Sleater-Kinney has released a new single, “Untidy Creature,” along with a music video for the track directed by Nick Pollet. The clip features Australian freediver Amber Bourke, who holds her breath in a bathtub for the duration of the introspective song.
On the track, the closing number on the band’s forthcoming 11th album, Little Rope, Corin Tucker sings, “But here’s too much here that’s unspoken/ And there’s no tomorrow in sight/ Could you love me if I was broken/ There’s no going back tonight.”
Of the song and video,...
On the track, the closing number on the band’s forthcoming 11th album, Little Rope, Corin Tucker sings, “But here’s too much here that’s unspoken/ And there’s no tomorrow in sight/ Could you love me if I was broken/ There’s no going back tonight.”
Of the song and video,...
- 1/4/2024
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
Music video director and a Sundance Institute’s Screenwriter’s Intensive participant, we thought Zia Anger‘s avant-garde feature debut (or is it a sophomore film?) might drop this year, but Park City might actually be the best lieu to unpack a title that has closer ties with Utah. At first a film with its own if a tree falls in a forest mythology and then the birthing of a live cinema performance piece would equate to the production of My First Film. Filming took place late last year in Salt Lake City, with Odessa Young in the lead role — and cinematographer Ashley Connor behind the line.…...
- 11/15/2023
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
Sleater-Kinney have announced their 11th album, Little Rope. Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker also shared the LP’s first single “Hell” on Tuesday. The album arrives on Jan. 19 via Loma Vista.
The LP is set to comprise 10 songs that “veer from spare to anthemic, catchy to deliberately head-turning,” according to a press release. The project was created after Brownstein’s mother and stepfather were killed in a car accident in Italy.
“As Brownstein and Tucker moved through the early aftermath of the tragedy, elements of what was to become the...
The LP is set to comprise 10 songs that “veer from spare to anthemic, catchy to deliberately head-turning,” according to a press release. The project was created after Brownstein’s mother and stepfather were killed in a car accident in Italy.
“As Brownstein and Tucker moved through the early aftermath of the tragedy, elements of what was to become the...
- 10/3/2023
- by Tomás Mier
- Rollingstone.com
The list of directors who put their trust in Robby Müller could constitute a nice history of post-war cinema. A retrospective of films on which he served as Dp reflects accordingly––so’s the case with Metrograph’s “Robby Müller: Remain in Light,” which starts on Friday, September 29, and for which we’re glad to debut the trailer.
Contained therein are bits and pieces of what Metrograph attendees can anticipate. The series will offer a chance to see (among others) 24 Hour Party People, Alice in the Cities, The American Friend, Barfly, Breaking the Waves, Dead Man, Down by Law, Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai, Kings of the Road, Korczak, Living the Light – Robby Müller, Mystery Train, Repo Man, Saint Jack, To Live and Die in L.A., When Pigs Fly, The Wrong Move, and Paris, Texas. The opening night will be anchored by “a panel on Müller’s continued influence on filmmaking,...
Contained therein are bits and pieces of what Metrograph attendees can anticipate. The series will offer a chance to see (among others) 24 Hour Party People, Alice in the Cities, The American Friend, Barfly, Breaking the Waves, Dead Man, Down by Law, Ghost Dog: Way of the Samurai, Kings of the Road, Korczak, Living the Light – Robby Müller, Mystery Train, Repo Man, Saint Jack, To Live and Die in L.A., When Pigs Fly, The Wrong Move, and Paris, Texas. The opening night will be anchored by “a panel on Müller’s continued influence on filmmaking,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
[Editor’s note: This story contains spoilers for “Polite Society.”]
It took everything I had not to yell out loud during “Polite Society.”
Not because of the intense fight sequences, killer martial arts, or even that twist — what had this reporter out of her seat was a dance sequence that unfolds during the film’s final act. As Ria (Priya Kansara) dances at sister Lena’s (Ritu Arya) wedding, she aims to “distract” the assembled guests while her friends are busy executing a master plan that’s consumed most of the film’s running time. Dressed in an emerald-green outfit, Ria takes the stage, and the opening notes of “Maar Dala” begin to play.
Composed by Ismail Darbar with lyrics by Nusrat Badr, “Maar Dala” first appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2002 film “Devdas,” based on 1917 Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel of the same name. In the film, Madhuri Dixit-Nene performs the number (sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy and K.K.) as courtesan Chandramukhi,...
It took everything I had not to yell out loud during “Polite Society.”
Not because of the intense fight sequences, killer martial arts, or even that twist — what had this reporter out of her seat was a dance sequence that unfolds during the film’s final act. As Ria (Priya Kansara) dances at sister Lena’s (Ritu Arya) wedding, she aims to “distract” the assembled guests while her friends are busy executing a master plan that’s consumed most of the film’s running time. Dressed in an emerald-green outfit, Ria takes the stage, and the opening notes of “Maar Dala” begin to play.
Composed by Ismail Darbar with lyrics by Nusrat Badr, “Maar Dala” first appeared in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2002 film “Devdas,” based on 1917 Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel of the same name. In the film, Madhuri Dixit-Nene performs the number (sung by Kavita Krishnamurthy and K.K.) as courtesan Chandramukhi,...
- 5/1/2023
- by Proma Khosla
- Indiewire
In 2001, Agnès Godard became the first woman to win the Césare award for Best Cinematography on her own (Marie Perennou shared it with three men in 1997 for her documentary “Microcosmos”). Godard’s prize was for shooting Claire Denis’ “Beau Travail,” the poetic riff on “Billy Budd” that investigates masculinity in the French Foreign Legion.
“I thought it was funny because the film was about all these men,” she said, sitting down for an interview in New York ahead of a new film series of her work. “It was kind of ironic. I was smiling a bit. It wasn’t revenge. But it was funny.” But the milestone moment didn’t generate any headlines. “At the time, nobody mentioned it,” she said.
While the number of female cinematographers worldwide has inched up in recent years, it was a much narrower field when the 71-year-old Godard entered the profession over 30 years ago.
“I thought it was funny because the film was about all these men,” she said, sitting down for an interview in New York ahead of a new film series of her work. “It was kind of ironic. I was smiling a bit. It wasn’t revenge. But it was funny.” But the milestone moment didn’t generate any headlines. “At the time, nobody mentioned it,” she said.
While the number of female cinematographers worldwide has inched up in recent years, it was a much narrower field when the 71-year-old Godard entered the profession over 30 years ago.
