The London and Paris locations are pretty, the likable cast all look stylish in their voluminous coats and slouchy pants and distressed knits, and the countless teary-eyed close-ups are designed to touch our hearts. But Netflix’s Good Grief, despite its characters’ extensive soul-dredging, is all surface, perfectly watchable but a little dull. Working both behind and in front of the camera after having cut his teeth directing episodes of Schitt’s Creek, Daniel Levy has made a first feature that’s a glossy drama of love and loss and the restorative power of friendship. But it’s more earnest than affecting.
The opening scene makes this, if not a Christmas movie, then a Christmas-adjacent one. Levy plays Marc, a London artist who has put aside his own creative work to serve as illustrator on the best-selling series of fantasy novels written by his adored husband, Oliver (Luke Evans), about telepathic truth-seeker Victoria Valentine,...
The opening scene makes this, if not a Christmas movie, then a Christmas-adjacent one. Levy plays Marc, a London artist who has put aside his own creative work to serve as illustrator on the best-selling series of fantasy novels written by his adored husband, Oliver (Luke Evans), about telepathic truth-seeker Victoria Valentine,...
- 12/29/2023
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Considering his hilarious multiple Emmy-winning work on Schitt’s Creek, this markedly different feature filmmaking debut as writer-director-producer and star from Daniel Levy is a revelation — and a welcome one. The appropriately titled Good Grief explores exactly what that name implies, as Levy uses his own experience as an impetus to paint a larger picture of love, loss and grief in all its complexity. But at its heart, this impressive if sometimes tonally dicey story is also about the complications — and importance — of friendship in a scenario that revolves around a trio of BFFs who take a life-changing trip to Paris and get more than they each bargained for.
The opening sets the stage, as we meet Marc (Levy) at a holiday party in the spacious and impressive London apartment, where his flamboyant and successful filmmaker husband Oliver (Luke Evans) is sucking up all the energy.
Marc is an artist (his poignant paintings that play a part in the film’s finale are by Kris Knight) but clearly lives in the shadow of his more famous partner. But it seems to be a life they both love.
In the crowd are Marc’s good friends, the vivacious and lively Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel), the latter once a romantic interest for Marc before their breakup and his subsequent relationship and marriage to Oliver. However, tragedy rears its head, as Oliver heads out from the party to grab a cab to the airport and dies in a head-on collision before leaving the street.
The grieving process begins but doesn’t end with the emotional funeral for Oliver, and it all comes to a crescendo a year later and in another holiday season, where friends Sophie and Thomas convince Marc it is time to move on, and one way to do it is to finally read the card Oliver had left him for him as he took off that fateful evening.
In it is far more than he ever bargained for, and to say it provides complications is an understatement. Those only pile up when Marc and Oliver’s lawyer Imelda (Celia Imrie – wonderful) reveals Oliver had a lavish Paris apartment, the existence of which he never shared with his husband. “I guess now is not the time to talk about your will,” she deadpans.
Joined by his two best friends for what they think will be finally a snapping-back-to-life for Marc, the trio heads off for a fun few days to Paris, but unbeknownst to them, Marc is privately on a mission to discover the answer to all the secrets left behind by Oliver, with whom he apparently had an open marriage, a plot point tossed in and given oddly short shrift in Levy’s script.
Although this offers plenty of melodramatic opportunities for Levy, he fortunately resists laying on the soapy elements. It really is just as much a chance to focus on three individuals whose own problems hit the boiling point in different ways that not only reveal truths for each, but also their longtime connection to each other. The balancing act in a movie that is largely about the process and the price of grief is formidable for the debuting filmmaker, who is better known for his comedic chops. But it is just promising enough to make us look forward to where he goes next. The guy is a quadruple threat and an assured talent.
Levy’s ability for directing actors and giving them juicy roles is evident immediately with choice turns by both Negga, sensational as the freewheeling and fun Sophie, and Patel, who is completely believable as he winds himself up in a frenzy at the individual and unexpected actions of his buddies.
It is also a credit to Levy, who lets both of these exceptional actors steal all the scenes they are in. Even though Levy’s Marc is at the center of this, he is somewhat weighed down, having to first play so much grief, and then the complex reaction to the dark situation Oliver has handed him in death.
There are others in the mix as well including Arnaud Valois as Theo, a brief attraction for Marc in Paris that turns into an opportunity to escape the hold Oliver still has on him, and Medhi Baki as Luca, a mystery man with a key to answering some of the unanswered questions.
Emma Corrin also turns up briefly as a performance artist, as does Kaitlyn Dever. But neither has much to do. Evans hits all the right notes as Oliver, even if his presence in the story is felt more offscreen after his character’s early demise.
Paris has never looked more inviting than it does here with Ole Bratt Birkeland’s sumptuous cinematography. The handsome production design of both the London and Paris apartments is perfectly handled by Alice Normington, as are the flashy fashions of costume designer Julian Day. A big shoutout to Rob Simonsen’s music score, and the soundtrack delivered by music supervisor Season Kent, with some terrific songs from the likes Bonnie Raitt, Elton John and especially Neil Young’s haunting evergreen “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.”
Producers are Levy, Megan Zehmer, Debra Hayward and Kate Fenske. Executive producers are Stacey Snider and Caroline Levy.
Title: Good Grief
Distributor: Netflix
Release Date: December 29, 2023 in select theatres; January 5 streaming
Director-screenwriter: Daniel Levy
Cast: Daniel Levy, Ruth Negga, Himesh Patel, Luke Evans, Celia Imrie, Arnaud Valois, Emma Corrin, Kaitlyn Dever, David Bradley, Medhi Baki
Rating: R
Running time: 1 hr 40 min...
The opening sets the stage, as we meet Marc (Levy) at a holiday party in the spacious and impressive London apartment, where his flamboyant and successful filmmaker husband Oliver (Luke Evans) is sucking up all the energy.
Marc is an artist (his poignant paintings that play a part in the film’s finale are by Kris Knight) but clearly lives in the shadow of his more famous partner. But it seems to be a life they both love.
In the crowd are Marc’s good friends, the vivacious and lively Sophie (Ruth Negga) and Thomas (Himesh Patel), the latter once a romantic interest for Marc before their breakup and his subsequent relationship and marriage to Oliver. However, tragedy rears its head, as Oliver heads out from the party to grab a cab to the airport and dies in a head-on collision before leaving the street.
The grieving process begins but doesn’t end with the emotional funeral for Oliver, and it all comes to a crescendo a year later and in another holiday season, where friends Sophie and Thomas convince Marc it is time to move on, and one way to do it is to finally read the card Oliver had left him for him as he took off that fateful evening.
In it is far more than he ever bargained for, and to say it provides complications is an understatement. Those only pile up when Marc and Oliver’s lawyer Imelda (Celia Imrie – wonderful) reveals Oliver had a lavish Paris apartment, the existence of which he never shared with his husband. “I guess now is not the time to talk about your will,” she deadpans.
Joined by his two best friends for what they think will be finally a snapping-back-to-life for Marc, the trio heads off for a fun few days to Paris, but unbeknownst to them, Marc is privately on a mission to discover the answer to all the secrets left behind by Oliver, with whom he apparently had an open marriage, a plot point tossed in and given oddly short shrift in Levy’s script.
Although this offers plenty of melodramatic opportunities for Levy, he fortunately resists laying on the soapy elements. It really is just as much a chance to focus on three individuals whose own problems hit the boiling point in different ways that not only reveal truths for each, but also their longtime connection to each other. The balancing act in a movie that is largely about the process and the price of grief is formidable for the debuting filmmaker, who is better known for his comedic chops. But it is just promising enough to make us look forward to where he goes next. The guy is a quadruple threat and an assured talent.
Levy’s ability for directing actors and giving them juicy roles is evident immediately with choice turns by both Negga, sensational as the freewheeling and fun Sophie, and Patel, who is completely believable as he winds himself up in a frenzy at the individual and unexpected actions of his buddies.
