5/12/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety - Film News
In the "Star Trek" episode "The Deadly Years", an away team beams down to the planet Gamma Hydra IV to investigate a seemingly disused research station. They find several people who have died of old age and a 60-something couple who claim to be in their 20s. The away team returns to the Enterprise, not knowing they have contracted a kind of radiation sickness that causes accelerated aging. Kirk (William Shatner) begins going gray, while Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) and Scotty (James Doohan) quickly develop wrinkled, craggy faces. Hit hardest is Lieutenant Galway (Beverly Washburn), a science officer not previously seen on the show. She ages the most rapidly, moving from her early 20s to her late 90s in a day. Before the end of the episode, Galway will have died of old age.
Washburn was interviewed by StarTrek.com back in 2013, and she remembered shooting "The Deadly Years" quite well.
Washburn was interviewed by StarTrek.com back in 2013, and she remembered shooting "The Deadly Years" quite well.
- 5/12/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
For her third round of hosting duties on “Saturday Night Live,” “Mother” Maya Rudolph did not disappoint. Having been a cast member from 2000 to 2007, Rudolph is well acquainted with that 30 Rock stage, and has played a litany of memorable characters. In honor of Mother’s Day, current “SNL” cast-mates Sarah Sherman and Bowen Yang joined Rudolph onstage to honor her legacy and declare her a true “Moth-errr”.
“You’re a 30 Rock legend,” Sherman said. “You’ve had your foot on our necks since Y2K.”
Rudolph was disbelieving of this praise at first, but Yang quickly interjected to second Sherman’s claim.
“You were the first to slay the house down boots queen!” he exclaimed to Rudolph.
“You have achieved extra-terrestrial mother status!” said Sherman.
“Me? Mother?” questioned Rudolph. “You’re right.”
Cue a pumpin’ beat and Kenan Thompson in a Law Roach-inspired wig, holding a tiny purse in one...
“You’re a 30 Rock legend,” Sherman said. “You’ve had your foot on our necks since Y2K.”
Rudolph was disbelieving of this praise at first, but Yang quickly interjected to second Sherman’s claim.
“You were the first to slay the house down boots queen!” he exclaimed to Rudolph.
“You have achieved extra-terrestrial mother status!” said Sherman.
“Me? Mother?” questioned Rudolph. “You’re right.”
Cue a pumpin’ beat and Kenan Thompson in a Law Roach-inspired wig, holding a tiny purse in one...
- 5/12/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Browse Screen’s Qumra special edition, which looks back on the 2024 edition of the Doha Film Institute’s (Dfi) incubator event that took place from March 1-6.
The issue profiles the event’s six masterclasses delivered by the likes of Toni Collette, Jim Sheridan and Claire Denis, and rounds up the festival hits supported by the Dfi.
Click here to read the digital edition...
The issue profiles the event’s six masterclasses delivered by the likes of Toni Collette, Jim Sheridan and Claire Denis, and rounds up the festival hits supported by the Dfi.
Click here to read the digital edition...
- 5/12/2024
- ScreenDaily
In Jon Favreau's 2008 superhero film "Iron Man," Tony Stark spends a large portion of the movie inventing and building a high-tech, skintight suit of armor that is equipped with rocket boosters, missiles, and automated servos that increase Tony's physical strength. In order to put the suit on, Tony required an additional, assembly-line-like machine that sealed the various pieces of the armor around his body.
In the many "Iron Man" sequels that followed, however, the process of getting in and out of the suit became quicker and more streamlined. In one film, Tony thrusts his fists into a briefcase, and his suit stretches and assembles around him. Later, the "assembly line" process is so swift that Tony can remove his suit without having to stop walking. Eventually -- and perhaps boringly -- the suit became a sort of liquid metal like in "Terminator 2," shlorping around Tony almost instantly.
In...
In the many "Iron Man" sequels that followed, however, the process of getting in and out of the suit became quicker and more streamlined. In one film, Tony thrusts his fists into a briefcase, and his suit stretches and assembles around him. Later, the "assembly line" process is so swift that Tony can remove his suit without having to stop walking. Eventually -- and perhaps boringly -- the suit became a sort of liquid metal like in "Terminator 2," shlorping around Tony almost instantly.
In...
- 5/12/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Primates ruled over the North American box office, as “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” collected $56.5 million in its first weekend of release.
Those ticket sales were a hair above early projections of $50 million to $55 million and were easily enough to tower over the nonexistent competition. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” opened roughly even with two of the three prior installments in the rebooted franchise, landing behind only 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (a series-best $72 million) and ahead of 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes” ($56.2 million) and 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” ($54.8 million).
“The weekend figure is roughly average for the genre, but average here is based on the biggest action films of all time,” says David A. Gross of movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “This is an excellent opening.”
An opening that’s in line with projections is great and all,...
Those ticket sales were a hair above early projections of $50 million to $55 million and were easily enough to tower over the nonexistent competition. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” opened roughly even with two of the three prior installments in the rebooted franchise, landing behind only 2014’s “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (a series-best $72 million) and ahead of 2017’s “War for the Planet of the Apes” ($56.2 million) and 2011’s “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” ($54.8 million).
“The weekend figure is roughly average for the genre, but average here is based on the biggest action films of all time,” says David A. Gross of movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “This is an excellent opening.”
An opening that’s in line with projections is great and all,...
- 5/12/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety - Film News
A handsome American ends up stranded on an alien ship, manned by an unusual alien crew, where he falls in love with its resident warrior woman. It's not "Guardians of the Galaxy," it's "Farscape," the Australian-American sci-fi series! The series was created by Rockne S. O'Bannon and Brian Henson with alien designs courtesy of the Jim Henson Company, including several puppets that served as central characters. "Farscape" is funny, campy, and weird as hell, setting it apart from not only its television contemporaries but all other sci-fi shows. "Farscape" ran for four seasons from 1999-2003, and while it wasn't as popular as some of the other big sci-fi shows, it has a devoted cult following that really loves it.
In a retrospective for the show's 25th anniversary at IGN, Henson shared his inspiration for the show and what he and O'Bannon were trying to do with "Farscape." With its wacky...
In a retrospective for the show's 25th anniversary at IGN, Henson shared his inspiration for the show and what he and O'Bannon were trying to do with "Farscape." With its wacky...
