Stars: Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Anne Winters, Zackary Arthur, Robert T. Cunningham, Lance Henriksen, Marilyn Dodds Frank, Samantha Lemole, Olivia Crocicchia, Adin Steckler, Rachel Melvin, Sharon Gee | Written and Directed by Brian Taylor
Note: With the film finally hitting DVD and Blu-ray, here’s a repost of our review of Mom and Dad from its cinema release back in March.
“My parents are going to kill me”. That’s a standard line from any number of teen movies, but it’s taken literally in this glorious comic horror from writer-director Brian Taylor (the Crank franchise), here reuniting with star Nic Cage after Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
True to Taylor’s frenetic style, Mom and Dad wastes no time in getting down to business. An unexplained epidemic has caused every parent to have violent, murderous impulses towards their own children, despite remaining seemingly normal in all other aspects. After a...
Note: With the film finally hitting DVD and Blu-ray, here’s a repost of our review of Mom and Dad from its cinema release back in March.
“My parents are going to kill me”. That’s a standard line from any number of teen movies, but it’s taken literally in this glorious comic horror from writer-director Brian Taylor (the Crank franchise), here reuniting with star Nic Cage after Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
True to Taylor’s frenetic style, Mom and Dad wastes no time in getting down to business. An unexplained epidemic has caused every parent to have violent, murderous impulses towards their own children, despite remaining seemingly normal in all other aspects. After a...
- 7/18/2018
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
The Yellow Birds director Alexandre Moors on Kevin Powers' novel adapted by David Lowery and Ronnie Porto: "The book is beautiful. A beautiful piece of English literature." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze
The Yellow Birds, shot by Sundance award-winner Daniel Landin (Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin) and edited by Joe Klotz with a a terrific score by Adam Wiltzie, Adam Peters and Marc Ribot, stars Alden Ehrenreich and Tye Sheridan with Jack Huston, Jennifer Aniston (also an executive producer), Toni Collette, Jason Patric, Lee Tergesen, and Olivia Crocicchia.
Alexandre Moors joined me for a conversation on his second feature (after Blue Caprice with Isaiah Washington and Tequan Richmond). The first time I heard about Kevin Powers' novel The Yellow Birds was from the director of Augustine, Alice Winocour when she was in New York for her film Disorder (Maryland) during Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in 2016. Matthias Schoenaerts played Vincent, a soldier returning from.
The Yellow Birds, shot by Sundance award-winner Daniel Landin (Jonathan Glazer's Under the Skin) and edited by Joe Klotz with a a terrific score by Adam Wiltzie, Adam Peters and Marc Ribot, stars Alden Ehrenreich and Tye Sheridan with Jack Huston, Jennifer Aniston (also an executive producer), Toni Collette, Jason Patric, Lee Tergesen, and Olivia Crocicchia.
Alexandre Moors joined me for a conversation on his second feature (after Blue Caprice with Isaiah Washington and Tequan Richmond). The first time I heard about Kevin Powers' novel The Yellow Birds was from the director of Augustine, Alice Winocour when she was in New York for her film Disorder (Maryland) during Rendez-Vous with French Cinema in 2016. Matthias Schoenaerts played Vincent, a soldier returning from.
- 6/14/2018
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Stars: Nicolas Cage, Selma Blair, Anne Winters, Zackary Arthur, Robert T. Cunningham, Lance Henriksen, Marilyn Dodds Frank, Samantha Lemole, Olivia Crocicchia, Adin Steckler, Rachel Melvin, Sharon Gee | Written and Directed by Brian Taylor
“My parents are going to kill me”. That’s a standard line from any number of teen movies, but it’s taken literally in this glorious comic horror from writer-director Brian Taylor (the Crank franchise), here reuniting with star Nic Cage after Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
True to Taylor’s frenetic style, Mom and Dad wastes no time in getting down to business. An unexplained epidemic has caused every parent to have violent, murderous impulses towards their own children, despite remaining seemingly normal in all other aspects. After a superb early sequence in which dozens of parents gather ominously at a high school before attacking their offspring, the focus narrows to the Ryan family: Mom Kendall...
“My parents are going to kill me”. That’s a standard line from any number of teen movies, but it’s taken literally in this glorious comic horror from writer-director Brian Taylor (the Crank franchise), here reuniting with star Nic Cage after Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance.
True to Taylor’s frenetic style, Mom and Dad wastes no time in getting down to business. An unexplained epidemic has caused every parent to have violent, murderous impulses towards their own children, despite remaining seemingly normal in all other aspects. After a superb early sequence in which dozens of parents gather ominously at a high school before attacking their offspring, the focus narrows to the Ryan family: Mom Kendall...
- 3/8/2018
- by Matthew Turner
- Nerdly
I have to imagine every parent at some point wonders where their life could have gone if they didn’t have children. This doesn’t make them bad people — only those who actually act on the urge by abandoning their families without so much as a goodbye fall under that label. It just proves they’re human. It’s merely a manifestation of fatigue and frustration as the late-night parties and carefree, irresponsible attitudes necessary to let loose disappear. Gone are the dreams you can try and fail at knowing you don’t have a spouse and two kids to help feed, cloth, and shelter. Maybe you remember the past and long for its excess or perhaps you look towards the future, confident you wouldn’t be going to bed at 9:00pm without them.
Well, Brian Taylor’s Mom and Dad (his first foray as director without Mark Neveldine...
Well, Brian Taylor’s Mom and Dad (his first foray as director without Mark Neveldine...
- 1/16/2018
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
Sneak Peek new footage, plus images from the upcoming dark comedy thriller "Mom and Dad", written and directed by Brian Taylor, starring Nicolas Cage and Selma Blair, opening January 19, 2018:
"...a teenage girl and her little brother must survive a wild 24 hours during which a mass hysteria of unknown origins causes all parents to turn violently on their own kids..."
Cast also includes Anne Winters, Zackary Arthur, Olivia Crocicchia and Brionne Davis.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Mom and Dad"...
"...a teenage girl and her little brother must survive a wild 24 hours during which a mass hysteria of unknown origins causes all parents to turn violently on their own kids..."
Cast also includes Anne Winters, Zackary Arthur, Olivia Crocicchia and Brionne Davis.
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Mom and Dad"...
- 12/29/2017
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Olivia Crocicchia (Palo Alto) has scored a role in The Yellow Birds for director Alexandre Moors and Cinelou Films. The story follows two young soldiers (Alden Ehrenreich and Tye Sheridan) who become friends in boot camp and vow to take care of each other. But it becomes increasingly difficult in wartime, and then the unthinkable happens. Crocicchia plays Tess, the ex-girlfriend of Ehrenreich’s character. Toni Collette, Jason Patric, Jennifer Aniston and Jack Huston…...
- 1/21/2016
- Deadline
'Teacher of the Year' movie with Keegan-Michael Key. 'Teacher of the Year' movie: Smart and funny socially conscious comedy Teacher of the Year manages to pull off one of the more difficult balancing acts in filmmaking: it actually is smart while still being funny. Teacher of the Year is smart about education, both as a vocation and as an industry; and it's both character and dialogue funny, leaning heavily on the free-agent talents of Keegan-Michael Key, half of the comedy duo, Key and Peele. Of late, Key has been a valuable asset in a number of comedies looking for a boost, including a stand-out performance in Pitch Perfect 2, currently in theaters. In Teacher of the Year, his name is Principal Douche – though he insists on the french pronunciation. You can imagine the jokes. Matt Letscher as 'Teacher of the Year' Also funny is lead Matt Letscher (Her) as Mitch,...