It is also a credit to Levy, who lets both of these exceptional actors steal all the scenes they are in. Even though Levy’s Marc is at the center of this, he is somewhat weighed down, having to first play so much grief, and then the complex reaction to the dark situation Oliver has handed him in death.
There are others in the mix as well including Arnaud Valois as Theo, a brief attraction for Marc in Paris that turns into an opportunity to escape the hold Oliver still has on him, and Medhi Baki as Luca, a mystery man with a key to answering some of the unanswered questions.
Emma Corrin also turns up briefly as a performance artist, as does Kaitlyn Dever. But neither has much to do. Evans hits all the right notes as Oliver, even if his presence in the story is felt more offscreen after his character’s early demise.
Paris has never looked more inviting than it does here with Ole Bratt Birkeland’s sumptuous cinematography. The handsome production design of both the London and Paris apartments is perfectly handled by Alice Normington, as are the flashy fashions of costume designer Julian Day. A big shoutout to Rob Simonsen’s music score, and the soundtrack delivered by music supervisor Season Kent, with some terrific songs from the likes Bonnie Raitt, Elton John and especially Neil Young’s haunting evergreen “Only Love Can Break Your Heart.”
Producers are Levy, Megan Zehmer, Debra Hayward and Kate Fenske. Executive producers are Stacey Snider and Caroline Levy.
Title: Good Grief
Distributor: Netflix
Release Date: December 29, 2023 in select theatres; January 5 streaming
Director-screenwriter: Daniel Levy
Cast: Daniel Levy, Ruth Negga, Himesh Patel, Luke Evans, Celia Imrie, Arnaud Valois, Emma Corrin, Kaitlyn Dever, David Bradley, Medhi Baki
Rating: R
Running time: 1 hr 40 min...
- 12/29/2023
- by Pete Hammond
- Deadline Film + TV
Multimedia Music has closed a deal to acquire the music publishing rights from the film music library of Millennium Media, which includes titles such as “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” “London Has Fallen,” “Angel Has Fallen,” “Hitman Wife’s Bodyguard,” “Hellboy,” “The Outpost,” “Mechanic: Resurrection,” “Rambo: Last Blood,” “Blackbird,” “Acts of Vengeance” and “The Expendables 4.”
The deal follows Multimedia Music’s recent music partnership with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners, and its acquisition of STX Entertainment’s music library.
The Millennium Media library includes music from leading composers including Brian Tyler, Atli Orvarsson, Mark Isham, Trevor Morris, David Buckley and Benjamin Wallfisch.
Multimedia Music will co-publish the catalog with current co-owner and administrator Kobalt Music.
James Gibb, who founded Multimedia Music with colleague Phil Hope, said: “Millennium Media consistently produces high caliber, commercial films made for the big screen that have earned over $2 billion at the box office. We are thrilled to have secured this catalog,...
The deal follows Multimedia Music’s recent music partnership with Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners, and its acquisition of STX Entertainment’s music library.
The Millennium Media library includes music from leading composers including Brian Tyler, Atli Orvarsson, Mark Isham, Trevor Morris, David Buckley and Benjamin Wallfisch.
Multimedia Music will co-publish the catalog with current co-owner and administrator Kobalt Music.
James Gibb, who founded Multimedia Music with colleague Phil Hope, said: “Millennium Media consistently produces high caliber, commercial films made for the big screen that have earned over $2 billion at the box office. We are thrilled to have secured this catalog,...
- 9/14/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners has sold a 50% stake in its catalog of music publishing and music master rights from the film music library to Multimedia Music, including marquee and award-winning films 1917, Green Book, The Bfg, Bridge of Spies, The Post, Office Christmas Party, Thank You For Your Service and The Girl on the Train and others. The catalog features iconic music from several of the most renowned and celebrated composers in the world including John Williams, Thomas Newman, Danny Elfman, Alexandre Desplat, Rachel Portman, Mark Isham and Rob Simonsen.
The music partnership will also see Mmm and Amblin pursue new initiatives to increase value by maximizing income collections and sourcing new uses for the catalog in commercials, trailers and television shows.
“We are proud to partner with Mmm and look forward to exploring new avenues to maximize the value of our extensive music catalogue alongside their fantastic team,...
The music partnership will also see Mmm and Amblin pursue new initiatives to increase value by maximizing income collections and sourcing new uses for the catalog in commercials, trailers and television shows.
“We are proud to partner with Mmm and look forward to exploring new avenues to maximize the value of our extensive music catalogue alongside their fantastic team,...
- 6/28/2023
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Jonathan Majors’ ad campaign for the U.S. Army, pulled after his Saturday arrest for allegedly assaulting a woman during a domestic dispute and since scrubbed from the organization’s official channels, was no ordinary sequence of commercials. The two spots, filmed in the Southern California area in January, were crucial components of a much larger ongoing rebranding effort for the military force as it pivots its recruitment message for Gen Z in the years following the Afghanistan drawdown.
In the days prior to Majors’ arrest (in a statement the Army said it was “deeply concerned by the allegations”), The Hollywood Reporter had spoken with the campaign’s architects about its rollout: Major General Alex Fink, head of Army Enterprise Marketing — equivalent to a corporate chief marketing officer — as well as John Carstens, executive creator director of Team Ddb, its ad firm. Both discussed why Majors, whose criminal defense attorney has announced he’s “completely innocent,...
In the days prior to Majors’ arrest (in a statement the Army said it was “deeply concerned by the allegations”), The Hollywood Reporter had spoken with the campaign’s architects about its rollout: Major General Alex Fink, head of Army Enterprise Marketing — equivalent to a corporate chief marketing officer — as well as John Carstens, executive creator director of Team Ddb, its ad firm. Both discussed why Majors, whose criminal defense attorney has announced he’s “completely innocent,...
- 3/27/2023
- by Gary Baum
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Wednesday night at the 2023 Scl Awards (Society of Composers & Lyricists), Michael Abels won the award for top studio film score for his work on “Nope,” while Ryan Lott and his experimental band Son Lux earned the statuette for Outstanding Independent Film Score for “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” The 4th annual gala took place at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. Read on for all of the 2023 Scl Awards winners.
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was a champion along with Alexandre Desplat and Roeban Katz in the Outstanding Song for a Musical or Comedy category for the tune “Ciao Papa” from “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.” Also scoring a victory in a song category was the legendary Diane Warren, who became the first songwriter to receive an honorary Oscar in December. She accepted her award in Outstanding Song for a Drama or Documentary for “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman.
Filmmaker Guillermo del Toro was a champion along with Alexandre Desplat and Roeban Katz in the Outstanding Song for a Musical or Comedy category for the tune “Ciao Papa” from “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.” Also scoring a victory in a song category was the legendary Diane Warren, who became the first songwriter to receive an honorary Oscar in December. She accepted her award in Outstanding Song for a Drama or Documentary for “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman.
- 2/16/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
Diane Warren and Everything Everywhere All at Once composer Son Lux were among the Oscar nominees who won at the 2023 Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards on Wednesday night.
Warren won best original song for a drama or documentary for “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman, which is also nominated for best original song at the 2023 Oscars. Son Lux’s Ryan Lott accepted the award for best score for an independent film for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Son Lux is nominated for the Oscar for best original score and Lott is a nominee for best original song for his work on “This Is a Life,” both from Everything Everywhere All at Once.
In the category of best original score for interactive media, Stephanie Economou won for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök, just 10 days after her Grammy win.
Guillermo del Toro and lyricist Roeban Katz won best song...
Warren won best original song for a drama or documentary for “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman, which is also nominated for best original song at the 2023 Oscars. Son Lux’s Ryan Lott accepted the award for best score for an independent film for Everything Everywhere All at Once. Son Lux is nominated for the Oscar for best original score and Lott is a nominee for best original song for his work on “This Is a Life,” both from Everything Everywhere All at Once.
In the category of best original score for interactive media, Stephanie Economou won for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök, just 10 days after her Grammy win.
Guillermo del Toro and lyricist Roeban Katz won best song...
- 2/16/2023
- by Hilary Lewis
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Society of Composers & Lyricists (Scl) presented the winners of the 4th Annual Scl Awards for score and songs in visual media tonight at the Skirball Cultural Center.
