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Some films you know exactly what to expect when you take your seat. Most fall into a defined genre and follow common themes that send you to a satisfying conclusion. But every once in a while, a film comes by that redefines what cinema can be and create something so unique, so unexpected, and so much fun. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, was that gift to South by Southwest,

I have never seen anything quite like Matt Johnson’s follow-up to his 2007 web series Nirvanna the Band the Show. It feels like Back to the Future meets The Butterfly Effect meets a Christopher Guest film, blending genres in a way that is both unpredictable and exhilarating.

Premiering to standing ovations at SXSW, the buzz surrounding Johnson’s latest film is undeniable and after getting a chance to see it, that buzz is incredibly well deserved.

Following the success...

Very few filmmakers get up on stage introducing their movie by saying “You may be the only audience that ever gets to see this film.” Although that may be a bit of an exaggeration for Blackberry director Matt Johnson’s latest movie, Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, this comedy truly gives no f*cks, making it one of the most creative, boundary-pushing films in recent memory.

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie Review

Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie follows the duo of Matt and Jay (fictionalized versions of the creators/stars) as they continue to try to get a show at their coveted music venue, the Rivoli. Only this time, they resort to an unorthodox method to try to secure the gig of their dreams: they build a time machine.

RelatedHolland SXSW Review — Nicole Kidman, Matthew Macfadyen, and Gael Garcia Bernal Impress in Twisty, Sexy...

Exclusive: Leah Fay Goldstein and Peter Dreimanis, the singers of Canadian alt-rock band July Talk, have been set to star in indie feature Middle Life from writer-director Pavan Moondi (Sundowners).

Joining them are Luke Lalonde, lead singer of the band Born Ruffians and who also starred in Moondi’s movie Sundowners, Norah Sadava (Mouthpiece), and actor-comedian Colin Burgess (Dad and Step Dad).

Middle Life follows a new mom who unexpectedly saves a stranger from a roadside accident. Over the next 18 months, the two form an unlikely friendship that shifts their perspectives and adds a spark of spontaneity to their everyday lives.

Pic is produced by Peter Dreimanis, Pavan Moondi, Jared Raab, Leah Fay Goldstein, and Dean Perlmutter of Toronto’s Smash Arts, and is financed independently by undisclosed sources. Executive producers include Josh Warburton of Vulture Culture Films, Mark Homza and Phillipe Leblanc of Time and Tide Entertainment, Chetan Bhanot,...

A biopic of Anthony Bourdain is in the works, with The Holdovers breakout Dominic Sessa in talks to play the late celebrity chef and travel documentarian. As first reported by Deadline, Sessa, who portrayed Angus Tully in the Oscar-nominated film The Holdovers, is in line to play Bourdain in Tony, a biopic from Star Thrower Entertainment, the production company behind The Post, King Richard, and Eternity. The outlet also reports that A24 is in talks with BlackBerry director and co-writer Matt Johnson to helm the project. Johnson is a Canadian actor and filmmaker known for his low-budget independent feature films The Dirties (2013) and Operation Avalanche (2016) and the Vice comedy series Nirvanna the Band the Show. Lou Howe and Todd Bartels wrote the screenplay for the film, while A24 is in talks to produce with Trevor White and Tim White under their Star Thrower banner, along with Johnson and Matthew Miller.

Let’s preheat the oven, there’s an Anthony Bourdain biopic on the menu.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, the ingredients are put together for a film about the beloved chef, traveler and troubadour who became a sensation with the publication of his 2000 memoir “Kitchen Confidential,” and hosted several television series. He tragically died by suicide in 2018.

Dominic Sessa, the young co-star of last year’s Oscar-nominated picture “The Holdovers” is said to be playing the lead in “Tony.”

“Tony” is set up at the tony distributor A24, and given the pedigree of its lead and director, is poised to conquer the mindspace of editors at New York and Los Angeles-based lifestyle publications. A recent feature documentary about Bourdain, “Roadrunner,” was released in 2021 and his book “Kitchen Confidential” was adapted into a Fox sitcom that didn’t quite hit in 2005, starring Bradley Cooper. Bourdain’s television work as a host...

