Movies

Subterms

    More stories

    • 138 Shares129 Views

      in Movies

      John Krasinski Is People’s ‘Sexiest Man’ With Help From His Stylist

      by

      John Krasinski may not have the raw energy of Glen Powell, but a collaboration with the stylist Ilaria Urbinati has paid huge dividends.Forget the office debates. At a deeply polarized time and in a conservative-leaning era, the editors of People magazine were never going to go for a sex-in-the-hot-tub candidate in selecting the latest “Sexiest Man Alive.” And so it was hardly a surprise when, on Tuesday night, during an episode of “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” the host revealed that this year’s crown had gone to the actor and filmmaker John Krasinski.An amiable hunk and devoted family man with the requisite multiplatform audience appeal (“The Office,” “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” and “The Quiet Place,” among other star vehicles), a cozy throwback celebrity marriage (his wife is the actor Emily Blunt), two young daughters and solid East Coast roots (a Boston boy, he lives in a multimillion dollar apartment in Brooklyn) — Mr. Krasinski exudes an erotic energy suggestive less of the bedroom athlete than of the proverbial stable provider. His vibe, riffed the social media gadfly Blakely Thornton, is “giving country home, Volvo hybrid and a 401(k).”Naturally, fans of the actor Glen Powell were distressed about the decision. Why Mr. Krasinski and not Mr. Powell, the “Twisters” actor, with his V-shaped physique and a smile that seems to encourage moral delinquency? But what were they expecting? In a nation battered and exhausted by a grueling political season, Mr. Krasinski was the ideal middle-of-the-road ticket, visually coded as preppy adjacent, in affect both familiar and humorous, evidently secure in his heterosexual identity and so generally inoffensive as to be the Switzerland of onscreen virility.And what he is clearly not is one of the scandal-plagued hunks (Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck), serial Lotharios (Richard Gere, George Clooney, again Johnny Depp) or obvious thirst traps (Michael B. Jordan) who have been anointed the world’s sexiest by People in the decades since the publication inaugurated its popular “Sexiest Man Alive” franchise with Mel Gibson back in 1985.While his stylist prefers to keep him away from black-and-white clothing, Mr. Krasinski was dressed in a bird’s eye tweed jacket over a basic white T-shirt on the cover of People.Julian Ungano, People MagazineAt 45, Mr. Krasinski also lands in the franchise’s demographic sweet spot. If he was the obvious choice in that sense, his low-key sexiness also developed out of fashion choices that evolved through a collaboration with the stylist Ilaria Urbinati over the past decade and produced their own form of curb appeal.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 113 Shares189 Views

      in Movies

      ‘Emilia Pérez’ Review: A Song and Dance of Transformation

      by

      The star of Jacques Audiard’s showy new musical about a trans Mexican crime boss, Karla Sofía Gascón, adds soul to the melodrama. Zoe Saldaña also shines.In the floridly off-kilter “Emilia Pérez,” the director Jacques Audiard throws so much at you — gory crime-scene photos, a menacing cartel boss, a singing-and-dancing Zoe Saldaña — that you don’t dare blink, almost. Set largely in present-day Mexico City, the fast-track story follows a beleaguered lawyer, Rita (a very good Saldaña), who’s hired by a powerful drug lord, Manitas (a wonderful Karla Sofía Gascón), for an unusual job. Manitas, who presents as a man but identifies as a woman, wants help with clandestinely obtaining gender-affirming surgery and with tidying up some of the complications that come from a violent enterprise.Audiard, a French filmmaker and critical favorite with a string of impressive credits, likes changing it up. He’s partial to people and stories on the margins, though is especially drawn to crime stories; much of one of his finest films, “A Prophet,” takes place in prison. He also likes dipping in and out of genres while playing with and, at times, undermining their conventions, embracing an unorthodoxy that can extend to his characters. The protagonist in “The Beat That My Heart Skipped,” for one, is an outright thug but also a would-be concert pianist who, at one point, shows up at a recital bloodied after nearly beating another man to death.The complications in “Emilia Pérez” emerge in quick succession. After the brisk, eventful opener — featuring a murder trial, an unjust verdict and two musical numbers — Rita is being driven to a secret location by armed strangers, her head shrouded. Before long, she is seated in a truck, face to face with Manitas, a jefe with facial tattoos, a stringy curtain of hair and an ominously threatening whisper. Manitas delivers a staccato, tuneless rap that promises Rita “considerable sums of money” in exchange for her help. “I want to be a woman,” Manitas reveals sotto voce through soft lips and a mouthful of golden teeth.Rita agrees to help, though there’s little to suggest that she could deny Manitas’s request. To that end, Rita begins jetting around the world looking for a discreet, willing surgeon for Manitas, an expedition that, during one stop, finds her in a circular-shaped Bangkok clinic where she, the surgical team and gowned, bandaged patients are soon singing and striking poses. As Rita and a surgeon discuss options for Manitas, the doctor begins sing-chanting words like “mammaplasty” and “vaginoplasty” and “laryngoplasty,” which others pick up as a refrain. As bodies and the camera spin inside the clinic, Audiard cuts to an overhead shot of the facility, exuberantly tapping into his inner Busby Berkeley.The song-and-dance numbers — the score and songs are by Clément Ducol and Camille, and the choreography is by Damien Jalet — range from the intimate to the outsized, and are integrated throughout. Most seem like manifestations of private thoughts, as in an early number in which Rita voices aloud a trial argument that she’s mentally prepping while in a grocery store. When she exits into the jeweled city night, she is met by a rising rumble of voices from passers-by who are chanting “rising and falling.” As she walks on, her words shift into song, her movements become stylized, and the passers-by turn into an ensemble. Audiard then begins folding in images of Rita typing on a laptop as she sings.At first, this shift between inner and outer realities, between the ostensibly material world of contemporary Mexico and the metaphysical world of the characters, is jarring and amusing. From the start, the movie hooks you because of its abrupt turns, how it veers into places that, tonally, narratively and emotionally, you don’t expect. Yet while Audiard has productively combined classic genres and present-day sensibilities before, even the more personal, confessional numbers here add little more than novelty. It’s galvanizing when Rita belts a song — to herself, to us — about the corruption of Mexican leaders assembled at a banquet, but only because the movie is acknowledging a world that it otherwise uses as a fanciful stage.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 113 Shares179 Views

