Pedro Almodóvar, Spike Lee and Patricia Arquette were among those accepting honors at the Toronto International Film Festival Tribute awards Sunday night: George Pimentel photographed the red carpet and inside the show for TheWrap.
Thanks to SAG-AFTRA strike waivers, several actors including Willem Dafoe and Ethan Hawke, were also on hand. “Sing Sing” and “Rustin” actor Colman Domingo was also able to collect his Tribute Performer Award in person, as was “The Dead Don’t Die” star Vicky Krieps.
Enjoy these shots of Lee, who was there to receive the Ebert Director Award, and more awards recipients and presenters.
Photo by George Pimentel
Willem Dafoe plays a Hunter S. Thompson-esque writer in “Gonzo Girl” from director Patricia Arquette.
Photo by George Pimentel
“Daisy Jones & the Six” actress Camila Morrone co-stars with Willem Dafoe in “Gonzo Girl,” the directorial debut of Patricia Arquette.
Photo by George Pimentel
Patricia Arquette went...
Thanks to SAG-AFTRA strike waivers, several actors including Willem Dafoe and Ethan Hawke, were also on hand. “Sing Sing” and “Rustin” actor Colman Domingo was also able to collect his Tribute Performer Award in person, as was “The Dead Don’t Die” star Vicky Krieps.
Enjoy these shots of Lee, who was there to receive the Ebert Director Award, and more awards recipients and presenters.
Photo by George Pimentel
Willem Dafoe plays a Hunter S. Thompson-esque writer in “Gonzo Girl” from director Patricia Arquette.
Photo by George Pimentel
“Daisy Jones & the Six” actress Camila Morrone co-stars with Willem Dafoe in “Gonzo Girl,” the directorial debut of Patricia Arquette.
Photo by George Pimentel
Patricia Arquette went...
- 9/12/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
“It’s like asking a woman when she’s crowning, ‘Do you want to give birth, again?’ ” explains Patricia Arquette of being asked about future directing ambitions while still waiting to screen her debut. “You’re like, ‘Not now!’ ”
Arquette’s feature, Gonzo Girl, is an adaptation of the book by Cheryl Della Pietra, who drew on her time as Hunter S. Thompson’s assistant in the 1990s for a fictionalized story about an aspiring writer who is tasked with extracting the latest novel from a drug-addled iconoclast. The script first came to the Oscar-winning actress, who had begun talking to her agents about nascent directorial aspirations, as an offer to star. In reading it, she saw the chance to explore themes, according to Arquette, that included — but were not limited to — “celebrity distortion, co-dependence, addiction, unhealed wounds, art, joy, life, sexuality.”
Arquette was also drawn to the ’90s time period,...
Arquette’s feature, Gonzo Girl, is an adaptation of the book by Cheryl Della Pietra, who drew on her time as Hunter S. Thompson’s assistant in the 1990s for a fictionalized story about an aspiring writer who is tasked with extracting the latest novel from a drug-addled iconoclast. The script first came to the Oscar-winning actress, who had begun talking to her agents about nascent directorial aspirations, as an offer to star. In reading it, she saw the chance to explore themes, according to Arquette, that included — but were not limited to — “celebrity distortion, co-dependence, addiction, unhealed wounds, art, joy, life, sexuality.”
Arquette was also drawn to the ’90s time period,...
- 9/9/2023
- by Mia Galuppo
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Two-time Oscar winner Sean Penn has excelled in a number of fields, including acting, writing and directing. But it’s his career as a performer that has brought him the most acclaim. Let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films as an actor, ranked worst to best.
Penn entered the Oscar race for the first time with his performance as a death row inmate in Tim Robbins’s “Dead Man Walking” (1995), for which he competed in Best Actor. Subsequent lead nominations as a jazz guitarist in Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown” (1999) and a mentally handicapped father in “I Am Sam” (2001) quickly followed.
He hit the Oscar jackpot with Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River” (2003), which cast him as a criminal grieving the murder of his daughter. Just five years later, he returned to the winner’s circle with his lead role in “Milk” (2008), Gus Van Sant’s...
Penn entered the Oscar race for the first time with his performance as a death row inmate in Tim Robbins’s “Dead Man Walking” (1995), for which he competed in Best Actor. Subsequent lead nominations as a jazz guitarist in Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown” (1999) and a mentally handicapped father in “I Am Sam” (2001) quickly followed.
He hit the Oscar jackpot with Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River” (2003), which cast him as a criminal grieving the murder of his daughter. Just five years later, he returned to the winner’s circle with his lead role in “Milk” (2008), Gus Van Sant’s...
- 8/12/2023
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
There was a time when the only thing that could interfere with Spicoli’s tasty waves and a cool buzz was a history teacher by the name of Mr. Hand. But, perhaps unexpectedly, Sean Penn has some strong feelings against intelligence of the artificial kind as well, blasting studios for supporting AI.
During a press conference for his latest film, Black Flies, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18th, Sean Penn didn’t mince words when it came to the use and defense of AI, especially as it pertains to the Writers Guild of America strike. “The industry has been upending the writers, actors and directors for a very, very long time…My full support is with the writers guild. There are a lot of new concepts that are being tossed about, including the use of AI. And it just strikes me as human obscenity that there...
During a press conference for his latest film, Black Flies, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18th, Sean Penn didn’t mince words when it came to the use and defense of AI, especially as it pertains to the Writers Guild of America strike. “The industry has been upending the writers, actors and directors for a very, very long time…My full support is with the writers guild. There are a lot of new concepts that are being tossed about, including the use of AI. And it just strikes me as human obscenity that there...
- 5/20/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
With Michael B. Jordan making his directorial debut with Creed III this weekend, we wanted to know what film by a first time Actor turned Director has been your favorite? Some came out of the gates with Oscar Glory (Kevin Costner/ Robert Redford) while others found a passion they haven’t looked back from (Ron Howard/ Sofia Coppola). If you don’t see your favorite listed, please let us know what (and who) it is in the comments section.
Update: I have rightly been called out for listing Braveheart as Mel Gibson’s first film when he actually directed a film prior to that called The Man Without a Face in 1993. So I guess the results are slightly skewed, but really, wasn’t Braveheart the first Mel Gibson directed film we all saw?!
Favorite Film by a First Time Actor Turned DirectorThat Thing You Do! (1996) (Tom Hanks)Ordinary People (1980) (Robert Redford)In a World…...
Update: I have rightly been called out for listing Braveheart as Mel Gibson’s first film when he actually directed a film prior to that called The Man Without a Face in 1993. So I guess the results are slightly skewed, but really, wasn’t Braveheart the first Mel Gibson directed film we all saw?!
Favorite Film by a First Time Actor Turned DirectorThat Thing You Do! (1996) (Tom Hanks)Ordinary People (1980) (Robert Redford)In a World…...