- 5/12/2024
- by Danielle Ryan
- Slash Film
There’s a story Alfred Hitchcock always liked to tell about how, when he was five years old, his father dropped him off at the local police station near his home in East London. William Hitchcock left a note for the coppers explaining that his son had been misbehaving. A policeman locked young Alfred in a cell for a few minutes and explained, “This is what we do to naughty boys.”
When Hitchcock recounted that story to Dick Cavett he was in his 70s, but the incident continued to leave a profound mark on the director. He said he was still “terrified of the police” because of that and drew a connection from that to the feelings of guilt and wrong-men-on-the-run paranoia that seeps into so many of his films.
The funny thing is, though, father characters are almost entirely absent from Hitchcock’s work. There are a few: Cedric Hardwicke...
When Hitchcock recounted that story to Dick Cavett he was in his 70s, but the incident continued to leave a profound mark on the director. He said he was still “terrified of the police” because of that and drew a connection from that to the feelings of guilt and wrong-men-on-the-run paranoia that seeps into so many of his films.
The funny thing is, though, father characters are almost entirely absent from Hitchcock’s work. There are a few: Cedric Hardwicke...
- 5/12/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
Roger Corman, the B-movie legend who helped launch the careers of Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, and Francis Ford Coppola, among many others, has passed away at the age of 98. His family told Variety that he died on Thursday, May 9, at his home in Santa Monica, surrounded by his loved ones. The family also released this statement:
"His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic, and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, 'I was a filmmaker, just that.'"
It's no exaggeration to say that Hollywood wouldn't be the same without Roger Corman. In a career that spanned half a century and hundreds of films, he directed and/or produced B-movie hits and cult classics like "House of Usher," "The Little Shop of Horrors," "Death Race 2000," and "Attack of the Crab Monsters" (not to mention a famously unreleased "Fantastic Four" movie...
"His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic, and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, 'I was a filmmaker, just that.'"
It's no exaggeration to say that Hollywood wouldn't be the same without Roger Corman. In a career that spanned half a century and hundreds of films, he directed and/or produced B-movie hits and cult classics like "House of Usher," "The Little Shop of Horrors," "Death Race 2000," and "Attack of the Crab Monsters" (not to mention a famously unreleased "Fantastic Four" movie...
- 5/12/2024
- by Hannah Shaw-Williams
- Slash Film
Serialized storylines are, naturally, tricky for shows that are, by design, inherently episodic. When "House" devoted a large chunk of its third season to the relentless Detective Michael Tritter (David Morse) trying to get back at Hugh Laurie's misanthropic diagnostician for humiliating him, the series' writers were banking on viewers not losing interest before the pair's conflict had concluded. As one of those viewers, let me tell you: It's a good thing they didn't push their luck any further than they did, even if pitting House against a cop was about as effective a way as any to get us to overlook the former's many, many blatantly unethical indiscretions and root for him to outwit this wannabe Moriarty to his Sherlock.
"Bones," like "House," was primarily episodic, with its namesake, Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel), and her other half, FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz), typically wrapping up a...
"Bones," like "House," was primarily episodic, with its namesake, Dr. Temperance Brennan (Emily Deschanel), and her other half, FBI agent Seeley Booth (David Boreanaz), typically wrapping up a...
- 5/12/2024
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
"Star Wars" has one of the biggest worlds in fiction, a vast universe with extensive mythology, a sense of history, locations that feel tangible, and characters that come across as real, living beings.
This last bit is important, because "Star Wars" has given plenty of memorable characters, where even small players can turn out to have galaxy-changing importance. Then there are the villains, of which "Star Wars" has plenty, including some of the most memorable villains in cinema history, with their own stories worth exploring.
But while we all know the menacing man-turned-machine Darth Vader or the devil-looking Maul, are they really the worst villains in the franchise? As "Star Wars" has evolved and grown over the years, its villains have become less flashy and more, well, evil. That's why we're ranking the most evil and villainous characters in George Lucas' galaxy far, far away. As a note, this list...
This last bit is important, because "Star Wars" has given plenty of memorable characters, where even small players can turn out to have galaxy-changing importance. Then there are the villains, of which "Star Wars" has plenty, including some of the most memorable villains in cinema history, with their own stories worth exploring.
But while we all know the menacing man-turned-machine Darth Vader or the devil-looking Maul, are they really the worst villains in the franchise? As "Star Wars" has evolved and grown over the years, its villains have become less flashy and more, well, evil. That's why we're ranking the most evil and villainous characters in George Lucas' galaxy far, far away. As a note, this list...
- 5/12/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
From cancelled celebrity frogs to heartbroken shrimp, the vast “Smiling Friends” universe is home to a lot of strange side characters. But co-creators Michael Cusack and Zach Hadel took things to another level for the Season 2 premiere of their Adult Swim series. The episode, which sports the concise title “Gwimbly: Definitive Remastered Enhanced Extended Edition Dx 4K (Anniversary Director’s Cut),” follows the eponymous Smiling Friends as they attempt to cheer up Gwimbly, a beloved ’90s video game character who is unable to star in new games because the evil corporation known as Insane Groundbreaking Games refuses to grant him access to his own I.P.
The episode, which was previewed for fans last month after the network’s puppet-filled April Fool’s prank, is a classic “Smiling Friends” adventure that sees the gang rescue Gwimbly from his sad life of making undignified Cameo videos and help him produce his own independent game.
The episode, which was previewed for fans last month after the network’s puppet-filled April Fool’s prank, is a classic “Smiling Friends” adventure that sees the gang rescue Gwimbly from his sad life of making undignified Cameo videos and help him produce his own independent game.
- 5/12/2024
- by Christian Zilko
- Indiewire
In the original "Star Trek," only three actors were credited at the start of the show: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley. For many watching the series -- and for the actors especially -- those three were the leads, while the rest of the recurring ensemble were mere supporting players. Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley certainly had the most screen time on "Star Trek," yet they often advocated for more. Eventually, Shatner and Nimoy became such whiny spotlight hogs that show creator Gene Roddenberry had to write an angry letter, demanding the actors stop whining and get back to work.
Trekkies, however, knew better than Shatner and Nimoy. "Star Trek" was always an ensemble piece about a core cast of multiple characters. In addition to the three "leads," the show also regularly featured chief engineer Scott/Scotty (James Doohan), communications officer Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Ensign Chekov (Walter Koenig), Yeoman Rand...
