News
The Handsome Tragedies of Y: The Last Man
Everyone in the new series Y: The Last Man — no matter race, gender identity, or closely held loyalties — is experiencing the worst day of their lives in perpetuity. They’re surrounded by the iconography we’ve come to associate with dystopia: splintered glass and crashed cars, dirty fingernails and hollow eyes, rotting animal carcasses punctuating a snow-dappled field, the shock of blood against pedestrian environments. Posters, strewn with pleas for “Our Sons” or the stark visage of a president believed to be hiding truths about the wreckage humanity is now navigating, line the streets. A helicopter teeters on the edge of a building, overlooking a desolate metropolis undone as much by external chaos as the internal horrors of humankind. Here, the series is at its least intriguing.
September 23, 2021
TIFF 2021: Wrap-Up and Reflections
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is unquestionably one of the top showcases for film in the world. For their 2021 edition, they not only welcomed people back to in-person screenings, but also showcased some of their online selection for press and punters alike.
As headliners like Last Night in Soho, Dune, The Power of the Dog and The Eyes of Tammy Faye swept the popular votes and circles of buzziness, the festival was back with a hybrid bang*. Yet there were also gems from around the world: Justine Bateman’s debut Violet, Hong Sung-Eun’s Aloners and Scott McGehee and David Siegel’s Montana Story. We saw upcoming television episodes in South Korea’s Hellbound. Closer to home, we recalled the ‘Black Summer’ of bushfires in Eva Orner’s Burning.
September 21, 2021
Oscars 2022 Early Contenders Include ‘In the Heights,’ ‘Luca’ and ‘Mitchells vs. the Machines
As we enter the second half of 2021, the shortened awards period from March 1 until June 30 doesn’t necessarily suggest we have many movies that can be deemed “Oscar-worthy.” In a denser calendar year, every studio will be angling and fighting for their probable contenders to stand out from the pack. The difference is that the Academy is back to a guaranteed 10 nominees for best picture and has left the days of fluctuating numbers behind them. An Academy voter can select 10 movies on their ballot, which the last time it was the case, in the 2009 and 2010 awards seasons, offered up eclectic choices such as Neill Blomkamp’s sci-fi thriller “District 9” and John Lee Hancock’s box office smash, “The Blind Side.”
July 1, 2021
Analyzing the Awards Potential for ‘In the Heights’
It may only be June, but we have our first true-blue Best Picture contender of the year with Warner Bros.' "In the Heights" an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical of the same name written by "Hamilton's" Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes. To say that expectations have been sky-high for "In the Heights" is the understatement of the century; after a year-long delay (due to complications resulting from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic) and a masterfully executed marketing campaign, film fans have been chomping at the bit to get back in a theater and let the wonders of Washington Heights wash all over them, and critics almost universally agree that this is indeed the expertly crafted escapist entertainment that cinemas were made for. With a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes (including a 98% from "Top Critics") and an 85 on Metacritic, "In the Heights" has the critical raves that most awards contenders can only dream of receiving, and though it's premiering so early in the year, these are the reviews that can catapult a film all the way to the finish line no matter what month it releases.
June 14, 2021
These Are the Movies the Academy Is Counting On to Save the Oscars
The Academy Awards are in crisis — even more than those other times they were in crisis.
With a field made up almost entirely of streaming and VOD releases, this year’s Oscars ceremony pulled in record-low viewership. Even worse than the poor ratings, though, was the sense that, for much of the entertainment-going public, the Oscars had become an afterthought. Without any popular titles in the mix, Hollywood’s biggest night had become a niche product.
May 7, 2021
iPhone 13 is Further Proof that the Phone is Quietly Turning into an AR Machine
If Apple made one thing clear during Tuesday's iPhone 13 launch event, it's that the cameras and processors on these new phones are going to be a big deal. Apple's keynote even included a short film by Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow and cinematographer Greig Fraser that was shot on the iPhone 13 Pro to show off its new camera tricks.
September 19, 2021
Dune
Denis Villeneuve specialises in delivering on the seemingly impossible.
In the last 10 years, he’s made his English-language debut one of the best thrillers of the last decade (Prisoners), given us one of the most satisfying-yet-confounding final shots in recent memory (Enemy), redefined how stressful traffic jams are (Sicario), expertly baked our noodles by cutting his sci-fi teeth on the adaptation of Ted Chiang’s cerebral short story ‘Story of Your Life’ (Arrival) and delivered a delayed sequel to one of the most beloved sci-fi epics and, against all odds, made it the original’s equal if not superior (Blade Runner 2049).
