An Aretha Franklin biopic is coming in 2020. Not just that, but Jennifer Hudson will be playing the “Queen of Soul” in this cinematic adaptation of the legendary singer.
Read moreSundance 2021 to Be Held Online and in 20 Cities Nationwide
A stark reminder of the long-lasting cultural effects of COVID-19 came crashing down on us this morning. The Sundance Film Festival is already planning a January edition of the festival and, according to new festival director Tabitha Jackson, it plans on going fully digital, with 20 cities to host live screenings.
Read moreThe 10 Best Movies of 2020 So Far ...
Let’s get it out of the way, the movie year so far has not been good for no other reason than because we were, still are, in the midst of a pandemic and most of the important theatrical releases have been delayed until further notice. That’s why 8 of the 10 best films released this year premiered at film festivals in 2019. In compiling my list of the 10 best films at the half-way mark of 2020, I couldn’t help but notice how this strange and historic year has had major highs in the indie and foreign circuit. Fine by me. It turns out, the only positive about Hollywood shutting down its doors these last 4 months is that it’s had audiences looking for alternatives in their movie selections. If you haven’t seen any of the following 10 highlights of 2020, then, by all means, please seek them out.
Read more‘Soul’ : Pixar's First Black-Led Feature Comes Out in November [Trailer]
Disney had announced earlier in the Spring that Pixar’s “Soul,” which was originally intended to hit theaters on June 19th, would be moving its June release date to November 20th. There were rumors that it could be getting an early-VOD/Disney+ release like Pixar’s previous film, “Onward, and also Disney’s own “Artemis Fowl,” alas the mouse house has decided to go the theatrical route with “Soul” because, I’m guessing here, a) it could spell bigger money and b) it has a legitimate shot at Oscar nominations.
Read more‘Yes, God, Yes': Catholic Schoolgirl Discovers Internet Porn in SXSW Comedy [Trailer]
Set in the early 2000s, the lead teenage protagonist in Karen Maine’s hilarious and heartfelt directorial debut “Yes, God, Yes” discovers Internet porn for the first time, but, being a Catholic school girl, it’s probably best not to go such sites because you know, God’s watching.
Read morePoliticians Want John Wayne Airport's Name Changed Because Late Actor Was a “White Supremacist"
Make no mistake about it: John Wayne was not, by any means, a bleeding heart liberal. However, given the shocking reaction from many this past weekend, stemming from an airport in California named after Wayne, you’d think these uber-progressive millennials thought he was one of their own all these years.
Read moreEthan Coen Isn't Part of Joel Coen's ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth' Because He “Didn't Want to Do It”
We didn’t know why brother Ethan was not part of Joel Coen’s upcoming “The Tragedy of Macbeth” adaptation, starring Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand. When the project was announced, it was a conspicuous absence, most notably because the Coen Brothers have always worked together (Joel is usually credited as the director, Ethan as the co-writer). In fact, they haven’t missed a collaboration together since their 1984 debut “Blood Simple.”
Read more‘Mulan' Moves Release Date to August 21
The canceled summer movie season is all, but official now. I mean, what else can you seriously expect when the two remaining blockbuster movies, after delaying upon delaying, are now set for release in mid-August…
Read more‘Rebuilding Paradise’: Ron Howard Directs Doc About A Small Town's Recovery From Wildfires [Trailer]
Ron Howard has been a consistent Hollywood director and, despite the rather tepid Dan Brown adaptations, among other things, he has delivered a few noteworthy works over his 30+ year career ("Apollo 13," "Cinderella Man," "Rush," "A Beautiful Mind,”)
Read moreDirector Pablo Larrain Says There Will Be A “Lost Generation" of Films Because of the Pandemic
“Jackie” director Pablo Larraín believes the effects of shutting down the movie industry for COVID-19 will probably result in a huge collection of films he thinks will be “lost.”