Trekkies, however, knew better than Shatner and Nimoy. "Star Trek" was always an ensemble piece about a core cast of multiple characters. In addition to the three "leads," the show also regularly featured chief engineer Scott/Scotty (James Doohan), communications officer Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Ensign Chekov (Walter Koenig), Yeoman Rand...
- 5/12/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Even if you weren't that big a fan of the bleak blockbuster that was "Dune: Part Two" or the equally bleak whisper-shout fest that was its 2021 predecessor "Dune," you've got to admire the artistry involved. If you take even a brief look at the effort that went into it, conceiving and creating the planet Arrakis was nothing short of an ordeal. Director Denis Villeneuve wasn't going to let "Dune" or its sequel become yet another generic CGI-laden blockbuster affair. Instead, he wanted to convey a real sense of texture and reality, even while bringing to life such fantastical source matter as Frank Herbert's 1965 novel.
There's a reason the visual effects team won an Oscar for the first "Dune." Not only did they manage to convincingly create scale, but they also managed to achieve Villeneuve's aim of making the film feel authentic despite the sheer amount of digital and practical effects work involved.
There's a reason the visual effects team won an Oscar for the first "Dune." Not only did they manage to convincingly create scale, but they also managed to achieve Villeneuve's aim of making the film feel authentic despite the sheer amount of digital and practical effects work involved.
- 5/12/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Marvel hasn't been having the best time of late and the shaky attempt to recapture lightning in a bottle that was "Thor: Love and Thunder" is a good example. Whereas its predecessor, "Thor: Ragnarok," saw star Chris Hemsworth leaning into his comedic sensibilities to great effect, even Hemsworth himself agreed that "Love and Thunder" was just too silly. But when the God of Thunder made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut all the way back in 2011, the opposite was true.
Whereas "Iron Man," the film that changed Hollywood forever by kicking off the massively popular interconnected universe, was led by Robert Downey Jr. and his magnetic charisma, 2011's "Thor" was a darker affair that embraced the character's origins and delivered what was essentially a fantasy adventure with relative unknowns in the lead roles of Thor and Loki. In the late-aughts, Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston did not enjoy the superstar status they do today,...
Whereas "Iron Man," the film that changed Hollywood forever by kicking off the massively popular interconnected universe, was led by Robert Downey Jr. and his magnetic charisma, 2011's "Thor" was a darker affair that embraced the character's origins and delivered what was essentially a fantasy adventure with relative unknowns in the lead roles of Thor and Loki. In the late-aughts, Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston did not enjoy the superstar status they do today,...
- 5/12/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Roger Corman, a pioneer of low-cost independent filmmaking and the godfather of B-movies who produced hundreds of genre films in a career spanning eight decades, has died. He was 98.
During a prolific career that started in the 1950s and encompassed all genre, Corman directed the 1960 original The Little Shop Of Horrors – reportedly shot in two days – as well as The Man With The X-Ray Eyes, The Trip, The Wasp Woman, The Masque Of The Red Death, House Of Usher, and The Raven – the last three counting among a number of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations.
Dubbed ’the Pope of Pop Cinema...
During a prolific career that started in the 1950s and encompassed all genre, Corman directed the 1960 original The Little Shop Of Horrors – reportedly shot in two days – as well as The Man With The X-Ray Eyes, The Trip, The Wasp Woman, The Masque Of The Red Death, House Of Usher, and The Raven – the last three counting among a number of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations.
Dubbed ’the Pope of Pop Cinema...
- 5/12/2024
- ScreenDaily
Although never named in any entries of the franchise, the deadly aliens in the "Predator" series are a species called the Yautja (pronounced "Yah-oot-Cha"). The films themselves do little to explain where they come from and what their civilization might be like. What little we know is based on seeing a few of them as intergalactic big-game trophy hunters, but is this true of their entire society? Is their civilization centered around the hunt? Or are the Predators we've seen pariahs, the Yautja equivalent to big-game trophy hunters like Walter Palmer, widely criticized for his participation in the controversial killing of both Cecil the lion and a protected ram in Mongolia?
In 2010's "Predators," Royce (Adrien Brody) quotes Hemingway, "Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter." Like us,...
In 2010's "Predators," Royce (Adrien Brody) quotes Hemingway, "Certainly there is no hunting like the hunting of man and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never really care for anything else thereafter." Like us,...
- 5/12/2024
- by Maurice Molyneaux
- Slash Film
Screen is running this regularly updated page with the latest film festival and market dates from across the world.
To submit details of or alter your festival dates, please contact us here with the name, dates, country and website for the event. Screen is also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dates here.
Ongoing
JFilm Festival, US - May 2-12
UK Asian Film Festival, UK - May 2-12
Seattle International Film Festival, US - May 9-19
Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival Part 2, US - May 11-26
May
Cannes Film Festival, France - May 14-25
Marche Du Film,...
To submit details of or alter your festival dates, please contact us here with the name, dates, country and website for the event. Screen is also running a calendar for UK-Ireland film release dates here.
Ongoing
JFilm Festival, US - May 2-12
UK Asian Film Festival, UK - May 2-12
Seattle International Film Festival, US - May 9-19
Los Angeles International Children’s Film Festival Part 2, US - May 11-26
May
Cannes Film Festival, France - May 14-25
Marche Du Film,...
- 5/12/2024
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
For a show filled with constant troublemakers, it makes sense that "The Simpsons" would feature multiple recurring lawyer characters. The most memorable is Lionel Hutz, the incompetent bozo who usually represents a member of the Simpson family; when he's taking on the case, that's a sure sign that whoever he's defending is going to jail. He's a familiar archetype, one we see echoes of with the incompetent alien chicken lawyer on "Futurama" or the perpetually anxious Ted on "Scrubs." Any lawyer who strays from the expected image of a smart, calculating, dignified man is always a welcome addition to a sitcom, but "The Simpsons" is unique in that it offers a counterpart.
Mr. Burns' lawyer, the blue-eyed New Yorker with the nasal voice, is the polar opposite of Lionel Hutz. He's an extremely efficient soulless drone, someone who tends to win his cases even if his methods aren't particularly ethical.
