Independent Studio Wiip has optioned the rights to “The Eden Test,” a forthcoming novel from Adam Sternbergh, with the intention of turning the novel into a TV series.
The book was acquired by Flatiron, a division of Macmillan publishers, for publication in April 2023. Per the logline, “The Eden Test” follows “a New York couple goes on a secretive retreat upstate that offers a unique program to save their marriage: 7 days. 7 questions. Forever Changed. But a series of unsettling encounters lead them to uncover more about the ties that bond—and threaten to break—them than they ever thought they could.”
Paul Lee, Josh Stern and Gabe Fisher will executive produce on behalf of Wiip and Jonah Hill and Matt Dines will serve as executive producers for Hill’s Strong Baby Productions. Sternbergh will also executive produce. Other projects wiip has produced include Amazon Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty...
The book was acquired by Flatiron, a division of Macmillan publishers, for publication in April 2023. Per the logline, “The Eden Test” follows “a New York couple goes on a secretive retreat upstate that offers a unique program to save their marriage: 7 days. 7 questions. Forever Changed. But a series of unsettling encounters lead them to uncover more about the ties that bond—and threaten to break—them than they ever thought they could.”
Paul Lee, Josh Stern and Gabe Fisher will executive produce on behalf of Wiip and Jonah Hill and Matt Dines will serve as executive producers for Hill’s Strong Baby Productions. Sternbergh will also executive produce. Other projects wiip has produced include Amazon Prime Video’s “The Summer I Turned Pretty...
- 10/26/2022
- by BreAnna Bell
- Variety Film + TV
The release of “Glass” this month will close the book on an 18-year journey for writer-director M. Night Shyamalan. The 48-year-old director was following up the blockbuster success of “The Sixth Sense” when he released his original superhero origin story “Unbreakable” in theaters in 2000. Shyamalan always intended to create a franchise with the movie, and he confirmed to Vulture that he originally wrote James McAvoy’s “Split” character, the Horde, into his early draft of “Unbreakable.”
“Originally ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Split’ were together,” Shyamalan said. “David and the Horde bump into each other at the train station, and David follows him.”
When asked why he decided to remove the Horde from “Unbreakable,” Shyamalan answered, “It’s a narrative issue. Whenever you raise the stakes, you can’t unraise them. So once you introduce girls being abducted, there’s a ticking clock that doesn’t allow for the breadth of character development...
“Originally ‘Unbreakable’ and ‘Split’ were together,” Shyamalan said. “David and the Horde bump into each other at the train station, and David follows him.”
When asked why he decided to remove the Horde from “Unbreakable,” Shyamalan answered, “It’s a narrative issue. Whenever you raise the stakes, you can’t unraise them. So once you introduce girls being abducted, there’s a ticking clock that doesn’t allow for the breadth of character development...
- 1/8/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
In a competitive situation, Sony Pictures Television and Neal Moritz’s Original Film have optioned Adam Sternbergh's The Blinds to develop as a TV series. The thriller novel by the Edgar Award-nominated author of Shovel Ready, was published by HarperCollins on August 1. Imagine a place populated by criminals—people plucked from their lives, with their memories altered, who've been granted new identities and a second chance. Welcome to The Blinds, a dusty town in rural…...
- 8/24/2017
- Deadline TV
Last week, Shovel Ready, the crime novel about a garbage-man turned hit-man in a near-future dystopian New York, written by Vulture contributing editor Adam Sternbergh, was nominated for an Edgar Award for Best First Novel. Here, we asked Sternbergh to annotate a short excerpt from the sequel, Near Enemy, which was published earlier this month — including thoughts on history's first murder, the dubious appeal of Pepé Le Pew, and just how crazy New York apartment locks used to be. This used to be a city of locksOriginally, this line, which is now the first line of Chapter 2, was the very first line in the novel. I still like it as a potential opening line — and I have a real fetish for great opening lines — but I eventually decided to start the novel with an extremely short Chapter 1. (It’s eight lines and 54 words long.) I...
