Netflix is starting out 2018 with a ton of new film and TV series releases! We are only about halfway through December, but if you're curious to know what is waiting for you on the streaming service in the new year, we have a full list the new releases and their release dates. There's a lot of great stuff coming including a bunch of Batman Films, the Lethal Weapon movies, The Godfather trilogy, Caddyshack, Apollo 13, King Kong, The Shawshank Redemption, Training Day, and even all of the Bring it On films! You can check out the fill list below!
Week of 1/1/18
10,000 B.C. -- 1/1/18
30 Days of Night -- 1/1/18
Age Of Shadows -- 1/1/18
AlphaGo -- 1/1/18
America's Sweethearts -- 1/1/18
Apollo 13 -- 1/1/18
Batman -- 1/1/18
Batman & Robin -- 1/1/18
Batman Begins -- 1/1/18
Batman Forever -- 1/1/18
Batman Returns -- 1/1/18
Breakfast at Tiffany's -- 1/1/18
Bring It On -- 1/1/18
Bring It On Again -- 1/1/18
Bring It On: All or Nothing...
Week of 1/1/18
10,000 B.C. -- 1/1/18
30 Days of Night -- 1/1/18
Age Of Shadows -- 1/1/18
AlphaGo -- 1/1/18
America's Sweethearts -- 1/1/18
Apollo 13 -- 1/1/18
Batman -- 1/1/18
Batman & Robin -- 1/1/18
Batman Begins -- 1/1/18
Batman Forever -- 1/1/18
Batman Returns -- 1/1/18
Breakfast at Tiffany's -- 1/1/18
Bring It On -- 1/1/18
Bring It On Again -- 1/1/18
Bring It On: All or Nothing...
- 12/14/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Horror fans have been looking forward to seeing Mike Flanagan's Before I Wake since the film was teased in trailers back in 2015, but bankruptcy issues at Relativity Media delayed and ultimately brought the movie's release to a halt. Since that time, Flanagan directed two well-received films for Netflix, and the streaming service has now revealed that they will bring Before I Wake out of film purgatory and into the warm glow of the TV screen.
Netflix revealed the exciting Before I Wake news in their full announcement of titles being added to their streaming lineup in January of 2018. Starring Jacob Tremblay, Thomas Jane, and Kate Bosworth, Before I Wake will be available to watch on the streaming service beginning Friday, January 5th, marking its first official release in the Us (it was previously released internationally, including in the UK by Netflix).
Other titles being added to Netflix (in the Us) include 30 Days of Night,...
Netflix revealed the exciting Before I Wake news in their full announcement of titles being added to their streaming lineup in January of 2018. Starring Jacob Tremblay, Thomas Jane, and Kate Bosworth, Before I Wake will be available to watch on the streaming service beginning Friday, January 5th, marking its first official release in the Us (it was previously released internationally, including in the UK by Netflix).
Other titles being added to Netflix (in the Us) include 30 Days of Night,...
- 12/13/2017
- by Derek Anderson
- DailyDead
Say this for 2018: It can’t be any worse than 2017, right? (Spoiler: It totally can.) At least Netflix’s first batch of offerings inspires cautious optimism in the new year, with everything from the entire “Godfather” trilogy, “Marie Antoinette,” five different “Batman” films and five different “Bring It On” movies (did you even know they’d made that many?), “Midnight in Paris,” the complete “Lethal Weapon” collection, “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory,” and “The Truman Show” coming to the streaming service in January.
Read More:Netflix Reveals the Most Binge-Watched Shows of 2017: ‘American Vandal,’ ’13 Reasons Why,’ and More
As for Netflix Originals, there are several: “Before I Wake” and “Rotten” are both available to stream as of January 5, “Somebody Feed Phil” and “The Polka King” premiere a week later, “The Open House” arrives on the 19th, and “A Futile and Stupid Gesture” and “Dirty Money” both debut on the 26th.
Read More:Netflix Reveals the Most Binge-Watched Shows of 2017: ‘American Vandal,’ ’13 Reasons Why,’ and More
As for Netflix Originals, there are several: “Before I Wake” and “Rotten” are both available to stream as of January 5, “Somebody Feed Phil” and “The Polka King” premiere a week later, “The Open House” arrives on the 19th, and “A Futile and Stupid Gesture” and “Dirty Money” both debut on the 26th.
- 12/13/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Disney has released a new trailer for Pixar's upcoming animated feature film Coco. This looks like a fantastically made film that tells the magical story of a boy, a magic guitar, and his journey to the Land of the Dead. If you're a fan of Pixar's films, this doesn't look like a movie you'll want to miss.
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 in 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. Character actress Renée Victor also joins the cast as Abuelita,...
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 in 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. Character actress Renée Victor also joins the cast as Abuelita,...
- 6/8/2017
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
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
Giuseppe Tornatore’s ode to the Italian love of movies was a major hit here in 1990, despite being severely cut by Miramax. In 2002 the director reworked his long version into an almost three-hour sentimental epic that enlarges the film’s scope and deepens its sentiments.
Cinema Paradiso
Region B Blu-ray
Arrow Academy
1988 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / Special Edition / 174, 155, 124 min. /
Nuovo cinema Paradiso / Street Date March 21, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Philippe Noiret, Antonella Attili, Salvatore Cascio, Marco Leonardi, Jacques Perrin, Agnese Nano, Brigitte Fossey, Pupella Maggio, Leopoldo Trieste
Cinematography: Blasco Giurato
Production Designer: Andrea Crisanti
Film Editor: Mario Morra
Original Music: Ennio and Andrea Morricone
Produced by Mino Barbera, Franco Cristaldi, Giovanna Romagnoli
Written and Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore
Your average foreign import movie, it seems, makes a brief splash around Oscar time and then disappears as if down a rabbit hole. A few years back I saw a fantastic Argentine movie called The Secret in Their Eyes.
Cinema Paradiso
Region B Blu-ray
Arrow Academy
1988 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / Special Edition / 174, 155, 124 min. /
Nuovo cinema Paradiso / Street Date March 21, 2017 / 39.95
Starring: Philippe Noiret, Antonella Attili, Salvatore Cascio, Marco Leonardi, Jacques Perrin, Agnese Nano, Brigitte Fossey, Pupella Maggio, Leopoldo Trieste
Cinematography: Blasco Giurato
Production Designer: Andrea Crisanti
Film Editor: Mario Morra
Original Music: Ennio and Andrea Morricone
Produced by Mino Barbera, Franco Cristaldi, Giovanna Romagnoli
Written and Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore
Your average foreign import movie, it seems, makes a brief splash around Oscar time and then disappears as if down a rabbit hole. A few years back I saw a fantastic Argentine movie called The Secret in Their Eyes.
- 3/14/2017
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Ellen DeGeneres is set to host Ellen’s Game of Games, NBC’s supersized, standalone version of the popular games from the daytime-tv queen’s eponymous talk show.
Contestants will be pulled from the audience to maneuver obstacles, avoid plunges and answer questions, all to receive a cash prize from Ellen herself.
“We’re pulling out all the stops — gigantic sets, hilarious games,” DeGeneres said in a statement. “It’s going to be like a combination of American Ninja Warrior, RuPaul’s Drag Race and a water park. Ok, it’s nothing like that, but you should still watch.”
Related...
Contestants will be pulled from the audience to maneuver obstacles, avoid plunges and answer questions, all to receive a cash prize from Ellen herself.
“We’re pulling out all the stops — gigantic sets, hilarious games,” DeGeneres said in a statement. “It’s going to be like a combination of American Ninja Warrior, RuPaul’s Drag Race and a water park. Ok, it’s nothing like that, but you should still watch.”
Related...
- 3/2/2017
- TVLine.com
“Like Water for Chocolate,” the best-selling novel that was turned into a hit movie, will now be adapted as a TV project.
Endemol Shine Studios announced Thursday that it had acquired the rights to “Like Water for Chocolate (Como Agua Para Chocolate),” by Laura Esquivel, to adapt as a global television franchise.
Read More: No Sh*t Sherlock, Guy Ritchie and Lionel Wigram Wanna Get into Television
The book will be turned into an English language series, but Endemol Shine plans to adapt it in other languages, as well.
“It fills me with joy to know that Like Water for Chocolate will be brought to television screens throughout the world,” Esquivel said in a statement.
Added Endemol Shine Studios President Sharon Hall: “The opportunity to adapt this beloved novel is a privilege. Laura’s epic love story has all the ingredients of a breakthrough drama.”
“Like Water for Chocolate,...
