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“After your first, life is never the same,” is the tagline from “First Love,” the new film from A.J. Edwards, who worked closely with acclaimed director Terrence Malick throughout the last several years. “First Love” follows Jim (Hero Fiennes Tiffin) and Ann (Sydney Parker), two high school seniors who navigate a bourgeoning romantic relationship as they stand at the crossroads of their young lives.

Continue reading ‘First Love’ Trailer: Terrence Malick’s Former Protégé Directs A Coming-Of-Age YA Romance Co-Starring Diane Kruger at The Playlist.

"After your first, live is never the same." Voltage Pictures has debuted an official trailer for First Love, a new romantic comedy from filmmaker A.J. Edwards, following his other two indies The Better Angels and Age Out. There have been way too many films named First Love, or about teenage first love recently, making everything a bit confusing as to what is what. This is described as a poignant look at a young man's difficult entry into adulthood. First Love follows Jim, played by Hero Fiennes Tiffin from the After franchise, a senior in high school who experiences the highs & lows of his first love with Ann, played by Sydney Park. At the same time, his parents are dealing with the familial fallout spurred by the financial crisis of 2008. Also starring Diane Kruger, Jeffrey Donovan, Diane Venora, and Nanrisa Lee. It looks like made-for-tv derivative cheesy junk, hitting all the...

Company exploring ad-supported lower-cost tiers.

In a rare turn of events Netflix has lost subscribers for the first time in more than a decade, shedding 200,000 global members in the first quarter of 2022.

Current global membership of 221.64m after 6.7 year-on-year growth still means Netflix is the streaming market leader, however the loss of subscribers was far off its forecasts of a 2.51m gain. The company forecast a loss of two million global paid subscribers in the second quarter.

Stock plunged more than 20 in after-hours trading, instigating a flurry of streaming stock drops. Since December 31 last year Netflix stock has tumbled 43 since...

The “Walker: Independence” pilot at The CW has cast Gabriela Quezada in a recurring guest star role, Variety has learned exclusively.

The pilot is a prequel to the current CW series “Walker,” a reboot of “Walker, Texas Ranger.” The one-hour drama pilot is set in the late 1800s and follows Abby Walker (Katherine McNamara), an affluent Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West. On her quest for revenge, Abby crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins (Matt Barr), a lovable rogue in search of purpose. Abby and Hoyt’s journey takes them to Independence, Texas, where they encounter diverse, eclectic residents running from their own troubled pasts and chasing their dreams.

Quezada will appear as Lucia Montero. The daughter of ranchers Francis and Anna Maria Montero, and the older sister of Luis Montero, Lucia has a problem: she’s in love with Rawlins, and no matter what he does,...

Picturehouse is set to release the pre-hiatus final concert film of the Japanese boyband pop sensation Arashi exclusively in AMC Theatres for one night only on March 22.

The Arashi Anniversary Tour 5×20 Film Record of Memories was released by Shochiku on Nov. 26, 2021, and grossed $39.5M, making it the highest grossing live-action film in Japan in 2021.

Arashi has consistently been a top performing act since their debut in 1999, and are composed of five members: Masaki Aiba, Jun Matsumoto, Kazunari Ninomiya, Satoshi Ohno and Sho Sakurai. In 2019, their compilation studio album 5×20 All the Best!! 1999-2019 was named the best-selling album of the year worldwide, and most of their singles and albums have ranked as top sellers on the Oricon music charts.

In addition to music, the band are actors with Ninomiya having appeared in Clint Eastwood’s Oscar-winning film, Letters From Iwo Jima.

Record of Memories showcases the group’s 20th anniversary tour...

Dealing with themes of sexual/domestic abuse in mainstream (Japanese) cinema is not exactly the easiest thing to do. Yukihiko Tsutsumi, however, who shot “12 Suicidal Teens” back in 2019, seems like the man to do the job, in adapting Rio Shimamoto’s Naoki Prize novel. Let us see how he fared.

“First Love” is screening as part of the Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme

The protagonist of the story is Yuki Makabe, a psychologist who believes that the main blame for the violent behaviour of any children lies with their parents. Yuki lives a nice enough life, being respected in her field and married to photographer Gamon, who is set on taking care of her, essentially being in charge of all house chores due to his wife’s rather busy schedule. At one point, Yuki becomes fascinated by the case of Kanna Hijiriyama, a college student who has been arrested for...

