So! How’d you do on your 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards ballot? Not good? Well, don’t worry, because a brand new film year begins right now with a fresh crop of Don’t-Miss Indies ready for consumption. Only time will tell which of these titles will still be standing by the time we head back to the beach in 2025. But hey, it’s never too early to start prognosticating!
Love Lies Bleeding
When You Can Watch: Now
Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited)
Director: Rose Glass
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Dave Franco, Ed Harris
Why We’re Excited: Billed variously as a lesbian revenge story and a psychological thriller set in the 1980s Las Vegas, filmmaker Rose Glass’s second feature (after 2019’s Saint Maud) premiered at Sundance in January. Desperate to find a way out of her desolate existence, frantic gym manager Lou (Film Independent...
Love Lies Bleeding
When You Can Watch: Now
Where You Can Watch: Theaters (Limited)
Director: Rose Glass
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Jena Malone, Dave Franco, Ed Harris
Why We’re Excited: Billed variously as a lesbian revenge story and a psychological thriller set in the 1980s Las Vegas, filmmaker Rose Glass’s second feature (after 2019’s Saint Maud) premiered at Sundance in January. Desperate to find a way out of her desolate existence, frantic gym manager Lou (Film Independent...
- 3/14/2024
- by Su Fang Tham
- Film Independent News & More
Exclusive: Emmy-nominee Freddy Rodriguez is leading the cast of the Shudder horror film V/H/S/85 set to premiere at Fantastic Fest next month. He portrays Detective Wayne Johnson, a seasoned detective investigating a variety of gruesome murders while on the trail of an elusive serial killer.
The cast is rounded out by Jordan Belfi, James Ransone, Dani Deetté, Rolando Davila-Beltran, Justen Jones, Marcio Moreno, Ari Gallegos, Forrest Hartl, Duffy McManus, Eric Pierson, Felipe de Lara, Tom Reed and Vivian Morse.
V/H/S/85 takes viewers on a journey into the grim underbelly of the forgotten 1980s. Unveiled through a made-for-tv documentary, five chilling tales emerge: scientists observe an unusual boy fixated on his TV, kids embark on a lake skiing adventure, a TV crew fights to survive a natural disaster, the early days of VR awaken something terrifying, and a deadly dream is captured on tape.
The cast is rounded out by Jordan Belfi, James Ransone, Dani Deetté, Rolando Davila-Beltran, Justen Jones, Marcio Moreno, Ari Gallegos, Forrest Hartl, Duffy McManus, Eric Pierson, Felipe de Lara, Tom Reed and Vivian Morse.
V/H/S/85 takes viewers on a journey into the grim underbelly of the forgotten 1980s. Unveiled through a made-for-tv documentary, five chilling tales emerge: scientists observe an unusual boy fixated on his TV, kids embark on a lake skiing adventure, a TV crew fights to survive a natural disaster, the early days of VR awaken something terrifying, and a deadly dream is captured on tape.
- 8/22/2023
- by Rosy Cordero
- Deadline Film + TV
Keanu Reeves has had many memorable kissing scenes with a few onscreen partners. There was one make-out sequence, however, that Reeves remembered for the wrong reasons.
Keanu Reeves on his ‘most painful kiss ever’ Keanu Reeves | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Many stars have had nothing but praise for Reeves’ onscreen kissing skills. Some, like Diane Keaton, have admitted to even getting flustered by smooching the star. So much so that she felt embarrassed kissing her much younger partner in Something’s Gotta Give.
“It was pretty embarrassing, and for Keanu, too,” Keaton once said according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “It has to do with time of life. It’s instinctive – [while kissing him] you go, ‘Uh, probably not!’ And Keanu was going, ‘Definitely not!’ He was trying to be polite. But he’s so beautiful, it’s stupefying. It was a guilty pleasure. A very guilty pleasure.”
Reeves has often had similar kind words for his co-stars.
Keanu Reeves on his ‘most painful kiss ever’ Keanu Reeves | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Many stars have had nothing but praise for Reeves’ onscreen kissing skills. Some, like Diane Keaton, have admitted to even getting flustered by smooching the star. So much so that she felt embarrassed kissing her much younger partner in Something’s Gotta Give.
“It was pretty embarrassing, and for Keanu, too,” Keaton once said according to the Sydney Morning Herald. “It has to do with time of life. It’s instinctive – [while kissing him] you go, ‘Uh, probably not!’ And Keanu was going, ‘Definitely not!’ He was trying to be polite. But he’s so beautiful, it’s stupefying. It was a guilty pleasure. A very guilty pleasure.”
Reeves has often had similar kind words for his co-stars.
- 6/24/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Mark Miller, the prolific actor and screenwriter writer best known for Please Don’t Eat The Daisies and Guestward, Ho! has died. His daughter, actress Penelope Ann Miller, confirmed the news on Twitter. He was 97.
Miller portrayed college professor Jim Nash on Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, which ran from 1965-1967 and then in syndication. The NBC-MGM sitcom, which ran for 58 half-hour episodes, was loosely based on the theatrical film of the same name starring Doris Day and David Niven. The series did well initially, but its ratings took a hit in Season 2 when it was moved opposite The Jackie Gleason Show.
Miller had substantial runs on other big shows, most notably Desilu’s Guestward Ho! on ABC in 1960. He played one half of a New York City couple, the Hootens, who relocate to a dude ranch in New Mexico. Guestward Ho! ran for one season alongside The Donna Reed Show on Thursday evenings.
Miller portrayed college professor Jim Nash on Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, which ran from 1965-1967 and then in syndication. The NBC-MGM sitcom, which ran for 58 half-hour episodes, was loosely based on the theatrical film of the same name starring Doris Day and David Niven. The series did well initially, but its ratings took a hit in Season 2 when it was moved opposite The Jackie Gleason Show.
Miller had substantial runs on other big shows, most notably Desilu’s Guestward Ho! on ABC in 1960. He played one half of a New York City couple, the Hootens, who relocate to a dude ranch in New Mexico. Guestward Ho! ran for one season alongside The Donna Reed Show on Thursday evenings.
- 9/14/2022
- by Tom Tapp
- Deadline Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
Mark Miller, who portrayed the patriarch of a castle-dwelling family on the 1960s NBC sitcom Please Don’t Eat the Daisies and co-wrote the Keanu Reeves-starring romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds, has died. He was 97.
Miler died Friday in Santa Monica of natural causes, a family spokesperson announced. Survivors include his daughter and Tony-nominated actress Penelope Ann Miller.
Miller also wrote, produced and starred in the classic family film Savannah Smiles (1982), which was inspired by and named for his youngest daughter. It’s the story of a runaway girl (Bridgette Andersen) who forms an improvised family with the two escaped convicts (Miller, Donovan Scott) who find her.
On Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, which aired for two seasons and 58 episodes from 1965-67, the native Texan played college professor Jim Nash opposite Patricia Crowley as newspaper writer Joan Nash. They are the...
