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IFC Center turns 20 this week, and we’re celebrating by turning the clock back to 2005. On our actual birthday, June 17, a special one-day-only anniversary event showcases the four movies that played our opening week – “I Was Born But…,” “Maniac,” “Don’t Look Back,” and “Me and You and Everyone We Know” — all at 2005 prices. Later in the summer, a “20 Films for 20 Years” series will spotlight some key films from IFC Center’s history, with a different movie representing each year we’ve been open.

To mark the anniversary, IndieWire asked me to reflect on some of my personal programming highlights from almost two decades at the theater. There are dozens and dozens, but here are some of the ones that really stick out for me, in roughly chronological order:

David Lynch Introducing “Vertigo”

A few days before we opened what would be his final feature, “Inland Empire,” in December, 2006, Lynch...

Alfred Hitchcock’s legacy is being reexamined by the best modern critics. IndieWire can exclusively share the list of esteemed journalists, including IndieWire’s own Kate Erbland, who will be moderating one of the highly-anticipated “Hitch! The Original Cinema Influencer” screening series panels.

As IndieWire previously announced, Netflix is hosting a theatrical re-release of Hitchcock’s most beloved features at the Paris Theater in New York City. Fittingly, the screening series is co-presented with the New York Film Critics Circle; members of the leading national critics group will be on hand to discuss the curated collection of Hitchcock films.

“Hitch! The Original Cinema Influencer” will be a six-week screening series that coincides with the iconic auteur’s features being available to stream on Netflix starting June 1. “Hitch! The Original Cinema Influencer” will run from May 16 through June 29, and is set to include more than 60 films, 36 of which are directed by...

This week on the Film Stories Podcast Network: frenetic action, iconic actors, zooming camerawork and much more. Here’s what we’ve been up to…

At the Movies in the Noughties

Wazzup?! It’s a brand new week and brand new podcast on Fspn as Dev Elson begins a show focused on the 2000s, looking at a film an episode, starting with Mark McManus and The Bourne Identity, plus don’t miss Aj Black and Rob Turnbull discuss 2001’s Planet of the Apes…

Reel Talk

Gareth Evans, he of The Raid films, is back with another action fest for Netflix in Havoc, which Sam Stokes and guest Nick Chandler fight their way through the streets to explore…

Writers on Film

John Bleasdale gets into the mind of a great, much lamented actor as author Jason Bailey joins him to discuss his tome on the mighty James Gandolfini…

The X-Cast

Conspiracies...

There’s a new biography in the market about The Sopranos lead star James Gandolfini, and it brings up some of his old stories from his film and TV sets. In Jason Bailey’s Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend, the author mentioned Gandolfini’s old scuffle with Denzel Washington on the set of their 1995 movie, Crimson Tide.

The biography shared a report from that time, which suggested that the Enough Said actor got aggressive with Washington during one scene. However, the two actors quickly became friends on the set after that incident.

The film was a submarine action thriller directed by Tony Scott, focusing on the clash between a commanding officer and his new executive officer. The roles were played by Gene Hackman and Washington. Gandolfini played Supply Officer Lt. Bobby Dougherty in the film.

What went down between The Sopranos actor James Gandolfini and Denzel Washington on the film set?...

“The Sopranos” creator David Chase almost passed on casting James Gandolfini in the lead role because the late actor didn’t seem “threatening enough” to play mob boss Tony Soprano.

In an excerpt published by Vulture of Jason Bailey’s book “Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend,” Gandolfini’s former manager, Nancy Sanders, remembered how Chase was hesitant to offer Gandolfini the role.

“I went, ‘Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,’” Sanders said. However, Chase allegedly told Sanders at the time, “I have one concern, and that is, is he threatening enough?”

IndieWire has reached out to representatives for Chase and HBO.

Sanders recalled telling Chase at the time, “David, if your only concern is, ‘Is he threatening enough’…If you said to me, ‘He’s a little chubby,’ or ‘He’s losing his hair,’ I could understand. But he’s threatening enough. This is your guy.

The late James Gandolfini made Tony Soprano one of the most iconic characters in television history, but he almost missed out on the role due to a specific concern from the show’s creator, David Chase. In Jason Bailey’s new biography about the beloved actor, Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend, an excerpt of which was published by Vulture, the author and historian shares details of The Sopranos casting process, which includes a story from Nancy Sanders, one of Gandolfini’s managers. After reading the script for the HBO pilot, Sanders recalled, “I went, ‘Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano.'” She then called Chase, who told her, “He sounds familiar. I’m totally into having this conversation with you, but I may not remember it. Call me tomorrow morning and send me the VHS.” Sanders sent Gandolfini’s tape to Chase, and...