- 3/5/2023
- by Brad Hamerly
- JoBlo.com
David Morse is one of the most respected veteran actors working in the business. St. Elsewhere, The Indian Runner, The Crossing Guard, Dancer In The Dark, House, Hack, The Green Mile, to name just a few of his past credits, and now a Tony nomination for his incredibly powerful performance in How I Learned To Drive, which he has reprised with Mary-Louise Parker 25 years after they first did it off-Broadway. I talk to him about the differences in these two incarnations, particularly one important and significant moment he arrives at toward the end of the play. He explains how […]
The post Back to One, Episode 205: David Morse first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Back to One, Episode 205: David Morse first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/31/2022
- by Peter Rinaldi
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
David Morse is one of the most respected veteran actors working in the business. St. Elsewhere, The Indian Runner, The Crossing Guard, Dancer In The Dark, House, Hack, The Green Mile, to name just a few of his past credits, and now a Tony nomination for his incredibly powerful performance in How I Learned To Drive, which he has reprised with Mary-Louise Parker 25 years after they first did it off-Broadway. I talk to him about the differences in these two incarnations, particularly one important and significant moment he arrives at toward the end of the play. He explains how […]
The post Back to One, Episode 205: David Morse first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Back to One, Episode 205: David Morse first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 5/31/2022
- by Peter Rinaldi
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Casting director and producer Don Phillips, who helped launch the careers of such actors as Sean Penn, Matthew McConaughey and Mary Steenburgen, passed away on Thanksgiving Day from natural causes. He would have turned 81 on Dec. 21.
Phillips received his first break when he landed an entry-level job in the casting department of filmmaker Otto Preminger’s 1971 movie Such Good Friends. Impressed by Phillips, Preminger took an ad in Variety and Backstage to praise the novice’s work on the film.
The acknowledgement led to Phillips getting hired to do extras casting on Sidney Lumet’s Serpico starring Al Pacino with his job subsequently expanding to casting the entire film. Lumet then tapped him as casting director on his next film, Dog Day Afternoon, also starring Pacino. Phillips is credited with holding out for actor John Cazale to be cast opposite Pacino as Sal.
Phillips went on to cast the cult...
Phillips received his first break when he landed an entry-level job in the casting department of filmmaker Otto Preminger’s 1971 movie Such Good Friends. Impressed by Phillips, Preminger took an ad in Variety and Backstage to praise the novice’s work on the film.
The acknowledgement led to Phillips getting hired to do extras casting on Sidney Lumet’s Serpico starring Al Pacino with his job subsequently expanding to casting the entire film. Lumet then tapped him as casting director on his next film, Dog Day Afternoon, also starring Pacino. Phillips is credited with holding out for actor John Cazale to be cast opposite Pacino as Sal.
Phillips went on to cast the cult...
- 11/27/2021
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Oscar-winning multi-hyphenate Sean Penn has launched Projected Picture Works, a new independent production company he will run with producing partners John Ira Palmer and John Wildermuth. The new shingle will develop and produce films and series, collaborating with established and emerging talent to tell stories that are original, meaningful, and cinematic.
Penn, the two-time Academy Award-winning actor, director, writer, and producer, is coming off starring and directing Flag Day, released by MGM after its Cannes premiere, and he’s finishing up Gaslit, Starz’s UCP-produced Watergate limited series he’s starring in with Julia Roberts..
Palmer is a producer and former marketing executive, and Wildermuth is a producer and veteran assistant director who first worked alongside Penn on his directing debut, The Indian Runner. The trio collaborated on Flag Day, which was executive produced by Wildermuth, and co-produced by Palmer.
Projected Picture Works is currently developing its initial slate of projects,...
Penn, the two-time Academy Award-winning actor, director, writer, and producer, is coming off starring and directing Flag Day, released by MGM after its Cannes premiere, and he’s finishing up Gaslit, Starz’s UCP-produced Watergate limited series he’s starring in with Julia Roberts..
Palmer is a producer and former marketing executive, and Wildermuth is a producer and veteran assistant director who first worked alongside Penn on his directing debut, The Indian Runner. The trio collaborated on Flag Day, which was executive produced by Wildermuth, and co-produced by Palmer.
Projected Picture Works is currently developing its initial slate of projects,...
- 10/14/2021
- by Mike Fleming Jr
- Deadline Film + TV
Ever since his directorial debut with The Indian Runner in 1991, Sean Penn has been intent on keeping a certain tradition of American cinema alive: the tradition of directorially self-effacing, behavior-driven movies for adults in which complicated men and women find themselves unable to get out of their own and each other’s way. It’s the school of filmmaking practiced by John Cassavetes, Hal Ashby and Bob Rafelson, on whose work Penn builds with movies that fuse character and landscape to get at something unique and complex about American identity and culture. His latest film, Flag Day, stands alongside The Indian […]
The post “Multitasking in Film is Quite Stressful”: Sean Penn and Dp Daniel Moder on Flag Day first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Multitasking in Film is Quite Stressful”: Sean Penn and Dp Daniel Moder on Flag Day first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 8/19/2021
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Ever since his directorial debut with The Indian Runner in 1991, Sean Penn has been intent on keeping a certain tradition of American cinema alive: the tradition of directorially self-effacing, behavior-driven movies for adults in which complicated men and women find themselves unable to get out of their own and each other’s way. It’s the school of filmmaking practiced by John Cassavetes, Hal Ashby and Bob Rafelson, on whose work Penn builds with movies that fuse character and landscape to get at something unique and complex about American identity and culture. His latest film, Flag Day, stands alongside The Indian […]
The post “Multitasking in Film is Quite Stressful”: Sean Penn and Dp Daniel Moder on Flag Day first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “Multitasking in Film is Quite Stressful”: Sean Penn and Dp Daniel Moder on Flag Day first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 8/19/2021
- by Jim Hemphill
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
This review of “Flag Day” was first published after the film’s July 2021 premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.
Sean Penn has served on the jury at the Cannes Film Festival, leading the panel that gave the 2008 Palme d’Or to the French drama “The Class.” He’s acted in a number of films that have played the fest, including Terrence Malick’s 2011 Palme winner “The Tree of Life.” And he’s been in the Main Competition section as a director twice in the past, for “The Pledge” in 2001 and “The Last Face” in 2016.
All of that makes him a familiar face on the Croisette — but the last of those films also makes him a Cannes vet with something to prove. “The Last Face” was booed at its Cannes press screening and eviscerated by reviewers, with TheWrap’s Ben Croll calling it “a spectacularly misjudged mix of humanitarian intentions and gonzo-terrible execution.
Sean Penn has served on the jury at the Cannes Film Festival, leading the panel that gave the 2008 Palme d’Or to the French drama “The Class.” He’s acted in a number of films that have played the fest, including Terrence Malick’s 2011 Palme winner “The Tree of Life.” And he’s been in the Main Competition section as a director twice in the past, for “The Pledge” in 2001 and “The Last Face” in 2016.
All of that makes him a familiar face on the Croisette — but the last of those films also makes him a Cannes vet with something to prove. “The Last Face” was booed at its Cannes press screening and eviscerated by reviewers, with TheWrap’s Ben Croll calling it “a spectacularly misjudged mix of humanitarian intentions and gonzo-terrible execution.
- 8/18/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Sean Penn and daughter Dylan on the red carpet before the premiere of Flag Day Photo: Courtesy of Cannes Film Festival
As a champion of the underdog both onscreen and through his political activism Sean Penn has impeccable credentials which he chooses to flout only modestly.
He returns to Cannes with Flag Day, his sixth film as a director in 30 years after the likes of The Indian Runner (1991), The Crossing Guard (1995) and Into The Wild (2007). Also in the mix was the humanitarian drama The Last Face with Charlize Theron and Javier Bardem, which was presented in Cannes in 2016, and was roundly trounced by both audiences and critics.
