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In 1982, Prince urged everyone to “Party like it’s 1999.” Aiming to party somewhere roughly in the middle of that timespan is “Weekend in Taipei,” a throwback in the sense that it recalls the unpretentious — if also unmemorable — pleasures of many boilerplate action movies released in the peak Vcr era. Luc Besson is both a co-writer and producer on this French-Taiwanese enterprise, which provides George Huang his first directorial feature in some time, 30 years after his very different debut, “Swimming With Sharks.”

With “Fast & Furious” alumni Luke Evans and Sung Kang as the male leads, this tale of a DEA agent venturing East to battle a crime syndicate raises expectations of flashy chase and fight scenes. Those are duly met, even if the script Huang and Besson have devised is flimsy stuff. These 100 minutes offer the kind of energetic, no-brainer fun you may remember little of the morning after — but...

Some of the best action films take us around the world and use the beauty of international locations to complement the eloquence (or grittiness) or their fight choreography. A new film from director George Huang (Swimming With Sharks) takes us across the world to Taiwan but features some action stars you'll instantly recognize from one of the most successful American action franchises. Famed actors Luke Evans and Sung Kang previously co-starred in multiple Fast & Furious films, but in Weekend in Taipei out this week they're not exactly portraying allies.

Evans plays John, a disgruntled DEA agent who refuses to quit a job that ultimately reconnects him with the long-lost Taiwan-set family he once left behind, while Kang plays Kwang, the villainous career criminal who has since taken John's family under his wing. MovieWeb recently caught up with the cast to learn more about the thrills of tackling their respective roles.

Perhaps the most unexpected thing about Weekend in Taipei is its humor. I went into the film knowing there would be a lot of action, a sprinkling of romance, and a family plot, but the comedy sometimes through dialogue and sometimes situational took me by surprise. Immediately I knew this was a film that wasnt about to take itself so seriously, and I could get on board with that. Directed by George Huang from a screenplay by him and Luc Besson, Weekend in Taipei isnt without its faults, but its charming, well-shot, thrilling, and, above all, entertaining.

Weekend In Taipei

Director George HuangRelease Date November 1, 2024Studio(s) EuropaCorpDistributor(s) Ketchup EntertainmentWriters George Huang, Luc BessonCast Erin Adele Clark, Tjarret Yong, Tou Tsung-Hua, Lu Yi-ching, Virginia Chien, Zach Ireland, Pernell Walker, Wyatt Yang, Gwei Lun-mei, Patrick Lee, Luke Evans, Sung KangCharacter(s) Airport Counter Clerk, Joey's grandmother, Bolo, Charlotte Fields, Kwang,...

From the creators of Taken and The Transporter, the new action movie Weekend in Taipei is hitting theaters on Nov. 8 courtesy of Ketchup Entertainment. Ahead of the big-screen debut, filmgoers can get a sneak peek by watching Cbr's new exclusive clip.

The film is directed by George Huang, who wrote the script with Luc Besson. Luke Evans and Sung Kang, both of whom were featured in the Fast & Furious franchise, star in the film alongside Gwei Lun-mei and Wyatt Yang. It's heavy on the action, and the sneak peek clip reveals one particularly intense sequence with a gunfight in a hotel. The clip can be viewed below.

Related 'That Same Feel': Jordana Brewster Shares Hopes for Fast & Furious 11

Fast & Furious star Jordana Brewster shares what she hopes to see in the upcoming eleventh, and possibly final, installment in the action franchise.

Evans is also known for his roles in The Hobbit,...

The Boston-set crime drama TV series "City On A Hill", starring Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge, has been canceled after 2 Seasons on Showtime:

"...a federal housing project in the 'Roxbury' neighborhood of Boston is plagued with drug violence and a distrust in local law enforcement. As coalition leader 'Grace Campbell' (Pernell Walker) works tirelessly on behalf of the community, her efforts are undermined by gang activity happening right under her nose.

"Enter irreverent 'FBI' agent 'Jackie Rohr' (Bacon), who is here to exploit Boston's defective criminal justice system in a desperate attempt to salvage his own career. Unfortunately for Jackie, assistant district attorney 'Decourcy Ward' (Hodge) is onto his adversary's latest misstep.

"In time, the personal antagonism between these two escalates to an all-out war between the offices of the 'U.S. Attorney' and the 'Suffolk Da'..."

Cast includes Lauren E. Banks, Mark O'Brien, Amanda Clayton,...

Filmmaker Dee Rees made history on June 29 when her debut feature “Pariah” joined the Criterion Collection, making the Oscar and Emmy nominee the first Black American woman to have her work included. Before Rees, Euzhan Palcy, who is from Martinique, was the lone Black woman to have a film (1989’s “A Dry White Season”) selected.

