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On Monday, October 21, 2024, at 8:00 Pm, A&e presents a new episode of Hoarders titled “Terri.” This gripping episode dives into the life of Terri, a woman whose passion for collecting has spiraled into a serious issue. Regular visits to estate sales, yard sales, and thrift stores have become her escape from reality, leading her to amass a staggering collection of glass decor and antiques.

As Terri’s obsession grows, her 1,300-square-foot home becomes cluttered with items that fill every corner. Viewers will witness how her inability to resist a good deal affects her daily life and relationships. The episode not only highlights Terri’s struggle with her hoarding tendencies but also sheds light on the emotional challenges she faces. Family and friends express their concern, urging her to confront the chaos in her home and her life.

Through expert guidance and heartfelt conversations, the episode aims to provide Terri with...

High school is hard enough. Even popular kids feel uncomfortable in their own skin, go through heartaches, and detentions. But for the oddballs and misfits who dare to be different, high school is a whole new level of toughness. Azazel Jacobs understands this, and directed one of the most sensitive, unsettling character studies of a teenage boy who doesn't belong, and doesn't care to. Terri stars John C. Reilly as a vivacious oddball and groundbreaking educator, with an extraordinary Jacob Wysocki playing the titular character.

Between “Terri” (2011), “The Lovers” (2017), “and “French Exit” (2020), not to mention the series “Doll & Em,” filmmaker Azazel Jacobs has continuously delivered compelling human dramas. He returns with his first film in four years, “His Three Daughters.” Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2023—our review described it as “riveting”—Netflix, who acquired North American rights to the poignant drama last year, is finally releasing the film in September (read our review here).

Continue reading ‘His Three Daughters’ Trailer: Elizabeth Olsen, Carrie Coon & Natasha Lyonne’s Sisters Drama Hits Netflix In September at The Playlist.

One of the shows that Disney+ planned on reviving from the Disney Channel was Lizzie McGuire and Hilary Duff had signed up to star in it. The streamer had fans excited to see what Lizzie and her animated alter ego were up to after all these years.

However, things took a steep turn when the creator of the series Terri Minsky exited the reboot. Later that year, Duff said that the series was scrapped and not moving forward.

When the How I Met Your Father star made an appearance on Watch What Happens Live, host Andy Cohen asked Duff if she would still consider doing the Lizzie McGuire revival if “it lived up to her vision.”

“Of course,” she said.

Hesitant to answer Cohen about “the main sticking point” for the show not getting picked up, she said, “Disney+ was very new and I think they were figuring out their…...

The quirky comedy French Exit, about several disconnected, somewhat lonely American souls who come together in unique ways in Paris, is funny, sad, bittersweet, surreal and altogether different. For star Michelle Pfeiffer, who has won some of the best reviews of her career after the New York Film Festival premiere, it was irresistible to play Frances, a widow and New York society gadfly dealing with her unusual relationship with her son (Lucas Hedges).

“I was fascinated by her and this world, and the script and the fantastic writing, and the characters,” says Pfeiffer, joined by co-star Valerie Mahaffey, writer Patrick deWitt and director Azazel Jacobs during Sony Pictures Classics’ panel at Deadline’s Contenders Film awards-season event. “It was unlike anything I had ever read, smart and funny and moving and tragic and all those things. I was just so excited and daunted to play her. It was challenging.”

For Mahaffey it was also special.

Azazel Jacobs grew up in the world of film, understanding its importance from his father, experimental filmmaking pioneer Ken Jacobs. His newest feature, French Exit, stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Lucas Hedges, and Tracy Letts, giving Jacobs his biggest stage and audience yet as the Closing Night selection of the 58th New York Film Festival.

Following a mother, a son, and a cat who flee to Paris after losing their fortune, the film presents a jump in scale and pressure for Jacobs, marking his latest collaboration with novelist Patrick deWitt. I spoke with the filmmaker about childhood screenings, identifying as a filmmaker, casting Michelle Pfeiffer, and crafting his newest piece of art with his best friend.

The Film Stage: When did you see the finished version of the film?

Azazel Jacobs: Tuesday. So I’ve been working up until that moment, getting things together until Tuesday. So it’s been going, and...

From his melancholic Oscar-nominated turn in “Chicago” to feuding with Will Ferrell in “Step Brothers,” John C. Reilly is the rare American actor to oscillate from dramatic roles to broad comedies. His wife, Alison Dickey, has always hoped to unite those two modes. “We’ve been together a long time,” said Dickey. An independent producer, she met Reilly when she was working as Sean Penn’s assistant on the set of “Casualties of War” in 1989. “I’ve seen the whole trajectory of his career. I’m so well aware of what he’s capable of doing. I always feel somewhat satisfied and somewhat unsatisfied after I watch a film of his, just in terms of wanting to get the whole palette.”