      in Movies

      ‘Conclave’ Is Becoming One of 2024’s Most Memed Movies

      by

      Thanks to characters we recognize from reality TV, the Vatican intrigues have jumped from stuffy prestige drama to the social-media scrum.On its surface, “Conclave,” the Vatican-set film starring Ralph Fiennes, looks like one of the stuffiest of this year’s potential Oscar contenders.Based on a novel by Robert Harris, it chronicles the behind-the-scenes dealings that unfold when the Roman Catholic Church needs to elect a new pope. The cast is mostly male — save for a showstopping turn from Isabella Rossellini — and, with some notable exceptions, largely white. It does not star any hot young things like Timothée Chalamet or Paul Mescal. Instead, it features a murderers’ row of middle-aged character actors. Purely based on subject matter, it seems like the kind of drama that might dominate the Academy Awards in the mid-2000s.And yet it’s on its way to becoming one of the most memed movies of the year.In the weeks since the film’s release, I have been shocked and delighted to find it all over my social media feeds. “Conclave” fever has hit the internet.On X, “Conclave” has been mashed up with “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and “Real Housewives.” Devotees have made fan cams, or artfully edited videos, of the “Conclave” cardinals. One is set to the Charli XCX song “Sympathy Is a Knife” featuring Ariana Grande. The refrain “it’s a knife” is synced to the nasty looks the clergymen give one another. The X user Camille Argentar posted it and wrote, “so much drama in this #conclave and i loved every minute of it.”Another fan cam focuses on Ralph Fiennes’s Cardinal Lawrence and the song “Diva” by Beyoncé, implying that Lawrence is the diva here. The TikTok account @catholic.memes25 has made multiple “Conclave” videos, including one using “We Both Reached for the Gun” from the musical “Chicago.”“Sympathy Is a Knife” provided the soundtrack for one “Conclave” fan cam.Focus FeaturesWe are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 100 Shares149 Views

      in Movies

      ‘Hot Frosty’ Review: The 8 Abs of Christmas

      by

      A hunky snowman comes to life in this Netflix holiday rom-com that strikes a certain muscle tone.Here’s the pitch for “Hot Frosty”: A widow wraps an enchanted scarf around a hunky snowman who springs to life and professes his love. Here are the two possible audience reactions: “How dumb!” and “How dumb — can’t wait to watch!”Lacey Chabert, the star of more than 30 Hallmark Channel romances, checks into work as Kathy, a generically sweet small-town diner owner with little to do besides repeat the premise until everyone is onboard. “You just buy that he’s a snowman?” she sputters to her fellow residents of Hope Springs.No matter. The director Jerry Ciccoritti knows all eyes are on Jack (Dustin Milligan), a shirtless naïf with the soul of a labradoodle and the abs of a supermodel. “I am not cold,” he insists with a twinkle. Jack adores fixing roofs, befriending children, baking homemade pizza and rubbing ice on his bare chest. Nevertheless, Kathy is slow to warm to his charms.To be fair, Jack is a tricky role. It’s hard for a male actor to play innocent and seductive. There’s one carnal gag involving a lusty neighbor (Lauren Holly), but otherwise “Hot Frosty” doesn’t stoke much sexual heat. Families can watch together with no risk of grandma getting distracted and burning a batch of cookies.The script shamelessly re-gifts scenes from “Pretty Woman” and “It’s a Wonderful Life,” along with “Edward Scissorhands,” like when Kathy’s martini-chugging pals swoon that a man this perfect has to be magic. But shameless is the goal. Everyone involved knows exactly what movie they’re making — especially Craig Robinson as the hilarious town sheriff, a killjoy determined to arrest Jack for streaking.Hot FrostyNot rated. Running time: 1 hour 30 minutes. Watch on Netflix. More