Exclusive: Jayme Lawson, Hero Fiennes Tiffin and Masali Baduza are joining TriStar’s Gina Prince-Bythewood directed historical African epic The Woman King which stars Oscar winner Viola Davis.

“We are so lucky to catch these three rising phenoms who are bringing their incredible passion and talent to this beautiful ensemble,” said Prince-Bythewood.

The pic is based on true events that took place in The Kingdom of Dahomey, one of the most powerful states of Africa in the 18th and 19th centuries. The story follows Nanisca (Davis), General of the all-female military unit, and Nawi (International Emmy nominated Thuso Mbedu), an ambitious recruit, who together fought enemies who violated their honor, enslaved their people, and threatened to destroy everything they’ve lived for. Lawson will play the ambitious and cunning head wife to Dahomey’s ruler, King Ghezo, played by John Boyega. As the warrior cast is being rounded out, Adrienne Warren...

Exclusive: Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists alumna Sydney Park is set as a series regular opposite Sydney Chandler in Showtime drama pilot Coercion. Written and to be directed by Susannah Grant, Coercion is inspired by the life of Rebecca Bender, a national leader on and survivor of sex trafficking. Wiip is producing.

Coercion depicts Bender’s (Chandler) escape from the world of sex trafficking after six years, her struggles to return to a “normal” life, and her emergence as a confident, funny and impassioned advocate for justice.

Park will play Brandi, a high-end Las Vegas-based sex worker.

Executive producing Coercion are Grant, Bender, Gail Lyon, and actress Rosanna Arquette, who is a longtime advocate for survivors of sex trafficking. Paul Lee and Hope Hartman of wiip also serve as executive producers.

Park can next be seen in the leading role of Makani Young in Netflix film There’s Someone Inside Your House.

HBO Max announced that the cast of “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” now includes Sharon Leal, Elena Goode and Lea Salonga as series regulars and Zakiya Young and Carly Pope in recurring roles.

Previously announced cast members of the “Pretty Little Liars” reboot include Chandler Kinney, Bailee Madison, Maia Reficco, Malia Pyles, Zaria, Mallory Bechtel, Alex Aiono and Eric Johnson. The series is set in the present, 20 years after a series of tragic events almost ripped the blue-collar town of Millwood apart. Now, a disparate group of teen girls — the new “Little Liars” — find themselves tormented by an unknown “Assailant” and made to pay for the secret sin their parents committed two decades ago, as well as their own.

Leal will play Sidney, Tabby’s (Kinney) single mother who works in real estate to provide for her daughter and Imogen (Madison), another girl in town. Leal’s previous credits include “Dreamgirls,...

Exclusive: Following its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, UK horror film A Banquet has sold to Signature for the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

The deal was negotiated between Signature’s Elizabeth Williams and Hanway’s Nicole Mackey. Release is set for 2022.

A Banquet follows widowed mother Holly (played by Resident Evil actress Sienna Guillory) who is pushed to breaking point when her daughter Betsey develops an extreme eating disorder. She claims she has experienced a profound enlightenment where her body is in service to a higher power. Tormented by Betsey’s illness, her family are faced with an agonizing dilemma, torn between love and fear, and Holly is forced to confront the boundaries of her own belief. Also starring are Ruby Stokes (Bridgerton) and Lindsay Duncan (About Time).

The movie will next play at the BFI London Film Festival in the Cult strand.

Women In Film Los Angeles has selected the first class of participants for its new Emerging Producers Program, which is designed to provide women and non-binary people access to master classes, mentorship and advising early in their producing careers.

Participants looking to build careers across various producing tracks in both film and TV were selected by a jury of industry leaders and veteran producer mentors, a list that includes Jenn Asaro (VP Physical Production Finance, Warner Bros), Chelsea Barnard (Booksmart, If Beale Street Could Talk), Yolanda Cochran (SVP Live-Action Long-Form Production, Nickelodeon & Awesomeness), Linda Goldstein Knowlton (We Are the Radical Monarchs, Code Black), Niija Kuykendall (EVP Film Production, Warner Bros), Monica Levinson (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm, The Trial of the Chicago 7), Lyn Sisson-Talbert (Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, Bookmarks) and Jeanette Volturno.

The inaugural class:

Apoorva Charan an L.A.-based producer who was born in India,...

Exclusive: Diane Kruger, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, Jeffrey Donovan and Sydney Park have joined romantic drama First Love from writer/director A.J. Edwards. Produced by Henry Kittredge, Lucas Jarach, Nadine de Barros and Edwards, the film is currently in production in LA. Kruger serves as an executive producer and De Barros’ Fortitude International is fully financing.