Mr. Burns' lawyer, the blue-eyed New Yorker with the nasal voice, is the polar opposite of Lionel Hutz. He's an extremely efficient soulless drone, someone who tends to win his cases even if his methods aren't particularly ethical.
- 5/12/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
Cinematically speaking, spiders are having a miniature moment. On April 12, 2024, fans of creature features were treated to Kiah Roache-Turner's "Sting," a film about an alien spider that grows to an enormous size and terrorizes the denizens of a run-down apartment building. Then, on April 26, the United States was granted access to Sébastien Vanicek's "Infested" (French title: "Vermines"), a film about many spiders that grow to enormous sizes and terrorize the denizens of a run-down apartment building. These two films, of course, came hot on the heels of the February release of "Madame Web," the best Spider-Man-adjacent, non-Marvel-Cinematic-Universe-related mid-budget clairvoyance caper film ever made.
Children of the '90s may be getting flashbacks to the glories of Frank Marshall's 1990 spider horror/comedy "Arachnophobia," one of the more exciting mainstream horror films of its era. In "Arachnophobia," a venomous Venezuelan spider is accidentally shipped to the United States,...
Children of the '90s may be getting flashbacks to the glories of Frank Marshall's 1990 spider horror/comedy "Arachnophobia," one of the more exciting mainstream horror films of its era. In "Arachnophobia," a venomous Venezuelan spider is accidentally shipped to the United States,...
- 5/12/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
The seventh edition of the Quirino Awards, an annual event dedicated to promoting animation in Spain, Portugal, and Latin America, saw Spain win five of the 10 awards on offer. Housed in the Teatro Leal, in the Canary Island’s Santa Cruz de Tenerife, an eclectic and, at times, musical gala concluded an upbeat Quirino Awards.
Pablo Berger’s first foray into animation, the Oscar-nominated “Robot Dreams,” continued its charge, winning awards for best feature film and sound design. A first Neon pick-up at Cannes last year, the film has won plaudits just about everywhere, described by Variety as a “sweetly sorrowful buddy movie .”
For the second year running, best series went to Spain’s “Jasmine & Jambo – Season 2” by Silvia Cortés. Series leads Jasmine and Jambo are music-obsessed and reside in Soundland. The series effortlessly educates through music-infused plots for kids, produced by Catalan company Teidees Audiovisuals in co-production with Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals.
Pablo Berger’s first foray into animation, the Oscar-nominated “Robot Dreams,” continued its charge, winning awards for best feature film and sound design. A first Neon pick-up at Cannes last year, the film has won plaudits just about everywhere, described by Variety as a “sweetly sorrowful buddy movie .”
For the second year running, best series went to Spain’s “Jasmine & Jambo – Season 2” by Silvia Cortés. Series leads Jasmine and Jambo are music-obsessed and reside in Soundland. The series effortlessly educates through music-infused plots for kids, produced by Catalan company Teidees Audiovisuals in co-production with Corporació Catalana de Mitjans Audiovisuals.
- 5/12/2024
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety - Film News
In 2021, in the months leading to the release of "Space Jam: A New Legacy," the New York Times published an editorial which said cartoon character Pepé Le Pew "normalized rape culture." In that same piece, the author also wrote that Speedy Gonzales had friends who "helped popularize the corrosive stereotype of the drunk and lethargic Mexicans."
In recent years, "Looney Tunes" stopped featuring rifles in new portrayals of Elmer Fudd, so why couldn't change its portrayal of Pepé Le Pew or Speedy, too? While France did nothing to defend Le Pew, Latinos in the U.S. and across Latin America jumped at the chance to defend Speedy Gonzales from never saying "Ándale! Ándale! Arriba! Arriba!" again. Comedian Gabriel Iglesias, who voiced Speedy in "Space Jam 2," defended the character on social media.
Few would argue that the character isn't racist or an outdated stereotype, but Speedy still engenders passionate love...
In recent years, "Looney Tunes" stopped featuring rifles in new portrayals of Elmer Fudd, so why couldn't change its portrayal of Pepé Le Pew or Speedy, too? While France did nothing to defend Le Pew, Latinos in the U.S. and across Latin America jumped at the chance to defend Speedy Gonzales from never saying "Ándale! Ándale! Arriba! Arriba!" again. Comedian Gabriel Iglesias, who voiced Speedy in "Space Jam 2," defended the character on social media.
Few would argue that the character isn't racist or an outdated stereotype, but Speedy still engenders passionate love...
- 5/12/2024
- by Rafael Motamayor
- Slash Film
Veteran film producer and distribution executive Avi Federgreen’s Toronto-based sales company Indiecan Entertainment International has unveiled its Cannes Film Market slate.
Leading the slate is “She Was Here,” a documentary that delves into the life of beloved child actress Heather O’Rourke, famed for her role in the “Poltergeist” and known for the line “They’re here.” O’Rourke’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 12. Director Nick Bailey explores O’Rourke’s untold story, featuring interviews with her “Poltergeist” co-stars Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams, as well as Heather’s mother and sister. The documentary is produced by Brian Pocrass, Reese Eveneshen and Federgreen.
“Wild Goat Surf” is a Canadian, coming-of-age drama set in 2003 Penticton, British Columbia, following the adventures of 13-year-old Real “Goat” Anderson and her mother Jane as they navigate a summer of struggle and resilience. Living in an Rv park by Skaha Lake,...
Leading the slate is “She Was Here,” a documentary that delves into the life of beloved child actress Heather O’Rourke, famed for her role in the “Poltergeist” and known for the line “They’re here.” O’Rourke’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 12. Director Nick Bailey explores O’Rourke’s untold story, featuring interviews with her “Poltergeist” co-stars Craig T. Nelson and JoBeth Williams, as well as Heather’s mother and sister. The documentary is produced by Brian Pocrass, Reese Eveneshen and Federgreen.
“Wild Goat Surf” is a Canadian, coming-of-age drama set in 2003 Penticton, British Columbia, following the adventures of 13-year-old Real “Goat” Anderson and her mother Jane as they navigate a summer of struggle and resilience. Living in an Rv park by Skaha Lake,...
- 5/12/2024
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety - Film News
From Bond to Barbie, behind every Hollywood film or television drama is an unsung hero doing the scary stuff. Meet the doughty men and women willing to take big risks to be part of the magic
I’ve been in the game since 1960. My first film was The Young Ones, starring Cliff Richard. I can’t have been more than 17, and was only paid a few bob. Already a black belt in judo, I went down and taught him some basics: mostly showing how to do some throws on the mats.
