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The Criterion Channel has unveiled its streaming lineup for August 2024, which features an eclectic mix of independent films showcasing the work of auteurs from around the world.

The boutique service will become the exclusive streaming home of Paul Thomas Anderson’s 2021 comedy “Licorice Pizza,” and will celebrate the occasion by adding four more of his films to the channel: “The Master,” “There Will Be Blood,” “Punch-Drunk Love,” and “Magnolia.” Anderson’s frequent collaborator Philip Seymour Hoffman will additionally be celebrated on the streaming service as part of a larger retrospective. Many of the late actor’s most iconic roles, including “Capote” and “Synecdoche, New York,” will be included, along with his sole directorial outing “Jack Goes Boating.”

The channel will also highlight several other prominent filmmakers including Preston Sturges, who helped pioneer the modern rom-com through films like “The Lady Eve” and “The Palm Beach Story,” and prolific Egyptian auteur Youssef Chahine.

The Criterion Channel’s August lineup pays tribute to auteurs of all kinds: directors, actors, and photographers, fictional or otherwise. In a notable act of preservation and advocacy, they’ll stream 20 titles by the Egyptian filmmaker Youssef Chahine, here introduced by the great Richard Peña. More known (but fun all the same) is a five-title Paul Thomas Anderson series including the exclusive stream of Licorice Pizza, as well as a Philip Seymour Hoffman series that overlaps with Magnolia, Punch-Drunk Love (a Criterion Edition this month), and The Master, plus 25th Hour, Love Liza, and his own directing effort Jack Goes Boating. Preston Sturges gets five movies, with Sullivan’s Travels arriving in October.

Theme-wise, a photographer series includes Rear Window, Peeping Tom, Blow-up, Close-Up, and Clouzot’s La prisonnière; “Vacation Noir” features The Lady from Shanghai, Brighton Rock, Kansas City Confidential, Purple Noon, and La piscine. Alongside the aforementioned PTA and Antonioni pictures,...

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all rights in the U.S., Latin America, and select territories in Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe to “The Miracle Club.”

Directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan, the film stars Laura Linney, Maggie Smith, Kathy Bates and Agnes O’Casey.

The Dublin-shot film centers on four Dublin women who come together on a pilgrimage to the holy city of Lourdes in France, where they discover the solidarity in their friendship and unveil their own personal miracles.

Produced by Chris Curling, Joshua Maurer and Larry Bass, the film was shot throughout 2022 and is currently in post-production. “The Miracle Club” reunites its leading actresses and Sony Pictures Classics, with all three having starred in previous films released by the distributor, including Linney in “Jindabyne” (2006) and “Driving Lessons” (2006), Smith in the titular role of “The Lady in the Van” (2015), and Bates in “Love Liza” (2002) and “Midnight in Paris” (2011).

Said O’Sullivan:...

Jack Kehler, a character actor who had supporting roles in dozens of TV shows and films over four decades including the Dude’s landlord in The Big Lebowski, has died. He was 75.

Kehler’s son, Eddie Kehler told Deadline, that his father died Saturday of complications of leukemia at Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2022: Photo Gallery

Born on May 22, 1946, in Philadelphia, the elder Kehler studied with Sanford Meisner and Wynn Handman and was a lifetime member of The Actors Studio. He was a regular on the short-lived ABC adventure series McKenna and in Season 2 of ABC’s Murder One. He recurred on such shows as The Man in the High Castle, mid-2000s ABC sitcom I’m with Her and the star-packed 1986 miniseries Fresno.

He also guested on dozens of popular series ranging from Hill Street Blues, Hunter, Cagney & Lacey, L.A. Law, Newhart...

The Sundance Film Festival has gone through many changes in its 35 years, evolving from Robert Redford’s experimental incubator for independent filmmaking to the most influential festival event in the country. The 2019 edition is no exception: With Kim Yutani taking over as director of programming following the departure of longtime programming head Trevor Groth, much of the independent film community expects a lineup that reflects the shift in vision. Of course, Yutani still reports to Sundance veteran John Cooper, the festival’s director, and some Sundance movies will always be safe bets.

IndieWire’s annual Sundance wish list reflects much of the intel making the rounds, as well as some educated guesswork, based on various projects that have been submitted or seem likely to submit ahead of the festival’s deadlines. Last year’s hefty wish list included many films that make the cut, so take this overview seriously — but...

[Editor’s Note: Mild spoilers for Season 3, Episode 10, “Lantern” follow.]

It’s at times easy to forget that “Better Call Saul” is a period piece, if only because its 2002-2003 setting isn’t always noticeably distinguishable from the present day. But then every once in a while, creators Vince Gilligan and Peter Gould slap us in the face with a reminder that this show is happening in the past. It can be as simple as a trip to a video store — but not just any video store.