Endemol Shine Studios announced Thursday that it had acquired the rights to “Like Water for Chocolate (Como Agua Para Chocolate),” by Laura Esquivel, to adapt as a global television franchise.
Read More: No Sh*t Sherlock, Guy Ritchie and Lionel Wigram Wanna Get into Television
The book will be turned into an English language series, but Endemol Shine plans to adapt it in other languages, as well.
“It fills me with joy to know that Like Water for Chocolate will be brought to television screens throughout the world,” Esquivel said in a statement.
Added Endemol Shine Studios President Sharon Hall: “The opportunity to adapt this beloved novel is a privilege. Laura’s epic love story has all the ingredients of a breakthrough drama.”
“Like Water for Chocolate,...
- 3/2/2017
- by Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
The popular Like Water For Chocolate is headed to the small screen. Endemol Shine Studios, the scripted division of Endemol Shine North America, has acquired the rights to Laura Esquivel's best-selling novel Like Water for Chocolate (Como Agua Para Chocolate) to adapt as a global television franchise. The classic story is being developed as an English language series with plans to adapt it in other languages, as well. Like Water for Chocolate was first published in 1989…...
- 3/2/2017
- Deadline TV
Endemol Shine Studios is developing classic Mexican novel “Like Water for Chocolate” (“Como Agua Para Chocolate”) into a TV series, the company announced Thursday. “It fills me with joy to know that ‘Like Water for Chocolate’ will be brought to television screens throughout the world by a studio that bets on quality in producing content for each of its projects,” the novel’s author Laura Esquivel said in a statement. “Of all the companies that offered to create the series, Endemol Shine Studios stood out in sharing a vision of ‘Like Water for Chocolate’ closest to my own: leading from the heart.
- 3/2/2017
- by Linda Ge
- The Wrap
I was introduced to the films of Pedro Almodóvar when I was about twelve years old almost entirely by accident. I don't remember the year exactly, though 1992 seems like a good guess based on the other memories that have attached themselves to my discovery of the melodramatic comedies of Almodóvar. At the time there seemed to be a wealth of Latin American and Spanish language films making waves internationally, and my father was like a pig in slop trying to keep up with the new arrivals at the video store. Among the piles were titles like Nicolás Echevarría's Cabeza de Vaca and Alfonso Arau's Like Water for Chocolate, but nothing quite stoked my interest like the arresting - pun intended - cover of...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 2/20/2017
- Screen Anarchy
Drew Barrymore has previously said she has no plans to use facial fillers, and now we can see why.
The Santa Clarita Diet star shared the internal workings of her (multiple) beauty cabinets on Instagram on Friday and Saturday, and has drawn on her own expertise to weigh in and what is and is not good for your face.
Barrymore, 41, has successfully created her own makeup empire, Flower, and included some products from her own line onto the list of things every beauty junkie should have.
The beauty guru swears by her “fav moisturizer” by Shea Moisture, going as far as writing,...
The Santa Clarita Diet star shared the internal workings of her (multiple) beauty cabinets on Instagram on Friday and Saturday, and has drawn on her own expertise to weigh in and what is and is not good for your face.
Barrymore, 41, has successfully created her own makeup empire, Flower, and included some products from her own line onto the list of things every beauty junkie should have.
The beauty guru swears by her “fav moisturizer” by Shea Moisture, going as far as writing,...
- 2/18/2017
- by Alexia Fernandez
- PEOPLE.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
Welcome to The Top 5, where every week, we list five things for a given topic. These topics can range from "5 Things We Liked About The Power Rangers Teaser Trailer" to "5 Things We Want (Or Don't Want) In Ben Affleck's The Batman."
Of course, because everyone has an opinion, there is sure to be some disagreements, which is why, despite the title "The Top 5," very rarely are these actual "best of" articles. Instead, they're meant to provide entertaining insight, and to stir a discussion, and give everyone a chance to speak their mind.
If you have a suggestion for a Top 5 piece, send them my way via #TheTop5LRM on Twitter. If I choose your topic, I'll be sure to give you a shoutout!
Now, on with today's topic!
5 Movies You Think Are Bad, But Are Actually Pretty Good
We often go through life assuming certain movies are bad. Gigli?...
Of course, because everyone has an opinion, there is sure to be some disagreements, which is why, despite the title "The Top 5," very rarely are these actual "best of" articles. Instead, they're meant to provide entertaining insight, and to stir a discussion, and give everyone a chance to speak their mind.
If you have a suggestion for a Top 5 piece, send them my way via #TheTop5LRM on Twitter. If I choose your topic, I'll be sure to give you a shoutout!
Now, on with today's topic!
5 Movies You Think Are Bad, But Are Actually Pretty Good
We often go through life assuming certain movies are bad. Gigli?...
- 1/11/2017
- by Joseph Medina
- LRMonline.com
Made in 1985, but not released in the Us until 1987, Tampopo was perhaps the first real foodie movie. Before Babette’s Feast (1987), before Like Water for Chocolate (1992), before Big Night (1996), and long, long before Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011) and Chef (2014) there was Tampopo, a sexy comic western about ramen noodles which became an arthouse smash. Nearly thirty years later Janus Films is reviving Tampopo in a 4K restoration that opens today at New York’s Film Forum. The new poster for the film, in which various characters bob in a sea of noodles, is by a wonderful young Brooklyn-based illustrator Ping Zhu whose work may be familiar from the New Yorker and New York Times.The original Japanese poster was also illustrated and by none other than director Juzo Itami himself. Before he was an actor and director (he had been acting since 1960 but directed his first film, The Funeral, in...
- 11/11/2016
- MUBI
Previous | Image 1 of 18 | NextOPENING Night: Rosemarie DeWitt of ‘La La Land.’
Chicago – The glamor and the action always takes place on the Red Carpet, and the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival had one virtually every night of their two week 2016 run. New and veteran celebrities walked the carpet, representing their films or being honored at the fest, and HollywoodChicago.com was there.
The following are the Red Carpet questions asked and answered by the participants.
Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos © Joe Arce for HollywoodChicago.com.
Opening Night: Premiere of “La La Land”
Featured actor Rosemarie DeWitt and Director Damian Chazelle was in attendance on October 13th, 2016.
HollywoodChicago.com: What do you think is key to not acting self conscious in acting when you’re about to burst into song?
Rosemarie DeWitt: Well,...
Chicago – The glamor and the action always takes place on the Red Carpet, and the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival had one virtually every night of their two week 2016 run. New and veteran celebrities walked the carpet, representing their films or being honored at the fest, and HollywoodChicago.com was there.
The following are the Red Carpet questions asked and answered by the participants.
Click “Next” and “Previous” to scan through the slideshow or jump directly to individual photos with the captioned links below. All photos © Joe Arce for HollywoodChicago.com.
Opening Night: Premiere of “La La Land”
Featured actor Rosemarie DeWitt and Director Damian Chazelle was in attendance on October 13th, 2016.
HollywoodChicago.com: What do you think is key to not acting self conscious in acting when you’re about to burst into song?
Rosemarie DeWitt: Well,...
- 10/27/2016
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
"Is it worth it to sacrifice one's mind and body for sport?" The first teaser trailer has debuted online for a documentary called The Hurt Business, from director Vlad Yudin (of Generation Iron), taking a look at Mma and the superstars of mixed martial arts. It's narrated by Kevin Costner and profiles the lives of a couple of major competitors, including Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones. The descriptions says it discusses the theme of injuries "both mental and physical" within Mma, and it also looks at just how dedicated these athletes are to this popular sport. Other great Mma docs include The Smashing Machine, Rickson Gracie: Choke, and Like Water about fighter Anderson Silva. Even if you're not a fan of Mma, this is worth a look. Here's the first trailer for Vlad Yudin's documentary The Hurt Business, direct from YouTube: From the producers of Bowling for Columbine,...
- 7/11/2016
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
It’s been four years since Harley Streten, better known by his producer alias, Flume, dropped his self-titled debut release to universal acclaim. The Australian electronic musician took a long break between albums, but he finally hinted last year that a new record was in the works. The highly anticipated sophomore LP, titled Skin, dropped earlier today and sees the innovative producer delivering sixteen stellar tracks and a full hour of new music.
Fans waited patiently for new material to surface, and expectations of Skin have been feverishly high. Luckily for us, Streten delivers the goods with his sophomore effort, expanding on the unique style he cultivated on his first album while maturing his signature sound.
