The Academy Museum has vowed to modify language in its new “Hollywoodland” exhibit dedicated to the Jewish founders of Hollywood amid outcry labeling the exhibit antisemitic.
“We have heard the concerns from members of the Jewish community regarding some components of our exhibition ‘Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital,’” the Academy Museum said on Monday in a statement obtained by IndieWire. “We take these concerns seriously and are committed to making changes to the exhibition to address them. We will be implementing the first set of changes immediately — they will allow us to tell these important stories without using phrasing that may unintentionally reinforce stereotypes. This will also help to eliminate any ambiguities. In addition to these updates, we are convening an advisory group of experts from leading museums focused on the Jewish community, civil rights, and the history of other marginalized groups to advise us...
“We have heard the concerns from members of the Jewish community regarding some components of our exhibition ‘Hollywoodland: Jewish Founders and the Making of a Movie Capital,’” the Academy Museum said on Monday in a statement obtained by IndieWire. “We take these concerns seriously and are committed to making changes to the exhibition to address them. We will be implementing the first set of changes immediately — they will allow us to tell these important stories without using phrasing that may unintentionally reinforce stereotypes. This will also help to eliminate any ambiguities. In addition to these updates, we are convening an advisory group of experts from leading museums focused on the Jewish community, civil rights, and the history of other marginalized groups to advise us...
- 6/10/2024
- by Brian Welk
- Indiewire
Thanks to enhanced security measures, attendees at this year’s Cannes Film Festival have faced only a few hiccups. Even the ongoing war and Israeli hostage situation in Gaza haven’t made headlines during the festival, in stark contrast with the Berlinale.
But one private screening, which was scheduled outside of the festival and market, was canceled abruptly, and attendees were told it was due to a security threat. Details of what happened remain unclear.
On May 17, WestEnd Films co-founder Sharon Harel-Cohen organized a screening of “Bearing Witness” for a small group of industryites who were in town for the festival. The 47-minute film shows raw footage from the Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel, some of it captured by body cameras and CCTV. The invitation warned: “The footage is extremely graphic and violent, including videos of murder filmed by Hamas terrorists.” It also noted, “For security reasons the location...
But one private screening, which was scheduled outside of the festival and market, was canceled abruptly, and attendees were told it was due to a security threat. Details of what happened remain unclear.
On May 17, WestEnd Films co-founder Sharon Harel-Cohen organized a screening of “Bearing Witness” for a small group of industryites who were in town for the festival. The 47-minute film shows raw footage from the Oct. 7 terror attack in southern Israel, some of it captured by body cameras and CCTV. The invitation warned: “The footage is extremely graphic and violent, including videos of murder filmed by Hamas terrorists.” It also noted, “For security reasons the location...
- 5/21/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Robert De Niro’s film legacy is being toasted for his 80th birthday in 2024.
During the annual Tribeca Festival, which will take place June 5 through 16, will be an inaugural De Niro Con celebration of the Oscar winner’s filmography. Auteurs Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and David O. Russell will revisit their collaborations with De Niro for panel discussions post-screenings, while De Niro’s former co-stars Christopher Walken, Billy Crystal, and more are set to add to the celebrations.
The three-day tribute will take place at Spring Studios from June 14 through 16. De Niro Con is powered by Webex Events, allowing fans to download an exclusive app to make the most of their Con experience.
Programming includes a screening series with 13 classic De Niro films, including the 50th anniversary of “Mean Streets,” live conversations with long-time collaborators, career-spanning exhibit “De Niro Is an Icon: An Exhibit & Immersive Film” with more than 300 curated...
During the annual Tribeca Festival, which will take place June 5 through 16, will be an inaugural De Niro Con celebration of the Oscar winner’s filmography. Auteurs Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, and David O. Russell will revisit their collaborations with De Niro for panel discussions post-screenings, while De Niro’s former co-stars Christopher Walken, Billy Crystal, and more are set to add to the celebrations.
The three-day tribute will take place at Spring Studios from June 14 through 16. De Niro Con is powered by Webex Events, allowing fans to download an exclusive app to make the most of their Con experience.
Programming includes a screening series with 13 classic De Niro films, including the 50th anniversary of “Mean Streets,” live conversations with long-time collaborators, career-spanning exhibit “De Niro Is an Icon: An Exhibit & Immersive Film” with more than 300 curated...
- 5/8/2024
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
It’s time for a new episode of the Real Slashers video series, and with this one we’re taking another look at one of my personal favorites, director Scott Spiegel’s 1989 film Intruder (pick up a copy of the unrated Blu-ray Here). I previously covered this movie with an episode of Best Horror Movie You Never Saw and Emilie Black wrote about it for Wtf Happened to This Horror Movie. Now it’s Tyler Nichols’ turn to dig into it, and you can find out what he had to say about Intruder by watching the video embedded above.
Scripted by Spiegel (who wrote Evil Dead II with Sam Raimi) from a story he crafted with producer Lawrence Bender, Intruder has the following synopsis: It’s 10 pm and the employees of Michigan’s Walnut Lake Supermarket are in for a really bad night. The place is shutting its doors for good,...
Scripted by Spiegel (who wrote Evil Dead II with Sam Raimi) from a story he crafted with producer Lawrence Bender, Intruder has the following synopsis: It’s 10 pm and the employees of Michigan’s Walnut Lake Supermarket are in for a really bad night. The place is shutting its doors for good,...
- 4/24/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Editors note: Filmmaker and producer Davis Guggenheim directed 2006’s An Inconvenient Truth featuring Al Gore. The film won the Oscar and helped put Jeff Skoll’s social-impact-driven production company then known as Participant Media on the map, and also sounded an alarm about climate change that has become more pronounced since the film was released. In addition to documentaries, Participant was also responsible for Oscar Best Picture winners Spotlight and Green Book, and Steven Soderbergh’s Contagion, another timely topic. Guggenheim is a co-founder of Concordia Studio and most recently directed and produced Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie, which won four Emmys including for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special. He is the only person to direct and produce three distinct films ranking in the top 100 highest-grossing documentaries of all time. Here he penned a guest column for Deadline after learning Participant was shuttering.
- 4/23/2024
- by Davis Guggenheim
- Deadline Film + TV
Quentin Tarantino has been a voice of authority in the film industry for decades. His opinions may not always be popular, but they always command respect.
It's almost impossible to remember a time before his innovative style of filmmaking, with its witty dialogue, stylized violence and non-linear narratives. But back in the early 90s, he was an unknown trying to make his way in the film world.
It all started at a barbecue?
In 1992, Quentin Tarantino burst onto the movie scene with a heist movie that was the result of a chance meeting with producer Lawrence Bender at a barbecue. He completed the first draft in less than a month and, after impressing Bender, was able to secure financing to move the project forward.
And so, Reservoir Dogs was born.
A critically acclaimed movie that has stood the test of time
Tarantino's debut film premiered at the Sundance Festival...
It's almost impossible to remember a time before his innovative style of filmmaking, with its witty dialogue, stylized violence and non-linear narratives. But back in the early 90s, he was an unknown trying to make his way in the film world.
It all started at a barbecue?
In 1992, Quentin Tarantino burst onto the movie scene with a heist movie that was the result of a chance meeting with producer Lawrence Bender at a barbecue. He completed the first draft in less than a month and, after impressing Bender, was able to secure financing to move the project forward.
And so, Reservoir Dogs was born.
A critically acclaimed movie that has stood the test of time
Tarantino's debut film premiered at the Sundance Festival...
- 4/20/2024
- by info@startefacts.com (Lee Jevon)
- STartefacts.com
John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson and Harvey Keitel reunited at the TCM Classic Film festival on Thursday for a 30th anniversary screening of Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” to reflect on the film’s impact on their careers — and upon the medium itself.
“It changed cinema, so it’s almost hard to have it sink in,” observed Uma Thurman, who joined Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta and Harvey Keitel for a Q&a about Tarantino’s benchmark film with Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz. “I feel like I’ve had an evolving and beautifully growing relationship with ‘Pulp Fiction’ all of my life. It changed cinema, and it changed every filmmaker I met since.”
Though she and her three costars were the only members asked to speak before the screening, several other members of the cast and crew joined them in the auditorium of the Tcl Chinese Theatre,...
“It changed cinema, so it’s almost hard to have it sink in,” observed Uma Thurman, who joined Samuel L. Jackson, John Travolta and Harvey Keitel for a Q&a about Tarantino’s benchmark film with Turner Classic Movies host Ben Mankiewicz. “I feel like I’ve had an evolving and beautifully growing relationship with ‘Pulp Fiction’ all of my life. It changed cinema, and it changed every filmmaker I met since.”
