Before we can even get on the record, before that most familiar robot warning of “This meeting is being recorded,” Frederick Elmes is swapping stories about Albert Brooks. After greeting me by name, he mentions a news piece I had written––a blurb about the recent Brooks documentary Defending My Life. He worked with Brooks some, he says, as a camera operator, goes on to speak generously and thoughtfully about the atmosphere the director cultivated and maintained on set, what that meant in turn to his work as a cinematographer, to the cast and crew more generally. I am sitting and grinning like an idiot, not unlike an ancillary Brooks character––maybe Bruno Kirby in Modern Romance. It strikes me that this moment represents Elmes’ approach to tending the moving image: careful research, a focus on listening, the sharing of ideas stemming from observation, and an immediate instinct for collaborative thinking.
- 4/11/2024
- by Frank Falisi
- The Film Stage
American Cinematheque Launches Major New L.A. Documentary Festival This Is Not a Fiction (Exclusive)
The American Cinematheque is kicking off a robust new Los Angeles nonfiction film festival dubbed This Is Not a Fiction, running from April 10-18. The festival opens with docuseries “Thank You, Good Night: The Bon Jovi Story,” with Jon Bon Jovi in-person at the Aero Theatre for the L.A. premiere screening.
The event will include in-person tributes to distinguished documentary filmmakers including Barbara Kopple, Joe Berlinger, Brett Morgen, Bill Morrison, Kirsten Johnson, Terry Zwigoff, Jeff Tremaine and Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor, as well as a virtual Q&a with Frederick Wiseman.
Other premieres will include “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,” “Power,” “Strong Island,” “Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg,” a restoration of “Lumumba: Death of a Prophet” and “Incident,” plus special presentations of Morgan Neville’s “Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces” and “Girls State.” A celebration of the 15th anniversary of “30 for 30” will feature a panel...
The event will include in-person tributes to distinguished documentary filmmakers including Barbara Kopple, Joe Berlinger, Brett Morgen, Bill Morrison, Kirsten Johnson, Terry Zwigoff, Jeff Tremaine and Véréna Paravel and Lucien Castaing-Taylor, as well as a virtual Q&a with Frederick Wiseman.
Other premieres will include “Ryuichi Sakamoto: Opus,” “Power,” “Strong Island,” “Catching Fire: The Story of Anita Pallenberg,” a restoration of “Lumumba: Death of a Prophet” and “Incident,” plus special presentations of Morgan Neville’s “Steve! (Martin) A Documentary in 2 Pieces” and “Girls State.” A celebration of the 15th anniversary of “30 for 30” will feature a panel...
- 3/19/2024
- by Pat Saperstein
- Variety Film + TV
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Museum of Modern Art
A massive run of Luis Buñuel’s Mexican films begins; “To Save and Project,” continues.
Film at Lincoln Center
“Never Look Away: Serge Daney’s Radical 1970s” brings films by Tati, Samuel Fuller, Nicholas Ray (x2), Godard, Straub-Huillet, Pasolini, and more.
Film Forum
“Sapph-o-rama” highlights lesbian cinema with films by Chantal Akerman, Lizzie Borden, Ulrike Ottinger, Yvonne Rainer, Celine Sciamma, and more; a 4K restoration of The Pianist, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, and The Third Man continue; a print of Calamity Jane plays on Sunday.
IFC Center
As Francis Ford Coppola’s latest recut, One from the Heart: Reprise, continues, Bertrand Bonello’s masterpiece Coma gets a New York premiere and a Dario Argento series begins; Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar plays late.
Roxy Cinema
Cronenberg’s Crash and Keith McNally...
Museum of Modern Art
A massive run of Luis Buñuel’s Mexican films begins; “To Save and Project,” continues.
Film at Lincoln Center
“Never Look Away: Serge Daney’s Radical 1970s” brings films by Tati, Samuel Fuller, Nicholas Ray (x2), Godard, Straub-Huillet, Pasolini, and more.
Film Forum
“Sapph-o-rama” highlights lesbian cinema with films by Chantal Akerman, Lizzie Borden, Ulrike Ottinger, Yvonne Rainer, Celine Sciamma, and more; a 4K restoration of The Pianist, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, and The Third Man continue; a print of Calamity Jane plays on Sunday.
IFC Center
As Francis Ford Coppola’s latest recut, One from the Heart: Reprise, continues, Bertrand Bonello’s masterpiece Coma gets a New York premiere and a Dario Argento series begins; Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar plays late.
Roxy Cinema
Cronenberg’s Crash and Keith McNally...
- 2/2/2024
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For regular updates, sign up for our weekly email newsletter and follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSEvil Does Not Exist.We are saddened to learn that Issue 97 will be Cinema Scope’s last in its current form. To “do something valuable in this field,” editor and publisher Mark Peranson writes, “one needs creative freedom.” This is exactly what, for twenty-five years and just under 100 issues, Cinema Scope was able to provide, offering a space that allowed, per Peranson, “a certain kind of filmmaker’s work to be treated with the intellect and respect they deserve.” The print issue is on its way to subscribers now, and its entire contents—including interviews with Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Rodrigo Moreno, and Alex Ross Perry—can also be read online.Sandra Milo has died at the age of 90. She starred in Federico Fellini’s 8½ (1963) and Juliet of the Spirits...
- 1/31/2024
- MUBI
When Nicolas Cage won the Best Actor Oscar in 1995 for his devastating portrayal of a heartbroken alcoholic with a death wish in Mike Figgis' "Leaving Las Vegas," he was 31 years old and soaring into the prime of an already impressive career. He had access to the best screenplays in town and the interest of just about every A-list director. So Cage did what any reasonable movie star would do: he made three of the decade's zaniest blockbuster action movies.
For those of us who fell in love with Cage as the good-hearted punk Randy in Martha Coolidge's lovable 1983 film "Valley Girl," he kind of owed us. Though he's utterly brilliant in "Leaving Las Vegas," Figgis' grimy drama makes "The Lost Weekend" look like "Arthur." It's a brutal, frankly unrewarding ordeal. For close to two hours, we watch Cage's financially/personally ruined screenwriter grimly follow through on his promise to speedily drink himself to death.
For those of us who fell in love with Cage as the good-hearted punk Randy in Martha Coolidge's lovable 1983 film "Valley Girl," he kind of owed us. Though he's utterly brilliant in "Leaving Las Vegas," Figgis' grimy drama makes "The Lost Weekend" look like "Arthur." It's a brutal, frankly unrewarding ordeal. For close to two hours, we watch Cage's financially/personally ruined screenwriter grimly follow through on his promise to speedily drink himself to death.
- 1/21/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
From internet memes to a slew of movies, this is the Age of Cage, but Nicolas Cage himself revealed that as he approaches his 60th birthday he is taking stock. He told a sold-out audience at the Red Sea Film Festival that he was winding down his film career after 45 years and over 100 films: “I want to do television; maybe Broadway.” His decision – inspired in part by his son showing him “Breaking Bad” — won’t be final, as he has several film projects in the pipeline, including “Sympathy for the Devil,” co-starring festival jury member Joel Kinnaman and a sequel to 2005’s “Lord of War” — “My character’s son grows up and becomes a rival. It’s very Arthurian,” he said.
The Academy Award winning actor hyped by the “good energy” in the room talked through the four decades of his career and every film mentioned was greeted by whoops...
The Academy Award winning actor hyped by the “good energy” in the room talked through the four decades of his career and every film mentioned was greeted by whoops...
- 12/8/2023
- by John Bleasdale
- Variety Film + TV
When Barbra Streisand’s “Yentl” opened on Nov. 18, 1983, directing was very much a man’s world. In the 1970s, there had been a few inroads for women. Italian director Lina Wertmuller was nominated for best director for 1976’s “Seven Beauties” Stateside, actress Barbara Loden, who was married to Oscar-winning director Elia Kazan, wrote, directed and starred in the acclaimed 1970 indie drama “Wanda,” which won best foreign film at the Venice Film Festival. She never followed up with another movie and died of breast cancer in 1980.
There was also Joan Micklin Silver (“Hester Street”), Claudia Weill (“Girlfriends”), Martha Coolidge (“Not a Pretty Picture”), Joan Tewkesbury (“Old Boyfriends”) and Joan Darling (“First Love”). But those filmmakers ran into brick walls when they tried to set up projects with the major studios. The late Silver told Vanity Fair in 2021 that a studio executive didn’t mince his word: “Feature films are expensive to make and expensive to market,...