“Helix” serves as a moody introduction to Skin, opening with a distorted, droning bass pad and a cinematic flute melody, as Flume’s trademark detuned arpeggios and loosely timed drum hits act as a fitting start to the album.
Fans waited patiently for new material to surface, and expectations of Skin have been feverishly high. Luckily for us, Streten delivers the goods with his sophomore effort, expanding on the unique style he cultivated on his first album while maturing his signature sound.
“Helix” serves as a moody introduction to Skin, opening with a distorted, droning bass pad and a cinematic flute melody, as Flume’s trademark detuned arpeggios and loosely timed drum hits act as a fitting start to the album.
- 5/27/2016
- by Connor Jones
- We Got This Covered
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Some brilliant scores accompany movies that don't always deserve them. Here are 25 examples...
Can a film soundtrack rescue a movie that is otherwise a lost cause? One thing’s for sure: throughout the history of cinema, music has often been the redeeming feature of many an underwhelming movie. Here are 25 amazing film scores composed for films that, frankly, didn’t deserve them.
25) Meet Joe Black (Thomas Newman, 1998)
This somnambulistic three hour romantic drama should really feature an extra screen credit for star Brad Pitt’s fetishised blonde locks. Rising way above the torpid melodrama of the plot is one of Thomas Newman’s most hauntingly melodic and attractive scores, one that leaves his characteristic quirkiness at the door to paint a portrait of death that is both melancholy and hopeful. The spectacular 10-minute finale That Next Place remains one of Newman’s towering musical achievements.
24) Timeline (Brian Tyler,...
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Some brilliant scores accompany movies that don't always deserve them. Here are 25 examples...
Can a film soundtrack rescue a movie that is otherwise a lost cause? One thing’s for sure: throughout the history of cinema, music has often been the redeeming feature of many an underwhelming movie. Here are 25 amazing film scores composed for films that, frankly, didn’t deserve them.
25) Meet Joe Black (Thomas Newman, 1998)
This somnambulistic three hour romantic drama should really feature an extra screen credit for star Brad Pitt’s fetishised blonde locks. Rising way above the torpid melodrama of the plot is one of Thomas Newman’s most hauntingly melodic and attractive scores, one that leaves his characteristic quirkiness at the door to paint a portrait of death that is both melancholy and hopeful. The spectacular 10-minute finale That Next Place remains one of Newman’s towering musical achievements.
24) Timeline (Brian Tyler,...
- 3/29/2016
- Den of Geek
Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki is a brilliant cinematographer whose work has helped shape the landscape of modern cinematic photography. During his 32-year career, Lubezki has worked with such greats as Mike Nichols, Joel and Ethan Coen, Terrence Malick, and Michael Mann, as well as technology-defying directors such as Alfonso Cuarón and Alejandro González Iñárritu. He even worked alongside Martin Scorsese as a camera operator on The Rolling Stones documentary Shine a Light, alongside Robert Richardson.
Lubezki’s latest project reunites him with Iñárritu for a brooding, intense historical epic about fur trapper Hugo Glass. Although the movie itself receives a somewhat mixed reception, Lubezki’s photography alone is worth the price of admission, as we noted in our yearly cinematography wrap-up. Before checking out The Revenant when it opens wide this Friday, we’ve selected some of our favorites in his illustrious filmography, each exquisite in their own unique ways. Please enjoy below,...
Lubezki’s latest project reunites him with Iñárritu for a brooding, intense historical epic about fur trapper Hugo Glass. Although the movie itself receives a somewhat mixed reception, Lubezki’s photography alone is worth the price of admission, as we noted in our yearly cinematography wrap-up. Before checking out The Revenant when it opens wide this Friday, we’ve selected some of our favorites in his illustrious filmography, each exquisite in their own unique ways. Please enjoy below,...
- 1/6/2016
- by Tony Hinds
- The Film Stage
World premieres of new features from the Us, South America and Asia; titles include A Woman, A Part starring Mad Men’s Maggie Siff; jury named.
International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) has revealed the eight titles that will compete in the revamped Hivos Tiger Awards Competition at this year’s 45th edition (Jan 27-Feb 7).
The titles are:
History’s Future - Fiona Tan (Neth)The Land Of The Enlightened - Pieter-Jan De Pue (Bel-Neth-Ire-Ger)Motel Mist - Prabda Yoon (Thai)Oscuro Animal - Felipe Guerrero (Col-Arg-Neth-Ger-Gre)Radio Dreams - Babak Jalali (Us)La Ultima Tierra - Pablo Lamar (Par-Neth-Chi-Qat)Where I Grow Old - Marília Rocha (Bra-Por)A Woman, A Part - Elisabeth Subrin (Us)
All are world premieres, except The Land Of The Enlightened, which will receive its European premiere at Iffr after screening at Sundance in the world cinema documentary competition.
Other notable titles include Us drama A Woman, A Part, which...
International Film Festival Rotterdam (Iffr) has revealed the eight titles that will compete in the revamped Hivos Tiger Awards Competition at this year’s 45th edition (Jan 27-Feb 7).
The titles are:
History’s Future - Fiona Tan (Neth)The Land Of The Enlightened - Pieter-Jan De Pue (Bel-Neth-Ire-Ger)Motel Mist - Prabda Yoon (Thai)Oscuro Animal - Felipe Guerrero (Col-Arg-Neth-Ger-Gre)Radio Dreams - Babak Jalali (Us)La Ultima Tierra - Pablo Lamar (Par-Neth-Chi-Qat)Where I Grow Old - Marília Rocha (Bra-Por)A Woman, A Part - Elisabeth Subrin (Us)
All are world premieres, except The Land Of The Enlightened, which will receive its European premiere at Iffr after screening at Sundance in the world cinema documentary competition.
Other notable titles include Us drama A Woman, A Part, which...
- 1/5/2016
- by michael.rosser@screendaily.com (Michael Rosser)
- ScreenDaily
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
The Tucson’s Loft Film Fest starts today and runs until Sunday October 25. The program will bring some of the best works from around the globe to Tucson, many of which will be have their local premier during the festival.
The acclaimed drama "Court," a quietly devastating portrait of political injustice involving an elderly folk singer facing persecution for his art, is India’s official Oscar entry for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as the winner of the Lion of the Future Award for director Chaitanya Tamhane at the Venice Film Festival. This is the film’s Tucson Premiere.
"Mustang" France’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar and winner of the Europa Cinemas Label award at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, is a haunting portrait of five young sisters struggling to come of age under highly unusual circumstances in a remote Turkish coastal village. The film makes its Arizona Premiere at The Loft Film Fest.
The Loft Film Fest 2015 will also showcase numerous top prize winners from major film festivals around the world, including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice and more.
The highly-anticipated new British drama "45 Years," directed by Andrew Haigh ("Weekend"), will have its Arizona Premiere at The Loft Film Fest. This riveting and melancholy tale of a long-married couple confronting a dark secret from their past, has generated major Oscar buzz and garnered the Best Actress and Best Actor awards at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival for its celebrated stars, Charlotte Rampling ("Swimming Pool") and Tom Courtenay ("Doctor Zhivago").
The moving Italian drama "Mia Madre"from acclaimed filmmaker Nanni Moretti ("The Son’s Room"), stars Margherita Buy ( "Days and Clouds") and John Turturro ("O Brother, Where Are Thou?") and tells the story of a harried filmmaker juggling with production of her new film with caring for her dying mother. Winner of the prestigious Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Cannes Film Festival, the film will also have its Arizona Premiere at The Loft Film Fest.
"Taxi" the crowd-pleasing comedy/drama from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, ("The White Balloon") follows the filmmaker himself as he assumes the role of taxi driver for a number of diverse citizens in his home country, learning about their lives as he ferries them through the city. Winner of the Fipresci Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival,"Taxi" makes its Tucson Premiere at The Loft Film Fest.
Just a few of the other major international festival award winners hitting the screen at the Loft Film Fest include Pedro Costa’s "Horse Money" (winner of the Locarno International Film Festival award for Best Director); Sebastian Silva’s "Nasty Baby," starring Kristin Wiig (winner of the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the Berlin International Film Festival) and "In Transit," the final film from legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles (winner of a Best Documentary Special Jury Mention at the Tribeca Film Festival).
