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Review: 'Twinsters' Is A Touching Real-Life Doc About Siblings Separated At Birth
15 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
What would you do if, one random day, you find out that you might be a twin, separated at birth from your sibling? This is exactly what happened to Samantha Futerman, an actress living in the United States (her credits include “Memoirs of a Geisha,” “21 & Over,” and more recently, “The Kroll Show”), who faced this bizarre, movie-like scenario when she got friend requested on Facebook by Anaïs Bordier. Seeing the potential in documenting the experience, Samantha and her friend Ryan Miyamoto co-directed “Twinsters,” which tells the heart-warming story of how Sam and Anaïs connected from different continents and after decades of never knowing the other existed. Sure, it’s hard not to notice that the documentary spins its wheels at times, but there’s something incredibly touching about the warmth and comfort of family and acceptance. Sam and Anaïs were born on November 19th, 1987, in Busan, South Korea. Each had »
- Nikola Grozdanovic
Watch: Excellent Video Essay On 'Looney Tunes' Animation Legend Chuck Jones
16 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Every great animation director, from Miyazaki to John Lasseter and Pete Docter, to Phil Lord and Chris Miller, owes a little something to Chuck Jones. If the name isn’t familiar — and it should be — Jones was an animator, writer, producer and director who won three Oscars (plus an honorary one) and picked up a further five nominations for his work, who made his name working on the Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series for Warner Bros, creating characters like Marvin The Martian, Pepe LePew, Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner, and making some of the finest hours of characters like Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Jones was fired from Warner Bros in the early 1960s, and continued to do some fine work, including on Tom & Jerry and the famous “Grinch Who Stole Christmas” TV special, before returning to Warner Bros and Looney Tunes near the end of his life - for example, »
- Oliver Lyttelton
Comics Writer Grant Morrison Says ‘Batman V. Superman’’s Wonder Woman Isn’t True To Spirit Of The Character
16 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
The origins of Wonder Woman are fascinating, and for reasons that have nothing to do with how she got her superpowers. As detailed in Jill Lepore’s excellent book “The Secret History Of Wonder Woman” (this New Yorker article by the author gives a potted version), creator William Marston, who also helped to invent the polygraph, was partially raised by suffragettes, firmly believed that the world should be ruled by women, and used his popular heroine to show female strength and power in a way that’s more progressively feminist than most comics creators now. Not every person who’s written “Wonder Woman” over the years agrees, and according to comics legend Grant Morrison, who’s tackling Diana Prince in a new graphic novel, the makers of “Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Justice” are among them. Morrison’s “Wonder Woman: Earth One” will be released later in the year, and »
- Oliver Lyttelton
'Stray Dog' and 'Winter's Bone' Director Debra Granik's Next Documentary Will Be About Life After Prison
17 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Oscar-nominated writer/director Debra Granik is one of those rare phenomenal talents working today that can excel at helming both narrative and documentary film projects. Just as an example, even though she has won a number of awards for her 2010 4-time Oscar nominated film “Winter’s Bone” (including the Grand Jury Prize and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival), her recent 2014 documentary “Stray Dog” - a portrait of Vietnam vet and biker Ron “Stray Dog” Hall - recently garnered almost as many accolades, including “Best Documentary Feature” wins from the likes of the Los Angeles Film Festival, the Atlanta Film Festival, the Cleveland International Film Festival, the Memphis Indie Film Festival and the Twin Cities Film Fest. It is looking like Granik will be staying with the documentary form for a bit, at least for her next feature film, which she revealed during a recent interview »
- Timothy Tau
Watch: Trailer For 'The Master' From The Writer Of Wong Kar Wai’s 'The Grandmaster'
17 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Haofeng Xu is likely best known for writing the screenplay for Wong Kar Wai’s “The Grandmaster” — starring Tony Leung as Wing Chun master Ip Man, who also taught a young Bruce Lee the form while he grew up in 1950s Hong Kong — but he is starting to build a reputation as a visionary auteur with a unique directorial voice all his own. In 2011, Xu helmed (and penned the screenplay for) “The Sword Identity” - more of a slower-paced and deliberate tribute to the martial arts films of King Hu - and in 2012 Xu wrote and directed “Judge Archer”, a gorgeously shot film filled with practical fight scenes instead of flashy wire-worked based numbers. Perhaps its because he is also a novelist, martial arts scholar and practitioner that his martial arts films are infused with a deeper love and respect for Chinese martial arts - not just the physical or theatrical aspects, »
