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It could be any day, any night, any city, and Bill Murray could be there. Maybe this sad clown folk hero is hitting karaoke night or doing a frat’s dishes or crashing a kickball game or bartending at some random joint or giving a speech at a bachelor party or popping in for a wedding photo shoot. Bill Murray is that “fun” uncle, the loose one with no clear direction yet always grounded in…well, whatever he wants. Maybe he’ll show up, maybe he won’t. Maybe he’ll have a job this year, maybe he won’t bother. Maybe he’ll sock a male co-worker on the nose, maybe he’ll direct misconduct at a woman. Bill Murray is one unpredictable dude, his actions described as erupting “a trail of hysteria,” the man himself as “The Murricane.” Oh, and he’s made some of the greatest comedies,...

Adam Driver, Tom Waits, Mayim Balik, and more have joined Cate Blanchett in the cast of Jim Jarmusch’s new film, Father Mother Sister Brother.

Per Variety, the film recently wrapped production in Paris after previous shoots in Dublin and New Jersey, and will be completed later this year. The film is a triptych that follows three separate stories between parents and their adult children — one in Paris, one in Dublin, and one in the American Northeast.

The film’s description deems Father Mother Sister Brother as a “comedy interwoven with threads of melancholy,” with “character studies, quiet, observational and non-judgmental.” Jarmusch had hinted that the film will have a musical component, but it’s unknown whether the film will feature original songs or not. In addition to Driver, Waits, and Balik, Vicky Krieps, Charlotte Rampling, Indya Moore, and Luka Sabbat have also joined the cast.

Adam Driver previously teamed...

In a sudden announcement, Sundance Institute said on Friday that CEO Joana Vicente is stepping down after two and a half years and Amanda Kelso is returning as acting CEO.

Kelso, who is a trustee of the Institute, previously served as acting CEO, co-chair of the technology committee, a member of the finance committee, and was actively involved in the digital festival task force.

She will transition into her role in April, and Vicente will continue to serve as an advisor to her and the board through June.

“After two and half inspiring years, I have made the decision to...

In a sudden announcement, Sundance Institute said on Friday that CEO Joana Vicente is stepping down after two and a half years and Amanda Kelso is returning as acting CEO.

Kelso, who is a trustee of the Institute, previously served as acting CEO, co-chair of the technology committee, a member of the finance committee, and was actively involved in the digital festival task force.

She will transition into her role in April, and Vicente will continue to serve as an advisor to her and the board through June.

“After two and half inspiring years, I have made the decision to...

Iggy Pop brought Tom Waits out of hiding on the latest episode of his BBC Radio program, The Confidential Show. Over the course of two hours, the two gravelly-voiced rockers shared stories and took turns spinning records by the likes of Alex Chilton, Captain Beefheart, Jerry Lee Lewis, and C.W. Stoneking.

Other more contemporary song selections included Lil Mama’s “Lip Gloss,” Beastie Boys’ “So What’cha Want” and Frank Ocean’s cover of “Moon River,” all of which were chosen by Waits.

Lil Mama’s 2007 single “Lip Glass” “became a favorite of mine recently,” Waits explained. After the song concluded, Waits and Pop humorously recited the chorus themselves.

In introducing Beastie Boys, Waits remarked, “Every time I hear them, they get me off my perch.” As for Frank Ocean’s cover of “Moon River,” Waits said, “It’s a very usual cover and I love what he did with it.

Tom Waits is set to reunite with Iggy Pop next month when they co-host a two-hour special on BBC Radio 6 Music.

Airing on Sunday, December 3rd, the show will see the two musicians trading personal anecdotes and playing some of their favorite tracks to each other.

A press release teased some of those stories, including the time when Waits hitched a ride to Los Angeles with songwriter eden ahbez, who composed Nat King Cole’s 1948 hit “Nature Boy.”

Meanwhile, Iggy Pop will recall how he once stumbled across Captain Beefheart eating breakfast in LA, but was “wise enough not to disturb him.”

Some of the songs that will be played during the special include Alex Chiltern’s “Bangkok,” Pauline Oliveros’ “Bye Bye Butterfly,” Frank Ocean’s “Moon River,” and Johnny Paycheck’s “Colorado Kool-Aid,” along with the first spoken word song that Waits heard on the radio and a...

Festival completes its 2023 programme.

Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival has unveiled the juries for its 27th edition, with jurors including Danish star Trine Dyrholm, and John Altman, who has worked on the music for Titanic, Life Of Brian and No Time To Die.

Jury head Dyrholm and English composer Altman are on the official selection competition jury, alongside filmmakers Xie Fei from China, Hilmar Oddson from Iceland, and Inna Sahakyan from Armenia.

