Xixax Film Forum

Film Discussion => News and Theory => Topic started by: Jeremy Blackman on March 08, 2016, 03:51:00 PM

Title: Assorted movie news
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on March 08, 2016, 03:51:00 PM
This might be a good place to post news or articles that don't need their own thread. I'll start with this:


Can IMDb's Ranking System Be Trusted?

Its undemocratic voting system puts 'The Shawshank Redemption' at number one

https://features.wearemel.com/can-anyone-trust-a-ranking-system-where-the-shawshank-redemption-is-number-one-45f1e1b507d4#.25oir1vrl

The Internet Movie Database — or IMDb — is one of the most-visited websites in the world, (no. 50 overall, says Alexa). Hollywood relies on it for record-keeping; industry professionals use it to check on production details or to message various film and TV workers. For that, it's truly useful. But IMDb isn't merely industry-facing: movie and TV-watchers use it, too. There's even a 10-star rating system that tells IMDb what your favorites are — data they use to generate their list The IMDb Top 250 Movies. With IMDb's 65 million registered users and industry elite crawling its pages daily, this list would seem to be an important representation of their taste.

But it's not. Dig deeper and you'll discover that The IMDb Top 250 is completely and irrevocably rigged.

Both IMDb and The IMDb Top 250 have roots in early-internet USENET groups — initially called rec.arts.movies, beginning in the late '80s as a series of lists of actors, filmmakers and trivia that would be passed around by film nerds. The first post, made by a British film enthusiast named Col Needham, was called "Those eyes" and was about actresses with beautiful eyes. Within these groups, the Top 250 list emerged — and its first best movie was crowned: Star Wars: A New Hope. Over the past 25 years, the list has evolved in real time to reflect its users' overall aggregate change in taste.

As of writing, here are the top 15 and their respective ratings:

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) — 9.2
2. The Godfather (1972) — 9.2
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974) — 9.0
4. The Dark Knight (2008) — 8.9
5. Pulp Fiction (1994) — 8.9
6. Schindler's List (1993) — 8.9
7. 12 Angry Men (1957) — 8.9
8. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) — 8.9
9. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) — 8.9
10. Fight Club (1999) — 8.8
11. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) — 8.8
12. Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back (1980) — 8.7
13. Forrest Gump (1994) — 8.7
14. Inception (2010) — 8.7
15. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) — 8.7

If you're wondering why the top 15 of the IMDb Top 250 is missing oft-lauded classics like Casablanca, Dr. Strangelove, Citizen Kane, Psycho, Vertigo and 2001: A Space Odyssey — we only have IMDb to blame.

Their overall goal is to wring as much engagement as possible from each user, from time spent on the site to visits per day, to boost ad revenue. Thus, the secret IMDb algorithm is rigged to keep its most loyal users rewarded: your votes only count if you vote a lot. Meaning, you only get to rank a film once (on a scale of one to 10, though you can change your grade of a film at any time), and if you vote on enough movies, your grades are factored into the Top 250.

But they don't disclose how many votes you need in order to qualify as a "regular" voter. (In the FAQ, they write: "To maintain the effectiveness of the Top 250 Rated Charts, we deliberately do not and will not disclose the criteria used for a person to be counted as a regular voter.") In some ways, this maintains some integrity in The Top 250, as it's much harder to create duplicate dummy accounts and get away with ballot-stuffing. But, it also means the votes of casual fans or people who are too busy to engage as much (including the busy industry professionals who have better things to do) are not included in the rankings, even if they make a few of them.

Like many other websites' algorithms (anyone remember the failed Netflix algorithm challenge?) the company doesn't want to let you know how the sausage gets made (and declined to comment for this article), creating mystery and mystique around the list and the brand. Thus, there are plenty of online threads dedicated to debating how the list works on a technical level.

What do we know about the inner mechanics of The IMDb 250? They call their algorithm "a true Bayesian estimate," which is a complicated system that increases the importance of the average rating the more votes are cast. IMDb is, essentially, trying to keep new movies from having artificially high ratings.

That doesn't mean they're succeeding, which might explain why Deadpool currently has a higher ranking than Citizen Kane — no joke.

Read more (https://features.wearemel.com/can-anyone-trust-a-ranking-system-where-the-shawshank-redemption-is-number-one-45f1e1b507d4#.25oir1vrl)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: polkablues on March 08, 2016, 04:39:09 PM
The big issue I find with the IMDb rating system is that, despite it being a ten-star system, so many people treat it as a binary pass/fail rating. A movie they think is great gets a ten, any movie that doesn't deserve a ten gets a one. This results in the ratings being less an accurate reflection of how WELL people like a movie and more one of simply how MANY people like a movie. And of course, as the article states, this is compounded by the site's algorithms rewarding "power users," who tend to be the most hyperbolic and axiomatically-inclined of the lot.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on March 18, 2016, 05:17:53 PM
Michael Jackson Chimp 'Bubbles' Gets Stop Motion Animated Movie With 'Anomalisa's Dan Harmon
via Deadline

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F3NsOGFy.jpg&hash=c5aeae55fd4ab73a07aef13f80c1249fe4a95b3e)

EXCLUSIVE: The Black List-topping Isaac Adamson script Bubbles, about Michael Jackson's famed Chimpanzee companion, has been acquired to be turned into a stop-motion animated feature in the spirit of Anomalisa. The acquisition was made by Andrew Kortschak and End Cue, and Dan Harmon and his Starburns Industries production company will produce the film. Harmon exec produced Anomalisa, which was nominated for the Best Animated Film Oscar after it created a stir at the last Toronto Film Festival and got acquired by Paramount.

Harmon is also the veteran TV writer and the creator of the NBC sitcom Community. Bubbles tells the story of Michael Jackson's life and history from the perspective of the pet Chimp which got a close-up view after being adopted by Jackson from an Austin, Texas research facility and given residence at the Neverland Ranch in 1983. He became Jackson's constant companion until he became overaggressive and was moved to a monkey sanctuary in Florida. The script has been considered a very inventive way to tell an unauthorized story of Jackson without needing permission. Adamson and Lee Stobby will be exec producers, and Harmon and Kortschak will produce. CAA will represent the distribution rights for the film. This comes just as CAA signed Harmon and Starburns Industries in all areas. Adamson is represented by CAA and manager Lee Stobby.​
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on April 27, 2016, 04:30:23 PM
FX Options Don DeLillo Novel 'Zero K' For Scott Rudin Productions
via Deadline

Author Don DeLillo's latest novel, Zero K, is to be published in the U.S. next month by Scribner, and by Picador in the UK. FX has optioned the futuristic tome for Scott Rudin Productions as part of Rudin's deal with Fox Network Group. In her review this week, The New York Times' Michiko Kakutani called the book DeLillo's "most persuasive since his astonishing 1997 masterpiece, Underworld."

Zero K follows billionaire Ross Lockhart whose younger wife, Artis Martineau, has a terminal illness. Lockhart is a significant investor in a secretive, remote compound where death is controlled and bodies are preserved until medical advances can restore individuals to improved lives. He hopes Artis can benefit from this pioneering science. Told from the perspective of son Jeffrey Lockhart, Zero K weighs the devastations of our time against "the mingled astonishments of our lives, here, on Earth." The Times says it acts as a kind of bookend to 1985's White Noise, "somber and coolly futuristic, where that earlier book was satirical and darkly comic."

DeLillo has written 15 novels including Cosmopolis which was adapted as a feature by David Cronenberg and premiered at Cannes in 2012 starring Robert Pattinson. He also wrote the screenplay for 2005's sports comedy Game 6 which starred Michael Keaton.

He has twice been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with Mao II in 1992 and Underworld in 1998. Last year, he was awarded the National Book Foundation's 2015 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.

Amy Schiffman's Intellectual Property Group negotiated the deal with FX on behalf of Don DeLillo and the Wallace Literary Agency, Inc.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on May 13, 2016, 04:58:50 AM
Frontières to include TV shows for first time
via ScreenDaily

Frontières International Co-Production Market will include TV shows for the first time at its upcoming edition.

