Of all the heady-cool, matrix-of-reality, the-digital-future-is-now movies released in 1999, “Run Lola Run” may have been the 1999iest. Sure, “The Matrix” was the sci-fi landmark that bullet-timed audiences into the 21st century. But science-fiction movies have always looked ahead. That’s their job. (Maybe the first true movie of 1999 was “2001: A Space Odyssey.”) “Run Lola Run” was a candy-colored punk Berlin fantasia set in this world, and that was its glory.
The movie is being rereleased, starting Friday, June 7, in a new 4K version to mark the 25th anniversary of its release in America. (It came out in Germany the year before.) And what a difference a quarter of a century makes! The days of our lives now run on digital kinetic energy. Our stories live in multiverses. Our imaginations hum and click to the mutating magic of technological possibility. When we don’t like reality, we reset it. “Run Lola Run” foresaw all that,...
The movie is being rereleased, starting Friday, June 7, in a new 4K version to mark the 25th anniversary of its release in America. (It came out in Germany the year before.) And what a difference a quarter of a century makes! The days of our lives now run on digital kinetic energy. Our stories live in multiverses. Our imaginations hum and click to the mutating magic of technological possibility. When we don’t like reality, we reset it. “Run Lola Run” foresaw all that,...
- 6/7/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
[Update: Variety has confirmed that "Creep 3" is actually "The Creep Tapes," a new series! This article has been updated with additional information.]
Babe, wake up! New "Creep" sequel news just dropped! 10 years ago, Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice unleashed the found footage film "Creep," in which an aspiring filmmaker named Aaron (Brice) answers an ad posted on Craiglist by an allegedly terminally ill man named Josef (Duplass) looking to make videos for his unborn child to watch after he's passed. Aaron arrives to record Josef's "day in the life" videos believing he's doing something noble, but quickly realizes that there's something seriously wrong with the man who hired him for the job.
The film arrived seven years after the success of "Paranormal Activity" inspired an explosion of found footage horror, which at this point had jumped the shark in terms of practical believability. "Creep" dropped on Netflix and became a huge hit through word of mouth,...
Babe, wake up! New "Creep" sequel news just dropped! 10 years ago, Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice unleashed the found footage film "Creep," in which an aspiring filmmaker named Aaron (Brice) answers an ad posted on Craiglist by an allegedly terminally ill man named Josef (Duplass) looking to make videos for his unborn child to watch after he's passed. Aaron arrives to record Josef's "day in the life" videos believing he's doing something noble, but quickly realizes that there's something seriously wrong with the man who hired him for the job.
The film arrived seven years after the success of "Paranormal Activity" inspired an explosion of found footage horror, which at this point had jumped the shark in terms of practical believability. "Creep" dropped on Netflix and became a huge hit through word of mouth,...
- 6/4/2024
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Go for the movie. Stay for the popcorn.
The Dune 2 popcorn bucket has been joined by a Deadpool 3 model that resembles Wolverine’s head. Its oversized mouth is the actual receptacle for the tasty snack.
The new buckets were unveiled today in videos posted by Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and film director Shawn Levy on social media. The identical videos all carried the song Also Sprach Zarathustra, best known from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
No information has been released on the price point for the stylish bucket, or where it will be available. The Dune 2 bucket cost $24.99 and quickly sold out.
“Deadpool and Wolverine” hits theaters on July 26.
Don’t try to butter me up. #deadpoolandwolverine ❤️...
The Dune 2 popcorn bucket has been joined by a Deadpool 3 model that resembles Wolverine’s head. Its oversized mouth is the actual receptacle for the tasty snack.
The new buckets were unveiled today in videos posted by Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) and film director Shawn Levy on social media. The identical videos all carried the song Also Sprach Zarathustra, best known from the film 2001: A Space Odyssey.
No information has been released on the price point for the stylish bucket, or where it will be available. The Dune 2 bucket cost $24.99 and quickly sold out.
“Deadpool and Wolverine” hits theaters on July 26.
Don’t try to butter me up. #deadpoolandwolverine ❤️...
- 5/30/2024
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Move over, “Dune,” there’s a new bang-able popcorn bucket in town.
Ryan Reynolds has revealed the new popcorn bucket created for “Deadpool and Wolverine” on social media Thursday — and the video is just as inappropriate as you’d expect from the R-rated superhero.
Inspired by the viral “Dune 2” popcorn bucket, the “Deadpool 3” receptacle is modeled after Wolverine’s head, but it has a comically oversized mouth you can fill with popcorn (or your movie snack of choice). Reynolds unveiled the bucket with a short video set to the epic song “Also Sprach Zarathustra” from “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
In the video, Deadpool slowly caresses the Wolverine popcorn bucket as the camera zooms in on its plastic features. Popcorn then falls from above and fills up the Wolverine mouth; and to top it all off, butter drizzles down his nose. It’s the latest viral marketing stunt for “Deadpool and Wolverine,...
Ryan Reynolds has revealed the new popcorn bucket created for “Deadpool and Wolverine” on social media Thursday — and the video is just as inappropriate as you’d expect from the R-rated superhero.
Inspired by the viral “Dune 2” popcorn bucket, the “Deadpool 3” receptacle is modeled after Wolverine’s head, but it has a comically oversized mouth you can fill with popcorn (or your movie snack of choice). Reynolds unveiled the bucket with a short video set to the epic song “Also Sprach Zarathustra” from “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
In the video, Deadpool slowly caresses the Wolverine popcorn bucket as the camera zooms in on its plastic features. Popcorn then falls from above and fills up the Wolverine mouth; and to top it all off, butter drizzles down his nose. It’s the latest viral marketing stunt for “Deadpool and Wolverine,...
- 5/30/2024
- by Jordan Moreau
- Variety Film + TV
‘Queen of the Deuce’ Review: A Fun Footnote About a Behind-The-Scenes Mogul of the Sexual Revolution
Over half a century ago, movies were changing at warp speed, with censorship boundaries falling and artistic ones expanding, as remembered from such game-changers as “Bonnie and Clyde,” “I Am Curious (Yellow)” and “2001: A Space Odyssey.” You probably do not remember the likes of “Whip’s Women,” “Come Ride the Wild Pink Horse,” “Once Upon a Body” or “Scare Their Pants Off!” — and good luck finding them now, since many such disposable late-1960s “adults only” features are assumed lost now. But they, too, made the ’60s “swing,” while making fortunes for individuals like the subject of “Queen of the Deuce.”
Valerie Kontakos’ documentary is about a singular character, one Chelly Wilson. She was the unlikely queenpin of the 42nd St. porn emporiums that flourished for a couple decades, until home video and other factors led to their gradual demise. Entering the biz when softcore had not yet turned...
Valerie Kontakos’ documentary is about a singular character, one Chelly Wilson. She was the unlikely queenpin of the 42nd St. porn emporiums that flourished for a couple decades, until home video and other factors led to their gradual demise. Entering the biz when softcore had not yet turned...
- 5/23/2024
- by Dennis Harvey
- Variety Film + TV
The most notorious unmade Stanley Kubrick project is probably his "Napoleon," a massive biopic that the director infamously researched for years. In 2012, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art hosted a Kubrick exhibit, and guests were permitted to see Kubrick's filing cabinet where he stored thousands of hand-written notecards, each one detailing a single day in Napoleon Bonaparte's life. Kubrick worked on "Napoleon" in the 1970s, and claimed he wanted Jack Nicholson to play the part. Kubrick wrote a screenplay, secured filming locations in Romania, and was all ready to go. The 1970 film "Waterloo" bombed, however, and the then-recent film version of "War and Peace" threatened to flood the market with too much Napoleon. A lot of Kubrick's "Napoleon" research went into the production of 1975's "Barry Lyndon."
