Don’t you think every form of content is easily available these days? I mean, some ten-fifteen years ago, it wasn’t that easy to find a true-crime series, a comedy special, or a baking show to watch while having dinner. But then came Netflix, and our lives were never the same. Make no mistake, I’m not complaining and trying to cling on to nostalgia here. But thanks to Netflix, we’re now spoiled for choices. If something doesn’t work for us, we move onto the next with a swipe of the finger. Almost every Tuesday, a standup special drops on Netflix. It has almost become the norm now. While some of these are genuinely great, the abundance of content in this genre (and every other genre) does kill the excitement. However, an Adam Sandler stand-up special, helmed by director Josh Safdie, is still a very special thing.
- 8/27/2024
- by Rohitavra Majumdar
- Film Fugitives
Actress Emily Blunt is currently in talks to feature in the upcoming film ‘The Smashing Machine’ starring Dwyane Johnson. The Academy Award-nominated actress would essay the role of Dawn Staples, the new wife to legendary Mma fighter Mark Kerr.
The story is about how Dawn struggles to find her place within Champion’s chaotic and contradictory world while trying to set up a life together, as reported by deadline.com.
‘The Smashing Machine’ is a drama based on the story of Kerr, the legendary Mma fighter from the no-holds-barred era of the UFC. He struggles with winning, relationships, substance abuse and friendship, set in the year 2000.
Kerr was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, a Pride Fc Heavyweight Champion, 1992 NCAA National Wrestling Champion, 1994 National Freestyle Champion and 4x Adcc World Submission Champion.
The Mma fighter was also a subject of a documentary titled ‘The Smashing Machine...
The story is about how Dawn struggles to find her place within Champion’s chaotic and contradictory world while trying to set up a life together, as reported by deadline.com.
‘The Smashing Machine’ is a drama based on the story of Kerr, the legendary Mma fighter from the no-holds-barred era of the UFC. He struggles with winning, relationships, substance abuse and friendship, set in the year 2000.
Kerr was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, World Vale Tudo Championship tournament winner, a Pride Fc Heavyweight Champion, 1992 NCAA National Wrestling Champion, 1994 National Freestyle Champion and 4x Adcc World Submission Champion.
The Mma fighter was also a subject of a documentary titled ‘The Smashing Machine...
- 3/1/2024
- by Agency News Desk
- GlamSham
Unfortunately, Robert Pattinson’s Good Time co-star Buddy Duress passed away last year at the age of 38. After gaining worldwide recognition with his role as Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga, Pattinson switched to independent films which also gained him critical acclaim. One of these films was the Safdie Brothers’ Good Time.
Buddy Duress was a frequent collaborator of the Safdie Brothers and was best known for his roles in movies like 2017’s Good Time, Heaven Knows What, and Person to Person. He had gotten into quite some legal troubles before his unfortunate demise.
Buddy Duress
Buddy Duress’ Younger Brother Revealed How the Actor Passed Away
Buddy Duress, born Michael C. Stathis, did not make his film debut until 2014 when he starred in Heaven Knows What. He was on the run from law when he was discovered by Josh Safdie.
Buddy Duress was a frequent collaborator of the Safdie Brothers and was best known for his roles in movies like 2017’s Good Time, Heaven Knows What, and Person to Person. He had gotten into quite some legal troubles before his unfortunate demise.
Buddy Duress
Buddy Duress’ Younger Brother Revealed How the Actor Passed Away
Buddy Duress, born Michael C. Stathis, did not make his film debut until 2014 when he starred in Heaven Knows What. He was on the run from law when he was discovered by Josh Safdie.
- 2/28/2024
- by Ankita
- FandomWire
Buddy Duress, the actor who appeared in two Safdie Brothers films including 2017’s Good Time starring Robert Pattinson, died last November of what his brother said this week was “cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail.” Duress was 38.
Duress’ death was announced on social media last week by director Jay Karales, whose upcoming film Mass State Lottery features Duress. The cause of death was announced yesterday to People by the actor’s brother Christopher Stathis (Duress was born Michael C. Stathis).
“This man was an absolute treasure,” Karales, known professionally as LowRes Wünderbred, wrote. “Without a doubt, Buddy Duress was one of the most entertaining people I’ve ever met and his stories were unrivaled. I remember seeing him in Good Time in 2017 and saying, ‘That is what the future of acting needs to be. That guy.’ He brought a certain authenticity and charisma to the screen that you just don’t see anymore.
Duress’ death was announced on social media last week by director Jay Karales, whose upcoming film Mass State Lottery features Duress. The cause of death was announced yesterday to People by the actor’s brother Christopher Stathis (Duress was born Michael C. Stathis).
“This man was an absolute treasure,” Karales, known professionally as LowRes Wünderbred, wrote. “Without a doubt, Buddy Duress was one of the most entertaining people I’ve ever met and his stories were unrivaled. I remember seeing him in Good Time in 2017 and saying, ‘That is what the future of acting needs to be. That guy.’ He brought a certain authenticity and charisma to the screen that you just don’t see anymore.
- 2/28/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Buddy Duress, an actor best known for starring opposite Robert Pattinson in the Safdie brothers 2017 film Good Time, has died. He was 38. The actor’s brother, Christopher Stathis, confirmed the passing with People on Tuesday, February 27, revealing Duress died of “cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail” in November 2023. Born in May 1985 in Queens, New York, Duress landed his first big-screen acting gig in Benny and Josh Safdie‘s 2014 psychological drama film Heaven Knows What, where he played low-level drug dealer Mike. He would collaborate with the Safdie brothers again in their 2017 feature Good Time, which stars Pattinson as a small-time criminal who tries to free his developmentally disabled brother (Benny Safdie) from police custody while attempting to avoid his own arrest. Duress played Ray, a criminal recently released on parole. Duress’ other credits include Person to Person (2017), The Mountain (2018), The Great Darkened Days (2018), Pvt Chat (2021), Flinch (2021), and the 2022 black comedy Funny Pages,...
- 2/28/2024
- TV Insider
Buddy Duress, who co-starred alongside Robert Pattinson in the Safdie Brothers’ Good Time, has died at the age of 38.
According to People, Duress died of “a cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail” in November 2023. His death was confirmed to People by his brother, Christopher Stathis.
Duress made his acting debut in the Safdie Brothers’ 2014 film Heaven Knows What, in which he played a drug dealer named Mike. Duress initially met co-director Josh Safdie while on the run after skipping out on a drug in-patient program. He ultimately missed the film’s premiere as he was apprehended by police and sent back to prison.
In 2017, following his release from prison, Duress reconnected with the Safdie Brothers for the crime thriller Good Time. The film, partially based off of his own journal, featured Duress in the role of the career criminal Ray, opposite Pattinson and Benny Safdie.
Duress also appeared in such films as 86’d,...
According to People, Duress died of “a cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail” in November 2023. His death was confirmed to People by his brother, Christopher Stathis.
Duress made his acting debut in the Safdie Brothers’ 2014 film Heaven Knows What, in which he played a drug dealer named Mike. Duress initially met co-director Josh Safdie while on the run after skipping out on a drug in-patient program. He ultimately missed the film’s premiere as he was apprehended by police and sent back to prison.
In 2017, following his release from prison, Duress reconnected with the Safdie Brothers for the crime thriller Good Time. The film, partially based off of his own journal, featured Duress in the role of the career criminal Ray, opposite Pattinson and Benny Safdie.
Duress also appeared in such films as 86’d,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Film News
Buddy Duress, known for his role alongside Robert Pattinson in the Safdie Brothers’ Good Time, has died. He was 38.
Duress, born Michael C. Stathis, died of “a cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail” in November 2023, his brother Christopher Stathis confirmed to People on Tuesday.
Duress was also known for his performance as Mike, a drug dealer in the Safdie Brothers’ 2014 Heaven Knows What and. In Good Time, released 2017 and based partially on Duress’ life, he played Ray, a recently released criminal to Pattinson’s protagonist Constantine “Connie” Nikas.