- 1/26/2015
- by Adam Sternbergh
- Vulture
The best movie culture writing from around the internet-o-sphere. There will be a quiz later. Just leave a tab open for us, will ya? “The Death of Adulthood and the Rise of Pleasure, or Why Seth Rogen is More Serious Than Woody Allen” — Adam Sternbergh’s response to A.O. Scott’s thought-catalyst on maturity, pointing out the age-old element of these discussions and the kernel at their core. “Cultural essays about the death of adulthood are often Trojan horses for a different complaint: the death of seriousness. These essays read as modern analogues to the mid-20th-century jeremiads about middlebrow, which were, similarly, taking people to task for not being sophisticated (i.e., adult) enough in their cultural tastes.” “The Darkness of Kristen Wiig” — Noah Gittell at Esquire finds seriousness in the funny woman’s latest films (and in her earlier funnier ones). “How Julia Roberts became an icon by playing the Girl Next Door” — Matt Singer...
- 9/15/2014
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
There was a time when the comedic cameo was a special, timeless treat. It would blend fiction and reality in an irresistible way, one that that might accentuate the rant of a neurotic New Yorker, like Marshall McLuhan in Annie Hall, elaborate on the subtext of comic books like Stan Lee in Mallrats, set the scene of the narrative like the many grunge cameos in Singles, or embody the dream of every struggling college student when paper-subject Kurt Vonnegut pops up to give Rodney Dangerfield some help in Back to School. The above are all contextual, rare and so particular that they’re still remembered all these years later. They were both a viewer treat and an addition that added legitimacy to the film’s message. But what about today? Cameos have shifted from the exception to the norm – I Love You Man, This is the End, Veronica Mars, Zombieland and The Hangover are some of the...
- 6/20/2014
- by Monika Bartyzel
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
The best movie culture writing from around the internet-o-sphere. There will be a quiz later. Just leave a tab open for us, will ya? “Armadillos In Their Trousers: The Tragic Special Snowflakes of This Is Spinal Tap” — Ali Arikan at RogerEbert.com travels the endless backstage of the mockumentary to show its tragic underbelly and the masking effect of ego over true public perception. “Meet Walter Blanco” — Laura Bennett at The New Republic goes behind the scenes of the Colombian Breaking Bad in order to describe cultural differences and a soap operatic makeover. “All the Pleasure. None of the Guilt.” — Adam Sternbergh at The New York Times Magazine is the latest to dismiss the concept of the “Guilty Pleasure.” He explains why he’s on board with the mantra: Like What You Like.
- 2/11/2014
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Russell Brand: Philip Seymour Hoffman is another victim of extremely stupid drug laws.
Toward a Kingdom Without Kitsch. How they made the Lego Movie.
Cannes Winners To Be Unveiled Early.
Gravity Becomes Third Movie to Cross $100 Million in IMAX Theaters.
Woody Allen Speaks Out.
David Cronenberg’s Visual Shock.
Jared Leto’s Heckler At Dallas Buyer’s Club Panel Deserves More Than 15 Minutes
Oscar Season Turns Ugly
The New York Times Magazine’s Adam Sternbergh on guilty pleasures.
Video: Breaking Bad’s’Walter White Reveals History of Facebook in ‘Look Back’ Video
The post Recommended Reading: Cronenberg’s visual shock, 2014 Cannes winners, Philip Seymour Hoffman and drug laws, Woody Allen speaks out, and more appeared first on Sound On Sight.
Toward a Kingdom Without Kitsch. How they made the Lego Movie.
Cannes Winners To Be Unveiled Early.
Gravity Becomes Third Movie to Cross $100 Million in IMAX Theaters.
Woody Allen Speaks Out.
David Cronenberg’s Visual Shock.
Jared Leto’s Heckler At Dallas Buyer’s Club Panel Deserves More Than 15 Minutes
Oscar Season Turns Ugly
The New York Times Magazine’s Adam Sternbergh on guilty pleasures.
Video: Breaking Bad’s’Walter White Reveals History of Facebook in ‘Look Back’ Video
The post Recommended Reading: Cronenberg’s visual shock, 2014 Cannes winners, Philip Seymour Hoffman and drug laws, Woody Allen speaks out, and more appeared first on Sound On Sight.
- 2/11/2014
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
A hit man in the hard-boiled style — terse, efficient, sarcastic, a guy with a code — wanders around a postapocalyptic New York City in which Times Square is off limits owing to a dirty bomb attack and the rich have retreated into a virtual reality existence. His name is Spademan and he's the main character in Adam Sternbergh's debut novel, Shovel Ready. Sternbergh, an editor at The New York Times Magazine (and a former editor at New York), was excited by the idea of smashing together two types of formerly lowbrow yet equally entertaining scenarios. "So many of my favorite things, from Star Trek to Neuromancer to Firefly to Inception, are basically built on taking the conventions of one genre and grafting them on to another." Sternbergh spoke with Lev Grossman — Time magazine book critic and author of The Magicians, The Magician King, and the final book in his...
