Latest news with #RobertEggers
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nightmare Film Shoots: The 38 Most Grueling Films Ever Made, from ‘Deliverance' to ‘The Wages of Fear'
Sometimes you have to go through hell to make a great movie. Just ask Alexander Skarsgård, who said that the grueling shoot for Robert Eggers' 'The Northman' left him 'so exhausted that you want to cry.' Like 'Jaws,' 'Apocalypse Now,' and 'Titanic' before it, 'The Northman' overcame filming hardships to earn rave reviews, and the brutal production anecdotes only added to its legacy. (Eggers left no stone unturned in his quest for historical accuracy, making his actors do dozens of takes of long, complex shots in grueling outdoor conditions.) But not every movie with a hellish production history can be so lucky. Just ask the casts and crews of films like 'Heaven's Gate' and 'Waterworld,' who were put through hell only for their films to become notorious box office flops. More from IndieWire Iconic 'The Shining' Photograph Is Traced Back to a Real-Life 1921 Valentine's Day Dance in London 'Jaws' to Celebrate 50th Anniversary with Massive Academy Museum Exhibition Why Steven Soderbergh's Appreciation for Steven Spielberg Has Only Grown Stronger Movie shoots can be painful for myriad reasons: difficult actors, loopy directors, dangerous conditions, and even acts of God can impact what ends up on screen. Something that sounded like a good idea during pre-production (Noel Marshall's idea to use real tigers and lions on 'Roar' seemed awesome!) can prove disastrous in an instant (the director nearly lost his arm!) and send both the movie's schedule and budget spinning. Few directors knows the highs and lows of these nightmarish productions like living legend James Cameron. The filmmaker famously hated his production experience on 'The Abyss,' which much like Cameron's later 'Titanic' forced the film's actors into large water tanks for hours at a time and left more than a few experiencing symptoms of decompression sickness. Of course, never one to shy away from a challenge, Cameron returned his fans to the watery depths in December of last year for the long — long, long, long, long, long, long — awaited 'Avatar: The Way of Water.' While preparing for the sequel in 2017, Cameron reportedly said his teen and child actors had already learned to hold their breath underwater 'in the two-to-four-minute range.' Toss in numerous rewrites, and the aforementioned the decade-plus waiting for audiences, and the sequel more than qualifies for this list. Here are 38 of the most taxing, miserable film productions ever mounted. [Editor's note: The following list was first published in 2019 and has been updated multiple times since. With editorial contributions by Zack Sharf and Alison Foreman.] Best of IndieWire Quentin Tarantino's Favorite Movies: 65 Films the Director Wants You to See 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
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
American Cinematheque's ‘Bleak Week' Expands to Seven Cities Including London, Sets Special Guest Robert Eggers – Film News in Brief
American Cinematheque's annual 'Bleak Week: Cinema of Despair' festival will expand beyond Los Angeles to seven cities across the United States and internationally to London in June. In addition to continuing operations at the Aero, Egyptian and Los Feliz 3 Theatres across Los Angeles, 'Bleak Week' will come to the Portland's Hollywood Theatre, Chicago's Music Box Theatre, Dallas' Texas Theatre, Minneapolis' Trylon Cinema, New York's Paris Theater, Boston's Coolidge Corner Theatre and the Prince Charles Cinema in London. Special guests including Robert Eggers and Todd Solondz will visit the Prince Charles Cinema and Paris Theater, respectively. More from Variety Al Pacino Celebrates 50th Anniversary of 'Dog Day Afternoon' With American Cinematheque Crowd, and Picks Surprise Favorite Roles From His Career How 'Nosferatu' Made Count Orlok's Arthritic Fingers, Prosthetic Penis and 'Red as Hell' Blood Pools 'Nosferatu' Director Robert Eggers Signs on for 'Labyrinth' Sequel Founded in 2022, the festival celebrates films that 'fearlessly plunge the depths of human despair.' The festival will begin in Los Angeles and Chicago June 1-7, then move to Portland and Minneapolis June 6-12. 'Bleak Week' heads to New York, Boston and Dallas June 8-14, before concluding in London June 15-21. As part of Bleak Week, Turner Classic Movies will present its own selection of 'bleak cinema' on June 2, including 'Make Way For Tomorrow,' 'Man of the West,' 'Cries and Whispers,' 'Breaking the Waves,' and 'The Seventh Victim.' Host Dave Karger will introduce the first three films of the evening. The Cannes Film Festival's American Pavilion has launched California Day, an 'immersive day of celebration and programming' dedicated to highlighting California's contributions to the global film industry. California Day will take place May 15 and feature keynote addresses, panels, and networking opportunities. The celebration is aimed at 'spotlight the state's role as a filmmaking hub and leader in entertainment innovation, celebrating its thriving creative scene and fostering international collaborations.' IndieWire will partner with The American Pavilion to program a keynote address discussing 'The Future of Filmmaking in California: Innovation, Creativity, and Global Impact,' with further speaker details to be announced. 'Our mission has always been to celebrate creativity and provide educational opportunities for the next generation of filmmakers by giving a platform to industry leaders and change-makers,' said American Pavilion founder and president Julie Sisk. 