The story is described as a poignant look at a young man’s difficult entry into adulthood. First Love follows Jim (the After franchise’s Fiennes Tiffin), a senior in high school who experiences the highs and lows of his first love with Ann (The Walking Dead’s Park). At the same time, Jim’s parents, played by Cannes Best Actress winner Kruger and Donovan, are dealing with the familial fallout spurred by the financial crisis of 2008.

Edwards and Kruger previously worked together on The Better Angels, which premiered at Sundance in 2014. Most recently,...

With his biting, confessional lyrics, technique-heavy flow that can hit Busta Rhymes-like levels of emotional intensity, extensive production and songwriting credits, and indomitable work ethic, Suga is an indispensable piece of BTS’ collective artistic soul. In April, he sat in his label’s headquarters, wearing a gray knit cap, white mask, and black parka as he spoke about his battles with depression, his songwriting process, staying hungry after conquering the world, and much more.

(In celebration of BTS’ appearance on the cover of Rolling Stone, we’re publishing individual...

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By Todd Garbarini

Tsugunobo Kotani is a film director whose name does not roll off the tongue throughout film circles. A handful of titles to his credit consist of Hatsukoi (1975), The Last Dinosaur (1977), The Ivory Ape (1980), and The Bloody Bushido Blade (1981), and there are a good number of Japanese-language titles that appear in his early filmography. An Internet search of “Tom Kotani,” the Americanized variant of Tsugunobo and the director’s name as it appears in some of his movies, yields even less information. While most people may not recognize him, there is a small but significant percentage of film viewers, yours truly included, who have been deeply affected by one of his films in particular: the made-for-television undersea effort The Bermuda Depths. Filmed in the British Overseas Territory of the Bermudas in 1977, The Bermuda Depths is mysterious for several reasons. It is...

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By Todd Garbarini

Tsugunobo Kotani is a film director whose name does not roll off the tongue throughout film circles. A handful of titles to his credit consist of Hatsukoi (1975), The Last Dinosaur (1977), The Ivory Ape (1980), and The Bloody Bushido Blade (1981), and there are a good number of Japanese-language titles that appear in his early filmography. An Internet search of “Tom Kotani,” the Americanized variant of Tsugunobo and the director’s name as it appears in some of his movies, yields even less information. While most people may not recognize him, there is a small but significant percentage of film viewers, yours truly included, who have been deeply affected by one of his films in particular: the made-for-television undersea effort The Bermuda Depths. Filmed in the British Overseas Territory of the Bermudas in 1977, The Bermuda Depths is mysterious for several reasons. It is...

Dark Star Pictures and Bloody Disgusting will release the rural horror film Honeydew on VOD, Digital HD and DVD on April 13, 2021. Honeydew is written and directed by Devereux Milburn (shorts “Stayed For” and “Wade”) and stars Sawyer Spielberg in his feature acting debut, Malin Barr , and Barbara Kingsley (The Straight Story, “Jessica Jones”). Honeydew tells the story of a …

The post Honeydew by Devereux Milburn starring Sawyer Spielberg, Malin Barr, Barbara Kingsley – VOD/Digital Release on April 13th appeared first on Horror News | Hnn.

If you can't find something to watch this week, then you're not looking hard enough.

Or, even worse, you're just not festive enough. And that has to change!!

Christmas is all over the schedule, but when you take a break from the egg nog, you can watch The Flight Attendant, Superintelligence, and Black Beauty, too.

Saturday, November 21

8/7c A Nashville Christmas Carol (Hallmark)

Vivienne Wake (Jessy Schram), a workaholic television producer in charge of a country musicthemed Christmas special showcasing newcomer Alexis (Raelynn), never lets personal feelings get in the way of business.

On the verge of accepting a job in LA, and with the return of Gavin Chase (Wes Brown), her childhood sweetheart and manager to the special’s headliner, Belinda (Sara Evans), she receives a visit from the ghost of her recently deceased mentor, Marilyn ((Wynonna Judd).

Her mentor warns her current path leads to a dark future...

Aacta has unveiled the final set of nominees for its upcoming awards, including the craft categories in television and documentary, as well as those up for the VFX, casting and the Best Asian Film awards.

Leading the charge in television is Matchbox Pictures/Dirty Films’ Stateless, which notched another 11 nominations today, taking its overall tally to 18.