- 1/17/2014
- by Vulture Editors
- Vulture
The morning’s best writing from around the movie website-o-sphere. Just leave a tab open for us, will ya? “I hate Strong Female Characters” — Sophia McDougall takes issue with a too-common phrase. Fictional men get to be anything they want; fictional women get one adjective (and it’s not “dynamic”). “Our 15 Favorite Near-Misses in Hollywood History” — Drew McWeeny imagines David Lynch’s Return of the Jedi, Kubrick’s Lord of the Rings and 13 more movies that almost happened. Dodged bullets and lost potential. “Mika Disa and The Seven Dwarfs: How the Snow White prequel became a Dopey movie” — A fascinating, thorough look at the movie that might have been Snow White Returns. “Why Have This Year’s Original Sci-Fi Movies Been So Disappointing?” — Jacob S. Hall asks the question every single human being (and a few aliens) are asking. There was so much opportunity, so why did it feel so hollow? “Why...
- 8/16/2013
- by Scott Beggs
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
John McClane, a loner with a progressively bloodied tank top, set the tone for regular-guy action heroes. For that, we salute him
Urban legend has it that a screenwriter once pitched "Die Hard in a building" to a bunch of executives, not realising, or forgetting, that the first Die Hard was already set in a building. We've had Die Hard on a Boat (Under Siege, 1992), Die Hard on a plane (Passenger 57, 1992) Die Hard on a mountain (Cliffhanger, 1993), Die Hard on a bus (Speed, 1994), Die Hard at Hockey Stadium (Sudden Death 1995), and Die Hard in a phone booth (Phone Booth, 2002), although the fact that none of these movies bears much, or any, resemblance to Die Hard suggests an urban legend of another sort, one having more to do with journalists' low opinion of Hollywood: group-think about group-think.
Die Hard celebrates its 25th anniversary, and short of leaping out of an...
Urban legend has it that a screenwriter once pitched "Die Hard in a building" to a bunch of executives, not realising, or forgetting, that the first Die Hard was already set in a building. We've had Die Hard on a Boat (Under Siege, 1992), Die Hard on a plane (Passenger 57, 1992) Die Hard on a mountain (Cliffhanger, 1993), Die Hard on a bus (Speed, 1994), Die Hard at Hockey Stadium (Sudden Death 1995), and Die Hard in a phone booth (Phone Booth, 2002), although the fact that none of these movies bears much, or any, resemblance to Die Hard suggests an urban legend of another sort, one having more to do with journalists' low opinion of Hollywood: group-think about group-think.
Die Hard celebrates its 25th anniversary, and short of leaping out of an...
- 7/19/2013
- by Tom Shone
- The Guardian - Film News
“The Book of Eli” star is back to save our butts. Denzel Washington is currently in talks to star in the new action movie “Shovel Ready”, which sounds like a bad job, but is actually a pretty cool post-apocalyptic-ish movie that will star the “Man on Fire” actor as, of course, an uber badass. So what’s it all about? Well, it goes something like this: In a bombed-out, near future New York City where most of the population escapes reality by tapping into a digital fantasy world, a contract killer is hired to kill the daughter of a powerful, maniacal evangelist. Ultimately, the killer becomes the girl’s protector. The movie will be based on the book by Adam Sternbergh, which won’t be published until next year. Who doesn’t want to see Denzel kick ass in the apocalypses? I do, I do!
- 6/9/2013
- by Nix
- SciFiCool.com
Gotta admit, when I heard the title “Shovel Ready”, I thought we were in for some lame drama about some guys forced to work in some lame Government-sponsored jobs. Turns out, it’s some kind of post-apocalyptic action movie. Wow. Maybe they should consider changing the title…? In any case, Washington is said to be in talks to front the new film “Shovel Ready” for Warner Bros., based on the upcoming novel by Adam Sternbergh, which isn’t due out until January 2014. (Remember when studios used to wait until a book comes out to see how it performs with the reading public before they bought rights to it? Oh, those were the days…) As for the plot of the book/movie: In a bombed-out, near future New York City where most of the population escapes reality by tapping into a digital fantasy world, a contract killer is hired to kill the daughter of a powerful,...