Flag Day has been well-received, with Penn playing the part of notorious criminal and swindler John Vogel as well as directing the screenplay based on a memoir Film Flam Man: A True Family History by Vogel’s daughter Jennifer. Penn’s daughter Dylan plays Jennifer.
As a champion of the underdog both onscreen and through his political activism Sean Penn has impeccable credentials which he chooses to flout only modestly.
He returns to Cannes with Flag Day, his sixth film as a director in 30 years after the likes of The Indian Runner (1991), The Crossing Guard (1995) and Into The Wild (2007). Also in the mix was the humanitarian drama The Last Face with Charlize Theron and Javier Bardem, which was presented in Cannes in 2016, and was roundly trounced by both audiences and critics.
Flag Day has been well-received, with Penn playing the part of notorious criminal and swindler John Vogel as well as directing the screenplay based on a memoir Film Flam Man: A True Family History by Vogel’s daughter Jennifer. Penn’s daughter Dylan plays Jennifer.
- 7/12/2021
- by Richard Mowe
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The sixth day of the Cannes Film Festival was relatively uneventful, until “Flag Day” director Sean Penn decided to rail against Donald Trump in his press conference for the film.
The conference followed the film’s premiere, which stars his daughter Dylan Penn, and received mediocre reviews from viewers, with some calling the drama as “forgettable as they come.”
In Sunday’s trend roundup of the festival, grey hair seems to be making a comeback on the red carpet, and Twitter users are applauding the actresses who have decided to embrace the color.
See below for TheWrap’s roundup of Cannes, day 6:
Cannes Film Festival
Sean Penn’s ‘Flag Day’ Premieres
Sean Penn’s “Flag Day” premiered at the festival on Saturday, marking the third time he’s been in Main Competition section as a director — the other times for “The Pledge” in 2001 and “The Last Face” in 2016.
TheWrap’s Steve Pond wrote,...
The conference followed the film’s premiere, which stars his daughter Dylan Penn, and received mediocre reviews from viewers, with some calling the drama as “forgettable as they come.”
In Sunday’s trend roundup of the festival, grey hair seems to be making a comeback on the red carpet, and Twitter users are applauding the actresses who have decided to embrace the color.
See below for TheWrap’s roundup of Cannes, day 6:
Cannes Film Festival
Sean Penn’s ‘Flag Day’ Premieres
Sean Penn’s “Flag Day” premiered at the festival on Saturday, marking the third time he’s been in Main Competition section as a director — the other times for “The Pledge” in 2001 and “The Last Face” in 2016.
TheWrap’s Steve Pond wrote,...
- 7/11/2021
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Sean Penn defiantly swims against the Hollywood current with “Flag Day,” a labor of love that harkens back to another era of moviemaking. Jennifer Vogel’s memoir “Flim-Flam Man: A True Family History,” published in 2004, resisted film financing over 18 years, said producer William Horberg (“The Queen’s Gambit”) at the Cannes afterparty at the Martinez. Back at the start, producer Michael De Luca loved the project, and after many detours and obstacles, when the MGM studio head saw the nearly finished film, enthusiastically acquired it for release in 2021 (just as the studio was acquired by Amazon). Horberg was joyful at the film’s good fortune.
Like many other well-reviewed films at Cannes, a robust theatrical future is by no means assured for this old-fashioned ’70s-’80s father-daughter story, which marks Penn’s first time acting in his own film, after helming six features. Thanks to Matt Damon, Penn said at Sunday’s press conference,...
Like many other well-reviewed films at Cannes, a robust theatrical future is by no means assured for this old-fashioned ’70s-’80s father-daughter story, which marks Penn’s first time acting in his own film, after helming six features. Thanks to Matt Damon, Penn said at Sunday’s press conference,...
- 7/11/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
Sean Penn defiantly swims against the Hollywood current with “Flag Day,” a labor of love that harkens back to another era of moviemaking. Jennifer Vogel’s memoir “Flim-Flam Man: A True Family History,” published in 2004, resisted film financing over 18 years, said producer William Horberg (“The Queen’s Gambit”) at the Cannes afterparty at the Martinez. Back at the start, producer Michael De Luca loved the project, and after many detours and obstacles, when the MGM studio head saw the nearly finished film, enthusiastically acquired it for release in 2021 (just as the studio was acquired by Amazon). Horberg was joyful at the film’s good fortune.
Like many other well-reviewed films at Cannes, a robust theatrical future is by no means assured for this old-fashioned ’70s-’80s father-daughter story, which marks Penn’s first time acting in his own film, after helming six features. Thanks to Matt Damon, Penn said at Sunday’s press conference,...
Like many other well-reviewed films at Cannes, a robust theatrical future is by no means assured for this old-fashioned ’70s-’80s father-daughter story, which marks Penn’s first time acting in his own film, after helming six features. Thanks to Matt Damon, Penn said at Sunday’s press conference,...
- 7/11/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
As a filmmaker, Sean Penn has always had a flinty integrity, but the movies he directs work so hard to channel the values of ’70s films — they’re moody and fatalistic, with furrowed brows, and move at a pace of drop-dead deliberation — that early on, in the days of “The Indian Runner” (1991) and “The Crossing Guard” (1995), you could just about feel the sweat of his downbeat virtue. I think that changed when Penn made “Into the Wild” (2007), a film as dark as any other film in his desolation row, but it was directed with an open-eyed adventure and skill that turned it enthralling. After that, Penn made his one and only dud, but now he’s back with “Flag Day,” his sixth feature as a director in 30 years, and it’s one of his best.
It’s suffused with what you might call the Penn Darkness Factor. “Flag Day” tells...
It’s suffused with what you might call the Penn Darkness Factor. “Flag Day” tells...
- 7/10/2021
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Sean Penn’s directing career has followed an erratic trajectory, channeling raw feeling in his 1991 debut The Indian Runner, peaking with the ruminative 2007 survival drama Into the Wild and taking a nosedive with 2016’s tone-deaf The Last Face, which used a backdrop of human rights violations in Africa to spin a tortured romance between beautiful Westerners. He returns to the Cannes competition five years after that fiasco with Flag Day, which is a significant improvement even if its sincere intentions can’t get past the prosaic portrait of a con man making a reckless grab for the American Dream.
This is Penn’s first time directing ...
This is Penn’s first time directing ...
- 7/10/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Sean Penn’s directing career has followed an erratic trajectory, channeling raw feeling in his 1991 debut The Indian Runner, peaking with the ruminative 2007 survival drama Into the Wild and taking a nosedive with 2016’s tone-deaf The Last Face, which used a backdrop of human rights violations in Africa to spin a tortured romance between beautiful Westerners. He returns to the Cannes competition five years after that fiasco with Flag Day, which is a significant improvement even if its sincere intentions can’t get past the prosaic portrait of a con man making a reckless grab for the American Dream.
This is Penn’s first time directing ...
This is Penn’s first time directing ...
- 7/10/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
MGM has acquired one of the hot Cannes Film Festival acquisitions titles, director Sean Penn’s father-daughter coming-of-age drama “Flag Day,” marking the lead film debut of his daughter Dylan Penn (“Elvis & Nixon”), which will have its world premiere on the Croisette. (Check out our full list of 2021 Cannes acquisitions here.)
Thirty years ago, Cannes veteran Penn premiered his first film as a director, MGM’s “The Indian Runner,” in 1991, and has continued to bring his films to the festival throughout, from Best Actor-winning “She’s So Lovely” to eventual Oscar-winner “Mystic River” and “The Last Face.” He also served as the president of the jury in 2008.
