Morning Rendezvous With Eggers and ‘Lighthouse'

I’m already dreading having to lineup early for the screening of Robert Eggers’ “The Lighthouse,” which will screen as part of the Directors’ Fortnight section on Sunday. The J.W. Marriott theater will not have a hotter ticket these next 12 days of the festival. Eggers IS the ticket for their program this year, although I’m sure plenty of other surprises await us with this always excellent sidebar section. I will most likely be aiming to arrive to the Marriott in-and-around 7am. God help me. All this despite the film only starting at 8:45. The lineups at the Marriott tend to be chaotic, every badge is equal at Director’s Fortnight screenings, Joe-Schmoe’s blog can easily get in instead of trades such as Variety and THR. Whoever can make it earliest wins the the golden ticket. The sacrifices you make for a 35mm black-and-white arthouse horror movie.

Pixar Claims No More Sequels After ‘Toy Story 4'

Last summer's "Incredibles 2," came off the heels of some rather disappointing sequels from toon company Pixar. With the exceptions of “Toy Story 2” and “Toy Story 3,” they have had had a lackluster set of continuations delivered to us these last few years. Sure, there were things to like about "Finding Dory," and "Monster University," maybe less so in regards to "Cars 2,” "Cars 3," but they all lacked the overall focus and thematic resonance of their predecessors. In short, none of them needed a sequel. It was all about branding and marketing merchandise. However, when Pixar focuses on non-sequels they usually hit aces, think of their last two "Coco" and "Inside Out," both wondrous adventures that showcased the company's indelible talents as cinematic gift-givers.

I’ve been brandishing the theory that maybe Pixar has finally lost its mojo and sold its soul to the Disney machine, but I was proven wrong today when it was revealed [via THR] that the upcoming “Toy Story 4,” which arrives June 21, will be the last sequel before Pixar starts work, solely, on new, original projects and not sequels, led by new boss Pete Docter.

“He’s really looking out for the new voices and really loading up the development pool,” Producer Mark Nielsen said. “It’s all original films after this one right now.”

It all starts in 2020, with “Onward,” directed by “Monsters University” director Dan Scanlon.

Cannes 2019: Alejandro González Iñárritu & Jury Press Conference

CANNES – I won’t get too into the nitty gritty of today’s Cannes Film Festival competition jury press conference. Mostly because there wasn’t much said that needs to be repeated or highlighted here.

There was the usual fawning, this time from Elle Fanning saying she “was shocked and couldn't believe she was chosen to be part of the jury,” even mentioning how it feels cyclical to have Inarritu as the president, considering he cast 7-year-old her as Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett’s daughter in ”Babel.”

Inarritu, on the other hand, said he didn’t feel comfortable being President, considering he was never in charge of anything in his life, not even in his own movie sets or family home.

More interestingly, the director elaborated that “The future of cinema is the way we experience it. To watch is not to see. Both different. Cinema is born to be experienced in community and it is different than watching something on an iPhone.” He went on to praise France, which he said “protects cinema, but we need to see it in the rest of the world.” going on to add and question how many of the films in competition would actually be exhibited in theaters.”

Director Kelly Reinhardt looked forward to the day the press will stop asking "what it feels like to be female filmmaker."

As you can tell, it felt like same old, same old. Now, on with the show.

Movie Theater Traumatizes Children by Accidentally Playing ‘La Llorona’ Instead of ‘Detective Pikachu’

Moviegoers in Montreal attending a “Detective Pikachu” screening on Thursday night stumbled upon an experience they soon won’t forget. A mistake led to “The Curse of La Llorona” being played instead of the Pokemon feature. This, of course, caused terror among the children present.

Ryan George of Screen Rant attended this clusterfuck of a screening: “The theatre I’m in is playing a trailer for Annabelle: Comes Home before Detective Pikachu LOOK AWAY CHILDREN OH NO,” he tweeted. “Andddd kids are crying. Now the Joker trailer is playing.”

Things got worse when the “Child’s Play” trailer was played was next: “NOW IT’S CHUCKY OH NO CHILDREN OH NO.”

The crowd was then moved to another theater (“at least there aren’t any more murders on-screen”).

The Problem isn't Cannes, It's the Lack of Born and Bred Female Directors

Cannes head Thierry Fremaux gave us a nice overview of the submissions he got for this year’s festival—according to him, 26% of the feature films submitted were directed by a woman. 19 of the 69 films included in the Official Selection (which means features and shorts) were directed by women, which is 27.5%. That’s it, that’s all, folks.

Peter Jackson Doesn't Want to Direct a Superhero Movie; Was Offered ‘Aquaman' Twice

In a new interview with Empire, director Peter Jackson claims he isn’t interested in directing a superhero movie and that he’d already been offered the chance to direct “Aquaman.,” but he turned it down. Twice.

“[WB Executive Kevin Tsujihara] said, ‘Are you a fan of Aquaman?’ I said, ‘No.’ Six months later: ‘Peter, are you a fan of Aquaman?’ I said, ’No, Kevin, I already told you this’,” Jackson said. “I’m not a superhero guy. I read ‘Tintin’… Look, films are hard. I only want to make something that I have a deep passion for.”

Alvin Sargent, Oscar-Winning Screenwriter Dies at 92

Alvin Sargent, a fine example of the 20th Century Hollywood screenwriter. He’s definitely up there with William Goldman Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Paul Schrader, Robert Towne and company.

His writing credits included “Ordinary People,” “Paper Moon,” “Julia”,” Straight Time,” “What About Bob,” and “Spider-Man 2,” one of the greatest superhero movies ever made. He was also the writer of other webslinger-led movies such as “Spider Man 2,” “Spider Man 3,” “Julia,” and “The Amazing Spider Man.”

The “Hollywood" screenwriter” has all but gone extinct in the industry, if anything, moving to television with the likes of Vince Gilligan, Noah Hawley, Aaron Sorkin making an auteur mark on the small tube.