The biographical comedy-drama "BlackBerry" will premiere on AMC as a three-part limited series. The film focuses on the rise and fall of the BlackBerry empire, highlighting the co-founders and an investor. The cast includes Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton, and Matt Johnson, with Matt Johnson also directing the film.

Recent biopic BlackBerry is making its way to the small screen. The biographical comedy-drama directed by Matt Johnson was released in theaters in May of this year, after competing at the 73rd Berlin International Film Festival in February. But its upcoming premiere on AMC will be a little unconventional. AMC has now announced the film's arrival on the small screen on November 13, but they will present it as a three-part limited series, airing one episode per night. Check out the official announcement below:

Get ready to witness the meteoric rise and catastrophic demise of the world's first smartphone.#BlackBerry: The Limited Series...

Exclusive: CAA has signed Matt Johnson and Matthew Miller, the filmmaker collaborators behind the acclaimed dramedy BlackBerry, which made its domestic premiere at SXSW after world premiering in competition at this year’s Berlin Film Festival.

Co-written by Johnson and Miller, BlackBerry chronicles the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone. Johnson stars opposite Glenn Howerton and Jay Baruchel in the film, based on Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff’s book Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry, which Miller produced.

In Deadline’s review of the film released in the U.S. by IFC Films on May 12th, Pete Hammond wrote, “Who knew a Canadian biopic of an infamous smartphone could be this entertaining, even poignant and moving? I am here to tell you today’s world premiere Berlin Film Festival competition entry BlackBerry is all that and more.

In 2010, David Fincher set the template for modern tech biopic with “The Social Network,” delivering a rapid-fire seriocomic portrait of young entrepreneurship at the dawn of the 21st century. It cost $40 million. Last year, filmmaker Matt Johnson made “BlackBerry,” a biopic about the rise and fall of the eccentric characters behind the outdated mobile phone. It cost $5 million.

“The amount of money that gets spent on making a movie is completely mind-boggling to me,” Johnson told IndieWire over Zoom. “We were pretty clear from the beginning we would make something on the scale we prefer.”

That ethos was established 10 years ago, when the Canadian director made the buzzy found footage movie “The Dirties,” in which Johnson starred as an aspiring filmmaker who morphs into a high school shooter. The $10,000 movie manages a tricky balance between satirizing its character’s cinematic aspirations and the looming alienation that drives him to a horrific extreme.

Chicago – As technology goes, it seems so long ago, but at its peak the first multi-use smartphone was nicknamed the “CrackBerry” because of user addiction. The product’s improbable rise and fall is told in the new film “BlackBerry,” co-written/directed and featuring Matt Johnson.

it’s 1996, and Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and his business partner and best friend Douglas Fregin (Johnson) are on the edge of creating the world’s first smartphone. Unfortunately for them, they are less business savvy than they are tech, and struggle to keep afloat their Canadian company. Everything changes when cunning business man Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) agrees to fund the concept, bringing with him the money and experience needed to create a prototype of their invention.

Matt Johnson (inset) on Set in ‘BlackBerry’

Photo credit: IFC Films

“BlackBerry” is a Canadian produced film, and Matt Johnson was born in Toronto. After creating the...

Glenn Howerton as Jim Balsillie Photo: IFC The latest tech true story, BlackBerry, has been buzzed about since it premiered at the Venice Film Festival last month. Most of that talk has surrounded Glenn Howerton, the square-jawed live-wire of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, and his turn as the brash BlackBerry CEO Jim Balsillie.

The new trailer for “BlackBerry” tells the tale of the nostalgic phone invented in Waterloo, Ontario, that revolutionized the world and the story of the two men who brought its tech domination to fruition before its eventual demise.

Mike Lazaridis (Jay Baruchel) and Jim Balsillie (Glenn Howerton) are the two young inventors who scramble to make the once-beloved phone a staple in the tech industry.

