News

Actor Josh Hartnett is relishing the challenge of inhabited two diametrically opposed characters in director M. Night Shyamalan’s unnerving new psychological thriller “Trap.” In the film, Hartnett immerses himself in the role of Cooper, a devoted father on the surface who harbors a chilling secret – he is also the elusive serial killer known only as “The Butcher.”

To fully realize Cooper’s disturbing dual nature, Hartnett underwent an intense preparation process. “Taking on such a complex, dichotomous role required me to understand both sides of this man intimately,” Hartnett tells Entertainment Weekly. Methodical in his approach, the actor purposefully avoided any media portrayals of real-life serial killers. “I didn’t want any external influences coloring my interpretation. I wanted to explore Cooper’s psyche from the inside out and uncover what drives such violence simmering beneath a friendly facade,” he says.

Hartnett’s willingness to unflinchingly examine darkness is...

Fallout is the most exciting Amazon Original dropping this month. From Westworld creators Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy, this long-awaited adaptation of the popular video game franchise looks incredible, and is bound to be a hit among video game fans and newcomers alike. The series stars Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets), Walton Goggins (The Righteous Gemstones), and Aaron Clifton Moten (Disjointed).

Prime Video doesn’t have much else in the way of original offerings this month, aside from the return of Alex Rider on Freevee a few other films and TV series, but there are plenty of popular films joining the streaming service’s library. Cloverfield, Batman & Robin, Titanic, and The Notebook are just a few of the notable movies coming to Prime this month.

Here’s everything coming to Prime Video and Freevee in April – Amazon originals are designated with an asterisk.

New on Amazon Prime Video – April 2024 April 1 Blaze...

Spring has officially arrived, and plenty is blossoming at Prime Video this April! The streamer will kick off the month with dozens of film additions, from classics such as “To Catch a Thief,” “Rosemary's Baby,” and “Saturday Night Fever,” to recent Oscar Best Picture nominee “The Holdovers,” starring Paul Giamatti, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa.

But mid-April will bring the premiere of the streamer’s long-awaited adaptation of “Fallout,” starring Ella Purnell, Aaron Moten, and Walton Goggins. Other premieres this month include the debut of Rudy Mancuso’s “Música,” Season 2 of the Black horror anthology series “Them: The Scare,” and

Find out The Streamable’s top picks for Prime Video’s April additions, and find out everything coming to the platform this month!

30-Day Free Trial $8.99+ / month amazon.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Prime Video in April 2024? “Música” | Thursday, April 4

Real-life couple Rudy Mancuso and...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all rights worldwide to “Between the Temples,” a comedy with Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane that earned strong reviews when it debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Directed by Nathan Silver, the film follows a forty-something cantor who is at a personal and professional crossroads. That’s when his grade-school music teacher re-enters his life as an adult bat mitzvah student, prompting the pair to form an unusual connection.

In a positive notice, Variety‘s Guy Lodge wrote, “Buoyed by the unlikely chemistry between its two stars, this alternately raucous and tender ‘Harold and Maude’ riff is the warmest work to date from microbudget auteur Nathan Silver.”

“Between the Temples” will have its international debut at the upcoming Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section. Schwartzman’s credits include “Rushmore,” “Asteroid City” and “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.” Kane is the Oscar-nominated star...

After a season of spending, Freevee knows you don't have to break the bank for quality. The free Amazon streamer has already added several titles to its platform to start the month, including the Tom Hanks-starred "Captain Phillips" and Ryan Coogler's directorial debut "Fruitvale Station," but more great titles will be coming throughout the rest of the month.

Find out The Streamable's top picks for what's here now and what's coming to the streamer throughout January!

Watch Now Free amazonfreevee.com What are the 5 Best Shows and Movies Coming to Freevee in January 2024? “Baby Driver” | Monday, Jan. 1

Edgar Wright helms the action thriller starring Ansel Elgort as Baby, a prodigal heist getaway driver and music-loving orphan in for one last job before riding off into the sunset with his girlfriend Debora (Lily James). Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Hamm, Jamie Foxx, Jon Bernthal, and Kevin Spacey make up the supporting...

“This inescapable truth about our lives today that any given moment each and every one of us could become a broken and confused animal scratching the surface of the Earth for some small sign of life.”

In August 1988, Steven Soderbergh shot his first narrative feature film, “sex, lies, and videotape,” in one month with a budget $1.2 million. Five months later, it premiered at the U.S. Film Festival in Park City, Utah, where it won the first-ever Audience Award. A few months after that, it screened at Cannes and won the Palme d’Or over “Do the Right Thing.” “sex, lies, and videotape” hit theaters in August 1989, a year after it went into production, and earned over $36 million worldwide. The rest is history.

The film’s commercial success quickly turned the American independent film scene into a hot commodity, while the U.S. Film Festival rebranded as Sundance and become...

Exclusive: Vivian Bang, the co-writer and star of the Sundance Film Festival debut White Rabbit, has boarded the New Line ensemble comedy The Parenting for HBO Max.

She joins Brian Cox, Edie Falco, Lisa Kudrow, Dean Norris, Nik Dodani, Brandon Flynn and Parker Posey in the Craig Johnson directed, Kent Sublette scripted movie.

In the pic, a young couple, Rohan and Josh, host a “meet the parents” weekend at a cozy rental house in the country, only to find it is already inhabited by a 400-year-old poltergeist.