There was also Joan Micklin Silver (“Hester Street”), Claudia Weill (“Girlfriends”), Martha Coolidge (“Not a Pretty Picture”), Joan Tewkesbury (“Old Boyfriends”) and Joan Darling (“First Love”). But those filmmakers ran into brick walls when they tried to set up projects with the major studios. The late Silver told Vanity Fair in 2021 that a studio executive didn’t mince his word: “Feature films are expensive to make and expensive to market,...
- 11/19/2023
- by Susan King
- Gold Derby
Nicolas Cage is living out his “Dream Scenario.”
The star of the upcoming A24 film revealed to The Guardian that he asks his subconscious for acting tips from his dreams. “If I’m stressed about how to play a scene, I’ll ask for a gift from my dreams,” Cage said. “Sometimes I’m so nervous about not having any hook on a scene that I’ll go to bed and dream about it and then I’ll get some residual feeling that I can apply to the performance.”
Cage has also had “beautifully weird” premonitions from his dreams, including a “wonderfully bizarre” experience where he dreamt of a two-headed eagle, and then was presented with the opportunity to purchase a two-headed snake the following day.
As for his acting career, Cage said he was blessed with five scripts over his decades-long career that did not require a single word to be changed,...
The star of the upcoming A24 film revealed to The Guardian that he asks his subconscious for acting tips from his dreams. “If I’m stressed about how to play a scene, I’ll ask for a gift from my dreams,” Cage said. “Sometimes I’m so nervous about not having any hook on a scene that I’ll go to bed and dream about it and then I’ll get some residual feeling that I can apply to the performance.”
Cage has also had “beautifully weird” premonitions from his dreams, including a “wonderfully bizarre” experience where he dreamt of a two-headed eagle, and then was presented with the opportunity to purchase a two-headed snake the following day.
As for his acting career, Cage said he was blessed with five scripts over his decades-long career that did not require a single word to be changed,...
- 11/4/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
One of the curious things about "The Twilight Zone's" enduring popularity is that Rod Serling's classic anthology series has been rebooted three separate times, and even spun off into movies, and yet the original series is still considered the gold standard. You'll hear "Star Trek" fans sing the praises of "The Original Series," sure, but you'll also find lots of them who think the franchise peaked with "The Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine," or "Enterprise." But the reboots of the "Twilight Zone" aren't nearly as well remembered or celebrated as the original series, no matter how many great filmmakers or actors appeared in them.
Take the first TV reboot, for example. That version of "The Twilight Zone" aired for three seasons between 1985 and 1989 — peak, influential pop culture years — and featured episodes directed by cinematic luminaries like Wes Craven, Joe Dante, John Milius, Curtis Harrington, Bill Duke, Martha Coolidge,...
Take the first TV reboot, for example. That version of "The Twilight Zone" aired for three seasons between 1985 and 1989 — peak, influential pop culture years — and featured episodes directed by cinematic luminaries like Wes Craven, Joe Dante, John Milius, Curtis Harrington, Bill Duke, Martha Coolidge,...
- 10/21/2023
- by William Bibbiani
- Slash Film
As of this writing, there have been four TV versions of "The Twilight Zone." There was Rod Serling's original series which ran from 1959 until 1964, of course, and that series completely shook the pop culture landscape, becoming a new pivot point by which new shows would be measured. In 1985, a decade after Serling's death, "The Twilight Zone" was revived and tried to adhere to the spirit of the original series by adapting stories from experienced sci-fi writers and employing an interesting raft of known actors and directors. Wes Craven, Tommy Lee Wallace, William Friedkin, Joe Dante, John Milius, Martha Coolidge, Bill Duke, and Atom Egoyan helmed episodes.
Many may also recall, merely through recency bias, that there was a 2019 "Twilight Zone" revival produced by Jordan Peele and broadcast on CBS All Access (now Paramount+). That new version has already been canceled after two ten-episode seasons.
Less well-remembered may be the...
Many may also recall, merely through recency bias, that there was a 2019 "Twilight Zone" revival produced by Jordan Peele and broadcast on CBS All Access (now Paramount+). That new version has already been canceled after two ten-episode seasons.
Less well-remembered may be the...
- 10/2/2023
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including red carpets for the MPTF NextGen Summer Party, Love in Taipei and Wif’s Valley Girl screening.
MPTF NextGen Summer Party
Darren Criss, Colman Domingo, Ben Barnes, Camilla Belle, Yvette Nicole Brown, Cristo Fernández, Max Greenfield, Olivia Holt, Michael Rooker, Reid Scott and Harry Shum Jr. were among the stars who attended the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s NextGen Summer Party on Sunday.
Yvette Nicole Brown, Colman Domingo and Max Greenfield Olivia Holt and Bailee Madison Michael Rooker, Cristo Fernandez, Paloma Cinco and Yvette Nicole Brown
Love in Taipei premiere
Paramount+ hosted a special premiere screening for it’s new film on Tuesday in Los Angeles, with support from director Arvin Chen, author/executive producer Abigail Hing Wen and producer Matt Kaplan.
Arvin Chen and Abigail Hing Wen Matt...
MPTF NextGen Summer Party
Darren Criss, Colman Domingo, Ben Barnes, Camilla Belle, Yvette Nicole Brown, Cristo Fernández, Max Greenfield, Olivia Holt, Michael Rooker, Reid Scott and Harry Shum Jr. were among the stars who attended the Motion Picture & Television Fund’s NextGen Summer Party on Sunday.
Yvette Nicole Brown, Colman Domingo and Max Greenfield Olivia Holt and Bailee Madison Michael Rooker, Cristo Fernandez, Paloma Cinco and Yvette Nicole Brown
Love in Taipei premiere
Paramount+ hosted a special premiere screening for it’s new film on Tuesday in Los Angeles, with support from director Arvin Chen, author/executive producer Abigail Hing Wen and producer Matt Kaplan.
Arvin Chen and Abigail Hing Wen Matt...
- 8/11/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Jersey Shore Family Vacation and Project Angel Food’s ground breaking ceremony.
God’s Love We Deliver’s Midsummer Night Drinks event
God’s Love We Deliver, the NYC metropolitan area’s only provider of medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling for individuals living with severe and chronic illness, held its 22nd annual Midsummer Night Drinks event on Saturday, held at the East Hampton home of David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris.
Neil Patrick Harris, David Ludwigson and David Burtka
Jill Zarin’s Luxury Luncheon
Jill Zarin’s Luxury Luncheon by Ticket2Events returned to the Hamptons on Saturday to benefit the Bobby Zarin Memorial Trust, with support from Housewives LuAnn de Lesseps, Margaret Josephs, Braunwyn Windham-Burke, Cynthia Bailey, Kristen Taekman and Jennifer Fessler.
Cynthia Bailey, Margaret Josephs,...
God’s Love We Deliver’s Midsummer Night Drinks event
God’s Love We Deliver, the NYC metropolitan area’s only provider of medically tailored meals and nutrition counseling for individuals living with severe and chronic illness, held its 22nd annual Midsummer Night Drinks event on Saturday, held at the East Hampton home of David Burtka and Neil Patrick Harris.
Neil Patrick Harris, David Ludwigson and David Burtka
Jill Zarin’s Luxury Luncheon
Jill Zarin’s Luxury Luncheon by Ticket2Events returned to the Hamptons on Saturday to benefit the Bobby Zarin Memorial Trust, with support from Housewives LuAnn de Lesseps, Margaret Josephs, Braunwyn Windham-Burke, Cynthia Bailey, Kristen Taekman and Jennifer Fessler.
Cynthia Bailey, Margaret Josephs,...
- 8/4/2023
- by Kirsten Chuba
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Clockwise from top left: Gladiator (DreamWorks), The Portable Door (MGM+), Valley Girl (MGM), Scarface (Universal Pictures)Image: The A.V. Club
Summer is here! So to quote Maximus from Ridley Scott’s Gladiator—which is being added to Amazon Prime Video in July—“Are you not entertained?” The answer, of course,...
Summer is here! So to quote Maximus from Ridley Scott’s Gladiator—which is being added to Amazon Prime Video in July—“Are you not entertained?” The answer, of course,...
- 6/29/2023
- by Robert DeSalvo
- avclub.com
Oscar-nominated character actor Frederic Forrest, who starred in The Rose and Apocalypse Now, died Friday in Santa Monica, Calif. at 86 after a long illness.
Bette Midler, his former costar, shared the news on Twitter.
