Errol Morris is not one for adversarial interviews. Whether he’s talking to alleged murderers or mourning pet owners, defense secretaries or political svengalis — the documentarian has no interest in moving deftly through a list of questions until he gets to some satisfying gotcha. He’d rather just talk it out, see where things go.
That’s not to say he isn’t up for some sparring, at least when he’s the one being interviewed. When we meet in a New York City hotel room turned press-junket base camp earlier this month,...
That’s not to say he isn’t up for some sparring, at least when he’s the one being interviewed. When we meet in a New York City hotel room turned press-junket base camp earlier this month,...
- 10/19/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Gaspar Noé’s “Vortex,” an acclaimed meditation on mortality told entirely in split-screen, has sold to Utopia. The deal is for North American rights and comes on the heels of the film’s debut at this year’s Cannes, where it was greeted with a standing ovation and critical acclaim.
Eric Kohn of IndieWire compared to movie to the Oscar-winning “Amour,” writing that the drama about an aging couple in a Paris apartment is “the most sensitive and accessible work from a filmmaker for whom those descriptors rarely apply.” Indeed, Noé has carved out a career for himself as something of a cinematic provocateur, directing challenging and controversial works such as “Enter the Void” and “Climax,” which have shocked and polarized viewers with their violence, psychedelic editing and edgy sex. The change in tone is partly due to the fact that “Vortex” was inspired by the deaths of some of...
Eric Kohn of IndieWire compared to movie to the Oscar-winning “Amour,” writing that the drama about an aging couple in a Paris apartment is “the most sensitive and accessible work from a filmmaker for whom those descriptors rarely apply.” Indeed, Noé has carved out a career for himself as something of a cinematic provocateur, directing challenging and controversial works such as “Enter the Void” and “Climax,” which have shocked and polarized viewers with their violence, psychedelic editing and edgy sex. The change in tone is partly due to the fact that “Vortex” was inspired by the deaths of some of...
- 8/19/2021
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: HBO Max and U.S. distributor and sales firm Utopia have acquired rights to well-received Sundance Film Festival title We’re All Going To The World’s Fair.
The coming-of-age horror-drama follows teenager Casey who becomes immersed in an online role-playing horror game, wherein she begins to document the changes that may or may not be happening to her.
The film, which will have its NY premiere later this month at the New Directors/New Films festival, is the narrative feature debut of writer-director Jane Schoenbrun. Utopia will release the film in U.S. theaters early next year and also has international rights. HBO Max has licensed U.S. streaming rights.
With an original score by Alex G, the movie stars Anna Cobb and Michael J Rogers alongside a number of performers appearing in various real and staged YouTube videos, including Theo Anthony, Evan Santiago, and the Asmr content creator Slight Sounds.
The coming-of-age horror-drama follows teenager Casey who becomes immersed in an online role-playing horror game, wherein she begins to document the changes that may or may not be happening to her.
The film, which will have its NY premiere later this month at the New Directors/New Films festival, is the narrative feature debut of writer-director Jane Schoenbrun. Utopia will release the film in U.S. theaters early next year and also has international rights. HBO Max has licensed U.S. streaming rights.
With an original score by Alex G, the movie stars Anna Cobb and Michael J Rogers alongside a number of performers appearing in various real and staged YouTube videos, including Theo Anthony, Evan Santiago, and the Asmr content creator Slight Sounds.
- 5/4/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Hulu is doubling down on Margaret Atwood adaptations with a TV version of her book Maddaddam in the works.
It comes as the streamer is set to premiere the fourth season of Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale next month and renewed the drama for a fifth season.
Michael Lesslie, who was the lead writer and showrunner of AMC’s spy drama The Little Drummer Girl, will write the pilot script for Maddaddam and also exec produce.
It comes as Deadline understands that Lesslie is no longer involved in Peacock’s reboot of Battlestar Galactica. He previously was set to create, write and exec produce the series for Sam Esmail and UCP.
Maddaddam is an apocalyptic thriller about genetic reinvention, corporate domination and young love. It is a trilogy of novels, first published in 2003, that includes Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood and Maddaddam.
At the center of the trilogy,...
It comes as the streamer is set to premiere the fourth season of Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale next month and renewed the drama for a fifth season.
Michael Lesslie, who was the lead writer and showrunner of AMC’s spy drama The Little Drummer Girl, will write the pilot script for Maddaddam and also exec produce.
It comes as Deadline understands that Lesslie is no longer involved in Peacock’s reboot of Battlestar Galactica. He previously was set to create, write and exec produce the series for Sam Esmail and UCP.
Maddaddam is an apocalyptic thriller about genetic reinvention, corporate domination and young love. It is a trilogy of novels, first published in 2003, that includes Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood and Maddaddam.
At the center of the trilogy,...
- 3/22/2021
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Utopia, the fledgling sales and distribution company co-founded by filmmaker Robert Schwartzman, has picked up North American rights to artist Amalia Ulman’s debut feature ‘El Planeta.’ The dark comedy was one of the buzz titles at Sundance’s World Dramatic competition.
Danielle Digiacomo, Utopia’s Head of Content commented: “Amalia Ulman’s “El Planeta” is a pure, transportive cinematic experience that is deceptively simple in its construction, yet so layered with wit, heart, and humanity that it leaves a profound impression akin to the work of many great auteurs.”
“It is a true gem of a film; Utopia couldn’t be more enamored of Amalia, her vision, and overjoyed about the ability to partner with her on its distribution,” added Digiacomo who joined Utopia early last year.
Set in the industrial northern Spanish city of Gijon during the country’s economic crisis in 2009, “El Planeta” turns on mother and daughter grifters,...
Danielle Digiacomo, Utopia’s Head of Content commented: “Amalia Ulman’s “El Planeta” is a pure, transportive cinematic experience that is deceptively simple in its construction, yet so layered with wit, heart, and humanity that it leaves a profound impression akin to the work of many great auteurs.”
“It is a true gem of a film; Utopia couldn’t be more enamored of Amalia, her vision, and overjoyed about the ability to partner with her on its distribution,” added Digiacomo who joined Utopia early last year.
Set in the industrial northern Spanish city of Gijon during the country’s economic crisis in 2009, “El Planeta” turns on mother and daughter grifters,...
- 3/17/2021
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Distribution and sales company Utopia Media has acquired worldwide rights for feature documentary “Moments Like This Never Last,” about artist Dash Snow.
Born Dashiell Alexander Whitney Snow, Dash Snow rejected a life of privilege to make his own way as an artist on the streets of downtown New York City in the late 1990s. Developing from a notorious graffiti tagger into an international art star, he documented his drug- and alcohol-fuelled nights with the surrogate family he formed with friends and fellow artists Ryan McGinley, Dan Colen and Kunle Martins before his death by heroin overdose in 2009.
The film, a personal, up-close depiction of the late artist, is directed by photographer and filmmaker Cheryl Dunn (“Everybody Street”), drawing from Snow’s body of work. It uses archival footage to capture his brief life of reckless excess and creativity. It features artist Dan Colen, art dealer Jeffrey Deitch, filmmaker Larry Clark and art curator Neville Wakefield,...
Born Dashiell Alexander Whitney Snow, Dash Snow rejected a life of privilege to make his own way as an artist on the streets of downtown New York City in the late 1990s. Developing from a notorious graffiti tagger into an international art star, he documented his drug- and alcohol-fuelled nights with the surrogate family he formed with friends and fellow artists Ryan McGinley, Dan Colen and Kunle Martins before his death by heroin overdose in 2009.
The film, a personal, up-close depiction of the late artist, is directed by photographer and filmmaker Cheryl Dunn (“Everybody Street”), drawing from Snow’s body of work. It uses archival footage to capture his brief life of reckless excess and creativity. It features artist Dan Colen, art dealer Jeffrey Deitch, filmmaker Larry Clark and art curator Neville Wakefield,...