The evening was hosted by Darren Criss, who also gave the audience a musical performance. Awards were presented across seven categories for music in visual media in addition to the Spirit of Collaboration Award and two Jury Awards.
The Spirit of Collaboration Award was presented to Oscar-winning composer Justin Hurwitz and Oscar-winning filmmaker Damien Chazelle. The composer and filmmaker have collaborated on five films, including Babylon, La La Land, Whiplash, the First Man, and Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench. The presentation of the award was accompanied by a musical performance including “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” from La La Land, the First Man theme for harp and theremin, and a Babylon Medley, including “Voodoo Mama” and “Herman’s Hustle.
The evening was hosted by Darren Criss, who also gave the audience a musical performance. Awards were presented across seven categories for music in visual media in addition to the Spirit of Collaboration Award and two Jury Awards.
The Spirit of Collaboration Award was presented to Oscar-winning composer Justin Hurwitz and Oscar-winning filmmaker Damien Chazelle. The composer and filmmaker have collaborated on five films, including Babylon, La La Land, Whiplash, the First Man, and Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench. The presentation of the award was accompanied by a musical performance including “Audition (The Fools Who Dream)” from La La Land, the First Man theme for harp and theremin, and a Babylon Medley, including “Voodoo Mama” and “Herman’s Hustle.
- 2/16/2023
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
The Society of Composers & Lyricists has unveiled its Scl Award nominees for 2023, naming composers Alexandre Desplat (Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio), Carter Burwell (The Banshees of Inisherin), Michael Abels (Nope), Michael Giacchino (The Batman) and John Powell (Don’t Worry Darling) as its contenders for Outstanding Score for a Studio Film.
The Scl’s Musical/Comedy Song nominees are as idiosyncratic as they are starry this time around, with such veteran composers as Desplat and Danny Elfman (White Noise) nominated for Musical/Comedy song alongside Bros‘ Billy Eichner and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story‘s Weird Al Yankovic.
Entrants in the Drama/Documentary Song category include recent Honorary Oscar winner Diane Warren (Tell It Like a Woman), Taylor Swift (Where the Crawdads Sing), Lady Gaga (Top Gun: Maverick), Rihanna (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and the Oscar-winning Nine Inch Nails duo of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who this year penned a...
The Scl’s Musical/Comedy Song nominees are as idiosyncratic as they are starry this time around, with such veteran composers as Desplat and Danny Elfman (White Noise) nominated for Musical/Comedy song alongside Bros‘ Billy Eichner and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story‘s Weird Al Yankovic.
Entrants in the Drama/Documentary Song category include recent Honorary Oscar winner Diane Warren (Tell It Like a Woman), Taylor Swift (Where the Crawdads Sing), Lady Gaga (Top Gun: Maverick), Rihanna (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and the Oscar-winning Nine Inch Nails duo of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who this year penned a...
- 12/22/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
The Society of Composers & Lyricists has announced the nominations for its fourth annual honors for music in films, TV and video games, with French composer Alexandre Desplat and American composer Bear McCreary each scoring double nominations.
Scl, the primary organization for professional media composers, will present its awards Feb. 15 at the Skirball Cultural Center, with singer-actor-songwriter Darren Criss as host.
Voting ended Wednesday night in seven categories, just hours after the Motion Picture Academy announced its shortlists for song and score for 2022 films. The contrast between the lists is striking, with only five score nominees and six song contenders matching those on the 15-title Oscar shortlists.
The Scl nominees for outstanding score for a studio or independent film that also made Oscar’s shortlist on Wednesday are Alexandre Desplat (“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”), Carter Burwell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), Michael Abels (“Nope”), John Powell (“Don’t Worry Darling”) and Son...
Scl, the primary organization for professional media composers, will present its awards Feb. 15 at the Skirball Cultural Center, with singer-actor-songwriter Darren Criss as host.
Voting ended Wednesday night in seven categories, just hours after the Motion Picture Academy announced its shortlists for song and score for 2022 films. The contrast between the lists is striking, with only five score nominees and six song contenders matching those on the 15-title Oscar shortlists.
The Scl nominees for outstanding score for a studio or independent film that also made Oscar’s shortlist on Wednesday are Alexandre Desplat (“Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”), Carter Burwell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”), Michael Abels (“Nope”), John Powell (“Don’t Worry Darling”) and Son...
- 12/22/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and Weird Al Yankovic are among the nominees announced Thursday morning for the Fourth Annual Scl Awards from the Society of Composers & Lyricists honoring scores and songs in visual media. Swift, Gaga and Rihanna were all nominated in the Outstanding Song for a Drama/Documentary category, Swift for her tune “Carolina” from “Where the Crawdads Sing,” Gaga along with Bloodpop for “Hold My Hand from “Top Gun: Maverick,” and Rihanna along with Tems, Ludwig Goransson and Ryan Coogler for “Lift Me Up” from “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Also nominated in that same category were Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for their song “(You Made it Feel Like) Home” from the film “Bones and All,” and Diane Warren for “Applause” from “Tell It Like a Woman.”
Singled out for honors in the Outstanding Score for a Studio Film category are Alexandre Desplat for “Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio,...
Singled out for honors in the Outstanding Score for a Studio Film category are Alexandre Desplat for “Guillermo Del Toro’s Pinocchio,...
- 12/22/2022
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
The music from “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” has been nominated for awards by the Society of Composers and Lyricists, the group announced on Thursday morning.
The 4th annual Scl Awards will take place on Feb. 15, 2023 at the Skirball Cultural Center in West Los Angeles and give out awards in four film categories, as well as one category for TV and another for interactive media.
Alexandre Desplat was nominated for the score to “Pinocchio” and for co-writing the song “Ciao Papa” from that movie, making him the only two-time nominee in the film categories. Bear McCreary also received a pair of nominations, one for the TV series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” and one for the interactive “God of War Ragnarok.”
Five of the...
The 4th annual Scl Awards will take place on Feb. 15, 2023 at the Skirball Cultural Center in West Los Angeles and give out awards in four film categories, as well as one category for TV and another for interactive media.
Alexandre Desplat was nominated for the score to “Pinocchio” and for co-writing the song “Ciao Papa” from that movie, making him the only two-time nominee in the film categories. Bear McCreary also received a pair of nominations, one for the TV series “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” and one for the interactive “God of War Ragnarok.”
Five of the...
- 12/22/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Click here to read the full article.
Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga’s film songs shortlisted for the Oscars will compete at the upcoming Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards.
Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Swift’s “Carolina” from Where The Crawdads Sing and Gaga’s “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick are nominated for outstanding song for a drama/documentary. The Diane Warren-penned “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman and “(You Made It Feel Like) Home” from Bones and All, written by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, round out the nominees.
Billy Eichner and “Weird” Al Yankovic earned nominations for outstanding song for a musical/comedy. “Love Is Not Love” from Bros and “Now You Know” from Weird: The Al Yankovic Story will battle “Light the Match” from Central Park (Danny Elfman), “Good Afternoon” from Spirited (Khiyon Hursey, Sukari Jones, Benj Pasek,...
Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga’s film songs shortlisted for the Oscars will compete at the upcoming Society of Composers & Lyricists Awards.
Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Swift’s “Carolina” from Where The Crawdads Sing and Gaga’s “Hold My Hand” from Top Gun: Maverick are nominated for outstanding song for a drama/documentary. The Diane Warren-penned “Applause” from Tell It Like a Woman and “(You Made It Feel Like) Home” from Bones and All, written by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, round out the nominees.
Billy Eichner and “Weird” Al Yankovic earned nominations for outstanding song for a musical/comedy. “Love Is Not Love” from Bros and “Now You Know” from Weird: The Al Yankovic Story will battle “Light the Match” from Central Park (Danny Elfman), “Good Afternoon” from Spirited (Khiyon Hursey, Sukari Jones, Benj Pasek,...
- 12/22/2022
- by Mesfin Fekadu
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Plot: Charlie (Brendan Fraser) is an 800-pound online English teacher suffering congestive heart failure. Knowing his time is limited, he refuses his caregiver’s (Hong Chau) demand that he go to a hospital, choosing instead to spend his remaining time trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Sadie Sink).
