Category: Movies

You can’t throw a rock at Sundance without hitting a coming-of-age tale, but it’s safe to say Turbo Kid is different from most. The Park City at Midnight entry follows an orphaned boy (Munro Chambers) in a retro-futuristic, post-apocalyptic 1997. After his best friend (Laurence Leboeuf) is kidnapped by the evil Zeus (Michael Ironside), he sets out across the Wasteland on his BMX bike to find her.

Co-director Anouk Whissell describes it as “an old crazy 80s kid movie,” while co-director François Simard adds that it’s “made for the inner children in all of us.” (Yoann-Karl Whissell is the third co-director.) But it’s not made for people who are also children on the outside — it’s gleefully gory, as you’ll see from the first Turbo Kid trailer after the jump.

Epic Pictures debuted the first Turbo Kid trailer.

Turbo Kid actually started out as a contest entry for the T segment of ABCs of Death. It lost to Lee Hardcastle’s T is for Toilet, but caught the attention of producer Ant Timpson, who asked whether the trio might consider making their short into a full-fledged feature. The results will be unveiled for the first time tonight at Sundance.

Here’s the Turbo Kid synopsis from Sundance:

It’s 1997. In a ruined post-apocalyptic world, the orphaned Kid survives on his own through drought-ridden nuclear winter, traversing the Wasteland on his BMX, scavenging for scraps to trade for a scant supply of water. When his perpetually chipper, pink-haired new best friend Apple is kidnapped by a minion of evil overlord Zeus, the Kid summons the courage of his comic book hero and prepares to deliver turbocharged justice to Zeus, his buzzsaw-handed sidekick Skeletron, and their vicious masked army.

Bolstered by a pitch-perfect synth score, and clever and cheeky period details, co-directors François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell create a raucous retro-futuristic action comedy that pays homage to ’80s movies great and small, while adding their own flair with inventive and exuberant violence and gore (prepare for disemboweling by exercycle). Sci-fi legend Michael Ironside delivers with malevolence and glee as the larger-than-life Zeus, a despicable villain with joie de vivre.

The post ‘Turbo Kid’ Sundance Trailer Zips Through a Post-Apocalyptic 1997 appeared first on /Film.

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Another screenwriter is rocketing off to a galaxy far, far away. Chris Weitz is set to pen the Star Wars standalone being directed by Gareth Edwards, following Gary Whitta‘s departure a couple weeks ago. More on the Star Wars Chris Weitz news after the jump.

THR reported the news. Whitta was set to write the Star Wars spinoff last year. He left earlier this month after completing a first draft. As of now, he’s moved on to 20th Century Fox’s adaptation of Mark Millar’s Starlight. We had previously heard that Simon Kinberg would take over.

Weitz is best known as the co-director and co-writer, with his brother Paul Weitz, of the Nick Hornby adaptation About a Boy. The screenplay earned a nomination at that year’s Oscars. Weitz also wrote Kenneth Branagh’s upcoming live-action adaptation of Cinderella — which, like Star Wars, is set up at Disney.

As a director, Weitz’s credits include The Golden Compass (which he also scripted), The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and A Better Life. In addition, he’s working on a post-apocalyptic YA trilogy. The first book, The Young World, hit shelves last year, with the second, The New Order, due out this summer.

Casting on Edwards’ Star Wars standalone is just barely getting underway, with Tatiana Maslany, Felicity Jones, Rooney Mara, and Kate Mara all testing for a role. Rumor has it the plot centers on a group of bounty hunters stealing plans for the first Death Star, with both Boba Fett and Han Solo slated to appear.

Edwards’ Star Wars film is due out December 16, 2016. It’s one of two Star Wars spinoffs in the works; Josh Trank is helming the other.

The post Chris Weitz to Write ‘Star Wars’ Spinoff appeared first on /Film.

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Ever since Daniel Brühl was cast in Captain America: Civil War, theories have been flying fast and heavy about whom he might be playing. Meanwhile, Marvel’s keeping mum. But another source may have just confirmed what many of us already suspected.

Hit the jump to find out what the Daniel Bruhl Captain America Civil War role might be. 

As mentioned above, Marvel has yet to issue any official information about Brühl’s character. However, a casting call (via Screen Crush) lists Brühl as playing Baron Zemo, alongside Chris Evans as Captain America, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Frank Grillo as Crossbones, and Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther.

Baron Zemo was one of the most popular guesses that emerged following Marvel’s announcement of Brühl’s casting. There were unconfirmed reports at the time that Brühl could play a minor role in Captain America: Civil War before resurfacing in Doctor Strange as the primary antagonist. However, those reports seem to be mistaken as Baron Zemo is more of a Captain America villain.