Read More: ‘Better Call Saul’: The 7 Times Jimmy and Kim Kissed On Screen, And How That Makes It The Most Rewarding Romance on TV

It’s something we all accepted as routine, just 15 years ago: Want to watch a movie? Go to Blockbuster Video. So in the Season 3 finale, “Lantern,” Kim (Rhea Seehorn) asks her assistant Francesca (Tina Parker) for a ride to what was once the dominant source for Americans in search of movie rentals, and we then get to see her browse the aisles in search of the perfect comfort viewing, following her near-fatal car accident the episode prior.

Executive producer Gennifer Hutchison, who wrote the season finale, told IndieWire that the decision to have Kim visit a video store came in the writers’ room, as the team discussed what Kim might possibly do after deciding to relax following her accident. “I just really loved the idea of her renting a bunch of videos and sitting around watching movies and eating junk food. Just because it’s something I relate to, it’s something I like to do when I destress. And I feel like it’s not something you see a lot of on TV and in movies,” she said.

And as a result, Gould — who directed the finale — got very excited about the idea of Kim going to not just any video store, but Blockbuster in particular. However, don’t think that this was an easy choice for the show — because according to production designer Michael Novotny, “it was a total nail-biter.”

Novotny told IndieWire that as soon as he received word that “Saul” wanted to recreate a Blockbuster, he got his team to work — specifically, the graphics department. “I can always do a set. A set’s the easy part. The hard part is the graphics and all of the art work you’re going to turn out,” he said.

But that process started before the show had actual permission to recreate a Blockbuster. “We started to build it without approval. That’s part of the nail-biting process,” he said. “It wasn’t until the day before we shot it that we got approval.”

This is because, as anyone who works in production might tell you, trying to depict a real brand on screen can be an incredibly difficult task. And the “Saul” team wanted to actually use Blockbuster iconography, which isn’t the easiest thing given that it’s a brand name you haven’t probably seen in the wild in years.

Blockbuster went bankrupt in 2010, and “roughly a dozen” stores currently exist today. Thus, the set was built on one of the show’s Albuquerque soundstages, and in fact, a great deal of what was on screen was made from scratch by the “Saul” production team, including the big Blockbuster sign hanging in the wall and the period-accurate movie covers.

One thing they were able to buy: the shelving units came thanks to an ironic stroke of luck and an Albuquerque video store that was going out of business. The production was thus able to buy those displays, which Novotny made sure were shortened so that, as they shot the scene, Kim and Francesca could be seen walking through the aisles. That framing was based on Gould’s storyboards, which were altered slightly during the production process, but otherwise didn’t require any major additional construction.

But really, here’s what people care about — the movies that are being considered, as Kim prepares for an epic binge in the pre-Netflix days. None of the titles are fake, and Novotny did work carefully with his team to carefully curate the movies that appeared on screen during the scene, all of which were drawn from a list provided by Peter Gould and the writers. Here are just some of the ones we happened to spot while freeze-framing:

“A Knight’s Tale” “Lawrence of Arabia” (the 40th anniversary special edition) “Love Liza” “The Mothman Prophecies” “Punch-Drunk Love” A Richard Pryor stand-up special “Beverly Hills Ninja” “The Cheap Detective” “Hanky Panky” “Blue Thunder” “American Sledge” “Darkness Falls” “Night of the Living Dead”

They’re all movies that feel appropriate to the era at least within a year or two or as classics, though unfortunately a quick Internet search can reveal whether a film in question would have been available on DVD in the year 2003. Perhaps the most glaring oversight is the appearance of Tim Burton’s “Big Fish,” which was released in theaters December 10, 2003 and made available on DVD April 27, 2004 — something Hutchison’s husband (who actually worked at Blockbuster in the past) noticed while watching the final product. “We don’t always get it right,” she admitted.

Novotny acknowledged the “Big Fish” error, but he was relatively zen about it, given the intense pressure of making the scene happen in the first place. “It really was a down to the wire thing,” he said. “If that’s as much as I’m wrong… I’m sad to hear that but at the same time I’m happy that it went as good as it did.”

Update: On Twitter, Gould offered a little clarity as to why “Big Fish” might have time traveled back a year:

And that #BigFish they mention? Could be a shoutout to my former student @johnaugust… #YesYouReadThatRight

— Peter Gould (@petergould) June 23, 2017

Hutchison couldn’t remember every one of the 10 films Kim officially rented, though such a list was made during production. Beyond “To Kill a Mockingbird” and “Monty Python,” she said the rest were mostly legal dramas, though she did make sure to include the Luc Besson sci-fi romp “The Fifth Element.” “That was one for some reason I was really stuck on making sure was in her stack,” Hutchison said.

While hardly the most memorable scene of the finale, it still sticks in the mind because of how it triggers memories of an experience we’ve largely lost, traded in for the convenience of Netflix.