- 3/4/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The January 6 assault on the Capitol by insurrectionists left many Americans shocked, ashamed, and glued to their TV sets. Errol Morris was one of them. For years, the filmmaker has documented the tragic and dangerous actions of powerful men and the lies they tell the world, most prominently in his Oscar-winning portrait of former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. But the violent outbreak on Wednesday echoed a more-recent subject of Morris scrutiny: Steve Bannon.
“He is one of the evil geniuses behind it all,” Morris said in a phone call from his office on January 7. He’s got the proof on film with his 2019 documentary “American Dharma,” which pitted the director against Bannon, Trump’s notorious campaign director-turned-senior advisor, the alt-right hero and former Breitbart News publisher who exploited raging and disenfranchised white conspiracy theorists and cemented the seditious rage at the core of Trump’s base.
Bannon relishes his role.
“He is one of the evil geniuses behind it all,” Morris said in a phone call from his office on January 7. He’s got the proof on film with his 2019 documentary “American Dharma,” which pitted the director against Bannon, Trump’s notorious campaign director-turned-senior advisor, the alt-right hero and former Breitbart News publisher who exploited raging and disenfranchised white conspiracy theorists and cemented the seditious rage at the core of Trump’s base.
Bannon relishes his role.
- 1/9/2021
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Nadine Labaki starrer 1982, Lebanon’s International Oscar hopeful two years ago, has been picked up for North American distribution by Utopia Media.
The feature debut by Oualid Mouaness, inspired by the director’s boyhood memories of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, revisits a dark moment in Lebanese history through a different lens. At a private school on the outskirts of Beirut, as the conflict inches closer, 11-year-old Wissam (Mohamad Dalli) is trying to find the courage to tell his classmate he loves her. But for his teachers, Yesmine (Capernaum director Labaki) and Joseph (Rodrigue Sleiman), the jets in the sky signal a more ominous time.
Winner of the Toronto International Film Festival 2019 Netpac Prize, the film is due to be released on VOD platforms from January 19, 2021.
Pic was produced by Tricycle Logic, Mad Dog Films and Abbout Productions, and co-produced by Norway’s Barentsfilm in association with Boo Pictures,...
The feature debut by Oualid Mouaness, inspired by the director’s boyhood memories of the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1982, revisits a dark moment in Lebanese history through a different lens. At a private school on the outskirts of Beirut, as the conflict inches closer, 11-year-old Wissam (Mohamad Dalli) is trying to find the courage to tell his classmate he loves her. But for his teachers, Yesmine (Capernaum director Labaki) and Joseph (Rodrigue Sleiman), the jets in the sky signal a more ominous time.
Winner of the Toronto International Film Festival 2019 Netpac Prize, the film is due to be released on VOD platforms from January 19, 2021.
Pic was produced by Tricycle Logic, Mad Dog Films and Abbout Productions, and co-produced by Norway’s Barentsfilm in association with Boo Pictures,...
- 1/6/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Utopia has acquired “Dope Is Death,” a look at the establishment of an unconventional detoxification program in the Bronx in the early 1970s to deal with the heroin epidemic.
The sale took place in advance of the film’s screening in November at Doc NYC. Mia Donovan, who previously helmed “Inside Lara Roxx” and “Deprogrammed,” directed the film.
“Dope Is Death” centers on Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, and a coalition of left-wing activists from the Young Lords and Black Panthers, who combined community health with radical politics to create Lincoln Detox, the first acupuncture detoxification program in America.
The film is slated to premiere on Vice World News — a new series presented by Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi — before releasing digitally across VOD platforms.
“I feel so honoured to share this story of how community activists confronted the war on drugs with acupuncture and political education,” Donovan said.
The sale took place in advance of the film’s screening in November at Doc NYC. Mia Donovan, who previously helmed “Inside Lara Roxx” and “Deprogrammed,” directed the film.
“Dope Is Death” centers on Dr. Mutulu Shakur, stepfather of Tupac Shakur, and a coalition of left-wing activists from the Young Lords and Black Panthers, who combined community health with radical politics to create Lincoln Detox, the first acupuncture detoxification program in America.
The film is slated to premiere on Vice World News — a new series presented by Vice co-founder Suroosh Alvi — before releasing digitally across VOD platforms.
“I feel so honoured to share this story of how community activists confronted the war on drugs with acupuncture and political education,” Donovan said.
- 10/26/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
From “The Fog of War” to “Tabloid“, to “Mr. Death,” and “American Dharma,” there are a few good reasons why many hail Errol Morris as the master of the one-on-one interview doc. Morris knows that the deepest stories can be found in human transgressions, these transgressions often being the outward manifestation of people’s darkest secrets and desires.
Continue reading ‘My Psychedelic Love Story’: Errol Morris’ Latest Doc Is A Trippy Romance With A Dash Of Conspiracy [AFI Review] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘My Psychedelic Love Story’: Errol Morris’ Latest Doc Is A Trippy Romance With A Dash Of Conspiracy [AFI Review] at The Playlist.
- 10/22/2020
- by Andrew Bundy
- The Playlist
Perhaps more interesting as an example of the power of storytelling than as an in-depth historical examination, Errol Morris’ “My Psychedelic Love Story” — which closes out the AFI 2020 festival on its way to Showtime — marks another case of the documentarian finding a fascinating figure and then allowing that person to tell their own side of the story, leaving it to audiences to decide how much is truth and how much is self-aggrandizing rationalization.
That’s not to say that Morris’ subject, Timothy Leary’s longtime companion Joanna Harcourt-Smith, is any more duplicitous or cagey than any of us; most people, asked to recount their life in front of a camera, will of course tell the most glowing and self-serving version of events — particularly after being publicly accused of skullduggery and bad faith. The tale that Harcourt-Smith has to tell is so figuratively mind-blowing, that it makes for a heck of a legend,...
That’s not to say that Morris’ subject, Timothy Leary’s longtime companion Joanna Harcourt-Smith, is any more duplicitous or cagey than any of us; most people, asked to recount their life in front of a camera, will of course tell the most glowing and self-serving version of events — particularly after being publicly accused of skullduggery and bad faith. The tale that Harcourt-Smith has to tell is so figuratively mind-blowing, that it makes for a heck of a legend,...
- 10/22/2020
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Half a decade ago, the ascendance of the alt-right was about as plausible as the election of Donald Trump, and we all know how that worked out. Like the 2016 election, director Daniel Lombroso’s provocative alt-right portrait “White Noise” isn’t all that surprising, but that doesn’t lessen the terror within. In capturing the racist trifecta of alt-right pundits Mike Cernovich, Laura Southern, and Richard Spencer, the documentary shows how they became emboldened by celebrity stature, and comes so close to letting them run the show it risks trumpeting their cause. Fortunately, it doesn’t take the most discerning bullshit detector to realize that “White Noise” has been engineered to expose a fundamental danger to whatever moral fabric America has left.
However, for the lucky few who somehow avoided any of this movie’s subjects and their small armies of white nationalist devotees, “White Noise” provides a handy primer...
However, for the lucky few who somehow avoided any of this movie’s subjects and their small armies of white nationalist devotees, “White Noise” provides a handy primer...
- 10/20/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
With only three weeks before a particularly consequential Election Day, political movies — both documentaries and docudramas — are flooding the market in an effort to keep voters engaged and enraged.
Most prominent are Aaron Sorkin’s star-studded “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Alex Gibney’s pandemic response expose “Totally Under Control” and Liz Garbus-Lisa Cortés’ “All In: The Fight for Democracy.”