Kubrick's unrealized projects are plentiful. Audiences may also know all about Kubrick's plans to make "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence" near the end of his life,...
Kubrick's unrealized projects are plentiful. Audiences may also know all about Kubrick's plans to make "A.I.: Artificial Intelligence" near the end of his life,...
- 5/14/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered if any film could capture the awe-inspiring vastness of the cosmos? Many directors have soared through the stars in science fiction, but one visionary’s belief is as enduring as the galaxy itself. George Lucas, the renowned creator of the epic Star Wars, has a deep appreciation for a cinematic masterpiece that even his own galactic saga cannot match: Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey.
George Lucas [Photo: Joey Gannon/Wikimedia Commons]Lucas made cinematic history in 1977 with Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, an instant classic that catapulted science fiction to the forefront of popular culture. Despite his phenomenal success, he remains convinced that Kubrick’s 1968 magnum opus is an unmatched masterpiece, a celestial pinnacle that no filmmaker in the near future can hope to surpass.
The film starred Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood in the leading roles.
George Lucas [Photo: Joey Gannon/Wikimedia Commons]Lucas made cinematic history in 1977 with Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, an instant classic that catapulted science fiction to the forefront of popular culture. Despite his phenomenal success, he remains convinced that Kubrick’s 1968 magnum opus is an unmatched masterpiece, a celestial pinnacle that no filmmaker in the near future can hope to surpass.
The film starred Keir Dullea and Gary Lockwood in the leading roles.
- 5/10/2024
- by Siddhika Prajapati
- FandomWire
The theatrical-only release of "Dune: Part Two" back in March of 2024 was an unequivocal success, both at the box office and within the cultural conversation. Even though the film is now available for digital rental and purchase, it's still playing in movie theaters and is still being talked about, debated over, and memed (the latter being the biggest bellwether for a piece of media's impact in pop culture these days).
As the old saying goes, failure is an orphan while success has many fathers. Did "Dune: Part Two" succeed solely on its own merits? Was it helped by a robust press tour, along with a buzzworthy, unintentionally raunchy popcorn bucket tie-in? Was it the fanbase of the "Dune" franchise that helped boost its popularity? Or — and this is the most pertinent question — had audiences been primed for the next chapter thanks to 2021's "Dune: Part One?"
If the answer to that last question is "Yes,...
As the old saying goes, failure is an orphan while success has many fathers. Did "Dune: Part Two" succeed solely on its own merits? Was it helped by a robust press tour, along with a buzzworthy, unintentionally raunchy popcorn bucket tie-in? Was it the fanbase of the "Dune" franchise that helped boost its popularity? Or — and this is the most pertinent question — had audiences been primed for the next chapter thanks to 2021's "Dune: Part One?"
If the answer to that last question is "Yes,...
- 5/3/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
10. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Whenever Stanley Kubrick is involved, you know there has to be something outstanding. 2001: A Space Odyssey follows an adventure to Jupiter where the astronauts have to oppose their board computer that tries to stop them…
But more than a good movie, it’s an unforgettable visual experience, an experiment in bizarre.
You can watch 2001: A Space Odyssey on Max, Netflix, and Prime Video.
9. Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time In America isn’t special due to its captivating story of a small-time criminal turned mafia kingpin. The movie's sensational visuals could have been less impressive in our eyes, too — if not for the fact that in 1984, there was no CGI, and its stunning shots were all done with practical effects alone.
You can watch Once Upon A Time In America on Netflix and Prime Video.
8. Life of Pi...
Whenever Stanley Kubrick is involved, you know there has to be something outstanding. 2001: A Space Odyssey follows an adventure to Jupiter where the astronauts have to oppose their board computer that tries to stop them…
But more than a good movie, it’s an unforgettable visual experience, an experiment in bizarre.
You can watch 2001: A Space Odyssey on Max, Netflix, and Prime Video.
9. Once Upon A Time In America (1984)
Sergio Leone’s Once Upon A Time In America isn’t special due to its captivating story of a small-time criminal turned mafia kingpin. The movie's sensational visuals could have been less impressive in our eyes, too — if not for the fact that in 1984, there was no CGI, and its stunning shots were all done with practical effects alone.
You can watch Once Upon A Time In America on Netflix and Prime Video.
8. Life of Pi...
- 5/2/2024
- by dean-black@startefacts.com (Dean Black)
- STartefacts.com
With films like The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick’s legacy will live on for centuries to come. During his life and even after his death in 1999, he’s widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers to have ever graced the film industry with his talent. But even a man of his caliber had to have been a fan of someone, and that “someone” for Stanley Kubrick was none other than James Cameron.
Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980)
James Cameron has been responsible for helming some of the most unforgettable and successful films in Hollywood. Therefore, it makes sense that Stanley Kubrick would be in awe of some of his work, and the feeling was mutual between the directors. When James Cameron decided to give himself a birthday present by meeting Stanley Kubrick, he was shocked to learn just how much of a True Lies fan he was.
Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining (1980)
James Cameron has been responsible for helming some of the most unforgettable and successful films in Hollywood. Therefore, it makes sense that Stanley Kubrick would be in awe of some of his work, and the feeling was mutual between the directors. When James Cameron decided to give himself a birthday present by meeting Stanley Kubrick, he was shocked to learn just how much of a True Lies fan he was.
- 4/29/2024
- by Mishkaat Khan
- FandomWire
Stanley Kubrick was a peculiar man and so it’s really no wonder that his list of favorite films is so diverse. There are works by Welles and Chaplin and Bergman, but he also dug White Men Can’t Jump and The Jerk. Kubrick, too, apparently took to True Lies – so much so that he sat director James Cameron down and asked just how he pulled it off.
Back in the ‘90s, James Cameron decided to give himself a special 40th birthday present: the chance to meet Stanley Kubrick. And so after he gave him a call, he finally did so, encountering the legendary director between Full Metal Jacket and what would be his final film a few years later, Eyes Wide Shut. But Cameron was in for a surprise, as Kubrick was less interested in expounding on the depths of 2001: A Space Odyssey or playing chess but rather...
Back in the ‘90s, James Cameron decided to give himself a special 40th birthday present: the chance to meet Stanley Kubrick. And so after he gave him a call, he finally did so, encountering the legendary director between Full Metal Jacket and what would be his final film a few years later, Eyes Wide Shut. But Cameron was in for a surprise, as Kubrick was less interested in expounding on the depths of 2001: A Space Odyssey or playing chess but rather...
- 4/27/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
British special effects artist Roger Dicken, best known for his work on Ridley Scott’s Alien and the 1970s sci-fi thriller When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth has died. He was 84.
Dicken died on February 18 at his home in North Wales. His career began in the mid-60s when he accepted a freelance effects role on a sprawling sci-fi feature helmed by an ambitious American filmmaker named Stanley Kubrick. The project would end up being the seminal 2001: A Space Odyssey. Dicken created miniature moon terrains for the pic. His work would ultimately go uncredited.
Following his sojourn in space with Kubrick, Dicken found work on the Michael Reeves feature Witchfinder General before lending his hand to When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth by Val Guest. Dicken and Jim Danforth shared a Best Special Visual Effects Oscar nomination for their work on the film.
Dicken went on to work on Ridley Scott’s Alien.
Dicken died on February 18 at his home in North Wales. His career began in the mid-60s when he accepted a freelance effects role on a sprawling sci-fi feature helmed by an ambitious American filmmaker named Stanley Kubrick. The project would end up being the seminal 2001: A Space Odyssey. Dicken created miniature moon terrains for the pic. His work would ultimately go uncredited.