“The great and beloved Frederic Forrest has died,” Midler, 77, wrote Friday. “Thank you to all of his fans and friends for all their support these last few months. He was a remarkable actor, and a brilliant human being, and I was lucky to have him in my life. He was at peace.”
Director Francis Ford Coppola, who worked with him on Apocalypse Now and other films, issued a statement.
“Freddie Forrest was a sweet, much beloved person, a wonderful actor and a good friend. His loss is heartbreaking to me.”
Midler and Forrest starred in the The Rose (1979), with Forrest portraying her limousine-driver-turned-love-interest, Huston Dyer.
The role earned Forrest Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor.
Bette Midler, his former costar, shared the news on Twitter.
“The great and beloved Frederic Forrest has died,” Midler, 77, wrote Friday. “Thank you to all of his fans and friends for all their support these last few months. He was a remarkable actor, and a brilliant human being, and I was lucky to have him in my life. He was at peace.”
Director Francis Ford Coppola, who worked with him on Apocalypse Now and other films, issued a statement.
“Freddie Forrest was a sweet, much beloved person, a wonderful actor and a good friend. His loss is heartbreaking to me.”
Midler and Forrest starred in the The Rose (1979), with Forrest portraying her limousine-driver-turned-love-interest, Huston Dyer.
The role earned Forrest Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations for Best Supporting Actor.
- 6/24/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
“Hurt but not defeated.” That’s the direction filmmaker Martha Coolidge gave to her star Nicolas Cage as they shot the pivotal breakup scene in the ’80s classic “Valley Girl.” In a filmed conversation from 2003 between the two for the film’s twentieth anniversary, Cage told Coolidge that he has “used that direction ever since” in all of his work.
As the iconic ’80s spin on “Romeo and Juliet” celebrates its 40th anniversary on April 29, and Cage returns to the big screen with his latest film “Renfield” — in which he plays the centuries old Prince of Darkness himself, Count Dracula, recovering from the latest attempt on his life with his familiar Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) in New Orleans — it’s clear that the impact of her words still resonate in the performances of the idiosyncratic actor.
He was just 17 years old when he auditioned for the role that would change his life.
As the iconic ’80s spin on “Romeo and Juliet” celebrates its 40th anniversary on April 29, and Cage returns to the big screen with his latest film “Renfield” — in which he plays the centuries old Prince of Darkness himself, Count Dracula, recovering from the latest attempt on his life with his familiar Renfield (Nicholas Hoult) in New Orleans — it’s clear that the impact of her words still resonate in the performances of the idiosyncratic actor.
He was just 17 years old when he auditioned for the role that would change his life.
- 4/13/2023
- by Marya E. Gates
- Indiewire
Step back into the 1980s with some of our favorite rom-coms from the decade. Nicolas Cage in “Valley Girl” and “Moonstruck,” Molly Ringwald looking for love in high school, and, of course, Princess Buttercup and her devoted Westley. Below we round up some of the best 80s romantic comedies.
When Harry Met Sally…
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal go from friends to lovers to … well, panic, and finally blissful commitment in this comedy written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner. The deli scene is, of course, a classic.
Coming to America
Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) tries to find the perfect American bride who doesn’t care that he’s African royalty in this hilarious comedy where he plays multiple parts. Always worth a rewatch.
Pretty in Pink
What’s the most important love affair in this John Hughes-penned movie? Have-not Andie (Molly Ringwald) and rich boy Blane...
When Harry Met Sally…
Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal go from friends to lovers to … well, panic, and finally blissful commitment in this comedy written by Nora Ephron and directed by Rob Reiner. The deli scene is, of course, a classic.
Coming to America
Prince Akeem (Eddie Murphy) tries to find the perfect American bride who doesn’t care that he’s African royalty in this hilarious comedy where he plays multiple parts. Always worth a rewatch.
Pretty in Pink
What’s the most important love affair in this John Hughes-penned movie? Have-not Andie (Molly Ringwald) and rich boy Blane...
- 2/14/2023
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Range Media Partners has signed iconic actress, producer and director Halle Berry, who to this day, remains the only Black winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress.
The trailblazer won the prize for her performance opposite Billy Bob Thornton in the 2001 Marc Forster drama Monster’s Ball, with her role also garnering her Best Actress awards from the Berlin Film Festival, the Screen Actors Guild and the National Board of Review.
Over the course of her more than three decades in Hollywood, Berry has featured in such major franchises as X-Men, Kingsman, John Wick and James Bond, working with a who’s who of talent while appearing in films of every imaginable genre — from thrillers like Gothika, Perfect Stranger and The Call, to dramas like Things We Lpost in the Fire, sci-fi epics like the Wachowskis’ Cloud Atlas, action-comedies including The Last Boy Scout, and rom-coms like Boomerang with Eddie Murphy.
The trailblazer won the prize for her performance opposite Billy Bob Thornton in the 2001 Marc Forster drama Monster’s Ball, with her role also garnering her Best Actress awards from the Berlin Film Festival, the Screen Actors Guild and the National Board of Review.
Over the course of her more than three decades in Hollywood, Berry has featured in such major franchises as X-Men, Kingsman, John Wick and James Bond, working with a who’s who of talent while appearing in films of every imaginable genre — from thrillers like Gothika, Perfect Stranger and The Call, to dramas like Things We Lpost in the Fire, sci-fi epics like the Wachowskis’ Cloud Atlas, action-comedies including The Last Boy Scout, and rom-coms like Boomerang with Eddie Murphy.
- 1/31/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s New Year’s Eve once again over at Trailers From Hell, so you know what that means, fellow cineastes: it’s Val Kilmer’s birthday!
As such, our Kilmer Birthday Committee (of one) will continue its annual tradition of watching one Val classic in celebration. Tonight’s entertainment: the criminally under-seen and intensely silly Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker adventure comedy Top Secret! (1984), a mash-up Elvis musical/spy caper parody picture. This relentlessly unserious entertainment carries special significance for Kilmerphiles, as it brought the world Val’s first-ever feature film role.
Now when Val Kilmer makes his celluloid acting debut, he’s not just some featured extra, or the 12th lead, or whatever. Don’t be silly. He’s the star, damn it.
In Top Secret!, that means he’s Nick Rivers, a Presley-esque rock and roller who finds himself inadvertently at the heart of an attempted hostile overseas takeover. This raucous...
As such, our Kilmer Birthday Committee (of one) will continue its annual tradition of watching one Val classic in celebration. Tonight’s entertainment: the criminally under-seen and intensely silly Zucker-Abrahams-Zucker adventure comedy Top Secret! (1984), a mash-up Elvis musical/spy caper parody picture. This relentlessly unserious entertainment carries special significance for Kilmerphiles, as it brought the world Val’s first-ever feature film role.
Now when Val Kilmer makes his celluloid acting debut, he’s not just some featured extra, or the 12th lead, or whatever. Don’t be silly. He’s the star, damn it.
In Top Secret!, that means he’s Nick Rivers, a Presley-esque rock and roller who finds himself inadvertently at the heart of an attempted hostile overseas takeover. This raucous...
- 1/1/2023
- by Alex Kirschenbaum
- Trailers from Hell
“This film is based on incidents in the director’s life. The actress who plays Martha was also raped when she was in high school. Names and places have been changed.” Thus begins the harrowing and uniquely personal 1976 16mm feature Not a Pretty Picture by director Martha Coolidge (Valley Girl). A narrative/nonfiction hybrid in which the filmmaker casts actors to dramatize the sexual assault she experienced as a high school student in the 1960s, Picture toggles between semi-scripted scenes of Martha (played by Michelle Manenti) with her friends and eventual abuser (played by Jim Carrington) in the fall of 1962 and documentary […]
The post Martha Coolidge on Reconstructing Sexual Assault in 1976’s Hybrid Documentary Landmark Not a Pretty Picture first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Martha Coolidge on Reconstructing Sexual Assault in 1976’s Hybrid Documentary Landmark Not a Pretty Picture first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/8/2022
- by Erik Luers
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
“This film is based on incidents in the director’s life. The actress who plays Martha was also raped when she was in high school. Names and places have been changed.” Thus begins the harrowing and uniquely personal 1976 16mm feature Not a Pretty Picture by director Martha Coolidge (Valley Girl). A narrative/nonfiction hybrid in which the filmmaker casts actors to dramatize the sexual assault she experienced as a high school student in the 1960s, Picture toggles between semi-scripted scenes of Martha (played by Michelle Manenti) with her friends and eventual abuser (played by Jim Carrington) in the fall of 1962 and documentary […]
The post Martha Coolidge on Reconstructing Sexual Assault in 1976’s Hybrid Documentary Landmark Not a Pretty Picture first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post Martha Coolidge on Reconstructing Sexual Assault in 1976’s Hybrid Documentary Landmark Not a Pretty Picture first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 12/8/2022
- by Erik Luers
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
While I don't hate any of the "Tmnt" movies (not even the confused patchwork that is the Michael Bay-produced 2014 big screen reboot), director Steve Barron's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" is the only one I would venture so far as to call a genuinely good film. Unlike the other "Tmnt" movies to date, Barron's 1990 flick serves up plenty of silly Turtle-related hijinks while also being serious and even moving when it needs to be, creating a vision of New York City that feels lived-in and real. That's no minor achievement, either, given this version of NYC is swarming with masked ninjas, mutated reptiles, and a giant talking rat voiced by original Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash.
