#sundance film festival 2022

[have-you-seen-this-horror-film]

[thecurvycritic]

Aubrey Plaza Finally Get Perfect Showcase with Emily The Criminal

Aubrey Plaza is badass as Emily The Criminal and it's about time #netflix #A24 #emilythecriminal

  As a college grad, I perpetually lived with the fear that those credit card collectors strategically dodged over the phone would roll up on my apartment and cart me off in cuffs for my lack of financial responsibility.  Very naive…I know.  But, it’s the desperation mixed with feat that makes one in this position do and say some crazy things. Emily (Aubrey Plaza) is saddled with student debt…

[mrs-stans]

@sundancefest: happy birthday daddy FRESH, dir. Mimi Cave Sundance Film Festival 2022

[loveothislife]

‘The Award recognizes an international auteur who creates distinctive cinematic universes and has made a lasting impact on filmmaking, most notably through a commitment to storytelling and an unwavering creative vision. Guadagnino recently released his movie Bones and All. His a Sundance alum going back to  his debut in 2010 with the movie I Am Love, which he wrote, directed, and produced. In 2017, he returned with Call Me By Your Name, starring Timothée Chalamet, which teed up in Park City before a lengthy Oscar winning run. Guadagnino also produced the documentary The Truffle Hunters, which played at the Festival in 2020. He has won and been nominated for several awards, including Venice Film Festival, Golden Lion BAFTA Award for Best Direction, and Nastro d’Argento for Best Director. “Luca Guadagnino is a true visionary of cinema and we are thrilled to honor him with this special award,” said Joana Vicente, Sundance Institute CEO. “Whether it’s with writing, directing, or producing, he has had an undeniable impact, not only on the Sundance Film Festival community, but the film industry as a whole with his unique storytelling abilities.” “Sundance has always felt like home for me; I have been to the festival four times,” said Luca Guadagnino. “I particularly remember how warmly the festival received Call Me By Your Name and how that changed my life. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be honored to be receiving this award.” The Sundance Institute is bestowing its International Icon Award to Oscar nominated filmmaker Luca Guadagnino at their Opening Night: A Taste of Sundance presented by IMDbPro on Jan. 19 in Park City.‘

Luca Guadagnino will receive the International Icon Award at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. https://deadline.com/2022/12/luca-guadagnino-sundance-film-festival-award-1235200314/

by Cinema Solace

@CinemaSoIace

[foxes-that-run]

2014 Haylor Timeline

Timeline Tag, or years, back to 2013.

1 January - Taylor wrote say don’t go

2 - 4 January - Harry and Kendall Skiing with Jeff and his GF

6 January Lover Journal January 6, 2014, LA: Taylor decides to move to NY “dating is awful”. Reports KUWK producers wanted to film Harry and Kendall and Harry said no.

16 January - Harry seen at pool, then eagles concert in LA on 17th Harry puts his arm around Kendall at Eagles Concert. Kathy Griffiths said he was wasted, said that Tom hanks joked about wanting to drive Harry rehab and that he didn’t stay with Kendall inside. 18th Jarry at sundance festival

19 January - Harry covered "things I can't" with bible and Silver Spoon tattoo's. 20th in LA

21 January - I know places written, then Welcome to NY, you are in Love. Ryan Tedder said Harry was in the Studio then also.

25 January - Lover Journal: January 25, 2014, LA - after Clive Davis Grammy party at night that she never felt better about their chances of winning a Grammy. Rumour Harry seen with Kendall.

26 January - Red doesn't win Grammy, Taylor decides to make 1989 sonically cohesive

2 February - Harry’s 20th birthday, he told stern in 2022 that when he was 20 he felt like every decision in his adult life had been made as a democracy till that point and felt he should make decisions. Daily Mail he spent birthday with Kendall Jenner, his cousin said he is always the dumpee.

9 February - Clean written

11 February - Taylor gets haircut, Harry seen backstage, she then writes Shake it off. He writes Stockholm Syndrome

14 February - Taylor posted "there's nothing like real love"

15, 17, 18th - Harry seen in London

18 February - Kendall at London Fashion Week, Harry goes to Cara's show not hers, in the BUA the next week "Harry purposely didn’t go to the Topshop show or have his planned party so people wouldn’t speculate about him and Kendall,”

19 February -Taylor writes Style in LA. Harry later to collect Brit because he was in bathroom. Rumour he was smoking with Nick G, Harry left after party with his mum, Zayn and Louis not there.

20 February - Harry arrives in LA in afternoon.

21 February - Harry at Sushi Dream with his mum and Robin, later dinner with Jeff, may be the date Charlie Puth tweeted about him.

22 February - Lover Journal February 22, 2014, LA, Been in the studio with Max, Shake it off, has been in Conway Studios all week. Taylor walks on beach with Lorde. Ariana Grande also recording album with JALBOYH in Conway Studios, Max Martin working on both records. Harry MIA in day, then at same Miley concert, Kendall goes separately. Harry and Kendall BUA, work commitments

24 February Harry got anatomical heart tattoo (a real heart for a real love) HSA Publishing Limited (UK company) (private limited company) this is harry’s publishing company was incorporated in February 25, 2014 and is the publisher of JALBOYH

25 February - Article about Harry having written with John Legend and on 20 songs away from the band, says he had worked with Alex & Sierra

1 March - Both at Oscars party. Karlie Kloss flies from Paris to LA.

2 March - Harry seen in LA, then disappeared for 10 days, then LA again. 1D on break.

3 March - Taylor at vanity fair party

4 March - Alex & Sierra posts photo of Meredith in Taylor’s LA home. Harry wrote I love you for them and this was like meeting him about that, Taylor later confirmed she heard it. Harry seen Culver city

5 March - Harry tweets ‘hands on the wheel’ when Taylor posted the photos from the weekend starting with a photo with Ed and others at vanity fair “this weekend was like..” and including a road trip to big sur with Karlie. Karlie has posted daily till she arrived in LA then started again when Taylor posted her photos. Who took the photos? A tumblr user assumed they stayed at Deetjen's Big Sur Inn resort because someone who took a photo in the same place did, maybe, the hotel is 4 star.

7 March - Taylor publicist Paula Erickson resigns, she provided 60 day notice but announced 2 weeks before took affect. Release said taking PR in-house. This reddit post has good analysis suggesting the split may have been because of the rise of Taylor’s image as a serial dater. There was a page six article that may have come from the publicist that Taylor’s parents were hard to work with.

12, 13 March - Harry had dinner alone in LA, Kendall on date with someone else down the street. Harry’s motorbike broke down, he looked sad, guy who came to help mad. 15 March LA

18 March - Harry back in London

19 March - Liam and Harry take fan who won competition out to dinner at Sanctum Soho Hotel London

24 March - Lover Journal: March 24, 2014, New York; Moved to Tribeca, never felt more busy. One Direction filmed You and I music video at Clevedon Pier Somerset

25 March - Harry The Ace Hotel Shoreditch with Ed and Lou Teasdale for a book launch. 1D tour rehearsals

27 March - 1D Where we are tour rehearsals London. (27 & 28) 1D Camden London recording. MH plays call or delete with Nick Grimshaw and calls Niall and Harry, he says he has Niall’s number because he is writing a song for one direction and that he had never spoken to Harry before (but had his number and Harry recognised his voice.) MH asks to borrow £5k and Harry agrees. Harry probably knew he was on Nick Grimshaw. Harry and Niall seen in rehearsals in England.

2, 3 April - Harry London

17, 22, 23 April - Harry seen in LA

8 April - page six article maybe put out by Taylor’s resigned publicist that says Taylor’s parents are difficult to work with and says her business manager also resigned.