In a 2017 SSense interview, Duress said he first met Josh Safdie in 2013, following his release from jail for drug charges. He landed the role in Heaven Knows What shortly after, but was sent back jail before the film’s premiere for skipping a drug in-patient program.
“You know, I still look back at it. If I had went to that program, I...
Duress, born Michael C. Stathis, died of “a cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail” in November 2023, his brother Christopher Stathis confirmed to People on Tuesday.
Duress was also known for his performance as Mike, a drug dealer in the Safdie Brothers’ 2014 Heaven Knows What and. In Good Time, released 2017 and based partially on Duress’ life, he played Ray, a recently released criminal to Pattinson’s protagonist Constantine “Connie” Nikas.
In a 2017 SSense interview, Duress said he first met Josh Safdie in 2013, following his release from jail for drug charges. He landed the role in Heaven Knows What shortly after, but was sent back jail before the film’s premiere for skipping a drug in-patient program.
“You know, I still look back at it. If I had went to that program, I...
- 2/28/2024
- by Zoe G Phillips
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Buddy Duress has sadly passed away.
The actor, who was best known for his roles in Good Time and Heavens Knows What, died of “cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail” in November 2023, his brother Christopher Stathis shared with People on Tuesday (February 27).
Keep reading to find out more…Buddy was born Michael C. Stathis in Queens, New York in May 1985. He made his acting debut in Josh and Benny Safdie’s 2014 film Heaven Knows What.
He then teamed up with the Safdie brothers again for the 2017 movie Good Time where he played a drug dealer who partners with Robert Pattinson‘s character as the attempt to retrieve a Sprite bottle containing acid.
Buddy also appeared in several other movies including Person to Person, Beware of Dog, and Funny Pages. He has two more projects – Skull and Mass State Lottery – scheduled to be released later this year.
Buddy is survived by...
The actor, who was best known for his roles in Good Time and Heavens Knows What, died of “cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail” in November 2023, his brother Christopher Stathis shared with People on Tuesday (February 27).
Keep reading to find out more…Buddy was born Michael C. Stathis in Queens, New York in May 1985. He made his acting debut in Josh and Benny Safdie’s 2014 film Heaven Knows What.
He then teamed up with the Safdie brothers again for the 2017 movie Good Time where he played a drug dealer who partners with Robert Pattinson‘s character as the attempt to retrieve a Sprite bottle containing acid.
Buddy also appeared in several other movies including Person to Person, Beware of Dog, and Funny Pages. He has two more projects – Skull and Mass State Lottery – scheduled to be released later this year.
Buddy is survived by...
- 2/28/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Buddy Duress (né Michael C. Stathis), who starred alongside Robert Pattinson in the Safdie brothers’ 2017 crime thriller “Good Time,” has died. He was 38.
Duress’ brother Christopher Stathis revealed to People on Tuesday that the actor died in November 2023 of “cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail.”
Duress was born in Queens, New York, in May 1985. He made his acting debut in Josh and Benny Safdie’s 2014 film “Heaven Knows What,” which also stars Caleb Landry Jones and Arielle Holmes. In “Good Time,” Duress portrayed Ray, a drug dealer who becomes Connie Nikas’ (Pattinson) partner in crime as the two attempt to retrieve a Sprite bottle containing liquid LSD.
Along with “Heaven Knows What” and “Good Time,” Duress worked on such films as “Person to Person” (2017), “The Great Darkened Days” (2018), “Beware of Dog” (2020), “Pvt Chat” (2020), “Flinch” (2021) and “Funny Pages” (2022). Duress has two more unreleased projects: a short film titled “Skull” and Jay...
Duress’ brother Christopher Stathis revealed to People on Tuesday that the actor died in November 2023 of “cardiac arrest from a drug cocktail.”
Duress was born in Queens, New York, in May 1985. He made his acting debut in Josh and Benny Safdie’s 2014 film “Heaven Knows What,” which also stars Caleb Landry Jones and Arielle Holmes. In “Good Time,” Duress portrayed Ray, a drug dealer who becomes Connie Nikas’ (Pattinson) partner in crime as the two attempt to retrieve a Sprite bottle containing liquid LSD.
Along with “Heaven Knows What” and “Good Time,” Duress worked on such films as “Person to Person” (2017), “The Great Darkened Days” (2018), “Beware of Dog” (2020), “Pvt Chat” (2020), “Flinch” (2021) and “Funny Pages” (2022). Duress has two more unreleased projects: a short film titled “Skull” and Jay...
- 2/28/2024
- by Michaela Zee
- Variety Film + TV
Tendaberry, the feature debut from writer-director Haley Elizabeth Anderson, follows 23-year-old protagonist Dakota (first-time actor Kota Johan) throughout an entire calendar year as she experiences day-to-day life in New York City. Specifically, Dakota and her boyfriend Yuri reside in the South Brooklyn neighborhood of Brighton Beach, which is alight with sunbathers and Coney Island-bound tourists in the summertime, but otherwise very quiet—save for the constant hum of ocean wave and gulls—during the off-season. A permanent air of loneliness engulfs Dakota when Yuri travels back to Ukraine to […]
The post “When You’re Filming in the Streets of New York, There’s No Need To Pretend”: Haley Elizabeth Anderson on Tendaberry first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “When You’re Filming in the Streets of New York, There’s No Need To Pretend”: Haley Elizabeth Anderson on Tendaberry first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/23/2024
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Tendaberry, the feature debut from writer-director Haley Elizabeth Anderson, follows 23-year-old protagonist Dakota (first-time actor Kota Johan) throughout an entire calendar year as she experiences day-to-day life in New York City. Specifically, Dakota and her boyfriend Yuri reside in the South Brooklyn neighborhood of Brighton Beach, which is alight with sunbathers and Coney Island-bound tourists in the summertime, but otherwise very quiet—save for the constant hum of ocean wave and gulls—during the off-season. A permanent air of loneliness engulfs Dakota when Yuri travels back to Ukraine to […]
The post “When You’re Filming in the Streets of New York, There’s No Need To Pretend”: Haley Elizabeth Anderson on Tendaberry first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
The post “When You’re Filming in the Streets of New York, There’s No Need To Pretend”: Haley Elizabeth Anderson on Tendaberry first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.
- 1/23/2024
- by Natalia Keogan
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
January is one of the biggest months of the year for independent film, with hundreds of film critics descending upon the Sundance Film Festival to discover the works of up-and-coming directors. But for those of us who can’t make the trek to Park City, Utah, there are plenty of independent movies to enjoy from the comfort of our homes.
This month, there’s a particularly big selection of independent classics to choose from on streaming, particularly if you’re subscribed to the Criterion Channel. In celebration of the approaching festival, Criterion is hosting a massive selection of past Sundance favorites, including the 1968 experimental documentary “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One.” Other favorites in the selection include “Blood Simple,” “Stranger Than Paradise,” “The Times of Harvey Milk,” “Desert Hearts,” “Working Girls,” “Paris Is Burning,” “Mississippi Masala,” “Slacker,” “Hoop Dreams,” and “The Doom Generation.” Other major indie favorites on the streamer this January include...
This month, there’s a particularly big selection of independent classics to choose from on streaming, particularly if you’re subscribed to the Criterion Channel. In celebration of the approaching festival, Criterion is hosting a massive selection of past Sundance favorites, including the 1968 experimental documentary “Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One.” Other favorites in the selection include “Blood Simple,” “Stranger Than Paradise,” “The Times of Harvey Milk,” “Desert Hearts,” “Working Girls,” “Paris Is Burning,” “Mississippi Masala,” “Slacker,” “Hoop Dreams,” and “The Doom Generation.” Other major indie favorites on the streamer this January include...
- 1/6/2024
- by Wilson Chapman
- Indiewire
Benny Safdie got his start in Hollywood as a director alongside his brother Josh, but now they’ve gone their separate ways.
The Safdie Brothers directed five movies together: 2009′s Daddy Longlegs, 2013′s Lenny Cooke, 2014′s Heaven Knows What, 2017′s Good Time, and 2019′s Uncut Gems.
Benny recently has been having success as an actor with roles in films like Licorice Pizza, Oppenheimer, and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, as well as the new Showtime series The Curse.