- 6/1/2015
- by Tim Cogshell
- Alt Film Guide
A contender for film of the year? Not even if you hadn't seen anything else, says Mark...
Stop searching - there's only a few weeks left of this year, but we've found the 2014 recipient of the Rick Deckard Award for Worst, Most Pointless Voiceover in a Motion Picture. The winner, by some distance, is Emma Thompson's omniscient chorus in Men, Women & Children.
Originally titled Pale Blue Dot, this relationship drama opens with a confounding galactic vista that looks more like something from Interstellar than the film promised by the trailers (and we'll get to those) as Thompson's narrator recounts how the Voyager space probe was loaded up with music, pictures and greetings from Earth when it was launched in 1977, and quotes Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot while referring to our planet.
The film then refers back to the satellite's progress through space throughout, while also juggling the stories...
Stop searching - there's only a few weeks left of this year, but we've found the 2014 recipient of the Rick Deckard Award for Worst, Most Pointless Voiceover in a Motion Picture. The winner, by some distance, is Emma Thompson's omniscient chorus in Men, Women & Children.
Originally titled Pale Blue Dot, this relationship drama opens with a confounding galactic vista that looks more like something from Interstellar than the film promised by the trailers (and we'll get to those) as Thompson's narrator recounts how the Voyager space probe was loaded up with music, pictures and greetings from Earth when it was launched in 1977, and quotes Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot while referring to our planet.
The film then refers back to the satellite's progress through space throughout, while also juggling the stories...
- 12/8/2014
- by sarahd
- Den of Geek
Men, Women & Children follows the story of a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways technology has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. The film attempts to stare down social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the proliferation of illicit material on the internet. As each character and each relationship is tested, we are shown the variety of roads people choose – some tragic, some hopeful – as it becomes clear that no one is immune to this enormous social change that has come through our phones, our tablets, and our computers.
From Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman, the film stars Rosemarie Dewitt (“Kill The Messenger”), Jennifer Garner (“Dallas Buyers Club), Judy Greer (“Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes), Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad”), Adam Sandler (“Grown Ups 1 and 2”) and Emma Thompson (“Saving Mr. Banks...
From Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman, the film stars Rosemarie Dewitt (“Kill The Messenger”), Jennifer Garner (“Dallas Buyers Club), Judy Greer (“Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes), Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad”), Adam Sandler (“Grown Ups 1 and 2”) and Emma Thompson (“Saving Mr. Banks...
- 10/25/2014
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
By the end of its theatrical run, Jason Reitman's Internet drama "Men, Women & Children" will likely amount to the director's least financially successful picture. No, not every film can click with the zeitgeist like "Juno" and haul in $143.5 million. But when Reitman's Kate Winslet-Josh Brolin drama "Labor Day" tapped out at $13.4 million this past winter, analysts considered it a disappointment. This weekend's specialty box office reports pin "Men, Women & Children" just under $128,500 after its second weekend — something beyond mere disappointment for Reitman and Paramount Pictures. The silver lining: With "Men, Women & Children," Reitman found actors that ignite him and perhaps vice versa. The door for future collaborations appears to remain open, with the first already in motion. As part of his on-going live-read series with the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Reitman is set to direct a staged reading of Alan Ball's Academy Award-winning script "American Beauty.
- 10/13/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
Director: Jason Reitman; Screenwriter: Jason Reitman, Erin Cressida Wilson; Starring: Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever; Running time: 120 mins; Certificate: 15
Sex and other intimacy issues are ripe for re-examination in the age of social media, and writer/director Jason Reitman gives the subject epic treatment in Men, Women & Children. Adam Sandler does his serious face in one of multiple strands and he's fairly convincing. Unfortunately, Reitman and co-writer Erin Cressida Wilson (adapting Chad Kultgen's novel) fumble through the plot like groping teenagers.
With its loosely interwoven stories, the structure represents the most complicated aspect of the film, otherwise the individual threads lead to numbingly obvious points about the way we relate to each other in the modern world.
Opening the action with images of space and clipped, cutting narration by Emma Thompson is the first (worrying) sign that Reitman is aiming for profundity.
Sex and other intimacy issues are ripe for re-examination in the age of social media, and writer/director Jason Reitman gives the subject epic treatment in Men, Women & Children. Adam Sandler does his serious face in one of multiple strands and he's fairly convincing. Unfortunately, Reitman and co-writer Erin Cressida Wilson (adapting Chad Kultgen's novel) fumble through the plot like groping teenagers.
With its loosely interwoven stories, the structure represents the most complicated aspect of the film, otherwise the individual threads lead to numbingly obvious points about the way we relate to each other in the modern world.
Opening the action with images of space and clipped, cutting narration by Emma Thompson is the first (worrying) sign that Reitman is aiming for profundity.
- 10/12/2014
- Digital Spy
Jason Reitman's L.A. Live-Read series is kicking off its new season with a cast swap. Each year, The Young Adult and Up in the Air filmmaker hosts a series of one-night-only live performances of classic movie scripts at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and a new round begins Oct. 17 with Alan Ball's Oscar-winning screenplay for American Beauty. The readings are like artistic science experiments, following the recipe of a previous film but mixing in new ingredients, so the twist this time is that Reitman has filled the roles with actors from his latest film, Men,...
- 10/10/2014
- by Anthony Breznican
- EW - Inside Movies
Men, Women & Children follows the story of a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways technology has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. The film attempts to stare down social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the proliferation of illicit material on the internet. As each character and each relationship is tested, we are shown the variety of roads people choose – some tragic, some hopeful – as it becomes clear that no one is immune to this enormous social change that has come through our phones, our tablets, and our computers.
From Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman, the film stars Rosemarie Dewitt (“Kill The Messenger”), Jennifer Garner (“Dallas Buyers Club), Judy Greer (“Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes), Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad”), Adam Sandler (“Grown Ups 1 and 2”) and Emma Thompson (“Saving Mr. Banks...
From Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman, the film stars Rosemarie Dewitt (“Kill The Messenger”), Jennifer Garner (“Dallas Buyers Club), Judy Greer (“Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes), Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad”), Adam Sandler (“Grown Ups 1 and 2”) and Emma Thompson (“Saving Mr. Banks...
- 10/3/2014
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Men, Women & Children
Written by Jason Reitman & Erin Cressida Wilson
Directed by Jason Reitman
USA, 2014
Ambition can be the enemy of precision. With its multiple storylines and sub-plots, there is no denying the overarching ambition of Jason Reitman’s Men, Women & Children. What seems to be missing, however, is the attention to detail required to craft a rewarding and engaging film. The good ideas are undermined by ‘Young Adult’ clichés, and the interesting stories aren’t given enough time to flourish. The end result is a messy little film that doesn’t offer enough insight to warrant enduring the melancholy.
Opening with the humbling image of Earth as seen from the edge of the galaxy, Men, Women & Children immediately throws us into the gloomy void. Just as the ancient space mariner, Voyager, drifts through the cosmos, hoping to communicate its secrets to some alien culture, each of us yearns to...
Written by Jason Reitman & Erin Cressida Wilson
Directed by Jason Reitman
USA, 2014
Ambition can be the enemy of precision. With its multiple storylines and sub-plots, there is no denying the overarching ambition of Jason Reitman’s Men, Women & Children. What seems to be missing, however, is the attention to detail required to craft a rewarding and engaging film. The good ideas are undermined by ‘Young Adult’ clichés, and the interesting stories aren’t given enough time to flourish. The end result is a messy little film that doesn’t offer enough insight to warrant enduring the melancholy.