Review: Darren Aronofsky is one of the most challenging directors working today. For many of us, his movies are singular experiences, meaning they rock us to our core to such an extent that we tend to only watch them once, or at least with significant intervals between screenings. The Whale is as good of a movie as anything he’s ever done, but it’s also one of his most achingly sad, challenging works.
The hype around Brendan Fraser’s comeback is real, with him delivering a stunning performance as Charlie. Resigned to his ultimate fate, he’s tortured by his failings as a father.
Review: Darren Aronofsky is one of the most challenging directors working today. For many of us, his movies are singular experiences, meaning they rock us to our core to such an extent that we tend to only watch them once, or at least with significant intervals between screenings. The Whale is as good of a movie as anything he’s ever done, but it’s also one of his most achingly sad, challenging works.
The hype around Brendan Fraser’s comeback is real, with him delivering a stunning performance as Charlie. Resigned to his ultimate fate, he’s tortured by his failings as a father.
- 12/10/2022
- by Chris Bumbray
- JoBlo.com
A new film from acclaimed director Darren Aronofsky will pique the interest of many cinemagoers, but the headlines surrounding The Whale belong to Brendan Fraser’s transformative performance. After starring in many popular late nineties and early noughties movies, Fraser took a hiatus from acting due to several personal problems. The Whale announces Fraser’s return in spectacular fashion, with a devastating turn that positions him as one of the frontrunners for best actor come awards season.
Adapted by Samuel D. Hunter from his own 2012 stage play, The Whale follows 600-pound, housebound English tutor Charlie (Fraser) and unfolds in the confines of his apartment. Following the suicide of his late partner Alan, who he walked out on his family for, Charlie has regressed into isolation and almost eaten himself to death. He can barely move around his apartment and the slightest exertion leaves him drenched in sweat and spluttering for breath.
Adapted by Samuel D. Hunter from his own 2012 stage play, The Whale follows 600-pound, housebound English tutor Charlie (Fraser) and unfolds in the confines of his apartment. Following the suicide of his late partner Alan, who he walked out on his family for, Charlie has regressed into isolation and almost eaten himself to death. He can barely move around his apartment and the slightest exertion leaves him drenched in sweat and spluttering for breath.
- 10/24/2022
- by Luke Channell
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Click here to read the full article.
Human agony of both the physical and emotional kind is a Darren Aronofsky staple, but The Whale, which is driven by shattering work from Brendan Fraser as a 600lb teacher eating himself to death, pushes that theme to extremes while remaining steadfastly within the borders of naturalism. Adapted by Samuel D. Hunter from his play, the intense chamber drama never disguises its stage roots but transcends them with the grace and compassion of the writing and the layers of pain and despair, love and dogged hope peeled back in the central performance. Fraser makes us see beyond the alarming appearance to the deeply affecting heart of this broken man.
The play premiered in New York in 2012, and since then, Hunter has gone on to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship (aka “Genius” Grant) and serve as a writer and producer on FX’s beloved comedy-drama series Baskets.
Human agony of both the physical and emotional kind is a Darren Aronofsky staple, but The Whale, which is driven by shattering work from Brendan Fraser as a 600lb teacher eating himself to death, pushes that theme to extremes while remaining steadfastly within the borders of naturalism. Adapted by Samuel D. Hunter from his play, the intense chamber drama never disguises its stage roots but transcends them with the grace and compassion of the writing and the layers of pain and despair, love and dogged hope peeled back in the central performance. Fraser makes us see beyond the alarming appearance to the deeply affecting heart of this broken man.
The play premiered in New York in 2012, and since then, Hunter has gone on to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship (aka “Genius” Grant) and serve as a writer and producer on FX’s beloved comedy-drama series Baskets.
- 9/4/2022
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
No one expected Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (Make a Deal With God)” to become one of the biggest hits of 2022, including musician Rob Simonsen, who arranged the orchestral version featured in season 4 of “Stranger Things.”
Because the song is featured prominently in the Netflix series — as Max, played by Sadie Sink, grieves her half-brother Billy’s death, hat vulnerability leaves her open to the show’s villain, Vecna, who preys on his victims through their trauma — and is used to soundtrack a pivotal moment, its resonance carries in large part due to its orchestral treatment.
The combination of the two — Bush’s 1985 classic and the instrumental version — helped push the song to top the U.K. charts, and the Top 5 in the U.S.
So how did the grafted instrumental come about?
While Michael Stein and Kyle Dixon served as the show’s composers, Simonsen was tasked...
Because the song is featured prominently in the Netflix series — as Max, played by Sadie Sink, grieves her half-brother Billy’s death, hat vulnerability leaves her open to the show’s villain, Vecna, who preys on his victims through their trauma — and is used to soundtrack a pivotal moment, its resonance carries in large part due to its orchestral treatment.
The combination of the two — Bush’s 1985 classic and the instrumental version — helped push the song to top the U.K. charts, and the Top 5 in the U.S.
So how did the grafted instrumental come about?
While Michael Stein and Kyle Dixon served as the show’s composers, Simonsen was tasked...
- 7/12/2022
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Director Julia Hart has quietly crafted a Disney+ franchise that continues to unfold in creative and charming ways. Her adaptation of “Stargirl” debuted on the streamer just as lockdown began; now with “Hollywood Stargirl,” the second film in the series, it’s clear the writer-director’s voice has taken shape in the same assured way as that of her young heroine. Hart and co-writer Jordan Horowitz’s follow-up goes blessedly off-book, diverging greatly from author Jerry Spinelli’s source novel “Love, Stargirl” to deliver its own unique view on how artistic passion evolves and inspires. The sequel shifts perspective from the original, which captured the eponymous teen’s triumphs through a male protagonist’s lens, and better foregrounds her sparkle and shine.
Sentimental songbird Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal) is once again on the move, traveling from the subdued suburban haunts of Mica, Arizona to the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.
Sentimental songbird Stargirl Caraway (Grace VanderWaal) is once again on the move, traveling from the subdued suburban haunts of Mica, Arizona to the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.
- 6/1/2022
- by Courtney Howard
- Variety Film + TV
Brian Tyler, composer of the “Fast and Furious” franchise, “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” and “Crazy Rich Asians,” was named a BMI Icon at Wednesday night’s 38th annual Broadcast Music Inc. Film, TV and Visual Media Awards in Beverly Hills.
Tyler is among the top 10 highest-grossing film composers of all time. His other films have included “Iron Man 3,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “Rambo,” “Charlie’s Angels” and the recent reboot of “Scream.” His TV credits include “Yellowstone,” “1883,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Sleepy Hollow” and “Transformers: Prime.” He also wrote the Formula One racing theme and, as his alter ego Madsonik, has written and produced several songs with a contemporary edge.
“It’s just mind-blowing to now be included in that pantheon of talent,” Tyler told Variety, referring to the many previous recipients of the performing-rights organization’s highest accolade, including John Williams, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Alexandre Desplat and Terence Blanchard.
Tyler is among the top 10 highest-grossing film composers of all time. His other films have included “Iron Man 3,” “Thor: The Dark World,” “Rambo,” “Charlie’s Angels” and the recent reboot of “Scream.” His TV credits include “Yellowstone,” “1883,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Sleepy Hollow” and “Transformers: Prime.” He also wrote the Formula One racing theme and, as his alter ego Madsonik, has written and produced several songs with a contemporary edge.
“It’s just mind-blowing to now be included in that pantheon of talent,” Tyler told Variety, referring to the many previous recipients of the performing-rights organization’s highest accolade, including John Williams, Alan Silvestri, James Newton Howard, Alexandre Desplat and Terence Blanchard.