“I like the idea of physically walking around and choosing movies,” Hutchison said. “There is something about actually going into a store, having everything broken down by genre. Sometimes with the streaming services it’s a little overwhelming, but having that physical space… I don’t know. It was like a ritual.”

And depicting that ritual was just more proof that “Better Call Saul” will always find a way to surprise us with the seemingly mundane.

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Related stories'Better Call Saul': The 7 Times Jimmy and Kim Kissed On Screen, And How That Makes It The Most Rewarding Romance on TVThe 20 Best-Directed TV Drama Series of the 21st Century, Ranked'Better Call Saul' Review: Season 3 Finale Proves A Good Man Knows When to Give Up...

Last Week’S Review: Brace for Impact, It’s the Penultimate Episode of Season 3

Case Summary

It’s not always easy to tell how bad an accident is upon first glance, so for the past week we’ve been waiting to find out just how badly Kim was hurt following the crash at the end of “Fall.” Almost right away, we get our answer — beyond the car, Kim’s down one arm. “This one handed crap is going to get real old real fast,” she muses. The real blow appears to be to her spirit, but at least she’s committing to her recovery in the short term. (A movie binge can cure an awful lot of ills.)

While Kim might be injured, it’s Jimmy who’s truly shaken up by the accident. Blaming himself for the fact that Kim was pushing herself too hard, Jimmy resolves to take...

"All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter." The Weinstein Co has debuted the official Us trailer for Justin Kurzel's Macbeth, the precursor to Fassbender's Assassin's Creed (also directed by Kurzel), and one of the most talked about films coming out of Cannes this year. Michael Fassbender stars as Macbeth, a duke of Scotland, in this Shakespeare adaptation also starring Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth. The cast also includes Elizabeth Debicki, Marion Cotillard, Sean Harris, David Thewlis, Jack Reynor and Paddy Considine. There are some really spectacular shots shown in this trailer, from cinematographer Adam Arkapaw, and overall it looks like my kind of Shakespeare movie. Dark, gritty, enthralling, and visceral. Here's the official Us trailer (+ poster) for Justin Kurzel's Macbeth, direct from TWC's YouTube: Macbeth is directed by Justin Kurzel (The Turning, The Snowtown Murders) and written by Todd Louiso (Hello I Must Be Going, Love Liza,...

Lifetime has green-lit an unauthorized 90210 tell-all film, The Hollywood Reporter writes. The movie will be in the same vein as the network's 2014 Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story and forthcoming Full House project. Jeff Roda (Love Liza) is writing for helmer Vanessa Parise (PopFan), and will pen a script that promises to reveal the stress behind the series' up-and-down first four seasons, the reason it became a pop-culture powerhouse, and the drama that shook the show's personnel. (Yep, get ready for some juice from the real Peach Pit, because nothing is sacred.) The news comes a few months before 90210's 25th anniversary; the TV-movie's air date has not been confirmed, though.

Break out the scrunchies and the quilted vests — Lifetime has chosen Beverly Hills, 90210 as the latest classic TV show to spawn a behind-the-scenes, tell-all movie, TVLine has confirmed.

RelatedA Deadly Adoption Trailer: Will Ferrell Faces Crazy Surrogate, Endless Tropes

The Unauthorized Beverly Hills, 90210 Story will “show the roller coaster ride of the program’s first four seasons, highlighting the drama between cast members and producers both on and off-set,” according to the network — and will chart its several near-cancellations and eventual “massive success and imprint in the cultural zeitgeist.”

Beverly Hills, 90210 premiered on Fox in 1990, and launched cast members Shannen Doherty,...

"It reminded me a lot of a Western." Empire has debuted three photos from Justin Kurzel's Macbeth, which will be premiering In-Competition at the Cannes Film Festival later in May. This adaptation of the Shakespeare classic stars Michael Fassbender as Macbeth, the duke of Scotland, and Marion Cotillard as Lady Macbeth. The two of them can be seen in photos below, which have been released to remind us the film's festival unveiling is coming up. Aside from a Western, Kurzel says this reminded him "of a landscape and atmosphere that felt much more dangerous than I'd ever seen before from adaptations of Macbeth." Here's the three new photos for Macbeth, debuted via Empire where they have more details from Kurzel. Macbeth is directed by Justin Kurzel (The Turning, The Snowtown Murders) and written by Todd Louiso (Hello I Must Be Going, Love Liza, The Marc Pease Experience), based on...

Austin, Texas -- Maybe for the first time in his entertainment career, Miles Teller knows much of what he's "doing" for the next four or so years. He just boarded bank robber flick “Life and Times of the Stopwatch Gang" as producer and lead. Fresh off of Oscar season with "Whiplash," the 28-year-old actor headed right into promotions for "The Divergent Series: Insurgent," out tomorrow (March 20), the second movie in a four-film adaptation. His turn as Mister Fantastic in "The Fantastic Four" films will take him on a two-movie ride, at least. "Bleed for This" -- which will feature Teller portraying boxer Vinny Panzienza -- is out later this year, "Arms and the Dudes" is due 2016 and there are a few other flicks in the development hopper. Even for a schedule so busy, Teller looked at least like he was trying to relax, sinking into a wicker patio chair in...