22 April - HS in LA at Sharks game with Jeff

25 April - 5 October - 1D Where we are Tour. South American dates till 11 May.

26 April - Harry Fern Tattoos, healed, covering "Might as well..."

29 April - Matty Healy's mum says MH is writing a song for 1D

4 May - Taylor attends met gala and later features this dress of ‘old Taylor’ in LAYMMD, marked start of 1989. 1D in Argentina.

7 May - One direction bread van to Christ the redeemer in TV special. Earlier Harry drunk at the hotel pool, floated his hat in the sea and Brazil! Tattoo. 1D sue over condoms using their name, MTV says it means fans will “never ever sleep with Harry Styles”

8 May - One Direction record Change your ticket in Fasano Hotel, (2:12) Rio De Janeiro. The TV Special shows Niall working out the lyrics and Harry recording WDBHG (2:25) also, though the hotel is not credited for WDBHG. In 2016 Matty Healy messily said he had been asked for a song for Four which wasn't used and felt Change Your Ticket was similar to guitars on the 1975 Girls. 1975 or MH never pursued it other than the shade. MH said to Capital FM he heard change your ticket before it came out and asked to take guitars off he didn’t write on it.

11 May - 1D tour break till 23 May, working on Four.

17 May - Taylor on tour break in NYC, working on 1989. Taylor seen most days in NYC in May.

17 & 20 May - Harry seen LA

24 May - One Direction (headliner) and Ed Sheeran play Radio 1 Big weekend in Glasgow. Ed wrote 18 this week. Liam said they had a show in another country the night before and that night. Taylor leaves NYC not seen for 6 days until Japan 31 May. 23 May - 13 July Europe 1D dates.

26 - 28 May - One Direction break, Taylor MIA. Harry in London and plays celebrity football game on 26th. After scoring a penalty shot Harry hugged Niall then kissed his heart tattoo.

27 May - footage of Zayn and Louis smoking weed in a car leaked, filmed in April. Harry quoted in media being annoyed they let it be filmed. Ed Sheeran live on Britans got talent, Simon Cowell asked for a 1D song, Ed declined then wrote 18 the next day.

30 May - Lover Journal: May 30, 2014, Shanghai 1989 cover art. 2 June - Tokyo, then asian dates till 12 June. Taylor arrives at a commercial airport with so many fans it’s talked about 10 years later… and held up as why she flies private when she had owned a jet for years… Harry Manchester show.

31 May - Tree Paine starts as Taylor’s publicist.

7 June - rumour Harry was getting dual citizenship

8 June - 1D had 5 day break starting in London then Stockholm on the 13th. Heart kiss in You and I

11 June - Harry sent a fan a video for her wedding “"You don't have to go through with this, you know all men cheat these days and it usually happens pretty fast. It’s not too late, I’m going to be waiting at Orli’s in Borehamwood for the next three hours. If you don’t come I’ll understand but that’s where I’ll be.”

12 June - Red Tour ends in Singapore, then seen most days in NYC till the 20th.

18 June - Taylor adopted Olivia Bensen, model Steph Smith with her, Steph posts to instagram and follows both Harry and Taylor that day. Harry can be heard laughing in this video. Harry not seen, but in Copenhagen the day before and day after in London

19 June - Harry in London dressed the same as in the Four booklet

20 June - Taylor seen in NYC then not again for 10 days till 30th. 1D Paris

2 July - Ariana Grande talks about Harry writing JALBOYH. She says it's a beautiful song he's an amazing songwriter.

4 July - Taylor squad party at RI. 1D had a show in Switzerland.

13 July - Taylor water gun patrol at High Watch RI. Last time she is papped there for 10 years.

17 July - Harry and Paige at same GQ party.

20 July - Harry at Anne and Robins wedding UK

31 July - Harry in LA, not seen on 28th. Taylor NYC

March - September - Harry wrote for Four: stockholm, Where do broken hearts go, I love you (Alex and Sierra) & Little bit of your heart.

1 August - 5 October - 1D US/Canada dates.

2 August - Taylor played 1989 for Harry. Harry followed Jack Antonoff on Twitter the next day. 2 November Harry said he spent a week in the US and then played daytime TV for the rest of break.

14 August - Taylor wore black and white rose dress on Tonight show with jimmy Fallon, prompting rumors 1989 will be called Roses

18 and 20 August - 18th seen with fans in US, Harry MIA on 20th

19 August - Shake it off released, 1989's lead single with Hella Good Hair line.

24 August - 1D show in Dallas where a fan has a “Harry you have hella good hair”’poster Harry grins at. Harry comes back (he first sees it at 1:03) to point, thumbs up and again smile at the sign.

23 and 25 August - Harry in Nashville. JALBOYH released.

26 August - 1D in LA for Ellen, then Chicago then disappeared

20 - 25 August - Taylor in LA, MIA till 3 September

30 August - Heart Kiss you and I

31 August - 9 September - Harry MIA, only seen LAX 5 September then appears in London on 9th.

3 September - Ariana says she nearly refused to record JALBOYH

When asked whether she felt pressure recording a song written by Harry, Ariana said, "No, I was more intimidated because he recorded a demo for me so I could learn the song. I was like, "I don't know if I wanna touch this song.'" She has previously said ""I remember when I heard it I was like 'Wow that's a really strong verse, that's really beautiful' and then the [pre-chorus], I was like 'wow that's a really beautiful pre, that's a really strong pre!' and then the chorus I was like crying!"

3 September - Taylor arrives in London wearing the New York sweater she wears in the Reputation Magazine polaroid for Dancing with our Hands Tied. The Rep photo looks to be taken in her London rental she had in 2017, it's unclear when it was rented.

3 - 14 September - Taylor seen in London till 7th, then MIA till NYC on 14th (i.e. both go from LA to London and MIA for a week) Niall said they had 10 days off and didn’t see each other.

8 September - Taylors 1989 Rolling Stone Interview where she said it was infatuation, RS said she sounded jaded.

11 September - Rolling Stone things you learn hanging out with Taylor Swift included:

"“I think the way I used to approach relationships was very idealistic,” she says. “I used to go into them thinking, ‘Maybe this is the one — we’ll get married and have a family, this could be forever.’ Whereas now I go in thinking, ‘How long do we have on the clock — before something comes along and puts a wrench in it, or your publicist calls and says this isn’t a good idea?'”

13 September - One Direction - Rose Bowl Los Angeles, during You and I on “did they ever hold each other tight like us?” Harry kissed the heart then had chest pains later in the show. He ends the show visibly unwell.

14 September - Four written with Fools Gold. First day Taylor seen (NYC) in a week, last seen London. 18 September Niall mentioned a 10 day break and again said the band didn’t see each other on break.

19 and 20 September - both play the iHeartRadio festival, on the 19th Taylor played WANGB, IKYWT, Love Story with a speech about Romeo & Juliet and a lot of pointing 22 and Shake it off. and 1D on the 20th, Harry kissed the heart tattoo in Little Things.

23 September - Harry, Niall, Altoid girl go to bars including a gay bar, Harry and girl rode a mechanical bull together. fan reports she had a boyfriend and hired to show them around Austin.

25 September - Nola 1D concert 1D 2 hours late and helicopter out immediately after show, fans wonder if the night Zayn threw Liam against wall.

Late September Harry had US shows, he kissed his heart tattoo un Better than words (4:23) and was in a great mood. Taylor wasn't seen until NY the day of that show. Harry’s instagram goes b&w between 24 September and 23 October. Out of the woods released 14 October, may refer to screaming colour lyric? Taylor posted about screaming colour. Also over 28 sept anniversary

4 October - Lou Teasdale shares photo of Harry’s braids

6-11 October - Taylor in Paris and london

8 October - Harry pumpkin picking with Erin Foster. E news “It's unlikely it will ever become serious, but they are casually dating whenever they are in the same place at the same time and it works for both of them. Meanwhile, their outing was PDA-free and didn't seem to hint that any sort of romance was brewing.”

