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Originally due out this month, the first season of the Shudder Original Series “The Creep Tapes” will now hit Blu-ray and DVD on June 10.

Each of the six episodes in the found footage series is presented as a different tape chronicling the exploits of the serial killer known as Peachfuzz from 2014’s Creep and 2017’s Creep 2.

Director Patrick Brice and actor Mark Duplass are back, sharing writing and executive producing duties.

Special Features:

Filmmaker Audio Commentary Shudder Social Q&a with Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice

The series continues to unravel the mind of a secluded serial killer who lures unsuspecting videographers into his world with the promise of a paid job documenting his life. As the tape rolls, the killer’s questionable intentions surface with his increasingly odd behavior and the victims will learn they may have made a deadly mistake.

Mike Luciano, David Nordstrom, Josh Fadem, Josh Ruben,...

Coming-of-age drama “Penelope,” produced by Duplass Brothers Productions, is set to launch on pay TV platform Sky and streaming service Now in the U.K. and Ireland, following a deal with Fremantle.

The eight-part series, created by Mark Duplass (“The Morning Show”) and Mel Eslyn, follows Penelope, played by Megan Stott, a 16-year-old who feels out of place in modern society and is drawn into the unknown wilderness, where she begins to form a new life for herself.

Penelope is caught up in the modern world’s technology, pacing and pressure, but something is missing, and things feel off, she can’t quite put it into words. On the surface, her life seems pretty great, while inside, there’s a fierceness that’s been brewing, a calling towards a new way of being.

After a chance encounter with a wolf and a rabbit on a school camping trip, the call...

Perhaps the most consistent human reaction to suffering is indifference, and, in a paradoxically twisted way, that's kind of a consequence of empathy. Call it "pain-responsive apathy," if you will. The more we learn about and engage with a painful tragedy or a cruel condition, the more it affects us and the guiltier we feel. That's why most people would rather donate money from a distance than get physically involved; it's less painful to write a check to a dog shelter than to see the loneliness of caged pups, many of whom are destined to die. This phenomenon can be applied more personally; it's sad and awkward to visit your grandparents in a nursing home or talk to a truly depressed friend. The new film Reeling intimately explores this tendency, evoking pain-responsive apathy in a way that makes the audience feel the same as the uncomfortable characters on screen.

Reeling,...

Utopia has secured worldwide rights to Pedro Kos’ psychological thriller In Our Blood and will commence talks with buyers at the EFM in Berlin next week.

Brittany O’Grady from The White Lotus and It’s What’s Inside stars as filmmaker Emily Wyland who reconnects with her estranged mother tocollaborate on a documentary.

When her mother mysteriously disappears, Emily and her cinematographer Danny embark on a search, uncovering haunting remnants of her past struggles with addiction. E.J. Bonilla, Alanna Ubach, Krisha Fairchild, Steven Klein, Bianca Comparato, and Leo Marks round out the cast.

Mallory Westfall, known for her work in the genre...

Shudder has found success with the horror series The Creep Tapes. Serving as a spinoff of the Creep movie series, the show has earned a series renewal for more episodes at Shudder.

Per Deadline,The Creep Tapes is officially set to return for a second season on Shudder. Season 2 will consist of six episodes, as was the case with Season 1. The news follows The Creep Tapes setting a record with its premiere, becoming the most-watched Shudder show ever streamed on AMC+. It also marked the strongest November release in the history of Shudder, playing a big part in the horror-based streaming platform seeing a record growth in subscribers and social media engagement. With all of this in mind, it's obvious why The Creep Tapes was renewed.

RelatedThe Black Phone 2 Director Teases New Plot Details for Horror Sequel

Scott Derrickson reveals the current status of the upcoming horror sequel, which...

Lionsgate has release the first trailer for “Hurry Up Tomorrow,” Trey Edward Shults’ upcoming feature starring The Weeknd, Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan. The film is set to release on May 16.

“Hurry Up Tomorrow” is a suspense thriller that features music from The Weeknd, whose new album of the same name releases on Jan. 24. The album is the conclusion to the musical trilogy of The Weeknd’s “After Hours” and “Dawn FM.”

Shults serves as co-writer for the script alongside The Weeknd and his producing partner Reza Fahim. The plot is based on an original idea from the musician. The Weeknd, Fahim, Kevin Turen and Harrison Kreiss serve as producers while Ortega and Shults are executive producers.

Shults’ most recent feature was the 2019 film “Waves,” a family drama starring Kelvin Harrison, Jr., Taylor Russell, Sterling K. Brown, Lucas Hedges, Alexa Demie and Renée Elise Goldsberry. He’s also directed the...

Following the success of their cult films, “Creep” and “Creep 2,” Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice have returned to the franchise for a third installment — this time for television — in Shudder/AMC+’s six-episode series, “The Creep Tapes.” The show, which stars Duplass and is directed by Brice, examines six tapes from serial killer Peachfuzz’s (Duplass) previous kills. While “The Creep Tapes” relies on the rawness of the found-footage technique, the rapidly-paced episodes lack the predatory undertone that makes the movies so unnerving. Instead, the series is comprised of dull fragments, acting more as a disjointed vanity project than a horror story spotlighting a homicidal maniac’s bloodlust.