In honor of Philip Seymour Hoffman's final film, A Most Wanted Man, hitting theaters today, we are reprinting David Browne's cover story on the actor's final days from our February 27th issue.

Slouched in the front row of the labyrinth Theater Company's performance space in New York's West Village last May, Philip Seymour Hoffman was his typical focused, superdisciplined self. In the intimate 90-seat theater, Hoffman – always dressed in one or another of his seemingly interchangeable baggy pants and sweaters – was relentlessly pushing the cast and crew of the play he was directing,...

Following a couple first look photos at the Shakespeare adaptation Macbeth from director Justin Kurzel, the period drama is showing off footage at the Cannes Film Market and looking for distributors. Now we have some bits of the hype machine overseas as two character teaser posters have surfaced online featuring stars Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. The film has already turned heads enough to have Kurzel team up with Fassbender again for the video game adaptation Assassin's Creed, but it will probably be awhile before we see any footage. In the meantime, these posters, especially Fassbender's is great. Look! Here's the Cannes posters for Justin Kurzel's Macbeth from See Soundit (via The Playlist): Macbeth is directed by Justin Kurzel (The Turning, The Snowtown Murders) and written by Todd Louiso (Hello I Must Be Going, Love Liza, The Marc Pease Experience), based on William Shakespeare's classic play of the same name.

While Natalie Portman was once slated to star alongside Michael Fassbender in the latest big screen adaptation of the classic William Shakespeare play Macbeth (or "that Scottish play" for all you theater folk), it's Marion Cotillard who ended up in the lead role as the lady of a Scottish lord who aspires to be king. Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel, who directed a segment in the Aussie omnibus The Turning, is at the helm of this feature adaptation, and we have two first look photos that look gorgeous. One features Fassbender embracing Cotillard, while the other has General Macbeth clearly ready for battle. Look below! Here's the first look photos from Justin Kurzel's Macbeth from The Daily Mail: Macbeth is directed by Justin Kurzel (The Turning, The Snowtown Murders) and written by Todd Louiso (Hello I Must Be Going, Love Liza, The Marc Pease Experience), based on William Shakespeare's...

The sudden death by apparent overdose of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman stunned Hollywood and left his family, friends, and colleagues shattered. In this week’s cover story, EW pays tribute to Hoffman, widely considered the greatest screen and stage actor of his generation.

Film critic Owen Gleiberman traces the arc of the Oscar-winning actor’s tragically curtailed career, exploring his ability, in role after role, to plumb his own depths to bring often deeply flawed characters to vivid life and to “lay bare the things that make people tick” — an emotionally wrenching process that clearly took a personal toll on the actor.

Your Top Three is a series here at Movies.com where we choose a topic and you give us your top three picks. One thing that keeps being said of Philip Seymour Hoffman is that it's difficult if not impossible to pinpoint his greatest performance. It's true, he was excellent in everything, even if the movies themselves weren't good. Many have cited how he's the only good part of Along Came Polly or how he elevated blockbusters like Mission: Impossible III and The Hunger Games: Catching Fire -- and even Twister long before we knew him by name. For every obvious highlight of his career (Capote; The Master; Almost Famous) there are tons of smaller roles and movies worth noting, from Scent of a Woman and The Talented Mr. Ripley to Love Liza and Owning Mahoney...

Read More...

Actor and director who could imbue the many wretches, prigs and braggarts he played with a wrenching humanity

Philip Seymour Hoffman, who has died aged 46 of a suspected drugs overdose, had three names and 3,000 ways of expressing anxiety. He was a prolific and old-fashioned character actor, which is not a euphemism for "odd" – it means he could nail a part in one punch, summoning the richness of an entire life in the smallest gesture. And, yes, he could also look splendidly odd, with his windbeaten thatch of sandy hair, porcine eyes and a freckled face that would glow puce and glossy with rage. His acting style was immune to the temptations of caricature. His rise in the 1990s coincided with the emergence of a new wave of American film-makers, and his versatile, volatile talent became integral to some of the most original Us cinema of the past 20 years.

He was...

Review by Sam Moffitt

Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the best actors working today. He is part of a group of actors who are so good, make such good choices in projects and are so dependable you want to see everything they are involved in.

Within that group I would include, in no particular order, William H Macy, Catherine Keener, Steve Carell, Jessica Chastain, Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Taylor and Steve Buscemi. You probably have your own favorites and can add a dozen more names to that list.

Mr. Hoffman seems to specialize in likeable but flawed characters, people who are in pain, emotional, psychological or even physical pain. consider Love Liza for instance. But he can also play egotistical control freaks. I don’t know if I could ever consider him a “movie star”, I think of him, and you probably do to, as a top notch actor, more...