'This year, we feel it is important to honor California's unrivaled legacy in global entertainment. After several challenging years for the industry, dedicating a day to California is essential to spotlight its enduring impact and cultural significance in filmmaking.' The Association of Motion Picture Sound (AMPS) chair George Foulgham and vice chair Kate Davis announced the winners of the 2025 AMPS Television, Drama, Factual Film & Product Awards during a special presentation on April 13 at Greenwich University. The Television Drama and Factual Film category winners have also been nominated for the 2025 BAFTA Television Craft Awards. Voted on by working wound professionals, the AMPS awards honor technical and creative excellence across multiple disciplines. AMPS also awards Certificates of Merit to every creative team member who contributes to the winning soundtracks, a practice intended to recognize the 'collaborative nature of sound.' The winners of the 2025 AMPS Awards are: Excellence in Sound for a Television Drama 'Slow Horses' Excellence in Sound for a Factual Film 'Secret World of Sound With David Attenborough' Excellence in Sound for a Production Hardware or Software Product Sound Devices for A20-Supernexus Wireless Receiver Excellence in Sound for a Post-Production Hardware or Software Product Accentize for dxRevive Pro Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week What's Coming to Disney+ in April 2025 The Best Celebrity Memoirs to Read This Year: From Chelsea Handler to Anthony Hopkins
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
These Unionized Reality TV Workers Have Been Seeking a Contract For More Than a Decade
The unionization of production company Kirkstall Road Enterprises in 2012 was one of the earliest victories for the Hollywood writers' union when it came to organizing the Wild West of reality television. It was the heady era of Jersey Shore, Duck Dynasty and Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and, though it was a modestly sized group of workers, the successful drive at The First 48 producer was a notch in the Writers Guild of America East's belt as it sought to make inroads in nonfiction. Twelve-plus years later, however, these workers still don't have a first union contract — and neither do their colleagues at fellow ITV America subsidiary Leftfield Pictures (Pawn Stars, Alone), which unionized just a few years later, in 2015. Now, as it's making some fresh headway in nonfiction after years of starts and stops, the WGA East is applying renewed pressure. More from The Hollywood Reporter L.A. Times Owner Adds Bias Meter, AI-Generated Copy On Articles, Drawing Criticism From Guild After More Than Four Years of Talks, NBC News' Digital Editorial Staff Gets Tentative Contract Deal Hollywood Unions Traveling to Sacramento to Lobby for California's Film and TV Tax Credit Expansion On Thursday the union delivered a petition to ITV management signed by roughly 500 members, including Nosferatu filmmaker Robert Eggers, American Psycho writer-director Mary Harron and Saturday Night Live writer Bryan Tucker, that calls for ITV America to negotiate these stalled contracts 'in an expeditious manner.' Added the petition, 'Long delays, proposals that are out of line with industry standards and refusals to respond to important proposals do not reflect well on the company's stated principles.' The move follows an unfair labor practice charge filed by the WGA East against Leftfield on Feb. 13, alleging failure to bargain in good faith. The National Labor Relations Board has yet to rule on the case. In a statement, ITV America said that the company 'has been bargaining in good faith and will continue to do so, having already reached agreement with the Guild on a vast number of items.' The company added, 'While the WGA often litigates these issues in the press, we believe the proper place for conversations about the process and how to resolve open issues is at the bargaining table.' The WGA largely turned its attention to reality television in the wake of the 2007 writers' strike, which underscored how companies could turn to cheap and fast-to-produce nonfiction content when writers of scripted shows withheld their labor. On the West Coast, the WGA West represents workers at America's Funniest Home Videos and recently unionized Ridiculousness. Its New York-based sister union has gone further, organizing shops like Lion TV, Sharp Entertainment and NBC News Service, formerly Peacock, and Vice before a recent escalation in efforts. The ITV campaign heated up again at the beginning of 2023, when postproduction workers who had been working remotely since the pandemic were told to report to the office. ITV America had moved parts of its operation during the pandemic from Manhattan to Stamford, Connecticut, which raised some concerns about commutes, tax and employment law changes from Kirkstall workers. In May 2024, Kirkstall's union and its management began negotiations for the first time since an unsuccessful initial attempt at bargaining years ago. According to the union, there has been progress on minor issues in these talks, which are set to continue on Thursday, since. However, the labor group claims the company has not wanted to budge on its existing policies for sick time and vacation time, nor wanted to enhance its health insurance offerings or significantly raise wages. 'To think about a union contract that doesn't actually improve things for people, whether it's paid time off or retirement or healthcare or wages or anything else, is just not workable to us,' says Phil Andrews, the union's deputy director for nonfiction and organizing. At Leftfield, meanwhile, the WGA East maintains that the group has been asking for bargaining dates for several months, to no avail — the company allegedly has not committed to setting times for the discussions. With their first contract, the Kirkstall workers are targeting an increase in wages, annual raises, enhanced safety measures, adjustments to the company's health insurance offerings and additional contributions to their retirement plans. Leftfield workers are likewise looking to negotiate minimum wage rates, raises and changes to their health insurance plans, while also seeking contract language around staffers getting rehired season to season. 