News

FremantleMedia North America has made a massive shift at the helm of its signature scripted series, “American Gods.” Bryan Fuller and Michael Green, who adapted the series from the Neil Gaiman novel, are departing the show, and it’s unclear how that might impact production on Season 2.

According to multiple insiders, Fremantle had a falling out with Fuller and Green due to a debate over budgets. One noted that Fremantle wasn’t factoring season-to-season cost increases, as well as an bump in the exchange rate with Canada, where the show is filmed. Ultimately, that would have meant a cut in the show’s episodic budget, which is already high because it doesn’t have any standing sets. Budget concerns forced an impasse between both sides, ultimately leading to the decision to part ways.

Both Fuller and Green have busy plates beyond “Gods,” which may have also led to the change.

The Slamdance Film Festival announced today their narrative and documentary feature film competition for its 24th Festival edition, taking place January 19-25, 2018 in Park City. Established in 1995 by a group of filmmakers whose work had been rejected by the Sundance Film Festival, Slamdance is dedicated to fostering a community for independent emerging artists, fashioning itself “the premiere film festival by filmmakers, for filmmakers.”

The feature competition includes 16 premieres, mostly produced in the U.S. All competition films are feature length directorial debuts with budgets of less than $1 million Usd, and without Us distribution. In addition, the festival announced a new partnership with alumni Anthony and Joe Russo (“Captain America: Civil War,” and “Avengers: Infinity War”) to establish the inaugural Russo Fellowship award. Every participating filmmaker will be eligible for a $25,000 cash prize and mentorship from the Russos in the development of the winner’s next project at the brothers’ Los Angeles studio.

Looking for some frights to dig into after your Thanksgiving feasts? We have you covered with today's Horror Highlights, which includes release details for Friends Don't Let Friends, the chilling synopsis for 11th Hour Cleaning, and the trailer for the scary short film Balloon.

Friends Don't Let Friends Trailer & Release Details: Press Release: "Gravitas Ventures has acquired Friends Don’t Let Friends for North American release this November. We have a release date of November 28th

Official Synopsis: As a group of friends come together to cover up a murder, they end up stranded deep in the desert, and have to band together to make it out alive. The further they venture into the darkness, the closer they come to discovering that each one of them is more dangerous than anyone had ever realized. It’s only a matter of time before they understand… Four people can keep a secret,...

The next time the Satellite of Love is subjected to terrible movies, it’ll be on Netflix’s dollar. As announced on Thursday, the cult series “Mystery Science Theater 3000” (also known as “MST3K: The Return”) will be returning for a second season sometime — per the lyrics of the show’s theme song — “in the not-too-distant future.”

The announcement came at the end of the now annual “MST3K” Turkey Day Marathon, as stars Felicia Day and Jonah Ray, alongside creator Joel Hodgson, shared the news. Check out their reaction below:

“MST3K” has had quite the journey since its inception nearly 30 years ago. After an epic run that began in 1989, eventually migrating from local Minneapolis TV to Comedy Central and the Sci-Fi Channel, “MST3K” was initially canceled in 1999. Then, it returned to its fans after a record-breaking Kickstarter campaign. While the first season of the show, released by Netflix in April 2017, was thus fan-sponsored,...

See Trailer Link

Chopso is the ultimate streaming destination for English-language Asian content worldwide which includes movies, documentaries, short films, TV and digital series…

All Asian, all English, 24/7! For $4.95/month or $49.95/year, customers can stream Chopso’s library anytime via the app (on iOS — App Store Link & Android devices — Play Store Link) or website worldwide (www.Chopso.com).

The service will kick off the launch with exclusive content including two 20th Anniversary re-issuings of Chris Tashima’s Oscar winning short Visas and Virtues and the HD restorations of Quentin Lee and Justin Lin’s Shopping for Fangs.

“Asian Americans and English speaking Asian cultures globally are underserved and underrepresented in entertainment” says Chopso’s CEO, Koji Sakai. In 2016, Asian Americans were the biggest U.S. moviegoers of any ethnic group, dethroning Hispanics by seeing 1.5 more movies on average that year; and according to exhibition lobbying from the National Association of...

By 1985 Hollywood had still only dabbled in movies about the ‘shame that cannot speak its name,’ and in every case the verdict for the transgressors was regret and misery, if not death. Donna Deitch’s brilliant drama achieves exactly what she wanted, to do make a movie about a lesbian relationship that doesn’t end in a tragedy.

Desert Hearts

Blu-ray

The Criterion Collection 902

1985 / Color / 1:85 widescreen / 96 min. / available through The Criterion Collection / Street Date November 14, 2017 / 39.95

Starring: Helen Shaver, Patricia Charbonneau, Audra Lindley, Andra Akers, Gwen Welles, Dean Butler, James Staley, Katie La Bourdette, Alex McArthur, Tyler Tyhurst, Denise Crosby, Antony Ponzini, Brenda Beck, Jeffrey Tambor.