In a new interview, he explained his professional split from his brother.
Keep reading to find out more…
“It’s a natural progression of what we each want to explore,” he told Variety. “I will direct on my own, and I will explore things that I want to explore. I want that freedom right now in my life.”
Josh has been working on a new movie starring Adam Sandler and Megan Thee Stallion,...
The Safdie Brothers directed five movies together: 2009′s Daddy Longlegs, 2013′s Lenny Cooke, 2014′s Heaven Knows What, 2017′s Good Time, and 2019′s Uncut Gems.
Benny recently has been having success as an actor with roles in films like Licorice Pizza, Oppenheimer, and Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, as well as the new Showtime series The Curse.
In a new interview, he explained his professional split from his brother.
Keep reading to find out more…
“It’s a natural progression of what we each want to explore,” he told Variety. “I will direct on my own, and I will explore things that I want to explore. I want that freedom right now in my life.”
Josh has been working on a new movie starring Adam Sandler and Megan Thee Stallion,...
- 1/5/2024
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Catering directly to my interests, the Criterion Channel’s January lineup boasts two of my favorite things: James Gray and cats. In the former case it’s his first five features (itself a terrible reminder he only released five movies in 20 years); the latter shows felines the respect they deserve, from Kuroneko to The Long Goodbye, Tourneur’s Cat People and Mick Garris’ Sleepwalkers. Meanwhile, Ava Gardner, Bertrand Tavernier, Isabel Sandoval, Ken Russell, Juleen Compton, George Harrison’s HandMade Films, and the Sundance Film Festival get retrospectives.
Restorations of Soviet sci-fi trip Ikarie Xb 1, The Unknown, and The Music of Regret stream, as does the recent Plan 75. January’s Criterion Editions are Inside Llewyn Davis, Farewell Amor, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and (most intriguingly) the long-out-of-print The Man Who Fell to Earth, Blu-rays of which go for hundreds of dollars.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
Back By Popular Demand
The Graduate,...
Restorations of Soviet sci-fi trip Ikarie Xb 1, The Unknown, and The Music of Regret stream, as does the recent Plan 75. January’s Criterion Editions are Inside Llewyn Davis, Farewell Amor, The Incredible Shrinking Man, and (most intriguingly) the long-out-of-print The Man Who Fell to Earth, Blu-rays of which go for hundreds of dollars.
See the lineup below and learn more here.
Back By Popular Demand
The Graduate,...
- 12/12/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
NYC Weekend Watch is our weekly round-up of repertory offerings.
Film Forum
The new 4K Days of Heaven restoration is now playing (read our interview with Brooke Adams) while Michael Powell’s career-killing masterwork Peeping Tom continues and Bertrand Tavernier’s Coup de Torchon screens; Home Alone plays this Sunday.
Roxy Cinema
Heaven Knows What plays on 35mm; Mondo New York and The Soldier’s Tale play in new restorations; Children of Men screens this Sunday.
Anthology Film Archives
The films of Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project are screening, while a retrospective of Jesus onscreen includes Night of the Hunter, Buñuel’s The Milky Way, and (of course) The Passion of the Christ.
Museum of the Moving Image
A career-spanning Todd Haynes retrospective continues with Velvet Goldmine, Mildred Pierce, and early works; The Matrix plays on 35mm Friday night; Keaton’s Our Hospitality and The Philadelphia Story play Saturday and Sunday,...
Film Forum
The new 4K Days of Heaven restoration is now playing (read our interview with Brooke Adams) while Michael Powell’s career-killing masterwork Peeping Tom continues and Bertrand Tavernier’s Coup de Torchon screens; Home Alone plays this Sunday.
Roxy Cinema
Heaven Knows What plays on 35mm; Mondo New York and The Soldier’s Tale play in new restorations; Children of Men screens this Sunday.
Anthology Film Archives
The films of Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project are screening, while a retrospective of Jesus onscreen includes Night of the Hunter, Buñuel’s The Milky Way, and (of course) The Passion of the Christ.
Museum of the Moving Image
A career-spanning Todd Haynes retrospective continues with Velvet Goldmine, Mildred Pierce, and early works; The Matrix plays on 35mm Friday night; Keaton’s Our Hospitality and The Philadelphia Story play Saturday and Sunday,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
The true pleasure of watching a filmmaker’s favorites is spotting influence. Artists, for all their daring and transgression, can only go so far escaping this, and if you find the exact right title it’s like watching them being born in the corner of the frame. (Speaking metaphorically.) It might take only this 75-second clip from The Gods of Times Square to find Josh Safdie’s sensibility––when, nine seconds in, we meet a “Jew for Jesus” who’d been “grafted in by the Holy Spirit” that oh-my-God-where-could-they-have-found-this-person sensation I get from Heaven Knows What, Good Time, and Uncut Gems kicked in, except here it’s scarier for being all too real.
We’re proud to debut said clip––courtesy Safdie’s Elara Pictures outfit and Jake Perlin’s The Film Desk––as Richard Sandler’s 1999 documentary begins a week-long run at New York’s Roxy Cinema. You can find it below,...
We’re proud to debut said clip––courtesy Safdie’s Elara Pictures outfit and Jake Perlin’s The Film Desk––as Richard Sandler’s 1999 documentary begins a week-long run at New York’s Roxy Cinema. You can find it below,...
- 11/17/2023
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
There’s nothing as sweet as discovering the inner cults behind modern America. Or so it seems to acclaimed cinematographer Sean Price Williams, who makes his directorial debut with twisted coming-of-age dramedy “The Sweet East” that stars a who’s who of millennial–Gen Z talent.
Written by Nick Pinkerton, “The Sweet East” follows a high school senior Lillian (Talia Ryder) who hails from South Carolina and gets her first glimpse of the wider world on a class trip to Washington, D.C. Separated from her schoolmates, she embarks on a fractured road trip in search of America. Along the way, she falls in with a variety of strange factions, each living out their own alternative realities in our present day.
Jacob Elordi, Jeremy O. Harris, Ayo Edebiri, Simon Rex, Early Cave, Rish Shah, and Gibby Haynes also star as the outrageous characters Lillian meets along the way home.
Featuring...
Written by Nick Pinkerton, “The Sweet East” follows a high school senior Lillian (Talia Ryder) who hails from South Carolina and gets her first glimpse of the wider world on a class trip to Washington, D.C. Separated from her schoolmates, she embarks on a fractured road trip in search of America. Along the way, she falls in with a variety of strange factions, each living out their own alternative realities in our present day.
Jacob Elordi, Jeremy O. Harris, Ayo Edebiri, Simon Rex, Early Cave, Rish Shah, and Gibby Haynes also star as the outrageous characters Lillian meets along the way home.
Featuring...
- 11/2/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
A post-ironic picaresque born from a take-no-prisoners attitude so oppressive that it soon becomes its own kind of jail, Sean Price Williams’ “The Sweet East” amounts to something more than just a series of semi-connected trolls. But this sniveling little satire of modern American thought is never funnier or more sure of itself than when it makes you feel like an asshole for taking it too seriously.
Consider the film’s opening few minutes, which appear to tee up a lo-fi but legibly familiar sex comedy set on a high school trip to Washington, D.C., until things, uh, take a turn. We first meet Lillian as she lies in a hotel bed next to a blond mouth-breather who plays with his used condom like it’s a party balloon and brags about how he’s going to be a star. Later, after reuniting with the rest of her grade,...
Consider the film’s opening few minutes, which appear to tee up a lo-fi but legibly familiar sex comedy set on a high school trip to Washington, D.C., until things, uh, take a turn. We first meet Lillian as she lies in a hotel bed next to a blond mouth-breather who plays with his used condom like it’s a party balloon and brags about how he’s going to be a star. Later, after reuniting with the rest of her grade,...
- 5/18/2023
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
The next Safdie Brothers movie is bringing on another big name.
According to Deadline, Megan Thee Stallion is in talks to star in the new film from the directors of “Uncut Gems”, joining Adam Sandler.
Read More: Adam Sandler Confirms He’s Reuniting With The Safdie Brothers For A New Film
Details about the new movie are few and far between, but Josh and Benny Safdie will be directing from their own screenplay, which Sandler has confirmed is set in the world of sports memorabilia.