- 6/8/2013
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Denzel Washington is an incredible actor. He was great in Robert Zemeckis' Flight, and now he's in early talks to join another new film, called Shovel Ready.
Warner Bros. is developing the project, which is an adaptation of an upcoming novel written by journalist Adam Sternbergh. The story is set in "a bombed-out, near future New York City where most of the population escapes reality by tapping into a digital fantasy world, a contract killer is hired to kill the daughter of a powerful, maniacal evangelist. Ultimately, the killer becomes the girl’s protector."
This sounds like it could be a really cool film, and it's right up Washington's ally. It seems like it would be a great project for him, and I hope he takes it on.
Warner Bros. is developing the project, which is an adaptation of an upcoming novel written by journalist Adam Sternbergh. The story is set in "a bombed-out, near future New York City where most of the population escapes reality by tapping into a digital fantasy world, a contract killer is hired to kill the daughter of a powerful, maniacal evangelist. Ultimately, the killer becomes the girl’s protector."
This sounds like it could be a really cool film, and it's right up Washington's ally. It seems like it would be a great project for him, and I hope he takes it on.
- 6/8/2013
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
Denzel Washington is in early talks to star in "Shovel Ready" at Warner Bros. Pictures.
Set in a bombed-out, near future New York City where most of the population escapes reality by tapping into a digital fantasy world, a contract killer is hired to kill the daughter of a powerful, maniacal evangelist. Ultimately, the killer becomes the girl’s protector.
The story is an adaptation of journalist Adam Sternbergh's debut novel. Erwin Stoff will serve as producer.
Source: Deadline...
Set in a bombed-out, near future New York City where most of the population escapes reality by tapping into a digital fantasy world, a contract killer is hired to kill the daughter of a powerful, maniacal evangelist. Ultimately, the killer becomes the girl’s protector.
The story is an adaptation of journalist Adam Sternbergh's debut novel. Erwin Stoff will serve as producer.
Source: Deadline...
- 6/7/2013
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Deadline reports that Denzel Washington is in talks to star in Shovel Ready, an adaptation of an upcoming novel by New York Times Magazine's Adam Sternbergh. Set in near-feature New York City, where people use virtual reality to escape the chaos outside, Washington would play a hired killer who is sent to assassinate a powerful evangelist's daughter, only to take on the role of her protector. Considering his experience both fighting criminals in virtual reality and protecting young girls, this mission will be cake for Zel. ...
- 6/7/2013
- by Jesse David Fox
- Vulture
Recently more and more films adaptations are being announced for books that have yet to be published. That’s basically the greatest thing that could happen to an author. After all, what better way to get people to buy your book than to have a movie announced starring an A-list actor. Well that is the sales boost Adam Sternbergh is set to see as his sci-fi thriller Shovel Ready has Denzel Washington attached to star.
Details on the film are fairly sparse, and the same goes for the book. The book doesn’t even release for another 6 months, so it’ll likely be quite a while until anything concrete arises. What we do know so far is the story centers around a garbageman turned hitman who, when tasked to kill the daughter of a maniacal evangelist, chooses to protect the young girl instead of killing her. (Man on Fire anyone?...
Details on the film are fairly sparse, and the same goes for the book. The book doesn’t even release for another 6 months, so it’ll likely be quite a while until anything concrete arises. What we do know so far is the story centers around a garbageman turned hitman who, when tasked to kill the daughter of a maniacal evangelist, chooses to protect the young girl instead of killing her. (Man on Fire anyone?...
- 6/7/2013
- by Alexander Lowe
- We Got This Covered
Denzel Washington has entered talks for Shovel Ready.
The actor is eyeing a role in Warner Bros' adaptation of Adam Sternbergh's debut novel, reports Deadline.
He will take on the role of a hired killer in a near-future where residents of a bombed-out New York City seek refuge in a digital fantasy world.
Washington is contracted to kill the daughter of a popular and zealous evangelist, but somehow winds up as her protector.
The actor was most recently seen in Flight and will star in the upcoming 2 Guns and The Equalizer.
Shovel Ready is yet to find a director or screenwriter.
The actor is eyeing a role in Warner Bros' adaptation of Adam Sternbergh's debut novel, reports Deadline.
