Our In-House Former Movie Critic Submits An Epic Watch List for Trying Times

For reasons entirely to do with this crazy life we’re all living right now, I find myself revisiting the final scene of the great Three Days of the Condor. You know, the Robert Redford thriller that came out, like, before electricity. In the movie, Redford’s a CIA analyst who knows too much, and the CIA is hunting him down. In this climactic scene, he informs an adversary, played by Cliff Robertson, that he has a gun in his coat pocket and that he needs to walk with him for a little bit.

Grey’s Anatomy Donating Gloves & Gowns to Fight COVID-19

With the rapid spread of COVID-19, people all across the globe are trying to do their part. This includes people with symptoms who are self-quarantining, the tens of millions of folks practicing social distancing, and the efforts of individuals and charities alike to lending a helping hand—in whatever way they can—to support people in even greater need. As we all learn how to live under novel, legitimately terrifying circumstances, no industry or group of people are working harder than our healthcare providers.

DP Kira Kelly on Lensing Netflix’s Self Made Followed by a Sudden COVID-19 Furlough

Self Made, Netflix’s four-episode biopic on Madam C.J. Walker (Octavia Spencer), the businesswoman, philanthropist, and first female American self-made millionaire, traces Madam C.J.’s late 19th-century rise from washerwoman to the successful founder of a haircare empire staffed by and made for African-American women. The production contrasts vibrant, colorful historic sets and costumes with a contemporary soundtrack, for an immersively satisfying period series that feels completely modern.

“Even before I got the job,

New iPhone-Filmed Conan Episodes Will Return on March 30

We’ll take all the good news we can get at this point. We all know that with the spread of COVID-19, productions are shutting down throughout the entertainment industry. That has included every late-night talk show. Late night hosts are still producing content, mind you, often in an effort to help viewers understand the importance of social distancing and to offer a little levity in this time of crisis. Now we’ve got the very welcome news that one late-night host,

Here’s James Gunn’s Blessedly Pandemic Movie-Free Quarantine Watch List

With so many people at home right now, doing their part to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 by social distancing, watch lists have flooded the internet. Many of these watch lists are focused, understandably, on films and TV shows that deal with pandemics and other world-changing catastrophes. One of the most cited films on these lists is Steven Soderbergh’s genuinely terrifying Contagion (now available on Hulu) from 2011. Written by Scott Z.

The Below-the-Line Talent Who Make the Films & Shows we Love

With the spread of COVID-19 affecting the entertainment industry in unprecedented ways, below-the-line filmmakers are facing the prospect of weeks, or months, without income, some without health insurance or paid sick leave. These are the folks who make the films and television shows we love possible. They’re costume designers and assistant directors, gaffers, grips, and animators. They’re makeup artists and hairstylists, they’re art directors and location scouts, they’re the people who design the sets,

Watch the First 10 Minutes of The Skywalker Legacy Documentary

We’ve all got way more time at home on our hands at the moment. While we practice social distancing responsibly, it’s nice to have as many entertainment options as possible. Disney has made the first 10-minutes of The Skywalker Legacy documentary available online, which we’ve embedded below for your viewing pleasure. This sneak peek comes on the heels of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker becoming available for digital download yesterday,

Studios & Stars Offer Social Distancing Education & Entertainment

Comedians, musicians, actors, and film and television studios have begun stepping up to try and add a little levity, light, and a sense of much-needed solidarity as we all deal with COVID-19. Individuals and companies with massive platforms can do a lot of good by informing citizens about the best way to stay safe and keep others safe in these unprecedented times. With governments across the world urging citizens to practice social distancing and, in many cases,

Amy Adams & Jennifer Garner Team Up to Help Kids Affected by COVID-19

While all of us are trying to come together—mostly, and crucially, by staying apart—to help flatten the curve of the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the damages, it’s nice to see those with a large platform doing their best to spread the word. There was Max Brooks’ hilarious and heartfelt message, alongside his dad, the legendary Mel Brooks, for people to keep their distance from one another.

