‘Jethica’ Review: A Darkly Comedic Ghost Story of Surprising Depth [SXSW]

Shallow soap opera dialogue and an absolutely ludicrous plot twist about 2/3rds of the way through a six-episode season hold the admittedly talented ensemble of Netflix’s “Anatomy of a Scandal” back from creating anything that resembles realistic characters or genuine drama. And yet, this adaptation of the book by Sarah Vaughan can’t even commit to the kind of broad, goofy escapism that resulted in recent hits for the streamer like “Clickbait” or “Pieces of Her.” It’s caught in some numbingly dull valley between thinking it’s a high-brow commentary on privileged toxic masculinity and just leaning into the fact that it doesn’t give a damn about any of its characters and doesn’t really have anything to say that’s deeper than a puddle.

EXCLUSIVE: Indonesian helmer Joko Anwar (Impetigore) is preparing to make his English-language debut with Fritzchen, an adaptation of the classic short story by Charles Beaumont, which is in development at Village Roadshow.

Carrie Underwood took the stage at the 64th annual Grammy Awards for a flawless premiere performance of her latest single, “Ghost Story.” The multi-Grammy winner graced the stage with her backing band as she belted out the ballad. Underwood looked gorgeous in a sparkly purple dress that showed off her toned legs and featured a dramatic train.

Carrie Underwood hit the stage for the 2022 Grammys!

Carrie Underwood took the stage at the64th annual GRAMMY Awards for a flawless premiere performance of her latest single, «Ghost Story.» The multi-GRAMMY winner graced the stage with her backing band as she belted out the ballad. Underwood looked gorgeous in a sparkly purple dress that showed off her toned legs and featured a dramatic train.Underwood’s performance comes after she was nominated this year for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “If I Didn’t Love You” with Jason Aldean and Best Roots Gospel Album forTonight’s performance marks Underwood's return to the GRAMMYs stage. The “Cry Pretty” singer’s last performance at the awards show was in 2013. Ahead of the ceremony, the 39-year-old singer stunned on the red carpet in a show-stopping gold Dolce & Gabbana gown with her husband, Mike Fisher, by her side.

Tim Gray Senior Vice PresidentHappy Anniversary — well, sort of “happy” — to Sarah Paulson, since it’s exactly 25 years since Variety ran a review of her feature film debut, “Levitation.” In the indie, she plays a pregnant teenager. Critic Leonard Klady on April 14, 1997, said it was a grim saga with “a strong cast” who were “not ably supported by the script.”It’s not the most promising debut and the film was quickly forgotten, but Paulson continued to work.Like many New York actors, she worked on stage and made her TV debut in a 1994 “Law & Order” episode, about a year after her high school graduation.She continued to do theater, including Broadway’s 2005 “The Glass Menagerie” with Jessica Lange, and films, such as the Oscar winner “12 Years a Slave,” where she proved herself a team player by working hard to promote the movie, even though she had a relatively small role.

Some jobs do not prepare you for much of anything else. Work as a barista and you will know how to make a great latte, perhaps with that cute little leaf in the foam, but that is it.

David Benedict “We’ve discussed this. We’ve discussed this many times.” That wearied line, which appears in the final scene of David Hare’s new play “Straight Line Crazy,” is spoken by Ariel Porter (Samuel Barnett), the long-suffering right-hand man to New York’s legendary urban planner Robert Moses (Ralph Fiennes).

EXCLUSIVE: Two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby) and Reacher breakout Alan Ritchson have signed on to star in the film Ordinary Angels from Kingdom Story Company, which Lionsgate will distribute.

Ed Meza @edmezavarSpanish director Ángeles Reiné celebrates family, neighborhood friendships and soccer in her a feel-good comedy “Héroes de Barrio” (“Football Heroes of the Block”).The film, Reiné’s sophomore feature following 2019’s “Salir del ropero” (“So My Grandma’s a Lesbian!”), which screens at the Malaga Festival, follows financially-strapped Seville bar owner Luis, who seeks to impress his young daughter Paula by pretending to be pals with Joaquin, the beloved and charismatic real-life captain of the Real Betis football club. At the same time, he’s angling to get back together with Paula’s mom, the love of his life, who now lives with her new and much wealthier boyfriend.

We have confirmed that "West Side Story" star Rachel Zegler has been invited to the Oscars after all.There’s word out there that the Academy has invited her to be a presenter, however, they won’t confirm. What is clear is that the actress’ production schedule in London on the Disney movie "Snow White" has loosened up so that she can head to Los Angeles and watch the show live instead of in sweatpants and her boyfriend’s flannel from her couch, as she indicated on Instagram over the weekend to her followers who were enraged to hear that the actress be a no-show.  Rachel Zegler initially told fans on social media that she wasn't invited to this year's Academy Awards despite her film being nominated.

Carrie Underwood has a new song out!

An interactive experience based on some much-loved children's stories is coming to Manchester.

Joe Leydon Film CriticLet’s not mince words: “Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story” is a high-stepping, hand-waving, spirit-lifting gas. Co-directors Frank Marshall and Ryan Suffern, with the invaluable assistance of editor Martin Singer, have fashioned an infectiously exuberant overview of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Big Easy’s unique and enormous celebration of its music, cuisine and multiculturalism, by combining their own footage of performances and interviews at the 50th iteration of the star-studded annual event — the last before COVID-19 forced cancelation of the 2000 and 2001 editions — and archival footage dating back to the festival’s earliest days.Those days might have begun earlier, fest co-founder George Wein reveals during an interview conducted before his 2021 passing, if he had accepted a 1962 invitation by locals to establish the New Orleans equivalent of his Newport Jazz Festival.

No American city is as steeped in native musical lore and legacy as is New Orleans and you get a good feeling for how that came about in Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story. It’s a documentary overflowing with performers and music that still barely begins to scratch the surface of what’s gone on musically for ages in the fabled, oft-distressed city. Music fans of assorted persuasions will be delighted with the samples served up here, although the subject is so vast and varied that something like a six or ten-hour miniseries would be required to begin to do it justice. With Sony Pictures Classics handling the U.S. release starting May 13 after it SXSW bow, the film is certain to get a nice lift-off and extensive exposure on home tubes is assured.

Dare to dream and be a relentless optimist even if you have no experience or skill in your field, amirite? That’s the remit of young actor-turned-filmmaker Craig Roberts (“Submarine,” the Amazon series “Red Oaks“), the director behind “The Phantom Of The Open,” an uplifting story about a naive dreamer who managed to gain entry to The British Open Golf Championship Qualifying in 1976 and subsequently shot the worst round in Open history.

Sony Pictures Classics announced today that its feature documentary Jazz Fest: A New Orleans Story, co-directed by five-time Oscar nominee Frank Marshall (The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart) and Ryan Suffern (Mr. A & Mr. M: The Story of A&M Records), will hit theaters in New York and Los Angeles on May 13, before expanding to additional markets in the following weeks. It will open against IFC Films’ horror-thriller The Innocents, Roadside Attractions’ comedy Family Camp and Universal’s horror-thriller Firestarter starring Zac Efron and more.