- 5/12/2022
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
What if you could make your peace with your own history? What if you could, as an adult, go back and make peace with your younger self, and make your peace with the parents we failed to understand when we were growing up? What if you could go back and reconnect with your parents with the benefit of a lifetime of wisdom and perspective? These are the questions director Shawn Levy asks in his latest film The Adam Project. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Walker Scobell, Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldaña and Catherine Keener, the film is the story of a time-traveling pilot Adam Reed (Reynolds) who teams up with his younger self, (Scobell), and his late father, Louis Reed (Ruffalo) to come to terms with his past, and losses, while saving the future.
In this throwback to the sci-films from the 80’s, the filmmaker proves with The Adam Project the power of nostalgia.
In this throwback to the sci-films from the 80’s, the filmmaker proves with The Adam Project the power of nostalgia.
- 3/13/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Listen To The Emotional Title Track From The Adam Project Score By Composer Rob Simonsen [Exclusive]
Next week, Netflix will release "The Adam Project," a new sci-fi adventure starring Ryan Reynolds as a time-traveling fighter pilot who accidentally crash-lands in 2022, allowing him to team-up with his 12-year-old self on a mission to save the future.
A big adventure like that needs an exciting score to help drive the story, and director Shawn Levy recruited "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" composer Rob Simonsen to provide it. Interestingly enough, the kind of music that Levy and Simonsen thought would populate "The Adam Project" quickly evolved, resulting in something much different than they had anticipated. Here at /Film, we're happy to give you...
The post Listen to the Emotional Title Track from The Adam Project Score by Composer Rob Simonsen [Exclusive] appeared first on /Film.
A big adventure like that needs an exciting score to help drive the story, and director Shawn Levy recruited "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" composer Rob Simonsen to provide it. Interestingly enough, the kind of music that Levy and Simonsen thought would populate "The Adam Project" quickly evolved, resulting in something much different than they had anticipated. Here at /Film, we're happy to give you...
The post Listen to the Emotional Title Track from The Adam Project Score by Composer Rob Simonsen [Exclusive] appeared first on /Film.
- 3/3/2022
- by Ethan Anderton
- Slash Film
Netflix has released the fantastic trailer for The Adam Project from director Shawn Levy.
A time-traveling pilot teams up with his younger self and his late father to come to terms with his past while saving the future.
Sc-Fi Genius. I can’t wait for March 11.
So why watch this sci-fi film?
It’s got a great cast starring Ryan Reynolds, Zoe Saldana, Mark Ruffalo, and Jennifer Garner. The editing of the trailer along with the rousing music is brilliant. The other-worldly score by Rob Simonsen is gripping. The story, written by Jonathan Tropper, T.S. Nowlin, Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin, is funny, emotional, heart-warming and somewhat relatable. The Baddies. The spaceships and how we want these in Lego form! The cool weapons and that platform! And lastly time travel!!
Watch The Adam Project, on Netflix March 11: https://www.netflix.com/title/81309354
The Adam Project (L to R) Ryan Reynolds...
A time-traveling pilot teams up with his younger self and his late father to come to terms with his past while saving the future.
Sc-Fi Genius. I can’t wait for March 11.
So why watch this sci-fi film?
It’s got a great cast starring Ryan Reynolds, Zoe Saldana, Mark Ruffalo, and Jennifer Garner. The editing of the trailer along with the rousing music is brilliant. The other-worldly score by Rob Simonsen is gripping. The story, written by Jonathan Tropper, T.S. Nowlin, Jennifer Flackett, Mark Levin, is funny, emotional, heart-warming and somewhat relatable. The Baddies. The spaceships and how we want these in Lego form! The cool weapons and that platform! And lastly time travel!!
Watch The Adam Project, on Netflix March 11: https://www.netflix.com/title/81309354
The Adam Project (L to R) Ryan Reynolds...
- 2/13/2022
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The “Ghostbusters” franchise has gone through quite a few permutations in the decades since director Ivan Reitman’s original feature was released in 1984. And while the kooky spirit and basic concept of the first film remain unchanged in each iteration, from the two ’90s animated TV series to 2016’s gender-swapped reboot, the property itself is continually in a creative flux. It’s no wonder it’s going through yet another change — and showing marked growing pains in the process. Director/ co-writer Jason Reitman’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” hits the reboot button once more, this time carrying a familial cinematic legacy. Yet with all the nostalgia packed into the picture, its own refurbished identity is slightly compromised, functioning as .
Rebuilding from the past is the guiding sentiment of this feature, not only in terms of one family renovating their lives, but also in the way Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan reconstruct elements foundational to the franchise.
Rebuilding from the past is the guiding sentiment of this feature, not only in terms of one family renovating their lives, but also in the way Reitman and co-writer Gil Kenan reconstruct elements foundational to the franchise.
- 10/9/2021
- by Courtney Howard
- Indiewire
The Sundance Film Festival’s 2021 virtual Main Street will play host to a series of conversations about music and the movies, hosted by first-time festival partner Film Music House, with Mary J. Blige, Rufus Wainwright and Colin Stetson (pictured above) among those taking part in the streamed chats Jan. 28 through Feb. 3.
Blige will join Nova Wav and DJ Camper in a conversation on songwriting for films. Wainwright will participate in a panel on the music of the film “Rebel Hearts” with veteran music supervisor Tracy McKnight and Ariel Marx. A panel about music auteurs will feature Stetson as well as Bryce Dessner of the National and Alex Somers.
The confab’s keynote conversations will spotlight Mychael Danna, Jeff Beal, Dan Romer, Miriam Cuter and Rob Simonsen.
The full lineup of names and times for Film Music House programs can be found on Sundance’s Village site, here.
Other programs include...
Blige will join Nova Wav and DJ Camper in a conversation on songwriting for films. Wainwright will participate in a panel on the music of the film “Rebel Hearts” with veteran music supervisor Tracy McKnight and Ariel Marx. A panel about music auteurs will feature Stetson as well as Bryce Dessner of the National and Alex Somers.
The confab’s keynote conversations will spotlight Mychael Danna, Jeff Beal, Dan Romer, Miriam Cuter and Rob Simonsen.
The full lineup of names and times for Film Music House programs can be found on Sundance’s Village site, here.
Other programs include...
- 1/14/2021
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Whenever a flick debuts at a film festival and then takes a year to come out, people can suspect the worst. Well, I’m here to tell you that Our Friend is an exception to that. I saw the movie back when it was going by The Friend as its title, during its festival run, and it’s a very good film. Casey Affleck, Dakota Johnson, and Jason Segel give top notch performances, to say the least. Now, as it prepares for a January release, a Trailer has debuted, featuring a quote from none other than yours truly! That was an honor, and it’s a pleasure to be quoted in such a strong work. Take a look at the Trailer below and be sure to keep an eye out for my citation! Here’s the description I wrote for the movie last year, when it was still called The Friend...
- 11/24/2020
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Back in 2006, Ben Affleck was on the big screen in Hollywoodland, seen at the time as his comeback role after the Bennifer whirlwind and which culminated six years later with the multi-award winning Argo. There’s more than a whiff of a comeback about his latest offering, Finding The Way Back, a film that follows a somewhat fallow period post-Batman, echoes his own, well documented personal problems and has a title that’s more than a little apt.
The set-up merges an under-dog sports drama with a father and son story. It’s a potentially powerful combination, tailor-made to play on your emotions and director, Gavin O’Connor, who worked with Affleck on The Accountant, makes no apology for aiming at them throughout. The under-dogs in question are the basketball team at Bishops Hayes High School, no-hopers in a league that’s every bit as competitive as a professional one. They get a new coach,...
The set-up merges an under-dog sports drama with a father and son story. It’s a potentially powerful combination, tailor-made to play on your emotions and director, Gavin O’Connor, who worked with Affleck on The Accountant, makes no apology for aiming at them throughout. The under-dogs in question are the basketball team at Bishops Hayes High School, no-hopers in a league that’s every bit as competitive as a professional one. They get a new coach,...
- 7/9/2020
- by Freda Cooper
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Maybe it’s the fault of “The Fault in Our Stars” that we assume, in the flourishing modern era of the young-adult genre, that one of the story’s romantic leads has to die in order to advance the dramatic stakes. Fortunately, that’s not the case with director Julia Hart’s “Stargirl.” Adapted by Hart, Kristin Hahn and Jordan Horowitz from Jerry Spinelli’s novel of the same name, this tale of two teens falling in love and struggling to find balance in their polar opposite identities may prove difficult viewing for cynics or those with a low tolerance for the overtly saccharine.