Eventually, she decided to do something about it. While developing her own projects, Dickey scouted for talent on the festival circuit. It was her enthusiasm for Mark and Jay Duplass...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

Beach Rats (Eliza Hittman)

Burgeoning sexuality is the basis for nearly all coming-of-age films, but with her specific eye, Eliza Hittman makes it feel like we’re watching this genre unfold for the first time. With only two features to her name, she’s captured the experience with a sensuality and intimacy nearly unprecedented in American independent filmmaking. Following 2013’s It Felt Like Love, the writer-director follows it with...

Habitat For Humanity of Greater Los Angeles (Habitat La) will honor Sugar Ray Leonard, Luc Robitaille, and Morley Builders at its 2017 Los Angeles Builders Ball to be held on Thursday, September 28 at the historic Beverly Hilton.

This annual event celebrates outstanding individuals and companies that share Habitat La’s commitment to revitalizing and transforming the landscape of Los Angeles. In addition to recognizing Habitat La’s counterparts in the building, real estate and other related industries, this event also raises funds and awareness for the nonprofit’s Building a Greater Los Angeles campaign to help empower low-income families by building strength and stability through homeownership.

The 2017 Los Angeles Builders Ball is made possible by the generous support of sponsors including: City National Bank, Edison International, Ey, Hollywood Sierra Kitchens, La Cienega Design Quarter, Los Angeles Magazine, the Lelia Fund, Proskauer, Southern California Gas Company, Zurich and many more.

The evening...

A classy, complex affair, Azazel Jacobs scores his greatest achievement to date with The Lovers, taking a break from the adolescent, man-child ennui which marked festival favorites like Momma’s Man and Terri.

Continue reading...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options — not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves — we’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the titles that have recently hit platforms. Every week, one will be able to see the cream of the crop (or perhaps some simply interesting picks) of streaming titles (new and old) across platforms such as Netflix, iTunes, Amazon, and more (note: U.S. only). Check out our rundown for this week’s selections below.

City of Tiny Lights (Pete Travis)

Small-time private detective Tommy Akhtar (Riz Ahmed) has all the swagger of a hard-boiled snoop: leather jacket on his shoulders and cigarette in his mouth, leaning against London architecture in the darkened night. His office resides above some shops, he makes friendly with local convenience store owner Mrs. Elbaz (Myriam Acharki), and asks new clients where they found him because he’s not advertising in the paper.

Marvel’s embrace of genre may have no greater success story than Spider-Man: Homecoming. Whereas Ant-Man made swift, wildly imaginative work of the caper genre, Doctor Strange fully embraced fantasy elements, and Iron Man 3's radical, imperfect take on the character study, Spider-Man: Homecoming is a teen comedy, first and foremost. And it may very well be the wittiest and most emotionally mature film of its kind since Azazel Jacobs’ Terri. [caption id="attachment_315977" align="alignright" width="360"] Image via Sony/caption] The fact that the movie focuses on Peter Parker’s life as a high-…...

Chicago – There is a familiar Stephen Sondheim song called “Send in the Clowns,” which speaks of the absurdity of relationships, and their ups and downs. Writer/director Azazel Jacobs has kind of made a movie version of that song’s meaning, with the trials of a married couple, cheating on each other, in “The Lovers.”

Michael (Tracy Letts) and Mary (Debra Winger) are in a marriage rut that seems impossible to heal. They both have taken lovers, Michael with Lucy (Melora Walters) and Mary with Robert (Aidan Gillen). However, their lovers are getting impatient, each want the other to end the marriage. Michael and Mary make a promise to themselves and their other mates that they will end the charade after their son (Tyler Ross) comes to visit. But strangely, that secret lights a spark between them again. Send in the clowns, don’t bother they’re here.

Debra Winger...

A weak arthouse market was brightened by “The Lovers,” a high-concept A24 release targeted at the usual older specialty demo. Azazel Jacobs, an indie veteran without a breakout film to his credit, returned to the feature world from HBO (“Doll and Em”) with “The Lovers” (A24). Its initial results put it atop the results for the weekend which saw several disappointments.

Read More: A24 After ‘Moonlight’: Why They’re Finally Ready To Conquer the Older Arthouse Crowd

Several top specialized distributors optimistically counter-programmed against Marvel’s May juggernaut “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” hoping to fill the vacuum with no other wide releases to grab attention. That strategy can can launch a film like “Belle,” “Ida,” and “Far from the Madding Crowd” toward a big push in the early summer period including Memorial Day weekend.

