Support Leroy on Patreon:
TELEVISION - From Deadline: Fox's "Star" and CBS' "Murphy Brown" revival among cancelled TV series.
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MOVIES - From ScreenDaily: Once upon a time, from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, John McTiernan was one of the hottest directors of big, event films ("Die Hard," "Last Action Hero"). Now, he is teaming with another formerly hot property, Uma Thurman ("Pulp Fiction," "Kill Bill Vols. 1 and 2") for film "Tau Ceti 4."
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TELEVISION - From TheWrap: The Starz TV series, "Power," which is executive produced by rapper 50 Cent, will end after Season 6, which will be 15-episodes long.
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MOVIES - From TheWrap: Roland Emmerich, director of "Independence Day" and "2012" is prepping a new sci-fi, disaster movie epic, "Moonfall."
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DISNEY - From Deadline: The Disney-Fox schedule includes three new "Star Wars" films, four "Avatar" sequels, and more.
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BLM-CULTURE - From YahooLifestyle: Once again, some Americans prove that they only care about how the Bill of Rights benefits them. Fuck everybody else's rights, for instance the high school student who produced this painting.
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MOVIES - From Deadline: David Goyer will write and produce a reboot of the "Hellraiser" movie franchise for Spyglass Media Group. "Hellraiser" began with Clive Barker's 1988 film of the same name, and Barker based the movie on his own novella, "The Hellbound Heart," which was first published in 1986.
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CELEBRITY - From YahooLifestyle: In a bit of weirdness, the late Luke Perry ("Beverly Hill, 90210") was buried in a biodegradable mushroom suit, according to his daughter, Sophie Perry. Perry died after suffering a fatal stroke in March 2019.
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BLM-HISTORY - From YahooGMA: Herstory Lessons: The inspiring story Dorothy Butler Gilliam of the 1st black female reporter for The Washington Post
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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 5/3 to 5/5/2019 weekend box office is "Avengers: Endgame" with an estimated take of $145.8 million.
From Patreon: My "Avengers: Endgame" review.
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MUSIC - From RollingStone: On how weed may have saved the life of Grammy-winning recording artist, Willie Nelson, an American musical legend.
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MOVIES - From Variety: Woody Allen's "A Rainy Day in New York" has found a distributor to release the film in Italy in the fall. Amazon dumped the film and the rest of its deal with Allen last June (2018).
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LGBTQ - From Variety: Madonna, Andy Cohen, Don Lemon among honorees at the GLAAD Media Awards.
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FOOD RECALL - From YahooLifestyle: Tyson is recalling its pre-cooked chicken strips. Look for the number "P-7221."
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CELEBRITY - From Deadline: Vince Vaughn escapes jail time in his DUI case stemming from a June 10, 2018 incident. At a Manhatten Beach police checkpoint, Vaughn refused a sobriety test.
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MOVIES - From Deadline: There will be a private funeral for Oscar-nominated writer-director John Singleton ("Boyz n the Hood") on Monday, May 6th, 2019. Singleton died Monday, April 29th after suffering a stroke April 17th. A statement from his family said that a larger public memorial is being planned.
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MOVIES - From IndieWire: Fan backlash over the recent trailer for the "Sonic the Hedgehog" film leads the director to promise changes in the film before its November 2019 release.
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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment: Starring in "John Wick Chapter 3," Oscar-winning actress, Anjelica Huston ("Prizzi's Honor") gives a killer interview covering topics including her feuds with Oprah and Bill Murray.
From YahooEntertainment: Another "John Wick Chapter 3" star, Halle Berry, explains what she won't share on Instagram.
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MOVIES - From Deadline: Quentin Tarantino will screen his upcoming film, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, which begins May 14th in France.
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STREAMING - From Deadline: Ron Howard says that Jon Kasdan, one of the writers on "Solo: A Star Wars Story" (which Howard directed), wants to reboot Howard's 1988 film, "Willow" (MGM/Lucasfilm) as a streaming series for Disney+.
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MOVIES - From Deadline: Amy Pascal, who has been with Sony for 30 years (including a 20-year run as chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment), signs a first-look deal with Universal.
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MOVIES - From TheWrap: Shailene Woodley to star in the thriller, "Misanthrope."
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MOVIES - From YahooEntertainment: During the press junket for "John Wick Chapter 3," Halle Berry mentions that she was offered the 1990s action film, "Speed," before the role went to Sandra Bullock.
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STREAMING - From Netflix: Barack and Michelle Obama’s Initial Netflix Slate Includes Nonfiction Series From "The Big Short" Author
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MOVIES - From NYTimes: 'Avengers: Endgame' Shows Movie Theaters Can Still Be on Top of the World
TRAILERS:
From YouTube: This is a trailer for "Swamp Thing," for the DC Universe Online streaming service.
From YouTube: This is the trailer for "Crawl," the Paramount Pictures hurricane/giant alligator action-horror flick due July 2, 2019
OBITS:
From THR: Oscar-winning screenwriter, Alvin Sargent, has died at the age of 92, Thursday, May 9, 2019. Sargent won the best adapted screenplay Oscar in 1978 for "Julia" (1977) and in 1981 for "Ordinary People" (1980). He also worked on several of Sony's "Spider-Man" films.
From ComicBook: The Samoan-born New Zealand actor Pau Magasiva has died at the age of 38, Saturday, May 11, 2019. Magasiva was best known to many fans for playing Red Wind Ranger Shane Clarke on the series, "Power Rangers Ninja Storm." In New Zealand, he was known for appearing on the soap opera, "Shortland Street."
From Variety: The actor, Peter Mayhew, died at the age of 74, Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Mayhew is best known for portraying "Chewbacca" in five "Star Wars" films, beginning with the 1977 original film. Born in England, Mayhew was a naturalized U.S. citizen.
From NFL: Former NFL player, Gino Marchetti, died Monday, April 29, 2019 at the age of 93. He spent 13 of his 14 years in the NFL as a defensive end for the Baltimore Colts, where he was a member of two NFL championships (1958, 1959). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1972. Marchetti also served in the U.S. Army during World War II and fought in the "Battle of the Bulge."
Showing posts with label Anjelica Huston. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Anjelica Huston. Show all posts
Saturday, May 11, 2019
Saturday, May 26, 2018
Negromancer News Bits and Bites from May 20th to 26th, 2018 - Update #21
Support Leroy on Patreon:
MOVIES - From TheNewYorker: How Superheroes Made Movie Stars Expendable
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MOVIES - From YahooGMA: Film critic Peter Travers lists 17 summers movies to get to know.
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SCANDAL - From YahooGMA: The guy who says that "Star Trek" actor, George Takei, groped/molested him is still peddling his story.
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BOND - From BleedingCool: Universal Pictures has won the bidding war for the distribution rights to the 25th James Bond film, which will star Daniel Craig and be directed by Danny Boyle.
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SCANDAL - From CNN: Several women are accusing Oscar-winning actor, Morgan Freeman, of inappropriate behavior and harassment.
From TheWrap: Harvey Weinstein to Surrender to New York Authorities Following Sexual Misconduct Probe
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COMICS-FILM - From THR: Regina King, Tim Blake Nelson, and Don Johnson join HBO's "Watchmen" pilot which is being overseen by Damon Lindelof.
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SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment: Moses Farrow, son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, says that Woody Allen never molested his sister, Dylan Farrow, as his mother Mia and Dylan have claimed for 25 years.
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MOVIES - From THR: Liam Neeson joins Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson in the "Men in Black" spinoff.