Mark Miller, who portrayed the patriarch of a castle-dwelling family on the 1960s NBC sitcom Please Don’t Eat the Daisies and co-wrote the Keanu Reeves-starring romantic drama A Walk in the Clouds, has died. He was 97.
Miler died Friday in Santa Monica of natural causes, a family spokesperson announced. Survivors include his daughter and Tony-nominated actress Penelope Ann Miller.
Miller also wrote, produced and starred in the classic family film Savannah Smiles (1982), which was inspired by and named for his youngest daughter. It’s the story of a runaway girl (Bridgette Andersen) who forms an improvised family with the two escaped convicts (Miller, Donovan Scott) who find her.
On Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, which aired for two seasons and 58 episodes from 1965-67, the native Texan played college professor Jim Nash opposite Patricia Crowley as newspaper writer Joan Nash. They are the...
- 9/14/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Two years after delivering what many thought — or perhaps feared — to be a valedictory grace note with 2019’s “Pain and Glory” (and one year after the English-language short “The Human Voice” showed that certain authorial voices lose nothing in translation), Pedro Almodóvar has returned with a feature to prove the doomsayers wrong.
A rougher and altogether less cohesive bit of filmmaking than his previous two outings, “Parallel Mothers” instead offers something all the more exciting: The work of an artist who’s reached the top of his craft and asked, “What’s next?”
In this case, the answer comes with a more expressly political conscience, an activist charge the Spanish filmmaker had never before expressed in his work. But as he reflects on the legacy of the Spanish Civil War and the contemporary political debates about exhuming the unrecorded mass graves that still dot the Spanish countryside, Almodóvar hasn’t exactly changed his tune.
A rougher and altogether less cohesive bit of filmmaking than his previous two outings, “Parallel Mothers” instead offers something all the more exciting: The work of an artist who’s reached the top of his craft and asked, “What’s next?”
In this case, the answer comes with a more expressly political conscience, an activist charge the Spanish filmmaker had never before expressed in his work. But as he reflects on the legacy of the Spanish Civil War and the contemporary political debates about exhuming the unrecorded mass graves that still dot the Spanish countryside, Almodóvar hasn’t exactly changed his tune.
- 9/1/2021
- by Ben Croll
- The Wrap
Exclusive: We have learned that Will & Grace Emmy winning Best Actress Debra Messing is joining Netflix’s feature adaptation of Broadway’s 13: The Musical.
She joins the previously announced cast that we first told you about of Eli Golden, Gabriella Uhl, Jd McCrary, Frankie McNellis, Lindsey Blackwell, Jonathan Lengel, Ramon Reed, Nolen Dubuc, Luke Islam, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Kayleigh Cerezo, Wyatt Moss, Liam Wignall, and Khiyla Aynne in the Tamra Davis directed feature.
13: The Musical, produced by Neil Meron with Tony Award winner Robert Horn adapting the script off the book he co-wrote with Dan Elish, follows 12-year old Evan Goldman (12). He moves from NYC to small-town Indiana where he grapples with his parents’ divorce, prepares for his impending Bar Mitzvah, and navigates the complicated social circles of a new school. Messing will play Evan Goldman’s (Golden) mom.
Three-time Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown, who served...
She joins the previously announced cast that we first told you about of Eli Golden, Gabriella Uhl, Jd McCrary, Frankie McNellis, Lindsey Blackwell, Jonathan Lengel, Ramon Reed, Nolen Dubuc, Luke Islam, Shechinah Mpumlwana, Kayleigh Cerezo, Wyatt Moss, Liam Wignall, and Khiyla Aynne in the Tamra Davis directed feature.
13: The Musical, produced by Neil Meron with Tony Award winner Robert Horn adapting the script off the book he co-wrote with Dan Elish, follows 12-year old Evan Goldman (12). He moves from NYC to small-town Indiana where he grapples with his parents’ divorce, prepares for his impending Bar Mitzvah, and navigates the complicated social circles of a new school. Messing will play Evan Goldman’s (Golden) mom.
Three-time Tony Award winner Jason Robert Brown, who served...
- 5/24/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
HBO’s superhero series “Watchmen” is finally making its premiere on Oct. 20, joining a slew of other television shows and movies being added to the service just in time for Halloween.
The Home Box Office is also debuting “Catherine the Great” starring Helen Mirren on Oct. 21, and the sixth and final season of “Silicon Valley” on Oct. 27.
A handful of shows will have their season finales this month — on Oct. 13, Season 2 of “Succession” and Season 1 of “The Righteous Gemstones” have their season finales. Season 1 of “Our Boys” ends Oct. 7, and the third and final season of “The Deuce” comes to an end Oct. 28.
Also Read: News & Documentary Emmy Awards: Complete Winners List
Leaving HBO throughout the month are films like “A Time to Kill,” “Bruno,” “The Danish Girl,” and “Waking Ned Devine.”
Here’s the full list of everything new to and leaving HBO in October:
Oct. 1
Kin, 2018
Diego Maradona
Abuela’s Luck,...
The Home Box Office is also debuting “Catherine the Great” starring Helen Mirren on Oct. 21, and the sixth and final season of “Silicon Valley” on Oct. 27.
A handful of shows will have their season finales this month — on Oct. 13, Season 2 of “Succession” and Season 1 of “The Righteous Gemstones” have their season finales. Season 1 of “Our Boys” ends Oct. 7, and the third and final season of “The Deuce” comes to an end Oct. 28.
Also Read: News & Documentary Emmy Awards: Complete Winners List
Leaving HBO throughout the month are films like “A Time to Kill,” “Bruno,” “The Danish Girl,” and “Waking Ned Devine.”
Here’s the full list of everything new to and leaving HBO in October:
Oct. 1
Kin, 2018
Diego Maradona
Abuela’s Luck,...
- 9/30/2019
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
Debra Messing revealed that she was sexually harassed on her very first Hollywood film.
Speaking at a roundtable hosted by The Hollywood Reporter, Messing recalled a disturbing series of incidents on the set of 1995’s A Walk in the Clouds.
“It wasn’t until we started having these conversations that I realized I had been sexually harassed,” the Will & Grace star, 49, began. “I had said, ‘Oh, that’s the business. And then all of a sudden, I was like, ‘Wait a minute, no, that’s not the business. I was sexually harassed.’ ”
The film was Messing’s first role...
Speaking at a roundtable hosted by The Hollywood Reporter, Messing recalled a disturbing series of incidents on the set of 1995’s A Walk in the Clouds.
“It wasn’t until we started having these conversations that I realized I had been sexually harassed,” the Will & Grace star, 49, began. “I had said, ‘Oh, that’s the business. And then all of a sudden, I was like, ‘Wait a minute, no, that’s not the business. I was sexually harassed.’ ”
The film was Messing’s first role...
- 6/7/2018
- by Mike Miller
- PEOPLE.com
Oscar-nominated actor Giancarlo Giannini is set for a co-starring role opposite Christopher Abbott, Hugh Laurie, Kyle Chandler and George Clooney in Catch-22, Hulu’s high-profile limited series directed by Clooney. Written by Luke Davies and David Michôd based on the seminal Joseph Heller novel, Catch-22 hails from Paramount Television and Anonymous Content.