Following its third European edition at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFFF), Frontières returns to Fantasia International Film Festival for its sixth edition, running July 21-24 in Montreal.

The first wave of projects announced include two TV series: House Of Psychotic Women and Untold Horror.

House Of Psychotic Women is based on the book (http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=3661.msg342444#msg342444) by Canadian author Kier-La Janisse, who will also produce alongside Rook Films' Andy Starke (Sightseers, The Duke Of Burgundy). Sean Hogan has written the pilot episode.

Untold Horror from Rue Morgue magazine editor-in-chief Dave Alexander will be an eight-part documentary series about the greatest horror movies never made. Directed by Bob Barrett, the series is written by Alexander and Mark Pollesol.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on June 24, 2016, 03:56:18 AM
Channing Tatum & A24 Team For Fake 80s Romanian Buddy Cop TV Series 'Iron Fisting'
via The Playlist

Channing Tatum's production company, Free Association, is teaming with A24 to produce a Romanian buddy cop spoof TV series called "Iron Fisting," according to Entertainment Weekly.

Inspired by 80's cop shows like "Miami Vice," "Iron Fisting" follows the misadventures of two mismatched buddy cops as they protect their Communist society from the dreaded Capitalism. The series will be dubbed in English. There are no casting announcements yet, but the series is the brainchild of "Animal Practice" creators Brian Gatewood and Alex Tanaka, while directing the show will be Rhys Thomas who is an alum of "Saturday Night Live" and a co-creator of the series "Documentary Now!"

The series will film a full season in Eastern Europe beginning in the fall, and is being fully financed by A24.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F5R73ynH.jpg&hash=290957a6685beec72eed57340776f3db66b58aa7)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: polkablues on July 29, 2016, 05:31:03 PM
So the trailer for the movie about Matt Damon saving China from dragons or whatever came out the other day, and Constance Wu, who is awesome and I want to be best friends with, had some thoughts.

http://www.vulture.com/2016/07/constance-wu-slams-matt-damon-great-wall-as-racist.html (http://www.vulture.com/2016/07/constance-wu-slams-matt-damon-great-wall-as-racist.html)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Reel on July 30, 2016, 09:55:58 AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVw9YdP1O-0

I found it hard to believe Damon would sign up for this, then I saw that it's directed by Zhang Yimou, kinda tough to pass up if you're into action as much as he's been lately. In a post 'Last Samurai' world, how could you have a movie like this on your conscience? The formula seems pretty simple, that China will eat it up no matter what and his white face is just there to get Americans into seats. Then there's this whole other issue in why we need white people injected into different cultures stories for them to be more palatable? I would actually want to see this if his presence in it didn't seem so absurd. It's like they're saying "Here, look at this monumental and glorious achievement of the Chinese people (whispers) but don't worry, you don't have to actually relate to them. In the end, a white guy saves the day ( pat on the head )"

at any rate, it's a good sign that the public has enough desire for Dragons for this to be made on such a large scale. It can only serve to help the reception of 'Pete's' next month. Man, Game of Thrones has seeped so much into our consciousness it's like we NEED these things in our lives, these days. Why do you think that is? Maybe in this age of drones we feel like they're the only thing that can protect us.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on May 18, 2017, 01:00:14 PM
this has been installed on Hollywood Blvd and now you know

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F809zAtP.jpg&hash=004558622f1b1dbbe8b458915803807ad95e5e2c)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Lottery on May 19, 2017, 08:38:49 AM
That's for the Baywatch reboot, right?
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on May 19, 2017, 10:12:23 AM
where they hid a good reason to see that movie
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on June 11, 2017, 03:23:20 PM
Wonder Woman beat The Mummy and in fact played on more screens, on that topic^

this post is about this:

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FoqDnZYE.png&hash=4c1ecf63379910bf39190505816572cae49a233d)

Tarantino's theater. he played Interstellar opening week btw. he's a big genuine fan, as others are, but no one i know has brought up comparisons between these movies
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on June 23, 2017, 12:28:23 AM
the most depressing movie event since Ant-Man

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FAF2bidL.png&hash=0a7f71d5535a4eccfc6470627e702e01fda7f76b) (http://theplaylist.net/phil-lord-chris-millers-han-solo-movie-comedic-lucasfilm-20170622/)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: polkablues on June 23, 2017, 12:51:21 AM
So fucked up. It reminds me of a story I just read about the new Lorde album, how she and Jack Antonoff played a demo of "Green Light" for Max Martin, songwriter and producer of pretty much every extraordinarily successful pop song that sounds exactly the same over the past 15 years, and he told them it was "incorrect songwriting" because of the key change between the verse and pre-chorus. Fortunately they ignored him, but that seems to be such a pervasive mindset, the more that entertainment becomes the product of conglomerates only, that uniqueness and artistic identity aren't virtues, but defects. Formulas are the real entertainers, and artists are just there to fill in the blanks, like some 200 million dollar game of Mad Libs.

It's so fucking depressing. The movie is going to make a billion dollars anyway, regardless of how good, bad, or in between it is, so why the fuck does it matter if a test screening survey implies that it has 0.37 too many jokes per minute or whatever? The problem is that everyone is trying to make movies that everybody can be mildly content with, but nobody is trying to make somebody's favorite movie anymore. They're placating everyone and exciting no one. We're in a gray paste era of popular cinema.

p.s. Even for The Playlist, that might be the worst copy-edited article I've ever read. Nigerian email scams are more coherent.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on July 10, 2017, 03:55:58 PM
'Moonlight' Director Barry Jenkins Sets Next Movie (http://variety.com/2017/film/news/moonlight-director-barry-jenkins-new-movie-if-beale-street-could-talk-1202490903/)

QuoteBarry Jenkins is set to direct an adaptation of "If Beale Street Could Talk" for Annapurna Pictures,

QuoteBased on the novel by James Baldwin, "If Beale Street Could Talk," the story follows Tish, a newly engaged Harlem woman who races against the clock to prove her lover's innocence while carrying their first born child.

his innocence in a rape accusation, btw. it's basically a highly difficult subject to tackle and only made easier by its literary pedigree

also:

QuoteJenkins will also write and direct an hourlong drama series about the Underground Railroad currently in development at Amazon, based on Colson Whitehead's best-selling book "The Underground Railroad."

literature and cinema
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on August 22, 2017, 05:26:26 PM
what the fuck

The Joker Origin Story On Deck: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver, Martin Scorsese Aboard WB/DC Film - Deadline (http://deadline.com/2017/08/the-joker-origin-movie-todd-phillips-martin-scorsese-scott-silver-batman-dc-universe-1202154053/)

QuoteAn intriguing part is the setting. The intention is to make a gritty and grounded hard-boiled crime film set in early-'80s Gotham City that isn't meant to feel like a DC movie as much as one of Scorsese's films from that era, like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull or The King Of Comedy. I'm told that Phillips and Silver are writing already, but there is nothing firm on where this will fit into the DC schedule.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: WorldForgot on August 22, 2017, 05:34:46 PM
Quote from: wilder on August 22, 2017, 05:26:26 PM
what the fuck

The Joker Origin Story On Deck: Todd Phillips, Scott Silver, Martin Scorsese Aboard WB/DC Film - Deadline (http://deadline.com/2017/08/the-joker-origin-movie-todd-phillips-martin-scorsese-scott-silver-batman-dc-universe-1202154053/)

QuoteAn intriguing part is the setting. The intention is to make a gritty and grounded hard-boiled crime film set in early-'80s Gotham City that isn't meant to feel like a DC movie as much as one of Scorsese's films from that era, like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull or The King Of Comedy. I'm told that Phillips and Silver are writing already, but there is nothing firm on where this will fit into the DC schedule.

DC Alternate Cinematic Universe... Wtf, indeed.
DC/AC!
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Sleepless on August 23, 2017, 08:59:54 AM
Mixed feelings about this. While I think it's great that they don't feel compelled to have all their stuff in a single shared universe (even their current film and TV properties are in distinct worlds) I do think we're seriously over-saturated with comic book movies and have been for years. Though the texture of the idea does sound interesting.

