Carole Horst “Minions: The Rise of Gru” may be filled with familiar, uh, faces of the lovable yellow creatures, but it transports them back to the 1970s, when Gru (still voiced by Steve Carell) was a supervillian in training and the Minions were looking to fit into his burgeoning world.The latest installment of the popular franchise from Universal and Illumination was directed by Kyle Balda, himself a veteran of the world of the Minions and a child of the ’70s. The animation team had to distill tons of research of the colors, the music, the architecture, clothes and hairstyles of the mid-1970s for the film, which follows elementary school student Gru as he applies to join the Vicious 6, a team of supervillians, but of course, events, with the help of the Minions, go awry.
Singapore-Born Filmmaker Weaves Dark Twist on Family Duty Into Short Film
18.06.2022 - 19:35 / variety.com
Karen Idelson When writer-director Leon Cheo was crafting his Indeed Rising Voices short “The 25th Filial Exemplar,” he drew inspiration from old Hollywood films with terrifying depictions of the parent-child relationship, both classic (“Psycho”) and unintentionally camp (“Mommie Dearest”).But his initial creative spark came from something much closer to home: an article he read about a man in China who dressed up as his late sister to help ease his mother’s feelings of loss and grief. Cheo’s own parents live in his native Singapore, and he’s aware that as they grow older, he may have to help them navigate the health care system. It’s rare in Asian culture for parents to go into nursing homes or for people outside the family to provide assistance, so he knows that the burden of providing care could very well fall on him. “It’s an unpaid job that kind of lasts a lifetime,” says Cheo. Cheo amped up the psychological terror and turmoil in “The 25th Filial Exemplar,” infusing the story with the dark tone of a horror movie and adding sibling rivalry to the thematic mix. While it’s often the first-born male child who becomes the favorite in Asian cultures, in this film, it’s the daughter — though the “daughter” is actually the son dressed as his dead sister.
That’s who that the mother prefers, and she never lets her son forget it. The son becomes so consumed by his masquerade, and the misplaced approval and affection that it brings, he’s not only unable to hold down a job or have a life of his own, he also completely loses his identity. “As children, we are trained and encouraged from the time we are born to crave approval and attention and love from our parents,” says Cheo.
‘Better Call Saul’ New Teasers Promise a Return to Nebraska in Final Episodes
William Earl With “Better Call Saul” set to begin airing its final six episodes in just nine days, AMC has begun a round of promotions for the send-off to the series. As the show’s chronology begins to approach the events of “Breaking Bad,” viewers are preparing to see some familiar faces, including the return of Bryan Cranston’s Walter White and Aaron Paul’s Jesse Pinkman.Beyond that iconic pair though, “Better Call Saul” is almost certainly returning to the unglamorous existence of Bob Odenkirk’s Gene Takavic, formerly known as Saul Goodman, formerly known as Jimmy McGill, who now resides in Omaha, Neb.
Gabby Petito's Parents Tease MORE Evidence In Official Statement About First Legal Win!
Gabby Petito‘s parents are sounding hopeful they’re getting closer to some form of justice — and they have good reason to!
‘RWBY’ to Crossover With Justice League in Upcoming Feature Film From Rooster Teeth and Warner Bros.
Wilson Chapman editor“RWBY” is crossing over with the heroes of DC Comics. A new film spinoff of the popular animated web series has been announced, which will feature characters from the Justice League.The announcement was made on Friday during RTX Austin, a convention hosted by digital media company Rooster Teeth. During a panel for “RWBY,” the cast and crew — including writers and directors Kerry Shawcross and Eddy Rivas, supervising producer Laura Yates and voice actors Lindsay Jones, Barbara Dunkelman, Arryn Zech and Kara Eberle — dropped the news for the upcoming film, along with other announcements.The crossover will be the first film set in the “RWBY” universe and will be animated by the same team as the web series.
Tim Allen Speaks For First Time About ‘Lightyear’ Controversy, Says He Discussed Film Many Years Ago With Studio Brass
The original Buzz Lightyear has finally spoken about the controversy over Chris Evans voicing the main character in Disney/Pixar’s Lightyear origin story.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 levels up to Number 1 on the Official Film Chart
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 levels up this week as it races in to Number 1 on the Official Film Chart on digital downloads only.
‘Sherwood’ Renewed For Season 2 By BBC
The BBC has greenlit a second season of Sherwood from Brexit: The Uncivil War and Quiz creator James Graham, immediately after the conclusion of the first.