The day before yesterday we reported that Michael Fassbender was set to lead a new screen adaptation of William Shakespeare‘s Macbeth. Now comes word that Natalie Portman has agreed to play the role of Lady Macbeth to Fassbender’s Lord. It seems that Portman has finally found another project to appear in opposite Fassbender after he has dropped out shortly before filming on Jane Got a Gun began (which Portman is also producing). Penned by Todd Louiso (Love Liza) and Jacob Koskoff (The Marc Pease Experience), the script follows the original 11th Century setting of Shakespeare’s classic play. Snowtown director Justin Kurzel is set to helm...

Click to continue reading Natalie Portman Joins Michael Fassbender In MacBeth on www.filmofilia.com...

It seems that after Michael Fassbender bailed on the troubled western "Jane Got A Gun," there were no hard feelings between himself and Natalie Portman, who is also producing that movie. They also paired up on Terrence Malick's forthcoming music scene movie (provided they don't get cut) and indeed, they're set to try working together again on a different project, one that will hopefully keep the drama in front of the camera, instead of behind it. Just one day after it was reported that Fassy was taking the title role in "Macbeth," Screen Daily reports that Portman will be his Lady Macbeth. Yeah, nice. This new adaptation of Shakespeare's legendary play was penned by Todd Louiso (the director behind "Love Liza" and "Hello I Must Be Going") and Jacob Koskoff (who co-penned "The Marc Pease Experience" with Louiso), and will keep the 11th century setting and original dialogue. However,...

Everyone from Sam Worthington (really) to Orson Welles has taken on "Macbeth," and the Shakespeare play that dare not say its name has been adapted countless time for the stage, television and multiplex. Well, when it comes to the cinema, (quality) movie versions have been a bit fewer and farther between, so the news that Michael Fassbender might take the lead in "the Scottish play" certainly has our attention. The actor is attached to a new version of Shakespeare's work that will be directed by the fast rising "Snowtown" director, Justin Kurzel. Penned by Todd Louiso (the director behind "Love Liza" and "Hello I Must Be Going") and Jacob Koskoff (who co-penned "The Marc Pease Experience" with Louiso), the story will be the same, set in the 11th century, and will be presented in the original dialogue. However, this version will be more "visceral" and contain "significant battle scenes." And...

Do You Know Where You’re Going To?: Louiso’s Latest Outing an Engrossing Gem

After his 2009 sophomore feature, The Marc Pease Experience was bamboozled out of a proper release due to star Ben Stiller, director Todd Louiso returns with his latest, Hello I Must Be Going, a quietly absorbing tale about an unmoored woman trying to pick up the pieces. Returning to the comically tragic tone that made his much hailed 2002 debut, Love Liza so noteworthy, Louiso manages to create a memorable showcase for undervalued character actress Melanie Lynskey.

Three months into divorce proceedings, Amy Minsky (Lynskey) is frivolously wasting time at the Connecticut home of her parents (Blythe Danner and John Rubinstein). Veritably heartbroken and feeling as if life has pulled the rug from under her, Amy is still struggling to find a plan to move forward, having left all her possessions at her ex-husband’s (Dan Futterman...

Chicago – Flawed females are often feared by Hollywood because of their questionable commercial appeal. Yet 2012 has provided moviegoers and TV fans with a rich assortment of characters—led by Lena Dunham’s Hannah Horvath on HBO’s “Girls”—that prove women can be every bit as immature, developmentally arrested and utterly fascinating as the guys.

One of the year’s most engaging heroines is Amy (Melanie Lynskey) in Todd Louiso’s indie romance, “Hello I Must Be Going.” She’s a 35-year-old divorcée who moves back in with her parents (Blythe Danner and John Rubinstein) and is startled to find herself falling for a smitten 19-year-old actor, Jeremy (Christopher Abbott). In this exclusive two-part interview, Hollywood Chicago spoke with Abbott (star of “Girls” and “Martha Marcy May Marlene”) as well as the married filmmaking team of director Louiso and screenwriter Sarah Koskoff.

Part I: Christopher Abbott

Christopher Abbott stars in...

Hello I Must Be Going, the latest project from director Todd Louiso (Love Liza) features Melanie Lynskey, Christopher Abbott, Blythe Danner and John Rubinstein. Written by Louiso's real life partner, Sarah Koskoff, the film follows Amy (a revelatory Lynskey), a 30-something divorcee who is forced to move back in with her parents. At a dinner party, she meets Jeremy (HBO Girls' Abbott), the 19-year-old stepson of her father's business associate, and the two begin an ill-advised but passionate affair. Disillusioned and stagnant, Amy struggles to find some meaning in life after marriage, discovering that her unfinished master's degree and non-existent bank account are just two of the things holding her back. The only comforts she possesses are Jeremy's company and the films of the Marx Brothers (the source of the film's title). Once her affair with Jeremy is discovered, Amy finally starts down the path of self-enlightenment, a journey that...

