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Uglies is a sci-fi drama film directed by McG from a screenplay co-written by Jacob Forman, Vanessa Taylor, and Whit Anderson. Based on the 2005 dystopian novel of the same name by author Scott Westerfeld, the Netflix film is set in a world with enforced beauty standards and it follows the story of Tally Youngblood, who has been waiting for her beauty surgery but when one of her friend goes missing, she goes on an adventure which helps her learn about herself and the world she is living in. Uglies stars Joey King in the lead role with Chase Stokes, Keith Powers, Laverne Cox, Brianne Tju, Jan Luis Castellanos, and Kevin Miles starring in supporting roles. If you loved the rebellious nature, interesting dystopian world, and compelling characters in Uglies here are some similar movies you should check out next.

Alleged serial sex pest and Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland may have a third hit animated sci-fi comedy series on his hands — hopefully it’ll keep them off his underaged fans.

In December 2022, Roiland’s video game studio Squanch Games released their biggest and most ambitious project to date, a comedic first-person shooter called High on Life that took the colorfully crass brand of comedy that made Rick and Morty a massive hit and incorporated it into arguably the most creatively absurd video game of the year. Despite middling reviews from critics who found the Roiland-created game’s incessant, irreverent meta-humor grating, High on Life quickly hit the top of the sales charts on both Xbox and Steam.

Then, in January 2023, Roiland’s career and reputation hit an all-time low when news that Roiland faced felony domestic abuse charges opened the floodgates on a series of allegations against the...

Susie Essman said goodbye to HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” this year after 12 seasons and 24 years. Besides her “crazy outfits” and “yelling and screaming” at co-star/showrunner Larry David, one of the things she misses the most is the show’s “improvised” and “creative” atmosphere. “I get to write all my own lines, I get to create a character in a way that I never could with a scripted kind of a series,” the actress tells us before adding with a chuckle, “I miss making babies with Larry.” Watch the exclusive video interview above.

Essman plays Susie Greene, the foul-mouthed wife of Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin), who’s the manager of the fictionalized Larry David. Throughout her tenure on the program, Susie and Larry got into countless arguments that often devolved into screaming matches. And Essman wouldn’t have it any other way. “I would go back to my hotel...

Larry David’s beloved comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is gearing up for a grand showing at the Primetime Emmys. The 12th and final season of the HBO/Max series has submitted for 35 nominations, including the top prize for outstanding comedy series.

Playing a fictionalized version of himself, David is again vying for the lead comedy actor category. He hopes to unseat last year’s winner and current frontrunner, Jeremy Allen White from “The Bear.” Though David is a two-time Emmy winner for writing and creating “Seinfeld,” he has yet to win as an actor despite six nominations, the last of which came in 2008.

Supporting actors J.B. Smoove, Jeff Garlin, Susie Essman, two-time former nominee Cheryl Hines and Tracey Ullman will also compete in the main acting categories, as well as a posthumous submission for Richard Lewis, who died in February.

The network has opted to submit 15 performers for the guest acting categories,...

Get ready to “say farewell to a beloved icon.” One of TV’s longest-running comedies of all time, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” is sailing off into the sunset after 24 years and 12 seasons. Hey now, that’s pretty, pretty, pretty good! The series finale, titled “No Lessons Learned,” will wrap up the storyline involving Larry David‘s court case in Atlanta, Georgia in which he’s on trial for giving water to a woman waiting in line to vote. Read on to see how to watch or stream the “Curb Your Enthusiasm” series finale.

The official synopsis for the last episode reads: “Larry finds himself back in Atlanta, where he meddles in Richard’s love life and reveals a big secret about Cheryl.” Watch the trailer above. David is expected to be joined in the finale by fellow cast members Jeff Garlin as Jeff Greene, Cheryl Hines as Cheryl David, Susie Essman as Susie Greene,...

The chances that “Curb Your Enthusiasm” will add to its impressive total of 51 Emmy nominations during its current 12th and final season – which concludes with the series finale this Sunday April 7 over HBO and Max – are beginning to look pretty, pretty good. Let’s quickly go to the odds: Larry David himself currently ranks fourth for Best Comedy Actor at 5/1, while the series itself sits in fifth place for Best Comedy Series at 17/2.

In other words, there are a last few opportunities for the kind of delicious indignity that fuels David’s cranky and despairing life view – at least in the Larry David version we see on “Curb.”

See In honor of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’: A look back at its stellar awards history

The truth is that “Curb” has come up winless thus far in all 10 of its nominations for top comedy series. That’s a record for a comedy.

Friends, castmates and fans are sharing their remembrances of and tributes to Richard Lewis, the beloved comedian and longtime Curb Your Enthusiasm actor who died Tuesday at 76.