The most negative thing about this is the concept - an origin story for Joker. They just don't get it, do they?
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: RegularKarate on August 23, 2017, 02:40:08 PM
and now it's been revealed that the Matt Reeve's "The Batman" won't be in the expanded universe either.

To be honest, I feel like this is the way to deal with the over saturation. The more freedom filmmakers get with these characters, the less everything will feel the same.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on September 04, 2017, 02:19:00 PM
this:
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FPIhS705.jpg%3F1&hash=ece4bbedc5a7fbdcdc9d97ac94f475cbe5cebe8c)

is becoming this:
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FOH1H00t.jpg%3F1&hash=2d125b70f4e6eb6dbd4061b3d1899231c8f70a19)

props to the Academy for building a goddamn spherical movie museum and theater. no shit i want to see 2001 there. this is at Museum Row on Miracle Mile, next to LACMA. at least within Los Angeles, there will not be a more magnetic tourist attraction celebrating the past and future of movies. and like i said, that's within fucking Los Angeles.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on September 05, 2017, 05:17:06 PM
Casey Affleck To Star In Joe Wright's 'Stoner'
via Deadline

Casey Affleck, fresh off his Oscar for "Manchester By The Sea," has signed up to star in "Stoner," which will be directed by Wright. And no, the movie isn't about what you think it is. Instead, it's based on the book by John Williams (not the composer), about William Stoner, a dirt-poor farmer turned academic, who emerges as an unlikely existential hero while making his way through the first half of the 20th Century. Here's the synopsis of the novel (https://www.amazon.com/Stoner-York-Review-Books-Classics/dp/1590171993/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504649808&sr=8-1&keywords=stoner):

William Stoner is born at the end of the nineteenth century into a dirt-poor Missouri farming family. Sent to the state university to study agronomy, he instead falls in love with English literature and embraces a scholar's life, so different from the hardscrabble existence he has known. And yet as the years pass, Stoner encounters a succession of disappointments: marriage into a "proper" family estranges him from his parents; his career is stymied; his wife and daughter turn coldly away from him; a transforming experience of new love ends under threat of scandal. Driven ever deeper within himself, Stoner rediscovers the stoic silence of his forebears and confronts an essential solitude.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on September 08, 2017, 08:57:44 PM
this video takes you on a musical tour around the largest independent collection of films on the East Coast (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/savenarovideo/save-naro-video-preserving-a-cultural-treasure)

Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on September 11, 2017, 10:33:48 PM
'Duke Of Burgundy' Director Peter Strickland Returning With 'In Fabric'
via The Playlist

Strickland's set to begin lensing on In Fabric, next month, with Oscar-nominated Secrets & Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste headlining. The film is set around a busy winter sales period in a department store and will follow the various owners of a cursed dress as it passes from person to person and destroys their lives.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: polkablues on September 11, 2017, 10:48:37 PM
That's the greatest plot summary I've ever read.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 11, 2017, 11:13:57 PM
Quote from: wilder on September 11, 2017, 10:33:48 PMIn Fabric

Welp that's taken now.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on September 12, 2017, 12:22:59 PM


RELEASE DATE: December 1, 2017
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on September 23, 2017, 05:49:56 PM
2017 WORLDWIDE GROSSES

Worldwide   Domestic / %   Overseas / %
1   Beauty and the Beast (2017)   BV   $1,262.9   $504.0   39.9%   $758.9   60.1%
2   The Fate of the Furious   Uni.   $1,238.8   $225.8   18.2%   $1,013.0   81.8%
3   Despicable Me 3   Uni.   $1,015.7   $261.4   25.7%   $754.3   74.3%
4   Wolf Warrior 2   HC   $870.3   $2.7   0.3%   $867.6   99.7%
5   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2   BV   $863.4   $389.8   45.1%   $473.6   54.9%

Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 06, 2017, 05:35:17 PM
Movie people who have been accused of sexual harassment or assault:


Harvey Weinstein
Harry Knowles
Devin Faraci
Andy Signore
Cinefamily
[I'm probably missing some]


The Andy Signore one came out today. At least 3 women have come out telling their stories about him. This one is kind of striking to me because I just heard him on the Slash Filmcast a couple weeks ago. They brought him on as a guest because the three regular hosts all loved mother! and needed a dissenting opinion. I was not impressed with his appearance — he had barely anything of substance to say and could not make a compelling argument. Maybe I also had a sixth sense that something was off about him, but that's probably giving me too much credit.

Anyway, here are some of the complaints against him:
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 06, 2017, 06:38:25 PM
Side note on that topic, just ran across this, which is illuminating and deeply unsettling and kind of a work of art:

Woman Takes Selfies With Her Catcallers To Show How Often It Happens (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/woman-takes-selfies-with-her-catcallers-to-show-how-often-it-happens_us_59d7aecbe4b072637c43c1e7)

(There's an auto-play video, sorry.)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 06, 2017, 08:34:23 PM
Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on October 06, 2017, 05:35:17 PM
Movie people who have been accused of sexual harassment or assault:


Harvey Weinstein
Harry Knowles
Devin Faraci
Andy Signore
Cinefamily
[I'm probably missing some]


The Andy Signore one came out today. At least 3 women have come out telling their stories about him. This one is kind of striking to me because I just heard him on the Slash Filmcast a couple weeks ago. They brought him on as a guest because the three regular hosts all loved mother! and needed a dissenting opinion. I was not impressed with his appearance — he had barely anything of substance to say and could not make a compelling argument. Maybe I also had a sixth sense that something was off about him, but that's probably giving me too much credit.

Anyway, here are some of the complaints against him:


Update: David Chen (the host) just addressed this head-on. This makes me very happy...
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on November 14, 2017, 02:27:06 PM
'Alan Pakula: The Whole Damn Thing' Doc On Way From 'Always At The Carlyle' Filmmaker (http://deadline.com/2017/11/alan-pakula-feature-documentary-the-whole-damn-thing-coming-from-always-michael-miele-1202207835/)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on December 04, 2017, 09:12:09 PM
Sight & Sound 2017 List

1. Get Out, dir: Jordan Peele
2. Twin Peaks: The Return, dir: David Lynch
3. Call Me by Your Name, dir: Luca Guadagnino
4. Zama, dir: Lucrecia Martel
5. Western, dir: Valeska Grisebach
6. Faces Places, dir: Agnes Varda
7. Good Time, dirs: Ben and Josh Safdie
8. Loveless, dir: Andrey Zvyagintsev
9. Dunkirk, dir: Christopher Nolan
9. The Florida Project, dir: Sean Baker
11. A Ghost Story, dir: David Lowery
12. You Were Never Really Here, dir: Lynne Ramsay
12. BPM, dir: Robin Campillo
12. Lady Macbeth, dir: William Oldroyd
14. God's Own Country, dir: Francis Lee
14. The Shape Of Water, dir: Guillermo del Toro
16. Let the Sunshine In, dir: Claire Denis
16. Mudbound, dir: Dee Rees
16. Strong Island, dir: Yance Ford
16. I Am Not Your Negro, dir: Raoul Peck
16. Personal Shopper, dir: Olivier Assayas

John Waters 2017

1. "Baby Driver" (Edgar Wright)
2. "I, Olga Hepnarová" (Tomáš Weinreb & Petr Kazda)
3. "The Strange Ones" (Christopher Radcliff & Lauren Wolkstein)
4. "Nocturama" (Bertrand Bonello)
5. "Wonderstruck" (Todd Haynes)
6. "Graduation" (Christian Mungiu)
7. "The Wizard of Lies" (Barry Levinson)
8. "Lady Macbeth" (William Oldroyd)
9. "Wonder Wheel" (Woody Allen)
10. "Tom of Finland" (Dome Karukoski)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on December 06, 2017, 12:41:39 AM
(https://i.imgur.com/sQsjBtW.jpg)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: polkablues on July 10, 2018, 03:24:31 PM
I vaguely remember having seen a headline last year about Jordan Vogt-Roberts being attacked in a bar in Vietnam, but I had no idea the extent of it. These were seriously dangerous guys involved, and he's really lucky not to be dead right now.

https://www.gq.com/story/attack-on-skull-island
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on August 17, 2018, 03:15:37 AM
i believe i read this somewhere else but it didn't click with me until AICN, for whatever reason--

The Future is Now! Tony Kaye Casts Robot Lead In Next Feature (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/80679)

Quote2ND BORN is a sequel to 1ST BORN, an indie comedy directed by Ali Atshani. It starred Val Kilmer, Tom Berenger, Greg Grunberg, Jay Abdo, Taylor Cole, Reza Sixo Safai, William Baldwin, Denise Richards and Robert Knepper.