Cinematography: Robert Elswit

Film Editor: Robert Estrin

Production Design: Jeannine Oppewall

Written by Natalie Cooper from the novel by Jane Rule

Produced and Directed by Donna Deitch

Desert Hearts is a fine movie that’s also one of the first features ever about a lesbian romance,...

“She feels like prey. She lives in a completely predatory world. Her job is to not respond to endless amounts of harassment and violence.”

This is how writer and producer Sarah Polley describes the central character of the Netflix/CBC miniseries “Alias Grace.” This is also a statement that makes the based-on-real-events story of Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon), a 19th-century Canadian woman who spent years in prison after being convicted of murder, infinitely relatable to many women yesterday and today, but hopefully less so tomorrow.

“I think a lot of what [‘Alias Grace’] explores is what it meant to be a woman and how much it meant to be a young woman at that time, but also what it means to be a young woman at any time, when especially it’s exaggerated in Grace Marks’ case,” Polley told IndieWire. “I think a lot of women can relate to that, right now...

1. “Godless” Season 1 (available November 22)

Why Should I Watch It? “Godless” reunites the duo behind “Out of Sight”: Scott Frank (who wrote the 1998 crime romance starring George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez) pens and directs the new seven-episode limited series, while Steven Soderbergh serves as an executive producer. Aside from these two acclaimed artists (Frank also wrote “Minority Report” and “Logan”), the Netflix original stars Emmy winner Jeff Daniels, Emmy winner Merritt Wever, Emmy nominee Michelle Dockery, and future winner of all the awards, Scoot McNairy. Throw in a classic Western story about a notorious criminal (Daniels) with a gang of outlaws who seek vengeance on a former member (Jack O’Connell) holed up in a mining town governed by women, and “Godless” has all the makings of a great genre entry with all the right modern touches.

Best Episode: Reviews are embargoed until November 15, so we can’t say which...

Looks like The Handmaid’s Tale will be showing us the backstory of Alexis Bledel’s Emily/Ofglen, because Veep‘s Clea DuVall has been cast as Emily’s wife in Season 2, TVLine has learned.

RelatedHandmaid’s Tale: Alexis Bledel Upped to Series Regular for Season 2

DuVall will recur as Sylvia, the wife to whom Ofglen referred in the Hulu drama’s series premiere. From the character info, it seems like we’ll get a flashback to Emily and Sylvia’s attempt to get their young son to safety in Canada as the Gilead regime rapidly extends its control over America.

Wes Anderson fans traveling to Ontario, Canada have a new destination where they need to stay. Introducing Mr. Anderson’s House, a two-bedroom Airbnb house located in Prince Edward County where every single room is devoted to a different Wes Anderson movie. The house is listed at approximately $186 per weeknight and $206 per weekend night and comes with free wi-fi. The home sleeps four people and has ample backyard space, including a fenced-in yard, a large deck, and a BBQ.

Read More:Wes Anderson Movies Ranked From Worst To Best

The official Airbnb description for the home reads: “Each room in this home is themed after a different film in director Wes Anderson’s repertoire, some more subtly than others. This house is a love letter to him, and an ever-evolving design project. Mr. Anderson’s House is a century home in the wine and culture-rich County of Prince Edward. It...

When IndieWire got “Star Trek: Discovery’s” official Klingon translator on the phone, we thought it’d be fun to greet her using the Klingon word for “hello.” However, as Robyn Stewart explained, that was technically impossible.

“One does not say ‘hello’ in Klingon,” she said. “One simply gets to the point. If I were to answer the phone in Klingon, I would probably say–” she barked out a guttural string of words “–which means roughly, ‘What do you want?’ And then you’d launch into the interview. It’s a Klingon thing, that you don’t say, ‘Hi, how are you, how’s your mother?’ The Klingon is getting enraged in that conversation. He’s like, ‘Are they setting me up?'”

It’s this sort of cultural insight that Stewart brought to CBS All Access’ new iteration of “Star Trek,” one which doubled down on ensuring a level...

Ithaca Fantastik Festival 2017 returns this November in Ithaca, New York, and we have details on what will be screening at the festival, including the new horror comedy Tragedy Girls. Also in today's Highlights: Bram Stoker busts, details on the short film Terror at Station 13, a look at a new teaser trailer for Shortwave, information on 2-Headed Shark Attack screenings, and a new Prodigy teaser trailer.

Ithaca Fantastik Festival 2017 Lineup Announced: Press Release: "Ithaca, NY, September 19, 2017 - The Ithaca Fantastik (If) festival returns to Ithaca, New York, November 3-12, 2017 with a carefully curated selection of new and classic genre films. With less than a month and a half to go, If is announcing exciting changes, its first wave of titles, and a truly inspired retrospective!

Returning audiences will notice an expanded schedule as the festival grows from half a week to a full nine days. The festival’s two weekends will...

Aiming to make an impact this Oscar season, the inaugural Animation Is Film Festival from GKids, the Annecy International Animation Festival, Variety, and Acifa-Hollywood launches October 20-22 at the Tcl Chinese 6 Theater.

The festival will present a selection of new animated feature films from Asia, Europe, South America, and North America, with juried and audience prizes and filmmakers attending most screenings. Additionally, the festival will feature studio events, special screenings, short film programs, and a Vr lounge.

