I do wonder how I missed the Fangoria q & a between Jordan Peele and “Midsommar” director Ari Aster. The quote most outlets are using is Peele’s rave of Aster’s film, which is said to play heavily on pagan cult horror, much like “The Wicker Man.” No surprise then that, given Peele was on-stage with Aster, the “Get Out” director had over-the-top praise for Aster’s upcoming movie: “I think you’ve made the most idyllic horror film of all time. You’ve taken Stepford Wives and shattered the attractiveness of that movie with this one. That alone is a feat. This movie is just so unique. This hasn’t existed yet, and anything after Midsommar is going to have to contend with it. I mean, this usurps The Wicker Man as the most iconic pagan movie to be referenced.
Read moreYouTube Bans ‘Triumph of the Will’ For Hate Speech
I wrote this about Leni Riefenstahl’s “Triumph of the Will” on 2.13.15:
“Was there ever any doubt that this – quite possibly the most influential film of all time – would not make the list? “Triumph of the Will” is a Nazi propaganda film that, despite its disturbing subject matter, revolutionized the way movies were made. Filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl single-handedly rewrote the language of cinema with her use of cinematography and music. This is a work of staggering brilliance with shots that are still hard to achieve to this very day. Filmmakers such as Peter Jackson, George Lucas and Ridley Scott have all admitted to having studied and copied Rifenstahl’s masterpiece. Watching the film with attention to all the details on screen is an incredible experience; add in the fact that this was meant as a propaganda tool by the Nazis and you have one of the most harrowing cinematic experiences imaginable.”
Yesterday, YouTube decided to set up a new rule for uploaded content. Pure and simply, any videos “alleging that a group is superior in order to justify discrimination, segregation or exclusion based on qualities like age, gender, race, caste, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status,” would be banned [official statement posted here]. For some reason, they decided to include Riefenstahl‘s Triumph of the Will.
YouTube did specify the film’s ban by indicating that it “promoted or glorified Nazi ideology, which is inherently discriminatory.”
Iv’e said it before and I’ll say it again: the film is one of the most influential in the history of film, not for its Nazi ideology, but more so for its groundbreaking technical prowess. Without ‘Triumph’ there would be less advancement in sports broadcasting camerawork — hell, Riefsentahl is even credited as introducing slow-motion in cinema, among many other camera and editing tricks in this masterful film.
Of course, it is no surprise that such a ban has been enforced, but this is a very idiotic road we’re going down. It’s easy to defend speech when you agree with it. Controlling it is dangerous. Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past. So, sure, let’s erase history so we forget what evil actually is like.
Michael Douglas Believes He Lost 2013 Cannes Actor Prize Due to Steven Spielberg's TV Bias
Michael Douglas’ “Traffic” co-star Benicio Del Toro interviewed him as part of an “Actor on Actor” series [via Variety]. The real gimme of this chitchat is the fact that Douglas truly believes that he missed out on the Cannes 2013 Best Actor prize due to Steven Spielberg’s bias against television. Spielberg was the Jury president that year and Douglas’s film was the HBO-produced Liberace biopic “Behind the Candelabra.”
Read moreWill Quentin Tarantino Re-Edit ‘Once Upon A Time in Hollywood' Before Its Release?
By all accounts, Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” was met with a distinctive shrug by the Cannes jury, as the Alejandro Gonzalez Inarittu-led crew gave the film zero awards during the closing night ceremony. However, American critics seem to really like the movie, judging by its 88 Metascore and a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. And yet, all people seemed to be wanting to talk about, which I refused to cover given how much I loved the film and didn’t want this overshadowing it, was the now-infamous press conference, where Tarantino got visibly upset when someone asked about the film’s “violence against women” and Margot Robbie’s lack of screentime (QT’s now infamous reply “I reject your hypothesis!”).