Production is expected to begin this summer, with the title still unknown.
The Safdies are no stranger to working with music artists, having cast The Weeknd in a small but crucial role in “Uncut Gems”.
Read More: Seth Rogen Claims He Smoked Weed With Meghan Thee Stallion At The Vanity Fair Oscars After-Party
Before “Uncut Gems”, the brothers helmed “Good Time”, starring Robert Pattinson, as...
According to Deadline, Megan Thee Stallion is in talks to star in the new film from the directors of “Uncut Gems”, joining Adam Sandler.
Read More: Adam Sandler Confirms He’s Reuniting With The Safdie Brothers For A New Film
Details about the new movie are few and far between, but Josh and Benny Safdie will be directing from their own screenplay, which Sandler has confirmed is set in the world of sports memorabilia.
Production is expected to begin this summer, with the title still unknown.
The Safdies are no stranger to working with music artists, having cast The Weeknd in a small but crucial role in “Uncut Gems”.
Read More: Seth Rogen Claims He Smoked Weed With Meghan Thee Stallion At The Vanity Fair Oscars After-Party
Before “Uncut Gems”, the brothers helmed “Good Time”, starring Robert Pattinson, as...
- 3/31/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Exclusive: Hercules Film Fund and Rhea Films have closed a deal to finance and produce a feature-length version of Power Signal — the sci-fi short from Oscar Boyson that had its world premiere in Sundance’s Midnight Shorts section last Friday.
The short stars Babs Olusanmokun (Dune) as a NYC delivery worker who has a close encounter with an otherworldly life form after accepting a degenerate customer’s bizarre proposition. Boyson directed the pic, also starring Angela Sarafyan, Tennessee King and Will Brill, from his and Erin DeWitt’s script, also producing with Jordan Drake, Alex Coco, and production companies Object & Animal and Hayden 5.
Like the short, the feature adaptation is described as a NYC-set sci-fi Western in which e-biking delivery workers are the cowboys. Further plot details are under wraps.
Boyson will direct from his script written with DeWitt and Ricky Camilleri. The project reunites him with producers Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis...
The short stars Babs Olusanmokun (Dune) as a NYC delivery worker who has a close encounter with an otherworldly life form after accepting a degenerate customer’s bizarre proposition. Boyson directed the pic, also starring Angela Sarafyan, Tennessee King and Will Brill, from his and Erin DeWitt’s script, also producing with Jordan Drake, Alex Coco, and production companies Object & Animal and Hayden 5.
Like the short, the feature adaptation is described as a NYC-set sci-fi Western in which e-biking delivery workers are the cowboys. Further plot details are under wraps.
Boyson will direct from his script written with DeWitt and Ricky Camilleri. The project reunites him with producers Paris Kassidokostas-Latsis...
- 1/30/2023
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
A languorous, ethnobiological romance that’s lodged somewhere between yesterday and tomorrow — memory and anticipation — Jessica Oreck’s singularly transportive
Announcing itself as “a true story, set in the future,” Oreck’s film largely eschews action in favor of entropy, its plot simple enough to sound like a premise: As millions of people starve to death in a frigid city that was deprived of food for 900 days, two high-cheekboned workers at the world’s first seed bank fight to preserve a priceless collection of genetically diverse plant life. Eating the produce would feed a small handful of extremely hungry people for a few days, but harvesting the seeds might allow for the possibility of restoring the world’s agriculture when the war ends. If the war ends.
For Alyssa (Alyssa Lozovskaya) and Maksim (Maksim Blinov), the decision is so obvious that Oreck hardly needs to dramatize it being made. One day,...
Announcing itself as “a true story, set in the future,” Oreck’s film largely eschews action in favor of entropy, its plot simple enough to sound like a premise: As millions of people starve to death in a frigid city that was deprived of food for 900 days, two high-cheekboned workers at the world’s first seed bank fight to preserve a priceless collection of genetically diverse plant life. Eating the produce would feed a small handful of extremely hungry people for a few days, but harvesting the seeds might allow for the possibility of restoring the world’s agriculture when the war ends. If the war ends.
For Alyssa (Alyssa Lozovskaya) and Maksim (Maksim Blinov), the decision is so obvious that Oreck hardly needs to dramatize it being made. One day,...
- 7/27/2022
- by David Ehrlich
- Indiewire
Caleb Landry Jones is chainsmoking on a couch in his Los Angeles home. Behind him is a black-and-white woodcut of a contorted nude figure, carved by his girlfriend, the artist Katya Svereva. He’ll be the first to cop to the disheveled, charmingly ragged appearance we expect from this indie film’s consummate weirdo. (“There has been a lot of unmanaged hair.”) We’re on Zoom to discuss his ferocious turn in Justin Kurzel’s “Nitram,” a dramatic retelling (with ample artistic license) of the events that led up to the 1996 Port Arthur shooting in Tasmania. That killing spree took 35 lives and injured 24 more, including shooter Martin Bryant, who’s serving 35 life sentences with no possibility of parole.
But Landry Jones and Aussie director Justin Kurzel — making his first film since plumbing another piece of Australian history with “True Story of the Kelly Gang” — will never refer to Martin Bryant by name.
But Landry Jones and Aussie director Justin Kurzel — making his first film since plumbing another piece of Australian history with “True Story of the Kelly Gang” — will never refer to Martin Bryant by name.
- 4/1/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Caleb Landry Jones, Judy Davis, Essie Davis, and Anthony Lapaglia in Nitram will be In Theaters, on Digital Rental and AMC+March 30
Here’s the trailer:
Directed by Justin Kurzel (True History Of The Kelly Gang, Snowtown Murders, MacBeth) and written by Shaun Grant (True History Of The Kelly Gang, Berlin Syndrome), Nitram stars Caleb Landry Jones (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Get Out, Heaven Knows What), Essie Davis (The Babadook, True History Of The Kelly Gang), Oscar Nominee Judy Davis (Husbands And Wives, Barton Fink, Naked Lunch), and Anthony Lapaglia (Empire Records, Without A Trace).
Nitram (Caleb Landry Jones) lives with his mother (Judy Davis) and father (Anthony Lapaglia) in suburban Australia in the Mid 1990s. He lives a life of isolation and frustration at never being able to fit in. That is until he unexpectedly finds a close friend in a reclusive heiress, Helen (Essie Davis). However, when...
Here’s the trailer:
Directed by Justin Kurzel (True History Of The Kelly Gang, Snowtown Murders, MacBeth) and written by Shaun Grant (True History Of The Kelly Gang, Berlin Syndrome), Nitram stars Caleb Landry Jones (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, Get Out, Heaven Knows What), Essie Davis (The Babadook, True History Of The Kelly Gang), Oscar Nominee Judy Davis (Husbands And Wives, Barton Fink, Naked Lunch), and Anthony Lapaglia (Empire Records, Without A Trace).
Nitram (Caleb Landry Jones) lives with his mother (Judy Davis) and father (Anthony Lapaglia) in suburban Australia in the Mid 1990s. He lives a life of isolation and frustration at never being able to fit in. That is until he unexpectedly finds a close friend in a reclusive heiress, Helen (Essie Davis). However, when...
- 2/10/2022
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The Port Arthur shooting of 1996 in Tasmania remains Australia’s deadliest incidents committed by a single person. That’s a horrifying piece of history to take on for a movie, but Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel takes a slanted approach to the material by not showing the actual events, but instead what built to them through the eyes of the perpetrator. In his new film, “Nitram,” Caleb Landry Jones play the protagonist (here named Nitram) in a portrait of a psychopath brewing. Kurzel is naturally the fit for the material, as he has plumbed the depths of the dark side of Australian history before with “True History of the Kelly Gang” and “The Snowtown Murders.” Exclusively on IndieWire, watch the trailer for “Nitram” below.
Caleb Landry Jones has been a go-to for playing feral, gnarly characters, from “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” to the gnashing drug addicts in the Safdies’ “Heaven Knows What...