Here’s our earlier rundown of the character:

There are actually many Baron Zemos in the comics, but the two best known are Heinrich Zemo and his son Helmut Zemo. Heinrich is a prominent Nazi scientist who was eventually killed in a battle with Captain America. Helmut went after Captain America to avenge his father, and eventually took over the Baron Zemo mantle. Though Helmut Zemo is ultimately a villain, he’s somewhat morally ambiguous. His motivations are less purely evil compared to other villains, and he sometimes poses as a superhero. He’s pretty popular as Cap villains go. It wouldn’t be surprising if Marvel wanted to work him in.

During the Civil War, Baron Helmut Zemo plays both sides. Iron Man asks Zemo to recruit villains to the pro-registration side, which Zemo has already been doing; meanwhile, Zemo also goes to Captain America and gives him a key that will break him out of a superhuman prison.

Brühl seems like a natural fit for the part, and he’s definitely got the charisma to turn Baron Zemo into a classic MCU villain. Let’s just hope Marvel gives him the chance to do his thing — the franchise has a pretty meh track record when it comes to baddies.

Captain America: Civil War opens May 6, 2016. Anthony and Joe Russo are directing.

The post Daniel Brühl’s ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Role Revealed? appeared first on /Film.

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If the PGA and SAG Awards are any indication, Birdman will be the one to beat in this year’s competitive Best Picture category at the Oscars. The dark comedy took top prize at both ceremonies.

However, it was far from a clean sweep. Although Birdman won Best Ensemble at SAG (the guild’s closest equivalent to Best Picture), none of the three individual actors nominated for the film won their respective categories. Meanwhile, two of the winners from the PGA’s film categories — the animated feature The Lego Movie and the documentary Life Itself — weren’t even nominated in the equivalent category at the Oscars.

On the TV side, Breaking Bad picked up one last trophy at the PGA awards, Orange Is the New Black got showered with love from both guilds, and True Detective once again lost out. Get the full list of 2015 PGA and SAG winners after the jump.

21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Robert Duvall, The Judge
• Ethan Hawke, Boyhood
• Edward Norton, Birdman
• Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
• J.K. Simmons, Whiplash

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

• Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
• Keira Knightley, The Imitation Game
• Emma Stone, Birdman
• Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
• Naomi Watts, St. Vincent

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture

• Steve Carell, Foxcatcher
• Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
• Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
• Michael Keaton, Birdman
• Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role in a Motion Picture

• Jennifer Aniston, Cake
• Felicity Jones, The Theory of Everything
• Julianne Moore, Still Alice
• Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
• Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Motion Picture

• Birdman
• Boyhood
• The Grand Budapest Hotel
• The Imitation Game
• The Theory of Everything

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

• Adrien Brody, Houdini
• Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock: His Last Vow
• Richard Jenkins, Olive Kitteridge
• Mark Ruffalo, The Normal Heart
• Billy Bob Thornton, Fargo

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries

• Ellen Burstyn, Flowers in the Attic
• Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Honorable Woman
• Frances McDormand, Olive Kitteridge
• Julia Roberts, The Normal Heart
• Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series

• Ty Burrell, Modern Family
• Louie C.K., Louie
• William H. Macy, Shameless
• Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory
• Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series

• Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black
• Julie Bowen, Modern Family
• Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie,
• Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Veep
• Amy Poehler, Parks & Recreation

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series

• The Big Bang Theory
• Brooklyn Nine-Nine
• Modern Family
• Orange Is the New Black
• Veep

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series

• Claire Danes, Homeland
• Viola Davis, How to Get Away With Murder
• Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
• Tatiana Maslany, Orphan Black
• Maggie Smith, Downton Abbey
• Robin Wright, House of Cards

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series

• Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
• Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
• Woody Harrelson, True Detective
• Matthew McConaughey, True Detective
• Kevin Spacey, House of Cards

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series

• Boardwalk Empire
• Downton Abbey
• Game of Thrones
• Homeland
• House of Cards

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Debbie Reynolds

26th Annual Producers Guild Awards

The Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures

• American Sniper (Warner Bros. Pictures), Producers: Bradley Cooper, p.g.a., Clint Eastwood, p.g.a., Andrew Lazar, p.g.a., Robert Lorenz, p.g.a., Peter Morgan, p.g.a.
• Birdman (Fox Searchlight Pictures), Producers: Alejandro G. Iñárritu, John Lesher, James W. Skotchdopole
• Boyhood (IFC Films), Producers: Richard Linklater, p.g.a., Cathleen Sutherland, p.g.a.
• Foxcatcher (Sony Pictures Classics), Producers: Megan Ellison, p.g.a., Jon Kilik, p.g.a., Bennett Miller, p.g.a.
• Gone Girl (20th Century Fox), Producer: Ceán Chaffin, p.g.a.
• The Grand Budapest Hotel (Fox Searchlight Pictures), Producers: Wes Anderson & Scott Rudin, Jeremy Dawson, Steven Rales
• The Imitation Game (The Weinstein Company), Producers: Nora Grossman, p.g.a., Ido Ostrowsky, p.g.a., Teddy Schwarzman, p.g.a.
• Nightcrawler (Open Road Films), Producers: Jennifer Fox, Tony Gilroy
• The Theory of Everything (Focus Features), Producers: Tim Bevan & Eric Fellner, Lisa Bruce, Anthony McCarten
• Whiplash (Sony Pictures Classics), Producers: Jason Blum, Helen Estabrook, David Lancaster