Set in Italy during World War II, Catch-22 follows the story of the incomparable, artful dodger Yossarian (Abbott), a bombardier for the U.S. Air Force, who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy, but rather his own army which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to avoid his military assignments, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule which specifies that a concern for...
Set in Italy during World War II, Catch-22 follows the story of the incomparable, artful dodger Yossarian (Abbott), a bombardier for the U.S. Air Force, who is furious because thousands of people he has never met are trying to kill him. But his real problem is not the enemy, but rather his own army which keeps increasing the number of missions the men must fly to complete their service. Yet if Yossarian makes any attempt to avoid his military assignments, he’ll be in violation of Catch-22, a hilariously sinister bureaucratic rule which specifies that a concern for...
- 5/21/2018
- by Denise Petski and Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Director and actor Alfonso Arau has responded to statements from Debra Messing, who in February recounted her story of being insulted by the director on the set of her first movie, “A Walk in the Clouds” (1995). At the premiere of the new Pixar film “Coco”, Arau was asked about Messing’s claims about his behaviour two […]...
- 11/9/2017
- by Jordan Appugliesi
- ET Canada
Disney and Pixar's next venture shows the difference between the land of the living and the land of the dead leading up to Dia de los Muertos! The film, entitled Coco, includes an All-Latino voiced cast of who's-who!
Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself magically transported to the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history. This is the synopsis for Disney-Pixar's Coco, a beautiful adventure set around the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos. Today, Disney proudly unveiled the...
Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel (voice of newcomer Anthony Gonzalez) dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz (voice of Benjamin Bratt). Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself magically transported to the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector (voice of Gael García Bernal), and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history. This is the synopsis for Disney-Pixar's Coco, a beautiful adventure set around the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos. Today, Disney proudly unveiled the...
- 6/6/2017
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Matt Malliaros)
- Cinelinx
Diversity is kind of a hot topic nowadays. As citizens of a melting pot of a culture, it’s nice to be represented in mainstream entertainment. And if we’re being honest, it’s not just about diversity, but authenticity. It always rings a bit false when you have a white person portraying a person of color. It’s especially easy to get away with this in animation, where you don’t even see the voice actors.
Studios have gotten away with this practice for years, but in today’s world, they’re making a conscious effort to create films that respect the culture it’s portraying, and part of that has to do with the voice cast. This newer approach is expanding to Coco, the latest film from Pixar inspired by Día de Muertos, a celebration of the dearly departed.
This is obviously a story that’s steeped in Mexican culture,...
Studios have gotten away with this practice for years, but in today’s world, they’re making a conscious effort to create films that respect the culture it’s portraying, and part of that has to do with the voice cast. This newer approach is expanding to Coco, the latest film from Pixar inspired by Día de Muertos, a celebration of the dearly departed.
This is obviously a story that’s steeped in Mexican culture,...
- 6/6/2017
- by Joseph Medina
- LRMonline.com
Disney·Pixar’s “Coco,” a multi-generational story about the power of family relationships, features characters from the Land of the Living, and their loved ones who’ve moved on to the Land of the Dead.
Joining aspiring musician Miguel, voiced by Anthony Gonzalez; charming trickster Hector, voiced by Gael García Bernal; and musical icon Ernesto de la Cruz, voiced by Benjamin Bratt; are a host of colorful characters and the voice talent behind them that bring both worlds to life.
“These parallel worlds couldn’t be more different,” said Unkrich. “One is the Rivera family’s charming and hardworking hometown of Santa Cecilia, and the other is the vibrant, rich land where loved ones go when they’ve passed. ‘Coco’ introduces characters from both worlds on the eve of Día de los Muertos—one extraordinary night when a living boy named Miguel gets a glimpse of the other side.”
Added Molina,...
Joining aspiring musician Miguel, voiced by Anthony Gonzalez; charming trickster Hector, voiced by Gael García Bernal; and musical icon Ernesto de la Cruz, voiced by Benjamin Bratt; are a host of colorful characters and the voice talent behind them that bring both worlds to life.
“These parallel worlds couldn’t be more different,” said Unkrich. “One is the Rivera family’s charming and hardworking hometown of Santa Cecilia, and the other is the vibrant, rich land where loved ones go when they’ve passed. ‘Coco’ introduces characters from both worlds on the eve of Día de los Muertos—one extraordinary night when a living boy named Miguel gets a glimpse of the other side.”
Added Molina,...
- 6/6/2017
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Author: Sean Wilson
Arriving on Blu-Ray and DVD on 13th February, provocative and gruesome horror We Are the Flesh is the latest movie from director Emiliano Rocha Minter. Engulfing viewers in a nightmarish and surreal world, whereby two siblings find themselves manipulated by a terrifying stranger, it’s controversial Mexican cinema in every sense of the word.
It also follows a proud tradition of rich, boundary-pushing cinema to have emerged from the country. To honour the film’s release, here are some of Mexico’s finest.
Un Chien Andalou (1929)
Few images are seared onto viewers’ minds as vividly as the eyeball being sliced in Luis Bunuel’s groundbreaking surrealist classic (in reality it was a cow’s eye, not a human’s). But in truth the Spanish filmmaker’s trendsetting collaboration with Salvador Dali is filled to the brim with all other manner of striking imagery that left a lasting...
Arriving on Blu-Ray and DVD on 13th February, provocative and gruesome horror We Are the Flesh is the latest movie from director Emiliano Rocha Minter. Engulfing viewers in a nightmarish and surreal world, whereby two siblings find themselves manipulated by a terrifying stranger, it’s controversial Mexican cinema in every sense of the word.
It also follows a proud tradition of rich, boundary-pushing cinema to have emerged from the country. To honour the film’s release, here are some of Mexico’s finest.
Un Chien Andalou (1929)
Few images are seared onto viewers’ minds as vividly as the eyeball being sliced in Luis Bunuel’s groundbreaking surrealist classic (in reality it was a cow’s eye, not a human’s). But in truth the Spanish filmmaker’s trendsetting collaboration with Salvador Dali is filled to the brim with all other manner of striking imagery that left a lasting...
- 2/10/2017
- by Sean Wilson
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Debra Messing says she was pressured to do a nude scene on her 1995 movie “A Walk in the Clouds” and that she was subjected to a series of body humiliations on set. At the Makers conference in Palos Verdes this week, the actress recounted her time on the set of her first movie which also starred Keanue Reeves and was directed by Alfonso Arau. She began her story by saying that the “a– hat” director once told her that her “nose is ruining my movie.” “How quickly can we get a plastic surgeon in here?” she says he shouted after ending a scene.
- 2/9/2017
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Debra Messing recently recalled being allegedly belittled and insulted by a director on the set of her first movie, 1995's A Walk in the Clouds.
Speaking at the 2017 Makers conference earlier this week, Messing said she had been told there would be no nude scenes in the film she starred opposite Keanu Reeves. But once she got on set, she heard that there would be one, and she spoke with director Alfonso Arau about it.