I’ve been in the game since 1960. My first film was The Young Ones, starring Cliff Richard. I can’t have been more than 17, and was only paid a few bob. Already a black belt in judo, I went down and taught him some basics: mostly showing how to do some throws on the mats.
- 5/12/2024
- by Michael Segalov
- The Guardian - Film News
Heists, horror and carnivorous plants were all grist to Corman’s staggeringly prolific movie mill, as were his pivotal collaborations with other film-makers
News: Corman dies aged 98A life in pictures
Roger Corman was the powerhouse of B-pictures and pulp classics, who in a staggeringly prolific career lasting from the 1950s to the 2010s produced more than 400 movies, and directed more than 50 – films such as The Wasp Woman, A Bucket of Blood, The Wild Angels, The Fall of the House of Usher, Little Shop of Horrors and The Man With the X-Ray Eyes. And with his collaborations with Vincent Price on a number of inspired Edgar Allan Poe adaptations in the 1960s, Corman helped to make Poe a canonical figure within American literature and a figure of enduring pop-cultural importance, revered by academics who have made campus careers out of the author.
Corman was the entrepreneurial life force of low-budget...
News: Corman dies aged 98A life in pictures
Roger Corman was the powerhouse of B-pictures and pulp classics, who in a staggeringly prolific career lasting from the 1950s to the 2010s produced more than 400 movies, and directed more than 50 – films such as The Wasp Woman, A Bucket of Blood, The Wild Angels, The Fall of the House of Usher, Little Shop of Horrors and The Man With the X-Ray Eyes. And with his collaborations with Vincent Price on a number of inspired Edgar Allan Poe adaptations in the 1960s, Corman helped to make Poe a canonical figure within American literature and a figure of enduring pop-cultural importance, revered by academics who have made campus careers out of the author.
Corman was the entrepreneurial life force of low-budget...
- 5/12/2024
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Corman made over 400 movies including cult classics Death Race 2000, Piranha and The Little Shop of Horrors and launched the careers of Scorsese and De Niro
Gallery: a career in picturesAppreciation: Peter Bradshaw on Corman
Roger Corman, the writer and director who helped turn out such low-budget classics as Little Shop of Horrors and gave many of Hollywood’s most famous actors and directors early breaks, has died aged 98.
Corman died on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, California, his daughter Catherine Corman said on Saturday in a statement.
Gallery: a career in picturesAppreciation: Peter Bradshaw on Corman
Roger Corman, the writer and director who helped turn out such low-budget classics as Little Shop of Horrors and gave many of Hollywood’s most famous actors and directors early breaks, has died aged 98.
Corman died on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica, California, his daughter Catherine Corman said on Saturday in a statement.
- 5/12/2024
- by Gwilym Mumford
- The Guardian - Film News
The artist and filmmaker has always enjoyed challenging convention. Now she has written a novel which takes a breathtaking look at menopause, sex, death and transformation
Miranda July has rented a little house in LA for 20 years. Every morning she’d drive over from the home she shared with her husband and young child, work on her films and art and writing and drive home again, until one day she noticed that another little house, the little rundown house that backed on to hers, was empty, and she had a thought. Something was shifting in her, it had been shifting for some time.
The shift started when, after signing on to publish her second novel, July realised the most valuable time for her to write was early in the morning. One day she said to her husband, film director Mike Mills, “I’m going to ask something,” and she took a breath.
Miranda July has rented a little house in LA for 20 years. Every morning she’d drive over from the home she shared with her husband and young child, work on her films and art and writing and drive home again, until one day she noticed that another little house, the little rundown house that backed on to hers, was empty, and she had a thought. Something was shifting in her, it had been shifting for some time.
The shift started when, after signing on to publish her second novel, July realised the most valuable time for her to write was early in the morning. One day she said to her husband, film director Mike Mills, “I’m going to ask something,” and she took a breath.
- 5/12/2024
- by Eva Wiseman
- The Guardian - Film News
The terror in "The Twilight Zone" always comes from "What if?" What if there was a little boy with way too much power for anyone to tell him "no"? What if what you thought of as Heaven turned out to be more like Hell? What if man-eating aliens arrived and made humans as docile as lambs to the slaughter?
These questions may be outrageous fantasy, but the terror of them is timeless. We still watch "The Twilight Zone" decades later, and the best episodes can still leave you chilled -- all thanks to the imagination of series creator Rod Serling.
Serling is synonymous with "The Twilight Zone" even for casual viewers; one could call him TV's first auteur. His reputation was as much thanks to his on-camera work as his writing. Serling was the narrator of "The Twilight Zone," introducing and closing out each episode. (He got the job after...
These questions may be outrageous fantasy, but the terror of them is timeless. We still watch "The Twilight Zone" decades later, and the best episodes can still leave you chilled -- all thanks to the imagination of series creator Rod Serling.
Serling is synonymous with "The Twilight Zone" even for casual viewers; one could call him TV's first auteur. His reputation was as much thanks to his on-camera work as his writing. Serling was the narrator of "The Twilight Zone," introducing and closing out each episode. (He got the job after...
- 5/12/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Roger Corman, the maverick producer of B-movies and iconoclastic subjects whose innovative low-budget enterprises launched the careers of numerous major filmmakers, died on Thursday at his home in Santa Monica. He was 98.
Corman’s career encompassed seven decades and more than 500 producing credits, including early work that launched the careers of major Hollywood figures such as Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Peter Fonda, Frances Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Peter Bogdonavich, Gale Anne Hurd, John Sayles, Ron Howard and Jonathan Demme. Yet Corman resented the commercial studio system, and as both producer and as a director himself, he pursued his cheap, no-frills filmmaking style at all costs, while using lowbrow genre tropes as a Trojan horse for socially conscious themes.
Over the years, Corman’s name has been most closely associated with the zany escapist enterprises often referred to as exploitation films, a term he abhorred. With producing credits such...
Corman’s career encompassed seven decades and more than 500 producing credits, including early work that launched the careers of major Hollywood figures such as Jack Nicholson, Bruce Dern, Peter Fonda, Frances Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Peter Bogdonavich, Gale Anne Hurd, John Sayles, Ron Howard and Jonathan Demme. Yet Corman resented the commercial studio system, and as both producer and as a director himself, he pursued his cheap, no-frills filmmaking style at all costs, while using lowbrow genre tropes as a Trojan horse for socially conscious themes.