Lewis was part of the raft of comedians who broke through during the 1980s and gained fame as stand-up comedy began to flood cable TV later that decade and into the ’90s. His contemporaries included Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Reiser, Ellen DeGeneres, Ray Romano, Sinbad, Gilbert Gottfried, Rita Rudner, Larry Miller, Paula Poundstone, George Wallace, Elayne Boosler, Carol Leifer and many more.

Related: Remembering Richard Lewis: A Career In Photos

Lewis probably was best known for recurring on his longtime friend Larry David’s HBO series Curb Your Enthusiasm, playing himself as David’s neurotic, often needy longtime best pal.

Related: Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2024: Photo Gallery & Obituaries

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Great sadness...

HBO has dropped the trailer for season 12 of Curb Your Enthusiasm. While Larry David brought his unique brand of neurotic comedy to Seinfeld, the time has now come to close out his own hit sitcom, which, despite being in its 12th season, will be airing its final go around a whopping 24 years after its debut. The popular comedy earned 51 Emmy nominations throughout its run, winning two for Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series for Robert B. Weide and Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Comedy Series for Steven Rasch. Curb’s award nominations and wins extend beyond the Academy, with nods and prizes at the Golden Globes, SAG, DGA, and WGA.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, “The 10-episode final season continues to see David as an over-the-top version of himself navigating his social and professional life in Hollywood.” The show will also feature its returning cast that includes Jeff Garlin...

After 12 seasons and a staggering 24 years on the air, Larry David’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” will finally bid farewell. What began as a mock, behind-the-scenes look at a fictional David putting together a new comedy special blossomed into one of the most enduring and outrageous series of all time. Although neither David nor his character would want to be sentimental, to commemorate the announcement of its imminent series finale, revisit the dozens of awards nominations it received for its first 11 seasons.

Though he would likely never describe himself as an actor, David has a long list of nominations for his acclaimed, exaggerated performance as himself. The lovable curmudgeon earned six Emmy bids for Comedy Actor in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2012 and 2018. He also racked up three Golden Globes noms in 2003, 2005 and 2006 and three SAG bids in 2006, 2010 and 2018, which demonstrates how different awards bodies have been receptive to his hilarious portrayal of his so-called “social...

Twelve seasons is a pretty, pretty, pretty good run for any television series, and it’s officially time for Curb Your Enthusiasm to take a bow. That’s right, folks. Curb Your Enthusiasm Season 12 will be the show’s last hurrah.

Confirmation for the end of Curb Your Enthusiasm comes from Larry David, who says he wants to return to his natural, lovable personality and engage in humanitarian work to celebrate the show’s end. That last part is a joke, of course. Right, Larry?

“As Curb comes to an end, I will now have the opportunity to finally shed this ‘Larry David’ persona and become the person God intended me to be – the thoughtful, kind, caring, considerate human being I was until I got derailed by portraying this malignant character,” said David. “And so ‘Larry David,’ I bid you farewell. Your misanthropy will not be missed. And for those...

This is pretty, pretty, pretty sad news.

Curb Your Enthusiasm is officially coming to an end with Season 12 on HBO.

Every season creator and star Larry David says that he’s ending the show but this time it seems it’s real.

“As Curb comes to an end, I will now have the opportunity to finally shed this ‘Larry David’ persona and become the person God intended me to be – the thoughtful, kind, caring, considerate human being I was until I got derailed by portraying this malignant character,” said David. “And so ‘Larry David,’ I bid you farewell. Your misanthropy will not be missed. And for those of you who would like to get in touch with me, you can reach me at Doctors Without Borders.”

Season 12 will premiere on Sunday February 4 and the ten-part series will air its finale on April 7.

It’s been a fantastic run for the show,...

Nail biting thriller The Flood is out now on Digital Platforms and DVD.

Assault on Precinct 13 meets Alligator in the action thriller The Flood, which sees Nicky Whelan (Hall Pass) trying to control a jail filled with dangerous convicts, a torrential storm, and a horde of hungry alligators.

Written and directed by Brandon Slagle (Battle for Saipan), the film stars Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers), Louis Mandylor (Rambo: Last Blood), Devanny Pinn (Piranha 3D), and Randy Wayne (Hellraiser: Judgement), and features some seriously scary reptiles who are keen to snack on some caged convicts. A rip-roaring, action packed ride, The Flood is a must-watch for fans of nerve-shredding creature features Meg, 47 Feet Down, and Black Water Abyss.

Synopsis: A daring jailbreak during a ferocious storm gets complicated when a horde of giant, hungry alligators interrupt the escape attempt.

The Flood is available on Digital Platforms including Google, Apple TV, Sky and Amazon,...

The mob just crossed the wrong man in thriller Shrapnel, available now on Digital Platforms including Google, Apple TV, Sky and Amazon in the UK & Ireland.

Shrapnel blasts onto screens this summer and viewers better take cover. Jason Patric (Sleepers) is a lethal army veteran flipped into combat mode when his daughter is kidnapped by a drug gang, enlisting the help of Cam Gigandet (The Magnificent Seven) to dish out the mayhem.