The show follows the same structure as the “Creep” movies. In Episode 1, “Mike,” Peachfuzz lures a filmmaker named Mike (Mike Luciano) to a cabin in the woods, promising to pay him $1,000 to film his acting school audition. Mike gets an eerie...

“The Creep Tapes,” a six-episode series, adds a new, twisted chapter to the scary world that was first presented in the cult-favourite found-footage movies “Creep” and “Creep 2.” This Shudder and AMC+ release, which came from the minds of Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice, is a bold new direction for a horror series that has been popular for almost ten years.

What started as a possible third movie became a collection series that promises to learn more about the mind of one of the strangest serial killers in modern horror. Duplass is back in the part that has become famous for him, playing the character now associated with awkward, skin-crawling tension and dark humour. The series takes a more open look at the killer’s world than the original movies, which were more private and suffocating.

When it premieres on November 15, “The Creep Tapes” takes viewers on a trip through separate episodes.

Creep and its sequel, Creep 2, introduced an offbeat, darkly funny and deeply weird serial killer who preyed upon videographers, documenting the awkward social dance leading up to their unwitting murder. Co-writer/Director Patrick Brice and co-writer/star Mark Duplass created a memorable new horror villain, one that initially disarmed with boyish charms before ramping up the discomfort with excruciating encounters involving Tubby Time and Peachfuzz. Brice, Duplass, and Peachfuzz are back in Shudder’s upcoming series “The Creep Tapes,” continuing the serial killer escapades in anthology format. Of the three (of six) episodes that premiered at Fantastic Fest, it’s safe to say that not only is Peachfuzz back with renewed vigor, but Duplass’s serial killer character is weirder than ever.

As its title indicates, “The Creep Tapes” are episodic snapshots into the exploits of Duplass’s killer. Each episode, running roughly 30-minutes each, plays like it’s...

Penelope is Netflix's newest coming-of-age series and represents the first leading role for its young actress. Created by award-winning producer Mel Eslyn and The Morning Show's star Mark Duplass, the show stars a small but talented cast. The narrative follows Penelope, a contemporary teen who feels out of place within her community of peers and decides to escape into the wilderness. Cutting off her family and friends, the teenager enjoys her own and nature's company before meeting fellow travelers who show her what true belonging is.

Although Penelope feels a pull to nature, it is in her found connections that she finds peace and purpose. The Netflix 2024 TV show highlights that nature can teach humans a way back to each other, even in a modern world. Penelope's character represents a severed link that promises to be healed in the trees and through interactions with peculiar characters, like an elder nomad,...

“Penelope,” a new TV series that premiered Tuesday on Netflix, follows the story of a 16-year-old girl who leaves her life behind to build a new one closer to nature.

The premise sounds like a parent’s worst nightmare. It likely would have been handled far more scandalously in other creative hands. But the new teen drama from Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn, starring “Little Fires Everywhere” standout Megan Stott, makes a bolder statement about young life through its quieter approach.

“This show is about Penelope’s unraveling, and having that moment where she’s creating a new version of herself that she can look at and say, ‘This is totally me,’” Stott told TheWrap. “I want people to be able to watch and reflect on themselves and their lives, and find things that really help set that fire inside of them.”

Duplass wrote “Penelope” during the Covid pandemic lockdowns,...

Hulu’s adaptation of Little Fires Everywhere premiered at the very beginning of the 2020 Covid lockdown, and although it was nominated for several big Emmys that fall, the miniseries has become very fuzzy in my memory. One thing I do remember, however, is that in selecting the daughters of Reese Witherspoon’s character, the casting team found a pair of young actresses — Jade Pettyjohn and Megan Stott — who absolutely bore an uncanny resemblance to Reese Witherspoon.

Actually, I’d forgotten even that detail before sitting down to watch the new Netflix drama Penelope and immediately recognizing Stott — in large part because, if you’re going to make what is essentially an eight-part YA version of Wild, selecting a certifiable Reese Witherspoon doppelgänger as your lead makes a lot of sense.

Presumably, it isn’t wholly a coincidence. Penelope was created by Mark Duplass, who co-stars with Witherspoon on The Morning Show,...

Fremantle has taken global distribution rights on Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn’s Netflix series Penelope.

The high-end show, which premiered at Sundance, will launch tomorrow on Netflix U.S. but worldwide rights have been up for grabs.

Penelope follows the eponymous lead, played by Megan Stott, a 16-year-old who feels out of place in modern society and is drawn into the unknown wilderness, where she begins to form a new life for herself. Like most teenagers today, Penelope is caught up in the modern world’s technology, pacing and pressure. But something is missing, and things feel off, she can’t quite put it into words. On the surface, her life seems pretty great, while inside, there’s a fierceness that’s been brewing, a calling towards a new way of being.