Read morePatty Jenkins Debuts Eye-Popping ‘Wonder Woman 1984' Poster
This colorful and eye-popping new poster for Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman 1984” (June 2020) was tweeted out via Jenkins’ Twitter account. In that tweet she captioned, “By now you’ve heard: WB isn’t going to Hall H this year. We’re so sad to miss you there! And waiting until Dec. to start our official #WW84 campaign in full-- But the truth is… we can just… barely… wait…”
Read moreSan Sebastian Film Festival Boss Is Thrilled That Woody Allen Has Set His New Movie There
It’s been a tumultuous last 20 or so months for Woody Allen, what with American distributors all but blacklisting the legendary writer-director, all due to dubious, already twice settled-in-court, claims, made by his ex-wife Mia Farrow, which resulted in the director’s “A Rainy Day in New York” being shelved by Amazon and never released in U.S. theaters. With all that being said, Allen has gotten back the rights to the film, which is set to premiere, according to my sources, at the Venice Film Festival next September and will then roll out in most of the major European movie markets.
Read more‘Rocketman’ Earns Standing Ovation From Oscar Voters at Academy Screening
I do believe it’s time to put “Rocketman” on the very short list of Oscar contenders that have been screened so far this year. I mean, there aren’t many, not even if you count all the big festivals that have already happened. It does seem that Dexter Fletcher’s Elton John biopic may be destined for the same awards love as “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which won four Academy Awards in February.
Read moreWoody Allen's New Movie Casts Christoph Waltz; Set to Begin Shooting in Spain Next Month.
Woody Allen’s long-delayed last film, “A Rainy Day in New York,” will probably have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival this coming September, but that hasn’t stopped the filmmaker from moving on to his next project, an untitled film set to begin shooting in Spain next month. According to France’s Le Parisien, Allen has already signed-on actors such as Christoph Waltz, Gina Gershon, Louis Garrel, Sergi Lopez, and Elena Anaya to appear in this mysterious new film.
Read moreRon Howard Blames ‘Internet Trolls' For ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ Box-Office Failures
When Ron Howard took over directorial duties for "Solo: A Star Wars Story," replacing original directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller, he knew the task at hand was enormous. After all, the "Star Wars" brand is as important, if not more so, for Disney than their cherished Marvel brand. He was seen as the ‘savior’ as trouble was brewing between Lucasfilm head Kathleen Kennedy and Lord/Miller during production of the film. Howard had to steer the ship back in the right direction and have fans that were turned off by Rian Johnson's Episode 8 come back onboard this more by-the-numbers movie. Suffice to say, the underwhelming box-office clearly showed that not to be the case and "Solo," a film that no doubt had major flaws on-screen, was not saved by Howard.
Read more‘Rolling Thunder Revue’ Trailer: Martin Scorsese’s New Bob Dylan Doc Focuses on 1975 Tour
Now that the trailer for Martin Scorsese’s upcoming music documentary “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese” has finally been released, I can safely say this is my most anticipated doc of the year. The trailer opens with his protest song “Hurricane” and ends with “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” as we come across a 1975 America well over the done-to-death, post-Manson flower-power and social justice era of just a few years back. At the same time, Dylan decided to hit the road with his Rolling Thunder Revue Tour and, if you’re a Dylan aficionado, it represents the very best of live Bob Dylan. Forget about the theatrics for a second (the makeup and mask-wearing, magicians, boxers) and focus on the indelible music and the way Dylan, fresh off retirement and an endless mysterious spirit, explored the roots of the country in a barnstorming tour like no other. The likes of Joan Baez, Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, Sam Shepard, and Allen Ginsberg took the bus with Dylan and The Band to add extra oomph to the surroundings.
Read moreFantasia Film Festival Announces First Wave Titles
I absolutely adore Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival, which happens to be North America’s largest genre festival. Celebrating its 23rd edition this year, the festival has announced its first wave of titles which will include world premiere’s for Malik Bader‘s “Killerman,” starring Liam Hemsworth and Emory Cohen, and a “Critters” movie? You heard me right, the first Critters movie since the ‘80s, titled “Critters Attack!” will premiere at the Montreal fest.