Directed by action expert William Kaufman (One in the Chamber), Shrapnel boasts blistering action scenes, heavy weaponry, white-knuckle suspense, and vengeance dished out by the bucket full across an unforgiving New Mexico landscape.

Synopsis:

A former Marine and his old war buddy face off against the Mexican cartel behind the disappearance of his daughter.

Shrapnel is available now on on Digital Platforms including Google, Apple TV, Sky and Amazon in the UK & Ireland.

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Cheryl Hines has over 75 movie and TV credits to her name, but only a few of those come before her Emmy-nominated role as Larry David's long-suffering wife, also named Cheryl, on "Curb Your Enthusiasm." As Turner Classic Movies notes, Hines was bartending at a hotel when she first auditioned for the L.A. improv comedy group The Groundlings. This would arm her with the improvisational skills she needed to keep up with David in "Curb Your Enthusiasm," but it was only by chance that she landed the role, and in another life, she might have had to settle for being a comedian's personal assistant rather than his scene partner.

While performing sketch comedy at a nightclub, Hines caught the eye of Robert B. Weide, the director and supervising producer of the one-hour HBO special, "Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm." This special would become the basis for the long-running series,...

Back when "Curb Your Enthusiasm" premiered in 2000, I don't think anyone expected the show would still be going 20+ years later. It's rare for any show to last that long, especially not a live-action one, and the series' cast and crew was already older than you'd expect from a typical sitcom. 

It helps that "Curb" was never beholden to the requirements of other network shows of its time, back when 20+ episode seasons were the norm and they were expected to release on a regular basis. The seasons have always been only 10 episodes long and HBO's allowed Larry David and the rest of the cast/crew to take as many breaks as they've needed. But even with all these advantages, the show does have to end eventually -- and if social media posts from the show's cast and crew are anything to go on, that ending might be coming soon. 

Unless it's not.

Last week, we reported that there was some evidence that Larry David’s comedy series, arguably the finest examination of social foibles in modern American history, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” was wrapping things up after 23 years and 12 seasons. This was based off of a since-deleted tweet by producer-writer Jon Hayman who shared a photo of himself, David, and executive producer Jeff Schaffer from the last day of shooting, adding “Maybe you love the show. Maybe you hate the show. Maybe you don’t give a shit. In any event, shooting the last scene of the last episode of the final season.” Other wrap-day tweets from co-star Richard Lewis and longtime director Robert Weide were then read through an “end of an era” lens.

But Schaffer has stepped up to curb people’s “Curb” eulogies.

“Reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated,” he told Deadline. “We literally just finished shooting last week.

Pretty, pretty … not so good?

A writer-producer on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” shared a tweet Tuesday which suggested that the just-wrapped season of the HBO hit will be the groundbreaking program’s last. While news of new episodes en route is certainly welcome, the thought of Larry David hanging up his hat on a series that could easily find valuable things to say right up until its central figure leaves this mortal coil is, it must be said, upsetting.

“Maybe you love the show. Maybe you hate the show. Maybe you don’t give a shit. In any event, shooting the last scene of the last episode of the final season.” Jon Hayman tweeted, sharing a pic of himself, David, and executive producer Jeff Schaffer. He quickly deleted the missive.

HBO did not respond to questions for clarification from The Hollywood Reporter.

“Curb” director Robert Weide and co-star Richard Lewis both...

Prettay… prettay… prettay… bad?

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” may be coming to an end after 12 seasons, after two producers hinted on social media that they had wrapped production on the series for good. According to a now-deleted tweet from producer Jon Hayman, the crew finished “shooting the last scene of the last episode of the final season.”

Hayman attached an image to his since-deleted tweet (see below), in which David looks at a monitor displaying the apparent final scene. In the scene, Larry appears to be sitting on a plane next to J.B. Smoove’s character Leon, which, as GQ notes, is reminiscent of the Season 8 ending, when the longtime pals leave the United States to jaunt around Paris.

Maybe you love the show. Maybe you hate the show. Maybe you don't give a shit. In any event, shooting the last scene of the last episode of the final season.

– Jon Hayman – Curb Producer pic.

Emmy winner Robert Weide – principal director and exec producer of Curb Your Enthusiasm for the show’s first five years – has penned a moving farewell to his late wife Linda, who died in December. Weide’s tribute has been published in the Los Angeles Times and includes poignant descriptions of the “low maintenance” way Linda liked to spend her time, during the couple’s 28 years together.

Weide writes: “We both appreciated the occasional meal in a fine restaurant and traveling abroad, but some years I’d ask what she wanted for her birthday, and she would answer, ‘a grilled cheese sandwich.'”

The director also detailed their first meeting in 1994:

“I walked into Café Aroma in Studio City, and there she was. She had it all – beauty, style, grace, intelligence, wit, a great laugh, a blinding smile and (can I say this in 2023) legs that demanded to be shown off,...