“It feels like a formal acknowledgment of the film’s impact to the canon and being a part of the culture,” Rees tells Variety of having her movie chosen. “Even though artists have to try to find your validation from inside, it’s nice to be seen.”

And as a Black filmmaker in particular, Rees adds, “it’s important to be included for future generations of filmmakers, if [Criterion] is the thing that’s being taught in schools.”

“When they’re absent, then the assumption is there’s none in existence,” she explains. “There’s no Black filmmakers here,...

What's Jackie up to in the second season of the City On a Hill TV show on Showtime? As we all know, the Nielsen ratings typically play a big role in determining whether a TV show like City On a Hill is cancelled or renewed for season three. 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 second season episodes of City On a Hill here. *Status Update Below.

A Showtime crime drama series, City on a Hill stars Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge, Lauren E. Banks, Mark O’Brien, Amanda Clayton, Matthew Del Negro, and Jill Hennessy with guest stars Pernell Walker, Lucia Ryan, Kameron Kierce, Shannon Wallace, John Doman, and Michael O’Keefe. The story unfolds in 1990s Boston and centers on Assistant District...

In its first year, City on the Hill was pretty successful for Showtime but, it's now been more than 19 months since the cable channel aired a new episode. Have viewers forgotten about the series? Will City On a Hill be cancelled or renewed for season three? Stay tuned. *Status Update Below.

A crime drama series, City on a Hill stars Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge, Lauren E. Banks, Mark O’Brien, Amanda Clayton, Matthew Del Negro, and Jill Hennessy with guest stars Pernell Walker, Lucia Ryan, Kameron Kierce, Shannon Wallace, John Doman, and Michael O’Keefe. The story unfolds in 1990s Boston and centers on Assistant District Attorney Decourcy Ward (Hodge), and his unlikely partnership with corrupt FBI Agent Jackie Rohr (Bacon). Season two centers on a federal housing project in the Roxbury neighborhood that is plagued with drug violence and a rightful distrust in local law enforcement.

Jackie Rohr's schemes will continue. Showtime has renewed the City on a Hill TV show for a third season. The second season of eight episodes finished airing last month.

A crime drama series, City on a Hill stars Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge, Lauren E. Banks, Mark O’Brien, Amanda Clayton, Matthew Del Negro, and Jill Hennessy with guest stars Pernell Walker, Lucia Ryan, Kameron Kierce, Shannon Wallace, John Doman, and Michael O’Keefe. The story unfolds in 1990s Boston and centers on Assistant District Attorney Decourcy Ward (Hodge), and his unlikely partnership with corrupt FBI Agent Jackie Rohr (Bacon). Season two centers on a federal housing project in the Roxbury neighborhood that is plagued with drug violence and a rightful distrust in local law enforcement. As coalition leader Grace Campbell (Walker) works tirelessly on behalf of the community, her efforts are undermined...

City on a Hill delivered a Season 2 finale fraught with death and consequences for its lead characters, Jackie and Decourcy. Now that Showtime has renewed the Boston-set drama for a Season 3, fans will likely see both men at career crossroads.

On track to premiere in 2022, City on a Hill Season 3 will again consist of eight episodes, with Tom Fontana (Homicide: Life on the Street) returning as showrunner, Showtime announced Wednesday.

More from TVLineCity on a Hill's Lauren E. Banks Unpacks Siobhan's Brush with Death, Teases Fallout for Decourcy and AntonCity on a Hill Stars Aldis Hodge and Lauren E. Banks...

One of Showtime's most popular dramas is sticking around.

The premium cabler has picked up a third season of City on a Hill, which will consist of eight one-hour episodes.

Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge will be back for the third season, as will Tom Fontana as showrunner.

Production is set to begin in New York this year for a likely 2022 premiere.

The second season focused on a federal housing project in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston that is plagued with drug violence and a rightful distrust in local law enforcement.

As coalition leader Grace Campbell (Pernell Walker) works tirelessly on behalf of the community, her efforts are undermined by gang activity happening right under her nose.

Enter irreverent FBI agent Jackie Rohr (Bacon), who is here to exploit Boston's defective criminal justice system in a desperate attempt to salvage his own career.

Unfortunately for Jackie, assistant district attorney Decourcy...

Showtime’s Boston crime drama City on a Hill is coming back for a third season.

The gritty drama, starring Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge, will return for another eight episode run with production set to resume in New York later this year for a 2022 premiere.

Tom Fontana returns as showrunner and exec producer. Chuck MacLean, who created the show, based on an original idea by Ben Affleck, will remain as an exec producer on the series but will not return as a writer for season three after becoming the subject of an internal investigation over alleged misconduct.

Season 2 of City on a Hill centered on a federal housing project in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston plagued with drug violence and a rightful distrust in local law enforcement. FBI agent Jackie Rohr, played by Bacon, works to exploit Boston’s defective criminal justice system in a desperate attempt to salvage his own career.

