Latest news with #Hi!
USA Today
a day ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
How a Dolly Parton duet became the 'unhinged' heart of 'Oh, Hi!'
NEW YORK − As Sophie Brooks was trying to get funding for her new movie 'Oh, Hi!,' she made a playlist to give potential producers the film's vibe. That playlist was emblazoned with a picture of Kathy Bates holding a knife in Stephen King's 1990 thriller 'Misery,' about a murderous ex-nurse named Annie Wilkes who holds her favorite author (James Caan) hostage. That image was apropos for the twisted rom-com 'Oh, Hi!' (in theaters now), which follows a young woman named Iris (Molly Gordon) who handcuffs her new beau, Isaac (Logan Lerman), to the bed during a remote romantic getaway after he says they're not exclusive. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox To be clear, Annie and Iris are 'very different degrees of crazy,' Brooks says in a recent sitdown with her longtime friend Gordon, who co-conceived the story. Rather, this movie is 'a little wish fulfillment. If a girl could lean into her most unhinged, intrusive thoughts, would you end up tying a man to a bed to convince him to love you?' Gordon rewatched 'Misery' before 'Oh, Hi!" premiered at Sundance Film Festival in January, and was reminded that there are nearly no movies 'where women get to be that bold and free and funny,' she says. 'It sucks that there still aren't that many of those types of roles for women, but Sophie wanted to give me the space to get to be wild.' Molly Gordon, Sophie Brooks break down the 'Oh, Hi!' soundtrack One of the unexpected pleasures of 'Oh, Hi!' is its eclectic soundtrack, which features memorable needle drops from Clairo, Julia Jacklin and Marie Owens. Blake Mills' woozy 'Breakthrough Moon' underscores an early bondage sequence, as Iris handcuffs Isaac to the bed for a night of passion. ('It's hard to find a song for a sex scene that's the perfect level of sexiness without being too over the top,' Gordon says.) And then there's Molly Burch's lilting 'Made of Glass,' which perfectly captures Iris' state of mind with lyrics about looking for something special and no longer wanting to waste time in unfulfilling relationships. ('Her music really speaks to the modern-day female experience,' Brooks says.) For millennials, a nostalgic highlight is sure to be Mario's 2004 R&B hit 'Let Me Love You.' Iris dances to the song while Isaac is chained to the bedposts, in a desperately misguided attempt to win him over. On the set, 'it was actually choreographed to a different song, but it wasn't as funny as it could be,' Brooks recalls. 'Let Me Love You' was added 'really late in the game, right before Sundance. Our music supervisor, Jillian Ennis, suggested it. As soon as we put it in, we were like, 'OK, thank God, this is working.' It was so organic and really fun.' How Dolly Parton's 'Islands in the Stream' became a 'siren song' The most recognizable song is undoubtedly 'Islands in the Stream,' the smooth 1983 duet between Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. Iris and Isaac harmonize on the dulcet chart-topper as they drive through upstate New York at the start of the film. Initially, 'we considered a Lana Del Rey song, but we really loved the idea of it being a duet,' Brooks says. 'Also, Dolly Parton is such an incredible feminist icon, and really plays with femininity and desire and ambition in a way that I really relate to. It just felt right.' Gordon notes that it's a song that couples often will sing at karaoke together: 'We wanted to kind of make fun of the annoyance of new love, like, we're going to sing 'Islands in the Stream' together!' she says with a laugh. 'But also, how exciting it is when you have someone to do that with.' The song reappears later in the movie during a dream sequence, as Isaac imagines walking outside his mountaintop prison and finding Iris crooning it to him. 'It becomes this almost haunting thing for him and turns into this siren song,' Gordon says. That moment was always in the script from the get-go: 'That's just what happens when you work with your best friend. Sophie was like, 'I want you to be able to show all the parts of yourself that you haven't gotten to as an artist. You're going to dance silly because you're an insane person, and then you're going to sing, too.'' Gordon was admittedly anxious about covering such an iconic tune, which she recorded at the legendary Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. 'I had been naughty,' Gordon says. 'I had just done a movie in England and was smoking cigarettes stupidly, and I feel like I had this rasp. I was scared because I didn't have a voice that day, but I think it actually makes the song have a cooler vibe because I have a very annoying voice a lot of the time. And we only had an hour to record, so it was like, I don't have time to be nervous!' Ultimately, 'it was very pinch-me.'