    • 138 Shares189 Views

      in Movies

      ‘Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands’ Review: The Wrong Stuff

      by

      The boy band stories in Tamra Davis’s documentary rarely intersect in a way that builds a meaningful or compelling perspective.From a documentary filmmaking perspective, there’s very little to go wild about in “Larger Than Life: Reign of the Boybands.” This frenetic mix of nostalgic fan service and rehashed pop culture history begins at a breakneck pace as if it’s a film made for TikTok. Naturally, it overflows with a cacophony of screaming and fainting fans.Directed by Tamra Davis (“Crossroads,” “Billy Madison”), the movie often feels more like a greatest hits compilation than a cohesive narrative. Its goal is ambitious: to trace the evolution of boy bands — from the Beatles to the K-pop group Seventeen — and explore how the groups have shaped global culture over the past 50 years. Disappointingly, the documentary prioritizes historical play-by-plays over deeper analysis, spending much of its running time tracing the influence of one boy band on the next. These stories rarely intersect in a way that builds a meaningful or compelling perspective, which might leave viewers asking, what’s the point?For some (OK, fine, me), it might be cute to reminisce about how Nick Jonas launched his career as a solo Christian artist, complete with a purity ring. For most, you’ll be left wondering why, in just 30 minutes, we’ve jumped from record-label battles faced by both ’N Sync and the Backstreet Boys, to Donny Osmond’s childhood connection to Michael Jackson, to how Harry Styles successfully started a career outside of One Direction, to Lance Bass coming out, to A.J. McLean’s sobriety. At first, I wondered why so many boy band members addressed were absent from this film. I think I have my answer.Larger Than Life: Reign of the BoybandsNot rated. 1 hour 35 minutes. Watch on Paramount+. More

    • 125 Shares189 Views

      in Movies

      Mattel Mistakenly Lists Porn Site on Packaging for ‘Wicked’ Dolls

      by

      The site has a similar address to one that promotes a film adaptation of the hit musical. The toymaker apologized for the “unfortunate error.”All may be good in the Land of Oz, but the same can’t be said for the world of Mattel.The toy company’s latest dolls for the movie “Wicked” listed a porn website on its packaging instead of a very similar URL that promotes an upcoming film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical.Mattel, the manufacturer of Barbie and Hot Wheels, said in a statement on Sunday that it was aware of a “misprint” on the box for the dolls, which are primarily sold in the United States. The company said it had intended to direct consumers to the movie’s landing page, not to a URL for a website restricted to people 18 years of age and older.The doll is for children four and up.Mattel expressed deep regret, blamed the mix-up on an “unfortunate error” and vowed to take “immediate action.” But the company did not say how the error had occurred or what action it planned to take.It was not immediately clear early Monday how many of the mislabeled boxes had been distributed to stores. Mattel had not announced a recall or offered a refund to affected customers.The film, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, is scheduled for release on Nov. 22. Universal Pictures, its distributor, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.A doll from the ‘Wicked’ toy collection.MattelMattel isn’t the first company or public figure to publicly confuse one URL with another.Last week, Pope Francis appeared to paint himself as a New Orleans Saints fan by repeatedly using a hashtag that refers to the football team, not to the venerated disciples of the Roman Catholic Church.“We cannot become #Saints with a frown,” he wrote. “We must have joyful hearts to remain open to hope.”When the Saints beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, breaking a seven-game losing streak, some of their fans saw the win as divine providence.The worlds of politics and media have seen their share of URL fumbles, too.In 2019, an Italian cartoonist known as Albo, whose work includes erotic images, said on Twitter that hundreds of people had mistaken him for Anthony Albanese, an Australian politician who was campaigning to be leader of the country’s Labor Party.Mr. Albanese won that election and is now prime minister. But he is still occasionally mistaken for Albo.In April, for example, Michael Rowland, a presenter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, apologized after he mistakenly attributed a comment about Elon Musk to the artist instead of to Mr. Albanese. More