Alongside Megan Stott, the cast also includes Austin Abrams; Krisha Fairchild and Rhenzy Feliz.

Fremantle is selling outside of the U.S. and the move builds on its strategy to partner on streamer shows that can be sold to other territories. One of its key MIPCOM titles will be Costiera, the Jesse Williams-starring Prime Video Italy series that is currently without a UK or U.S. buyer.

“Penelope is very dear to our hearts and we wouldn’t trust her to just anyone,” said Duplass and Eslyn. “We are grateful to have found partners that understand, support and encourage the story we are trying to tell and the larger conversation we are hoping to inspire.”

Duplass and Eslyn executive produce alongside Jay Duplass and Shuli Harel of Duplass Brothers Productions. Eslyn also directs and serves as showrunner. Fremantle is handling global distribution.

TV giant Fremantle has acquired the worldwide rights to “Penelope,” the coming-of-age indie drama produced by Duplass Brothers Productions

Created by Mark Duplass and Mel Eslyn, the 8-part series premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and is set to launch on Netflix in the U.S. on Sep. 24.

The series follows Penelope, played by Megan Stott, a 16-year-old who feels out of place in modern society and is drawn into the unknown wilderness, where she begins to form a new life for herself in a National Forest.

Alongside Stott, the cast also includes Austin Abrams, Krisha Fairchild and Rhenzy Feliz.

“It is an honour to be partnering with the esteemed Duplass Brothers to introduce ‘Penelope’ to the world. This premium, coming-of-age series has strong emotional heart and beautiful production values, all whilst addressing important, timely and relatable issues that consume our everyday lives” said Rebecca Dundon, senior vice president of scripted content for international Fremantle.

"It's like – I'm being called... Please don't go looking for me." Out into the forest we go.

Well-known American filmmaker and actor Mark Duplass partnered with Netflix to create a teen drama series called Penelope. It's set to be released on the streaming platform on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. More on this upcoming Netflix show below.

Penelope comes from Duplass's Duplass Brothers Productions. You might recognize Duplass from his acting work in the movies Creep, Creep 2, Safety Not Guaranteed, Tammy, The Lazarus Effect, Tully, Bombshell and Biosphere. He also starred in the TV sitcom The League, the romantic comedy series The Mindy Project, the comedy-drama series Togetherness and the legal drama Goliath. He currently stars in Apple TV+'s drama series The Morning Show.

Duplass and Mel Eslyn created the teen drama. They wrote the scripts together, and Eslyn also directed the episodes. In addition, Eslyn serves as the series showrunner. Executive producers include Duplass's brother, Jay Duplass, and Shuli Harel.

Little Fires Everywhere -- Courtesy of Hulu

Megan Stott,...

Netflix has set “Penelope,” a coming-of-age series from Duplass Brothers Productions, for a Sept. 24 premiere in the U.S.

The series is led by Megan Stott (“Little Fires Everywhere”), who plays the title role. Per the official logline, Penelope is “a 16-year-old girl who, feeling deeply out of place in her contemporary surroundings, leaves her life and family behind and treks into the wilds of Washington State. As she establishes an alternative life for herself, survivalism and coming-of-age coalesce in this poignant journey toward self-discovery.”

Alongside Stott, the cast includes Austin Abrams and Krisha Fairchild (“Krisha”).

Mark Duplass co-created the series with showrunner Mel Eslyn (“Biosphere”), president of Duplass Brothers Productions, which independently financed “Penelope” before taking it to Netflix. The project is the flagship of their new focus on indie television in response to the decline of Peak TV.

Speaking to Variety in March, before “Penelope” landed at Netflix,...

Oscar-nominated documentarian Pedro Kos dips his toes into the horror genre with In Our Blood, but it's hardly a departure. Kos' choice to stylize In Our Blood as an in-progress faux-doc keys into his intimate perspective on storytelling. The real-world location of Las Cruces, New Mexico and its impoverished inhabitants is shown unaltered, since Kos strives to give a voice to the voiceless. Terror is second-fiddle to depicting marginalized American communities, which heavily favors unfolding drama over traditional ghoulish excitement. Kos's humanitarian instincts drive In Our Blood as he examines Las Cruces under a microscope, but not everyone will appreciate the film's "substance over scares" imbalance.

Brittany O'Grady stars as Emily Wyland, an estranged daughter shooting a reunion documentary with her recovering addict mother Sam (Alanna Ubach). Emily is flanked by cinematographer Danny Martinez (E.J. Bonilla), her only partner on the project. Everything starts awkwardly enough as Sam and Emily...

Oscar-nominated documentarian Pedro Kos approaches his narrative feature debut, In Our Blood, like a documentary. It’s even woven into the core fabric of the narrative, using the framework of filmmakers setting out to make a documentary to explore vulnerable communities through horror. While that ultimately means falling into the trappings of found footage-styled horror, Kos effectively gives a fresh update on a well-worn corner of the genre.

