News

Martha Plimpton and Mireille Enos are the latest additions to HBO’s Task force.

The Raising Hope and Killing stars have been cast opposite Mark Ruffalo in Task, a limited series created by Mare of Easttown mastermind Brad Ingelsby. Premiering in 2025, the drama is “set in the working class suburbs outside of Philadelphia,” where “an FBI agent (played by Ruffalo) heads a Task Force to put an end to a string of drug-house robberies led by an unsuspecting family man,” according to the official logline.

More from TVLine<em>The White Lotus</em> Season 3: Walton Goggins, Natasha Rothwell, Parker Posey Featured...

Looking for the top streaming deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday? See the best Prime Video holiday discounts here.

Amazon Prime Day is here and this year’s savings aren’t just limited to products — Amazon is also offering rare discounts on TV and movie streaming services through its Prime Video hub.

Cord cutters can save right now on Paramount+, Starz, MGM+, BET+, ViX, Crunchyroll and other video-on-demand services with Amazon’s Prime Day deals, offering some of the best streaming discounts since Black Friday.

See Prime Day Streaming Deals Here

Right now, Amazon Prime members can save up to 90 percent off select Prime Video channels, movies, rentals and more. The best Prime Day offer: get Starz, MGM+, ViX (for Spanish-language content), BET+, Britbox, Cinemax, AcornTV, Hallmark Movies Now, Lifetime Movie Club and other streaming services for just 99 cents per month for your first two months. Considering some of...

Presenting more than 50 indie titles from all the possible genres, the Guerrilla Collective was a total success. Nightdive Studios will develop a remaster of a classic Fps title that differs from The Thing. Killing Time Resurrected unveiled a revamped version of the 1995 horror title, featuring new gameplay elements.

The game will be available for all the current platforms. This game, one of the inspired products of the Doom era from the 1990s FPSs, has its own style and mix of very bizarre enemies and stories.

Nightdive Studios Announces Killing Time Resurrected Killing Time Resurrected was introduced at the Guerrilla Collective and is being developed by Nightdive Studios.

The recent Guerrilla Collective offered an incredible list of indie games that any fan of these low-budget games will likely appreciate, providing an option for every kind of player. There were literally sections for every genre in gaming, involving a vast number of titles to choose from.

Nightdive are diving back into the sea of Doom clones from the mid 90s, this time teaming up with publisher Ziggurat Interactive to announce an HD remaster of Studio 3Do’s 1995 Fps, Killing Time. Described as “the bastard child of Doom and The 7th Guest“, Killing Time: Resurrected will be coming later this year to PC via Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and the Nintendo Switch.

Originally released for the 3Do and ported to the PC, Killing Time used a mix of gallows humour, Fmv and puzzles to create a unique experience for players. Killing Time: Resurrected features toggleable high-resolution character artwork/sprites from the original 3Do and PC versions of the game, upscaled environmental texturing, smoother gameplay, more responsive controls, and expanded control and key-bind settings, including PlayStation and Xbox controllers.

Set in the early 1930s, Killing Time casts players as a former Egyptology student...

Comprising international premieres, short programs, and some of the country’s finest-ever films in new restorations, 2024’s Japan Cuts––running July 10-21 at New York’s Japan Society––has been unveiled. It’s in the festival’s nature that numerous works and directors are lesser-known on American shores, though a cursory search has one regularly stopping: new films by Takeshi Kitano (Kubi), Shunji Iwai (Kyrie), Shinya Tsukamoto (Shadow of Fire), and Gakuryu Ishii (The Box Man) populate the selection. Meanwhile, Hideaki Anno’s modern classic Shin Godzilla debuts in a new, black-and-white cut Shin Godzilla: ORTHOchromatic.

Its classics section is three-for-three: Ishii’s August in the Water, Shinji Somai’s Moving, and Toshiharu Ikeda Mermaid Legend, which is more or less one of the greatest films ever made. One can anticipate at least a couple of Japan Cuts’ current unknowns are tomorrow’s figureheads.

See the full lineup below:...

Just in case you haven’t picked up Alone in the Dark yet, Pieces Interactive and Thq Nordic have released a new Accolades trailer for the reimagining of the cult classic “that set the benchmark for an entire genre.” Mixed in amongst the quotes and scores are various clips and quips from Alone in the Dark‘s eclectic cast of characters, as well as scenes of the various Eldritch horrors Edward Carnby and Emily Hartwood face throughout the game.

And if the accolades trailer still hasn’t convinced you to plunk your cash down for Alone in the Dark, you can also check out the free Prologue, which is still very much available.

A reimagining of the 1992 cult classic, Alone in the Dark (which our own Harrison Abbott says you should definitely check out “if you have an affinity for classic survival horror”) is set in the gothic American south in the 1920’s,...