Following his sojourn in space with Kubrick, Dicken found work on the Michael Reeves feature Witchfinder General before lending his hand to When Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth by Val Guest. Dicken and Jim Danforth shared a Best Special Visual Effects Oscar nomination for their work on the film.
Dicken went on to work on Ridley Scott’s Alien.
- 4/18/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
When 1980’s Airplane! proved to be a massive hit, becoming one of the highest-grossing films of the year – up there with The Empire Strikes Back and Best Picture winner Kramer vs. Kramer – it was inevitable that it would get a sequel. But how often are comedy sequels good anyway? When have they ever really recaptured the magic and the laughter of the original? Well, Airplane II: The Sequel gave it a go…by basically being the same movie. Except this time around, Zaz wisely opted out, leaving the production without the strong leaders who reinvented the spoof genre. Instead, they got the guy who wrote Grease 2, one of the most notoriously awful sequels ever! So, strap in – no, not to an airplane but a space shuttle – as we find out: Wtf Happened to This Movie?!…The Sequel!
1980’s Airplane! did incredibly well upon release, making just under $85 million on a $3.5 million budget,...
1980’s Airplane! did incredibly well upon release, making just under $85 million on a $3.5 million budget,...
- 4/17/2024
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Hey there, fellow adventurers of the cinematic cosmos! If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably found yourself utterly captivated by the wonders of science fiction on the big screen.
Something about soaring through uncharted galaxies, unraveling the mysteries of time and space, and delving into the depths of human imagination ignites my excitement.
Related: 10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time, Ranked by Viewers
Trust me, this isn’t just a list; it’s a ticket to a breathtaking journey through cinematic innovation.
So, fellow star travelers, get ready to venture into a universe of unparalleled storytelling and exhilarating exploration. Buckle up because this will be a ride you won’t want to miss!
A Personal Odyssey into Sci-Fi Universes
As a passionate film enthusiast and a sci-fi fan, I’ve traversed the galaxies of cinema in search of the most intriguing and boundary-pushing films the genre offers.
The allure of envisioning the future,...
Something about soaring through uncharted galaxies, unraveling the mysteries of time and space, and delving into the depths of human imagination ignites my excitement.
Related: 10 Best Sci-Fi Movies of All Time, Ranked by Viewers
Trust me, this isn’t just a list; it’s a ticket to a breathtaking journey through cinematic innovation.
So, fellow star travelers, get ready to venture into a universe of unparalleled storytelling and exhilarating exploration. Buckle up because this will be a ride you won’t want to miss!
A Personal Odyssey into Sci-Fi Universes
As a passionate film enthusiast and a sci-fi fan, I’ve traversed the galaxies of cinema in search of the most intriguing and boundary-pushing films the genre offers.
The allure of envisioning the future,...
- 4/15/2024
- by Pia Vermaak
- buddytv.com
Many dream of meeting their idols, but for filmmakers, encountering a legend like Stanley Kubrick (the genius behind classics like 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining) is whole lot of a different experience. Well, that’s what happened to James Cameron, the visionary director behind Avatar and Titanic.
James Cameron on the sets of Titanic
Once, Cameron decided to surprise Kubrick with a visit, hoping to chat about filmmaking and maybe get some tips. However, upon arriving, he discovered that the big-shot director was actually interested in his own work!
James Cameron’s 1994 Flick Captivated Stanley Kubrick’s Curiosity
James Cameron with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis on the sets of True Lies
James Cameron, who has always been vocal about his admiration for Stanley Kubrick‘s masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey, wanted to make his 40th birthday truly special. So, he took a bold step and decided...
James Cameron on the sets of Titanic
Once, Cameron decided to surprise Kubrick with a visit, hoping to chat about filmmaking and maybe get some tips. However, upon arriving, he discovered that the big-shot director was actually interested in his own work!
James Cameron’s 1994 Flick Captivated Stanley Kubrick’s Curiosity
James Cameron with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis on the sets of True Lies
James Cameron, who has always been vocal about his admiration for Stanley Kubrick‘s masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey, wanted to make his 40th birthday truly special. So, he took a bold step and decided...
- 4/3/2024
- by Shreya Jha
- FandomWire
It doesn't mean anything to say a movie is "perfect" in any objective sense. Unless Rotten Tomatoes says it does, of course.
The website that Martin Scorsese considers "hostile to filmmakers" and which would have you believe that Rick Alverson's excellent "The Comedy" is a complete dud, is to many people the be-all and end-all of movie analysis. The site occupies such a vaunted position within film discourse that it has an inordinate sway over our own viewing habits. We've all been scrolling through some streaming service only to skip over a film because of a low Rt score that is, for some reason, baked right into the interface. Likewise, if Rotten Tomatoes says a movie is "Fresh" then people are going to pay attention.
Look, it doesn't matter that last year a Rotten Tomatoes hacking scandal emerged, or that movie studios and streamers rely far too much on...
The website that Martin Scorsese considers "hostile to filmmakers" and which would have you believe that Rick Alverson's excellent "The Comedy" is a complete dud, is to many people the be-all and end-all of movie analysis. The site occupies such a vaunted position within film discourse that it has an inordinate sway over our own viewing habits. We've all been scrolling through some streaming service only to skip over a film because of a low Rt score that is, for some reason, baked right into the interface. Likewise, if Rotten Tomatoes says a movie is "Fresh" then people are going to pay attention.
Look, it doesn't matter that last year a Rotten Tomatoes hacking scandal emerged, or that movie studios and streamers rely far too much on...
- 3/21/2024
- by Joe Roberts
- Slash Film
Oppenheimer Maker Christopher Nolan’s Net Worth In 2024. (Photo Credit – IMDb)
Christopher Nolan was under the limelight at the 96th Academy Awards or the Oscars. His movie Oppenheimer has done fabulously well at the box office and has made an impressive contribution to his great fortune. Nolan and his team have taken away every major award this season, and the Oscars were no different. He won his first Oscars for best picture and directing. Keep scrolling for more.
The British-American filmmaker was born in Westminster, London, to Brendan James Nolan and Christina Jensen. His father, Brendan, worked as a creative director. For the unversed, Nolan holds both UK and US citizenship. Science fiction films like Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey, along with the works of Ridley Scott, inspired Nolan.
Christopher Nolan’s first feature was Following, which came out in 1998. He wrote, directed, photographed, and edited the film.
Christopher Nolan was under the limelight at the 96th Academy Awards or the Oscars. His movie Oppenheimer has done fabulously well at the box office and has made an impressive contribution to his great fortune. Nolan and his team have taken away every major award this season, and the Oscars were no different. He won his first Oscars for best picture and directing. Keep scrolling for more.
The British-American filmmaker was born in Westminster, London, to Brendan James Nolan and Christina Jensen. His father, Brendan, worked as a creative director. For the unversed, Nolan holds both UK and US citizenship. Science fiction films like Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey, along with the works of Ridley Scott, inspired Nolan.
Christopher Nolan’s first feature was Following, which came out in 1998. He wrote, directed, photographed, and edited the film.
- 3/13/2024
- by Esita Mallik
- KoiMoi
“Godzilla Minus One” already made history at the Oscars on January 23 when it became the first film in the Godzilla franchise’s 70 years to be nominated for Best Visual Effects. Now, director Takashi Yamazaki can claim the title of Japan’s first ever winner of the Best Visual Effects Oscar. Even more, this is the first Godzilla film to win an Oscar, period.
Yet even more history was by the Toho Studios production on March 10 at the 96th Academy Awards: director Yamazaki is also the winner of this particular Visual Effects prize, as he also served as the film’s visual effects supervisor. A director winning the Best Visual Effects Academy Award has only happened once more before, with Stanley Kubrick taking the honor in 1969 for “2001: A Space Odyssey” as VFX supervisor on that Best Picture nominee as well. (That’s also the only Oscar Kubrick won in his nearly 50-year-long career.