Mint
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
'I cant keep a secret': Molly Gordon recalls how she shared The Bear spoilers with Logan Lerman
Washington DC [US], July 28 (ANI): Actress Molly Gordon, who is known for working in 'Life of the Party', 'Good Boys', and recently 'Oh, Hi!', shared that she revealed the details about Christopher Storer's TV series 'The Bear''s latest season to her co-star Logan Lerman, reported People. Both Gordon and Lerman starred together in the romantic comedy film 'Oh, Hi!', directed by Sophie Brooks and co-written with Molly Gordon. "I shot my stuff for 'The Bear' before we shot this movie, which is crazy, because we shot it about a year ago," she said. Lerman said, "You told me a little bit," Gordon responded, "Yeah. Sorry. You're like, 'You told me everything,'" according to People. "I can't keep a secret," she added. 'Oh, Hi!' follows a man and a woman as their "first romantic weekend getaway goes awry in a most unexpected way," according to a plot synopsis, as per the outlet. Gordon shared that Lerman was her "first choice" to star opposite her in their new movie. "I've been a big fan of his since I saw Perks of Being a Wallflower. But I also love this movie, Shirley, that he did a couple of years ago. It's completely underrated," she added, reported People. The actress recently shared her working experience with both Lerman and 'The Bears' Jeremy Allen White. "They're both lovely," she said at a screening of the film in New York City on July 22. "They're both lovely people, so that's the similarity between them," she continued, adding, "But, yeah, I'm lucky. My job is easy," reported People. 'Oh, Hi! is currently in theatres. The Bear can be streamed on Hulu. (ANI)
Cosmopolitan
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
'Oh, Hi' Ending Explained
I think it's safe to say that we all, deep down, love a good rom-com. But the newest rom-com on the bloc, Oh, Hi!, ends up having a bit of a darker edge to it. Iris (played by Molly Gordon) and Isaac (played by Logan Lerman) are on a couple's getaway. They're laughing, drinking wine on the porch, having spontaneous daytime sex, and it really seems like an idyllic romantic weekend. That is until after trying out some BDSM restraints they find at the cabin, Iris refers to Isaac as her boyfriend. Isaac, still tied up, tells her that – after four months of dating (!!) – he's not looking for a relationship and he's still seeing other people. So what does Iris do? She decides to keep Isaac tied up and try to convince him that they should, in fact, be in a relationship. A totally normal reaction, right? Well, that's where things take a bit of a dark-comedy turn, and what ensues is, for lack of a better term, a chaotic clusterf*ck, so let's discuss Oh, Hi's ending. After Isaac drops the bomb that he thought they were just having fun and that he's still seeing other people, Iris storms off, hurt and angry. Fueled by many, many drinks, she spends the night going through her phone and running back every moment of their relationship (or, I guess, lack thereof) looking for clues that can help her understand what's happening. By the morning, she has her plan ready to go: she's going to keep Isaac tied up for 12 hours and convince him she's the one for him. Shockingly, being held against his will doesn't exactly make Isaac open to changing his mind. And despite Iris's attempts to sway him (including making him french toast, which she's pretty sure he loves) Isaac's just not having it and repeatedly demands to be set free. Iris calls in the help of her best friend Max, who shows up with her boyfriend Kenny. Although the two bring some laughs, they're not exactly overflowing with good ideas on how to deal with the "felony-in-waiting upstairs." One of their brilliant plans is to make a literal witch's brew that's supposed to erase your memory. As it just so happens, one of Max's family members is a witch (?) and they get the recipe from her. The friends get Isaac to drink the brew, hoping it'll make him forget the fact that he's been, ya know, kidnapped, and the wanna-be-witches even do a naked dancing ritual around a bonfire, so it should totally work, right? Well, the next morning, it looks like it actually might have. Isaac seems to have forgotten everything that happened after having sex with Iris, all a lie. When he goes to fetch something he says he forgot in the car, he hops in and drives away, manically trying to get away from the people that have been holding him hostage. Turns out he overheard the whole plan being hatched and played along until he could make his escape. With Isaac speeding away as if fleeing for his life, he ends up crashing the car on a rain-soaked road. But when police find the wreck, Isaac is nowhere to be seen. Iris heads out, frantically looking for Isaac, and she finally finds him down in a valley. He's hurt his ankle and can't really walk any further, so once again, he's forced into a conversation. But this time, the two talk and are actually able to reach some level of understanding about where the other person is coming from. Iris tells Isaac that she wanted him to be upfront about his intentions and that his sudden declaration left her feeling totally hopeless. They're both able to accept blame for where they went wrong (although, let's be real, where Iris went wrong was committing a literal crime, so probably a little worse than what Isaac did). Paramedics take Isaac away in an ambulance and he and Iris are finally able to go their separate ways. We're left not really sure where Isaac and Iris go from here, or whether they keep in touch. It's all kinda ambiguous, just like their relationship!