Equally good is the voice work for the Turtles themselves in the film. Brian Tochi, who evolved into a prolific voice actor starting in the '90s, lends his vocals to Leonardo, the...
Equally good is the voice work for the Turtles themselves in the film. Brian Tochi, who evolved into a prolific voice actor starting in the '90s, lends his vocals to Leonardo, the...
- 10/11/2022
- by Sandy Schaefer
- Slash Film
Click here to read the full article.
Judy Tenuta, the eclectic comedienne known as “The Love Goddess” and “Aphrodite of the Accordion” to her legions of fans, has died. She was 72.
Tenuta died Thursday at her home Studio City after a battle with stage 4 ovarian cancer, publicist Harlan Boll announced.
During her first solo stand-up performance, Tenuta shocked audiences by dressing up as the Virgin Mary, and after being encouraged by her friends to incorporate an accordion into her routine — an instrument her mother, a fan of Lawrence Welk, encouraged her to learn — she developed the character into the wisecracking “Love Goddess.”
Tenuta soon introduced the public to such other exaggerated, campy and offbeat personas as “The Petite Flower,” “Fashion-Plate Saint,” “Queen of Candy-Pants,” “Princess of Panty Shields,” “Empress of Elvis Impersonators” and “Buffer of Foreheads.”
Like “The Love Goddess” and “Aphrodite of the Accordion,” these characters sported an array...
Judy Tenuta, the eclectic comedienne known as “The Love Goddess” and “Aphrodite of the Accordion” to her legions of fans, has died. She was 72.
Tenuta died Thursday at her home Studio City after a battle with stage 4 ovarian cancer, publicist Harlan Boll announced.
During her first solo stand-up performance, Tenuta shocked audiences by dressing up as the Virgin Mary, and after being encouraged by her friends to incorporate an accordion into her routine — an instrument her mother, a fan of Lawrence Welk, encouraged her to learn — she developed the character into the wisecracking “Love Goddess.”
Tenuta soon introduced the public to such other exaggerated, campy and offbeat personas as “The Petite Flower,” “Fashion-Plate Saint,” “Queen of Candy-Pants,” “Princess of Panty Shields,” “Empress of Elvis Impersonators” and “Buffer of Foreheads.”
Like “The Love Goddess” and “Aphrodite of the Accordion,” these characters sported an array...
- 10/6/2022
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Years before he flaunted his versatility in "The Doors," "Tombstone" and "Heat," it appeared as though Val Kilmer was going to be one of Hollywood's go-to comedy stars. Though David Zucker, Jim Abrahams and Jerry Zucker's "Top Secret!" flopped at the box office in 1984, those who were wise enough to rush out and catch it walked away impressed with the actor's ability to deadpan one moment and switch on his rockstar swagger the next. He followed that up the next year with an immensely appealing performance as troublemaking genius Chris Knight in Martha Coolidge's hysterical "Real Genius."
Kilmer's arrival was as sudden as it was welcome. Unlike many stars, he hadn't paid his dues via two-line roles in schlocky exploitation flicks or sitcoms. He just showed up, and we instantly adored him. If you had to guess, you figured he'd studied improv at Second City or The Groundlings.
Kilmer's arrival was as sudden as it was welcome. Unlike many stars, he hadn't paid his dues via two-line roles in schlocky exploitation flicks or sitcoms. He just showed up, and we instantly adored him. If you had to guess, you figured he'd studied improv at Second City or The Groundlings.
- 9/30/2022
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
Real Genius is a 1985 American teen science fiction comedy film directed by Martha Coolidge and starring Val Kilmer. The film follows a group of high school students recruited by a government agency to develop a laser. The students must then use the laser to destroy a satellite before it can be used as a weapon. Real Genius was a critical and commercial success, grossing 81 million at the box office. It has since become a cult classic. A positive review from Santa Cruz Sentinel wrote the film: “Real Genius isn’t just a showcase for new talent. It’s a well-paced,
Whatever Happened To The Cast Of “Real Genius”...
Whatever Happened To The Cast Of “Real Genius”...
- 8/26/2022
- by A.E. Oats
- TVovermind.com
Look into the series Criterion Channel have programmed for August and this lineup is revealed as (in scientific terms) quite something. “Hollywood Chinese” proves an especially deep bench, spanning “cinema’s first hundred years to explore the ways in which the Chinese people have been imagined in American feature films” and bringing with it the likes of Cronenberg’s M. Butterfly, Cimino’s Year of the Dragon, Griffith’s Broken Blossoms, and Ang Lee’s The Wedding Banquet—among 20-or-so others. A three-film Marguerite Duras series brings one of the greatest films ever (India Song) and two lesser-screened experiments; films featuring Yaphet Kotto include Blue Collar, Across 110th Street, and Midnight Run; and lest we ignore a Myrna Loy retro that goes no later than 1949.
Criterion editions include The Asphalt Jungle, Husbands, Rouge, and Sweet Smell of Success; streaming premieres for Loznitsa’s Donbass, Béla Tarr’s watershed Damnation, and...
Criterion editions include The Asphalt Jungle, Husbands, Rouge, and Sweet Smell of Success; streaming premieres for Loznitsa’s Donbass, Béla Tarr’s watershed Damnation, and...
- 7/25/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Wonder Woman franchise actress Connie Nielsen is joining Role Play opposite Kaley Cuoco, David Oyelowo and Bill Nighy.
The details of Nielsen’s role in the pic from Studiocanal, Picture Company and Amazon Prime Video are under wraps.
The Thomas Vincent-directed pic revolves around a married couple (Cuoco and Oyelowo) whose lives turn upside down when secrets come out about each other’s pasts. Nighy portrays a mysterious stranger who comes into their lives.
Seth Owen wrote Role Play. Andrew Baldwin also co-wrote. Brillstein Grey’s George Heller conceived the idea and serves as EP.
Studiocanal is fully financing the Picture Company production, to which Amazon Prime Video took rights for the U.S. and many offshore territories.
The Picture Company partners Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona are producing through their long-term deal at Studiocanal. Cuoco is producing through her Yes Norman Productions.
Nielsen plays Queen Hippolyta in...
The details of Nielsen’s role in the pic from Studiocanal, Picture Company and Amazon Prime Video are under wraps.
The Thomas Vincent-directed pic revolves around a married couple (Cuoco and Oyelowo) whose lives turn upside down when secrets come out about each other’s pasts. Nighy portrays a mysterious stranger who comes into their lives.
Seth Owen wrote Role Play. Andrew Baldwin also co-wrote. Brillstein Grey’s George Heller conceived the idea and serves as EP.
Studiocanal is fully financing the Picture Company production, to which Amazon Prime Video took rights for the U.S. and many offshore territories.
The Picture Company partners Alex Heineman and Andrew Rona are producing through their long-term deal at Studiocanal. Cuoco is producing through her Yes Norman Productions.
Nielsen plays Queen Hippolyta in...
- 7/14/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Synopsis
When a group of crazy college geniuses put their heads together, almost anything can happen. Hold on for a freewheeling, uproarious look at just how much mischief a bunch of high-IQers can concoct. Chris (Val Kilmer) is the top brain who just wants to party, Mitch (Gabe Jarret) is the 16-year-old whiz kid, and Lazlo (Jonathan Gries), America’s number one brain, literally lives in a world of his own…Chris’ closet. Supposedly hard at work on a lab project, they still find time to turn the dorm into an ice-skating rink, and throw a beach party in the auditorium complete with a lagoon and bikini-clad beauties. When the geniuses discover that their unscrupulous mentor Professor Hathaway (William Atherton) has had them working on a secret weapon for the military, they plot an elaborate revenge. Their plan culminates in an incredible scheme that outsmarts the military and convinces the...