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CELEBRITY - From TheRinger: The Baffling Return of Mike Myers.
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COMICS-FILM - From YahooEntertainment: What was the cost of Brad Pitt's split-second cameo in "Deadpool 2."
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MOVIES - From BleedingCool: Anjelica Huston is among the actors joining "John Wick: Chapter 3."
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CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment: Legendary martial arts actor, Jet Li, is reportedly having serious health issues.
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STREAMING - From ShadowandAct: Ava DuVernay will executive produce a TV series about Amazon queens, entitled "The Last Amazon."
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OBAMAS - From ShadowandAct: Netflix has officially announced a huge production deal with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
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BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 5/18 to 5/20/2018 weekend box office is "Deadpool 2" with an estimated take of $125 million.
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ECO - From Earther: Lawns Are an Ecological Disaster
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STREAMING - From Nerdist: Amazon's "Lord of the Rings" TV series will follow a young Aragorn. Adult Aragorn was played by Viggo Mortensen in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" film series.
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CANNES - From Deadline: "Shoplifters," a film by Japanese director, Hirokazu Kore-Eda, has won the Palme d'Or, the top prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman" won the "Grand Prize."
OBITS:
From TheNewYorker: American author Philip Roth has died at the age of 85, Tuesday, May 22, 2018. He won the "Pulitzer Prize for Fiction" in 1998 for his novel, "American Pastoral." Several of his works were adapted into film, including the novel, "The Human Stain."
From THR: Movie poster artist-designer, Bill Gold, has died at the age of 97, Sunday, May 20, 2018. Considered to have revolutionized the movie poster, Gold produced posters for film such as "Casablanca," "The Exorcist," and "A Clockwork Orange." Gold produced dozens of posters for Clint Eastwood films, including "Dirty Harry" (1971), "Unforgiven" (1992), and "J. Edgar" (2011).
From ESPN: Noted college football player, Billy Cannon, has died at the age of 80, Sunday, May 20, 2018. Cannon played collegiate football for Louisiana State University, where he won a national title in 1958 and the Heisman Trophy in 1959.
From BRAdvocate: A image gallery look-back at Billy Cannon.
MOVIES - From TheNewYorker: How Superheroes Made Movie Stars Expendable
----------
MOVIES - From YahooGMA: Film critic Peter Travers lists 17 summers movies to get to know.
----------
SCANDAL - From YahooGMA: The guy who says that "Star Trek" actor, George Takei, groped/molested him is still peddling his story.
----------
BOND - From BleedingCool: Universal Pictures has won the bidding war for the distribution rights to the 25th James Bond film, which will star Daniel Craig and be directed by Danny Boyle.
----------
SCANDAL - From CNN: Several women are accusing Oscar-winning actor, Morgan Freeman, of inappropriate behavior and harassment.
From TheWrap: Harvey Weinstein to Surrender to New York Authorities Following Sexual Misconduct Probe
----------
COMICS-FILM - From THR: Regina King, Tim Blake Nelson, and Don Johnson join HBO's "Watchmen" pilot which is being overseen by Damon Lindelof.
----------
SCANDAL - From YahooEntertainment: Moses Farrow, son of Mia Farrow and Woody Allen, says that Woody Allen never molested his sister, Dylan Farrow, as his mother Mia and Dylan have claimed for 25 years.
----------
MOVIES - From THR: Liam Neeson joins Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson in the "Men in Black" spinoff.
----------
CELEBRITY - From TheRinger: The Baffling Return of Mike Myers.
----------
COMICS-FILM - From YahooEntertainment: What was the cost of Brad Pitt's split-second cameo in "Deadpool 2."
----------
MOVIES - From BleedingCool: Anjelica Huston is among the actors joining "John Wick: Chapter 3."
----------
CELEBRITY - From YahooEntertainment: Legendary martial arts actor, Jet Li, is reportedly having serious health issues.
----------
STREAMING - From ShadowandAct: Ava DuVernay will executive produce a TV series about Amazon queens, entitled "The Last Amazon."
----------
OBAMAS - From ShadowandAct: Netflix has officially announced a huge production deal with President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama.
----------
BOX OFFICE - From BoxOfficeMojo: The winner of the 5/18 to 5/20/2018 weekend box office is "Deadpool 2" with an estimated take of $125 million.
----------
ECO - From Earther: Lawns Are an Ecological Disaster
----------
STREAMING - From Nerdist: Amazon's "Lord of the Rings" TV series will follow a young Aragorn. Adult Aragorn was played by Viggo Mortensen in Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" film series.
----------
CANNES - From Deadline: "Shoplifters," a film by Japanese director, Hirokazu Kore-Eda, has won the Palme d'Or, the top prize at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman" won the "Grand Prize."
OBITS:
From TheNewYorker: American author Philip Roth has died at the age of 85, Tuesday, May 22, 2018. He won the "Pulitzer Prize for Fiction" in 1998 for his novel, "American Pastoral." Several of his works were adapted into film, including the novel, "The Human Stain."
From THR: Movie poster artist-designer, Bill Gold, has died at the age of 97, Sunday, May 20, 2018. Considered to have revolutionized the movie poster, Gold produced posters for film such as "Casablanca," "The Exorcist," and "A Clockwork Orange." Gold produced dozens of posters for Clint Eastwood films, including "Dirty Harry" (1971), "Unforgiven" (1992), and "J. Edgar" (2011).
From ESPN: Noted college football player, Billy Cannon, has died at the age of 80, Sunday, May 20, 2018. Cannon played collegiate football for Louisiana State University, where he won a national title in 1958 and the Heisman Trophy in 1959.
From BRAdvocate: A image gallery look-back at Billy Cannon.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
EPIX Announces "The 4%: Film's Gender Problem" Documenary Series
EPIX to Air “THE 4%: FILM’S GENDER PROBLEM” – An Original Series of 6 Short Documentaries with First Person Insights About Gender Inequality in Hollywood Debuts March 8, on International Women’s Day 2016
Produced by Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions, Directed by Caroline Suh and Featuring Interviews with Jill Soloway, Paul Feig, Toni Collette, Anjelica Huston, Catherine Hardwicke, Judd Apatow, Amy Heckerling, Julie Delpy, Lake Bell, Mira Nair, Amanda Peet, Patricia Clarkson, Mo’Nique, Anne Sweeney, James Franco, Christine Vachon, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Kristin Wiig and more…
Informed by Research Conducted by USC Annenberg Professor, Dr. Stacy L. Smith
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Premium TV network EPIX® announced today that THE 4%: FILM’S GENDER PROBLEM, a series of 6 original short films designed to explore the issues around the current gender gap in Hollywood, has completed production. The 6 shorts will air on the network and across all EPIX platforms on International Women’s Day – March 8, 2016 – and run throughout the month, coinciding with Women’s History Month. The first short will be presented at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival’s “Women at Sundance Brunch” on January 25, 2016.
Produced by Alex Gibney’s award-winning Jigsaw Productions (Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, Taxi To the Darkside, Enron: Smartest Men In the Room), the series spotlights directors and creative personalities – both women and men – who share first-person insights, questions and anecdotes about the role of women in Hollywood.