Filmmaker Emily Wyland (Brittany O’Grady) decides to make a documentary about her estranged mother, Sam (Alanna Ubach), when reuniting after ten years apart due to addiction. Emily enlists cinematographer Danny (E. J. Bonilla) to capture her intimate story, but the documentary’s purpose changes when Sam suddenly goes missing. In their search to find Sam and determine whether a relapse is to blame, Emily and Danny – with the help of local social worker Ana (Krisha Fairchild) – uncover sinister clues tied to her...

Once every year or two a movie comes along that brings fresh energy to the found-footage horror movie, a terrain that’s been mercilessly, repetitiously over-tilled since “The Blair Witch Project” broke out a quarter-century ago. Unfortunately, “In Our Blood” does not capture that prize for 2024. Though a notch above the subgenre’s norm in terms of acting and production polish, documentarian Pedro Kos’ first narrative feature — in which two filmmakers investigate mysterious disappearances around Las Cruces, New Mexico — ultimately teases expectations too long en route to an underwhelming resolution.

With overt horror elements delayed until the last 20 minutes or so, the film ends up feeling like an attenuated prologue for a series in the general conceptual (if not budgetary) wheelhouse of “Blade” or “Underworld.” But it’s anyone’s guess whether this Fantasia premiere will spark the kind of enthusiasm that merits a single follow-up, let alone several.

Emily...

Brittany O’Grady (The White Lotus) and E. J. Bonilla (The Exorcist: Believer) star in the upcoming psychological horror movie In Our Blood. Today, a new clip has emerged ahead of the film’s debut at Fantasia, featuring a tense moment involving a sinister warning.

In the film, “Nothing is as it seems, when filmmaker Emily Wyland (Brittany O’Grady) teams up with cinematographer Danny (E. J. Bonilla) to shoot an intimate documentary about reuniting with Emily’s estranged mother after a decade apart. When her mother suddenly goes missing, possibly succumbing to the addictions that first tore her family apart, Emily and Danny must piece together increasingly sinister clues to find her before it’s too late.”

Watch the clip below to meet the leads in a moment of duress, building toward a bloody warning.

In Our Blood marks the narrative feature directorial debut by Oscar-nominated documentary filmmaker Pedro Kos.

Exclusive: Brittany O’Grady (The White Lotus) and E. J. Bonilla (The Exorcist: Believer) are leading under-the-radar thriller-horror In Our Blood, which will launch at the Fantasia Film Festival at the end of the month.

Heralding from doc filmmaker and Oscar short nominee Pedro Kos, who recently signed with CAA, the project is the first fully financed by Duncan Jones and Stuart Fenegan’s Liberty Films, under their initiative to support debut features.

Moon filmmaker Jones is among executive producers with actor Morgan Freeman and producing partner Lori McCreary.

In In Our Blood, filmmaker Emily Wyland (O’Grady) teams up with cinematographer Danny (Bonilla) to shoot an intimate documentary about reuniting with Emily’s estranged mother after a decade apart. When her mother suddenly goes missing, possibly succumbing to the addictions that first tore her family apart, Emily and Danny must piece together increasingly sinister clues to find her before it’s too late.

Between production, distribution, and marketing, the average Hollywood film made by a major studio costs around $100 million. Blockbuster franchise movies such as Marvel, Star Wars, and Avatar typically cost anywhere between $200 and $500 million.

Independent filmmakers do not have the same financial luxuries as those who work for major studios. However, despite budgetary restraints, independent filmmakers continue to produce high-quality work. During the previous decade, independent production companies such as A24 gained cult followings due to their ability to release acclaimed, low-budget films constantly. Throughout the history of cinema, a multitude of great films made with microbudgets of $30,000 and underachieved significant success.

Related: 10 Best Low-Budget Movies That Won An Oscar

Krisha (2015)

Directed by Trey Edward Shults in his feature film debut, Krisha is a drama about a woman who reconnects with her estranged family during Thanksgiving. However, past demons threaten to ruin the holiday gathering. The film is a feature adaptation...

Each year, the Film Independent Spirit Awards gives the John Cassavetes Award to the year’s best feature made for under $1,000,000. In this column, film critic David Bax compares and contrasts past Cassavetes winners with their most recent work.

***

Trey Edward Shults has made three feature films so far and, technically, only one of them (2017’s It Comes at Night) is a horror movie. But from the opening shot of 2015’s Krisha (which won him the John Cassavetes Award at the 31st Film Independent Spirit Awards in February of 2016)—a close-up of a woman’s face, stricken with an emotion we can’t quite place yet and accompanied by rumbling, ominous music—it’s clear that Shults will be exercising a talent for unnerving us, no matter what genre he may be working in.