The first feature competition jury consists of Mexican producer Nicolas Celis of Pimienta Films, who heads that jury, alongside Diana Ilijine, former Filmfest Munchen director; Chinese filmmaker Ran Huang...

The following article contains spoilers for "Killers of the Flower Moon."

Martin Scorsese's "Killers of the Flower Moon" hits theaters this week, and if you've seen it, you know that the cast is astonishing. Lily Gladstone turns in a powerful performance as Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman whose family is part of the horrifying murders of tribespeople to gain their money and profit rights after oil is discovered on their land. The Osage Nation became wealthy, and white men used a number of underhanded and despicable ways to get their hands on the money. That includes the plotting of a series of murders by William King Hale (Robert De Niro) and his nephew Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio).

Based on the true story of the Osage murders in Oklahoma at the beginning of the 20th century, the cast includes Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, Brendan Fraser, Cara Jade Myers,...

You’d be forgiven if you thought the above photo was taken backstage at a rehearsal for the Oscars. After all, the joyful colliding of two supernovas does not happen just anywhere, anytime down here on earth. But this particular close encounter took place at the 2009 Toronto Film Festival, at the premiere for “Up in the Air.”

Behind the scenes at the Ryerson Theatre, George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey found themselves sharing the same space and posed for TheWrap creative director Jeff Vespa.

“This is the typical kind of Toronto happening where I’ll get a call and they’ll be like, ‘Get over here right now! Because George Clooney is going to meet with Oprah,” Vespa said. “You have to race over to one of the theaters, and you rush backstage and wait around until the moment happens.”

Vespa has documented countless such moments throughout his career, at Toronto,...

A series premiere, a long-awaited season return and a bevy of great movies are new on HBO and HBO Max this month. May 1 marks the series debut of “White House Plumbers,” the new limited series from “Veep” showrunner David Mandel that chronicles the Watergate break-in and fallout. That show airs on HBO and will stream on HBO Max. Then on May 4, the comedy “The Other Two” returns for its third season on HBO Max.

The sixth season of the animated series “Rick and Morty” will be available to stream on HBO Max starting on May 11, and in terms of library titles the “Men in Black” trilogy, the comedies “Step Brothers” and “Some Like It Hot” and Jonah Hill’s directorial debut “Mid90s” all come to HBO and HBO Max this month.

Also Read:

The Best Movies on HBO Max Right Now May 1:

Absolute Power, 1997 (HBO)

Alpha Dog, 2006 (HBO)

American Honey,...

Wait a minute, you might be asking, isn’t HBO Max supposed to be “Max” now? How then, am I seeing a list of HBO Max new releases for May 2023? Well spotted, dear reader. Warner Bros. Discovery did indeed recently reveal that it would be rebranding its combined HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming service as just Max. As the company notes in its press release for May though, that change doesn’t take effect until May 23. What follows is a list of everything coming to HBO Max through May 22.

The biggest releases this month are two TV series that arrive at the beginning of May. White House Plumbers is a comedic take on the infamous Watergate scandal starring Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux. That will be followed by season 3 of The Other Two, which I personally consider the funniest show on television. Catch up now before it’s too late!

HBO Max will officially be replaced by Warner Bros. Discovery on May 23 with a new and improved service called Max. However, that doesn’t mean the service is scrimping on content until then. One of the biggest new releases of the month is the new limited series “White House Plumbers,” which will premiere on May 1. Starring Woody Harrelson as E. Howard Hunt and Justin Theroux as G. Gordon Liddy, the pair portray two real-life Watergate burglars and Nixon saboteurs who ended up destroying the very president they desperately wanted to serve.

Check out the “White House Plumbers” trailer:

The platform will head to the pitch on May 16 with a three-part soccer docuseries “Angel City.” The series goes behind the scenes with the groundbreaking Los Angeles-based professional women’s soccer team, Angel City Football Club. It reveals the origin story through the 2022 inaugural season of the female-founded and led team — including owners and investors Uzo Aduba,...

HBO Max will add several exciting new TV show premieres and movies to its catalog in May 2023 before being rebranded as “Max.” After launching in 2020 as the primary streaming home for Warner Bros – now Warner Bros. Discovery – titles, HBO Max is officially losing the first half of its name in a rebranding come May 23. After this point, the streaming service will be launched as Max, which will also come with some changes to subscription tiers. Nevertheless, HBO Max will still be releasing new hit titles between May 1 and 22 under the original brand, which includes the premiere of a highly anticipated HBO miniseries and the arrival of classic film franchises.

The biggest upcoming release on HBO Max in May 2023 is the series premiere of the satirical political drama miniseries White House Plumbers on May 1, which stars Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux. The month also brings new episodes of Succession season 4 to HBO Max,...