- 4/4/2023
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
When Ria (Priya Kansara) finds out that her art school dropout sister Lena (Ritu Arya) is giving up her creative dreams to marry a wealthy man, she sense that an evil force is afoot. Using her amateur martial arts moves, Ria concocts a plan with some schoolmates to kidnap Lena from her own wedding. The feature debut from writer-director Nida Manzoor, Polite Society charts the physical and social struggles of being a teenage girl who no one will take seriously. Cinematographer Ashley Connor tells Filmmaker about how she came to work on the film and her immediate connection to the […]
The post “It’s All Love and Rage”: Dp Ashley Connor on Polite Society first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “It’s All Love and Rage”: Dp Ashley Connor on Polite Society first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/30/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
When Ria (Priya Kansara) finds out that her art school dropout sister Lena (Ritu Arya) is giving up her creative dreams to marry a wealthy man, she sense that an evil force is afoot. Using her amateur martial arts moves, Ria concocts a plan with some schoolmates to kidnap Lena from her own wedding. The feature debut from writer-director Nida Manzoor, Polite Society charts the physical and social struggles of being a teenage girl who no one will take seriously. Cinematographer Ashley Connor tells Filmmaker about how she came to work on the film and her immediate connection to the […]
The post “It’s All Love and Rage”: Dp Ashley Connor on Polite Society first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “It’s All Love and Rage”: Dp Ashley Connor on Polite Society first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/30/2023
- by Filmmaker Staff
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Priya Kansara stars as Ria Khan in director Nida Manzoor’s Polite Society, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh / © 2023 Focus Features LLC.
The highly anticipated film Polite Society had a rousing world premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival last weekend. Directed by Nida Manzoor, her debut feature, the action comedy Polite Society, is a merry mash up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action.
Polite Society follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan, who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.
Featuring a cast led by and introducing Priya Kansara, it also stars Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha (Ms. Marvel), Shobu Kapoor (We Are Lady Parts), Ella Bruccoleri (Call the Midwife), Seraphina Beh (Top Boy), Shona Babayemi, Jeff Mirza...
Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh / © 2023 Focus Features LLC.
The highly anticipated film Polite Society had a rousing world premiere at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival last weekend. Directed by Nida Manzoor, her debut feature, the action comedy Polite Society, is a merry mash up of sisterly affection, parental disappointment and bold action.
Polite Society follows martial artist-in-training Ria Khan, who believes she must save her older sister Lena from her impending marriage. After enlisting the help of her friends, Ria attempts to pull off the most ambitious of all wedding heists in the name of independence and sisterhood.
Featuring a cast led by and introducing Priya Kansara, it also stars Ritu Arya, Nimra Bucha (Ms. Marvel), Shobu Kapoor (We Are Lady Parts), Ella Bruccoleri (Call the Midwife), Seraphina Beh (Top Boy), Shona Babayemi, Jeff Mirza...
- 1/27/2023
- by Stacey Yount
- Bollyspice
IndieWire has published its extensive survey regarding the cameras and lenses that shot 40 narrative films at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. We took the data and organize it in order to find a segmentation and tendency, by also comparing it to the previous years. The Arri Alexa Mini remains the king. However, diversity is significantly reduced. No Red, no Blackmagic, and no mirrorless. That’s unfortunate.
Sundance 2023: Camera manufacturers’ chart Sundance Film Festival 2023
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,660 attending in 2016 (yeah – that’s insane). It takes place each January in Park City, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah; and at the Sundance Resort, and acts as a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival consists of competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films,...
Sundance 2023: Camera manufacturers’ chart Sundance Film Festival 2023
The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with more than 46,660 attending in 2016 (yeah – that’s insane). It takes place each January in Park City, Utah; Salt Lake City, Utah; and at the Sundance Resort, and acts as a showcase for new work from American and international independent filmmakers. The festival consists of competitive sections for American and international dramatic and documentary films,...
- 1/23/2023
- by Yossy Mendelovich
- YMCinema
Just ahead of its Friday premiere at Sundance Film Festival, “Polite Society” now has a trailer. The first look at the action comedy was released by distributor Focus Features on Wednesday.
The feature directorial debut of Nida Manzoor — the creator behind the critically acclaimed British series “We Are Lady Parts” — “Polite Society” stars Priya Kansara as Ria Khan, a British-Pakistani woman aspiring to become a stunt performer, who has always battled the expectations of her parents with her artistic older sister, Lena. But when Lena goes through a crisis, she gets engaged to Salim (Akshay Khanna), the doctor son of their mom’s snobbish friend (Nimra Bucha).
Devastated by the sudden change in priorities by her sister, the imaginative Ria convinces herself that Salim and his mom have nefarious plans for Lena, and that it’s her duty to save her. With her two best friends (Seraphina Beh and Ella Bruccoleri) reluctantly in tow,...
The feature directorial debut of Nida Manzoor — the creator behind the critically acclaimed British series “We Are Lady Parts” — “Polite Society” stars Priya Kansara as Ria Khan, a British-Pakistani woman aspiring to become a stunt performer, who has always battled the expectations of her parents with her artistic older sister, Lena. But when Lena goes through a crisis, she gets engaged to Salim (Akshay Khanna), the doctor son of their mom’s snobbish friend (Nimra Bucha).
Devastated by the sudden change in priorities by her sister, the imaginative Ria convinces herself that Salim and his mom have nefarious plans for Lena, and that it’s her duty to save her. With her two best friends (Seraphina Beh and Ella Bruccoleri) reluctantly in tow,...
- 1/18/2023
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Mubi has recently wrapped production on Zia Anger’s feature film debut, My First Film, starring Odessa Young and Devon Ross.
The film is an adaptation of Anger’s critically acclaimed live cinema performance piece of the same name.
Related Story Park Chan-wook On How A Language Barrier Became "Central Element" Of His Film – Contenders L.A. Related Story Mubi Founder Efe Çakarel Talks Strategy Behind 'Decision To Leave' Acquisition – Toronto Industry Talk Related Story Canadian Director Patricia Rozema's Early Films Enjoy Revival As Kino Lorber, Mubi Take Rights To 4K Restorations
The movie is a deeply personal examination of cinema, body, truth and storytelling, centering on a young filmmaker (Odessa Young) as she recounts the story of struggling to make her first feature. Fact bleeds into fiction, and the past, present, and future converge to create a modern myth that redefines and expands the very act of creation.
The film is an adaptation of Anger’s critically acclaimed live cinema performance piece of the same name.
Related Story Park Chan-wook On How A Language Barrier Became "Central Element" Of His Film – Contenders L.A. Related Story Mubi Founder Efe Çakarel Talks Strategy Behind 'Decision To Leave' Acquisition – Toronto Industry Talk Related Story Canadian Director Patricia Rozema's Early Films Enjoy Revival As Kino Lorber, Mubi Take Rights To 4K Restorations
The movie is a deeply personal examination of cinema, body, truth and storytelling, centering on a young filmmaker (Odessa Young) as she recounts the story of struggling to make her first feature. Fact bleeds into fiction, and the past, present, and future converge to create a modern myth that redefines and expands the very act of creation.
- 11/21/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Sitting across the table from another person, locking eyes, glancing down, laughing, smiling, the gentle flirtations that occur without machinations or intent — these are the rudiments of romance, the forgotten tenets of how we fall in love, if we fall in love at all. To watch this play out in our own lives is one thing; to watch it play out in front of our eyes is almost too intimate an act to process.
Harry Wootliff’s “True Things” is a raw and passionate look at the type of love that can be both all-encompassing and destructive, passionate and dangerous. Ruth Wilson stars as Kate, holding the weight of the film on her shoulders as a chance encounter with a claimant at her work (Tom Burke) sends her on a romantic and unpredictable spiral. Burke, known best to viewers from his turn in Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir,” is back to type: alluring,...