He will take on the role of a hired killer in a near-future where residents of a bombed-out New York City seek refuge in a digital fantasy world.
Washington is contracted to kill the daughter of a popular and zealous evangelist, but somehow winds up as her protector.
The actor was most recently seen in Flight and will star in the upcoming 2 Guns and The Equalizer.
Shovel Ready is yet to find a director or screenwriter.
- 6/7/2013
- Digital Spy
If there’s one thing movies can teach you, it’s don’t cross Denzel Washington when he’s in a violent mood and has ready access to weaponry. If he signs on to Warner Bros.’ planned adaptation of Shovel Ready, it’s a lesson that someone new will get to learn in the most painful, bullet-ridden way possible.It’s early days for the project (and Denzel’s association with it), but the studio and producer Erwin Stoff is looking to bring Adam Sternbergh’s novel to the screen. Shovel Ready, which doesn’t even hit bookshelves or e-readers until next January, is set in a devastated future New York City where people escape their miserable lives by connecting with a Matrix-like digital fantasy world.If Washington makes a deal to star, he’ll be a contract killer hired to off the daughter of a powerful evangelist. But he...
- 6/7/2013
- EmpireOnline
• Denzel Washington devotedly protected Dakota Fanning in Man on Fire. Now he’s signed on to a new project that will have him protecting a child, though this time in a near future big city setting. The film is Shovel Ready, an adaptation of the yet-to-be-released debut novel of New York Times journalist Adam Sternbergh. Here’s how Deadline’s report described the plot: “In a bombed-out, near future New York City where most of the population escapes reality by tapping into a digital fantasy world, a contract killer is hired to kill the daughter of a powerful, maniacal evangelist.
- 6/7/2013
- by Emily Rome
- EW - Inside Movies
Journalist Adam Sternbergh’s first novel Shovel Ready is attracting the interest of A-list talent for the film adaptation, namely Denzel Washington who is in talks for the lead role.
From Deadline:
In a bombed-out, near future New York City where most of the population escapes reality by tapping into a digital fantasy world, a contract killer is hired to kill the daughter of a powerful, maniacal evangelist. Ultimately, the killer becomes the girl’s protector.
Washington is up for the role of the daughter. It will be a bit of a departure for the two time Oscar winner, but I think he’s up to the task.
Source: Deadline...
From Deadline:
In a bombed-out, near future New York City where most of the population escapes reality by tapping into a digital fantasy world, a contract killer is hired to kill the daughter of a powerful, maniacal evangelist. Ultimately, the killer becomes the girl’s protector.
Washington is up for the role of the daughter. It will be a bit of a departure for the two time Oscar winner, but I think he’s up to the task.
Source: Deadline...
- 6/6/2013
- by Philip Sticco
- LRMonline.com
Nothing official at this moment, but at least we know that Denzel Washington is in some serious talks to star in the upcoming adaptation of Adam Sternbergh‘s debut novel Shovel Ready. If negotiations with Flight star work out, he will come on board to play an assassin hired to murder a powerful evangelist’s daughter… Unfortunately, still nothing about the possible director, plot details are pretty thin as well (after all, Sternbergh’s novel will be published in January 2014), but according to the latest reports: …the story is set in a dystopian New York City that is on the verge of ruin, where a majority of...
- 6/6/2013
- by Jeanne Standal
- Filmofilia
Right now Denzel Washington is gearing up to star in Antoine Fuqua's big screen adaptation of the 80s television show The Equalizer along with Chloe Moretz and Melissa Leo. But after that, it sounds like he might head into a little more familiar territory. Deadline has word that Washington is currently in early talks to lead Shovel Ready, an adaptation of the forthcoming novel of the same name by Adam Sternbergh. With a vibe that feels like Washington's recent Book of Eli, the story is set in a near-future New York City that has been ravaged by bombs, where the population escapes from reality into a digital world. Washington would play a hired assassin tasked with killing the daughter of a very influential but maniacal evangelist. But somehow, the killer ends up having to protect the girl from someone else. We're not sure how the digital world comes into play,...
