Crow Talk: Film Squawk

As a mother of two struggles to grieve the death of a loved one, dark secrets emerge that suggest her family may be at the center of a disturbing destiny.

Written and directed by Ari Aster  // Upcoming A24 project Midsommer

The riveting Toni Collette has 72 film credits to her name, including The Sixth Sense (1999) and Little Miss Sunshine (2006), not to mention this years’ Hearts Beat Loud with Kiersey Clemons (Flatliners) and Nick Offerman (Parks and Rec).

Gabriel Byrne—man of depth and intrigue--has 89 film credits to his name, including The Usual Suspects (1995) and (hello!) Little Women (1994), not to mention this years’ An L.A. Minute ALSO starring Kiersey Clemons.

Milly Shapiro won a Tony in 2013 for Matilda the Musical; Hereditary is her film debut.

Alex Wolff killed it in 2017 by releasing four feature films: Jumanji: Return to the Jungle, My Friend Dahmer, The House of Tomorrow, and Thoroughbreds (which is possibly Rochelle’s #1 blindspot of last year).

Aunt Lydia—err, Ann Dowd—gets an IMDb link because lady is WORKING the miniseries game. Her ability to manipulate Annie in Hereditary is lovely, yes. Her complete domination (under male rule, of course) on Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale is epic character goodness. Her representation in film is nothing to dismiss, either, with 44 film credits to her name, including Stacy and Rochelle’s big time 2016 love Captain Fantastic (filmed right in our own PNW backyard) and this years’ American Animals.

Articles/References:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/23/16924782/sundance-2018-horror-hit-hereditary-review-toni-collette-ari-aster-gabriel-byrne

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/hereditary-sundance-2018-1078212

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/06/18/hereditary-delivers-a-new-kind-of-horror

Body Genre: (e.g., film theory) A genre of film (horror, weepies, porn) that has an effect—sensational or emotional—on the viewer’s body, forcing a physical reaction. 

Eight accomplished criminals band together to plunder New York City’s annual Met Gala.

Directed by Gary Ross

Talent:

Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean (The Cool One)

Cate Blanchett as Lou (The Cooler One)

Anne Hathaway as Daphne Kluger (The Starlet)

Mindy Kaling as Amita (The Jeweler)

Sarah Paulson as Tammy (The Housewife)

Awkwafina as Constance (The Pickpocket)

Rihanna as Nine Ball (The Hacker)

Helena Bonham Carter as Rose Weil (The Designer)

Richard Armitage as Claude Becker (The Douchebag)

James Corden as John Frazier (The Sleuth)

Examples of other male film roles repurposed for women:

Ghostbusters

Tilda Swinton as The Ancient One in Doctor Strange

Kara Thrase (Starbuck) in Battlestar Galactica

Sigourney Weaver in Alien

**Blindspot Warning: This year’s to-be-released film Dude—featuring our girl Awkwafina who played Constance in Ocean’s 8—will be Olivia Milch’s directorial debut, featuring four young women navigating the end of high school. Not only did I flub the name of the film during this podcast, but I didn’t offer credit where credit is due. My apologies. <3 Rochelle

Marlo, an over-extended mother of three, accepts the gift of a night nanny to help care for her newborn.

“I think I have always sort of cultivated a flowery writing style. I’ve always sort of overwritten in every genre that I’ve attempted. I went to college and took a couple of writing classes and I remember my teachers were always incredibly encouraging. But it was inevitable to get the criticism: ‘Take it down a notch!’ But the nice thing about screenwriting is that you don’t really have to.”  —Written by Diablo Cody

“When you’re young, you want to make every kind of film: musicals, westerns, horror. Slowly you begin to hear your own voice. I hope people receive what I do as small, personal films that are somewhat contrarian about their main characters.” —Directed by Jason Reitman

Talent:

Charlize Theron – Marlo

Mackenzie Davis – Tully

Ron Livingston – Drew

Mark Duplass - Craig

Wes Anderson’s ninth feature and second stop motion film takes us to a future Japan, ravaged by dog flu and a Machiavellian mayor. While attempting to rid the city of all disease—and return cats to supremacy—the wrong dog is exiled, sending a 12-year-old to Trash Island in search of his beloved pet. 