Many more prize-winning features, documentaries and short films will light up the screen at The 2015 Loft Film Fest. In addition to acclaimed films, the fest brings an incredible line-up of filmmakers and special guests to Tucson! Rita Moreno ("West Side Story"), Alfonso Arau ( " Like Water for Chocolate.""Three Amigos"), Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana (10th Anniversary Screening of "Brokeback Mountain"), Bobcat Goldthwait ("Call Me Lucky"), Michael Joplin (brother of Janis Joplin with the doc "Janis: Little Girl Blue"), Andrea B. Scott ("Florence, Az"), Francesco Clerici ("Hand Gestures"), Jessica Cox & Nick Spark ("Right-Footed") and Justin Johnson ("Double Digits") are among the guests who will be on hand to present films alongside critically-acclaimed films selected from prestigious festivals around the globe. For more information and to purchase tickets and passes, please visit: www.loftfilmfest.org.
The acclaimed drama "Court," a quietly devastating portrait of political injustice involving an elderly folk singer facing persecution for his art, is India’s official Oscar entry for Best Foreign Language Film, as well as the winner of the Lion of the Future Award for director Chaitanya Tamhane at the Venice Film Festival. This is the film’s Tucson Premiere.
"Mustang" France’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Oscar and winner of the Europa Cinemas Label award at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, is a haunting portrait of five young sisters struggling to come of age under highly unusual circumstances in a remote Turkish coastal village. The film makes its Arizona Premiere at The Loft Film Fest.
The Loft Film Fest 2015 will also showcase numerous top prize winners from major film festivals around the world, including Cannes, Sundance, Toronto, Venice and more.
The highly-anticipated new British drama "45 Years," directed by Andrew Haigh ("Weekend"), will have its Arizona Premiere at The Loft Film Fest. This riveting and melancholy tale of a long-married couple confronting a dark secret from their past, has generated major Oscar buzz and garnered the Best Actress and Best Actor awards at the 2015 Berlin International Film Festival for its celebrated stars, Charlotte Rampling ("Swimming Pool") and Tom Courtenay ("Doctor Zhivago").
The moving Italian drama "Mia Madre"from acclaimed filmmaker Nanni Moretti ("The Son’s Room"), stars Margherita Buy ( "Days and Clouds") and John Turturro ("O Brother, Where Are Thou?") and tells the story of a harried filmmaker juggling with production of her new film with caring for her dying mother. Winner of the prestigious Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Cannes Film Festival, the film will also have its Arizona Premiere at The Loft Film Fest.
"Taxi" the crowd-pleasing comedy/drama from Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, ("The White Balloon") follows the filmmaker himself as he assumes the role of taxi driver for a number of diverse citizens in his home country, learning about their lives as he ferries them through the city. Winner of the Fipresci Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival,"Taxi" makes its Tucson Premiere at The Loft Film Fest.
Just a few of the other major international festival award winners hitting the screen at the Loft Film Fest include Pedro Costa’s "Horse Money" (winner of the Locarno International Film Festival award for Best Director); Sebastian Silva’s "Nasty Baby," starring Kristin Wiig (winner of the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the Berlin International Film Festival) and "In Transit," the final film from legendary documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles (winner of a Best Documentary Special Jury Mention at the Tribeca Film Festival).
Many more prize-winning features, documentaries and short films will light up the screen at The 2015 Loft Film Fest. In addition to acclaimed films, the fest brings an incredible line-up of filmmakers and special guests to Tucson! Rita Moreno ("West Side Story"), Alfonso Arau ( " Like Water for Chocolate.""Three Amigos"), Larry McMurtry & Diana Ossana (10th Anniversary Screening of "Brokeback Mountain"), Bobcat Goldthwait ("Call Me Lucky"), Michael Joplin (brother of Janis Joplin with the doc "Janis: Little Girl Blue"), Andrea B. Scott ("Florence, Az"), Francesco Clerici ("Hand Gestures"), Jessica Cox & Nick Spark ("Right-Footed") and Justin Johnson ("Double Digits") are among the guests who will be on hand to present films alongside critically-acclaimed films selected from prestigious festivals around the globe. For more information and to purchase tickets and passes, please visit: www.loftfilmfest.org.
- 10/21/2015
- by Peter Belsito
- Sydney's Buzz
The Loft Film Fest is the first American festival member of the International Confederation of Art Cinemas (Cicae), which brings together more than 3,000 screens and approximately 16 festivals across Europe and around the world to promote the production and exhibition of quality independent films from all countries in all countries.
The Cicae award is designed to bring attention to excellent films in order for them to be seen in art houses around the world. The Cicae award is given out at festivals including the Berlinale Forum and Panorama, the Sarajevo International Film Festival, the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
The Loft Film Fest jury for documentary features includes Peter Belsito, film biz consultant, fest panelist and guest blogger for SydneysBuzz on Indiewire, actress/writer/producer Yareli Arizmendi ("Like Water for Chocolate," "A Day Without a Mexican") and Beverly Seckinger, director of University of Arizona Center for Documentary and Docscapes.
The short film jury includes Francesco Clerici, director of "Hand Gestures," Max Cannon, creator of the alternative comic strip "Red Meat", and Lupita Murillo of Kvoa News 4 Tucson.
The documentaries in competition are:
"Florence, Arizona"
Florence, Arizona is a cowboy town with a prison problem. Founded in 1866, this bastion of the Wild West is home to 8,500 civilians and 17,000 inmates spread over nine prisons. Through an unconventional lens, the documentary film "Florence, Arizona" weaves together the stories of four key residents of Florence, whose lives have all been shadowed in some way by the surrounding prison industrial complex. The result is an intricately crafted cinematic tapestry, threaded through with deep strands of Americana, humor, intimacy, and pathos, revealing as much about ourselves as it does about our modern carceral state. (Dir. by Andrea B. Scott, 2014, USA, 78 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Doc NYC
"Chuck Norris vs. Communism"
In the 1980s, under the Nicolae Ceaușescu regime, Romanians suffered from little access to foreign goods as well as an information blackout the Communist bureaucrats used to ensure ideological purity. But in clandestine screenings at neighbors’ homes of smuggled VHS tapes dubbed by a one-man distribution network, people got a glimpse of the Western world and a culture of muscular individuality with heroes like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Sylvester Stallone, and, of course, Chuck Norris.
In "Chuck Norris vs Communism," one sees the power of film to change individuals and whole societies. Through the stories of the hardworking female dubber (the most famous voice of Romania), the memories of everyday citizens, evocative re-creations of the time, and an enormous selection of clips from ’80s movies, first-time director Ilinca Calugareanu presents a film about the unexpected consequences of mass entertainment, leading to the conclusion that the greatest threat to Ceaușescu’s dictatorship might just have been the Vcr. (Dir. by Ilinca Calugareanu, 2014, UK/Romania/Germany, in Romanian with subtitles, 83 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs
"Bounce"
From Brazilian favelas to dusty Congolese villages, from Neolithic Scottish isles to modern soccer pitches, "Bounce" explores the little-known origins of our favorite sports.
The film crosses time, languages and continents to discover how the ball has staked its claim on our lives and fueled our passion to compete. Equal parts science, history and cultural essay, "Bounce" removes us from the scandals and commercialism of today’s sports world to uncover the true reasons we play ball, helping us reclaim our universal connection to the games we love. (Dir. by Jerome Thelia, 2015, USA / Brazil / Congo / India / Ireland / Italy / Mexico / UK, in English with subtitles, 71 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: SXSW
"Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Movie Star"
Deep in the recesses of YouTube there is an ingenious artist who cannot be stopped. He consistently churns out 3-4 original feature-length films a year. He’s made action movies, horror movies, westerns and more. He’s not rich, he has no crew, no formal training and aside from his action figures, plays virtually every part. Welcome to the inspiring, imaginative, and often handmade world of Ultra-diy filmmaker Richard ‘R.G.’ Miller, a 50 year-old man who creates impossible blockbusters from his tiny studio apartment in Wichita, Kansas. His dream audience? More than 9 people. (Dir. by Justin Johnson, 2015, USA, 76 mins., Not Rated)
"Right Footed"
Born without arms as the result of a severe birth defect, Jessica Cox never allowed herself to believe that she couldn’t accomplish her dreams. An expert martial artist, college graduate and motivational speaker, Jessica is also the world’s only armless airplane pilot, a mentor, and an advocate for people with disability. Directed by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Nick Spark, "Right Footed" chronicles Jessica’s amazing story of overcoming adversity and follows her over a period of two years as she becomes a mentor for children with disabilities and their families, and a disability rights advocate working in the U.S.A. and abroad. (Dir. by Nick Spark, 2015, USA, in English with subtitles, 82 mins., Not Rated)
"Hand Gestures"
"Hand Gestures" follows the process of creating one of Velasco Vitali’s famous dog sculptures, from wax to glazed bronze, at the Battaglia Artistic Foundry in Milan. The film observes the work of a group of skilled artisans in this 100-year old foundry and reveals the ancient traditions of bronze sculpture making, unchanged since the sixth century B.C. This method is not taught in school, but is passed on in the ancient oral tradition and through apprenticeships from artisans. This documentary observes and feels the work of the Battaglia Artistic Foundry: a place where the past and present share the same gestures and where each gesture is a sculpture itself.
