Globalwoodnews

'Are you going to light me well?' director Baz Luhrmann asks when Georgia Godworth, a comedian who interviews strangers on the street, stops him in Sydney's Newtown to ask about his love life. Godworth, seemingly unaware who she is speaking to, begins by asking Luhrmann if he is single 'So are you single?' TikToker interviews Baz Luhrmann apparently without knowing who he is – and they talk group sex Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/3ZISnvH via IFTTT

The first poster of Ajay Devgn and Tabu starrer Auron Mein Kaha Dum Tha has been unveiled. The poster features Ajay who is not facing the camera. Following the poster reveal, the teaser will be out today at 1 pm! Ajay shared the photo on social media and wrote, "An epic love story on its way!" An epic love story on its way! #AuronMeinKahanDumTha #AMKDT Teaser Out Today! In cinemas 5th July, 2024.@neerajpofficial #Tabu @jimmysheirgill @saieemmanjrekar @shantanum07 @mmkeeravaani @ShitalBhatiaFFW #NarendraHirawat #KumarMangatPathak @nh_studioz @FFW_Official… pic.twitter.com/QjUyN0qSmd — Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) May 31, 2024 Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha promises to be an epic love story spanning a remarkable 23 years. The narrative unfolds between the years 2000 and 2023, hinting at a journey that traverses love, loss, and the enduring power of time. Adding further weight to the project is the stellar supporting cast. Jimmy Shergill, known for his captivating performances, joins t...

A fun-filled terror yarn featuring a flesh-eating alien secretly reared by a 12-year-old that delights in cutting its teeth on the apartment block’s pets This killer-spider-from-outer-space movie feels like a cross between Alien and TV’s Only Murders in the Building. It’s a mostly fun throwback horror comedy set in a Brooklyn apartment block where 12-year-old Charlotte (Alyla Browne) finds a spider, puts it in a jar and calls it Sting. “Awesome,” she marvels when Sting doubles in size in two hours, hungrily tapping the glass for more cockroaches to chomp on. What Charlotte doesn’t know is that her new pet is a flesh-eater recently hatched out of an asteroid that crash landed on Earth. At the screening I attended, someone a few rows behind couldn’t hack it and walked out after a few minutes. Which is a credit to first-time feature director Kiah Roache-Turner, who pulls off a couple of moments that will make you jump out of your skin using simple shadow tricks and oh-there-it-is! shock...

Ranveer Singh's much-anticipated collaboration with Mythri Movie Makers for the mythological drama Rakshas has been shelved. The project, directed by Prasanth Varma of Hanuman fame, was touted as a grand spectacle. However, in a surprising turn of events, Singh decided to exit the film. Previously, Bollywood Hungama reported that Singh's discomfort stemmed from a brief promo shoot in Hyderabad. A source claimed, "He wasn't able to picture himself in the filmmaking format of South Cinema." Singh reportedly returned to Mumbai early, citing personal reasons, before informing the makers of his decision. However, the official confirmation has come from the studio citing creative differences as the real reason. This came as a shock to the production house, which had invested heavily in pre-production and a promotional shoot. Sources close to the producers indicated attempts to salvage the project, but Singh remained firm in his decision. However, official statements fr...

Sanya Malhotra's upcoming film, Mrs, is generating buzz on the festival circuit, emerging as a favourite for its exploration of domesticity and gender roles. The Hindi remake of the acclaimed Malayalam movie, The Great Indian Kitchen (2021), Mrs is directed by Arati Kadav and is set to be the closing film at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) 2024. Kadav expressed her excitement at having her film showcased at the festival. Speaking to Mid-day, she shared, “I look forward to the films screened at the NYIFF every year. So, I feel privileged that we've been chosen as the closing film. With this film, our aim is to connect with Indian audiences living not just in India, but also abroad, and this platform helps us reach the diaspora.” Described as "exotically delicious," Mrs uses the backdrop of Indian cuisine to delve deeper into the societal pressures placed on women. The synopsis paints a picture of a young dance teacher, Richa, who falls for a wealthy doctor, ...