'Our rates haven't kept up with the cost of living,' says one worker in postproduction. 'I love my job, I'm so glad to be here and I want to move up with the company. And it's hard when they're not necessarily investing in us the way that we are in them.' In its statement, ITV America said that the union's accounting of the situation contained 'numerous false statements'; THR has asked for specifics, which have not yet been provided. The company added, 'During a time of significant industry challenges, impacting networks, producers and individuals in different ways, we will continue engaging with the WGA and prioritizing our employees.' Nelson Lichtenstein, a research professor at the University of California Santa Barbara who specializes in labor history, says this scenario is a little unusual. Delays in reaching a first contract are fairly routine, but 'usually what happens is that after several months or a year, all the [workers] who are involved to begin with are completely discouraged and have moved on,' he says. 'Or after one year, the company can call for another election to decertify the union.' The notable distinction in this case, to him, is that the union has not been decertified and the workers are returning to their attempts after significant time has passed. When asked why it's taken so long, Andrews — who was not employed by the WGA East when these unions first formed — says that, for a while, the union drive did lose support. 'Anyone in labor will tell you if the workers are not motivated and behind the effort 100 percent, then there's nothing you can do,' he says. But recent wins for the WGA East in the space has changed that, he adds. Within the past four years, six production companies have unionized, including two prestige names in documentary, Alex Gibney's Jigsaw Productions and Liz Garbus and Dan Cogan's Story Syndicate. Half of those have negotiated first contracts. One field crew worker at Kirkstall agrees that this recent spate of activity has been a factor in the renewed energy around the ITV contracts. 'There's real momentum happening right now with nonfiction organizing and ITV should take the lead on it,' this person says. 'We really believe they could be an example out there.' Still, after more than a decade, union supporters stress they aren't taking any chances. Adds the field crew worker, 'Our hope is that by seeing us speaking out about this, they decide to start moving faster with negotiations and not add any further delays into this process in order to avoid us getting into other escalation tactics.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
The Independent
18-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Molly-Mae Hague addresses confusing response to her ‘favourite' film of the year
Molly-Mae Hague has admitted she 'panicked' when she was asked to name her favourite film of the year on the Baftas red carpet. The former Love Island star gave a confusing response when she was quizzed by a journalist from The News Movement on her favourite release of 2025. Hague gave the answer 'I did enjoy Nosferatu ', referring to the Oscar-nominated Robert Eggers horror film, but fans quickly pointed out that the influencer had previously posted a vlog online declaring her hatred for the horror film, giving it 'a literal two out of 10'. One fan remarked online: 'She literally said on her vlog that she hated it and thought it was awful,' as another added: 'Molly babe we know you didn't like it'. One person added: 'I thought she said she watched it and didn't like it hahahaha.' Another said: 'I fear Molly Mae is me whenever I'm caught off guard and say the exact opposite of what I feel.' Hague chimed in on the comments, admitting: 'Completely panicked'. In her original review of the vampire film, Hague said: 'Last night guys I went to the cinema to see a horror and I was really upset because it had Lily-Rose Depp, who I'm obsessed with she's absolutely stunning, but it was bad. I really really didn't enjoy it. It was a literal two out of 10.' She added that it 'doesn't take much' to impress her when watching films, adding, 'I will literally watch anything'. 'I would say I'm a big film fanatic,' she added. 'One of my passions is films. Going to the cinema is one of my actual favourite things to do because I love finding new good films. I've always loved films, especially horrors.' The film, which was given five stars by The Independent 's film critic Clarisse Loughrey, stars Bill Skarsgård as Count Orlok with a supporting cast that includes Willem Dafoe, Lily-Rose Depp and Nicholas Hoult. The remake of the classic 1922 horror film was nominated for four Oscars and marks Eggers' biggest box office success to date, after his work on The Northman, The Witch and The Lighthouse. In The Independent 's five-star review, Loughrey wrote: 'In Robert Eggers's Nosferatu, the vampire is reincarnated. He has shed his sparkle, his languid melancholy, his cobweb-speckled absurdity. He comes for you now – yes, you – as the murmuring voice in the dark, the one that calls your desires perverse and your soul unnatural.' Loughrey added: 'Eggers's interpretation of the classic novel, via the classic silent film, is not only a luxurious, Gothic revelation – it's also one of the most profoundly, seductively frightening horrors in years, all because its terrors seem to crawl right out from our own stomachs.'
