Latest news with #Can'tStop
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How ‘Love, Death and Robots' Season 4 Made the Ultimate Cute Little Guy
Season 4 of 'Love, Death and Robots,' Netflix's adult animated anthology, offers several delights. These include the live-action apocalyptic comedy, 'Golgotha,' from creator Tim Miller, and executive producer David Fincher's 'Can't Stop' music video, with the Red Hot Chili Peppers recreating their iconic 2003 performance at Slane Castle, Ireland, as CG string puppets. But the biggest delight is the emotionally stirring 'Spider Rose,' helmed by series supervising director Jennifer Yuh Nelson ('Pop Squad' and 'Kill Team Kill'), which occupies the same cyberpunk universe as Season 3's 'Swarm.' Both are adapted from Bruce Sterling short stories about human survival on an asteroid mining operation dominated by competing factions: the genetically-engineered Shapers and the cybernetic Mechanists. More from IndieWire The First-Dayers of 'The Pitt' Highlight the Need for More Portrayals of Competent Young Professionals 'Arco' Review: France's Answer to Studio Ghibli Offers an Emotional Sci-Fi Epic In 'Spider Rose,' the grieving titular Mechanist (voiced by Emily O'Brien and mo-capped by Miller's Blur Studio) plots her revenge against the Shaper who murdered her husband. However, that means bartering with the large reptilian Investors, who loan her a cute alien pet she calls Nosy. It is through Nosy that she rediscovers her lost humanity. ' I love the story because of the emotions, and the idea that this woman has ruined herself in her grief and trying to find her way back has quite a steep price,' Yuh Nelson told IndieWire. 'I think that that sort of emotional journey is interesting to me, and also how to show that visually.' Although 'Spider Rose' was always on 'the writer's wall,' it never made the cut until this season, when Yuh Nelson found the right empathetic through line. But, of course, there's more than meets the eye to Nosy. He's not mischievous, like a Gremlin, but there's a definite edge to him. The trick was not overdoing it so that he still looked appealing. 'I love the design process of trying to find something that would make you feel so sympathetic to it,' said Yuh Nelson. Blur Studio provided the effective key frame character animation. But instead of opting for a typical space monkey, Yuh Nelson was drawn to something much more cuddly. 'To me, its purpose was to try and become closer to [Spider Rose],' she said. 'But we actually had designs where it was very monkey-like with long, spindly limbs, and it crossed the threshold towards creepy rather than empathetic. So I tried to push it a little bit towards bush baby because that reminds me of cuddly.' But they made Nosy multifaceted because he appears in two stages: slimy and furry. 'We looked at adorable pet frogs from Japan mixed in with French bulldogs for the first stage because they have those adorable butts and that waddle to them,' said Yuh Nelson. 'But the second stage was bush baby.' This enabled Spider Rose to become more attached to Nosy. They play games and she holds it tenderly. 'You know how certain creatures camouflage so other creatures won't eat them? In this case, it's kind of flipped,' continued Yuh Nelson. 'The idea is that creatures will do things to survive by developing these visual defense mechanisms to be more adorable.' You could say that 'Spider Rose' represents the Season 4 poster child of 'Love, Death + Robots' in the way it embodies all three parts. 'I don't know if it's an entry drug for 'LDR' because there is a lot of violence,' Yuh Nelson said. 'Usually, if people haven't seen the show before, we recommend that they watch one of the comedies first. In the case of 'Spider Rose,' there's an entire world involved. And we really wanted to make this one like a tentpole: a moment that's lush and emotional, that's gonna really reflect the level of the story.' 'Love, Death, and Robots' is streaming on Netflix. Best of IndieWire The 19 Best Thrillers Streaming on Netflix in May, from 'Fair Play' to 'Emily the Criminal' Martin Scorsese's Favorite Movies: 86 Films the Director Wants You to See Christopher Nolan's Favorite Movies: 44 Films the Director Wants You to See
Los Angeles Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Why David Fincher turned the Red Hot Chili Peppers into string puppets