Participants include: Judd Apatow, Joe Arcidiacono, Lake Bell, Amy Berg, Patricia Clarkson, Toni Collette, Jonathan Dayton, Julie Delpy, Valerie Faris, Paul Feig, America Ferrera, James Franco, Donna Gigliotti, Geoffrey Gilmore, Debra Granik, Catherine Hardwicke, Mary Harron, Amy Heckerling, Dawn Hudson, Anjelica Huston, Vicky Jenson, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Rebecca Keegan, Jon Kilik, Ellen Kuras, Mimi Leder, Franklin Leonard, Tina Mabry, Victoria Mahoney, Michael Mann, Lori McCreary, Mo’Nique, Michael Moore, Rachel Morrison, Mira Nair, Amanda Peet, Kimberly Peirce, Keri Putnam, Pamela Romanowsky, Cathy Schulman, A.O. Scott, Melissa Silverstein, Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Jill Soloway, Anne Sweeney, Anne Thompson, Rosemarie Troche, Christine Vachon, Mandy Walker and Kristen Wiig.
The series is informed by research conducted by USC Annenberg’s Dr. Stacy L. Smith, a renowned expert in the field, and which was supported by Women in Film Los Angeles and Sundance Institute. The series also has the support of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender In Media and Meryl Streep.
Even though it is widely recognized that female directors are strikingly under-represented in Hollywood, the numbers still manage to surprise. According to a multi-year study led by Dr. Stacy L. Smith and conducted by the USC Annenberg Media, Diversity and Social Change Initiative, across 1,300 top-grossing films from 2002 to 2014, only 4.1% of all directors were female. This calculates into a gender ratio of 23.3 male directors to every 1 female director.
Each film will focus on a different theme, with segments varying in tone – from thoughtful, to controversial, to funny, sometimes all at once.
Mark S. Greenberg, President and CEO, EPIX, said, “EPIX has supported Stacy’s research for years and these shorts offer a richer, more authentic portrayal about the role of women and girls in media today. Support for this project has also brought together the talented Alex Gibney, and a prestigious list of some of the most gifted artists and creatives from the worlds of entertainment and the arts. Our objective is to help provide a forum for the discussion of ideas and potential solutions, as we collectively work towards closing the gap that exists today.”
Dr. Stacy L. Smith, the Initiative’s Founder and Director and lead researcher on the investigation, said, “The series offers an opportunity for a national audience to hear from the entertainment industry directly about the issues women face both as filmmakers and in other creative roles. My research is clear: females face a very real fiscal cliff as they pursue work at the highest echelons of this industry. I am proud that my research is associated with a team and a network that cares about female filmmakers and creating systemic change.”
According to research from Dr. Stacy L. Smith:
In the 100 top films of 2014, only 2 women worked as directors.
Across 700 films and 779 directors from 2007 to 2014, only 3 were Black or African American female directors.
Women were only 11% of writers and less than 20% of producers across the 100 top-grossing films of 2014.
Only 30% of all on-screen speaking characters in 700 top-grossing films from 2007 to 2014 were girls or women.
A total of 21 of the 100 top films of 2014 featured a female lead or roughly equal co-lead.
Less than a quarter of all speaking characters were female in the top animated films of 2014.
Only 22% of speaking characters in top action/adventure films of 2014 were female.
34% of characters in top 2014 comedies were female.
Other data on female directors shows:
Only four women have been nominated for a Best Director Oscar® in the past 85 years, with only one winner among them.
“THE 4%: FILM’S GENDER PROBLEM points to the fact there is an undeniably gaping disparity in Hollywood. It’s one that many – including those in Hollywood and at the ACLU and EEOC – believe needs to change. What better way to draw attention to the issue than to have some of the business' most recognizable voices come together in support of more diversity in making movies,” notes director Caroline Suh. “I’m very happy that the project found a partner in Jigsaw, a company known for its activism in exploring human rights violations and the abuse of power. Jigsaw is an amazing group of diverse yet like-minded people whom I’ve loved working with. Further pleased to be working with the support of EPIX, led by Mark Greenberg, who has been committed to these issues for a long time. There’s also a great team of executives and production people who have rallied around the cause.”
THE 4%: FILM’S GENDER PROBLEM is a series of EPIX Original short documentary films produced by Jigsaw Productions. Caroline Suh is the director and Erika Frankel is the producer. Executive Producers are Stacey Offman, Laura Michalchyshyn, Lynne Kirby, Caroline Suh, Betsy West and Alex Gibney. Jocelyn Diaz, Ross Bernard and Jill Burkhart are Executive Producers for EPIX.
About USC Annenberg Media, Diversity, & Social Change Initiative
Dr. Stacy L. Smith is the Founder and Director of the Media, Diversity, and Social Change Initiative at the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California. Dr. Smith's work examines gender and race on screen and behind the camera in cinematic content as well as barriers and opportunities facing women and people of color in the entertainment industry. She also conducts economic analyses related to diversity and the financial performance of films. Dr. Smith has written more than 100 journal articles, book chapters, and reports on content patterns and effects of the media. In terms of the popular press, Dr. Smith’s research has been written about in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, fivethirtyeight.com, The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, Newsweek, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Slate.com, Salon.com, The Boston Globe, NPR, and USA Today, to name a few. She has a co-edited essay in Maria Shriver’s book, A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything (2009). Dr. Smith’s most recent research reports include a landmark study with Sundance Institute and Women in Film Los Angeles, a study of 700 top-grossing films conducted at USC Annenberg, and multiple investigations with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Her work is also generously supported by EPIX, The Harnisch Foundation, LUNAFEST, The Jacquelyn and Gregory Zehner Foundation, and other individuals. To learn more, visit http://annenberg.usc.edu/mdsci or follow on Twitter @MDSCInitiative.
Jigsaw Productions is helmed by Oscar® and Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney. Jigsaw has produced some of the most acclaimed documentary films in recent years, including the Academy and Emmy Award-winning Taxi to the Dark Side, the Oscar-nominated Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, the multiple Emmy Award-winning Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, Showtime’s Emmy-winning History of the Eagles, the Sundance-premiering We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, and the explosive film about Lance Armstrong’s long fall from grace, The Armstrong Lie. More recent Jigsaw releases include the controversial and three-time Emmy winner Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, one of the most watched documentaries in HBO’s history, the Peabody Award-winning Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown, the Emmy-nominated two-part series Sinatra: All or Nothing At All for HBO, and Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine for CNN Films, in theaters now. Television projects currently in production include: The New Yorker Presents for Amazon, which adapts the venerable The New Yorker magazine to the screen; Cooked, a four-part food docu-series based on the award-winning Michael Pollan book of the same name for Netflix; and the four-part Parched: The Water Wars for National Geographic.
About EPIX
EPIX is a premium movie and original programming entertainment network delivering the latest movie releases, classic film franchises, original documentaries, comedy and music events on TV, on demand, online and on digital devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX has pioneered the development and proliferation of “TV Everywhere.” It was the first premium network to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and to launch on Xbox, PlayStation®, Android phones and tablets, and Roku® players. EPIX is also available across Chromecast, Apple® iPhones® and iPads®, Android TV and more and is the only premium service providing all its programming on all platforms, delivering more movies than any other premium network, with thousands of titles available for streaming.
EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc., its Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM). Through relationships with cable, satellite and telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50 million homes nationwide. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX), Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+EPIX), Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/EPIX) and Vine (https://vine.co/EPIX).
----------------------
Produced by Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions, Directed by Caroline Suh and Featuring Interviews with Jill Soloway, Paul Feig, Toni Collette, Anjelica Huston, Catherine Hardwicke, Judd Apatow, Amy Heckerling, Julie Delpy, Lake Bell, Mira Nair, Amanda Peet, Patricia Clarkson, Mo’Nique, Anne Sweeney, James Franco, Christine Vachon, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Kristin Wiig and more…
Informed by Research Conducted by USC Annenberg Professor, Dr. Stacy L. Smith
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Premium TV network EPIX® announced today that THE 4%: FILM’S GENDER PROBLEM, a series of 6 original short films designed to explore the issues around the current gender gap in Hollywood, has completed production. The 6 shorts will air on the network and across all EPIX platforms on International Women’s Day – March 8, 2016 – and run throughout the month, coinciding with Women’s History Month. The first short will be presented at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival’s “Women at Sundance Brunch” on January 25, 2016.
