Month: January 2020

It didn’t seem like there was a large portion of the movie-going population who felt that Todd Phillips’ “Joker” was too subtle, in either its commentary on the modern era of those who are involuntarily celibate, or its homage-like appropriation of classic Martin Scorsese movies. But maybe writer-director-producer Eugene Kotlyarenko has other information, since that’s
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Louise Osmond’s 2015 Sundance audience winner “Dark Horse” was one of those documentaries that played like a crowdpleasing fiction, its real-life tale of underdog triumph had such a conventionally satisfying narrative arc. And indeed, the new “Dream Horse” proves that same material is indeed ready-made for dramatization. Euros Lyn’s feature springs few true surprises within
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Everything was coming up roses on the Grammys red carpet, because a bunch of celebrities showed up wearing pink power suits. We’re guessing Lil Nas X, Tyler the Creator, Shawn Mendes, and Common hopped on a FaceTime conference call before the Grammys to coordinate, and now we are eternally grateful to them. Ranging from dominatrix
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In “The Glorias,” Julie Taymor’s pinpoint timely yet rousingly old-fashioned biopic about the life and times of Gloria Steinem, the legendary feminist leader is portrayed by four different actresses at four different stages of her life. Alicia Vikander plays her as a young woman wearing a sari as she travels through India, planting her flag
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Bill Benz’s high-concept rock mockumentary opens with a white limo speeding through the desert. The driver (Ezra Buzzington) has never heard of his passenger, the cult sensation Annie Clark, better known by her stage name St. Vincent. “I’m not for everybody,” she shrugs. The driver is unsatisfied. “Don’t worry,” he glowers. “We’ll find out who
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January 26, 2020 4:57PM PT Lawrence Michael Levine’s tricky seriocomedy is a very meta construct whose idiosyncrasies divert but don’t necessarily add up. Actor-writer Lawrence Michael Levine’s first two directorial features, “Gabi on the Roof in July” and “Wild Canaries,” were idiosyncratic indie hipster comedies of a familiar stripe. His third, “Black Bear,” is a
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Eight long years after “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” Benh Zeitlin brings that same rust-bottomed sense of magical realism to the legend of Peter Pan, reframing J.M. Barrie’s Victorian classic through the eyes of the eldest Darling. “Wendy,” as the indie-minded not-quite-family-film is aptly titled, re-envisions its title character as a working-class kiddo raised at
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The dumpster fire of controversy surrounding the Grammy Awards in the days since the Recording Academy abruptly ousted new president/CEO Deborah Dugan largely was kept offstage at the annual Clive Davis Pre-Grammy Gala on Saturday night — at least until Diddy went in during a 50-minute-long speech, but you can read about that here. The
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Nispey Hussle won a posthumous award at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards on Sunday. “Racks in the Middle” took home best rap performance to rousing applause at the pre-telecast ceremony. Sharing in the award were Roddy Ricch and Hit-Boy. It is the rapper’s first-ever Grammy Award. The honor was accepted by his family including his
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January 26, 2020 1:30PM PT James Corden is taking the carpool lane to Comedy Central. In the latest example of newly found synergy inside the recently merged ViacomCBS universe, Comedy Central will start airing repeats of CBS’ “The Late Late Show with James Corden” starting on Monday, Jan. 27. The “Late Late Show” repeats will
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In Radha Blank’s semi-autobiographical comedy, the quadruple-threat plays “Rahda Blank,” a Harlem-based playwright who faces many of the same struggles and setbacks as her creator. It’s been more than a decade since Radha (as we’ll call the character) earned a promising “30 Under 30” award, and now, instead of getting her work produced, she’s teaching
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The 62nd annual Grammy Awards kick off Sunday afternoon at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. This year’s top nominees include Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Lil Nas X, whom are all scheduled to perform on the primetime telecast, in addition to Ariana Grande, Camila Cabello, Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani and more. The Grammys pre-show
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