Actor Robert De Niro was present outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump’s hush-money trial was reaching its closing stages. The 80-year-old Oscar winner is part of Joe Biden’s re-election campaign and called Trump ‘a clown’ as he urged Americans to take the ‘second chance’ to ‘vote him out once and for all’ in the US elections in November ‘A coward’s violence’: Robert De Niro trolls Trump outside hush-money trial Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/SMiLf3u via IFTTT

India's biggest content creator turned actor, Bhuvan Bam, known for playing multiple characters in his sketch videos under the title ‘BB Ki Vines’, has now officially trademarked one of his most popular characters, Titu Mama. Titu Mama, a character beloved by millions, is known for his savage humour and distinctive style. Often featured in BB Ki Vines episodes, Titu Mama has become a cultural icon with a unique personality that resonates deeply with audiences. "The journey of Titu Mama has been incredible. When I first introduced him in my sketches, I had no idea he would gain such immense popularity. Titu Mama's distinct qualities and style have struck a chord with viewers, and it's truly heartwarming to see the love and appreciation for him." Said Bhuvan. He further added, "In 2018, we took Titu Mama to a new level with 'Titu Talks,' where I had the privilege of hosting Shah Rukh Khan as my first guest, followed by international star Johnny Sins,...

Billed as a gen Z road trip film, the Ross brothers’ first fiction feature offers more than you’d expect from the genre, with a focus on human interaction over plot In the opening seconds of the Ross brothers’ new film, a teenager professes his hope to discover a place “weirdos” like him can call home. The opening raises doubts about the novelty of what might follow: the trope of the high school outsider has been endlessly revisited. Gasoline Rainbow – billed as a gen Z road trip movie – starts off by replaying familiar images. As new high school graduates Makai, Micah, Nathaly, Nichole and Tony hit the road across Oregon for one final adventure together, we see the usual trappings of the genre: sing-alongs, parties by the campfire, and leaning out of car windows to enjoy the breeze and sweet call of freedom. We move into welcome new territory when a mishap leaves their van out of action, and the group are left in the hot desert trying to scrounge a path forward, meeting strangers al...

Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoor and his wife Mira Kapoor have made headlines with their recent acquisition of a luxury apartment in Mumbai’s prestigious Oberoi 360 West project, situated in the upscale Worli area. According to registration documents accessed by IndexTap.com, the transaction was finalized at a staggering Rs. 58.66 crore and registered on May 24, 2024. The opulent apartment boasts a RERA carpet area of 5,395 square feet and includes three dedicated parking spaces, reflecting the premium amenities associated with the Oberoi 360 West development. This high-rise, constructed by Oberoi Realty, is renowned for its luxurious residences, including 4 BHK, 5 BHK, duplex apartments, and penthouses, all offering stunning sea views. Interestingly, the Kapoors purchased the apartment from Chandak Realtors Pvt Ltd, who had originally acquired it from D’Mart owner Radhakishan Damani’s family and close associates. “The apartment was bought by Chandak Realty at around ₹65,000 per square ...

Flashbacks reveal an all-consuming bond when two friends reunite at a hen night in a country cottage Filled with luscious shades of pastel pinks, blues and greens, the warm colour palette of Jaclyn Bethany’s latest feature blushes with the heady glow of summer. Like a bruised fruit, however, the sugary imagery belies unexpected notes of bitterness, as the film plumbs the complex depths of female relationship and the everlasting spell of first love. Led by an all-female cast, the mood is beguilingly woozy, even conspiratorial. Friends in their teens as dance students, Scarlet (Amber Anderson) and Jo (Greta Bellamacina) reunite as adults for the latter’s hen night at a countryside cottage. Other guests will soon arrive, but much of the film hinges on the palpable tension and intimacy between the two women. Nearly opposite in temperament – Scarlet is reserved while Jo is more flamboyant – the pair finds their life paths have starkly diverged in terms of love and career. Resentment and h...

Actor and climate warrior Bhumi Pednekar has been deeply involved in creating awareness around the conservation of the environment and now as a step further in that direction, she has launched Bhamla Foundation’s ‘Bhoomi Namaskar’ campaign for World Environment Day. The Bhamla Foundation supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) initiated this campaign that aims to harp on the importance of the restoration of ecosystems to combat climate change and its adverse effects which comes in effect with the UN resolution of the year ‘Generation Restoration’. As a climate warrior, Bhumi Pednekar has been at the forefront of numerous environmental initiatives. Through her non-profit advocacy platform Climate Warrior and The Bhumi Foundation, Bhumi has championed various causes, such as waste segregation, rainwater harvesting, recycling, upcycling, conscious fashion choice...

Co-writer with his brother of some of the great film musical songs including classics for Mary Poppins and The Jungle Book Richard Sherman, who has died aged 95, often said that he never realised his youthful ambition to write “the great American symphony”. However, with his brother, Robert Sherman , he co-wrote songs that provided the soundtrack for a generation’s childhood – upbeat numbers with a homespun philosophy typified by lines such as “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down”. Those words were written for the brothers’ greatest triumph, the Oscar-winning Mary Poppins (1964), for which they created a score of staggering brilliance: haunting ballads, lilting lullabies, roistering marches, energetic dance numbers and knockabout vaudeville tunes. Half of the songs instantly became standards – not just the Oscar-winning Chim Chim Cher-ee but also A Spoonful of Sugar, Feed the Birds, Jolly Holiday and Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. Continue reading... from Film | Th...