Though she and her three costars were the only members asked to speak before the screening, several other members of the cast and crew joined them in the auditorium of the Tcl Chinese Theatre,...
- 4/19/2024
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
Opening night of the TCM Classic Film Festival next week will also serve as a Pulp Fiction reunion.
Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Rosanna Arquette and Harvey Keitel are among those joining John Travolta on April 18 for the 30th anniversary, 35mm screening of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994) at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Fellow actors Eric Stoltz, Julia Sweeney, Frank Whaley, Phil Lamarr and Burr Steers, producer Lawrence Bender and executive producers Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher are expected to be there as well.
As previously announced, actor Billy Dee Williams and makeup artist Lois Burwell will be honored at the 15th annual festival; author Jeanine Basinger will receive the Robert Osborne Award; and Jodie Foster will partake in a hand- and footprint ceremony.
The festival, with the theme “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film,” runs through April 21 at venues including the rejuvenated Egyptian Theatre.
Among those...
Uma Thurman, Samuel L. Jackson, Rosanna Arquette and Harvey Keitel are among those joining John Travolta on April 18 for the 30th anniversary, 35mm screening of Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994) at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.
Fellow actors Eric Stoltz, Julia Sweeney, Frank Whaley, Phil Lamarr and Burr Steers, producer Lawrence Bender and executive producers Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher are expected to be there as well.
As previously announced, actor Billy Dee Williams and makeup artist Lois Burwell will be honored at the 15th annual festival; author Jeanine Basinger will receive the Robert Osborne Award; and Jodie Foster will partake in a hand- and footprint ceremony.
The festival, with the theme “Most Wanted: Crime and Justice in Film,” runs through April 21 at venues including the rejuvenated Egyptian Theatre.
Among those...
- 4/8/2024
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
In the weeks since the 2024 Academy Awards, figures throughout Hollywood have continued to declare their support for director Jonathan Glazer. While accepting the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film for The Zone of Interest, a film that centers on the Holocaust, the Jewish director criticized the dehumanization of “victims of October the 7th in Israel or the ongoing attack on Gaza.”
The most recent show of support comes from an open letter signed by more than 150 Jewish creatives, including Joaquin Phoenix, Elliott Gould, Ilana Glazer, Chloe Fineman, Todd Haynes,...
The most recent show of support comes from an open letter signed by more than 150 Jewish creatives, including Joaquin Phoenix, Elliott Gould, Ilana Glazer, Chloe Fineman, Todd Haynes,...
- 4/5/2024
- by Larisha Paul
- Rollingstone.com
Updated with more signatories: Reaction continues to The Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer’s acceptance speech after his film won the Oscar for Best International Feature Film this month.
Some 1,215 Jewish show business professionals now have signed a letter denouncing the filmmaker’s speech, in which he decried the “dehumanization” of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. See the updated full list below.
“We refute our Jewishness being hijacked for the purpose of drawing a moral equivalence between a Nazi regime that sought to exterminate a race of people, and an Israeli nation that seeks to avert its own extermination,” the letter states (read it in full in full below).
This list includes among its signatories Eli Roth and Amy Sherman-Palladino, Amy Pascal, Debra Messing, Gail Berman, Hawk Koch, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gary Barber, Lawrence Bender, Tovah Feldshuh and Rod Lurie.
You can watch Glazer’s speech here,...
Some 1,215 Jewish show business professionals now have signed a letter denouncing the filmmaker’s speech, in which he decried the “dehumanization” of the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas. See the updated full list below.
“We refute our Jewishness being hijacked for the purpose of drawing a moral equivalence between a Nazi regime that sought to exterminate a race of people, and an Israeli nation that seeks to avert its own extermination,” the letter states (read it in full in full below).
This list includes among its signatories Eli Roth and Amy Sherman-Palladino, Amy Pascal, Debra Messing, Gail Berman, Hawk Koch, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gary Barber, Lawrence Bender, Tovah Feldshuh and Rod Lurie.
You can watch Glazer’s speech here,...
- 3/20/2024
- by Erik Pedersen
- Deadline Film + TV
More than 1,000 Jewish creatives, executives and Hollywood professionals have signed an open letter denouncing Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest” Oscar speech.
The list of co-signees provided to Variety Monday morning covers a broad swath of the industry including actors, executives, creators (Amy Sherman-Palladino), directors, producers and representatives. About 500 more individuals have added their names to the nearly 500 who signed on when the open letter was first published.
The group’s statement says: “We refute our Jewishness being hijacked for the purpose of drawing a moral equivalence between a Nazi regime that sought to exterminate a race of people, and an Israeli nation that seeks to avert its own extermination.”
Glazer declined to comment.
With such high-profile co-signees as Jennifer Jason Leigh, “La La Land” producer Gary Gilbert and “The Americans” creators Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg, the statement adds, “The use of words like ‘occupation’ to describe an...
The list of co-signees provided to Variety Monday morning covers a broad swath of the industry including actors, executives, creators (Amy Sherman-Palladino), directors, producers and representatives. About 500 more individuals have added their names to the nearly 500 who signed on when the open letter was first published.
The group’s statement says: “We refute our Jewishness being hijacked for the purpose of drawing a moral equivalence between a Nazi regime that sought to exterminate a race of people, and an Israeli nation that seeks to avert its own extermination.”
Glazer declined to comment.
With such high-profile co-signees as Jennifer Jason Leigh, “La La Land” producer Gary Gilbert and “The Americans” creators Joel Fields and Joe Weisberg, the statement adds, “The use of words like ‘occupation’ to describe an...
- 3/18/2024
- by Tatiana Siegel
- Variety Film + TV
The Shape is back! Well, of course he is. He can't be killed, after all, and the "Halloween" franchise must go on to ensure that Michael Myers will still be terrorizing the fine folks in Haddonfield for generations to come. "Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers" continued the trend established in "Halloween 4" and "Halloween 5" of weirdly copying the sequel titles of the "Pink Panther" movies starring Peter Sellers. There was "The Return," then "The Revenge" and now it was time to dive a little deeper into "Halloween" lore, for better or worse.
Honestly, it was something of a miracle that "Halloween 6" even got made at all. After becoming the first in the series to actually premiere on Friday the 13th, "Halloween 5" was the lowest grossing movie of the franchise when it opened in October of 1989. After the development for "Halloween 6" stalled multiple times due to legal issues,...
Honestly, it was something of a miracle that "Halloween 6" even got made at all. After becoming the first in the series to actually premiere on Friday the 13th, "Halloween 5" was the lowest grossing movie of the franchise when it opened in October of 1989. After the development for "Halloween 6" stalled multiple times due to legal issues,...
- 12/19/2023
- by Drew Tinnin
- Slash Film
If you look at Samuel L. Jackson's IMDb page, you will see a list of credits in the hundreds. For decades, Jackson has gradually become one of the most successful actors in Hollywood, appearing in movies of all genres at all budget levels in roles of all sizes. He's created a litany of indelible characters that make him someone so many actors — particularly Black actors — want to mold their careers after. Even if he has a dynamite screen persona he can tap into whenever he wishes, Jackson is one of the most versatile actors working, and though he's currently in his mid-70s, he shows no signs of slowing down.
Despite all the credits, there will be one role mentioned in the headline for his obituary when he eventually passes on hopefully many, many years from now. That role is Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino's blockbuster sophomore feature "Pulp Fiction.
Despite all the credits, there will be one role mentioned in the headline for his obituary when he eventually passes on hopefully many, many years from now. That role is Jules Winnfield in Quentin Tarantino's blockbuster sophomore feature "Pulp Fiction.
- 12/10/2023
- by Mike Shutt
- Slash Film
The Idf’s ground war in Gaza to root out the Hamas perpetrators of the Oct 7 terror attack has prompted demonstrations as casualties and the death toll mounts. As tensions continue to mount, groups of benefactors have focused on not allowing Oct 7 to be dismissed. After 45 minutes of gruesome footage shot by terrorists was shown in Hollywood and New York, some survivors are being flown to Hollywood to speak. That happened Saturday at the home of producer Lawrence Bender, and more than 100 gathered to hear the experiences of several survivors. One was Ella Shani, a 14-year old survivor of the attack on her Kubbutz Be’eri. Her father and neighbors were murdered, and her 16 year old cousin was kidnapped and is being held hostage. Another is Tomer Peretz, an Israel American artist on holiday in Israel when he volunteered with the Zaka-Rapid response unit of volunteers for mass casualty disasters,...