Chris Bender and Jake Weiner are producing via their Good Fear Content

Bang played played the role of ‘Jenny’ in Netflix’s hit romcom Always Be My Maybe with Ali Wong, Randall Park, Keanu Reeves and recently appeared on HBO’s comedy series Room 104. She starred in the Warner Bros./TB sitcom Sullivan and Son for three Seasons and as ‘Sun,’ a...

Multi-faceted filmmaker Mark Duplass discusses the movies he wishes more people knew about with hosts Josh Olson and Joe Dante.

Show Notes: Movies Referenced In This Episode

Duck Butter (2018)

The Puffy Chair (2005)

Prince Of Broadway (2008)

Tangerine (2015)

The Florida Project (2017) – Dennis Cozzalio’s review

Red Rocket (2021)

Starlet (2012)

Take Out (2004)

Mack & Rita (Tbd)

Old Joy (2006)

First Cow (2020)

Wendy And Lucy (2008) – Dennis Cozzalio’s favorite movie of 2020

Henry Fool (1997)

Trust (1990)

Amateur (1994)

Medicine For Melancholy (2008)

Shang-Chi (2021)

Your Sister’s Sister (2011)

My Effortless Brilliance (2008)

What the Funny (2008)

Humpday (2009)

True Adolescents (2009)

Man Push Cart (2005)

The White Tiger (2021)

Baghead (2008)

The Do-Deca-Pentathlon (2012)

Language Lessons (2021)

Stevie (2002)

Hoop Dreams (1994)

American Movie (1999)

What Happened Was… (1994) – Ti West’s trailer commentary

Manhunter (1986) – Josh Olson’s trailer commentary

My Dinner With Andre (1981)

Creep (2014)

Grown-Ups (1980)

Abigail’s Party (1977)

Nuts In May (1976)

Secrets And Lies (1996) – Glenn Erickson’s Criterion Blu-ray review

Naked (1993)

Parallel Mothers (2021)

The Freebie (2010)

East Of Eden (1955) – Larry Cohen’s trailer commentary

Strange...

Pluto TV is further extending its movie offering in Britain by launching a streaming platform, Pluto TV Indies, dedicated to independent films, arthouse award-winners, film festival circuit highlights, world cinema, and theatrical documentaries. The company plans to launch an additional Pluto TV World Cinema in the second quarter of 2019.

“At Pluto TV we are devoted to developing the right environment for quality content,” said Olivier Jollet, Pluto TV’s managing director for Europe. “Independent films create worlds filled with boundless energy, provocative exploration, and unencumbered narratives, but often their reach to a wider audience is limited, while film enthusiasts struggle to find offerings customized to their preferences.”

Pluto TV Indies joins Pluto TV Movies as the second film-only channel on Pluto’s U.K. offering, which launched last October. Pluto says its advertising-funded, free-to-watch model creates a “custom-fit environment for cineastes to discover new favorites and creators to showcase their work.

Good news for fans of the three Henry Fool films: now that their director Hal Hartley has reclaimed the rights to the first of these ("at long last and with considerable drama", as he himself says), it will be released in due time on HD in several platforms. Even better news though: Hal Hartley is working on a boxset of all three films, on DVD and/or Blu-ray, and is looking for investors by way of Kickstarter. The perks and rewards are many, ranging from a bookmark, to actual books, to being credited on the packaging. And of course you can indeed pre-order the films on your medium of choice. When our Zach Gayne published an interview with Hall Hartley in 2015, he was kind enough...

[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...

Back in 2004, Hal Hartley directed “The Girl from Monday” and tried to launch a website where viewers could watch the film. Since the average internet speed back then was 34 Kbps — about 165 times slower than today’s 5.6 Mbps — that didn’t work so well. “The technology was still a little sticky,” Hartley said. “We ended up distributing it in a more traditional way, where I would travel all over the place with the film and do Q&As.”

With films like “Trust,” “Amateur,” and “Henry Fool,” Hartley’s movies have never been about the money — but he’s always had his eye on the bottom line. He owns 50% of every film he’s made, and constantly seeks to capitalize on technology as a way to achieve independence and financial sustainability.

Read More: Why the ‘Swiss Army Man’ Directors Backed the Psychedelic Comedy-Musical ‘Snowy Bing Bongs’

With Kickstarter, he raised more than $56,000 on DVD presales for his 2011 film, “Meanwhile,” and then raised a production budget of nearly $400,000 from 1,789 backers for his 2014 film, “Ned Rifle.” “‘Ned Rifle’ became my most successful movie to date, and I didn’t need to share that money,” he said. “It all came directly to me and the crew.”

Read More: How a Chance Encounter With Terrence Malick Turned Trey Edward Shults Into a Filmmaker

“Ned Rifle” was the final installment of the Grim family trilogy, one that included “Henry Fool” in 1997 and “Fay Grim” in 2006. The Kickstarter process taught Hartley that he had loyal fans in places like Japan, Australia, Europe, and Taiwan who were invested in his work. Now he’s testing that direct connection with Kickstarter to pre-sell a Grim family box set, complete with subtitles.

“I’m going to do the box set, no matter what,” said Hartley. “I really do want to make this approach to distributing my own film viable on its own. That’s why I’m gambling with this. My gambit here is the subtitling. That’s what is expensive about the undertaking, and why I’m going after $100,000. Four foreign languages translated accurately and sensitively, and then the authoring of that onto the DVD — it gets expensive. I’m just hoping the expense is worth it because it will help films contribute a wider audience around the world.”