Aif seems well timed: The Academy now allows all members to vote for animated features, using preferential voting. However, it remains to be seen what the dynamic will be in terms of mainstream versus indie nominees.

GKids, which has nine Oscar nominations (including this year’s “My Life as a Zucchini”), has seven movies in contention this season; four showcase in competition at Aif. The highlight is “The Breadwinner” (October 20), a coproduction of Ireland,...

"You play a good game, boy, but the game is over. Now you die!" Keep an eye out for flying Sentinel Spheres, because the the Tall Man and his undead army are coming to home media in a new DVD collection featuring all five Phantasm films, and Well Go USA has provided us with one DVD set to give away to one lucky Daily Dead reader!

---------

Prize Details: (1) Winner will receive (1) 5-Film Phantasm Collection on DVD.

How to Enter: We're giving Daily Dead readers multiple chances to enter and win:

1. Instagram: Following us on Instagram during the contest period will give you an automatic contest entry. Make sure to follow us at:

https://www.instagram.com/dailydead/

2. Email: For a chance to win via email, send an email to contest@dailydead.com with the subject “Phantasm DVD Collection Contest”. Be sure to include your name and mailing address.

Entry...

With TV being an increasing presence at films festivals these days, it can only makes sense that “Alias Grace,” a show based on a book by arguably Canada’s greatest living novelist, based on a famous true Canadian murder case, co-produced by national broadcaster CBC, and directed and written by two of their top film talents, would be the prize of the Tiff TV selection.

The second major small-screen adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s work this year after the hit “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Alias Grace” adapts her 1996 novel about the famous 1843 murders in Upper Canada of a wealthy man and his housekeeper at the hands of two of their servants, with “American Psycho” helmer Mary Harron directing, and Sarah Polley writing the screenplay.

Continue reading Full Trailer For Netflix’s ‘Alias Grace’ Starring Sarah Gadon & Anna Paquin at The Playlist.

Sarah Polley is done skirting around the issues. “I’m done trying to make elegant films that subtly talk about something. This isn’t the time for that,” the actress turned director said of the pervasive sexual harassment and gender inequality in film and television. “There are things that would make your blood run cold. And women have just had to put up with it.”

Polley is in Toronto with “Alias Grace,” her new series based on the novel of the same name by Margaret Atwood. Helmed by “American Psycho” director Mary Harron, and adapted for the screen by Polley, the series boasts all female producers but one. It is based on the true story of Grace Marks, a housemaid and Irish immigrant who was imprisoned in 1843 for the murder of her employer. Polley had long harbored visions of adapting the true crime story, and after a string of critically successful feature films,...

Every year, the new fall TV lineup not only features established performers, but new talent on the verge of being truly embraced by the mainstream.

IndieWire has identified 17 of those relatively fresh faces poised to break out from this year’s crop of freshman comedies and dramas. Not everyone on lists like these goes onto blockbuster success, but one of the most exciting things about new shows is discovering emerging talent — and what they’re capable of. In past years, we’ve seen new stars emerge on shows across the spectrum of platforms, and in 2017 we have our theories who might end up being the stand-out performers for this season.

Important note: Because this list is humans-only, we tragically omitted giant teleporting puppy Lockjaw, from “Marvel’s Inhumans.” As soon as we have the time to celebrate all the great CGI characters currently on television, Lockjaw’s a lock.

Here...

If you've been howling at the moon with anticipation for the further hairy adventures of lycanthrope Lou Garou and you live north of the Us border, then you're in luck, because Vortex Words + Pictures has teamed up withA71 Entertainment and Black Fawn Distribution to release Another WolfCop (read Heather Wixson's interview with director Lowell Dean here) in Canadian theaters on December 8th before bringing the sequel to Blu-ray, DVD, and digital platforms in 2018:

Press Release: Toronto, Canada (August 30, 2017) – Vortex Words + Pictures have announced a new partnership with A71 Entertainment and Black Fawn Distribution to release the outrageously funny horror sequel, Another WolfCop in Canada. The film is a direct sequel to the 2014 festival cult hit WolfCop. Leo Fafard returns as WolfCop, with Yannick Bisson (TV’s Murdoch Mysteries) starring as super villain Sydney Swallows. The film also features special appearances from Canadian music icon Gowan and legendary filmmaker Kevin Smith.

Yesterday we dropped our Fall TV Preview, featuring twenty-five shows that are worth putting on your radar, but that’s just scratching the surface. There are plenty of options to choose from, and one to certainly keep an eye out for is “Tin Star,” which is crossing the pond from the U.K. to land on U.S. shores.

Led by Christina Hendricks and Tim Roth, with Abigail Lawrie, Oliver Coopersmith, Christopher Heyerdahl, Stephen Walters, Ian Puleston-Davies, Roark Critchlow, Sarah Podemski, Ryan Kennedy, and Kevin Hanchard in support, the series follows a former UK cop who relocates with his family to the Canadian Rockies to where he once again takes the shield, only to find himself up against some formidable, criminal opposition.