But that’s just the tip of the political iceberg of movies taking advantage of the heightened political climate this month. There’s also “The Soul of America,” directed by Kd Davison and based on Jon Meacham’s 2018 book “The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels.” The film explores historical challenges such as the women’s suffrage movement, the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII, and the struggle to pass Civil Rights legislation. HBO is airing on Oct. 27.
The footage includes an interview with the...
Most prominent are Aaron Sorkin’s star-studded “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” Alex Gibney’s pandemic response expose “Totally Under Control” and Liz Garbus-Lisa Cortés’ “All In: The Fight for Democracy.”
But that’s just the tip of the political iceberg of movies taking advantage of the heightened political climate this month. There’s also “The Soul of America,” directed by Kd Davison and based on Jon Meacham’s 2018 book “The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels.” The film explores historical challenges such as the women’s suffrage movement, the incarceration of Japanese Americans during WWII, and the struggle to pass Civil Rights legislation. HBO is airing on Oct. 27.
The footage includes an interview with the...
- 10/14/2020
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Production has commenced at London locations on Doug Liman’s “Lockdown,” starring Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Set against the backdrop of the Covid-19 lockdown, “Lockdown” tells the story of how a sparring couple, played by Hathaway and Paxton, call a truce to attempt a high-risk, high-stakes jewelry heist at high-end department store, Harrods.
The film is produced by Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios and P.J. van Sandwijk’s Storyteller Productions. The producers are in advanced talks with Ben Stiller, Lily James, Stephen Merchant, Dulé Hill, Jazmyn Simon and Mark Gatiss to join the cast as the production continues to shoot in London in the coming weeks.
The film, written by Steven Knight, is shooting under strict pandemic protocols.
The film was originated by Storyteller Productions and its producers P.J. van Sandwijk and Michael Lesslie, who approached Doug Liman and Steven Knight and pushed the project from conception to filming within a ninety-day timeframe.
Set against the backdrop of the Covid-19 lockdown, “Lockdown” tells the story of how a sparring couple, played by Hathaway and Paxton, call a truce to attempt a high-risk, high-stakes jewelry heist at high-end department store, Harrods.
The film is produced by Stuart Ford’s AGC Studios and P.J. van Sandwijk’s Storyteller Productions. The producers are in advanced talks with Ben Stiller, Lily James, Stephen Merchant, Dulé Hill, Jazmyn Simon and Mark Gatiss to join the cast as the production continues to shoot in London in the coming weeks.
The film, written by Steven Knight, is shooting under strict pandemic protocols.
The film was originated by Storyteller Productions and its producers P.J. van Sandwijk and Michael Lesslie, who approached Doug Liman and Steven Knight and pushed the project from conception to filming within a ninety-day timeframe.
- 9/30/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Utopia Distribution has acquired “Turning Point,” a documentary that follows researchers in their quest to develop treatments for Alzheimer’s. It will premiere on Altavod, Utopia’s new distribution platform on Sept. 21 before being made available on other streaming platforms such as Amazon and iTunes a day later.
The release is being tied to World Alzheimer’s Day. The film was directed by James Keach, the documentarian behind “Glen Campbell… I’ll Be Me,” a portrait of the country music legend’s farewell tour after revealing he had been diagnosed with the disease.
“Turning Point” investigates the complex issues facing the American healthcare system as it seeks to treat a disease that has no cure and investigates why Alzheimer’s has a disproportionate impact on minority and disadvantaged communities.
“Turning Point” originally hit the festival circuit in 2018, but has been updated to address new developments in the research field.
“We...
The release is being tied to World Alzheimer’s Day. The film was directed by James Keach, the documentarian behind “Glen Campbell… I’ll Be Me,” a portrait of the country music legend’s farewell tour after revealing he had been diagnosed with the disease.
“Turning Point” investigates the complex issues facing the American healthcare system as it seeks to treat a disease that has no cure and investigates why Alzheimer’s has a disproportionate impact on minority and disadvantaged communities.
“Turning Point” originally hit the festival circuit in 2018, but has been updated to address new developments in the research field.
“We...
- 9/2/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
“Golden Arm,” a buddy comedy set in the world of ladies arm wrestling, has sold global rights to Utopia, Variety has learned. The film will be released theatrically in the first half of 2021. HBO has licensed rights to broadcast and stream “Golden Arm.”
“Golden Arm” was originally intended to premiere at this year’s SXSW, but those plans were upended when the festival was cancelled due to coronavirus. The movie centers on a tough lady trucker who trains her timid best friend to compete in the National Ladies Arm Wrestling Championship.
“Golden Arm” was directed by Maureen Bharoocha and boasts a cast that includes Mary Holland, Betsy Sodaro, Dot-Marie Jones, Eugene Cordero, Ron Funches, Dawn Luebbe, Ahmed Bharoocha, Aparna Nancherla, Olivia Stambouliah and Kate Flannery.
“‘Golden Arm’ is a true gem of a film that will delight and surprise audiences; a hilarious story of badass women and female friendship, set...
“Golden Arm” was originally intended to premiere at this year’s SXSW, but those plans were upended when the festival was cancelled due to coronavirus. The movie centers on a tough lady trucker who trains her timid best friend to compete in the National Ladies Arm Wrestling Championship.
“Golden Arm” was directed by Maureen Bharoocha and boasts a cast that includes Mary Holland, Betsy Sodaro, Dot-Marie Jones, Eugene Cordero, Ron Funches, Dawn Luebbe, Ahmed Bharoocha, Aparna Nancherla, Olivia Stambouliah and Kate Flannery.
“‘Golden Arm’ is a true gem of a film that will delight and surprise audiences; a hilarious story of badass women and female friendship, set...
- 8/21/2020
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The director of Sergio and many docs talks about docs and movies taken from true stories.
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Sergio (2009)
Sergio (2020)
Reds (1981)
The Two Popes (2019)
Rules Don’t Apply (2016)
Bulworth (1998)
Dick Tracy (1990)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Innerspace (1987)
Ishtar (1987)
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Man On Wire (2008)
The Fog of War (2003)
American Dharma (2018)
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru (2016)
The Killing Fields (1984)
The Year of Living Dangerously (1983)
Under Fire (1983)
Salvador (1986)
The Quiet American (2002)
The Quiet American (1958)
A Private War (2018)
The War Room (1993)
The Final Year (2017)
Independence Day (1996)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Bloodsport (1988)
Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1996)
When We Were Kings (1996)
Soul Power (2008)
High School (1968)
Hospital (1970)
Titicut Follies (1967)
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (2007)
Before Night Falls (2000)
At Eternity’s Gate (2018)
American Factory (2019)
Dina (2017)
Honeyland (2019)
The Act of Killing (2012)
The English Patient (1996)
Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Purple Noon (1960)
Other Notable Items
Sergio Aragonés
Wagner Moura
Narcos TV...
Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode
Sergio (2009)
Sergio (2020)
Reds (1981)
The Two Popes (2019)
Rules Don’t Apply (2016)
Bulworth (1998)
Dick Tracy (1990)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)
Innerspace (1987)
Ishtar (1987)
The Thin Blue Line (1988)
Man On Wire (2008)
The Fog of War (2003)
American Dharma (2018)
Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru (2016)
The Killing Fields (1984)
The Year of Living Dangerously (1983)
Under Fire (1983)
Salvador (1986)
The Quiet American (2002)
The Quiet American (1958)
A Private War (2018)
The War Room (1993)
The Final Year (2017)
Independence Day (1996)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Bloodsport (1988)
Bloodsport II: The Next Kumite (1996)
When We Were Kings (1996)
Soul Power (2008)
High School (1968)
Hospital (1970)
Titicut Follies (1967)
The Diving Bell And The Butterfly (2007)
Before Night Falls (2000)
At Eternity’s Gate (2018)
American Factory (2019)
Dina (2017)
Honeyland (2019)
The Act of Killing (2012)
The English Patient (1996)
Truly, Madly, Deeply (1990)
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Purple Noon (1960)
Other Notable Items
Sergio Aragonés
Wagner Moura
Narcos TV...
