Film
Censor Is A Hallucinatory Look at the 1980s Video Nasty Phenomenon: Sundance 2021 Review
This review is part of our Sundance 2021 coverage. The Pitch: Enid Baines (Niamh Algar) is an uptight film censor with a tragic past. After becoming embroiled in a murder scandal that the press link to a violent horror film she edited, Enid becomes obsessed with Alice Lee (Sophia La Porta), an actress who bears a striking resemblance to her missing sister, Nina. Her pursuit of Alice leads Enid into the shadowy world of underground horror films and the company of questionable men like smarmy producer Doug Smart (Michael Smiley) and director Frederick North (Adrian Schiller). As Enid’s obsessive hunt for the truth intensifies, she begins to lose track of what is real and what is a movie as both her sanity and her life come under threat. Video Nasty: The most intriguing aspect of Censor is ho...
Jonny Greenwood to Score New Princess Diana Biopic Starring Kristen Stewart
Two icons known for bucking tradition and wearing bangs have been united at last. As The Film Stage reports, Radiohead‘s Jonny Greenwood will score the new film Spencer about Diana Frances Spencer, better known as Diana, Princess of Wales. It’s directed by Pablo Larrain and stars Kristen Stewart as the titular hero. The tale takes place over a Christmas weekend in December of 1991. Diana’s marriage to Prince Charles is imploding amidst rumors of his infidelities, and in 1992 they will separate. Spencer is set just before the separation, as a deeply-unhappy princess makes up her mind to leave. Filming has begun, and the movie is expected to bow sometime in the fall of 2021. In a statement, Stewart said, “Spencer is a dive inside an emotional imagining of who Diana was at a pi...
What’s Streaming on HBO Max in February 2021
HBO Max is offering more than valentines in February. As promised, the streaming giant is delivering more Warner Bros. theatrical features as part of their same-day program. This month sees the release of the star-studded Judas and the Black Messiah and the live-action re-imagining of Tom & Jerry. Judas… is a biographical drama on the life of Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya), the Illinois chairman of the Black Panther Party who was betrayed by William O’Neal (Lakeith Stanfield). The film is set to premiere at this weekend’s Sundance Film Festival, and has already been named one of the 10 best films of 2020 by the National Board of Review. Elsewhere, Last Week Tonight with John Oliver returns for what should be a far less vitriolic season given the changing political climate, while Studio ...
Mighty Ducks Star Shaun Weiss Celebrates One Year of Sobriety
Congratulations are in order to Shaun Weiss, who celebrated his one year of sobriety on Wednesday. In early 2020, the former Mighty Ducks star was arrested on burglary charges after being found rummaging through a garage. At the time of his arrest, Weiss was found to be under the influence of methamphetamine. Weiss subsequently entered a substance abuse program and has maintained his sobriety for the last 12 months. According to his friend Drew Gallagher (via TMZ), Weiss currently resides at a sober living house in Tarzana, CA, where he’s bided his time by writing film scripts and honing a stand-up comedy set. During his recovery, a dentist in Los Angeles offered to replace his teeth free of charge — a gift valued at between $50,000 and $100,000. Weiss famously portrayed Goldberg...
The Entire Saw Series is Coming to HBO Max
Do you want to play a stream? Well, you’re in luck. Starting in February, all seven films in the legendary Saw series will land on HBO Max. The streaming service has confirmed that the cult-classic horror franchise is included in the massive list of titles that are arriving on the platform in just a few days. To be clear, that means an extended version of the 2004 flick that started it all, followed by Saw II (2005), Saw III (2006), Saw IV (2007), Saw V (2008), Saw VI (2009), and Saw: The Final Chapter (2010). If that weren’t exciting enough, all of the sequels will be the director’s cuts, so that means all of the blood, guts, and squirm-inducing scenes of torture that are fit for home viewing. The only Saw-related flick that won’t be on the ser...
R.I.P. Cloris Leachman, Emmy and Oscar-Winning Actress Dead at 94
Cloris Leachman, one of the most decorated actresses in history, has died at the age of 94. According to a representative, Leachman died Tuesday (January 26th) from natural causes at her home in Encinitas, California. Over the course of her career, Leachman won eight Primetime Emmy Awards, tying her with Julia Louis-Dreyfus for the most all time. She also nabbed an Academy Award and a Golden Globe. Leachman famously played Phyllis Lindstrom on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series Phyllis. She also starred in several major motion pictures, including Peter Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show and Mel Brook’s Young Frankenstein. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, on April 30th, 1926, Leachman studied at Northwestern University and competed in the 1946 Miss America Pageant. As the runner-up...