An artist who sculpts, who works the waxes, is treated in the same way as a craftsman who turns that wax into bronze, building and destroying other ephemeral sculptures: they have been making the same gestures for centuries, and by showing this to the camera they reveal historical “jumps” in time. Director Francesco Clerici has made a fine-tuned, carefully-observed study of a glorious thing to watch: artisans practicing their craft on film. Winner of the Fipresci award at Berlinale Forum 2015. (Dir. by Francesco Clerici, 2015, Italy, in Italian with subtitles, 77 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Berlin International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival
"Beaver Trilogy Part IV" (USA, dir. Brad Besser)
In 1979, Kutv in Salt Lake City acquired a new video camera. Trent Harris, a producer for the station’s offbeat show Extra, ventured out into the parking lot to test the new equipment and happened upon a young man taking pictures of the station’s news helicopter.
The kid, calling himself “Groovin’ Gary,” was the self-proclaimed Rich Little of Beaver, Utah. His infectious personality and small-town impressions of John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, and Barry Manilow piqued Harris’s interest enough so he gave him a business card and asked that he alert him if anything newsworthy happened in his hometown. What happened next would become the foundation for "Beaver Trilogy," a unique collection of films that documented Harris’s multiple attempts at re-creating the original magic of the Beaver Kid. Director Brad Besser dives deep into the mystique of this cult classic, unraveling the mystery of Harris’s original inspiration. "Beaver Trilogy Part IV" explores the line between the quest for fame and the exploitation of those who pursue it. (Dir. by Brad Besser, 2015, USA, 84 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs
The short films in competition are in two programs:
Program 1
Program 2
The awards will be presented on Sunday October 25 before the final screenings of the festival: "Mia Madre" at 7:15Pm and "Eisenstein in Guanajuato" at 7:45Pm.
Tickets and passes on sale now at www.loftfilmfest.org.
The Cicae award is designed to bring attention to excellent films in order for them to be seen in art houses around the world. The Cicae award is given out at festivals including the Berlinale Forum and Panorama, the Sarajevo International Film Festival, the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
The Loft Film Fest jury for documentary features includes Peter Belsito, film biz consultant, fest panelist and guest blogger for SydneysBuzz on Indiewire, actress/writer/producer Yareli Arizmendi ("Like Water for Chocolate," "A Day Without a Mexican") and Beverly Seckinger, director of University of Arizona Center for Documentary and Docscapes.
The short film jury includes Francesco Clerici, director of "Hand Gestures," Max Cannon, creator of the alternative comic strip "Red Meat", and Lupita Murillo of Kvoa News 4 Tucson.
The documentaries in competition are:
"Florence, Arizona"
Florence, Arizona is a cowboy town with a prison problem. Founded in 1866, this bastion of the Wild West is home to 8,500 civilians and 17,000 inmates spread over nine prisons. Through an unconventional lens, the documentary film "Florence, Arizona" weaves together the stories of four key residents of Florence, whose lives have all been shadowed in some way by the surrounding prison industrial complex. The result is an intricately crafted cinematic tapestry, threaded through with deep strands of Americana, humor, intimacy, and pathos, revealing as much about ourselves as it does about our modern carceral state. (Dir. by Andrea B. Scott, 2014, USA, 78 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Doc NYC
"Chuck Norris vs. Communism"
In the 1980s, under the Nicolae Ceaușescu regime, Romanians suffered from little access to foreign goods as well as an information blackout the Communist bureaucrats used to ensure ideological purity. But in clandestine screenings at neighbors’ homes of smuggled VHS tapes dubbed by a one-man distribution network, people got a glimpse of the Western world and a culture of muscular individuality with heroes like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Sylvester Stallone, and, of course, Chuck Norris.
In "Chuck Norris vs Communism," one sees the power of film to change individuals and whole societies. Through the stories of the hardworking female dubber (the most famous voice of Romania), the memories of everyday citizens, evocative re-creations of the time, and an enormous selection of clips from ’80s movies, first-time director Ilinca Calugareanu presents a film about the unexpected consequences of mass entertainment, leading to the conclusion that the greatest threat to Ceaușescu’s dictatorship might just have been the Vcr. (Dir. by Ilinca Calugareanu, 2014, UK/Romania/Germany, in Romanian with subtitles, 83 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs
"Bounce"
From Brazilian favelas to dusty Congolese villages, from Neolithic Scottish isles to modern soccer pitches, "Bounce" explores the little-known origins of our favorite sports.
The film crosses time, languages and continents to discover how the ball has staked its claim on our lives and fueled our passion to compete. Equal parts science, history and cultural essay, "Bounce" removes us from the scandals and commercialism of today’s sports world to uncover the true reasons we play ball, helping us reclaim our universal connection to the games we love. (Dir. by Jerome Thelia, 2015, USA / Brazil / Congo / India / Ireland / Italy / Mexico / UK, in English with subtitles, 71 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: SXSW
"Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Movie Star"
Deep in the recesses of YouTube there is an ingenious artist who cannot be stopped. He consistently churns out 3-4 original feature-length films a year. He’s made action movies, horror movies, westerns and more. He’s not rich, he has no crew, no formal training and aside from his action figures, plays virtually every part. Welcome to the inspiring, imaginative, and often handmade world of Ultra-diy filmmaker Richard ‘R.G.’ Miller, a 50 year-old man who creates impossible blockbusters from his tiny studio apartment in Wichita, Kansas. His dream audience? More than 9 people. (Dir. by Justin Johnson, 2015, USA, 76 mins., Not Rated)
"Right Footed"
Born without arms as the result of a severe birth defect, Jessica Cox never allowed herself to believe that she couldn’t accomplish her dreams. An expert martial artist, college graduate and motivational speaker, Jessica is also the world’s only armless airplane pilot, a mentor, and an advocate for people with disability. Directed by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Nick Spark, "Right Footed" chronicles Jessica’s amazing story of overcoming adversity and follows her over a period of two years as she becomes a mentor for children with disabilities and their families, and a disability rights advocate working in the U.S.A. and abroad. (Dir. by Nick Spark, 2015, USA, in English with subtitles, 82 mins., Not Rated)
"Hand Gestures"
"Hand Gestures" follows the process of creating one of Velasco Vitali’s famous dog sculptures, from wax to glazed bronze, at the Battaglia Artistic Foundry in Milan. The film observes the work of a group of skilled artisans in this 100-year old foundry and reveals the ancient traditions of bronze sculpture making, unchanged since the sixth century B.C. This method is not taught in school, but is passed on in the ancient oral tradition and through apprenticeships from artisans. This documentary observes and feels the work of the Battaglia Artistic Foundry: a place where the past and present share the same gestures and where each gesture is a sculpture itself.
An artist who sculpts, who works the waxes, is treated in the same way as a craftsman who turns that wax into bronze, building and destroying other ephemeral sculptures: they have been making the same gestures for centuries, and by showing this to the camera they reveal historical “jumps” in time. Director Francesco Clerici has made a fine-tuned, carefully-observed study of a glorious thing to watch: artisans practicing their craft on film. Winner of the Fipresci award at Berlinale Forum 2015. (Dir. by Francesco Clerici, 2015, Italy, in Italian with subtitles, 77 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Berlin International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival
"Beaver Trilogy Part IV" (USA, dir. Brad Besser)
In 1979, Kutv in Salt Lake City acquired a new video camera. Trent Harris, a producer for the station’s offbeat show Extra, ventured out into the parking lot to test the new equipment and happened upon a young man taking pictures of the station’s news helicopter.
The kid, calling himself “Groovin’ Gary,” was the self-proclaimed Rich Little of Beaver, Utah. His infectious personality and small-town impressions of John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, and Barry Manilow piqued Harris’s interest enough so he gave him a business card and asked that he alert him if anything newsworthy happened in his hometown. What happened next would become the foundation for "Beaver Trilogy," a unique collection of films that documented Harris’s multiple attempts at re-creating the original magic of the Beaver Kid. Director Brad Besser dives deep into the mystique of this cult classic, unraveling the mystery of Harris’s original inspiration. "Beaver Trilogy Part IV" explores the line between the quest for fame and the exploitation of those who pursue it. (Dir. by Brad Besser, 2015, USA, 84 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs
The short films in competition are in two programs:
Program 1
Program 2
The awards will be presented on Sunday October 25 before the final screenings of the festival: "Mia Madre" at 7:15Pm and "Eisenstein in Guanajuato" at 7:45Pm.