Caleb Landry Jones has been a go-to for playing feral, gnarly characters, from “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” to the gnashing drug addicts in the Safdies’ “Heaven Knows What...
- 2/10/2022
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Next month’s Mubi lineup for the U.S. has been unveiled and a number of our recent festival favorites that were awaiting distribution will be coming to the service, including Mr. Bachmann and His Class, Ballad of a White Cow, Madalena, Taste, The Monopoly of Violence, and For Lucio.
One of last year’s great films, Hong Sangsoo’s The Woman Who Ran, will also be arriving, alongside Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45, the Safdies’ Heaven Knows What, Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz, and Leo McCarey’s Love Affair, with the latter two pairing for a Valentine’s Day double feature.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
February 1 | The Monopoly of Violence | David Dufresne | From France with Love
February 2 | Looking for Venera | Norika Sefa | Festival Focus: Rotterdam
February 3 | Madalena | Madiano Marcheti | Festival Focus: Rotterdam
February 4 | Honey Cigar | Kamir Aïnouz | From France with Love
February 5 | …and...
One of last year’s great films, Hong Sangsoo’s The Woman Who Ran, will also be arriving, alongside Abel Ferrara’s Ms. 45, the Safdies’ Heaven Knows What, Sarah Polley’s Take This Waltz, and Leo McCarey’s Love Affair, with the latter two pairing for a Valentine’s Day double feature.
Check out the lineup below and get 30 days free here.
February 1 | The Monopoly of Violence | David Dufresne | From France with Love
February 2 | Looking for Venera | Norika Sefa | Festival Focus: Rotterdam
February 3 | Madalena | Madiano Marcheti | Festival Focus: Rotterdam
February 4 | Honey Cigar | Kamir Aïnouz | From France with Love
February 5 | …and...
- 1/20/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)
The Movie: Heaven Knows What
Where You Can Stream It: Shudder
The Pitch: Before the Safdie brothers convinced Adam Sandler to fight The Weeknd in a club bathroom or made Robert Pattinson dye his hair bleach blond, they directed "Heaven Knows What." This beautiful bummer of a roller coaster ride follows a group of unhoused heroin addicts as they fight, fall in love, and score on the streets of New York. The film's emotional center is Harley, a...
The post The Daily Stream: Without Heaven Knows What We Wouldn't Have Uncut Gems appeared first on /Film.
The Movie: Heaven Knows What
Where You Can Stream It: Shudder
The Pitch: Before the Safdie brothers convinced Adam Sandler to fight The Weeknd in a club bathroom or made Robert Pattinson dye his hair bleach blond, they directed "Heaven Knows What." This beautiful bummer of a roller coaster ride follows a group of unhoused heroin addicts as they fight, fall in love, and score on the streets of New York. The film's emotional center is Harley, a...
The post The Daily Stream: Without Heaven Knows What We Wouldn't Have Uncut Gems appeared first on /Film.
- 9/25/2021
- by Kaylee Dugan
- Slash Film
When Caleb Landry Jones, the actor known for turned-to-ten roles in films like Get Out, Heaven Knows What, and Twin Peaks: The Return, announced a solo album in 2020, I immediately jumped on it. I was pleasantly surprised by its sound, a high-ambition melange of ‘60s-era baroque pop and progressive rock. Just over a year later, Jones revealed a sophomore record, Gadzooks Vol. 1, which doubles down on The Mother Stone’s strengths while cutting its runtime in half; it runs the gamut from the pop of “Yesterday Will Come” to a 22-minute musique-concrete closer “This Won’t Come Back.”
This time around I got the chance to speak with Jones, a true original: an unpretentious, unreconstructed artist. He’s given to friendly bouts of laughter that punctuate and ironize his points. The conversation we had, presented here, is an extension of his music: eccentric, funny, prone to digression and jam.
The...
This time around I got the chance to speak with Jones, a true original: an unpretentious, unreconstructed artist. He’s given to friendly bouts of laughter that punctuate and ironize his points. The conversation we had, presented here, is an extension of his music: eccentric, funny, prone to digression and jam.
The...
- 9/23/2021
- by Matthew Danger Lippman
- The Film Stage
Showtime has ordered the comedy series “The Curse,” which hails from Nathan Fielder and Benny Safdie. Both will also star in the series alongside Emma Stone.
The half-hour series is said to explore how an alleged curse disturbs the relationship of a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring on their problematic new HGTV show.
Fielder will direct and executive produce in addition to starring and co-creating the series. Co-creator Benny Safdie will also executive produce with his brother Josh Safdie under their Elara Pictures banner. Stone will executive produce via Fruit Tree. Ravi Nandan will executive produce for A24, which will produce the series. A24 also produced the current Showtime series “Moonbase 8.”
“The fierce intelligence and wit of the incomparable Emma Stone make her the perfect partner with the ingenious minds of the Safdie brothers and the subversive comedy of Nathan Fielder,” said Amy Israel,...
The half-hour series is said to explore how an alleged curse disturbs the relationship of a newly married couple as they try to conceive a child while co-starring on their problematic new HGTV show.
Fielder will direct and executive produce in addition to starring and co-creating the series. Co-creator Benny Safdie will also executive produce with his brother Josh Safdie under their Elara Pictures banner. Stone will executive produce via Fruit Tree. Ravi Nandan will executive produce for A24, which will produce the series. A24 also produced the current Showtime series “Moonbase 8.”
“The fierce intelligence and wit of the incomparable Emma Stone make her the perfect partner with the ingenious minds of the Safdie brothers and the subversive comedy of Nathan Fielder,” said Amy Israel,...
- 12/10/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Mubi's series Shooting the Hip: The Cinematography of Sean Price Williams is showing June and July in many countries.Above: The Color WheelThe work of cinematographer Sean Price Williams has become synonymous with contemporary American independent cinema. What separates his filmography from his peers is his ability to shape shift with his various collaborators whether in different film frameworks of fiction and non-fiction, different genres, or just different aesthetics altogether. He is perhaps best known for his collaborations with Josh and Ben Safdie (Heaven Knows What and Good Time), but his credits include over ninety feature-length films and shorts— a body of work that when investigating further yields some of the most impressive images in the medium. With his versatile camera Williams brings an electric personal energy to wildly different films, making his name in the credits an enticement to any project.Often the stories about Williams start with...
- 7/22/2020
- MUBI
With readers turning to their home viewing options more than ever, this daily feature provides one new movie each day worth checking out on a major streaming platform. Parts of this article were published when “Good Time” premiered at Cannes.
Filmmaking duo Josh and Benny Safdie are quickly becoming some of the most celebrated American directors out there: “Uncut Gems” was the surprise hit of 2019, a dark and gritty Adam Sandler vehicle that transformed his oddball humor into a cinematic odyssey through the streets of New York’s diamond district. Now, with the movie continuing to raise its profile as one of Netflix’s most popular new releases, the Safdie brand has never been stronger: As with Robert Pattinson in “Good Time,” the Safdies have once again proven they can transform stars into naturalistic puddles of exasperation, real human faces for these anxiety-riddled times.
However, Safdie completists know that the...
Filmmaking duo Josh and Benny Safdie are quickly becoming some of the most celebrated American directors out there: “Uncut Gems” was the surprise hit of 2019, a dark and gritty Adam Sandler vehicle that transformed his oddball humor into a cinematic odyssey through the streets of New York’s diamond district. Now, with the movie continuing to raise its profile as one of Netflix’s most popular new releases, the Safdie brand has never been stronger: As with Robert Pattinson in “Good Time,” the Safdies have once again proven they can transform stars into naturalistic puddles of exasperation, real human faces for these anxiety-riddled times.
However, Safdie completists know that the...
- 5/29/2020
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
This is how HBO wins: The network has signed a two-year first look deal with “Uncut Gems” writer-directors Josh and Benny Safdie.
Variety reported that duo and Elara Pictures, which the brothers co-founded with Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein in 2014, will produce film and television projects for the platform. A24, which produced the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time,” as well as acclaimed films such as “Midsommar,” will executive produce all projects under the deal and will partner with Elara on certain projects outside the deal. A24 has partnered with HBO on several past television projects, most recently drama series “Euphoria” starring Zendaya, which has been renewed for a second season.