The new picture centers around a couple,  "Iranian born Ben (Safai) and American Kate, whose complicated first pregnancy forces their extended family, from differing backgrounds, to find common ground for the sake of the baby." If you couldn't guess, it's an indie rom-com.

i don't really care about robot actors. it's when they become writers i'll be like "well wait, maybe let's slow down"

Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on August 31, 2018, 03:00:29 PM
Quote from: wilder on September 11, 2017, 10:33:48 PM
'Duke Of Burgundy' Director Peter Strickland Returning With 'In Fabric'
via The Playlist

Strickland's set to begin lensing on In Fabric, next month, with Oscar-nominated Secrets & Lies star Marianne Jean-Baptiste headlining. The film is set around a busy winter sales period in a department store and will follow the various owners of a cursed dress as it passes from person to person and destroys their lives.

First clip:




This reminds me so much of this "Twilight Zone" episode The After Hours (1960, S1E34).

QuoteMarsha White (Anne Francis), a woman browsing for a gift for her mother in a department store, decides on a gold thimble. She is taken by the elevator man to the ninth floor, although the elevator's floor indicator only shows eight floors. She enters the ninth floor and turns to complain to the elevator operator that there is nothing there, but the door closes abruptly, leaving her to ponder her situation. Upon ringing a buzzer for service, she is approached by a saleslady who guides her to the only item on the floor: the exact gold thimble that Marsha wants. During the sales transaction, she grows increasingly puzzled by the comments and actions of both the male elevator operator who transported her to the barren, seemingly deserted floor, and the aloof and clairvoyant female salesclerk behind the counter who addresses her by name and sells her the thimble.

Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilberfan on September 12, 2018, 12:23:14 PM
Paul Thomas Anderson Executive Producer on new film written & directed by Melora Walters


Quote
Paul Thomas Anderson will serve as an executive Producer for 'Waterlily Jaguar'. 'Waterlily Jaguar' is an upcoming drama film written and directed by Melora Walters, in her feature film directorial debut. The film stars James LeGros as Bob, Mira Sorvino as Helen : his wife, Stacey Oristano as Wilhelmina : his assistant, Dominic Monaghan as Bill : his agent, Christopher Backus as Jackson, Steven Swadling as Peter and Lili Mirojnick as Scarlet.


The film centers on Bob (LeGros), a famous novelist known for his "airport novels" seeking to pen a more serious book, only to find himself tumbling down a spiral of obsession that may leave his most important relationships in shambles, including his marriage.


I haven't seen this reported anywhere else yet, though.  (And a more honest headline would have been, "We Don't Know What PTA is Going To Direct Next".)


Source (https://www.thecinemaholic.com/paul-thomas-anderson-next-movie/)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on September 18, 2018, 04:01:21 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1BCujX3pw8

how long ago was it posted, a couple hours? it's at 10mil views. i barely know anything about comic movies i can feel the hype for this. is she gonna be the one to kill Thanos? is she in the Avengers movies even? i have no idea and it's fine because i won't see the movies
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 18, 2018, 04:34:18 PM
I'm not a Marvel lore expert, so hopefully there's something in the mythos that explains the cringeworthy performances.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on September 18, 2018, 05:09:43 PM
lol

Anna Boden/Ryan Fleck directing duo. i'm still a fan of Sugar and Half Nelson, based on my memory. i don't think naturalism quite belongs in superhero movies though. based on standard If You"re Going to Dream, Dream Big

for me it'll be tough for anything to ever better Justice League. i don't think there's been a movie moment that alive and alive like that since Elizabeth Taylor's Cleopatra
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on September 19, 2018, 06:08:21 PM
"Black Panther" director Ryan Coogler has come on board as a producer on Warner Bros.' "Space Jam" sequel, starring LeBron James and Bugs Bunny. (https://variety.com/2018/film/news/lebron-james-ryan-coogler-space-jam-1202948644/)

Terence Nance, creator of the HBO show "Random Acts of Flyness," is directing the untitled sequel. His credits include "An Oversimplification of Her Beauty," "Swimming in Your Skin Again," and "Univitillen."

(https://i.imgur.com/qdjP4hb.jpg?1)

ties with Captain Marvel in terms of my unlikelihood of ever watching it
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: BB on September 19, 2018, 09:21:44 PM
Had no idea these people were directing/had directed these films. This is exciting but also really strange.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on October 01, 2018, 10:46:16 PM
John Crowley is following Brooklyn with The Goldfinch (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3864056/), an adaptation of the Donna Tartt novel, the cast is notable, Roger Deakins is dp. $40mil budget.

it's tailored for the academy. i'm being a baby but it makes me sick in some ways, these adaptations.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on October 08, 2018, 01:38:42 PM
i'm not sure why its release has been delayed, in fact i'm surprised it has a new trailer. one day i'll see this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Heses2X2hTE

Coming to selected theaters 11/2/18
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on October 15, 2018, 02:20:45 PM
i'm actually bad at playing along with docs, but this one has a good trailer

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u3wPWCj2L6I
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on October 16, 2018, 12:23:41 PM
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Drenk on October 16, 2018, 04:55:06 PM
Now you need the Bob Dylan Universe in order to make a movie about a breakup? That's fucked up. I can't wait for The Dark Side of the Moon by Christopher Nolan.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Alethia on October 16, 2018, 06:01:51 PM
or Boatman's Call by Andrew Dominik
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on October 16, 2018, 06:15:58 PM
there's not a very dynamic range in terms of what interests people. some people work on expanding the range better than others
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Sleepless on October 17, 2018, 02:08:20 PM
Idris Elba is lining up to star in the upcoming film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, "Cats." Elba joins the already-stacked cast of popstar Taylor Swift, Ian McKellen, James Corden, and Jennifer Hudson. The report says that Elba will play the character known as Macavity in the film adaptation.

All I can imagine is Luthor screaming "Macavity's not there!"
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on October 17, 2018, 07:27:32 PM
'Eighth Grade' Break-Out Elsie Fisher to Star in Musical 'The Shaggs' (https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/eighth-grade-star-elsie-fisher-star-shaggs-musical-1152549)

Fisher will star in The Shaggs, a musical feature that is based on the real-life story of the Wiggin sisters, three musically inept teenagers from new Hampshire who, in 1968, recorded one of the most infamous rock-and-roll albums of all time, Philosophy of the World.

Ken Kwapis, whose feature credits include The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and A Walk in the Woods, will direct from a screenplay by Joy Gregory. Inspired by a 1999 New Yorker article by Susan Orlean, Gregory had previously turned the story of The Shaggs into an off-Broadway stage musical.

[...]Fisher, who will voice star in the upcoming Addams Family animated feature[...]



Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on October 18, 2018, 04:09:02 PM
of course i had to learn more about the Addams Family project. notice: it is the Shaggs movie that's gone cult, but not this. for it's falling apart in its very recipe. the whole spirit of the underground is lost through established names.

QuoteThe Addams Family is an upcoming American 3D computer animated comedy film based on The Addams Family comics by Charles Addams. The film is directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, previously the directors of Sausage Party, and will feature the voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloë Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard, Nick Kroll, Bette Midler, and Allison Janney. It is set to be released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer on October 11, 2019, making it the first MGM film to be distributed by themselves since the 2010 comedy Hot Tub Time Machine.