Read more‘Athlete A': Netflix Doc Tackles Survivors of Sexual Abuse by USA Gymnastics [Review]
“Athlete A” is an indictment of the devastating culture of mental and physical abuse that ran rampant for years in USA Gymnastics. The organization ignored and covered up widespread sexual abuse of its world-class athletes, who were barely in their teens, by its coaches and doctors.
Read moreChristopher Nolan’s ‘Tenet’ Delays Release Date Again to August 12
Yes, Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” has, yet again, had its release date pushed back by a couple of weeks The WB has just announced that Nolan’s film, originally set for release on July 31st, will now aim for an August 12th date.
Read more‘Rifkin's Festival': Woody Allen's Latest Set to World Premiere at San Sebastian Film Festival
Woody Allen has a new movie coming out this fall, but you wouldn’t know about it since he’s become person-non-grata in the States. Hell, even his last movie, the 2018 Amazon-dumped “Rainy Day in New York,” has yet to be released here. However, that hasn’t stopped the 84-year-old director from continuing to work — Europeans have welcomed him with open arms and been willing to finance the cinematic endeavors he chooses to embark on.
Read more‘Spring Blossom’: Suzanne Lindon’s Much-Buzzed Debut Was Selected By Cannes & TIFF This Year [Trailer]
I’m not going to get into the mess that is currently inflicting film festivals, with COVID-19 forcing many to go fully digital. However, there have been a few films building positive buzz over these last few weeks, primarily among them is Suzanne Lindon’s “Spring Blossom.”
Read more‘The Vast of Night': The Most Overpraised Movie of 2020 [Review]
Writer/director Andrew Patterson premiered “The Vast of Night” at the 2019 Slamdance Film Festival in January 2019. Amazon Studios acquired distribution rights to the film not too long after its TIFF screening and, finally, released it on May 29, 2020, at drive-in theaters in the United States and via video-on-demand on Prime Video. Although the budget hasn’t been divulged, some reports have the total production cost of under $500,000. Suffice to say, this is a major industry success story.
Read moreSoftcore Porn is Dominating the Netflix Charts
I’m sure you’ve heard of “365 Days,” after all, it’s very hard to escape this Polish erotic romance if you ever scroll through your Netflix. The film is, more or less, the equivalent of softcore porn. It’s also, currently, as of 06/24/20, the second most-watched film on Netflix.
Read more‘Ava’: Jessica Chastain is an Assassin on the Run in New VOD Thriller [Trailer]
The action-thriller “Ava,” directed by Tate Taylor (“The Help”) stars Jessica Chastain as Ava, a deadly assassin who works for a black ops organization, traveling the globe and specializing in high profile hits. When a job goes dangerously wrong she is forced to fight for her own survival.
Read moreMartin Scorsese's ‘Killers of the Flower Moon' Could Start Shooting “In the Coming Days.”
RAI Cinema's 01 Distribution (which is set to distribute Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” in Italy), presented their upcoming slate today, and, apparently, according to Italian publication Repubblica, the CEO stated that Scorsese’s upcoming FBI epic will start shooting “in the coming days.”
Read moreTIFF 2020 Announces Digital Component, Lineup Will Feature Just 50 Films
Yeah, we knew the program would be smaller, but the Toronto International Film Festival surprised everyone today by saying that only 50 films would be featured in their 2020 lineup - a drastic reduction from the usual 300+ films that screened at the Canadian festival last year.
Read more‘Waiting For the Barbarians': Johnny Depp-Starring Epic Finally Being Released in the U.S. [Trailer]
Last year’s Venice Film Festival was one of its most controversial editions, what with Roman Polanski bringing his brilliant “J’accuse” and a, supposedly, “canceled” Johnny Deep walking down the red carpet for Ciro Guerra’s much-anticipated “Waiting for the Barbarians.” Regardless, with “cancel culture” starting to get some much-needed major pushback and the allegations against Depp starting to crumble into blatantly constructed lies, Guerra’s movie is now ready to be seen and accepted by Americans.
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Given the low budget, “Ebenezer” will probably amount to a win for Depp. For West, I hope this was a one-time paycheck before he goes back to R-rated filmmaking.