News

Cinematographer Auden Bui has been building up to making her feature directorial debut by taking the helm of several short films – and now, Deadline has broken the news that Bui will be entering the feature world by directing a psychological thriller called Kodak SuperXX, which is set to star Kelly Marie Tran (Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil).

Scripted by Tony Rettenmaier (They Cloned Tyrone), Kodak SuperXX will be “set against an atmospheric Los Angeles.” The story follows Linh (Tran), a quiet woman whose solitary life revolves around her work as a darkroom developer at one of the city’s last boutique photo labs. Her quiet existence takes a paranoid turn when she becomes entangled with a mysterious stranger (Dastmalchian), whose photographs reveal a dark secret. Bui will be looking to capture the tone of films like Nightcrawler and the Francis Ford Coppola classic The Conversation,...

Exclusive: Kelly Marie Tran (The Wedding Banquet) and David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil) are set to topline Kodak SuperXX, a psychological thriller marking the feature directorial debut of Auden Bui, which is going into production this year.

Written by Tony Rettenmaier (They Cloned Tyrone), the indie is set against an atmospheric Los Angeles and follows Linh (Tran), a quiet woman whose solitary life revolves around her work as a darkroom developer at one of the city’s last boutique photo labs. Her quiet existence takes a paranoid turn when she becomes entangled with a mysterious stranger (Dastmalchian), whose photographs reveal a dark secret.

Tonally, the project is compared to to Nightcrawler and Francis Ford Coppola’s classic The Conversation. Dastmalchian and Jen Iacobino will produce under their Good Fiend Films banner (Late Night with the Devil), alongside Rettenmaier & Juel Taylor and Death Ground’s Jesse Ford,...

Pearl Jam, David Byrne and Jenny Lewis are among the many artists featured on Good Music to Avert the Collapse of American Democracy: Volume Two. The collection will be available on Friday for 24 hours only as part of the Bandcamp Fridays series.

The tracklist is nearly twice the size of the first edition, with 77 previously unreleased recordings. Pearl Jam — who recently announced a massive voting initiative themselves — contributed the new song “Get It Back.” Byrne’s “People Tell Me” is a demo from the Joan of Arc: Into the Fire musical,...

Beach Bunny played a moving socially distanced two-song set for latest installment of Rolling Stone’s In My Room, a series in which artists perform from home while in quarantine.

The band’s lead singer and songwriter Lili Trifilio kicked off the set with “Dream Boy,” a highlight from the band’s debut LP Honeymoon , by recording separate vocal and guitar takes accompanied by her three bandmates from their respective homes. Afterwards, Trifilio performed a sparse solo acoustic version of “Prom Queen,” the band’s breakthrough 2018 viral hit.

Over the past few years,...

“It’s hard to think clearly and then say what you mean,” Beach Bunny’s Lili Trifilio sings on the band’s fantastic debut. It’s a line that’s striking in its innocent, unguarded honesty, just as the music is thrilling in its tuneful exuberance. Beach Bunny are four adorable Chicago emo kids in their early twenties who’ve been releasing music for the past few years, mostly teen-themed garage-pop tunes with titles like “Sports” and “Boys” and “Six Weeks,” the latter about the oceanic span of time elapsed since a breakup.

In the new hit series Preacher, based on the cult comic book, Texas preacher Jesse Custer (Dominic Cooper) is possessed by an angel-demon entity, imbuing him with not just any ordinary super-power, but ‘The Word of God’- whereby people must obey his commands when he talks in a strange voice. It takes Jesse some getting used to before he can fully utilise this powerful and peculiar new skill. Here are some other of the strangest – and possibly most useless – superpowers that comic book characters have been given.

Squirrel Girl

Yes, you read that right – after Spider Man and Catwoman, there’s Squirrel Girl, who has the incredible ability to befriend and deploy squirrels to her advantage. In her first appearance in a Marvel Comic in 1992, she rescues Iron Man from Doctor Doom with the help of a load of squirrels, so surely it is only a matter of time...

Epistemology of the Closet: Dunn’s Impressive Debut a Pronounced Portrait of Agitated Angst

Notable short filmmaker Stephen Dunn (Pop-up Porno, 2015) makes an impressive feature debut with Closet Monster, a film easily classified as a coming-of-age/coming-out drama but augmented by a masterful sense of tone and visual authority. As ambient as a thriller but without the frills of genre as metaphor, you’d be hard pressed to recall a recent cinematic endeavor that so vividly and compellingly relates the modern queer teen’s terrified angst so effectively. Grappling with familiar yet nevertheless pertinent issues in regards to the heteronormative machinations Lgbt youth struggle to navigate, the Canadian helmer unveils an original and moody psychological portrait of agonized adolescence.