Chad Smith remembers the night in 2003 when the Red Hot Chili Peppers played for an audience of 80,000 or so amid the rolling hills of the Irish countryside. After a somewhat fallow period in the mid-'90s, the veteran Los Angeles alt-rock band resurged with 1999's eight-times-platinum 'Californication' and its 2002 follow-up, 'By the Way,' which spawned the chart-topping single 'Can't Stop.' To mark the moment, the Chili Peppers brought a crew to document their performance at Slane Castle, where they headlined a full day of music that also included sets by Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, for an eventual concert movie. 'Everything's filmed now, but back then it was a big shoot,' Smith, the band's drummer, recently recalled. 'You can get a little self-conscious. At the beginning, I f— something up — nothing nobody would know, but we would know — and Flea kind of looked at me,' he said of the Chili Peppers' bassist. 'We gave each other this 'Oh s—' look. We laughed it off, and I don't think I thought about it after that because the crowd was so engaged. The energy was incredible.' Twenty-two years later, the Chili Peppers are bringing that 2003 gig to screens again — only this time they're string puppets. 'Can't Stop' is director David Fincher's re-creation of the band's rendition of that tune at Slane Castle. Part of the just-released fourth season of the Emmy-winning Netflix anthology series 'Love, Death + Robots,' the animated short film depicts the Chili Peppers — Smith, Flea, singer Anthony Kiedis and guitarist John Frusciante — as dangling marionettes onstage before a veritable sea of the same. As the band rides the song's slinky punk-funk groove, we see Flea bust out some of his signature moves and Kiedis swipe a fan's cellphone for a selfie; at one point, a group of women in the crowd even flash their breasts at the frontman. The puppets aren't real — the entire six-minute episode was computer-generated. But the way they move looks astoundingly lifelike, not least when one fan's lighter accidentally sets another fan's wires on fire. So why did Fincher, the A-list filmmaker behind 'Fight Club' and 'The Social Network,' put his considerable resources to work to make 'Can't Stop'? 'A perfectly reasonable inquiry,' the director said with a laugh. 'First and foremost, I'll say I've always wanted a Flea bobblehead — it started with that. But really, you know, sometimes there's just stuff you want to see.' Fincher, 62, grew up loving Gerry Anderson's 'Thunderbirds' series featuring his so-called Supermarionation style of puppetry enhanced by electronics. But the Chili Peppers project also represents a return to Fincher's roots in music video: Before he made his feature debut with 1992's 'Alien 3,' he directed era-defining clips including Paula Abdul's 'Straight Up,' Madonna's 'Express Yourself' and 'Vogue' and George Michael's 'Freedom! '90.' (Fincher's last big music video gig was Justin Timberlake's 'Suit & Tie' in 2013.) In addition to 'Thunderbirds,' he wanted 'Can't Stop' to evoke the '80s work of early MTV auteurs like Wayne Isham and Russell Mulcahy — 'that throw 24 cameras at Duran Duran aesthetic,' as he put it. Fincher said he knew his puppet concept would require 'a band you can identify just from their movement,' which seems like a fair way to describe the Chili Peppers. He recalled first encountering the band around 1983 — 'I think it was with Martha Davis at the Palladium?' he said — and was struck by a sense of mischief that reminded him of the 'elfin villains' from the old Rankin/Bass TV specials. 'I feel like Finch got the spirit of me,' said Flea, 62, who's known the director socially for years. The bassist remembered discussing 'Can't Stop' with Fincher at a mutual friend's house before they shot it: 'I was talking about how I still jump around onstage and my body still works really good. But I used to dive and do a somersault while I was playing bass — like dive onto my head. And now I'm scared to do it.' He laughed. 'Some old man thing had happened where I'm scared to dive onto my face now. Finch went, 'Well, Puppet Flea can do it.'' After doing a day of motion capture with the band at a studio in the Valley, Fincher and a crew of animators from Culver City's Blur Studio spent about 13 months working on 'Can't Stop.' Fincher said the hard part was giving the marionettes a feeling of suspension. 'With the mo cap, you're capturing the action of a character who has self-determination,' he said, referring to a human Chili Pepper, 'then you're applying that to an object that has no self-determination,' meaning a puppet controlled by an unseen handler. 'It's so much trickier than it looks. But that was kind of the fun, you know? I mean, not for me,' he added with a laugh. Asked if the production involved any use of AI, Fincher said it didn't. 