At 70, the outsider movie hero is releasing his first album. He muses on music, the demise of film and finding joy in mistakes

There are few film-makers quite as particular about music as Jim Jarmusch. Over the years, he’s enlisted Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA to score his hitman-meets-samurai flick Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, had Tom Waits and Iggy Pop jacked up on caffeine and locking horns in a thick swirl of smoke in 2003’s Coffee and Cigarettes, and got Neil Young to let rip some improvised guitar for the soundtrack to Dead Man. Not to mention that his films feature acting turns by everyone from Joe Strummer to Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and he directed a documentary on the Stooges along the way.

“Music’s always been there,” he says, in his unmistakable deep baritone register, speaking from New York. “Since being a teenager, music has been...

Earlier this year, Film at Lincoln Center announced Cate Blanchett as the recipient of the organization’s 47th Chaplin Award, presented earlier this week (April 25) at Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Congrats to her, and in the lead-up to this event, Blanchett appeared on The Film Comment Podcast to discuss her entire career.

While she touched upon many great classic works of the past, including Todd Haynes‘ “I’m Not There” (where she played a version of Bob Dylan) and Jim Jarmusch‘s “Coffee & Cigarettes” (where she played two versions of herself), one of the most exciting parts of the conversation centered on her future projects Pedro Almodóvar‘s “A Manual For Cleaning Women,” and Todd Field‘s long-awaited new feature “Tár,” his first film since 2006’s “Little Children.

Continue reading Cate Blanchett Says Todd Field’s ‘Tar’ Is About A “Fall From Grace” & Talks Finally Working With Pedro Almodóvar at The Playlist.

Latin America has submitted 15 contenders in the Academy Awards’ international feature category this time, not quite as big a haul as last year’s tally of 18.

Leading the hopefuls is Mexico’s “Prayers for the Stolen,” the fiction debut of Tatiana Huezo, one of Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch in 2022. Her tale follows three girls as they come of age in a remote village afflicted by the drug trade and human trafficking. The Cannes Un Certain Regard winner is now streaming on Netflix, which is putting all its promotional heft behind it. The film’s producers are Jim Stark (“Coffee and Cigarettes”) and Nicolas Celis, the latter a key producer of Mexico’s first-ever international feature Oscar winner, “Roma,” by Alfonso Cuarón.

Huezo’s 2016 documentary, “Tempestad,” represented Mexico at the 90th Academy Awards. Since 1957, when Mexico started participating in the Oscars, 10 of its entries have been nominated, culminating in “Roma’s” win in 2019.

Chile,...

It’s the changing of the film festival guard as Toronto International Film Festival co-head and executive director Joana Vicente steps down from her TIFF role after three years to return to her roots in American independent film. She will take over as CEO of the Sundance Institute, succeeding influential CEO Keri Putnam, who exited earlier this year after 10 years. Vicente’s last day at TIFF will be October 31, and she will begin her role at the start of November, working between the Institute’s Park City, Los Angeles, and New York City offices.

The search for her replacement was led by Sundance Board of Trustees Chair Pat Mitchell and Chair-Elect Ebs Burnough. In a statement, the board said the hiring resulted from “a very comprehensive search to find the right person who would continue to move us forward with a vision that aligns with the founding values of the Institute’s founder,...

It’s the changing of the film festival guard as Toronto International Film Festival co-head and executive director Joana Vicente steps down from her TIFF role after three years to return to her roots in American independent film. She will take over as CEO of the Sundance Institute, succeeding influential CEO Keri Putnam, who exited earlier this year after 10 years. Vicente’s last day at TIFF will be October 31, and she will begin her role at the start of November, working between the Institute’s Park City, Los Angeles, and New York City offices.

The search for her replacement was led by Sundance Board of Trustees Chair Pat Mitchell and Chair-Elect Ebs Burnough. In a statement, the board said the hiring resulted from “a very comprehensive search to find the right person who would continue to move us forward with a vision that aligns with the founding values of the Institute’s founder,...

Executive and producer says: ”I have always felt that Sundance was a home for me.”

In a big shake-up in the North American festival landscape Joana Vicente is stepping down as Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) executive director and co-head and is returning to the United States and the independent film world to serve as Sundance Institute CEO.

Vicente will commence her new role at the start of November working between the Institute’s Park City, Los Angeles, and New York City offices. She will work with a core staff of 200 and oversee Sundance Film Festival, the Institute’s year-round labs and programmes,...