(https://i.imgur.com/iKGnzCz.jpg)

i doubt it'll end up trash either. the writer (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1073238/) is a clear groupthinker. this'll be fair to middling top to bottom.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on October 25, 2018, 09:43:08 PM
'Clueless' Movie Remake in the Works (https://variety.com/2018/film/news/clueless-movie-remake-1202994917/)

wow okay, i seriously think of Trump sounding way rude. but this, just. like, can you beg for the apocalypse?
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on October 25, 2018, 09:47:07 PM
Quote from: jenkins on October 15, 2018, 02:20:45 PM
i'm actually bad at playing along with docs, but this one has a good trailer

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u3wPWCj2L6I

look at this poster btw

(https://i.imgur.com/IzBFXVm.jpg?1)

don't be such a degenerate cinephile that you subscribe to netflix and haven't watched this, please
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: WorldForgot on October 26, 2018, 02:49:46 PM
Quote from: jenkins on October 25, 2018, 09:43:08 PM
'Clueless' Movie Remake in the Works (https://variety.com/2018/film/news/clueless-movie-remake-1202994917/)

wow okay, i seriously think of Trump sounding way rude. but this, just. like, can you beg for the apocalypse?

For first offz, as IF we'd write off Clueless as a sacred cow, I mean, come on, YUCK.
Everyone knowz that dairy is out.

Secondly, for sho for thrift's sake, a rehash is environ-consho and under the proper hands, at the right time, even eye opening, so, like, replace your drama a few inches, Medea.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on October 26, 2018, 03:12:55 PM
i'm actually learning about the drama right now. it wasn't a real request for the apocalypse, sorry if that was misleading. this isn't actually an important matter.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: WorldForgot on October 27, 2018, 06:58:20 PM
Quote from: jenkins on October 26, 2018, 03:12:55 PM
i'm actually learning about the drama right now. it wasn't a real request for the apocalypse, sorry if that was misleading. this isn't actually an important matter.

Omigosh, Jenkz, I jest, ya dork! In the Heckerling heckle tone, flat white double shot, but no bite, I pupper promize~ 
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on October 27, 2018, 07:09:33 PM
it's okay because i saw some clowning phrases and we're the most obvious same team i've ever heard of, i almost deleted the post but i was like "just always do that, it's fine" instead, and you know what--

you wanna know what? i made the post while walking from cvs and i was like, you know what i did, i went into your theater because i was like, i'm about to make crystal clear everything's fine between us, that's right i was about to smile at you, and basically a smile always works it's kind of that easy, but you weren't there.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on November 14, 2018, 01:58:37 AM
It slays. It's only the fifth movie I've watched this year but it towers the others. This movie brings it, has everything

Quote from: jenkins on October 25, 2018, 09:47:07 PM
Quote from: jenkins on October 15, 2018, 02:20:45 PM
i'm actually bad at playing along with docs, but this one has a good trailer

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u3wPWCj2L6I

look at this poster btw

(https://i.imgur.com/IzBFXVm.jpg?1)

don't be such a degenerate cinephile that you subscribe to netflix and haven't watched this, please
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on December 13, 2018, 02:47:52 PM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlOeSyl-zZk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBGefOMPmLg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NQUOYO1tow
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on December 20, 2018, 02:53:37 PM
i'd heard Nic Cage say "it's so cray" but i about fell out of my chair when i learned he was referring to working with Sion Sono. this news was announced back in may

Nicolas Cage To Star In Sion Sono's English-Language Debut 'Prisoners Of The Ghostland' – Cannes (https://deadline.com/2018/05/nicolas-cage-prisoners-of-the-ghostland-sino-sono-movie-1202387827/)

Nicolas Cage Calls 'Prisoners of the Ghostland' 'The Wildest Movie I've Ever Made' (https://www.indiewire.com/2018/12/nicolas-cage-prisoners-of-the-ghostland-sion-sono-1202028122/)

um this is a big deal in terms of overseas directors landing in hwood

Quote"Prisoners of the Ghostland" has yet to begin filming.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Robyn on December 21, 2018, 03:56:52 AM
that's fucking great, hahah.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: polkablues on December 21, 2018, 04:20:39 AM
This could be amazing. I finally saw Tag not too long ago and was blown away by it.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Something Spanish on December 21, 2018, 08:47:49 AM
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNzk4NDM3NjkwNF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNTk5MzkzNTM@._V1_SY1000_CR0,0,674,1000_AL_.jpg)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: polkablues on December 21, 2018, 05:22:49 PM
I have to assume that one's just a really loose remake.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on November 06, 2019, 12:53:06 PM
...it's happening.




James Dean Reborn in CGI for Vietnam War Action-Drama
via The Hollywood Reporter

The cultural icon, who died in 1955, will return to the screen via CGI using actual footage and photos for 'Finding Jack.'

James Dean, who died in a 1955 car crash at the age of 24, is making an unexpected return to the big screen.

The cultural icon, known for Rebel Without a Cause and East of Eden, has been posthumously cast in the Vietnam era action-drama Finding Jack.

Directed by Anton Ernst and Tati Golykh, the project comes from the filmmakers' own recently launched production house Magic City Films, which obtained the rights to use Dean's image from his family. Canadian VFX banner Imagine Engine will be working alongside South African VFX company MOI Worldwide to re-create what the filmmakers describe as "a realistic version of James Dean."

Adapted by Maria Sova from Gareth Crocker's novel, Finding Jack is based on the existence and abandonment of more than 10,000 military dogs at the end of the Vietnam War. Dean will play a character called Rogan, considered a secondary lead role.

"We searched high and low for the perfect character to portray the role of Rogan, which has some extreme complex character arcs, and after months of research, we decided on James Dean," said Ernst, who also produces with Golykh for Magic City Films alongside Donald A. Barton of Artistry Media Group.

"We feel very honored that his family supports us and will take every precaution to ensure that his legacy as one of the most epic film stars to date is kept firmly intact. The family views this as his fourth movie, a movie he never got to make. We do not intend to let his fans down."

While Finding Jack will be live action, The Hollywood Reporter understands that Dean's performance will be constructed via "full body" CGI using actual footage and photos. Another actor will voice him.

Multiple Oscar nominated songwriter Diane Warren wrote the key song for the film and acclaimed composer Laurent Eyquem is on board to score the film.

Preproduction on Finding Jack starts Nov. 17, with a goal for a worldwide release on Veterans Day 2020. Magic City Films is handling the foreign sales.

The filmmakers are now hoping that the CGI technology used to bring Dean back to life onscreen could soon be deployed on other well-known figures.

"This opens up a whole new opportunity for many of our clients who are no longer with us," said Mark Roesler, CEO of CMG Worldwide, which represents Dean's family alongside more than 1,700 entertainment, sports, music and historical personalities, including the likes of Burt Reynolds, Christopher Reeve, Ingrid Bergman, Neil Armstrong, Bette Davis and Jack Lemmon.

Added Ernst: "Our partners in South Africa are very excited about this, as this technology would also be employed down the line to re-create historical icons such as Nelson Mandela to tell stories of cultural heritage significance."

Barton added: "Now that we have closed with this iconic figure, we look forward to rapidly closing our remaining actors."


(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fgiphygifs.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fmedia%2F5yuC2vIsQJdoA%2Fgiphy.gif&hash=ff3ec6f7f819140252bde70bcd5ef8717350150d)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Alethia on November 06, 2019, 12:54:36 PM
Ew.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilberfan on November 06, 2019, 01:12:37 PM
And so it begins...
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Sleepless on November 06, 2019, 01:33:09 PM
(https://media3.giphy.com/media/YPmvoMrFG4NgSPSJH0/source.gif)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on November 06, 2019, 01:47:30 PM
Quote"We searched high and low for the perfect character to portray the role of Rogan, which has some extreme complex character arcs, and after months of research, we decided on James Dean," said Ernst, who also produces with Golykh for Magic City Films alongside Donald A. Barton of Artistry Media Group.

i mean, james dean died before the vietnam war began. so he wasn't cast here for period but for type. and in a certain way it does reflect a possible james dean who hadn't died. so that's all interesting enough

i don't know if it bothers me more than The Polar Express and future robots etc, about the same
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: polkablues on November 06, 2019, 03:02:36 PM
I genuinely don't believe this will actually happen, and that this announcement is solely a publicity stunt.