When a group of crazy college geniuses put their heads together, almost anything can happen. Hold on for a freewheeling, uproarious look at just how much mischief a bunch of high-IQers can concoct. Chris (Val Kilmer) is the top brain who just wants to party, Mitch (Gabe Jarret) is the 16-year-old whiz kid, and Lazlo (Jonathan Gries), America’s number one brain, literally lives in a world of his own…Chris’ closet. Supposedly hard at work on a lab project, they still find time to turn the dorm into an ice-skating rink, and throw a beach party in the auditorium complete with a lagoon and bikini-clad beauties. When the geniuses discover that their unscrupulous mentor Professor Hathaway (William Atherton) has had them working on a secret weapon for the military, they plot an elaborate revenge. Their plan culminates in an incredible scheme that outsmarts the military and convinces the...
- 6/21/2022
- by ComicMix Staff
- Comicmix.com
Viewers will probably know whether “I’ll Find You” is of interest just from hearing one typical line of dialogue: “No matter what happens,” our handsome Catholic hero promises his beloved Jewish girlfriend when the Nazis invade Poland, ‘We’ll always be together.’”
It’s not much of a spoiler to say that this World War II drama is also an unabashedly old-fashioned romance. But it’s nice to be able to add that — thanks to the expertise of director Martha Coolidge — it’s a particularly polished one.
Violinists Rachel Rubin and Robert Pulaski meet as children, while attending a prestigious music school in Lodz run by Lena (Connie Nielsen).
In time-honored tradition, they see each other as competitors and spend all their time sparring until they finally realize how much they have in common. They are inseparable for years, until Robert leaves to study opera in Italy, and Rachel is pushed,...
It’s not much of a spoiler to say that this World War II drama is also an unabashedly old-fashioned romance. But it’s nice to be able to add that — thanks to the expertise of director Martha Coolidge — it’s a particularly polished one.
Violinists Rachel Rubin and Robert Pulaski meet as children, while attending a prestigious music school in Lodz run by Lena (Connie Nielsen).
In time-honored tradition, they see each other as competitors and spend all their time sparring until they finally realize how much they have in common. They are inseparable for years, until Robert leaves to study opera in Italy, and Rachel is pushed,...
- 2/24/2022
- by Elizabeth Weitzman
- The Wrap
A new trailer for the romantic drama I’ll Find You has been released. The film, directed by Martha Coolidge, stars Adelaide Clemens and Leo Suter and will be released on February 25, 2022.
Inspired by stories of Polish musicians from the 1930 and 1940s, the I’ll Find You is an uncommon love story; romantic, but with the love of music which draws the characters together. A young couple, dream of one day performing together at Carnegie Hall. When they’re torn apart by the German invasion of Poland, Robert vows to find Rachel, no matter what. His search takes him on a journey through the heart of Nazi Germany, to a realization that Rachel may be lost to him forever.
About The Film Genre: Drama, Music, Romance Cast: Adelaide Clemens, Leo Suter, Stephen Dorff, Connie Nielsen, Stellan Skarsgård Director: Martha Coolidge Screenplay: David S. Ward, Bozenna Intrator Based on a story by: Zbigniew John Raczynski Producers: Bozenna Intrator,...
Inspired by stories of Polish musicians from the 1930 and 1940s, the I’ll Find You is an uncommon love story; romantic, but with the love of music which draws the characters together. A young couple, dream of one day performing together at Carnegie Hall. When they’re torn apart by the German invasion of Poland, Robert vows to find Rachel, no matter what. His search takes him on a journey through the heart of Nazi Germany, to a realization that Rachel may be lost to him forever.
About The Film Genre: Drama, Music, Romance Cast: Adelaide Clemens, Leo Suter, Stephen Dorff, Connie Nielsen, Stellan Skarsgård Director: Martha Coolidge Screenplay: David S. Ward, Bozenna Intrator Based on a story by: Zbigniew John Raczynski Producers: Bozenna Intrator,...
- 2/1/2022
- by Editor
- CinemaNerdz
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to the public health documentary The End of Medicine, executive produced by two-time Oscar nominee Rooney Mara and Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix, with plans to release it in theaters and on digital and VOD platforms this summer.
The film from BAFTA-winning director Alex Lockwood and writer-producer Keegan Kuhn explores the link between our treatment of animals and emerging health threats such as pandemics and antibiotic resistance. It specifically looks at zoonotic diseases—germs and viruses that spread between human and non-human animals—which threaten the health and lives of the entire human population.
The End of Medicine entered production in October 2019, shortly before Covid-19 began headlines around the world. It features interviews with some of the world’s leading scientists whose research and testimonies conclude that the public health emergency we are presently facing was inevitable and is far from over.
“We...
The film from BAFTA-winning director Alex Lockwood and writer-producer Keegan Kuhn explores the link between our treatment of animals and emerging health threats such as pandemics and antibiotic resistance. It specifically looks at zoonotic diseases—germs and viruses that spread between human and non-human animals—which threaten the health and lives of the entire human population.
The End of Medicine entered production in October 2019, shortly before Covid-19 began headlines around the world. It features interviews with some of the world’s leading scientists whose research and testimonies conclude that the public health emergency we are presently facing was inevitable and is far from over.
“We...
- 1/31/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Film editors Lillian E. Benson and Richard Chew will receive Career Achievement Awards for their outstanding contributions to film editing at the 72nd Annual Ace Eddie Awards, taking place on March 5 at the Ace Hotel in Downtown Los Angeles.
“Lillian and Richard are rock star editors and represent the very best of our craft and profession,” said Ace president Kevin Tent. “Just look at those credits! Not only have they had incredibly prolific careers, but they’ve given back to our community in many ways, not the least of which by mentoring the next generation of editors. We are thrilled to honor these two special editors and look back at their amazing careers.”
Past recipients of the Ace Career Achievement Award include Alan Heim, Thelma Schoonmaker, Dede Allen, Janet Ashikaga, Craig Mckay, Margaret Booth, Carol Littleton, John Soh, Mark Goldblatt and Leon Ortiz-Gil, among many others.
Benson made history as...
“Lillian and Richard are rock star editors and represent the very best of our craft and profession,” said Ace president Kevin Tent. “Just look at those credits! Not only have they had incredibly prolific careers, but they’ve given back to our community in many ways, not the least of which by mentoring the next generation of editors. We are thrilled to honor these two special editors and look back at their amazing careers.”
Past recipients of the Ace Career Achievement Award include Alan Heim, Thelma Schoonmaker, Dede Allen, Janet Ashikaga, Craig Mckay, Margaret Booth, Carol Littleton, John Soh, Mark Goldblatt and Leon Ortiz-Gil, among many others.
Benson made history as...
- 1/25/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
The Criterion Channel’s February Lineup Includes Melvin Van Peebles, Douglas Sirk, Laura Dern & More
Another month, another Criterion Channel lineup. In accordance with Black History Month their selections are especially refreshing: seven by Melvin Van Peebles, five from Kevin Jerome Everson, and Criterion editions of The Harder They Come and The Learning Tree.
Regarding individual features I’m quite happy to see Abderrahmane Sissako’s fantastic Bamako, last year’s big Sundance winner (and Kosovo’s Oscar entry) Hive, and the remarkably beautiful Portuguese feature The Metamorphosis of Birds. Add a three-film Laura Dern collection (including the recently canonized Smooth Talk) and Pasolini’s rarely shown documentary Love Meetings to make this a fine smorgasboard.
See the full list of February titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
Alan & Naomi, Sterling Van Wagenen, 1992
All That Heaven Allows, Douglas Sirk, 1955
The Angel Levine, Ján Kadár, 1970
Babylon, Franco Rosso, 1980
Babymother, Julian Henriques, 1998
Bamako, Abderrahmane Sissako, 2006
Beat Street, Stan Lathan, 1984
Blacks Britannica, David Koff, 1978
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,...
Regarding individual features I’m quite happy to see Abderrahmane Sissako’s fantastic Bamako, last year’s big Sundance winner (and Kosovo’s Oscar entry) Hive, and the remarkably beautiful Portuguese feature The Metamorphosis of Birds. Add a three-film Laura Dern collection (including the recently canonized Smooth Talk) and Pasolini’s rarely shown documentary Love Meetings to make this a fine smorgasboard.
See the full list of February titles below and more on the Criterion Channel.