Oscar (Connor Jessup) is an aspiring special effects make-up artist finishing up his last year of high school in small town Newfoundland. Hanging out with his friend Gemma (Sofia Banzhof), who...

If you've watched a romantic comedy over the last decade or so you'll no doubt have encountered the Manic Pixie Dream Girl.

The term, coined by film critic Nathan Rabin regarding Kirsten Dunst's character in Elizabethtown, refers to a stock female character who exists only to serve a male protagonist. Think Natalie Portman in Garden State and Kate Hudson in Almost Famous.

Author John Green is keen to dismantle the character: The Fault in Our Stars's Augustus Waters is a flip on the notion (meet the Manic Pixie Dream Boy), while Cara Delevingne's Margo Roth Spiegelman makes a bid to break the mould in Paper Towns.

Whether the movie adaptation of Paper Towns is successful in its ambitions is up for interpretation, but Green is eager to push against the Mpdg in his work.

Speaking to Digital Spy, he described the Mpdg as "a very lazy trope...

Honest, emotional teen melodrama with a great performance by Chloë Grace Moretz that serves as a beautiful metaphor for the choices that teen girls face. I’m “biast” (pro): nothing

I’m “biast” (con): nothing

I have not read the source material

(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)

High school student and brilliant student cellist Mia Hall (Chloë Grace Moretz [Carrie, Kick-Ass 2], who is terrific, as always, here) is in a coma. Dying, even. She and her family have been in a horrific car crash, and now, as her body lies in a hospital bed, her spirit wanders the hospital, visiting her family when she can (she needs to wait for someone corporeal to open doors, as you do when you’re a ghost) and thinking back over her life, and whether it’s worth returning to.

If adapting more young-adult novels means getting more stories about teenaged girls onscreen,...

Does Augustus Waters in The Fault in Our Stars seem like the perfect boyfriend to you? Sure, he's attractive, devoted, and taller than everyone else in the movie by at least two heads, but look a little closer: Deep down, underneath that Manic Pixie Dream Boy exterior, Gus is super committed to making things weird. Awkward overshares? He's got those! Subtle negs? Gus has plenty! Simmering intimidation campaigns waged against every adult who crosses his path? These are also a thing! Gus's collection of tics and traits may seem harmless at first, but when his odd actions are listed one after another, they comprise no less than a dossier of madness. Be forewarned, though: After reading this spoiler-heavy list of every time Gus makes it weird, you may never again be able to see The Fault in Our Stars in the same way. Okay? Okay.- When Gus barrels into...

Back in 2007, we ran an article called Gay Sex Scenes that Made Movie History. A delightfully naughty exploration of firsts and foresk- ... er, foremosts in terms of gay male intimacy on the silver screen, it celebrated some of the films that blew the celluloid closet to bits, one modesty sock at a time.

Six years later, it's shocking just how far pop culture has come in terms of normalizing gay characters and stories, and how much bolder the gay film audience has grown in demanding films that speak truthfully to their sexual experience (though, it must be said, the films that answer the call are usually decidedly outside of the mainstream). So we've decided to bring you an update to our foundational piece that looks at what has happened since. Of course, since most of the ground breaking was done over the last four decades or so, our focus is...

Oooooh! Now we see. Not that we didn’t think Girls‘ Adam Driver was talented before, but after today, we finally get him. You get what we’re saying? You picking up what we’re putting down? We get him in our pants. Driver’s recent and extremely awesome GQ spread did the heavy lifting, though his cameo in Lincoln didn’t hurt either. That boy looks good in Civil War-era kepi cap! We hope Driver was able to take it home and transfer it to his Girls wardrobe. Adam could wear that hat around Williamsburg and no one would bat an eye.

If that wasn’t enough to win you over to the Driver’s side, Adam is also the star of the excellent new trailer for the second season of Girls, premiering January 13. “You destroyed my heart. Thanks.”? “My affection for you cannot be repressed”? Instead of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl,...

We've bid farewell to the Great White North for another year — yup, the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival is officially over. In years past, Oscar winners like "Slumdog Millionaire" and "The King's Speech" made their international debuts at Tiff. With that in mind, we took in every screening our schedules allowed, looking for the Next Big Thing of this year.

We narrowed the Best of Fest list to 15; They may not be the Oscar nominees of 2013 — though we'd bet cash money some of them are — but they'll be among the best movies you'll see for yourself this year.