- 7/14/2020
- by Kris Millsap
- Trailers from Hell
Academy Award-winning documentarian Errol Morris is back with a new feature based on the life of psychologist and psychedelic advocate Timothy Leary. Per Showtime, who will air the documentary at a soon-to-be-announced date, the film “will examine why Leary, the High Priest of LSD, became a narc in 1974 and seemingly abandoned the millions he urged to turn on, tune in and drop out.”
Inspired by Tripping the Bardo With Timothy Leary: My Psychedelic Love Story, the memoir by Leary’s longtime partner Joanna Harcourt-Smith, she is heavily featured in the documentary, as one can glean from the trailer. It’s an intriguing subject for Morris, who is is considered to be one of the most influential documentarians in film history with The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War, and many more. His controversial latest film, American Dharma, focused on political strategist and white nationalist Steve Bannon.
See the trailer below.
Inspired by Tripping the Bardo With Timothy Leary: My Psychedelic Love Story, the memoir by Leary’s longtime partner Joanna Harcourt-Smith, she is heavily featured in the documentary, as one can glean from the trailer. It’s an intriguing subject for Morris, who is is considered to be one of the most influential documentarians in film history with The Thin Blue Line, The Fog of War, and many more. His controversial latest film, American Dharma, focused on political strategist and white nationalist Steve Bannon.
See the trailer below.
- 6/5/2020
- by Stephen Hladik
- The Film Stage
There have been many projects devoted to the life of Timothy Leary. But none have looked at the life of the psychologist and LSD proponent quite like the new film by director Errol Morris, which is set to arrive on Showtime later this year.
Read More: Errol Morris’ Controversial Doc ‘American Dharma’ Is The Portrait Of A Delusional, First-Rate A-Hole [Tiff Review]
As seen in the first “trailer” for the film currently titled “A Film By Errol Morris,” the filmmaker looks at the life of Leary through the eyes of someone that knew him in a way few did, Joanna Harcourt-Smith.
Continue reading Watch The First Trailer For Errol Morris’ Showtime Doc About Timothy Leary at The Playlist.
Read More: Errol Morris’ Controversial Doc ‘American Dharma’ Is The Portrait Of A Delusional, First-Rate A-Hole [Tiff Review]
As seen in the first “trailer” for the film currently titled “A Film By Errol Morris,” the filmmaker looks at the life of Leary through the eyes of someone that knew him in a way few did, Joanna Harcourt-Smith.
Continue reading Watch The First Trailer For Errol Morris’ Showtime Doc About Timothy Leary at The Playlist.
- 5/27/2020
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
“The Fog of War” and “The Thin Blue Line” director Errol Morris’ next documentary film will be focused on the “High Priest of LSD” Timothy Leary and will debut on Showtime later this year, Showtime Documentary Films announced Tuesday.
The documentary, currently with the working title “A Film By Errol Morris,” is inspired by the memoir “Tripping the Bardo with Timothy Leary: My Psychedelic Love Story” by Joanna Harcourt-Smith. It will examine the romantic relationship between Harcourt-Smith and Leary as he went from an advocate for the psychedelic LSD drug and then became a narc in 1974.
The film will explore Leary’s period of exile, his re-imprisonment and his subsequent cooperation with the authorities and whether Leary and Harcourt-Smith truly had the “perfect love” or if something else was at play.
Also Read: 'American Dharma' Film Review: Errol Morris' Documentary on Steve Bannon Leaves Too Many Questions Unanswered
“This is a dream project,...
The documentary, currently with the working title “A Film By Errol Morris,” is inspired by the memoir “Tripping the Bardo with Timothy Leary: My Psychedelic Love Story” by Joanna Harcourt-Smith. It will examine the romantic relationship between Harcourt-Smith and Leary as he went from an advocate for the psychedelic LSD drug and then became a narc in 1974.
The film will explore Leary’s period of exile, his re-imprisonment and his subsequent cooperation with the authorities and whether Leary and Harcourt-Smith truly had the “perfect love” or if something else was at play.
Also Read: 'American Dharma' Film Review: Errol Morris' Documentary on Steve Bannon Leaves Too Many Questions Unanswered
“This is a dream project,...
- 5/26/2020
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Exclusive: Peacock’s reboot of Battlestar Galactica has found its world builder. Michael Lesslie, who was the lead writer and showrunner of AMC’s spy drama The Little Drummer Girl and penned scripts for Macbeth and Assassin’s Creed, will create, write and executive produce the series.
The new Battlestar Galactica comes from Mr Robot and Homecoming exec producer Sam Esmail, who struck a big overall deal with NBCU’s Universal Content Productions last year. It is produced by Esmail Corp and Ucp, with Esmail and Chad Hamilton also exec producing.
NBCUni’s Universal produced the original Glen A. Larson-created Battlestar Galactica series for ABC. Ucp, then known as Universal Cable Productions, produced the successful Ronald D. Moore revamp that ran from 2004-2009 on the then-Sci-Fi Channel.
The original Battlestar Galactica centered on the last group of humans on the verge of extinction after a series of wars with a robot race,...
The new Battlestar Galactica comes from Mr Robot and Homecoming exec producer Sam Esmail, who struck a big overall deal with NBCU’s Universal Content Productions last year. It is produced by Esmail Corp and Ucp, with Esmail and Chad Hamilton also exec producing.
NBCUni’s Universal produced the original Glen A. Larson-created Battlestar Galactica series for ABC. Ucp, then known as Universal Cable Productions, produced the successful Ronald D. Moore revamp that ran from 2004-2009 on the then-Sci-Fi Channel.
The original Battlestar Galactica centered on the last group of humans on the verge of extinction after a series of wars with a robot race,...
- 5/4/2020
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
“Suzi Q,” a documentary about Suzi Quatro, who preceded Joan Jett onto the scene in the early ’70s as a leather-clad rock pioneer, has been picked up for North America by Utopia. The company will give the rock doc a one-night theatrical release July 1, followed by digital and DVD distribution two days later.
A U.S. premiere has been set for the Sonoma International Film Festival on March 29, where Quatro will make an appearance. The film already opened last fall in the UK and Australia, two territories where Quatro, a Detroit native, had her biggest chart successes.
Besides interviewing Quatro herself, filmmakers Liam Firmager and Tait Brady also sought out contemporaries like Alice Cooper and female musicians who felt Quatro’s impact, including Deborah Harry, Joan Jett and Cherie Currie of the Runaways, Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go’s, Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads and Donita Sparks of L7.
“Over...
A U.S. premiere has been set for the Sonoma International Film Festival on March 29, where Quatro will make an appearance. The film already opened last fall in the UK and Australia, two territories where Quatro, a Detroit native, had her biggest chart successes.
Besides interviewing Quatro herself, filmmakers Liam Firmager and Tait Brady also sought out contemporaries like Alice Cooper and female musicians who felt Quatro’s impact, including Deborah Harry, Joan Jett and Cherie Currie of the Runaways, Kathy Valentine of the Go-Go’s, Tina Weymouth of Talking Heads and Donita Sparks of L7.
“Over...
- 3/10/2020
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Film executive Danielle Digiacomo is joining the upstart distribution company Utopia as head of content, Variety has learned.
In this new role, she’ll be acquiring movies and developing release strategies for the boutique label, which last year released titles such as the drama “Mickey and the Bear” and Errol Morris’ political documentary series “American Dharma.”