Yet even more history was by the Toho Studios production on March 10 at the 96th Academy Awards: director Yamazaki is also the winner of this particular Visual Effects prize, as he also served as the film’s visual effects supervisor. A director winning the Best Visual Effects Academy Award has only happened once more before, with Stanley Kubrick taking the honor in 1969 for “2001: A Space Odyssey” as VFX supervisor on that Best Picture nominee as well. (That’s also the only Oscar Kubrick won in his nearly 50-year-long career.
- 3/11/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
The writing process of "2001: A Space Odyssey" is the stuff of cinema legend. Stanley Kubrick wanted to make a science fiction movie about humanity's place in the universe -- one that would be careful to capture the awe, mystery, and grandeur of such a meditation. He initially looked to an Arthur C. Clarke short story called "The Sentinal," but would ultimately collaborate with Clarke more directly. Their screenplay for "2001" and Clarke's novel were written simultaneously. It's hard to say if the screenplay is based on the book or if the book is a novelization of the screenplay.
"2001: A Space Odyssey" is full of cosmic mysteries and eerie iconography that may seem a little baffling at first. Why, some first-time-watching teens may ask, does the picture start in the distant, prehistoric past when humans hadn't yet evolved on Earth? What is the meaning of the strange black monoliths that appear periodically throughout the film?...
"2001: A Space Odyssey" is full of cosmic mysteries and eerie iconography that may seem a little baffling at first. Why, some first-time-watching teens may ask, does the picture start in the distant, prehistoric past when humans hadn't yet evolved on Earth? What is the meaning of the strange black monoliths that appear periodically throughout the film?...
- 3/10/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
When Gene Roddenberry began developing the screenplay for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" in 1975, expectations for how a science fiction film could look and feel were rapidly shifting. "2001: A Space Odyssey" offered moviegoers a 70mm trip to outer space, while "The Omega Man," "Soylent Green," and the "Planet of the Apes" series fed off the sociopolitical tumult of the times to thrust audiences into dystopian futures of our own foolish making.
Where did a show that was, at its core, a dream of racially and ethnically inclusive space exploration fit in an era of consciousness-raising spectacle and pessimistic earthbound forecasting? Though the series had failed to enthrall a sizable enough viewership to survive more than three seasons during its initial run on NBC in the late 1960s, "Star Trek" had become popular in syndication with 1970s couch potatoes. There was clearly a hunger for more, and there weren't any...
Where did a show that was, at its core, a dream of racially and ethnically inclusive space exploration fit in an era of consciousness-raising spectacle and pessimistic earthbound forecasting? Though the series had failed to enthrall a sizable enough viewership to survive more than three seasons during its initial run on NBC in the late 1960s, "Star Trek" had become popular in syndication with 1970s couch potatoes. There was clearly a hunger for more, and there weren't any...
- 3/3/2024
- by Jeremy Smith
- Slash Film
In a stunning cinematic universe where sand dunes rise like mountains and the fate of galaxies hangs in the balance, Denis Villeneuve’s first voyage into the Frank Herbert’s “Dune” saga clinched six of its 10 Oscar nominations. Yet, in a twist as dramatic as Dr. Wellington killing Duke Leto, Villeneuve found himself overlooked in the best director category — a snub that left fans (and pundits) in disbelief. I dare the Academy’s Directors Branch to make such an omission once again.
As “Dune: Part Two” unfolds, we dive back into the treacherous universe alongside Paul Atreides, played by the ever-charismatic Timothée Chalamet. Seeking vengeance for his father’s death (Oscar Isaac), Paul’s journey intertwines with new allies and enemies, portrayed by a constellation of stars including Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem and Christopher Walken.
Villeneuve, a contemporary maestro of the screen, has spent over...
As “Dune: Part Two” unfolds, we dive back into the treacherous universe alongside Paul Atreides, played by the ever-charismatic Timothée Chalamet. Seeking vengeance for his father’s death (Oscar Isaac), Paul’s journey intertwines with new allies and enemies, portrayed by a constellation of stars including Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem and Christopher Walken.
Villeneuve, a contemporary maestro of the screen, has spent over...
- 3/2/2024
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
The background is well-known to Trekkies. Throughout the 1970s, "Star Trek" exploded in popularity. This was thanks largely to some sweet eternal syndication deals, which allowed the series to stay on the air pretty much in perpetuity. In the mid-'70s, "Star Trek" conventions were born, revealing to the world that there was a passionate, ultra-nerdy contingency of Trek fans willing to discuss and celebrate their pop obsession in public. It was at these conventions that series creator Gene Roddenberry opened an ongoing conversation with Trekkies as to what made his series so appealing. One could argue that it wasn't until these conversations that Roddenberry discovered the depth of his show, and the pragmatic philosophies of pacifism and diplomacy it represented.
It was in 1975 that Roddenberry began working on a "Star Trek" movie, although that early concept fell apart over some complex script issues. After that, Roddenberry began work on "Star Trek: Phase II,...
It was in 1975 that Roddenberry began working on a "Star Trek" movie, although that early concept fell apart over some complex script issues. After that, Roddenberry began work on "Star Trek: Phase II,...
- 2/25/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
In the late Spring of 1979, Paramount Pictures' production of "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was in big trouble. With a looming release date of December 7 of that year, the film was still struggling to be completed, with the bulk of its visual effects work yet to be even attempted, let alone finished.
In retrospect, given the movie's production history, this was an inevitable problem. Ever since the original "Star Trek" series was cancelled in the summer of 1969, the franchise had experienced a number of stops and starts when it came to being revived. Around the mid-'70s, creator Gene Roddenberry had seemingly set up a script and a production for the show's leap to the big screen, only for Paramount to pivot and seek to turn that work into a proposed reboot of the series back on television, to be known as "Star Trek: Phase II." That show was literal...
In retrospect, given the movie's production history, this was an inevitable problem. Ever since the original "Star Trek" series was cancelled in the summer of 1969, the franchise had experienced a number of stops and starts when it came to being revived. Around the mid-'70s, creator Gene Roddenberry had seemingly set up a script and a production for the show's leap to the big screen, only for Paramount to pivot and seek to turn that work into a proposed reboot of the series back on television, to be known as "Star Trek: Phase II." That show was literal...
- 2/25/2024
- by Bill Bria
- Slash Film
The fourth "Futurama" movie, "Into the Wild Green Yonder," was released on DVD on February 24, 2009, and it was intended to be the final word on the series ... again. The initial run of "Futurama" ended in 2002 after encountering poor ratings. DVD sales of the show remained robust, however, and Fox agreed to make four straight-to-video "Futurama" movies as a way of resurrecting the series for what was essentially one final season. The four movies did better than expected, and Comedy Central picked up "Futurama" for a third run, starting in 2010. "Futurama" is the brain that wouldn't die.
But for a while, it looked like "Into the Wild Green Yonder" was going to be the last time audiences would ever see "Futurama," and the makers wanted the story to be appropriately epic. The story of "Green Yonder" involves a sudden cosmic surge of Chi, or life-giving energy, that spontaneously pulsates into the galaxy.
But for a while, it looked like "Into the Wild Green Yonder" was going to be the last time audiences would ever see "Futurama," and the makers wanted the story to be appropriately epic. The story of "Green Yonder" involves a sudden cosmic surge of Chi, or life-giving energy, that spontaneously pulsates into the galaxy.