In more ways than one, Krisha (a terrific film in its own right) serves as an...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

All the Old Knives (Janus Metz Pedersen)

All the Old Knives wants you to sweat and swoon in equal measure. Playing in the same tried and true sandbox as some of the great espionage thrillers before it, director Janus Metz Pedersen’s adaptation of Olen Steinhaur’s 2015 novel traffics in all necessary trappings of its genre. Between the clandestine correspondence and popped peacoat collars against wet European streets, it’s certainly not shy about cinematic crushes. This infatuation is wholly appropriate, because––chilly demeanor notwithstanding––All the Old Knives is a burning romantic at heart. – Conor O. (full review)

Where to Stream: Amazon Prime

Bull (Paul Andrew Williams)

It’s been ten years since Bull’s (Neil Maskell) son Aiden was taken...

Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.

Boiling Point (Philip Barantini)

More often than not, one-take films struggle to justify their gimmick. Whether shot in one go or utilizing an intensive editing process to appear like so, the technique almost always threatens to overshadow whatever story is at the center rather than emphasizing it. Used correctly, it can prove immersive in the exact same way as a theatrical production—breaking down barriers between performer and audience, who can see their work unfold in real-time. Unfortunately, the impracticality of telling a story this way is usually highlighted via several scenes of actors slowly walking between filming locations. – Alistair R. (full review)

Where to Stream: VOD

The Feast (Lee Haven Jones)

Lee Haven Jones’ slow-burn eco-horror The Feast may feature extended...

"We focus on bringing in the harvest..." Dark Star Pictures has revealed the official US trailer for an indie film titled Freeland, which first premiered at last year's SXSW Film Festival. It's finally opening this fall for those who want to catch up with it. The film stars Krisha Fairchild, best known as the star of the film Krisha, as an aging pot farmer who finds her world shattered as she races to bring in what could be her final harvest. She has been breeding legendary marijuana strains for decades, but when cannabis is legalized, she suddenly finds herself fighting for her survival. Shot on off-the-grid pot farms during a harvest, directors Mario Furloni & Kate McLean "imbue this emotional thriller with a deep and empathetic authenticity." The cast also includes Frank Mosley, Lily Gladstone, and John Craven. I'm glad that they're making films about the farmers that are losing their livelihood after legalization,...

After breaking out with a major leading role in Trey Edward Shults’ debut Krisha, actress Krisha Fairchild takes the lead once again in Freeland. The SXSW premiere, which will arrive in theaters on October 15 and on demand on November 19, followed Fairchild as Devi, who has been breeding legendary pot strains for decades on the remote homestead she built herself. But when cannabis is legalized, she suddenly finds herself fighting for her survival. Directed by Mario Furloni and Kate McLean, with a cast also including John Craven, Frank Mosley, and Lily Gladstone, we’re pleased to premiere the exclusive trailer via Dark Star Pictures.

John Fink said in his review, “Capturing the rhythms of life on a rural Humble County, California commune in a changing cultural landscape, Kate McLean and Mario Furloni’s beautifully crafted Freeland is a restrained, nuanced drama centered around a quietly thrilling performance by Krisha Fairchild as aging hippie Devi.

Dark Star Pictures has picked up North American rights to pot-farming drama Freeland, the SXSW hit starring Krisha Fairchild as a 60-something farmer.

Written and directed by Mario Furloni and Kate McLean as their feature debut, Freeland sees Fairchild play Devi, an aging pot-farmer who has been illicitly growing legendary strains for decades on the remote homestead. But when cannabis is legalized, Devi suddenly finds herself fighting for her, and her workers’, survival against well-funded, industrialized competitors.

Fairchild was the breakout star of SXSW in 2015, when Trey Edward Shults’ Krisha, in which she plays the troubled black sheep of a Texas family, took the ...

Dark Star Pictures has picked up North American rights to pot-farming drama Freeland, the SXSW hit starring Krisha Fairchild as a 60-something farmer.

Written and directed by Mario Furloni and Kate McLean as their feature debut, Freeland sees Fairchild play Devi, an aging pot farmer who has been illicitly growing legendary strains for decades on the remote homestead. But when cannabis is legalized, Devi suddenly finds herself fighting for her, and her workers’, survival against well-funded, industrialized competitors.

Fairchild was the breakout star of SXSW in 2015, when Trey Edward Shults’ Krisha, in which she plays the troubled black sheep of a Texas family, took ...

Exclusive: Los Angeles-based Dark Star Pictures has acquired North American distribution rights to Freeland, Mario Furloni and Kate McLean’s feature debut which recently premiered at SXSW.

Pic stars Krisha Fairchild (Waves), alongside Lily Gladstone (First Cow), Frank Mosley (The Carnivores), John Craven, Cameron James Matthews and Michelle Maxson. It was produced by Laura Heberton (Thou Wast Mild).

Film follows Devi (Fairchild) an aging pot-farmer who has been breeding legendary strains for decades on the remote homestead she built for herself. But when cannabis is legalized she suddenly finds herself fighting for her, and her workers’, survival.

Dark Star is lining up a late September theatrical release in targeted markets followed by on demand, digital and DVD to follow in October.