Director / Producer / Showrunner Greg Yaitanes discusses a few of his favorite movies with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Innerspace (1987) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, The Atomo-Vision Of Joe Dante At The American Cinematheque

The Ipcress File (1965) – Howard Rodman’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

On The Border (1998)

Hard Justice (1995)

Rorschach (1993)

Hard Target (1993)

Hard Boiled (1992)

Risky Business (1983)

Assault Platoon (1990)

Forrest Gump (1994)

Star Wars (1977)

All That Jazz (1979) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Star 80 (1983)

Lenny (1974) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairing

The Pope Of Greenwich Village (1984)

Southern Comfort (1981)

The Trial (1962) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary

How To Train Your Dragon (2010)

Babylon (2022)

Hitman’s Run (1999)

Birdy (1984)

The Last Temptation Of Christ (1988)

The Paper House (1986)

A History Of Violence (2005)

The Passion Of The Christ (2004)

Hail Mary (1985)

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

Double Tap (1997)

Conspiracy Theory (1997)

Die Hard (1988)

Heat (1995)

Manhunter (1986) – Josh Olson’s...

Welcome to the ultimate Megan Fox Movies list, where we’ll be ranking the sultry actress’ filmography by both popularity and critics’ rating. Whether you’re a die-hard Megan Fox fan or just a casual moviegoer, you’ll find something to enjoy on this list. So sit back, relax, and let’s dive into the world of Megan Fox.

Megan Fox has come a long way since her days as the sultry love interest in the first “Transformers” film. While the Megan Fox Movies list may not be filled with award-winning performances, her filmography is certainly worth a second look. With a mix of blockbuster hits and lesser-known indie films, there’s something for everyone on this Megan Fox Movies list.

Megan Fox’s acting career has had its ups and downs, but one thing is for sure: she always brings her A-game to the big screen. Whether she’s...

Writer/producer/showrunner David Kajganich discusses a few of his favorite films with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

All The Fine Young Cannibals (1960)

Badlands (1973)

Bones And All (2022)

A Bigger Splash (2015)

Suspiria (2018)

Deathdream (1974) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Porky’s (1981)

A Christmas Story (1983)

Black Christmas (1974) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Randy Fuller’s wine pairings

Murder By Decree (1979) – Mick Garris’s trailer commentary

Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (1972)

Black Vengeance a.k.a. Poor Pretty Eddie (1975)

The Poseidon Adventure (1972) – Robert Weide’s trailer commentary

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness

Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)

The Last Wave (1977) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary

Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)

What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? (1962) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary

Dressed To Kill (1980) – Dennis Cozzalio’s Criterion review

The Last Picture Show (1971) – Mark Pellington’s trailer...

Actor / Filmmaker Alex Winter joins Josh Olson and Joe Dante to discuss movies featuring a cog in the machine – the individual struggling to exist within the system.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989) – Alex Kirschenbaum’s Bill and Ted character power rankings

Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey (1991)

Bill And Ted Face The Music (2020)

The Game (1997)

Showbiz Kids (2020)

The Panama Papers (2018)

Zappa (2020)

200 Motels (1971)

Modern Times (1936)

Metropolis (1927) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Avatar (2009)

Things To Come (1936) – Jesus Trevino’s trailer commentary

M (1931)

M (1951)

The Last Laugh (1924) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Brazil (1985)

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness

City Lights (1931)

Goin’ Down The Road (1970)

The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

The Young And The Damned (1950)

Shock Corridor (1963) – Katt Shea’s trailer commentary

The Naked Kiss (1964)

Stroszek (1977)

Even Dwarves Started Small (1970)

Ikiru (1952) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer...

Actor/writer/director Ethan Hawke discusses a few of his favorite films with Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Explorers (1985) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

The Verdict (1982)

The Color Of Money (1986) – Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary

Nobody’s Fool (1994)

Three Faces Of Eve (1957)

Mr. And Mrs. Bridge (1990)

North By Northwest (1959)

Torn Curtain (1966)

Psycho (1960) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

Frenzy (1972) – Joe Dante’s trailer commentary

Topaz (1969)

Boyhood (2014)

An Officer and a Gentleman (1982)

Blue Collar (1978) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

First Reformed (2017) – Glenn Erickson’s trailer commentary

Taxi Driver (1976) – Rod Lurie’s trailer commentary

The Left Handed Gun (1958)

Hombre (1967)

Hud (1963)

Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid (1969)

The Life And Times Of Judge Roy Bean (1972) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

Buffalo Bill And The Indians, Or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson (1976) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

The Outrage (1964)

Rashomon (1950) – Brian Trenchard-Smith’s trailer commentary,...