- 2/23/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
On February 7, 2022, special effect pioneer Douglas Trumbull died at the age of 79. He left behind a massive and impressive legacy of cinematic visuals that might be some of the best in the history of the medium. Trumbull worked on the effects for "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," and "Blade Runner." Trumbull was also the inventor of a filming process called Showscan, which involved shooting 70mm film at 60 frames per second. Showscan was meant to increase the visual fidelity of film by a massive margin. Modern-day 8K cameras are close to the visual fidelity of 70mm film, and most movies, despite tinkering by Peter Jackson and Ang Lee, still run at 24 frames per second.
Trumbull's work on Robert Wise's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" might be the most impressive gig of his career merely because of the circumstances under which he worked. The story goes...
Trumbull's work on Robert Wise's "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" might be the most impressive gig of his career merely because of the circumstances under which he worked. The story goes...
- 2/23/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Nominations voting is from January 11–16, 2024, with official Oscar nominations announced on January 23, 2024. Final voting is February 22–27, 2024. And finally, the 96th Oscars telecast will be broadcast on Sunday, March 10, and air live on ABC at 8 p.m. Et/ 5 p.m. Pt. We update predictions throughout awards season, so keep checking IndieWire for all our 2024 Oscar picks.
The State of the Race
Gareth Edwards’ “The Creator” was the big winner at the 22nd Visual Effects Society Awards (held February 21 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel). The AI-themed, sci-fi actioner earned five awards: the top VFX photoreal prize, modeling (Nomad), created environment (Floating Village), effects simulations, and compositing & lighting (Bar).
As an Oscar predictor, though, the Ves has only connected four out of the last seven years, which means the surging “Godzilla Minus One” should not be counted out despite being a non-factor at the Ves Awards (Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.
The State of the Race
Gareth Edwards’ “The Creator” was the big winner at the 22nd Visual Effects Society Awards (held February 21 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel). The AI-themed, sci-fi actioner earned five awards: the top VFX photoreal prize, modeling (Nomad), created environment (Floating Village), effects simulations, and compositing & lighting (Bar).
As an Oscar predictor, though, the Ves has only connected four out of the last seven years, which means the surging “Godzilla Minus One” should not be counted out despite being a non-factor at the Ves Awards (Rocket from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.
- 2/22/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
Adam Sandler has gone pseudo-serious before, from a mentally agitated toilet plunger salesman in Paul Thomas Anderson’s “Punch-Drunk Love” to a depressed comic in Judd Apatow’s “Funny People.” But he’s never been so dour as cosmonaut Jakub Prochazka in Johan Renck’s lonely island of a science-fiction drama, “Spaceman,” where he’s six months into a solitary research mission investigating spectral cloud activity around the planet Jupiter.
Sci-fi cinephiles are certainly familiar with the cinematic wonderments capable of the gas giant, thanks to Stanley Kubrick’s Stargate sequence in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which sends Keir Dullea on an existential trip into Jupiter’s furthest depths. But Renck’s film, written by Colby Day, is too concerned with the far more banal Earthly dramas Jakub has left behind in the form of his wife Lenka (Carey Mulligan), who is preparing to leave him. “Spaceman” is a miserable...
Sci-fi cinephiles are certainly familiar with the cinematic wonderments capable of the gas giant, thanks to Stanley Kubrick’s Stargate sequence in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” which sends Keir Dullea on an existential trip into Jupiter’s furthest depths. But Renck’s film, written by Colby Day, is too concerned with the far more banal Earthly dramas Jakub has left behind in the form of his wife Lenka (Carey Mulligan), who is preparing to leave him. “Spaceman” is a miserable...
- 2/22/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Gareth Edwards’ “The Creator” was the big winner at the 22nd Visual Effects Society Awards (held February 21 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel). The AI-themed, sci-fi actioner earned five awards, including the top photoreal feature VFX prize. The other awards were for modeling (Nomad), created environment (Floating Village), effects simulations, and compositing & lighting (Bar).
“The Creator” utilized an innovative streamlining process in post, in which Ilm designed and placed the naturalistic VFX over the actors playing AI simulants and the photographic plates as set extensions. This made the $80 million indie look like a $200 million blockbuster, with director Edwards shooting the entire film guerilla-style in 80 locations throughout Southeast Asia as the primary camera operator with a small crew and natural light.
Meanwhile, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” the animated feature Oscar favorite (snubbed by the Academy’s VFX branch), took home four awards, including the top animated VFX prize. Sony Pictures Imageworks innovated...
“The Creator” utilized an innovative streamlining process in post, in which Ilm designed and placed the naturalistic VFX over the actors playing AI simulants and the photographic plates as set extensions. This made the $80 million indie look like a $200 million blockbuster, with director Edwards shooting the entire film guerilla-style in 80 locations throughout Southeast Asia as the primary camera operator with a small crew and natural light.
Meanwhile, “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” the animated feature Oscar favorite (snubbed by the Academy’s VFX branch), took home four awards, including the top animated VFX prize. Sony Pictures Imageworks innovated...
- 2/22/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
‘Spaceman’ Review: As a Czech Astronaut Suffocating From Loneliness, Adam Sandler Gets Lost in Space
Adam Sandler, we can all agree, is a serious actor — at times a great one. His comic DNA will often thread its way through his performances, but not always. In “Uncut Gems,” he had a frantic aggro desperation worthy of a Scorsese crime film. In “Hustle,” the crowd-pleasing Netflix sports drama he made after that, he played a pro-basketball scout with a menschy mouthiness that carried the audience right along. So when you sit down to watch “Spaceman” (also made for Netflix), in which Sandler plays a morosely bearded and tired-looking Czechoslovakian astronaut who is six months into a solo mission to the far side of the solar system, you give him the benefit of the doubt. We’ve seen space operas about stranded voyagers before (like Matt Damon’s red-planet Robinson Crusoe in “The Martian”). If any actor has the resources to hold down the center of a movie like this one,...
- 2/21/2024
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
Matt Vesely’s debut references 2001: A Space Odyssey and Arrival, but ably stakes its own territory as a compelling and fastidious piece of work
It takes some guts for any sci-fi film – especially a no-budget one – to pick that title, and to include some eerie wisps of Ligeti-like sounds to get the cosmic hairs rising on the back of your neck. When Monolith isn’t referencing 2001: A Space Odyssey, it also bears some resemblance to Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, with its alien artefacts turning out to be filled with indecipherable glyphs when scanned. But Matt Vesely’s impressive debut ably stakes out its own territory, not least in the vast distances covered by a single on-screen actor and a handful of vocal performances.
After being fired for not doing due diligence on her journalism, the Interviewer (Lily Sullivan) is now slumming it for Beyond Believable, a paranormal podcast.
It takes some guts for any sci-fi film – especially a no-budget one – to pick that title, and to include some eerie wisps of Ligeti-like sounds to get the cosmic hairs rising on the back of your neck. When Monolith isn’t referencing 2001: A Space Odyssey, it also bears some resemblance to Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival, with its alien artefacts turning out to be filled with indecipherable glyphs when scanned. But Matt Vesely’s impressive debut ably stakes out its own territory, not least in the vast distances covered by a single on-screen actor and a handful of vocal performances.
After being fired for not doing due diligence on her journalism, the Interviewer (Lily Sullivan) is now slumming it for Beyond Believable, a paranormal podcast.
- 2/20/2024
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
Acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve recently revealed his four all-time favorite films, spanning sci-fi masterpieces to psychological drama. Topping the list is Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi epic 2001: A Space Odyssey, which Villeneuve deemed “a perfect movie for many reasons.” As Dune 2 is soon to be released, Villeneuve his idea of the best movies of all time.
Denis Villeneuve Names His All-Time Favorite Films
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey
While talking to Letterboxd about his top 4 favorite movies, Denis Villeneuve said:
“My four favorite films, to be honest, that list can change every morning. There’s one of my favorites of all time that’s at top there that stayed there after many years – 2001: A Space Odyssey – for me, a perfect movie for many reasons. Apocalypse Now from Coppola is probably the movie I watch the most in my life; it’s a movie that I absolutely adore.
