#Sawyer Spielberg

[mastersoftheair]

FIVE MORE DAYS! (+ new stills from eps. 1-5)

[noname123sposts]

Nate in leather jacket😩🔥

[cinelestial]

New image of Michael Cera in the upcoming film CHRISTMAS EVE IN MILLER’S POINT also starring Francesca Scorsese and Sawyer Spielberg.

[whileiamdying]

“Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” Transcends the Holiday-Movie Genre

Tyler Thomas Taormina’s comedy drama about a Long Island family boasts some of the year’s sharpest characterizations and a strikingly original narrative form. By Richard Brody November 8, 2024

It wasn’t on my list of likely occurrences that a nostalgic and sentimental holiday movie would provide some of the year’s sharpest characterizations on film and also boast a strikingly original narrative form. But this paradoxical blend turns out to make perfect sense in “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point,” a finely crafted and achingly romantic memory piece, directed by Tyler Thomas Taormina. It’s set sometime in the two-thousands in the fictional Long Island town of the title, where members of a large Italian American family, the Balsanos, come together to celebrate the holiday. Written by Taormina and Eric Berger, who both grew up on Long Island and have been friends since middle school, the movie checks the genre’s boxes—long-awaited reunions and poignant separations, hearty festivity and romantic intimacy—but it does so in a way that provokes bracingly complex emotions and frames them in the snow-globe-like quotation marks of reminiscence.

The clan’s matriarch, Antonia (Mary Reistetter), at whose house the Balsanos have gathered, is physically and mentally deteriorating, spending most of her time parked in an easy chair, offering wan greetings. The house teems with at least twenty family members—siblings, cousins, grandkids, other halves, and in-laws, ranging from toddlers to the elderly—plus some friends. Amid the revelry, fundamental relationships are drawn with a clarity that lays bare suppressed anguish, smothered disputes, and painful secrets. Antonia’s four grown children are gradually introduced. There is the poised and pensive Kathleen (Maria Dizzia), who’s there with her husband and two kids, one of whom, a teen named Emily (Matilda Fleming), biliously resents her. Kathleen’s sister, the energetic Elyse (Maria Carucci), is married to the flamboyantly domineering Ron (Steve Alleva), who cooks up the holiday feast while inveighing against the looming prospect of “chaos and insurrection.” Their brother Matt (John J. Trischetti, Jr.) is their mother’s caregiver, living in the house with his wife, Bev (Grege Morris). Matt instigates the film’s main conflict when he proposes selling the house and moving their mother into a nearby nursing home—a plan that surprises his sisters and enrages his brother, Ray (Tony Savino), a widowed blowhard with a hidden artistic streak.

It’s a mark of Taormina’s audacious way with narrative architecture that the scene in which this conflict bursts forth—which includes the piquant detail of Ray yelling at Matt while on an exercise bike—is the movie’s only traditional scene of overt exposition and constructed argument. Mostly, Taormina proceeds in fragments and snippets, with exquisitely rapid touches of dialogue and behavior which bring to life a house that is full of stories and long-standing tensions. “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” is a drama of the individual and the group; it’s a coming-of-age tale about many ages but also a reckoning with the frustrations of adolescence, the many varieties of loneliness in adulthood, and the struggle to define oneself against the identity assigned by a tight-knit family.

Taormina’s idiosyncratic artistry, which was evident in his first feature, “Ham on Rye” (2019), has now, in his third, developed into uninhibited cinematic self-assertion. “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” bolsters my belief that a great movie usually reveals itself quickly, in its first scenes and even in its first shots. The film’s distinctive combination of sharp, nuanced writing and enticingly original visual compositions grabs the viewer almost instantly. In moments seemingly caught on the fly, characters flit through the house and out of it, meeting and separating, sharing laughs and exchanging confidences, giving voice to dreams and troubles in casual remarks and offhand gestures. The cinematographer, Carson Lund, festively ornaments the screen with points and streaks of color and light, and his drifting camera conjures murmurs of the past, recalling shots in classic memory films by Max Ophüls and Alain Resnais.

Taormina punctuates the familial drama with several spectacular set pieces, such as a festive meal at which an elderly woman named Isabelle (JoJo Cincinnati) delivers a loving litany of the departed; a scene of teary-eyed melancholy in which the family turns off the lights and watches home movies; and a Christmas Eve tradition in which the family joins neighbors to watch the local fire department’s procession of fire engines festooned with Christmas decorations. Yet even such large-scale pageantry gives rise to brisk strokes of high drama, as when Emily unleashes adolescent hostility at the dinner table or when Kathleen becomes the bearer of a burdensome secret.