What’s Streaming on Disney+ in February 2021
Disney+ is bringing the fantastical for February. The great Marvel mystery that is WandaVision will continue each Friday, delivering more sitcom subversions as the two titular heroes attempt to escape their own televised hell. Then again, who would want to leave the comforts of a ’70s living room. Speaking of classic television, the Mouse House is dusting off five seasons of The Muppet Show, as previously reported. Just make sure you bring champagne, roses, and a box of Godiva for Ms. Piggy, who tends to be particular about that stuff. Editors’ Picks Elsewhere, families can enjoy seeing Alyson Hannigan and Ben Schwartz pop up in the new superhero comedy Flora & Ulysses or revisit Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt in not one but two Cheaper by the Dozen films. Those are always a fun re...
The Night Is a Terrifying Twist on The Shining: Review
The Pitch: Driving home from a night out with friends, exhausted Iranian immigrants, Babak and Neda Naderi (Shahab Hosseini and Niousha Noor), decide to spend the night at a nearby hotel with their infant daughter Shebnam (Leah Oganyan). They quickly realize that there are dangerous secrets lurking within the walls of the mysterious building and the seemingly endless night soon spirals into reality bending terror as they find themselves trapped in a nightmarish hell of their own creation. The Night made headlines as the first US produced Iranian film to secure a theatrical license in Iran after the country’s 1979 revolution. Though set in LA’s landmark Hotel Normandie, this is an Iranian story told predominantly in Farsi and including Iranian Americans or Iranian Immigrants both in front o...
What’s Streaming on Amazon Prime Video in February 2021
Amazon Prime Video has unveiled its additions for February. The big event of the month are two original sci-fi films: First up is Bliss starring Salma Hayek and Owen Wilson, which deals with simulated realities. Right after that is The Map of Tiny Perfect Things, a sci-fi drama with Freaky star Kathryn Newton. Beyond that, subscribers can enjoy some essential archival additions, particularly Coming to America (just in time for Amazon’s highly anticipated sequel in March), Dazed and Confused, Moulin Rouge, There’s Something About Mary, and The Prestige. Editors’ Picks Check out the entire list below, which includes a number of exclusives to Amazon. To help round out your streaming sessions, be sure to read our recent guides outlining everything that’s hitting Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, a...
What’s Streaming on Shudder in February 2021
Shudder is showing a whole lotta love for Valentine’s Day. For February, AMC’s spooky streaming service has curated a twisted lineup of originals, classics, and premieres that will splash blood all over your box of chocolates. Building on their promise of 11 new originals/exclusives over 11 weeks, the next month will see premieres of A Nightmare Wakes, After Midnight, Shook, and one of last year’s most frightening films: The Dark and the Wicked. Of course, the real main event is spending a romantic night with Joe Bob Briggs. Shudder’s de facto mayor is back with a Valentine’s Day special that he’s dubbed Joe Bob Put a Spell on You, which more or less confirms some wild witchy content. Editors’ Picks Additions to the back catalogue are just as special, most notably Nicolas Cage’s cult...
Harry Potter Live-Action TV Series in the Works at HBO Max
It’s time to choose your wand and grab a spot in line for the Sorting Hat, because a new Harry Potter live-action TV series is in the works at HBO Max. According to The Hollywood Reporter, executives at the streaming service have been holding brainstorming conversations with potential writers to imagine new ways to steer the Harry Potter franchise. However, the TV series is still a long way off from becoming a reality. Right now, there’s no writer attached, no plot hammered down, and no cast in mind, which means they’re still in the “extremely early stages and no deals have been made,” notes THR Because the live-action Harry Potter TV show is still searching for a pitch, the creative teams at HBO Max and Warner Bros. are hesitant to announce this news themselves. As they said in a sta...
What’s Streaming on Netflix in February 2021
Netflix is bringing the love in February 2021. Leading the charge is Sam Levinson’s highly anticipated black and white drama Malcolm & Marie. Starring John David Washington and Zendaya, the film was the first feature to be written and filmed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Also bringing the hugs and kisses is Maggie Friedman’s new drama Firefly Lane. Based on the novel of the same name by Kristin Hannah, the series stars Katherine Heigl and Sarah Chalke as two lifetime friends whose bond has yet to break. Elsewhere, there’s the Korean space drama Space Sweepers, the true crime docuseries Crime Scene: The Vanishing at the Cecil Hotel, Kevin James’ new NASCAR comedy series The Crew, and the star-studded TIFF stunner I Care a Lot. In terms of archival additions, subscribers can enjoy a coup...