We saw the charming first poster last week for the upcoming Hello I Must Be Going, and now the film’s first trailer has hit and it’s just as promising as we were expecting.

Todd Lousio’s film debuted at Sundance last January to excellent early reviews, with Melanie Lynskey’s leading performance particularly highlighted for its excellence.

“Divorced and demoralized Amy Minsky’s prospects look bleak when she is condemned to move back in with her parents at the age of 35. Everyone wants to help, but, as her patience level with advice is plummeting, a bold teenage boy enters her life, igniting her last bit of self-esteem. What ensues is an unconventional love story infused with all the good things Amy needs to get on in life, and that just may include great sex.”

Louiso (The Marc Pease Experience, Love Liza) returns behind the camera for his third film,...

The first night of the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, audiences were treated to Hello I Must Be Going, the newest film from actor turned director Todd Louiso (Love Liza). Melanie Lynskey, who has had great supporting roles in films like Win Win and Up in the Air, takes the lead this time in this sort of coming-of-age romance. Though the film feels a bit fickle dealing with the problems of wealthy, upper class white people, Lynskey and Blythe Danner as her mother and Christopher Abbott (HBO's "Girls") as an unlikely love interest bring some wight to the indie. Now we have the first trailer for you to check out below. Here's the first tailer for Todd Louiso's Hello I Must Be Going originally from Apple: Selected as the opening night film for Sundance Film Festival 2012, Hello I Must Be Going features stars Melanie Lynskey (Win Win, Up In The Air...

Debuting at Sundance this year to very positive reviews, particularly for its leading lady Melanie Lynskey (Two and a Half Men, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World), Hello I Must Be Going looks like one of the year’s very promising dramatic comedies.

A new set of images have made their way online, along with EW’s debut of the charming first poster, seeing Lynskey swimming naked alongside Christopher Abbott (Girls, Martha Marcy May Marlene). There’s no actual nudity though, so not to worry – entirely suitable should you be at work.

“Divorced and demoralized Amy Minsky’s prospects look bleak when she is condemned to move back in with her parents at the age of 35. Everyone wants to help, but, as her patience level with advice is plummeting, a bold teenage boy enters her life, igniting her last bit of self-esteem. What ensues is an unconventional...

Is there anything more wonderful than happy naked people?

The smile on Melanie Lynskey’s face should answer that question.

Anyway, it’s all she’s wearing in this new poster for the Sundance hit Hello I Must Be Going, about a down-on-her-luck 30-something divorcee who moves back in with her parents and basically turns into a teenager again — which includes falling in love with one.

The young guy floating beside her is played by Christopher Abbott (the passive boyfriend Charlie on HBO’s Girls), who finds his life in a similar state of flux and uncertainty, though his excuse...

"Parts of Todd Louiso's Hello I Must Be Going made me happier than I have a right to be," blogs the Boston Globe's Ty Burr, "especially the early scenes in which Melanie Lynskey burrows into the misery of her character, Amy Minsky, a 30-something divorcee who has crawled back home to her parents' suburban home in defeat…. The actress finds a cosmic nobility in Amy's degradation, even as her parents — John Rubenstein and a superb Blythe Danner — look on in growing horror. There's a touch of Harold and Maude whimsy to the character's romance with a disaffected 19-year-old (Christopher Abbott), but their relationship is hotter and funnier and more emotional than you expect…. I liked this movie so much, in fact, that I tried to ignore screenwriter Sarah Koskoff's increasing tendency to have her characters state their innermost feelings in psychologically accurate terms…. Points for the Marx brothers clips,...

The 2012 Sundance Film Festival kicked off last night with four films from each of the four competition programs: Todd Louiso's "Hello I Must Be Going" (U.S. Narrative), Lauren Greenfield's "Queen of Versailles" (U.S. Documentary), Kieran Darcy-Smith's "Wish You Were Here" (World Narrative) and Malik Bendjelloul’s "“Searching For Sugar Man" (U.S. Documentary). Indiewire was on the scene at all four screenings, which were expectedly met with varied responses, though both docs seemed to substantially impress Park City audiences. Here's a rundown of all four screenings: 'Hello I Must Be Going': Melanie Lynskey Steals The Show "Love Liza" director Todd Louiso returned last night to Park City to premiere "Hello I Must Be Going," a finely etched character study featuring a strong lead performance from Melanie Lynskey ("Win Win"). In the drama, Lynskey stars as...

