How many actors can say they have created a character that has made its way into movie history? Sarah Douglas knows exactly what that feels like, her role as the icy, leather-clad villain Ursa in the 1981 classic Superman II a defining figure in superhero films.…
Read More“I’m doing the thing that I used to dream about”: Dandelion Star Kiki Layne Embraces Authenticity in Musical Portrait of Struggling Artist
In Nicole Riegel’s new Dandelion (IFC Films, July 21), star Kiki Layne plays a not-so-young Cincinnati musician fiercely committed to doing things her way, and to finding a home onstage that is uniquely hers across spaces that are not always welcoming to Black female…
Read More“Extraordinary, Masculine, Free”: Filmmaker Jeff Nichols on Identity of The Bikeriders
Jeff Nichols’ new film The Bikeriders charts the birth and rise of a fictional 1960s-era Chicago motorcycle club named the Vandals, as seen through the eyes of three compelling actors: Tom Hardy as the gang’s founder and leader, Austin Butler as his young protégé…
Read More“Going Up a Hill Demands Effort, Suffering”: Matthew Modine, R.J. Daniel Hanna and Christian Sander on Hard Won Redemption of Inspirational Cycling Drama Hard Miles
Someone once observed that there is nothing in the world worse than going nowhere in life while no one seems to care. In the inspiring new picture Hard Miles (Blue Fox Entertainment, April 19), the true story of Colorado social worker turned bicycling coach…
Read More“I didn’t say no to anything”: Caleb Landry Jones on Complex DogMan Performance in Luc Besson’s Outrageous Thriller
In Luc Besson’s DogMan (Briarcliff Entertainment, March 29), award-winning actor Caleb Landry Jones (Three Billboards Out of Ebbing Missouri, Get Out, Nitram) takes on an outrageous character in an unpredictable, certain to be cult film. In one of his signature outsider roles, DogMan finds…
Read More“I do see change, and it does make me hopeful”: Shirley Star Christina Jackson on Regina King, Political Idealism and a Love-Fueled Career
In Netflix’s Shirley, Regina King embodies the trailblazing Shirley Chisholm, dramatizing her historic 1972 run for the presidency. King brings to life the legendary congresswoman and advocate for social change, portraying her as an undeterred force in politics with a campaign mantra of being…
Read MoreThe Devil and David Dastmalchian: The Actor on New 70s Supernatural Throwback and Acting as the Art of Propulsion
In Late Night With the Devil, David Dastmalchian delivers a riveting performance as a 70s-era talk show host whose pursuit of television ratings leads to a chilling supernatural confrontation. His live variety hour takes an enjoyably terrifying turn when what appears to be an…
Read MoreOn the Eve of Oscars, 23 of 2023’s Great Performances That No One is Talking About (and should be)
Every year there is too much awards-based emphasis on a mere handful of the “best” movie performances, but here are 23 of the very best 2023 lead and supporting turns you may not have seen, and which were every bit as deserving of awards…
Read MoreWhen Truth Becomes a Matter of Belief: Filmmaker Ilker Çatak on Academic Accusation Suspenser The Teachers’ Lounge
What is the role of objective truth—if any—in a modern moment when reputations and livelihoods can be instantaneously demolished without tangible evidence, and belief in alternative facts has been emboldened? And what are the spoils of idealism against such a rigged court of public…
Read MoreThe Zone of Interest Star Christian Friedel on Nazi Villain and Family Man: “To find and create the normality, or the banality, was an intense challenge”
In Jonathan Glazer’s icily austere The Zone of Interest, German musician and actor Christian Friedel was tasked with a dauntingly antithetical assignment in playing real-life Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss: to convey an architect of doom as a mild-mannered family man. No, these were not…
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