Even if “The Lovers” never approaches that level, it is positioned to get...

Azazel Jacobs is a young filmmaker who’s continuing a family tradition. His father is avant-garde cinema legend Ken Jacobs, and his mother Flo and sister Nisi are also participants, all of them having worked on each other’s films. (Ken and Flo played the protagonist’s parents in Azazel’s 2008 feature Momma’s Man.) Azazel Jacobs makes films of a very different sort than his father’s, opting to work in a more commercially oriented, narrative realm, albeit in lower-budgeted independent features rather than in studio films. However, Jacobs is, in a way, also an experimental filmmaker, finding novel approaches and uniquely observational angles to familiar-seeming scenarios. Momma’s Man comically mined the pathos existing beneath the developmentally arrested, man-child characters of the sort often played in other films by Seth Rogen or Will Ferrell, while Terri was a wonderfully nuanced and richly textured take on the teen movie.

by Murtada

Allow me to tell you a story about Debra Winger and the ever lasting effect she had on a 9 year old boy. That is how old I was when I rented An Officer and a Gentleman (1982) from my local video store. I was so enthralled that I hid the tape - since I wasn’t allowed to watch R rated flicks - and watched again and again, refusing to return it as the late fees piled on. I didn’t even fully speak or understand English at the time, but I got everything that Winger was conveying. As an impressionable young gay you’d think I’d be more interested in Richard Gere. And sure I found him attractive, but it was Winger I identified with. Something about the mix of pride and anguish she had as Paula, the small town factory girl trying to break free to a better life,...

Mary (Debra Winger) and Michael (Tracy Letts) are married. She has something going on the sly with an Irish novelist (Aidan Gillen); he's been sneaking around with a high-strung ballet teacher (Melora Walters). Both are counting the days until they can dissolve the union and move in with their new partners. Then, on the brink of separation, Mary and Michael decide they still turn each other on – and start cheating on their side dishes with each other.

That, in a tweet and a half, is the plot of The Lovers,...

When a film is labeled as being a marriage drama, it is usually without question that it will contain some aspect of infidelity, and while The Lovers indeed begins with this premise, it presents the rather rare situation of “re-fidelity.” Featuring superb performances from Tracy Letts and Debra Winger, writer-director Azazel Jacobs has assembled an impeccable ensemble, but his script doesn’t quite have the dramatic acumen to make his Terri follow-up much more than an amusing farce.

For many years, the relationship between Mary (Winger) and Michael (Letts) has been going through the motions, to put it kindly. Their dormant union is one where even a moment of eye contact is rare, best exemplified when Michael is in the bathroom, pretending to be brushing his teeth, but he’s actually on the phone, as his wife is doing the same in the bedroom. An evening when they are both...

“The Lovers” is that rare thing: a serious romantic comedy with farcical elements that never puts a foot wrong. Writer-director Azazel Jacobs (“Terri”) seems to know that there is no margin for error with this kind of project, and so he plans out his comedic scenes with both precision and sophistication. He takes a real chance by allowing musician Mandy Hoffman to create the kind of full-blown and near-constant score with violins that hasn’t been heard much since at least the early 1990s, and this music really buoys the scenes up and makes them sparkle. Since “The Lovers” is a comedy of.

The concept of “The Lovers” is almost too cute: Middle-aged married couple Michael (Tracy Letts) and Mary (Debra Winger) lost interest in each other long ago, and have both launched extramarital affairs, promising their paramours that a divorce is on the horizon. In the midst of planning breakups, however, Michael and Marry suddenly rediscover the passion of their marriage, delay their secret plans to split, and the cheating dynamic twists around. The very notion of faithfulness is turned on its ear.

It’s enough to fuel a lightly satisfying studio romcom, and it already has — Nancy Meyers’ “It’s Complicated” — but “The Lovers” writer-director Azazel Jacobs has a more delicate approach. The movie deals less with awkwardness of this comedic scenario than the emotions it creates for its central duo, and the psychological struggle when words can only go so far.

If it was made 70 years ago, “The Lovers” would...

Now in its sixteenth year, New York City’s own Tribeca Film Festival kicks off every spring with a wide variety of programming on offer, from an ever-expanding Vr installation to an enviable television lineup, but the bread and butter of the annual festival is still in its film slate. This year’s festival offers up plenty of returning favorites with new projects, alongside fresh faces itching to break out. From insightful documentaries to fanciful features, with a heavy dose of Gotham-centric films (hey, it is Tribeca after all), there’s plenty to dive into here, so we’ve culled the schedule for a few surefire hits.

This year’s Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 20 – 30. Check out some of our must-see picks below.