James Gandolfini as Tony Soprano is widely regarded as an example of perfect casting, making it impossible for fans of The Sopranos to imagine any other actor in the role. However, series creator David Chase was reluctant to go forward with the casting for a surprising reason.

The story of Gandolfini almost missing out on The Sopranos was shared in the new book Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend by Jason Bailey. An excerpt from the book, published by Vulture, includes a passage about how Gandolfini's manager, Nancy Sanders, suggested the actor after reading the script for The Sopranos. When Chase questioned if Gandolfini was "threatening enough" to play the mafia boss, Sanders assured him that this wouldn't be a problem.

“Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,” Sanders felt when reading the script.

Upon watching Gandolfini's acting reel, Chase is said to have responded,...

The Sopranos creator David Chase once questioned whether James Gandolfini had the right presence to portray the troubled mob boss Tony Soprano, according to a new book excerpt. Jason Bailey’s Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend explores the casting process that ultimately led to one of television’s most iconic performances.

Nancy Sanders, one of Gandolfini’s managers, recalled in the excerpt that after reading the pilot script for The Sopranos, she immediately thought of Gandolfini for the role. “I went, ‘Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,’” Sanders said. However, Chase expressed a hesitation after reviewing Gandolfini’s acting reel.

“Alright, here’s the deal,” Chase told Sanders. “I think he’s brilliant. I have one concern, and that is: Is he threatening enough?” Sanders, surprised by the comment, responded with confidence. “David, if your only concern is is he threatening enough… If you said to me,...

David Chase wasn’t initially sold on James Gandolfini playing Tony Soprano in The Sopranos because he thought he wasn’t “threatening enough.”

In an excerpt from Jason Bailey’s new book Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend, Bailey recounted the casting process for the coveted part. After reading the script for the HBO pilot, Nancy Sanders, one of his Gandolfini’s managers, knew he was perfect for the role.

“I went, ‘Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,’” she remembered in the excerpt published by Vulture. While the show’s creator thought Gandolfini was “brilliant,” he told Sanders he had one doubt in casting him for the part: “I have one concern, and that is, is he threatening enough?”

The manager was taken aback by his concern and assured him that Gandolfini was surely “threatening enough” to play the mafia mobster.

“David, if your...

If things had gone differently, it could’ve been someone else leading the cast of “The Sopranos.” But luckily, series creator David Chase didn’t stick with his hasty first reaction to James Gandolfini.

In an excerpt from Jason Bailey’s book “Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend” (via Vulture), Chase worried that Gandolfini wasn’t “threatening enough,” before ultimately casting him in the career-defining role.

During the show’s development, Gandolfini’s manager, Nancy Sanders, told Chase, “I think I have Tony Soprano.” Chase wasn’t immediately convinced.

“All right, here’s the deal,” Chase told Sanders after checking out Gandolfini’s reel. “I think he’s brilliant. I have one concern, and that is, is he threatening enough?”

Sanders stood up for her client, quickly quieting Chase’s concerns, “If you said to me, ‘He’s a little chubby,’ or ‘He’s losing his hair,...

More than 25 years later, it seems impossible to imagine anyone other than James Gandolfini in the role of Tony Soprano.

But The Sopranos creator David Chase was initially worried the actor wasn’t “threatening enough” to play the mafia boss in the acclaimed HBO drama series that ran for six seasons from 1999 to 2007, according to an excerpt from Jason Bailey’s Gandolfini: Jim, Tony, and the Life of a Legend.

“Oh my God, I think I have Tony Soprano,” Gandolfini’s manager Nancy Sanders recalled after reading the script in the excerpt shared by Vulture.

“All right, here’s the deal,” Chase told her after watching Gandolfini’s reel. “I think he’s brilliant. I have one concern, and that is, Is he threatening enough?”

Sanders quickly shut down that thinking. “If you said to me, ‘He’s a little chubby,’ or ‘He’s losing his hair,’ I could understand.

Every Friday, Gold Derby rounds up some of the best stories of the week from our friends across the web. Maybe you missed these, maybe you were too busy to read them at the time, maybe you bookmarked them and forgot, but hopefully you'll have some over the weekend to check them out. Happy reading!