Drake, the acclaimed Canadian rapper with multiple Grammy Awards to his name, is turning his attention to the Indian Premier League finals in Chennai this Sunday. In a surprising move, he's placed his "first ever cricket bet" on actor Shah Rukh Khan's team, the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), as they prepare to face off against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) today. On Saturday, Drake took to his Instagram Stories and shared a screenshot of him placing a bet on KKR in its match against SRH in the IPL finals today. The screenshot claimed that he had a 1.70 odds of winning the bet. His bet is worth $250,000, and its estimated payout is $425,000. Drake wrote along with the screenshot, “Since @ovorajaju team is out, I am going with KKR for my first ever cricket bet (teary-eyed laughter emoji) Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo.” Drake's interest in the Indian Premier League finals extends beyond mere curiosity; it's also tied to a personal investment. The Grammy-winning rapper recently ...

Janhvi Kapoor, known for her captivating on-screen performances and stylish off-screen appearances, has become a favorite among photographers. In a candid revelation during an interview with The Lallantop, she disclosed that paparazzi are paid per photo of a star, with the amount depending on the celebrity's popularity. Janhvi, when quizzed about her views on paparazzi culture, she said, “Like right now, Mr & Mrs Mahi's promotion is going on; they are called to the airport to click my picture. But when the film's promotion is not happening, when I am not going for shoots, when I want to disappear, then, if they want to put in extra effort, and this has happened many times, they follow the car because they get paid for every picture, every image.” She further added, “Every celebrity has a ration card. Their pictures sell for so much. If your price is high, they reach you, follow your car. If the price is not that high, you call paparazzi.” Janhvi is returning with Raj...

Sean Baker’s story of an erotic dancer who marries a Russian oligarch makes a terrific surprise Palme d’Or winner – though more reward for Mohammad Rasoulof might have felt better This was a Cannes that turned out to be about love, and the Palme d’Or went to a love story that knocks down the whole idea of a Cinderella romance, while also, in some mysterious and delicate way, passionately believing in it. Sean Baker’s Anora is superbly acted by its star, Mikey Madison, who plays an erotic dancer and escort in New York called Ani (short for Anora) who finds herself in an exclusive commercial relationship with the wastrel son of a Russian oligarch, called Ivan, played by Mark Eidelstein. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/ma4XqQS via IFTTT

Karla Sofía Gascón becomes the first trans woman to share best acting award in the film Emilia Pérez Anora , a tragi-comic modern-day Cinderella story about a stripper who marries a multimillionare, made by the American director Sean Baker, has won the coveted Palme d’Or at the 77 th Cannes Film Festival . Baker, 53, dedicated the award to “all sex workers past and present” as he accepted the honour from the Star Wars creator George Lucas in front of an audience of stars gathered in the Palais des Festivals on the Cote D’Azur. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/NJvkSgG via IFTTT

Farhan Akhtar, the filmmaker, is apparently going to "revive" Jee Le Zaraa, which stars Alia Bhatt, Katrina Kaif, and Priyanka Chopra. Farhan declared his return to directing in 2021 with a slice-of-life road trip film. However, the film never took off due to schedule conflicts. According to the latest Pinkvilla report, Farhan Akhtar and Excel authorities are looking into the possibility of restarting Jee Le Zaraa. “While Jee Le Zaraa was put on the backburner before proceeding to the pre-production stage, the team at Excel was continuing to give the final touches to the script. The film was put on the back burner due to date issues and not completely called off, as it’s a pet project for all the stakeholders – from the producers to writers and director. The script is completely in place and the team is now looking to revive the project,” according to a source. The source continued, “During her visit to India, Farhan Akhtar met Priyanka Chopra as well to restart the convers...

Economic downturn, changing viewing habits and Hollywood strikes prompt questions about whether bubble has burst The latest series of the Devil’s Hour starring Peter Capaldi and Jessica Raine may be a supernatural thriller but it is being filmed in more prosaic surroundings: not far from the M25 in Surrey. Shepperton studios, part of Pinewood Group, is now the second-largest film studio in the world after a new extension opened earlier this year. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/PBSyLoC via IFTTT