Read More: Why ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Is the Most Anticipated Screening of the Tribeca Film Festival

“A Gray State”

It might be the craziest story...

"So you're screwing your wife now?" A24 has premiered the trailer for an indie drama titled The Lovers, from director Azazel Jacobs (Terri), an intriguing look at modern marriage. Veteran actors Debra Winger and Tracy Letts star as a married couple who have been together for a long time, but each of them is now fully engaged in an affair. Wen they find a spark between them again, they try to figure out how to navigate the issue of cheating and see if they can't stay together. The cast includes Tyler Ross & Eric Satterberg. This looks like a solid relationship drama about the struggles of marriage and what it means to be in love. Plus, by now we all know anything A24 releases is usually of a certain quality, and this seems to be up there. Here's the first official trailer (+ poster) for Azazel Jacobs' The Lovers, direct from...

Since 2001, actress Debra Winger has appeared sporadically in films and TV shows. She starred in and produced “Big Bad Love” opposite her husband Arliss Howard, co-starred in Jonathan Demme’s 2008 film “Rachel Getting Married” and the third season of HBO’s “In Treatment” and currently stars in the Netflix series “The Ranch.” But this year, she will star in her first film in over a decade opposite acclaimed playwright and actor Tracy Letts in “The Lovers.”

Read More: Review: ‘The Ranch’ Season 1 Makes You Wish It Was a Prank (Except for Sam Elliott)

“The Lovers” follows Mary (Winger) and Michael (Letts) as a down-and-out married couple. Both are having affairs (played by Aidan Gillen and Melora Walters, respectively) and are set to end their union, until they unexpectedly rekindle the passion between them and fall in love once again. Watch a trailer for the film below.

The film is directed by Azazel Jacobs.

After a banner year that included The Witch, Krisha, Green Room, The Lobster, De Palma, Swiss Army Man, Morris from America, American Honey, Moonlight, and 20th Century Women, A24 are gearing up for quite a 2017 as well. One of their first releases of the year will be The Lovers, and today the first trailer has arrived.

Starring Debra Winger and Tracy Letts, the dramedy comes from writer-director Azazel Jacobs, who impressed a few years back with Terri. Exploring infidelity and reconciliation in a marriage, it looks to be akin to Scenes From a Marriage, American-style, and I especially look forward to Letts’ performance, who was terrific in a handful of films last year.

Check out the trailer and poster below for the film also starring Aidan Gillen, Melora Walters, Tyler Ross and Jessica Sula.

The Lovers is a refreshing, funny look at love, fidelity, and family, starring Debra Winger and...

Generally speaking, A24 either acquire or debut films on the festival circuit before bringing them to cinemas, but that strategy doesn’t always need to be followed. Occasionally, there’s a film whose charm speaks for itself and whose ambitions are modest, and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t just go right to theaters. And for “The Lovers,” the indie studio is keeping things simple and doing just that.

Directed by Azazel Jacobs (“Terri“), and starring Tracey Letts, Debra Winger, and Aiden Gillen, the film follows a long-married couple who each have an affair, only to develop a stronger attraction to each other than ever before.

Continue reading Debra Winger & Tracy Letts Breakup & Makeup In First Trailer For ‘The Lovers’ at The Playlist.

Recently crossing the $1 million mark at the domestic box-office, Certain Women has become Kelly Reichardt‘s most successful film yet — and one of her best. While it usually takes some time after the release of her latest work to learn what she’ll be doing next, we already have the details.

Her next feature will find her collaborating with a writer from a place she knows all too well: Oregon. In an interview with La Times, she reveals she’ll be adapting Undermajordomo Minor, a novel from Patrick DeWitt, who wrote Terri a few years back and whose book The Sisters Brothers is being turned into a feature by Jacques Audiard, starring John C. Reilly.

The book, which is described as a black comedy, follows an assistant at a remote castle whose adventure includes “theft, heartbreak, mystery, and cold-blooded murder.” It certainly sounds like a 180-degree turn from the relative calmness of Certain Women,...

In an age of mass shootings when the debate over gun control rages on, some recent films, such as Jessica Chastain’s new film “Miss Sloane” tackle the subject head on. Another new film “Sins of Our Youth” also explores this topic, capturing the intersection of gun culture and foolish adolescence. The film follows four teenagers who accidentally murder a younger boy while shooting off assault weapons recreationally, and the perilous decisions they make in the aftermath of the murder. In a moment of desperation and fear, the four teenagers drunkenly construct a plan reminiscent of a video-game plot, but it’s only a catalyst for more confusion and pain. Watch an exclusive clip from the film below.