See MoreHal Hartley’s Grim Family: An Oral History From ‘Henry Fool’ to ‘Ned Rifle’

Hartley says he’s talked with Atom Egoyan (“Sweet Hereafter,” “Exotica”) about the value of owning their work, since handling the various aspects of the business requires a full-time staff. Sustaining that support requires more work, and Hartley feels fortunate that the world of television has begun opening to him.

“Since I came back to America in 2009, I’ve worked for five years to get people interested in my TV projects – because I’ve been interested in episodic television for a long time,” he saidy. “I was also open to just being a director for hire. I saw a lot of half-hour comedy shows that were well written and said, ‘I can see myself directing that.'”

Read More: The 20 Best-Directed TV Drama Series of the 21st Century, Ranked

The veteran filmmaker got his TV break when he ran into Gregory Jacobs, his former first assistant director who had gone on to work for Steven Soderbergh and got his own television show, “Red Oaks,” on Amazon. Jacobs invited Hartley to direct an episode in season one, then half of the second season (five episodes). Starting next week, he will share season-three directing duties with David Gordon Green and Amy Heckerling.

“On my films, I’m thinking on a hundred different levels at any moment,” said Hartley. “While coming in to direct ‘Red Oaks’ — which is a script I take to very easily, it’s the kind of comedy I know how to do — what they expect of me is just to give it some character, explain to the actors the things that might not be perfectly obvious, and make the day, get all the shots. So it’s nice. I come away from a day’s work feeling good, like I’m a good skilled laborer.”

And is Hartley any closer to getting his own TV show?

“I’m developing something with Amazon. They optioned at least the pilot of my [half hour comedy] show,” said Hartley. “It’s about nuns who make beer to support themselves and they’re social activists, so they are wanted by the cops.”

Hal Hartley’s new Henry Fool Trilogy boxed set is part of Kickstarter Gold, a new initiative bringing back some of the most inventive and successful creators in Kickstarter history. Now through July 31, over 65 exceptional artists, authors, designers, musicians and makers are back as they push ideas and rewards from their past projects in bold new directions. Head here to learn more, and here to browse all the live Kickstarter Gold projects.

Related stories'Wet Hot American Summer: Fantasy Camp' Is The Roleplaying Game of Your Wet Hot DreamsNeil Patrick Harris Urges Jim Henson Fans to Support Kickstarter Campaign for New Exhibition'Hook' Prequel About Rufio Imagined as 'Moonlight' Meets 'Jurassic Park'...

Aaron welcomes back Keith Enright, The Completionist, from his lengthy sabbatical to get into the September releases and more. We talk about the scarcity of announcements, whether Othello counts, how great and challenging Jeanne Dielman is, whether there’s a chance for an upgrade of an upgrade, and a number of other Criterion and film related topics.

Episode Links Criterion Completion – Hour 7 How Often Are Announcements Late? Aaron’s Top Films of the 21st Century Monterey Pop – 50th Anniversary Barry Levinson in the Criterion Closet Henry Fool – Boxed Set Kickstarter Episode Credits Aaron West: Twitter | Website | Letterboxd Keith Enright: Twitter | Website Criterion Now: Twitter | Facebook Group Criterion Cast: Facebook | Twitter

Music for the show is from Fatboy Roberts’ Geek Remixed project.

The films of eccentric French writer-director Eugène Green aren’t for every taste—they’re deliberate, declamatory, highly formalized, anti-modern. But those willing to tune into his peculiar wavelength will discover an artist with a sense of humor and a rare mix of sincerity and irony, looking for lost meaning in a busy world. The Son Of Joseph is his most accessible movie to date, though only in terms of narrative: a comedy, almost a farce, about a sulky teenager who goes looking for his supposed biological father, directed in Green’s signature offbeat, Robert Bresson-esque deadpan. The closest thing to his work in American film would be something along the lines of Whit Stillman’s Damsels In Distress or Hal Hartley’s Henry Fool and Ned Rifle (the latter even shares a central theme with The Son Of Joseph), though Green’s films are even less realistic than...

While Amazon has had a successful year with its original programming, including acclaimed returning series “Transparent” and the debuts of “One Mississippi” and “Fleabag,” there’s one returning series that will send its audience back to the hazy summer days of the 1980s. The half-hour comedy-drama “Red Oaks” follows David Meyers (Craig Roberts), an aspiring filmmaker and Nyu undergraduate who spends his summers working as a tennis pro at the prestigious Red Oaks Country Club. At the end of last season, his parents (Jennifer Grey and Richard Kind) are separating, he broke up with his girlfriend Karen (Gage Golightly), and has fallen for Skye (Alexandra Socha), the daughter of Getty (Paul Reiser), the country club’s president. Watch the trailer for the second season below.

Read More: ‘Red Oaks’ Season 2 First Look: ‘Caddyshack’ Meets ‘The Graduate’ and Steven Soderbergh’s Brilliant Idea

The series is co-created and executive produced by...

"The Eighties were good to me," says Jennifer Grey, and considering she's best known for having the time of her life with Patrick Swayze in 1987's Dirty Dancing, that would make sense. "You know those people who rock that hairdo from the moment they got laid the most in their life? The Eighties are a bit like that for me."

Grey, who also appeared in Red Dawn and Ferris Bueller's Day Off, isn't quite ready to leave the age of Rubik's cubes and Max Headroom behind — she currently appears as...