German series The Zweiflers (Die Zweiflers) took home the prize for Best Series at the Canneseries Awards last night.

This year, Canneseries took place from 5 to 10 April, in parallel with the final MIPTV event. The Zweiflers – which also won Best Music and the High School Award for Best Series – is a six-part series about a Jewish family in contemporary Germany pondering the inheritance of the family delicatessen. Creator and showrunner David Hadda paid tribute to his Jewish grandparents at the premiere of the show, which will premiere in Germany on Ard’s Mediathek streaming service in the spring.

Norwegian series Dumbsday (Dummedag) won for Best Screenplay. The series is set against the backdrop of a virus that causes people’s intelligence to drop to unsurvivable levels worldwide.

Elsewhere, Aina Clotet took home the Best Performance Award for her role as Mariana in Spanish-Swedish comedy drama This Is Not Sweden. The...

As one of the few (I don't want to say one of the last) Japanese filmmakers who can still produce movies with tension, pointed comments and a no-punches-pulled cinematic approach, every new movie Shinya Tsukamoto comes up with is a must-watch. In “Shadow of Fire”, he continues his anti-war message that also appeared in “Fires on the Plain” and “Killing”, this time focusing on the chaos that ensued in Japan just after the ending of World War 2.

Shadow of Fire is screening at Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme

In an area adjacent to a black market, a young woman whose family was lost during the war is selling her body to make a living in a Japanese pub diner that barely survived the bombings. One day, a young soldier appears as a customer, and the woman asks him to stay the night, kickstarting a series of his visits, every night,...

“True Detective: Night Country,” the brand new season of the hit HBO series, is currently underway on Max with three episodes left to uncover the strange mysteries of Alaska. For those without a subscription, we’ve got good news: the premiere episode is available to watch online free right now!

From writer/director/showrunner/executive producer Issa López (Tigers Are Not Afraid), “Night Country” stars Jodie Foster alongside Kali Reis.

“When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, Detectives Liz Danvers (Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Reis) will have to confront the darkness they carry in themselves, and dig into the haunted truths that lie buried under the eternal ice.”

Check out the age-restricted premiere episode below, which kicks off the genre-bending season-long mystery with an inciting event heavily reminiscent of The Thing...

Rage Against the Machine 3.0 officially came to an end early Wednesday evening, when drummer Brad Wilk informed fans via Instagram that the group wasn’t going to resume its Public Service Announcement reunion tour. “Ratm (Tim, Zack, Tom and I) will not be touring or playing live again,” he posted on Instagram. “I’m sorry for those of you who have been waiting for this to happen. I really wish it was…”

On one hand, the news was hardly surprising. Rage are an incredibly volatile band with a long history of dysfunction.

Ning Hao’s The Movie Emperor will screen as the opening film of Macau’s Asia-Europe Young Cinema Film Festival, which is holding its inaugural edition from January 5-11. Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s 12th Fail, recently a hit in India, will screen as the closing film.

The event has two major sections – a programme of masterclasses and screenings aimed at young directors, film students and local audiences, and a Works-in-Progress (WiP) Lab, which will be attended by international sales agents, distributors and festival programmers.

The masterclasses will be held by leading international filmmakers including several from the Chinese-speaking world – Ning Hao, Li Dongmei, Johnnie To, Yon Fan and Lee Hong-chi – along with Japanese filmmakers Ryosuke Hamaguchi and Shinya Tsukamoto, Russia’s Aleksey German Jr, Italy’s Gabriel Menetti, India’s Anurag Kashyap, Lav Diaz from the Philippines and Iranian filmmaker Amir Naderi.

China Film Directors Association is actively involved in...

Thq Nordic and developer Pieces Interactive have pushed their upcoming Alone in the Dark remake again. Originally pushed to January 16 to accommodate for a hectic October, the publisher has moved the release to March 20, 2024.

The decision to move the release date again, according to Thq Nordic, was to give the team more time for polish, and to avoid “potential crunch” over the Christmas holidays. In addition Thq Nordic and Pieces Interactive “want to ensure that the game not only meets but exceeds the expectations of the community, especially with the outstanding performances of Hollywood stars David [Barbour] and Jodie [Comer] as the main protagonists.”

A love letter to the ground-breaking original, Alone in the Dark allows players to experience the haunting story by Mikael Hedberg through the eyes of one of the two protagonists: play as Edward Carnby, portrayed by David Harbour, or Emily Hartwood, portrayed by Jodie Comer in this reimagined classic survival horror game,...

They may be of the same generation of actors, but Tim Roth and Guy Pearce have never shared the screen together. That’ll change soon, as Deadline reports the pair will star with DeWanda Wise in “Killing Faith,” a supernatural thriller. Sales for the film launch at AFM, going on now.