Opening with the humbling image of Earth as seen from the edge of the galaxy, Men, Women & Children immediately throws us into the gloomy void. Just as the ancient space mariner, Voyager, drifts through the cosmos, hoping to communicate its secrets to some alien culture, each of us yearns to...
- 10/3/2014
- by J.R. Kinnard
- SoundOnSight
Kaitlyn Dever‘s online activities are vehemently monitored by her mother, played by Jennifer Garner, as seen in the latest clips from Jason Reitman‘s drama “Men, Women & Children.” Based on the 2011 novel by Chad Kultgen, “Men, Women & Children” centers on the heavy influence of modern technology — particularly the Internet — on the daily lives of a group of teens (Dever, Ansel Elgort, Olivia Crocicchia, Travis Tope, Elena Kampouris, and Timothée Chalamet) and their parents (Garner, Adam Sandler, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, and Rosemarie Dewitt). As the latest clips show, Dever’s character, Brandy, can’t seem to maintain a [...]
The post Watch: Kaitlyn Dever and Ansel Elgort in Two New ‘Men, Women & Children’ Clips appeared first on Up and Comers.
The post Watch: Kaitlyn Dever and Ansel Elgort in Two New ‘Men, Women & Children’ Clips appeared first on Up and Comers.
- 10/2/2014
- by Alfonso Espina
- UpandComers
I Tumblr For You; The Kids Aren’t Alright in Reitman’s Latest
Parents and their burgeoning teenagers battle their insecurities and repressed sexuality amidst ever present technology in an otherwise hushed community in a tightly woven all-American town. Sound familiar? On the surface, Jason Reitman’s latest effort Men, Women & Children is trying so very much to be American Beauty. There’s the hyper-sexualized cheerleaders, the stifled paternal figures and their mentally or morally absent partners, who all crash into their own devastating denouements. Unfortunately, despite his effort to create a modified updated retelling of Sam Mendes’ masterpiece for the plugged-in age, Reitman’s film is ersatz, and instantly forgotten.
Via Emma Thompson’s voiceover (which was used to far better effect in the underrated Stranger than Fiction), the audience is introduced to the close-knit residents of a Texan town. There’s the sexually frustrated married couple Don (Adam Sandler...
Parents and their burgeoning teenagers battle their insecurities and repressed sexuality amidst ever present technology in an otherwise hushed community in a tightly woven all-American town. Sound familiar? On the surface, Jason Reitman’s latest effort Men, Women & Children is trying so very much to be American Beauty. There’s the hyper-sexualized cheerleaders, the stifled paternal figures and their mentally or morally absent partners, who all crash into their own devastating denouements. Unfortunately, despite his effort to create a modified updated retelling of Sam Mendes’ masterpiece for the plugged-in age, Reitman’s film is ersatz, and instantly forgotten.
Via Emma Thompson’s voiceover (which was used to far better effect in the underrated Stranger than Fiction), the audience is introduced to the close-knit residents of a Texan town. There’s the sexually frustrated married couple Don (Adam Sandler...
- 9/29/2014
- by Leora Heilbronn
- IONCINEMA.com
Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 100 pairs of advance-screening movie passes up for grabs to the new dramedy “Men, Women & Children” from the “Juno” director starring Jennifer Garner and Adam Sandler!
“Men, Women & Children,” which opens in Chicago on Oct. 3, 2014 and is rated “R,” also stars Kaitlyn Dever, Ansel Elgort, Emma Thompson, J.K. Simmons, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, Dennis Haysbert, Elena Kampouris and Olivia Crocicchia from “Juno” and “Up in the Air” director Jason Reitman and writer Jason Reitman based on the novel by Chad Kultgen. Note: As this film is rated “R,” you must be 17+ to win this Hookup.
To win your free “Men, Women & Children” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our social media widget below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, Sept. 29, 2014 at 7 p.m. in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score...
“Men, Women & Children,” which opens in Chicago on Oct. 3, 2014 and is rated “R,” also stars Kaitlyn Dever, Ansel Elgort, Emma Thompson, J.K. Simmons, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, Dennis Haysbert, Elena Kampouris and Olivia Crocicchia from “Juno” and “Up in the Air” director Jason Reitman and writer Jason Reitman based on the novel by Chad Kultgen. Note: As this film is rated “R,” you must be 17+ to win this Hookup.
To win your free “Men, Women & Children” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our social media widget below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, Sept. 29, 2014 at 7 p.m. in Chicago. The more social actions you complete, the more points you score...
- 9/24/2014
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Jason Reitman has delivered some absolutely incredible films over the years, from Juno to Up in the Air, so it’s with great enthusiasm that we’re anticipating the arrival of his take on the Internet age, enigmatically titled Men, Women & Children. The cast is absolutely terrific, with an assortment of A-listers and red-hot up-and-comers, but the real cause for excitement is Reitman’s script, which looks to tell an ambitious story of how the connecting power of technology has rendered us more lonely than ever.
Early buzz about the film has been highly positive, with many applauding the dark tone and tense story. Particular praise has gone towards actors Adam Sandler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ansel Elgort and Kaitlyn Dever, but the entire cast has been met with strong notices. Men, Women & Children also stars Dean Norris, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, J.K. Simmons, Elena Kampouris, Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia, Dennis Haysbert and Emma Thompson.
Early buzz about the film has been highly positive, with many applauding the dark tone and tense story. Particular praise has gone towards actors Adam Sandler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ansel Elgort and Kaitlyn Dever, but the entire cast has been met with strong notices. Men, Women & Children also stars Dean Norris, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, J.K. Simmons, Elena Kampouris, Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia, Dennis Haysbert and Emma Thompson.
- 9/23/2014
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
Similar to the first wave of Telluride reviews for "Labor Day," just a year ago, reactions sprouting out of the Toronto Film Festival for Jason Reitman's "Men, Women & Children" encompassed a full spectrum. Critical opinion from voices on the ground ranged from impressed praise to cries that the film was Doa. A new trailer for "Men ,Women & Children" cuts through the schizophrenic chatter. Whatever the finished product amounts to, Reitman's film is on the offensive against the zeitgeist, his notable cast keeping the intrigue spinning. Adam Sandler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Jennifer Garner, Dennis Haysbert, and J.K. Simmons all costar in the film, about a entangled suburb dealing with the 21st century's digital vices. "Fault in Our Stars" leading man Ansel Elgort, Olivia Crocicchia, and up-and-comer Kaitlyn Dever round out the cast, representing a younger generation more in tune with (or lost in?) the Internet age than any of the adults.
- 9/18/2014
- by Matt Patches
- Hitfix
Jason Reitman’s Men, Women & Children is about to have its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival later this week, so Paramount Pictures has released the first poster, and it’s awesome. I’ve also included the first trailer that hit last week; check it out below along with the poster. Don’t you miss posters like this?
The movie stars Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever, Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, J.K. Simmons, Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia and Emma Thompson.
Men, Women & Children expands wide on October 17th 2014.
The movie follows a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. The film attempts to stare down social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the proliferation of illicit material on the internet.
The movie stars Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever, Jennifer Garner, Adam Sandler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, J.K. Simmons, Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia and Emma Thompson.
Men, Women & Children expands wide on October 17th 2014.
The movie follows a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways the internet has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. The film attempts to stare down social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the proliferation of illicit material on the internet.
