50th Anniversary: Wait Until Dark

by Tim Brayton

This week marks the 50th anniversary of Wait Until Dark. The grotty thriller was initially mostly sold on the basis of a third-act gimmick (the climax takes place in total darkness, and theaters were instructed to turn down all security lights and such things for the climax). And yet here we are, half a century later, and gimmick or not, the film holds up extraordinarily well. It's one of the best thrillers of its generation, with two of the best genre performances ever, one from brand-new screen actor Alan Arkin (it was just his second feature film role), the other from beloved screen icon Audrey Hepburn, functionally at the end of her career (she'd retire for nine years, and only made four more films over the next 22 years).

Quite a strange Audrey Hepburn vehicle it is, too...

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Calling "The Disaster Artist"

Chris here. We don't spend much time celebrating movie turkeys here at The Film Experience, but the upcoming release of The Disaster Artist provides a unique opportunity of sorts. The film (which I reviewed at TIFF) recounts the making of "worst movie of all time" The Room with James Franco directing and starring as the film's eccentric creator Tommy Wiseau. And it's looking like the film is drumming up an equally idiosyncratic Oscar campaign before its early December release.

What looks like an homage billboard has something a little more special. Take note of Artist's posted phone number - because James Franco has been taking calls.

Two Billboards Outside Hollywood and Highland pic.twitter.com/KNB2w0diL6

— A24 (@A24) October 25, 2017

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Middleburg Finale Pt 1: "Last Flag Flying"

Day 1 (Darkest Hour) and Day 2 (James Ivory, Mudbound, A Fantastic Woman) in case you missed them.

Saturday at Middleburg started really slow but then the tempo and key changed. And then it got chopped and screwed and tessellated... and became truly special. If you don't know what any of that means, it's okay; neither did I. I shall explain when we come to the topic of Oscar nominated film composer Nicholas Britell of Moonlight fame.

But first Last Flag Flying...

Richard Linklater is America's most distinguished auteur in the subgenre of movies in which a tight knit group of men just kind of hang out for two hours. He's back quickly after his delightful college baseball comedy Everybody Wants Some!! but this time he's trained his lens on three men his own age... 

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Would you rather?

It's our silly time-wasting celebrity fantasies game. Would you rather...

...wear bugs on your head with Rossy de Palma?
... shave your beard off with Gerard Butler?
...make pasta with Luca Pasqualino?
... indulge in some soapy nostalgia with Topher Grace?
...eat bananas (publicly!) with Gabby Sidibe?
... cosplay The Shining with Pandora Boxx?
...catch a beauty treatment in an airport lounge with Diane Kruger?
...see a movie in 4DX seats with Leonardo Nam?
...share an ice cream cone with Shailene Woodley?

Picture are after the jump to help you decide. 

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Adam Driver to Star in Spike Lee's Upcoming KKK Drama

Fresh off wrapping the filming of blockbuster The Last Jedi, Adam Driver returns to his auteur musings this week by signing on to Spike Lee's new crime thriller Black Klansman. Lee will write and direct the film with a cast that already includes Spider-Man: Homecoming's Laura Harrier and Baller's John David Washington. 

Klansman tells the story of Ron (Washington) and Flip (Driver), two cops who manage to go undercover and run their local Ku Klux Klan chapter. Focus Features has picked up the distribution rights for the project. Get Out's Jason Bloome and Jordan Peele have also signed on to produce.

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