Terms of the Safdie brothers’ HBO deal were not disclosed.
The deal could result in the Safdie brothers’ first television project. The duo’s filmography has been widely praised and last year’s Adam Sandler-led “Uncut Gems...
Variety reported that duo and Elara Pictures, which the brothers co-founded with Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein in 2014, will produce film and television projects for the platform. A24, which produced the Safdie brothers’ “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time,” as well as acclaimed films such as “Midsommar,” will executive produce all projects under the deal and will partner with Elara on certain projects outside the deal. A24 has partnered with HBO on several past television projects, most recently drama series “Euphoria” starring Zendaya, which has been renewed for a second season.
Terms of the Safdie brothers’ HBO deal were not disclosed.
The deal could result in the Safdie brothers’ first television project. The duo’s filmography has been widely praised and last year’s Adam Sandler-led “Uncut Gems...
- 5/27/2020
- by Tyler Hersko
- Indiewire
Josh and Benny Safdie and Elara Pictures have signed a two year first look deal with HBO, Variety has learned.
The Safdies formed Elara with their long time collaborators Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein in 2014. Dani Bernfeld is joining the company as partner to produce across film and TV.
A24 will executive produce all projects under the deal and partner with Elara on select projects outside the deal. A24 previously partnered with the Safdies on their critically-acclaimed films “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time.” The company also currently produces the HBO series “Euphoria,” which has been renewed for a second season.
Should anything be produced under the deal, it would mark the Safdies’ first TV project, though they both appeared onscreen in the same episode of the HBO series “Togetherness” in 2016. The brothers are known for their film work, most recently “Uncut Gems.” The film, which starred Adam Sandler as a...
The Safdies formed Elara with their long time collaborators Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein in 2014. Dani Bernfeld is joining the company as partner to produce across film and TV.
A24 will executive produce all projects under the deal and partner with Elara on select projects outside the deal. A24 previously partnered with the Safdies on their critically-acclaimed films “Uncut Gems” and “Good Time.” The company also currently produces the HBO series “Euphoria,” which has been renewed for a second season.
Should anything be produced under the deal, it would mark the Safdies’ first TV project, though they both appeared onscreen in the same episode of the HBO series “Togetherness” in 2016. The brothers are known for their film work, most recently “Uncut Gems.” The film, which starred Adam Sandler as a...
- 5/26/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Uncut Gems directors/co-writers Josh and Benny Safdie have signed a two-year, first-look television deal with HBO via their Elara Pictures production company. Additionally, the company, formed with long-time collaborators Sebastian Bear-McClard and Ronald Bronstein, has brought on former Paramount and Chernin Entertainment executive Dani Bernfeld as Partner to produce across film & TV.
A24, co-producer and distributor of Uncut Gems, will executive produce all HBO Elara projects and partner with Elara on select projects outside of the HBO first look. Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler, became A24’s highest-grossing film, earning more than $50 million domestically at the box office. The Safdies won the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Director and were nominated for Best Screenplay for the film. A24 previously partnered with Elara on the Robert Pattinson crime thriller Good Time.
A24 has partnered with HBO on several past television projects, most recently drama series Euphoria starring Zendaya, which...
A24, co-producer and distributor of Uncut Gems, will executive produce all HBO Elara projects and partner with Elara on select projects outside of the HBO first look. Uncut Gems, starring Adam Sandler, became A24’s highest-grossing film, earning more than $50 million domestically at the box office. The Safdies won the 2020 Film Independent Spirit Award for Best Director and were nominated for Best Screenplay for the film. A24 previously partnered with Elara on the Robert Pattinson crime thriller Good Time.
A24 has partnered with HBO on several past television projects, most recently drama series Euphoria starring Zendaya, which...
- 5/26/2020
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
The Cannes Film Festival is living on this month thanks in part to The New York Times, which gathered 23 of the world’s most prominent filmmakers to share with critics Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott their best memories from attending the world’s most prestigious festival. Two of the wildest Cannes stories belong to Josh Safdie and Benny Safdie, the brothers behind indie favorites “Heaven Knows What,” “Good Time,” and “Uncut Gems.” Only the Safdie brothers would have Cannes stories that would make for pretty amazing Safdie brothers movies.
Benny Safdie first attended Cannes in 2008 to world premiere his short film “The Acquaintances of a Lonely John” at Directors’ Fortnight. Benny got fined by a police officer for riding a motor scooter without a helmet and had to go to the police station to pay it off. A man named Jean-Marie Beulaygue was the chief of police at the time...
Benny Safdie first attended Cannes in 2008 to world premiere his short film “The Acquaintances of a Lonely John” at Directors’ Fortnight. Benny got fined by a police officer for riding a motor scooter without a helmet and had to go to the police station to pay it off. A man named Jean-Marie Beulaygue was the chief of police at the time...
- 5/15/2020
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
If one were to think of the cinematographers that defined the medium in the last decade, Sean Price Williams would be near the top. From his collaborations with the Safdies to Alex Ross Perry to Kate Plays Christine to Marjorie Prime, his dexterity and kineticism are virtually unparalleled in the field. While he briefly stepped into the director’s chair for the short Sean’s Beach in 2004 and co-directed 2011’s Eyes Find Eyes with Jean-Manuel Fernandez, he’s now eying his solo helming debut.
“There’s a script and some people who are excited about,” Price Williams tells Independent Magazine (via Moviemaker). “It’s a little like Terry Southern’s Candy—[which was] a fun book, a bad movie. It’s about a high school girl, her journey up the East Coast of America encountering one bozo after another… It’s a great script, Nick Pinkerton wrote it.”
Published in 1958, Terry Southern...
“There’s a script and some people who are excited about,” Price Williams tells Independent Magazine (via Moviemaker). “It’s a little like Terry Southern’s Candy—[which was] a fun book, a bad movie. It’s about a high school girl, her journey up the East Coast of America encountering one bozo after another… It’s a great script, Nick Pinkerton wrote it.”
Published in 1958, Terry Southern...
- 2/26/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Stars: Adam Sandler, Keith Williams Richards, Tommy Kominik, Lakeith Stanfield, Pom Klementieff, Julia Fox, Paloma Elsesser, Mike Francesa, Maksud Agadjani, Andrea Linsky, Roman Persits | Written by Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie, Ronald Bronstein | Directed by Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie
A whirlwind of stress induced panic attacks that seem like they will never end. When they finally do end your knuckles will be white, your blood pressure will be high and the most stressful experience you’ll ever have in a cinema will be over.
The Safdie brothers first came onto the scene with Heaven Knows What and Good Times, and if they were the blueprints of what was to come then this is surely the accumulation of those movies turned up to 11. There’s a desperate nature that the Safdie brothers are becoming known for, and the desperation fuelled nature of Uncut Gems creates one of the most exciting and stressful...
A whirlwind of stress induced panic attacks that seem like they will never end. When they finally do end your knuckles will be white, your blood pressure will be high and the most stressful experience you’ll ever have in a cinema will be over.
The Safdie brothers first came onto the scene with Heaven Knows What and Good Times, and if they were the blueprints of what was to come then this is surely the accumulation of those movies turned up to 11. There’s a desperate nature that the Safdie brothers are becoming known for, and the desperation fuelled nature of Uncut Gems creates one of the most exciting and stressful...
- 1/17/2020
- by Alex Ginnelly
- Nerdly
Following our top 50 films of 2019, we’re sharing personal top 10 lists from our contributors. Check out the latest below and see our complete year-end coverage here.
To paraphrase Drake, “Where should I even really start?” 2019 was a year full of cinematic riches informed by dominant forces of the day: global politics, streaming (with an endless river of tech money), and an increased push across the board to include diverse voices at both festivals and in studios, which has led to more innovative storytelling across the board. Certainly, there is more work to be done but 2019’s global filmmakers went to work reflecting our collective dreams, fears, and anxieties. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV+ created and distributed content in a kind of arms race that truly benefits consumers.
Streaming and the need for prestige content like The Irishman and Marriage Story (typically the domain of studios or their...