Michael B. Jordan, Ryan Coogler and a Dozen Years of Collaborations

Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler sit down with the New York Times to run through all five films in their 12-year working relationship, from 2013's Fruitvale Station to their latest, Sinners.

Tina Fey on Her New Netflix Series: "It Saved Me From Just Shrinking Up Like a Little Granny Apple Head"

Tina Fey is back in her first regular TV role since 30 Rock ended in 2013 in Netflix's The Four Seasons. Gracing the cover of The Hollywood Reporter, the nine-time Emmy winner discusses...

When talking about Pulp Fiction 30 years later, Bruce Willis’ performance is not something that immediately comes up in discussions. Willis’s character Butch was one of the more conventional characters in the film, which was filled with image-breaking performances. However, Willis’ stardom gave a significant boost to the film at the time of its making.

Bruce Willis as Butch in a still from Pulp Fiction | Credits: Miramax Films

Interestingly, Willis was not a name that Quentin Tarantino ever had in mind for the role. It was Harvey Keitel, who played the role of Winston Wolfe, who introduced the Die Hard actor to Tarantino. At the time, Willis was one of the only A-listers among the cast.

Bruce Willis Played A Crucial Role In Pulp Fiction‘s Epic Success Bruce Willis in a still from Pulp Fiction | Credits: Miramax Films

Pulp Fiction was snubbed for the Oscars in favor of Forrest Gump 30 years ago.

The working relationship between writer and director Quentin Tarantino and actor Tim Roth is excellent, going all the way back to Tarantino's first feature, "Reservoir Dogs." So when it came to his second film, "Pulp Fiction," Tarantino knew he wanted to have Roth involved in some capacity and was going to write a character in the film with him specifically in mind. That character wasn't the now-infamous Pumpkin, however, and the creation of Pumpkin and Amanda Plummer's character Honey Bunny had a whole lot to do with a hilarious request on Roth's part. It's hard to imagine "Pulp Fiction" without Pumpkin and Honey Bunny, who kick off the entire movie with their loving and slightly terrifying conversation immediately before holding up a diner at gunpoint. But according to both Roth and Tarantino, the pairing was somewhat serendipitous.

Apparently Tarantino was at the premiere of Plummer's film "The Fisher King,...

When we talk about the cast of "Pulp Fiction," we rarely seem to mention the name Bruce Willis. We discuss the resurrection of John Travolta's career, the superstar explosion of Samuel L. Jackson, the complete shift of how we saw former ingénue Uma Thurman, the hilarious monologue by Christopher Walken, and the bizarre energy of Quentin Tarantino himself as Jimmy. Meanwhile, Willis is almost seen as an afterthought.

Most of the discussion surrounding the story of Willis' Butch is about what happens in that story. You have Zed, the gimp, the pawn shop weapon selection, and the surprise death of Travolta's Vincent Vega. It's the section of "Pulp Fiction" that ramps up the violence and the extremity, but in a way, it also feels the most disconnected from the rest of the film. I find this pushing aside of what Willis is bringing to Tarantino's sophomore feature...

An aspiring writer recently graduated from Oxford descends upon the gloomy countryside estate of revered author J.M. Sinclair for a summer gig tutoring his son. Naturally, the young man, Liam, arrives bearing an unfinished manuscript with which he plans to impress his hero, but if there’s anything to be taken away from this “exquisitely made chamber piece”, it’s that meeting your idols isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Though the house overflows with contemporary art curated by Sinclair’s wife, Hélène, and light that pours in through floor-to-ceiling windows, sorrow echoes between its hallways and behind its locked doors. Two years earlier, we learn, the Sinclairs’ eldest drowned himself on the property, a trauma that sent J.M. into professional hiatus. Albeit for very different reasons, Liam’s arrival is just what the family has been waiting for, and he soon finds himself tangled...

The editor-in-chief at GQ who was involved in the decision to pull an article critical about Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav is also producing a movie at Warner Bros. Pictures, according to a new report by Variety.

On Monday, GQ ran a story by freelance film critic Jason Bailey titled “How Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Became Public Enemy Number One in Hollywood.” As The Washington Post detailed earlier today, the article was edited from its original version and later pulled after Bailey asked for his byline to be removed from it. The Post reported that the decision to edit the piece came after individuals at Warner Bros. Discovery complained to the magazine about the story, which in its original version compared Zaslav to “Succession” character Logan Roy and to Richard Gere’s businessman character in “Pretty Woman.”