Produced by Alex Gibney’s award-winning Jigsaw Productions (Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, Taxi To the Darkside, Enron: Smartest Men In the Room), the series spotlights directors and creative personalities – both women and men – who share first-person insights, questions and anecdotes about the role of women in Hollywood.
Participants include: Judd Apatow, Joe Arcidiacono, Lake Bell, Amy Berg, Patricia Clarkson, Toni Collette, Jonathan Dayton, Julie Delpy, Valerie Faris, Paul Feig, America Ferrera, James Franco, Donna Gigliotti, Geoffrey Gilmore, Debra Granik, Catherine Hardwicke, Mary Harron, Amy Heckerling, Dawn Hudson, Anjelica Huston, Vicky Jenson, Sam Taylor-Johnson, Rebecca Keegan, Jon Kilik, Ellen Kuras, Mimi Leder, Franklin Leonard, Tina Mabry, Victoria Mahoney, Michael Mann, Lori McCreary, Mo’Nique, Michael Moore, Rachel Morrison, Mira Nair, Amanda Peet, Kimberly Peirce, Keri Putnam, Pamela Romanowsky, Cathy Schulman, A.O. Scott, Melissa Silverstein, Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Jill Soloway, Anne Sweeney, Anne Thompson, Rosemarie Troche, Christine Vachon, Mandy Walker and Kristen Wiig.
The series is informed by research conducted by USC Annenberg’s Dr. Stacy L. Smith, a renowned expert in the field, and which was supported by Women in Film Los Angeles and Sundance Institute. The series also has the support of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender In Media and Meryl Streep.
Even though it is widely recognized that female directors are strikingly under-represented in Hollywood, the numbers still manage to surprise. According to a multi-year study led by Dr. Stacy L. Smith and conducted by the USC Annenberg Media, Diversity and Social Change Initiative, across 1,300 top-grossing films from 2002 to 2014, only 4.1% of all directors were female. This calculates into a gender ratio of 23.3 male directors to every 1 female director.
Each film will focus on a different theme, with segments varying in tone – from thoughtful, to controversial, to funny, sometimes all at once.
Mark S. Greenberg, President and CEO, EPIX, said, “EPIX has supported Stacy’s research for years and these shorts offer a richer, more authentic portrayal about the role of women and girls in media today. Support for this project has also brought together the talented Alex Gibney, and a prestigious list of some of the most gifted artists and creatives from the worlds of entertainment and the arts. Our objective is to help provide a forum for the discussion of ideas and potential solutions, as we collectively work towards closing the gap that exists today.”
Dr. Stacy L. Smith, the Initiative’s Founder and Director and lead researcher on the investigation, said, “The series offers an opportunity for a national audience to hear from the entertainment industry directly about the issues women face both as filmmakers and in other creative roles. My research is clear: females face a very real fiscal cliff as they pursue work at the highest echelons of this industry. I am proud that my research is associated with a team and a network that cares about female filmmakers and creating systemic change.”
According to research from Dr. Stacy L. Smith:
In the 100 top films of 2014, only 2 women worked as directors.
Across 700 films and 779 directors from 2007 to 2014, only 3 were Black or African American female directors.
Women were only 11% of writers and less than 20% of producers across the 100 top-grossing films of 2014.
Only 30% of all on-screen speaking characters in 700 top-grossing films from 2007 to 2014 were girls or women.
A total of 21 of the 100 top films of 2014 featured a female lead or roughly equal co-lead.
Less than a quarter of all speaking characters were female in the top animated films of 2014.
Only 22% of speaking characters in top action/adventure films of 2014 were female.
34% of characters in top 2014 comedies were female.
Other data on female directors shows:
Only four women have been nominated for a Best Director Oscar® in the past 85 years, with only one winner among them.
“THE 4%: FILM’S GENDER PROBLEM points to the fact there is an undeniably gaping disparity in Hollywood. It’s one that many – including those in Hollywood and at the ACLU and EEOC – believe needs to change. What better way to draw attention to the issue than to have some of the business' most recognizable voices come together in support of more diversity in making movies,” notes director Caroline Suh. “I’m very happy that the project found a partner in Jigsaw, a company known for its activism in exploring human rights violations and the abuse of power. Jigsaw is an amazing group of diverse yet like-minded people whom I’ve loved working with. Further pleased to be working with the support of EPIX, led by Mark Greenberg, who has been committed to these issues for a long time. There’s also a great team of executives and production people who have rallied around the cause.”
THE 4%: FILM’S GENDER PROBLEM is a series of EPIX Original short documentary films produced by Jigsaw Productions. Caroline Suh is the director and Erika Frankel is the producer. Executive Producers are Stacey Offman, Laura Michalchyshyn, Lynne Kirby, Caroline Suh, Betsy West and Alex Gibney. Jocelyn Diaz, Ross Bernard and Jill Burkhart are Executive Producers for EPIX.
About USC Annenberg Media, Diversity, & Social Change Initiative
Dr. Stacy L. Smith is the Founder and Director of the Media, Diversity, and Social Change Initiative at the Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism at the University of Southern California. Dr. Smith's work examines gender and race on screen and behind the camera in cinematic content as well as barriers and opportunities facing women and people of color in the entertainment industry. She also conducts economic analyses related to diversity and the financial performance of films. Dr. Smith has written more than 100 journal articles, book chapters, and reports on content patterns and effects of the media. In terms of the popular press, Dr. Smith’s research has been written about in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, fivethirtyeight.com, The Atlantic, The Huffington Post, Newsweek, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Slate.com, Salon.com, The Boston Globe, NPR, and USA Today, to name a few. She has a co-edited essay in Maria Shriver’s book, A Woman’s Nation Changes Everything (2009). Dr. Smith’s most recent research reports include a landmark study with Sundance Institute and Women in Film Los Angeles, a study of 700 top-grossing films conducted at USC Annenberg, and multiple investigations with the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media. Her work is also generously supported by EPIX, The Harnisch Foundation, LUNAFEST, The Jacquelyn and Gregory Zehner Foundation, and other individuals. To learn more, visit http://annenberg.usc.edu/mdsci or follow on Twitter @MDSCInitiative.
Jigsaw Productions is helmed by Oscar® and Emmy® Award-winning filmmaker Alex Gibney. Jigsaw has produced some of the most acclaimed documentary films in recent years, including the Academy and Emmy Award-winning Taxi to the Dark Side, the Oscar-nominated Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room, the multiple Emmy Award-winning Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God, Showtime’s Emmy-winning History of the Eagles, the Sundance-premiering We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, and the explosive film about Lance Armstrong’s long fall from grace, The Armstrong Lie. More recent Jigsaw releases include the controversial and three-time Emmy winner Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief, one of the most watched documentaries in HBO’s history, the Peabody Award-winning Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown, the Emmy-nominated two-part series Sinatra: All or Nothing At All for HBO, and Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine for CNN Films, in theaters now. Television projects currently in production include: The New Yorker Presents for Amazon, which adapts the venerable The New Yorker magazine to the screen; Cooked, a four-part food docu-series based on the award-winning Michael Pollan book of the same name for Netflix; and the four-part Parched: The Water Wars for National Geographic.