Read More: Fall Film Preview: 60+ Most Anticipated Movies To Watch

So what’s “Killing Faith” about?

Continue reading ‘Killing Faith’: Guy Pearce, DeWanda Wise & Tim Roth To Star In Upcoming Supernatural Thriller at The Playlist.

A grey cloud of masochism has followed Conan Gray around for long enough. On the singer and songwriter’s latest single, “Killing Me,” he makes a point of freeing himself from emotional torment, but it won’t happen unless he puts up a strong fight.

“You’re killing me/You’re not makin’ it easy/Too busy deceivin’ and cheatin’ and lyin’ and competin’/To know how lucky you are,” he sings on the Max Martin-produced chorus. “You’re killing me/I just want you to free me/And...

Leaff 2023 brings a diverse programme from East and Southeast Asia, including international and UK premieres. This year, our programme will be showcased through these strands: Retrospective: Director Chung Ji-Young, Leaff’s Official Selection, Competition, Stories of Women, Halloween Horror Special, Cherish the World, Lgbtqia+ and Classics Restored. The festival will open and close at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square. Other screenings and Q&As will take place at Odeon Luxe West End and the Cinema at Selfridges.

For more information about tickets, please visit: https://www.leaff.org.uk/2023tickets

Here is the full programme:

Opening Gala

The Boys + Q&a with the Director | Dir. Chung Ji-Young | Korea | 2023 | 124 mins

Closing Gala

Concrete Utopia + Q&a with Director, Actor Park Bo-young | Dir. Um Tae-hwa | Korea | 2023 | 130 mins

Leaff Official Selection

The Breaking Ice | Dir. Anthony Chen | Singapore | 2022 | 97 mins

Dan Dan | Dir. Song Chuan | China | 2022 | 103 mins

Hidden Blade | Dir. Cheng Er | Hong Kong | 2022 | 128 mins

In Broad Daylight | Dir.

"Killing Romance" is an utterly amusing Korean absurdist comedy with romance, a revenge murder plot, and even musical numbers, in a clear love letter to the work of Wes Anderson. Add in some wonderfully over-the-top performances and a weird and hilariously campy script and you get one of the most fun times you can have at the movies.

The movie follows Yeo-rae (Lee Ha-nee), a woman who is shot straight to stardom after a clip of her drinking a soft drink at incredible speed goes viral, resulting in a Guinness World Record, merchandising, modeling deals, and a music and movie career. Sadly, this all comes crashing down when she stars in a disastrous sci-fi B movie that becomes a big flop. This prompts Yeo-rae to leave Korea in disgrace, finding refuge in the remote island of Qualla. Here, she meets an eccentric rich guy named Jonathan Na (Lee Sun-kyun) they instantly hit it off.

This article contains The Wheel of Time spoilers.

Readers of The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan may already know that the author was heavily influenced by the Dune books of Frank Herbert, but even for those who only know these sci-fi/fantasy classics from their screen adaptations, one parallel became very clear in the latest episode: the character of Aviendha played impressively by Ayoola Smart (Killing Eve). The Aiel prisoner immediately evoked all the desert warrior vibes of a Fremen, making her one of the most compelling new characters of the season.

The Aiel people hail from an arid land to the east of a barrier mountain range, separating them from the kingdoms of the west, just as an ocean separates the Seanchan from the known world of The Wheel of Time. The show has made clear that Aiel are mistrusted in this land because of a great...

Exclusive: Jeff Nichols spent two decades considering how to approach what would become his new film The Bikeriders because he did not want to glamorize motorcycle culture.

That’s a hard road to travel when the finished movie stars Austin Butler (Elvis), Jodie Comer (Killing Eve), and Tom Hardy (Mad Max: Fury Road), who aren’t exactly lacking in screen charisma.

Nichols has based his movie on the seminal work of photojournalist Danny Lyon, who rode with and snapped the Chicago Outlaws Motorcycle Club for two years beginning in 1963. His book chronicling his devilish association with the Outlaws was first published in 1968.

Danny Lyon: The Bikeriders. Photo courtesy of Jackson Fine Art.

Front and center are Butler as devastatingly handsome biker Benny; Comer as down-to-earth Kathy, unvarnished and clear-eyed, she sees through the biker bullshit; and Hardy as Johnny, the leader who kinda wants to be Benny.

“Well, you don...

In these dark times in which we live, the line between satire and horror can be so razor-thin as to barely exist at all. Peacock’s Craig Robinson comedy Killing It is ostensibly a comedy about how badly the American economic system is stacked against anyone who isn’t already well-off. But its humor is so cutting, and so often feels not that far removed from reality, that I often spend more time covering my face during episodes than laughing.

