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“I’m back,” Hamaguchi Ryûsuke exuberantly proclaimed—in English no less—when introducing his latest film, Evil Does Not Exist, to a rapturous response from a New York Film Festival crowd in 2023. His punchy opening line was more overtly declarative than the work he was there to present. After his two-release breakout year in 2021 culminated in an Oscar victory for Drive My Car, Hamaguchi might have taken the familiar path of following up such a win with a big directorial proclamation. Instead, his latest feature belies the nature of its title and proves to be more of a question than a statement.

Some of this may be due to the genesis of Evil Does Not Exist, which doesn’t lie entirely with Hamaguchi himself. Ishibashi Eiko, his composer on Drive My Car, approached the director to create footage to accompany her live performances. Inspiration struck, and Hamaguchi’s remit expanded...

More than ever, it’s hard to imagine a world where evil does not exist, so it should come as no surprise that the world captured in Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s film with that very same title feels out of step with our own.

“Evil Does Not Exist,” the Japanese auteur’s follow-up to “Drive My Car,” opens with a long shot that tracks through the forest, gazing up at the sky through intersecting branches that crisscross above. The pace is calm and unhurried, leisurely even, if not for the strings that accompany it. Ishibashi Eiko’s score, her second for Hamaguchi, is calming, too, at first. But then discordant notes gradually weave in, hinting at something darker under the melody and behind the trees. The longer this shot continues, the more eerie it feels, as if we’re gliding into another reality. Suddenly, it ends abruptly, jolting the audience into...

Joel Edgerton (The Gift) and Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) are set to star in Train Dreams, the newest feature from Jockey director Clint Bentley, which will be introduced to international buyers at EFM by Black Bear.

Bentley & Greg Kwedar (Sing Sing) penned the script which is an adaptation of Denis Johnson’s Pulitzer Prize-nominated novella. Damien Ober did a previous draft.

Pic tells the story of Robert Grainier (Edgerton), a day laborer employed as a logger helping to expand the railways across America. Forced to spend prolonged periods of time away from his wife, Gladys (Jones), and their young daughter, Grainier struggles to make sense of his place in a rapidly changing world. As his story unfolds, he experiences great love, unspeakable loss and unique bonds, on a journey that is both distinct and universal.

Producers include Marissa McMahon and Ashley Schlaifer for Kamala Films, Will Janowitz, and...

Genre actor, Alexander Hauck takes Halloween to the next level with four new horror releases this season. On September 21, the slasher / ghost story mash up, Dr. Gift starring Danielle Harris, Shawn C. Phillips, Billy Blair, Niko El Santo Zavero, and Alexander Hauck is available for public examination. Official Trailer: Dr. Gift https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIaQfgOS4Fo MacAbre …

The post Alexander Hauck stars in Bloodthirst, Macabre Mountain, Dr. Gift, and Bermuda Triangle Project appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

Latest film from the Japanese director of Oscar-winner ’Drive My Car’ has also landed deals in Benelux, Portugal and Taiwan.

Eve Gabereau’s Modern Films has acquired UK and Irish rights to Venice Competition title Evil Does Not Exist, the latest feature from Oscar-winning Japanese director Ryusuke Hamaguchi.

Evil Does Not Exist, which is sold by Berlin-based M-Appeal, is the story of Takumi and his daughter Hana who live quietly in Mizubiki Village, close to Tokyo. One day, the village inhabitants become aware of a plan to build a glamping site near Takumi’s house, which offers city residents a comfortable ‘escape’ to nature.

This year’s Venice offers the most heavy-duty fest lineup since, mmm, who can count that far, as if half the world’s big-ticket auteurs would rather take a gondola than party on a yacht. Maybe none intrigue more than Evil Does Not Exist, a surprise feature by Ryūsuke Hamaguchi and follow-up to 2021’s Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy / Drive My Car double bill. If fittingly little’s been said, we now have insight from an especially unique angle: a second Hamaguchi feature for 2023, itself a spin on the soon-debuting film.

Belgium’s Film Fest Gent have announced they will debut Hamaguchi’s Gift on October 18, noting it “was developed in conjunction with Hamaguchi’s new feature film Evil Does Not Exist, which takes a different approach to the same footage and scenario.” Of equal note: Eiko Ishibashi, who brilliantly scored Drive My Car––and with whom we had an...

Snow White star Gal Gadot teases about portraying the Evil Queen in Disney's upcoming live-action remake. The 1937 musical fantasy was Disney's first animated feature film, adapting the Brothers Grimm fairy tale and helping pave the way for the company's long legacy. Voiced by Lucille la Verne in the original movie, the Evil Queen's jealousy of Snow White (Adriana Caselotti) led to her orchestrating various schemes to kill her stepdaughter.

With Gadot having donned her Evil Queen make-up, the star has opened up about how she crafted her portrayal of the live-action Snow White villain to Vogue Hong Kong. Stating that she had fun with the role, Gadot explained that the role of Evil Queen allowed her to experiment and try new things to have a more animated performance, including changing her voice that would fit the character. Check out Gadot's full explanation below:

I don’t have a preferred type of character.

Crime dramas are a beast to deal with. They must have interesting plot lines and nasty villains for the audience to understand why the crimes are being committed. They need to have a journey taken by the leader, who evolves from being a certain type of person to becoming a different creature altogether. “Gangs of Lagos” is one such tale of a boy based in Isale Eko, aka Lagos, who grew up in a life of crime and gang wars and told the viewers the story from his perspective. Will the boy grow up to become a gangster, or will he make his way in the world and fulfill the destiny meant only for him?

Spoilers Ahead

Obalola’s Life In Isale Eko

“Gangs of Lagos” begins with the Eyo festival, where the souls of the departed Lagos Kings are guarded by the men taking part in the festival, and...

Bill Hader has come a long way since his stint on Saturday Night Live, creating many popular characters and impersonations such as Stefon, Vincent Price and CNN’s Jack Cafferty. He is one of the highlights in such films as Adventureland, Knocked Up, Superbad and Pineapple Express, and so it is easy to see why author Mike Sacks interviewed him for his new book Poking A Dead Frog. In it, Hader talks about his career and he also lists 200 essential movies every comedy writer should see. Xo Jane recently published the list for those of us who haven’t had a chance to read the book yet. There are a ton of great recommendations and plenty I haven’t yet seen, but sadly my favourite comedy of all time isn’t mentioned. That would be Some Like It Hot. Still, it really is a great list with a mix of old and new.