Before there was Survivor and The Amazing Race, there was Eco-Challenge. The ultra-endurance race created by Mark Burnett evolved as a television format first on MTV, then on ESPN, eventually making its way to Discovery and then USA.
24.07.2020 - 21:35 / variety.com
Owen Gleiberman Chief Film CriticThere’s a moment in Mary Wharton’s “Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President” that looks downright surreal — at least, in light of the bombs-away culture-war politics that have come to rule our own era. It’s Jan.
20, 1977, the night of Carter’s Inaugural Gala, and introducing the festivities is that favorite son of progressive liberal Democrats, John Wayne. In the audience are John Lennon (in a tux!) and Yoko Ono.
Before there was Survivor and The Amazing Race, there was Eco-Challenge. The ultra-endurance race created by Mark Burnett evolved as a television format first on MTV, then on ESPN, eventually making its way to Discovery and then USA.
Serving as a much-belated sequel to the 2007 Australian sleeper hit “Black Water,” director Andrew Traucki’s B-movie influenced follow-up, the blandly titled but effectively executed “Black Water: Abyss” is lean killer crocodile film that upgrades the appropriately lo-fi aesthetic of the original, replacing the expansive swamp setting with a claustrophobic cave descent.
Scott Crawford's documentary about Creem Magazine arrives as a breath of fresh air. Chronicling the too-brief lifespan of the music magazine whose boastful but true slogan provides the film's title, Creem: America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine will make you nostalgic for an era in which music journalism dared to be irreverent and wasn't constrained by the demands of corporate interests and babysitting publicists.
Black,” according to its director and star, Beyoncé. (Or is that Beyoncé Knowles-Carter? She takes the last name for her director’s credit, but goes first-name only for her starring credit.)But it’s unlikely that too many fans will flock to Disney+ for altered semantics.
Maggie Lee Chief Asia Film CriticWho would have thought a romantic comedy on the pain of being different could become such ironic and timely viewing in a global pandemic? In “I Weirdo,” a kooky and innovative debut by Taiwanese writer-director Liao Ming-yi, a couple with OCD trying to fit in to so-called “normal” society now looks like social-distancing heroes in our Covid-hit, locked-down lives. Shot and edited by Liao using the iPhone XS Max, the production looks no less vibrant for it.
Also Read: Showtime Scores Rights to Upcoming Documentary on The Go-Go'sAnyone familiar with the band in the ’80s might expect front woman and vocalist Carlisle to occupy the majority of the spotlight, but each enjoys equal time on screen to explain and explore what inspired, motivated and sometimes undermined their efforts.Caffey, for example, emerged early as lead songwriter, writing eight of 10 songs from their 1981 debut, while apparently nursing a heroin addiction she somewhat successfully
Dino-Ray Ramos Associate Editor/ReporterWith drive-in theaters making a resurgence, UTA has teamed with New York City indie theater Metrograph for Metrograph Drive-In, an outdoor theater series.
Bruce Haring pmc-editorial-managerPeter Green, who cofounded Fleetwood Mac and led it through its early, blues-based years, has died at age 73, his solicitors have confirmed.The statement from Swan Turton solicitors said: “It is with great sadness that the family of Peter Green announce his death this weekend, peacefully in his sleep. A further statement will be provided in the coming days”.Guitarist Green formed Fleetwood Mac with drummer Mick Fleetwood in London in 1967.
Richard Kuipers “A Life Turned Upside Down: My Dad’s an Alcoholic” casts a damning eye on the pernicious role alcohol plays in the working careers and social lives of Japanese men. Narrated by the innermost thoughts of a daughter during the 25 years she spends watching her father drink himself to death, Kenji Katagari’s second feature cleverly plays like a quirky little TV sitcom about an ordinary middle-class family before moving into darker territory.
Also Read: 'The Rental' Film Review: Dave Franco Gives His Slasher Flick an Indie SpinThe film, which closed last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and is getting a video release from Amazon in lieu of its cancelled theatrical run, looks at a woman who was neither sentimental nor a fool. It begins in the early 1890s, when Polish immigrant Maria Sklodowska meets a fellow scientist, Pierre Curie (an easygoing Sam Riley).
With a global pandemic shutting down businesses and forcing people to stay indoors due to fear of becoming infected, there isn’t a whole lot separating the world of “The Walking Dead” and our current society. Well, except for the fact that zombies don’t exist.
Exploring the intersection of Jimmy Carter’s presidency and the rock and roll music that he was so fond of, Mary Wharton’s unfussy portrait of Carter, “Jimmy Carter Rock & Roll President” is a vibrant film that highlights the importance of music in Carter’s life, and how he used culture (or what others in the film calls ‘soft power’) as president.
Maggie Lee Chief Asia Film CriticImagine a Japanese version of “Pygmalion” in which the sculptor continues to caress slabs of marble even after Galatea has come to life. That is the unusual premise of “Romance Doll,” a marital drama in which a sex doll maker’s rapt obssession with his new prototype, leads to rejection of his human muse.
Peter Debruge Chief Film CriticA cigar is never just a cigar where Sigmund Freud is concerned.
Lisa Kennedy Four Vietnam vets reunite for a mission, one that will lean on their wartime exploits but also expose more than a few old tensions.
Dennis Harvey Film CriticSnarled loops of time travel have proved a surprisingly versatile and rewarding fantasy-cinema trope in recent years, from the big-budget likes of “Edge of Tomorrow” to such enterprising indies as “Predestination,” not to mention comedies (“Palm Springs”), horror (“Happy Death Day”), romance (“Before I Fall”) and more.
For a debut feature, writer-director Charlène Favier’s powerful coming-of-age sports drama Slalom couldn't come at a more timely moment.
truth and beauty, too, it’s safe to say that “Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets” finds a bit of both of those things.Also Read: 'Palm Springs' Film Review: Andy Samberg Puts an Indie Rom-Com Spin on 'Groundhog Day'The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, went to the Berlin and True/False Film Festivals and had a series of virtual screenings on July 8 to celebrate National Dive Bar Day, with a virtual rollout scheduled for July 10.
Guy Lodge Film CriticIn “Archive,” an isolated scientist methodically pursues an artificial-intelligence ideal, developing a sequence of human-android beings and recycling their various parts until the ultimate prototype is achieved.
coronavirus.The traditional live ceremony, originally set to take place on May 2 but was pushed back due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, and though a new date in November was announced soon afterwards, that has also now been scrapped.Instead, the ceremony will be broadcast as a pre-recorded HBO special, airing on the same planned date of November 7.The likes of Whitney Houston, The Notorious B.I.G., Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, T Rex, and The Doobie Brothers are to be inducted into