This is not a complaint, mind you. The series, created...

Everyone’s favorite underdog story of a python hunter with a dream is back for a second season. Season 2 of “Killing It” is set to premiere on Peacock on Aug. 17 with Craig Foster and Jillian Glopp in coastal Florida setting up their farm. As always for the duo, things don’t exactly go as planned as drama, danger, and hilarity ensue, interrupting Craig and Jillian’s attempts to live out the American dream. Season 2 is said to have more guest stars, less snakes, and more action. You can watch Killing It: Season 2 with a subscription to Peacock.

How to Watch ‘Killing It’ Season 2 Premiere When: Thursday, August 17, 2023 Where: Peacock Stream: Watch with a subscription to Peacock. Sign Up$5.99+ / month peacocktv.com About ‘Killing It’ Season 2 Premiere

In Season 1 of “Killing It,” Craig and Jillian join forces for a state-sponsored python hunt. Wanting to be a good role model for his daughter,...

This interview was conducted prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.

The python killing game may have been the feature focus of Peacock‘s Killing It, but the actual creatures of mystery are the humans.

The heartfelt comedy combines the sweetness and out-of-the-box comedy of a series like Detroiters or The Office with the spicy edge of Breaking Bad.

Actors Craig Robinson and Rell Battle, who play Craig and Isaiah Foster, found that the roles of down-on-their-luck brothers with deep trauma can be both hilarious and emotional. Every character owns a breakout moment that leaves viewers cackling one minute and sobbing the next.

Battle had an extremely emotional Emmy-worthy moment alongside Robinson during Killing It Season 1 where Isaiah finally addressed childhood trauma.

“I call him Denzrell,” Robinson joked with Showbiz Cheat Sheet about Battle’s performance.

The ‘Killing It’ brothers ‘probably need therapy,’ Craig Robinson says

Joking aside, Robinson acknowledged that...

A Hong Kong documentary crew travels to Borneo to dig up the grave of an ancient “evil dwarf sorcerer” for a mondo film on black magic; as you might imagine, protracted supernatural revenge is exacted for the next 70 minutes. This is the gist of Red Spell Spells Red, the second of two Hong Kong exploitation films written by Amy Chan Suet-Ming, of whom little is known beyond her proclivity for bug-based horror. Neither film is a major studio production, perhaps because Hong Kong’s […]

The post Killing Pigs for Art? On Animal Cruelty-Free Cuts first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

A Hong Kong documentary crew travels to Borneo to dig up the grave of an ancient “evil dwarf sorcerer” for a mondo film on black magic; as you might imagine, protracted supernatural revenge is exacted for the next 70 minutes. This is the gist of Red Spell Spells Red, the second of two Hong Kong exploitation films written by Amy Chan Suet-Ming, of whom little is known beyond her proclivity for bug-based horror. Neither film is a major studio production, perhaps because Hong Kong’s […]

The post Killing Pigs for Art? On Animal Cruelty-Free Cuts first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

To promote the Aug. 17 return of Peacock’s Killing It, NBCUniversal is turning to other alternatives as star Craig Robinson remains barred from doing so amid the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike.

NBCUniversal announced Monday that the first three episodes of season one of the comedy from the duo behind Brooklyn Nine-Nine are now available to watch for free on YouTube and TikTok. The first two episodes of the series will also air Monday on USA Network, following the top-rated WWE Monday Night Raw.

The push to expose Killing It is part of a strategy that NBCUniversal — and likely other conglomerates — will use in order to promote both new and returning scripted shows as their central stars are unable to do so much as tweet in support of their work during the performers strike against Hollywood’s top studios and streamers. Other networks and streamers, meanwhile, have opted to push back premiere...

Mixing genres as easily as aspect ratios, Killing Romance gives a whirlwind tour of the largely toxic side of Korean culture. Opening this year’s New York Asian Film Festival, the film blends K-pop, animation, reality TV, and Internet memes to show how celebrity Yeo-rae Hwang rescues herself from a loveless marriage to billionaire Jonathan Na.

Framed as a fairy tale, Killing Romance opens with a biography of Yeo-rae (played by singer Lee Hanee), from her days shilling soda and parkas to her ill-fated movie career. After brutal reviews of her performance in “the most expensive movie ever made,” she flees Korea for the South Pacific island of Qualla. There she falls for Na (Parasite star Lee Sun-kyun), a control freak who ends up imprisoning Yeo-rae in a lavish mansion back in Korea. Fortunately, superfan and failed student Bum-woo (Gong Myung) lives next door. He is more than eager to...

