Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for If, Bridgerton and Hit Man.
If premiere
Writer-director John Krasinski joined stars Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim, Emily Blunt, Bradley Cooper, Awkwafina, Matt Damon, Amy Schumer, Maya Rudolph, Bobby Moynihan and Christopher Meloni at the New York premiere of If on Monday.
Bobby Moynihan, Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, Fiona Shaw and Alan Kim Bradley Cooper
Bridgerton premiere
Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell, Lorraine Ashbourne, Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey walked the carpet on Monday at the New York premiere of Bridgerton‘s third season.
Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey
Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion premiere
The Paley Center for Media hosted the world premiere of documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion in Los Angeles on Monday,...
If premiere
Writer-director John Krasinski joined stars Ryan Reynolds, Steve Carell, Cailey Fleming, Fiona Shaw, Alan Kim, Emily Blunt, Bradley Cooper, Awkwafina, Matt Damon, Amy Schumer, Maya Rudolph, Bobby Moynihan and Christopher Meloni at the New York premiere of If on Monday.
Bobby Moynihan, Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, Fiona Shaw and Alan Kim Bradley Cooper
Bridgerton premiere
Nicola Coughlan, Luke Newton, Claudia Jessie, Adjoa Andoh, Ruth Gemmell, Lorraine Ashbourne, Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey walked the carpet on Monday at the New York premiere of Bridgerton‘s third season.
Luke Newton and Nicola Coughlan Simone Ashley and Jonathan Bailey
Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion premiere
The Paley Center for Media hosted the world premiere of documentary Bob Mackie: Naked Illusion in Los Angeles on Monday,...
- 5/17/2024
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In 2022, Nicholas Galitzine was on the main stage of “Coachella”, flanked by bandmates Jaiden Anthony, Raymond Cham Jr., Vik White, and Dakota Adan.
Surrounding them were 5,000 screaming fans, chanting at the top of their lungs, “August Moon! August Moon! August Moon!” For most of the guys, who are professional dancers, this was somewhat familiar, they’d performed for much bigger audiences, supporting stars like Beyoncé and Britney Spears, and dancing on national TV. But for Galitzine, this was all brand new.
Under the spotlight, the actor was playing the role of a world famous pop star — one fifth of a massively successful (fictional) boy band. So while the crowd was real, it helped that they weren’t actually in Indio, California for their set, but a couple thousand miles away on a chilly December morning in Atlanta, filming scenes for the Prime Video rom-com film, The Idea of You.
An...
Surrounding them were 5,000 screaming fans, chanting at the top of their lungs, “August Moon! August Moon! August Moon!” For most of the guys, who are professional dancers, this was somewhat familiar, they’d performed for much bigger audiences, supporting stars like Beyoncé and Britney Spears, and dancing on national TV. But for Galitzine, this was all brand new.
Under the spotlight, the actor was playing the role of a world famous pop star — one fifth of a massively successful (fictional) boy band. So while the crowd was real, it helped that they weren’t actually in Indio, California for their set, but a couple thousand miles away on a chilly December morning in Atlanta, filming scenes for the Prime Video rom-com film, The Idea of You.
An...
- 5/3/2024
- by Cat Cardenas
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Spoiler Alert: This story discusses plot elements from “The Idea of You,” which is now streaming on Prime Video.
“Don’t you miss those bombastic, blown out pop choruses of the 2010s?” asks Savan Kotecha, the executive producer behind the music of August Moon — the fictional boy band at the center of “The Idea of You,” a new romance film on Prime Video based on a novel by Robinne Lee.
Nicholas Galitzine plays Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, who falls in love with an older woman and single mother Solène (Anne Hathaway) after she brings her daughter to the group’s meet-and-greet at Coachella.
Galitzine first showed signs of vocal prowess when he played Prince Charming opposite Camila Cabello in the 2021 movie musical remake of “Cinderella.” But on “The Idea of You,” Galitzine pushes his boundaries, undergoing boy band bootcamp: lessons from Eric Vetro, vocal coach to Ariana Grande,...
“Don’t you miss those bombastic, blown out pop choruses of the 2010s?” asks Savan Kotecha, the executive producer behind the music of August Moon — the fictional boy band at the center of “The Idea of You,” a new romance film on Prime Video based on a novel by Robinne Lee.
Nicholas Galitzine plays Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, who falls in love with an older woman and single mother Solène (Anne Hathaway) after she brings her daughter to the group’s meet-and-greet at Coachella.
Galitzine first showed signs of vocal prowess when he played Prince Charming opposite Camila Cabello in the 2021 movie musical remake of “Cinderella.” But on “The Idea of You,” Galitzine pushes his boundaries, undergoing boy band bootcamp: lessons from Eric Vetro, vocal coach to Ariana Grande,...
- 5/3/2024
- by Thania Garcia
- Variety Film + TV
Boy Band Bootcamp whipped Nicholas Galitzine into shape to become Hayes Campbell, frontman of the fictional band August Moon in The Idea of You. The group serves as a launching pad for his whirlwind romance with Anne Hathaway’s Solène in Michael Showalter’s film, now streaming on Prime Video. The group’s backstory isn’t too far off from the tried and true narratives of real-life boy bands — executives hosting trainee camps and talent show auditions that tell hopeful solo artists: “We’ll make your dreams come true, but...
- 5/3/2024
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
Blake Shelton is by far one of country music’s biggest stars, having sold millions of albums since his 2001 debut. But as big as he is, he once felt even his star-power occasionally diminished when in Stefani’s presence.
Blake Shelton found being around Gwen Stefani ‘unbelievable’ Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton | Trae Patton/Getty Images
Shelton has experienced firsthand what it feels like to be around his superstar of a wife. He’s used to being celebrated and praised by legions of fans. But when it came to Stefani, the “Hollaback girl” singer‘s popularity seemed to be on another level. On Shelton’s 40th birthday, he once recalled feeling upstaged by his wife after bringing her out for a duet.