“We care about the films we work with and put quality over quantity,” said musician and actor Robert Schwartzman, who co-founded Utopia in early 2019. “Danielle recognizes this and, on behalf of our entire team, we are thrilled to have this opportunity to collaborate together.”
Digiacomo previously worked as senior VP of acquisitions and strategic partnerships at The Orchard and its rebranded company 1091. While there, she landed landing buzzy independent films such as the Oscar-nominated documentary “Cartel Land,” the Sundance comedy “The Overnight” and the drama “Neruda” out of the Cannes Film Festival.
“After speaking...
In this new role, she’ll be acquiring movies and developing release strategies for the boutique label, which last year released titles such as the drama “Mickey and the Bear” and Errol Morris’ political documentary series “American Dharma.”
“We care about the films we work with and put quality over quantity,” said musician and actor Robert Schwartzman, who co-founded Utopia in early 2019. “Danielle recognizes this and, on behalf of our entire team, we are thrilled to have this opportunity to collaborate together.”
Digiacomo previously worked as senior VP of acquisitions and strategic partnerships at The Orchard and its rebranded company 1091. While there, she landed landing buzzy independent films such as the Oscar-nominated documentary “Cartel Land,” the Sundance comedy “The Overnight” and the drama “Neruda” out of the Cannes Film Festival.
“After speaking...
- 2/26/2020
- by Ramin Setoodeh
- Variety Film + TV
Errol Morris’ American Dharma Screens at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium(470 E Lockwood Ave) Sunday December 8th through Tuesday December 10th. The film begins each evening at 7:00pm. A Facebook invite for the event can be found Here
MacArthur Genius Grant winner Errol Morris has long been attracted to those on the fringes of society and/or problematic figures. He has made past documentaries about people on death row (The Thin Blue Line), those involved in the Abu Ghraib scandal (Standard Operating Procedure), a Holocaust denier (Mr. Death), Donald Rumsfeld (The Unknown Known), and Robert McNamara. And yet American Dharma, a feature-length interview with Steve Bannon, is the Morris film that has most struck a cultural nerve. Never one to shy away from tangling with controversy, and more than capable at holding his own in an interview when need be, Morris offers American Dharma as a vital text to...
MacArthur Genius Grant winner Errol Morris has long been attracted to those on the fringes of society and/or problematic figures. He has made past documentaries about people on death row (The Thin Blue Line), those involved in the Abu Ghraib scandal (Standard Operating Procedure), a Holocaust denier (Mr. Death), Donald Rumsfeld (The Unknown Known), and Robert McNamara. And yet American Dharma, a feature-length interview with Steve Bannon, is the Morris film that has most struck a cultural nerve. Never one to shy away from tangling with controversy, and more than capable at holding his own in an interview when need be, Morris offers American Dharma as a vital text to...
- 12/2/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The last time Alison Klayman found herself in Portugal, she was facing significantly different circumstances. It was late-December of 2018, and the documentarian was taking a quick break from an unrelenting editing schedule when she learned that her Steve Bannon portrait “The Brink” would premiere in Sundance. Only that made official the filmmaker’s unenviable task to quickly finalize the edit for a film that itself had only wrapped shooting following the midterm elections one month prior.
“When I flew to Lisbon last year, we still hadn’t finalized the title,” she says. “[Working with that two month editing window] robbed us of the luxury of time. Every second had to be used efficiently.”
Ten months later, the director could breath easy. The film made its Sundance deadline, earned strong reviews once there, and continues to be a draw on the festival circuit. Recently, Klayman took the film to Doclisboa, where Variety sat down with her, and to Idfa,...
“When I flew to Lisbon last year, we still hadn’t finalized the title,” she says. “[Working with that two month editing window] robbed us of the luxury of time. Every second had to be used efficiently.”
Ten months later, the director could breath easy. The film made its Sundance deadline, earned strong reviews once there, and continues to be a draw on the festival circuit. Recently, Klayman took the film to Doclisboa, where Variety sat down with her, and to Idfa,...
- 11/27/2019
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that 159 films have qualified for the 2020 Best Documenatary Oscar. As expected, celebrated docs such as “Apollo 11,” “The Kingmaker, “Honeyland” and “Diego Maradona” made the cut.
Read More: “Apollo 11” is an astounding documentary that deserves the biggest screen possible [Review]
This year’s submissions are as follows:
“Advocate”
“After Parkland”
“The All-Americans”
“Always in Season”
“The Amazing Johnathan Documentary”
“American Dharma”
“American Factory”
“American Relapse”
“Angels Are Made of Light”
“The Apollo”
“Apollo 11”
“Aquarela”
“Ask Dr.
Continue reading ‘Apollo 11’ & 158 Other Documentaries Submitted For 2020 Oscars at The Playlist.
Read More: “Apollo 11” is an astounding documentary that deserves the biggest screen possible [Review]
This year’s submissions are as follows:
“Advocate”
“After Parkland”
“The All-Americans”
“Always in Season”
“The Amazing Johnathan Documentary”
“American Dharma”
“American Factory”
“American Relapse”
“Angels Are Made of Light”
“The Apollo”
“Apollo 11”
“Aquarela”
“Ask Dr.
Continue reading ‘Apollo 11’ & 158 Other Documentaries Submitted For 2020 Oscars at The Playlist.
- 11/12/2019
- by Gregory Ellwood
- The Playlist
A total of 159 documentary features have qualified in the Oscars’ Best Documentary Feature category, the Academy announced on Tuesday.
Last year, 166 documentaries qualified. In 2017, a record 170 made the cut.
All of the films are now available to members of the Documentary Branch to stream on the Academy’s secure members website. The films have been placed there over the last six months, with 23 added to the site in June, 24 in July, 26 in August, 19 in September and 62 in October and only five in November.
Also Read: 'Maiden' Star Tracy Edwards Kept Her Story 'Messy' to Serve the Next Generation of Women Athletes (Video)
Each member is randomly assigned 20% of the films as mandatory viewing but is free to see any additional films beyond those that are assigned. A preliminary round of voting will produce a 15-film shortlist, with a second-round narrowing those 15 to the five nominees.
This year is...
Last year, 166 documentaries qualified. In 2017, a record 170 made the cut.
All of the films are now available to members of the Documentary Branch to stream on the Academy’s secure members website. The films have been placed there over the last six months, with 23 added to the site in June, 24 in July, 26 in August, 19 in September and 62 in October and only five in November.
Also Read: 'Maiden' Star Tracy Edwards Kept Her Story 'Messy' to Serve the Next Generation of Women Athletes (Video)
Each member is randomly assigned 20% of the films as mandatory viewing but is free to see any additional films beyond those that are assigned. A preliminary round of voting will produce a 15-film shortlist, with a second-round narrowing those 15 to the five nominees.
This year is...
- 11/12/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
In the crowded fall awards corridor, there’s no one size fits all, but multiple routes to success. Take Martin Scorsese’s sprawling epic “The Irishman,” which would not have been produced without Netflix’s backing. It marks the streamer’s best opening yet for a theatrical pre-release, despite blocked access to top theaters, a three-and-a-half hour running time, and limited seating in several locations. We estimate a strong $350,000 initial response.
Focus Features’ decision to open “Harriet” wide on over 2000 screens paid off with a #4 overall placement and strong initial audience response.
Meantime, limited openers “Parasite” (Neon), “Jojo Rabbit” (Fox Searchlight), and “The Lighthouse” (A24) are all performing well with differing expansion strategies. All three are just under the Top Ten despite still playing in under 1,000 theaters. This portends a robust awards season.