Read More: Film Acquisition Rundown: IFC Picks Up ‘Queen of the Desert,’ The Orchard Grabs ‘Carrie Pilby’ and More

The film is directed by Gary Entin and written by his twin brother Edmund Entin,...

"At the age of 77, Francis Ford Coppola is attempting what may be his most ambitious project yet." Graham Winfrey reports for Indiewire. Also in today's roundup on projects in the works: Darren Aronofsky will produce the next film by Sebastian Schipper (Victoria). Nicolas Winding Refn, whose The Neon Demon will compete at Cannes, will be a showrunner on the Italian TV series Les Italiens. Azazel Jacobs (Terri) will direct Debra Winger and Tracy Letts in The Lovers. Sean Baker will follow up on Tangerine with The Florida Project. John Ridley will direct Idris Elba in Guerrilla, a six-episode limited series. And: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens breakout Daisy Ridley and producer J.J. Abrams are planning to reteam on Kolma, a fantasy thriller that Diary of a Teenage Girl filmmaker Marielle Heller is in negotiations to direct," reports TheWrap's Jeff Sneider. » - David Hudson...

"At the age of 77, Francis Ford Coppola is attempting what may be his most ambitious project yet." Graham Winfrey reports for Indiewire. Also in today's roundup on projects in the works: Darren Aronofsky will produce the next film by Sebastian Schipper (Victoria). Nicolas Winding Refn, whose The Neon Demon will compete at Cannes, will be a showrunner on the Italian TV series Les Italiens. Azazel Jacobs (Terri) will direct Debra Winger and Tracy Letts in The Lovers. Sean Baker will follow up on Tangerine with The Florida Project. John Ridley will direct Idris Elba in Guerrilla, a six-episode limited series. And: "Star Wars: The Force Awakens breakout Daisy Ridley and producer J.J. Abrams are planning to reteam on Kolma, a fantasy thriller that Diary of a Teenage Girl filmmaker Marielle Heller is in negotiations to direct," reports TheWrap's Jeff Sneider. » - David Hudson...

Face to Face: Gabriadze’s Topical Mutation of Technological Terror

How effectively chilling it is may be arguable. But there’s no denying that Levan Gabriadze’s English language debut Unfriended manages to be clever and somewhat topically meaningful in the age of cyberbullying on social media apps that have chained humans unwittingly to being constantly recorded, in some sense, at nearly every waking moment. Produced by Timur Bekmambetov, the film premiered as Cybernatural (too kitschy for the cool kids) at the 2014 Fantasia Film Festival, its fascination with and deliberate technological framing manage to meld found-footage aesthetics with the attention span of the real-time generation. Screenwriter Nelson Greave’s plot feels kind of similar to Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s creepy 2001 internet ghost film Pulse (which got a Us redo in 2006), but manages to keep an adept, impressive focus on all the action taking place from the perspective of one character’s home screen.

Men, Women & Children follows the story of a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways technology has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. The film attempts to stare down social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the proliferation of illicit material on the internet. As each character and each relationship is tested, we are shown the variety of roads people choose – some tragic, some hopeful – as it becomes clear that no one is immune to this enormous social change that has come through our phones, our tablets, and our computers.

From Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman, the film stars Rosemarie Dewitt (“Kill The Messenger”), Jennifer Garner (“Dallas Buyers Club), Judy Greer (“Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes), Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad”), Adam Sandler (“Grown Ups 1 and 2”) and Emma Thompson (“Saving Mr. Banks...

Men, Women & Children follows the story of a group of high school teenagers and their parents as they attempt to navigate the many ways technology has changed their relationships, their communication, their self-image, and their love lives. The film attempts to stare down social issues such as video game culture, anorexia, infidelity, fame hunting, and the proliferation of illicit material on the internet. As each character and each relationship is tested, we are shown the variety of roads people choose – some tragic, some hopeful – as it becomes clear that no one is immune to this enormous social change that has come through our phones, our tablets, and our computers.

From Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman, the film stars Rosemarie Dewitt (“Kill The Messenger”), Jennifer Garner (“Dallas Buyers Club), Judy Greer (“Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes), Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad”), Adam Sandler (“Grown Ups 1 and 2”) and Emma Thompson (“Saving Mr. Banks...

We’re back with another edition of the Indie Spotlight, highlighting the recent independent horror news sent our way. Today’s feature includes a trailer for Exists, Don’t Blink, and The Wolves of Savin Hill, an announcement of the Fifth Annual PollyGrind Film Festival, Dead Rage first details, and more:

New Clip from Exists: “For five friends, it was a chance for a summer getaway – a weekend of camping in the Texas Big Thicket. But visions of a carefree vacation are shattered with an accident on a dark and desolate country road. In the wake of the accident, a blood curdling force of nature is unleashed – something not exactly human, but not completely animal – an urban legend come to terrifying life and seeking murderous revenge.