Harry Wootliff’s “True Things” is a raw and passionate look at the type of love that can be both all-encompassing and destructive, passionate and dangerous. Ruth Wilson stars as Kate, holding the weight of the film on her shoulders as a chance encounter with a claimant at her work (Tom Burke) sends her on a romantic and unpredictable spiral. Burke, known best to viewers from his turn in Joanna Hogg’s “The Souvenir,” is back to type: alluring,...
- 9/9/2022
- by Fran Hoepfner
- The Wrap
On the surface, “Night Sky” sounds like a typical sci-fi series — the elevator pitch would be “elderly couple finds a portal to another planet” — but the Amazon Prime Video series is much more than that: It’s a road trip show, a mystery thriller, a family drama, a love story and most poignantly, a meditation on aging. And co-creator Holden Miller did not approach it as a sci-fi series.
“It really started off with that relationship drama or dramedy, whatever you wanna call it — something that captures the ups and downs, the sadness and the humor and really was about a long-term love relationship between these two characters, Irene and Franklin, and what was happening to that relationship as they were aging and approaching the kind of final act of their lives and the questions that were raised by that process. What are we doing here? What is it all adding up to?...
“It really started off with that relationship drama or dramedy, whatever you wanna call it — something that captures the ups and downs, the sadness and the humor and really was about a long-term love relationship between these two characters, Irene and Franklin, and what was happening to that relationship as they were aging and approaching the kind of final act of their lives and the questions that were raised by that process. What are we doing here? What is it all adding up to?...
- 6/14/2022
- by Joyce Eng
- Gold Derby
When Amazon’s “Night Sky” cinematographer Ashley Connor was a teenager, her father showed her some classics. Not that he might like her telling people this particular anecdote.
“I think my dad would tell me not to say, but we definitely watched ‘A Clockwork Orange’ when I was pretty young. And then ‘2001: A Space Odyessy.’ He sort of showed me a few kinds of bigger-brain movies that kind of blew my mind in my early teens,” Connor says during our Meet the Experts: Cinematographers roundtable group panel. “Those were the films that really kind of engaged my brain in a more photographic sense. And really, like, brought me into an artier space of filmmaking.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Connor is one of six talented cinematographers who spoke to Gold Derby about their path to becoming filmmakers. Our Meet the Experts: Cinematographer panel also included participation from Karl-Walter...
“I think my dad would tell me not to say, but we definitely watched ‘A Clockwork Orange’ when I was pretty young. And then ‘2001: A Space Odyessy.’ He sort of showed me a few kinds of bigger-brain movies that kind of blew my mind in my early teens,” Connor says during our Meet the Experts: Cinematographers roundtable group panel. “Those were the films that really kind of engaged my brain in a more photographic sense. And really, like, brought me into an artier space of filmmaking.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.
Connor is one of six talented cinematographers who spoke to Gold Derby about their path to becoming filmmakers. Our Meet the Experts: Cinematographer panel also included participation from Karl-Walter...
- 5/21/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
The Amazon series “Night Sky” has a little something for everyone: It’s a science-fiction mystery, a road movie, a family drama, and a treatise on long-term relationships and the twilight years of life.
“For me, you know, I’m not a heavy sci-fi person,” cinematographer Ashley Connor says of the series. “So when I was sent the scripts, I really attached myself more to the story of the couple, Irene and Franklin, sort of reckoning with death and what it means to live their full lives. And for me, that was like the heart of the story. And it was about balancing the more fun adventures.”
See over 200 interviews with 2022 Emmy contenders
Set in a primarily in a small Illinois town – but with a scope that expands into South America and the infinite void of space itself – the series stars Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons as Irene and Frank,...
“For me, you know, I’m not a heavy sci-fi person,” cinematographer Ashley Connor says of the series. “So when I was sent the scripts, I really attached myself more to the story of the couple, Irene and Franklin, sort of reckoning with death and what it means to live their full lives. And for me, that was like the heart of the story. And it was about balancing the more fun adventures.”
See over 200 interviews with 2022 Emmy contenders
Set in a primarily in a small Illinois town – but with a scope that expands into South America and the infinite void of space itself – the series stars Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons as Irene and Frank,...
- 5/21/2022
- by Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Six top TV cinematographers will reveal secrets behind their projects when they join Gold Derby’s special “Meet the Experts” Q&a event with 2022 Emmy Awards contenders. They will participate in two video discussions to premiere on Wednesday, May 18, at 4:00 p.m. Pt; 7:00 p.m. Et. We’ll have a one-on-one with our senior editor Christopher Rosen and a roundtable chat with all of the group together.
RSVP today to our entire ongoing Emmy contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 contenders:
Halo (Paramount+)
Synopsis: Aliens threaten human existence in an epic 26th-century showdown. TV series based on the video game ‘Halo.’
Bio: Karl-Walter Lindenlaub was an Emmy nominee for “Houdini.” Other projects have included “Independence Day,” “The Princess Diaries,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,...
RSVP today to our entire ongoing Emmy contenders panel series by clicking here to book your free reservation. We’ll send you a reminder a few minutes before the start of the show.
This “Meet the Experts” panel welcomes the following 2022 contenders:
Halo (Paramount+)
Synopsis: Aliens threaten human existence in an epic 26th-century showdown. TV series based on the video game ‘Halo.’
Bio: Karl-Walter Lindenlaub was an Emmy nominee for “Houdini.” Other projects have included “Independence Day,” “The Princess Diaries,” “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,...
- 5/12/2022
- by Chris Beachum and Christopher Rosen
- Gold Derby
Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSAbove: 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)Visual FX pioneer Douglas Trumbull has died at the age of 79. Among Trumbull's many achievements are his VFX contributions to Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (which Trumbull worked on at the age of 25), Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Ridley Scott's Blade Runner, and Terrence Malick's Tree of Life. In a 2012 interview with the New York Times, Trumbull described his ongoing experiments with new technology and his belief that "if you want to get people to go out to the movies, to pay a premium price for some kind of premium experience, it better be damned premium. It better be extraordinary.”With this year's Oscar nominations, Ryusuke Hamaguchi's Drive My Car becomes the first Japanese film to be nominated for Best Picture.
- 2/10/2022
- MUBI
Utopia has taken U.S. rights to writer-director-producer Lena Dunham’s latest directorial Sharp Stick which made its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. A theatrical release is planned for later this year.
The pic marks the Girls creator’s return to feature filmmaking a decade after the start of that award-winning HBO series, and 12 years since her breakout picture Tiny Furniture won SXSW Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize.
Sharp Stick tells follows Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth), a sensitive and naive 26-year-old living on the fringes of Hollywood with her disillusioned mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and influencer sister (Taylour Paige). Working as a caregiver and just longing to be seen, she begins an exploratory affair with her older, married employer (Jon Bernthal), and is thrust into a startling education on sexuality, loss and power. Dunham, Luka Sabbat, Tommy Dorfman and Scott Speedman also star.
“I’ve...
The pic marks the Girls creator’s return to feature filmmaking a decade after the start of that award-winning HBO series, and 12 years since her breakout picture Tiny Furniture won SXSW Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize.