Opening
The Irishman (Netflix) – Metacritic: 95; Festivals include: New York 2019
$(est.) 350,000 in 8 theaters; PTA: $(est.) 43,750
Martin Scorsese’s lengthy mobster epic,...
Focus Features’ decision to open “Harriet” wide on over 2000 screens paid off with a #4 overall placement and strong initial audience response.
Meantime, limited openers “Parasite” (Neon), “Jojo Rabbit” (Fox Searchlight), and “The Lighthouse” (A24) are all performing well with differing expansion strategies. All three are just under the Top Ten despite still playing in under 1,000 theaters. This portends a robust awards season.
Opening
The Irishman (Netflix) – Metacritic: 95; Festivals include: New York 2019
$(est.) 350,000 in 8 theaters; PTA: $(est.) 43,750
Martin Scorsese’s lengthy mobster epic,...
- 11/3/2019
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
All was fairly quiet on the specialty box office front for the first weekend of November when it came to new releases. That gave the opportunity for Neon’s critically-acclaimed Parasite to flourish even more, and the Fox Searchlight’s World War II satire Jojo Rabbit to shine brighter. However, things didn’t turn out so well for this weekend’s new releases, such as the NBA betting scandal film Inside Game, which shot a brick.
Now in its fourth week out, The Bong Joon Ho dark comedy continues to get word of mouth from cinephiles, who are fans of the auteur, and moviegoers who just want to see a refreshing film that entertains and speaks to the times. Parasite expanded from 129 screens to a staggering 461, earning an estimated $2,630,000. Audiences came out to see the comedic thriller in droves, with Saturday being its best day, as it earned over $1 million.
Now in its fourth week out, The Bong Joon Ho dark comedy continues to get word of mouth from cinephiles, who are fans of the auteur, and moviegoers who just want to see a refreshing film that entertains and speaks to the times. Parasite expanded from 129 screens to a staggering 461, earning an estimated $2,630,000. Audiences came out to see the comedic thriller in droves, with Saturday being its best day, as it earned over $1 million.
- 11/3/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Of course, it’s the film that forces us to guess its gross that holds the most curiosity this week. Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” opens in eight New York/Los Angeles theaters to start its theatrical play ahead of a November 27 Netflix debut — and in far fewer theaters than it should be.
While Netflix is slowly adding dates weekly after its premiere, this is not a typical platform run. For one thing, among its initial theaters, the Egyptian in Los Angeles and the Belasco in New York aren’t even first-run locations — and while venerable, they’re far removed from plush stadium seating at premium locations. Two Los Angeles dates were added last minute, post-Sunday newspaper ads.
Netflix’s website for “The Irishman” lists theaters booked that have provided showtimes and have tickets on sale, and thus is incomplete. It currently lists around 60-70 theaters scattered through North America...
While Netflix is slowly adding dates weekly after its premiere, this is not a typical platform run. For one thing, among its initial theaters, the Egyptian in Los Angeles and the Belasco in New York aren’t even first-run locations — and while venerable, they’re far removed from plush stadium seating at premium locations. Two Los Angeles dates were added last minute, post-Sunday newspaper ads.
Netflix’s website for “The Irishman” lists theaters booked that have provided showtimes and have tickets on sale, and thus is incomplete. It currently lists around 60-70 theaters scattered through North America...
- 11/1/2019
- by Tom Brueggemann
- Indiewire
Errol Morris’ filmed discussion with Steve Bannon, the notorious Trump counselor, is based on a simple premise: a game of wits with the adversary seated across the table, metonym for the ideological divide that separates filmmaker and kingmaker. Morris, a dyed-in-the-wool Democrat, knows his audience and himself, but is honest enough a filmmaker to give his adversary a sporting chance. Although much censured for having given the right-wing orator a platform, American Dharma is not so easily dismissed, as it demands of the viewer to listen, just like the interview must have demanded of Errol Morris to listen. Given that many of the critiques against American Dharma materialize from the same snobbish and dismissive perspective that dismissed the neglected base that nonetheless democratically elected Trump, one can only be grateful for an opportunity to listen, as dangerous as a game that may sometimes be. Lest Bannon’s critics be too dismissive of the man,...
- 11/1/2019
- MUBI
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.Recommended VIEWINGJonathan Glazer's The FallA surprise new short from Jonathan Glazer, entitled The Fall, dropped on BBC Two with little introduction on Sunday night, exposing viewers to 7 minutes of mob violence. “The day I saw a picture of the Trump sons grinning with a dead leopard,” Glazer says, was the inspiration for the harrowing visual centerpiece of the film. The official U.S. trailer for Ken Loach's drama Sorry We Missed You, about a man who decides to be his own boss, only to fall into a harsh and unrelenting gig economy. Diao Yinan returns with The Wild Goose Lake, which follows a gangster and a call-girl on the run from the police. Read our review of the film here. Recommended READINGDennis Hopper, "Peter Fonda (With Tripod)" (1966)On The Guardian, an exclusive look...
- 10/31/2019
- MUBI
"A portrait of delusion." Utopia has debuted an official trailer for the documentary American Dharma, the latest film from legendary doc filmmaker Errol Morris. This originally premiered at the Venice Film Festival last year, but became controversial as it spends too much time sympathizing with and promoting an extremely evil person. No one wanted to release it, but Morris finally found a way to get it out. American Dharma is a portrait of controversial political strategist and former Donald Trump advisor, Steve Bannon. Morris engages in a conversation with Bannon, challenging him on all of his beliefs, and asking him to breakdown the reasons why he's doing what he's doing in the world. It's shocking, surprising, and also just scary as fuck because he straight up explains how and why they have been manipulating and tricking people into supporting conservatism. I saw this in Venice last year and I hated it,...
- 9/19/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Errol Morris tries to dissect the ideology and actions of President Donald Trump’s infamous former advisor Steve Bannon in the new trailer for his upcoming documentary, American Dharma.
The film is based around an extensive interview Morris conducted with Bannon, and the clip opens with the filmmaker comparing the right-wing extremist to Lucifer in Paradise Lost. Morris even offers up a line from the Milton poem, which Bannon cheerfully completes — “Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven” — before adding, “I love that line.”
The rest of the...
The film is based around an extensive interview Morris conducted with Bannon, and the clip opens with the filmmaker comparing the right-wing extremist to Lucifer in Paradise Lost. Morris even offers up a line from the Milton poem, which Bannon cheerfully completes — “Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven” — before adding, “I love that line.”
The rest of the...
- 9/19/2019
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
There aren’t many people alive that are despised as Stephen K. Bannon. The former Breitbart executive and advisor to President Donald Trump, Bannon has been the poster child for what many call the alt-right movement that has been spreading across the United States. And that’s exactly what makes the upcoming documentary “American Dharma” such a controversial film.
Read More: Errol Morris’ Controversial Doc ‘American Dharma’ Is The Portrait Of A Delusional, First-Rate A-Hole [Tiff Review]
As seen in the trailer for “American Dharma,” the new doc focuses on Bannon, as the film’s subject.
Continue reading ‘American Dharma’ Trailer: Errol Morris Debates Steve Bannon About The Future Of America at The Playlist.
Read More: Errol Morris’ Controversial Doc ‘American Dharma’ Is The Portrait Of A Delusional, First-Rate A-Hole [Tiff Review]
As seen in the trailer for “American Dharma,” the new doc focuses on Bannon, as the film’s subject.
Continue reading ‘American Dharma’ Trailer: Errol Morris Debates Steve Bannon About The Future Of America at The Playlist.
- 9/19/2019
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
Ahead of screenings at the Telluride Film Festival over Labor Day weekend, Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker Errol Morris debuted a series of 19 30-second spots featuring “Better Call Saul” Emmy nominee Bob Odenkirk.