“I’m doing my normal, you know, what I think is rockin’. Standing up there with my acoustic guitar in front of my stand and singing my songs,...
Blake Shelton found being around Gwen Stefani ‘unbelievable’ Gwen Stefani and Blake Shelton | Trae Patton/Getty Images
Shelton has experienced firsthand what it feels like to be around his superstar of a wife. He’s used to being celebrated and praised by legions of fans. But when it came to Stefani, the “Hollaback girl” singer‘s popularity seemed to be on another level. On Shelton’s 40th birthday, he once recalled feeling upstaged by his wife after bringing her out for a duet.
“I’m doing my normal, you know, what I think is rockin’. Standing up there with my acoustic guitar in front of my stand and singing my songs,...
- 4/25/2024
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paris-based sales company Alpha Violet has come on board as representative of “Mongrel,” the debut feature of Taiwan-based Singaporean filmmaker Chiang Wei Liang. The film will have its world premiere next month at Cannes in the Directors Fortnight section.
Set in the mountains of Taiwan, “Mongrel” stars Thai actor Wanlop Rungkumjad as Oom, an undocumented migrant and on-demand caregiver for rural families, who struggles to preserve his humanity as he cares for the elderly and disabled.
Rungkumjad is joined by newcomer Kuo Shu-wei, who plays Hui, a patient with whom Oom develops a bond. On hearing of the film’s Cannes selection, Kuo said, “I never thought this film would have the opportunity to be seen by so many people. As I live with athetoid cerebral palsy, we worked hard to achieve this. Hui is a character whose abilities are weaker than mine, so I thought of the friends I...
Set in the mountains of Taiwan, “Mongrel” stars Thai actor Wanlop Rungkumjad as Oom, an undocumented migrant and on-demand caregiver for rural families, who struggles to preserve his humanity as he cares for the elderly and disabled.
Rungkumjad is joined by newcomer Kuo Shu-wei, who plays Hui, a patient with whom Oom develops a bond. On hearing of the film’s Cannes selection, Kuo said, “I never thought this film would have the opportunity to be seen by so many people. As I live with athetoid cerebral palsy, we worked hard to achieve this. Hui is a character whose abilities are weaker than mine, so I thought of the friends I...
- 4/16/2024
- by Patrick Frater and Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Clockwise from top left: Thelma And Louise (MGM), Chicago (Miramax), The Handmaiden (Cj Entertainment), and Ocean’s 8 (Warner Bros.)Graphic: The A.V. Club
The trailers for the upcoming films Drive-Away Dolls (opening February 23) and Love Lies Bleeding (opening March 8) have us thinking about all the badass women who have...
The trailers for the upcoming films Drive-Away Dolls (opening February 23) and Love Lies Bleeding (opening March 8) have us thinking about all the badass women who have...
- 2/23/2024
- by Cindy White
- avclub.com
Like taxis on a rainy night, you wait for ages for a great, bittersweet film about love in late middle age with a side helping of gastronomic lusciousness — and then two come along at once. Tehran-set but internationally-produced comedy-drama My Favourite Cake premiered at the Berlin Film Festival a day after Valentine’s Day. That day just so happened to overlap with the release of French drama The Taste of Things in several key territories. (Taste opened in the U.S. on Feb. 9.)
Of course, writer-directors Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha‘s Berlinale competitor is very different from Tran Anh Hung’s period study starring Juliette Binoche and Benoit Magimel, but the two films overlap in fascinating ways. Both remind viewers of the ephemeral nature of all things. Both are sublime portraits of complicated, older souls, one of whom is an excellent cook who expresses love through food. And in both,...
Of course, writer-directors Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha‘s Berlinale competitor is very different from Tran Anh Hung’s period study starring Juliette Binoche and Benoit Magimel, but the two films overlap in fascinating ways. Both remind viewers of the ephemeral nature of all things. Both are sublime portraits of complicated, older souls, one of whom is an excellent cook who expresses love through food. And in both,...
- 2/17/2024
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Taste of Things is a beautifully rendered period romance, that thrives, primarily, off a love and affection for food. To mark it’s very timely Valentine’s Day release, we were fortunate enough to travel to Paris to speak to both the leading star Juliette Binoche, alongside Vietnamese filmmaker Tran Anh Hung.
We discuss food, and the logistical challenges – and joys – in shooting such meticulous, and considered cooking sequences. While Binoche speaks in honest and great detail about her experience collaborating with Benoit Magimel for the first time since their seperation many years ago. Be sure to watch both interviews in their entirety below.
Juliette Binoche
Tran Anh Hung
Synopsis
Cook Eugenie and her boss Dodin grow fond of one another over 20 years, and their romance gives rise to dishes that impress even the world’s most illustrious chefs. When Dodin is faced with Eugenie’s reluctance to commit,...
We discuss food, and the logistical challenges – and joys – in shooting such meticulous, and considered cooking sequences. While Binoche speaks in honest and great detail about her experience collaborating with Benoit Magimel for the first time since their seperation many years ago. Be sure to watch both interviews in their entirety below.
Juliette Binoche
Tran Anh Hung
Synopsis
Cook Eugenie and her boss Dodin grow fond of one another over 20 years, and their romance gives rise to dishes that impress even the world’s most illustrious chefs. When Dodin is faced with Eugenie’s reluctance to commit,...
- 2/15/2024
- by Stefan Pape
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
There’s plenty of grim box office results on Super Bowl Weekend — based on attendance, it’s an all-time historical low for the weekend — but why not start with the good news?
Tran Ahn Hung’s “The Taste of Things” (IFC), France’s submission for the International Oscar (although it failed to make the final list) opened in three New York/Los Angeles locations to a sensational $126,000 or $42,000 per theater.
Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days” (Neon), the International Feature nominee from Japan grossed $180,000 in its first five days in five theaters.
Harmony Korine’s “Aggro Dr1ft” (Edglrd), an experimental action narrative shot in infrared, amassed $46,300 in five shows over four days in Los Angeles with an innovative release strategy.
And Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” (Searchlight) continues to thrive after its strong Oscar nomination haul with another $1.125 million, putting it over the $30 million mark. That’s the best specialized total since “Everything Everywhere All at Once.
Tran Ahn Hung’s “The Taste of Things” (IFC), France’s submission for the International Oscar (although it failed to make the final list) opened in three New York/Los Angeles locations to a sensational $126,000 or $42,000 per theater.
Wim Wenders’ “Perfect Days” (Neon), the International Feature nominee from Japan grossed $180,000 in its first five days in five theaters.
Harmony Korine’s “Aggro Dr1ft” (Edglrd), an experimental action narrative shot in infrared, amassed $46,300 in five shows over four days in Los Angeles with an innovative release strategy.
And Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” (Searchlight) continues to thrive after its strong Oscar nomination haul with another $1.125 million, putting it over the $30 million mark. That’s the best specialized total since “Everything Everywhere All at Once.
- 2/11/2024
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Movies are designed to dazzle through sound and vision. That leaves three out of five senses untapped, at least until cinema reaches its inevitable maximum-immersive “feelie” stage. The Taste of Things, the latest from the French-Vietnamese filmmaker Tran Anh Hung, is one of those rare works that gives you the illusion of engaging much more than just your eyes and ears. “Sensuous” is too mild an adjective to describe the way that this drama films, focuses on, and fetishizes the food that the occupants of a 19th century kitchen in...
- 2/9/2024
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Where’s the Beef?: Tran Anh Hung Activates the Salivary Glands
Gastronomy has never seemed so forlornly romantic as it is in Tran Anh Hung’s sumptuous foodie procedural, The Taste of Things (aka The Pot au Feu). The film’s French language title, La Passion de Dodin Bouffant, is a modified version of the 1924 Marcel Rouff novel from which the film is adapted, and ultimately a bit more fitting than the titular dish which plays a minor role amongst a variety of other lavish epicurean delights. Notably, the film unites Benoit Magimel and Juliette Binoche, who originally met on the set of 1999’s Children of the Century, which inspired a high profile romance, making their fateful relationship here all the more potently melancholic.…...
Gastronomy has never seemed so forlornly romantic as it is in Tran Anh Hung’s sumptuous foodie procedural, The Taste of Things (aka The Pot au Feu). The film’s French language title, La Passion de Dodin Bouffant, is a modified version of the 1924 Marcel Rouff novel from which the film is adapted, and ultimately a bit more fitting than the titular dish which plays a minor role amongst a variety of other lavish epicurean delights. Notably, the film unites Benoit Magimel and Juliette Binoche, who originally met on the set of 1999’s Children of the Century, which inspired a high profile romance, making their fateful relationship here all the more potently melancholic.…...
- 2/5/2024
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
“Mongrel,” a Taiwan-set drama film that has done the round of project markets, will appear at the International Film Festival Rotterdam as a work in progress.
In addition to the screening of 15 minutes of footage, Taiwan-based Singaporean director Chiang Wei Liang has confirmed the film’s cast as being headed by Thai actor Wanlop Rungkumjad alongside Taiwanese female actor Lu Yi-ching and rapper Hong Yu-hong from Taiwanese hip-hop group Nine One One. Other key cast include Atchara Suwan (“By the Time It Gets Dark”), and Guo Shu-wei in his debut role.
Set in the mountains of Taiwan, the film follows Rungkumjad’s character Oom, an undocumented migrant and on-demand caregiver for rural families, who struggles to preserve his humanity as he cares for the elderly and disabled.
The project, which represents Chiang’s debut feature film, was previously developed at TorinoFilmLab ScriptLab, Talents Tokyo and the Cannes Residence, where it received the Cnc Development Award.
In addition to the screening of 15 minutes of footage, Taiwan-based Singaporean director Chiang Wei Liang has confirmed the film’s cast as being headed by Thai actor Wanlop Rungkumjad alongside Taiwanese female actor Lu Yi-ching and rapper Hong Yu-hong from Taiwanese hip-hop group Nine One One. Other key cast include Atchara Suwan (“By the Time It Gets Dark”), and Guo Shu-wei in his debut role.
Set in the mountains of Taiwan, the film follows Rungkumjad’s character Oom, an undocumented migrant and on-demand caregiver for rural families, who struggles to preserve his humanity as he cares for the elderly and disabled.
The project, which represents Chiang’s debut feature film, was previously developed at TorinoFilmLab ScriptLab, Talents Tokyo and the Cannes Residence, where it received the Cnc Development Award.
- 1/18/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Costume Designers Guild has announced nominations for the 26th Costume Designers Guild Awards, with “Maestro,” “Barbie,” “Poor Things” and “Oppenheimer” among those landing nominations.
The costume designers behind “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Napoleon” will vie for the top prize in excellence in period film, while the artisans behind “American Fiction,” “May December,” “Nyad,” “Renfield” and “Saltburn” will compete for excellence in contemporary costume.
Notably missing from the lineup were the costume designers behind “The Color Purple,” “Wonka” and “Ferrari.”
Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” has been an Oscars frontrunner for costume with Jacqueline Durran’s designs translating from the big screen into mainstream when the film became a cultural phenomenon last summer. Thousands emulated Beach Barbie and Ken looks as they showed up at movie theaters in various shades of pink. For the film, Durran created hundreds of looks for the various Barbies and Kens.
Don’t discount Holly Waddington,...