Sharp Stick tells follows Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth), a sensitive and naive 26-year-old living on the fringes of Hollywood with her disillusioned mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and influencer sister (Taylour Paige). Working as a caregiver and just longing to be seen, she begins an exploratory affair with her older, married employer (Jon Bernthal), and is thrust into a startling education on sexuality, loss and power. Dunham, Luka Sabbat, Tommy Dorfman and Scott Speedman also star.
“I’ve...
- 2/7/2022
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
Utopia has acquired the U.S. rights to writer-director-producer Lena Dunham’s Sundance comedy “Sharp Stick,” which follows a young woman’s unexpected quest of sexual exploration and self-discovery, Utopia announced on Monday.
Utopia will release the film theatrically in the U.S. later this year.
“I’ve been so impressed with how quickly Utopia has established itself as a brave and committed voice in independent and experimental film,” Dunham said in a statement. “They don’t cower from unusual or divisive work, and they have utter respect for the filmmakers’ voice, and I couldn’t feel luckier to be releasing Sharp Stick under their auspices.”
In her first feature since her 2010 debut, “Tiny Furniture,” Dunham drew from her own medical experiences for ”Sharp Stick,” which premiered at last month’s Sundance film festival.
“The film is about a young woman who is dealing with the trauma of a hysterectomy...
Utopia will release the film theatrically in the U.S. later this year.
“I’ve been so impressed with how quickly Utopia has established itself as a brave and committed voice in independent and experimental film,” Dunham said in a statement. “They don’t cower from unusual or divisive work, and they have utter respect for the filmmakers’ voice, and I couldn’t feel luckier to be releasing Sharp Stick under their auspices.”
In her first feature since her 2010 debut, “Tiny Furniture,” Dunham drew from her own medical experiences for ”Sharp Stick,” which premiered at last month’s Sundance film festival.
“The film is about a young woman who is dealing with the trauma of a hysterectomy...
- 2/7/2022
- by Umberto Gonzalez
- The Wrap
Lena Dunham’s Sharp Stick, her first feature since 2010’s Tiny Furniture, finds the writer-director again taking big swings with mixed results. Set in Los Angeles, as Dunham herself moved to the West Coast in 2020, the sex-filled comedy / drama follows Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth), a 26-year-old virgin who begins an affair with Josh (Jon Bernthal), hunky father of the child she cares for. Once she starts having sex she cannot stop, determined to cross every carnal act and scenario off her construction-paper bucket list.
Like Dunham, Sarah Jo had an early hysterectomy, closing the door on future pregnancies. She’s naive, though her mother and sister are forthcoming about their own exploits. Dunham herself plays Josh’s very pregnant wife, another wrinkle to an already-personal project. Sharp Stick hopes to bring an immense amount of sex positivity to its protagonist and her odd existence. The daughter of a five-time divorcee...
Like Dunham, Sarah Jo had an early hysterectomy, closing the door on future pregnancies. She’s naive, though her mother and sister are forthcoming about their own exploits. Dunham herself plays Josh’s very pregnant wife, another wrinkle to an already-personal project. Sharp Stick hopes to bring an immense amount of sex positivity to its protagonist and her odd existence. The daughter of a five-time divorcee...
- 2/2/2022
- by Michael Frank
- The Film Stage
Playing in the Premieres section of this year’s Sundance Film Festival, “Sharp Stick,” produced during lockdown, was conceived by Lena Dunham and the film’s director of photography, Ashley Connor, starting from the base elements that were already available to them — namely a set of actors and locations. But while many quarantine-made films have appeared to embrace a “will this do?” aesthetic, implicitly relying on the audience’s sympathy and compassionate understanding to fill gaps and forgive compromises in production value, Dunham has instead created a work of art that comfortably fits within and plays with the limitations imposed by the pandemic.
Continue reading ‘Sharp Stick’ Review: Lena Dunham’s Provocative Tale of Sexual Awakening Tackles Thorny Material with Compassion [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Sharp Stick’ Review: Lena Dunham’s Provocative Tale of Sexual Awakening Tackles Thorny Material with Compassion [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/23/2022
- by Elena Lazic
- The Playlist
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
See our comprehensive guide to where to stream the best films of 2021.
Adrienne (Andy Ostroy)
I hadn’t seen any of Adrienne Shelly’s work at the time of her death, but you couldn’t follow the film world in 2006 without hearing about what happened. News sites first latched onto the assumption of suicide only to discover what happened was murder—the culprit found, arrested, and confessed shortly afterwards. And amidst that tragic whirlwind during the final two months of that year, Shelly’s latest film as writer-director-star, Waitress, was in submission at Sundance. It would eventually bow at the festival, find distribution, become an overnight indie darling, and spawn a Broadway musical adaptation with songs by Sara Bareilles. She unfortunately never...
See our comprehensive guide to where to stream the best films of 2021.
Adrienne (Andy Ostroy)
I hadn’t seen any of Adrienne Shelly’s work at the time of her death, but you couldn’t follow the film world in 2006 without hearing about what happened. News sites first latched onto the assumption of suicide only to discover what happened was murder—the culprit found, arrested, and confessed shortly afterwards. And amidst that tragic whirlwind during the final two months of that year, Shelly’s latest film as writer-director-star, Waitress, was in submission at Sundance. It would eventually bow at the festival, find distribution, become an overnight indie darling, and spawn a Broadway musical adaptation with songs by Sara Bareilles. She unfortunately never...
- 12/3/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Lena Dunham is sure making up for her lack of feature film output with not one, but two films in post production. She has the most recently shot Catherine, Called Birdy in the can, but we think it’s Sharp Stick that’ll launch first. Featuring Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jon Bernthal, Kristine Froseth, Taylour Paige and Scott Speedman as a porn star, this is being coined as a personal story about the complexities of female sexuality. Shot during the pandemic in late 2020 in Los Angeles, Dunham teamed with cinematographer Ashley Connor and editor Catrin Hedström.
Gist: No plot details yet, but Dunham described this as a personal story about the complexities of female sexuality.…...
Gist: No plot details yet, but Dunham described this as a personal story about the complexities of female sexuality.…...
- 11/24/2021
- by Eric Lavallée
- IONCINEMA.com
despite the fact that he’s a walking red flag six feet tall who would sooner self-destruct than return anyone’s emotional investment, Harry Wootliff’s “True Things” is a movie that starts with a woman surrendering to fantasy, and then slowly unravels as she tunnels her way towards freedom. It’s the Burke Effect in action: Films project through him without getting stuck. His devil may care darkness stains everything it touches, but it’s tempered with a lightness that helps people find their way to the other side.
So while every part of you might want to shout at a listless Ramsgate government clerk (Ruth Wilson) to run in the opposite direction of the dyed blond ex-con who slurs into her cubicle one gray afternoon like a “Good Time” cos-player gone too far, people familiar with the ghosts of Burkes past might be more willing to watch Kate make a mess of things.
So while every part of you might want to shout at a listless Ramsgate government clerk (Ruth Wilson) to run in the opposite direction of the dyed blond ex-con who slurs into her cubicle one gray afternoon like a “Good Time” cos-player gone too far, people familiar with the ghosts of Burkes past might be more willing to watch Kate make a mess of things.