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Animated Theatrical Motion Pictures

• Big Hero 6 (Walt Disney Animation Studios), Producer: Roy Conli, p.g.a.
• The Book of Life (20th Century Fox), Producers: Brad Booker, p.g.a., Guillermo del Toro, p.g.a.
• The Boxtrolls (Focus Features), Producers: David Bleiman Ichioka, p.g.a., Travis Knight, p.g.a.
• How To Train Your Dragon 2 (20th Century Fox), Producer: Bonnie Arnold, p.g.a.
• The LEGO Movie (Warner Bros. Pictures), Producer: Dan Lin

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Documentary Theatrical Motion Pictures

• The Green Prince (Music Box Films), Producers: John Battsek, Simon Chinn, Nadav Schirman
• Life Itself (Magnolia Pictures), Producers: Garrett Basch, Steve James, Zak Piper
• Merchants of Doubt (Sony Pictures Classics), Producers: Robert Kenner, Melissa Robledo
• Particle Fever (Abramorama/BOND 360), Producers: David E. Kaplan, Mark A. Levinson, Andrea Miller, Carla Solomon
• Virunga (Netflix), Producers: Joanna Natasegara, Orlando von Einsiedel

The David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television

• American Horror Story: Freak Show (FX), Producers: Brad Buecker, Dante Di Loreto, Brad Falchuk, Joseph Incaprera, Alexis Martin Woodall, Tim Minear, Ryan Murphy, Jennifer Salt, James Wong
• Fargo (FX), Producers: Adam Bernstein, John Cameron, Ethan Coen, Joel Coen, Michael Frislev, Noah Hawley, Warren Littlefield, Chad Oakes, Kim Todd
• The Normal Heart (HBO), Producers: Jason Blum, Dante Di Loreto, Scott Ferguson, Dede Gardner, Alexis Martin Woodall, Ryan Murphy, Brad Pitt, Mark Ruffalo
• The Roosevelts: An Intimate History (PBS), Producers: To Be Determined
• Sherlock (PBS), Producers: Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat, Beryl Vertue, Sue Vertue

The Norman Felton Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Drama

• Breaking Bad (AMC), Producers: Melissa Bernstein, Sam Catlin, Bryan Cranston, Vince Gilligan, Peter Gould, Mark Johnson, Stewart Lyons, Michelle MacLaren, George Mastras, Diane Mercer, Thomas Schnauz, Moira Walley-Beckett
• Downton Abbey (PBS), Producers: Julian Fellowes, Nigel Marchant, Gareth Neame, Liz Trubridge
• Game Of Thrones (HBO), Producers: David Benioff, Bernadette Caulfield, Frank Doelger, Chris Newman, Greg Spence, Carolyn Strauss, D.B. Weiss
• House Of Cards (Netflix), Producers: Dana Brunetti, Joshua Donen, David Fincher, David Manson, Iain Paterson, Eric Roth, Kevin Spacey, Beau Willimon
• True Detective (HBO), Producers: Richard Brown, Carol Cuddy, Steve Golin, Woody Harrelson, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Matthew McConaughey, Nic Pizzolatto, Scott Stephens

The Danny Thomas Award for Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy

• The Big Bang Theory (CBS), Producers: Faye Oshima Belyeu, Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro, Bill Prady
• Louie (FX), Producers: Pamela Adlon, Dave Becky, M. Blair Breard, Louis C.K., Vernon Chatman, Adam Escott, Steven Wright
• Modern Family (ABC), Producers: Paul Corrigan, Megan Ganz, Abraham Higginbotham, Ben Karlin, Elaine Ko, Steven Levitan, Christopher Lloyd, Jeff Morton, Dan O’Shannon, Jeffrey Richman, Chris Smirnoff, Brad Walsh, Bill Wrubel, Sally Young, Danny Zuker
• Orange Is The New Black (Netflix), Producers: Mark A. Burley, Sara Hess, Jenji Kohan, Gary Lennon, Neri Tannenbaum, Michael Trim, Lisa I. Vinnecour
• Veep (HBO), Producers: Chris Addison, Simon Blackwell, Christopher Godsick, Armando Iannucci, Stephanie Laing, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Frank Rich, Tony Roche