10 October - Taylor performed Riptide performance on BBC 1 with the lyric "I love you when you're singing that song / And I got a lump in my throat / 'Cause you're gonna sing the words wrong"

12 October - Harry threw up on side of the road in LA and sign put up. He had been at lily Allen’s party the night before. Press included quotes from Ed that Harry didn’t drink in the US

24 October  - Taylor MTV You are in Love is about Jack and Lena, who didn't know and her body language is guarded. Recorded this date.

27 October - 1989 released, Taylor NY. 1D Film Night Changes  MV

1 November - Harry wore the Saint Laurent coat in November - December 2014. In 2016, He choose it, now with a lipstick stain, as one of '12 prized possessions', “I was leaving breakfast in London wearing this coat. I thought the girl was biting me. She was lovely.”

4 November - Taylor pulls her entire discography off Spotify over period that artists would not earn royalties. Harry said a month ago at an Airport a reporter said "Do you have any Nudes on the cloud?!" I said "yeah, loads." 

5 November - Taylor Posts a video of herself lip syncing to Kendrick Lamars Backseat Freestyle

8 November - Taylor liked a tumblr post of Matty Healy wearing a 1989 t-Shirt on stage.

10 November - Taylor wore the Butterfly and Reputation Snake Ring in the Blank Space Music video.

13 November - Harry's mermaid tattoo. “I am a mermaid”

14 November - sad guardian 1D interview

15 November - Taylor in NY, Harry records Band Aid in London. Throughout November and December Louis and Liam seem annoyed with Harry and talk over him. Many consider this the point Harry told the band he would not renew his contract, the band tensions were high from this point. See One Direction break up deep dive on Reddit.

17 November - One Direction releases Four. Perform Today show in Orlando live, Zayn missing. Filmed Four TV special. Released the Four Hangout where Harry describes the Stockholm Syndrome muse (TS) a Nympho and talks about writing from personal experience. At 31 mins Niall says WDBHG is his favourite 1D song, Harry says thank you and Niall hugs him. Harry agrees, then says best song ever then gotta be you One Direction song which (in the background) Harry adds "well done Tyler." Niall adds "your boyfriend’s back." (The boys had rhyming nicknames for each other, Tyler Swift was Taylor’s name in The Man) Change your ticket announced as bonus track on ultimate edition.

19 November - Harry and Taylor go to a 1975 concert together, ET reported they went back stage together. Change your ticket (which MH claimed was too similar to Girls after  1D did not use a song MH submitted for Four. Us weekly reports Haylor talking again.

23 November - Harry looks in Taylors direction while performing, she points at him in her performance and he makes heart eyes/whistles at Taylors AMA’s speech. Harry stayed in LA an extra day to go to Taylor's mini post-AMAs part while 1D went to Australia. (Canyon Moon vibes).

30 November  - Taylor arrives London

1 December - Harry, Kendall and Cara at British Fashion Awards in London, the day of that photo of him at top of stairs.

2 December- Taylor performs Style at VS show and completely slays. Harry joins them at the VS after party and leave 5 mins apart. (So it Goes, pick you up, leak vibes) Taylor posted photos with Ariana also, JALBOYH was still charting. Taylor wears a similar outfit in the I don’t wanna live forever video with Zayn. This was also the first time Style was played live!

4 December - Taylor returns to NY

5 December - rumours Taylor at 1975 concert

Early December- Harry follows Xander Ritz on Instagram. Xander is a lacrosse player who is close friends with Harry and seen a lot in late 2015 and 2017/2018, there are ships of them. Xander is now married to Jacquelyn. Harry is still seen with his brother Maxwell. Max and Xander co-own the Loyalist in Brooklyn. The loyalist is a high end brand integration company. Like Taylor, Xander is from Philadelphia and his family is still there. He was seen with Jeff a lot and rumoured Jeff introduced them.

6 December - Taylor has laryngitis at Jingle Bell Ball. Matty Healy has a meltdown on stage, crying, lying down and is eventually dragged off stage. In 2015 he said this was about girl stuff, drug stuff, financial stuff. In 2016 is said "“Yeah. Absolutely. And the reason I mention that is because if I had gone out with Taylor Swift I would’ve been, ‘F***ing hell! I am NOT being Taylor Swift’s boyfriend.’ You know, ‘F***. THAT.’ That’s also a man thing, a demasculinizing, emasculating thing.”

8 December - Blind "The B- list celebrity offspring of two of the worst celebrity parents ever has been hooking up the past few weeks with the lead singer of the band that Taylor Swift loves. Apparently they sent Taylor a pic of themselves naked in bed together." (Ali Lohan (Dina and Michael)/Matty Healy “The 1975″)

9 December - one direction RTL episode where the band is angry at Harry, especially this section, where Liam seems drunk and talks about new experiences (shading Harry for saying he won’t continue 1D maybe) later in the interview says “we should have written a song about beards” and Louis said “or hair in general” and with a mocking look to Harry “har, har”, (possibly shading Harry for Matty Healy's meltdown the night before.) This was followed by a lot of interviews with Liam and Louis reacting to Harry like this and some they gave separate interviews.

12 December - Taylor performs the Z100 Jingle Bell Ball, with IKYWT over midnight to her birthday and during Shake it Off she gives a breathless sounding 'it's my birthday' she points to the left of the stage to say guy with the hella good hair. Harry was in Spain for Los40 Spain. Rob Sheffield writes a piece about just Harry (not band) in Rolling Stone which is positively glowing.

13 December - Taylor has a party in her apartment. Harry is in France for the NRG Awards. Tweets asking the media to stop having her date her friends (MH & KK)

15 December - one direction performs WDBHG with Ronnie Wood on xfactor UK final

19 December - Harry at the Bowery Hotel again, wears the Another Man 12 Prized Possessions coat that later has lipstick

22 December - Harry in Central Park, wearing Saint Laurent coat

21 December - Harry seen with Nadine Leopold and wears her jacket and carrying her bags. Sun reports things “heating up” with happy photos. The same night there are photos of Harry pointing and yelling angrily at 2am in the east village in the jacket with bags.

24 December - Tabloid media about Ali Lohan/MH

26 December - Taylor wears opal ring thought to be from Harry.

30 december- Taylor morning show and says about Style “This song is about a relationship that is never really done. you always have that person who you feel like might interrupt your wedding and say ‘don’t do it because we’re not over!” I compared it to person comes in and out and never really go out of style with a smile. Asked if the person sings she says she wants fans to picture their ex-BF not hers.

Continue to 2015

[glennk56]

Joel Marsh Garland in the 2020s

Joel Marsh Garland during COVID in 2020.

Joel Marsh Garland was in an episode of The Film Crew, an off-shoot of MST3000 in 2020.

Joel Marsh Garland was in 2 episodes of Joe vs. Carole, a satire series of The Tiger King series starring Kate McKinnon in 2022

Joel Marsh Garland in comedy crime film Lie Hard that premiered as VOD in 2022.

Joel Marsh Garland had a small role in lesbian relationship film, Eileen which premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2023.

Joel Marsh Garland was in 5 episodes of MGM+ gangster drama Godfather of Harlem, season 3 in 2023.

That was Joel Marsh Garland ghoul-hunting in Prime's Fallout in 2024.

Joel Marsh Garland was in an episode of Elsbeth on CBS, a quirky attorney hired to observe the NYPD in action to help prevent bad arrests and avoid lawsuits in 2024.

[whileiamdying]

Iranian Filmmakers Face Fight or Flight Amid Political Turmoil

By Nick Vivarelli

Credit: Les Films d'Ici/Berlinale

The wave of protests sparked across Iran by the death of Mahsa Amini by Iranian morality police in September came amid a banner year for Iranian cinema. 