Continue reading ‘Tin Star’ Trailer: Tim Roth & Christina Hendricks Battle In Canada at The Playlist.

If you've read my retrospective interviews on the series or heard me rave about it on our high school-themed episode of Corpse Club, then you know that I absolutely adore the Crowley High kids who for two years were "fighting evil with mixed results" on the TV series Todd & The Book of Pure Evil. Years after the show was prematurely canceled, the cast and crew of the cult series are reuniting for one more blood-spattered ride in the animated film Todd & The Book of Pure Evil: The End of the End, and Raven Banner has revealed the official trailer for the film ahead of its release this fall.

Press Release: Toronto, On (August 22nd, 2017) - Several well known characters and actors return in Raven Banner Releasing’s Todd & The Book of Pure Evil: The End of the End: The Animated Feature Film. This time Todd (Alex House), Jenny...

The Pike Drive-In Theater in Montgomery, Pa, has an upcoming double feature that will leave horror fans squirming with antici... pation, as they will host back-to-back screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and George A. Romero's Dawn of the Dead this September. In addition to more details on that event, we also have The Devil's Candy Blu-ray, the Realive trailer, and key art and stills from The Lodgers in today's Horror Highlights.

Spookerroo Spectacular Returns to the Pike Drive-in Theater: Press Release: "The Pike Drive-in Theater in Montgomery, Pa is bringing a unique screening of two of among the most popular, retro horror classics of all time Friday and Saturday Night Sept. 15 and 16, 2017.

The double feature playing each night will be The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), the cult horror comedy musical and long-time midnight screening perennial at indoor theaters, and the original (1978) Dawn of the Dead, the zombies-invade-a-shopping-mall...

When Jessica Chastain condemned cinematic portrayals of women after spending 10 days as a Cannes Film Festival juror, Maggie Gyllenhaal had deja vu: She had a similar experience as a member of the Berlin International Film Festival’s jury in February. After watching 25 movies in two weeks, the actress grew frustrated.

“There were some amazing performances by women, but one of them was about this woman obsessed with her lover, and in two others, the women were mentally ill,” she said. “So I really related to what Jessica Chastain said. In my life, I think there have been very few representations of women that feel like something I can actually recognize as relating to my experience.”

Now, as a producer on both of her upcoming projects, she’s finding a new way to address that challenge.

Gyllenhaal was speaking from the set of “The Kindergarten Teacher,” the second film from writer-director Sara Colangelo,...

By Peter Belsito

Two Gay Dads. One Meddling Tiger Mom. What Could Go Wrong?

Coming out on DVD, Blu-ray & VOD in the U.S. & Canada August 15 from Gravitas Ventures.

Starring: Grace Guei, Barney Cheng and Michael Adam Hamilton

I really enjoyed this feature length comedy about modern international gay and family life and what modern parenthood can involve.

Oscar-winning producer Li-Kong Su (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and Stephen Israel (Swimming With Sharks, G.B.F.), give us Baby Steps, a comedy-drama directed, written and starring Barney Cheng about gay family issues in complicated dynamic of a cross-cultural and multi-generational Taiwanese-American family.

Danny, a Taiwanese-American man, longs to have a baby with his American boyfriend Tate, but their attempts at international surrogacy are complicated by Danny’s meddling mom, who wants to control every aspect of the process — all the way from Taipei. She descends upon them and their life together and proceeds...

For the third year, the Toronto International Film Festival is bringing TV to the well-respected fest, spotlighting a few highly anticipated upcoming series from Netflix, HBO, and Starz, along with international entries representing new voices in the marketplace.

Read More:tiff Adds More Titles, Including ‘The Florida Project,’ ‘Molly’s Game,’ New Films From Brie Larson and Louis C.K., and Many More

As with last year, Tiff is focusing the Primetime line-up on a limited selection of options, but screening multiple episodes of its five picks. According to Tiff programmer Michael Lerman, the limited number of selections was part of a festival-wide decision to shrink the number of events down, in order to “tighten up the focus a little bit.”

“That way, we can hyperfocus on [the screenings] and make them the best events they can be,” he told IndieWire.

Making its Canadian debut will be HBO’s “The Deuce,” the highly anticipated...

Exhumed Films is resurrecting some beloved horror favorites from the 1970s and ’80s and projecting them onto the big screen at Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers, including Friday the 13th Part III, starring my original horror crush and maybe yours, too, Jason Voorhees! And also, we have release details for Escape Room, Paperbacks From Hell, Ghastlies, and Mountain Fever, as well as information on the new book Godzilla Faq.

Exhumed Films' Guilty Pleasures IV Marathon: Press Release: "Exhumed Films Presents: Guilty Pleasures IV--in 3-D!

Exhumed Films is pleased to return to the Alamo Drafthouse Yonkers to present the fourth edition of The Guilty Pleasures Marathon, our annual assault of cinematic insanity. For this year’s marathon, we present some of the greatest 3-D films of all time, projected from original 35mm prints using state of the art technology! The 1970’s and 1980’s saw a resurgence of three-dimensional movies, particularly in the realm of genre cinema.