September 16, 2021
Toronto International Film Festival 2021 Review – Montana Story
Written and directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel.
Starring Haley Lu Richardson, Owen Teague, Kimberly Guerrero, Gilbert Owuor, Asivak Koostachin, and Eugene Brave Rock.
Two estranged siblings return home to the sprawling ranch they once knew and loved, only to confront a deep and bitter family legacy. The fates of their ailing, unscrupulous father and a beloved old horse hang in the balance.
September 14, 2021
'Y the Last Man' Showrunner Eliza Clark on Updating the Comic for Today, Incorporating the Female Gaze, and Plans for the Future
Y the Last Man's journey from acclaimed graphic novel to eventual television show took some time to happen. The epic story about the aftermath of a plague which kills every living creature with a Y chromosome, save one young man and his monkey, first defied multiple attempts at being adapted for film — and then, even as a TV show, had to contend with a change in showrunners, recastings, and a little ol' real-life pandemic.
September 15, 2021
Makes Movies Better with New AMC Theatres Campaign
AMC Theatres the largest theatrical exhibitor in the United States, in Europe & the Middle East and in the world, has announced a historic, unprecedented $25+ million national advertising campaign across the United States to remind movie lovers that Hollywood’s stories are enjoyed in their best light, with a seamless, communal, multi-sensory experience at AMC.
September 16, 2021
‘Don’t Worry Darling’ First Footage: Olivia Wilde Taps Into Florence Pugh, Harry Styles’ Dark Sides
Fans of Olivia Wilde, Florence Pugh, and Harry Styles will have to wait another year to see their long-awaited psychological thriller “Don’t Worry Darling.” Wilde has confirmed on social media that her follow-up to “Booksmart” will open in theaters on September 23, 2022, from New Line and Warner Bros. The date announcement was accompanied by a quick teaser for “Don’t Worry Darling” that includes the unsettling first footage from the movie.
September 13, 2021
Behind the Scenes of George Clooney’s ‘The Midnight Sky’ – Video Interviews with Martin Ruhe and Gaffer Julian White
Shot with a camera and lens package supplied by ARRI Rental and among others also illuminated with ARRI lights, “The Midnight Sky” was an audience favorite on Netflix before being nominated for Best Special Effects at the 93rd Academy Awards. Join us for a look behind the scenes from a camera and lighting perspective.
Praised for its visual effects, “The Midnight Sky” is an emotional, sci-fi thriller that is set on an uninhabitable, future planet Earth. The picture, in reality, was filmed on location in England, the Canary Islands, and Iceland. George Clooney directs and stars in the film as the terminally ill astronomer Augustine Lofthouse, whose duty it is to remain in the harsh Arctic to warn a group of astronauts about the perils of returning to their home planet.
September 7, 2021
How ‘Dune’ Cinematographer Greig Fraser Created the Look of Denis Villeneuve’s Sci-Fi Epic
Greig Fraser has always let fear been his guide.
“I don’t take on projects I don’t get nervous about, fear is always a part of it,” the Oscar-nominated cinematographer (Lion, Zero Dark Thirty) says, explaining why he decided to take on the challenge of shooting Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic Dune.
September 10, 2021
Cinematographer Kira Kelly sought imperfections in Y: The Last Man
We’ll talk with cinematographer Kira Kelly about her fierce comic book fandom and why adopting a messy frame was the right move for this adaptation.
Welcome World Builder A series of ongoing conversations with the most productive and thoughtful behind-the-scenes craftsmen. In this entry, we will chat with cinematographer Kira Kelly about accepting the incomplete image of Y: The Lastman. And why are some projects more special than others?
September 10, 2021
AMC Theatres Enlists Nicole Kidman for $25M Ad Campaign Amid Delta Variant Threat
AMC Theatres has enlisted Nicole Kidman to help get movie fans back to the multiplex with a $25 million national advertising campaign launching on Sept. 12.
Kidman, in the national TV, online and social media advertising buy, proclaims “AMC Theatres. We Make Movies Better” via 60-second, 30-second and 15-second commercials. The campaign coincides with the COVID-19 Delta variant disrupting moviegoing comfort levels at the local multiplex and the major studio film suppliers looking again to send titles to the streaming space.
September 8, 2021