- 9/17/2021
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Ruth Wilson puts in a riveting performance in Venice Film Festival Horizons entry True Things, an impressive follow up to director Harry Wootliff’s debut Only You. Wilson and Jude Law are also among the producers for this intense story, based on the novel True Things About Me by Deborah Kay Davies.
Like Only You, True Things is a portrait of an all-consuming relationship, but this one’s different. Kate (Wilson) hates her job in a benefits office in a coastal town, and is flattered when a claimant (Tom Burke) flirts with her. He’s just out of prison, but that doesn’t bother her: in fact, it may excite her. The pair embark on a passionate liaison, but “Blond” — as he’s named on Kate’s phone — is unpredictable and unreliable. One minute he’s sweeping her off her feet and taking her to wild parties; the next he’s disappeared with her car.
Like Only You, True Things is a portrait of an all-consuming relationship, but this one’s different. Kate (Wilson) hates her job in a benefits office in a coastal town, and is flattered when a claimant (Tom Burke) flirts with her. He’s just out of prison, but that doesn’t bother her: in fact, it may excite her. The pair embark on a passionate liaison, but “Blond” — as he’s named on Kate’s phone — is unpredictable and unreliable. One minute he’s sweeping her off her feet and taking her to wild parties; the next he’s disappeared with her car.
- 9/4/2021
- by Anna Smith
- Deadline Film + TV
From the second that benefits office worker Kate makes charged eye contact with the flirty, scuzzily charismatic claimant across the desk from her, you’re torn between pulling her back, as a sensible best friend would, and urging her to go for it, as we might secretly do ourselves. The man has red flags practically pinned in his bleach-blond, boyband-style hairdo, not just because he’s an ex-con, and not just because intimate client relations are strictly verboten in Kate’s job.
As played, quite rivetingly, by Tom Burke, he seduces women in a way that makes clear his simultaneous capacity to hurt them; as played, quite recklessly, by Ruth Wilson, Kate comes across as a woman who can live with being hurt if it makes her feel alive. Harry Wootliff’s jaggedly grown-up psychological drama “True Things” thrives on the hot, tense chemistry between its two excellent leads: It...
As played, quite rivetingly, by Tom Burke, he seduces women in a way that makes clear his simultaneous capacity to hurt them; as played, quite recklessly, by Ruth Wilson, Kate comes across as a woman who can live with being hurt if it makes her feel alive. Harry Wootliff’s jaggedly grown-up psychological drama “True Things” thrives on the hot, tense chemistry between its two excellent leads: It...
- 9/4/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
While the summer movie season will kick off shortly––and we’ll be sharing a comprehensive preview on the arthouse, foreign, indie, and (few) studio films worth checking out––on the streaming side, The Criterion Channel and Mubi have unveiled their May 2021 lineups and there’s a treasure trove of highlights to dive into.
Timed with Satyajit Ray’s centenary, The Criterion Channel will have a retrospective of the Indian master, along with series on Gena Rowlands, Robert Ryan, Mitchell Leisen, Michael Almereyda, Josephine Decker, and more. In terms of recent releases, they’ll also feature Fire Will Come, The Booksellers, and the new restoration of Tom Noonan’s directorial debut What Happened Was….
On Mubi, in anticipation of Undine, they’ll feature two essential early features by Christian Petzold, Jerichow and The State That I Am In, along with his 1990 short documentary Süden. Also amongst the lineup is Sophy Romvari’s Still Processing,...
Timed with Satyajit Ray’s centenary, The Criterion Channel will have a retrospective of the Indian master, along with series on Gena Rowlands, Robert Ryan, Mitchell Leisen, Michael Almereyda, Josephine Decker, and more. In terms of recent releases, they’ll also feature Fire Will Come, The Booksellers, and the new restoration of Tom Noonan’s directorial debut What Happened Was….
On Mubi, in anticipation of Undine, they’ll feature two essential early features by Christian Petzold, Jerichow and The State That I Am In, along with his 1990 short documentary Süden. Also amongst the lineup is Sophy Romvari’s Still Processing,...
- 4/26/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
For four minutes of curator Sam Abbas’ 58-minute collection of docushorts from several European and American cinematographers, the camera sits on wrinkled bed sheets. A piano plays, with a softness that encompasses the meditative nature of Erēmīta (Anthologies). With more background knowledge, Erēmīta should grow in one’s estimation. All proceeds will go to Amnesty International. Each filmmaker had final cut on their short, and without much of a prompt besides the idea to use a cell phone to film, the mini-movies tell pandemic stories in diverse ways, to varying results.
Combining work from cinematographers with wider filmographies like Ashley Connor and Alexis Zabé (The Florida Project) with director Abel Ferrara’s go-to cameraman Stefano Falivene and others like Antoine Héberlé and Soledad Rodríguez, Abbas organizes a reflective, pensive hour of cinema. The documentaries range from a closer look––with interviews––at those living on the Venice Boardwalk (Zabé’s...
Combining work from cinematographers with wider filmographies like Ashley Connor and Alexis Zabé (The Florida Project) with director Abel Ferrara’s go-to cameraman Stefano Falivene and others like Antoine Héberlé and Soledad Rodríguez, Abbas organizes a reflective, pensive hour of cinema. The documentaries range from a closer look––with interviews––at those living on the Venice Boardwalk (Zabé’s...
- 2/26/2021
- by Michael Frank
- The Film Stage
An early promo trailer has debuted for an experimental pandemic project called Erēmīta (Anthologies) (the word "Erēmīta" translates to "Hermit" in Latvian). This was conceived by Egyptian cinematographer / filmmaker Sam Abbas, and is an anthology of short docs intertwined with literature composed during the 2020 pandemic by leading DPs. Abbas explains: "I, like many others, get very excited about using certain cameras, lenses, conversations with the cinematographer, colorists, sound designers but really, everyone I work with! But when it comes down to it, if needed, cinema can be made under any circumstances... We can only make a film virtually... We all share two main things: passion and a plethora of time." Each Dp oversaw their individual film, having final cut for their piece. "There is no theme, film whatever you want, however you want with whomever you want." Featuring footage from Alexis Zabé, Ashley Connor, Antoine Héberlé, Sam Abbas, Soledad Rodríguez,...
- 1/25/2021
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
“There is no theme. Film whatever you want, however you want, with whomever you want.” This is the message that Egyptian filmmaker Sam Abbas sent to his favorite cinematographers as an invitation to contribute to the new film Erēmīta (Anthologies). Directors of photography from five countries––USA, France, Argentina, Italy, and the UK––answered the call and today we’re pleased to debut the exclusive trailer for the anthology project.
Featuring contributions from Abbas (Alia’s Birth, Marie, The Wedding), Alexis Zabe (The Florida Project, Silent Light, Post Tenebras Lux), Antoine Héberlé (A Son, My Favourite Fabric, GriGris), Ashley Connor (Madeline’s Madeline, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, The Death of Dick Long), Soledad Rodríguez (Pendular, Maternal, The Student), Stefano Falivene (Siberia, Pasolini, Mary), the zero-budget production will now get a release next month on VOD and Virtual Cinemas with all profits going entirely to a charity the team will choose.