“City on a Hill,” Showtime’s critically acclaimed Boston crime drama starring Emmy nominee Kevin Bacon and Screen Actors Guild Award winner Aldis Hodge, has been renewed for a third season. Emmy-winning executive producer and showrunner Tom Fontana, creator of HBO’s “Oz” and Canal Plus’ “Borgia,” is set to return for Season 3. The forthcoming season will consist of eight hourlong episodes and is set to resume production in New York later this year, with a premiere slated for 2022.

The third season will pick up after the events of the second, in which protagonist Agent Jackie Rohr (Bacon) discovers that he can’t escape his past and gets ousted from the FBI. Season 2 centers on a federal housing project in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, plagued with drug violence and a rightful distrust in local law enforcement. Rohr works to exploit the city’s defective criminal justice system in a...

Showtime has renewed its Boston crime drama “City on a Hill” for a third season, which will consist of eight one-hour episodes.

“City on a Hill” stars Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge. Tom Fontana is showrunner.

Production will resume in New York later this year, with Season 3 expected to premiere in 2022.

Season 2 of “City on a Hill” is centered on a federal housing project in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston plagued with drug violence and a rightful distrust in local law enforcement. FBI agent Jackie Rohr (Bacon) works to exploit Boston’s defective criminal justice system in a desperate attempt to salvage his own career, according to the logline. Unfortunately for Jackie, assistant district attorney Decourcy Ward (Hodge) is onto his adversary’s latest misstep.

In time, the personal antagonism between these two escalates to an all-out war between the offices of the U.S. Attorney and the Suffolk Da.

Whenever someone talks about Showtime’s crime drama City on a Hill, the conversations often focus on the intense confrontations between Jackie (Kevin Bacon) and Decourcy (Aldis Hodge).

While those brainy battles drive the show, the tension that is building between Decourcy and his wife Siobhan (Lauren E. Banks) is in many ways equally intriguing, if not more so. The chessboard that is their marriage took center stage on Sunday’s installment, titled “I Need a Goat.” In it, Siobhan argued with Decourcy about their plans to start a family.

More from TVLineMadea Prequel Series Mabel in the Works at Showtime,...

Vulture Watch

Will Jackie dig a hole too deep this time? Has the City On a Hill TV show been cancelled or renewed for a third season on Showtime? The television vulture is watching all the latest cancellation and renewal news, so this page is the place to track the status of City On a Hill, season three. 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 the Showtime cable channel, City on a Hill stars Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge, Lauren E. Banks, Mark O’Brien, Amanda Clayton, Matthew Del Negro, and Jill Hennessy with guest stars Pernell Walker, Lucia Ryan, Kameron Kierce, Shannon Wallace, John Doman, and Michael O’Keefe. The story unfolds in 1990s Boston and centers on Assistant District Attorney Decourcy Ward (Hodge), and his unlikely partnership...

Season Two of the Boston-set police drama "City On A Hill", starring Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge, premieres March 28, 2021 on Showtime:

"...a federal housing project in the 'Roxbury' neighborhood of Boston is plagued with drug violence and a distrust in local law enforcement. As coalition leader 'Grace Campbell' (Pernell Walker) works tirelessly on behalf of the community, her efforts are undermined by gang activity happening right under her nose.

"Enter irreverent 'FBI' agent 'Jackie Rohr' (Bacon), who is here to exploit Boston's defective criminal justice system in a desperate attempt to salvage his own career. Unfortunately for Jackie, assistant district attorney 'Decourcy Ward' (Hodge) is onto his adversary's latest misstep.

"In time, the personal antagonism between these two escalates to an all-out war between the offices of the 'U.S. Attorney' and the 'Suffolk Da'..."

Cast includes Lauren E. Banks, Mark O'Brien, Amanda Clayton, Matthew Del Negro, Jill Hennessy,...

Showtime’s Boston-based crime drama City On A Hill may take place in the 1990s, but today’s conversations about racism and police corruption will find relevance in the series’ upcoming second season, executive producer and showrunner Tom Fontana revealed.

On Tuesday, Fontana joined Aldis Hodge, Kevin Bacon, Jill Hennessy, Pernell Walker and Lauren E. Banks, and executive producer Jennifer Todd to tease the sophomore season. While season two won’t explicitly cite the Black Lives Matter movement or George Floyd’s murder, given that it’s set in the 90s, Fontana said the City On a Hill team has approached the season’s storylines with a current-day lens.

“We went back to the scripts and did another draft of every script with the input of all the actors to make sure that we were reflecting what was going on in America now but with perspective of it being in the 90s,...