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television

• 30 For 30 (ESPN), Producers: Andy Billman, John Dahl, Erin Leyden, Connor Schell, Bill Simmons
• American Masters (PBS), Producers: Susan Lacy, Julie Sacks, Junko Tsunashima
• Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (CNN), Producers: Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandra Zweig
• COSMOS: A SpaceTime Odyssey (FOX/NatGeo), Producers: Brannon Braga, Mitchell Cannold, Jason Clark, Ann Druyan, Livia Hanich, Steve Holtzman, Seth MacFarlane
• Shark Tank (ABC), Producers: Becky Blitz, Mark Burnett, Bill Gaudsmith, Phil Gurin, Yun Lingner, Clay Newbill, Jim Roush, Laura Roush, Max Swedlow

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Competition Television

• The Amazing Race (CBS), Producers: Jerry Bruckheimer, Elise Doganieri, Jonathan Littman, Bertram van Munster, Mark Vertullo
• Dancing With The Stars (ABC), Producers: Ashley Edens Shaffer, Conrad Green, Joe Sungkur
• Project Runway (Lifetime), Producers: Jane Cha Cutler, Desiree Gruber, Tim Gunn, Heidi Klum, Jonathan Murray, Sara Rea, Teri Weideman
• Top Chef (Bravo), Producers: Doneen Arquines, Daniel Cutforth, Casey Kriley, Jane Lipsitz, Hillary Olsen, Erica Ross, Tara Siener, Shealan Spencer
• The Voice (NBC), Producers: Stijn Bakkers, Mark Burnett, John De Mol, Chad Hines, Lee Metzger, Audrey Morrissey, Jim Roush, Kyra Thompson, Mike Yurchuk, Amanda Zucker

The Award for Outstanding Producer of Live Entertainment & Talk Television

• The Colbert Report (Comedy Central), Producers: Meredith Bennett, Tanya Michnevich Bracco, Stephen Colbert, Richard Dahm, Paul Dinello, Barry Julien, Matt Lappin, Emily Lazar, Tom Purcell, Jon Stewart
• Jimmy Kimmel Live (ABC), Producers: David Craig, Ken Crosby, Doug DeLuca, Gary Greenberg, Erin Irwin, Jimmy Kimmel, Jill Leiderman, Molly McNearney, Tony Romero, Jason Schrift, Jennifer Sharron, Seth Weidner, Josh Weintraub
• Last Week Tonight With John Oliver (HBO), Producers: Tim Carvell, John Oliver, Liz Stanton
• Real Time With Bill Maher (HBO), Producers: Scott Carter, Sheila Griffiths, Marc Gurvitz, Dean Johnsen, Bill Maher, Billy Martin, Matt Wood
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC), Producers: Rob Crabbe, Jamie Granet Bederman, Katie Hockmeyer, Jim Juvonen, Josh Lieb, Brian McDonald, Lorne Michaels, Gavin Purcell

The post 2015 PGA and SAG Winners Announced; ‘Birdman’ Takes Top Prizes appeared first on /Film.

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Cop Car has the brutal elegance of old-school crime fiction. Two young kids find a seemingly abandoned sheriff’s cruiser in a stand of trees. One thing leads to another, and soon they’re off on a joyride through the countryside. But the sheriff wants his car back, and there’s another wild card factor, too, which draws a noose around all their necks.

Few deeds go unpunished in this daylight noir. Yet even through the increasingly grim action an innocence is maintained that sets Cop Car apart from recent companion films such as Cold in July, The Guest, and Blue Ruin. Getting reductive for a moment, Cop Car is like an Amblin film filtered through the twisted vision of the Coen Brothers. It’s a midnight movie blast.

Travis and Harrison (newcomers James Freedson-Jackson and Hays Wellford) are wandering fields on the edge of their Colorado town. They needle and dare one another as they playact whatever concept slips into their heads from moment to moment. The slender Travis has a burgeoning aggressive streak; Harrison, mop-headed in lumpy, stained clothes, is secretive and reluctant.

Their imaginary games take a turn when they find the car; the sheriff’s cruiser beckons as a mysterious artifact. First they throw rocks, then rush to touch it. Soon they’re rolling across fields and dirt roads, ecstatic at their good luck, barely able to see over the dash as they work the pedals. Freedson-Jackson and Wellford have great presence and an instantly familiar chemistry. Their genuine surprise, caution and delight at each new discovery carries us along on their adventure.

Enter the sheriff, who is on strange errands of his own. Kevin Bacon, sporting a gunslinger mustache and viciously pointed crew cut, swaggers into frame as the confident lawman. But it doesn’t take much to transform his bluster into desperation, and the loss of his car represents a serious problem. Watching Bacon play the transformation — primarily without dialogue, as he’s the only performer in many of his scenes — is a delight.