Meanwhile, at the edges of the action, the movie features micro-incidents of the sort that burrow deep in the mind, a whole box of madeleine moments in the making: a bunch of kids playing video games in the basement realize that the family iguana is missing, and one goes into a dark storage room to look for it; a waggish guest finds Isabelle asleep in a stair lift and presses a button to send her gliding downstairs unawares; Ray, on the patio, talks business into a landline with a very long cord; Ron declares that society is “survival of the fists,” a malapropism that he reinforces by putting up his dukes; Kathleen tries to cheer up an ailing boy with a little dance of uninhibited joy.

The overwhelming profusion of incidents and details, of sidelong glances in crowded frames and notable actions occurring in the background, is reminiscent of Wes Anderson’s films. Taormina’s ornamental sensibility is far less artificial—he adorns a largely realistic cinematic world with seemingly spontaneous touches and serendipitous observations—but, as with Anderson’s work, the movie should be viewed at least twice to be truly seen: the action moves fast, its connections are implicit, and the talk is brilliantly epigrammatic, leaving viewers to look back and catch up while risking missing out on new pleasures as they speed along.

Taormina, like Anderson, also encourages a distinctive mode of performance. Few of the actors in the Balsano clan have long résumés—Dizzia is the most prominent, and her attentive, eloquent performance deftly meshes with Fleming’s, as Emily—but Taormina’s perceptive direction grants everyone moments in the spotlight. The movie seems to create actors along with characters.

“Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” pivots on a twist of sorts that’s too good to mention but also too good not to. Emily and a cousin, Michelle (Francesca Scorsese), who’s a little bit older and a little bit bolder, sneak out of the house to meet their friends and take a car ride that Kathleen has forbidden. With this leap into the unknown, the movie instantly becomes a story of teen-age discovery, by turns passionate, tender, and goofy. It begins with a comedic wink at a young driver’s inexperience, and includes the motormouth intellectualism of a local boy, Craig (Leo Hervey). In an extended sequence of late-night snacks and seductions at a bagel shop, featuring a memorable cameo by Elsie Fisher, Craig’s smarty-pants riffs take on an earnest weight as Emily deems Christmas gifts “capitalist propaganda” and ponders what to do with hers. As the night progresses from jollity to intimacy, Taormina discovers wondrously discreet and delicate visual correlates for teen lust, including at its most fumbling. (The end credits give a sense of the comedy of the teens’ tussles, listing such characters as Bubble Gum Gal and Kiss-Marked Dope.)

At this point, the story brings Emily and the other teens into contact with two other groups—three postadolescent slackers who hang out at a graveyard, sullenly smoking (the most voluble of whom is played by Sawyer Spielberg), and two police officers with the misfortune of working on Christmas Eve (played by Michael Cera and Gregg Turkington). They provide a sense of a wider world that may look absurd to the teens—they mock yet fear the slackers and hardly notice the sad-eyed officers—but which for Taormina, older and wiser, is full of pathos. (This is perhaps laid on a bit thick, these older characters’ identities subordinated to the meaning that Taormina assigns them.)

Those streaks of exaggerated melancholy in the grubby ordinariness of suburban life don’t detract from the exalted tone of Taormina’s suburban reveries. “Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point” is a drama of gimlet-eyed nostalgia. An image of Emily taking refuge in the woods at night connects her teen life with the grandeur of classic-era melodrama, and few movies ever tap the kind of intense emotion that Taormina stirs with a bag of dumpster-dived bagels. Without losing sight of what’s banal and petty in suburban life, he imbues it with a sense of grace that emerges both from personal relationships and from the aesthetic of daily life—transcendence despite itself. ♦

Published in the print edition of the November 18, 2024, issue, with the headline “Yule Rules.”

[themnmovieman]

Movie Review ~ Christmas Eve in Miller’s’ Point

Christmas Eve in Miller’s’ Point Synopsis:  On Christmas Eve, a family gathers for what could be the last holiday in their ancestral home. As the night wears on and generational tensions arise, one of the teenagers sneaks out with her friends to claim the wintry suburb for her own.Stars: Michael Cera, Elsie Fisher, Maria Dizzia, Ben Shenkman, Sawyer Spielberg, Francesca Scorsese, Gregg…

[genevieveetguy]

Christmas Eve in Miller's Point, Tyler Taormina (2024)

[bcolfanfic]

thank you yaoi provider sawyer spielberg for informing us that the i like your aftershave scene wasn’t scripted bc ?!?!