It’s been nearly two years since “City on a Hill” premiered at the 2019 Atx TV Festival, and while plenty has changed in the real world, it’s still the early ’90s in Showtime’s crime drama. Assistant District Attorney Decourcy Ward (Aldis Hodge) is still trying to clean up a Boston bureaucracy rife with corruption, and FBI Agent Jackie Rohr (Kevin Bacon) is still trying to do things the old way, his way, not exactly the legal way.

On Tuesday, during the network’s presentation at the Television Critics Association Winter 2021 Press Tour, Showtime released the Season 2 trailer for “City on a Hill,” which you can watch below. As previously announced, the second season will premiere March 28, and the updated synopsis is listed here:

Season 2 centers on a federal housing project in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston that is plagued with drug violence and a rightful distrust in local law enforcement.

Showtime has released a trailer for the second season of “City on a Hill,” starring Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge as a pair of adversarial law enforcement officials in 1990s Boston.

The eight-episode Season 2 centers on a federal housing project in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston that is plagued with drug violence and a rightful distrust in local law enforcement. “The Deuce” alum Pernell Walker joins the new season as Grace Campbell, a coalition leader who works tirelessly on behalf of the community, only to see her efforts undermined by gang activity happening right under her nose.

Per Showtime, “Enter irreverent FBI agent Jackie Rohr (Bacon), who is here to exploit Boston’s defective criminal justice system in a desperate attempt to salvage his own career. Unfortunately for Jackie, assistant district attorney Decourcy Ward (Hodge) is onto his adversary’s latest misstep. In time, the personal antagonism between these two...

Season Two of the Boston-set drama "City On A Hill", starring Kevin Bacon and Aldis Hodge, premieres March 28, 2021 on Showtime:

"...a federal housing project in the 'Roxbury' neighborhood of Boston is plagued with drug violence and a distrust in local law enforcement. As coalition leader 'Grace Campbell' (Pernell Walker) works tirelessly on behalf of the community, her efforts are undermined by gang activity happening right under her nose.

"Enter irreverent 'FBI' agent 'Jackie Rohr' (Bacon), who is here to exploit Boston's defective criminal justice system in a desperate attempt to salvage his own career. Unfortunately for Jackie, assistant district attorney 'Decourcy Ward' (Hodge) is onto his adversary's latest misstep.

"In time, the personal antagonism between these two escalates to an all-out war between the offices of the 'U.S. Attorney' and the 'Suffolk Da'..."

Cast includes Lauren E. Banks, Mark O'Brien, Amanda Clayton, Matthew Del Negro, Jill Hennessy,...

It's time to return to the streets of Boston. Showtime has announced that the second season of the City on a Hill TV show will debut on Sunday, March 28th. There will be eight episodes this time.

Set in the city of Boston in the 90s, City on a Hill follows District Attorney Decourcy Ward (Aldis Hodge) and corrupt FBI veteran Jackie Rohr (Kevin Bacon). In season two, the crime drama's cast also includes Pernell Walker, Lauren E. Banks, Mark O'Brien, Amanda Clayton, Matthew Del Negro, and Jill Hennessy with guest stars Pernell Walker, Lucia Ryan, Kameron Kierce, Shannon Wallace, John Doman, and Michael O'Keefe.

Here's more information about the upcoming second season:

"City On A Hill" Season Two To Premiere On Showtime(R) Sunday, March 28 At 10 Pm Et/Pt

Acclaimed One-Hour...

Here is a wrap up of all the news you need to know from Thursday, January 28.

ABC's Big Sky is expanding its cast.

Deadline is reporting that the freshman hit is adding a powerful new family as Big Sky Season 1 progresses.

Michelle Forbes, Britt Robertson, Michael Raymond-James, Ryan Dorsey, and Omar Metwally have all been added in recurring guest roles.

The outlet states that Forbes, Robertson, Raymond James, and Dorsey will all be playing family members, while Metwally is on board as a U.S. Marshall.

Since its debut in November, the series has been a decent performer for ABC and recently snagged a six-episode backorder.

The ratings have been solid, and it was steady after a six-week hiatus, which does bode well for its future.

Now that the initial mystery is wrapping up, all eyes will be on the next storyline to see whether it can keep up the pace.

[Editor’s Note: The following review contains spoilers for “The Deuce” Season 3, Episode 8, “Finish It” — the series finale.]

As future feminist filmmaking icon Eileen Merrell (Maggie Gyllenhaal) preps her actors for their roles in “A Pawn in Their Game,” the director’s future arthouse classic, one of her cast members gives pause.

“When I signed up for this, I thought I would be Ok with doing a fuck film,” she said. “I thought it would be fun sex. I didn’t think the script would get so dark.”

“It’s a tragedy,” Merrell responded, cooly. “There’s not a lot of tragedy in porn.”

