“Things Heard and Seen” (Netflix, 04.30.21) gives horror movies a bad name. It’s the kind of bland genre exercise that belongs in the annals of ‘90s horror-dom instead of this decade where arthouse chills have re-energized horror with artful scares (“It Follows,” “Hereditary” and “The Invisible Man.”)
Read moreRoman Polanski Set to Direct New Film; Mia Farrow Rumored to Star
Yes, 87-year-old director Roman Polanski keeps making movies, and all the better for it. Americans have never seen the incredible “An Officer and A Spy,” Polanski’s last movie, because no American distributor would dare touch it in this the #MeToo era.
Read more‘The Mitchells vs The Machines’ Will Not Disappoint ADHD-inflicted Millennials [Capsule]
The big lure when it comes to Netflix’s upcoming animated movie “The Mitchells vs. the Machines” (04.30.21) is that it was produced by animation wizards Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who were behind “The Lego Movie” and “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”
Read more‘Four Good Days’: Glenn Close & Mila Kunis Star In Amazon Prime's Addiction Drama [Capsule]
Director Rodrigo Garcia’s addiction parable “Four Good Days.” Starring Mila Kunis as a heroine junkie looking to put her life back together with the help of mom (Glenn Close), it’s Oscar-bait 101 but done without an ounce of self-awareness.
Read moreThe 10 Best TV Shows of the 2010s
Not only will this decade of peak television be remembered as the “golden age” of the small screen, but, these past 10 years, the lines were blurred between television and cinema. Cinematic auteurs such as David Fincher, Martin Scorsese, David Lynch, Steven Soderbergh, and Spike Lee all made the jump to the small screen with personal projects they had been trying to develop for years. The fact that television accepted them with open arms meant that the small screen was just as much a place for risky storytelling as the big screen. It was very hard to choose just ten selections from the past decade to make this case, but the following are the TV shows which I believe could stand toe-to-toe with the best movies of the decade.
Read moreCitizen Kane Loses 100% “Fresh” Rating on Rotten Tomatoes After 80-Year-Old Negative Review Added
The child prodigy that was Orson Welles. A theater genius who wowed everyone in his heyday, Welles was a hot commodity, turning down offer after offer in the ’30s until he was sent an offer he couldn’t refuse: Complete artistic control in acting, writing, directing, and producing any feature film of his choice. “Citizen Kane” was the next step — a bracing movie that, to this day, is still heralded as the greatest ever made (although “Vertigo” is now a contender).
Read more‘About Endlessness': Roy Andersson's Surreal Ode to Existence [Capsule]
Director Roy Andersson is at it again. His latest, titled “About Endlessness,” which won him the Silver Lion for Best Direction at the 2019 Venice Film Festival, is another reflection on human life from the Swedish auteur.
Read moreThe 20 Greatest Best Picture Winners …
Meryl Streep Set to Star Alongside Joaquin Phoenix in Ari Aster's ‘Disappointment Blvd'
I’m hearing Meryl Streep has joined Joaquin Phoenix and will be part of the Montreal-set shoot of Ari Aster’s upcoming Disappointment Boulevard,” that’s according to DeuxMoi and a source from MTL Production that, more or less, confirmed this rumor to be true.
Read moreThe 93rd Oscars Were a Perfect Example of How Obsolete and Out-of-Touch Awards Shows Have Become
Before today's Oscar drama, it was fairly known around the entertainment industry that the Academy Awards had declining ratings and that their aura, their prestige, was no doubt on a severe downward decline.
Read moreSteven Spielberg Releases ‘West Side Story’ Trailer ...
It’s almost too surreal to even think about how the world will look 7 months from now, but that hasn’t stopped Steven Spielberg from giving us a sneak peek at his upcoming December release “West Side Story.”
Read morePaul Thomas Anderson’s ‘Soggy Bottom’ Rumored For Cannes World Premiere
If we are to believe this report from Variety, then Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Soggy Bottom” might show up at this year’s upcoming Cannes Film Festival. This would easily make it the most anticipated premiere of the upcoming 2021 edition. PTA hasn’t appeared at Cannes since “Punch-Drunk Love” nearly 20 years ago.
More to come …
‘Nomadland’ Wins Best Picture in Lowest-Rated Oscars Telecast Ever
It was inevitable, but Chloe Zhao’s “Nomadland” took him the big prize last night at the 93rd Academy Awards … and absolutely nobody cared. The numbers aren’t in yet, but I’m being told that this was the lowest rated Oscar telecast ever— look for official viewing tallies to be released later today.
Read more2021 Oscars predictions: Will ‘Nomadland’ Win Best Picture?
The global pandemic hasn’t stopped the Oscars this year as the show will go on this Sunday on ABC. Forget about the fact that last year saw the delay of hundreds of movies, many of which may have been Oscar contenders if released, but the Academy is also expecting its nominees to show up with a vaccination card and tux/gown in tow.
Read more#OscarsSoWhite: Something Happened in the 2010s ...
I can’t really pinpoint the exact year it happened, but there was no doubt a gradual deterioration in American cinema during the 2010s. What happened? Well, the oft-mentioned reason is the rise of the superhero genre with “Iron Man” in 2008, which kickstarted the 20+ movie MCU, not to mention the DCEU as well. This led to Disney monopolizing the industry with MCU films, live-action remakes, and countless reboots. Fine, I get it, this is a major reason why cinema fell apart this past decade, but the second primary reason was the #OscarsSoWhite movement.
Read moreCannes 2021: Farhadi, Östlund and Hansen-Love in Competition?
Variety’s Elsa Keslassy has an interesting piece on Cannes 2021. Familiar titles almost-guaranteed to make it into competition are mentioned, but there are also peculiarly unfamiliar films that could make their way to the croisette this July. Keslassy believes they are …
Read more‘Sesame Street: How We Got to Sesame Street’ [Capsule]
The most influential children's series in TV history gets the front and center treatment in the very likable documentary “Sesame Street: How We Got to Sesame Street.”
Read more2021 Could Be Astounding; Scorsese, Coen, PTA, Villeneuve, Wes Anderson, Eastwood, Del Toro, Aronofsky, and Many More
We have are in such a state of limbo right now in the industry that many film journalists I know haven’t even bothered applying for press accreditation at this year’s Cannes.
Read more‘New Order' Makes the Beguiling Case Against Violent Social Movements [Trailer]
Mexican director Michel Franco’s “New Order,” a dystopian shocker that resonates in these deeply troubling times, is not just his most grueling movie to date, and that’s already a feat in itself, but also his best and most accomplished work. If you were already not a fan of the guy’s work, then this won’t necessarily convert you, but regardless, it’ll convince you of his technical talents as a director.
Read moreMonte Hellman, ‘Two-Lane Blacktop’ Director, Dies at 91
In the last few years of his life, I kept in touch with Monte Hellman, the maverick director of “Two-Lane Blacktop,” who died April 20th in his home following a fall the previous day. He was 91. Suffice to say, I was devastated to hear of his death. He wasn’t only an important American cultural artist, but a great man as well.
Read more