But as 2023 kicks off, more than 500 people who have protested her death and called for justice have been killed while prominent members of the Iranian film industry were either arrested, put on trial or banned from making movies. The result being that the country’s cinematic community has largely ground to a halt. 

Which raises the question: unless something changes, how many films actually shot in Iran will be surfacing on the international festival circuit going forward?  

In 2022, Iran-based directors landed slots in all major international film festivals and won major awards. Revered auteur Jafar Panahi took the Venice Special Jury Prize for “No Bears” and Houman Seyyedi’s tragicomedy “World War III,” which was Iran’s candidate for the international Oscar, scooped two statuettes on the Lido. 

But 2023 is kicking off with only films by Iranian diaspora directors launching on the fest circuit. Case in point: native New Yorker Maryam Keshavarz’s “The Persian Version,” which bowed at Sundance. 

And the widening divide between Iran’s expat directors and Iranian filmmakers living in the country is stark at the Berlinale. 

Berlin’s Panorama section, which is titled “Films as Tools of Resistance,” is opening with Paris-based Sepideh Farsi’s feature “The Siren” which provides a timely take on the Iran-Iraq war. Incidentally, the section also features a doc by Indian director Sreemoyee Singh titled “And, Towards Happy Alleys,” which is about Panahi, who was recently released from Tehran’s Evin penitentiary after spending seven months behind bars on charges of “anti-government propaganda.”   

But the only film in this year’s Berlin selection that is by an Iran-based director is Negin Ahmadi’s doc “Dream’s Gate” which depicts an all-female Kurdish militia in Northern Syria.  

Berlin’s artistic director Carlo Chatrian says this year he actually received more submissions from Iran than ever before. But the fest’s selection committee was leery of Iranian films, many of which came from companies affiliated with the government. Why? “Because for them it’s a statement saying: ‘OK, this is not true what people abroad are saying about us,’” he said.  

Chatrian added that “at times films [from Iran] that from the outside look independent are not fully independent,” so they can still be seen as a form of government propaganda. 

In solidarity with the protests sparked by Amini’s death, the Berlinale has banned Iranian government film industry entities such as the Farabi Cinema Foundation, Iran’s national film promotion outfit which has been attending Berlin’s European Film Market with a stand for years.  

And on Feb. 18 there will be an event on the Berlinale Palast red carpet to shine a spotlight on the fest’s position against Iran’s repressive regime.  

Berlin’s executive director Mariëtte Rissenbeek pointed out that it’s bound to be more difficult these days for filmmakers in Iran, most of whom are anti-government, to make films. “They are for freedom of expression, which is exactly what the Iranian state is trying to fight right now,” she said. 

That, of course, is indeed the case.  

“Iranian cinema is now under attack in Iran,” noted “World War III” helmer Seyyedi, in an email interview from Tehran. “As a middle-aged man who is deeply involved with the present problems, I have no idea if I will really be able to start making another movie in future. We will have to wait and see what happens.” 

According to Mohammad Attebbai, head of Tehran-based sales company Iranian Independents, at the moment “Iran’s nearly 50% inflation and its severe censorship codes dissuade anyone from investing in a movie.” 

Attebbai added, “There are lots of filmmakers who, like many others in the country, believe it is impossible to keep living in Iran and are trying to immigrate.  

“They simply cannot tolerate the situation any longer, with censorship getting much worse and film production slowing down dramatically,” he said.  

Most artists at present are banned from travel outside Iran.   

Significantly, two-time Oscar winner Asghar Farhadi, Iran’s best-known director, is currently working on his new film in Los Angeles and Europe. Farhadi was at the Zurich Film Festival when protests following the death of Amini erupted. He voiced support for the protests and has returned to Iran since. 

As an Iranian diaspora director, Paris-based Farsi said she now feels a greater responsibility “to carry on the flag of making films that are relevant and have to do with Iran, though maybe not directly.”  

“I don’t know how ‘The Siren’ will travel,” she pointed out. “But for sure I would really love people in Iran to see it. 

“The end of the film has hope, and I really would like them to feel it as glow of sun for the near future of Iran. Because I’m really hoping that we will reach a victory soon.” 

[albertserra]

uhm hi. you’re the only film person on tumblr im aware of and i have a question you may know an answer to. actually i need advice not an answer: How many movies a day do you think i will be able to see during a film festival. How many are you usually able to do?? i want to see four for two days in a row (2 - 4 - 4 - 2) but idk if it’s possible. i had days at home when i saw 4/day but usually one of them was something light and easy and also i was alone and at home 😐 honestly im going alone and im just scared that i won’t have anything else to do… also one of the movies im still not sure about going bc it would be my fourth is Pacifiction. that’s bc of your constant recommendations 🫡 hope you’re having a lovely day thanks bye

so its really a matter of personal preference. For me, anything more than three in a day might get exhausting and I wouldn't be able to give every movie my full attention and might be to the movies' detriment. something like pacifiction for example needs pretty constant engagement from the viewer to get the full experience (I still highly recommend it! as far as Serra goes its probably his most accessible in terms of structure, narrative wise its still pretty oblique). So my fear would be id be wasting my time and spoiling a potentially great movie if im tired from all the other ones ive seen that day and don't have enough time to really let each movie sink in. but thats just me! if i was in your shoes I'd do three in day max unless some of the movies are short - and id skip a third movie on the day pacifiction is playing so i could do it lmao. in the down time id just sit down and eat or have coffee so id be able to come down from the movies and be ready for the next if that makes sense.

sundance is the only festival i have experience with bc it was online since the pandemic, i did it in 2021 and 2022. I did a lot per day in 2021 and don't regret it because being at home gave me a little more flexibility. 2022 i didn't do as much simply bc i couldnt make the timing work for what I wanted to watch.

i know @shesnake crams as much as they can when they do their festivals so maybe they can offer their input too

[cinema-tv-etc]

Mutt 2023

Fena, a young trans guy bustling through life in New York City, is afflicted with an incessantly challenging day that resurrects ghosts from his past. Laundromats, subway turnstiles, and airport transfers are the hectic background to this emotional drama that overlaps past, present, and future. Settling the disharmony of transitional upheaval in relationships familial, romantic, and platonic is Fena2s task at hand, and his resulting juggling act is equal parts skillful, fumbling, and honest. In negotiating his obliqueness, the poignant moments he finds between himself and others as the distance between them closes are warm, true, and touching

Q&A with MUTT Filmmaker Vuk Lungulov-Klotz and Stars Lío Mehiel, Cole Doman & MiMi Ryder

Chilean and Serbian immigrants, he was raised between Chile, the US, and Serbia. As a transgender storyteller, he hopes to expand queer narratives. His work focuses on intimate moments we often miss if we're not looking. Mutt is his debut feature film. With his feature film script, MUTT, he is an alum of the Sundance Institute Labs, the Inside Out Financing Forum, and was a top five finalist for the Tribeca / AT&T Untold Stories Grant. His award winning trans-themed short film, "Still Liam," played at festivals internationally and earned the attention of celebrated queer filmmakers Ira Sachs and Silas Howard, who have both become mentors. Vuk is also an alum of the Ryan Murphy HALF Initiative Program, where he completed a mentorship under director Janet Mock on the FX series POSE. He lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Lío Mehiel is a Puerto Rican and Greek artist, actor, and filmmaker. Their work spans film, television, multimedia installation, theater, and events. They are fascinated by the inherent contradiction of the trans experience — one deeply rooted in the body while also transcending beyond the body. Lío began their career as a professional salsa dancer and child actor on Broadway. They can now be seen on shows like WeCrashed (Apple+) and Tales of the City (Netflix). MUTT is their feature film debut. As a filmmaker, Lío produced Chaperone, a queer short film which premiered at Sundance 2022. They wrote, directed, produced, and starred in Disforia, a short film which premiered at Outfest Film Festival in 2018. They are now stuck inside of a psychomagic act with this story as they write the feature script version and confront their own medical transition. As an installation artist, their immersive piece Arcade Amerikana was included in the list of 10 Best Immersive Shows in NYC by Time Out and GOTHAMIST. Lío is currently the producer and creative director of Angels, a developing collection of stone sculptures of transgender humans. The works were first featured as part of a pop-up installation at Outfest LA in 2022, and will be debuted in full at SIZED Gallery LA in 2023. Lío is a co-founder of Voyeur Productions with Russell Kahn and Dulcinee DeGuere. They attended Northwestern University, and are an alumni of the Emerge NYC residency program for artists and activists. Photo credit: Jordan Rossi