October’s here and it’s time to get spooked. After last year’s superb “’70s Horror” lineup, the Criterion Channel commemorates October with a couple series: “Universal Horror,” which does what it says on the tin (with special notice to the Spanish-language Dracula), and “Home Invasion,” which runs the gamut from Romero to Oshima with Polanski and Haneke in the mix. Lest we disregard the programming of Cindy Sherman’s one feature, Office Killer, and Jennifer’s Body, whose lifespan has gone from gimmick to forgotten to Criterion Channel. And if you want to stretch ideas of genre just a hair, their “True Crime” selection gets at darker shades of human nature.

It’s not all chills and thrills, mind. October also boasts a Kirk Douglas repertoire, movies by Doris Wishman and Wayne Wang, plus Manoel de Oliveira’s rarely screened Porto of My Childhood. And Edgar Wright gets the “Adventures in Moviegoing” treatment,...

The Venice Film Festival, which is set to run September 1-11, 2021, today announced that Italian actor and director Roberto Benigni will receive its Lifetime Achievement Award.

The celebrated actor has been one of Italy’s most popular film figures since making his debut in the 1970s. His 1997 film La Vita è Bella (Life Is Beautiful), which he wrote, directed, and starred in, received the 1998 Grand Prize of the Jury at the Cannes Film Festival and in 1999, of the seven Oscar nominations the movie received, it won gongs for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Actor.

Benigni has received multiple David di Donatello Awards for films including Life Is Beautiful, Il Piccolo Diavolo (The Little Devil, 1988) and Johnny Stecchino (1991). He is also well known for roles in Jim Jarmusch films Down by Law (1986), Night on Earth, 1992, and Coffee and Cigarettes, 2003, and more recently, he won a David di Donatello Award as...

The Venice Film Festival will honor Oscar-winning Italian actor/director Roberto Benigni with its 2021 Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.

Benigni, whose “Life Is Beautiful” – which he co-wrote, directed and starred in – won three Oscars in 1999, including best actor, recently returned to the big screen playing Geppetto in Matteo Garrone’s live-action adaptation of “Pinocchio.”

“Pinocchio,” which was a box office champ in Italy in 2019, has been recently released in the U.S. by Roadside Attractions and is nominated for 2021 Oscars in the best costume design and makeup and hairstyling categories.

Benigni’s last directorial effort is “The Tiger and the Snow,” in 2005, in which he also starred. In recent years the beloved Italian showman has been active with his stage adaptation of Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” which toured in Italy and around the world.

In praising Benigni Venice artistic director Alberto Barbera noted that “few artists have equaled his ability to combine explosive comic timing,...

Exclusive: In a fitting piece of nominative determinism, punk-rock icon Iggy Pop has joined the cast of dark comedy Blue Iguana, currently filming in the Cayman Islands.

The Stooges frontman, whose first band was called The Iguanas, which led to his nickname Iggy, is taking on the supporting role of Edward, the wealthy patriarch whose death kicks off a chain of unfortunate events for son Daniel whose plan to reconnect with his siblings hits a snag when he discovers they all want to kill him for his inheritance.

As we revealed last month, starring are Joel David Moore (Avatar), Bob Saget (Fuller House), Jason Jones (The Flight Attendant), Carly Chaikin (Mr. Robot) and Mary Lynn Rajskub (24).

Blue Iguana is directed by Canadian filmmaker Jeremy Lalonde (James vs. His Future Self) from a script by Matthew Dressel (The Pilot is Dead).

The movie will be the first under a multi-picture production...

A note to producers and directors who want to work with Bill Murray: if you have a scene where he’s driving by himself in a car, the comedy legend may just disappear in the vehicle for hours.

At least that’s what happened to indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, who directed Murray in 2003’s “Coffee and Cigarettes,” 2005’s “Broken Flowers” and 2019’s “The Dead Don’t Die.” He revealed that quirky fact during a Zoom interview presented by the American Cinematheque with Murray and his “On the Rocks” writer/director Sofia Coppola. Murray earned a Best Actor Oscar nomination for Coppola’s award-winning 2003 comedy “Lost in Translation.”

“Sofia, I would have been nervous about Bill driving off with nobody else and not come back,” said Jarmusch, as Murray chuckled. “Or maybe come back maybe a few others later. We’re like ‘Do you think Bill’s coming back?’ And then he does…...

The award celebrates a filmmaker who has created a ”authentic, credible and emotionally striking visual language”.

Todd Haynes and Jim Jarmusch were among the friends and collaborators who joined the Rotterdam International Film Festival’s online tribute to Kelly Reichhardt as she received its fledgling Robby Müller award last week.

In its second edition, the prize was launched last year in memory of late Dutch cinematographer Müller, whose credits included Paris, Texas, Breaking The Waves and numerous collaborations with Jarmusch, including Mystery Train, Dead Man and Coffee And Cigarettes.

It celebrates a director of photography, filmmaker or visual artist who...

