News

Flying Lotus' new film Ash recently debuted at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival, and it turned out to be a hit with the critics. With its early reviews, the film has garnered one of the highest Rotten Tomatoes scores of Aaron Paul's career.

Currently,Ash has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 91%, comparable to Paul's revered films Eye in the Sky (95%), El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie (92%), and American Woman (89%). The movie, which also stars Eiza Gonzalez, is part science fiction and part psychological thriller. The result is an entertaining watch for most critics, with Ash praised for its acting, storytelling, and visuals.

"Ash feels outside of time," says Sharai Bohannon of Horror Press. "It’s somehow futuristic but also heavily influenced by the sci-fi horror that came before it. So, nods to John Carpenter’s The Thing and Ridley Scott’s Alien feel at home in this film.

Exclusive: Anthony Kimble has opened the newest management agency on the international beat with a roster of UK and South African talent.

Arrested Industries Talent will sit within Kimble’s Arrested Industries, the content development, financing and production company he runs out of L.A., London and Cape Town. Its launch is designed to identify and curate talent from smaller markets and expand their international careers.

The agency launches with a roster comprising writer/director Christiaan Olwagen, writer/director/author Etienne Fourie, director Tina Gharavi, Edinburgh Fringe breakout Lyndon Chapman, and actors Daniel Fox, Daniel Schultz and Sam Benjamin.

Kimble will continue working with LA-based 5X Media, with Arrested Industries Talent now having a co-representation in the U.S. with the producer and management firm. 5X will represent Arrested’s talent in the U.S., while Arrested will rep 5X talent in South Africa and other territories.

“During the course...

The New York-based distributor Bleecker Street is ten years old – and affirmed its ongoing commitment to films for “grown-ups”.

At ten years old, and with more than 70 films under its belt, the American distributor Bleecker Street has backed a whole host of films that others may not have put the same heft and care behind.

In its first few years, it was involved with the likes of Eye In The Sky, Captain Fantastic, The Lost City Of Z and Beasts Of No Nation. And in more recent times, it’s brought films such as Mass, The Assistant and Breaking to the screen. On the surface, it’s looking tougher and tougher to get the films it’s backing to break through at the box office, but thankfully, that’s not stopping the Bleecker Street team from trying.

In a new interview at Variety, Kent Sanderson (president of the company), Andrew Karpen...

Bleecker Street executives Kent Sanderson and Myles Bender can vividly remember their first time seeing “Eye in the Sky,” a drone warfare thriller starring Helen Mirren and Alan Rickman that premiered in 2015 at Toronto Film Festival with hopes of finding distribution. Not long into the Canadian screening, they were held rapt by film but quickly realized their contemporaries in the room didn’t feel the same way.

“Within 15 minutes, I started watching a lot of other buyers get up and leave. I guess they felt the film was too challenging,” says Sanderson, Bleecker Street’s president. He and Bender, head of marketing and creative advertising, pushed for their boss, the film company’s co-founder and CEO, Andrew Karpen, to watch the film so they could bid on the distribution rights. Bender recalls, “We were looking at each other and saying, ‘What are we seeing that they aren’t?’”

Karpen shared...

Heading into the 33rd episode of “Big Brother 26,” Head of Household and Veto winner Makensy Manbeck decided to switch up the game by removing Kimo Apaka from the block and nominating Leah Peters instead alongside Angela Murray. The hour-long episode began with either Leah or Angela saying goodbye, and then the remaining houseguests learned live on air that they were about to experience a shocking double eviction. So how did it all play out?

Below, read our minute-by-minute “Big Brother” Season 26, Episode 33 recap/live blog to find out what happened Thursday, September 26 at 8:00 p.m. Et/Pt. Then be sure to sound off in the comments section about your favorite “BB26” houseguests on CBS’s reality TV show, who annoys you the most and who you think will ultimately join the “Big Brother” winners list. As always, Julie Chen Moonves hosts the series.

Here are the names of the seven remaining houseguests: Angela Murray,...

The Breaking Bad series was an immense hit, establishing a special place in the television world. Due to its success, Aaron Paul’s role as Jesse Pinkman catapulted to fame, opening doors for a successful career going forward.

Aaron Paul and Bryan Cranston in AMC series | AMC

However, rather than choosing a typical path to secure leading-man roles in blockbuster movies, he chose a pathway less traveled. He decided to pursue independent filmmaking, showcasing a kind of courage that many would be terrified of.

Aaron Paul Made a Bold Career Confession Post-Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad has been a significant milestone for Aaron Paul‘s career whose portrayal of Jesse Pinkman impressed many, earning him critical acclaim and accolades.