The costume designers behind “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Napoleon” will vie for the top prize in excellence in period film, while the artisans behind “American Fiction,” “May December,” “Nyad,” “Renfield” and “Saltburn” will compete for excellence in contemporary costume.
Notably missing from the lineup were the costume designers behind “The Color Purple,” “Wonka” and “Ferrari.”
Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” has been an Oscars frontrunner for costume with Jacqueline Durran’s designs translating from the big screen into mainstream when the film became a cultural phenomenon last summer. Thousands emulated Beach Barbie and Ken looks as they showed up at movie theaters in various shades of pink. For the film, Durran created hundreds of looks for the various Barbies and Kens.
Don’t discount Holly Waddington,...
- 1/4/2024
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
The Oscar chances for Best Costume Design frontrunners “Barbie,” “Poor Things,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Maestro,” and “Oppenheimer” were bolstered by their nominations for the 26th Costume Designer Guild Awards on January 4. The Cdga will be held February 21, 2024, at Neuehouse Hollywood.
While “Barbie” was nominated in the sci-fi/fantasy category — and should prevail over “Haunted Mansion,” “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire” — the other four compete in the period category against “Napoleon,” with “Poor Things” as the clear favorite here.
Meanwhile, the contemporary contenders include “American Fiction,” “May December,” “Nyad,” “Renfield,” and “Saltburn.” None is expected to make the final Oscar cut, but “Saltburn” is the flashy favorite here.
In terms of the Oscar race, it looks like a feminist battle between Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar blockbuster “Barbie” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things.
While “Barbie” was nominated in the sci-fi/fantasy category — and should prevail over “Haunted Mansion,” “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes,” “The Little Mermaid,” and “Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire” — the other four compete in the period category against “Napoleon,” with “Poor Things” as the clear favorite here.
Meanwhile, the contemporary contenders include “American Fiction,” “May December,” “Nyad,” “Renfield,” and “Saltburn.” None is expected to make the final Oscar cut, but “Saltburn” is the flashy favorite here.
In terms of the Oscar race, it looks like a feminist battle between Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar blockbuster “Barbie” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things.
- 1/4/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
The Taste of Things.How do you solve a riddle like Trần Anh Hùng’s The Taste of Things? Revolving around the professional and romantic companionship between a master chef and his faithful cook, the feature, which won the Vietnamese-French filmmaker the Best Director award at Cannes, enjoys largely rapturous reviews in international press, yet its critical reception in France is much more divisive. Dismissed by publications such as Le Monde, Libération, and Cahiers du cinéma as a “bourgeois” and “old-fashioned” effort, Taste was simultaneously embraced by the right-wing outlet Causeur, which exalts the meat-centric feature as a return to tradition, and a slap in the face to the quinoa-eating, so-called “woke” crowd. To be selected over Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall and other shortlisted nominees as France’s official submission to the Oscars was yet another sin. Months before its cinema release, Taste received an extraordinary amount...
- 1/3/2024
- MUBI
In the highly anticipated Season 4 premiere of “1000-Lb. Sisters,” titled “A Taste of Season 4: Part 1,” viewers are in for an emotional rollercoaster as Amy faces the challenges of another high-risk pregnancy and the responsibilities of caring for two children on her own. The stakes are high for Tammy as well, who is making a final push for bariatric surgery following a brush with death.
The Slaton siblings’ journey takes a dramatic turn when Tammy’s new romance becomes a cause for concern. As the sisters navigate their individual struggles, the closeness of family takes center stage, revealing the raw and real moments that make “1000-Lb. Sisters” a compelling and relatable show.
Set to air at 8:00 Pm on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, on TLC, this season opener promises an intimate look into the lives of Amy and Tammy Slaton, highlighting the resilience, love, and challenges that define their journey towards health and happiness.
The Slaton siblings’ journey takes a dramatic turn when Tammy’s new romance becomes a cause for concern. As the sisters navigate their individual struggles, the closeness of family takes center stage, revealing the raw and real moments that make “1000-Lb. Sisters” a compelling and relatable show.
Set to air at 8:00 Pm on Tuesday, December 5, 2023, on TLC, this season opener promises an intimate look into the lives of Amy and Tammy Slaton, highlighting the resilience, love, and challenges that define their journey towards health and happiness.
- 11/28/2023
- by Jules Byrd
- TV Everyday
Selection includes new projects from prize winning directors Martika Ramirez Escobar, Leonardo Martinelli and Le Bao.
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)’s Hubert Bals Fund (Hbf) has selected ten feature film projects for its 2023 Script and Project Development Support scheme.
The ten projects, which will receive a grant of €10,000 to support their development, were selected from more than 760 applications. The fund aims to support new and diverse voices from across the globe, mainly backing those on their debut or second fiction feature projects.
Filipino director Martika Ramirez Escobar follows her Sundance-winning Leonor Will Never Die (2022) with Daughters Of The Sea,...
International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR)’s Hubert Bals Fund (Hbf) has selected ten feature film projects for its 2023 Script and Project Development Support scheme.
The ten projects, which will receive a grant of €10,000 to support their development, were selected from more than 760 applications. The fund aims to support new and diverse voices from across the globe, mainly backing those on their debut or second fiction feature projects.
Filipino director Martika Ramirez Escobar follows her Sundance-winning Leonor Will Never Die (2022) with Daughters Of The Sea,...
- 11/9/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Ariana Grande, Guillermo del Toro, Padma Lakshmi, Roxane Gay, Gabrielle Union, Sandra Cisneros, Amanda Gorman, Margaret Cho and Ron Perlman are among the signatories of an open letter calling on creative communities in Hollywood and beyond to leverage their voices to stop book bans.
Upwards of 175 actors, musicians, authors, comedians, reality stars, models, media personalities, academics, activists and more have signed the open letter spearheaded by Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton and published Tuesday via public advocacy organization and political action committee MoveOn Political Action.