    • 88 Shares149 Views

      in Movies

      Freddy Kreuger and 40 Years of Nightmares

      by

      With the release of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” 40 years ago, the horror villain Freddy Krueger clawed his way to becoming a pop culture phenomenon.When “A Nightmare on Elm Street” hit theaters 40 years ago this month, few would have predicted a pop culture phenomenon in the making. Yet it would become one of 1984’s most profitable pictures and spur a lucrative franchise.The success of the series was due primarily to two factors. The first was the thoughtful approach Wes Craven, a humanities professor-turned-filmmaker, took to the material, drawing inspiration from the terrifying stories of Southeast Asian refugees in America who died in their sleep under mysterious circumstances in the 1980s. He fused those stories with the contemporaneous satanic panic and accusations of widespread child molestation to create the character of Fred Krueger, a high-school janitor accused of sexually abusing several children in the small town of Springwood, Ohio. After the man was freed on a technicality, the parents of Springwood took the law into their own hands, burning Krueger alive. A decade later, the undead Freddy haunts the nightmares of Springwood’s teens, murdering them in their dreams.“Nightmare” is a film of genuine fear, dread and menace in which Craven effectively contrasts the pure Americana of the daytime sequences — picturesque houses, tree-lined streets, chirping birds — with the darkness of Freddy’s gruesome deeds. He’s tapping into universal fears, beyond even those of his slasher-movie brethren; not all of us have been stalked by a masked killer while babysitting or fooling around with a fellow camp counselor, but we all sleep, and dream and have nightmares.The second key to the success of the “Nightmare” films was Robert Englund, the classically trained actor who played Krueger — referred to as Fred in the original film, but by the cuddlier Freddy as the series continued. Each installment brought in new protagonists, new actors, new writers and new directors, who fleshed out the character (pardon the pun) with new dimensions and a broadened back story. He would evolve — if that’s the proper description — from the menacing, murderous abuser of the initial entry to a rakish antihero. By the fourth film, he was like an Arnold Schwarzenegger character of the era, spouting groan-inducing quips at his victims (“No pain, no gain!” he would taunt a weight lifter he was torturing) in films that were as silly as they were scary.Robert Englund in “A Nightmare on Elm Street.”New Line CinemaFreddy was a ubiquitous pop culture presence. He was mentioned in speeches by President Ronald Reagan, featured in pop songs, video games and a “Freddy’s Nightmares” anthology television series, and feverishly merchandised in products including children’s toys and pajamas, odd branding for a character accused of being a pedophile. Englund was among the last names in the credits for the first film; by the fourth, he was billed above the title. As the series progressed, the actor would contemplate the social implications of the character. “It’s a warning of the future,” he told Newsday in 1989. “It’s a fable. It’s the Ballad of Freddy Krueger. I am the ghost story of the late ’80s.”We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

    • 138 Shares119 Views

      in Movies

      Tony Todd, Prolific Actor Best Known for ‘Candyman,’ Dies at 69

      by

      Mr. Todd’s decades-long career spanned across mediums and genres, but he was largely associated with a scary figure summoned in front of a mirror.Tony Todd, a prolific actor whose more than 100 film and television credits included “Candyman” and “Final Destination,” died on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 69.Jeffrey Goldberg, Mr. Todd’s manager, announced the death in a statement on Saturday morning. He did not specify the cause.Mr. Todd’s decades-long acting career spanned genres and mediums. He starred or had prominent roles in several films, including the 1990 remake of “Night of the Living Dead,” “The Crow,” “The Rock” and Oliver Stone’s Oscar-winning Vietnam War movie, “Platoon.” His television credits include “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “24,” “The X-Files,” and many other shows. He also lent his rich voice to animation and video games.He was perhaps best known for his role as the titular demon in the 1992 movie “Candyman,” He told The New York Times in 2020 that he was proud of playing the terrifying figure with a hook for a hand, a Black man who had been wronged in life and is summoned from the beyond by people who call his name five times while looking in a mirror — unleashing vicious attacks in which the Candyman slices to death those who dared to disturb him. “If I had never done another horror film,” he said, “I could live with that, and I’d carry this character.”Mr. Todd reprised the role in the film’s 1995 and 1999 sequels and returned to it for the 2021 reboot, directed by Nia DaCosta and written by Jordan Peele.In the “Final Destination” franchise, Mr. Todd played the role of the mysterious funeral-home owner William Bludworth — the rare recurring character in a film series that famously killed off all of its new characters by the time the end credits rolled.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More