Messing said Arau was angered by her questioning his decision and alleges he told her, "Your job is to get naked and...
Speaking at the 2017 Makers conference earlier this week, Messing said she had been told there would be no nude scenes in the film she starred opposite Keanu Reeves. But once she got on set, she heard that there would be one, and she spoke with director Alfonso Arau about it.
Messing said Arau was angered by her questioning his decision and alleges he told her, "Your job is to get naked and...
- 2/9/2017
- by THR Staff
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The film industry can be a mean, tough and unforgiving place. And Debra Messing has had her fair share of it. At this week’s Makers conference, which took place in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, the actress shared with fellow women in Hollywood some of her experiences in the industry. During her talk, she recalled an incident that happened very early in her career that would leave any woman in tears.
Read More: Shia Labeouf, Rooney Mara and More: 10 Hot Projects at Berlin’s European Film Market
According to Vulture, the actress said that in the set of 1995’s “A Walk in the Clouds,” which was her first movie, director Alfonso Arau interrupted the filming of a scene to make a really inappropriate comment about her appearance. “We started filming and the very famous director screamed ‘Cut’ and said, ‘How quickly can we get a plastic surgeon in here? Her nose is ruining my movie,...
Read More: Shia Labeouf, Rooney Mara and More: 10 Hot Projects at Berlin’s European Film Market
According to Vulture, the actress said that in the set of 1995’s “A Walk in the Clouds,” which was her first movie, director Alfonso Arau interrupted the filming of a scene to make a really inappropriate comment about her appearance. “We started filming and the very famous director screamed ‘Cut’ and said, ‘How quickly can we get a plastic surgeon in here? Her nose is ruining my movie,...
- 2/9/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
This year, controversy over the repeated snubbing of African-American actors from the Oscars has once again dominated headlines.Twenty years ago, a special report in People examined diversity in the movie industry and labeled Hollywood's "continued exclusion of African-Americans" as "a national disgrace".The report was reexamined five years later in a follow up exposé, and while People uncovered encouraging signs of improvement, the African-American actors interviewed made it clear they felt the industry still had a long way to go.Now, another fifteen years later, and with calls to boycott the award show gaining traction, the original article appears...
- 1/22/2016
- by Michael Miller, @write_miller
- PEOPLE.com
This year, controversy over the repeated snubbing of African-American actors from the Oscars has once again dominated headlines.Twenty years ago, a special report in People examined diversity in the movie industry and labeled Hollywood's "continued exclusion of African-Americans" as "a national disgrace".The report was reexamined five years later in a follow up exposé, and while People uncovered encouraging signs of improvement, the African-American actors interviewed made it clear they felt the industry still had a long way to go.Now, another fifteen years later, and with calls to boycott the award show gaining traction, the original article appears...
- 1/22/2016
- by Michael Miller, @write_miller
- PEOPLE.com
Sergio Arau: Filmmaker, musician, band leader, song writer and visual artist.
I met him recently at the terrific Loft Film Festival in Tucson Az along with his wonderful charming and smart wife Yareli Arizmendi.
To get this out of the way, his dad is the famous Director Alfonso Arau. In addition to directing "Like Water for Chocolate"/ "Como agua para chocolate" (1992), his directing credits include "A Walk in the Clouds" (1995) with Keanu Reeves and "Picking Up the Pieces" (2000) with Woody Allen.
Sergio the son was born in Mexico City. His wife -- they met on the set of "Like Water For Chocolate" -- is the amazing Yareli Arizmendi. They are partners in "life and film".
Their first production was a cabaret show in Mexico. "Penny Envy" was the name of it and it satirized the Us-Mexico "free trade agreement" of 1992. Yareli wrote and performed the monologues while Sergio wrote the songs, sang and played the music. The show played both in the Mexico and the United States through the Performance Art Network. The show was in universities in California, NYC and Boulder.
Sergio attended Cuec Film School from 1976 to 1980. There he directed short films, one of which went to the Film Festival in Havana. He graduated with a feature script about kids in San Luis Potosi who kidnap the Virgin of Guadalupe. He was going to make it but then in 1982 the Us $ vs the Mx Peso had a 20 times increase and his budget went away.
His "day job" during film school was as a political cartoonist for two papers, La Jornada and Uno Mas Uno.
He stopped playing music all together after the infamous mass government killings of students in 1968 when the Mexican government tried to stop all protest rock n roll, so the music went underground. In 1983 he formed the band, Botellita de Jerez.
In 1985 the band opened Rockotitlan which to this date is recognized as the breaking ground and breathing room for the 80's rock scene and important contemporary Mexican bands such as Cafe Tacvba and Caifanes amongst others. The club had two unalienable rules: Music played must be original and compositions must be in Spanish.
He began in 1990 to make music videos of his songs. He did the concept, the visuals and music. He then began to direct for other groups and other genres.
In 1998 MTV awarded him best rock video award for the Cafe Tacvba version of "Alarmala de Tos" one of Sergio's original songs.
In 1992 he moved to San Diego and by 1994 was disconcerted by the the anti-immigrant sentiment whipped up by Governor Wilson's Proposition 187.
Yareli, as a way to deal with California's blind spot, came up with "A Day Without a Mexican." The idea that if California or the nation experienced one day without a single Latino, the reality of the valuable contribution and interdependence of all would sink in.
He and Yareli were financially backed in 1997 by the Fine Arts Center Museum of Chicago to secure the premiere of the short film "A Day Without a Mexican" in 1998.
At the Guadalajara Film Fest 1998, the short won the Audience Award. It was there that Alta Vista Films (producer of Iñarritu's "Amores Perros") approached the team to work on the feature-length version. Written by both, directed by Sergio and starring Yareli, the film, with a Us $2 million budget, was released in the U.S. May 14, 2004 and six months later in Mexico. It was Mexico's highest box office for that year. The film was Televisa's first distribution experience it in the U.S., where a limited release in California, Texas, Chicago yielded Us $4.5 million in theaters, and more than 500,000 DVD were sold.
Their teaser campaign consisted of a billboard in the heart of Hollywood that read: "On May 14 there will be no Mexicans in California." People reacted strongly to the message calling radio and TV stations. Viacom, owner of the billboard space, took it down after 3 hours fearing riots. As a result there was huge U.S. national press coverage including the Wall Street Journal featured story on page one and Dan Rather Evening news.
In 2007 he shot "Naco es Chido"/ "Kitsch is Cool", a Mexican "Spinal Tap" featuring his band, Botellita de Jerez. As a distribution strategy, he took the film on the road, screening it and following it up with a live concert with the band. This lasted for 3 years, 2010-2012.
He is currently working on the sequel: "Another Day Without a Mexican: This Time It's Personal."...
I met him recently at the terrific Loft Film Festival in Tucson Az along with his wonderful charming and smart wife Yareli Arizmendi.
To get this out of the way, his dad is the famous Director Alfonso Arau. In addition to directing "Like Water for Chocolate"/ "Como agua para chocolate" (1992), his directing credits include "A Walk in the Clouds" (1995) with Keanu Reeves and "Picking Up the Pieces" (2000) with Woody Allen.