To paraphrase Drake, “Where should I even really start?” 2019 was a year full of cinematic riches informed by dominant forces of the day: global politics, streaming (with an endless river of tech money), and an increased push across the board to include diverse voices at both festivals and in studios, which has led to more innovative storytelling across the board. Certainly, there is more work to be done but 2019’s global filmmakers went to work reflecting our collective dreams, fears, and anxieties. Streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and Apple TV+ created and distributed content in a kind of arms race that truly benefits consumers.
Streaming and the need for prestige content like The Irishman and Marriage Story (typically the domain of studios or their...
- 1/4/2020
- by John Fink
- The Film Stage
The John Lennon sage axiom “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans” aptly applies to Josh and Benjamin Safdie in their ten-year long march developing jewelry crime thriller Uncut Gems.
But as they started and stopped, other projects kept sprouting up and progressing, such as their previous Robert Pattinson noir thriller which debuted at Cannes two years ago, Good Time. They even attempted to get to their current Uncut Gems star Adam Sandler a few years ago, and fell short. But they definitely got his attention the second-time around. Now he’s reaping rave reviews for his turn as lovable, but ballsy, 47th Street NYC jeweler Howard Ratner who in the wake of receiving a large rock of uncut African gems, walks a tightrope in his trade, love life and sports gambling. At one point Sacha Baron Cohen circled the project. Along the way,...
But as they started and stopped, other projects kept sprouting up and progressing, such as their previous Robert Pattinson noir thriller which debuted at Cannes two years ago, Good Time. They even attempted to get to their current Uncut Gems star Adam Sandler a few years ago, and fell short. But they definitely got his attention the second-time around. Now he’s reaping rave reviews for his turn as lovable, but ballsy, 47th Street NYC jeweler Howard Ratner who in the wake of receiving a large rock of uncut African gems, walks a tightrope in his trade, love life and sports gambling. At one point Sacha Baron Cohen circled the project. Along the way,...
- 12/18/2019
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
There’s a climatic moment in Josh and Benny Safdie’s 2012 short “The Black Balloon” where the titular character tries to free his fellow balloons from a van by breaking the vehicle’s back window. The scene was staged in an industrial area of Sunset Park, the camera on the opposite side of eight lanes of high-speed traffic.
“The probability of impact, of the glass breaking, the probably of it being blocked was probably 60 percent — a truck could pass by and that’s it, you miss the moment,” said Josh when he and his brother Benny were guests on IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast. “But it was the only place you could see the action from, from my point of view. It added to it. It added to the stress of it, that there were cars running through, and subconsciously I think it makes the stunt feel less catered-to, which...
“The probability of impact, of the glass breaking, the probably of it being blocked was probably 60 percent — a truck could pass by and that’s it, you miss the moment,” said Josh when he and his brother Benny were guests on IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit Podcast. “But it was the only place you could see the action from, from my point of view. It added to it. It added to the stress of it, that there were cars running through, and subconsciously I think it makes the stunt feel less catered-to, which...
- 12/17/2019
- by Chris O'Falt
- Indiewire
If you want to be grabbed by the throat, then I’ve got just the movie for you: Josh and Benny Safdie's Uncut Gems. Like the brothers’ last two features, Heaven Knows What (2014) and Good Time (2017), it’s a showboating immersion into a gritty but resiliently existent side of New York that is nowadays rarely set to film. And like Good Time, their collision of Robert Pattinson with a borough-based B-film, Uncut Gems is driven by the monomania of its protagonist, Harold Ratner, and the stunt-casting appeal of the actor who plays him: Adam Sandler. Ratner is a Jewish jeweler in Midtown’s Diamond District and another addict looking for a rush—in this case, the rush of moving capital around with dangerous risks at the hope of a big pay off.The film opens with Ratner in debt and in panic, and its anxiety only climbs higher from there.
- 12/13/2019
- MUBI
Adam Sandler had his wife Jackie Sandler by his side on Wednesday night at the Los Angeles premiere of his new movie, Uncut Gems.
The couple — who have been married since 2003, and share daughters Sadie, 13, and Sunny, 11, — were all smiles as they walked the red carpet together at The Dome at the ArcLight Hollywood, posing for photographers with their arms wrapped around one another. They even shared a sweet kiss.
For the event, Adam, 53, kept it casual in a dark polo shirt, brown joggers, navy shoes, and a Fila navy hoodie with diamond quilted stitching.
Jackie, 45, wore a fitted black...
The couple — who have been married since 2003, and share daughters Sadie, 13, and Sunny, 11, — were all smiles as they walked the red carpet together at The Dome at the ArcLight Hollywood, posing for photographers with their arms wrapped around one another. They even shared a sweet kiss.
For the event, Adam, 53, kept it casual in a dark polo shirt, brown joggers, navy shoes, and a Fila navy hoodie with diamond quilted stitching.
Jackie, 45, wore a fitted black...
- 12/12/2019
- by Dave Quinn
- PEOPLE.com
Holy Ghost! released their music video for “Heaven Knows What” on Tuesday, starring the actor Michael Imperioli (Christopher on The Sopranos) and his son Vadim.
True to his Sopranos roots, Imperioli is shown dining at a red-sauce Italian restaurant, lip syncing the song. He sees his son staring at him across the room at the bar, and, in the next shot, Vadim has taken his place at the table, living out his father’s life.
“Heaven Knows What” was originally recorded as a demo for the soundtrack to Heaven Knows What,...
True to his Sopranos roots, Imperioli is shown dining at a red-sauce Italian restaurant, lip syncing the song. He sees his son staring at him across the room at the bar, and, in the next shot, Vadim has taken his place at the table, living out his father’s life.
“Heaven Knows What” was originally recorded as a demo for the soundtrack to Heaven Knows What,...
- 10/15/2019
- by Claire Shaffer
- Rollingstone.com
The Notebook is covering Tiff with an on-going correspondence between critics Fernando F. Croce, Kelley Dong, and editor Daniel Kasman.Uncut GemsDear Kelley and Fern,When one is in the thick of a film festival, surrounded on all sides by movie after movie after movie, the caffeine jolt of coffee may not be enough to keep up your energy; you may need a film that throttles you. If you want to be grabbed by the throat, then I’ve got just the movie for you: Josh and Benny Safdie's Uncut Gems. Like the brothers’ last two features, Heaven Knows What (2014) and Good Time (2017), it’s a showboating immersion into a gritty but resiliently existent side of New York that is nowadays rarely set to film. And like Good Time, their collision of Robert Pattinson with a borough-based B-film, Uncut Gems is driven by the monomania of its protagonist, Harold Ratner,...
- 9/24/2019
- MUBI
Adam Sandler is coming back to the big screen — and he’s about to play his most serious role yet in the Safdie brothers’ thriller, Uncut Gems.
The actor, 53, notably known for his comedies including Billy Madison, 50 First Dates and his recent Netflix hit, Murder Mystery, now stars as Howard Ratner, a New York City jeweler who takes risks bigger than he might be able to handle.
The A24 film, which premiered to strong reviews at the Telluride Film Festival in August, dropped the first look Tuesday at Sandler’s gripping role coming from the filmmaker brothers who brought dramas like,...
The actor, 53, notably known for his comedies including Billy Madison, 50 First Dates and his recent Netflix hit, Murder Mystery, now stars as Howard Ratner, a New York City jeweler who takes risks bigger than he might be able to handle.
The A24 film, which premiered to strong reviews at the Telluride Film Festival in August, dropped the first look Tuesday at Sandler’s gripping role coming from the filmmaker brothers who brought dramas like,...
- 9/24/2019
- by Georgia Slater
- PEOPLE.com
Adam Sandler has been getting a lot of praise for his upcoming film Uncut Gems. A lot of people are saying that the role he plays in this movie could land him a Best Actor Oscar nomination!
Well, the first trailer for the film has been released, and it certainly looks like Sandler gives an incredible performance! After seeing him make so many silly cash-grab comedies, it’s nice to see him make a film where he can really show off his talents and skills.
Sandler plays a jewelry dealer in the film that caters to the rich and famous and finds himself in a situation where he must find a way to pay his debts when his merchandise is taken from one of his top sellers and girlfriend. As you’ll see, he makes some bad decisions along the way.