Playwright and screenwriter Jez Butterworth (“Edge of Tomorrow”) adapted Jennifer Vogel’s 2005 memoir “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.” “Hearing the love and enthusiasm that Mike and his team at MGM have for bringing the movie to audiences...
Thirty years ago, Cannes veteran Penn premiered his first film as a director, MGM’s “The Indian Runner,” in 1991, and has continued to bring his films to the festival throughout, from Best Actor-winning “She’s So Lovely” to eventual Oscar-winner “Mystic River” and “The Last Face.” He also served as the president of the jury in 2008.
Playwright and screenwriter Jez Butterworth (“Edge of Tomorrow”) adapted Jennifer Vogel’s 2005 memoir “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.” “Hearing the love and enthusiasm that Mike and his team at MGM have for bringing the movie to audiences...
- 6/11/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
MGM has acquired one of the hot Cannes Film Festival acquisitions titles, director Sean Penn’s father-daughter coming-of-age drama “Flag Day,” marking the lead film debut of his daughter Dylan Penn (“Elvis & Nixon”), which will have its world premiere on the Croisette. (Check out our full list of 2021 Cannes acquisitions here.)
Thirty years ago, Cannes veteran Penn premiered his first film as a director, MGM’s “The Indian Runner,” in 1991, and has continued to bring his films to the festival throughout, from Best Actor-winning “She’s So Lovely” to eventual Oscar-winner “Mystic River” and “The Last Face.” He also served as the president of the jury in 2008.
Playwright and screenwriter Jez Butterworth (“Edge of Tomorrow”) adapted Jennifer Vogel’s 2005 memoir “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.” “Hearing the love and enthusiasm that Mike and his team at MGM have for bringing the movie to audiences...
Thirty years ago, Cannes veteran Penn premiered his first film as a director, MGM’s “The Indian Runner,” in 1991, and has continued to bring his films to the festival throughout, from Best Actor-winning “She’s So Lovely” to eventual Oscar-winner “Mystic River” and “The Last Face.” He also served as the president of the jury in 2008.
Playwright and screenwriter Jez Butterworth (“Edge of Tomorrow”) adapted Jennifer Vogel’s 2005 memoir “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.” “Hearing the love and enthusiasm that Mike and his team at MGM have for bringing the movie to audiences...
- 6/11/2021
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
Penn’s feature directorial debut The Indian Runner played on the Croisette in 1991.
MGM has acquired North America rights to Sean Penn’s Cannes Competition selection Flag Day, in which he also stars opposite daughter Dylan Penn in her debut lead role.
The awards season prospect will open theatrically in the US later this year via MGM’s distribution and marketing Jv United Artists Releasing.
Penn brought his feature directorial debut, MGM film The Indian Runner, to the Croisette in 1991 and returns with a true story based on Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth’s adaptation of Jennifer Vogel’s memoir...
MGM has acquired North America rights to Sean Penn’s Cannes Competition selection Flag Day, in which he also stars opposite daughter Dylan Penn in her debut lead role.
The awards season prospect will open theatrically in the US later this year via MGM’s distribution and marketing Jv United Artists Releasing.
Penn brought his feature directorial debut, MGM film The Indian Runner, to the Croisette in 1991 and returns with a true story based on Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth’s adaptation of Jennifer Vogel’s memoir...
- 6/11/2021
- by Jeremy Kay
- ScreenDaily
“Flag Day,” a new drama from Sean Penn, has sold North American rights to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer weeks before it is scheduled to have its global debut at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film was directed by Penn, with the Oscar-winner starring alongside his daughter, Dylan Penn. It’s an adaptation of Jennifer Vogel’s acclaimed memoir “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life,” and recounts the author’s difficult relationship with her con-man father, John Vogel. Frequently operating on the wrong side of the law, John Vogel torched buildings, robbed banks, and counterfeited more than $20 million. But he could also be a charming and caring father, complicating his ties with his daughter.
Penn’s directorial debut, “The Indian Runner,” had its world premiere at Cannes in 1991. His acting credits include “Mystic River,” “Dead Man Walking,” and “Milk.” Penn also directed “The Crossing Guard” and “Into the Wild.
The film was directed by Penn, with the Oscar-winner starring alongside his daughter, Dylan Penn. It’s an adaptation of Jennifer Vogel’s acclaimed memoir “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life,” and recounts the author’s difficult relationship with her con-man father, John Vogel. Frequently operating on the wrong side of the law, John Vogel torched buildings, robbed banks, and counterfeited more than $20 million. But he could also be a charming and caring father, complicating his ties with his daughter.
Penn’s directorial debut, “The Indian Runner,” had its world premiere at Cannes in 1991. His acting credits include “Mystic River,” “Dead Man Walking,” and “Milk.” Penn also directed “The Crossing Guard” and “Into the Wild.
- 6/11/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
MGM has taken North American distribution rights to Sean Penn’s upcoming Flag Day, which is making its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in July. Penn directs and also stars with his daughter Dylan Penn in what we’re already hearing is a star-making role for the actress. The studio will release Flag Day via its marketing-distribution joint venture United Artists Releasing later this year.
The pic is based on Jennifer Vogel’s memoir Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life and tells the story of the author’s coming of age, who Dylan Penn plays, over two decades while navigating a fraught relationship with her beloved, career criminal father, con man John Vogel, played by Sean Penn. Jez Butterworth (Ford v. Ferrari) adapted Vogel’s book for the screen.
Flag Day reps Sean Penn’s 30th anniversary at Cannes: His directorial debut, the MGM film The Indian Runner,...
The pic is based on Jennifer Vogel’s memoir Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life and tells the story of the author’s coming of age, who Dylan Penn plays, over two decades while navigating a fraught relationship with her beloved, career criminal father, con man John Vogel, played by Sean Penn. Jez Butterworth (Ford v. Ferrari) adapted Vogel’s book for the screen.
Flag Day reps Sean Penn’s 30th anniversary at Cannes: His directorial debut, the MGM film The Indian Runner,...
- 6/11/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
MGM has acquired the North American rights to “Flag Day,” the next feature from director Sean Penn that will make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival next month.
Penn stars in the film alongside his daughter, Dylan Penn, in her first lead actress role. MGM plans to release “Flag Day” theatrically later this year as part of its distribution and marketing joint venture with United Artists Releasing.
“Flag Day” is Sean Penn’s return to Cannes after his directorial debut, “The Indian Runner,” which was also released by MGM and had its world premiere there 30 years ago, in 1991.
“Flag Day” is based on a memoir by Jennifer Vogel titled “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.” It tells the story of Vogel’s fraught relationship with her father, John Vogel, who lived a double life as a con-man, bank robber and counterfeiter in order to provide for his family.
Penn stars in the film alongside his daughter, Dylan Penn, in her first lead actress role. MGM plans to release “Flag Day” theatrically later this year as part of its distribution and marketing joint venture with United Artists Releasing.
“Flag Day” is Sean Penn’s return to Cannes after his directorial debut, “The Indian Runner,” which was also released by MGM and had its world premiere there 30 years ago, in 1991.
“Flag Day” is based on a memoir by Jennifer Vogel titled “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.” It tells the story of Vogel’s fraught relationship with her father, John Vogel, who lived a double life as a con-man, bank robber and counterfeiter in order to provide for his family.