Alan & Naomi, Sterling Van Wagenen, 1992
All That Heaven Allows, Douglas Sirk, 1955
The Angel Levine, Ján Kadár, 1970
Babylon, Franco Rosso, 1980
Babymother, Julian Henriques, 1998
Bamako, Abderrahmane Sissako, 2006
Beat Street, Stan Lathan, 1984
Blacks Britannica, David Koff, 1978
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution,...
- 1/24/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Gravitas Ventures has acquired North American rights to the WWII-era romantic drama I’ll Find You from director Martha Coolidge. The Anthem Sports & Entertainment company plans to release the title starring Adelaide Clemens (To the Stars), Leo Suter, Stephen Dorff, Connie Nielsen and Stellan Skarsgård in theaters and on demand on February 25.
Inspired by true stories of Polish musicians from the 1930s and 1940s, I’ll Find You centers on the tender, music-infused relationship between Robert (Suter) and Rachel (Clemens) that is forged when the pair meet as music school students—he, a promising singer and she, a violin prodigy. While Robert is torn away from Rachel following the German invasion of Poland, he vows to find her, no matter the cost.
David S. Ward and Bozenna Intrator penned the script for the film, which was shot on location in Poland and New York. Intrator also produced it alongside Lukasz Raczynski, Zbigniew John Raczynski and Fred Roos, with Alexander Roos exec producing.
“I’LL Find You is a beautiful romance film set against the harsh background of World War II,” said Gravitas Ventures’ Manager of Acquisitions, Brett Rogalsky. “What director Martha Coolidge was able to do with these elements is truly impressive, and we’re excited to be able to bring this film to the public.”
“From the beginning I loved the theme in this film that music has an almost magical power to heal,” added Coolidge, “and that it can inspire and move all people even those at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum.”
Coolidge is an Emmy nominee and DGA Award winner who has previously directed films including Material Girls, The Prince and Me, Angie, Lost in Yonkers, Rambling Rose, Plain Clothes, Real Genius and Valley Girl, along with episodes of such series as Siren, Angie Tribeca, Madam Secretary, The Night Shift, Psych and Weeds.
Gravitas Ventures was founded in 2006 and sold to multi-platform media company Anthem Sports & Entertainment in November. Recent releases from the company include Michael Lembeck’s Queen Bees; Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Our Friend, starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel; Vanguard, directed by Stanley Tong and starring Jackie Chan; and Andy Tennant’s The Secret: Dare to Dream, starring Katie Holmes. Gravitas has also recently acquired titles including Adrian Martinez’s feature directorial debut iGilbert; the Kathy Bates drama Home, from writer-director Franka Potente; family adventure film The King’s Daughter, starring Pierce Brosnan; Jason Pollock’s doc Finding Kendrick Johnson; and The Accursed, a horror film marking the feature directorial debut of writer-directors Elizabeta Vidovic and Kathryn Michell.
Inspired by true stories of Polish musicians from the 1930s and 1940s, I’ll Find You centers on the tender, music-infused relationship between Robert (Suter) and Rachel (Clemens) that is forged when the pair meet as music school students—he, a promising singer and she, a violin prodigy. While Robert is torn away from Rachel following the German invasion of Poland, he vows to find her, no matter the cost.
David S. Ward and Bozenna Intrator penned the script for the film, which was shot on location in Poland and New York. Intrator also produced it alongside Lukasz Raczynski, Zbigniew John Raczynski and Fred Roos, with Alexander Roos exec producing.
“I’LL Find You is a beautiful romance film set against the harsh background of World War II,” said Gravitas Ventures’ Manager of Acquisitions, Brett Rogalsky. “What director Martha Coolidge was able to do with these elements is truly impressive, and we’re excited to be able to bring this film to the public.”
“From the beginning I loved the theme in this film that music has an almost magical power to heal,” added Coolidge, “and that it can inspire and move all people even those at opposite ends of the ideological spectrum.”
Coolidge is an Emmy nominee and DGA Award winner who has previously directed films including Material Girls, The Prince and Me, Angie, Lost in Yonkers, Rambling Rose, Plain Clothes, Real Genius and Valley Girl, along with episodes of such series as Siren, Angie Tribeca, Madam Secretary, The Night Shift, Psych and Weeds.
Gravitas Ventures was founded in 2006 and sold to multi-platform media company Anthem Sports & Entertainment in November. Recent releases from the company include Michael Lembeck’s Queen Bees; Gabriela Cowperthwaite’s Our Friend, starring Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel; Vanguard, directed by Stanley Tong and starring Jackie Chan; and Andy Tennant’s The Secret: Dare to Dream, starring Katie Holmes. Gravitas has also recently acquired titles including Adrian Martinez’s feature directorial debut iGilbert; the Kathy Bates drama Home, from writer-director Franka Potente; family adventure film The King’s Daughter, starring Pierce Brosnan; Jason Pollock’s doc Finding Kendrick Johnson; and The Accursed, a horror film marking the feature directorial debut of writer-directors Elizabeta Vidovic and Kathryn Michell.
- 1/11/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
It is such welcoming news that television veteran Lesli Linka Glatter has been elected president of the Directors Guild of America. For years, Glatter has mentored and advocated for women directors and has been a force within the union fighting for members’ rights.
Presumably her position will give her an even bigger platform to continue pushing for more parity in Hollywood’s male-dominated director ranks. Recent studies from “The Celluloid Ceiling” and “Boxed In,” two reports from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, show us just how egregiously wide the gap in the business still is: Women comprised just 16% of directors working on the top 100 (domestic) grossing films of 2020; women accounted for 31% of directors working on U.S. shows on streaming services and 19% of directors working on U.S. shows for broadcast networks in 2020-21.
“More than eight out of...
Presumably her position will give her an even bigger platform to continue pushing for more parity in Hollywood’s male-dominated director ranks. Recent studies from “The Celluloid Ceiling” and “Boxed In,” two reports from the Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film at San Diego State University, show us just how egregiously wide the gap in the business still is: Women comprised just 16% of directors working on the top 100 (domestic) grossing films of 2020; women accounted for 31% of directors working on U.S. shows on streaming services and 19% of directors working on U.S. shows for broadcast networks in 2020-21.
“More than eight out of...
- 9/22/2021
- by Claudia Eller
- Variety Film + TV
Lesli Linka Glatter has been elected president of the DGA at the guild’s biennial convention, held today at DGA national headquarters in Los Angeles. Glatter, who was the guild’s 1st vice president, is only the second woman ever elected president of the DGA. Martha Coolidge held the post from 2002-03. Twenty-two men have served as president, going back to the guild’s founding in 1936.
“I am honored to have been chosen by my peers to serve as president, and am committed to continuing our Guild’s great legacy of protecting the economic and creative rights of our members—always with our eye on the future,” Glatter said. “And there is nothing that makes me more hopeful about our future than looking around at this formidable, profoundly creative and incredibly diverse Board representing the future of this industry. I am blown away by their generosity of spirit and dedication to serving their fellow members,...
“I am honored to have been chosen by my peers to serve as president, and am committed to continuing our Guild’s great legacy of protecting the economic and creative rights of our members—always with our eye on the future,” Glatter said. “And there is nothing that makes me more hopeful about our future than looking around at this formidable, profoundly creative and incredibly diverse Board representing the future of this industry. I am blown away by their generosity of spirit and dedication to serving their fellow members,...
- 9/19/2021
- by David Robb
- Deadline Film + TV
Lesli Linka Glatter, a veteran TV director of shows such as “Homeland” and “Mad Men,” was elected president of the Directors Guild of America on Saturday night.
Glatter will succeed Thomas Schlamme, the “West Wing” veteran who stepped down after two terms. She becomes the second woman ever to serve as president, following Martha Coolidge, who held the position from 2002 to 2003.
Glatter is one of TV’s most in-demand director-producers. She’s known for her command of complicated drama productions, and has served as executive producer on several series, including “Homeland” and “The Leftovers.”
She got her start on Steven Spielberg’s “Amazing Stories,” and went on to direct shows such as “Twin Peaks,” “ER” and “NYPD Blue.” She is an eight-time DGA Award nominee and three-time winner, most recently earlier this year for her work on the “Homeland” finale. She’s also a six-time Emmy Award nominee for drama series directing.
Glatter will succeed Thomas Schlamme, the “West Wing” veteran who stepped down after two terms. She becomes the second woman ever to serve as president, following Martha Coolidge, who held the position from 2002 to 2003.
Glatter is one of TV’s most in-demand director-producers. She’s known for her command of complicated drama productions, and has served as executive producer on several series, including “Homeland” and “The Leftovers.”