- 11/20/2023
- by The Deadline Team
- Deadline Film + TV
On Wednesday evening, while most of Hollywood was cheering the news that the months-long actors strike had just come to an end, some 200 invited members of the industry — most of them avowed supporters of Israel — convened at the Museum of Tolerance in West L.A. for a screening of a film unlike any other: Bearing Witness, which comprises 43 minutes of footage of atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists against Israeli citizens on Oct. 7.
The somber gathering took place under heavy guard. Another media outlet leaked the location at which it would be taking place, resulting in threats against the museum and necessitating an FBI advance team in the days leading up to it. On Wednesday, a considerable number of LAPD officers were stationed inside the museum’s theater, out on the surrounding streets and in a helicopter overhead. But in the end, there appeared to be no more than a few...
The somber gathering took place under heavy guard. Another media outlet leaked the location at which it would be taking place, resulting in threats against the museum and necessitating an FBI advance team in the days leading up to it. On Wednesday, a considerable number of LAPD officers were stationed inside the museum’s theater, out on the surrounding streets and in a helicopter overhead. But in the end, there appeared to be no more than a few...
- 11/9/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
4th Update, Oct 16: Casey Wasserman is the latest Hollywood heavyweight to speak out in support of Israel.
“There is no justification for this,” the Wasserman chairman-ceo – and chairman of the L.A. 2028 committee – reportedly said at an International Olympic Committee session in Mumbai on Monday. “I unequivocally stand in solidarity with Israel, but let me be clear I also stand with the innocent civilians in Gaza who did not choose this war.”
Referencing the terrorist kidnapping of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Games, Wasserman continued, “Unfortunately, the Olympics are not immune to the world we live in.
“At its worst, it is a platform for hate to express itself on the stage and we will always remember the 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team who were taken hostage and murdered in Munich.
“But at its best it is an opportunity for sport to show the world a better path with peace and unity,...
“There is no justification for this,” the Wasserman chairman-ceo – and chairman of the L.A. 2028 committee – reportedly said at an International Olympic Committee session in Mumbai on Monday. “I unequivocally stand in solidarity with Israel, but let me be clear I also stand with the innocent civilians in Gaza who did not choose this war.”
Referencing the terrorist kidnapping of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Games, Wasserman continued, “Unfortunately, the Olympics are not immune to the world we live in.
“At its worst, it is a platform for hate to express itself on the stage and we will always remember the 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team who were taken hostage and murdered in Munich.
“But at its best it is an opportunity for sport to show the world a better path with peace and unity,...
- 10/16/2023
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
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Spyglass Media Group founder Gary Barber, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz and a group of other leaders in the entertainment industry denounced the “brutal attacks” by Hamas in Israel in a joint statement Thursday received exclusively by TheWrap.
“We denounce the brutal attacks by Hamas in Israel. These atrocities will have a devastating impact on future generations,” the statement read. “We unequivocally stand in solidarity with Israel in the global fight against terrorism. Am Yisrael Chai.”
Other signatories of the statement include Lawrence Bender, Jim Berkus, Roger Birnbaum, Jonathan Glickman, Jason Hirschhorn, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Brian Robbins, Eli Roth, Haim Saban, Chris Silbermann, Ben Silverman, Modi Wiczyk and Rick Yorn.
The joint statement follows several statements, both internally and externally, from companies including Warner Bros. Discovery, Lionsgate, Paramount Global, NBCUniversal parent Comcast...
Spyglass Media Group founder Gary Barber, Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz and a group of other leaders in the entertainment industry denounced the “brutal attacks” by Hamas in Israel in a joint statement Thursday received exclusively by TheWrap.
“We denounce the brutal attacks by Hamas in Israel. These atrocities will have a devastating impact on future generations,” the statement read. “We unequivocally stand in solidarity with Israel in the global fight against terrorism. Am Yisrael Chai.”
Other signatories of the statement include Lawrence Bender, Jim Berkus, Roger Birnbaum, Jonathan Glickman, Jason Hirschhorn, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Brian Robbins, Eli Roth, Haim Saban, Chris Silbermann, Ben Silverman, Modi Wiczyk and Rick Yorn.
The joint statement follows several statements, both internally and externally, from companies including Warner Bros. Discovery, Lionsgate, Paramount Global, NBCUniversal parent Comcast...
- 10/12/2023
- by Lucas Manfredi
- The Wrap
Quentin Tarantino had a single epic film in mind when he set out to create what became Kill Bill: Vol. 1 and its follow-up.
The lead character of the Bride originated in conversations between Tarantino and star Uma Thurman during their first collaboration in 1993. “I came up with the idea of doing Kill Bill on the set of Pulp Fiction with Uma,” Tarantino told The Hollywood Reporter in 2003. “‘Bang Bang’ set to Uma for the opening credits was in my mind [back then],” the director said of using Cher’s song “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” to open the film, although he later opted for the Nancy Sinatra cover.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 centers on Thurman’s erstwhile assassin seeking revenge against her former team and their leader, Bill (David Carradine), after they tried to kill her and her unborn child on her wedding day. Tarantino envisioned Warren Beatty for...
The lead character of the Bride originated in conversations between Tarantino and star Uma Thurman during their first collaboration in 1993. “I came up with the idea of doing Kill Bill on the set of Pulp Fiction with Uma,” Tarantino told The Hollywood Reporter in 2003. “‘Bang Bang’ set to Uma for the opening credits was in my mind [back then],” the director said of using Cher’s song “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)” to open the film, although he later opted for the Nancy Sinatra cover.
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 centers on Thurman’s erstwhile assassin seeking revenge against her former team and their leader, Bill (David Carradine), after they tried to kill her and her unborn child on her wedding day. Tarantino envisioned Warren Beatty for...
- 10/10/2023
- by Ryan Gajewski
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Matt Damon and Minnie Driver first collaborated on the Oscar-winning feature Good Will Hunting. Driver won her role thanks to a powerful audition. But Damon couldn’t finish screening with the co-star after saying these words to his ex-girlfriend.
Matt Damon couldn’t continue with the audition after saying his heartbreaking ‘Good Will Hunting’ line Matt Damon | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Driver portrayed Damon’s love interest in his highly acclaimed 1997 feature Good Will Hunting. Originally, however, there were some who fought against Driver’s casting in the movie. The explanation was that Driver didn’t have the appropriate looks for the film.
“The producer of Good Will Hunting did not think I was hot enough to be in that film, and did not want me in the film. It came from the top,” Driver once told Daily Mail.
But both Damon and Affleck lobbied for the actor, which helped Driver...
Matt Damon couldn’t continue with the audition after saying his heartbreaking ‘Good Will Hunting’ line Matt Damon | Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
Driver portrayed Damon’s love interest in his highly acclaimed 1997 feature Good Will Hunting. Originally, however, there were some who fought against Driver’s casting in the movie. The explanation was that Driver didn’t have the appropriate looks for the film.
“The producer of Good Will Hunting did not think I was hot enough to be in that film, and did not want me in the film. It came from the top,” Driver once told Daily Mail.
But both Damon and Affleck lobbied for the actor, which helped Driver...
- 7/29/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In a display of pink visible from outer space, Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” held its lush world premiere on Sunday in Los Angeles.
The Shrine Auditorum, located smack in the middle of the USC campus, was hosed down in colors of blush and bashful for the anticipated Warner Bros. release, which drew the film’s stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
One notable absence was Noah Baumbach, the film’s co-writer and Gerwig’s partner.
“My co-writer and co-creator, my partner in love and art, Noah Baumbach is not here. He is passionately supporting the fight of the Writers Guild of America,” Gerwig said. “He is a Barbie girl. Nothing in ‘Barbie’ happened without him, and nothing in Hollywood happens without writers.”
The Shrine, once the site of the annual Academy Awards, was packed with Gerwig’s cast of dolls, humans and other brand enthusiasts like “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Trixie Mattel and,...
The Shrine Auditorum, located smack in the middle of the USC campus, was hosed down in colors of blush and bashful for the anticipated Warner Bros. release, which drew the film’s stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
One notable absence was Noah Baumbach, the film’s co-writer and Gerwig’s partner.