- 6/11/2021
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
MGM has acquired the North American rights to director Sean Penn’s Flag Day, starring daughter Dylan Penn (Elvis & Nixon).
The film, which will have its world premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, marks Dylan Penn’s debut in a lead actress role. Sean Penn’s directorial debut, the MGM film The Indian Runner, had its world premiere in Cannes in 1991.
“We were immediately captivated by Sean’s film — the outstanding performances from the entire cast lead of course by Dylan and Sean, Jennifer’s incredible life story and the great care the entire filmmaking team took in bringing this true tale to the big screen ...
The film, which will have its world premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, marks Dylan Penn’s debut in a lead actress role. Sean Penn’s directorial debut, the MGM film The Indian Runner, had its world premiere in Cannes in 1991.
“We were immediately captivated by Sean’s film — the outstanding performances from the entire cast lead of course by Dylan and Sean, Jennifer’s incredible life story and the great care the entire filmmaking team took in bringing this true tale to the big screen ...
- 6/11/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
MGM has acquired the North American rights to director Sean Penn’s Flag Day, starring daughter Dylan Penn (Elvis & Nixon).
The film, which will have its world premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, marks Dylan Penn’s debut in a lead actress role. Sean Penn’s directorial debut, the MGM film The Indian Runner, had its world premiere in Cannes in 1991.
“We were immediately captivated by Sean’s film — the outstanding performances from the entire cast lead of course by Dylan and Sean, Jennifer’s incredible life story and the great care the entire filmmaking team took in bringing this true tale to the big screen ...
The film, which will have its world premiere at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, marks Dylan Penn’s debut in a lead actress role. Sean Penn’s directorial debut, the MGM film The Indian Runner, had its world premiere in Cannes in 1991.
“We were immediately captivated by Sean’s film — the outstanding performances from the entire cast lead of course by Dylan and Sean, Jennifer’s incredible life story and the great care the entire filmmaking team took in bringing this true tale to the big screen ...
- 6/11/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Actor David Morse joins Josh and Joe to talk about his favorite movies.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Slaughter Rule (2002)
Dancer In The Dark (2000)
A History Of Violence (2005)
The Indian Runner (1991)
Inside Moves (1980) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Death Wish (1974) – Darren Bousman’s trailer commentary
The Virtuoso (2021)
The Crossing Guard (1995)
Prototype (1983)
Cry in the Wild: The Taking of Peggy Ann (1991)
Seven Beauties (1975)
Swept Away (1974)
Mimic (1997)
Hannibal (2001)
Mean Streets (1973)
Taxi Driver (1976) – Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary
The Godfather Part II (1974) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
Being There (1979) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary
The Ghost of Peter Sellers (2018)
A Shot In The Dark (1964) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary
Midnight Cowboy (1969) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Papillon (1973)
Straight Time (1978) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Straw Dogs (1971) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Wait Until Dark (1967) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Catch 22 (1970) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Desperate Hours (1990)
The Bounty...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
The Slaughter Rule (2002)
Dancer In The Dark (2000)
A History Of Violence (2005)
The Indian Runner (1991)
Inside Moves (1980) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Death Wish (1974) – Darren Bousman’s trailer commentary
The Virtuoso (2021)
The Crossing Guard (1995)
Prototype (1983)
Cry in the Wild: The Taking of Peggy Ann (1991)
Seven Beauties (1975)
Swept Away (1974)
Mimic (1997)
Hannibal (2001)
Mean Streets (1973)
Taxi Driver (1976) – Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary
The Godfather Part II (1974) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary
Being There (1979) – Alan Spencer’s trailer commentary
The Ghost of Peter Sellers (2018)
A Shot In The Dark (1964) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary
Midnight Cowboy (1969) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Papillon (1973)
Straight Time (1978) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Straw Dogs (1971) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary
Wait Until Dark (1967) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
Catch 22 (1970) – Larry Karaszewski’s trailer commentary
Desperate Hours (1990)
The Bounty...
- 5/18/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Before he had the ear of the president, former White House Chief Political Strategist Steve Bannon tried his hand at Hollywood. As a producer, he was behind several small movies, but he really hit his movie-making stride writing and directing conservative documentaries aimed at Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Here’s a complete list of every Hollywood project in which Bannon’s had a hand.
“The Indian Runner” (1991) — Executive Producer
Bannon’s first movie as an executive producer was, somewhat ironically, written and directed by famous Trump critic Sean Penn. “The Indian Runner” starred Viggo Mortensen and David Morse as brothers on the opposite sides of the law. Here’s the trailer.
“Titus” (1999) — Co-Executive Producer
Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange star in this modern-styled adaptation of the Shakespeare “Titus Andronicus.” That story packs an interesting mix of 1950s aesthetics and ancient Roman subject matter. Bannon served as co-executive producer on the project,...
“The Indian Runner” (1991) — Executive Producer
Bannon’s first movie as an executive producer was, somewhat ironically, written and directed by famous Trump critic Sean Penn. “The Indian Runner” starred Viggo Mortensen and David Morse as brothers on the opposite sides of the law. Here’s the trailer.
“Titus” (1999) — Co-Executive Producer
Anthony Hopkins and Jessica Lange star in this modern-styled adaptation of the Shakespeare “Titus Andronicus.” That story packs an interesting mix of 1950s aesthetics and ancient Roman subject matter. Bannon served as co-executive producer on the project,...
- 8/21/2020
- by Phil Hornshaw
- The Wrap
Sean Penn celebrates his 59th birthday on August 17, 2019. The two-time Oscar winner has excelled in a number of fields, including acting, writing and directing. But it’s his career as a performer that has brought him the most acclaim. In honor of his birthday, let’s take a look back at 15 of his greatest films as an actor, ranked worst to best.
Penn entered the Oscar race for the first time with his performance as a death row inmate in Tim Robbins’s “Dead Man Walking” (1995), for which he competed in Best Actor. Subsequent lead nominations as a jazz guitarist in Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown” (1999) and a mentally handicapped father in “I Am Sam” (2001) quickly followed.
SEEWoody Allen movies: Top 25 greatest films ranked worst to best
He hit the Oscar jackpot with Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River” (2003), which cast him as a criminal grieving the murder of his daughter.
Penn entered the Oscar race for the first time with his performance as a death row inmate in Tim Robbins’s “Dead Man Walking” (1995), for which he competed in Best Actor. Subsequent lead nominations as a jazz guitarist in Woody Allen’s “Sweet and Lowdown” (1999) and a mentally handicapped father in “I Am Sam” (2001) quickly followed.
SEEWoody Allen movies: Top 25 greatest films ranked worst to best
He hit the Oscar jackpot with Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River” (2003), which cast him as a criminal grieving the murder of his daughter.
- 8/17/2019
- by Zach Laws and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
Sean Penn is set to direct and star in the conman drama “Flag Day” alongside his daughter Dylan Penn, his son Hopper Penn, Josh Brolin and Miles Teller.
The cast includes two-time Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz (“Fosse/Verdon”), Dale Dickey, Eddie Marsan, Bailey Noble, and Katheryn Winnick (“Vikings”).
Jez Butterworth (“Edge of Tomorrow”) wrote the screenplay, which is based on Jennifer Vogel’s 2005 memoir “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.” “Flag Day” is described an illuminating portrait of a daughter struggling to overcome the loving yet dark legacy of her conman father.