Amid many all-encompassing lines over “The Deuce’s” telling look back to New York City of the ’70s and ’80s, this moment stands out. An unknowing actor, standing in for the unknowing audience at home, is complaining to the director, who’s so often been the filmmakers’ voice in the series, about how porn is...

Judging an ensemble can be tricky, but it all comes down to what, exactly, you’re being asked to assess: Are you quantifiably measuring which cast members give the best individual performances, or are you judging how well a cast comes together overall? Are you counting award-worthy solo turns and rewarding the cast with the most? Or are you measuring the chemistry between a giant team all called upon to help create one specific story?

Read More:The Best TV Lines of 2017: ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘The Leftovers,’ and More of the Year’s Most Memorable Quotes

Maybe you’re doing all of the above, you might be swayed toward giving one or the other more weight. Honestly, it seems likely these questions aren’t often consciously considered so much as they’re instinctually chosen by each voter when asked, “Which cast is best?”

So let’s give it a try:...

It’s so, so very difficult to determine how long to stick with a series. Some shows get off to a bad start and later find their voice. Others start bad and get worse. Still others are sporadic in quality, for whatever creative reason.

But the list below is meant to help. Whether you’re looking for a new binge and want to know when a season will hit its peak, or you want to sample shows by seeing the best episode first, check out IndieWire’s ranking of the best TV episodes of 2017.

We don’t necessarily endorse starting with the best episodes — especially if it happens to be the season finale — but in a world of “too much TV,” there’s no wrong way to find the next great show. Ranked by episodic quality, these are the 25 best individual half-hours and hour-long entries of the 2017 season.

Read More:The...

(Warning: Spoilers from the Season 1 finale of “The Deuce”) “The Deuce” delivered a shocking death in its Season 1 finale on Sunday, and the scene wasn’t an easy one for the show’s team. Emily Meade, who plays prostitute-turned-porn actress Lori on the HBO drama, told TheWrap that it was tough to watch from set as Ruby (Pernell Walker) was pushed out of a window to her death by a john. Also Read: 'The Deuce' Star Dominique Fishback on Darlene's 'Questionable' Choices, Big Finale Twist “It’s heartbreaking,” Meade said. “Ruby’s obviously one of the most likable and charming,...

In a hotel room high above Midtown Manhattan, Ellie Kemper and Carol Kane are crooning the MaCoys' "Hang On Sloopy" across a table at one another, while Tituss Burgess looks on in delight. The impromptu performance broke out after the trio — who, along with Jane Krakowski, form the core of the Netflix comedy Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which premieres its second season on April 15th — were asked what kind of band they'd be. The answer: clearly not the kind that fights offstage. All casts claim they love working together, but these three are next level.

The Fire This Time 10-Minute Play Festival Kraine Theater 85 E. 4th St., NYC January 23-30, 2015

Very short plays are at their most effective when they enter into and add to an existing conversation, and the plays that comprise the Sixth Annual The Fire This Time Festival recognize this. The festival exists as “a platform for talented early-career playwrights of African and African American descent to … move beyond common ideas of what’s possible in ‘black theater’” to demonstrate that “[t]he African American experience is not represented solely by one voice or one style,” and the seven voices that stage these short pieces--this year each inspired by the photographs of Alex Harsley of the 4th Street Photo Gallery, just down the street from the theater and itself worth a visit--give expression to the diversity of the American experience of people of color in a way that is both particular and inextricable...

Tags: Sue PerkinsKimberly PeirceCarrieSofia VergaraNeon HitchBBCIMDb

Good afternoon everyone!

Happy birthday to Shelley Long, Barbara Eden and Cedella Marley!

British singer Neon Hitch has come out as “kind of a lesbian.” What does that even mean? In a revealing interview with the NY Daily News, Hitch discusses her own mother's relationships with women and she vaguely describes having an affair with a woman that some believe to have been her former roommate, the late Amy Winehouse. Hitch declared, “I have a personal belief that everybody’s gay.”

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Out actress/comedian Sue Perkins will star in the new lesbian sitcom Heading Out on BBC. Perkins will play “Sara, a 40-year-old vet who is too scared to tell her parents she is a lesbian."

Photo by Ian Gavan/Getty Images

Playboy mogul Hugh Hefner wrote a compelling pro-gay piece for September's Politico. In the article, Hefner stated,...

Much has been reported about Lee Daniels' upcoming film The Butler, here on Shadow and Act, but the recent casting announcement of Pernell Walker finally got me to print out the script and give it a read. One can expect an epic quality, as the film will cover Cecil Gaines (Eugene Allen in real life - photo above) from mid-teens till his 90’s, intercutting his experience with Major Moments and characters in American History. At the heart this is a father son drama as we experience the difficulty of two generations trying to understand each other. The script, while based on the life of Eugene Allen, could aptly be called a work of historical fiction...