LeVar Burton
The letter encourages signatories and readers to address challenges at the local level across U.S. school districts, while calling out book bans as “restrictive behavior” that is “antithetical to free speech and expression.” It also underscores the “chilling effect” these bans can have “on the broader creative field.”
“We cannot stress enough how these censorious efforts will not end with book bans,...
Upwards of 175 actors, musicians, authors, comedians, reality stars, models, media personalities, academics, activists and more have signed the open letter spearheaded by Reading Rainbow host LeVar Burton and published Tuesday via public advocacy organization and political action committee MoveOn Political Action.
LeVar Burton
The letter encourages signatories and readers to address challenges at the local level across U.S. school districts, while calling out book bans as “restrictive behavior” that is “antithetical to free speech and expression.” It also underscores the “chilling effect” these bans can have “on the broader creative field.”
“We cannot stress enough how these censorious efforts will not end with book bans,...
- 9/19/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Indie studios IFC Films and Neon are facing off with the hopes of one of their films being selected as France’s official submission to the Oscars for the international feature film prize.
Neon aims to position Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall” as the best option for the country. IFC is making its case for “The Taste of Things” from French-Vietnamese filmmaker Trần Anh Hùn, who won the director prize at Cannes. Both films have eerily similar credentials as they seek to represent the Gallic state at the 95th annual Academy Awards.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
The courtroom drama “Anatomy” was announced as part of the Telluride program, where all four of its screenings were sold out, with dozens of patrons being turned away. “Taste” was not part of the festival’s initial slate announcement. It was one...
Neon aims to position Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall” as the best option for the country. IFC is making its case for “The Taste of Things” from French-Vietnamese filmmaker Trần Anh Hùn, who won the director prize at Cannes. Both films have eerily similar credentials as they seek to represent the Gallic state at the 95th annual Academy Awards.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
The courtroom drama “Anatomy” was announced as part of the Telluride program, where all four of its screenings were sold out, with dozens of patrons being turned away. “Taste” was not part of the festival’s initial slate announcement. It was one...
- 9/4/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Stars: John Amplas, Lincoln Maazel. Christine Forrest, Elyane Nadeau, Tom Savini, Sarah Venable, James, Roy, J. Clifford Forrest Jr. | Written and Directed by George A. Romero
George A. Romero is a name that is synonymous with the horror genre, and for good reason. His films, particularly his “Living Dead” series, have become icons of the genre and have influenced countless filmmakers. However, one of Romero’s lesser-known films, Martin, is just as worthy of recognition and analysis as his more famous works.
Martin tells the story of the titular character, played by John Amplas, who thinks – despite evidence to the contrary – he’s a vampire. Martin lives with his elderly cousin, Cuda (Lincoln Maazel), who buys into Martin’s belief that he is a cursed vampire and treats him accordingly. However, unlike the vampires of folklore and fiction, Martin does not possess any supernatural abilities. He must drug his victims...
George A. Romero is a name that is synonymous with the horror genre, and for good reason. His films, particularly his “Living Dead” series, have become icons of the genre and have influenced countless filmmakers. However, one of Romero’s lesser-known films, Martin, is just as worthy of recognition and analysis as his more famous works.
Martin tells the story of the titular character, played by John Amplas, who thinks – despite evidence to the contrary – he’s a vampire. Martin lives with his elderly cousin, Cuda (Lincoln Maazel), who buys into Martin’s belief that he is a cursed vampire and treats him accordingly. However, unlike the vampires of folklore and fiction, Martin does not possess any supernatural abilities. He must drug his victims...
- 3/29/2023
- by George P Thomas
- Nerdly
Giving a shoutout to India and his fans here, American rapper Tyga gave a sweet ‘Taste’ of his chartbusters such as ‘Ice Cream Man’ and ‘Hookah’ to name a few, which created a tizzy at the Vh1 Supersonic on its penultimate day on Saturday.
An hour before his performance commenced, fans of all ages thronged around the main stage area leaving behind their food and drinks to catch a glimpse of the rapper at the Mahalakshmi Lawns here.
Dressed in a black T-shirt, faux leather pants and a jacket the rapper looked every-inch dapper as he performed his popular tracks such as ‘Macarena’, ‘Taste’, ‘Swish’, ‘Hookah’, ‘Ice Cream Man’, ‘Loco Contigo’, ‘Dip’ and ‘Rack City’.
Amidst the performance, Tyga, which is the short form of Thank You God Always, gave a shout out to the country and said: “I love you all” and “I love India”.
He added: “We came...
An hour before his performance commenced, fans of all ages thronged around the main stage area leaving behind their food and drinks to catch a glimpse of the rapper at the Mahalakshmi Lawns here.
Dressed in a black T-shirt, faux leather pants and a jacket the rapper looked every-inch dapper as he performed his popular tracks such as ‘Macarena’, ‘Taste’, ‘Swish’, ‘Hookah’, ‘Ice Cream Man’, ‘Loco Contigo’, ‘Dip’ and ‘Rack City’.
Amidst the performance, Tyga, which is the short form of Thank You God Always, gave a shout out to the country and said: “I love you all” and “I love India”.
He added: “We came...
- 2/25/2023
- by News Bureau
- GlamSham
Vh1 Supersonic, one of India’s biggest multi-genre music and lifestyle festivals, promises a riveting charade for music, art, and culture enthusiasts. From the neo-jazz Lucien Clarke starrer Tara Lily, the international rapper Tyga, the classic multi-hyphenate Kavya Trehan with her shades of artistic versatility, the techno-producer amalgamating tribal flavours with a modern vibe DJ Nida to the techno-electronic powerhouse T.ill Apes, this year’s diversified artist line-up is also a representation of a fabulous fashion palette. Get to know the artists and their sense of contemporary fashion!