Tickets and passes on sale now at www.loftfilmfest.org.
- 10/13/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- 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
With the advent of gourmand culture, chefs reaching deity status, hipster pop-up restaurants, and epicurean networks challenging networks in ratings, Hollywood has yet to really tap into foodie zeitgeist. Sure, it’s tried; Catherine Zeta Jones in “No Reservations,” Jon Favreau’s “Chef,” “Julie and Julia,” even David Fincher was toying with the idea of making a film set in the food/chef milieu, but there hasn’t really been a movie that’s captured our modern food phenomenon exactly (though good ones about different eras include “Big Night” and “Like Water For Chocolate” to name just a few). The next in line to try is the not quite inventively titled “Burnt.” Starring four-time Academy Award nominee Bradley Cooper in the lead role (bet you never thought you’d hear that phrase), “Burnt” centers on a former bad boy chef trying to make good and assemble the Avengers of cooking...
- 8/13/2015
- by Rodrigo Perez
- The Playlist
Like water torture, TCA journos nudged Shonda Rhimes and Pete Nowalk to at least provides hints as to what will occur next season on Scandal and How To Get Away With Murder, respectively. Rhimes previously told a reporter that she wasn’t there to reveal plot lines. But after another asked again, Rhimes took a breath, looked at the ABC publicist to her right, then turned to the crowd and said: “For Scandal we’re picking up almost where we left off,” where Olivia Pope…...
- 8/5/2015
- Deadline TV
We look back at M Night Shyamalan's much-vilified fantasy movie, and ask if anything could have saved it...
“The Last Airbender is an agonizing experience in every category I can think of and others still waiting to be invented.”
So began Roger Ebert's review of The Last Airbender. It sounds harsh, but Ebert's half-star verdict was fairly representative of the tidal wave of criticism that engulfed director M. Night Shyamalan's most expensive and, ultimately, most derided film yet.
But unlike other misfires from Shyamalan, this wasn't based on his own original idea. It was the first of a planned trilogy based on the beloved Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which was hugely acclaimed for its visual sense, engrossing storytelling and lively, vibrant characters. What went wrong? It's almost harder to try and figure out what, if anything, went right.
The series, created by Michael Dante Dimartino and Bryan Konietzko,...
“The Last Airbender is an agonizing experience in every category I can think of and others still waiting to be invented.”
So began Roger Ebert's review of The Last Airbender. It sounds harsh, but Ebert's half-star verdict was fairly representative of the tidal wave of criticism that engulfed director M. Night Shyamalan's most expensive and, ultimately, most derided film yet.
But unlike other misfires from Shyamalan, this wasn't based on his own original idea. It was the first of a planned trilogy based on the beloved Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender, which was hugely acclaimed for its visual sense, engrossing storytelling and lively, vibrant characters. What went wrong? It's almost harder to try and figure out what, if anything, went right.
The series, created by Michael Dante Dimartino and Bryan Konietzko,...
- 6/7/2015
- by simonbrew
- Den of Geek
“You’re dressed like a shepherd!” Driving around Milan, middle-aged Luigi Carbone (an unrecognizable Marco Leonardi, of Like Water for Chocolate fame) affectionately disparages his 20-year-old nephew, Leo (Giuseppe Fumo), before planting him in a job in his own industry. The only child has fled a Calabrian farm and the father who runs it, Luciano (Fabrizio Ferracane, master of fluctuating facial tics), who is Luigi’s oldest brother. Leo hopes for an exciting and lucrative life better tailored to his needs than herding: working with Luigi, his idol, Uncle Rocco (Peppino Mazzotta), and their childhood pal and staunch ally, Nicola (Stefano Priolo). […]...
- 4/9/2015
- by Howard Feinstein
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
“You’re dressed like a shepherd!” Driving around Milan, middle-aged Luigi Carbone (an unrecognizable Marco Leonardi, of Like Water for Chocolate fame) affectionately disparages his 20-year-old nephew, Leo (Giuseppe Fumo), before planting him in a job in his own industry. The only child has fled a Calabrian farm and the father who runs it, Luciano (Fabrizio Ferracane, master of fluctuating facial tics), who is Luigi’s oldest brother. Leo hopes for an exciting and lucrative life better tailored to his needs than herding: working with Luigi, his idol, Uncle Rocco (Peppino Mazzotta), and their childhood pal and staunch ally, Nicola (Stefano Priolo). […]...
- 4/9/2015
- by Howard Feinstein
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Now I Lay Me Down to Kill: Munzi’s Enjoyably Reserved Mafia Film
Premiering last fall at the 2014 Venice Film Festival, where it picked up a handful of prizes, Francesco Munzi’s third film, Black Souls, is a deliberately paced examination of familiar mafia standards. Based on a novel by Giacchino Criaco, it’s bound to be compared (and perhaps exist within the shadow of) Matteo Garrone’s highly celebrated 2008 feature, Gomorrah. But Munzi’s film is equally convincing, lending an austere sense of realism to what otherwise plays like a classic theatrical tragedy of three brothers at odds, locked in opposition and contention with the heavy baggage of their lineage. Light on dialogue and heavy on brooding characters marinating in their own mistrust or disdain of one another, it’s a successfully engaging film, but despite an enjoyably dire finale, isn’t as memorable as some modern comparative material.
Premiering last fall at the 2014 Venice Film Festival, where it picked up a handful of prizes, Francesco Munzi’s third film, Black Souls, is a deliberately paced examination of familiar mafia standards. Based on a novel by Giacchino Criaco, it’s bound to be compared (and perhaps exist within the shadow of) Matteo Garrone’s highly celebrated 2008 feature, Gomorrah. But Munzi’s film is equally convincing, lending an austere sense of realism to what otherwise plays like a classic theatrical tragedy of three brothers at odds, locked in opposition and contention with the heavy baggage of their lineage. Light on dialogue and heavy on brooding characters marinating in their own mistrust or disdain of one another, it’s a successfully engaging film, but despite an enjoyably dire finale, isn’t as memorable as some modern comparative material.
- 4/9/2015
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Exclusive: Germany-set drama and TV mini-series in works.
Like Water Like Chocolate director Alfonso Arau is in development with Bagdad Café writer Chris Doherty on 1930’s-set drama The Crime of Love, about an illicit love affair between two German officers in Nazi Germany.
Carsten Lorenz is on board to produce the project, which is being exced by Mark Holdon with Arri Worldwide in talks to handle sales.
“I was looking for a great love story,” Arau told Screen. “Germany in the 1930s was such an interesting and intense period in history that I knew I wanted to set this love story at that time.”
“This project, like the greatest romance of all, Romeo and Juliet, is about real love in a world where such love is prohibited.”
Arau’s hit romance-drama Like Water for Chocolate was nominated for a BAFTA in 1994.
Latest directorial effort L’imbroglio nel lenzuolo (2010) starred Maria Grazia Cucinotta and Geraldine Chaplin.
Arau and exec...
Like Water Like Chocolate director Alfonso Arau is in development with Bagdad Café writer Chris Doherty on 1930’s-set drama The Crime of Love, about an illicit love affair between two German officers in Nazi Germany.
Carsten Lorenz is on board to produce the project, which is being exced by Mark Holdon with Arri Worldwide in talks to handle sales.
“I was looking for a great love story,” Arau told Screen. “Germany in the 1930s was such an interesting and intense period in history that I knew I wanted to set this love story at that time.”
“This project, like the greatest romance of all, Romeo and Juliet, is about real love in a world where such love is prohibited.”
Arau’s hit romance-drama Like Water for Chocolate was nominated for a BAFTA in 1994.
Latest directorial effort L’imbroglio nel lenzuolo (2010) starred Maria Grazia Cucinotta and Geraldine Chaplin.
Arau and exec...
- 11/9/2014
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
Moviefone's Top DVD of the Week
"Only Lovers Left Alive"
What's It About? Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston star as gorgeous, globe-trotting vampire lovers in this delectable treat from writer/director Jim Jarmusch
Why We're In: As Adam and Eve, Hiddles is the mopey yin to Swinton's yang. The costumes and production design are to die (or live forever) for. John Hurt, Mia Wasikowska, and Jeffrey Wright shine in smaller roles. In a word, it's gorgeous.