A message from me and my dad,

Universal Pictures to Offer First Run Films in Your Home

With governments across the globe asking people to hunker down due to the spread of COVID-19 (the United States joined today, suggesting that folks don’t congregate in any groups larger than 10), and the film and TV industry facing an unprecedented stoppage of work, responsible people all over the world are looking for options to keep them sane while they sequester themselves in their apartments and homes. While there is no shortage of entertainment available to stream,

An Easy Girl Director Rebecca Zlotowski on Her Version of French Feminism

Lush and sun-kissed, An Easy Girl, the latest feature from French filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski, is a Cannes-set summer vacation coming-of-age centered on a teenager named Naïma (Mina Farid) and her visiting older cousin, Sofia (Zahia Dehar). A screen descendant of Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot, Dehar is enviably confident and sexy; however, many French audiences have struggled to separate Dehar’s character from her real-life persona, the one who was involved in an underage prostitution scandal in 2009.

Westworld Cinematographer & Director Paul Cameron on Season 3’s Big Time Ambitions

“As a DP,” says director of photography Paul Cameron, ASC, “you tend to walk into a location and visualize it and pitch it to a director.” But what happens if you are the director? Well, he allows, “I may have been a little stronger in pitching my ideas” back to the cinematographer.

Cameron had a chance to pitch in both directions, in quick succession, on HBO’s currently unfurling third season of Westworld.

How Coronavirus is Affecting Below the Line Filmmakers

As COVID-19 has spread across the globe, hundreds of governments are attempting to deal with the rapidly spreading pandemic. The first and most important factor in assessing the damage that coronavirus has caused is measured in human lives. According to the most recent accounts from the New York Times, coronavirus has sickened more than 170,400 people, with 6,619 deaths. The pandemic has spread to at least 140 countries.  

Then there is the damage to the economy.

Stunt Coordinator Kathy Jarvis Drives the Action in Paramount’s TV Series 68 Whiskey

A television series set on a military base during the height of the Afghan war is where you’ll find one of the best stunt coordinators currently working on television—Kathy Jarvis. Creating the stunts for 68 Whiskey, the Paramount Network comedy/drama about a team of medics battling to save lives while keeping their sanity in the midst of constant carnage and danger, is giving her an opportunity to use the range of skills she’s developed over her long career.

The Trailer for the Spike Jonze Directed Beastie Boys Story is a Sure Shot

Joy feels in short supply about now, which is why this is a good a time as ever to take in the first trailer for director Spike Jonze’s Beastie Boys Story. The saga of how three buddies from New York became, against considerable odds, global superstars, reinventing themselves and their entire approach to music and life in the process, is both joyous and bittersweet. Joyous because Beastie Boys fans will finally get to see a proper documentary about their unlikely rise,

Swallow Production Designer Erin Magill Builds a House of Horrors

Handsome husband, rich in-laws, and a stunning house might seem to provide a comfortable perch for the newly pregnant housewife at the center of Swallow. And yet, Hunter (Haley Bennett) suffers privately from a disturbing disorder hinted at in the film’s title. For the psychological thriller (now playing), production designer Erin Magill joined writer-director Carlo Mirabella-Davis in setting up a seemingly perfect milieu riddled with dark secrets.

Magill,

The Official Soul Trailer Reveals Pixar’s Latest

Pixar is taking a deep dive into the afterlife, the meaning of life, and the necessity of living your life in the (scarily) timely Soul. In Pixar’s vast stable of excellent writers and directors, few so reliably break your heart as Pete Docter. Docter has brought us Monsters, Inc., Up and Inside Out, three of the most searching films in the company’s history. In Soul, 

Styling Teenage Romance With To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You Costume Designer Lorraine Carson

Costume designer Lorraine Carson has helped steer the look of the romantic comedy franchise To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You (based on Jenny Han’s novel series) for the second and third films. As the franchise’s ensemble has grown up, so too has their wardrobe. With the second film currently available on Netflix (with the third film in post-production), we spoke to Carson about realizing character growth through costume,

Prepare for a New Dracula From Director Karyn Kusama & Blumhouse Productions

With The Invisible Man earning critical praise and enjoying box office success, horror powerhouse Blumhouse Productions is turning to the most iconic monster in Universal’s archives for the reboot treatment. A new adaptation of Dracula is in the works, with none other than Destroyer and The Invitation director Karyn Kusama. Folks, the combination of Blumhouse and Kusama is manna from heaven for all horror fans.

A New Spider-Man Spin-Off is in the Works

Well, this is big news. The Amazing Spider-Man 2 scribe Roberto Orci will be penning a script for a brand new Spider-Man spin-off. What’s more, this film will exist in the Spider-Verse world, enlarging Sony‘s web-slinger world, and highlighting a character from their still rather large archive of superheroes and villains.

The Wrap broke the story, which explains how Orci’s film will not be a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but rather will exist wholly within the Sony-owned Spider-Man world.