- 9/3/2014
- by Graham McMorrow
- City of Films
Does Jason Reitman hate texting? From the looks of the first trailer for his Men, Women & Children, that definitely seems to be the case. Reitman’s latest is all about the secrets we keep online and that threaten to leak into the real world — which makes it kind of weird that the film’s marketing is encouraging fans to use the Whisper app to share their secrets, because that sure seems like something that’s pushing precisely what the film is against – with everyone constantly staring at their phones and looking shocked. Not a fan of films that use cute graphics to share texts, emails and pix on the big screen? Oh, you’re going to hate this one. Reitman’s film centers on a loosely connected group of students and their families, though it appears that they are all linked by their mutual sadness and disconnection. Put down your phones. Start...
- 8/19/2014
- by Kate Erbland
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
Social media looks to play a major part in Jason Reitman‘s “Men, Women & Children,” an adaptation of the 2011 novel by Chad Kultgen. The first trailer has debuted, and it gives us our first look at the lives of the lives of a group of teens (played by Ansel Elgort, Kaitlyn Dever, Olivia Crocicchia, and Timothée Chalamet) and their dysfunctional parents (played by Adam Sandler, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, J.K. Simmons, Dean Norris, and Rosemarie Dewitt) in the modern of age of technology. The trailer takes a fascinating and unique approach by having absolutely no dialogue. Instead, it relies [...]
The post Watch: Ansel Elgort and Kaitlyn Dever in First ‘Men, Women & Children’ Trailer appeared first on Up and Comers.
The post Watch: Ansel Elgort and Kaitlyn Dever in First ‘Men, Women & Children’ Trailer appeared first on Up and Comers.
- 8/19/2014
- by Alfonso Espina
- UpandComers
"I've forgotten what it's like to be desired." The first teaser trailer for Jason Reitman's Men, Women & Children doesn't have a single decibel of dialogue, but it aims to say a lot through text messages, image folders and Tumblr feeds — and a drop-down menu of desperation for an escort for Adam Sandler. The Paramount ensemble film also stars Jennifer Garner, Emma Thompson, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Timothee Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia, Kaitlyn Dever and Ansel Elgort and follows a group of high school teens and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways the Internet has changed their
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- 8/19/2014
- by Ashley Lee
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Palo Alto Tribeca Film Reviewed for Shockya by Harvey Karten. Data-based on Rotten Tomatoes Grade: B+ Director: Gia Coppola Screenplay: Gia Coppola, from James Franco’s “Palo Alto Stories” Cast: James Franco, Emma Roberts, Nat Wolff, Zoe Levin, Claudia Levy, Olivia Crocicchia, Jack Kilmer, Chris Messina Screened at: Park Ave., NYC, 5/5/14 Opens: May 9, 2014 The kids I taught in high school for thirty-two years and the youths featured in Gia Coppola’s “Palo Alto” are poles apart in social class. My charges have been mostly inner city, young people who in many cases have not had male role models in their homes. In “Palo Alto” the teens have dads but [ Read More ]
The post Palo Alto Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post Palo Alto Movie Review appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 5/7/2014
- by Harvey Karten
- ShockYa
When James Franco released Palo Alto: Stories, a collection of short stories about wasted youth in the titular California town, back in 2010, it was met with mild interest but middling reviews. Having read the collection, I can identify with critics who felt that Franco’s grasp of evocative language and description was exciting but his plots lacked all but the most basic of substance. Hopefully, Gia Coppola’s upcoming film adaptation, simply called Palo Alto, will keep the intriguing set-ups but do more with them than Franco did.
The first full trailer for the film hit earlier this week, and I’m not entirely sure what to make of it. A few of the characters showcased look familiar, but it’s clear that Coppola (granddaughter of the great Francis Ford Coppola) took some liberties in penning the screenplay.
What’s also clear from the trailer is that Coppola has...
The first full trailer for the film hit earlier this week, and I’m not entirely sure what to make of it. A few of the characters showcased look familiar, but it’s clear that Coppola (granddaughter of the great Francis Ford Coppola) took some liberties in penning the screenplay.
What’s also clear from the trailer is that Coppola has...
- 4/2/2014
- by Isaac Feldberg
- We Got This Covered
“Besties,” an indie film created by writer/director Rebecca Cutter (“The Mentalist”), will soon be available on Video On Demand Jan. 21. The film, which premiered at Fantastic Fest, stars Olivia Crocicchia, Madison Riley, Bobby Soto, Chris Backus, and Corin Nemec (“The Stand”), will be available to be downloaded from all the major venues, such as Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, Samsung, Comcast, Cox, Dish Network and many others. “Besties” is a film about a high schooler who becomes entangled in a dangerous relationship: “Hoping to forge a friendship with the most popular girl in school, Sandy arranges to be left at home under Ashley’s supervision while her father goes out of [ Read More ]
The post New Stills from Besties Shows High School Drama Mixed with Deadly Intentions appeared first on Shockya.com.
The post New Stills from Besties Shows High School Drama Mixed with Deadly Intentions appeared first on Shockya.com.
- 12/23/2013
- by monique
- ShockYa
Besties is coming to VOD January 21 from Phase 4 Films, and right now we have nearly a dozen new stills for you guys to befriend. You know you want to. Everyone needs somebody, right? Especially a psychopath.
Written/directed by Rebecca Cutter, Besties features standout turns from Madison Riley (Grown Ups) and Olivia Crocicchia (Katy Gavin from TVs "Rescue Me"), with '90s icon Corin Nemec ("The Stand") co-starring.
Synopsis:
Besties tells the story of two high school girls -- Sandy, a high school freshman and self-described loser, and Ashley, a sexy senior and Sandy's former babysitter. Sandy, hoping to forge a friendship with the most popular girl in school, arranges to be left at home under Ashley's supervision while her father goes out of town. Little does Sandy know that an unexpected visitor from Ashley's past will leave the awkward freshman and her idol tangled up in a manipulative and deadly friendship.
Written/directed by Rebecca Cutter, Besties features standout turns from Madison Riley (Grown Ups) and Olivia Crocicchia (Katy Gavin from TVs "Rescue Me"), with '90s icon Corin Nemec ("The Stand") co-starring.
Synopsis:
Besties tells the story of two high school girls -- Sandy, a high school freshman and self-described loser, and Ashley, a sexy senior and Sandy's former babysitter. Sandy, hoping to forge a friendship with the most popular girl in school, arranges to be left at home under Ashley's supervision while her father goes out of town. Little does Sandy know that an unexpected visitor from Ashley's past will leave the awkward freshman and her idol tangled up in a manipulative and deadly friendship.
- 12/23/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
‘American Hustle’ and David O. Russell movies box office: Russell’s latest has stronger than expected wide-release debut, could become the director’s top-grossing movie (photo: Amy Adams in ‘American Hustle’) Directed by David O. Russell, and starring Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Jennifer Lawrence, and Jeremy Renner, American Hustle opened with a better than expected $19.1 million after expanding to 2,507 North American locations, according to studio estimates found at Box Office Mojo. Some pundits had been expecting a debut in the low-to-mid teens. For comparison’s sake: Three years ago, David O. Russell’s The Fighter, which also featured American Hustle‘s Christian Bale and Amy Adams, expanded to 2,503 locations, grossing a considerably more modest $12.56 million. Comparisons to last year’s Silver Linings Playbook — also directed by Russell, and featuring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence — are impossible to make, as that film expanded to 2,523 locations only on its tenth...
- 12/23/2013
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Jason Reitman has commenced principal photography for Paramount in Austin, Texas, on his follow-up to Labor Day.