Anyone who grew up in the ’80s is familiar with their unforgettable names and faces. The Garbage Pail Kids Topps trading cards and 1987 movie are embedded in the brains of a generation, and Indican Pictures' new documentary 30 Years of Garbage: The Garbage Pail Kids Story explores the phenomenon like never before. In today's Horror Highlights, we also have details on the Hexploitation Film Festival, The Eyes home media release info, and the trailer for Brian Sepanzyk's Compulsion.

30 Years of Garbage: The Garbage Pail Kids Story: Press Release: "West Hollywood, California (Tuesday, August 8th) - Indican Pictures is set to release the pivotal documentary on the Garbage Pail Kids. Titled 30 Years of Garbage: The Garbage Pail Kids Story, this documentary revisits the artists, who made these collectibles famous. Showing a rare glimpse into the corporate culture of Topps as they launched Garbage Pail Kids through the height of the cards fame,...

The only thing 13-year-old Bea wants in this world is a best friend, and when her lazy summer is interrupted by the introduction of the outspoken Kate, it appears as if she is finally getting her wish. But in lauded Canadian filmmaker Ingrid Veninger’s newest Tiff premiere, “Porcupine Lake,” what initially seems like a fast-moving friendship takes on a new dimension as the pair grow even closer together over the course of one fateful summer.

Read More:tiff Reveals Full Canadian Lineup, Including ‘Alias Grace’ Series Premiere and Restored Classics

Born in Bratislava and raised in Canada, Veninger formed pUNK Films in 2003 with a “nothing is impossible” manifesto. In 2014, she initiated the pUNK Films Femmes Lab to foster feature films written and directed by Canadian women, sponsored by Academy Award winner Melissa Leo. “Porcupine Lake” is her sixth feature as writer/director/producer, following her 2015 feature “He Hated Pigeons” and...

At this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, the annual event will pay tribute to its home country with a number of options that span the past, present, and future of Canadian creativity. Per usual, the fest has unveiled a slew of titles that will make up its Canadian feature slate — 26 in all — with an eye towards advancing not only established Canadian filmmakers, but rising stars as well.

This year’s Canadian lineup boasts one of the highest numbers of feature directorial debuts ever, as well as one of the highest numbers of films from Western Canada in recent years. Over 30% of the titles have a first-time feature director, while seven out of nine are Tiff alumni.

Read More:tiff’s Platform Selection: How the Festival’s Buzziest Slate is Pivoting After Launching ‘Moonlight’

“It is exciting to see a new wave of Canadian first-time feature directors play with genres and take risks,...

Every week, IndieWire asks a select handful of TV critics two questions and publishes the results on Tuesday. (The answer to the second, “What is the best show currently on TV?” can be found at the end of this post.)

This week’s question: Which lesser known network or streaming service deserves more love? Why?

Damian Holbrook (@damianholbrook), TV Guide Magazine

I just wrote about this for TVInsider.com! Recently, I am obsessed with truTV, which has unleashed two of my favorite summer programs: “The Chris Gethard Show” and Andrea Savage’s perfect “I’m Sorry.” The first is the “Pee Wee’s Playhouse” of live late-night talk shows featuring the supremely likable comedian and the second, sort of a “Curb Your Enthusiasm” for suburban marrieds, Finally gives Savage a chance to carry a show after years of scene-stealing support. Originally designed as a true-crime network, the rebranding to comedy (and edgy comedy at that!

Kicking off this September in Atlanta, Georgia, the inaugural Women in Horror Film Festival's full schedule has been announced, including an impressive slate of diverse films and special guests such as Jen and Sylvia Soska, Heather Langenkamp, Amanda Wyss, and Greg Nicotero.

We have the full Women in Horror Film Festival schedule below, and to learn more, be sure to visit the fest's official website.

"Thursday Sept 21, 2017

5:30pm-7:30pm - Casual cocktail hour in the hotel bar to meet/mingle with guests

7:30pm - 8:00pm - Photos on the Dead Carpet

8:00pm-12:00am - VIP Party at the Crowne Plaza

Friday Sept 22, 2017

8am-10am - Casual breakfast for hotel guests

11am - 11:45am Stunt Demo with John Nittolo and Julienne Joyner

12pm - 1:45pm - Short Block - Thriller

Suffer (Canada) - Filip Terlecki (Writer/Director)

Caravan (Australia) - Nathan Lacey (Director...

This year’s Toronto International Film Festival will open with Janus Metz’s fact-based “Borg/McEnroe,” starring Shia Labeouf and Sverrir Gudnason as the eponymous tennis players at the heart of its story, which chronicles one of sports’ greatest rivalries.

The film will kick off the festival on Thursday, September 7, with a world premiere at Toronto’s own Roy Thomson Hall. The festival will close out with Olivier Nakache and Eric Toledo’s “C’est la vie!,” and the Special Presentations section will open with Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut, “Lady Bird,” and close with Amr Salama’s “Sheikh Jackson.”