Featuring contributions from Abbas (Alia’s Birth, Marie, The Wedding), Alexis Zabe (The Florida Project, Silent Light, Post Tenebras Lux), Antoine Héberlé (A Son, My Favourite Fabric, GriGris), Ashley Connor (Madeline’s Madeline, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, The Death of Dick Long), Soledad Rodríguez (Pendular, Maternal, The Student), Stefano Falivene (Siberia, Pasolini, Mary), the zero-budget production will now get a release next month on VOD and Virtual Cinemas with all profits going entirely to a charity the team will choose.
- 1/25/2021
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Egyptian filmmaker Sam Abbas made a splash when he released his queer-themed movie “The Wedding” in secret locations across the Middle East via his Egypt-based ArabQ shingle. The director is now starting a new company in Paris.
Abbas, who is Egypt-born and until recently lived in New York, drew some media attention in 2018 with “The Wedding,” which he wrote, directed and starred in as a young closeted Muslim man from Brooklyn who, while planning to marry his American girlfriend — played by Canada’s Nikohl Boosheri — is having affairs with other men.
“The Wedding” played in secret speakeasy-type venues by invitation only in Turkey, Lebanon, Tunisia and Egypt via ArabQ, Abbas claimed, which helped prompt some publicity when the film briefly screened in New York to unenthusiastic reviews. Variety’s Jay Weissberg called “The Wedding” “a dull slice of Lower Manhattan mumblecore.”
Still, the ArabQ initiative was bold since LGBTQ people...
Abbas, who is Egypt-born and until recently lived in New York, drew some media attention in 2018 with “The Wedding,” which he wrote, directed and starred in as a young closeted Muslim man from Brooklyn who, while planning to marry his American girlfriend — played by Canada’s Nikohl Boosheri — is having affairs with other men.
“The Wedding” played in secret speakeasy-type venues by invitation only in Turkey, Lebanon, Tunisia and Egypt via ArabQ, Abbas claimed, which helped prompt some publicity when the film briefly screened in New York to unenthusiastic reviews. Variety’s Jay Weissberg called “The Wedding” “a dull slice of Lower Manhattan mumblecore.”
Still, the ArabQ initiative was bold since LGBTQ people...
- 10/28/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Harry Wootliff’s “True Things,” starring Ruth Wilson and Tom Burke, has wrapped production after a six-week shoot in the U.K. and Spain.
The film, for which Variety can provide an exclusive first image (above), began shooting at the beginning of the year, but was forced to shut down due to the global pandemic. It resumed filming again in September in Ramsgate, in the east of England, and Malaga, in southern Spain.
“True Things,” which will now enter post-production, is being shopped internationally by The Bureau Sales. The film is Wootliff’s follow-up to the BAFTA-nominated and BIFA-winning romantic drama “Only You,” which starred Laia Costa and Josh O’Connor.
The film is an adaptation of Deborah Kay Davies’ book “True Things About Me,” based on a script by Wootliff and Molly Davies. The story, a psychological drama, follows Kate (Wilson), who is sleepwalking through life when a chance sexual...
The film, for which Variety can provide an exclusive first image (above), began shooting at the beginning of the year, but was forced to shut down due to the global pandemic. It resumed filming again in September in Ramsgate, in the east of England, and Malaga, in southern Spain.
“True Things,” which will now enter post-production, is being shopped internationally by The Bureau Sales. The film is Wootliff’s follow-up to the BAFTA-nominated and BIFA-winning romantic drama “Only You,” which starred Laia Costa and Josh O’Connor.
The film is an adaptation of Deborah Kay Davies’ book “True Things About Me,” based on a script by Wootliff and Molly Davies. The story, a psychological drama, follows Kate (Wilson), who is sleepwalking through life when a chance sexual...
- 10/27/2020
- by Manori Ravindran
- Variety Film + TV
Angel Olsen has shared a stirring new song, “Waving, Smiling,” set to appear on her upcoming album, Whole New Mess, out August 28th via Jagjaguwar.
“Waving, Smiling” is centered around a simple and familiar — although no less potent — finger-picking pattern with the distinct feel of classic soul. Olsen leaves the riff unadorned, laying only her voice on top of it as she sings, “I’m waving smiling/I’m waving smiling/At love forever alive and dying/The sun is shining, the sun is shining.”
Olsen shared both the official studio version of “Waving,...
“Waving, Smiling” is centered around a simple and familiar — although no less potent — finger-picking pattern with the distinct feel of classic soul. Olsen leaves the riff unadorned, laying only her voice on top of it as she sings, “I’m waving smiling/I’m waving smiling/At love forever alive and dying/The sun is shining, the sun is shining.”
Olsen shared both the official studio version of “Waving,...
- 8/18/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Egyptian filmmaker Sam Abbas has teamed with leading cinematographers from around the world to create the documentary “Erēmīta (Anthologies).”
The anthology was shot during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown and will feature contributions from the following DPs: Alexis Zabé, Chayse Irvin Ashley Connor Soledad Rodríguez Stefano Falivene Antoine Héberlé Benoît Dervaux (“The Unknown Girl”) and Sam Abbas.
Leading the project, Abbas said, “I, like many others, get very excited about using certain cameras, lenses, conversations with the cinematographer, colorists, sound designers but really, everyone I work with! But when it comes down to it, if needed, cinema can be made under any circumstances. This is a circumstance where we can only make a film virtually if we want to collaborate. We all share two main things: passion and a plethora of time.”
Each cinematographer oversaw their project, having final cut for their individual piece. Abbas curated the entire project adding, “There is no theme,...
The anthology was shot during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown and will feature contributions from the following DPs: Alexis Zabé, Chayse Irvin Ashley Connor Soledad Rodríguez Stefano Falivene Antoine Héberlé Benoît Dervaux (“The Unknown Girl”) and Sam Abbas.
Leading the project, Abbas said, “I, like many others, get very excited about using certain cameras, lenses, conversations with the cinematographer, colorists, sound designers but really, everyone I work with! But when it comes down to it, if needed, cinema can be made under any circumstances. This is a circumstance where we can only make a film virtually if we want to collaborate. We all share two main things: passion and a plethora of time.”
Each cinematographer oversaw their project, having final cut for their individual piece. Abbas curated the entire project adding, “There is no theme,...
- 7/30/2020
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Less than a year after the release of All Mirrors, Angel Olsen has announced a new album, Whole New Mess, out August 28th via Jagjaguwar.
Olsen also shared the album’s title track, accompanied by a video directed by Ashley Connor, her frequent collaborator who previously worked on “Lark.” Olsen appears in the clip standing outside in a striking blazer as lights flash across her face in the darkness. “Won’t be long now before it’s really showing/It’s every season where it is I’m going,” she sings over sparse guitar.
Olsen also shared the album’s title track, accompanied by a video directed by Ashley Connor, her frequent collaborator who previously worked on “Lark.” Olsen appears in the clip standing outside in a striking blazer as lights flash across her face in the darkness. “Won’t be long now before it’s really showing/It’s every season where it is I’m going,” she sings over sparse guitar.
- 7/28/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield has dropped a new single, “Lilacs,” accompanied by a stunning video. The track is off Crutchfield’s upcoming album Saint Cloud, out March 27th via Merge Records.