Rosemarie Dewitt, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Adam Sandler and Emma Thompson star in the film, based on Chad Kultgen’s novel of the same name.
Reitman adapted the screenplay with Erin Cressida Wilson and produces with his partner Helen Estabrook through Right Of Way Films. Michael Beugg and Mason Novick serve as executive producers.
The young ensemble cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia, Kaitlyn Dever, Ansel Elgort, Katherine Hughes, Elena Kampouris and Travis Tope.
Men, Women & Children centres on a group of high school teenagers and their parents in the internet age.
Rosemarie Dewitt, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Adam Sandler and Emma Thompson star in the film, based on Chad Kultgen’s novel of the same name.
Reitman adapted the screenplay with Erin Cressida Wilson and produces with his partner Helen Estabrook through Right Of Way Films. Michael Beugg and Mason Novick serve as executive producers.
The young ensemble cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia, Kaitlyn Dever, Ansel Elgort, Katherine Hughes, Elena Kampouris and Travis Tope.
Men, Women & Children centres on a group of high school teenagers and their parents in the internet age.
- 12/16/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Jason Reitman has commenced principal photography for Paramount in Austin, Texas, on his follow-up to Labor Day.
Rosemarie Dewitt, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Adam Sandler and Emma Thompson star in the film, based on Chad Kultgen’s novel of the same name.
Reitman adapted the screenplay with Erin Cressida Wilson and produces with his partner Helen Estabrook through Right Of Way Films. Michael Beugg and Mason Novick serve as executive producers.
The young ensemble cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia, Kaitlyn Dever, Ansel Elgort, Katherine Hughes, Elena Kampouris and Travis Tope.
Men, Women & Children centres on a group of high school teenagers and their parents in the internet age.
Rosemarie Dewitt, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, Dean Norris, Adam Sandler and Emma Thompson star in the film, based on Chad Kultgen’s novel of the same name.
Reitman adapted the screenplay with Erin Cressida Wilson and produces with his partner Helen Estabrook through Right Of Way Films. Michael Beugg and Mason Novick serve as executive producers.
The young ensemble cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia, Kaitlyn Dever, Ansel Elgort, Katherine Hughes, Elena Kampouris and Travis Tope.
Men, Women & Children centres on a group of high school teenagers and their parents in the internet age.
- 12/16/2013
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Paramount Pictures announced this morning that Jason Reitman's next film, Men, Women & Children, has gone into production with cameras rolling on the adaptation. Come inside to check out the press release, including the film's updated cast list!
Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc, announced today that principal photography has commenced on “Men, Women & Children,” from Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman (“Labor Day,” “Young Adult,” “Up In The Air”). The film stars Rosemarie Dewitt (“Kill The Messenger,” “Rachel Getting Married”), Jennifer Garner (“Dallas Buyers Club,” “Draft Day”), Judy Greer (“Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes,” “Tomorrowland”), Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad,” “The Counselor”), Adam Sandler (“Grown Ups 1 and 2,” “The Longest Yard”) and Emma Thompson (“Saving Mr. Banks,” “Love Actually”). The film is shooting in and around Austin, Texas.
“Men, Women & Children” is based on Chad Kultgen’s novel of the same name with Reitman directing from a screenplay...
Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc, announced today that principal photography has commenced on “Men, Women & Children,” from Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman (“Labor Day,” “Young Adult,” “Up In The Air”). The film stars Rosemarie Dewitt (“Kill The Messenger,” “Rachel Getting Married”), Jennifer Garner (“Dallas Buyers Club,” “Draft Day”), Judy Greer (“Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes,” “Tomorrowland”), Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad,” “The Counselor”), Adam Sandler (“Grown Ups 1 and 2,” “The Longest Yard”) and Emma Thompson (“Saving Mr. Banks,” “Love Actually”). The film is shooting in and around Austin, Texas.
“Men, Women & Children” is based on Chad Kultgen’s novel of the same name with Reitman directing from a screenplay...
- 12/16/2013
- by feeds@cinelinx.com (Jordan Maison)
- Cinelinx
Word has just come that a spine-chilling thriller in the tradition of Single White Female (didn't know she had a tradition), Besties, is coming to VOD January 21 from Phase 4 Films. Read on for details.
Written/directed by Rebecca Cutter, Besties features standout turns from Madison Riley (Grown Ups) and Olivia Crocicchia (Katy Gavin from TVs "Rescue Me"), with '90s icon Corin Nemec ("The Stand") co-starring.
Synopsis:
Besties tells the story of two high school girls -- Sandy, a high school freshman and self-described loser, and Ashley, a sexy senior and Sandy's former babysitter. Sandy, hoping to forge a friendship with the most popular girl in school, arranges to be left at home under Ashley's supervision while her father goes out of town. Little does Sandy know that an unexpected visitor from Ashley's past will leave the awkward freshman and her idol tangled up in a manipulative and deadly friendship.
Written/directed by Rebecca Cutter, Besties features standout turns from Madison Riley (Grown Ups) and Olivia Crocicchia (Katy Gavin from TVs "Rescue Me"), with '90s icon Corin Nemec ("The Stand") co-starring.
Synopsis:
Besties tells the story of two high school girls -- Sandy, a high school freshman and self-described loser, and Ashley, a sexy senior and Sandy's former babysitter. Sandy, hoping to forge a friendship with the most popular girl in school, arranges to be left at home under Ashley's supervision while her father goes out of town. Little does Sandy know that an unexpected visitor from Ashley's past will leave the awkward freshman and her idol tangled up in a manipulative and deadly friendship.
- 11/14/2013
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
The trailer is up for Palo Alto which marks the feature directorial debut of Gia Coppola which shows at the Telluride Film Festival on August 30th. Starring in the drama are James Franco, who wrote the short stories on which this is based, as well as Emma Roberts, Val Kilmer, Nat Wolff, Keegan Allen, Collen Camp, Christan Madsen, Olivia Crocicchia and Zoe Levin. Coppola also wrote the screenplay for the film which is a dark drama following teens navigating through their lives, some trouble-making, with Emma Roberts playing a student sparking a romance with her soccer coach, played by Franco.
- 8/30/2013
- Upcoming-Movies.com
If Fantastic Fest screens a movie made by women with females in the lead, I'll be there. (Okay, unless it screens at midnight or is excessively violent/gory. They don't call me the Film Festival Wuss for nothing.) So Besties was on my radar from the start, and it did not disappoint.
Sandy (Olivia Crocicchia) is a lumpish 14-year-old girl, teased mercilessly by classmates, who idolizes the girl next door -- her former babysitter Ashley (Madison Riley), a senior, blonde and perfect. When Sandy's dad goes out of town for the weekend, she asks if Ashley can "babysit" so she can hang out with the most popular girl in school. Ashley agrees, because what girl wouldn't want access to an empty house for the weekend? She parties, she ignores Sandy ... and then Ashley's ex-con ex-boyfriend Justin turns up, bad news personified. Ashley overreacts, and next thing we know, the girls...
- 10/4/2012
- by Jette Kernion
- Slackerwood
A few years back, I attended an anniversary screening for Fred Dekker’s The Monster Squad, with the cast and filmmaker in attendance for a post-film Q&A. A young girl in attendance asked Dekker whether he felt any reservations upon re-viewing it twenty years later, in having one of his young characters call another a faggot. It was an honest question that deserved an honest question in response. Dekker: “Ma’am, may I ask what your name is?” Attendee: “It’s ______” Dekker: “Okay,_______, if you don’t mind me asking, have you ever been a twelve year old boy?” I feel like any negative comments I might have towards Rebecca Perry Cutter‘s Besties would result in someone saying the same thing to me, just reversing the gender. I am not much of a fan of Besties, but I also was never a timid 14-year-old girl struggling to break out of her shell. I...
