Latest news with #AriAster
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Eddington' Cinematographer Darius Khondji on Shooting Ari Aster's Western Dark Comedy: ‘It's So Bright, It's Never Bright Enough'
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, 'Eddington' cinematographer Darius Khondji talked about his filmic approach to Ari Aster's pandemic-set film, which follows a standoff between a small town mayor (Pedro Pascal) and the local sheriff (Joaquin Phoenix). While he notes that writer/director Aster called it 'a European psychological thriller on American land,' visually he saw something different — 'a modern western.' This take ended up being not only accurate, but how the feature has been predominantly described in reviews. 'We wanted the exterior to be very bright, like, garishly bright, like the light has almost started to take off the color and the contrast a little bit because it's so bright, never bright enough,' Khondji said. More from IndieWire Jamie Lee Curtis Decries Stephen Colbert Cancellation Jennifer Love Hewitt on How Her Teen Career Mirrors Britney Spears': 'I Realized I Was Crying For Me' Khondji is a legend worldwide, having shot some of the greatest films of all time — 'Seven' and 'Amour' among them. He landed Oscar nominations for his work in 'Evita' and 'Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths.' While a longtime fan of Aster's — and a defender of Aster's controversial 'Beau Is Afraid' — the two had never worked together before 'Eddington.' Each said that the collaboration went smoothly. 'Ari and I have a common language,' Khondji said. 'We discovered quite early on working together that we have a very similar taste for dark films, not dark in lighting but in storytelling.' Aster said that Khondji even rewired how he looks at visuals. 'Darius and I hate unmotivated camera movement,' Aster explained to the LA Times. 'But there are certain things that never would've bothered me compositionally that really bothered Darius, and now they're stuck in my head. For instance, Darius hates it when you cut off somebody's leg, even if it's at the ankle. A lot of Darius's prejudices have gone into my system.' Khondji did say that while he has his guidelines, they aren't necessarily set in stone. 'You have a rule, and then you decide this is the moment to break the rule,' he explained. Speaking with IndieWire in 2023, Khondji gave insight into his theories behind how best to shoot a film. 'And it's not just about what's in the frame. The world outside the frame is very important. It's good not to have flags or equipment in the way of the actor's gaze because I want them to feel the scene,' he said. 'The world of cinema is not only technical. It's about feeling the world around the actors, becoming them.'Best of IndieWire Guillermo del Toro's Favorite Movies: 56 Films the Director Wants You to See 'Song of the South': 14 Things to Know About Disney's Most Controversial Movie Nicolas Winding Refn's Favorite Films: 37 Movies the Director Wants You to See
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What Made Ari Aster Laugh Hard? The Song He Wanted Pedro Pascal to Play at His ‘Eddington' BBQ
If you've seen 'Eddington,' you know the scene. Mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) is hosting a barbecue for his supporters at his New Mexico home when his nemesis and re-election opponent, Sheriff Joe Cross (Joaquin Phoenix), arrives to disrupt the event. Katy Perry's 2010 hit 'Firework' is blasting as Cross struts toward Garcia to demand he turn it down, leading to a stand-off. On this week's episode of the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast, writer/director Ari Aster broke down the scene that is sure to become one of his most memorable. More from IndieWire It's Not Too Late to Get on the Zarna Garg Train, as the Self-Made Star Just Keeps Going 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' Director on the Shocking Twist Ending - and a Few Other Surprises 'The truth is, that wasn't the first song we tried,' said Aster. 'We tried to get 'Empire State of Mind,' the Jay-Z, Alicia Keys [track].' On the podcast, Aster discussed how, in casting Pascal, he wanted to play into and off of just how beloved 'the internet's daddy' had become to the audience. With Mayor Ted, Aster created a charming, but hypocritical progressive politician who campaigns on bringing the small western town into the economic and tech future, but is ultimately just selling it out to an Amazon-Google-like tech giant (the fictional solidgoldmagikarp corporation) that wants to build an enormous, energy-sucking data center in the Eddington desert. 