Irrational Man is the 45th feature that Woody Allen has directed, but what’s perhaps more shocking is that it’s his first film with actress Parker Posey. Triumphantly wearing the crown of “Queen of the Indies” during her prolific 1990s, it’s a shock and wonder Posey hasn’t already worked with Allen, who could easily be labeled the Godfather of the genre.

While Irrational Man may be the start of a fruitful collaboration between the two, Posey has a long history of working with other notable American independent filmmakers. Whether as the star or as a cameo she has the ability to bring a jolt of energy that feels strong enough alone to power a complete film. When utilizing Posey, it’s the director who finds their own way to harness her energy and shape it into the memorable moments that often bear multiple viewings. Looking back on...

The title may be a mouthful, but the upcoming comedy Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates is putting together one hell of a cast full of talented young actors. Now they.ve added one more, as Aubrey Plaza has joined the festivities. Variety reports that the Parks and Recreation, Safety Not Guaranteed, and The To Do List star has signed up to appear alongside Zac Efron, Anna Kendrick, and Adam Devine in the brewing comedy. You can currently check out Plaza in Ned Rifle, the third film in Hal Hartley.s quirky, long-gestating trilogy that began with Henry Fool in 1997 and continued with Fay Grim in 2006. In Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates Efron and Devine play two immature, hard-partying brothers. When they become desperate to find dates for a wedding, they place an online personal add hoping to score a couple, only they meet their match in a pair...

All week long our writers will debate: Which was the greatest film year of the past half century. Click here for a complete list of our essays. How to decide in the grand scheme of things which film year stands above all others? History gives us no clear methodology to unravel this thorny but extremely important question. Is it the year with the highest average score of movies? So a year that averages out to a B + might be the winner over a field strewn with B’s, despite a few A +’s. Or do a few masterpieces lift up a year so far that whatever else happened beyond those three or four films is of no consequence? Both measures are worthy, and the winner by either of those would certainly be a year not to be sneezed at. But I contend the only true measure of a year’s...

"An honest man is always in trouble," Henry Fool tells Simon Grim in the first installment of Hal Hartley's Grim family trilogy. This is certainly true of Henry, a wandering Übermensch who is felt as a muse wherever he rambles, and it quickly becomes true of Simon under Henry's influence. Like a walking big bang, Henry saunters into Queens in Hartley's 1997 film Henry Fool, where he sets into motion the profound career of Simon - a garbage man savant, whose own honest poetry earns him community hatred - and acquires the infatuation and love of Simon's sister, Fay.Fay is given the title role of Hartley's 2006 Fay Grim, a comedy that takes aim at post 9/11 paranoia through bumbling espionage. Nine years after the events...

[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...

Back in the 1990s, Hal Hartley was one of the signature directors of American independent cinema. His films weren’t for all tastes, but they sure were distinct: His aesthetic was colorful, but calm; his actors deadpan, but articulate. The films were often ironic romances, with bursts of casual criminality and tossed-off philosophy. Godard was clearly an influence, as was Jim Jarmusch. But Hartley’s voice was very much his. And, as evidenced in films like The Unbearable Truth and Simple Men, it was perfect for those jaded, scare-quote-friendly times. That’s not a knock: I watched those movies religiously, and I still occasionally revisit them.In 1997 Hartley made what was probably his greatest film, Henry Fool, a surprisingly complex, ambitious comedy about a mysterious, charismatic, but largely talentless novelist (Thomas Jay Ryan), who befriends and inspires a garbage man (James Urbaniak) and romances his sister (Parker Posey). The garbage...

In 1997, writer-director Hal Hartley's "Henry Fool" took the filmmaker's career to new heights with the story of the titular novelist (Thomas Jay Ryan), a garrulous, self-involved man of the world who befriends garbageman Simon Grim (James Urbaniak) and seduces Simon's sister Fay (Parker Posey), who gives birth to a son, Ned (Liam Aiken). The movie was acclaimed on the festival circuit and developed a cult status among cinephiles hip to Hartley's ironic dialogue and inventive characters. But the story didn't end there: In 2006, Hartley made "Fay Grim," an innovative sequel that took the mold of a spy thriller and focused on Fay's life after Henry disappears. This week, the trilogy comes to a close with "Ned Rifle," which shifts focus to Aiken's character — now all grown up and himself eager to confront his father's neglectful tendencies. Read More: Review: 'Ned Rifle,' Starring Aubrey Plaza, is a...

Nineties indie auteur Hal Hartley lends his onetime pseudonym Ned Rifle to the protagonist of his latest film, which caps the talky trilogy begun by 1997’s “Henry Fool” and followed up by 2006’s “Fay Grim.” But the 18-year-old son of the peripatetic literary gasbag Henry (Thomas Jay Ryan) and the incarcerated “lady terrorist” Fay (Parker Posey) likely isn’t an autobiographical creation. Determined to kill his father for landing his mother in prison for the rest of her life — though it turns there’s a lot this foster kid doesn’t know about his birth family — Ned (Liam Aiken) is simultaneously.