- 9/23/2012
- by Adam Charles
- FilmSchoolRejects.com
We all have our special friends that we would do anything in the world for. No matter how sick, depraved, gross, vile, wicked, disingenuous, loathsome, evil, despicable, horrid, malevolent... oh, you get the idea! Read on!
From the Press Release
Director Rebecca Perry Cutter’s debut suspense thriller Besties will have its world premiere at this year’s Fantastic Fest 2012 on Saturday, September 22nd, at 12:15 pm at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, TX, and again on Monday, September 24th, at 3:00 pm. The film stars Madison Riley (Grown Ups, Fired Up), Olivia Crocicchia (Rescue Me, Terri), Corin Nemac (Parker Lewis Can’T Lose, Stargate-SG1), and Christopher Backus (Elevator, Yellow Rock) and was produced by Linda L. Miller (Sweet Talk, Alyce), associate producer Tiffany Grant, and executive producer Katherine Hoagland. Feliks Parnell (Weeds, CSI:ny, The Event) served as Director of Photography.
Fantastic Fest is the largest film festival in the U.
From the Press Release
Director Rebecca Perry Cutter’s debut suspense thriller Besties will have its world premiere at this year’s Fantastic Fest 2012 on Saturday, September 22nd, at 12:15 pm at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, TX, and again on Monday, September 24th, at 3:00 pm. The film stars Madison Riley (Grown Ups, Fired Up), Olivia Crocicchia (Rescue Me, Terri), Corin Nemac (Parker Lewis Can’T Lose, Stargate-SG1), and Christopher Backus (Elevator, Yellow Rock) and was produced by Linda L. Miller (Sweet Talk, Alyce), associate producer Tiffany Grant, and executive producer Katherine Hoagland. Feliks Parnell (Weeds, CSI:ny, The Event) served as Director of Photography.
Fantastic Fest is the largest film festival in the U.
- 9/20/2012
- by Uncle Creepy
- DreadCentral.com
Copperhead
Billy Campbell is set to replace Jason Patric as the lead in Ron Maxwell's new Civil War-era feature "Copperhead" currently shooting in Kings Landing, New Brunswick.
Patric departed the project suddenly due to "creative differences" according to producer John Houston. [Source: THR]
Twelve Years A Slave
Paul Giamatti and Sarah Paulson have joined the cast of Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" about a New York man in 1841 who was kidnapped and sold into slavery at a Louisiana plantation before being rescued over a decade later.
Giamatti plays the man who takes possession of the slaves after they arrive in New Orleans. Paulson plays the jealous wife of Michael Fassbender's character. [Source: Variety]
Backmask
Brittany Curran ("Men of a Certain Age") will play the female lead in the Marcus Nispel's thriller "Backmask". Shooting has just begun in Rhode Island.
The story follows a group of teenagers that accidentally releases an...
Billy Campbell is set to replace Jason Patric as the lead in Ron Maxwell's new Civil War-era feature "Copperhead" currently shooting in Kings Landing, New Brunswick.
Patric departed the project suddenly due to "creative differences" according to producer John Houston. [Source: THR]
Twelve Years A Slave
Paul Giamatti and Sarah Paulson have joined the cast of Steve McQueen's "12 Years a Slave" about a New York man in 1841 who was kidnapped and sold into slavery at a Louisiana plantation before being rescued over a decade later.
Giamatti plays the man who takes possession of the slaves after they arrive in New Orleans. Paulson plays the jealous wife of Michael Fassbender's character. [Source: Variety]
Backmask
Brittany Curran ("Men of a Certain Age") will play the female lead in the Marcus Nispel's thriller "Backmask". Shooting has just begun in Rhode Island.
The story follows a group of teenagers that accidentally releases an...
- 6/6/2012
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Backgammon has set its cast and stated production. The Borgias’ Noah Silver joins All My Children’s Brittany Allen, General Hospital’s Christian Alexander, Alex Beh and Rescue Me’s Olivia Crocicchia in the indie psychological relationship thriller. Production started today in Portland, Maine. Francisco Orvañanos is directing. The script is by script by Orvañanos, Todd Niemi, and R.B. Russell based on Russell’s novella Bloody Baudelaire. Orvañanos and Chris B.Moore are producing for 3:1 Cinema and Fischer Productions. Silver is repped by UTA and Ken McKreddie Associates. Allen is repped at The Kohner Agency and Sanders Armstrong Caserta Management. Beh is repped by Caliber Media and attorney Matthew Wallerstein. Crocicchia is repped by UTA and One Entertainment. Alexander is repped by The House of Representatives and Howard Entertainment.
- 6/5/2012
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Each week within this column Spirit Award voter & film critic Kristy Puchko will offer a keen insight on a new selection of nominees for the 2012 Spirit Awards, along with any garnered behind-the-scenes exclusives. The Spirit Awards will air February 25th @10Pm on IFC.
Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to be truly surprised by some of this films I saw, but this week was submerged in a bittersweet atmosphere as my quest to see all the Spirit Awards 2012 nominees drew to a close. Part of me is admittedly relieved, as many of these films have been pretty emotionally wrecking, and I must confess craving some more mindless movie fare. Yet I will miss sitting among such a wonderfully engaged audience on a nightly basis. This is a viewing experience not guaranteed in movie theaters and screening rooms, and I will miss the certainty that those with whom I share the darkness of the venue,...
Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to be truly surprised by some of this films I saw, but this week was submerged in a bittersweet atmosphere as my quest to see all the Spirit Awards 2012 nominees drew to a close. Part of me is admittedly relieved, as many of these films have been pretty emotionally wrecking, and I must confess craving some more mindless movie fare. Yet I will miss sitting among such a wonderfully engaged audience on a nightly basis. This is a viewing experience not guaranteed in movie theaters and screening rooms, and I will miss the certainty that those with whom I share the darkness of the venue,...
- 2/14/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
By Scott Mendelson
HollywoodNews.com:This is the third of several year-end wrap essays detailing the year in film. This time, it’s about highlighting the good or great films that slipped under the radar somehow. Some got rave reviews and wide releases but stiffed at the box office while some never made it out of limited release. All are worth tracking down and all are, with one exception I will point out, now available on DVD/Blu Ray/download/etc. And nearly all of them are not hardcore independent films, but seemingly mainstream dramas and comedies that would have likely merited a wide release even a few years ago. Once again, these will be in alphabetical order.
13 Assassins
Like pretty much all Magnolia titles in the last few years, the majority of the film’s initial profits came from their OnDemand services, with Takashi Miike’s truly epic samurai drama...
HollywoodNews.com:This is the third of several year-end wrap essays detailing the year in film. This time, it’s about highlighting the good or great films that slipped under the radar somehow. Some got rave reviews and wide releases but stiffed at the box office while some never made it out of limited release. All are worth tracking down and all are, with one exception I will point out, now available on DVD/Blu Ray/download/etc. And nearly all of them are not hardcore independent films, but seemingly mainstream dramas and comedies that would have likely merited a wide release even a few years ago. Once again, these will be in alphabetical order.
13 Assassins
Like pretty much all Magnolia titles in the last few years, the majority of the film’s initial profits came from their OnDemand services, with Takashi Miike’s truly epic samurai drama...