Denis Villeneuve Names His All-Time Favorite Films
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey
While talking to Letterboxd about his top 4 favorite movies, Denis Villeneuve said:
“My four favorite films, to be honest, that list can change every morning. There’s one of my favorites of all time that’s at top there that stayed there after many years – 2001: A Space Odyssey – for me, a perfect movie for many reasons. Apocalypse Now from Coppola is probably the movie I watch the most in my life; it’s a movie that I absolutely adore.
- 2/19/2024
- by Nivedita Dubey
- FandomWire
Here are two words for those who believe Christopher Nolan can’t possibly lose the Best Director race at this year’s Academy Awards for “Oppenheimer”: Bob Fosse. And here are three more: Francis Ford Coppola.
When you think about how many consider Coppola’s 1972 masterpiece “The Godfather” to be perhaps the greatest American film ever made, it might shock them to learn that while the film won Oscars in ’73 for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor for Marlon Brando, Coppola lost the director race to Fosse for “Cabaret.” Nothing against Fosse or his iconic musical, but his win over Coppola was shocking even if deserved. The lesson is that you simply never know what might happen on Oscar night. “Oppenheimer” could clean up, as is being widely predicted, and Nolan could still somehow miss out even though all indicators tell us it’s a done deal.
SEEOscar...
When you think about how many consider Coppola’s 1972 masterpiece “The Godfather” to be perhaps the greatest American film ever made, it might shock them to learn that while the film won Oscars in ’73 for Best Picture, Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor for Marlon Brando, Coppola lost the director race to Fosse for “Cabaret.” Nothing against Fosse or his iconic musical, but his win over Coppola was shocking even if deserved. The lesson is that you simply never know what might happen on Oscar night. “Oppenheimer” could clean up, as is being widely predicted, and Nolan could still somehow miss out even though all indicators tell us it’s a done deal.
SEEOscar...
- 2/8/2024
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
When “Godzilla Minus One” writer, director, and visual effects supervisor Takashi Yamazaki was nominated for an Academy Award for visual effects this year, he became the first director to be nominated in that category since Stanley Kubrick for his “2001: A Space Odyssey.” Kubrick won that year — the only Oscar ever awarded to the legendary director — and Yamazaki’s extraordinary work on “Godzilla Minus One” makes it seem likely that he could follow in Kubrick’s footsteps. The film is filled with awe-inspiring images, particularly when it comes to Yamazaki’s conception and execution of his famous title character; the rich texture, detail, and weight he brings to the creature make Godzilla the most convincing and terrifying monster of its type since the dinosaurs in “Jurassic Park.”
Yamazaki credits his triple role as writer, director, and visual effects supervisor with streamlining the process, even if sometimes the director cursed what the writer created.
Yamazaki credits his triple role as writer, director, and visual effects supervisor with streamlining the process, even if sometimes the director cursed what the writer created.
- 2/8/2024
- by Jim Hemphill
- Indiewire
With the 2023 Oscar nominations now in hand, it’s clear that Margot Robbie’s exclusion from the best actress race, along with “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig’s director snub, has outraged the blockbuster film’s massive global fanbase. Oscar nominations for supporting players America Ferrera and Ryan Gosling haven’t calmed the social media fury over what is perceived by Robbie fans as an unfathomable and unforgivable oversight.
What everyone seems to be forgetting is that when it comes to Oscar love, especially for actors, Oscar voters annually choose spinach over sweets, meat and potatoes over champagne and caviar. They like their movies serious and meaningful, and their actors tortured by real world woes such as physical disabilities, addictions, mental illness and all the oppressions and injustices that our mad mad world has to offer.
In almost 100 years of the Oscar awards, fantasy and sci-fi film characters, along with actors in comedies,...
What everyone seems to be forgetting is that when it comes to Oscar love, especially for actors, Oscar voters annually choose spinach over sweets, meat and potatoes over champagne and caviar. They like their movies serious and meaningful, and their actors tortured by real world woes such as physical disabilities, addictions, mental illness and all the oppressions and injustices that our mad mad world has to offer.
In almost 100 years of the Oscar awards, fantasy and sci-fi film characters, along with actors in comedies,...
- 1/25/2024
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
“Oppenheimer,” Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster IMAX spectacle and Best Picture frontrunner, dominated the Oscar craft derby with seven nominations on January 23. The historical thriller about theoretical physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) — the conflicted “father of the atomic bomb” — nearly ran the field with cinematography, costume design, production design, makeup and hairstyling, editing, score, and sound. The only misfire was getting snubbed as a visual effects finalist (it did not compete for original song).
Following right behind with six noms were Best Picture nominees “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Poor Things.” Martin Scorsese’s epic historical drama about the Osage Nation murders in 1920s Oklahoma exceeded expectations. It was honored for cinematography, costume design, production design, editing (a record ninth nomination for three-time winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker), score (for the late Robbie Robertson), and, in a surprise, original song for “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” by Scott George.
Following right behind with six noms were Best Picture nominees “Killers of the Flower Moon” and “Poor Things.” Martin Scorsese’s epic historical drama about the Osage Nation murders in 1920s Oklahoma exceeded expectations. It was honored for cinematography, costume design, production design, editing (a record ninth nomination for three-time winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker), score (for the late Robbie Robertson), and, in a surprise, original song for “Wahzhazhe (A Song For My People)” by Scott George.
- 1/23/2024
- by Bill Desowitz
- Indiewire
It took a lot of time — and hair — to transform Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough into Bigfoot. They spent several hours in the makeup chair to don the elaborate prosthetics needed to play two of the eponymous creatures in “Sasquatch Sunset,” a surreal comedic drama that premieres on Friday at the Sundance Film Festival.
“We would arrive — and I would have to shave everything on my face — and then it was two hours in the chair applying hair, makeup and fur, and then climbing into a costume that was specifically made for us,” said Christophe Zajac-Denek, who also stars in the film as one of the mythical beasts, at the Variety Studio presented by Audible. “Tons of fur.”
David Zellner and Nathan Zellner directed “Sasquatch Sunset,” which is vaguely described as “a year in the life of a singular family.” The film, which contains no dialogue (unless you speak Sasquatchese...
“We would arrive — and I would have to shave everything on my face — and then it was two hours in the chair applying hair, makeup and fur, and then climbing into a costume that was specifically made for us,” said Christophe Zajac-Denek, who also stars in the film as one of the mythical beasts, at the Variety Studio presented by Audible. “Tons of fur.”
David Zellner and Nathan Zellner directed “Sasquatch Sunset,” which is vaguely described as “a year in the life of a singular family.” The film, which contains no dialogue (unless you speak Sasquatchese...
- 1/19/2024
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
In 2012, the world’s film critics considered Federico Fellini’s 1963 Oscar-winning “8 ½” one of the 10 greatest films of all time. By 2022, Fellini’s landmark film had fallen out of the top 30.
Once upon a time, director/screenwriter/producer Martin Scorsese had reportedly cited it as his favorite film of all time. More recently it’s come in second for Scorsese, tucked behind Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
Endlessly copied, cribbed from (both consciously and unconsciously) and parodied, it inspired Paul Mazursky’s 1970 film “Alex in Wonderland” (which includes a cameo by Fellini) and was the source material for the Tony-winning musical “Nine.”
Variety’s critic Bob Hawkins was effusive about the film straight out of the gate, reviewing it after its Rome premiere. He noted that it was “an exciting, stimulating monumental creation” and an example of what Hawkins’ deemed “the author-director picture par excellence.”