Each of the clips, which IndieWire has assembled into a single video below, slyly points at a different aspect of climate change, with Odenkirk playing Admiral Horatio Horntower (obviously a play on C.S. Forester’s fictional Horatio Hornblower character) as he stands atop a disappearing iceberg, pondering life’s mysteries alongside his animal friends who realize, unlike Horatio, that the planet is on the brink of a total climate meltdown. “I’m not worried!” says Horatio, who’s in denial. But the penguins and the seals are awake to what’s going on in these clips presented by Biscuit Filmworks & Fourth Floor Productions.
Below is the statement from director Morris, who won his Oscar in 2004 for “The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara...
Each of the clips, which IndieWire has assembled into a single video below, slyly points at a different aspect of climate change, with Odenkirk playing Admiral Horatio Horntower (obviously a play on C.S. Forester’s fictional Horatio Hornblower character) as he stands atop a disappearing iceberg, pondering life’s mysteries alongside his animal friends who realize, unlike Horatio, that the planet is on the brink of a total climate meltdown. “I’m not worried!” says Horatio, who’s in denial. But the penguins and the seals are awake to what’s going on in these clips presented by Biscuit Filmworks & Fourth Floor Productions.
Below is the statement from director Morris, who won his Oscar in 2004 for “The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara...
- 9/5/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
In today’s film news roundup, “I Love Lucy” draws nostalgic fans to theaters, “Desolation Center” is set for release and “What She Said: The Art of Pauline Kael” and “American Dharma” are sold.
Box Office
Fathom Events reported a Tuesday night showing of “I Love Lucy: A Colorized Celebration” drew more than 60,000 attendees with an estimated $777,645 at 660 North American sites.
The take left the one-night showing in sixth place for the day at the domestic box office. “I Love Lucy: A Colorized Celebration” featured five episodes of “I Love Lucy,” along with a featurette on the colorization of the shows.
The showing took place on Ball’s 108th birthday. Fathom, which is operated by the AMC, Cinemark and Regal chains, said some locations adding showtimes and auditoriums to meet fan demand.
Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt said, “The incredible performance of ‘I Love Lucy: A Colorized Celebration’ demonstrates the...
Box Office
Fathom Events reported a Tuesday night showing of “I Love Lucy: A Colorized Celebration” drew more than 60,000 attendees with an estimated $777,645 at 660 North American sites.
The take left the one-night showing in sixth place for the day at the domestic box office. “I Love Lucy: A Colorized Celebration” featured five episodes of “I Love Lucy,” along with a featurette on the colorization of the shows.
The showing took place on Ball’s 108th birthday. Fathom, which is operated by the AMC, Cinemark and Regal chains, said some locations adding showtimes and auditoriums to meet fan demand.
Fathom Events CEO Ray Nutt said, “The incredible performance of ‘I Love Lucy: A Colorized Celebration’ demonstrates the...
- 8/7/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
American Dharma finally will see the light of day.
Utopia, co-founded in February by musician and director Robert Schwartzman (nephew of Francis Ford Coppola), has acquired U.S. rights to the film from the Oscar winner behind The Fog of War.
After Venice, American Dharma screened at the Toronto and New York film festivals and picked up strong reviews. But the idea of Bannon getting a platform at all ignited a backlash (he was dropped from toplining the New Yorker ...
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Utopia, co-founded in February by musician and director Robert Schwartzman (nephew of Francis Ford Coppola), has acquired U.S. rights to the film from the Oscar winner behind The Fog of War.
After Venice, American Dharma screened at the Toronto and New York film festivals and picked up strong reviews. But the idea of Bannon getting a platform at all ignited a backlash (he was dropped from toplining the New Yorker ...
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Steve Bannon speaks at a campaign event for Republican voters, in The Brink. Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
To those of us who thought Steve Bannon’s far-right political influence ended when he parted ways with the Trump administration, The Brink is a jarring wake-up call. As director Allison Klayman reveals through her fly-on-the-wall documentary, Bannon may have left the White House but he has moved on to advising and promoting far-right Republicans, and more worrying, working with far-right political groups in Europe, in support of an ideology he calls “populist nationalism” that appeals to white-rights anti-immigrant groups and politicians.
In The Brink, Bannon proudly brags about being the architect of the Trump administration’s Muslim ban, which succinctly sums up much of Bannon’s mind-set. Since his exit from the White House, Bannon has campaigned for what he calls populist nationalism, both in the U.S. and in Europe, meeting with far-right candidates.
To those of us who thought Steve Bannon’s far-right political influence ended when he parted ways with the Trump administration, The Brink is a jarring wake-up call. As director Allison Klayman reveals through her fly-on-the-wall documentary, Bannon may have left the White House but he has moved on to advising and promoting far-right Republicans, and more worrying, working with far-right political groups in Europe, in support of an ideology he calls “populist nationalism” that appeals to white-rights anti-immigrant groups and politicians.
In The Brink, Bannon proudly brags about being the architect of the Trump administration’s Muslim ban, which succinctly sums up much of Bannon’s mind-set. Since his exit from the White House, Bannon has campaigned for what he calls populist nationalism, both in the U.S. and in Europe, meeting with far-right candidates.
- 4/23/2019
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
There he is, the ruddy-faced man in repose, the alt-right hero and shaggy boogeyman of the left known as Steve Bannon, drinking some sort of goopy green smoothie. His nephew has prepared it for him, and the former Trumpian campaign advisor/ally/exiled frenemy is making a face. It tastes horrible, but Bannon says he wants to drop some weight and be in better shape; frankly, he’s tired of reading the comments sections referring to him as “this gross-looking, Jabba-the-Hut drunk.” So he gulps down the moss-like drink — drain the swamp juice,...
- 3/29/2019
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Given his skill at manipulating the press, it’s totally understandable why Steve Bannon would agree to or even embrace being the subject of not just one but multiple documentaries. But where Errol Morris’ 2018 film “American Dharma” aimed to interrogate and deconstruct Bannon’s poisonous philosophies head on, “The Brink” embeds filmmaker Alison Klayman (“Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”) in his daily life for months on end, observing his methods, and eventually, exposing the efficacy of tactics that have rhetorical foundations built on quicksand.
Following Bannon as he drifts both politically and professionally from the good graces of “reputable” Republicans while positing himself as a proponent and prognosticator of their increasingly divisive values, Klayman’s film showcases the qualities that make Stephen Bannon such an effective political strategist even as it suggests that its success is as likely to eat his own future alive as the future of democracy itself.
Picking...
Following Bannon as he drifts both politically and professionally from the good graces of “reputable” Republicans while positing himself as a proponent and prognosticator of their increasingly divisive values, Klayman’s film showcases the qualities that make Stephen Bannon such an effective political strategist even as it suggests that its success is as likely to eat his own future alive as the future of democracy itself.
Picking...
- 3/27/2019
- by Todd Gilchrist
- The Wrap
There is a list of people who can read the words of Abraham Lincoln and not have tgen seem like either a threat or a lethal dose of irony. Steve Bannon is not on that list.
Yet, there he is at the start of the trailer for “The Brink,” the latest documentary to look at the damage and consequences of the enabler and self-appointed champion of alt-right causes around the world. After helping sway the 2016 presidential election, Bannon soon hated working in the White House as a Chief Strategist. Now, Alison Klayman’s film looks at the former Breitbart editor’s attempt to spread his preferred brand of nationalism throughout Europe.
Read More: ‘The Brink’ Review: Steve Bannon Finally Looks Like a Loser — Sundance
Magnolia Pictures is distributing the film after acquiring it before its Sundance premiere back in January. At the festival, IndieWire’s Eric Kohn wrote that “‘The Brink...