'It's Blur — it's a point of pride for them,' he said. But he also shrugged off the idea that that question has become a kind of purity test for filmmakers. 'For the next couple of months, maybe it'll be an interesting sort of gotcha,' he said. 'But I can't imagine 10 years from now that people will have the same [view]. Nonlinear editing changed the world for about six weeks, and then we all took it for granted. 'I don't look at it as necessarily cheating at this point,' he continued. 'I think there are a lot of things that AI can do — matte edges and roto work and that kind of stuff. I don't think that's going to fundamentally ruin what is intimate and personal about filmmaking, which is that we're playing dress-up and hoping not to be caught out.' As he reportedly works on an English-language version of 'Squid Game' and a sequel to Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood,' did making 'Can't Stop' lead Fincher to ponder the state of the music video now that MTV is no longer in the business of showcasing the form? 'Well, the audience that MTV aggregated — in retrospect, that was time and a place,' he said. 'Remember, the Beatles were making music videos — they just called it 'Help!' There was no invention at all on MTV's part. 'What I do miss about that — and I don't think we'll ever see it again — was that I was 22 years old and I would sketch on a napkin: This is kind of the idea of what we want to do. And four days later, $125,000 would be sent to the company that you were working with and you'd go off and make a video. You'd shoot the thing in a week, and then it would be on the air three weeks after that. 'You make a television commercial now and there's quite literally 19 people in folding chairs, all with their own 100-inch monitor in the back. The world has changed.' He laughed. 'I started my professional career asking for forgiveness rather than permission, and it's been very difficult to go the other direction.'
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
One Of The Best Netflix Shows Ever Made Returns Today For A Wild New Season
Love, Death + Robots One of the very best Netflix shows returns today with ten new episodes, or rather ten new shorts each telling its very own, very peculiar story. Love, Death + Robots features some of the best, most unique animation of any TV series out there. The sci-fi series has given us everything from mutant super-soldiers to all-out war between a farmer and an army of rats. Space exploration, time travel, talking cats and inquisitive robots all make up the various stories of the first three season. This new season is comprised of ten episodes, all of which drop today, spanning T-Rex gladiators, household appliances in a search for work-life balance, and aliens, demons, Nazi demons and lots more. Including, yes, more talking cats. It's like an obsession at this point. This show may as well be called Love, Death + Cats. The animation varies wildly from one episode to the next, with different teams of animators and writers working on each (very short) short. Some are adaptations of science-fiction stories. One even has live-action featuring the always hilarious Rhys Darby (pictured above). In Season 4, expect more off-the-wall storytelling, a bunch of celebrities lending their voices – and sometimes faces – to the characters, and even some musical performances. Love, Death + Robots is created by Tim Miller and executive produced by David Fincher, who also directs the first Season 4 episode, 'Can't Stop', which features the band Red Hot Chili Peppers. 'Our hope is that people begin to understand that this is a boundary-less sandbox,' said Fincher. 'You know, we want to be able to play. We just want to be able to surprise people and show them stuff that hopefully scares them, or gives them the giggles: eye candy worth 11 minutes or six minutes of their time.' The show isn't just bringing in popular 90s bands. It's taking a crack at the younger audience by giving YouTuber MrBeast a major role in one of the episodes. Other stars include John Oliver, Amy Sedaris, Kevin Hart and more. Here are the synopses for each of the ten episodes. Can't Stop Synopsis: A unique take on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' legendary 2003 performance at Slane Castle, Ireland, with band members Anthony Kiedis, Flea, Chad Smith, and John Frusciante recreated as string-puppets. Directed by David Fincher, who originally made his name with music videos in the 1980s and early '90s, before segueing into unforgettable feature films. Animation Studio: Blur StudioVoice Cast: Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante, Chad Smith Close Encounters Of The Mini Kind Synopsis: Tiny