Over the years, Corman’s name has been most closely associated with the zany escapist enterprises often referred to as exploitation films, a term he abhorred. With producing credits such...
- 5/12/2024
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
“The Jennifer Hudson Show,” “Rustin” and “Red White & Royal Blue” earned top prizes at the New York GLAAD Media Awards, which this year celebrates the 35th year of the annual awards show.
Awards were presented Saturday night at the Hilton Midtown in New York City. The show was hosted by television personality Ross Mathews.
Notable winners included Jennifer Hudson, who received the excellence in media award, and Orville Peck, who was honored with the Vito Russo award presented by Jennifer Lawerence.
The night also featured live musical performances from Loren Allred and Scott Hoying.
Since 1990, the GLAAD Media Awards has honored fair, accurate and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues across all forms of media, including film, television, journalism, comic books and video games.
See the full list of winners below.
Outstanding TV Journalism – Long-Form: “Our America Who I’m Meant to Be – Episode 3”
Outstanding Variety or Talk...
Awards were presented Saturday night at the Hilton Midtown in New York City. The show was hosted by television personality Ross Mathews.
Notable winners included Jennifer Hudson, who received the excellence in media award, and Orville Peck, who was honored with the Vito Russo award presented by Jennifer Lawerence.
The night also featured live musical performances from Loren Allred and Scott Hoying.
Since 1990, the GLAAD Media Awards has honored fair, accurate and inclusive representations of LGBTQ people and issues across all forms of media, including film, television, journalism, comic books and video games.
See the full list of winners below.
Outstanding TV Journalism – Long-Form: “Our America Who I’m Meant to Be – Episode 3”
Outstanding Variety or Talk...
- 5/12/2024
- by Jack Dunn
- Variety - Film News
Legendary B-movie king Roger Corman, who directed and produced hundreds of low-budget films and discovered such future industry stars as Jack Nicholson, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, has died. He was 98.
Corman died May 9 at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., surrounded by family members, the family confirmed to Variety.
“His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic, and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, ‘I was a filmmaker, just that,'” the family said in a statement.
Corman’s empire, which existed in several incarnations, including New World Pictures, and Concorde/New Horizons, was as active as any major studio and, he boasted, always profitable. He specialized in fast-paced, low-budget genre movies — horror, action, science fiction, even some family fare — and his company became a work-in-training ground for a wide variety of major talents, from actors like Nicholson (“Little Shop of Horrors...
Corman died May 9 at his home in Santa Monica, Calif., surrounded by family members, the family confirmed to Variety.
“His films were revolutionary and iconoclastic, and captured the spirit of an age. When asked how he would like to be remembered, he said, ‘I was a filmmaker, just that,'” the family said in a statement.
Corman’s empire, which existed in several incarnations, including New World Pictures, and Concorde/New Horizons, was as active as any major studio and, he boasted, always profitable. He specialized in fast-paced, low-budget genre movies — horror, action, science fiction, even some family fare — and his company became a work-in-training ground for a wide variety of major talents, from actors like Nicholson (“Little Shop of Horrors...
- 5/12/2024
- by Richard Natale and Tim Gray
- Variety - Film News
If you took a poll of movie lovers and asked for a list of the best actors of the past 50 years, Daniel Day-Lewis would certainly be among them -- he may even occupy the number one slot. The versatile performer has been wowing audiences with his all-in, committed performance style for decades, and legends are legion about the lengths to which he'll go to immerse himself in his characters.
But only one of his films has a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and it's somewhat surprising: It's not "Gangs of New York," "My Left Foot," or even "In the Name of the Father," but 1985's "A Room With a View," directed by James Ivory. Set in the early 1900s, the film follows a young Englishwoman named Lucy (Helena Bonham Carter) and her chaperone (Maggie Smith) on a trip to Italy, where she ignites a brief relationship with a man (Julian Sands...
But only one of his films has a perfect 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and it's somewhat surprising: It's not "Gangs of New York," "My Left Foot," or even "In the Name of the Father," but 1985's "A Room With a View," directed by James Ivory. Set in the early 1900s, the film follows a young Englishwoman named Lucy (Helena Bonham Carter) and her chaperone (Maggie Smith) on a trip to Italy, where she ignites a brief relationship with a man (Julian Sands...
- 5/12/2024
- by Ben Pearson
- Slash Film
TV crossovers have been a thing for the vast majority of the medium's history as a popular form of entertainment. From "The Jetsons" meeting "The Flinstones" to "The Simpsons" meeting the characters from "Futurama," there's a rich history here. But not every crossover is quite so obvious. For example, the Fox crime drama "Bones" ended up crossing with, oddly enough, Seth MacFarlane's animated sitcom "Family Guy." Bizarre though it may sound, both shows aired on the same network at the same time, and there was a good enough reason to bring these characters into the same universe at the time.
The episode in question was the second to last episode of "Bones" season 4, entitled "The Critic in the Cabernet." While the main plot involves human remains found inside a wine barrel during a tasting, the crossover has to do with the episode's B-plot. In the episode, Emily Deschanel's...
The episode in question was the second to last episode of "Bones" season 4, entitled "The Critic in the Cabernet." While the main plot involves human remains found inside a wine barrel during a tasting, the crossover has to do with the episode's B-plot. In the episode, Emily Deschanel's...
- 5/12/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
[Editor’s note: this list was originally published in May 2023. It has since been updated with new entries in honor of Mother’s Day 2024.]
Movies offer an excellent excuse to ruminate on your deepest fears, and they’re certainly cheaper than therapy. So if you’re struggling with some deep mommy issues, why not cue up a matriarchal tale of terror and sort through some of that trauma in style?
Auteurs have been hashing out their issues with their mothers on the big screen for decades, to varying degrees of success. Consider mother-centric horror as its own subgenre, and you’ll notice there’s a tendency among filmmakers to take more than one stab at the thorny subject matter. Alfred Hitchcock used the real crimes of serial killer Ed Gein and added a profoundly morbid murder of a mother at a motel to brilliantly realize Norma and Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) for his exquisite “Psycho” in 1960, of course. But he’d whipped up something just as insidiously spectacular with Leopoldine Konstantin for his earlier...