About EPIX
EPIX is a premium movie and original programming entertainment network delivering the latest movie releases, classic film franchises, original documentaries, comedy and music events on TV, on demand, online and on digital devices. Launched in October 2009, EPIX has pioneered the development and proliferation of “TV Everywhere.” It was the first premium network to provide multi-platform access to its content online at EPIX.com and to launch on Xbox, PlayStation®, Android phones and tablets, and Roku® players. EPIX is also available across Chromecast, Apple® iPhones® and iPads®, Android TV and more and is the only premium service providing all its programming on all platforms, delivering more movies than any other premium network, with thousands of titles available for streaming.
EPIX is a joint venture between Viacom Inc., its Paramount Pictures unit, Lionsgate and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (MGM). Through relationships with cable, satellite and telco partners, EPIX is available to over 50 million homes nationwide. For more information about EPIX, go to www.EPIX.com. Follow EPIX on Twitter @EpixHD (http://www.twitter.com/EpixHD) and on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/EPIX), YouTube (http://youtube.com/EPIX), Instagram (http://instagram.com/EPIX), Google+ (http://plus.google.com/+EPIX), Pinterest (http://pinterest.com/EPIX) and Vine (https://vine.co/EPIX).
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Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Amazon Announces All-Star Guest for "Transparent" Season 2
Anjelica Huston and Cherry Jones to Guest Star in Second Season of the Multi-Golden Globe and Emmy Award-Winning Amazon Original Series Transparent
The Pfeffermans take family dysfunction to a whole new level in the highly anticipated second season which premieres December 11 on Prime Video
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon announced Academy Award-winning actress Anjelica Huston (Medium) and Emmy Award winner Cherry Jones (24) are among the guest stars joining the second season of the multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series Transparent. Premiering December 11, 2015 exclusively on Prime Video in the US, UK, Germany and Austria, Transparent will also guest star Kathryn Hahn (Parks and Recreation), Rob Huebel (I Love You, Man), Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia), Alexandra Billings (Socket), Tig Notaro (One Mississippi), Alex MacNicoll (Peace of Mind), and Trace Lysette (Bloody Mary). Emmy Award-winner (Transparent) Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) returns to the series as well as Melora Hardin (The Office), Michaela Watkins (Wanderlust), and Emily Robinson (A New York Fairy Tale).
“Season two is wild! Now that the bubble wrap is off, it's time for the whole family to transition”
Season two of Transparent begins with a big, white wedding for Sarah and Tammy—but is it happily ever after? Post nuptials, Sarah gets in touch with her deeper desires, which isn’t always comfortable. Now out of the closet, Maura discovers the hardest part of her transition is still ahead, and faces some tough personal decisions about her future. Josh and Rabbi Raquel navigate their new relationship, and the complexity of being an instant family for Josh’s recently returned son, Colton. Ali zeroes in on her future, captivated by a new connection with Syd and a prolific feminist mentor.
Continuing their journey towards their authenticity, the entire Pfefferman family returns for the second season of Transparent. Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) stars as Maura, Judith Light (The Exes) as Shelly, Amy Landecker (Louie) as Sarah, Jay Duplass (Togetherness) as Josh and Emmy nominated Gaby Hoffmann (Girls) as Ali. The second season of Transparent is executive produced by Jill Soloway (Six Feet Under) and Andrea Sperling (Like Crazy).
"Season two is wild! Now that the bubble wrap is off, it's time for the whole family to transition,” said Soloway, the Emmy Award-winning creator of Transparent. “Our Pfeffermans realize they must give up their disguises, unspoken arrangements and secrets. By exploring their shared history and legacy, they come to understand that you can't go forward without knowing where you come from. Ultimately, everyone will open their hearts, advertise their desires, and test those notoriously wobbly boundaries as each Pfefferman tries their hardest to come out – as themselves."
Transparent is a half hour novelistic series that explores family, identity, sex, and love. The first season followed Maura Pfferman’s journey to being her true self. When she reintroduced herself to her family, everyone else’s secrets finally came out. This included her ex-wife Shelly, and their adult children—meandering Ali, record producer Josh, and sexually conflicted Sarah. Each family member spun into different directions as they figured out who they aren’t. The series has been renewed for a third season which is scheduled to air in 2016.
About Amazon Video
Amazon Video includes tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes available on Prime Video at no additional charge to Prime members, as well as access to hundreds of thousands of titles to buy or rent. Amazon Video is the only service in the world that brings customers both of these options in one place.
Prime Video, available on Amazon Video, lets Prime members enjoy binge-worthy TV shows including Amazon Original Series airing now such as the multi-Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-winning series Transparent, Red Oaks, Hand of God, Bosch, Catastrophe and Mozart in the Jungle as well as hit series like Sex and the City, Veep, Girls, The Sopranos, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Wire. Prime Video also offers members blockbuster movies such as Transformers: Age of Extinction, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Star Trek Into Darkness and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, among others. Prime members have access to a collection of kids shows including Amazon Original Series Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, the Annecy, Annie and multi-Emmy Award-winning Tumble Leaf, and Wishenpoof, as well as popular shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and Blue’s Clues.
Prime members can look forward to new original series premiering this year such as the much anticipated adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle premiering on November 20 along with Mozart in the Jungle premiering later this year. Coming in 2016 will be the second seasons of Bosch and romantic comedy Catastrophe, along with the debut season of The New Yorker Presents and Mad Dogs.
Amazon Video can be accessed through the Amazon Video app on TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo. Prime Video titles can also be downloaded for offline enjoyment—the only subscription streaming service to offer this functionality. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at Amazon.com/prime.
Amazon Prime is an annual membership program for $99 a year that offers customers unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 20 million items across all categories, unlimited Free Same-Day Delivery on more than a million items in 16 metro areas, unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, more than one million songs, more than one thousand playlists and hundreds of stations with Prime Music, early access to select Lightning Deals all year long, free secure, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive with Prime Photos and access to more than 800,000 books to borrow with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. In addition, Prime members in select cities receive one and two hour delivery through Prime Now on tens of thousands of items through a mobile app. Not a member? Start a free trial of Amazon Prime at amazon.com/prime.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.
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The Pfeffermans take family dysfunction to a whole new level in the highly anticipated second season which premieres December 11 on Prime Video
SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--(NASDAQ: AMZN)—Amazon announced Academy Award-winning actress Anjelica Huston (Medium) and Emmy Award winner Cherry Jones (24) are among the guest stars joining the second season of the multiple Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning series Transparent. Premiering December 11, 2015 exclusively on Prime Video in the US, UK, Germany and Austria, Transparent will also guest star Kathryn Hahn (Parks and Recreation), Rob Huebel (I Love You, Man), Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia), Alexandra Billings (Socket), Tig Notaro (One Mississippi), Alex MacNicoll (Peace of Mind), and Trace Lysette (Bloody Mary). Emmy Award-winner (Transparent) Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) returns to the series as well as Melora Hardin (The Office), Michaela Watkins (Wanderlust), and Emily Robinson (A New York Fairy Tale).
“Season two is wild! Now that the bubble wrap is off, it's time for the whole family to transition”
Season two of Transparent begins with a big, white wedding for Sarah and Tammy—but is it happily ever after? Post nuptials, Sarah gets in touch with her deeper desires, which isn’t always comfortable. Now out of the closet, Maura discovers the hardest part of her transition is still ahead, and faces some tough personal decisions about her future. Josh and Rabbi Raquel navigate their new relationship, and the complexity of being an instant family for Josh’s recently returned son, Colton. Ali zeroes in on her future, captivated by a new connection with Syd and a prolific feminist mentor.