A middle aged couple, blessed with a newborn baby, buy a gaudy coffee table, a decision that will dramatically change their lives.   Caye Casa's dark comedy horror flick, The Coffee Table (La mesita del comedor), has been picked up by Cinephobia Releasing for North American distribution. Expect to see it pop up on the American festival circuit beginning this September. The will be more festival dates between then and its physical & digital release in January of 2024.    For now, take a look at the trailer down below, which does not give away a thing. You have no idea what's coming.   But Andrew, it's just a piece of gaudy furni-   You have no idea what's coming.    The Coffee Table, Caye (Killing...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Arrow Offers Classic and Cutting Edge Cult Cinema - July 2023 Lineup Includes Spaghetti Westerns, a Trip Through History, the Inspiration of Josh Ruben and More!: "London, UK - Arrow Video is excited to announce the July 2023 lineup of their subscription-based Arrow platform, available to subscribers in the US, Canada, the UK and Ireland.

July 7 starts the month in sun and fun with Permanent Vacation (UK/Ire/US/CA).

In desperate need of a vacay? Well, be careful who you book with, because the flicks trips in Permanent Vacation are dream holidays that you’ll never return from.

Featuring murderous mini-breaks and sun, sea, sand and psychos, these gory getaways feature everything from island paradises full of monsters and mutants to nature breaks from the rat race that will be the death of you. So, pack your sunglasses and flip-flops, but don’t bother buying a return ticket, because you...

On July 14, 2023, the New York Asian Film Foundation and Film at Lincoln Center will kick off the 22nd edition of the New York Asian Film Festival (Nyaff), with 60+ new and classic titles, a greatly expanded selection of short films, and an exciting slate of celebrated guests from Asia and the diaspora. The festival runs from July 14–30, 2023 at Film at Lincoln Center (Flc), with a special weekend of screenings (July 21–23) at a new venue, the historic Barrymore Film Center in Fort Lee, New Jersey, the birthplace of the motion picture industry in America.

“As filmmakers from Asia continue to earn the lion's share of top awards (and attention) on the international film festival circuit, this year's selection shows that those are still trees hiding a forest of talent,” said Samuel Jamier, executive director of Nyaff and president of the New York Asian Film Foundation. “We are thrilled to offer a platform...

Programme at International Film School Cologne is headed by ’Borgen’ showrunner Jeppe Gjervig Gram.

Screenwriters including Domina’s Rachel Paterson and The Gryphon’s Senad Halilbasic are among 12 series writers from 10 countries selected for the 2023 edition of the European Showrunner Programme at International Film School Cologne (ifs).

The training and mentoring programme is run by Borgen showrunner Jeppe Gjervig Gram with showrunners Jeff Melvoin (Killing Eve), Petja Peltomaa (Syke/Nurses) as well as Philipp Käßbohrer and Matthias Murmann (How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)).

The programme is designed to train up a new generation of showrunners in Europe. Show runners,...

Clockwise from top left: Raging Bull (United Artists), The Adventures of Rocky And Bullwinkle (Universal Pictures), The Godfather Part II (Paramount Pictures), The War With Grandpa (Brookdale Studios)Graphic: AVClub

Every actor has worked on bad movies at some point in their career. For a long time, though, Robert De Niro...

Remember Titane? The day after Julia Ducournau’s Palme d’Or, a couple of summers ago in Cannes, Nanni Moretti took to Instagram and shared a selfie. The picture found him alone, staring––nay, glaring––at the camera, a halo of mercilessly grey hair framing his face, under-eye bags swollen. No filter. Moretti had traveled to Cannes for the premiere of his Three Floors, about which the less said the better, and waking up to the news that his film had lost to one where a Cadillac got a woman pregnant made him, per the selfie’s caption, “age overnight.” But the look embalmed on the ‘gram wasn’t that of a man trying to poke fun at his own mortality. It was the embittered frown of an artist who’d suddenly woken up to the fact that the world he once knew was changing, and would continue doing so...

Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week, Janelle Monáe gets sensual, BTS deliver for a sleek salute to our planet, Phoebe Bridgers lends vocals to new songs by Arlo Parks and Rob Moose, and Lil Durk celebrates his long-odds success with the help of J. Cole.

Janelle Monáe, “Lipstick Lover” (YouTube)

BTS, “The Planet” (YouTube)

Lil Durk feat. J. Cole, “All My Life” (YouTube)

Arlo Parks feat. Phoebe Bridgers, “Pegasus” (YouTube)

Gale, “La Mitad” (YouTube)

G Flip,...

Plot: The Power is our world, but for one twist of nature. Suddenly, and without warning, teenage girls develop the power to electrocute people at will. The series features a cast of remarkable characters from London to Seattle, Nigeria to Eastern Europe, as the Power evolves from a tingle in teenagers’ collarbones to a complete reversal of the power balance of the world.

