COMING SOON

An intriguing new teaser trailer has dropped for an upcoming film starring Janelle Monáe. Not much as been revealed yet about the plot for "Antebellum" but it appears to be a supernatural thriller based on the announcement that the film is from the producers of "Get Out" and "Us". What we do know is that Monáe will play a successful writer who finds herself trapped in an alternative reality which takes her back in time during slavery and must solve this mystery before it's too late. It sounds like a really creepy mind twist. This is the feature film debut from writers/ directors, Gerard Bush + Christopher Renz who are best known for their work with creating innovative visuals for social activist organizations. "Antebellum" also features Jena Malone, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons, Marque Richardson and Gabourey Sidibe.

"Antebellum" is due in U.S. theaters on April 24, 2020

JOJO RABBIT (2019)

Written & Directed by Taika Waititi



Where & When: Arclight Cinemas, Hollywood, CA.  October 16, 2019  7:30 PM



The idea of a movie about an enthusiastic Nazi youth who discovers a Jewish girl hiding in his home and has an imaginary friendship with the Führer himself, Adolf Hitler may sound off-putting and offensive to quite a few people. That was certainly my initial reaction when I heard the plot for "Jojo Rabbit", a pitch black WWII farce from Taika Waititi. Yet in the hands of this New Zealand actor/filmmaker, who brought us the hilariously eccentric comedies, "What We Do in the Shadows" and "Hunt for the Wilderpeople" and most famously invigorated the Marvel Universe by adding his offbeat wit to the conventional super-hero antics in "Thor: Ragnarok", he has managed to make one of the most absurd, charming, poignant and laugh-out-loud funny movies I have seen, not only this year but in a really long time.

This is quite an achievement considering how "Jojo Rabbit" could have easily gone extremely distasteful and intolerable due to the tricky story which is based on the book, "Caging Skies" by Christine Leunens. And after seeing the film, it's really no surprise that it won the Audience Award at this year's Toronto Film Festival as "Jojo Rabbit" has given Mr. Waititi the perfect opportunity to use his taste for weird, wild comedy while making a thoughtful and powerful statement on love and tolerance.

Our story starts in the middle of World War II Germany where we meet the ten year old Johannes Betzler (Roman Griffin Davis) who is known as "Jojo". With his father off somewhere fighting in Italy and recently losing his older sister to illness, Jojo now only has his mother, Rosie (Scarlett Johansson) who remain upbeat, giving him plenty of love and support. Oh, and then there is Hitler (played by Waititi), who the nefarious Nazi Leader is conjured up when Jojo needs advice from an apparent father figure.

Jojo attends a youth training group where the students learn the fine art of killing and the dangers of Jews from the Nazi perspective. When he is brought up to prove his murderous spirit by killing a rabbit, Jojo winds up setting it free and runs off crying, earning him the nickname, "Jojo Rabbit". After Hitler offers him some advice to prove his bravery, Jojo returns with a live hand grenade. But his plan backfires (literally) and leaves him seriously injured.

While at home recuperating, Jojo discovers someone hiding upstairs in the attic. She is Elsa Korr (Thomasin McKenzie), a friend of his late sister and Jewish. Jojo threatens to turn her over to the police but she informs him that they would arrest his mother as well for hiding her. He decides to use this situation to his advantage, insisting Elsa reveal "Jew secrets" to help him write a useful book on the subject. Deciding to play along with this ignorant boy, she confirms the wild stories Jojo has learned of Jews in school like them reading minds and drinking blood.

Mr. Waititi was aware that he would be drawing criticism from some corners for his lighthearted depictions of murderous Nazis, despite them being portrayed as bumbling idiots. One major change he made from Leunens' novel was the addition of the imaginary Hitler who is viewed as a wacky goofball and even somewhat likable. But the director obviously had no interest in making Nazis sympathetic or inoffensive. The aim was to consider that beneath these monsters were still human beings, with some very likely brainwashed to blindly hate. Drawn to the themes against hate and war in the book, Waititi has added his unique comic spin as a way to counterbalance the seriousness of this dark story.

As a mother who secretly has political beliefs that do not line up with her son's, Ms Johansson has never been more charming and intriguing. There is great supporting comedic work from Rebel Wilson, Stephen Merchant and Sam Rockwell as an army officer who runs the Nazi youth camp. But it is the eleven year old Griffin Davis who impresses in his first leading film role. The expressive young actor handles the confusing, conflicting messages that Jojo receives about Jews, Nazis and his own mother with considerable skill and expert comic timing. And special mention must be made about Archie Yates who plays Jojo's buddy and fellow Nazi-in-training, Yorki. Yates is adorable, hilarious and steals every scene he's in.

