M Night Shyamalan Named Jury President of the 72nd Berlin Film Festival

Here’s a controversial choice I am actually in agreement with.

This morning’s announcement that M Night Shyamalan will be the jury president of the 72nd Berlin Festival took a few people by surprise.

“Isn’t he a hack?” one friend messaged me this morning.

No, actually, he is not. The guys over at Cahiers du Cinema have been champions of Shyamalan’s movies for many years now. They even included “Split” in their list of the ten best movies of 2017. Yes, his filmography isn’t perfect — Lady in the Water? The Last Airbender? After Earth? — but the French infatuation with Shyamalan seems to have to do with his being a sort of heir to Hitchcock (another director whose films polarized US critics and was loved by zee French).

Shyamalan is an artist who self-finances his own personal projects, has a solid fan base of fans and a very distinct voice within the cinematic spectrum. Then again, his two best movies — “The Sixth Sense” and “Unbreakable” — happened back-to-back during the very start of his career.

Denzel Washington to Star in Christopher McQuarrie-Directed Thriller, October 2027 Release by Amazon/MGM

Denzel playing a broken ex-cop with nothing to lose, under McQuarrie's direction? We all know Washington loves to attach himself to redemption stories. It's his bread and butter.

Golden Globes Reject ‘Michael' as a “Musical,” But ‘Obsession' Is a “Comedy”

So, let me get this straight. “Obsession,” a horror movie, is a comedy according to the Golden Globes. “Michael,” a movie where Michael Jackson sings and for two hours, is not a musical.

Keanu Reeves to Star in James Wan's ‘The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil’ Remake

Two weeks ago, I reported that James Wan's remake of the Korean film "The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil" for Paramount was scheduled to start production in April 2027. We now have a lead.

First Look: Dwayne Johnson Is Almost Unrecognizable As “The Chicken Man” In Benny Safdie's ‘Lizard Music’

Here's our first look at Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, 54, on the New York City set of Benny Safdie's "Lizard Music," a live-action/CGI hybrid now set for a Christmas 2027 release.

David Fincher’s ‘Cliff Booth’ Clocks In at 140 Minutes — 60 Pages Trimmed From Tarantino’s Original Script: “It Was Essentially Two Movies”

So, this is interesting. Two movies. That's what David Fincher says he was handed when Quentin Tarantino's screenplay for “The Adventures of Cliff Booth” landed on his desk.

August 19, 2019

3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

CONFIRMED: Sadie Soverall Exits Brady Corbet's ‘The Origin of the World' Mid-Shoot, Lily McInerny Steps In Lead Role

Sadie Soverall was just let go after briefly filming on Corbet's new film — no official reason given. She had the lead role. Corbet has replaced her, last minute, with Lily McInerny.

Ron Howard’s ‘Alone at Dawn’ Starring Adam Driver and Anne Hathaway Sets Christmas 2027 Release

This is the adaptation of the nonfiction book by Dan Schilling and Lori Longfritz. It wrapped production in February and has been in post-production ever since. The film test-screened a few months ago.

Jeremy Saulnier’s Next Film Retitled to ‘Slayground,’ Current Runtime is 2.5 Hours, Plot Details

Jeremy Saulnier’s mysterious A24 project, formerly “October,” still has no release date. You’d think, given that it has been in post-production for almost a year now.

Jemima Kirke and Alexi Wasser to Star in Woody Allen's Next Film

A few months ago, Deadline reported that Woody Allen's next film, set in Madrid and carrying a $14M budget, will be "largely English-language" and feature a "high-profile cast."

Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

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