Dark Star Pictures President Michael Repsch negotiated the deal with ICM Partners Charlotte Lichtman and Producer Laura Heberton on behalf of the filmmakers during the Cannes virtual market. Dark Star...

The classic nutshell version of the Turbulent Sixties becoming the Me Decade 1970s is that idealism curdled into hedonism. For some, that was more a fork in the road than a one-way, and the two starring roles Krisha Fairchild has had in indie dramas illustrate alternative generational paths.

Playing the eponymous (but fictive) protagonist in real-life nephew Trey Edward Shults’ auspicious debut feature “Krisha” five years ago, she was a casualty: a woman who clearly stayed at the counterculture party too long, burned too many bridges, and now finds no one trusts her or her fragile sobriety. In the new “Freeland,” which was scheduled to premiere at SXSW, Fairchild plays another figure reaching a retirement age that the life she’s lived has ill-prepared her for. But in this case, Devi is a survivor who kept her ideals burning all these years, even if now she’s the only torch-bearer left.

Helping you stay sane while staying safe… featuring Leonard Maltin, Dave Anthony, Miguel Arteta, John Landis, and Blaire Bercy from the Hollywood Food Coalition.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Plague (1979)

Target Earth (1954)

The Left Hand of God (1955)

A Lost Lady (1934)

Enough Said (2013)

Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (1939)

Heaven Can Wait (1978)

Down to Earth (2001)

Down To Earth (1947)

The Commitments (1991)

Once (2007)

Election (1999)

About Schmidt (2002)

Sideways (2004)

Nebraska (2013)

The Man in the Moon (1991)

The 39 Steps (1935)

Casablanca (1942)

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

The Night Walker (1964)

Chuck and Buck (2000)

Cedar Rapids (2011)

Beatriz at Dinner (2017)

Duck Butter (2018)

The Good Girl (2002)

The Big Heat (1953)

Human Desire (1954)

Slightly French (1949)

Week-End with Father (1951)

Experiment In Terror (1962)

They Shoot Horses Don’t They? (1969)

Ray’s Male Heterosexual Dance Hall (1987)

Airport (1970)

Earthquake (1974)

Drive a Crooked Road (1954)

Pushover (1954)

Waves (2019)

Krisha (2015)

The Oblong Box (1969)

80,000 Suspects (1963)

Panic In The Streets (1950)

It Comes At Night (2017)

Children of Men (2006)

The Road (2009)

You Were Never Really Here...

Please Note: “Freeland” was originally scheduled to premiere at the 2020 SXSW Film Festival. With the express consent of the representatives of the filmmakers, we present the review of the film here.

Marijuana might be cinema’s favorite drug. Moving past “The Big Lebowski” or “Pineapple Express,” you can trace Hollywood’s adoration for kush all the way back to 1936 with Lawrence Meade’s cult classic “Reefer Madness,” and, debatably, no other drug has carved out a subgenre for itself.

Continue reading ‘Freeland’: Krisha Fairchild Shines in the Most Depressing Stoner Movie of All Time [Review] at The Playlist.

Capturing the rhythms of life on a rural Humble County, California commune in a changing cultural landscape, Kate McLean and Mario Furloni’s beautifully crafted Freeland is a restrained, nuanced drama centered around a quietly thrilling performance by Krisha Fairchild as aging hippie Devi. Devi built Freeland, a sanctuary that has survived by shipping its products throughout the North East. Life on the farm, here with young people including the enterprising de facto leader of her team Josh (Frank Mosley), is perhaps as simple as it ever was as their evenings are spent joking around a communal dinner table. The group, mostly young and likely around the same age as Devi when she arrived in Freeland, have taken time away from their lives to work the land. Devi, despite her age and experience, has simply never chosen to move on to a house in the suburbs.

Making a living from...

While the 2020 SXSW Film Festival has been canceled due to the coronavirus, IndieWire is covering select titles from this year’s edition.

The opening moments of Trey Shults’ 2015 debut “Krisha” established one of the most commanding faces in recent American cinema: The director’s aunt, Krisha Fairchild, embodied a world-weary alcoholic trainwreck through a map of withered features and sunken eyes and created a fiery portrait of rage and profound sadness. It’s hard to imagine another movie as suited to carry that commanding presence than Shults’ semi-biographical debut, but five years later, “Freeland” comes close.

More from IndieWireSXSW 2020 Will Still Hand Out Film Awards Despite Cancellation'i Used to Go Here' Review: Gillian Jacobs Carries a Funny and Smart Study of Millennial Ennui

Co-directors Mario Furloni and Kate McLean’s scrappy character study about an aging pot farmer coming to grips with legalization was shot on actual marijuana farms and adapted from real events,...

Taylor Russell is the first person you see in Trey Edward Shults’ devastating family drama, “Waves,” as her character, Emily, glides across the hot pavement of a quiet stretch of suburban Florida road on her trusty bike. You’ll be forgiven if you forget that part soon enough, as Shults pushes outward to introduce Emily’s vibrant big brother Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) and his pals as they careen along a sun-drenched highway, music blaring and camera spinning. As the pulse-pounding first half of the film unfolds, it’s Tyler that consumes most of it, cast as a high school wrestler undone by familial pressures, a lingering injury, and a future very much in flux.