- 6/6/2013
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
If you like Denzel Washington playing a stone cold killer whose heart is gradually melted by prolonged interactions with an adorable moppet, well, today might as well be Christmas. Deadline is reporting that the megawatt star has signed on to star in Warner Bros' new sci-fi project "Shovel Ready," an adaptation of an unreleased novel by New York Times Magazine culture editor Adam Sternbergh. Just like in "Man on Fire" he'll play a murderous badass who falls under the spell of a young girl. Aww.The report describes the plot as being about a post-apocalyptic New York City, where the citizens escape from the cruelty of everyday life by slipping into a complex virtual reality world not unlike, say, "The Matrix," or Las Vegas, Nevada. Washington would play an assassin who is hired to take out the daughter of a powerful evangelist. Of course, Washington grows to become the girl's protector.
- 6/6/2013
- by Drew Taylor
- The Playlist
In Tony Scott's excellent 2004 revenge thriller Man on Fire Denzel Washington proved that he can do a damn fine job of taking care of a little girl when charged with her protection, and he now plans to exercise those muscles again in the new thriller Shovel Ready. Deadline's sources have learned that the two-time Oscar winner has entered early negotiations to star in the upcoming feature, which is an adaptation of an upcoming novel written by journalist Adam Sternbergh. The story is set in a near-future landscape where everybody has left the real world behind and has completely immersed themselves in a digital fantasy world. Washington will play a contract killer living in New York City who is hired to "kill the daughter of a powerful, maniacal evangelist." The situation ends up taking a massive right turn, however, and the killer ends up becoming the girl's bodyguard. Sadly there...
- 6/6/2013
- cinemablend.com
Denzel Washington is in talks to star in Warner Bros' adaptation of the debut sci-fi novel by Adam Sternbergh, titled Shovel Ready. The story is set in a dystopian future and centers on a garbageman-turned-hitman who opts to instead protect a young girl he's been asked to kill - the daughter of a powerful maniacal evangelist. Sternbergh is also the culture editor of the New York Times magazine. The novel won't actually be available for sale until early 2014. Given the above description, comparisons to past Denzel Washington films like Man On Fire, as well as future Denzel Washington films like The Equalizer, abound. In both, like Shovel Ready, Denzel is paired up with a young...
- 6/6/2013
- by Tambay A. Obenson
- ShadowAndAct
Exclusive: Denzel Washington is in early talks to star in Shovel Ready, a Warner Bros adaptation of a debut novel by journalist Adam Sternbergh. Erwin Stoff is the producer. In a bombed-out, near future New York City where most of the population escapes reality by tapping into a digital fantasy world, a contract killer is hired to kill the daughter of a powerful, maniacal evangelist. Ultimately, the killer becomes the girl’s protector. It’s early days, but this evokes memories of Washington vehicles like Man On Fire, Book Of Eli, and the Antoine Fuqua-directed The Equalizer which Washington is about to shoot for Sony Pictures. Which means I will be there on opening day if Shovel Ready happens. Washington is repped by Wme. CAA brokered the book deal.
- 6/6/2013
- by MIKE FLEMING JR
- Deadline
Denzel Washington is eyeing a leading role in the upcoming Warner Bros. adaptation of Adam Sternbergh's debut novel, Shovel Ready , Deadline reports. The book, set to be published in 2014, offers a sci-fi world where humanity uses a virtual reality program to escape the catastrophic destruction of New York City. Washington would play a killer, hired to assassinate a young girl, but who becomes her unlikely protector. Washington, who recently starred in Robert Zemeckis' Flight , will next re-team with his Training Day director Antoine Fuqua's The Equalizer . Shovel Ready will be produced by Erwin Stoff. (Photo Credit: Daniel Deme / WENN.com)...
- 6/6/2013
- Comingsoon.net
Oscar Links: 'Karenina's Costumes, Johnson's 'Looper' Inspiration and 'Silver Linings' Tempers Flare
While the debate will certainly go on for the better part of the award season as to where Anna Karenina will land in categories such as Best Picture and Best Actress, one category it will certainly be viewed as a major contender is Best Costumes. Getting an early start on the campaign trail, costume designer, Jacqueline Durran, who has nominated for an Oscar for her work on Joe Wright's Atonement and Pride and Prejudice, spoke with The Genteel about her work on Anna. Here's a snippet: Director Joe Wright wanted me to trace the shapes of the 1870s but to make them completely unfussy. He wanted me to take away all the trimmings of the clothing and keep a very stark silhouette. And the way he explained it to me was: "Look at '50s couture, how it's all about silhouette and apply that approach to the 1870s." So,...