Prolific actor who, in 1980s films such as 9 to 5 and Tootsie, came to define the misogynistic archetype of a generation In the 1980 office comedy hit film 9 to 5 , Jane Fonda, as one of three long-suffering office workers subjected to endless harassment by their male chauvinist boss, played by Dabney Coleman , eventually gets to call him a “sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical, bigot”, albeit in her imagination. These epithets could apply to a majority of the many roles played by Coleman, who has died aged 92. With thinning hair and a fleshy, seemingly friendly face, adorned more often than not with a sly moustache, Coleman made his long career portraying deceptively ordinary, slippery bastards. He played “the man you love to hate” in both dramas and comedies in a similar straight fashion. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/GHVDN7X via IFTTT

Cannes film festival Gilles Lelouche’s new movie aims for a Springsteenesque blue-collar energy but buckles under the weight of its own naivety Gilles Lelouche’s new film is a giant operatic crime drama of star-crossed lovers and hurt feelings; it’s very French, but aiming for some blue-collar Springsteen energy. There are some good performances, and a very serviceable armed robbery scene. But Beating Hearts suffers from a lack of subtlety and bloat, with an increasingly insistent cry-bully sensitive-macho ethic, and a colossally inflated final section belatedly reassuring us of the film’s belief in the power and importance of love. In the end it is sentimental and naive, particularly about the legal consequences of beating your husband half to death in a phone box, however abusive he has been. And I had a strange taste in my mouth after a late scene in which the heroine, working on the checkout of a supermarket where her boyfriend is employed in the loading bay, coolly tells the obn...

Even though Eid 2024 lacked a Salman Khan release, the superstar has unveiled a grand project titled Sikandar to make up for it. This action extravaganza marks Khan's first collaboration with director AR Murugadoss, and filming is set to commence in June 2024. Murugadoss is currently juggling projects, including an action film featuring Tamil star Sivakarthikeyan (tentatively titled SK23). To ensure a smooth transition to Sikandar, he aims to wrap up a significant portion of SK23 before diving into Khan's film. “Murugadoss wants to complete as much of SK23 as possible before Sikandar goes on floors,” an insider revealed, according to a Mid-day report. The plan involved shooting the initial schedule of Sikandar in May, followed by a return to Sivakarthikeyan's film in June. From July onwards, Murugadoss will devote his full attention to Sikandar. With a target Eid 2025 release, the team is working tirelessly to meet the deadline despite the director's packed schedule. ...

Sometimes speculative rumour-driven entertainment stories can be anything but entertaining for the party concerned. A seriously damaging report doing the rounds is that producer Namit Malhotra and director Nitesh Tiwari’s ambitious take on the Ramayana has been stalled due to a legal copyright-infringement issue. However, one of the actors from the movie on condition of anonymity told us the truth. “Who says the shooting was halted? The shooting was not halted for even a day. In fact, we are shooting as I speak to you. Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi and all of us are participating in the shooting right now. Who spreads these negative rumours, and why? What do they get out of it? Here we are trying to make something that would bring us global glory. Instead of encouraging us there are negative stories about the Ramayan every day,” said the actor. Making the situation worse is the fact that the producers (Yash, Namit Malhotra) are not issuing any official statements on the project. ...

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan is recovering well after suffering a heat stroke during a recent IPL match, according to his close friend and fellow actor Juhi Chawla. Khan was admitted to Ahmedabad's KD Hospital following the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) vs Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) match on Tuesday. News of Khan's hospitalization spread quickly, leaving fans concerned. However, Juhi Chawla provided an update with News18, where she said, “Shah Rukh was not feeling too well last night but he is being attended to and was feeling much better this evening. God willing, he will soon be up and in the stands on the weekend, cheering the team, as we play the finals.” Khan, along with his children Suhana and AbRam, and manager Pooja Dadlani, attended the match at the Narendra Modi Stadium. Juhi Chawla and her husband Jay Mehta, who co-own KKR with Khan, were also spotted leaving the hospital but did not interact with waiting media. #WATCH | Gujarat: Gauri Khan, wife of Actor Shah ...

Multicoloured floor is part of sale along with Raiders of the Lost Ark prop prototype and The Big Lebowski costumes So, how deep is your pocket? The dancefloor used in the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever has been put up for auction with an estimated price of about $300,000 (£235,800). John Travolta, playing the role of Italian-American Tony Manero, strutted his moves on the multicoloured floor to the film’s Bee Gees soundtrack, which featured hit songs including How Deep is Your Love, More Than a Woman, Open Sesame and Stayin’ Alive. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/syklibN via IFTTT

Manasvi Mamgai, alongside 32RED Entertainment, has officially announced the launch of their latest thriller, Captivated, at the Cannes Market. The film, starring Katie Holmes, Toby Kebbell, and Oscar-winner Al Pacino, delves into the infamous 1973 kidnapping of Jean Paul Getty III, presenting a new perspective on the historic event. Captivated is directed by Dito Montiel, who co-wrote the script with Robin Shushan and Michael Mammoliti. The film focuses on the Calabrian mafia boss Saro, portrayed by Toby Kebbell, and in present day by Al Pacino. It explores the complex dynamics that arise when Saro falls in love with his victim's mother, played by Katie Holmes, during the intense ransom negotiations. The project is particularly close to Mammoliti, who is the nephew of one of the primary kidnappers. Having long been engaged with the narrative surrounding the kidnapping, Mammoliti aims to bring a fresh and unheard perspective to the story through Captivated. Manasvi Mamgai, a key ...