“My co-writer and co-creator, my partner in love and art, Noah Baumbach is not here. He is passionately supporting the fight of the Writers Guild of America,” Gerwig said. “He is a Barbie girl. Nothing in ‘Barbie’ happened without him, and nothing in Hollywood happens without writers.”
The Shrine, once the site of the annual Academy Awards, was packed with Gerwig’s cast of dolls, humans and other brand enthusiasts like “RuPaul’s Drag Race” winner Trixie Mattel and,...
- 7/10/2023
- by Matt Donnelly
- Variety Film + TV
At the sold-out annual gala of Moca on Saturday night, April 15, Keanu Reeves and his girlfriend artist Alexandra Grant, walked the red carpet and shared a kiss in front of the phalanx of photographers, before joining around 600 other guests inside the museum’s Geffen Contemporary building in downtown L.A.
During the cocktail hour, attendees — who also included Tiffany Haddish, Jodie Foster and Alexandra Hedison, Paramount Animation chief Ramsey Ann Naito and Reeves’ one-time Bill and Ted co-star Alex Winter, Jennifer Tilly, Lisa Edelstein, David and Susan Gersh, producers Lawrence Bender and Carolyn Folks, and CAA’s Joel Lubin — got the first look at Moca’s new exhibit, Carl Craig: Party/After-Party, an immersive soundscape and light installation, ahead of its opening today. “It’s so intense and the vibrations are so strong, that you can’t even hang art in the adjacent building,” Moca director Johanna Burton told THR of the show.
During the cocktail hour, attendees — who also included Tiffany Haddish, Jodie Foster and Alexandra Hedison, Paramount Animation chief Ramsey Ann Naito and Reeves’ one-time Bill and Ted co-star Alex Winter, Jennifer Tilly, Lisa Edelstein, David and Susan Gersh, producers Lawrence Bender and Carolyn Folks, and CAA’s Joel Lubin — got the first look at Moca’s new exhibit, Carl Craig: Party/After-Party, an immersive soundscape and light installation, ahead of its opening today. “It’s so intense and the vibrations are so strong, that you can’t even hang art in the adjacent building,” Moca director Johanna Burton told THR of the show.
- 4/16/2023
- by Degen Pener
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
As a lifelong fan of Blaxploitation flicks and exploitation movies in general, of course Quentin Tarantino was desperate to work with Pam Grier. The legendary star of "The Big Bird Cage," "Coffey," and "Foxy Brown" meshed uncommon beauty with undeniable grit. She wasn't looking for trouble. She was trouble. And the bad folks clownish enough to try her on for size always found her to be a treacherously poor fit.
Unfortunately, when the Blaxploitation trend faded in the late 1970s, Hollywood failed Grier. She went from starring roles to underwritten supporting parts in a string of mostly forgettable movies. Strangely, she didn't benefit much from the Black filmmaking renaissance of the early 1990s led by directors like Spike Lee, John Singleton and the Hughes brothers. Then 1996 happened. Though the films weren't particularly big hits, the triple-punch of "Mars Attacks!," "Original Gangsters," and "Escape from L.A." proved she still had plenty...
Unfortunately, when the Blaxploitation trend faded in the late 1970s, Hollywood failed Grier. She went from starring roles to underwritten supporting parts in a string of mostly forgettable movies. Strangely, she didn't benefit much from the Black filmmaking renaissance of the early 1990s led by directors like Spike Lee, John Singleton and the Hughes brothers. Then 1996 happened. Though the films weren't particularly big hits, the triple-punch of "Mars Attacks!," "Original Gangsters," and "Escape from L.A." proved she still had plenty...
- 1/31/2023
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
On Wednesday evening, Jeremy Lin, the basketball star whose 2012 run of greatness with the New York Knicks sparked a period of “Linsanity,” came to LA’s Museum in Tolerance for a screening of the Oscar-shortlisted HBO documentary short 38 at the Garden — a film that contrasts the pride that the Linsanity era brought Asian-Americans with the recent rise of hate directed at them — wearing brand new clothes and shoes. That was because, he revealed, he hadn’t planned to be there, but when he decided days earlier to leave the league in China in which he had been playing, he felt it was important to show his support for a film that, in his view, is less about him than a crisis that he wants to help shine a light on.
Introduced by executive producer Lisa Ling and fielding questions from yours truly alongside the short’s director Frank Chi and...
Introduced by executive producer Lisa Ling and fielding questions from yours truly alongside the short’s director Frank Chi and...
- 1/13/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Click here to read the full article.
When working on Jackie Brown, Pam Grier admitted that her performance left her “exhausted.”
In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment for Jackie Brown’s 25th anniversary, Grier reflected on starring in the 1997 film in which she portrayed a flight attendant caught smuggling money for an L.A. crime kingpin, Ordell Robbie (portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson), and explained how the biggest issue for her during filming was pace.
“Quentin told me that Sam[uel L. Jackson] had a metronome-like quality that’s really fast, but that I’d have to slow down for Robert [Forster],” she said. “He warned me that not all actors can do that, so I had to learn.”
In the film, Grier’s character executes a plan to escape with the smuggled cash, going against Jackson’s Ordell and enlisting help from bail bondsman Max Cherry (the late Forster).
“Quentin said to slow...
When working on Jackie Brown, Pam Grier admitted that her performance left her “exhausted.”
In an interview with Yahoo Entertainment for Jackie Brown’s 25th anniversary, Grier reflected on starring in the 1997 film in which she portrayed a flight attendant caught smuggling money for an L.A. crime kingpin, Ordell Robbie (portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson), and explained how the biggest issue for her during filming was pace.
“Quentin told me that Sam[uel L. Jackson] had a metronome-like quality that’s really fast, but that I’d have to slow down for Robert [Forster],” she said. “He warned me that not all actors can do that, so I had to learn.”
In the film, Grier’s character executes a plan to escape with the smuggled cash, going against Jackson’s Ordell and enlisting help from bail bondsman Max Cherry (the late Forster).
“Quentin said to slow...
- 12/23/2022
- by Lexy Perez
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
A 4K Steelbook! Haven’t seen this show lately, and discovered that it holds up remarkably well. Mr. Qt’s sophomore outing made an indelible mark on American movies — the darling of hipster crime filmmaking dazzled viewers with showcase set-piece scenes, entertainingly profane dialogue and ultra-hip inside-out time-shuffling narrative tricks. Add to that genuine star turns, especially Uma Thurman and John Travolta’s iconic dance scene. It’s old-fashioned movie-going in an avant-garde pattern, with raw violence and even rougher language. The stars include Samuel L. Jackson, Harvy Keitel, Ving Rhames, Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer and Bruce Willis.
Pulp Fiction 4K
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Code
Paramount Home Video
1994 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 154 min. / Street Date December 6, 2022 / Available from Amazon / 30.99
Starring: Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Whaley, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Rosanna Arquette, Eric Stoltz, Uma Thurman, Steve Buscemi, Emil Sitka, Christopher Walken, Maria de Medeiros,...
Pulp Fiction 4K
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Code
Paramount Home Video
1994 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 154 min. / Street Date December 6, 2022 / Available from Amazon / 30.99
Starring: Tim Roth, Amanda Plummer, John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Whaley, Bruce Willis, Ving Rhames, Rosanna Arquette, Eric Stoltz, Uma Thurman, Steve Buscemi, Emil Sitka, Christopher Walken, Maria de Medeiros,...
- 12/10/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Quentin Tarantino’s first feature may not be to all tastes, but it is an admirable feat of commercial filmmaking — what other director has broken into the front rank with such panache? The fifth time through, the splintered, elliptical structure still impresses, and there’s always something new to see in the performances of Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, and Steve Buscemi. The (rather bargain-priced) 4K disc set has everything — two formats, a digital code and those deleted scenes to ponder. And a Pulp Fiction 4K is due in just a week or so.
Reservoir Dogs 4K
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital
Lionsgate
1992 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 100 min. / 30th Anniversary Edition / Street Date November 15, 2022 / Available from Amazon / 22.99
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Randy Brooks, Kirk Baltz, Eddie Bunker, Quentin Tarantino.
Cinematography: Andrzej Sekula
Production Designer: David Wasco
Film Editor: Sally Menke
Dedicatees: Timothy Carey,...
Reservoir Dogs 4K
4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital
Lionsgate
1992 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 100 min. / 30th Anniversary Edition / Street Date November 15, 2022 / Available from Amazon / 22.99
Starring: Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Randy Brooks, Kirk Baltz, Eddie Bunker, Quentin Tarantino.