Read More: The 10 Indie Films You Must See This April "Ned Rifle" (Vimeo, April 1)Director Hal Hartley's style first came to prominence with 1997's "Henry Fool," the tale of a self-involved garbage man-come-novelist (Thomas Jay Ryan) who romances the hapless Fay Grim (Parker Posey). Whereas that movie poked fun at literary aspirations, plot-heavy 2006 sequel "Fay Grim" grappled with a post-9/11 world in which the elusive Henry became a wanted terrorist. Concluding with Fay taking the fall for Henry and winding up behind bars, the story set the stage for a third character to take prominence in this idiosyncratic indie franchise — the couple's son, Ned (Liam Aiken), whose time has come to wrestle control of the messy situation. With "Ned Rifle," Hartley brings this eccentric trilogy to a close, centering on Henry and Fay's forlorn son as yet another template for skewering American sensibilities. The result consolidates the appeal of Hartley's.

Hal Hartley is nothing if not the progenitor of his own carefully cultivated cinematic world: the Hartleyverse, always filled with comically affected characters, allusions to other works of art, and dry social commentary. It's all there in Ned Rifle, the final entry in Hartley's trilogy that, starting with Henry Fool, examines one deeply eccentric family. Eighteen-year-old Ned (Liam Aiken) is on a quest to murder his notorious criminal father, Henry (Thomas Jay Ryan), for getting Ned's mother, Fay, sent to prison as a result of Henry's terrorist associations. Ned has spent the past ten years in foster care, and has grown into a pious young man with a religiously fervent sense of morality — a welcome contrast against the more ethically malleab...

This is a reprint of our review from the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. By this point, you're either a Hal Hartley devotee, or you're not. The fiercely independent filmmaker established his unique voice on films like "Trust," "Flirt," and "The Unbelievable Truth," and forged an offbeat indie genre unto himself (though it’s never been in vogue). And for most of his career, Hartley’s stayed far away from the studio system (2001's underrated "No Such Thing" being an exception). In 1997, the filmmaker arguably reached the peak of his critical acclaim with "Henry Fool," walking away from the Cannes Film Festival with a Best Screenplay award. It was perhaps the sharpest, most hilarious representation of the filmmaker's distinctly offbeat aesthetics — his deadpan tone, the arch theatrically heightened mise en scene — and he wasn't done with those characters and that world. Nine years later he returned with the sequel, "Fay...

It started with the Cannes Screenplay prize winning "Henry Fool" in 1997, continued with "Fay Grim" in 2006, and now the story wraps up with "Ned Rifle." Hal Hartley's trilogy that started with a garbageman turned novelist, inspired to greatness by his friend Henry whose ego was bigger than his talent, features all of his trademark wit, dry humor and distinct tone. And just as the film heads into limited release, the director's works — which include "Trust," "Surviving Desire," and "The Book Of Life" — are getting a retrospective courtesy of Cinefamily in Los Angeles. "Hal Hartley's name is synonymous with 'independent filmmaking' since the golden age of Sundance. He's been writing, directing, producing his own films his own way — even playing the music or marketing them himself. It's been too long since he's been to Los Angeles, and with his newest 'Ned Rifle' — the completion of the trilogy that started with 'Henry.

Nobody’s Fool: Hartley Concludes His Grim Trilogy

While it may be wholly unnecessary to see the two preceding films in the loosely knit Grim trilogy that Hal Hartley began back in 1997 with Henry Fool, at least in order to comprehend what’s going on in Ned Rifle, the final chapter of the bizarre familial saga, your opinion of the previous installments will definitely help you navigate his typically odd universe. While all three films are similar in tone, this latest feels appropriately like an intermingling of the first two, filled with overzealous monologues that can easily be dismissed as arch pretense and a droll, deadpan wittiness that manages to be charming despite its highly artificial tableau.

About to turn eighteen, Ned Rifle (Liam Aiken) wishes to leave the haven of witness protection and reach out to his incarcerated mother, Fay Grim (Parker Posey), convicted of terrorist activities and serving a life sentence.

Cinema Retro has received the following press release:

The Cinefamily presents

A Hal Hartley Film Retrospective

April 2nd - 4th, 2015

*Additional Saturday matinee screenings throughout April

• Featuring eight career spanning films, with Hal Hartley in attendance, April 2nd - 4th

• The Los Angeles premiere of his newest film Ned Rifle, with guest appearances by film's stars Aubrey Plaza, James Urbaniak and Liam Aiken

• An exhibition of limited edition photographic prints of stills from his films

• Retrospective is the kickoff of a weeklong Cinefamily run of Ned Rifle (April 3rd - April 9th)

"Unbelievable Truth". (Photo: copyright PossibleFilms).

Cinefamily presents the first-ever West Coast retrospective of the works of iconic film auteur Hal Hartley. Hartley’s stylized, deadpan screwball dramas, taut dialogue and offbeat characters helped define classic American independent filmmaking, and his films offered breakthrough roles to numerous actors, including Parker Posey, Edie Falco, Adrienne Shelley, Pj Harvey, and Martin Donovan.

I have never seen a film by Hal Hartley. He's a filmmaker who has been maneuvering around the independent film scene for decades, and he's just a blind spot for me. Consequently, I've never seen the previous two entries to the trilogy Ned Rifle serves to conclude, those being 1997's Henry Fool and 2006's Fay Grim. In a way it seems he's taking a page from Richard Linklater's Before series and releasing a new entry every nine years. If this film did anything, it made me interested in checking out Hartley's other films, particularly the two I mentioned, but despite my enjoyment of hearing this deadpan dialogue excellently delivered (mostly) by a talented ensemble of actors, the film is so dry it made it difficult to connect with some of its characters, mainly the titular lead. Ned Grim (Liam Aiken) has taken up the persona "Ned Rifle", and has...