Actor Todd Louiso ("High Fidelity," "Jerry Maguire") made a splash at the 2002 edition of the festival where his first feature, "Love Liza," starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and Kathy Bates, nabbed the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award. His follow up, "The Marc Pease Experence" starring Jason Schwartzman and Ben Stiller, was "a very difficult filmmaking experience. I hate to say it, but it really crushed my confidence and passion." But with his third feature, "Hello I Must Be Going" (U.S. Dramatic Competition), Louiso looks to be back on track. What's it about: The movie is about Amy Minsky, a recently divorced woman who starts a transformative affair with the son of her parents' business associates. Says director Louiso: "While the film has a very strong and traditional narrative thrust, it's also (I hope) working on a spiritual and visceral level. Amy has kind of been dropped into a void,...

As 2011 crawls to a close and 2012 peeks its head over the horizon, many of us wayward souls find ourselves using the changing of the calendar as an excuse to make big changes in our lives and start over fresh. ‘Tis the season for resolutions. Some of us will resolve to cease destructive behaviors, others will vow to start new things that will enrich us and make us better people. But for each the goal is clear – we’re done with the past, finished with who we were, and starting from this moment forward, it’s going to be a new day. Naturally, all of this thought about what my resolutions are going to be and who I want to be in 2012 has me thinking about movies that I’ve seen where people are trying to let go of the past and begin a new journey. More specifically, I’ve closed in on two movies from the early...

A pair of films from our favorite auteurs So Yong Kim's For Ellen (see Paul Dano still) and Antonio Campos' Simon Killer are finally making their long awaited world film fest debuts and items from an emerging talent base in the likes of Benh Zeitlin, Ry Russo-Young and James Ponsoldt are part of a handful of lucky filmmakers selected in Sundance's U.S. Dramatic Competiton section. Among the 10 out of 16 we guessed right, we find: Michael Mohan's Save the Date, Ben Lewin's The Surrogate, Colin Trevorrow's Safety Not Guaranteed, Ira Sachs' Keep the Lights On and the newly titled The End of Love - a sophomore effort from filmmaker and actor Mark Webber. Completing the section we find: The Comedy from Rick Alverson (produced by Mike S. Ryan), Filly Brown from Youssef Delara (former Visual Effects Associate on Star Trek), The First Time by...

From the moment he first saw "Raiders of the Lost Ark," Adam Scott knew he wanted to be an actor. "I watched Harrison Ford onscreen and said, 'That looks like fun. Not only is he running from boulders; he's so funny," the now-37-year-old Scott recalls. "Basically, all I still want to do is run from boulders." Until his career as an action hero takes off, Scott will have to be satisfied with his status as the next big thing. After holding his own as Will Ferrell's Dane Cook–loving sibling in "Step Brothers," Scott stole scenes as a sleazy agent on "Eastbound and Down" and romanced Amy Adams in "Leap Year." He recently joined the cast of the NBC comedy "Parks and Recreation" as a potential love interest for Amy Poehler and will be seen "riding a Jet Ski and carrying a shotgun on my back" (but no boulders) in August's "Piranha 3-D.

Gordy Hoffman

For all the aspiring screenplay writers in Tampa and St. Pete, who want a true critique of their work, the BlueCat workshop is a must attend.  On February 20th, one will have a chance to get expert feedback from award-winning writer/director Gordy Hoffman.  He won the prestigious Sundance award for his work on Love Liza.  He's also taught screenwriting at USC and has been apart of countless Hollywood productions as a writer.

Still not enough?  I had a chance to speak with Gordy and he gave an overview about him and what to expect from his company BlueCat.

Gordy wrote his first screenplay when he was just 12 years old.  From there, he's been interacting with writers for over 20 years and that has led to him writing and producing in the movie world.  His true passion is teaching and after a few years of doing that at USC,...

One of the most anticipated films of this year's Sundance Film Festival is "Cyrus," the first "studio film" from indie darlings Jay and Mark Duplass ("Baghead"). It stars Marisa Tomei, John C. Reilly, Catherine Keener and Jonah Hill in a dysfunctional family comedy about the clash between a teen and his mom's new boyfriend. The fraternal filmmakers have a deal with Fox Searchlight, which is distributing that film and likely their next project as well, which we now know is a stoner comedy titled "Jeff Who Lives at Home."

Mark Duplass told Movieweb that "Jeff" is a "quest" movie, a la "The Sword in the Stone," in which a stoner seeks a bottle of wood glue. It will be produced by none other than Jason Reitman, who just won a Golden Globe for co-writing his own film "Up in the Air," and who recently oversaw production of the Megan Fox film "Jennifer's Body.

The shadow of Rushmore looms over Jason Schwartzman’s performance in The Marc Pease Experience, but Todd Louiso’s highly unanticipated follow-up to the 2002 miserablist snoozer Love Liza bears an unfortunate resemblance to more recent comedies as well. The film’s broad take on the self-delusion endemic to the high-school musical-theater world suggests Hamlet 2 minus the laughs, its a cappella subplot invites unflattering comparisons to Ed Helms’ instrument-free crooning in The Office, and Schwartzman’s high-school girlfriend recalls Seth Rogen’s barely legal lady-love in Pineapple Express. Louiso’s misfiring comedy feels less like a comic feast than ...