Cinematography: Andrzej Sekula
Production Designer: David Wasco
Film Editor: Sally Menke
Dedicatees: Timothy Carey,...
- 11/26/2022
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
The Israeli-Palestinian drama “Roll,” from Italian-American first-time director Loris Lai and producer Lawrence Bender, has wrapped production in Tunisia and in Tarak Ben Ammar Studios in Tunis.
The film, which is inspired by the Italian novel “Sulle Onde della Libertà” by Nicoletta Bortolotti, is written by Lai and Dahlia Heyman. The story is set in the midst of war-torn Gaza, where two 12-year-old boys, one Palestinian and the other Israeli, along with an ex-surfing champion, form an unlikely friendship over their mutual love for the water. The lessons they learn from one another go beyond the waves, helping influence their decision-making and show their community that peace can exist.
The Palestinian and Israeli boys are played by newcomers Marwin Hemdan and Mikael Fridel, while Tom Rhys Harries (“The Gentleman; White Lines”) will play the ex-surfing champion. Lyna Khoudri (“The French Dispatch”) also stars.
“Roll” is co-produced by Jean Vigo Italia,...
The film, which is inspired by the Italian novel “Sulle Onde della Libertà” by Nicoletta Bortolotti, is written by Lai and Dahlia Heyman. The story is set in the midst of war-torn Gaza, where two 12-year-old boys, one Palestinian and the other Israeli, along with an ex-surfing champion, form an unlikely friendship over their mutual love for the water. The lessons they learn from one another go beyond the waves, helping influence their decision-making and show their community that peace can exist.
The Palestinian and Israeli boys are played by newcomers Marwin Hemdan and Mikael Fridel, while Tom Rhys Harries (“The Gentleman; White Lines”) will play the ex-surfing champion. Lyna Khoudri (“The French Dispatch”) also stars.
“Roll” is co-produced by Jean Vigo Italia,...
- 11/11/2022
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Click here to read the full article.
In a downtown parking lot on Oct. 27, a couple of grey cars pulled up from which dancers emerged. They proceeded to enact a rave party scene mostly in slow motion.
A work by Franco-Austrian choreographer Gisèle Vienne, the 90-minute dance performance, titled Crowd, was a vivid tableau, the slow motion effectively amplifying the urges on display: to feel a sense of abandon and freedom while never quite being able to escape the ennui of one’s circumstance. It felt a bit as if the characters of Euphoria had been asked to choreograph a Super Bowl halftime show with intriguing results.
The dance work was one of three presented in Los Angeles as part of Van Cleef & Arpels’ arts initiative Dance Reflections, which supports dance companies and institutions around the world. Earlier in the evening, the L.A. Dance Project, founded by choreographer Benjamin Millepied,...
In a downtown parking lot on Oct. 27, a couple of grey cars pulled up from which dancers emerged. They proceeded to enact a rave party scene mostly in slow motion.
A work by Franco-Austrian choreographer Gisèle Vienne, the 90-minute dance performance, titled Crowd, was a vivid tableau, the slow motion effectively amplifying the urges on display: to feel a sense of abandon and freedom while never quite being able to escape the ennui of one’s circumstance. It felt a bit as if the characters of Euphoria had been asked to choreograph a Super Bowl halftime show with intriguing results.
The dance work was one of three presented in Los Angeles as part of Van Cleef & Arpels’ arts initiative Dance Reflections, which supports dance companies and institutions around the world. Earlier in the evening, the L.A. Dance Project, founded by choreographer Benjamin Millepied,...
- 11/1/2022
- by Degen Pener
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
He may be a brilliant director, but Quentin Tarantino was never known for being a very good student. Rather than thriving in an academic environment, Tarantino demonstrated an early passion and acumen for filmmaking, beginning with seeing adult-oriented films like "Carnal Knowledge" (1971) and "Deliverance" (1972) with his step father at the age of nine.
By age 14, he had completed his first script "Captain Peachfuzz and the Anchovy Bandit" based on the 1977 film "Smokey and the Bandit," which follows two bootleggers transporting beer from Texas to Georgia. Tarantino was a fairly dedicated but sometimes picky reader, who clearly latched onto stories about incompetent criminals because he has famously confessed to stealing a copy of Elmore Leonard's novel "The Switch" about two ex-cons mishandling a kidnapping. His mother grounded him for the offense but still allowed him out of the house to attend Torrance Community Theater, where he performed in his first Shakespeare production — "Romeo and Juliet.
By age 14, he had completed his first script "Captain Peachfuzz and the Anchovy Bandit" based on the 1977 film "Smokey and the Bandit," which follows two bootleggers transporting beer from Texas to Georgia. Tarantino was a fairly dedicated but sometimes picky reader, who clearly latched onto stories about incompetent criminals because he has famously confessed to stealing a copy of Elmore Leonard's novel "The Switch" about two ex-cons mishandling a kidnapping. His mother grounded him for the offense but still allowed him out of the house to attend Torrance Community Theater, where he performed in his first Shakespeare production — "Romeo and Juliet.
- 10/31/2022
- by Walter Roberts
- Slash Film
Genre: Drama, Crime
Rating: R
On 4K Ultra HD: November 15, 2022
Running Time: 100 minutes
Cast: Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Chris Penn, Edward Bunker, Kirk Baltz, Quentin Tarantino, and Lawrence Tierney
Written by: Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Produced by: Lawrence Bender
Executive Producers: Richard H. Gladstein, Monte Hellman, Ronna B. Wallace
Co-Producer: Harvey Keitel
Director of Photography: Andrzej Sekula
Production Designer: David Wasco
Edited by: Sally Menke
Casting by: Ronnie Yeskel
Costume Designer: Betsy Heimann
Synopsis:
Frenzied, soaked in blood, and featuring gangsters both ruthless and engaging (who debate the deeper meanings of “Like a Virgin”), Reservoir Dogs — Quentin Tarantino’s debut film about a heist gone horribly wrong — attained iconic cult status upon its release in 1992, and launched the career of a director whose singular vision has influenced a generation of filmmakers. To celebrate the movie’s 30th anniversary, the cocked-and-loaded world of Mr.
Rating: R
On 4K Ultra HD: November 15, 2022
Running Time: 100 minutes
Cast: Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Steve Buscemi, Harvey Keitel, Chris Penn, Edward Bunker, Kirk Baltz, Quentin Tarantino, and Lawrence Tierney
Written by: Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Produced by: Lawrence Bender
Executive Producers: Richard H. Gladstein, Monte Hellman, Ronna B. Wallace
Co-Producer: Harvey Keitel
Director of Photography: Andrzej Sekula
Production Designer: David Wasco
Edited by: Sally Menke
Casting by: Ronnie Yeskel
Costume Designer: Betsy Heimann
Synopsis:
Frenzied, soaked in blood, and featuring gangsters both ruthless and engaging (who debate the deeper meanings of “Like a Virgin”), Reservoir Dogs — Quentin Tarantino’s debut film about a heist gone horribly wrong — attained iconic cult status upon its release in 1992, and launched the career of a director whose singular vision has influenced a generation of filmmakers. To celebrate the movie’s 30th anniversary, the cocked-and-loaded world of Mr.
- 10/1/2022
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Looking back from 2022, Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs" is a star-studded feature. But when it premiered in 1992, the only big name in the cast was Harvey Keitel. The four main color-coded criminals, Steve Buscemi (Mr. Pink), Tim Roth (Mr. Orange), and Michael Maden (Mr. Blonde), had their fair share of film and television appearances, but were still in the minor leagues. "Reservoir Dogs" is what changed that for them, as Roth acknowledged at the 2017 Tribecca Film Festival.
Keitel, on the other hand, had appeared in Martin Scorsese classics like "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver," and just the previous year had played a major character in "Thelma and Louise". Keitel plays Mr. White, the most sympathetic of the criminals who forms a fatherly bond with Mr. Orange. Too bad for him that Orange is the rat of the group.
Getting Keitel in the movie was a goal of Tarantino's because...
Keitel, on the other hand, had appeared in Martin Scorsese classics like "Mean Streets" and "Taxi Driver," and just the previous year had played a major character in "Thelma and Louise". Keitel plays Mr. White, the most sympathetic of the criminals who forms a fatherly bond with Mr. Orange. Too bad for him that Orange is the rat of the group.
Getting Keitel in the movie was a goal of Tarantino's because...