Since her lauded performance in Pariah last year, actress Pernell Walker's film projects have included primarily a string of short films, but no feature film attachments - at least none that we've known of; that is, until now anyway. I learned this afternoon that the actress has landed a role in Lee Daniels' The Butler, playing role of Lorraine in the film, joining a stellar cast of thespians that includes Forest Whitaker, Oprah Winfrey, David Oyelowo, Matthew McConaughey, John Cusack, Alan Rickman, Terence Howard, Cuba Good Jr., Jane Fonda, Nicole Kidman, Lenny Kravitz, Colman Domingo and Jess...

After successfully raising money for her short Busted On Brigham Lane last year, filmmaker Talibah L. Newman's film is now a finalist in the American Black Film Festival's HBO short film competition. I posted last year about her desire to explore familial relationships with her work and her latest project does just that as a synopsis for the film states..."A young girl seeks to reconcile her relationship with her estranged father before her 18th birthday and discovers a world she could have never imagined." The cast includes Susan Heyward along with Pernell Walker and Rob Morgan, co-stars of the award-winning drama Pariah. Currently attending Columbia...

Chicago – 2011 featured a series of uncommonly affecting films from female directors about young women grappling with their sexual identities. In all three cases, the heroines strain to keep their lesbianism a secret from their families. Céline Sciamma’s “Tomboy” centered on a 10-year-old girl who posed as a boy, while Maryam Keshavarz’s “Circumstance” explored the forbidden romance of two Iranian teens.

These films are so good that it makes one wonder why there aren’t as many accomplished films about young men coming to terms with their homosexuality. Queer cinema too often falls under the stereotypical categorization of soft-core art house fare with earnest messages and amateurish production values. They seem tailor-made for a niche audience, but what makes “Tomboy,” “Circumstance” and Dee Rees’s “Pariah” so powerful is their resonance as universal human stories. These characters aren’t defined by their sexual orientations, despite what society would lead them to believe.

In The Video Score today, we have a throw back to when horror movies were actually scary, one of last year's most celebrated film debuts from a writer-director, and that movie Halle Berry did about sharks. We're breaking down the week's major Blu-ray and DVD releases all for you below!

Pick of the Week

"The Innkeepers" (2011)

Director: Ti West

Cast: Sara Paxton, Pat Healy, Alsion Bartlett

Story:

A pair of self-styled ghost chasers hunt for spirits in a run-down New England inn in this subtle thriller from director Ti West. The Yankee Pedlar Inn is a hotel in Torrington, Ct, that's been welcoming guests for over a hundred years. However, not many have been stopping by lately, and the owners have chosen to shut it down. In the Yankee Pedlar's last weeks of operation, the staff have been reduced to just two people, Claire (Sara Paxton) and Luke (Pat Healy...

This week: Mark Wahlberg flexes his muscles as a reformed bad boy who agrees to one last smuggling job in the action thriller "Contraband," which costars Kate Beckinsale and Giovanni Ribisi.

Also new this week is the chilling indie ghost tale "The Innkeepers," the inspirational coming-out/coming-of-age drama "Pariah," and the 45th anniversary edition Blu-ray debut of the musical "Camelot."

'Contraband'

Box Office: $67 million

Rotten Tomatoes: 51% Rotten

Storyline: Mark Wahlberg plays former ace smuggler Chris Farraday, who is trying to make an honest living for the sake of his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and sons. When Chris' brother-in-law botches a drug deal for a local kingpin (Giovanni Ribisi), Chris is forced out of retirement and into the cutthroat world of international smuggling to make one last, dangerous run before his family becomes the target of hit men.

Extras! "Under the Radar: The Making of 'Contraband'" takes you behind...

Pariah joins a long line of coming of age dramas set in New York ( in this case Brooklyn ). It deals with a young African-American woman about to finish high school and explore the world. Unlike many of these films, this protagonist is concealing her sexuality from her family and many friends. The title refers to the reaction many have gotten when they’ve come out. They’re treated as pariahs-outcast and ostracized. Writer/ director Dee Rees tells this story with great sensitivity and avoids exploitation and stereotyping.

The film follows Alike ( Adepero Oduye ) during her last few months of high school. She lives with her religious mother Audry ( Kim Wayans ), usually absent policeman father Arthur ( Charles Parnell ) and bratty, spying kid sister Sharonda ( Sahra Mellesse ). Alike is a quiet student who excels in her writing class. After school she meets up with her best pal, the hard-working, living on her...

After garnering recognition during the Sundance Film Festival last year, director Dee Rees' coming-of-age drama "Pariah" is trickling out into theaters across the United States. An expansion of Rees' award-winning 2007 short film of the same title, "Pariah" follows Brooklyn teenager Alike (Adepero Oduye) as she embraces her identity as a lesbian.