“Okay, picture a cellphone and an email machine all in one thing,” Balsillie excitedly proposes to businessman Carl Yankowski (Cary Elwes). “There is a free, wireless Internet signal all across North America, and nobody has figured out how to use it.”

“It’s like the force,” he further excites Yankowski. “Sorry, have you seen ‘Star Wars’?” Yankowski responds with: “No.”

Read More: ‘The Bear’ Season 2 Teaser Trailer Is Bringing Some Big Changes

“BlackBerry” was directed by Toronto’s Matt Johnson (of “Nirvanna the Band the Show...

Additional rights sell for Middle East, Scandinavia, airlines on eve of world premiere. IFC Films to distribute in US.

In a major swoop on a competition title by a US studio Paramount Global Content Distribution has acquired all international rights outside select territories to Matt Johnson’s BlackBerry.

Co-financier XYZ Films brokered the deal heading into Friday’s world premiere and has additionally struck a raft of individual territory sales on the story about the rise and catastrophic fall of the BlackBerry smartphone.

IFC Films will release in the US this year and Elevation Pictures will distribute in Canada. Additional...

James Van Der Beek had already been acting for several years when the movie that would change everything for him was released. “‘Being John Malkovich,’ to me, was the reason to be famous; to get to do something like that,” he told IndieWire. “I remember watching what John Malkovich did in that, I thought, ‘That is the coolest fucking thing I’ve ever seen a famous person do.'”

So when Van Der Beek started working on the new Viceland series “What Would Diplo Do?” with Spike Jonze (who directed the 1999 modern classic), “to be able to pitch him this whole idea and get his take on it was a dream.”

Read More‘Manhunt: Unabomber’ Review: Discovery’s First Scripted Drama Will Drag You Into Some Crazy POVs, Like It Or Not

It was Viceland who initially came to Van Der Beek and director Brandon Dermer with the idea of...

Have you ever wondered what goes on in the lives of the rich and talented behind closed doors? Or better yet, yearned for a superstar’s guidance? Well, Viceland heard your cries and has answered your prayers (sort of).

Read More: ‘Nirvanna The Band The Show’ Review: Spike Jonze-Produced Viceland Comedy is Here to Gleefully Entertain Us

“What Would Diplo Do?” is Viceland’s first fully scripted comedy series and centers around the everyday life of superstar DJ and producer Diplo. James Van Der Beek writes and stars as Diplo, showcasing his many talents, faults, and ninja moves.

According to Viceland, the series can be described as “a loving send-up of the electronic dance music scene.” Described as a hybrid of “Louie” and “World Star Hip Hop” crossed with “This Is Spinal Tap,” the “Dawson’s Creek” and “Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23” star plays a...

Perhaps you’ve heard: there’s a lot of TV airing these days. With new classics and returning favorites popping up every week, there’s certainly a lot to keep track of. We thought we’d make it easier to sort the shows worth your time from those that, well…might not be.

So we’ve gathered all our 2017 TV reviews in one place and sorted them by grade. (Where applicable, we’ve noted the season number and the network.) We’ll be updating this throughout the year, so be sure to check back as new shows premiere to see which tier they end up in. It’s not even a third of the way through the calendar year and there’s already been a bevy of quality television, ready for your DVRs and streaming service queues.

Without further ado: happy catch-up!

A+

The Leftovers – Season 3 [HBO]

A

The Americans – Season...

When Ondi Timoner first flew to Kalu Yala, Panama, a place that its founders describe as the world’s “most sustainable” town, she was not exploring a subject for a potential new documentary. In fact, the two-time Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner had sworn off making another documentary after features like “Dig!,” “We Live in Public,” and “Brand: A Second Coming;” she wanted to move into fictional narratives.

Invited by real estate entrepreneur Jimmy Stice, who’s heading the for-profit development, Timoner went to Kalu Yala as a favor; she met Stice at an innovation conference and agreed to help the developer evaluate his data and figure out how to tell his story.

Kalu Yala, which translates as “Sacred Land,” is located 50 minutes outside Panama City, according to the official website. “It’s not on any map, and has some of the rockiest terrain I have driven on, plus crossing a couple of rivers,...

