Tribeca: Sigourney Weaver Sells 'The Good House'

By Abe Friedtanzer

Film protagonists struggling with alcoholism dates back to the early days of cinema. While treatments, support groups, and the drinking age may have changed over the past century, the difficulty of needing that drink has not. It's interesting to see how films choose to portray such a common subject. The Good House, premiering at Tribeca ahead of a theatrical release this fall, definitely opens with a lighthearted approach.

Sigourney Weaver plays Hildy, a small-town New England realtor who spends as much time directly addressing the camera as she does trying to sell her clients on homes...

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Sundance: 'Call Jane' is worth answering

By Ben Miller

Handsomely filmed and admirably performed, Oscar-nominated Carol screenwriter Phyllis Nagy makes her feature film directorial debut with Call Jane. Elizabeth Banks stars as Joy, a traditional suburban Chicago housewife in the 1960s. Joy has a loving but busy lawyer husband Will (Chris Messina) and a 14-year-old daughter Charlotte (Grace Edwards). Joy is newly pregnant, and keeps having dizzy spells and passes out in her kitchen. Her doctor diagnoses a congenital heart blockage that threatens her life, unless the pregnancy is terminated - the only treatment...

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Here's Your Sundance 2022

by Jason Adams

The main line-up for the 2022 edition of the Sundance Film Festival was announced this afternoon -- can I get a huzzah? Running from January 20th through the 30th they'll be screening 82 feature films and assorted other cinematic ephemera over the course of those ten days -- they're keeping themselves to the middle space in between in-person and virtual for their 2022 edition, with everything premiering in person in Utah and then subsequently screening via their (truly outstanding) online platform for those of us who can't make it to the mountains, for whatever reason. Like, for instance, the still-happening pandemic, which is certainly my own personal reason for only attending virtually again this time, and which it would be irresponsible for me to not recommend you all take into account. (That said their safety protocols seem very much on point, so your own mileage may vary.) 

I've got the entire press release with the word on everything announced today way down below -- and you can check out each title even more thoroughly on the fest's website, of course -- but I figured before that megaton of information I'd go ahead and poison your opinions with my opinions, highlighting ten movies that are immediately leaping forward onto my face for one particular reason or another.  

Sharp Stick -- Lena Dunham's new movie, her first in over a decade, will surely, as with everything Dunham-related, invite enthusiastic conversation from all angles. That's one way to say it! People sure do have opinions on her and her work, and the story here... 

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Showbiz History: Streisand makes history and Elijah Wood turns 40

6 random things that happened on this day, January 28th, in showbiz history...

1973 The 30th Golden Globes with The Godfather and Cabaret both winning Best Picture setting up their nail-biting historic Oscar night. Also on this night Diana Ross won the "New Star of the Year" award for playing Billie Holliday in Lady Sings the Blues for which she'd also be Oscar-nominated. Will Andra Day be as awards-lucky in the forthcoming United States vs. Billie Holliday?

1978 The 35th Golden Globes with The Turning Point and The Goodbye Girl winning the Best Picture prizes...

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Showbiz History: Sigourney's Wedding, Matthau's Centennial, and Johnny's First Guest

10 random things that happened on this day, October 1st, in showbiz history

1920 Walter Matthau born in New York. He goes on to become a Tony and Oscar winning film star with muliple hits spanning four decades in the 60s, 70s, and 90s including Charade, The Odd Couple, Cactus Flower, The Sunshine Boys, California Suite, Bad News Bears, and Grumpy Old Men  Happy Walter Matthau Centennial -- do you have a favourite of his?

1937 Madame X, starring Gladys George, is released in movie theaters. It's the fourth film adaptation of the play and there would be six more including the arguably most famous version in 1966 starring Lana Turner. 

1962 Johnny Carson hosts The Tonight Show for the first time. The legend Joan Crawford is his guest...

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