Time Magazine
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Magazine
Breaking Down the Unconventional Rom-Com Ending of Oh, Hi!
Warning: This post contains spoilers for Oh, Hi! It's a not-so-typical love story. Boy meets girl, they go on a romantic getaway together, and have sex. But after sleeping together, Isaac (Logan Lerman) reveals to Iris (Molly Gordon) that he has no interest in pursuing a serious relationship. When Isaac tells Iris this, he's still restrained by his hands and feet (they decided to use some handcuffs they found in the closet of their holiday home). Instead of uncuffing him and ending their relationship, Iris decides to keep him tied up, choosing to turn the weekend into a last-ditch effort to make Isaac love her. In this sense, Oh, Hi! feels like a riff on Misery. But while most films would be quick to condemn Iris for her decision, Sophie Brooks' film isn't interested in having a villain, nor is it in casting judgment on its characters. This is a different kind of romantic comedy, clearly, but it's also a thoughtful interrogation on the idea of being 'crazy,' a word often hurled as an accusation towards women. Of course, Iris is wrong to leave Isaac restrained, but Isaac manipulated her by taking her on a romantic getaway and acting like a madly in love couple, only to suddenly retract and say he's not interested in anything serious. You might say it's enough to make someone go…crazy. Oh, Hi! is a romantic comedy about contemporary dating, but also the way expectations impact our decision-making. 'Expectation and want are the makeup of every story,' says Brooks, who co-wrote and directed Oh, Hi! 'Expectations are inherent to conflict, and inherent to relationships.' Having Isaac and Iris be misaligned in their expectations reflects modern dating. We've gotten into a system where having wants and needs can be considered too much, and everyone should play it cool and act like they don't care.' When working on the movie, her second feature, Brooks was inspired by Joachim Trier's 2021 film The Worst Person in the World to write a rom-com that had a twist of darkness, that stuck to the genre's conventions while making something authentic about the perils of modern dating. 'I really wanted to have this female character who was unashamed of her desire for a relationship. Often in film and our culture, a man wanting love is considered romantic, and a woman wanting love is considered desperate or embarrassing. I think that's really unfair,' says Brooks. 'I'm leaning into the trope of the crazy woman, so she goes too far, and the moral is that you should never convince someone to be with you. But having expectations of someone you're wanting to date feels like a very normal thing to want.' Trying to find a way to get out of accidentally kidnapping Isaac, Iris recruits her best friend, Max (Geraldine Viswanathan), who brings along her boyfriend, Kenny (John Reynolds). Max has a surprising solution: a Wiccan spell to clear his memory. Brooks took inspiration from her lifelong love of witches. 'For a long time in elementary school, I was convinced I was a witch and would develop powers during puberty, and I was devastated when that didn't happen,' says Brooks. Max and Iris gather the ingredients and create a soup for Isaac to drink, but since he's extremely untrusting of Iris, they have Kenny (John Reynolds), Max's boyfriend, give it to him instead. For the potion to work, Iris has to bless it by chanting over an outside fire in the nude. Max stands by her, also naked, and they sway back and forth and chant together. She does it in 'solidarity.' It's not just a sweet moment, but a pointed exploration of women being friends in cinema. 'Female friendship in movies can so often have a tinge of competitiveness or be the source of drama. There are so many frenemies,' says Brooks. 'To have this female friendship that is pure and supportive, and having Max be ride or die for Iris, felt really honest to me. It's what my relationship is like with my friends.' That night, Isaac has a bizarre dream. In it, he's on a date with Iris at a bar, where they have an open and vulnerable conversation, and a gateway into understanding more of who Isaac is, and his hesitations on being in a relationship. Later in the dream, he finds himself at the house they're vacationing in, and heads outside to see Iris singing 'Islands in the Stream'—a callback to the opening scene where they're singing it together. Things are going well, and they dance in each other's arms, but suddenly Iris says, 'I hate you,' and Isaac wakes up. 'They really were falling for each other,' says Brooks. 'Unfortunately, just because two people like each other doesn't mean they're gonna figure it out or make it work.' When they're dancing in the dream sequence, it's enough to make you think that if circumstances were different, these two may have had a real chance at romance. 