'Antiviral'

Brandon Cronenberg's name looks familiar for a reason; he's the son of "Cosmopolis" director David Cronenberg. And while the imagery in his first feature-length film evokes memories of his dad's work — there are echoes of "Videodrome" and "Naked Lunch" in "Antiviral" — the younger Cronenberg has created something unarguably unique.

"Wanted: Someone to go back in time with me," read an infamous 2005 classified ad that quickly became an Internet meme. "This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before." Those 36 words might not seem like enough to adapt as a concept for a feature film, but don't tell that to director Colin Trevorrow, who turned the goofy help-wanted posting into the heartfelt festival sensation, "Safety Not Guaranteed."

Hitting theaters on June 8, the indie dramedy -- which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and screened again at South By Southwest in Austin -- focuses on Darius, a young magazine intern (Aubrey Plaza) who tracks down the ad's author, Kenneth (Mark Duplass), and slowly begins to fall in love with his vast, and potentially dangerous, eccentricities. Filled with deadpan humor and genuinely moving pathos,...

"Wanted: Someone to go back in time with me," read an infamous 2005 classified ad that quickly became an Internet meme. "This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before." Those 36 words might not seem like enough to adapt as a concept for a feature film, but don't tell that to director Colin Trevorrow, who turned the goofy help-wanted posting into the heartfelt festival sensation, "Safety Not Guaranteed." Hitting theaters on June 8, the indie dramedy -- which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, and screened again at South By Southwest in Austin -- focuses on Darius, a young magazine intern (Aubrey Plaza) who tracks down the ad's author, Kenneth (Mark Duplass), and slowly begins to fall in love with his vast, and potentially dangerous, eccentricities. Filled with deadpan humor and genuinely moving pathos,...

It's official, Rooney Mara is set to play Lisbeth Salander in Sony Pictures’ three-film adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s literary blockbuster 'The Millennium Trilogy; starting with "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo".

Sony confirmed the news, along with Daniel Craig's casting, in a press release issued earlier this afternoon. The press release also confirms that along with Steve Zaillian penning the script, producers will include Scott Rudin, Cean Chaffin, Ole Sondberg and Søren Stærmose.

Mara started out with TV guest spots and small roles in recent indie features "Dream Boy," "Friends (with Benefits)," "Tanner Hall" and "Dare". She stars in no less than four films that have opened/will open this year - "Youth in Revolt," "A Nightmare on Elm Street," "The Winning Season" and "The Social Network".

Mara worked under the trilogy's director David Fincher in 'Social' and was rumoured to be his favourite choice. Mara beat out the likes of Sarah Snook,...

Rooney Mara just landed the role of Lisbeth Salander in the U.S. remake of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. We’ve known for weeks now that director David Fincher had hoped to cast an unknown for the lead role in the hottest literary adaptation in development right now (or possibly ever?), and that’s why we here at PopWatch HQ don’t feel too bad about not having any recollection of seeing Mara on screen beyond the trailer for The Social Network (where she plays Erica). Heck, not even a scan of her IMDb credits could jog our memories.

Three Australians, one New Yorker and one French woman have seemingly emerged as the rumoured final candidates to play Lisbeth Salander in David Fincher's upcoming Hollywood adaptation of the bestselling "The Girl with Dragon Tattoo" reports IndieWire and Showbiz 411.

The quintet have beaten out more familiar names like Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Ellen Page, Mia Wasikowska, Keira Knightleyand Anne Hathaway who are apparently no longer in the running. Over the weekend Portman admitted no-one had been in contact with her about the project at all in fact. Here's a look at the list of candidates:

1. Rooney Mara

The 25-year-old New Yorker has several TV guest spots along with some gay-themed indie dramas like "Dream Boy" and "Dare" to her resume.

After appearing in small roles in "Youth in Revolt" and "The Winning Season" last year, Mara has broken out this year with the lead heroinne role in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street...

Fans of Jim Grimsley's 1995 gay coming-of-age novel Dream Boy may very well enjoy the 2008 movie version, which is finally out on DVD. After all, this is an amazingly faithful adaptation of the book.

I don't think too many others will find much here to appreciate.

The movie begins with a surprising lack of drama. In the 1970s, two boys in the rural south meet and fall in love: a shy, bookish type and his more outgoing "farmboy" neighbor. The pace is slow, but there are some nice moments (often taken directly from the book), as when the two boys' eyes meet in the mirror of the school bus. It's all very earnest, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but is a little jarring after the irony-infused 00s.