Directed by Ashley Connor, the clip features dancer Marlee Grace making her way through a warehouse, eyes on the camera as she pirouettes and stretches across empty chairs. She steps outside in the rain, mouthing the lyrics as the lens catches condensation: “And the lilacs drink the water.”
“Lilacs” is the final song Crutchfield created for Saint Cloud, which...
Directed by Ashley Connor, the clip features dancer Marlee Grace making her way through a warehouse, eyes on the camera as she pirouettes and stretches across empty chairs. She steps outside in the rain, mouthing the lyrics as the lens catches condensation: “And the lilacs drink the water.”
“Lilacs” is the final song Crutchfield created for Saint Cloud, which...
- 2/18/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Sundance Film Festival juries often hand out special prizes to recognize work that doesn’t win one of the two prescribed awards (Grand Jury Prize and Jury Prize for Directing) in each of the competition categories. This year, Sundance found some… well, let’s say, unusual ways to celebrate some tremendous films.
There was the head-scratcher of Eliza Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” winning the “U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Neorealism,” and Josephine Decker’s “Shirley,” competing in the same category, winning the “Award for Auteur Filmmaking.”
While we don’t want to take anything away from those achievements, IndieWire would like to recognize the practical elements that went into some of this year’s best competition titles. Here’s four examples of extraordinary craft that helped bring a handful of films to cinematic life this year… and might have made for better jury prizes.
IndieWire Jury...
There was the head-scratcher of Eliza Hittman’s “Never Rarely Sometimes Always” winning the “U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Neorealism,” and Josephine Decker’s “Shirley,” competing in the same category, winning the “Award for Auteur Filmmaking.”
While we don’t want to take anything away from those achievements, IndieWire would like to recognize the practical elements that went into some of this year’s best competition titles. Here’s four examples of extraordinary craft that helped bring a handful of films to cinematic life this year… and might have made for better jury prizes.
IndieWire Jury...
- 2/5/2020
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
Female cinematographers are still a relatively rare breed in Latin America, and in the rest of the world for that matter. At Los Cabos, three femme cinematographers weighed in on the challenges and rewards of their chosen profession.
The panel was composed of Mexico-based Uruguayan Maria Secco whose credits include the acclaimed “La Jaula de Oro” and “Wind Traces”; Cesar-winning French cinematographer Agnes Godard, who has worked closely with such notable filmmakers as, especially, Claire Denis, as well as Wim Wenders, and Peter Greenaway; and New York-based Ashley Connor, nominated for a 2018 Independent Spirit Award for her work on “Madeline’s Madeline,” which premiered at Sundance last year.
Clips include a intimate sequence from “Madeline’s Madeline,” an extended border section from “La Jaula de Oro,” illustrating the diversity of effect of Secco’s work; and excerpts from Claire Denis’ “Beau Travail,” a reminder of the genius of Agnès Godard.
Variety presents...
The panel was composed of Mexico-based Uruguayan Maria Secco whose credits include the acclaimed “La Jaula de Oro” and “Wind Traces”; Cesar-winning French cinematographer Agnes Godard, who has worked closely with such notable filmmakers as, especially, Claire Denis, as well as Wim Wenders, and Peter Greenaway; and New York-based Ashley Connor, nominated for a 2018 Independent Spirit Award for her work on “Madeline’s Madeline,” which premiered at Sundance last year.
Clips include a intimate sequence from “Madeline’s Madeline,” an extended border section from “La Jaula de Oro,” illustrating the diversity of effect of Secco’s work; and excerpts from Claire Denis’ “Beau Travail,” a reminder of the genius of Agnès Godard.
Variety presents...
- 11/18/2019
- by Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
A cringe-worthy movie of Alabama backwater haplessness that could easily earn a promotional tie-in with the annual excellence-in-stupidity honors known as the Darwin Awards, “The Death of Dick Long” may be a made-up story, but inside this crisis management suspense-comedy is a weirdly down-to-earth humanity about the ripple effects of out-of-nowhere recklessness.
Native Alabamian Daniel Scheinert — one half of the directing duo the Daniels (with Daniel Kwan) — might have a tough time selling his home state’s citizens on what exactly he’s saying with screenwriter Billy Chew’s “Fargo”-esque yarn of one good ol’ boy’s very bad demise. But indie moviegoers looking for an off-road excursion likely to trigger more than a few exhortations of “oh no” — as both laughs and gasps — could turn this “Death” into something with cult life.
The titular victim (played in its brevity by Scheinert himself) is one-third of a redneck trio of garage-band bros,...
Native Alabamian Daniel Scheinert — one half of the directing duo the Daniels (with Daniel Kwan) — might have a tough time selling his home state’s citizens on what exactly he’s saying with screenwriter Billy Chew’s “Fargo”-esque yarn of one good ol’ boy’s very bad demise. But indie moviegoers looking for an off-road excursion likely to trigger more than a few exhortations of “oh no” — as both laughs and gasps — could turn this “Death” into something with cult life.
The titular victim (played in its brevity by Scheinert himself) is one-third of a redneck trio of garage-band bros,...
- 9/26/2019
- by Robert Abele
- The Wrap
Where to begin here? Sometimes, a film can paint itself into a corner that it never quite gets out of. Such is the case with The Death of Dick Long, which opens this week and is hiding a hell of a reveal midway through. With no exaggeration, it’s one of the most unexpected moments in cinema this year. However, that’s the point where the tale begins to crumble, ultimately proving ever so slightly unworthy of the time investment. A boldly unique work, it sadly can’t quite stick the second half, preventing one from actually embracing it as audiences might otherwise have. The movie is a self proclaimed backwoods noir, one tinged with some black comedy. Zeke Olsen (Michael Abbott Jr.), Earl Wyeth (Andre Hyland), and Dick Long are buddies, who spend many a night practicing with their band. Or, at least they spend some portions of the evenings practicing,...
- 9/26/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Angel Olsen roams the hills of North Carolina in the lurid, cinematic new video for “Lark.” The track is the second single off her upcoming album All Mirrors, out October 4th via Jagjaguwar Records and currently available for pre-order.
“‘Lark’ is a song that took many years to finish,” Olsen said in a statement. “The disjointed feelings and verses of this song began to make sense as a way for me to exercise a kind of journey through grieving, a kind of personal struggle.”
Directed by Ashley Connor, the video...
“‘Lark’ is a song that took many years to finish,” Olsen said in a statement. “The disjointed feelings and verses of this song began to make sense as a way for me to exercise a kind of journey through grieving, a kind of personal struggle.”
Directed by Ashley Connor, the video...
- 9/12/2019
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Sleater-Kinney have unveiled their new video for “Can I Go On,” from their most recent album The Center Won’t Hold. The clip, directed and shot by Ashley Connor, stars Lauri Guzda and Mami Kimura as two demure women having a polite, well-mannered afternoon tea…until they abruptly decide to rip their clothes off, splatter mud across each other’s bodies and just generally let loose.
Such is the power of a Sleater-Kinney song, especially one that deals with finding catharsis and hope in our current era; in a statement,...
Such is the power of a Sleater-Kinney song, especially one that deals with finding catharsis and hope in our current era; in a statement,...
