The U.S. Library of Congress has just launched a website called the National Screening Room. The Library has digitized hundreds of hours of film in their archive (which totals about more than 1.6 million items in its collection) that was otherwise unavailable to be viewed by most people and now accessible not only nationwide but around the world. And the best part is that it's completely free to use.
There are currently two hundred and eighty-one titles available on the site covering fiction, non-fiction, newsreels and even home movies spanning the years 1890 to 1999 with new content to be added every month. Some of the films include "All-American News", a newsreel series made specifically for African-American audiences from 1942 to 1945; seventeen home movies filmed by George and Ira Gershwin between 1928 and 1939; Views of San Francisco before and after the devastating 1906 earthquake which destroyed much of the city; newsreel footage of such important figures such as Frank Sinatra, Mary McLeod Bethune, Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt and titles selected to the National Film Registry including one of the first U.S. narrative films, "The Great Train Robbery" from 1903.
Where & When: Arclight Cinemas, Hollywood, CA. September 18, 2018 1:45 PM
"A Simple Favor", a twisted yet far-fetched, dark comedy thriller, starts with two contrasting women whimsically bonding over the challenges of motherhood and career before veering wildly in to treacherous territory involving deception and murder. What is notable about the film is that it's directed by Paul Feig, who brought us the hilariously profane, female-driven comedies, "Bridesmaids" and "The Heat". While it would seem like he would be able to create something deliriously offbeat, Mr. Feig is unable to find a stable tone with the plot underwhelming and the humor far too safe.
Set in a Connecticut suburb, Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) is a stay-at-home, post-feminist mommy vlogger who shares her secrets on how you can be the best mother possible through the traditional routines of home-baking and crafts. Her over-eager enthusiasm and perkiness tends to get on the nerves of the other mothers (and a daddy, played by Andrew Rannells) at the elementary school her son, Miles (Joshua Satine) attends. Miles befriends his classmate, Nicky (Ian Ho) and they insist on a playdate after school. Stephanie is not opposed to the idea but she needs to speak to his mother first.
Enter Nicky's mother, Emily (Blake Lively), a tall and stylish career woman who is the PR director for a fashion designer (Rupert Friend). She has no time for small talk nor in the mood for playdates with her only goal is to get home for a martini. Emily gives in when she realizes she won't win this battle with her insistent son and invites a surprised Stephanie to her house for drinks.
Stephanie is not surprised by Emily's equally stylish home and handsome husband, Sean (Henry Golding, now a hot commodity thanks to his appearance in "Crazy Rich Asians"), a successful novelist turned college professor. But she's taken aback by how quickly they bond and although they barely have anything in common, she's thrilled to have a cool, new friend.
These cocktail-loving besties begin to share intimate details about their lives with Emily telling about her husband's financial problems and Stephanie revealing the tragic accident that killed her husband and half-brother along with a dark secret that may have triggered it.
However, this newfound friendship quickly turns more one-sided as Emily frequently asks Stephanie to pick-up and watch her son as she can't possibly get away from work. One day, Emily doesn't return and simply vanishes. A manhunt is begun but Stephanie discovers her friend has not been exactly honest with her, keeping her own dark secrets, and starts her own investigation in to Emily's past.
Some have referred to the film as "Hitchcockian" but I think "A Simple Favor" is more in line with "Lifetime Channel" fare. The dramatic mystery at the heart of this thriller is sadly transparent, the many shocking twists and unexpected turns in the story tend to confuse more than excite and the humor in Ms. Sharzer's script lacks some clever comic gems that are desperately needed to give this movie some juice.
What is really needed here are performers who can deliver some big, titillating dramatics to help rise above the plodding material. But unfortunately, our lead actresses don't have the requirements to fill the void, keeping their performances grounded and tame. I must admit that the appeal of Ms Kendrick is lost on me but her perky and sweet persona, which was used to good effect in the "Pitch Perfect" series, must work for some. While the statuesque Ms Lively, who first found fame on TV's "Gossip Girl", can be a solid actress, she's not convincing as a femme fatale, comic or otherwise.
Bravo to Mr. Feig for attempting to move out of his comfort zone of zany comedies into something humorous yet far more complex. But "A Simple Favor" is a stylish romp with very little substance. Perhaps the film could have benefited from exploring further the complicated problems that women face trying to juggle motherhood, careers and relationships instead of diving in to a minor, less funny spin of "Gone Girl".