The middle third of Cop Car might benefit from tightening up. After opening with scenes of the kids wandering through the back pastures that spread out from the outskirts of their town, the film rarely steps up the pace to more than a fast trot. At times that works to good effect, as director Jon Watts lets the audience churn, clearly indicating that things for the characters are going to get a lot worse before they get better. But some sequences linger without building much. A scene where Bacon attempts to unlock a car, for example, must be meant to be far more suspenseful than it actually plays out.

Once all the pieces are in place, however, Cop Car becomes relentless, building to a final sequence that is based on such elemental real-world horror I wanted to dive under the seat to escape it. Watts isn’t a sadist; very bad things do happen to these characters, but not in a way designed to punish the audience. He’s building a hard-boiled take on the loss of innocence, and the film’s grim business is surprisingly effective.

/Film score: 8 out of 10

The post ‘Cop Car’ Is a Wild Blend of Amblin Innocence and Coen Brothers Violence [Sundance 2015] appeared first on /Film.

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Tom Hanks had Philadelpha, Jim Carrey had The Truman Show and now Jason Segel has The End of the Tour. It’s a powerhouse movie announcing to the world that this comedic actor is a dramatic force too. But that’s just one of the many, many good things that can be said about director James Ponsoldt’s fourth feature film.  Below, continue our End of the Tour review.

Written by Donald Marguiles, The End of the Tour is based on the true story of David Lipsky, a Rolling Stone reporter who interviewed legendary author David Foster Wallace for five days in 1996. Lipsky catches up with the author as he’s about to hit the final stop on the book tour for the release of Infinite Jest, then and now considered one of the great novels written in our lifetimes. Over the course of the next few days, the reporter develops a complicated relationship with the icon.

Jesse Eisenberg plays the reporter, Segal the subject and for 100 minutes, the men become friends, enemies, philosophical equals, sexual rivals, artistic counterparts and much, much more. The End of the Tour premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and will be distributed by A24 later this year.

As The End of the Tour begins, David Foster Wallace has died. We’re with Lipsky – whose actual novel telling these events was the basis for the film – as he finds out the news. We then see how he first heard about Wallace from some incredible reviews he received for his novel. Reviews Lipsky is insanely jealous of.

So Lipsky sets out to interview Wallace and the author is not what you’d expect from a man of his fame. He’s lives in rural Illinois, alone, except for a few dogs. He’s quiet, pensive, a bit of a slob but unfathomably smart and insightful. Once the pair begin the interview, you never know where the conversation may go. Sex, drugs, love, McDonalds, Die Hard, Marguiles uses lots of the actual taped conversations for his dialogue. Yet in the capable mouths of Eisenberg and Segel, there’s never a question as to how natural it all sounds.

Really, that’s the number one key to the movie working so well. Both actors, working off the screenplay and under the eye of Ponsoldt’s direction, become these people. They’re so normal, down to early and believable and it makes you forget you’re watching a movie. You revel in the thoughts being discussed. The ideas become the stars as The End of the Tour implores you to consider what’s being said more than how it’s being said or even who is saying it. Even still, how and who tell a story too. That dichotomy is in large part because Ponsoldt very rarely gets involved. A lesser director might have tried to spice the film up a bit but The End of the Tour isn’t flashy. It’s muted and simple. For the most part Ponsoldt lets his two actors act, the screenplay sing, and the audience enjoy.

This is probably a good time to reveal that I’ve never read Infinite Jest, nor did I really know much about David Foster Wallace outside of the basics. But that’s insignificant because The End of the Tour is a universal story about a great many things. The screenplay, and in particular the dialogue, is absolutely stunning (thanks in large part to the actual people but still), both Eisenberg but especially Segel are magnificent in their roles, and Ponsoldt exhibits some real maturity in his direction.

There are dozens upon dozens of conversations to be had after watching The End of the Tour, but all of them end with the fact this is a great movie.

/Film rating 8.5 out of 10

The post Jason Segel’s Big Dramatic Debut Is One Of Many Great Things In ‘The End of the Tour’ [Sundance 2015] appeared first on /Film.

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Noah Baumbach’s movies have never been easy to describe. Each one blends so many different tones, sensibilities and genres that simply describing his movies as one thing doesn’t work. Calling The Squid and the Whale a family drama doesn’t seem right. Frances Ha isn’t just a coming of age story and Greenberg isn’t just a movie about self-discovery.