Review: The Power is a series I fully expect will rankle a vocal minority online who will complain about this being a series that castrates masculinity and promotes extreme points of view. Those people clearly need to watch this series for that very reason. The Power is a cautionary tale that has a global scale. Looking at the impact of a shift in the male-female dynamic offers a unique look at how we treat gender as a society and how it differs across the planet. Abiding by...

Barry Keoghan – the star whose terrific, twitchy perfomance as the sweet and lonely son of an abusive policeman in The Banshees of Inisherin captivated viewers and earned him an Oscar nod – is inspiring young people in his home city of Dublin.

The manager of a Dublin youth club where the Bafta-winning actor starred in one of his first dramatic roles has hailed the 30-year-old Irishman as a “fantastic role model” who is already an inspiration for the next generation.

Keoghan – who is also nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor alongside the veteran Irish actor Brendan Gleeson – was praised after dedicating his Bafta win to Ireland and “the kids that are dreaming to be something from the area I come from”.

The Dubliner’s mother struggled with drug addiction and died when he was a child, and he was placed in a dozen foster homes along with his brother...

Downpour on red carpet didn’t stop around 100 guests showing solidarity.

Kristen Stewart and her fellow Competition jurors were among around 100 people participating in a demonstration of solidarity with the women and people of Iran today at the Berlinale.

Despite persistent rain for much of the day, the demo went ahead at 14.55 today (February 18) on the red carpet in front of the Berlinale Palast. It began with a group of about 40 people, predominantly Iranian citizens, including Holy Spider actress Zar Amir Ebrahimi.

They were joined firstly by Berlinale co-directors Mariette Rissenbeek and Carlo Chatrian. Many attendees held signs with the slogan ‘Zan,...

Exclusive: Paramount Global just announced that Showtime will be integrated into Paramount+ across both streaming and linear later this year. In preparation for the move, the premium cable network, which will be renamed as Paramount+ with Showtime, had been re-evaluating its programming slate over the past several weeks under its new top executive Chris McCarthy.

As a result, Showtime will not be proceeding with new series Three Women, starring Shailene Woodley, Betty Gilpin, DeWanda Wise and Gabrielle Creevy, which has been completed. The drama has been quietly shopped by its producers, and I hear there has been interest, with at least one offer on the table.

Related Story Showtime Shocker: Linear Network Rebrands As Paramount+ With Showtime; Move Comes Amid Streaming Integration, Cancellations & Potential Layoffs Related Story 'The 12th Victim' Showtime Docuseries Re-Examines Murder Conviction Of Caril Ann Fugate In 1958 Killing Spree Related Story 'Yellowjackets': Showtime Drops Trailer For Season 2

Additionally,...

While budgets were far more compromised in the 1970s, there would be a rise in more bold and unorthodox cinema coming from the Japanese film industry. Norms were challenged before in the previous decades, but it was more rampant at this point than before, so much that there was an increase in projects that tread the line of exploitation. There was a surge in pessimistic samurai movies, and yakuza features practically became a recurring norm in entertainment. By this point, versatile filmmaker Kon Ichikawa had already challenged audiences with many of his pictures. He would do that again in his surreal jidaigeki work “The Wanderers,” also known as “Matatabi.”

Even for an Art Theatre Guild project, “The Wanderers” is made on compromised funding. Kon Ichikawa and his team filmed entirely on location in Nagano Prefecture and even utilized abandoned houses for some of the set pieces in the narrative. For the director,...

Krzysztof Kieślowski's Three Colors Trilogy is showing from December, 2019 and January, 2020 on Mubi in the United Kingdom.I watched my first Krzysztof Kieślowski as a high schooler, sitting next to my mother, in my town’s only cinema. As with anything in the early stages of my cinephilia, that baptism had been her idea. The movie theatre we’d pay weekly pilgrimages to had allocated a whole three-day run to The Decalogue (1989), and she thought that Kieślowski’s Ten Commandments TV saga would be a good place to start. I forgot much about those few hours, but not the perturbing feeling that crept up on me as the ten chapters began to unfold on screen. I sensed—and it’s a feeling that keeps resurfacing anytime I tread into a Kieślowski film, however many times I may have seen it already—that I’d been there before. That curious déjà-vu...

Can (intense) violence be used to communicate a message about antiviolence? If Shinya Tsukamoto begun giving a reply to this question with “Fires on the Plain”, this time, he gives a definite one, and in the most stunning matter.