Although The56th Annual New York Film Festival, which runs this year from September 28th to October 14th, will have had it’s Opening Night (“The Favourite”), Centerpiece (“Roma”) and Closing Night (“At Eternity’s Gate”) films already making a splash and winning prizes at other film fests, there will be plenty of other exciting films that will be making their U.S. premieres at this prestigious event.
Some of these featured are in the Main Slate and include "Her Smell" from Alex Ross Perry; Jia Zhangke’s "Ash Is Purest White"; French actor, Louis Garrel's follow-up directorial feature, "A Faithful Man"; "Happy as Lazzaro", the latest feature from Italian filmmaker, Alice Rohrwacher; "Transit" by Christian Petzold; Bi Gan's surreal epic from China, "Long Day's Journey In To Night"; Christophe Honoré's "Plaire, aimer et courir vite (Sorry Angel)"; and "High Life", the first English-language film by French legend, Claire Denis who will also be at the fest to take part in the Talk discussion series.
For the complete list of films, purchase festival passes or individual tickets and any additional information, please click below:
The Los Angeles Film Festival has usually been held in June but last year, the Film Independent, which produces the event, decided to move the fest in to fall. The goal is to be taken more seriously as an important part of the film festival circuit, especially since the city of Los Angeles is considered an integral part of the movie business. This year's LA Film Fest will be held September 20th to the 28th. Now, considering that we have Venice, Telluride, Toronto, New York and BFI London fests all happening very close to each other, it appears that an already crowded season is now even more jammed up with everyone trying to get some of the same coveted fall movies and be the first to premiere them.
"Echo In The Canyon", Andrew Slater’s documentary on how the Laurel Canyon music scene was created, has been selected as the Opening Night Film. This feature places a spotlight on some of the incredible artists that emerged from that era like The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield and The Mamas & the Papas to name just a few. The film will be screened at the Ford Theatre and will be followed by a live performance by some of the musicians influenced by the scene.
TheClosing Night Film will be "Nomis", a crime-drama from first-time director, David Raymond and the screening will be held at the Arclight Hollywood Cinerama Dome. The film follows a disturbed online predator apprehended by the police and while interrogating him, discover that his crimes go far beyond what they could imagine. Henry Cavill, Nathan Fillion, Alexandra Daddario and Ben Kingsley star.
In between these premieres, there will be a wide-range of exciting new independent cinema. Forty feature films and forty-one short films from across the globe have been selected to compete for prizes. A fine selection of documentaries, world fiction, television series and podcasts will also be found at LA Fest.
Some of the Gala Screenings at the Festival will include a few highly anticipated films like "All About Nina", "Free Solo", Ike Barinholtz's directorial debut, "The Oath" and "The Happy Prince" which Rupert Everett wrote, directed and stars in as Oscar Wilde. And there will be a Special Screening of "Maria By Callas", Tom Volf's new documentary on the legendary Greek-American opera singer which will feature never-before-seen footage of performances by Callas.
For the complete list of films, purchase festival passes or individual tickets and any additional information, please click below:
Where & When: Arclight Cinemas, Hollywood, CA. August 28, 2018 5:15 PM
"Searching", Aneesh Chaganty’s inventive family drama-thriller, follows in the tradition of "The Blair Witch Project" and the first "Cloverfield" which relies on modern technology and social media to tell it’s story. Every moment of action in the film takes place only through a computer monitor utilizing video chat, photos, streaming video, live blogging and surveillance footage. It's really a remarkable achievement and the film made an impressive splash at this year's Sundance Film Fest and received the NEXT Audience Award. While this parental nightmare of a missing child takes us through this harrowing ordeal with plenty of unnerving suspense and emotional anguish, it fails to keep our attention throughout and offers a resolution that's far from satisfying.
And in this long-standing call for diversity in entertainment, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the importance in the casting of John Cho in the starring role as a desperate father in search of his missing daughter. The actor has been doing outstanding work in largely supporting parts in film and television for a number of years with only a previously co-lead in the 2004 stoner comedy, "Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle" and the sequels. Here, Cho is finally given the opportunity to really shine as he carries the film, delivering a complex and deeply emotional performance motivated by fear and rage.
The opening scenes introduce us to the Kim family during the era of dial-up internet and MSN Messenger. David (Cho) and Pamela (Sara Sohn) are a young couple in love and soon have a baby they name Margot. We see images of Margot growing up and taking to the piano but tragedy strikes the happy family. Pamela becomes seriously ill and while she fights bravely, sadly loses the battle.