Related“You’re such an a**hole”: Aaron Paul’s ‘Breaking Bad’ Fame Became the Bane of his Existence After a Fan Hurled Vile Insults At Him at The Worst...

When Andrew Karpen wants to convince a filmmaker to let him release their movie, he doesn’t blow them away by offering more and more money. For one thing, Bleecker Street, the indie studio he founded in 2014, doesn’t have the financial firepower of an Apple or a Netflix.

“Our pitch is always centered around the kind of experience that they will have with us, knowing that we will be collaborative and transparent,” Karpen says. “I always say, ‘This is not a campaign where you will just be emailed the final poster and trailer and given two tickets to the premiere.’”

And over nearly 70 films, that openness has kept Karpen and his small but mighty staff in the game. While Bleecker is celebrating its 10th anniversary, many of its competitors haven’t managed to survive in a business that’s only become more treacherous to navigate. Several of Bleecker’s contemporaries,...

On its 10th Anniversary, independent film studio Bleecker Street is celebrating its past while looking towards its future. Huzzah! Woohoo! The vibrant film distributor company has revealed a video to celebrate their 10th anniversary, featuring a look at their upcoming 2024 slate. Bleecker Street was formed in August 2014 by CEO Andrew Karpen, who is the former co-ceo of Focus Features. His new company is based in New York City and it was named after 65 Bleecker Street, the street address of Karpen's other company Focus Features. This brand new studio was established with the goal to distribute "smart house" films that combine the entertainment of studio blockbusters with the artistic indie allure. Even if you don't know them by name, you definitely know some of the films they've released over the last 10 years: I'll See You In My Dreams, Arctic, The Art of Self-Defense, Logan Lucky, Eye in the Sky, Leave No Trace,...

“Rumours” is on the way. In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Bleecker Street, the indie film studio, has released a new highlight sizzle reel emphasizing their greatest hits film accomplishments and a tease of what’s to come with never-before-seen footage. Some of Bleecker Street’s most notable titles include Steven Soderbergh’s “Logan Lucky,” “Eye in the Sky,” “Kitty Green’s “The Assistant,” Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace” and “Captain Fantastic” (which earned Viggo Mortensen a Best Actor Oscar nomination), and many more, but it’s the upcoming titles that are the most compelling.

Continue reading Bleecker Street Gives First Look At Guy Maddin’s ‘Rumours’ With Cate Blanchett & Alicia Vikander & More Upcoming Titles at The Playlist.

Exclusive: Isaach De Bankolé (Godfather of Harlem), Phoebe Fox (The Great), Silvia Dionicio (Wu-Tang: An American Saga), and Coral Peña (For All Mankind) are the newest recurring cast members set for HBO’s Untitled Brad Ingelsby Task Force Project (working title).

De Bankolé will play Father Daniel Georges, the oldest and best friend of lead Mark Ruffalo’s FBI Agent Tom, who went to seminary with him. Fox portrays Tom’s biological daughter, Sara, who is deep in grief, with Dionicio as his adopted daughter, grappling with a family tragedy. Peña portrays Meg Coyle, the guidance counselor who works at Emily’s high school.

Others previously cast in the crime drama from the creator of Mare of Easttown include Tom Pelphrey as Robbie; Emilia Jones as Maeve; Thuso Mbedu as Aleah; Raúl Castillo as Cliff; Jamie McShane as Perry; Sam Keeley as Jayson; Fabien Frankel as Anthony; Alison Oliver as...

There’s a particularly intense scene early on in the new war movie Land of Bad. A young soldier is faced with a difficult choice when it comes to breakfast: Fruit Loops or Frosted Flakes. He stares at the two boxes intently, turning them over to compare their nutritional content (or lack thereof). It’s practically a metaphor for the choices facing moviegoers at their local multiplex these days.

A prime example would be William Eubank’s action-thriller, which feels like a Michael Bay film if he faced budgetary restraints. But for all its familiar aspects, Land of Bad does have a few things going for it, namely the presence of not one but two Hemsworth brothers (sadly, though, Chris isn’t one of them) and Russell Crowe, who spends most of the movie sitting in a chair staring at a screen and manages to completely steal it anyway.

The...

Alan Rickman's portrayal of Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise was his most famous role, and he brought wonderful depth to this layered character. Rickman's performances in movies like Love Actually and Die Hard solidified his status as a talented actor, with his roles often evoking strong emotions from audiences. Alan Rickman's final live-action movie, Eye in the Sky, showcased his talent as Lieutenant General Frank Benson, a complex character in a high-stakes operation. The film offered a fresh take on political action thrillers.