Sergio the son was born in Mexico City. His wife -- they met on the set of "Like Water For Chocolate" -- is the amazing Yareli Arizmendi. They are partners in "life and film".
Their first production was a cabaret show in Mexico. "Penny Envy" was the name of it and it satirized the Us-Mexico "free trade agreement" of 1992. Yareli wrote and performed the monologues while Sergio wrote the songs, sang and played the music. The show played both in the Mexico and the United States through the Performance Art Network. The show was in universities in California, NYC and Boulder.
Sergio attended Cuec Film School from 1976 to 1980. There he directed short films, one of which went to the Film Festival in Havana. He graduated with a feature script about kids in San Luis Potosi who kidnap the Virgin of Guadalupe. He was going to make it but then in 1982 the Us $ vs the Mx Peso had a 20 times increase and his budget went away.
His "day job" during film school was as a political cartoonist for two papers, La Jornada and Uno Mas Uno.
He stopped playing music all together after the infamous mass government killings of students in 1968 when the Mexican government tried to stop all protest rock n roll, so the music went underground. In 1983 he formed the band, Botellita de Jerez.
In 1985 the band opened Rockotitlan which to this date is recognized as the breaking ground and breathing room for the 80's rock scene and important contemporary Mexican bands such as Cafe Tacvba and Caifanes amongst others. The club had two unalienable rules: Music played must be original and compositions must be in Spanish.
He began in 1990 to make music videos of his songs. He did the concept, the visuals and music. He then began to direct for other groups and other genres.
In 1998 MTV awarded him best rock video award for the Cafe Tacvba version of "Alarmala de Tos" one of Sergio's original songs.
In 1992 he moved to San Diego and by 1994 was disconcerted by the the anti-immigrant sentiment whipped up by Governor Wilson's Proposition 187.
Yareli, as a way to deal with California's blind spot, came up with "A Day Without a Mexican." The idea that if California or the nation experienced one day without a single Latino, the reality of the valuable contribution and interdependence of all would sink in.
He and Yareli were financially backed in 1997 by the Fine Arts Center Museum of Chicago to secure the premiere of the short film "A Day Without a Mexican" in 1998.
At the Guadalajara Film Fest 1998, the short won the Audience Award. It was there that Alta Vista Films (producer of Iñarritu's "Amores Perros") approached the team to work on the feature-length version. Written by both, directed by Sergio and starring Yareli, the film, with a Us $2 million budget, was released in the U.S. May 14, 2004 and six months later in Mexico. It was Mexico's highest box office for that year. The film was Televisa's first distribution experience it in the U.S., where a limited release in California, Texas, Chicago yielded Us $4.5 million in theaters, and more than 500,000 DVD were sold.
Their teaser campaign consisted of a billboard in the heart of Hollywood that read: "On May 14 there will be no Mexicans in California." People reacted strongly to the message calling radio and TV stations. Viacom, owner of the billboard space, took it down after 3 hours fearing riots. As a result there was huge U.S. national press coverage including the Wall Street Journal featured story on page one and Dan Rather Evening news.
In 2007 he shot "Naco es Chido"/ "Kitsch is Cool", a Mexican "Spinal Tap" featuring his band, Botellita de Jerez. As a distribution strategy, he took the film on the road, screening it and following it up with a live concert with the band. This lasted for 3 years, 2010-2012.
He is currently working on the sequel: "Another Day Without a Mexican: This Time It's Personal."...
- 1/5/2016
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
Iconic actress Rita Moreno ("West Side Story"), internationally-renowned filmmaker/actor Alfonso Arau ("Like Water for Chocolate") and Oscar-winning screenwriters Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana ("Brokeback Mountain"), will be the special guests this October at the 6th annual Loft Film Fest to take place at The Loft Cinema in Tucson, Arizona.
The festival will feature an incredible array of legendary, award-winning performers, filmmakers and screenwriters, as well as a stellar program of critically-acclaimed films selected from prestigious festivals around the globe, including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice.
The film selection includes the documentary "Hitchcock/Truffaut," which will premiere at Tiff, the Sundance comedy hit "Entertainment" (starring Michael Cera and John C. Reilly), and the latest film from celebrated Iranian director Jafar Panahi, "Taxi" (winner of the Golden Bear at Berlin).
The festival will also host “under the stars” screenings of Hollywood classics like "Three Amigos" (starring Alfonso Arau) and Hitchcock’s "Psycho" in the Loft parking lot, presented on The Loft’s new, state-of-the-art outdoor screen and projection system. On opening night, October 21, the festival will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the classic comedy "Back to the Future" with a special "Back to the Future Day" double feature of the first two films in the trilogy. Live '50s music, themed-food, and other surprises will make the evening even more memorable.
The Guests
Rita Moreno is a legendary star of stage, screen and television, and is one of only 12 performers in history to be classified as an Egot winner (winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony). She is one of only four women to have achieved this landmark status, as well as the first Hispanic performer to be thusly honored. Over the course of her groundbreaking career, Ms. Moreno has starred in such iconic classics as "Singin’ in the Rain," "The King and I" and "West Side Story" (for which she won the 1962 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award), performed on Broadway in hits like "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers" and "The Ritz" (for which she won the 1975 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress), appeared on such successful television shows as "Oz, The Electric Company" and "The Muppet Show" (for which she was awarded a 1977 Emmy), recorded albums (including her Grammy-winning 1973 album for children, "The Electric Company") and written a New York Times best-selling memoir, 2014’s Rita Moreno: A Memoir. She has also been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, and in December, 2015, she will receive a prestigious Kennedy Center Honor. Ms. Moreno will appear at The Loft Film Fest for a tribute that will include a career highlight reel, an onstage Q&A, the presentation of a 2015 Loft Lifetime Achievement Award and a screening of "West Side Story."
Alfonso Arau, one of the legends of Mexican cinema, is the internationally-renowned director of such acclaimed films as " Zapata: The Dream of a Hero," "A Walk in the Clouds" and the arthouse smash, "Like Water for Chocolate" (winner of the 1992 Ariel Awards for Best Picture and Best Director). Over the course of his distinguished career, he has also made numerous memorable appearances as an actor in such classics as "The Wild Bunch," "El Topo" and the Tucson-shot comedy "Three Amigos" (in the unforgettable role of El Guapo). At The Loft Film Fest, Mr. Arau will also receive a tribute that will include a career highlight reel, an onstage Q&A, presentation of a 2015 Lofty Lifetime Achievement Award and a screening of "Like Water for Chocolate." Filmmaker/artist/actress Yareli Arizmendi (star of "Like Water for Chocolate") and filmmaker/artist/actor Sergio Arau ("Day without a Mexicans"), the son of Mr. Arau, will also appear at this event. The Loft Film Fest will also present an “under the stars” screening of "Three Amigos" on the Loft’s new outdoor screen in the parking lot.
Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana are the Academy Award-winning co-screenwriters and co-producers of the groundbreaking hit film, "Brokeback Mountain." Mr. Murtry is a prolific, Pulitzer Prize-winning author (for the best-selling novel Lonesome Dove) and the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of "The Last Picture Show" (based on his novel). Ms. Ossana is an acclaimed writer and Oscar-nominated producer (for "Brokeback Mountain"). The Loft Film Fest will present a special 10thanniversary screening of "Brokeback Mountain," and Mr. McMurtry and Ms. Ossana will participate in an onstage Q&A to discuss the film’s lasting impact and legacy.
The Films
"Hitchcock/Truffaut," a new documentary by Kent Jones, uses the 1962 meeting between the two legendary directors, Alfred Hitchcock and Francois Truffaut, as a jumping off point for an exploration of the endlessly fascinating work of Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense. After premiering at Cannes earlier this year, the film will have its Arizona Premiere at The Loft Film Fest, following its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The Loft Film Fest will also present an “under the stars” screening of Hitchcock’s classic 1960 scare-fest, "Psycho," in the parking lot on The Loft’s beautiful new outdoor screen!
"Entertainment," a hilarious new dark comedy from Rick Alverson, follows the misadventures of an aging, broken-down comedian playing a string of disastrous shows in the Mojave Desert while en route to meet his estranged daughter. Starring Michael Cera, John C. Reilly and Gregg Turkington (aka comedian Neil Hamburger), "Entertainment" makes its Tucson debut at The Loft Film Fest following successful screenings at Sundance and SXSW.
"Taxi," the new film from celebrated Iranian director Jafar Panahi ("Offside," "The White Balloon"), features Panahi himself starring as a taxi driver in Tehran whose conversations with the diverse passengers he picks up are hilarious, enlightening and heartbreaking. Winner of the Golden Bear and the Fipresci Prize at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, Taxi will be making its Arizona debut at The Loft Film Fest.
The festival will feature an incredible array of legendary, award-winning performers, filmmakers and screenwriters, as well as a stellar program of critically-acclaimed films selected from prestigious festivals around the globe, including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice.
The film selection includes the documentary "Hitchcock/Truffaut," which will premiere at Tiff, the Sundance comedy hit "Entertainment" (starring Michael Cera and John C. Reilly), and the latest film from celebrated Iranian director Jafar Panahi, "Taxi" (winner of the Golden Bear at Berlin).
The festival will also host “under the stars” screenings of Hollywood classics like "Three Amigos" (starring Alfonso Arau) and Hitchcock’s "Psycho" in the Loft parking lot, presented on The Loft’s new, state-of-the-art outdoor screen and projection system. On opening night, October 21, the festival will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the classic comedy "Back to the Future" with a special "Back to the Future Day" double feature of the first two films in the trilogy. Live '50s music, themed-food, and other surprises will make the evening even more memorable.
The Guests
Rita Moreno is a legendary star of stage, screen and television, and is one of only 12 performers in history to be classified as an Egot winner (winner of an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony). She is one of only four women to have achieved this landmark status, as well as the first Hispanic performer to be thusly honored. Over the course of her groundbreaking career, Ms. Moreno has starred in such iconic classics as "Singin’ in the Rain," "The King and I" and "West Side Story" (for which she won the 1962 Best Supporting Actress Academy Award), performed on Broadway in hits like "The Last of the Red Hot Lovers" and "The Ritz" (for which she won the 1975 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress), appeared on such successful television shows as "Oz, The Electric Company" and "The Muppet Show" (for which she was awarded a 1977 Emmy), recorded albums (including her Grammy-winning 1973 album for children, "The Electric Company") and written a New York Times best-selling memoir, 2014’s Rita Moreno: A Memoir. She has also been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Screen Actors Guild Lifetime Achievement Award, and in December, 2015, she will receive a prestigious Kennedy Center Honor. Ms. Moreno will appear at The Loft Film Fest for a tribute that will include a career highlight reel, an onstage Q&A, the presentation of a 2015 Loft Lifetime Achievement Award and a screening of "West Side Story."
Alfonso Arau, one of the legends of Mexican cinema, is the internationally-renowned director of such acclaimed films as " Zapata: The Dream of a Hero," "A Walk in the Clouds" and the arthouse smash, "Like Water for Chocolate" (winner of the 1992 Ariel Awards for Best Picture and Best Director). Over the course of his distinguished career, he has also made numerous memorable appearances as an actor in such classics as "The Wild Bunch," "El Topo" and the Tucson-shot comedy "Three Amigos" (in the unforgettable role of El Guapo). At The Loft Film Fest, Mr. Arau will also receive a tribute that will include a career highlight reel, an onstage Q&A, presentation of a 2015 Lofty Lifetime Achievement Award and a screening of "Like Water for Chocolate." Filmmaker/artist/actress Yareli Arizmendi (star of "Like Water for Chocolate") and filmmaker/artist/actor Sergio Arau ("Day without a Mexicans"), the son of Mr. Arau, will also appear at this event. The Loft Film Fest will also present an “under the stars” screening of "Three Amigos" on the Loft’s new outdoor screen in the parking lot.
Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana are the Academy Award-winning co-screenwriters and co-producers of the groundbreaking hit film, "Brokeback Mountain." Mr. Murtry is a prolific, Pulitzer Prize-winning author (for the best-selling novel Lonesome Dove) and the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of "The Last Picture Show" (based on his novel). Ms. Ossana is an acclaimed writer and Oscar-nominated producer (for "Brokeback Mountain"). The Loft Film Fest will present a special 10thanniversary screening of "Brokeback Mountain," and Mr. McMurtry and Ms. Ossana will participate in an onstage Q&A to discuss the film’s lasting impact and legacy.
The Films
"Hitchcock/Truffaut," a new documentary by Kent Jones, uses the 1962 meeting between the two legendary directors, Alfred Hitchcock and Francois Truffaut, as a jumping off point for an exploration of the endlessly fascinating work of Hitchcock, the Master of Suspense. After premiering at Cannes earlier this year, the film will have its Arizona Premiere at The Loft Film Fest, following its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. The Loft Film Fest will also present an “under the stars” screening of Hitchcock’s classic 1960 scare-fest, "Psycho," in the parking lot on The Loft’s beautiful new outdoor screen!
"Entertainment," a hilarious new dark comedy from Rick Alverson, follows the misadventures of an aging, broken-down comedian playing a string of disastrous shows in the Mojave Desert while en route to meet his estranged daughter. Starring Michael Cera, John C. Reilly and Gregg Turkington (aka comedian Neil Hamburger), "Entertainment" makes its Tucson debut at The Loft Film Fest following successful screenings at Sundance and SXSW.
"Taxi," the new film from celebrated Iranian director Jafar Panahi ("Offside," "The White Balloon"), features Panahi himself starring as a taxi driver in Tehran whose conversations with the diverse passengers he picks up are hilarious, enlightening and heartbreaking. Winner of the Golden Bear and the Fipresci Prize at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, Taxi will be making its Arizona debut at The Loft Film Fest.
- 8/19/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Despite looking exactly the same as he did 20 years ago, Keanu Reeves celebrates his 50th birthday today (September 2).