- 9/5/2019
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
Angel Olsen dropped a new single “All Mirrors,” accompanied by an eerie video. The track will appear on her upcoming LP of the same name, out October 4th via Jagjaguwar Records.
Directed by Ashley Connor, the video features Olsen in monochrome, glowing in a white gown and walking up a sprawling flight of stairs where she meets another version of herself. “Losing beauty,” she sings over haunting synths. “At least I thought it knew me.”
“I chose this one as the title because I liked the theme: the theme of...
Directed by Ashley Connor, the video features Olsen in monochrome, glowing in a white gown and walking up a sprawling flight of stairs where she meets another version of herself. “Losing beauty,” she sings over haunting synths. “At least I thought it knew me.”
“I chose this one as the title because I liked the theme: the theme of...
- 7/30/2019
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Josephine Decker's Madeline's Madeline is having its exclusive online premiere on Mubi in the United Kingdom. It is showing May 10 – June 8, 2019, and a retrospective of Decker's work is showing May 7 – June 27, 2019.With only three features under her belt, Josephine Decker has already established herself as one of the most exhilarating young American filmmakers to have emerged in the 21st century. An actress, writer, director, and multimedia artist, Decker rose to prominence as a performer in a series of films directed by micro-budget wunderkind Joe Swanberg, and although her own directorial work clearly bears signs of the mumblecore aesthetic—handheld Dslr camerawork, improvised dialogue, non-professional actors, frank sexuality, an emphasis on performers and their bodies, an infectious Diy attitude—it also rejects the movement’s slavish adherence to naturalism. Instead, Decker’s cinema occupies a strange position between narrative and experimental cinema, employing intricate strategies of pictorial, aural, and temporal...
- 5/13/2019
- MUBI
Madeline’s Madeline
Madeline’s Madeline, written and directed by Josephine Decker, is the story of a young woman with mental health problems who finds herself pushed to the edge after becoming involved with a theatre group. The powerful way that it uses imagery to get inside its heroine’s mind earned cinematographer Ashley Connor an Independent Spirit nomination. She discussed the film with me alongside other recent projects she’s been involved with, her approach to atmosphere and storytelling, and her efforts to help get more women active behind the camera.
“It was really about building up the interior world of Madeline and finding images that speak more to her emotional state than her physical one,” she says of her work on Decker’s film. “I created that sort of melted image and I’ve been developing that since college but I had never been able to work with it in a narrative film.
Madeline’s Madeline, written and directed by Josephine Decker, is the story of a young woman with mental health problems who finds herself pushed to the edge after becoming involved with a theatre group. The powerful way that it uses imagery to get inside its heroine’s mind earned cinematographer Ashley Connor an Independent Spirit nomination. She discussed the film with me alongside other recent projects she’s been involved with, her approach to atmosphere and storytelling, and her efforts to help get more women active behind the camera.
“It was really about building up the interior world of Madeline and finding images that speak more to her emotional state than her physical one,” she says of her work on Decker’s film. “I created that sort of melted image and I’ve been developing that since college but I had never been able to work with it in a narrative film.
- 5/11/2019
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Zia Anger works in moving images. After two 2015 short films, many music videos, and one abandoned, unreleased feature debut—the fallout from which now is reworked and performed as My First Film (2018)—Anger has made evident a rare and real iconoclasm throughout her varied work. She demonstrates an exceptional commitment to radical transparency and a willingness to share, directly and indirectly and at each point in her career, her experience as an artist within the independent film industry.The first of her 2015 films, I Remember Nothing, uses a rotation of five actors to take its viewer through the five stages of epileptic attack, and a series of flashing stimuli to simulate seizure. My Last Film is perhaps more disturbing, a surprising diptych that signals a growing disquiet that has, in the years since, become increasingly reflected in Anger’s work. Unpredictable, and unmistakably absurd, the film is neither tongue-in-cheek nor lighthearted,...
- 5/10/2019
- MUBI
Josephine Decker's Madeline's Madeline is having its exclusive online premiere on Mubi in the United Kingdom. It is showing May 10 – June 8, 2019, and a retrospective of Decker's work is showing May 7 – June 27, 2019.A sensual charge that alternates between erotic and uneasy runs through the films of writer/director/editor Josephine Decker. One could describe the stories of her three features—Butter on the Latch (2013), Thou Wast Mild and Lovely (2014) and Madeline's Madeline (2018)—but it is truer to say that each evokes a visceral experience that viewers must configure in our deepest imaginations. This atmospheric ambiguity is partly a result of Decker investing high percentages of low budgets into sound design—she recruited Alejandro González Iñárritu's regular collaborator Martín Hernández for her last two pictures. Partly it is because she has found a cinematographer soulmate in Ashley Connor, whose woozy dreamlike images play with perception. And partly it is because her...
- 5/9/2019
- MUBI
Earlier today, the Film Independent Spirit Awards were given out during their annual broadcasted show. Always a fun warm up for the next day’s Oscar telecast, the Spirit Awards are the Academy Awards’ hipster cousin. Sometimes, the former opts to copy the latter to some degree, nominee and winner wise, while in other times, they decidedly go to the beat of their own drummer. This is one of those years, as there isn’t a whole lot of crossover between the two. You wouldn’t be able to gather much because of it either way, but just keep that in mind. The Independent Spirit Awards are their own thing, plain and simple. Now, let us look at who and what they honored this afternoon… Leading the way with the Independent Spirit Awards was If Beale Street Could Talk, which took home three prizes. In addition to the top honor of Best Feature,...
- 2/24/2019
- by Joey Magidson
- Hollywoodnews.com
The 2019 Independent Spirit Awards took place on a beach in Santa Monica, Calif., with Barry Jenkins’ “If Beale Street Could Talk” taking the top prize for best feature along with best director for Jenkins.
Ethan Hawke and Glenn Close took the prizes for best male lead and best female lead, respectively. Bo Burnham took the best first screenplay trophy for “Eighth Grade” and Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty won for best screenplay.
The Spirit Awards are chosen by the Film Independent’s 6200 members after an anonymous committee votes on nominations. The eligibility rules require that movies be produced in the U.S. for less than $20 million.
Keep checking back as the winners are updated live.
Best Feature
Eighth Grade
First Reformed
If Beale Street Could Talk (Winner)
Leave No Trace
You Were Never Really Here
Best Director
Debra Granik, Leave No Trace
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk (Winner)
Tamara Jenkins,...
Ethan Hawke and Glenn Close took the prizes for best male lead and best female lead, respectively. Bo Burnham took the best first screenplay trophy for “Eighth Grade” and Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty won for best screenplay.
The Spirit Awards are chosen by the Film Independent’s 6200 members after an anonymous committee votes on nominations. The eligibility rules require that movies be produced in the U.S. for less than $20 million.
Keep checking back as the winners are updated live.
Best Feature
Eighth Grade
First Reformed
If Beale Street Could Talk (Winner)
Leave No Trace
You Were Never Really Here
Best Director
Debra Granik, Leave No Trace
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk (Winner)
Tamara Jenkins,...
- 2/23/2019
- by Variety Staff
- Variety Film + TV
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