SXSW 2015 Film Review

complete coverage of the SXSW Film Festival 2015

The Overnight

Director/Screenwriter: Patrick Brice

Two families meet at the park and set up a playdate that has unexpected outcomes for all. Cast: Adam Scott, Jason Schwartzman, Taylor Schilling, Judith Godrèche. (film synopsis from sxsw.com)

Overall

It’s hilarious. The boundaries of bromance, marriage, friendship and even penis comedy are pushed to a very funny limit with this film. It’s great to see Schilling doing great work outside of “Orange is the New Black.”

Final Score: 8/10

Manglehorn

Director: David Gordon Green, Screenwriter: Paul Logan

Reclusive small town locksmith, A.J. Manglehorn, who has never recovered from his losing his true love embarks on a new tenuous relationship with a local woman he meets at the bank. Cast: Al Pacino, Holly Hunter, Harmony Korine, Chris Messina. (U.S. Premiere)

(film synopsis from sxsw.com)

Overall

You probably...

"Dad, give me five dollars." The opening line of writer/director Hal Hartley's "Trust" is delivered in a monotone by Adrienne Shelly, as she applies purple lipstick and stares blankly into a compact mirror. It's a striking shot that establishes everything you need to know about her character Maria -- a high school dropout and case study in youthful entitlement and vanity. Over a career spanning three decades Hartley has been an amazingly prolific filmmaker, directing a total of 15 features and 18 shorts. Unlike many of his late '80s/early '90s indie contemporaries (Quentin Tarantino, Gus Van Sant, Richard Linklater, et al), he has never catered to mainstream tastes, and his work has been greeted by the public in kind. He is known for creating stylized worlds that feel somehow hermetic and worldly, stilted and soulful, in films ranging from 1992's "Simple Men" to 1997's "Henry Fool," and...

The South by Southwest Film Festival is starting up this Friday, and I could not be more excited. This is my fourth year of attending the fest, and each year brings about a couple of films I love. What is also great about SXSW is, unlike Toronto or Cannes, there is plenty of room for discovery. Many films are making their world premieres here from lesser known filmmakers. SXSW also brings together an eclectic assortment of genres for the program, from indie dramas to horror films to science-fiction to you name it. I think going to those aforementioned festivals and just seeing "prestige pictures" continuously could get a bit boring. Sure, SXSW has a higher risk for a terrible movie, but the risk is exciting. Consequently, making a most anticipated list for a festival offering a lot of discoveries seems like a contradiction. But, of course, if you look through the program,...

While general audiences are probably pretty excited to see the first installment of the new Star Wars trilogy, there's an indie film trilogy that will be concluding this spring. Writer and director Hal Hartley has created a nice little indie cinematic universe with the films Henry Fool and Fay Grim, and now he's bringing the final installment of this series to South by Southwest next month with Ned Rifle. This time we find Fool's son Ned (Liam Aiken) embarking on the dark mission of killing his father (Thomas Jay Ryan) for ruining his mother's (Parker Posey) life. But those plans may be interrupted by Susan (Aubrey Plaza). Watch! Here's the first trailer for Hal Hartley's Ned Rifle from SXSW: At once a saga concerning the Grim family of Woodside Queens and how their lives are turned upside down by the arrival of the self-proclaimed genius, Henry Fool, this trilogy...

Hal Hartley's unique trilogy began with the Cannes prize-winning "Henry Fool," continued in "Fay Grim" and now finishes with "Ned Rifle." The ongoing story follows the lives of those characters unfortunate enough to cross paths with infamous author Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan). This new trailer for "Ned Rifle" features Aubrey Plaza, Parker Posey, Liam Aiken, James Urbaniak and Martin Donovan. The latest installment in the dramedy series focuses on Henry's son Ned, who decides to kill his father as revenge for ruining his mother's life. His plan grows increasingly difficult when Susan (Plaza), a sexy superfan of Henry Fool, enters the picture. Susan helps Ned track the writer down, both characters hiding their ulterior motives for finding him.  This offbeat dark comedy will probably be most enjoyable for fans of the previous two films, and Hartley's movies tend not to appeal to a mass audience. As The Playlist's review from.

It's not quite "The Avengers," but Hal Hartley has slowly built his own cinematic universe of characters. Kicking off with the Cannes prize-winning "Henry Fool," continued in "Fay Grim," and now capped off in "Ned Rifle," the trilogy chronicles the lives of those unfortunate enough to cross the path of notorious author Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan). And a new trailer for the series ending dramedy has arrived. Featuring Aubrey Plaza, Parker Posey, Liam Aiken, James Urbaniak, and Martin Donovan, the story picks up with Henry's son Ned, who embarks on a mission to track down his father and kill him for ruining his mother's life. But those plans are thrown for a loop by Susan, a sexy superfan of Henry Fool, who may have her own sinister reasons for finding the writer. The final result is a movie that's mostly a fan-only affair. In my review out of Tiff...

Amy Schumer and Bill Hader in TrainwreckPhoto: Universal Pictures With Sundance just wrapping up and Berlin starting up in a few days, we are now immersed in the year-long barrage of film festivals. One such festival in South By Southwest. A few weeks back they announced the first seven films of their program, including the opening night film Brand: A Second Coming. Today, they have revealed the rest of the features to be shown in March (except for the midnight program), and some of it has me very excited. The bigger titles announced do not do much for me. Paul Feig's Spy, starring Melissa McCarthy, and the Will Ferrell/Kevin Hart starrer Get Hard leave a lot to be desired in terms of anticipation, as does a work in progress cut of Judd Apatow's latest film Trainwreck. I'm guessing an Apatow work in progress is probably around three and a half hours.