The story moves in to the present day and the advancement of the internet and technology. Margot (Michelle La) is now a high school senior and David is trying to do the best he can as a single father. But he can be controlling and overprotective which causes some tension in their relationship.
One late evening, Margot calls her father several times but he’s fast asleep and doesn’t answer his phone. The next morning, David tries reaching her with no answer. First, he assumes she’s taking her piano lessons only to find out she quit six months ago. Then he remembers that Margot was supposed to go on a school trip only to discover she didn’t show up. As hours go by with no response from his daughter, David becomes more concerned and frightened.
With relative ease, David is able to gain access to his daughter's Facebook, Tumblr and other social media accounts in an attempt to trace her steps. He begins to contact her friends, only to discover that she wasn't as social as it may appear. David soon learns that Margot has been keeping many secrets from him, some because she's a young woman experimenting in life but also to protect her father from further pain and disappointment.
Margot is now officially a missing person and Detective Rosemary Vick (Debra Messing) has been assigned to the case. David gives what little info he has uncovered to Dt. Vick but he continues his own investigation.
The mystery of the whereabouts of Margot builds with several unexpected twists and turns (some ingenious, others not so much) until we reach the tangled conclusion. While there are feeble hints dropped here and there, unfortunately, "Searching" follows in the frustrating trend in current thrillers to have the least likely person be involved in the crime without any real clues revealed throughout the film until that caught person explains their involvement in long-winded detail.
What makes "Searching" such an intriguing effort is the outstanding, innovative work from first-time filmmaker, Mr. Chaganty and that it offers Mr. Cho a long overdue leading role in a Hollywood feature film. However, under closer scrutiny, the story doesn't hold up very well. There were too many moments that felt repetitive and common sense took a backseat to serve this narrative method. Finally, if you remove the admittedly clever gimmick from the movie, what you have left is a fairly routine and unconvincing thriller.
"Roma", Alfonso Cuaron's family drama that is loosely based on the director's childhood in Mexico City, took the top prize of the Golden Lion at this year's Venice Film Festival. This is Netflix's first major win at a film fest and the streaming service plans for a theatrical run for the film in December. Netflix had another showing with the Coen Brothers as they received the Best Screenplay Award for their latest, "The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs" which was originally planned as a television series for the channel but later changed to a feature film.
Jacques Audiard, the acclaimed French filmmaker, received the Best Director Award for his first English-language film, "The Brothers Sisters". This western dark comedy is about two hit-men brothers on the trail of their mark during the California gold rush.
Another film that entered Venice with a lot of buzz was "The Favourite", Yorgos Lanthimos' period-costume drama, and it took home the runner-up Grand Jury Prize. Olivia Colman, who plays the British Queen Anne in the film, received the Best Actress Award. The Best Actor Award went to Willem Dafoe who plays Vincent van Gogh in "At Eternity's Gate", Julian Schnabel's bio-pic which explores the final days of the Dutch painter.
And Jennifer Kent, who made a splash with her debut in 2014 with the horror film, "The Babadook", won a Special Jury Prize for her follow-up feature, "The Nightingale". This Australian period thriller set in a British penal colony tells the story of a young female ex-con seeking revenge against a British officer who harmed her family. Baykali Ganambarr, who won the Best New Young Performer Prize for the film, plays an Aboriginal tracker who helps her on her quest.
Here is a list of winners from the 2018 Venice Film Festival:
Golden Lion: "Roma"
Grand Jury Prize: "The Favourite"
Silver Lion, Best Director: Jacques Audiard, "The Sisters Brothers"
Volpi Cup, Best Actress: Olivia Colman, "The Favourite"
Volpi Cup, Best Actor: Willem Dafoe, "At Eternity’s Gate"
Best Screenplay: Joel & Ethan Coen, "The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs"
Special Jury Prize: "The Nightingale"
Marcello Mastroianni Award for Best New Young Performer: Baykali Ganambarr, "The Nightingale"
The Horizons (Orizzonti) Section
Best Film: "Manta Ray"
Best Director: Emir Baigazin, "Ozen (The River)"
Special Jury Prize: "Anons (The Announcement)"
Best Actress: Natalya Kudryashova, "The Man Who Surprised Everyone"
Best Actor: Kais Nasif, "Tel Aviv On Fire"
Best Screenplay: Pema Tseden, "Jinpa"
Best Short Film: "Kado"
Lion of the Future, Luigi De Laurentiis Award for a Debut Film: "The Day I Lost My Shadow"
Burt Reynolds, the sexy and charismatic actor who was one of the biggest movie stars throughout the 1970's, has passed away on September 6th at the age of eighty-two. He had been in poor health over the last few years including heart problems and died unexpectedly from cardiac arrest. One of Reynolds' last films, "The Last Movie Star" was released earlier this year and he had been cast in Quentin Tarantino's latest opus, "Once Upon a Time In Hollywood" but had not yet begun to film his role.