While Hawkins colorfully described...
Once upon a time, director/screenwriter/producer Martin Scorsese had reportedly cited it as his favorite film of all time. More recently it’s come in second for Scorsese, tucked behind Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
Endlessly copied, cribbed from (both consciously and unconsciously) and parodied, it inspired Paul Mazursky’s 1970 film “Alex in Wonderland” (which includes a cameo by Fellini) and was the source material for the Tony-winning musical “Nine.”
Variety’s critic Bob Hawkins was effusive about the film straight out of the gate, reviewing it after its Rome premiere. He noted that it was “an exciting, stimulating monumental creation” and an example of what Hawkins’ deemed “the author-director picture par excellence.”
While Hawkins colorfully described...
- 1/9/2024
- by Steven Gaydos
- Variety Film + TV
When Warner Brothers released the first teaser trailer for the Barbie movie in December, 2022 heads quite literally rolled — doll heads, that is. The decision to release the movie’s 2001: A Space Odyssey-themed opening scene, featuring a larger-than-life Margot Robbie, in the Original Barbie swimsuit, descending on a population of little girls who had heretofore only known the concept of baby dolls, was a gamble by the filmmakers. But Robbie, who also served as executive producer through her company Lucky Chap, says they all felt it was important that scene be the first thing released.
“I really don’t like that you’re encouraged to just give away your whole movie in a trailer, I think a marketing campaign should be part of the entertainment process,” she said during a recent THR Presents panel, powered by Vision Media. “There should be an element of mystery. What we needed to...
“I really don’t like that you’re encouraged to just give away your whole movie in a trailer, I think a marketing campaign should be part of the entertainment process,” she said during a recent THR Presents panel, powered by Vision Media. “There should be an element of mystery. What we needed to...
- 1/4/2024
- by Seija Rankin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
It's most popularly accepted by Trekkies and by general audiences that, of the 13 "Star Trek" movies to date, Nicholas Meyer's 1982 film "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" is the best. It's certainly the most celebrated, and one might find "The Wrath of Khan" the most commonly programmed Trek flick at repertory movie theaters. It's easy to understand why it's so beloved; "Khan" is, compared to its 1979 predecessor, a straight-up action picture. "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" was a deliberately paced psychedelic light show akin to Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey," and ended with a character evolving into light. "Khan," meanwhile, was a juicy revenge film starring Ricardo Montalbán as an overacting supervillain, hellbent on destruction, and climaxing with a battleship-like, weapons-forward faceoff in a nebula. "Motion Picture" is for meditating. "Khan" is outright thrilling.
When a follow-up to "Motion Picture" was still in development, "Star Trek...
When a follow-up to "Motion Picture" was still in development, "Star Trek...
- 1/1/2024
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
A fascination that began in childhood led to the Apollo 13 star launching his spectacular immersive experience of the moon landings in London
Tom Hanks became obsessed with space travel at almost exactly the moment that he became obsessed with film. Listening to him talk, the two events – their ability to manufacture wonder – remain interchangeable in his mind.
The first awakening came when he went to watch Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey. “I can tell you the day,” he says. “It was a Sunday, it was kind of rainy and it was cold. It was the day the Oakland Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs, November of 1968.” He’d have been 12 years old.
Tom Hanks became obsessed with space travel at almost exactly the moment that he became obsessed with film. Listening to him talk, the two events – their ability to manufacture wonder – remain interchangeable in his mind.
The first awakening came when he went to watch Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey. “I can tell you the day,” he says. “It was a Sunday, it was kind of rainy and it was cold. It was the day the Oakland Raiders beat the Kansas City Chiefs, November of 1968.” He’d have been 12 years old.
- 12/3/2023
- by Tim Adams
- The Guardian - Film News
“Deep Dive” is an in-depth podcast and video essay series featuring interviews with the stars and creative team behind an exceptional piece of filmmaking. For this edition, the IndieWire Crafts and Special Projects team partnered with Warner Bros. to take a closer look at “Barbie” with director and co-writer Greta Gerwig and nine members of her creative team who breathed life into the iconic Mattel doll.
The tagline “Barbie is everything” turns out to be pretty apt. “Barbie” contains within it multiple kinds of high-concept comedy, musicals, action sequences, mother-daughter stories, and a liminal void wherein Barbie (Margot Robbie) can meet her maker, Ruth Handler (Rhea Pearlman), and elect to transcend toyhood to become a human woman. All in less than two hours!
That “Barbie” contains so much and accomplishes so much — stylistically, tonally, and emotionally — is a huge credit to co-writer and director Greta Gerwig and her creative team,...
The tagline “Barbie is everything” turns out to be pretty apt. “Barbie” contains within it multiple kinds of high-concept comedy, musicals, action sequences, mother-daughter stories, and a liminal void wherein Barbie (Margot Robbie) can meet her maker, Ruth Handler (Rhea Pearlman), and elect to transcend toyhood to become a human woman. All in less than two hours!
That “Barbie” contains so much and accomplishes so much — stylistically, tonally, and emotionally — is a huge credit to co-writer and director Greta Gerwig and her creative team,...
- 11/30/2023
- by Sarah Shachat
- Indiewire
No amount of superlatives for "2001: A Space Odyssey" could ever capture just how influential Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece truly was. Over 50 years after first arriving in theaters, countless filmmakers have cited the 1968 classic as the reason they pursued a career in the arts in the first place. Decades-long movie fans and freshman films students alike can appreciate its historical significance ... while also acknowledging that, quite frankly, the epic remains every bit as entertaining as it was divisive and controversial during its original release.
Given its significance in pop culture and film history overall, it's no surprise that interest in "A Space Odyssey" has hardly waned over the decades. That most certainly applies to the cast of the film, the intrepid group of actors who (along with the cutting-edge visuals) made countless viewer buy into the epic journey across the stars authored by Kubrick and co-writer Arthur C. Clarke. Of course,...
Given its significance in pop culture and film history overall, it's no surprise that interest in "A Space Odyssey" has hardly waned over the decades. That most certainly applies to the cast of the film, the intrepid group of actors who (along with the cutting-edge visuals) made countless viewer buy into the epic journey across the stars authored by Kubrick and co-writer Arthur C. Clarke. Of course,...
- 11/26/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Ridley Scott has staged some incredible scenes in his 45+-year career: the duel in his debut The Duellists, the opening shot of Blade Runner, Maximus’ reveal in Gladiator…But the one that stands above all others just might be the chestburster scene from 1979’s Alien, a scene so unique in all of cinema that not even Stanley Kubrick could figure out how it was accomplished.
As Ridley Scott told Deadline, “I talked to Stanley twice. First time, I’d just done Alien, and the office says, Stanley Kubrick is calling. I said, holy f*ck. He says, hi there. Listen, I just watched your movie. I need to ask you a question and I’ll get straight to it. How do you get that thing coming out of his goddamn chest? He said, it scared the sh*t out of me. That was the first exchange. I said, well, what I did,...
As Ridley Scott told Deadline, “I talked to Stanley twice. First time, I’d just done Alien, and the office says, Stanley Kubrick is calling. I said, holy f*ck. He says, hi there. Listen, I just watched your movie. I need to ask you a question and I’ll get straight to it. How do you get that thing coming out of his goddamn chest? He said, it scared the sh*t out of me. That was the first exchange. I said, well, what I did,...
- 11/23/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Director Zack Snyder’s upcoming and highly anticipated sci-fi-fantasy-epic film ‘Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire’ has unveiled a striking new poster which features actress Sofia Boutella as fierce warrior as Kora, a fierce rebel who is aiming her pistol at enemies, likely in a stand-off as the blazing sun, hidden by Jupiter is lighting the sky with gunships behind her, and one ship crashing into the ground.