terror is unleashed in this mini alien apocalypse as directors Robert Bisi and Andy Lyon pay loving tribute to classic sci-fi stories of alien invasion and human stupidity using tilt-shift techniques that make the end of the world look almost cute. Animation Studio: BUCK Spider Rose Synopsis: A return to the fantastic cyberpunk universe of 'Swarm' (Vol. 3), created by visionary sci-fi author Bruce Sterling and directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson. On a remote asteroid mining operation, a grieving Mechanist gets a new companion and has a chance to avenge herself against the Shaper assassin who killed her husband. Animation Studio: Blur StudioVoice Cast: Emily O'Brien, Feodor Chin, Piotr Michael & Sumalee Montano 400 Boys Synopsis: In a post-apocalyptic city where warring gangs follow a bushido-like code of honor, a new gang, the 400 Boys, forces them to unite. A blend of beauty and brutality from Canadian director Robert Valley, whose LDR episode 'Ice' won the Emmy for Outstanding Short Form Animation. Animation Studio: Passion AnimationVoice Cast: John Boyega, Ed Skrein, Sienna King, Dwane Walcott, Rahul Kohli, Pamela Nomvete & Amar Chadha-Patel The Other Large Thing Synopsis: From the mind of prolific writer John Scalzi comes the story of a cat who plans world domination. Sanchez, as his puny human 'pets' know him, is helped by a new robotic butler (voiced by Last Week Tonight host John Oliver) who can hack into the World Wide Web and is eager to help his new master. Animation Studio: AGBOVoice Cast: Chris Parnell, John Oliver, Fred Tatasciore & Rachel Kimsey Golgotha Synopsis: In a rare live-action entry in Love, Death + Robots, a conscientious vicar – played by Rhys Darby, (What We Do In The Shadows) – plays host to an emissary of an alien race who believes their messiah has been reborn on earth… as a dolphin. So, uh… yeah, Dolphin-Jesus. Directed by Tim Miller. Animation Studio: Luma Pictures (VFX)Voice Cast: Rhys Darby, Moe Daniels, Graham McTavish, Phil Morris, Michelle Lukes & Matthew Waterson The Screaming of the Tyrannosaur On a space station orbiting Jupiter, decadent aristocrats gather to witness a brutal contest of genetically modified gladiators — fierce combatants riding deadly, engineered dinosaurs. A tale of visceral violence and unlikely emotion, directed by Tim Miller, based on a short story by Stant Litore. Animation Studio: Blur StudioVoice Cast: MrBeast & Bai Ling How Zeke Got Religion B-17 Flying Fortress Liberty Belle has the oddest mission of World War Two: a journey into occupied France to bomb a church before the Nazis can raise an ancient evil. John McNichol's short story of blood, fallen archangels, occult magic, and ultraviolence is directed by Diego Porral (lead animator on previous LDR classic 'Kill Team Kill'). Animation Studio: TitmouseVoice Cast: Keston John, Braden Lynch, Roger Craig Smith, Gary Furlong, Bruce Thomas, Andrew Morgado & Scott Whyte Smart Appliances, Stupid Owners From an angry toothbrush to an overworked smart showerhead and an intelligent toilet, various household appliances divulge tales of bemusement, scorn, and wonder about their human owners. Directed by Patrick Osborne, of Vol. 3 favorite 'Three Robots: Exit Strategies.' Animation Studio: Aaron Sims Creative Voice Cast: Melissa Villaseñor, Ronny Chieng, Amy Sedaris, Kevin Hart, Josh Brener, Nat Faxon, Niecy Nash-Betts & Brett Goldstein For He Can Creep London, 1757. A poet confined to an insane asylum believes Satan wants him to write a verse that will end the world. And the only thing standing between him and the Prince of Darkness (voiced by Dan Stevens) is his cat, Jeoffry. Emily Dean directs this wildly inventive period adaptation of Siobhan Carroll's short story. Animation Studio: Polygon Pictures Inc. Voice Cast: Dan Stevens, JB Blanc, Jim Broadbent, Nika Futterman, Jane Leeves & Dave B. Mitchell These all sound pretty great, and I'm excited to dive headfirst into the new season this weekend. Some of these animation studios, like Titmouse, have produced some of my favorite animated series. Titmouse animates the wonderful Legend Of Vox Machina, for instance, which you can (and should) watch on Prime Video. Blur Studio has worked on all kinds of things, including the 'Heaven and Hell" sequence from South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut (which remains one of the greatest musicals of all time). What's your favorite Love, Death + Cats … er … Robots short? Let me know on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook. Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog. Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.