Continuing their journey towards their authenticity, the entire Pfefferman family returns for the second season of Transparent. Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development) stars as Maura, Judith Light (The Exes) as Shelly, Amy Landecker (Louie) as Sarah, Jay Duplass (Togetherness) as Josh and Emmy nominated Gaby Hoffmann (Girls) as Ali. The second season of Transparent is executive produced by Jill Soloway (Six Feet Under) and Andrea Sperling (Like Crazy).
"Season two is wild! Now that the bubble wrap is off, it's time for the whole family to transition,” said Soloway, the Emmy Award-winning creator of Transparent. “Our Pfeffermans realize they must give up their disguises, unspoken arrangements and secrets. By exploring their shared history and legacy, they come to understand that you can't go forward without knowing where you come from. Ultimately, everyone will open their hearts, advertise their desires, and test those notoriously wobbly boundaries as each Pfefferman tries their hardest to come out – as themselves."
Transparent is a half hour novelistic series that explores family, identity, sex, and love. The first season followed Maura Pfferman’s journey to being her true self. When she reintroduced herself to her family, everyone else’s secrets finally came out. This included her ex-wife Shelly, and their adult children—meandering Ali, record producer Josh, and sexually conflicted Sarah. Each family member spun into different directions as they figured out who they aren’t. The series has been renewed for a third season which is scheduled to air in 2016.
About Amazon Video
Amazon Video includes tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes available on Prime Video at no additional charge to Prime members, as well as access to hundreds of thousands of titles to buy or rent. Amazon Video is the only service in the world that brings customers both of these options in one place.
Prime Video, available on Amazon Video, lets Prime members enjoy binge-worthy TV shows including Amazon Original Series airing now such as the multi-Golden Globe-winning and Emmy-winning series Transparent, Red Oaks, Hand of God, Bosch, Catastrophe and Mozart in the Jungle as well as hit series like Sex and the City, Veep, Girls, The Sopranos, Entourage, Curb Your Enthusiasm and The Wire. Prime Video also offers members blockbuster movies such as Transformers: Age of Extinction, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit, Star Trek Into Darkness and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, among others. Prime members have access to a collection of kids shows including Amazon Original Series Annedroids, Gortimer Gibbon’s Life on Normal Street, the Annecy, Annie and multi-Emmy Award-winning Tumble Leaf, and Wishenpoof, as well as popular shows from Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, Team Umizoomi, and Blue’s Clues.
Prime members can look forward to new original series premiering this year such as the much anticipated adaptation of Philip K. Dick’s The Man in the High Castle premiering on November 20 along with Mozart in the Jungle premiering later this year. Coming in 2016 will be the second seasons of Bosch and romantic comedy Catastrophe, along with the debut season of The New Yorker Presents and Mad Dogs.
Amazon Video can be accessed through the Amazon Video app on TVs, connected devices and mobile devices, or online at Amazon.com/amazonvideo. Prime Video titles can also be downloaded for offline enjoyment—the only subscription streaming service to offer this functionality. Customers who are not already Prime members can sign up for a free trial at Amazon.com/prime.
Amazon Prime is an annual membership program for $99 a year that offers customers unlimited Free Two-Day Shipping on more than 20 million items across all categories, unlimited Free Same-Day Delivery on more than a million items in 16 metro areas, unlimited streaming of tens of thousands of movies and TV episodes, more than one million songs, more than one thousand playlists and hundreds of stations with Prime Music, early access to select Lightning Deals all year long, free secure, unlimited photo storage in Amazon Cloud Drive with Prime Photos and access to more than 800,000 books to borrow with the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. In addition, Prime members in select cities receive one and two hour delivery through Prime Now on tens of thousands of items through a mobile app. Not a member? Start a free trial of Amazon Prime at amazon.com/prime.
About Amazon
Amazon.com opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995. The company is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about.
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Monday, November 17, 2014
Rosario Dawson Joins Voice Cast of "Tinker Bell and the Legend of the Neverbeast"
“TINKER BELL AND THE LEGEND OF THE NEVERBEAST”: ROSARIO DAWSON AS THE VOICE OF ’NYX’ AND INTRODUCING THE SCOUT FAIRIES
Actress Rosario Dawson lends her voice as a fiery and courageous fairy, “Nyx”, in the all-new Disney Fairies adventure, “Tinker Bell and the Legend of the NeverBeast”, out on Blu-ray™ March 3, 2015.
Nyx is a Scout Fairy charged with protecting the luscious land of Pixie Hollow and all of the fairies who reside there. A true professional who takes her job very seriously—maybe a little too seriously—allowing facts and logic to guide her every move. Driven to succeed, Nyx is often willing to let compassion take a back seat. The Scout Fairies are a group of fearless fairies who protect the residents of Pixie Hollow. They are agile and athletic with a keen ability to spot trouble before it gets out of control.
This heartwarming story explores the ancient myth of a mysterious creature whose distant roar sparks the curiosity of Tinker Bell’s friend Fawn, an animal fairy who’s not afraid to break the rules to rescue the NeverBeast before time runs out. The film also features the voices of Ginnifer Goodwin (Fawn), Mae Whitman (Tinker Bell), Megan Hilty (Rosetta), Lucy Liu (Silvermist), Raven Symone (Iradessa), Angelica Huston (QueenClarion) and is directed by Steve Loter (“Kim Possible”) and produced by Makul Wigert (“Secret of the Wings”).
Watch the new trailer of TINKER BELL AND THE LEGEND OF THE NEVERBEAST on YouTube: http://youtu.be/EAEOfgqqDMY
TINKER BELL AND THE LEGEND OF THE NEVERBEAST
DISNEY
Genre: Animated Action/Adventure
Rating: TBA
Voice Cast: Mae Whitman (Tinker Bell) Ginnifer Goodwin (Fawn), Megan Hilty (Rosetta), Lucy Liu (Silvermist), Raven Symone (Iridessa), Anjelica Huston (Queen Clarion)
Director: Steve Loter
Producer: Makul Wigert
Disneytoon Studios returns to Pixie Hollow with the heartwarming adventure “Legend of the NeverBeast.” The new story explores an ancient myth of a fabled creature whose distant roar sparks the curiosity of Tinker Bell’s good friend Fawn, an animal fairy who’s not afraid to break the rules to help an animal in need. But this animal—massive and strange with glowing green eyes—is not really welcome in Pixie Hollow, and the scout fairies are determined to capture the mysterious beast before it destroys their home. Fawn, who sees a tender heart beneath his gruff exterior, must convince Tink and the girls to risk everything to rescue the NeverBeast before time runs out. Directed by Steve Loter (“Kim Possible”) and produced by Makul Wigert (“Secret of the Wings”), “Legend of the NeverBeast” roars to life in March 3, 2015.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Review: "Art School Confidential" Has an Artful Cast (Happy B'day, John Malkovich)
Art School Confidential (2006)
Running time: 102 minutes (1 hour, 42 minutes)
MPAA – R for language including sexual references, nudity, and a scene of violence
DIRECTOR: Terry Zwigoff
WRITER: Daniel Clowes (based on the comic by Daniel Clowes)
PRODUCERS: Lianne Halfon, John Malkovich, and Russell Smith
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Jamie Anderson, A.S.C. (director of photography)
EDITOR: Robert Hoffman
COMPOSER: David Kitay
COMEDY/DRAMA with elements of romance
Starring: Max Minghella, Sophia Myles, John Malkovich, Jim Broadbent, Matt Keeslar, Ethan Suplee, Joel David Moore, Nick Swardson, Anjelica Huston, Adam Scott, Jack Ong, Michael Lerner, and Ezra Buzzington
The subject of this movie review is Art School Confidential, a 2006 comedy-drama from director Terry Zwigoff. The film is based on a four-page comic book short story written and drawn by Daniel Clowes and published in Clowes’ comic book series, Eightball #7 (Fantagraphics Books). Clowes wrote the screenplay for Art School Confidential, the second film collaboration between him and Zwigoff. Zwigoff directed and Clowes wrote the screenplay for Ghost World, a film based on a Clowes graphic novel.
