March 26, 2020

You’re Cordially Invited to A Peasant Wedding

Source: Visual Storytelling

March 25, 2020

SXSW Film Alumni Releases – March and April 2020

Discover some of the SXSW Film Festival alumni films on release this March and April such as Motherland: Fort Salem; After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News; Uncorked; and Beastie Boys Story. Add these films and more to your streaming queue – check out the complete list below in order of release date.

And for a binge-watching bonus: Mailchimp and Osciliscope licensed nearly all of the official Short Film selections for SXSW 2020. Watch them, absolutely free, from wherever you are here.

Motherland: Fort Salem

World Premiere, Episodic, 2020

Set in an alternate, present-day America where witches ended their persecution 300 years ago by cutting a deal with the U.S. government to fight for their country, Motherland: Fort Salem follows three young women from basic training in combat magic into terrifying and thrilling early deployment.

Broadcasting on Freeform and streaming on Freeform Go March 18.

After Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News

World Premiere, Documentary Feature, 2020

After Truth captures the human toll of false news and conspiracies with unprecedented access to figures in the Pizzagate, Seth Rich, Jade Helm, and Alabama special election cases.

Broadcasting on HBO and streaming on HBO GO March 19.

Uncorked

World Premiere, Narrative Feature, 2020

Elijah (Mamoudou Athie) must find a way to balance his dream of becoming a master sommelier with his father’s expectations for him to carry on the family’s popular Memphis barbecue joint.

Streaming on Netflix on March 27.

Cursed Films

World Premiere, Episodic, 2020

Cursed Films is a five-part documentary series which explores the myths and legends behind some of Hollywood’s notoriously cursed horror film productions. From plane accidents and bombings during the making of The Omen, to the rumored use of real human skeletons on the set of Poltergeist, these stories are legendary amongst film fans and filmmakers alike. But where does the truth lie?

Streaming on Shudder April 2.

Tales from the Loop

World Premiere, Episodic, 2020

From executive producer Matt Reeves and based on the acclaimed art of Swedish artist Simon Stålenhag, Tales from the Loop explores the town and people who live above “The Loop,” a machine built to unlock and explore the mysteries of the universe – making things possible that were previously relegated only to science fiction. In this fantastical mysterious town, poignant human tales are told that bare universal emotional experiences while drawing on the intrigue of genre storytelling.

Streaming on Amazon Prime Video April 3.

Outcry

World Premiere, Episodic, 2020

Few people ever experience the momentum that star football player Greg Kelley had going into his senior year of high school. That all changed in the summer of 2013. Greg is accused of a terrible crime that shocked Leander, a suburb of Austin, Texas, leaving the community bitterly divided over whether Greg could have committed such a crime. At 19 years old, he is convicted and sentenced to 25 years in prison without parole. As new questions are raised, an investigation unfolds to reveal a shocking story that goes far beyond sports and the criminal justice system.

Streaming on Showtime April 3.

The Quarry

World Premiere, Narrative Feature, 2020

The Quarry is a tense and harrowing tale of sin and redemption, violence and grace, and the lengths to which men will go to outrun their evil deeds. A mysterious new minister (Shea Whigham) takes up residence at a rundown church in a desolate Texas town. Despite the growing suspicions of the townsfolk – the hardened local police chief (Michael Shannon), the drug-dealing brothers caught in the chief’s crosshairs (Bobby Soto and Alvaro Martinez), and the mournful woman who keeps up the church (Catalina Sandino Moreno) – the congregation grows. But how long can the minister keep his secrets safe and who can be forgiven when the truth comes to light? Based on the acclaimed novel by Damon Galgut.

Available On Demand, Apple TV+, Amazon, and additional platforms April 17. (On Digital, Blu-Ray, and DVD June 16.)

We’re Here

World Premiere, Episodic, 2020

From creators Stephen Warren and Johnnie Ingram, this six-part unscripted series recruits small-town residents across America to participate in a one-night-only drag show. Renowned drag queens Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara, and Shangela Laquifa Wadley will inspire and teach their own “drag daughters” to step outside their comfort zone for a night of no-holds-barred, full-on drag.

Debuts on HBO April 23.

Beastie Boys Story

World Premiere, Documentary Feature, 2020

Beastie Boys Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz tell an intimate, personal story of their band and 40 years of friendship in this live documentary experience directed by their longtime friend and collaborator, and their former grandfather, filmmaker Spike Jonze.

Streaming on Apple TV+ on April 24.

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The post SXSW Film Alumni Releases – March and April 2020 appeared first on SXSW.

Source: SxSW Film

March 22, 2020

Weekend Box Office Flashback, March 1982: When Raunchy Low-Budget ‘Porky’s’ Ruled

Habits die hard. It’s Sunday, which is usually the time to list and analyze the weekend’s grosses. However, since almost all theaters are closed, I decided to take a look back to this weekend in 1982 — the year when box-office statistics became part of entertainment reporting.