Cole Doman is a trained stage and film actor living in Brooklyn, NY. During his time in Chicago, he studied at the School at Steppenwolf under Amy Morton, Tarell Alvin McCraney, Michael Patrick Thornton, and more. Chris Jones of the Chicago Tribune named Cole among the "Hot New Faces of Chicago Theater" in 2016. He made his film debut as the titular role in the critically acclaimed HENRY GAMBLE'S BIRTHDAY PARTY directed by Stephen Cone. He has profiles with IndieWire, Brooklyn Magazine, OUT, Milk.xyz, and was featured as one of "Best Breakout Performances of 2016" by The Film Stage. He can also be seen in Alan Ball's UNCLE FRANK (Sundance 2020, Amazon Studios) as young Frank Bledsoe played by Paul Bettany. On television he has appeared in Let the Right One In, Gossip Girl, Modern Family, Law & Order: SVU, Chicago PD, Equal, and Shameless. He developed & stars in the short film Starfuckers (MUBI) directed by Antonio Marziale which was presented in competition at Sundance Film Festival, Berlinale, and Telluride Film Festival. Other forthcoming films include: Matt Fifer’s sophomore feature TREATMENT for AMC’s Shudder and Zia Anger’s debut feature MY FIRST FILM for MUBI. Mostrecently, he starred in the world premiere of Your Own Personal Exegesis by Julia May Jonas at Lincoln Center Theatre, directed by Annie Tippe, for which his performance was lauded by The New York Times and even cartooned by The New Yorker.

[jonathanmoya1955]

Sundance Review: A Real Pain: Reconciling the Eternal Pain of Jewsh Existence

Topic Studios/Fruit Tree Movie info via Sundance Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. Writer-director Jesse Eisenberg (When You Finish Saving the World, 2022 Sundance Film Festival) returns to the Festival with a…

[greensparty]

Hit Man trailer

Very exciting news today: Richard Linklater's new action / comedy Hit Man released a trailer today. After premiering at the 2023 Venice Film Festival, playing numerous fests including tonight's Sundance Film Festival screening, it is going to be released by Netflix on June 7, 2024! I hope it gets a limited theatrical release.

Production began in New Orleans in 2022.  Based on a Texas Monthly article, it was adapted by Linklater and star Glen Powell. Like Linklater's Bernie, it was adapted from an article by Skip Hollandsworth. Linklater has directed Powell in Fast Food Nation, Everybody Wants Some!!, and Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (my #1 Movie of 2022). Another co-star of Everybody Wants Some!! Austin Amelio is in the Hitman cast as well. I'm super excited about this release!

[01sentencereviews]

2022

Ask Any Buddy (Elizabeth Purchell) @ Anthology Film Archives 

Nope (Jordan Peele) in IMAX @ AMC Lincoln Square 13

De Humani Corporis Fabrica (Lucien Castaing-Taylor & Véréna Paravel) @ 60th NYFF

We Met In Virtual Reality (Joe Hunting) @ 2022 Virtual Sundance Film Festival 

The Rehearsal, Season 1 (Nathan Fielder)

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed (Laura Poitras)

TÁR (Todd Field)

Crimes of the Future (David Cronenberg)

Skinamarink (Kyle Edward Ball)

Jackass Forever (Jeff Tremaine)

Aftersun (Charlotte Wells)

Avatar: The Way of Water (James Cameron) in IMAX 3D @ AMC Lincoln Square 13

Artists at the Center: Tiler Peck @ New York City Center (curated by Tiler Peck)

The Fabelmans (Steven Spielberg)

Pearl (Ti West)

Decision to Leave (Park Chan-wook)

Blonde (Andrew Dominik)

RRR (S. S. Rajamouli)

The Batman (Matt Reeves)

Liquor Store Dreams (So Yun Um) @ 2022 Tribeca Film Festival

Resurrection (Andrew Semans)

Will-o’-the-Wisp (João Pedro Rodrigues) @ 60th NYFF

Orphan: First Kill (William Brent Bell)

There There (Andrew Bujalski) @ 2022 Tribeca Film Festival

Sharp Stick (Lena Dunham) @ 2022 Virtual Sundance Film Festival 

+++

The African Desperate (Martine Syms)

After Yang (Kogonada)

Ambulance (Michael Bay)

Apollo 10½: A Space Age Childhood (Richard Linklater)

Babylon (Damien Chazelle)

The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh)

Deep Water (Adrian Lyne)

Disney Channel’s Theme: A History Mystery (Kevin Perjurer)

Halloween Ends (David Gordon Green)

Irma Vep (2022, Olivier Assayas)

Jacaranda Joe (1994, George A. Romero) @ Webinar w/ University of Pittsburgh

Jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy (Chike Ozah & Coodie Simmons)

Kate Berlant: Cinnamon in the Wind (Bo Burnham)

Kimi (Steven Soderbergh)

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (Dean Fleischer-Camp)

The Munsters (Rob Zombie)

On the Count of Three (Jerrod Carmichael)

Terrifier 2 (Damien Leone)

Top Gun: Maverick (Joseph Kosinski)

Shin Ultraman (Shinji Higuchi)

Shit & Champagne (D’Arcy Drollinger) 

Showing Up (Kelly Reichardt)

Starfuckers (Antonio Marziale)

Vortex (Gaspar Noé)

The White Lotus [Season 2] (Mike White)

[mrs-stans]

Meet the makeup wizard who transformed Sebastian Stan into ‘A Different Man’

By Josh Rottenberg

At the tender age of 5, Mike Marino saw “The Elephant Man” for the first time and his life was forever changed. When David Lynch’s haunting and heartbreaking story of the disfigured John Merrick would air on HBO in the early 1980s, Marino found himself horrified but unable to look away, sparking a fascination with prosthetics that would eventually lead him to becoming one of Hollywood’s top makeup artists.

“I was so afraid of it, but little did I know how beautiful that story was and how much of an imprint it would leave on my brain and soul,” says Marino, 47, who earned consecutive Oscar nominations in 2022 and 2023 for his makeup work on “Coming 2 America” and “The Batman,” the latter starring a totally transformed Colin Farrell. “If it wasn’t for that film, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing.”

But for actor, TV presenter and disability rights advocate Adam Pearson, Lynch’s film took on a more painful role in his life. Growing up in England with neurofibromatosis type 1, a rare genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on his face, Pearson was often taunted by classmates who cruelly called him “Elephant Man” and other names. As he got older, he saw how movies routinely depicted people with disfigurements as freaks, villains or victims, stripping away their humanity. “There’s an element of laziness to it,” says Pearson, 39. “How do we show this character is evil? Let’s slap a scar on them.”

Now, through a twist of fate, the lives of Marino and Pearson have intersected on a very different project: the darkly funny, mind-bending psychological thriller “A Different Man.” Directed by Aaron Schimberg, the A24 film stars Sebastian Stan as Edward, a shy, disfigured actor working in New York City who undergoes an experimental procedure to transform his appearance, only to find himself losing the role he was born to play — himself — to a cheerful, outgoing man named Oswald with his same facial deformity, played by Pearson. Renate Reinsve (“The Worst Person in the World”) co-stars as a playwright whose latest work brings Edward’s identity crisis to a head.