Sixteen-year-old Leo Borlock (Graham Verchere) is about to realize there are no perks of being a wallflower. Since the death of his father and a traumatic bullying incident, he’s felt that the key to surviving adolescence is fitting in without disrupting the norm. That means...
Sixteen-year-old Leo Borlock (Graham Verchere) is about to realize there are no perks of being a wallflower. Since the death of his father and a traumatic bullying incident, he’s felt that the key to surviving adolescence is fitting in without disrupting the norm. That means...
- 3/13/2020
- by Courtney Howard
- Variety Film + TV
Jack Cunningham (Ben Affleck) once had a life filled with promise. In high school, he was a basketball phenom with a full university scholarship, when suddenly, for reasons unknown, he walked away from the game, forfeiting his future. Now years later, Jack is spiraling down, triggered by an unspeakable loss, and drowning in the alcoholism that cost him his marriage and any hope for a better life. When he is asked to coach the basketball team at his alma mater, which has fallen far since his glory days, he reluctantly accepts, surprising no one more than himself. As the boys start to come together as a team and win, Jack may have finally found a reason to confront the demons that have derailed him. But will it be enough to fill the void, heal the deep wounds of his past, and set him on the road to redemption?
Academy Award...
Academy Award...
- 11/15/2019
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
It’s hard to find the right tone when telling a terminal illness tale. Over at the Toronto International Film Festival, The Friend was one of the world premieres and offers up a different way of telling a cancer drama. In part, by not focusing as largely on the patient, this is more about the human toll on family members. Moreover, the movie is as much as anything a tale of friendship, and a wholly special one at that. Buoyed by some tremendous acting, this film can be a bumpy ride, but it arrives at a rather compelling place. Toronto may be losing this one in the shuffle, but that’s a real shame. The film is a look at an extraordinary friendship, based on a true story. When Matt Teague (Casey Affleck) first meets Dane Faucheux (Jason Segel), he’s prepared to hate him. After all, he’s the...
- 9/13/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Jazz artist and film composer Terence Blanchard was presented with the Bmi Icon award at Wednesday night’s Film, TV and Visual Media Awards of performing-rights society Broadcast Music Inc. in Beverly Hills.
Blanchard, composer for many of Spike Lee’s films, was honored for his “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers,” said Bmi president-ceo Mike O’Neill. “His music makes powerful statements about American tragedies that must not be forgotten, while also encouraging all of us to heal.”
Said Blanchard, “We just want to express ourselves in an artistic way. We have a burning desire to say something that’s in us, and sometimes we don’t even know what it is that we’re trying to say. These projects give us room to do that.
“You are my heroes,” he told the black-tie crowd of film and TV composers. “Everything that I’ve written for the screen,...
Blanchard, composer for many of Spike Lee’s films, was honored for his “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers,” said Bmi president-ceo Mike O’Neill. “His music makes powerful statements about American tragedies that must not be forgotten, while also encouraging all of us to heal.”
Said Blanchard, “We just want to express ourselves in an artistic way. We have a burning desire to say something that’s in us, and sometimes we don’t even know what it is that we’re trying to say. These projects give us room to do that.
“You are my heroes,” he told the black-tie crowd of film and TV composers. “Everything that I’ve written for the screen,...
- 5/16/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
There are surprisingly few attempts to do small scale superhero stories. Almost every time out, it’s blockbuster or bust. Even supposedly smaller scale offerings are still huge, like Deadpool or Logan. Even Chronicle was hardly an independent title. It’s a missed opportunity, too. So, when along comes something like Fast Color, an indie that explores similar themes and topics, it’s a breath of fresh air for sure. Armed with really strong work from Gugu Mbatha-Raw, you’ll often forget that you’re not watching something epic. Her chops more than make up for the occasional narrative shortcoming. This movie isn’t what you’re expecting, but that’s a compliment to all involved. The film is a science fiction drama/thriller, though in the way it’s presented, it’s essentially also a superhero origin story of sorts. When we meet Ruth (Mbatha-Raw), we can tell she...
- 4/19/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
“Fast Color” is a movie told in visual clues and whispers. A mysterious voiceover that sets the stage for this dystopian near future, followed by an unexplained flashback here, another seemingly random image there. When all the puzzle-like pieces come together, the movie’s characters, story, score and emotions soar. The pace of that progress may feel slow, but things never get too quiet. It’s a movie with a racing pulse, and you can feel its heart in every frame.
Ruth (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is a woman on the run from a shadowy group hunting her for her extraordinary powers. As the pieces of Ruth’s life begin fit into place, the stakes become higher and more emotionally involving for the audience. I hesitate to say much more, because part of this movie’s appeal is watching the unexplained flashes of Ruth’s past make sense.
Her powers, over which...
Ruth (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is a woman on the run from a shadowy group hunting her for her extraordinary powers. As the pieces of Ruth’s life begin fit into place, the stakes become higher and more emotionally involving for the audience. I hesitate to say much more, because part of this movie’s appeal is watching the unexplained flashes of Ruth’s past make sense.
Her powers, over which...
- 4/19/2019
- by Monica Castillo
- The Wrap
Given the allusions to literal and thematic Trojan Horses that pepper its third act, one probably shouldn’t be surprised that “Captive State” — which opened cold on March 14 after Focus mysteriously canceled screenings for critics — actually is something of a purposefully camouflaged interloper. Although the TV ads and other promotional material appear to promise a megaplex-ready thrill ride about space invaders and rebellious Earthlings, this rigorously intelligent, cunningly inventive, and impressively suspenseful drama plays more like a classic tale about a disparate group of resistance fighters united in a guerrilla campaign against an occupying force.
The big difference here, of course, is that the occupiers are extraterrestrials, not German troops or British colonialists. But, truth to tell, director Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) and scriptwriter Erica Beeney (“The Battle of Shaker Heights”) don’t seem terribly interested in those intergalactic beasties, which appear only fleetingly on scattered occasions,...
The big difference here, of course, is that the occupiers are extraterrestrials, not German troops or British colonialists. But, truth to tell, director Rupert Wyatt (“Rise of the Planet of the Apes”) and scriptwriter Erica Beeney (“The Battle of Shaker Heights”) don’t seem terribly interested in those intergalactic beasties, which appear only fleetingly on scattered occasions,...
- 3/15/2019
- by Joe Leydon
- Variety Film + TV
Nowadays, it’s not good enough to have just your run-of-the-mill alien invasion film. “Independence Day” basically blew up that concept, quite literally, decades ago. So, since then, there have been many spins on the alien invasion premise, including in Oscar-nominated films like “District 9” and “Arrival.” Now, filmmaker Rupert Wyatt puts his own mark on the subgenre with “Captive State.”
And when you have a film that aims to be a fresh take on tried-and-true premise, you need a score that is up to the task of being just as inventive.
Continue reading ‘Captive State’ Exclusive Music: Composer Rob Simonsen Shares A Haunting New Track From Upcoming Alien Invasion Film at The Playlist.
And when you have a film that aims to be a fresh take on tried-and-true premise, you need a score that is up to the task of being just as inventive.
Continue reading ‘Captive State’ Exclusive Music: Composer Rob Simonsen Shares A Haunting New Track From Upcoming Alien Invasion Film at The Playlist.
- 3/13/2019
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
How far can tremendous chemistry between leads take an otherwise average film? Does that one aspect that goes above and beyond make up for shortcomings in other parts of a piece of cinema? The answer varies, but in the case of The Upside, it’s just enough to warrant a recommendation. Seeing stars Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart play off of each other in this remake of the French hit The Intouchables is often a treat. When the film tries to be overly serious, it falls flat. When it opts for comedy, it’s on firmer ground. Mostly, it’s at its best when things are just a showcase for Cranston and Hart to enjoy each other’s company. The movie is a dramedy and, as previously mentioned, a remake. While searching for a new home care assistant, quadriplegic Phillip (Cranston) is less than enamored with the candidates. Deeply depressed...