- 12/28/2011
- by Scott Mendelson
- Hollywoodnews.com
Making lists is not my favorite occupation. They inevitably inspire only reader complaints. Not once have I ever heard from a reader that my list was just fine, and they liked it. Yet an annual Best Ten list is apparently a statutory obligation for movie critics.
My best guess is that between six and ten of these movies won't be familiar. Those are the most useful titles for you, instead of an ordering of movies you already know all about.
One recent year I committed the outrage of listing 20 movies in alphabetical order. What an uproar! Here are my top 20 films, in order of approximate preference.
1. "A Separation"
This Iranian film won't open in Chicago until Jan. 27. It won the Golden Bear at Berlin and was just named the year's best foreign film by the New York Film Critics Circle. It is specifically Iranian, but I believe the more specific...
My best guess is that between six and ten of these movies won't be familiar. Those are the most useful titles for you, instead of an ordering of movies you already know all about.
One recent year I committed the outrage of listing 20 movies in alphabetical order. What an uproar! Here are my top 20 films, in order of approximate preference.
1. "A Separation"
This Iranian film won't open in Chicago until Jan. 27. It won the Golden Bear at Berlin and was just named the year's best foreign film by the New York Film Critics Circle. It is specifically Iranian, but I believe the more specific...
- 12/25/2011
- by Roger Ebert
- blogs.suntimes.com/ebert
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
The well-trodden genre of the high-school comedy certainly seems like a strange area for the illusive, often difficult-to-define mumblecore subgenre to trawl into, but Azael Jacobs’ Terri, one such film, strangely succeeds with it. While neither ultra low-fi nor packed with non-professional actors, the film, much like the last major entry into the movement, the Duplass Brothers’ devilishly funny Cyrus (which also starred John C. Reilly), is well-produced and superbly acted, perhaps dictating a change in trends for the cinematic curiosity (or perhaps it’s just another fluke).
While the early glimpses at overweight social outcast Terri (Jacob Wysocki) might suggest this to be little more than a conventional comic drama about how unfair high school can be, Jacobs’ film is actually a far more self-aware, even postmodern stab at the subgenre. Instead of focusing on Terri’s awkward encounters with his classmates – though this does...
The well-trodden genre of the high-school comedy certainly seems like a strange area for the illusive, often difficult-to-define mumblecore subgenre to trawl into, but Azael Jacobs’ Terri, one such film, strangely succeeds with it. While neither ultra low-fi nor packed with non-professional actors, the film, much like the last major entry into the movement, the Duplass Brothers’ devilishly funny Cyrus (which also starred John C. Reilly), is well-produced and superbly acted, perhaps dictating a change in trends for the cinematic curiosity (or perhaps it’s just another fluke).
While the early glimpses at overweight social outcast Terri (Jacob Wysocki) might suggest this to be little more than a conventional comic drama about how unfair high school can be, Jacobs’ film is actually a far more self-aware, even postmodern stab at the subgenre. Instead of focusing on Terri’s awkward encounters with his classmates – though this does...
- 10/20/2011
- by Shaun Munro
- Obsessed with Film
Chicago – Most movies about awkward teens feel like they’re mocking them as much as embracing them. I’m exhausted by the subgenre because of this fact — there’s a deep hypocrisy in so many of these movies that wants to make fun of their subjects and then tell you how bad it is to make fun of them. Imagine my surprise at the charming, wonderful, incredibly well-written “Terri,” recently released on Blu-ray and DVD. This is a hidden gem.
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0
Terri Thompson (Jacob Wysocki) is awkward but not in the way that it’s usually presented in independent film. He’s a huge kid who has taken to skipping school and showing up in pajamas when he does come to class. He is a gentle soul but he’s presented as such a fully-rounded, believable person. He’s not the creation of an independent film screenwriter. He’s smart,...
Blu-Ray Rating: 4.0/5.0
Terri Thompson (Jacob Wysocki) is awkward but not in the way that it’s usually presented in independent film. He’s a huge kid who has taken to skipping school and showing up in pajamas when he does come to class. He is a gentle soul but he’s presented as such a fully-rounded, believable person. He’s not the creation of an independent film screenwriter. He’s smart,...
- 10/14/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Rank the week of October 14th’s Blu-ray and DVD new releases against the best films of all-time: New Releases Green Lantern
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #2480
Win Percentage: 43%
Times Ranked: 6760
Top-20 Rankings: 25
Directed By: Martin Campbell
Starring: Ryan Reynolds • Blake Lively • Peter Sarsgaard • Mark Strong • Temuera Morrison
Genres: Action • Action Thriller • Based-on-Comics • Comic-Book Superhero Film • Crime • Crime Thriller • Science Fiction • Sci-Fi Action • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Horrible Bosses
(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #750
Win Percentage: 54%
Times Ranked: 6278
Top-20 Rankings: 23
Directed By: Seth Gordon
Starring: Jason Bateman • Jason Sudeikis • Jennifer Aniston • Kevin Spacey • Jamie Foxx
Genres: Black Comedy • Comedy • Workplace Comedy
Rank This Movie
Zookeeper
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #10259
Win Percentage: 37%
Times Ranked: 470
Top-20 Rankings: 9
Directed By: Frank Coraci
Starring: Kevin James • Rosario Dawson • Leslie Bibb • Ken Jeong • Donnie Wahlberg
Genres: Animal Picture • Comedy • Family-Oriented Comedy
Rank This Movie
Judy Moody And The Not Bummer Summer
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG...
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG13 | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #2480
Win Percentage: 43%
Times Ranked: 6760
Top-20 Rankings: 25
Directed By: Martin Campbell
Starring: Ryan Reynolds • Blake Lively • Peter Sarsgaard • Mark Strong • Temuera Morrison
Genres: Action • Action Thriller • Based-on-Comics • Comic-Book Superhero Film • Crime • Crime Thriller • Science Fiction • Sci-Fi Action • Thriller
Rank This Movie
Horrible Bosses
(Blu-ray & DVD | Nr | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #750
Win Percentage: 54%
Times Ranked: 6278
Top-20 Rankings: 23
Directed By: Seth Gordon
Starring: Jason Bateman • Jason Sudeikis • Jennifer Aniston • Kevin Spacey • Jamie Foxx
Genres: Black Comedy • Comedy • Workplace Comedy
Rank This Movie
Zookeeper
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG | 2011)
Flickchart Ranking: #10259
Win Percentage: 37%
Times Ranked: 470
Top-20 Rankings: 9
Directed By: Frank Coraci
Starring: Kevin James • Rosario Dawson • Leslie Bibb • Ken Jeong • Donnie Wahlberg
Genres: Animal Picture • Comedy • Family-Oriented Comedy
Rank This Movie
Judy Moody And The Not Bummer Summer
(Blu-ray & DVD | PG...
- 10/11/2011
- by Jonathan Hardesty
- Flickchart
Release Date: Oct. 11, 2011
Price: DVD $22.98, Blu-ray $29.99
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Jacob Wysocki (l.) gets the lowdown from John C. Reilly in Terri.
Directed and co-written by acclaimed independent auteur Azazel Jacobs (Momma’s Boy), the offbeat comedy drama movie Terri takes a little look at a high school student with an arguably big problem.
The film concerns overweight, pajama-wearing social misfit Terri Thompson (Jacob Wysocki, Huge), the lone caretaker and guardian for his elderly Uncle James (Creed Bratton, TV’s The Office).