“A Different Man,” which The Times called “a self-deconstructing meta-pretzel of a dark comedy” following its debut at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, tackles complex themes of identity, beauty and disability with a blend of Charlie Kaufman-esque surrealism and David Cronenbergian body horror. Along with Stan’s performance, Marino’s meticulously crafted prosthetics are key to bringing Edward and his inner agonies to life, reflecting the deeper emotional anguish of a man trying to escape his own skin.

“The movie portrays how the shell of who we are should not dictate our spirit and our personality,” Marino says. “I think it’s a very important film, much like ‘The Elephant Man’ was.”

When Schimberg first wrote the script, inspired by his own struggles with a cleft palate and his experience working with Pearson on his 2019 satire “Chained for Life,” he initially had no idea how he would actually pull off the film’s demanding prosthetics work. “I was sort of blissfully ignorant,” says Schimberg. “After Sebastian came aboard, we started cobbling the film together very quickly. It was only about a month before shooting that I realized this film was going to completely fall apart if we didn’t get this right. It was very down to the wire.”

Signing on as an executive producer for the film, Stan asked around about makeup artists in the New York area who could handle such a difficult job under that kind of time pressure. One answer consistently came back: “Literally everyone, hands down, was like, ‘You’ve got to get Marino,’ ” the actor recalls.

Though he was already busy with a job on “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” Marino, who has done his share of more fantastical creatures, leapt at the challenge of re-creating a real-life disfigurement like Pearson’s. “I’m fascinated with people that have something going on with their skin because it’s just the most interesting, artistic, natural thing,” Marino says. “For me, there’s an amazing beauty to how Adam looks. This was not about a scary face or a monstrous person. I don’t like to do things like that with no soul or purpose.”

Marino’s passion for makeup and prosthetics took root early in life, inspired by industry legends like Dick Smith (“The Exorcist”) and Rick Baker (“An American Werewolf in London”). Growing up in New York, Marino started honing his skills as a preteen by practicing on his friends with latex, foam and various chemicals, destroying his bedroom rug in the process, to the chagrin of his parents. While still in high school, he mailed his portfolio to Smith and received encouragement and advice by phone from the makeup legend, who won an Oscar in 1985 for “Amadeus” and earned an honorary Academy Award for his life’s work in 2012. “Once he acknowledged me, it was like, OK, this is serious. There was no stopping me.”

After cutting his teeth on “Saturday Night Live” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Marino broke into film with the 2007 psychological thriller “Anamorph” and quickly became known for his versatility, seamlessly switching between fantasy creatures and more subtle, realistic applications. His work on Darren Aronofsky’s “Black Swan” amplified the film’s psychological horror, while on Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” he enhanced the film’s digital de-aging of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino with carefully crafted prosthetics.

Outside of film, Marino created the Weeknd’s plastic-surgery-gone-wrong look for the singer’s “Save Your Tears” video. “It’s all problems to solve,” Marino says. “There is no playbook.”

Diving into “A Different Man,” Marino used photographs and 3D scans of Pearson’s face, which has undergone some 40 surgeries over the years, as the basis for a multi-piece silicone prosthetic that would work with Stan’s features. “There was no way I could completely replicate Adam’s exact proportions,” he says. “I had to make some aesthetic choices.”

While the makeup work in “The Elephant Man” benefited from that film’s grainy black-and-white cinematography, the prosthetics in “A Different Man” had to withstand more unforgiving scrutiny. To put his Edward face to the test, Stan would walk from Marino’s makeup chair to the set through the streets of New York and crowds of strangers, giving him tremendous insight into how people treat those who look different.

“I went to my old coffee shop and the same barista who’d served me for years couldn’t identify me,” Stan recalls. “I got to really feel people’s reactions in real time. There were people who couldn’t even look at me, other people were staring and sometimes you’d get a bigger reaction, like, ‘Oh s—, it’s the Elephant Man!’ As Adam puts it, you feel like public property.”

Pearson, who shares his character’s sunny gregariousness, encouraged Stan to think about it like he does with his own experience as a movie star. “I was like, ‘You don’t know the level of invasion I get with people pointing, staring and taking photos, but you do understand a very similar thing from this angle, so lean into that heavily,’ ” he says. “ ‘And if it makes you uncomfortable, lean into it further.’ ”

While wearing the prosthetics, Stan could only see out of one eye and had limited hearing in one ear, challenges that helped further inform his performance as a man who has learned to shy away from potential threats and insults. “Edward is a character that has had to endure a lot of emotional abuse and probably some physical abuse, so he is probably always on his left foot a little bit in case something happens,” Stan says.

As Edward’s face changes following his radical treatment, Marino made additional prosthetics showing the transition, including an “extremely soft, mushy version” that, in a particularly Cronenbergian scene, Stan could pull off in chunks.

Colin Farrell as Oswald Cobblepot in “The Batman,” work for which Marino was Oscar-nominated. (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Marino’s talent for transforming stars is on full display in Farrell’s hulking, thuggish look as the Penguin in 2022’s “The Batman” and the new HBO spinoff series. “When Colin saw the sculpture I made, ideas started exploding,” Marino says. “Once we did a makeup test, it was magical — he knew how to speak, how to walk and he was already the guy.”

Marino, who is preparing to make his directorial debut based on a script he wrote set in the 1980s (“It’s deliberately not effects-heavy,” he hints), has lost none of his passion for the transformative power of latex and silicone since the days he was obsessively poring through issues of Cinefex magazine as a teenager. “If you think of Michelangelo showing beauty 500 years ago in painting and sculpture, I’m still showing that same beauty but in this new hyper-realistic way, in silicone,” says Marino, who named his makeup effects studio Prosthetic Renaissance. “It’s a very unique art. It’s like moving sculptures and paintings all at once.”

As for Pearson, if he were offered an experimental treatment to change his face, like in “A Different Man,” he says he wouldn’t take it. Despite the challenges it has brought him, Pearson believes his face has shaped the life he leads today.

“I joke with my friends that my disability does a lot of heavy lifting for my appalling personality,” he says with a laugh. “Everyone thinks it’s hard to go from non-disabled to disabled but I think the other way around would be even harder. The path we walk and the struggles we go through make us who we are and they’re inseparable from one another.”

[ewh111]

2022 Annual List of Favorite Film & TV Experiences

Happy new year!  

2022 brought back some semblance of normalcy. Highlights include: virtual Sundance Film Festival seeing 16 films in 4 days in January, my first in-person Super Bowl and seeing the LA Rams win in February, return after three year absence of my special fundraiser dinners that I cook (back-to-back nights of a 16 course dinner focused on Shanghai & Sichuan cuisine) in April, attending my 35th college reunion in May, helping to celebrate the life of dear friend and colleague Ted Walch at the end of summer, and in November, going on my first global travel since the pandemic on a work trip (postponed from March 2020) that took me to Sydney, Singapore, Jakarta, Tokyo, and Kyoto. And on the family front, we continued our weekly Sunday family Zooms which began at the outset of the pandemic, still going strong at 146 weeks and counting.

Hope you have had a safe and healthy holiday season and all the best for a fabulous 2023!

Cheers, Ed

And greetings from my girls Freddy and Maxie, aged 10 and 9 respectively.

Now on to this year's compilation of my favorite film and other streaming experiences. I’m still limiting my visits to the movie theater with off-peak visits, so my most of my film intake is still via streaming. Please let me know your thoughts!