When the conflict finally kicks in about halfway through, there's certainly a lot of it: the boys are threatened by both...

Have a question about gay male entertainment? Send it to aftereltonflyingmonkey@yahoo.com! (Please include your city and state and/or country.)

Q: I can't help feeling a little tingle when watching George Clooney. He seems so gay even though he never played a gay role. It's the twinkle in his eyes. His male friends are all dreamy and the women he's been attached to seem like they could care less. Is he the big gay secret in Hollywood, like Rock Hudson was? – Price, West Palm Beach, Fl

George Clooney

A: That little tingle you feel is called “being alive.” That said, Clooney seems unbelievably straight to me – the kind of man we here in Seattle call a “Seattle Straight Guy.” That means he’s thoughtful, articulate, fit, liberal as hell, well-dressed and well-groomed, but thoroughly straight, even as he’s totally cool with gay people.

If you mistake a Seattle Straight Guy for gay,...

The 22ndd edition of the Image Nation film festival (Montreal's only Glbt film fest) will pay tribute to the horror genre with a festival focus that runs the gamut from the deadpan southern gothic thriller Drool [1] to the twisted Dream Boy [2] and the silly and ultimately good old fashioned blood n gore zombie flick, Zombies of Mass Destruction. [3] The festival is no stranger to showing gay and lesbian themed horror films, having screened the likes of Dead Boy Don't Scream, Otto; or, Up with Dead People, and the first ever homo horror film Hellebent. In addition to the line up is Kevin Hamedani, Ghosted, [4] Dan Faltz's Weak Species [5] and Cowboy. Image+Nation marks its anticipated return to the fall film from October 22nd to November 1st. Check out some of the trailers below. Zombies of Mass Destruction Directed by Kevin Hamedani Ghosted Directed by Monika Treut Weak Species Directed by Dan Faltz [1] http://www.

Have a question about gay male entertainment? Send it to aftereltonflyingmonkey@yahoo.com! (Please include your city and state and/or country.)

Q: Can you please help us get more details on Luke Macfarlane's involvement in a Canadian movie Iron Road? He plays a straight guy who falls in love with a woman who was disguised as a boy and has a total nude scene which is gorgeous and sexy. -- Bclee

A: Who is this, the publicist for Iron Road? You’re a smart one. By getting me to publish your email on AfterElton.com, you should sell at least a few thousand extra copies of the movie.

Charlotte Sullivan and Luke Macfarlane in Iron Road

Iron Road, a $10 million Canada/Chinese production, tells the sad story of the building of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, and of the many Chinese workers who were tricked into slavery and lost...

One of only a plethora of remakes that are in the works is A Nightmare on Elm Street, a remake of the classic ’80s horror movie of the same name. The project was just announced at the beginning of the year, but things are certainly getting going - a few weeks ago Watchmen star Jackie Earle Haley was announced to be the new Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund, you will be missed…), Kyle Gallner (seen most recently in another remake The Haunting in Connecticut) also confirmed, and last week Thomas Dekker was reportedly in final negotiations.

Apart from the iconic role of Freddy Krueger, the other big question mark hovering over this remake is who will play the lead female role who (as in the original film) is scared out of her dreaming mind like the rest of the kids on Elm Street, but ultimately fights back (a type of character...

Thomas Gustafson's "Were the World Mine," which recounts an all-boys high school production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream," was named outstanding U.S. dramatic feature at Outfest, which handed out its awards Sunday night. "World" also played as the awards night feature at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood.

The fest, which formally closes Monday night, also honored Lucia Puenzo's "Xxy" as best international dramatic feature. Daryl Wein's "Sex Postitive" took the documentary award. Tye Olson was chosen best actor in a feature for "Watercolors"; Nicole Bilderback was best actress for "The New Twenty."

James Bolton earned the screenwriting award for "Dream Boy."

Madeleine Olnek's "Countertransference" was named best dramatic short; Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega's "La Corona" (The Crown) was hailed as best documentary short.

David Assmann's "Football Under Cover" received the Freedom Award.

Dave O'Brien was recognized with the Emerging Talent Award for "Equality U."

Matt Wolf took the prize for Artistic Achievement for "Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell."

Audience awards went to David Oliveras, "Watercolors," first dramatic feature; Andrew Fleming, "Hamlet 2," dramatic feature; Carolyn Coal, "A Place to Live," documentary feature; Lee Sung-eun, "I'm Jin-Young," dramatic short; Micheli and Vega, "La Corna," documentary short; and "Hamlet 2," soundtrack.