Almost 40 years ago, coverage wasn’t instantaneous. People had to wait until midweek for reports, which inched closer to real time as the years went on. Here, we have the benefit of hindsight — and the title’s performance might offer us some perspective on how these films informed what Hollywood, and box office, would become.

Since tickets cost three times more now than they did in 1982, I’ve included both the original grosses and the estimated totals according to adjusted ticket prices. Among the things to note: Far fewer theaters played films then (most theaters had perhaps three screens); weekly drops were much smaller; and only one film – came close to anything like a sequel or franchise: “Evil Under the Sun,” which was then the latest Agatha Christie adaptation.

The Top Ten

1. Porky’s (20th Century Fox) NEW – Metacritic: 40; Est. budget: $4.5 million/$13.5 million

$7,624,000/$22.9M in 1,148 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $6,641/$19,923; Cumulative: $7,624,000/$22.9M

A much higher than expected for this Canadian-produced hard-R comedy about some virginal teenage boys who set out for revenge after their attempts to hire a hooker are thwarted. Like February’s even bigger opening independent “Private Lessons,” about a housemaid’s seduction of a 15-year-old, this shows audiences are in the mood to have their boundaries pushed. It’s unlikely any other major studio has featured a key scene with a glory hole.

Fox took great care with what seemingly feels like a throwaway B-picture more likely to come from Roger Corman’s New World. They ran test dates in two small markets last November to surprising success. This gave them confidence to give this a major push, and one before the summer (when drive-ins would be expected to be its natural home)  would be open.

It’s a long way to then, but this start suggests this might be more than a flash in the pan. We’ll see. But this and last week’s #1 Richard Pryor concert film suggest that as Oscar season wraps up with the awards a week from Monday, regular moviegoers are looking for laughs, not this year’s (mostly successful)  serious adult dramas.

2. Richard Pryor on the Sunset Strip (Columbia) – Week 2; Last weekend #1

$6,197,000/$18.6M (-20%)  in 1,277 theaters (no change); PTA: $4,853/$14,559; Cumulative: $17,021,000/$51.1M

Already second to “Woodstock” all-time among concert films, thehold this weekend reflects both that this top star’s appeal is broad and the word of mouth for this amazingly self-critical and hysterically funny comedy performance is unabated after his recent recovery from burns. It a
lso, combined with “Porky’s,” suggests a wide swath of the American public isn’t paying much attention to the ascendant Moral Majority as the country enters the second year of the Reagan administration.

“On Golden Pond”

ITV/Shutterstock

3. On Golden Pond (Universal) – Week 16; Last weekend #2

$4,117,000/$12.4M (-14%)  in 883 theaters (-132); PTA: $4,662/$13,986; Cumulative: $69,943,000/$209.8M

Another great hold for this certain Best Actor winner, with hopes for more. It remains a huge hit, with its current gross (a third of “Raiders of the Ark,” the top grossing Best Picture contender) now close do double front runner ”Reds” (which is no longer drawing much interest).

4. Deathtrap (Warner Bros.) NEW – Metacritic: 54; Est. budget: $15 million/$45 million

$2,239,000/$6.7M in 341 theaters; PTA: $6,566/$19,698; Cumulative: $2,239,000/$6.7M 

The more sophisticated appeal of Sidney Lumet’s adaptation of Ira Levin’s comedy thriller play led to Warners going somewhat limited in major markets. Though not as strong as “Quest” as a more limited film, it ranks as the director’s best start for a film since “Network” (“The Wiz” opened wider and with a higher gross, but ultimately disappointed). Credit the cast for helping this for overcoming the far more middling reviews than the very similar “Sleuth” a decade ago. That like this also starred Michael Caine, with Christopher Reeve joining him now for his first film since “Superman II” over a year ago.

The complicated plot, full of sleights of hand as it tells the apparent story of a writers’-blocked playwright who schemes with a budding writer to produce a hit. In a late winter period in which two other studio released films – “Making Love” (20th Century Fox) and “Personal Best” (Warner Bros.), the subplot here involving the two characters’ attraction, including an intimate kiss between Caine and Reeve – likely shocked some viewers and could play a role in its ongoing response.

5. Quest for Fire (20th Century Fox) Week 6

$2,171,000/$6.5M in 223 theaters; PTA: $9,737/$29,211; Cumulative: $6,260,000/$18.8M

Expanding wider after initially more limited play (as well as a wider break in Canada, which co-producing country with France as well as site of its locations), Jean-Jacques Annaud goes from arthouse director (he made the Oscar Foreign Language winner “Black and White in Color”) to studio-friendly. That’s very rare for non-British European directors, even more those whose work has been specialized. Fox attained a top-notch slate of upscale, sophisticated theaters, but also crossed over with college audiences. It’s an impressive achievement, more so the same weekend as they scored with the quite different “Porky’s.”