- Timothy Tau
The Below-the-Line Star-Making Power of Modern Classic 'Clueless'
17 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
Read More: Exclusive: The Poster for SXSW Doc 'Beyond Clueless,' About Hollywood Coming-of-Age Classics For all its perpetual popularity and continued reverence, Amy Heckerling's high school-set classic "Clueless" almost didn't happen — or, at the very least, didn't happen in the way most people (including Heckerling herself) expected it to. Originally imagined as a Fox television show, the project eventually became a Fox feature, before being punted to Paramount in the interest of a better budget. When the film did arrive in theaters in July of 1995, it was a major hit that boasted a cast filled with up-and-comers that went on to make their mark on Hollywood (look no further than this week's big Marvel release, "Ant-Man," starring "Clueless" so-called Baldwin Paul Rudd in one of his breakout roles). Despite the film's somewhat fraught journey to the big screen, the final product doesn’t hint at much upheaval or strife, »
- Kate Erbland
Parker Posey Says She Nearly Quit Acting, Will Return For Woody Allen’s Next Movie
17 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
It’s almost unthinkable that more than twenty years after she broke out (in, of course, “Dazed & Confused”), it’s taken until this week’s “Irrational Man” for Parker Posey to work with Woody Allen. The acerbic, hilarious actress was a figurehead of Allen-indebted independent film in the 1990s, but somehow seemingly never came to Allen’s attention. And what’s worse is that it nearly didn’t come to pass at all. Read More: Review: Woody Allen's Slapdash And Charmless 'Irrational Man' Starring Emma Stone And Joaquin Phoenix According to a profile of Posey on the Daily Beast, the actress cried when she discovered that she got the part in the film (after meeting the director for three-and-a-half minutes) because she was close to quitting the industry and turning her home into a wedding venue to make money instead. “I saw the independent film movement go away from me, »
- Oliver Lyttelton
Takashi Murakami on Bringing Art to Life in Directorial Debut 'Jellyfish Eyes'
18 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
Read More: Review: Pop Art Comes to Lurching Life in Takashi Murakami's Message-Laden, Semi-Animated Outing They call him the Andy Warhol of Japan, so imagine if Warhol had made a children's movie. The second he enters the Opening Ceremony store in Soho, in suspenders and a comically oversized hat, Takashi Murakami is swarmed by a crowd of stylish fans, many whose hair colors match the anime-like creatures from his debut film, "Jellyfish Eyes." Set in post-Fukushima Japan, the film follows a young boy who has just lost his father and moved to a new town where all the children control their own creatures, or F.R.I.E.N.D.s, through devices that look like phones. What the children don't know is that the evil adults at the plant in town are using the devices to harness their negative energy and create a super monster F.R.I. »
- Judith Dry
Jennifer Lawrence Sounds Like She's Done With 'X-Men' For Now, But Holds A Little Hope For More
18 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Yesterday saw the official unveiling of Oscar Isaac as the titular bad guy in "X-Men: Apocalypse," and it was... interesting. The "Ex Machina" and "Star Wars" actor is completely unrecognizable under prosthetics, and the reaction from fans can be summed up in three words: Power. Rangers. Villain. Staying true-ish to the character's comic book look has meant swinging for the fences, and, at least in still form, it risks looking a little silly. But it may well end up being very different in motion, and Isaac says they've absolutely taken the character's unusual nature into consideration. “We had to do some adjustments here and there and be like, alright, maybe this is too alien,” the actor told EW. “He also is someone who people would want to follow and not just be terrified of. So the balance, and then making sure that there’s some great elements from the comic »
- Oliver Lyttelton
Over 30 New Images & An International Poster For 'Life' Starring Robert Pattinson & Dane DeHaan
18 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Robert Pattinson’s career makeover is going… reasonably. Even before the “Twillight” series wrapped up, he was making an admirable move to work with people like David Cronenberg. Since it finished, he’s doubled-down on that, with “The Rover” and “Maps To The Stars” following in quick succession last year, and both proving pretty good, if a little divisive (he’s very good in the former, a bit forgettable in the latter). This year, Pattinson appeared in Werner Herzog’s “Queen Of The Desert,” and also has “Life” coming up for Anton Corbijn, with each movie premiering at Berlin. Verdicts on both were a bit muted, but we’re definitely more intrigued by the second, which follows the relationship between Life Magazine photographer Dennis Stock (Pattinson) and the legendary, ill-fated movie star James Dean (Dane DeHaan). Read More: Review: Anto Corbijin's 'Life' Starring Robert Pattinson And Dane DeHaan »