In Art School Confidential, an ambitious art school student tries desperately to get the girl of his dreams, but she’s attracted to a dumb jock type whose simplistic pop art paintings have taken the art class by storm. This the second film from the team of Terry Zwigoff and Daniel Clowes that gave us the Oscar-nominated, Ghost World. Clowes is a comic book artist, and Art School Confidential, like Ghost World, is adapted from his comics.
Jerome Platz (Max Minghella) wants to be the greatest artist of the 21st Century, and to that end he escapes his suburban home and terrible high school to a tiny East Coast art school, the Strathmore Institute. However, the beauty and craft of his portraiture does not win him any friends among his fellow students in the anything-goes art class. He finds this new world filled with a collection of offbeat characters: his worldly, but obnoxious classmate, Bardo (Joel David Moore); a roommate exploding with the desire to make a cinematic masterpiece of blood and violence, Vince (Ethan Suplee); his self-involved art teacher, Professor Sandiford (John Malkovich); and a failed artist and Strathmore grad who is drowning in alcohol and self-pity, Jimmy (Jim Broadbent).
Jerome does find his eye drawn to the girl of his dreams, Audrey Baumgarten (Sophia Myles), an artist’s model (who models nude for Jerome’s class) and daughter of an acclaimed artist. Audrey is initially attracted to Jerome, whose attitude is refreshing and not like the affectations of the local art crowd. However, a fellow art student and jock-type named Jonah (Matt Keeslar) becomes the toast of the art school with his pop art paintings. When Audrey turns her attentions to Jonah, Jerome concocts various plans to win back her affections, which all fail, but his next one will put Jerome’s future at stake, as well as the lives of those in and around Strathmore.
While Art School Confidential comes across as a satire of art schools, the faculty, and students, it is also a love story and youth relationship drama. It works well as all three. As a work of satire, Clowes’ script is matter-of-fact about art school politics. All his characters exist more in their own worlds than they do in the larger world in which they also co-exist, whether or not they believe they do. It seems as if they tolerate people and desire others attentions mostly so others should validate their art, agendas, and careers.
As for the romance and drama: Max Minghella certainly makes Jerome Platz a likeable underdog for whom we root. He may a bit aloof and may be naïve in terms of his expectations, but he’s honest and his ignorance and rudeness are endearing. We want him to get the girl, and we love the girl, too. Sophia Myles plays Audrey, the object of desire, quite well – mainly because she’s an “It” girl with that kind of classic look that works so well in film.
Still, the question that’s on everyone’s mind, “Is Art School Confidential funny?” I thought it uproariously funny, although it goes dry at the beginning of the last act. Clowes views humanity with a sanguine eye, even when his work seems cynical. His comics are matter-of-fact about humanity – warts and all. He may privately pass judgment, but in his comics, he lets the reader make up his own mind. His movie writing is like that, and Zwigoff is adept at picking up both the subtle nuances and broad strokes of his screenwriting collaborators. That allows Zwigoff to spend his time letting his talented cast have fun with the script and story. The result is fun, even exceptionally good flicks like Art School Confidential.
8 of 10
A
Friday, October 20, 2006
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Review: Everything About "The Royal Tenenbaums" is Wonderful (Happy B'day, Wes Anderson)
TRASH IN MY EYE No. 15 (of 2002) by Leroy Douresseaux
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Running time: 110 minutes (1 hour, 50 minutes)
MPAA – R for some language, sexuality/nudity and drug content
DIRECTOR: Wes Anderson
WRITERS: Owen Wilson and Wes Anderson
PRODUCERS: Wes Anderson, Barry Mendel, and Scott Rudin
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Robert Yeoman (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Dylan Tichenor
COMPOSER: Mark Mothersbaugh
Academy Award nominee
COMEDY/DRAMA
Starring: Gene Hackman, Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, Owen Wilson, Danny Glover, Bill Murray, Alec Baldwin, Seymour Cassel, Kumar Pallana, Grant Rosenmeyer, and Jonah Meyerson
The subject of this movie review is The Royal Tenenbaums, the 2001 Oscar-nominated comedy and drama from director, Wes Anderson. The film follows siblings whose early success was mitigated by their eccentric father’s behavior. I love this film and…
Apparently, Rushmore was not a fluke.
When Royal O’Reilly Tenenbaum (Gene Hackman) announces that he is dying, his family slowly, painfully reunites. His wife Etheline “Ethel” Tenenbaum (Anjelica Huston) removed her philandering husband from the home over a decade prior to the beginning of the movie. Their three children are business whiz Chas (Ben Stiller), playwright Margot Helen (Gwyneth Paltrow), who is actually adopted, and Richie “Baumer” (Luke Wilson), who grew up to become a professional tennis champion. Family friend and unofficial fourth Tenenbaum child is Elijah “Eli” Cash (Owen Wilson), a novelist and a drug addict, who is also in love with Margot.
Royal would like to get in good with his family, again, but he left so many open wounds when Ethel exiled him. The Tenenbaum children were celebrated prodigies who have fallen on bad times. Chas, a single father of two boys and who lost his wife the previous year in a plane crash, despises his father. Margot is a playwright in limbo, and Richie’s suffered a meltdown during his last championship tennis match. Royal is also disturbed by his wife’s engagement to her accountant Henry Sherman (Danny Glover), and he wants desperately to connect with Chas’s sons, his grandsons. What unfolds is a touching, but unusual family drama/comedy.
Directed by Wes Anderson of the aforementioned Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums is a film with a conventional story, the family drama, filled with the usual comedy, familial intrigue, and requisite feuds. What makes this film so different from other family dramas is Anderson’s conviction and determination not to be like other filmmakers or not to deliver something that is nothing more than film industry product. His vision is unique, and his storytelling technique demands not only one’s attention but that one also engage the film.
Anderson is a visual stylist, but in a quite manner. His cinematographer, Robert D. Yeoman has worked on Anderson’s other films and contributes a peculiar color palette that resembles Technicolor, but is merged with clean, earth tones. Tenenbaums has a dreamlike quality with a slight breath of realism. It’s eye candy, but doesn’t distract from the story; in fact, it keeps one attentive to what the camera reveals. Unlike many directors who are visually sharp by way of quick cuts and editing, Anderson doesn’t mind allowing his camera to linger on and to follow his characters.
The script by Anderson and Tenenbaum co-star Owen Wilson is filled with idiosyncrasies, but is, nevertheless, a story about a family and the damage family members do to one another. We’ve seen it before, but unlike American Beauty, Tenenbaums really manages to tell a familiar story in a unique and special way.
The performances are subtle and nuanced even as the characters appear to be over the top. We know that Gene Hackman is good, but he has a knack for giving range to familiar character types. His performances nearly always hint at characters that have lived long lives before their respective movies begin. Royal is like a book, and Hackman makes the mental exercise that it takes to figure out Royal worth it.