Opening in select theaters and On Demand on Friday, October 24th, 2014. Directed by Eduardo Sanchez and written by Jamie Nash, Exists stars Dora Madison Burge,...

Emily Mortimer and Dolly Wells exchange a quick look with each other before both yelling out, in perfect unison, "No!" and then start laughing hysterically. The two British actresses know they've probably answered a little too quickly, but given the nature of the project under discussion — the very reason that they are sitting together in the Bowery Hotel's lobby, sipping late-afternoon tea — they understand that it's natural to ask some rather personal questions.

The Best of 'The Newsroom,' Season One

After all, their HBO show Doll & Em (airing...

"The Newsroom" may be ending after this season, but Emily Mortimer is hoping her stay at HBO is just beginning. The British actress serves as co-writer and co-creator along with real life best friend Dolly Wells on their new show, "Doll & Em."  Set to premiere March 19 at 10pm, the half-hour comedy will air back-to-back episodes each following Wednesday until its six-episode first season is complete. The semi-autobiographical premise finds Mortimer moving to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career with best friend Dolly in tow as her personal aide. Hijinks undoubtedly ensue, as you can see from the funny first trailer below, but friendship under new rules seems to be the focus here. "Terri" filmmaker Azazel Jacobs directed and co-wrote all the episodes. "Doll & Em" sounds similar in structure to Showtime's delightful series, "Episodes," with Matt LeBlanc playing a subtly altered version of himself. Take a look at both the poster and trailer below,...

Actresses Emily Mortimer (who stars in "The Newsroom") and Dolly Wells ("Spy"), best friends in real life, play fictionalized version of themselves in the upcoming HBO comedy "Doll & Em," which the pair co-wrote with series director Azazel Jacobs ("Terri"). The six-part miniseries, which premiered at the London Film Festival, is a depiction of a friendship complicated by power struggles and insecurity, with Emily hiring Dolly, who's fresh off a breakup, to serve as her assistant while she shoots a movie in Los Angeles. John Cusack, Andy Garcia and Susan Sarandon are among the celebrity cameos, and the series premieres on March 19 at 10pm -- take a look at the new full-length trailer below.

Created by "The Newsroom" star Emily Mortimer, "Doll & Em" is a British comedy that was acquired by HBO for a Wednesday, March 19th premiere. The series finds Mortimer and her real life best friend Dolly Wells ("The Mighty Boosh") playing fictionalized versions of themselves -- a star and the newly single childhood friend she hires to work as her personal assistant while shooting a film in L.A. Azazel Jacobs ("Terri," "Momma's Man") co-wrote the series with Mortimer and Wells and directed all six episodes in the season. HBO's released a first teaser for the series, which is reminiscent of a less aggressive "Curb Your Enthusiasm," below -- check it out:...

Paramount Pictures announced this morning that Jason Reitman's next film, Men, Women & Children, has gone into production with cameras rolling on the adaptation. Come inside to check out the press release, including the film's updated cast list!

Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc, announced today that principal photography has commenced on “Men, Women & Children,” from Academy Award®-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman (“Labor Day,” “Young Adult,” “Up In The Air”). The film stars Rosemarie Dewitt (“Kill The Messenger,” “Rachel Getting Married”), Jennifer Garner (“Dallas Buyers Club,” “Draft Day”), Judy Greer (“Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes,” “Tomorrowland”), Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad,” “The Counselor”), Adam Sandler (“Grown Ups 1 and 2,” “The Longest Yard”) and Emma Thompson (“Saving Mr. Banks,” “Love Actually”). The film is shooting in and around Austin, Texas.

“Men, Women & Children” is based on Chad Kultgen’s novel of the same name with Reitman directing from a screenplay...

Paramount Pictures, a division of Viacom, Inc, announced today that principal photography has commenced on Men, Women & Children, from Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Jason Reitman (Labor Day, Young Adult, Up in the Air). The film stars Rosemarie DeWitt (Kill the Messenger, Rachel Getting Married), Jennifer Garner (Dallas Buyers Club, Draft Day), Judy Greer (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Tomorrowland), Dean Norris (Breaking Bad, The Counselor), Adam Sandler (Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2, The Longest Yard) and Emma Thompson (Saving Mr. Banks, Love Actually). The film is shooting in and around Austin, Texas.

Men, Women & Children is based on Chad Kultgen's novel of the same name with Reitman directing from a screenplay he co-wrote with Erin Cressida Wilson (Secretary, Chloe). He is producing the feature with his partner Helen Estabrook through their Right of Way Films banner. Michael Beugg (Up in the Air, Little Miss Sunshine) and Mason Novick (Bad Words,...