Tara Lily
With formidable, liquid vocals that pull from jazz, soul and some of the melismatic stylings of north Indian classical, the Peckham-born British-Bengali artist Tara Lily, has been making waves. Born and bred on the mixture of classical jazz influences and Peckham-based beatmakers, Tara Lily’s rule-breaking wardrobe, blends Golden Age Hollywood with old school sportswear – brewing her own signature blend of dark R&b.
Tara Lily
With formidable, liquid vocals that pull from jazz, soul and some of the melismatic stylings of north Indian classical, the Peckham-born British-Bengali artist Tara Lily, has been making waves. Born and bred on the mixture of classical jazz influences and Peckham-based beatmakers, Tara Lily’s rule-breaking wardrobe, blends Golden Age Hollywood with old school sportswear – brewing her own signature blend of dark R&b.
- 2/20/2023
- by Glamsham Editorial
- GlamSham
The Sundance Film Festival made a triumphant in-person return to Park City after being held online the past two years because of the pandemic. In the interim, some attendees seem to have misplaced their festival manners.
Case in point: At the midnight screening of Laura Moss’ horror film Birth/Rebirth — a twisted look at the extremes of motherhood — one male guest brought in a full rack of barbecue ribs from the Fresh Market next door and proceeded to dig into it (with a fork and knife, bizarrely), unbothered by the stomach-churning, bloody birth scenes onscreen. (No word on whether he was able to keep them down for the duration.)
Ribs aside, the vibes on the ground here are undeniably celebratory with festival officials and filmmakers expressing joy from Park City podiums at the sight of seeing hordes of film lovers seated inside theaters all over town. But if you engage any Sundancer between screenings,...
Case in point: At the midnight screening of Laura Moss’ horror film Birth/Rebirth — a twisted look at the extremes of motherhood — one male guest brought in a full rack of barbecue ribs from the Fresh Market next door and proceeded to dig into it (with a fork and knife, bizarrely), unbothered by the stomach-churning, bloody birth scenes onscreen. (No word on whether he was able to keep them down for the duration.)
Ribs aside, the vibes on the ground here are undeniably celebratory with festival officials and filmmakers expressing joy from Park City podiums at the sight of seeing hordes of film lovers seated inside theaters all over town. But if you engage any Sundancer between screenings,...
- 1/27/2023
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Vietnamese Writer-director Le Bao and Singapore and Toronto-based producer Lai Weijie, who collaborated successfully on “Taste” (2021), are reuniting for Busan Asian Project Market title “The Sea is Calm Tonight.”
“Taste,” Le’s feature debut, had considerable festival play and won awards at Berlin, Singapore, Taipei and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
In “The Sea is Calm Tonight,” Vietnamese boat people of 40 years past have a miraculous meeting with Rohingya refugees of the present in their parallel sea journeys to find peace.
“When my mother was pregnant with me, my parents lived on a barge amidst a large river. Whenever a strong gust of wind blew or boats crossed the river, the water surface would accumulate into waves, like sea waves. When I was younger, my parents told me that they wished my name was Lê Biển, which means the sea. The thought of this other life with a different identity lingers in my mind,...
“Taste,” Le’s feature debut, had considerable festival play and won awards at Berlin, Singapore, Taipei and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.
In “The Sea is Calm Tonight,” Vietnamese boat people of 40 years past have a miraculous meeting with Rohingya refugees of the present in their parallel sea journeys to find peace.
“When my mother was pregnant with me, my parents lived on a barge amidst a large river. Whenever a strong gust of wind blew or boats crossed the river, the water surface would accumulate into waves, like sea waves. When I was younger, my parents told me that they wished my name was Lê Biển, which means the sea. The thought of this other life with a different identity lingers in my mind,...
- 10/8/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The food-loving actor and author on playing an evil genius in Inside Man, the brilliance of Whitney Houston and running out of space for booze
The actor Stanley Tucci, 61, was born in Westchester, New York, to parents of Italian descent. His debut film role was in John Huston’s Prizzi’s Honor (1985). He later starred in The Devil Wears Prada, The Lovely Bones, Spotlight and The Hunger Games and has directed five films, including cult comedy Big Night. Tucci has also written two cookbooks and food memoir Taste and hosted the Emmy-winning culinary travel series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. He now stars in new BBC One drama Inside Man, written by Steven Moffat.
Were you a fan of Steven Moffat’s writing before signing up for Inside Man?
Very much. I adored Sherlock. Steven has a very dark sense of humour, as do I, so I was excited to read the Inside Man scripts.
The actor Stanley Tucci, 61, was born in Westchester, New York, to parents of Italian descent. His debut film role was in John Huston’s Prizzi’s Honor (1985). He later starred in The Devil Wears Prada, The Lovely Bones, Spotlight and The Hunger Games and has directed five films, including cult comedy Big Night. Tucci has also written two cookbooks and food memoir Taste and hosted the Emmy-winning culinary travel series Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy. He now stars in new BBC One drama Inside Man, written by Steven Moffat.
Were you a fan of Steven Moffat’s writing before signing up for Inside Man?
Very much. I adored Sherlock. Steven has a very dark sense of humour, as do I, so I was excited to read the Inside Man scripts.
- 9/18/2022
- by Michael Hogan
- The Guardian - Film News
by Levan Tskhovrebadze
Emerging Vietnamese director Le Bao deploys eccentric and phantasmagorical images with austere tones and somber visuals in his debut feature “Taste”. With a stoically constructed atmosphere, he creates a monumental cinematic mood, much like the Portuguese iconic auteur Pedro Costa depicting physically distorted bodies of working-class people.