That lack of easy categorization is probably the only thing Baumbach’s latest film, Mistress America, shares with the director’s other films. Well, that and his co-writer and star Greta Gerwig. Mistress America is by far Baumbach’s funniest film, anchored by a completely new sort of performance from Gerwig, and blessed with a script so smart and sharp, many of the film’s jokes don’t land for a few seconds because A) you’ve never heard anyone say anything like that and B) it’s just so damn intelligent.

Mistress America had its world premiere at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and you can read the rest of our Mistress America review below.

Mistress America starts not with Gerwig but with Tracy, played by relative newcomer Lola Kirke. Tracy is a college freshman in New York City, which is a very lonely thing to be. She tries to make friends but eventually cold calls her soon-to be-step sister, Brooke.

Brooke (Gerwig) is 12 years older than Tracy and has a big, hustle-and-bustle New York life. She’s also extremely confidant, flighty, fast speaking and occasionally brilliant. Think one of Woody Allen’s characters from the Seventies, if he was a woman and came off as ditzy, but wasn’t. Brooke is one of those happy-go-lucky girls you can’t help but love, and Tracy immediately falls under her spell. The two become quick friends and both help each other in their lives.

Even at this point, it’s hard to categorize what Mistress America is trying to say. Gerwig is absolutely hilarious and wonderful as Brooke. We’ve never seen her this big and boisterous as a character. Kirke plays the lost little sister very well too. But really the film is just these two characters, being themselves. Which is kind of exactly what’s so great about Mistress America.

Yes, there ends up being a bit more of a plot involving Brooke trying to open a restaurant, but really it’s just an excuse for Gerwig and Baumbach to populate their scenes with fun characters and layers of jokes. The second half of Mistress America feels like a giant film chemistry set as the director and writer carefully drop in characters, crazy lines of dialogue, and weird scenarios, all just because they’ve set up this world where all we care about is Tracy and Brooke, no matter what. That’s not to say it’s excessive. In fact, the film is kind of minimal, but it has an electric pop and crackle feeling all throughout.

In fact, it almost feels like Mistress America was an excuse to write a movie with all a writer’s characters and dialogue that never fit anywhere else. In Brooke, the lovable, space cadet who may have everything figured out more than anyone else, you have a character that can say all those things and justify interactions with all those people.

Beyond that, Mistress America does have things to say about generation X, generation Y, New York City, the surrounding area, and more. But those things come in a distant second to the simple pleasure of laughing and enjoying the characters Baumbach and Gerwig have created.

/Film rating: 8 out of 10

The post ‘Mistress America’ Is Noah Baumbach’s Funniest and Most Accessible Film Yet [Sundance 2015] appeared first on /Film.

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When Eli Roth directs a movie, there’s a certain expectation from the film. Gore, disturbing imagery and sheer terror are associated with the director of Cabin Fever and Hostel. Roth knows that as well as anyone. With his latest film Knock Knock, he uses those expectations to his advantage to toy with the audience. The film slowly builds, but situations don’t get violent. You might question what the hell you’re watching. What is the point here? That might be frustrating in the hands of another filmmaker, but not from Roth. For almost half of Knock Knock, the film presents fresh, difficult and exceedingly awkward situations for the characters. And because you have no idea what’s going to happen, that’s scary and thrilling in its own unique way.

Knock Knock, which stars Keanu Reeves as a happy husband randomly thrust into an uncomfortable situation with two young girls, premiered this weekend at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Continue reading our Knock Knock review.

Evan (Reeves) seems like the perfect guy. He’s an architect, lives in a beautiful California home, has two kids and a lovely talented wife. One afternoon, the wife and kids go to the beach but Evan has to stay home and work. It’s raining, he’s alone, listening to music, and there’s a knock at the door. Two beautiful young girls, played by Ana De Armas and Lorenza Izzo, are standing in the cold. They’re drenched, lost and just want to come in to dry off and use the phone.

Trailers, images, interviews and more are sure to give you a better idea of what happens next but it’s probably best if you don’t know. Suffice to say, however wild your imagination can run with that scenario, the movie goes there and then keeps going, building a tension that’ll make you squeal in your seat to exhale the built-up emotions.

As Knock Knock begins, Reeves doesn’t feel quite right in this role. We aren’t used to seeing him as a dad and it feels off. But once the family leaves and he’s on his own? That’s a role he’s perfect for and when Knock Knock really gets cooking. Then you add De Armas and Izzo, two actresses with an amazing chemistry and energy. In a single shot, they can maneuver from innocent to scary, sexy and goofy. They’re a unique, frightening, modern horror duo. You can’t take your eyes off them, yet watching them never quite feels good.

The film does falter a bit as the motivations and plans are revealed. There’s a point to this whole scenario, of course, but as the stakes get higher and higher, the tension mounting and growing, what you’re seeing on screen can never live up to the “why” behind the actions. The whole movie is structured to keep you on your toes, but the plot itself never lives up to expectations set by the tension.