Former Bigg Boss contestant Sushant Divgikar, also known as Rani KoHenoor, recently experienced a horrific incident when their house caught fire. The blaze was caused by an air conditioner explosion in the living room during dinner. The fire spread rapidly to the open kitchen and office space, causing extensive damage to almost everything, including awards, appliances, furniture, official documents, certificates, and makeup equipment. According to Divgikar’s manager, “The air conditioner in the living room of the home blasted when they were having dinner and caused the fire which quickly spread to the open kitchen area and office space area damaging mostly everything including awards, appliances, all the furniture and official documents, certificates and make-up equipment and performance outfits. It’s a huge loss but everyone in the family survived and was unharmed.” The family is currently staying at Sushant's parents' place, and the shock of the incident still lingers. Sush...

The directorial debut of Suchi Talati, Girls Will Be Girls, produced by Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, is set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival 2024. The film will be featured under the Cannes Écrans Juniors category, a selection dedicated to international feature films that appeal to young audiences aged thirteen and over, introducing them to diverse themes, cultures, and cinematic art. After its premiere at the SXSW Film Festival and making waves at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year by winning the Audience Award in the World Dramatic Entry category and the Special Jury Award for Lead Actress Preeti Panigrahi, Girls Will Be Girls is now poised for its Cannes debut. The film is scheduled to screen on May 22nd and 23rd at the Alexandre III Theatre and on May 24th at the Raimu Hall. Richa Chadha expressed her excitement: “We are thrilled to see 'Girls Will Be Girls' reach the Cannes Film Festival. This project is very close to our hearts, and the recognition it ha...

The highly anticipated filming of Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana finally began earlier this year, albeit after facing a few hurdles. After a brief pause to rework the costumes, the production commenced at Film City in Mumbai. This followed a period of meticulous planning and adjustments, including a crucial phase of look tests with the updated outfits for the cast. Despite the change in production hands, with Madhu Mantena exiting the project, the film's journey hasn't been entirely smooth sailing. While Mantena's departure initially sparked rumours of a potential shift in direction, reports now suggest he has requested a halt in filming until he receives appropriate compensation. According to a report in Mid-day, an inside source said the shoot of Tiwari's mythological epic was indeed stalled due to a copyright infringement case. “Filming continued for a few days after the notice, but has been on hold since last week. The legalities need to be sorted out, and filming wi...

Cannes film festival Elaborate necrophiliac meditation on loss and longing stars Vincent Cassel as an oncologist who has founded a restaurant with a hi-tech cemetery attached David Cronenberg’s new film is a contorted sphinx without a secret, an eroticised necrophiliac meditation on grief, longing and loss that returns this director to his now very familiar Ballardian fetishes. It’s intriguing and exhausting: a quasi-murder mystery and doppelganger sex drama combined with a sci-fi conspiracy thriller which comes very close to participating in that very xenophobia it purports to satirise. And among its exasperating plot convolutions, there is a centrally important oncologist who was having a possible affair with the hero’s dead wife and who had also been her first sexual partner as a teenager – but who never appears on camera. Yet for all this, the film has its own creepy, enveloping mausoleum atmosphere of disquiet, helped by the jarring electronic score by Howard Shore. We are in T...

The months of April and May have been quite dry for the film industry as very few films caught the attention of the moviegoers. But from May-end, the season of movies will commence with a bang. In July, an interesting clash will take place at the box office between Akshay Kumar, Kamal Haasan and Scarlett Johansson. Yesterday, the makers of Indian 2 announced that their much-awaited film will be released in cinemas on July 12. Along with the release date, the producers dropped a stunning poster of the Kamal Haasan starrer and also announced that the first single will be out on May 22. Indian 2 will have a multi-language release. Besides Kamal Haasan, it also stars S J Suryah, Kajal Aggarwal, Siddharth and Rakul Preet Singh and is directed by Shankar. The first part was released in Hindi as Hindustani. Taking a leaf out of it, the sequel's Hindi version is called Hindu...