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It’s well known that David Lynch enjoys a damn fine cup of coffee, but the man is serious about his commitment to caffeine: He’s even got his own coffee line.

It makes sense that the filmmaker wouldn’t go the standard celebrity beverage route with a liquor brand — this is a man so serious about coffee that he remembers his first cup at the tender age of three. That’s why he teamed up with Allegro Coffee to create David Lynch Signature Cup Coffee, which comes in both a House and an Espresso blend.

“For me, it’s the flavor. It should have no bitterness, and it should be smooth and rich in flavor,” Lynch said in a 2014 interview discussing his foray into coffee roasting. “I like to drink espresso with milk,...

Harvey Weinstein-inspired drama received an early digital release in the UK due to cinema closures.

UK streaming platform Curzon Home Cinema (Chc) has recorded its biggest weekend to date following the early digital release of Harvey Weinstein-inspired drama The Assistant.

The film, starring Julia Garner (Ozark), helped the platform generate a 7.4% revenue boost on its previous best weekend and was 340% up on Chc’s equivalent weekend in 2019.

It marks an ongoing success story for the streaming platform, which has seen a consistent rise in figures following the closure of all cinemas in mid-March as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

‘Portrait Of A Lady On Fire’, ‘And Then We Danced’ lead Mubi, BFI Player charts.

Oliver Hermanus’ Moffie topped UK streaming platform Curzon Home Cinema’s (Chc) most-watched films over the weekend, after sidestepping a theatrical release due to the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown.

The gay military drama, which had its world premiere in the Horizons section of Venice, was originally due to receive a UK day-and-date release on April 24. But the continued closure of cinemas meant the film launched exclusively on Chc and performed strongly as audiences continue to seek out home entertainment during quarantine.

From April 24-26, Chc reported...

‘Portrait Of A Lady On Fire’ leads Mubi chart.

Safy Nebbou’s Who You Think I Am has topped UK streaming platform Curzon Home Cinema’s (Chc) most-watched films for a second week as audiences continue to seek home entertainment during the lockdown.

A month after all cinemas closed across the UK, in a bid to stem the spread of Covid-19, Curzon’s streaming platform reported a 211% revenue increase on the equivalent weekend in 2019.

However, income from April 17-19 was down 31% on the previous weekend, highlighting the importance of launching strong, new titles on a weekly basis.

Romantic drama Who You Think I Am,...

‘Bait’ and ‘Knives Out’ lead BFI Player charts.

UK streaming platform Curzon Home Cinema (Chc) has reported a record digital opening for Safy Nebbou’s Who You Think I Am.

The romantic drama, starring Juliette Binoche, delivered the platform’s biggest three-day opening for a premium VoD title to date.

It benefitted from Curzon bringing forward the release of the film from May 8, implemented as part of a larger reshuffle to bolster its online offering while cinemas remain closed, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The performance helped Chc record a 630% increase on the equivalent weekend in 2019 and revenue generated from...

Curzon has reshuffled its releases to strengthen its streaming schedule.

Hirokazu Kore-eda’s The Truth has retained its lead as the most-watched title on Curzon Home Cinema (Chc) as the UK streaming platform prepares to strengthen its schedule of new releases.

The Truth, starring Catherine Deneuve and Juliette Binoche, held the top spot on the platform for the third consecutive weekend. It is on track to overtake Chc’s most successful title to date, Celine Sciamma’s Portrait Of A Lady On Fire, as audiences continue to seek out new releases at home due to the closure of cinemas in...

The American Society of Cinematographers will honor Frederic Elmes with a lifetime achievement award.

The Asc is also honoring Donald A. Morgan with the career achievement in television award, Bruno Delbonnel with the international award; and Don McCuaig with the presidents awards.

The accolades will be presented at the annual Asc awards gala on Jan. 25, 2020, at the Ray Dolby Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles.

“These filmmakers have contributed greatly to the legacy of cinematography over the course of their ongoing careers,” said Asc President Kees van Ooostrum. “They’ve amazed audiences with their compelling visuals and inspired peers and emerging filmmakers.”

Elmes collaborated with David Lynch on “Eraserhead,” “Blue Velvet,” “Wild at Heart” and John Cassavetes on “The Killing of a Chinese Bookie” and “Opening Night. His feature film work includes multiple films for directors Ang Lee and Jim Jarmusch.

He won Independent Spirit Awards for “Night on Earth...

Universal City, California, July 25, 2019 – A quiet town finds itself under attack from the undead with the greatest zombie cast ever disassembled in the comedy, The Dead Don’T Die, arriving on Digital on September 3, 2019 and on Blu-rayTM, DVD and On Demand on September 10, 2019 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Showcasing exclusive bonus features not seen in theaters including insight from the cast and filmmakers, as well as a closer look at the making of the film that takes fans deeper into this “giddy apocalypse with no way out”. Starring Academy Award®† winner Bill Murray, Adam Driver and Chloë Sevigny, The Dead Don’T Die is a “hilariously fun” and irreverent film unlike any you’ve seen before.