- 9/17/2022
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Few filmmakers could — and even fewer should — attempt what writer-director Quentin Tarantino has accomplished across his three decades of movie-making magic. Armed with an appetite for ultra-violent action, a knack for crafting dialogue sharper than a samurai sword, an infectious appreciation for the art of filmmaking, and, yes, a bit of a thing for feet, the two-time Oscar winner famously said: “You don’t have to know how to make a movie. If you truly love cinema with all your heart and with enough passion, you can’t help but make a good movie.”
Though he was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and spent some years living in Austin, Texas (where the legendary director hosted an annual movie festival called “Qt Fest” from 1996 to 2007), Tarantino grew up mainly in Los Angeles, California. As a young man, Tarantino was a staple of the now-closed Video Archives rental store in Manhattan Beach, where he worked while writing,...
Though he was born in Knoxville, Tennessee and spent some years living in Austin, Texas (where the legendary director hosted an annual movie festival called “Qt Fest” from 1996 to 2007), Tarantino grew up mainly in Los Angeles, California. As a young man, Tarantino was a staple of the now-closed Video Archives rental store in Manhattan Beach, where he worked while writing,...
- 9/2/2022
- by Alison Foreman
- Indiewire
“Charmed,” “Dynasty,” “Roswell, New Mexico” and “In the Dark” have been canceled at The CW, Variety has learned.
Both “Roswell, New Mexico” and “In the Dark” have already completed filming on their upcoming seasons and will conclude after those episodes have aired.
Also canceled Thursday by the younger-skewing broadcast network were “Naomi” and “4400.”
Based on the original WB/CW series of the same name, “Charmed” was currently airing its fourth season. The reboot starred Melonie Diaz, Sarah Jeffery, Lucy Barrett, Rupert Evans and Jordan Donica. During the show’s first three seasons, Madeleine Mantock was the lead, playing the three sisters at the center of the series along with Diaz and Jeffrey. Barrett joined the show for Season 4 following Mantock’s exit.
Hailing from CBS Studios and Propagate Content, “Charmed” is executive produced by Jeffrey Lieber, Nicki Renna and Joey Falco, Kevin Dowling, Jennie Snyder Urman, Ben Silverman, Brad Silberling,...
Both “Roswell, New Mexico” and “In the Dark” have already completed filming on their upcoming seasons and will conclude after those episodes have aired.
Also canceled Thursday by the younger-skewing broadcast network were “Naomi” and “4400.”
Based on the original WB/CW series of the same name, “Charmed” was currently airing its fourth season. The reboot starred Melonie Diaz, Sarah Jeffery, Lucy Barrett, Rupert Evans and Jordan Donica. During the show’s first three seasons, Madeleine Mantock was the lead, playing the three sisters at the center of the series along with Diaz and Jeffrey. Barrett joined the show for Season 4 following Mantock’s exit.
Hailing from CBS Studios and Propagate Content, “Charmed” is executive produced by Jeffrey Lieber, Nicki Renna and Joey Falco, Kevin Dowling, Jennie Snyder Urman, Ben Silverman, Brad Silberling,...
- 5/12/2022
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
NBCUniversal’s Spanish-language broadcaster Telemundo has ordered a slew of new scripted and unscripted series for both its linear network and TPlus brand on Peacock.
The company unveiled its 2022/23 line-up ahead of its Upfront event on Monday.
These include new projects from Wilmer Valderrama and Lawrence Bender.
On TPlus, the company’s block on Peacock, NCIS star Valderrama is exec producing Keep This To Yourself, an adaptation of Tom Ryan’s YA thriller. The series, written by Ryan and Mark Kruger, takes place the year after the notorious Catalog Killer murdered four victims before disappearing. Like everyone else left in the murderous wake, a teen tries desperately to leave that horrible summer in the past, which is easier said than done since his best friend was the murderer’s final victim. Yet, when a cryptic message turns up one day, the search for the killer reignites ―and may not be...
The company unveiled its 2022/23 line-up ahead of its Upfront event on Monday.
These include new projects from Wilmer Valderrama and Lawrence Bender.
On TPlus, the company’s block on Peacock, NCIS star Valderrama is exec producing Keep This To Yourself, an adaptation of Tom Ryan’s YA thriller. The series, written by Ryan and Mark Kruger, takes place the year after the notorious Catalog Killer murdered four victims before disappearing. Like everyone else left in the murderous wake, a teen tries desperately to leave that horrible summer in the past, which is easier said than done since his best friend was the murderer’s final victim. Yet, when a cryptic message turns up one day, the search for the killer reignites ―and may not be...
- 5/12/2022
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Hey, everyone! Last Friday, we celebrated all the fun independent horror that was released throughout the 1980s (you can read that piece Here), and before we examine the ’90s indie horror scene tomorrow, I thought I’d take today to celebrate a few more underappreciated indie genre gems from the ’80s that are currently available to stream on Shudder’s platform. When it comes to movies from this decade, there are so many titles that get endless love, so I thought it would be fun to put the spotlight on five movies that I would consider to be underappreciated, but very much worth checking out if you’re a horror fan who enjoys offbeat horror stories.
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker
The thing I love about Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is that it feels like someone watched Friday the 13th and they were like, “What if we do some variation on this story,...
Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker
The thing I love about Butcher, Baker, Nightmare Maker is that it feels like someone watched Friday the 13th and they were like, “What if we do some variation on this story,...
- 4/15/2022
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Filmmaker Boaz Yakin discusses some of his favorite films with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Aviva (2020)
The Harder They Fall (2021)
The Harder They Come (1972)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Fresh (1994)
Mo’ Better Blues (1990)
Safe (2012)
Scream (2022)
The Punisher (1989)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Kagemusha (1980) – Bernard Rose’s trailer commentary
Mean Streets (1973)
Jaws (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The 400 Blows (1959) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary
Yojimbo (1961)
Dodes’ka-den (1970)
Short Cuts (1993) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray commentary
Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Coonskin (1975) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Fritz The Cat (1972) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
Wizards (1977)
Heavy Traffic (1973) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Warriors (1979)
Quintet (1979)
Brewster McCloud (1970) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Mash (1970)
Nashville (1975) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Dan Perri’s trailer commentary,...
Show Notes:
Movies Referenced In This Episode
Aviva (2020)
The Harder They Fall (2021)
The Harder They Come (1972)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Fresh (1994)
Mo’ Better Blues (1990)
Safe (2012)
Scream (2022)
The Punisher (1989)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
Kagemusha (1980) – Bernard Rose’s trailer commentary
Mean Streets (1973)
Jaws (1975) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
The 400 Blows (1959) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary
Yojimbo (1961)
Dodes’ka-den (1970)
Short Cuts (1993) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray commentary
Casablanca (1942) – John Landis’s trailer commentary
Coonskin (1975) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Fritz The Cat (1972) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Blu-ray review
The Lord of the Rings (1978)
Wizards (1977)
Heavy Traffic (1973) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing
The Warriors (1979)
Quintet (1979)
Brewster McCloud (1970) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Mash (1970)
Nashville (1975) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary, Dan Perri’s trailer commentary,...
- 2/22/2022
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
They wouldn’t make a film like that now. It’s a sentiment as old as the movies themselves, with folks ever eager to note how the next generation of storytellers is not telling stories in the same way that the last one(s) did. Sometimes there is a kernel of truth at the root of this argument. After all, does anyone doubt Mel Brooks when he says he couldn’t make Blazing Saddles now as he did nearly half a century ago?
But by and large, these arguments appear to be couched in nostalgia—a wistfulness which naturally occurs when comparing the icons of your past to the ones that seem ready to displace them in the present. Perhaps for this reason it’s easy to fall into the especially deceptive trap of contrasting “then” versus “now,” and assuming the differences occurred in a vacuum. Take the current “debate...
But by and large, these arguments appear to be couched in nostalgia—a wistfulness which naturally occurs when comparing the icons of your past to the ones that seem ready to displace them in the present. Perhaps for this reason it’s easy to fall into the especially deceptive trap of contrasting “then” versus “now,” and assuming the differences occurred in a vacuum. Take the current “debate...
- 2/7/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Yuri Bykov’s 2014 Russian-language film “The Fool” has been acquired by MGM’s Orion Television to be adapted into an English-language series.
The film follows Dima Nikitin (Artyom Bystrov), an ordinary honest plumber who suddenly decides to face the corrupt system of local politics in order to save the lives of 800 inhabitants of an old dormitory, which is about to collapse.