Gwyneth Paltrow continues to reveal the scope of her abilities. She is a classic film pretty face, but with the acting chops of serious thespian. Owen Wilson is his usual wacky self; he manages to be self-confident and endearing even when playing a not too bright character. However, the surprise here is his brother Luke Wilson. Even through dark glasses, he makes his eyes the windows to the soul of his troubled character. He is the film’s mystery man, and he is the sum of his family’s troubles. Wilson doesn’t miss a beat while carrying this burden.
The Royal Tenenbaums is filled with wonderful acting, directing, story telling. Too make such an offbeat clan and their associates so lovable, charming, and fun to follow is no minor feat. Anderson takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. Truly, he does it like few before him. Bravo!
We get all this and a wonderful voiceover narration by Alec Baldwin.
9 of 10
A+
NOTES:
2002 Academy Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen” (Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson)
2002 BAFTA Awards: 1 nomination: “Best Screenplay – Original” (Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson)
2002 Golden Globes, USA: 1 win: “Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical” (Gene Hackman)
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Saturday, March 10, 2012
Review: "Daddy Day Care" is Eddie Murphy Empty Calories
Daddy Day Care (2003)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – PG for language
DIRECTOR: Steve Carr
WRITER: Geoff Rodkey
PRODUCERS: Matt Berenson, John Davis, and Wyck Godfrey
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Steven Poster
EDITOR: Christopher Greenbury
COMPOSER: David Newman
COMEDY/FAMILY with elements of fantasy
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Jeff Garlin, Steve Zahn, Regina King, Kevin Nealon, Anjelica Huston, Jonathan Katz, Leila Arcieri, Khamani Griffin, and Max Burkholder
Once upon a time Eddie Murphy starred in movies people couldn’t get enough of like Trading Places and Beverly Hills Cop. Then, according to bigoted critics, Murphy turned his back on his “white audience” with films like Harlem Nights and Boomerang, which were not blockbusters but were nevertheless both excellent films featuring mostly African-American casts. Since the mid-90’s Murphy has starred in a number of “family-oriented” films that have been huge hits: The Nutty Professor, Mulan, Dr. Doolittle, and Shrek, etc. Frankly, I wouldn’t mind a combination of the star that appeared in Trading Places and Boomerang, but I can deal with the family friendly fare like Murphy’s recent hit, Daddy Day Care.
Charlie Hinton (Eddie Murphy) and Phil (Jeff Garlin) are laid off (fired) from their well paying jobs. As the weeks of being unemployed blow by they are spending more time with their sons, not that that’s a bad thing; they’re just not used to being employed. Like a light bulb exploding in his head, Charlie gets the idea of opening a daycare center, partly because he can no longer afford the posh Chapman Academy his son was attending when he was working. After initial skepticism, a growing number of mothers begin to rely on the affordable care that Charlie and Phil provide. However, the Chapman dowager, Mrs. Haridan (Anjelica Huston), doesn’t like the competition and schemes to have Charlie and Phil’s increasingly popular Daddy Day Care closed.
There’s no point in beating around the bush. Daddy Day Care is an entertainment delivery vehicle meant to give the “family audience” a few chuckles while affirming the bushy middle-class, suburban lifestyle. If that’s sounds like a criticism, it isn’t, not quiet. It’s simply that this film doesn’t have to be so vapid. Even the menace of Mrs. Haridan’s attempt to close the school is at best a lukewarm threat. If not for Ms. Huston’s ability to chew into even the most cardboard cutout characters, there would have been no dramatic tension in this film. The two male leads have lost their well-paying jobs, for chrissakes. That resonates with much of the audience in these shaky-as-ever economic times. Hell yeah, there are lots of laughs; I certainly found many, but this film could have been about something – about two dads struggling with new roles, roles men are not used to playing.
Oh well, I don’t regret seeing Daddy Day Care, and there are lots of warm and fuzzy feelings. It’s a safe trip to the movies for the entire family. Steve Zahn as Marvin, Daddy Day Care’s first new employee is an absolute show stealing delight. Impossible as it might seem, I like him more each time I see him in a movie. His inspired performance and off-kilter character were more than worth my time.
P.S. Two characters speak Klingon (a language from the Star Trek television and film franchise, for those who don’t know) in this movie; that alone is worth $1 of your admission price.
6 of 10
B
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Review: "This is Spinal Tap" Never Stops Being Funny (Happy B'day, Rob Reiner)
This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Running time: 83 minutes (1 hour, 23 minutes)
MPAA – R
DIRECTOR: Rob Reiner
WRITERS: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, & Rob Reiner
PRODUCER: Karen Murphy
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Peter Smokler
EDITOR: Kent Beyda and Kim Secrist
COMEDY/MUSIC
Starring: Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, Rob Reiner, June Chadwick, Tony Hendra, RJ Parnell, Fran Drescher, Patrick MacNee, Bruno Kirby, Ed Begley, Jr., Billy Crystal, Dana Carvey, Howard Hessman, Fred Willard, Paul Shaffer, Gloria Gifford, and Anjelica Huston
The subject of this review is This is Spinal Tap, a faux documentary that parodies rock documentary films. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film also satirizes the behavior and attitudes of members of hard rock and heavy metal bands.
This is Spinal Tap basically says that, “It’s time to get personal with one of music history’s greatest and loudest rock bands… Spinal Tap.” Documentary filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) is making a “rockumentary,” a rock documentary of the band’s 1982 tour in support of the release of its 15th album, but the band has falling on some hard times. They’re playing smaller venues in front of an ever-shrinking audience, and the band’s front men: guitarist/co-songwriter David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), lead guitarist/co-songwriter Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest), and bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) are older and struggling with inner band turmoil. DiBergi’s documentary gives them a chance to talk about themselves, their history, and their music and gives the audience a behind the scenes look at rare footage and a chance to hear lots of music. Will Spinal Tap survive, or will we die laughing first?
This is Spinal Tap, Rob Reiner’s faux documentary, created a film genre, the “mockumentary” or mock documentary. This is Spinal Tap is a fake documentary that follows the life and times of an aged metal band on an less-than-successful American tour, and everyone involved, especially the band comes across as twits. They don’t, in all seriousness, see themselves as pathetically funny as they actually are. Reiner, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer wrote all the songs for the fake band called Spinal Tap (which some movie audiences initial thought was a real band), and with the rest of the cast, adlibbed most of the dialogue.
Anyone with more than a passing knowledge of heavy metal music and the eccentricities of metal’s most famous practitioners will double over in laughter at this “behind the scenes” look at band infighting, groupies, cancelled concerts, impractical stage sets, musical and performance pretensions, tight pants, misogynistic music, and the long hair and makeup. Even if you don’t like music, This is Spinal Tab is still funny; in fact the magazine, Entertainment Weekly, named it the #1 cult film of all time.
The film’s strength is in the music; one is actors playing the front men are all competent musicians. Spinal Tap’s songs are so funny and so dead on rock and roll and heavy metal, that for all that they are satires of metal songs, they also work quite well as actually metal music. Great parodies have to work as the thing they are parodying; Mel Brooks has made a career on getting the setting right in such films as Young Frankenstein, which looked like the classic black and white Universal Studios Frankenstein films and Blazing Saddles, which looked and acted like a western. The film’s other strength is the cast. Everyone is so good at playing so many absurd situations and saying so many ridiculous things with the straightest faces, as if the entire Spinal Tap scenario were all real and serious. This is Spinal Tap is a must-see for lovers of comedy.
8 of 10
A
NOTES:
2002 National Film Registry: National Film Preservation Board, USA
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