Best of the Year

Everything Everywhere All At Once

One of the trippiest film experiences ever! My first question after my initial viewing was "What drugs were the Daniels (as the directors are collectively known) on when they wrote this film? And what kind of pitch did they make to get it made? One of the most original, absurdly outlandish, and description-defying films in recent memory. What seemingly starts as a Chinese immigrant family drama centered around harried traditional mother (Michelle Yeoh), rebellious lesbian daughter, and sweet, endearing father (Ke Huy Quan of Goonies and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) quickly turns into a bonkers, multiverse journey to save the world. Along the way, laundromat owner Yeoh’s embattled audit brings her face-to-face with a delightfully droll Jamie Lee Curtis as meticulous IRS bureaucrat with hilarious interludes involving googly eyes, hot dog fingers, dildoes, butt plugs, and everything bagels. For those of you thoroughly confused, EEAAO does boil down to a story of redemption and reconciliation between mother and daughter and finding joy and meaning in the things that matter in our hectic, fractured daily lives…told in an absurdly funny and crazy way and gets even better after multiple viewings. Trailer: https://youtu.be/wxN1T1uxQ2g

Black Comedies Set on Islands…With Donkeys

Triangle of Sadness

This Cannes Palm d’Or winner intrigued me with its trailer which evoked a luxury yacht-based White Lotus-esque send up of the wealthy, but this dark dramedy threw a completely unexpected curveball, desert-island third-act that stuck with me long after I left the theater. There’s very sharp writing and performances—the verbal jousting over a dinner check, Woody Harrelson’s hilarious Marxist captain trading drunken barbs with a manure-selling Russian capitalist guest, and the ship’s Filipina toilet manager portrayed by a commanding Dolly De Leon who is largely responsible for the memorable third act. The film continues to grow on me with repeated viewing. FYI, this film is not safe for the emetophobic, as there is an overlong scene with projectile vomiting, the likes of which have not been seen since Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. Oh, and be warned that there is also a donkey-beating. Trailer: https://youtu.be/VDvfFIZQIuQ

The Banshees of Inisherin

Great to see the In Bruges duo of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson back together, this time as best friends whose friendship is abruptly cut short by one party which results in ever-increasing, devastating consequences in this bleak but humorous and deeply affecting black comedy from writer-director Martin McDonough. Oh, and Jenny the donkey deserved better. Trailer: https://youtu.be/uRu3zLOJN2c

N.B. It seems to be quite the year for donkeys. I am excited but have yet to see EO, Poland’s Academy Award entry, about the adventures of a donkey named EO.

Pretentious Rich People Getting Their Comeuppance…On An Island

The Menu

As a fan of food, I really enjoyed this comically dark film with Ralph Fiennes playing to perfection the mad genius chef of the Hawthorn, a fictional restaurant on a remote Pacific Northwest island. With a fine ensemble cast directed by Mark Mylod (Succession) and with helping hands from the creator of Chef’s Table as well as the Michelin-starred chef Dominque Crenn, an exclusive $1,250 a head night at the Hawthorn turns into a twisted horror/satire of elevated food experiences and those who partake. Trailer: https://youtu.be/C_uTkUGcHv4

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

If you liked Knives Out, you'll thoroughly enjoy Glass Onion, which gleefully brings back Daniel Craig as dandy Southern super-sleuth Benoit Blanc, this time for a murder mystery party on an island presided over by tech billionaire played by Edward Norton with his friendly band of disruptors including Janelle Monae, Leslie Odom Jr, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, and Kate Hudson. Trailer: https://youtu.be/gj5ibYSz8C0

Films About Musical Royalty

Tár

While I thought this might go down the road of a #metoo or #cancelculture themed movie, this is actually a towering, slow-burn character study with an intense and sensational Cate Blanchett as the fictional Lydia Tár, the EGOT-winning, brilliant and demanding world-class conductor of the Berlin Symphony whose trail of manipulation, abusive behavior, and hubris eventually catches up with her and the resulting finale is…well, I’ll just leave that for you to watch and react. All the accolades for her tremendous performance are well deserved. Trailer: https://youtu.be/Na6gA1RehsU

Elvis

A sensational Austin Butler brings the King back to life on the big screen. Butler truly embodies Elvis in his heartfelt performance. Baz Luhrmann’s film is not so much traditional biopic as it is a musical that captures the spectacle and cultural phenomenon of Elvis, bringing America out of the innocence of the 1950s, as seen through the eyes of Elvis’s notorious manager Col. Tom Parker (Tom Hanks)—and Luhrmann does it in the grand, dazzling style that only he can do. Perhaps a bit garish and bombastic for some, as an unabashed Luhrmann fan, I loved it. Trailer: https://youtu.be/wBDLRvjHVOY

Action Epics Based on Real Life Rebels

RRR

Wow. I was not expecting to be totally enthralled by S.S. Rajamouli’s Tollywood (Telugu language) film. Hands down, RRR (which stands for Rise Roar Revolt) will be the most glorious, hyperbolic, action-bromance-musical political epic spectacle you'll see all year. The laws of physics-defying action scenes are reminiscent of the operatic violence and stylized fight scenes of 300 and John Woo films. Taking place in 1920s British colonial India, the story centers on two men (loosely based on real life rebels), one a tribal warrior and the other an Indian policeman working for the British forces, who become friends, then enemies, and then eventually friends again and team up as Indian revolutionaries against the British Empire in action sequences that are just bonkers. And to top it all off, there are the exuberant Indians vs. Brits dance-off scene and the joyful credits dance number celebrating Indian freedom fighters (check out the extra links below). Don't miss it. Trailer: https://youtu.be/NgBoMJy386M

Naatu Naatu Dance Sequence: https://youtu.be/OsU0CGZoV8E

Solay Credits Sequence: https://youtu.be/2cyzCReoNgU

The Woman King

Based on the true story of a fierce all-woman warrior unit in the West African kingdom of Dahomey in the 19th century, Viola Davis’s powerful performance and Gina Prince-Bythewood’s confident directing elevates this to a full-blown epic with warmth and inspiration. Trailer: https://youtu.be/3RDaPV_rJ1Y

Nope, Not Your Typical Horror Films

Nope

Yup. Jordan Peele has done it again, this time with a UFO pic that raises questions about our society’s fascination with spectacle, as well as obsession in the pursuit of the perfect shot. With stunning visuals (much of the film was shot on IMAX to create a totally immersive feel) and tingly suspense, Peele has created a film whose meaning you can debate all day—Erasure of Black and marginalized people from history? Dangers of taming nature or exploiting trauma for profit? But at the end of the day, Peele has created yet another impressive and indelible piece of work. Trailer: https://youtu.be/In8fuzj3gck

Bones and All

A film about cannibalism? Yup. I was intrigued with where the appeal in this would be. But seen as a metaphor for queerness and addiction, Luca Guadagnino has actually created a tasteful (pun intended) and surprisingly tender romantic cannibal road pic—a flesh-eating Bonnie and Clyde-like trek across Reagan-era middle America. Guadagnino superbly depicts outcasts living on the edge of society, searching for identity and place. Not for the faint of heart, as it does not shy from the gruesomeness of their addiction. Strong performances from Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet, and Mark Rylance with memorable cameos by Chloë Sevigny and an almost unrecognizable Michael Stuhlbarg. Trailer: https://youtu.be/0Nu7Z9AxGNg

More Global Cinema

Decision To Leave

An engrossing, enigmatic slow-burn noir detective mystery with heavy dose of seductive romance and obsessive longing and tinges of Hitchcock’s Vertigo. Winner of the 2022 Cannes Best Director award, Park Chan-wook steps aside from the violence and sex of his earlier films and masterfully pulls you into this intricate web of intrigue, and just when you think you've figured out the tricky complications between the obsessive married insomniac detective and the wife of an apparent suicide victim he’s investigating, Park takes you in a different direction and ultimately to its devastating end. Trailer: https://youtu.be/9aMHyTqvIvU