Cheryl David, the now-ex wife of Larry David on "Curb Your Enthusiasm," is played by the ever-funny Cheryl Hines. Her character on "Curb" is a saint for putting up with Larry's shenanigans for as long as she has. Between having to listen to Larry squeaking around the house in his new orthotics and getting trapped inside a functioning car wash after doing a colon cleanse that put her in desperate need of a bathroom, this woman has been through a lot. It's a wonder she's even retained the ability to laugh after living with Larry and his neuroses for so long. 

Even though Hines' character is now with Ted Danson (one of Larry's many arch-nemeses on the show), Cheryl is still crucial to the show's comically insensitive plot lines and finicky main character. Hines is a master at bringing Cheryl to life, and without her calm voice of reason, the show would be drastically different.

Devotion to its subject kept director Robert B Weide from finishing his documentary about the great author, and his love shines through

Documentaries about acclaimed authors can often be formulaic; this honest and engaging study makes a refreshing difference. Robert B Weide, who has directed many episodes of TV’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, as well as documentaries on the Marx brothers and Woody Allen and written the little-seen adaptation of Kurt Vonnegut’s novel Mother Night, now gives us a heartfelt personal film about Vonnegut himself – his hero, friend and father figure, and the writer of Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle and Player Piano.

Vonnegut mashed up literary fiction, sci-fi and standup comedy, making him a satirist and countercultural mainstreamer who tapped into the defiant spirit of the 60s. This film is at least partly about Weide’s own story as a Vonnegut superfan since his high school days and his...

When Robert Weide read Kurt Vonnegut as a teenager, he never dreamed he would one day make a film about the author – or become a longstanding friend

Robert Weide was still at high school in California when he volunteered to teach a class on the novels of Kurt Vonnegut. “There were maybe a dozen people in the class. We had tests, and people did papers and I gave grades and all that, so it was like a really cool Vonnegut book club,” he recalls. Never mind that Breakfast of Champions, the illustrated novel that had introduced him to his hero a couple of years earlier, wasn’t exactly conventional high school fare. “To give an idea of the maturity of my illustrations for this book,” it typically reads, “here is my picture of an asshole.”

Weide still has the paperback that he read back then. He flicks lovingly through its...

Author and Tfh Guru Dennis Lehane joins Josh and Joe to discuss a few of his favorite movies.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Gremlins (1984) – Glenn Erickson’s 4K Blu-ray review, Tfh’s Mogwai Madness

Home Alone (1990)

Mystic River (2003)

Shutter Island (2010)

Live By Night (2016)

Gone Baby Gone (2007)

The Drop (2014)

The Shining (1980) – Adam Rifkin’s trailer commentary

Apocalypse Now (1979) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Apocalypse Now: Redux (2001)

Apocalypse Now: Final Cut (2019) – Glenn Erickson’s Blu-ray review

The Crying Game (1992)

Diner (1982)

Sweet Smell of Success (1957) – John Landis’s trailer commentary

American Graffiti (1973) – Allan Arkush’s trailer commentary

Body Heat (1981) – Dan Ireland’s trailer commentary

Blue Velvet (1986) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary, Charlie Largent’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Raging Bull (1980) – Dan Perri’s trailer commentary

Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)

Star Wars (1977)

Star Wars: The Special Edition (1997)

Manhunter (1986) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

Public Enemies (2009)

Last of the Mohicans (1992)

Miller’s Crossing (1990) – Josh Olson...

Keep Sweet director Don Argott with executive producer Glenn Meehan: “Ultimately we all have to figure out how to exist together and this small town is a microcosm of the whole country, in my mind.”

Keep Sweet director Don Argott and executive producer Glenn Meehan discuss with me in great detail the journey they ended up taking together that started for Glenn in 2005 after he read an article with the title The Lost Boys.

Lori Barlow with her family in Keep Sweet Photo: 44 Blue Productions, courtesy of discovery+

A place meant to be a utopia, perhaps in the sense of the word’s original meaning as “no place,” is nestled in the twin towns of Hildale, Utah and Colorado City, Arizona. Fundamentalist Mormons settled there in an attempt to create a community that followed their strict standards. “Plural marriage” is how polygamy is called by the followers. It was...

C’mon C’mon from A24 turned in the best per-screen average for a limited platform release since Covid at five theater in New York and LA as stellar critical response was met by strong exit polls ahead of a wider rollout into top markets over Thanksgiving and continued expansion thereafter.

The Mike Mills’ awards contender led by Phoenix and newcomer Woody Norman posted a PSA of $26,889, grossing $134,447. It was the distributor’s first attempt at a platform release since First Cow early last March into the teeth of Covid. Per screen numbers aren’t apples to apples — Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch did about $25K in ten times the locations (52) when it opened Oct. 22. But this is another twinkle in a sluggish specialty market whose key older demos are slow to return to theaters. That reluctance coupled with (exacerbated by?) early availability on streaming/on demand saw many...