Also, what "family" of James Dean did they get the blessing of? He had no children, was an only child, and died 64 years ago. Who is out there representing James Dean at this point, like a second cousin's grandchild?
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on November 06, 2019, 07:30:30 PM
If that's the case I fell for it like dominoes. Seems like an inevitability, still. We'll be looking back at The Irishman or whatever that Marvel movie was that did it first as a roadmarker like The Abyss. Oh yeah, Benjamin Button...

Surprised at jenk's response. How can this be anything but turning something human into something less than that? It's against your M.O. That which we cannot control is most revealing about ourselves...our subconscious mannerisms, our involuntary facial expressions...

The eventuality will either be completely calculated by CGI artists, or mo-capped by someone without the same essence as the person being 'revived'. It's everything I want the opposite of when I go see a film. Emotional plastic surgery. Fuck that.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: polkablues on November 06, 2019, 09:08:57 PM
I could be totally wrong, but I'm pretty sure I'm not. This feels like two randos with no track record and no clout to speak of making a wild claim with the intent of scoring some easy press coverage, which they can then try and use as leverage to actually get the project off the ground. There is zero chance they already have the funding for this movie secured, and probably less than 5% chance their little gambit will allow them to get it. If this actually comes to pass, I'll be genuinely shocked.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on November 06, 2019, 10:57:31 PM
Quote from: wilder on November 06, 2019, 07:30:30 PM
Seems like an inevitability, still. We'll be looking back at The Irishman or whatever that Marvel movie was that did it first as a roadmarker like The Abyss. Oh yeah, Benjamin Button...

Surprised at jenk's response. How can this be anything but turning something human into something less than that? It's against your M.O. That which we cannot control is most revealing about ourselves...our subconscious mannerisms, our involuntary facial expressions...

The eventuality will either be completely calculated by CGI artists, or mo-capped by someone without the same essence as the person being 'revived'. It's everything I want the opposite of when I go see a film. Emotional plastic surgery. Fuck that.

yeah no yeah. totally. i'm not sure if i dislike it so much as i think it all feels awful. so also though i have a familiarity with this concept within film development and consider it as you say an inevitable eventuality and thus a natural component within the literally infinite possibilities of endlessly expanding human existence imitated by evolutionary art. is not all of art an imitation of life, all of it. i want some people to heavy metal in the spiritual capacities of computer-integrated movie development and they're trying their best

if James Dean is a ploy it's also an introduction into accepting this possibility and it's a dumb plan in general but the concept could have been way worse imo
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Sleepless on November 07, 2019, 09:53:41 AM
Quote from: polkablues on November 06, 2019, 09:08:57 PM
There is zero chance they already have the funding for this movie secured, and probably less than 5% chance their little gambit will allow them to get it. If this actually comes to pass, I'll be genuinely shocked.

My second thought was "won't it actually cost more to have a CG James Dean than casting literally any willing actor?"
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: WorldForgot on November 07, 2019, 11:33:45 AM
Quote from: Sleepless on November 07, 2019, 09:53:41 AM
Quote from: polkablues on November 06, 2019, 09:08:57 PM
There is zero chance they already have the funding for this movie secured, and probably less than 5% chance their little gambit will allow them to get it. If this actually comes to pass, I'll be genuinely shocked.

My second thought was "won't it actually cost more to have a CG James Dean than casting literally any willing actor?"

And what kind of production period does that take?
Considering The Irishman and Disney, with all their resources, are hard-pressed to pull off CGI acting even when they've got the living actor alive for performance capture.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on November 07, 2019, 03:37:13 PM
https://twitter.com/ChrisEvans/status/1192137540842733568

what the fuck is Chris going to do when robots do indeed begin to paint and make music. the idea of a robot writer intimidates me far more than a digital recreation of an actual person
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Drenk on November 09, 2019, 01:34:06 PM
https://twitter.com/carlinspace/status/1192525944843452416
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on November 12, 2019, 07:08:09 PM
Team Behind Digital James Dean Forms New Company to Resurrect Other Legends  (https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/james-dean-worldwide-xr-1203401302/)

The team that helped resurrect James Dean with visual effects for an upcoming Vietnam war movie isn't done creating digital versions of famous actors and other celebrities: Intellectual property licensing specialist CMG Worldwide has merged with immersive content creation studio Observe Media to form Worldwide XR, a new company that aims to bring digital humans to traditional film as well as augmented and virtual reality.

Worldwide XR holds and represents the rights for more than 400 celebrities, athletes and sports teams. In addition to James Dean, it will also enable creators to bring back stars like Bettie Page, Burt Reynolds and Andre The Giant, sports legends like Lou Gehrig, and artists like Maya Angelou.

"Influencers will come and go, but legends will never die," said Worldwide XR CEO Travis Cloyd. CMG Worldwide CEO Mark Roesler is joining the new company as chairman and co-founder.

Worldwide XR wants to not only license celebrities' likenesses, but also help creatives make use of existing assets as they look to transform them to digital humans. The way this is done depends on both individual projects as well as the recognizability of each celebrity, explained Cloyd. In some cases, creatives may rely solely on computer-generated imagery based on existing photos and films, while other projects may require combining existing assets with the work of look-alike actors.

When news broke last week that the upcoming Vietnam War era drama "Finding Jack" would feature a digitally-recreated James Dean, not everyone was happy. Actor Chris Evans slammed the move as "awful" in a tweet, saying: "Maybe we can get a computer to paint us a new Picasso. Or write a couple new John Lennon tunes. The complete lack of understanding here is shameful." Others who criticized the unusual casting included Zelda Williams, Elijah Wood and Dylan Sprouse.

"It's disruptive," acknowledged Cloyd. "Some people dislike it." However, he argued that the emergence of digital humans was inevitable, and promised that his company would vet any potential partners to make sure that they would do the celebrity in question justice. "We will do our due diligence," he said.

Cloyd added that he was most excited about the potential to resurrect celebrities in augmented and virtual reality, where they could more directly interact with the viewer. And he suggested that we may get to see Dean even beyond the Vietnam war movie. "There is a lot more to come for James Dean," he said. "Think of it as James Dean 2.0."
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: WorldForgot on November 12, 2019, 07:35:10 PM
Quote from: jenkins on November 12, 2019, 07:08:09 PM
Team Behind Digital James Dean Forms New Company to Resurrect Other Legends  (https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/james-dean-worldwide-xr-1203401302/)
However, he argued that the emergence of digital humans was inevitable, and promised that his company would vet any potential partners to make sure that they would do the celebrity in question justice. "We will do our due diligence," he said.

"Think of it as James Dean 2.0."

Humans die. "Digital Humans" doesn't make sense. Digital Persona, perhaps?
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on November 27, 2019, 01:09:24 AM
Quote from: jenkins on November 07, 2019, 03:37:13 PM
the idea of a robot writer intimidates me far more

which is a relatable component in this Grimes v Zola Jesus thing my friend WF first told me about. in some interview Grimes mentioned robot musicians and Zola Jesus flipped out because this idea threatens our sense of identity as special creatures in this universe. now somebody went on about it like this:

https://twitter.com/hollyherndon/status/1199455651170263040

and somehow this idea of "interdependent music" softened Zola Jesus

but, interdependent writing. grammarly in a creative capacity. my god. still going with my god in reference to this specific topic
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: WorldForgot on January 23, 2020, 06:22:38 PM
Don't know which thread to put this piece in (JB, wilder, feel free to move this to a more apropos thread), but a great Interview/Retrospective from last year w/ Julie Dash, Matty Rich, Darnell Martin, Ernest Dickerson, Leslie Harris and Theodore Witcher and the NYT:

‘They Set Us Up to Fail’: Black Directors of the ’90s Speak Out (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/03/movies/black-directors-1990s.html)
QuoteWhat other kinds of things did you hear?