Directed by indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, The Dead Don’T Die features a powerhouse of an ensemble cast including Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver (Stranger than Paradise), RZA,...

Universal Pictures Home Entertainment announces the home media release of The Dead Don't Die, hitting digital services on September 3rd, with a Blu-ray an DVD release to follow on September 10th. Here's the official announcement and cover art:

Universal City, California, July 25, 2019 – A quiet town finds itself under attack from the undead with the greatest zombie cast ever disassembled in the comedy, The Dead Don’T Die, arriving on Digital on September 3, 2019 and on Blu-rayTM, DVD and On Demand on September 10, 2019 from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. Showcasing exclusive bonus features not seen in theaters including insight from the cast and filmmakers, as well as a closer look at the making of the film that takes fans deeper into this “giddy apocalypse with no way out”. Starring Academy Award®† winner Bill Murray, Adam Driver and Chloë Sevigny, Thedead Don’T Die is a “hilariously fun” and irreverent film unlike any you’ve seen before.

Bill Murray has become a mystical character in popular culture, and not only because he occasionally pops up at wedding parties. With no agent or manager, the elusive Murray assesses most roles that come his way through a 1-800 number that he created years ago. Without numerous filmmakers confirming its existence, Murray’s unusual answering machine might sound like another apocryphal tale from his quixotic mythology. However, in a recent interview with IndieWire, the actor explained that he created the number — which is not listed, and only passed around through word of mouth — to keep Hollywood agents off his back.

“I had a house phone, and it would just ring and ring,” Murray said, while promoting his starring role in Jim Jarmusch’s zombie comedy “The Dead Don’t Die,” which opens this week. “Finally, I’d pick up the phone and I’d say,...

Jarmusch seems pretty upset about the way things are in our society these days. So he made a zombie film. The Dead Don't Die, a zombie comedy written & directed by American indie filmmaker Jim Jarmusch, just premiered at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival as the opening night gala film. This actually isn't so much of a zombie film, as it is social commentary covered with blood and zombie make-up, along with a couple of weary small-town cops who try their best to survive this hell. The film is an extremely obvious criticism of how miserable things are becoming, between climate change and materialism and idiots running America, and how it's all going to end badly no matter what we do. Alas, its wears out its welcome rather quickly and doesn't offer much heart humor to make-up for it, only zombie ...

The 2019 Cannes Film Festival has announced the majority of its official lineup, including films set to debut in sections such as Competition, Un Certain Regard, Out of Competition, Special Screenings, and Midnight Screenings. The lineup was announced this morning during a press conference. One thing to note is that additions to the lineup will most likely happen in the coming days. The lineup being announced this morning is the majority of the 2019 slate.

One film already confirmed for the festival is Jim Jarmusch’s “The Dead Don’t Die,” which has been selected to open Cannes 2019 on May 14. The movie is a zombie comedy starring Adam Driver, Bill Murray, and Chloe Sevigny as police officers who must protect their small town from the undead. “The Dead Don’t Die” will be in competition at Cannes, bringing Jarmusch back to the Palme d’Or race after “Paterson” in 2016. Other Jarmusch efforts...

The 2019 Cannes Film Festival will open Tuesday, May 14 with the world premiere of Jim Jarmusch’s zombie comedy “The Dead Don’t Die.” The movie is backed by Focus Features and stars Adam Driver, Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Selena Gomez, Danny Glover, Rosie Perez, Chloë Sevigny, and more. The star-studded ensemble cast made “Dead Don’t Die” a no-brainer for opening night. The film will premiere in competition.

“The Dead Don’t Die” stars Driver, Murray, and Sevigny as local cops who must spring into action when a zombie outbreak begins impacting the town’s citizens. The movie is the latest Cannes opening night selection, following Asghar Farhadi’s “Everybody Knows,” Arnaud Desplechin’s “Ismael’s Ghost,” and Woody Allen’s “Cafe Society.” Focus Features last opened Cannes in 2012 with the world premiere of Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom.” The indie distributor picked up rights to “Everybody Knows” last year as well.

Bill Murray, Adam Driver, and Chloe Sevigny are bespectacled — and deadpan — small-town sheriff’s deputies battling an army of zombies in the first trailer for Jim Jarmusch’s “The Dead Don’t Die.”

“In this peaceful town, on these quiet streets, something terrifying, something horrifying is coming,” a voiceover intones, followed by the town’s cafe getting invaded by the undead.