Fellow ABC series Mystery Road, produced by Bunya Productions, follows with a total of 14 nominations.

Stateless helmers Emma Freeman and Jocelyn Moorhouse are both nominated for Best Direction in A Television Drama or Comedy. They will vie against Mystery Road‘s Wayne Blair and Warwick Thornton, and Simon Francis, who shot Anne Edmond’s Amazon stand-up special.

Thornton is a double nominee, also garnering recognition for his cinematography on Mystery Road, up against Marden Dean for The Commons; Martin McGrath for Operation Buffalo, and Bonnie Elliott for Stateless.

Nominated in the TV screenplay category...

Netflix added a load of new titles this past week, and just in case you missed some of the highlights, here’s the complete list of every fresh addition to the streaming service that arrived in the last several days. In total, there were 38 movies and TV shows dropped into to the library from Monday, November 9th to Sunday, November 15th.

Of the new films, there were a bunch of Christmas pics as Netflix has started to roll out its holiday season material. This included original production Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey and 1954’s festive classic White Christmas. Family audiences, meanwhile, have animated sequel Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 to enjoy, while horror fans may want to check out the 2008 Prom Night remake. Last but not least, action/superhero lovers can flip on V for Vendetta for an obligatory November rewatch.

Here’s everything that dropped on Netflix...

Rio Shimamoto’s novel “First Love,” won the 159th Naoki Prize for it’s unpredictable ending and the dense human drama hidden behind the title. The best-selling “rare-problem work” has been made into a complete movie by the casted staff representing the Japanese movie world.

Kitagawa, who boasts tremendous support from a wide range of people, plays Yuki Makabe, the main character of a certified public psychologist who covers the case. Keiko, in addition to top-class actors such as Tomoya Nakamura, Kyoko Yoshine and Sho Kiyohara. Gorgeous faces gather, and the story is spun more realistically and emotionally with a real performance.

The director is Yukihiko Tsutsumi, a hit-maker who has produced enthusiastic fans with numerous stylish suspense. The theme song and insert song are produced by singer Uru, who is attracting attention for her singing voice and mysterious presence.

Why did she have to kill her father?...

Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning “Parasite” leads the race of this year’s Asian Film Awards, which will be hosted in his home country South Korea for the first time since the prize ceremony’s inception in 2007. The acclaimed drama picked up 10 nominations, including best film, best director and best screenplay.

“Parasite” was closely followed by Wang Xiaoshuai’s drama “So Long, My Son” from mainland China, and Taiwan drama “A Sun” by Chung Mong-hong. They each scored seven nominations including best film and best director, organizers of the 14th Asian Film Awards announced on Wednesday. A total of 39 films from 11 countries and regions are competing for the awards.

Founded by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society, the AFAs have been staged in Hong Kong and Macau since their launch. In 2013, three major film festivals in Asia — Busan, Hong Kong and Tokyo — joined hands to launch the non-profit Afa Academy,...

The Asian Film Awards Academy has decided to announce the winners online on October 14.

Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite leads the nominations for this year’s Asian Film Awards (Afa) – hosted by Busan International Film Festival and the first to be held outside of Hong Kong and Macau – with ten nominations including best film and best director.

The Asian Film Awards Academy (Afaa), comprising the Hong Kong, Tokyo and Busan international film festivals, announced during last year’s Busan that the 14th Afa ceremony would be held in the South Korean city this year. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisers...

Another Decade with Takashi Miike is a series of essays on the 2010 films of the Japanese maverick, following Notebook's earlier survey of Miike's first decade of the 21st century.Jim Emerson once wrote that Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom tells you how to watch it in its first shot. By a similar token, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable - Chapter 1 (2017) tells you how to watch it with its very title. Making sense of its three parts requires either familiarity with the manga series JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure (or its anime adaptation) or a willingness to do some work as a spectator. Diamond Is Unbreakable is the name of the fourth story arc of the JoJo manga; it was originally serialized from 1992 to 1995. It speaks to Miike’s love of—and entrenchment in—cartoon media that he’d choose not to adapt the first story of this long-running...

The Asian Film Festival, directed by Antonio Termenini, presents a selection of the best of Asian research and independent cinema, with particular attention to debuts and young directors of the rich Newcomers section.

The seventeenth edition of the Asian Film Festival presents 27 feature films and 3 short films from 10 East Asian countries and will take place, from July 30 to August 5, at Casa del Cinema, Villa Borghese Park, Rome.