[blakelysco-pilot]

📸: John Whitby

via Sawyer Spielberg on Instagram

[kwebtv]

Masters of the Air - Apple TV+ - January 26, 2024 - March 15, 2024

War Drama (9 Episodes)

Running Time: 60 minutes

Stars:

Austin Butler as Major Gale "Buck" Cleven

Callum Turner as Major John "Bucky" Egan

Anthony Boyle as Lt. Harry Crosby

Barry Keoghan as Lt. Curtis Biddick

Nikolai Kinski as Colonel Harold Huglin

Stephen Campbell Moore as Major Marvin "Red" Bowman

Sawyer Spielberg as Lt. Roy Frank Claytor

Isabel May as Marjorie "Marge" Spencer

James Murray as Colonel Neil "Chick" Harding

Nate Mann as Major Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal

Laurie Davidson as Lt. Herbert Nash

Joanna Kulig as Paulina

Recurring:

David Shields as Major Everett Blakely

Matt Gavan as Lt. Charles Cruikshank

Bailey Brook as Sgt. Charles K. Bailey

Kai Alexander as Sgt. William Quinn

Ben Radcliffe as Capt. John D. Brady

Adam Long as Capt. Bernard DeMarco

Darragh Cowley as Lt. Glenn Graham

Jonas Moore as Capt. Frank Murphy

Elliot Warren as Lt. James Douglass

Jordan Coulson as Lt. Howard Hamilton

Louis Greatorex as Capt. Joseph "Bubbles" Payne

Nathen Solly as Lt. John Hoerr

Raff Law as Sgt. Ken Lemmons

Samuel Jordan as Sgt. John J. "Winks" Herrmann

James Frecheville as Major Bill Veal

Thomas Flynn as Barr

Tom Joyner as Cpt. "Stormy" Becker

Edward Ashley as Major Jack Kidd

Harry Ames as Capt. August H. Gaspar

Spike White as Lt. Charles A. Via

[rcbertleckie]

Also!! I know that sawyer Spielberg was in the show but my god for the life of me I cannot recall seeing him or hearing his name (Roy frank claytor???) at all.. Am I dyslexic AND stupid? 🥲

And this is coming from someone who rewatched all episodes several times but babes since you’re giffing all the eps I figured you’re the expert and would probably have spotted him?

hehehe thank you for the vote of confidence i am however awfully terrible at his BUUUT since he has a nice mustache i did spot him here and there lol, he is buck's copilot.... as far as i know

[mastersoftheair]

stills + behind the scenes pics (from raff law's instagram)

[moviereviews101web]

Christmas Eve in Miller's Point - Release News

Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point – Release News In his follow-up to the acclaimed Ham on Rye, writer-director Tyler Taormina puts his uncanny cinematic stamp on the holiday movie, working with a stand-out ensemble including Michael Cera (Arrested Development), Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade), Maria Dizzia (Martha Marcy May Marlene), Francesca Scorsese, Ben Shenkman, Gregg Turkington, Sawyer Spielberg…

[ulkaralakbarova]