There’s a good reason why so much of Robert B. Weide and Don Argott’s “Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time” is spent explaining why and how the film came to be: This is a biographical documentary aimed at people who love Vonnegut’s books, but people who love Vonnegut’s books have already read about the key points of his biography. Not only do they bleed through the bindings of “Slaughterhouse-Five” as if his wounds were still fresh, they’re also smudged across the most dog-eared pages of novels like “Player Piano,” “Breakfast of Champions,” and “Timequake” (the last of which even interrogates his creative process in its own playful way).

Vonnegut’s writing laughs at our place in the stars by seeing it through the pinhole of personal experience, and his readers can’t have their minds blown by the cosmic adventures of characters like Billy Pilgrim and...

“Listen” a voiceover says as a puff of smoke fills a black screen. Borrowed from the first chapter of Kurt Vonnegut Jr.’s most well-known novel ‘Slaughterhouse-Five’, Robert B. Weide and Don Argott’s documentary ‘Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time’ is well versed in the iconography of its subject. Unfortunately, the film lacks the author’s witty creativity. The voiceover continues, “we don’t understand the first thing about time.” What follows is a mostly linear greatest hits look at the life and work of one of the 20th century’s most unique literary voices.

Continue reading ‘Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck In Time’ Review: The Well-Versed Documentary Lacks The Subject’s Witty Creativity at The Playlist.

“Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time” is two documentaries in one. It’s a film about the life and work of Kurt Vonnegut, and on that score it covers most of the bases and captures what it was that made Vonnegut the quintessential pop-philosopher novelist of his era — the quips and catchphrases and sci-fi curlicues, the whimsically upbeat cynicism of his chain-smoking Mark-Twain-of-the-counterculture image, the way that, in “Slaughterhouse-Five” (1969), he took his experiences as a witness to the bombing of Dresden in World War II and turned them into a mythology of war that caught the despair and bitter insanity of the Vietnam era, and the fact that he wrote fervently, obsessively, but always in the spry, plainspoken, wit-as-dry-as-kindling voice of the Midwestern scion of Indianapolis he was. If you want a handy primer on one of the fabled writers of his time, “Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time” will more than do.

Mort Sahl, the acerbic comic whose pioneering style paved the way for such boundary-breaking comedians as Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor and George Carlin, died Tuesday at his home in Mill Valley, CA. He was 94.

A friend confirmed his death to The New York Times.

Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery

Known for his topical social commentary, he boldly skewered politicians and others in a harsh but clean stand-up act. He hosted the first Grammy Awards in 1959, co-hosted the 1959 Academy Awards and a year later became the first comedian featured to be featured on the cover of Time magazine. He also guest-hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson multiple times during the 1960s.

Born on May 11, 1927, in Montreal, Sahl’s family moved to Los Angeles when he was a child. After a stint in the Air Force, he graduated from USC in 1950. By the mid-’50s he was doing stand-up,...

"What happens when a writer stops writing?" IFC Films has unveiled a trailer for the documentary film Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time, a unique look at the life of this famed writer. This is premiering at the Doc NYC Film Festival in a few weeks. The film began 39 years ago when young, struggling filmmaker Robert B. Weide wrote a letter to his literary idol proposing a film on Vonnegut's life and work. Shooting began in 1988 and the resulting doc reflects the friendship and bond Weide and Vonnegut formed over the decades. Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time is first and foremost a biography of a beloved American author. But it also documents a filmmaker's odyssey as he examines the impact of a writer's legacy on his life, extending far beyond the printed page. Looks like an especially intellectual doc considering the years of connection and footage he has ...

The final episode of HBO’s “Allen v. Farrow” airs this Sunday, but some critics of the documentary series say the filmmakers have only put forward one side of the case, failing to include Woody Allen’s side of the story and omitting key facts that detract from a pro-Farrow conclusion.

Critics like The Guardian’s Hadley Freeman have argued that the docuseries feels more like activism and public relations than it does journalism.

“The series is kind of extraordinary in that it’s this major, four-part, four-hour-plus series, and yet it only puts forward one side of the case,” Freeman said during an interview for an upcoming episode of TheWrap’s podcast, “TheWrap-Up.” “It’s like hearing just the first half of a case. You’re just hearing the prosecution and there is nothing from the defense.”

Freeman pointed to Monica Thompson, the family’s nanny, who had said...

Nearly 40 years after Robert B. Weide wrote a letter to Kurt Vonnegut asking for permission to make a documentary, Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time will finally see its release in summer 2021.

Co-directed by Don Argott, the film captures two decades of footage shot between 1988 and 2007, when Vonnegut died at the age of 84. It documents the author’s life, covering his childhood in Indianapolis, being a Prisoner of War in World War II, his personal life, and eventual success as a writer in 1969 with the release of Slaughterhouse-Five.

The 40-second teaser...