He rocketed to notoriety at 19 with the shocking film Kids. Now, at 51, he’s smoking two fat cigars for breakfast – and making retina-burning work with acids and infrared cameras. Our writer gets deep with the eternal enfant terrible Have you ever wondered whether the interview you’re about to read is actually real? Are you reading it thanks to your own free will, or are you merely set on a preprogrammed course that’s entirely out of your control? Is everything just code? Are we a simulation? These are the questions that arise when you spend an hour with director and artist Harmony Korine, who is the first interviewee I’ve ever had respond to one of my questions by wondering whether or not I actually exist. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/UsWMp7e via IFTTT

Costner writes, directs and stars alongside Sienna Miller and Sam Worthington in a big vain slog up familiar old west alleys After three saddle-sore hours, Kevin Costner’s handsome-looking but oddly listless new western doesn’t get much done in the way of satisfying storytelling. Admittedly, this is supposed to be just the first of a multi-part saga for which Costner is director, co-writer and star. But it somehow doesn’t establish anything exciting for its various unresolved storylines, and doesn’t leave us suspensefully hanging for anything else. In fact, the ploddingly paced epic ends by suddenly accelerating into a very peculiar preview montage of part two, with Costner speeding around punching people we’ve never seen before – as if someone had accidentally leant on the fast-forward button and we got to watch the whole of the second section in 25 seconds. It certainly starts at a gallop. The various plot strands in Montana, Wyoming and Kansas entwine around a new white pione...

Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, known for his visually stunning and emotionally charged historical epics, has recently shed light on his creative process behind the highly talked about series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Bhansali, whose dedication extends beyond box office success, prioritizes crafting immersive experiences for his audience. This series marked his first for a streaming platform and did get mixed reactions for its historical accuracy. In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, Bhansali discussed his vision for Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, set against the backdrop of a bygone era.  While the narrative unfolds within a historical context, Bhansali emphasized that the series is driven by his artistic imagination. He aspires to create a world that resonates with viewers on a deeper level, even if the specific details deviate slightly from historical records. When asked what fascinates him about depicting stories of courtesans, Bhansali said, “These wo...

The Furiosa, Mad Max and Happy Feet director talks tap dancing, life as a twin and what he’d tell his younger self Get our weekend culture and lifestyle email What is the best thing about being a twin? The shared experience. We spent the first 20 years of our lives together every day. We both have a similar curiosity about the world, and he practised as a doctor for 50 years. His take on human behaviour was really amusing, funny and very wise. It was always interesting to have conversations with him, so we would just compare notes. It’s why I love collaborating with people because it’s always about the discourse. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/Mgbesc5 via IFTTT

A thoroughly implausible yarn about a Mexican cartel leader who hires a lawyer to arrange his transition, but is carried along by its cheesy Broadway energy Anglo-progressives and US liberals might worry about whether or not certain stories are “theirs to tell”. But that’s not a scruple that worries French auteur Jacques Audiard who, with amazing boldness and sweep, launches into this slightly bizarre yet watchable musical melodrama of crime and gender, set in Mexico. It plays like a thriller by Amat Escalante with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, and a touch of Almodovar. Argentinian trans actor Karla Sofia Gascon plays Juan “Manitas” Del Monte, a terrifyingly powerful and ruthless cartel leader in Mexico, married to Jessi (Selena Gomez), with two young children. Manitas is intrigued by a high-profile murder trial in which an obviously guilty defendant gets off due to his smart and industrious lawyer Rita (Zoe Saldana); she is nearing 40 and secretly wretched from devoting he...

Two days back, the announcement video of Scam 2010 - The Subrata Roy Saga was released and it became a big talking point. Hansal Mehta, who directed Scam 1992, will direct Scam 2010. The announcement led to a lot of excitement among the fans of the series. But one person who was left aghast was Sandeep Singh. He has the rights to the life of Subrata Roy. In fact, on his birthday last year, he even announced the biopic Saharasri. Hence, shocked by the announcement of Scam 2010 - The Subrata Roy Saga, he has decided to take legal action against Hansal Mehta, producer Sameer Nair of Applause Entertainment and the streaming giant, Sony LIV. Speaking exclusively with Bollywood Hungama, Sandeep Singh minced no words as he said, “The director, Hansal Mehta, was a good friend of mine. We worked on Aligarh (2016) together. He has the ability to pick up negative stories because he himself is a negative man. One day, his k...