'There are so many miscommunications in the movie, and they're never on the same page, but in this dream sequence, they're completely aligned. It felt like an opportunity to see into Isaac's psyche and show that he does like her, and perhaps love her, but something is limiting him.' When Isaac awakes, he puts into action his escape plan. He's still handcuffed to the bed, but he plays it cool, acting like he has no memory of the events. Iris buys it, and uncuffs him. It speaks to her blind optimism and utter belief in the power of love that she could pull off a magical spell to rid Isaac of his memory, potentially even allowing them to start over. Heading downstairs, Isaac suggests making pancakes, but the flour is in the car. Iris has a flash of concern on her face, but that dissipates almost instantly, and she gives Isaac the keys. She celebrates with Kenny and Max, but it's short-lived—Isaac races off in the car. It turns out that because of an open window, Isaac heard their plan to erase his memory. Terrified that he'll go to the police, Kenny and Max want to pursue him, but Iris believes she's doomed and ready to take responsibility, and she goes back to bed. 'I wanted Iris to have that initial hope. Of course, she's going to doubt the spell worked, but her nature is hopeful, and she likes this guy, so she believes it. She wants to believe that maybe there's a path forward for them still," says Brooks. "And part of that is sad, but sometimes that's what life is. Sometimes it's sad to want something for you that isn't quite right, or even good for you." Iris is woken by a call from the police—her car, the one Isaac stole to escape, was found in a crash with nobody inside. Panicked, Iris heads into the forest to try and find Isaac, eventually discovering him wounded, lying against a fallen tree. You may expect the pair to fight, but instead they have a vulnerable conversation and apologize for the mistakes they've both made. 'I just wish you were honest,' Iris tells him, before sincerely apologizing for what she's done. 'I think by the time Isaac's left and she's able to settle and get some sleep, she's able to take a moment. She's like 'Whoa, I'm not sure how I got here', and she does apologize for her actions, which I thought was really important,' says Brooks. 'I didn't want the movie to end with her thinking she'd done the right thing. She knows she's gotten out of hand and she's embarrassed. But I hope what's nice for the audience is that Isaac learns he didn't handle himself correctly. If he had been honest, they wouldn't be in this situation. When Iris says she wishes he were honest, there's a real truth there. It's an acknowledgement that yes, she did something completely unhinged, and also he got her there.' At the end of the film, Isaac is carted away in an ambulance, and he and Iris have officially, permanently broken up. Iris leaves him with a fond goodbye that references her love of Casablanca: 'We'll always have O high,' she says. It's a callback to a conversation they had in the first scene, where Iris jokes to Isaac about a broken sign that read 'O High Falls' instead of 'High Falls.' But it's all completely lost on Isaac, reaffirming that these two were never truly on the same page. 'It's an example of, 'Oh boy. I was chasing this man, and he is not at all ready for a relationship,' Brooks says. The final shot is a close-up of Iris, who is processing a myriad of emotions before settling on a smile. It's a combination of relief, sadness, and hope. 'There's relief that she's gotten out of this weekend, and he seems not to be going to the cops. Sadness that this connection she felt is over and isn't going anywhere. But there's also a slight smile and light to her eyes, and I think she knows she's going to be okay,' says Brooks. As for whether or not Isaac calls the cops, Brooks has an answer for that, too: 'He's happy this chapter is over, and he doesn't want a legal battle. When he's honest with himself, he can see how they got mixed up in this miscommunication. He does take personal responsibility for how he ended up in that spot. Maybe the spell worked a little, and the part that worked is that he isn't gonna go to the cops.'
Perth Now
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Perth Now
Logan Lerman disappointed by idols
Logan Lerman has been disappointed by some of his idols. The 33-year-old actor has previously been upset after getting the chance to meet actors he admired and finding out they were 'a*******' but he was thrilled to discover that Martin Short was as wonderful in real life as he is on screen, when they worked on Only Murders in the Building. He told The Hollywood Reporter: 'It's scary to meet someone you love so much because they can ruin their entire filmography for you by being an a******. That's happened to me, and those people shall remain nameless, but meeting Martin made me love his work even more.' Logan's next movie is Oh, Hi! with Molly Gordon and he estimates he spent about 100 hours in bed during filming as his character spends most of the movie handcuffed to his love interest's bed frame. He said: 'When I first read the script, I did wonder how we'd make it work, energy-wise, but I saw it came down to the bed frame and how much movement it allowed. Once we figured that out, I'd just show up to work and hop into bed. 'The hardest part was knowing I had to be naked every day - and look the same every day. That took more effort, especially toward the end of the shoot.'