Paris-headquartered content creator and producer Asacha Media Group has hired Maria Grazia Ursino as Vice President of Content Development and Distribution. She joins from Disney where she most recently served as Sales Director for Turkey, Israel and Greece, following the company’s acquisition of 21st Century Fox. She previously held the role of Executive Director at Fox Networks Group Content Distribution’s business in Italy, Spain and Portugal, responsible for distributing Fox Networks’ and National Geographic’s catalogues, following a stint at Sony Pictures Television. In her new position she will be based in Rome and will lead the company’s co-productions, content development and distribution across Europe, with a focus on Southern Europe and Hispanic speaking markets.

IFC Films has picked up North American rights to Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck In Time, Robert B. Weide’s feature doc about the American actor. Tracing the life and career of the famed novelist and humorist,...

IFC Films has acquired a documentary film about legendary novelist and humorist Kurt Vonnegut that’s been in the works for 39 years. The indie distributor, which will release “Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck In Time” in summer 2021, also released a teaser with the “Slaughterhouse-Five” author’s voice.

Robert B. Weide, best known as a director on HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” directed the film with Don Argott (“The Art of the Steal),” and it traces Vonnegut’s life and Weide and Vonnegut’s close friendship together up until the author’s death in 2007 at age 84.

“Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck In Time” is a rare portrait of the author that dives into his upbringing and creative output, and the film includes footage and interviews Weide began shooting of Vonnegut as far back as 1988, well before they had plans for a film or any idea how close their friendship would become.

In the clip above,...

IFC Films is acquiring the North American rights to the documentary “Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time” with plans for a release in the summer of 2021.

The deal was announced Wednesday to coincide with Vonnegut’s 98th birthday. IFC also released a teaser video for “Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time,” containing a voicemail left by Vonnegut himself to the co-director of the film, Robert B. Weide.

“When I first approached Vonnegut to authorize this film in 1982, I envisioned a fairly conventional author documentary,” Weide said. “As the decades rolled by, fate stepped in, and what I wound up with was far from conventional. As my friendship with my literary idol grew, full disclosure was called for, and Don Argott came on to document the meta element of this story, as I continued to focus on Vonnegut’s biography. What we wound up with was a hybrid that combined our respective strengths...

IFC Films has scooped up the North American rights to Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time, the documentary about the life and career of legendary novelist by directors Robert B. Weide and Don Argott.

Vonnegut, who died in 2007 at age 84, became renowned for novels like the Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle and Breakfast of Champions. His novels, short stories, essays and plays were filled with humor, social commentary, science fiction and autobiography.

IFC Films plans a summer 2021 release for the long-gestating feature documentary that has 32-year-old footage that the Oscar-nominated Weide captured of Vonnegut through their long friendship.

“IFC Films has ...

IFC Films has scooped up the North American rights to Kurt Vonnegut: Unstuck in Time, the documentary about the life and career of legendary novelist by directors Robert B. Weide and Don Argott.

Vonnegut, who died in 2007 at age 84, became renowned for novels like the Slaughterhouse-Five, Cat’s Cradle and Breakfast of Champions. His novels, short stories, essays and plays were filled with humor, social commentary, science fiction and autobiography.

IFC Films plans a summer 2021 release for the long-gestating feature documentary that has 32-year-old footage that the Oscar-nominated Weide captured of Vonnegut through their long friendship.

“IFC Films has ...

You may not realize it, but 20 years ago, us mortals were delivered a gift from the higher powers of comedy. I’m referring to Larry David’s hilarious and groundbreaking program, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which premiered on HBO precisely two decades ago on October 15, 2000. To help celebrate the prettaaay, prettaaay good run that the show has had, we at Gold Derby are ranking the 20 best episodes of the Emmy-winning show for its 20th anniversary. Scroll through our photo gallery and see where your favorite episode is ranked.

SEEJeff Garlin Interview: ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’

The show centers on David, playing a somewhat fictionalized version of himself, and the often inane and neurotic interactions he has with with those that are closest to him. Among the people in this orbit are his much-more-grounded wife Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), his manager/best friend Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin) and Jeff’s wife, Susie Greene (Susie Essman...

You may not realize it, but 20 years ago, us mortals were delivered a gift from the higher powers of comedy. I’m referring to Larry David’s hilarious and groundbreaking program, “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” which premiered on HBO precisely two decades ago on October 15, 2000. To help celebrate the prettaaay, prettaaay good run that the show has had, we at Gold Derby are ranking the 20 best episodes of the Emmy-winning show for its 20th anniversary. Scroll through our photo gallery and see where your favorite episode is ranked.

The show centers on David, playing a somewhat fictionalized version of himself, and the often inane and neurotic interactions he has with with those that are closest to him. Among the people in this orbit are his much-more-grounded wife Cheryl (Cheryl Hines), his manager/best friend Jeff Greene (Jeff Garlin) and Jeff’s wife, Susie Greene (Susie Essman), who is always at least...

Though everybody knows Larry David as the face of and genius behind HBO’s miraculously long-enduring comedy “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” few may realize the outsized importance of David’s right-hand man Jeff Schaffer. Co-creator of “The League” and this season’s “Dave,” Schaffer began working on “Curb” 15 years ago, and now serves as a writer, director, and executive producer of the Emmy-winning series. The latter role has landed Schaffer four Emmy nominations, but a bid for his work as director has proved elusive.