Completed days before his assisted death, the French New Wave master director talks through his ideas as illustrated in his hand-drawn scrapbook Here is an intriguing footnote to Jean-Luc Godard’s extraordinary career - a docu-textual movie collage lasting just under an hour in two parts, or maybe two layers, completed just before his assisted death two years ago in Switzerland at the age of 91. His collaborator and cinematographer Fabrice Aragno calls it not the “last Godard” but a “new Godard”. In its way, this little double film shows us a very great deal about Godard’s working habits, and it’s a late example of Godard speaking intimately in his own person about his own creative process. Scénarios appears to have grown out of thoughts generated by his last film, The Image Book, which emerged in 2018 . Godard sketched out his storyboarded or scrapbooked ideas for a short piece, which would juxtapose images, quotations, musical cues and clips in his distinctive manner. Aragno edited...

An office drone must suffer the machismo of an Australian coastal town in this barmy, low-budget thriller about a would-be wave-chaser Here is a gloriously demented B-movie thriller about a middle-aged man who wants to ride a big wave and the grinning local bullies who regard the beach as home soil. “Don’t live here, don’t surf here,” they shout at any luckless tourist who dares to visit picturesque Lunar Bay on Australia’s south-western coast, where the land is heavy with heat and colour. Tempers are fraying; it’s a hundred degrees in the shade. The picture crash-lands at the Cannes film festival like a wild-eyed, brawling drunk. The middle-aged man is unnamed, so let’s call him Nic Cage. Lorcan Finnegan’s film, after all, is as much about Cage – his image, his career history, his acting pyrotechnics – as it is about surfing or the illusory concept of home. The Surfer sets the star up as a man on the edge – a sad-sack office drone who desperately wants to belong – and then shoves hi...

Cannes film festival A dying director who fled from the US to Canada agrees to make a confessional film in Schrader’s fragmented and anticlimactic story Muddled, anticlimactic and often diffidently performed, this oddly passionless new movie from Paul Schrader is a disappointment. It is based on the novel Foregone by Russell Banks (Schrader also adapted Banks’s novel Affliction in 1997) and reunites Schrader with Richard Gere, his star from American Gigolo. Though initially intriguing, it really fails to deliver the emotional revelation or self-knowledge that it appears to be leading up to. There are moments of intensity and promise; with a director of Schrader’s shrewdness and creative alertness, how could there not be? But the movie appears to circle endlessly around its own emotions and ideas without closing in. The title is partly a reference to the national anthem of that nation, which is a place of freedom and opportunity which may have an almost Rosebud-type significance for t...

On the 125th anniversary of his birth – and with a Tom Holland biopic in the works – we run down the finest performances in the Hollywood legend’s eight-decade career A semi-straight turn from Fred Astaire in this witty comedy drama. He is an American diplomat in London whose employee (Jack Lemmon) is renting a flat from a mysterious, organ-playing landlady (Kim Novak) who is widely suspected of having offed her husband. Astaire brings a touch of old-school sophistication, while he and Lemmon make for an appealing double act, trading gags rather than toe-taps. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/Jhk1rCz via IFTTT

Cannes film festival Francis Ford Coppola’s question – can the US empire last forever? – may be valid but flashes of humour cannot rescue this conspiracy thriller from awful acting and dull effects Everyone who loves cinema owes Francis Ford Coppola a very great deal … including honesty. His ambitious and earnestly intended new film, resoundingly dedicated to his late wife Eleanor , has some flashes of humour and verve. Jon Voight’s scene with his bow-and-arrow shoots a witty dart. The film’s heavily furnished art deco theatricality sometimes creates an interestingly self-aware spectacle, like an old-fashioned modern dress production of Shakespeare. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/PY4M8tS via IFTTT

The release of Kangana Ranaut's political drama Emergency has been postponed once again. The makers of the film issued a statement on Wednesday, announcing that the film will not hit theatres on June 14, 2024, as originally planned. This decision comes as Kangana Ranaut is currently deeply involved in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, where she is contesting from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. In the statement, the team behind Emergency expressed gratitude for the overwhelming support received for Kangana Ranaut, affectionately referred to as the "queen" by her fans. They emphasized her commitment to serving the nation and fulfilling her responsibilities as a political candidate, which has led to the postponement of the film's release. “Our hearts are filled with love pouring in for our queen Kangana Ranaut. As she prioritizes her duty to the nation and her commitment to serve the country, the release date of our much-awaited film ‘Emergency’ has been postponed. We promise...

Roberto Rossellini’s 1945 neorealist drama is unsparing in its depiction of the heavy price of both resistance and collaboration with the Nazi occupation Roberto Rossellini’s 1945 film is a blazingly urgent and painful bulletin from the frontline of Italy’s historical agony: the Axis power that had belatedly turned against the Mussolini fascists only to be humiliatingly occupied by Nazi Germany on whose orders the dictator was reinstalled in the northern Salò puppet state, resplendent in contemptible impotence and pathos, with Rome at its defeated and compromised centre. It was a film that used the so-recently-devastated real streets and people of Rome on location for a project on which Rossellini started script work well before the end of the war, building on ideas by screenwriter Sergio Amidei with dialogue contribution by the young Federico Fellini. Rome, Open City is revived as part of the BFI Southbank’s Chasing the Real season of Italian neorealism , along with the two other mo...