Read MoreTIFF Reveals First Slate of 2017 Titles, Including ‘The Shape of Water,’ ‘Downsizing,’ and ‘Call Me By Your Name’

“‘Borg/McEnroe’ has a powerful tension about it that is on par with the electric energy of Toronto on opening night,” Piers Handling, director and CEO of Tiff, said in a statement.

It’s a strong group of limited releases for a July weekend: Kathryn Bigelow’s “Detroit,” “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power,” and the Yiddish-language “Menashe” all performed well, as did Sony Pictures Classics’ “Bigsby Bear.”

Opening

Detroit (Annapurna) – Metacritic: 86

$365,455 in 20 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $18,273

Kathryn Bigelow’s first film since “Zero Dark Thirty” is the first released by Megan Ellison’s production company through its own distributor. With reviews nearly as strong as “Zero” and “The Hurt Locker” but shifting to the home front in this recounting of the Detroit riots exactly 50 years ago, this opened in 10 markets ahead of its wide release this Friday. This is a tough subject, however well received, and Annapurna and its team has a challenge opening this outside of the festival/awards season and finding a wide swath of African-American and other upscale audiences.

Read More‘Detroit’ Review: Kathryn Bigelow’s...

Stana Katic is an FBI agent accused of having a hand in her own mysterious “murder”/vanishing in the first trailer for Absentia.

RelatedStana Katic’s Absentia Thriller Gets First Teaser

Sony Pictures Television Networks’ Axn on Thursday released a trailer for the thriller series, which stars the Castle alum and (Update) is thisclose to announcing its Stateside home after securing outlets in Canada and several other countries. (Rumors of Crackle having closed a deal to stream the series in the U.S. were debunked weeks ago by TVLine.)

A trailer without subtitles appears below:

Rt and tweet us...

“This means something. This is important.” Prior to the 4th of July holiday, this mysterious video was released sparking a wildfire of internet buzz over the below teaser. Was it a clever way to announce a remake or sequel? Either way it was pretty awesome.

Now we know.

A 40th Anniversary trailer and poster have landed for Sony Pictures Close Encounters Of The Third Kind. The film will be re-released in cinemas September 1, 2017.

As a highlight of the celebration, the film has been restored and remastered in 4K and will be returning to the big screen in the United States and Canada. The Director’s Cut will receive an exclusive 1 week engagement in theaters across the country starting September 1, as well as a World Premiere in the Venezia Classici section of the Venice International Film Festival.

In their original review from 1977, The Hollywood Reporter wrote:

“To get to the bottom line with minimum delay,...

As “The Big Sick” crosses over to 2,500 theaters and “Dunkirk” takes up all the oxygen as the best-reviewed film of the year, this is a quiet moment for specialized releases. Here’s where they stand.

Read More‘Landline’ First Trailer: Gillian Robespierre and Jenny Slate Reunite For A Must-See Summer Indie

Opening

Landline (Magnolia) Metacritic: 65; Festivals include: Sundance, San Francisco, Seattle 2017

$52,336 in 4 theaters; PTA (per theater average): $13,084

Amazon brought Magnolia on board to handle theatrical on this Sundance acquisition, a complicated family drama about adult kids dealing with parental infidelity and sibling dynamics, with an eclectic cast including Edie Falco, John Turturro, and Jenny Slate. Opening in four top New York/Los Angeles theaters, this scored the best numbers for the weekend but otherwise not especially impressive. Saturday grosses fell slightly from Friday (in-person appearances were a likely factor).

What comes next: Magnolia adds 35 new dates this Friday...

Harry Styles stopped by The Tonight Show on Wednesday, where he revealed his secret desire to host the iconic talk show.

Sitting down with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday, the musician was presented with a small jade bottle Fallon received from beloved musician Stevie Nicks when she was a musical guest years ago.

"She said, 'Jimmy, open the bottle, blow into it and make a wish, and that wish will come true.' And I did," Fallon recounted. "I won't tell you what the wish was, but, you're here!"

According to Fallon, the wish he actually made came true, so he thought it would be a great opportunity for Styles to make a magic wish of his own.

Watch: Harry Styles Looks Dapper at 'Dunkirk' Premiere

After apprehensively taking the small bottle, Styles gently blew into it and sealed it back up quickly.

Immediately upon closing the bottle, Fallon clutched...

There is no such thing as too much Jennifer Jason Leigh. After a high-profile turn in “Twin Peaks,” the beloved actress Leigh returns to television as a lead in a promising new Netflix series about a teenage boy on the autism spectrum. The show is called “Atypical,” and it handles its subject with humor and grace, as evidenced by a charming first trailer released today.

Read More‘Alias Grace’ Trailer: Netflix’s Period Murder Mystery Brings the Chill to 1840s Canada

Serving as an executive producer, Leigh looks to join contemporaries Mary Louise Parker and Toni Collette, who both received mid-career bumps from prestige television shows where they played unhinged mothers. (Parker on “Weeds,” and Collette with “United Sates of Tara”). The connection is also in the casting: “United States of Tara” actor Keir Gilchrist plays Sam, an 18-year-old on the autism spectrum who craves love and a “normal” life.