Economic Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Love, Death + Robots Season 4: Netflix show's release date, voice cast, trailer and what to expect
Reuters FILE PHOTO: A Netflix logo is shown on a TV screen in this illustration taken May 9, 2022. Picture taken May 9, 2022. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/Illustration/File Photo Netflix has released the official trailer and cast details for the upcoming Season 4 of Love, Death + Robots. The new season will start streaming on May 15. The new voice cast includes YouTuber MrBeast, comedian Kevin Hart, and TV host John Oliver. Other names are Niecy Nash, John Boyega, and Rhys Darby. These cast members will be featured across different episodes. Each episode will have its own story and animation style. David Fincher is returning as a director for one episode. The title of the episode is Can't Stop. This story focuses on a 2003 concert by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band members are shown as string puppets. The episode presents the band's Slane Castle performance in a new way. Also Read: Call of Duty Got Your Six Event: Here's start and end date, timings, duration and leaked rewards This is the first season since 2022. The last season was released three years ago. The new season was approved in August 2022. At that time, Season 3 had won four Annie Awards. The series blends various genres like science fiction, horror, and humor. Each episode is made by a different animation studio. The styles and stories vary, but the theme connects them. Over the past three seasons, the series has won 13 Primetime Emmy Awards and 8 Annie Read: A Minecraft Movie: What we know about digital rental, purchase, streaming platforms, and DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD Steelbook release and preorders Tim Miller created the series. It is produced by Blur Studio. Executive producers are Tim Miller, David Fincher, Jennifer Miller, and Joshua Donen. Jennifer Yuh Nelson, known for Kung Fu Panda, returns as supervising director. She oversees 10 new shorts in this is the trailer. When will Season 4 of Love, Death + Robots be released? Season 4 of Love, Death + Robots will premiere on Netflix on May 15 with 10 new animated shorts. Who are some new voice cast members in Season 4? Season 4 features MrBeast, Kevin Hart, John Oliver, Niecy Nash, John Boyega and Rhys Darby as voice actors.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Love, Death + Robots Season 4: Netflix show's release date, voice cast, trailer and what to expect
Voice Cast Season 4 Premiere Live Events What to Expect Production Team Trailer FAQs (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel Netflix has released the official trailer and cast details for the upcoming Season 4 of Love, Death + Robots. The new season will start streaming on May new voice cast includes YouTuber MrBeast, comedian Kevin Hart, and TV host John Oliver. Other names are Niecy Nash, John Boyega, and Rhys Darby. These cast members will be featured across different episodes. Each episode will have its own story and animation Fincher is returning as a director for one episode. The title of the episode is Can't Stop. This story focuses on a 2003 concert by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The band members are shown as string puppets. The episode presents the band's Slane Castle performance in a new is the first season since 2022. The last season was released three years ago. The new season was approved in August 2022. At that time, Season 3 had won four Annie series blends various genres like science fiction, horror, and humor. Each episode is made by a different animation studio. The styles and stories vary, but the theme connects them. Over the past three seasons, the series has won 13 Primetime Emmy Awards and 8 Annie Miller created the series. It is produced by Blur Studio. Executive producers are Tim Miller, David Fincher, Jennifer Miller, and Joshua Donen. Jennifer Yuh Nelson , known for Kung Fu Panda, returns as supervising director. She oversees 10 new shorts in this is the 4 of Love, Death + Robots will premiere on Netflix on May 15 with 10 new animated 4 features MrBeast, Kevin Hart, John Oliver, Niecy Nash, John Boyega and Rhys Darby as voice actors.