For the series’ tenth season, which found David’s curmudgeon opening a coffee shop purely out of spite and facing claims of sexual harassment, Schaffer might have his best chance yet at earning a rightful nomination for directing. Compared to last year, when “Curb” was on hiatus, the competition has winnowed: “Fleabag” has wrapped, so reigning champ Harry Bradbeer will not defend his title, and “Barry” is sitting this Emmy cycle out,...

Woody Allen’s “A Rainy Day in New York” has secured another European distribution deal, with Filmwelt/Nfp picking up the film for theatrical release in Germany. Filmwelt/Nfp is set to release the film this fall.

News of the acquisition comes a few days after Variety reported that Lucky Red would be releasing the film in Italy on Oct. 3, leading to speculation that the pic could bow at the Venice Film Festival.

Glen Basner’s FilmNation Entertainment is said to be selling “A Rainy Day in New York” after Amazon stepped away from its distribution deal amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Allen and allegations that he molested his daughter Dylan Farrow. The romantic drama stars Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Jude Law and Selena Gomez.

Filmwelt/Nfp confirmed to Variety that it would release the film in Germany, which was first reported by local news outlets.

“Filmwelt/Nfp is very...

The Emmy Awards ballot for Best Comedy Directing lists 195 episodes from 105 series, up from 174 episodes from 82 series last year, when the nominees were:

“Atlanta” season 1

Winner — “B.A.N.” (Donald Glover)

“Silicon Valley” season 4

“Intellectual Property” (Jamie Babbit)

“Server Error” (Mike Judge)

“Veep” season 6

“Blurb” (Morgan Sackett)

“Justice” (Dale Stern)

“Groundbreaking” (David Mandel)

SEEanalysis of the Best Comedy Writing contenders.

“Veep” did not air this season. Lead “Atlanta” director Hiro Murai was snubbed last year; he has a stronger episode this time and more name recognition from directing the music video for Childish Gambino’s “This is America.”

Having been nominated two years ago for “Silicon Valley” when he last directed it, Alec Berg has submitted his work on the first season finale of “Barry.” He also directed this season’s “Silicon Valley” finale, but Best Comedy Directing is one of only six categories that precludes multiple ballot submissions. Having...

This year at the Emmys, everything old may be new again in Best Comedy Series. Several TV revivals from yesteryear are back in contention, including NBC’s “Will & Grace,” ABC’s “Roseanne,” HBO’s “Curb Your Enthusiasm” and, pending a release date, Netflix’s “Arrested Developement.” The good news for these shows is that three-time champ “Veep” won’t be eligible at the 2018 Emmys. Neither will “Master of None,” back-to-back winner for Best Comedy Writing. The bad news? The other five nominees are all looking strong to return: “Atlanta,” “Black-ish,” “Modern Family,” “Silicon Valley” and “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.”

See Could Laurie Metcalf could parlay her Oscar loss into an Emmy win for the ‘Roseanne’ revival?

“Will & Grace” is a six-time nominee for Best Comedy Series (2000-05), taking home the top prize for its second season in 2000. The sitcom is one of the few shows in TV history to...

Lost In America

Blu-ray

Criterion

1985 / 1:85 / Street Date July 25, 2017

Starring: Albert Brooks, Julie Hagerty

Cinematography: Eric Saarinen

Film Editor: David Finfer

Written by Albert Brooks, Monica Johnson

Produced by Marty Katz and Herb Nanas

Music: Arthur B. Rubinstein

Directed by Albert Brooks

According to a Newsweek cover story published that same year, 1984 was “The Year of the Yuppie”, referring to those ferociously materialistic young professionals whose numbers blossomed during the Reagan administration. The following year director Albert Brooks and his co-writer Monica Johnson delivered Lost In America, an acerbic road movie detailing what happens when one of those upwardly mobile hot-shots decides to get back to nature and “touch Indians”.

The result is one of the great American comedies, a mile-a-minute talk fest worthy of writer-directors like Billy Wilder, Woody Allen and in particular Preston Sturges, whose The Palm Beach Story told a similar tale about two young-marrieds who find...

Fresh off finishing production of his new film “Wonder Wheel,” legendary filmmaker Woody Allen sat down to do his first-ever Facebook Live interview. Moderating the talk was Robert Weide, the director behind “Woody Allen: A Documentary,” so you know its going to get right down to the nitty-gritty.

Over the course of the hour-plus interview, Woody goes over everything from “Wonder Wheel,” which stars Justin Timberlake and Kate Winslet, to how distributors have interfered with his films throughout the decades.

Continue reading Woody Allen Discusses His Filmography, Working With Amazon & More In 70-Minute Facebook Live Talk at The Playlist.