The afternoon screenings will be in the comfort of the Deluxe Room, the evening ones in the Ettore Scola Open Air Theater, to enjoy the films in serenity and in the cool of the park.

8 feature films from the Philippines will celebrate 100 years of Filipino cinema with the best of the most recent productions.The closing evening also will feature the Filipino “Kalel, 15” by Jun Lana, the story of a difficult adolescence in the Manila slums. Saturday 1 August will be Korean Day – a...

Harry Clein, a veteran film publicist who wrote the original press notes for Star Wars and helped develop the innovative internet campaign for The Blair Witch Project, died June 18 of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder in Atlanta. He was 82.

His death was announced by spokesperson Mark Pogachefsky.

Clein, along with Bruce Feldman, cofounded the Clein + Feldman agency in 1981. Their first client was director Alan J. Pakula and his film Sophie’s Choice.

With offices on both coasts and quickly developing a reputation as an innovative shop for independent distributors, producers and filmmakers, the agency became Clein + White in 1989, with the addition of Cara White as a partner and the departure of Feldman for a studio career. Clein + White closed in 2000, with Clein focusing on producing and marketing consultation. He also taught at the Los Angeles Film School.

Earlier in his career, Clein was a unit publicist on such films as All the President’s Men,...

Thursday brings us another new episode of The Bold Type, so you know what that means: Sutton and Richard are out to destroy us again, as if the last two installments haven’t already left us emotionally spent.

This week’s hour is told through five acts/love stories, with the married couple representing “unconditional love” — but there are some things that even their love can’t overcome. After revealing to Richard that she doesn’t want to ever have kids, Sutton and her husband have a long overdue conversation-turned-argument.

More from TVLineBold Type Video: Jane's Dad Makes a Surprise...

No love story is the same. Love comes in all shapes and forms and feels different every time.

On The Bold Type Season 4 Episode 15, all types of love were explored as our favorite characters navigated through their own love stories.

Did any of their stories have a happy ending, or did heartbreak reign supreme? Read on as we discuss in our review!

The format of this episode worked perfectly. Not only was it a great way to allow all of the show's core romantic relationships to progress leaps and bounds in a single episode, but it also allowed for a fantastic build-up of tension for the final act.

Kat and Eva are a controversial pairing. Eva has sparked a heated debate among fans. Many feel that her character has no place on the show, and by pairing her with Kat, it brings down Kat's character.

As I discussed in my...

Japanese horror and action master Takashi Miike is one of those directors who’s so prolific that it’s easy to take him for granted; ever since he caught American cinephiles’ attention in 1999 with Audition and Dead or Alive, he’s been cranking out something close to a half-dozen movies each year, releasing his kinetically supercharged orgies of style and violence faster than some viewers can keep up with them. While I wouldn’t try to make the case that all 100-plus Miike productions are masterpieces, when he’s firing on all cylinders – as with Audition, or last year’s First Love – he’s […]...

Japanese horror and action master Takashi Miike is one of those directors who’s so prolific that it’s easy to take him for granted; ever since he caught American cinephiles’ attention in 1999 with Audition and Dead or Alive, he’s been cranking out something close to a half-dozen movies each year, releasing his kinetically supercharged orgies of style and violence faster than some viewers can keep up with them. While I wouldn’t try to make the case that all 100-plus Miike productions are masterpieces, when he’s firing on all cylinders – as with Audition, or last year’s First Love – he’s […]...

Sky Cinema has a big box of cinematic treats for you in June, with something for pretty much everyone on the agenda – horror fans, monocle-poppers and kids alike will find gems waiting for them in the month ahead. As usual, we’ve got a comprehensive list of everything you can expect to hit the service as summer rolls around in earnest, so close the curtains, get the fan on, shove a big bag of popcorn in the microwave, and get ready to clap your eyes on a movie or two.

Premieres

Daniel Isn’t Real – June 1st

The next generation of horror truly arrives with this surprisingly entertaining entry into the ‘imaginary friend’ genre, as Miles Robbins – son of Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins – and Patrick Schwarzenegger (you can probably guess who his dad is) battle it out to be the owner of a very real human body. Daniel isn’t...