- 1/10/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
For what it’s worth, “The Upside” is exactly what you think it is: the latest Hollywood effort that aims to show that a black man and a white man with seemingly nothing in common can see past their differences and develop a mutual friendship. It’s just as pat and basic as it looks and sounds.
Maybe as we enter 2019 clinging to ideals of goodness, there is a place for a film like this that doesn’t really have a point beyond which to say that we can, in fact, all get along no matter what. That is, after all, the basis of Dell (Kevin Hart) and Phillip’s (Bryan Cranston) professional relationship-turned-friendship.
When we first meet the two, we’re not really sure how they know each other, because Dell is behind the wheel of a luxury car driving at full speed while Phillip is quietly strapped in on the passenger side,...
Maybe as we enter 2019 clinging to ideals of goodness, there is a place for a film like this that doesn’t really have a point beyond which to say that we can, in fact, all get along no matter what. That is, after all, the basis of Dell (Kevin Hart) and Phillip’s (Bryan Cranston) professional relationship-turned-friendship.
When we first meet the two, we’re not really sure how they know each other, because Dell is behind the wheel of a luxury car driving at full speed while Phillip is quietly strapped in on the passenger side,...
- 1/9/2019
- by Candice Frederick
- The Wrap
Today we are recognizing The Front Runner, as well as co-writer/director Jason Reitman, plus star Hugh Jackman. Our Hollywood Film Tributes recognize films and talent for their excellence in the art of filmmaking. Though somewhat ignored during the awards season, The Front Runner is a timely film that deserves more acclaim than it received. Filmmaker Jason Reitman is working on a whole new level, while Hugh Jackman does strong work as Gary Hart. The movie is severely underrated, as you’ll see below… From our rave review last month: The Front Runner is a political drama/pseudo biopic. After coming up short the last time around, Colorado Senator Gary Hart (Jackman) is considered the 1988 Democratic front runner for President, and all but assumed to be the nation’s next leader. Having inspired many during the previous primary, he’s all but a shoo in. Then, scandal hits. Rumors of...
- 12/26/2018
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
It’s Election Day folks! If you’re reading this and live in the United States, make sure you either have voted or will vote. It’s incredibly important. Speaking of politics, a movie that focuses on a moment where the political landscape changed forever is about to open. It’s The Front Runner, Jason Reitman’s latest work. By looking at Presidential hopeful and now cautionary tale Gary Hart, Reitman and company shine a light on how coverage of candidates and candidacies themselves have shifted. It’s a compelling film, one filled with strong performances, as well as a timely nature that can’t be ignored. This is literally the perfect week for it to be hitting screens. The Front Runner is a political drama/pseudo biopic. After coming up short the last time around, Colorado Senator Gary Hart (Jackman) is considered the 1988 Democratic front runner for President, and...
- 11/6/2018
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
For Sony’s “The Front Runner,” which opens wide Nov. 21, director-co-writer Jason Reitman dealt with a very large main cast. The opening shot sets the tone for the movie as it takes in multiple groups of people with different points of view and overlapping conversations. In Robert Altman-esque fashion, various dialogues fade in and out as the always-traveling camera follows Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman), his family, his political team, journalists and the public during the campaign of 1988 as it moves headlong into a sex scandal and its aftermath. While this creative approach makes for a mesmerizing experience for the audience, it presented unusual challenges for Reitman’s below-the-line team. Here’s what he said about the crew.
Sound mixer, Steven Morrow
“Our movie centers on the idea ‘What is relevant? What is important?’ and the audience is often given multiple things to see and listen to.
Sound mixer, Steven Morrow
“Our movie centers on the idea ‘What is relevant? What is important?’ and the audience is often given multiple things to see and listen to.
- 10/17/2018
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
Over the weekend, the Telluride Film Festival provided a window into some of the potential Academy Award hopefuls that will be dominating our radar this year. One of the timeliest contenders to hit the mountains of Colorado happened to also drop a Trailer just a few days ago. It’s the latest from filmmaker Jason Reitman, the political biopic The Front Runner. Reviews were solid, suggesting star Hugh Jackman could be a force in the Best Actor race. Plus, with how timely the movie is, Best Picture may also end up a possibility, nomination wise. Those of you who follow the site and my predictions will know that I’ve been bullish on this one for a long time now. We’ll get into its chances in a bit, and you’ll also be able to see the Trailer below, but first…some discussion, as always. The film is a...
- 9/3/2018
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Forty-four were invited to join the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, including Kendrick Lamar, whose contributions to the “Black Panther” soundtrack are riding high on the album charts; songwriter Melissa Etheridge, who won an Oscar for her song for “An Inconvenient Truth”; and recent Oscar nominees Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka (“Lion”), Sufjan Stevens (“Call Me By Your Name”), Carlinhos Brown (“Rio”) and Benoit Charest (“The Triplets of Belleville”).
Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, whose work with Prince catapulted them into the limelight and who have gone on to do films (“Dangerous Minds”) and considerable television, were also invited, as were composers Jeff Beal, Fil Eisler and Sharon Farber, whose best-known feature-film credits are in the documentary arena.
Classical composers Osvaldo Golijov and Joanna Bruzdowicz are on the list, as are other composers from England and the Continent: Daniel Pemberton (“Steve Jobs”), Eric Serra (“The Fifth Element...
Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, whose work with Prince catapulted them into the limelight and who have gone on to do films (“Dangerous Minds”) and considerable television, were also invited, as were composers Jeff Beal, Fil Eisler and Sharon Farber, whose best-known feature-film credits are in the documentary arena.
Classical composers Osvaldo Golijov and Joanna Bruzdowicz are on the list, as are other composers from England and the Continent: Daniel Pemberton (“Steve Jobs”), Eric Serra (“The Fifth Element...
- 6/25/2018
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
There are some filmmaking teams that just seem to bring out the best in each other. In terms of writers who pair with directors, few have the winning bond that scribe Diablo Cody has with auteur Jason Reitman. Between Juno and Young Adult, the pair have crafted some truly memorable cinema. This week, the duo team up again for Tully, which also marks their second union with star Charlize Theron (after the aforementioned Young Adult). This dramedy is a whole new type of flick for the trio, which is a definite compliment. All three have done tremendous work in the past, and this stands right up there with the best of it. In fact, few films in 2018 have been this good. The film is described on IMDb as such: “The film is about Marlo, a mother of three including a newborn, who is gifted a night nanny by her brother.
- 5/3/2018
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
141 original scores just made the Oscar shortlist, meaning that we have no real idea which soundtracks will go on to be nominated for the actual Academy Award — “Phantom Thread” composer Jonny Greenwood looks poised to finally be recognized for his work, but might “Baywatch” be a spoiler? We simply don’t know, dear reader. We simply don’t know.
As you await the nominations — which will be announced on Tuesday, January 23 — treat yourself to this selection of tracks from the shortlist.
Read More:2018 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Score
Read More:Oscars 2018: Best Original Score Shortlist Includes ‘The Shape of Water,’ ‘All the Money in the World,’ and More
Here are the 141 scores vying for an Oscar nod:
“Alien: Covenant,” Jed Kurzel, composer
“All I See Is You,” Marc Streitenfeld, composer
“All the Money in the World,” Daniel Pemberton, composer
“Annabelle: Creation,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer
“Band Aid,” Lucius, composer
“Battle of the Sexes,...
As you await the nominations — which will be announced on Tuesday, January 23 — treat yourself to this selection of tracks from the shortlist.
Read More:2018 Oscar Predictions: Best Original Score
Read More:Oscars 2018: Best Original Score Shortlist Includes ‘The Shape of Water,’ ‘All the Money in the World,’ and More
Here are the 141 scores vying for an Oscar nod:
“Alien: Covenant,” Jed Kurzel, composer
“All I See Is You,” Marc Streitenfeld, composer
“All the Money in the World,” Daniel Pemberton, composer
“Annabelle: Creation,” Benjamin Wallfisch, composer
“Band Aid,” Lucius, composer
“Battle of the Sexes,...