Jackson Stewart, writer of Supernatural and Invasion Roswell and William Rot, director of Trick is proud to announce the premiere of their new short, The Cartridge Family.

The Cartridge Family premiered on Screw Attack this morning. Mel Nixon Productions and Screw Attack have joined forces to give you a look at the video game crossover you never imagined! Now they smash their way onto the scene with the outrageous, hilarious short… The Cartridge Family.

Created by Jackson Stewart (“Supernatural”) and directed by William Rot (“Trick”) with an impressive cast Aj Bowen (“You’re Next”), Graham Skipper (“Almost Human”), Mekenna Melvin (TV’s “Chuck”), Barbara Crampton (“Re-Animator”) and Jeremy Slater (writer of Fox’s upcoming “Fantastic Four”), The Cartridge Family finds Jason, a thirty something gamer, residing with his favorite 8-bit game heroes; Sergio, Roboman and Twink (composites of Mario, Megaman and Link) and must help them face their greatest challenge yet – finding jobs.

As we wait for official word as to whether or not "The Newsroom" will be back for a third season (star Jeff Daniels' insistence doesn't count), Emily Mortimer, who plays Will McAvoy's producer and much-abused love interest MacKenzie McHale, has found herself another perch at HBO. The premium network has picked up the U.S. and Canadian rights to "Doll & Em," a six-episode half hour British comedy series starring Mortimer and fellow actress and real life best friend Dolly Wells ("The Mighty Boosh") as fictional versions of themselves. The pair wrote the series with filmmaker Azazel Jacobs ("Terri," "Momma's Man"), who directed the episodes. The series is about a British star (Mortimer) who invites her newly single childhood friend to work as her personal assistant when shooting a film in L.A. "Doll & Em" was produced by Mortimer's husband Alessandro Nivola ("Devil's Knot," "Junebug") under the couple's new banner King Bee Productions.

HBO has acquired U.S. and Canadian rights to comedy series Doll & Em from King Bee Prods., a new banner launched by The Newsroom‘s Emily Mortimer and Alessandro Nivola. Originally commissioned by Lucy Lumsden for Sky Living, part of British Sky Broadcasting, the 6-episode half-hour series was created by and stars Mortimer and fellow British actress Dolly Wells (The Mighty Boosh, Spy). A portrait of female friendship, Doll & Em tells the story of a British Hollywood star who hires her childhood friend to be her personal assistant while making a film in Los Angeles. Mortimer and Wells co-wrote Doll & Em along with the show’s director Azazel Jacobs (Terri, Momma’s Man). Nivola produced along with Stacia Peters, Kevin Comer, Mortimer, Dolly Wells and Azazel Jacobs. Revolution Films’ Andrew Eaton executive produced with Lucy Lumsden. Mortimer currently plays MacKenzie McHale on HBO’s The Newsroom. She previously starred in...

Huffington Pictures has tapped Lucas Till (X-Men: First Class, Paranoia), Joel Courtney (Super 8) and Ally Sheedy (The Breakfast Club), to star in the teen drama Sins of Our Youth. The film is based on an original screenplay by Edmund Entin and directed by Gary Entin. Michael Huffington is producing under his Huffington Pictures banner. Principal photography will begin this week on location in and around Las Vegas, Nevada.

Sins of Our Youth is the story of four teenage boys who accidentally murder a young boy while recreationally shooting assault rifles. The film follows the perilous decisions they make in the wake of the murder in a moment of desperation, paranoia, and fear that their lives are over due to the certain eventuality of the death penalty. The four teenagers construct a "plan" that leads them down an even darker path.

Mitchel Musso (Hannah Montana: The Movie, Monster House), Bridger Zadina...

Xan Cassevetes, daughter to indie icons John Cassevetes and Gena Rowlands, follows in family's footsteps with her feature directorial-writing debut "Kiss of the Damned" (opening this Friday in select theaters and currently available on VOD). A feverish vampire story strictly aimed at the adult set (think more "True Blood" and less "Twilight"), "Kiss of the Damned" doesn't recall the work of her famous father, but that of European masters like Michelangelo Antonioni, Claude Chabrol, Louis Feuillade, and even Dario Argento. Together with cinematographer Tobias Datum ("Smashed," "Terri"), Cassevetes conjures an intoxicating tale that seduces and frights in equal measure. What's Next: "I have four things in the works," Cassevetes told Indiewire. "One is something that I wrote before.The other are things that I’ve written since. They’re all very different, but I don’t know which one is going to be the one I am going to make.

