The Film Stage

Exclusive Trailer for Jōhatsu, a Lithuanian Thriller Exploring a Japanese Phenomenon
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Kicking off November 8 in Estonia, the Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (aka PÖFF) is a strong showcase for independent voices in international cinema. One premiere on our radar is Lina Lužytė and Nerijus Milerius’ Jōhatsu, which explores the Japanese...
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“Nobody Ever Gave Me Anything”: Alan Rudolph on Robert Altman, Bruce Willis, Kurt Vonnegut, and Resurrecting Breakfast of Champions
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Among the most inspired choices for a 4K restoration this year would have to be Alan Rudolph’s Breakfast of Champions. Despite coming out in the middle of Bruce Willis’ Armageddon/The Sixth Sense heyday, the 1999 Kurt Vonnegut adaptation died a...
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Léa Seydoux, Lee Kang-sheng, Margaret Qualley, Steven Yeun, Natalie Portman, Armie Hammer & More Set Next Roles
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Following up Sasquatch Sunset, it was announced the Zellner Brothers would embark on the alien invasion comedy Alpha Gang led by Cate Blanchett. They’ve now amassed quite an ensemble, with Dave Bautista, Steven Yeun, Zoë Kravitz, Léa Seydoux, Riley Keough,...
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The Graduates Review: A Melancholic Look at a Community Bonded by Tragedy
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The Graduates is a quiet film. Written and directed by Hannah Peterson, it tells the story of a high school one year after a deadly shooting. Genevieve (Mina Sundwall)––whose boyfriend Tyler was one of the victims––has been struggling to get...
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AFI Fest Review: Robert Zemeckis’ Here Plays Like the Anti-Boyhood
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Robert Zemeckis’ Here arrives with an ambitious framing device in that the entire story is told through one static camera placement. Through this fixed position we witness the early days of Earth when dinosaurs roamed freely. But like his fellow...
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Exclusive: Paul Schrader’s Next Films Involve a Pederast Professor and a Wall Street-Set Erotic Thriller
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Paul Schrader’s Oh, Canada premiered at Cannes this past spring, and although the subject matter, surrounding a dying filmmaker grappling with his own mortality, led to speculation that this was the final film from the aging filmmaker, Schrader is wasting...
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2024 Gotham Awards Nominations Unveiled
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The Gotham Film & Media Institute announced today the nominations for the 34th edition of The Gothams, including 39 feature films and 25 performances in nine award categories. Leading the Best Feature nominees are Anora, Babygirl, Challengers, A Different Man,...
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Yokohama BJ Blues Makes U.S. Theatrical Premiere on November 11 from Amnesiascope
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I was so delighted by one of my favorite films getting restored that I simply had to secure its American debut. With Yokohama BJ Blues‘ forthcoming Blu-ray release from Radiance, my screening series Amnesiascope will show the film on Monday,...
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Tony Leung, Johnnie To, and Chiara Mastroianni Talk Cinema’s Future as the 2024 Tokyo International Film Festival Begins
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I’ve been late to some events in my life but today’s was the first where Tony Leung locked eyes while I opened the door. This, sadly, was not a one-on-one encounter or beginning of a Hong Kong co-production but the...
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First Trailer for Luca Guadagnino’s Queer Follows Daniel Craig Searching for a High
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It’s been quite a prolific year for Luca Guadagnino. After the strike-delayed Challengers finally arrived in April, he embarked on production on After the Hunt this summer all while readying his William S. Burroughs adaptation Queer for a fall festival...
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