- 12/23/2017
- by Michael Nordine
- Indiewire
Owen Wilson (“The Grand Budapest Hotel,” “Zoolander 2”) and Ed Helms (“The Hangover” films, “We’re the Millers”) star in the Alcon Entertainment comedy “Father Figures,” marking the directorial debut of veteran cinematographer Lawrence Sher (“The Hangover” films).
Wilson and Helms are Kyle and Peter Reynolds, brothers whose eccentric mother raised them to believe their father had died when they were young. When they discover this to be a lie, they set out together to find their real father, and end up learning more about their mother than they probably ever wanted to know.
The film also stars J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”), comedian Katt Williams, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback-turned-actor Terry Bradshaw, Ving Rhames (the “Mission Impossible” films), Harry Shearer (“The Simpsons”), and Oscar nominee June Squibb (“Nebraska”), with Oscar winner Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter”), and Oscar nominee Glenn Close (“Albert Nobbs,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”) as the twins’ mother.
Wilson and Helms are Kyle and Peter Reynolds, brothers whose eccentric mother raised them to believe their father had died when they were young. When they discover this to be a lie, they set out together to find their real father, and end up learning more about their mother than they probably ever wanted to know.
The film also stars J.K. Simmons (“Whiplash”), comedian Katt Williams, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback-turned-actor Terry Bradshaw, Ving Rhames (the “Mission Impossible” films), Harry Shearer (“The Simpsons”), and Oscar nominee June Squibb (“Nebraska”), with Oscar winner Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter”), and Oscar nominee Glenn Close (“Albert Nobbs,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”) as the twins’ mother.
- 12/12/2017
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Coming to theaters August 11 is The Only Living Boy In New York, starring Kate Beckinsale, Pierce Brosnan, Kiersey Clemons, Cynthia Nixon, Callum Turner and Jeff Bridges.
Adrift in New York City, a recent college graduate seeks the guidance of an eccentric neighbor as his life is upended by his father’s mistress.
Check out the brand new trailer now from Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions.
Thomas Webb (Callum Turner), the son of a publisher and his artistic wife, has just graduated from college and is trying to find his place in the world. Moving from his parents’ Upper West Side apartment to the Lower East Side, he befriends his neighbor W.F. (Jeff Bridges), a shambling alcoholic writer who dispenses worldly wisdom alongside healthy shots of whiskey.
Thomas’ world begins to shift when he discovers that his long-married father (Pierce Brosnan) is having an affair with a seductive younger woman...
Adrift in New York City, a recent college graduate seeks the guidance of an eccentric neighbor as his life is upended by his father’s mistress.
Check out the brand new trailer now from Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions.
Thomas Webb (Callum Turner), the son of a publisher and his artistic wife, has just graduated from college and is trying to find his place in the world. Moving from his parents’ Upper West Side apartment to the Lower East Side, he befriends his neighbor W.F. (Jeff Bridges), a shambling alcoholic writer who dispenses worldly wisdom alongside healthy shots of whiskey.
Thomas’ world begins to shift when he discovers that his long-married father (Pierce Brosnan) is having an affair with a seductive younger woman...
- 6/20/2017
- by Michelle Hannett
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
A few years ago, filmmaker Jason Reitman could do no wrong. The man who made an impressive debut with Thank You For Smoking had followed it up with the Academy Award winning Juno and then the phenomenal Up in the Air, which for a brief moment was the Oscar frontrunner in Best Picture. Since then, Reitman’s movies have gotten a more mixed reception, between Young Adult, Labor Day, and the deeply divisive Men, Women, and Children. His films remain something to look forward to though, and his next one has found a home. Focus Features has announced that they’ve picked it up and will be putting it out next April. We’re less than a year out now from a new Reitman work. Fans should rejoice about that. His new movie is Tully, another collaboration with screenwriter Diablo Cody. Not a whole lot is known about it right now,...
- 5/5/2017
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
A mawkish coming-of-age story that marries Sundance vibes with a soft punk spirit, Peter Livolsi’s “The House of Tomorrow” never manages to flesh out its skeleton of quirks, but its heart is definitely in the right place.
Very faithfully adapted from Peter Bognanni’s 2010 novel of the same name, Livolsi’s directorial debut is — after “Brigsby Bear” and “The Space Between Us” — at least the third new film this year that falls into the beguiling sub-genre of movies about young men who’ve been raised in isolation from the rest of the world. The stranger life gets, the more we might be compelled towards portraits of people who can stand outside of civilization and offer a new perspective on the mess we’ve made (in which case, we ought to brace for this sub-genre to get a lot bigger between now and 2020).
This one begins in a geodesic dome in the woods of Minnesota,...
Very faithfully adapted from Peter Bognanni’s 2010 novel of the same name, Livolsi’s directorial debut is — after “Brigsby Bear” and “The Space Between Us” — at least the third new film this year that falls into the beguiling sub-genre of movies about young men who’ve been raised in isolation from the rest of the world. The stranger life gets, the more we might be compelled towards portraits of people who can stand outside of civilization and offer a new perspective on the mess we’ve made (in which case, we ought to brace for this sub-genre to get a lot bigger between now and 2020).
This one begins in a geodesic dome in the woods of Minnesota,...
- 4/12/2017
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
In just a couple of days the Summer blockbuster season will get a big jump-start (hey Spring’s not yet a month old) when those magnificent men (and women) in their flying “muscle-car” machines start spinning their wheels and defying gravity at the multiplex. As they rev their engines here’s a quiet little “heart-tugger’ about family and kids that stars a guy that usually helps usher in the big popcorn flicks as Marvel Studios’ patriotic powerhouse. Like many “swinging” singles from TV (“Family Affair”) and cinema (Raising Helen), he’s tackling unexpected parenthood after the tragic demise of the birth mother. And things get even more complicated, when (as in other recent films like Little Man Tate) the child is a genius, brainy, or as the title proclaims, Gifted.
Frank Adler (Chris Evans) is living a pretty good life in the southern “sunshine state” of Florida. He keeps busy...
Frank Adler (Chris Evans) is living a pretty good life in the southern “sunshine state” of Florida. He keeps busy...
- 4/12/2017
- by Jim Batts
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of film and TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Monday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best film in theaters right now?”, can be found at the end of this post.)
This week’s question:
Last Friday saw the release of Garth Davis’ “Lion,” the musical score for which is the gorgeous result of a collaboration between two giants of the neo-classical movement, Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka. It’s just the latest indication that we’re living in a fascinating, vibrant time for movie music, and December boasts a number of films that will only add more fuel to that fire. With that in mind, we asked our panel of critics to name their favorite film score of the 21st Century.
Tasha Robinson (@TashaRobinson), The Verge
There are some really striking contenders out there, topped by Susumu Hirasawa’s manic,...
This week’s question:
Last Friday saw the release of Garth Davis’ “Lion,” the musical score for which is the gorgeous result of a collaboration between two giants of the neo-classical movement, Dustin O’Halloran and Hauschka. It’s just the latest indication that we’re living in a fascinating, vibrant time for movie music, and December boasts a number of films that will only add more fuel to that fire. With that in mind, we asked our panel of critics to name their favorite film score of the 21st Century.
Tasha Robinson (@TashaRobinson), The Verge
There are some really striking contenders out there, topped by Susumu Hirasawa’s manic,...
- 11/28/2016
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
'The Peanuts Movie': 2016 Best Original Score Oscar contender along with 111 other titles. Oscar 2016: Best Original Score contenders range from 'Mad Max: Fury Road' to 'The Peanuts Movie' Earlier this month (Dec. '15), the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences made public the list of 112 film scores eligible for the 2016 Oscar in the Best Original Score category. As found in the Academy's press release, “a Reminder List of works submitted in the Original Score category will be made available with a nominations ballot to all members of the Music Branch, who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five achievements. The five achievements receiving the highest number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the award.” The release adds that “to be eligible, the original score must be a substantial body of music that serves as original dramatic underscoring, and must...
- 12/24/2015
- by Mont. Steve
- Alt Film Guide
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