Rt 4 chance 2 win Tom Hiddleston's vampire drama #OnlyLoversLeftAlive -- on DVD this week! http://t.co/PJSHeLWlOu
- moviefone (@moviefone) August 17, 2014
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week
"Y Tu Mama También (Criterion)"
What's It About? Alfonso Cuarón's road trip romance features star-making performances by Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, who play two young dudes who both become infatuated with an older woman. Beautiful, sexy, and sad.
Why We're In: Now when...
"Only Lovers Left Alive"
What's It About? Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston star as gorgeous, globe-trotting vampire lovers in this delectable treat from writer/director Jim Jarmusch
Why We're In: As Adam and Eve, Hiddles is the mopey yin to Swinton's yang. The costumes and production design are to die (or live forever) for. John Hurt, Mia Wasikowska, and Jeffrey Wright shine in smaller roles. In a word, it's gorgeous.
Rt 4 chance 2 win Tom Hiddleston's vampire drama #OnlyLoversLeftAlive -- on DVD this week! http://t.co/PJSHeLWlOu
- moviefone (@moviefone) August 17, 2014
Moviefone's Top Blu-ray of the Week
"Y Tu Mama También (Criterion)"
What's It About? Alfonso Cuarón's road trip romance features star-making performances by Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, who play two young dudes who both become infatuated with an older woman. Beautiful, sexy, and sad.
Why We're In: Now when...
- 8/18/2014
- by Jenni Miller
- Moviefone
True story "Decoding Annie Parker" is a low-budget crowdpleaser that is rough around the edges but sticks with you. It opens Friday. Rookie director Steven Bernstein's breast cancer saga stars Helen Hunt as famed geneticist Mary-Claire King, who painstakingly tracked down the Brca-1 genetic marker for breast cancer, and Samantha Morton in the title role of a woman who is convinced that breast cancer runs in families, which won her Best Actress at the last year's Seattle International Film Festival. "Every 12 minutes someone dies of breast cancer," says King in the movie. The real life Parker has so far survived three rounds fighting cancer, and finally met Dr. King onstage at the Seattle Film Festival. "They cried and I cried," says Bernstein. Bernstein left his career as a Hollywood cinematographer ("White Chicks," "Monster," "Like Water for Chocolate," "Scary Movie 2") and devoted seven years to financing, shooting and promoting the film,...
- 5/2/2014
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Between the 28 April and 5 May, El Mariachi himself Carlos Gallardo will be running a series of one day masterclasses across the UK to “inspire the young filmmakers.” To coincide with these events HeyUGuys had the privilege to speak with the iconic actor and producer. Talking with Gallardo, his voice beats with a passionate rhythm, of someone whose passion for cinema and filmmaking has only matured with age.
When we caught up with him he spoke about discovering his cinematic and creative inspiration, his collaborative relationship with Robert Rodriguez, the challenges faced and conquered, and offered us an insight into what he hopes to share with the aspiring filmmakers attending his masterclasses.
Why a creative career? Was there that one inspirational moment?
It all started when I was six years old in Acapulco, Mexico. We were a couple of kids who were left with a nanny when our parents went out.
When we caught up with him he spoke about discovering his cinematic and creative inspiration, his collaborative relationship with Robert Rodriguez, the challenges faced and conquered, and offered us an insight into what he hopes to share with the aspiring filmmakers attending his masterclasses.
Why a creative career? Was there that one inspirational moment?
It all started when I was six years old in Acapulco, Mexico. We were a couple of kids who were left with a nanny when our parents went out.
- 4/28/2014
- by Paul Risker
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Months after the end of "Breaking Bad," Aaron Paul is dealing with cancer again, but this time there won't be any meth, guns or chemistry. But there will be plenty of hair care products. With Paul starring alongside Helen Hunt and Samantha Morton, "Decoding Annie Parker" looks to be an eccentric, inspirational true story about conquering disease. Morton plays a free spirit diagnosed with breast cancer, who works with a radical geneticist (Hunt) to prove that the disease can be inherited. But, honestly, the plot takes a backseat to Paul's luscious locks. Throughout the video, he sports several different 'dos, including a very long, very soft-looking hippie hair. In another scene, Paul models a short, punky coiffure that looks borrowed from Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong. Watch the trailer here: "Annie" also stars Rashida Jones, Bradley Whitford, Alice Eve, Richard Schiff, Maggie Grace, Chris Mulkey and Corey Stoll. It...
- 4/10/2014
- by Dave Lewis
- Hitfix
The Tribeca Film Festival announced its jurors for this year’s event, which runs from April 16-27. The list includes Toni Collette, Lake Bell, Whoopi Goldberg, Catherine Hardwicke, Heather Graham, Anton Yelchin, Paul Wesley and 26 other leaders of the filmmaking community.
In addition to the Festival’s main competition juries in seven categories, Tribeca named Delia Ephron, Natasha Lyonne, and Gary Ross to select the second annual Nora Ephron Prize, which awards $25,000 to a female writer or director.
Click below for the entire list of jurors, with biographical information courtesy of the Tribeca festival:
World Competition Categories
The jurors for...
In addition to the Festival’s main competition juries in seven categories, Tribeca named Delia Ephron, Natasha Lyonne, and Gary Ross to select the second annual Nora Ephron Prize, which awards $25,000 to a female writer or director.
Click below for the entire list of jurors, with biographical information courtesy of the Tribeca festival:
World Competition Categories
The jurors for...
- 4/8/2014
- by Jeff Labrecque
- EW - Inside Movies
With its blend of adventure, love story, and comedy, "Romancing the Stone" is remembered today as one of the quintessential hits of the 1980s. Nonetheless, at the time the movie was released (30 years ago this week, on March 30, 1984), no one expected much from it. Director Robert Zemeckis was seen as a failed whiz kid, star Kathleen Turner had never carried a picture, and co-star Michael Douglas had yet to prove himself as a leading man. Of course, the film ended up propelling all three of them onto the A-list and generated an equally successful sequel, "The Jewel of the Nile."
As familiar as you are now with the story of Joan Wilder (the mousy romance novelist who blossoms during a real-life treasure hunt in Colombia) and Jack T. Colton (the unlikely guide who proves to be the romantic hero of Joan's fantasies), there's still a lot about "Romancing the Stone" you may not know,...
As familiar as you are now with the story of Joan Wilder (the mousy romance novelist who blossoms during a real-life treasure hunt in Colombia) and Jack T. Colton (the unlikely guide who proves to be the romantic hero of Joan's fantasies), there's still a lot about "Romancing the Stone" you may not know,...
- 3/24/2014
- by Gary Susman
- Moviefone
Austin - The Jon Favreau who wrote and directed "Chef" is the same Jon Favreau who helped create "Swingers" and "Made," the same guy who brought a distinctly independent voice to "Iron Man," the same guy who gave "Elf" such an unexpectedly big heart, and the same guy who seemed almost completely submerged in the giant studio product of "Cowboys and Aliens." I have no doubt you'll see plenty of people attempting to turn "Chef" into Favreau's autobiographical reaction to his own career, and while I think there are some valid and interesting parallels, I also think it would be both cheap and easy to assume that this is simply some knee-jerk cry of "But I'm really an Arrrrrrrtist!" "Chef" is a deceptively simple film. Favreau stars as Carl Casper, a chef who works for an upscale Los Angeles restaurant. Anointed a decade earlier as a promising young chef by...
- 3/8/2014
- by Drew McWeeny
- Hitfix
Mma fans will already be very familiar with Anderson Silva. In fact, some non-mma fans might know the man as well. With some 5 million Twitter followers, and 4 million Facebook fans, clearly, from all over the world, he's an international superstar that many aren't aware of... yet, because that's about to change as Silva is planning for life after Mma, with acting in and producing films and TV shows, in his sights. He's taken the first step in that direction by signing with ICM Partners for worldwide representation. The longest-reigning Ufc Champion, and the most feared fighter in mixed martial arts, Silva was the subject of an award-winning 2012 feature documentary titled Like Water, which...
- 2/27/2014
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
The man who’s widely regarded as the greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all time is looking for a second career outside the ring. Anderson Silva has signed with ICM Partners for worldwide representation as he looks into acting and producing films and TV, publishing and endorsement branding. The Brazilian is a superstar in his growing sport, reigning as the Ufc middleweight championship from 2006-13 and holding the record for most consecutive wins (16) and title defenses (10). He was the subject of the documentary Like Water, which won the best director prize for Pablo Corce at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival and was picked up by Cinedigm. Silva, who boasts more than 5 million Twitter followers and 4 million Facebook fans, is managed by Hebert Mota and theatrically managed by Talize Sayegh.