Yet, there he is at the start of the trailer for “The Brink,” the latest documentary to look at the damage and consequences of the enabler and self-appointed champion of alt-right causes around the world. After helping sway the 2016 presidential election, Bannon soon hated working in the White House as a Chief Strategist. Now, Alison Klayman’s film looks at the former Breitbart editor’s attempt to spread his preferred brand of nationalism throughout Europe.
Read More: ‘The Brink’ Review: Steve Bannon Finally Looks Like a Loser — Sundance
Magnolia Pictures is distributing the film after acquiring it before its Sundance premiere back in January. At the festival, IndieWire’s Eric Kohn wrote that “‘The Brink...
- 3/11/2019
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
Learning that two documentaries on Steve Bannon would be dropping within half a year of each other didn’t bring to mind face-offs like Dante’s Peak vs. Volcano so much as a dire combination of Michael Apted’s Up series (an endless series of check-ins as Bannon ages in real time) and the pre-McQuarrie-era Mission: Impossible franchise, in which each installment would be a chance for a different documentarian to render their own personal Bannon. First came Errol Morris’s American Dharma (which I wrote about here), which has yet to receive distribution; Klayman’s film was picked up by Magnolia prior to its Sundance premiere. Morris’s premise was flawed […]...
- 1/30/2019
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Learning that two documentaries on Steve Bannon would be dropping within half a year of each other didn’t bring to mind face-offs like Dante’s Peak vs. Volcano so much as a dire combination of Michael Apted’s Up series (an endless series of check-ins as Bannon ages in real time) and the pre-McQuarrie-era Mission: Impossible franchise, in which each installment would be a chance for a different documentarian to render their own personal Bannon. First came Errol Morris’s American Dharma (which I wrote about here), which has yet to receive distribution; Klayman’s film was picked up by Magnolia prior to its Sundance premiere. Morris’s premise was flawed […]...
- 1/30/2019
- by Vadim Rizov
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Outside of Donald Trump himself, Steve Bannon has been the most divisive figure to gain power in the wake of the 2016 election, but his abrupt popularity has sown as much confusion as contempt. After he was ousted as the White House chief of staff following a barrage of bigotry — from the Muslim ban to Trump’s “both sides” rhetoric about the Charlottesville riots — Bannon’s alt-right proselytizing has been characterized as flaming out or revving its engines, depending on the day.
It’s no surprise that his central role in Trump’s presidency has spawned more than one documentary, and they’ve both come to market just a few months apart: Errol Morris’ “American Dharma” probed Bannon’s mindset in the form of an eerie psychological profile; now comes Alison Klayman’s comparatively straightforward “The Brink,” a fly-on-the-wall showcase of Bannon’s post-Trump crusade over the past year.
Both movies...
It’s no surprise that his central role in Trump’s presidency has spawned more than one documentary, and they’ve both come to market just a few months apart: Errol Morris’ “American Dharma” probed Bannon’s mindset in the form of an eerie psychological profile; now comes Alison Klayman’s comparatively straightforward “The Brink,” a fly-on-the-wall showcase of Bannon’s post-Trump crusade over the past year.
Both movies...
- 1/29/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Errol Morris is one of the most recognizable filmmakers in the documentary film industry. An Academy Award winner, the director is responsible for some of the best docs in the modern era, including “The Thin Blue Line” and “The Fog of War.” And last year, he helmed the hotly-debated film “American Dharma.” But for his next project, the director is attempting to move into the fiction game one more time.
Continue reading Errol Morris Will Attempt Narrative Filmmaking One More Time Directing The Upcoming Film ‘Weegee’ at The Playlist.
Continue reading Errol Morris Will Attempt Narrative Filmmaking One More Time Directing The Upcoming Film ‘Weegee’ at The Playlist.
- 1/28/2019
- by Charles Barfield
- The Playlist
“The Brink,” a documentary about former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon that follows him after his departure from the Trump administration, has been acquired by Magnolia Pictures for worldwide rights ahead of its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, the distributor announced Wednesday.
The film was added to the Sundance lineup earlier in the day. Alison Klayman (“Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”) directs the film that’s described as a fly-on-the-wall look at Bannon in which Klayman got “unprecedented access.”
“The Brink” was co-financed with Ryot Films and is being planned for a theatrical release in spring of this year.
Here’s the full synopsis via Magnolia:
In “The Brink,” when Steve Bannon leaves his position at the White House less than a week after the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally in August 2017, he is notorious for having...
The film was added to the Sundance lineup earlier in the day. Alison Klayman (“Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”) directs the film that’s described as a fly-on-the-wall look at Bannon in which Klayman got “unprecedented access.”
“The Brink” was co-financed with Ryot Films and is being planned for a theatrical release in spring of this year.
Here’s the full synopsis via Magnolia:
In “The Brink,” when Steve Bannon leaves his position at the White House less than a week after the Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally in August 2017, he is notorious for having...
- 1/9/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Magnolia Pictures has acquired “The Brink,” a fly-on-the-wall documentary about Steve Bannon, the controversial advisor to President Donald Trump. The film follows Bannon as he tries to export his fiery brands of populism and nationalism beyond the borders of the United States.
“The Brink” is directed by Alison Klayman, a filmmaker best known for “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry,” a 2012 look at the Chinese artist and activist. The sale was announced prior to “The Brink’s” debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Klayman was able to get what is being billed as “unprecedented access” to the conservative activist and former Breitbart head. In press materials, the studio said that the film “employs a vérité approach that aims to expose Bannon’s tactics, including his relationship with the media.” Magnolia plans to release the film theatrically this spring.
Last year, Bannon was the subject of “American Dharma,” a documentary by...
“The Brink” is directed by Alison Klayman, a filmmaker best known for “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry,” a 2012 look at the Chinese artist and activist. The sale was announced prior to “The Brink’s” debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Klayman was able to get what is being billed as “unprecedented access” to the conservative activist and former Breitbart head. In press materials, the studio said that the film “employs a vérité approach that aims to expose Bannon’s tactics, including his relationship with the media.” Magnolia plans to release the film theatrically this spring.
Last year, Bannon was the subject of “American Dharma,” a documentary by...
- 1/9/2019
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
There are a slew of festival preemed goodies in Her Smell, Birds of Passage, Donnybrook, High Life, Gloria Bell, Fistful of Dirt and even Errol Morris’ American Dharma that could break in Sundance’s Spotlight section, but we’re most convinced about Rick Alverson receiving a homecoming at a fest that has supported his latest work and would be the Us premiere for the uphill psychological climb that is The Mountain. Featured in competition at the Venice Film Festival (here is our sit down with the filmmaker) and next to no international screenings since, Alverson has shown both 2012’s The Comedy and 2015’s Entertainment in Park City.…...
- 11/22/2018
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
New festival director Orwa Nyrabia reveals his priorities.
International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (Idfa), opens with the world premiere of Aboozer Amini’s Kabul, City In The Wind today (November 14), and is the first festival to start reporting on how it is measuring up to the gender pledge it signed earlier this year.
The pledge, organised by French initiative 5050x2020, commits the festival to equal representation for women and men across the festival and is a key goal of new festival director Orwa Nyrabia. “It is a very serious commitment,” says Nyrabia.
“It is a big issue that our industry is...
International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (Idfa), opens with the world premiere of Aboozer Amini’s Kabul, City In The Wind today (November 14), and is the first festival to start reporting on how it is measuring up to the gender pledge it signed earlier this year.
The pledge, organised by French initiative 5050x2020, commits the festival to equal representation for women and men across the festival and is a key goal of new festival director Orwa Nyrabia. “It is a very serious commitment,” says Nyrabia.
“It is a big issue that our industry is...
- 11/14/2018
- by Geoffrey Macnab
- ScreenDaily
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