Photo: Paramount Vantage Note: There is a small spoiler in this review. Sure, they had cameras, lights and even Ben Stiller and Jason Schwartzman, but the one thing they forgot was a story worth telling. Is The Marc Pease Experience supposed to be funny, endearing, tragic or just plain boring? I walked out of the theater with one fellow critic telling me they thought it was "terrible" and another saying they would have rather watched the film's production of "The Wiz," and even that wasn't anything to brag about. Neither are flattering statements and while I won't go as far as to say the film is terrible, because they did manage to point the camera in the right direction, this dud has nowhere to go but its opening day limited theaters where it will promptly die. The film revolves around Marc Pease (Jason Schwartzman), whom we are first introduced to...

• A very busy Monday for the ed-in-chief of Ioncinema.com. Caught press screenings for The Time Traveler and Ponyo, sandwiched by tons of news to report on. Here is the best of the rest of the news for August 10th. 1. Not Thirst-y South Korea goes with Bong Joon-ho's Mother for Foreign Oscar nom consideration. 2. Milking the "Cash" Chow Sony moves quickly on Michael Jackson concert experience. This Is It becomes a Halloween experience. on October 30th. (Via THR) 3. Ifp’s Project ForumJodie Foster's “Cockeyed,” The Guatemalan Handshake's Todd Rohal’s “Scoutmasters”, (see pic) produced by Lisa Muskat, Fred Schepisi’s “The Secret River”, “Earth Camp One” by Jennie Livingston, “Fame High” by Scott Hamilton Kennedy, and “Hungry in America” by Kristi Jacobson & Lori Silverbush are among 116 selected projects for Project Forum of Ifp’s Independent Film Week. (Via IndieWIRE.com) 4. Out of the Womb Benedek Fliegauf is now in post production with Womb.

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• Summer is a time for picnics, days at the beach, and Sundance's Director's and Screenwriter's Labs. Out of the eight announced projects attending the Director's lab, seven of them were part of the Screenwriter's lab back in January. The new name added to the lab process is a project from artist/filmmaker Tala Hadid and The Narrow Frame of Midnight. Among the four projects invited to the Screenwriter's Lab we find a familiar name in director (see pic) Todd Louiso (Love Liza, The Marc Pease Experience) and his latest project Hello, I Must Be Going. Following in a natural progression on the Sundance Institute's part to develop young filmmakers and help develop their projects, here are the lucky dozen participants who will have a chance to workshop their films before they go into production - and here is a list of the people who will be there to coach them.

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• In their first production since Henry Winterstern’s surprise resignation this past March, First Look Pictures announced that Naomi Watts will headline the indies adaptation of Amy Sutherland’s novel about her time at a school for animal training. Kicked, Bitten and Scratched is set to be developed as a romantic comedy working around Sutherland’s tome "Kicked, Bitten and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World's Premiere School for Exotic Animal Trainers", which focuses on the year she spent with students at the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College. The unique program allows students to learn how to communicate with animals such as camels, emus, baboons, cougars, wolves and snakes. Alumni hold posts at the world's top zoos, aquariums and sanctuaries or become trainers who work in television and film. The adaptation is being scribed by Todd Louiso and Jacob Koskoff, who last teamed up

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• Paramount Vantage and Michael London's Groundswell Prods. are getting onboard The Marc Pease Experience. The two indie co. will co-finance and produce the comedy that should see the pair of Jason Schwartzman and Ben Stiller take care of the laughs dept. Jacob Koskoff and Louiso penned the screenplay that has Schwartzman play Marc Pease, a man 10 years out of high school and still living in the past when he was the star in his high school's musicals. During the course of one day, as Pease's former teacher/mentor Mr. Gribble (Stiller) oversees the opening night of another show, Pease finally exorcises his demons and realizes there's more to life than Broadway artistry.Todd Louiso who last helmed Love Liza, has been collecting the paychecks with his acting gigs and should begin production in March in North Carolina. The Hollywood Reporter reports that David Rubin ("Igby Goes Down") will

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TORONTO -- Indie film banner Antidote Films unveiled two new feature projects Thursday -- a film version of Macbeth, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman and directed by Todd Louiso (Love Liza), and Sarah, to be directed by Secretary helmer Steven Shainberg and penned by Jeffrey Hatcher (Compleat Female Stage Beauty). The New York-based Antidote, headed by Jeff Levy-Hinte and Mary Jane Skalski, had two high-profile features screen at this year's Sundance Film Festival -- Catherine Hardwicke's thirteen and Tom McCarthy's The Station Agent. Fox Searchlight has thirteen in current release, while Agent bows in October through Miramax Films.