'Empire State of Mind' played perfectly for Aster's dark humor. 'That was, for me, the funniest thing in the world, was this party, in this tiny town in New Mexico, and just this New York anthem playing. It just felt like what Pedro Pascal's character would absolutely have been playing at that party,' said Aster. 'It was so funny to me, nothing made me laugh harder than that.' In addition to the humor, Aster fell in love with the way the scene worked when set to the NYC anthem, but the 'Eddington' team was never able to secure the rights. 'I think [Jay-Z] was distracted at the moment, and didn't have a chance to actually watch the film,' said Aster. ' Then it became, 'Okay, so what do we use?' And we went through hundreds of songs.' Prior to the scene, Cross had publicly accused Garcia of sexually assaulting his wife Louise (Emma Stone), and comes to the party ready to throw his weight around, but on his walk toward the confrontation, he sees an interview clip of Louise declaring him a liar. Shot in a long, continuous camera following Phoenix, the rollercoaster of emotions his character experiences on his anger-fueled walk down the long outdoor porch to confront Garcia, and the humiliating retreat back to his truck – after getting slapped and the music being cranked even louder — is embodied in the use of the Perry track. Aster discussed how sound and score were used to capture Cross's world unraveling in the second half of the film. While 'Firework' could replace the cultural and humor aspects brought by 'Empire State of Mind,' Aster discovered he could mix it into his film in a way that marked another sonic beat in his protagonist's descent. 'I wanted a song that kind of represented the culture, and have the culture like pounding in your ear. There's a great bass to ['Firework'], and when you push the bass, it's really queasy-making. It was very exciting to land on that,' said Aster. A24's 'Eddington' is now in theaters. To hear Ari Aster's full interview, subscribe to the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast platform. Best of IndieWire The 16 Best Slasher Movies Ever Made, from 'Candyman' to 'Psycho' Martin Scorsese's Favorite Movies Include 'Eddington': 87 Films the Director Wants You to See The Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in July, from 'Vertigo' and 'Rear Window' to 'Emily the Criminal'
Screen Geek
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Screen Geek
Ari Aster Turned Down Offer To Direct 'Morbius'
Director Ari Aster is known for making his very own unique movies including Hereditary , Midsommar , and the upcoming film Eddington . However, it looks like he once had the opportunity to add a very different kind of movie to his resume. Specifically, Ari Aster reveals that he was offered the chance to direct Sony's Marvel adaptation Morbius . The final version of Morbius that hit theaters, as we all know, became a box office flop. It was one of several failures in Sony's efforts to adapt Spider-Man characters with their own major Marvel franchises, and Jared Leto's portrayal of the titular character became the subject of many memes. This obviously makes one wonder what would've happened if someone like Aster was involved with the project instead of director Daniel Espinosa. Here's what Aster shared via Semafor: 'I was asked to do 'Mobius.' Or is it 'Morbius'? Oh, God,' he said. 'We could have added it to my list of [flops].' It's definitely an interesting layer to unearth regarding the development of Morbius . As mentioned, Daniel Espinosa ultimately directed the film, which failed to resonate with fans of the character and the rest of the Spider-Man franchise. Other Sony films shared similar fates, and their attempt at a universe of Spider-Man villains was finally axed. While having Ari Aster as the director would have certainly provided a much different kind of Morbius movie, it's likely that it still would have underperformed based on what Sony was doing. One must also consider that Aster's movies don't really fit the formula for comic book adaptations, so it could have alienated audiences for that reason as well. Stay tuned to ScreenGeek for any additional updates regarding the future endeavors of Ari Aster as we have them. It's unlikely that we'll see him taking any other offers to direct a superhero movie in the future, but stranger things have certainly happened. In the meantime, fans can look forward to his new movie Eddington that looks like another film with Aster's signature style.
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
When Is Ari Aster's ‘Eddington' Coming To Streaming?
