"Six women go spelunking" doesn't necessarily read as a great logline for a horror movie, but Neil Marshall's "The Descent" takes that premise and crafts an unforgettable exercise in terror. As the saying goes, it's a B-movie with A+ filmmaking.
Being trapped underground combines two common fears, confinement and darkness, and in "The Descent," the heavy shadows only reinforce the claustrophobia. Marshall and his cinematographer Sam McCurdy chose to light the film's sets (a facsimile of a real cave system built and shot at Pinewood Studios) primarily with the characters' flashlights. Even color choices — some frames are filtered entirely red or green — are used diegetically from those lights or flares.
As the characters get deeper and deeper into the cave, darkness subsumes each and every frame. It needs to, for the whole reason a cave is a scary setting is because of what you can't see. And yet, Marshall...
Being trapped underground combines two common fears, confinement and darkness, and in "The Descent," the heavy shadows only reinforce the claustrophobia. Marshall and his cinematographer Sam McCurdy chose to light the film's sets (a facsimile of a real cave system built and shot at Pinewood Studios) primarily with the characters' flashlights. Even color choices — some frames are filtered entirely red or green — are used diegetically from those lights or flares.
As the characters get deeper and deeper into the cave, darkness subsumes each and every frame. It needs to, for the whole reason a cave is a scary setting is because of what you can't see. And yet, Marshall...
- 12/4/2023
- by Devin Meenan
- Slash Film
Animation! has announced the winners of its 2024 Mentorship Program designed specifically for Latin American female animation directors.
No one country was singled out, as projects from five countries took the honors.
“The global convergence of creativity in this year’s selection truly signifies the universal language of animated storytelling,” said Animation! manager Silvina Cornillón. “From the vibrant 3D animation of ‘Jaé, Natal! capturing the spirit of a tropical Christmas in Brazil to the enchanting 2D adventures of ‘Juno, Diario de una Bicicleta in Peru, each project brings a unique flavor to the world of animation.”
She added: “’La Tierra Prometida’ (‘The Promised Land’) from Argentina explores environmental themes through stop motion, while ‘Los Tesoros De Marta’ from Mexico, blending hybrid animation techniques, promises a delightful mix of fantasy and comedy.”
This marks the fourth consecutive year of the program, which is supported by the Institut Français d’Argentine, the Annecy...
No one country was singled out, as projects from five countries took the honors.
“The global convergence of creativity in this year’s selection truly signifies the universal language of animated storytelling,” said Animation! manager Silvina Cornillón. “From the vibrant 3D animation of ‘Jaé, Natal! capturing the spirit of a tropical Christmas in Brazil to the enchanting 2D adventures of ‘Juno, Diario de una Bicicleta in Peru, each project brings a unique flavor to the world of animation.”
She added: “’La Tierra Prometida’ (‘The Promised Land’) from Argentina explores environmental themes through stop motion, while ‘Los Tesoros De Marta’ from Mexico, blending hybrid animation techniques, promises a delightful mix of fantasy and comedy.”
This marks the fourth consecutive year of the program, which is supported by the Institut Français d’Argentine, the Annecy...
- 11/29/2023
- by Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
“I mean, who are we kidding?”
Such beaming came from Fargo creator Noah Hawley at the fifth season premiere of the FX series when we asked him if more seasons are in store beyond season 5 which debuts on Nov. 21.
Indeed, they are.
“I’d be lying if I said this is not the most fun I have in my year making this show,” Hawley said.
“I haven’t run out of ways to tell these stories,” the creator of the six Primetime Emmy winning series told us last night, “Why wouldn’t I keep going?”
EP Steve Stark concurs with Hawley that there’s more to mayhem to explore in Minnesota. “We’ve covered every decade except the ’60s and the ’90s. So maybe the 60s and 90s,” he told Deadline.
Hawley also adds that “the ’80s” are possibility.
“We’ll do our Stranger Things crossover,” he joked.
Season 5 of...
Such beaming came from Fargo creator Noah Hawley at the fifth season premiere of the FX series when we asked him if more seasons are in store beyond season 5 which debuts on Nov. 21.
Indeed, they are.