Anderson’s Boy’s Writing Room:

Roman Coppola: Fan of Godfathers and Foxs.

Jason Schwartzman: Actor first, scribing on The Darjeeling Limited, second.

Kunichi Nomura: All Wes, all the time!

The Boy Dogs:

Bryan Cranston as Chief

Edward Norton as Rex

Bob Balaban as King

Murray as Boss

Goldblum as Duke

Schreiber as Spots

The Girl Dogs:

Scarlett Johansson as Nutmeg

Tilda Swinton as Oracle

Anjelica Huston as Mute Poodle

Eww, Humans:

Koya Rankin as Atari (First Film!)

Greta Gerwig as Tracy Walker

Frances McDormand as Interpreter Nelson

Kunichi Nomura as Mayor Kobayashi

The things we talked about:

Japanese speakers watch this movie

Wes <3's Miyazaki 

Japanese Folklore

After discovering her risk-taking, astrophysicist father is being held prisoner deep in the universe by an evil entity, Meg Murray and her little brother Charles Wallace venture across distant planets—encountering friendship, self-realization, and giant pieces of flying kale—to rescue him.

When director Ava DuVernay signed on in February 2016 to helm the $103M A Wrinkle in Time project, she stepped into legend. Her previous projects include the 2016 documentary 13th, Civil Rights Act historical drama Selma (2015), and 2012 Sundance Best Dramatic Director winner for Middle of Nowhere.

An author of both science and faith, Madeleine L’Engle is the original author of the children’s classic A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet, #1). Not a stranger to false failure in later life, L’Engle was turned down 30+ times by publishers before finding a home for Wrinkle in 1962. One of the most banned books of all time, Wrinkle’s message of love and self-realization has changed innumerable lives, young and old alike.

The most haunted house in the world sits on an isolated parcel of land in rural California, and every day it gets bigger. Engineered by firearm heiress Sarah Winchester (Academy Award-winner Helen Mirren), the monstrous mansion stands seven stories tall, boasting hundreds of rooms and counting. Thought to be the work of a deranged old woman, Sarah understands what no one else can about this work: the Winchester prison must exist, must expand, not for Sarah or her niece, but to house hundreds of vengeful ghosts and keep the worst of them from exacting their terrifying revenge. 

Peter Spierig & Michael Spierig are Australian twin brothers,  best known for their thriller/horror writing (Daybreakers, 2009), production (Predestination, 2014), and directorial (Jigsaw, 2017) endeavors. Future projects include Wunderkind, a Nazi hunter tale written by newcomer Patrick Aison and produced by J.J. Abrams (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, 2015; Star Trek, 2009; Cloverfield, 2008.)

Helen Mirren’s previous portrayals of Queen Elizabeth II—on screen and on stage—have earned her an Academy Award (2007) and a Tony (2015). Previously, her evocative embodiment of police detective Jane Tennison in the acclaimed ITV series Prime Suspect won her several Emmys, and—together with her lauded experience portraying royalty—set a specific foundation for this most recent role as Sarah Winchester, heiress to the Winchester kingdom and protector from evil. Look for her as Mother Ginger in Disney’s The Nutcracker and the Four Realms out later this year.

In search of other spectacular horror films release between 2010 and 2018? CHECK OUT THIS LOVELY LIST!

In acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut, Jessica Chastain is Molly Bloom: a young skier and former Olympic hopeful who becomes a successful entrepreneur, and the target of an FBI investigation, when she establishes a high-stakes, international poker game.  Also starring Idris Alba and Kevin Costner.

Originally a playwright-turned-screenwriter, Sorkin eventually found television writing; perhaps you’ve heard of The Newsroom, The West Wing, Sports Night, or his fantastic one-season cutie Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip?

Jessica Chastain has embodied many standout names over the years: nurturing Antonina (The Zookeeper’s Wife, 2017), ambitious Miss Sloane (2016), creepy big sis Lady Lucille (Crimson Peak, 2015), and faithful Murph (Interstellar, 2014) to name only a few. Soon Ingrid Bergman and Smith/Mastermind (of X-Men fame) will be added to her mounting list of cinematic characterizations.