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Mark Kermode on… Kathryn Bigelow, a stylish ruffler of feathers

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From vampire noir to Bin Laden, Point Break to Detroit, the first woman to win an Oscar for best director has never pulled her punches Watching new Jeff Nichols release The Bikeriders , starring Austin Butler and Tom Hardy as 60s Chicago greasers, I was reminded of two other movies: László Benedek’s 1953 Marlon Brando vehicle The Wild One , explicitly cited as an inspiration, and The Loveless , the 1981 feature debut of Kathryn Bigelow , the American film-maker (b.1951) who would go on to become the first woman to win a best director Oscar with her 2008 war drama The Hurt Locker . A symphony of leather-clad posing (with just a touch of Kenneth Anger ), The Loveless was a staple of the late-night circuit in the 80s, often on a double bill with David Lynch’s Eraserhead . Sharing directing credits with Monty Montgomery, Bigelow playfully deconstructed masculinity and machismo in a manner that was one part wry to two parts relish. I remember seeing The Loveless at the Phoenix in East
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In a RARE instance, Bombay High Court orders Hamare Baarah makers to delete controversial dialogues even though the Annu Kapoor-starrer has been passed by CBFC

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The Annu Kapoor-starrer Hamare Baarah has faced several controversies, even before the trailer was out. The Annu Kapoor-starrer was all set to release on June 7 but on June 5, the Bombay High Court put a stay order on its release until June 14. But on June 7, the High Court agreed to clear the release after the makers agreed to delete dialogues that were deemed objectionable by the petitioner. An industry insider commented, “This is unprecedented or maybe it's a rare instance wherein a film passed by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) has been asked by the Court for more cuts. Usually, when anyone went to Court to stall the release of the film, the petition usually was not entertained, citing that the film has been cleared by the Censor Board.” The Court, however, as per Live Law, did maintain that “We are of the view that if an individual such as in this Petition is permitted to stall the release of movies which have been duly certified by the CBFC it would encourage
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Revealed: Otto by Otto review – nuanced portrait of a generational talent

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Gracie Otto’s documentary about her father – the legendary actor Barry Otto – blooms into a melancholy portrait of artistry and its burdens All documentaries celebrating artistic geniuses face the challenge of how to recognise their talent without coming across as pure puffery. The dynamic is different in the rare event that the film-maker is personally related to the subject, as is the case in Revealed: Otto by Otto – a portrait of the great Australian actor Barry Otto directed by his daughter Gracie. She flips a potential downside – being so close to the person documented – into a virtue by crafting an emotionally rich film that truly could not have been made by anybody else. It is filled, like Otto’s performances, with light and shade. Otto by Otto (which premiered at this year’s Sydney film festival and arrives on Stan on 16 June) begins unassumingly, with grainy home videos and footage of the now-retired actor hanging out with his cats in his cluttered Petersham home among books
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I Used to Be Funny review – Rachel Sennott can’t save messy PTSD drama

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The Shiva Baby and Bodies, Bodies, Bodies standout goes serious in an uneven and at times frustrating combination of disparate tones and genre There’s a particular, distinctly online note – dead-eyed, chaotic, teetering between hyper self-consciousness and delusional confidence – that comedian Rachel Sennott can hit so effectively it will temporarily and memorably spark its container: Twitter, where she rose to prominence as a self-aware zillennial comedy It Girl ; Bodies Bodies Bodies , where she provided the bulk of the horror comedy’s actual zingers ; The Idol, where her bit part as a pop star’s assistant was one of the misbegotten HBO series ’ few highlights. As a lead – in Emma Seligman’s claustrophobic feature Shiva Baby and, less successfully, in Seligmans’ follow-up comedy Bottoms – Sennott stretched her shtick but remained most successful in this familiar, self-deprecating zone, though she has hinted at something darker and less irony-pilled. I Used to Be Funny, the featur
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Bombay High Court orders stays the release of Hamare Baarah, two days before the film’s release

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Hamare Baarah, which is making news for its bold approach and thought-provoking plotline, has been mired in controversy, with the makers landing in deep trouble. The highly anticipated release of Annu Kapoor, Manoj Joshi, and Paritosh Tripathi starrer, has encountered a significant setback as the Bombay High Court has issued a stay on its release just two days before its scheduled release on June 7, extending the hold until June 14. This unexpected turn of events has impacted the premiere of the film which was expected to be held this week, leaving makers in an uncertain dilemma. The legal obstacle arises from a petition filed by activists from a specific religious community at the Mumbai High Court, opposing the film's release. Producers Birender Bhagat and Ravi S Gupta have raised serious concerns regarding the imposition of the stay, especially given that the film had already obtained a censor certificate. In a recent statement given to NDTV, Mr Bhagat explained their predicame
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BREAKING: Varun Dhawan aka Bhediya has a cameo in Munjya