Movies offer an excellent excuse to ruminate on your deepest fears, and they’re certainly cheaper than therapy. So if you’re struggling with some deep mommy issues, why not cue up a matriarchal tale of terror and sort through some of that trauma in style?
Auteurs have been hashing out their issues with their mothers on the big screen for decades, to varying degrees of success. Consider mother-centric horror as its own subgenre, and you’ll notice there’s a tendency among filmmakers to take more than one stab at the thorny subject matter. Alfred Hitchcock used the real crimes of serial killer Ed Gein and added a profoundly morbid murder of a mother at a motel to brilliantly realize Norma and Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) for his exquisite “Psycho” in 1960, of course. But he’d whipped up something just as insidiously spectacular with Leopoldine Konstantin for his earlier...
- 5/11/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
The second episode of the new "Doctor Who" season (and the best episode of the two-part premiere) starts off with what is basically just one giant meta joke. The Doctor is pleasantly surprised when Ruby asks for him to take them to watch the Beatles as they record their first album. He tells her that most companions pick basic, predictable destinations like the Titanic or Mars, and then marvels, "Why haven't I ever done this before?"
The answer is surprisingly simple: The Titanic disaster is public domain, but the Beatles' music is not. "Doctor Who," a show that is famous for its shoestring budget and its wobbling sets, has likely never been able to afford the licensing fee required just to play one of the band's songs. Whereas most bands only charge in the $25,000 to $50,000 range for a TV show to use a song of theirs — which is already pushing...
The answer is surprisingly simple: The Titanic disaster is public domain, but the Beatles' music is not. "Doctor Who," a show that is famous for its shoestring budget and its wobbling sets, has likely never been able to afford the licensing fee required just to play one of the band's songs. Whereas most bands only charge in the $25,000 to $50,000 range for a TV show to use a song of theirs — which is already pushing...
- 5/11/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
"Star Wars: The Clone Wars" lives up to its title by placing a lot of focus on the clone troopers themselves. Some of the characters, like Commander Cody and Commander Bly, were inherited from the "Star Wars" prequel films. The show used the idea that clones had nicknames (instead of only serial numbers) and ran with it, creating many other clones -- including Captain Rex -- with custom names and armor to convey individuality.
One of the more striking clone looks is Commander Doom, who appears only briefly in the "Clone Wars" season 6 premiere "The Unknown." That name isn't an accident; the "Star Wars" website confirms that the creators named Doom after Marvel Comics villain Doctor Victor Von Doom. While Commander Doom gets too little screen time to see if he has the ego of his namesake, the creators used Doctor Doom's design to color his armor.
Lucasfilm
Doctor...
One of the more striking clone looks is Commander Doom, who appears only briefly in the "Clone Wars" season 6 premiere "The Unknown." That name isn't an accident; the "Star Wars" website confirms that the creators named Doom after Marvel Comics villain Doctor Victor Von Doom. While Commander Doom gets too little screen time to see if he has the ego of his namesake, the creators used Doctor Doom's design to color his armor.
Lucasfilm
Doctor...
- 5/11/2024
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
In April, the Sundance Institute announced its intentions to consider alternative locations for its film festival outside of Park City, Utah starting the year 2027 and beyond. Since then, multiple bids have been entered by cities hoping to take over hosting duties including huge metropolises like Atlanta, San Francisco, and Chicago, and even smaller cities like Buffalo and Santa Fe. However, Utah isn’t going down without a fight. This week it was reiterated that the Sundance Institute is allowing the state of Utah to go forward as a viable option for the festival, though a specific city has not been selected yet.
Plans to keep the festival in Utah were spearheaded by state leaders Gov. Spencer Cox, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Park City Mayor Nann Worel, Utah Film Commission Director Virginia Pearce and Park City Chamber of Commerce CEO Jennifer Wesselhoff, all operating under the banner of the...
Plans to keep the festival in Utah were spearheaded by state leaders Gov. Spencer Cox, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, Park City Mayor Nann Worel, Utah Film Commission Director Virginia Pearce and Park City Chamber of Commerce CEO Jennifer Wesselhoff, all operating under the banner of the...
- 5/11/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
An iconic sci-fi star is joining a legendary science-fiction fantasy series. Sigourney Weaver, known for her turn as Ellen Ripley in the “Alien” series, has been cast in the upcoming “Star Wars” film, “The Mandalorian & Grogu,” according to THR.
There’s no word on who Weaver might play, and there are almost no plot details about the ‘Mando & Grogu’ film available.
Continue reading ‘Star Wars’: Sigourney Weaver Joins ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ Film at The Playlist.
There’s no word on who Weaver might play, and there are almost no plot details about the ‘Mando & Grogu’ film available.
Continue reading ‘Star Wars’: Sigourney Weaver Joins ‘The Mandalorian & Grogu’ Film at The Playlist.
- 5/11/2024
- by Edward Davis
- The Playlist
For as much as Al Pacino is known for his quiet intensity — especially in the reticent and calculating role of Michael Corleone in "The Godfather" — what comes to mind when we think of the actor are usually his loud outbursts. It's amazing that such vocal power comes from this short king. But Al Pacino doesn't just yell for the sake of being overdramatic, he uses his voice to capture how the high emotions of his characters bubble to the surface, especially in high-stress situations. While some of these screaming scenes verge on self-parody, there's no denying their impact on his legacy. Pacino's volcanic energy is rooted in his love of theatre, where actors are not afraid to go big and loud. As an actor with a passion for Shakespeare, Al Pacino has a deep understanding of how important voice is in a role. He recognizes that dialogue should be treated like music,...
- 5/11/2024
- by Caroline Madden
- Slash Film
“Mad Max” superfan and creator of the “Metal Gear” and “Death Stranding” video game series Hideo Kojima has seen the new film “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” and his reaction does not disappoint. Posting to X, formerly known as Twitter, Kojima released pictures of himself from the theater — his eyes misty from the experience.
“Witnessed ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga!’ Kojima said in his post. “This movie, which easily surpasses ‘Mad’ and even past ‘Fury’, is at its ‘Max’ (masterpiece)! Ever since I saw the first film when I was 16 years old, George Miller has saved me, encouraged me, and changed my way of life countless times. He is my God, and the Saga that he tells is my Bible.”