Producers are William Horberg, Jon Kilik and Fernando Sulichin. Production companies are Wonderful Films, Rahway Road, New Element Films and Clyde Is Hungry Films.
Rocket Science and Wild Bunch will executive produce and are handling international sales, with CAA Media Finance, which arranged financing for the film, representing the U.S. and China rights.
The cast includes two-time Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz (“Fosse/Verdon”), Dale Dickey, Eddie Marsan, Bailey Noble, and Katheryn Winnick (“Vikings”).
Jez Butterworth (“Edge of Tomorrow”) wrote the screenplay, which is based on Jennifer Vogel’s 2005 memoir “Flim-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.” “Flag Day” is described an illuminating portrait of a daughter struggling to overcome the loving yet dark legacy of her conman father.
Producers are William Horberg, Jon Kilik and Fernando Sulichin. Production companies are Wonderful Films, Rahway Road, New Element Films and Clyde Is Hungry Films.
Rocket Science and Wild Bunch will executive produce and are handling international sales, with CAA Media Finance, which arranged financing for the film, representing the U.S. and China rights.
- 6/19/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Sean Penn is set to direct and star in “Flag Day” opposite his daughter Dylan Penn, Josh Brolin and Miles Teller.
Norbert Leo Butz, Dale Dickey, Eddie Marsan, Bailey Noble, Hopper Penn and Katheryn Winnick will also star in the film on which principal photography will begin this week.
Tony Award-winning playwright Jez Butterworth wrote the screenplay, which is based on Jennifer Vogel’s 2005 memoir “Film-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.”
Also Read: Sean Penn Says 'Spirit' of #MeToo Movement 'Is to Divide Men and Women' (Video)
“Flag Day” is the story of a daughter struggling to overcome the legacy of her con-man father. William Horberg, Jon Kilik and Fernando Sulichin will produce the film, which is a Wonderful Films, Rahway Road, New Element Films and Clyde is Hungry Films production. Christelle Conan, Anders Erdén, Peter Touche, Phyllis Laing, Devan Towers, Thorsten Schumacher, Vincent Maraval,...
Norbert Leo Butz, Dale Dickey, Eddie Marsan, Bailey Noble, Hopper Penn and Katheryn Winnick will also star in the film on which principal photography will begin this week.
Tony Award-winning playwright Jez Butterworth wrote the screenplay, which is based on Jennifer Vogel’s 2005 memoir “Film-Flam Man: The True Story of My Father’s Counterfeit Life.”
Also Read: Sean Penn Says 'Spirit' of #MeToo Movement 'Is to Divide Men and Women' (Video)
“Flag Day” is the story of a daughter struggling to overcome the legacy of her con-man father. William Horberg, Jon Kilik and Fernando Sulichin will produce the film, which is a Wonderful Films, Rahway Road, New Element Films and Clyde is Hungry Films production. Christelle Conan, Anders Erdén, Peter Touche, Phyllis Laing, Devan Towers, Thorsten Schumacher, Vincent Maraval,...
- 6/19/2019
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Star of upcoming thriller Soldado recently named Un Certain Regard chair.
Benicio Del Toro, who stars in the upcoming Sicario sequel Soldado, will receive the CinemaCon Male Star of the Year Award later this month.
Del Toro will receive the honour at the CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards ceremony on April 26 in Las Vegas.
It was announced last week that the Puerto Rican-born star will chair the Un Certain Regard jury in Cannes.
“From his commanding breakthrough performance in The Usual Suspects to his Academy Award winning role in Traffic, Benicio Del Toro has captivated audiences for years with thought provoking characters and worldly charm,...
Benicio Del Toro, who stars in the upcoming Sicario sequel Soldado, will receive the CinemaCon Male Star of the Year Award later this month.
Del Toro will receive the honour at the CinemaCon Big Screen Achievement Awards ceremony on April 26 in Las Vegas.
It was announced last week that the Puerto Rican-born star will chair the Un Certain Regard jury in Cannes.
“From his commanding breakthrough performance in The Usual Suspects to his Academy Award winning role in Traffic, Benicio Del Toro has captivated audiences for years with thought provoking characters and worldly charm,...
- 4/10/2018
- by Jenn Sherman
- ScreenDaily
Sean Penn recalled working with former White House advisor Steve Bannon on Conan Thursday night – however, they were not fond memories. Bannon had produced 1991 film The Indian Runner, which was also Penn’s directorial debut. The film starred Viggo Mortensen and David Morse, the story was set in 1960s Nebraska, revolved around two very different brothers: a small-town deputy sheriff and a […]
Source: uInterview
The post Sean Penn Recalls Working With Steve Bannon In 90’s Film ‘The Indian Runner’ appeared first on uInterview.
Source: uInterview
The post Sean Penn Recalls Working With Steve Bannon In 90’s Film ‘The Indian Runner’ appeared first on uInterview.
- 3/30/2018
- by Tatyana Samonte Escano
- Uinterview
Sean Penn has slammed Steve Bannon, who produced the Penn-directed 1991 movie “The Indian Runner,” as “c-word charming” and a “crook.” During an appearance on “Conan” that aired Thursday night, Penn said, “I noticed that, without any need for them, we had two kind of cheerleader-looking new makeup assistants on the call sheet that, as the director of that movie, I had not called for and yet it was on my very minimal budget to make this film they were being paid.” Penn joked that Bannon “exerted the same level of charm he does today” back then, and said that the...
- 3/30/2018
- by Beatrice Verhoeven
- The Wrap
Though best known for being an Oscar-winning actor and critically panned author, Sean Penn also directs movies of his own every now and again. One of them is 1991’s “The Indian Runner,” which was produced by none other than Steve Bannon (yes, that Steve Bannon). Asked about working with the future advisor to Donald Trump by Conan O’Brien, Penn held nothing back: “I would say he exerted the same level of charm that he does today,” he said.
“My first sense of him is that he was, you know, other than this c-word ‘charming,’ I think it was ‘crook,’ I think is what I thought,” Penn added before adding, “I didn’t even know it was the same Steve Bannon until I looked at him closely and imagined the Steve Bannon I knew, but where the toxins of the soul so deteriorate and bloat and meld into this — I...
“My first sense of him is that he was, you know, other than this c-word ‘charming,’ I think it was ‘crook,’ I think is what I thought,” Penn added before adding, “I didn’t even know it was the same Steve Bannon until I looked at him closely and imagined the Steve Bannon I knew, but where the toxins of the soul so deteriorate and bloat and meld into this — I...
- 3/30/2018
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Before he had the ear of the president, former White House Chief Political Strategist Steve Bannon tried his hand at Hollywood. As a producer, he was behind several small movies, but he really hit his movie-making stride writing and directing conservative documentaries aimed at Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Here’s a complete list of every Hollywood project in which Bannon’s had a hand. “The Indian Runner” (1991) — Executive Producer Bannon’s first movie as an executive producer was, somewhat ironically, written and directed by famous Trump critic Sean Penn. “The Indian Runner” starred Viggo Mortensen and David Morse as brothers on.