- 9/26/2012
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
It's Sunday afternoon, or: your last chance to read all that stuff you meant to read last week before Monday brings a new deluge of things you will want to read. Below, some of our recommendations: "One Direction: The Tumblr Interview," by Jessica Bennett (Storyboard/Tumblr): The British boy band answers the tough questions, including, "What’s it like having swarms of girls chasing you around the globe?" "Is It Creepy to See Someone Reading Fifty Shades of Grey on the Subway?" by Adam Sternbergh (The New York Times Magazine): At this point, it's a question every single commuter has asked themselves. "Dinner With Daniel: Michael Keaton," by Daniel Kellison (Grantland): The actor on Beetlejuice, technology, almost starring in Lost, almost turning down Jackie Brown, and much, much more. "What Ever Happened to Hysterical Realism?" by Lev Grossman (Time): An argument in favor of contemporary...
- 7/15/2012
- by Andre Tartar,Caroline Bankoff
- Vulture
While the uproar over the U.S. version of The Killing has quieted, the show is still a pale imitation of the Danish series on which it is based. Over at The Daily Beast, you can read my latest feature, "How The Killing Went Wrong," in which I look at how The Killing has handled itself during its second season, and compare it to the stunning and electrifying original Danish series, Forbrydelsen, on which it is based. (I recently watched all 20 episodes of Forbrydelsen over a few evenings.) The original is a mind-blowing and gut-wrenching work of genius. It’s not necessary to rehash the anger that followed in the wake of the conclusion last June of the first season of AMC’s mystery drama The Killing, based on Søren Sveistrup’s landmark Danish show Forbrydelsen, which follows the murder of a schoolgirl and its impact on the people whose lives the investigation touches upon.
- 5/14/2012
- by Jace Lacob
- Televisionary
The release of The Raid: Redemption in theatres across North America this month has served as a wake-up call to action movie aficionados everywhere. The hard-hitting martial arts film has been earning rave reviews from just about everyone (except Roger Ebert), and it has sparked a debate over the stale and overstuffed state of America's own action movies. An article by Adam Sternbergh appeared in The New York Times a few weeks ago entitled How the American Action Movie Went Kablooey, calling out Hollywood for losing its dominance in the genre. His theory is that Last Action Hero was the movie that put the final nail in the coffin, and that CG-heavy superhero movies have basically taken over ever since. I think we can all agree that '80s action movies died out for a reason (partially because they did become a parody of themselves), but I find it interesting...
- 4/20/2012
- by Sean
- FilmJunk
American action movies may be dead, at least according to the New York Times, but even the Paper of Record can't discount the impact of "Die Hard."
"If you can't get behind 'Die Hard' as a great American movie, then I'd argue that you hate greatness, movies and America," wrote Adam Sternbergh in his New York Times Magazine Riff on Sunday.
He's right -- at least about that, if not the idea that American action movies are dead (see: "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and "Safe House" for recent examples of excellent Hollywood studio bombast) -- something proven by the fact that "Die Hard" still influences filmmaking to this day.
Case in point: for the second time in a week, a spec script described as "'Die Hard' on a..." sold; Deadline.com reports that Universal has acquired "Speeding Bullets," a "Die Hard"-like buddy-cop throwback (never mind that "Die Hard...
"If you can't get behind 'Die Hard' as a great American movie, then I'd argue that you hate greatness, movies and America," wrote Adam Sternbergh in his New York Times Magazine Riff on Sunday.
He's right -- at least about that, if not the idea that American action movies are dead (see: "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" and "Safe House" for recent examples of excellent Hollywood studio bombast) -- something proven by the fact that "Die Hard" still influences filmmaking to this day.
Case in point: for the second time in a week, a spec script described as "'Die Hard' on a..." sold; Deadline.com reports that Universal has acquired "Speeding Bullets," a "Die Hard"-like buddy-cop throwback (never mind that "Die Hard...
- 4/2/2012
- by The Huffington Post
- Huffington Post
For those who experienced the tumultous "girlpower" ride of 1990s popular culture this Pretty Woman vs. Thelma & Louise essay in The New York Times is wonderfully mnemonic... and insightful.
Love that accompanying illustration by Tom Gauld. Spot on, spot!
Here's a morsel from the article on the narrative transformational journeys of Thelma (Geena Davis) and Vivian (Julia Roberts), the "ingenues" as the narratives go.