She got her start on Steven Spielberg’s “Amazing Stories,” and went on to direct shows such as “Twin Peaks,” “ER” and “NYPD Blue.” She is an eight-time DGA Award nominee and three-time winner, most recently earlier this year for her work on the “Homeland” finale. She’s also a six-time Emmy Award nominee for drama series directing.
- 9/19/2021
- by Cynthia Littleton and Gene Maddaus
- Variety Film + TV
The founder and program director of the Etheria Film Festival, Heidi Honeycutt, discusses her favorite films from women filmmakers with Josh and Joe.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Destroyer (1988)
Army of the Dead (2021)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine recommendation
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Wonder Woman (2017)
The Dirty Dozen (1967) – Ed Neumeier’s trailer commentary
The Wild Bunch (1969) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Joe Dante’s review
The Women (1939) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
The Opposite Sex (1956) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Women (2008)
Halloween (1978) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Alex Kirschenbaum’s series and timeline power rankings, Randy Fuller’s wine recommendation
Valley Girl (1983) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
Valley Girl (2020)
The Wicker Man (1973)
The Wicker Man (2006)
Mandy (2018)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
Clueless (1995)
Legally Blonde (2001)
The Craft (1996)
Runaway...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Destroyer (1988)
Army of the Dead (2021)
The Howling (1981) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine recommendation
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Wonder Woman (2017)
The Dirty Dozen (1967) – Ed Neumeier’s trailer commentary
The Wild Bunch (1969) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Joe Dante’s review
The Women (1939) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary
The Opposite Sex (1956) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review
The Women (2008)
Halloween (1978) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary, Alex Kirschenbaum’s series and timeline power rankings, Randy Fuller’s wine recommendation
Valley Girl (1983) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
Valley Girl (2020)
The Wicker Man (1973)
The Wicker Man (2006)
Mandy (2018)
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982) – Karyn Kusama’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary
Clueless (1995)
Legally Blonde (2001)
The Craft (1996)
Runaway...
- 7/13/2021
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
For over 40 years Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood’s most mercurial and/or misunderstood actors has been documenting his own life and craft through film and video. He has amassed thousands of hours of footage, from 16mm home movies made with his brothers, to time spent in iconic roles for blockbuster movies like Top Gun, The Doors, Tombstone, and Batman Forever. This raw, wildly original and unflinching documentary reveals a life lived to extremes and a heart-filled, sometimes hilarious look at what it means to be an artist and a complex man.
Amazon Studios will release Val in theaters July 23rd, 2021 and on Prime Video August 6th, 2021.
Directed by Leo Scott & Ting Poo, watch the brand new trailer.
While the actor has been in Top Gun, Wonderland and gave audiences the amazing performance of Doc Holliday in Tombstone, one of my favorite roles of Kilmer’s will forever be in Martha Coolidge’s 1985 comedy,...
Amazon Studios will release Val in theaters July 23rd, 2021 and on Prime Video August 6th, 2021.
Directed by Leo Scott & Ting Poo, watch the brand new trailer.
While the actor has been in Top Gun, Wonderland and gave audiences the amazing performance of Doc Holliday in Tombstone, one of my favorite roles of Kilmer’s will forever be in Martha Coolidge’s 1985 comedy,...
- 7/6/2021
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
“Learn it. Know it. Live it!” The best-remembered teen comedy of the ’80s is also an insightful and unabashed look at real attitudes, behaviors and motivations of young people learning to deal with adult issues. Beyond the hilarious Sean Penn and the luscious Phoebe Cates lies a talent squad of notables and stars-to-be like Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold and Robert Romanus, with appearances by Amanda Wyss, Forest Whitaker, Eric Stoltz, Nicolas Coppola and Anthony Edwards. The stunning feature directing debut of Amy Heckerling, from Cameron Crowe’s undercover high school exposé, should be acknowledged as a modern classic.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1075
1982 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 89 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date May 11, 2021 / 39.95
Starring: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Robert Romanus, Brian Backer, Phoebe Cates, Ray Walston, Scott Thomson, Vincent Schiavelli, Amanda Wyss, Forest Whitaker, Kelli Maroney, Eric Stoltz, James Russo,...
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Blu-ray
The Criterion Collection 1075
1982 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 89 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date May 11, 2021 / 39.95
Starring: Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Robert Romanus, Brian Backer, Phoebe Cates, Ray Walston, Scott Thomson, Vincent Schiavelli, Amanda Wyss, Forest Whitaker, Kelli Maroney, Eric Stoltz, James Russo,...
- 5/29/2021
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
Howard Deutch wasn’t sure he was the right man to oversee “Pretty in Pink.” The aspiring filmmaker had met producer and writer John Hughes while directing a music video for his previous examination of high school social castes, “Sixteen Candles.” However, he’d never overseen a feature film and the prospect terrified him.
“I was honest with John and told him I didn’t feel equipped,” Deutch remembers. “He said, ‘all you have to do is get those performances for me and you can do it.’ That always made me feel secure when I was feeling insecure about so many other things.”
Thirty five years later, “Pretty in Pink” is a certified classic and remains a cinematic touchpoint for generation after generation of teenagers who see their own heartaches, triumphs, and insecurities reflected in the lives of Andie, Duckie, and Blane. The film was recently re-released in theaters by...
“I was honest with John and told him I didn’t feel equipped,” Deutch remembers. “He said, ‘all you have to do is get those performances for me and you can do it.’ That always made me feel secure when I was feeling insecure about so many other things.”
Thirty five years later, “Pretty in Pink” is a certified classic and remains a cinematic touchpoint for generation after generation of teenagers who see their own heartaches, triumphs, and insecurities reflected in the lives of Andie, Duckie, and Blane. The film was recently re-released in theaters by...
- 2/15/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Grab some popcorn and pull up a chair, it’s a moral imperative that we celebrate the 35th birthday of Martha Coolidge’s science whiz classic Real Genius!
The wise-cracking Val Kilmer starrer, which details the adventures of a group of brilliant physics undergrads at the fictional Pacific Tech University (clearly a stand-in for Caltech), stands as a wonderful slice of ’80s fun. It’s the kind of feel-good adventure that can be watched over and over again, spun like a favorite album.
Kilmer plays Chris Knight, a senior at Pacific Tech on the verge of burnout after years working with a special research team under the tutelage of the sleazy Dr. Jerry Hathaway (William Atherton). Chris, now prone to wearing goofy t-shirts and slippers and generally flaunting any sort of authority with playful jabs, convinces Hathaway to let him room with brilliant freshman Mitch Taylor (Gabriel Jarret), a 15-year-old winter term addition to campus.
The wise-cracking Val Kilmer starrer, which details the adventures of a group of brilliant physics undergrads at the fictional Pacific Tech University (clearly a stand-in for Caltech), stands as a wonderful slice of ’80s fun. It’s the kind of feel-good adventure that can be watched over and over again, spun like a favorite album.
Kilmer plays Chris Knight, a senior at Pacific Tech on the verge of burnout after years working with a special research team under the tutelage of the sleazy Dr. Jerry Hathaway (William Atherton). Chris, now prone to wearing goofy t-shirts and slippers and generally flaunting any sort of authority with playful jabs, convinces Hathaway to let him room with brilliant freshman Mitch Taylor (Gabriel Jarret), a 15-year-old winter term addition to campus.
- 8/7/2020
- by Alex Kirschenbaum
- Trailers from Hell
John Hughes’ breakthrough writing-directing hit still carries a glow that defuses its rougher edges, making it one of the best of ’80s Teen comedies. Even the savvy Soraya Roberts cuts it some slack, thanks to the authentic presence and fine performance of Molly Ringwald. Hughes’ amusing script comes up with at least ten moments that would have made Preston Sturges laugh, and his perfect casting for personalities young and old makes his direction look inspired. With great turns by Anthony Michael Hall, Haviland Morris, Debbie Pollack, Gedde Watanabe, Paul Dooley, and Michael Schoeffling.
Sixteen Candles
Special Collector’s Edition Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1984 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 94, 92 min. / Street Date April 14, 2020 / Available from Arrow Video / 18.99
Starring: Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry, Michael Schoeffling, Haviland Morris, Gedde Watanabe, Paul Dooley, Carlin Glynn, Blanche Baker, Edward Andrews, Carole Cook, Max Showalter, John Cusack, Debbie Pollack, Joan Cusack, Brian Doyle-Murray, Jami Gertz, John Kapelos,...