Having appeared in over 45 movies and 15 TV shows, the late British actor Alan Rickman was a star in his own right, but some of his projects stood out more than others. However, his most famous role was Severus Snape in the Harry Potter franchise, and he portrayed this layered character with wonderful depth. After all, Alan Rickman did receive exclusive Harry Potter spoilers from the beginning,...

Exec has previously headed sales for HanWay, Protagonist and eOne.

Lemming Film, the Netherlands-based producer of festival titles including Sweet Dreams and Milk, has appointed Charlotte van Weede as managing director.

Van Weede was previously sales director for ITV Studios’s global entertainment division whose catalogue includes formats such as The Voice and Love Island.

Before that, she worked at Anton Capital as head of distribution and Global Road as president of international sales. Van Weede has also worked as a feature film consultant at the Dutch Film Fund and spent four years as SVP of eOne Features in London...

A24 are delivering a special gift to Max this December, as Leo Reich’s acclaimed stand-up show Literally Who Cares?! hits the streamer. The comedian has already won over the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Off-Broadway with runs of the show, but this performance was taped at EartH in London. Consider checking it out – if A24 got involved in the project, you know you’ll definitely see something weird and special.

But if you’re looking for something more serious, add the new three-part documentary series Murder In Boston: Roots, Rampage & Reckoning to your watch list this month. The upcoming series delves into the fallout from the investigation into Charles “Chuck” Stuart’s 911 call reporting that he and his pregnant wife, had been shot in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood in 1989.

Here’s everything coming to (and leaving) HBO and Max this month…

HBO and Max New Releases – December 2023

December...

She’s beautiful and she’s here! As the calendar turns to December, a big month for Warner Bros. Discovery begins ahead of its big Christmas Day release: Blitz Bazawule’s reimagining of “The Color Purple,” based on the award-winning stage musical of the same name and starring Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, H.E.R., Halle Bailey, Ciara, and more.

Ahead of the theatrical release, Max will usher in the month with not only the original 1985 film but also the upcoming documentary special “Oprah and The Color Purple Journey,” which will premiere on Max on Dec. 28 and take viewers through the making of the new movie musical adaptation and Winfrey’s history with the property.

The streamer will also add dozens of other titles from its multiple properties including OWN, HGTV, and CNN Max; film collections like James Bond and “The Pink Panther”; new comedy...

Adding to the nail-biting drama, the stunt reality show ‘Khatron Ke Khiladi’ season 13 will be presenting ‘Partners Week,’ where contestants will face heart-stopping challenges in pairs, with one of them blindfolded.

The stakes will soar as contestants are paired up for a stunt called ‘Partner Horse Drag’, in which they will be tied together in a mud pit and get dragged by horses and a chariot. The sighted partner must guide their blindfolded teammate to hit the cones placed on the sides of the mud pit.

Right after, the fear of crocodiles takes centrestage in the next stunt called ‘Partner- Croc Transfer with Shock’ which will task contestants to pick up crocodiles with the help of their partners direction and place them in a pen.

In another nerve-wracking stunt called ‘Eye In The Sky’, one contestant will don special VR glasses that allow them to see through their partner’s view.

It was only a matter of time before “Black Mirror” came for the streaming industry, and Season 6 takes a couple of swings directly at Netflix right out of the gate. First with the star-studded, hyper-meta episode “Joan Is Awful,” which introduces the Netflix clone Streamberry (and an arsenal of Easter eggs and references therein). But Episode 2, “Loch Henry,” quiets things down to tackle a much more specific streaming ill — the soulless, exploitative true crime industrial complex and the constant stream of true crime docs digging up traumas from the past.

“Loch Henry” follows an aspiring filmmaker back to his Scottish hometown, where he intends to make a documentary about eggs, only to get sucked into making a film about the horrific crime case that transformed his hometown from a former tourist destination into a desolate ghost town. In “Black Mirror” tradition, the ensemble is a healthy mix of familiar faces,...

As Sanctuary, Zachary Wigon’s twisted tale of a dominatrix and her wealthy client, opens in NY and LA, David Lancaster of producer Rumble Films recalls a speedy 18-day shoot on a custom-made set in Brownsville, Brooklyn in late summer of 2021. It was Covid, so not the easiest time for indie financing.

It world premiered in Toronto, Neon picked it up. Rumble is pretty prolific with projects including Whiplash, Night Crawler, Eye In The Sky, Drive and Donnybrook. It lost one project to a lack of pandemic insurance and more recently saw another fall away since it wouldn’t have been finished shooting by the end of June – when actor and director contracts expires and they could potentially be on strike alongside writers. “It’s a tricky world,” he said.

He’s in Cannes with eOne horror thriller Visitation by Nicolas Pesce starring Olivie Cooke and Isla Johnston that finished...