Since making his debut in 1985, Reeves has climbed the ranks to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars, with movies that range from comedy to sci-fi, from romance to Shakespeare.
To mark Reeves's milestone, Digital Spy has selected just five of his finest performances from The Matrix to Bill & Ted.
1. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
'Wooaah'. After a handful of roles on TV and the big screen, Keanu got his mainstream break in this surprisingly awesome sci-fi comedy. Opposite Alex Winter as Bill, he was perfectly cast as the air-headed heavy metal-lover Ted. Its sequel Bogus Journey has also become a cult classic, and a third movie has long been mooted. It's a shame that he hasn't shown off his comedy chops on a more regular basis.
2. Point Break (1991)
Reeves achieved full heartthrob status...
Since making his debut in 1985, Reeves has climbed the ranks to become one of Hollywood's biggest stars, with movies that range from comedy to sci-fi, from romance to Shakespeare.
To mark Reeves's milestone, Digital Spy has selected just five of his finest performances from The Matrix to Bill & Ted.
1. Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989)
'Wooaah'. After a handful of roles on TV and the big screen, Keanu got his mainstream break in this surprisingly awesome sci-fi comedy. Opposite Alex Winter as Bill, he was perfectly cast as the air-headed heavy metal-lover Ted. Its sequel Bogus Journey has also become a cult classic, and a third movie has long been mooted. It's a shame that he hasn't shown off his comedy chops on a more regular basis.
2. Point Break (1991)
Reeves achieved full heartthrob status...
- 9/2/2014
- Digital Spy
Just as Rufus (George Carlin) predicted, Bill and Ted have had a profound influence on our culture. Maybe not as the rockers who would inspire a utopian global society by the 27th century, but look at how many other dumb-duo movies there have been since the release 25 years ago this week (on February 17, 1989) of "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" -- there's "Dumb and Dumber," "Beavis and Butt-head Do America," "Dude, Where's My Car," "Romy and Michele's High School Reunion," "Dick," and all of Kevin Smith's "Jay and Silent Bob" offerings, for starters. Plus, "Bill & Ted" launched a franchise and made a leading man out of Keanu Reeves.
Still, as often as you've traveled back in time and revisited the "Excellent Adventure," there's probably still plenty you don't know about the movie, including where it was filmed (hint: Not in San Dimas, California), which historical figures almost found their way into the film,...
Still, as often as you've traveled back in time and revisited the "Excellent Adventure," there's probably still plenty you don't know about the movie, including where it was filmed (hint: Not in San Dimas, California), which historical figures almost found their way into the film,...
- 2/15/2014
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Will Smith: The Wild Bunch remake (photo: Will Smith in After Earth) Will Smith has been mentioned in connection with Focus, the caper tale that was to have starred Ben Affleck and Kristen Stewart, and is to star in Edward Zwick’s Hurricane Katrina drama The American Can. But that’s not all. His producing company is working on a remake of the Broadway musical Annie — which got a less-than-satisfactory screen version back in 1982 — and apparently he wants to revive The Wild Bunch as well. Set during the Mexican Revolution of the 1910s, Sam Peckinpah’s ultra-violent 1969 classic Western features William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Edmond O’Brien, and other movie veterans as a group of outlaws fleeing from Robert Ryan while out to do one last job in war-torn northern Mexico. The Will Smith The Wild Bunch reboot, however, is to be set in the present, though the perilous...
- 5/15/2013
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Recently, the intrepid co-hosts of Sound on Sight radio asked me to help host a podcast devoted to Keanu Reeves. I had been hoping for a long time that they would have just such a podcast, and I wanted to take this opportunity to explain a little bit more about why I find Reeves to be such a fascinating figure, and why I have spent so many hours of my life thinking about him and enjoying his films. It’s already fairly common knowledge that Reeves is a pretty spectacular human being. In terms of recounting his personal awesomeness, this article (http://www.ranker.com/list/the-7-greatest-_true_-keanu-reeves-stories-ever-told/joanne) does a better job than I ever could. Give it a glance. But being an amazing human hasn’t necessarily won Keanu the accolades he deserves in the artistic world. And so, in terms of arguing for his value as a film star,...
- 2/28/2013
- by Kate Rennebohm
- SoundOnSight
Focus. Action. Skill. Strategy. Tactics.
I have no idea why Phillip Noyce, the director of such films as 1992's "Patriot Games" and most recently, "Salt," is interested in rebooting the 1988 Jean Claude Van Damme martial arts flick "Bloodsport." But according to Screen Daily, veteran producer Ed Pressman ("Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps") has closed deals with Noyce to direct and Robert Mark Kamen to write the script.
Kamen, whose previous screenwriting credits include "Taken," "The Transporter," and um, "A Walk in the Clouds," is giving the reboot a modern backstory. This time, our hero, an American, goes to Brazil to chill from the violence he has experienced in Afghanistan, only to face a whole new kind of violence -- a martial arts contest.
The original film, loosely based on the life of martial arts artist Frank Dux (Van Damme), told the tale of the first ever Westerner to eve win...
I have no idea why Phillip Noyce, the director of such films as 1992's "Patriot Games" and most recently, "Salt," is interested in rebooting the 1988 Jean Claude Van Damme martial arts flick "Bloodsport." But according to Screen Daily, veteran producer Ed Pressman ("Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps") has closed deals with Noyce to direct and Robert Mark Kamen to write the script.
Kamen, whose previous screenwriting credits include "Taken," "The Transporter," and um, "A Walk in the Clouds," is giving the reboot a modern backstory. This time, our hero, an American, goes to Brazil to chill from the violence he has experienced in Afghanistan, only to face a whole new kind of violence -- a martial arts contest.
The original film, loosely based on the life of martial arts artist Frank Dux (Van Damme), told the tale of the first ever Westerner to eve win...
- 5/18/2011
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
A look at what's new on DVD today:
"Bitter Feast"
Directed by Joe Maggio
Released by Mpi Home Video
When a food critic ("Humpday"'s Justin Leonard) takes a butcher knife to the restaurant of a celebrity chef (James LeGros), the chef plots the ultimate revenge in this gory satirical thriller from director Joe Maggio. (My review from the Los Angeles Film Festival is here.)
"Case 39"
Directed by Christian Alvart
Released by Paramount
2010 is probably a year best forgotten by Renee Zellweger, who not only appeared in the execrable "My Own Love Song," which went straight to Netflix, but also this thriller that was filmed in 2006, but didn't see a release until last fall. Zellweger stars as a social worker whose latest case involving a child (Jodelle Ferland) that she believes is a victim of abuse leads to something far more terrifying. Bradley Cooper and Ian McShane co-star.
"Catfish...
"Bitter Feast"
Directed by Joe Maggio
Released by Mpi Home Video
When a food critic ("Humpday"'s Justin Leonard) takes a butcher knife to the restaurant of a celebrity chef (James LeGros), the chef plots the ultimate revenge in this gory satirical thriller from director Joe Maggio. (My review from the Los Angeles Film Festival is here.)