And yet Emily is always there, too, drifting in and out of scenes at home and high school. Eventually, Tyler’s dramas overtake the rest of the family, including father Ronald (Sterling K. Brown) and...

What an incredible evolution filmmaker Trey Edward Shults has gone through in just a few short years. As much as his debut Krisha, as well as his sophomore outing It Comes At Night, hinted at his talents, this week we see the true measure of his abilities. Waves is not just the best work of Shults’ young career, it’s one of the best works of 2019, period. Whatever you’ve heard about this one on the fall film festival circuit is not just appropriate buzz, but a mere hint of the power this contains. In terms of vibrant experiences, nothing in cinemas right now can compare to it. The film is a keenly observed family drama and a modern American story. Taking place in South Florida, the Williams family is an upper class African American clan. Tyler (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) is a star wrestler in high school and constantly under...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’re highlighting the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.

Blindspotting (Carlos López Estrada)

Blindspotting is a mess that is likely to lessen in your mind as soon as it’s over, even if you may be utterly absorbed in it in the moment (which I often was). A lot of it is provocation which belies a lack of a real message, or story turns that feel unearned even in the heightened context the movie establishes. But there is undeniable craft here, and an impossible-to-ignore signal that everyone involved in the project deserves attention going forward. What does work is strong, sometimes powerful. – Dan S. (full review)

Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google

Crazy Rich Asians (Jon M. Chu...

Over the course of three seasons on Syfy, Channel Zero has burrowed into my psyche and spawned an endless supply of nightmares—and I mean that as the highest compliment. If you haven't yet experienced the horror anthology series, or, like me, you want to re-experience the otherworldly (and all-too-real) scares that Nick Antosca and his creative team have cooked up, then you're in for a treat, because the show is coming soon to Shudder!

Press Release: – The binge-worthy and unsettling horror series Channel Zero is soon available exclusively to stream on Shudder, the leading premium streaming service for thriller, suspense and horror. The first three installments of Channel Zero, which airs on Syfy, have earned the anthology series a collective 98% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes for its high-brow grasp on popular creepypastas and horror microfictions. Created by Nick Antosca and produced by Universal Cable Productions (Ucp), each six-episode installment features a new cast,...

AMC Networks’ premium service Shudder will be the exclusive streaming home for Channel Zero, the Syfy horror series.

Created for television by Nick Antosca and produced by Universal Cable Productions (Ucp), each six-episode installment features a new cast, new director and a new story arc. Shudder members can stream the first installment of Channel Zero starting Thursday, August 9, followed by the second installment in September, the third installment in October, and the fourth installment in 2019.

“Channel Zero is one of the best horror shows of the last decade and we’re thrilled to bring it exclusively to Shudder members,” said Craig Engler, general manager of Shudder. “Nick Antosca’s innovative storytelling and unparalleled knack for creating a moody, terrifying series make this can’t-miss TV.”

Details on all three installments:

First Installment: Candle Cove

Available Thursday, August 9

Directed by Craig William Macneill

Inspired by “Candle Cove” by Kris Straub

Starring: Paul Schneider,...

Vulture Watch Is this horror anthology series on the chopping block? Will the Channel Zero TV show be cancelled or renewed for a fourth season on Syfy? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of Channel Zero, season four. Bookmark it, or subscribe for the latest updates. Remember, the television vulture is watching your shows. Are you? What's This TV Show About? Airing on Syfy, each season of Channel Zero tells a new story featuring different characters. Season three, Butcher’s Block, stars Olivia Luccardi, Holland Roden, Rutger Hauer, Brandon Scott, and Krisha Fairchild. Based on Kerry Hammond’s creepypasta, “Search and Rescue Woods,” it follows sisters Alice and Zoe Woods (Luccardi and Roden), who move to a new city. Soon, they learn of a series of mysterious...

In addition to providing enough nightmare fuel to last a lifetime, one of the greatest things about Syfy's anthology series Channel Zero is the opportunity it gives to exciting, emerging filmmakers. Each season has been entirely directed by a bold, fresh voice behind the camera, and this season is certainly no exception. Melting together about seven different subgenres into one delicious, psychedelic serving of horror, director Arkasha Stevenson's Butcher's Block is easily one of my favorite seasons of television (for any genre), and with the finale airing tonight on Syfy, I had the great pleasure of speaking with Stevenson about working with her amazing cast (including Krisha Fairchild and Rutger Hauer), collaborating creatively with showrunner Nick Antosca, and bringing a demented fairy tale to life on screen.

Thanks for taking the time to talk, Arkasha, and congratulations on Butcher's Block. This is the most excited I've been about...