Cannes film festival Taylor-Joy makes a fantastic action heroine, facing down a hilariously evil Chris Hemsworth in signature high-speed fights ‘My childhood! My mother! I want them back!” With this howl of anguish, young Furiosa, played by Anya Taylor-Joy, sets the tone of vengeful rage that runs through George Miller’s immersive, spectacular prequel to his Mad Max reboot from 2015 . Once again, there are the crazily colossal and weird convoy-action sequences which fuse the notion of “chase” and “violent combat” into a series of delirious high-velocity contests between motorbikes, 18-wheelers and armed parascenders all attacking and shooting at each other while fanatically zooming in the same direction. The vehicles themselves are what makes the Mad Max movies so very strange. Many films are called “surreal”, but these strange, ritualistic gladiator-vehicle displays in the reddish-brown emptiness really do look like something by Giorgio de Chirico or Max Ernst . Furiosa is the ori...

Aamir Khan is bringing Christmas cheer this year with his upcoming film, Sitaare Zameen Par. This project promises to be both emotionally resonant and entertaining. Marking Khan's return to socially conscious cinema, the film tackles the challenges and triumphs of individuals with Down syndrome. Based on the Spanish sports dramedy Campeones, Sitaare Zameen Par is directed by RS Prasanna and began filming earlier this year. The movie is slated for a Christmas release. The story revolves around Khan, playing a headstrong but ultimately kind-hearted basketball coach. As part of his community service, he's tasked with leading a Special Olympics basketball team. This team is anything but ordinary - it's brimming with talented individuals with diverse learning disabilities. News from the sets hints at a captivating narrative centred around the Paralympic Games, a prestigious international sporting event for differently-abled athletes. Earlier, it was reported that the actor and...

Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut, who is contesting as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh for the Lok Sabha seat, has disclosed assets totalling over Rs. 91 crore in her election affidavit. The 37-year-old actor-turned-politician's assets comprise Rs. 28.7 crore in movable assets and Rs 62.9 crore in immovable assets. According to the reports in NDTV, India Today and several other reports, Kangana holds Rs. 2 lakh in cash and nearly Rs 1.35 crore in her bank accounts. She possesses properties in Mumbai, Punjab, and Manali, along with three luxury cars – a BMW, a Mercedes Benz, and a Mercedes Maybach – valued at Rs 3.91 crore. Additionally, she owns 6.7 kg of gold, estimated at Rs. 5 crore, 60 kg of silver valued at Rs. 50 lakh, and 14-carat diamond jewellery worth Rs. 3 crore. The actor also has 50 Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) policies under her name, while her total liabilities stand at Rs. 7.3 crore. Educationally, Kangana completed her ...

Cannes film festival With help from an A-list cast, Dupieux brings his customary mischief to an amiable tale of imposture and role play Cannes can always do worse than choose a comedy for its opening gala, and the festival is off to an amiable, entertaining start. Quentin Dupieux brings the wackiness onstream with this cheerfully mischievous, unrepentantly facetious fourth-wall-badgering sketch. It’s a sprightly meta gag, a movie about a movie, or perhaps a movie about a movie about a movie – or perhaps just a movie, full stop, whose point is to claim that reality as we experience it inside and outside the cinema is unitary despite the levels of imposture and role-play we bring to it. It is all just one unbroken skein of experience like the endless dolly-track (the temporary rail that lets the camera move smoothly) that Dupieux finally shows us. There are plenty of laugh lines, though The Second Act would be a bit thin were it not for the rich, creamy thickness of the alpha-grade Fre...

Michael Head stars in this less than convincing story of a London crime lord and his associates There was a period in the Cool Britannia days when you couldn’t throw a brick at a cinema in the UK without hitting a British gangster movie with a castful full of dodgy geezers blagging their way around an underground scene full of drugs and farfetched capers. Some were ludicrously entertaining creations of actual working-class talent, such as Nick Love’s The Business , others transcended genre pigeonholing to work their way into various top critics’ lists (such as Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast ), and still others were Guy Ritchie movies. There were hundreds of less high-profile efforts too, destined for VHS or DVD, but each having somehow found funding. These days the British gangster flick is no longer flavour of the week, or month, and there’s something appealingly bullish about attempts to make these films now. Bermondsey Tales: Fall of the Roman Empire is exactly the sort of film that...