Read moreOverpraised Barry Jenkins Set to Direct Alvin Ailey Biopic
It’s great living in a world where a director like Oscar winner Barry Jenkins has the ability and freedom to make any movie he damn well wishes to make. After all, the man is visually gifted, especially in his talent for immaculately conceived close-ups. However, I can’t say the substance in “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Moonlight” warranted all those over-the-top raves from critics. There was something lacking in the rather simple ‘Beale’ story and ‘Moonlight,’ despite an absolutely enveloping first two acts kind of fell apart for me in its last third. Alas, I am still very much anticipating Jenkins’ fourth film [via Deadline] which will have him team up with Fox Searchlight for an as-of-yet untitled film based on the life of choreographer Alvin Ailey.
Read more‘Rocketman' Debuts With Average $22M Weekend; 61% Less Than ‘Bohemian Rhapsody' Opening
The jury decision is in on “Rocketman” and the results aren’t necessarily pleasant. Dexter Fletcher’s R-rated Elton John biopic racked up $22M in its opening weekend. Whereas last year’s Freddie Mercury trend-starter “Bohemian Rhpasody” had racked up $51M in its first three days of business. I have said this would happen all along, but the R rating stamped on “Rocketman” prevented it from becoming a profitable endeavor. Hell, at this point, I would be surprised if it even cracks the $100M mark when all is said and done.
Read moreRobert Pattinson Deserves To Be Batman
I do wonder how this R-Batz backlash, stemming mostly from DCEU fans, will unfold once, ya know, Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” is actually released. The trailer will no doubt be a good indicator as to how this risky bit of casting will be met. Once first footage is shown (probably next year) Pattinson’s take on Bruce Wayne/The Caped Crusader will be miscroscoped to no ends by megafans
Read moreTom Hanks Peaked Between '92 and '02 (But, Please, Let's Not Hate ‘The Ladykillers')
An April ’16 Tom Hanks career assessment, courtesy of Hollywood-Elsewhere’s Jeffrey Wells, claims that Hanks’ peak started with 1992’s “A League of Their Own” and ended with 1999’s “Toy Story,” I would disagree with that timeline. The whole article was inspired by a Hanks quote from a Tribeca Film Festival discussion with John Oliver where he claimed “I peaked in the ’90s.”
Read moreFirst Poster for James Mangold’s ‘Ford v. Ferrari’
20th Century Fox are no doubt working extra hard for director James Mangold’s new film “Ford v. Ferrari” to make a dent in the Oscar race. This beautiful new poster has a ‘70s Hollywood cinema vibe to it. The studio will be debuting the first trailer for the movie on Sunday Night during Game 2 of the NBA Finals.”
Read moreRobert Pattinson Is Officially ‘The Batman’
Many rumors these past few weeks have had Robert Pattinson reportedly signing on to play Batman in Matt Reeves’ upcoming “The Batman.”
Read more‘Onward’ Trailer: Another Pixar Winner?
The folks at Pixar swear that they are done with sequels. Well, at least, after “Toy Story 4” is released next month. After that we can look forward to original content, starting with Dan Scanlon’s “Onward.” Yes, it’s a movie about Elves but Ill give the toon company the benefit of the doubt, they have, after all, given us these past 15 years classics such as “WALL-E,” “Finding Nemo,” “Up!” “Ratatouille,” “The Incredibles,” and “Toy Story 3.”
Read moreScorsese's ‘The Irishman' Delayed Due to De-aging VFX Issues
There has been a hold-up in post-production for Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman.” It does seem to be a case of unrealistic expectations in regards to the CGI being used for the de-aging process, something an old-school filmmaker like Scorsese probably didn’t expect would happen. He is used to finding great shots through composition and experimentation, not drawing them into existence. The de-aging process being used by the film seems to require more than just filmmaking talent but a hefty amount of VFX talent as well.
Read more‘Goldfinch’ Trailer: ‘Brooklyn’ Director Teams With DP Roger Deakins, Nicole Kidman And Ansel Elgort
Donna Tartt’s novel “The Goldfinch” won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. It is no doubt a story that needed to eventually be told on-screen and, no surprise, we are getting a screen adaptation already set for release this coming fall.
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