He was born Burton Milo Reynolds, Jr. in Lansing, MI but his family eventually ended up near West Palm Beach, FL. It was there during high school that Reynolds had planned to play pro-football. However, during college at Florida State he suffered several serious injuries which ended that plan. Reynolds drifted in to acting at school and after some success in the theater, he received a scholarship to Hyde Park Playhouse, a summer stock theater in New York.
From there, Reynolds found work in many plays and television shows before making his film debut, "Angel Baby" in 1961. But it wasn't until the 1972 thriller, "Deliverance", which earned three Academy Awards nominations including Best Picture, that began his ascent to movie stardom. Reynolds' easy-going, good ol' boy persona lead him to box-office gold with such hits as "Smokey and the Bandit", "Semi-Tough", "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas", "The Longest Yard" and "Cannonball Run" which helped make him the consective number-one grossing star from 1978 to 1982.
Other notable films during his career include, "Hustle", "Sharky's Machine", "The End" (with his girlfriend at the time, Sally Field), "Hooper", "Starting Over", "Best Friends" (with Goldie Hawn) and "Boogie Nights" which earned Reynolds his only Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor in 1997 for his role as a '70's porn director.
While Reynolds had many hits (and quite a few flops), there were some movies he famously turned down that went on to become major critical and box-office successes. Some of these include the Han Solo part in "Star Wars", "Die Hard", "Pretty Woman" and two films that Jack Nicholson rode to fame and Oscar wins; "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" and "Terms of Endearment". The only role Reynolds later really regretted not taking was in the 1983 comedic-weepie Best Picture winner and I think he would have been very good in the part.
Another notable moment in his career was when Reynolds decided to play off his sex-symbol image and appeared nude on a bear-skin rug as the centerfold in the April 1972 issue of the women's magazine, "Cosmopolitan". It went on to sell an astounding 1.5 million copies however Reynolds later stated that this publicity stunt was one of the biggest mistakes of his career.
I don't think Burt Reynolds was ever really appreciated for his talent as an actor. I'm sure it didn't help that many could not see past his good looks, macho swagger, irresistible charm or how he simply made it look far too easy. But he did give some great performances throughout his career in films that were either little seen or just not acknowledged. Vulture has put together a few of the most essential movies he made and you should see to remember and (for those too young to have been around in his glory days) truly understand the captivating appeal of Burt Reynolds.
This summer we received a surprisingly good collection of sequels, a not-so-great collection of original comedies ("Crazy Rich Asians" as the only exception), a nice showing of indie fare, a surprising number of well-received documentaries and the sad decline (and seemingly inevitable demise) of Moviepass which lead to this season ending with the box-office reaching an impressive 4.4 billion dollars in receipts. This was an improvement over last summer where there were a lot more poorly-received flops and ticket sales dropped to it's lowest level in ten years.
As we move in to fall, there will be plenty of upcoming movies that will not only be trying to lure audiences in to theaters but also vying for award consideration. I've seen a few trailers for several interesting films coming soon but I have selected ten to share that have particularly captured my attention.
All release dates are subject to change:
"LIZZIE"
Release date: September 14, 2018
We are all familiar with the story of Lizzie Borden and what was said she did with an ax but with "Lizzie", we are given a more complex look in to her life and another possible motivation for the crime she was accused of committing. Chloë Sevigny stars (and serves as a producer) as Borden, an unmarried woman living with her controlling father (Jamey Sheridan) and stepmother (Fiona Shaw). When a new maid (Kristen Stewart) is hired, Lizzie finds friendship and close intimacy with her which eventually leads to them devising a deadly plan.
"COLETTE"
Release date: September 21, 2018
Keira Knightley returns to her comfort zone in a period drama with "Colette". This bio-drama by Wash Westmoreland ("Still Alice") tells the story of Gabrielle Sidonie Colette, a young French woman who marries an older man, Henry Gauthier-Villars (Dominic West) known to the public as the writer, "Willy". Colette becomes interested in writing and her husband encourages her to do so but under his name. When the books become a success, this eventually creates some serious tension between the couple.