“This is really awful, maybe the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” Murray’s horrified deputy notes upon arriving on the scene.

Murray and Driver then investigate a gravesite that’s been disturbed at the local cemetery, with Driver concluding, “Oh, man, this isn’t going to end well.”

The trailer wraps with Driver leaning out of a moving sheriff’s cruiser and using a sword to behead a zombie, prompting Murray to compliment his swing and recall that he had played Minor League Baseball.

“A little Class A...

Jim Jarmusch’s zombie film, The Dead Don’t Die, which stars Bill Murray, will premiere in theaters on June 14th. Directed and written by Jarmusch, it has an all-star cast that film distributor Focus Features describes as “the greatest zombie cast ever disassembled.” Details regarding the plot have not yet been disclosed.

Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, RZA and Selena Gomez will star alongside actors Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Sara Driver and Carol Kane.

The zombie film follows Jarmusch’s 2016 documentary on the Stooges,...

Jim Jarmusch’s zombie movie “The Dead Don’t Die,” starring Bill Murray, will open on June 14.

Focus Features’ “The Dead Don’t Die” also stars Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Caleb Landry Jones, Rosie Perez, Iggy Pop, Sara Driver, RZA, Selena Gomez, Carol Kane, and Tom Waits.

The movie is written and directed by Jarmusch. Producers are Joshua Astrachan and Carter Logan. Focus Features and Universal Pictures International will distribute the film worldwide. Focus has noted that it’s the third Jarmusch film that it’s handled following 2005’s “Broken Flowers” and 2009’s “The Limits of Control.”

Plot details have not been disclosed. On-set photos showed Murray as a police officer alongside colleagues portrayed by Driver and Sevigny. Images also showed Gomez and a bloody Austin Butler.

Jarmusch and Murray previously worked together on 2003’s “Coffee and Cigarettes” and 2005’s “Broken Flowers.” Driver starred...

Kicking off its 5th year, the Careyes Creation Lab, an offshoot of the Arte Careyes Film Festival, is set to run March 18-22, providing an immersive workshop experience in which a select group of rising Mexican filmmakers are guided by renowned mentors in exercises designed to hone and shape their craft.

This year’s mentors, Oscar-nominated director Jean-Marc Vallee (“Dallas Buyers Club”) and Emmy-winning director Joan Darling (“The Mary Tyler Moore Show”), will tutor a slate of participants including directors Joaquín del Paso (“Maquinaria Panamericana”), Marcelo Tobar (“Oso Polar”) and Cristina Gallego (“Birds of Passage”) and actors Hoze Meléndez, Verónica Toussaint, Osvaldo Benavides and Johanna Murillo. All directors have films screening in Arte Careyes, which dovetails with the lab, taking place March 20-24. Past mentors of the lab have included John Cooper, Jim Stark, Darling and Pavel Pawlikowski.

Taking place in a private home in Careyes, Mexico, the lab is...

Capernaum (Capharnaüm) director Nadine Labaki on Zain al Rafeea: "He knows the violence of the streets, he knows abuse, he knows mistreatment." Photo: Anne-Katrin Titze

Nadine Labaki's Capernaum (Capharnaüm), Lebanon's Oscar entry and Cannes Film Festival winner of the Ecumenical and Jury Prize, and the Prix de la Citoyenneté, is executive produced by Susan Rockefeller and Joslyn Barnes (Lucrecia Martel's Zama), Joana Vicente and Jason Kliot, Candice Abela-Mikati (David Robert Mitchell's Under The Silver Lake), Danny Glover and others, with associate producer Anne-Dominique Toussaint.

Nadine Labaki on Yordanos Shifera as Rahil: "She had run away from her employer."

Capernaum, shot by Christopher Aoun, has a great performance from Zain al Rafeea with Yordanos Shiferaw, Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, Fadi Youssef, Kawthar al Haddad, Elias Khoury, Joseph Jimbazian, Haita 'Cedra' Izam, and Nadine Labaki as the lawyer for Zain.

Capernaum intercuts between Zain's (Zain al Rafeea) life on the streets and scenes in a courtroom,...

New documentary “Carmine Street Guitars” will have its world premier at the Venice Film Festival. The Ron Mann-directed film chronicles a week in the life of Greenwich Village guitar maker Rick Kelly and his apprentice Cindy Hulej. Kelly’s method is unique: he builds his guitars out of wood salvaged from old New York City buildings constructed in the 1800s or as he calls it, “the bones of old New York.” Artists like Lou Reed and Bob Dylan have owned Kelly’s guitars, which feature parts taken from such iconic Manhattan locales as the Hotel Chelsea and Chumley’s pub.