HARRIS I went to an interview and someone said to me: “You don’t look like a filmmaker. What are you doing here?”

MATTY RICH (“Straight Out of Brooklyn”) Wow.

ERNEST DICKERSON (“Juice”) What does a filmmaker look like?

DASH After “Daughters,” I tried to get representation at the Gersh Agency in New York. They told me I didn’t have a future. They saw no future for me as a black woman director. What were they going to do with me?

DICKERSON There used to be a time where you go after an agency, and they would always tell the story, “We already got our black filmmakers.”

MARTIN And you had to do what they wanted you to do, too, because you were their black filmmaker. It was like, “This is the film, you’ve got to do it.” It was like, “I’m not feeling it.” but you had to do it.

When did you sense that the well was drying up?

RICH I was told that I was in director’s jail. Director’s jail is if your film doesn’t make X amount of money, then it’s going to be hard for you to get another movie financed. [Rich’s 1994 follow-up, “The Inkwell,” earned just under its reported budget of $8 million theatrically.]

DICKERSON I’ve been there.

RICH They told me the only way out of director’s jail is that you have to write your way out of it. So I wrote a Tupac Shakur project for HBO, and I came onboard to write “Subway Scholar” at Showtime for Whitney Houston. But I got frustrated because I had a lot of things stuck in development. I met the C.E.O. of Ubisoft, a gaming company in Paris, and they needed some help on a game [“187: Ride or Die”] that they were about to release. I wound up living there for two years as the creative director and art director. That was kind of my new outlet for storytelling without Hollywood. It felt like everyone had wanted me to make another urban drama, instead of a family-oriented, lighthearted story like “The Inkwell.”

DICKERSON I made a movie called “Bulletproof,” with Damon Wayans and Adam Sandler. Working on that film was the only time I ever got mad enough to punch a hole in the editing room wall. It was supposed to be a raunchy, R-rated comedy slanted more for an adult audience. But I could see we had trouble when they were giving out tickets to 15- to 16-year-old kids at the first preview. Afterward, I had to really sanitize the relationships. It meant savaging the movie.

It still opened at No. 1, but I got the worst reviews of my career. I was criticized for not having everything I was told to take out. I had several projects lined up — I had been developing “Blade,” with Wesley Snipes. The whole idea of where “Blade” went was mine. But the producers looked to “Bulletproof” and thought I had completely lost my street cred. After that, nobody would touch me. I think I’m still in jail, in a way, because I’m doing television. [Dickerson — like many of his peers, including Martin and Dash — has found work on the small screen, with credits on “The Wire” and “The Walking Dead.”] I consider myself a filmmaker who’s working in television.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on February 13, 2020, 10:55:46 PM
Early footage from the new Batman film:


https://twitter.com/juanbuis/status/1199651576236957697
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on May 28, 2020, 03:45:50 PM
Ted Hope Exiting Amazon Studios Co-Head Of Movies Post For First-Look Producing Deal
May 28, 2020
Deadline

Big move over at Amazon Studios. Ted Hope has decided to exit as Co-Head of Movies to go back to his origins as a producer. Next week, he will enter a multi-year, first-look deal with Amazon Studios. This is all very amicable, and I'm told that Amazon chief and Hope's boss Jennifer Salke has just divulged the news internally.

Hope came to Amazon in 2015 as head of the Development, Production and Acquisitions team, and he was elevated to co-Head of Movies in July, 2018. He has been running the film division along with Julie Rapaport and Matt Newman, who've been Co-Heads of Movies. She came to Amazon from The Weinstein Company, while he grew at Amazon on the business side. They are well regarded and will take over steering the division, with Scott Foundas continuing as senior executive and Christian Davin as Head of Marketing. They all report to Salke.

Hope started his career as a seminal indie producer, and a lot of his influence went toward establishing Amazon as a tastemaker label with films including The Big Sick and Manchester By The Sea. He first made his mark establishing Good Machine with James Schamus and David Linde as an important maker of indie films that included such triumphs as early Ang Lee films like The Ice Storm, Todd Solondz' Happiness and Todd Field's In The Bedroom. He moved from there with Anne Carey and Anthony Bregman to form This Is That, and later served a stint as Executive Director of the San Francisco Film Society before moving to Amazon and helping to establish the film program, which initially was acquisition-driven.

Here is the memo that Salke just sent out internally:

QuoteHello Team –

I'm writing today to update you on some changes to the Movies team. Ted Hope will be transitioning from his co-head role and returning to his passion of producing. Ted approached me earlier this year and expressed his feelings about taking on a new challenge. Over the course of several months and many conversations I came to realize Ted is a producer through and through and that now is the right time for both him and the studio to make a change. I couldn't be happier for Ted as he takes on this new adventure.

Beginning June 2nd, Ted will enter into a multi-year, first look deal with Amazon Studios. This will allow him to focus on the kind of critically acclaimed films he produced prior to joining Amazon and the prestige films he shepherded during his tenure here.

As many of you may know, Ted was hired to grow the movies team five years ago initially focusing on prestige films. His first production was Spike Lee's critically acclaimed Chi-Raq. What followed was a slate of daring, interesting and award-winning films including the Oscar-winners Manchester by the Sea and Cold War, The Handmaiden, Love & Friendship, Paterson, You Were Never Really Here, The Big Sick and this year's Oscar-nominated Les Misérables.

Ted is a beloved and widely respected figure throughout the industry. We're grateful to continue our partnership as he enters into this new chapter. Ted will consult on several movies planned for release in 2020 and he will produce select projects on the Studios' upcoming development slate. Amazon Studios will always be a home for the best filmmakers in the business, and we consider Ted a member of this group. I'm thrilled that Ted will continue to be a vital part of the Amazon Studios family.

Moving forward, Matt Newman and Julie Rapaport will be Co-Heads of the Movies team, reporting to me. I know the group will be in good hands as they continue their collaborative leadership, and build upon on the great successes AOM has had just within the past year with films including Late Night, Brittany Runs a Marathon, Honey Boy, The Aeronauts and Troop Zero. Please join me in congratulating Matt and Julie on their expanded roles.

I'm so proud of everything the Movies team has accomplished and look forward to continued great work in the future.

And finally, please join me in congratulating Ted on his new venture and thanking him for all his incredible work in helping build Amazon Original Movies.

Jen




MGM Makes First-Look Film & TV Deal With Killer Films
May 21, 2020
Deadline

MGM has inked a two-year first-look film and TV development deal with Christine Vachon and Pamela Koffler's Killer Films.

"I had one of the best experiences of my career with Christine Vachon and Killer Films on Hedwig and the Angry Inch," said MGM Film Group Chairman Michael De Luca.

"All of us at MGM are excited to be their home for their particular brand of film innovation and excellence," added Pamela Abdy, MGM Film Group President.

Under the agreement, the studio will work closely with Vachon, Koffler and their partner David Hinojosa to develop and produce feature films and original scripted series together across a variety of genres and platforms. The first-look TV deal was handled by Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston. Sloss Eckhouse Dasti Haynes LawCo represented Killer Films in the negotiations for both film and TV deals.

Said MGM/UA President of TV, Steve Stark, "Christine and Pamela are two of the most influential independent producers in the industry, bringing audiences some of the most seminal film and television series of the past two decades. Their impeccable taste and passion for rich, diverse storytelling aligns perfectly with our mission to always put the creative first, and we look forward to collaborating with them on a wide range of scripted projects that help give voice to an entirely new generation of storytellers and creators."

