Jaden Thompson The Newport Beach Film Festival, which will run from Oct. 12-19 this year, has announced their opening and closing night films. Marco Perego’s “The Absence of Eden,” which stars Zoë Saldana, will open the festival on Oct.
01.09.2023 - 06:55 / variety.com
Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic We’ve all seen our share of stories about inspirational teachers. “The Holdovers” is dedicated to the opposite sort: a hard-ass named Paul Hunham whom everyone hates. The feeling is mutual, as Mr.
Hunham considers most of the kids enrolled at Barton Academy to be entitled little monsters, and the administration to be even more corrupt. Judging by the evidence director Alexander Payne provides, Mr. Hunham’s not wrong.
But he is uncharitable, and in that respect, the movie couldn’t be more different: It’s a generous drama about three wounded souls stranded at Barton over Christmas break, during which this coldhearted private school Scrooge gets a welcome chance to thaw. The year is 1970, but “The Holdovers” is not your typical period movie. Instead, it feels as if Payne (a heroic film preservation advocate) unearthed this vintage artifact from the era in which it takes place.
From the opening MPAA rating (a blue screen with the big “R” offset in a white strip) to the stylized treatments of the Focus Features and Miramax logos, plus strategically deployed zooms and a faux-celluloid filter applied in post, “The Holdovers” could pass for a lost Hal Ashby movie, circa “The Landlord,” right down to the character-focused, socially conscious way Payne and screenwriter David Hemingson go about telling the story. But the story is just a delivery device for something altogether deeper and more humane. Peer beyond the perfectly satisfying Christmas-movie surface, and “The Holdovers” is a film about class and race, grief and resentment, opportunity and entitlement.
Jaden Thompson The Newport Beach Film Festival, which will run from Oct. 12-19 this year, has announced their opening and closing night films. Marco Perego’s “The Absence of Eden,” which stars Zoë Saldana, will open the festival on Oct.
Megan Thee Stallion is sharing new comments about what happened backstage at the MTV VMAs during that moment with Justin Timberlake.
Lise Pedersen LYON, France — Four-time Oscar winner Alfonso Cuarón and “Time Bandits” helmer Terry Gilliam will join a star director-studded lineup at this year’s Lumière Film Festival including Wes Anderson, Alexander Payne and Wim Wenders. Cuarón (“Roma,” “Gravity”) is returning to Lyon – where he was a guest of honor in 2018 – to present a selection of films by Swiss filmmaker Alain Tanner (“Charles Dead or Alive,” “The Salamander,” “Jonah Who Will Be 25 in the Year 2000”).
Courteeners played the relaunch of Club NME with Ladbrokes Live this weekend (September 15) in London.The Manchester band performed a career-spanning greatest hits set at London’s EartH, followed by a surprise DJ guest set from The Libertines’ Carl Barat and Gary Powell to close the evening alongside DJ Rowena.Tickets were free to punters who queued around the street to guarantee entry, reintroducing the classic indie disco night that first launched in 2005 and became a staple of the club scene from London to Sao Paulo and beyond.Taking to the stage for their first London show since March, Courteeners launched into cuts from 2013 album ‘Anna’ including ‘Are You In Love With A Notion?’ alongside classic ‘St Jude’ hits like ‘Cavorting’ and more.The band played fan favourite ‘Sycophant’ from 2010’s ‘Falcon’, a song that frontman Liam Fray admitted he’d not “sung that one for a long time”. A rowdy crowd that had travelled from across the country climbed on shoulders for ‘The 17th’ from ‘Mapping The Rendezvous’, and ‘St Jude’s ‘Not Nineteen Forever’ and ‘What Took You So Long?’The Libertines’ Barat and Powell joined for a secret DJ set, which included mash-ups of The Killers and Gorillaz, alongside hits from Beastie Boys and more in a vibrant set.Speaking to NME prior to the show, Courteeners’ Liam Fray commented on their upcoming music.
School Of Rock, saying it “didn’t feel like a hit” when he first approached the project.Starring Jack Black as a struggling guitarist who poses as a substitute teacher, the comedy film grossed over $130million worldwide on a $35million budget when it released in 2003. It’s since spawned a stage adaptation and a TV spin-off on Nickelodeon.Speaking to NME about the film, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, director Linklater said: “I loved working on that movie and I loved Jack, and the whole process.