Two women, Nic and Jules, brought a son and daughter into the world through artificial insemination. When one of their children reaches age, both kids go behind their mothers’ backs to meet with the donor. Life becomes so much more interesting when the father, two mothers and children start to become attached to each other. Credits: TheMovieDb. Film Cast: Jules: Julianne Moore Nic: Annette Bening Paul: Mark Ruffalo Joni: Mia Wasikowska Laser: Josh Hutcherson Tanya: Yaya DaCosta Jai: Kunal Sharma Clay: Eddie Hassell Sasha: Zosia Mamet Luis: Joaquín Garrido Brooke: Rebecca Lawrence Levy Stella: Lisa Eisner Joel: Eric Eisner Waify Girl: Sasha Spielberg Clay’s Dad: James MacDonald Bartender: Margo Victor Sous-chef (uncredited): Stuart Blumberg Waiter (uncredited): Diego Calderón Pregnant Woman (uncredited): Amy Grabow Partygoer (uncredited): Nino Nava Film Crew: Writer: Lisa Cholodenko Producer: Daniela Taplin Lundberg Production Design: Julie Berghoff Producer: Gary Gilbert Producer: Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte Producer: Celine Rattray Producer: Phillippe Hellmann Director of Photography: Igor Jadue-Lillo Costume Design: Mary Claire Hannan Editor: Jeffrey M. Werner Producer: Jordan Horowitz Stand In: Toni Kallen Additional Editor: Nancy Richardson Stunts: Cassidy Vick Hice Stunt Coordinator: Mark Norby Writer: Stuart Blumberg Original Music Composer: Carter Burwell Co-Producer: Charles E. Bush Jr. Executive Producer: J. Todd Harris Executive Producer: Neil Katz Co-Producer: Todd J. Labarowski Executive Producer: Riva Marker Co-Producer: Joel Newton Executive Producer: Galt Niederhoffer Executive Producer: Anne O’Shea Casting: Laura Rosenthal Executive Producer: Andy Sawyer Executive Producer: Steven Saxton Executive Producer: Christy Scott Cashman Executive Producer: Ron Stein Co-Producer: Bergen Swanson Art Direction: James Connelly Set Decoration: David A. Cook Co-Producer: Camille Moreau Movie Reviews: Filipe Manuel Neto: **A “gay friendly” film that manages to be minimally neutral to also please those who are out of political and ideological struggles.** The troubled causes have never been so popular as they are today: from abortion to euthanasia, from the historical question between colonizing and colonized countries to the return of looted artworks by European museums, passing through the causes of the Gay Movement, whose acronym grows every year, to embrace any new definition invented for each way of feeling and living sexuality, reflecting a need for affirmation that is felt more strongly than the convenience of presenting a certain union in the ranks. This “gay friendly” film fits perfectly into a growing list of cinema works dedicated to scrutinizing the dynamics of these new families. The advantage of this film is that it is not overly militant. The script introduces us to two mature women, who live in a stable lesbian relationship and who decided to get pregnant, by artificial insemination (obviously the more traditional method was discarded for obvious reasons), the semen donor was the same and the children who were born are, therefore, half-siblings on the part of the father (whom they do not know). It is precisely the search for her biological father and the creation of a closer relationship with him that takes the plot forward, with the introduction of this friendly and uncomplicated man totally destabilizing the life of that house. I liked the movie in general. At the same time that it tries to deny that idea, much replicated, that two lesbians would instill their own sexual orientation in their children, the film seeks to create a question around the inviolability of the anonymity of the donors of seminal material… I cannot speak for everyone, but I would never donate semen if I suspected that, years later, someone might have knocked on my door and said he was my son. Anonymity is something that should be inviolable and sacred here, regardless of the will of those involved. It was the point in the script that bothered me the most, but there were a few more. For me, the strongest poi...

[redrusty66]

Scream With Me : Honeydew (2020)

Discussing the 2020  Horror Film : Honeydew

Starring :  Sawyer Spielberg, Barbara Kingsley, Malin Barr, Jamie Bradley, Joshua Patrick Dudley, Stephen D'Ambrose

Director : Devereux Milburn Writer : Devereux Milburn My Score 8.2/10

IMDB : https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10734864/ Trailer : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMZS3...

My IMDB : https://www.imdb.com/user/ur48636572 My Letterboxed : https://letterboxd.com/Redrusty66/ My Poetry : https://allpoetry.com/Redrusty66

#horror #review #cannibal #film #reaction #film

[andersonvision]

IFC Films is thrilled to announce the acquisition of North American rights to Tyler Taormina's nostalgic holiday film, Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point. This heartwarming movie, which premiered to critical acclaim at the 77th Cannes Film Festival Directors’ Fortnight, will be released on November 15, 2024. About Christmas Eve in Miller's Point Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point is a visual love letter to the suburban holiday season, directed by Tyler Taormina (Ham on Rye). The film stars newcomer Matilda Fleming, Michael Cera (Barbie), Francesca Scorsese (We Are Who We Are), Gregg Turkington (Ant-Man), Elsie Fisher (Eighth Grade), Sawyer Spielberg (Masters of the Air), and Maria Dizzia (Martha Marcy May Marlene). Set in a small Long Island hometown, the story follows a rambunctious extended family coming together for the holidays. Amid the festive chaos, two teenage cousins seize the opportunity to sneak out into the wintry night, crafting their own unique holiday experience. Mark Your Calendars Don’t miss the chance to experience this heartwarming holiday tale. Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point will be available in theaters starting November 15, 2024. Get ready to embark on a nostalgic journey that celebrates the warmth and chaos of family holidays.