However, as Variety reported, one of the individuals contacted was reportedly GQ Editor-in-Chief Will Welch,...

On July 3, GQ.com rolled out a hot-take story titled “How Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav Became Public Enemy Number One in Hollywood.” The piece, which was written by freelance film critic Jason Bailey and slammed Zaslav as a Logan Roy-esque mogul, quickly disappeared from GQ’s website, while a new, more friendly version popped up with a separate URL. That version, too, vanished not long after, leaving readers puzzled.

But did a GQ editor’s relationship with Warner Bros. play a role in the softening and ultimate removal of the story?

GQ editor-in-chief Will Welch is producing a movie at Warner Bros. titled “The Great Chinese Art Heist,” which is based on a 2018 GQ article by Alex W. Palmer. Jon M. Chu (“Crazy Rich Asians”) is attached to direct and produce the film, which chronicles an audacious European museum crime wave that targeted Chinese antiquities. The project already...

Most days, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav can’t catch a break in the media, which endlessly details his stumbles and failures as head of a content monolith. But it seems he may still have the power to try to bury unflattering coverage. Almost.

Since taking the helm of the entertainment giant that owns CNN, HBO and dozens of other media properties when it was formed through a $43 billion merger in April 2022, Zaslav has made one controversial decision after another. His axing of projects from streaming services (he even...

GQ magazine has removed an article about Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav from its website after the company objected to the article.

The unflattering piece by freelance film critic Jason Bailey appeared Monday. It catalogued a number of moves by Zaslav — particularly decisions at Warner Bros, Max and TCM — which have made him “the most hated man in Hollywood.” Bailey wrote that Zaslav is “only good at breaking things,” comparing him with the businessman played by Richard Gere in Pretty Woman.

The article then went through a round of edits before being fully removed from the site without explanation after the company complained and Bailey asked for his byline to be removed. One change removed the “most hated man” line and replaced it with “the face of a rocky and controversial new period in Hollywood.” Archived versions of the original and a revised version have been circulating on social...

One of the most chastised men in the industry right now is Warner Bros. Discovery head David Zaslav. And, honestly, with his track record, he deserves quite a bit of it. This is the guy who launched questionable mergers, cost hundreds of people jobs, severely cut the libraries of major streaming services, made sure HBO got changed to Max – which many of us will just plain never be down with – and…should we keep going?*

Now, a new GQ article criticizing David Zaslav has been pulled, a peculiar move that stems from its author wanting his own byline removed. As per The Washington Post, “A Zaslav associate complained to GQ about the story soon after it was published…” Available versions of both the original version that reporter Jason Bailey wrote and the ones edited by GQ higher-ups apparently show distinct differences, with lines like those calling the CEO “the most...

Get in touch to send in cinephile news and discoveries. For daily updates follow us @NotebookMUBI.NEWSConann.The lineup for the 76th Locarno Film Festival is now online, and it includes new films from Radu Jude, Eduardo Williams, Bertrand Mandico (a feature and two shorts), Leonor Teles, Lav Diaz, and Denis Côté, plus many more. The festival runs from August 2 through 12.Following Barbie, which releases later this month, Greta Gerwig will next direct two Chronicles of Narnia adaptations for Netflix. This news comes as a side detail in a wide-reaching New Yorker piece on Mattel Films by Alex Barasch, which details the toy company’s plans to develop more than 45 films using its properties, including a Hot Wheels film by J.J. Abrams and a Daniel Kaluuya-led, "surrealistic" reboot of the children's show Barney.REMEMBERINGThe great comic actor Alan Arkin died last week at age 89. For the New York Times,...

On June 28, 2023, “Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed,” directed by Stephen Kijack, premiered on HBO to acclaim from critics, resulting in a score of 77% on Rotten Tomatoes. The biography of renowned actor Rock Hudson is examined in this relevant investigation of Hollywood and LGBTQ+ identity, from his public “ladies’ man” character to his private life as a gay man. Read our full review round-up below.

Peter Debruge of Variety writes, “During his lifetime, Rock Hudson was a model for American masculinity. That changed after his death, when the strapping, straight-acting (but occasionally sensitive) hunk from Winnetka became the poster boy for Hollywood homophobia: a closeted star who’d been forced to play a role his entire career that wasn’t true to himself, on screen and off. ‘Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed’ treats that compromise as a tragedy, leaning on the fact Hudson died of AIDS to underscore the injustice,...