Tributes paid to 'hero' dad who died hours after ‘crying and pouring his heart out’ out to family
Tributes have been paid to an ‘amazing dad’ who 'fought tooth and nail to make himself better' before he was found dead after a long mental health battle. Darren Mchugh, 39, sadly died on Sunday, June 12.
Karlovy Vary Called Out By Ukrainian Filmmakers Over Russian Boycott About-Face (EXCLUSIVE)
Christopher Vourlias Several leading Ukrainian filmmakers have called out the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival for including a Russian film in its 56th edition, which kicks off on Friday, insisting that it’s reneged on a promise not to welcome any movies with ties to the Russian government.In a letter addressed to artistic director Karel Och and festival leadership that was shared with Variety, the filmmakers behind Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk’s “Pamfir,” Maksym Nakonechnyi’s “Butterfly Vision” and Valentyn Vasyanovych’s “Reflection,” criticized the long-running Czech festival for including “Captain Volkonogov Escaped,” by directors Natasha Merkulova and Aleksey Chupov, in its Horizons sidebar.
Blind Date's legendary 'Our Graham' dies aged 90 as family pay tribute to voiceover star
Graham Skidmore has died aged 90, his family have confirmed. Graham – lovingly known as ‘Our Graham’ to Blind Date fans – voiced the popular dating show hosted by Cilla Black between the years of 1985 to 2002. Between 1993 and 2002, he was also a regular fixture on Vic and Bob’s Shooting Stars.
Transilvania Film Festival’s Romanian Days Competition Showcases New Wave of Filmmakers ‘Willing to Take Risks’
Christopher Vourlias Bogdan George Apetri’s “Miracle” took home the top prize in the Romanian Days competition at the Transilvania Intl. Film Festival, which saw nine first-time directors among the 12 filmmakers competing in the annual showcase of domestic cinema.It’s the first time such a formidable number of debuts have featured in the competition, offering a snapshot of what the fest’s artistic director Mihai Chirilov describes as a “balanced landscape” of new and established voices in Romania’s celebrated film industry.It’s been nearly two decades since Cristi Puiu’s “The Death of Mr.
Chris Pratt States He’s “Really Proud” Of His Voice Work In Animated Super Mario Bros. Film Adaptation
Universal and Illumination’s Nintendo movie Super Mario Bros about the famed videogame plumbers, kart drivers and squashers of turtles is zipping from its planned December 21 release date to April 7, which is Easter weekend 2023.
Rage Against the Machine to Donate $475,000 in Ticket Sales to Reproductive Rights Organizations
Carson Burton Rage Against the Machine will donate nearly half a million dollars to reproductive rights organizations in Wisconsin and Illinois, the band announced on Instagram Friday night.“We are disgusted by the repeal of Roe V. Wade and the devastating impact it will have on tens of millions of people,” the group wrote.
How to Watch ‘Marcel the Shell With Shoes On’: Is the A24 Film Streaming?
“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” is embarking on a feature-length journey. Comedian Jenny Slate, screenwriter Dean Fleischer-Camp and screenwriter Nick Paley reunite to explore more of Marcel’s story. The upcoming A24 film, “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” was developed after two short films of the same name, created by Slate, Fleischer-Camp, Paley, and producer Elisabeth Holm, in 2010.
Why Chris Pratt’s voice in Super Mario film is ‘unlike anything you’ve heard’
Chris Pratt is sharing some details about the highly anticipated film adaptation of the Super Mario Bros. video game, with fans having some mixed feelings about the actor voicing the iconic Italian character.The Hollywood star who recently detailed his experience on the set of ‘Jurassic World’ after achieving a domestic gross of $259 million, has revealed that his Mario voice will be “unlike anything you’ve heard.”“I worked really closely with the directors and trying out a few things and landed on something that I’m really proud of and can’t wait for people to see and hear,” the actor shared, explaining that there is a difference between being in a live-action movie and voicing a character.“It’s an animated voiceover narrative. It’s not a live-action movie.
Directors Guild Of Canada BC Ratifies New Film & TV Contract
Members of the Directors Guild of Canada in British Columbia have voted overwhelmingly – 89.5% to 10.5% – to ratify a new three-year film and TV contract with the AMPTP and the Canadian Media Producers Association-BC.
How a No-Hitter Helped a Filmmaker Score With ‘Empty Bases’
R.L. Ford Jalmer Caceres needed to come up with a 10-page script exploring the importance of work for his application to Indeed’s Rising Voices program — time was running out.