"THE KINDERGARTEN TEACHER"
Release date: October 12, 2018
Based on the acclaimed 2014 Israeli film, this English-language remake of "The Kindergarten Teacher" is set in New York and stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as a teacher who notices a child (Parker Sevak) in her class who she believes is extremely gifted. While his father is not particularly interested in having him apply for any advanced placement, the teacher begins to obsess over the boy which leads to misguided and disturbing situations. Sara Colangelo won the Best Director prize at this year's Sundance Film Festival for this film and also features Gael García Bernal.
"CAN YOU EVER FORGIVE ME?"
Release date: October 19, 2018
We know that Melissa McCarthy is more than capable of making us laugh but is she also able to give us some serious drama? We shall soon see with "Can You Ever Forgive Me?", where she plays Lee Israel, a once successful writer but by 1992, she could no longer get published and was soon broke. Desperate, she begins to forge letters by deceased writers and actors and sell them for top dollar. But it doesn't take long for people to become suspicious and getting the FBI involved. Based on Israel's memoir, this is the long-awaited follow-up by Marielle Heller, the director of one of my favorite films of 2015, "The Diary of a Teenage Girl" and with a script by Nicole Holofcener who was once attached to direct.
"SERENITY"
Release date: October 19, 2018
"Serenity", from writer/director, Steven Knight, is a neo-noir thriller about a fishing-boat captain (Matthew McConaughey) whose sultry ex-wife (Anne Hathaway) suddenly reenters his life asking for a small favor. And that would involve helping to murder her wealthy but abusive husband (Jason Clarke). Djimon Hounsou and Diane Lane also star.
"WILDLIFE"
Release date: October 19, 2018
Actor Paul Dano ("Little Miss Sunshine", "There Will Be Blood", "Swiss Army Man") has made his directorial debut with "WildLife". He co-wrote the screenplay with his girlfriend and actress, Zoe Kazan (which is based on the novel by Richard Ford) and tells the 1960's set story of a teenage boy (Ed Oxenbould) who watches as his parents' (Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal) troubled marriage crumbles further apart after his mother begins an affair.
"A PRIVATE WAR"
Release date: November 2, 2018
"A Private War" examines the fascinating life of celebrated war correspondent, Marie Colvin who was willing to risk her life by moving through the middle of dangerous conflicts in order to get the story. Rosamund Pike plays the journalist who was recognized for wearing an eye patch after losing sight in her left eye from a grenade in Sri Lanka in 2001. With photographer, Paul Conroy (Jamie Dornan) by her side, Colvin bravely went in to witness what was actually happening in the front so she could accurately write about the true cost of war. Matthew Heineman, a documentary filmmaker whose work includes the Oscar-nominated, "Cartel Land", directs his first narrative feature.
"THE FAVOURITE"
Release date: November 23, 2018
The latest from Yorgos Lanthimos, the director behind the delightfully quirky films, "Dogtooth" and "The Lobster", is certainly not expected. "The Favourite" is a period-piece romp set in early 18th century England but it still appears to offer some offbeat moments. With the British at war with France, an ill and testy Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) is comforted by her dear friend, Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) with words of guidance and reassurance. Sarah's charming cousin, Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives at the palace and sets her sights on becoming close to the Queen, putting in to motion a bitter rivalry for her royal affections.
"IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK"
Release date: November 30, 2018
Barry Jenkins has finally returned with the follow-up to his 2016 Best Picture Oscar-winner, "Moonlight" and it's an adaption of James Baldwin's novel, "If Beale Street Could Talk". Set in 1970's Harlem, Tish (Kiki Layne, making her film debut) and Fonny (Stephan James) are young and in love. But their happiness is tragically disrupted when Fonny is falsely accused of committing a crime and Tish discovers she is pregnant. With the help of her family and the community, she struggles to find evidence to help free her man. Brian Tyree Henry, Dave Franco, Diego Luna and Regina King also star.
"MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS"
Release date: December 7, 2018
The story of the royal rivalry between Mary, Queen of Scots and Queen Elizabeth of England has been covered numerous times in literature, the stage and film. The latest is "Mary, Queen of Scots", a historical drama based on John Guy's book and a script by Beau Willimon ("House of Cards"). This version features two of last year's Best Actress nominees; Saoirse Ronan plays Mary Stuart and Margot Robbie is Elizabeth. Josie Rourke, who has had a long history directing for the British stage, makes her feature film debut.