The longest-acting movie awards voting committee got it done in about 3½ hours this year, with the New York Film Critics Circle finally naming Focus Features’ Tár as Best film of 2022. The movie, which reps filmmaker Todd Fields return to the camera in 16 years also saw its star Cate Blanchett win Best Actress.

The NYFCC is known for bestowing wins to indie movies and the org can take as long as five hours to deliberate on the day they announce wins. Whatever film the group names as Best Picture doesn’t always translate to an Oscar Best Picture win; the last title to do so was 2011’s The Artist.

Related Story 2022-23 Awards Season Calendar – Dates For The Oscars, Golden Globes, Guilds & More Related Story Jim Jarmusch Gives Rare Masterclass In Marrakech Related Story Colin Farrell To Receive Palm Springs Film Festival Gala Actor Award

That’s not to say their...

Joe.Movie-lovers!Welcome back to The Deuce Notebook, a collaboration between Mubi's Notebook and The Deuce Film Series, our monthly event at Nitehawk Williamsburg that excavates the facts and fantasies of cinema's most infamous block in the world: 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenues. For each screening, my co-hosts and I pick a title that we think embodies the era of 24-hour moviegoing, and present the venue at which it premiered…This month, we welcome yet another guest writer, Jason Bailey. Jason is a film critic, historian, and author. His most recent book, “Fun City Cinema: New York City and the Movies That Made It,” tracks the intersections between New York movies and the city’s history. That is also the subject of his “Fun City Cinema” podcast, and the following essay was adapted from the episode “Keep America Great.” Special thanks to co-host Mike Hull and guests Jefferson Cowie,...

The end of summer and start of fall has seen the release of several books that qualify as major entries in film studies—specifically Fun City Cinema and Inland Empire—along with some wild, wooly appreciations for the likes of Shaun of the Dead and Kevin Smith. Read on for details about these and much more.

Fun City Cinema: New York City and the Movies That Made It by Jason Bailey (Abrams Books)

Billed as a visual history of a century of filmmaking in New York City, Fun City Cinema is the book NYC deserves, Jason Bailey without question the right author for the job. As he showed in books on Richard Pryor and 1970s detective pictures, Bailey is adept at analyzing why certain films and individuals make such a deep impact on the cultural and artistic landscape. Fun City Cinema might be his most ambitious yet—large-scale, photo-heavy, and...

Anthony Hopkins winning Best Actor over Chadwick Boseman was about as big a shocker as it gets

The ending of the 93rd Academy Awards was quite a shocker, with a run of show that shifted Best Actor to the final award of the night — prompting many to assume they did so because Chadwick Boseman posthumously was going to win the Oscar for “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”

It made sense. It would have been a touching way to end the show, and to pay tribute to a beloved star who died last year of cancer.

But the assumption that they moved Best Actor to the end in place of Best Picture was based on the idea the powers running the Oscars ceremony actually knew for sure who was gonna win. And if they were hoping for a Boseman victory, they made a big mistake.

Also Read:

8 Oscars Snubs and Surprises From...

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage, and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This biweekly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.

Your latest new release round-up includes a big winner at yesterday’s Oscar nominations, a 4K upgrade for a dopey ‘80s favorite [Editor’s note: How dare you, Jason Bailey?

Continue reading The 12 Best Movies To Buy Or Stream This Week: ‘Promising Young Woman,’ ‘The Inheritance,’ ‘Rad’ & More at The Playlist.

Film critics have no love for Ron Howard’s “Hillbilly Elegy;” reviews call the film “laughably horrendous,” “awful,” and “one of the most shameless films of the year.”

The drama, based on J.D. Vance’s best-selling memoir, will land in select theaters and on Netflix on November 24.

Reviews currently give “Hillbilly Elegy” a 20% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 41 on Metacritic. The film follows J.D. Vance (Gabriel Basso), a former Marine from southern Ohio and current Yale Law student, who is on the verge of landing his dream job when a family crisis forces him to return to the home he’s tried to forget. J.D. must navigate the complex dynamics of his Appalachian family, including his volatile relationship with his mother, Bev (Amy Adams), who’s struggling with addiction. Fueled by memories of his grandmother Mamaw (Glenn Close), the resilient and whip-smart woman who raised him,...