In this era of wokeness and #MeToo, filmmakers seem even more reluctant to stick their necks out to make anything that would be considered objectionable to the overly sensitive minds of today's audience. I think of Mel Brooks whose classic yet un-PC comedies, "Blazing Saddles", "Young Frankenstein" (who some might find mocking the living dead) and "The Producers" (which features a musical love story about Hitler) I'm certain would not be made today or at least not in their current form. Trust me, I'm fully aware Hollywood does not have a great track record on being sensitive or considerate to the images of people of color, the LGBTQ community and women that have been put on the big screen. Yet it does seem like we are moving to the extreme of being overly careful not to offend anyone which I think can be potentially dangerous in creating art.

With "Jojo Rabbit", Mr. Waititi took a big risk in making a comedy set during one of the most horrific, contentious and emotionally fraught periods in human history. And because of that, it may be hard to convince people that they should see this film. But I really think "Jojo Rabbit" should not be missed.

We are made to laugh hysterically throughout most of "Jojo Rabbit" until there is an unexpected moment that is shocking to the core and completely heartbreaking. This shift makes us realize that the director wants to use his film to not only entertain but also offer insight and inspire conversation. I think Waititi has an extraordinary gift to make us feel many different emotions throughout his films; laughter, tears, hope and joy. And that remarkable experience is what going to the movies is really all about.

2019 FILM INDEPENDENT SPIRIT AWARD NOMINATIONS

Award season has officially been kicked off with the announcement of the nominees for the 2019 Spirit Awards which honors the best in independent cinema. "Uncut Gems", the latest from Safdie brothers which features comedian, Adam Sandler in a dramatic role about a NYC jewelry merchant unraveling due to a gambling addiction, and "The Lighthouse", a black & white period drama from Robert Eggers about two lighthouse keepers slowly losing their minds that stars Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, leads the field with five nominations each. While all of the directors of these films were recognized for Best Director, only "Uncut Gems" received a nod for Best Feature.

The other four Best Feature nominees are Terrence Malick's "A Hidden Life", a drama based on the true story of a devout Catholic farmer in Austria who refused to fight the Nazis during World War II. "The Farewell", a dramedy based on the real-life experience of director Lulu Wang about a family who decide not to tell their beloved grandmother she is seriously ill and only has a short while left to live. "Clemency", writer/director, Chinonye Chukwu's drama about a Death Row prison warden (played by Best Female Lead nominee, Alfre Woodard) whose difficult job has taken it's toll on her and now struggles with this before having to execute another inmate. And "Marriage Story" from Noah Baumbach (which received three total nominations) is another film loosely based on the filmmaker's personal experience and looks at the marriage of a young couple coming apart. Baumbach, his cast (which includes Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, Laura Dern and Alan Alda) and the casting directors (Douglas Aibel and Francine Maisler) received the special Robert Altman Award given to the best ensemble. However, this prestigious win made the director and actors ineligible for any individual nominations.

The 35th annual Film Independent Spirit Awards will be held February 8, 2020. Here is the complete list of nominations for the 2019 Spirit Awards:

Best Feature:

"A Hidden Life"
"Clemency"
"The Farewell"
"Marriage Story"
"Uncut Gems"

Best Director:

Alma Har'el, "Honey Boy"
Lorene Scafaria, "Hustlers"
Julius Onah, "Luce"
Robert Eggers, "The Lighthouse"
Benny Safdie & Josh Safdie, "Uncut Gems"

Best Screenplay:

Noah Baumbach, "Marriage Story"
Jason Begue & Shawn Snyder, "To Dust"
Ronald Bronstein & Benny Safdie & Josh Safdie, "Uncut Gems"
Chinonye Chukwu, "Clemency"
Tarell Alvin McCraney, "High Flying Bird"

Best Female Lead:

Karen Allen, "Colewell"
Hong Chau, "Driveways"
Elisabeth Moss, "Her Smell"
Mary Kay Place, "Diane"
Alfre Woodard, "Clemency"
Renée Zellweger, "Judy"

Best Male Lead:

Chris Galust, "Give Me Liberty"
Kelvin Harrison Jr., "Luce"
Robert Pattinson, "The Lighthouse"
Matthias Schoenaerts, "The Mustang"
Adam Sandler, "Uncut Gems"