All Quiet on the Western Front

An impressive and truly stunning German adaptation of the famous German novel about the horrors of war as idealistic and naive boys get swept up in nationalistic fervor only to find the stark realities of being on the front lines of the Great War. A memorable performance by Felix Kammerer in his screen debut as lead character Paul Bäumer, as he experiences the unending hells of war in intimate and personal ways. WWI’s trench warfare with flamethrowers, hand-to-hand combat, and surging tanks is terrifyingly and vividly experienced by Bäumer and indelibly depicted. This epic rivals Sam Mendes's 1917 in its beautifully shot, immersive portrayal of the bleak and brutal wretchedness of pointless war and perhaps the best war film since Saving Private Ryan. Trailer: https://youtu.be/hf8EYbVxtCY

Bullet Train

Ok, this is not an international film, but it does takes place on a Japanese bullet train. High-octane, fun thrill ride of a comedic crime film with code-named hired guns like Ladybug, Tangerine, and Lemon, each with quirky traits, all crossing paths on a Shinkansen in pursuit of a silver briefcase. The smart-alecky, joyful, and fun cast is led by Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry, Bad Bunny, and Sandra Bullock. Enjoy the ride. Trailer: https://youtu.be/0IOsk2Vlc4o

AND OTHER ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCES

Top Gun: Maverick, The Fabelmans, Cha Cha Real Smooth; Good Luck to You, Leo Grande; The Batman, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, The Exiles, Downfall: the Case Against Boeing, Wildcat, My Policeman, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (Nicolas Cage playing himself), Navalny, Turning Red, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio

IN THE QUEUE

Empire of Light, Women Talking, Till, The Whale, Avatar: The Way of Water. Bardo, She Said, Emancipation

FAVORITE STREAMING EXPERIENCES

Heartstopper—LOVE LOVE LOVE this sweet, charming, and adorable story of first love between two British school boys based on the bestselling YA graphic novels. For those who need a total antidote to Euphoria, this is it. Trailer: https://youtu.be/FrK4xPy4ahg

Young Royals—Take Heartstopper, add a large dose of The Crown, and plunk it down in an elite Swedish boarding school and you get this gripping drama involving a teen prince and his love interest from the other side of the tracks. Teen drama that feels real and natural. Trailer: https://youtu.be/rHmw87EpGIM

The Bear—Superbly intense and stress-inducing drama that I couldn’t stop watching, revolving around a young fine dining chef (Jeremy Allen White) who returns home to run his late brother’s Chicago hot beef sandwich eatery and oversee its colorful cast of employees that comprise a dysfunctional “family.” And if, like me, you’ve worked in a restaurant, The Bear is fully capable of giving you PTSD, especially the one-take episode 7. Trailer: https://youtu.be/y-cqqAJIXhs

The White Lotus—Season 2 in Sicily surpasses the first and brings back Jennifer Coolidge!! Trailer: https://youtu.be/Baflc_0XVfY

1899—From the folks who brought you Dark—this time trippy things happen on a cruise ship at the end of the 19th century.  Trailer: https://youtu.be/ulOOON_KYHs

Slow Horses—If you like Gary Oldman, you’ll love this spy drama where he runs an outfit of MI5 castoffs. Trailer: https://youtu.be/O9ZJChzPn0U

The Old Man—Another spy vs. spy drama, this time it’s in America with the CIA, pitting Jeff Bridges vs. John Lithgow. Trailer: https://youtu.be/xDu1Q9r6HDo

The Righteous Gemstones—I’m not sure how I missed this when it first came out, but this hysterical series is the mega-church version of Succession led by patriarch Eli Gemstone played by John Goodman and two sons played by Danny McBride and Adam Devine. It’s an absurd hoot. Trailer: https://youtu.be/t383UpoLV5k

Abbott Elementary—Top notch mockumentary style workplace sitcom that gets teachers and schools with a great cast. Trailer: https://youtu.be/cO-_7oi-61Y

Euphoria—Not for faint of heart. I thought season one was fine, but season two went to a whole different level. Zendaya is amazing. Some of the most realistic and gritty portrayal of addiction and its ripple effects. Trailer: https://youtu.be/0BG3c1ika48

House of the Dragon—For the GOT crowd. Love the dragons! Trailer: https://youtu.be/DotnJ7tTA34

[heavenboy09]

Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊 To A Very Sassy But Strong Willed Latina Actress In The 1# Rebooted Supernatural TV Drama Show Of The WB. Charmed ✨

She is Of Puerto Rican 🇵🇷 Descent

 She is an American film and television actress who has appeared in many independent films, including four shown at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. She received Independent Spirit Awards nominations for performances in films A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints (2006) and Fruitvale Station (2013). From 2018 to 2022, she appeared as the leading role of witch Mel Vera on the remake television series Charmed on The CW.

Please Wish This Outstanding Latina Actress A Very Happy Birthday 🎂 🥳 🎉 🎈 🎁 🎊

Ms. Melonie Diaz 🇵🇷 aka Mel Vera Of The Charmed Ones #MelonieDiaz #MelVera #Charmed

[aunti-christ-ine]

Acclaimed Daniel Roher-directed Documentary Investigates Assassination Attempt on Putin Adversary

CNN Films will broadcast the Sundance sensation, NAVALNY, directed by DanielRoher, on Saturday, Jan. 14, at 9:00pm Eastern on CNN.  As the world watches Russia’s brutal aggression continue against Ukraine, the gripping investigation of the 2020 attempted assassination of Alexey Navalny reminds the world of the serious repression and danger the Russian government presents to its own citizens. 

Just months after the attempt on his life, and during the height of the global coronavirus pandemic, Alexey Navalny and his family allowed Roher exclusive access to document his physical recovery from their secret location.  Roher and the production team weave interviews with the former Russian presidential candidate and his family, as well as Navalny’s Russian Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) colleagues, to describe the events leading up to the attempt upon his life that the world first witnessed via social media.  Later, together with investigative journalists led by Christo Grozev, the executive director of Bellingcat, the team reveals a sprawling web of Russian government surveillance that had tracked the Putin opposition leader for years, ultimately exposing a shocking plot to poison him with the Russian government-linked nerve toxin, Novichok.

“Daniel and his team secured extraordinary access to a story of immense global significance,” said Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent and content development for CNN Worldwide, on behalf of CNN Films.  “The film is a window into a rigorous and disciplined investigation that, beyond exposing the serious stakes for one man and his family, offers a view into the sobering stakes for a citizenry when a nation oppresses its own people.  NAVALNY is the kind of documentary that defines CNN Films.”

NAVALNY is currently nominated by the Producers Guild of America for its 2023 documentary motion picture award, nominated by the Cinema Eye Honors for the best nonfiction feature category, and named as a 2023 finalist by the duPont-Columbia Awards. NAVALNY was honored with the Audience Award in the U.S. Documentary competition, and the fan-selected Festival Favorite Award, following its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.  NAVALNY is produced by Odessa Rae of RaeFilm Studios, Diane Becker and Melanie Miller of Fishbowl Films, and Shane Boris of Cottage M.  Amy Entelis and Courtney Sexton of CNN Films, and Maria Pevchikh of the FBK, are executive producers of the documentary. The editorial team was led by Langdon Page and Maya Daisy Hawke. 

NAVALNY currently has a 99% Tomatometer® score at Rotten Tomatoes.  It was theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures.  During the Jan. 14 broadcast on CNN, NAVALNY will also stream live for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com and CNN OTT and mobile apps under “TV Channels,” or CNNgo where available.  NAVALNY will be available On Demand beginning Sunday, Jan. 15, to pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN apps, and Cable Operator Platforms.  It is also available to stream via HBO Max.  Viewers can interact with others across social media by using the hashtag #NAVALNY.

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