On the surface, “Santa Clarita Diet” should provide a lot for fans to talk about. It’s Drew Barrymore’s first TV show as a series regular. It’s Timothy Olyphant’s first starring role since “Justified” wrapped (and his first time leading a comedy, following a great “Grinder” guest arc). And it’s a Netflix comedy with an eye-opening, jaw-dropping, holy-mother of a twist — right off the bat!

But creator Victor Fresco’s two-time track record for cult favorites cut down too quickly (“Better Off Ted” and “Andy Richter Controls the Universe”) falls short of reaching the trifecta. Even if “Santa Clarita Diet” runs 10 seasons, it would have to change drastically to merit any favored status — cult or otherwise. The story of a married couple who are realtors by day and, well, not realtors by night is far too flawed — in its comedic sensibilities, in its rushed rhythms, and...

A raised fist, a raised voice, a raised consciousness. As the United States is reeling from a series of executive orders from the newly inaugurated president, Americans are wondering what they can do in protest but also to change policy.

“Madiba,” Bet’s biopic about Nelson Mandela could not have come at a better time. Premiering on February 1 in honor of Black History month, the three-part limited series examines the revolutionary who made it his life’s work to fight for the freedom and equality of all South Africans despite the efforts of those in power to maintain institutionalized segregation and discrimination.

Read More: Watch: Nelson Mandela’s Words Inspire Filmmakers to Create Global Digital Content

To encapsulate any person’s life within six hours is a challenge, but for one whose public works shaped so many lives, it’s nearly impossible to do it justice. “Madiba” makes a valiant effort,...

Before we dig into the shotgun blast of comedy delivered in “Nirvanna The Band The Show,” an overview is needed as to what, exactly, this new Viceland comedy is about.

More pressing than usual given its purposefully confounding title, let us start by saying the show has very little to do with Kurt Cobain’s ’90s grunge band. A few bars of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” play right before the credits roll, but that’s pretty much the only direct connection to Nirvana. “Nirvanna” does follow a pair of musicians– Check that: It follows two members of a band that’s never played any music, but nonetheless wants a gig and will do anything to get one.

The 30-minute “semi-scripted” series tracks two Toronto-based roommates and best friends played by co-creators Jay McCarrol and Matt Johnson, whose schemes to play The Rivoli make up the basis for individual episodes. Whether...

If you live near Austin and you feel the earth shifting beneath your feet, then you might want to throw on your sneakers and start running now, because the King of the Monsters is heading to Texas this week for the North American premiere of Shin Godzilla at Fantastic Fest 2016:

Press Release: Austin, TX - September 21, 2016 - Alamo Drafthouse's Fantastic Fest is excited to unveil last minute additions to the schedule, adding to one of the most highly diverse lineups in the festival's twelve-year history. And see who will go toe to toe in the fest's highly anticipated yearly event, the Fantastic Debates!

Godzilla returns to the big screen in 2016 with Shin Godzilla, the 32nd film in the legendary franchise and currently the 3rd highest grossing film in Japan this year. The King of the Monsters stomps into Fantastic Fest for its North American Premiere before smashing its way through the U.

Two Lovers And A Bear producer Roger Frappier of Max Films has received the Canadian Media Producers Association’s (Cmpa) Established Producer Award at the Feature Film Producer Awards on Thursday.

The film receives its North American premiere in the Toronto International Film Festival’s (Tiff) Special Presentations section on September 13.

Hany Ouichou of Art & Essai received the Cmpa’s inaugural Emerging Producer Award and produced Those Who Make Revolution Halfway Only Dig Their Own Graves. That receives its world premiere at Tiff in Platform on September 13.

“I’m thrilled to celebrate the work of these two remarkable producers and congratulate both Roger and Hany for their terrific films and their meaningful contributions to independent Canadian cinema,” said Cmpa president and CEO Reynolds Mastin.

Legendary East CEO Peter Loehr will deliver the Visual Effects Society keynote at the 8th annual Summit What is Real? on October 29.The Master Cleanse, Trash Fire and The Crucifixion are among the line-up...