If there is such a definition as Kafkaesque, we should also refer to Costa-esque, as the world of the Portuguese director is exceptionally autonomous. In Kafka’s literary orbit, you encounter powerless human beings in absurdist labyrinths of bureaucratic machines while with Costa, spectators examine the existence of weakened individuals in the monstrous web of everyday life. The Vietnamese director manifests a Costa-esque style, but in more stylized, ambiguous and surreal manner.
Nigerian football player Bassley (Olegunleko Ezekiel Gbenga) is neglected by his Vietnamese team and moves in with four local, working-class women in the city slums. From the beginning,...
Emerging Vietnamese director Le Bao deploys eccentric and phantasmagorical images with austere tones and somber visuals in his debut feature “Taste”. With a stoically constructed atmosphere, he creates a monumental cinematic mood, much like the Portuguese iconic auteur Pedro Costa depicting physically distorted bodies of working-class people.
If there is such a definition as Kafkaesque, we should also refer to Costa-esque, as the world of the Portuguese director is exceptionally autonomous. In Kafka’s literary orbit, you encounter powerless human beings in absurdist labyrinths of bureaucratic machines while with Costa, spectators examine the existence of weakened individuals in the monstrous web of everyday life. The Vietnamese director manifests a Costa-esque style, but in more stylized, ambiguous and surreal manner.
Nigerian football player Bassley (Olegunleko Ezekiel Gbenga) is neglected by his Vietnamese team and moves in with four local, working-class women in the city slums. From the beginning,...
- 8/29/2022
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
Projects selected from 15 countries.
South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has unveiled the 29 titles selected for the 2022 Asian Project Market (Apm).
The film financing event that runs as part of Biff’s Asian Contents and Film Market will return in-person from October 9-11, after taking place as a hybrid event last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
From this year, Apm has excluded non-Asian projects to provide more focused support for Asian projects, which must be submitted by directors who have made at least one short or full-length feature as well as producers who have been involved with at least one feature.
South Korea’s Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has unveiled the 29 titles selected for the 2022 Asian Project Market (Apm).
The film financing event that runs as part of Biff’s Asian Contents and Film Market will return in-person from October 9-11, after taking place as a hybrid event last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
From this year, Apm has excluded non-Asian projects to provide more focused support for Asian projects, which must be submitted by directors who have made at least one short or full-length feature as well as producers who have been involved with at least one feature.
- 8/12/2022
- by Michael Rosser
- ScreenDaily
Busan International Film Festival (Biff) has announced the 29 projects selected for this year’s Asian Project Market (Apm), a core strand of the festival’s industry activities, including new works from Thailand’s Aditya Assarat, China’s Wang Qi, Vietnam’s Le Bao and Myanmar’s Maung Sun, whose producer Ma Aeint is currently in prison in Yangon.
Ma Aeint, who previously produced Maung Sun’s award-winning Money Has Four Legs, was recently sentenced to three years in jail with hard labor by Myanmar’s military junta, which took over the country in a brutal coup in early 2021. She was accused of “causing fear, spreading fake news or agitating against government employees”. She is attached as a producer to Maung Sun’s new project, Future Laobans, described as a drama about the “international dimension of organized crime.”
Assarat, an award-winning Thai director, is returning to feature-length directing after focusing on producing,...
Ma Aeint, who previously produced Maung Sun’s award-winning Money Has Four Legs, was recently sentenced to three years in jail with hard labor by Myanmar’s military junta, which took over the country in a brutal coup in early 2021. She was accused of “causing fear, spreading fake news or agitating against government employees”. She is attached as a producer to Maung Sun’s new project, Future Laobans, described as a drama about the “international dimension of organized crime.”
Assarat, an award-winning Thai director, is returning to feature-length directing after focusing on producing,...
- 8/11/2022
- by Liz Shackleton
- Deadline Film + TV
A whale hunt tradition in the Faroe Islands that’s long been condemned by animal rights activists is given evenhanded examination in Vincent Kelner’s “A Taste of Whale.” This well-crafted French documentary does provide some of the grisly “massacre” footage seen in prior indictments of the seasonal “Grindadrap,” or Grind. But it also lets locals weigh in about something they feel is a part of their cultural identity, while Sea Shepherd campaigners opposed to a practice they deem “monstrous” also get their say. This solid both-sides-now overview also raises wider questions regarding humanity’s sometimes-hypocritical ethics toward what we eat, where we get it, and how.
Opening text informs, “Around 700 large dolphins called ‘pilot whales’ are slaughtered each year in the archipelago” that comprises the Faroes, a nation of about 50,000 that lies in the Atlantic two hundred miles north of Scotland. Their blubber edible as well as their meat,...
Opening text informs, “Around 700 large dolphins called ‘pilot whales’ are slaughtered each year in the archipelago” that comprises the Faroes, a nation of about 50,000 that lies in the Atlantic two hundred miles north of Scotland. Their blubber edible as well as their meat,...
- 4/1/2022
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
Five Inspirations is a series in which we ask directors to share five things that shaped and informed their film. Lê Bảo’s Taste is exclusively showing on Mubi starting February 16, 2022.Inspiration #1When I sat on the bus to go to high school when I was younger, I would close my eyes and feel the rhythm of its movements, it turned into a feeling of floating. It was at that time that I met African men for the first time, on the last bench of the bus. My eyes opened. The emotions from their faces awoke me and gave me a very strong vibration. I kept these inside of me and gradually they rose to become the strong desire to tell a story about African men in Saigon.Inspiration #2The sound of the electricity in the house I used to live in erased a lot of sounds from the surrounding...