“The Fool” had a stellar festival run and won multiple awards at the Locarno International Film Festival and Les Arcs European Film Festival, besides many other accolades worldwide and at home in Russia. It was produced by Rock Films, Alexey Uchitel and Kira Saksaganskaya.
Bykov’s 2013 Cannes title “The Major,” also produced by Rock Films, was previously adapted by Netflix into the Emmy winning series “Seven Seconds,” winning Regina King the Primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or movie and a Golden Globe nomination in the same category.
The film follows Dima Nikitin (Artyom Bystrov), an ordinary honest plumber who suddenly decides to face the corrupt system of local politics in order to save the lives of 800 inhabitants of an old dormitory, which is about to collapse.
“The Fool” had a stellar festival run and won multiple awards at the Locarno International Film Festival and Les Arcs European Film Festival, besides many other accolades worldwide and at home in Russia. It was produced by Rock Films, Alexey Uchitel and Kira Saksaganskaya.
Bykov’s 2013 Cannes title “The Major,” also produced by Rock Films, was previously adapted by Netflix into the Emmy winning series “Seven Seconds,” winning Regina King the Primetime Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a limited series or movie and a Golden Globe nomination in the same category.
- 1/14/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The African American Film Critics Association said Wednesday that it has selected Netflix’s Western The Harder They Fall as its film of the year. It leads a Top 10 list that also includes King Richard, Respect, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Passing, Belfast, Who We Are, House of Gucci, The Power of the Dog and West Side Story.
The Aafca will reveal winners of the 13th annual Aafca Awards on January 17, 2022 in 15 competitive film categories, with an in-person ceremony set for March 2 in Los Angeles.
The Harder They Fall, directed and co-written by Jeymes Samuel and which premiered at this year’s London Film Festival, hit about 600 theaters in October before its debut on the streamer November 3. It was No. 1 across all streamers the week of its debut, according to Nielsen.
The ensemble case includes Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr.,...
The Aafca will reveal winners of the 13th annual Aafca Awards on January 17, 2022 in 15 competitive film categories, with an in-person ceremony set for March 2 in Los Angeles.
The Harder They Fall, directed and co-written by Jeymes Samuel and which premiered at this year’s London Film Festival, hit about 600 theaters in October before its debut on the streamer November 3. It was No. 1 across all streamers the week of its debut, according to Nielsen.
The ensemble case includes Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr.,...
- 12/8/2021
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
As the spread of the new Omicron Covid-19 variant prompts uncertainty around how the winter film festival calendar will play out, two events in the Arab world — the Cairo Film Festival and Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea fest — have soldiered on, providing a measure of hope for the global festival circuit.
Cairo, which kicked off Nov. 26 and wrapped on Sunday, has pulled off a successful in-person edition, despite some last-minute industry and talent defections. Several Cairo attendees, including Cannes chief Thierry Fremaux and U.S. producer Lawrence Bender, segued directly from Cairo to Jeddah where the Red Sea fest on Monday held a historic gala opening with no shortage of regional and international stars strutting down the red carpet.
“I’m really happy that we haven’t heard of any [Covid-19] cases — at least not yet,” Cairo chief Mohamed Hefzy told Variety as Cairo came to a close, adding that he hoped things remained that way.
Cairo, which kicked off Nov. 26 and wrapped on Sunday, has pulled off a successful in-person edition, despite some last-minute industry and talent defections. Several Cairo attendees, including Cannes chief Thierry Fremaux and U.S. producer Lawrence Bender, segued directly from Cairo to Jeddah where the Red Sea fest on Monday held a historic gala opening with no shortage of regional and international stars strutting down the red carpet.
“I’m really happy that we haven’t heard of any [Covid-19] cases — at least not yet,” Cairo chief Mohamed Hefzy told Variety as Cairo came to a close, adding that he hoped things remained that way.
- 12/7/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Mexican director Joaquin del Paso’s coming-of-age drama “The Hole in the Fence,” set in an all-male religious camp in rural Mexico, scored the Cairo Film Festival’s top prize, the Golden Pyramid, on Sunday capping a vibrant 43rd edition of the preeminent Arab event, which was held in person despite the impending threat of the coronavirus Omicron variant.
Though there were some last minute cancellations, most international attendees made the trek to Cairo undeterred, including jury president Emir Kusturica, U.S. producer Lawrence Bender and Cannes topper Thierry Fremaux – dubbed the “King of the Croisette” by the master of ceremonies. The latter two were honored with lifetime achievement awards during the glitzy closing ceremony in Cairo’s opera house.
“Hole in the Fence,” which world premiered in Venice, is Del Paso’s second work after “Panamerican Machinery,” which had made a splash after launching from Berlin in 2016. “Hole” explores...
Though there were some last minute cancellations, most international attendees made the trek to Cairo undeterred, including jury president Emir Kusturica, U.S. producer Lawrence Bender and Cannes topper Thierry Fremaux – dubbed the “King of the Croisette” by the master of ceremonies. The latter two were honored with lifetime achievement awards during the glitzy closing ceremony in Cairo’s opera house.
“Hole in the Fence,” which world premiered in Venice, is Del Paso’s second work after “Panamerican Machinery,” which had made a splash after launching from Berlin in 2016. “Hole” explores...
- 12/6/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
For the upcoming 43rd edition of the Cairo Film Festival, which is the grande dame of Arab film events, fest chief Mohamed Hefzy and his team have assembled a rich mix of top notch Arab and international titles, including the world premiere of Tunisian star Dhafer L’Abidine’s directorial debut “Ghodwa” and the Mena (Middle East and North Africa) premiere of “House of Gucci.”
They have also recruited high-caliber talents and industry personalities such as U.S. producer Lawrence Bender, Emir Kusturica, who is this year’s jury president, Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman, as well as Cannes topper Thierry Fremaux and Egyptian icon Nelly, who are being feted. Hefzy, who is also a prominent Egyptian producer, talked to Variety about how he’s been rebooting Cairo while braving the pandemic and contending with changes in the Arab film festival landscape. Excerpts from the conversation.
This is your fourth year heading Cairo.
They have also recruited high-caliber talents and industry personalities such as U.S. producer Lawrence Bender, Emir Kusturica, who is this year’s jury president, Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman, as well as Cannes topper Thierry Fremaux and Egyptian icon Nelly, who are being feted. Hefzy, who is also a prominent Egyptian producer, talked to Variety about how he’s been rebooting Cairo while braving the pandemic and contending with changes in the Arab film festival landscape. Excerpts from the conversation.
This is your fourth year heading Cairo.
- 11/26/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Jay-Z was front and center at the star-studded screening of his upcoming film The Harder They Fall in Los Angeles on Oct. 13. The premiere brought out a bunch of famous faces - including Winnie Harlow, Karrueche Tran, Kehlani, and, of course, his wife, Beyoncé - but he clearly had no idea Kelly Rowland would be in attendance, because he had the cutest reaction when he spotted her on the red carpet. Netflix's official Twitter account shared a clip of the sweet moment, showing Jay-z's genuine surprise at seeing his friend. "I didn't even know you were here," he told Kelly as he gave her a big hug.
In a recent Instagram Live, Kelly reacted to the now-viral moment, saying she didn't understand why it was such a big deal since she and Jay-Z see each other all the time. "Some things I will never understand," Kelly said. "I see...
In a recent Instagram Live, Kelly reacted to the now-viral moment, saying she didn't understand why it was such a big deal since she and Jay-Z see each other all the time. "Some things I will never understand," Kelly said. "I see...
- 10/19/2021
- by Monica Sisavat
- Popsugar.com
‘The Harder They Fall’ Cast to Receive Ensemble Tribute at 2021 Gotham Awards
The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced that the cast of “The Harder They Fall” will receive the Ensemble Tribute during the 2021 Gotham Awards Ceremony, which takes place in person on Nov. 29 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Nominations for the Gotham Awards will be announced on Oct. 21.
“The Harder They Fall” features an ensemble cast of Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr., Deon Cole with Regina King and Idris Elba.
The film follows outlaw Nat Love, who discovers his enemy Rufus Black is being released from prison and consequently rounds up his gang to track Black down and seek revenge. The film is directed by Jeymes Samuel, written by Samuel and Boaz Yakin and was produced by Samuel, Shawn Carter, James Lassiter and Lawrence Bender.
The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced that the cast of “The Harder They Fall” will receive the Ensemble Tribute during the 2021 Gotham Awards Ceremony, which takes place in person on Nov. 29 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City. Nominations for the Gotham Awards will be announced on Oct. 21.
