Film & Fashion Historian Kimberly Truhler on her Book “Film Noir Style: The Killer 1940s” – Part I
“Film Noir Style: The Killer 1940s” is a new book from film and fashion historian Kimberly Truhler about the influential, iconic, and unforgettably gorgeous costumes that helped define a genre and an era. The book, which is packed with images from the films, explores the way the costumes defined the characters and the way costume design and fashion design influenced each other. “Hollywood costume designers developed American style and replaced European couture as the greatest influence on fashion,...
How “WandaVision” Costume Designer Mayes C. Rubeo Meshed Sitcoms & Superheroes
Did you watch the first two episodes of WandaVision on Disney+ this past Friday? If so, you got a peek at the intriguing new future of the MCU. Showrunner Jac Schaeffer and director Matt Shakman’s series is based on a premise that was likely a delicious challenge to costume designer Mayes C. Rubeo—create a wardrobe that befits Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany)’s bizarre new reality—living in a universe in which they’re trapped, it seems, in an evolving series of sitcoms passed...
A Brief But Thrilling Glimpse of “Godzilla vs. Kong”
2021 did not get off to a good start, but we’re hoping things start to improve on all fronts, and soon. To that end, the news that Warner Bros.’ Godzilla vs. Kong will arrive two months earlier than we expected qualifies as very good news indeed. Director Adam Wingard’s upcoming film about the battle between cinema’s two most legendary monsters boasts a fantastic cast. Millie Bobby Brown (fresh from surviving the drama in Godzilla: King of the Monsters),...
Composer Emile Mosseri on Scoring for Family Dynamics in “Minari”
Dream-like piano notes accompany the Yee family as they gaze out the windows of their beat-up station wagon, on their way to a new home in rural Arkansas. Hoping to make it as a farmer, patriarch Jacob (Steven Yeun) is in the process of uprooting his wife, Monica (Yeri Han), and American-born children, Anne (Noel Cho) and David (Alan S. Kim), from California to this sparsely populated corner of the rural South.
Minari,...
Oscar-Winning Costume Designer Mark Bridges on His First Western “News of the World”
Over his long and varied career, costume designer Mark Bridges has tackled just about every wardrobe challenge imaginable. His efforts have led to Oscar wins for The Artist (2011) and Phantom Thread (2017), as well as nominations for Inherent Vice (2013) and Joker (2019). But surprisingly, he has never taken on a Western. That changed with News of the World. The latest from Paul Greengrass,...
“Parasite” Director Bong Joon Ho Will Head Venice Film Festival Jury
Director Bong Joon Ho keeps making history. The prodigiously talented filmmaker who wowed the cinematic world with his now-iconic film Parasite will head the jury of the 78th Venice Film Festival in September, making him the first South Korean director ever picked to be the Lido’s top juror.
Bong made history in early 2020 when Parasite became the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture at the Academy Awards. Oh,...
Is Chris Evans Really Returning as Captain America?
You might have felt a tremor in the universe yesterday—the Marvel Cinematic Universe, of course—when Deadline broke the story that Chris Evans was nearing a deal to return as Captain America. This was major news, and majorly surprising. It was only 2019 when Evans told Scarlett Johannson in an interview for Variety that while he wasn’t a “hard no” on never returning, he felt good about where Cap’s story arc ended up in Avengers: Endgame...
“WandaVision” Reviews Are In: Charming, Unnerving, & Very Different
Earlier this week we got the initial reactions to Marvel’s WandaVision, the super studio’s first series on Disney+. Those reactions were hugely positive. Now, the more fulsome reviews are coming in, and they’re just as positive. Showrunner Jac Schaeffer and director Matt Shakman took a big swing—thanks in no small part to Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige’s involvement—and the result is something entirely new. New, but still connected to the larger MCU, a crucial point.
By now,...
May Calamawy Joins Oscar Isaac in Marvel’s “Moon Knight”
There’s so much going on with Marvel Studios and Disney+ it’s enough to make your head spin. Yet you’d be hard-pressed to find anything to grouse about, and that goes for this bit of news. The Hollywood Reporter has learned that May Calamawy, best known for her great work in Hulu’s wonderful Ramy, will be joining Oscar Isaac in Marvel’s upcoming Disney+ series Moon Knight.
The series revolves around one of Marvel’s lesser-known characters,...
Netflix Reveals Teaser for “Pelé”
He was, inarguably, one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. He is, to this day, one of the greatest soccer players of all time. Now, Netflix has revealed the teaser to their upcoming documentary Pelé, which will track the rise of the titular superstar as he led Brazil to an astonishing three World Cup titles between 1958 to 1970, an unprecedented feat and one accomplished during a turbulent period for the country.
Netflix has revealed a bite-sized teaser that still packs plenty of punch...