- Oliver Lyttelton
'Cartel Land' Director on How to Insert Yourself Into Dangerous and Impossible Situations
18 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
"Cartel Land" follows two modern-day vigilante groups fighting a shared enemy – the ruthless Mexican drug cartels. When I first heard about the Autodefensa movement in Michoacán, Mexico, and the American paramilitary group Arizona Border Recon, I was immediately drawn to know more about their worlds and their leaders: Dr. Jose Mireles ("El Doctor") and Tim "Nailer" Foley. Read More: Attention, Documentary Filmmakers: 6 Tips for Getting Your Subjects to Open Up on Camera It took many months to gain their trust and the access I needed to tell their stories from an intimate, yet action-driven, verité perspective. Gaining this access and dealing with the risky situations the access put me in were by far my biggest challenges. Having no experience filming in a conflict zone, "Cartel Land" pushed me into some dangerous places – I filmed in shootouts on the streets of Michoacán; in "Breaking Bad"-like meth labs in the »
- Matthew Heineman
Review: 'BoJack Horseman' Season 2 Brings the Comedy, But Finds True Depth in Its Questions
18 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
If we've learned anything from Netflix shows, it's this: You have to evaluate new seasons of a series as a whole. Just watching the first few episodes of "Sense8" doesn't really give you a sense of how weirdly human and intimate the series shaped up to be. "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" only hints at the dark underbelly fully exposed in later episodes. And this season, just like last year, it takes some time with "BoJack Horseman" before you're able to see past the comedy to hear what it's really saying. Season 2 of the animated comedy, created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg continues the tale of BoJack (voiced by Will Arnett), who lives it up like the Hollywood (well, technically "Hollywoo") star he's been for decades, but really only barely getting by with the help of his best friend Todd (Aaron Paul), agent Princess Caroline (Amy Sedaris), biographer Diane (Alison Brie) and quasi-rival Mr. »
- Liz Shannon Miller
Vote for Project of the Week: Will It Be 'The Bill Nye Film,' 'Linden Tar,' 'The Sensitives' or 'Boom! A Film About The Sonics'?
19 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
The winning filmmaker will become a candidate for the July Project of the Month. That winner will be in the running for Project of the Year. The four projects up for this week's Project of the Week are listed below (with descriptions courtesy of the filmmakers). You can vote at the bottom of the page. The Bill Nye Film: Bill Nye is on a journey to change the world! Once the host of a popular kid’s show, today he is the CEO of The Planetary Society where he’s leading a mission to launch a solar-powered satellite into the cosmos and advocating for the importance of science. Linden Tar: Our movie assures that the brave and pure at heart will overcome any obstacles, even if they are as big as a palm and made of plush. The Sensitives: Families struggle to reclaim their lives from the isolation of »
- Indiewire
Watch: First Clip from Noah Baumbach's 'Mistress America' With Lola Kirke & Greta Gerwig
19 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Noah Baumbach’s been on a hell of a run of late. Refusing to let his unseen HBO pilot of “The Corrections” stop his momentum, he’s been on a prolific tear the last few years, with the wonderful “Frances Ha” followed by this year’s “While We’re Young,” the biggest hit of his career to date. Even before he shot the latter, he already had a new movie in the can, “Mistress America,” which, like ‘Frances,’ is a collaboration with his muse Greta Gerwig. Shot in glorious color this time, but with much of the same creative team involved, the film centers on Tracy (up-and-comer Lola Kirke from “Gone Girl” and “Mozart In The Jungle”), who arrives for college in New York and is taken under the wing of Brooke (Gerwig), a vivacious young woman who will soon be Tracy’s step-sister. Read More: Watch Noah Baumbach Go »
- Oliver Lyttelton
Watch: Noah Baumbach Gives Greta Gerwig a Grand Introduction in 'Mistress America' Clip
19 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
Read More: Watch: Greta Gerwig Reunites With Noah Baumbach in 'Mistress America' Trailer "Frances Ha" collaborators Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig have teamed up once more to deliver "Mistress America," a new comedy with a similar generational spin. In the film's debut clip, Gerwig's character, Brooke, makes her grand introduction as she gives her soon-to-be-stepsister Tracy (Lola Kirke) a tour around New York. The movie centers on Tracy's adjustment to New York life and to Brooke's overwhelming hunger for adventure. Watch the first clip below, courtesy of EW. "Mistress America" is out in theaters on August 14. Read More: Greta's New Wave: Frances Ha »
- Jessica Cariaga
David Gordon Green To Direct Boston Marathon Bombing Drama 'Stronger'
19 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