This is not the first time Kojima has expressed his adulation for maestro George Miller. Back when they met in 2015, he said, “My games were made with a lot of genes inherited from George Miller.
“Witnessed ‘Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga!’ Kojima said in his post. “This movie, which easily surpasses ‘Mad’ and even past ‘Fury’, is at its ‘Max’ (masterpiece)! Ever since I saw the first film when I was 16 years old, George Miller has saved me, encouraged me, and changed my way of life countless times. He is my God, and the Saga that he tells is my Bible.”
This is not the first time Kojima has expressed his adulation for maestro George Miller. Back when they met in 2015, he said, “My games were made with a lot of genes inherited from George Miller.
- 5/11/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Although "The Simpsons" has a reputation as a show that's been dragged out long beyond its natural life span (never mind that it's still given us some banger episodes in recent seasons), it's worth noting that Fox easily could've milked the franchise way more than it has. As the show itself parodied in season 8's "The Simpsons Spin-Off Showcase," there were all sorts of shameless spinoff ideas Fox easily might've tried. Why not attempt its own "Frasier" or "Better Call Saul" or "Young Sheldon"? With such a massive hit as "The Simpsons" on its hands, why was the 2007 movie the most ambitious thing we ever got?
Turns out, it wasn't for lack of trying. Fox was genuinely interested in cashing in even more on the success of "The Simpsons," and creator Matt Groening made at least some attempt to pitch them ideas. As "Simpsons" writer and former showrunner Mike Reiss...
Turns out, it wasn't for lack of trying. Fox was genuinely interested in cashing in even more on the success of "The Simpsons," and creator Matt Groening made at least some attempt to pitch them ideas. As "Simpsons" writer and former showrunner Mike Reiss...
- 5/11/2024
- by Michael Boyle
- Slash Film
[Editor’s Note: The following piece contains spoilers for the film “The Fall Guy”]
Master yarn-spinner and twist-lover Drew Pearce is setting the story straight on his film, “The Fall Guy”. The big screen adaptation of the ‘80 TV series was directed by former stuntman David Leitchb and stars the mega-watt talents of Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Pearce wrote the screenplay and despite a huge marketing push, the film didn’t land its box office punch opening weekend. However, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pearce expressed his belief that the film will fight on and that — looking past the grand scale — it holds up as an accurate depiction of Hollywood messiness.
“I’m from England — well, Scotland, actually,” said Pearce. “But I never knew anyone in the business. So when I came here, everyone was like, ‘Oh no, that’s an apocryphal story. That stuff doesn’t happen.’ But my experience is that literally anything that is supposedly apocryphal is absolutely commonplace.
Master yarn-spinner and twist-lover Drew Pearce is setting the story straight on his film, “The Fall Guy”. The big screen adaptation of the ‘80 TV series was directed by former stuntman David Leitchb and stars the mega-watt talents of Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt. Pearce wrote the screenplay and despite a huge marketing push, the film didn’t land its box office punch opening weekend. However, in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Pearce expressed his belief that the film will fight on and that — looking past the grand scale — it holds up as an accurate depiction of Hollywood messiness.
“I’m from England — well, Scotland, actually,” said Pearce. “But I never knew anyone in the business. So when I came here, everyone was like, ‘Oh no, that’s an apocryphal story. That stuff doesn’t happen.’ But my experience is that literally anything that is supposedly apocryphal is absolutely commonplace.
- 5/11/2024
- by Harrison Richlin
- Indiewire
Stylist Law Roach revealed on “The Cutting Room Floor” podcast that Zendaya still hasn’t worn looks from five fashion houses after they refused to dress her early in her career.
“I would write the big five. I would write Saint Laurent, Chanel, Gucci, Valentino, Dior, and they would all say, ‘No, try again next year. She’s too green. She’s not on our calendar,’” Roach said during the interview.
“I still have the receipts,” he continued. “By the time she got to [the cover of] American Vogue [in 2017], she still had never worn any of those designers. She still hasn’t.”
Roach, who has styled the “Challengers” and “Dune” star since she was 14, clarified that Zendaya has worn designs by the “big five” in editorial shoots, but never in public or during red carpet appearances.
“She still has never worn Dior on a carpet. She still has never worn Chanel on a carpet.
“I would write the big five. I would write Saint Laurent, Chanel, Gucci, Valentino, Dior, and they would all say, ‘No, try again next year. She’s too green. She’s not on our calendar,’” Roach said during the interview.
“I still have the receipts,” he continued. “By the time she got to [the cover of] American Vogue [in 2017], she still had never worn any of those designers. She still hasn’t.”
Roach, who has styled the “Challengers” and “Dune” star since she was 14, clarified that Zendaya has worn designs by the “big five” in editorial shoots, but never in public or during red carpet appearances.
“She still has never worn Dior on a carpet. She still has never worn Chanel on a carpet.
- 5/11/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov
- Variety - Film News
(Welcome to Tales from the Box Office, our column that examines box office miracles, disasters, and everything in between, as well as what we can learn from them.)
"'The Mummy' isn't really trying to scare you – it's trying to entertain you." This is what /Film's Chris Evangelista lovingly wrote of 1999's "The Mummy" in 2021. Directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser as the swashbuckling Rick O'Connell, the film became a somewhat unexpected hit, so much so that it ended up being one of the highest-grossing films of 1999 overall. Critics were a bit mixed on it in its day. It was an action/adventure film, the likes of which Hollywood had released many times before. Be that as it may, a film designed purely to entertain (rather than to scare) resonated with audiences in a big way. It was pulpy lightning in a bottle.
Universal had, for years,...
"'The Mummy' isn't really trying to scare you – it's trying to entertain you." This is what /Film's Chris Evangelista lovingly wrote of 1999's "The Mummy" in 2021. Directed by Stephen Sommers and starring Brendan Fraser as the swashbuckling Rick O'Connell, the film became a somewhat unexpected hit, so much so that it ended up being one of the highest-grossing films of 1999 overall. Critics were a bit mixed on it in its day. It was an action/adventure film, the likes of which Hollywood had released many times before. Be that as it may, a film designed purely to entertain (rather than to scare) resonated with audiences in a big way. It was pulpy lightning in a bottle.
Universal had, for years,...
- 5/11/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
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