The 65th Berlinale runs February 5 to 15, 2015, and on the heels of this week's competition announcement, the fest has unveiled the first 19 titles that will screen in its internationally focused Panorama section. Full competition and Panorama lineups below, with official festival language. Highlights in the Panorama section include "To Love Without Demands," a documentary on prolific German auteur Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Justin Kelly's gay civil rights drama and Sundance premiere "I Am Michael" starring James Franco and Zachary Quinto and Hal Hartley's latest film "Ned Rifle" starring Liam Aiken and Aubrey Plaza, which concludes the trilogy started by "Henry Fool" (1997) and "Fay Grim" (2007). In the competition lineup, we'll see Terrence Malick's latest "Knight of Cups" (which got a gorgeous new trailer yesterday), avant-garde Brit filmmaker Peter Greenaway's "Eisenstein in Guanajuato" and more, plus Kenneth...

Well, it's hard to top yesterday's double whammy of the Berlin Film Festival's announcement that Terrence Malick's "Knight Of Cups" would premiere at the festival, followed by the trailer for that film. So it's not quite a shock that today's unveiling of Berlin's Panorama lineup is a bit less thrilling. The highlight additions to the fest are "I Am Michael," the Gus Van Sant-produced drama starring James Franco, Zachary Quinto, and Emma Roberts that tells the true story of a gay activist who finds God and is "saved" from his homosexuality. The movie will have its World Premiere first at Sundance in January. The other film of major note is Hal Hartley's "Ned Rifle," the final chapter in his "Henry Fool" trilogy, which premiered this fall at Tiff. And even more interesting, Mark Christopher is bringing the director's cut of his disco-era drama "54" to the fest. No word yet on the length,...

With one feature under his belt, filmmaker Brandon Colvin is taking another big step forward with his next feature "Sabbatical." Boasting some big names in the cast, including Robert Longstreet ("Thou Wast Mild And Lovely," "The Catechism Cataclysm") and Thomas Jay Ryan (Hal Hartley's "Henry Fool" trilogy), the director is putting forth a very distinct aesthetic, and today we have the exclusive trailer for the film. Also featuring Rhoda Griffis, Kentucker Audley, Rebecca Koon, and Frank Mosley, "Sabbatical" centers on Ben, who returns home to care for his ill mother and to work on a new book. However, he soon finds his relationships with his mother, his brother, his ex-wife, and his high school pal tested, and he'll have to decide whether or not engage or abandon those responsibilities. "Sabbatical" will screen at the New Orleans Film Festival in October. Check out the trailer below.

Dear Danny,

I can’t help but admire (and be frankly envious of) the indefatigable way in which you, as the festival nears its end, push full speed ahead into every type of film, accumulating an amazing number of viewings both narrative and avant-garde. I seem to head out somewhat in the opposite direction, stepping in and out of screening rooms while taking time to just wander the drizzly streets, browse the bookstore, and have coffee with friends whom I probably won’t be seeing again for another year. It’s during these mellow closing days, which contrast sharply with the frantic compression of the first week, that I often have some of my most surprising encounters with people and films.

Maybe that’s why I enjoyed Hong Sang-soo’s Hill of Freedom so much. A film about visitors and match-sized flares of irritation and infatuation, it could pass for...

By this point, you're either a Hal Hartley devotee, or you're not. The fiercely independent filmmaker established his unique voice on films like "Trust," "Flirt," and "The Unbelievable Truth," and forged an offbeat indie genre unto himself (though it’s never been in vogue). And for most of his career, Hartley’s stayed far away from the studio system (2001's underrated "No Such Thing" being an exception). In 1997, the filmmaker arguably reached the peak of his critical acclaim with "Henry Fool," walking away from the Cannes Film Festival with a Best Screenplay award. It was perhaps the sharpest, most hilarious representation of the filmmaker's distinctly offbeat aesthetics—his deadpan tone, the arch theatrically heightened mise en scene—and he wasn't done with those characters and that world. Nine years later he returned with the sequel "Fay Grim," a far less successful effort (though one that's actually underrated). And eight...

"You’ve got to give credit to Hal Hartley," begins Jordan Mintzer in the Hollywood Reporter. "After breaking out onto the scene 25 years ago with The Unbelievable Truth, he’s been sticking to his guns ever since, making a dozen features characterized by his trademark deconstructed storytelling, deliberately artificial performances and offbeat deadpan humor…. This is clearly the case with Ned Rifle, the final chapter of a trilogy kicked off in 1997 with Henry Fool and followed by 2006’s Fay Grim, which starred Parker Posey as the titular heroine trying to clean up a mess left by her ex-lover." We've posted the trailer as we gather more reviews. » - David Hudson...

"You’ve got to give credit to Hal Hartley," begins Jordan Mintzer in the Hollywood Reporter. "After breaking out onto the scene 25 years ago with The Unbelievable Truth, he’s been sticking to his guns ever since, making a dozen features characterized by his trademark deconstructed storytelling, deliberately artificial performances and offbeat deadpan humor…. This is clearly the case with Ned Rifle, the final chapter of a trilogy kicked off in 1997 with Henry Fool and followed by 2006’s Fay Grim, which starred Parker Posey as the titular heroine trying to clean up a mess left by her ex-lover." We've posted the trailer as we gather more reviews. » - David Hudson...