Though she felt she understood generally where Alike was coming from, Oduye credits Rees with helping her prepare for the role. "When I first read the script, I immediately related to that feeling of not belonging, not feeling comfortable in the boxes that you've been placed in through conditioning, expectations, and trying to break free of all of that," she said in an interview. "Me and Dee had a lot of conversations and she recommended some books for me to read. She's really good at doing cool, creative homework assignments."

Most memorably, Oduye said, she and Pernell Walker,...

Chicago – The exploration of culture, so tied to class and social standing, is not explored too often in mainstream films. In 2009, there was “Precious,” and this year the stand out is “Pariah.” Writer/director Dee Rees formulates a passionate story about a racial/social/orientation fish out of water.

Rating: 4.0/5.0

What is beautiful about the film is its intensity, and how far the ensemble cast was willing to go in a narrative regarding an African American teenage girl who wants to come out as a lesbian. Everybody in the cast, from leads to one-liners, had a real truth to them, there was a palpable desire to tell this story properly, and without sensationalism. The actress who portrays the conflicted teenager was especially strong, and gave a dignity and purpose to her character that made her heroic.

Alike (Adepero Oduye) is a middle class African American teenager in Brooklyn, with a...

-- "Pariah," writer-director Dee Rees' feature debut, achieves a difficult, intriguing balance. It's at once raw and dreamlike, specific to a particular, personal rite of passage yet widely relatable in its message of being true to oneself.

Adepero Oduye gives a subtly natural performance as Alike (pronounced ah-lee-kay), a 17-year-old Brooklyn girl who's struggling to come out as a lesbian. Each day at school, she dresses the way that makes her feel comfortable in baggy T-shirts and baseball caps, and she pals around with her brash best friend, Laura (Pernell Walker), who's already happily out. But on the bus ride home, she must transform herself into the young lady her mother, Audrey (Kim Wayans), approves of and loves. You can see the weight of resignation hanging on her shoulders, the sadness in her eyes as she catches a glimpse of herself in the window.

Audrey hopes arranging a new friendship with a colleague's daughter,...

Pariah is a film that has slowly gathered steam since it premiered at Sundance earlier this year and is finally seeing limited release this week. I recently had a chance to see the film with little idea of what I was getting myself into — a strong recommendation and an upcoming screening will do that sometimes. This story of a young black gay girl raised by a mother that is devoutly religious and a father that is oblivious is a powerful reminder of the struggles societal pressure puts on those simply trying to find their place in the world.

Affecting no matter what your background, Pariah reminds us that adolescence is a delicate period that will shape the trajectory of our lives and young love and loss can come in many different ways. I had the opportunity to sit down with writer/director Dee Rees, who has made a powerful splash with narrative debut,...

From Executive Producer Spike Lee, Pariah is an independent success story for first-time feature film filmmaker Dee Rees who made this feature length film after her award-winning short film created a lot of buzz on the festival circuit. Watch a clip from Pariah.

In Pariah, 17-year-old Alike is quietly but firmly embracing her identity as a lesbian. With the sometimes boisterous support of her best friend, out lesbian Laura (Pernell Walker), Alike is especially eager to find a girlfriend. At home, her parents’ marriage is strained and there is further tension in the household whenever Alike’s development becomes a topic of discussion. Pressed by her mother into making the acquaintance of a colleague’s daughter, Bina (Aasha Davis), Alike finds Bina to be unexpectedly refreshing to socialize with.

Pariah is in movie theatres December 30th.

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From Executive Producer Spike Lee, Pariah is an independent success story for first-time feature film filmmaker Dee Rees who made this feature length film after her award-winning short film created a lot of buzz on the festival circuit. Watch a clip from Pariah.

In Pariah, 17-year-old Alike is quietly but firmly embracing her identity as a lesbian. With the sometimes boisterous support of her best friend, out lesbian Laura (Pernell Walker), Alike is especially eager to find a girlfriend. At home, her parents’ marriage is strained and there is further tension in the household whenever Alike’s development becomes a topic of discussion. Pressed by her mother into making the acquaintance of a colleague’s daughter, Bina (Aasha Davis), Alike finds Bina to be unexpectedly refreshing to socialize with.

Pariah is in movie theatres December 30th.

Starring

Read more...

If Lee Daniels‘ Precious made for a heightened, melodramatic, and mostly satisfying expression of the external trials — poverty, an abusive mother, a runaway father — plaguing a New York City-based African-American teenager, then Dee Rees‘ Pariah takes a similar character in a similar locale and tosses her into an opposite realm, one of internal struggles and ultimatums. While that choice is ultimately what hinders Pariah narratively — Rees‘ script is too pinned-down in its protagonist’s inner workings to generate a consistently compelling plot — it’s also what gives the film its unique identity. The events may seem recycled, but the character and the film’s personal perspective certainly do not.