Details of the sixth season of the ever-mysterious Black Mirror have now been revealed, along with a few new images (courtesy of EW). Netflix, which has debuted each new season of Black Mirror since its third series in 2016, has also released a video revealing the titles for the five episodes that will make up the latest outing. And things sound as warped and disturbing as ever.

The first episode of Black Mirror season six is titled Joan is Awful and follows “an average woman who is stunned to discover a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life, in which she is portrayed by Hollywood A-lister Salma Hayek.” Led by Schitt's Creek star Annie Murphy and directed by Ally Pankiw, the episode boasts a stellar cast that includes Michael Cera, Rob Delaney, Ben Barnes, Himesh Patel and, of course, Salma Hayek.

The next episode, Loch Henry,...

Ian Bairnson, longtime guitarist for the Alan Parsons Project who also featured on Kate Bush’s first two albums, has died at the age of 69.

The Scottish-born musician’s wife Leila Bairnson revealed on social media that her husband died following a “long battle with dementia.”

“It is with deep sadness and regret that I let you know that my loving husband Ian Bairnson has passed away on Friday 7 April,” Leila wrote (via The Guardian). “Ian was the sweetest, kindest, loving husband I could ever have wished for and I...

War is coming in Guy Nattiv’s Golda, onscreen and off. But despite the media’s best efforts to turn the casting of British, non-Jewish actor Helen Mirren as Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir into an explosive example of cultural appropriation, both Nattiv’s direction and Mirren’s performance are low-key and careful enough to rise above the controversy. In retrospect, it does seem a little strange that no other candidate was deemed suitable, and the movie won’t do much extra business on account of Mirren’s star power, but those anticipating a tone-deaf disaster will be sorely disappointed.

Golda very much exists in the slipstream of two last-decade biopics, The Iron Lady and Darkest Hour, both humanizing studies of seemingly indomitable famous politicians. Nattiv, however, takes a much narrower view of his subject, using Meir’s testimony at an inquest into her government’s handling of the Yom...

First published August 27th, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.

Don’t spend hours scrolling the menus at Netflix, Prime Video, and other movie services. I point you to the best new films and hidden gems to stream.

Movies included here may be available on services other than those mentioned, and in other regions, too. JustWatch and Reelgood are great for finding which films are on what streamers; you can customize each site so that it shows you only those services you have access to.

When you rent or purchase a film through the Prime Video and Apple links here, I get a small affiliate fee that helps support my work. Please use them if you can! (Affiliate fees do not increase your cost.)

both sides of the pond

If Jordan Peele’s creepy UFO movie Nope has you hankering for more unsettling sci-fi, allow me to recommend strange and wondrous little indie The Vast of Night.

Exclusive: The Outlaws star Charles Babalola is set to headline Showtime’s King Shaka, (fka Shaka: King of the Zulu Nation), executive produced by Antoine Fuqua.

Babalola will play the title role in the epic drama series, centered around one man’s personal journey from stigmatized childhood to warrior king, which hails from writers Olu Odebunmi and Tolu Awosika, Propagate, Fuqua Films and CBS Studios. Production kicks off next month in the historic KwaZulu-Natal (Kzn) South Africa province, the birthplace of King Shaka, and will be fully shot in South Africa for a 2023 debut on Showtime.

Also cast as series regulars in King Shaka are Aïssa Maïga (The Fear Index) as Nandi, Shaka’s devoted mother who will sacrifice everything to fulfill her son’s destiny; and Thando Dlomo (The Woman King) as Pampatha, a herder who finds her fate forever entwined with Shaka’s. Thapelo Mokoena (Bulletproof) will guest star as Gendeyana,...

First published May 7th, 2022, on Substack and Patreon.

Don’t spend hours scrolling the menus at Netflix, Amazon Prime, and other movie services. I point you to the best new films and hidden gems to stream.

Movies included here may be available on services other than those mentioned, and in other regions, too. JustWatch and Reelgood are great for finding which films are on what streamers; you can customize each site so that it shows you only those services you have access to.

When you rent or purchase a film through the Amazon and Apple links here, I get a small affiliate fee that helps support my work. Please use them if you can! (Affiliate fees do not increase your cost.)

both sides of the pond

It’s not often that collective cultural amnesia is a good thing, and it certainly isn’t now that it looks like reproductive rights...

May will satisfy “Stranger Things” fans everywhere as it delivers Netflix’s hotly-anticipated fourth season of the sci-fi thriller series hailing from the Duffer brothers. However, the streamer’s also getting rid of other shows — most notably, all six seasons of the Emmy-winning “Downton Abbey” and Seasons 1-3 of the Damon Wayans Jr.-starring sitcom “Happy Endings.”