Best Supporting Female:

Jennifer Lopez, "Hustlers"
Taylor Russell, "Waves"
Lauren "LoLo" Spencer, "Give Me Liberty"
Octavia Spencer, "Luce"
Zhao Shuzhen, "The Farewell"

Best Supporting Male:

Willem Dafoe, "The Lighthouse"
Noah Jupe, "Honey Boy"
Shia LaBeouf, "Honey Boy"
Jonathan Majors, "The Last Black Man in San Francisco"
Wendell Pierce, "Burning Cane"

Best First Feature:

"Booksmart"
"The Climb"
"Diane"
"The Last Black Man in San Francisco"
"The Mustang"
"See You Yesterday"

Best First Screenplay:

Fredrica Bailey & Stefon Bristol, "See You Yesterday"
Hannah Bos & Paul Thureen, "Driveways"
Bridget Savage Cole & Danielle Krudy, "Blow the Man Down"
Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe, "Greener Grass"
James Montague & Craig W. Sanger, The Vast of Night"

John Cassavetes Award (given to the best feature made for under $500,000):

"Burning Cane"
"Colewell"
"Give Me Liberty"
"Premature"
"Wild Nights With Emily"

Best Cinematography:

Todd Banhazl, "Hustlers"
Jarin Blaschke, "The Lighthouse"
Natasha Braier, "Honey Boy"
Chananun Chotrungroj, "The Third Wife"
Pawel Pogorzelski," Midsommar"

Best Editing:

Julie Béziau, "The Third Wife"
Ronald Bronstein & Benny Safdie, "Uncut Gems"
Tyler L. Cook, "Sword of Trust"
Louise Ford, "The Lighthouse"
Kirill Mikhanovsky, "Give Me Liberty"

Best Documentary:

"American Factory"
"Apollo 11"
"For Sama"
"Honeyland"
"Island of the Hungry Ghosts"

Best International Film:

"Invisible Life" (Brazil)
"Les Misérables" (France)
"Parasite" (South Korea)
"Portrait of a Lady on Fire" (France)
"Retablo" (Peru)
"The Souvenir" (United Kingdom)

Robert Altman Award (given to one film’s director, casting director and ensemble cast):

"Marriage Story"

Someone to Watch Award (given to a talented filmmaker of singular vision who has not yet received appropriate recognition and includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant):

Rashaad Ernesto Green, Director, "Premature"
Ash Mayfair, Director, "The Third Wife"
Joe Talbot, Director, "The Last Black Man in San Francisco"

Truer Than Fiction Award (given to to an emerging director of non-fiction features who has not yet received significant recognition and includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant):

Khalik Allah, Director, "Black Mother"
Davy Rothbart, Director, "17 Blocks"
Nadia Shihab, Director, "Jaddoland"
Erick Stoll & Chase Whiteside, Director, América"

Producers Award (will recognize a producer who demonstrate the creativity, tenacity and vision required to produce quality, independent films and includes a $25,000 unrestricted grant):

Mollye Asher
Krista Parris
Ryan Zacarias

Bonnie Award (will recognize a mid-career female director with a $50,000 unrestricted grant, sponsored by American Airlines):

Marielle Heller
Kelly Reichardt
Lulu Wang

2019 AFI FILM FESTIVAL PRESENTED BY AUDI

The AFI Film Festival Presented by Audi has made a major change for the 2019 edition. This year the Hollywood based fest, which begins on November 14th and runs through November 21st, has decided to begin transiting as a paid ticketing event after years of offering movie-goers free tickets to the screenings. The decision was made in order to create a smoother festival experience and to ensure that audiences will have a better opportunity to see all of the movies they wanted to see.

Now I agree that attending the Fest could be a hassle with long wait lines with absolutely no guarantee that you would get in to see the movie. But the free tickets offered people to take a chance on little known features, particularly foreign-language films, that they would most likely not be willing to pay top dollar to see. After learning how to navigate the AFI Fest over the years, I can certainly admit that I saw many films that I would not initially paid to have seen but was so thoroughly thrilled after seeing them. I love this fest yet I definitely will be seeing fewer films this year and will be far more selective on what I will be willing to pay to see.