Hi-yah! (hiyahtv.com) the premier platform for streaming martial arts and Asian action movies in the U.S., today announced its official launch on mobile devices and connected TVs. As part of the launch, new users will be eligible for a 30-day free trial, after which a monthly subscription fee of only $3.99 will apply. Hi-yah!—available through app stores for devices including iOS, Android, Roku and Amazon Fire TV—offers both exclusive and non-exclusive content that will be refreshed monthly.

Hi-yah! currently provides subscribers with more than 500 hours of high-quality, commercial-free viewing of films featuring all-time favorite kung fu masters including Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Donnie Yen and Tony Jaa, along with hits from acclaimed directors Johnnie To, Yuen Woo-Ping, Wilson Yip, Tsui Hark and more. As of today, subscribers can take advantage of Hi-yah!’s exclusive streaming release of Takashi Miike’s 2019 twisty, hyper-violent yakuza romp First Love, added...

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema — one of the country's leading independent movie circuits — announced Thursday it is teaming with ScreenPlus and Vista Cinema to launch a new VOD platform that it will curate with both newer and classic titles.

Alamo On Demand offerings upon launch include Parasite, Knives Out, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Spaceship Earth, Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl and Fantastic Fest classics Burning and First Love.

Indie studio partners include Sony Pictures Classics, Neon, Lionsgate and Magnolia Pictures.

The Texas-based Alamo circuit said the new service allows the circuit to champion movies beyond its auditoriums. In addition to operating 41 brick-and-mortar ...

Alamo Drafthouse Cinema — one of the country's leading independent movie circuits — announced Thursday it is teaming with ScreenPlus and Vista Cinema to launch a new VOD platform that it will curate with both newer and classic titles.

Alamo On Demand offerings upon launch include Parasite, Knives Out, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Spaceship Earth, Kate Nash: Underestimate the Girl and Fantastic Fest classics Burning and First Love.

Indie studio partners include Sony Pictures Classics, Neon, Lionsgate and Magnolia Pictures.

The Texas-based Alamo circuit said the new service allows the circuit to champion movies beyond its auditoriums. In addition to operating 41 brick-and-mortar ...

“Don’t Judge a Book by Its Cover” is a proverb whose simple existence proves the fact impressionable souls will do so without fail. This monthly column focuses on the film industry’s willingness to capitalize on this truth, releasing one-sheets to serve as not representations of what audiences are to expect, but as propaganda to fill seats. Oftentimes they fail miserably.

Month #2 of full quarantine is here and we’re left with much of the same as the first. Theaters remain closed, indies have forgone their theatrical releases for digital-only (and the Oscars have officially allowed certain titles to be eligible this year despite it), and the odd straight-to-vod premium title is dropping to make AMC Theatres mad.

So posters are once more relegated to digital-only exposure. It might not be their natural multiplex wall habitat, but at least they’re here to get the word out anyway. And if nothing else,...

Last week, the new series Cursed Films premiered on Shudder with its first two episodes on The Omen and The Exorcist, respectively, and the series has quickly garnered attention as a horror hit, becoming the "second most-watched series premiere in Shudder history" (second only to Creepshow). Also in today's Horror Highlights, new puzzles from Mondo and a Q&a with Jamie Kirkpatrick, the lead editor of We Summon the Darkness.

Cursed Films Premiere Details: "The Shudder original series Cursed Films debuted to huge numbers for the streaming service, becoming the second most-watched series premiere in Shudder history behind only breakout hit Creepshow. Cursed Films also stands as the service’s most-watched documentary premiere (series or film) ever. The series, which is part of Shudder’s “Halfway to Halloween Month” programming lineup, released its second and third episodes earlier today, focused on The Omen and Poltergeist.

“Cursed Films became an instant...

Moviegoing Memories is a series of short interviews with filmmakers about going to the movies. Takashi Miike's First Love is Mubi Go's Film of the Week of February 14, 2020.Notebook: How would you describe your movie in the least amount of words?Takashi Miike: "Super B movie."Notebook: Where and what is your favorite movie theater? Why is it your favorite?Miike: Osaka Shochikuza in Dotonbori, Osaka. When I was in junior high school, I went to see Chaplin's City Lights, which was being screened as a revival. Unfortunately it was full and standing room only so I gave up. Then I ended up seeing The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I felt that something popped in the heart of a pure boy. My life would have been different if City Lights wasn’t full. Thanks to Charlie Chaplin and Tobe Hooper.Notebook: What is the most memorable movie screening of your life?...

Other openers include Working Title’s period drama ‘Emma’.

Sonic The Hedgehog marks the first cinema outing for the popular Sega video game character at the UK box office this weekend, as Oscars winner Parasite expands its locations by over 200%.