Why She's On Our Radar: Xan Cassevetes, daughter to indie icons John Cassevetes and Gena Rowlands, follows in family's footsteps with her feature directorial-writing debut "Kiss of the Damned" (playing the SXSW's Midnight section). A feverish vampire story strictly aimed at the adult set (think more "True Blood" and less "Twilight"), "Kiss of the Damned" doesn't recall the work of her famous father, but that of European masters like Michelangelo Antonioni, Claude Chabrol, Louis Feuillade, and even Dario Argento. Together with cinematographer Tobias Datum ("Smashed," "Terri"), Cassevetes conjures an intoxicating tale that seduces and frights in equal measure. What's Next: "I have four things in the works," Cassevetes told Indiewire. "One is something that I wrote before.The other are things that I’ve written since. They’re all very different, but I don’t know which one is going to be the one I am going to make. The...

Recently, I got a chance to talk with writer-director David Guy Levy, who’s second feature film (after A Love Affair Of Sorts), Would You Rather, recently came out on VOD [my review can be found here].

The film stars a cavalcade of interesting actors, including Brittany Snow, Eddie Steeples, John Heard, Jonny Coyne, Jeffrey Combs, Enver Gjokaj, and Sasha Grey. The premise is simple: a bunch of varied personalities, all in dire straits for myriad reasons, play a twisted game of “Would You Rather?” that decides their fate.

Levy is also a successful producer, with Terri and August on the resume. Check out our interview below, and before/after/during, be sure to see the movie at SundanceNOW!

Famous Monsters: What inspired you to tackle a career in film, and particularly as a writer-director?

David Guy Levy: Back to the Future. Once I had seen that movie it was pretty clear to me that telling stories,...

…Or would you rather be doing something else? If not, watch the Would You Rather — a horror film from David Guy Levy (producer for Terri) – clips we’ve cobbled together below.

The film stars Brittany Snow, Jeffrey Combs, and Sasha Grey.

In the wake of her parent’s death, Iris struggles to make ends meet while caring for her terminally ill younger brother. Shepard Lambrick, a seemingly philanthropic aristocrat, expresses an interest in helping them. When he invites her to an exclusive dinner party, she accepts. Also attending the dinner party are seven more desperate individuals. They soon find themselves trapped in Lambrick’s mansion and forced to play a sadistic game of Would You Rather, where the winner will be awarded untold amounts of money. As the game progresses, the dilemmas Iris and the other players face grow increasingly deadly.

New Indie DVD of the Month One of the most brutally honest and gritty films of recent years was writer-director Ira Sachs’ autobiographical Keep the Lights On (Music Box Films), a harrowing portrait of a relationship torn up not just by drugs but also a fundamental lack of communication. Nominated for four Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor (the extraordinary Thure Lindhardt), this festival favorite is a moving and powerful look at the highs and lows of love. Also out this month: Fat Kid Rules the World (Arc Entertainment), about the unlikely friendship between a chubby high school outcast (Jacob Wysocki, “Terri”) and a charismatic punk rocker (Matt O’Leary). New Foreign DVD of the Month In his follow-up to...

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Before Matthew Lillard begins his first interview ever as a director (this interview took place in March 2012 at SXSW), he calms down the clowning around (“Check out my boner!”) carried on by the two leads of his directorial debut, Fat Kid Rules the World.

“Guys, I’m trying to be serious,” Lillard says.

Such a call for control from a man with a post-party rasp in is voice doesn’t just ring with authority, but poignancy to the “metamorphosis” that Lillard is experiencing. Lillard may be most known for Scooby-Doo or Slc Punk!, but now he has a pivotal supporting role in The Descendants, and work in Trouble With the Curve on his resume. His biggest declaration of artistry so far is his movie Fat Kid Rules the World, starring Jacob Wysocki (Terri) as an overweight teen who befriends another lost adolescent, played by Matt O’Leary. The film celebrates...

Below, Matthew Lillard shares one of his favorite scenes from his directorial feature debut "Fat Kid Rules The World," currently playing in select theaters and slated to hit VOD October 25th (more details here). The coming-of-age tale stars "Terri" breakout Jacob Wysocki as the titular 'fat kid' Troy, who at the outset of Lillard's comedy attempts suicide by stepping in front of a moving bus. Enter Marcus (Matt O'Leary of "Natural Selection"), a charismatic young high school dropout, who saves Troy's life by pushing him out of the way. Before long, Marcus has enlisted Troy as drummer in his punk band, and though Troy's new identity gives him much-needed confidence and purpose, his father is less than thrilled by his choice of friends. ___________________ I have to pick a scene. One scene? Not easy. There are all kinds of pressure when you’re picking just one scene. It’s like "Sophie's Choice.