"Queen & Slim", the feature directorial debut from Melina Matsoukas with a screenplay from Lena Waithe, has been selected as the Opening Night Film and will be making it's world premiere at the Fest. What begins innocently as a first date between an African-American couple (played by Daniel Kaluuya and making her film debut, Jodie Turner-Smith) escalates in to these two virtual strangers on the run after they are involved in the accidental death of a cop.



Other Gala presentations will include the world premiere of Clint Eastwood's "Richard Jewell", the tragic story of the security guard who was hailed as a hero before becoming the prime suspect after the bombing at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.



"The Two Popes", the latest from Fernando Meirelles ("City Of God") which looks at Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins), after serving as pope for eight years, decides to abdicate the position which no pope has done in more than 700 years. He invites Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) to discuss the transfer of power although they both share different ideological views on the direction of the Catholic Church.



The upcoming third season of the award-winning Netflix series, "The Crown" will have Oscar winner, Olivia Colman taking over as Queen Elizabeth II while Tobias Menzies will play Prince Philip and Helena Bonham Carter is Princess Margaret. The first episode of the program will be making it's US premiere screening during the fest.



And to close out the festival will be "The Banker" from director, George Nolfi which will be making it's world premiere and the first feature from Apple TV +. Based on a true story, Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie star as two men who are interested in starting a real estate business. But it's the 1950's and these opportunities were not open to African-Americans. So they decide to hire a white man (Nicholas Hoult) to pose as their boss as a chance to open doors to them.



Special tributes will include one for Alan J. Pakula with the west coast premiere of the documentary on the late director, "Alan Pakula: Going For Truth" and free screenings of his films, "The Sterile Cuckoo", "Klute", and "Sophie"s Choice".





Cinema's Legacy, a section devoted to celebrating the history of the motion picture, will include "He Dreams of Giants", a documentary on director Terry Gilliam finally getting his dream film project of Don Quixote made seventeen years after he began actually filming; "Forman vs. Forman" looks at the career of the late Miloš Forman who won Best Director Oscars for "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" and "Amadeus"; and "Varda By Agnès", the final feature from French New Wave pioneer Agnès Varda who died earlier this year which merges documentary and fiction in her own unique way. A tribute has been added for Martin Scorsese with a screening of his latest, "The Irishman" on November 15th with a conversation with the legendary director following the film.





For the complete list of films, to purchases tickets or passes, please click below:

AFI Fest 2019

EVERY MARTIN SCORSESE MOVIE RANKED

When I visualize an idea of a "filmmaker", one of the first images that comes to my mind is Martin Scorsese. To me, he represents all that a director should be; extensively knowledgeable of film history, a great appreciation of our cinematic past with a passion to preserve these movies for future generations and a damn good creator of well-crafted motion pictures.

And because Scorsese is so respected and revered, it's not surprising that he has upset a few fans with his recent comments on movies based on comic-books and how he does not consider them actual "cinema". Now I don't necessarily agree completely with his assessment but I do understand what he's trying to say. These films, limited in scope and relevance, with their incredible box-office success are pushing smaller, more intimate dramas off the big screen. This is the concern of Mr. Scorsese and I share in his fear that eventually all that you will find playing in a movie theater are CGI heavy, event movies.

Mr. Scorsese has released his latest feature and it certainly serves as a reminder of what a movie can do that was not designed to help sell merchandise or used for product placement. "The Irishman", a three & 1/2 hour epic drama, features Robert De Niro as Frank Sheeran, a part-time hit man for the mob who claims to know exactly what happened to labor leader, Jimmy Hoffa, played here by Al Pacino. With the appearance of other performers long associated with Scorsese, Harvey Keitel and the semi-retired, Joe Pesci, on board and using CGI to de-age the actors, "The Irishman" has received some of the best reviews in Mr. Scorsese's legendary career.

The irony of this is that "The Irishman" was produced by Netflix which has contributed in their own passive/aggressive way of tearing down the theatrical movie-going experience. The streaming company wants their movies to be recognized as award-worthy, cinematic events yet insists on their own rules on how long they will play in a theater before being streamed on their network. With movie chains refusing to budge with their rules for a three-month theatrical window, Netflix has been creative on getting "The Irishman" in theaters with it being shown largely in independent theaters including an exclusive run at the Belasco, a Broadway theater in New York.

In honor of his latest film, Vulture has taken look back on the storied career of Martin Scorsese and ranked his cinematic efforts from least successful to sublime masterpieces (this list does not include his documentaries).

Click below to read the article:

Every Martin Scorsese Movie Ranked