Released through Paramount, Sonic The Hedgehog sees a small-town police officer discover the titular animal, and attempt to defeat an evil genius who wants to do experiments on it. Ben Schwartz voices Sonic, with James Marden and Jim Carrey as the cop and evil genius.

Films based on video games have had mixed success at the box office; a pre-existing...

Other openers include Working Title’s period drama ‘Emma’.

Sonic The Hedgehog marks the first cinema outing for the popular Sega video game character at the UK box office this weekend, as Oscars winner Parasite expands its locations by over 200%.

Released through Paramount, Sonic The Hedgehog sees a small-town police officer discover the titular animal, and attempt to defeat an evil genius who wants to do experiments on it. Ben Schwartz voices Sonic, with James Marden and Jim Carrey as the cop and evil genius.

Films based on video games have had mixed success at the box office; a pre-existing...

Other openers include Working Title’s period drama ‘Emma’.

Sonic The Hedgehog marks the first cinema outing for the popular Sega video game character at the UK box office this weekend, as Oscars winnerParasite expands its locations by over 200%.

Released through Paramount, Sonic The Hedgehog sees a small-town police officer discover the titular animal, and attempt to defeat an evil genius who wants to do experiments on it. Ben Schwartz voices Sonic, with James Marden and Jim Carrey as the cop and evil genius.

Films based on video games have had mixed success at the box office; a pre-existing fanbase can provide a ready-made audience,...

With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.

Buffaloed (Tanya Wexler)

Set in the rough and tumble world of South Buffalo–the streets that raised tough guys like the crude former New York State gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino–Buffaloed is a surprisingly fun comedy about the rise and fall of an up-and-coming hustler, gleefully played with a thick (and accurate) Western New York accent by Zoey Deutch. Deutch’s Peg Dahl aspires to not be another house-wife raising her kids on five-cent wings and starts running minor cons in high school until selling bootleg Buffalo Bills tickets lands her in prison. – John F. (full review)

Where to Stream: Amazon, iTunes, Google

End of the Century...

With Valentine’s Day only a few days away, if you’re still looking for some gift ideas to win the affection of the horror fan in your life, then perhaps this latest batch of Blu-rays and DVD releases might give you some inspiration. And speaking of amore, Scream Factory has put together a brilliant Collector’s Edition for the original My Bloody Valentine that is a must-own for genre fans, and keeping with the theme, Takashi Miike’s First Love is coming home on both Blu and DVD this Tuesday as well.

We also have other romantic genre offerings coming out this week, too, including Transylvania 6-5000, Cupid, and Peter Strickland’s In Fabric, which is about obsessive love, but love nonetheless.

Other notable Blu-ray and DVD releases for February 11th include Get Gone, Inmate Zero, Rust, Omnivores, and a retro-style Blu-ray for the original When A Stranger Calls by Fred Walton.

With February now officially underway, we have a busy month of VOD and Digital releases ahead of us. Tomorrow, things kick off with two vastly different projects hitting various platforms—Atomic Apocalypse and The Hunt for Vlad the Impaler—and just a few days later, Dogs Don’t Wear Pants arrives exclusively on Shudder.

Ant Timpson’s Come to Daddy hits digital on Friday, February 7th, alongside both Knives Out and the latest installment of the Into the Dark series on Hulu, entitled My Valentine. Then, on February 11th, Takashi Miike fans can enjoy the lastest from the acclaimed director, First Love, which was one of this writer’s favorite films out of last year’s Fantastic Fest.

On Valentine’s Day, get ready for both Vfw from Joe Begos and Camp Cold Brook, which is being released from Shout! Studios to hit VOD, and on February 20th, you can enjoy both Jessica Forever,...

Existential Prison Sweats

Of all Takashi Miike’s large body of work, “Big Bang Love, Juvenile A” is perhaps his most metaphorical film. Many of his films can be wild, crazed and surreal, but with “Big Bang Love, Juvenile A” the director walks upon an experimental path, poetic in execution. There is nothing real about this film, but truth of the human condition crawls and scratches to the surface, in this claustrophobic fever dream. Symbols bombard the viewer, metaphors bounce! Incredible lighting and striking visual design that are both theatrical and abstract. There is the occasional cinematic bravura moment, as the protagonists walk through strange corridors and chalk lined prison cells. Sweat permeates the atmosphere, as desire, anxiety and violence intoxicate. This is strange expressive cinema that is visceral and earthy, as well as abstract to the point of the confusion. There is an inherent music that weaves throughout this meditative film,...