David Gordon Green has already gone through several phases in his relatively short career — indie breakout, second coming of Terrence Malick, studio stoner comedy helmer, reviver of once-great actors. Is ‘awards director’ his next transformation? The director has “Our Brand Is Crisis,” starring Sandra Bullock and Anthony Mackie, on the way, a film tipped as the next “Argo,” and now the chameleonic helmer has signed on to a true-life tale that could be Oscar material. Per THR, Gordon Green will direct Lionsgate’s “Stronger,” based on the memoir of Jeff Bauman, who lost both legs in the Boston Marathon Bombing and became a key witness in the subsequent criminal case. Playwright John Pollono and “8 Mile” and “The Fighter” screenwriter Scott Silver wrote the script, which is one of several films about the atrocity in the works: Daniel Espinosa was close to directing “Boston Strong” for Casey Affleck before he dropped out, »
- Oliver Lyttelton
Podcast: The Women Take Over at Comic-Con and At the Box Office
19 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
This week's episode of Screen Talk is presented by Vimeo. Head here to check out movies you can rent on Vimeo selected by Indiewire's Eric Kohn. This week, the first 100 people who use the promo code "eric10" can rent "Ned Rifle" (above) with a 10% discount. There's nothing like a very special episode to get the blood pumping. On this week's episode of "Screen Talk," our fearless leader and erstwhile co-host Eric Kohn is out of the country, leaving the reins firmly in Thompson on Hollywood's own Anne Thompson's hands. She's joined by her own staff writer Ryan Lattanzio, along with Indiewire's new managing editor Kate Erbland (hence this epsiode's very special nature). It's a wily match-up, as Anne and Kate talk about Comic-Con and the influx of gender-centric conversations at the yearly event. The ladies are taking over, and not just on "Screen Talk." Anne and Kate also address the »
- Indiewire
Watch: Natasha Lyonne and Judy Greer Hide a Body in Nsfw 'Addicted to Fresno' Trailer
19 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
Read More: SXSW: How Natasha Lyonne and Judy Greer Escaped the Hollywood Boys Club for 'Fresno' Judy Greer is normally the level-headed sidekick, and Natasha Lyonne the crazy mess, but not this time around. Jamie Babbit's SXSW comedy "Addicted to Fresno" runs far away from typecasting by starring Greer as the sex-addicted wreck, Shannon, and Lyonne as her strangely optimistic sister, Martha. The film follows the two sisters as Shannon comes out of sex rehab and gets a job as a maid at the hotel where her sister works. After Shannon relapses and accidentally kills a hotel guest, her and Martha go on an all-out adventure to cover up the crime. "Addicted to Fresno" marks the second collaboration between Lyonne and Babbit after the 1999 cult hit, "But I'm a Cheerleader." The comedy also stars Aubrey Plaza, Fred Armisen, Jessica St. Clair, Molly Shannon, Michael Hitchcock and Ron Livingston. The »
- Kaeli Van Cott
'Back To The Future' Trilogy Getting Theatrical Re-Release, New Blu-Ray Set In October
19 hours ago | The Playlist | See recent The Playlist news »
Thankfully, Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale have scuppered any fears that the success of “Jurassic World” might lead to a “Back To The Future” reboot, saying it’ll never happen in their lifetimes. But with the seminal time travel movie celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Universal was bound to celebrate/wring more cash out of fans somehow, and it looks like they’ll take the opportunity to do so in October. Read More: Robert Zemeckis Says He'll Block Any Attempt To Remake 'Back To The Future' October 21st, 2015 is the day in the future that Marty and Doc head to in the first sequel, spawning a thousand inaccurate themes, and Universal revealed that they’ll mark the date not just with a new home video reissue, but also a theatrical re-release of the entire trilogy, for one day only. Details are thin regarding the new theatrical outing right now, »
- Oliver Lyttelton
Attention, Documentary Filmmakers: Don't Panic About Fair Use
20 hours ago | Indiewire | See recent Indiewire news »
Read More: 8 Legal Tips for Documentary Filmmakers Recently, I was taken aback when I read Orly Ravid's otherwise really helpful piece on legal advice. I know from experience that it's really hard to write legal advice in a general way while also steering clear of landing people in trouble, and I commend her helpful tone throughout. Nevertheless, I find her advice on fair use needlessly pessimistic and alarmist, given how in recent years, documentary filmmakers' have demonstrated they do not have trouble understanding the application of fair use when provided with the correct interpretative tools. I can say this with confidence because in a recently published national survey of filmmakers authored by Professor Aram Sinnreich and myself, we document and analyze how access to information about best practices can make a difference in the way documentary filmmakers apply fair use towards their work over the course of a decade. »
- Patricia Aufderheide
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