Adepero Oduye, the recent recipient of an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Actress, stars as 17-year-old Alike, an exceptionally intelligent student who shows particular promise with her poetry. She’s reserved for her age, not very talkative, and her enclosed...

Figuring out who you are as a teenager isn't an easy task. For many of us, it takes a really long time (some of us are still trying).

In "Pariah," Alike (Adepero Oduye) knows she's gay; that's a done deal. But the bigger question is where she fits into the bigger world. Her family is a major source of grief, but she's also struggling to find her place within the lesbian community. Writer-director Dees Rees' feature-length debut stands out because of the ways it explores the many layers of identity, from class to the butch/femme binary.

Unfortunately, Alike's parents aren't a great source of comfort. Her mom Audrey, played by Kim Wayans, likes to buy Alike girly clothes and go to church. She disapproves of Alike's friendship with Laura (Pernell Walker), who's a butch lesbian and high school dropout. Laura was thrown out by her mom after she came out,...

Listen, we understand that sometimes in order to get some attention, indie films need glib comparisons and word out of Sundance this year was that Dee Rees' "Pariah" was this year's "Precious." However, not only is "Pariah" nothing like "Precious", it is so much better and so much more rewarding than anything Lee Daniels "achieved" with his hysterical, exploitative, ghetto soap opera porno. Real in ways few movies ever are, "Pariah" mixes the coming out and coming-of-age story and pitches it against the backdrop of an African-American family adapting to the shifting cultural sexual tides. The result is a film that is warm and raw, sometimes both at the same time, and is easily one of our favorites of the year. While her best friend Laura (Pernell Walker) is out and proud, for Alike (Adepero Oduye) her homosexuality -- a secret to her parents but not really anybody else...

Director Dee Rees and actress Adepero Oduye were fresh off an early awards season win when The Playlist caught up with them in New York. Their film "Pariah" nabbed Rees the prize for breakthrough director at the Gotham Awards the night before -- not the first triumph for the assured feature debut, which was lauded with the Cinematography Award at Sundance in January, and probably not the last, though Rees is zen about the process, saying "Our statement's on the screen. Awards won't make it better, and a lack of awards won't make it worse." Pariah is the story of Alike (Oduye), a black lesbian teenager living in Fort Greene and navigating between the aggressive gay nightclub scene preferred by her butch best friend Laura (Pernell Walker) and a closeted life at home, where her tightly wound mother Audrey (Kim Wayans) tries to dress her in pink cardigans and quizzes...

In the indie drama Pariah, opening in limited release on December 28th, Alike (Adepero Oduye) is a 17-year-old African-American woman, who lives with her parents and younger sister in Brooklyn’s Fort Greene neighborhood. Quietly but firmly embracing her identity as a lesbian, she has the support of her best friend, out lesbian Laura (Pernell Walker), but her parents already strained marriage becomes even more tense, at any mention of the topic at home. Regardless of the fact that she feels like she can’t confide in her own family, Alike’s humor and tenacity proves to be a great asset, as she struggles through adolescence to achieve her dreams. During this exclusive phone interview with Collider, first-time feature writer/director Dee Rees talked about the development of the semi-autobiographical story, her decision to make it first as a short and then as a full-length feature later on, how discovering...

When actress Adepero Oduye first nabbed the role of teen lesbian Alike (pronounced ah-lee-kay) in the feature film Pariah, she did what any good actress would do – she hit the gay clubs in the name of research. Going into a club in character with her co-star Pernell Walker (who plays her gay friend, Laura) truly helped Oduye get more inside the head of her character but also opened her eyes to a lot about this new environment.

Dressed in boy’s clothes like her character, Oduye said she approached the environment different from Walker who, she recounted, "was dancing with women, getting numbers and I wasn’t butch, I wasn’t femme so I didn’t fit in. I didn’t belong. People didn’t know where to place me and so they just ignored me. And I felt like I was on the outside looking in. I felt invisible...

This year has given us films that have taken us to slightly darker places from living with sex addiction (Shame) to life within a cult (Martha Marcy May Marlene, Sound of My Voice) to struggling with personal and sexual identity (The Beaver, Pariah), just to name a few. But even within these darker landscapes, these films have given us brilliant and captivating performances set against backgrounds and settings we may otherwise never experience. The music accompanying these various films help create their different tones and degrees of darkness from full soundtracks (as I looked into with Shame) to hardly any music at all in the stark and stripped down Sound of My Voice (I swear I’m starting a letter writing campaign to get this film released, like, yesterday). This week I wanted to call to attention a film that premiered back in January during the Sundance Film Festival and has stayed with me over the past...