In her 5-star Fantastic Fest review, Heather Wixson wrote that Takashi Miike's First Love "...delivered up everything I could possibly want from the Maestro and more." Following its successful film circuit run, the yakuza film from one of the most prolific directors working today is coming to Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on February 11th from Well Go USA Entertainment, and we have the release details and a look at the cover art:

From the Press Release: Plano, Texas – Prolific auteur Takashi Miike is at his most fun and anarchic with the noir-tinged violent yakuza film First Love, debuting on Digital, Blu-ray™ Combo Pack and DVD February 11 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The wild, genre-blending story follows a young boxer and a call girl who fall passionately in love while getting innocently caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme over the course of one night in Tokyo. First Love stars Masataka Kubota...

2019 was truly a gift for horror fans, as we were inundated with tons of amazing content, both on the big and on the small screen as well. In fact, it was hard to keep up with everything, which is why I’m bummed I still haven’t had a chance to catch up with several films that most likely would have ended up on this list. That being said, after taking in more than 300 movies (both horror and non-genre included) and several television series to boot, here’s my rundown of my favorite genre entertainment from 2019:

Please keep in mind that I only include films that have received an official release during 2019, so films like Vfw, First Love, Something Else/After Midnight, Come to Daddy, The Vast of Night, and Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street will most likely have to hang in there until next year.

Enjoy!

Following our top 50 films of 2019, we’re sharing personal top 10 lists from our contributors. Check out the latest below and see our complete year-end coverage here.

It’s been a weird year, to say the least. Personally speaking, 2019 felt like a distinct shift in terms of what exactly I find interesting with film right now. Things aren’t exactly brimming with variety in cinemas, with over 80 percent of the year’s top-grossing movies coming from one studio. And when looking within film communities online, topics are chosen, praised, criticized, analyzed to irrelevance, and then finally dropped when the next thing comes along. Sometimes I think of it as a snake shedding its skin while eating its own tail. Other times I get reminded of the gray goo scenario. Either way, I don’t see a lot of appeal in these sorts of things.

But I don’t intend to use...

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Takashi Miike chuckles when you ask him if he’s a feminist.

“Maybe I’m not exactly, because when I use the word as a man, it feels like it might be condescending, or anti-woman,” he told Variety on the sidelines of the International Film Festival and Awards Macao, where his latest feature, the high-octane crime thriller “First Love” is screening. “I actually think women are stronger and more capable than men, that men are actually dancing in the palms of women, who are running the show.”

His latest film features three key female characters enmeshed in the hyperviolent, patriarchal underworld of the yakuza, who each bloodily fend for themselves. It’s a love story, but it’s also the tale of a girl sold into a life of prostitution and drug addiction by her abusive father overcoming how he (literally) haunts her.

Another character, a gangster’s girlfriend who...

Prolific Japanese auteur Takashi Miike’s latest feature is First Love, the wild genre romp that follows a young boxer and a call girl who get caught up in a drug-smuggling scheme over the course of one night in Tokyo.

The pic premiered in Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight program and has also played Toronto, Busan, London and Fantastic Fest. This week it is screening at the International Film Festival & Awards Macao (Iffam), the growing event held in the Chinese gambling capital.

Deadline caught up with Miike to chat about how his work has changed over the course of a 30-year, 100+ film career.

Deadline: You still direct 1-2 movies every year, where do you find the stamina?

Takashi Miike: I don’t think about stamina or the pace of my work. I just feel happy to make movies and enjoy it. You can’t get any answers by comparing to others.

Former Protagonist Pictures CEO Mike Goodridge left the sales biz in 2017 to take over the reins at the fledgling Macao International Film Festival & Awards Macao (Iffam), a new festival set up by the former Portuguese colony and Chinese gambling capital to attract international attention and glamour to the territory, and also to nurture the local industry.

It was a left field move for Goodridge, but under his stewardship Iffam has grown into a multi-faceted international film event that is beginning to establish itself in the festival calendar. This year marks its fourth edition, and third under Goodridge, with events getting underway today (December 5) with a traditional opening ceremony and the opening film, Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit.

Alongside building and diversifying the appetite for cinema in Macao, the festival has also fostered talent through its industry initiatives, with Laos filmmaker Mattie Do’s feature The Long Walk becoming the first...