- 2/28/2022
- MUBI
In the Realm of the Senses: Le Bao Explores Oblique Pleasures in Handsome Debut
Vietnamese filmmaker Lê Bảo announces himself as an immediate director of note with his stunningly photographed debut, Taste. Grappling with larger subtexts of isolationism and colonialism, it’s an otherwise austere journey which marries blatant themes of sexuality and pleasure with desperate escapism resulting in numbing, emotional squalor. On paper, it sounds like a perverted exercise of sensationalism filled with idiosyncrasies bordering on the bizarre, even laughable. But whatever the takeaway from this meditative portrait of the primordial Garden of Eden, it’s sure to leave an impression.…...
Vietnamese filmmaker Lê Bảo announces himself as an immediate director of note with his stunningly photographed debut, Taste. Grappling with larger subtexts of isolationism and colonialism, it’s an otherwise austere journey which marries blatant themes of sexuality and pleasure with desperate escapism resulting in numbing, emotional squalor. On paper, it sounds like a perverted exercise of sensationalism filled with idiosyncrasies bordering on the bizarre, even laughable. But whatever the takeaway from this meditative portrait of the primordial Garden of Eden, it’s sure to leave an impression.…...
- 2/15/2022
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Winners will be announced on November 11.
Cannes winners Drive My Car, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and Asghar Farhadi’s A Hero lead the nominations at the Asia Pacific Screen Academy (Apsa) awards.
Drive My Car is Japan’s entry for the best international feature Oscar and the Cannes 2021 Competition best screenplay winner. It follows a theatre actor and director who is grappling with grief for his lost wife.
A Hero, which won the grand prix at Cannes, is a French-Iranian co-production which looks at what happens when an unlikely hero finds himself caught up in a social media storm.
Both...
Cannes winners Drive My Car, directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi, and Asghar Farhadi’s A Hero lead the nominations at the Asia Pacific Screen Academy (Apsa) awards.
Drive My Car is Japan’s entry for the best international feature Oscar and the Cannes 2021 Competition best screenplay winner. It follows a theatre actor and director who is grappling with grief for his lost wife.
A Hero, which won the grand prix at Cannes, is a French-Iranian co-production which looks at what happens when an unlikely hero finds himself caught up in a social media storm.
Both...
- 10/13/2021
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
Hamaguchi Ryusuke’s “Drive My Car” and Asghar Farhadi’s “A Hero,” two films that debuted in Cannes, emerge as the strong favorites for the Asia Pacific Screen Awards, after nominations were announced on Wednesday.
Both films are nominated for best film, best directing, best screenplay and best performance by an actor.
The best film category is rounded out by nominations for India-France co-production “A Night of Knowing Nothing,” directed by India’s Payal Kapadia; “The Pencil” from Russia’s Natalya Nazarova; and “There is No Evil,” an Iran-Czech-Germany co-production directed by Mohammad Rasoulof that won the Golden Bear in Berlin.
Organizers said that nominations had gone to 38 films from 25 Asia Pacific countries and regions. Films from Japan and Iran each collected seven nominations. And, after 14 years, a representative from Vietnam collected the country’s first Apsa nomination.
But the Apsa nominations represented a complete shut-out for both mainland China and Taiwan.
Both films are nominated for best film, best directing, best screenplay and best performance by an actor.
The best film category is rounded out by nominations for India-France co-production “A Night of Knowing Nothing,” directed by India’s Payal Kapadia; “The Pencil” from Russia’s Natalya Nazarova; and “There is No Evil,” an Iran-Czech-Germany co-production directed by Mohammad Rasoulof that won the Golden Bear in Berlin.
Organizers said that nominations had gone to 38 films from 25 Asia Pacific countries and regions. Films from Japan and Iran each collected seven nominations. And, after 14 years, a representative from Vietnam collected the country’s first Apsa nomination.
But the Apsa nominations represented a complete shut-out for both mainland China and Taiwan.
- 10/12/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Premiered in Berlinale’s Encounters section, where it received the Special Jury Award, Le Bao’s “Taste” is a film of pauses. Set in Saigon, Vietnam, it tells a story of a Nigerian ex-football player who finds his shelter through living with local middle-aged women in somewhat of a bunker. With their routines entangled and bodies exposed to daylight, they drift through days and nights together, much like ghosts finding their long-gone shadows. They occupy an empty, dark space, a gallery of ultimate bareness. With no clothes, nor the furniture, their bodies perform the everyday mundane: they cook, bathe and sleep together, share their intimate stories, which echo with melancholia. In a vision of a world that has already stopped, the time in “Taste” becomes a motionless pool.
One might have a glimpse of their reality, as the perception of time seems to float around purposelessly, perhaps just as in the lives of many currently.
One might have a glimpse of their reality, as the perception of time seems to float around purposelessly, perhaps just as in the lives of many currently.
- 3/17/2021
- by Lukasz Mankowski
- AsianMoviePulse
The Vietnamese filmmaker Le Bao has already shown a considerable talent with his shorts, but after his feature debut “Taste” he seems destined to be regarded as one of the most promising auteurs of today and tomorrow. “Taste” premiered at Berlinale’s more daring and avant-garde competition programme Encounters where it was awarded with the Special Jury Prize. For a reason, since it is one of a kind gripping viewing experience.
Taste screened in Berlinale
The filmmaker demonstrates his sure hand right from the opening long take from a fixed position. An ageing local football coach puts the figurines resembling the over-sized chess pawns on a model of the pitch. The dressing room looks spartan, its walls are bare and the benches holding the complete team are simple. One face and one figure stands out from the rest of the crew: the African man credited as Bassley only in the...
Taste screened in Berlinale
The filmmaker demonstrates his sure hand right from the opening long take from a fixed position. An ageing local football coach puts the figurines resembling the over-sized chess pawns on a model of the pitch. The dressing room looks spartan, its walls are bare and the benches holding the complete team are simple. One face and one figure stands out from the rest of the crew: the African man credited as Bassley only in the...
- 3/12/2021
- by Marko Stojiljković
- AsianMoviePulse
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