The film comes from directors Josh and Benny Safdie,...
Well, the first trailer for the film has been released, and it certainly looks like Sandler gives an incredible performance! After seeing him make so many silly cash-grab comedies, it’s nice to see him make a film where he can really show off his talents and skills.
Sandler plays a jewelry dealer in the film that caters to the rich and famous and finds himself in a situation where he must find a way to pay his debts when his merchandise is taken from one of his top sellers and girlfriend. As you’ll see, he makes some bad decisions along the way.
The film comes from directors Josh and Benny Safdie,...
- 9/24/2019
- by Joey Paur
- GeekTyrant
What a whiplash of a year for Adam Sandler. After delivering his laziest comedy to date with Netflix’s “Murder Mystery” over the summer (read IndieWire’s D review here), Sandler returns to the big screen this December with what is being hailed out of the fall festivals as one of his best performances ever. Go figure.
Sandler is at the center of “Uncut Gems,” the latest crime thriller from indie darlings Josh and Benny Safdie. The directing duo is known for getting unhinged and gripping performances out of their leading actors (see Arielle Holmes in “Heaven Knows What” and Robert Pattinson in “Good Time”), and it appears Sandler is no exception in “Uncut Gems.”
The official plot synopsis for the movie reads: “‘Uncut Gems’ is a crime thriller about Howard Ratner (Sandler), a charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score. When he...
Sandler is at the center of “Uncut Gems,” the latest crime thriller from indie darlings Josh and Benny Safdie. The directing duo is known for getting unhinged and gripping performances out of their leading actors (see Arielle Holmes in “Heaven Knows What” and Robert Pattinson in “Good Time”), and it appears Sandler is no exception in “Uncut Gems.”
The official plot synopsis for the movie reads: “‘Uncut Gems’ is a crime thriller about Howard Ratner (Sandler), a charismatic New York City jeweler always on the lookout for the next big score. When he...
- 9/24/2019
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Kevin Garnett has been to jewelry stores like the ones Adam Sandler runs in “Uncut Gems,” and he’s been witness to some of the more chaotic and strange circumstances that take place there as seen in the film from Josh and Ben Safdie.
It explains how Garnett managed such a head-turning performance in “Uncut Gems” despite little acting experience. It also helps that he still looks as good as he did in his prime.
“How is it the fact that it’s set in 2012, and Kevin Garnett looks exactly the same? You did alright there Kg,” Sandler joked to Garnett when TheWrap’s Steve Pond spoke to the cast and crew at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“It’s amazing what happens when you shave the beard off,” Garnett responded.
Also Read: 'Uncut Gems' Film Review: Adam Sandler Is a Memorable Mess in Safdie Brothers' Wild Ride...
It explains how Garnett managed such a head-turning performance in “Uncut Gems” despite little acting experience. It also helps that he still looks as good as he did in his prime.
“How is it the fact that it’s set in 2012, and Kevin Garnett looks exactly the same? You did alright there Kg,” Sandler joked to Garnett when TheWrap’s Steve Pond spoke to the cast and crew at the Toronto International Film Festival.
“It’s amazing what happens when you shave the beard off,” Garnett responded.
Also Read: 'Uncut Gems' Film Review: Adam Sandler Is a Memorable Mess in Safdie Brothers' Wild Ride...
- 9/20/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
Adam Sandler has embodied many obnoxious, self-absorbed figures over the years, but with “Uncut Gems,” he plays the most contemptible character in a 30-year career. Directors Joshua and Benny Safdie’s followup to “Good Time” is on that same wavelength — abrasive, deranged, driven by an insuppressible blur of movement and noise. It’s also a riveting high-wire act, pairing cosmic visuals with the gritty energy of a dark psychological thriller and sudden bursts of frantic comedy, and it’s the first movie to truly commune with Sandler’s performative strengths since “Punch-Drunk Love.”
After all, it’s a Safdie brothers movie. Ever since 2008’s “The Pleasure of Being Robbed,” these sibling filmmakers have excelled at burrowing inside the mindset of combustible characters driven to destructive tendencies just to survive another day. The dysfunctional father of “Daddy Longlegs” may as well exist in the same restless universe as the furious junkies...
After all, it’s a Safdie brothers movie. Ever since 2008’s “The Pleasure of Being Robbed,” these sibling filmmakers have excelled at burrowing inside the mindset of combustible characters driven to destructive tendencies just to survive another day. The dysfunctional father of “Daddy Longlegs” may as well exist in the same restless universe as the furious junkies...
- 8/31/2019
- by Eric Kohn
- Indiewire
Telluride Audiences Rattled by ‘Uncut Gems,’ an Endurance Test With a Great Adam Sandler Performance
First reactions from Benny and Josh Safdie’s “Uncut Gems,” starring Adam Sandler as a New York jewelry merchant caught up in a hot jam, are flying out of Telluride. Anticipation was high on the heels of the Safdies’ 2017 heist-thriller-from-hell “Good Time.”
With Telluride audiences’ ears literally still ringing, per the reactions rounded up below, it seems “Uncut Gems” is yet another merciless assault on the senses from the auteur brothers, who previously plunged viewers headfirst into heroin addiction with “Heaven Knows What” and casual kleptomania with “The Pleasure of Being Robbed.” Comparisons to cocaine and pleas for post-screening benzos abound.
Yes, yes, Adam Sandler rules. But the nerve-rattling fun of Uncut Gems is how it synthesizes every Safdie bros movie before it, from Good Time to Daddy Longlegs to Lenny Cooke in a mesmerizing chronicle of desperate schemes…think Mean Streets meets Preston Sturges. #Telluride
— erickohn (@erickohn) August 31, 2019
Uncut...
With Telluride audiences’ ears literally still ringing, per the reactions rounded up below, it seems “Uncut Gems” is yet another merciless assault on the senses from the auteur brothers, who previously plunged viewers headfirst into heroin addiction with “Heaven Knows What” and casual kleptomania with “The Pleasure of Being Robbed.” Comparisons to cocaine and pleas for post-screening benzos abound.
Yes, yes, Adam Sandler rules. But the nerve-rattling fun of Uncut Gems is how it synthesizes every Safdie bros movie before it, from Good Time to Daddy Longlegs to Lenny Cooke in a mesmerizing chronicle of desperate schemes…think Mean Streets meets Preston Sturges. #Telluride
— erickohn (@erickohn) August 31, 2019
Uncut...
- 8/31/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Playback is a Variety / iHeartRadio podcast bringing you conversations with the talents behind many of today’s hottest films. New episodes air every Thursday.
At just 22 years old, actor Timothée Chalamet has skyrocketed quickly as one of the most popular and in-demand performers of his generation. On the heels of a whirlwind year that included an Oscar nomination for “Call Me by Your Name,” he’s following things up with a dive into real-life addiction drama “Beautiful Boy.” Starring as Nic Sheff, whose memoir “Tweak” formed one half of the script’s inspiration along with father David’s “Beautiful Boy,” Chalamet says the ambition wasn’t to top the rawness of films like Uli Edel’s “Christiane F.” or the Safdie brothers’ “Heaven Knows What,” but to bring the matter-of-fact authenticity of the situation to the fore. A huge part of unlocking things, he says, was of course meeting Nic himself.
At just 22 years old, actor Timothée Chalamet has skyrocketed quickly as one of the most popular and in-demand performers of his generation. On the heels of a whirlwind year that included an Oscar nomination for “Call Me by Your Name,” he’s following things up with a dive into real-life addiction drama “Beautiful Boy.” Starring as Nic Sheff, whose memoir “Tweak” formed one half of the script’s inspiration along with father David’s “Beautiful Boy,” Chalamet says the ambition wasn’t to top the rawness of films like Uli Edel’s “Christiane F.” or the Safdie brothers’ “Heaven Knows What,” but to bring the matter-of-fact authenticity of the situation to the fore. A huge part of unlocking things, he says, was of course meeting Nic himself.
- 10/11/2018
- by Kristopher Tapley
- Variety Film + TV
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