Among Killer Films' independent feature credits are such Oscar winners Boys Don't Cry and Still Alice, and Oscar nominated features Carol, Far From Heaven, and I'm Not There; as well as notable pics as One Hour Photo, Kids, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Happiness, Velvet Goldmine, Safe, I Shot Andy Warhol, Swoon and Kill Your Darlings. Additionally, Killer Films executive produced Todd Haynes' Emmy-Golden Globe-SAG winning HBO miniseries "Mildred Pierce" starring Kate Winslet and Guy Pearce. On deck, are Todd Hayne's documentary on The Velvet Underground, The World To Come, starring Vanessa Kirby, Casey Affleck and Katherine Waterston; Ryan Murphy's untitled Netflix mini­series about fashion designer Halston starring Ewan McGregor; and the multi-part docuseries on LGBT+ rights in the US Pride for FX.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilberfan on February 17, 2021, 10:45:22 PM
Of primary interest to Angelenos, perhaps, but...

Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills Acquired By Blue Fox Entertainment (https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/music-hall-theater-beverly-hills-180029369.html)

QuoteThe historic Music Hall Theater in Beverly Hills has been acquired by film distribution company Blue Fox Entertainment, which will renovate the three-screen complex for a planned October reopening.

Blue Fox, a 6-year old company based in Century City, sees taking over a long-term lease on the theater as a natural extension of its independent film distribution and sales business. Blue Fox owner James Huntsman says "People are going to be blown away" when they see the new design for the theater, which is the only multiplex operating in the city of Beverly Hills.

Built in 1936 and opened in 1937, the art deco landmark had been part of Laemmle Theaters until 2019, when a trio of Laemmle vets took over briefly to run it as the Lumiere until the COVID pandemic closed down theaters.

Huntsman says there's a need in Los Angeles for space for premieres, special screenings and four-wall bookings. The Blue Fox Theater will also program foreign and arthouse films from Blue Fox and other distributors, and Huntsman hopes the remodeled theater will prove attractive to bookers from the most prominent specialty labels.

"The renovation is quite extensive," Huntsman says, and will include an expanded lobby and totally reimagined concession stand with unique offerings of beer, wine and food. All three auditoriums will be retrofitted with new screens and fully reclining seats.

Great news.   No mention of parking.

[edit]  Is there drama (https://www.instagram.com/p/CLaEejxJf1-/) going on behind this article?
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on February 18, 2021, 12:40:24 AM
Quote from: wilberfan on February 17, 2021, 10:45:22 PM
Of primary interest to Angelenos, perhaps, but...

[edit]  Is there drama (https://www.instagram.com/p/CLaEejxJf1-/) going on behind this article?

~this drama is of city interest~

the situation is that "a trio of Laemmle vets" is three ex managers who were able to assume operation and though Blue Fox seems benevolent they might be the money people pushing the little guy
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilberfan on March 09, 2021, 11:49:38 PM
Los Angeles Movie Theaters Could Reopen Next Week (https://www.slashfilm.com/los-angeles-movie-theaters-could-reopen-next-week/)

QuoteTHR reports that Los Angeles movie theaters might only be a scant number of days away from being able to reopen, although they'll certainly have restrictions in place like 25 percent capacity or no more than 100 people in any auditorium. Today, Los Angeles County moved from the purple tier to the less-restrictive red tier in Governor Gavin Newsom's reopening system thanks to a decreased number of COVID-19 cases in the area. If that trend continues for one more week, L.A. theaters should be able to open their doors on March 19.

Deadline says the reopening could actually happen even sooner; it all boils down to the number of vaccinations that can happen and if the daily cases per 100,000 residents drop below 10. But keep in mind that even if they receive the go-ahead from the state, "the county itself has to decide if it's OK to proceed here after it meets the state's requirements." Not to mention the fact that theater chains will probably need to ramp back up, hire more people, and train workers on how to operate under the new COVID restrictions. But after an excruciatingly long year, this is a step in the right direction and could finally be a sign that theatrical moviegoing could once again be approaching a level of normalcy in the somewhat near future. THR says "the larger Los Angeles market provided nearly 9 percent of all box office revenue in 2019," and the combination of L.A. and New York being open should go a long way toward jumpstarting the theatrical film business after the longest dormant period in living memory.

I'll just wrap this up by saying that we still can't recommend that you actually visit a movie theater in person until you've been vaccinated, and even then new CDC guidelines say to continue to wear masks in public places. But after a year away, we're finally getting close to a point where it won't feel actively dangerous to go to a theater again.
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on March 09, 2021, 11:52:50 PM
New Bev please. please
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilberfan on March 09, 2021, 11:57:20 PM
25% of 228 is 57.   :|
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: jenkins on March 10, 2021, 12:01:43 AM
[a lengthy, very lengthy video of me literally crying because of pandemic fatigue related to the ongoing absence of cartoons in a theater]

^ continuation of a previous conversation o-kay
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilberfan on March 11, 2021, 09:13:33 PM
Here Are The Los Angeles Theater Chains Reopening As Covid Restrictions Are Lifted (https://deadline.com/2021/03/los-angeles-movie-theaters-reopening-amc-cinemark-tcl-chinese-theater-cinerama-dome-1234712692/)

QuoteYou can count on AMC. The chain's CEO Adam Aron said today on Fox Business Network, "It'll take a few days to assemble staff but all protocols are set and we will open L.A. theaters one week from tomorrow, no matter what."

QuoteCinemark has shown to be ready whenever cities have lifted their Covid restrictions.

QuoteTCL has the Chinese 6 and the Imax Chinese Theatre here in town. I hear that the chain's owners were on a conference call at the time of this report to deliberate whether or not to reopen next weekend. Stay tuned.

QuoteDeadline has learned from art house chain Laemmle...won't reopen for another four to five weeks from this weekend.

QuoteArclight cinemas, which has the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, will take some time to come back online.  The chain is waiting for more tentpole feature product to be released by the studios.

QuoteMarch 26
Nobody (Uni)

March 31
Godzilla v. Kong (WB/Legendary/HBO Max)

April 2
The Unholy (Sony)

April 9
Voyagers (Lionsgate)

April 16
Mortal Kombat (New Line/HBO Max)

April 23
Separation (Open Road)
The Wrath of Man (UAR)

May 7
Black Widow (Disney)

May 14
Those Who Wish Me Dead (WB/HBO Max)
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (Sony)

May 21
Spiral (Lionsgate)
Free Guy (20th/Disney)

May 28
Cruella (Disney)
A Quiet Place II (Paramount)

(Not a very 'Soggy' list yet.)
Title: Re: Assorted movie news
Post by: wilder on April 23, 2022, 06:29:31 PM
'Pig' Director Michael Sarnoski To Helm Adaptation Of Graphic Novel 'Sabrina'
The Playlist

Sarnoski has his next directing gig lined up. "Sabrina," based on Nick Drnaso's acclaimed 2018 graphic novel of the same name, follows a grieving man who goes to live with an old friend who works as an Air Force surveillance expert after his girlfriend goes missing. However, after media outlets receive a tape and Sabrina's disappearance goes viral, the two men become targets of conspiracy theorists that threaten the bonds of their friendship.

Sarnoski writes and directs "Sabrina" through New Regency and RT Features. The pair of production companies have teamed up before on James Gray's 2019 film "Ad Astra" and Robert Eggers' sophomore feature from the same year, "The Lighthouse." That hopefully guarantees Sarnoski an auteurist level of control on the project.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Didn't see Pig, but I read this a couple years ago on a friend's recommendation and really liked it. Felt like it captured the state of the modern world circa 2018 while resolutely being set in physical space instead of within the screens we all occupy. Digital communication pervades it, but the panels capture the isolation and mundanity of the physical world post their appearance in a unique way you don't see in film, anymore. We look at characters in their houses, their rooms, as if from the vantage point of an invisible observer, the camera's eye, not connected by digital string. In that way it feels like a 90s American indie movie but set in the present.

(https://i.imgur.com/bQH1VIn.jpg) (https://www.amazon.com/Sabrina-Nick-Drnaso/dp/177046316X?asin=177046316X&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1)

some pages are available to preview on Amazon (https://www.amazon.com/Sabrina-Nick-Drnaso/dp/177046316X?asin=177046316X&revisionId=&format=4&depth=1)