- 1/4/2018
- by Phil Hornshaw
- The Wrap
Before he had the ear of the president, former White House Chief Political Strategist Steve Bannon tried his hand at Hollywood. As a producer, he was behind several small movies, but he really hit his movie-making stride writing and directing conservative documentaries aimed at Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. Here’s a complete list of every Hollywood project in which Bannon’s had a hand. “The Indian Runner” (1991) — Executive Producer Bannon’s first movie as an executive producer was, somewhat ironically, written and directed by famous Trump critic Sean Penn. “The Indian Runner” starred Viggo Mortensen and David Morse as brothers on.
- 8/18/2017
- by Phil Hornshaw
- The Wrap
August’s home entertainment releases are off and running in a big way with this week’s crop of horror and sci-fi titles, as we have nearly two dozen movies coming our way this Tuesday.
Scream Factory is putting in overtime with a handful of stunning steelbooks celebrating three great John Carpenter films—They Live, The Fog and Escape From New York—as well as a Collector’s Edition of James Gunn’s Slither and the indie horror films Don’t Knock Twice and House on Willow Street (which they’ve teamed up with IFC Midnight for).
As far as recent genre movies go, Colossal, Shin Godzilla, and Phoenix Forgotten are all primed for their home bow on August 1st, and both Paramount and Universal are dusting off a bunch of recent titles on both DVD and Blu-ray, including Disturbia, The Machinist, Red Eye, and the unrated version of The Ruins.
Scream Factory is putting in overtime with a handful of stunning steelbooks celebrating three great John Carpenter films—They Live, The Fog and Escape From New York—as well as a Collector’s Edition of James Gunn’s Slither and the indie horror films Don’t Knock Twice and House on Willow Street (which they’ve teamed up with IFC Midnight for).
As far as recent genre movies go, Colossal, Shin Godzilla, and Phoenix Forgotten are all primed for their home bow on August 1st, and both Paramount and Universal are dusting off a bunch of recent titles on both DVD and Blu-ray, including Disturbia, The Machinist, Red Eye, and the unrated version of The Ruins.
- 7/31/2017
- by Heather Wixson
- DailyDead
Steve Bannon has been called “a stone cold racist,” a “white supremacist,” and an “anti-Semite” by politicians and cable news personalities. However, in a recent Q&A, Bannon’s former Hollywood partner Jeff Kwatinetz slammed those reports and defended Bannon, who in the 1990s, long before becoming Donald Trump’s chief strategist, was a Hollywood investment banker who executive produced Sean Penn’s directorial debut “The Indian Runner,” and later invested in “Seinfeld.”
Read More: Actors Read Steve Bannon’s Shakespearean Screenplay About the 1992 La Riots — Watch
“As a liberal, I don’t judge people on their politics, I judge them on their character, and from what I knew then and what I know now, Steve has great character. He’s not a racist or anti-Semitic. Things like that are absurd,” Kwatinetz —who is the founder of The Firm, the talent management and TV production company Bannon was with in 2002 and 2003— told The Hollywood Reporter.
Read More: Actors Read Steve Bannon’s Shakespearean Screenplay About the 1992 La Riots — Watch
“As a liberal, I don’t judge people on their politics, I judge them on their character, and from what I knew then and what I know now, Steve has great character. He’s not a racist or anti-Semitic. Things like that are absurd,” Kwatinetz —who is the founder of The Firm, the talent management and TV production company Bannon was with in 2002 and 2003— told The Hollywood Reporter.
- 5/8/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
In the 1990s, way before becoming Donald Trump’s chief strategist, Steve Bannon was a Hollywood investment banker, who executive produced Sean Penn’s directorial debut “The Indian Runner” and later invested on “Seinfeld.” During his Hollywood days, Bannon co-wrote a rap musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s Roman tragedy “Coriolanus” based on the 1992 Los Angeles Riots,which began on April 29, 1992 following the announcement of the “not guilty” verdict in the Rodney King case. Now, the digital video-based news organization NowThis has staged a reading of the play Bannon co-authored with Julia Jones, titled “The Thing I Am.”
Read More: Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner Vie for Power Over Trump on ‘SNL’ — Watch
Last December, Jones told The New York Times that Bannon came up with the ideas for the play, while she wrote it, mixing Shakespeare’s verse with Los Angeles street talk. However, Bannon would often chime in with “a particularly aggressive line.
Read More: Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner Vie for Power Over Trump on ‘SNL’ — Watch
Last December, Jones told The New York Times that Bannon came up with the ideas for the play, while she wrote it, mixing Shakespeare’s verse with Los Angeles street talk. However, Bannon would often chime in with “a particularly aggressive line.
- 5/1/2017
- by Yoselin Acevedo
- Indiewire
Long before he headed to the White House, Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon transitioned his career from Goldman Sachs to Hollywood. During that time, he worked as an executive producer on Sean Penn’s directorial debut “The Indian Runner” in 1991, and Death and Taxes asked Penn recently what he thought of Bannon.
Read More: Stephen K. Bannon’s Indie Film Career Contradicts His Alt-Right Vision
“Bannon was then, as he is now, simply another bitter Hollywood wannabe who went rogue by way of toxic narcissistic iconoclasm,” Penn said. “But, deep in his heart, he’s just a conniving hateful bloated punk who despises mankind. And then there are also the bad things about him…”
Penn is notably no fan of Trump, as he made clear in a December op-ed for The Daily Beast about the morning he learned the election results.
“Donald Trump, a petty, narcissistic, hate-mongering, reality show...
Read More: Stephen K. Bannon’s Indie Film Career Contradicts His Alt-Right Vision
“Bannon was then, as he is now, simply another bitter Hollywood wannabe who went rogue by way of toxic narcissistic iconoclasm,” Penn said. “But, deep in his heart, he’s just a conniving hateful bloated punk who despises mankind. And then there are also the bad things about him…”
Penn is notably no fan of Trump, as he made clear in a December op-ed for The Daily Beast about the morning he learned the election results.
“Donald Trump, a petty, narcissistic, hate-mongering, reality show...
- 4/8/2017
- by William Earl
- Indiewire
Long before he became the controversial White House Chief Strategist in the Trump administration, Steve Bannon decided to try his hand at the movie business.
Back in 1991, the 38-year-old Goldman Sachs vet hooked up with none other than Sean Penn to help produce the actor’s directorial debut, The Indian Runner.
Bannon, who was recently removed from the National Security Council, became a topic of conversation during an interview between Penn and Death and Taxes magazine. Asked about his time working with Bannon on the film, Penn offered a scathing review of the once-fledgling producer.
“Bannon was then, as he is now,...
Back in 1991, the 38-year-old Goldman Sachs vet hooked up with none other than Sean Penn to help produce the actor’s directorial debut, The Indian Runner.
Bannon, who was recently removed from the National Security Council, became a topic of conversation during an interview between Penn and Death and Taxes magazine. Asked about his time working with Bannon on the film, Penn offered a scathing review of the once-fledgling producer.
“Bannon was then, as he is now,...
- 4/8/2017
- by Mike Miller
- PEOPLE.com
Sean Penn is speaking out against President Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon, sharing his first-hand knowledge of who he calls a “conniving, hateful, bloated punk. Penn told Death and Taxes, “Bannon was then, as he is now, simply another bitter Hollywood wannabe who went rogue by way of toxic narcissistic iconoclasm. But, deep in his heart, he’s just a conniving hateful bloated punk who despises mankind.” “And then there are also the bad things about him, ” added Penn. Bannon and Penn have history together dating back to 1991 when Penn made his directorial debut on “The Indian Runner,” which Bannon.