According to another official synopsis of the film: “After crash landing on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a stranger with a mysterious past, begins a new life among a peaceful settlement of farmers. But she soon becomes their only hope for survival when the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) and his cruel emissary, Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), discover the farmers have unwittingly sold their crops to the Bloodaxes (Cleopatra Coleman and Ray Fisher...
According to another official synopsis of the film: “After crash landing on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a stranger with a mysterious past, begins a new life among a peaceful settlement of farmers. But she soon becomes their only hope for survival when the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) and his cruel emissary, Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), discover the farmers have unwittingly sold their crops to the Bloodaxes (Cleopatra Coleman and Ray Fisher...
- 11/23/2023
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Director Zack Snyder’s upcoming and highly anticipated sci-fi-fantasy-epic film ‘Rebel Moon Part One: A Child of Fire’ has unveiled a striking new poster which features actress Sofia Boutella as fierce warrior as Kora, a fierce rebel who is aiming her pistol at enemies, likely in a stand-off as the blazing sun, hidden by Jupiter is lighting the sky with gunships behind her, and one ship crashing into the ground.
According to another official synopsis of the film: “After crash landing on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a stranger with a mysterious past, begins a new life among a peaceful settlement of farmers. But she soon becomes their only hope for survival when the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) and his cruel emissary, Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), discover the farmers have unwittingly sold their crops to the Bloodaxes (Cleopatra Coleman and Ray Fisher...
According to another official synopsis of the film: “After crash landing on a moon in the furthest reaches of the universe, Kora (Sofia Boutella), a stranger with a mysterious past, begins a new life among a peaceful settlement of farmers. But she soon becomes their only hope for survival when the tyrannical Regent Balisarius (Fra Fee) and his cruel emissary, Admiral Noble (Ed Skrein), discover the farmers have unwittingly sold their crops to the Bloodaxes (Cleopatra Coleman and Ray Fisher...
- 11/23/2023
- by Agency News Desk
From asthmatic youth to breakout director to Oscar winner to TikTok sensation, Martin Scorsese has had quite a career trajectory. But one of these wouldn’t have happened without the help of his daughter — yes, the TikTok one. Scorsese may have a newfound fanbase with his recent ventures on the social media platform but he says he was duped into it by Francesca.
As he awaits his 10th Best Director nod for Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese has seen his popularity on the internet rise — but it has more to do with his short form content than his epic masterpiece. As far as that goes, he insists, “I was tricked into that…That was a trick. I didn’t know those things go viral. They say ‘viral.’ I didn’t know.”
One recent TikTok found Martin Scorsese choosing the best movie from a set bracket by shaking his...
As he awaits his 10th Best Director nod for Killers of the Flower Moon, Martin Scorsese has seen his popularity on the internet rise — but it has more to do with his short form content than his epic masterpiece. As far as that goes, he insists, “I was tricked into that…That was a trick. I didn’t know those things go viral. They say ‘viral.’ I didn’t know.”
One recent TikTok found Martin Scorsese choosing the best movie from a set bracket by shaking his...
- 11/19/2023
- by Mathew Plale
- JoBlo.com
Martin Scorsese’s sudden social media fame was not by his own doing. A day before he turns 81, Scorsese has revealed that he felt bamboozled — in the most loving way — by his 24-year-old daughter, Francesca, into becoming a TikTok star.
In recent weeks, the filmmaker has appeared in several now-viral videos with his daughter, where he’s been seen learning the definition of “simp” and unwittingly ranking movies, much to the delight of millions. “I was tricked into [TikTok],” Scorsese told the Los Angeles Times. “That was a trick. I didn...
In recent weeks, the filmmaker has appeared in several now-viral videos with his daughter, where he’s been seen learning the definition of “simp” and unwittingly ranking movies, much to the delight of millions. “I was tricked into [TikTok],” Scorsese told the Los Angeles Times. “That was a trick. I didn...
- 11/16/2023
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
While the second season of "Loki" doesn't skimp on journeys through time and space, there's also a fair number of scenes spent within the confines of the Time Variance Authority, that institution outside of aforementioned space and time that's full of late 1960s decor, including pneumatic tubes and an automat serving up key lime pie.
The distinct feel of the Tva comes in large part from the lighting, and /Film's own Valerie Ettenhofer interviewed the show's cinematographer, Isaac Bauman, about some of his visual inspirations for the look of season 2. It turns out that Bauman turned to some well-known films from a certain time period in order to give "Loki" a similar vibe.
"We looked at films like '2001: A Space Odyssey' or even some 'Godzilla' films, and I looked at 'Live and Let Die,' the first Roger Moore Bond film, really trying to...
The distinct feel of the Tva comes in large part from the lighting, and /Film's own Valerie Ettenhofer interviewed the show's cinematographer, Isaac Bauman, about some of his visual inspirations for the look of season 2. It turns out that Bauman turned to some well-known films from a certain time period in order to give "Loki" a similar vibe.
"We looked at films like '2001: A Space Odyssey' or even some 'Godzilla' films, and I looked at 'Live and Let Die,' the first Roger Moore Bond film, really trying to...
- 11/10/2023
- by Vanessa Armstrong
- Slash Film
“Barbie” triumphed at the box office. Can it conquer the Oscars too?
If history is any guide, it may have to settle for the adoration of audiences over the acclaim of awards voters. The Academy has nominated some recent commercial juggernauts for best picture — last year “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Top Gun: Maverick” made the cut. But it tends to hand out the top prize to movies that hail from the art house, not the blockbuster part of the business. In fact, it’s been 20 years since the highest-grossing domestic film was also the best picture winner. That last happened with 2003’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” which took all 11 categories in which it was nominated.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
Can “Barbie” beat the odds and follow Frodo and company to the Oscar stage...
If history is any guide, it may have to settle for the adoration of audiences over the acclaim of awards voters. The Academy has nominated some recent commercial juggernauts for best picture — last year “Avatar: The Way of Water” and “Top Gun: Maverick” made the cut. But it tends to hand out the top prize to movies that hail from the art house, not the blockbuster part of the business. In fact, it’s been 20 years since the highest-grossing domestic film was also the best picture winner. That last happened with 2003’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King,” which took all 11 categories in which it was nominated.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
Can “Barbie” beat the odds and follow Frodo and company to the Oscar stage...
- 11/9/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Clear your calendar, L.A. cinephiles! The American Cinematheque has announced the titles for its extraordinary 70mm festival taking place at the iconic Egyptian Theatre in the days after the movie palace reopens following a three-year restoration. Netflix, in partnership with the American Cinematheque, bought the cinema in 2020.
The 516-seat theater, which was the longtime home of the American Cinematheque before the refurbishment, will retain its full ability to project 70mm prints and also be one of only five cinemas in the U.S. capable of projecting nitrate film. That early form of celluloid prints is notable for its astounding sharpness and vivid colors — you’ve never seen Technicolor until you’ve seen it in nitrate — but it’s extremely flammable, which you know if you’ve seen “Inglourious Basterds,” and thus harder to handle for many projectionists today.
The festival “Ultra Cinematheque 70: Hollywood,” running from November 10 through November...
The 516-seat theater, which was the longtime home of the American Cinematheque before the refurbishment, will retain its full ability to project 70mm prints and also be one of only five cinemas in the U.S. capable of projecting nitrate film. That early form of celluloid prints is notable for its astounding sharpness and vivid colors — you’ve never seen Technicolor until you’ve seen it in nitrate — but it’s extremely flammable, which you know if you’ve seen “Inglourious Basterds,” and thus harder to handle for many projectionists today.
The festival “Ultra Cinematheque 70: Hollywood,” running from November 10 through November...
- 11/1/2023
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
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