...only Thelma transitions into a new, more independent self, while Vivian finds a way to be preserved as a wide-eyed child-bride forever.
It was precisely this happy ending that made people love “Pretty Woman,” just as it was the flying-off-the-cliff part that made some people object to “Thelma and Louise.” But while Vivian was happily giving herself to a callous oligarch who would purchase her personhood (as she chirped inanities about “rescuing him right back”), Thelma was saving herself by holding up a gas station and...
Love that accompanying illustration by Tom Gauld. Spot on, spot!
Here's a morsel from the article on the narrative transformational journeys of Thelma (Geena Davis) and Vivian (Julia Roberts), the "ingenues" as the narratives go.
...only Thelma transitions into a new, more independent self, while Vivian finds a way to be preserved as a wide-eyed child-bride forever.
It was precisely this happy ending that made people love “Pretty Woman,” just as it was the flying-off-the-cliff part that made some people object to “Thelma and Louise.” But while Vivian was happily giving herself to a callous oligarch who would purchase her personhood (as she chirped inanities about “rescuing him right back”), Thelma was saving herself by holding up a gas station and...
- 4/25/2011
- by NATHANIEL R
- FilmExperience
This year brought a new kind of hero as Kick-Ass and The Social Network proved it's the geeks who shall inherit the Earth
In the immediate wake of Tuesday's Golden Globe nominations, I had awards season filed as a straight run off between the old and the new; inherited wealth versus the dotcom billions. The King's Speech stars Colin Firth as stuttering George VI, who finds his voice on the eve of war. The Social Network casts Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who conjured up friends for everyone but himself. Both, at the time of writing, look set to be run close by David O Russell's boxing drama The Fighter. Even so, I'm betting the lion's share of Oscars get divvied up between the king and the nerd.
So far, so scripted. Except the more I think about it, the less distinct these frontrunners become. Doesn't constricted old...
In the immediate wake of Tuesday's Golden Globe nominations, I had awards season filed as a straight run off between the old and the new; inherited wealth versus the dotcom billions. The King's Speech stars Colin Firth as stuttering George VI, who finds his voice on the eve of war. The Social Network casts Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who conjured up friends for everyone but himself. Both, at the time of writing, look set to be run close by David O Russell's boxing drama The Fighter. Even so, I'm betting the lion's share of Oscars get divvied up between the king and the nerd.
So far, so scripted. Except the more I think about it, the less distinct these frontrunners become. Doesn't constricted old...
- 12/17/2010
- by Xan Brooks
- The Guardian - Film News
By Larry Getlen
So now, if you believe New York Magazine, the intensity of the outrage surrounding Conan O’Brien’s removal from "The Tonight Show" is a parable for our recessionary anger at the fat cats – “Leno is Aig,” writer Adam Sternbergh claims – who have bullied us little people around, laid us off from our jobs, and generally caused everything bad to happen in our lives.
Conan O’Brien, therefore, is us – the little guy. Conan is he or she who is mad as hell, can’t take it anymore, and is now rising up to cl...
So now, if you believe New York Magazine, the intensity of the outrage surrounding Conan O’Brien’s removal from "The Tonight Show" is a parable for our recessionary anger at the fat cats – “Leno is Aig,” writer Adam Sternbergh claims – who have bullied us little people around, laid us off from our jobs, and generally caused everything bad to happen in our lives.
Conan O’Brien, therefore, is us – the little guy. Conan is he or she who is mad as hell, can’t take it anymore, and is now rising up to cl...
- 1/20/2010
- by Lew Harris
- The Wrap
As online video becomes more mainstream and ubiquitous, rebroadcasts of television programs are likewise increasing in popularity. Rather than identify online video as a rival - a source for original Web series drawing advertisers away from more traditional TV partiality - television executives and producers have instead jumped on board to go after the online audience they would have otherwise missed. But this cross-venture offers more than just a channel to re-air what ran the night before. Some TV personalities have even begun to imagine, write, direct and market specifically for the Web audience. Adam Sternbergh correctly points out in his New York Magazine article that "Saturday Night Live" stumbled into the viral video business that can garner popularity on the Internet that the show cannot match on television alone. Sternbergh argues that this is one area where late-night host...
- 9/10/2009
- by Danny Groner
- Huffington Post
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