“Insecure” to Conclude After Season 5—Issa Rae Thanks Fans
All good things must come to an end, and in the best of times, you get to write your own ending. Such is the case for Issa Rae and her heralded HBO series Insecure, which will officially conclude after season 5. The series, based on Rae’s online series Awkward Black Girl, was co-created with Larry Wilmore and followed Rae’s character Issa Dee and her friends as they navigated their friendships, love lives, and careers. The show bowed in October 2016 and went on to nab a slew of award nominations and wins...
Watch the Riveting Official Trailer for “Judas and the Black Messiah”
It’s somewhat foolish to shout “Oscar contender!” after watching nothing more than a trailer, but it’s hard not to get the feeling that co-writer/director Shaka King’s Judas and the Black Messiah isn’t something special after watching the new official trailer. And when trusted, smart critics like the New Yorker‘s Doreen St. Félix are this enthused, it’s quite alright to get excited, too:
judas and the black messiah is so good i am amazed that shaka king was able to make it all,...
Kathryn Hahn on the Massive Ambitions of “WandaVision”
We’re just two days away from the premiere of Marvel’s WandaVision on Disney+. The first-ever Marvel series on Disney’s powerhouse streamer has already garnered a ton of rave reactions from critics who have seen the first three episodes. The series, from showrunner Jac Schaeffer and director Matt Shakman, imagines a world in which Vision (Paul Bettany) is somehow alive (even though he was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War), and he’s living with his main squeeze and superpowered equal,...
A New Film Every Week—Netflix’s 2021 Movie Slate is Absolutely Massive
While we’ve been dealing with an absolute blizzard of news from Disney (new Star Wars films, upcoming Marvel series, etc.) and WarnerMedia (Wonder Woman 2, the Sex and the City spinoff, Zack Snyder’s Justice League, etcetera), it’s now Netflix’s time to shine.
To be fair, Netflix also had a fairly robust final month of 2020—Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Mank were two big December releases—but their 2021 movie slate looks even bigger...
Watch Wanda & Vision Throughout the MCU & a Brand New “WandaVision” Clip
So you’ve heard about how great WandaVision is, and you’re gearing up to watch the premiere of Marvel’s first Disney+ series on January 15. Great, so are we. But perhaps what you need—and don’t have the time to do—is a refresher course on just exactly what path Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) have taken throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe? Not to fear, Marvel has released the two videos you need.
If you haven’t been following the WandaVision rollout,...
Andra Day Shines in The Official Trailer for “The United States vs. Billie Holiday”
We’ve been excited about The United States vs. Billie Holiday since we first heard about Lee Daniels’ new movie. Now, with the film officially landing at Hulu and a brand new trailer to parse, we’ve got a much better look at what Daniels and his star, Grammy-nominated singer Andra Day, have in store for us. Day takes on the role of the legendary Billie Holiday, of course, and from what we’ve seen thus far her transformation is astonishing...
Kevin Feige Confirms That “Deadpool 3” Will be an MCU Film
One major puzzle piece that had been unaccounted for when Disney acquired 20th Century Fox has now been slotted into place—yes, folks, the Merc with the Mouth is joining the MCU. In a conversation with Collider, Marvel President Kevin Feige confirmed that Deadpool 3 would be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not only that, but Feige said that the franchise will retain its naughty allure and stick to its R-rated roots...
Early Reactions to “WandaVision” Call Marvel’s First Disney+ Series a Game Changer
The early reactions to WandaVision have been pouring in since Disney and Marvel made the first three episodes available to critics. If you were curious about Marvel’s very different-seeming take on its superpowered romantic couple living in a bizarro-world of evolving sitcoms, prepare to have that curiosity piqued tenfold.
For the uninitiated, WandaVision posits a world in which Vision (Paul Bettany) is somehow alive (you’ll recall he was killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War) and living with his paramour,...
“Sex and the City” Spinoff “And Just Like That” Coming to HBO Max
Carrie, Charlotte, and Miranda are back! Original Sex and the City stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, and Cynthia Nixon are returning to the roles they made them stars in a big-time announcement this past Sunday. The news came via Sarah Jessica Parker’s Instagram page, with this perfectly succinct post:
View this post on InstagramA brand new, 10-episode chapter reunites the SATC stars—with one glaring omission—in former SATC director Michael Patrick King’s new series And Just Like That. ...
Here’s How They Kept “The Mandalorian” Finale’s Epic Surprise a Secret
If you haven’t finished watching The Mandalorian‘s sophomore season, you need to stop reading as a massive spoiler lies ahead.
Okay, so we all watched that epic surprise cameo in The Mandalorian finale. If you’re anything like us, you had two simultaneous reactions—delighted surprise mixed together with shame at having not seen it coming the whole time. And that feeling, folks, is what makes a great twist—surprise plus a sense of inevitability. It’s why the great twist endings,...