The month will also see the removal of several films, including cult classics like Denise Richards’ erotic thriller “Wild Things” and the Zack Snyder-helmed “Sucker Punch.” “Top Gun” — the long-awaited sequel of which is coming to theaters May 27 — will also go.

Other movies leaving the platform range from horror fares (“The Final Destination” and “The Devil’s Advocate”) to family-friendly pics (“Happy Feet” and “Hairspray”).

Check out the full list of titles leaving Netflix this month below:

Leaving May 1

Colony: Seasons 1-3

Hoarders: Season 11

WWII in HD: Season 1

Leaving May 3

StartUp:...

The year is somehow already almost over! To celebrate another passage around the sun, Netflix is putting its best foot forward with its list of new releases for December 2021.

Netflix’s options of original series are quite vast and impressive this month. It starts early on with two finales: Lost in Space wraps up its story with a third and final season on Dec. 1 and is quickly followed by the last go-around for Spanish hit Money Heist. The blockbusters continue apace from there with The Witcher season 2 premiering on Dec. 17, Emily in Paris season 2 on Dec. 22, and Cobra Kai season 4 on Dec. 31 to close out the year.

Read more TV The Witcher Season 2 First Look Asks What Kind of Father Geralt Will Be By Michael Ahr TV How Will Money Heist End? By Gene Ching

It’s also a good month for movies on Netflix. Adam McKay’s satirical climate...

Mike Myers will play no less than seven characters in his upcoming Netflix series The Pentaverate. Back in 2019, it was reported that Myers had set up the project at Netflix, personally spearheading the production in addition to starring in the series. A major update on The Pentaverate has revealed six new names that have been added to the cast, and with that news comes the revelation that Myers will be playing seven different roles.

"I love creating characters, and Netflix has given me a fantastic playground to play in," Mike Myers said of the project while speaking with Variety in 2019.

In The Pentaverate, which is a half-hour series spanning six episodes, "five men have been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347. As the show begins, one unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself.

Ken Jeong, Keegan-Michael Key, Debi Mazar, Richard McCabe, Jennifer Saunders and Lydia West have joined the cast of The Pentaverate, Netflix’s previously untitled half-hour comedy limited series, produced by and starring Mike Myers.

Production has begun on the six-episode series in which Myers plays seven new characters.

Created by Myers and directed by Tim Kirkby (Fleabag), the series asks “What if a secret society of five men has been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347?” As the series begins, one unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself. Remember, the Pentaverate must never be exposed!

2020-21 Netflix Pilots & Series Orders

The Austin Powers, Shrek and former Saturday Night Live star will executive produce with Kirkby, John Lyons — who worked with Myers on the second and third Austin Powers movies...

Mike Myers’ new Netflix comedy series has officially been titled “The Pentaverate,” with the show adding six new cast members.

Ken Jeong, Keegan-Michael Key, Debi Mazar, Richard McCabe, Jennifer Saunders, and Lydia West will all appear alongside Myers in the series, with Myers set to play seven new characters himself. Production is currently underway on the six-episode show.

In the half-hour series, five men have been working to influence world events for the greater good since the Black Plague of 1347. As the show begins, one unlikely Canadian journalist finds himself embroiled in a mission to uncover the truth and just possibly save the world himself.

Fans of Myers will recall that he referenced The Pentaverate in the 1993 film “So I Married an Axe Murderer,” in which he played both the film’s lead, Charlie Mackenzie, as well as his outspoken Scottish father, Stuart. In the film, Stuart claims The Pentaverate is comprised of “The Queen,...

Exclusive: Peter Christoffersen (When the Dust Settles), Selina Jones (Fragments), Morgan Santo (The Watch), James Harkness, Kim Engelbrecht, Jennifer Saayeng have joined the Season 2 cast of HBO Max’s Raised by Wolves, Ridley Scott’s sci-fi drama.

Created by Aaron Guzikowski (Prisoners), Raised by Wolves centers on two androids tasked with raising human children on a mysterious virgin planet.

In season two, Android partners Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salim), along with their brood of six human children, join a newly formed atheistic colony in Kepler 22 b’s mysterious tropical zone. But navigating this strange new society is only the start of their troubles as Mother’s “natural child” threatens to drive what little remains of the human race to extinction.

Christoffersen will play “Cleaver,” a devoted atheist soldier, veteran of the war on Earth, whose...

Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar for “The Queen,” will portray Israel’s legendary Prime Minister Golda Meir in “Golda.” The film will be directed by Academy Award winner Guy Nattiv, and produced by BAFTA winner Michael Kuhn.