The doc brings musicians of all stripes — including Patti Smith Band’s Lenny Kaye, Kirk Douglas of The Roots, Jamie Hince of The Kills, Bill Frisell, Nels Cline of Wilco, Marc Ribot, Ester Baling, Dallas and Travis Good of The Sadies and Dylan six-stringer Charlie Sexton — to the shop.

There's a new zombie comedy in production at Focus Features called The Dead Don't Die and it sure does have a hell of a cast! The movie stars Bill Murray, Selena Gomez, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, and Chloe Sevigny.

The movie is being directed by Jim Jarmusch who previously helmed Coffee and Cigarettes, Broken Flowers, Paterson, and Only Lovers Left Alive. When previously talking about the project Murray said, "Brace yourself: It’s a zombie movie. Jim Jarmusch has written a zombie script that’s so hilarious and it has a cast of great actors." He goes on to say that he will not be playing a zombie.

One of the things we do know about Murray's character is that he will play a "police officer alongside colleagues portrayed by Driver and Sevigny." There really no other details about the movie, but a Zombie comedy with a cast...

Independent stalwart Jim Jarmusch is making a zombie movie with Bill Murray and has set up the project at Focus Features.

“The Dead Don’t Die,” which also stars Selena Gomez, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Steve Buscemi, and Chloe Sevigny, is already filming in Upstate New York. Focus noted Friday that it’s the third Jarmusch film that it’s handled following 2005’s “Broken Flowers” and 2009’s “The Limits of Control.” Joshua Astrachan and Carter Logan are producing.

Murray was seen in on-set photos obtained by the Daily Mail. Murray plays a police officer alongside colleagues portrayed by Driver and Sevigny. Images from Just Jared also show Gomez and a bloody Austin Butler.

Although Jarmsuch had not officially announced the project, Murray mentioned the pic in March in an interview with Philly.com.

“I’ve got a good job coming up. Brace yourself: It’s a zombie movie,” Murray said at the time.

Update (2:50 p.m. Et): Focus Features has confirmed Jarmusch’s new film is titled “The Dead Don’t Die.” Focus and Universal Pictures International will distribute the film worldwide. Additional cast members include Tilda Swinton, Rosie Perez, and Steve Buscemi.

Earlier: Jim Jarmusch is embracing his “Only Lovers Left Alive” genre side for his next feature. Following the introspective character drama of “Paterson,” Jarmusch is taking on the zombie genre for a new film reportedly titled “The Dead Don’t Die” (via The Film Stage). The project is currently filming in upstate New York with a start-studded cast, including Adam Driver, Selena Gomez, Bill Murray, Chloë Sevigny, and Austin Butler.

While Jarmsuch has not officially announced the project, Murray teased the movie earlier this year to Philly.com. “I’ve got a good job coming up. Brace yourself: It’s a zombie movie,” Murray said. “Jim Jarmusch has...

German director Wim Wenders has paid tribute to famed Dutch cinematographer Robby Muller, who died this week at his home in Amsterdam after a long battle with Binswanger's disease.

Muller worked with numerous acclaimed filmmakers in his career, lensing William Friedkin's To Live and Die in L.A; John McNaughton's Mad Dog and Glory; Alex Cox's Repo Man and films from Jim Jarmusch (Down by Law, Mystery Train, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Coffee and Cigarettes) and Lars von Trier (Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark).

But he was most closely associated with Wenders, working on a dozen films together,...

German director Wim Wenders has paid tribute to famed Dutch cinematographer Robby Muller, who died this week at his home in Amsterdam after a long battle with Binswanger's disease.

Muller worked with numerous acclaimed filmmakers in his career, lensing William Friedkin's To Live and Die in L.A; John McNaughton's Mad Dog and Glory; Alex Cox's Repo Man and films from Jim Jarmusch (Down by Law, Mystery Train, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai, Coffee and Cigarettes) and Lars von Trier (Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark).

But he was most closely associated with Wenders, working on a dozen films together,...

Dutch cinematographer Robby Muller, whose credits spanned such films as Repo Man; Paris, Texas; Breaking The Waves; and To Live And Die In La, has passed away. His family told local media in Amsterdam that he died on Tuesday after a long illness. He was 78.

Müller was known as the “Master of Light” and drew comparisons to another famous Dutchman, “Girl With A Pearl Earring” painter Johannes Vermeer. Trained at the Netherlands Film Academy, Müller began his feature career with Wim Wenders’ German title Summer In The City in 1970. That kicked off a long collaboration with Wenders which went on to include The Scarlet Letter, Alice In The Cities, Kings Of The Road, The American Friend, Until The End Of The World and Paris, Texas.

Müller was also a frequent Dp for Jim Jarmusch with whom he made Down By Law, Mystery Train, Dead Man, Ghost Dog: The Way Of The Samurai...