"Eddington" cropped poster featuring Pedro Pascal and Joaquin Phoenix. Eddington, starring Pedro Pascal and Joaquin Phoenix, is new in theaters. How soon will it be before Ari Aster's COVID drama comes to streaming? Rated R, Eddington opened in theaters on Friday. The logline for Eddington reads, 'In May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff (Phoenix) and mayor (Pascal) sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico.' Written and directed by Aster, Eddington also stars Luke Grimes, Deidre O'Connell, Michael Ward, Austin Butler and Emma Stone. The only way viewers can see Eddington right now is in theaters, so check your local listings for showtimes. Eddington's first stop in the home entertainment marketplace will be on digital streaming via premium video on demand. Eddington is an A24 release, and typically there's a one-month window between the time the indie studio releases its films in theaters and the time the film arrives on PVOD. For example, Jenna Ortega and Paul Rudd's A24 horror comedy Death of a Unicorn opened in theaters on March 28 and debuted on PVOD just over a month later, on April 29. More recently, the A24 horror thriller Bring Her Back was released in theaters on May 30 and arrived on PVOD just over a month later, on July 1. If Eddington follows the same release pattern, then viewers can expect to be able to purchase or rent the film on PVOD sometime around Aug. 19, since new films on digital streaming are released on Tuesdays. Which Streaming Service Will Get 'Eddington' First? Thanks to an agreement between A24 and Warner Bros. Discovery, all A24 films make their streaming video on demand debut on HBO Max, which was known as Max until recently. Generally, A24's theatrical releases don't arrive on HBO Max until four months after they open in theaters. For example, A24's horror thriller Heretic arrived on Max on March 7, just under four months after the film opened in theaters on Nov. 8, 2024. Also, A24's hit erotic thriller Babygirl debuted on HBO Max on April 25, exactly four months after the film opened in theaters on Dec. 25, 2024. If Eddington follows the same release pattern as the above titles, then viewers can expect the film to arrive on HBO Max on either Nov. 14 or 21, since new films debut on the streaming service on Fridays. Eddington is now playing in wide release in theaters.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Eddington' review: Pedro Pascal, Joaquin Phoenix in Ari Aster's paranoia and dread-filled film
Going into Ari Aster new film Eddington, we know that he's a particularly divisive filmmaker. After dividing movie-goers and critics on his previous movies, including Beau Is Afraid, his newest film, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal, is more of the same. Set in May 2020, amid COVID-19 protocols, Eddington takes us to a small town in New Mexico during some of the most terrifying times of the pandemic. A contemporary Western meets satirical dark comedy, Aster stays true to his frequent blend of genres and evaluation of humanity, and the psyche of his characters. Eddington release date: July 18 in theatresDirector and writer: Ari AsterCast: Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone, Joaquin Phoenix, Austin Butler, Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal WardRuntime: 148 minutes What is 'Eddington' about? In the fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico, mayor Ted Garcia (Pedro Pascal) and small-town sheriff Joe Cross (Phoenix), patrolling the borders of Eddington and Pueblo, are at odds. Joe's won't adhere or enforce mask mandates and COVID-19 protocols. Happening during Ted's re-election campaign, Joe decides to combat Ted by running against him. At home, Joe lives with his stunted wife Louise (Emma Stone), who passes time by painting odd-looking dolls, and his conspiracy theorist mother-in-law, Dawn (Deirdre O'Connell). If you're wondering, where is the Western element comes through, in this evolution of the genre Aster sees technology as the weapons used against people. Reflecting societal collapse Aster is certainly a uniquely singular filmmaker, and whether you love or hate his films, he effectively leans audiences into unsettling feelings of anxiety. If you're Martin Scorsese, for example, you see jarring tonal shifts in Eddington as a reflection of our complex society. "The film dives right into the side of American life that many people can't bear to look at or even acknowledge — no one wants to listen to anyone else, which is frightening," Scorsese told The New York Times. Where Aster's film can feel too chaotic is in the way that the filmmaker works to capture every possible element in societal collapse, to a point where things can feel dizzying. Conversely, that can certainly also be seen as Aster's committment to being as reflective of real life as possible in this social satire about America. The world is confusing and chaotic, amplified even further when you add pandemic responses to the mix. I will say, of all the films that have been made since the COVID-19 pandemic, none have been able to really effectively create that sense of fear and dread that we experienced in real life. Aster not only creates that feeling in Eddington, but really makes the audience sit in it for an uncomfortably extended amount of time. Adding to the dividing opinions of the movie. The overindulgence in the film also creates a barrier when watching, resulting in a ending that doesn't feel as satisfying as many will crave. But ultimately, Aster is determined in his approach to the film, accurately reflecting how disorienting our world is, in a filmmaking style that always feels particularly intriguing.