Embankment will represent international sales, with CAA Media Finance and ICM jointly handling the North American rights. Production is eyeing an October start.

The screenplay – written by Nicholas Martin (“Florence Foster Jenkins”), who also produces – focuses on the intensely dramatic and high-stakes responsibilities and decisions that Meir, also known as the “Iron Lady of Israel,” faced during the Yom Kippur War.

On Oct. 6, 1973, under cover of darkness, on Israel’s holiest day and during the month of Ramadan, the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan begin a surprise attack on the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Outnumbered and outgunned, Meir confronts the immediate, clear, and present danger of a ticking...

A family seeks help from an Occultist when their daughter is plagued by a sinister spirit in Chris Smith's The Banishing, and ahead of the horror film's April 15th streaming release on Shudder, we have a look at the official trailer:

"From acclaimed director Chris Smith comes The Banishing, which tells the true story of the most haunted house in England. A young reverend and his wife and daughter move into a manor with a horrifying secret. When a vengeful spirit haunts the little girl and threatens to tear the family apart, the reverend and his wife are forced to confront their beliefs. They must turn to black magic by seeking the help of a famous Occultist...or risk losing their daughter.

Starring Jessica Brown Findlay (Downton Abbey), Sean Harris (Mission: Impossible franchise), John Lynch, and John Heffernan (Eye in the Sky) and directed by Christopher Smith.

The Banishing is a WestEnd Films production.

Last week, we shared Rick Livingstone’s memories of his time singing lead in the 1990 supergroup the Best alongside John Entwistle, Joe Walsh, Keith Emerson, and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. Their set mixed songs by the Who, the Eagles, Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers, and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, though the group dissolved after just four gigs in Japan and one in Hawaii. But thanks to a professionally filmed show at the Yokohama Arena and the magic of YouTube, they’ve had a long afterlife.

Reunions by the Eagles, Elp, and...

When it comes to lowered expectations in pop, there probably isn’t a better candidate than the Avalanches’ third record. The Australian Edm combo’s debut, Since I Left You, took the art of constructing music out of samples to a heightened level of craft; that patchwork quilt of music was one of 2000’s kickiest albums. Nearly two decades passed before we heard from the Avalanches again, and when we did, time seemed to have passed them by: 2016’s Wildflower was a far less satisfying grab-bag of voices, sound effects...

Leon Bridges and Grammy-winning New Orleans singer-songwriter Lucky Daye performed their new collaboration “All About You” on Wednesday night’s Late Show With Stephen Colbert.

The two sang with a full live band against a multi-colored neon stage and kept to Covid-19 regulations by having no audience. According to Bridges and Daye, “All About You” was crafted after they spontaneously ran into each other at the same studio in Los Angeles, and the song carries that loose, relaxed feel even as it’s working as a seductive serenade. “I met...

The Avalanches have teamed with Leon Bridges for their new track “Interstellar Love,” the latest single from the Australian duo’s upcoming album We Will Always Love You.

The track features a sample of Alan Parsons Project’s “Eye in the Sky” and is inspired — like the album itself — by the story of astronomer Carl Sagan and his wife Ann Druyan capturing their romance on tape and sending it into space as part of the Voyager’s Golden Record.

“Leon is an incredible singer, with just the most beautiful voice.

Gavin Hood recently made a movie called Eye in the Sky, which I demand everyone see. It's a mercilessly contained suspense thriller that also says a lot about imperialism, xenophobia, and the moral cost of war at geopolitical "success". His new, upcoming film, titled The Test, looks to be covering similar territory in a similar taut thriller style — and he's bringing one of my most favorite actors working today along for the ride. Per Deadline, John Boyega will be starring in Hood's The Test, which boasts a stirring premise and acting challenge. [caption id="attachment_842380" align="alignright" …...

Exclusive: Entertainment One is soon taking out a package, an adaptation of the Sylvain Neuvel novella The Test. John Boyega and Payman Maadi star in the Gavin Hood-drama about a soft-spoken immigrant (Maadi) taking a citizen evaluation test, and a brilliant young behavioral psychologist (Boyega) supervising “the test” confront a terrorist group lead by a far-right fanatic. Hood, who directed Tsotsi and more recently the tense drone drama Eye In The Sky and Official Secrets. He wrote the script. Erwin Stoff will produce with Zev Foreman and Ilda Diffley overseeing for eOne.

The film is a contained thriller, like many films being assembled to shoot during the pandemic. It’s a two-hander and the hope is to secure this as the next slot for Boyega, who makes a strong turn in the upcoming Red, White and Blue, a segment of the Steve McQueen-directed anthology Small Axe that will...