As we look in the rearview mirror of the summer blockbusters, September heralds the start of the fall movie season. Filled with Hollywood heavyweights and A-listers, here’s our Big list of the most anticipated movies coming to cinemas this autumn and during the holidays.

Our exhaustive list includes films that are playing at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival as well the ones that already have a theatrical release date. With the awards season on the horizon, we also added a few bonus films at the end to keep your eye out for in the months ahead.

Pull up a chair, grab a pen and paper and get ready for Wamg’s Guide to the 100+ Films This Fall And Holiday Season.

We kick it off with what’s showing in Toronto at the film festival that runs September 4 – 14.

Maps To The Stars – September 2014 – Toronto International Film Festival; UK & Ireland September...

Fortissimo Films has acquired a slate of films it plans to launch at the Venice, Toronto or San Sebastian film festivals. The pics include , a Venice premiere from director Naji Abu Nowar about a boy’s journey to adulthood after the death of his father, which includes a treacherous journey across the Arabian Desert. Also on the slate is Toronto debutant Ned Rifle, the third film in director Hal Hartley’s trilogy that began with Henry Fool and Fay Grim. This one follows Henry and Fay’s teenage son Ned, who emerges from a witness-protection program with a single purpose: to kill his father for ruining his mother’s life. The company also will present Atlantic, windsurfing-themed romantic road movie from Jan-Willem van Ewijk, also bowing at Toronto, and San Sebastian premiere Foodies, a documentary from co-directors, Thomas Jackson, Charlotte Landelius and Henrik Stockare, which focuses on the world of great food,...

Fortissimo Films has acquired world rights, excluding the Middle East, UK and Switzerland, to Venice Orizzonti title Theeb, directed by Naji Abu Nowar.

The dramatic action film follows a young Bedouin boy who is propelled into adulthood following the death of his feather and the arrival of a British Army Officer on a mysterious mission. Filmed in the same desert landscapes of Lawrence Of Arabia, the film stars Bedouin non-professional actor Jacir Eid.

The Jordanian, UK, UAE and Qatar co-production is produced by Bassel Ghandour and Rupert Lloyd for Bayt Al Shawareb and Noor Pictures. The film is screening as a world premiere in Venice before moving to Toronto’s Discovery section. It marks the feature debut of Jordanian director Naji Abu Nowar, whose short credits include Death Of A Boxer.

Fortissimo’s autumn festivals slate also includes Hal Hartley’s Ned Rifle – the concluding film in a trilogy including Henry Fool and Fay Grim – which is receiving...

Movies almost always start with a collection of words and thoughts crafted into narratives, yet cinema rarely revels in this beauty. Sure, now and then we’ll get a great bit of rapid-fire banter, or attractive people having long discussions as they journey through European cities, but rarely are there bouts of real word nerdery – moments when characters actually talk about wordcraft, delight in proper use of the word myriad, and correct each other’s language faux pas. Even films about writers and writing diverge from the actual act. A writer might type furiously on a typewriter, or quote a compelling author, but their stories are generally about something else. It’s the melodrama, scandal and eroticism the filmmaker always captures, not the craft. But when a film does dip into grammar and wordiness, the results are often the best mix of nerd indulgence and education – moments that speak to grammatical frustration while correcting common errors through...

I haven't seen any of Hal Hartley's films and from what I understand that might be something of a prerequisite when heading into his newest feature, Ned Rifle, which will have its world premiere at this year's 2014 Toronto Film Festival. Ned Rifle is the third and final chapter of Hartley's tragicomic epic begun with Henry Fool in 1997 and continued with Fay Grim ten years later 2007. At once a saga concerning the Grim family of Queens and how their lives are turned upside down by the arrival of the self-proclaimed genius Henry Fool (Thomas Jay Ryan), the trilogy is also an illustration of America's grappling with ideas, art, politics, and religion over the course of 20 years. In this swiftly paced and expansive conclusion, Henry and Fay's son Ned (Liam Aiken) sets out to find and kill his father for destroying his mother's life. But his aims are frustrated by the troublesome,...

In 1997, Hal Hartley released "Henry Fool," one of the best films of his career, but no one seemed to notice, even though it won the Best Screenplay award at Cannes. But Hartley knew he had something with the characters and world he created and in 2007 he dropped a sequel, "Fay Grim." It was far less satisfying than its predecessor, but now in 2014 he's capping the trilogy with "Ned Rifle," and hopefully it will close the series on an up note. Aubrey Plaza leads the followup, that also brings back Thomas Jay Ryan, James Urbaniak and Parker Posey, and puts murder front and center of the new story. Heres the official synopsis: At once a saga concerning the Grim family of Queens and how their lives are turned upside down by the arrival of the self- proclaimed genius Henry Fool, the trilogy is also an illustration of America's grappling with ideas,...

Here’s the first trailer for Ned Rifle, the third part of Hal Hartley’s “Henry Fool” trilogy, which began with the titular 1998 film and continued with 2007′s Fay Grim. The trailer’s wordless for a good chunk, but when we finally hear words, we know exactly what’s going on: Henry (Thomas Jay Ryan) and Fay (Parker Posey)’s son Ned (Liam Aiken) is going to find his dad and kill him. This capstone film — “probably” the final installment, the Kickstarter hedged its bets — was posted in advance of the film’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival later this year. […]...