Nevertheless, Knock Knock is another strong example of Eli Roth doing what he does best: Building tension, asking questions, and making the audience uncomfortable. A few bumps aside, Knock Knock is an enjoyable, original ride.

/Film rating: 7 out of 10

The post Eli Roth Takes Keanu Reeves to Hell and Back in ‘Knock Knock’ [Sundance 2015] appeared first on /Film.

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Everyone’s favorite futuristic family, The Jetsons, have been around for a while. They started in the Sixties, had a movie made back in 1990 and, over the past few years, several people – including Kanye West – have been thinking about making another. Well, the needle is moving once again on a new Jetsons movie and, this time, it’s a lot more believable. Warner Bros. has hired Matt Lieberman to penning a screenplay to a new animated feature.

Deadline broke the news of the new Jetsons movie. Warner Bros. controls the rights and they’ve made the project a priority. Still, a priority animated film still needs a good 4-5 years to get made, minimum. The studio themselves have multiple Lego animated films dated through 2018, so this film almost certainly wouldn’t be out until at least then, and probably later.

The Jetsons were a super popular cartoon when they first aired in the 1960s, showing a happy-go-lucky family living in the future. They saw a bit of a resurgence in the Eighties thanks to reruns, hence the 1990 movie. That movie was not a hit, though only grossing $20 million at the box office with a prime summer release. As to why Warner Bros. thinks The Jetsons will be popular in the next several years is a mystery, but maybe it’s the sign they have more than just a movie in store for George, Jane, Judy, Elroy, Rosie and Astro.

Do you think people will be interested in a new Jetsons movie?

The post New ‘Jetsons’ Animated Movie In the Works appeared first on /Film.

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These are the movies sold at Sundance 2015. Many of the films that premiere at the Sundance Film Festival are hoping to attract a distributor and find a bigger audience,be it in theaters around the country or distributed through digital VOD. Throughout the festival we will be reporting on all of the movies sold at Sundance 2015. This list should help give you an idea about which movies may someday be available to you either theatrically of VOD. We’re including photo stills from each of the films along with all of the relevant information (director, cast, how much it sold for, the plot synopsis and more).  Hit the jump to find out which movies sold at Sundance 2015.

Latest update: A24 picks up one of the hottest tickets so far at the fest, the period horror The Witch.

These Movies Sold at Sundance 2015

We will be updating this post with 2015 Sundance Film Festival acquisitions throughout the festival. The post is organized from newest to oldest, with the latest acquisitions on the top.

The Witch

Acquired: January 24
By: A24
Purchase Price: $1.5
Director: Robert Eggers
Starring: Anya Taylor Joy, Ralph Ineson, Kate Dickie, Harvey Scrimshaw, Ellie Grainger, Lucas Dawson
Other Info: Deal not fully set, but looks likely according to THR.
Plot Synopsis:

A colonial family leaves plantation life and attempts to reap their harvest on a fledgling farm at the edge of an imposing ancient New England forest. Soon, superstition and dread set in as food grows scarce, a family member goes missing, and the children’s play takes on a frenzied and menacing undercurrent. As they begin to turn on one another, the malevolent machinations of an ethereal presence from within the woods exacerbate the growing corruption of their own natures.

The Bronze

Acquired: January 24rd
By: Relativity
Purchase Price: $3 million
Directors: Bryan Buckley
Starring: Melissa Rauch, Gary Cole, Thomas Middleditch, Sebastian Stan, Haley Lu Richardson, Cecily Strong
Other Info: Read our review here. Deal not 100% but looks likely according to Deadline.
Plot Synopsis:

In 2004, Hope Ann Greggory became an American hero after winning the bronze medal for the women’s gymnastics team. Today, she’s living in her father’s basement in her small hometown—washed up, largely forgotten, and embittered. Stuck in her past glory, Hope is forced to reassess her life when a promising young gymnast who idolizes her threatens her local celebrity status. Will she mentor the adoring, hopeful protégé, take her down, or both?

Misery Loves Comedy

Acquired: January 23rd
By: Tribeca Film
Purchase Price: undisclosed
Directors: Kevin Pollak
Starring: Tom Hanks, Jimmy Fallon, Amy Schumer, Judd Apatow, Jon Favreau, Lisa Kudrow, Larry David, Steve Coogan, Jim Gaffigan, and Whoopi Goldberg
Other Info: Feature-length documentary.  Tribecca acquired North American rights
Plot Synopsis:

Director Kevin Pollak shares in-depth, candid interviews with some of the most revered comedy greats who each share their unique path and a life devoted to making strangers laugh. With arresting anecdotes and insights from the comedy underbelly that reveal the paradox of a performer’s desire to connect with audiences, Misery Loves Comedy is the definitive master class on the art of humor that details a comedian’s rare ability to help us understand life as only they can.