Mee Raqsam

Starring Naseeruddin Shah, Danish Hussain, Aditi Subedi

Written and Directed by Baba Azmi

In the idyllic village of Mijwan there lives a Muslim girl whose heart beats for the Bharat Natyam dance form. Bharat Natyam??!!! Her family and the village community are aghast. Yeh to kafiron ka kaam hai. How can a decent 15-year old do….this!! Shame!!!

I loved the twinkle-eyed irreverence embedded in debutant director Baba Azmi heartwarming nugget. Brimming over with affection warmth and humour Mee Raqsam takes a tender and evocative look at the risky task of cultural crossovers in India , without any political agenda.

When the films’s bright intelligent protagonist Mariam takes to Bharat Natyam her favoured mood is neither green nor saffron. Writer-director Baba Azmi portrays Mariam’s relationship with her father (Danish Hussain) with the same indelible affection that one saw between Ashok Kumar and his screen-daughter Sarika in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Aashirwaad.

Moonyeenn Lee, the acclaimed South African agent and casting director who cast films such as the foreign-language Oscar winner “Tsotsi” and Oscar-nominated “Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom,” died in Johannesburg on Saturday due to coronavirus-related complications. She was 76.

Lee’s company, Moonyeenn Lee & Associates, announced the news in a statement on its Facebook page on Sunday. “It is with great sadness that we announce the death of the legendary South African agent and casting director, Moonyeenn Lee,” reads the statement.

“Moonyeenn’s passion for South African stories and local talent was well known. Over the years, she would travel around the world introducing producers and directors to South African actors. She would always do everything in her power to convince them to rather cast local actors over foreign actors. Her dedication eventually paid off as many international productions trusted her to cast locally.”

It continued: “Moonyeenn helped shape the lives of many actors,...

South African industry veteran cast films including ‘Tsotsi’, ‘Blood Diamond’ and ‘Hotel Rwanda’.

Renowned South African casting director and agent Moonyeenn Lee has died aged 76, following complications from coronavirus.

The industry veteran, who was Emmy-nominated for her work on Hulu series The Looming Tower and the 2016 adaptation of Roots, died in Johannesburg on July 18.

Lee was born in Johannesburg in 1944 and worked on the casting of films including Oscar-winner Tsotsi, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, and Eye In The Sky.

More recently, she was the casting director on Sundance award-winner This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection.

Veteran South African casting director and agent Moonyeenn Lee has died aged 76 in Johannesburg, following complications from the coronavirus.

Lee worked for almost five decades in the industry, building a formidable and illustrious career working on movies including The Bang Bang Club, Disgrace, Oscar-winner Tsotsi, Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom, Machine Gun Preacher, Hotel Rwanda, Blood Diamond, Eye In The Sky, Mandela And De Klerk, Life, Above All and Black Panther.

She also carried out local casting on series including Homeland, The Prisoner, Warrior and The Hot Zone. She received Primetime Emmy nominations for Roots and The Looming Tower.

According to Lee’s associates she became the first South African member of both the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Television Academy.

In 2003, Lee was nominated to the National Executive Committee of the Independent Producer’s Organisation and to the Film Board of Create South Africa. In the same year,...

Producer-turned-filmmaker Oge Egbuonu’s remarkable directorial debut, “(In)Visible Portraits,” was always going to debut during a fraught time in history. Three years in the making, the “Loving” and “Eye in the Sky” producer’s first documentary has been entirely crafted in the wake of numerous recent traumas inflicted on the Black community, from the continued killings of Black men by police to the deep pessimism and fear surrounding the current presidential administration, and that was before the historic protests of the last few weeks. Now, the documentary seems wildly prescient and urgent, providing

The trick, of course, is that “(In)Visible Portraits” could have been made at nearly any time in recent history, as Egbuonu and her many subjects unpack a litany of harmful labels, conspiracy theories, and even their enduring hopes for the future over the course of just 92 minutes. Centered around the experience of Black women — particularly...

Producer-turned-filmmaker Oge Egbuonu’s remarkable directorial debut, “(In)Visible Portraits,” was always going to debut during a fraught time in history. Three years in the making, the “Loving” and “Eye in the Sky” producer’s first documentary has been entirely crafted in the wake of numerous recent traumas inflicted on the Black community, from the continued killings of Black men by police to the deep pessimism and fear surrounding the current presidential administration, and that was before the historic protests of the last few weeks. Now, the documentary seems wildly prescient and urgent, providing

The trick, of course, is that “(In)Visible Portraits” could have been made at nearly any time in recent history, as Egbuonu and her many subjects unpack a litany of harmful labels, conspiracy theories, and even their enduring hopes for the future over the course of just 92 minutes. Centered around the experience of Black women — particularly...