- 4/8/2017
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Penn’s love story about two conflict-zone doctors, played by Charlize Theron and Javier Bardem, was not a hit at Cannes
Sean Penn has a pretty good record as a director, with films such as The Indian Runner and Into the Wild under his belt. However, he seems to have seriously blotted his copybook with his fifth feature, the war romance The Last Face, which attracted derisive reviews when it premiered at Cannes in May. Now the first trailer is out, the wider public can begin to make their own judgments on it.
Continue reading...
Sean Penn has a pretty good record as a director, with films such as The Indian Runner and Into the Wild under his belt. However, he seems to have seriously blotted his copybook with his fifth feature, the war romance The Last Face, which attracted derisive reviews when it premiered at Cannes in May. Now the first trailer is out, the wider public can begin to make their own judgments on it.
Continue reading...
- 11/23/2016
- by Guardian film
- The Guardian - Film News
Stephen K. Bannon’s ascension from Breitbart News executive to President-elect Donald Trump’s chief White House strategist and senior counselor shocked the world, in no small part because the alt-right figure has no background in government management. However, it’s not the first time Bannon has attempted to lead an industry outside of his professional experience. Bannon’s new role may be an ideal platform for propagandistic ambitions, but his career in independent film — first in distribution, then production — casts doubt on how much he believes in any of it.
Ten years ago, Bannon oversaw the distribution of independent films released by Wellspring Media, a company that supported a wide range of international cinema as well as gay-themed and other “transgressive” titles. Movies acquired and released under his tenure include the experimental Lgbt documentary “Tarnation” and “Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry,” a pro-Kerry documentary that opened during the 2004 election.
Ten years ago, Bannon oversaw the distribution of independent films released by Wellspring Media, a company that supported a wide range of international cinema as well as gay-themed and other “transgressive” titles. Movies acquired and released under his tenure include the experimental Lgbt documentary “Tarnation” and “Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry,” a pro-Kerry documentary that opened during the 2004 election.
- 11/21/2016
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Benicio Del Toro is a pretty singular talent in the industry, so it’s never a surprise when he does worth worthy of being honored. This year, the 19th annual Hollywood Film Awards have seen fit to bestow upon him the Hollywood Supporting Actor Award for his performance in Sicario. Of course, Del Toro more or less stole that film, so it’s a totally viable honor. He’s going to be in play for an Oscar nod in Best Supporting Actor, but regardless of if that nom happens or not, this shows how he’s still crafting memorable supporting characters. That’s always been Del Toro’s bread and butter, so this is just a perfect citation for him… Here’s part of the press release once again announcing this honor: dick clark productions announced that Academy Award-winning actor Benicio Del Toro will receive the “Hollywood Supporting Actor Award” for Sicario.
- 10/29/2015
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Early last year, we were one of the first to tell you about House of Good and Evil in our Indie Spotlight and it has now been revealed that the movie will be making its way to DVD in April:
“Neck-hairs will stand on end with the arrival of award-winning fright-flick House of Good and Evil, premiering on DVD this April from Phase4 Films.
Starring Marietta Marich (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning), Rachel Marie Lewis (Beacon Point), Christian Oliver (Speed Racer), Jordan Rhodes (The Indian Runner) and Bo Keister (Killing Kennedy), House of Good and Evil played various high-profile festivals where it’s won over critics and horror fans alike, taking Best Picture at the 2013 Twin Rivers Media Festival, and called ‘“One of the best psychological horror films I saw this year”’ by online horror hub Horror on Screen.
Synopsis: After losing their unborn child,...
“Neck-hairs will stand on end with the arrival of award-winning fright-flick House of Good and Evil, premiering on DVD this April from Phase4 Films.
Starring Marietta Marich (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning), Rachel Marie Lewis (Beacon Point), Christian Oliver (Speed Racer), Jordan Rhodes (The Indian Runner) and Bo Keister (Killing Kennedy), House of Good and Evil played various high-profile festivals where it’s won over critics and horror fans alike, taking Best Picture at the 2013 Twin Rivers Media Festival, and called ‘“One of the best psychological horror films I saw this year”’ by online horror hub Horror on Screen.
Synopsis: After losing their unborn child,...
- 2/24/2014
- by Jonathan James
- DailyDead
All the filmic bits and bobs you need to know on Monday 30 September
Coming up today
Good news for those clawing the walls at the prospect of another Wolverine spin-off: Hugh Jackman has said a new X-men film would have to be "very compelling" to convince him to take the role again.
Jackman, who was talking to journalists at the San Sebastián film festival, has now played the indestructible superhero six times. The Wolverine, the second standalone spin-off for the character after 2009's box office boomer X-Men Origins: Wolverine, received lukewarm reviews earlier this year.
There's plenty of hack 'n' slash to get through before Jackman's done however. He'll appear in Bryan Singer's X Men: Days of Future Past at least, before sheathing the claws for good.
In other news ...
- An actors' union study has found that Lgbt performers continue to face discrimination.
- Warner Bros have trademarked...
Coming up today
Good news for those clawing the walls at the prospect of another Wolverine spin-off: Hugh Jackman has said a new X-men film would have to be "very compelling" to convince him to take the role again.
Jackman, who was talking to journalists at the San Sebastián film festival, has now played the indestructible superhero six times. The Wolverine, the second standalone spin-off for the character after 2009's box office boomer X-Men Origins: Wolverine, received lukewarm reviews earlier this year.
There's plenty of hack 'n' slash to get through before Jackman's done however. He'll appear in Bryan Singer's X Men: Days of Future Past at least, before sheathing the claws for good.
In other news ...
- An actors' union study has found that Lgbt performers continue to face discrimination.
- Warner Bros have trademarked...
- 9/30/2013
- by Henry Barnes
- The Guardian - Film News
Mortensen's tortured Vietnam vet outlaw teaches us that while we may be flawed, the only hope is to live a little better
"I got some skeeter bites that need scratching. How about you and me go fiddle with the hydraulics?"
Not something you'd ever hear George Clooney whisper into his on-screen beau's ear. But then, Viggo Mortensen's Frank in The Indian Runner is no slick Hollywood seducer. Recently returned from Vietnam, Frank is a troubled, angry soul, played utterly convincingly by Mortensen in his first major role.
The Indian Runner (1990) was Sean Penn's first film as writer-director. It's a throwback to the 70s, the golden age of American cinema – rambling, emotional and humanist, but with a sharp, inventive visual style, like a Cassavetes movie shot by Scorsese. Film writer Bill Craske likened the film to a blues ballad for its oscillation between uplifting humour and melancholic despair.
With...
"I got some skeeter bites that need scratching. How about you and me go fiddle with the hydraulics?"
Not something you'd ever hear George Clooney whisper into his on-screen beau's ear. But then, Viggo Mortensen's Frank in The Indian Runner is no slick Hollywood seducer. Recently returned from Vietnam, Frank is a troubled, angry soul, played utterly convincingly by Mortensen in his first major role.
The Indian Runner (1990) was Sean Penn's first film as writer-director. It's a throwback to the 70s, the golden age of American cinema – rambling, emotional and humanist, but with a sharp, inventive visual style, like a Cassavetes movie shot by Scorsese. Film writer Bill Craske likened the film to a blues ballad for its oscillation between uplifting humour and melancholic despair.
With...
- 9/27/2013
- by Rowan Righelato
- The Guardian - Film News
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