“I’d be lying if I said this is not the most fun I have in my year making this show,” Hawley said.
“I haven’t run out of ways to tell these stories,” the creator of the six Primetime Emmy winning series told us last night, “Why wouldn’t I keep going?”
EP Steve Stark concurs with Hawley that there’s more to mayhem to explore in Minnesota. “We’ve covered every decade except the ’60s and the ’90s. So maybe the 60s and 90s,” he told Deadline.
Hawley also adds that “the ’80s” are possibility.
“We’ll do our Stranger Things crossover,” he joked.
Season 5 of...
- 11/16/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Barbie.Michael Cera plays Allan, a milquetoast companion to Ryan Gosling’s Ken, in the recent billion-dollar blockbuster Barbie (2023). The film’s narrator, Helen Mirren, introduces Allan by stating he is “unique” and noting “there are no multiples of him.” The same could be said of the actor behind the mild-mannered doll. Cera’s status as a sometimes endearing, sometimes discomforting, but always awkward screen presence has made him a fixture of commercial cinema ever since his famed turn as a sexually naïve cross-country star in Jason Reitman’s teenage pregnancy drama Juno (2007). Sixteen years later, Cera’s complexion remains the same. Except, his baby face no longer represents innocence and childish sentimentalism. His recent credits have skewed toward portrayals of frustrated men, revealing unforeseen dimensions of his previously exhibited acting chops.Cera’s rise to stardom in the mid-'00s coincided with the release of films such as Napoleon Dynamite...
- 11/15/2023
- MUBI
When "Jennifer's Body" came out in 2009, people kind of hated it. Or at least, that's how it seemed. What was this campy and over-sexualized story about a teenage girl who eats human boys? The film received mixed reviews with most of them falling into the "this is terrible" camp, and even though Roger Ebert gave the movie three out of four stars, he still referred to the whole thing as "'Twilight' for boys" which, honestly, feels like he missed the whole point.
"Jennifer's Body" is most definitely not "Twilight" and most definitely not "for boys." Instead, it's a smart exploration of the ways men use women in order to reach the peak of success. Directed by Karyn Kusama, the movie stars Megan Fox as Jennifer Check, the super hot teen girl who is predictably a cheerleader and unpredictably best friends with Needy Lesnicki. Played by Amanda Seyfried, Needy...
"Jennifer's Body" is most definitely not "Twilight" and most definitely not "for boys." Instead, it's a smart exploration of the ways men use women in order to reach the peak of success. Directed by Karyn Kusama, the movie stars Megan Fox as Jennifer Check, the super hot teen girl who is predictably a cheerleader and unpredictably best friends with Needy Lesnicki. Played by Amanda Seyfried, Needy...
- 1/29/2023
- by Miyako Pleines
- Slash Film
Some of Hollywood's most in-demand actresses may have gone through Madonna boot camp for nothing: Variety is now reporting that the (auto)biopic about the famed singer, which Madonna Ciccone planned to direct herself, is no longer in the works.
"Ozark" star and award season darling Julia Garner was reportedly set to lead the film about the early days of the "Like a Prayer" singer's career, but multiple sources are now saying that the film is no more. Universal Pictures and reps for Madonna and Garner wouldn't comment, per Variety.
If the Madonna film is being shelved, it's a pretty confounding decision given its long and, for those who auditioned, apparently arduous path to production. Last June, Garner was announced as the film's lead, and the news was met with a sort of Hunger Games champion-level intrigue after The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the months-long audition process reportedly involved 11-hour choreography training sessions,...
"Ozark" star and award season darling Julia Garner was reportedly set to lead the film about the early days of the "Like a Prayer" singer's career, but multiple sources are now saying that the film is no more. Universal Pictures and reps for Madonna and Garner wouldn't comment, per Variety.
If the Madonna film is being shelved, it's a pretty confounding decision given its long and, for those who auditioned, apparently arduous path to production. Last June, Garner was announced as the film's lead, and the news was met with a sort of Hunger Games champion-level intrigue after The Hollywood Reporter revealed that the months-long audition process reportedly involved 11-hour choreography training sessions,...
- 1/24/2023
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
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