Phoebe Fox was born in to an acting family, the daughter of actors Stuart Fox and Prue Clarke. When she was a young girl, she got to see her mother play Cinderella. “I was seven or eight and couldn’t get over the fact my mom was Cinderella,” she says with a laugh. “To me, it just seemed like the best job, playing make-believe.”

After attending the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (Rada), Fox soon made a name for herself onstage in plays like “A View from the Bridge” opposite Mark Strong and films like “Eye in the Sky” and “The Aeronauts.”

This week, she can be seen in two very different roles: now available on digital and streaming is “Intrigo: Samaria,” a mystery from Swedish director Daniel Alfredson; the film is the third in a trilogy of films based on stories from acclaimed Swedish writer Håkan Nesser. Fox plays Paula,...

Altitude Films has debuted a new trailer for Simon Bird’s directorial debut ‘Days of the Bagnold Summer’ featuring Rob Brydon and Alice Lowe.

The film is an adaptation of Joff Winterhart’s graphic novel of the same name and follows a heavy-metal-loving teenager as his holiday plans fall through at the last minute, meaning he must spend the whole summer with the person who annoys him most in the world: his mum.

Related: Days of the Bagnold Summer – Lff 2019 Review

‘The Inbetweeners’ Simon Bird makes his directorial debut. BAFTA-winning actress Monica Dolan (Eye in the Sky, W1A), Earl Cave (True History of the Kelly Gang, The End of the F***ing World), Rob Brydon (The Trip, A Cock and Bull Story), Alice Lowe (Prevenge, Sightseers), Tamsin Greig (The Second Best Marigold Hotel, Green Wing), Tim Key (Greed, This Time with Alan Partridge) and Elliot Speller-Gillot (Uncle) all star in the film.

It’s hard to imagine now, but once upon a time, there was no such thing as the elaborate, lights-and-lasers pre-game spectacles and music-heavy player introductions popularized by the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls of the 1980s and 1990s. Players would simply jog off the bench and into a formation with their teammates as their names were announced, and if they were lucky, the crowd would muster a modicum of enthusiasm while a precocious young singer or C-list local saxophonist performed the National Anthem. It wasn’t exactly a recipe for firing up the audience, much less intimidating the visiting team.

All that changed in 1984, when, as legend has it, Bulls announcer Tommy Davis heard the Alan Parsons Project instrumental “Sirius” while sitting in a theater waiting for a movie to start. Struck in the moment by the 114-second track’s signature echo-drenched synthesizer riff and roof-raising guitar solo, the former...

The company is run by Ged Doherty and Colin Firth.

Colin Firth’s Raindog Films is moving into high-end TV drama and documentaries after securing investment from the UK Creative Content Eis Fund, launched last year in association with the BFI.

Firth co-founded Raindog with former Sony Music CEO Ged Doherty in 2012 and has produced projects including Gavin Hood’s Official Secrets, starring Keira Knightley, Jeff Nichols’ Loving, which earned Ruth Negga an Oscar nomination, and Eye in the Sky, directed by Hood and starring Helen Mirren and Aaron Paul.

The undisclosed investment will see the indie move into TV drama,...

Raindog Films, the U.K. production company co-founded by actor Colin Firth and music industry veteran Ged Doherty, is to expand into TV drama, music content and documentaries after winning investment from the U.K. Creative Content Eis Fund.

The U.K. Creative Content Eis Fund is run by private equity house Calculus Capital, with film and TV finance specialists Stargrove Pictures. It was launched last year in association with the British Film Institute (BFI).

Writer-producer and researcher Trish D. Chetty is joining Raindog to help identify new writing, directing and production talent.

As part of the deal, Stargrove Pictures CEO Stephen Fuss will join the board of Raindog Films.

Stephen Fuss, CEO of Stargrove Pictures, said: “What’s exciting about this deal for us is the expansion into TV and the plans to leverage Ged’s music industry experience and Trish’s ability to seek out and tell strong factual stories.

Raindog Films, the UK-based production company co-founded by Colin Firth and music industry veteran Ged Doherty, is moving into TV, hiring writer and producer Trish D Chetty.

“I have always admired the films that Raindog make, each one of their films is bold and ambitious and the diversity of their work speaks for itself. I am excited to be joining Colin and Ged at this key stage of the company’s development,” said Trish D Chetty, who will oversee the expansion into high-end series, music content and documentaries.

The company has received backing from the UK Creative Content Eis Fund, which launched last summer to raise capital to back UK indie companies. Eis, or ‘Enterprise Investment Scheme’, is a government-backed program that allows emerging companies to raise capital from investors whose financial commitment is offset by tax relief. The scheme was created to encourage the economy of startup ventures but...