In Football We Trust

Acquired: January 22nd in advance of its January 23th premiere.
By: Relativity Sports
Purchase Price: undisclosed
Directors: Tony Vainuku, Erika Cohn
Other Info: Feature-length sports documentary. Relativity Sports has produced and released “Being: Mariano,” “David Ortiz: In the Moment,” “Dwight Howard: In the Moment” and “Amar’e Stoudemire: In the Moment.” Dwayne Johnson came aboard as a producer.
Plot Synopsis:

Four young Polynesian football players struggle to overcome gang violence and poverty as they enter the high-stakes world of recruiting, competitive athletics and family pressures.

The End of the Tour

Acquired: January 22nd in advance of its January 23th premiere.
By: A24
Purchase Price: $2-$3 million

Director: James Ponsoldt (The Spectacular Now)
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Jason Segel, Anna Chlumsky, Joan Cusack
Other Info: Comedy in the Premiere section. Deadline reports it would get an awards release later this year.
Plot Synopsis:

In 1996, shortly after the publication of his groundbreaking novel Infinite Jest,acclaimed author David Foster Wallace (Jason Segel) sets off on a five-day interview with Rolling Stone reporter David Lipsky (Jesse Eisenberg). As the days pass, a tenuous yet significant relationship develops between journalist and subject. Lipsky and Wallace bob and weave around each other, revealing as much in what they don’t say as what the say. They share laughs, expose hidden frailties, yet it’s never clear when or to what extent they are being truthful. The interview is never published. Five days of audio tapes are packed away in Lipsky’s closet, and the two men never meet again.

Results

Acquired: January 22nd in advance of its January 27th premiere.
By: Magnolia Pictures
Purchase Price: Undisclosed

Director: Andrew Bujalski (Funny Ha Ha, Mutual Appreciation, Computer Chess)
Starring: Guy Pearce, Cobie Smulders, Giovanni Ribisi, Anthony Michael Hall, Brooklyn Decker and Constance Zimmer
Other Info: Comedy in the U.S. Dramatic Competition. Magnolia is eyeing a summer theatrical release for the film.
Plot Synopsis:

RESULTS is well toned ensemble comedy set in the fitness world of Austin, TX. Corrigan plays Danny, a recently divorced, newly rich, and utterly miserable slob who makes a stab at self-improvement by signing up for a personal trainer at a local gym. There he meets self-styled guru/owner Trevor (Guy Pearce) and irresistibly acerbic trainer Kat (Cobie Smulders). Soon, their three lives are inextricably knotted, both professionally and personally. Andrew Bujalski (Computer Chess, 2013) returns to the Sundance Film Festival with a funny, intimate tale that’s utterly grounded in real life.

Dreamcatcher

Acquired: January 22nd in advance of its January 25th premiere.
By: Showtime Networks
Purchase Price: Undisclosed

Director: Kim Longinotto (Salma, Rough Aunties, Divorce Iranian Style)
Starring:
Plot Synopsis:

On the West Side of Chicago at 3:00am, a van with the words “Dreamcatcher Foundation” emblazoned across the side cruises through the dimly lit streets. The two women inside are Brenda Myers-Powell and Stephanie Daniels-Wilson, survivors of the sex trade. The van slows down as they approach a young girl. Brenda leans out and calls, “Hey pretty, do you need some condoms?” This opening scene takes you immediately into the sharp end of the world of Dreamcatcher, vividly directed by master documentarian Kim Longinotto. Brenda became a prostitute as a teenager, developed a drug addiction, and years later came out the other side. Her experience, combined with her irresistible personality, puts her in a unique position to help other trafficked women reclaim their lives. With warmth and humor, Brenda gives hope to those who have none.

Don Verdean

Acquired: January 21st in advance of its January 28th premiere.
By: Lionsgate
Purchase Price: Undisclosed

Director: Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre)
Starring: Sam Rockwell, Jemaine Clement, Amy Ryan, Danny McBride, Leslie Bibb and Will Forte.
Plot Synopsis:

“Biblical archaeologist Don Verdean is hired by a local church pastor to find faith-promoting relics in the Holy Land. But after a fruitless expedition he is forced to get creative in this comedy of faith and fraud.”

Movies Sold At Sundance 2015 Studio Breakdown

• A24: The End of the Tour, The Witch
• Fox Searchlight: Misstress America
• Lionsgate: Don Verdean
• Magnolia: Results
• Relativity Sports: In Football We Trust
• Showtime: Dreamcatcher
• Tribeca Film: Misery Loves Comedy
• Relativity: The Bronze

The post Movies Sold at Sundance 2015: A Complete & Updated Guide appeared first on /Film.

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