"Case 39"
Directed by Christian Alvart
Released by Paramount
2010 is probably a year best forgotten by Renee Zellweger, who not only appeared in the execrable "My Own Love Song," which went straight to Netflix, but also this thriller that was filmed in 2006, but didn't see a release until last fall. Zellweger stars as a social worker whose latest case involving a child (Jodelle Ferland) that she believes is a victim of abuse leads to something far more terrifying. Bradley Cooper and Ian McShane co-star.
"Catfish...
- 1/5/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
DVD Links: DVD News | Release Dates | New Dvds | Reviews | RSS Feed
Howl I haven't yet explored this Blu-ray, but I did enjoy this film when I saw it last June. Howl is one of the more artsy films I've seen in a long time, using Ginsberg's poetry, animation inspired by that poetry and traditional narrative style to tell its story. It's effective in its telling, but it definitely requires you be in a certain mood to full appreciate it. Machete I guess if I was to buy one of this week's mainstream new releases this would be it, but to be honest I've already forgotten about this movie. It was a fun watch in the theater, but I have no desire to watch it again. That's not a knock, sometimes once is enough. Lost in Translation [Blu-ray] / Backdraft [Blu-ray] Universal is releasing a pair of catalog titles on Blu-ray this week -- one good,...
Howl I haven't yet explored this Blu-ray, but I did enjoy this film when I saw it last June. Howl is one of the more artsy films I've seen in a long time, using Ginsberg's poetry, animation inspired by that poetry and traditional narrative style to tell its story. It's effective in its telling, but it definitely requires you be in a certain mood to full appreciate it. Machete I guess if I was to buy one of this week's mainstream new releases this would be it, but to be honest I've already forgotten about this movie. It was a fun watch in the theater, but I have no desire to watch it again. That's not a knock, sometimes once is enough. Lost in Translation [Blu-ray] / Backdraft [Blu-ray] Universal is releasing a pair of catalog titles on Blu-ray this week -- one good,...
- 1/4/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Debra Messing has claimed that she will never change back to her natural hair colour because it will damage her career. The Will & Grace actress revealed that colouring her hair red for an early movie role coincided with an upturn in her fortunes. She explained: "My first movie was A Walk In The Clouds with Keanu Reeves and they wanted me to be a 1940s harlot and they (more)...
- 10/27/2008
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
Redheaded actress Debra Messing has refused to return to her natural hair colour - because casting directors ignored her as a brunette.
The former Will + Grace star blended in with the legions of struggling actresses desperate for work in Hollywood before she was cast in her first feature film in 1995.
And she is convinced a botched attempt to dye her hair blonde for the role is what really launched her career.
She says, "My first movie was A Walk in the Clouds with Keanu Reeves and they wanted me to be a 1940s harlot and they said, 'We want you to be blonde.' And I said, 'Ok, I'm an Eastern-European Jew - if you make me blonde, I will look like a heroine addict...'
"(The colourist) poured this bright Titian red colour... I started getting working immediately. I could not get a job as a brunette."...
The former Will + Grace star blended in with the legions of struggling actresses desperate for work in Hollywood before she was cast in her first feature film in 1995.
And she is convinced a botched attempt to dye her hair blonde for the role is what really launched her career.
She says, "My first movie was A Walk in the Clouds with Keanu Reeves and they wanted me to be a 1940s harlot and they said, 'We want you to be blonde.' And I said, 'Ok, I'm an Eastern-European Jew - if you make me blonde, I will look like a heroine addict...'
"(The colourist) poured this bright Titian red colour... I started getting working immediately. I could not get a job as a brunette."...
- 10/23/2008
- WENN
Freddy Rodriguez will be honored as supporting actor of the year at ShoWest, the annual film industry convention set for March 12-15 at the Bally's and Paris hotels in Las Vegas.
Rodriguez, who most recently appeared as part of the ensemble cast of Bobby, which the Weinstein Co. released through MGM, will next be seen in Dimension Films' Grindhouse, which opens nationwide April 6.
"Since bursting onto the scene with his critically acclaimed and Emmy-nominated role on HBO's 'Six Feet Under,' Rodriguez has gone on to bring impressive performances to such notable films as 'Dreamer,' 'Lady in the Water' and 'Bobby, ' " said Mitch Neuhauser, ShoWest co-managing director.
He will be presented with the award March 15 at ShoWest's closing-night ceremony.
Rodriguez will appear in director Robert Rodriguez's half of Grindhouse, which is titled Planet Terror.
Rodriguez received an Emmy nomination, two SAG Awards as part of a dramatic TV series ensemble, two Alma Awards and three Imagen Awards for his work on Six Feet Under. His film credits include Harsh Times, A Walk in the Clouds, Dead Presidents and Poseidon, and he has made guest TV appearances on Scrubs and "ER."
ShoWest is managed by Nielsen Business Media, parent company of The Hollywood Reporter.
Rodriguez, who most recently appeared as part of the ensemble cast of Bobby, which the Weinstein Co. released through MGM, will next be seen in Dimension Films' Grindhouse, which opens nationwide April 6.
"Since bursting onto the scene with his critically acclaimed and Emmy-nominated role on HBO's 'Six Feet Under,' Rodriguez has gone on to bring impressive performances to such notable films as 'Dreamer,' 'Lady in the Water' and 'Bobby, ' " said Mitch Neuhauser, ShoWest co-managing director.
He will be presented with the award March 15 at ShoWest's closing-night ceremony.
Rodriguez will appear in director Robert Rodriguez's half of Grindhouse, which is titled Planet Terror.
Rodriguez received an Emmy nomination, two SAG Awards as part of a dramatic TV series ensemble, two Alma Awards and three Imagen Awards for his work on Six Feet Under. His film credits include Harsh Times, A Walk in the Clouds, Dead Presidents and Poseidon, and he has made guest TV appearances on Scrubs and "ER."
ShoWest is managed by Nielsen Business Media, parent company of The Hollywood Reporter.
Don Hall, a veteran sound editor with more than 90 feature film credits, will receive the John A. Bonner Medal of Commendation from the board of governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The Bonner medallion will be presented to Hall at the Scientific and Technical Awards Dinner on Feb. 18 at the Beverly Hilton. "Don has been ubiquitous around the Academy at anything relating to technology," Academy president Sid Ganis said. "Especially to the art and science of motion picture sound -- serving on the board of governors, hosting public programs, attending committee meetings of all sorts and personally supporting the Academy Foundation's many programs." Hall has been an active member of the Academy since 1964. He was elected to the board of governors in 1981 and has served four three-year terms. He has served for years as a member of the sound branch and the Scientific and Technical Awards committees. He has chaired the sound editing awards rules committee, and he is the current chair of the Student Academy Awards exec committee. Hall was head of sound editing departments at 20th Century Fox Studios, Walt Disney Studios, Quinn Martin Prods. and Spelling Goldberg Prods. before establishing Don Hall Prods., an independent sound editing company. His credits include The Bridge on the River Kwai, The French Connection, Young Frankenstein and A Walk in the Clouds.
- 1/22/2006
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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