While struggling to find acceptance in school, Terri finds refuge in the company of his shy but pretty classmate Heather (Olivia Crocicchia, TV’s Rescue Me). Hoping to bring him out of his awkward shell, Terri’s addled high school principal Mr. Fitzgerald (John C. Reilly, Cyrus) takes the student under his wing to distract himself from his own painful divorce. The growing pains experienced by...
Price: DVD $22.98, Blu-ray $29.99
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Jacob Wysocki (l.) gets the lowdown from John C. Reilly in Terri.
Directed and co-written by acclaimed independent auteur Azazel Jacobs (Momma’s Boy), the offbeat comedy drama movie Terri takes a little look at a high school student with an arguably big problem.
The film concerns overweight, pajama-wearing social misfit Terri Thompson (Jacob Wysocki, Huge), the lone caretaker and guardian for his elderly Uncle James (Creed Bratton, TV’s The Office).
While struggling to find acceptance in school, Terri finds refuge in the company of his shy but pretty classmate Heather (Olivia Crocicchia, TV’s Rescue Me). Hoping to bring him out of his awkward shell, Terri’s addled high school principal Mr. Fitzgerald (John C. Reilly, Cyrus) takes the student under his wing to distract himself from his own painful divorce. The growing pains experienced by...
- 9/21/2011
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Party girl cast for CSI: NY Season 8
The new season of CSI: NY could use a party girl so they went and hired Olivia Crocicchia to come on to the crime procedural and party to her hearts content while simultaneously becoming a murder suspect. You may recognize Crocicchia on FX’s now completed Rescue Me as one of Denis Leary’s daughters, Katy. Because there are only a limited number of names you can be called on TV, Crocicchia will be playing a teenager named Kate on CSI: NY.
According to TV Guide, Kate is a high school student attending a party where another girl is killed. The CSI team start pointing fingers at Kate when it’s discovered the victim had humiliated Kate through some stunt. It must have been pretty embarrassing if they suspect Kate committed murder over it. You’d have to be pretty unhinged to kill over a prank.
The new season of CSI: NY could use a party girl so they went and hired Olivia Crocicchia to come on to the crime procedural and party to her hearts content while simultaneously becoming a murder suspect. You may recognize Crocicchia on FX’s now completed Rescue Me as one of Denis Leary’s daughters, Katy. Because there are only a limited number of names you can be called on TV, Crocicchia will be playing a teenager named Kate on CSI: NY.
According to TV Guide, Kate is a high school student attending a party where another girl is killed. The CSI team start pointing fingers at Kate when it’s discovered the victim had humiliated Kate through some stunt. It must have been pretty embarrassing if they suspect Kate committed murder over it. You’d have to be pretty unhinged to kill over a prank.
- 9/16/2011
- by Brody Gibson
- Boomtron
I believe the only people who truly enjoyed high school are those who breezed through the experience. For the rest of us, those four (or more) years of high school falls somewhere on a sliding scale of misery ranging from an annoying itch to a torturous punishment inflicted by the worst kind of mad scientist.
Stereotypes are common in films about teenagers, especially when set against the backdrop of high school. The truth is, teenagers and stereotypes go hand-in-hand. Without teenagers, there would be no stereotypes, but the burnouts, jocks and preppies of the .80s no longer apply in the new millennium. No, the typical characters of the John Hughes era have evolved along a parallel plane into some not better or worse, but different.
Director Azazel Jacobs (Momma.S Man, The Good Times Kids) delves into the strange world of the high school outsider with Terri, written by first-timer Patrick Dewitt.
Stereotypes are common in films about teenagers, especially when set against the backdrop of high school. The truth is, teenagers and stereotypes go hand-in-hand. Without teenagers, there would be no stereotypes, but the burnouts, jocks and preppies of the .80s no longer apply in the new millennium. No, the typical characters of the John Hughes era have evolved along a parallel plane into some not better or worse, but different.
Director Azazel Jacobs (Momma.S Man, The Good Times Kids) delves into the strange world of the high school outsider with Terri, written by first-timer Patrick Dewitt.
- 7/29/2011
- by Travis Keune
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Chicago – Nothing says “Official Selection at Sundance” quite like an obese teen grappling with an angst-ridden existence. There have been countless pictures centering on young, plus-size protagonists, though few feel three-dimensional. Tracy Turnblad and Claireece Precious Jones aren’t people so much as they are symbols of survival in the face of adversity. It’s easy to root for them, but it’s more than a little difficult to believe in them.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
I believed in Terri, the 15-year-old star of Azazel Jacobs’s perceptive new film, simply because he’s a great deal like a lot of the kids I knew in high school. When asked how he feels, Terri draws a picture of a face with a straight horizontal line for a mouth. The expression is neither happy nor sad. It’s simply beaten into submission by the daily hell of adolescence. Terri has no desire to pity...
Rating: 3.5/5.0
I believed in Terri, the 15-year-old star of Azazel Jacobs’s perceptive new film, simply because he’s a great deal like a lot of the kids I knew in high school. When asked how he feels, Terri draws a picture of a face with a straight horizontal line for a mouth. The expression is neither happy nor sad. It’s simply beaten into submission by the daily hell of adolescence. Terri has no desire to pity...
- 7/22/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – In our latest comedy edition of HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film, we have 30 admit-two passes up for grabs to the advance Chicago screening of the new film “Terri” starring John C. Reilly from the producers of “Blue Valentine” and “Half Nelson”!
“Terri” also stars Jacob Wysocki, Bridger Zadina, Creed Bratton, Olivia Crocicchia, Tim Heidecker, Justin Prentice, Mary Anne McGarry, Curtiss Frisle, Tara Karsian, Diane Salinger and Jenna Gavigan from co-writer and director Azazel Jacobs and co-writer Patrick Dewitt. The film opens in Chicago on July 22, 2011.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “Terri” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, July 11, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. in Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for “Terri” starring John C. Reilly.
Image credit: Ato Pictures
Here is...
“Terri” also stars Jacob Wysocki, Bridger Zadina, Creed Bratton, Olivia Crocicchia, Tim Heidecker, Justin Prentice, Mary Anne McGarry, Curtiss Frisle, Tara Karsian, Diane Salinger and Jenna Gavigan from co-writer and director Azazel Jacobs and co-writer Patrick Dewitt. The film opens in Chicago on July 22, 2011.
To win your free pass to the advance Chicago screening of “Terri” courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just answer our question below. That’s it! This screening is on Monday, July 11, 2011 at 7:30 p.m. in Chicago. Directions to enter this Hookup and win can be found beneath the graphic below.
The movie poster for “Terri” starring John C. Reilly.
Image credit: Ato Pictures
Here is...
- 7/6/2011
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Azazel Jacobs has an acute eye for houses that, without ever crumbling the low-key naturalism of his narratives, can mutate from mere settings to mysterious visualizations of the characters’ often bemused emotional states. The old Manhattan loft in Momma’s Man is by turns a found-object mausoleum, a womb, and a cavernous penitentiary, its bric-a-brac simultaneously cocooning and stifling the stranded protagonist. Terri has some of that densely expressive clutter in the cramped Californian cabin the eponymous teen loner (Jacob Wysocki) shares with his ailing uncle (Creed Bratton), a jumble of bookshelves, bulky TV sets and wooded passageways that give tangible shape to the younger man’s withdrawn nature as well as to the older man’s addled melancholy. (In the attic directly above Terri’s bed, mousetraps snap in the middle of the night like tiny twitches in a softly anxious psyche.) But where the outside world in Momma...
- 7/2/2011
- MUBI
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