“Killing” is screening at Art Film Fest Košice

After 250 years of peace, the idle samurais hear again the bells of war in the mid 19th century coming from Edo, as the “negotiations” with the Americans start taking place. Mokunoshin Tsuzuki is another masterless samurai, who earns his living by working in the rice paddies of an isolated farm, while honing his skills by sparring with the family’s son, Ichisuke, who dreams of becoming a samurai, despite the fact the he was born a peasant. At the same time, the beginning of a subtle romance seems to take place between Tsuzuki and Yu, the family’s daughter despite the fact that...

North America’s largest festival of contemporary Japanese cinema presents a diverse slate of 42 films, with over 20 guest filmmakers and talent in person for daily post-screening Q&As, including Cut Above awardee Shinya Tsukamoto.

Premiering 26 features and 16 short films, the summer festival offers a deep dive into one of the world’s most vital film cultures with a diverse selection across its Feature Slate, Classics: Rediscoveries and Restorations, Documentary Focus, Experimental Spotlight and Shorts Showcase sections. This year’s lineup features 19 first-time filmmakers and 14 female directors (the most in the festival’s history), including 10 International Premieres, 16 North American Premieres, 4 U.S. Premieres, 4 East Coast Premieres and 6 New York Premieres. In addition, over 20 guest filmmakers and talent from Japan will join the festival to participate in post-screening Q&As and parties.

“This 13th edition of Japan Cuts provides testament to the continued vitality of contemporary Japanese cinema with a wide array...

Ever since his international breakthrough with “Tetsuo: The Iron Man” Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto has been a constant presence on many film festivals. His body of work includes such titles as “Bullet Ballet”, “A Snake of June” and “Fires on a Plain”, most of which discuss the link between body and spirit as well as the changes the body goes through in the face of at times hostile circumstances.

At this year’s Nippon Connection in Frankfurt Tsukamoto is given the Nippon Honor Award for his role as a representative of Japanese film and culture. Asian Movie Pulse met with the director to talk about his new film “Kiling”, his inspirations for the project and the possibility of a new “Tetsuo”.

“Killing” is screening at Nippon Connection

First of all thanks for agreeing to this interview. It is an honor to speak with you. Just recently I watched your film...

Now entering its 13th year, Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film returns to present the best new movies made in and around Japan and the filmmakers and performers who made them, all appearing in New York for the first time, with many North American and International Premieres. Set for July 19 to 28, the 2019 edition will feature nearly 30 feature films, ranging from box-office smashes to breakout indie debuts, and includes spotlights on documentary cinema, experimental animation, short films and recent restorations and rediscoveries of classic Japanese favorites.

The full schedule will be released on June 11, when tickets go on sale to Japan Society members. Tickets will go on sale to the public on June 18.

This year, the festival’s Centerpiece Presentation on Wednesday, July 24 is the East Coast Premiere of Killing, a subversive samurai drama from influential cult director Shinya Tsukamoto that the filmmaker has described as a “scream” in response...

‘Tetsuo’ was originally released in 1989.

Tokyo-based studio Nikkatsu Corporation has struck a deal with Japanese director Shinya Tsukamoto to handle international sales on nine of his cult library titles, including Tetsuo: The Iron Man, originally released in 1989.

One of the most famous examples of Japanese cyberpunk, the black-and-white sci-fi horror catapulted Tsukamoto into cult stardom both in Japan and internationally. Nikkatsu has also picked up the film’s sequel, Tetsuo II: Body Hammer (1992), which revisited the same theme of a man being slowly transformed into a metal weapon, but was made with a bigger budget and shot in colour.

Nikkatsu...

Since its 19th edition is about to start in just a few days, Nippon Connection has announced its full program along with a lists of various guests – directors and actors/actresses – who will be attending many of screenings along with Q&As after.

Among this year’s program which features films by Sho Miyake (“And Your Bird Can Sing“), Makoto Nagahisa (“We Are Little Zombies“) and Sabu (“jam”), the program features many additional cultural programs from Japanese cooking, art exhibitions and lectures.

Apart from these events, Nippon Docs will present various Japanese documentaries representing the topic “Outlaws and Outsiders – Cinematic insights into the border areas of Japanese society”. The Nippons Docs, which is endowed with € 1000 and sponsored by Nikon, will be awarded to one of the eight films in this year’s competition.

Additionally, as Amp has reported earlier, director Shinya Tsukamoto will be given the Nippon Honor Award and...

Now entering its 13th year, Japan Cuts: Festival of New Japanese Film returns to present the best new movies made in and around Japan and the filmmakers and performers who made them, all appearing in New York for the first time, with many North American and International Premieres. Set for July 19 to 28, the 2019 edition will feature nearly 30 feature films, ranging from box-office smashes to breakout indie debuts, and includes spotlights on documentary cinema, experimental animation, short films and recent restorations and rediscoveries of classic Japanese favorites.

The full schedule will be released on June 11, when tickets go on sale to Japan Society members. Tickets will go on sale to the public on June 18.