How scary is Butcher's Block -- the third season of the Channel Zero TV show on Syfy? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether the TV show Channel Zero is cancelled or renewed for season four. Unfortunately, most of us do not live in Nielsen households. Because many viewers feel frustration when their viewing habits and opinions aren't considered, we invite you to rate all of the Channel Zero season three episodes for us, below. A Syfy horror anthology series, each season of Channel Zero tells a new story featuring different characters. Season three, Butcher’s Block, stars Olivia Luccardi, Holland Roden, Rutger Hauer, Brandon Scott, and Krisha Fairchild. Based on Kerry Hammond’s creepypasta, “Search and Rescue Woods,” it follows sisters Alice and Zoe Woods (Luccardi and Roden), who move to a new city.

Since Syfy already renewed its Channel Zero TV show through season four, last February, viewers shouldn't spend too much time worrying it will be cancelled. That said, season two started out with low ratings, which fell even further. Because even renewals can be cancelled, we are curious to see what happens with the Nielsen numbers in the fourth season. To find out, stay tuned. A Syfy horror anthology, each season of Channel Zero tells a new story featuring different characters. Season three, Butcher's Block, stars Olivia Luccardi, Holland Roden, Rutger Hauer, Brandon Scott, and Krisha Fairchild. Based on Kerry Hammond’s creepypasta, "Search and Rescue Woods," it follows sisters Alice and Zoe Woods (Luccardi and Roden), who move to a new city. Soon, they learn of a series of mysterious disappearances and discover that something is preying upon the locals. Read...

How do you top the creepiness of the Tooth Child and the horrors of the No-End House? That's the question I had before digging into the first episode of Channel Zero: Butcher's Block. But thanks to the horrors teased within the first 10 minutes, I had my answer, and boy, is it ever the stuff of nightmares. With the third season of Channel Zero premiering tonight on Syfy, I once again had the pleasure of catching up with showrunner Nick Antosca to talk about the hearty helpings of horror that are in store for viewers this time around on the creepypasta-based anthology series.

Each season of Channel Zero I wonder how you're going to make it creepier than the previous season, but when I watched the first episode of Butcher's Block, it was the most freaked out I've been from anything you have done yet, so congratulations on that.

Nick Antosca: That's great,...

Like some of its episodic horror ancestors, “Channel Zero” is scariest when its horrors are delivered as matters of fact. When the latest season of the Syfy anthology series “Butcher’s Block” unveils a mysterious staircase in the middle of a city park, it’s another skin-tingling layer to the story not because the show bathes it in mystery or presents it as a grand pronouncement of Something Weird. It simply exists, a fragment of fantasy in a real world and the clearest indication that the people who inhabit it are struggling to know the difference.

Those main characters in this “Butcher’s Block” season are Alice (Olivia Luccardi) and Zoe (Holland Roden), two sisters each trying to forge different lives for themselves away from the shadow of a troubled family past. Shortly after they move into a new house managed by an enigmatic landlady (Krisha Fairchild), the town’s...

Well, we did it. One month down, 11 more to go. It’s 2018 and even if you wiped the DVR clean as the calendar switched over, odds are good that you’re already drowning under the weight of new TV. As much as we’d like to tell you to have no fear, let us instead help you embrace the countless hours’ worth of new programming heading your way.

Read More:18 HBO Original Programs To Be Excited About in 2018 — ‘Sharp Objects,’ ‘Paterno,’ and More

If the Winter Olympics aren’t your thing (aside from curling, of course, because everyone loves curling), here are some upcoming brand new series that might just make up a big chunk of the February TV conversation.

“AP Bio” (February 1, NBC)

Glenn Howerton stars as an unrepentant asshole instructor in this new series from “SNL” alum Mike O’Brien. Patton Oswalt co-stars, along with Lyric Lewis and an army of confused teenagers.

The third season of “Channel Zero” is almost here, and the latest installment of the Syfy series looks like a terrifying vision that Upton Sinclair and M.C. Escher would both be proud of.

“Channel Zero: Butcher’s Block” will continue in the series tradition, drawing from a popular viral Creepypasta tale. This time, Kerry Hammond’s “Search and Rescue Woods” is the inspiration for a season that follows Alice (Olivia Luccardi), a young woman struggling with an ominous threat to her newly adopted city. As she begins to investigate stories of impossibly constructed staircases, she discovers that that might be connected to some eerie neighborhood disappearances.

As this exclusive first look of the new season shows, that danger might have to do something with Alice’s older sister Zoe (Holland Roden) slowly being submerged into a bathtub filled with blood. Toss in a devious, bespectacled Rutger Hauer and a handful...

"Just go with it, hon." Syfy has just announced season three of Channel Zero will premiere in February.The new season, titled Butcher's Block, "tells the story of a young woman named Alice (Olivia Luccardi, “It Follows”) who moves to a new city and learns about a series of disappearances that may be connected to a baffling rumor about mysterious staircases in the city’s worst neighborhoods.” The cast also includes Holland Roden, Rutger Hauer, Brandon Scott, and Krisha Fairchild.Read More…...