Sixteen Candles
Special Collector’s Edition Blu-ray
Arrow Video
1984 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 94, 92 min. / Street Date April 14, 2020 / Available from Arrow Video / 18.99
Starring: Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Justin Henry, Michael Schoeffling, Haviland Morris, Gedde Watanabe, Paul Dooley, Carlin Glynn, Blanche Baker, Edward Andrews, Carole Cook, Max Showalter, John Cusack, Debbie Pollack, Joan Cusack, Brian Doyle-Murray, Jami Gertz, John Kapelos,...
- 6/6/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
YouTube star Logan Paul knew that he had his work cut out for him when he was cast in a new musical remake of Martha Coolidge’s 1983 teen classic “Valley Girl.” Starting with the dance routines. “I’m not a dancer. I’m a 6-foot-tall, 200-pound brick of a human,” Paul told TheWrap in a Zoom interview. “It’s easy to say, ‘Loosen up,’ but that’s hard — I’m pretty tense, you know?”
In addition, there was the challenge of embodying the 1980s time period of the original film (a cult hit that provided an early breakout role for Nicolas Cage as a young punk rocker from the city who teams up with a girl from the San Fernando Valley).
“They asked me to grow out a mullet and lose 20 pounds, so I only did one of those,” joked Paul, who has a supporting role in the film (which...
In addition, there was the challenge of embodying the 1980s time period of the original film (a cult hit that provided an early breakout role for Nicolas Cage as a young punk rocker from the city who teams up with a girl from the San Fernando Valley).
“They asked me to grow out a mullet and lose 20 pounds, so I only did one of those,” joked Paul, who has a supporting role in the film (which...
- 5/15/2020
- by Zoe Tate
- The Wrap
Val Kilmer is having a moment, thanks to Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s whatever-happened-to…? portrait of him in The New York Times Magazine, which was pegged to the release of his memoir “I’m Your Huckleberry.” It’s one of those buzzy voyeuristic profiles that takes the measure of a movie star who slipped between the cracks and became a gonzo ghost/parody of himself, propelled at times by an engine of self-destructive behavior. Yet the Kilmer saga is singular. In his heyday, he looked like a brainy sun god and was a hard-to-cast, flaked-out talent who fell away from Hollywood without ever having entirely fit into it. The Times profile captures Kilmer the high-flying eccentric and the Christian Scientist. The acting prima donna and the has-been. The throat-cancer victim who lost his voice and now speaks in a whisper. The cockeyed optimist and the survivor. And the legend?
The weirdest thing...
The weirdest thing...
- 5/12/2020
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Stars: Jessica Rothe, Josh Whitehouse, Chloe Bennet, Peyton List, Jessie Ennis, Mae Whitman, Mario Revolori, Rob Huebel, Judy Greer | Written by Amy Talkington | Directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg
1983’s Valley Girl was one of a myriad of teen movies that decade that mixed wish-fulfilment and star-crossed lovers to riff on the old Romeo and Juliet premise. And whilst the film featured a career-defining role from Nicolas Cage as one half of the lovers at the centre of the film, the movie has – in the years since – seemingly fallen out of favour with both those that lived through that decade of cinema and those who look back on those films with a fondness, be it an ironic fondness or not.
Originally slated for release in 2018, this Valley Girl was set to follow hot on the heels of the remake of Adventures in Babysitting, another remake of an 80s favourite. A few...
1983’s Valley Girl was one of a myriad of teen movies that decade that mixed wish-fulfilment and star-crossed lovers to riff on the old Romeo and Juliet premise. And whilst the film featured a career-defining role from Nicolas Cage as one half of the lovers at the centre of the film, the movie has – in the years since – seemingly fallen out of favour with both those that lived through that decade of cinema and those who look back on those films with a fondness, be it an ironic fondness or not.
Originally slated for release in 2018, this Valley Girl was set to follow hot on the heels of the remake of Adventures in Babysitting, another remake of an 80s favourite. A few...
- 5/11/2020
- by Phil Wheat
- Nerdly
Though it doesn’t have the same cultural cache as “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Sixteen Candles,” or “The Breakfast Club,” Martha Coolidge’s 1983 film, “Valley Girl,” beat John Hughes to the punch with a film that mixes realistic teen problems and a New Wave soundtrack, endearing it by an entire generation of audiences. Sure, looking back at it today, the film feels dated and cringey (as it’s a clear product of an era), but back in the early-‘80s, “Valley Girl” was downright revolutionary.
Continue reading ‘Valley Girl’: This Jukebox Musical Definitely Doesn’t Have The Beat [Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Valley Girl’: This Jukebox Musical Definitely Doesn’t Have The Beat [Review] at The Playlist.
- 5/9/2020
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
A Boho in Noho: Goldenberg Slathers a Classic in Nostalgic Reminisces
Feeling nostalgic is akin to wearing rose-color glasses, distorting our tender reminiscing of bygone eras and customs to which we can never return. It’s more than a feeling when you hear that old song play…but our better instincts can be occluded when we’re unable to reconcile the past with the present. Such is the problem facing an unnecessary musical remake of Martha Coolidge’s 1983 classic Valley Girl, a property which is now also the directorial debut of Rachel Lee Goldenberg.
Whereas the original reconstituted Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet for the Southern California climate, the remake is framed by the present as a candy coated fairy tale of the past, when the cultural distinctions between the valley in Los Angeles, a suburban bubble with distinct dialects and neutered customs, was far removed from the jagged edges...
Feeling nostalgic is akin to wearing rose-color glasses, distorting our tender reminiscing of bygone eras and customs to which we can never return. It’s more than a feeling when you hear that old song play…but our better instincts can be occluded when we’re unable to reconcile the past with the present. Such is the problem facing an unnecessary musical remake of Martha Coolidge’s 1983 classic Valley Girl, a property which is now also the directorial debut of Rachel Lee Goldenberg.
Whereas the original reconstituted Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet for the Southern California climate, the remake is framed by the present as a candy coated fairy tale of the past, when the cultural distinctions between the valley in Los Angeles, a suburban bubble with distinct dialects and neutered customs, was far removed from the jagged edges...
- 5/9/2020
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Plot: This is the story of a nice Valley Girl who falls in love with a punk from Hollywood. Except this time, they sing and dance their way through all the romance. This ain’t your parents Valley Girl. Review: In 1983, director Martha Coolidge presented audiences with a charmingly sweet and funny flick called Valley Girl. While it may have had a huge heart and a hot leading couple courtesy…...
- 5/8/2020
- by JimmyO
- JoBlo.com
Everyone knows the beats of the original “Valley Girl,” a neon-colored gem of teen-centric ’80s moviemaking that should be remembered in the same breath as “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” and “Sixteen Candles” and yet has remained oddly hard to come by in the nearly four decades since it was released. Like most great high school-set love stories, it’s a Romeo and Juliet tale, this time configured around a pair of decidedly period-appropriate lovers: a high-ponytailed Valley Girl and a tattooed Hollywood punk. Martha Coolidge’s original film, which starred Deborah Foreman and a young Nicolas Cage,
Anyone prone to snarking at this material from the outset will be turned from the start, and the anachronistic nature of the material doesn’t help matters. However, Goldenberg’s film manages to evoke the spirit of coming of age during a singular cultural moment. Alongside screenwriter Amy Talkington, she has even...
Anyone prone to snarking at this material from the outset will be turned from the start, and the anachronistic nature of the material doesn’t help matters. However, Goldenberg’s film manages to evoke the spirit of coming of age during a singular cultural moment. Alongside screenwriter Amy Talkington, she has even...
- 5/8/2020
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Southern California is first and foremost a car culture. Everything’s so spread out, any trip to the mall, the movies, the beach takes place on wheels. For today’s So Cal teens, those trips offer a chance to catchup on cell phone conversations, podcasts, maybe NPR, but back in the early ’80s, drive time was dominated by pop radio, and the stations competed to be cutting edge. You can hear that in the original “Valley Girl,” a generation-defining opposites-attract romance that opens with a helicopter shot that pans from Hollywood, up over the hills, past a radio tower, to the San Fernando Valley. We hear the L.A.-based station fade out and the female Valley-side DJ take over.
From there on, “Valley Girl” was basically wall-to-wall new wave discoveries — catchy, synth-powered songs from bands that hadn’t yet broken, lending cred to an otherwise conventional tale of the edgy,...
From there on, “Valley Girl” was basically wall-to-wall new wave discoveries — catchy, synth-powered songs from bands that hadn’t yet broken, lending cred to an otherwise conventional tale of the edgy,...
- 5/8/2020
- by Peter Debruge
- Variety Film + TV
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