Niall Matter dips Heather Hemmens back during a sweet dance moment in their brand new Hallmark Movies & Mysteries movie, Come Fly With Me.
Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Four years ago, before COVID turned everything upside-down, a new Asian masterpiece world premiered virtually unnoticed at the Toronto Film Festival. I’m referring to “A Sun,” a multi-faceted Taiwanese family saga from director Chung Mong-Hong that seemed to shift and evolve as it unfolded, challenging what audiences though they knew about the characters.
Vin Diesel is remembering his good friend and ‘Fast & Furious‘ co-star Paul Walker on what would have been his 50th birthday, with a very emotional tribute, honoring his life and legacy. The Hollywood star, who walked Paul’s daughter down the aisle for her wedding, wrote a message, detailing his friendship with the late actor and remembering his 40th birthday celebration 10 years ago.“A decade… ten long years… and yet it feels like yesterday when we were singing happy birthday to you for the big 40!” Diesel wrote, sharing a sweet photo with the actor at his birthday party.
Nothing but love!
the atomic bomb, a revisionist doll and CGI Harrison Ford have gobbled up our attention, for better or worse, but not because any of those varied titles have much heart.Then there’s the “The Holdovers,” directed by Alexander Payne, which is set during frigid Christmastime at a Northeast boarding school that’s nearly empty of students. The lovable dramedy, which just screened at the Toronto International Film Festival, is blanketed in snow and ice — and it’s the warmest cinematic experience you’ll have all year. Running time: 133 minutes.
Numerous clips have been shared online regarding how self-importantly Aaron Sorkin and company took themselves while they were making “The Newsroom,” a show that practically announced itself as the last stand for human rights and journalistic decency in the world. Holding that impossible standard high in its third season is Apple TV+’s expensive hit “The Morning Show,” a program that makes it feel like if morning news in America falls, then the apocalypse is just around the corner.
Alison Herman TV Critic It’s difficult to top the heights and/or depths of “The Morning Show” Season 2, a borderline camp masterpiece in which Elle Woods sucked face with Alicia Florrick and a disgraced Matt Lauer type drove his car off an Italian bluff. But the Apple TV+ drama is obligated to try, so for its latest premiere, it goes where no fictional daytime infotainment digest has gone before: to outer space.
Fans are speculating about what happened between Megan Thee Stallion and Justin Timberlake backstage at Tuesday’s MTV Video Music Awards after cameras captured what appeared to be the rapper angrily yelling at the singer.
EXCLUSIVE: Distributor-producer Lucky Red is one of Italy’s most respected independent film and TV companies. Run by former actor Andrea Occhipinti since 1987, the firm has released more than 500 titles and produced more than 50 films.
Cardi B is sharing one shocking misconception about herself.
Sophia Scorziello editor Virginia’s Middleburg Film Festival, now in its 11th year, is set to open this October with Netflix’s Bayard Rustin biopic “Rustin” starring Colman Domingo. Director George C.
Numerous clips have been shared online regarding how self-importantly Aaron Sorkin and company took themselves while they were making “The Newsroom,” a show that practically announced itself as the last stand for human rights and journalistic decency in the world. Holding that impossible standard high in its third season is Apple TV+’s expensive hit “The Morning Show,” a program that makes it feel like if morning news in America falls, then the apocalypse is just around the corner.
As we near the end of the school holidays, most families have no doubt enjoyed a few days out over the long break.
TELLURIDE – Considering the success and adoration of the “Sideways,” it’s sort of surprising it took Alexander Payne and Paul Giamatti this long to find another film to make together. Almost 20 years later, the director and actor have reteamed for “The Holdovers,” which debuted at this year’s Telluride Film Festival.
Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor Two-time Oscar winner Alexander Payne returns to the big screen with his entertaining and crowd-pleasing film “The Holdovers” which debuted at the Telluride Film Festival on Thursday night, where he was in-person to introduce. With a 1970s aesthetic, a sharp script by David Hemingson, and a trio of exquisite performers, the film feels like the slam-dunk Oscar contender the establishment members of the Academy can get behind. “The Holdovers” reunites Payne with his “Sideways” star Paul Giamatti.