Hulu hit a homerun this spring with its first foray into prestige television, the superb adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s “The Handmaid’s Tale.” And now, Netflix is getting into the Atwood adaptation game.

Based on the author’s award-winning 1996 novel of the same name, “Alias Grace” is inspired by the true story of Grace Marks (Sarah Gadon), a servant in Upper Canada who was accused, alongside James McDermott (Kerr Logan), of the notorious 1843 murders of her employer, wealthy farmer Thomas Kinnear (Paul Gross), and his housekeeper Nancy Montgomery (Anna Paquin).

Continue reading First Trailer For Netflix’s Margaret Atwood Adaptation ‘Alias Grace’ at The Playlist.

Netflix executives put a positive spin on recent cancellations, noting a 93% renewal rate for original programming, which they say is much higher than most traditional television networks. In an interview with investors discussing second quarter results, chief content officer Ted Sarandos emphasized the need to take creative programming risks: “If you’re not failing, maybe you’re not trying hard enough,” he said.

Read More‘Sense8’ Is Still Not Coming Back, Says Netflix: ‘We Wish We Could’

The streaming platform upset fans earlier this year when it announced it would not renew two high-profile shows: The Wachowski siblings’ “Sense8,” and Baz Luhrmann’s “The Get Down.” Both shows reportedly had very high production budgets. The critically lauded “Bloodline,” a thriller from the creators of “Damages,” was also canceled. “The more shows we have, the more likely in absolute numbers that you’ll see cancellations, of course,” Sarandos said.

Though...

The 2011 Canadian hockey comedy “Goon” did pretty well up north, which isn’t a surprise given that, for more than half the year, hockey is king. What is surprising is that south of the border, the slight, and frankly not very good movie earned a cult following. Granted, it’s a very small cult, but, nonetheless, it’s enough that the sequel, “Goon: Last Of The Enforcers,” is making its way to cinemas stateside after playing in Canada.

Continue reading New Trailer For ‘Goon: Last Of The Enforcers’ Hits The Ice at The Playlist.

With Terror Films recently unleashing Night of Something Strange on digital platforms, we've been provided with an exclusive clip and digital trading card (one of eight that are being revealed online) to share with Daily Dead readers. In today's Horror Highlights, we also have DVD release details for Teen Wolf Season 6, Part 1, and information on Cthulhu: the Musical's Portland performances.

Night of Something Strange Exclusive Clip & Digital Trading Card: Press Release: "Los Angeles (July 6, 2017) Terror Films is releasing the Std infected zombie movie Night Of Something Strange across multiple worldwide digital platforms beginning on Friday, July 7. To celebrate, they are also releasing 8 digital trading cards and 8 movie clips that will be available on select Horror Blogs and Websites.

It’s Spring Break! Five teenage friends – (who are lucky enough to have Scream Queen Brinke Stevens as their high school teacher!) - set out for the beach only to have...

A Fourth of July get-together turns into a feeding frenzy—with humans on the menu—in The Evil In Us, and we have release details and a trailer in today's Horror Highlights, which also includes a clip from Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Night of Something Strange, and 6:66 Pm.

The Evil in Us Trailer & Release Details: "Six school friends meet up for a fourth of July celebration on a remote island off the Washington coast for a weekend of fun and partying. But the good times quickly turn into a nightmare when they unknowingly take a new bio-active drug containing a virus that causes fits of psychotic rage. Only one girl, Brie, doesn’t take the drug and she alone must fight to stay alive as her friends slowly turn into bloodthirsty cannibals. Trapped on the island, Brie must endure the unimaginable and fight for her life.

When you go camping, you never know who you might encounter in the isolated wilderness, and the new poster for IFC Midnight's Killing Ground sends a foreboding message to outdoor enthusiasts. Also in today's Horror Highlights is a trailer for The Sublet and clips and release details for the horror comedy Hank Boyd is Dead.

Killing Ground Poster: Written and directed by Damien Power, Killing Ground stars Stephen Hunter, Harriet Dyer, Aaron Pederson, Ian Meadows, and Aaron Glenane. IFC Midnight will release Killing Ground in theaters and on VOD beginning July 21st. In case you missed it, read our own Heather Wixson's Sundance review of Killing Ground.

Synopsis: "A couple’s romantic camping trip becomes a desperate fight for survival in this ultra-raw, unhinged kill ride. In need of a break from the pressures of their life in the city, Sam (Harriet Dyer) and Ian (Ian Meadows) head...

They may be known for giving their family unconditional love, chewy chocolate chip cookies, and priceless advice from their years of experience on this Earth, but grandma and grandpa have something else in store for loved ones in Granny of the Dead, a new zombie horror comedy that comes out this July from Level 33 Entertainment.

Press Release: Los Angeles (CA) – Level 33 Entertainment announced today the official release of award-winning horror film Granny Of The Dead in the United States and Canada. The film starsMarcus Carroll (Monstrum), Abigail Hamilton (The Hatching, Let’s Be Frank), Oliver Ferriman(“Torchwood”), William Huw (Ferris & The Fancy Pigeon), and Sabrina Dickens (Is This Now, Cruel Summer). Granny Of The Dead hits select theaters and all On Demand platforms including Amazon, Dish, iTunes, Google Play, Microsoft, Verizon Fios and Vudu beginning on July 14, 2017.