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The horror comedy Munjya was released today worldwide. The film has caught attention due to the concept, the song ‘Taras’ and also because it’s a horror comedy, a genre that has a lot of takers. On top of it, it is a part of the exciting Maddock Supernatural Universe, which also comprises Stree (2018) and Bhediya (2022). Before the release, many wondered whether the Bhediya-Stree connection would come to the fore in Munjya or would the makers let it pass. Bollywood Hungama has learned that the makers of Munjya present a huge surprise to the viewers. Varun Dhawan, the lead actor of Bhediya, appears in a cameo in Munjya. The scene is very crucial for the future of the Maddock Supernatural Universe. It probably also gives a hint on what one can expect in the next instalment of Bhediya and it surely enhances excitement for it. Munjya stars Sharvari and Abhay Verma and is directed by Aditya Sarpotdar. Produced by Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films, it is the story of a menacing spirit tied to a
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Makers of Chandu Champion to hold special screening of the Kartik Aaryan starrer for Army officials to honor Murlikant Petkar

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A prestigious event is set to unfold in Delhi as the highly anticipated film Chandu Champion gears up for a special army screening today. Jointly produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and Kabir Khan, the movie has been generating buzz with its captivating trailer and hit songs like ‘Satyanaas’ and ‘Tu Hai Champion’. Adding to the excitement, the film's promotions will reach new heights as it prepares for a unique showcase. In a grand gesture of appreciation, the producers have organized a special screening of Chandu Champion for the Army Chief of India and other high-ranking brigadiers. The event will also serve as a platform to honour India's esteemed Olympic gold medallist, Murlikant Petkar. The screening, spearheaded by producer Sajid Nadiadwala and director Kabir Khan, will witness the presence of distinguished Army dignitaries, including the Chief of India, who will join in felicitating and celebrating the achievements of Murlikant Petkar. This exclusive preview marks a significa
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Janis Paige obituary

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Hollywood actor and singer who created the role of ‘Babe’ Williams in the Broadway musical The Pajama Game Janis Paige, who has died aged 101, shone in films and numerous television shows, but her greatest triumph came in the Richard Adler /Jerry Ross Tony award-winning Broadway musical The Pajama Game in 1954. Paige created the role of “Babe” Williams, the spirited leader of the union grievance committee at the Sleep Tite pajama factory, vigorously belting out the numbers I’m Not at All in Love , Small Talk and There Once Was a Man . This resulted in further stage leads for Paige as strong-willed women, to which her singing voice and vibrant personality were perfectly suited. She replaced Angela Lansbury on Broadway in Mame in 1968, and toured in shows including Gypsy, Applause, Annie Get Your Gun and Guys and Dolls. Continue reading... from Film | The Guardian https://ift.tt/7RSKuE6 via IFTTT
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Heart of an Oak review – 18 spectacular months in the life of an exquisite tree

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This peaceful nature film contemplates the creatures and critters that live in and around a 200-year-old oak, including some Top Gun-esque aerial cinematography Entirely devoid of dialogue (unless a bit of Dean Martin on the soundtrack counts), this pleasant nature film observes the seasons passing for 18 months on, around and even underneath a 210-year-old oak tree in Sologne in central France. Technically, some would argue this is not exactly a documentary because some of the sequences are staged or composed of shots taken at totally different times, but scientific accuracy and cinematic authenticity aren’t really the point; this isn’t didactic film-making in the David Attenborough or even March of the Penguins tradition, crafted to drop a bit of natural history knowledge on the viewer. That said, if you sit through the end credits, you’ll at least learn some of the featured creatures’ Latin and French names, with the English handles in the subtitles. In fact, although the exquisit
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Bad Boys: Ride or Die review – Will Smith bromance goes big on Pointless Action Explosions

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Smith and Martin Lawrence may be in the career wilderness but the serial rule-breakers are back with a winning cop comedy Martin Lawrence, America’s lost hero of broad comedy, has had his movie profile kept on a kind of life-support by the near 30-year-old Bad Boys franchise; but some of us furtive Lawrence fans still sheepishly bond over re-watchings of the great man’s masterpiece, his 2001 merrie England adventure Black Knight alongside Tom Wilkinson. Now Lawrence appears in the fourth Bad Boys film in the remarkable situation of being in better career shape than his Oscar-winning co-star Will Smith, who is still in disgrace for the Slap Heard Around the World and then, just as importantly, the F-Bombs Heard Around the World So Everyone Knew the Slap Was Real. This film’s production having been delayed by The Controversy, Lawrence and Smith are back as rule-breaking cops Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey; first seen in 1995, they are now the Bad Late-Middle Aged Men. Our two heroes e
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Sanjeeda Shaikh recalls being molested by a woman; says, “She just touched my br**st and left”

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Known for her strong roles on screen and off screen, Sanjeeda Shaikh opened up about an incident that left her scarred. The actress, who has been receiving immense praises for her role as the courtesan Waheeda in the recently released Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, is also appreciated for speaking her heart out and recently she made a confession wherein she talked about being eve-teased by a woman and how it impacted her. Recalling the incident during her interaction with Hauterfly, Sanjeeda Shaikh revealed that she was molested by a woman at a public place and how she was left in complete shock. “I remember one incident very vaguely but it was by a woman. I was in a nightclub. One woman was passing by and she just touched my br**st and she left. I was kind of taken aback, like what just happened. We hear men smack you on the back and they misbehave, ladkiyaan koi kum nahi hai (Women are no less),” she said. She went on to add, “If you are headed on the wrong path, you are going on
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