- 2/27/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Valentine's Day is upon us, and if you have young kids at home and/or forgot to secure a sitter, you're probably going to have to celebrate at home. Perhaps you've been together a while and don't get caught up in the dinner and gifts revelry any more (if ever!). We hear you, and we've got some great recommendations for a lovely romantic movie night after the kids have gone to bed.
For couples who love old-school rom-coms: "You've Got Mail"
Watch on Amazon Instant
Watch on iTunes
There was something magical about Meg Ryan in her Hollywood heyday, and she was once quite deservedly the queen of romantic comedies. Although we adore "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless in Seattle," this remake of "The Shop Around the Corner" combines our love of New York-set romances, all things Tom Hanks, and the allure of bookstores.
For couples who like some...
For couples who love old-school rom-coms: "You've Got Mail"
Watch on Amazon Instant
Watch on iTunes
There was something magical about Meg Ryan in her Hollywood heyday, and she was once quite deservedly the queen of romantic comedies. Although we adore "When Harry Met Sally" and "Sleepless in Seattle," this remake of "The Shop Around the Corner" combines our love of New York-set romances, all things Tom Hanks, and the allure of bookstores.
For couples who like some...
- 2/13/2014
- by Sandie Angulo Chen
- Moviefone
The release of Cinema Paradiso was the point at which foreign-language film developed a new sheen for global audiences – complete with heartwarming stories and a hint of the exotic
• Salvatore Cascio: 'Cinema Paradiso is about the power of dreams'
• Cinema Paradiso: watch the trailer for the 25th anniversary edition
From the start, Cinema Paradiso carries itself like one of the classics its adorable scamp gazes at, open-mouthed, from the projection room. It has an adorable scamp, for starters – and plenty besides: the timeless Sicilian locations, the Felliniesque social carnival, the thunderbolt love affair, humanism lashed about as freely as olive oil. Giuseppe Tornatore's film is a cosy passeggiata down a celluloid Möbius strip looping art into life. When it arrived in the Us in February 1990 – all gilded sequences and grand themes – it seemed like the distillation of the idea of classic foreign cinema.
The two-hour cut – simplifying the characterisation,...
• Salvatore Cascio: 'Cinema Paradiso is about the power of dreams'
• Cinema Paradiso: watch the trailer for the 25th anniversary edition
From the start, Cinema Paradiso carries itself like one of the classics its adorable scamp gazes at, open-mouthed, from the projection room. It has an adorable scamp, for starters – and plenty besides: the timeless Sicilian locations, the Felliniesque social carnival, the thunderbolt love affair, humanism lashed about as freely as olive oil. Giuseppe Tornatore's film is a cosy passeggiata down a celluloid Möbius strip looping art into life. When it arrived in the Us in February 1990 – all gilded sequences and grand themes – it seemed like the distillation of the idea of classic foreign cinema.
The two-hour cut – simplifying the characterisation,...
- 12/5/2013
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Halifax -- Hollywood's most fattening movies point the camera at compelling chefs. Recall Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia, Tony Shalhoub in Big Night and Catherine Zeta-Jones in No Reservations. Those movies brought audiences into gilded pantries, while also bringing dirty pots and pans into the open. But European and other foreign food-themed movies mostly feature the big dinner, where eating well is the best revenge against life's woes and ills. Remember the mighty gorge in Gabriel Axel's Babette's Feast, Alfonso Arau's Like Water for Chocolate, Ang Lee's Eat Drink Man Woman, Lasse Hallstrom's Chocolat and Juzo Itami's Tampopo.
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- 11/14/2013
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Fiction sometimes seems to contain almost as many recipes as cookery, but which are the most appetising?
James Bond was always fussy about his food – remember that breakfast in Casino Royale with "half a pint of iced orange juice, three scrambled eggs and bacon, and a double portion of coffee without sugar". Now William Boyd has taken 007's foodie fetishism to a new level with a footnoted recipe for salad dressing.
It opens up a whole new perspective on your bookshelves – what if you tried to live off the recipes buried between the covers of your favourite fiction? There's an old joke about Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse (1927) – you might not enjoy the novel, but you can certainly learn how to make the French classic dish boeuf en daube. But this is completely untrue: the dish is made by Mildred (a cook who seems to spend most of her time...
James Bond was always fussy about his food – remember that breakfast in Casino Royale with "half a pint of iced orange juice, three scrambled eggs and bacon, and a double portion of coffee without sugar". Now William Boyd has taken 007's foodie fetishism to a new level with a footnoted recipe for salad dressing.
It opens up a whole new perspective on your bookshelves – what if you tried to live off the recipes buried between the covers of your favourite fiction? There's an old joke about Virginia Woolf's To the Lighthouse (1927) – you might not enjoy the novel, but you can certainly learn how to make the French classic dish boeuf en daube. But this is completely untrue: the dish is made by Mildred (a cook who seems to spend most of her time...
- 11/8/2013
- by Moira Redmond
- The Guardian - Film News
Food is often used as visual shorthand for sex at the movies – but, as in life, their real relationship is much messier
Fifty years ago came the release of a film with one of the most famous sex scenes in the history of cinema. Yet the couple don't even touch, let alone take their clothes off. In Tony Richardson's Tom Jones, Albert Finney and Joyce Redman share a wordless meal which becomes a kind of foreplay. They stare into each other's eyes as they lustily strip meat off bones, swallow whole oysters and stuff juicy pears into their dripping mouths. It is obvious from the first lick of the lips where this will end. And it's not washing up.
Food and sex seem as natural a screen coupling as Bogart and Bacall. Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger exploring the sexy potential of a fridge's contents in 9½ Weeks. The lusty wedding...
Fifty years ago came the release of a film with one of the most famous sex scenes in the history of cinema. Yet the couple don't even touch, let alone take their clothes off. In Tony Richardson's Tom Jones, Albert Finney and Joyce Redman share a wordless meal which becomes a kind of foreplay. They stare into each other's eyes as they lustily strip meat off bones, swallow whole oysters and stuff juicy pears into their dripping mouths. It is obvious from the first lick of the lips where this will end. And it's not washing up.
Food and sex seem as natural a screen coupling as Bogart and Bacall. Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger exploring the sexy potential of a fridge's contents in 9½ Weeks. The lusty wedding...
- 10/24/2013
- by Julian Baggini
- The Guardian - Film News
There appears to be no harsh feelings between Joe Simpson and his former son-in-law Nick Lachey. While out at a Hollywood nightclub over the weekend, Simpson told TMZ that Lachey's recent negative comments caught him off guard. "But I still love Nick," he said. "I think he was a good husband to my daughter." Simpson further added that he "would still have a beer with him today." Lachey originally told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live last month that "the best thing about not having Joe Simpson anymore as a father-in-law is I don't have to play grab-ass under the table on Easter Sunday." Like water under the bridge—clearly all is forgiven...
- 6/3/2013
- E! Online
Unbeatable salesmen of foreign-language films to English-speaking audiences, have they added unhealthy levels saccharine in the process?
"America for business. France for love," proclaims one of the characters at the end of Populaire, one of the latest batch of foreign-language releases snapped up for the Us by the Weinstein Company. It's like the chap is parroting the business credo – use ruthless Us commercial nous to identify and exploit passionate film-making from overseas – that helped Bob and Harvey Weinstein climb to the top of the independent pile in the 1990s with their first company, Miramax, then do it all over again.
Not much work was required to make Populaire, which started life with several French production companies, fit for purpose: this glassy-eyed tale of a plucky typist (Deborah François), with its mechanically aspirational plot, cute retro rhythms and New York finale, is pleading to be exported. Its eagerness to please is...
"America for business. France for love," proclaims one of the characters at the end of Populaire, one of the latest batch of foreign-language releases snapped up for the Us by the Weinstein Company. It's like the chap is parroting the business credo – use ruthless Us commercial nous to identify and exploit passionate film-making from overseas – that helped Bob and Harvey Weinstein climb to the top of the independent pile in the 1990s with their first company, Miramax, then do it all over again.
Not much work was required to make Populaire, which started life with several French production companies, fit for purpose: this glassy-eyed tale of a plucky typist (Deborah François), with its mechanically aspirational plot, cute retro rhythms and New York finale, is pleading to be exported. Its eagerness to please is...
- 5/29/2013
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
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