This year, the festival’s Centerpiece Presentation on Wednesday, July 24 is the East Coast Premiere of Killing, a subversive samurai drama from influential cult director Shinya Tsukamoto that the filmmaker has described as a “scream” in response...

From May 28 to June 2, 2019 the nineteenth edition of the Nippon Connection Film Festival will take place in Frankfurt am Main. As the biggest festival for Japanese cinema worldwide, it offers an exciting insight into the current state of the Japanese film scene with more than 100 short and feature length films from all genres. Numerous filmmakers and artists from Japan will be present to introduce their works and establish a lively exchange with the German audience. A diverse cultural program including workshops, lectures, and concerts gives visitors the chance to explore the multifaceted culture of Japan. The main venues are at the Künstlerhaus Mousonturm and the Theater Willy Praml in der Naxoshalle.

Still from “And Your Bird Can Sing

Film Highlights

At the Nippon Connection Film Festival, numerous outstanding productions from Japan will be screened, most of them having their German premieres. Shinsuke Sato is considered a specialist for successful manga adaptations.

It was another successful night for Hirokazu Koreeda’s “Shoplifters“, which won Best Picture at the 13th Asian Film Awards, beating the likes of Lee Chang-dong’s critically acclaimed “Burning” and the hugely successful Chinese film “Dying to Survive” to the prize. The film also won Best Original Music for Haroumi Hosono’s wonderful music.

Director Lee Chang-dong, who returned with “Burning” after an eight years’ absence, was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award. He was also awarded Best Director on the night for “Burning”.

The Best Actor/Actress Awards were evenly shared between productions of different countries, with Koji Yakusho replicating his win at the Japan Academy Awards with a Best Actor win for “The Blood of Wolves“, Zhang Yu winning Best Supporting Actor for the Chinese film “Dying to Survive”, Samal Yeslyamova winning Best Actress for the Russian-German-Polish-Kazakh-Chinese joint production “Ayka” and Kara Hui winning Best Supporting Actress for...

“Shoplifters” and “Burning” were the big winners at the 13th Asian Film Awards, with Hirokazu Kore-eda’s family drama winning Best Picture and Lee Chang-dong being named Best Director for his cerebral thriller. “Shadow” led all films by taking home four prizes, with Zhang Yimou’s epic period piece winning four technical awards: Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing.

Samal Yeslyamova received Best Actress laurels for her performance in “Ayka,” just as she did at Cannes last year, with “The Blood of Wolves” star Yakusho Kōji joining her as Best Actor. “Burning” only left the ceremony with one of the eight prizes for which it was nominated, but Lee received a Lifetime Achievement award as well. Full list of winners:

Best Picture

“Shoplifters”

Best Director

Lee Chang-dong, “Burning”

Best Actor

Yakusho Kōji, “The Blood of Wolves”

Best Actress

Samal Yeslyamova, “Ayka”

Best Supporting Actor

Zhang Yu,...

Zhang Yimou’s highly stylized period epic “Shadow” was the numerical winner at Sunday’s Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong. It bagged four technical awards. But the major prizes went to Japanese and Korean filmmakers.

Kore-eda Hirokazu’s “Shoplifters,” a Japanese drama about a family surviving on shoplifting, was named best picture. The film had been the surprise Palme d’Or winner at the Cannes festival last year, but has since won wide acclaim and achieved record scores at the Japanese and Chinese box office.“Shoplifters” also won best original music with Japanese music pioneer Hosono Haruomi’s score.

South Korean director Lee Chang-dong won the best director prize for the psychological drama “Burning”, which Lee also co-wrote as an adaptation of a Murakami Haruki short story. Going into the ceremony, “Burning” was the favorite, having been nominated in eight categories. Lee was also presented with a lifetime achievement award,...

Helsinki Cine Aasia 2019 gives a Finnish premiere to 18 East and Southeast Asian films

Helsinki Cine Aasia (14.–17.3.2019) is the only festival of contemporary Asian cinema in Finland. It has been organised annually since 2013. This year’s festival presents a wide-range of high quality films from 11 countries.

The opening filmat Helsinki Cine Aasia 2019 is Mori, The Artist’s Habitat by the Japanese director Shuichi Okita. The film is based on the late artist Morikazu Kumagai, who remains highly valued in his home country. Okita draws a slow paced and perceptive portrayal of the artist, tinged with soft comic touches typical for the director. Shuichi Okita will also be visiting the festival and will attend the screenings of his film.

The other portrait of an artist at the festival is Dare to Stop Us by Kazuya Shiraishi based on the enfant terrible of Japanese cinema Koji Wakamatsu (1936–2012) and his disciples during a period when Wakamatsu’s production company,...