Granny Of The Dead was written, directed and produced by multiple festival award...

Gloria's haunted past comes back to reclaim her in the eerie trailer for The Heretics, the latest film from director Chad Archibald (Bite).

Press Release: Toronto, Canada (June 27, 2017) – From Black Fawn Films and Breakthrough Entertainment, the team that brought you the smash indie hits, Bite, Let Her Out, Bed of the Dead and Antisocial, brings what Howard Gorman at Scream Magazine calls "Brutally unpredictable bombshells and harrowing chills aplenty” - The Heretics. The Heretics also graces the June 2017 issue of Scream Magazine with a full front cover feature and extensive interview with Black Fawn Films inside.

The official trailer for The Heretics is here; starring Nina Kiri (TV’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Let Her Out), Ry Barrett (The Drownsman, Neverlost, and The Demolisher) and, with a breakout performance from Australian new comer Jorja Cadence. The Heretics was produced by Cody Calahan, Chad Archibald and Christopher Giroux with cinematography by...

This year, some 500 filmmakers from 60 countries braved record temperatures to attend the 23rd annual Palm Springs International ShortFest (June 20-26), the largest short film festival and only short film market in North America. Psisf hosted 338 fiction and documentary shorts, 46 World Premieres, 12 International Premieres, 42 North American Premieres and 16 U.S. Premieres.

And more than 4,200 of the festival submissions were available in the Film Market for industry attendees to view online. Check out the complete lineup here.

Designated by AMPAS, BAFTA, and Bifa as an award-qualifying festival, and accredited by the International Short Film Conference, the festival gives its competition filmmakers a chance to secure $20,000 in cash prizes in 21 categories. The Panavision Best North American Short Award winner gets the use of a camera package valued at $60,000. Only the first-place winners in five categories are eligible to vie for an Academy Award nomination. Over 22 years, the Festival has presented 101 films that have...

“Star Trek: Discovery” has been beset by a number of delays throughout its development and production, but at long last, we now know when the series will premiere.

CBS announced that the latest entry into the “Star Trek” franchise will debut on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 8:30 p.m. Et on CBS (time approximate after NFL football and “60 Minutes”) and its streaming service CBS All Access. The second episode will then immediately be available on-demand on CBS All Access.

The show’s 15 episodes will roll out on CBS All Access in two waves: The first eight episodes will roll out weekly on Sundays through early Nov. 5. At that point, the show will go on hiatus and then resume with the remaining seven episodes in January.

Read More: ‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Trailer Analysis: Turnham Is a Badass and 8 Other Things We Learned

Unlike CBS All Access’ first original scripted series “The Good Fight,...

You never know what will be waiting for you in the woods... In today's Horror Highlights, we have two clips from the upcoming thriller Without Name, as well as details on the Nitehawk Shorts Festival Selects program, Frontières returning to the Fantasia International Film Festival, and the official trailer for The Passing.

Without Name Clips: Press Release: "Los Angeles, California (June 16, 2017) - Global Digital Releasing has set a distribution date for the award winning dramatic thriller Without Name. The North American release will be across multiple digital and VOD platforms, beginning Tuesday, June 20.

The story follows land surveyor Eric (Alan McKenna). He travels to a remote, unnamed Irish woodland to assess its suitability for a new development project. However, the assignment it is not as simple as it could be. Intrigued by the woods’ foreboding mysticism, Eric finds himself drawn into a dangerous game that could lead to him becoming...

“Abu” is the Urdu word for “father,” making it a fitting choice for the title of Arshad Khan’s very personal new documentary. The film mixes personal footage, interviews, and even a slew of Bollywood films to tell the story of Khan — a gay man who has long struggled to be authentic to his unaccepting family — and his father, a devout Muslim.

Per the film’s official synopsis, “Abu” is billed as “a journey to the center of a fragmented family as they grapple with religion, sexuality, colonialism and migration. Through a tapestry of narratives composed of family footage, observation and classic Bollywood films, gay-identifying Pakistani Muslim filmmaker Arshad Khan takes viewers through the tense relationships between family and fate, conservatism and liberalism and modernity and familiarity. It is a father and son’s search for that elusive place called ‘home.'”

Read More: Film Festival Roundup: Laff Adds ‘The Beguiled’ and ‘Annabelle: Creation,...

On the big screen, love has been tested by almost everything you can imagine, but there are not so many films where survival in the cold can thwart two hearts that are meant to be together. However, in “The Mountain Between Us,” Idris Elba and Kate Winslet will face just such a challenge.

Directed by Hany Abu-Assad (“Omar“), based on the novel by Charles Martin, and shot in the cold lands of Canada, the film follows two strangers who must come together and survive, following a horrific plane crash that leaves them exposed to the elements.

Continue reading Idris Elba & Kate Winslet Are Stranded In The Cold In First Trailer For ‘The Mountain Between Us’ at The Playlist.