Welcome to The B-Side, from The Film Stage. Here we talk about movie stars and filmmakers and not the movies that made them famous or kept them famous, but the ones they made in between.

Today we pay our respects to Joel Schumacher, who passed away on June 22, 2020. A costume designer-turned-director, Schumacher made a name for himself with St. Elmo’s Fire and The Lost Boys in the mid-to-late 1980s. As demonstrated in those hit films, the filmmaker had an unparalleled eye for young talent. We examine four of lesser-remembered pictures: Cousins, Dying Young, Flawless, and Veronica Guerin.

There’s plenty of tangents here, as Schumacher was quite an outspoken sort. There are many interviews to reference and admire. We discuss his championing of young star Julia Roberts during her tumultuous rise to fame, the deep love he reveals for his characters (as evidenced in Cousins especially), the passionate failure of Flawless,...

Exclusive: Get ready to don your Versace (pronounced Ver-sayce) and dine on brown rice and vegetables because Jeffrey McHale’s Showgirls documentary You Don’t Nomi is coming. Rlje Films, which is part of AMC Networks, has acquired the U.S. You Don’t Nomi and is set to release the film in theaters and VOD in June 2020.

You Don’t Nomi marks the feature directorial debut of McHale. The film, which switched hands from Nacelle, explores the complicated afterlife of Paul Verhoeven’s campy and glitzy Showgirls. The docu, named after the film’s heroine played by Elizabeth Berkley, sheds light on the salacious movie that many consider a flop and how it rose from the ashes and became a cult phenomenon. The film features Adam Nayman (Vice Guide to Film), April Kidwell and Peaches Christ (Milk) as well as archive interview footage with the cast and crew of Showgirls.

“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” was a huge disappointment among film critics, but the negative critical reception to the movie is nothing compared to the reaction greeting “Star Wars” in the wake of the film’s novelization. The upcoming “Rise of Skywalker” novel from writer Rae Carson will be available to own starting March 17, but copies of the book showed up at Chicago’s C2E2 convention last week. The novel includes controversial new information that answers questions left by J.J. Abrams’ “Rise of Skywalker” theatrical cut. The book has made headlines this week for revealing how Palpatine returned (he transferred his consciousness into a clone of himself) and confirming Rey and Kylo’s climactic kiss was not romantic. A new report from ScreenRant might contain the book’s most jaw-dropping and head-scratching revelation: Rey’s father was a failed clone of Palpatine.

“The Rise of Skywalker” ends...

Above: Never Rarely Sometimes AlwaysOf the many narratives that have emerged from this year’s Sundance’s indie extravaganza, there is one that seems to herald a promising sign of change: some of the most exciting works screened in Park City over the past couple of weeks were films by women, about women. Few works unveiled at the fest this year have earned as much praise as Eliza Hittman’s Never Rarely Sometimes Always, which follows 17-year-old Autumn (newcomer Sidney Flanigan) in her journey from Pennsylvania to New York City to abort an unwanted pregnancy. Whether or not the film stands as Hittman’s career-best (a suggestion raised by David Sims at The Atlantic), it marks a departure from the director’s prior youth-in-crisis tales Beach Rats (2017) and It Felt Like Love (2013). Largely because, as observed by Devika Girish at Film Comment, this study of fraught teenagehood “turns into something...

Welcome, one and all, to the latest installment of The Film Stage Show! Today, Michael Snydel and I are joined by Jason Bailey (who recently took a trip to Laika) to discuss the animation studio’s fifth feature, the adventure Missing Link.

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Exclusive: Xyz Films has come aboard as an executive producer and co-financier with Grade 5 Films on You Don’t Nomi, the Jeffrey McHale documentary about the Showgirls movie phenomenon that will have its world premiere in the Midnight section of the Tribeca Film Festival next month. The move, which ramps up Xyz’s documentary initiative, will see the company rep global rights on the pic, one of three Xyz docs (and six films overall) in the fest’s lineup.

McHale’s pic centers on the odd arc of Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 Nc-17 look at Vegas dancers, at the time met with near-unanimous derision by critics and audiences. But the film has inspired an ever-growing fan community and debate over its quality, artistic intent and messages about sex and gender. The docu explores Showgirls‘ legacy and broader implications. It’s also the feature debut of McHale, whose original trailer mashup of...