“The Harder They Fall” features an ensemble cast of Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr., Deon Cole with Regina King and Idris Elba.
The film follows outlaw Nat Love, who discovers his enemy Rufus Black is being released from prison and consequently rounds up his gang to track Black down and seek revenge. The film is directed by Jeymes Samuel, written by Samuel and Boaz Yakin and was produced by Samuel, Shawn Carter, James Lassiter and Lawrence Bender.
- 10/19/2021
- by Katie Song
- Variety Film + TV
The stars of Netflix Western The Harder They Fall will receive the Ensemble Tribute at the 2021 Gotham Awards, the Gotham Film & Media Institute said Monday.
Those being honored at the in-person ceremony November 29 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City include Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr., Deon Cole, Regina King and Idris Elba.
In the film directed by Jeymes Samuel (They Die by Dawn), Majors’ outlaw Nat Love learns that his enemy Rufus Buck (Elba) is being released from prison. He then rounds up his gang to exact revenge against the man who long ago killed his parents.
“Director Jeymes Samuel’s debut film is fully realized with this extraordinary company of actors who perfectly marry the key hallmarks of the ensemble film – collaboration, community, and interconnectivity – resulting in one of the most entertaining movies of the year,...
Those being honored at the in-person ceremony November 29 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City include Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr., Deon Cole, Regina King and Idris Elba.
In the film directed by Jeymes Samuel (They Die by Dawn), Majors’ outlaw Nat Love learns that his enemy Rufus Buck (Elba) is being released from prison. He then rounds up his gang to exact revenge against the man who long ago killed his parents.
“Director Jeymes Samuel’s debut film is fully realized with this extraordinary company of actors who perfectly marry the key hallmarks of the ensemble film – collaboration, community, and interconnectivity – resulting in one of the most entertaining movies of the year,...
- 10/18/2021
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
“We in the killin’ Nazi bizness. An’ cousin, bizness is boomin’!” Brad Pitt scalps his enemies, Mélanie Laurent serves up a killer double bill for the Führer, Michael Fassbender is a movie critic turned secret agent, and the amazing Christophe Waltz makes all previous movie villains seem lightweight. Now on 4K Ultra HD, Quentin Tarantino’s brutal-but-funny war movie is really a critique of Hollywood escapism. It’s the ultimate wish fulfillment fantasy for every trigger-happy Audie Murphy Jr. who ever attended a matinee. I thought the movie would be tarred and feathered by America’s guardians of war nostalgia; instead it took eight Oscar noms plus a win for actor Waltz: “That’s a Bingo!”
Inglourious Basterds
4K Ultra-hd + Blu-ray + Digital
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
2009 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 153 min. / Street Date October 12, 2021 / 29.98
Starring: Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger,...
Inglourious Basterds
4K Ultra-hd + Blu-ray + Digital
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment
2009 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 153 min. / Street Date October 12, 2021 / 29.98
Starring: Brad Pitt, Mélanie Laurent, Christoph Waltz, Eli Roth, Michael Fassbender, Diane Kruger, Daniel Brühl, Til Schweiger,...
- 10/9/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Where have all the Black cowboys gone? They are raging in the heart and mind of debut filmmaker Jeymes Samuel’s “The Harder They Fall,” an advantageous and stylistic western that could become one of the most popular flicks on Netflix and a populist selection in the major Oscar categories, which could include rapper Jay-Z.
Brutal, violent and cool as hell, the blood-squibb-western, which opened the BFI London Film Festival, is a genre piece that will likely lend itself to comparisons to filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, which is perfectly apt. However, one of the questions is how the Oscars will respond to this film that’s seemingly unfamiliar to what Academy members have traditionally seen in the genre. Netflix may be hoping for the Oscars to get really cool really fast, which they have shown inklings of in the past few years (“Black Panther” best picture nom). But the...
Brutal, violent and cool as hell, the blood-squibb-western, which opened the BFI London Film Festival, is a genre piece that will likely lend itself to comparisons to filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino, which is perfectly apt. However, one of the questions is how the Oscars will respond to this film that’s seemingly unfamiliar to what Academy members have traditionally seen in the genre. Netflix may be hoping for the Oscars to get really cool really fast, which they have shown inklings of in the past few years (“Black Panther” best picture nom). But the...
- 10/6/2021
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Jeymes Samuel’s gonzo revenge western, with a cast including Elba, Regina King, and Zazie Beetz is enjoyable, if face-splatteringly brutal
The London film festival saddles up for a gonzo revenge western which aims to reclaim the often erased African American side of this genre and history. It stars Regina King, Idris Elba and Lakeith Stanfield, and is created by the impressive hyphenate Jeymes Samuel, also known as singer-songwriter and film-maker The Bullitts, who also co-produces along with Tarantino veteran Lawrence Bender.
Samuel has brought out short movies alongside his music releases in the past and now makes this headbangingly, face-splatteringly violent feature debut, featuring the gun-toting gangsters of the old west wearing old-timey hats of all shapes and sizes. This is a really cine-literate piece of work, with echoes of Sergio Leone, John Sturges and perhaps also Mario Van Peebles’s Posse. There are some terrific moments, although the...
The London film festival saddles up for a gonzo revenge western which aims to reclaim the often erased African American side of this genre and history. It stars Regina King, Idris Elba and Lakeith Stanfield, and is created by the impressive hyphenate Jeymes Samuel, also known as singer-songwriter and film-maker The Bullitts, who also co-produces along with Tarantino veteran Lawrence Bender.
Samuel has brought out short movies alongside his music releases in the past and now makes this headbangingly, face-splatteringly violent feature debut, featuring the gun-toting gangsters of the old west wearing old-timey hats of all shapes and sizes. This is a really cine-literate piece of work, with echoes of Sergio Leone, John Sturges and perhaps also Mario Van Peebles’s Posse. There are some terrific moments, although the...
- 10/6/2021
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Quentin Tarantino has claimed in several interviews that Westerns, more than any other genre, reflect the “values and problems” of the era in which they were made. If that’s true, audiences are in for a vivid temperature check with “The Harder They Fall,” an upcoming neo-Western from Netflix.
Read More: BFI London Film Festival 2021 Lineup Includes ‘The Harder They Fall’ World Premiere, ‘Spencer,’ ‘Last Night In Soho’ & More
The film was produced by Jay-Z, longtime Tarantino collaborator Lawrence Bender, and Will Smith’s business partner James Lassiter.
Continue reading ‘The Harder They Fall’ Trailer: Idris Elba, Jonathan Major & Zazie Beetz Shoot It Out In A Netflix Neo-Western at The Playlist.
Read More: BFI London Film Festival 2021 Lineup Includes ‘The Harder They Fall’ World Premiere, ‘Spencer,’ ‘Last Night In Soho’ & More
The film was produced by Jay-Z, longtime Tarantino collaborator Lawrence Bender, and Will Smith’s business partner James Lassiter.
Continue reading ‘The Harder They Fall’ Trailer: Idris Elba, Jonathan Major & Zazie Beetz Shoot It Out In A Netflix Neo-Western at The Playlist.
- 9/28/2021
- by Jake Sweltz
- The Playlist
Netflix has premiered the official trailer for its upcoming Western film “The Harder They Fall,” which might just be one of the most star-studded titles of the fall movie season. Take a deep breath and check out this roster of actors: Jonathan Majors, Zazie Beetz, Delroy Lindo, Lakeith Stanfield, Regina King, Idris Elba, Danielle Deadwyler, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Damon Wayans Jr., and Deon Cole. If “The Harder They Fall” wasn’t one of your most anticipated films of 2021, it certainly just become one. Netflix is billing the film as “a new school Western.”
“The Harder They Fall” is the latest directorial effort from writer-director Jeymes Samuel. The filmmaker was behind the 2013 short film “They Die by Dawn,” a Western starring Rosario Dawson and Giancarlo Esposito. Samuel wrote “The Harder They Fall” with Boaz Yakin, best known as the director of “Remember the Titans” and screenwriter of “Now You See Me.
“The Harder They Fall” is the latest directorial effort from writer-director Jeymes Samuel. The filmmaker was behind the 2013 short film “They Die by Dawn,” a Western starring Rosario Dawson and Giancarlo Esposito. Samuel wrote “The Harder They Fall” with Boaz Yakin, best known as the director of “Remember the Titans” and screenwriter of “Now You See Me.
- 9/28/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
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