“Missing”

Polygram/Universal/Kobal/Shutterstock

6. Missing (Universal) – Week 6; Last weekend #4

$1,891,000/$5.67M (-18%) in 632 theaters (-101); PTA: $2,991/$8,973; Cumulative: $4,732,000/$14.2M

In its second week of wider play after initial more limited dates, Costa-Gavras’ highly charged Chile-set political thriller (similar to his earlier ”Z”) is getting most of its interest from Jack Lemmon’s acclaimed performance. It looks like an early contender for next year’s awards.

7. Chariots of Fire (Warner Bros.) – Week 26; Last weekend #4

$1,827,000/$5.5M (-10%) in 435 theaters (-12); PTA: $4,199/$12,597; Cumulative: $25,322,000/$76.0M

Though it opened limited in September, the slow roll out of this British period sports biopic continues to thrive six months later. It remains a long shot for Best Picture behind three other contenders (“Reds,” ”Pond,” and ”Raiders”), but if  it pulls off an upset credit Warners’ great release plan and a public that has gotten  behind it at exactly the right time.

8. Evil Under the Sun (Universal) – Week 3; Last weekend #6

$637,000/$1.9M (-47%) in 283 theaters (-281); PTA: $2,252/$6,754; Cumulative: $4,659,000/$14.0M

The EMI production team’s latest Agatha Christie all-star production, now released by Universal after earlier placed through Paramount, is falling short of the previous success with ”Murder on the Orient Express” and ”Death on the Nile.” Week three sees a  drop of half of its theaters. The amount of adult alternatives at the moment has hurt this.

“Arthur”

Orion/Kobal/Shutterstock

9. Arthur (Warner Bros.) – Week 36; Last weekend #11

$560,000/$1.68M (-9%) in 395 theaters (-54); PTA: $1,418/$4,254; Cumulative: $87,797,000/$263.8M

Last year’s fourth biggest hit continues its modest return engagements pegged to John Gielgud’s expected Supporting Actor win next  week. Still making the Top Ten in its ninth month is impressive for this sophisticared comedy with Dudley Moore and Liza Minnelli.

10. Absence of Malice – Week 18; Last weekend #10

$541,000/$1.6M (-17%)  in 443 theaters (-37); PTA: $1,222/$3,666; Cumulative: $263/$82.8M

Paul Newman’s quest for a long overdue Oscar looks like it is on hold for the even more overdue Henry Fonda, but meantime Sydney Pollack’s legal drama also starring Sally Field is still playing since its initial Christmas release.

OPENING  LIMITED

Victor Victoria (MGM)  – Metacritic: 84; Est. budget: $15 million/$45 million

$139,634/$418,902 in 3 theaters; PTA: $46,545/$139,635

Blake Edwards hasn’t had a platform release in years. But this musical comedy starring his wife Julie Andrews in its three initial New York/Los Angeles dates show the strategy worked. These are great numbers, double that of “Chariots of Fire,” also initially in three last fall. This will get a chance to test broader interest when it goes wide April 2.

Source: IndieWire film

March 22, 2020

After SXSW Cancellation, a Drive-In Theater in Austin Comes to the Rescue

When SXSW was forced to cancel its 2020 edition due to the current pandemic, it was a hard hit for the film community and especially for those filmmakers now left without a home for their new projects. The Austin festival was set to run March 13 through 22, but now participating filmmakers are scrambling to land their movies elsewhere.

However, even at a time when movie theaters around the nation have shut their doors en masse, drive-in theaters are unexpectedly having a moment. That includes the Blue Starlite Mini Urban Drive-In, open year-round in Austin, Texas, whose founder, Josh Frank, is doing his part to help out SXSW filmmakers left adrift.

Last week, as highlighted in a story from Ars Technica, the Blue Starlite polled SXSW filmmakers who might want to see their films premiere at the drive-in, kicking off the first in a series of screenings dubbed “SXSocial Distance: A Night of Short Films.” The first of four planned evenings was a success, thanks to filmmakers offering to premiere their shorts at the venue.

“So I kind of expected this to happen, but the feature [films] didn’t write back,” Frank told Ars Technica. “Features aren’t going to do a throwaway event because festivals want to say it’s the world premiere or the U.S. premiere.” That makes sense, as feature films are likely looking to land at festivals down the line — though with Cannes now postponed, the circuit is going to be more clustered and competitive than ever.

“I started getting emails back from the shorts, which makes sense. Those are the guys that are the most fucked,” Frank said. “They have the hardest time getting any attention, and this festival and the newsworthiness of that premiere would’ve been huge to them. So they realized it could be salvaged: they could still show their movies in Austin and also do something newsworthy. Maybe they didn’t get to show at SXSW, but a drive-in offered its screens.”

“I never thought I’d say this, but we’re literally the only movie theater operating in Austin, Texas, and the surrounding areas. I never expected that to be the truth,” Frank says. “In a lot of people’s minds, it kind of revalidated what a drive-in could be for society.”

The next SXSocial Distance screening is set for this Thursday, March 26. But the Blue Starlite has plenty of other great programming lined up, as seen on the theater’s Facebook page. Screenings include “The Princess Bride,” “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Uncut Gems,” “The Big Lebowski,” and more.

Source: IndieWire film